The BluePrint - Volume 8, Issue 5

HAGERTY HIGH SCHOOL

3225 LOCKWOOD BLVD. OVIEDO, FL 32765

INDEX

the

blueprint

volume 8, issue 5

April�15, 2013

“Annie” shoots for greatness Lauren Lee Staff Reporter uscular teenage boys who dance ballet, rifles tossed in the air and a cast in colorful outfits with a Wild West backdrop - the play “Annie Get Your Gun” is in an Old West town with circus elements.

Annie gets into a competition with Frank Butler, the lead shooter, and beats him in a contest to be his co-performer.

In the past, plays and musicals have been solely theater oriented, but “Annie Get Your Gun” which will run April 10-12, involves a wide range of extracurricular groups.

Lead performers include senior Jason Findlay as Buffalo Bill, senior Zach Smith as Frank Butler, junior Monica Oquendo-Alvarez as Annie Oakley, senior Chris Bartel as Chief Sitting Bull and senior Joseph Puccio-Ball as Charlie Davenport.

Along with the main cast and crew, the show features 15 football players, 11 people from colorguard and backdrops from six National Art Honor Society students. The opening number features all three groups and the cast in a giant circus act.

Along with supporting the cast

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Band MPA ..................2 Teacher spotlight.......7 College expenses .....8-9 Ichiban.......................11 Anti-bullying issues....16

Not clowning around. Junior Monica OquendoAlvarez practices the ballroom scene with the song “I Got the Sun in the Morning,” with other castmates. Oquendo stars as Annie, the gunslinging circus performer who falls in love with photo by Anesu Mucherera her partner.

and crew, each group adds something visually. Football players will dance, colorguard will perform with rifles and NAHS painted the murals and large posters featured in the background.

“Community service is the best way to show appreciation, and since everyone is supportive of the football team, we need to give back to the support we have,” assistant football coach Richard Lias said.

Through the suggestion of junior Ashleigh Andrews, colorguard joined the play for fun while NAHS and the football team joined to help and earn community service.

“Coach Ziglar actually came to us one day and said that we had been given a great opportunity. He really appreciated us helping out, and likes to help people out around the school,” linebacker Cooper Cassidy said.

Although it is harder on the cast and crew with more people involved to teach the many unexperienced performers, performing in the play does not take away time from the students or the clubs as a whole.

“Since there are more people involved [in the play] we will have more of a presence in the school,” theater director Anne Stout said.

5k 2013 Run/Walk things to do this month  Zoe [April 27]

 Maitland Spring Festival

 Bowl-a-thon

[April 13 - April 14] From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. enjoy Maitland a while and sample restaurant cuisine and view original artwork and sculptures.

[April 27] The Huntington’s Disease Society of America will be hosting a bowl-a-thon starting at 6 p.m. at the Boardwalk bowl.

 The Great American Pie

Show ZOE ministry support and come to the First United Methodist church 5k. The walk starts at 8:30 am. Food/ drinks are provided. Ticket prices are $15-$22.

Festival [April 27 - April 28] Come dig into baking competitions at Lakeside Park.

Original “Piecosso” artwork is featured. Admission for the Pie Buffet is $5-$10.

 Gourmet Food Trucks

[April 14] Bring a lawn chair and dine on food from Central Florida’s award winning gourmet food trucks from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Oviedo Mall.

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Theater has superior state experience

Ryan O’Connor

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Staff Reporter

ights, camera, Superiors! The theater troupe traveled to the Embassy Suites in Tampa on March 20-24 to compete at the states competition.

To prepare for the competition the troupe practiced its one act play since the beginning of the summer.

To get to states the troupe first had to compete in the district competition in November where they earned superiors and Best in Shows, including the one act.

The troupe left for the states competition from the school at 5 a.m. and were thrown into the competition as soon as they arrived at 7 a.m.

“It was little bit weird; the festival had started when we started performing,” senior Justin Hughes said.

The one act play started off the competition. The troupe competed in eight categories and won two state awards and got superiors in all eight categories.

“It was a big triumph for all of us,” junior Angela Sadat said.

The troupe pulled off a great performance earning them superiors while performing in front of a hundred people.

Junior Lia Silveira won the troupe another award with a Best in Show in the publication category with her poster of the play “Assassins” receiving perfect scores on it. Before presenting to the judges, Silveira felt extremely nervous but became more comfortable with a judge who she had been critiqued by at districts.

“I was pretty overwhelmed. I was kind of expecting it but at the same time I wasn’t sure I would get it,” Silveira said.

what’s news?

THIRD BLOOD DRIVE COMING APRIL 22 The third blood drive of the year will be held by the National Honor Society on April 22. Students must be 16 and older to donate and students who are 17 and older do not need parental permission. Students can sign up in the cafeteria during both lunches.

NEW TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE SCHOLARSHIP OFFERED The Sam Momary Tradition of Excellence Scholarship is a $500 scholarship awarded to a graduating senior who will be attending a college, university or technical school. Students must have a 3.0 GPA and demonstrate excellence in academics, athletics, arts or community service. A 200-500 word essay is required as well as two letters of recommendation. Completed applications are due to Lower House Administration in 7-100 by April 30.

CREATIVE WRITING CLUB TO BEGIN APRIL 24 The Creative Writing Club, started by English teacher Lisa Gendreau, is a new club on campus for students who are interested in writing. The club plans to nominate students to receive a letter to join the club. Their plans include to publish student works in the school newspaper and web site and enter than into writing competitions. An interest meeting will be held on April 24.

FCAT 2.0 TESTING COMING FOR 9TH, 10TH GRADE Exams for sophomores will be held on April 15-16 and for freshman on April 22-23. All FCAT testing is now computer based and locators will be posted in front of the media center, cafeteria, building 2 and lower house guidance. Students are advised to get a good nights’ sleep the night prior to testing.

Also competing in the publicity category was senior Kaitlyn Becker who created a publication for “Sweeney Todd.”

“I’ve worked my butt on the design since last April and was hoping the judges will receive it well,” said, Becker who received an 84 out of 90.

The troupe also had two acting duos competing in states. One of the duos was made up of senior Ashley Deluke and junior Kendall Vaughn.

The duo who performed “The Next Mrs. Jacob Anderson” and received two superiors and an excellent with an overall superior.

Another acting duo consisted of seniors Jason Findlay and Bridget Hanratty was a scene from “Mice and Men”. The challenge the group faced was performing a scene that people have seen before.

“You have to live up to the

expectations of the characters,” Findlay said.

Junior Brittany Hill performed a musical solo entitled “The Mist” from “Dracula the Musical.”

“Seeing the whole troupe there to support me, I gained a new perspective of the whole song and just energized me,” said Hill, who scored straight superiors.

Junior Ace Jennings and Hughes performed in the Duet Mime category with a scene that involved the two characters fighting each other and received superiors from the judges.

In the Monologue category, senior Jamie Everett competed with two pieces, a comedic and a dramatic, with the goal of crying when doing the dramatic piece.

“After the piece was over I noticed one of the judges had shed a tear and made me feel good to achieve my goal,” Everett said.

provided by Bridget Hanratty

Drama queens. Senior Ashley Deluke and junior Kendall Vaughn rehearse at the Thespian competition in Tampa.

The duo received a Superior rating for their scene, “The Next Mrs. Jacob Anderson.”

Band finishes strong at MPA Daniella Parcell

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Staff Reporter

t was a week before the most important concert band performance of the year. Director Ted Shistle put his hands down after the wind ensemble played their final note, realizing how much hard work it would take to get the band to the desired level in the next seven days.

After intense practice, the wind ensemble pulled through and took home straight superiors at the district Music Performance Assessment on March 7, which enabled them to qualify for the state festival later in the year. According to director Brad Kuperman, they showed great improvement between the two performances and they were almost like night and day.

“If they would have done what they did on stage here at MPA, it would have been straight goods,” Kuperman said.

At MPA, concert bands from all over the district travel to a selected school to perform pieces that they have prepared for three judges. It is not a competition, but rather an

evaluation of each individual band.

Bands are given a rating of superior, excellent, good, fair or poor, based on their performances.

“We put a lot of work into it and compared to the practice we had prior, it sounded much better,” senior Brandon Paschall said. “We sounded more confident.”

Along with the prepared pieces, students were also challenged to sight read two different pieces of music that neither the directors nor the students had seen before, and they only had three to five minutes to study each piece.

“I thought the sight reading part went really well,” Shistle said. “The music was much easier than you would have imagined. I was glad that the music allowed the group to play confidently.”

On May 2, the wind ensemble will travel to Tampa for state MPA. According to director Brad Kuperman, bands are judged harder at the state assessment, and judges are usually college professors rather than high school directors.

“The state criteria when they judge is a lot more tedious,” Kuperman

said. “A superior at district is usually an excellent at state. You really just have to be on your game the entire time at state to pull through with a superior.”

In addition to the wind ensemble, the symphonic band enjoyed success at their MPA performance on March 9 where they received an overall score of excellent on stage, along with a superior in sight reading.

“What they did at MPA was pretty unbelievable,” Kuperman said. “It had nothing to do with the judges being nice. They really did have a very strong performance, by far the very best that they have played this year.”

Although only the wind ensemble was able to qualify for state festival, the success seen at MPA proved to be a learning experience for both bands to use at future competitions.

“I think that MPA will benefit the bands because everyone worked really hard leading up to it,” sophomore Matt Pieper said.

“The ratings we got really inspired people to work even harder for future competitions such as states or just for other performances in the future.”

3 Saturday switch increases Relay awareness

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photo by Darbi Filliben

Ready to relay. Before Relay for Life the event organizers set up a message of hope. The event raised over $70,000 to fight cancer in America.

Daniel Neveras

Reviews Editor eanbag tossing, illuminated paper bags, and lots of purple. The annual Relay for Life took place on April 6-7 on the Hagerty practice field. Relay for Life is an overnight event in which

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people all across Oviedo come out to show support for cancer research.

The event included music played on speakers and recreational activities, such as a volleyball net near the back of the Relay track.

One of the biggest changes this year was the event took place on Saturday and not Friday night.

“There was a lot more people at night than during the afternoon.

There was a bigger time frame so they were more spread out,” junior Matthew Murray said.

Despite the shortage in attendance due to church, Relay for Life raised a total of $70,000. All of the proceeds will go toward cancer research in hopes to find a cure.

“Overall it went exceedingly well.

The messages were so much stronger and emotional,” said Murray. “We were able to raise almost $10,000 more than we did last year.”

The event began with the opening of the booths and continued until the moment of silence and luminary ceremony made by participants that was accompanied by a bagpipe rendition of “Amazing Grace.”

The event continued until 8 a.m.

Sunday morning.

Aside from the annual memorial laps, the booths also offered

recreation and meals for attendees.

“There were booths with a bunch of types of food and games like beanbag tossing,” junior Miles Smith said.

Other booths included a pastry and dessert booth, as well as a booth that played common dance songs such as “Cupid Shuffle.”

After traditionally taking place at the Aquatic Center, the event changed venues to the practice field. This seemed to have a positive effect on both the participation and the turnout.

“Since it’s at Hagerty I feel more familiar and comfortable to go,” Smith said. “I hope that they keep it here next year.”

Murray agrees that the event should remain at the practice fields, where it has successfully been for the last two years.

“It’s so much easier for Hagerty students to get involved in such a

good cause,” Murray said.

However, there is one minor adjustment that may be recommended if the school is to host next year.

Unlike the Relay for Life events at Lawton Chiles Middle School, the school opts for the practice field as the destination of the event instead of the actual football field and track.

“It would be nice if they let us use the stadium, but the practice fields are nice, too,” Murray said.

This year provided much success for Relay for Life financially and in general, but Murray hopes to achieve more come next year.

“I really hope businesses can help us more with sponsorships,” Murray said. “I also would like to aid them in reaching their goal of $80,000 and $1,500 for leadership next year.”

With the success this year’s Relay for Life presented, this goal appears to be likely to be accomplished in the near future.

EOC exams could lead to higher AP enrollment Sarah Casagrande Editor in Chief

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tudents in Robin Grenz’s Advanced Placement U.S. History class were able to sigh in relief at the beginning of the school year. In August, Grenz was informed that her AP students would not be required to take the U.S. History end-of-course exam, or EOC, in April.

The U.S. History EOC was pilot-tested last year at numerous schools and will be implemented for the first time in Florida this April.

It will account for 30 percent of a student’s final grade, but will only apply to standard and honors U.S. History students.

“The thought is to move toward EOC’s in all subject areas, or at least some kind of EOC,” Dean Michelle Backel said.

According to Grenz, the decision to exclude AP classes was made at the state level and most likely occurred because of the different

curriculum. She believes that it is possible that some students may enroll in AP instead of honors or standard in order to avoid the exam.

“If you’re going to take a test, why not get college credit?” Grenz said. “[But] if they take AP just to avoid the EOC’s, they’ll still be worried about passing the class.”

While sophomore Adriana Caamano has taken AP classes before and wishes to “challenge herself,” the fact that she could avoid the EOC still influenced her decision to enroll in AP U.S. History next year.

“Either way I have to take an exam,” Caamano said. “But the EOC tends not to ask the right questions and not test what needs to really be tested.”

Current juniors were unaware that they would not be required to take the EOC until after the school year began when they were told by Grenz. While sophomores who plan to take AP U.S. History next year are able to know in advance, some still are not aware of this decision.

Sophomore Rachel Morgan is enrolled in the class next year, and

originally did not know the EOC had been waived for AP students. She is happy about not having to take it.

“I believe it is fair to students.

They have to take the AP exam, so why should they have to take a lower-level course’s EOC too?”

Morgan said.

Other than U.S. History, Biology is the only other class that has both an AP component and an EOC. However, students who take AP Biology without taking Biology I first are still required to take the EOC.

According to Backel, there are only about 20 students who are in this situation and there are no plans to remove this requirement.

Even if a student wishes to not take the U.S. History EOC, they still have a year-long AP class to complete and an AP exam at the end of the year. Grenz said that the news did not have a large impact on her students this year. “[The students] are just worried about AP,” Grenz said. “I focus so much on AP stuff that they’re focusing on the exam.”

4 news Seniors plan, prepare for big week of events SENIOR WEEK Schedule

Monday

Thursday

Senior College Day College Visit Day

10 Years Back Day The Sammy Awards 6 p.m. in the auditorium

Tuesday

Friday

Senior Citizen Day High Honors Ceremony 7 p.m. in the auditorium

Spirit Day Senior Breakfast second period in the cafeteria

Wednesday

Saturday

10 Years Forward Day Senior Switch Day

Prom 8 p.m. at the Peabody Hotel

Ellie Bonck

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Staff Reporter

enior week and prom are an opportunity for all of us to be together one last time,” senior Carissa Roncati said.

Planning prom and senior week required arduous work and rigorous planning to make the events happen.

Some things were easier than others to plan. The location, the Peabody Hotel in Orlando, was already decided due to a contract signed last year, and the theme days for senior week are the same as last year. Choosing the DJ was also easy.

“I already knew who I thought would be perfect, because he was the DJ at my party, so all I had to do was book him,” senior Alyssa Ramirez said.

While planning prom took a lot of work, it was also fun. Planners got to choose the meals that would be eaten for dinner, which gave

them the opportunity to taste test numerous foods.

“We got to eat like a million different plates of really tasty foods.

That food really makes me happy.”

Ramirez said.

Members were split into groups, such as decorations and the DJ. The decorations became one of the most difficult tasks, because everybody had their own opinion on what the decorations should be.

“The hardest part was communicating with everybody. We did things in committees, and there wasn’t much communication outside our specific group,” Roncati said.

Another one of the more difficult tasks to plan was picking a theme.

Themes were discussed: which ones would be easier to decorate for and that people would like. When they finally narrowed it down to a few themes, all seniors voted, and the final choice was “Fire and Ice.” The goal was to have a theme

that everyone liked, would be easy to decorate, and unique at the same time. The ideas of everyone had to be incorporated into the theme and decorations as well. It was a priority to incorporate what all of the seniors wanted, and not just the requests of the people planning it.

“It’s like any group of people, there is going to be different personalities and different dislikes,” senior Tyler Tobey said.

Many little things that most people do not realize went into planning prom also needed to be done, such as what door to enter in, the napkins, and how much it would cost to clean spills.

Planners have surprises for seniors the night of prom that they are sure everyone will love.

“The best part was watching all our hard work come together,” Roncati said. “We’ve worked so hard and it’s amazing to see everything finally come together.”

ROTC sends record four teams to state competition Sean Donovan

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Sports Editor

n April 5, the JRTOC program sent four teams to the state drill meet competition at George Jenkins High in Lakeland.

Out of the Colorguard, Regulation Armed Squad, Regulation Unarmed Squad and Exhibition Armed Dual teams, the exhibition team placed highest with a ninth place finish out of 37 teams.

“If it weren’t for a few points they got taken off for the uniform, they definitely would have gotten first or second place,” first Sergeant Jose Vazquez said.

The remaining teams did not place in the upper half of their competitions, with all competitions containing more than 30 teams.

“We could have done better,” junior regulation armed squad commander Patrick Carbonell said.

“We needed to keep up the intensity.”

Overall, the event did not go as planned for the participants. Unlike the state qualifier at Lyman that was

organized and seemed to flow along with expectation, this event was much more casual and had less strict rules regarding timing.

“The way that the duals and singles went was sort of ‘go when you want,” Carbonell said. “The judges and wait times were off. If there was time, you just had to go for it.”

The times were so off, in fact, the awards ceremony was projected to start at 3 p.m. in the afternoon but started at around 4:30 p.m., so the group left at around 6 p.m.—several hours later than planned.

Another issue the team had was the judging. They felt that it was unfair for almost everyone.

“Some judges gave really low scores and others gave massive scores against everyone,” Carbonell said.

A few of the problems, however, were issues from within the group.

Carbonell, as commander, wanted better timing, and wanted to call out his commands louder or having a more prominent command voice

for the colorguard. These were just some of the finer points things that the judges looked for.

Despite the negatives, Vazquez feels that this state competition was the best yet for the JROTC program.

“We did an excellent job,” Vazquez said. “We’re really moving forward. Every year it seems that more an more teams get to go, and we want to bring more of them to the state level.”

Leading up to the event, the team practiced three days a week after school from 2:45 to 4 p.m.

“The key to success is to practice until we’ve got the routine downpat, until you get a Master’s degree in the event,” Vazquez said. “We practice the routine until you can do it blindfolded day and night—the judges really look for that.”

The Exhibition Armed Dual team proved the most rigorous of all the competition. It consisted of a twoperson team that would have to spin nine and a half pound rifles into the air and perform various tricks with them to impress the judges.

photo by Jake Burton

Raise the flag. Juniors Patrick Carbonell and Dakota Cuocco present the flags at the state competition. Colorguard was one of four groups that competed.

“They looked for originality, difficult [of task], precision and they only had three minutes to do this,” Vazquez said. “It takes a strong commitment from them to be this dedicated.”

The only teams that are recognized with awards are the teams who finished in the top five in each event. Also, these teams get the opportunity to advance to the national competition level. Though

the squads did not qualify to go to the national competition, this is ultimately their goal in the years to come as the program grows.

“We’re really moving forward,” Vazquez said. “In the eight years I’ve been here, it seems we’re always trying to bring more teams.

Every year it seems that more get to go, and we want to bring more to the state level and then to the national competition.”

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lifestyles

‘Teachers’ pets’ fight stereotype Haley Gaeser Opinions Editor s most students pile out of the classroom as fast as they possibly can, not bothering to glance at their teacher, sophomore Lilly Van Sickle stays behind to slip a Starbucks gift card onto her desk.

“I thought that she deserved some recognition for her dedication and sometimes people just need a win,” Van Sickle said.

Teachers deal with up to 120 students each day, which can become stressful and tiring, but a few students try to make it a little more bearable. These few students are teachers’ pets.

When any person receives gratitude for their work, it shows that they are appreciated and teacher’s pets do just that for teachers.

“I make sure that I’m friends with all of my teachers because it gets me on their side and they like me,” sophomore Alexa Johnson said.

“It’s how I get straight A’s.”

Another way to achieve those desired grades include students giving gifts to their teachers to work their way to their hearts, and therefore their grade books.

While the giving of gifts from a student to a teacher is a nice gesture, other students feel they cause a threat to their learning

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illustration by Sarah Casagrande

environment and that teachers are more lenient toward them.

“They act like suck-ups and try to look good for teachers,” sophomore Julia Cha said.

However, teachers like Richard Lias do not believe that gifts affect a student’s grade for a class. While he enjoys having a conversation about sports with a student or receiving food, he appreciates the students who persevere and work hard even more.

“When you say a ‘teacher’s pet’, it is someone you gravitate to because they do what they need to do most of the time,” Lias said.

In certain situations, teachers find that talking about these types of students in class will help motivate the other students to work just as hard as they did. It may seem harmless to them, but other students feel less accepted.

“Sometimes it feels like teachers look down on you and they make you seem like you’re not good enough,” Cha said.

Although teachers and students have a relationship based solely on grades, certain students feel that saying a quick hello can help them not only do well in school but also make a teacher’s day.

“Some pets are known as man’s best friend so I suppose being called a teacher’s pet is a compliment,” Van Sickle said. “My hope is that I can set a good example, maybe even start a trend.”

Colleges encourage bilingual skills Daniel Neveras

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Reviews Editor

rom Beta Club to National Honors Society, students rush to join as many clubs and honors societies as possible to appeal to college admissions. The current mindset by students is that advanced levels of a foreign language are looked on more favorably by colleges. Yet, how true is this?

“I try to get into as many clubs as possible to impress colleges, so something like French Honors Society was an obvious choice,” junior Kelly Carpenter said.

Dr. Gordon Chavis of the University of Central Florida reinforces this idea that more than two years of a foreign language will impress college admissions, as well as benefit students in other areas.

“Colleges and universities want students to take the most challenging academic courses offered in their high schools,” said Chavis. “Usually, this also includes advanced courses of foreign languages.”

In addition to the decision to take advanced levels of a foreign language, a majority of students also believe that the less common the language, the more impressive, such as German. Despite this, junior Kerstin Sosa chose to take the most common foreign language, Spanish.

“I was already a native speaker, so I figured the course would be slightly easier for me,” Sosa said.

However, how unique a foreign language does not play into college admissions as much as students think, as Chavis explains that the success in a language is more important than how unusual the language may be.

“Universities want to understand that students who have taken a foreign language have mastered the basic concepts of it and may pursue that language in college,” said Chavis.

Aside from the academic benefits, foreign languages also open up more opportunities outside of school. Along with an ability to understand a completely new group of people, state competitions select individuals in advanced levels of a foreign language compete in different contests, such as the speaking and reading competitions.

“I competed in the reading and got a medal and an excellent rating because of French,” Carpenter said.

“The competition was really fun and worth the class.”

Some students believe the benefits of a foreign language stretch further than the school’s campus perimeter,

such as an understanding of a new world within a language.

“Outside of school, Spanish allows me to communicate with more people, translate for others and listen to other conversations,” Sosa said.

Likewise, Carpenter believes the advantages of a foreign language can extend even farther than the country, such as countries that also speak the language students learn.

“When I went to France last summer, I was able to understand some of the signs and people around me,” Carpenter said. “I felt right at home.”

Although multiple years of a foreign language may not be as important as students make it out to be in the college admissions process, the benefits academically and in other aspects of life prove to be worth the extra courses.

That Sounds Familiar...

Dangerously Unaware Matilda von Kalm Managing Editor

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was getting into the latest Twitter sub-tweet fight when the period bell sounded. I looked down to see the girl next to me had passed out on the floor.

I stared at her, stunned. How had I missed that one? She must be pulling a prank.

I prodded her with my toe.

“Dude, that’s not funny.” She didn’t respond.

Great, I let the girl next to me pass out and fall two feet away from my seat while I sat absorbed in my phone. Was I really that oblivious to the world around me?

Unfortunately, this seems to be a reoccurring event for me. Once in history class I went an entire 20 minutes staring at my texts before I realized the substitute had been glaring at me. “Your generation,” he grumbled later, “is going to be humanity’s downfall because you’re just not going to look up.” I told him he should have called my name. He said he had, five times.

But this inability to pay attention to surroundings isn’t just me, it’s my generation. There’s the ever confused “Wait, what?” that I get from friends who zone out on their phones mid conversation.

My mom calls me out on it all the time, asking me why I bother to have a conversation with her if I am not paying attention.

Because the things I can do on my phone are addictive, Mom. I can check the weather for tonight’s game while I post another tweet, update my facebook photos, and simultaneously Googling images of Grumpy Cat. Why live in the real world when the virtual world is so much fun? That’s my excuse for not seeing when she fell sideways out of her chair and hit the ground.

Finally, she came around. She must have just been really tired. At least I had the decency to help her up before tweeting about it.

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lifestyles

Resident card assures home away from home Lauren Lee

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Staff Reporter

ophomore Mark Azer turns on the news to see bloody riots, terrorist influence and nervous unease in Egypt, his home country.

After living in America for most of his life, Azer cannot imagine having to live in his home country now where issues such as violence, riots and drug wars occur on a daily basis.

Azer is not the only student who deals with these feelings either. But thanks to green cards, these worries can be relieved.

Green cards represent a state of permanent residency and the ability to work in the U.S. It is formally known as the United States Permanent Resident Card but informally, a green card.

The nickname “green card” came from its color established in 1946 and continued which was until 1964.

After that, the card color changed

and has only recently reverted back since May 2010.

“It is very comforting [to have my green card.] The process took six years, but it feels nice not to have to go back permanently to England,” sophomore Sophie Maguire said.

Typically applicants for a green card have to go through a complex three-step process that takes several years to complete and can be quite problematic. The length and difficulty of the process depends on the type of immigrant category, including visa status, which determines whether immigrants can be employed by certified employers and the country of birth.

Part of the elaborate process to obtain a green card includes an interview, which takes an average of six months to coordinate.

“Getting my green card was stressful; I went to an interview with my parents where this guy bombarded me with 50 questions,” Maguire said.

After gaining a green card, immigrants have to wait five years to apply for full citizenship. Some immigrants choose not to apply, since some still have strong ties to their original country. But in most cases, immigrants apply as soon as possible for citizenship.

Maguire, moved to a country where she was different, and a need for good friends started to worry her since she knew no one. Her mom and step-dad still do not have green cards, which causes a constant stress on Maguire and strains on her family since they could be sent back at any time.

Even though the process is lengthy and the struggle is not easy for any of the immigrants, the benefits of getting either a green card or a citizenship outweigh the problems.

There are benefits of having a green card and citizenship other than being able to stay in the U.S permanently, such as the ability

to work under any employer, universal health care, eligibility for scholarships or grants and a lower payment on a variety of aspects, such as college.

Azer did not get his citizenship until a few years ago.

“Knowing that I wouldn’t have to go back is comforting with all the problems in Egypt at the moment,”

Azer said.

Immigrants that go through the complex process for a green card assume the problems would stop there, but often they do not, as problems continue with other friends and family members who have not received theirs, and the fear of being sent back looms over their heads consistently.

PERMANENT RESIDENT CARD GREEN CARD STATISTICS Mexico, China, the Dominican Republic, India and the Phillipines are the most common countries from which immigrants apply for green cards 420,000 new arrivals are eligible for green cards each year.

Over 1 million people have been granted green cards.

66 percent of all green cards granted reunited families information from the Migration Information Source

Complete Your Application Process

seminolestate.edu/apply | 407.708.2050

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lifestyles

TV’s Teacher Spotlight takes over Adeline Davis

“W

Staff Reporter

hat are you doing later tonight?’ Typically, if a student asked a teacher this question he would be met with surprised glances and a referral.

However, senior Erik Marshall can get away with it.

With its effortless flow of comedy, captivating effects and dirt on teachers, the Woof Extra known as Teacher Spotlight went from being a brief Friday clip to the week’s most anticipated news event.

The words “Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if…” started it all. When junior Sam Hapgood and Marshall brainstormed for new ideas to bring to Woof TV, they landed on the concept of students running into teachers’ classrooms to interview them. The idea stuck.

Despite the extra’s easygoing feel, Spotlight is often crunched for time.

Teacher Spotlight is filmed the Friday before it is shown which gives junior Spencer Lindsay only a couple of days to edit it.

“The most important part is the intro and the song,” Lindsay said.

“You have to have really popular

songs so everybody can get into it.

Effects are really big as well; you have to use big flashes to attract people’s attention.”

Since Teacher Spotlight is a weekly event, themes are created for each episode in order to keep it interesting. Since Coach Malkovich’s theme was the “Malkcarena,” the team of seniors which includes Marshall, Miqueas Murga, Hapgood, and juniors Lindsay and Andrew Griffith went from classroom to classroom collecting footage of students dancing to the Macarena.

“Before we edit, it’s really boring.

It’s all raw footage and us just walking into the classroom,” said Lindsay.

“Everything has to be staged to make it cool.”

Lindsay often has to stay during lunch and after school to import footage and edit it. It takes him about an hour and a half to edit the whole thing. Having enough footage is essential to the editing process.

Another major appeal to Teacher Spotlight is the interview. However, unlike the editing process, the interview does not take as long. The questions are run over twice and other than that, it is all spontaneous.

Being a naturally outgoing person,

photo by Devin Becker

In three words. Senior Erik Marshall interviews humanities teacher Teresa Decio for a Teacher Spotlight segment. Interviews such as this one reveal odd facts and silly quirks about teachers, as well as create funny quotes.

Erik Marshall enjoys the interviews but admits to occasional errors such as having audio malfunctions or blanking out during an interview.

When a mistake is made they usually cut or Marshall thinks of something funny to say.

“With Ms. Decio there are parts in her interview where I’m awkwardly staring at the wall because I’m trying to think of something to say,” Marshall said. “Coach Malk’s ‘man on man’ and ‘woman on woman’ comments were pretty awkward as well.”

Spotlight’s Greatest Quotes

Marshall’s hilarious and occasionally inappropriate comments soon became notorious to Teacher Spotlight. Combined with the intro and effects, all of these factors have made it the biggest Woof TV Extra of the year.

“Let Justin Timberlake “Ich liebe lehrer die, Jessica Biel would Rampenlicht.” “Well, life’s hard and then - American History - German teacher you die.” - American History be available.”

Kathy Koons

teacher Robin Grenz

“It’s usually man on man or woman on woman.”

teacher Craig Johnson

“I have a crush on his beard.”

- Environmental Science teacher Mark Pooler

- American Government teacher Matthew Malkovich

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middle

The real of co$t

COLLEGE

Increases cause struggles Lexi Rossow

S

photo by Isabelle Sarnek and Phoenix Auto Glass layout by Sarah Casagrande

Business Manager

enior Ashley Deluke grew up in the bustling city of New York, and gazed longingly everyday toward the school of her dreams, Hofstra University. When she moved to Florida her freshman year, she held onto her dream school until reality hit her in the gut... or more fitting, her wallet. Because Hofstra University averages to $50,000 per semester, the chance of her attending the expensive and out-of-state college were slim, even if it was her dream.

As May 23 draws near and acceptance letters pile up, one more worry appears, and it comes with a dollar sign. College costs have sharply increased over the past decade, both in state and out of state.

“More students are going to college than ever before, and the government hasn’t been increasing the money designated for public colleges to balance that,” upper house guidance counselor Charlotte Barolet said.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, four-year public universities increased from about $13,000 in 2000 to an average of a little more than $22,000 in 2011. In a decade, schools have increased by almost $10,000 in average tuition. Public two-year universities are not much better on the wallet, with an increase of almost $7,000.

“America’s whole thing is we want

9

middle

to make the country better, but how are we going to make that better if we keep raising education prices, which is the exact thing that is going to make America better,” senior Dorian Cantor said.

And as public universities raise prices, private colleges must as well in order to remain competitive educators. In the same decade, private four-year universities have increased from $5,600 to an average of $32,000.

“Kids want an education,” Cantor said. “We just can’t pay for it.”

With these rising prices, students are forced to seek financial aid, scholarships and grants to pay their way through college without having to take out student loans. “[The guidance counselors] encourage students to talk with the financial aid offices to the universities where they’re being accepted, because that’s where [seniors] find the information for that particular school,” Barolet said.

To assist with the payment, Barolet and the other guidance counselors attempt to give as much information about scholarships possible and provide seniors with an information packet about helpful websites and other outlets for financial aid. The College and Career Room has a blackboard account with daily links for other scholarship outlets as well.

“Ultimately, the task for every senior is to immediately start searching for scholarships as soon as possible,” Barolet

said, “We tell the juniors that.”

Senior Kathren Francis was one of the seniors who listened. Francis will attend Steston University with an academic $40,000 grant to assist with the costs, bringing the price down to what she would have to have paid at University of Central Florida, where she was also accepted. Even with that, she continues to search for more scholarships and apply for more support.

“Every little bit counts,” Francis said.

Even with assistance from the College and Career Room, scholarship and financial aid information made available, seniors still struggle with paying for college, considering the fact that not everybody can earn a scholarship or qualify for financial aid.

Seniors like Deluke and Gio Gonzalez feel the burn of the higher tuition as graduation approaches. Deluke applied to seven or more colleges, but chose to attend Florida State University because of financial reasons.

Gonzalez was accepted to Stetson University and Florida Atlantic University, but cannot decide which to attend.

“Although Stetson is the better school, it’s more than twice as much money,” Gonzalez said.

As the recession drags on and the concentration of politicians defers away from the stability of educational finance, universities and colleges show no signs of lowering their prices in the near future.

“It’s not fair,” Deluke said, “We go into college, get in debt, get a job to pay off our debt, and then die.”

Education Up

College costs have always been on the rise, but that rate is now faster than ever. Every secondary institution, from public to private, has seen a major increase in average price per semester in the past three decades:

Add$

Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Education. Does not include housing fees.

Private Colleges

Public Colleges

$32206

price per semester

price per semester

$21373 $13564 $2373

$4757

1980

1990

$7586

2000

$12910 $5270

2010

1980

1990

2000

2010

8

middle

The real of co$t

COLLEGE

Increases cause struggles Lexi Rossow

S

photo by Isabelle Sarnek and Phoenix Auto Glass layout by Sarah Casagrande

Business Manager

enior Ashley Deluke grew up in the bustling city of New York, and gazed longingly everyday toward the school of her dreams, Hofstra University. When she moved to Florida her freshman year, she held onto her dream school until reality hit her in the gut... or more fitting, her wallet. Because Hofstra University averages to $50,000 per semester, the chance of her attending the expensive and out-of-state college were slim, even if it was her dream.

As May 23 draws near and acceptance letters pile up, one more worry appears, and it comes with a dollar sign. College costs have sharply increased over the past decade, both in state and out of state.

“More students are going to college than ever before, and the government hasn’t been increasing the money designated for public colleges to balance that,” upper house guidance counselor Charlotte Barolet said.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, four-year public universities increased from about $13,000 in 2000 to an average of a little more than $22,000 in 2011. In a decade, schools have increased by almost $10,000 in average tuition. Public two-year universities are not much better on the wallet, with an increase of almost $7,000.

“America’s whole thing is we want

9

middle

to make the country better, but how are we going to make that better if we keep raising education prices, which is the exact thing that is going to make America better,” senior Dorian Cantor said.

And as public universities raise prices, private colleges must as well in order to remain competitive educators. In the same decade, private four-year universities have increased from $5,600 to an average of $32,000.

“Kids want an education,” Cantor said. “We just can’t pay for it.”

With these rising prices, students are forced to seek financial aid, scholarships and grants to pay their way through college without having to take out student loans. “[The guidance counselors] encourage students to talk with the financial aid offices to the universities where they’re being accepted, because that’s where [seniors] find the information for that particular school,” Barolet said.

To assist with the payment, Barolet and the other guidance counselors attempt to give as much information about scholarships possible and provide seniors with an information packet about helpful websites and other outlets for financial aid. The College and Career Room has a blackboard account with daily links for other scholarship outlets as well.

“Ultimately, the task for every senior is to immediately start searching for scholarships as soon as possible,” Barolet

said, “We tell the juniors that.”

Senior Kathren Francis was one of the seniors who listened. Francis will attend Steston University with an academic $40,000 grant to assist with the costs, bringing the price down to what she would have to have paid at University of Central Florida, where she was also accepted. Even with that, she continues to search for more scholarships and apply for more support.

“Every little bit counts,” Francis said.

Even with assistance from the College and Career Room, scholarship and financial aid information made available, seniors still struggle with paying for college, considering the fact that not everybody can earn a scholarship or qualify for financial aid.

Seniors like Deluke and Gio Gonzalez feel the burn of the higher tuition as graduation approaches. Deluke applied to seven or more colleges, but chose to attend Florida State University because of financial reasons.

Gonzalez was accepted to Stetson University and Florida Atlantic University, but cannot decide which to attend.

“Although Stetson is the better school, it’s more than twice as much money,” Gonzalez said.

As the recession drags on and the concentration of politicians defers away from the stability of educational finance, universities and colleges show no signs of lowering their prices in the near future.

“It’s not fair,” Deluke said, “We go into college, get in debt, get a job to pay off our debt, and then die.”

Education Up

College costs have always been on the rise, but that rate is now faster than ever. Every secondary institution, from public to private, has seen a major increase in average price per semester in the past three decades:

Add$

Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Education. Does not include housing fees.

Private Colleges

Public Colleges

$32206

price per semester

price per semester

$21373 $13564 $2373

$4757

1980

1990

$7586

2000

$12910 $5270

2010

1980

1990

2000

2010

10

student connection

EVERYONE HAS A STORY

ART CORNER

Sophomore Blake Miller spends his time outside of the school training at The Olympic Training Center, or Jets, for wrestling. Miller has been training for a year and hopes to make nationals in his division. Wrestling has helped him with school and discipline.

Q: A:

What made you want to start wrestling?

My dad wrestled in high school and got to First Nations in Michigan. He was supportive and my little brother wrestles too.

Q: A:

Was it hard to start wrestling?

Yes, getting in shape and finding time to do my homework on the side. But it gives me a lot of discipline. I was sore everyday for the first few weeks and then I got used to it.

Q: A:

What are some injuries you have sustained?

I fractured my wrist, and it healed in a few months. I just wrestled on top of it. I just rested it for a week and wrapped it.

POLL: What type of college will you attend? nity

Co

u mm

24% ate

Priv

6% ow

’t Kn

Don

10%

“Taj Mahal Lamp” by Lauren Cremonese, 12 “It’s cool to be able to make stuff that’s really manufactured now and do it the way it’s originally done, it’s exciting.”

According to The Business Wire, 64 percent of teens do In st not know what type of ate college they want to 31% attend, and because of this number, schools develop curriculum to try and solve Out of st this issue. For sophomores, at 29% e the college and career project was added to make students think about their future. Though it might seem difficult at times, according to this poll, these efforts are helpful for sophomores and freshmen to figure out their college plans.

Of the 154 students polled, 90 percent knew what type of school they wanted to go to. Whether it was the procedures that were put into effect or just a better student awareness of the near future, students are starting to think ahead in preparation for college.

“The Piano” by Julia Cha, 10 “I decided that because I liked music so much and that I wanted to learn piano, I’d make a piano.”

“The Staircase” by Leslie Wilcox, 12 “It’s throughout the school, and it represents that struggle, ‘You have to get up the ladder.’”

Submit your own 2-D or 3-D artwork! Visit room 6-201.

11

reviews HORRIBLE

What’s on your

iPod?

Rodney Shaw, 10

“This is Why I’m Hot”

by Mims “I like the song, because I’m hot.”

“Someone Like You” by Adele “Thrift Shop”

by Mackelmore and Ryan Lewis “Everybody Talks”

by Neon Trees Hope Bryant,10 “No Ordinary Love” by Toby Mac “It’s got a message even though the beat is really good.”

“Riff-Off” from the Pitch Perfect Soundtrack “Fireflies”

by Owl City “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons “Fifteen”

by Taylor Swift Riley Kirk, 9 “Carry on my Wayward Son”

by Kansas “The lyrics are meaningful to me since it happens to be on a show I love.”

“Fly Me to the Moon”

by Frank Sinatra “Black”

by Pearl Jam “Nothing Else Matters”

by Metallica

GOOD

OUTSTANDING

4Rivers has best BBQ Keith Clowney

W

Staff Reporter

hat do a peace sign, a heart, and a 4R have in common? Three words...

Texas style barbecue. Thanks to John River we have the best BBQ from 4Rivers Smokehouse.

John Rivers was the president of a pharmaceutical company and made BBQ in his spare time. In 2004, he started cooking for charities and events, and five years later, he opened his first 4Rivers Smokehouse in Winter Park. The 4Rivers Smokehouse grew as multiple awards and good ratings appeared. Then there was one in Winter Garden, Longwood, and coming soon, the restaurant will expand to Jacksonville.

The original 4Rivers location was a small building, where problems rose from overcrowding. This caused the original building to close, but fortunately the new Smokehouse opened down the street.

4Rivers` hours are 11 a.m. to 8

p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and they are closed on Sundays. The new Winter Park facility has a basic modern Texan-style design. Inside and covered outside dining areas are provided, the bathrooms are always clean and the lines are designed for big crowds because inside seating can be full at rush hour.

The 4Rivers menu provides customers with a simple ordering system where you order your meal, pick your sides and pay. Because of the popularity, though, seating at certain times can be overcrowded.

Overall, the food and service are amazing and worth any wait.

The Signature Angus Brisket ($13.49) is hickory-smoked meat that has a flavorful, moist and tender taste that melts in your mouth as you chew it. The Signature Angus Brisket also comes with a soft and dry biscuit.

The Texas Sausage ($7.99) is similar to a normal hot dog, but it is cut in to two four inch pieces and is

photo by 4rivers.com Texas style barbecue. 4Rivers BBQ has many food items, such as the Signature Angus Brisket. 4Rivers is located in Winter Park and Longwood.

placed in warm bread buns. It has a savory taste that bursts with flavor when you bite into it.

The Southern Pulled Pork ($7.99) sandwich has a generous portion of 4Rivers` pulled pork. In contrast to other dishes, the taste seems the same compared to rival restaurants’ pulled pork sandwiches. However, this sandwich is improved significantly with the popular and delectable 4Rivers` BBQ sauce.

The side menu is made up of

16 items. The mac and cheese is average, but still very creamy, the baked cheese grits are better than expected and the 4Rivers’ BBQ beans are sweet and flavorful. There are also simpler sides like fried okra, french fries and corn.

Generally, everything at this restaurant is great, and I recommend 4Rivers to anyone who appreciates and loves homestyle barbecue.

4Rivers BBQ

Ichiban: banging buffet

RaceTrac not just a gas station

Ellie Bonck

Darbi Filliben

Staff Reporter hen you think of Japanese food, a buffet does not normally come to mind.

Ichiban, however, has a new take on Japanese food with the buffet style restaurant. Buffet sushi might seem sketchy, but Ichiban has a large variety, and also has some unique features not seen in most Japanese restaurants.

When seated in the restaurant, you have the option to either order from the menu or choose the buffet, and in most cases, the buffet is the best option.

Although the menu has a variety of items, the buffet has up to ten choices of chicken and other meats, endless variety of sushi, plenty of vegetarian options and even a dessert bar with items from ice-cream to cream puffs.

The most unique part of the Ichiban buffet experience however, is that the cooks still prepare your

W

food just for you. There is a section of the buffet with raw food that you can place on your plate, with any amount of vegetables, meats and your choice of sauce mixed in. You then take one of the sticky notes they have out, write in your name and table number, and place it in the kitchen. The cooked food is then delivered to your table within a 10 minute window.

The service is quick, and the employees are welcoming the minute you walk into the restaurant. Ichiban has a terrific variety of Japanese food, in a different way than how it is normally presented.

I would recommend Ichiban, considering the many options, since it can either be a fast or relaxed dinner or lunch, and it can be chosen for different purposes and occasions. The price is just above $10 for the buffet, which is reasonable, and adds a new twist to Japanese food.

Ichiban

G

News Editor

asoline, frozen yogurt, milkshakes and boiled peanuts. Typically these things do not all go well together. Yet RaceTrac found a way to not only modernize a gas station, but become one of the hottest hangout places in the area.

When I first heard that a gas station had become the new place to be, I thought what could be so special about a place that pumps gas?

That was until I made a trip there.

Not only is there a frozen yogurt station that would give Sweet Swirls a run for its money, but it also it had a touchscreen milkshake maker that allows people to choose the thickness of their shake. There were also tables that people can sit down at and enjoy their meals.

I have never been to a gas station that has such a steady stream of

people coming and going at all times of the day and the line is always almost out the door.

Everything about this place is high tech and state of the art. From touch screen machines to modernized architecture, everything is the latest and greatest.

It also has an extremely convenient location that makes the gas station aspect that much more appealing.

Parked by the community Publix and on a main road, it has a central location that is easy for everyone to access.

It took no time at all for this place to become the talk of the town, which might say something about Oviedo.

For a town that does not have much going on on a daily basis, RaceTrac provides something to do and a place to hangout in this tiny town. It is so much more than just a regular gas station.

RaceTrac

12

opinions

the

blueprint

The Blue Print is a student-produced newspaper in which the student editors make all content decisions. The newspaper belongs to the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association and the Florida Scholastic Press Association.

Opinions expressed within the newspaper do not represent the staff’s views as a whole (except for the Our Take), the views of Seminole County Public Schools, or Hagerty High School’s administration and staff.

For more information about advertising in the paper, please contact the staff via one of the above methods. We reserve the right to reject any advertisement.

Hagerty High School 3225 Lockwood Blvd.

Oviedo, FL 32765 Telephone: (407) 871-0750 Fax: (407) 871-0817 Editor-in-Chief Business Manager Sarah Casagrande Lexi Rossow Managing Editor Matilda von Kalm

Photo Editor Isabelle Sarnek

News Editor Darbi Filliben Lifestyles Editor Lexi Rossow Sports Editor Sean Donovan Reviews Editor Daniel Neveras Opinions Editor Haley Gaeser Student Connection Ben Sorkin Graphics Editor Ben Sorkin

Staff Reporters Ellie Bonck Keith Clowney Adeline Davis Jessica Jeffers Lauren Lee Brianna McGuire Winnie Meyer Ryan O’Connor Daniella Parcell Spencer Thompson Adviser Brit Taylor Principal Sam Momary

Our�take: Private schools often overlooked

D

enial from a college can cause a lot of frustration. Especially when there was nothing that could be done to increase the chances of acceptance–the college simply did not have room.

Large public universities suffer from issues such as overpopulation and hopeful students who apply often face rejection as public universities lower their acceptance rates every year. Students apply to additional colleges to help offset this, which in turn causes acceptance rates to lower even more.

One example is the University of Florida. With a massive 50,000-student campus, applicants face difficult odds—the average high school GPA for 2012 freshmen was

4.0 to 4.4, compared to 3.6 to 4.2 in 2003, according to the UF Office of Admissions.

But another option is often overlooked by students—private colleges. These colleges are not funded by state governments like public schools and instead rely heavily on tuition fees and private donations. While often ignored because of their hefty price tag, they have many financial options available for those who have the grades.

Unfortunately, the cost of private schools can be a major deterrent to students and their families who cannot afford to take out large loans. According to U.S. News, the average annual cost for a four-year private college is $38,589, compared

to $17,000 for an in-state public university. But while the costs are higher, private colleges offer a larger number of merit scholarships.

One example is Rollins College, which offers a renewable Dean’s Scholarship worth $10,000 per year to cover part of its $38,400 tuition, and can be awarded in addition to a $15,000 per year Alonzo Rollins Scholarship or a $13,000 per year Presidential Scholarship. These scholarships can result in students having nearly two-thirds of their tuition covered.

These merit scholarships are awarded based on factors such as academic achievement and community service. Therefore, they are suited for high-achieving students

who would not qualify for a minority or need-based scholarship, and are renewable every year as long as students maintain a certain GPA and are enrolled full-time.

According to U.S. News, these scholarships in combination with financial aid can bring a private college’s costs down to that of a public college. While the initial numbers can be scary, private colleges should be seriously considered due to their ability to offer financial options.

With public college acceptance rates in decline, if more students apply for private schools, they may be pleasantly surprised when they find their acceptance letters in the mail alongside large scholarships that they may not have known existed.

Third quarter brings undesired stress Jessica Jeffers

A

illustration by Sarah Casagrande

Staff Reporter

s the AP world history students rush through the study guide to see what political leaders and events would be on the test, the thousands of topics and questions that fill the packet immediately overwhelm them. Soon the complaints arise that the teacher “didn’t even teach any of this,” and the teacher replies, “it is the student’s responsibility to know what’s going to be on the test.” Thanks to the third quarter’s natural roughness, this happens too often.

Although some may ma not agree the third quarter is one of the roughest quarters, it is one of the hardest.

Instead of being taught information, teachers hand out study guides with foreign information or throw months worth of lessons into a week

of suffering. This would leave the students to suffer the consequences over the lack of information the teacher was able to provide, and the lack of time given for each lesson.

A week’s worth of lessons are meant to be taught over a week basis rather than a block period or even worse, a silver day. The amount of time given for each lesson should be based on the difficulty of the lesson for a normal student, rather than trying to fit hundreds of confusing standards (points that are required for teachers to teach and test students on) into one big test at the end of the year. For instance, in many core classes, the standards that teachers are required to fit into the year and test students on at the end have increased over the years.

Even though it seems like the rest of the year is difficult, the failing rate of students goes up in the third nine weeks

period. This period should have less stress rather than the increasing level that creates breakdowns and blackouts throughout the student body. When a student misses a few days during the third quarter, it is nearly impossible to catch up while still having to deal with all of the new homework and new material. This pressure increases as does the class difficulty scale, like going from standard to honors and honors to AP. When a student misses a day in an AP class it is the equivalent of missing about three days of a standard or honors class. This makes making up and keeping up with the current class work difficult and sometimes impossible.

Students should not have to deal with all of the added stress of the third quarter, because after all, having 18 weeks left of school is definitely stressful enough as it is.

barks

& bites

Haley Gaeser Opinions Editor A BARK to administration and the state for putting FCAT Reading into two separate sessions this year. In the past, there was only one day to take it because it was by hand but now since it will be taken on computers, FCAT will be put into two days because there are simply not enough computers to accommodate every single student. Students will also be separated into sessions before or after lunch which will hopefully allow more efficient quality testing.

A BITE to Hagerty for the terrible wifi. I know it is a privilege to have wifi on campus but it is painfully slow and difficult to use at times. If students would like to check their grades on Skyward or go on Blackboard, their phones are nearly useless and the Internet is almost impossible to access, especially when it crashes.

A BARK to Mrs. Gendreau for creating the Creative Writing Club. With this new club, students will able to express their individuality through writing that has no guidelines except creativity. It will also allow students to open up their imaginative minds and to be around other students who share the same aspirations.

A BITE to county and state officials for having only one week free of testing in the fourth quarter. Besides those seven days, all of the other weeks are either final exam, EOC or FCAT filled. With all of this testing, students will have a hard time focusing on everything that needs to get done.

13

opinions “Honor societies provide a variety of benefits that outbalance the risks.”

Winnie Meyer

YES

Staff Reporter he sponsoring teacher hates me, I do not have the time for it, and sometimes it just is not even worth it.” All reasons students choose not to join an honor society. Why exactly do students look at why not to join when there are so many reasons to join? Whether it be securing a place for a college or just enjoying time, students do have reasons to be a part of an honor society.

Out of the multiple pluses to joining an honor society, only a couple seem to be visible to students, including graduation cords and good looks for college applications. School honor societies provide students with a cord for graduation, a unique piece of one’s own high school memorabilia for the rest of the class to look up to. Honor societies also provide a thickness to college applications, something that the majority of students are constantly in worry about. Beyond these benefits, students do not seem to notice the rewards that heavily outweigh the few possible consequences of joining honor societies.

Students in honor societies do things other than sit at meetings listening to older people talk. It’s not all dry and boring. Some honor societies, like the French Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta, participate in competitions that are held all over the state and country. Traveling and competing may sound like a waste of time, but has proven enjoyable to different members of these honor societies.

Aside from competition, no one seems to take into account the fun that can come out of being part of an honor society. Students have the opportunity to make friends that share the same interests as them while learning and practicing subjects they enjoy. The German Honor Society eats cookies and the Spanish Honor Society enjoys presentations and food from other countries.

Honor societies provide a wide variety of benefits that outbalance the risks like money and time consumption that are normally associated with them. Instead of ridiculing and avoiding honors societies, why not just join? Students who do receive cords, a good word on college applications, and just a good time, something everyone needs to enjoy every once in a while.

“T

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Do you like to write?

Have an opinion for the BluePrint Staff?

Send us an email at hhsblueprint@gmail. com or come to room 6-201. Letters to the editor cannot be anonymous.

NO

Should students participate in honor societies?

Lexi Rossow

S

“I really feel like we get a lot out of it depending on the society with the community service and all.”

Brandon Paschall, 12

“It is good if you want to get your hours for Bright Futures because you can use 25 hours from an honor society, but it does take up a lot of time.”

Natasha Richner, 11

“It really looks good on college applications and you get to meet kids that are interested in the same things you are.”

Hunter Winters, 10

%

“A lot of people just join for the credit and the cord but they do not really help you all that much.”

Kailey Krupar, 12

Dear Editors, I do not understand why everyone needs to take core classes. An engineer would be more inclined for the mathematical and scientific while the artistic more inclined for literature and composition. But one wonders why must people who have no interest in the subjects they must learn, learn it? For example, anybody planning to cook later in life would have no interest in any kind of history, except for perhaps the history of cooking and famous cooks. A cook does not need to know what the Olive Branch Petition is, nor difficult Precalculus for their job. In no way does one need to have as much knowledge on said subjects as the school demands.

I am not saying that students should limit themselves to one subject and be ignorant to others; it just seems ridiculous that a person who plans later in life to write poetry needs to learn how to solve complex trigonometry.

Sincerely, Ryan Casamento, 11

“Students simply want to have something to say they did in high school.”

Business Manager tudents should feel proud when they finally walk the stage at graduation, with their brightly colored cords decorating their gowns. They should feel proud of the academic achievements hanging around their neck. But are these cords really proving that?

Honor societies are well-earned privileges for students who excel in academics. Pay the dues and show up to three out of nine meetings -- that earns you the glorified title…but do these requirements define a young adult as honorable?

Ask any member of any of the honor society members why they are going through all this trouble, and they’ll say, “I’m doing it for the cord.” Some students mean it; they want to proudly wear a decorated string around their neck to prove their work. But others take this statement just as it is: something to put on a college application.

All honor societies have one thing in common—they all do community service. Community service is a great experience, allowing you to help your community, but does cleaning up a lake full of cypress knees really equate to English academics? Honor societies could try to center their events more on academic activities that relate to their specific society. For example, Math Honor Society, or Mu Alpha Theta, has free tutoring after school on Wednesdays.

But could these groups be a little too easy to get into to carry the honor society title? The main reason honor societies are degenerating from the honor they proclaim would be the fraud. Many students slip past the service hour requirements without anything but a guilty conscience (if that). If a student remains in the society long enough to make it into the yearbook photo, why keep working at a pointless society?

The accreditation and proof is there, all is left is to slip by with a cord. Honor society sponsors and officers should monitor their members with a closer eye, or restrict the amount of members that truly earn their cords.

Officers of honor societies run around daily making sure that their association has a positive presence on the campus.

But while the hard workers of these societies fight tooth and nail for their cords, the rest of the members haphazardly amble in their dusty wake, picking up the glory from behind.

Dear Editors, A lot of fanfare came with the boys’ basketball team winning the state competition. Everyone was excited that we finally had a team that could win. But they never stopped to consider the first state-winning activity at Hagerty High School: the band. In 2011, the Husky Band swept away the competition at the Florida Marching Band Competition, scoring the third highest score in FMBC history. They blew the top off the Tropicana Dome, but the only recognition that Hagerty offered was a small mention in the morning announcements and one line in the newspaper.

The boys basketball win stopped all other functions, was plastered on the front page of the website and even warranted a pep rally. The band constantly performs; earning high ratings at districts and state events but never gets the recognition it deserves.

Sincerely, Sarah Parker, 10

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Lacrosse earns district spot

BASEBALL TAKES DOWN DELAND On Monday April 2, the varsity baseball team defeated Deland 6-1.

At the time, Deland was ranked third in the district, while the baseball team was fourth. Joe Sheridan pitched six shut-out innings while Ryan Mountcastle went 3 for 4. The team is currently 11-8.

BOYS WATER POLO BLASTS OVIEDO, 13-6 On March 27, the varsity boys water polo team defeated Oviedo 13-8. Senior Derek Daugherty scored 10 goals while goalie Aaron Hickey had 10 saves. The team is currently 6-2.

GIRLS WATER POLO GETS LONG-AWAITED REVENGE For the first time in six years, the varsity girls water polo team defeated Oviedo 10-6 on March 27. Senior Dakota Porter led the team with five goals, one of which was shot from half-pool, and her sister Cheyenne Porter managed seven saves during the game. Junior Sydney Egan scored a go-ahead goal with a few seconds remaining to round out the game. The team is currently 7-1.

BOYS JV LACROSSE EARNS DRAMATIC WIN OVER CREEKSIDE

On March 22, the JV boys lacrosse team faced Creekside at Oviedo. They defeated Creekside 6-5 in dramatic fashion. Down four points in the fourth quarter, the team had only 1:30 left. Freshmen Tanner Marshall and Christian O’Rouke, and sophomore Matt Haibel scored the four goals to clinch the win. “We got focused on our face off and just buckled down,” Haibel said. “We really tightened up our focus to win the game.” The team ended up 12-1.

GIRLS VARSITY LACROSSE WINS ON SENIOR NIGHT On Monday April 7, the varsity girls lacrosse team honored six seniors and the team defeated Boone, 16-8. Five seniors scored goals.

Goalie Sam Collin had 15 saves and sophomore Maddie Minear recorded her first goal of the season. The district round starts against University at East Ridge on April 17. The team concluded their season with a record of 9-6.

SOFTBALL TAKES CONFERENCE WITH SHUT-OUT VICTORY The varsity softball team defeated Lake Howell on April 9, 6-0, to capture the top spot in the conference. Sophomore Sam Worell pitched a complete game. Kiley Dechau scored the first two runs and in the last inning, junior Alex Miller got on base with a double.

This play was followed by a Worrell and senior Jacey Castro double, and freshman Jordan Miller and sophomore Victoria Zarbo’s RBIs capped the victory. The team is currently ranked second in the state, according to MaxPreps.com, with a 23-1 record.

photo by DSP

Stick ‘em. Junior attack Kevin Collin warms up for the game against Lake Howell on March 11. The team shut them out 15-0, their only match against Lake Howell and their only shut-out

Spencer Thompson Staff Reporter t was really exciting,” senior Frank Cullen said, recalling the scene as he walked onto Everbank Field in Jacksonville surrounded by 80,000 seats.

The same could be said about the boy’s varsity lacrosse team’s season, and its 10-game win streak

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to start it. The team is currently 12-4 with wins such as beating Maclay in Jacksonville, 18-9, East River, 18-1, and shutting out Lake Howell, 15-0.

The team owes part of their success to chemistry. The three captains, seniors Andrew Bonnie, Frank Cullen and Austin Lenick, have been on varsity for four years, and know how to play with each other.

“We’ve spent years together where we’ve just gotten killed by teams,” Cullen said. “We’ve seen it all and it makes us play harder. We know the potential we have this year, and we just want to run away with it.”

The players contribute some of the motivation to John McCarthy, the father of sophomore Jake McCarthy, who passed away from leukemia this past summer.

“He coached a lot of these guys, and he was one of my best friends,” boys lacrosse coach Mark Ayad said.

The team has honored Mccarthy by naming their team “JM31” during fall, which stands for John Mccarthy and his number 31. The team has also adopted MAC, which stands for Make A Commitment, as well as McCarthy’s nickname, as a slogan.

They have worn this as a helmet sticker throughout the season.

“It has kind of given us a sense of pride and commitment, and it’s brought us together a little bit,” Ayad said. “How you respond to those

things really shows your character, and I think Jake, being as strong as he’s been, has given the team a little bit of strength.”

After an undefeated start, the perfect season was ended over spring break with a three game losing streak to Lake Mary, where they lost 11-6, Lake Brantley 14-5 and Creekside 15-13. The players attribute the losses to arrogance that went hand in hand with going undefeated, but most agree it could not have come at a better time.

“We weren’t really focused,” Marshall said. “We thought we were hot stuff and that we were going to win, and those games showed us that we weren’t as good as we thought we were.”

The team only has one more game in the regular season against Dr. Phillips. The team lost to Lake Highland on Tuesday night in a close, 8-6 match.

“Even though we lost, it was, without a doubt, the best game of the season,” said sophomore Cory Schulte. “It was a close game, and we played our hearts down.”

The team will start districts on April 17. As of right now, the players feel as if they don’t have too much to worry about.

“We’ve already played most of the teams in the district, and we’ve won well enough to know that we’re strong enough,” said Lenick.

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sports Sports Truths Sports— more than just a game Sean Donovan Sports Editor

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veryone knows the moment—that one second where all that you worked for hangs in the balance. And just as fast as it came, that second is gone. Sports are filled with these moments—it is what makes them so entertaining. And this year we received more than our fair share.

The journey of the boys varsity basketball team is the perfect example. Three of their playoff games came down to the wire.

Each was a buzzer-beater, and one was a double-overtime thriller, but if Wekiva’s desperation three went in or Luke Doyle missed any of three different shots, the basketball season is defined as a good run, but nowhere near what it is.

It is painful but also what makes sports great is that, of course, some teams do not find that happy ending. Girls soccer dominated Oviedo all season long, and the regional quarterfinal was to be no different, but just by the tip of a finger, goalie Nicole Mattson could not stop an Oviedo rebound and the team’s perfect season ended abruptly.

In so many instances, a point here or an inch there decides a game, match or even an entire season. These moments are fleeting and often happen in the blink of an eye. From the blocked, last second field-goal football used to beat Lake Minneola on homecoming night to the heartbreaking, onegoal, overtime losses both water polo teams suffered against Seminole and Lake Brantley, sports are unlike anything else.

This season in athletics, like every season, has been filled with heart-pounding moments. This is the essence of sports. From that last second buzzer-beater to the heart shattering goal, the true excitement of sports is bred from moments like these and, win or lose, it is truly awesome.

College recruitment brings uncertainty Darbi Filliben

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News Editor

tress. Nerves. Anxiety Relief.

Excitement. These are the feelings that many athletes often have about the difficult yet rewarding college recruiting process.

From the nerve-wracking emails to intimidating phone calls, the process makes athletes all around the country work that much harder.

As kids, most athletes have a dream to continue to play the sport that they adore at the dream school.

However, the joy and sense of accomplishment that comes with achieving that goal is often matched with stress and nerves that force an athlete to question their love for the game.

“It’s really exciting when you get an email from a coach after you play well in a huge showcase or tournament,” junior soccer player Marcos Arroyo said. “Then it gets incredibly depressing when you don’t like the school or they don’t have enough money.”

After North Carolina fell through due to financial issues, Arroyo had to change his outlook and entertain

different options.

“It was disheartening to be so close to my dream school yet not close enough. The whole college process can be really unfair,” Arroyo said.

One of the hardest parts about the process is finding a school that fits all of the things that an athlete wants in a future home. Senior basketball player Luke Doyle had narrowed his options down to six schools and is looking for that special place that he “can call home.”

“I’m looking for a place that I will feel happy at, get playing time right away at and where the teams feels like a family,” Doyle said. “When I step onto the campus I want to fall in love with it and immediately seeing myself there.”

One of the major problems that these student athletes face is the time crunch that is put on them by other athletes and coaches. Sophomore soccer player Ru Mucherera’s decision was made earlier than she had originally anticipated. She had her choices narrowed down to UNC, Wake Forest and Florida, but the UNC coaches wanted the decision made within two weeks.

“I chose UNC because I liked the style of play and the coaching staff,” Mucherera said. “However, I’m just a sophomore. I didn’t want to decide until the end of my junior year.”

Other athletes such as Doyle and Arroyo feel pressure from their peers.

“Almost everyone around me has already committed. People keep asking me what I’m doing next year,” Doyle said. “I just want it all to be done with.”

Although the process causes a lot of pressure on young athletes, the end result is worth it. For some athletes like senior volleyball player Katie Ballantyne, the process was not as long as it was for others.

“I got an offer early and knew I wanted to play there so it was an easy decision,” Ballantyne said. “It was such a big stress reliever once I committed. I didn’t have to worry about it as much. “ In order to increase their college exposure, athletes participate in travel teams. These teams travel to take part in some of the most competitive events and tournaments across the country. Mucherera and other players who participate in the Elite Clubs

photo by Jake Burton

Sign away. Jacey Castro signs her letter of intent to the State College of Florida.

Castro has been on the softball team since her freshman year.

National League traveled to Dallas to play in a Showcase that had hundreds of coaches in attendance.

“I play in a league that has some of the best players in the country all playing on one teams,” Arroyo said.

“College coaches flood the sidelines to watch games.”

To join this elite group, athletes must endure the difficult process of college recruiting. “[The process] is like a long roller coaster. It all depends on how you perform,” Doyle said. “It can be good or bad depending on the day and the game.”

Volleyball benefit battles cancer Spencer Thompson Staff Reporter

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photo by Isabelle Sarnek

Kickin’ cancer. Junior Danny Maurer back-row attacks in the benefit game against Lake Howell. As captain, Maurer led the team offensively and emotionally.

unior Jake Burton does not normally get emotional during games, but last Friday’s boys volleyball benefit was different.

“Danny [Maurer] grabbed me on the shoulder and told me that this one was for me, and I told him it’s for both of us. He looked me in the eye, and said, ‘No. This one is all for you,’” Burton said.

Friday night’s game was a benefit in memory of Rob Maurer and Charlie Burton, the fathers of Burton and junior Danny Maurer, who both passed away in their fight against cancer. As far as emotions go, they ran high for the whole team.

“The game felt emotional,” senior Anthony Maccagnano said. “There was definitely a different atmosphere in the crowd that night.”

Ticket sales, as well as money gathered from bracelets, shirt sales, and a serving contest all went to the American Cancer Society for cancer research. The team raised a total of about $1100.

When Burton approached head coach Chuck McIntosh at the beginning of the season, McIntosh was enthusiastic about the idea, and the rest of team stepped in to support.

Burton’s father passed away in mid-January, just a few weeks before tryouts. Burton described the game as closure, as well as a way to put his dad to rest.

“It was hard to know that I couldn’t go home and tell him I made it,” Burton said. “I know that he was at this game, and he was proud of me for throwing it all together.”

The team was originally set to play Deltona, but when Deltona cancelled the night before the game,

Lake Howell stepped up to fill in for them.

“When I heard about the last minute cancellation, I was eager to help out in any way that I could,” Lake Howell head coach Scott Leman said. “Sadly, tragedies occur to us all, and sports is a great avenue to remind us that we are not alone.”

After losing the first game 25-23, the team won three in a row (25-21, 25-14, 25-16) to secure the victory.

The benefit was the third time that the team has beaten Lake Howell this season.

The effects of the benefit game will not only be felt by the American Cancer Society and the communirty, but will also be felt by the team for the remainder of the season.

“This game made us a better team,” McIntosh said. “This game brought the team together better than any other event.”

Nobody C back e s a a C r e e s h T t e n u P s e Bullying Education r u m P usnisC s s a just a nJust r a o g H h m n Move On i e p m s c l s Get Over It e a e a u G G i n r q e e n t t e a t O F s t v v g e e n r H s r o I I u t t n r C o i t W a t g i t s e v i S Nothing Avoidance n I t n r e Lack of action causes anti-bullying doubts e sses w o P 16

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w a r n i n g”

Matilda von Kalm

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Managing Editor

n 1999, Georgia led the Anti-Bullying movement by passing the Watch Dog Organization Act. This required all state schools to discourage any form of in-school bullying or violent acts. Florida rewrote the law in 2008 and since then has become a model for anti-bullying statutes around the nation. However, students feel that the movement is more wishful thinking than an actual enforced rule in schools.

Encouraged by her friends after putting up with harassing text messages from a boy in her class who told her she was ugly and then told her to kill herself, Katie* went to administration to ask for help.

“Administration called me in and told me that because the event happened off school campus and outside of school hours,

they couldn’t pursue the case,” Katie said.

They told Katie that if she wanted she could file a report at the police station and press charges, but she declined.

According to Dosomething.org, each day 160,000 students nationwide decide not to pursue bullying cases because they do not feel they receive adequate advice to do so.

“I was upset with administration,” Katie said. “People shouldn’t be able to get away with that without consequences.”

A similar incident happened to Austin* when a group of boys began to throw things and taunt him on his walk to lunch.

“They wanted to start a fight with me,” Austin said. “I had to start walking the long way to lunch to avoid them.”

Later he was called up to administration for a related incident and tried to voice how the group was taunting him, but his story was disregarded. According to behavioral

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management.com, when it comes to incidents, 71 percent of teachers felt they had intervened with in-school bullying when only 25 percent of students believed they received help.

“They completely blew it off,” Austin said. “They never asked any questions about what I told them, and there was never any follow up or punishment for the group.

Though limited by the location of an incident, administration does have a specific protocol to follow for in-school bullying.

“After a student comes in we have to get witness statements and make an investigation before we are able to give out punishments,“ lower house dean Thomas Andrews said.

In Florida, the true definition of bullying occurs when a student chronically inflicts physical hurt or psychological distress on a student. In Seminole County, schools view bullying as harassment causing substantial emotional distress.

In January the school’s Anti-Bullying Club hosted an Anti-Bullying Week to raise awareness about the causes and impacts of bullying.

“This is our first year so we’ve had some problems, but as we go on we’ll become more powerful,” vice president of the Anti-Bullying Club junior Alex Mastrobuono said.

However, students voiced complaints about the Anti-Bullying Week and believed it was not taken seriously enough.

“It didn’t inspire anyone to do anything different, and my incident even happened the Friday of Anti-bullying week,” Katie said.

Though the increased awareness of bullying is progress in the fight against school harassment, students felt more steps would have to taken before bullying is completely eliminated from campuses.

“Anti-Bullying Week was a step in the right direction, but we need to go further with it,” Thomas said. *names have been changed

a Bullying Education r e s Nob o d s y e C c n a e r u e q s e s g n Bullying Education o u Nobod r C t S y s e C c a n r r e e u s q e e s w g Bullying Education n o u o r C P t s S e c n e r u q e e s g n w o u r t Po C S r e w o P DO fill out a slip for the Bully Box located in the Media Center

if the incident has happened repeatedly and makes you feel unsafe or worried and you need adult help to solve the issue.

DO NOT give vague information or details that do not pertain to the incident. The clearer and more concise you write the better administration can track down the people involved and help.

DO give a complete and accurate description of the incident,

where it happened, or is happening, and who administration should be looking out for on the slips next to the box.

DO NOT be afraid to drop off a note in the Bully Box just

because you do not want to include your name; as long as the incident is described in enough detail, administration can help you anonymously.