The BluePrint - Volume 9, Issue 3

HAGERTY HIGH SCHOOL

3225 LOCKWOOD BLVD. OVIEDO, FL 32765

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Go to Hagertyjourn.com for extra content, including:

 Teacher of the Year winner  Prom theme choice closed  Girls lacrosse champions  Spring

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Dec.�16, 2013

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graphic by Ben Sorkin

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 OPERATION CHRISTMAS  German and Spanish Honor societies help the community by providing some joy to children in need during the holidays. page 3

RUNNING STATE TO STATE U.S. History teacher Craig Johnson has actively made it his mission to complete a marathon in every state and continent. page 5

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ALL NIGHT SHOPPING After passing the gravy and giving thanks with family, students shop all Friday night for Black Friday deals and savings. page 6

 DUAL ENROLL CHANGES  VIRTUAL DRIVERS ED Future dual enrollment plans are now in jeopardy as new county policies take effect involving the budget and class credits. page 8-9

The popular Drivers’ Ed online course may seem to be easy, but is the experience equal to that of the real Drivers Ed classes? page 11

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Band performs annual Rhapsody in Blue Madeline Kemper Business Manager

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photo by Jake Burton

HEAR THOSE BEATS. Percussionists, including junior Connor Berdine and sophomore Jacob Lamotta, bang on trash cans like they would a snare drum.

The percussionists performed in the dark and in the light to provide an interesting effect and exciting performance.

what’s news?

SCPS HOLDS HOLIDAY BOOK DRIVE

Books were collected in the front office from Dec. 2-11 to benefit over 400 elementary-aged children in need of books for the holidays. All schools to participate will receive the SCCPTA 2013 Book Drive Award.

PTSA ANNOUNCES REFLECTIONS CONTEST WINNERS

Students entered original works to PTSA’s annual art reflections contest in three categories: visual arts, photography and literature. In the visual arts category, Julia Rollins took first place. In the photography category, winners included MaKenna Lehmann and Porsha Martin. Literature winners included Robert Burke and Julia Rollins.

NEW CLUB STARTS CHAPTER

The Junior Optimist Octagon Club will hold its first interest meeting on Thursday, Jan. 16 in room 6-202 after school. This new club provides opportunities to make a positive difference by helping out special needs children and teenagers, while fulfilling community service requirements for all participants.

FEAHS HOLDS FIRST KID’S NIGHT

The Future Educators of America Honor Society held its first Kids Night on Friday, Dec. 6 for members to gain experience in designing educationally appropriate activities for young children. Over 30 students participated in educating 15 children ages 3 to 11 in Florida.

STEM NIGHT BRINGS SCIENCE TO CHILDREN

Members of the Science Honor Society participated in STEM night at Stenstrom Elementary on Thursday, Dec. 5. The club held a “goo” station as well as a homemade ice cream station where high school students could interact with younger kids through science experiments.

s the sound of banging trash cans and stools directed viewers’ attention toward the stage, eyes were glued to the fast, banging of drums and swift motion of the percussion section.

The dramatic effect captured the audience’s attention, and comments like “I’ve never heard anything like that before,” circulated through the crowd.

The Rhapsody in Blue concert was held on Friday, Dec. 9 in the auditorium, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The concert cost $5 to attend.

“We had been working on the band pieces and the jazz band pieces since sometime in October,” assistant director Brian Kuperman said.

The concert is different from

a traditional concert because it is a showcase concert and included 24 different songs that highlighted different instruments, featured solos, as well as entire bands.

“In jazz music, solos are improvised, and are a lot of pressure,” junior Logan Reid said.

The percussion section also performed a piece on trash cans, which is a tradition and based on the movie Stomp the Yard. Other songs included everything from I’m a Little Teapot, to I’m Yours by Jason Mraz “My favorite song that I performed was Vesuvius, which told in an instrumental story on the volcano that erupted, destroyed and preserved the city of Pompeii.

I like playing it because it was in a different time signature which was challenging,” senior Natasha Richner said.

There were also Christmas songs, such as Frosty the Snowman and the Nightmare Before Christmas.

“I think that the funniest part was when two juniors, Evan Diatzikis and Brian Hall did a Charlie Brown skit, making Mr. Kuperman sound like one of the adults in Charlie Brown announcing the intermission,” sophomore Jojo Conigliaro said.

The band also expressed themselves through props. The flutes, dressed in crowns, played a Disney medley. The bassoons also wore sombreros to go along with their piece, called the Mexican Hat Dance.

“This concert is unique because if the students have friends in band, they get to see their friends. They actually get to see them. They also play a variety of music that makes it worthwhile to come to,” assistant director Brian Kuperman said.

IT department cracks down Ben Clyatt

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Staff Reporter

hink about how often you use a computer. Now think about how often you use a school computer. Now think about how often you actually use that school computer entirely for schoolwork.

Around 750 students are on the school computers daily, and everyone has used the computers before. Though some students use the computers during the school day more than others, all students are expected to follow the same basic guidelines.

Recently, the IT duo of Gary Bungart and Mathew Harris have been cracking down on students to remind them of the rules for using the in-school computers. These rules are not ones that the school has made, but instead are made at the county level, and are enforced by Bungart and Harris.

“Sometimes having to enforce some rules can seem heavy handed, but as far as I know we do not have any special HHS rules. All we enforce are county policies,” Bungart said.

The school has over 1,200 computers, and they all share the same fiber optic cable that connects to the Internet. Theoretically, the fiber optic should provide an extremely fast Internet connection, but with that many computers accessing it simultaneously, data-intensive activities such as streaming can really drag the computer speed down.

One thing students frequently use the computers is for streaming, be it through YouTube or Pandora or another online radio station. All of these streaming websites are not allowed because they slow down overall network speeds, making it harder for students and teachers to use the Internet for school-related

purposes. Recently, the county has released a mandate that Pandora and Netflix are to be blocked from the wireless network, blocking the students’ access to it.

“For the most part our students are very good at taking care of what we currently have here, and very rarely get in trouble,” Harris said.

Right clicking has been disabled on school computers as well. It can give the students too much access to change computer settings, and Bungart and Harris want to maintain a consistent look and feel on the computers for the students. Because of this, changing the computer settings and appearance is not allowed.

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Operation Christmas Child changes lives Maddie Garr

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Staff Reporter

hile Christmas for most children is a day celebrated with gifts, there are some kids who are not fortunate enough to wake up to presents in the morning. Operation Christmas Child allows these kids to open a shoebox of toys when they wake up on Christmas Day. On the week of Nov. 18-25, River Run Church came and collected shoebox gifts made by Spanish and German Honor societies.

The church then sent on the boxes to the children in need from there.

Every honor society member who made a box was given the choice of either a shoebox or a clear, reusable container. Most of the students chose to use a clear container because it was then reusable to the child. They then chose whether they were going to put together a gift for a boy or a girl and of whatever age they chose.

They were told to fill the box with gifts that would bring delight to the children, as long as the items were non-perishable.

“Inside the boxes students put things such as crayons, scissors and toys,” Spanish Honor Society sponsor Patricia Lopez said. “We do it because it is the right thing to do, helping out other people.”

Students could also include hygiene items such as toothbrushes, nail clippers or hairbrushes. For every shoebox that a student made, they then had the ability to go online and discover the destination of their box of goodies.

The box did more than just provide gifts, however, it was also a way to provide a friend and support system for the child. Students were allowed to include personal notes with a picture of themselves and their families if they wished. They could also include a return address so that the child they were sending the shoebox to could write back and begin a friendship with the student and their family.

“I made the box because I know there are a lot of unfortunate kids out there with virtually nothing during the holidays and it is nice to give a little of what you have,” junior

Rhiana Raymundo said.

The Spanish and German honor societies also allowed their members to complete some of their semester hours if they worked on a box. This encouraged more students to make them, which in the end benefited students as well.

“It feels good to do something good for someone else. I wish I took more time to slow down, stop and look for ways to help others in need,” junior Hunter Winters said.

Lopez played a big role in Operation Christmas Child by giving out brochures and keeping the boxes in her room until distribution week.

She also informed students of the due dates of boxes and what items they should or should not include.

Giving to children who have nothing has led to personal experience and joy inside many of the students who made a box. For kids who have no material items, a shoebox was Operation Christmas Child’s way of giving them something to enjoy on Christmas Day as well as a new friend if they wanted to write back and form a relationship with the

student.

“Making boxes for the kids was a great experience, it presented me with the opportunity to look beside myself and help children who may

never have owned a toy before. The experience helped me realize how fortunate I am and it just reminded me how much I take for granted,” Winters said.

disciplinary issues such as the amount of tardiness and dress code violations and replace them with selfmotivation to behave better. The hope is that students will also develop traits and be more successful in college and career life. Each school has the opportunity to customize the program to reflect their values.

Students receive PRIDE tickets which they can save and trade for a wide variety of items such as prom, Grad Bash, homecoming tickets, sports and parking passes, cookies, candy and yearbooks. All of these prizes or entries into the drawings can be found in upper house administration. Teachers can also earn prizes for giving out tickets such as gift cards and college-themed blankets and mugs.

Teachers have no limit to how many PRIDE tickets they are allowed to give out and are encouraged to give

out as many as they can to deserving students.

“One time, my substitute gave an amazing report about both of my classes, so when I came back I handed out 60 PRIDE tickets in one day,” Campbell said.

She also explained that the hardest part of getting PRIDE to reach its full potential is that fact that some teachers do not believe that it

is truly worth it. After using PRIDE tickets in her classroom for multiple years, she has noticed a significant change in behavior and feel that other teachers would as well.

Sign-language teacher Grace Wilken-Yoder also explained that it is important to come to work in a place that is a positive and productive atmosphere, which is just what PRIDE strives for.

PRIDE stands for punctuality, responsibility, integrity, dependability and excellence. However, the word means something individual to students and teachers.

“To me, pride means that students are always doing their best, and being kind not just to each other but to everyone around them,” WilkenYoder said.

Photo by Jake Burton

BOXING JOY. Spanish Honor Society sponsor Patricia Lopez finishes filling a shoebox to send away for kids in need. River Run church came and collected the boxes on distribution week, Nov. 18-25.

PRIDE program impacts student behavior Madeline Kemper Business Manager

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ften, high school students feel overstressed and under appreciated. Mistakes can lead to punishment, and punishment can often lead to rebellion. The goal when establishing PBS, or positive behavior system, has been to eliminate these behaviors, as well as improve students’ overall attitude.

“PBS is designed to reward good behavior. This way the kids that behave poorly can see how good behavior is rewarded, and be entitled to behave well,” math teacher Brittany Campbell said.

The statewide program has been in place for four years, and encourages students with positive recognition; therefore helping to increase performance. The purpose is to decrease some of the biggest

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Theater overcomes changes Samantha Sorkin

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Staff Reporter

he theater department has been caught off guard at the recent news of theater director Anne Stout’s departure. Prior to her resignation, however, the Thespian troupe “broke a leg” during their three days at districts, Nov. 21-23, at Lyman High School. The troupe performed against other Central Florida schools in hopes of advancing to states in March.

However, Stout’s departure leaves questions for the troupe as to what will become of the department.

“I was really shocked to hear about Mrs. Stout leaving. It seems like one minute we were celebrating our success, and the next minute she left,” senior Kaley Slattery said.

Despite the recent changes, most drama students are optimistic about states based on the outcome of districts and feel they are capable are getting the scores they need.

“Our students have brought

the acts to the district competition already and have a feel for it,” senior Lia Silveira said. “It may help to have a director, but our acts are extremely prepared and we are capable of working toward getting better in the state competition since we have plenty of mentors in our program to help out.”

To qualify for states, each individual or group act needed to be awarded a Superior ranking by a panel of three judges.

After receiving straight Superior and Excellent scores, five acting performances and two tech performances will have the opportunity to participate in states.

Senior Brittany Hill and junior Alexa Johnson performed solo musical events. The other three acting performances that will advance to states are Large Group, Ensemble and Small Group acts.

“Our troupe took about 25 events this year, including technical events, such as Costume Design,” junior Alexa Johnson said. “It’s a lot of fun

because it’s like a big theater festival for three days and everyone just hangs out when they aren’t competing.”

The entire troupe performed the opening scene of Picnic at Hanging Rock, a recent production by the theater program. Most of the students performed within a group, but the two technical performances allowed students to show their own flare in the theater community. Senior Hannah Melin wrote her own play and freshman Sierra Hittel presented her own costume designs for the competition.

Regardless of what comes, states will be highly anticipated by the theater department in the upcoming month. The theater department is prepared for what is to come and determined to make the best of it. ”I think it [the states competition in March] will be totally different considering over half the kids have not been before,” Johnson said. “We will also have a new theater director which could bring a different aspect to the troupe.”

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things to do this month

SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration [Nov.23-Dec.31] Take a break from the sun and visit a winter wonderland as SeaWorld presents its Christmas Celebration. It includes festivities such as Sea of Trees, Countdown to Christmas, and The Polar Express Experience.

Disney Candlelight [Nov.29-Dec.30] Spend your evening listening to a celebrity narrate the nativity story at the Candlelight Processional in Epcot. There will be three performances each night at 5 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.

Grinchmas [Dec.7-Jan.4] Come enjoy Universal Studios’ Grinchmas celebration. Dr. Seuss Landing is decked out to include the Grinch’s whimsical touches.

Join this famous Dr. Seuss classic on bringing in the Holiday season.

Festival of Seasons [Nov.15-Dec.29] Enjoy shopping, twinkling lights and live entertainment at Downtown Disney, creating the perfect atmosphere for holiday cheer. The live entertainment will include holiday carolers, and Latin, jazz and pop musical performances. Admission is free.

Snow Mountain [Dec.14] Put away your flip flops and spend your Saturday sliding down piles of snow at Oviedo Recreation & Parks. The snow mountain goes from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $5 prior and $10 the day of.

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lifestyles

Gilbert lives celebrity lifestyle in father’s footsteps Katie Curley

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Staff Reporter

he fame, the money, the glory. Being a celebrity is everyone’s dream come true, and meeting one is a close second.

Jody Gilbert is one of the privileged. Not only does she tag along with her dad, a producer at KDS Music Studios, but she is also an active participant in the music business. Gilbert gets to meet celebrities and help out with their song writing and production, shooting out ideas and contributing when she can. As songwriting goes, Gilbert helped the Disney Star, Zendaya, with her new album. She had a lot of input in the song “Replay.”

Gilbert sometimes goes to the studio without her dad, which she has been doing more lately, to work on new songs or play the piano. She also gets to travel regularly to the Miami and California studios with her dad.

While there, she meets new celebrities and catches up with old friends. Miranda Cosgrove and Dakota Fanning are her “must see” friends when visiting California. Jamie Foxx and

Shakira are like her second parents.

“My dad worked with Jamie and Shakira when I was a young girl. I was obsessed with them then,” Gilbert said.

In contrast with the usual sugarcoating of celebrity lives, Gilbert thinks they are “just other people with the same hobbies [as her].”

Similar interests help Gilbert to bond quickly and make lifelong friendships with some famous few.

“It’s not a big deal to me. They are just other kids,” Gilbert said. “But they have jobs that makes them an open book.”

The normality is shown in their hangout spots; they are just the same as any other ordinary person’s: whether it be shopping or going out to lunch.

“I have an obsession with ice cream, so every time I go to California, Jamie always takes me to an ice cream shop,” Gilbert said.

Gilbert is not best friends with every celebrity, however. Disney Stars are her “mortal enemies,” and Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez are apparently “the worst.” Although she views most Disney Stars this way, she thinks Demi

Lovato is the “coolest of the bunch.”

Gilbert said. “They are all really stuck up and think they are all that because they work for the leader in the entertainment industry [Disney].”

The music business is not all fun and games however. Gilbert’s time is over-stretched between music and school. With her nights and weekends spent at the studio overseeing and helping on production, her time for schoolwork is limited.

“It is super stressful handling everything,” Gilbert said. “I am always doing homework at the studio, I even create songs to help me study sometimes in order to get both down.”

Although her lifestyle is a bit out of the ordinary, Gilbert does not view herself as different. Nor has she ever thought of celebrities in that way. They are just normal people involved in a different and unusual type of business.

“They [other people] think it’s unbelievable,” Gilbert said. “That I’m really lucky and wish they were me. If I could I would give it to them.”

photo by Mikayla Flores

RECORDING RECORDS. Senior Jody Gilbert enjoys recording her own songs. Since her dad is a producer, she has the ability to record songs whenever she wants and even gets to meet celebrities.

True cross country runner Haley Gaeser

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Lifestyles Editor

nce a month, October through May, teacher Craig Johnson is absent. While sick leave might be the first assumption, he is actually healthier than ever and spending an occasional day away competing in marathons.

The sport of running requires good stamina and at least a little athleticism, and while Johnson may be a teacher, he is a pro when it comes to running. He has ran 10 marathons to date, always finishing somewhere in the middle.

“My goal is to be able to run a marathon in all 50 states and six continents,” Johnson said.

Johnson began his marathon career at 25 when he wanted to impress his girlfriend. She wanted to run, and so he decided to join her.

Although Johnson’s girlfriend does run the same marathons, he runs alone as their paces differ.

In order to prepare for a marathon, Johnson consumes a large quantity of doughnuts and chicken nuggets. He also tries to drink a little more water than usual the week of, but besides that he does not do anything special.

While all marathons have a length of 26.2 miles, each one has a theme which varies by location. The marathon in Chicago was Johnson’s favorite as he found the atmosphere

to be “electrifying.”

“There are tons of people who root the runners on and are yelling for them the whole way,” Johnson said. “There is not one foot of the course that doesn’t have people there supporting the runners.”

Little Rock was another one of his favored marathons, as they provided pizza to the runners while on the course. It had a cowboy theme and the motto “Big Medal.”

In addition to cool themes in the United States, Johnson also traveled to Rome, Italy in 2012 for a marathon.

There has never been a time where he did not finish, but he has ran with injuries. However, they were never severe enough to keep him out of a race.

The last two marathons Johnson has ran were on Nov. 8 in Savannah, Ga. and his most recent on Dec. 1 in Cape Canaveral for the Space Coast Marathon, the only space-themed marathon on the planet.

After every marathon, runners receive medals for completing the course, but Johnson did manage to win his age group for the race in Ocala; he was the first age of 25 to 29 to finish.

“After a marathon, I feel like crying. It sucks. It hurts. It is physically painful,” Johnson said. “But, it is also a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when I finish.”

6 That sounds familiar...

The power of entertainment

Matilda von Kalm

Editor From the first time I watched the movie Holes, I was convinced I wanted to live in the desert and dig four by six foot holes for the rest of my life. My mom thought we had a bad gopher infestation in the backyard until she caught me in the act with my shovel.

Then when I was 13 my dad introduced me to Criminal Minds and I decided that I should grow up to be an FBI agent. When I was 14 I saw Shamu and decided I wanted to train orca whales.

What I was feeling at these different intervals of my life has a name; it’s called the CSI Effect, named from the influx of forensic science majors who watched a few seasons of the Crime Scene Investigation in 2000 and decided that was their life path.

Though this effect is currently linked with an increase in forensics, its principles can be applied to the general. Imagine if there was a Golden Globe acclaimed TV series about the life of an IRS worker. Is it possible that citizens would suddenly find their attitude toward these tax collectors much more positive?

That may sound overly dramatic, but this phenomenon has been seen in action before.

Take for example, Top Gun, a 1986 movie with Tom Cruise that glorified the Navy’s fighter pilots.

Since then, the movie has been accredited to “making America love war.” After the film’s release, naval aviators saw a 500 percent increase in the amount enlisting.

If the influence of entertainment is great enough to create jobs, and make people love war, what could this mean for our society?

What if Seminole County decided that they needed more dentists and created the Gray’s Anatomy version of dental school?

We might end up with more dental hygienists walking around.

lifestyles

Cutting weight part of athlete life

Sarah Gibson

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Staff Reporter

uited up in a wardrobe of garbage bags, wrestler Matthew Ellis makes his way into the sauna.

For many people, garbage bags are not the ideal choice in clothing, but athletes turn to off-the-wall techniques in hopes of cutting weight for their meets so that they can complete in lower weight classes.

Wrestlers and weightlifters are expected to meet a certain weight during weigh-ins on the day of their tournament or meet. Their weight during weigh-ins determines which weight class they must compete in, from 110 pounds and up. Athletes primarily cut weight to compete in an easier weight class, and increase their chance of a victory. The more they weigh, the more likely they will compete with a difficult opponent.

“You want your weight to be as low as possible so you can wrestle lighter weights, which is easier competition,” Ellis, who wrestles at

the 132 pound weight class, said.

Cutting weight has been shown to promote success in current high school athletes, such as junior wrestler Zach Larison. Starting his season 7-0, Larison works out up to three times each day in order to maintain his weight. Larison usually weighs about 140 pounds, but will be wrestling in the 126 pound weight class this year, and hopes to wrestle at 120 pounds for states. Larison is currently ranked fifteenth in the state for his weight class, and has placed second at Florida freestyle states, as well as receiving the title AllAmerican at Brute Adidas nationals.

“I think that more than anything, cutting weight is more mental. Your body is a lot tougher than you give it credit for,” wrestling coach Isiah Cabal said. “If you can cut weight and still practice and compete at a high level, then I feel like that experience gives you confidence in dealing with adversity during a match.”

Along with the classics such as running and eating healthy, many athletes are trying new and seemingly

strange techniques to try and cut weight. Ellis eats Jolly Ranchers and spits into a bottle to cut his water weight, along with spending time in the sauna. Sophomore weightlifter Tia Menna puts on a sweat suit and runs for three miles, in addition to cutting salt from her diet. High salt intake causes the body to retain water, therefore by cutting salt from her diet, Menna is able to lose unnecessary weight.

“Cutting weight isn’t hard, I can cut a solid 10 pounds in about three days,” junior wrestler Joshua Lopez said, “I just try not to retain any of my water weight.”

Although cutting weight is common among high school athletes looking to gain an advantage, harmful side effects can pose a disadvantage.

Athletes who cut weight can be subject to dehydration, and endurance can also be decreased in athletes who cut weight for a prolonged period of time, due to lack of proper nutrients.

“Cutting weight is not required, it is optional,” Cabal said. “But then again, so is being a champion.”

their homes early Friday morning, and even Thanksgiving evening, seriously injured 15 people, and killed one shopper.

“I personally love black Friday,” junior Miranda Rincon said. “But people freak out about it so [much] and I think they’re just too dramatic and need to tone it down.”

That still didn’t stop her and more than 50 million other teenagers from hitting the malls early and dashing for discounts in pre-dawn deals.

However, it seems the strains of overzealous shoppers and the uproar they bring is only smoke and mirrors

to students, who claim that the holiday is nothing more than hyped up sale-snatchers vying for attention and a place to get out their caffeinefueled energy.

It is for this reason, the fact that student shoppers usually revolve around clothes, not big ticket items, that junior Chris Connelly says the holiday is all-talk and little action for younger Black Friday participants.

“I usually buy clothes or shoes for myself,” Connelly said. “And nobody really goes crazy for sweat pants, you know?”

And so, as students tone down

photo by Jake Burton

WATCHING WEIGHT. Junior Matthew Ellis needs to weigh in once a week in order to ensure he has not gone up in weight. The ultimate goal for any wrestler is to go down in their weight so they will be able to wrestle in a lower weight class.

Black Friday sales cause reckless actions Sophie Hill

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Staff Reporter s hard-core shoppers pack up their tents and prepare for next year, and the holiday shopping season firmly roots in a multitude of stores ranging from massive chain franchises to small local businesses, the dregs of Black Friday wash over its participants in a ‘surprisingly disappointing’ wave, junior Brianna McGuire said.

“When we opened, I expected crazy lines and stuff, but there weren’t even any fights,” McGuire said. “It definitely didn’t live up to my expectations, as I was all excited and hyped up for something, and, well, it was just…quiet.”

Black Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving, is an annual holiday where stores across the country participate by throwing massive sales to attract customers. This year, the event stimulated the spending of more than $59 trillion brought more than 307 million people out of

said dramatics and get over the dull holiday that passed by in November, sophomore Maddie Schmitz says students should focus on the real reason the week of Black Friday is special; it’s a time to give and not get, and a time to be thankful not wishful.

“I just think Black Friday in general is ridiculous,” sophomore Elena Fotiadis said. “There’s so much drama about the whole thing, and I think people should just be spending time with their families, seeing as how the entire [day beforehand] was spent giving thanks for all the things we do have.”

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Starbucks Stats A Starbucks grande coffee has 320 milligrams of caffeine, over four times the amount of caffeine in a Red Bull.

There are over 87,000 beverage combinations.

Starbucks uses over 93 million gallons of milk per year, enough to fill 155 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

2.3 billion cups are used anually The average Starbucks customer visits six times a month

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tarbucks: Coffee for some, an addiction for most.

Up and down the hallways of the school, students are surrounded by the famous green and white siren label. Everywhere you look, girls are sipping on an assortment of caffeinated drinks from Starbucks.

“Whenever I go to my orthodontist, for my braces, I force my dad to buy me Starbucks or else I won’t go to school,” sophomore Briana Baez said.

Girls think they just have a simple habit, but most eventually realize they crossed the line to obsession.

Sophomore Chandler Priddy admits to having Starbucks at least four times a week and even did “an hour of chores” in order for her parents to buy her one cup.

However, not everyone finds Starbucks to be their guilty pleasure. “The obsession with Starbucks is ridiculous and a waste of money, if I really wanted coffee that badly then I’ll just take the long stroll down to my kitchen,” junior Kaylyn Richmond said.

Why such the obsession? Many find the coffee “delicious and refreshing” and they just cannot tear themselves away from the array of flavored drinks.

“I just love their coffee. My family has been going there for so long that I have just gotten in the habit of going there instead of anywhere else,” junior Katie Krawczyk said.

Although Starbucks is always packed, customers come around a little more often when their favorite seasonal flavors come out of hiding for a limited amount of time. The top seasonal drinks are the pumpkin spice latte, an espresso drink mixed with pumpkin flavored syrup and steamed milk that is topped with whipped cream and pumpkin

pie spices; the peppermint mocha latte, which is a combination of mocha sauce, steamed milk, espresso and peppermint-flavored syrup topped with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls; the caramel brulée latte that is an espresso drink with steamed milk and caramel brulée sauced with whipped cream and caramel brulée toppings on top.

“Chocolate chai tea latte is the best seasonal drink. Everyone says it just tastes like hot chocolate, but there’s another flavor in it that no one can describe and I think it’s the flavor of fall,” junior Alexa Serino said.

Starbucks superfan Grant Penaroque even held raffles for students who crave the flavor of Starbucks in the morning.

Penaroque advertised on Twitter and everyone who favorited or retweeted his tweet was considered. He then put the names into a hat, picked out the winners and proceeded to bring them their orders the next day.

But the addiction with coffee does not just stop at creating raffles, doing chores and refusing to go to school without it. Many girls, and even some guys, feel the need to post pictures of what they ordered at Starbucks on Instagram and Twitter. Pictures of frappuccinos and lattes dominate all social networks with captions addressing their morning or afternoon coffee break. Their reasoning behind posting is that the drink “looks cool” and they want to “show it off to their friends.”

“It literally drives me crazy, I cannot even deal with all of those people constantly posting pictures of what they got at Starbucks,” Krawczyk said.

Starbucks has found their way into the lives of teenagers even with school as an obstacle. Coffee has become just another item on the checklist of what to gather before the school bell rings at 7:15 a.m.

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dual enrollment gives Head start for college

The GAME of

DUAL E N R O L L ME N T

Matilda von Kalm

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ecause dual enrollment offers available college courses for free, students like senior Brad Bentz could save between $3,000 and $12,000 in college expenses [based off of UCF’s average semester tuition] as well as earn enough college credits, 91 in Bentz’s case, for their Associate Degree before graduating high school. Bentz could potentially enter college as a junior.

Though the dual enrollment policy has changed due to a new rule only allowing students to dual enroll in classes required for their high school diploma, they can still opt to take all their required classes as dual enrollment classes while technically being considered a high school student, completing the college and high school credit simultaneously.

“I wanted to get a head start on college, so I decided to go to UCF full time my senior year,” senior Esther Lynn, who will obtain her AA degree before entering college, said.

“Now I can take classes required for my major like Calculus III and

New county policies limit course access Lauren Lee Student Connections Editor

I

n previous years, students could take whatever class they wanted for dual enrollment, but a new county policy has changed that. Senior Matthew Murray was one of the few who got forced out of a class just because he had already filled up his credit.

The new change affects students who take dual enrollment and have all of their graduation requirements.

“My plan was to take two classes per semester, but then they cut it down, so I fought the system and got three classes back. It put me back a little in what I want to with my premedical prerequisites, and it screwed up my senior year a little,” Murray said.

Students who have open requirements to fill can still take whatever class they want, such as College Algebra. However, students with their graduation requirements complete cannot take dual enrollment.

Senior Katie Loveland got put into Calculus II, and forced out of her college algebra class. She was one of the only students to be forced out since she had already filled up all her math graduation credits.

“I am very mad that I am in

Calculus II, it is totally unnecessary and I am not a happy girl with this change,” Loveland said.

With the new change, students find the process more confusing and challenging. After talking guidance counselor, they have to apply for the class and then actually get accepted, and all to find out they cannot take the class because they have all of their graduation requirements.

The reason behind this change lies in expenses. The school board and state decided that if all students have their graduation requirements, these students have no reason to take dual enrollment. The school pays for each student taking their dual enrollment classes, so from an academic standpoint the change keeps students from cheating their GPA by taking classes just to boost it, and also limits the amount of money spent on dual enrollment.

“It is not very fair on other students if the school pays for a student’s classes above the graduation requirements,” guidance counselor Charlotte Barolet said.

Previously college and universities paid for most of the $58 million tuition for Dual Enrollment in Florida, with the counties paying to cover some of that expense. Now with the new change, school districts

will have to pay $30 million on average.

However, dual enrollment is a way for students to experience college while still at high school.

Each course taken by the student counts as high school and college credit. Students can take a range of courses from algebra to business management.

Dual enrollment is available to take at Seminole State College and at the University of Central Florida.

Courses to take can be found The Dual Enrollment-High School Subject Area Equivalency List on the fldoe.org website.

To apply a student has to talk to their guidance counselor and talk to the college too. Students must maintain an unweighted 3.0 GPA and a minimum score on a common college placement test such as SAT. Students cannot take more than six dual enrollment credits per semester, and the classes will be administered during periods five and six.

The new change allows for fiercer competition among students who do not try to cheat their GPA, but also limits students who have all of their graduation requirements, while also giving students a chance to try college classes.

50,000

$650,000

$72

The number of high school students who dual enrolled for the 2012-2013 school year, double the amount 10 years ago.

The amount of money Seminole State College lost taking in 1,639 high school students last year.

The approximate amount school districts pay per dual enrollment class compared to the $105 community college students pay for the same class.

Editor in Chief

Microbiology because I had already knocked out most of my general education classes with AP courses.”

Besides the free college credits, dual enrollment students also earn a 5.0 weighted credit for taking the class, which students could use to boost their GPA. “My dual enrollment classes were an alternative to taking standard electives that would lower my GPA and make me look less competitive when applying to college,” senior Lauren Holladay said.

However, there is disagreement about whether dual enrollment classes are easier than Advanced Placement classes and thus an easier option to obtaining college credit.

“I found AP Psychology and AP Statistics to be fairly easy and received 5’s on both exams; I find my Music History class at UCF to be more challenging because my entire course grade is based off only five tests,” Holladay said.

Holladay, who will have 60 college credits under her belt by her first year of college, felt that compared to AP classes taken in high school, college courses required more individual studying and self-

discipline because of the reduced classroom time.

Not all dual enrollment students take college classes because they ran out of AP courses or to get ahead in college either.

“I thought taking dual enrollment was a great way to get the college classroom experience,” senior Chris De La Cruz said. “In these classes, it is your responsibility to make sure you keep up with assignments because the professor will not hold your hand through the course like a high school teacher would.”

Students who plan on knocking out college credit with dual enrollment should be careful when applying to universities though, as many colleges prefer to accept AP courses for college credit over dual enrollment courses.

“AP exams test students nationwide, leveling the playing field and establishing a student’s credibility for earning the college credit,” guidance counselor Charlotte Barolet said. “I always tell students, look at the four year university you want to attend, then look at what kind of impact your dual enrollment classes will have there.”

$1 Trillion The amount of nationwide student debt Lay out

and

des

ign

by b e

n so

rkin

$40-$60 Million The amount dual enrollment cost the Florida school districts that year.

$80

The cost of an Advanced Placement test that can earn a student the same college credit.

*Statistics compiled from the Orlando Sentinel and Washington Post

8

middle

9

middle

dual enrollment gives Head start for college

The GAME of

DUAL E N R O L L ME N T

Matilda von Kalm

B

ecause dual enrollment offers available college courses for free, students like senior Brad Bentz could save between $3,000 and $12,000 in college expenses [based off of UCF’s average semester tuition] as well as earn enough college credits, 91 in Bentz’s case, for their Associate Degree before graduating high school. Bentz could potentially enter college as a junior.

Though the dual enrollment policy has changed due to a new rule only allowing students to dual enroll in classes required for their high school diploma, they can still opt to take all their required classes as dual enrollment classes while technically being considered a high school student, completing the college and high school credit simultaneously.

“I wanted to get a head start on college, so I decided to go to UCF full time my senior year,” senior Esther Lynn, who will obtain her AA degree before entering college, said.

“Now I can take classes required for my major like Calculus III and

New county policies limit course access Lauren Lee Student Connections Editor

I

n previous years, students could take whatever class they wanted for dual enrollment, but a new county policy has changed that. Senior Matthew Murray was one of the few who got forced out of a class just because he had already filled up his credit.

The new change affects students who take dual enrollment and have all of their graduation requirements.

“My plan was to take two classes per semester, but then they cut it down, so I fought the system and got three classes back. It put me back a little in what I want to with my premedical prerequisites, and it screwed up my senior year a little,” Murray said.

Students who have open requirements to fill can still take whatever class they want, such as College Algebra. However, students with their graduation requirements complete cannot take dual enrollment.

Senior Katie Loveland got put into Calculus II, and forced out of her college algebra class. She was one of the only students to be forced out since she had already filled up all her math graduation credits.

“I am very mad that I am in

Calculus II, it is totally unnecessary and I am not a happy girl with this change,” Loveland said.

With the new change, students find the process more confusing and challenging. After talking guidance counselor, they have to apply for the class and then actually get accepted, and all to find out they cannot take the class because they have all of their graduation requirements.

The reason behind this change lies in expenses. The school board and state decided that if all students have their graduation requirements, these students have no reason to take dual enrollment. The school pays for each student taking their dual enrollment classes, so from an academic standpoint the change keeps students from cheating their GPA by taking classes just to boost it, and also limits the amount of money spent on dual enrollment.

“It is not very fair on other students if the school pays for a student’s classes above the graduation requirements,” guidance counselor Charlotte Barolet said.

Previously college and universities paid for most of the $58 million tuition for Dual Enrollment in Florida, with the counties paying to cover some of that expense. Now with the new change, school districts

will have to pay $30 million on average.

However, dual enrollment is a way for students to experience college while still at high school.

Each course taken by the student counts as high school and college credit. Students can take a range of courses from algebra to business management.

Dual enrollment is available to take at Seminole State College and at the University of Central Florida.

Courses to take can be found The Dual Enrollment-High School Subject Area Equivalency List on the fldoe.org website.

To apply a student has to talk to their guidance counselor and talk to the college too. Students must maintain an unweighted 3.0 GPA and a minimum score on a common college placement test such as SAT. Students cannot take more than six dual enrollment credits per semester, and the classes will be administered during periods five and six.

The new change allows for fiercer competition among students who do not try to cheat their GPA, but also limits students who have all of their graduation requirements, while also giving students a chance to try college classes.

50,000

$650,000

$72

The number of high school students who dual enrolled for the 2012-2013 school year, double the amount 10 years ago.

The amount of money Seminole State College lost taking in 1,639 high school students last year.

The approximate amount school districts pay per dual enrollment class compared to the $105 community college students pay for the same class.

Editor in Chief

Microbiology because I had already knocked out most of my general education classes with AP courses.”

Besides the free college credits, dual enrollment students also earn a 5.0 weighted credit for taking the class, which students could use to boost their GPA. “My dual enrollment classes were an alternative to taking standard electives that would lower my GPA and make me look less competitive when applying to college,” senior Lauren Holladay said.

However, there is disagreement about whether dual enrollment classes are easier than Advanced Placement classes and thus an easier option to obtaining college credit.

“I found AP Psychology and AP Statistics to be fairly easy and received 5’s on both exams; I find my Music History class at UCF to be more challenging because my entire course grade is based off only five tests,” Holladay said.

Holladay, who will have 60 college credits under her belt by her first year of college, felt that compared to AP classes taken in high school, college courses required more individual studying and self-

discipline because of the reduced classroom time.

Not all dual enrollment students take college classes because they ran out of AP courses or to get ahead in college either.

“I thought taking dual enrollment was a great way to get the college classroom experience,” senior Chris De La Cruz said. “In these classes, it is your responsibility to make sure you keep up with assignments because the professor will not hold your hand through the course like a high school teacher would.”

Students who plan on knocking out college credit with dual enrollment should be careful when applying to universities though, as many colleges prefer to accept AP courses for college credit over dual enrollment courses.

“AP exams test students nationwide, leveling the playing field and establishing a student’s credibility for earning the college credit,” guidance counselor Charlotte Barolet said. “I always tell students, look at the four year university you want to attend, then look at what kind of impact your dual enrollment classes will have there.”

$1 Trillion The amount of nationwide student debt Lay out

and

des

ign

by b e

n so

rkin

$40-$60 Million The amount dual enrollment cost the Florida school districts that year.

$80

The cost of an Advanced Placement test that can earn a student the same college credit.

*Statistics compiled from the Orlando Sentinel and Washington Post

10

POLL:

Do you say the pledge?

There has always been debate over whether or not students should say the Pledge of Allegiance. Some recite it in honor of grandparents, parents or siblings that serve or have served.

Others prefer silence, since the mentioning of “God” in the pledge may counteract their religion. When it was first revised in 1923, the words “under God” were not part of the phrase. By 1954, however, it was encouraged to be added because of the previous threat of Communism.

Though many people complained at the time, it remains in America’s pledge to this day.

student connection

Yes 46%

No

54%

Graphic by Kate Cousins

SOMETHING OF INTEREST Gift 1: Prep Time: 15 to 20 minutes Approximate Cost: $15 Gift 2: Prep Time: 10 minutes Approximate Cost: $5

Holiday Gift Ideas

Gift 1: Jar luminary

Gift 2: Tree decoration

While a store-bought Christmas gift might be nice, a homemade one can be just as good and less costly. Junior Lauren Lindahl and Grayson Sweeney show how to make a decorative jar luminary and a homemade tree decoration, both of which are cute holiday gifts that anyone can enjoy.

A mason jar, miniature candle 1decorations and holder, bath salt, and of choice will be

A cookie cutter, your choice of 1wrapping background – decorative paper, paper, or a photograph,

the jar with bath salt 2Fill between a quarter and half full. put the candle and 3Carefully holder inside of the jar.

Decorate using non-flammable 4 materials, such as glitter, holiday ribbon and bells, however

Trace cookie cutter onto the 2paper. background paper and cut the Using a hot glue gun, glue the 3 paper to your cookie cutter and hot glue a ribbon or wire for a

needed to complete the craft

you’d like and give it to the person of your choice.

“You can personalize it for the person you’re making it for, and make them feel special.”

- Lauren Lindahl, 11

and a ribbon or wire will be needed to complete the craft.

handle on your ornament.

Wait for it to dry, and give it to a 4 friend or family member to decorate their tree.

“Crafts like this get me in the holiday spirit and make me feel festive.”

- Grayson Sweeney, 11

Queen of the Hill Don’t hate me ‘cause you ain’t me Sophie Hill

Staff reporter I’ve had a string of bad friends lately and I think most of my problem was that they judged me so much. Like, let me be my awkward, procrastinating, perfectionist self, alright?

Friends are there to support each other, not tear each other down, and while we all need that “biffle” to tell us when we have toilet paper on our shoes, spinach in our teeth, or a bad hairdo before we see our crush in the halls. Once it gets to criticism of said imperfections, things get ugly as friends cross a line they are there to protect.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve made the misplaced comment here or there that was just a second too late and just a tad too harsh. It’s a shock, really, when we spurt something in the light of the moment that we know has no business being there. But when it happens, I’m always sure to apologize and move on, not to dwell on a subject that is clearly causing distress because I don’t think we realize how even one cruelly critical comment from someone we trust can not only ruin our day, but send us home nauseous with a thought that just seems to gnaw on our minds.

I’ve seen the wave of self-doubt range from selecting meals, to choosing boyfriends, to adjusting sports uniforms, to phrasing conversations, to dying hair and to even getting certain grades, and all just to please our friends and prevent them from judging us.

I guess what I’m trying to say here is that while a well-placed friendly jab at someone in the light of the moment is great, let’s be aware of how we treat our friends.

Let’s be sure to protect our friends from the embarrassments of tweetsgone-wrong and from ourselves.

And just remember, true friends don’t really judge each other, they just judge other people together.

opinions the

blueprint

Hagerty High School Back Page Editor Adeline Davis 3225 Lockwood Blvd.

Sports Editor Oviedo, FL 32765 Spencer Thompson Telephone: (407) 871-0750 Reviews Editor Fax: (407) 871-0817 website: www.hagertyjourn.com Winnie Meyers

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 Editor-in-Chief Scholastic Press Association.

Matilda von Kalm Opinions expressed within the newspaper do not represent the staff’s views as Managing Editor a whole (except for the Our take), the views of Seminole County Public Schools, Lexi Rossow or Hagerty High School’s administration and staff.

Business Manager For more information about advertising in the paper, please contact the staff at Madeline Kemper hagertyjourn@gmail.com. We reserve the right to reject any advertisement.

Staff Reporters Ellie Bonck Sarah Gibson Jeannie Williams Kallie Delis Katie Curley Madison Garr Opinions Editor Ryan O’Connor Jessica Jeffer Photo Editor Student Connection Nathaniel Kauffman Jake Burton Ben Clyatt Lauren Lee News Editor Sophie Hill Graphics Editor Daniella Parcell Taylor Ferraro Ben Sorkin Principal Adviser Lifestyles Editor Mary Williams Brit Taylor Haley Gaeser

barks

& bites

Jessica Jeffers

T

Students have figured out that some dual enrollment classes are an easier “A” than their AP counterparts, or in previous years have taken easy elective courses such as Office Applications for the same weighted grade as a student who has taken Macroeconomics. Students using dual enrollment solely for boosting their GPA instead of using it for its purpose of exposing a high school student to a college classroom setting before their graduation unfairly punish those students who maintain their academic integrity.

That is why the new dual enrollment guidelines are in the best

interest of students. Though the quick turnaround from being able to take most college classes to only classes required for high school graduation had left many students unprepared for the year, the change has helped to maintain a level playing field.

When a student is in high school, they should be taking classes that are required for them to graduate high school, not necessarily a class they would be taking their junior year of college. However, if a student feels that their intellectuality is not being challenged enough in the AP classes offered in high school, they can still enroll in most college courses.

should not be an obligation or time to give to people who are fortunate, but a time to give back to the community.

While holidays should be about giving back, gift giving will not ever come to a complete stop due to the long standing traditions in place. So instead of friends buying each other gifts, the alternative could be making your friends a nice home-cooked dinner and enjoying each other’s company. It does not require spending any money on each other, and you receive the best gift that the holidays bring, the company of your closest friends.

Another favorite for friends is secret Santa, when they can pick from a raffle system the person whom they can buy a gift for.

This creates anonymity toward present buying and giving, and also allows people to mingle outside of their everyday circle of friends.

Another holiday classic, is white

elephant. Each person brings one present and each person receives one present. The gifts are inexpensive and funny as well. Another way to bond over the holidays with friends is to donate your time to an organization as a group. Florida Hospital offers a volunteer program for those 16 and older that allows volunteers to visit with people of all ages who do not have the physical ability to leave the hospital for the holidays.

Volunteers sign up for time slots to talk and cheer up patients. Florida Hospital also allows people to sign up and volunteer to sing holiday classics to the patients, such as Silent Night and Frosty the Snowman.

It does not require a large amount of time, yet allows volunteers to give back to their community.

For those whose schedule does not allow them to donate their time, they can participate in other holiday community efforts.

To be fair to seniors, there should have been a grandfather rule applied to the situation, as seniors who had taken most of their required high school classes already were unable to find many college courses they were allowed to take. But besides these dual enrollment policy changes, students are still getting college credit for free, regardless of the class they take, and are still saving hundreds, if not thousands, in college tuition expenses. This and an exposure to a college classroom was the main goal of the dual enrollment program, and to this day the goal has continued to be achieved.

delicious tasting cupcakes, and bringing smiles to students’ faces. Fridays with cupcakes make the difference between a normal Friday and a great Friday. Some even look like the cookie Monster, while others look like the average bake sale cupcake.

BITE to having tests for  A many classes on Thursday and

Friday. Many students become swamped with projects and tests on Thursday and Friday, making them the most undesirable days.

It is hard enough to remember material, imagine remembering multiple classes of material.

 A BARK to Mr. Pooler’s pets for

brightening students’ days. Mr. Pooler has multiple animals in his class including a snake, multiple fish, a tarantula and a turtle, although his snake is the student favorite, getting fought over and Instagrammed by many students.

Holidays should bring joy, not jealousy Ellie Bonck

Staff Reporter om, dad, siblings, friends, boyfriend, your cousin Rick, and many more family members. By the time you are done Holiday shopping, you have both given and received 20 plus presents. All this gift giving has seemed to become overrated, and really, what is the point of all this?

Money and time are put into presents every year even though that’s not the real meaning to the season.

Maybe it is due to the fact everyone participates and it is something you feel obligated to do since everyone does it, but the reality of it is people would much rather receive a random gift from you during the year, because it is sporadic and means more.

The holidays should be more than just a time of selfishness and become more of a selflessness. The holidays

M

Opinions Editor

 A BARK to PTSA for having

Our�take: New dual enrollment policy fair he idea of getting credit for taking college classes while still in high school, for free, is pretty appealing. Not only do the classes increase GPA with a weight of 5.0, but when taken at the right facility, they can be notoriously easier, and shorter, than AP classes taken at the high school. Students in dual enrollment also have a chance to leave school early, come to school late or have free periods throughout the day, all while simultaneously completing high school graduation requirements and college credits.

As great as this system sounds, it can, and has been abused before.

11

BITE to the bees that have been  A infesting the lunch tables. They

photo by Jorge Aguero

CARING CAROLERS. Florida Hospital volunteers sing Christmas classics to patients during the holiday season.

In the front office, there is an “Angel Tree” where there are pieces of paper with items that children are in need of. If a student wants to donate, they take a piece of paper off the tree with a suggested gift item, and bring in the gift to the front office which will then be given to a child in need in the Oviedo area.



are not safe and administrators should have the school fumigated. It is common among students who sit outside to see them on their food and hanging around trash cans, taunting the students around them. Many students are allergic to bee stings making this a safety hazard.

A BARK to teachers that are able to mix movies into their curriculum, providing students with a visual representation of the learning material. It is easier for more students to relate to the material with having visual interpretations such as YouTube videos or movies that are relatable to the material.

12

opinions

Should Drivers’ Education be a virtual school credit? “[It] gives students an opportunity to further their experience.”

Ryan O’Connor

T

• Drivers Education no longer

counts as a virtual school credit.

• In-school Drivers Education

is offered during the school year and over the summer.

• Talk to a guidance

counselor if interested in either course.

YES YES NO NO Adeline Davis

Staff Reporter

aking Drivers Education used to mean four weeks of summer vacation in a classroom or portable, spent driving around a parking lot or doing forgettable and extremely boring workbook. However, this has all changed, thanks to Florida Virtual School, which introduced its free Drivers Ed class in 2012 and which has finally updated Drivers Ed to a more modern process.

Taking FLVS Drivers Ed gives students a great opportunity to get the much needed virtual school credit that is now required for juniors, sophomores and freshmen to graduate. It shows them a new side of driving and gives them an opportunity to experience a more technological advance of Drivers Ed, rather than the old version of staying after school or spending your summer dedicated to the class.

Like any FLVS class, students sign up through the website and begin the semester-long class but many students are able to finish the course in less than a semester. This option also allows students to complete the course at any time of the year and at their own comfort if they have other commitments. The FLVS actually helps students with obtaining their learner’s permit by having tips about the process of getting a permit on their website.

FLVS Drivers Ed even has an app that students can download on their phones to help study.

This new course finally gets students away from the worn and used textbooks and leads them to the more advanced online course. FLVS helps students learn about driving with ten online chapters and modules. However, FLVS also offers teaching methods that usually are not found in a classroom, such as driving and road simulations, along with weekly phone quizzes that are used to ensure that students understand the material. Also a wide variety of lessons are available , such as road rage, texting while driving, and cellphone usage while driving.

FLVS Drivers Ed also gives students an opportunity to further their driving experience. They have teamed up with Florida Safety Council and once students have completed the class they can earn a chance to have six free Behind the Wheel driving lessons. These lessons will take students on roads and highways which is an experience that they could not get from being a classroom.

Drivers Education, like any virtual school class, unfortunately gives students the opportunity to cheat by looking up test questions. Students are able to just type in “FLVS Drivers Ed” in Google and find answers to modules and tests. However, the class stills helps students gain experience and learn about driving, which will help them get their licenses one day. Drivers Ed deserves a virtual credit as it is new way for students to use the Internet for a more updated class that has a higher quality of resources.

“There is no real benefit in the knowledge of the student.”

“Even though you are taking the course online, there is more to driving than driving a car - you also need to know the rules of the road.”

Jessica Ritchie, 11

!

“You are actually learning online and you shouldn’t do something and not get credit for it.”

Megan Poko, 11

“I believe that it is a course that needs to be taken in a classroom, in order to actually improve a person’s driving skills and get proper experience.”

Katerina Bourova, 11

%

#

*

“It is an online class, so why shouldn’t you get credit.”

Josh Kelly, 11

“I personally like going to an actual place.. It makes more sense to actually be in a car with a teacher teaching you how.”

Thomas Goode, 12

@

S

Back Page Editor

weat sticks to the back of the student’s neck as she grips the steering wheel. “This is it,” she thinks as she places her foot on the gas pedal. After four weeks of rigorous practice, this final maneuver test will determine whether she passes or fails Drivers Ed. Taking a deep breath, she weaves through cones, eases her way into an angle park, reverses into a parking spot, and performs a quick stop. When she finally receives her Drivers Ed certificate, nothing can compare to her pride and relief.

Learning a motor skill requires repetitive training. Therefore, regularly getting out on the roads is the best way to learn how to drive. The physical Drivers Ed class provides this needed repetition.

Students are sent out to either the range, an area used to practice parking maneuvers, or the road for a total of four hours every day. By the end of the course, the majority of students leave feeling confident about their driving skills.

However, a new form of Drivers Ed is gaining popularity.

Unlike the previous course, this new one takes place on a computer.

The online Drivers Ed course is broken down into modules, each dealing with a different aspect of driving. On each module, the student is presented with written information on the subject, continuously being quizzed on what they have learned. Though this may seem efficient, it would be all too easy for students to type their quiz questions in on Google. Therefore, the driving information they are “absorbing” is really being lost to false Wiki answers.

Virtual Drivers Ed may be a convenient way for students to receive virtual credit, however virtual school credits are supposed to help students learn the subject they are studying. Drivers need repetitive practice. Even though the virtual course provides informative modules, students do not get the full experience needed. The course is supposed to take 18 weeks, however, students can easily speed it up, bypassing the full work load.

Since schools already provide a more efficient physical Drivers Ed, there is really no reason virtual Drivers Ed should count as a school credit. In other virtual classes, students study hard to receive their credit. Students can receive the same virtual credit by breezing through Drivers Ed, which is not fair to the students who must try hard to receive virtual school credit.

In the physical Drivers Ed, students receive the chance to conquer their fears and take away life lessons about the road.

There is no way a student can feel as confident after they electronically complete their last quiz or finish reading through the 20th paragraph in a module. The point of Drivers Ed has always been to help students feel more self-assured. How can a student feel self-assured if they have not even been behind the wheel?

13

reviews HORRIBLE

What’s on your

iPod?

Brad Kuperman, Band Director “And the Battle Begun”

by Rx Bandits

“It has a pulse that makes me move.”

“Groovin’ Hard”

by Don Menza “The Receiving End of it All”

by Streetlight Manifesto “Walking the Dog”

by Fun. Amanda Wise, 11 “The Gambler”

by Fun.

“It’s a fairly emotional song. When I saw Fun. perform it live, the whole venue went quiet to hear Nate sing the moving lyrics.”

“Call it Off”

by Tegan and Sara “Just Keep Breathing”

by We the Kings “Pompeii”

by Bastille

“Madhouse”

by Little Mix

“Madhouse is different from everything out there that I’ve heard.”

“What’s Your Name”

by Boston “Just One Yesterday”

by Fall Out Boy “Electric Blue”

by Icehouse

OUTSTANDING

Gaylord Palms ICE! provides chilly entertainment

Ellie Bonck

F

Staff Reporter

or 30 years the Gaylord Palms hotel has hosted ICE!, a dazzling ice sculpture display indoors. Each year, they fly in 40 Artisans from Harbin, China who create the themed ice sculptures for the event. This year, 30 days were spent carving two million pounds of ice in 8 degree temperatures, into the shapes of Karen, Professor Hinkle, Hocus Pocus and Frosty the Snowman.

The hard work of these artisans was evident this year, and the sculptures and ice slides were worth the wait.

Tickets are reasonably priced for Florida residents, adults pay $30 and kids are $16, with even lower prices if you buy them online ahead of time.

Even though the weight is around 20 minutes, the creators of ICE! came up with a creative Christmas trivia to keep guests entertained. While the trivia is on a loop, you never see the same question twice while you are waiting to go in, which is a great improvement from years past, where it was easy to get frustrated waiting to go in with nothing to do.

One thing that needs improvement is advertising for guests to dress appropriately, even though parkas are provided. Several guests wear do not wear appropriate clothing for the exhibit, not realizing that the only piece of warm clothing they get in ICE! is a parka. Either gloves, hats or other winter clothing items should be provided, or guests should be forewarned of what they should wear.

The ice slides were a guest favorite. There are four different ice slides, and the tallest one stands as tall as a two story building. The employees do a nice job of keeping the lines moving quickly, and even though the ice slides are the same every year, never get tired out Another new feature this year was the Artisans in Action or the “Frostbite Factory.”

It was interesting to see the Artisans actually carving and coloring the ice, and being able to interact with them, rather than just seeing it sped up on a video at the entrance of ICE! Overall, ICE! has improved heavily this year, and continues to impress guests; even allowing them to overlook that the air inside is a nippy eight degrees.

ICE!

Mad Hatter’s mad pizza

Jeannie Williams

Sarah Parker, 11

GOOD

D

Staff Reporter

owntown Oviedo fans are familiar with the cozy restaurant, Mad Hatter’s Pizzeria. Located at 10 S. Central Avenue, this unique eatery offers a personal atmosphere and an opportunity for a satisfyingly good meal.

Mad Hatter’s advertises their carry-out, delivery and catering, but the best way to get the Mad Hatter’s experience is to dine in. A quaint, small-town feel is complemented with an inclusive menu that has something for every member of a group.

Upon arrival, my party was seated almost immediately at a table with a charming view of Oviedo chickens passing outside.

We waited no more than 20 minutes for our made-to-order food to arrive.

Their advertised, “Uncommon pizza, pasta, salads and sandwiches,” went unprotested. Mad Hatter’s uses their “Mad Seasoning” to complement their California style crust pizza, topped with Parmesan and Romano cheese. The spaghetti was tender and had the perfect proportions of sauce, while the club and Philly cheesesteak sandwiches offered toasted goodness.

The menu ventures beyond the realm of pizza and subs, however.

Also offered are chicken wings, wraps, calzones and strombolis. Two showstoppers for the desserts are the rich cheesecake and the light tiramisu.

Mad Hatter’s brings new meaning to the word pizzeria. Instead of being completely focused on Italian cuisine, they branched out and made sure something was available for even the pickiest eater. It makes for a very enjoyable and memorable meal.

Mad Hatter’s

Photo by Ellie Bonck

Frozen for fun. Visitors walk through towering ice sculptures of their favorite winter characters. There was also an opportunity to see the artists carving the

UCF lights up winter Jessica Jeffers

I

Opinions Editor

mmediately greeted by students and bright lights, it is hard not to follow a decorated street to the CFE Arena, where Light Up UCF is located.

The ice rink is the main attraction, bringing many students to the area being the only ice rink locally. Once you purchase a skating pass – an unlimited pass costs $12, you go to the skate stand where you get to use complementary skates with the ticket purchase. But socks are not offered or sold by the stand so students must bring their own socks or deal with the soggy, feet-smelling skates.

One of the carnival rides is The Blizzard, a common ride where you get into a seat pod of three and it raises you above the ground and spins you. There is also a kid train ride,

although offered to all ages, which provides a family feel.

But for the romantic, date like experience, go on the CFE Ferris Wheel, where the seats bring you above the event, giving a beautiful view of the campus and even some of Oviedo. But for people who are afraid of heights, avoid it. The ride is rickety and makes sounds which may freak out more cautious riders.

Despite the family and romantic atmosphere, the prices may make you reconsider, it costs $19.75 for an unlimited ride and skating pass and $4.50 to ride once on anything, but the famous light show is free.

Overall it is a fun night, if you do not consider the money a problem, and the perfect place for a date night, but if you’re expecting to have a nice sit-down dinner with family or a date, you had better keep looking.

Light Up UCF

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sports shorts

GIRLS VARSITY BASKETBALL WINS OVER OVIEDO

On Nov. 20 the girls varsity basketball team won 33-32 against Oviedo on the Lions’ home turf, battling to the finish. Going from tied 10-10 in the first quarter, the team was led by sophomore Victoria Morales, who finished with 13 rebounds, seven blocks, two steals, two points and one assist. Late in the game, senior Gabrielle Spence went to the line to make two free throws, the second of which ended up as the game-winning point.

JV BOYS BASKETBALL LOSES TO SEMINOLE

The JV boys basketball team fell short on Dec. 3 when they lost at home against Seminole, 50-45. The highlight of the game was in the third quarter when junior Isaac Nze blocked a shot off the backboard. This was the first game that the team lost this season, with an overall record of 4-1.

GIRLS WEIGHTLIFTING BREAKS RECORDS

The girls weightlifting team came out on top and broke two records at their home meet on Nov. 26. Sophomore Olivia Albano reached a total of 240 for her weight class of 110 pounds, a new record for Hagerty, and senior Kiley Dechau lifted a total of 260 in her 154 pound weight class, landing in first place. The team placed first overall at the meet, and continue their season 4-1 after a loss to Lyman.

GIRLS VARSITY LACROSSE TEAM BEATS OVIEDO

On Saturday Nov. 23, the girls varsity lacrosse team, playing under their club name of Pack Black, played in and was awarded first place in the fall season championship, the first of its kind. Another first was the fact that the team beat Oviedo for the first time in school history, 9-6. In the past spring season, the girls lost to Oviedo by more than ten points. The girls finished their club season 15-3.

The HIGHLIGHT box Boys basketball at Oviedo, 12/6 Game Summary

On Friday Dec. 6, the varsity basketball team faced off against rival Oviedo High School. What was mostly a close game finished as a 50-40 loss for Hagerty.

The lead changed rapidly in this game as neither team could get into a rhythm and get their team rolling. Fouls played a huge part in that as the referees’ whistles were blowing nonstop. This low scoring game came to a turning point as both teams were tied at 38.

Oviedo started to hit their shots and Hagerty started turning the ball over. A 10 point run by Oviedo sealed the deal and Hagerty fell to 3-2 on the season.

Stats

Eric Castaneda: 8 points, 9 rebounds Nick Brizendine: 9 points, 0 rebounds Alex Keel: 8 points, 0 rebounds Henry Torres: 0 points, 0 rebounds Free throws-team total: 5-11

Tweets

photo by Tyler Copeland

Sophomore Denzel Mahoney

“@EricCastaneda7 good game Oviedo, good game.” “@Walter_EJ my boy keel is nothing to mess with.”

sports

Basketball plays off past season Spencer Thompson Sports Editor

“I

’m not stupid, I know it’s out there,” head coach Josh Kohn said. “I know they’ve been asked 100 times, ‘are you going to win it again?’ Every team we play is going to give us their best shot, because they’re playing Hagerty.”

Last year, the boys varsity basketball team won the FHSAA Class 8A state championship, the first team of any sport in school history to do so. This year, the team returns to the floor, hoping to accomplish the same goal.

Two years prior to this season, the team made their first trip to the state finals, and fell to Hialeah Gardens, 63-46. They returned the second year and went on to beat South Miami 5544. The boys now face what comes with a history of success: pressure.

“There’s definitely pressure. We have that target on our back,” senior Eric Castaneda said. “A lot a people doubt us, and that’s motivating for us. We want to show people that we can still play basketball, and that we can still compete at a high level.”

And the team has worked to prove that. So far the boys are 3-2 with big wins over Seminole by 15, Deland by 6 and Lyman by 13, but the team has faced their share of struggles as well.

The team faced a tough, 10 point loss against rival Oviedo, as well as a 5755 loss against Spruce Creek.

Even though the team has lost two in a row, they are trying to put the losses behind them and focus on the remainder of the season. The team has yet to play Lake Brantley and Winter Springs, as well as play in the annual “Hoops 4 Heart” game at Oviedo on Dec. 14.

“It’s still really early in the season, and we just have to stay positive before winter break,” sophomore Alex Keel said.

Helping the team stay positive will be the job of upperclassmen on the team such as senior Nick Brizendine, Castaneda and senior Henry Torres, three who played on the team last year. Together, those three alone average a combined 38 points each game.

photo by Jake Burton

TAKING CHARGE. Senior Eric Castaneda drives down the court against Seminole. Castaneda lead the team with 14 points to help the team to a 71-56 win.

While the team does have four returning players from last season, they also have a very young and inexperienced team. Five players, prior to this season have never played in a varsity basketball game, but spectators would not be able to notice.

Among these new players is sophomore Denzel Mahoney.

Mahoney has helped the team considerably, even starting against Seminole in the home opener.

Mahoney does not plan on letting his opportunity go to waste.

“It’s an honor,” said Mahoney.

“It’s such a blessing. All the hard work for 15 years has finally paid off.”

Also among the inexperienced crowd is Keel, a sharpshooter with 3’s, and junior Isiah Domino. So far, the younger players have brought an edge to the game.

“Sometimes the veterans can get bored, and act like it,” Kohn said.

“The younger group bring a newness and aggression into the game. This is their first year, so they bring this energy into practice and make everybody play a little harder. They just have that fire.”

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15

sports Boom! goes the dynamite “Trimendous” Olivia Albano Nathaniel Kauffman Staff Reporter bout 55 percent of high school students play a sport. Many students even play two sports. But how many do you know that play three?

High school is hard enough without having the stress of a sports season, so the fact that a person can play three sports, excel in each, and keep up with school is unheard of. Any normal person could probably not handle this task; that is, unless you’ve heard of sophomore Olivia Albano.

Albano is not only currently a tri-sport athlete, but she also used to be a gymnast, where she won regionals twice and states three times. She now cheers, runs track and weightlifts. While this is her first year of cheer, she is already on varsity, thanks to her background in gymnastics.

So forget the finesse sports; speed and strength are Albano’s real best qualities. Last year she went undefeated and won conference finals, winning a total of seven meets. This year she has started out 4-0. For her weight class she has set the school record in benching, clean and jerk and total lift.

As far as track goes, she’s one of three hurdlers on varsity, and owns top 10 times for 100, 300, and 400 hurdles for the school.

But she’s not only about sports, Albano has chosen many rigorous courses including three honors classes and AP World History.

“As far as school let’s just say I’ve been through many late nights,” Albano said.

So the next time you need someone to help you finish your homework or at least carry your books, look no farther than sophomore Olivia Albano.

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Long term injuries hurt, strengthen athletes Lexi Rossow

“O

Managing Editor

ne pitch,” senior Cory Faiello said, “and I heard my nerve shred.”

During his sophomore season, Faiello shredded his ulnar collateral nerve and was out of baseball for 11 months. For an athlete, that is an eternity. Missing a couple of practices is enough to throw an athlete off his game, but almost an entire year off can damage anyone’s chances to get better at their sport.

Long term injuries are looming threats to all athletes, who are constantly pushing limits with their physical and mental strength, when one moment or one injury can throw their plans haywire.

“You go from practicing every day to back to the basics, just starting out again,” Faiello said.

Senior Kylie Houston, an outside hitter on the varsity volleyball team, was returning from an elbow injury as well this season. From overuse due to her arm swing, Houston jolted the bones in her elbow and crushed the nerve between them.

“My fingers started going numb and curl, and the doctor was like,

‘You need to have surgery or we won’t be able to get your fingers back,’” Houston said.

But after enduring six hours in surgery, Houston woke up to learn that the surgeon had cut the tendon in the wrong place and her twoweek recovery time estimation was extending to nine months.

“I couldn’t even feel my fingers until three months after my surgery,” Houston said.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.4 million injuries occur annually to high school student athletes, and approximately 80 percent of these injuries are recurrences from previous injuries because athletes did not allow themselves enough recovery time. With sports so competitive and the fear of missing even one practice so intense, however, “rest” is a foul word in every athlete’s mouth.

“Do whatever the doctor tells you so that you can heal,” senior Henry Torres said, who got a stress fracture in his spine during basketball summer league. And though sports injuries may cause stress, pain and mental strain, with the proper healing and a little luck, an athlete can return and continue growth in their sport. For

Torres, he was out of basketball for three months, but was able to make varsity when he returned, and he even helped the team along to a state championship that year.

“If you really love your sport, you’ll come back harder than ever,” Torres said.

Faiello returned his junior year to baseball after being out for 11 months, and this season he has gotten even better, striving for a collegiate future in the sport.

“It resparked my love for my game,” Faiello said. “I’m working so much harder than I was before.”

But injuries do not always end with a glorified return. After sitting out for nine months, Houston’s return for her senior year of volleyball fell short of her expectations.

“It wasn’t what I expected for my senior year,” Houston said, “It was supposed to be exciting, but mine was like, ‘Am I going to make the team or not?’”

Because of her surgeon’s clinical mishap, recovery from her injury will be a lifelong battle.

“But disappointments aren’t meant to break you,” Houston said.“They are meant to teach you to move on and grow from it.”

photos by Dawn Faiello

Pitch perfect. (Above) Senior Cory Faiello makes his return to the mound in his first game in 11 months. (Below) Faiello tore his ulnar collateral nerve in his elbow and was out of baseball 11 months.

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JV girls soccer dominates season Winnie Meyers

C

Reviews Editor

oncussions, fouls, undefeated - three words to sum up the girls’ junior varsity soccer season. After 11 games, the girls remain unbeaten.

“It feels really good to be undefeated,” freshman Sydney Stoneback said. “I’m really proud of my team because at first I didn’t think we would be that good.”

The girls have dominated 11 straight games, including a blowout 8-0 win against Seminole High School with goals from Stoneback, freshmen Vanessa Davenport, Darby Brooks, Jessicka Birr, Ashlyn Mecabe and junior Emily Darden and assists from sophomores Valerie Hearn, Sophie Hill, Taia Gomez, Nancy Hazelette, Holly Rambi and junior Madeline Bohlen.

The skill the girls possess comes with hard work. Weekly, the players have three 90 minute practices that consist of different exercises including running and skill training, and multiple games including possession, pass around and shoot.

“Average practices are usually really hot and since we have 32 players on our team, they’re usually pretty crowded,” Carroll said.

These practices pay off and the girls continue to win their games and dominate in the district.

“We are a really good team,” Stoneback said.

“We can communicate without getting mad at each other, and we just work well together.”

While most games for the girls are easily won, this is not the case for one team they have played. In contrast, the game against the Oviedo JV team on Dec. 3 was not as smoothly completed as the games of the past.

“Oviedo likes to push a lot, and the refs don’t call it because they’re blind,” Stoneback said.

The girls played two games against Oviedo, the first of which they won 2-1 with several fouls called on both sides. The second game ended in a “nasty” tie.

“It was going really well and we were up 1-0, and it was a clean game for the most part, except for one person from the Oviedo team,” freshman goalie Bailey Carroll said. “They knocked me out.”

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Within the last ten minutes of the second half, Stoneback scored the first goal of the game. And with three minutes left on the clock, a player from Oviedo in an attempt to score, kicked Carroll in the face. Carroll received a concussion and was evacuated to the hospital in an ambulance.

“You don’t know how scary that was for me,” Carroll said. “I just remember laying on the ground and not being able to feel my hands or get up.”

Because the game had under five minutes left, it was called, and the girls received their first and only tie, 1-1. While the kick to the face had not counted as a foul, the goal made after it was called fair.

Though the game ended rougher than expected, Carroll and other players prefer to play intsense games against difficult teams like Oviedo.

“If the team isn’t as skilled, then the game is usually not as exciting because we’re just constantly scoring,” Carroll said. “But if the team is a hard one like Oviedo, then the game is really exciting especially when you win because you can just celebrate that you beat your rivals.”

photo by Jake Arthur

KICKING UP GRASS. Forward Sydney Stoneback controls the ball, looking for a shot against Lake Brantley. The Huskies continue to have a successful undefeated season.