The BluePrint - Volume 9, Issue 1

HAGERTY HIGH SCHOOL

3225 LOCKWOOD BLVD. OVIEDO, FL 32765

ONLINE

the

blueprint

Go to Hagertyjourn.com for extra content, including:  Vibrant 5K at Color Run  Ziglar brings experience  AT&T drives for pledges  Challenge Day huge hit

volume 9, issue 1

Oct.�3, 2013

Pink’d pride unites fans story on page 18

TOGETHER WE STAND. The student section joins hands in respect for junior Joe Simone as an ambulance drives him off the field after he was knocked down in an offensive play. Simone was okay, and the football team went on to win in double overtime 24-21. photo by Jake Burton

 AP REQUIREMENTS stories�to�read�this�issue  CATTACK! Where did all the cats come Check out two conflicting

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 A NEW CHAPTER

Find out more about principal Mary Williams before she came to Hagerty. Learn about her love for learning and transition into her new position. page 2

 BEHIND THE BAND

Discover the good and bad of what goes on behind the scenes of the marching band, one of the school’s most rigorous activities. pages 12-13

from? Learn about the history and opinions of the countless cat-related memes and jokes circulating the internet, including Grumpy Cat and Lil’ Bub. page 9

views on how it should be decided who gets to take Advanced Placement courses, debating on if requirements should be increased or not. page 15

 HAGERTY’S HYPE MAN

Learn about the backbone of the student section with this look at sports announcer and school spirit ringleader, Drew Sullivan, and the section’s positive effect on the school’s athletes. page 19

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news

Williams adapts to new campus, changes policies Ellie Bonck

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Photo by Jake Burton

BIGGEST FAN. Principal Mary Williams cheers on the football team as they compete against Lake Howell.

Williams encouraged school spirit on her arrival to Hagerty.

Staff Reporter

hen she was little, Dr. Mary Williams wanted to be a teacher. Williams, the second oldest in a family of eight children, was the biggest helper. The more praise she received from her mother, the harder she worked. Her siblings would play school with her and she was always the teacher.

Williams attended the University of Central Florida and graduated in two and a half years, allowing her to begin teaching at the age of 21. She taught math at Lake Brantley High School for 18 years, the same school both she, her husband and their three boys graduated from. During her time as a math teacher, Williams went back to UCF to get her master’s degree in leadership.

“It was a good time to go back to school since my boys were in middle

what’s news?

ZEBRA COALITION GETS INVOLVED

On Thursday, Sept. 19, The Zebra Coalition, the only organization in Central Florida to offer a full range of services to at-risk Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and all other teens, collected donations at the UCF Arena. The Coalition collected boxes of donations at the arena and saw an estimated 1,000 people visit their informational booth.

LONG-TIME TEACHER RETIRES

After 20 years of teaching, with eight at Hagerty, English teacher Sandy Reeves retired on Monday, Sept. 30. Reeves is both sad and delighted to be leaving.

COLOR RUN PROVES “HAPPIEST 5K ON THE PLANET”

Over 10,000 people travelled to the Citrus Bowl on Sunday, Sept. 22 for the Color Run, a 5k with various color stations posted throughout the course where volunteers could spill colored corn starch on runners. After the race, runners participated in their own color throw, coating themselves in a layer of rainbow.

ARTS ALIVE DEADLINE APPROACHES

The deadline for audition applications for the Arts Alive festval is Friday, Oct. 4. The festival will take place on Dec. 6 and is a way for everyone to get out and enjoy art as well as support the art programs of local schools. All SCPS students and staff members are encouraged to submit a piece of art.

CHALLENGE DAY DEBUTS

On Sept. 23 and 24, Challenge Day took place here, Challenge Day was a chance for kids to get comfortable with one another and share life experiences. Monday the juniors and seniors attended and on Tuesday the freshmen and sophomores attended. Parents and adult volunteers attended as well.

school,” Williams said.

After 18 years of teaching math, she became the assistant principal at Brantley. Five years later, Williams took on the role of principal. When her youngest son was a senior, she had the opportunity to give him his diploma at graduation.

“I loved being at school with my boys,” Williams said.

After 30 years at Brantley, Williams was asked to transfer. Over the summer, she earned her doctorate from UCF, had to pack up both her home and her office and make the move to Hagerty. At her going away party, one of her close friends gave her a card that read “Make new friends, but keep the old, some are silver, the other ones gold.” One of the hardest parts about coming to a new school, was leaving all the great friendships she had acquired over the years at Brantley.

Although the school enjoys a top

reputation, one thing Williams had to do when she came to Hagerty was make changes. She sat down with administration and the department chairs, and asked them what three things they thought needed attention.

Both groups told her that the biggest issues were attendance, students parking in the parking lot without a pass, and unregistered visitors on campus.

To fix these issues, Williams enforced the attendance policy that is required by Florida state law. For parking, change was more about enforcement: Students are required to have a parking pass in order to park, and if students are parking without a parking pass, they will be given a warning, and then will be towed, in order to be fair to students who paid to park in the lot. Special parking passes were given to students that are a part of dual enrollment and virtual school.

Finally, visitors are required to sign

in, for safety purposes, and monitered to where they go on campus.

Though getting used to the changes can be difficult, Williams encourages students to come and see her if they have questions about the reasoning for these changes. She has made sure to enforce the “open door” policy for students and adminstration to ask questions whenever possible.

“Principals are empowered in a lot of ways, but that doesn’t change the fact that we are human and have feelings, too,” Williams said.

For Williams, the easiest part about the transfer has been the environment and the people. She enjoyed both pep rallies and events such as the drum line and the cheerleaders at both lunches. She has felt very welcomed by both students and faculty, is excited to be here and to begin a new chapter with Hagerty.

“Here’s to new silver,” Williams said.

Lexi Rossow

multiple pages of average application questions, students can use that single document to send out to multiple of their schools at one time.

But over the summer, Common Application creators modified the essay requirements and reset their entire database. They added a strictly enforced 250-650 word limit on the essay and required students to answer one of the five given topics, removing the essay choice Free Response.

“They give you five choices for the essay, and they’re all pretty broad so you can fit anything in them,” Marvin said.

The Common Application Board of Directors released this statement: “This initiative began with an interest in reinforcing the importance of writing and to provide better guidance to students who don’t have access to good college counseling.”

Emphasis on the theme “write less, but better” defines the new changes on the Common Application, another angle to prepare students for college.

“I don’t like [that they took away Free Response essay choice] because when you’re applying to college you want to stand out and you want

them to know you as an individual,” senior Brittany Hill said. “You want to pop out, but now everything is standardized.”

The Common Application Board of Directors not only set a strict word-count requirement and decided topics, but they removed the portion of the application called the Activities Essay. The Activities Essay was a 150-word segment that allowed students to elaborate more about their extracurricular activities.

Instead, all activities must fit into the predetermined sections on the application without any sections to further explained.

“I do Thespians and Chorus and other stuff, and a lot of times my activities can’t be categorized,” Hill said.

Though these new requirements are limiting, the reason behind them was to have easier comparable applications for the colleges to evaluate. And though the Free Response essay topic and Activities Essay were removed, students can advertise their individuality through the given topics and the numerous sections of the application.

Common Application modified

A

Managing Editor

s senior James Marvin was applying for five of his colleges at one time using the Common Application, he logged on to find his entire application was deleted. For the fourth time since it was launched, Common Application modified their online application process to encourage their new slogan, “write less, but better.”

Common Application is a large online application that students can send out to over 500 colleges without having to complete multiple specific applications by school.

Many northern schools and private colleges use Common Application, such as the University of Notre Dame, Yale University and Duke University, all of which are schools Marvin is applying to.

Common Application can be used for international schools as well, such as Austria, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom and Switzerland, as well as local schools like the Florida Institute of Technology and Florida Southern College. By filling out the

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news

Journalism staffs hold online takeover Check out what the yearbook and newspaper staffs have going on!

Download the free Aurasma app on your smart phone and follow the “hagertyjourn” channel, OR simply scan this QR code with your phone.

Follow the channel hagertyjourn on Aurasma to see the newspaper and yearbook videos.

(The QR code takes you to the channel) Next, open app and point it at the juggler.

Madeline Kemper Business Manager

D

espite rumors, journalism is not a dying field. Rather, it is evolving, evolving past the paper copy, evolving through social media and evolving to fit into the online world.

“Last year we got so many questions along the lines of ‘we actually have a school newspaper, since when?” It just seemed like people were forgetting about us,” junior Ben Sorkin said.

This was the main concern for newspaper and yearbook, so this year the staff has come up with ways that people can stay updated on events at the school other than the paper issues.

The first major step was the creation of the news website, www. hagertyjourn.com. The site is an online version of the Blueprint so that students as well as community members have access to events and stories that occur at the school. There

is also extra content that is online exclusive, such as a photo of the day, polls and columns.

Timeliness, which is an important aspect of journalism, is covered with live Tweeting of sporting events. Staff members send live tweets during the game to keep students updated, using the Twitter account @hagertyjourn.

“I like to live Tweet because you can bring the game to those that don’t attend in a way that is convenient and easy to understand. I also like being able to recognize people for good plays and being able to watch the game,” sophomore Nathaniel Kauffman said.

Action shots that are taken have also been made available to the student body through hagertyjourn. smugmug.com. The website has galleries of photos such as sports and events and viewers can purchase photos for $2.

“I am excited, because now when people come up to me wanting to know where they can get pictures

that I have taken of school events I can say smugmug.com,” senior Jake Burton said.

Smugmug has photos of everything including football games, pep rallies and even Humanities, not to mention some events from last year, like prom, homecoming and the Pink’d game.

Aurasma is the final feature in which people can access content through more than just the hard print.

Aurasma is an app which uses pattern recognition of pictures that allow users to see videos and animations on their phones triggered by the photo.

The goal is to put images in the Blueprint and Fusion in which people can then access videos or even be linked to the website.

“Journalism students realize that the Internet is the medium with the most popularity. All of these resources provide more ways for people to see their work and connect with the school,” Journalism teacher Brit Taylor said.

Third, enjoy the show! (double tap to center video)

How else can you interact with the newspaper and yearbook staffs?

Hagertyjourn.com, the student news site to read weekly updated stories and pictures about sports, news and student life, as well as links for ordering a yearbook. You can also send in letters to the editor.

Hagertyjourn.smugmug.com, the picture site.

Browse pictures of football games, pep rallies, club pictures, and much more. Photos can purchased for as little as $2 each. @hagertyjourn, the Twitter account where staff members live tweet sports games.

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1793 E. Broadway St. Oviedo, FL 32765 near Publix

(407) 365-MATH (6284) www.mathnasium.com/oviedo oviedo@mathnasium.com

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Top ten guarantees admission Matilda von Kalm

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Editor -in-Chief

ith the help of an initiative launched last month, students who are in the top ten percent of their senior class could be automatically accepted to University of Central Florida though the Top Ten Knights admissions program. The program was introduced to recognize student academic achievement in high school and to provide Florida students with more certainty regarding the UCF admissions process.

“Many Florida families have expressed concern that UCF is becoming so competitive that their students would not have the opportunity to attend UCF,” Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Admissions Dr. Gordon Chavis said.

“UCF wants to continue to provide access to a quality education for Florida students.”

Under the basic top ten percent requirement, only 54 current senior students at Hagerty would qualify.

Further qualifications, such as a minimum SAT score of 1010 (verbal and math) or ACT score of 21 and current enrollment in a Pre-Calculus or higher math course, also limits the number of students admitted through this program.

“At first glance, part of the program seemed unfair, but it makes sense to allow students who challenge themselves to that level to get in,” senior Christian Pasciak said.

“It’s a great program to help motivate students to work harder to move up in their class.”

However, some students think that the program is too narrow by allowing high school students admission based solely on academics, and not considering extra-curriculars.

“Students can easily cheat their way through harder classes and look good academically, which is why a university should base their admission decision off of other criteria as well,” senior Nicolette England said.

According to Chavis, UCF

research has found that GPA, coupled with a strong academic program, was more predictive of success in a high school student’s transition to UCF than other factors considered in an admission decision. This is also the reasoning behind the “Direct Connect” program which allows transfer students from Florida community colleges, who obtain their AA degree, guaranteed admission to UCF and other state universities.

“If we offer this program to [community college] transfer students, why not do the same for Florida high school seniors?”

Chavis said.

To be considered for the Top Ten Knights program, a completed application and all required documentation, such as proof of residency and high school transcripts, must be provided to the UCF Office of Undergraduate Admissions by Dec. 31. If a student qualifies, they will be notified by Feb. 15 of their admission to either the Summer, Fall or Spring term. w

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things to do this month

Hoooowl for the Arts [Oct. 26] Come join the Seminole Cultural Arts Council at the Seminole Harley-Davidson in looking at art masks created by local artist.

The event will also include barbecue, an airbrush tattoo artist, and contests and auctions.

Vegfest [Oct. 26] Learn about the benefits of vegetarian lifestyles and watch food preparation demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Orlando Festival Park. Artists and musicians will also be featured.

Taste of Altamonte [Oct. 14] Taste food from local restaurants such as ranging from seafood to international cuisine. The event will be $15 in advance, $30 at the door and money will benefit community projects.

Mamma Mia performance [Oct. 3 – 9] Watch the Broadway performance of Mamma Mia at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center. The performance 2:40 p.m. is two hours and 40 minutes, and the prices range from $52 - $90.

Halloween in the Village [Oct. 27] Participate in activities such as a movie, hay rides, contests and trick or treating at the Historic Cocoa Village and the Riverfront Park from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. The price is $5 for all activities except the movie, which is free.

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news

Art department gets digitized

Ryan O’Connor

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artwork by Gassan Hussien

IN YOUR FACE. Junior Gassan Hussein designed an Andy Warhol of Christian Bale’s character from American Psycho for his digital arts class. Students work with Adobe Photoshop to create digital works of art.

Staff Reporter

rt class used to make students think of cans filled with brushes, stacks of paper, pounds of clay, and paint all over the place. In the new Digital Arts class, none of these materials are used. In this class, painting and drawing tools are used online and are very similar to their real world counterparts. To take Digital Arts students must first have taken 2D Art. The class had been created by the school so that it may stay modern with the technology available. “[We have to] keep up with today’s world,” Digital Arts teacher Mary Marinel said.

Marinel has enjoyed seeing the students work hard on their projects.

“I absolutely love it,” Marinel said.

Projects are usually been assigned on a weekly basis and everything the students do will be completely manipulated on the computers. The

students have journals where they can write and draw ideas they have for projects they are doing. The projects they journal are usually projects they complete on their own. “[You can] draw what you want, you can have ideas you want to Photoshop and journal them,” Hussein said.

Marinel has seen a positive response in the students and is excited that the students are working hard on their projects. One project that the students have been assigned is a haunted house project. The main idea of the project is that they take a photo of a place and edit it so that it resembles a haunted house with different skies and pictures of zombies.

“It is pretty cool. I’m doing Hagerty on Photoshop, I think it is going to come out pretty well,” freshman David Palacios said.

For junior Gassan Hussein his haunted house is placed in a forest, with weird animals, and then he made the tones darker.

The class is also doing an Andy Warhol project, in which students will first flatten an image and then colorize it using saturation tools. By the end of the year students will be doing a project in which they will not use any images and create the image through Photoshop.

“They will come up with a rough draft and create a painting just like they would do in any Fine Arts class,” Marinel said.

Hussein took the class due to his interest in Photoshop and to expand his knowledge of the program.

For Palacios the class is going to be extremely helpful with his future career of plans to go into car design. “[I want] to be pretty good at Photoshop so I can do projects on my own,” Palacios said.

“I never thought of doing computer or digital art before,” Palacios said. The class has been created to help keep up with the expanding ways in which art can be created.

Common core curriculum changes take effect Ben Clyatt

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Staff Reporter

ommon Core, the new curriculum adopted by the state of Florida in 2010, made its way up to the high school level in 2013.

However, on Monday, Sept 23, Gov. Rick Scott reversed his stance on the nationwide curriculum, ordered the state board of education to withdraw from these national tests, and then he signed an executive order ending Florida’s relationship with PARCC, the makers of the Common Core curriculum.

“PARCC is the assessment tool to Common Core. Common Core is what we teach, we’re still going to teach one way, now how we’re going to assess it might be different, [or it] might not be different,” math teacher Aglaia Christodoulides said.

Common Core affects all core classes, but the most noticeable

changes are in the math department.

“Common Core is meant to set standards that will be true absolutely anywhere you go. You go from this state to Georgia; it doesn’t matter, we’re all doing the same thing,” geometry teacher Kathy Koons said.

Common Core is also more indepth than the previous curriculum, covering less information, but going into more detail. Students not only go over the concept, but also apply knowledge and show deeper understanding.

“It’s not just ‘Here, solve this algebra problem,’” Koons said, “It has this application to it, so the problems will be more meaningful.”

The curriculum was divided into four stages to ease students into it.

Florida schools are currently in stage three, which implements the math standards for grades 3-12.

Last school year, Algebra II teacher Jason McCombs taught Calculus in California in the state’s

first year of Common Core.

“I do like Common Core in terms of the way it’s requiring students to bring all their knowledge towards completing actual problems, like word problems and that sort of thing, because it’ll support the students much more better when they get into things like Calculus,” McCombs said.

But not everyone enjoys the new standards. Some are worried that the curriculums are not made at a local level, but a national level.

The curriculum also does not give teachers hints about what textbooks to use, or how to plan lessons, simply giving them the standards. Scott’s withdrawal from PARCC is a sort of compromise, keeping the standards but eliminating the tests.

“I don’t think it’s going to affect us too much because again, PARCC is the assessment,” Christodoulides said. “If you teach your students to think, they’re going to be successful on the assessment, no matter what

kind of assessment you take. So whether it’s PARCC or Smarter Balance, or we go with something that Florida will come up with, I think the students will be okay, as long as the teachers keep teaching at the level that they are supposed to.”

While there are varying opinions on Common Core, it is clear that Florida’s goal is to improve education and make its schools, ranked sixth in the nation by Education Week, the best learning environments possible.

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lifestyles

Netflix users satisfy TV binges Katie Curley

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Staff Reporter

t has overtaken television, conquered the computer, and seized mobile devices. It has gotten people hypnotized and glued to screens for hours on end. Almost every electronic device is affected by this widespread phenomena known as Netflix, and students are feeling the effects.

Instant streaming whole television series, movies and documentaries available at any time, Netflix has become an increasingly popular form of entertainment, and has even surpassed regular television with the extra bonus of no commercials.

Netflix has more available episodes of popular television series like The Walking Dead, Breaking

Bad and Pretty Little Liars. This allows for users to spend as much time as they want staring at the screen.

Junior Sarah Policastro stayed up from 4 p.m. to 6 a.m. watching Glee. “I couldn’t sleep and the show was really good,” Policastro said. “I didn’t realize what time it was.”

The features of Netflix are very appealing to those infatuated with a television series, so at any time they can look up any episode. It is also very easy to use.

Junior David Yun also pulled an all-nighter watching his favorite television show, The League. “It’s just really funny and each episode makes you want to watch more, even if you are tired,” Yun said.

People go as far as blowing off friends to watch their favorite shows, as junior Seema Wilkhu and many others have done.

SAT/ACT reasons vary

Jeannie Williams

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Staff Reporter

he stress level that comes with testing is taken to a whole new level with the SAT and ACT. These tests, required for most college applications, have caused confusion and annoyance among students since they were developed in 1901.

The majority of students just write them off as the same thing and take whichever one is most convenient.

What is little known, however, are the differences between the two.

The most basic difference between the SAT and the ACT is the format. The SAT consists of an essay and mathematics, critical reading and writing questions.

Students taking the test receive three short breaks. The ACT consists of 215 multiple choice questions in English, mathematics, reading and science, plus an optional essay.

Originally, the SAT was made to determine the “best and the brightest” while the ACT was created to measure achievement. The SAT was more common on the East Coast and the ACT was more common in the Midwest, but today they are accepted

almost everywhere.

“Most colleges now will take either test. It does depend on the school,” guidance counselor Dr. Jeff Siskind said.

The Princeton Review lists seven main differences between the SAT and the ACT. ACT questions are more straightforward, the SAT emphasizes vocabulary, the ACT contains a science section, the ACT has more advanced math concepts, the ACT writing test is optional, the SAT is broken up into more sections and the ACT is more of a “big picture” exam.

Scoring also differs between the two. A 2400 on the SAT is comparable to a 36 on the ACT. On the SAT, a quarter of a point is taken off for a wrong answer, while on the ACT, no points are taken off for guessing.

Regardless of which test a student takes, basic test prep does not vary.

“Basically, through your studies, through your high school years and even middle school years, make sure you know those concepts. There are test prep programs where you can study the types of questions so that you have experience,” Siskind said.

“One time my friends wanted to hangout and I said I already had plans.” Wilkhu said, “But I watched three hours of Gossip Girl.”

Not only are there many shows to watch on Netflix, but it is also available anywhere in the house, like on television, computers, video game consoles, tablets and mobile phones.

It is a convenience that heightens the popularity.

“My brother can get it on his DS,” sophomore Mackenna Tobey said, “That’s how widespread it is.”

Netflix can be shared with friends and can make a Netflix-movie night, as it still has many movie options, along with featured television series.

Or it can be solitary when there is nothing left to do. The options are endless.

“If I call a bunch of people up and they can’t hang and I have a bunch

of free time, I dedicate [the day to Netflix],” Yun said, “Then I go up to Wawa and get a hoagie and just watch [Netflix].”

There are some other interesting features that include rating the movie or television show the user watches and comparing it to billions of others in order to give an accurate rating.

Plus, Netflix takes the extra step to suggest movies that might be of interest so the user will not have to look far for a movie to watch.

“Netflix suggests weird things, like ‘movies starring actors that look like Zach Galifianakis,’” Yun said.

Whether people utilize Netflix to catch up on their favorite television series or watch random movies, Netflix has over 38 million members watching over one billion hours of television a month, a feat helping to evolve the entertainment industry.

Top 10

shows on Netflix 1. Breaking Bad 2. Firefly 3. Doctor Who 4. Arrested Development 5. Twin Peaks 6. Mad Men 7. Terriers 8. Sherlock 9. Freak and Geeks 10. Parks and Recreation Compiled from imdb.com

lifestyles

Pinterest catches fire

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Users pin favorites from fashion to food to band obsessions

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Adeline Davis

T

Back Page Editor

Celebrities

Fashion

Food

Hair

all pictures from pinterest.com

he social media craze used to center on relationship statuses and selfies. Now, instead of a person’s popularity being based on the number of “likes” received, it is based off of the number of “pins” gained.

Founded in 2009, Pinterest has become the largest growing social network. According to Pinterest Statistics of 2013, the site hit 10 million U.S. monthly visitors faster than any independent site in history. Though Pinterest still falls behind Facebook and Twitter, it is moving up fast in social media.

Unlike Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest is completely based off of pictures. When a new user goes on, the first thing they have to do is create a board. Boards are used to categorize pictures into subgroups like fashion, movies or food. If another user finds that they like and have the same interest as another pinner, they can start to follow them.

The typical five to 10 minute scroll for Facebook and Twitter does not apply to Pinterest. In fact, the Pinterest Statistics of 2013 state that the average time spent on Pinterest is 97 minutes a day.

“I spend way to much time on Pinterest. It is so addicting,” senior Anelise Marshall said.

Marshall’s interest in photography led to hours pinning other people’s pins and creating boards centered on black and whites, romantic couples and silhouettes. Some of Marshall’s other boards are beauty, fitness and celebrities, popular boards for Pinterest users.

Part of the addiction starts with the “pin” button.

Similar to the “like” button, users click the “pin” button if they like a picture and want to add it to one of their boards.

Therefore, the users home feed is made up of hundreds of their favorite things waiting to be pinned.

“Pinterest makes me feel happy because I get to look at things that I like,” said Velasquez. “It’s kind of like a getaway place; you can just concentrate on it and forget the world.”

Through Pinterest, Velasquez’s love for One Direction is expressed through 824 pins of group shots and song lyrics. It is very common for users to create boards with a band as the theme.

In other social media, posting a favorite band would create controversy. However, due to the anonymous atmosphere the site provides, users can feel free to express themselves. Instead of the site focusing on individual appearances, it focuses on what people love.

“You kind of have more of a free will and less anxiety because you don’t have to be paranoid to follow someone,” Velasquez said. “It’s somewhat anonymous so you can feel free to post what you want.”

Pinterest has become a site of self-expression and individuality. Users use it to embrace their interests and follow people who like the same things they do. The “pin” button provides happiness and gives users freedom.

Pinterest may not have the typical social media standards, however, its free will is what sets it apart.

Top pin trends

8 That sounds familiar...

Harvard dreams hit hard reality Matilda von Kalm Managing Editor

E

ntering my freshman year, I was 99 percent sure I could pull off an acceptance to Harvard. I figured all I had to do was maintain straight A’s and get a good score on the SAT. By the middle of my sophomore year I had decided that Harvard was a stretch, but I still planned on applying to all the Ivy League schools. I figured I could get a full ride scholarship, and by now I was initiated into three honor societies, so what school could possibly turn me down?

Then, in my junior year I realized that the Ivy League schools were not options, since the two kids who were considering Harvard had taken seven AP classes their junior year and gotten near perfect scores on their SAT’s.

Reluctantly, I began to consider attending college in-state.

That year, my senior friends began to receive their acceptance letters from colleges, and I finally understood how much college could cost. I listened to the intimidating stories about taking out student loans, and watched as kids turned away their top schools because they couldn’t afford it.

The spring of that same year I toured University of Florida and realized I didn’t have to go out of state to have an adventure. Two hours away might as well be 200 miles away as far as these college kids were concerned, and the $6,000 tuition was pretty inviting.

It’s not that I gave up any college dreams; the dreams just took a turn toward lower tuition.

Everything became real the day I started my first college application, but I was okay with not attending an Ivy League now. That was what graduate school was for.

However, that doesn’t mean I’m not applying to Harvard on principle, if only to frame the rejection letter.

TEMPLE RUN Haley Gaeser

Lifestyles Editor hen there is a day off from school, the school population cheers. They cannot wait to sleep in or go to the beach with friends. This is how most people felt on Sept. 5, but not everyone had this luxury, because while most students at school were off having fun, the Jewish teens were at temple for their holiday.

In Seminole County, 2.7 percent of the population is Jewish. This means the Jewish holidays are less known, but the county does allow the holidays that fall during the school week to be non-school days.

Freshman Sabrina Hutcheson is one of the few Jewish teens at Hagerty and like most Jews, she attended services for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. While New Year’s Day falls on Jan. 1, the Jewish population has their own calendar so while everyone else is in year 2013, Jewish people are already in year 5774.

While at the two services for Rosh Hashanah, Jewish people pray for a safe and happy New Year. At sundown the first service officially starts the holiday and then a second service is held the following morning. The night service is shorter in length and more adults tend to go whereas the morning service lasts around three hours and is

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lifestyles Members of Jewish faith spend vacation days celebrating holidays at synagogue

more popular.

Two traditions for Rosh Hashanah are to eat apples and honey as they resemble having a sweet New Year, and to eat a big meal with friends and family. The food usually consists of brisket, matzo ball soup, a bunch of side dishes and numerous desserts.

“I had a few friends who did not know why we had the day off,” sophomore Justin Baronoff said.

“I think it is a little unfair how while everyone else is having fun, we are stuck in temple all day, but it is not too bad.”

Like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur was a day off from school as well, but because it started at sundown on a Friday, no days off were needed.

However, the varsity football game was moved to Thursday so that Friday night was open.

On Yom Kippur, the Jewish population must fast for a full 24 hours to cleanse themselves of all of their sins and to start anew. There are also many more services to attend. The services tend to run the full day, so Jewish people are in temple. At the end of the day of a long fast, everyone comes together for a big break-fast where they can finally eat.

“Fasting is really tough. I try to do it, but I really can’t so sometimes I have to eat. I do not think most non-Jewish guys would be able to do it,” Baronoff said.

While most of the main Jewish holidays are

photo by Haley Gaeser

Freshmen Justin Baronoff and Sabrina Hutcheson read the siddur on Rosh Hashanah. They both wore tallit’s received once they became a bar/bat mitzvah.

known, minor ones such as Sukkot, Tu B’Shevat and Purim are not. Out of all of the Jewish holidays, non-Jewish people would most likely be able to identify Hanukkah, Yom Kippur, Passover or Rosh Hashanah.

“I find the holidays to be really meaningful,” Hutcheson said. “They only happen once a year and they are a big part of the Jewish religion.”

Graduates look back on high school Sophie Hill

G

Staff Reporter

raduates from 2010 to 2013 are preparing for zookeeping job interviews, college sports events, and essays due for classes at some of the top universities in the world.

“It was weird, when I graduated from high school, I hadn’t found my niche, what I really wanted to do. And now, here I am,” Cassie Schuchart, class of 2010, said. Schuchart, after graduating from Stetson University in 2013, is planning to become a research zoologist.

Life after high school, “is totally different,” Shivan Vyas, class of 2012, said. “There are way more opportunities; more people, a bigger campus, it’s more flexible.”

Vyas, like many other high school graduates, has adjusted to college life and looks back on high school memories often. And while Vyas is currently studying for a major in

biomedical engineering and medicine at the University of Central Florida, he says that he learned the most important lessons in high school.

“I had the best four years in high school I could ask for, and if I could do it all over again, I would without question,” Vyas said.

The fact is, however, the majority of high school friends that students acquire over their four years of high school tend to lose contact with each other and drift apart. And while this may seem daunting to students, Schuchart says only her closest friends never left her side.

“I drifted from people I wouldn’t think I would drift from. It was a shock. And it’s sad to think about, but I’ve made a bunch of friendships I’m thankful for, and I’ll always have the memories,” Katie Ballantyne, class of 2013, said.

But what exactly helped graduates push through their high school career and make it to where they are now?

Emma Ballantyne says it’s simple.

“Get involved, go to sports games, volunteer. If you support the school, the school will support you,” Ballantyne said.

“If I could take something from Hagerty and bring it to college I would bring Jeff Driskel and the school spirit,” Vyas said. “Or Mr. Adams and Mr. Pooler because they’re the best. But seriously I miss the school spirit and actual interpersonal relations.”

Eric Anchuetz, a freshman at

Harvard who was salutatorian of the 2013 class and plans to major in physics, says,that the most important thing about high school is, “to enjoy the moment and take a breath.”

“Make lots of friends, don’t take classes too seriously, and don’t stress,” Anchuetz said. “You’ll do what you are meant to do and it’ll all work out. If you get a B, it is what it is, there are people who have gotten C’s at Harvard and just look at where they are now. It’s all good.”

9

CATTACK!

Ben Sorkin

C

Graphics Editor

at culture is growing. People are seemingly intoxicated with the fuzzy little felines and their antics. From memes dedicated to them, movies about them, and newspaper articles dedicated to their popularity, the cat is now the king.

But why?

“They are just stupidly amusing,” sophomore Tanner Strobel said.

“They can climb up walls, do back flips, and they can do pretty cool things with their meowing.”

Cats used to amuse humans dates back to the late nineteenth century when photographer Harry Pointer took black and white photos of clothed cats in various poses and then added jokes or other captions to the photos.

Then come the 1970s, the famous “Hang in there, baby” motivational poster, which featured a kitten hanging onto a tree branch, gained massive popularity. The Internet arrived in the ‘90s with the cat videos, posts, and pictures following shortly after.

Today, the most notorious cats are Grumpy Cat and Lil’ Bub. Both cats gained infamy through photos and YouTube videos of them with puns and jokes attached, such as the picture of Grumpy Cat with the word “No” below it.

The thing that distinguishes Grumpy Cat and Lil’ Bub from the normal house cat is the fact that both felines have disorders that affect their appearance. Lil’ Bub has many physical deformities ranging from extra toes and a missing jaw to feline dwarfism – a trait both she and Grumpy Cat share. These physical differences both cat have makes them

very well recognized.

“They are pretty much held up as idols,” junior Issac Sprang said.

“They are known for their facial features and expressions.”

Grumpy Cat, real name Tardar Sauce, has large amounts of merchandise on sale such as t-shirts, bumper stickers, and even her own line of coffee. Meanwhile, Lil’ Bub just released her first full length feature film, a documentary about her and other popular cats on the web entitled “Lil’ Bub and Friends,” viewable on the YouTube channel, VICE. Some ideas for cat popularity suggest that the clichéd “crazy cat people” cooped up in their homes have found their way onto Internet.

“It takes a special person to love and appreciate a cat,” cat-loving history teacher Craig Johnson said.

“Those of us who are intelligent, likeminded people can truly appreciate the world of cats.”

Other theories on cat popularity suggest that cats exist on the web with no underlying reason to their popularity. They are just pets. Pets that some people find cute or funny, and that others may just see a scraps of fur. They were there from the beginning and are likely to stay for quite some time to come. “[I think] their popularity really shows how what we as a society find funny changes over time,” Strobel said.

Whatever the reason for the origin, the cat craze is unmistakable.

According to a study conducted by the cat food maker, Friskies, 15percent of all Internet traffic is taken up by cat related searches and website hits.

Regardless of statistics, opinions and other thoughts on cats, it seems all of this is quite the catastrophe.

Graphic by Ben Sorkin

猫 の 攻 撃 FUZZY FELINES RAMPAGE OVER THE INTERNET!

lifestyles DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!

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“There is NOTHING like walking off the field after an OUTSTANDING - Taylor Ciafone, 12

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Taylor Ferraro

Staff Reporter

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Staff Reporter

un in your face, sweat trickling down your neck, and the constant thirst. Signing up for band is not all fun and games. Though band has a reputation of being easy and not challenging, they create intricate formations, march for hours on end, and carry instruments that range from the size of your hand to the size of a person. They practice twice a week for three hours, battling out the infamous Florida humidity and that does not even include the drum line’s extra practices.

“It can all be a tad overwhelming since I have to juggle band, golf and my studies,” junior Benjamin Hogan said.

Trying to balance band, school and extracurricular activities is not the only problem these students face. The heat is also a major factor when it comes to practicing their formations and performances.

“It scared me to think that I could pass out because of not drinking enough water combined with the temperature outside,” sophomore Tillie Schumann said.

Sophomore Samantha Galczak has felt the heat multiple times during two different band camps and once during an afternoon rehearsal.

“It’s a strange feeling. It’s hard to concentrate for even a second - you see colors, have blurred visions and a high pitched buzzing,” Galczak said.

During the band’s summer camp, only one student passed out due to the heat, but no medics had to be contacted because one of the volunteer band parents is a nurse.

When one of the members of the band passes out, the standard procedure is to bring them to a tented area where the band parents are located, give them plenty of water and cool them down with a fan.

After these incidents happen, some members of the band become worried for their own health. Many make sure to stay hydrated throughout band practices and camps as well as trying to stay cool on the field.

“I became very worried for the member who passed out and then was afraid that it was going to happen to me,” junior Sarah Nelson said.

Passing out is not the only danger, though. For senior Kevin Bunkowske, marching band meant tearing his ACL during a performance after three hour practices all week.

“There was a lot of intensity build up from the directors about the performance and halfway through the show, I buckled down, limped down a little bit and ended up blowing out my knee,” Bunkowske said.

Even with his ACL torn, he carried on marching throughout the entire show and then proceeded to pop his knee back into place, all while carrying a 35-pound bass drum.

Beyond medical and health issues, the marching band faces troubles like trying to stay in the formations, remaining in rhythm and possessing good technique.

“Occasionally, when we are marching, or performing at the halftime show, someone will stumble and end up falling on the field. It can cause a domino effect,” Hogan said.

The band directors react to this by checking the safety of the band participant and then proceeding by critiquing their technique and telling them to work on the necessary fundamentals. This then helps the band by ensuring the safety of others and the ratings of their performance.

However, instances in which students are injured or come into harm’s way are rare.

Only a few people a year have these experiences.

Even though the marching band can bring pain and stress, the people who participate feel a strong connection to their group and band mates.

“I wouldn’t quit band, even if it were a life or death decision,” Nelson said.

dr

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“I wouldn’t quit band, even if it were a LIFE or DEATH decision.”

- Sarah Nelson, 11

obert Burke

he student’s hearts swell as they march in step off the field. Their eyes shine with intensity and pride, even as they wipe the rivulets of sweat off of their foreheads and tend to their sore muscles. The dedication and drive it takes to commit to band is immense, yet somehow the band kids find a way.

There are various aspects of band that make it the activity of choice for over 100 students. Several enjoy playing instruments or marching on the field, while others join for the friendship and cooperative nature.

“Band is special because of the family-like quality it has,” clarinet player Michaela Shimer said.

On the field, the band is only referred to as a whole. This provides the notion of absolute unity, making each individual a key part in something larger than themselves.

Even more so, the band program retains a sense of pride and accomplishment. Whether it is marching band or concert season, the members give it their all.

“Performances definitely come with a sense of achievement,” clarinet player Taylor Ciafone said. “There’s nothing like the feeling of walking off the field (or stage) after an outstanding show.”

As for other perks of band, tuba player Travis Lowry loves his ‘exponential muscle growth’ and is grateful that he doesn’t feel much pain anymore. The old saying ‘no pain, no gain’ seems to be applicable to the marchers.

Another favorite quote shared among band directors is ‘The band only exists one year at a time’. This phrase is a widely understood concept, elaborating on the fact that band members, or even band directors, come and go. So, considering that there is a mixture of new faces all the time, one year of band cannot properly be compared to a past year. The fresh talent or teaching styles will always differ, and one band will not be equated to another.

“I watched the show (that won state championships) and I think this band could get to that level,” assistant director Brian Kuperman said. “However, my favorite part of marching band is not competitions, but Music Performance Assessment, since everyone is working at their best.”

In the world of band, repetition is education. Much of what the band students learn at rehearsals is the development of tolerance to challenges they face, mainly in marching, and they must build endurance to have the ability to heft their instrument around the field. For rehearsals, the weekly process includes three hour practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays, along with the occasional Wednesday section meet-up, and show run-throughs before the Friday night football games.

“At the time, no one wants to be outside in the heat working, but once we get to a performance it pays off tremendously. We wouldn’t be where we are today (in terms of success) without all the rehearsals,” Ciafone said.

Practices are also helpful with bonding between instrument sections. Past band camps have had Section Unity days, where most of the sections pool together to buy matching t-shirts. A new system of encouragement has been worked out in the tuba section this year, involving points and prizes. Many different ideas get tossed about, ultimately inspiring the band to improve in every way possible.

By any means, band kids get out whatever amount of work they put in. The band program offers plenty of opportunities to make memories that will last a lifetime.

“My best band memories would have to be at the end of competitions (like marching MPA) when we get the papers back stating that we received straight superiors,” Lowry said. “It was surreal; I had been so mentally prepared for the show and for the worst to come forth that I didn’t quite understand that we had gotten superiors. Overall, it was awesome.”

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“There is NOTHING like walking off the field after an OUTSTANDING - Taylor Ciafone, 12

BAD

11

THE

Taylor Ferraro

Staff Reporter

S

Staff Reporter

un in your face, sweat trickling down your neck, and the constant thirst. Signing up for band is not all fun and games. Though band has a reputation of being easy and not challenging, they create intricate formations, march for hours on end, and carry instruments that range from the size of your hand to the size of a person. They practice twice a week for three hours, battling out the infamous Florida humidity and that does not even include the drum line’s extra practices.

“It can all be a tad overwhelming since I have to juggle band, golf and my studies,” junior Benjamin Hogan said.

Trying to balance band, school and extracurricular activities is not the only problem these students face. The heat is also a major factor when it comes to practicing their formations and performances.

“It scared me to think that I could pass out because of not drinking enough water combined with the temperature outside,” sophomore Tillie Schumann said.

Sophomore Samantha Galczak has felt the heat multiple times during two different band camps and once during an afternoon rehearsal.

“It’s a strange feeling. It’s hard to concentrate for even a second - you see colors, have blurred visions and a high pitched buzzing,” Galczak said.

During the band’s summer camp, only one student passed out due to the heat, but no medics had to be contacted because one of the volunteer band parents is a nurse.

When one of the members of the band passes out, the standard procedure is to bring them to a tented area where the band parents are located, give them plenty of water and cool them down with a fan.

After these incidents happen, some members of the band become worried for their own health. Many make sure to stay hydrated throughout band practices and camps as well as trying to stay cool on the field.

“I became very worried for the member who passed out and then was afraid that it was going to happen to me,” junior Sarah Nelson said.

Passing out is not the only danger, though. For senior Kevin Bunkowske, marching band meant tearing his ACL during a performance after three hour practices all week.

“There was a lot of intensity build up from the directors about the performance and halfway through the show, I buckled down, limped down a little bit and ended up blowing out my knee,” Bunkowske said.

Even with his ACL torn, he carried on marching throughout the entire show and then proceeded to pop his knee back into place, all while carrying a 35-pound bass drum.

Beyond medical and health issues, the marching band faces troubles like trying to stay in the formations, remaining in rhythm and possessing good technique.

“Occasionally, when we are marching, or performing at the halftime show, someone will stumble and end up falling on the field. It can cause a domino effect,” Hogan said.

The band directors react to this by checking the safety of the band participant and then proceeding by critiquing their technique and telling them to work on the necessary fundamentals. This then helps the band by ensuring the safety of others and the ratings of their performance.

However, instances in which students are injured or come into harm’s way are rare.

Only a few people a year have these experiences.

Even though the marching band can bring pain and stress, the people who participate feel a strong connection to their group and band mates.

“I wouldn’t quit band, even if it were a life or death decision,” Nelson said.

dr

um

m ajo r

E li

zab

eth

Wi lso n

“I wouldn’t quit band, even if it were a LIFE or DEATH decision.”

- Sarah Nelson, 11

obert Burke

he student’s hearts swell as they march in step off the field. Their eyes shine with intensity and pride, even as they wipe the rivulets of sweat off of their foreheads and tend to their sore muscles. The dedication and drive it takes to commit to band is immense, yet somehow the band kids find a way.

There are various aspects of band that make it the activity of choice for over 100 students. Several enjoy playing instruments or marching on the field, while others join for the friendship and cooperative nature.

“Band is special because of the family-like quality it has,” clarinet player Michaela Shimer said.

On the field, the band is only referred to as a whole. This provides the notion of absolute unity, making each individual a key part in something larger than themselves.

Even more so, the band program retains a sense of pride and accomplishment. Whether it is marching band or concert season, the members give it their all.

“Performances definitely come with a sense of achievement,” clarinet player Taylor Ciafone said. “There’s nothing like the feeling of walking off the field (or stage) after an outstanding show.”

As for other perks of band, tuba player Travis Lowry loves his ‘exponential muscle growth’ and is grateful that he doesn’t feel much pain anymore. The old saying ‘no pain, no gain’ seems to be applicable to the marchers.

Another favorite quote shared among band directors is ‘The band only exists one year at a time’. This phrase is a widely understood concept, elaborating on the fact that band members, or even band directors, come and go. So, considering that there is a mixture of new faces all the time, one year of band cannot properly be compared to a past year. The fresh talent or teaching styles will always differ, and one band will not be equated to another.

“I watched the show (that won state championships) and I think this band could get to that level,” assistant director Brian Kuperman said. “However, my favorite part of marching band is not competitions, but Music Performance Assessment, since everyone is working at their best.”

In the world of band, repetition is education. Much of what the band students learn at rehearsals is the development of tolerance to challenges they face, mainly in marching, and they must build endurance to have the ability to heft their instrument around the field. For rehearsals, the weekly process includes three hour practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays, along with the occasional Wednesday section meet-up, and show run-throughs before the Friday night football games.

“At the time, no one wants to be outside in the heat working, but once we get to a performance it pays off tremendously. We wouldn’t be where we are today (in terms of success) without all the rehearsals,” Ciafone said.

Practices are also helpful with bonding between instrument sections. Past band camps have had Section Unity days, where most of the sections pool together to buy matching t-shirts. A new system of encouragement has been worked out in the tuba section this year, involving points and prizes. Many different ideas get tossed about, ultimately inspiring the band to improve in every way possible.

By any means, band kids get out whatever amount of work they put in. The band program offers plenty of opportunities to make memories that will last a lifetime.

“My best band memories would have to be at the end of competitions (like marching MPA) when we get the papers back stating that we received straight superiors,” Lowry said. “It was surreal; I had been so mentally prepared for the show and for the worst to come forth that I didn’t quite understand that we had gotten superiors. Overall, it was awesome.”

nt R side pre nd ba

show.”

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AND THE

12

student connection Twitter Feed

POLL:

Twitter: 37%

Which social media do you use the most?

With so much technology available, it is not surprising that teenagers spend most of their time on social media sites.

The average teenager is exposed to nearly seven and a half hours of media every day, according to a study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Almost everyone in school is connected online, whether it be Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, or other sites.

According to the Social Media Statistics of 2013, Facebook still dwarfs others in terms of overall users, but it is clear that for teenagers, tweets have taken the place of statuses and Instagram has replaced picture posts. Twitter provides the same benefits as Facebook, allowing users to post both pictures and written updates, along with being able to “favorite” or “re-tweet” others’ updates. While Instagram in comparison is solely for picture purposes. Tumblr, in stark contrast to these other social media sites, is a conflicted fangirl/hipster base, mostly used by girls and is not as popular.

Instagram: 36% Facebook: 20%

Challenge Day “I don’t think I’ve ever cried or laughed so much in one day” senior Kaitlin Lobkovich @K_Lobcovich “I can’t even put the appreciation of this day into words #challengeday” senior Elexus Diaz @elexusdiaz

Cross Town Rivals

Tumblr: 10%

“We pledge to thee our Husky spirit, long live Hagerty High” junior Kaylyn Richmond @Kaylyln Richmond “All-sports trophy is still at Hagerty at the end of the day” sophomore Logan Hearsey @LoganHearsey

Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball Video

graphic by Ben Sorkin

SOMETHING OF INTEREST

“Miley could have done a really powerful video with ‘Wrecking Ball’ but she messed it up” senior Grant Penaroque @iGrantAnthony

Instead of going to pricy jewelry stores to accessorize, junior Thalia Velasquez creates cute and stylish bracelets with pop tabs and ribbons.

“What do y’all see in Miley Cyrus” sophomore Micah Young @_Micahyoung5

Poptab Jewelry-Bracelets

Duration of activity: 10 to 20 minutes

Oviedo vs. Hagerty Football Game “No other high school football atmosphere can compare to the Hagerty vs. Oviedo game #rivalry” junior Austin Ekern @AustinEkern

Grab Tie the numWeave the 1berTheisofdetertabs 2 whatever 3 ribbon over 4 remaining color ribbon knot into a and under the mined by the wrist size (the average number is 15 tabs)

you want

TIPS: Poptab bracelets can be used as inexpensive holiday gifts, go to Micheals for the ribbon.

ribbon. pop tab holes until you “You’re using recyclable materials, have woven it’s easy to make, and it’s really cute.” through all of Thaliia Velasquez, 11 them

“That’ll do it for your sports for today.

Now back to your bed and remember as always; Gooo Huskies” junior Johan Guasp @TheTypicalJohan “*Insert Hagerty vs. Oviedo tweet*” junior Ru Mucherera @Ru_Mucherera5

13

student connection

Art Corner

Queen of the Hill

“Neo-Hagerty” Mckenna Calabro, 12 “It was supposed to be a picture of our campus, but I wanted to add more nature components.”

Don’t ask your goldfish for dating advice Sophie Hill

“Flowers” Taylor Ciafone,12 “I started to draw inspiration from the subject [the flower] itself the longer I worked on it.”

“Painted On” Morgan Snoap, 10 “Your true emotions shouldn’t be covered up. Don’t hide them under a mask or a painted-on face.”

Check it out Songza

A look at what’s hot in apps, videos and technology

Let’s Create!

Pottery Lite

Songza is a free music streaming service. Playlists are made by music experts who recommend various playlists based on time and mood. They can also be based on activities like waking up, working out and sleeping. It has no ads and users can vote on songs.

Let’s Create! is an app where you can create your own pottery. It is quick, simple and lets you make a one of a kind piece of artwork. The virtual pottery is just like the pottery you would make in real life: you make it, fire it and then paint it. The possibilities are endless and it is free.

Jessica Ritchie, 11 “Songza is a great thing to use when you’re driving because you can plug it into your car and not have to worry about ads like Pandora.”

Rachel Morgan, 11 “I love it! It is a great way to quickly express my creativity and design structure.”

“The Fox”

by Yllvis

iOS7

Heads Up!

Heads Up! is a game Ellen created and plays on her own show. It is similar to charades, except instead of acting out the word or phrase, it pops up on the phone and one person in the group puts it on their head. The other people in the group have to make the person with the word on their head guess what it is. The game consists of multiple categories and costs 99 cents.

Kelly Broderick, 11 “This game only takes a few people to have fun and records your progress too.”

Unsuspecting viewers assume “The Fox” to be just like any other music video, but within seconds this video catches you by surprise featuring animal costumes and lyrics such as “Cat goes meow.” From lasers to fog, this eyecatching video showcases so much effort for such a child-like theme. Although a bit weird, this song is sure to be stuck in your head the rest of the day.

On Sept. 18, Apple released a new software update for iPhones and iPads; iOS7.

The new design is simple, sleek and modern with an improved bright color palette.

The efficient software also has new features such as iTunes Radio, Control Center and a more developed camera. A new notification center has also been added where your entire phone is accessible with just a swipe.

However, many people have also had problems such as software crashes and glitches in result of the update.

Elexus Diaz, 11 “The video was random.

As soon as it started it had a good beat, but when the fox started making sound it got really weird.”

Shane Hanson, 10 “The new update is much faster and it has a nice design. Air Drop is also cool because you can share things faster than texting.”

Staff reporter Last week my shoulder felt the salty tears of another brokenhearted friend crying over her recent breakup with jerkboyfriend number two. He broke up with her over text minutes after kissing her goodbye.

She was devastated. But not for long; ten days later they were back together, he was up to his usual jerk-y antics and I felt she was wrong to forgive such a loser.

Now, I do not know everything about relationships. In fact my longest relationship was only a month, and it only ended because the fish died.

But let’s be honest boys and girls, nobody who breaks up with you over text or puts you down, is worth your time, no matter how cute they are.

But when is the right time to forgive them? And while your goldfish (dead or alive) will not answer the question, I will.

People make mistakes, and sometimes they honestly want to fix things. So if you believe that this person is worth a second chance, be kind but firm.

Make sure they know you will never sacrifice your feelings for a relationship. Half of the relationship is about you after all, and if it is causing more grief than happiness, cut them loose.

Relationships are hard, and being in one is not a walk in the park. Sometimes you can feel just as lonely, or just as sad, as you did when you were single, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Just remember that if it comes to a point where you’re willing to forgive someone, the Frenchto-English dictionary is the only place where make out comes before make up.

14

opinions

the

blueprint

Hagerty High School 3225 Lockwood Blvd.

Oviedo, FL 32765 Telephone: (407) 871-0750 Fax: (407) 871-0817

The Blue Print is a student-produced newspaper in which the student editors Photo Editor make all content decisions. The newspaper belongs to the Columbia Scholastic Editor-in-Chief Jake Burton Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association and the Florida Matilda Von Kolm Scholastic Press Association.

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

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

Adviser Back Page Editor Brit Taylor Adeline Davis Staff Reporters Sports Editor Ellie Bonck Spencer Thompson Sarah Gibson Reviews Editor Jeannie Williams Winnie Meyers Kallie Delis Opinions Editor Katie Curly Jessica Jeffers Student Connection Madison Garr Ryan O’Connor Lauren Lee Graphics Editor Nathaniel Kauffman Ben Clyatt Ben Sorkin Sophie Hill Principal Mary Williams Taylor Ferraro

Our�take: Attendance policy tough but fair

T

he attendance policy, under new principal Mary Williams’ direction, got a major makeover, designed to encourage students to miss the least amount of school possible.

This policy was driven by Florida Statute 232.01: “A student is expected to attend all school sessions unless excused by a proper school authority.” Students were welcomed the first week of school with a new set of rules stating that students who accumulate more than nine unexcused absences in a class during a semester will be denied credit and given a grade of F in that class

regardless of the calculated grade, as well as that an unexcused absence in a full block class equals two absences.

However, a makeup class in the form of Saturday school can put a student’s grade back in compliance with their previous GPA calculation.

A list of the Saturday school dates are available on the school website under the FAQS. It is undeniable that the new attendance policy has kept student attendance much higher compared to the number of absences this time last year. Students have been very responsive to the new guidelines, with only 50 warning letters sent out

to students in danger of failing a class due to lack of attendance.

To help with the transition, administration will also begin providing teachers with a list of students who have missed more than seven periods of one of their classes, encouraging teachers to remind their students about the consequences of missing too many periods.

The attendance policy was not designed unfairly either. Though it is the responsibility of the student to realize when they must attend a Saturday school to recover their grade, the spacing of the Saturday schools is done in a way that students

can make up missed classes up to a week before the semester ends.

Also, because a student can have up to nine unexcused absences, there is room for missing school because of a wedding or family event, as long as students are careful in their planning.

The new policy has been and will continue to be a huge transition in the way students must view attendance, and student struggles with the policy are inevitable. However, both the principal and administration continue to be sensitive to troubles with this new policy, and if both students and faculty can work together, the policy should prove successful.

Summer assignments serve a purpose Jeannie Williams

Staff Reporter ome students sit around and worry about them all summer, others finish them off the day they are assigned, but the majority of students are too busy sitting around complaining to realize the benefits behind their summer assignments.

Over the summer, students turn to sandy beaches instead of books, skimboarding instead of studying and waves instead of work. Long periods like summer with no new learned information can make the mind lazy, and summer assignments help to keep students’ minds sharp. Despite the thoughts of many, summer assignments are more than just “busy work”. They are not something to keep students from going wild and have fun over summer break.

Summer assignments are a really easy and effective way to enforce what is learned in school and to prepare for

S

the next school year. The best way to retain information is to constantly reinforce it.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conducted a study and concluded, “In eleven of the twelve samples, the link between time on homework and achievement was positive.” When the research clearly shows that homework helps students, why do they continue to complain about it? Students often go far enough as to blame teachers for their workload.

“We think they do make a difference… we feel like they provide a better start to the year,” said math teacher Aglaia Chritodoulides. Teachers do not assign summer homework so they will have something to grade as soon as school is back in session. The ideology behind the assignments is for students to get their minds in gear and back on track for school, refresh

skills and to start the school year off right. It should be recognized that the assignments are not a ploy to make summer vacation miserable, but one that is given with love.

Duke University reviewed over 60 research studies on homework and concluded that a reasonable amount of homework can lead to higher student achievement. A few reading assignments and a math worksheet to be completed over a span of two months is far from overwhelming.

The first nine weeks is considered by many one of the toughest parts of the school year, due to the adjustment back into school. A good way to make sure grades do not slip the first few weeks is simple; prepare beforehand with homework.

Summer should not be a time to create bad habits such as laziness and procrastination, but should instead be used to enforce good habits such as time management.

Summer

assignments do more than keep your brain active -- they set long-lasting skills.

Students spend countless hours every school year complaining about their homework load and their teachers’ annoying assignments. If you were to make a pros and cons list of summer homework, you would find that the pros greatly outnumbered the cons. Every wave missed can be ten vocabulary words gained. For every beach trip cancelled a new math is skill gained. A little bit of summer homework never hurt anyone; in fact, it only helped them.

In all honesty, the majority of students would not so much as look at a book all summer if it were not required, and they would not review math problems. Who would try out for soccer without ever setting foot on a field? Summer assignments ease students back into school and should be appreciated, not hated.

barks

& bites

Jessica Jeffers

Opinions Editor

A BARK to Dr. Williams for her lunch pep rally the Friday of the Lake Brantley game. It hyped up Husky Nation with a DJ and drum line during first and second lunches. Many students danced on tables inside and outside the cafeteria, and seniors shouting which added to the pep rally spirit later.

A BITE to the air conditioning in many buildings, including downstairs building three and upstairs building six. The preschool room and the other classrooms in those hallways are hot and leave students feeling sweaty and drained. Many other rooms are bipolar, either hot or freezing, making it necessary for some students to come prepared with fans and sweaters.

A BARK to the new faculty for keeping old traditions alive.

The use of “As always, go Huskies!” and other things such as drumlines during lunch, and senior crowns are reassuring to students with all of the changes that are going on, such as the new attendance policy.

A BITE to school wifi for the many apps such as Instagram, Kik, Twitter and Facebook now being blocked. There are already to many issues with the school wifi, this being another addition to last years’ blocking of many students when they used certified wifi rather than public.

A BARK to the new Woof TV promos, which are still strong despite the loss of last year’s graduates. The H factor promos are entertaining and funny making many students laugh and bringing some enjoyment to third and fourth period.

opinions Should AP courses have enrollment requirements?

“The qualifications to take a course at the highest level need to be raised.”

Daniella Parcell

W

• Students must sign contract at • Students must have form signed the prior year by a the beginning of class that will teacher who teaches the hold the student responsible subject the AP course falls for actions and lock them in under. the class.

• Students must indicate they want to take class when they fill out their prerequisite form for the next school year.

YES YES NO NO

News Editor hen the times comes for class selection in January, students often sign up for courses without a second thought. They take a form to each of their teachers, many of whom simply give a quick signature without more than a glance at what the has student selected. Then it comes time to get approval from their parents, who tend to be excited about their child’s seven Advanced Placement courses, rather than concerned about their future workload and stress.

In order for a student to be taking an Advanced Placement course, he or she needs only a parent signature and teacher approval. Only a few have prerequisites that are required, such as English II before AP Language and Composition, and Algebra II before AP Environmental Science. Instead teachers should set grade requirements for AP classes in order to ensure the success of students and maintain the traditional fast pace of these courses rather than stopping and taking care of slower students.

For students who have never taken an AP course, the hours of tedious homework, near impossible test questions and AP reviews can be an enormous shock. While sitting in class trying to listen to a lecture, it is evident that a large number of the students had no idea what they had signed up for, deciding to take the class without realizing how massive of a jump an AP course is from either standard and honors classes. For example, U.S. History teacher Craig Johnson says that his standard classes begin their studies at the Civil War while AP classes begin at the discovery of America, leaving more than a 200-year time gap between the two levels. Since both courses conclude in modern times, AP moves at a significantly quicker pace.

For the good of everyone in the class, it is crucial that students are enrolled in the level course that best suits their educational needs rather than their educational wants. If someone has difficulties keeping up with a lesson, that student’s success is at risk, and the course will be slowed down for those who are getting along just fine. AP courses are much harder than honors and standard, and they must be reserved for those who are able to put forth the necessary amount of effort.

Along with parent and teacher approval, students should be required to earn a certain grade in an appropriate prerequisite, depending on the course, to take an AP course – for example, a B or higher in English II Honors in order to take AP Lang. Simply taking a prerequisite is not enough; success in a previous course is necessary for students to move on to a higher lever class.

Choices should not be limited to students and they should still strive for their best, but the qualifications to take a course at the highest level needs to be raised.

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“Students should decide for themselves whether it is a smart choice to enroll.”

Lexi Rossow

“No, because I would not want to take a class that is really hard and not be able to take another class to build up to it.”

Johan Guasp, 11

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#

“No,because AP scores are a good way of boosting your GPA and I think every kid that is up for it, should be able to take it.”

Sebastian Midtvaage,12

“Yes, they should not be below at least a 3.0 GPA and they believe they can do it.”

Jeremy Gast, 11

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*

“Yes, they should have a good GPA and be coming from an honors class, not a standard class.”

Rachel Bain, 11

“Yes, there are people who think they can do a lot, but when it comes down to it they can’t really handle it. Checking your GPA should be required.”

Ben Sorkin,11

@

Managing Editor chools are made to build dream-chasing, determined students. If Advanced Placement courses had strict enrollment requirements authorized and enforced, many of those determined students would not be discovered. Students would shy away from the intense challenges and never discover their full potential.

AP Literature teacher Vicki Browne believes that a child should never been told that they cannot do something, which is a quality most teachers believe in. The school’s purpose as a whole is to allow children to take risks and achieve greatness they would otherwise would not discover by themselves.

If grade point averages were used to define who could take a AP class and who could not, an unnecessary difficulty would be created. Cumulative GPAs may not accurately reflect freshman and sophomore skills because they have had only one or two years to build them. Having a GPA minimum too high for freshmen and sophomore to reach would push back all the enrollment of AP courses into junior and senior years. Students will have to wait before they can begin growing accustomed to AP courses until upperclassman years instead of starting immediately in their underclass years, postponing academic growth and making it more difficult further down the road for them to get ahead.

AP courses already have small requirements that must be met in order to enroll, such as the AP request form that must be signed by previous teachers. Even if the teacher does not sign the AP request form for the student, a student can still apply for the AP course. The signatures are suggestions, not requirements, and this is the way AP enrollment should stay.

According to ProPublica Journalism, 56 percent of our students are enrolled in AP classes, and 60 percent of our AP students pass the exams at the end of the year. That is over half the students that take the classes, and half of those students pass the exams. If the current system of free enrollment to AP classes has been working, why should it change?

Instead of creating AP course requirements that reflect a student’s ability only on paper or previous teacher opinion, students should be encouraged to speak directly to the AP teacher teaching the course they want to enroll in. They can hear firsthand the difficulty each course has, because they do vary, and decide for themselves whether is a smart choice to enroll. This is a more direct and adult-like approach to enrollment to such vigorous classes, and much more helpful then simply deciding who can enroll by their GPA or teacher-reflection appearance.

Across all grades students are taking multiple AP courses, and rightly they should. They are creating a tradition of excellence that should not be restricted by unnecessary AP requirements.

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opinions

Online textbooks killing eyesight not trees Madison Garr

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Staff Reporter

ince the Pilgrims first settled in America, books have been a key part of learning. For years textbooks have been given out to students for their history class, but this year that all changed. The school is now moving toward online textbooks. All history books for this school year are online, something that has never been done before.

The new online books are having a negative impact on students. Not every kid at school has a computer at home. This means they have to go to the library or find another computer every time they need to use their textbook. For the kids who do have computers, some have been experiencing computer issues, having to go to friends’ houses just to take online notes . This takes time and is not convenient for classes such as AP U.S. History, which requires students to read the book and take notes at home to save class time.

There is an also an issue with the different type of platforms students use on their computers. Mac computers load the online textbooks differently than regular desktop computers do like the ones that are found at

school. This creates an issue because every student has a different version and viewing of the online book.

In classes such as AP U.S. History students are required to take up to a chapter of notes a week and take weekly quizzes. Requiring the use of a computer at least twice a week for homework, this is very inconvenient. In the time it takes to find a computer and log in to the online book, a good deal of notes could already have been taken.

Having the book online also has caused students to not be allowed to turn in typed notes. By using the computer students have the ability to copy and waste into a word document and email it to other students, preventing the necessary reading of the book and resulting in cheating.

The setting also contributes a negative aspect of being at a computer for a long period of time, which is not enjoyable or ideal after a long day of school. Looking at the computer screen causes headaches and weakens vision.

Computers lessen motivation to do work, when the school should strive to get hard textbooks and prevent this problem. Most students prefer being able to physically flip through the pages and have the book in class. The online book

does not display more than one page at a time, requiring students to scroll and zoom to read the book more easily. This is not a convenient part of the online book because you have to adjust the screen every time it is necessary to turn the page.

For those students who play sports or attend extracurricular activities after school, the online textbook is difficult because it does not allow for them to do their homework if they are staying after school with no computer. This means that the only time student athletes can do homework is after their practice or games, resulting in late nights and less sleep.

However, from the school’s point of view, the positives outweigh the negatives. That is why they are beginning to move more and more toward online books.

There are, however, a few advantages of online books, such as not having to carry a hard and heavy book from period to period. It also influences the use of technology and allows for students to access their book even if they forgot it in their locker. The online book also provides practice tests, available for students to practice material at any time they desire. By purchasing the online book instead of hard copies, the school saved money, money that can now go to other things that need fulfillment in the schools budget.

If anything can make me mad during school it’s when students walk extremely slow in the hallways. Especially on Wednesdays when we don’t have break! I have to get somewhere and slow walkers make me late to class.

- Libby Smith, 10 The annoying sound of someone chewing with their mouth open. I personally do not understand why it is so difficult to simply close your mouth. I do not want to see your food nor do I want to hear you digesting it. Nothing is quite like that awful noise.

- Kendal Hiatt, 10

Graphic by Ben Sorkin

Barking Mad is a collection of short submissions about things that tick them off around school. If something at school ticks you off, go to hagertyjourn.com and submit your entry to ask the editor, and it may be featured here.

Graphic by Ben Sorkin

This gives students more opportunity to learn as the school can then afford new things for them to use in and out of the classroom.

Although it is unlikely that the switch back to hard textbooks will happen, it would be for the best.

Something that really annoys me is when there’s that one student who reminds the teacher that homework is due right before class ends. It happens to me frequently and I get very annoyed. If the teacher cannot uphold their responsibility, why should we be expected to uphold ours?

-Grant Elliot, 11 The fact that the boys’ bathroom never has any soap or paper towels in it. The boys bathrooms are gross.

It’s a serious issue.

-Joseph Conigliaro, 10

The most annoying thing at Hagerty is the rule of how your parents are not allowed to bring anything of yours to school. Like I forget stuff, and I think my parents if they agreed to bring my stuff, they should be allowed to.

- Holly Ramby, 10

When people chew with their mouth open, like I just want to smack them. It got to the point where I don’t even eat lunch in the cafeteria anymore, because I just can’t stand it. Like that is not cute.

-Renelda Gram, 11

One thing that grinds my gears is when people don’t know how to walk on the right side of the hallways.

It’s not that hard of a concept and it keeps the hallways organized.

-Karina Yap, 12

What annoys me the most is when people wear socks when they wear boat shoes. Like visible socks. It looks dumb. When people have their pants sagging without a belt, like I don’t want to see that.

-Matthew Murray, 12

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reviews HORRIBLE

What’s on your

iPod?

James West, 10

“Headbanga”

by Excision

“I just really love loud music.”

“Bass Head” by Bassnectar “Young Volcanoes”

by Fall Out Boy “Make the World Stop”

by Glitch Mob Harrison Meekins,11 “Plateau” by Nirvana

“The lyrics are really strange and deep, Kurt Cobain’s voice just makes it that much better.”

“Township Rebellion”

by Race Against the Machine

GOOD

OUTSTANDING

Local breakfast diners satisfy stomachs Winnie Meyer

E

Reviews Editor

veryone has had their experiences – good or bad – at big-name corporate breakfast diners: IHOP, Perkins, Waffle House and Denny’s. Though the common breakfast diner can be a good morning filler, hidden non-commercial gems that can be found anywhere, prove to be more satisfying.

Townhouse A classic ‘60s diner atmosphere and warm smiles from the waitstaff make this destination a bullseye for a non-corporate breakfast.

The food itself easily outdoes most commercial establishments.

Top-notch biscuits and gravy, cheesy scrambled eggs and home fries that pop with flavor are standout menu choices, and low prices on this above average food make the experience even better.

If there is any downside to

this great breakfast location, it is reliability.

Though most meals at The Townhouse are favorable, the experiences range from excellent to not-so-enjoyable.

This risk though, is heavily outweighed by all of the benefits that come from dining here.

Johnny’s Diner Relatively new, Johnny’s Diner on W SR 426 has already accumulated a following of morning customers, and for good reason.

Johnny’s Diner makes consumers feel like they are in an Italian family diner. Loud shouts, thick accents, good-smelling food and a woman running around filling coffee whenever asked, is only the surface of this homey eat-in.

Quality in food varies in what is ordered from the menu.

Some entree items like pancakes and ham are kingpin and leave customers happy and full, while other options like its eggs are not

nearly as satisfying for consumers.

Though new and getting into the swing of business, Johnny’s Diner definitely is a stop worth making for breakfast.

Santorini’s It is uncommon for breakfast eaters to say that they have eaten their morning meal at a Greek restaurant. Santorini’s provides this unusual experience with Mediterranean décor and music filling the small shop that has found its home on 111 Geneva Drive.

However, this Greek restaurant should stick to Greek food. Though its breakfast menu has plenty of options, none are truly worth the money or time. Dry eggs, odd oil and Kraft American cheese to flavor the cheese and ham omelet, with dry toast to accompany it along the side is just the beginning of the less than mediocre food choice.

Prices would be considered favorable if the food was good enough

to earn them, but this is not the case.

Unless you want to experience something different, do not spend your breakfast or money at Santorini’s.

Breakfast Club of Tuskawilla Upon walking through the door of this non-corporate morning establishment, the consumer is brought into a place that can only be described as home. Whether young or old, customers feel like they are eating breakfast at their grandparents’ house instead of a brick restaurant at 5965 Red Bug Lake Road.

The food is just as down-right homey and good as the atmosphere.

Fluffy waffles, creamy biscuits and gravy and well-cooked hash browns are sold and enjoyed for prices that are more than fair.

Whether wanting to eat or feel like you’re at home, Breakfast Club of Tuskawilla is the prime place to enjoy any morning out.

Burger 21 variety exceeds expectations Ellie Bonck

“Good Vibes”

by Rebelution

P

“Wishing Well” by Blink 182 Sarah Ashby, 12 “Bohemian Rhapsody”

by Queen

“It’s like 3 songs in one and the beat and genre change multiple times.”

“Royals”

by Lorde “Bright Lights”

by Gary Clark Jr “If I Leave”

by A Day to Remember

photo by: www.RestuarantNews.

Burger 21 stacks multiple toppings on their fresh patties to make specialty burgers. Burger 21 can be found on University Blvd.

Staff Reporter

icture this: A juicy angus burger grilled to perfection, complimented with applewood smoked bacon, fresh cheddar, onion strings and hickory BBQ sauce all on top of a toasted sesame bun.

Burger 21 is not your average burger joint. Burger 21 opened in February on University Boulevard, with high quality food and reasonable prices.

Burger 21 offers a variety of burgers, and, instead of just different versions of standard angus beef burgers, you can choose from angus, seafood, veggie, chicken and turkey burgers with complimenting toppings on each. If you are not in the mood for a burger, hot dogs, chicken tenders and salads are available. For customers with food allergies, a gluten free menu is offered as well. All items are under $10 with the exception of The OMG! 12.5 oz. double stacked burger, which is $10.50. When it comes to sauce options, Burger 21

has a plethora of choices, including Thai ketchup, apple cider and toasted marshmallow. And every month, they have a featured burger.

Along with entree selection, there is also a milkshake bar. Milkshakes range from original strawberry, chocolate and vanilla, to signature cookies and cream and banana foster shakes. Other desserts include floats, sundaes and warm cookies.

Burger 21’s laid back and casual environment attracts UCF and local high school students, the majority of its customers. Burger 21 has well known sayings plastered on the walls, all beginning with the first letter of burger, B, for example “B Shaken” and “B Different.”

Overall, Burger 21 has delicious food at lower prices, and options for everyone. Choices between burgers, hotdogs, chicken tenders, salads, shakes and other foods, set it apart from all typical burger joints, but still provides the fun, tasty environment of a fried food hangout.

Burger 21

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sports shorts

JOLY COMMITS TO FIU

Senior lineman Breht Joly is the most recent football player to commit to play college ball. Joly is one of three commits who play for Hagerty, including senior Jason Driskel and senior Nathan Pittman.

“The coaching staff is completely new this year, and I’m very excited to work with them. I want to be a part of something new, and I think I’ll get that chance at FIU,” Joly said.

GIRLS GOLF STARTS STRONG

The girls golf team has had a successful season so far, with a record of 6-1. The only loss was to defending state champ of the year Lake Mary on Sept 18 at Magnolia golf course. The final score of the match was 158-171, but the team was able to score their season low when sophomore Erikah Neger shot a 37 and junior Megan Fernander was in the number one spot for Hagerty with a 42.

“We were really impressed with our success from that even though we lost we had our lowest team score, We strove for excellence and we got it,” Benedict said.

CONNER BERDINE BOWLS SCHOOL’S FIRST 300

For the first time in school history a bowler rolled a perfect game. Junior Conner Berdine bowled a 300 against Winter Springs when the team played on Aug 26, for their first game of the season. Berdine has been playing for four years and this was his first 300.

“It was nerve racking, but it felt pretty good once it was all over,” Berdine said. The bowling team won 3275-2685.

Runners rebound Maddie Garr

I

Staff Reporter

n cross country, the girls have dominated year after year, having one of the best teams in school history last year, when they finished fourth for the state final. While some of the returning juniors have been on the sidelines throughout their career, this may finally be their year to catch up.

“We finally have a team this year. We are looking forward to competing, maybe even placing as a team,” junior Charles Lynch said.

Lynch said that he personally brings dedication and speed to the team and he hopes that he will break 17 minutes for the 5k this year.

“On the boys side, we have a very solid 1-4 that qualified for the regional championships last year in Matt Gargiulo, Charles Lynch, Dakota Hoppe, and Nicolas Buitrago.

The addition of sophomore Andrew Stivers just makes the group an even better team,” cross country coach Jay Getty said.

The boys placed second at the Deland Invitational to start off the year. Stivers finished with the top time for the team, with an average time of 5:56 per mile. At the Hagerty Invitational, they were fourth in the 25 team field.

At the Astronaut Invitational Kerstin Sosa had the top stats for the girls 5000m run, finishing with a final of 19:50 after 3.1 miles.

“Kerstin Sosa stands out for the girls,” Getty said. “She is a quiet leader that consistently performs at the best of her ability each and every Saturday.”

Sosa has also recorded the top stats for the girls team for the Deland Invitational and the Hagerty Invitational. Coming out with the final run time of 20:29 in Deland and 19:50 at Hagerty after running 3.1 miles.

Both teams will compete in eight competitions throughout September and October, including the Seminole Athletic Conference championship on Oct. 19.

sports

Pink’d pride unites fans Sophie Hill

Staff Reporter

While the band fell silent and retreated indoors in response to the heavy rain that bombarded the Pink’d game against University High School on Friday, Sept 27, the hundreds of students sporting their pink paraphernalia pride held strong and remained to cheer the varsity football team on to a 24-21 victory.

However, coach Phil Ziglar put the team’s first win in perspective after the game “But in reality, the warriors are not the football players, it’s the people fighting cancer. So we honor the survivors, we honor those fighting cancer each day and know how important it is to give back to the community,” Ziglar said.

The victory, Ziglar’s first as the new head football coach, helped the leadership program to sell bracelets, glow-sticks and all the Pink’d T-shirts, hopefully propelling them to beat the $4000 goal which was met last year.

“We don’t know how much we’ve made yet, but we will soon.

And to all those who want to make a difference in the world, Pink’d is the place to go because every donation brings us one step closing to find a cure,” junior Alexa Serino, head of the Pink’d committee, said.

The hard work of the Pink’d committee proved successful. In fact, anyone stopping by the campus this week probably thought the school’s colors were black, blue, and pink.

“I feel like the decorations and the hype this year made for the win,” sophomore Jessica Davis said.

“There was just so much excitement in the air.”

And while the moment of silence for those who lost their lives to breast cancer was reflective, and emotional for some fans as they broke into tears, the hope and faith the support of the community and the football team brought to the fields Friday night rang louder than any drum cadence.

“It’s very exciting,” principal Mary Williams said.

“My grandmother died after fighting breast cancer for 17 years and it is amazing to see the community come

The HIGHLIGHT box Football vs. University OC, 9/27

Game Summary: On Friday, Sept. 27, the Hagerty varsity football team played University Orange City at home for the annual Pink’d game. Hagerty prevailed in a double-overtime thriller, 24-21.

This gave the team their first win of the season, bringing their record to 1-4, while University fell to 2-3 on the year. At one point in the third quarter, University had a 70-yard touchdown called back due to a holding penalty. On the next play, the same player broke free for a 55 yard run, but the play was also called back due to a block-in-therunning back Tristan Tucker photo by Tyler Copeland back penalty.

Key Plays: At the end of the first overtime, Hagerty was facing a third and 20. Backup quarterback Alex Swenson threw a 20 yard touchdown pass to Andrew Tarr, which evened the score up at 21-21 and forced a doubleovertime.

Key Stats: Tristan Tucker: 22 carries, 124 yds, 2 TDs Quotes: “We’re all standing together, unified. We’re finding a cure, and that’s awesome.” Madeline Ninno, sophomore Tweets: @JSimone61 “Thank you everyone for the prayers. I will be okay #proudtobeahusky”

together for a cause as close to me as this one. It’s emotional for sure.”

Even parents and spectators from University High School were moved by the outpour of support, unity and love exerted from the hundreds of students packed in pink among the bleachers.

“I am a breast survivor myself,” Sonya Cohen, mother of one of the University player, said. “I love this idea so much. It’s just beautiful to see how Hagerty has come together to support each other.”

Claudia Gabel, whose mother fought breast cancer, also helped to unify the school under the pink out the stadium spirit. Gabel said her inspiration to choose the Pink’d committee was because she wanted to support breast cancer. “[Survivors] need someone to support them, keep them company in chemotherapy treatments and change their bandages when they’re down.

And Pink’d is all about that. It’s not for football, it’s for breast cancer,” Gabel said.

And while the vuvuzelas and paint-splattered fans of the student section might beg to differ, the unity of the student body, which was the

real goal for the Pink’d game, really showed its strength when junior Joe Simone was down on the field. After nearly 10 minutes of injury time, Simone was carefully lifted onto a gurney, sporting what looked to be a neck injury, and was rolled into a waiting ambulance. Right before he was wheeled inside the doors, he raised his right hand and gave a thumb up to the crowd, which was responded with deafening applause and howls of appreciation for the team from parents, students and staff.

As October rolls in, students are urged to continue participating in breast cancer awareness month events, such as the volleyball team’s Pink’d game on Oct. 16 against Oviedo at home, and to continue their support of each other, be it cancer, classes, or catching a touchdown.

“I’m currently trying to get together with another team and do the pink game in the spring and make it an annual thing to donate money to MD Anderson cancer clinic for breast cancer, like I did at Boone,” Ziglar said. “And while the team really rose to the occasion and did some unbelievable things, it’s the support of the students that keep us together.

sports

Boom! goes the dynamite

Berdine’s perfection is more than bowling Nathaniel Kauffman Staff Reporter When people think of sports perfection they might think of a pitcher’s perfect game in baseball or a hole-in-one in golf. Maybe it is making all of your shots in basketball or getting tens from the Olympic gymnastics judges.

However bowling a 300 does not quite pop into your head.

In the first game, junior Conner Berdine achieved perfection. He bowled a perfect game, 12 strikes in a row, against Winter Springs.

He is not a professional bowler, he is not on TV, and he is not making any money. Berdine is a high school athlete, yet somehow he pulled off the impossible.

Just how rare is a 300 in bowling? In 2001, 0.025 percent of games were perfect, this includes league games and the pros, almost all of whom have been bowling a lot longer than Berdine. That is a 1 in 4000 chance. In comparison, Baseball pitchers throw perfect games 0.049 percent of the time, just about twice as much.

So how did Berdine do it? Just like in any other sport, practice makes perfect.

This is the top of the mountain for bowlers and now Berdine is a part of an elite group, but that is only half the story.

Berdine’s father, Keith Berdine was diagnosed with leukemia this past year. Before his perfect moment, Berdine dedicated the game to his father.

His dad was able to stay for half of the game and was extremely proud of his son.

On Sept. 22, Berdine’s father passed away almost one month after his perfect game. For Berdine this perfect game is more than just a feat or a nice achievement. For Berdine this perfect game was a memory and a true honor.

Drew Sullivan: Hagerty’s hype man Nathaniel Kauffman Staff Reporter

“O

hhhhhhhhhhhh!” The student section bellows, holding up three fingers representing a significant third down, as Hagerty’s defense prepares to make the stop. As the opposing team is stopped short, the entire student section, led by senior Drew Sullivan, explodes.

“The football games are bigger than they’ve ever been, and volleyball games are pretty much bigger than they’ve ever been,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan, the ringleader of the sports support system, decided he wanted to make this year different and exciting. His inspiration came from his sophomore year when thensenior Clay Middleton ran the student section.

“He challenged everybody to all come together and be as spirited as we can,” senior Marcos Arroyo said.

“Drew knows a lot of people and he uses Twitter to get himself out there… Everyone supports him and spreads the word.”

The student section is a reserved

portion of the bleachers where students can go wild and support their team. They scream, chant and motivate the teams in any way possible. In one chant, after the other team is called for a penalty the section screams “You can’t do that,” and when the refs make a call against Hagerty, the students make it known that they don’t agree.

“Everybody else is the main part for coming out. I’m just part of the student section,” Sullivan said. “It’s all of us together that makes it so awesome.”

Most athletes agree that the student section helps enhance the level of plays.

“When we know the fans are excited, it makes us excited, and we want to play better,” volleyball player senior Sarah Whipple said.

Sullivan explains that this spirit is bigger than just winning the game, but it is about having each other’s backs and supporting peers and their passions. Sullivan not only supports by leading the student section at volleyball games, but by announcing the rosters for each home game.

“You need to be a strong student,

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photo by Jake Burton

Shouting for the stars. Senior Drew Sullivan shouts at the Lake Brantley offense in an attempt to stop them from converting. Hagerty lost 26-22 to Lake Brantley.

with a strong personality. It can’t be just any old student, it needs to be someone who’s not afraid to get up in front of the other kids,” principal Mary Williams said of about Sullivan.

At the pep rallies, Sullivan was recently chosen to lead the student cheers. From the “I believe that

we will win” chant to the signature “Roller Coaster” (founded by Middleton), Sullivan has excited all the students in the rallies.

No matter the sport, no matter the record, fans can count on Sullivan and the entire student section to be there.

New beginning for volleyball brings hope

Sarah Gibson

T

Staff Reporter

he crowd, in a swarm of all black, shook the bleachers and threw their hands in the air going nuts, but it was not for the home team. The varsity volleyball team had just beaten rival Oviedo 3-1, and the majority of the Oviedo gym crowd was Hagerty fans.

“We didn’t just win as a team; We won as a school, as a family. We are so blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of a team that has so much support from its students and community,” senior Kylie Houston said.

Oviedo did not lose without a fight, pushing the team to four games: 25-21, 18-25, 25-23, 25-23. The win against Oviedo contributes to the team’s current 12-6 record.

Although the winning tradition has continued, many behind the

scenes changes have taken place throughout the season, including new head coach Adam Levi, as well as new underclassmen replacing key graduates from the team.

Levi has little high school coaching experience, only coaching Olympia’s boys team last season, and spending two seasons as an assistant for Edgewater’s girls team. However, he also has experience coaching at Top Select Volleyball Academy, and grew up around sports. His parents, who were also sports coaches, gave him his passion and intensity for volleyball. “The girls have been really welcoming and have changed their mindsets throughout the season to get better,” Levi said.

Levi has brought new techniques to the program such as basing players’ game time off of how they perform during games, not based on practice skills as with previous

coach Corey Radford. Levi has also encouraged that issues be dealt with immediately and effectively so that players can make the most out of their volleyball experience.

“This kind of trust isn’t just given, it’s earned. The girls know we’re here to work toward a common goal and that’s to do well, whether its volleyball, life or school,” Levi said. “I’m pretty tough, I’m pretty intense; It just comes from passion for the game.”

The volleyball team replaced key graduates such as Katie and Emma Ballantyne with underclassmen.

Freshmen Ashley Howard and AnneMarie Watson along with sophomore Kassandra Mentlick serve as new additions to the team.

“The girls that are returning varsity players were already like a family, so we welcomed all the new underclassmen who joined,”

junior Katie Krawczyk said. “We’re one big family still, just with new little sisters.”

Team leaders include leading killers junior Nicole Mattson with 157 kills, and junior Katie Krawczyk with 115 kills. Freshman Ashley Howard leads the team with 143 assists, followed by junior Taylor Ferraro contributing 139 assists, while senior Lexi Rossow has successfully received 214 serves, and senior Jordann Marinelli leads with 33 total blocks.

The team is 2-3 within the district, but has high hopes for the rest of the season. “The number one goal is that we want to get better every day. We want the girls to have an opportunity to play volleyball as long as they can,” Levi said. “We have a very talented team and a post-season run is another question, it’s just a question of how long can we hold this energy,

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Come out and support your Hagerty Women’s Volleyball team as we near the end of our season!

Varsity

Junior Varsity

Remaining Games Tuesday, October 8 @ Spruce Creek

JV - 5:30

Varsity- 7:00

Tuesday, October 15 Lake Mary @ Hagerty

Freshman- 4:30

JV - 5:30

Varsity - 5:30

Thursday, October 10 @ Seminole

Freshman - 5:00

JV - 6:00

Varsity- 7:15

Wednesday, October 16 Oviedo @ Hagerty Senior Night and Pink’d

Freshman - 4:30

JV - 5:30

Varsity - 5:30

Freshman

We need our student section with us!