The BluePrint - Volume 10, Issue 3 by Hagerty Journalism

HAGERTY HIGH SCHOOL

3225 LOCKWOOD BLVD. OVIEDO, FL 32765

INDEX

the

blueprint

volume 10, issue 3

News............................... 2-7 Lifestyles...................... 8-11 Studying With Music...12-13 Student Connections.... 14-15 Opinions......................16-18 Reviews....................... 19-20 Sports.......................... 21-24

Dec. 15, 2014

ON THE REBOUND Basketball looks to improve on last season with new faces. Story on page 22 photo by Aliyah Rackley

Five things to see on hagertyjourn.com wSWIFT’S NEW ALBUM

HAS POP Taking on a completely new sound, the former country star’s new album, 1989, is everything one could ask for.

wTHE SEASON OF GIVING wTHREAT DISCREDITED Twins always seem to have some sort of telepathy, but this is taken to an extreme when the same gifts are given to one another.

After a vague threat that was deemed not credible was found on a bathroom wall, 686 students were called out in nearly two hours.

w MOCKINGJAY PART 1

DELIVERS While expectations were high for the third installment of The Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay Part 1 exceeded them as the number one movie.

w GRENZ AWARDED

TEACHER OF THE YEAR AP United States History teacher Robin Grenz was humbled after being announced teacher of the year for the 2014-2015 school year.

Find the dog: Whenever you see the above HJO logo, scan the page with the Aurasma app to see extra content. You must follow hagertyjourn for it to work.

news

A step up in history Estes replaces Johnson as new American History teacher

Webb and Young replace Hearsey and Rutledge

Madeline Kemper

Staff Reporter

ransitioning is never easy, even for teachers, who find that it can be especially hard to be the “newbie.” Laura Estes, who recently transferred from Lawton Chiles as the new American History teacher, said she felt “like a freshman,” but was excited for the new challenge. Estes had no original plans of becoming a teacher. She started studying law, but since she was never home, her sons started getting into trouble. She talked to her neighbor, who was a principal, and he suggested that she become a teacher. “I thought I would only do it for a few years while my kids were young, but stayed with it because I love the students so much,” Estes said. Estes started at Lawton Chiles Middle School, where she had the strangest interview of her life, because of how short it was and the fact that she was offered the job on the spot. She accepted and began teaching as an American History teacher. She was also able to teach a pre law elective where students participated in mock trials and used the information and techniques she learned from studying law. After teaching at Lawton for 10 years, a job opportunity opened at the high school level, and she jumped at the chance of being able to teach in a new environment. “I think that if it had been my old principal, she might not have released me in the middle of the year, so it all just kind of fell together,” Estes said. Having kids here who she also taught at Lawton Chiles has been one of her favorite parts of the transition. “I feel like a mom who has seen their kids go away to college for a year or so and then come home again,” Estes said. Estes loves seeing how previous students have matured since middle school. They will bring up old memories, simulations and other things they have enjoyed. As she moves to the high school level, although Estes is still loved by many, she has had some tough shoes to fill after Johnson left for an administrative job at the middle school level. Students have contrasted Johnson to Estes, saying that Johnson was a more discussion-

Matt Rutledge, English III teacher for four years and assistant athletic director for over a year, left on Friday, Nov. 14 to teach English at Timber Creek. He left for financial reasons, a decision he made to support his family. Stephanie Young, who was a substitute for Cliphene Reid, has taken his place. “It has been difficult to replace a teacher as loved and respected as Mr. Rutledge, but I feel that the students and I have been getting along great,” Young said.

Freshman math teacher Alyssa Hearsey left for personal reasons, and Lynn Webb took over her position. Webb, who came from Lake Howell, said the atmosphere is a little different but the transition has been very good. “The biggest challenge is not knowing where everything is; however, everyone has been so nice helping me to find my way,” Webb said.

Photo by Jake Arthur

A FRESH FACE. American History teacher Laura Estes discusses history with her class. After teaching history and law at Lawton Chiles Middle School for 10 years, Estes recently transferred to replace former teacher Craig Johnson.

based teacher, while Estes believes that students benefit more by reading information from the textbook. “I like the rigor of Mrs. Estes more. We take more notes, lecture more and really go in depth when we read the book,” junior Kelcey Stivers said. Estes also has the opportunity to teach where her daughter, sophomore Lauren Estes, goes to school. Lauren has enjoyed having her mom teach at the school she has attended in both middle and high school. “I love my mom, and having her teach here has brought us closer,” Lauren said. She was referred to as “little Estes” in middle school and, having had her mom as a teacher, said that she is always changing things up and that students are typically very close with her. “The advice they seek is often about college, and in middle school it was usually about something in their personal lives. Either way, I am so happy that they feel comfortable coming to me to talk,” Estes said.

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news

Rifles on the rise Daniella Parcell

News Editor

t the beginning of the year, winter guard seemed like a distant memory to senior Jenna Ionadi. Lack of participation threatened the team, and it seemed unlikely that there would be enough members to have a season. After months of recruiting and promoting, however, Ionadi, along with three other veterans, created a team of 12, allowing the activity to soar this year. “We had to get friends to ask their friends, kind of like setting a chain to get people to come out,” Ionadi said. “This is the most new people that have ever come out just to see what it’s like, and they all stayed.” Winter guard, defined by sponsor Nellie Montecalvo as a “competition dance,” combines interpretive movement and dance with the usage of flags, mock rifles and sabers in

Winter guard rebuilds team to prepare for upcoming season

order to portray a concept. The activity has been successful in years past; however, constant changes in leadership have brought instability to the program. Therefore, Montecalvo, veteran performers and new attitudes have worked to create a sense of unity in the group. “It’s about having a team – like working together to make a beautiful piece of art, using flags to make a story,” junior Sally Salas said. In addition to team bonding, winter guard requires its members to learn the skills of maneuvering flags and weapons while also incorporating dance moves. With all the activity entails, the team began rehearsals in late November in order to successfully put the show together, while still getting new members comfortable with the sport. “There are more new people than returning members,” Ionadi said. “We have to get to all of them and

what’s news?

TESTING HELP AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS Reading teacher Karyn Nowak will hold SAT and ACT Critical Reading tutoring sessions in room 7-112 through the months of January and February. The next SAT session will be Tuesday, Jan. 20 from 2:30-3:30 p.m., and the next ACT session will be Monday, Feb. 2, also from 2:30-3:30 p.m. DANCE DEPARTMENT HOLDS HOLIDAY SHOW On Friday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m., the dance department, joined by the dance teams of Jackson Heights and Lawton Chiles middle schools, will present its 10th Annual Winter Spectacular. Tickets are $8 for priority seating or $6 for normal if purchased in advance, and $10 for priority or $8 for normal if purchased at the door. FIRST SEMESTER EXAM WEEK APPROACHES Semester exams will be held the week of Monday, Dec. 15. Periods 1, 4 and 7 will be on Tuesday, Dec. 16, periods 2 and 5 will be on Wednesday, Dec. 17, and periods 3 and 6 will be on Thursday, Dec. 18. There will be no school on Friday, Dec. 19. YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS ACADEMY OPENS APPLICATION The Young Entrepreneurs Academy, which will meet once a week at UCF and teach business and social skills to high school students, is accepting applications for the 2015 academic year. To be considered, students must submit an essay, a high school transcript, one letter of recommendation and an application form found on the school website. Admitted students will be notified on a rolling basis until January.

figure out how they learn, because someone may learn one way and another may learn a different way.” Returning members have done this by holding small-group rehearsals in addition to regular practices; this allows them to have one-on-one time with new performers and to address members individually. With their first competition on Saturday, Feb. 28, members have just three months to master the skills of the sport, as well the show’s choreography. Rebuilding a team and catering to fresh faces has challenged performers, but according to Salas, who won the state competition with Oviedo High School’s winter guard in 2013, the team’s progress is bringing it toward a level similar to that of her championship year. “I feel the same potential now that I did my freshman year,” Salas said. “I feel like we can make it to states again this year.”

Photo by Jake Arthur

SPINNING FOR SUCCESS. Freshman Chloe Rodrigue works to perfect her flag-spinning skills. Rodrigue, along with the rest of the winter guard, began working in November to prepare for the first competition on Saturday, Feb. 28.

As it prepares for upcoming performances and the Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit Championships, the guard looks forward to maintaining a sense of family among members, while seeing

success in future performances. “We all love going to practice and you can see that energy,” Ionadi said. “Every year, even with people leaving or new people coming, it still stays as a close family.”

Law society gains momentum Winnie Meyer

Reviews Editor

hile the atmosphere of a courtroom may seem intimidating to most teenagers, the members of the Law Society make the concept entertaining and easy to learn. “We wanted to help students receive communication skills through a unique and fun approach,” co-founder Narek Nersisyan said. Co-founders Nersisyan and Ibraheem Alinur originally wanted to join Debate Club, but because of the workload and time commitment associated with it, they decided to form a club that would be more casual and mock trial associated. “We wanted to call it club mock trial, but we found out there was a law club that Hagerty had beforehand,” Alinur said. “So, we took their name and used it instead and it allowed us to do more things other than just mock trials.” Though mock trials are one of the centerpieces of the club, the

Law Society’s goal is to inform its members and better teach them communication with regards to law. “Our ultimate goal is to develop intellectualism and excellence with the students,” Nerisyan said. “We hope that the skills acquired from participation in the club activities and studies can be implemented to progress academically as well as personally.” To understand what it is like to earn a law degree, the co-founders have also set up Skype calls with students at Ivy League schools like Harvard and Columbia Universities. “We get an inside view of what it’s like to be in the law field,” Alinur said. “We hear from actual students who are top tier in their field.” For some members, this can be an insightful experience as they have future plans to go into law. “I’ve spoken to a few students that were going into law before,” social coordinator Adriana Caamano said. “It was just really great to know what they did for their undergrad, how they got into law school and how far in

debt they were.” Equally helpful are the club’s mock trials, fake court cases in which students play the parts of witnesses, prosecution and defense. Several students are assigned to each team and are expected to formulate arguments for their sides of the case. The current case deals with a boy who got into a fight with a police officer and ended up with knife wounds, mirroring cases that exist in the real world. “We’ve looked at other Supreme Court cases and looked at what kind of rights a citizen has in a situation where a cop crosses a line,” Caamano said. The winner of each mock trial is based on whose argument is more solid and is decided by sponsor Karen Hernandez, who acts as a judge. Though the club began meetings in August, it has open enrollment year round. Dues are not necessary, but those who attend meetings are asked to bring food. Meetings are on Mondays in Hernandez’s room 7-126 from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m..

news

French students skip for Epcot trip

Big sister is watching Fight against terminal disease taken to legislation Jessica Jeffers

Opinions Editor

hile people were “breaking it down” on the Homecoming floor, cancer patient Brittany Maynard exercised her right to Death with Dignity, and ended her life on Nov. 1 with the use of prescribed drugs. Death with Dignity is a law in Washington, Vermont and Oregon that allows competent minded, terminally ill people to receive and request pharmaceutical drugs to make their death come faster. Maynard was 29 years old when she found out she had brain cancer, and after two surgeries the tumor worsened and she was diagnosed with six months to live. Her and her family looked up possible treatments and concluded there was no treatment that would save her life, and treatments other than Death with Dignity would have “destroyed the time [she] had left.” So she moved to Oregon and on Nov. 1, she exercised her right. When I was 8, my grandmother was told there was no cure for her lung cancer and that she would surely not live for more than a few months. After this prognosis, she lived for two more years struggling to breathe and live. She had no hair, could not walk on her own and used an oxygen tank. It was hard enough to watch her go through all that she did, but to hear about her sudden and painful death was the worst. A blood vessel in her lungs burst and she choked on her own blood. If Death with Dignity was an option for her, she would not have had to go through the turmoil she did. There was no hope for a cure in her case, so she was suffering to die. This raises the question, is Death with Dignity just suicide? Maynard says that she was not suicidal because she had the medicine for weeks and did not take the drug, but rather the act of Death with Dignity is letting the patient die on their own terms. When someone suffers as much as they do if going through a terminal illness, they should have the right to a way out of the situation. Cancer should never win, and in my grandmother’s case, it did.

Sophie Hill

HJO Editor-in-Chief

n Friday, Dec. 5, French students left school after fourth period for a day of trekking across Disney’s Epcot to learn about French culture, specifically during the holiday season. “We [visited] different French speaking countries in Epcot to learn about their cultures and to really get an understanding of how our learning of the French language can be applied as we travel around the world,” junior Lauren Neldner said. Every year, in hopes of opening peoples’ minds to different cultural traditions, Disney offers special deals to language classes during the holiday season in order to promote worldly compassion. This is why the combined cost of a charter bus and tickets was only $60 for each person in attendance. This year french teacher Madame Pamela Lynch took advantage of the deals. She plans to make the trip an annual expedition in the future because it broadened the minds of her students as to the real-world application of French. Furthermore, by delving into the culture of a nation through its commerce and conversation, the students were able to embrace different cultures through food, fun and lasting

memories made with friends. “I think it’s really great for people to get exposed to different cultures and language and to really learn how people look at the holidays in different ways,” Neldner said. Because Epcot employees must be natives of the countries they represent, the students also had the chance to practice speaking French while shopping and touring the Holidays Around the World showcase, where Santa Clauses from around the globe are displayed throughout the holiday season “The trip was an awesome experience,” senior Charles Lynch said. “It was cool to see all the cultures of the world in one place and to be on a field trip that was relaxed and loosely structured where the [itinerary and] assignments didn’t put a damper on the trip.” Among comparing how different countries represent Santa Claus and practicing their French with both Disney employees and each other, students enrolled in French 2 or higher were also able to learn how different countries’ traditions and celebrations relate to their unique cultural backgrounds. “I love going to Epcot with my classes because not everyone will get a chance to travel abroad,” Madame Lynch said. “This is a great, inexpensive way to experience different cultures and traditions.”

Photo by Sophie Hill

ALL AROUND THE WORLD. Sophomores Isabelle Lynch and Amelia Howard discuss with fellow French students the differences in world cultures after a day of trekking across Epcot. The trip pushed students to compare how celebrations represent a nation’s culture.

Students, teachers heated over cold classrooms Peyton Whittington

Staff Reporter

omeone out of state might expect a typical Florida high school to be brimming with people wearing tank tops, flip flops and shorts. This one, however, contains a pack of students and teachers in parkas, scarves and mittens. Classroom temperatures are especially below average this year and administration has received complaints as a result. The problem stems from two main issues: first, lightning struck the school’s main chiller in July, which has rendered it completely defective. To counterbalance the loss of air flow from the main chiller, the county office has granted permission to run the school’s backup chillers 24 hours a day. Second, the communication line from individual classrooms to the climate control system is also damaged. While the master computer system may report that a specific room maintains a normal 74 degrees, the room may actually be below the 68 degree minimum mandated by the Florida Department of Education. Teacher Maria-Leone Garcia’s

room is in upstairs building six, one of the most affected hallways by the climate change. “I leave school sometimes with a bad headache and I’ve gone home tense from being so cold,” Garcia said. “It’s detrimental to the health of everybody.” Dean William Gierke is in charge of righting the issue, primarily in building six. Gierke has worked with Dr. Williams to ensure that there are ways to escape the cold by permitting teachers to hold class in available computer labs, the media center or outside in one of the courtyards. “We’re all aware of the problem and we’re all concerned with the educational environment in those classrooms,” Gierke said. Despite this, students and teachers have managed to stay positive about the situation. In addition to students wearing their own jackets and sweaters, teachers have brought in blankets for students to pass around during class. Others, such as humanities teacher Teresa Decio, have reconstructed several lesson plans so that class can be staged outside. “I’ve changed my assignments from what I usually would’ve put on the projector to

something I can teach outside by the cafeteria,” Decio said. As for actually fixing the problem, Gierke and other officials are still working on controlling the temperature in individual classrooms. In an attempt to cut costs, the school has ordered a specific replacement part as opposed to replacing the main chiller entirely. Since the chiller system is an outdated model, the part must be manufactured from scratch. According to Gierke, the school is largely at the mercy of Trane, the company that created the school’s AC system, in regards to the date this part will be received. To try to restore normal temperatures, the school’s back-up chillers were turned off the second week of November. This has comfortably raised the temperature of certain classrooms, yet others have remained chilled or are now too hot. “It’s still cold in some classrooms, but not like before where you were about to experience hypothermia,” senior Thalia Velazquez said. The problem will not truly be resolved until the main chiller’s replacement part arrives, which is estimated to be sometime in January.

news

Forensics classes caught at CSI Taylor Ferraro

Photo by Aliyah Rackley

RESTING NOT SO PEACEFULLY. Yvette Pigott and Sarah Lufcy’s Forensics classes examine and solve crime scenes during their field trip on Friday, Nov. 1. One scene involved a young woman ran over by a car.

Twitter Editor

n Friday, Nov. 21, forensics classes attended CSI: The Experience after teachers Yvette Pigott and Sarah Lufcy decided that it would be the perfect spot for students to learn about the depths of forensics. “I think it was beneficial. The students got a small glimpse into what it’s like to be a crime scene investigator. It was even more beneficial to those who have expressed interest in pursuing forensics science,” Lufcy said. To begin solving crimes, students worked in groups of two or three and then obtained a clipboard with two pieces of paper. Each piece of paper contained questions and diagrams about two separate crimes. Students then traveled through the two crime scenes filling in the corresponding relevant information for each question and diagram.

“Much of the forensic science class has to do with the techniques that are used during crime scene investigation. It gave students a more true-to-life crime scene experience that we can’t give them at school,” Lufcy said. The groups started by examining the scene of the crime, drawing any kind of distinct evidence that was clear in their sight of vision. For example, in one crime scene a girl was found run over, and students drew the cellphone lying next to her, the drugs lying a couple feet away, and her belongings scattered all over the floor. Then, after recording all of the details, the students moved from the crime scene to the labs, which included all of the various areas of forensic science such as toxicology, DNA identification, blood splatter analysis and latent prints. Finally, to complete the experience, students traveled to the autopsy room and determined what

killed the victim and how. Once all of these elements had been brought together, students submitted all of their answers into a computer database to check them, and turned in their papers to their teacher. Most students solved all of the crimes flawlessly, despite the fact that it was not a grade. “I hope the students learned how meticulous real life crime scene investigators are in their work, and how important it is for them to pay close attention to detail,” Lufcy said. Although parts of the experience were interesting and thoughtprovoking, the overall review of CSI: The Experience was that the process was a little too easy and unrealistic. “The idea of the experience was very creative and I had fun, but looking back, the process was a little slow, and there weren’t that many activities that were hands on. I would have enjoyed it more if it was how real crime investigators solve crimes,” junior Jessica Brown said.

Sophomore class holds drive for homeless youth Jeannie Williams

Floater Editor

he holiday season is a time for spending time with family in the warmth of your home, but for those who have neither of those things, it means difficulty and loneliness. The sophomore class launched a holiday supply drive on Monday, Dec. 1 that will run through Friday, Dec. 12 to collect items for Covenant House Florida in Orlando and the youth it serves. Covenant House takes in homeless, runaway and at-risk youth and helps them by providing a home, access to education and help with finding jobs. Transportation is provided or coordinated with Orange County Public Schools to get youths to school, and a GED program is offered at Covenant House Florida so it is available to residents. November was deemed Homeless Youth Awareness Month, and a candlelight vigil for homeless youth was held by Covenant House Florida at Lake Eola on Sunday, Nov. 30.

“What most people don’t realize is we don’t always have to go too far to serve kids in need. Many of those kids are right here in our community,” sophomore class president Sierra Hittel said. The drive served as the class’s yearly community service event and was derived from the successful pet supply drive last year. In this year’s drive, items were collected though midblock classes and a pizza party was offered for the class that collected the most. Officers decided that the month of December would be the best time to hold a supply drive because people are constantly in the spirit of giving. “I realize most of us have a pretty good life, and I know there are kids out there who will not have anything under the Christmas tree,” class sponsor Ashley Bennett said. “I felt like having this supply drive would help spread Christmas spirit for both the people donating and the people receiving.” Requested items include school supplies, sweatshirts, belts and ties,

various toiletries, undergarments and children’s clothing. The most needed items are gift cards that can be used to purchase clothing for job interviews, since the right size might not be already be available at Covenant House. “I think [the supply drive] is great because [students] are the same age as the population we serve… Most high schoolers don’t realize that they go to school with a lot of homeless youth,” Whitney Wiggins, business management services coordinator for Covenant House Florida, said. “People need to realize there’s not one face of homelessness. Our kids are all very different, but they’re all very strong and resilient.” After the supply drive ends on Friday, Dec. 12, Covenant House will still be taking donations at their location in Orlando. A few days before Christmas, while residents are on an outing, the house will be open for the public to take part in a wrapping party, and all donations will be properly distributed on Christmas morning.

news

H-factor’s got talent

Student and teacher enthusiasm allows tenth annual talent show to be a success

Jessica Ritchie

Photo by Jessie Burton

BREAKING OUT THE TALENT. Junior Darrell Beausivoir performs his breakdancing routine in his audition for the H-factor. Beausivioir’s audition was a success, allowing him to proceed to the talent show, where he was awarded the second place prize.

Staff Reporter

inutes before seniors Johan Guasp-Mojica and Ané Jonigan came on stage, parents were holding flower bouquets and bragging about their children’s talents. Performers attempted to release their nerves, but pacing back and forth only does so much. The stage crew was frantically scrambling to triple check lights and sound in preparation for curtain call at 7 p.m. Performers were showing signs of their nerves, whether it be sweaty hands, or jumping up and down. The audience only sees the part of the performance, not what happens behind stage. However seasoned performers do not get as nervous as first timers. “Before I wasn’t nerves or anything, but right before when we were about to go out the first time that was kind of when I was like ‘Oh’ but after we did it once it got better,” Jonigan said. The winners of the H-factor: third place was awarded to junior Natalie Rivera singing “Best Mistake” by Ariana Grande, and second place was

awarded to junior Darrell Beausivoir break dancing to “Dum Dee Dum,” a JiKay remix. Senior Matthew Workman, won the event, singing “Feeling Good” by Michael Buble and he took home the prize money. “I honestly did not think that I was going to get first place. All the years I have been doing it I just did it for fun,” Workman said. The talent show was hosted by Guasp-Mojica and Jonigan, who were chosen by TV Production teacher Donna Parker. Having been in TV Production for two years, the chemistry was evident, and their friendship was strong enough to handle Guasp-Mojica twerking on Jonigan. From Guasp-Mojica break dancing on stage to theater director Trevor Southworth hitting the high note in “Dream On,” the acts were filled with memorable moments, including when junior Brett Hagerman graced the audience with a comedic skit about depressing things, such as onions cutting themselves. While his skit was received well by the audience, the judges were not amused. “With comedy you’re going to

have audiences that love the jokes you tell, and you will have some that don’t,” Hagerman said. Plead the Fifth, which consisted of senior Brianna Barret, sophomore Madison Barrett and juniors Antonio Esposito, Jonathan Rhodes and Taylor Greyard, performed an acapella version of “Say Something” by A Great Big World. The group thought that it would be good to perform a song about suicide prevention, even for the talent show. “One of the judges came up to us and said, ‘That was an extremely gutsy song to do, so props to you for doing that song because it was incredibly hard,’” Barret said. While the judges were picking the winners, choir teacher Victoria Rathbun and Southworth performed a duet and a solo performance each, filling the slot before the announcement of the winners. It takes a person who can think on their feet in order to be able to handle the uncertainty that comes with performing on stage in front of their peers. “Cause you have to be in front of the audience,” Guasp-Mojica said, “and make stuff up on the spot.”

Death of custodian shocks students and teachers Haley Gaeser

Managing Editor

n Nov. 2, Herb Branch, a custodian who worked at the school for eight years, passed away in a car accident at age 56. His death has left both students and faculty members in shock. Branch was someone who people instantly clicked with. He liked talking with fellow staff members and students, and he always had a smile on his face. “He basically made me happy,” math teacher Brittany Campbell said. “He always brightened my day.” Branch was a big fan of sports, especially basketball, was good friends with many of the coaches and knew several of the students on the teams.

Campbell was very close with Branch. He would always ask Campbell how the girls’ basketball team was doing when she was still coaching. Faculty learned of Branch’s accident through an email from the principal. When it came time for teachers to tell their students the news of what happened, many students were shocked to hear of his passing. “The last time I talked to him was the day after tryouts and he told me good luck this season,” senior Isiah Domino said. The exact reason for the car crash has not been determined, however, it has been reported that his car flipped several times. Branch was well liked by fellow custodians, Kathy and Bryan Mills,

whom he worked with on a regular basis. “Herb rode to work with us now and then and one time we had him laughing so hard he held his head and told us to quit talking,” custodian Kathy Mills said. Many students and faculty members took his death hard as he was such an important member of the staff, and several students had no idea of his passing as there was never an official school announcement made to inform them. “When I found out he passed away I didn’t believe so I had to ask around and when I found out it was true I was shocked,” Domino said. For the people who took the time to get to know Branch, they knew what type of person he was. He was more than just a custodian.

He worked hard everyday from 2:30 to 11 p.m. to make this school a nice place for students and faculty to attend. He was always there, doing whatever needed to get done, from setting up for sporting events to cleaning classrooms and bathrooms every day. “It is so sad to have him gone,” Mills said. “Bryan and I are able to visit with his mom who Herb thought the world of.” One thing that made Branch special to the school was that he would always stop what he was doing to open the door for whoever was passing by. He would have an actual conversation with anyone willing to talk to him and made them feel like he really cared about them. His memory will always remain in the hearts and minds of those who he

HERB BRANCH

touched throughout his life. “He was a really nice, straight forward guy,” senior Nathaniel Buckhalter said. “No one can ever replace him.”

lifestyles

See ya later alligator Alex Grace

Staff Reporter

nown for their beady yellow eyes, long rigid tails and knifelike teeth, alligators can be found from the panhandle to the Everglades and even in Oviedo’s residential areas. Since their numbers have grown tremendously in recent years, interested trappers can get an alligator permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. That is what Richard Robertson did after getting hooked on trapping alligators when he successfully caught his first gator a few years ago. Robertson is a superintendent for an underground infrastructure company, but has pursued his hobby of alligator trapping. Now the local alligator trapper, Robertson has helped people remove gators that have become a nuisance in residential communities. On Sept. 22, Robertson received a call from a worried family. A troubled alligator had bitten a Winter Park dog. After trapping, it was confirmed as an 11 feet 1 inch alligator. When catching an alligator, there are a few different ways to approach it. If the alligator is visible, the

trapper must take an industrial fishing rod, snatch its hide and reel it into the bank. If the animal is not visible, bait is secured to a rope that is attached to the bank, and once the alligator swallows the bait that has a hook in it, the alligator is then pulled to shore. However, that latter method is not to be attempted without a permit or experience. People without permits who need to call in a nuisance alligator should call the Florida Wildlife Conservation hotline, where a series of questions regarding alligator experience will be prompted, and it can be determined whether or not a trapper is needed at that area. If so, a trapper will come at no charge to the person who called about the alligator. On some occasions, Robertson has a call about an E-gator, “an emergency gator that is putting someone in danger right then and there. At that point in time we get out immediately whether it be in the middle of the night or the middle of the day,” Robertson said. When he got a call once at 11 p.m., he knew it was urgent. Robertson was needed at an auto auction in Longwood where an alligator was found underneath a car. With the supervision of animal control,

Robertson pursues hobby and saves communities as local alligator trapper

Photo by Alex Grace

TRAPPED. Richard Robertson captures an alligator in a residential area. Robertson caught his first alligator a few years ago, which inspired him to earn a trapping permit from the Florida FIsh and Wildlife Commission.

Robertson successfully caught the four and a half foot alligator. It is stories like these that Robertson can look back on. Those who watch shows like Gator Boys may think they have captured the reality of gator catching. But Robertson cautions fans that trapping is not as entertaining as it

looks and is a serious job. “Those reality shows are entertainment, so not all gators can be handled the way those guys are handling them on Gator Boys. If a gator is fed, it loses its fear of people,” Robertson said. “Then somebody goes to the edge of the water where the gator is at, that gator

feels like it can come much closer and the person who feeds it can be in danger as well. A good way to think about that is a fed alligator is a dead alligator.” Trapping alligators requires professionalism, motivation, and a bit of a wild side, and Robertson, luckily for Oviedo, has all three.

Unusual names cause pain and frustration for students Courtney Dziewior Staff Reporter

magine opening the new school yearbook and flipping to your class photo. Eyes trail down the list of names only to suddenly pause and trail back up the list when they see their last name is spelt wrong. Again. Senior Adrianna Caamano experienced this in previous yearbooks as well as in other locations, including chorus and band programs. “The first time it happened I was really irked, but then it keeps happening and, sadly, I’m just used to it now,” Caamano said. The odder the name is, the

more creative people tend to get with annoying nicknames, mispronunciations and spellings, creating a repetitive cycle. Odd names can be from unique first names or last names that stem from their foreign origins across the world from places such as Poland, Sweden, Norway, Italy, China and more. “One time in first grade, this person thought it would be funny to make fun of my last name and instead of Maya Grondahl she called me Maya Groundhog,” sophomore Maya Grondahl said. Grondahl’s name translates to “green valley” and is Swedish and Norwegian in origin. “It gets annoying because so many people always have to ask me if

they pronounced it right,” sophomore Kenzie Grondahl, Maya’s sister, said. Junior Jennifer Xue knows that teachers avoid calling on her during class when using her last name due to its confusing spelling. “Xue” comes from Chinese characters which mean snow, studying and learning when translated to English. The closest English pronunciation is similar to the word “chew.” “Most people just don’t know how to pronounce it, or they won’t bother trying,” Xue said. Sophomore Jared Klingelheber still has friends that do not know how to pronounce his name. His last name comes from his great-greatgrandfather who emigrated from Germany to America around the time

of the World Wars. Freshman Giovanni CafarelliMijares has received multiple comments on his Italian name. Often people will ask if he likes Giovanni’s, a local Italian pizza restaurant. Cafarelli-Mijares’ name comes from his father Giovanni CafarelliMijares, Sr., sharing the first name which means “gift from God.” Senior Rhiana Raymundo also experiences her share of pestering for both her first and last names. Often she is compared to Rihanna, the famous singer, and is questioned if she was named after her. “[It] doesn’t make sense because I was born before she became famous,” Raymundo said. However, both Raymundo and the

famous singer share the name origin through a variation of Rigantona, the Celtic goddess of fertility. Raymundo also generates confusion because her last name is Hispanic which causes others to believe she is Hispanic when in reality she is Filipino and Asian. “I think they get confused because the Filipinos were taken over by the Spaniards and the Japanese, so it comes from there,” Raymundo said. Unique and foreign names often confuse others, but to those they belong to, they make sense. “There have been people that never figured out how to pronounce it. I don’t understand because it seems simple to me because it’s my name,” Xue said.

lifestyles

asked Top 5 most questions for those born on Christmas

1. Are you serious? 2. Do you get double presents or do you get ripped off on your gifts? 3. Does it stink not having a day to yourself? 4. Do you think Christmas is the best holiday to have your birthday on? 5. Do people wrap your presents in Christmas or birthday-themed wrapping paper?

babies speak out about their Born in a stocking Christmas unordinary birthdays Katie Curley

Online Managing Editor

magine every year for your birthday, your grandparents, aunts and cousins came down to celebrate. Imagine the whole world decorated just for your special day. Trees, lights, feasts and joy fill every household… it must be nice being a Christmas baby, right? Popular belief has it that a Christmas birthday is something to be upset about, but most Christmas babies, in fact, do not get less presents and are not forgotten. Double presents are the norm and having a big holiday for a birthday helps relatives and friends remember more accurately than just a random day in March. According to didyouknow.org, a Christmas birthday is actually a rare occurrence as an average of 48,000 less births occur on Dec. 25 than on any other day. However, it can be tough sometimes having the right balance between holiday and birthday celebrations. For senior Kelly Broderick, her family has found a way to equally celebrate both events by coming up with new and unique

Christmas traditions to accompany her unusual birthday. “We go out the night before, wherever I choose, and I get all of my birthday presents. Then the next morning we spend all of Christmas focused on Christmas,” Broderick said. Junior Meghan Precord was born on Christmas Eve, and although she was not born on Dec. 25, she goes through some of the same struggles. Her family also has found an equilibrium to satisfy everyone. “We usually do something before my birthday, also it has been a tradition since I was two that my friend sleeps over that night,” Precord said. Some would think that being born on Dec. 25 would only be bad for people who celebrate Christmas, as it would interfere with the big holiday, but sophomore Brenna Rifkin is Jewish and her Christmas birthday is a big inconvenience. “All of the stores are closed, all of the restaurants are closed; I can’t go anywhere on my birthday, every year,” Rifkin said. All three girls go through similar problems that accompany a special birthday. Precord,

for one, is content to have her birthday on Christmas Eve rather than on the actual holiday. “I’d rather celebrate [Christmas and my birthday] as separate as possible. I have a younger sister and I want the focus to be on Christmas for her,” Precord said. Rifkin and Broderick have other problems to worry about. Both of them find it difficult to organize birthday parties since their friends are busy with their own families on Christmas. Broderick has never even had a real birthday party except for when she was 5, and even then, the party did not work out well. As her mom went to pick up her cake, she met one of the invitees to her party who had forgotten the event. “Apparently everyone forgot. So my mom had to invite a bunch of my dad’s work friends. I never even noticed the difference at the time,” Broderick said. Rifkin also finds birthday parties hard and she misses her school friends and fellow band members over the holidays. “Every time there’s a birthday, they all sing happy birthday to each other, but I have break so that never happens,” Rifkin said.

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lifestyles Michael Goddard races for family tradition and for the

150 MPH RUSH

Lauren Lee

Graphics Editor

nches between the wall and another driver, junior Michael Goddard’s thoughts focus on trying to stay out of the way of crashes and successfully beating other drivers as he completes the final lap of his first race at Desoto. Goddard competes all over Florida with other racers in stock car races as a hobby that takes up most of his time. Racing is a family tradition for Goddard, who started at age 15. His dad has been racing since he was 15 and his grandpa has been racing his whole life. “[My parents] threw me to the wolves. They jumped me into racing but I did spend a lot of time around the track helping everyone I knew,” Goddard said. After spending time around the track and with other racers, when Goddard turned 16 he asked his dad if he could race and got an old stock car. Goddard, his dad and friends stripped down a 1986 Monte Carlo and put fabricated body parts onto the body so that he was able to race. Once Goddard’s car was finished, he was able to start his first race at Desoto. “The first time I got in the car I remember when they dropped the green flag. I was behind a driver who was going so fast that I got scared and intimidated,” Goddard said. Every other weekend, Goddard heads to Naples to work on the car, spending 12 hours or more on rebuilding, and setting up, which

includes nut-and-bolting every nut on the car, and adjusting weights and ride heights. Before races, Goddard and his team work on the car until 3 a.m. then head to the track at 9 a.m. Goddard has only one car, so if he crashes, he and his team have to rebuild and fix the car for the next race. Even though racing is a family tradition for Goddard, his main reason behind racing is because it is fun. He competes all around the state, with most races being held at Bradenton. “When racing, everything slows down in your head. A lap feels like an hour where it has only taken 13 seconds,” Goddard said. One of the main places Goddard races at is Bradenton. Traveling far is not uncommon for races though. Goddard has travelled to Georgia to help NASCAR driver Bill Bigley and to Indiana for one of his dad’s races. Goddard has his next big race in February at New Smyrna. With all of the traveling, car expenses, race expenses and upkeep, racing is an expensive hobby with an approximate cost of $10,000 per year, with each race usually costing about $1000. Even with this expense, his parents are into the sport as much as Goddard himself.

Not only is the hobby expensive, but it is also dangerous. There are hazards such as fire, which is very common, whiplash from hitting the wall, and more serious injuries such as broken ribs and concussions. Goddard has never gotten hurt himself, but his dad has broke his ribs, separated his retina and gotten a concussion all from hitting the wall at 150 mph. Being on the edge of crashing causes Goddard to value his focus above all else on the track. “When you’re in a race you always have to stay focused,” Goddard said. “You are always on the edge of spinning out because one mistake can go really bad, really quick.” Despite the dangers, Goddard continues to race stock cars, sometimes even at the expense of schoolwork; but he does try to keep attention in school, as well as in races. Even though Goddard has been racing only a year, he plans to be around the sport for the rest of his life. “I just truly want to race. NASCAR is a great goal but I just want to race late models every weekend with my family and keep it a family thing,” Goddard said.

Photo by Robert Howell

REBUILD, ADJUST, RACE. Junior Michael Goddard removes the hood off of the 305 CC engine of his 1986 Monte Carlo. He and his team work on the 400hp engine in Bradenton, Fla. to prepare for a race.

by Photo

ontag

S Tyler

Tacky turns trendy Alex Grace

Staff Reporter

anging from Rudolph’s red glowing nose to the obnoxious Santa hat covering the front, ugly sweaters are the tackiest trend that most students are joining in on to complete their holiday traditions and customs. Some celebrities who have worn their ugly sweaters around have included Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande. Not only have ugly sweaters become a national trend because of such celebrities, but a local trend here. Students have gone to extreme lengths to find the perfect sweater by raiding their grandma’s closet or shopping at Goodwill. Finding the best deals is a top priority for ugly sweater hunting. “I got my ugly sweater on Black Friday because it was like five bucks.

It is all black and it has a giant pink fuzzy heart on it but I wear it because it is super comfy,” senior Annie Raby-Holmes said. The seasonal trend makes it a shopping must have. Students have even began to have Christmas parties designed around their ugly sweaters. Even classes and clubs around campus have began to chime in on the trend, including leadership. Some students have even begun to wear Christmas sweaters because they are a seasonal craze in the fashion industry. “If you press a certain button it sings ‘Rockin’ around the Christmas tree’ and the Christmas tree has blinking ornament lights,” freshman Ashley Karman said. Most Christmas sweater owners recieve hand-me-downs from family members, including grandma and

friends. However many ugly sweaters are also bought at stores. Even department stores are joining the ugly sweater trend such as JCPenny. They even have a sweater saying “this is my ugly Christmas sweater.” This has become a best seller in the store, and has even been seen around campus. To celebrate the tacky sweater trend, students go to Ugly Christmas Sweater parties so they can earn notoriety for the tackiest Christmas gear. Some parties even are dedicated to making ugly sweaters using old sweaters, ornaments, glitter and Christmas tree lights. “My sweater has a huge Christmas tree on it with ornaments and stuff. The sweater also has real lights and a sound maker that plays Christmas carols. It’s pretty ugly and itchy but it wins the ugliest sweater award every

lifestyles Students kick off holiday sweater season with a merry start time,” junior Kassandra Mentlick said. Whether students wear their sweaters for parties, at home or school, they all agree ugly is fashionable. Looking foolish and festive has become very important for students during the holidays. “I’ve gone to thrift stores to find a diamond in the rough—the ugliest sweater. I love my sweater because it makes me feel like I’m snuggled in my bedroom covers,” freshman Hannah Windbigler said. During Christmas shopping, scavenge the racks for the frumpiest sweater. ’Tis the season to make the “Ugly Sweater” trend part of the holiday traditions such as baking cookies and decorating the tree.

Photo by Jake Arthur

SICKLEY SWEATERS. Sophomores Sierra Hittel and Chloe Macfarlane show off their ugly sweaters. Leadership held their annual ugly sweater party on Dec. 5

lifestyles

FOLLOW THE CYBER BRICK ROAD Traditional holiday shopping used to be a mall-based, crowd-fighting, family adventure, but with online shopping opportunities and bargains, people are following the Internet path to a stressfree, solitary shopping experience.

Graphic by Sophie Hill

Surviving Suburbia Why socialize when you can social network? Winnie Meyer

Reviews Editor

here was this one time I tried to have a semi-intelligent conversation with my friend, but her phone ended up being more important than looking at my face. Wait, I lied. This was not “one time.” This was every day since social networking became more meaningful than physical social interaction. People say the digital revolution has made us more “connected than ever.” Unless this connection is referring to the glue between our thumbs and our phones, I beg to differ. Over the past few years, the conversation to be texted, the intense fight to be tweeted and the jokes to be snap-chatted have become more important than looking up and enjoying human company. We no longer seek to meet new people; we seek to gain more followers on our Tumblr blogs. This social disease does not end here, however. As listening to each other has become too much of a distraction from tweeting about how the Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Latte was so totally life-changing, we have found a weapon to block this out as well: headphones. Why listen to someone gab in your ear when you can listen to the new Pentatonix cover your friend posted to Facebook for the ninth time? With these new “social tools” we invent, we are reversing social interaction. Our relationships with friends and family, they slowly begin to rust - like my car when I don’t wash it for three months. We are too nervous to start up a “real” conversation with the cute boy who scans our purchases at Target, so we Tweet a picture of him. We are too awkward to comment to the girl who sits on the couch next to us at Starbucks reading our favorite John Green novel, so we say nothing. Though our generation is more socially active than ever, we are also more socially disconnected, and it seems like nobody cares enough to actually say something about it. So sit in the darkness of your home, on your phone, avoiding eye contact with your sister, and slowly but surely letting yourself disappear from “rl.” But, hey, maybe in the process you can get a couple RTs about how this column is so totally not true.

Cyber Celebrations Sophie Hill

HJO Editor-in-Chief hile the spirit of giving during the holidays runs rampant, technology seems to facilitate the underlining trend of what students really desire; quick, inexpensive shortcuts. “Technology hasn’t necessarily made people greedy, but it has made them more lazy,” sophomore Diamond Rickenbacker said. “It takes away from doing something because we can sit around and have technology do stuff for us instead of us practicing our cultural traditions like the act of going out and shopping and seeing your friends and being with people.” However, has this trend of texting over talking and surfing the web instead of browsing store racks dampered the holiday spirit? Senior Jules Hilbert always shops on Cyber Monday and supports technology use because it helps her have a stress-free holiday season. “I celebrate Cyber Monday because I like to buy a lot,” Hilbert said. “I think the fact that it’s on the Internet just makes it easier and faster and cheaper, which is what everyone wants.” Because students and teachers have to deal with 18 weeks of stressful, seven-hour school days before the winter break, Cyber Monday is especially convenient. “I always shop online,” physics teacher Darlene Depalma said. “Cyber Monday is great because I hate crowds, [I] can find everything online for cheaper without having to go door to door so it’s easy to comparison shop, and of

course, they deliver right to your door.” And the efficiency and effectiveness of online shopping has only grown in recent years. With massive websites carrying thousands of name-brand items and smaller-company crafts perfect for meaningful gifts, options and odds are more favorable on the web. “I’m always running around from place to place and now, whenever I get a chance to sit down, I go online and shop,” junior Taia Gomez said. “I still put thought and effort into my gifts, but for a lot of people like me it’s easier to go online and know exactly what you’re going to get without having to run around more.” So whether or not recent technological shortcuts are detrimental to the holiday season seems to rest in the eyes of the holidays’ beholder “People may eventually value technological connections over personal connections, but personal connections will always be present,” Rickenbacker said. “[Technological] doesn’t replace personal, it just gets in the way of it. We can always call or text our friends or go shopping online, but eventually we may not have the passion to go out anymore.” But for now, wicked deals and selections on the seasons’ best buys through online shopping seems to be the best compromise between the season of giving and the season of cyberspace. “Online shopping is just so much easier and more efficient,” Depalma said. “I can just sit at home in my pajamas with a cup of coffee in front of the computer to shop.”

p u t p pump it up i p m u p pu

The science behind music and its effect on studying

Story by Spencer Thompson · Editor-in-chief Design by Ben Sorkin · Design Editor

dd a new item to the usual list of school supplies: headphones. With an increase in smart phones, students carry their music with them wherever they go. With this, working and studying while listening to music has become the new norm. Students claim that they cannot focus without music, as working without it comes with too many distractions. “Music just helps me focus and makes me way more productive,” senior Kelsea Johannes said. “I can only listen to music I know well though because then it’s just background and it doesn’t distract me.” Yet, with this necessity for music, the debate has risen over whether or not music truly does help one focus. While some students cannot work without it, other students like junior Ashley Perez cannot focus with music on. “I can’t listen to music when I study or do homework because I end up starting to sing along to the song, and I have song ADD where I can’t listen to an entire song,” Perez said. “I have to

change it before it’s finished. It just distracts me way too much.” While many students claim that music blocks out any distracting noises, most teachers say that it does the exact opposite by adding more noise and therefore more distractions. Many teachers do not let their students listen to music while working or studying. English I and AP Lang teacher Helen Reed is among those teachers against the common studying method. “What’s wrong with quiet? Why has quiet gotten such a bad rap over the years? Most students say they can’t study without listening to music,” Reed said. “This is simply an excuse to ease the pain of studying, unfortunately, without good results. A student is at his or her sharpest and can concentrate most effectively with quiet.” Research, however, reveals mixed results. A 2013 study by the University of Phoenix showed that music with lyrics tended to distract students, while classical or instrumental music actually improved the scores of the students. This phenomenon has been dubbed the Mozart Effect after a 1993 study showed that students performed significantly better on a spatial reasoning test after listening to 10 minutes of Mozart, versus studying in quiet or being lectured. Yet, after further

research, Francis Rauscher, the psychologist who discovered this phenomenon, stated that different music works for different people. While the Mozart Effect may work great for some people, the Beyoncé Effect may work better for others. It is this further research that has inspired AP Environmental Science teacher Marc Pooler to be selective in the music he chooses to play while his students are working or studying. “I know there’s certain times that music does distract you,” Pooler said. “If it’s too loud, too fast, etc., it psyches me out. So, I try to pick stuff that is calming, soothing and good.” The consensus is that different things work for different people. A 2010 study from the University of Wales showed no difference in the results of students who listened to music they like versus students who listened to music they did not like. The best way for one to find out if studying while listening to music is an effective studying method for him or her is to follow a trial and error method and see what works best. For junior Shannon Kelly, classical music is the answer. “It stimulates my brain to listen to classical music while I’m doing math,” Kelly said. “I could do my homework without the music, but it just makes the experience more enjoyable.”

A 2013 study conducted by the University of Phoenix showed that music with lyrics tended to distract students, while classical or instrumental music actually improved the scores of the students.

+30%

V “It stimulates my brain to listen to classical music while I’m doing math.” - Shannon Kelly

E M 0%

: t s : e the test: t e h t th

Three separate classes each took different quizzes on content unique to each class. They had five minutes to study for each quiz. For the first quiz, the students studied with no music. For the second quiz, the students studied while listening to classical music. For the third quiz, the students studied while listening to a contemporary pop song. Across the three classes, students scored significantly higher when classical music was played during study time. The difference between silence and contemporary music was insignificant, but both sets of results were almost 20 percent below the classical test.

+10%

TEST THREE: Contemporary pop -4.8% Avg.

+0.5%

E E

E -1.5%

TEST ONE: No Music -5.8% Avg.

TEST TWO: Classical music +13.8% Avg.

V MV M -8%

-10%

Key:

1 12 2 2 study

E w/ music

Mrs. Ellis Care & Prevention

Mrs. Malkovich Biology

Mr. Vaughn AP Psychology study w/ music

13 1 12

p u t p pump it up i p m u p pu

The science behind music and its effect on studying

Story by Spencer Thompson · Editor-in-chief Design by Ben Sorkin · Design Editor

A 2013 study conducted by the University of Phoenix showed that music with lyrics tended to distract students, while classical or instrumental music actually improved the scores of the students.

+30%

V “It stimulates my brain to listen to classical music while I’m doing math.” - Shannon Kelly

E M 0%

: t s : e the test: t e h t th

+10%

TEST THREE: Contemporary pop -4.8% Avg.

+0.5%

E E

E -1.5%

TEST ONE: No Music -5.8% Avg.

TEST TWO: Classical music +13.8% Avg.

V MV M -8%

-10%

Key:

1 12 2 2 study

E w/ music

Mrs. Ellis Care & Prevention

Mrs. Malkovich Biology

Mr. Vaughn AP Psychology study w/ music

13 1 12

student connection

POLL

Twitter Feed

Which of the following would you want as a present?

Holidays

A+ in your 30% hardest class Yearlong HW pass

46%

“Am I the only girl who does not want hundreds & hundreds worth of name brand junk for Christmas?” senior Savannah Courtney (@savcourtney) “My mom just ruined her surprise with one of my Christmas presents because she didn’t know how to ‘check out’ from Macy’s” senior Miranda Areclay (@only_miranda_)

UCF Hail Mary to Beat ECU “UCF LAST SECOND BABY!!!” junior Shane Hanson (@_hansonshane)

Jet pack

19%

Private Taylor Swift concert

100 people surveyed

Instagram Highlights

“Counted them out too early!” junior Logan Hearsey (@LoganHearsey)

Regional Cheer Champs “Congrats to @HagertyCheer1 on the regional win” senior Joey Schulz (@JoeySchulz_) “Love my team #regionalchamps #wefight” junior Shelby McCastlain (@Smccastlain)

@cassiehessx Seniors embrace the cold weather with winter clothes.

@Chris_carpy11 Recruited players stand proudly after the ceremony.

@Hunter_W Senior twins Hunter and Heidi show sisterly love.

Code Red Fire Drill

“#OGPullinFireAlarms” sophomore Josh Welden (@jay_welden)

“*sneezes during a code red*” junior Aliza Eubanks (@alizaeubanks)

@lesliegallagherr Band kids are all smiles after their concert.

@haleyklein_ Senior Haley Klein trains for her upcoming marathon.

@surfer_girl0831 Junior Emily Thompson enjoys Light Up UCF.

“No code red compares to @OwenConley2 phone going off last year” senior Ru Mucherera (@Ru_Mucherera5)

student connection

EXPRESSIONS Art

Rachel Morgan, 12 “I ride horses so I thought it would be cool to drip-paint the structure of a horse, and I love dragons so I added the wings.”

Poetry Time

Prithivraj Anandakumar, 12 Time stands still as I walk down the road towards the park. With the sky clear and the sun high in the sky. The sun, as bright as a baby’s smile, shines upon everything. Having rid the world of darkness, it stands tall among the stars. Time stands still as I walk among the trees. I feel the laughter as my friends echo within me, and the chirping of the birds rings in my ears. The two sounds seem to harmonize, and waltz across the plane, As time stands still. Time stands still as I see people smiling and kids playing tag.

I fly among the clouds, and when I look down, I still see their happiness. I feel free of all things as I soar along side birds above the trees and people, and their happiness makes me feel like I can do anything, as time stands still. Time stands still, as my teacher smacks a ruler across my desk. I awaken to her standing in front looking down upon me with malevolent eyes. As time stood still, I realized life was also but another dream. My heart lightens and wings sprout from my back. Kids laugh, and so I also begin to laugh.

YouTube music Eric Heston, 10 Heston’s posts focus on new skateboarding moves, including his first 360 flip. @Eric Heston. Rhiana Raymundo, 12 Raymundo posts different videos focusing on singing, dancing and montages. @Rhiana Raymundo.

McKenzie Fitzgerald,10 “I wanted to paint a type of fish because I think it’s relaxing to watch them swim, and I picked goldfish because of their bright colors.”

Matthew Workman, 12 Workman’s cover of “Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T’s can be found on his channel. @Matthew Workman.

Double Take

The battle for personality Kallie Delis

Staff reporter

emember how hilarious that Spongebob episode was when he lost his identity? We all giggled and subconsiously scolded our favorite sponge for being so foolish, but I think more respect was due. Not many people know what an identity crisis is. Allow me to enlighten you. For my entire life, my parents would tell my twin Emma and I that when we were extremely young, they would use a birthmark on the back of Emma’s head to identify who was who. Of course, once our hair grew in, they had to find differences in our features. And they did. Just a few years ago, we were discussing that very same topic. My mother wanted to try to locate the birthmark again, so she searched through Emma’s hair. For some reason, she could not find the mark. We all figured Emma’s hair was too thick, so we gave up. Until very recently, I completely forgot about the whole ordeal. One day I was bored in class and I ran my fingers through my hair. I felt something on the back of my head and my heart stopped beating. I was convinced that it was the birthmark, and if that was the mark then that meant… I was Emma. My life was a lie. Since then I have addressed my fear, watching home videos and scouring through baby pictures. Slowly, I realized that even as tiny tots Emma and I had our differences. I may not be able to ascertain which baby is which, but my parents can. They are as sure as parents could be that I am, and always have been, Kallie Delis. At any rate, it’s hard to establish a personality when everyone thinks you’re someone else. It’s not impossible, though. Emma and I have developed our own senses of self. She’s artistic; I’m better with writing. She wears bold articles of clothing while I live in t-shirts and jeans. We play video games together but for as long as I can remember, she’s picked Player One and I’ve picked Player Two. See this column’s twin by Adeline Davis online.

16 OUR TAKE

Social media becomes part of the problem

ne sentence. One sentence is all it took to throw this school into chaos. On Thursday, Nov. 13, 686 students were sent home because of a vague threat written on a bathroom wall. Yet, it wasn’t the sentence on the bathroom wall that caused the uproar. It was the first of many uninformed comments made on social media that sparked the fire that sent parents into panic, students into fear and administration into frustration. It was one comment made on social media that lead to hundreds of other comments. However, barely any of the comments made on social media were filled with any accurate information. And that is where the problem lies. With access to social media constantly growing, it has become increasingly easy for students to post anonymous, pointless and, most of the time, disruptive comments. Despite this, there is no serious punishment for posting these comments. Cite the first amendment, cite Twitter’s code of policy or cite your own logic; either way, anyone can post whatever they want usually without any consequence. It is this newfound freedom to post that has cause disorder not only in our school, but also in our country. The events surrounding Ferguson, Mo. and Staten Island, N.Y. are clear examples of this. Instead of using social media as a safe haven to express one’s opinion, social media most often adds to the problem. A problem that left cities destroyed and hundreds of protestors in jail. The same could be said about the threat here. Social media was much more of a problem than it was anything else. Through ill-informed tweets, a threat deemed nonexistent by the school and local authorities turned into a panic that effectively shut the school down for a half day and ended up with hundreds of parents packed into the front office trying to get their kids out of a harmless environment. Imagine if the threat had been credible. A real threat with 300 nervous, annoyed, panicking parents in the front office is a recipe for disaster. At the end of the day, social media did nothing but make a bad situation worse. Of course, social media will always be filled with drama and overreaction. The real key is the way we read these tweets and posts. If we choose to fuel the drama, such as what happened the day of the threat, unnecessary situations will be created. Yet, if we choose to be informed readers about the things we read on social media, we will be able to handle real adversity when it comes.

Back of the pack A comic by Alexis Dolnack

Hagerty High School

blueprint

the

opinions

The BluePrint is a student-produced newspaper in which the student editors make all content decisions. The newspaper belongs to the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association and the Florida Scholastic Press Association. Opinions expressed within the newspaper do not represent the staff’s views as a whole (except for the Our Take), the views of Seminole County Public Schools, or Hagerty High School’s administration and staff. For information about advertising in the paper, please contact us via one of the above methods. We reserve the right to reject any advertisement.

3225 Lockwood Blvd. Oviedo, FL 32765 Email: hagertyjourn@blueprint.com Phone: (407) 871-0750 Fax: (407) 871-0817

Editor-in-Chief Spencer Thompson

Lifestyles Editor Madeline Kemper

Floater Editor Jeannie Williams

Managing Editor Haley Gaeser

Reviews Editor Winnie Meyer

Online Editor-in-Chief Sophie Hill

Opinions Editor Jessica Jeffers

Online Managing Ed Katie Curley

Student Connection Adeline Davis

Photographer Jake Arthur

Graphics Editor Lauren Lee

Business Manager Maddie Garr

News Editor Daniella Parcell

Sports Editor Ben Clyatt

Design Editor Ben Sorkin

Twitter Editor Taylor Ferraro Staff Reporters Justin Baronoff Kallie Delis Courtney Dziewior Sarah Gibson Alex Grace Nathaniel Kauffman Jessica Ritchie Peyton Whittington Adviser Brit Taylor Principal Dr. Mary Williams

The young, the wild and the naked Haley Gaeser

Managing Editor

wrecking ball smashing through a wall- it used to symbolize construction equipment, but now when most people picture one, it’s attached to a very naked Miley Cyrus. For some strange reason, women in the music industry have brought it upon themselves to act like strippers in their music videos in order to come off looking “mature.” I am not sure who gave them that advice but clearly, they need to rethink their publicity choices. Individuality is one thing, but certain artists like Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna have gone too far and what is worse is that young children look up to them. In the “Wrecking Ball” video, Miley Cyrus is naked on a literal wrecking ball. The reason? Charlotte Church, a Welsh singer-songwriter against the sexism of the music industry, puts it into simple terms: “Take your clothes off, show you’re an adult.” Cyrus started out as the sweet and innocent Miley Stewart on her popular Disney Channel show Hannah Montana. Kids idolized her. They wanted to grow up to be just like her. Now, those same children are still acting like Cyrus, even after her drastic makeover from a sweet Tennessee native to an overly sexual, wild pop star. According to slideshare.net on the Chloe Ward media blog, one third of

parents have seen their children copy provocative dance moves they had seen pop stars perform and 80 percent of parents have seen their children sing or repeat sexual lyrics without realizing what their underlying meaning is. Miley Cyrus is not the only one to blame. In Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” music video, the main thing people see are butts. In fact, that really is the only thing seen. That and of course poor Drake awkwardly sitting in the chair while Nicki Minaj shakes her butt in his face. The point of so much booty in one video? No one will ever know, but imagine all the buttshaking children Minaj is creating world-wide. Even Rihanna has turned into some type of erotic star. In her latest music video for the song “Pour It Up,” she is literally a stripper. While most would think that throwing money at fellow strippers is enough, Rihanna takes it to next level by then twerking in a thong. Clearly there is some sort of common ground when it comes to stars and how they portray themselves in videos, with the message being “the more you show, the more you grow.” What a great thing to teach children. As the music industry becomes more sexualized, the image celebrities portray gets worse. It is one thing to come off looking a little sexy in a video or wear something slightly risqué, but what is the point in showing everything to the public?

I feel these celebrities have forgotten about their younger fans, fans who watch every video, see every award show, and go to every concert. To these kids, musicians are their role models, and a good role model does not prance around naked. While getting to the top may be easier while naked, it does not mean it is the correct way to portray yourself to the world. If anything, it would just be a heck of a lot colder. To contradict this persona of “success is based on the less clothes you wear,” Taylor Swift is a perfect example. She has made it to the top with nothing else but her amazing song lyrics and her fantastic voice. She has reached number one twice this year for two different songs, something that rarely happens, and is the only female artist to ever hit the one million firstweek figure twice since SoundScan began tracking actual sales in 1991. Sure she has twerked a little here and there and has not always worn the most conservative clothing, but she does this in a way that does not cross the boundary and go too far into the erotic zone. Music should make people want to sing along to the lyrics and dance to the songs in public without a single care in the world. It should make people feel inspired. It should be exactly what it is: music, not hypersexualized garbage. Artists need to focus more on what the impact of their songs will have on society and less on getting naked.

opinions

Hollywood in danger of super takeover Katie Curley Online Managing Editor

t is another beautiful day in Asgard—until Thor’s evil stepbrother, Loki, takes control. Thor becomes alienated, discovers an attractive female lead and while they become star-crossed lovers, the story climaxes into a fight to save the world where Thor prevails. With the bad-guy defeated, the hero must say goodbye to his mortal lover. But never fear, they shall be reunited in Thor 2, Thor 3 and possibly in the upcoming Avengers movie. Yawn. Every super-movie follows the same pattern; the good-guy defeats the bad-guy and the world is saved, usually throwing a lover into the mix to add drama. Sure, some minor changes might pop up during the two-hour production but this base formula has not changed. While shirtless heroes for the ladies and epic fights for the men make big profits, Hollywood is overdoing super-movies. According to Comics Alliance, more than 30 superhero movies will be produced showcasing both D.C. and Marvel heroes over the next five years. It is time for the movie industry to turn their sights towards a different, more original, profit maker. Superhero stories are easy to brainstorm, so when one comes out, a few sequels and occasionally a prequel are sure to follow. X-Men, the most overproduced super-movie ever, gave birth to an astounding seven movies, including a trilogy, two prequels, a sequel set immediately

after the trilogy ended and another sequel set in the future. Hollywood is so desperate to wring every dollar out of the favorite that at the end of X-Men: Days of Future Past, every character that died was brought back to life. Think that is overkill? Well, at least two more X-Men movies are expected to come out in the next three years. This excess of characters and their backstories complicates the storyline, and corrupts what started as a good movie. As resources and ideas are running low on the big heroes, lesser champions are being brought into the franchise. It seems that no super hero can escape Hollywood’s grasp as they throw darts to choose the next big-seller. These new creations are made to ride the coattails of bigger stars. Black Widow, for example, would be a “no-one-cares” hero if not affiliated with

The Avengers. Another use of the dart board is to find two heroes to pit against one another. Hero versus villain fights are just too predictable, so Hollywood decided to spice it up. The upcoming Batman v. Superman movie does just that. Stitching together two completely different champions to possibly fight in the next big seller is like pairing toothpaste with citrus; not a good combination. What is next? Thor v. Hulk? The movie industry is desperately grabbing onto anything with action and buff champions; to them, anything is a good idea. It is clear that Hollywood has stepped too far into their heroes’ fantasy world. In the end, it is ironic how the movie industry’s major source of power, mass producing super-movies, also turns out to be its kryptonite.

Staff Reporter

very other conversation around school is something along the lines of “that party was sooo Gucci,” or “omg RT, RT!” It is clear to see that accurately structured sentences are sorely out-of-use. One reason for this downfall of society is Vine. These mindless, six-second videos establish some of the most popular catchphrases of the school year. There’s even an app, called “Vine Sounds,” that provides the downloader with every famous Vine phrase out there. Students try to be nonchalant and play these recordings in the middle of class, but it is not the sneakiest move. A girl can only hear the chant of “21” so many times before she snaps, you know? Quotes from Vine also include “about a week ago” and “bae,” but believe me when I say that there are hundreds – if not thousands – more. I frequently catch my classmates spontaneously shouting “about a week ago!” for no apparent

C barks & bites D Jessica Jeffers

Opinions Editor

BARK to teachers who give students C Ahints about the type of questions that

will be on the EOC’s when going through reviews. Since we then have experience with the type of questions that will be on the test, it makes it easier to study and allows students to know the difficulty levels of the test. EOC’s are stressful, but when teachers give their students this advantage it honestly makes the difference between passing and failing.

BITE to teachers who lecture the D Awhole class. Even though we are

students and need to be prepared for college, which is mainly lecturing, it does not mean we learn the same way as them just yet. When a teacher stands in front of the class during a whole block period, the only thing that occurs is the use of Twitter and the occasional sleeping student. Sometimes we need to have breaks in lecture to stretch or even just to have a break from hearing a teacher talk for an hour and a half.

Graphic by Lauren Lee

Internet lingo no longer just for retweets

Kallie Delis

reason. Their excitement escalates when that phrase actually makes sense in a conversation. As for “bae,” well, its use is as unconscious as breathing. Whether describing celebrities, a major crush or an especially delicious sandwich, it is used so often that it might as well be an official word. But who could be stupid enough to propose that? Agreeing with someone or having the same opinion evidently prompts an onslaught of Twitter slang. To be quite blunt, I never asked for it. Even functions on the app have come into verbal prominence, like “fav,” instead of “favorite.” This is supposed to be an affirmation of some sort. “Retweet” or “RT” is a second culprit. Seeing as almost everyone who uses it reverts to the abbreviation version, it is the most thoughtless comment anyone could make. “RT” lacks taste and originality, as do all of these phrases. Why we cannot simply nod and appreciate intelligent conversation escapes me. Yet another unfortunate mantra has been sired by Twitter: “slide into the DMs.” This

unusual phrase is the equivalent of saying that you sent someone a direct message via Twitter. I do not understand how anyone can say it out loud without feeling like an idiot, though. According to countless students who avidly use the saying, “sliding into the DMs” is easier to get through their thick skulls than “sending a direct message” is. Does the world not remember the verbal atrocities from only two, if not three, years ago? Way back when that Vera Bradley backpack was “totes cool” and that kid sitting alone at lunch was a “complete noob.” You cringe now, regretting every use of words like these, but do you not realize that “bae” and “fav” are the new “totes” and “noob?” History is a vicious cycle. Presently, it is as if the virtual world has meshed with reality. I have a hard time understanding what anyone says anymore. Can the aforementioned abominations even be classified as English? And who are the masterminds behind these phrases? Slang every now and again is tolerable, but the last time I checked, I did not live in your Twitter feed.

to math teacher Heidi Grasso C AforBARK always being positive and nice to her students. Grasso has the ability to make anyone smile and cares about personal relationships with her students. She keeps a positive atmosphere in the classroom environment and makes math a more enjoyable experience.

BITE to the prom theme for this D Ayear. The Charlie and the Chocolate

Factory theme has caused some unrest within the senior class. Students think it seems too much like the Alice and Wonderland theme last year because both are about a whimsical, dreamlike state. Seniors are curious to see how it will be portrayed in this year’s prom.

BARK to the football team for a great C Aseason this year. Compared to last year’s record, the 2014 season had a 4-6 record bringing much attention to the team. Games like the one against Oviedo brought in huge crowds due to the increased hope from students and the student section. Although we lost the chance to go to districts, the boys played their best season in a while.

opinions

Makeup creates an unwanted double standard Adeline Davis Student Connections Editor

very day, girls are faced with two choices. One, they can wear makeup and be criticized for not possessing “the natural look.” Two, they can march outside barefaced and suffer stares and comments. In our society, this double standard to be simultaneously beautiful and natural restricts girls’ free will and lowers confidence levels. Advertisements showcase females with stunningly enhanced eyes and flawless skin, strongly promoting their makeup products. Meanwhile, another standard preaches the natural look, saying true beauty cannot be found in

mascara and eye shadow. This double standard is an demeaning concept. Girls should feel free to feel beautiful in whatever “look” they have on. “Makeup is kind of like art,” senior Anika Glick said. “It’s an accessory. Women shouldn’t be judged for having makeup because it’s their choice whether or not they want the accessory.” According to Mandalynacademy. com, 82% of women surveyed believe wearing makeup makes them feel more self- confident. With this statistic in mind, wearing makeup should not be exaggerated into appearing to be such a crucial decision. It should be viewed as something fun that girls should feel free to wear.

BARKING

MAD

This being said, natural look advocates often view makeup as a crutch for girls to lean on. In reality, it simply enhances one’s appearance. Similar to guys wearing hair gel, it compliments what people already have. Why is it so bad for girls to wear something which makes them feel more confident? In order to test her confidence level, senior Cara Petrullo went for the whole month of November makeup free. Her experience started out as negative, but grew more positive as the month continued. “At first I felt really insecure when I wasn’t wearing makeup,” Petrullo said. “I came really close to putting on mascara.” As Petrullo progressed through

her no- makeup challenge, she found that her outward confidence greatly increased from what it was at the beginning of the month. However, she continues to feel better when she is wearing makeup. Petrullo’s reaction is completely understandable. Natural look advocates frequently claim that girls develop unhealthy attachments to their makeup, but according to smartgirl.org, more than half of women surveyed said they would never consider wearing permanent makeup. This statistic alone proves makeup is not an obsession; it is simply a confidence boost. Through her experience, Petrullo pointed out that having the natural look acts as a confidence boost

“I dislike how school has turned from learning into cramming.” -Rachel Wachtel, 11 “I hate how upperclassmen have to associate with lowerclassmen.” -Joey Schulz, 12 “It bothers me that we don’t have enough time in between classes to get to our lockers.” -Will Kelven, 10 “I hate how the school requires the girls lacrosse team to wear helmets because I have to pay for them.” -Caitlyn Schoaff, 12 “I hate how some teachers don’t seem to care at all about you.” -Anne-Marie Watson, 10

Barking Mad is a collection of short submissions about things that tick students 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.

“I hate when teachers have no reason to be mean and they give you bad grades for stuff you actually did.” -Jordan Hilton-Brown, 12 “If you mess up just the slightest bit in high school, it can affect your entire future.” -Ashley Barnes, 9

as well. For Petrullo, wearing the natural look for a month reassured her that people liked her without any of makeup’s enhancing qualities. Her experiment gave her the confidence to rock both looks, something all girls should feel free to do. Both Petrullo and Glick encourage free expression. In four years, Glick has only gone to school without makeup one time. In order to break the double standard, people must start viewing makeup as a choice that is up to the individual. It is ridiculous to see a standard which demands for girls to stop wearing something which makes them feel better. It is their face, after all. In the end, they get to decide what to do with it.

“There’s no difference in lessons. Always PowerPoints then classwork. The teachers are nice and all, they just don’t make math exciting whatsoever.” -Harper Robertson, 10 “I hate that GPA is based on letter grade only. So I could get an 89.4 and it would show the same as someone with a 79.5.” -Isaac Sprang, 12 “I don’t like the attendance policy because sometimes you just want to sleep in or just go home.” -Ashley Howard, 10 “I really dislike when the students leave trash and they litter around campus. Also I don’t like it when fights break out over petty reasons.” -Amanda Heinzmen, 9 “I don’t like how the school board’s wifi blocks out many websites and apps. It makes me feel like the school doesn’t trust the students to be safe and focused.” -Ronnie Navicky, 12 “I hate how school makes me stay up until the crack of dawn doing homework, only lets me sleep for three hours, and then makes me go to school with my eyes half closed.” - Brianna Baez, 11

reviews Park Avenue is filled with

Shopportunities

19 In the midst of rich college student dorms and the Central Florida’s elderly oasis of excessive spending, Park Avenue brings forth a broad range of shopping opportunities for the average teenager. Morse Museum of American Art: A must-see while on the Park Ave route, admission to the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art is free on Fridays from 4-8 p.m. until April. Carve out a good two hours or so to fully appreciate the gallery’s stunning Tiffany glass collection. Price range: $1 admission for students The Park: The center of Winter Park, the park of Park Avenue is spacious and friendly to visitors of all ages. Though dogs are not allowed, the park provides for a wide range of activities and events, from picnics to watching the Sun Rail roll by. The Spice and Tea Exchange of Winter Park: The Exchange’s aromatic, specialty tea blends are like siren calls to any tea connoisseur. Pair any one of their gourmet loose leaf teas with a good book and a rainy day for a perfect evening. Price Range: $5-$30 Peterbrooke Chocolatier: From potato chips to popcorn to graham crackers, Peterbrooke Chocolatier offers both the sweet and the salty, smothered in the shop’s own chocolate. For the holiday season, gift boxes of chocolate and peppermint-flavored creations are available for purchase, along with the shop’s usual array of chocolatecovered popcorn and hand-dipped pretzels. Price range: $2-$30 Smart Coffee HD: With free wifi and no set closing time, Smart Coffee incorporates local, organic ingredients into a menu of sandwiches, soups and coffee for anyone to enjoy. The Veggin’ Out wrap, available for both breakfast and lunch, will satisfy hungry herbivores, while the option of chicken and waffles provides a heavier morning meal. Price range: $5-$15 Paris Bistro: After opening the door to Paris Bistro, customers are faced with a long stone hallway equipped with coy ponds. Paris Bistro is home to a restaurant, a café and a boutique that all carry the name, food and style of their homeland. However, if you do not wish to spend $3 on a macaroon or $103 on a dress, feel free to sit inside and escape the heat. Price Range: Café: $2-10 Restaurant: $15-20 Rocket Fizz: The sugared goods and round-the-clock 50s sockhop tunes of Rocket Fizz are sure to delight those with a sugar tooth. Foreign treats, vintage sweets and retro beats are abundant at this confectionery hot-spot. Price Range: $5-$20 Writer’s Block Book Store: Smaller than the average bookstore chain, Writer’s Block is quiet and quaint - the perfect place to find a classic or indie novel. Complete with cushion chairs in its genre rooms, Writer’s Block is a great location to read, sip tea and chat with the owner about his nerd shirts and lanyards. Price Range: $4-15 Reviews by Winnie Meyer, Daniella Parcell and Peyton Whittington Graphic by Lauren Lee

reviews

A prescription for taste Taylor Ferraro

Photo by Taylor Ferraro

TAKE THE ELEVATOR UP To enjoy tasteful food, customers must locate this elevator, the first step in finding the Pharmacy.

Twitter Editor

lthough most people are confused by the name, The Pharmacy, an American styled restaurant located in Dr. Phillips, serves nothing you can get over the counter. It is a unique experience that only one restaurant can pull off. Getting there is part of the adventure, however the address, 8060 Via Deliagio in Orlando is not the true address; it is just the shopping center where the restaurant is located, but hidden. It is a treasure hunt, but without a map. When customers arrive at the shopping center, after a careful search, they finally approach an elevator door. With the simple press of a button, the dim lighted and quaint restaurant appears in the rustic door frame. With such an interesting tactic, the creators do a great job

A little love for Bar Louie Alex Grace

Staff Reporter

ith cheese oozing out and a layer of breadcrumbs coating the top, Bar Louie’s mac and cheese alone is worth the visit. This is one of the many appealing menu items offered at the newly constructed restaurant with a pub-like style at the UCF location. There are eight locations in Florida, but the closest one to Central Florida is on the intersection of Alafaya Trail and Universtiy Boulevard in the new shopping plaza. With many flatscreen televisions and indoor/outdoor seating, Bar Louie is the perfect setting for watching a Sunday game. The menu fulfills any craving, from loaded chicken nachos to the succulent combination of blackberries, oranges, cheese and crispy lettuce. A favorite of Bar Louie’s customers is the Backyard Barbeque Burger, which includes crispy onion rings, gooey American cheese and two thick slices of

bacon. If you are not carnivorous, the vegetarian portabella mushroom burger is topped with queso, roasted red peppers, fresh spinach, pesto mayo and ripe tomatoes, is a great alternative option. When in the mood for a Bar Louie original, try the fried egg and bacon sandwich. This is topped with lettuce, tomato, creamy swiss cheese and includes a side of tater-tots. Bar Louie has dishes that range from $9 to $18, making it not necessarily the cheapest menu around, but with the many specials, it can still be a bargain. When dining in, half-price flatbreads and appetizers are offered from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Monday through Friday and Bar Louie offers burgers for $5 on Tuesdays from 5 p.m. to close. While Bar Louie receives a lot of attention from neighboring UCF, it is not as chaotic as expected. There are many college students, but there are still many families and teens there. While people consider a bar not family-friendly, Bar Louie offers options for all ages. When you sign up for the free

membership club, e-mails will be sent to the members and they will receive special promotions on food such as free appetizers or discounted drinks. If working on a last-mintue gift this holiday season, Bar Louie gift cards make a great addition to any present. Bar Louie plays an active role on social media, between Facebook and Twitter, making it more accessible. On social media pages, Bar Louie posts information about upcoming deals and events, along with new food added to the menu. Bar Louie works to preserve and promote the local experience but still maintains a franchise business. Between the cozy yet elegant interior, amazing food and great atmosphere make Bar Louie worth the visit. Whether it is a casual evening with the family or a night out with your friends, Bar Louie is an excellent option for any of your dinner or lunch needs.

Bar Louie

going against the status quo. The Pharmacy stands out by refusing to put down a definite address. Where most restaurants want the publicity and spotlight, The Pharmacy prefers to stay within the dark confines of an elevator. Another contrasting characteristic is that the name of the restaurant is based upon their bar, but even though they are known for their specialty drinks, the food surpasses all expectations. With a simple elegance, the restaurant provides a small menu, but all done to perfection. The clam pasta, $21, held a perfect balance of spicy and savory infused with the natural flavors of seafood, leaving my mouth hot, but my stomach satisfied. The waygu burger, $13, was a decadent piece of meat rolled in your choice of cheese which made it an appetizing specialty. Although the burger size is small, the flavor it provides is substantial. Both of them are must-have dishes.

NATEflix

Along with their original and classic dishes, the restaurant also serves some different and peculiar cuisine. The bone marrow and the cooked octopus were the most distinct dishes I found. Although I did not try them, the people around me claimed they were odd, but delicious. The only one major downfall is, unfortunately, the monetary values that match the incredible food. My first choice was a seafood medley, but its price-tag chased me away. A $34 bill for a mixture of grouper and scallops was enough to leave me and my wallet in utter shock. It might take a little saving to eat there, but it is definitely worth it. Overall, the ingenious and innovative restaurant has impeccable food, and the journey to get to The Pharmacy is just as memorable as the dining in it. It is an experience that everyone will want to have.

The Pharmacy

Nathaniel Kauffman Staff Reporter

MOVIE TO WATCH - World War Z

Although Brad Pitt does seem to be near the end of his career, World War Z is without a doubt one of his best. In a stereotypical zombie plot, action and suspense set it apart and made the movie very enjoyable. This is not a movie for the weak; I was a little freaked out when the zombies chained together and reached a flying helicopter. Something about smart and fast zombies does not sit well with my apocalyptic strategies.

MOVIE TO AVOID - 3 Days to Kill

This is one of the worst Nateflix movies of all time. The intro looked like an iMovie creation, and the filming was strange, with angles all over the place and low class editing. The movie was confusing. I spent half the film trying to figure out who the heck the “Albino” was, only to be wrong. The plot involved a cancer-diagnosed agent who was let go from the FBI, only to be requested for a special mission for his illness’s antidote. The story line was good enough to make me finish the movie, but the ending was not fulfilling. I don’t exactly know how it’s possible for a movie to feel rushed, but at the same time be two hours long.

SERIES TO GET HOOKED ON - Psych

If you enjoy comedy and/or delicious flavors, you need to be watching Psych. With Dule Hill starting as Burton “Gus” Guster and James Roday starring as Shawn, this tag team is one of the most formidable in all of television. Shawn is a fake psychic who has a gift for crime solving. To the public, he “miraculously” solves crimes, but in reality, he sneaks onto the scene and examines it himself. The show has it all: the plots become twisted while the comedy keeps you laughing. There is really no better way to watch Netflix than to watch Psych.

sports

Running to the end of the season Jessica Ritchie

Staff Reporter

iles of training paid off for the cross country team who competed at the state competition on Nov. 15, ranking the girls team 13th out of 24 schools in 4A. The team placed sixth at regionals, which allowed for them to qualify for finals. “At regionals, we were seeded eighth and finished sixth to qualify for the state finals after posting some of our best times of the year at the right time of the year,” head coach Jay Getty said. Getty’s goal this season was to develop the team more as a whole, with the team spending more time improving for the regional meets than thinking about the long term goal of states. “This group started the year as a rebuilding project, so our goal was to

develop as a team,” Getty said. The goal for next season is to build on times from this year to create better mileage times and provide an injury free season. At states the girls team had a total time of 1:42:20. Seniors Alexa Serino (21:23.0), Haley Klein (20:26.0) and Olivia Dansereau (22:01.0) each broke their personal records on their five kilometer run. “I [broke my] personal record, and that’s all you can ask for,” Dansereau said. Junior Andrew Stivers was the only runner who went to the states competition from the boys team. Stivers took the opportunity of being the only male runner to get to states this year, and set a school record while doing so with a time of 16:09.5, placing 12th, only 53 seconds behind the lead time. “It was pretty exciting for me to reach the school record by having

sports shorts

JV BOYS SOCCER BEATS LAKE MARY On Monday, Dec. 8 the boys junior varsity soccer team won over Lake Mary at home, 4-0. Goals were scored by sophomores Scott Benoit and Dylan Lombardo with one each, followed by an own goal and a 10th season goal for freshman Jordan Snoap. The team is now 9-0-1 overall and will play Seminole on Oct. 10. BOYS JV BASKETBALL LOSES TO OVIEDO The boys junior varsity basketball lost 72-61 on Dec. 5 against Oviedo. Guard Damien Marquez had 23 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds. The team is now 2-1 and will play Lake Brantley on Wednesday, Dec. 10. BOYS WRESTLING PLACES SEVENTH On Saturday, Dec. 6, the boys varsity wrestling team visited University (OC) for the Clash of the Titans tournament. The team was powered by sophomore Derek Dibernardo and senior Zach Larison, who both finished first .They finished seventh overall. The team will participate in the Johnny Rouse Invitational next on Sat., Dec. 13. GIRLS CHEERLEADING TOPS UCA CHAMPIONSHIP The girls varsity and JV cheerleading squads competed in the UCA Central Florida Regional Championship on Saturday, Dec. 6. Varsity placed first out of three teams and JV placed second out of six teams. This gives both JV and varsity a bid to Nationals later in the year. Varsity will need to compete in a tournament in January to qualify for states.

people push me,” Stivers said. Before the race, coach Getty gave a inspirational speech to his runners about trying to focus during their race. “When we got to the hotel and we sat down and realized as a team that we made it to the biggest meet of the season,” sophomore Nicolette Worrell said. Realizing that it was the last race of the season, the runners had to face the reality a dream season coming to a close. “It’s sad because you spent so much time with everybody and then it just comes to an end,” freshman Morgan Moranend said. The team is glad for the much needed rest, but also wished to continue the good season. “It’s sad that it’s over just because you cannot continue to run with everyone, but it’s fun because it was such a good season,” Dansereau said.

photo by Jake Arthur

MAY THE COURSE BE WITH YOU. Junior Andrew Stivers competes in the Hagerty Invitational on Sept. 13. Stivers placed 12th out of 98 male runners. The girls as a team finished ninth out of 18 schools, while the boys placed 11th out of 18.

sports

Boys basketball looks to rebound from last season Justin Baronoff

Staff Reporter

ast year, the boys varsity basketball team lost in the district semifinals to Spruce Creek, finishing 15-12 overall. This year, the team returns to the court, hoping to be better. Two years ago, the team won the state championship, and beat South Miami, 54-44. “We want to repeat,” head basketball coach Josh Kohn said. “The group of guys this season wasn’t accomplished anything yet, so […] I hope they stay hungry and make a name for themselves.” The team is currently 3-2, beating Deland, (71-35), Lyman, (76-60), and Seminole, (66-47), but has had two tough losses, one against Seminole by 6 to open the season, and the other to Oviedo on Dec. 5 by 10. “We just have to be smart and stay with the game plan,” junior

guard Alex Keel said. “We’re pretty confident, even though we haven’t done much yet. A lot of people are doubting us, so that has given us a lot of motivation.” The team still has two more games against Oviedo, including the annual Hoops 4 Heart game on Dec. 13, plus games against Winter Springs, Lake Brantley, and Spruce Creek during the season. Through five games, junior forward Denzel Mahoney has been the team’s leading scorer, averaging almost 23 points per game. “I think [my scoring] will contribute a lot,” Mahoney said. “I know I’m becoming a leader, but we just have to play hard as a team.” The team has only five returning players from last year’s team. With three sophomores and one freshman, this is the youngest group of players in the team’s history. “It’s tough losing a lot of seniors, but I believe the young guys will

bring potential,” senior Isiah Domino said. Among the inexperienced new players is freshman Grant Greene. Greene, a point guard, provides an edge to passing in the game. So far during the season, the underclassmen are not playing much, but that is subject to change. “[The underclassmen] are going to play some, but you’ll probably watch with me what they do out there,” Kohn said. “In practice they’re doing really well, picking up everything, but at 7:30, it’s a whole different ball game.” The team played at Lake Brantley on Dec. 10. “Lake Brantley has John Mooney, who is a junior [that is] already committed to UF, so he’s probably the best player in our district,” Kohn said. To get the score of the Lake Brantley game and more, go to www. hagertyjourn.com.

photo by Jake Arthur WORTH A SHOT. Senior forward Isaac Nze makes the contact layup against Deland. The team won, 71-35, with junior forward Denzel Mahoney scoring 22 points.

sports

Girls soccer finds team chemistry

Photo by Angel Norris

HEADS UP. Ru Mucherera heads the ball in a loss to Oviedo. Mucherera is the team’s leading scorer.

Ben Clyatt

Sports Editor fter a heartbreaking 1-0 loss against Oviedo eliminated the girls soccer team from the playoffs last year, the team has

looked to continue the trend of strong play over the few seasons. The team finished last season with a 21-5-4 record, and went 12-2-1 in the district, earning them a top 100 ranking in the nation. However, the girls have gotten off to a bumpy start so far this season, and are currently sitting at a 6-6-1 overall record and are 4-3 in their district. The team won their first game this season against Lake Howell, 2-0, with junior striker Meghan Precord scoring both goals. They lost their next game against Bishop Moore, 7-3, and the team has yet to string together two wins in a row, but has not lost two in a row either. The alternating wins and losses were only interrupted by a 0-0 tie against Ponte Vedra five games into the season. The tough start could be explained by the absence of last season’s seniors. The girls lost five seniors from last year’s team, and replacing them has proved to be a challenge. “We are a lot younger team. Last year, we had more seniors and only three underclassmen. This year, we have way more freshmen and sophomore than last year,” Precord said. The team this year has seven underclassmen, and they are working to find the team chemistry

they have had in past seasons. “[We have played well] together as a new team. Even though the chemistry isn’t 100 percent there, we still work together well for a new team,” senior forward and team captain Ru Mucherera said. The night before every home game, the girls have a big team pasta dinner together to raise the team chemistry. “We usually all sit around a table and laugh about everything, [and] talk for as long as we want until people have to leave, and [we] usually talk about who we are playing the next day,” senior right back and team captain Alanah Lebl said. Despite the setbacks, the team has faced, they continue to try and fight through. Their motto this season has been “no limits, know victory.” “It means ‘leave everything on the field, no matter what.’ If you play five minutes or the whole game, play like it’s a championship,” Lebl said. “In order to know victory you must not set a limit for yourself.” The team plays their next game Dec. 11 at Seminole. To get the score of the that game and more, go to www.hagertyjourn.com.

Bowling strikes success at states Sarah Gibson

Staff Reporter fter a series of successful seasons, the bowling teams continued to showcase their talent, boasting a third place finish for the girls and a second place finish for the boys at the state championships. “Our team has been improving year after year,” senior Emma Maxwell said. “Coming back to states was a great experience because we were able to compete and win against teams that have beaten us in the past.” During the state tournament, the girls qualified second overall in the preliminary round of the tournament. After beating Martin County, the girls needed to beat Merritt Island, the team who had beaten them a day before in the tournament, to make it into the championship round. The girls missed the championship round by eight pins and finished third place in the state. “One of the struggles is that the girls had zero substitutes,” head coach Adam Stansbury said. “Most teams carried eight girls, but we only had five, forcing us to survive the entire

tournament with the same girls we’ve had all year long.” The boys team defeated Winter Park in the first round of the state tournament. They also defeated Bayside, the number one seeded team, to advance. After a loss to Apopka, the team dominated University Orange City with eight strikes in a row, leading them to face Apopka again for a shot at the state title. The team took the defending champions to the fifth game in a best-of-five match, but fell in the last game and ended their season second in the state. “Whenever someone had a low score individually, the entire team backed them up and we made sure they didn’t beat themselves up over it,” senior Brandon Dishman said. “We had a great attitude and didn’t sweat small losses.” Leading up to the state tournament, both the girls and boys teams had a successful regular season, finishing 15-1, which earned them the title of conference champions. For the first time in school history, both girls and boys teams were also district champions. “Part of our success is due to the fact that we focused on the games ahead of us, without

looking back on previous games whether they were wins or losses,” Dishman said. Despite the team’s success during the regular season, there was pressure to improve their performance record at the state level meets. In 2012, the boys placed second in the district and sixth in the state, while the girls finished third in the district. In 2013, both teams displayed records of 13-1 and the girls attended the state tournament, but did not place. With much improvement, both of the teams now hold top three finishes at states. “All of the boys and girls played a pivotal role in making the championship teams,” Stansbury said. “Their team chemistry is just awesome.” After a successful season with record finishes, many team members agreed that it all came down to chemistry and staying positive during challenges. “Our team is a lot different than other schools we compete against,” Stansbury said. “We are always cheering for team success rather than individual success, and that’s what sets us apart.”

Ben vs. Kohn in the zone vs. Coach Kohn Ben Clyatt Sports Editor fter an 0-2 start to the year, I needed to shake things up. I was struggling heavily with student-athletes, so the solution was clear: no more students. Now, the only sport I’ve ever actually played is basketball. I knew if I wanted to guarantee a win, I had to not only take on a coach, but also take them on in basketball. Head basketball coach Josh Kohn was the best choice to guarantee my victory. Kohn has a legacy from his playing days at Lake Howell. He once scored 48 points in a game, and is one of the all-time school leaders in three-pointers made and career points, so, naturally, I challenged a great shooter to a game of HORSE. I had to have an advantage to make things fair. I got to spell out HAGERTY, while Kohn got HUSKY. My first mistake was letting him go first, but Kohn thankfully missed. For my turn, I went to the left wing and tried to bank it in. Of course, I missed, and Kohn never missed a shot again. He was locked in. I was legitimately scared, as I did not hear a single word out of him. His expression was completely blank. It wasn’t like Kohn was making left handed half court shots with his eyes closed and his back to the basket. No, all he did was shoot set mid-range jumpers from about 15 feet out. Everything was a perfect swish. He was a machine. Kohn was flying through his spots like he had carefully picked them out long before the game. My shots were barely through the net and he was already taking his next one and moving to the next spot. Half the time, I wasn’t even sure exactly where he shot it from, because by the time I got my rebound he was already on the move to his next spot. I’m assuming Kohn made about 35 shots in a row, and I made 28 of 35, a solid 80 percent. Kobe Bryant, an NBA great, only shoots 45 percent for his career. I was basically almost twice as good as Kobe Bryant, but it wasn’t enough, and Kohn skunked me. I was doing my best to keep up, but, despite what most people want you to believe, sometimes your best just isn’t good enough. I can’t even make any excuses this time. I legitimately lost. Kohn was the better player, and I just can’t help but think that if I had played a student, I would’ve won. Record: 0-3

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Girls teams continue to be successful Maddie Garr

Photo by Jake Arthur

LIFTING OFF. Sophomore Ciana Revak competes in a girls weightlifting meet. The team is currently 6-0 on the season, one of the many girls teams to show success in recent years.

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onder Woman, Katniss and the mom from the Incredibles; these women are all strong, but even they would have a hard time making a female varsity sports team at Hagerty. The female athletes have been creating a name for themselves lately. Head softball coach David Stone coached the girls to their first district championship two years ago, and made it to states last year. Even though they finished as runner ups, the girls accomplished a lot, with three players named to All-State teams: Alex Miller, Samantha Worrell and Kiley Dechau. “Our girls are competitive in everything they do. They are hungry for wins, yet humble enough to know they have room for improvement,” Stone said. Athletic director and cross country coach Jay Getty coaches girls as well as boys. He thinks the main difference between the two is the ability to follow directions. “Throughout my career I have found that girls follow directions

better than boys. Girls do not question what I ask of them, they just do it,” Getty said. This year marks the ninth time since 2005 that the girls cross country team has made the state finals. Volleyball, on the other hand has never made it to states, but what they have done in districts and regionals the past two years has never been done in the team’s history. They made it all the way to the regional semifinals, losing to University Orange City, who finished top four in the state. The freshman volleyball girls lost only one match, and the JV team went undefeated. Varisty finished as the first seed in the district. “I think one of the main reasons why the girls are so successful is because they play all year around. Every one of them played club and most of them played together so they are comfortable playing with each other,” coach Juanita Hitt said. That is what sets female athletes apart from female athletes at other schools: opportunity and competition. At schools outside of Seminole County, opportunities to play club are not as common. Programs such as OVA, Metro Orlando Volleyball,

TBVA, and more allow the volleyball girls to continue to develop skills year around. Competition, along with opportunity, is another reason why the girls programs excel so much. Sports such as volleyball, who are supposed to be no cut programs, are forced to cut due to large amounts at tryouts. With a lot of options, it is easy for the coaches to put together successful teams. Teams such as bowling, soccer, water polo and golf have all been very successful in the past couple of years as well. This year, the girls bowling team finished third in the state, and the girls golf team made it to the FHSAA Regional 2 championship. There, senior Meghan Fernander shot an 85, to lead the girls to a fifth place finish. With so much success a lot of the coaches agree that they enjoy coaching girls. “I love coaching girls because of their willingness to change, dedication to the game and ability to bond with each other. The word ‘team’ means something to my girls, and I’m grateful to be a part of it,” Stone said.

Boys soccer looks to defense Nathaniel Kauffman Staff Reporter llowing one goal per game and earning three shutouts, the story of this season for boys soccer has been defense. Although the team has a below average scoring year, the defense has kept them in many games. “It has been a lot harder to score this year,” junior captain Dylan Chopra said. “But our defense is lock-down, and if we can just get that one goal, we feel like when can win any game.” A hurdle this team has faced is the absence of the many star players from last season. The team lost 12 seniors, of them, the leading scorer and goalie. They must not only lean on this year’s seniors, but also veteran juniors like Chopra and Alex Boyd, who hold positions of leadership. “I like it. It’s a big responsibility

and now we need to talk a lot more and go from being yelled at to yelling at other people,” Boyd said. “We knew it was going to be hard losing all those seniors, but we really haven’t played a game yet that has been out of reach.” The team has had its ups and downs this season, from a 5-0 win over New Smyrna to a 3-2 loss to Lake Howell where the team gave up the most points this season. Last year’s team earned the best record in school history. The players, however, do not feel pressured by it, and rather use it as motivation to get to that level. “We did very well last year, but with this core of players and this coach, the system is the same,” junior defender Shay Leatherman said. The good news for this team is that there are no teams monumentally ahead in the district this season.

The division is spread out in terms of records, but all games have been relatively close. The team suffered a 1-0 loss to Oviedo, the division leader, but has also tied them. And due to the playoff system, all teams make the playoffs, therefore all teams have a shot to move on. “It can work out for us, if we can get higher up in the table we can play an easier team,” Chopra said. “We have some tricks up our sleeve for districts, some plays and strategies that we can use to propel us to the next level where it really matters.” The record is average, with the team currently sitting at 4-6-3 and 2-5-3 in the district. They face big challenges ahead but they are ready. “We have been getting better every game and going in we knew it wouldn’t be easy, but as long as we continue to fight, we can go just as far as anyone else,” Boyd said.

Photo by Angel Norris

CLEARING THE COMPETITION. Senior defender Randy Santana clears the ball in the game against Lake Brantley on Nov. 21. The team ended the game in a 0-0 tie. Senior goalie Andrew Yoches finished the game with eight saves.