Red & Black
Florida’s first high school newspaper Hillsborough High School 5000 N. Central Ave. Tampa, Fla. 33603 Volume 113, No. 5 April 2013
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Confronting insecurities pgs. 8-9
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News
April 2013
Assistant principal will venture to China this summer
What The theme for Relay For Life is movies, each team will pick a different movie to represent.
Who Relayers who raise $100 can spend the night, but others can participate until 11 p.m
When Friday, April 5 Begins at 6 p.m
Where Chelo Huerta Field
“I’ve never done it before, but I think staying overnight at school is going to be really fun. I think it’s going to be the best part. It’s a good cause, my grandfather had cancer.”
Kathy Xie 9 “I relay for not only the cause of fighting cancer but also to show my students that even if something is out of your control, you can still make a differences somehow.”
“Actually my mom works for the American Cancer Society so I get to go to other schools relays also. This is a major reason I relay. I also am getting required service hours.”
“I relay because it is an incredibly fun way to raise money for cancer, which is a very worthy cause.”
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“Recently one of my good friend’s mother passed away from cancer I want to relay to support her. She doing relay at her school but I feel I should as well.”
Jordan Angel 11
For many Relay For Life is more than just a fun night to spend with friends, it is an oppurtunity to raise money for family members who have cancer and to remember those who have been lost to the disease. Several students and faculty members share their reasons for why they are attending Relay For Life.
Klein will be travel 8,365 miles to Chengdu, China where he will instruct students about music. (Graphic by Nadiya Fakhar)
Maria Gonzalez
By Holly Schroeder Staff Writer
Chengdou, China Chengdu, China
Jules Hurley 11
Students, staff Relay for a cause
being a conservatory, I’m assuming they’re really talented students, so it’s going to be nice to work with them.” Although this is JINSHA’s fifth year, it’s unsure if it will continue again next summer. If it does, Klein said he will become a representative for Hillsborough County.
Dory Rosenthal 10
For many of us, summer vacation means two months of time to relax at home. For Assistant Principal Jeremy Klein, it means a 24-day excursion across the globe to Chengdu, China. Klein will be attending the JINSHA Music Festival this summer. The festival is a partnership with the SiChuan Conservatory of Music in Chengdu. While there, the former music teacher will “get back to his roots” and
have the opportunity teach music students about music and music theory. “It hasn’t sunk in yet that I’m going to go to China for 24 days,” he said. Klein, who has never been to China or studied its language, is excited for the new experience. “I’m jumping in feet-first,” he said. “I’m most looking forward to doing the unexpected. I think being specifically in Chengdu and having the immersion of their culture is going to be great,” he said. “Musically speaking, it
Amanda Glenz 12
By Nikki Ferrera Life Editor
“I’m going to do Relay for Life this year because my mom now has cancer. I want to help raise money so maybe one day they can find a cure for it.”
News Future graduation requirements may
April 2013
The great escape By Samantha Votzke Sports Editor Mysterious happenings occur on campus during the witching hour recently: Houdini escaped from his cage. Houdini is an aptly named five-foot long ball python who spent a weekend slithering up and down the first floor hallway. Houdini was able to coil himself against the door on the top of his cage and push off the lamp that was set on top of it. The snake slithered out of his cage which was all caught on video footage, which “gave me goosebumps,” said science teacher Lindsey Rehmann. The discovery that the snake
was missing met first disbelief then abject horror from Rehmann and her students. Upon hearing that Houdini had escaped, Ametller became a man with a mission -- to find the snake, no matter what. “I said, ‘I have to go find him,” and I started searching the hallway,” Ametller said. Only minutes had passed before the miraculous happened. Ametller walked back into class, Houdini in hand. The snake had been wedged between the door and wall in the first floor hallway leading towards the teacher parking lot. “When I found him, he was hissing and upset,” Ametller said.
remove math and science courses By Chrissy Geshel Editor in Chief
Senior Guillermo Ametller with Houdini, the ball python, after he found the snake. (Photo courtesy of Ametller) The snake is currently residing at Rehmann’s home -- in a securely locked cage.
Last year, 42 percent of students taking the Algebra I End of Course exam failed. Many of Florida lawmakers believe that science and math courses should be removed for students who are not planning on going to college. The classes for students on the non-college track would be called industry-certification programs. Students in such a program would be able to substitute some math and science courses for skill building classes that are of the same caliber of difficulty. Junior Jessie Garale said, “College is dumb, and getting a job is
more important.” In 2010, the graduation law required students to pass end of course exams in math and science. Adam Bachman, a senior, said, “No matter where you’ll be or what you do, you’re going to need math. Some math courses are more fundamental and useful, such as algebra, but that doesn’t mean the others should be neglected. “ Math teacher Karen Menard said, “Math is a way to exercise our logical thought processes that can be applied to real world problems. When math is taken away it can be a disservice to students.” The bill is currently working its way through the Florida Legislature. A decision is expected this month.
Swedish students arrive on campus to learn American culture By Hayley McAleese & RJ Murphree new places and away from everything that stories. It’s very different than what we have Staff Writers here. “ Swedish students traveling on an an- they know. The students travel by boat and must Senior Dana Foshee said, “We learned a nual international trip have made a stop in Tampa to visit the campus and see what an lot about their culture. They had a lot of cool work to maintain it. However, accidents American school is like. The Swedish students traveled by boat through the Caribbean visiting Mexico, Belize, and Cuba on their way here. Fabian Roos said the trip came at a good time because it is winter right now in Sweden and they would be freezing if they were not here. The trip acts as a team-building trip for the students where they learn about cooperation while living on the boat with each other for months at a time. Solveij Mailander said that they learn, “how to stand on [their] own feet” on this David Carlsson, Victoria Lundblad, Ebba Engstrom, Solveij Mailander and Fabian Roos relax in the journalism room while on their trip to Tampa. (Photo by Hayley McAleese) trip because they are in
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happen; once, while docking, a gust of wind hit the boat and caused it to crash into the dock. After they land in a new location, they learn about the new culture from the natives and use their new education as a factor in a school-assigned project. David Carlsson did his project while they were docked in Mexico and tried to find if sports in schools could help to reduce the crime in the country. A favorite destination among the group was Cuba. Carlsson said that the people there “fix broken things, rather than replace them.” The students appreciate this resourcefulness and also mentioned how kind the Cubans were. The students all agree that Sweden is more structured and uptight than the United States.
World View
Compiled by David Blanchard, Aleesha Mundra, Roksana Borzouei and Brittany Valencic
April 2013
State
Local Six months of regular season baseball have begun for the Tampa Bay Rays. The question now becomes, do the Rays have enough to make it to the post-season for the fourth time in six years? Sports Illustrated predicts that not only will they make the playoffs, they’ll make it to the World Series. “They have the best rotation in the MLB. I don’t know if they’l win the World Series because that’s a long time away, but they should make the playoffs.” Ian Nesbitt sophomore
In recent weeks, stories of teachers being arrested on charges of sexual contact or attempted contact with youth have made headlines. A Chamberlain High techer was arrested in an undercover sting, while educators from Jones High in Orlando and South Broward in Hollywood both face charges for having sex with students. “I think it’s weird that older teachers can be attracted to young kids. It’s scary that so many cases have been discovered in such a small amount of time. I feel bad for the students. This is something straight out of a :Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” episode. -Chris Sato senior
Nation
World
The Supreme Court is gathering to determine what the legal definition of marriage is. The case (Hollingsworth v. Perry) addressed the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8 (Prop 8), which restricted marriage for gay and lesbian couples in 2008. “I am all for gay marriage. Love doesn’t see gender or color. People try to argue that it is against God’s ruling, but why isn’t adultery illegal then? It’s in the Ten Commandments -Vrosie Noel sophomore
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was selected as the newest pope to lead 1.2 billion Roman Catholics worldwide. The 76 year old is the 266th pope and is the first non-European pope to be elected after 1,300 years. “I love the new Pope. He’s precious and I think he’s going to be a good pope. He’s really traditional, but I think he will do the church a good service. My dad is from Argentina, so it’s a really big deal for us.” -Valeria Rigobon sophomore
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Briefly
April 2013
Extinguisher empties 500 Hall for a day Teachers and students alike were displaced and directed to the auditorium after the 500 hall filled with what appeared to be smoke, to many teachers. The English hall was filled with noxious fumes after someone set off a fire extinguisher. “They just started calling, saying the hallway was full of smoke. Then they started to evacuate the students,” said Student Affairs secretary Victoria Harris. Assistant Principal Melvin Williams explained that the fumes created a breathing hazard, which led administratino to evacuate the students. The teachers were told to gather in the auditorium. It seemed difficult to hold class, but some teachers tried. “We’re just sitting here doing homework, it’s
nice,” said sophomore Louis Leon. “Reynolds just left to get our textbooks.” Leon sat with a group of students in Valerio Reynolds’ IB English class, either talking or doing work. Freshman Olivia Maraj said that they were “ just chilling” in Cecilia Boyce’s class. In the back of the auditorium, Sylvia Sarrett’s senior English class sat quietly sleeping, reading and talking. “We finished our lecture in the fisrt fifteen minutes,” said Raj Bose. “It’s mixing up class, that’s a good way of putting it.” Next to Bose, senior Kamal Manati added that Linda Wilson's junior class analyze Shakespeare's King Lear despite being displaced. (Photo by Ellie the whole affair was “a disruption.” “We’re still looking for the culprit. We have a Rodriguez.) camera, but it was at the other end of the hall,” Williams said. -Ivy Bennett-Ford
Open house welcomes IB Class of 2017
Fashion show is a no-go A few weeks ago Couture Club decided to host an annual fashion show in an attempt to gain recognition for their club. Their plan recently fell through after gaining a poor overall student response. Couture Club hoped to raise funds to help underprivileged girls at Memorial prepare for their 8th grade banquet. The club also hoped to establish the fashion show as an annual event as well as a Couture Club trademark. The lack of popularity surround-
IB students welcomed the incoming IB Class of 2017 with open arms and spaghetti on Thursday, March 21. Students rallied around the cafeteria around the Gaither tree and its adjacent breezeway to convince the incoming freshmen to join clubs and athletic teams. The Dancerettes and band performed after Mike Mikulec, a sophomore history teacher, spoke about community service hours. (Photos by Ivy Bennett-Ford and Katie Frost)
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ing the show ultimately brought its demise. Sophomore Gage Harris said, "I didn’t even know there was supposed to be a show.” When asked why the event was cancelled, president of the show, senior Erika Amos, said “I honestly don’t know why the show was canceled.” Club sponsor Anne-Marie Manning said the show was canceled due to a lack of interest. -Robert Murphree
APRIL TESTING CALENDAR
STANFORD NRT FCAT RETAKES FCAT READING FCAT READING
3 8-12 15-19 22-26
9th & 10th 11th & 12th 10th 9th
Opinion Red & Black Editors-in-Chief Chrissy Geshel Brittany Valencic Page Editors Ivy Bennett-Ford Roksana Borzouei Nikki Ferrera Jimmy Herd-Bond Kristine Lee Ellie Rodriguez Jennifer Travis Samantha Votzke Kellen Yent Staff Writers David Blanchard Emilie Brooks Jodeja Chisolm Daniel Dolford Nadiya Fakhar Hayley McAleese Aleesha Mundra Gabriella McIntyre Kourtney Melendi Robert Murphree Vijata Patel Imraan Rafi Kyle Rosenthal Holly Schroeder Elizabeth Shugart Adviser Joe Humphrey, MJE Principal Dr. William Orr Jr. The Red & Black belongs to the Florida and National Scholastic press associations. This newspaper considers itself an open forum for student expression; however, the paper is subject to prior review by school administration. The staff editiorial reflects the view of student editors and the columns represent the viewpoints of their authors. R&B welcomes letters from students, teachers and members of the Hillsborough community. Letters may be edited for brevity and clarity, and should be submitted to Room 506 or to the Red & Black, 5000 N. Central Ave., Tampa, Fla. 33603. Advertising content is subject to approval of the editorial board. The Red & Black is printed in partnership with The Tampa Tribune. This newspaper includes content from the MCT Campus wire service. Phone (813) 276-5620; Fax (813) 276-5629; e-mail joseph.humphrey@sdhc.k12.fl.us.
April 2013
The Red & Black weclomes all thoughts and opinions for a thoughtful discussion. Any comments? Email us at hhstoday@gmail.com
EDITORIAL This reflects the viewpoint of the Red & Black staff
Teacher observations not making the grade 76% 94% 89% 62% of students say class format changes when an evaluator is in the room
of students say teacher evaluations need to be changed
of students say evaluations do not benefit students
of students say that teacher evaluations are necessary
Source: Survey of 100 students
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hroughout the year, students have seen what a complete difference a teacher evaluator can have on the overall atmosphere in a classroom. With an evaluator in the room, some teachers become nervous, others continue on their regular lesson plan and some change not only their teaching style, but their personality. Hillsborough County teachers are required to undergo periodic observations, whichhelp determine a teacher’s evaluation score for the year. Forty percent relies on testing data, while the other 60 percent comes from observations. 30 percent, relies on visits from an administrator. The remaining 30 percent comes from the observations of peer evaluators, teachers on special assignment to review fellow educators. Through a staff discussion about teacher observations, we discovered that we all had similar experiences of teachers who went too far to earn the required marks. And students surveyed around campus agreed: 94 percent say a class format changes when an evaluator is in the room. As students, we can all recount at least one experience where a teacher behaves differently in front of an evaluator. Examples range from moderate transformation to a complete makeover. Teachers make their students dress formally, write thankyou notes to the evaluator for extra credit, rehearse the entire evalu-
ation beforehand and prepare questions to ask during class. The worst offenders had their students raise a specific hand to subtly imply that they knew the answer to the question; students who didn’t know the answer raised the opposite hand. Other teachers taught the same lesson plan three classes in a row in order to ensure that students knew what they were doing. Teachers who receive a “needs improvement” score two years in a row along with other factors can contribute to them being fired. While some teachers do whatever it takes to pass their examination, others fall victim to the harsh criteria. One teacher lost points merely for not including a technology component to her teaching and received a lower score, despite the fact her students had a 100 percent IB test pass rate last year in their subject. Why is a technology component necessary in a classroom where students might already engaged in an activity that does not require technology. Are all teachers victims to this assessment system? It would appear that some teachers slip through this system by meeting all the right benchmarks, while usually not meeting students’ needs. Still others, who are praised for their teaching prowess, have received poor marks that don’t reflect their classroom success. Three-fourths of students say teacher evaluations need to be changed. It’s a complicated issue, one that will take some time to sort out, but we agree change is needed.
Letter: SGA responds to the ‘Mr. Irrisistible’ opinion column Columnist Roksana Borzouei stated in her story that the Mr. Irresistible contest was “misogynist,” I wholeheartedly disagree. In the end it was the girl’s choice on whether she wanted to give up her beads or not. While I participated in this contest, I found that people could hand their beads to whoever they wanted to: their boyfriends, best friends, or simply someone they found irresistible. Borzouei stated that
Dear Editor, On the day of the Mr. Irrisistible contest, each young lady received a heart beaded necklace that kicked off the game “Mr. Irresistible.” The object of the game was for HHS boys to wow the girls in exchange for their beads, by being chivalrous. As a former contestant and SGA representative, I saw men transform into gentlemen.
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part of the blame is on those who did not voice their opinion on the contest or refuse to participate but why should they? Making one gender superior was never the goal; it was a fun activity to bring more excitement to the HHS campus. Mr. Irresistible was a contest for gentlemen of any type. Anyone could have won; all is fair in love and war. -Tyler Mills, junior
Opinion
April 2013
Living in the moment By Vijata Patel Commentary
Our generaƟon is completely messed up. We focus on trivial things that don’t really maƩer in the long run, like who wore what and who broke up with whom. No one really concentrates on their future. Living in the now is great, but not thinking about your future isn’t. ry ta en em El ol ho Sc
1) In elementary school, we were influenced by our parents. We dress conservatively. We were gullible. We never cussed.
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2) In middle school, we were more influenced by our friends. We started arguing with our parents. By this time, we think we know more about everything from drugs to ‘the way things work.’ Wearing popular clothing became more important to us.
3) In high school, we feel strongly about our beliefs and we stand up for what we believe in. We’ve mostly stopped listening to our parents altogether. We think we are not influenced by wells of culture, but we really are. Insecurities are more prominent.
High School
You Are Here Graphic by Ivy Bennett-Ford
Violence on TV leads to needless bloodshed in society By Malvika Bapna Commentary With the many shooting tragedies that have occurred over time, it is questionable as to whether TV shows with serial killers are the reason for these misfortunes. These TV shows with serial killers seem to blame it on video games that involve guns and shooting. FX Chief John Landgraf said, “But as an industry, we should study it more, and I think if we can find meaningful correlations, we should act.” I believe that TV shows with serial killers may be a reason why people kill others. Sometimes people try to do things they see on TV because it appeals to them. Fox chairman Kevin Reilly said, “Clearly, there’s an appetite. It’s a cop chasing a bad guy; I’m not glorifying killers.”
Some people, however, may not see it this way. In a USA Today article on this subject, media psychologist Robert Simmermon said, “There’s a lot of bloody, gory detailed stuff on TV which desensitizes us and in a sense dehumanizes us.” These serial killer TV shows may cause people to go to extremes, and when a gun is in their possession, anything can happen. These TV shows may not be the official cause of these shootings, but they could be a factor. I think research should be done on it. In an article by the USA Today, NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt said, “There are many other problems [from] mental illness to guns.” I believe TV shows with serial killers may contribute to the cause of the terrible shooting tragedies occurring over time.
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The posiƟves are unapppreciated By Roksana Borzouei Commentary One of my most beloved memories at Hillsborough is the day Mr. Digenova taught my class in Positive Park. Mr. D knew he was losing our attention to the park, so we spent the hour sitting on the steps inside while he stood and taught. I don’t know if we paid better attention, but the joy all of us had from being in the park was so special. That moment was very similar to what we all feel at our first Hillsborough football game or the first time we watch the band play at the halftime show. It’s the first wave of school pride that makes you realize how historic and grand our school is. I felt that in Positive Park and as a senior with “Positive Park about a month left, I regret not being able to experience shouldn’t just be it more often. I haven’t gotten a chance a place for seniors to go back to the park except to say their for one Environmental Club goodbyes” cleanup day and last year’s senior picnic. Essentially, it’s only open for maintenance days, alumni visits and the annual senior lunch. The problem seems to be that not enough people help to maintain the park, but why would students help if they can never enjoy the park anyways. There is a solution to fix both the Environmental Awareness Club’s issue of not enough volunteers and the school’s problem of not having access to the park. There could be an incentive system where the number of hours volunteered to maintain the park could be reimbursed for free time in the park during study hall or lunch. More frequent lunches in the park for each grade level, instead of only the annual IB senior lunch, would be a great way to allow students time to enjoy being outside in a beautiful environment. Positive Park shouldn’t just be a place for seniors to say their goodbyes. Volunteers shouldn’t just toil on hot days after school to maintain a park without ever enjoying it after it is manicured. It shouldn’t be a coveted but protected mirage behind steel bars, for us to look into but never touch.
Focus
Focus
April 2013
Thick is the new thin
Media, movies and TV shows consistently show thin bodies as most desirable. This prevalence has increased the negative body image views, especially in teenagers, who think their bodies don’t fit the ideal. According to our study, students here seem to prefer fuller figures and bigger features over that American ideal By Roksana Borzouei News Editor Freshman Lizbeth Villanueva had one word to describe what she thought of her body: “perfect.” In a poll, the most common word used to describe the perfect body was “curvy,” with “big butt” a close second. The Red & Black staff replicated a study by Fallon and Rozin (1989), which studied how different genders perceive their bodies. The study tested the Body-Image Distortion Hypothesis, which claims that many people misperceive how they really look. When these people evaluate their own body size, they are influenced by emotions – how they feel – rather than what they see.
The greater the difference between the participants’ own body shape and what they thought to be the ideal, the greater the distortion. The study used 10 males and 10 females of all grades from C Lunch. The participants were shown 10 pictures of varying body shapes and asked to answer the following three question: “Indicate the body shape most similar to your own body shape,” “Indicate the body shape that you believe to be the ideal body shape,” and “Indicate the body shape you think the opposite sex would be most attracted to.” Compared to Fallon and Rozin, Hillsborough females showed lower distorted body perceptions, which were also lower than those of males.
This could be due to the cultural makeup of Hillsborough where African-American and Hispanic students are 64 percent of the total population. As reported by Temple University, Hispanic and African-American cultures do not think thin bodies are ideal. Nevertheless, the poll did show that some students believed the ideal body shape to be represented by “Victoria’s Secret models” and pop singer “Selena Gomez.” Similarly, junior Debbie Ferro said, “Toned legs, arms and stomach,” as the ideal body representation but said, “Fat Amy” when asked what she thought of her own. -Staff Writers Imraan Rafi and Gabriella McIntyre contributed to this report
Average: 4.385 Standard Deviation: 0.93
37 students were asked to name what they believed to represent the perfect body. The world cloud on the right shows the most common words as proportionately bigger. Curvy, used six times, and “big butt,” used five times, were used most frequently to represent the ideal body image. (World cloud created on Wordle.net)
“I want to be healthy…I have a history with [being overweight], my mom is overweight and I don’t want to be like that.” “When I was little, I was always the skinniest one in my family. They would try to shove food down my throat and that would make me sick.” “I want to be normal and this is not normal” “It’s a cultural thing. Chubbiness is more attractive, like, ‘oh, you’re hot, you have diabetes’ “ “I’ve always been comfortable with myself…I have five older sisters…they’ve always told me I was beautiful.” “I had a stepdad who was convinced that I wasn’t eating, even though I ate like a normal person, same portions and everything. But then I stopped eating when he was around just to annoy him. I ate at the same time he did, so I guess that didn’t really help me.” “I’ve never been inclined to binge...” “Models have small boobs. What does that say about me?” “High school has changed my outlook. There are all of these girls that are so small. I feel different.” “I’ve always been OK with small boobs” “Furthermore… the media has definitely influenced how I think of my body” “When I was younger, people used to call me names. ‘Skinny names,’ and after a while it got annoying … It was kind of mean.”
Average: 4.56 Standard Deviation: 0.69
Body image scales are taken from Fallon and Rozin (1989), the study that was replicated.
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Sophomores Brittani Trimble and Chayla Vasquez discuss how they feel about their bodies. Trimble previously joined WeightWatchers to become thinner, but says did not have an issue with her appearance until high school. Vasquez retold how culture has affected how her family views her thinner frame. -Ivy Bennett-Ford
Life
April 2013
Groovy Games
ALBUM: Sexy is back thanks to The 20 / 20 Experience By Paige Hill Correspondent
Students respond to release of new video games By Breanna Greene Correspondent Several games have been released in the past months leaving many teenage gamers satisfied and wanting more. Some of the recent games out and keeping gamers talking are Tomb Raider, Assassins Creed III, Sky Rim V Elder Scrolls and the newest game that was released March 26, Bioshock Infinite. Several students are finding all the newest games to have both pros and cons, but overall more pros as time continues on and games progress. Tina Nguyen, a sophomore who is always up to date with the latest games, said she finds all the new games to be cool and eye opening. “I think that all the new games are cool. It’s like a new story. There are new features in games today that make them really exciting. But there’s like a down side to new
APRIL Events
games sometimes. Sometimes they are repetitive.” Nadia Murchison, a senior who is well experienced in gaming, said the new games are mind blowing and very exciting. “Those graphics suck -- just kidding. Have you seen the graphics on those games? They’re so realistic it’s wicked!” Murchison said the new games today are so well put together and cool. “All the new games like Tomb Raider, Assassins Creed III and Sky Rim for example are like watching a movie. It’s like you are controlling real life as it is. Video games have come such a long way it’s ridiculous to think that we use to play games like Zelda or Sonic back when graphics were just blurry boxes that you spent about five minutes trying to make out. It’s funny to think about really.”
-Seniors
-Everyone
RELAY FOR LIFE
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stadium
HONOR GRAD BREAKFAST
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Terrier Cafe
IB LOCK IN
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LaFluer’s
PROM
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Mainsail Suites
SUNDAY MARKET
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HHS front lawn
JROTC AWARDS
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auditorium
TRACK DISTRICTS
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Gaither
YEARBOOK DISTRIBUTION
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room 506
IB LAST DAY
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HHS -Kellen Yent
Justin Timberlake’s comeback album fully lives up to what we all were expecting. Unlike “Justified” or “FutureSex/ LoveSounds,” this album is a challenging vision of Timberlake making a cohesive work than just a collection of radio singles. His past albums were simply more pop and in the seven years that have passed since his last album, JT has definitely developed musically. The 20/20 Experience, produced by Timbaland, is beautifully layered and lush. Timberlake’s gorgeous falsetto vocals make this album the best sounding that you’ll hear this year. You hear JT going deeper than before into R&B. 20/20 has 10 tracks and all of them are fairly
long. Most of the songs extend over seven minutes with the shortest being 5:26. Every track takes twists that are so interesting and evolves over the entire span to keep you fully engaged in Timberlake’s fabulous voice. “Blue Ocean Floor” is arguably the most beautifully written song on the album and without a doubt one of Timberlake’s absolute best. This song really shows off Timberlake’s romantic side. “Strawberry Bubblegum” is smooth, airy and a true standout. The lyrics are full of innuendos which are common from Timberlake. It’s clear that after JT’s nearly decade long break from music that sexy is back.
BOOKS: Paranormal romance stories bite By Dana Dinh take any garbage about their “true love” and how Correspondent There was a time when books like “Harry Potter he’d never hurt her. And it’s not just Twilight that makes me gag. and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” “Jurassic Park” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” topped the list of There are way too many books that follow an identically horrid pattern. Boy meets young adult bestsellers. girl. One of them has a weird suNow, we’re in an era of paraFrankly, I’d be horrified if pernatural ability. normal romance with guys like I was being kissed by One of them has something Edward Cullen at the forefront of something capable of in their past that they are hiding, modern literature icons. How did sucking my blood out like which has keeps them from datthat happen? ing. The girl has never had a love There seems to be a bold line an over-sized mosquito. life before. Their attraction is so dividing those who love it and those who would rather lose a foot than read a para- powerful they just can’t stay away from each other. normal fiction novel. The Twilight Saga is a perfect Suddenly, something from their messed up pasts prevents them from being together. example of the opposing opinions on the subject. At some point, their attraction becomes too Admittedly (don’t kill me Twi-hards), I fit more into the second category. I just can’t fathom the powerful and they end up making out. Then, one of creepy love triangle between a human, a vampire them realizes,”OMG! I like them too much! We have and a werewolf (even if the werewolf had Taylor to break up!” The other one decides,” Whoa! You did not just dump me!” The antagonist will harm one of Lautner’s abs). The only werewolf I could ever love is a young the protagonists in some way. They get rescued, deRemus Lupin and I have yet to find a vampire that is feat the bad guy, kiss and happily ever after. And that is why most paranormal romances swoon-worthy. Frankly, I’d be horrified if I was being kissed by something capable of sucking my blood make me want to throw up. The fact that falling in love with someone that is out like an over-sized mosquito. Honestly, when you put that into perspective, likely to kill you had become a cliché is quite frighthow is the thought not disturbing? And, I won’t ening.
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April 2013
The one with the Force is Disney
By Daniel Dolford Staff Writer
planets spanning 20,000 years.” Now that Disney can do virtually anything it wants with the Star Wars universe, where might it Star Wars fans around the world have mixed feelings and reactions to the news of the start? Fans of the series within Hillsborough have mixed opinions on the issue. franchise’s sale to Disney for $4.05 billion. Junior Dagoberto Cuevas believes this Creator of the series and Lucasfilm, George Lucas said to CNN, “It’s now time for me to pass change could be detrimental to the series. “How could a company like Disney ‘Star Wars’ on to a new How could a company like make anything good out generation of filmmakers.” Disney has long had Disney make anything good of something that’s already perfect? I thought it was a close relationship with out of something that’s irresponsible of Lucas to do it Lucasfilm and founder already perfect? honestly. Think of the fans.” George Lucas, including Some fans take the same featured attractions at Disney theme parks such as Star Tours at Disney’s standpoint as Cuevas, stating that Disney is known for not handling deep and darker issues Hollywood Studios in Florida. According to businessweek.com, Disney has -- which the series has plenty of -- as well as other already announced plans to continue the movie companies. However, others have expressed their differing series with Star Wars: Episode VII, but Disney CEO Bob Iger has made it clear that the company is views on the new management. “I mean it can’t be getting more than a few sci-fi movies — however that bad, Disney has made a few good movies and popular they are — for its $4.05 billion; it’s getting they took over Marvel movies too. The Avengers “17,000 characters that inhabit several thousand was still pretty good if you ask me,” said junior
Life
Miles Nelson. Other fans around the world have also accepted the sale of the franchise and now seem to embrace it. Some speculate that Disney may take Star Wars in a new direction with endless possibilities to re-boot the franchise, which would preserve the franchise’s relevancy in newer generations. Lucas will act as creative consultant on the new “Star Wars” film, with more feature films expected beyond Episode 7. Fans are anxiously awaiting the new installment to the saga, and all have mixed opinions and views extensively on the subject. The new episode is scheduled for release in 2015.
The club competes at least once a month. Their most recent competition, the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), on March 30 is many of the members’ favorite. They have six weeks to to build, program and perfect a robot to do a certain task. This year’s robot had to shoot Frisbees through a 10-foot goal. “Going to FRC is my favorite part of robotics because you go into the stadium and hear the roar of the crowd of people cheering you on. It’s truly euphoric,” said senior and president Ivan Rojas. The members of Robotics all joined for varying reasons. Juniors Trevor Mungovan and Alejandro Lopez said they joined because it sounded like fun, and sophomore Nicholas Ierna said he joined because “my dad is an electrical engineer and I thought it would give me experience to help him later on.” The club began nine years ago when club supervisor Marian Manganello began working with a Robotics Club at Middleton. Then, Kevin Rineer, Jerico Kirk, Kevin Kowaski and Christian Montgomery build an around five years ago, she began a Robotics Cub at Hillsborough. FTC robot during a robotics meeting. (Photo by Ashley Fosse) Manganello’s favorite part of being involved in the club is interacting with the kids. “It is a lot of fun and interesting to see them applying what they learn in their physics and math classes to real world situations,” she said. By Elizabeth Shugart Joining the Robotics Club requires no prior knowledge of Staff Writer engineering. “When I joined I knew nothing so I learned everything,” Many students with a love for learning, engineering and how things sophomore Amanda Organ said. Rojas said to join the club because “you will learn about lots and learn work have found their way to the Robotics Club. The club meets several the most in this club over any other club.” times a week to build and program robots for competitions.
Students express passions for robotics
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I l l u s t ra tion by Kyle Rosenthal
By the Numbers Senior social media use
225
63
127 INSTA
92
227
22
126
In a survey of 285 senior students, we asked out which social media outlets students used. The number of students who used each social media item are seen in the red notification bubble at the top right of the app. -Chrissy Geshel
Life cliff
April 2013
hanger
In a place where people have the ability to defy gravity, rocks of all different shapes, sizes and colors cover the walls and ceiling. The smell of sweat and determination overpowers the nose. Chalk clouds the air and leaves a residue on just about everything in sight. Rock climbing is a demanding sport, both physically and mentally. It tests not only a climber’s strength, but their agility, endurance and balance, something senior Cameron Jeffords knows all too well.
When did you start rock climbing and how did you get involved in this sport? I started in about August and took an interest after I went with my friend one day. I always saw it as just something fun to do on a weekend until I started going more often and I realized how difficult it was and how much there was to do.
Why do you rock climb? I rock climb because I love the sport. There’s always something new to try or some new problem to work on and you can always get better.
How often do you go rock climbing? I go climbing about 4-5 times a week. I go after school sometimes and on the weekends.
What is the coolest part about rock climbing? The coolest thing about rock climbing is how diverse it is. You could climb your whole life and not even come close to all that is out there.
Do you compete in rock climbing competitions? I competed twice in December and did pretty well for my level, but I’ve gotten a lot better since then. The competition was the Tampa Bouldering Series 8, which is a bouldering competition. Bouldering is climbing without ropes, compared to lead climbing with ropes and carabineers.
Do you plan on doing this after high school? I definitely plan on continuing rock climbing in college. I want to join a team and compete in rock climbing competitions around Florida. I also hope to take a bunch of trips to places like Chattanooga TN, to do some outdoor climbing for a week or so. I am especially excited for outdoor climbing.
Is rock climbing an easy sport to learn? There are really easy routes to learn in the beginning, but it takes determination and a while to learn the harder ones. -Brittany Valencic
Senior Cameron Jeffords rock climbs to the top of the wall at Vertical Ventures. Jeffords rock climbs at least four times a week. (Photo by Jimmy Herd-Bond)
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Life
April 2013
TAKE 5
WITH A terrier
favorite
SOCIALNET WORKING site
“Twitter because you can write what you want and nobody can say anything about it. I have about 5,000 tweets.”
top of my
BUCKET list
“To go skydiving because it’s extreme. I just want to go for it!”
dream
“California because there are better clothes and has a nicer climate. I loved it when I visited my uncle and cousins there.”
HOMETOWN
STEPHANIE gallego
after
HIGH SCHOOL
“To go to FSU and get my master’s degree in criminology.”
plan
if I could
REMOVE
something from HHS
“The stairs because I’m tired of always having to go up them.”
Sophomore Stephanie Gallego was chosen because of her table number and seat number, which were randomly selected by a number generator and a diagram. Gallego was found sitting in seat C at Table 53 on the cafeteria map. Then she was taken to Room 506 to draw five random questions f to be interviewed about. Visit hhstoday.com to watch how the Red & Black will randomly choose its next “Take 5.”
(Photo by Holly Schroeder)
Global Concepts: Students travel for spring break
“London performances are the best in the world. Don’t go just for a few days; it’s more tiring than it should be!”
Dr. William Orr Principal
“We were actually docked next to the ship that broke down; the publicity was crazy.”
PERU
Aleesha Mundra 10th
Linda Wilson Math Teacher
“Machu Picchu was the best! Make sure to talk to the people. Everyone’s super nice.”
Chris and Connie Li (12th &10th)
CHINA
Olivia Piazza 10th
COZUMEL
BARBADOS
“My favorite part was the beach. It was really cool to hang out with my friends.”
ENGLAND
Students and teachers alike journeyed across the globe during spring break this year. Most students traveled within the United States and many within Florida, but some traveled across the globe. For manty students who took cruises, recent news stories of cruise ship dilemmas and failures struck close to home. “I tusted Royal Carribbean, even though I was aware of the Carnival ship problem. These ships are just too big too fail though,” said freshman Hugh Nguyen, who took a cruise to the Carribbean Islands.
The Li’s visited Shanghai for 15 days to visit their grandfather. Chris: The highest observatory in the world was really awesome. Connie: We did a lot of shopping!
Graphic by Ellie Rodriguez
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Life
April 2013
Pumped for Prom? By Kristine Lee & Kourtney Melendi
Who? Class of 2013 and guests
Who will be king and queen?
As senior Prom swiftly approaches, students prepare for the night of their lives and share how much they spent on their dress, suit including their tie and shoes. Girls also shared the amount they plan on spending on their hair, nails, and make-up. Students stated where they plan on taking pictures and where they have in the past. Where to eat is also a major question for groups before Prom. Based on survey of 25 Prom-bound seniors.
Leroy Harris Ryan Clark Bryan Hammond
What? Arabian Nights Prom
Justus Irizarry Jean Suchini
When?
Taylor Lee
$277
April 13, 8 p.m. to midnight
$197
Tijah Ray
Where? Main Sail Conference Center 5108 Eisenhower Blvd S.
Tickets
Ashley Gonsalves Angel Santiago
$61 Voting will take place Friday, April 5 during all senior homerooms. Seniors will vote on a paper ballot
$125 The graphic above is the average amount that students spent on their dress, shoes, hair, nails, makeup, suit and tie. (Graphic by Kourtney Melendi, Nadiya Fakhar and Jimmy Herd-Bond)
$70 until April 12 Available in Room 534 Monday: Zombie vs. Vampire Day
Graphics by Nadiya Fakhar
Spirit Week (April 8-12) Wednesday: Cartoon Day
Checks may be payable to Hillsborough High School
Tuesday: Celebrity Day
Thursday: Tropical tourist Day Friday: Royal Day
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Sports Students affected by
April 2013
Jorian Ordway looks forward
FHSAA transfer policy
By Jodeja Chisolm Staff Writer Jorian Ordway has signed to Kent State University for track, receiving both athletic and academic scholarships to the Ohio school. She has a 3.6 unweighted and 6.3 weighted grade point average (GPA). Ordway said, “I’m going to school for track, so the Olympics is always a dream, but I plan on majoring in exercise physiology.” With jobs in that field, one may become a strength and conditioning specialist or a clinical exercise physiologist. These jobs often require training athletes and strengthening medicallysupervised patients with heart and lung diseases. The IB program has prepared her drastically for college. She said, “A lot of people tell me that it’s hard, fast paced, and stressful but I’m used to it.” Ordway said she will miss Laila Al-Khalaf and Nigel Harris, friends who she’s grown close to over the years. She will also miss Hillsborough’s big support system. Her teachers and friends are known to clip newspaper articles of her track success and share them with others.
Transfer students automatically placed under policy created by FHSAA to counter recruiting scandals
“[Jorian Ordway] is great! She beat the fastest runner in the 200 meter on Tuesday,” said Tijah Ray, Jorian’s 4x400 teammate. (Photo by Lifetouch)
Baseball opens season with eight wins By Nadiya Fakhar Staff Writer The baseball team’s win against TBT on March 26 moved the Terriers to second in the district. They had a winning streak of eight games at the beginning of the season. The team will be going to districts at the end of April, and the team is under the unanimous impression that they have a definite chance of winning. Senior Nick Winston said, “We are capable of beating every team in the district; our only loss (against Brandon, which is currently ranked first in the district) was due to a seventh-inning mishap.” This sentiment seems to be shared with many of the team members as well: Diamond
Johnson said, “I think we can definitely win district. This is my third year on the team, and this is the best we’ve been so far.” Johnson said success can be attributed to the team members themselves, and they care more about the team this year than they have in years past. Senior Dylan Moore predicts camaraderie is the cause of their improved ranks. Moore said, “We’ve always had a good team, but we are definitely playing better together as a team this year. We have much more team chemistry and we are always spending time together before games.” Moore and the team predict they can move past districts, which takes place the week of April 22.
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Wilbert Malphus played right field in the game against Tampa Bay Tech, which the Terriers won 9-7. (Photo by Nadiya Fakhar)
By Hayley McAleese Staff Writer Junior wrestler Madison Weber is in the process of dealing with a policy that restricts transfer students from participating in sports for one year. This policy forces families to fill out paperwork and have a resource officer come to their new residence to prove that the player just wasn’t illegally recruited and transferred to the team. In Weber’s opinion, this rule should be changed. He said that more-often-thannot people are not recruited and that the FHSAA should just take their word for it. Sophomore Savannah Stevenson said, “[Students] should not have to go through this just to play a sport for school.” She is going through this “aggravating” process as well so she can participate in sports after her “gap year” is over. Stevenson is currently on the varsity flag football team and practices with them every day, but during games she must sit on the bench and cheer on her teammates from the sideline. She said that her team is like family and, regardless of the rule, she will not leave them. Athletic Director Melvin Williams said the rule was created with good intentions. He said, “[The rule has] created a disadvantage for other students who aren’t illegal.” All three agree that the rule should be revised. Williams then said that certain areas of the policy should be revised in order “to give everybody a fair chance” . Sophomore Savannah Stevenson is a transfer student who has to wait a full year in order to play for the varsity flag football team.
Sports
Hop, skip and a jump
4.Third phase: The”jump” phase, the final phase of the triple jump. The other phases are crucial to the success of this phase and the distance the runner can gain. Green should maintain speed and drive forward with arms as high and extended as possible. Green should land with feet forward.
3.Second phase: The “step” phase, this phase focuses on stability, balance and control of the body. The forward, or “stepping” leg should be held high for as long as possible. The arms should be held high in order to maintain balance.
April 2013
Jeremiah Green demonstrates the triple jump By Samantha Votzke, Sports Editor; Photo Illustration by Jimmy Herd-Bond , Photo Editor
2.First phase: The “hop” phase, Greenshould hit the board at maximum speed. Here Green should keep the leg driving through to maintain speed. The upper body should be as tight as possible. A strong contact with the ground should be maintained before moving into the step phase.
1.Takeoff: From standing, Green rocks back by by stepping back with one foot until only the heel of foot of the forward leg is touching the ground (with arms in sync.) Green moves forward on their back leg, leaning forward. It is important to move heel-to-toe at start. Green should reach maximum speed in this phase.
Green jump starts an athletic career By Samantha Votzke Sports Editor
To polish any skill, having talent is only half the battle. It’s an oft-repeated piece of advice that hard work is essential to exceling at anything, but many forget that successful people don’t simply roll out of bed that way. For senior Jeremiah Green, whose personal best of 52 feet, 1 inch in the triple jump is also a national record,success has not come without plenty of sweat. Jeremiah Green soars in the final phase of Green eventually found his place at the triple jump during a track meet at King the triple jump after attempting other High school. (Photo by Lifetouch) events. Green realized he needed to
work hard in order to succeed. “[The skills] didn’t come overnight,” said Green. “It took me years to perfect them.” Green focused on football before taking track more seriously at the end of freshman year. “Football is my first love; it got so big for me. I’ll miss it,” Green said. Coach Karieem Webb has been instructing Green since freshman year. “At the end of his freshman year, Jeremiah made fifth at states. That gave him the confidence and the drive to work towards where he is now,” Webb said. Green describes slowly improving his second phase, his landing and final-
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ly his first phase in order to perfect the whole jump. “He’s been able to master all three phases,” said Webb. “If you over-jump any one of the three phases, your distance is going to suffer.” “He’s already on an elite level, and it’s key that he reaches higher levels to get funding and backing.” said Webb. According to his coaches, Green has the potential to make it to the World Championships and the Olympic games in the future. His next stop, though, is the University of Alabama.