Florida’s First High School Newspaper Hillsborough High School | hhstoday.com 5000 N. Central Avenue | Tampa, Florida 33603 August 2018 | Volume 120, Issue 1
AND WE’RE BACK
Take a look at what’s new at HHS | p. 4
Find out what Terriers were up to this summer p. 2
Here’s what we were listening to this summer p. 12
A note to your freshman self: Some advice for starting high school | p. 14
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briefs
Red & Black
TERRIERS DON’T STOP FOR SUMMER SPEECH AND DEBATE MAKES IT TO NATIONALS
The speech and debate team made it to nationals. The path to get to nationals depends on the events being held. The team was one of the top six able to go. For Student Congress there is a grand finals for their region which includes competing against the Tampa/Sarasota area. Congressional debate includes high school students all across the United States debating issues such
SENIORS TRAVEL TO EUROPE
as bills, resolutions and many other government related topics. The goal is to be able to debate both sides of multiple legislations. In the local finals, the teams split into chambers of about 20 legislators and they compete for a position in top six of the chamber. The top six are then to compete later that afternoon in “super congress” which is basically their version of
finals. This year there were two chambers. Super congress had 14 chambers. “Making it to nationals was a big deal for our team but we wouldn’t have been able to do it without the constant stress and pressure placed on us. We still had a lot to do if we knew we wanted a chance to do well,” senior Tim Cui said. STORY BY RIA DEY
JAMMING AT LOLLAPALOOZA Sophomore Billie Bentil attended Lollapalooza, a four-day music festival in Grant Park, Chicago. Her favorite show was either Bruno Mars and Khalid. Her craziest experience was Lil Pump coming on stage 45 minutes late and then being shut down by police for causing mosh pits and fights. “Getting to travel all the way to Chicago to see so many amazing performers [was the best part].” STORY BY KYLIE SMITH
A group of students went to Europe this year with teachers Mike Mikulec and Lisa Sigmon. They visited many monuments and other attractions. Mikulec has be going on this trip for over a decade going to places like England, France and Italy. Staying for 17 days walking around looking at the monuments and cites they had learned about in their classes. The trip cost about $4,800, which included transportation, lodging and two meals a day. James Nguyen went on this trip and he said, “Touring around the cities was the best part.” Getting to go to another country is something James really wanted to do with his friends. Sigmon’s favorite thing about the trip was “the history of the churches, cathedrals, mosques and the impact that it had on the Europe culture.” “The Euro trip is a once in a lifetime experience for anyone,” Mikulec said. STORY BY SHAWN GIST
FIRST RELAY FOR LIFE MEETING HELD Relay for Life gets the community together to build teams, raise money and fight against cancer. This year Hillsborough’s Relay for Life is spearheaded by teachers Jessica Raia-Long and Stefanie Zimmerman. Instead of being through the night it will be an all-day affair. The schedule is not completely laid out currently but all ceremonies will be performed, including the Luminaria, which is when candles are lit to remember and honor those who are battling or have battled cancer. They are in need of volunteers and participants and are even reaching to surrounding schools and community members. For more information, go to Room 137 or attend the next planning meeting Sept. 5 at 5 p.m. STORY BY KYLIE SMITH
FCCLA AT NATIONALS Over the summer some students went to FCCLA Nationals. They passed through district and did well in state and they went to nationals. Nationals took place in Atlanta June 28 through July 3. “The FCCLA is for students who want to do extra work and go above and beyond,” said sponsor Jessica Raia-Long Juniors Sheila Kratzer, Alyssa Scanlon and Jessica Fraser joined seniors Ashley Gonzalez and Eliza Loaiza at the event. They all came back with silver. “Although it’s not the best, I think it’ll inspire me to do better this year,” Scanlon said. STORY BY CEEJAY LIBERATORE
CADETS ATTEND JCLC Karen Solino of Charlie Company and Margaret Sarpong of Alpha Company both attended the JROTC Cadets Leadership Challenge. Only the top 10 percent of JROTC students take part and earn badges in this four-day camp of marching and physical training. Within these four days all cadets take every-day activities and do them in a shorter amount of time. There is only 10 minutes allotted for “chow.” There are also only three minutes for showers and both JROTC students say they went to sleep at 12 and had to wake up at 3 all four days. “It was an honor to be chosen and a great experience,” Sarpong said. STORY BY KYLIE SMITH
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LEE’S PLAN FOR THE FUTURE After eight years at Lee Elementary, Principal’s Secretary Janice Farmer wanted to retire. But Farmer, along with every teacher, returned. “Even though it was an ordeal, they wanted to be together in this ordeal,” Farmer said, describing a fire that destroyed the campus last year and forced a relocation to another school. “Everyone just wants to do what’s best for the kids, because it was traumatic for them too.” Lee shared the Lockhart Elementary campus last year. This year, the school remains on the Lockhart campus, but now in a series of portables that provides a campus within a campus. “Teachers never have been so happy to come to a faculty meeting, if you can imagine that,” Principal Beverly Smith said with a laugh. “They were like ‘Oh we get to see each other! Hey friend.’ But now having all of us together, is almost like being back at home.” Last school year, Lockhart had a population of 360 students. With a maximum capacity of 659 students at Lockhart and less than 300 students at Lee, Lockhart had the facilities to accommodate the students and staff.
Making it work By November, the office and eight classrooms were placed in portables. However, some Lee faculty and students were still on the Lockhart campus. Krista Keith was one of the Lee teachers separated from the rest of the faculty. “It wasn’t bad, I did feel some support, especially from the Lockhart teacher next to me but it was a disconnected feeling too because I was used to being able to open up my door and see my teammates and now they were way across campus,” she said. Students dealt with confusion from the separation. “The kids were confused they were like ‘do I go to Lee or Lockhart?’” Smith said. “All the teachers would reassure them: ‘You’re at Lee, you’re
just on the Lockhart campus.’” Without time to prepare for the year, then-Lockhart Principal Sharon Waite and Smith, also faced complications. “If you see something as a principal you are used to making quick decisions, now you make a quick decision and it is not in alignment with what the other principal would have done so you’re accidentally stepping on each other’s toes and you have to go back and fix it and apologize and keep on,” Smith said. “So, there were a lot of hiccups along the way learning each other’s leadership styles, that was rough.” In her classroom, Keith said she did her best to support the students. “I really try to support other aspects, not just the academic,” she said. “They can’t be ready to learn if they have all of these other things that have to be addressed.”
Community involvement
A helping hand
As for Lee, the School Board of Hillsborough County is currently in the process of re-negotiating with the 15 insurance companies that collectively insure the district buildings. In May, more than 80 members of the community participated in an interactive workshop discussing the plan for the school. According to a memo in the report from architect John S. Kidwell, the neighborhood and historic preservation communities aim for a historical rehabilitation of Lee, a $16.1 million. But no decision has been made to rebuild the Tampa Heights school, which multiple Hillsborough students attended in grades K-5. Some critics say it would be too expensive to build the campus while others argue that the Lee community deserves a new home. “We all want to stay together through this whole thing and end up, I’d love it to be back at Lee,” Farmer said. STORY BY KATIE DELK
According to Farmer, Smith’s guidance also encouraged the faculty. “My gift is the gift of ministry,” Smith said. “Oftentimes I help spirits, I help souls. All my staff was willing to come back, and parents were happy to go through this with us because when people, or teachers or anyone are going through a crisis, I have the ability to hear what is underneath the surface and then give out the right information. I just know it is not of my own doing and that it is a gift that I have from God that helps people.” The staff also expressed their appreciation of the donations and support from all over the US. Everything in the library was lost but places like the MOSI school and Scholastic contributed books. “We were so blessed to have library media services from the school district and so many different people bring books and donate books,” Media Specialist Stacey Roller said.
HHS EARNS ‘B’ GRADE FOR THE 2017-2018 YEAR For the first time in five years, Hillsborough is a B school. The grade earned by a high school is determined by many factors such as students who take the FSA, students who are enrolled in specific courses and if the students are making required gains in reading and math. For the school grade to increase, students must earn a Level 3 or higher and make “gains” as determined by the FLDOE. Students enrolled in Algebra I, Geometry, U.S. History and Biology must take End of Course (EOC) tests. On top of the performance and overall gain, the lowest performing students, the “bottom quartile,” are counted twice. The FLDOE wants to ensure that all students are working toward satisfactorily learning the state standards. Students who are
performing below level are monitored and have to take additional classes to help provide support and fill gaps in instruction. To be in the ‘B’ ranking for a school grade, schools must have a certain amount of points. “You have to have 54 percent of possible points to be a B,” said Principal Gary Brady “Last year we had 48 percent so we needed about 60 points to move up a letter … we ended up improving 69 points.” “I am happy for our kids and Hillsborough. We focus on grad rate and there are other things along the way that has helped us improve school grade,” said Brady. Grades also factor in graduation rate and succeed in AP, IB, dual enrollment courses and on industry certification exams.
Before students attended Lockhart, teachers, the area director and other workers from the district came to assist teachers in assembling their classrooms. “Teachers know what other teachers go through, but to actually see it in action, gave me a sense of relief that there are teachers that understand, and they not just understand but are willing to help,” Keith said. For Smith who usually is on the giving end of a tragedy, receiving was a new experience. “...I never knew how much love there really is in the world,” she said. “Instead of being tearful about your loss, you became overwhelmed and tearful about how many people who really are willing to come in and support you.”
Looking forward
B
However, it doesn’t measure all the other aspects of a school like environment, specific courses of study or overall student support. School grade just shows the brain of the school, but it is not a justifiable way of measuring how a school functions. “For some reason a letter grade tends to define you and” said Brady “but it makes me excited and I think it changes the morale of the school, and kids feel proud about Hillsborough.” STORY BY LAUREN KOMAR
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MEET NEW AP MIA DELLANINI Why did you come to HHS? “This is my neighborhood, my community since I live in Seminole Heights so I wanted to work at a school that is part of my community.” What’s your past experience with administration? “I have been an AP in Pasco County for four years. Pasco County is also where I started teaching when I moved to Florida. I was at a high school there where I taught a classroom of freshmen through seniors.” What are your first impressions of Hillsborough so far? “I think it’s great. We have a beautiful school and many, many great students.” What had you heard before coming to HHS? “Mixed things. I think that many people in the community, especially people new to Seminole Heights, don’t realize what a great school this is and what a great turnaround it’s had in the past few years. I’ve heard wonderful things from people who’ve been here and known it, and other things from people who really weren’t aware and were just basing off assumptions.” What are you most excited about for this year? “Working with the kids and seeing an increase in our graduation rate and our math scores continuing to rise.” What do you hope to accomplish? “Those two things, specifically. I’m a math teacher so my background is in math and working with algebra and geometry and finding new ways (to work with the teachers) for our students to pass those tests.” Why did you become interested in education? “I think that education has had such an impact in my life, like I came from a family that valued it and I saw how it can change the trajectory of a student’s life and I wanted to be a part of it.” What is your best memory from the classroom?
“Seeing my kids succeed. You know, I taught math; middle school math all the wat up to high school math and there were some real challenges but seeing my kids succeed was the best part of it.” Why did you choose to teach math? “I had really strong math teachers in high school, and I wasn’t really the strongest math student, but I had teachers who would not give up and would try different ways and show me different ways to solve things and it just clicked That’s what I fell in to.” What’s your favorite part of Hillsborough so far? “The kids, the Big Red’s sense of community. I’d like to see kids more active in the community, there’s lots of needs here and I think we have a really talented group that could fulfill what we need around here.” What’s has surprised you about this job? “High school is high school, high school students are high school students. You know, I’ve been doing this job for a very long time but stepping in to Hillsborough High School I think that people always have notions about things but there’s great students here and I never expected anything different, but the kids here want to succeed just like kids anywhere.”
Red & Black
GET TO KNOW NEW TEACHERS
Here are three faces new to the campus this year
Demetrius Green served as a Lieutenant Colonel for 26.5 years in the U.S. Army and is now leads the JROTC program. Green previously taught at a school in Germany.
“What made me work here is because of the historical history.” James Fosco has been teaching math for 12 years, and he previously worked at Tampa Bay Tech High School. He wanted to work at Hillsborough because he wanted to challenge himself working with the IB students.
“My goal is to insure all the ninth graders are successful.”
COMPILED BY REEMA PATEL AND JOHN DOAN
Symone Swaby can be found in Room 140 teaching PE. She is also the new girls’ basketball coach. Swaby previously coached at Robinson for two years.
“What made me want to work here is getting the opportunity to coach girls basketball and to be under a great administration.
NEW BIG RED MURAL HELPS BEAUTIFY 200 HALL
While many of the changes this year dealt with class changes or the faculty, some involved school beautification. Over the summer, senior Evelise Monteagudo painted a mural of a terrier running through a brick wall on the 200 floor. “I wanted to paint the mural because I thought it would be a good way to show some school spirt and terrier pride,” Monteagudo said. “it was [also] a good way to leave my mark on the school because this is my last year.” Art teacher Caitlin Clay assisted Monteagudo with the project. “[Monteagudo] is also in NAHS which is a service interest club, so the kids have to do service hours that are specifically art oriented, so that [counted] as school beautification,” Clay said. The process was complex as Monteagudo had to follow many steps before she could even begin painting. “I had to sketch out a draft of what I wanted the mural to look like on paper and then I had to schedule a meeting with (Principal Gary Brady) and (Assistant Principal Eric Brooks) to get it approved,” Monteagudo said. In the meeting she had to explain why and where she The mural painted by senior Evelise Monteagudo depicting a terrier breaking through wanted to paint the mural. “Once they were happy with the design, they had to get approval from the district to a brick wall. Photo by Jaden Shemesh
make sure it was OK to do it in a historic building,” Clay said. Finally, Monteagudo coordinated with Clay in order to get materials such as paint, tarp and brushes. “Before I started, I had to draw the design with pencil on the wall and once I thought it was pretty good, I painted over the pencil,” said Monteagudo. She faced some challenges other than dealing with bureaucracy including painting on such a large scale and making sure the details were straight and proportional. In order to help with the process, senior Ashley Crisafulli helped Monteagudo paint the mural. Monteagudo hopes that students will take pictures with the mural. “I think it’ll boost school spirt and make everyone feel proud to be part of the big red,” Monteagudo said. “I wanted to inspire other people to want to paint and show their love for the school.” There is another plan for a mural on the third floor of the main building this year as well. “That one is going to focus more on sort of extracurricular things so it’ll have some things to do with band and some of the sports on campus and some of other clubs and activities,” Clay said. STORY BY JADEN SHEMESH
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HOMEROOM EVERY DAY Starting this year, school will begin and end an hour later than the previous years. Another major change will be that students must report to homeroom, for 10 minutes, after their second period class each day. With this new change, students have formed different opinions on the matter. Most are all for the hour later school day, but some dislike the 10-minute homeroom, especially every day. Brand new to the school, freshman, Johnathan Richardson is
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Traditional students have mixed feelings about having homeroom first
comparing this bell schedule to his middle school. He came to the conclusion that he appreciates the new schedule. But with homeroom being an everyday ordeal he suggests a longer home room “...like a study hall...” to make this ordeal a little more useful for kids. Senior David Caveda says that he doesn’t mind the bell schedule, with it being later he explains “I get more sleep.” When asked about one change he would make to the schedule he replied “Remove the daily homeroom.” Caveda goes into the
fact that it isn’t very useful, all he does is “Talk to my friends for ten minutes while the teacher takes attendance.” Junior Carli Castro is completely against the whole 10 minute homeroom. She states that “There is nothing you can do in 10 minutes that’s gonna make the class worth it.” Castro says the “You need to make it longer or just get rid of it all together.” She feels that it just being ten minutes takes away from main classes and it is unnecessary. STORY BY ABBY CONGER
you said it What do you think about FRYday? “I’d be down for that because around the table I be like ‘Yo, clean up your stuff.’ It would encourage more enthusiasm. I think it’s doable.” MARC-ANTHONY PINEDA,11
FRIDAYS MAY BE FRYDAYS It’s no secret that the cafeteria could use some help staying clean; at any lunch there are trays, wrappers and half eaten food left on almost every table. To incentivize a cleaner environment, the lunchroom will begin distributing French fries on weeks that the cafeteria and H Patio remain clean. “The whole point of Fries on Friday is it’s on an earn it type basis,” said Assistant Principal Eric Brooks, the driving force behind the new program. “It’s an incentive to keep the cafeteria clean, but it would take all the lunches throughout this week and none of them really had the cleaning up standard we thought would’ve earned it.” This week they’re going to try again, but keeping the cafeteria clean every day for three lunches is a high standard. According to Brooks,
each lunch can achieve this separately. Many students were unaware of this new incentive, and their feelings were mixed. “I’d be down for that because around the table I be like ‘yo, clean up your stuff.’ It would encourage more enthusiasm,” junior Mark Anthony Paneda said. Others were less open, especially after hearing that even after qualifying for the fries, they would still cost money.“I don’t think this is good because like, we still gotta pay $3 for fries, while we clean the cafeteria for free. And if people don’t clean the cafeteria we don’t get fries,” senior Jason Acevedo said. This feeling was quickly echoed by another senior, Antoine Ramsay. “It’s free labor. We don’t do free labor at school. The fries don’t make it worth it,” she said. For most people, the idea of offering food in order to clean up the lunchroom isn’t too big of a task, but by charging money it makes some apprehensive. STORY BY JOSHUA MORRISON
“I wouldn’t want to pay for the fries. If you get the right people and help out...” KEVIN ANDERSON,12
“When people are cleaning up in the cafeteria, it might lead them in to cleaning outside of the cafeteria. That would better the scenery of the school.” IAN SMITH, 9
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Red & Black
USF EARNS ELITE STATE STATUS
DISTRICT TESTING WATER FOR LEAD In 2017, Hillsborough County Public Schools began testing water fixtures in schools for traces of lead in the water. The public was made aware of the testing and results less than a month ago, almost 16 months after the testing began. The district will be testing over 250 facilities throughout the county. Whenever possible, older schools and facilities will be tested first as older pipes are more likely to contain lead. Hillsborough, which was built in 1927, is in the process of being tested.
Testing results So far, the district has tested and posted the results of 60 schools and facilities. One or more fixtures containing lead over 15 ppb (parts per billion) was found at 26 of those facilities. 24 of these fixtures have been replaced; the others are in the process of being replaced. Although the recommended level is 15 parts per billion, scientists agree that exposure to lead is never safe. The Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum contaminant level goal, or the ideal amount of a contaminant, for lead is zero. According to the Centers for Disease Control, even low levels of lead in the blood for children has been linked to learning disabilities, anemia, stunted growth, impaired formation of blood cells and hearing problems. Along with these effects, lead can stay in the body for years without a trace, making it difficult to test for.
Recommended levels Results showing fixtures that contained levels of lead below 15 ppb were not released along with the original notifications to parents and employees, even though scientists say lower levels of lead can still be dangerous. According to a Tampa Bay Times investigation, 14 schools had fixtures with levels over 5 ppb that were reported to have “no issues” and will not be replaced by the district. The EPA has stated that its limit of 15 ppb was never meant
to represent a safe level of lead based on scientific research. It considers cost and capacity for combatting high lead levels. The EPA also recommended that testing results be released to the public as they were collected. However, the district chose to release this information nearly 16 months after it commenced testing.
News to you For many, the news that lead may be present in their drinking water was surprising and in some cases, frustrating. “We’re just drinking the water not knowing anything, thinking it’s going to be OK,” sophomore Alynne Cawley said. Others wished they had known earlier in order to take the necessary precautions. “We could have brought our own water to school rather than drinking from the fountains and putting ourselves at risk,” sophomore Breanna Bethea said. Federal laws do not require schools to test for lead in their water, although the EPA strongly recommends it. The district made the decision to test for lead following news reports from other parts of the country indicating high levels of lead found in school drinking water, particularly older schools. Lead generally gets into drinking water through pipes and faucets made of lead.
The University of South Florida was designated as a preeminent university by the Florida Board of Governors in late June of 2018. The preeminent status is given to public universities across the nation to recognize the research efforts that they have achieved if they meet at least 11 of the 12 metrics, decided by Florida statute. USF joined the University of Florida and Florida State University as Florida’s only preeminent universities. This year, USF finally met the requirements to become Florida’s third preeminent university after years of effort to achieve their goal and will now receive additional funding to further develop their programs. With their new status and increased funding, USF has more resources to devote to their classes. Before, USF was classified on the level of “emerging preeminence.” This classification was given to universities that met at least half of the 12 metrics established by Florida statutes, and these universities were not as well-funded as preeminent universities. In the 2016-17 school year, UF and FSU were the only two preeminent universities in Florida. At the same time, USF received $5 million, but now that they have reached preeminence, they are being paid $10 million. Senior Victoria Badia decided that she wanted to attend USF before their preeminence. “I’ve always thought highly of USF, but now it’s even better and I want to get in even more now,” Badia said. “USF is so close to me; my family is here.” Senior Nicole Araujo wants also wants to attend USF after graduation. Like Badia, she wants to go to USF because of the proximity, but she also likes how affordable it is. “It’s definitely less expensive than other universities,” she said. Adding, “Even though it’s harder to get in to, I can just go to HCC for two years and then transfer to USF because I still want to go.” Not only is it closer, but USF holds its own against other universities. Eleven of their academic programs are in the top-50 in the national public university ratings, according to its website. Senior Angel Perez wants to attend USF for this reason. “I want to go there because I want to be a college professor one day,” he said. USF is now one of Florida’s most prestigious universities. Since he thinks so highly of USF, Perez wants to receive his higher education there to achieve his goals. “I know people who went there, and all of them came out successful, and now I just feel like I need to work a little bit harder.” STORY BY JOHN DOAN
Testing begins The district has been sending technicians to collect water samples from every fountain, water fixture and sink in each school before students and staff arrive in the morning. These samples are sent to a lab for testing and fixtures over the recommended amount are then replaced. The district is aiming to complete testing by December 2018, although the original completion date was set for 2022. Results for each school will be posted on the district website as they are tested. STORY BY REEMA PATEL
GRAPHIC BY MERCY TSAY
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IN TAMPA, TRUMP SIGNS BILL SUPPORTING CAREER ED
LEFT As he waves at the audience President Donald Trump pauses before welcoming the audience to Tampa Bay Technical High School. TOP RIGHT Shaking hands with Isabella Cruz, a current Tampa Bay Tech student, President Donald Trump thanks her for her hard work with the Architecture Club. BOTTOM RIGHT Greeting Gov. Rick Scott, Hillsborough County Superintendent Jeff Eakins thanks him for attending the signing of the bill granting more money to vocational school programs.
In Hillsborough County last year, 60,000 students enrolled in at least one career-training course. Add that to Tampa Bay Technical High School’s 98 percent graduation rate and 627 industry certifications in the 2017-18 school year, and it makes sense why President Donald Trump stopped at the Hillsborough County school on Tuesday, July 31 to sign the first major education policy bill of his presidency. “We’re here today to discuss an issue I feel very strongly about: vocational education,” Trump told the invited guests gathered in the Auditorium. said to a packed room, “Whether you’re a high school student or late-career worker, there has never been a better time to learn a trade, hone a skill or pursue your dreams. There’s never been a better time.” President Trump officially signed the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act in Washington D.C. that morning, but produced a copy of the bill while at the high school to provide a keepsake for Tampa Bay Tech and Principal
Michael Ippolito. The bill is a reauthorization to the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act that was voided by Congress in 2006. It allows states to set their own goals for technical and career education programs without the secretary of education’s approval. This is an opportunity for schools like Tampa Bay Tech to receive additional grant money, which will ultimately benefit the entire county, according to Superintendent Jeff Eakins. “We’re growing here in Tampa,” Eakins said. “We’re going to have a lot of building occur with a lot of trades, plumbing, welding ... all that is going to be needed and if we don’t have our kids coming out of high school ready to go into those jobs then we’re not going to be able to grow.”Along with President Trump and Superintendent Eakins, Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Trump’s daughter and adviser, Ivanka Trump, spoke at the event. A Tampa Bay Tech student and recent graduate also discussed how the school provides opportunities.
“You can have a trade and be successful,” said 2014 graduate David Thompson, who is now a pipe welder. “I make over six figures a year and I love what I do.”enior Isabella Cruz, a student in the architecture program, joked to the president that she too was a president – of the school’s Architecture Club. Trump announced that earlier that day, 49 Florida businesses signed a pledge to create apprenticeships and on-the-job training programs that will benefit more than 155,000 Floridians. There were some protesters outside the school, but the principal called the visit a significant opportunity for the school. “It’s surreal. You wouldn’t think that was really happening, to have the U.S. president recognize you as the principal of your school like that,” Ippolito said. “It’s really surreal.” After the event, Trump held a campaign-style rally at the Florida State Fairgrounds. STORY BY MACY MCCLINTOCK PHOTOS BY MAKAYLA BROWN
POLITICAL COVERAGE AT HHSTODAY.COM A Democratic Governor’s Forum was held at HHS on Aug. 16 and candidates Philip Levine (left) and Andrew Gillum (left) were in attendance. Florida primaries will be held on Aug. 28 and the general election will take place on Nov. 6. For more election coverage, visit hhstoday.com.
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August 2018
TAKING A DIFFERENT ROAD
Red & Black
The Big Red Band is taking a different approach this year - the theme for marching season is “The Road Not Taken,” based on the poem by Robert Frost, and will include more intense choreography than years before.
During marching season, this year’s theme is “The Road Not Taken,” based on the poem by Robert Frost. Each year band and orchestra teacher Mike Lebrias has directed, the band has performed a set theme such as ’80s music, Les Misérables and the Black Parade album by My Chemical Romance. However, this year the band is taking a new approach.
Choosing a direction “It was all part of one central theme, [The Road Not Taken] is more like an idea and feeling,” Lebrias said. “We can consider it a theme because it is all based off of the poem, but the music is all different, it’s not from the same time period.” While on the internet looking for themes, Lebrias found all of the music composed by Chris Cresswell on his website. He chose the theme of “The Road Not Taken,” because he thought it was relatable. “It’s about the road that we currently are on and the road that we could have taken,” Lebrias said. “The road not taken is not necessarily about second guessing yourself, but more along the lines of thinking what could have been if you had gone on that path. For me, when it comes to following your passion you should always follow that passion, there might be things along the way that stray you away from there but at the end of the day I am always going to follow my passion: teaching music.”
Discovering themselves By taking the road less traveled, junior Simone Francis believes one discovers who he or she is. “I think people will learn how much
they can handle, what they can go through, but this year it’s more competitive,” junior who their friends are and find their David Ma said. strength,” she said. For junior Joshua Cox, the new music is The songs include “Demons” by Imag- more enjoyable. ine Dragons, “A Thousand Airplanes on a “This year it’s a lot more modern and Roof ” by Phillip Glass and “Unsteady” by I think the band definitely seems to like X Ambassadors. it more and it shows through the sound, Lebrias said that the music creates and we sound a lot better than previous years embodies the feeling of uneasiness. in my opinion,” he said. “People are very “The opening and closing song Demons energetic about it and the mood is just a describes what’s on the inside,” he said. “A lot happier.” Thousand AirO n planes on a Roof the othTwo roads diverged in a wood, and doesn’t keep a er hand, steady time, it’s freshI -not just 4/4 time, man Ian I took the one less traveled by there are a lot of Smith time changes likes the And that has made all the differand choreogramusic ence. phy that’s going f r o m on. It’s more of middle a visual/musical school thing to illusthe best. trate it’s not exactly a steady path.” As for the song Unsteady, Lebrias said the mean- Not the biggest fan ing is self-explanatory. “It’s a different change of pace because According to Lebrias, the songs are in middle school we only played classical modified from the original. “[Crisswell] music, but now I’m playing all types of spins it where it sounds different so it fits modern music,” he said. “I think I like the our activity more rather than just playing classical better.” an arrangement that doesn’t fit,” he said. Unlike past years, visuals include props and 8-foot by 8-foot backdrops that depict Stepping it up a wood setting at dusk. During the perThis year the band will do more Drum formances, there will be voiceovers of the Corp International (DCI) music. DCI pro- poem. duces themes for student ensembles that “How we illustrate the music isn’t just are more complex and interpretive like the how we play,” Lebrias said. “The band has new music. some visuals while they play to convey the “It’s definitely different than the past, emotions of the music. It’s more of a storywe’ve been doing very pop stuff recently telling thing.”
New skills The band is also learning fundamental dance skills such as the sashay and the plié to incorporate in the performances. “It’s not necessarily that I want them to be good singers or dancers I just want them to put 110 percent into everything they do,” Lebrias said. “I want them to be able to go all out for any task that is given to them. They’re becoming better human beings, not just dancers.” Much of the band has never taken a dance class. However, senior Michelle Frost said that the dances are manageable. “It’s not just dancing, it’s really being expressive and helping to cheer up the school,” she said. Because there will be less breaks between songs, Lebrias said the performance is also more like a show. “[The composer] strings all three songs together in a way that sounds really cohesive,” Lebrias said. “It’s more of a full production, seven minutes, without stopping, rather than here’s this song and here’s this song.” This year, Lebrias’s goal was to challenge the students. “We’re adding more stuff to the show, so we can put ourselves in a situation where we get better because we are stepping out of our comfort zone,” he said. “At the end of it I just want them to get out of we worked really hard for this and we spent so much attention to detail to be proud of what we did.” STORY BY KATIE DELK PHOTOS BY MAKAYLA BROWN
TOP Marching band practices before their first game of the season. TOP RIGHT Senior Patrick Lewicki plays the opening of the first game of the season. LEFT Junior Destiny Wright plays at the opening game. MIDDLE RIGHT Senior Brooke Ledin opens the game against East Lake with the Big Red Band. Sophomore Matthew Lewicki plays at the first game of the season, a home game against East Lake.
THE MORE YOU KNOW “The Road Not Taken,” is widely misinterpreted by its readers. Many who read the poem believe that Frost’s intended meaning of the poem is the importance of personal choice. However, the actual poem contradicts this interpretation. In fact, the road that Frost refers to as “less traveled” is actually equally traveled. Because of this, the poem is often viewed as a commentary on self-deception rather than a tale of individualism. This is because Frost describes his decision positively as a form of justification for his personal choice. Rather than a cautionary tale about the downfalls of following the norm, Frost’s poem is essentially just a reflective piece written about a personal choice. COMPILED BY MARIN FEHL
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RED&BLACK VOLUME 120, ISSUE 1
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Marin Fehl WEB EDITOR Mercy Tsay DEPUTY WEB EDITOR Jaden Shemesh PAGE EDITORS Makayla Brown Katie Delk Ria Dey Johnathan Doan-Truong Lauren Komar Reema Patel STAFF WRITERS Abigail Conger, Charles Diaz, Sarah Ellis, Shawn Gist, Ceejay Liberatore, Joshua Morrison, Racine Seide, Kylie Smith, Delilah Vasquez ADVISER Joe Humphrey, MJE PRINCIPAL Gary Brady ABOUT Content decisions are made by student editors MEMBERSHIP Red & Black belongs to the Florida, National and Columbia Scholastic press associations AWARDS 2017-2018 FSPA All-Florida 2016-2017 NSPA Online Pacemaker 2016-2017 NSPA All-American 2016-2017 CSPA Hybrid Silver Crown The EDITORIAL reflects the view of student editors and can be found in the opinion section Bylined COLUMNS represent the viewpoints of their authors We welcome your LETTERS, which may be edited for brevity and clarity. Submit via email, deliver to Room 506 or mail to Red & Black, 5000 N. Central Ave, Tampa, Florida 33603. ADVERTISING content is subject to approval of the editorial board Visit us online at HHSTODAY.COM CONTACT Phone: (813) 276-5620 Fax: (813) 276-5629 Email: hhstoday@gmail.com Twitter: @HHSTodayOnline
opinion
Red & Black
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY The Founding Fathers decided that journalism mattered in 1787. So Recently, at political rallies, journalists have been jeered simply for covmuch so that they decided to ensure a free press was the only occupation ering the event. In another instant, a Bosnian journalist was beaten at a to be protected by the Constitution. This isn’t something that should be United States Embassy for his editorial writing. taken lightly. To villainize journalists, to attack the fundamentals of a free press itself, Journalism isn’t the “enemy of the people,” it’s the protector. It’s the isn’t just an attack on journalists or publications. It’s an attack on democguardian of democracy. It’s the checks and balances for the entire govern- racy. ment. Without a free press, there’s no accountability. There’s no motivation Many who attack the media say otherwise. Some say journalists are tryfor honesty. But with it, the people have the both the knowledge and the ing to dismantle democracy in the United States. The Constitution would power to call out those in power when they’re wrong. argue otherwise. What could we stand to gain from ignorance? As journalists, it’s our responsibility to communicate the Our role is important to understand. truth. To analyze the constantly changing news to pinpoint We’re not always going to write what people want to what the people need to know. It’s a constant job. It requires hear. But that’s not what we’re here for. We’re here to tell a watchful eye and a ready pen and at times, a never-endthe stories people need to hear to understand what’s haping supply of patience from the journalists who must sift pening in the world. It’s not our job to be nice to the people through it all. in power. Sometimes we make mistakes. It’s also important to be smart. Not every story that poses That doesn’t mean we’re not doing our jobs, or that we as news is a reliable source. It’s crucial to differentiate beshould be considered “fake news.” Imperfection is an tween what’s trustworthy and what isn’t. We’ll always undeniable aspect of human nature, and jourdo our job, but we can’t be blamed by consumers who nalists are not an exception to this. Miscomread and share unreliable garbage on the Internet. munication and misunderstanding are part Journalism is a necessary fixture in our society. of the job. Sometimes news will be reported We’re here to do our job, and sometimes our incorrectly. But it is never the intention of rejob gets messy, but we’ll always do our best sponsible media – the type of media we aim to clean up any messes. to be and the type most newspapers and major news stations are – to purposefully alter We’re proud to stand with hundreds of the story or to paint individuals in a bad light. news organizations, both professional and stuWe know we’re not perfect. We know we dent media, who published editorials this month in can always improve the story. And we’re al- GRAPHIC BY MARIN FEHL support of the important work journalists do and ways going to try. the essential role they play in our society.
3D PRINTED GUNS ARE A CLICK AWAY The debate over gun control takes a new turn: 3D printed firearms. With the release of the blueprints by Defense Distributed earlier this month, the possibility of printed weapons changes from a hypothetical to
reality. The issue itself began in 2013, when the organization in question developed the world’s first printed gun, then publishing the blueprint on its website. Following this the State Department ordered the blueprints to be taken down, and a legal battle began. No matter what side of the gun debate you’re on, these guns pose a real threat to both national security and personal safety. If you support tighter gun restrictions, this is a major setback to gun reform and essentially makes background check registrations useless.
Proponents of deregulation still need address concerns over the potential for terrorists and dangerous criminals to gain access to guns undetectable by metal detectors. Defense Distributed founder and CEO Cody Wilson, a self-described anarchist who insists his company is a “non-profit defense firm,” has expressed very little personal responsibility or interest in how these guns will be used, seeing himself more as an innovator than an activist. Even after the release of the so-called “ghost guns,” Defense Distributed continues to work new designs for plastic weapons. With a corporation who refuses to cooperate, a major pro-gun organization in support and the federal government unable or unwilling to act, the case seems all but closed. The question is, what do we do now? First, the good news. Eight states and the District of Colombia have already filed a lawsuit to challenge the ruling by the Trump administration. If successful, the outcome of
this case could make the publishing of these types of schematics illegal. Although the NRA would say plastic weapons are already illegal under the Undetectable Firearms Act, the presence of these blueprints online is just as dangerous. In fact, a lot of damage has already been done. Designs previously posted were downloaded several thousand times, which means, like it or not, they’re out there. We can’t stop the problem, but we can keep it from getting worse. The outcome of that lawsuit could change depending on public opinion, and the more attention we pay the less likely it will get pushed to the side. Raise awareness, make noise, and ask your representative why Florida isn’t a part of the movement. If no one else will take steps to keep us safe, it is our responsibility to take action. COLUMN BY JOSH MORRISON
opinion
hhstoday.com
August 2018
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IS THE NEW START TIME AN IMPROVEMENT? YES! The official school start and end times were changed after a period of stagnancy at the start of this year and admittedly, there was some anxiety over the new schedule. With the later start to the day, students must drive during rush hour. Although this is a setback, ultimately the later start time was the right choice. There’s a lot less pressure in the mornings. There’s no need to wake up before the sun and run out the door. There’s more time. Granted, many probably spend most of that time sleeping, but now there’s an option. And one of those options is to leave earlier to skip traffic altogether. The school is quiet in the morning, and it’s a good time to get any last-minute work done, or to just get a coffee. But
NO!
if you’re not interested in being the early bird that gets the worm, you can now sleep for an hour longer, which is basically a revolutionary innovation. The change may have taken some getting used to at the beginning, but now that students are back in the swing of things, the improvement is evident. The change in times also makes it easier for students to take their younger siblings to school in the mornings if their parents can’t. While we do get out later in the afternoon, it’s only a 30-minute extension, which doesn’t really interfere with extracurriculars that drastically. An added bonus, it’s not rush hour when we’re dismissed. The old schedule was in place for a long time, but given the benefits of the new times, it was more than long enough. COLUMN BY MARIN FEHL
Getting some extra sleep never hurts anyone and with the new schedule that is what students are getting, however, there are some issues with the times that need to be addressed. With the time that school starts now, 8:30 a.m., people end up getting caught in rush hour when they leave their houses. But it doesn’t stop there, the traffic continues after school as well. There is a lot less time to homework and other after school activities with school ending at 3:25 p.m. leaving only a little bit of time to schedule other things. Traffic in the morning can make a 30-minute car ride into an hour-long trip. Because the average work day begins at 9 a.m., students get caught in the clusters of people on their way to work and if they leave too late they can end up
being late too school. The schedule from the previous year had students on the road right before rush hour allowing for little traffic and shorter trips. For the students who live farther away from school they have more time before they leave the house. Many sports and club meetings have meeting after school, these practices had typically already ended late the previous year. The practices remain the same, but time for other work does not. It is important that students have enough time for themselves as well as their school work. The new schedule makes difficult for students to participate in extracurricular while still balancing school work, it would be better to revert back to the previous year’s schedule. COLUMN BY MERCY TSAY
What do you think? Take our poll at HHSToday.com.
WE SHOULDN’T FORGET ABOUT IMMIGRATION After crossing the U.S. southern border hoping for a better life for her and her 8-yearold son, Anthony, Elsa Johana Ortiz Enriquez was mocked in front of him by a guard and told she would be separated from him. Not only was Enriquez separated from Anthony, but she was deported back to Guatemala, over 1,500 miles from Anthony, who was left in a shelter for migrant children. President Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance policy requires authorities to arrest and criminally prosecute unauthorized immigrants. As a result, families were separated. Although referring immigrants for prosecution is not new policy, before Trump came into office, families were detained together, sent back immediately or paroled into the country, said Peter Margulies, an immigration law and national security law professor at Roger Williams University School of Law, Politifact reported. “The parents are subject to prosecution while children may not be,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “So, if we do our duty and prosecute those cases, then children inevitably for a period of time might be in different conditions.”
The fact that politicians seated in high positions of power believe dividing a family is acceptable and just is terrifying. Criminalizing immigrant parents is inhumane and inflicts more emotional torture on families who have sacrificed much to escape horrid conditions in their countries of origin to gain protection and safety for their children. Separating families also infringes on immigrants’ rights. According to Cristina Rodriguez, a professor at Yale Law School, family integrity is a right established through court rulings in the early 20th century. The zero-tolerance policy will continue to be enforced but families will remain together while they are in custody. However, according to The Washington Post as of Aug. 16, 2,089 children have been reunited or released with 565 children still kept apart from their family. For every parent who is not found, there is an orphaned child. This is the fault of administration that did not keep families together because of their own selfish concerns rather than any care for humans in need of help. Even though most families have been reunited, there are still lost children without the love and comfort of their family. Therefore, we need to press government to bring back together EVERY
family. Immigrants who apply legally should be rewarded and those who do not should be penalized. However, due to the difficulty of the legal applications, immigrants opt to enter the US illegally. On Twitter, Trump asserted that the US is a “mockery to good immigration policy.” But the US has become a low-immigration country, according to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, World Bank. In Canada and Australia, there is a greater number of temporary workers. The Gulf States allow a large immigrant influx to meet the demands of low skilled jobs. According to a report by the Pew Research Center, in the US undocumented immigrants work in more low-skilled, low-paying jobs than the U.S. born workers. Immigrants do not steal all American’s jobs. In fact, they form the base of the U.S. economy by holding jobs with the least desirable conditions, such as crop picking and animal slaughter. Immigrants are willing to do any job to support their families, even jobs we will not do. During a press conference on June 22, Trump argued that immigrants are not safer than U.S. citizens. But Trump only provided statistics on the number of crimes committed by immigrants,
without comparisons to the number of American citizens’ crimes. In an analysis of Texas data, Alex Nowrasteh, with the Cato Institute found the arrest rate for illegal immigrants was 40 percent below that of native-born Americans. Although other data supports Trump’s claim, the crimes committed in the U.S. demand more attention especially when recent shooters have all been white. More now than ever with increased strife and tension in the US, we need to unify in our common beliefs. Immigration policies should be something everyone can agree on. They deal not with politics, but with peoples’ LIVES. Laws need to consider the effects on them rather than solely benefiting the country. How can anyone deny immigrants the right to provide and make a better life for themselves? Once we cause more trauma for individuals who have dealt with much loss and pain, we have truly lost our souls and emotion. There is a fine line between truth and compassion, but others’ well-being should matter more to us than strict and unyielding laws. COLUMN BY KATIE DELK
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entertainment
August 2018
Red & Black
STAFF PLAYLIST RECOMMENDATIONS “Local Trap” by SuperShawn Shawn goes hard and hits all the bars.
“Lost It” by Rich the Kid A relaxing song with good vocals.
“Ghost” by Jaden Smith A hyped up song that makes you want to dance.
“Playinwitme” by Kyle An upbeat song to sing along to with friends.
“Nascar” by 1PLAYY Coming from a lesser known artist, the song was made popular with the release of the movie “The First Purge.”
“Oh Okay” by Gunna A chill rap that you’ll still be able to get lit too.
“Best Friend” by Rex Orange County A calm ode to friendship with powerful lyrics.
“Love It If We Made It” by 1975 A perfect song for chilling with friends.
“Beautiful” by Viigo A really good beat for loudly humming to in the car (and annoying other drivers).
“666” by YG A good head-bobbing late night listen.
“Wish” by Diplo feat. Trippie Redd A different thing from Trippie Redd and a perfect mix between rap and EDM.
“Chinatown” by Wild Nothing An almost movie-like teenager vibe with a transcending beat.
“Balenciaga” by Ozuna A spanish bop that makes your feet move to the rhythm.
“Hot Summer” by Dj Durel and Migos A great dance song with a summer vibe.
“Moneyman” by TGUT A hard rap with the signature tee grizzley flare.
COMPILED BY LAUREN KOMAR AND JADEN SHEMESH
‘ASTROWORLD’ EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS Travis Scott recently dropped his long awaited album ‘AstroWorld’. Many fans were hyping up the album on social media in preparation of its release. One thing I noticed in the whole album was how he sounded very similar in every song, which can be repetitive because no one wants the same thing over and over again. The best thing about the whole album is how many other artists were featured to give a lot of diversity in the songs. Some of the songs have very chill vibes that easily allow for listening while doing some work, but other songs such as “NC-17” are really good party songs. “STOP TRYING TO BE GOD” has a mellow hip-hop beat and a great hook, so this song can also be a great study song. In total there are 17 songs on the album, so there is a song for everyone, no matter what you’re looking for, whether it’s a chill, trap, or sad mood. Whatever it is, you can easily enjoy it and want to
listen it to multiple times. Compared to Scott’s other albums, it is one of the best albums he has released. The album is an amazing project which really satisfied me. After listening to it to it, I was left wanting 17 more songs, and if I were to rank it I’d say it would be in the top 5 album releases this year. Before the release of ‘AstroWorld’, Travis Scott really became a force in the rap game after dropping his single “Antidote” in 2015 which went triple platinum. Soon after, he gained a massive following and became popular online. Travis Scott has been making songs with big names like Drake, Trippe Red, Migos, NAS, Kayne West and countless others, so there were huge expectations for this new album. Fortunately, the album delivered on those expectations and was a really good listen. REVIEW BY SHAWN GIST
ARIANA GRANDE’S ‘SWEETENER’ RADIATES RHYTHMIC POSITIVITY Ariana Grande’s recently released album ‘Sweetener’ is a powerful response to the 2017 bombings at her Manchester concert. Many songs on the album deal with hard times and making the most out of life, while others focus on love and relationships. In addition to the Manchester bombings, before the album released, Grande announced her surprise engagement to actor Pete Davidson, yet another focus of the album. Following the slow yet moving pace of “raindrops”, the album creatively transports the listener into a dreamlike sequence of rhythmic swaying and uncontrollable dance sequences. The project features different sounds than Grande usually produces, but still showcases some of the typical pop music Grande fans have grown to love in “no tears left to cry” and “God is a woman”. The latter serves as a powerful feminist anthem about the capability of women. Even when it isn’t the focus of many of her songs, Grande is once again able to subtlety evoke discussion on women’s sexuality through innuendos such as in “R.E.M.” Perhaps the most re-playable song on the album, “Sweetener” contains one of the most enjoyable choruses of any recent pop album, and l will not be able to stop sing-
ing along to it for the foreseeable future. In “breathin”, the feeling of not being able to get enough air during panic and anxiety attacks is brought up over unexpected, energetic beats that cast a dancing spell on your shoulders followed by your legs. Personally, “goodnight n go” overpowers my senses and consistently has me moving around. As an astounding ode to love, feminism and hard times, Grande’s most recent album is her most complex and beautiful yet. Each song perfectly crafts specific scenery in the listener’s mind, where every individual’s experience with and connection to the music and words differs. Powerful lyrics and upbeat vibes combine for an unexpected, refreshing audio (and visual) experience from one of contemporary society’s most empowering feminist icons. REVIEW BY JADEN SHEMESH
entertainment
hhstoday.com
August 2018
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EIGHTH GRADE SHOWS STRUGGLES OF YOUTH “Eighth Grade” stars Elsie Fisher as Kayla Day, a shy 13-year old navigating through the difficulties of adolescence as her last week of middle school comes to a close. I would be lying if I said I was not cringing throughout this entire film, but it is not for the reasons you think. In fact, its general awkwardness helps depict a spot-on image of every girl’s middle school years. I couldn’t help but reminisce back to the olden days when wearing Hollister was key to sitting with the in crowd during lunch and pool parties were the epitome of absolute embarassment. If “Eighth Grade” did one thing well it was the accurate portrayal of social media today. Throughout the film Kayla is shown to be very dedicated to her YouTube channel which she uses to speak out about topics such as social anxiety, being yourself, and many other problems teenagers continue to face on a daily basis. Although she preaches the idea of self-love she finds it difficult
to embrace her naturally gawky personality. This makes it harder for her to socialize with her peers and causes her to isolate herself from the rest of her class. It is easy to get caught up in other people’s lifestylesfor Kayla she is shown to idolize famous social media personalities. In one scene, she is shown frantically applying makeup to one of Olivia Jade’s morning routine videos and getting frustrated as she realizes it is not going as expected. Later in the movie, Kayla is pressured to do sexual things with a high school boy who decides to take advantage of her submissive nature. Instead of comforting her he shames her into believing he truly cares about her, even going as far as to say he is trying to help her. Another scene helps viewers understand the true seriousness of the affect that anxiety can have on younger people. While sitting by a fire and burning up a box of old trinkets and memories, Kayla implies that she feels like a burden to her father who quickly extinguishes her negative feelings with the promise
of unconditional love. I found it important that this movie gave viewers a deeper insight into how anxiety can make those dealing with it feel. For Kayla, her feelings not only caused her to distance herself from people her age, but also her father. “Eighth Grade” was incredibly realistic in the sense that growing up can be challenging. I think we can all agree that the pressure to fit in was a continuous uphill battle. This is a movie we can all relate to on some level. I especially enjoyed how it precisely represented the hardships that many women face as they begin to grow up. The most important part of the film was that Kayla was not able to magically get rid of all her flaws and insecurities. Instead, she embraced them and used them as an opportunity to grow. We can all learn a lesson from this movie. REVIEW BY RIA DEY GRAPHIC BY JADEN SHEMESH
SUMMER FLICKS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED In case you might’ve missed some of these summer blockbusters, here are quick recaps of what you need to know.
The sequel fails to live up to the bar set by its predecessor. It has good action sequences as most superhero films have nowadays, but the humor of the film fails to make the audience laugh. The movie is so fast paced that it becomes hard to follow some key plot points and characters’ back stories. This fault is evident in
the main villain’s development which doesn’t allow viewers to understand the antagonist. The film’s comedic mood is a needed change of pace for the superhero genre after the intense drama of Avengers: Infinity War. Ultimately the film doesn’t leave a lasting impression – until the post credits scenes.
“It was a good movie, [but] the ending confused me,” junior Timothy Stull said.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout is the most confusing action movie of the summer. Every piece of dialogue is spoken too quickly for the average viewer to hear, confusing the viewer in every scene. However, the action sequences are incredible and leave audience members
on the edges of their seats. The few key character moments in the film resonate with the audience, but the movie seems to continue on and on with no end in sight. The villains are too predictable and confusing to take any interest in, leaving viewers mildly disappointed.
“It’s the best ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie that they’ve made,” sophomore Justus Holt said.
Surprisingly, this se- ter-building to the point quel does an even better where the audience can job as a family-friendly empathize with anyone. superhero film than the While it does overtly try original, which is a pretty to be relevant to current hard feat to accomplish times, it succeeds in leadconsidering how iconic ing the audience to think the first film is. The villain about our society’s current is very predictable, but values, something Disney still manages to capture and Pixar prove they’ve the viewer’s attention con- mastered time and time sistently. Each character again. receives enough charac- GRAPHICS BY JOHN DOAN REVIEWS BY JADEN SHEMESH
“Even though they took too long to release the movie, it was a good [film] and I loved it,” said junior Maria Oviedo.
COMPILED BY JOSHUA MORRISON AND JOHN DOAN
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life
August 2018
Red & Black
SENIORS’ ADVICE TO FRESHMAN Freshmen ask questions about how to navigate the school and classes. Find out how to adapt What’s the history behind this school and why does it look like an old church? -Stephanie Hamilton Hillsborough High School was built in 1927 by an architect, Francis Kennard, who built it in the architectural style of Gothic Revival.
How are we supposed to find our classes sooner when there’s so many people and we only have a 5 minute passing period? -Kahlin Newson
Students must already be enrolled in the elective class to join. To enroll, go to the Guidance office and see your counselor.
Make sure your essay represents who you are Your essay it what separates you from other students, it goes beyond your GPA and grades, show why you are different and show your distinctiveness.
Hillsborough is an exception because of the diversity. Our school population is 39 percent Hispanic or Latino, 29 percent Black (African American) or Non-Hispanic, 19 percent White or Non-Hispanic and 11 percent American Native/Asian/ Multi-Racial.
The school’s website provides the coaches’ names, contact information and a link to the Athletic Participation Packet students must fill out to participate.
How do I join ROTC or other electives? -Aleidys Nunez
COLLEGE TIPS
Is school exactly like the movies, where everyone is a part of a clique? -Mercy Oyunsola
How do I sign up for sports? -Gabe Brewer
Locate a map of our school in the Guidance office, Room 113, to find your classes.
What variety of sports does Hillsborough offer? -Ashton Colson Our school offers these current sports during the fall season: football, cheerleading, cross country, golf, swim and dive and volleyball. Winter sports are basketball, soccer, softball and wrestling. In the spring, the school offers baseball, flag football, softball, tennis, track and field.
COMPILED BY DELILAH VASQUEZ
Make a checklist Don’t make the mistake of forgetting to send in something crucial, making a list allows you to physically see what you have and don’t have.
Coalition Common Essay 1 Essay 2
Know your deadlines Make note of your deadlines because they are always closer than they appear. Deadlines are as early as November and as late as February, so make sure you know when yours are.
Nov
Proofread, proofread, proofread Make sure that what you are sending in appears professional and well thought out, have a friend or parent look over it. Mistakes in writing can make you appear sloppy.
Proof read
GRAPHICS AND STORY BY MERCY TSAY
sports
hhstoday.com
August 2018
15
CREW CLUB COMPETES AT NATIONALS
Members of the rowing club flew up to Camden, New Jersey, to race on the Cooper River for the national scholastic regatta in May. To go to nationals, while each individual category varies, the typical qualification is either second or third place in the finals round. For scholastic and club rowing, there are two different state competitions, sculling and sweep. The rowing club had boats qualify for nationals from both sweep and sculling states. While none of the boats placed at nationals, much was taken from the experience. Starting his fourth year of rowing, senior Nick Jeske went to nationals and enjoyed his experience. “[At nationals] there was a competitive environment and it was a little bit stressful, but at the end of the day, we all had fun,” he said.
Aside from rowing and preparing to race their competitors, current seniors and juniors pose for a picture to show their excitement about Nationals.
Attention Seniors! Yearbooks only $60 through Oct 15!
PHOTO COURTESY OF CREW FACEBOOK STORY BY SARAH ELLIS
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How to buy your senior package online After clicking the link on hhstoday.com to buy your yearbook. Be sure to select the “1/16 page ad” as priced at $360.
Senior Pictures Be sure to take your senior pictures by the end of September. Call the studio at (813)402-3500 to make an appointment at the studio or take your pictures on campus during the last week of September. Anyone wishing to take pictures on campus will receive information from the yearbook staff at a later date. Photos include: - Senior Pose - Red Cap and Gown - White Cap and Gown (only if in NHS or plan to be)
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Meet Times @ 7 p.m.
Game Times JV @ 6:15 p.m. Varsity @ 7 p.m. * Varsity Only Game
Meet Times Vary
2019 Hilsborean
Room 506 Publications
Go to www.hhstoday.com for score updates
16
August 2018
sports
Red & Black
FOOTBALL’S SENIOR SHINING STARS
Terence Doston Terence Doston is a second-year player and a senior. He is a wide receiver and also plays on the baseball team. His goals for this season are not unpredictable. “I want to beat Armwood and make it to states,” said Dotson. Personally, he wants to score at least 12 touchdowns this season. When asked about players who really stand out on the team Garcia didn’t forget the player who wears No. 2. “Not to forget Terrence Doston who has about 35 Division I scholarship offers,” Garcia said. After high school Dotson plans on playing college sports.
Dontae Hopkins Dontae Hopkins is a senior who has been on the team for four years. On the field he is a running back and safety and wears No. 5. He is able to maintain his position on the team through practice. “[Hopkins] is doing great at practice,” said Garcia, “and he has had a great camp”. His biggest challenge on the team is leadership. “Being a leader is challenging, because I have to worry about other players and not just myself,” Hopkins said. However, with his leadership he hopes to lead him and his teammates to states. Similar to his fellow teammates, Hopkins plans on getting a DI scholarship to take after high school.
Jordan “JT” Brown Jordan “JT” Brown wears No. 13 on the field, has been on the team since freshman year and is now a senior. He plays as both a defensive back and a wide receiver. “Brown is on defense and doing well,” said head coach Earl Garcia. Brown’s goals for the team this season is to go to states, and personally to make 10 interceptions. “I’m a playmaker,” Brown said when asked about why he is a key player. “I will make a play whether it’s a touchdown or an interception.” After this season Brown wants to earn a DI scholarship so he can play in college.
TERRIERS LOSE SEASON OPENER TO PLANT 45-28
Charlie Dean Charlie Dean is a new addition to the team, and will be playing his last high school year here after previously attending Tampa Catholic and Plant. Dean is a quarterback and sports No. 3. Like his fellow teammates his main goal is making it to the state championship. “He is going to be an outstanding quarterback,” Garcia said. “He might be the best quarterback in the city of Tampa this year.” Off the field, Dean had little trouble getting comfortable. “Getting adapted to different environments,” Dean said when asked about challenges he has faced so far, “but I like Hillsborough a lot better than Plant and Tampa Catholic.” Once he has finished school, Dean plans on playing college football, seeing as he has already verbally committed to University of Central Florida.
Kaleb “KK” Harden Kaleb “KK” Harden is No. 14 on the field and shows it when he is out playing tight end and defensive end. Harden’s goal is states but he knows that that won’t be an easy ride. “Practice by far is the most challenging thing because [Coach Earl Garcia] makes us practice hard so that we are ready and so the games will be easier.” Even though practice can be hard, Garcia notices Harden’s efforts. “He comes every practice and has been doing great,” he said. After high school, Harden plans to go to college somewhere in state so his family and friends can come and watch him play. PHOTOTS BY MAKAYLA BROWN STORIES AND GRAPHIC BY LAUREN KOMAR
Huddled together in the Plant High School gym, students, cheerleaders and fans wait as the rain and lightning attempted to pass in the area. The rivalry game was initially scheduled for Friday, Aug. 24, but as it hit 8:30 p.m., Plant and Hillsborough administrators decided to reschedule the game for Saturday night. Irritated by the delay and reschedule of the game, wide receiver Terence Doston stated, “This happens every year, we were ready to take home a dub.” This is the third year in a row that the game against Plant has been rescheduled due to weather. Saturday at 7 p.m. lighting in the area once again delayed the game, pushing the start time to 8:30 p.m. Despite the wait, the Terriers lost their home opener to the Panthers 45-28. Plant scored on its first drive, 3:40 into the game, and Hillsborough tied the game late in the first quarter on an Adonis Johnson rushing TD. Back and forth possessions continued before Plant pulled away in the fourth quarter. Hillsborough (0-1) plays this Friday, Aug. 31 at home against Plant City. Prior to the Plant game, the Terriers won their pre-season classic against East Lake 29-23. STORY BY MAKAYLA BROWN