ISSUE
Ace Valitutto, Beatriz Tortorelli, Vausi Smith, Aiden Sanders, Nia Randell, Tamie Nguyen, Ai’Jah Moore, Ella Lemieux, Anh Le, William Johnson, Sophia Jelks, Roberto Jackson, Kalyse Cromartie, Lincoln Alwood, Isela Alvarado, Alexandra Hines, Bella Pease, Kaylee Robinson, Layla Hines, Lia Rojas, Morissey Montgomery
About Content decisions are made by student editors
Membership Red & Black belongs to the Florida Student and Columbia Scholastic press associations Awards
FSPA 2020-21 All-Florida and Sunshine Standout
NSPA 2019-20 First Class
CSPA 2018-19 Gold Medalist
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
Email: hhstoday@gmail.com
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Happy fall, glad to see you here.
Hope you are well from hur ricane Ian. is hurricane was one of the meaner ones in re cent years, being now historic as the fourth strongest hurricane to make landfall in Florida’s history. ankfully, the week we got o was used to prepare, catch up on work, and rest. But I want to make clear that this uno cial break was not given for no reason. When I heard the news that they were canceling school for a week, I knew that this hurricane was unlike any other. We were spared from the destructive 130 mph winds and ooding. If you get a chance to help our neighbors in Fort Myers and other a ected ar eas, please do so.
But onto less important things, writing this letter as the new Editor-In-Chief, feels a bit overwhelming, to say the least. is is my formal introduc tion to you, as the guy running this newspaper you are about to read. While I might know you outside this paper, I just want to say hello, nice to meet you, and I’m happy you are reading this.
I’m just popping here to rst make sure that you are well from a few weeks back and the clos ing of the quarter, and to let you know more about the process be hind this issue.
You will notice that this paper looks di erent, from its layout and logo. I tried marrying the designs from past editions. is paper is a new start for this his toric newspaper and an evolution of what came before it.
As for the sta , I can say with honesty that I’m hopeful about them (not that I shouldn’t be, just that it’s scary having a group of people you are responsible for). e new sta is showing great potential in their writing and photo-taking. e stories that you will read in this paper are a testa ment to that.
Although a big change from what you have probably been used to, I’m proud to show you what we have been cooking up in 506 for the last quarter.
Oct. 1: SAT Testing
Oct. 3-5: Fall Play Rehearsal
Oct. 7: Hillsborough vs. Tampa Bay Tech Football Game
Oct. 14: Hillsborough at Leto Football Game
Oct. 21: Hillsborough vs. Newsome Football Game
Oct. 24: Club Day
Oct. 28: Hillsborough vs. Jesuit Foot ball Game
Oct. 27-29: Fall Play
Nov. 4: Hillsborough at Wharton Foot ball Game
Nov. 5: SAT Testing
Nov. 21-27: Thanksgiving break
Dec. 3: SAT Testing
Dec. 9: HELM Coffee House
Dec. 10: ACT Testing
Dec. 15: Winter Concert
Mathew Moreno Editor-in-ChiefDec. 24- Jan. 9: Winter Break
Jan. 30: IB International Day
compiled by ella lemieuxA total of 221,562 were cast for this referendum, 111,076 against and 110,486 for it. It did not pass by a margin of 590 votes.
story by kaylee robinson graphic by mathew moreno
In the recent primary election in Hillsborough County, voters were given the option to vote on a mill age referendum but it was voted against.
Had this millage refer endum been passed, the average family would have ended up paying about 63 dollars a year to the school bringing in roughly $146 million a year.
Out of that, 75% of the
money would have gone towards a pay increase for teachers as well as funds to recruit and maintain new teachers and sta . While this referendum would have increased teacher’s pay, it also would have brought money needed to make re pairs, maintain schools, and improve technology and se curity within Hillsborough county public schools.
While a majority of the
money would have gone towards teacher’s pay and school maintenance the district also said that the additional funds would have gone towards the expansion of art and music programs as well as physical education classes.
e district will have to wait until 2024 before trying again or pursuing a special property tax.
Every day, at 7 a.m., his school day starts. He walks around the H-patio. He dress codes those he sees as not following it and just tries to keep order at such an early hour before the bell rings. He locks all doors around the school to make sure no one who doesn’t be
All the seniors see him from the senior parking lot with his walkie and keys by the gate at the teacher’s entrance, right before
During the school day, he means busi ness. He even started in business before being a principal. He has a degree in economics.
He saw interest in teaching and education instead. Being part of the Junior Achieve ment program in St. Pete High School inspired him to get his doctorate in education leadership from USF.
He dresses in blue almost every day. He always wears a nice dress shirt with
She is colorful like her art and bold as any athlete can be. She cannot be stopped. Anything she does, she does it with passion and courage.
She was born with a right club foot, but that still didn’t stop her. Her early life was full of surgeries, casts, and braces, even before she turned a year old. is early disability made walking a struggle for her. She learned later than most kids usually do. She had to wear a brace on her feet to bed every night up until she was 4 years old.
But seeing her mom run in marathons not only in spired her to run for herself, but to always keep going in life, and not let any obstacles a ect her future.
When she was around the age of 6, she ran her rst 5k with her mom. Since then, she has not stopped counting her life in miles.
“My love for running comes from my mom,” Rodri guez said.
She joined the cross country and track team in fresh men year and is still going as a senior.
She runs because of her mom and does art because of her dad. She has had a great deal of in uence when it
a charming vest and tie, elegant slacks and shoes, and sometimes sunglasses.
He is a very calm person. He only raises his voice to clear hallways and get all the stu dents to their classes.
His favorite movie is “ e Shawshank Re demption”. He connects with the themes of hope and perseverance in serious situations.
“Andy keeps calm through the whole thing. And just always has this positive, calm outlook,” he said.
Being the new principal, he has made some e orts to keep the school a safe and fo cused environment for the students. He start ed the year with some big policies, including no phones during the school day, and limiting bathroom passes during class time.
Most students have a strong negative opinion to say the least.
He doesn’t do things to be a mean old principal, a la “ e Breakfast Club,” but be cause he truly cares about the quality of edu cation of the students.
If being the “bad guy,” gets everyone to graduate high school, then he is going to take those odds any day over being liked.
He has hope and is doing everything to get all students to graduate and be college ready.
comes to art and self expression from both her dad and uncle who both went to the Rochester Institute of Tech nology for graphic design.
Her style is mostly pop art and illustrations.
Realistic grayscale drawings pose a challenge for her, and though she has done this style in the past, color has a special place in her heart. With the bright and colorful perspectives that she loves to play with.
She likes setting her computer on her kitchen table with Net ix or a movie playing while she works on her art projects. She usually watches any movie, from action/ revenge to chick icks. Her favorite movie to watch is “ e Sandlot.”
e summer before her junior year, she painted her very rst mural at Hillsborough High. It is on the third oor, and it is about the Big Red Band.
Because of this, Rodriguez was Invited by Marian Coleman, a 3DE teacher from another high school to do a commission. Rodriguez made her way to Saint Peters burg to create a mural for new the 3DE program at Gibbs High School.
Junior Miguel Ynoa (left) and junior Lau ren Ellis during this past club rush get ting people to join Students Demand Action club. This club raises awareness about gun violence in the U.S.
“We do not tolerate an unsafe envi ronment, and this student and any others who bring a weapon to school will be dis ciplined and face serious charges by law enforcement,” Principal Kevin Gordon reiterated once again in a phone call to all parents on Wednesday, Aug 31. Two other messages of the same nature have already been sent out this school year, detailing in cidents regarding weapons on school cam pus: two loaded guns, and one lockout as a result of an untrue rumor.
ough none of the incidents resulted in any physical harm, nor was there any harmful intent, many students remain on edge.
Students have shared screenshots of news reports across social media- most expressing concern for their own safety, some organizing boycotts, and some de fending the actions of those who brought these weapons.
“Right now, we’re in a bit of a crisis with our school and students bringing guns onto campus,” Students Demand Action (SDA) leader Miguel Ynoa said, “We need to advocate for our safety and our right to come to school without the worry of may be not going home to our families.”
is concern has been shared by sta as well, many of whom-including Dr Gor don on the morning announcements- have been repeating the phrase “See Something, Say Something.” ough Hillsborough County students have heard this phrase since the time they started kindergarten, for many it has taken a whole new mean ing this year, moving from primarily bul lying and cyberbullying to carrying loaded weapons on school grounds.
Just as these incidents have evoked fear or nervousness, they may have been a re sult of similar feelings. According to Pew Research, 63% of gun owners cited person al protection as the main reason they own or carry a rearm. With so many threats of
Rent across the U.S. has risen to extreme amounts. e national aver age is 2,495$ and is impacting families across the country. Many families nd it di cult to even buy the basics. e cost of living is being noticed by many teenagers as well.
“It’s hard knowing my mom works 40 plus hours a week and is still coming up short cause you don’t have enough to pay rent,” student Aaliyah Jackson said.
“It’s made it hard for them to pay
certain bills since they only make a cer tain amount,” Jackson continued.
e surge in rent a ects all of the U.S. however some places have taken the hit a lot worse than others. e cost of living has gotten so bad some Tam pa residents are being pushed towards homelessness. ese prices are forcing families into tough positions.
“It’s tough but if we don’t pay rent, you, and your family going to get kicked out on the road. You have to get another job or ask someone for mon
gun violence in America today, it’s not un likely that students feel unsafe, particularly in classrooms. Some have gone to much more extreme places to ensure their own protection.
“I nd that tragic- that a teenager or a child needs to feel that they have to carry a loaded weapon for protection, that is absolutely heartbreaking,” SDA Sponsor Laura Wells said.
“If we all commit to being kind, seeing something say ing something, and so forth, we as a school community can keep ourselves as safe as possible,”
On ursday, Sept 8, police and admin istration conducted searches of three ran dom classrooms. All the students in the chosen classes had their person and their belongings searched by a metal detector or metal detector wand before being allowed to return to class.
In response to speculation about the reason for the searches, administration commented that these random searches were standard a few years ago but stopped because of the pandemic.
ese searches are quite controversial
however, as many believe they are ine ec tive and only evoke more fear in students.
Others see them as an important tool for maintaining a safe school environ ment- as long as students individual rights are upheld.
With the issue of gun control dividing the United States, and the continued fear of active shooter situations in schools, means of protection in the classroom are an im portant conversation to have. ough most people in politics today can agree that school safety is very important, the way to go about it is just as controversial as any of the other issues a ecting America.
“Talk to your APs, the principal, go to the school board, send emails, write to your legislators who will hopefully pass bills that will end gun violence and even tually you will feel safe in your schools and communities,” Ynoa urged.
In the end, according to Wells and Hill sborough Administration, the most im portant thing we can do as students to en sure our own safety is speaking out about suspicious behaviors.
“If we all commit to being kind, seeing something saying something, and so forth, we as a school community can keep our selves as safe as possible,” Wells said.
story by morissey montgomery photo by jaden manciniey,” student Justin Ortez County said
Despite an overwhelming majority of people saying the rent has greatly negatively impacted their lives there are some who say the cost of living hasn’t really a ected them all too much. ere is also somewhat of a middle ground where people are knowingly being impacted by the cost of living but are seemingly okay with it.
story by roberto jackson graphic by mathew morenoOn the rst day of school, many students walked into their class rooms throught the country this year and saw that their teacher wasn’t there. Instead, there was an AP or other faculty member lling the po sition for them, explaining that there was a shortage of teachers at the school.
Unfortunately, there is a lack of teachers at HHS that’s been causing a major problem for the school. e main reason for the shortage seems to be the salary the teachers are giv en for their positions.
Many students were subjected to hearing that their teacher was either away at the moment, or not hired yet. is put a damper on most students at the school, leading them to get o on a bad start to the year. And it didn’t even start this year! It’s been a problem since 2020, leading to worse and worse consequences.
“It’s shown a major impact on the overall performance of my teachers because they are more scattered than
ever,” said senior Christopher Ger man. He noticed a signi cant decline in the e ectiveness of his teacher’s ability to perform well in the “It’s de nitely a ected my grades a lot, we had no teacher for the majority of last year.” said German.
“Seeing we’re getting less teachers means less people who can sympa thize with us.”
Pay is mostly the main factor that detracts many to take jobs as teachers.
“If it’s a money issue then it’s a shame because if people want to be educators, then they should it. ey shouldn’t take it just because they’re taking 8 jobs and need money.” said Suzane Cooks, a reading coach at Hillsborough. Not only our stu dents and coaches, but teachers at HHS are also feeling the strain of the shortage, especially rst year teachers.
Some students are disappointed about the lack of teachers at HHS.
“It’s a ected a lot because most of my teachers are really chill and un derstanding of my situations...” said junior Steve Ramnarine.
“Seeing we’re getting less teachers means less people who can sympa thize with us.”
e shortage is having a devas tating e ect on our students at the school.
Unfortunately, there is no fore seeable plan to raise the pay of teachers, and no soon end to the shortage of teachers. is has an gered the teachers at HHS even more.
Construction material blocking the way in North Central Avenue infront of the school.
is issue is not just localized at HHS though. is shortage seems to be a national problem across the states, a ecting schools in di erent ways.
story by william johnsonA recent statistic from bridgetotomorrow.word press.com, shows the lack of teachers for many subjects. Preparation programs for core sub jects like math, earth science, physics, english and spanish are not meeting demand of teachers.
When construction began along Central Avenue in Fall 2021 in Sem inole Heights, no one imagined that it would take as long as it has or how much it would negatively impact those at Hillsborough High School. e construction has caused nothing but chaos, and students are late because their buses arrive late and parents must maneuver through the construction in order to drop their children o . In ad dition, construction has made parking scarcer and it’s harder for the faculty to nd a place to park their vehicles.
Senior Antonio Harris, a 17-yearold, said “My bus is late or just on time every day. It wasn’t like this last year... it’s probably the construction because it’s hard to drive the bus around the construction.”
Harris and many other students are dealing with the same issue and are upset that they do not see their friends until later and must rush to class so that they don’t miss anything.
Sophomore Sarai Ramirez, a 15-year-old, gets to school by car and leaves school by walking or riding the bus. “ e construction got all this dirt up, and I don’t like getting dirt in my face!” Nobody wants dirt on their face or on their clothes. Imagine putting on your best out t, thinking you’re the hottest person in town, only to get dirt and asphalt on you because some wind blew construction dust on you.
“It’s hard to drive around the signs and use other roads.”, Ramirez said. Taking detours and driving slower just takes more time, and, like Antonio, causes
her and many other students to be late. It isn’t all bad, though. According to the City of Tampa website, there will be a dedicated pick-up and drop-o lane for car riders which will run along the west side of Central Avenue. In addi tion, there will be bicycle lanes on the northbound and southbound lanes on Central, along with a crosswalk on Wilder that will include bulb-out curb extensions, ashing beacons, and en hanced pavement markings. As of now, there is no o cial date of completion, but some believe it will be nished this year while others think it won’t be completed until 2023.
story and photo by lincoln alwoodAs the school year started, many clubs were created at Hillsborough for various important causes and interests.
e Animal Endangerment Club is in cluded. e AEC’s main purpose is to spread awareness of endangered species.
“We are trying to get as many peo ple as possible to make sure that animals are well advocated for and advertised to protect all of the endangered ani mals,” senior secretary Patrick McCurdy shared.
e club will also provide various opportunities for students to volunteer
and gain service hours while in the club. In terms of taking action, club o cers have been in contact with di erent or ganizations such as RSPB, and will be partnering with Wildlife Florida to help raise money for their Manatee sanctu ary.
e AEC will meet during 6th peri od on club days and will not hold meet ings a er school. To spread awareness to the school, during the club’s meetings, students participating in the animal endangerment club will begin making both physical and digital posters to be
posted on their social media account and hung around the school campus. ey will be featuring di erent weekly endangered animals through their so cial media posts and stories.
“I wanted to raise awareness to en dangered tigers but a er I started doing research on them, I realized how much of an issue animal endangerment as a whole was, so I was inspired to start my club”, sophomore co-president Saanvi Guduru says.
First Priority, formally known as Fellow ship of Christian Athletes, is a faith-based club meant to spread the in uence of Je sus Christ. First Priority meets on club day during 6th period and ursday mornings from 7:40 to 8:20. All members of the lead ership board attend Grace Family Church but at di erent campuses. ey occasionally associate and communicate with the o cial First Priority organization. ere, they dis cuss plans and work out service organiza tions/projects/activities like inviting speak ers and mentors to club meetings.
eir club rush had a big turnout of stu dents applying to the club and attending the meetings. So far, they have had two meetings to get to know each other and to discuss their club plans. For this year, they strive to have a healthy environment because in this club, they are brothers and sisters in Christ.
eir leadership board reads bible verses, and the members form groups and are giv en the chance to talk about their own inter pretations or explanations of the verses and how it ties into their lives. is way, they can re ect aloud about their religion. e First Priority’s president Catalena Palomino leads the prayer at the end of meetings. First Prior ity’s leadership and members pray at the end to show their gratitude towards God.
“If there’s people that are curious about our religion or Christianity in general, they’re more than welcome to join,”
Art teacher Spencer Hensel is the spon sor of the club. He considers Christianity as
one of his biggest foundations of his life. “It shapes who I am, and my entire world-view,” Hensel Said. is is only his second year of sponsoring, as he was asked by the former First Priority president last year. He has expectations for this year to go well.
“ e number of kids that come to the club doesn’t really matter as much if our relationships aren’t strong,” Hen sel Said. He is anticipated to see how First Priority will turn out this year and what goals they’ll achieve, such as their community service projects and worship nights.
First Priority can also be of interest to Christian athletes. To promote and expand their club, the majority of the leadership members are athletes, so they recruit their teammates to join. us, they can learn more about their religion and be committed to make a di erence for Christ.
Senior Josiah Comellas and senior Arnold Moran listen carefully to the Bible verse read out loud. Club Members are given a chance to give their own opinions about what Bible quotes mean in the context of their lives, and share to others their conclusions.
ey are still accepting members into their club to help unite their com
munity. ere is no limit to joining First Priority. eir club is available to everyone or anyone who is willing to learn to or share their hope of Christ with others of the same beliefs.
“If there’s people that are curious about our religion or Christianity in general, they’re more than welcome to join,” Said senior Carolyna Serena. “It’s a good thing to connect our communi ty,” Serena Said.
Sophomore Jaden Carr, the Un derclassmen Representative, joined First Priority earlier in January this year when he rst enrolled at Hillsbor ough. Despite being in the club for a brief period, he knows what he wants as a team and is hoping to have a good kick-start for the club.
“We’d like to put you in a steps with Christ and put you in a community and have you nd a purpose,” Carr said. “Because you’re special to us but you’re more special to Jesus.”
story and photos by isela alvarado
Re-branded club, but with the same message and goal
ABOVE students in the front of the DJ. Dance oor was on the third oor of the club and was composed of tables on the sides for students to put their belongings and the DJ stage. The 2022 Homecoming Dance was held at the Cuban Club in Ybor city. Students began to arrive to the dance around 7 p.m. to snacks and water. The theme of this years dance was “A Night in Pandora”, which is based on the hit movie Avatar. RIGHT Junior Julia Mazzili, and Junior Eliana Littlejohn pose with a friend infrot of a Pandora tree decoration.
Check out spirit week days and the best moments during the homecoming dance.
TOP LEFT Senior Brian Gallego is being coronated as the 2022 Homecoming King. TOP RIGHT Junior Nathan Brewer makes a stage dive into the crowd mo ments after becoming 2022 Homecoming prince. LEFT Student enters the dance oor with a drink from the decorated stairs.
RIGHT Senior Nathaniel Hoffman and Senior Jessi ca Chao wait in the senior parking lot before the home coming game. The Game was postponed and later can celled due to poor weather conditions. The game was rescheduled to early saturday morning
BOTTOM RIGHT Senior Daryl Jones looking stylish with a graphic button up and matching shoes. “What inspires me to wear what I wear are people like Brent Faiyaz, Lebron James, and TikTok. But really it’s just me being myself and dressing how I wanna dress without caring about being judged. I like to buy my clothes from FashionNova.”
TOP LEFT Senior Natalie Estrada is dressed up in a blue and white theme as she explores her type of style for this year. “I needed more lighter clothes because my closet is mostly full of dark colored clothes, so I wanted to try and experiment with softer colors, pattens, and styles. I like to shop for my clothes at Forever 21.”
compiled by tamie nguyenHealth Mutt, a local, inde pendent pet market, has recent ly moved into a new building on Florida Avenue behind the school. While the business has been in the Seminole Heights area for a while, its new loca tion is much larger, allowing for more services and retail space.
e store o ers food, sup plies, toys, and more for dogs and cats, as well as many ser vices that make it a convenient one-stop shop for pet owners. Health Mutt o ers professional grooming services, nail trim ming for dogs, home delivery for food and toys, and its standout dog washing stations. e
stations allow pet owners to easily give their dogs a bath in the store without the hassle of washing them in a bathtub or sink at home. Additionally, the service is just $15 for a standard wash, which includes every thing needed to clean your pet professionally.
ere is currently construc tion on the building’s exterior, and the parking available is across the street.
e store as a whole feels clean, modern, and well-put together. e right side of the store features refrigerators full of alternative, fresh pet food as opposed to bags or cans of kib
ble. Other interesting features included a treat bar, a comfort able waiting area for pet own ers while their dogs are being groomed, and windows that allow shoppers to swatch the groomers at work.
e prices of most items are competitive for a small business. e innovative pet wash station, coupled with the grooming ser vices make it a very convenient experience for any pet owner in the Seminole Heights area.
Who said it? What is your favorite candy?Health Mutt employee is grooming a dog.
story and photo by jaden mancini
“Trolli gummy worms are my favorite.”
Sarabi Espinosa, 10
“Mmm my favorite candy is candy corn, I know it’s different but i like it”
Devyn Cool ey, 12
“There’s so many to pick from but I’d probably say Twix.”
Kya Carter, 9
“Ohh I love water melon Sour Patch “
Leylah Homes, 12
“My favorite candy is m&m’s.” Sage Skarshinski Fred, 10
“Skittles are my fav”
Karma Huffman, 11
“Twix they’re just the best.”Kirsten Miller, 10
School districts around Florida, beginning with Sarasota County on August 16, have begun adopting a new policy for handling LGBTQ+ students requesting new names or pronouns to be used at school. is policy would require the school to notify the parents of the request, potentially revealing their identity as a mem ber of the LGBTQ+ communityoes not con sent to the request the school sta will not be permitted to use the students preferred name and pronouns. If consent is given, the student and their parents must schedule a conference with the administration and a guidance coun selor to set up a “Gender Support Plan.” Only then will the student be referred to with the name and pronouns they are comfortable with.
is new policy is hateful and potentially dangerous. LGBTQ+ students will no longer have a safe environment where they can learn and explore their identity without worrying about how their parents will react. It’s import ant for children to feel comfortable at school especially when their home situation could be stressful or even unsafe.
“People should be able to come out on their own terms, they shouldn’t be forced to,” said Sophomore Camryn Schmitt when asked why they disagreed with this new policy.
It seems like safe spaces at school are un der attack more frequently in Florida. While these new policies were being implemented, Pasco County decided to ban Safe Space stick
ers on September 1. ese little stickers usually seen in classrooms were a small symbol showing that students could feel comfortable and safe when in school. By banning them, Pasco is e ectively telling LGBTQ+ students that they are not pro tected or welcome in the classroom.
Not only will this policy potential ly endanger LGBTQ+ youth, but it also purposely makes it more di cult for them to get their proper name and pro nouns used. e long process to set up the “Gender Support Plan” makes it so that students will have to jump through hoops to be properly gendered at school
even if their parents consent. is is likely a tactic to discourage them from asking for their gender identity to be respected.
“It can pose a danger to kids who are outed,” said sophomore Jessy Le, “their parents could kick them out, and they could get harassed and bullied.”
A er the passing of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill this past March, this new policy isn’t a huge surprise. It was even original ly part of the bill to require sta to out students to their parents before that part got removed later. is just shows how government leaders actively try to put down and suppress the LGBT commu
nity. ey are willing to go through a lot of e ort to require schools to endanger children over their identity. It is concern ing that this may only be the beginning of their hateful power trip. It is import ant for students, especially those that are member of the LGBTQ+ community to be aware of the potential dangers pre senting themselves in the school system.
Picture of the master discipline plan for this year. Details what actions should be taken to take care of misconduct at school. Master plan poster can be seen in most classrooms at schools.
Hillsborough High School started o this year with a fresh start. We were intro duced to new faculty members, school re source o cers, and even a new principal, Dr. Gordon. With all these changes came new rules with strict regulations on head phones, cellphones, and bathroom usage.
Originally for the rst few weeks of school students were prohibited from using bath rooms without an administrator escorting them to the restroom. Many students and teachers experienced long waits for admin istrators and not having enough time to use the restrooms between classes. Since then, the school li ed the restrictions on bath room usage by allowing one pass pre-class
and a sign-out/in sheet that students must sign when leaving or returning to class. However, these rules evoke di erent opin ions from the student body.
“We have a lot less suspen sions since last year so I think that’s a positive thing.
As for the other things that are going on,
Last year Hillsborough had a signi cant number of disciplinary problems with vandalism of the bathrooms and ghts. e administration states their main goal is to
make sure this school year is not like last year. Since the introduction of these new school rules, fewer ghts have occurred in school and there has been a signi cant de crease in school suspensions.
“We have a lot less suspensions since last year so I think that’s a positive thing. As for the other things that are go ing on, I think the improvements also come from the impact of how we’re handling dis cipline with having parents involved. Our main goal is to make sure that students are able to learn in a clean and safe environ ment” Said Ms. Witek, the assistant princi pal.
column and graphic by josephine smithcolumn and photo by nia randell
“Lock up your children! Yes, Salem, we’re back!” Nearly thirty years later the Sanderson sisters return with Hocus Po cus 2 giving the original movie a run for its money. Actresses Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy all re prised their roles as Winifred Sanderson, Sarah Sanderson, and Mary Sanderson re spectively. Hocus Pocus was rst released on July 16, 1993 and was directed by fa mous Disney director Kenny Ortega. A sequel to the rst lm that caught many by surprise was released on September 30th, 2022, to Disney + and was directed by Anne Fletcher.
With many of the same actresses and actors returning to play their original roles in the second movie of the franchise, it allows bondage between families of all ages. Parents who watched the rst Hocus Pocus when they were younger can now watch the newest movie with their chil dren. Hocus Pocus 2 did a phenomenal job accommodating the new generation. e new movie as well brought more diversi ty as the main character Becca (played by Whitney Peak) is a black female..
e movie begins with a ashback to three young Sanderson sisters in Salem before becoming witches. It enlightens
viewers on how they be came witches, which was not previously mentioned in the rst movie. It then goes to the present time following a teenage girl named Becca on her 16th birthday. Becca is tricked into bringing the Sander son sisters back to life. Af ter a long attempt by Becca trying to prevent the Sand erson sisters from stealing her and her friend’s souls and cast a powerful spell Becca is able to defeat them unintentionally. e Sanderson sisters are no more, however, Becca dis covers that she has powers and is indeed a witch.
Film director Jen D’An gelo did a fantastic job of allowing the movie to ad just to the modern day. It was a great way to say goodbye to the original ac tresses who are reaching retirement age.
I wish more original characters were im plemented than the Sanderson sisters and
Billy Butcherson played by Doug Jones. But regardless the movie was still excel lent. Hocus Pocus 2 brings laughter, joy, and many more emotions. It is without a
doubt families will be gathered around to watch it on the tv this upcoming Hallow een season.
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn is about a reporter who reluctantly returns to her small hometown to cover the murder of young girls. e story is engaging and sus penseful and it’s impossible to guess the ending. Sharp objects is unlike any mystery book I’ve ever read, speci cal ly because of the protagonists unique position. I highly rec ommend this book for anyone who enjoys mystery. However, it does contain strong imagery and themes so please use caution when deciding to read it.
If there’s one intriguing thing about this book, it is that it’s narrated by death. e book thief by Markus Suzak is one of those books that you pick up and can’t put down. e story follows a girl in World War II Nazi Ger many and addresses both the kindness and cruelty the world had to o er in these dark times. is story is like not other, it leaves you won dering how much of yourself you give back to the world.
e Outsider by Stephen King was the book that made me decide he was my favorite author. It follows the police in a small town trying to prove a little league coach murdered a young boy but quickly takes a turn into supernatural territory. It was an incredible blend of a classic murder mystery and thrilling sci adventure. Its an amazing horror novel for those who like that genre. I loved this book and i highly recommend it to people who can handle darker literature.
Baz Luhrmann’s cultur al phenomenon is an instant classic. e hero of this movie and its saving grace was Austin Butler playing the titular role of Elvis Presley. Butler nails ev erything about Elvis down to the smallest imperceivable de tail; He wasn’t just Austin But ler playing Elvis, he was Elvis for all 2 hours and 39 minutes. e luxury, prestige, and in ternational fever that was Elvis Presley was captured near per fectly as the lm plays through many events of Elvis’s life from his rst ever show to his trag ic death. However, where the
movie falters is the awful pac ing and editing where all the important events feel rushed and somewhat montaged. Some scenes in the movie go on for multiple minutes longer than they should’ve as for some time the audience is sitting there and wondering when the scene will end which ruins the atmosphere built by Austin Butler. Another problem is Tom Hank’s charac ter who honestly seemed comic book-ish and almost too silly to be true. Overall, Elvis shows Austin Butler at his peak yet is gutted by the awful pacing and questionable editing.
79/100e Black Phone is one of the best horror thrillers of the year starring Ethan Hawke as the terrifying grabber and Mason ames as our
brave protagonist. e Black Phone tells a story of a boy who has been kidnapped by an ominous abductor as the boy is being held in the kidnap per’s basement. However, everything changes when the boy can hear the abductor’s previ ous victims that try to help him escape. Ethan Hawke’s performance is nothing short of ter rifying, every action he does is deliberate and invokes the feeling of pure dread. e tension building is great and the minimalism works in the favor of the lm. e only dig on this movie doesn’t even have to do with the movie itself, in stead, it has to do with the poor marketing. e movie was marketed as a strict horror movie with scares galore; this un fortunately was not true as the movie was much more of a contained thriller that subverted expectations and over sold the horror element.
Now please hear me out… I know the general consensus of this was that everyone called it trash or mediocre when it rst came out however let us stop and re ect for a moment. MoM followed Spider man No Way Home for the MCU, No Way Home was legendary as it set expectations astronomically high with multiversal cameos and fan service moments. Multiverse of Madness however at its core was a character lm, introducing us to America Chavez and having Scar let Witch’s arc come full circle in a demonic villainous turn. e Multi verse was simply an element used for the plot and not for character cam eos. It was because of Spiderman NWH’s hype that made Kevin Fiege force the director, Sam Raimi to re shoot the lm to have the Illuminati
and subsequently feature Professor X and John Krasinski’s Mr. Fantas tic. Stylistically MoM is incredible, full of Sam Raimi’s cheesy horror vibe and vibrant colors. e script is a little weak as some lines come o as a little too corny (even compared to Sam Raimi’s lmography). e real highlight of this movie comes during the ght between Wanda and the Illuminati which ends in a shocking and extremely violent fashion and was a 180, especially for a studio like the MCU known for lighthearted comedies to deliv er such a shocking moment. Over all MoM also developed Wanda’s character as a delusional and crazed mother who has lost all semblance of empathy and will do anything to reunite with her family. e lm has its fair share of aws; However, I believe that the pros outweigh the cons in this situation
reviews by aadeesh jain graphics by mathew moreno
To read the other reviews and see what movie go the rst place on our list, visit hhstoday.com.
Check the scores for the last cou ple of games this past football sea son. The Terrier football teams has an avarage win rate of 3-4 (43%). (as of Oct. 17)
UP Junior Khai Ponder makes a touchdown during the rst quarter during Gaithers game DOWN Freshman Darryon Jones makes a play with the football towards the endzone.
For the past 20 years, Hillsborough has had the same scoreboard, but at the start of the school year it got three new ones. One in the football eld, and two in the gym.
According to football coach Earl Garcia, the fund ing for the new scoreboards came from the district.
“ e school district paid for it,” Garcia said “the whole district got one.”
Compared to the old scoreboard the new one has the sponsor who funds the football program and a new screen.
At the moment the screen has a handful of au tomated messages that will be shown during the sports games that are held in the gym and the football eld.
Next year, the school will be able to have full access to the screen, giving more ex ibility to do more creative things with it.
With the new score board, it’ll de nitely help bring the school spirit up.
UP Junior Jacquez Gibson makes a run towards the endozone in the rst quarter of the Leto away game. DOWN Team gathers during rst quarter.
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