IMAGE [R&B]
February 2018
Letter from the EDITOR Dear reader,
In recent memory, I’ve had an obsession with taking photos to rival any doting grandma’s. Friends of mine are all too familiar with the squishing in of everyone, with the onslaught of 167 group photos and 3 Boomerang videos that need to be taken. But what can I say? Grandmas are on to something here. Photos have a way of taking us back to an exact moment, to an exact feeling. Snapchats, Polaroids, selfies, Shutterfly prints placed meticulously in a scrapbook. Thousands of photos stored on a phone, not backed up and liable for an old-fashioned pool-dropping. They are our way of record keeping. Of attempting to capture how we’re feeling at this exact time, in this exact place. They are our best moments. Our ‘my-makeup-looks-so-good-it-must-be-recorded-for-posterity’ moments. They are our worst moments. Our ‘I-sat-in-gum-and-now-have-sticky-buns’ moments. They are the gray area between who we are and who we want people to think we are. They are little moments that make up our lives. That make up who we are. They’re why I cried so hard making the back cover of Image- four years of pictures of my happiest memories, made with the brightest people I’ve met, in room 506 and Seattle and Dallas and Orlando, and even the legendary kettle corn stand at Indianapolis International Airport. In this magazine, you’ll find student creators, building their image into a business. Teenagers who operate multiple Instagram accounts, so they can display their best sides on one, and their worst on the other. And if you make it towards the end, there’s a cake recipe in store. All our lives, we present one image to our friends. Another to the relatives we only see at reunions. Another to the waitress at the hallowed ground that is our local Chili’s. And still more to our teachers, our parents, our spiritual advisers, our college admissions officers. Together, these images make up the mosaic of who we are. We can’t always know who we are, or who we’re meant to be. But if we take a step back, maybe, just maybe, we’ll get to see the whole picture. Happy reading, Madison Forbis
THE TEAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Madison Forbis
PAGE DESIGNERS Makayla Brown, Katie Delk, Marin Fehl,
WEB EDITOR Carolin Hearne
Lauren Komar, Reema Patel, Mia Perez, Fernando Rosas,
STAFF WRITERS Leslie Bracamontes, Ria Dey, Arianna
Jaden Shemesh, Mercy Tsay, Theontae Walton
McQueen, Mauro Monroy
ADVISER Jill Burns
BUSINESS EDITOR Jorge Garcia
PRINCIPAL Gary Brady
Letter | r&b | 2
Contents social 8
Rise of rinstas
10
Kinds of memes
12
College talk
creating 16
Student photog
19
Makeup tips ads
22
Wellness
27
Recreation taste
30
Fashion forward
32
Cake recipe
34
Diet trends
Contents | r&b | 3
About the covers
Individual photos each represent moments of our life, frozen in place. These little moments add up, and eventually they make up who we are. Minuscule images come together to make up our whole image. So for the front cover, we had two staffers pick the four images that best represent their lives, then made them into their likeness. And for the back, we chose our 144 favorite memories from our time on the Red & Black, because four just couldn’t suffice.
Mia This photo represents who I am because travel is a very important part of my life. I love exploring new places and experiencing life around the world.
This picture is of my little pup whom I love with all my heart. He makes me remember that things aren’t all that bad.
This was taken in New York City, one of my favorite places to be. I love the hustle and bustle of the city and I hope to be there again one day.
This picture is from a concert my friends and I went to. I met so many new people and got to listen to my favorite band and stood 10 feet away from them. This was probably one of the best days of my life. PHOTOS COURTESY MIA PEREZ Cover | r&b | 4
Mauro This was the first time I went on a vacation without my parents. Honestly, it was fun but I missed them and my mom’s Mexican cooking. Traveling is something that I like to do- staying in one place gets boring, we all can agree to that. I just love to encounter new things. I was at Universal Studios in this picture. I love all the pictures I took here because I haven’t been there since I was 7 and we didn’t have all this technology to take pictures on the go anytime, anywhere. I can’t remember how things were before.
This year I was introduced to photography. It wasn’t new to me, but taking pictures in another location with a camera for the first time made me want to go further with what I was doing.
This photo is from this year’s homecoming. This was important to me because it’s my final high school homecoming. Although there’s prom, this was a night that my friends and I won’t forget. PHOTOS COURTESY MAURO MONROY
S O C I A L. From making “fake” Instagram accounts to creating tight knit boy squads, we find different ways to socialize. We identify with things that help us build an image to make it easier for the world, and for ourselves, to understand who we are as individuals. As time goes on these become part of who we are, what our image is. We might be the self-proclaimed “memester” of our group, or we might label ourselves the intellectual one. Whatever we are, we take pride in it. We rely on social interaction, whether it be from an app or face to face. Because by interacting with one another we design rules, institutions and systems by which we want to live, and we create our own image.
BOY SQUAD BATTLE
It seems every IB class has its own signature boy squad. We compared the junior and senior groups to see how they stack up.
Rude Boys
During IB passing time, usually the “Rude Boys” can be heard or seen in the halls. This IB senior boy group includes Drew Fonda, Lior Gazar, Aaron Jensen, James Roberts, and Wilson Morse. The Rude Boys have been friends for most of their high school years. However, their name was not thought of by any of the members. “We were given the name by a traditional student a couple of years ago,” Gazar said.“He saw us walking through the hallways and his exact words were ‘Man, y’all look like some rude boys.’” The name stuck, and since then they have been referred to as the ‘Rude Boys’. While their name sounds negative, the boys would like it to be known that they are anything but rude. “While the name is seemingly negative, we are actually a very nice and charitable group,” Morse said. One cause the boys have participated in is in ‘Push Nation’, which is a volunteering opportunity for individuals to help create new opportunities for those who are handicapped. Most of the boys are athletic and the group includes members that participate in baseball, soccer, football, rowing, or golf. Aside from sports, the group are also involved in several clubs. “Aaron and [I] run FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), Wilson is the president of the ultimate Frisbee Club, and Lior and James run Jewish Awareness Club,” Fonda said. Fonda is also in charge of running the Twitter account for the Rude Boys. The account currently has 25 followers, and they typically tweet “motivational” tweets. When not at school, the clique typically participates in activities including basketball, watching sporting events, playing golf, going to concerts, and watching Conor McGregor highlights. When asked about their competitor, Alpha Booler House, many Rude Boys said they view them as irrelevant, and that they are uninformed as to who is the better squad. The “Rude Boys” pose for a picture STORY BY LAUREN during spirit week. PHOTO COURTESY KOMAR DREW FONDA Social | r&b | 6
Alpha Booler House
Wanting to create a fraternity-esque group while still in high school, junior boys formed Alpha Booler House (ABH) last year. ABH consists of many members, but the main ones include William Andrews, Carlos Romero, Amit Das, and James Nguyen. “Alpha means you’re the greatest, and the best,” Andrews said. “Booler means like, when you bool out, you’re just coolin’. The word Booler came from ‘cool’ but then the Bloods said ‘bool’ so we take boolin’ as like you are eating and treating yourself.” [Editor’s note: ABH is in no ways affiliated with the Bloods gang]. Alpha Booler House has some unique qualities, one being their frequent calls to each other on Skype most nights throughout the week. “Our Skype meetings are places of business and boolery,” Andrews said. “We clown, plan things, debate topics, and design merchandise”. A popular competition Alpha Booler House has is with the members of the other junior boy group ‘Hydration Nation.’ This is in addition to their rivalry with the Rude Boys. Alpha Booler House and Hydration Nation played each other in a congenial basketball game at a nearby park, in which no one really knew the final outcome of the score. Within this game, Alpha Booler Houses lost several players, including one who left to pick up his mom and four others who suffered minor injuries on the court. However, the boys still had fun.“It was a good way to connect with the other guys in our grade,” Andrews said. Alpha Booler House also makes clothing. “We’re trying to get it out by winter break,” Das said. “We will be selling them for ten or twenty dollars”. The group made shirts for themselves which, although not available for purchase yet, say “Bupreme”. Bupreme is a spin on the popular brand ‘Supreme’, but has a B for the Booler in ABH. Each member of ABH has a shirt. The Alpha Booler House members plan to continue with their clique until they graduate, and would be possibly open to accepting new members into it. Members of ABH pose in their “Bupreme” STORY BY LAUREN shirts. PHOTO BY CAROLIN HEARNE KOMAR
Freshmen versus seniors Like cats and dogs, freshmen and seniors seem perpetually and inevitably opposed. After a recent dispute involving a vandalized bathroom window, some freshmen and seniors try to clear the air.
The battle between freshmen and seniors did not begin with stereotype of freshmen. “There are some really immature freshscrawls on a window in the second-floor girls’ bathroom. The men,” Martinez said. “Some of them never grow out of it but window was graffitied with degrading remarks from both fresh- most do.” men and seniors about one another. With no insults spared, the Some students share a similar sentiment that seniors should word war on the window reflects the dichotomy between the be more understanding of the freshmen because they are just two grades. The clash calls stereotypes into question: are im- trying to adjust. maturity and hypocrisy true markers of each respective grade? “They’re all trying to get used to high school,” Cabana said. Various seniors see freshmen as not only immature. Senior She said she wants students to understand that they are all a part Sydney Cabana, for example, sometimes refers to freshmen as of the same, unified school. trapper-keepers. “It’s the stereotype of a On the other hand, Gonzalez disagrees freshman equipped with every possible with the statement that all freshmen are as “It doesn’t make sense to school supply,” Cabana explained. “Every childish as their reputation suggests, and he dislike someone just because color of highlighter, index cards, etc., all even has close relationships with some of they’re younger.” stored within a giant backpack.” them. -Lourdes Martinez, 9 Many freshmen are upset because of “I actually have a lot of freshman the stigma. “The seniors treat freshmen friends,” Gonzalez said. “Some of them are badly because they’re younger and more naive, so they don’t re- [very] mature.” Gonzalez said that inter-grade friendships beally listen to what [we] have to say,” freshman Lourdes Martinez tween freshmen and seniors are not as rare as upperclassmen said. make them seem. Others feel that the seniors’ treatment of freshmen is unfair Freshman Kevin John understands the feud between the two considering they were once new to the school as well. “We were grades but claims that there should be a level of mutual respect. all freshmen at one point,” senior Miguel Gonzalez said. “We “I also feel like freshmen need to respect seniors as their upperall had that time where we were the goofballs and didn’t really classmen,” John said. know what was going on in high school.” A lack of respect between freshmen and seniors is not a new According to some freshmen, the whole argument is point- issue; however, as shown by the insults on the window in the less. “It doesn’t make sense to dislike someone just because second-floor girls’ bathroom, it is still a persistent one. they’re younger,” Martinez said. GRAPHIC BY KATIE DELK However, Martinez acknowledges some truth behind the STORY BY JADEN SHEMESH Social | r&b | 7
Replacing rinstas
Instagram accounts are notorious for presenting only the best sides of their owners. It’s only natural; people want to look good in front of others. But this culture has led to a recent counter-culture: the finsta. ‘Finstas,’ short for “fake Instagrams,” are accounts on the app dedicated to showing the true lives of their owners. As finstas grow in popularity, more teens operate two accounts- their finsta, and their original account, known as a “rinsta,” or real Instagram. But which is more real?
@leonickolas Junior Leon Nickolas has a finsta because of the abundant number of pictures that she has saved. “I would always screenshot or save pictures on Instagram that I thought were cute, could relate to, or found funny like memes,” Nickolas said. Not just anyone is allowed to follow her spam. Since it’s private she really only allows close friends and family to follow her. However, her main account is public. Like most rinstas, Nickolas’ is mostly quality pictures of her doing things with friends. Her finsta, on the other hand, is full of memes and random photos. “My main will have pictures of my friends, family, and myself of course,” Nickolas said, “My spam would have memes, pictures of other people whose outfit I like, people I think are pretty or idols.” The memes on Nickolas’ finsta come from multiple sources. “I follow other accounts where they strictly post meme material,” Nickolas said. “I’ll just screenshot if I find something funny or relatable and post it.” Determining what goes on a finsta versus a rinsta is typically done by importance and photo quality. Nickolas dedicates most of her time on the app to her finsta. It’s the home to pictures that weren’t deemed cute enough for her rinsta. She typically only posts special events on her main.
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@kiersten74 Junior Kiersten Andrews uses her finsta as a way to show pictures not fit for her family to her friends. "I feel that it's more to communicate with your close friends,' Andrews said. "If you make it public, it defeats the entire purpose."
@the_almighty_jason Junior Jason Acevedo uses his finsta to rant, which he says helps relieve stress. “I post what I want because it’s a spam so it’s where I can let loose about how my day was or anything in general,” Acevedo said.
@hannahhpowerss Sophomore Hannah Powers keeps her finsta for close friends. “My friend Skyler tags me in a lot of memes or other people send them,” Powers said. “Sometimes I make my own or I find one I really like in my feed.” . STORY BY MERCY TSAY Social | r&b | 9
What kind of M
M
S are you?
In a discussion regarding social media and friendships, we’d be remiss if we didn’t cover the darling of the Internet world- memes, in all their glorious forms.
START HERE
Occasionally.
Are you up to date with new memes? I never know what’s going on.
I’m the first one to know about them.
All the time.
The darker, the better.
Ironic memes – Memes that satirize other memes.
Dark memes – Memes that find humor in darker topics.
Yes.
Do you like memes with top text and bottom text? No.
Do you sometimes reminisce on old memes?
I like to keep it light.
Top text memes – The most basic form of memeage.
Family.
Friends.
What’s a “dank meme”?
Do you enjoy darker memes?
Wholesome memes – Memes that you send to show love and affection for someone.
This question annoys me.
Who do you send your favorite memes to?
Do you frequently say “dank memes”?
I’m pretty understanding.
Do people annoy you easily?
It’s my favorite pastime.
Do you laugh at the newest memes or the oldest? Newest.
Do you follow meme accounts?
Oldest.
I don’t live Do you like relating to memes? in the past. We love a relatable queen!
Classic memes – Memes from the early 2000’s that everyone remembers.
No one relates to me.
Relatable memes – Memes that people can relate to.
Nihilist memes – Memes that suggest nothing happens when we die. QUIZ BY THEONTAE WALTON AND FERNANDO ROSAS Social | r&b | 10
I WANT TO LOVE AND SUPPORT YOU
Not really.
Is that even a question?
Prehistoric memes – Really bad memes from ancient meme eras. Dank memes – Memes that are old and overplayed, and have lost their comedic value.
CREATING A BUZZ
From what kind of ice cream you are to your future career, Buzzfeed quizzes offer insight you didn’t even know you needed on who you are and who you will be. Buzzfeed is a media company that provides news and entertainment to people around the world. One of their most wellknown aspects is their interactive quizzes that give participants a sense of their personality traits, and everything from the type of food they are and where they should be living. The quizzes that Buzzfeed offers range from guessing games to finding out your deepest fears. These quizzes may offer you details about yourself that you may have never known about until you took the quiz and got your results. But do they actually help you better understand yourself? Junior Kiersten Andrews is doubtful. “Although they’re fun to take and it’s interesting to see the results, I don’t know how accurate they are,” Andrews said. Many see these quizzes as a good way to pass time, but a reason people find them so enjoyable could be that they’re learning more about themselves. Some quizzes offer self-insight, but others are more light-hearted. Among quizzes that try to guess the taker’s worst fear or their most dominant personality trait are ones that guess
WHAT KIND OF KIND OF QUIZ ARE QUIZ YOU? ARE YOU?
what type of food they are or what Netflix show they should binge watch. Many of these quizzes seem to have serious results, but are revealed to be jokes at the end. Junior Navya Banharam recalls one such quiz that she took. “It told me what place I should travel to based on what food I liked,” Banharam said. “I picked cheesecake and it told me to go to Antarctica.” Some of Buzzfeed’s most popular quizzes include: ‘Why are you single?’, ‘Which pop star should be your best friend?’ and ‘What career should you actually have?’. These quizzes incorporate trends in pop culture such as well-known celebrities, and the newest movies and TV shows. Another aspect of some Buzzfeed quizzes is their ability to affect self-perception. “The quizzes are a cool way to get to know yourself,” junior Nia Arellano said. “I think they do kind of have an affect on your self-image which then affects your outer image”. STORY BY MIA PEREZ
Would you call yourself a ‘Foodie’?
START HERE
Not really.
Would you say that you know yourself well?
Of course!
What would you rather spend your summer doing?
Traveling!
Answer these 10 questions, and we'll tell you what state you are from: You hate where you live and complain about your town. But if anyone who doesn’t live in your state says anything you get super defensive of it.
Yes, I’m very confident in who I am.
Answer these 5 personality questions and we'll tell you your favorite food. You're always hungry and looking for ideas on what to eat later.
Watching netflix.
Are you Disney obsessed?
QUIZ BY LAUREN KOMAR
No, not really.
Give us your favorite Starbucks drink and we'll tell you what your name is. If you don’t get your actual name you might run to your mom about how mad you are that she didn’t name you one of the five name choices that buzzfeed had in the pool of names for this quiz.
Nope.
Yesssssss.
What famous television friend group are you and your friends? You will take this quiz until you get the 'Friends' group, even though you only have two friends.
What Disney park are you? You like Disney way more than anyone else in the room. If you're not wearing something with Disney on it, then you’re probably talking about it. Their life goal is spending a night in the Cinderella castle.
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COLLEGIATE ROUND TABLE
Juniors Nathan Gustafson, Camila Rodriguez-Sardina, Montserrat Lopez and seniors Abigail Strickland, and Markinson Alume sit and discuss how backgrounds- things like ethnicity religion, sexuality, and race affect how colleges choose to view them as applicants, and how it will affect them as people in society. CAMILA: I feel like it would be a dis- ed into the college isn’t good enough be- entation, it should be based on how you advantage if you’re not the most unique cause there are certain states I don’t want do academically and the extracurriculars because sometimes people with unique to live in. I’m transgender by the way. that you’re involved in. backgrounds could get into the better colleges because they don’t have their MONTSE: Same. I would get college MONTSE: Ideally, that’s something kind of groups in those schools so they applications from places like Alabama that I think we should all aim for. But want to see something different. But ste- and the south. I’m really queer, I’m not the people who make these processes reotypes do play a big role in how people going to try and go to some place that’s, happen make it difficult for other people see people like African Americans or His- like, notoriously homophobic and not ac- out there. That’s sad, especially for people panics who are seen as lazy so that might cepting of people like us. Which is why who don’t exactly fit into the social norm. affect it. Even though they might not even I’m glad Florida tends to be more open to be that kind of person, they might be re- people like us. If I got a letter I wouldn’t MARKINSON: Do you think it’s easier ally smart, and it would be a huge help apply depending on where it would be, or harder for people of color to get into to the college financially, but the college especially the south. Being part of the colleges and get scholarships and why? still might not take the person because of LGBT group really affects where you their background want to go. CAMILA: I think it’s harder because sometimes they might not have the same MONTSE: So it might be difficult deMARKINSON: I want to touch on the help and support from their family. For pending on the person because maybe background a little bit because people example, sometimes your family might the college has like some quota they have come from different backgrounds. So want you to babysit for your sibling and to reach which could affect you. They maybe people are more financially unsta- they might need help in the house. It could literally see your last name and not ble, or they may not be open to oppor- might be harder to do schoolwork and want you because of that. tunities depending on where they come extracurricular things that you should do from which can hinder their support. to get into college, and usually people of MONTSE: I would say things like color have limited support. sexual orientation and gender are very MONTSE: Colleges that are historitouchy subjects for people. If a college cally black or colleges that are historicalMARKINSON: I would say yes and no in another state asks you for these things ly white, it really depends because you because I feel scholarships are out there it really depends on where the college is never know the people you’re going to be for everyone and there are opportunilocated, how accepting the people are. with unless you make assumptions. A lot ties to take on. So I would say no, it’s not Say you might fear discrimination…and of untouched boundaries. harder for scholarships, but to get into things like that. college may be a little harder. When I apNATHAN: I feel like colleges should be ply I look at the race percentages. Almost ABIGAIL: Just actually getting accept- not based on race or gender or sexual ori- every college except HBCU always have a Social | r&b | 12
small amount of black people. Black people are sometimes financially unstable and they don’t always have as much support but I feel like if you’re good at school and you have a good GPA it shouldn’t have to be a problem.
MONTSE: Yeah I agree. MARKINSON: Usually when we apply we aren’t thinking, “oh crap I’m black”. I feel I should be thinking about my test scores and my SAT and trying to reach those standards set MONTSE: I shouldn’t have to ask myself, “will I get murdered if I go here?”. I should be focused on just academics not everything else and how it might affect me that’s too much. It sounds like a big extreme but that’s a legitimate thought that I personally have. Always look at the demographic. MARKINSON: Exactly, I know black people that go to Harvard so that really proves to you that what race you are doesn’t matter. It depends on whether you can perform on that level. NATHAN: Do you feel like there’s low percentages of colored or other than white people at colleges because there are less applicants or because those people are less inclined financially due to tuition? NATHAN: Colleges do have like a quota to meet so they have to have a certain amount of people other than white people. So if there is a white person who is at the same performance level as a person of color and the college hasn’t yet reached the quota, they may choose the person of color. So would it be easier? I feel like in that instance it is easier. MONTSE: I don’t feel completely comfortable knowing that my future is in the hands of people reviewing my applications because even though they aren’t supposed to be biased many times they still are and that’s where race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, and all that other nonsense start weighing in. Do you think it’s unfair that supposedly it’s easier for us (people of color) to
get into college?
NATHAN: I don’t think it’s unfair. To me it’s more like there are so many colleges that I could do the same thing as you since I also have a fair opportunity as a white person. If I have the grades I know we are going to receive basically the same education, so I don’t feel that there have really been many white people jipped out of a whole college education because they’re white. I don’t think it’s that serious to the point where white people are being mistreated. I think it’s more that the colleges are filling these quotas because they want to look more diverse. ABIGAIL: For me to also weigh in on that as a white student, I just feel like it’s not unfair because of the education I’ve gotten in the past. Just, I’ve had a lot of advantages since there are a couple schools near me, there was one that was really good and one that was really bad and it was…the really good one was almost all white and just how they did the zoning for the neighborhoods. That’s definitely a factor that weighed in on everything. There’s a lot of advantages early on that you might not think about while applying to college so it’s like, for me at least, any disadvantage that could have happened was eliminated. MONTSE: We do have to deal with these things throughout our lives for sure. These aren’t problems that just apply with the application process. We have to deal with ethnicity and sexual orientation and all those things. NATHAN: The schools you go to when you’re in elementary school or middle school shape who you become in high school and that can definitely affect you in the future. MARKINSON: Yeah, that’s why I said we all experience different things and we don’t always have the same advantages. ABIGAIL: How parents raise their kids is also a big factor. Poverty and parental involvement can also be a big influence. MONTSE: As we get older, we start to realize that things are a lot harder, especially when it comes to college. The education system starts you out small and then things start
getting bigger and harder. Even I’m scared that I might not get into college because no one in my family has yet and I would be the first one. That’s a lot to fulfill. And my mother is a single Hispanic lady that works in a job she hates and I want to get into college for her, but I don’t want to depend on her because she’s already had this difficult life and I don’t want to make it harder. People who have similar lives as me might also want to apply to more colleges and that goes to show how articulate the process is because again background affects you and a lot depends on your financial stability. All these judgments are already made on you from the second they see your last name. There are just so many factors that affect us and it’s scary. COMPILED BY RIA DEY
Scholarships you probably haven’t heard of: Doodle for Google: Create a Google doodle that tells the world what inspires you. Up to 30,000 dollars. Create a greeting card scholarship: Design a holiday, get well or birthday card and see if your card makes the envelope. Award of 10,000 dollars National potato scholarship: A council awards this starchy scholarship to a high school graduate pursuing a career in the potato industry. Award of 10,000 dollars. Pokémon world champion scholarship: This scholarship rewards money even 10 years after you win. Gotta catch that cash. Brilliance scholarship: Design the most creative diamond ring. Award of 1,500 dollars. JIF’s most creative pb&j scholarship: Create the most mouth-watering pb&j according to some judges to win up to 5,000 dollars Live Más Scholarship: Are you weird? Submit a 2 minute video that tells Taco Bell your passion and win up to 1 million dollars. Not awarded for Taco Bell purchases. COMPILED BY MAKAYLA BROWN Social | r&b | 13
CREATING. To create is to bring something into existence. Jobs, hobbies and other outlets allow us to bring things into existence. Hillsborough is home to countless creators. We have artists, musicians, writers, Youtubers, and so much more. They add vibrancy to our school and the people in it. Positively or negatively, the things we create contribute to our image. Even the tiniest of doodles scrawled on a math assignment says something about who we are. Creativity allows us to express ourselves, and our imagination and originality. It distinguishes us from everyone else and give us the edge we need to truly be ourselves, and to show others who exactly that is.
Senior entrpreneur-in-the-making Chad Harbin opened up shop about a year ago, a business called Jersey Enterpise where he designs custom jerseys for sports fan. The business is a one man operation, and Harbin has to struggle to maintain his grades and his business with only himself to rely on. PHOTOS COURTESY CHAD HARBIN
A HANDMADE TALE
For senior Chad Harbin, 2:55 P.M. may mean the end of school, but at 3:00 P.M., work at his business just begins. About a year ago, Harbin started Jersey Enterprise. “I [make] custom t-shirts and I also do custom jerseys for any sports team and any player,” said Harbin. He began the business because he realized that his friend had a successful business with a similar idea. In order to advertise his business. Harbin created an Instagram page and turned it into a business account. “I follow sports pages and [when] they post, I just comment and a lot of their fans they’ll hit me up and message me for jerseys,” he said. Harbin’s business is a solo venture, as he doesn’t have any employees working for him. In order to carry-out orders, Harbin has a distribution center produce the clothing and then ship it to him. His orders have quickly grown since he started. “It’s not like I make 20 bucks a week, or [anything] like that; I make about 800 bucks a week off of it.”
For Harbin, managing school and work can sometimes prove to be difficult. “I’ll have a lot of people message me during school about it so sometimes it does get distracting, but school always has to come first,” he said. Once school ends and he is at his home, Harbin switches gears and starts work. Harbin’s family and friends acknowledge the possible future he has in business as a result of his success selling jerseys. “They think it’s good for the future because it helps my business skills...for when I become bigger in the future,” said Harbin. Harbin is not exactly sure how much further he can continue with his sports business, but he does have vague plans for the future. Although he isn’t entirely sure on a specific career in the future, Harbin plans on studying and going into the business field later on. However, Harbin continues to try to grow his business because he has a passion for sports. “I love sports and so I love selling [things] about sports.” STORY BY JADEN SHEMESH Creating | r&b | 15
Sophomore Vedu Ruia pursues photography as a hobby. ABOVE Using his phone and drone, Ruia captured images across Europe as well as Tampa. “It’s like the perspective of the whole world through my eyes,” Ruia said. PHOTOS COURTESY VEDU RUIA
CAPTURING THE RIGHT IMAGE For years, sophomore Vedu Ruia has used photography as a way to capture memories. As he has improved over the years, so have his mediums.
Photography. The ability to freeze a moment in time, and to create an image that can be viewed forever. For sophomore Vedu Ruia, it’s all about capturing the right one. At age ten, he picked up his first camera. It was less than ideal, an old Canon PowerShot that he stole from his parents, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing photography as a hobby. “When I was ten I just thought it was cool that I was capturing moments,” Ruia said. “Now, I see it as a way to show other people how I see something. It’s like the perspective of the whole world through my eyes.” Although passionate about photography, Ruia has never had any formal education. His eye has always been the judge of the quality of his photos, and his goal is to keep improving. Currently, he utilizes every opportunity to pick up a camera, or use a drone to take photos. He rarely leaves his house with the specific intention to take a picture. “I don’t really have a favorite place to go, I kind of just take my camera wherever I go because a lot of times it’s just my phone,” he said. “My philosophy is just that the best camera you can have is the one Creating | r&b | 16
you happen to have with you in that moment.”
From up above
Some of his favorite pictures are the bird’s eye view shots of the ground he can take with his drone. And his reason for this is simple: “I just really like airplanes,” he joked. “When I used to look down from airplane windows and saw how cool the patterns on the ground looked from the sky, I was intrigued, so I’ve definitely always been interested in trying to recreate that.” His transition from stolen camera to drone photography has been his own doing. He used his views of the ground for inspiration to take his photography to the sky. “I actually paid for it myself. I had to mow my neighbor’s lawn for a really long time,” Ruia said. “At first I was just doing it for some extra cash but then I realized that I wanted a drone so I started to save up.” But this transition hasn’t always been smooth flying. “One time my neighbor asked me if I was spying on him because of my drone, so I just told him that I was taking pictures,” Ruia
said. “But I guess I’m used to it by now, people always ask me the same questions when they see me flying it.”
Photography as a constant
Despite his interest in photography, Ruia doesn’t believe there’s really much to his pictures. “I just really like cameras, even the technical aspect of them,” he said. “I know that sounds boring but just the idea that there’s something out there that can just freeze a memory has always been somewhat fascinating to me so that’s why I do it.” Ruia has always been enamored by art, a passion he pursues as a founding member of the Youth Council at the Tampa Museum of Art. He’s using his experience at the museum to help him with his plans for the future. “I actually want to start entering my photos into some contests once I finally get a good camera,” he said. “I really want a DSLR, which means I’ll probably have to start mowing lawns again soon.” Even though he plans to devote this time to photography right now, he doesn’t plan on pursuing a career in photography. However, he does plan on keeping his camera a constant in his life. “I want to study business,” Ruia said. “But I also want to make sure that no matter where I end up, I still always have the ability to reach for a camera.” STORY BY MARIN FEHL
TOP Ruia photographs a plane in the sky using a Nikon D3400 with a 70-300 lens. “I just really like airplanes,” Ruia joked. LEFT Ruia used a drone to photograph passing vehicles in his neighborhood. Ruia saved up the money to buy a drone by mowing his neighbor’s lawn for a long time. BOTTOM RIGHT Using his phone, Ruia captured a sunset in his neighborhood. Although he is passionate about photography, Ruia doesn’t see a deeper meaning behind his photos. “I just really like cameras, even the technical aspect of them,” Ruia said. BOTTOM LEFT While in San Francisco, Ruia took photos of the scenery. PHOTOS COURTESY VEDU RUIA
Creating | r&b | 17
Making up her future Getting ready in the morning. A part of the day that can sometimes be viewed as a chore, but not by everyone. For some, it’s all part of the daily routine, but for senior Frances Vasquez, it’s an extension of herself. She’s been passionate about makeup her whole life, but she didn’t think she could seriously pursue it as a career until last year. With a background in art, Vasquez has always leaned more towards her right brain. “Art has always been a part of my life since I was little,” she said. “I used to draw a lot and then when I got into high school, I started painting.” Art is part of her identity, and without it, Vasquez never would have attempted to pursue makeup. “I never would have done it without that,” she said. “It would have been too much of a chance.” But despite being relatively new to the idea of becoming a makeup artist, Vazquez isn’t unfamiliar with makeup. She’s been inspired by the people around her. While mostly self-taught, she’s learned a few things from her aunt, a makeup artist in Texas. “I don’t see her that often because I don’t go to Texas a lot, but when I do go there she teaches me,” she said. She’s also been inspired by popular makeup icons, using their guidance to master new looks. “I watch a lot of Youtube videos and makeup tutorials like Manny MUA and Jeffree Star,” Vasquez said. But she hasn’t allowed these sources to completely influence the looks she creates. Determined to create a strong identity, Vasquez’s idea of makeup is a much softer look. “I had seen a whole bunch of people doing it but I didn’t want to be like everybody else,” Vasquez said. “There are people that use bold colors, and people that use natural colors, and I’m definitely more on the natural side.” This isn’t without reason. Vasquez has Creating | r&b | 18
always viewed makeup as a way to express herself, but she wants to make sure she’s always recognizable. “I feel like packing a whole bunch of makeup on your face is somewhat changing how you look,” she said. “Some people do really rough contours and it changes their faces, but if you do it a little lighter, you’ll look different, but you can still tell who you are.” Even though she has a clear idea of how her makeup looks should be, she’s yet to branch out to start doing other people’s makeup. For now, she’s only done makeup for her family members. She started practicing on her mom, and has recently prepared her immediate family for events. “I’ve done my little sister’s makeup for her military ball and I did her makeup for her fifteenth birthday pictures,” Vasquez said. As she gains more confidence, Vasquez says her goal is to branch out and start doing makeup for her friends. Eventually, she plans to improve her skills to reach the level of the makeup artists she looks up to. For now, Vasquez isn’t sure of what the future will hold, but she knows she wants makeup to be a part of it. STORY BY MARIN FEHL
TOP Though new to makeup, senior Frances Vasquez maintains a strong identity. Instead of imitating her makeup inspirations, she prefers to do more natural looks. BOTTOM Vasquez started doing makeup for her family, once preparing her younger sister for her fifteenth birthday pictures. However, she hopes to start branching out and doing makeup for more people in the future. PHOTOS COURTESY FRANCES VASQUEZ
Use a similar color scheme for the base shadow and the crease shadow. Then on top of that apply liquid eyeliner to make a wing. To make the eye makeup look more smokey, apply a small amount of the crease color onto the bottom lash line.
Go over your lid with your typical face powder, then do a light crease with your bronzer/ contour color.
Best look is to use a brow spoolie, and maybe a few strokes of a brow pencil to fill in some hairs.
A popular trend is using a brow pomade to fill in your brows. The ideal look is for the brows to be defined, but natural looking. The best way to achieve this look is using a lighter color or softer hand at the start of the brow and fade it into the rest of the brow.
Applying fake lashes over a light coat of mascara will make the eyes really pop. Best way to apply is with a brown/ black tinted lash glue, and then use a few coats of mascara after applying to blend the natural lashes into the false ones.
Use a light coat of mascara. If you blink into the mascara wand rather than sweeping it across your lashes, you will get a natural eyelash curl.
ABOUT FACE Use a concealer for under the eyes, and for any blemishes, then brush on a powder.
Keeping up with current makeup trends can be tough. Here’s our brief guide to both a natural and a full face of makeup.
Use a light gloss or chapstick.
Slightly over-line your lips with a lipliner, then fill in with a matching lipstick of your choice.
Use a high coverage foundation, and “bake” (pack on powder) under the eyes, on the bridge of the nose, and under the contour line. Apply a cream contour or a powder contour right under the cheek bones, on the outline of the forehead, and down the sides of the bridge of your nose. Lastly, brush away the “bake” and highlight the cheekbones, tip of the nose, Cupid’s bow, corner of the eyes, and on the brow bone.
STORY BY CAROLIN HEARNE AND LAUREN KOMAR Creating | r&b | 19
Showing personality through writing
Handwriting can say a lot about a person. Studies such as one performed by the National Pen Company suggest that how one writes can link to thousands of different personality traits. We compared junior Ethan Pham, a student who typically is praised for his neat handwriting, and senior Jonathon Lopez, who is typically scrutinized for his.
For junior Ethan Pham, getting compliments on his handwriting is a common occurence. However, he hasn’t always been able to have such good handwriting. While Pham always has had neat handwriting, it has gotten better over time. “My handwriting has naturally improved,” Pham said. Having neat handwriting has helped Pham significantly in school. “My handwriting helps how I learn with how I study,” Pham said. “I am able
to go back and read my notes correctly and it saves time.” While Pham’s above average handwriting has helped him in school, the person it belongs to also surprises people. “My handwriting is known to be better,” Pham said. “But many are surprised that it’s a boy’s handwriting.” Due to the stereotype that girls have neater handwriting, people are sometimes taken aback with Pham’s handwriting skill. STORY BY LAUREN KOMAR
Senior Jonathon Lopez tends to not get as many compliments on his handwriting. “People say my handwriting is ugly because they don’t see the beauty in it,” Lopez said. While Lopez thinks his handwriting has an interesting feel to it, he has to deal with some negative feedback from others. “My handwriting makes my education harder,” Lopez said. “This is due to teachers not being able to read it.” Creating | r&b | 20
While Lopez knows that if he worked at his handwriting and improved, people might think better of him, he still wouldn’t change it. “I choose to have bad handwriting because it is legible enough that I won’t waste time improving it,” Lopez said. STORY BY LAUREN KOMAR PHOTO BY MAKAYLA BROWN
SPONSORS. The Red and Black is a studentrun publication. In order to print this magazine, we’ve partnered with the following sponsors in our community, whose contributions in the form of advertisement purchases helped to bring this magazine to life.
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When it comes to food, some people prefer it sweet and some favor it savory; we all have different likes and dislikes. These different tastes can reflect our personality in a way. Our image can be judged by our decisions that we make and these decisions can be what we wear or how we choose to present ourselves to the world. Makeup brings additional glamour for some people, but others wear it simply to look a little more alive. Each person has a different preference that reflects their personality. We have different tastes in food, in fashion and every aspect of life.
Together, these tastes make up our image.
FASHION FORWARD THINKING
Having a reputation for being fashionable isn’t easy to accomplish. We talked to students whose images are intertwined with their fashion sense. The latest fashion trend can come from the biggest magazines praising it or the most famous celebrities wearing it. The everyday teenager can follow these trends, or make their own. Making them their own is what makes a trend-setter. Hillsborough is home to many. With a dress code without strict limitations, students have more freedom to choose what they wear and how they wear it. This gives them the ability to express their identity through their clothing, and to make their public image more closely resemble their self image. “Fashion is more than just a statement to me, it’s more of a culture,” senior Pierre Alsint said. He says he sees fashion as more of a society than an industry. “What I express through my fashion is my mentality and demeanor,” Alsint said. “Coming from a background of poverty and disadvantage, I won’t let that mold or shape who I am.” He plans to continue to dress how he does to show those that come from similar backgrounds that they can do the same. “When I step into a room I want all eyes on me,” Alsint said. To senior Devon Driskell, fashion is an expression of personal style. “[It’s] a way to differentiate yourself from others, while creating your own unique image,” Driskell said. He describes his style as simplistic, which is says is a reflection of himself. “My personality is positive and outgoing but not overbearing,” Driskell said. This impacts the way he chooses clothes as well. “Being open-minded creates an outlet for my creative fashion choices,” Driskell said. For some high schoolers, every day can be draining and colorless, but for these individuals, every day is an opportunity to express themselves and brighten up the room. STORY BY CAROLIN HEARNE PHOTOS BY MAKAYLA BROWN Taste | r&b | 30
Taste | r&b | 31
Mirror Glaze Cake Mirror Glaze Cake DIRECTIONS:
INGREDIENTS: Cake of choice Fondant 300 mm water 1 ½ cups of sugar 14 oz of sweet condensed milk
1: Evenly layer fondant over the cake and freeze
directly after 2: Boil water, sugar, and condensed milk for 1
minute and remove from heat 3: Bloom the gelatin in eight cups of cold water for
five minutes then wring them of excess water 4: Mix gelatin into the sugar mixture 5: Pour the liquid over chopped chocolate chips
and then let it sit for two to three minutes 6: Blend the chocolate and liquid 7: Sieve mix into container to get rid of excess
bubbles 8: Separate glaze into different containers if you
plan to use more than one color and blend in
food coloring 9: Cover container(s) with cling film 10: Pour glaze onto cake (it should be around 90-96
degrees Fahrenheit) RECIPE COURTESY: BUZZFEED
Taste | r&b | 32
STUDENT CHEF DREAMS OF OWN RESTAURANT In Chef Dalton Dunn’s culinary cafe, the savory aroma and sizzle of steak on the gas burner is a palpable force that fills the air. By the stove, junior Caleb Berry flips a burger, like any other day, to deliver the meal to Mr. Goodwin. When he was 4, Berry received his first knife set. At age 7, he made deviled eggs for Easter and breakfast for Christmas. In his Italian and Spaniard family, Berry has always been surrounded by cooking. “My sister cooks, she likes to bake and she’s good at it,” he said. “On my dad’s side, my biological father, my abuela and abuelo both like to bake and my abuelita, she likes to cook, she cooks all the time. My aunt on my mom’s side likes to cook as well.” Even though most of Berry’s family lives in the kitchen, he was drawn to cooking of his own accord. “Whenever I was in the kitchen when I was younger, I was just at home, like I was meant to be there,” he said with a smile. At least once a week, Berry continues to cook for his family; however, he prefers the industrial kitchen at school to his home kitchen due to the ambiance. “You come in here and you just smell, you smell the kitchen and it smells good,” he said. As a child, Berry said that he experienced delight as he cooked, but never
contemplated a future as a chef. “When I first stepped foot in [the culinary room], I knew that I wanted to do this, the real thing,” he said. In the culinary program, Berry is the manager in the back of the house and in the kitchen. He inspects the line, sautés, and works the window, oven, plates and salad area. “It can be difficult because if something goes wrong on the side that I’m working, it’s my fault,” he said. Despite the pressure, Berry says that the program drives him to come to school. “And the thing I love about being in here is that whether they want to admit it or not, it’s like a big family,” he said. “It’s a lot of camaraderie in here, even if we go at each other’s throats sometimes. Not to be cheesy, but [Dunn] is the reason I come to school sometimes.” When he serves the food he prepares, Berry appreciates gratitude for his work. “I like doing it, I like the aspect of serving people,” he said. “If I could make your day a little better with something that I make, I feel like it’s good.” Berry also cooks at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) where his friend’s father is the executive director. Berry completed a trial period there that assessed his abilities in their kitchen. After he was able to make every meal, his friend’s father hired him. At the JCC, Berry preps food, works on the line, and
Although his current boss at JCC offered Berry a guaranteed job after college, he aspires to open several restaurants of his own. In order to establish his restaurants, Berry must make connections, buy property, a kitchen, appliances, hire employees and pass the health inspection. Although it is a long process, Berry has a vision. Berry imagines an elegant atmosphere for his restaurant, with dim lights and a band that plays soft rock or jazz. “Somewhere [patrons] can eat and enjoy themselves, not like something you have to worry about a bunch of kids running around, screaming, it’s not going to be like that,” he said. “I want it to be a nice, professional restaurant. I want them to feel like royalty.” However, Berry says there must be the clamor of discussion and bustle in the kitchen. “If it’s not, something is wrong because communication in the kitchen is everything,” he explained. Berry plans to pursue cooking because it provides an escape from the adversity he endures. “Whenever I was there I was comfortable, I was happy with what I was doing because I have always had anxiety and depression,” he said. “When I was in the kitchen, I could really come out of my shell and I could talk to people.” STORY BY KATIE DELK
LEFT After cook-
ing hamburger soup, junior Caleb Berry seasons it to add flavor. RIGHT Berry prepares to serve the soup to fellow culinary students. “It’s a good feeling, because I like to see people smile,” he said of serving others his food.
PHOTOS BY KATIE DELK Taste | r&b | 33
Diet Trends around HHS Whether they be for environmental reasons, religious reasons, or to control their weight, diets have an immense effect on personal image. Sophomore Gillian Bennett classifies herself as a pescatarian. “My diet is mostly vegetarian,” Bennet said. “But I do eat fish every now and then to make it easier on my parents to make me food.” Bennett cut meat out of her diet in seventh grade because she believed that meat was unnecessary. “I’ve never really liked meat to begin with and it was nice to have an excuse not to eat it at all,” Bennett said. However, she has faced a lack of good protein substitutes when she goes out to eat or shop at grocery stores. Since her options are very limited, eating dinner with her family can sometimes be difficult. “It’s also hard on my parents when they’re making it for dinner and I have to eat something completely different,” she said. Bennett says it’s sometimes more expensive to eat as a vegetarian, which can be an annoyance.
Because she still eats fish, she sometimes feels guilty as she counts fish as meat. But as a result of her diet, Bennett has seen many benefits to her lifestyle. “I feel much healthier and happier, I’ve lost weight and feel more confident with myself, my mind is clearer as a whole, I feel ethical, and it’s great for the environment,” she said. In the future, Bennett plans to cut fish completely out of her diet, as well as become vegan or cut back on dairy and animal products. As part of her Jewish faith, freshman Drew Selig keeps kosher. As a part of eating kosher, Selig doesn’t eat meat with dairy, fish that don’t have scales, animals that are bottom feeders, and animals that have hooves. She has kept kosher for as long as she can remember. “I keep kosher because I am Jewish and it is how my family and I have chosen to practice,” Selig said. Her diet can sometimes be challenging. “If I am out, there aren’t many options of places to eat, and it can also
be very hard and expensive to find kosher meat,” she said. Although Selig feels that she misses out on foods that others say are good, such as shrimp and bacon, she says she is happy that other family members that keep kosher are able to come and eat at her house. Senior Dioscar Montesino’s diet is a mix between vegetarian and fruitarian. Montesino tends to eat small portions filled with lots of fruits. “I prefer to eat enough so I don’t gain weight or start using my muscle weight instead of using my fat weight,” Montesino said. He first started his diet as a freshman in order to control his weight. Montesino says the challenging part is eating during school lunches. “You get to school and you really don’t have a choice of what to eat,” Montesino said. Although he has to balance his calories and not eat too much of any one food, Montesino enjoys his food selection because he is able to control his weight. STORY BY JADEN SHEMESH
Popular diet trends: explained Pescatarian People who are pescatarian follow a diet that includes fish or other seafood, but not the meat or flesh of other animals.
Fruitarian
Fruitarians follow a diet consisting primarily of fruits, seeds, and nuts without animal products.
Taste | r&b | 34
Q&A with a certified nutritionist
Christina Dziubinskii is a certified clinical nutritionist. We asked her takes on some recent diet trends. Editor’s note: Christina Dziubinskii is employed by Mind Body Spirit Care, a sponsor of r&b for the month of January. Content has been edited to ensure objectivity. What are your thoughts on high school students dieting? As a holistic practitioner, I don’t necessarily believe in dieting, but rather lifestyle changes to address diseased states. So if a student is healthy, happy, focused, doing great academically, then a balanced whole food diet minimizing processed foods helps to ensure healthy eating habits and a healthy relationship with food throughout their lifespan. If a student has goals, i.e. improve focus, grades, weight, acne, blood sugar, muscle building, etc., then dietary changes to attain those goals would be recommended for a short period of time, and then transitioning back to whole food diet. From a clinical standpoint, what are the pros and cons of different diets? Vegetarian: Pros: nutrient dense. Cons: high intake of carbohydrates, nutritional deficiencies, and food combining issues. Vegan: The same as a vegetarian diet but more of a challenge when finding foods to eat in social settings. Pescatarian: Pros: high in healthy fats. Cons: increased risk of heavy metal toxicity.
Raw: Pros: high in phytonutrients. Cons: increases risk of parasites and other organisms. Mediterranean: Pros: well-balanced diet, easy to follow. Cons: finding pure sources of healthy oils and fruitarian diets, high in vitamins and sugar. Any additional diet information that would be helpful for students in high school? I would like students to understand that the purpose of food is to nourish our bodies and it is used as building blocks for a healthy body and mind. Therefore, eating non-foods, such as processed and packaged foods, fast foods, candy and sugars will lead to decreased health as the body ages. What are some recommendations for students who want to diet ? To understand that diets are temporary but lifestyle changes that incorporate a wide variety of foods can give you the same result, but will take dedication over a long period of time to get the same result. COMPILED BY JADEN SHEMESH
Vegetarian Vegetarians do not eat meat and typically don’t eat any product of animal slaughter. Not to be confused with vegans, who don’t eat any byproduct of meat.
Paleolithic The paleolithic diet is a more modern diet that consists of consuming food that was available or eaten during the paleolithic era. COMPILED BY MERCY TSAY Taste | r&b | 35
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