US
[r&b] february 2019
A LETTER FROM US
3 IRIESLYN PEREIRA - THE POET 4 TAMMY NGUYEN - THE PHOTOGRAPHER 6 MICHAEL BOOTH - THE CANVAS 7 ERIN PARTLOW - THE DRESSMAKER 8 SELMA BENSAID - THE MAKEUP ARTIST 10 JEREMIAH COLON - THE RAPPER 11 DE’NARJAE WOMACK - THE WELDER 12 JACKSON ROBERTS - MEDICAL VOLUNTEER 14 NILIAM PEREZ - THERAPIST 15 YANET AGUIRRE - THE SCHOLAR 16 ANONYMOUS - TRANSITIONING 18 DANNY CHEN - THE TRAINER 20 TI’SERE DAVIS - THE PREACHER 22 CARLI CASTRO - THE ARTIST 23 ANDREA JOHNSON - THE WRITER 24 JULIA SHUGART - THE BALLERINA 26 ADAM CALIXTO - THE BOXER 27 LYCIA ZAVALA - THE RUNNER 27 ALEXIS WOODALL - THE HURDLER 28 AMIT DAS - LAKERS SUPERFAN 30 BRYAN TRUONG - THE IMMIGRANT 31 DEMETRIUS GREEN - THE COLONEL
ABOUT THE COVER
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The background shows some of the hundreds of letters we received from students when we posed a simple question: If we wrote about you, what would the story say? In the foreground, from left, are Jayla Troupe, Dwayne House, Sarah Rodriguez, Caleb Pierce and Nivedan Dharmavaram. PORTRAIT BY MAKAYLA BROWN
We began this magazine with one question: If the Red & Black were to tell a story about you, what would it be? We read every response and sorted through them over and over again until we selected 23 students we felt most represented Hillsborough High School. This magazine isn’t just made for you to read. It’s a reflection of us. On each page, you will find the stories of students. The stories are not of the most popular kids in school. You won’t find the star member of the band or the captain of the football team, but instead stories of those who don’t normally make the news. Because we believe every student on campus has a story to share, and to find the ones that show who we are, we searched every nook and cranny. To be inclusive, we also made sure to include faculty. Reporting on most stories started before winter break, and subjects were interviewed for an extended period before a single word was typed. This magazine wasn’t about getting things done fast, or writing stories with a quick turnover, it was about producing stories that truly paint the picture of us. There were dead ends, where we were forced to go back to the drawing board and look through the huge stack of responses once again. Some stories didn’t pan out. Others had to go unshared. But in the end, we distilled this magazine to tell the stories of ballerinas, welders, artists, future doctors and others who forged their own paths. It took longer than we thought. But it was worth it, to show the beauty of the school. Not the beauty of the building, for enough has been written about that, but rather the beauty of the people inside it. We were committed to showing that despite a reputation of a student body that doesn’t care, the students are working. That they’re building new skills, committed to their passions and learning who they are. This magazine isn’t about proving anything, it’s about conveying one simple idea: This is us. Throughout this process, the staff faced challenges and setbacks, but developed the ability to come up with solutions. They tackled writing that some of our young staff had never attempted and invested themselves in the stories they were telling. While we were writing about you, this was a growing process for us. The finished product is the culmination of hard work from a staff of very few, but the value of this magazine comes from the stories inside it and the people at our school. As you turn each page, we encourage you to reflect on yourself, on the aspects of your life that distinguish you from the crowd. Everyone has a story, and as you read the stories of others, I hope that you find your own. This effort was us, now it’s time to show you. Happy reading.
Editor-in-Chief
US
[r&b] february 2019
[r&b] VOLUME 120 | ISSUE 5
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WEB EDITOR DEPUTY WEB EDITOR COPY EDITOR PHOTO EDITOR PAGE EDITORS STAFF WRITERS
ADVISER
An edition of Red & Black Hillsborough High School 5000 N. Cental Ave. Tampa FL 33603 hhstoday@gmail.com | (813) 276-5620
MARIN FEHL MERCY TSAY JADEN SHEMESH KATIE DELK MAKAYLA BROWN JOHN DOAN, LAUREN KOMAR, REEMA PATEL, KYLIE SMITH ALEX CROFT, RIA DEY, SHAWN GIST, CEEJAY LIBERATORE, DIADELYS MENA, ASHER MONTGOMERY, JOSHUA MORRISON, RACINE SEIDE JOE HUMPHREY, MJE
Irieslyn Pereira THE POET
My Poem
Looking back into my memories, I regret meeting some people, even though they were fun to hang with, they showed me who I really didn’t want to be. I’ve always wanted to fit in with everyone become someone popular. But I also wanted to be myself. It was hard to choose what I wanted to do, though thanks to peer pressure I made the mistake in trying to fit in, I really regret trying to be someone I’m not. But now I have to forget that mistake and I have to remember the lesson I learned, Don’t change yourself for someone to like you. There is only one you, make it count! Be special Be unique Be you I am Irieslyn Pereira And no will change that
Irieslyn Pereira sits outside writing her ideas for poems in her journal. PHOTO BY MAKAYLA BROWN When inspiration strikes, sophomore Irieslyn Pereira rummages through her bag in search of the small journal that houses all her ideas and thoughts, she then begins to jot down her ideas for the poem that she plans on writing. These poems have not yet been seen or heard by other people since they are so personal, but Pereira is interested in performing her words in Poetry Slam. “I would reenact it when I say it out loud,” Pereira said. “But if I were in front of a crowd I would fidget because I also have anxiety.” Pereira wrote her first poem when she was 11, in it she voiced her feelings about herself and her life. “[The] first one would be how people were basically treating me different for how I was when I was little,” Pereira said. “I was more of an outcast because I had stuttering problems, I had problems with speech and
So if I may ask Who are you?
communication in general because it was underdeveloped, and I had to take therapy for it.” Writing her thoughts and feelings out allows her to set boundaries on what should be said and think of what she could have said. “I just keep it in a little notebook and instead of breaking out and saying those words that could affect other people because I know words hurt,” Periera said. “As a person, I seem to bottle up most of my emotions and then I’ll just break, but writing helps me out so I don’t keep them bottled up.” The poem Pereira wrote in middle school, titled “This is Me,” became her inspiration for a newer poem. However due to new responsibilities, like school, her time for writing has been limited. Fortunately, Pereira was able to use her experiences in school to write even more poems. “Last year I had a class, psychol-
ogy with Mr. Delaportilla. He’s a behaviorist, he can tell who you are just by seeing your actions and behaviors,” Pereira said. “And that kind of helped because I am able to see everybody’s behavior now.” Inspiration strikes anytime and anywhere. It can come from a picture or a song but for the most part, it comes from within her mind. These poems reveal Pereira as a person and allow her to reflect on her mistakes and the changes she has made to improve herself. “My favorite thing was when I was writing about myself, on my mistakes and actually changing myself,” Pereira said. “I don’t really plan it because when it hits me in the head,” she said. “I just write it out instead of just planning. I don’t have a technique at all. I just write.” STORY BY MERCY TSAY
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LEFT Tammy Nguyen takes a photo. RIGHT Photos from Nguyen’s gallery PHOTO COURTESY OF TAMMY NGUYEN
Tammy Nguyen THE PHOTOGRAPHER 4
Freshman Tammy Nguyen’s love for photography can be seen from watching her take pictures from afar. Her eye captures scenes such as a lonely street light that makes you notice the gorgeous blue of the sky, a pair of Converse on the dashboard of a car driving the roads at night and more concert pictures than you can count. “I use my creative mind to relieve stress brought by school,” she said. “It is important to take care of myself mentally and photography does that for me.” “She gets this focused look on her face when she’s using her camera,” freshman Isla Riddell said. “She really gets into it.”
Social media influencer Nguyen shares her photos on her instagram account — @idkitstam — that has over 14,000 followers. She started posting her pictures when she was in sixth grade. Nguyen said her photos “started being good in seventh and eighth grade.” And that’s when her follower amount started growing to the level it’s at today. Her feed consists mostly of concert pictures, photos of her travels and few edgy pictures of shoes here and there. “I use my Instagram as my creative outlet,” she said. Other than just the photography, Nguyen can express herself creatively by making sure her photos look good together on her page. “If my pictures look weird when they are beside each other then it’s going to bother me.” Many of her friends note that she spends a long time making
sure her feed is satisfying to the eye. After a suggestion from her family, Nguyen began taking photos of people for special events such as athletics, prom or homecoming, birthdays and more to earn money.
“I hope in some way that my work encourages people to really take in the world around them.” It started when she began to make herself known as a photographer and friends started asking for her to take their pictures. “[At first] I didn’t charge people,” Nguyen said. “I saw photo shoots as practice for the future.” Her price range is from $30 to more than $100 depending on the task and the time it takes.
Family support Her family is a huge factor in her hobby. “I liked taking family photos, and I found cameras fascinating,” she said. “Then when I was 11 I realized what I truly loved to do.” Her dad bought her a camera for her 14th birthday and it’s been like another body part to Nguyen since. “My dad is very supportive of me,” she said. “When I asked for a camera, he was surprised at the prices for the good ones, but he said that he realized my talent and he knew I’d put it to good use.” Nguyen grew up speaking Vietnamese, as that was the only language spoken in her house-
hold. Her dad came by boat to the United States in 1993 seeking a better future with more opportunities. She picked up English before going into elementary school by watching any cartoon on TV. During elementary school, she had an English tutor for a few months that was fluent in Vietnamese.
Language Today, Nguyen speaks perfect English although she occasionally wrestles with grammar. After teaching herself English, she was able to also teach herself the art of photography, and show skill at it too. Her family really leans on her to do things like schedule appointments and other tasks that involve English. “The pressure is definitely there when it comes to translating important information,” she said. “When there are documents my dad doesn’t understand then I try best to explain what it is in my native language.” Nguyen feels that helping people understand one another can be a lot, but sometimes that it’s to know how much her family needs her. Nguyen uses her wide audience to promote causes she supports. She aims to inspire people to pursue their talents no matter what background they come from. “I hope in some way that my work encourages people to really take in the world around them,” she said. In the future, she hopes to create films and photos that will be recognized by big producers. STORY BY ASHER MONTGOMERY
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Michael Booth The first tattoo he chose was for his mom. Senior Michael Booth engraved his mother’s name on his chest because he feels that she is all he has. “We argue from time to time but still we’re close,” he said. “My mom really wanted me to get it. She was like, ‘I want you to get one with my name’ and I was like all right.” Like his mom, Booth also wears gold teeth. Booth wanted gold teeth and after encouragement from her, he decided to buy them. “It makes me feel better because I used to always be self-conscious because people used to always talk about my teeth so I thought putting on the gold would help me because there is more to look at other than gold teeth,” he said. “It will make them not just look at how big my teeth are.” After his sister Deloria passed away, Booth placed her ashes in a heart charm on a necklace to keep her with him wherever he goes. “I keep it on my chest 24/7, even when I sleep,” he said. “I don’t want it to ever break because I will keep it on for life.” In addition to the heart, Booth has a St. Michael charm and a cross on his necklace. Although Booth does not identify as religious, he wears the charms to respect his mom’s wishes. “I do it for my momma and I can say I don’t really believe but at the same time I believe in a higher power which looks over everyone,” Booth said. “St. Michael has my name and I have to have someone with my name. I want to keep open minded.” To coincide with his necklace, Booth has wings on his chest with a halo for his sister. On the other hand, Booth’s kiss mark tattoo does not have meaning to him and was a spur of the moment choice. Actually, it portrays his romantic side, he said. Although Booth wants more tattoos, he wants to maintain a professional appearance for his future job. He plans to open a bar and become a bartender to create an uplifting atmosphere. Apart from the kiss mark tattoo, Booth said he will always love his other tattoos. “Your body is a canvas, you can do your art on it or have someone do their art on it, something that means something to you and tells people who you are.” STORY BY KATIE DELK PHOTO BY MAKAYLA BROWN
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Erin Partlow After five days of hard work on what started as an entry to the Dali Museum, sophomore Erin Partlow finished a dress inspired by the Dali painting “Eggs on a Plate Without the Plate.” Partlow then decided to enter the dress in the Scholastic Art competition after art teacher Caitlin Clay reviewed and encouraged her to do so. “I didn’t think I was gonna get a Gold Key let alone be nominated for an award,” Partlow said. The airbrushed mermaid dress did, however, win the Gold and she was submitted as an American Visions nominee. “It was really surprising and it felt pretty good,” Partlow said. On March 13, she will find out if she won the American Visions Award, which would mean she would get to go to New York City where the dress will be displayed. STORY BY KYLIE SMITH PHOTO BY MAKAYLA BROWN
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Selma Bensaid
THE MAKEUP ARTIST From a young age, Selma Bensaid has taken a devout interest in the art of makeup, thus leading her to discover her true talents as a self-taught makeup artist and social media personality. “My mom would take me to places like Sephora to test out their products and I remember sitting there for hours just comparing colors and textures thinking to myself that this was something I definitely wanted to be a part of,” Bensaid said. You can usually find her sitting on the floor of her room experimenting with all types of formulas and shades on her older sister, laughing while Spotify plays in the background. For her, her art is an escape from the usual demands of her academic life. Despite the sophomore’s commitment to the IB program, she still continues to make time for her passion.
Creating a Platform
She manages an Instagram account where her latest looks are presented along with detailed captions involving products used, general technique and hashtags connecting her to other sources on the Instagram platform. “It’s important that my viewers know which products I use for what because when people see me using reputable brands and labels, they know that I am serious about my work even though I am very young,” she said. Bensaid’s most prized products can be found in a small shelf in the corner of her room which currently holds several types of body glitters, an array of foundation shades, false eyelashes and other miscellaneous items usually saved for her clients. Although high-end makeup is expensive, Bensaid doesn’t allow this to limit her creativity, challenging herself to find cheap yet good quality drug store products alongside her makeup from brands such as Morphe, Too Faced and Anastasia Beverly Hills.
Gaining support
Despite not considering herself a true professional, Bensaid is used to being asked to do people’s makeup for homecoming, prom, even weddings. Because of this, she has found it easier to not only pay for supplies but to connect to others in the makeup community. “Because of my Instagram and my clients, it’s been easier to discover other girls and boys online with the same interests as me and I have gotten to know so many new people within this past couple of years,” Bensaid said. Bensaid’s family encourages her passion for
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makeup alongside her academic career. Her older sister and her mother have been her biggest supporters since she started her makeup journey, even going as far as to let her use their faces for experimentation when she first started learning her way around the basic techniques.
Looking forward
Bensaid admits that although she has a true talent for makeup she is unsure of whether she will decide to pursue it professionally in college and during her adult years. She wants to focus on her education so that she can eventually earn her IB diploma. “The industry is very competitive and I don’t want to lose my love for it due to unnecessary stress,” Bensaid said. Makeup continues to play an important part in her life as she uses it as a creative outlet to express herself. STORY BY RIA DEY
Selma’s top 5 makeup brands
1 Morphe 2 Anastasia Beverly Hills 3 Dior 4 MAC 5 Chanel
TOP TOP Bensaid Bensaid does does an an eye eye look look using using the the BH BH Take Take Me Back to Brazil palette. PHOTO BY MAKAYLA Me Back to Brazil palette. PHOTO BY MAKAYLA BROWN BROWN LEFT One of Bensaid’s looks she creLEFT One of Bensaid’s she created on herated on herself. PHOTOlooks COURTESY OF SELMA self. PHOTO COURTESY OF SELMA BENSAID BENSAID
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Jeremiah Colon RAPS Staff Writer Shawn Gist discusses the artform with another aspiring rapper.
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The Notorious B.I.G, Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar and OutKast all started in high school. That’s who junior Jeremiah Hosea Colon, also known as J, aims to become. J started making music in 2007. When I asked why he started making music. He said, “I just want to be able to make people happy or just have fun and feel better listening to my music.” Over winter break I watched J make his songs and it is really something else to see. When we both start writing our lyrics we have this method called “freestyle til you die.” You freestyle and record and cut out the things you don’t like and make it into a song, so when we record half the time it’s not even written down. When we get in to the process of making music, there is no bad energy; I’m happy he’s happy and we just make good music. Freestyling in the car is one of our favorite things to do, having the music blasting and the 808s slamming while jumping up and down laughing. When he isn’t making muColon sits in his friend’s room sic, he spends a lot of time in with a microphone, headset school learning things that can and his phone while he creates help with his songs. In his En- a new rap for his Soundcloud glish class, Colon said he tries to listeners. pay extra attention so he can use that to help his writing. J’s favorite artist is Trippie Redd and he takes “Most kids go to school thinking they will a lot of influence from him and wants to be like never use anything they learn from school but him. Without him, J would have never picked they are so wrong going to school wanting to up the mic, J’s love of Trippie Redd started when learn can help you out so much,” he said. he made his first his mixtape, “A Love Letter To I talked to J’s other friend, junior Will Thom- You.” sen. “J is just made to make music he takes it so “Trippie Redd’s sound is just out of this world serious like it’s his passion he would die for it,” he uses his voice like no other,” J said. Thomsen said. J is 18 and his followers are around the same J’s grandma supports his music too by ask- age as him so it’s almost as if they are growing up ing her church friends to suggest the music to with him, and he aims to be relatable and have a their grandchildren. According to J, he has a lot message in his music. of family and friends who want him to succeed. J is doing things that some artists didn’t do
until they become popular, like doing open mic shows and making music videos for his friends and fans. By doing this, J hopes to be the future of the rap scene and make a name for himself. “By time I’m out of school and go on to focus on music I’ll be on the top of the billboards with rappers like Drake, Lil Wayne and Trippie Redd. There is nothing stopping me from doing this I know it’s what I was meant for,” Colon said. “I was put on this earth to change people’s lives I love people, I love music, I love anything to do with it.” STORY AND PHOTO BY SHAWN GIST
De’Narjae Womack De’Narjae Womack is a junior and welds at school. He was inspired in the eighth grade by his uncle who helps him while he is in the welding program. “He gives me the proper equipment I need and tips and advice, also we do little projects,” he said. To Womack, the program and teacher James Martinez both are very helpful. “The teacher himself is a great instructor. He is willing to push you and help you if you if you want help to go a step farther after high school. He is always looking for things or stuff to make the program better,” he said. But even after Womack finishes school he wants to pursue welding and get more advanced. “I plan to become a pipe welder and travel for about 10 years then take a test to become a CWI (Certified Welding Inspector),” he said STORY BY CEEJAY LIBERATORE PHOTO BY MAKAYLA BROWN
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Jackson Roberts
MEDICAL VOLUNTEER
Fifty people are crammed into an air conditioner-less church. The heat is unbearable. A man incessantly touches his eye, trying to indicate that it’s numb. Despite the language barrier, a small medical team soon understands the man’s message and begins to treat him. Among nearly five other medics treating approximately 50 victims in the church, senior Jackson Roberts begins to work. Roberts spent part of the past summer on a medical volunteering trip to Roatan, Honduras. Organized and led by the Director of the division of Global Ophthalmology at the University of Virginia, Dr.
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David Khorram, the nine-day trip started in June, including Roberts, a student from another high school and two medical school students. “We worked at the Vessels of Mercy Clinic [performing] cataract surgeries, pterygium surgeries and evisceration surgeries,” Roberts said. The team was able to complete about 50 surgeries. “Personally I took blood sugar levels, eye pressure levels, did glaucoma tests and vision screenings,” he said. Roberts discovered the medical opportunity from his aunt, who had found a Facebook post describing the trip. After contacting
Khorram, who had been looking for potentially interested students, Roberts was able to apply, as the application was largely informal. “He goes on trips like this all the time to try to give students who are interested in ophthalmology experience,” Roberts said. Leading up to the trip, Khorram gave coursework to the students. This was a step further into volunteering programs for Roberts as last summer he took a public health volunteering trip to Washington D.C., working with a free clinic for refugees and the homeless. While he is not sure about going into the medical field, Roberts
wants his career to center around being of service to others. “We had to do surgeries on people who remove their eyes, when in the U.S. you can just take pills that would help your eye to heal, but over there they didn’t have the necessary medications so the guy doesn’t have his eyes anymore,” Roberts said. “I was able to witness real economic and medical disparities and real problems that need to be fixed.” Roberts’ dedication to helping others is apparent to those around him such as junior Sarah Linton (his girlfriend) and history teacher Mike Mikulec.
“Jackson is somebody who I’m proud to call a student and a friend,” Mikulec said, “I know from what I’ve seen [teaching him] he was always one of those kids that was always helping others, helping explain concepts and things like that, and he seems to be one of the first people to go out of his way to help others.” “He has a huge heart for others,” Linton said, “He does so much good for people literally all around the world and I can tell it’s something he really is passionate about.” Roberts is thinking about continuing his volunteering trips
throughout college. “The school I’m going to (Duke University) has a program where they fund you to go anywhere in the world you want to and do some kind of service initiative with other kids,” he said. STORY BY JADEN SHEMESH
TOP LEFT Senior Jackson Roberts says goodbye to the local nurses who helped the medical team throughout the trip. TOP Dr. David Khorram performs a cataract surgery while Roberts and other volunteers observe. The volunteers conducted 50 surgeries within five days. “The cataract surgeries took a lot longer than they would in the U.S. because the island didn’t have the same resources, equipment and [medical supplies],” Roberts said. BOTTOM Roberts and the medical team stand in front of a Honduran elementary school in preparation to conduct vision examinations for all of the kids in the school. The team tested students for color blindness and measured their ocular movement. PHOTOS COURTESY OF JACKSON ROBERTS
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Niliam Perez THERAPIST When the fireworks began exploding on the Fourth of July, senior Niliam Perez’s older brother experienced anxiety and flashbacks from his time serving in the Army. He ducked and searched for his rifle, but Perez went over to him and seized his arm. When she made eye contact with him, he resurfaced. Since middle school, Perez has wanted to be a therapist in the military to help others who also battle Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). “I want to be a therapist in the military so those soldiers that go active and go into the field know they have somebody to come back to,” she said. “I found an open door where I know I can help somebody just by listening. Nowadays people just want someone to listen and I like to listen and hear people out.” Even though her brother and parents originally opposed her plans, Perez said her family is her main source of support. In return, she does her best to resolve their problems. “My older brothers come to me for advice and my older sister and mom because as the middle child I’ve had that time of play but I’ve also had that time of seriousness,” she said. “I’m a listener and I speak from experience most of the time because I’ve gone through a lot so when my friends need help or anyone I consider family needs help, I’m always there.” Currently, Perez is the training and operations officer, S3, in JROTC and she organizes the weekly training schedules, parades, the military ball and other events. In addition,
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Perez is the drill team captain. “I’m the middle of all communications with chain of command and battalion LTC calls me the glue because I’m the only major in the battalion,” she said. After high school, she aims to enlist in the Marines. First, Perez must take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test to determine the possible roles in the Marines she can hold, sign the paperwork with parent consent, take a fitness test, swear in with a recruiter, call her parents, complete college and receive a degree, come back for two weeks, train and pass tests. During college, Perez said she wants to be an active duty soldier, which means she will serve in the Marines 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As a result, the Marines will pay for her tuition. Perez chose the Marines because she appreciates the discipline of the branch. “Marines has what I want,” she said. “The few the proud because it’s a harder branch and I like the challenge.” She wants to spend 20 years with the Corps and aims to be a therapist in the civilian world after retirement. “When you go out into the civilian world, you have a job set for you and you have that military experience and when people see that you are a veteran, they will recognize that you had responsibilities and commitment,” she said. Despite the initial refusal of her brother, Perez never gave up on her aspiration. “I still kept going for it because I found my passion: to help others.” STORY BY KATIE DELK
ABOVE Niliam Perez leads the troops in a warm-up at the beginning of practice. TOP RIGHT Perez smiles while marching alongside. BOTTOM RIGHT Perez practices with a rifle after school. She wants to join the Marines after college. “Marines has what I want,” she said. “The few, the proud, because it’s a harder branch and I like the challenge.” PHOTOS BY JOHN DOAN AND KATIE DELK
Yanet Aguirre THE SCHOLAR She plans to be the first person in her family to pursue a college education after graduation, but it’s not for notoriety. Aguirre is the proud daughter of parents who moved to Florida from Puerto Rico and most recently, Massachusetts, who struggled to put food on the table and make ends meet, who were forced to start over after their move and who managed all of it while learning to speak English. For her, this future is for them. Junior Yanet Aguirre is eager to follow the hardworking model her parents set for her as a child, but she’s choosing to carve her own path. “When I saw my mom and dad working so hard to provide us everything we needed I knew I needed to make them proud. That’s when I knew I had to continue my education and allow them to relax knowing they did their job,” Aguirre said. Her goal is largely motivated by the example her parents set, recalling times when her mother struggled to maintain multiple jobs while raising her and her younger brother. Aguirre recognizes the obstacles she will have to overcome to pursue this goal. Until her family recently moved to Massachusetts, her father worked at a car dealership called Dent Wizard fixing scratches on dealership cars, and her mother was in between jobs. To give back to her parents for working to provide for her, she plans to apply for scholarships this year to relieve the financial burden. Besides finances, Aguirre also recognizes that her situation is different from her classmates, because she doesn’t have anyone in her family to look to for college guidance. “It’s like a race. Others get a head start and I have to start right at the beginning. I don’t have a family with great careers to support me. My family just barely makes it each month for the bills,” she said. “It’s a challenge because it’s a lot of pressure, but when I see how my family lives, it motivates me to work for a great career, so I can support them.” Although her parents can’t offer insight into the college experience, they have been her main supporters in achieving this goal, along with Aguirre’s younger brother. She hopes to be successful in attending college so that she can be the resource she didn’t have for her younger brother when he graduates high school. Aguirre’s childhood has played a role in the choice for her path. “I grew up in a small town in Puerto Rico called Vega Alta. I experienced a lot there. The struggles my mom went through with us gives motivation to keep going. I don’t want my kids or even myself to live that same life. Although my family is united, it is separated as well. For example, my mom’s side and my dad’s side [are separate]. It makes me want to work
harder and harder,” she said. Her parents faced similar struggles of their own and opted to turn to work rather than higher education in hopes of starting a family. “The reason my family never extended their education or even finished it was because of their economic struggles. I don’t want to say other classmates are privileged because I don’t like the way that sounds, but they have more opportunities than my family did in their time. I want to change that cycle,” Aguirre said. Although her parents are prominent figures in her life, Aguirre is motivated by more than just the struggles of their life. Following Hurricane Maria in September 2017, her remaining family in Puerto Rico was left to face the devastation of their homes and livelihoods, which is still an everyday challenge for them. This struggle was the deciding factor that lit the fire in Aguirre’s belly. Aguirre hopes to use a college degree to secure her family’s future. “It’s getting really bad over [in Puerto Rico], the hurricane really destroyed their homes. And on top of all that, there is lots of violence. I’ve had countless uncles murdered due to gang violence, I don’t want my family to keep going through that. They can live a better, happier life here,” she said. After being forced to face the realities of her family’s circumstances following her uncle’s death, Aguirre began to seriously pursue a better future. “I have an uncle currently in hiding because of death threats and people looking for him. My other uncle was murdered about a year and some change ago. My grandfather’s house still has no roof because of the hurricane,” she said. “After my uncle passed, he was such an angel, [the gang] killed him because they thought he was somebody else. At that moment we knew that our family was in danger on the island.” Aguirre is currently taking health specialist classes, as she plans to pursue a medical degree which she hopes to use to help those in Puerto Rico who face the same challenges as her family. She is also looking to apply to colleges in both Massachusetts and Puerto Rico to make her goal a reality. She hopes her struggles will serve as both a pathway to security for her family and as an inspiration to others in her situation. “Extending my education will allow for more opportunities and a better career and it will put me in a better economic state to help [my family]. And I can even motivate other in the same situation to do the same and defy all odds,” she said. “I just want to make them proud, make all their struggles worth it. It’s a lot of pressure but I can do it.” STORY BY MARIN FEHL ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN DOAN
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Anonymous* TRANSITIONING
In elementary school I ran on a track team. In middle school I played basketball, softball, volleyball and track. My outfits alternated between masculine and feminine. I yearned to be like my older brother but I also had a desire to fit in in middle school. Finally, I accepted that I was a tomboy and eventually embraced that I am a transgender in the summer of seventh grade. All my life I have felt a conflict between my emotional and psychological identity and my physical sex. In elementary school, I’d always say I was a boy trapped in a girl’s body and in middle school I would say I had a male brain to my friends. It wasn’t until eighth grade that I began researching online and I discovered other people shared my feelings. As a female to male person I identify as male but my body doesn’t align with that. Basically how I learned about that is gender dysphoria where you feel discomfort with your assigned sex at birth and then that’s what makes you want to transition. Before I came out to my family and friends, my mom, who is a hairdresser, cut my hair from shoulder length to a bob. When I first cut my hair short I was really nervous because I was scared of how my family would react. At the time I was just trying to pretend to be a tomboy. After three more haircuts, my hair was cut to a short crop and I felt a lot more confident.
Coping with dysphoria To help alleviate my dysphoria I also dressed more masculine. I only shopped in the men’s department when I was alone because I was scared of my parents’ response. However, even in the women’s department I chose clothing like T-shirts and jeans. I also listened to alternative music like Saint Motel because the bright tone and upbeat sound made me feel better. The song “Salt” by Bad Suns, a trans anthem, makes me feel like I’m not alone. It reminds me there are other people going through the same thing as me and that eventually it gets better. The summer after eighth grade I studied my ancestry and chose a new name that originates from my European background. You pick out different names and you think of yourself as that name and you think does this really suit me and then eventually you find the one that you really identify with. Now I am saving up money to change my first and middle name legally. My middle name is my
dad’s and my original middle name was the feminine version of it. After I found my name, I texted my friends and told them that I am a transgender. My friends were very supportive, they understood because in this generation a lot more people are more accepting of that.
Opening up However, one of my biggest fears was rejection from my dad, who held conservative views and challenged trans and gay people. In a letter to my parents I explained how I felt and what I was. While they read it. I went for a walk. I remember being really scared and I actually started crying. At first my parents just thought it was a phase and didn’t attempt to do anything and they just hoped it would go away. During this time, I went to group meetings for transgender youths in Ybor in secret with my friend. There I interacted with other trans people and we shared our transitioning processes. I developed an understanding with my transgender friends because we were going through the same thing. Top surgery is a procedure for transgender men and non-binary individuals that creates a masculine chest. Top surgery involves breast removal (subcutaneous mastectomy) and male chest contouring. When I saw how flat a group member’s chest was after he had top surgery, that solidified my need to get it. After the first few times I went, I told my parents about the group meetings and they went with me to some and that’s when they first started to understand. They eventually realized how much being a female hurt me, physically and mentally, and they realized it wasn’t a phase.
The first steps For a lot of people who do not grasp my thoughts or attempt to become aware of them, being transgender is misinterpreted. To be closed off to those kinds of people wouldn’t help me to help myself, I need to help these people understand how I feel so I need to be able to talk about it. For example, I explained to one classmate that no one would choose to be transgender and I was born this way, it is a mental and medical condition. Over the phone I also came out to my brother
once he came home from the Marines. For him as well as everyone else, they needed time to adapt to using the correct pronouns and my chosen name. On Jan. 23, I took my first testosterone shot. Through hormone therapy, my testosterone levels increase and my estrogen levels decrease into a typical male range resulting in physical changes such as deepening of the voice and a higher muscular mass. To start the hormones, a therapist evaluated me and I spoke to a hormone doctor. Medically transitioning also includes hormone replacement therapy, top surgery and bottom surgery. In addition to undergoing bodily alterations, I socially live as a male by using the men’s bathroom. You just want to pee and get your stuff done and leave, you don’t want to get harrassed in the bathroom. It shouldn’t be your business who is coming into the bathroom because they are just trying to go to the bathroom. There doesn’t have to be anything weird about it like the media portrays.
Plans for the future Currently, I take Psychology and plan to become a therapist for the transgender community because I can empathize with them. I want to be able to help other people like me in the future and I want them to feel comfortable explaining their experience. Through psychology, I can reflect on my own thoughts and comprehend them. Part of being transgender is the gender dysphoria. Part of it could be a psychological condition but there has been scientific research of the brain that proves that people who are transgender, their brains are of the sex that they want to transition to and they are not compatable with the brains of trans people. I also know that compared to other trans people, I’ve had a really lucky time, I mean a lot of trans people aren’t accepted by family, aren’t accepted by friends, don’t have a supportive environment. That’s why suicide rates for trans people are very high because there is so much hate towards my community. There needs to be a change sometime in the future because a lot of people won’t change now but I hope in the future there will be more of an accepting environment for a lot of my kind of people.
*This student requested anonymity because he did not feel comfortable sharing his story publicly.
AS TOLD TO KATIE DELK ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN DOAN
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Danny Chen THE TRAINER
Disgust. Pain. Fear. Senior Danny Chen came to the painful realization that he was obese and if he continued on this path he may face irrefutable consequences to not only his body but also his life. “No one was ever bullying me or forcing me to have this realization,” Chen said. “But it felt bad to be in that sort of shape.” Chen faced insecurities growing up, but he managed to harness these feelings and use them as motivation to completely change how he lived his life.
The realization Gym class is a cliché location for bullying in movies, but it can be much crueler even without the bullying. The feeling of standing in the heat, watching helplessly as classmates get picked left and right until only you remain. “‘He’s just a smart person.’ When it got to gym class and things like that, one of the biggest realizations was, ‘he’s the last pick,’ for all the sports,” Chen said. “And it feels kind of bad to be last pick for everything. ‘He’s an inherent disadvantage to the team’. And it feels bad because you’re consistently last place.” His parents tried to help, his father recruited him to join his cardio workouts. “But I just did not like running. I hate running and I don’t do it,” Chen said. “I didn’t want to work out and he didn’t want to force me to do it. I think they wanted me to change if I wanted to do it.” “I didn’t like myself when I was overweight,” Chen said. “One of the things that I would do was I would grab my stomach and get a fistful of fat. It was really unappealing to see myself at that state.” Faced with these insecurities he understood that he had to make a big lifestyle change.
The lifestyle
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With a goal in mind, Chen was determined to go to extremes to achieve it. He dropped his daily calorie intake from 1,500 to 1,100, which
Chen reminds others not to mimic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when Chen was 12 years old he was within the 99th percentile for boys aged 12 years old, meaning that his weight was greater than 99 percent of the boys his age. “I wanted to lose as much weight as possible as fast I could,” Chen said. Chen continued to do his research and was able to create a healthy diet that he eats daily. “Every day I eat scrambled eggs in the morn-
“It can get in the way. It can be a hassle. You don’t want to do it, but I’m still happy it’s a habit. I force myself to do it every day.” ing, a cup of milk, two eggs, two pieces of whole wheat toast with peanut butter on it. I have chicken breasts, brown rice and broccoli or spinach for lunch and dinner. And I have fruit mixed between that and sometimes I’ll have sweet potato or other protein if I’m bulking up and some protein shake or bars. I set myself on that rigorous diet six to seven days a week. This has been my daily diet for the past year-year and a half.” Although it may seem tiring to keep this routine up day-to-day, Chen insists that it’s extremely important to maintain this routine. “It can get in the way. It can be a hassle. You don’t want to do it,” Chen said. “But I’m still happy it’s a habit. I force myself to do it every day.” However, Chen indulges himself from time to time. He’s tempted to pig out, eat sweets every day, but he restrains himself. Chen considers cheat days to be destructive to a healthy diet. Rather than a cheat day, which is one day a week where you eat anything you want, it’s one meal every seven days.
“My favorite cheat meal is Korean barbecue,” Chen said. “I go to Izziban all-you-can-eat, and how I balance that out is, I don’t eat anything for breakfast or dinner. This probably isn’t the best idea, but I know I’m going to eat at least 2,000 calories while I’m there and it’s going to be at lunch, so I just pig out then.”
The changes There are many changes that come from this sort of lifestyle. The most noticeable being in the body, but an even better change in the mind. Being able to see yourself change can be a major morale booster, but when you put the work in and don’t see results it can be devastating. Chen advises people to look more at quantitative changes that are easier to see. For him, it was measuring how many push-ups he could do. “One of the things I think you should avoid is checking yourself in the mirror and looking at a scale and trying to check the gradual change,” Chen said. “Instead, focus on your progression, because those are things that have actual inherent value to them.” He compares it to seeing someone every day, when it is unlikely you will notice small physical changes. The biggest change that occurred was to his confidence. He was fearful that people would look down on him for being overweight, it went with the negative connotations of being fat. However, he came soon to the realization that he could be himself and confident. “I was the fat kid,” Chen said. “But as I started progressing and getting more fit, I started gaining more confidence. It’s not like I couldn’t have confidence when I was overweight, it was just that I couldn’t see it.”
Confronting the stereotype Feelings can only motivate a person so far, but Chen was able to take the stereotypes that he was confined to and push himself even harder.
Chen was known as a nerd, someone with a naturally studious nature, and that wasn’t far off from the truth, but that also proved to be advantageous. “The persistence to do it every day, determination and ambition to be proficient at something.” Committing to a lifestyle change is no easy feat, it takes mental endurance and strong will, but it also requires a strong body. Chen started from being unable to do any push-ups to doing multiple sets. Chen started from being unable to do any push-ups to doing multiple sets. “I used to only push myself mentally,” Chen said. “But now I push myself physically as well and have these well-rounded habits for myself. The stereotypes are merging.” Chen considers this one of his favorite parts of the lifestyle change. He gets to see other’s reactions, the mild shock because its unexpected. “There’s always been a separation between nerds and [athletes],” Chen said. “But it’s become more apparent, to me at least, that there are more athletic nerds, and I guess I’ve shown that.”
A supportive community Chen has been very successful with his journey and he is proud and credits it to his persistence and diligence. However, beyond his own self-diligence and work, he had many people helping him along the way. There aren’t many people at this age who have similar experiences, but you don’t necessarily need to understand it all to be a supportive friend. Chen emphasizes how close friends can make all the difference. “You know, there are always be people who try and lessen the blow, saying ‘You’re fine!’. And that may be reassuring, but at the same time, it doesn’t help to motivate. It does the opposite.” Chen said. “Minh Kha (Vu) has been my friend since elementary school and he was more of a realist with me. He didn’t make me feel bad about being fat, he brought it to my attention, helped me gain that realization that I should change.”
Before
Helping others With his new understanding of fitness, Chen uses his experiences to drive his aspirations. He plans on becoming a doctor, although not in the nutrition field. “I had a general thought of going into medicine before or the health professions, but this really solidified it,” Chen said. “I want to help other people get out of that situation. I know how it feels to be overweight and obese. How bad it can be for you and how bad it feels to be that way.” To achieve his goal he wants to volunteer in other areas, especially with the people around him. Chen understands that he was blessed with supportive friends and family and wants to help provide that to those who aren’t in great communities. “When I go to college I want to join different communities and clubs that sort of help to build that atmosphere,” Chen said. “Where we encourage others to stay healthy and live healthy lifestyles.” Rather than stopping there, Chen pursues research regarding the body’s functions. These can help people to understand appetite control and metabolism, which can help affect how we combat obesity and other health issues. “I also want to learn about the neurological and behavioral aspect … how to best get out of obesity, how to avoid it,” Chen said. “I think one of the important things to address is childhood, how you’re raised as a child. How you learn to value your health and nutrition.” Change is hard. It isn’t something that is always easily achievable, and changing your lifestyle can be one of the most difficult things, but remind yourself that you can do anything you put your mind to. “Everyone likes an underdog story. Everyone likes a disadvantage, disadvantaged hero, slowly grows, takes some hits. It takes practice, but eventually, you’ll get there. I think that’s one of the things I told myself. Like ‘You know what? You could be a protagonist.”
Workout Tips 1. Don’t focus on BMI
“It’s pretty good for judging regular [people] but of course people with a lot of muscles weigh a lot more ad are healthier than people who are normal weight.”
2. Do it CONSTANTLY
“Consistency. If you want to do it, you have to do it constantly.” 3. Don’t look physical changes
“If you focus on incrimentl changes, then you probably won’t see a lot.” 4. Do things quickly
“If you’re going to take break, make sure it’s only five seconds or something like that.” 5. Never have a zero day
“Do something everyday even if it’s just a push-up or a run around the block. At least you did something.” 6. Time doesn’t matter
“It doesn’t matter how long you take, becasue working out can be short. Some people work out for a longer period of time, but really you only need 30-40 minutes.“
STORY BY MERCY TSAY
After
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LEFT Young Chen poses on the elliptical. RIGHT Chen renacts the pose he did as a child on the elliptical in his workout room. PHOTOS BY MERCY TSAY
Ti’sere Davis preaches in the courtyard while he uses his laptop to read the sermon he had prepared for the Friday bible study.
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Ti’sere Davis preaches in the courtyard while he uses the sermon he had prepared for the Friday bible stud JOHN DOAN
s his laptop to read dy. PHOTO BY
Tie’sere Davis
THE PREACHER
Under the towering tree in the center of the courtyard on some Fridays after school, one could find Tie’Sere Davis filling the air with Bible scriptures, filled with strength and motivation. Beams of light shine through the leaves above the branches, casting them upon his skin. Glowing in the light, Davis passionately shares God’s teachings. Reading from his laptop placed sturdily on his lap the sermons he had previously prepared, he boasts his voice loudly to appeal to those around him. He hopes to share his passion and love of Jesus Christ with fellow students. Davis is a youth minister. His role at church is to bridge the gap between older and younger generations and to instill in them a compassion and love of God. At age 9, Davis decided to pursue his love of God and faith to become a mentor for others within the church in his community at the Abundant Life International Covenant Fellowship in Plant City. He discovered that in this role he was taking on more responsibility and leadership by becoming a youth minister. Davis believes that it was his calling to become a minister of faith. “As we say in the church, it was a calling. It isn’t something that you just go to school and say when I grow up I want to become a Minister,” Davis said. “It is a call from God, for we are servants of the church.” Davis has made it his mission to take time with members of his congregation to communicate about the hopes, concerns and needs of the youth in the local church and community in hopes of providing an educational and developmental purpose. Helping convey a message that anybody can practice and understand God’s teachings to remedy a heavy heart. Davis comes across many issues and concerns, which according to him may vary from scary nightmares to relationship problems. However, Davis’ greater concern
is the alarming number of teens who are depressed and suicidal, an area Davis himself has confronted. He believes that with strong faith and God’s love, they can overcome these tribulations. “I’ve learned to be open about my problems and using my experience with God’s word truly makes a difference,” Davis said. “God promised never to leave us or foresake us, he loves us so much that he sacrificed his life for us. Why be depressed when God promises you love and care? Why end your life when he gave his to save yours? These are remedies for any wounded heart.”
“It allows me to have a deeper connection with God, to properly convey his message with others.” During a typical morning at church, Davis begins with prayer at 6 a.m. Once prayer concludes, he takes time to reflect and study scriptures to share with others. As a youth minister, he is very well known within the congregation for his lively spirit and passionate devotion. Davis checks on individuals within the ministry after prayer, to become involved with his fellow members of the church. Additionally, he serves within various church programs such as a Kingdoms Keys class and theological studies for fellow ministers. These classes are held on Mondays and Tuesdays and Davis makes it a point to attend as often as he can. In these programs he is able to communicate with fellow disciples of God and learn leadership skills. “It teaches me how to properly express God’s word and gives some understanding of why the scriptures are the way they areDavis said. “It allows me to have a deeper connection with God, to properly convey his message with others.”
On Fridays, Davis then becomes teacher, devoting his time to teaching scriptures and fueling other teens’ faith. Davis runs a small Bible study group where members join to get more involved within the church and to gain further enlightenment from the preachings of God and His words. He uses his influence within the church by using positivity and diligence to create a responsive connection not only between the word of the Bible and the individual, but between each other. Davis aims to create a welcoming place to find unconditional love and encouragement. “God blessed me so I would be able to bless others. It brings me joy to be able to be the light in a dark time as the Bible puts it,” Davis said. “Always prayer, the Bible says pray without ceasing.” On some Fridays, he holds a bible study group in the courtyard by the main building in order to get students more involved with religion. Davis understands that the current generation is the least involved within the church. He tries to show that despite all of the things around us, we are still able to incorporate faith everywhere, even school. “Let’s keep it real - the youth don’t want to go to the church house but put the word of God smack in their faces, they have no excuses and cannot miss it,” Davis said. Davis knows that youth ministry is vital to helping teens integrate into the larger, intergenerational community of the church, meaning helping teens become more involved with the church. “To help us understand the past, the Bible says “My people are destroyed from a lack of knowledge’’, Hosea 4:6 KJV,” Davis said. “What we want to learn from Jesus Christ is to learn from the past and step out on faith. To use the Bible every day to enlighten ourselves and those around us.” STORY BY ALEX CROFT PHOTO BY JOHN DOAN
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Junior Carli Castro cuts newspaper and other materials for her next art piece during her seventh period art class. PHOTO BY HAILEY MCDONALD
Carli Castro THE ARTIST Art is the expression of creative skill using imagination in a visual way. There are many different kinds of art. There is music, drawing using different mediums, dancing and singing. Junior Carli Castro has been creating art from a young age. “At 3 or 4 is when I started to draw, but everyone was doing it at that age,” she said. After that, Castro became very involved with dance, even though she would later return to art in the form of creating pieces with her hands. At age 7, she began to take art very seriously, and started creating things all the time. “I went to a performing arts magnet elementary school,” Castro said. While she originally was going for dance the art program
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later really caught her attention. “The teacher showed us that you can make a career out of it.” That’s just what Castro is starting to do. Starting by making her mark in the Florida art community early.
“When I’ve had a long day I like to draw to help alleviate some of the stress. It makes me feel calm.” In 2012, she had a papier mache sculpture displayed at the Patel Conservatory in a student gallery. Castro also had a watercolor acrylic painting displayed in 2016 at an event in Miami as part of series done by her art
class. Along with watercolor, acrylic and papier mache Castro also creates ink paintings. Ink is her preferred tool. None of Castro’s ink paintings have been displayed yet. Art allows Castro to feel calm. “When I’ve had a long day, I like to draw to help alleviate some of the stress,” Castro said. “It makes me feel calm.” Art is not the only way Castro expresses herself. She also participated in Hillsborough High School’s rendition of “Little Red Riding Hood,” where she played the mother in a festival competition at the University of South Florida. STORY BY KYLIE SMITH
Andrea Johnson THE WRITER The music blasts from her headphones. “The Phantom of the Opera” soundtrack plays. A nameless girl, seemingly invisible to the world, speaks with her friend, only this friend is a true ghost, invisible to everyone except her. Slowly, she begins to realize that this ghost is a figment of her imagination, one she created in order to cope with the loneliness in her own life. Sitting on her bed, pen and journal in her hands, senior Andrea Johnson looks over what she has written. This is her favorite story yet. Johnson began writing in elementary school, when teachers had her and other students write short stories based on different prompts. “Through that, I discovered my love for writing,” Johnson said. Her typical writings are fantasy or young adult short stories, sometimes including vague or distant aspects of her own life in some manner. “It’s usually just giving characters traits that people I know have or that I myself have,” Johnson said.
The process Johnson’s writing process begins with a story idea. “Sometimes I see something unimaginative happening, such as people talking about their life out of school, and I write to add a more imaginative twist on it,” she said. Once she finds an idea, she begins writing anything that comes to her mind. The only constant in her routine is listening to music. “I just put my headphones in, listen to music and sit on my bed and write in my journal I keep my short stories in,” Johnson said. She tends to listen to music from different Broadway shows, depending on the tone of what she’s writing. “If I’m writing something serious, usually songs from ‘Phantom of the Opera’ or ‘Hamilton’,” Johnson said, “If it’s more comedic, I go for things like ‘Be More Chill or Hairspray’.” The music helps her write in a few ways, first and foremost helping her get into the right state of mind to focus. “It helps me to think of scenarios for my writing by listening to something connected to a plot to help create a plot of my own,“ she said. She continues to write until she gets writer’s block, and then she takes a break. When she’s finished writing large portions, she eventually edits her stories to improve them. In some of her stories, Johnson utilizes an immersion technique to help the reader insert themselves into the story by not naming any of the characters. Part of her inspiration comes from reading other books. “Reading books can help me, as many books inspire my short stories, and my own personal experience can help write some of my more serious ones,” Johnson said.
Looking forward
Senior Andrea Johnson writes in the journal where she drafts her short stories. PHOTO BY MAKAYLA BROWN
Johnson’s dream is to be a writer, which inspires her to continue to write every day. “It’s been my passion for a long time, and I can’t see myself in any other type of career other than editor, because reading the writing of others can expand my work,” Johnson said. She tries to write when she has the time, but as a senior, she doesn’t get to write as much as she would like to. Johnson’s goal is to send her stories to a publicist, but she is waiting to expand her skills first. Despite not wanting to show anyone her stories out of shyness, her friends and family support her passion regardless. STORY BY JADEN SHEMESH
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Sophomore Julia Shugart rehearses for a week-long competition in Switzerland, where she will compete against a total of 80 dancers from around the world. PHOTO COURTESY JULIA SHUGART
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Julia Shugart THE BALLERINA At age 2, sophomore Julia Shugart put on her first pair of tap shoes and began dance lessons. Thirteen years later, she has been selected to take part in one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world: the Prix de Lausanne. The Prix de Lausanne is an international competition held in Lausanne, Switzerland for dancers ages 15-18 with no professional experience. Shugart left for Switzerland on Jan. 31 for the week-long competition. As someone looking to pursue ballet as a career, she knew this competition could open many doors for her in the future, one of the main reasons she decided to apply.
Looking forward
es with various professional dancers and choreographers. Shugart has attended plenty of competitions closer to home as well. At one such competition which she attended in early January, she was given the opportunity to dance in a gala held by the competition. “It was really cool because they flew in professionals from different companies across the country so I met some really inspiring dancers and it was just cool to be able to share the stage with them,” Shugart said. She also performed several solos, including three classical ballet pieces and two contemporary ballet pieces.
Finding a balance
As a serious ballerina, dancing is something that “It’s a pretty prestigious competition and by go- Shugart dedicates a lot of time to. She’s found that it ing to this competition you get a can be difficult to balance school “I feel like your goal as lot of recognition from different work as a sophomore in the IB dance schools,” Shugart said. “I’d program. a dancer is to make the love to be a professional dancer However, despite a lack of exaudience feel a certain way or tensive free time, she feels that its one day and this competition is very good for giving you opeven make them feel happy.” manageable. portunities to maybe reach that “It’s definitely important to goal.” just keep organized because, as In order to take part in the competition, she was for any student, it’s difficult to find the time to do all required to send in a 15 to 20 minute video audition. of the work and study” Shugart said. “Luckily, I’m Dancing is nothing new for Shugart. After taking only a sophomore, because people tell me sophomore tap and jazz lessons, she started ballet around age 8. year is the easiest year.” She began dance because her sister already took dance Her goals for the future go even further than the lessons but ended up finding her place as a dancer. Prix de Laussane. She hopes to attend a prestigious “Probably my first real memory of dancing was ballet school in order to become a professional baldancing as an angel in ‘The Nutcracker,’” Shugart said. lerina. “I was pretty young, like 8, at the time and it was just “There’s one school in the Netherlands which is fascinating to me.” really far away and probably very expensive, but that’s probably one of my dream schools,” Shugart said. The Childhood dreams school, called the Dutch National Ballet Academy, Shugart met junior Olivia Sewell as a child at the is partnered with the Dutch National Ballet to train studio where they both danced for several years. The young dancers. two became friends and share a love of ballet and Shugart’s passion for dance which has carried her contemporary forms of dance. “She’s unbelievably this far stems from an appreciation for dance’s power hardworking and the most humble person you could of expression. imagine,” Sewell said. “She deserves every scholarship “It’s cool that you can influence the audience and there is.” just express your feelings towards them and touch The competition in Switzerland is made up of them, hopefully,” Shugart said. “I feel like your goal as 80 dancers from around the world, out of whom 20 a dancer is to make the audience feel a certain way or dancers are selected for the final. even make them feel happy.” STORY BY REEMA PATEL It also consists of a week of classes and practic-
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Adam Calixto’s PASSION FOR BOXING
ABOVE Adam Calixto is sparing a fellow boxer while he practices his skills. BOTTOM LEFT Calixto gets his gloves tied and wrapped by his coach on the ropes before he begins a boxing match. BOTTOM RIGHT Calixto spars with another boxer from the same gym, while he wears the traditional boxing atire including the clothing, gloves and the appropriate head gear.
With a record of 51 wins and 10 losses, junior Adam Calixto Jr. holds the second spot in Florida amateur boxing for his weight class. Calixto grew up listening to his father’s stories about the struggles he and his family faced growing up in Mexico. “I grew up in a place where everything was run by gangs so you needed to know how to defend yourself,” he said. At just 9 years old, Calixto felt an attraction for boxing as more than just a defense method. Since then, his dad has worked tirelessly along his side training six days a week to make his dream of becoming a pro-boxer a reality. “I feel very lucky to have been able to find my profession at such a young age,” he said. “It has allowed me to travel throughout the country and meet famous boxers like Richard Colon and
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Bernard Hopkins, who I really admire,” he said. Being raised by a single father has impacted the way Calixto sees boxing. He wants to show appreciation for all the sacrifices his father has made for him. “I do what I do not only for my dad but because of him. If he hadn’t introduced me to boxing I never would’ve been able to stick up for my sister. She’s what pushes me to fight harder and I want to be the best role model I can be,” he said. As a student-athlete, there have been moments in Calixto’s life where he has considered giving up on school to focus on boxing full time. Although he holds the second spot, Calixto believes there is always room for improvement and is willing to risk anything. It has not been easy balancing school, boxing, having a job and helping his dad, but even
though he admits he feels exhausted, Calixto has managed to make it work. He says boxing is his own therapy session and helps clear his head from all the stress, even while fighting. “I personally feel as if school takes up a lot of my time and it really isn’t necessary for my career, but if there’s something I’ve learned from boxing is that you must always have a plan B incase events change,” Calixto said. “People always congratulate me when I tell them I’m number two in Florida, but I know that I’m capable of doing more than that. I want to be number one and I know I can do it. My dad has never given up on my dreams, so why should I?” STORY BY DIADELYS MENA PHOTOS COURTESY OF ADAM CALIXTO
LYCIA ZAVALA RUNNING TRACK When Lycia Zavala first joined the track team in ninth grade, her events were the 400 meter and high jump. She was really nervous because she didn’t know what to expect. She soon began to realize track strengthens her physically and mentally. After a couple of track meets, she and her coaches saw how much potential she had. “I started taking track more seriously and seeing myself having a great future with track,” she said. She has become more of a leader and has gained endurance in her speed. Zavala’s all time favorite track meet was the state meet at the University of North Florida her junior year when she ran her best time in the 800 meter race with 2:22. What made it even more fun was “staying in the hotel with my teammates making unforgettable memories,” she said. Roosevelt Cooper, who has coached her for two years, said she is capable of running a 400 with a time of 57 seconds for her senior year and to win a medal at the state meet.
“Over the last year and a half Lycia has not only trained for the 800 meter race she now has the speed to race others in the 200 meter race and the 400 meter race,” Cooper said.
Speed is the key to finishing all races said coach Cooper. He also goes on to say that he sees Zavala being offered a track scholarship at a smaller Division I track team or maybe a large Division II school. One of her all-time goals for this season is to break the school’s record in the 800, which is a 2:17. To do so, she will try to build speed the last 200 meters of the race which will help her reach her goal. At one point, she even thought about transferring schools. But after some thinking and remembering all the good moments and how many close friends she’s made from the team, she couldn’t imagine herself on the team anymore. “I started as a Terrier and I’m going to end as one too,” Zavala said. If she could describe herself this season in two words it would have be a “state medalist.” STORY BY RACINE SEIDE PHOTO COURTESY OF LYCIA ZAVALA
Alexis Woodall JUMPING HURDLES AND BREAKING RECORDS Alexis Woodall leads the race Woodall leads the race as she com-as she a hurdle eventother against petescompetes in a hurdleinevent against other schools. schools.
It was on hot Thursday afternoon at Wharton High School when Alexis Woodall broke the school’s record in the 100 meter hurdles. “I was shocked. I knew I was going to do it but not that particular day. It didn’t even feel like I was running that fast,” Woodall said. Ever since senior Alexis Woodall was young, she would watch track girls on TV and become inspired. She broke the record as a junior, and still continues to make more accomplishments in her track career. “This season I want to run under 14 seconds in the 100 meter hurdles,” Woodall said. “I would also like to challenge myself in trying new events and to win states in the 100 meter hurdles.” She will continue to challenge herself by running track for Arkansas State University, and even set goals to go onto the Olympics. “I really just love to go out and compete,” Woodall said. “I could not imagine myself doing anything else.” STORY BY RACINE SEIDE PHOTO PROVIDED BY ALEXIS WOODALL
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Amit Das
LAKERS SUPERFAN
As the game begins, cheers fill the arena where the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers are playing basketball. Many fans are cheering just as loud, but from their homes, including senior Amit Das. That was Oct. 29, 2008, and Das watched in awe from his couch. It was the first basketball game he ever saw. The Lakers beat the Clippers 117-79. Immediately, he fell in love with the game and the team’s star player at the time, Kobe Bryant. “My dad showed me some basketball for the first time on TV, and I instantly was drawn by a player named Kobe Bryant by the way he played, his desire to win, his killer instincts to win when the game is on the line and to be the best,” Das said. “This is something only Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan do.” After that game, Das tried his best to watch every single Lakers game he could catch -- no easy task because many Lakers games start at 10 p.m. or later. Along with watching the games, he became invested in the team entirely. “I started reading and looking up the Lakers history and I even read Kobe Bryant’s autobiography,” Das said. While basketball was a big sport for him to watch and research, he did not heavily participate in the sport himself. While he played for his middle school, he knew he wouldn’t be good enough to play in high school so his focus was on tennis. “Basketball was more of a hobby or pastime while I competitively played tennis from fourth grade until sophomore year,” Das said. Due to him being too busy with school work, he stopped playing tennis and began to play cricket with his friends as a hobby. Even though he doesn’t play basketball himself, he still has maintained his love for the Lakers for a decade now. “I’m still a fan of the Lakers till this day and Kobe Bryant is still my favorite player,” Das said. His affection for the team can be seen most when you step into his bedroom. Along the walls are posters of the team logo or Bryant himself. However, the element that immediately catches the eye is the giant team logo that lays on his bedspread. “With all of my Lakers gear, my room basically looks like a Lakers store,” Das said. Along with the décor, Das also owns over three pairs of basketball shoes that are a part of the Bryant design just to show his support for his favorite player and the team. In the future, Das plans to ditch the Lakers posters and bedspread since he’ll be more grown up, but he will never leave the shadows of the purple and gold. STORY AND PHOTO BY LAUREN KOMAR
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Bryan Truong
Senior Bryan Truong’s father was born in Vietnam from a family that moved there to escape the Chinese communist revolution. They moved again years later to the U.S. in the midst of the rising communist revolution in Vietnam. Truong’s mother, a Vietnamese native, also tried to escape the communist takeover, but was caught and put in prison. She eventually escaped and fled the country, living in a refugee camp until moving to the U.S. and meeting her future husband. “I grew up on basically food stamps, rice with spam, that kinda stuff,” Truong said. He started IB in first grade, and later took Hillsborough’s program in stride. Heavily inspired by media, he taught himself how to cook through cooking shows and builds computers in his spare time. As far as what the future holds, Truong plans on getting a degree in business management and opening his own restaurant. STORY BY JOSHUA MORRISON PHOTO BY MAKAYLA BROWN
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Demetrius Green During his 26 years in active duty, Demetrius Green became a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army and completed the Nijmegen 100-Mile March nine times. In 2011, Green was deployed in an international military team to Afghanistan, going across the Northern part, completing missions accompanied by soldiers from across Europe, all of which were assigned an Afghan soldier. He also had very close encounters with improvised explosive devices (IED). His job was to target them, take them down and take them back to the base for further use. An IED exploded Green’s Ranger, with the front part completely blown off. Green’s leg was torn off and he was put on powerful meds to ease the pain. His leg would’ve been amputated, had it not been for him gaining consciousness after hearing he was being prepped for amputation and shouting “I might need it later!” Green will be making history along with Hillsborough’s JROTC cadets this year, as the first group of American JROTC cadets to participate in the 100 mile ruck-march in Nijmegen, Netherlands. STORY BY DIDI MENA PHOTO BY KATIE DELK
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