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Hillsborough High School | HHSToday.com 5000 N. Central Avenue | Tampa, Florida 33603 September 2019 | Volume 121, Issue 2
The Heights are evolving. Check out page 6 for coverage on the impact of gentrification and learn about some new places to visit in the Heights. | illustration by john doan and marin fehl
The Pledge of Allegiance: Students won’t stand for it page 4
HCPS is trying to end racial disparities in punishments pages 8-9
Injury forces football team to scramble page 16
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BRIEFS
September 2019
RED&BLACK
hhstoday.com
VOLUME 121, ISSUE 2
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Marin Fehl WEB EDITOR Jaden Shemesh GRAPHICS EDITOR Johnathan Doan PAGE EDITORS Javier Cuevas Asher Montgomery Reema Patel Adrianna Rodriguez Kylie Smith Carolina Tortorelli
Last chance for senior pics
FAFSA: Need to know
Seniors must make sure they get their photos taken either on Sept. 26, 27 or 30 in Room 506 to make an appearance in the yearbook. The cost is $10. Those who still need to make an appointment must contact yearbook adviser Joe Humphrey in Room 506. “Senior photos are important because it’s the last memory showing the end of your childhood,” yearbook editor-in-chief Willow Morton said. story by edilawit seyoum
Prospective college students applying for federal student aid can begin filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) starting Oct 1. According to college and career counselor Deborah Wanner, all students applying to colleges should fill out the FAFSA regardless of financial need. Many universities require the FAFSA to calculate private aid and scholarships. “A lot of student’s families feel anxiety about giving financial information on the computer,” Wanner said. they shouldn’t because this is a federal website, so hopefully that will ease some anxiety.” story by reema patel
STAFF WRITERS Micah Arbelo Arieana DeLeon Jaileigh Hardy Patrick McCurdy Diadelys Mena Edilawit Seyoum Rahul Yalamanchili Meredith Yen ADVISER Joe Humphrey, MJE
No early release Mondays
PRINCIPAL Gary Brady
Students were already going to lose second quarter early release days because of the need to attend enough hours without cutting into Thanksgiving Break. But then the missed day caused by Hurricane Dorian ended the early days even sooner. “I think it’s great. It gives more time to be on task and be more productive,” said IB Guidance Counselor Lesley Morter. Early release Mondays will be back at the start of second semester. story by micah arbelo
ABOUT Content decisions are made by student editors MEMBERSHIP Red & Black belongs to the Florida, National and Columbia Scholastic press associations AWARDS 2018-2019 FSPA All-Florida 2018-2019 NSPA Pacemaker Finalist 2018-2019 NSPA First Class 2018-2019 CSPA Gold Medalist Bylined COLUMNS represent the viewpoints of their authors We welcome your LETTERS, which may be edited for brevity and clarity. Submit via email, deliver to Room 506 or mail to Red & Black, 5000 N. Central Ave, Tampa, Florida 33603. Phone: (813) 276-5620 Email: hhstoday@gmail.com Twitter: @HHSTodayOnline Instagram: @HHSToday Visit us online at HHSTODAY.COM
NOPE Vigil preview The Narcotics Overdose and Education Task Force (NOPE) is hosting its eighth annual Candlelight Vigil on Oct. 10 on the front lawn and auditorium. It is meant to honor those who have been lost due to a substance-related death. story by john doan
Want to know more? Find more September coverage on HHSToday.com
September 2019
NEWS
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Students rename the vestibule
The word vestibule doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. Students had some creative and interesting ideas of what they would rename it, if they could. JOHNNY SANCHEZ, 10 “I would name it the Tardy Room.”
NAOMI ARNETT, 9
Safety vestibule causes conflict
There has been quite the stir over the new vestibule that the school had installed. This $125,000 expense has affected everyone at the school. Once 8:30 comes all the doors on every side of the school lock and the only way inside is through the vestibule located on the Central Avenue side of campus. When asked anything about the vestibule, administration typically reiterates the fact that it’s “for safety”. However, students have other concerns other than the safety aspect. “It feels like airport security,” junior Zachary Long said. When tardy students approach the building to sign in, they must press the button to allow the door to be unlocked. There are three computers set up for students to sign in. On mornings where there are a lot of students needing to sign in there is someone at the door who counts off groups of for students to let in at a time. Leaving the rest outside the school. “It’s very time consuming as far as waiting in a line to get
into school then waiting again to sign in,” senior Schniece Cookson said. As another inconvenience the entrance is more of a distance away from the parking lots causing seniors to walk from the back lot and all over to get inside the building. While students have concerns about the inconvenience, the rebuttal for that is that students should just be on time. Teacher Jessica Raia-Long said the vestibule is better because now students are actually coming to class. “Now I can see when they check in and I know when they were supposed to be here without looking up their whole schedule,” Raia- Long said. Split feelings over the vestibule make for a slight grumble in the halls but the vestibule is here to stay and students are required to use it. story by kylie smith Check out the editorial on photo by kylie smith page 10 to hear our opinion on graphic by marin fehl the vestibule.
“The Crypt because it has a cool and mysterious vibe to it.” NICHOLAS BOWLING, 11 “I would name it the Main Office or the Main Entrance.”
SHELLY NELSON, 9 “The Skipper’s Favorite Classroom is what I would name the Vestibule.”
compiled by adrianna rodriguez
Once-free text alert app now costs $8,000 There’s a reason students and parents haven’t been hearing as much from Principal Gary Brady this school year. Remind, an app used by administration and teachers to communicate with parents, students and faculty recently started to charge money for groups with over 150 members. The change in fees is limiting the ability to communicate with parents. Remind offered to continue serving Hillsborough for $8,000 annually, about $4 per student. The once-free service is now causing problems for the school, which can’t afford to pay the fee. “The school is not willing to pay such an expense, and even offered to pay a lower price,” Assistant Principal for Magnet Curriculum Trisha Fitzgerald said. As a result, Brady is searching for cheaper alternatives to Remind. One of which is ParentLink, however, it isn’t as efficient as Remind because it requires the school to have the parent’s (or student’s) phone number, unlike Remind.
“The text from Remind comes right from your phone, so the ease of a text message is what we miss,” Brady said. Remind posed a much quicker way to reach parents directly with an immediate notification in urgent situations. “It allows us to be like ‘Hey, please don’t evacuate with the fire alarm, we’re just testing it,” Brady said. This change didn’t affect most teachers because their class sizes are under 150 people. But for Fitzgerald, the change warranted immediate action. “I created more groups because I did it by class. For example, the Class of 2023 is my freshmen, and I had to create like 2023A, 2023B and 2023C so I had three groups that I had to move kids into so it can stay under 150,” she said. Remind decided to charge for usage of the app following a dispute in January 2019 between Remind and Verison. This dispute was resolved in a deal that would allow users to continue to use the platform as long as they paid “spam” fees for large groups.
Administration is still actively searching for an alternative to Remind that is more affordable. But for now, Brady and other administrators plan to continue using remind to communicate with faculty while reserving communications with families to ParentLink. story by danielle castro and azaria masso graphic by john doan
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NEWS
September 2019
hhstoday.com
I Pledge Allegiance, to this chair Whether it’s out of apathy or objection, many students are exercising their right to sit during the pledge or simply stand without saying anything at all
Most students stand in unison during the morning announcements for the pledge, but some choose to remain seated.
Every school day starts with the Pledge of Allegiance, but not for everybody. According to a of 16 first period classes at Hillsborough High School, approximately 57 percent of students stand up and only 19 percent appear to say the pledge, with classes varying from everyone standing up to no one doing it. In Hillsborough County Public Schools, the policy states that a student may only be excused from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance when a parent or legal guardian files a written request with the school principal. But that is not what happens daily in the classrooms or the hallways of Hillsborough. “A whole lot of students don’t understand the significance of it [the pledge], and it’s probably on the part of the adults because we don’t emphasize the importance,” Assistant Principal Quasar Givens said. “Unfortunately, I
wouldn’t put the teacher in the position of enforcing the policy because they already have to deal with a classroom full of students and it would only make it worse, but I believe we have to appeal to the students’ common sense, and just out of respect all we’re asking students to do is stand.” Either as a protest or just laziness, many students argue that it is their right to remain seated, and there is no need to stand up. “Sometimes I don’t stand up and I don’t think anyone should be forced to. If someone feels like they shouldn’t stand up then just let them be, everyone has the right and I don’t think it’s disrespectful or anything,” sophomore Fatima Al-Ziyad said. In 1943, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment protects a student’s right to not engage in certain speech in the West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette case, so
the practice is not strictly enforced at Hillsborough schools. However, many people still believe it is courteous to show respect and participate in the pledge. “It represents the country united in a way,” senior Anthony Corso said. “I don’t think it is a problem to sit down for whatever reason, but it’s more of a courtesy to stand up.” A proposal to change HCPS policy regarding the pledge was introduced on Sept. 9, but it hasn’t been approved yet. The policy change says a student that refrains from reciting the Pledge of allegiance to the flag must remain seated/standing quietly while the pledge is recited by others. photos and story by carolina tortorelli
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students sit
Dealing with the aftermath of fights Fights broke out in the stands and in the parking lot during and after the last home football game Sept. 7 against Tampa Bay Tech. In the wake of the upcoming game, administration is taking action to prevent similar situations in the future. During the fights, both the police and administration got involved to break up the fights. Four teenagers were arrested, none of which were students at Hillsborough or Tampa Bay Tech, under the charges of “disrupting a school function” and “affray,” reports the Tampa Police Department. TPD also received calls regarding shots heard nearby but according to the TPD, “[The TPD] found no evidence of gunfire.” ABC Action News aired a video of students running down Central Avenue taken by local resident Anthony Trevin after what he reported hearing what he thought was several gun shots. Students who were present after the game also say they heard sounds
similar to gunshots. Red & Black reporter Kylie Smith recalls watching a person hold and shoot a gun into the air then climb into a car. Freshman Marley Lambert said she was in a car with her friends at the intersection of Central and Osborne leaving the football game that night when she heard what she thought was three gunshots. However, when the police came to investigate the reports, the results were inconclusive. The week following the game, Principal Gary Brady made a call to parents relaying the events of the game. “In my five years as your principal, we have had very few, if any incidents at all at our games and no arrests,” he said. In order to prevent future incidents, additional officers will be in place at future football games (including Friday, Sept. 27 against Jefferson) and he has worked closely with the Tampa Police Department, school security and athletic departments to ensure safety. story by asher montgomery
Freshman in teacher Jill Burns’ English 1 class work on an interactive group activity about writing elements. | photo by john doan
Freshman GPA raises concerns Halfway through the first quarter of the 2019-20 school year, members of the freshman class have experienced a slump in academic performance. About a quarter of 550 freshmen currently sit below a 2.0 in course performance, as reported by Principal Gary Brady. The district average for students above a 2.0 GPA currently sits at 84 %. As of now, Hillsborough falls almost 10 percent short of this in current course performance. A student maintaining a 2.0 or higher after their first year of high school grants them a 90 percent chance of graduation. However, their chances are nearly cut in half if they fall short their first year. This statistic poses a risk towards the 134 freshmen that are under a 2.0 halfway through the first nine weeks. According to Assistant Principal for Curriculum Philip Morris, there is no definite cause of bad grades, as
it is impossible to assign blame to any specific attitude or problem. “There are various factors that contribute to it, but we always say the ABCs: your attendance, your behavior and your course performance,” Morris said. Morris is hopeful that these problems were addressed at conference night. “We usually have a pretty good turnout, but there’s always going to be a case where that kid that teachers know if the parent had an opportunity to come to conference night, maybe they could explain to the parent what the child needs to do to be successful in their class,” Morris said. But for some freshmen, this isn’t enough. “They could improve a good amount,” freshman Maheer Patel said. “I don’t feel like they are directly involved in most of the students’ lives, especially the ones that truly need guidance.” story by javier cuevas
September 2019
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NEWS
hhstoday.com
Students don’t want to read
Students venture to the Media Center to use the computer or opt to use their cell phone during free time at school instead of reading. | photos by rahul yalamanchili
Do students actually read?
Flipping through pages filled with line after line of words. Or thumbing through a social media feed full of pictures and bright colors. The latter seems to appeal more to most students. “Yes, I hate reading. It’s boring and the regular paperback book has become obsolete over the years,” freshman Joshua Selvan said. The invention of the internet gave books competition. They aren’t the only source of information anymore. According to Stacy Glover, the reading coach, it’s not a good thing that students aren’t reading anymore. “The more we read, the more we are able to comprehend more difficult texts. The more we read; the more we know,” she said. But some students don’t think that way. “You can look at words on page but if you don’t try, you won’t comprehend it,” sophomore Justin Anderson said. “I like social media because of the visual effect. They appeal to the eye more than textbooks do.” Because of this, some teachers have turned to new methods. Teachers have introduced new strategies to their classrooms with new note taking strategies, group work and other interactive methods with technology
story by rahul yalamanchili
Media Center resources 1. High School Virtual Library (galepages.com/brewste) Through the shortcut on the school’s website, students have access to hundreds of academic journals and boards in a variety of subjects. There are videos and mobile apps available as well so students can access more content for all their classes. 2. HAAL pass to public HCPS libraries The Hillsborough All Access Libraries (HAAL) pass allows students in Hillsborough to use their student ID number as a library card so they can access the public libraries’ resources.
graphic by john doan
like Kahoot. But some students still prefer to take notes, like Alex Ashley, a senior. He said that “I prefer to take notes of PowerPoint because I can remember what I wrote again,” he said. There are some students across the district that say that they still enjoy reading, and for just recreational purposes. “I read a book every day, for at least an hour and a half. They can be really interesting and they help expand the reader’s vocabulary,” Khyas Smith said. According to a study conducted by Book Riot, students who read 15 minutes or more per day are 46 percent more likely to make steady gains in reading test scores than those that don’t. To Glover, the expectation for instant gratification has turned students off books. “When a teenager finds a book that interests them, they are much more likely to read it,” she Glover said. “Because social media is real time, people get more up to date info, but at the same time we rely on social media for everything, we are putting books in the backburner.”
3. Axis 360 Axis 360 is an online library that students can use anytime, anywhere by installing the mobile app. “The world today is full of digital citizens. This app makes it easier to get them to read,” Magee said. 4. Maker space Students can buy poster boards and use the art supplies in the media center to make projects for their classes. 5. Order books to the Library If the media center doesn’t have a book, students can submit a request to have a book ordered to the media center. compiled by reema patel
Want to hear more about National Literacy Month? Check out HHSToday.com to hear the latest episode of our “Terrier Talk” podcast.
Top 5 most checked out books in HCPS 1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas In this novel, Starr Carter struggles to live in-between two worlds: a poor neighborhood and a rich private school. Carter witnessed her best friend’s death at the hands of a police officer. What she chooses to say and not say will impact her community and endanger her life.
2. Naruto series by Masashi Kishimoto In this story, Naruto Uzumaki struggles to gain recognition and respect. It is a story emphasizing Naruto’s struggles while also efficiently putting in action scenes. “It provided me insight that the anime did not give. I would rate it a 10/10 and would recommend it to all viewers,” junior Thomas Yao said.
3. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo In this story, Acevedo writes powerful and self-contained poems. She uses these poems as a way to string together the story. The main character of the story uses SLAM poetry as a way to understand her mother’s religion and her own relationship to the world.
4. The 57 Bus by Daska Slater This piece of nonfiction is compelling, and sometimes emotional. It shows two teenagers and an act of violence that changed both of their lives.
5. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han High schooler Lara Jean wrote down all her crushes and put them in a box under her bed. One day Lara discovered the box had been opened. Now she must deal with all her past loves face to face but something good might come out of it. “If you are into like cheesy romantic stuff then yeah. It was decent it was not my favorite, but it was good,” junior Sophia Ousley said. compiled by patrick mccurdy
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NEWS
September 2019
Seminole Heights evolves New apartments; new faces; new homes. Compared to 15 years prior, the area looks almost unrecognizable. Gentrification, the Oxford dictionary says, is “the process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste,” primarily impacts large urban areas such as New York City, Los Angeles or even Tampa. To see this global phenomenon in action, one need not look further than Hillsborough High’s own backyard, Seminole Heights. As one of the fastest growing areas in Tampa Bay, Seminole Heights has seen dozens of new developments in the last decade. Florida Avenue exemplifies the most, as restaurants like Rooster and the Till and other foodie-havens have popped up along the street in recent years. Senior Isa Roman, a life-long Seminole Heights resident, has witnessed the growth of the neighborhood over the past several years. “The actual social climate of the neighborhood is really different and of course the [new] restaurants and how nice the houses are now, they’re the same architecture but they’ve just been redone or touched up to be stronger, prettier.”
Changing demographics
With the additions of new developments such as restaurants and apartments, many new neighbors are moving into the area. “The last probably like seven years or so I feel like they’ve been making a lot of changes towards the river front or on Florida and a lot of people that aren’t from Tampa or are from south Tampa are moving over here and a lot of things are changing,” senior and Seminole Heights resident Nick Suarez said. Distance is not the only factor for the migrants; family status is too. “There’s new money coming in due to a lot of younger people who are starting families or people who have already established families who are moving in after the fact,” Roman said. The effects of the influx of money, however, are mainly felt by wealthier residents. “For people that are middle or upper class, I feel that it is beneficial for them just because they have a lot more attractions and a lot of revenue is coming into the area,” Suarez said. Roman has also perceived a change in the district’s
safety. “It’s been really interesting to see this go from a place where when I was really young my parents weren’t comfortable with me going out and riding my bike by myself, to it being a place where you see people out walking their dogs all the time and kids riding their bikes,” Roman said. However, as new developments are being created in the area, prices have risen. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Fast-rising prices have pushed homeownership beyond reach of many who’d like to live in the Heights.” Through its economic and social development of an area, gentrification can displace lower-income residents. “My mom works with a lot of lower income clients who barely have enough money to pay rent, and they’re getting pushed out of the area because the prices of the houses in the area increasing,” senior Nick Suarez said.
Cost of living increase
According to Zillow, the median-sale price of homes in Seminole Heights in July was $211,000. In July 2013, it was $78,500. The value of many residents’ homes has drastically increased in the last few years. “We’ve received an incredible amount of offers to take our homes for more money than what we paid for and more money than what it would take to fix everything,” Roman said. Roman said the new migrants are changing the cultural history of the district. “I think that a lot of the people who take up these homes and these fixer-uppers or empty lots don’t realize the history of these places,” Roman said. “A lot of the history is being appreciated for the aesthetic and cult-popularity elements of it, but not necessarily what occurred and what it means to people.” For some students, the impacts of gentrification in the area are more harmful than beneficial. “It’s great to have things be so nice and it’s great to see it be such a friendly, welcoming place, but at the same time it’s pushing out a lot of the people who made it into what it is,” Roman said. Suarez believes that the issue is a matter of wealth. “I think it’s a better area for people who have money, but not for people who don’t.”
New in the Heights Heights Seafood Co.
A one of its kind for Seminole Heights, this restaurant right across Florida Avenue from Trip’s Diner serves a fresh catch of the day along with ready-made meals and retail items. Not only does it serve lunch and dinner, there’s also an octopus mural on the wall. The most important part, according to Howie Adelman, the owner, is that they keep their sources local and green. “Everything we do is sustainable. We serve sustainable products, aqualculturaly raised products, products that aren’t from far away or from a foreign country,” Adelman explains. “A lot of the grouper and snapper people buy from here is from right here in our backyard, the gulf.” Location: 6421 N. Florida Ave.
hhstoday.com
story by jaden shemesh
TOP Construction on the Avenue Lofts began last year, they were built to accomodate for the increase of families moving to Seminole Heights. LEFT Senior Isa Roman, a lifelong Seminole Heights resident, said gentrifcation has made a drastic change to to social and economic environment of her neighborhood. RIGHT Senior Nick Suarez, also a lifelong resident of the Heights, has witnessed the effects of the increased cost of housing on residents from a lower socioeconomic class. | photos by jaden shemesh
The process of gentrifying the Heights has created a community for new local businesses, these are some of the newest ones
King State
Only a few blocks from school, this coffee spot is available for an afternoon snack or a pre-class coffee and breakfast. Fun Fact: The building that now homes King State used to be a gas station. Location: 520 E Floribraska Ave.
King of the Coop
Hungry enough for a second lunch? This addition to Florida Ave’s collection of local restaurants serves hot chicken tenders and sandwiches. A bonus, it’s right across the street from Revolution Ice Cream. Location: 6607 N Florida Ave.
Ground Foods Café
This vegetarian Italian place will make
their food using eggs and cheese from a small family-farm in Tuscany, Italy and will be making their vegan cheese from scratch. They plan to open sometime in October. Location: 6428 N. Florida Ave.
Bula Kavananda Kava Bar
Kava is drink formed from an ancient plant with the same name from the South Pacific Islands that provides a relaxed feeling. Many Kava bar have been popping up in the area, including this family business that happens to be a few blocks from school. It is located where the coffee shop Jet City used to be and it said to be opening any day now. Location: 5803 N. Florida Ave. story by asher montgomery
A mural painted by a local artists in Heights Seafood Co. Owner Howie Adelman aims to be a reliable source for local, sustainable seafood. | photo by asher montgomery
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LIFE
September 2019
hhstoday.com
Move over, Popeyes Earlier this summer, Popeyes released a new chicken sandwich that took the Internet by storm. But Seminole Heights is in the chicken sandwich game too. Checkout our recommendations for the best (non-chain) chicken sandwiches in the area.
Front Porch Front Porch a nice small restaurant with cooperative service. For the price of $10, it came with a side of fries and a pickle to go along which was a nice sized portion to eat. Enjoy it inside or outside while listening to local musicians.
Students signed up for clubs on Sept. 12-13. Three of the new clubs are the Black Empowerment Club, RAP Club and Live Storytelling Club. | photos by adrianna rodriguez
Rushing to see the new clubs Here’s more info about three brand new clubs. The first club day of the year is Monday, Sept. 30.
Live Storytelling Club
This club takes place during sixth period in Room 506, sponsored by Joe Humphrey. “This club is inspired by podcasts, I have really gotten into podcasts this year and I know some students who have as well,” Humphrey said. “We wanted to provide an opportunity for people to do what some of those podcasts did which is to get in front of a group of people and share their truth, to tell their stories. One of the podcasts that we’re inspired by is called the ‘Moth’ and that’s exactly what they do they get up on stage and they tell stories.” The club also drew inspiration from TED Talks. About 40 people signed up for the club.
RAP Club
Another new club is the RAP Club which stands for rappers, artists and producers. This club takes place during first period in Room 321 sponsored by Michael Welch. “One of my students Elijah Ellis who’s the president of the rap club came to me at the end of last year asking if I would sponsor,” Welch said. “I taught him in block algebra so we spent a lot of time together, we always talked about music, we talked about different things he liked and he thought I would be a good sponsor.”
Black Empowerment Club
This club takes place during sixth period from in Room 533. The purpose of the club is to empower its members and create appreciation for African American culture on campus. “We want to create a better image for black people as a whole and aid those in our community that need the help but do not have access,” senior club representative Sandra Onyebueke said. “This club not only invites blacks but other cultures in order to introduce others to other cultures.” Throughout the year, the club plans on participating in the school clean-up and other service events so that members can earn community service hours. Members will also help plan the Black History Month celebration. story by adrianna rodriguez
Homecoming week is Oct. 21-26 with the dance on Oct. 26. Tickets will be sold for $35 and will eventually go up to $40. Make sure to buy it early. They will be sold two and a half weeks prior to Homecoming day. Themes and location will be announced at the pep rally on Sept. 27.
What are you most looking forward to?
“Seeing everybody that I know all dressed up.”
“The Hen” is by far one of the best chicken sandwiches out there. You can choose your own spice level depending on if you can take the heat or not. It came with three big tenders, fries and a sweet and tangy flavored sauce for $10.
The purpose of the club is to coach students on writing, performing and dancing. The club plans to become a bigger part of the school’s culture and eventually perform at school events like pep rallies. “My connection is just with the students, the students that I’ve taught in the past three years have been very very interested in writing and producing and performing music so my interest is in them exploring their goals and things like that,” Welch said.
Homecoming sneak peek
MADISON COBLE, 10
King of the Coop
AANYA PATEL, 9 “Meeting new people.” compiled by meredith yen
Social House A classic chicken sandwich with a twist - Social House serves four chicken tenders on a waffle bun with a side of waffle fries for $12. reviews by jaileigh hardy
Upcoming college visits Here’s a list of the colleges coming to visit Hillsborough. Get information about your dream college and what you need to get in from their representatives. The list is continuously growing so to sign up or get more information about other colleges coming see Debbie Wanner in Room 111A. 26 Florida International University
Semptember
Semptember
St. Leo University
27
October
Columbia University
17
17
October
Vassar College
November
13
University of Tampa
graphics by kylie smith
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FOCUS
September 2019
Male students of color are 5.3 times more likely to be suspended than white students for the same infractions. The U.S. Department of Education releases a report that outlines school suspensions each year. The disproportionate punishment of male students of color is a trend that has persisted for the past several decades. Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) mirrors this national trend. HCPS has placed a focus on improving graduation rates, advocating for 90 percent of each graduating class to walk across the stage by 2020. The current rate of suspension is working against that goal. In the 2018-19 school year, students served 95,000 suspension days in the district. Because of this, a large group of students have a compromised shot at graduating. “Kids, unfortunately, fight and at some schools it may be ten days and it may be a five-day suspension at other schools. So, we know that attendance, behavior and course performance are the three main determinants for high school graduation,” Chief of Schools Harrison Peters said in an interview. “For us, attendance has been astronomically important. So, when we talk about suspending students and you’re in the eighth grade, if you have one suspension, it decreases your opportunity to graduate exponentially.”
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Combating implicit biases
“We do a lot of thinking about how we ensure kids stay in school. Not that we don’t suspend them but finding alternatives for keeping kids in school because we know when we keep them in school, they graduate,” Peters said. “But sometimes we have implicit biases that come into play when we’re doing discipline, it often creeps into the consequences that administrators make.” For Peters, alternative plans are especially crucial considering the historic disparities faced by students of color because of zero tolerance policies. “There are very few things that you absolutely have to be suspended for,” Peters said. “You need to put in preventative things like restorative practice and restorative justice because there is no research that says suspension works. Zero tolerance education systems operate on an absolute, inflexible set of consequences regardless of the infraction, whereas restorative practices focus more on resolving the issue through a combination of school, parent and community involvement. HCPS has been making a conscious effort to transition to this method over the past two years.
be about guidance, not punishment. “We need to know why the behavior exists. I, personally, would like to see students with detention where they’re cleaning the 400 building instead because the idea is when a kid goes to do something bad, they’ll stop and say ‘Oh, I don’t want to go to ISS or go to clean the 400 building,’” Cooks said. “The idea is to have something in place that would make them not want to do it but getting suspended means nothing.” “I meet a lot of students, and I don’t think a single one just wants to be bad. I meet students with challenges who need help and sometimes, because they need help, it manifests into certain types of behavior,” he said. “There are so many issues that I think that we have to begin to unpack to understand why students make the choices that they do. I don’t think that students are disrespectful just because they want to be. I do believe that sometimes the environments in which they come from dictate some of those behaviors. School is just a microcosm of their communities.”
Making the change
And often, it’s up to the teachers and administrators. “I think, we as adults, have total control over these situations and the way that we act and react can go a long way with supporting these students. Adults can either act or react in a way that either escalates or “I don’t think that students are disrespectful deescalates situations,” Peters said. Creating a positive student “If kids feel that there is discrimination, there’s just because they want to be. I do believe that culture definitely an excuse to be angry or continue to sometimes the environments in which they “We need consistence. Each school needs to feed into that. If we’re not going to take the time have a school-wide behavior plan. Not just a syscome from dictate some of those behaviors. energy to see why the things are happening the tem of consequences, but a system of rewards,” way that they are, then it’s never going to change,” School is just a microcosm of their Peters said. “We need to ensure that adults that Cooks said. communities.” are interacting with students have this mindset Although HCPS is looking to reduce susand that they don’t have these implicit biases that - HARRISON PETERS, CHIEF OF SCHOOLS pensions, the district isn’t looking to eliminate could persuade their decisions. What I’ve found them. Leaders do want to make the process more is, when committing the same infractions, most effective in resolving behavioral issues. For that, times students of color are disciplined more the conversation of reentry to school after a susharshly.” pension is crucial. The goal is to create schools centered around a positive The Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports “You don’t just come back to school and we don’t student culture, but the harsh punishment of students of (PBIS) system is being explored by schools in the county talk about it if you’re suspended. It’s like, if you and your color isn’t always conscious. to lessen the divides in the current punishment rates. It boyfriend have a fight at the mall and you walk away and For English teacher Suzanne Cooks, creating posifocuses on achieving both positive social and learning he walks away but you still see him at school, then at some tivity is the most important thing for students who feel outcomes rather than punishment. point you have to have a conversation about it,” he said. “I disenfranchised because of this trend. Men of Vision (and “I’m an old guy, but we’ve been suspending kids for think that schools have the great opportunity to have these its companion club, Women of Virtue) seeks to motivate years. There is no data that supports that suspension works reentry conversations because at the end of the day, you students to pursue something bigger than themselves after because it’s not a deterrent and it doesn’t change behavmade a mistake and we had to suspend you, but it doesn’t high school. ior,” Peters said. “Is it to punish children? Or is it really to mean that we don’t love you or that we don’t care for you.” “I think that just the positive energy that Men of Vision think through how do I help you to make better choices? It goes beyond just suspensions. brings to Hillsborough High School will cause other black It doesn’t mean I don’t think that you need consequences The county is looking to diversify its employees to male students to start recognizing what Men of Vision and it doesn’t mean that you’re not held accountable, but if reduce racial disparities in punishment. If they can employ is and that they can go there instead of to their seventh I teach you about making better decisions, I help you and people who have similar experiences to the students, period and just have a little bit of positiveness brought to lead and guide you, and teach you to break down barriers, they hope that disparities in punishments will be reduced them, we’re at least hoping to establish that as part of the then that’s a more long-term impact.” significantly. culture,” Cooks said. “What I would want for them to get “When you look across our district, there aren’t a Resolving behavior at the root out of the club is for them to really know their worth and whole lot of teachers that are black male teachers. There Peters has seen the need for resolving behavioral issues then really know that they can make a difference in the are not a lot of Hispanic male teachers or administrators. at the source rather than suspending since his time as a world.” I think another thing I can do is hire people that looks high school principal. Because of this, HCPS is currently This sentiment, according to Cooks, that is of utmost like the students,” he said. “We need to give our students working to come up with solutions that combines efforts importance. “I’m a firm believer in the culture of the people who they can look up to and feel like they can school, I’m a firm believer in people valuing education and of administrators with experts in the community on menemulate.” tal health and behavior to solve student problems without I’m a firm believer in understanding why people behave story by marin fehl adding to the current disparate trends. the way they do. If we don’t figure out why the behavior And Cooks agrees. To her, resolving behaviors should exists, then it’s not going to go away,” she said.
Alternatives to suspension
hhstoday.com
Men of Vision lifts students up who How can Men of Vision said help to motivate it?
Positive behavior intervention and supports (PBIS)
disenfranchised students?
A preventative framework for behavioral issues that operates on planning for conflicts and resolving them before they begin. Training for this program is currently being implemented at 82 different schools in the district.
“This club shines a whole different light on you, it really gives you a whole different look on other people from the outside looking in and what they need.” - KAMRYN WRIGHT, 11
Behavioral/mental health interventions This plan aims to provide multi-tiered behavioral/mental health support to students. The first tier focuses on prevention and awareness so that students know when and who they go to for help with any problems that they may have. This will use early warning systems and universal screening. The second tier will focus on targeted interventions with individual students. The third tier will have more intensive, targeted interventions for those students with more immediate concerns.
Restorative practices Restorative practices focus on building school and district culture. They emphasize positive personal relationships between students and authority figures to avoid behavioral issues that require suspension. These methods have two phases: proactive and responsive. The proactive phase is about building a positive culture that prevents future problems. The responsive phase focuses on restoring relationships that have been lost rather than punishing the behavior. These methods have caused a documented decrease in disciplinary referrals and suspensions, as well as drop out rates and disparities between different student demographics.
Early Intervening Services
“It helps us stay focused in school and stay focused on life after school like the military, trade or college.” - HOWARD BROOKIAS, 11
LEFT Men of Vision President Zion Wright escorts Tampa Bay Times reporter Marlene Sokol to a meeting on campus. TOP RIGHT Men of Vision members were responsible for greeting attendees of the district meeting and guiding them to the room. BOTTOM RIGHT Assistant Principal for Curriculum Philip Morris jokes with junior Kamryn Wright. | photos by john doan
compiled by marin fehl
Suspension Q&A with AP Philip Morris Q: What is the purpose of ISS? A: It is to take students out of their social setting where they are around their friends at lunch or in the classroom to hopefully give them a chance to reflect on the bad decision or choice. Q: Do you think ISS is a useful punishment? A: Yes, because sometimes suspending a student out of school is not the best option and if we can all utilize in school suspension to keep the kid in school and an educational environment where they are allowed to work on their work under supervision of a teacher that’s a good option in the tool box of options Q: Wouldn’t ISS just cause students to be missing even more class time? A: In society there are consequences
for your actions, so we would not be helping our students be prepared for life if they commit an offense and there’s no punishment Q: What are the alternatives to ISS? A: Well there’s just the one period ISS [instead of all day], which would be like the choice room scenario. The other option is something similar to work detail where they clean up the cafeteria during their lunch. Q: How does the work detail serve as a useful consequence? A: It helps depending on the offense because then they are having to sacrifice 15-20 minutes of their lunch and they aren’t missing class. story by kylie smith OUT OF SCHOOL SUSPENSION
Suspension days from 2014-2019 in HCPS
IN SCHOOL SUSPENSION
100,000
EPC L1
84,359
These services will focus on finding the root causes of behaviors and mitigating those contributing factors. There will be specialized services for students in the Exception Student Education (ESE) program.
compiled by marin fehl
80,000 55,065
62,340 49,662
40,000
2014-2015
8,271
7,155 2015-2016
2016-2017
54,228
53,028 35,645
16,351 0
57,956 44,909
6,861 2017-2018
35,706
5,935 2018-2019
graphic by john doan source: HCPS
HCPS is reducing suspensions Bad choices were made, students are taken out of their classes for one, two, three, seven days. Once they return, they are responsible for the learning missed. Those in charge of making sure those students pass their exams try to make sure the behavioral issues aren’t repeated. Suspensions are used in schools across the country. However, as more studies appear about the ineffectiveness of suspensions, school suspension rates have dropped over the years on average for school districts across the nation as many school districts opt for alternative punishment options including, in part, Hillsborough County. Tamara Shamburger, the Hillsborough County Public School board chair and District 5 representative, said the school board wants to use suspension only as a last resort. “We believe discipline should be used to change behavior and not to punish students,” she said. “Discipline should be restorative in nature, meaning students are held accountable for their choices and behavior but given a chance to correct their behavior.” Out-of-school suspensions are
linked to higher risks of academic failure, dropping out of high school and involvement in the juvenile justice system according to the Washington Post. In addition, Florida has the highest suspension rate across all grades of any state. According to the National Center for Educational Evaluation and Regional Assistance, attendance is the most important factor influencing high school graduation, so the effects of suspension correlate with higher absences. Shamburger notes this as a reason for holding suspension as a last resort. She also notes that it is also important how they respond to a student who does get suspended when they return, making sure they are getting help academically to get caught back up. “There should be a reentry protocol where we ensure students receive necessary support services to ensure both academic and social success,” Shamburger said. To lessen the number of suspensions, Shamburger says she believes building community and growing stronger connections is the way to go. story by asher montgomery
10 September 2019
EDITORIAL
hhstoday.com
We need an alternative to the vestibule Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) dedicated funds to improve the security of the main entrances of Hillsborough, Jefferson, Plant City, Chamberlain and Leto high schools as part of the first phase of a larger plan to secure the school district. But it didn’t really make our school more secure. Parents don’t know how to drop their students off or sign them out. Juniors and seniors must walk all the way around the school if they’re late. Those who are dual enrolled run the risk of being late to their classes because of the new sign out and sign in policies. But aside from the complaints, the thing that was supposed to make our school more secure has raised a series of different safety concerns. The cause of safety is an admirable one, but the vestibule isn’t the end all be all. best. For those students who arrive to school late because of a doctor’s appointment, they are faced with a walk around the school if they parked in the senior lot. Which is fine. Most of us can handle the walk, even if it’s hot. However, for those students who are late and have health issues or disabilities, the walk is a different story. For those who can’t make the walk, it makes more sense to just stay home than it does to come in late, even if their tardiness was for a legitimate
reason. Yeah, you could argue that the quarter-mile walk from the senior lot isn’t that long. But it is long if you’re walking it alone to make it to class and the group of guys that likes to frequent the corner of Osbourne and Central decides to leer at you. It’s pretty long if you get catcalled from a passing car. And when you consider that after you put yourself through that, you’re still going to be standing in a line that stretches beyond the flagpole while you wait for students to be let in in groups of four awaiting anything anyone outside the school wants to subject you to, you might find the distance to be just a little bit ridiculous. On top of that, the threat of suspension for those who work their way around the vestibule isn’t really a huge deterrent. If students want to let their friends into school, they probably will, and the potential for a consequence isn’t going to immediately stop the long-engrained behaviors of the students at our school. And if the argument against all of these points is going to continue to be that no matter what, this is really in the interest of student safety, then why do the people who monitor the vestibule have no security background? So maybe we’re focusing on the wrong things. How effective is it really? After all, if the aim is to prevent a mass shooting at our school, the demographic trends of all of those since Columbine should, at least, be of some comfort. Hint: Our school is the exact opposite. But the suggestion is not that we abandon the vestibule altogether. Because, at its very core, it was an honest attempt at making the school safer. We need to do better for the students on our campus. We can’t expect the creation of an entirely different vestibule near the black gate. But maybe a security guard could be stationed to stand by the black gate at specific passing times for students who dual enroll. There are just too many students on this campus to have a one size fits all solution.
THE EDITORIAL REFLECTS THE OPINIONS OF OUR EDITORIAL BOARD, WHICH IS WHY IT APPEARS WITHOUT A BYLINE. WE WELCOME YOUR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR DELIVERED TO ROOM 506 OR EMAILED TO HHSTODAY@GMAIL.COM illustration by john doan
September 2019
OPINION
The SAT adversity score was just a number The CollegeBoard recently announced that it will not be carrying out its plan to include an “adversity score” on the SAT. The score was created to provide context to a student’s score regarding their disadvantages due to socioeconomic status. The makers of the SAT have been developing the plan for an adversity index for years in a well-meaning but flimsy attempt to even the playing field for standardized test-takers. Although the adversity score was a start in a long journey to fairness for disadvantaged students, it’s for the best that the plan was not adopted. Numerous factors - 31 to be exact - were to be used to calculate a student’s adversity score, but they fell into two major categories: a student’s neigh-
borhood and a student’s school. By only considering the area where a student lives, the College Board ignores an individual student’s struggles or socioeconomic factors. A student from a high-income family attending a school in a low-income area or
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vice versa could receive an adversity score that is not reflective of them or their financial situation. Without using data that is individualized to each student, an adversity score tells colleges almost nothing about that person’s background, rendering the whole score pointless. However, the way the score is calculated is not the only issue at hand here. Any singular number on a score report that claims to embody all of an individual’s struggles based solely on their socioeconomic status is questionable to say the least. A single score cannot possibly represent the adversity students face in their lives nor can it equalize such an imbalanced playing field. Disadvantaged students face a poorer quality of education, fewer resources and opportunities, and in some cases a total lack of financial support. Many students can’t even afford to retake the SAT more than once or pay for tutoring/test prep. Even worse, many have had their opportunities limited since the moment they set foot in kindergarten. How can the College Board -or anyone -- claim to condense all of that into one “adversity score?” The score is certainly a step in the right direction for many educational institutions and the first of its kind. However, the SAT adversity score is not sufficient to provide context to a student’s scores. In an education system that favors those from a higher socioeconomic status, students need more than a score. column by reema patel
hhstoday.com
The adversity score was a good idea Even in 2019, people don’t start on equal footing. Although this shouldn’t be the case, growing up, people are going to have advantages or disadvantages depending on their socioeconomic status and their race. Those factors need to be acknowledged so that when it comes to getting into college they aren’t at a disadvantage there as well. According to College Board, the company that runs the SAT, admission officers lack high school information of about 25% of applications. The adversity score would change that. The adversity score and index were designed for admission officers to see students’ academic accomplishments in the context of where they live and go to school. It doesn’t provide any personal information about a specific student, only about the environment around them and how their score relate. Reflected in the adversity index of a school and community are things such as the percentage of students at the school who are eligible for free or reduced lunch, educational status and economic challenges. The SAT has previously has been criticized because wealthier students on average earn higher scores than the middle class who in turn score higher than the lower class. As it is widely regarded intelligence test used for college acceptances, it is the responsibility of College Board to provide economic information of students so that the test isn’t unfair for students of lower classes. Yes, the entirety of a student’s background
cannot be reduced effectively to a single number. However, with nothing like the adversity score present, colleges will still have little to no information about a student’s high school and residence, meaning the uneven playing field will remain uneven for students of low economic status. With some changes made, the adversity score could be a useful tool for colleges to have and benefi-
cial for disadvantaged students. column by asher montgomery
Gun violence is in our neighborhoods, and we need to fix it My neighbor called an ambulance after a man ran behind her apartment building and asked for help then passed out on the sidewalk. My sister and I watched from our back porch as he was given CPR then carried into the fire truck and driven to St. Joseph’s. I sat there for a while after, watching the crime scene tape go up, the police officers, investigators and detectives talking amongst themselves, staring at his shoes, wallet and keys strewn about on the sidewalk. This man was shot as he was riding his bike home from his girlfriend’s house on the evening of Aug. 28 after a verbal argument with a group of people in a car who shot him as he ran away. He died from his wounds at the hospital. No arrests have been made. His name cannot be released by the police department due to a new Florida constitutional amendment protecting crime victims. The scene was gone by morning except for a blood stain that can be removed only by time.
That was the second shooting I know of in the last couple of months on my block in Tampa Heights. The other was the fatal shooting of Eric Patterson. The police don’t know who did it or why, but they say it wasn’t random. There was no community debrief, it was just accepted. Most shootings in urban communities are like this, and perhaps that is why America’s gun violence rate is so high. People believe they aren’t affected by the issue because they don’t know how close shootings like this are to them. The impact of gun-violence in everyday lives wasn’t as clear to me until these shootings happened so close to home. So many more families are impacted by everyday acts of gun violence that aren’t paid attention to, especially and disproportionately black communities. Guns take the lives of 10 times more black children than white children, according to the National Council of Family Relations. For nearly 400 years, black Americans have been unfairly treated, and the impacts on black
communities show. Stereotypes create the idea that gun violence is a natural part of poor and minority communities and that it should be accepted, which is not the case. But it does create a cycle. Sometimes hardships lead people to make dangerous decisions so they can care for themselves and their family. This country’s history has created potholes for black communities and the inexistence of proper coverage or concern of the impact everyday gun violence has in minority communities hasn’t filled them. It has been three months since Patterson was shot and one month since my neighbor’s death. No arrests have been made for either. The coverage was limited. They both had daughters and families that walked down the same street and stared at where they were last alive. This is who we need to remember in our fight for gun safety and racial equality.
column by asher montgomery
Following the fatal shooting of the author’s neighbor, his pocket contents were left on the sidewalk. There was no coverage or outcry -this was the only thing left behind. | photo by asher montgomery The author of this column is the member of a gun control group called Students Demand Action.
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US
THE Artists
September 2019
Natalia Artz, 12
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hhstoday.com
We asked four art students to draw each other and then write a short story about the person they drew.
Sebastian Saltares, 12
Natalia is a great friend and has a very interesting art style that I love. She is Cuban and was born here in Tampa where she grew up. For her artwork she draws her inspiration from music. Her art medium is varied from pencil to paint and she likes to incorporate lots of dark hues to all of her work and In my opinion it gives the artwork more character and realistic detail that you probably would not get from any ordinary sketch. Her attention to detail is incredible, even with a simple sketch of a person she will make sure to include every tiny wrinkle of their shirt with a deep contrast in shading. So far in art class she has made some pretty amazing pieces with similar themes of darkness. She also loves to draw from observation and will draw something or someone any chance she gets. I consider her a very talented artist! story and illustration by sebastian saltares
Sebastian Saltares was born in Tampa, Florida. He is the youngest of three brothers. He enjoys running and has been part of the cross country team for the duration of his time at Hillsborough. As well as this, he loves art and is dedicated to drawing. He even designed the shirt for the HHS Big Red Band, called “Lots of Love.” Sebastian’s drawing style is realistic, with stark lines and ample shading. I often see his drawings on social media and immediately recognize characters from the Marvel universe, students at school and everyday objects. In art class last year, we were tasked with drawing a still-life and I complimented his use of multiple pencils to achieve more depth. I couldn’t believe it when he said, “All I used was a mechanical pencil.” I am impressed that Sebastian is able to make his drawings look so realistic with just one tool. story and illustration by natalia artz
Angel Mendoza, 11 Madison Colon, 12
Angel has been a good pal of mine for years now and our “buddyship” has grown since. Angel is easy to distinguish in a crowd thanks to his noticable hair bun. However after my portrait of him, he has cut it off! He provides the party into a conversation and loves to make jokes with his friends. Every morning he would be lively and ready to go with his pals about any topic they please to speak about. Angel is also part of Men of Vision, a college readiness program. He is proud to be in the program and I definitley am too. Angel enjoys drawing hearts and the muscle anatomy of men. If you see a heart on your piece of paper out of no where, it is likely to be Angel’s doing. He means it out of good, and for giggles. Sometimes, you can find Angel in th front of the school wrestling with his guy friends, having a good time. At the end of the day, Angel has been a cool dude ever since i met him, and i know he will continue to be cool. Angel’s favorite quote is “The best achievements are the ones you work hard for”. Story and illustration by madison colon
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Madison is a creative soul who I have known since my freshman year of high school. She and I are both very fond of art but her style is very different than mine. She is great at art especially when it comes to cartoon-like style. I think she is a fantastic anime artist. She is good to the point where I can see her making her own anime one day. She is a kind person who I have never seen angry or mad. She has a great sense of humor and is always happy. She is not completely sure where she sees herself in the future but i see her future being bright no matter what she chooses. story and illustration by angel mendoza
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September 2019
ENTERTAINMENT
So Much Fun - Young Thug
Young Thug’s new album, “ So Much Fun” debuted No. 1 on the billboard Top 100 album list. His hit single “The London,” which dropped prior to the albums release, absolutely stormed music streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify. His top songs of the album, “Hot” featuring Gunna and “Bad Bad Bad” featuring Lil’ Baby have been used as sounds for TikTok, a video entertainment app where people post short skits of jokes or dances online. - rahul yalamanchili
Da Baby
Cardi B
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Da Baby is popping because he’s the best rapper out in the game right now. He’s a billion-dollar baby who rocks with Big4X (StunnaVegas) and is making his way to the top. Da Baby has a feature with NBA Youngboy and Gucci Mane, called “Richer Than Errybody” that has so many hits. -jason cotton
Cardi B has been gaining fame since her last show, “Love and Hip Hop.” Now in 2019, she’s gaining Platinum and Gold albums. During he career, she even married a famous artist named Offset, who is in the group with Migos. Her album “Invasion of Privacy” has sold 2.9 million albums. I like it because it combined different cultures that make people want to listen. - rhonda bradley
Clownery
Do you use Twitter? You might be a clown (or perhaps the whole circus). Twitter users have taken to using images of clowns to express their feelings when they’ve done something stupid, and aren’t we all just some clowns for real? A common one is an image of a clown surfing on a computer with a caption like “Me looking at my SAT scores”. Twitter users, it seems, are down to clown. - reema patel
VSCO Girls
Tik Tok
If you’ve got a scrunchie on your wrist, a T-shirt that covers your running shorts or a hydroflask in hand, you might be a VSCO girl. VSCO girls have become a internet phenomenon, named after the popular photo editing app VSCO. They’re known for trying to save the turtles one metal straw at a time and sporting homemade friendship bracelets. - reema patel Previously looked down upon as the inferior successor to Vine, the app known as Tik-Tok has made a commotion in social spheres in the past several weeks. The app, which allows users to post short videos with effects or music, has created viral sensations nearly every week, including dances to Indian remixes of “Hey Panini.” - jaden shemesh
IT 2
Spiderman
hhstoday.com
Costing up to $79 million, the new It movie is sending up chills down people spines. So far, it has a 3.8 star rating. It all started when Chapter 1 came out and everyone wanted to see it. Now Chapter 2 has reached the limits and is now ranked No. 7 on the domestic grosses. - jaileigh hardy
Film-industry titans Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures recently cut ties over contracting issues, resulting in the removal of Spider-Man from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This split has sparked outrage in the web-slinger’s large, militant fan base, and even incited a twitter movement calling for the boycott of any material that Sony distributes. - javier cuevas
K-12 Melanie Martinez
A new album was released on Sept. 6 by Melanie Martinez called K-12. To promote the album, Martinez also made a film that contains all the songs and music videos for them. It gives context to the character built by the artist named “Crybaby.” Martinez made these with the thought of “helping people” and to have “an outlet to express creatively.” - micah arbelo graphics by john doan
Student perform at Coffeehouse
LEFT Freshman Milana Mays performs a song at the beginning of Coffeehouse. ABOVE RIGHT Manami McNair, Betty Hernandez and Jamie-Lynn Lopez perform a “Dating Game” sketch. | photos by meredith yen
14 September 2019
ENTERTAINMENT
Big changes to band “Band-Ten-Hut!” the band director said as the band got in position to start marching. “Big Red!” they responded on a Tuesday afternoon, eager and ready to practice for the upcoming Friday’s game. With their Lots of Love (LOL) shirts, the band marches down the Chelo Huerta Field on Fridays carrying the school spirit with them. With many years of tradition, the Big Red now faces the school year full of love, and changes, with a new band director, Jonathan Sims. “It’s been a lot of fun. It’s really cool to be part of something that’s really historic and has a lot of traditions,” Sims said. “We’re at a decent size which is awesome. Some schools have only like about 20 kids in the band,” said the director. “We’ve got a dance team and a color guard team which is very unique to us, so it’s been really good so far.” Many new freshmen are excited to play for a high school band. “It’s a great experience. We do much more exciting songs than in middle school,” freshman Itai Aarons said. The changes caused some controversy with the older members who believe some of the band’s identity is being lost. “Our stand culture is not as ‘lit’ and there’s been miscommunication in terms of what we normally do with the school body and how we support the athletic teams. Hillsborough has a unique culture and blend of people, and I don’t think people realize that when they go and try to change stuff that we cater to our school population,” band captain Simone Francis said. “In order for everyone to be satisfied with the results [of the changes] then it really takes everyone to communicate with each other and respect their opinions.” Students describe Sims as very organized. However, some upperclassmen say the change from previous directly Michael Lebrias isn’t automatic. “It’s probably for the best, but it’s taking me a lot to adjust” senior Chris Poole said regarding the changes. “Sims is a lot more involved. I kind of wish they would let us know more about what’s going on and what are the problems we’re facing.” The band is keeping the same traditional stand tunes known by all the spectators during games and pep rallies, such as “Let’s Go” and “Shout it Out”, but the show is brand new, featuring iconic songs, such as the opener, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis, and other classics from artists such as Elton John and Queen.
story by carolina tortorelli
TOP Band director Jonathan Sims conducts a class with the Big Red Band to teach them the new songs. LEFT Sims conducts a run through of the new songs in the set. RIGHT The marching band practices on the football field. | photos by carolina tortorelli
What’s new with netflix? Netflix is taking big steps to bring in new shows and movies and get rid of the old. There are many shows and movies coming in, such as: Raising Dion, Rhythm & Flow, Queer Eye: We’re in Japan, Living with Yourself, Big Mouth: Season 3, The Crown: Season 3, Insatiable: Season 2, Living Undocumented, The Karate Kid and The Flintstones. “I’m happy that ‘Open Season’ finally came on Netflix because I remember watching that way back then and I liked it,” sophomore Willie Mitchell said. Netflix has also decided to take off shows and movies like: The Fast and the Furious, graphic by john doan Batman Begins, Emma, Hercules, Disney’s
Mulan, Magic Mike, Monster House, Miami Vice, Stuart Little, Bachelorette, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Disney’s Pocahontas. “I’m sad because ‘Friends’ is one of the shows leaving and that is the best show ever.” sophomore Dianela Belmonte said. Some titles are taken off because of contractual termination, and some just lack a sufficient audience. Those disappointed by the departure of certain titles can remain hopeful that Netlix may decide to bring them back. story by micah arbelo
hhstoday.com
Brockhampton strikes gold on Ginger
America’s favorite boy band has returned with its fifth studio album Ginger, and they’re not messing around this time (for the most part). The hip-hop collective recently debuted new music for the first time since 2018’s Iridescence, an outlier in the group’s discography because of the confused and unbalanced sound subtracting from the record’s replay value. However, this project dismissed their recent slump as a fluke. On Ginger, the band has defied expectations and delivered a wonderfully crafted LP that, unlike its predecessor, makes sense. Brockhampton is struggling. Who could blame them? Their homemade sound has been tweaked to appeal to a larger audience (courtesy of RCA record label). This is a common occurrence for any musician that stumbles into a multimillion-dollar contract with a major record company. They need more listeners, which would be achievable, if they had not lost founding member Ameer Vann, who just so happened to be the most talented member on the mic. There was a void to fill. Vann’s absence could be felt by listeners who have never heard a single song with him featured. This, unfortunately, was the pitfall of Iridescence. This also happens to somehow be the advantage of Ginger. The group is past the confusion. They are over the awkward song structure. They are no longer loud for the sake of proving to you that they are loud. They have finally healed, and use past adversity to their advantage. The chemistry between the artists has improved. Despite their flawless vocal blend, individual members are still given the opportunity to shine at some point on the record. Lesser known artists no longer lurk in the shadow of Kevin Abstract. Ameer’s absence can no longer burn a hole in through the instrumentals. The band is fully realized, and they aren’t holding back. Track by track, the album is a religious experience. The song No Halo gets the ball rolling, with notable performances from members Matt Champion and Dom McLennon, and an acoustic riff looped in the background to make the song just a little more perfect. Other remarkable tracks include the Jabari-produced Boy Bye, a song which flows like a theme song straight out of a 90s cartoon, as well as Dearly Departed, a ballad of introspection with stellar verses from members Kevin Abstract, Matt Champion and Dom McLennon. These songs are mere examples of the superb quality of this record. It’s not trying to be anything that it’s not. It is unapologetically Ginger. review by javier cuevas
September 2019
15
SPORTS
Diving into the swim season
hhstoday.com
TOP LEFT The swim team has a tradition of having all the swimmers jump into the pool together, and swim across to the ship and all climb on to cheer. TOP MIDDLE Annslee Maloy in the lead for the women’s 100 meter breaststroke. She kept her place throughout the race and finished with a time of 1:39. TOP RIGHT Patrick McCurdy swimming the men’s 100 meter backstrokes. He had a time of a 1:36, placing him in fourth place out of six racers. BOTTOM LEFT The swim team shows sportsmanship with the Gator team after the meet. Both teams cheered on their teammates by shouting “Zoom” together. BOTTOM RIGHT Swim team cheers on Maren Crocker while she races in the women’s 200 meter freestyle. She placed first with a time of 3:07. | photos by edilawit seyoum
Cross country keeps fit Ankles begin to swell; shins begin to splint; practice has started. The red flush of exhaustion begins to wash over the runners’ faces. Casual conversations become gasps for air. Three laps down; nine to go. With the largest team in several years, consisting of 11 girls, six boys and a single coach for the unified teams, the cross country team prepares for a delayed season. Coach Michelle Love-Johnson brings new strategy to the team. Last year’s coaching situation which saw three different coaches take over the boys’ and/or girls’ team throughout the season, However, this season, Love started with the team. “Having the ability to form the team and then set those performance and commitment expectations at the beginning of the season is so helpful,” Love said. Her strategy encourages the mental aspect of running as much as the physical. Daily practices are followed by team discussions about motivation and envisioning techniques. “I think
that helps sort of encapsulate where we’re trying to go in terms of raising the profile of our team and raising the expectations of performance,” Love said. Now, nearly every practice is at 7 a.m. and attendance has increased since last year. “I think one of the differences with the team is that I feel there is more representation of all grades of our students here [and] that we’ve got a very strong mix of returning athletes and new athletes,” Love said. Sophomore runner Ivy Burton-Akright finds morning practices more difficult to go to, but beneficial. “I like practicing in the mornings more than I did when we were practicing in the afternoons last year,” Burton-Akright said. “I have more work this year, so it’s harder to go out to morning practices because I’m up the night before, but it helps wake me up for the day.” She also finds the new emphasis on mental game to be helpful. “Coach [Love] gets us to
be more positive about running because she doesn’t care about the time we finish; she cares that we finish. One of Love’s main goals is to help students take their running habits into adulthood. “I feel like it offers a very healthy adult lifestyle experience especially for students going to college where there’s a lot of stress and maybe different eating than they’re accustomed to,” Love said. “It really helps center the person, so I feel like from a physical and mental standpoint it’s really about [getting] those skills now.” Love wants runners to understand the commitment of cross country. “It’s a brutal sport and it’s your sport’s punishment,” Love said. “It’s only the very few that would commit to put their bodies through that kind of training.” The writer is a member of the cross country team. story by jaden shemesh
This year cross country members maximize their time by training at 7a.m and preparing for the teams first two meets on Sept. 24 and 28. | photos by jaden shemesh
16 September 2019
SPORTS
hhstoday.com
New quarterback subs in after injury With quarterback Caleb Pierce out for three games, the football team has to continue working to make it to the playoffs. Jordaan Bailey took over as the starting quarterback Bailey was a running back before Pierce got hurt, but with Pierce out, Bailey has to step up in the spotlight. He is confident in his abilities to take over as the quarterback with Pierce helping him learn the plays. Even though the offense is changing, they are going to keep the same mindsets and mentalities. It’s the same but it’s different,” Bailey said. “We don’t throw the ball as much anymore but we still do a lot of things to keep practices the same. My mindset is to stay focused, stay calm don’t think about it too much just go out there and play football,” Bailey said. Though the team has confidence in their abilities it, still hurt the team Pierce was injured. “I knew when he took off his head buckle,” junior Pierre Bryant, the outside linebacker said. “[His arm] looked like a noodle and, in my head, it sucked because I knew we lost our starting quarterback.” Bailey had his first game against Blake. The team won 33-0. Pierce felt he contributed even though he was not on the field he was excited to watch his team win. “It feels really good,” Pierce said. “It feels like I coached up the other quarterbacks as
well. I still help lead the team and coach up quarterbacks and other players. The team asks about me all the time, they take care of me all the time.” The team has his back said free safety senior Zay “Rabbit” O’Neal. “I think we still gonna be straight. We got Jordaan at the QB he can throw it, and run, and he can run better than Caleb can.” The players are just focusing on getting their bodies right. They all trust that Bailey can get the job done so they have to make sure they can back him up. “I prepare my body taking ice baths, doing yoga and watching film,” Marlon Tyler, the center said. In order to win now they have to practice harder than they did before. Bailey has to adjust to the new situation so the offense can continue to be efficient and be a playoff threat. The team talked about their chances of making the playoffs with the readjustment. “I feel good it’s gonna’ be the same thing as when Caleb plays,” junior Laregos Williams, the defensive end said. “It’s a new start.” The offense is going to change but the defense will just have to step up. “We’ll make the playoffs with ease,” Jamari McGee (12), a linebacker said. “We won’t have a problem because we are going to run this table.” story by patrick mcCurdy
TOP Jordaan Bailey takes off down the field during the Tampa Bay Tech game. He took over as quarterback for the following games after Caleb Pierce severely fractured his wrist during a game. BOTTOM Jordaan Bailey during the Tampa Bay Tech game. “My mindset is to stay focused, stay calm don’t think about it too much just go out there and play football,” he said. | photos by iris vargas
What does your number mean to you?
Students who play sports are often tasked with coming up with a number to put on their jerseys. For most players these numbers have a special meaning to them.
“75 means a lot to me it means “I don’t know honestly I just I got 75 percent of the job done feel like I’m a solid person and now I just gotta get it through, because the number 70 play the game and play hard.” looks so solid.” – FREDDY MORA No. 75 - NIGEL RICHARDSON No.
“There are 52 weeks in a year and that is to remind me that I have to grind all year long and stay focused on my goal.” – MARLON TYLER No. 52
“It’s the number of a dead homie, he had No. 16 when he died so imma rock it for life.” – JA’QUAN WASHING-
compiled by kylie smith