SNN January 2012

Two-Time Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist

Living through the Loss ... P 6-7 age

How does your mom measure up? ... Page 10-11 Swag-Off Preview ... Page 3 When fish fly ... Page 4 High-tech study hall

... Page 3 Spartan News Network

Lakewood High School - January 18, 2012 snntoday.pcsb.org

the hub

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A word from

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By SOFIA DAMOS SNN Editor in Chief

A lot has changed at Lakewood High School since the beginning of this school year. With the newness of the block schedule, the arrival of new teachers and the implementation of new policies, you may wonder what 2012 will have in store for our beloved school.

Watching the glittering ball descend in Times Square in New York City during the final 60 seconds of the year, ticking down until the final moment of 2011 hits, you wonder what the new year will hold.

With new beginnings and a clean slate, some look fondly back on New Year’s Eve as a stepping stone into a better year.

In the early moments of the new year, resolutions are made that are meant to better the lives of the person or those around JALON EDWARDS | SNN them. Those resolutions can range from Senior Dante Fowler, who has verbally committed to play football for Florida State University, talks to reporters on the desire to exercise more, volunteer, hit the books harder or spend more time with Nov. 29 during a press conference for the Under Armour All-American team. Fowler was the first athlete from St. Peloved ones. tersburg to be chosen for the team. His team, the Blurs, won the game on Jan. 5, 49-16.

And while some plan early on what their resolution will be, others spontaneously search themselves for what they would like to change. (If you’d like to know what your peers want to change, check out the back

By BRIAN BARFIELD page.)

SNN Staff Writer My personal resolution is to spend more The Armed Service Vocational time with people I care about, taking advanAptitude Battery test (ASVAB) A: Depending on what you score is, tage of the time I have now. is a test that over half of the high the ASVAB offers you opportuniAs all seniors probably feel, the time schools in the United States adminties in the Army, Marines, Navy, is ticking down until we don the cap and ister. The test consists of eight secAir Force and Coast Guard, each of gown that we’ve looked forward to weartions that challenge the person on all which have hundreds of different ing for four years and attend the ceremony aspects. The next time it’s offered at jobs. that will mark the end of our time as high Lakewood will be Feb. 7. school students.

Q: What are the scores required for My resolution will allow me to make Q: What is the ASVAB used for? each branch? time for people who I might not see much in the near future, as our destinations may A: The ASVAB is mostly used to A: Army - 31 differ. find out if students qualify for the Navy - 35 If you have a resolution make sure it is military and what role they would Marines - 31 intended to better you, or someone else. best fit in it.

Air Force - 36 And if you don’t, search yourself and Coast Guard - 46 see if there’s anything you’d really like to Q: Where is it offered? change.

Q: How many times can you take it?

ALGERNARD BROWN | SNN A: The ASVAB is offered at most The ASVAB is a test students can take to meaFront page photo credits: Jessica Thornhigh schools and any military reA: You can take it as many times as sure their aptitude to serve in the military. ton, above left; Kiara Allen, above right; and cruiter’s office. you like until you’re satisfied.

Martin Hood, bottom.

Knowledge is half the battle

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Q: What career opportunities can it open up for you?

Source: Guidance counselor Danielle Johnson

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news

Technology is the new study group

By KIMBERLY MCENTEGART SNN Staff Writer

TYLER HOLCOMBE | SNN

Seniors Alex Bueno, left, Jeremy Bloom, Justin Lincoln and math teacher Laura Lake review for a test on Dec. 13. The students were studying for a calculus test in Lake’s room. This week students are in the midst of semester exams and are following a new exam schedule that requires them to stay in school all day.

Students disagree with late-day exam schedule Lakewood students are in an uproar over the recent changes to the exam policy, which features longer exam days.

By ZOE BLAIR-ANDREWS SNN Staff Writer

Lakewood High School students are used to getting out of school early during the maddening weeks of exams. They would come to school, take two exams and get out of school by noon.

This year the exam schedule is completely different. Students now stay in school all day, due to the block schedule. This policy will remain the same for as long as we have this block schedule, said assistant principal Susan Alvaro.

World history teacher Gabriella Squarciafico hopes this schedule will improve test scores. “We like to think that it would. It depends on the student, and what works for them,” she said.

Squarciafico understands why the new schedule was created. “I see why they did it,” she said, “I prefer the old schedule, just to get more things done.”

Many students are disappointed about this transi-

tion. Lakewood sophomore, Rhianna Alejo, is one. “I think it should be how it was last year,” Alejo said.

“We’re staying in school for the whole day. What’s the reason for being here?”

Junior Tristan Shuler doesn’t completely agree with the schedule either. Shuler says that last year “even if you weren’t exempting, you had time to go home and chill. … It kind of sucks because I enjoy going home early.”

However, Alvaro says this change was made for the better. “We’re hoping we’ll have a higher passage rate. This change was made to assist students by giving them more time to prepare.”

Principal Bob Vacari feels the same way. “We wanted to make sure that (the students’) time was productive,” Vicari said. “We only want what’s best for (the students).”

For years Facebook has been the place to go for friends and socializing. Now it’s being used to connect with other students for homework.

Sophomore Terri Dinninger started a Facebook homework helper page for sophomores in the Center for Advanced Technologies (CAT). The page is a place where students can ask for help on homework or ask about things that went on in class. Dinninger said she got the idea for the page from St. Petersburg High School where students made a homework page jokingly called “Ask an Asian.”

“It’s really helpful for kids that missed school; other students are able to scan the notes on to the page for them to get,” she said.

Dinninger started the page because she doesn’t have an agenda book, and this was a way for her to know what tests and homework were coming up.

“The page helps me a lot by reminding me about homework and current events coming up in a class,” said sophomore Jamie Kane. “I also get help on my harder classes if I need it.”

Sophomore Caitlin Schnell is one of about 60 students who are on the CAT homework helper page. She likes it but has one suggestion: “I think that juniors and seniors should be added to the page, so that they could help us,” she said.

Dinninger said the one thing she doesn’t like about the page is that if people post a question and it doesn’t get answered right away, they keep posting it over and over again. Also, a handful of people use it to just talk to one another.

But she does admit: “It’s a good excuse to be on Facebook and get homework done.”

SNN gets gold medal

By KATIE BLEVINS SNN Staff Writer

For the second year in a row, SNN has won a gold medal rating from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. This contest critiques hundreds of student-journalist newspapers and publications, and awards them a gold, silver or bronze medal. “I’m thrilled that experts in the journalism field recognize the amazing work the SNN staff is doing. It’s nice when someone tells you you’re doing a great job, but it doesn’t surprise me. We have great students and great teachers involved in the program, and that is reflected in the work produced for the school newspaper and website,” said Journeys in Journalism coordinator Cynda Mort.

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When Fish Fly

By SEAN CARTER SNN Staff Writer

In the network assistant program, where selected students from Lakewood’s Center for Advanced Technologies help with the various technological needs throughout the school, it is not all fun and games.

But sometimes, it is.

Network assistants Clay Plumridge, Tiffney Kitiratanasumpun and Alex Power, all juniors, and seniors Nathan Beals and Melissa Phillips worked for three months, from August to the beginning of November, on creating a video game using Microsoft’s motion sensing hardware and software known as the Kinect. They worked alongside students from other schools across the nation in order to complete the project, which involved components of research, sound and multimedia design, business sense and programming.

Their game is named “When Fish Fly,” and it’s based on the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, which network administrator Louis Zulli visited when he was in Seattle recently to receive an award from Microsoft for innovation in education.

“When we saw the place, we knew immediately that would be the setting for our game,” said Zulli.

The object of the game is “to catch as many fish as you can in order to earn money, or to throw as many fish to your customer as possible,” according to Beals. The game is played by standing in front of the Kinect, which is hooked up to a computer, and moving your hands in order to move the cursor on screen and thereby catch, or throw, fish.

Each of the network assistants had a different role to play in the development of the game. Plumridge, Kitiratanasumpun and Power did a lot of the programming and game logic, while Beals did a lot dealing with the interface with the Kinect, and Phillips designed graphics for the game.

While games are all about having fun, the project had an element of seriousness to it.

The idea behind “When Fish Fly” was to demonstrate that students and teachers across the nation could work together to produce a real project that could replicate the sights, sounds and “sense of place” of a place like the Pike Place Fish Market. Microsoft made the suggestion to Zulli and other teachers that, with the unique skills their students possessed, they could collaborate and create a product on par with the work of many professional teams, and Lakewood’s network assistants were more than willing to take up the challenge.

According to Plumridge, the game was submitted at Microsoft’s Innovative Education Forum, an event sponsored by Microsoft that rewards educators who use creative, innovative methods to improve education at their schools. It won an award for Lakewood and CAT, and the game will be on Microsoft’s demo site for the Kinect SDK. An SDK is a development kit for a product or engine such as the Kinect.

“It was a proof of a concept that something like this could be done. … We wanted

REBECCA SCHNELL | SNN

Senior Melissa Phillips tests the game “When Fish Fly” on Nov. 3, 2011 in the CAT auditorium. CAT network assistants created the Xbox Kinect game earlier this school year.

to incorporate the Kinect, which lent itself naturally to creating a game, and it had to be cross-curricular because of the variety of skills present,” said Zulli. “We gained recognition from Microsoft for this project, and it raised the profile of what the students in the CAT program and at Lakewood could do.”

The students and the school, however, gained more than just recognition.

“Personally, I’ve gained a lot of coding experience,” said Plumridge, “and there’s a Microsoft vice-president out there now who knows my name, so I think that’s pretty good.”

“I learned how to work both independently and cooperatively,” said Kitiratanasumpun.

“You learn to work on projects that are assigned to you but that aren’t structured so that you have control over what you create.”

As for the future, the school has been supplied with more Kinects to use for future development projects as well as for a possible upcoming game development class.

“I’d love to see more games used for education like this,” said Zulli. “I’d like to see, instead of reading dry material on the page, students interacting with things on a screen.

That’s where education is going.”

Testing their marine knowledge

By KAHIL HOLMES SNN Staff Writer

After not being at Lakewood High School for a year, the Marine Science Bowl is back. The Bowl is a Jeopardy-style competition in which students are asked marine science questions.

“It’s a battle of intellect against other schools focusing on sciences interlinked with the oceans,” said team member William Bolinger.

The Lakewood team consists of sophomore Jason Scott, juniors Alexis Valencia and Bolinger and senior Jeremy Fredricks. The team sponsors are biology teacher Megan Geidner and AMSET administrator Jennifer Pacowta.

DAVID HOCK | SNN “I went to grad school for biology and I love AMSET administrator Jennifer Pacowta leads a discussion with working with the kids,” said Geidner. students Jermaine Watson, William Bolinger and Jeremy Fredricks The team practices on Thursdays in the media at the Marine Science Bowl on Dec. 8, 2011 in the media center. center. During practice the students take turns and

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ask each other questions of various levels. It helps the kids not only in education but with competition, and it gets them excited.

The actual competition will be in downtown St. Petersburg at the University of South Florida, according to Valencia. It will take place March 3.

“In a small room we’ll compete against other schools,” said Valencia. “I’ve been learning marine science all my life.”

The majority of the team thinks that they’ll do well on the state level, though Fredericks thinks they need a little more work before they’ll be on the national level.

“We have a solid group,” said Pacowta.

“Everybody knows their stuff,” said Scott.

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features

All Jazzed Up It’s been several years since Lakewood has heard the sounds of jazz.

By NILAJA KING and SACAREE WRIGHT SNN Staff Writers

Every Wednesday you can hear the loud ,upbeat, toe-tapping notes of jazz music coming from the band room at Lakewood High. This is the new jazz band, which started in August and already has 22 members.

It’s been a long time since Lakewood has had a jazz band. There wasn’t one when band director Michael Kernodle started working here two years ago.

“I just like the music; it’s like expressing yourself,” said sophomore Tony Stagnitta, who has been playing the trumpet since middle school.

Freshman Kenneth Goolsby, one of the saxophone players, said he always wanted to play in a band. “When I was younger I chose (the saxophone) because it was sexy,” he said.

Goolsby said his parents love that he’s involved with something he is interested in. “It’s more free. I feel like a bird, like I can do more.”

Junior Danny Stagnitta, Tony’s brother, also plays the saxophone because it’s most similar to the clarinet, which he plays in concert and marching band. Jazz is something Danny always wanted to learn because he thought it was cool.

“It’s free formed and a good way of expression,” he said.

Kernodle, the jazz band director, plays the piano and the trumpet. “I think jazz musicians are some of the coolest people on earth.”

The jazz band’s first concert was Dec. 13, 2011, but they plan to have more.

Kernodle said he has taught the band many songs such as Killer Joe, Summer Time, Coming Home Baby, Watermelon Man, The Christmas Song and I’ll Take Romance.

“Jazz is an art form we need to save; we want to keep it here in America,” Kernodle said.

ZUBIN KAPADIA | SNN

(Above) Lakewood’s new jazz band rehearses for the winter concert with other members of Lakewood’s band on Dec. 13. The concert was held in Lakewood’s auditorium.

(Left) The jazz band gathers in the band room for a picture before the winter concert.

ZUBIN KAPADIA | SNN

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Living through the loss For many of us, it is hard to believe that losing a parent can even happen. However, for a few Spartans, this nightmare has become a reality. SNN talked to several of these students to find out how they handled the experience and how it changed them.

By SCOTTY SCHENK and CHRIS DEISTER SNN Staff Writers

Sophomore John Douglas “J.D.” Willett lost his mother Christine “Chrissy” Willett on Nov. 28, 2011. She had a cancerous tumor in her esophagus, which was diagnosed about a year ago. After a year of chemotherapy, doctors realized she was not getting any better. The cancer spread to her lungs and cut off her breathing. The doctors could not perform the necessary surgery because she had scoliosis and sleep apnea.

She spent 25 days in the hospital from Oct. 7 to Nov. 1, until she was put under Hospice care at her home.

At first Christine Willett hoped for the best, not knowing how severe the cancer would become. J.D. believed she would get better. However, after he knew she was terminal, his mother started thinking about the things she would miss in his life, and they started spending as much time together as possible.

On their last night together, J.D. and his mother were watching television. “A lot of I love you’s and don’t give up’s,” J.D. said about the conversations they had. The last words she ever spoke to him were “I love you, too.” She was coughing a lot, so he called the nurse. J.D. went to the couch to sleep and eventually went to sleep in his own bed. At about 1 a.m. J.D. was awakened by his father to come down to see his mother.

“I was holding her hand when she passed and I saw the look on her face,” J.D. said. It was a look of great pain, but SHERICE JOHNSON | SNN

Senior Wit Cannon shows off the tattoo he got in remembrance of his father. The tattoo is of a fish, along with the date his father died.

Special to SNN

“A lot of ‘I love you’s’ and ‘don’t give up’s.’ ” Sophomore J.D. Willett, pictured above with his mother, Chrissy Willett.

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determination. She would try to breathe deeply, but could not get the air. Even though he had tried to prepare, when his mother passed away, J.D. was in a state of shock. “At the time, you’re thinking, ‘She’s gone and I can’t bring her back,’ and it’s the worst feeling,” he said.

J.D. learned a lot from his mother, especially her gift for kindness. “(The) most important thing I’ve learned is dealing with loss,” said J.D. “That is kind of equaled with how you treat people.”

Immediately after his mother’s death, J.D.’s grades went down. “For now doing school work is tough,” said J.D.

‘See you Monday, hopefully’ Sophomore Leo Willett (no relation to John Douglas Willett) first heard that his mother was sick on Dec. 21, 2010. He was eavesdropping on his parents and heard them talking of a possibility of lung cancer and that she was going to have blood work done. The blood work came back and his mother had to start chemotherapy immediately. In terms of health, January was steep, while February was smooth and she was actually getting better until March.

She stopped having chemotherapy because humans can only take so much radiation.

Leo never thought he would have to prepare himself for such a catastrophe, but

he did.

“She started getting tired by the end of March,” said Leo, and then his father told him that they needed to take his mother to the hospital. Then something no one would want to happen did, the worst. Unbeknownst to them, the cancer had spread to her legs, causing a tumor there as well.

This was not the only place the cancer had spread.

“How long do you think your mother has to live?” the doctor asked Leo. Being an optimist, he thought at least a month, but the doctor said that she had just a week.

“She didn’t get worse, just tired and sleepy,” Leo said about his mother’s condition three days before her death in March 2011.

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On Thursday Leo went to see his mother for the last time. “I said stuff like, ‘I’ll never see you again’,” Leo said. “It was hard.”

He was going to stay at his friend’s house for the weekend on Friday, and then his mother went into Hospice care. The last words Leo said to her were “goodbye, see you Monday, hopefully.”

Leo was at church with his friend and when he walked outside he saw his father standing with his uncle. It was 6:19 p.m. and Leo remembers it well. That’s when he finally knew his mother had passed. “Sad as hell,” said Leo describing the moment.

“My legs were made of lead.”

Leo said this experience opened his eyes to the real world. A memorial service happened in a place for 50 people; however 200 people showed up. Leo said this made him feel good knowing that his mother was loved by so many.

Leo said he will always remember the last time he saw his mother. “Don’t have this change you negatively, have it help you,” she said.

Hours before, a social worker told Rhianna and her sisters to write a letter or draw a picture for their mother. However, she never got to show her the letter.

“I went to school the next day, and I cried, and that’s it,” Rhianna said.

Despite the situation, she always dealt with it positively. Rhianna has learned to accept this “by knowing that God makes everything happen for a reason.” Rhianna became an honors student and had to grow up and mature. From first through fourth grade she made C’s and D’s in school, and after the death of her mother she has always been an honors student.

“I’ve learned not to take life for granted,” Rhianna said. She also has decided to never drink or smoke because of the example set by her mother.

“I had to grow up with one less person to love, or one less person to love me,” said Rhianna. “I always felt cheated, because I never had the chance to take care of her.”

‘It still hasn’t set in’ Senior Wit Cannon and junior Brooks Cannon’s father Hugh Cannon Jr. died on Dec. 13, 2008, of sudden heart failure. Wit was only 15. Wit was at the Tradewinds Resort with a friend from Indiana when he got the call. Brooks called, and Wit went home, assuming it was a joke. His father had a health screening beforehand, but it had revealed nothing.

“It honestly still hasn’t set in,” he said.

Despite this, he says that moving every

Special to SNN

“I was only 15. I never thought, ‘What if my father died?’ ” Wit Cannon, whose father, Hugh Cannon Jr. is pictured above

If you need help...

KIARA ALLEN |SNN

“I’ve learned not to take life for granted.”

Senior Rhianna Willis holds a t-shirt with a picture of her mother, Cynthia Willis. where and not seeing his father anymore were the most painful parts. “I was only 15. I never thought, ‘What if my father died?’ ” Wit said.

On the world, Wit’s perspective has changed. If Wit gets into a fight with his girlfriend, she might cry and he’ll get mad, comparing anything she complains about to not as bad as what happened to him.

Wit’s academic abilities have suffered the most because of this, he said. “My dad could teach me anything,” said Wit. “(Now) I’m not willing to learn.”

Wit hates when people feel sympathetic and believes that you have to laugh to get over things. “I make dead dad jokes,” he said.

Still this has made him a more serious person “due to the fact of what can happen.”

“Tomorrow I might not be here,” he said.

‘One less person to love’ Senior Rhianna Willis says her mother, Cynthia Willis, was sick ever since she was young, but she never expected her to die on Jan. 14, 2004. As a child, Rhianna always saw her mom in and out of the hospital, and she remembers that she slept a lot.

“When she was home, she was fun and snappy,” said Rhianna.

She later learned her mother was an alcoholic and she had a failing liver and kidneys. “Just seeing her drinking is all I remember,” said Rhianna. “This is what you get used to.”

Then she remembers being at the hospital all day. Social workers told her that her mother was going to die, and then a doctor came in and told the family that Rhianna’s mother had died. “When I heard, all I remember is saying, ‘Everything’s gonna change. Everything’s gonna change,’ ” she said.

When students are dealing with a crisis, they are never alone. Lakewood has guidance counselors and even a psychologist to help them with the problems they are going through.

Guidance counselor Danielle Johnson is the first defense when it comes to crises like these. When students are dealing with very sudden loss, she refers them to Hospice or the school psychologist. For every 10 students dealing with loss about half of them are severe.

School psychologist Heather Jakobiak is the one who generally handles short-term grief of students.

“We have more expertise in dealing with grief and loss,” said Jakobiak.

She helps the students understand the phases of grief. But not all students need this counseling as many are strong and show resiliency. “That’s being able to bounce back when you’ve gone through tragedy,” said Jakobiak. The most important thing about Jakobiak is her availability. She is at Lakewood on Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. -2:30 p.m.

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Sophomore Mario Guilbert wears his father’s bulletproof vest on Jan. 4. Guilbert is a child of two 20-year veterans in the U.S. military.

Military families combat fear with pride

ALEX BRACKX | SNN

By SOFIA DAMOS SNN Staff Writer

With images of planes crashing, guns firing and bombs burrowing deeper into the earth, add on the fear of a member of your family being in that plane, in front of that gun or under that bomb. That’s how the families of U.S. soldiers feel every day.

“I just live day-by-day,” said Lakewood High School sophomore Mario Guilbert. “A lot of people don’t get that I wake up every day wondering if my dad is dead or not.”

Guilbert knows the strain of having family in the military. He is the child of two 20year veterans in the U.S. military. He also has a brother who used to be in the National Guard and a sister entering the Air Force. As a prior Green Beret Special Forces soldier, his father continues to do contract work in the Middle East.

The contracts change with each one signed, some keeping him away for six to eight months at a time. The recent ending of the war in Iraq will not affect Guilbert’s dad. In fact, his dad left on Tuesday to go to Basra in southern Iraq and expects to be gone three months.

“More contractors get killed than the actual Army,” Guilbert said.

The fear of losing a loved one is not limited to parent-child bonds, but extends to the sibling bonds as well.

“I miss him a lot and it’s hard when he leaves,” said junior Gabby Moore, whose

brother, Brian, is a hospital Corpsman for the U.S. Navy. He spent seven months in Afghanistan, taking care of Afghan children.

“I get really worried he’ll get killed,” she said.

This worry almost became a reality during her brother’s time in Afghanistan when a plane was shot down, with three Navy members on board - a plane he was supposed to be on.

“I thought, ‘It could have been Brian,’” said Moore.

Not all students are fearful, however. Junior Deandre Boykins was inspired by his brother’s decision to join the Army.

“There’s nothing in St. Pete to do,” he said. “I wanted to go when he finally started seeing the world.”

With his brother stationed in Kansas as an fuel technician, Boykins hopes to join the Army engineering program. “(My brother) is kinda worried about going to Afghanistan,” he said. “They’re trying to ship him now.”

Regardless of personal preferences, these students feel a sense of pride at what their loved ones are doing. And they make a conscious effort to be supportive.

“People don’t respect our soldiers as much as they should,” said Guilbert. “They should show more respect for what they do and who they are.”

“People don’t respect our soldiers as much as they should.”

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reviews

Movie Reviews The Adventures of TinTin

By SEAN CARTER SNN Staff Writer

Released in theaters on Dec. 21, The Adventures of Tintin is an animated adventure suitable for a younger audience, but not necessarily satisfying for even a teenage audience. Whimsical and adventurous as it may have been, Tintin falls short of ever actually involving the audience in the movie.

Tintin is about a young, renowned detective-reporter who goes on a dangerous adventure after discovering a hidden clue inside of a model ship. His mission takes him across the globe, fighting off criminals out to get his clue as he tries to collect the rest of the clues, accompanied by his pet dog Snowy and a drunken ship captain named Haddock. From being abducted multiple times to getting plane- and shipwrecked, Tintin's adventures are both dangerous and oftentimes a good bit over the top.

Tintin starts off almost in the middle of things. Right at the beginning, the audience meets Tintin, without any explanation of who he is or why they are interested in him.

While it becomes obvious what he is, the movie still does not give the viewer any reason to care about him as a character, relying only on the conflict to maintain interest.

Because of the time that one must dedicate to watching a film, a movie has to do something to keep the viewer's interest, to pull one in. The mark of a good movie is that it makes viewers feel involved by making them ask questions of the movie and of themselves. Tintin lacks this quality: there's very little to question in the film, and the film makes no real point. It is merely empty action. While satisfying to a younger audience, it's not enough for a more mature audience to enjoy.

Tintin is good for what it is – an animated adventure – with excellent animation, voice acting, and a well-executed plot. Tintin does not contain any punch, anything that really sticks with you. By the time the film was coming to a close, I was just counting the minutes until I could leave the theater. Overall, I would give The Adventures of Tintin a six out of 10. It’s definitely worth seeing for a younger audience, but anyone above the age of 12 shouldn’t feel guilty about missing out on this flick.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

By LAUREN HASTINGS SNN Staff Writer

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows comes with high expectations in the wake of its predecessor, the high-grossing Sherlock Holmes that was released in 2009.

The film was released into theaters Dec. 16 and has so far grossed about $132.1 million, currently less than the first film in the series, which grossed $208.7 million. The film has garnered generally positive reviews, although not spectacular.

Robert Downey Jr. returns, playing the iconic Sherlock Holmes, with Jude Law playing his colleague, Dr. John Watson. While Watson prepares for his wedding with his fiancé, Holmes investigates the activities of Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris). To solve this case, Holmes must again enlist the help of Watson as well as gypsy Madam Simza (Noomi Rapace) to find Simza’s brother who knows vital information about the international conspiracy with Moriarty at the helm.

Overall, the film was good. The performances were all solid. Harris played a particularly sinister villain and Downey Jr. and Jude Law delivered well as always. Rapace, known for her role in the 2009 Swedish film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, also stood out. The film had a fair share of action, but for any hardcore Sherlock Holmes fans, it is not a faithful adaptation of the book. The film certainly deserves praise, but it was not an amazing or brilliant piece of cinema.

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: r e t e r a ze - o - m Story By KATIE DICKINSON and KIMBERLY KOAGEL Illustrations By ELIZABETH WILLIAMS and ALGERNARD BROWN

How does your mom measure up?

Design By KATIE ATKISSON

All children have been through a face-palm moment because of their mom.

Whether she was making a scene at the grocery store or showing your baby pictures when you had friends over, you know she is a little bit crazy. SNN talked to Lakewood students to find out how their moms fit into this equation. Here are their “crazy mom” stories.

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reshman Kayla Subramanian went o six years ago when she was 8. They were p around China, her mom disappeared from mom liked to shop and was always on the Her mom went off to shop without telli However, just in the nick of time she came purchases and got on the bus like it was n “(With) just great luck, she happened to stumble “I wondered who was the parent, and who was t thing’s wrong when you have to babysit your mom.”

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enior Kailah Britten had an experience in which her mom went crazy. They were driving home when her mom stopped because she smelled something in the air.

She insisted that their truck had broken down and made them get out of the car.

Britten and her mom had to walk 1.8 miles from Tyrone Square Mall to Chuck E. Cheese.

Her dad, who is a mechanic, later came and checked out the car. He said nothing was wrong with it and her mom replied, “Oh, I thought it was.”

“I was highly upset,” said Britten. She didn’t appreciate having to walk, she said, when they had a perfectly fine working car.

ordered Hill and her refused to go pick it said Hill.

Exasperated, her over and tried to gra teenagers were laug realized it was a joke Hill’s mom got in what was wrong, she were glad they had d “She was so angr funny,” said Hill.

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unior Dyaire Kennedy caught her mom in an interesting moment. It was a hot day during this previous summer and Kennedy’s mom started punching the air above her aiming for the sun.

They were in the car, and her mother was sitting in the passenger seat. Then Kennedy saw her punch the sun and talk to it like it was a person.

“I just stood there like, what is she doing?” said Kennedy. “I was shocked.”

Kennedy later asked for an explanation and her mom replied, “The sun was fighting me. It was hot.”

Kennedy’s friend’s reaction to what her mom did was to laugh and say, “Your mom is crazy!”

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on a family vacation to Shanghai, China, part of a tour group and while wandering m the group. Subramanian said that her e move. ing anyone and almost missed the bus. e back with no no big deal. upon it (the bus),” said Subramanian. the child,” she said. “You know some”

reshman Xzaviear Scantling defied his mother in eighth grade and went to a party at the Armory in St. Petersburg. He later suffered the consequences.

Scantling’s mother found out he went and walked into the party with intentions of bringing him home. When she arrived she turned the lights on, grabbed the microphone, went up on the stage and pointed him out.

Scantling said it was very embarrassing and that the other kids at the party were laughing.

Scantling’s friends said, “I can’t believe your mom did that.”

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nglish teacher Nikki Hill admitted to having a crazy mom herself. She dug deep into her memory to a moment when she was back in high school. Hill and her family were on their way home from church and stopped at 7-Eleven to buy drinks.

After her mom bought the drinks, she walked back to the car and saw a large number of coins on the ground. She went to the car and brother to go pick up the change, saying there must be around $2. They up. “We were too old to be going to pick up change off the ground,”

mom went to go pick it up after yelling at Hill and her brother. She bent ab a few coins when she realized they were glued to the ground. Some ghing inside the store and that’s when her mom e. n the car and rested her head against the head rest. When they asked e calmly told us that they were stuck to the ground. She and her brother decided to stay in the car, to spare them the embarrassment. y at us for not getting the change, and then that happened, it was

reviews W e d n e s d a y, J a n u a r y 1 8 , 2 0 1 2

Your page for reviews of the latest movies, books, fashion and music.

Good music rings in the New Year

By SYMONE BROWN SNN Staff Writer

Hollywood Holla brings you some of the hottest albums that wrapped up 2011 and upped the bar for artists of 2012. Last year the top dogs returned, from Lil Wayne to Lady Antebellum, and underdogs like J. Cole and Miguel got to make their debut. I’m looking forward to see what this year’s tunes will entail.

Drake (Take Care): 4.5 out of five stars) Drake takes care of business on his sophomore album. He returns, after nearly three years and satisfies the cravings of his fans: cocky, swagged out joints for the fellas and intimate records for the ladies.

Take Care is like a continuation of So Far Gone. He raps about reaching his destination on his journey to the top from his previous album. Though the Lil Wayne influence is heavy, Drake stays true to himself. In my eyes, Drake can do no wrong.

Florence + The Machine (Cermonies): 4.5 out of five stars The redheaded powerhouse belts out an album that’ll leave you breathless. Period.

T-Pain (rEVOLVEr): 4 out of five stars The infamous autotuner proves he isn’t a one-trick pony with his latest album rEVOLVEr. He explores a variety of genres from indie, with his hit 5 O’Clock In The Morning featuring acoustic coos of songtress Lily Allen and rhymes of rapper Wiz Khalifa, to techno. He manages to cover an array of music on the album without losing his essence or being headache-inducing. On rEVOLVEr, he gives the listener a glimpse of the man behind the microphone. His robotic melodies evoke real emotions in Drowning. Who ever thought T-Pain could be - dare I say - a real artist?

Rihanna(Talk That Talk): 3 out of five stars Rihanna teeter-totters to find a steady balance between her feminine side and edgy style. She can’t decide if she wants to sashay through fields of daisies or strut in her couture armor like in her album-titled song Talk That Talk featuring Jay-Z. Whether Rihanna’s being danity or hard, her risqué style declares itself loud and clear. Sometimes her sex appeal can become overdone like in her ultra-raunchy second single You Da One. Overall, Talk That Talk is a B average album, just another album to add to her urban pop repertoire.

Daughtry (Break the Spell): 2.5 out of five stars American Idol reject Chris Daughtry unites with four other rockers to create an edgy collection of bangers and ballads. Break the Spell, the band’s fourth studio album is soft rock, country crossover mash up. Records like Renegade and Outta My Head ooze with Bon Jovi influence, while Rescue Me is a twang away from Lady Antebellum. Daughtry’s attempt to broaden their horizons lacked authenticity and oomph. Gone Too Soon, a song about a deceased child, fails to move me. Hopefully Daughtry will prove themselves in their next release.

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Prepare for an actionpacked year in film Movies will make an explosive comeback.

By SYMONE BROWN SNN Staff Writer

Familiar faces will return to the big screen this year, from comic book heroines to vampires. Sequels will take over cinema this year. Series will end or pick up where they left off. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 will finish off the series and a new Taken 2 is in the works. So, SNN’s very own Hollywood Holla is bringing you the most anticipated comeback films of 2012.

Men in Black III- May 25 Director Barry Sonnenfeld and Steven Spielberg bring back our fave childhood sci-fi flick. Hopefully, funny man Will Smith will be able to breach the 10-year gap with his charisma and comedy. In this sequel, Agent J (Will Smith) travels back in time to the 1960s to fight against an alien that threatens to destroy his partner, Agent K’s (Tommy Lee Jones) future and the existence of mankind. Old and new fans alike are sure to pack the theaters to see how this ordeal will play out.

The Amazing Spider-Man- July 3 Marvel comic book fans were anticipating the fourth installment of the Spider-Man series this year. Sony Pictures opted for a remake rather than another sequel. This iconic storyline of half boy/half spider will be back on the silver screen this summer. Andrew Garfield is set to star as the heroine Peter Parker (Spider-Man) and Emma Stone will play alongside him as Gwen Stacy, his love interest. Martin Sheen, Rhys Ifans and Sally Field will also be featured in the film. Hopefully, the cast will be able to bring a new feel to his old story.

The Expendables 2-Aug. 17 The clan is reunited by Mr. Church to do a simple job. But when their plan is foiled by the murder of one of their members, they set out on a quest to avenge his death. In their fight for moral justice, trouble arises from their enemy and an unexpected threat is proposed. The film will feature action veterans such as Chuck Norris and Bruce Willis. With an all-star cast like this, you can’t go wrong. This action-packed sequel is sure to make an explosive comeback.

Titanic 3D: April 6 This timeless classic is revamped by newage 3D effects. Though it’s an iconic film, this love-and-lost tragedy will be magnified, but on the plus side Leonardo DiCaprio’s charm will jump off the screen.

The Dark Knight Rises-July 20 Seems as though all of our childhood heroes are returning this summer. First Spider-Man and now Batman. This time Batman is bringing Catwoman with him.

The third and last segment of The Dark Knight Rises will hit theaters in mid-July.

It will conclude the Batman trio started back in 2005 with Batman Begins. This plot will take place eight years after the events in Dark Knight, from Dent’s demise to the Joker’s mischief. Batman (Christian Bale) has owned up to Dent’s crimes, so the town persecutes him. Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) steps up in Gothman City’s time of need by becoming her alter ego Catwoman while Batman is away. A new villain preys on the city.

Batman and Catwoman must join forces to protect the honor of their city. Batman plans to go out with a bang in theaters.

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reviews

Frozen yogurt wars Two yogurt shops in St. Petersburg battle it out, but Yogurtology tops MYC.

By KASEY DILLARD SNN Staff Writer

Along with the new year, a lot of new things are surfacing: New music, new fashions and now new desserts. Instead of your traditional ice cream, frozen yogurt is the hottest new trend. St. Petersburg has joined this band wagon, and SNN would like to share with you its review of two of the most popular shops in town.

Yogurtology, 3043 Fourth St. N, shows its popularity starting with its location on Fourth Street. When you walk in the side door, there are several yogurt dispensers on the wall. You get whatever size cup you want and you can choose from multiple flavors. They have a bar that has a variety of condiments, including fresh strawberries, bananas, blackberries and blueberries and candy, including M&Ms and Oreo pieces.

They also offer Nutella, peanut butter and whipped cream.

As they say on the shop’s website, this place can be summed up in three words: “simple, clean and delicious.” Not only is there great service, but it also has a welcoming atmosphere. When I came

in, the worker cheerfully greeted me and explained to me how everything worked.

The shop has the look of a real café inside and out – where you can sit at umbrellacovered tables or on white leather couches.

MYC (My Yogurt Café) is on 234 Beach Drive NE. The location of this shop gives off that true Floridian vibe with a boho and beachy feel. However, I was not impressed with the service or the yogurt.

They offer limited condiments, like fruit and chocolates, and few flavors such as birthday cake, vanilla tart, pumpkin pie and coffee. Also, there was an option of caramel or chocolate syrup to top your yogurt.

The yogurt selection is okay and the service isn’t any better. The employee who served me wasn’t very personable. She seemed standoffish and didn’t reflect the yogurt shop in a positive light.

Overall, both shops have their ups and downs in their yogurts and their service, but I’d pick Yogurtology over MYC any day.

Kelly Ewert of St. Petersburg fills up a quart of dairy-free yogurt at Yogurtology, 3043 Fourth St. N. Yogurtology has a variety of soft serve flavors and toppings.

RACHELLE GADDY| SNN

RACHELLE GADDY | SNN

A variety of yogurt toppings are displayed for customers at Yogurtology on Fourth Street N in St. Petersburg. Some toppings available are granola, chocolate chip, marshmallows and cookies. Customer Kelly Ewert says she likes Yogurtology because it’s the only place she can get her daughter dairyfree ice cream. “She’ll do almost anything for it,” Ewert said.

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opinion W e d n e s d a y, J a n u a r y 1 8 , 2 0 1 2 Editorial

New exam schedule stirs debate It is a new year, a fresh schedule, and you wonder what changes we will say those break are not enough; in total you have only will be made to the exam agenda this year. So you poke and prod about 40 minutes of break. your teachers for information, the slightest bit of detail, and you We think that this new exam schedule is ridiculous. No student come up short every time. Finally you find it, the answer you have should have to suffer through this blunder of an awkward time been looking for – the new exhausting schedule. table. The only way to right the wrongs of this year’s exam week is In the past, exams would take anywhere between three to four to take out the hour classes before each exam and release students days. Each day consisted of two exams and one 20 minute break in early, like in the past. between. However that is not the case this year. With the new four 96-minute block schedule, the call was made to adopt a new exam This editorial was written by senior Zubin Kapadia and reflects the timetable. This year we are being plagued by four days of testing. opinion of the entire SNN Editorial Board.

Each day with two 10 – minute breaks, one 20 – minute lunch, two one – hour classes, two 135 minute exams, and we still get released at 2:15 p.m. each day (except for Wednesday when we get released at 1:05 PM). While this Friday Jan. 13th Wednesday Schedule Jan 18th may sound nice, compared to last year, this isn’t.

1st Class(per. 1)- 7:05-8:00 1st Class (per. 2)- 7:05-7:30 We here at the SNN find this exam schedule horrenBreak 8:00-8:10 Break 7:30-7:40 dous. People have always dreaded exam week, though 1st Exam 8:10-10:25 1st Exam 7:40-9:55 there is one reason why students have looked forward to 10:30-10:50 Lunch 10:00-10:10 it – why? Because they could go home earlier than usual, Lunch 2nd Class (per. 3) 10:55-11:50 2nd Class(per.4) 10:15-10:40 enjoy a nap before their next study session [cram ses11:50-12:00 Break 10:40-10:50 sion for others], and even get a little extra free time to go Break 2nd Exam 12:00-2:15 2nd Exam 10:50-1:05 enjoy the outside world. But we cannot do that anymore.

With this new schedule we are going to be stuck in such a Tuesday Jan. 17th Thursday Jan. 19th mundane situation for four whole days.

1st Class(per. 6)- 7:05-8:00 Some students are going to find this extremely difficult 1st Class(per. 5)- 7:05-8:00 Break 8:00-8:10 Break 8:00-8:10 – for example, those students who take an AP Science, 8:10-10:25 1st Exam 8:10-10:25 which entails a mandatory lab class. Their exams may fall 1st Exam 10:30-10:50 Lunch 10:30-10:50 on the same day. These students may get to enjoy a lovely Lunch 2nd Class (per. 7) 10:55-11:50 2nd Class (per. 8) 10:55-11:50 seven-hour day with one teacher, one seat, and the same 11:50-12:00 Break 11:50-12:00 material. Being confined to one room the entire day is not Break 2nd Exam 12:00-2:15 2nd Exam 12:00-2:15 anyone’s favorite pastime. Here you are going to argue that “oh, but SNN you have breaks in between” to which

EXAM SCHEDULE

Letter Just show some respect

Share Your Opinions

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Letters to the editor should be sent to tobink@pcsb. org. They should concern an opinion on a featured editorial or news story. They must be signed, accurate and at most 150 words. Letters may be edited for taste, length and grammar.

SNN

Dear Editor: In the last editorial in SNN it said the administrators’ attitude toward the students at the end of the day of school should be respectful. I disagree with that statement.

I think that students should show respect in order to get that respect. In other words, we should follow the directions given to us. As the editorial says, “things will go far more smoothly” if we students “just try it out … and see what happens.”

The editorial also said that the adults should be showing us how to handle these kinds of situations with maturity. The adults are showing us how to handle these kinds of situations; we just need to listen to them. Not everyone in the real world is going to be respectful, so we need to be prepared. Plus, we as students, should have more maturity than we do now.

- Jalon Edwards, 11th grade

Spartan News Network Staff Editor-in-Chief: Sofia Damos Managing Editor: Julia Pohlmann Designers: Chris Deister, Katie Atkisson Multimedia Editors: Katie Atkisson, Madeline Glassman Entertainment Editor: Symone Brown Online Editors: Molinseai Elcius, Jessica Thornton Web Technician: Lauren Hastings

Code of Ethics As journalists for the Spartan News Network, we work together as a community with respect, professionalism, accuracy and curiosity. We collect information and dig deep to get to the bottom of the most current events to produce and distribute hard-hitting and honest news to the Lakewood community in a timely manner. SNN is an open forum that strives to accurately report a balanced and truthful depiction of the news while remaining objective. Our main goal at SNN is to build and maintain trust with the people, to give a voice to the voiceless and to succeed at not just painting the picture, but telling the story behind the art.

SNN is produced by the students of Lakewood High School.

1400 54th Ave. S St. Petersburg, FL (727) 893-2916, ext. 2163 SNN is printed

by Lakewood’s business partner, the Tampa Bay Times.

For more news, go to the SNN web site:

snntoday.pcsb.org

W e d n e s d a y, J a n u a r y 1 8 , 2 0 1 2

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sports

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Volleyball star leaves Lakewood Berkley Whaley heads to UF. “She’s the best to come out of the county,” her coach says.

By MARIAH WATTS SNN Staff Writer

Senior Berkley Whaley is trading in her Spartan helmet for a cozy nest in the swamp at the University of Florida.

Whaley, who according to ESPN is the No. 3 volleyball recruit in Florida, is leaving Lakewood for the second semester so she can attend college classes and train the first six months before volleyball season next fall.

“It’s bittersweet. Of course I’m going to miss all of my friends and family, but it’s time to start a new chapter in my life,” said Whaley.

Her soon-to-be coach, Mary Wise, suggested that she leave early and complete the training and Berkley agreed that it was best. Because she attended the CAT program (Center for Advanced Technologies), Berkley is able to gradu-

ate early with enough credits. She will be returning, however, to attend prom and walk with her graduating class.

Coach Sean O’Flannery, a Lakewood social studies teacher, said that he is proud of Whaley for graduating early, taking nine classes and playing volleyball at a high level. Next season the Spartans will lose three seniors but will have many young players willing to step up.

“She’s the best to come out of the county,” said O’Flannery. “She’s going to be hard to beat.”

Besides UF, Whaley has had other big offers, but the only other one she considered was the University of Texas.

However, since the second grade she has always known that Florida was the

school for her, she said.

“I’m so happy for her that she gets to go up to UF early and start training,” said teammate, junior Leigh Buttner.

“It’s going to be a big loss for our team when she leaves. We will all definitely miss her greatly.”

Conditioning and workouts for Lakewood’s next volleyball season will begin after basketball, O’Flannery said.

During the summer the players will travel to Eckerd College for workouts.

The Spartan volleyball team finished just one game short from the regional finals.

“I thought it was a great season.

I’m really going to miss the girls,” said O’Flannery.

RACHELLE GADDY | SNN

Senior Berkley Whaley stands in front of a volleyball net on Oct. 9.

Whaley left Lakewood second semester to play college volleyball at the University of Florida.

New teacher has experience for soccer

By OWEN DYCHES SNN Staff Writer

At first glance, Matthew Gorny might look like either a student here at Lakewood or a visitor from a college. But actually, he is a first year English teacher and the boys soccer coach.

Gorney grew up in New York, and the summer before he started high school in Buffalo, he was on a state championship winning club soccer team, Buffalo Premier, where he played center defense.

After high school, Gorny received a bachelor’s degree in communications, and then became a teacher at Bishop Timon- St. Jude High School in Buffalo, where he was also an assistant coach for the varsity soccer team.

“I wanted to make a difference in society. I didn’t want a job where I just punched in 9-5 everyday, made some money for Warren Buffet or Bill Gates and then went home. I wanted a career where I could help people, and teaching was the perfect opportunity for that. I went back to school for English education. It was the best decision I’ve ever made,” said Gorny.

Since coming to Lakewood, things are working out well for Gorny – in the classroom as well as on the field.

“He’s a great coach, and a great leader. He knows the game,” said senior Chris Huber.

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MARTIN HOOD | SNN

Boys soccer coach Matthew Gorny stands in front of a soccer goal during the Dec. 9, 2011 soccer game on the Spartan Field. Coach Gorny is a first year English teacher and soccer coach. “I have a passion for the game,” says Coach Gorny.

“He puts all of his effort into coaching, and that’s all you can ask for.”

The soccer team is currently 4-8-1. Gorny said the team needs to play hard as they head into districts and “make good things happen.” He said he hopes as the

season progresses, the team will continue to develop and grow.

“We have a lot of young players, so the future is bright,” he said. “My philosophy as a coach is to take one game at a time, though.”

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sports

MOLINSEAI ELCIUS | SNN

Junior Leon Tomlinson juggles a soccer ball with his foot on Dec. 5. He dislocated his shoulder while playing for Southside recreation soccer team.

The wear and tear of soccer

By ELIJAH FLEWELLEN SNN Staff Writer SCOTTY SCHENCK | SNN

Student athletic trainer junior Sarah Donnelly assists with an injury during the Lakewood vs. Dunedin girl’s soccer game on Dec. 13.

Pain in the game

Student athletic trainers at Lakewood help athletes through their injuries.

By KATIE BLEVINS SNN Staff Writer

We all know sports are physical, and it’s nothing new if a player gets hurt during a game. That’s where the athletic trainer comes in. Here at Lakewood, we also have student athletic trainers, 17, to be exact.

Student athletic trainers go to every home game of the sport they choose. At those games they “assist with various medical responsibilities,” according to health teacher and trainer Erika Miller. A student athletic trainer has to arrive 30 minutes before the game and stay long enough after to help if they’re needed. They must behave like an athlete would and act professionally while there, said Miller.

To become a student athletic trainer you have to fill out an interest application. The application requires two letters of recommendation, and states that you must maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Certifications like CPR or First Aid aren’t required when a student applies, but they do help, said Miller.

Each sport has two trainers, except football which has six and wrestling which has one.While at the games, the trainers usually assist with minor injuries, and help out by getting ice or taping body parts of athletes.

“They’re a tremendous help,” Miller said, “especially during winter and spring when there are so many sports, because there’s only one of me.”

Junior Bailey Kay, who volunteers for boys and girls soccer, says she likes being a student athletic trainer because it’s interesting and hands-on. “I feel like I’m very helpful, or I try to be anyway.”

Junior Sarah Donnelly is also a student athletic trainer for the soccer teams. Donnelly says that she enjoys being at the games and helping out. “Just in case something happens we’re there,” she said.

Donnelly decided to become a student athletic trainer after hearing about the opportunity from a friend. “I’ve always been really into sports, so anything I can do that’s sports related sounds more fun to me. I want to be a physical therapist, so I might as well start somewhere,” she said.

Every hour that a student athletic trainer is at a game is equal to one volunteer hour. Most of the trainers use them as National Honor Society hours.

Senior Jevaris Little said he chose to be a student athletic trainer for the volleyball games to get his hours for NHS because he thought it would be fun and he would get an opportunity to learn.

“I wanted to get more experience with injuries because I’m a football player and I know I’m going to get hurt, so I want to know how to get back to the field faster,” Little said.

One Lakewood soccer player, sidelined because of a shoulder injury, is returning while another – who is still recovering is resuming play after two years. Here are their painful stories.

Junior Leon Tomlinson, a starting defenseman on the Lakewood team, was injured on Nov. 26, 2011, playing soccer for his Southside recreation team. Tomlinson said he was tackled in mid-air and dislocated and fractured his shoulder when he landed. He had to do several weeks of physical therapy, and he wore his arm in a sling.

“It was pain that I have never felt before. I was in shock so I didn’t really scream or anything,” said Tomlinson. “I got carried off the field by a couple of people and I was in an ambulance headed to St. Joseph’s Hospital.”

Tomlinson said he was disappointed when he could not play for several weeks. “I feel that the team could (have used) me out there. We didn’t lose a game when I played,” said Tomlinson.

Tomlinson returned to action on Jan. 3 against Osceola High School.

Senior soccer player Shaniece Mathew also has just returned from a gruesome knee injury that has had her out for two years, since April 2010.

“I was just running and my knee just gave out on me. I tore my ACL and meniscus. (It was) by far the most pain I have ever experienced,” said Mathew, a starting midfielder for the Spartans.

Matthew was bedridden for three weeks after her surgery and was in a wheelchair for two weeks, an experience that showed her not everyone is kind.

“There are some mean people here. They don’t like to open doors for crippled people,” says Matthew.

Though she is playing once again, she is still not completely healed.

“It feels good to be playing again but it hurts,” said Mathew.

Mathew has played in all of the team’s games so far and she scored the first goal of the season.

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Mixed Martial Arts: Not just a guy’s sport Junior Chelsea Helt enters the ring and takes down her opponents in Muy Thai Mixed Martial Arts.

By SABRINA SCHMIDT SNN Staff Writer

In September, junior Chelsea Helt took to the ring in a Muy Thai Mixed Martial Arts fight.

In Muy Thai competition fighting, the winner is decided by points. Helt received all points possible for her fight. During the fight Helt said she felt good when she landed a punch.

“She kept her hands down a lot, and as mean as it sounds, her face was a lot like a speed bag … and I was like, man, I’m just hitting her face. This is great; this is easy,” said Helt.

Helt has had a short career which consists of two competitive fights, but she has been training since she was 8. To prepare herself for the Muy Thai fight Helt trained and worked out for three months and ran three miles every day. She also had a special diet, which contained egg whites, chicken and apples. Helt said she had to do all this to maintain good health but also to make weight so she could fight in her weight class, which means she would fight a girl relatively her same size and weight.

She says that fighting is a mental game.

“You have to believe in yourself, but not be too cocky,” said Helt. She also said that

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you have to forget everything else around you except that you are going to win.

And Helt did win her September fight.

“She did not leave it in the hands of the judges. ... (The fight) was almost boring to me, because I knew she was going to do well,” said her trainer, Amir Ardebily.

Ardebily praised Helt’s skills and said that when she gets in the ring it’s like she’s putting on a superman outfit.

Helt’s fellow Muy Thai fighters also had great things to say about her fighting abilities.

“She fights with strong determination not seen in many young fighters,” said Ian Cavitt.

“She’s very poised and aggressive,” said Josh Stubenhofer.

MMA is defined as a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, but Helt defines it as self-defense in an artful way. At the age of 8, Helt began her training in Muy Thai and Jiu Jitsu at Amir Academy of Martial Arts. Her dad, spurred on by the story of a young girl who was kidnapped, felt that she should learn to defend herself.

“My dad got all really, like, paranoid

MARIA BARROS | SNN

Chelsea Helt holds a firm fighter’s position during a portrait session. To train for competitions Helt works with a trainer, eats a special diet and runs three miles a day. “You have to believe in yourself, but not be too cocky,” Helt said. and he was, like, ‘My children are going to learn how to fight for themselves,’” said Helt.

Helt’s father has done MMA fighting since he was 17 and her grandmother had done it before him. Today Helt, her mother, father and brother all train at the same dojo - a school for practicing martial arts.

On a typical training day Helt’s workout consists of stretching and using jump ropes, which she says is important because it encourages rhythm. She also practices technique exercises such as using focusing mitts and sparring, which is using light blows. Helt says when she spars with other students they use 50 percent of speed and power.

“Because it’s not a popular sport among

girls, I’m usually fighting guys … and I’m actually in the advanced class, which means I’m with guys who have fought 16 times,” said Helt. Some of the guys Helt said she has had to spar with are 250 pounds and tower over her. They have a large ring at the dojo which they use when they spar.

Helt thinks that TV shows such as Ultimate Fighting Championship or Tap Out are not MMA. “It’s just brawling and anyone can do that,” she said. “MMA is more of a practical art. … A lot of the techniques you do are just extremely amazing feats of the body.”

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sports

The non-sport sport Pinellas County is part of just 20 percent of school districts in the nation that don’t have competitive cheerleading.

By JULIA POHLMANN SNN Staff Writer

“Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-u-mah, Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minne-So-Tah!” This simple chant, led by one man at the University of Minnesota, started the phenomenon that now involves over three million people. Even more, 80 percent of all high schools across America consider competitive cheering a sport.

Pinellas County schools, however, are part of the 20 percent. The decision not to make the clubs an official sport through the Florida High School Athletic Association was made during a conference with all of the principals at a meeting in September.

All of the Pinellas County schools voted and only one school voted for cheering to become a competitive sport, according to Pinellas County schools extracurricular and athletics director Nickolas R. Grasso.

“Right now, (cheerleading programs are) part of a support group. They’re part of our athletic program, but not competitive at the state level,” Grasso said.

These cheerleading squads perform at

Sports Roundup BOYS’ BASKETBALL With a record of 11-2 the boys’ varsity basketball team is having a successful season. “(The season) is really good. We’ve grown a lot as a team; we’ve matured as a team,” said coach Anthony Lawrence.

The team lost a few games but “because of the maturity we’ve fixed these issues and we’ve played well,” Lawrence said.

Lawrence said Shabazz Waller has been doing exceptionally this season.“Our success is coming from a team effort,” said Lawrence.

- KAYLA GARCIA

WRESTLING This season the Lakewood wrestling team has lost every match. They only have four wrestlers due to injuries, people quitting and forfeits because of a lack of people competing in certain weight classes. A football player for years, senior Martez Anderson decided this year to take up wrestling. Even though the team has lost every match Anderson himself is 3-0. “It’s fun, easy so far,” Anderson said. He said he expects to do well in districts. “I’m

sporting events, like basketball and football.

“They spend a lot of time preparing routines, spend time supporting the established sports, and are supposed to be the leaders of the school, the best Lakewood has to offer as far as role models,” Lakewood athletic director Deb Fabrizio said of what the club does.

Cheerleading, as a club, receives funds for certain things, but none to attend competitions. Cheering competitions are the time for the squad to shine and be evaluated against other squads as they perform choreographed cheers and dances.

“As far as competitions, you have to pay out of pocket and there is no one at our level, so we’d have to compete against competitive squads,” said senior captain Taryn Schlather.

Cheering is much more than just a passion for senior captain Jade Franklin. She believes it is a sport just like football or soccer.

“We have to work hard and we have

NAUDIA MCDANIEL | SNN

Lakewood cheerleaders cheer on the Lakewood’s boys basketball team from the stands. The Dec. 9, 2011, Lakewood vs. Gibbs game was held at Gibbs High School, and Gibbs took the victory. to prepare just like any other team. If the (football or basketball) team loses, it’s a big deal to us too,” Franklin said.

Franklin plans to attend Jacksonville University and is talking to the cheerleading coach there. She said collegiate level cheering is very different from high school

cheering. Therefore, the lack of competitions in high school won’t affect her.

“It’s important to me because we have fun and meet new people and get to be leaders to the new people,” Franklin said.

“We are teaching and learning and just having fun.”

going to tell you like I told Coach Frank Niles, I didn’t come to lose at all.” One thing Anderson kept repeating was “I have to find the best way to rip my opponent’s face off, even if I’m not as good as him I have nothing to lose.”

- LATERIAN LATIMER

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL The girls’ basketball team is doing well despite a few injuries on the team. Their record is 13-7. “It’s been a season of nagging injuries,” said Coach Necole Tunsil.

“It has hurt the team’s chemistry.” Senior Shaniece Beamon was out for four games in the beginning of the season, and junior Tianah Alvarado may be out for the rest of the season. “So far it’s been very difficult for the team to rebound,” said Tunsil.

Alvarado said she has a minor tear on her ACL and was planning to have surgery on Jan. 13. “I think because I’m hurt my teammates stepped up so we can repeat and go to states again,” she said. Alavarado said though she may not make it back this year, she definitely will be back next year. “We have enough time to work and practice and we know what it takes. I think my team has a lot of heart,” she said.

- KAYLA GARCIA

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20 12 Junior Eric Brown

Top 10 New Year Resolutions (Source: ListVerse)

1. Spend Time with Loved Ones 2.Get Fit 3.Lose Weight 4.Stop Smoking 5.Enjoy Life More 6.Stop Drinking 7.Get Out of Debt 8.Learn Something New 9.Be More Charitable 10.Reorganize Life

Sophomore Marina Martinez

Librarian Andrea McDougal

Top 10 Most Broken New Year Resolutions (Source: Time Magazine)

1.Lose Weight and Get Fit 2.Quit Smoking 3.Learn Something New 4.Eat Healthier and Diet 5.Get Out of Debt and Save Money 6.Spend More Time with Family 7.Travel to New Places 8.Be Less Stressed 9.Volunteer 10.Drink Less

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Sophomore Jason Scott

Junior Michael Wos

Sophomore Allie House

Photos by Madeline Glassman and Dane Morris, compiled by Kayla Garcia