JHop Times

Thursday, October 16, 2014

J.HOP TIMES John Hopkins Middle School St. Petersburg, Florida jhoptimes.pcsb.org

STRESS

MAKE IT GO AWAY! We offer some advice.

PAGE 3 Photo illustration by ANNIE GJINECI

SOPHIE OJDANIC | JHT

ALICIA PHANDARA | JHT

KAYLA ANDERSON | JHT

Cafeteria Confidential

Haslam’s Bookstore

Working wonders

A dedicated crew serves lunch for 1,700, and we explain how. PAGES 12-13

Just in time for Halloween: visit one of the oldest bookstores in Florida. And watch out for ghosts. BACKPAGE

Meet Mr. Smith, the JHMS social worker. PAGE 16

2 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014

opinions

J.Hop Times staff The J.Hop Times is produced four times a year by students at John Hopkins Middle School. 2014-15 publication dates: Oct. 16, Dec. 18, March 19, May 21.

NEWSROOM 3 | PERIODS 1 & 2 Editor in Chief: Annie Gjineci and Rachel Gadoury Photography Editors: Sophie Ojdanic and Julianna Raymond Chris Anderson, Nadin Antonova, Felicity Asencio, Andrew Atwell, Bella Capucci, Caleb Gordon, Tierra Harris, Sandra Mean, Ashley Muse, Marcus Odajuste, Alicia Phandara, Kaylee Pompey, Julianna Raymond, Maya Rivas, Marco Smiley, Destiny Ulanoff, Ay’Ria Webb

NEWSROOM 2 | PERIOD 6 Dwauneario Brown, Cameron Canfall, Tanisha Delice, Leah Dudley, Drequann Evans, Raven Flowers, Kayla Green, Ka Hall, Breanna Harrell, Victoria Harrington, Vivianne Harrington, William Jones, Lien Lam, Bryson Maddox, Willow McCalpin, Terrica McClendon, Antoniece Morgan, Nikiyah Neal, Kimberly Priest, Donvanta Rosebud, Tyrone Ross, John Smith, Timothy Smith, Autumn Stipe, Marcus Terrell, Jennifer White, Trafton Williams, Sayvon Wilson

NEWSROOM 2 | PERIOD 7 Jordan Acquarolo, Jacob Clutter, Keondrick Davis, Cael Delgado, Damiano Gallina, Pedro Gonzalez, Denise Hall-Papaleo, Patricia Holt, Ruth Iglehart, Nick Johnson, Hunter Lovec, Nick Madole, Demetrio Martin, Justin Moncada, Essex Potts, Olivia Schottler-Scutti, Jarves Scruggs, Jaeden Slomic, Yon’Daijah Turner, Brianna Walker, Vincent Weaver, Chris Wessel

NEWSROOM 1 | PERIOD 4 Kayla Anderson, Krysta Brayton, Ioana Gaganelova, Lindsey Gavornik, Donovan Glover, Jaiden Jones, Timothy Jones, Christian King, Ajla Kuc, Graciela Ladera, Adriana Landes, Caelen Lavallee, Peter Lawton, Halle Link, Chloe Meyers, Kaylee Pedigo, Baylee Roberts, Stella Vedsegaard-Rosss, Matthew Williams

NEWSROOM 1 | PERIOD 5 Elizabeth Atwood, Dorrien Black, Savion Brightful, Malaysia Brown, Kameron Butler, Marquis Byrd, Alissa Davis, Victor Harington, Jatrell Hope, Teayonia Hope, Jaqwon James, Richard Jenkins, Sameron Jones, Zaveon Larry, Jan Lozada Colon, CurNecia Martin, Lacy McKee, India Moorer, Alivia Morgan, Luke Oliver, Marquiese Pearson, Shatoni Peterson, Dorian Pettis, Makayla Rakes, Ezekiel Roberson, Isaiah Rogers, Raymaya Smith, DeAsia Waters, Dakota Wiesenborn, Malik Williams, Macey Zeh-Arndt The aim of the J.Hop Times is to fairly and honestly report the news, and to provide a forum for students, faculty and staff.

Can we change our school’s reputation?

Do we have a couple of decades?

I

f you do a Google search for the words John Hopkins Middle School, here is what you find: • Brawls disrupt John Hopkins Middle School • Two J.Hop students accused of rape • Parents get into fights outside the school When we were in fifth grade, we wanted to go to JHMS, so we went online and ran a search. The results scared us. It seemed like the school was a crazy, violent place.

We didn’t know it at the time, but John Hopkins Middle School was ANNIE just the opposite of those stories.

It’s too bad that these headlines GJINECI AND were missed: • Channel 13’s Good Morning Tampa SOPHIE Bay news show spent an entire OJDANIC morning with the JHMS drama J.Hop Times department as they opened Beauty Editors and the Beast.

• The JHMS orchestra, drama, and chorus programs sent several students to All State.

• Mr. Sakiotis’ students produce the daily Morning Show newscasts, which have won dozens of countywide awards. They regularly beat high school newscasts.

• The J.Hop Times is named the best middle school newspaper in America.

We’re leaving a lot out, but the point is that good

things — many good things — happen here if you bother to look.

Which brings us to the two main things that are working against this school. First, bad things make the news, good things don’t. (“If it bleeds, it leads.’’) Second, once you get a bad reputation, it’s like stepping on gum. Only worse.

A bad reputation can drag a school down. Here at John Hopkins, enrollment in the school, and in the magnet program, is declining. Some of that has to do with what parents think of the school. Even if it’s not true. There is this label attached to our school’s name, and no matter what, it stays there. The thing is, JHMS doesn’t deserve that bad label.

When you tell people you go JHMS, they usually saying something like, “Ooooh.” It’s like telling someone you have a bad cold.

But that’s so unfair. We’ve won so many awards for sports, and countless awards for our magnet programs. But no one ever thinks about that. Whenever something “good” happens it lasts for about a week.

But when a small bad thing happens, it stays much longer. The most popular news story (by far) on the J.Hop Times website last year was about a student whose mother made her carry a sign in front of school as a form of punishment for acting up.

Why can’t we say we’re proud of our school without getting strange looks from other people?

How can we change that?

Here’s how you can be heard Write a column, letter or draw a cartoon (keep it clean, no profanity or name calling.)

Spell and fact-check your work. We reserve the right to correct any factual or grammatical mistakes. Sign your work and bring it to our newsroom in Building 5-113.

Note: There is no guarantee your work will be published.

Journalism teachers: Cynthia Vickers, Tom Zucco Newspaper designer: Brittany Volk Journeys in Journalism coordinator: Cynda Mort The J.Hop Times, winner of the 2013-14 Newspaper Pacemaker Award from the National Scholastic Press Association, is produced by the students of John Hopkins Middle School

JOURNALISM ADVISORY BOARD Chair, Gretchen Letterman, tb-two* editor, Tampa Bay Times; Program strategist and Tampa Bay Times liaison, Gelareh Asayesh, community volunteer; Stephen Buckley, Dean of Faculty, Poynter Institute; Beth Casey, attorney, Jenkins and Kaiser, P.A.; Goliath Davis, community volunteer; John Just, director, Precyse University; Marilyn Lusher, director of human resources (secondary placement), Pinellas County Schools; Shirmatee Ojah Maharaj, manager, economic development/business assistance, City of St. Petersburg; Mary Shedden, journalist and parent; Norm Smith, associate dean/director of special learning, Eckerd College; and Nancy Waclawek, director of corporate giving, Tampa Bay Times

John Hopkins Middle School 701 16th St. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33705, 727-893-2400 Principal: Barry Brown Assistant principals: Robert Florio (magnet coordinator), Dwight Latimore, Erin Savage For more news, go to jhoptimes.pcsb.org

Get with the program T hink about what John Hopkins Middle School would be without the drama, dance, art, chorus, orchestra, band, or journalism programs. What if there was no magnet program?

School would be pretty quiet, for one thing. Actually, JHMS would be a pretty dull place; there would be no plays, no concerts, no performances. What’s more, the overall school grade would probably stay low (it’s an F now) because many of those high-performing magnet stu- RACHEL dents would be gone. Last year, most GADOURY of the top eighth-graders were in the J.Hop Times Editor magnet program.

That’s not to say the school can’t stand on its own. It can. It did for more than 50 years before the magnet program arrived.

The point is that the school isn’t feeling well right now, and the magnet program is the perfect medicine.

We are failing as a school to recruit students

into our magnet program. When you were in fifth grade looking for a middle school, and you made the decision to go to John Hopkins, what did your friends say? “Why would you go there? There are always fights, and kids do very bad things. I’m going to Meadowlawn,” says your friend. You always hear these bad things about JHOP but in reality, is this school really that bad?

I went to a little fall festival at my old elementary school last year, and I met a girl that was in fifth grade.

She was conflicted on where she wanted to go. She asked me, “Where do you go to school?” “John Hopkins.” “OH MY GOSH,” she said, “I hear that school is a really bad school, is it that bad?” I went on and on about how the school isn’t as bad as it seems. She told me how she wanted to be in the drama program. She is in sixth grade now at JHMS, and she told me the other day, “I’m glad I came to JHOP because the drama program is a blast!”

Maybe if we worked harder to encourage kids in elementary to come to John Hopkins, it might make our Magnet program even stronger.

J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014 • 3

school news

‘Don’t sweat the small stuff’ may be the best way to deal with stress.

What?

Me worry?

Yes.

BY NADIN ANTONOVA, ANNIE GJINECI AND SOPHIE OJDANIC J.Hop Times Staff Writers

Classwork. Parents. Tests. Gossip, Relationships. Bullying. Getting to school. Getting to class.

What to wear.

We could go on.

Welcome to Stressville. You know the place. Middle school kids visit all the time.

Sometimes, we stay for weeks.

According to a report earlier this year in USA Today, “Teens across the USA are feeling high levels of stress that they say negatively affect every aspect of their lives.

“More than a quarter (27 percent) say they experience “extreme stress” during the school year, versus 13 percent in the summer. And 34 percent expect stress to increase in the coming year.

“Hard numbers tell us kids are more anxious and depressed now than they’ve ever been.’’

Now that’s depressing. The report also said stress can lead to poor grades, skipping meals, health problems, depression and all sorts of other bad things.

Here’s the amazing thing about stress. You control it.

Experts say stress is basically the anticipation that something will happen. Usually, it’s something bad.

We feel we’ll fail a test or say something stupid or miss our bus or get teased for what we’re wearing.

So the less you worry about things like that, the less stress you’ll have.

If only it were that easy.

“Students have eight teachers, so it’s hard to balance everything and still have fun,” said Mrs. Bresler, a math teacher at JHMS. “There’s just not enough time in the day to get every single thing done.”

Students deal with stress in many different ways — from listening to music to going out for a run. Some students said they are like ticking time bombs. They hold all of the stress inside, until they finally explode.

“Standardized tests, like the FCAT, really stress me out.” said Bayleigh Butler, an eighth-grader. Bayleigh is not alone. Most students at JHMS feel that standardized tests are the main reason they get stressed in school.

At points where stress has come to extremes, Mr. Smith, the social worker at JHMS, said students should contact a parent or guardian to help them through it.

And it’s not just students who are dealing with stress. Even JHMS principal, Mr. Brown, said he is stressed at times. “The biggest form of stress for me is meeting deadlines,’’ he said. “Being where I need to be when I need to be there, and not being able to be places that I think I should be because I’m scheduled to be somewhere else.”

Like it or not, stress is part of everyday life. How you handle it is very important.

Mr. Brown suggests students learn to prioritize. If students make a list of all the tasks they are supposed to do, it will be easier for them to manage everything because they are more organized.

“When you get to check something off your list,’’ he said, “you get to see how much you have accomplished.’’

And then there was this advice from Mr. Green, a campus monitor. “Don’t take things so seriously,’’ he said. “There’s always tomorrow. And at the end of the day we all want to be happy.”

Catching up with Mr. Brown A quarterly “state of the school” conversation with the principal

BY ANNIE GJINECI AND SOPHIE OJDANIC

J.Hop Times Editors

John Hopkins Middle School missed the mark of becoming a B school last year. The school dropped from a D to an F. But is Principal Brown discouraged?

No. Mr. Brown, who is beginning his fifth year at JHMS, said he still has goals for each student to reach, and if they do that, the F could turn into a C or a B. “Everyone needs to put in the most effort they can so the school and the students improve,” he said. “No matter where the student starts, at the end of the year the student needs to walk away with more knowledge. Just imagine it as a rowboat. Everyone needs to work and push in order for that boat to move. Everyone pushing that boat is important. We need all of the people pushing so we can move, or improve.”

Where do we need to improve in our test scores?

“When you look at the data, our scores were good. Reading scores were higher than they had been the past two years. Science was as high as it has been the last two years. 100 percent of geometry students passed the EOC. But writing dropped three points. Our school was impacted because we didn’t do well across the board in math.’’

Are you planning to stay at JHMS? “I’m on year five. I don’t plan to be anywhere else. I don’t want to be anywhere else. I plan to be here. I don’t have any plans of doing anything but working hard to improve as a principal.’’

How has working at JHMS changed your perspective on education?

“Coming here to JHMS changed everything. My perspective on education is broader.

I’ve gotten to really understand the leadership that’s required for being a principal. I’ve struggled with making sure I’m leading everyone.

This is the hardest job I’ve ever had. Ever. You can combine the jobs I’ve ever had all at once and it wouldn’t compare. But I love my job, love my school, love the students. It’s good to watch kids grow. I think principals miss watching kids grow, because they are in the office so much.’’

4 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014

school news

Ice Bucket Challenge at JHMS:

BY ASHLEY MUSE

T It’s personal

JULIANNA RAYMOND | JHT

Principal Mr. Brown watches as JHop teachers participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge on Aug. 22.

J.Hop Times Staff Writer

hanks to a sea of cold water dumped on thousands of people’s heads, more than $100 million was raised to battle the deadly disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) this past summer through the Ice Bucket Challenge.

Never have so many gotten so wet to raise so much.

At least two dozen of those cold-headed people were the teachers and staff at John Hopkins Middle School who took part in the challenge recently. To them, it was personal.

“We have a connection to that disease,’’ said Mr. Brown, principal at JHMS. “Mrs. Gist, a math teacher here for many years, died of the disease last year.’’

The point of the challenge is to raise money to find a cure for ALS, which is a disease that attacks the nervous system and is always fatal. Those who accepted the challenge were supposed to donate at least $10, while those who didn’t were to donate at least $100.

A few days before the challenge, Ms. Lynch, who taught with Mrs. Gist, sent out this email to JHMS teachers: “As many of you may be aware there is currently going viral an ice bucket or ALS challenge.

Our beloved former coworker and one of my best friends passed away from this disease this past February. I would like to challenge the staff of JHOP to take the challenge and do this to help donate in Joyce Gist’s memory.’’

So when Friday, Aug. 22 rolled around, the front of the school was jammed with teachers, students, staff ... and buckets of ice water. The temperature at 4 p.m. was about 91 degrees and it was humid. Perfect weather for an icing.

Among the teachers who answered the call were Ms. Williams, Ms. Packard, Mr. Brown, Ms. Lynch, Mr. Shumilak, Mrs. Brelser, Mr. Moon, Ms. Yauch, Mr. Harris, Mr. Moon, Ms. Steiner, Mr. Green, Ms. Marshall, Mr. Allen and Mr. Memmer.

“It was so nice to see that many staff members come out to support ALS research,’’ said Ms. Lynch.

“I thought it was very special and meaningful. It meant a lot to see everyone come together to do something as special as the challenge for one of our own.”

Clearwater Jazz Holiday The Clearwater Jazz Holiday came to the JHMS auditorium recently to weave an oral history of jazz in with a performance of hits from jazz legends like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. As in years past, the five-member band rocked the house.

Between each song, band leader Frank Williams told of how jazz was born in the South, especially around New Orleans, and moved north. When radio became popular in the 1920s, the genre progressed even more. Along with Mr. Williams, the band consists of Karen Benjey on piano, Glenn Stevenson on bass, George Allgaier on saxophone, and Dwayne White on trumpet. Toward the end of the performance, Mr. Wright’s fifth period jazz band joined the group on stage and added solos of their own. “The students seem to enjoy the performance every year we have them come out, which is good; it teaches them about music history,’’ explained music teacher Mr. Allan “I’m always glad when the Jazz Holiday comes here.”

By Rachel Gadoury, Macey Zeh-Arndt and Teayonia Hope, J.Hop Times staff writers

SOPHIE OJDANIC | JHT

J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014 • 5

school news

Assistant principal trying to save the magnet program

BY BELLA CAPUCCI

J.Hop Times Staff Writer

H

e was sent to John Hopkins last year from Boca Ciega High, and within a few weeks, he showed that he wasn’t going to be just another assistant principal holed up in an office.

He Florioed everyone.

Within his first year at JHMS, Mr. Florio convinced the school district to plant bushes and flowers in the front of the school, and he made the courtyard in Building 2 come alive with totems and drawings. He even made up a song (Let’s Go To J.Hop) to get people excited about the Center for Arts and Journalism.

It wasn’t just the magnet program he cared about. He also built a large “JHMS” sign made of sea shells and mulch at the school’s front entrance.

But the letters on the sign are starting to fade.

Just like the magnet program at JHMS that Mr. Florio is trying to save.

The JHMS magnet program allows middle school students from all over Pinellas County to focus on areas like dance, drama, band, orchestra, art or journalism.

“It gives kids a chance to try new things,’’ said seventh-grader Demetrice Hammons. “It helps make learning fun.’’

But because of bad publicity and competition from public and private schools, the program is in danger.

An assistant principal and the magnet coordinator at JHMS, Mr. Florio said recently that enrollment for the magnet program has been falling for several years. According to statistics from the JHMS magnet office, the number of sixth-graders who entered the program this year (87) is down from last year (113).

The total number of students in the program is also down — 370 last year to 344 this year.

Mr. Florio said he is concerned about the program and its future; he thinks about it every day.

“This means we could lose teachers or opportunities in classes we offer,’’ he said. “We have to work on recruiting.’’

He said JHMS and the school dis-

J.Hop Times a finalist for national award

BY FELCITY ASENCIO

J.Hop Times staff writer

ALICIA PHANDARA | JHT

Assistant principal Mr. Florio said recently that enrollment for the magnet program has been falling for several years.

trict have given him “great support through all of it.” But the school’s current grade (F) sends a bad message to prospective parents. “When you’re an F school, it affects what people think,’’ Mr. Florio said. “I think making the school as attractive as possible is important.’’

Mr. Florio wants to attract, recruit, and retain high quality students and teachers. “And market our successes to the public.’’

In the meantime, as Mr. Florio begins his second year, he is planning more beautification projects for the front of the school. His work has not gone unnoticed.

“He’s very supportive, and the magnet program is going to get better because of him,’’ said social studies teacher Mr. Lester. “He’s very energetic and passionate about J.Hop, and he’s a wonderful administrator,’’ added Ms. Gambill, a reading teacher.

Mr. Florio gets things done and “goes over and above what is asked of him,’’ said art teacher Ms. Smith.

And then there is band instructor Mr. Wright, who may be Mr. Florio’s biggest fan.

“He is my idol,’’ he said.

J.Hop Times staff writers Jarves Scruggs, Leah Dudley, Yon’Daijah Turner, Baylee Roberts, Ajla Kuc, Adriana Landes and Graciela Ladera contributed to this report.

For the second year in a row, the J.Hop Times has been named a finalist for the prestigious 2014 Pacemaker Awards from the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA). The award is given to the nation’s top schools for scholastic journalism excellence.

The J.Hop Times, produced by students at John Hopkins Middle School, took the top honor last year, winning a Newspaper Pacemaker Award in the Newsmagazine category.

The Pacemaker Award is the highest honor given in the scholastic press industry. Launched

by NSPA in 1927, the award is judged and awarded based on coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership on the opinion page, evidence of in-depth reporting, design, photography, art and graphics.

The J.Hop Times is part of the Tampa Bay Times Journeys In Journalism program.

The 2014 Pacemaker Award winners will be announced at the National Scholastic Journalism Convention in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 8.

MARCO SMILEY | JHT

Empty lockers Since the start of the school year, nearly 2,000 lockers have sat unused and empty at John Hopkins Middle School. This as students struggle under the weight of 25-pound backpacks, and others lose items they need for school. “I think we do need them,” said Mr. Morris, the JHMS plant operator. Some students say the lockers are not practical because there isn’t enough time to go to them when they pass classes. School administrators say they will try to issue padlocks soon.

6 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014

school news

‘Some things you can never un-see’

I

Ms. Kimberly Fiordimondo, a JHMS dance teacher, shares her experience on Sept. 11, 2001 in New York City.

Dance teacher Ms. Fiordimondo comes to JHMS from New Jersey.

BY RACHEL GADOURY, ANNIE GJINECI, SOPHIE OJDANIC, AND MACEY ZEH-ARNDT

J.Hop Times Staff Writers

t used to be that when Sept. 11 came around, Ms. Fiordimondo, a dance teacher at JHMS, would take the day off. The memories of that day were just too clear.

Thirteen years have gone by since that first Sept. 11, and she has healed enough to be able to go to work on that day.

But she’ll never forget. She can’t.

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, a sudden vibration.

Her neighbor was running down the hallway of her apartment building slamming on doors to get everyone’s attention. She was frantically yelling for everybody to get to the roof.

When Ms. Fiordimondo got to the roof, all she saw was a cloud of smoke. And the second plane. “A plane shouldn’t be that close to the ground,’’ she remembers thinking to herself. “There is definitely something wrong.”

After that, all she saw was a mass of smoke and fire.

“All I could think about was that my friends were in those buildings and I needed to help them,” she said.

The moment the second plane hit, she ran towards downtown Manhattan in a rush to save her friends. As she was trying to approach the scene, she was stopped by the NYPD. They told her that no one was allowed past the barriers. That didn’t stop her.

And then her phone rang.

A call from her friend Jessica, one of the people in the buildings, came in. Jessica told her she couldn’t make it to where Ms. Fiordimondo was. So Ms. Fiordimondo looked for an area where she could cross the barriers undetected. When she reached Jessica, she noticed that her shoulder was dislocated and her head was injured. She helped Jessica to the nearest hospital.

After helping Jessica, Ms. Fiordimondo ran back towards the buildings to find her other two friends. She could hear the buildings rumble. “Everything was covered in ash. It was hard to breathe, but I needed to find them,” she said as she fought back tears. When she could not locate her friends, she ran to one of their apartments and banged on the door, but there was no response.

The military came in and informed everyone that the mayor was imposing a curfew and that the military was imposing marshal law.

She went looking for her other two friends, Nick and Anya. At the hospital, they had a board that had a list

SOPHIE OJDANIC | JHT

of injured people. Neither of them were on the board.

They were both on the missing list. Ms. Fiordimondo called Nick’s parents. When Nick’s mom picked up, she couldn’t speak. She was frantic.

Nick’s mother finally gave the phone to Nick’s sister who explained exactly what happened. After the first plane hit, Nick had called to let his parents to let them know he was going to be okay.

Then, for some reason, he was quiet. He told his mom how much he loved her and told her never to forget it. And then the line went dead.

“He must have seen the second plane coming,’’ said Ms. Fiordimondo.

Nick’s family was informed that after the second plane hit his building, instead of running, Nick stayed and helped people escape. He carried people to the first responders who were running up the stairs. He helped move beams and tables off of people. He was in the building when it fell. “He died a hero,” Ms. Fiordimondo said as she tried to hold back tears.

They never found out what happened to Anya, but she was in the first building that was hit.

“It felt like a movie,” she said. People were buying as much food and water as they could to stay safe if anything happened. Her block was under restriction. Only people who lived there could be in the area, and you couldn’t drive your car. Restaurants gave food out for free because they had extra food and no customers. At night, looters had begun attacking people. So as a community, they decided to make a watch to keep people safe at night.

One morning, the military walked down there street with big gas masks on. They started handing out little paper masks to citizens. “What would a little paper

mask do when the military has huge gas masks on?”

Ms. Fiordimondo questioned.

The air smelled of burning rubber, and just about everything was covered in ash. The smell burned her throat. Ash rained for two weeks straight. During those two weeks, Ms. Fiordimondo got a throat infection from all the ash and chemicals in the air. She took medicine for her infection, but with all the ash she was not getting any better. She finally decided to pack her stuff (including her daughter) and drive to New Jersey to go to her parent’s house. She drove for about 2 hours with a fever of 103. As soon as she got there, her parents took her to the hospital.

In the years since the attack, Ms. Fiordimondo has had pneumonia five times, probably caused by the smoke and ash from the collapsed buildings. Every three years she has to get a pneumonia shot. She said she may also have been exposed to lung cancer because of the toxic chemicals in the buildings.

But there was some good that came out of this massive tragedy.

“I like to think about how the community came together,’’ Ms. Fiordimondo said. “How everyone pitched in to try to find a missing loved one or help in some other way.’’

Then Ms. Fiordimondo paused for a moment.

“People always say they know how I feel, because they saw it on the news,’’ she said.

“But they don’t know. They try to capture what happened in documentaries and TV shows, but they never do. And I’m glad they don’t.”

For the fifth or sixth time in the last few minutes, Ms. Fiordimondo wiped tears from her cheeks.

“There are some things,’’ she said, “you can never un-see.”

J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014 • 7

features

Accomplishing My Dream A regular series

Say hello to the

mellow cello

BY NADIN ANTONOVA, RACHEL GADOURY AND JULIANNA RAYMOND

T

J.Hop Times Staff Writers

he violin just felt too small.

And the bass was way too big.

Then there was the cello. For Rachel Baltz, it was a perfect fit.

Rachel, an eighth-grader at JHMS, started playing the cello five years ago when she was at Perkins Elementary School. At the time, everyone in her class had to pick an instrument.

When it came her turn to pick, the cello stood out.

It looked interesting and was smaller than the bass.

But to her, as a little girl, it was huge.

“So I went up to it, plucked the strings, and ever since then it’s like it had glue on it because I’ve been stuck to it.”

Some music experts think that of all the instruments in an orchestra, the one that sounds the closest to a human voice is the cello.

Rachel wants to go to Gibbs High School for the orchestra program, the University of Tampa, and then on to the prestigious Julliard School in New York City.

To get there, Rachel said she knows she has to work hard. She practices for at least an hour a day.

But, she said, it’s not hard to do that. “When I play my cello,’’ she said, “it’s like the problems I have, the whole world melts away into my music and becomes something better.”

Becoming a professional cellist is Rachel’s dream.

She would also like to teach others how to play.

“A career should be something you love to do,’’ she said, “and I’m in love with my cello.

This is definitely what I want to do.’’

JULIANNA RAYMOND | JHT

Eighth-grader Rachel Baltz began playing cello five years ago at Perkins Elementary. “I went up to it, plucked the strings, and ever since then it’s like it had glue on it because I’ve been stuck to it.”

About the cello • Cellist – a person who plays the cello. One of the greatest cellist of all time was Pablo Casals (1896-1973) • The cello can be part of a standard orchestra, a string quartet or a chamber group.

• The cello was invented in Italy in the early-1500s.

• You can clearly hear a cello on Eleanor Rigby and Strawberry Fields Forever by the Beatles, and on Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys.

8 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014

features

IN THE

SPIRIT WEEK SPIRIT Give students at JHMS a chance to dress up, and you’ll always be amazed. That’s what happened during Spirit Week, when five days are set aside each September to let students express their creativity. For Tacky Tourist Tuesday, students wore hideous flowered shirts and had cameras around their necks. For Wayback Wednesday, they dressed like hippies and Madonna wannabes.

But Thursday was the highlight of the week. Senior Citizen Day brought out students who dyed their hair gray, drew wrinkles on their faces and used canes to get around.

MARCUS ODAJUSTE | JHT

Drama Focus students show their spirit on Tacky Tourist Day. Front, from left, Sera Wentworth, Abigail Pace; Back row, from left, Ms. Hosey, Neftali Rivera, Karynah Pena, Nadia Szakacs.

MARCUS TERRELL | JHT

Science teachers Ms. Yauch, left, and Ms. Packard wear team gear to celebrate Spirit Week.

J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014 • 9

features

ELIZABETH ATWOOD | JHT

TERRICA MCCLENDON | JHT

Seventh-grader Janna Cosme wears some 1950s style on Way Back Wednesday.

Eighth-grader Cory Sweat dresses as a senior citizen during Spirit Week. “I have school spirit and want to show it. I was looking for some stuff for the costume and so I found the cane at Party City,” Cory said.

ALICIA PHANDARA | JHT

Drama teacher Ms. Hosey becomes Granny Hosey during Senior Citizen’s Day.

Sixth-graders Baylee Roberts, left, and Aria Reynolds wear their Tacky Tourist attire for Spirit Week.

SAMERON JONES | JHT

10 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014

SANDRA MEAN | JHT

Eighth-grader Quan Thach came to St. Petersburg from Vietnam in August.

From Vietnam to JHMS

BY BELLA CAPUCCI

J.Hop Times Staff Writer

T

wo months ago Quan Thach’s home was in a small village in Vietnam, and her life revolved around school and family.

It still does. Only now, her home is in St. Petersburg, half a world away.

Quan, an eighth-grader at JHMS, speaks very little English, so her cousin, eighth-grader Sandra Mean, translated for her.

Quan said she came to the U.S. because her dad, who owns a tire shop in St. Petersburg, wanted her to live in America. Her mom still lives in Vietnam.

The family is trying to get enough money to pay for her mom’s flight to America.

Quan said she misses her mom. She calls her every few hours to check on her. Quan said JHMS is much bigger than the school she went to in Vietnam. She said there is more room to sit and move around.

But Quan also said she’s having a hard time at JHMS, and it’s because of the language barrier.

Quan doesn’t understand what people say to her and doesn’t know how to respond. So she doesn’t say anything. That leads people to think she’s being rude and ignoring them. She’s not.

After school, Quan goes straight home and heads right to her bedroom. She said she doesn’t have any friends.

Not yet anyway.

‘NO PAYNE, NO GAIN’

features

AS SHE BEGINS HER 34TH YEAR AT JHMS, MS. PAYNE TAKES A LOOK BACK.

ANDREW ATWELL | JHT

Veteran business teacher Ms. Payne is set to retire after the 2015-16 school year.

I

BY ANDREW ATWELL AND CALEB GORDON

J.Hop Times Staff Writers

t was August, 1983. Ronald Reagan was in the White House and Tootsie was on the big screen in theaters.

In St. Petersburg, a woman just a few years out of college was starting a new teaching job at 16th Street Middle School.

“I was young and afraid,” Ms. Payne said as she remembered her first days at what is now John Hopkins Middle School. “And I was excited.”

Thirty-four years and thousands of fire drills, grade reports and students later, Ms. Payne said that feeling of excitement hasn’t worn off. “A lot has changed since I started,’’ she said.

“Especially the technology. But that’s a good thing. It helps us be better teachers.’’

Ms. Payne, who teaches business and keyboard classes, said the 2015-16 school year will be her last. “I’m working harder now,’’ she said, “than I ever have before.’’

As she got ready for her next class, Ms. Payne looked around her classroom. “Mr.

Sakiotis and Ms. Packard ... they’re the only ones left from when I started,’’ she said.

To teach for 34 years at the same school, Ms. Payne said you have to love what you do.

“If you don’t have that knack for teaching,’’ she added, “you won’t want to keep doing it.

I’ll miss teaching, and I might come back to volunteer. But I’ll find other things to do.

“I might be the apron lady at Publix,’’ she said with a grin.

Ms. Payne has two children, a daughter named Taylor who attends USF, and a son named Bobby who works for Pinellas County. Both her children went to John Hopkins for the magnet program. “I loved that my kids had the opportunity to come here,’’ she said.

When Ms. Payne retires, she said she wants to go the beach and travel, especially to Alaska.

And somehow, she’ll continue to help people. She has already started. Her brother, John, recently moved in with her. He has Down syndrome, a genetic disorder that makes learning difficult.

“She’s been a driving force ever since she stepped onto the property,’’ said Mr. Sakiotis, who teaches technology and TV production.

J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014 • 11

features

great expectations

BY SANDRA MEAN

M

J.Hop Times Staff Writer

SANDRA MEAN | JHT

Reading teacher Ms. Gambill is expecting a baby girl on Oct. 19.

s.Gambill, a reading teacher at JHMS who lives on a boat with her husband, should have a new member of her crew by now. Her first child.

That will be one lucky child, because if Ms. Gambill’s students are any indication, the baby will have dozens of big brothers and sisters.

“I’m very excited to have little Taryn on the boat,” Ms. Gambill said just before she took maternity leave in early October. Her baby was due Oct. 15.

Ms.Gambill found out she was having a girl, and added that the gender of the baby didn’t matter because she wants more than one child. She also found out little Taryn is a kicker.

“My parents almost named me Taryn,’’ Ms. Gambill said. “It’s the name of a character in a children’s series. It means of the Earth in Latin.’’’

Last spring, when Ms. Gambill told her students she was pregnant, they were very protective of her. The students didn’t want her to hurt herself. But Ms. Gambill said her students this year aren’t as protective because they are all new.

“They might be protective,’’ she said, “when I get to know them well.”

Yes, she said she lets people touch her stomach.

But they have to ask her first. She said she tries not to get too stressed because it’s not good for the baby.

There are many things she does differently now. She used to run, but now she takes to a pool and swims. She has to be careful she drinks enough fluids, doesn’t lift anything heavy, and has a healthy diet.

Many women choose to have their babies outside a traditional hospital, and Ms. Gambill is one of them. She is having her baby at a Largo birth center. And the baby will be born in a bathtub.

Ms. Gambill said she wants her daughter to be relaxed when she is born. Babies spend their first nine months in the water inside their mothers, Ms. Gambill said, so being born into water is a natural, less stressful transition.

Here’s another benefit to natural childbirth: Ms. Gambill and her daughter may be able to go home as soon as four hours after the birth.

Ms. Gambill’s mother and mother-in-law, who is a midwife, are traveling from Texas to be there for the delivery. Ms.Gambill said she plans to be back to school in January.

“School has been exhausting,’’ Ms. Gambill said.

“It’s a lot more difficult to do normal things like hanging stuff on the walls, walking across campus ... I’m just worn out at the end of the day.

“I couldn’t do it without help.’’

New teacher profile Senora Wallace, Spanish teacher

BY FELICITY ASENCIO AND KAYLEE POMPEY

J.Hop Times Staff Writers

F

irst, the basics. Senora Wallace, a new teacher at JHMS who was born and raised in Guatemala in Central America, teaches all three levels of Spanish (beginners, intermediate, and advanced) and has been teaching for a decade.

She and her husband recently decided to move from Colorado to Florida to retire. But she realized how much she missed the classroom, so she looked around for a

teaching job. She found John Hopkins Middle School, got an interview, and in August became the new Spanish teacher.

It’s very helpful if you can speak a second language, Senora Wallace said, especially if you live in Florida. Learning a second language also improves your ability to learn other things.

That’s why Senora Wallace loves her job. “I have a passion for teaching,’’ she said. “I don’t look at it as an obligation to wake up every morning and go to work.”

Although Senora Wallace loves

teaching Spanish, if she could teach something else she said, “It would definitely be math.”

Some other tidbits about Senora Wallace: she likes to play golf, read and go bowling, she and her husband have a son named Robbie, and her students really like her.

“She’s very nice, and we get to actually speak Spanish a lot more than last year,” said seventh-grader Maya Reissman. Added seventhgrader Elizaveta Smirnova, “She’s very kind.

You learn a lot in her class.”

FELICITY ASENCIO | JHT

Spanish teacher Ms. Wallace helps out eighth-grader Sa Coya McKenzie’s group during class.

12 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014

J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014 • 13

features

BY CHRIS ANDERSON, ANDREW ATWELL, CALEB GORDON AND RACHEL GADOURY J.Hop Times Staff Writers

Jennifer Murray arranges hush puppies on a tray for a Wednesday lunch.

T

SOPHIE OJDANIC | JHT

ANNIE GJINECI | JHT

Cafeteria cook Rose Wetherell places potatoes in the steamer during morning prep.

JULIANNA RAYMOND | JHT

Fresh fruits are offered for breakfast and lunch in J.Hop’s cafeteria.

10 foods you should avoid 1. Store-bought frosting from a tub (make your own) 2. Bagels (high glycemic content) 3. Processed baked foods (muffins, doughnuts cakes, etc.)

4. Soda (one can equals 10 packets of sugar) 5. Sugary cereal (Fruit Loops, Coco Puffs, Capt’n Crunch, etc.)

6. Stick margarine (loaded with trans-fat) 7. Jarred tomato sauce (make your own; store bought is full of sugar) 8. Bacon (only 45 calories per slice, but high contents of sugar and sodium) 9. Maraschino cherries (too much sugar and red dye, no nutritional value) 10. French fries (medium McDonald’s fries have 19 grams fat, 266 mg salt) Source: Fitness Magazine

10 foods you should try to eat more often 1. Berries (great source of fiber) 2. Eggs (high quality of protein) 3. Beans (good plant based source of iron) 4. Oranges (excellent source of vitamin C) 5. Nuts (full of heart healthy unsaturated fats) 6. Sweet potatoes (great for your eyes, bones, and your immune system) 7. Broccoli (packed with vitamins A, C, and K) 8. Green tea (known to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and some cancers) 9. Spinach (packed with vitamins, as well as fiber, iron, and calcium) 10. Yogurt (packed with zinc, protein and vitamin B12) Source: eatingwell.com

Compiled by Nadin Antonova J.Hop Times Staff Writer

ANNIE GJIN NECI | JHT

Trays of French fries are preppe ed and ready for the oven.

HOPKINS, TABLE E FOR 1,760 SOM MEHOW, 14 PEOPLE COOK NEARLY

2,000 MEALS EVERY DAY.

AND IT’S REALLY PRETTY GOOD.

ANNIE GJINECI | JHT

Breakfast pizza is a popular item with the morning breakfast crowd at JHop.

Veronica Fowler gently stirs a bowl of grits to serve at breakfast.

Ms. Dew has managed the cafeteria at JHMS for 12 years. She often arrives at school around 5:30 a.m. to receive deliveries and organize the cafeteria staff for the 1,760 meals they will prepare that day.

SOPHIE OJDANIC | JHT

Rose Wetherell takes inventory in a cafeteria storage room.

ANNIE GJINECI | JHT JULIANNA RAYMOND | JHT

J.Hop’s cafetteria uses many spices to prepare meals for J.Hop studen nts and staff.

SOPHIE OJDANIC | JHT

hey get to the cafeteria around 5:30 a.m. and go straight to work. There’s so much to do: deliveries to put away, produce to be cleaned, bread and cookies to be baked.

Each day, the 14member cafeteria staff at John Hopkins Middle School prepares about 1,760 meals. That’s more than twice as many daily meals as a typical mid-sized restaurant.

Ms. Dew, the cafeteria manager, stands in the middle of the kitchen like the conductor of an orchestra. Everything has to be in just the right place at just the right time. “It’s really a juggling act,’’ she said. “My job is to provide all employees with the proper food, so I’m always thinking a day ahead.’’

A row of clipboards hangs on the wall outside her office. These are the deliveries she is expecting during the week. “As the freezer gets depleted,’’ she said, “we have to have food to replace what we use. Produce is the same way.

It’s constantly coming in.’’

Ms. Dew has managed the cafeteria at JHMS for 12 years. Before that, she spent seven years at Pinellas Park Elementary. She also managed a Bo Jangles and a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant.

“I went to college to be a teacher,’’ she said.

“But it wasn’t for me. Too much politics. I worked in food service when I was in college, and just fell into it “No,’’ she added, “this is my niche.’’

Just because so many meals are prepared doesn’t mean Ms. Dew and the other cafeteria workers aren’t sensitive to what people think of the food.

“We care about what the students and teachers think,’’ Ms. Dew said. “We care a lot.’’

Some students said they think the food isn’t very good and the cafeteria workers aren’t friendly. But most students don’t share that opinion.

“They don’t get enough respect because the food they cook is pretty good,’’ said sixthgrader Maddy Cooper. “They’re nice and they know my name,’’ added seventh-grader Samora Brown.

“The cafeteria workers don’t get much respect,’’ said eighth-grader Jasmine Roberts, “because some people see them just as someone giving them food. But they are human beings and deserve respect.’’

Maybe Ms. Gambill, a reading teacher at JHMS, put it best.

“They work really hard,’’ she said, “and do the best with what they have.’’

Donovan Glover, Peter Layton, Jaiden Jones, Jarves Scruggs, Victoria Harrington, Macey Zeh-Arndt contributed to this report.

14 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014

features

DESTINATION:

PHILIPPINES

T

BY RUTH IGLEHART

J.Hop Times Staff Writer

his time, it’s permanent. This time, I’m not going back.

The Philippines.

That’s where I meant.

It’s an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It’s kind of crowded and on the other side of the world but ...

Wait. I’m getting ahead of myself.

“Flight 1826 is now ready for boarding,” the flight attendant announced into the intercom.

There I was, a little 5-year-old girl about to board an airplane with her parents to a country she’d forgotten all about. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been to the Philippines before. Pfft, I’ve been there lots of times.

Six, to be exact.

I was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and traveled to the Philippines for the first time as a 1-year-old to visit my grandparents. I went again when I was 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12.

That last time was early this April.

To get to the Philippines, my parents and I had to make stops in Chicago, Los Angeles, Beijing, Guam and finally, the capital, Manila.

Mindanao, the south side of the country, was where we were headed.

A giant, golden statue of a durian was situated in front of the entrance to the parking lot. The Durian Tree, which grows all over the Philippines, produces a fruit that smells kind of bad but tastes delicious. You also can’t miss all the Gumamela flowers at the exit that were all trimmed into the humungous word, “Welcome”.

As we were walking on a cement staircase leading to the parking lot, we noticed that my grandparents were waving at us.

SOPHIE OJDANIC | JHT

About the Philippines POPULATION: Approximately 100 million CAPITAL: Manila NEIGHBORS: Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Filipino, English RELIGION: Christian and Catholic CURRENCY: Philippine Peso

Let me tell you about how Filipinos properly greet their elders. You lift your right hand to take their left hand and bring it up to your forehead while bowing and saying “mano po.”

Confused?

Well, I was, too. Also, we don’t call our grandparents “grandparents”. We call them lola for grandma and lolo for grandpa. As for a grandchild, that’s apo.

My mom and I hugged them both, greeted them respectfully, shoved our luggage in the trunk of our car, drove past the “Welcome” sign and headed for downtown.

I was astounded, to say the least. There were houses near the airport, literally, across the street from the exit. These were bamboo and wooden huts with small stores (they were called sari-sari stores) in front of them where people were selling potato chips, gum, toys and other trinkets.

You don’t see that in St. Petersburg.

During one of my visits, we went to Manila, the capital of the Philippines. We met up with my uncle Jason (in Filipino, tito), Aunt Rose (tita) and their niece, Nina. We all ate at my uncle’s tiny café, Bubba Lab, which much like its name, was designed as a lab. All the workers there had to wear white lab coats when serving. The only items on the menu were smoothies, iced tea and some homemade cookies and biscuits.

On another visit, we went to a park called Zoo Safari where you ride in a car through a narrow path with thousands of trees surrounding it. The exciting part was a monkey conservation area where we got to see wild monkeys dangling from the trees during our car ride.

One of the cities I want to visit on my next trip is Palawan, home of the world’s longest navigable underground river.

But that’s another story.

Strange but true 1. When you’re born, you have 300 bones in your body. But as an adult, you have 206.

2. The word “almost” is the longest word in the dictionary that is in alphabetical order.

3. Coca Cola would be green if coloring wasn’t added to it.

4. A crocodile can’t stick its tongue out.

5. A shrimp’s heart is in its head.

6. It is physically impossible for a pig to look up.

7. More than half the world’s population has never made or received a phone call.

Source: Sotruefacts.com, Strangefacts.com

8. The average lifespan of a Major League baseball is 5-7 pitches.

9. Our bodies are designed to sleep twice a day for four hours, rather than once a day for eight.

10. The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds.

Compiled by Nadin Antonova, J.Hop Times Staff Writer

J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014 • 15

features

As you

like

it

“The unfortunate thing about the way we use this word, and something they don’t tell you when you’re in the fourth grade, is that it makes you sound ridiculously stupid. When the first ‘like’ pops out of my mouth, I can already tell that someone is immediately taking me less seriously.’’ Zoe Triska, Huffington Post

BY FELICITY ASENCIO AND KAYLEE POMPEY

I

J.Hop Times Staff Writers

t’s a harmless, four-letter word. It can be a verb meaning to enjoy or want something, or an adjective meaning to have similar qualities.

But in the wrong hands, it can be maddening.

“And she was like so mad. And I’m like, chill.’’

She’s like? And I’m like?

Like what?

Most normal humans don’t pay a lot of attention to the overuse of the word “like”. But ask a language arts or reading teacher, and they act like they’ve been stung by a bee.

“If someone keeps saying it over and over, yes, it bothers me,’’ said Mr. Jacobs, a language arts teacher at JHMS. “But I also understand it’s a part of the way people talk. In a way, it stops you and lets you think something through.”

Ms Gambill, a reading teacher at JHMS, said “like” is definitely overused. “There are about 6,000 words in the dictionary,’’ she said, “and kids at J.Hop only use about 800 of those words a day.’’

“I use it too much,’’ said eighth-grader Nyamna Dixon. “But it’s because I’m so used to saying it.’’

And then there was English honors teacher Ms. Santarelli. “I absolutely cannot stand it when kids use that language,’’ she said, adding that she hears the word “bro” a lot. “I expect students to use proper English when in my class, and in the real world. I simply don’t

think it is appropriate for school, or for anywhere else.”

Ms. Santarelli and other teachers interviewed said they understood that “like” is part of the language that teenagers use. Back in the 1960s, they said, teenagers ended their sentences with “man.” Later on, “as if ” and “totally” seemed to be everywhere. Now, it’s “like.”

“Yes, students do say ‘like’ too many times,’’ said Mr. Brown, principal at JHMS. “It’s a bad habit for kids to get into.’’

Will it ever go away?

Mr. Jacobs smiled. “Probably,’’ he said.

Coming in the next edition: “goes.” As in: “And she goes, “Like no way!’’

J. Hop Times staff writers Bryson Maddox, Kim Priest, Nikiyah Neal, Leah Dudley, Antoniece Morgan, Vivianne, Timothy Smith and Victoria Harrington contributed to this report

SOPHIE OJDANIC | JHT

16 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014

features

Visiting family in Albania

SOPHIE OJDANIC | JHT

BY ANNIE GJINECI

I

J.Hop Times Editor

t’s as if I have one foot in the United States and the other a world away in Albania. Both my parents were born and raised in Albania. After my brother was born in 1995, they decided to take a huge risk and move to America to try a new life.

It doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, right?

Well, think about this: you’re moving to a foreign country, a place where you don’t know the language or the customs. You have no relatives who can help you, and you’re expected to get a decent job and raise a family.

Immediately.

And that’s exactly what my parents did.

But it wasn’t easy.

When you live over 5,000 miles away from your family, you miss them. All of my extended family lives in Albania or somewhere else in Eastern Europe. Visiting was always hard because of airfare money. But we always managed to make the trip every few years. We got to do that again this past summer.

How long did the flight take? Let’s just say we had to change planes four times. And we left on a Wednesday and got there on Thursday. The entire trip to arrive in Albania took a total of 22 hours.

When we landed in Tirana, the capital, I got smothered in hugs and kisses by each member of my family, people I hadn’t seen in three years.

Albania is just across the Adriatic Sea from the heel of the “boot” that is Italy. It bor-

ders four countries, including Kosovo and Greece, and is a nation filled with many different people, foods, and cultures. I ventured all over Albania as much as I could, from the beautiful beaches in Durres to the city lights in Tirana.

Albania is hardly anything like the U.S. There are no stores like Target or Wal-Mart that have nearly everything you need. Most stores sell a few certain things. The drug stores are tiny and crowded, nothing like a CVS or Walgreens. One of the biggest differences — no McDonald’s or Pizza Huts or Burger Kings. And the grocery stores? Almost the size of the produce section at Publix.

Need to get somewhere? Most people usually walk, bike, or take buses. There aren’t nearly as many cars as there are in the U.S., which is good because the roads are narrow and the turns are tight. The traffic lights in Albania aren’t hung above the streets like they are here; they’re off to the side of the road and are barely visible.

People in Albania are different than the people in the United States. About to greet a friend or a family member? Well you’re about to be greeted by a hug and a peck on each cheek.

The people there were friendlier. They weren’t as isolated and separated as some of the people here are. People actually interacted and talked when they were around one another.

Albania is much different from the United States — slower and quieter. But that’s what makes it interesting and worth changing planes four times.

Working wonders

Mr. Smith, JHMS social worker

BY AJLA KUC, GRACIELA LADERA, CAELEN LAVALLEE, BAYLEE ROBERTS AND IOANA GAGANELOVA

J. Hop Times Staff Writers

H

e could drive a better car and live in a better house. He could have problems that are a lot more fixable than the ones he has.

“But I was raised to help people,’’ Mr. Smith said. “I just know that’s what I have to do. I can’t see myself doing anything else.’’

Mr. Smith is the JHMS social worker.

His job is to help students who have emotional or behavioral problems. He usually sees at least five students each day. This is his third year at JHMS. The most important thing he’s learned is that he has to adjust his expectations.

“What I think they need and what the stu-

dents are willing to do are two separate things,’’ he said. “If I set a goal to do well, they had no interest. “So I started where they are.’’

Mr. Smith started his career in New York City. He grew up in Trinidad and Puerto Rico and came to the U.S. when he was 17. He graduated from Penn State University, where he majored in sociology.

“I took an elective course in sociology,’’ he said, “and it opened my eyes.’’

His challenge now is to help JHMS become better academically and to cut down the number of disciplinary referrals.

Last year, the school had close to 6,000.

He started the popular “character cash” program where students earn JHMS dollars for good behavior and exchange the money for prizes.

Referrals for the first month of school

were down from previous years.

What’s the key to success?

The common thread, said Mr. Smith, is at home. “A home environment supportive of academics, where parents help their kids study and are active in the school, makes all the difference.

“If the message at home is that school is important, that’s the foundation of success.’’

He loves his job. “I feel that I’m in a position to do a lot here,’’ he said.

“It’s very challenging because of the need here. It’s extremely high.

“I can’t meet all the needs of all the students here. Even with the guidance counselors and other support people, that wouldn’t stop the problem. It’s a nationwide issue.

“It’s frustrating not to be able to help everyone.’’

STELLA ROSS | JHT

Mr. Smith is in his third year as a social worker at John Hopkins.

J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014 • 17

features

BY MAYA RIVAS

D

J.Hop Times Staff Writer

ivorce is a mountain that some kids have to climb.

Sometimes, it’s not easy.

My mom and dad decided to get divorced when I was 5. As a child, I didn’t understand what was happening. I thought my parents weren’t thinking about how I would feel. I also thought they didn’t care about me.

That wasn’t true, but I didn’t know it.

Now that I’m grown up, I understand the whole thing. My mom and dad would fight a whole lot when they were married; they thought they would be better off being friends.

After they split up, my sister Katie and I went to my dad’s house every weekend. I was happy that I was still able to see my dad, but my sister didn’t feel the same way. She is three years older than me, and she grew tired of seeing my dad, but then again my dad isn’t related to her and she doesn’t consider him a step-dad. After a while, Katie stopped coming with me to my dad’s house.

When I was around 10, my dad found a girlfriend named Tammy. I thought she was awesome.

She came from San Diego, and she had a French bulldog named Drew. I was happy for my dad because he found someone he liked.

After a couple of months they moved into a house, but every time my mom dropped me off there, I would get so sad because I would miss my mom. When I saw her pull out of the driveway, I would always tear up and go to my room and cry. The tears went down my face like little rain drops. But in the end, I always said to myself that I’d get to see my mom on Monday after school.

When I thought nothing could go wrong with my dad’s new relationship, everything changed within the blink of an eye. Tammy and my dad broke up. I was sad because the same thing that happened with my mom and dad was happening all over again.

A couple of months later Tammy moved back to San Diego. My dad was sad, but after a while he pulled himself back together.

Again we moved back to another apartment.

I didn’t like it but I got used to it.

Then one day when my mom dropped me off at my dad’s work, he told me he had a friend with three kids and they were going to stay with us the whole weekend. I was shocked at first, but I got over it. When we arrived at his apartment, I opened the door and I saw a woman and her three young sons.

About three months later, my dad called me and said, “Maya, we went to the courthouse and got married.”

I was shocked and I thought he was joking. I thought it was very wrong for him not

SOPHIE OJDANIC | JHT

TAKING DIVORCE ONE STEP AT A TIME

to tell me beforehand. He could have said, “Maya, I think our relationship is going well and I think I’m going to marry her.’’ I would have been okay with that, but, no, that didn’t happen.

After a couple of months, they moved into a house, so now we all live together. I got my own room, which I like because I like to be by myself.

My dad and his wife have been married for about three months now. I stay with my dad during weekends and return to my mom’s on Sunday night, which I’m okay with. Sometimes.

When I go to my dad’s house in Ruskin, I feel like I don’t belong there. I feel like I’m not perfect enough for my dad. He doesn’t like the fact that I watch, read, or draw anime.

Today I’m still breathing, trying to climb the mountain.

With every step, I get closer to reaching the top.

18 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014

features

SOPHIE OJDANIC | JHT

The Last Dance Eighth-grade drama students Monica Jackson, left, and Kathryn Girdler perform in The Last Dance during the Advanced Drama Focus Night of Scenes. Monica said she had fun doing the scene because “I enjoy acting,” she said. Kathryn noted it is her last year in the JHMS drama focus. She has performed in Night of Scenes for three years.

Top 10 states that spent the most on public education in 2013 National average: $10,608 per student 1. New York: $19,522 2. Alaska: $17,390 3. New Jersey: $17,266 4. Connecticut.: $16,273 5. Vermont: $16,034 6. Wyoming: $15,897 7. Massachusetts: $14,142 8. Rhode Island: $14,005 9. Delaware: $13,864 10. Maryland: $13,608 OTHERS: Utah: $6,206, Mississippi: $8,164, Florida: $8,371.

Source: USAToday

Compiled by Nadin Antonova, J.Hop Times Staff Writer

SOPHIE OJDANIC | JHT

JHMS advanced swimmers, from left, Keondre Fordham, Ronny Ngyuen, and Brandon Baker kick towards Campbell Park swimming instructor Benjamin Ellis, Jr.

Swimming at Campbell Park:

So much more than a gym class

L

BY ASHLEY MUSE

J.Hop Times Staff Writer

ike most middle schools in Pinellas County, John Hopkins isn’t lucky enough to have a pool.

But JHMS is lucky enough to have Campbell Park just across the street, and two coaches, Mr. Starling and Ms. Forte, dedicated to helping students learn to swim.

For the past seven years, students in gym class walk across 16th St. to Campbell Park to use the public pool for swimming lessons. JHMS was the first middle school to try a program like that, and since it has been such a success, Coach Starling said other middle schools, such as Bay Point, Azalea and Tyrone, are looking into a swimming program of their own.

Swimming is fun and great exercise, especially in Florida. But not knowing how to swim can be deadly.

“Every summer we hear of kids drowning,’’ said Coach Starling. “We’re surrounded by water. Every middle school kid needs to learn how to swim.’’

So for about six weeks at the beginning and end of the school year, coaches Starling and Forte take

about 60 students to the pool, which is closed to the public while the students are there. The lessons, which are taught by lifeguards, include 23 swimming skills.

For some, swimming is fun and easy. For others, not so much.

“You’d be surprised how many middle school kids are terrified of water,’’ Coach Starling said. “But just yesterday, a kid we had to almost pull into the shallow end at the start of the year, jumped off the diving board and swam to the side. That was a huge accomplishment for him.’’

“It’s fun and it helps us swim better,’’ said eighthgrader Marcus Terrell. “I enjoy it a lot,’’ added eighth-grader Jaeanna Bethune. “It helps me do things I didn’t know I could do.’’

One more thing. The pool at Campbell Park is named after E.H. McLin, a civil rights pioneer in the city whose sister, Olive, was a language arts teacher at Gibbs High School.

One of her students back in the late 1960s: Coach Starling.

J.Hop Times staff writers Leah Dudley, Kim Priest, Timothy Smith and Nikiyah Neal contributed to this report.

J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014 • 19

puzzles

WILLOW MCCALPIN and AUTUMN STIPE | JHT

Help the witch escape from the maze on her broom!

Rib-tickling Halloween jokes What do you call a skeleton who won’t work?

Lazy bones!

Who did Frankenstein take to the dance?

His ghoulfriend!

Why are there fences around cemeteries?

Because people are dying to get in!

Why didn’t the skeleton cross the road?

He didn’t have the guts!

What was the witch’s favorite subject in school?

Spelling!

20 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014

puzzles

By Willow McCalpin and Autumn Stipe | J.Hop Times

The Owls Advice Column I keep falling behind in some of my classes. What can I do?

A lot. Just remember not to get discouraged. You can pull your grades back up. Here are three easy tips: 1. Tell your teacher that you’re concerned that your grades are slipping and ask for help.

Remember, teachers are there to help. But they can’t help if you don’t let them know you need it.

2. Take good notes in class. It really helps. You don’t have to write everything down, just the key points. Then, every day after school, study your notes. That way, if you have a test, you are more likely to pass, because you took notes and you studied.

3. Relax and enjoy. When you’re in class, stay focused on what’s being taught. It’s not hard to do. And get involved in the discussion, if there is one. When you participate, you won’t be bored and you’ll feel like a part of what’s going on.

Hope that helped. If you have any questions, write us a letter and put it in the advice box outside the journalism room, Building 5, Room 113.

Sincerely, The Owls

By Willow McCalpin and Autumn Stipe | J.Hop Times

J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014 • 21

puzzles

By Destiny Ulanoff | J.Hop Times

By Maya Rivas | J.Hop Times

By Destiny Ulanoff J.Hop Times

The Punnies • I’m glad I know sign language, it’s pretty handy.

• I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down.

• I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.

• I used to be a banker, but I lost interest.

• A guy got hit by a can of soda. He was lucky. It was a soft drink.

• I can’t remember how to throw a boomerang, but it’ll come back to me.

• My friend’s bakery burned down last night. Now his business is toast.

• Never trust atoms. They make everything up.

• Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

• It is pointless to write with a broken pencil.

Source: sillypuns.com

Compiled by Nadin Antonova, J.Hop Times Staff Writer

22 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014

sports

No experience? No net?

Mrs. Bresler steps up to coach the boys’ volleyball team.

BY BELLA CAPUCCI

“N

J.Hop Times Staff Writer

o one else stepped up,’’ Mrs. Bresler said. “So I did.”

As the school year was beginning, JHMS suddenly found itself without a boys’ volleyball coach. Mr. Stretch, last year’s coach, had retired, and nobody seemed interested in the job.

It didn’t help that a volleyball net that had been ordered in the spring had not arrived, meaning both boys’ and girls’ teams would have to spend the next few weeks practicing on an old badminton net.

Wait. It gets better. When the season began and the nets still hadn’t arrived, the Trojans had to move their home matches to the visiting schools.

Oh, and then eighth-grader Keibran Mason, a key returning starter, broke his foot.

Just when things couldn’t get much worse, a math teacher at JHMS who had never coached or played organized volleyball before this year took the coaching job.

Mrs. Bresler became Coach Bresler. She said she has several boys in her class who are on the team, and she didn’t want the season to be lost.

“I may not be the most experienced volleyball coach,’’ she said recently, “but some of the veteran players have helped, I’ve been watching volleyball drills

Math teach Ms. Bresler coaches her boys’ volleyball team during a game time out. This is Ms. Bresler’s first season with the team.

Eighth-grader Raven Jones returns a shot to the Bay Point Lady Falcons.

JHT Staff photos

online, and Coach Glessner has been a tremendous help.’’

As of early October, the team was 1-3. In the matches they lost, the Trojans battled until the very end, usually losing in the third and final set.

“I’m glad I took the job,’’ Mrs. Bresler said. “The boys know I’m very competitive. But I’m really out to make sure the guys are having fun. It’s not just about winning.’’

Jamie Schmidt, an eighthgrader and one of the team leaders, said he and everyone else on the team are glad Coach Bresler stepped in. “She has a lot of energy and she really gets into the game,’’ he said. “We can hear

J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014 • 23

sports

No problem.

her shouting encouragement from the bench and it really helps us.’’

Coach Glessner, who has led the Lady Trojans to back-to-back South District titles, said he is also thrilled Mrs. Bresler took the job.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Mrs. Bresler this year,’’ he said. “Her involvement has been crucial to the boys and the girls this year regardless of what volleyball experience she had prior to the season. We’re all learning together. None of us are pros.

“The biggest thing about coaching or playing a sport is effort. We can teach the skill. We can’t teach someone how to try.’’

Eighth-grader James Schmidt jumps for a return during a game against Bay Point Falcons.

Girls’ volleyball coach Mr. Glessner strategizes with his team during a game. This is Glessner’s third year as the Lady Trojan’s volleyball coach.

24 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, October 16, 2014

spotlight

Haslam’s Book Store contains row upon row and multiple rooms of new and used books.

Haslam’s opens for business on a sunny September morning.

ANNIE GJINECI | JHT

JULIANNA RAYMOND | JHT

Haslam’s Book Store

A St. Petersburg icon

Try finding creaky floors and ghosts at Amazon.

BY DESTINY ULANOFF AND RACHEL GADOURY

J

J.Hop Times Staff Writers

ohn and Mary Haslam started with a small book store on the corner of Central Ave in 1933. It was a place where people could buy and trade books and magazines. Above all, the prices were affordable. But they had to be. The Depression was on, and most people had very little extra money.

Today, more than 80 years later, Haslam’s Book Store still sells new and used books. The prices are still affordable, and it is still owned by relatives of John and Mary Haslam.

They have, however, added a ghost.

“I have been working in the store for 42 years, and it’s still fun every day,” explained Ray Hinst, a co-owner of Haslam’s, “It’s just my wife, my son and I, and it’s a party every day.”

Haslam’s isn’t your typical book store. The outside is a faded one-story masonry building on a corner of Central Avenue. But the inside looks like an old library, and the floorboards creak when you walk down the aisles. There are more than 300,000 books stacked and shelved in the store, making it Florida’s largest new and used book store.

As for the ghost, back in the 1960s, Jack Kerouac, a famous writer (On The Road) and poet, was a frequent customer at Haslam’s during the final years of his life. He would sneak into the store, go to the fiction section, and rearrange the books so that his titles would have a better position on the shelves.

The people who worked at Haslam’s had continuously asked Kerouac to stop rearranging the books. He, of course, ignored them.

Kerouac died in St. Anthony’s Hospital in 1969. Now people, including Mr. Hinst, have claimed that books mysteriously fall from the shelves or move to different sections, and that the ghost of Kerouac is still redecorating.

Customers have also said they felt a hand tap them on the shoulder, but when they turned around, no one was there. Others say they sensed someone was behind them, but no one ever is.

If nothing else, Haslam’s is a survivor, and some of that may have to do with Kerouac. As more and more people buy their books online, stores like Haslam’s have closed.

The ghost of Jack Kerouac helps bring people to the store, and that’s okay with Mr. Hinst.

“As long as he’s not hurting anything,’’ Mr. Hinst said.

ANNIE GJINECI | JHT

Ray Hinst, left, and son Raymond Hinst are co-owners of Haslam’s Book Store. The store opened in 1933.

ANNIE GJINECI | JHT

Customer Sonja Leone pays for her order as store cat Beowulf supervises.

Raymond Hinst shows an example of an early Malaysian book written on reeds.

Beowulf, the resident front register cat waits for petting and treats from customers.

JULIANNA RAYMOND | JHT

ALICIA PHANDARA | JHT

Rare edition books are displayed and sold at Haslam’s.

Ray Hinst demonstrates the “pigeon experience” in the parking lot at Haslam’s.

Hinst says that the birds are trained to come for seed and eat right of his hand.

JULIANNA RAYMOND | JHT

ANNIE GJINECI | JHT