JHT December 19 Edition

Thursday, December 19, 2013

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

Bridging the achievement gap

. Tampa Bay Watch

Black students don’t do as well on the FCAT as other students. Mr. Latimore is determined to change that.

The last line of environment defense.

PAGES 12-13 ZAC KENNEDY | JHT

PAGE 6

jhoptimes.pcsb.org

Getting too little sleep can effect academic performance. Sixthgrader Royce Norton does classwork while sleepyheads Zighuel Fulson, back left, Tara Denson, back right, and Sarah Wilson show what can happen when students are too tired for class.

from ZZZs to As

Photo illustration

by ANNIE GJINECI

What will staying up half the night playing video games or on Facebook get you?

Not much, especially if you have school the next day.

There is a strong connection between your grades and the amount of sleep you get. PAGE 3

2 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013

opinion

J.Hop Times staff

JHT Newsroom 3 Staff

The J.Hop Times is produced four times a year by students at John Hopkins Middle School.

NEWSROOM 3 | PERIODS 1 & 5 Editor in Chief: Annie Gjineci and Rachel Gadoury Photography Editors: Bry-Anna Bani and Sophie Ojdanic Katelyn Angelis, Bry-Anna Bani, Ronald Britt, Kenshara Calhoun, Bailee Campbell, Bianca Collins, Rachel Gadoury, Annie Gjineci, Caleb Gordon, Jiana Johnson, Zachery Kennedy, Griffin O’Neil, Sophie Ojdanic, Kyrsha Page, Hannah Philman, Veronica Sierra, Qeara Smith, Thayer Tymon, Dante Wilkenson, Destiny Young

NEWSROOM 2 | PERIOD 4

“D

Christopher Anderson, Cameron Canfall, Jakyra Champine, Nyanna Dixon, Keyon Evans, Esmeralda Garay, Cesar Garrison, Nataysha Howard, DeJa King, Amber Lemire, Alicia Lopez, Jennifer Marapoti, Michael McCarter, Thomas Pham, Eulie Roberts, Dovanta Rosebud, Marco Smiley, John Smith, Szeja Thomas, Shakera Thompson, Zoe Walsh, Delano White, Paris Williams

NEWSROOM 2 | PERIOD 8 Andrew Atwell, Angelina Capucci, Kaylen Carson, Jacob Clutter, Frank Gilliam, Nuriyjha Jackson, Andrew Johns-Hoffman, Tommy Mason, Seth McIntosh, Sandra Mean, Justin Moncada, Ashley Muse, Marcus Odajuste, Alicia Phandara, Maya Rivas, Timothy Smith, Rafael Tabera, Yon’Daijah Turner, Destiny Ulanoff, Brianna Walker, Miashia Walker

FROM LEFT, FRONT ROW: Katelyn Angelis, Annie Gjineci, Qeara Smith, Destiny Young, Griffin O’Neil, Dante Wilkenson, Caleb Gordon.

BACK ROW: Zac Kennedy, Hannah Philman, Thayer Tymon, Rachel Gadoury, Sophie Ojdanic, Veronica Sierra, Bailee Campbell, Ken’shara Calhoun, Ronnie Britt, Bry-Anna Bani, Bianca Collins.

NEWSROOM 1 | PERIOD 2 Mikaella Alston, Nadin Antonova, Felicity Asencio, Kristi Chitphaiboon, Keondrick Davis, Tara Denson, Gary Ervin, Isaiah Fields, Damiano Gallina, Pedro Gonzalez, Kiara Harper, Vivianne Harrington, Patricia Holt, EJ’ramel King, Nicholas Madole, Demetrio Martin, Willow McCalpin, Lacy McKee, Antoniece Morgan, Draytavious Morgan, Legacy Phillips, Kaylee Pompey, Essex Potts, Chakiya Price, Julianna Raymond, Jostyn Rodriguez, Kalira Russell, Jarves Scruggs, Jaeden Slomic, Autumn Stipe, Amaiya Waters, Ay’Ria Webb, Christopher Wessel

NEWSROOM 1 | PERIOD 6 Asia Arrington, Isabella Bodnar, Samora Brown, Asia Bryant, Nicholas Disbrow, Jakeem Dixon, Jakobie Elias, Zakiya Harper, Brenna Harrell, Charles Maddox, Simon McCray, Juwaun Monroe, Ashanti Morrow, Milton Sagastume, Syerra Simmons, Chamise White, Roishar Williams, Sayvon Wilson The opinions on this page are the opinions of the writers who try their best to get all sides of an issue before writing.

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 Journalism assistant: Pearl Gopfert Newspaper designer: Brittany Volk Journeys in Journalism coordinator: Cynda Mort

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: Nicole Wilson, Dwight Latimore, Robert Florio (magnet coordinator)

The best advice: Just be yourself

Plugging in not so bad after all?

C

hances are, if you’ve used a computer, laptop, or phone, you’ve stumbled upon social media sites. Sorry to have to tell you this, but you’re probably hooked forever.

Hello fellow Internet addicts.

I’d like you to meet billions of other humans who are in the same situation. We’ve had our social lives and free time ripped away from us thanks to the great and all- HANNAH powerful Inter- PHILMAN J.Hop Times net.

But do you Staff Writer really mind?

After all, why do work when you can text or go on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram, Kik, Pinterest, Pandora, Spotify, and so on.

Why even go outside unless you have to?

But there’s a good side to this.

Many people think that technology just makes people lazy, and that’s partly true. It does detach us from many worldly activities, but it also advances our understanding of how things work.

A lot of students will text or listen to music while doing school work, sometimes both, and studies have shown that doing this strengthens your ability to multitask.

The computer that this article is being typed on and the machines used to print this paper are technology. Most people literally cannot go a day without technology. I dare you to try.

I did. I broke within the first five minutes of waking up. I went straight for my laptop to listen to music out of habit. I looked at a digital clock multiple times, used a toaster for breakfast, checked my phone constantly, and the list goes on.

Think of life without technology. Communicating would take much longer, inventing, making and fixing things would be very difficult, even getting clean water from your tap would be a roll of the dice. If you could get the water at all.

Yes, technology has cut our attention spans and made us more dependent on devices, but technology is not all bad.

Need proof ? If you were lost, which would you rather have, a map or a GPS?

o it.”

“C’mon. We did it. Now you try.’’

“Don’t be afraid.

It’s easy”.

These are words that can change a kid’s life in a matter of seconds.

Peer pressure.

What is that exactly?

Peer pressure is the ANNIE influence a kid, or GJINECI teenager, gets from J.Hop Times their peers. Peer Editor pressure isn’t always negative advice. Sometimes it can be positive, but it rarely is.

Peers — your friends, mostly — are one of the main influences in your life.

Middle school students just want to fit in, and that’s not easy. It’s hard to be different in middle school because it’s all about fitting in.

So kids want to do whatever their peers do. But by doing that, they don’t expose their true personality.

Nobody is the same, which is what makes us so interesting.We notice the people who stand out, who aren’t perfect. But they aren’t fake, either. Think for a bit. Who’s your idol? They’re probably someone who is different, who doesn’t follow others.

Following people isn’t the only way to be liked. Just be yourself. Stand out. What I mean by standing out is to show your true personality. To be different you don’t have to put a flower pot on your head. You can just decide that it’s not okay to make fun of someone. Or that it’s not okay cheat on a test. Or that it is okay to stop in the library and find a good book.

At the end of the day, everyone has probably been pressured to do something by their peers. You have to decide whether or not it’s a good decision. If you get a bad feeling, don’t do it. If you think you’ll help someone and yourself, go for it.

Peer pressure is a serious thing, especially in middle school. The future of your life is in the palm of your hands.

So you decide what’s best for you.

Don’t let someone else make that call.

J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013 • 3

school news

HEY, YOU.

WAKE UP. IT MATTERS HOW MUCH SLEEP YOU GET

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

BY RACHEL GADOURY, HANNAH PHILMAN, ANNIE GJINECI, SOPHIE OJDANIC AND KENSHARA CALHOUN

BY TIMOTHY SMITH, PATRICIA HOLT, KEYON EVANS, DEVONTA ROSEBUD, AY’RIA WEBB, YON’DAIJAH TURNER AND LACY MCKEE

Y

J.Hop Times Staff Writers

ou see them every day, in almost every class. Their eyes are closed and their heads are resting on their desks. When they do move around, they look like the cast of The Walking Dead.

They are students who aren’t getting enough sleep. And if you think it’s cool to brag about how you stayed up until 3 a.m. to play a video game, remember that staying up late is something anybody can do. It doesn’t take any special talent or skill.

But it can affect your health and your grades, and not in a good way.

Check out these facts from the National Sleep Foundation: • Teens need a little over nine hours of sleep each night to be at their best. But most teens don’t get that. One study found that only 15 percent of teens reported sleeping eight hours on school nights.

• Sleep is vital to your well-being. It can help you recover more quickly from something like a cold, it’s good for your skin, it can even help you manage the stress of being a teen.

• Teens tend to have irregular sleep patterns. They stay up late and sleep in on the weekends, but not during the week. That can affect their biological clocks and hurt the

Z SOME

DOS AND DON’TS OF DOZING

quality of their sleep.

• Many teens suffer from sleep disorders like narcolepsy, insomnia, restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea.

They can get treatment for these illnesses.

Why should middle school students who go to Pinellas County schools care that much about sleep? School starts at 9:30. That’s plenty of time to wake up and get ready.

But even that late start is hard for some students. And you can’t stay in middle school forever. High schools in Pinellas start their day at 7:05 a.m. That means getting up 6 a.m. or earlier.

Even with the late start, many students at John Hopkins Middle School say they don’t get enough sleep and are tired during school. “I know I don’t get enough sleep,’’ said sixth-grader Ryan McDonald. “But it doesn’t affect your grade because your grade is your grade.’’

Another sixth-grader, Lenzhia Haskins, said she also doesn’t get enough sleep. “And I still get As and Bs,’’ she said.

That may be true, but how long will it last?

“Sleep is very important because it allows you to function better,’’ said Mr. Moraniec, a health teacher at JHop. “Sooner or later, not getting enough will catch up with you.’’

If John Hopkins wants to become a B school, students will need to do everything they can to make it happen.

That includes getting a good night’s sleep.

“I want to stay focused in class,’’ said seventh-grader Adrianna Lewis. “That’s how you get good grades.’’

Z

Z

Turn off the TV or the computer.

Because it flickers, the light from a TV screen can actually be worse than leaving a light on.

Try to go to bed at the same time every night.

And that time shouldn’t be later than 11 p.m.

Z

Keep your room cool, dark and quiet. If you share your bedroom, that may be hard to do.

Z Eat right and get regular exercise.

Don’t go to bed too hungry or too stuffed.

Source: mayoclinic.com

J.Hop Times Staff Writers

“This is my best year,’’ said Mr. Brown.

“Every year we keep progressing.’’

That was the way Mr. Brown summed up the first half of the 2013-14 school year during an interview Dec. 4. This is his fourth year at John Hopkins.

From the large number of students who are participating in the S.T.E.M. program, to the new landscaping in front of the auditorium, to a very successful Discovery Night, the signs are there that John Hopkins Middle School has turned a corner, Mr. Brown said.

“And we have a safe environment on this campus,’’ he added, “because of the positive action of students. I’m happy with the reputation of John Hopkins.’’

Since you can’t get good grades on an empty stomach, he also mentioned Ms. Forte’s garden, a plot of vegetable plants behind Building 7 that was started this summer and is expanding by the week. The garden has become a magnet for students who come check the progress of the vegetables. “Ms. Forte’s garden is like the icing on an already tasty cake.” Mr. Brown said.

“Last week I made fried green tomatoes from the garden. That’s a luxury not many principals have.’’

Looking to 2014, Mr. Brown said the pressure will increase as students and teachers prepare for the FCATs. “Everything we do is about the season,’’ he said, “but in the end there is the championship — the FCAT. Students have got to give it their all.” Mr. Brown has set a goal of JHMS becoming a B school (560 on the FCAT and 3.0 averages) before school ends in June.

But this is December, and for now, the holidays are on everyone’s minds. Mr. Brown said he will spend a lot of his Christmas vacation refereeing basketball games and “being a parent.”

“That’s who I am,’’ he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a job that didn’t focus around kids.

“It’s always been about kids.’’

4 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013

school news

Building the future one Lego at a time Students in the S.T.E.M. program learn to become engineers, scientists and mathematicians of tomorrow.

BY SYERRA SIMMONS J.Hop Times Staff Writer

T

he first thing you notice inside Room 5-214 and 6113 is all the activity. Students are huddled together around tables and they’re using Legos, scissors, PVC tubing and cardboard to build model bridges.

• All this is going on after school. None of the students has to be here. • Or maybe they do.

Where do teenagers get their news during a typical day?

KYRSHA PAGE | JHT

lot to get into that career.’’

That’s the whole point.

“Basically, what was happening was kids were going off to college without enough technology,’’ said Mr. Coffin. “So we decided to create a S.T.E.M. class here at school to advance their skills. We’re also not getting enough engineers from our own country.

But more than anything, “this is a great way to improve our academics,” he said.

WATCH TV π 77 percent READ AN ARTICLE ONLINE π 54 percent WATCH VIDEO NEWS ONLINE π 48 percent READ AN ARTICLE IN PRINT π 42 percent

What do teens consider the most truthful sources of news?

Eighth grade S.T.E.M. students construct a shelter for a challenge called Treehouse.

From left, Kevin Lai, Kate Spoonamore, and Ronnessa Hart begin to build their structure as Alyssa Hedeen, Maarkus Tyndale and Hannah Philman work in the background.

π π π π

88 percent said NEWSPAPERS. 78 percent said TELEVISION. 58 percent said WEBSITES. 34 percent said SOCIAL MEDIA.

Source: The Knight Foundation, 2011

Welcome to the John Hopkins Middle School afterschool S.T.E.M. program. The idea is to get students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (S.T.E.M.) and to show them that learning about these subjects can be fun. Students meet every Tuesday from 4:25 to 5:25 p.m.

The program was started this fall by Ms. Packard and Mr. Coffin, both science teachers at JHMS. Ms. Packard runs the program with eighth-graders in Room 5-214, and Mr. Coffin runs it with sixth- and seventh-graders in Room 6-113.

The first time, four students showed up. They’re now up to 18, with more to come.

“We try to show the different aspects of science,’’ said Ms. Packard. “Maybe a student will pursue a higher level science course.’’

Mr. Coffin added, “At the very least they will learn how to solve problems, but the goal is they become our problem solvers regardless of career path.”

It already sounds like that might happen.

“It’s going to help my strategies and will help my future in academics,’’ said eighth-grader Kate Spoonamore. “I’ve made new friends and we all get along.’’

“I love construction,’’ said seventh-grader Raziel Porter, “and this was my only chance to do construction.

My goal this year is to get a Pride Award in science. And I always love a good challenge.”

Sixth-grader Douglas Collins said he wants to be an engineer, and that the S.T.E.M. program “will help me a

J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013 • 5

school news

The best middle school newspaper in America?

YOU’RE LOOKING AT IT

F

BRY-ANNA BANI | JHT

J.Hop Times editors Rachel Gadoury, left, and Annie Gjineci display the 2013 NSPA Pacemaker Award.

or the first time in its history, John Hopkins Middle School can boast that it is home to the best middle school newspaper in America.

The J.Hop Times won a Pacemaker Award, the highest honor given to the scholastic press. The awards were announced Nov. 16 at the National Scholastic Journalism Convention in Boston.

Started in 1927 by the National Scholastic Press Association, the award is 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.

More than 300 schools submitted their newspapers from the 2012-13 school year. Of the middle schools that entered, only four were selected as finalists: The Spectrum (Los Angeles), The Town Crier (Los Angeles), The Scroll (London) and the J.Hop Times (St. Petersburg).

Judges selected The Scroll and the J.Hop Times as winners.

The Scroll is a student newspaper for the American School in London, a private school with a yearly tuition of $33,200.

The J.Hop Times is part of the Tampa Bay Times Journeys In Journalism program and is also part of the magnet program at JHMS. J.Hop Times Staff

Goodbye Mr. Stretch J.Hop Times Staff

File photo

Mr. Stretch huddles up with the boys’ volleyball team duringa game.

The first thing you notice when you enter Mr. Stretch’s room is the warmth.

Not the temperature. The feeling.

Mr. Stretch, a language arts teacher at John Hopkins Middle School, has four lamps around his classroom. It’s like being in someone’s living room or den. It makes visitors feel relaxed and welcome.

After teaching for more than 40 years, the last 14 at JHMS, Mr. Stretch is retiring January 21.

“A good teacher is one who is involved with kids not only on the intellectual level, but on the social and emotional level as well,’’ he said recently. “The most important thing we as teachers can do is get the students to think, to work things out for themselves.

“We want to teach the values they’ll need to be successful in life.’’

Mr. Stretch learned from the best – his father, who was a coach and teacher in his native Ohio. “I saw him change the

lives of young people,’’ Mr. Stretch said.

Mr. Stretch, who is married with five adult children, spent most of his summers building tennis courts in the St. Petersburg area. “There probably aren’t many out there,” he said, “that I didn’t have a hand in building.’’

He also has helped build some careers.

He estimated there are three dozen teachers in the St. Petersburg area who were students of his. “I have people come up to me quite often and say, “You taught me 30 years ago.’’

When he turns out the lamps for the last time next month, he said he’ll feel a mix of emotions.

“I’m going to miss it,’’ he said.

6 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013

school news

Bridging

the achievement

gap

“If people understood, it would be a piece of cake.’’

A different look at the holidays

BY CESAR GARRISON

J.Hop Times Staff Writer

M

ore than 280 million Americans, or close to 90 percent of the population, celebrate Christmas, according to a recent Gallup poll. That means about 30 million other Americans — more than the population of Texas — don’t celebrate the holiday.

Sasha Taylor is like most other seventh-graders at John Hopkins Middle School. She likes math. She bought a diary at the book fair.

She’s also a Jehovah’s Witness, and like other members of that religion, she doesn’t celebrate any holidays, including Christmas. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe in God and Jesus; they just don’t celebrate Jesus’ birth.

Sasha is far from alone. Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists, and of course, atheists, also don’t celebrate Christmas.

It’s hard to explain the Jehovah Witness religion to other people, Sasha said. She has to go to meetings on Wednesdays and Sundays. She also has to study for the meetings, and the topics are always changing.

Sasha studies for the meetings by reading the Jeremiah book and pamphlets.

Sasha also has to do Saturday service, which means she walks through neighborhoods and hands out pamphlets like Watchtower that tell the story of her religion. She said she often gets a door slammed in her face or the person at the house is rude. Still, she goes on. “We have to be strong,’’ she said.

Sasha said that for her, Christmas is a difficult time of year.

“Christmas is really hard and confusing,’’ she said.

“To me, people are celebrating things that aren’t necessary. And it’s hard to get away from. The commercials, the decorations, you’re surrounded by it.

“I guess it’s just something I have to deal with. But I feel like a stranger in my own country. Left out and ignored.’’

Sasha said she loves being a Jehovah’s Witness, and she wishes more people would try to understand her religion.

JENNIFER MARAPOTI | JHT

Sasha Taylor and her family are Jehovah Witnesses. “We re just regular people who have a different religion,” she said.

It’s something Dr. Grego, Mr. Latimore and many others want to see happen. Soon.

BY SOPHIE OJDANIC AND ANNIE GJINECI

J.Hop Times Editors

When it comes to holidays, here’s what Jehovah’s Witnesses believe One of the more well-known practices of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is their non-celebration of holidays. All holidays, including birthdays, are considered “pagan holidays” and may not be observed by Witnesses. The official website of the Jehovah’s Witnesses explains: “Jesus never commanded Christians to celebrate his birth. Rather, he told his disciples to memorialize, or remember, his death. Christmas and its customs come from ancient false religions. The same is true of Easter customs, such as the use of eggs and rabbits. The early Christians did not celebrate Christmas or Easter, nor do true Christians today.”

Witnesses do celebrate one holiday — the “Memorial of Christ’s Death,” which occurs at roughly the same time as Christian Easter and the Jewish Passover. This holiday is acceptable because it was instituted by Christ himself. The Memorial is the one time during the year in which the Lord’s Supper is observed.

Source: religionfacts.com

“We’re not mean and it’s not a cult,’’ she said. “We’re just regular people who have a different religion.

There are a lot of things we do that are different from other religions. But people shouldn’t argue about religion and think that I’m wrong.

“If people understood, it would be a piece of cake.’’

The numbers are shocking.

When the FCATs were taken last spring, only 28 percent of black students in Pinellas County scored “proficient” in reading. Compare that to 68 percent of Asian students, 66 percent of white students and 49 percent of Hispanic students.

That’s what’s called an achievement gap. Or, more accurately, an achievement Grand Canyon.

“This is a call to action,’’ Pinellas Schools Superintendent Dr. Grego told the Tampa Bay Times recently.

One of the people who answered the call was Mr. Latimore, an assistant principal at John Hopkins Middle School. He announced recently that a new committee will be formed at John Hopkins to address the lack of academic progress for African-American students. About 60 percent of the students at John Hopkins are African American.

Only 20 percent of AfricanAmerican students at JHMS scored at or above level 3 on the FCAT reading test last year, compared to 67 percent of white students.

Mr.Latimore is targeting students based on their FCAT scores.

He said he understands the urgency and what Dr. Grego meant he said he wants to narrow the achieve-

States’ high school graduation rates (2012) BEST Iowa: 88 percent Vermont: 87 percent Wisconsin: 87 percent WORST Florida: 71 percent Louisiana: 71 percent Alaska: 68 percent Oregon: 68 percent Georgia: 67 percent New Mexico: 63 percent Nevada: 62 percent Source: U.S. Department of Education

ment gap now. “It was encouraging to know that Dr. Grego believes that this needs to be better,” Mr. Latimore said. “I see J.Hop being a B or an A school by addressing student’s needs just like this.”

According to the Times, Pinellas County has had one of the largest achievement gaps in the state.

But that doesn’t bother Mr. Latimore.

“I believe here at John Hopkins we have the personnel, from support staff, instructional to plant operation and Watch Dog Dads, to make a difference toward the achievement gap,” he said.

J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013 • 7

school news

Birds of Boyd Hill visit J.Hop Unable to return to the wild, these birds captivate classrooms.

BY PATRICIA HOLT, LACY MCKEE, KEONDRICK DAVIS, DAMIANO GALLINA, JARVES SCRUGGS, AY’RIA WEBB, ISAIAH FIELDS AND JAEDEN SLOMIC

J.Hop Times Staff Writers

They were carried into the classroom in cages covered with dark panels. The air holes on the sides were the only clues that something inside was alive.

When one of them made a noise, several students jumped.

And then they made their grand entrance — three owls, a hawk and a falcon. These birds of prey came to visit John Hopkins Middle School recently thanks to the volunteers at the Boyd Hill Nature Preserve.

The students not only got to learn about birds of prey in general (there are five types — hawks, eagles, falcons, owls and vultures), they got to meet and hear the stories behind several birds.

Mr. Patrick Bradley led a group of four volunteers from Boyd Hill. He said the birds at the preserve are all permanently injured and can’t survive in the wild. But they are trained to do educational programs.

Students got to meet two eastern screech owls named Jack and Wookie, a barred owl named Phantom, a red-shouldered hawk named Penny, and a hybrid falcon named Shahheen.

Mr. Bradley explained that screech owls got their name because of the sound they make.

These two owls came to Boyd Hill because Jack had been bitten by a cat, and Wookie had an injured foot. These owls eat insects, roaches and palmetto bugs, and like other owls, their eyes are on the front of their faces, not the sides, like all other birds.

Phantom, a barred owl that had been hit by a car, had a very round face and deep, dark eyes. Mr. Bradley said owls use their round faces as a “hearing disk. They are nocturnal hunters and can hear a mouse moving under a foot of leaves from 100 feet away.’’

Next came Penny, a juvenile redshouldered hawk that is blind in one eye. Hawks usually hunt during the day, Mr. Bradley said, and they can go up to five days without water. Hawks usually eat snakes, mice, lizards and frogs. Penny is very calm around people, which Mr. Bradley said is unusual. “Penny was found on the ground near a nest,’’ he said, “and someone took her into their home until they found out that it was illegal to keep birds of prey without a license. So they brought her to Boyd Hill.’’

Finally, Shaheen, a hybrid falcon who lost an eye to an infection, took the stage. Mr. Bradley explained that falcons are the fastest animals on Earth. When they dive they can reach speeds of nearly 250 m.p.h.

Also, falcons are the only birds with teeth, although they only have two small ones.

The birds at Boyd Hill are lucky.

Mr. Bradley said that about twothirds of all birds of prey die before their first birthday because they don’t learn how to survive. The birds that came to JHMS likely would have died if they had been left in the wild.

“We can’t know for sure if they like coming to schools,’’ Mr. Bradley said. “But I don’t think they mind.’’

J.Hop Times staff writers ChrisWessel and Kiara Harper contributed to this report.

NADIN ANTONOVA | JHT

Birds of prey have very strong talons that help them grip prey and perch on branches. Handlers must wear thick leather gloves to protect themselves from the talons.

KAYLEE POMPEY | JHT

Phantom, a barred owl, stares into the camera. Phantom was hit by a car. When he was hit, the car crushed his wing.

ESSEX POTTS | JHT NICHOLAS MADOLE | JHT

Patrick Bradley, director of the Boyd Hill Birds of Prey Program, holds Phantom, a barred owl, as screech owls Jack, left, and Wookie look on.

Penny is a red-shouldered hawk. She is blind in her right eye and cannot return to the wild.

Penny, a redshouldered hawk, came to the Boyd Hill Nature Preserve recently.

She is blind in her right eye and lives permanently at the park.

DEMETRIO MARTIN | JHT JULIANNA RAYMOND | JHT

Wookie, left, and Jack, both screech owls, perch on a handler’s glove.

8 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013

school news

Dinner is served

12 words you need to know (and what they mean)

BY CALEB GORDON AND DEVONTA ROSEBUD J.Hop Times Staff Writers

IMPLEMENTATION The process of putting a decision or plan into effect

John Hopkins will begin serving dinner to students starting this month.

S

tarting this month, students at John Hopkins Middle School will be able to receive three free hot meals a day at school.

Under a new program started by the Pinellas County School District, dinner has been added to the meals that will be served. Until now, students in after-school programs like R’ Club got only a snack.

Of course, this is extra work for the cafeteria staff.

“We don’t mind,” said Ms. Dew, who manages the cafeteria. “We serve a total of about 1,200 meals almost every day to John Hopkins Middle and University Prep Academy. We like having kids eat healthy meals every day.”

For the schools to qualify for the program they must have at least half of their students on free or reduced lunch. The federal government reimburses the school district for the cost of the dinner program.

An added bonus: parents can come to school and have dinner with their children if they want.

“I don’t know if I would eat dinner here,’’ said sixth-grader Akeima Witchard. “Sometimes the food is good and sometimes the food is not too good.’’

Sixth-grader Savion Brightful had a more practical approach. “I would eat dinner here,’’ he said. “You should eat it because they’re giving it to you.’’

Information from the Tampa Bay Times was used in this report. J.Hop Times staff writers Deja King, Isaiah Fields, Jakyra Champine, Milton Sagastume, Nicholas Disbrow, Juwaun Monroe, Roishar E Williams contributed to this report.

STANDARDIZE Cause something to conform to a standard AUTHENTIC Of undisputed origin; genuine Concepts An abstract idea DESIGN A plan or drawing produced to show the look or function of an object before it is built or made LOGICAL Of or according to the rules of logic or formal argument

KEN’SHARA CALHOUN | JHT

Beginning in December, students at J.Hop will be able to receive free dinner every school day.

Malaysia Brown, front, checks out in the lunch line while Lacy McKee waits.

Percentage of low-income students Low-income students made up at least half the public school student population in 17 states in 2011, a marked increase from 2000, when four states topped 50 percent.

PROVE To demonstrate the truth or existence of something by evidence or argument CONNECT To bring together or into contact so that a real or notional length is established PROBABILITY The extent to which something is probable; the likelihood of something happening PROCEDURES An established or official way of doing something MENTOR An experienced and trusted advisor MEASURABLE Able to be measured

Source: Southern Education Foundation

J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013 • 9

sports

From the NFL to middle school It’s Coach Paschal’s second year at John Hopkins Middle School.

BY MICHAEL MCCARTER AND ZOE WALSH

J.Hop Times Staff Writers

O

ne day he was playing professional football in front of 70,000 screaming fans in places like New York, Dallas and Boston. It was 2011, and Marcus Paschal was a cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens, one of the best teams in the NFL. His job was to cover wide receivers, kickoffs and punts.

A year later, that same Marcus Paschal was starting his first year at John Hopkins Middle School, working as a health and gym teacher in front of dozens of students who had no idea who he was.

If he had to cover anything, it was another teacher’s class.

“But this is exactly what I wanted to do,’’ Mr. Paschal said recently.

It’s just that the path he took to get here was a little unusual. Mr.

Paschal was born in Clearwater, went to Largo High and then on to the University of Iowa, where he was an honorable mention and later second-team All-Big Ten selection. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as undrafted free agent in May, 2007. He was cut just before the season started and was out of football for a year.

He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts in 2009 before he landed at Baltimore that same season. He stayed with the Ravens until August 2011 when a torn quadriceps (thigh) muscle forced him to the injured reserve list.

“And that was the end of my career,’’ he said. The following year, at the urging of Mr. Brown, principal at John Hopkins, Mr. Paschal started teaching at the school.

Mr. Paschal said he doesn’t miss the fans calling his name and asking for autographs, and all the other special attention NFL players

get. “I’m the type of person who’s always grounded,’’ he said. “I never changed.”

“My career ended short. I played only four years. But I enjoyed every minute and I made the best decision for me and my family.’’

Besides his duties at JHMS, Mr. Paschal is the defensive backs coach at Largo High. This year, the Packers lost only one regular season game. He said he uses his coaching position to make positive influences on young players.

“Now they can put a face on that dream of theirs,’’ he said. “I want them to know they can make it if they stay on track and work hard.’’

There’s one more thing about Mr. Paschal. He won’t tell you he’s a former NFL player unless you ask.

“I’ve never been that type of person,’’ he said. “You have to know me or somebody tells you that I played.

“I loved the game,’’ he added. “But now I’m on a different path.’’

ANNIE GJINECI | JHT

Mr. Paschal comes to J.Hop after playing in the NFL.

Watch out Randy Orton, CM Punk and John Cena

BY PARIS WILLIAMS AND FRANK GILLIAM

J.Hop Times Staff Writers

JHT Staff

“We even have a stage name for him,’’ said Mr. Morris. “J-man it is.”

Mr. Morris, John Hopkins Middle School plant operator, was talking about his 10-yearold son, whose name is Jeremiah. He goes to Bay Vista Elementary and is a pretty normal kid. Except for one thing.

Jeremiah is also training to wrestle in high school, college, and maybe professionally. In a way, Mr. Morris is home-schooling his son.

He built a 10-foot by 10-foot ring in his house so he could teach his son to wrestle. “I made a wrestling ring in my living room to give my son a reality atmosphere.” Mr. Morris said.

Mr. Morris is teaching his son wrestling

moves like the half-nelson, the wizard and the fireman’s carry. Mr. Morris said they came close to getting hurt but pretty much keep it clean. “I’d love to see him go all the way to the pro level,’’ Mr. Morris said. “I think it’s fun to see him wrestle.’’

That could be because Mr. Morris sees a little of himself when he watches his son. Mr. Morris wrestled for Pinellas Park High School and practiced with Buzz Sawyer, a local pro wrestling legend. Mr. Morris also went to matches at the historic Homer Hesterly Armory in Tampa and saw such wrestling legends as Dusty Rhodes and Jack Brisco.

Someday, Mr. Morris said, maybe fans will pack arenas to see J-man wrestle.

“Wouldn’t that be something,’’ he said.

10 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013

sports Boys and Girls basketball schedule Date BOYS Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014

Opponent

Meadowlawn

π Monday, Jan. 13, 2014 Bay Point Wednesday Jan. 15, 2014 Tyrone Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014 Azalea π Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014 Bay Point GIRLS π Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014

Meadowlawn

Monday, Jan. 13, 2014 Bay Point π Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014 Tyrone π Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014 Azalea Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014 Bay Point π = home game Compiled by Destiny Ulanoff and Paris Williams

Photo courtesy Sue Payne

Kathryn Girdler, left, and Coach Glessner hold the Girls Volleyball Middle School, South Division 2013 trophy.

AND THE WINNER IS …

BY ANNIE GJINECI AND SOPHIE OJDANIC • J.Hop Times Editors

More than a month after they played their final game, the John Hopkins Middle School girls’ volleyball team finally learned they had captured their second straight South District title. The Lady Trojans, under the direction of Coach Glessner, finished with an 8-2 record.

• Coach Glessner thought JHMS had finished at least tied with Meadowlawn, but he didn’t know Meadowlawn’s record. Coach Glessner and the J.Hop Times contacted the school to get that information, but were unsuccessful. • It wasn’t until Nov. 8, 33 days after the season ended, that Coach Glessner learned the Lady Trojans had successfully defended their title.

• “Coaching the team was a lot of fun, and the girls worked very hard,’’ said Coach Glessner, who is in his first year at John Hopkins. • Among the players who excelled for the Lady Trojans this season were Alise Bryant, Heidi Roosa, Macey Zeh-Arndt, Katie Truong, Grace Elliott, Jaelyn White, Kathryn Girdler and Kelly Hannigan.

J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013 • 11

features

I want to see you … but I can’t EDITOR’S NOTE: Bry-Anna Bani wrote about her brother in last year’s J.Hop Times. This is a continuation of that story.

BY BRY-ANNA BANI

J.Hop Times Staff Writer

LAST NOVEMBER: The first memory that I have of my older brother Kiki was of him telling me, “For your next birthday, if I’m here, I will get you whatever you want.’’ I was 10 at the time; I am 13 now. And Kiki hasn’t been here for any of my birthdays.

Kiki has been in and out of jail for six years.

Even though he’s not here, Kiki and I write each other a lot and I feel like he is my only sibling that I can really talk too. I tell him about almost everything. I tell him about my school drama. I tell him about major events that I have at school or home. And I tell him how I feel about him being in prison.

I try not to tell him a lot of my feelings about him being in there because I don’t want him to do something stupid because he is sad. Whenever he gets sad or depressed, he does stupid things and then he gets in trouble. The more trouble he gets in, the longer he has to be in prison.

When he gets out, I don’t want him to get in more trouble. I don’t like seeing him like this and if he keeps getting in trouble, then I don’t want to see him.

THIS NOVEMBER: In a week I was going to see my brother.

The last time I saw him, he was in prison. Two years have passed and he is now in a work release program. It’s not nearly as bad as prison, but barbed wire, bars, chain link fences and security guards was all I could think about.

“How am I supposed to go through this again?” I asked myself. “Could I really go and act like it didn’t bother me?”

I would walk in with my head held high like I knew what to do.

But I didn’t know exactly what to expect because this was a new and different place. But really, they’re all basically the same.

When he walked out, he looked so much better than the last time I saw him. He looked happy for once. He looked relieved that we were there.

“This program has taught me some things, but I really learned most of what I know in prison,’’ he said. “Nothing is certain if you’re not willing to bet your life on it.”

No matter what we talk about, I always feel complete. When he told me that he gets out in July, I started crying. I was so happy, but at the same time, I was nervous.

What happens if he goes back to the same old people that he used to hang around with and gets in trouble? Things like that make me nervous for him.

He also told me something else that bothers me. “I’d probably be dead,’’ he said, “from all the enemies I made.” Those words haunt me every night before I go to sleep.

In two weeks, Christmas is going to be here. Kiki hasn’t been here for the holidays in three years. I was looking through some family pictures and I found a Thanksgiving photo that Kiki was in. Every holiday that goes by, it’s just a reminder that he isn’t here.

Just a reminder that my family isn’t complete.

The best Christmas present I could get is having my brother here for Christmas. It would be like old times when we would decorate the tree together and bake cookies the night before. And we’d listen to Christmas music before we went to bed. Those are the memories I want back. Those are the memories I miss.

But this year is like every other year. He won’t be here to open presents on Christmas morning.

And have a big feast at dinner time.

But there is always next year.

mpbell

ilee Ca

y of Ba

s Courte

O T A V O L do n I a l r O es in EM

rt r Conce

ev i e w

Dat The House of Blu

BY BAILEE CAMPBELL

T

J.Hop Times Staff Writer

he deal was this: I had to earn the right to go to the Demi Lovato concert by getting good grades on my progress report.

It wasn’t easy, but I did it.

And so on Sunday, Nov. 3, I made the journey. And I’m really glad I did.

I first saw Demi at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in the summer of 2009. Since then, she has been my idol and my inspiration. Normally I look up her tickets once every week to see if she’s coming anywhere near the Tampa Bay area. As obsessive as that may seem, I finally found a date when she would be in Orlando.

I was as excited as a 13-year-old girl can get over a famous person. The day of the concert, I got ready way too early. I painted my nails blue for Demi’s blue hair, and I wore my Demi Lovato shirt. We left the house for the two-hour drive to Orlando at 2:30 p.m. and got there at 4 — more than three hours before the show was to start.

As we walked to dinner at the Rainforest Café, we passed a giant wall of teenage girls. The line was so long, I wish I had been there earlier. We ate dinner and went to the back of the line at 5:45. They said we’d be let in at 6, but we didn’t start moving until 6:45.

The entire floor of the concert hall was filled, so we had to go one level up to a place where we were standing behind the people that control the sound and lights for the show. Even though we were in a strange area, we had an okay view.

I was overwhelmed with excitement. I couldn’t wait for the concert to start.

The opening act was a rap group called MKTO. They were okay, but not my favorite. I still jammed out to their music and had fun. The next act to come on was Cher Lloyd. I knew a few of her songs, so I was able to sing along. She was really good.

After Cher Lloyd, the excitement started pouring in. Everyone in the crowd was on their feet and ready. Finally, Demi Lovato was on the stage.

I knew every word to every song she played.

As soon as she came on the stage, I started crying from all the build-up and excitement. The first song she played was Heart Attack. All of the songs she sang were backed her band and a few back-up singers.

It was a very intimate performance. The second song she played was Really Don’t Care. It was supposed to feature Cher Lloyd, but she had already gone back to her hotel room, so the crowd had to sing her part. In my opinion, we did a pretty good job.

The next song she sang was Nightingale, which she dedicated to her dad, who passed away in June. It was a very sad and moving song. The next thing that happened made me cry very, very hard. Demi started talking about going through mental health treatment and she dedicated her song to people who were going through similar things that she had gone through. It was very moving and sentimental.

When she played Skyscraper, I couldn’t even breathe. I was crying harder than I ever had, and all I could do was just stand there and listen. That song has changed my life in many different ways. Next she did a cover of Rihanna’s song Stay.

In the middle of the song she started saying, “Wait! Hold on! Stop the song.”

No one knew what to think. The she said, “One of the security guards just brought a tissue to one of my fans who was crying and I just thought that was so sweet. It makes me want to cry.”

Then she just jumped right back into the song and it made me, and everyone else, laugh.

After that she sang Give Your Heart A Break, which everyone seemed to know the words to.

That was followed by Neon Lights. It was full of energy and super fun.

And then the concert ended. But Demi told us she’ll be coming to Tampa in February for a concert at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Not only do I have tickets to that show, but I also have meet and greet passes.

On our way out of the concert, I bought a shirt, and my dad and I had a snack at the House Of Blues café. Then we began our two-hour journey home.

It was by far the best night of my entire life.

14 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013

features

IN DEFENSE OF READING

Ireoina Lightsey works on a math assignment during Ms. Ramos’ class.

“ONCE YOU LEARN TO READ, YOU WILL BE FOREVER FREE.’’ FREDERICK DOUGLASS

English. Language arts. Call it what you want. It means the same thing to every student who takes it.

Reading. God forbid. May the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (look it up) ride into the abyss, and let plagues run freely.

What is wrong THAYER w i t h w o r d s , TYMON books, and sto- J.Hop Times ries? Why are Literary Critic they avoided like they’re lepers? Is it because teachers make us read things with horrible plot lines and characters that have no personality whatsoever?

If you think reading isn’t important, reconsider: According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 37 percent of American fourth graders and 26 percent of eighth graders cannot read at the basic level. What’s more, 26 percent of twelfth graders cannot read at the basic level.

Basically I’m asking an easy and simple question here that deserves a complex and descriptive answer.

Why don’t more students read?

“They have too many distractions, phones, computers and other technology,” answered Ms. Weatherholt, JHMS librarian. “Every time you read a book you get another adventure.”

I have been asked countless times how I read during school with everything that goes on around me. It’s because when you pick up a book, when you read that first page, that very first paragraph, maybe even the first sentence, everything changes. You leave where you are and go someplace else.

The music is better, the colors are brighter, nights are longer and days are sweeter. Its joy and despair and everything in between.

“It’s helped me with my vocabulary,’’ said eighth-grader Deshayia Pennington. “And it could really

BRY-ANNA BANI | JHT

Math? Cool?

Well, yes

BY TIMOTHY SMITH, GRIFFIN O’NEIL AND CALEB GORDON ANNIE GJINECI | JHT

help with the FCAT.” Beyond that, Deshayia said, its fun. “A fantasy world opens up to you,’’ she said. “I picture things I wish I could do but I’m glad I can’t. Because where there’s good, there’s bad.”

We are always told to read by parents and teachers, and their usual reasoning is that it helps with school, which leads to being successful. “It’s true,’’ said Mrs. Hedeen, an eighth-grade reading teacher at John Hopkins. “If you don’t read, you can’t be successful in life.”

“If I’m reading for pleasure, it helps me escape,’’ she added.

“And reading for work helps me improve as a teacher.”

Mrs. Hedeen said there is a dif-

ference she sees between students who read for fun and the ones who don’t. “The biggest difference,’’ she said, “is that students who read for fun have a better understanding of everything they read than students who don’t.’’

Ms. Weatherholt and Mrs. Hedeen pointed out that there are so many stories and titles out there that not even a speed reader would ever be able to finish them all. And there’s something for everyone, whether it’s mysteries or romance or sports or fashion.

Reading, especially for pleasure, lets us forget about everything that happened today, and lets us think about everything that’s possible tomorrow.

Reading in America • Forty-four percent of American fourth-grade students cannot read fluently, even when they read grade-level stories aloud under supportive testing conditions.

• Out-of-school reading habits of students has shown that even 15 minutes a day of independent reading can expose students to more than a million words of text in a year.

• There are almost half a million words in our English language — the largest language on earth, incidentally — but a third of all our writing is made up of only 22 words.

• Nearly half of American adults cannot understand the label on their prescription medicine.

J.Hop Times Staff Writers

Let’s start with what a lot of students think math is.

Boring. Difficult. Useless.

And those are the good comments.

Now the reality.

We wouldn’t have video games without algebra. Our buildings wouldn’t stand up, our food wouldn’t be grown, and our airplanes, cars and cell phones wouldn’t work without math.

Have you ever tried to decide which cell phone plan is best for you? Algebra can help you do that.

Seventh-grader Luke McDaniel said that everything involves math, and eighth-grader Martaysha Holmes said math is hard, “but it can help you in life.”

“You use math all the time,’’ added seventh-grader Monica Jackson. “But you really don’t notice that you’re using it. You use it if you’re cooking, in building things, taking pictures, working, homework, and computers.’’

Eighth-grader Grace Elliot said math helps in your real world situations. “There are things we discover we use math for every day,’’ she said. “Math will always be around and we will always need it.’’

Statements like that are what make math teachers like Mrs. Bresler smile. “Math is amazing,’’ she said, “and it’s everywhere.”

But it isn’t always easy. So if you’re having trouble in math,

Things in your daily life that utilize math: • The food you eat • The clothes you wear • TVs, computers, and phones • Sports • Money • Calendars and clocks • Transportation • Government • Weather • The sun, moon, planets, and stars • Plants • Animals • Your body, your mind, your emotions — in short, you.

Source: inspiremykids.com

teachers recommend asking for help. Right away. John Hopkins offers tutoring after school, and teachers will always take an extra minute or two to explain something during regular class.

But you have to ask. Don’t sit there and let things get worse.

Because the more you get behind in math, the harder it is to catch up.

J.Hop Times staff writers Dovanta Rosebud, Jakyra Champine, Keyon Evans and Tommy Mason contributed to this report.

J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013 • 15

features Accomplishing My Dream | A regular series

Pianist loves to practice BY: KEN’SHARA CALHOUN

J.Hop Times Staff Writer

W

hen it comes to music, most of today’s kids listen to artists like Drake, Chris Brown and Future. And most of today’s kids have never heard of Chopin, Mozart and Bach. But there’s a 12year-old girl named Cydney Schweinberg who loves listening to those classical music composers.

A sixth-grader at John Hopkins Middle School, Cydney wants to become a professional pianist. She started playing at 10 years old. She said she will accomplish her dream by practicing every week.

“I want to go to St. Pete High School,’’ she said, “because it has a good music program, it’s closer to my house and my mother wants me to go there.”

It was the violin that led Cydney to the piano. She started playing the violin and learned to read music two years ago. “It wasn’t that hard,” she said. Before she knew it, she was spending more time at the keyboard. “The piano just seemed easier and more fun to play,’’ she said.

Cydney has a teacher at her dad’s house. She practices an hour with

her teacher and then a half hour by herself. She hasn’t had a chance to compete yet, but she plans to become a professional by playing in high school and going to recitals and competitions. She plays the piano whenever she gets a chance and when she goes to her father’s house.

When asked who pushes her the most to accomplish her dream, she smiled. “Myself,’’ she said. “I just tell myself I’m going to get better.”

Her favorite composers are Mozart and Beethoven. One of Beethoven’s most famous pieces is Für Elise. You may not recognize the name, but you’ve probably heard it. Eine kleine Nachtmusik is Mozart’s most famous piece, and you’ve probably heard that before, too.

Considering all the practicing she has to do, and all the money spent on teachers, and all the mental preparation to push herself to be better and better…

Why does Cydney love music?

“Because it makes me feel happy,’’ she said. “It’s a stress reliever.

“It’s not easy,’’ she added, “but you can do anything you want to if you put your mind to it.’’

KEN’SHARA CALHOUN | JHT

Sixth-grader Cydney Schweinbergplans to become a professional pianist by continuing piano in high school and going to recitals and competitions.

Our obsessions

BY THAYER TYMON AND HANNAH PHILMAN

J.Hop Times Staff Writers

What exactly is an obsession?

It’s an easy enough question all in all; but is there really an easy answer? An obsession is the love of something that overpowers you.

It covers your walls and windows, your binder and notebook, repeated over and over again. That’s an obsession.

Ms. Baker, a history teacher at John Hopkins Middle School, has

an undying love of the British TV show Doctor Who. You can easily tell by the tardis (a space ship from the show) earrings that she wears, not to mention her multiple clothing items that represent the show.

She claims the show makes every day “more awesome.” The show connects with history, which she adores. It has completely taken over all of her social media sites.

It’s something she enjoys watching with her two daughters, and she has worshipped the show for four

years now.

Carol Parr, an eighth-grader, has been a part of the Percy Jackson fandom since July. She has every book in the series and two other books by the same author. Each book costs about $10 in paperback, which she prefers, or about $20 in hardcover. She doesn’t know if she likes the books because they involve Greek mythology, or if she likes Greek mythology because it’s in the books. She says it’s very interesting and likes that it chal-

lenges her as a reader.

It’s a love-hate relationship, but there’s no way she’s stopping.

Alora Nguyen, another eighth-grader, is a major fan of Homestuck, an online comic which consists of trolls and other “worlds”.

It’s a bit out there, but something Alora adores.

She said she started reading this fantasy comic after hearing about it online and having a friend of hers recommend it. She loves the fun characters and says she is so emotionally attached to them that she feels what they do.

Algebra teacher Mrs. Bresler is obsessed with music. She plays orchestra versions of popular songs on Pandora in most of her classes,

which her students appreciate greatly. She prefers indie folk and alternative rock music to listen to on her own.

Her favorite artists and bands are Michael Jackson, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Passion Pit, and Iron and Wine. She likes playing her music in classes where the atmosphere is positive, or when taking tests to relax everyone.

True obsession is not a good thing. That’s when you think about someone or something all or most of the time. That’s not healthy. It’s okay to really like playing the piano or singing or shooting baskets.

Or even texting and playing video games.

Just not all the time.

16 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013

features

Where did you get that?

F

or this edition of the J.Hop Times, we sent out a poll asking students where they like to shop. They had five different options, including a write in.

The options included Jimmy Jazz, Aeropostale, Dillard’s, Macy’s and Hollister.

The majority of the students picked Hollister, with the runner up being Aeropostale.

“Their clothes have a beach look to them and that’s part of my personality so I shop there a lot,” Asia Thomas, an eighth-grader, said of Aeropostale.

On the other hand, I prefer Aeropostale because it has the best sales.

Their clothes are cute and not as high priced as Hollister. The icing on

the cake is that Aeropostale has school uniform shirts appropriate for John Hopkins. Hollister also has school uniform polo shirts, QEARA but their logo is SMITH J.Hop Times too big.

I’m not the Fashion Editor only one who thinks Aeropostale is better.

“Aeropostale is my favorite place to go shopping,’’ said eighthgrader Shakira Rouse. “Aeropostale has sales and I can get a cute outfit for less than other stores.”

In the end, it’s all up to you.

Your preference, your style, your bucks.

Video Game Review Mario Party Island Tour

BY KEYON EVANS, SOPHIE OJDANIC AND ANNIE GJINECI J.Hop Times Staff Writers

Party Island Tour is the new edition to the Mario family, and it includes more than 100 mini-games. The game really tests your concentration and speed at the controls and includes the regular cast of characters (Mario, Luigi, Toad, Wario, Princess Peach, Boo, etc.). It also combines playing on your own or against your friends.

Was it worth it?

This is one of the most fun games yet from Nintendo. It’s easy to play if you read the instructions. The graphics are better than the older Mario games, and it holds your interest. Some of the issues with the game are wait times, and in the minigames, the instructions and controls could be a little easier to understand.

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best video game ever, we rate this game a 7.5.

Where is your favorite place to go shopping?

John Hopkins Middle School students weigh in:

Other

6% 4%

Ji

1. Candy Crush Saga 2. Clash of Clans

25%

3. Pandora Radio 4. Big Fish Casino- Free Slots, Blackjack

Macy’s azz yJ m m

10 Most Downloaded Apps

Aeropostale

23%

Top

Dillards

6%

Hollister

5. Pet Rescue Saga 6. Game of War — Fire Age 7. Hay Day

36%

8. Marvel War of Heroes 9. Deer Hunter 2014 10. Slotomania — FREE Slots

Acting up … and up

BY RONNY BRITT

J.Hop Times Writer

W

hen it comes to acting, Noah Diggs brings more than talent to the table.

He also has a resume.

Noah is a professional actor who has appeared in commercials and a film. If you want to hire him … talk to his agent.

Noah caught the acting bug in elementary school while performing in the in chorus. He came to John Hopkins so he could enroll in the drama program. Noah said his parents (an artist and a psychologist) play a huge part in his acting career and are very supportive.

They are so supportive that they hired a talent agent for Noah.

That is a person who finds jobs for actors and other people in all kinds of entertainment or broadcast businesses. “An agent is also supposed to look out for your best interests,’’ Noah said, “as in protecting, supporting and promoting you so you can get as many auditions as possible.’’

Because of his work, Noah gets to travel quite a bit. “What I really like is meeting new people and see-

BIANCA COLLINS | JHT

EIghth-grader Noah Diggs began acting in elementary school.

Now he has an agent and has appeared in two commercials and one movie.

ing new things,” he said, “I know so many more people now.”

Noah appeared in his first commercial, a Beef ‘O Brady’s ad, when he was 12. After that, he got his first taste of fame. Random people started coming up to him because they recognized him from the commercial.

Acting, Noah said, comes easily to

him. He doesn’t do much stage acting outside of school, and he wants to concentrate on his TV and movie appearances. He was recently cast in a Bright House commercial, and he’ll have a part in upcoming movie starring Haley Joel Osment, who played the little boy in The Sixth Sense and Pay It Forward. The movie is a comedy that was filmed in Tampa. It is schedule to come to theaters this summer.

Noah’s next move will be to Gibbs High School for their Pinellas County Center for the Arts (PCCA) program.

As for his favorite actor? He named Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman.

Away from acting, Noah participates in taekwondo and is close to earning a black belt. And like most other kids, he enjoys playing video games with his friends.

But Noah has discovered something, a special talent, that could take him on a long, awesome journey.

“There is greatness in everybody,’’ said Ms. Hosey, Noah’s drama teacher at JHMS. “Especially in him.’’

J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013 • 17

features

Illustration by JHT Staff

Who was big

We ask some JHMS teachers to reach back and remember who their pop music heroes were when they were in middle school.

when you were little?

BY BAILEE CAMPBELL

T

J.Hop Times Staff Writer

oday when you think of who are the biggest pop stars, you think of names like Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Lil’ Wayne, Lady Gaga and the band One Direction. But have you ever wondered who was big when our teachers were younger?

“When I was in middle school it was the Beatles, the Carpenters, the Temptations and Diana Ross and the Supremes,” said Mr. Parks, a math teacher at John Hopkins. “The first record I every bought?’’

He thought for a moment and then started laughing. “It was the theme from Batman,’’ he said. “My mother bought it for me when I was 6 years old.’’

He’s not talking about the theme to one of the Batman movies. Mr. Parks was referring to the Batman TV show that aired from 1966-68.

Where music is concerned, young people today have an advantage, he said. “Back when I was a kid you didn’t have a wide variety of ways

to listen to music,’’ said Mr. Butts, who grew up in New Jersey and is a major Bruce Springsteen fan. “We had records and the radio. That was it.’’

Then along came MTV, CDs, the Internet and YouTube. Now there are hundreds of ways to listen to just about any kind of music whenever you want.

Ms. Hedeen, a language arts teacher at JHMS, said she liked “everything from Bon Jovi to Pink Floyd to U2 to Michael Jackson.” Like Mr. Butts, Ms. Hedeen said the radio was the main way she listened to pop music.

“Tupac, Nirvana, and Snoop Dogg were very popular when I was in school,” said Mr. Russ, a language arts teacher at JHMS. Mr. Russ said he liked those artists, who represent rappers and grunge rock, because “they wrote things people could relate to, and because everyone else thought they were cool.’’

“When I was growing up, I’d have to say that the bands I liked were Less Than Jake, and Blink 182,’’ said Ms. Baker, a history teacher at JHMS. Ms. Baker said she liked these bands because “they actually had lyrics that you could under-

stand and it was something that was easily relatable.’’

“The Backstreet Boys and N’Sync were popular when I was in school,” said Spanish teacher Mr. Glessner, who added that he never got into these bands, “but all the girls went crazy over them.’’

Why does that sound familiar?

Mrs. Gambill, a language arts teacher, said Green Day and country singer Tim McGraw were popular when she was in middle school.

“But I guess that’s just because I come from Texas.” She said she liked those artists because “you could connect to them and you could relate to what they were singing.’’

Finally, reading teacher Ms. Reed said Earth Wind and Fire and the group Labelle were among the artists she liked when she was in middle school. Those bands were part of the R&B/funk/disco era of the 1970s. Ms. Reed said she liked them because they did really fun and energetic performances.

“Labelle were the ones who invented the spiky hair and the crazy costumes,” she said.

18 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013

faces of J.Hop John Hopkins Middle School is filled with many faces, some very familiar and a few that you may not recognize. Let’s meet some of these students and staff of J.Hop and find out what they think about our school. By Newsroom 2 Staff

Eighth-grader L ASHIA OLIVER likes coming to J.Hop every day because she like going to gym. “I like working out,” she said. Lashia would like to change the profanity she hears on campus.

The word that best describes her J.Hop experience is “challenging”.

“We’re heading to a new stage where work is getting harder.”

MARCUS ODAJUSTE | JHT

MS. SERNE, sixth-grade language arts teacher, loves coming to J.Hop every day because she’s excited to be with kids. “If I could change one thing it would be how kids fit a mold and try to be like others and can’t be themselves,” said Mrs. Serne.

“Original” is the word Ms. Serne uses to describe her J.Hop experience because, “J.Hop is a very authentic place,” said Ms. Serne.

THOMAS PHAM | JHT

JUSTICE SHANNON, seventh grade, enjoys coming to J.Hop every day because she likes “being with friends.” If Justice could change something at J.Hop, it would be the dress code. “We should be able to express ourselves,” she said.

One word to describe her J.Hop experience is “creative” because, “you get to use your own ideas.”

Behavior Specialist MS. MCINTOSH likes coming to J.Hop because she likes the staff and students. “I like the new things we’re doing, like the community garden.” McIntosh would like to change the dress code to make it stricter because it would be easier to monitor.

“Incredible” is the word she would use to describe her J.Hop experience.

EULIE ROBERTS | JHT

PHANDARA | JHT

J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013 • 19

MS.GAMBILL, reading teacher, loves coming to school to spend time with the kids she cares about.

“Education is everyone’s first priority,” she says, “and students, parents, and teachers should have equal responsibility for that priority, and that is what I’d like to change.”

Ms.Gambill describes her experience here as “unique.”

COACH STARLING enjoys coming to J.Hop every day because he enjoys the students. One thing he would like to change is the conversations students have with each other.

“In their futures they have to get along and not use bad language to one another.”

“Challenging” is the word Coach would use to describe J.Hop. “To get students to learn is hard but challenging.”

SANDRA MEAN | JHT

KAYLEN CARSON | JHT

Sixth-grader JARVES SCRUGGS likes coming to J.Hop every day because, “most of my friends go her,” he said. One thing he would like to change is the dress code.

One word to describe Jarvis’s J.Hop experience is “like.”

My mom works here.”

Jarvis’s mom is Ms. Underdue, the school nurse.

CHRISTOPHER ANDERSON | JHT

SETH MCINTOSH | JHT

MS. WILSON likes coming to J.Hop every day because she loves to work with the students. She would like to change all the “girl drama” at school because “some girls care more about what they look like and about wanting to fight.”

ROSE HO, eighth grade, enjoys coming to J.Hop every day because of the environment and the teachers. “I like Mr. Wright. He’s nice and has a good attitude.” One thing that she would change about J.Hop is the students.

“Their attitude is not positive.”

“Busy” is the word Ms. Wilson would use to describe J.Hop because “no two days are ever the same.”

One word to describe Rose’s experience at J.Hop is “interesting”.

“There’s something new every day.”

TRAVANNA SULTAIRE | JHT

20 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013

features

A summer I’ll never forget This past summer my grandmother and grandfather, my father, his girlfriend and I took the trip of a lifetime. I kept a journal of the entire journey. Here is the second installment.

BY BAILEE CAMPBELL

J.Hop Times Staff Writer

JULY 4, 2013

Day 5: Amsterdam to Rome

Today we left our Amsterdam apartment, got on a plane, and headed to our next destination. Here’s a hint. We are flying on Alitalia, the national airline of Italy.

It was a very cramped plane, but I somehow managed to sleep on the way there.

It was only about a two-hour flight, but sleeping made it feel like it was only two minutes.

We arrived and had someone pick us up and drive us to our apartment in Rome. It was very big and the view was stunning.

We could see everything. Well, not quite everything, but a lot. Before we went to dinner, my dad wanted to take some “pictures”. But instead of pictures, he proposed to his girlfriend, Erin. I was in charge of filming it.

She said yes, of course.

After that we went to dinner, and my dad and Erin went to the opera while my grandparents and I went back to the apartment. I was very tired and I went to sleep as soon as my head hit the pilow.

JULY 5, 2013

Day 6: Rome This morning we were supposed to meet our tour guide for the day. But first, I had to get downstairs. I refused to take the apartment elevator because it was only big enough for two people, and those two people would be cramped together. That being said, I wouldn’t suggest riding that elevator with a stranger, unless you want to make a new friend. The elevator was from around 1982. It was super old and felt like it would plunge to the ground at any second. I took the stairs.

Our tour guide picked us up and we went to see the Pantheon, a temple the Romans built in 126 AD to honor their

gods. It’s now a Roman Catholic church.

We walked around it and took pictures.

After that we went to the Vatican City, which is a city within the city of Rome. The Pope lives there, and it’s the smallest independent state in the world. Normally the line is very long, and you have to wait several hours. For us though, we got in with our tour guide. If you’re with an official tour guide, you go right in.

The Vatican City was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life.

There were very old buildings, and paintings and sculptures made centuries ago.

As soon as we got into the Sistine Chapel, we had to be very quiet. You aren’t allowed to speak. The paintings in the Sistine Chapel are remarkably beautiful. Even if you were allowed to speak you wouldn’t. The paintings leave you speechless.

After lunch we went to Trevi Fountain, one of the most famous fountains in the world. People love to throw coins into the fountain, and our guide said that about 3,000 euros (about $4,500) is collected every day in the water. I threw a few coins in for good luck. The money goes to charity.

Then we went to the Catacombs, the creepiest part of our entire trip. You go underground down steep staircases through tight corridors surrounded by tombs. It was basically what the Romans used as a graveyard.

The Catacombs used to hold bodies, but they were removed to the upper levels.

There are still a few of them on the upper levels, though. It was very cold in the Catacombs. And the place had an eerie feeling. As soon as I saw the staircase leading out of the Catacombs, I ran up it as fast as I could.

That night we went to dinner and had pizza, then we went to get some gelato, which is the Italian word for ice cream. It was really good. After that we headed back to our apartment to rest up for the next day.

Photo Illustration

JHT staffer Bailee Campbell traveled to Rome from Amsterdam during her European vacation this summer.

JULY 6, 2013

Day 7: Rome Today we went to the Coliseum. It was an almost magical place. I don’t know how anyone could have built such a complex building without machinery or computers or something of that sort, because of how big it is. In the Coliseum they used to have gladiator battles. They even flooded it and staged a sea battle there.

This is a place where large animals like lions and tigers were let loose to chase down a person — usually a Christian.

Many times the Christians just stood there and mauled to death. So the Roman also used slaves and captured enemies who tried to fight the lions and tigers.

These games were to the ancient Romans what football is to Americans today.

We had lunch at a restaurant called Piazza Navona. The food there was amazing. It was real, homemade Italian food.

Olive Garden is nothing compared to this place. They don’t serve lemonade in Rome.

When you ask for it, they give you a Sprite.

But the owner of the restaurant made us special hand-squeezed lemonade. It was really sour, but it was super nice of him to do it.

We walked around to different stores, and it started to rain. My grandmother was freaking out because she claimed

Illustration by DANTE WILKENSON and ZAC KENNEDY

something was in her eye and she couldn’t get it out. After the big fiasco of my grandmother and her eye, we finally got in a cab and went back to the apartment to take naps.

It’s amazing how tired you get just walking around. Sometimes, being a tourist is hard work.

We ate that night at the same pizza place as the night before because of how good it was. We also had gelato (ice cream) at the same place. We headed back to our apartment to pack up and get ready to leave for our next destination.

Before I leave Rome, I have to say it is a very beautiful and very ancient place.

However, despite its beauty, the people are a bit rude. I wouldn’t necessarily want to live there. That doesn’t mean it’s not a wonderful place to live. I would like to visit there again because it’s a very special place in our family now.

It’s the place where my dad proposed.

J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013 • 21

features

Santa’s journal

I

t’s Christmas Eve. Twelve hours to go.

All of those plump little children are decking the halls, stuffing the stockings, drinking hot chocolate and making wish lists. Right this very minute they’re asking their parents when Santa is going to arrive, and when all those beautifully wrapped presents will appear under the tree.

Just like it happens every year.

Oh, yeah? Well, maybe things will be a little different this time. Maybe Santa has had about enough.

You see, people always count on me because I’m the best in the

10 facts you may not know about Christmas • In A.D. 350, Pope Julius I, bishop of Rome, proclaimed December 25 the official celebration date for the birthday of Christ.

• Christmas wasn’t an official holiday in America until 1870.

• The song White Christmas by Irving Berlin has sold more than 100 million copies.

• Contrary to popular belief, suicide rates during the Christmas holiday are low. The highest rates are during the spring.

• Artificial Christmas trees have outsold real ones since 1991.

• About 36 million Christmas trees are produced each year.

• Each year more than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent in the U.S. • Christmas purchases account for one-sixth of all retail sales in the U.S. • A town in Indiana is called Santa Claus. There is also a Santa, Idaho.

• Each December there are about 20,000 “rent-aSantas” working across the United States.

world when it comes to gifts. And I’m a genuine icon. The snowy white beard, circular red cheeks, and jolly big belly — it can only mean The Original Big Guy. My real name is Saint Nicholas, but I also go by Santa Claus, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle and Mr. Excitement (I made that last one up).

Right now, all of the elves are in the workshop and things are running pretty well. I just wish I had a candy cane to dip in my coffee.

Going to be drinking a lot of that in the next 24 hours.

I’m looking at my list of who’s

As told to Jiana Johnson

been naughty and nice, and I’m not very lighthearted. Somebody has been spreading an amateurish rumor that I carry around a birch switch to beat naughty kids. The Germans actually believed that 300 years ago. Who would say something impolite like that? My goodness!

I have to be honest. I don’t know how much longer I can do this. My outfit is itchy and my squeaky black boots are making my feet clammy.

Red was never my color, but I went with it. The belt? So 1980s.

And this beard. Pah-leeze! It makes me look like … well, like Santa Claus — an out of shape, inappropriately dressed, slightly crazy old guy.

Now let’s talk about the hours.

You try cramming a year’s worth of work into one night. See how you feel.

I wonder if UPS is hiring.

I don’t mean to complain, but I have stacks of wish lists to work on, and I only have 12 hours left. That might seem like a long time, but think about all of those states, continents, counties, countries, cities, and towns. Can’t I just send them all a tweet?

Maybe what I hate most are the

occupational hazards. Last year, when I went down a chimney, somebody forgot to put out their fire. I was almost burned to snippets. My hat was all smeared with soot, my beard was singed, and my suit was a smoldering, matted mess.

Do you know what dry cleaners charge these days?

I have some advice for all of you.

If you haven’t submitted your wish list to me by now, sorry Charlie.

You’re out of luck. Want a present?

Try your birthday. Maybe someone will care.

Ah, it’s getting late. Soon half the world should be asleep, so I shall hurry on. Again. In the same rickety old sleigh. Down the same greasy, grimy chimneys. Wearing the same weird clothes.

But you know what?

There’s a line from The Wizard of Oz that always lifts my spirits this time of year. Maybe you’ve heard it.

“A heart isn’t judged by how much you love.

“But by how much you are loved by others.’’

The best of your wishes and beyond, Love, Mr. Excitement

Christmas Season

BY RACHEL GADOURY AND SOPHIE OJDANIC

J.Hop Times Editors

Christmas is coming, The temperature gets colder, The mood gets happier, The giving season is coming, The jackets get to their fluffiest, The food gets way yummier, The gifts get better, The trees smell nicer, The families get closer, The sales get bigger, The stores sell more, Life gets better.

Source: randomhistory.com Illustration by SOPHIE OJDANIC

22 • J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013

features

Your backpack.

You lug it around.

Every bus ride, every walk to and from school, every class.

Every day, everywhere, for 180 days.

It’s your closest companion and often your lifeline.

Here are some J.Hop views on our beloved backpacks.

MIKAELLA ALSTON | JHT

m KAYLEE POMPEY loves the padding on her backpack straps because it makes it more comfortable when she has a lot of things in her bag. “My mom got my backpack for me and I love it!” she said.

. ROISHAR’E WILLIAMS likes his backpack because of the intricate designs and shapes on the back. “This backpack is very comfortable,” Roishar’e says. The most important item in his backpack is his folder because he keeps many important papers in it.

“I keep my homework, classwork and every school-related thing in my folder. Without it, my backpack would be a mess,” Rioshar’e said.

NICHOLAS DISBROW | JHT

m “Classic, small, and cool” is how JUWAUN MONROE describes his backpack. The thing he would take out of his backpack and never put back in is his binder because, “It’s heavy!”

BRYSON MADDOX | JHT

, SEREY KIM says that the item in her backpack that expresses her personality is her binder because it holds her art projects and she really loves art.

The item that she would take out is her World History book because “it’s very heavy” for her.

. NADIN ANTONOVA loves her backpack because she loves Adidas and she likes her backpack’s neon yellow and purple colors. The most important thing in her backpack is her phone because it is a Windows phone and she likes the Windows setup.

ESSEX POTTS | JHT

m NICHOLAS MADOLE says his backpack has a lot of little pockets that hold all of his pencils. He would not take anything out of his backpack because, “If I take even one little thing out, I would learn a lot less.”

JULIANNA RAYMOND | JHT

DEMETRIO MARTIN | JHT

J.Hop Times • Thursday, December 19, 2013 • 23

puzzles

Sudoku

Come on down to Riddleville

Simply fill every column, row and 3x3 box so they contain every number between 1 and 9. Don’t go too fast! The game is easy to play but difficult to master!

BY AMBER LEMIRE, J.Hop Times Staff Writer

Here are five brain teasers. Some are hard, a few are easy, but they are all fun!

1. You can have me but you cannot hold me. You can gain me and quickly lose me. If treated with care, I can be great.

If betrayed, I will break. What am I? 2. They come in the night without being called, and are lost in the day without being stolen. What are they?

3. The beginning of eternity, the end of time and space, the beginning of every end, and the end of every place. What am I? 4. Forward I am heavy, backward I am not. What am I? 5. I have a face, but I cannot see. I have two hands that’ll never be free. What am I? Answers: 1. Love

2. Stars 3. The Letter E

4. The Word “ton”

5. A Clock