April 2013

theroar April 2013

END GAME

PROGRAM CHANGES AT CHOICE SCHOOLS SPUR QUESTIONS OF MOTIVE

Plus: DANCING IN WONDERLAND

WHICH PROM CHARACTER ARE YOU?

SENIOR PROJECT STANDOUTS

SEE WHO MAKES OUR HALL OF FAME

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theroar Voice of the Students

Vol. 15, No. 5 April 2013

Sports

Opinion 4 Inbox

13 Cat Tales

Letters, surveys, tweets and more

Basic Training: Let’s grade PE classes like academic ones

5 Staff Editorial

14 Boys’ Lax Coach

Legislature considers social media laws

Team can relate to new assistant coach

News 10

Curriculum Catch-up Switch over to Common Core pumps iron in national education

Entertainment Eighth-grader Kyle McDonald tries to coax select ping-pong balls off of a pie plate during a game of blow ball on March 22. The object was to blow all of the white balls out of the pan while leaving the yellow ones in. McDonald’s science class later left for a field trip to the Indian River Lagoon.

Photo credit: Rachel Kershaw

11 Code Crackdown

Administration up the ante on dress code violations

12 ACT-ing alone

District no longer paying for standardized test

ON THE COVER: Illustration by Jack Dickens for The Roar

Features 6 The Choice School ‘Conspiracy’ Recent cuts lead to questions of motive.

by Nathaniel Curtis

8 Senior Project Hall of Fames Senior Projects that stand out from the crowd.

by Abbie Kellner, Valerie Ferretti and Jessica Whaley

16

Sew what?

Two girls turn their Senior Projects into formal fashion statements

18 Prom-tastic

Find out how to impress your date for the big dance

20 Hard to Shake

Parodies go viral, seniors joining in on the YouTube craze

21 Music Review

Raven won’t sing, but Steven Wilson’s latest album does

22 Movie Review

Burt Wonderstone’ not so incredible

by Lauren Youngson

THE ROAR West Shore Jr./Sr. High, 250 Wildcat Alley Melbourne, FL 32935 (321) 242-4730 ext. 255 FAX: (321) 242-4740 Adviser: Mark Schledorn Publisher: Carleigh Walter Editor in chief: Brittany Cho Managing editors: Millie Rosasco, Nathaniel Curtis Business manager: Nithya Sheshadri News editor: Felicia Solazzo Opinions editor: Aalekhya Tenali Sports editor: Sam Lack Entertainment editor: Madison Dimond Web manager: Dana Brown Staff writers: Sarah Day, Krunal Patel, Nicholas Baker, Jessica Blanco, Danny Dolnik, Valerie Ferretti, Andrew Lim, Lauren Youngson, Stephanie Shaw, Jack Dickens, Stephanie Everest, Lindsay Gorham, Tania Martin, Keiran Sheridan, Brianna Silvestre, Sydney Saunders, Sarah Brusca, Konur Oyan, Micah Weber, Brady Kelsey, Jack Moore, Liam Wixted, Joseph Crown

Please recycle this magazine

yourturn

surveysays

Will you be affected by the end of busing?

77% Yes.

23% No.

How much homework do you usually have each night?

35% 35%

One to two hours.

More than two hours.

17% One hour.

9%

None.

Inbox

Appreciate others’ smarts Everyone knows that West Shore is a “nerd school.” There’s definitely a surplus of highly intelligent students. But I hear students complaining about it.

I hear things like “Ew, nerd herd” and “Lego League losers.” This is an issue. You can’t see anyone who owns glasses or programs calculators in a low light. It’s really cool: Kids can control robots or graph complex equations like it’s 2 + 2.

How can you not appreciate it! Our school thinks at high rates and you treat it with disdain.

The “nerd herd” are the kids who go far in life and invent great things. Bill Gates never disparaged his school techies. The school is split between those who complain that we’re geeky and those who accept it and flourish. In math class, for instance, there’s the whizzes scoring 105 on tests and those who complain about others’ intellect and get a 63. After high school the complainers won’t have the upper hand.

You’re students. So don’t criticize the studious!

Don’t complain about this “nerd school,” embrace it! Use the advanced kids as inspiration. Don’t see them as nerds. See them as intelligent colleagues and don’t sneer “nerd herd.” Instead cheer “High score West Shore!” You know what they say: “If you can’t beat ‘em (and you can’t beat 4.5 GPA’s galore), join ‘em!”

Mary-Grace Lally, 9th Grade

4%

twittersays

Less than an hour.

Have you ever taken an online class?

61% Yes.

39% No.

Education Resources Information Center found that 95 percent of students who achieved a C average in high school never achieved a B average or better in college.

My sister called me her personal chauffeur on the school announcements -Monty Karas, @monty_karas I hate teenagers who say they don’t care about current events, politics, etc because “it doesn’t effect them” -Paula Kostro, @PaulaKostro

Photo: Dean Stewart Photography

Team Spirit Opening the year with big wins, the Lady Wildcats Lacrosse team makes a name for itself.

Support our sports I am a true West-Shorean, doing all of my homework, any extra credit and cheering on any West Shore team to achieve excellence, but never felt a need to go to any game or meet.

With a new found love for lacrosse, I joined the team hopping to at least win one game. To my surprise we won more than one game. I thought that since we’re ranked eighth in the state we would be welcomed by thunderous applause every game. This is not the case. I now regret never going to a West Shore affiliated game to cheer on my peers for I now know how much it means to the players.

I regret this foolish decision of mine, so now my call to action is to get students to come out and support any West Shore sport or team so no one will now make the same mistake I made.

Going to games will bring the school together.

We should have as much spirit as Mel High and Viera, but at West Shore it’s lacking.

In conclusion, if you’re not busy come on a Friday night. Get some friends together and make it a fun and entertaining, “but cheap” way to spend your Friday night and a great way to support the school. I promise you it will be worth it.

Daphna Krause, 9th Grade

VISIT WESTSHOREROAR.COM TO: vote for “Survey WRITE TO US Send a letter: to Room 3-104 Says,” view the photo of the day, catch up on the latest news, Send an email: OR or to your English teacher communicate with the staff or stay up-to-date on sports. theroarletters@gmail.com The Roar recognizes itself as a public forum and encourages letters from West Shore students and members of the community.

The Roar cannot print ads promoting activity illegal by Florida law, ads opposing any religious beliefs, ads written in poor taste, ads with racial or sexist comments, ads considered inappropriate by the staff, advocacy advertising or ads containing libel.The Roar is not responsible for web sites viewed through links found on pages mentioned in the publication. The Roar values letters from our readers: the maximum length for letters is 200 words. No more than one letter a semester will be published from a writer.

Letters and columns are edited for length, content and clarity. The Roar maintains the right to edit all submissions for poor taste, length, grammar and libel. Views expressed in the “Opinions” section do not necessarily represent the views of the Brevard County School Board, the West Shore administrators, faculty, student body or The Roar staff.

4 l theroar l april 2013

ourturn

staffeditorial

Illustration: Jack Dickens

Legislature ponders texting, cyberbullying In this year’s session, the state legislature moves to address a variety of problems that affect teens and schools, including teacher salaries, teacher evaluations, careertechnical education and Bright Futures. However, two important issues in the legislature right now are texting while driving and cyberbullying.

The texting while driving law makes it a noncriminal traffic infraction to operate a vehicle and type on a handheld device at the same time. Prohibited by this law are texting, emailing and instant messaging. The law provides that a motor vehicle that is stationary is not being operated, leaving a question as to whether this law would prevent people from quickly checking their texts at red lights. It also doesn’t prohibit talking on a cell phone while driving, which has been shown to be a dangerous distraction: A study by psychologists at the University of Utah showed that drivers talking on cell phones, whether handheld or hands-free, are as impaired as drunk drivers.

With this law, police can’t stop people simply because they suspect that they’re texting. They can only punish those who are texting while driving when they stop them for another offense. While this style of enforcement is more practical than searching for texters on the road, it means that this law may not exactly act as the deterrent it ought to be.

The anti-cyberbullying bill allows schools to punish students for actions that take place off of school property, on privately-owned websites—actions that aren’t related to school at all, essentially. This is justified by stating that the bullying disrupts the school environment, making it hostile to the victim. Something must be done to protect students from cyberbullies, but should schools really be involved if the bullying takes place beyond campus? Yet if schools aren’t involved, whose duty will it be to prevent cyberbullying? These are difficult questions that require careful consideration.

april 2013 l theroar l 5

Killing Public Education

The Roar Series

The Choice Conspiracy

Extreme budget cuts generate questions of motive.

By Nathaniel Curtis

T

ransportation cuts, reduced services and user fees. All across the country, governmental agencies have been hit by wave after wave of economic turmoil and the Brevard County School system is no different.

In response to budgetary shortfalls, the school board members have instituted a plan to reduce spending. But many of these cuts have wrapped a noose around the necks of choice schools, and it appears as though the lever is about to be pulled.

“Looking at the information presented now, it could be possible that these cuts are truly focused on closing choice schools,” Principal Rick Fleming said.

“I am told that is not the case by choice officials, though, and it is likely just poor timing, but so much has happened that it is hard not to think about it.”

Overall, 562 programs are at risk and more than $30 million needs to be eliminated. Two of the three biggest budget casualties — the elimination of corridor busing and the establishment of application fees — directly impact choice schools. The third involves school closings. “[Choice schools are] a popular program,” Fleming said. “People would be willing to pay the application fee.

However, busing is the scariest of these cuts. I understand that the district is in a tight spot, but the choice schools are being hit especially hard. It’s too many losses at once.”

The busing elimination is a major concern for students, especially younger ones who cannot drive yet. Seventh-grader Piper Jenkins says she is fortunate enough to have a parent who works near school, but she is worried about her friends.

“The lack of buses won’t have an effect on me, but I know a few people who honestly won’t make it here next year because of it,” Jenkins said. “I don’t understand why it is happening to us. We are a great school, and this is going to hurt

6 l theroar l april 2013

our student body.”

The fact that the student body places West Shore among top schools in the nation makes the budget cuts turn some heads. In fact, the school’s contributions to the chopping block came as a shock to junior and Sunshine State Scholar Ian Chan.

“I understand that there has to be cuts, but I don’t understand why it has to be us,” Chan said. “We are on top of the charts nationwide and there is a chance that the budget cuts will force us down. I feel like there is too much hatred for us and the other choice schools even though we are some of the top scorers.”

Jackie Sherry, who will be graduating in less than two months, is upset about the cuts because they will directly affect her younger siblings.

“Both my sister and my brother are coming here next year,” she said. “I’m concerned that they won’t have the same chances I have. I’ve been able to do a lot at West Shore, and I don’t know if my siblings will be able to as much as I’ve wanted to do.”

Parent volunteer Tracy Panouses, who children attend West Shore, said she feels these cuts are a real danger for the wellbeing of the institution as a whole.

“It certainly looks like the cuts are aimed at choice schools in particular,” Panouses said. “A lot of people don’t like us. They don’t understand how the school works. I just hope we can get through this.”

Panouses frequently works in the front office as a direct result of previous cuts to the school’s staffing. And the most recent cuts will require teachers to teach six periods a day rather than five, reducing their planning time by half.

“The cuts are a little bit concerning,” math teacher Annie Nery said. “I already have a lot of work and it takes me a long time to grade. Having an extra class is not going to help. I understand that the district has some solutions to keep certain

things under control like the class size, but I will have less time to plan out my lessons.”

Some suggest these cuts indicate a systematic attempt to undermine choice schools, but Associate Superintendent Cyndi Van Meter says that’s not the case.

“In the 10 years that I have been in the administration, the cuts like corridor busing and the application fee have been on the list for eight years,” Van Meter said. “We have truly tried to do things to preserve our teachers and students before all else.”

But the proposed elimination of the sibling preference clause, the elimination of busing, staff cuts and application fees might suggest otherwise.

“There is no agenda focused at closing down the choice schools,” Van Meter said.

“Everything has happened at once and it may seem like there is an offensive against choice schools, but it is just bad timing.

All students are being protected, both at zoned schools and choice schools.”

All students, according to Van Meter, means every student. She said college programs such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate are seen as assets, as are career programs like culinary found at other schools throughout the county. Even art programs, which already have been hit with money troubles, are last on the list of cuts.

“The only time we will resort to large-scale school shutdowns and the elimination of student programs such as music will be if something really bad happens,” Van Meter said. “This year and next year will likely be the bottom point, then it is estimated that legislature money will start coming in and we can stop making cuts. These will hopefully be the last few cuts that we will have to make. The only time that choice schools will be in danger of closing will be if something like nuclear fallout comes into the district.”

News Feed

Senior Project

Lasting impressions

Some Simply Projects simply unforgettable

By Valerie Ferretti, Abbie Kellner and Jessica Whaley Senior year. The exitement of Powderpuff, senior breakfast and graduation flash through one’s mind.

But life is filled with with tradeoffs.

For 12th-graders those thrills balance against the intensity of Senior Projects.

While some complete the minimum only needed to receive the diploma of distinction, others go above and beyond, achieving everything from travelling across the world to eating wild animals in order to survive. These great lengths taken for the sake of a good grade cannot be overlooked. “The Roar” decided to investigate past and present projects to reveal some of the most unusual ever

seen. The tradition started in 2002, with the trial class facing much ambiguity.

“I remember how frustrated I was with this whole thing,” 2002 graduate Amanda Stewart said. “The teachers kept reiterating the importance of this huge project, and how our entire academic experience would culminate in this expression of awesomeness. They just didn’t tell us what this ‘awesomeness’ was supposed to be like.”

Since then, the project has evolved into the activity seniors love or hate. Either way, it reliably produces a handful of mind-blowing, stand-out projects worthy for admission to our Hall of Fame.

H Honorable Mentions H

H

Past Inductees H

H Paramedic

Premier projects Tryphina Mikhail’s Architecural Model, Kylie Wenger’s Gluten-Free Cookbook, Naomi Summer’s Model Airplane and Callie Heuser’s Wood-turned objects.

8 l theroar l april 2013

Class of 2006 Nick Studer “At the time, it turned out Florida didn’t have a legislation against my age, so I techniqually graduated from paramedic school on the same day I graduated from high school.”

H Taxidermy

Class of 2007 Kenneth Stetson “My project was to catch and taxidermy my own freshwater fish. I caught my fish on Thanksgiving morning because I had to learn a bunch of new techniques before I even could catch the actual fish.”

H Biggest Overachiever Nithya Sheshadri

“It’s obviously a lot easier to work during the summer. I definitely couldn’t have done the project I did during the school year because I wanted to go to India to plan my brother’s wedding.”

H

2013 Inductees H H Most Useful In

An Apocalypse Sam EdwardsHuman vs. Zombie Game “It taught the players in my game not to hide in the woods because that’s where most people got attacked.”

HMost Innovative

Keanu KerriOS App “I used an appdevelopment program

by Apple and other people’s open source apps to base my project off of. My app is called PAWS, Personal Assistnace for West Shore, to help students access Edline.”

H Furthest Traveller Mario TamayoPeru “I noticed that the prices were really

expensive. So when I sold my stuff from the United States in my open house at the apartment, I made sure the prices were resonable but profitable.”

HSmallest Tangible Object Maegan MuirJewerly/*** “I made jewelry for my project it’s a great creative outlet for me, and I donated the money I made for my favorite charity, Charity Water”

H Biggest Tangible Object Nathaniel Curtis28 Foot Sail Boat “I fixed up my old family sailboat because my mom said I could have it to take to college if I did. I retro-fitted it so I could sail it by myself.”

HMost Sentimental

Riegal SpogenT-shirt Quilt “I decided to make a t-shirt quilt so I could capture my childhood years.

april 2013 l theroar l 9

News Feed

Change

Leaner, meaner learner

New, tougher standards will soon take effect

By Joey Crown

A student sits down in front of a computer screen preparing to take an end-of-course exam, within the next few years, she will be required to repeat this process for every one of her classes. A change in measuring the way students achieve is taking place, and nearly every public school in the United States will soon be affected.

Beginning in 2014-15, students all across the nation will face a new curriculum that will inspire some and feel like a brick to the face for others.

Currently, Florida students are required to meet the Sunshine State Standards, which have been described as a mile wide but an inch deep, meaning that they stress quantity over quality. But those standards are being replaced with the Common Core initiative, a set of standards that begin in kindergarten and build through 12th grade, expanding in depth as the student progresses.

Common Core also will allow each student to be measured against nearly every other student in the nation.

“Raising the bar may not be such a bad idea,” sophomore Kaleb Bryant said. “It comes down to the student’s motivation if the new curriculum is going to succeed.”

Students already are slowly being introduced to the new curriculum, though they may not know it. The phasing out the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test standardized test is one of the results of the transition.

End-of-course exams are schedule to expand in the coming years and become much more rigorous under Common Core, but English teacher Jeanie Griffin isn’t worried.

“All of the teachers at West Shore are well-prepared to teach the new curriculum,” the department chairwoman said. “We all know our subject areas exceptionally well and we have all received training on the new curriculum.”

Griffin added that she knows her students will be up to the task.

The new exams are being created by the

10 l theroar l april 2013

y” bb a l F t “ rds ren nda r Cu Sta

• Unique to Florida, don’t match up to other states.

• Paper-based standardized tests.

• Narrow writing focus (expository or persuasive).

• General standards.

• Focuses on using a single text.

• Based on individual work.

• Adopted in 1996.

• Divided into eight subjects.

“N e Co w/Im mm pro v on Co ed” re

• National curriculum used by 48 states.

• Computerized testing.

• 70% nonfiction text.

• Wider writing focus (variety of purposes).

• Explicit, specific standards.

• Focuses on comparing texts.

• Requires interaction among students (group work).

• Requires specific authors and works.

Sunshine State Standards There are many differences between the existing Sunshine State Standards and Common Core.

Graphic: Jack Dickens

Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers, a 22-state consortium working together to develop assessments in English and math. The PARCC will try and offer benefits such as keeping students on track for college, providing regular feedback with progress reports for teachers and parents.

The national assessment will consist of a series of four tests to make sure students are meeting standards.

Described as “education on steroids,” by Alabama State Board of Education Vice President Stephanie Bell, the Common Core curriculum is designed to beef up students all across the nation, with 45 states currently participating in the program. Because states traditionally have regulated their own standards, moving to a national curriculum is unprecedented.

As far as format, the new exams will be similar to the Advanced Placement Language exams many students already are taking.

And unlike with FCAT, where students are asked to respond to a single text, PAARC assessments will require students to analyze the relationships among four texts and respond in essay form.

According to the guidance department, most students don’t have a problem with the AP tests, but statistics show the school performs well above average, leaving critics to question whether many in comprehensive schools will be able to keep pace.

Sophomore Safdar Hasan welcomes the challenge presented by PAARC

assessment.

“The current standards seem pretty weak,” he said. “New standards would be a good way to freshen the system.”

While most states are charging ahead with the transition to Common Core, citing a general lack of confidence in the traditional educational model, the move has garnered critics from across the educational and political spectrum.

Diane Rivetch, a former supporter of high-stakes testing and research professor of education at New York University argues that because the new standards are not being field-tested, she can’t endorse them.

In addition, Brevard educator Marion Brady, whose essays have appeared in “The Washington Post,” remains skeptical.

“The Common Core ignores the problems our education has, and instead makes the ones that exist worst,” he said.

“You don’t make children smarter by making tests harder.”

On short notice

Dress-code violators can expect referrals next year

By Keiran Sheridan

Junior Chloe Sink wears her 25 dress code violations like a badge. Next year though, that idea might not seem as attractive. The dress code committee recently revised the policy to make all violations an automatic disciplinary referral. The committee is composed of six students, three faculty members and three parents chosen by the principal.

“The fact that dress code violations will be severely punished next year just goes to show how serious administration is about students dressing appropriately for school,” said sophomore Katy Morgan, a committee member. “It is a harsh consequence but obviously administration’s previous efforts haven’t

Change of clothes Short shorts and leggings are two issues to be addressed by the new dress code. had the effect they want. I think they’re hoping this plan of action will do the trick. I personally hope the administration doesn’t see it necessary to go any further than referrals.”

After receiving a referral, dress-code violators will be placed on a disciplinary ladder, which contains a series of steps.

Step 1 begins with a phone call home and subsequent steps result in harsher

penalties. Step 5 results in a one-day suspension.

“I don’t want to suspend anyone for dress code violations, but at the same time, all students sign the parent-student agreement form when registering and agree to comply with our rules,” Assistant Principal Jim Melia said. “After receiving one or two referrals, I doubt that anyone will keep showing up in violation.”

It will be the teachers’ responsibility to enforce this new policy and write referrals for violations.

“If they want things to change, teachers will write the referrals,” Melia said. “We are not going to keep students [in the office] for long and will process the referrals quickly.

As long as the student fixes their violation, [he/ she] will get back to class really quickly.”

History teacher Bob Sarver said this process will be too time consuming and distracting.

“I can understand why administration would want to formalize Photo: Emily Dubec-Hunter the dress code process and cause it to be more adhered to,” he said. “But it almost seems selfdefeating if you are requiring people to do additional work when they are already overloaded.”

As the director of the dress code committee, Melia said it was necessary to update the school’s original dress code.

“There was a couple of reasons we needed to re-address the dress code,” Melia said. “We haven’t done it in four or five years, so things change. If you walk around the hall, you see dozens of violations on a daily basis. I think that a lot

of teachers, and even us as administrators realize we don’t have a handle on this and are just letting it go right now.”

The need to reevaluate the dress code was felt by students as well.

“The current dress code is outdated and not relevant to students in this generation,” Morgan said. “It is spottily enforced across the board too. The whole situation doesn’t make administration or students happy.”

One main topic of conversation during the meetings was short shorts. In the revised version of the dress code, the rule on short length has been changed from “suitable to the build of the individual” to “school appropriate.”

“When somebody puts shorts on in the morning, they know if they are appropriate or not,” Melia said. “They have a choice to either chose to wear the shorts and receive a referral or to put on a more appropriate pair and go through the day normally. It’s not like we will be going around measuring people’s inseams.”

According to the original dress code, leggings are not permitted without the appropriate outer covering because they are considered stockings. Items such as these have not previously been enforced, but they will be considered violations next year.

“I feel like leggings are more appropriate than booty shorts,” junior Taylor Morgan said. “I’d much rather see someone in leggings than short shorts. Plus they are so much easier to put on than pants and are much more comfortable.”

Contrary to popular belief, some elements of the new dress code were put in place to please the students.

“Administration, teachers and the committee as a whole are not as unreasonable and conservative as some people may think,” Katy Morgan said.

“I have newfound respect for the adult members of the committee who not only encouraged us to voice the opinion of the students, but made it the deciding factor throughout the whole process.”

april 2013 l theroar l 11

News Feed Testing

Final ACT?

District will no longer pay for standardized test

By Felicia Solazzo

When the junior class sat down to take the ACT on March 19, it might have been the last time students would take the test at no cost to them.

Beginning next year, the school board will no longer financially support the administration of the college-entrance exam to all 11th grade students. In an overall effort to cut $30 million from the district budget, the school board estimates a total of $250,000 in savings from eliminating the test expense.

For the past five years, juniors across Brevard County have been supplied the $50.50 test as a part of Brevard’s Secondary Schools of National Prominence initiative. The ACT supports the objectives of SSNP by determining a student’s readiness for postsecondary education. In addition, school guidance counselors use ACT scores to help students meet college and career goals.

Testing coordinator Mike Drake predicts that the current 100 percent participation rate of graduates taking the ACT will decline when it is no longer administered.

12 l theroar l april 2013

“I do not believe that the school’s grade, assigned by the state, would be affected negatively,” he said. “I do believe the high national rankings that West Shore gets from publications like ‘US News & World Report’ and ‘Newsweek’ could be affected by not having the high rate of participation on the ACT.” Senior Ashley Sanchez said eliminating funding for the ACT will have a huge impact.

“With the additional fees students will have to pay next year, having to pay for tests needed to get into college might be one too many,” she said.

Sanchez took the ACT two times: once when it was supplied by the school board and an additional time outside of school. If the district had not funded the ACT at school, she said she would not have taken the exam twice.

“A lot of college and scholarship applications needed good SAT scores and a lot of SAT subject tests,” Sanchez said. “I ended up taking [the SAT] a lot and ultimately decided to take the

ACT again after I took it at school, and realized I preferred it. I wasn’t going to take the ACT again because SAT scores were stressed so much.”

Sanchez, who scored a 32 on the college-entrance exam, prefers the ACT to the SAT. She says students will be deprived of the opportunity to see which college entrance exam they prefer if the district no longer offers the ACT. “The SAT and ACT target different test taking skills, and many students do a lot better on one then the other,” Sanchez said. “I feel as though a lot of students won’t realize that if they cut the ACT.” Sophomore Alicia Ortiz says she may only take the ACT if it is fully or partially paid for by the district.

“I think $50 is a lot to have to pay for the ACT, especially since there are other costs that I have out of school,” she said. “It’s a pretty pricey test, I think I might just do online ACT practice tests instead.”

Alternative methods for funding the test are being considered by administration and guidance.

Infographic: Jack Dickens

gametime

Cat Tales

Performance Based Physical Education?

By Sam Lack

In the spirit of the season, the most awaited and most fantastic of the year, I was dangerously close to giving you a 64-food bracket to decide which school lunch was the most delicious.

Then I had a minor epiphany and realized that the Teriyaki Chicken would just be untouchable, the obvious number one overall seed, and would take the tournament “Rock-Chalk” style (rock chalk means that the tournament plays out as the seeding says it should. See: “Rock Chalk Jayhawk.”)

Instead, only your trivia will revolve around the NCAA tournament, aptly coined “March Madness.”

The following is a three-question quiz for your reading pleasure.

Which team is the most recent to win back-to-back NCAA championships?

Which team became the lowestseeded squad to win the title, as an eight seed in 1978? What player, recently voted the most hated in NCAA baskeball, is the highest scoring player in tournament history?

Now, my not-so-modest proposal.

First off, I should applaud Florida’s former Gov. Charlie Crist. He signed the Don Davis law, mandating that kids in grades K-8 take a physical Photos: Alaina Warshowsky, Creative Commons education class. This is not enough.

Air Mail Junior Rayme Persad does his best In the interest of curing the obesity LeBron James impersonation in PE class. epidemic in America, I request that all their ability to change their clothes. No high school students in the United States, longer can we allow students to “cheat” unless they’re able to provide a sufficient and borrow another student’s clothes. excuse, must take a PE class, and one that How is a PE student borrowing his friend’s actively requires participation. shirt different than me borrowing my Now, before you academicians criticize neighbor’s answers in calculus? me for my ideas, allow me to explain.

There must be a change in the grading We certainly don’t need any more system of physical education classes, and overweight physicists, so if forced to I propose quite the makeover. Rather decide between that extra AP class and than grading on the speed and efficiency Team Sports II, take the PE class. It’s a of clothing-removal, instead grade a nice daily break, you’ll get in better shape student on physical performance and and I bet you’ll have more fun doing it. improvement over the course of the class.

Unfortunately, there’s a catch.

At first I wanted to make the playing No longer can PE students be graded on field level, letting athletes, thespians and

academics alike compete for the same grades on the same scale.

Isn’t that how chemistry class works?

I came to my senses, however. I realized that to avoid making PE a gpakiller for the less-athletically inclined, we must grade solely on improvement, rather than raw skill and ability.

Start each semester with performance tests, a mini NFL combine so to speak, testing vertical jump, 40-yard dash, shuttle run and bench press, among others. At the end of the semester, test again. If a significant increase isn’t evident, the student’s grade would suffer. There’s nothing unreasonable about asking students to allot 50 minutes per day to improving their physical ability, and they’d easily meet the class requirements.

Plus, the competition between students would be enhanced tenfold if their grades and their pride were on the line. A 40-yard dash between the school’s top athletes, all in a PE class thanks to my newly introduced law, would be quite the spectacle.

What would make it even better would be when that quiet, AP Physics student makes a Cinderella-like appearance, outrunning the school’s jocks and bringing glory to his fellow intellectuals.

PE classes should be graded the way other classes are, based on performance, dedication and improvement.

Now, back to trivia. Who guessed The Florida Gators in 2006-07, the Villanova Wildcats and Christian Laettner? If you did, shoot me a message on Facebook, I’d love to hear from another sports fanatic, because those were tough.

Also, if you haven’t seen Christian Laettner’s 1992 buzzer-beater to knock off the Kentucky Wildcats in the Elite Eight, watch it. It’s one of those highlight clips that every sports fan has seen.

Now sit back, relax and enjoy March Madness, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

april 2013 l theroar l 13

gametime

News Feed

Girls’ lacrosse dominates competition Roar staff report

The girls’ lacrosse continued on its quest for a district championship by defeating Rocklege 7-6 on March 21 to improve their season record to 11-1.

The team’s only loss came against Merritt Island on March 7 when a late goal by junior Christine Sherry was called back due after she was flagged for playing with an illegal stick. The goal would have tied the game and potentially forced a shootout. The Lady Wildcats ended up falling 12-11 in double overtime. Since then the team has reeled off five consecutive victories.

“We needed to be more aggressive [that night],” Sherry said. “Obviously the refereeing wasn’t great, but we have to play our hardest and not give up.”

West Shore led for the majority of the first half, but controversial referee calls and lackluster defense allowed the Mustangs to charge back and tie the game forcing overtime.

“It’s frustrating because I’m angry we lost, but I’m not sure what to be angry about,” junior Sierra Purden said. “We all played a really good game, it just wasn’t our night.”

But the players’ frustration didn’t last long as the Lady Wildcats rebounded with a 15-3 pounding of Viera High two nights later.

“We never want to feel that [losing] feeling again so we came back with vengeance and that was our revenge,” Purden said.

By making improvements to their game the team found success.

scoreboard Girls’ Tennis (5-4)

Viera Holy Trinity Saint Edward’s MCC M.I. Christian Heritage Master’s Aca. John Carroll Rockledge

0-7 4-3 1-6 4-3 3-4 4-3 7-0 4-3 1-6

Boys’ Tennis (8-3) Florida Air Holy Trinity Cov. Christian Saint Edward’s MCC Satellite M.I. Christian Viera Master’s Aca. Cocoa Beach John Carroll

7-0 1-6 7-0 1-6 7-0 2-5 4-3 6-1 7-0 4-3 7-0

Girls’ Lacrosse (11-1)

Cocoa Beach MCC Satellite MCC Eau Gallie Holy Trinity Merritt Island Viera Melbourne Viera Merritt Island Rockledge

22-2 15-1 10-8 16-6 12-4 19-2 11-12 15-3 9-5 15-3 10-6 7-6

Boys’ Lacrosse (1-10)

MCC Eau Gallie Sebastian River Merritt Island Viera Satellite Holy Trinity Melbourne Rockledge Eau Gallie Merritt Island

14 l theroar l april 2013

0-25 2-7 2-4 1-16 1-17 1-13 0-20 6-8 5-8 3-2 15-4

“We worked on being patient with the ball because shooting every time we got the ball in the last game did not work,” junior Kayley Lew said. “It helped us control the ball really well.”

The team also celebrated its Senior Night on March 13, when despite the fact that leading scorer Christine Sherry was a late scratch due to illness,yhe Lady Wildcats rallied behind sophomore Kaitlin Inganna’s three goals and held off Melbourne 9-5.

Juniors Lindsay Gorham and Source: Dean Stewart Photography Purden also added a goal each.

Ball control Senior Moriah “A good handful of our Douglas challenges a defender. seniors are new to starting,” Purden said. “Also, the game started at 5:30, which is a little earlier than we are used to. Along with daylight-saving time starting, the extra sunlight was just different.”

Boys’ LAX coach impresses

By Tania Martin

The boys’ varsity lacrosse team started off their regular season with some new players, a new attitude, and a new assistant coach.

Only 19 years old, Dallas Livingston played for Merritt Island High School’s lacrosse team for two years during secondary school in addition to being on a club team.

“Despite being just a few years older than us, Dallas is very knowledgeable about the sport and know what needs to be improved at all times,” junior player Thomas Kendrick said. “He works one-on-one with anyone who needs help with anything.”

According to players, because they somewhat to him relate in age, the coach is able to understand the capabilities of the boy and “stretch them” to their limits despite their 1-10 record.

“Sometimes I’ll be walking out to my car and I’ll hear the coach yelling at the boys,” junior Sierra Condo said. “You can definitely tell he is pushing them. It’s eventually going to pay off.”

Livingston says he uses previous games to improve stick skills and teamwork. For example, after falling under to Melbourne Central Catholic High, Livingston used it to their advantage, saying that “now they know what they have to work on.”

“Personally, I like him. He’s one of those coaches that make the team push it in a game or even practice and I think that’s exactly what the team needs,” junior player Ryan Bellone said.

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Se w ing for ‘ Won derl an d’

Seniors create dresses that match Prom’s theme

By Lauren Youngson

The upcoming Prom’s “Alice in Wonderland” theme served as a fortunate coincidence for Abbie Kellner and Shelbe Spurlock, who probably started thinking Prom before most of their classmates. That’s because both of them embarked on their Senior Projects last summer with plans to create a unique gown for the spring formal.

“I chose to make a dress because I always wanted to learn how to sew,” Kellner said. “And by sewing my Prom gown I knew I could make it whatever color and style I wanted and no one would have the same dress as me.”

Spurlock, on the other hand, decided to create a dress to help bring one of her favorite pastimes

— cosplay — to life. “I’ve been doing cosplay, which is basically dressing up as an anime character, since I was 12 but I’ve never really known how to sew,” Spurlock said. “A lot of those costumes are crazy and require some knowledge of sewing, so I decided to sew a Prom dress to learn the skills I needed.”

When coming up with their dress designs, both girls turned to pop culture. Kellner was inspired by a gown worn by Taylor Swift in her “Our Song” music video and Spurlock was modeled her dress on one worn by her favorite anime figure Feferi Peixes.

“My inspiration was actually one of the characters I cosplay.” Spurlock said. “The fabric represented her really well, so that’s why I chose it, and the dress was all wavy and bubbly which I thought represented her well.”

As is the case with completing most Senior Projects, both girls had to deal with obstacles and successes.

“I had a lot of fun making it,” Spurlock said. “[Former West Shore English teacher Patti] Gates was my project consultant so we got to chat while we sewed. There were some annoying things with the dress— namely the gathering and the zipper — but other than that it was a lot of fun and I learned a lot.”

Kellner spent 40-plus hours sewing her dress can’t wait for the big reveal at Prom.

“It was frustrating at times to make but it was really fun. I used many different sewing techniques that I can use in the future.” she said. “I’m very excited to wear it to Prom because I am sure no one will have the same dress as me. I can’t wait to see everyone’s reactions.”

How you ask can be as important as who you ask

By Scarlett Callahan

As Prom season approaches quickly, upperclassmen think of creative and original ways to ask their significant others to the dance.

“I wanted to do something Christine [Sherry] likes and would appreciate,” junior Ryan Robidoux said. “She obviously likes lacrosse. We usually go to the field to throw around, so I just thought of writing “Prom?” on the ball.”

Sherry said Robidoux’s request method caught her off guard, but that she appreciated his originality.

16 l theroar l april 2013

“When I caught the ball, I just took it out of the net like I usually do,” she said. “I realized something black was all over it.”

“I’m just glad she noticed it,” Robidoux said.

“When she did, she smiled and said ‘aw’ and then ‘yes.’

Senior Ciera Misner wasn’t expecting an official prom-posal from her boyfriend. He was planning on coming over with Panera Bread, but ended up bringing a pizza with ‘prom’ spelled out in pepperoni. “I thought it was just assumed that we were going together so I didn’t expect anything,” Misner said. “It felt like I was living in a movie.”

in

Character “I got my dress last month, and once I have that, I can picture everything. Now I can think about shoes and accessories and getting my dress hemmed. I have already made rough plans with my friends about getting our hair and makeup done. I know who I want for a date, but I won’t worry until at least a month before.”

In keeping with Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland ” unusual characters including the March Hare, the Cheshire Cat and the Queen of Hearts, The Roar staff has created its categories for West Shore’s Prom “characters.”

Pr om-P re pper s

—Steph DelGado

“I went to every single Prom fund-raiser because I want it to be the best year yet.

I’m excited to be a part of coordinating the dance and dinner through Junior Class.

We’ve put so many hours into planning every detail and making decorations.”

—Shaun Wilson

Pr om-Cra stin ator s “I have been so busy with soccer that I haven’t had the chance to focus on getting to prom. I’m really excited for it and I wish I had the time to have been more prepared for it.”

—Briana Basta

“I don’t have a date and I think the chances of something interesting happening at prom are less then the chances of something interesting happening elsewhere. I don’t know what i’ll do instead but I will see where the night takes me, it will be an adventure!”

—Greta Schledorn

“I didn’t go to prom last year, so I figured I should go for my senior prom.

I don’t have a girlfriend so it’s going to be hard to find a date with no strings attached. I wouldn’t put it past myself the rent a tux the day of, honestly.”

—Shawn McKeefry

Pr om-Sk ipper s

“I’m not going because I just honestly don’t want to. It’s not really a waste of time in my opinion, I could be doing other things that wouldn’t use as much time or money or take the whole night to do. Instead I might paintball.”

—Sam Edwards

april 2013 l theroar l 17

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cultureshock

Great Expectations

Girls and boys talk about female prom ideals

By Andrew Lim

Roses, corsages, limos - girls expect a lot from their beaus when it comes to the perfect Prom night, and it might be hard for the guys to deliver.

Senior Callie Heuser described her perfect Prom night and stressed her boyfriend’s behavior as the most important factor, as well as his attire.

“My boyfriend should act like a prince. He should be plenty courteous to everyone but should always stay near me. I’d want him to be social and be able to talk to my friends,” she said.

“I hope my boyfriend’s tie matches my dress and not even be a shade off. My corsage better not be itchy, and there better be a limo.”

Senior Caitlin Donovan also said attire can make or break a perfect Prom night.

“I don’t want anyone wearing my dress better than me. I expect [boyfriend Thomas Kearns] to match whatever I’m wearing because I even got him a color swatch,” she said. “Thomas better get his license before then so he can pick me up and drive me.”

Many guys think they can decode the basics of what makes the perfect Prom night but have yet to make out the details.

Senior Andres Maldonado said the girls want to stand out from all the others.

“The guy should dance and not be boring,” he said. “I’d expect [girls] would want a nice dress and for the guy to dress nice. But I don’t really know what a girl wants [on Prom night] though.”

Junior Genna Owen said the boy would have to dress and act like a gentleman.

“Definitely no jeans allowed. He should wear a tux, and he has to match his tie to my dress,” she said. “I’d want him to be romantic, tell me I’m beautiful and all the other cheesy stuff. Guys need to be romantic and stuff on Prom night to make up for all the stupid stuff they do on a normal basis and just to make the night special.”

Senior Edward Balboni said that the

Graphic: Creative Commons

before and after affairs to Prom are important.

“You got to take her somewhere nice, like Carraba’s, and to an after-party,” he said. “He should act professionally and gentlemanly. The guy should wear a suit and tie, and gotta wear a vest.”

Junior Vincent Guglietta said this “gentlemanly” behavior should be extended to parents as well.

“Girls expect guys to walk up to the door with corsage ready, dressed up and smelling nice,” he said. “Guys need to be polite around the parents. Girls just want a knight in shining armor to tell her she’s pretty and say she looks like a princess and other compliments.”

Junior Holly Cappelmann said the “Promposal” is important in the perfect Prom. Cappelmann was asked by her boyfriend, senior Robert Reis.

“Robert brought me a rose and carried

“Girls just want to be treated like Princesses.”

a board that said ‘Prom?’” she said.

“A while before he asked, I was a little scared because he was acting suspicious, like he was sending me vague texts.

Cappelmann said that it can be difficult for boys to carry out an impressive proposal.

“I saw a guy on the Internet who asked a girl with a pizza. It had “Prom?” spelled out in pepperoni,” she said.

“Things like that make guys a lot more pressured to do something special. Back when my parents went, they did nothing special other than say, ‘Hey, want to go to Prom?’”

Junior Ryan Wheat also noted the importance of Prom proposals.

“Promposals have to be very sweet and nice,” he said. “They show the girl how important Prom is to you.”

Wheat said it’s important for boys to care about Prom and explained Prom’s importance.

“Girls want to be treated like princesses.

Some girls prefer to be treated with flowers, a limo and a perfect dress. But besides the stereotypical scenario, it’s important to dress nice, to dance with her, and to have a good time together,” he said. “Some guys don’t see the true importance that Prom has for a girl. There is a line between going to Prom and ’going to Prom.’ You can simply arrive, party, and leave, or you can make it magical by taking her to dinner, buying her a nice beautiful ride there and even showing up well dressed. You want to have something to brag about, something to make your lady shine among everyone else.”

However, Heuser said boys rarely can meet a girl’s expectations on Prom night.

“Most girls expect a lot on Prom night.

Even the girls who don’t expect a lot, secretly they want a lot,” she said. “Girls will be slightly disappointed if you’re not perfectly Prince Charming.”

april 2013 l theroar l 19

cultureshock

Reviews Harlem Fake. New Youtube sensation makes mockery of Harlem traditions.

By Nick Baker Even in a crowd full of outright posted renditions on the internet. source, citizens of New York’s Harlem conspicuous dancers, one is quick to take Though many international “Harlem borough generally see its popularity as an notice of senior Shaye Wilson and her Shakers” appreciate the song for the insult to the dance’s originators. doll. During West Shore’s performance entertainment-base reasons, some have “It’s interesting,” said a Harlem resident, of the “Harlem Shake,” members of the taken it to a more serious level. In peaceful being interviewed by Youtube user Senior Class got together, as directed by protest against governments of countries SchleppFilms. “But it does not even come senior Timmy Pham, to dress and dance as such as Egypt and Tunisia, ‘Shakers’ close to resembling the original Harlem outlandishly as possible. including 17-year-old Mahmoud Tabei Shake.”

There was some concern by those have brought new meaning to the “Harlem Popular versions of the Shake were involved, over possible repercussions Shake.” inspired by a dance of the same name, of performing the Shake, on campus.

According to “The Verge”, by forming a which was created by a dancer known The seniors performed shortly after the group Tabei calls “Satiric Revolutionary as “Al Bm.” To Harlem residents, the Titusville baseball team got suspended for Struggle,” he says he hopes to put an “original” Shake is a form of art. performing the dance. end to violent protest and martyrs. The “I feel like they’re trying to disrespect “I have a knack for getting in trouble,” group started by creating a public Harlem us,” said another interviewee of Wilson said. “We did get yelled at, and Shake video, and protest by performing SchleppFilms video. “We take it seriously, had to take the video down because to us it’s not just a dance; from YouTube. We still got it’s a lifestyle.” a lot of positive feedback on A few derogatory comments Facebook though, and a lot of aren’t the severest repercussions people requested that we do caused by the Shake. In more dances like the Harlem Australia, a mining crew Shake.” was fired for performing the With more than 14.6 Shake. The incident was then million versions uploaded to followed up by an investigation Youtube, and upwards of 44 of the fairness of the firings. million views, Harlem Shake In Titusville, the high school videos have exploded in baseball team was suspended popularity. after their performance of the With all of this popularity, Shake, after hours, on campus, Photo: Lee Maki it comes to a bit of a surprise, in their uniforms. While the that when asked, most people situation is being resolved, there Senior Shake The class of 2013 busted out their inner don’t really know much about dancers preforming a rendition of the Harlem Shake to is still consequence of the initial where the “Harlem Shake” came suspension, as well as many hours of make memories before their final days together. from, or what it’s really all about. community service. In Egypt, four “I assume it came from Harlem, New it at various locations of importance, pharmaceutical students were arrested York,” junior Ahmed Naas said. “I don’t such as the Muslim Brotherhood’s Cairo for performing the Shake in front of the know what the real dance looks like headquarters. pyramids. though.”

Providing entertainment and means of With the power of viral sharing, its Despite the ambiguity surrounding its peaceful protest gives a lot of credit to the clear that anything can become not only origins, the “Harlem Shake” has inspired movement inspired by the Harlem Shake. popular, but a full-fledged, worldwide participation around the world, from While it may have overwhelming support phenomenon in only a matter of days. The some very surprising groups. Famous and appreciation by the general public, it results of their influence can, however, be sports teams such as the Miami Heat, the has no shortage of critics. just as varied. If not a nonsensical techno cast of “Supernatural,” and even members And interestingly, much of the criticism track and outlandish dance, what will the of NASA’s mission control team have of the Shake comes from its cultural next viral movement be?

20 l theroar l april 2013

cultureshock

on the album. This song relates to a pious religious man who challenges the Devil to a drinking match, and of course loses and gets dragged to hell.

This song has insane guitar riffs and awesome drum beats that are like watching an epic battle.

“The Pin Drop” is the fourth song on the album and is probably the Insurgents best. This song has great vocals 2008 with predominant guitar solos, the Headphone Dust drums also create this downward spiral that takes you into this distant underworld. This song demonstrates how sad it is that people are in relationships not for love, but only for the convenience.

“The Watchmaker” is the fifth song on the album. This song has a strong Grace for acoustic foreground with saddened Drowning vocals that show the guilt that this 2011 “watchmaker” feels after he has Kscope killed his wife. The song vocalizes misery and regret that this man feels after he has conducted this awful crime.

“The Raven That Refused To Sing” is the final track on the album is probably its saddest song. With the distant vocals and the grave lyrics, Wilson expands down” and that it “morphs into wild and his artistic capabilities to create this evocative sounds.” melancholy song.

“Luminol” is the first song on the album; This song is about an elderly it is also the longest, lasting more than man nearing the end of his life and 12 minutes. It was performed during the reminiscing about his sister, who had second half of his “Grace For Drowning” passed on when they were much younger. tour. This song relates to the absent feeling Overall, I absolutely loved this album. of afterlife, dark and lonely. The song has I usually don’t listen to progressive rock, distant vocals, with added bass riffs that but this album has completely changed makes the listener feel the serenity of my view of the “hipster” genre. passing.

Steven Wilson is a mastermind who “Drive Home” is the second song on this creates these incredible songs that album and it is the most traumatic. This visualize a time where things were a lot song has calm and sorrowful tones that more simple (i.e. love). I would highly helps convey the message of the song, recommend this album to anyone, even which is how a man lost his girlfriend in a people who don’t listen to progressive car accident and her spirit comes back to rock. remind him of what happened that night.

I am certainly looking forward to He can’t accept the reality of her being hearing more from Wilson in the future gone, so he blocks it out and thinks she is and I am ready for the bizarre stories he still there. tells through his visionary songs.

“The Holy Drinker” is the third song Past Albums

‘Raven’ takes flight. Steve Wilson’s progressive rock soars with audience.

By Jessica Blanco As I was skimming through the many different album release sites on the Web, I came across a new progressive rock artist.

Steven Wilson is a native of England, who is best known as the founder, lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the progressive rock band Porcupine Tree.

Parting away from Porcupine Tree and other bands Wilson has been associated with, in 2008 he began his own solo endeavors.

“The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories)” hones in on progressive rock’s traditional roots and with Alan Parsons (founder of the 70’s progressive rock band, The Alan Parsons Project) as the head engineer, Wilson knew that there was no room for error.

This album is Wilson’s third solo project, he has received much praise from The Guardian, Britain’s daily national newspaper, stating that it’s “stripped-

april 2013 l theroar l 21

cultureshock

Reviews Failure to Dazzle. “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” fails to impress.

By Danny Dolnik

“The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” turns out to be less than incredible. Although the cast is filled with well-known comedians, the movie fails to impress because of a lack of magic, which is problematic in a movie that revolves around magicians. Those going into the film expecting humorous magic that is unique and exciting will be utterly disappointed at the lousy tricks and illusions that appear.

The stacked comedic crew made up of such names as Steve Carell, Olivia Wilde, and Jim Carrey uses its infectious humor to send a few giggles through the audience, but the movie overall is too predictable.

The storyline is used repeatedly in today’s comedy movies.

Whether it be a news anchorman, a professional ice skater or a race-car driver, it’s like pulling a dead rabbit out of a hat. In this case a successful magician, Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carrell) grows a huge ego and becomes a complete jerk. He and his partner Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi), who have grown apart during the last 30 years, hit rock bottom in their careers and people lose interest in their washed up act because of a rival street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carrey) and his ridiculous stunts, such as sleeping on hot coals and holding his urine for supernatural periods of time.

So Burt Wonderstone who has wasted all his money during the previous 30 years in his “glory days”, takes a job at a retirement home, and of course, his childhood hero Rance Holloway (Alan Arkin) is there.

Who saw that coming? Burt must then rediscover his love for magic from his new

22 l theroar l april 2013

master.

The audience has no main character to relate to so it is like watching continuous gags with no real story. Even when he supposedly becomes more humble and makes up with his longtime partner, there is still no sign of humanity and no sign of the innocent boy we were introduced to in the beginning. Carrell’s character wears an outer shell of diamond encrusted costumes and outrageous hair that makes his character unbelievable and takes away from the hopeful storyline.

The writers try to save this trainwreck of a movie with a predictable love story. The relationship between yet another magician

Jane (Olivia Wilde) and Steve Carrell seems forced, leaving the audience to wonder how she could ever fall for Carrell’s sexist, jerk of a character.

Carrey plays his part well, and it is hard to resist the crazy stunts that match his crazy personality. Although his character is a humorous addition, he just makes the movie harder to relate to because he still lacks the humanity aspect the audience craves.

Arkin could have given a better performance if he had been given a better script and more time to introduce his character, who is killed off as soon as the audience gets to know him.

The same goes for Wilde and Buscemi. Not even Wilde’s infamous charm can make her character likeable, and Buscemi’s character never really develops as they both have to play second fiddle to Carell and Carrey.

On a more positive note, James Gandolfini as Doug Munny gives a good performance and serves up some of the few moments of true humor. He actually has a human feel to him unlike his fellow cast members.

The performances in Burt Wonderstone accomplish one amazing trick, making the audience’s excitement slowly disappear in this seemingly neverending movie. The writers fail to use the many household names to their full effect, and the rare moments of hilarity can not cover up the pitiful magic tricks and weak script. The movie lacks any impressive magic and contained no humanity for the audience to relate to. It has the ingredients of a hit blockbuster, but the repetitive gags and predictable storyline waste its potential. For his final trick, Wonderstone makes the audience disappear from the theater.

cultureshock

LOVE IT

FAN FIGHT

“It’s funny. It’s just too crazy.”

-Julia Thomas, 8

HARLEM SHAKE

“It’s so funny because the characters are so ridiculous. I record it a lot.” Grayden Taylor, 7

1600 PENN

“The actors were really good. I was extremely happy with the cast.”

- Audra Thomas, 9

JACK THE GIANT SLAYER

WHAT IS IT? Dance craze that involves large groups of people dancing silly.

NBC comedy about the lives of a fictional first family.

Movie that gives a new twist to the Jack and the Beanstalk fable.

HATE IT “It’s a stupid craze. It’s funny, but if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.” - Andrew Eaton, 12 “I watched like five minutes of it and walked away.” - Jake Dimond, 10 “I would have liked to see more action.”

-Hannah Schmitt, 11

Wildcat Playlist Sitting in class, Mrs. Wills handed us a ________(n.). I was so shocked that I ________(v.). She asked why I looked so ________ (adj.). I looked at her and said, “___________”. Then the bell rang and I _______(v.) out of class. I was really _________(adj.) because that was my last period of the day. As I was _______(v.) I saw a little boy drop his binder and everything _________(adj.). I quickly ________(v.) and helped him clean up the mess.

Taylor Compton, 7th “Man Who Can’t Be Moved” The Script

“Banana Pancakes” Jack Johnson

“Fallen”

Imagine Dragon

“Miss Murder” Andy Grammar

“Trouble Maker” Olly Murs

“Truck Yeah” Tim McGraw

Photo: Jack Moore

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