The Lion's Tale - Volume 59 Issue 3 - Oviedo High School

Robotics teams practice new skills to win PAGE 3

FEATURES

SPORTS

PAGE 12

PAGE 19

Extra credit options vary by teacher

Boys’ wrestling team gets new head coach

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LION’S 3 TALE EDITION

NEWS

OVIEDO HIGH SCHOOL • 601 KING STREET • OVIEDO, FL • 32765 DECEMBER 7, 2018 • VOLUME 59 • OVIEDOJOURNALISM.COM

Triple Triumph

Three teams win state STORY BY N.CULLEN & V.THUPILI For the first time in school history, Oviedo High School brought home three state championship titles consecutively in girls’ volleyball, boys’ swimming and diving and boys’ bowling.

According to athletic director Jennifer Darty, the school is very excited to win these championships.

“I think producing this amount of success is an incredible testament to how hard our student-athletes and coaches work,” Darty said. “There is so much pride in being an Oviedo Lion and I look forward to seeing our continued success through the rest of the school year.”

CONTINUES ON PAGE 18

2 | NEWS | THE LION’S TALE | DECEMBER 7, 2018

the Scoop

NJROTC aims for victory at marksmanship competition PHOTO BY GILLIAN LANDWEHR STORY BY GILLIAN LANDWEHR During the Area 7 Marksmanship Championship, the best rifle teams from all of Area 7 competed for the state title, according to senior naval science instructor Harry Haverkamp. NJROTC hosted the event on Saturday, Dec. 1.

“We host the match for all the schools that are a part of Area 7 ROTC groups, including schools from Titusville and Boca,” said naval science instructor Victor Ortiz. “There are 53 schools in Area 7.”

Competitors take practice seriously in preparation for the championship.

“We will shoot after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Ortiz said. “Sometimes we will shoot after school on Wednesdays and sometimes on Saturdays.”

Competitors shoot in three positions: prone, standing and kneeling.

“During the championship, teams from all around Florida come and shoot in a 3x10 match which is 10 shots in every position,” Haverkamp said. “Shooters hope to get a spot at the Navy nationals with aspirations of winning the national championship.”

Sporter A Team finished 3rd in the State

FIRING TO WIN. Winter Park High School NJROTC members compete at the Area 7 Marksmanship Championship that OHS hosted on Dec. 1.

Literary Lions club, journalism class collaborate to publish magazine STORY BY PATRICK COSTELLO This year, the Literary Lions club will produce printed copies of the annual literary arts magazine, Arts Unleashed.

The magazine was revived last year after an extended absence, but was exclusively produced online.

“We wanted to able to give people that submitted work into the magazine something that they could show people,” said club sponsor Michelle Millard.

The club had to secure special grant funding in order the creative vision and compiling works for the magazine.

“We are still going to be able to take digital work, so videos of performances and things like that can still be submitted,” Millard said.

Senior Isabel Fain, a member of the Literary Lions, is enthusiastic about the printing.

“It was still cool to publish the magazine online, but to have something tangible this year is amazing,” Fain said.

Theme: “Hear Your Voice” Submissions can be emailed to michelle_millard@scps.fl.us by Jan. 11

Precision Team finished 2nd in the State

the Month in Photos

PHOTO BY PATRICK COSTELLO

LEARN SCIENCE. AP Biology teacher William Furiosi speaks before a screening of the movie Science Fair on Nov. 12. Read the full story at OviedoJournalism.com.

PHOTO BY SHANNON CHAPMAN

AROUND THE WORLD. Seniors Luciana Ordindas, Ritika Alagan, Sarah Garcia, Siaoni Pfaeffle and Shannon Chaoman pose at Disney’s Epcot during their class field trip.

Foreign language classes visit Epcot to experience cultures STORY BY BRENDEN GRAVES On Friday, Nov. 30, the French, Italian and Spanish classes went to Disney’s Epcot Resort. They got to explore the park and ride the rides, but most importantly got to immerse themselves in foreign languages.

“The main point of the Epcot trip is to learn about these different countries,” said Spanish teacher Nadia Charcap.

Each country has shops, restaurants and events to showcase its history. The select few rides aren’t roller coasters, but take visitors through the country.

“It was definitely fun because I had all my friends there with me, and we just had fun hanging out and learning new things,” said senior Michela Oliva.

PHOTO BY ABBIE KAUTZMAN

HELPING OUT. Junior Ashlynn Hughes, with the Bioscience club, hands out water to runners at the OUC half marathon on Dec. 7.

PHOTO BY EMMA YOST

PAWSING WITH SANTA. Dogs (including Buck) dress their best to pose with Santa at Oviedo on the Park’s ‘Santa Paws’ on Dec. 5.

FRONT PAGE DESIGN BY BRYN GARICK

DESIGN BY EMMA YOST

DECEMBER 7, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | NEWS | 3

Robotics teams shape tomorrow

ENGINEERING THE FUTURE. Junior Trevor Jones and sophomore Albert Marshall test out their robot on their practice floor in preparation for their competition season.

Teams practice more to improve skills PHOTO BY LINDSEY SIMPSON STORY BY SOPHIA BLOOM The robotics teams practiced driving their robots for hours to prepare for the competition on Nov. 10. This time, it was longer hours and more adjustments. This time, it would be different--this time, they would win.

After a close competition that resulted in a loss for the teams last year, the robotics teams were determined to win this year’s first competition.

“Last year, we were three points away from going to state,” said junior Lindsey Simpson, a member of the FTC, or First Tech Challenge, robotics league. “We were really close, but we were paired against two very strong teams.”

Oviedo has two different robotics teams, which compete against other schools and with each other in randomized competition rounds.

“This season, we separated teams based on strategy,” said junior Jennifer Hague. “One team wanted our robot to be able to climb and hang in the air, and my team wanted to be able to collect and move objects.”

Even with the additional preparation, not everything went according to plan on Nov. 10.

“Our collector malfunctioned, so by next competition, we need to make sure it’s working well,” Hague said, referring to a part of the robot used to collect objects.

Because the way the competing teams are chosen is completely randomized, the Oviedo teams decided to prepare to face off against even the most challenging opponents.

“It was a huge thing that we didn’t do in the past,” Simpson said.

DESIGN BY SAADHANA SRIDHARAN

A segment of the competition where robots were programmed to lift cubes and spheres for points proved to be especially difficult for the teams.

“The rules state that you can only maintain control of two objects on the field,” said senior Gideon Anderson. “If you accidentally bump a sphere and it keeps rolling, the entirety of its rolling counts as you ‘controlling’ it.”

Anderson’s team ended up taking second place in the first competition.

“To prepare for the next competition, we’ll not only have to push objects around, we plan to be able to pick them up and put them in high-scoring areas,” Anderson said.

Constructing for success “In FTC, we work with 18’x18’ metal,” Simpson said.

The robotics team gets their materials from a company called Vex Robotics, and has access to a 3D printer in the classroom, which they use to make pieces to connect materials from different brands.

The robotics teams keep an engineering notebook, which logs their robotic designs and regular meetings. This notebook is one of the many components that is judged in determining the winning team in the final competition.

Beyond robots Besides an overall award for performance, teams can earn recognition in different subcategories.

“There’s one called the Inspirer Award, where if you win that, you get to go to the next competition, even if you didn’t win in the first competition,” Simpson said. “Then there’s Outreach, which is for volunteering by getting kids involved with STEM and how many hours you have. There’s Gracious Professionalism, which is a good sportsmanship award.”

4 | OPINION | THE LION’S TALE | DECEMBER 7, 2018

Santa Claus only good until certain point Santa is an important part of many children’s childhood. He is a fictional character who inspires and teaches children to be good throughout the year with the promise of presents rather than coal.

Many parents use Santa as a way to punish their kids for behaving poorly, and many kids also fear the idea of losing Santa’s gifts.

Santa, however, is only good for so long. Eventually, children must grow up and grow out of Santa Claus. Also, parents can no longer rely on the belief of Santa to keep their children’s behavior positive and good all year round.

The majority of children find out that Santa isn’t real at the end of their elementary school years. For some, it’s a difficult thing to find out. For others, they have already discovered the secret and therefore aren’t as hurt when parents officially confirm that Santa isn’t real.

We at The Lion’s Tale believe that, while imagination is good for kids and adults, eventually, children must grow up and stop believing in Santa Claus.

Imagination is important for a child’s success because it provides fuel to be creative and explore unique ideas. But too much imagination can lead to children living in fantasy worlds where nothing is

real, and they do not take school or their futures seriously.

Santa Claus is one of these things that children must eventually grow out of. If not, they could face their future classmates making fun of them for not dealing with the idea that Santa Claus is not real.

For some students though, while they know that Santa isn’t real, they must keep the secret alive for younger siblings.

We believe that it is important that older siblings not spoil Santa Claus.

Just because siblings will eventually find out does not mean that the secret should be spoiled for them any sooner.

Growing up can be hard, and learning that something you once believed in was a lie to keep your behavior in check can be equally as difficult. But, in order to live a productive adult life, some growing up must be done.

Who knows, perhaps one day you will be the Santa Claus in a child’s future and you will be able to use the lessons that you were taught while believing in the fictional man who lives in the North Pole: to teach children how to behave for the promise of presents under the tree--or coal.

OUR WORD

IN YOUR FACE

How did you find out that Santa Claus wasn’t real?

Freshman Colin Duncan

My parents pulled me aside when I was in fourth grade. I kind of already assumed that he wasn’t real though, so it wasn’t a huge shock to me.

Sophomore Nick Hudanich

When I was probably in fourth or fifth grade, I caught my parents putting the presents under the tree. I wasn’t really that mad about it, but I thought it was funny how they tried to pass it off.

Junior Guiliana Zerpa

When I was nine, I overheard my parents talking about when they were going to put the presents under the tree. It wasn’t until I was in fifth grade they officially came out and told me.

Senior Emily Barbery

My parents came out and told me that Santa wasn’t real when I was 10. It was kind of funny because they literally sat me down and gave me hot chocolate before telling me. I was actually in complete shock.

PHOTOS BY CONOR DUNCAN

“Everybody has the idea of Santa in their head and in their heart.”

-Mick Foley ILLUSTRATION BY ILLUSTRATION

BY K. PENUEL

Editors-in-Chief Bryn Garick Gillian Landwehr News Editor Saadhana Sridharan

Opinion Editor Joyce Ng

Business Manager Julian Rios

Features Editors Tessa Kowalski Vani Thupili

Artist Sophia Bloom

Reporters Entertainment Editor Penelope Banks Abbie Wydra Patrick Costello Conor Duncan Sports Editor Owen Francis Nevada Cullen Brendan Graves Justina Nielsen Online Editors Christina York K. Penuel Kathleen York Emma Yost

Contributers Abbie Kautzman Abbey Landwehr Nicole Sheltry Faculty Adviser Elise T. Carlson Admin Adviser Drew Morgan Principal Joseph Trybus

Oviedo High School 601 King Street Oviedo, FL 32765 P: 407-320-4199 F: 407-320-4213 Population: 2480 students 20 newspaper staff members

Mission Statement The Lion’s Tale is the student newspaper of Oviedo High School, located in Oviedo, Florida.

Our mission is to provide news, feature stories, editorials and opinions relevant to our readers while upholding the highest professional and ethical standards. The Lion’s Tale follows copy standards outlined in the Associated Press Stylebook, 42nd Edition, published in 2007 by the Associated Press,

and is a member of the CSPA, NSPA and FSPA. Distribution 1400 copies of The Lion’s Tale are distributed free to all students and staff at Oviedo High School. Subscriber information is available on OviedoJournalism.com.

Reader Contributions Letters to the Editor are accepted and may be sent by post, e-mail or

OVIEDO HIGH SCHOOL • 601 KING STREET • OVIEDO, FL • DECEMBER 7, 2018 • VOLUME 59 • EDITION 3

dropped off in Room 5-020.

The Lion’s Tale does not accept guest columns and reserves the right to edit Letters to the Editor.

Full policy is available on OviedoJournalism.com.

Advertising Policy The Lion’s Tale reserves the right to refuse advertisements. The full advertising policy of The Lion’s Tale is available on OviedoJournalism.com.

OVIEDOJOURNALISM.COM

DESIGN BY CONOR DUNCAN

DECEMBER 7, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | OPINION | 5

opinion editor

editor-in-chief

Overcome senioritis with fun experiences

Sleep issues pervade daily life of teen

GILLIAN LANDWEHR

JOYCE NG

Senior year is notorious for bringing the laziness affliction known as senioritis.

The feeling of yanking yourself out of bed every morning just to get to a class you no longer care about is probably the most tell-tale sign that you have senioritis.

We live with a norm where having the senioritis mentality is a relatable joke among friends, where the disabling mentality deeply impacts those who let it.

Senioritis does not just afflict seniors.

Freshmen, sophomores and juniors are also likely to become victims of the wellknown disease.

Senior year, for me, has been my busiest and most productive year. I’ve been staying up to work on college applications multiple nights per week in addition to managing the workload of AP classes and still having fun on the weekends. I’ve even been able to work on projects I have on the side.

However, no matter how hard we try, my friends and I have gone in and out of this exhausting state of senioritis, barely passing by, overwhelmed by our daily todo lists with deadlines stacking up.

For me it would feel as if I was holding my breath from class to class, waiting until I could finally sit down, do nothing, and breathe. I needed an unnecessary break from all the non-existent hard work I have been doing all week.

I think it is very important to refuse to let senioritis consume our senior year. Instead of focusing on our own unproductivity, we should truly give ourselves a mental break to get over this block.

Find time to get out of your comfort zone and conquer a fear you have. Get into action. Go on a quick run if it helps.

My underlying fears of failure, of not being able to fully take advantage of opportunities given to me, and of having future regret are what motivate me to keep going on the days that senioritis seems to kick in.

I encourage seniors and anyone affected by senioritis to not give into the doubt they feel. The end is in sight and is closer than it may seem.

This is the last year to excel in high school--with our friends--before we all separate and go to college.

Do all the things you love, try the things you’ve always wanted to try, continue doing the things that you’re passionate about, and don’t forget your end goals and inspirations.

For me, I hold onto the drive to strive through this last year of adolescence, and I hope that you will too.

DESIGN BY CHRISTINA YORK

ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA BLOOM

Misleading science still pervades society

news editor

SAADHANA SRIDHARAN

It’s been two years since I first ranted about the misshapen state of food science in today’s society on this very page. I hoped that something, anything, would’ve improved by now.

Nope. It’s gotten worse. Specifically, the quality of scientific research in the world of food has gotten worse.

Brian Wansink’s research fraud allegations are a prime example. As a professor at Cornell University, he has published numerous studies that have affected the way we think about food and eating behaviors. You might have heard that eating out of small bowls leads to higher portion control; that’s one of his findings. He also helped create those “100-calorie” snack packs you might see dotting grocery store shelves.

His findings capitalized on media buzzwords like “weight loss,” “diet” and--most of all--“ease.” Media outlets frequently cited Wansink’s research in articles that told readers there were “easy and scientific ways” to get healthier. Wansink was hailed an eatingbehavior expert and genius.

But in September, 15 of his research papers were retracted from various journals. The Journal of the American Medical Association stated that nine of his studies were retracted because they did not have access to Wansink’s original data. This raises a huge red

flag. How do we know if his findings are actually accurate if we don’t have access to his original records?

Wansink is suspected to have engaged in data manipulation. There’s a lot of different ways to do this, but the end goal is to make results more flashy for publication in journals and media outlets. If a study doesn’t have the results a scientist was hoping for - say, that eating out of smaller bowls doesn’t drastically change portion control - they may word it differently or use irrelevant statistical tests and methods to generate something of significance. It’s this type of misleading data that plagues research.

In my previous piece about this topic, I shared that because of this, I wanted to move to a farm and grow all my own food--essentially off-the-grid. Ultimately, efforts by scientists to enforce higher standards convinced me to keep going to the grocery store.

But those efforts don’t seem to be in effect. The initial urge I felt to take control of my food is even stronger now.

Why shouldn’t I pack up and move to a farm in the middle of nowhere?

The fact that scientific research impacts every part of life means that even if I decide to be food-industryindependent, the effects of bad data will still find its way into my life. Wansink’s research, for instance, doesn’t impact my food directly. Instead, it impacts how I think about food. Moving to a farm won’t help me--or anyone else--with that.

And, as a result, misleading data plagues our understanding of the world.

I don’t have faith in efforts by scientists or governments to improve standards by themselves anymore.

Instead, I hope we can change our culture to favor honest science. We can stop giving attention to research that looks suspicious--like Wansink’s. If we signal that we value accurate research, maybe I won’t have to be writing another piece like this in two years.

I love sleep.

As a high school student who also works, my sleep schedule is out of order. According to everydayhealth.com, 17-year-olds should get 8-10 hours of sleep each night.

Me? I usually get around 5 hours of sleep, if not less.

My lack of sleep is a problem because it’s difficult to function as a normal human being on a day-to-day basis.

Throughout the school day, I am constantly tired. Usually, as the day progresses, I lose my concentration. My eyes will get pretty heavy and sometimes I struggle to keep my head up.

But drowsiness in class is only part of the problem.

Lately, I find myself napping frequently.

These aren’t just any naps, either: they are very long naps.

The other day, I took a nap when I got home from school, which was around 1 p.m. I stayed asleep until 8 p.m. Obviously, that is way too long for a nap. But I needed the sleep, so it helped a bit.

However, the frequent naps have caused a few problems.

These long naps take away a large chunk of my afternoons and evenings, which I used to frequently spend doing schoolwork.

Now, because I am so occupied with my naps, I have less time to do homework and study. Usually I don’t have very much work, so it’s not always a huge issue, but it just takes away from my actual sleep time because I have to stay up and finish the work I do have.

How badly this keeps me awake at night just depends on what’s going on in the week, like if I have a few tests to study for, big projects, etc.

I also often find myself falling asleep while I do homework and study.

I always do my homework in my bed, so that doesn’t really help, but I’ll be sitting in bed, focused and working, and I will just pass out.

This just makes things worse because I will wake up at my usual time in the morning and realize I didn’t get to finish anything or study for any tests.

It also hinders my free time. It’s hard to have fun while you’re snoozing.

And, yes, I do realize that if I’m so tired then I should just go to sleep.

But that isn’t always easy--especially when I have a bunch of homework and studying to do.

I am still able to make it work out though. I have mastered the art of being tired while still being productive at school.

6 | OPINION | THE LION’S TALE | DECEMBER 7, 2018

HEAD to HEAD DEATH OF SENIOR PROJECT

reporter

Owen Francis

Endangered animals need our help to live Endangered animals are going to be the next issue after global warming gets fixed.

Now, some of you think that global warming might never end, but I do. If we all try hard enough, we could stop most of the problems, but that will only happen if we all stay strong and all do the right thing.

Remember those projects we did in elementary school? We researched animals and wrote down some facts about them. Now, imagine a world without your animal. What would your elementary school self think, knowing they’re all dead, while you could have made a difference?

One animal that not many people know is endangered is the leopard. Until right now, you probably thought that it was living its life very peacefully, but actually, it’s fighting for its life. According to snowleopardconservancy.org, humans and less food are two of the many reasons the snow leopards are going extinct.

Now, imagine a world where the phrase “A leopard can’t change its spots” is meaningless, referring to a long-dead species.

Some extinct animals that you may not know about are the dodo bird and the quagga. The quagga was a type of horse native to South Africa that died out in the late 19th century.

With previous generations’ help, we could have stopped that. Now, we have the chance to save all the other soonto-become-extinct animals and make a difference in their lives, so that they can continue to exist. This does not mean putting them in a zoo, because scientists have found out that most animals live longer in the wild, according to discoverwildlife.com.

So, if a zoo isn’t the answer, is there any hope?

After reading this, you’re probably crying and saying, “Owen, how can I help keep the animals alive?” You can start by volunteering some hours in your local county and see if you can help the endangered animals there.

If you don’t believe that there are endangered animals near you, then go online and look it up--find out about the gopher tortoise, a species native to Florida. There are many other Florida animals you can help, including panthers and ospreys, which are in danger of losing their habitats to development and pollution. If you especially want to help a specific species of animal, then go the to World Wildlife Fund website and donate some money at WorldWildlife.org.

Senior projects impart useful life skills, key opportunities for future

Senior projects provide unnecessary stress during trying time

STORY BY BRYN GARICK

STORY BY CHRISTINA YORK

Senior projects, or the Capstone project, that English honors IV students complete during their senior year, are helpful because students gain skills that they can take with them to college and beyond.

Students are encouraged to pick topics that they are interested in exploring: if a student wants to go into a writing field, they could write a screenplay. This idea of exploring something someone wants to do as a future career can be helpful in the future as the student can decide if it is something they are actually interested in pursing in college.

This can save money because it will limit how many times that student switches his or her major and, therefore, reduces the number of years of schooling they might need to complete a bachelor’s degree. By working with a mentor, especially if they are in a field into which the student wants to go, the student can gain connections in the industry from working closely alongside someone who is already in their field.

Senior projects also provide students with important things to learn for college and beyond. Students learn about things like time-management, a skill that is vital to a student’s success within college as well as beyond in their careers. A high school teacher might be more lenient under extraneous circumstances for something being late, but in college, chances are professors will not be lenient with their grading if assignments are not turned in on time. By having the opportunity to learn time-management in a safe environment, students will be better prepared for their future lives.

Students also learn things like how to give a presentation.

Presentations are not everyone’s favorite thing, however, for a lot of jobs, interacting with people is an important part, and public speaking is a skill that people must learn.

Senior projects don’t only benefit the seniors though.

Every year, there is a Senior Project Showcase, where seniors with outstanding projects present their projects to the underclassmen throughout the day. Underclassmen can learn about different kinds of things that they might also be interested in. Upperclassmen are more likely to be honest about the realities of this career than an adult who is trying to get someone to join the field.

Senior projects, while they may seem daunting, truly add a lot of value to a student’s resume by teaching them what careers they may or may not want and teaching them life skills they will need in the future.

Oviedo High School has done senior projects for many years now, and I believe that they are truly unnecessary.

Usually, the project has to be something big or something students are passionate about, but do we really need to make them work that hard on something in their final year of school?

I’ve heard many of the students talking about what they want to do their project about, complaining about it and just overall dreading it.

I understand that the school wants students to accomplish something and find their way, but is pushing them to do a longterm, hard-working project really worth it on top of all of the stress they already have?

I am a senior, but I’m not doing a senior project and, to be honest, I am very relieved about that because I’d have to put so much time and effort into one project that would probably be shown off once and never touched again. But that’s just me, and I can’t speak for everyone.

Seniors have made it through all the years of school, and most of them would like to have it be their easiest year and just try to graduate.

All of the stress that gets put on these seniors can discourage them from adding the workload of a project on their backs while they are just trying to get out of here.

It also takes up a lot of their time. Lots of seniors have after school activities and jobs and just don’t have the time to do a huge project. Not to mention that their schoolwork in general can be very pressuring, especially for someone who is just trying to make it through the rest of the year.

They have to manage their time and schedule, figure out when and what to do to get everything accomplished and done on time. For some of us, it’s hard to even turn in our regular homework on time.

People I know who are going to do their senior project have all told me that it is useless and just a waste of time.

Obviously, there can be two sides to this discussion, but I don’t think it should be a requirement.

It really isn’t that beneficial to the students, nor the those who view the projects. You will see some students go all out and some do the bare minimum, so I think that it should at least be optional.

The school should not force the seniors to do a big project they don’t want to do or don’t have the time to do. It is just an unnecessary use of time.

Senior Project: A Rite of Passage 2005

Pilot program begins Senior project expanded to all non-AP English classes the following year

140

Approximate number of seniors creating a project this year

$500

In scholarship money The Senior Project Fund typically awards between 6 and 11 scholarships for as much as $500 each

DESIGN BY PATRICK COSTELLO

DESIGN BY TESSA KOWALSKI

8 | FEATURES | THE LION’S TALE | DECEMBER 7, 2018

Hit the road

Teens receive, buy, collect cars to gain freedom STORY BY CONOR DUNCAN Most upperclassmen in high school drive. Whether it’s a car that they share, a parent’s car or a car they bought themselves, the fact of life is that the ability to transport oneself is vital to most kids in high school.

Some parents buy cars for their kids, either as a reward or a gift. One student who received a car is senior Cassidy Gillis.

“I got my Nissan Sentra when I was a sophomore,” Gillis said. “It was a reward for hard work in school. It’s probably the coolest thing my parents have ever gotten me.”

Gillis has been driving for the better part of her high school career because both of her parents work. She also works and drives both of her sisters, as well as two of her neighbors, to school.

“Having a car makes life so much easier,” Gillis said. “Without my car, I couldn’t do all of the things that I do for myself or the people that count on me for a ride.”

Gillis also competes in three varsity sports, swim, weightlifting and water polo and has stated that with two working parents and no car, it would be impossible to engage in the activities in which she does.

Some students do not receive a car from their parents.

“I had to pay for my own car,” said senior Brandon King.

King is a senior who moved from Georgia to Oviedo during his junior year.

When he isn’t swimming or at work, he can be found in his garage working on his Ford F-150.

“My parents told me that it would teach me a lesson about money and hard work,” King said.

King bought himself a Ford F-150 after saving for eight months from his job at Marco’s Pizza.

According to King, he had to make the down payment on the car, but his parents help him with the monthly fees and insurance.

King loves working on his truck is proud that he was able to buy it himself.

Other people chose to buy their own cars even though their parents offered to pay for them.

“I have a Nissan 350z and a Jeep Commando,” said senior Sean Rice. “They are my pride and joy. If it was up to my parents, I would be driving around in a minivan. It would be kind of ironic to call myself a car guy then.”

Rice has even entered his 350z in four separate car shows and said that he really enjoyed the experience.

“I think that the best part of buying your own things is the ability to choose what you want to buy and when you want to buy it.,” Rice said. “Cars are no exception. If for some reason, I don’t want my Nissan or Jeep anymore, I could make the decision to sell them and buy a different car without having to answer to anybody first. The freedom to buy what one wants sounds like a given, but rarely is.”

PHOTO BY BRYN GARICK

BUYING AND FLIPPING. Senior Sean Rice buys and flips cars, including this Nissan 350z.

Different Types of Cars Truck

Most popular truck in America: Ford F-150

Muscle Car

Most popular muscle car in America: Dodge Charger

Minivan

Most popular minivan in America: Chrysler Pacifica

PHOTO BY BRYN GARICK

HARD WORK PAYS OFF. Senior Brandon King bought his own Ford F-150 through money he earned at his job at Marco’s Pizza.

INFOCOURTESYBACKRACK.CA,POPULARMECHANICS,CARS.USNEWS.COM

DESIGN BY BRYN GARICK

DECEMBER 7, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | FEATURES | 9

FAST FIVE

Senior Zach Bartukus “I work for a journalism company called The Skyboat, it is something that I really enjoy doing and it is something that I want to do in the future.”

Junior Kolby Follrod ”I just love being in the outdoors, and hunting is just another way for me to connect with it.”

DESIGN BY BRENDEN GRAVES

Five students who have extraordinary after-school activities

Freshman Brianna Bibana “Irish dancing is really different and it’s so fascinating how quickly everything moves.”

Freshman Morgan Gillis “Judo is a fun activity to do, I learn a more technical way of fighting and I get to have fun with friends.”

Senior Ashton Coker “Wakeboarding allows me to travel the world and make lifelong friendships with people from everywhere.”

PHOTOS COURTESY FROM STUDENTS

10 | FEATURES | THE LION’S TALE | DECEMBER 7, 2018

LOSS OF A PARENT STORY BY TESSA KOWALSKI

The Five Stages of Grief

DENIAL helps pace coping with grief

ANGER

strength & temporary structure to loss

BARGAINING feelings of guilt & hypotheticals for the pain

DEPRESSION present empty feelings on a deeper level

INFOCOURTESYGRIEF.COM

DESIGN BY JOYCE NG

Coping through

Sports, Family, Religion The October of his freshman year, junior Spencer Magnum lost his father to a heart attack. It was unexpected, leaving friends and family in shock.

“It was during testing, so it was hard to move around, but the teachers really helped me with that,” Magnum said. “They let me make up my tests whenever I felt better, they were flexible; it was very sad, and a hard time. I had trouble figuring out why it happened and all that, but family and everybody’s support helped out.”

With the loss of his father, Magnum learned to cherish everyone in his life.

“It helped me love my family and friends more; I mean, I still love them, but I cherish them more,” Magnum said. “It will help me be good to everybody, because you don’t know how long you have with them.”

Religion and baseball helped Magnum keep his mind off of his father’s passing by keeping him busy.

“He had always helped me out with baseball practice and everything,” Magnum said. “My favorite memory was just going out and throwing everyday, being on the baseball field with him. I don’t think about losing him whenever I’m doing something.”

Magnum said teachers should be very mindful of the amount of work given when students are being reintroduced to school.

“Let them take their time to come back and be understanding about getting things done,” Magnum said.

Though it was a very difficult time, Magnum now knows he can get through anything life throws at him.

“Just be strong and have faith; stick with your family and friends because they will help you out,” Magnum said. “They asked if I needed any help, they brought food to my house and were very helpful. People should know when to talk and just be supportive, and let them have their space.”

Coping through

Socializing, Support, Laughter Senior Zach Price lost his father to cancer on the first day of school this year, after a multi-year battle with the illness.

“He started battling the summer after ninth grade, so for about two years, he battled, when he was given nine months,” Price said. “For him to go that far was a miracle.”

Price said his father’s illness and death affected him in many different ways.

“I felt like I lost him when he first got cancer because the chemo affected his brain waves and he was never the same person,” Price said. He was sick for so long that I don’t really have that burden on me anymore, and it has been somewhat easier to that sense. But losing someone is never easy, and it’s affecting me hard, because I have to take care of my mom, who’s struggling.”

According to Price, he has become more open to other people.

“You never know what someone is going through, and it has taught me to try and make someone laugh every day, which was his philosophy when he was going through that,” Price said. “Laughter is the best medicine.”

Price said that everyone reacted to his grief in different ways.

“You have friends who want to help with anything they can; then you have the people who don’t want to be a part of it and back off,” Price said. “There have been a lot of times when you’re going through a hard time, and people just don’t want to be a part of that, and they help you for a short amount of time. And then there are people who help you for a long time. To give a certain group of people credit would be impossible.”

After losing his father, Price has had to adapt to different societal standards.

“It has destroyed my social life,” Price said. “I can’t really open up or talk to people, because then they get scared and walk away, even though I’m better. It’s just I have that reputation. In the way of impacting my social life, it has left me without one.”

DECEMBER 7, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | FEATURES | 11

Coping through

Art, Creativity, Friends This past summer, freshman Maxima Noteboom lost her father to cancer. She said the loss changed her approach to the new school year.

“It definitely made going back to school really strange and less exciting,” Noteboom said. “It felt strange with him not wanting to take a billion pictures of me on my first day.”

Making art has helped Noteboom cope with the loss of her father, as have the people who surround her.

“A ton of people helped me and my family after losing him,” Noteboom said. “Art helps me a lot, so activities like drawing, photography and writing music help me stay close to him. He used to encourage me to try new things, and those activities were some of them.”

According to Noteboom, people should be cautious about how they approach someone who has been through a loss because it is easy to cross the line when trying to help. Noteboom said she has had to learn how to speak to people who are trying to help her.

“If someone is trying to help you, but all they’re doing is upsetting you, just ask them to stop,” Noteboom said. “Chances are they weren’t aware of how they were making you feel and will stop right away when you tell them.”

When grieving over her father, Noteboom did not want to draw too much attention to the situation. Noteboom said that certain subjects are hard difficult to talk about if they relate in some way to her lost father, like class assignments that address the topic of cancer.

Overall, Noteboom said people have been supportive.

“Most people responded with, ‘Oh, my gosh I’m so sorry, I’m here if you need anything,’” Noteboom said. “Which is fine with me because I don’t like too much attention over it and they know that. Make it known to your friends that you’re there to talk if they need to talk, but try your best not to push them to talk because you might just make them sad and uncomfortable.”

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When junior Edward Grillo lost his father to a stroke in May of 2018, he lost everything.

“In the days and the months before he passed, he was showing a lot of signs of mental illness,” Grillo said. “And that was something that I had to deal with at that time, which was why I was put into foster care.”

Grillo said that those last months were difficult.

“Having to deal with the mental illness towards the end may have soured the relationship a little bit,” Grillo said. “But at the end of the day, I still remember the times I had with him in my childhood.”

One memory stays near the top of Grillo’s mind.

“The memory that I have of my father that stands out the most is a mundane one,” Grillo said. “When I was younger, I stood out by the bus stop, and he and I had these conversations. Some would be silly, some would be serious.”

When his father did pass, Grillo grieved by isolating himself. He said his biggest help has been his imagination and daydreaming.

“I liked to listen to my music a lot more, I’d be focused more on my work,” Grillo said. “His death hasn’t really changed me. The things that have changed me most were the things that happened when he was alive, not his actual passing. In a way, my dad instilled a lot of values about working hard, striving to do what’s right and to be unconditionally loving of people.”

Because of this, Grillo had the mentality to carry on and get through. Even though he is still in foster care, Grillo said it has helped him grow personally, and that his dad’s influence is part of that.

“He always had this dream that I would surpass him,” Grillo said.

“He wanted me to be better than him. I have this pair of dog tags on me, and one of them is my father’s and the other is a fake. My father served in the Navy, and he wanted me to do something with my life that would be better than what he did.”

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Coping through

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Lost

What is grief?

Grief is real.

It is the internal feeling of loss. Each experience is unique to the person.

How long does grief last?

There is no set timetable for grief.

You will start to feel better in time and with help.

ACCEPTANCE Learning to live with and accept loss.

12 | FEATURES | THE LION’S TALE | DECEMBER 7, 2018

Teachers offer various forms of extra credit in class STORY BY EMMA YOST Students love extra credit. It can boost a grade quickly, but sometimes it takes a lot of effort to finish an essay or project. Sometimes, it’s easier to bring in an item. However, bringing things in isn’t always educationally useful.

“Bringing in items or class supplies that aren’t related to the curriculum for extra credit inflates grades with no extension of learning,” said assistant principal Jason McDonald.

By replacing the learning aspect of extra credit, students only have to go to the store to improve their grade.

However, for some students like sophomore Jacqueline Gonzalez, this option isn’t the easiest.

“Some people are in sports and they have practice, so they can’t go to Publix directly after school,” Gonzalez said.

“It depends on where they put the extra credit or how much they are willing to give, because teachers won’t give you a lot for it, so it won’t affect your grade tremendously.”

According to principal Joe Trybus, bringing items in exchange for extra credit may not possess a grading advantage. Yet, some teachers allow donated items to be one form or extra credit.

AP Human Geography teacher Kimberly McKernan offers multiple extra credit assignments. For one of these options, students can bring in candy. McKernan then uses the candy as an incentive for her classes.

“I asked for it for when they have a quiz or a test.

Anybody who gets a B or higher can get candy out of the bucket,” McKernan said. “When students get a sticker, get candy, it starts to push the other students to try a little bit harder to get the reward of a candy or a sticker.”

For students who can’t afford to bring in candy, she offers two alternative extra credit assignments: pictures and decorated tissue boxes.

“I would prefer that the tissue box had tissue in it so

we can use it in class, but if it needed to be an empty box, that’s fine too,” McKernan said. “The tissue boxes do help me, but they also help the students who are usually the ones using the tissues. When you have seven classes, you go through quite a lot of tissues.”

Physics teacher Chris Capp asks his students to bring in classroom decorations.

“I like to give the students opportunities to be creative, and I like my classroom colorful and bright,” Capp said.

Capp said he can provide them the materials for the decoration, which gives everyone an equal opportunity to earn extra points.

“I feel this is an opportunity for the students to think outside the box and do something creative while helping to remember a physics equation,” Capp said.

Not only do the items brought in help students’ grades, they also are one less thing that teachers potentially have to supply for their classes.

“Having six classes, if I were paying for that candy out of my pocket that would start to get a little bit crazy,” McKernan said.

Ecology teacher Mario Vargas gives students a ticket when they put their phones away or turn assignments in on time, which can lead to extra credit or a large reward, like Disney tickets.

“It makes sure that there is some kind of incentive to keep order,” Vargas said. “It’s solely based off of their personal behavior. So far, cell phone use has dropped, and people being on time to class has increased.”

Biology teacher Holly Primc doesn’t offer any extra credit unless the student really went above and beyond.

“I don’t see the need for it because of how I teach,” Primc said. “The students who ask me for extra credit are students that just aren’t doing the work they’re supposed to be doing.”

Extra Credit of students have brought

77%

in items for extra credit

POLL OF 100 STUDENTS ON 12/3

Top three forms of Extra Credit: 1. Assignments 2. Bringing in school supplies 3. Creative Projects

DESIGN BY VANI THUPILI

DECEMBER 7, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | FEATURES | 13

Santa Claus

What’s YOUR Best Trait?

Children outgrow legend, still enjoy magic of idea STORY BY JUSTINA NIELSEN

MR. SANTA CLAUS. Richard Batchelor is an Oviedo Mall Santa.

He is 82 years old, retired from Orange County and has been a Santa for a while because he enjoys seeing the childrens’ faces.

35%

At what age did you find out Santa is not real?

15%

2%

Funny Junior Rebekah Campbell

Loyalty

Ages 8-10

Ages 11-13

Older than 13

Still Believe

Teacher Steven Hill

ILLUSTRATION BY K. PENUEL

DESIGN BY JUSTINA NIELSEN

Freshman Giovanni Olay

Organized

7%

PaperBoy

Personality

Senior Pricilla Chun

19%

Ages 5-7

Freshman Logan King

POLL OF 100 STUDENTS ON 11/29

23%

Younger than 5

Charisma

Wait, what??

PHOTO BY JUSTINA NIELSEN

Santa Claus a huge man with a white beard and a red suit. He goes around the world delivering toys to boys and girls everywhere and many children believe in his magical ability to visit every house on Christmas Eve. But, after years of believing, some children been to question his existence.

“From ages five to nine is the strongest years they believe,” said Richard Batchelor, the Santa at the Oviedo Mall.

According to Batchelor, after the age of nine, children tend to start talking about whether if Santa is real or not.

Some of a child’s friends believe and some do not.

Eventually, they find out “Santa” is real, but not as the magical myth they were told as children. The real Santa is the mothers and fathers around the world giving their children the things they love or want.

Children experience mixed feelings about this change.

“Some of them will feel bad, but others will be happy,” Batchelor said.

“I was very disappointed when I found out Santa wasn’t real,” said sophomore Madyson Leiker.

“I wasn’t surprised, just one day I woke up and Santa’s not real...it was weird,” said sophomore Izabella Ryan.

Teens that have younger siblings who still believe in Santa usually pretend for them. Some just nod their heads, while others play along with the Santa story.

“I just lie to her and tell her that he is real, then I walk away,” Leiker said.

Batchelor said he would not change his role as Santa.

“I look forward to being at the Oviedo Mall every year,” Batchelor said.

14 | FEATURES | THE LION’S TALE | DECEMBER 7, 2018

Course options force decisions 66

classes have a single section, including Dance 1-4 that has four levels, but one section for each level

260

Total courses.

Dance 1-4 that has four levels which is counted as four separate classes

221

students taking AP English Language

48

students taking AP English Literature INFOCOURTESY DIRECTOR OF GUIDANCE SARAH REILLY

Courses with single section cause issues STORY BY BRYN GARICK Every January, freshmen through juniors sign up for their classes for the coming year. At the start of every school year, guidance counselors change and adjust thousands of schedules for a variety of reasons. One of these reasons is that some classes are only offered one period.

“Some classes only have one period because of student demand,” said assistant principal Jason McDonald. “For example, if only 30 students want to take a particular class, there will only be one section created for that. It’s not very efficient with staffing and class sizes to make two classes of 15 when only 30 total have signed up for the class.”

Assistant principal Matthew Ackley said that administration tries to limit the number of issues that arise before the schedules are even made.

“When you only have one section, it means every kid has to be scheduled into that one period of the day,” Ackley said.

“So, what will happen is if you have 20 kids who are taking this course, I have to go in and look at the other classes that they’re taking to make sure that they’re not only offered during that specific period.”

According to Ackley, some of these issues can be seen with AP classes.

“We know that AP Lang kids, that are

seniors, are also going to probably be taking AP Government and Economics, so we try to make sure that those aren’t offered at the same time so that they can take all their courses throughout the day,” Ackley said.

However, not all of these problems can be solved. AP French teacher Victoria Huffman has encountered problems with her French 3 class only having one period.

“It’s not as many sections as other courses since French is such a small program,” Huffman said. “Only about two to five students per year have an issue with the scheduling. The front office tries really hard to accommodate all students, but until I can grow this program, one class is all that we can have.”

According to Huffman, she sometimes loses students to other AP classes.

“When students feel that they need a science or a math over French, they will take it,” Huffman said. “It’s hard because I lose some very good students to other AP courses that are offered at the same time.”

Senior Calli Quire has had to make choices between courses more than once.

“I couldn’t take the French 3 class,” Quire said. “I also couldn’t take a percussion class that I need to take usually.”

According to Quire, this was hard.

“It made it difficult to take the things I wanted to,” Quire said.

Ultimately, she decided to take courses that aligned with band.

“I just kind of took what I thought I’d need in the long run,” Quire said.

Senior Ruby Janiszewski has also had to deal with this problem.

“I was planning on doing newspaper, but then I found out that it was only during fifth period,” Janiszewski said. “That conflicted with my interior design class and if I were to be in a different design class, it would’ve conflicted and it would’ve just screwed everything up.”

Like Quire, Janiszewski made a choice that would help her in the future.

“This class has helped me realize that I do want to pursue interior design in some fashion,” Janiszewski said. “So it has helped me realize that I want to go down this path rather than being a journalist or what I would’ve gotten from newspaper.”

Senior Alex Sayavong also had to deal with this decision.

“I had to take French 3 in a study hall, which was not a particularly good learning activity with me,” Sayavong said.

Ackley said that they do try to help everyone throughout their conflicts.

“There are always going to be a couple that we just can’t help,” Ackley said. “So we try to look at those on a case-by-case scenario, and we try to be as creative as we can in solving those.”

English course enrollment shifts due to senior project STORY BY ABBIE WYDRA The senior project is something every student at Oviedo High School hears about their freshman year. It’s a massive project that takes all of senior year and is a major part of the grade in the honors English IV course.

However, some seniors choose to take courses that exempt them from the senior project altogether. There are different ways that a senior can avoid the project.

The first way a student can be exempt from the senior project is to take AP Language and Composition (AP Lang). Students who take AP Lang their junior year can then take AP Literature (AP Lit) their senior year.

Over recent years, more and more seniors are taking these AP courses to avoid the dreaded senior project, and teachers have noticed.

“There has been a massive increase,” said AP Lang teacher Shayna Hron. “When I started here eight years ago my largest class was 25 students, and that was huge for us. On average we had anywhere between 18 to 22 students in a class.”

This year, one of Hron’s AP Lang classes started with 34 students.

“I did not have enough desks or enough room for more desks, so I had students sitting at my back computers,” Hron said. “There was one day I had to have a student sit at my desk because there was no room.”

According to Hron, some students take AP English to avoid the senior project but end up failing the course and having to drop to honors. This means they must complete the senior project in a shorter period of time than they would have if they had been in honors at the beginning of the year.

“I know that I have at least 20 kids signed up for AP Lang who are only doing it to get out of the senior project because I asked them that the very first day of school and they admitted it,” Hron

said. “Unfortunately, they end up taking my class and it is a struggle because, obviously, AP Lang is a college-level course, and those kids end up having to switch. I know I have 11 students currently who are on the chopping block to move down.”

According to English IV team leader Kim Finnegan, the shift has to do with students’ perceptions.

“I don’t think students are necessarily scared of the project, but they think it is more work,” Finnegan said. “So it is more a matter of students thinking, ‘It’s my senior year, I don’t want to work that hard. AP cannot possibly be as hard.’ In actuality, AP is harder.”

Because AP is harder, the English IV team believes students are setting themselves up for a harder course load.

“AP requires so much more writing, much more painstaking editing of that writing, and a lot more reading,” Finnegan said. “AP is definitely harder than the senior project, especially since you can choose what you do for the senior project. The senior project is all about planning, and I guess sometimes people are scared of that.

But it is just a matter of planning and carrying out your plan.”

Teachers realize that the senior project is not something to be taken lightly and that, for some students, it is better for them to take a different than honors or AP. There also are the seniors that want to take the easiest classes to just cruise through their last year and avoid the senior project.

Some students take standard English IV, while others choose to dual enroll in an English course at Seminole State College or take an English course online.

Finnegan said that the teachers have seen a lot of kids go to standard English that have always been in honors. This year they are in standard just to avoid the project.

“There are kids who have to work and you’ve got kids who are involved in all their activities,” Finnegan said. “You have kids with different mental states, with anxiety and stuff like that, and a lot of these kids build the project up in their head that it is so big and it stresses them out.”

DESIGN BY TESSA KOWALSKI

Reviewed

16 | ENTERTAINMENT | THE LION’S TALE | DECEMBER 7, 2018

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Movie

STORY BY SOPHIA BLOOM When I went to see The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, I didn’t know what to expect. I walked out ready to roast it more than chestnuts on an open fire.

I was hoping to see how Disney would adapt Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky’s ballet into modern film and, sadly, there was hardly any ballet, save for one small segment. The movie hardly used any of Tchaikovsky’s music, which is one of the best parts of the original show, and the heavy usage of colorful CGI imagery more than overwhelmed the brain.

April in Houston Song Review

STORY BY BRYN GARICK SWMRS recently announced their new album after touring since their debut album “Drive North.” Along with the announcement, they also released their single “April in Houston.”

This song is about how people use other people. The overall sound is very different from their other music, because it focuses less on the strong guitar sounds and more on the lyrics and overall blend of the instruments.

In all, the song is fantastic and shows a mature aging in the band that has taken place the past two years.

“April in Houston” makes me excited for the future of SWMRS.

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina TV Show STORY BY JULIAN RIOS In the Town of Greendale, where it always feels like Halloween, there lives a girl who is half-witch, half-mortal. On her sixteenth birthday, she has to choose between two worlds: the witch world of her family and the human world of her friends.

And her name is Sabrina Spellman.

Netflix has taken on the responsibility of bringing the world of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” to life in a new and

PHOTO BY LINDSEY SIMPSON

‘The Uninvited’ delights audience with new actors STORY BY SOPHIA BLOOM When I went to see the drama department’s production of The Uninvited, I had high expectations. In the weeks leading up to the play, I’d heard it advertised as a genuinely chilling and frightening story, though I regret to say that these expectations were not met.

While the actors themselves were great and the technical effects impressive, the story itself left much to be desired.

The Uninvited tells the story of two siblings, Roddy and Pam, who decide to purchase a house called Cliff End, which is supposedly haunted by a ghost.

Stella Meredith, the granddaughter of Commander Beech, who owns the house, feels a connection to the ghost, and the characters spend most of the play trying to figure out who the ghost is.

They conclude it’s either Mary Meredith, who was supposedly Stella’s mother, or a gypsy named Carmel, who had an affair with Mary’s husband. They hold a seance to uncover the secrets of the past and find that Carmel was Stella’s mother, and that Mary’s ghost had been trying to kill Stella. The characters banish Mary’s ghost from the house, and Roddy and Pam decide to stay at Cliff End. For me, the story of The Uninvited was much less compelling than that of The Mousetrap, last year’s play, though The Uninvited ran far more smoothly.

It had better effects, including lighting and sounds, and the set was much more detailed. After Oviedo dropped its Thespians program, the drama department has had more time to spend on their school plays, and it really showed.

Familiar actors returning to the stage were welcomed by many students and parents who had come to see the play.

Although many actors are experienced and phenomenal at what they do, most of them are seniors on their last year of acting. Fortunately, new actors, including juniors and sophomores, added a breath of fresh air to the cast.

Seeing new performers was exciting, as I was looking forward to the different styles of acting portrayed by other students than the ones more frequently cast, and the way they portrayed the characters did not disappoint.

Although this is my final year at Oviedo, I hope this new trend of casting a variety of talented students, both new and returning, will continue to delight audiences in the future.

innovative way, with a darker twist. From the executive producers of “Riverdale” comes “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.”

Sabrina had been living life as a human outside of the house and as a witch in secret with her family. On her birthday, which is on Halloween, she must choose between the two worlds. As the day starts to loom over her, she tries to find a way to keep both her friends and her family, but without success.

As her Dark Baptism begins, Sabrina

goes through the steps flawlessly until she has to sign her name in the Book of the Beast. Just as she’s about to sign, she declines and runs from the scene. She then declares that she will NOT sign her name away.

This sends the rest of the season into a spiral of magical fun, including demons, witch academies, ghosts, exorcisms and, of course, magic.

Though it is fun, this show surprised me with all the demonic themes. It is one of the most demonic shows I have ever watched, actually. The devil is extremely present, even if not in person. But nevertheless, the 10-episode season is extremely well put-together

and executed. Overall, the reception of the show has been very good. It is very different than the original 90s sitcom.

But, there has been one complaint: Netflix is being sued by the Church of Satan for use of their statue.

All the characters have features that stand out, even the mortals. My favorite character is one of the anti-heroes.

Prudence, one of a trio of witch sisters that Sabrina meets at the witch academy, stands out with her feisty and cunning personality.

The “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” is a great addition to the Netflix Originals lineup. It takes the idea of being a witch to a whole new level and combines it with the struggle of being a teen beautifully.

DESIGN BY ABBIE WYDRA

One-Page Low-Down

DECEMBER 7, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | ENTERTAINMENT | 17

App Review: SHUMP STORY BY KATHLEEN YORK

“Shoot + jump = SHUMP!” In SHUMP, you play as an armed animal tasked with scaling multiple platforms while avoiding a barrage of bullets, bombs and bosses.

By jumping up platforms, your animal reaches higher and higher levels in the game.

SHUMP is decorated like an arcade game with arcade sounds. It has six levels and 14 bosses.

Your player can “slurp up” coins to later buy items from the SHUMP store. You can play onehanded or two-handed, whichever you prefer.

There are 11 different characters and powers, which you mix up in gameplay.

SHUMP is a new game, and it comes with some errors.

For example, my game won’t let me use the shop, so I can’t purchase any new characters or

powers.

The controls take awhile to get used to. Other than that, SHUMP is easy to understand and play.

Within a week I had already passed all six levels, and all the 14 bosses.

It’s not the best game, really. In my opinion, it’s somewhat boring, and there are definitely better games out there, but as long as it’s occupying my time I don’t mind.

Whenever I am bored or waiting around I like to play SHUMP. I give SHUMP a four star review because it is an easy game to play and cures my boredom.

Album Review: NAHWC STORY BY CHRISTINA YORK Not All Heroes Wear Capes was released on Nov. 2. It features many hip-hop fans’ favorite artists.

I am in love with all of the music, and I have already blasted it in my car too many times to count.

The album is Metro Boomin’s, but it features Gucci Mane, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Swae Lee, Gunna, Young Thug, Wizkid, Offset, J Balvin, Kodak Black and Drake.

“Overdue” is my personal favorite song because it has a chill tune to the beginning, which I love.

If you’re wanting to listen to something more chill and relaxing, try and listen to “Only 1,” featuring Travis Scott and Metro Boomin.

The variety of songs on this album are great because each

and every song is different and has a unique style, all thanks to the varying artists.

There are some upbeat songs like “No Complaints,” “Space Cadet” and “10 A.M./ Save The World.”

Those are all more like rap, and they get me pumped up whenever I put them on.

I’m not really one to judge or review music types, but I do like my music, and listening to this album, I believe it is going to change the music industry.

More artists are going for

a chill hip-hop vibe, and that seems to be what quite a few people are listening to nowadays.

It’s been a couple of weeks since the album has dropped, and I am still obsessed with all of the songs.

Again, I love that there are many artists in it, because each artist has a different voice and vibe that makes it great to listen to.

All of my friends are talking about this album and playing the songs in the car or wherever we are. It always gets us pumped up and in a good mood, so if you’re the type who likes this kind of music, go listen to it with your friends!

The album contains a total of 13 songs and runs for 44 minutes.

As soon as the album dropped, I added every single song to my playlist, and I don’t regret it one bit.

Local Review: BurgerFi

DESIGN BY ABBIE WYDRA

milkshakes.

The burger was the meanest fast food burger I’ve ever had, the fries were crispy, fresh and salted to perfection, and the “secret menu” shake was heavenly.

Although the total was pricier than other fast food chains, eating at BurgerFi is definitely worth it because of the large quantity and great quality of food. The restaurant’s interior is clean and decorated nicely.

I rate BurgerFi a 4/5 because of the great quality of meat and quantity of food for a reasonable price, great customer service, and the nice, clean interior.

INTERVIEWED BY JULIAN RIOS

Actress

Senior Brianna Collazo Q: What got you into acting in the first place?

As sad as this sounds, I used to not like myself and had major self-esteem issues. I found acting so interesting because it was an outlet for me to be someone different than who I was in real life. I found out I was good at it, then ran from there. Being able to sing was a huge bonus, too.

Q: Who are your acting role models?

A few role models of mine are Renee Elise Goldsberry, most noted for her performance in Hamilton, Cynthia Erivo and Haley Kilgore. I love supporting women of color in theatre. Because we are underrepresented in this industry, it’s refreshing to see people I can identify with on stage.

Q:What challenges have you faced as an actress?

As far as theatre is concerned, type casting, or casting based solely off of looks and not based on talent, is a huge problem. There are less main roles for people that look like me, and often we’re thrown into illfitting roles or in the ensemble just for diversity’s sake.

Q: Are you in any current shows or productions?

Currently I’m in Theater West End’s production of Rent as one of the leads, Mimi Marquez. My next roles will be in West Side Story at Theater West End, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at OHS, and in The Heights. Also, I have some TV and film projects in the works.

PHOTO BY JULIAN RIOS

Up and Coming Event PHOTO BY BURGERFI

STORY BY ABBEY LANDWEHR Recently, BurgerFi added a location in Oviedo’s Stonehill Plaza. BurgerFi is a fast food chain with large quantities of food, great customer service, and-importantly--grade A meat. Burger Fi is one of very few resturants that uses grade A meat. I learned in BurgerFi that over 22 common fast food resturants use grade F meat.

They have many menu items. I ordered the BurgerFi Cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, grade A angus beef, cheese and BurgerFi sauce. I also ordered fries and a milkshake.

The cashier told me I could combine BurgerFi’s Oreo and Red Velvet

SOUL OF AN ARTIST

St. Stephen Catholic Community Winterfest Flea Market January 25 – 27, 2019 Carnival January 31 – February 3, 2019

18 | SPORTS | THE LION’S TALE | DECEMBER 7, 2018

features editor VANI THUPILI

Team sports teach valuable lessons High school sports are stressful.

Balancing your grades, sports, sleep and social life is one of the most difficult things an athlete has to learn to do.

Between everyday practices and keeping your grades up, you’re really left with no time. Knowing you have no time, you learn time management, an important aspect of life.

Team sports are complex. The start of a season is always a fresh and exciting time. New teammates, new coaches, new style of play. But the real difficulty comes when trying to mesh into the dynamic play of the new team.

Team chemistry is a defining aspect of how good a team is. Individual players can have an amazing skill level, but if they are unable to connect with others on a team, their skill renders useless.

Teams with no skill but an immense amount of team chemistry can show up to a game and beat those with valuable skill and no chemistry. The complexity of the player’s mental status adds onto the complexity of trying to bring a team together.

Athletes all have their own life story, driving them to play. Personality is necessary to make a player stand out, it’s what drives them to play. Some are extremely vocal on the field, others are quiet yet still dominant. The complexity of individuals brings personality, which in turn builds a team. Now apply this to life.

Everyone, as they grow up, has to deal with a diverse number of individuals with different backgrounds. Learning to work together as a group rather than as an individual adds another advantage to the toolbox of a team-sport athlete.

Communication is another important life skill that an athlete develops through team sports. Communication between the coach and the athlete, teammate and teammate, athlete vs. an opponent fosters the ability of an athlete to have the difficult conversations that can be so essential in life.

THE BLITZ As the weather gets colder, winter sports go into full swing. Oviedo boys’ and girls’ basketball teams are poised for successful seasons. The girls’ team currently sits at 4-1, while the boys look to return to the postseason. The girls’ soccer team will try to avenge last season’s state championship loss.

After a successful fall with three teams winning state championships, Oviedo athletics has a reason to be excited for the winter.

OVIEDO IS TITLETOWN Athletic teams achieve three championships in nine days CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 PHOTOS BY RYAN GIBBONS, FHSAA & JACOB RAMOS

Boys’ Swim and Dive

On Nov. 9, Oviedo High’s boys’ swim team achieved an historic win at this year’s state championships at the Sailfish Splashpark Aquatic Athletics Center in Stuart, Florida.

The team had modest expectations at the beginning of the season.

“We go in to a season with positive expectations, said junior Ryan Gibbons.

“We had never really expected the team to go so far so quickly.”

The regular season was competitive, but the swim team remained undefeated the entire season.

“I realized that we could actually win states after the preliminaries,” said senior Santiago DeStefano.

The district meet’s main goal was to not get disqualified and to eventually qualify for regionals and states.

“Districts and regionals, I wasn’t too focused on the time, said senior David Carrasquillo. “Just the place and progressing in the series.”

The boys’ team swam head to head with their biggest competitors, Seminole and Lake Brantley.

“Having the top three finishers all be from Seminole county is not only ironic, but it speaks to the strength of the teams in the local area,” Gibbons said.

The season continued to be special.

“This is the first time the boys’ swim team won a state meet and went undefeated the whole season,” DeStefano said.

Boys’ Bowling

On Nov. 8, the Oviedo boys’ bowling team swept Jupiter 3-0 in the FHSAA boys’ bowling team championship. It was the school’s first-ever bowling title for the boys’ team, after the girls’ team won back-toback titles the previous two years.

Senior boys’ bowler Brandon Linen said that the boys’ team felt the need to win

states after so much attention was focused on the girls’ team “When it came to the end of the conference season and we knew that we were going to win districts, we started practicing harder because we had a goal in mind that we wanted to meet,” Linen said.

“It was Costello’s last year coaching, and we wanted to do it for her.”

Coach Pat Costello is a former U.S. Open champion, and was named the 2018 Girls’ Sports Coach of the Year by the Orlando Sentinel.

She has now captured her third straight state title in her last season as coach of the Oviedo bowling teams.

“I asked them if they were getting tired of the girls always getting all the attention,” Costello said. “The boys decided it was their turn, so they put in the time and hard work. Both teams really compete against each other during practices and matches.”

According to Costello, the team started off slow and improved as the season progressed. They clicked as a team at districts, and it carried throughout the rest of the playoffs.

By the time districts came around, Costello said that the team finally understood that they could maintain success by being able to pick up spares.

“Every ball that I threw, I just tried to keep it on the lane and make a makable spare,” Linen said. “As long as we made the spares, we knew that we were going to win the game.”

Linen said that the team’s confidence at states was high because of their experience from states last year.

“Every championship is special,” Costello said. “This one, being my last and it being the boys, was extra special.”

Girls’ Volleyball

On Nov. 16, the Oviedo varsity girls’ volleyball team swept Palm Beach Gardens 3-0 in the FHSAA girls’ volleyball championship. Oviedo won the 7A state championship in 2013, but this year marked

the school’s first ever 9A state volleyball title.

Head coach Jennifer Darty lead the team to the state finals in 2016, but they fell short after being swept. Darty believed that the team’s 2016 state title loss helped to motivate them this time around.

“They also came in a little more prepared, from a mental standpoint, and put more focus on the task at hand to not just be satisfied with getting there,” Darty said. “We focused on the opportunity that we had in front of us and we earned everything along the way, all the way up to that last point.”

Darty said that the girls were prepared mentally, physically and emotionally to win a state championship.

“I love the way they worked all season long and poured their heart into everything we did,” Darty said. “They bought in from the start, committed to the process and we had a lot of fun along the way leading up to that final win.”

Junior Mikaela Schultz had the winning kill after a long rally to win the match. Darty said that moment was so rewarding for her.

“Seeing all of their hard work pay off, the tears of joy forming their eyes and that final burst of emotion and celebration together,” Darty said. “They have worked so hard for this and to see it all pay off by winning a state championship is so special.”

Senior Rileigh Powers was part of the 2016 team that lost in the state championship and reflected on winning a state championship in her last year.

“We worked so hard this year in practice and in games,” Powers said. “I think the team worked hard for each other and we really earned it.”

According to Darty, the team showed that quality of selflessness during the entire season.

“I think what makes this journey so unique is that they wanted that final win more for each other than they ever did for themselves,” Darty said.

DESIGN BY NEVADA CULLEN

DECEMBER 7, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | SPORTS | 19

ROARBOARD

For more, head to

OviedoJournalism.com

New wrestling coach builds success PHOTO BY OWEN FRANCIS STORY BY NEVADA CULLEN

READY FOR BATTLE. Wrestling coach Brett Simonelli looks on as his team competes at Timber Creek on Dec. 5.

In 2011, former Oviedo wrestling coach J.D. Robbins was suspended in the midst of a scandal that had a large, negative impact on the program. After heavy fines and drastic changes to Oviedo’s athletic program, the wrestling team was in desperate need of a leader.

The school hired Zachary Waters as the new coach, who was tasked with rebuilding the wrestling program from the ground up.

Senior Elijah Slage has witnessed Waters’ impact.

“When we went through that entire big fraud and everything, our program got hit hard,” Slage said. “Waters built that foundation back up, and he allowed the program to be what it is today.”

In order to begin rebuilding, Waters helped organized fundraisers and attended events, such as freshman orientation, to attract new wrestlers.

“Our bank account was empty,” Waters said. “We only had about eight guys on the team, so we had to get numbers up.”

SPORTS IN REVIEW: A PHOTO FINISH

The team went 5-15 in Waters’ first season as coach, but never again finished with a losing record during his tenure. Last year, the team finished with a 22-6 record.

This year, Waters stepped down as coach of the team due to the birth of his second child. Former UCF wrestler Brett Simonelli is taking his place.

“Coach Waters did a wonderful job getting this program back on the right track,” Simonelli said. “Now, we just have to pick it up and keep moving forward.”

Simonelli has coached for the past six years, most recently at Atlantic High School in Port Orange. He said that he brings experience, an understanding of the sport and a new style of wrestling to the team.

“Simonelli brought a whole different attack style of wrestling, which has really helped our team,” Slage said. “His is just more of a conditioned, offensive style.”

Simonelli has high hopes for his first season as head coach.

“Our goal this year is to qualify 4-5 kids for the state tournament at the end of the season and to have a state place winner,” Simonelli said. “As a team, we look to be Top 3 in the in conference and districts.”

Star Athlete: Ivan Delbarco INTERVIEWED BY VANI THUPILI

GOING FOR GOAL. Sophomore Katelynne Pollard evades a defender in a game against Hagerty on Dec. 4 at Sam Momary Stadium.

HUDDLE UP. Girl’s JV basketball team strategizes during a timeout in a game against Lake Howell on Dec. 4 at the RWL gym.

BUILDING STRENGTH. Freshman Skyler Squires trains to improve his strength.

PHOTOS BY VANI THUPILI, ABBIE KAUTZMAN, NEVADA CULLEN, NICOLE SHELTRY DESIGN BY OWEN FRANCIS

Senior Ivan Delbarco has been the center attacking midfielder for the boys’ varsity soccer team for the past three years. He brings competitiveness, but also lets his dynamic personality show on and off the field.

Q: How long have you been playing soccer?

A: I started when I was 5, so 13 years.

Q: Who has helped you grow as a player?

A: My parents and Ronaldo, a.k.a. best player in history, have helped me grow as a player.

Q: How do you impact the team?

A: By being the best. No, I’m just kidding.

I think I create chances, kind of like the play maker of the team.

Q: How do you lead your team throughout the season?

A: I lead the team by cracking jokes and giving out positive vibes on the field.

Q:What’s your favorite aspect of playing soccer?

A: How much fun I have while playing with my friends and destroying opponents.

Q: What are your goals for the rest of the season?

A: My goal for this season is to win regionals and go as far as we can in states.

Q: What’s your favorite memory of being on the team?

A: The best memory is when Chase got tazed by a tazer at one of the team dinners.

Q: What legacy are you trying to leave behind?

A: Try your hardest and you’ll succeed, and don’t listen to seniors if you’re a freshman. Do your own thing and feel confident because that’s what makes you good, and that’s important.

20 | FEATURES | THE LION’S TALE | DECEMBER 7, 2018

Where they are now

Blake Bortles graduated from OHS in 2010. During his time at Oviedo, Bortles excelled in football. Bortles attended UCF, where he was the quarterback for the Knights. Bortles now plays with the Jacksonville Jaguars as the quarterback.

BLAKE BORTLES

At UCF, Phil Dumas studied electrical engineering, then created UniKey, a door lock that opens with a touch of a finger. On “Shark Tank,” every shark gave him an offer. Dumas got deals with Mark Cuban and Kevin O’Leary.

JEFF STAFFORD

Dusty Holloway and Jeff Stafford both graduated from UCF. Together, they created a product called Shell Bobbers, which are fishing bobbers made out of shot gun shell castings. They appeared on the show “SharkTank,” and Mark Cuban invested in their product, allowing their business to expand.

Travis Weeks graduated attended Vanderbilt, UCF and University of Maryland. Weeks now is an orthodontist and his office, Smith and Weeks Orthodontic Specialists, is located nearby in Winter Springs.

TRAVIS WEEKS

KATIE MORTON

Katie Morton attended Louisiana State University and became a dancer with the school’s Tiger Dancers. Morton will appear in the 23rd season of ABC’s “The Bachelor,” a reality show.

PHIL DUMAS

Ajay Kapadia attended the University of Florida. Kapadia decided he wanted to study dentistry at the University of Florida after he volunteered at the Shands Hospital. Kapadia is now an orthodontist located in Oviedo.

AJay KAPADIA

DUSTY HOLLOWAY

William Przystup graduated from OHS in 2018. Przystup played both basketball and football during his high school career. He now plays football with Michigan State as the starting punter.

WILLIAM PRZYSTUP

N o tab le alumn i ac hie v e su c c es s i n v a ri o us f i el ds

INFOCOURTESY/PHOTO CREDITS MSUSPARTANS.COM, HOLLOYWOODGOSSIP.COM, SMITHANDWEEKSORTHO.COM, SHARKTANKBLOG.COM, K-ORTHODONTICS.COM, JAGUARS.COM DESIGN BY GILLIAN LANDWEHR