The Lion's Tale - Volume 59 Issue 4 - Oviedo High School

Aviation Day at airport shows careers PAGE 3

FEATURES

Mural on Central Ave. uplifts community PAGE 12

SPORTS

Waterpolo battles football team in fundraiser PAGE 19

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LION’S 4 TALE EDITION

NEWS

OVIEDO HIGH SCHOOL • 601 KING STREET • OVIEDO, FL • 32765 FEBRUARY 7, 2019 • VOLUME 59 • OVIEDOJOURNALISM.COM

MEME DAY 2019

2 | NEWS | THE LION’S TALE | FEBRUARY 7, 2019

the Scoop

Brain Bowl tests trivia, fosters teamwork PHOTO BY OVIEDIAN STORY BY PENELOPE BANKS The students scribbled frantically as the moderator stated the question. These students were competing in a Brain Bowl event.

“It’s definitely pretty intense,” said senior Lauren Puig, who joined the club this year.

Brain Bowl is a club focused on students’ quick academic reflexes and academic knowledge. Every Thursday, the club meets for their county competitions.

During the competitions, student teams answer questions that test a wide variety of knowledge they have learned in school and beyond.

The competitions have been around for many years.

“Teachers in their 50s were competing in tournaments, so it’s been around for over 30 years,” Guglielmello said.

According to Guglielmello, this has had a positive influence on the club.

“It fosters comraderie and pride in our school as well as confidence in each member’s academic abilities,” Guglielmello said.

“I definitely have learned a lot,” said sophomore Ryan Hendricks. “I can even tell my family more trivia questions.”

BRAIN BOWL BATTLES. Academic dean Matt Guglielmello introduces members, new and old, to the school’s Academic Team, also known as Brain Bowl.

Dungeons & Dragons club exceeds capacity at first meeting STORY BY K. PENUEL Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is the newest club on campus. At the very first meeting, the classroom they met in was at maximum capacity. Co-founders junior Wyatt Furnas and junior Miles Winterfeldt never thought that the club would be so full.

“We had around 100 members,” said Winterfeldt. “We thought we’d have around 18 to 20, but then the room got more crowded, and then a lot of people started coming in, and we had to seperate between three sponsors.”

“Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop role playing game,” Furnas said. “It involves some minor math, strategy and storytelling. It’s a collaborative story.”

Junior Skye Singleton, the president of the club, thinks D&D popular now because of “Stranger Things.” Furnas believes that recently D&D has become less “nerdy.”

“D&D used to be such a nerdy and small thing,” Furnas said. “But now, it had a sudden upsurge in popularity.

“Most of the people are new, and they’ve never played before,” Singleton said. “It’s a really fun experience to have all these new people.”

the Month in Photos

PHOTO BY OWEN FRANCIS

ROLLING GIANT TIRE. Sophomore Brady Buckman and freshmen Jacob Vogin, Stewart Roosa, and Carson Maynes roll a giant tire around the school for gym class.

PHOTO BY FARIS UDDIN

SCIENCE FAIR SOLUTIONS. Senior Cody Geoffroy presents his findings about ocean acidification to a judge at the Science and Engineering Fair.

Code Red signage clarifies safety spots for classrooms STORY BY CONOR DUNCAN Teachers have recently hung signs that direct students to the “hard corners “ in their classrooms.

“The hard corner is the point inside a classroom in which students would be safest in the event of an intruder coming onto campus,” said AP Macroeconomics teacher Liam Mason.

The signs are designed to direct students efficiently and without incident.

Junior Gabriel Yager said he approves of the new policy.

“In the past, people have freaked out and gone berserk at school when faced with a code red,” Yager said. “With the signs, everyone knows where to go.”

PHOTO BY SAADHANA SRIDHARAN

FLORIDA’S WINTER BEGINS. Junior Elise Compton dresses in warm layers as Florida’s “winter” season starts.

PHOTO BY SAADHANA SRIDHARAN

TIN FOIL HATS. Senior Calli Quire creates and models a tin foil hat for AP Physics C, as part of a tradition.

FRONT PAGE DESIGN BY GILLIAN LANDWEHR

DESIGN BY KATHLEEN YORK

FEBRUARY 7, 2019 | THE LION’S TALE | NEWS | 3

Event flies to new horizons

BEAUTY IN FLIGHT. People who attended the secnd annual Aviation Day were able to view and take rides in many small airplanes.

Aviation Day at Sanford Executive Airport informs, inspires students PHOTO BY PATRICK COSTELLO STORY BY PATRICK COSTELLO Students climbed in and out of commercial jets and smaller light aircraft, while others watched robotics demonstrations nearby. Still other students waited excitedly to hear if they had won the raffle to take a one-hour flight in a Cirrus SR20.

This was the scene at Orlando Sanford International Airport’s Aerospace and Aviation Day on Jan. 26, held in partnership with Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS).

The event, which began in 2018, was designed to introduce SCPS students to career possibilities in the fields of science, engineering and aviation.

“It was created in response to a desire

by SCPS and Seminole State College to create and/or expand their aviation programs in response to the increasing demand for pilots and mechanics,” said Orlando Sanford International Airport Director of Communications Lauren Rowe.

“Following a meeting between some of the major tenants at the Airport and the schools, it was decided that Aerospace and Aviation Day would be a great way to expose Seminole County’s youth to all that aviation has to offer.” he said.

The Aviation Day attracted students with a passion for flight, such as sophomore Turner Bailey.

“I came to Aviation Day to see all the really cool planes and stuff, and see if there is any way I can do Cessna flying, because I’ve always been interested in doing that kind of stuff ever since I was young,” Bailey said.

The gathering featured over 30 exhibitions from businesses, organizations DESIGN BY SAADHANA SRIDHARAN

and governmental institutions, such as Allegiant Airlines, the Kennedy Space Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

These exhibitions allowed students to question professionals in various fields related to aviation and aeronautical engineering about the day-to-day challenges and requirements of their jobs. Students were also able to view demonstrations of the equipment used in these occupations.

“I’ve asked air traffic controllers about the tower control, and I’ve found out that it’s kind of a nightmare to deal with at times, because of how many planes come flying around,” Bailey said. “I’ve talked to the guys building the bomb squad robots, and talked about flight simulators, and what’s the best option for me to do.”

The Aviation Day also included a talk from Joe Kittinger, an Air Force veteran who served as a squadron commander and spent 11 months as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Kittinger won numerous ballooning competitions after his retirement and is perhaps best known for his history-making jump from a high-altitude balloon at 102,800 feet above Earth’s surface in 1960.

Kittinger discussed the experience of his thrilling high-altitude jumps, and his work as a test pilot collecting data for the Air Force. The experienced aviator also advised students to work hard and have confidence in themselves in order to achieve success in any aspect of life.

According to Bailey, the event gave students a valuable insight into the aviation industry and the world of flying.

“It is really cool how all these machines come together and make it all work,” Bailey said.

4 | OPINION | THE LION’S TALE | FEBRUARY 7, 2019

Teachers’ fun techniques improve learning We all have had at least one teacher in our lives who was too plain, too monotone, too boring, too dull to concentrate on.

These classes are typically difficult to pay attention in, especially when it’s the end of the day and everybody is tired and wishes to be home.

Some teachers try their hardest to keep classes exciting, regardless of the subject, to keep students focused.

Some teachers decorate their rooms in a fun way using bright colors, decorated ceiling tiles, fun posters, student-made art, etc. It may seem cliche, but these decorations do help change the atmosphere of a classroom.

Would you rather sit in a room with plain, undecorated, off-white cement walls for 50 minutes each and every day, or a room that has a pop of color and decorations?

Teachers also make class more exciting by implementing different activities into the course. Activities such as labs, creating posters or PowerPoints and coloring help change things up a bit.

Not only are these activities fun, but they also require students to apply what they have learned. They help students remember the content they learned and applied to the activity during tests and quizzes.

For example, if you had to do a lab in

science class and there was a question on a test or quiz that related to that certain lab, you would be more likely to remember the material because you actually did the activity.

Some teachers have unique personalities, which help keep courses exciting. Fun personalities, humor and being able to relate to students allow students to have different interactions with their teachers that help make the class more and fun for the students.

Some teachers know that they teach a boring subject, so they try to implement different techniques to keep the course exciting rather than dull.

For example, some teachers add humorous images to PowerPoints, play music, wear shirts that relate to the subject and more.

Teachers understand that nobody actually wants to come to school, and many of them keep that in mind when planning activities to spruce things up.

Here at The Lion’s Tale, we appreciate all that teachers do to try and keep school entertaining.

They understand that it can be hard sometimes, and their efforts to keep things fun really do go a long way and help motivate students.

OUR WORD

IN YOUR FACE

Does it matter if teachers make courses interesting?

Freshman Natalie Joy

Yes, because you kind of want to be into what they are telling you, and not just be bored in their class, and you actually what to learn the material.”

Sophomore Izabella Ryan

Yes, to me I think it does, because if the course isn’t interesting, students aren’t going to want to learn anything about the course. If the teacher makes it interesting students will think it’s really cool and not fall asleep.

Junior Parker Ferro

Not exactly, it depends on the course really. Like culinary is already interesting as it is, but maybe math could use a little bit more interesting.

Junior Sandy Bates

Yes, because it makes the student more able to complete all the work and be interested in what their teachers are teaching.

PHOTOS BY JUSTINA NIELSEN & EMMA YOST

58% of students think

teachers are livening up their courses.

42% of students think

teachers are NOT livening up their courses.

ILLUSTRATION BY K. PENUEL

POLLOF100STUDENTSFEB.6

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

Contributors Abbie Kautzman Abbey Landwehr Skylar Zern 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 19 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 • FEBRUARY 7, 2019 • VOLUME 59 • EDITION 4

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 JUSTINA NIELSEN

FEBRUARY 7, 2019 | THE LION’S TALE | OPINION | 5

artist

sports editor

U.S. empress to solve issues through chickens

Good people order medium rare steak

SOPHIA BLOOM

In 1859, Joshua Norton declared himself Emperor of the United States of America. When he approached San Francisco newspapers asking to be recognized with this title, an editor decided to play along.

For the next 21 years, Norton made decrees and even printed his own currency, becoming a local celebrity.

Although he had no real political power, Norton’s “reign” as Emperor left an impact on the lives of those around him.

Inspired by Norton’s legacy as the first and only Emperor of the United States, I have decided to declare myself Empress of the United States through the power of the press.

I will do everything in my power to eliminate the following trends, which should be long-dead by now: Dabbing, T-Posing and all manner of Fortnite dancing. We must be a City on a Hill to other nations, and a great deal of that involves refraining from Electro Shuffling on the top of that hill.

Of course, I will make decrees to benefit of my favorite subjects--the Oviedo chickens. These chickens will be appointed as my most trusted advisors and must be treated with the utmost respect. Because chickens do not adhere to any political party, they will not argue much amongst themselves and will make decisions efficiently and effectively.

Of course, many of these decisions involve laying eggs or crossing the road, but we’ll get to those problems once they learn how to read.

As Norton printed his own currency, I will create a system of probably-notlegal tender myself. BloomBucks will be manufactured in a most official manner--I will doodle my face on sticky notes in crayon, then distribute the money amongst my loving subjects.

Some people may find me unfit to be Empress, or suggest that it’s a preposterous idea and that any power I hold is farcical at most. I will send a chicken diplomat to meet with any naysayers so they may discuss my political legitimacy in a civilized manner.

This may be a problem, since I’m still teaching the chickens to speak English, but I trust them wholeheartedly, even if they don’t always get their grammar right.

But maybe those against my reign are right.

My policies seem absurd, and they are.

Instead, can we get an actual politician to step up and help solve America’s real problems?

DESIGN BY SOPHIA BLOOM

NEVADA CULLEN

ILLUSTRATION BY K. PENUEL

Saying ‘goodbye’ opens door for growth

editor-in-chief BRYN GARICK

The past couple years, my closest friends told me, more than once, “You let people walk all over you.” I had the same response each time: “Without the people who treat me poorly, I only have two friends.”

And in a way, that was true. I had quite a few friends, but the majority of the time, I was the one reaching out and making plans, trying to stay connected.

Sometimes they accepted but, often, they rejected my attempts – or flat-out ignored them.

With the friends I had, I felt like I was the reason that they weren’t reciprocating my friendship. I felt as though any time they ignored me or rejected my plans, I had said or done something wrong. I thought it was my fault that people randomly stopped being as close to me.

But the truth was, it wasn’t.

And I was the one left feeling bad.

I needed my friends because I had known them forever. I didn’t know how to live without them. Who would I go to concerts with? Who would I call on my walks home? Who would I text when I was fed up with my other friends?

Perhaps it’s the idea of college looming, or maybe it’s just pure exhaustion, but I had finally had enough.

Recently, I stopped reaching out, instead talking only to those who reply often, or who text me first. I don’t mean it in

a harsh way; I just grew tired of being disappointed, over and over, by those I clearly held in greater importance than they did me.

Maybe this change was inspired by the simple idea of a “new year, new me” sort of attitude. Maybe it was a sudden understanding of myself. Or maybe I just got fed up.

I won’t lie. It sucked for the first while, and I still haven’t figured it all out. I haven’t been to concerts since we’ve stopped talking, and there are definitely times that I miss them.

But it’s gotten easier.

Rather than feeling alone like I had always assumed I would, I have instead been doing things that are healthier for me than waiting around for other people.

I got a gym membership, I started taking my dog for regular walks, I applied for scholarships and jobs. While I do genuinely miss the people I have stopped talking to, I feel happier overall.

I realized that I need friends who need me. I don’t want to be the only person in a friendship who tries and the only person who makes plans. I also realized that it’s okay to leave people if I need to. If their friendship hurts me more than it helps, they are not the friends I need.

I am not going to let my future friends treat me like my past friends did. I don’t want to go through another chunk of my life feeling poorly due to other people’s behavior.

People treated me as they pleased, whether or not I liked it. And I thought I needed them because, without them, I would have very few people in my life to call my friends. I didn’t understand that sometimes it’s OK to only have two friends, especially if they are good ones.

In college and the future, I am going to look for friends who treat me well, who respond to my texts and don’t make me feel like a burden.

In the future, I’ll know to not wait for so long for people to change.

There is only one correct way to order steak: medium rare. When picturing the perfect steak, one can only imagine a juicy steak with a warm, red center.

Steak is one of the best foods there is. Ordering steak tacos, steak in a rice bowl, or just a plain sirloin is like ordering the food of a king or queen.

Steak is for royalty.

If you like your steak rare, you need to take a reality check. You’re barely cooking the meat! Rare steak is the equivalent of painting a house, but quitting after just painting the front. Why do something and then not finish the job? Why cook a steak but not take the time for it to reach the best temperature?

If you your steak is well done, why are you even eating steak? You might as well be chewing on a rubber tire. Don’t ruin your steak. Well done steak is just inexcusable. If you’re going to order the wrong temperature steak, at least pick one that doesn’t taste like leather.

If you order your steak medium, you’re so close. You want to order it medium rare, but you’re afraid. Don’t be tentative. Make the leap.

Medium rare is the best temperature for steak, and the others aren’t even close. There is even science behind it.

135 degrees Fahrenheit is the perfect temperature for medium rare steak. According to the Chicago Steak Company (CSC), it contains the ideal amount of Myosin and Actin, proteins that control the texture and taste of the meat.

This explains why medium rare steak tastes better than any other steak. The consistency of medium rare steak has an additional reason for being so perfect.

Medium rare steak prevents too much of the moisture from leaving the steak, which results in a juicy, tender piece of meat. Medium steak and well done steak are cooked for too long, and lose flavor and tenderness due to the loss of moisture, according to CSC. There is plenty of evidence that medium rare is the optimal temperature to cook steak. Many experts agree, and you should too.

Steak is a delicacy, and its taste and tenderness is something that should be treasured by all. If you’re going to eat steak, don’t butcher the savory piece of meat.

Next time you take a trip to a steakhouse, don’t settle for a poorly cooked steak. If you want to make the world a better place, order your steak medium rare. It’s the right thing to do.

6 | OPINION | THE LION’S TALE | FEBRUARY 7, 2019

HEAD to HEAD contributor

SKYLAR ZERN

All pets provide meaningful relationships I’ve been raised with animals my entire life and can’t imagine living without them. My pets can take my mind off of daily struggles, and help me through difficult times. At the end of the day, the animals in my life aren’t just “pets” but therapists that provide legitimate emotional support. I’ve been riding horses and competing for almost 10 years, and every second of it has helped me through difficult times.

In July this past summer, I had to make the decision to euthanize the horse I’ve had since he was a yearling. Granted, his death wasn’t my fault, but it was by far the darkest period of my life. Without my emotional support animal, and without a caring figure to support me, I spiraled.

I became disinterested in horses altogether, which really frightened me. My anxiety was through the roof and nothing seemed worth it anymore. Life felt fuzzy and it became difficult to tell the difference between reality and fantasy.

About three months later, we found another horse for me to continue my riding career with and help me achieve my future goals. I felt incredibly guilty that I was moving on only a few months later, but having a new horse in my life that is mine has been incredibly healing.

Just being out at the barn and spending a few minutes grooming or taking care of my horse has made my life better. I went from struggling with focusing on schoolwork and riding to getting the grades I want and riding more than ever.

I don’t like to get on a soapbox and sound preachy when I say that animals are important, but it’s true.

A survey conducted by the HumanAnimal Bond Institute found that 74 percent of pet owners believed that having a pet improved their mental health.

Animals love unconditionally and can help see the light at the end of the tunnel even when it’s hardest.

The pain, anger, and desperation I went through after losing my first horse was so overpowering, I was worried I would never be able to enjoy the sport that had kept me going.

When I welcomed another horse into my life and slowly started building up that trust and relationship again, I felt so much better and had purpose again.

People who don’t own animals or don’t recognize their importance are blind to the possibilities and what companions have to offer. Every moment I spend with the creatures I love most is a moment well spent, and I count myself lucky to have that chance.

SHOULD STUDENTS ATTEND SCHOOL WHILE SICK?

Missing school due to flu creates more stress than attending

Missing school while sick allows for faster recovery, less contagion

STORY BY GILLIAN LANDWEHR According to everydayhealth.com, the flu typically lasts about one to two weeks, and lingering symptoms can last about three to seven additional days.

One or two weeks is a lot of time, especially for high school students. With seven classes a day, the makeup work would quickly add up. Not only would you be behind in makeup work, you would also be behind in learning the new content from lectures.

Therefore, if you are sick with the flu, you should still come to school, as long as you no longer have a fever.

Yes, you will probably feel terrible. However, if you miss a week or more of school, you will get too far behind.

Our school’s policy regarding make up work allows students however many days they missed plus an extra day.

Yes, this is quite a bit of time, however, it is easy to lose track of time when you are loaded to the brim with current assignments as well as with assignments you missed when you were sick.

As assignments load up, it is common to experience stress. If you come to school instead of staying home, you would eliminate that potential risk of stress and remain up-todate with your assignments.

From my experience of being sick with the flu, I was very stressed about missing two days of school. I was missing out on lectures, notes, classwork, homework and tests. I found myself taking notes at home from the PowerPoints my teachers uploaded, as well as completing any classwork that my teachers had placed onto Canvas, as well as completing the assigned homework.

However, teachers also add their own snippets of verbal information that you would miss if you were not present in the classroom. If you have a hard time completing make up work, you are better off coming to school and staying up-to-date with all of your schoolwork. Also, if you have poor timemanagement skills, it would be best for you to come to school so you can maintain your regular schedule.

If you come to school with the flu, try to be courteous of those surrounding you. Make sure you cover your mouth whenever you cough or sneeze, constantly wash your hands and use hand sanitizer, wipe off your desk in every class, refrain from touching others and don’t share drinks and food with anybody. The flu is contagious for up to a week, so be mindful of others.

STORY BY NEVADA CULLEN Please don’t come to school if you are sick with the flu.

Please. Your health is more important than a few missed days of school. Take care of yourself.

A flu won’t just last a day. So don’t try to come back after just one day of missing school. According to WebMD, flu symptoms don’t typically disappear until around five days after catching the flu. That’s about a week of feeling miserable, and being at school isn’t exactly helping.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that staying home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone is optimal when dealing with a flu. Take your time, rest and consume the fluids and nutrients you need to become healthy again.

It is difficult to make a quick recovery if you are at school.

Going to school requires getting up early, excessive walking and using your brain to its full extent. Staying home means you are able to rest not only your body by sleeping in and relaxing, but your brain as well.

It is true that this is high school, and missing school will yield an excess of make-up work. As long as you manage your time wisely, it’s not too difficult to get back on pace.

In addition, it’s hard to focus in school when you are sick.

Trying to learn new concepts with flu-like symptoms is not the easiest task.

You need to think of others as well. If you are at school with a flu, all the nose-blowing, sneezing and coughing is annoying for others. You become a disruption in the classroom.

By going to school sick with the flu, you are putting your classmates at risk of catching a flu of their own. WebMD suggests that you cover your mouth when you cough and wash your hands often in order to avoid the spread of the flu to others. If you don’t follow those recommendations, you are going to get others sick.

The flu should be taken seriously, because it isn’t just someone with a cold or feeling a little under the weather. It is contagious and can lead to death. Although the illness doesn’t typically turn fatal, isn’t worth the risk, especially when staying home means there is very little chance of spreading the disease.

Have some respect for yourself and others around you. If you have the flu, just stay home. Not only will you be healthier and happier more quickly as a result, so will the people around you. Rest up to come back better than ever.

students

a re g i v e n the # of days

absent + 1 to make up

missing

assignments

FLU FACTS

Healthy Schools LLC

a d min ist e re d

280,000

flu shots to Florida

students in 2018

INFOCOURTESYHEALTHYSCHOOLSLLC

DESIGN BY BRYN GARICK

FEBRUARY 7, 2019 | THE LION’S TALE | FEATURES | 7

Spring week brings fresh excitement to campus PHOTOS BY EMMA YOST

STORY BY EMMA YOST At the end of January, Oviedo High School hosted Spring Week. The dress-up days included flower power, be a teacher day, class sports day, meme day, spirit day, and a pep rally on Friday to top it all off.

The idea for spring week originated in the Student Government Association (SGA).

“The biggest reason we planned a spring week is because the volleyball team is being recognized by MaxPreps, so instead of doing a random pep rally, we decided to do a spirit week that kind of leads up to the pep rally,” said SGA adviser Heather Delong.

The dress-up days go along with the theme of the upcoming season, spring.

The main reason, however, for the theme “spring” was based on leadership classes in other schools. Junior Kaley Jaqueth suggested the idea of spring week.

“We’re having spring week because a lot of other leadership classes at other

FLOWER POWER. Sophomore Alessandra Dunoyer shows off her floral-themed outfit.

schools that are in Seminole County are doing winter weeks,” Jaqueth said. “We decided to that we would be a little more unique and individual to Oviedo and do spring week.”

Sophomore Katrina Ruiz also helped finalize the idea for spring week.

“We were planning on doing a winter week initially but it didn’t work out due to the crazy schedule of December, so we were like, ‘Well if we can’t do winter week, why don’t we do spring week,’” Ruiz said.

Although spring week is new to Oviedo this year, several students were excited about the activities.

“We tried to make the days fun like we had meme day which everyone was really excited about,” says Jaqueth.

The dress-up days for spring week were quite different from homecoming week, including ‘dress up as your teacher day’.

There are some teachers who were a popular choice to dress up as, especially those with a distinct look or style.

AP biology teacher William Furiosi is one teacher that some students planned

BE A TEACHER. Freshmen Madison Decker and Ellie Moss dress up as biology teacher Cherie Brinkman.

on dressing up as for day two of spring week. How students would portray him was something he wasn’t sure about.

“Given it’s winter now (or because of how cold my classroom always is), maybe they’ll do pullover sweaters?” Furiosi said.

“Or a lab coat? Glasses? No glasses? I’m not sure, but it’ll be interesting to see what they come up with if they do.”

Furiosi also thinks that dress up as a teacher day has benefits other than humor.

“It shows that my students are at least paying attention to something I’m doing, even if I want them to focus more on what I’m teaching than what I’m wearing,” Furiosi said. “Regardless, I try and connect with my students as much as possible to make learning fun and memorable. If this helps that continue, I’m all for it.”

Freshmen Madison Decker and Ellie Moss dressed up as biology teacher Cherie Brinkman for ‘be a teacher day’.

“I knew she’d have a great reaction and I think she’s a great teacher so I wanted to dress as her,” Decker said. “She has a style that you would most likely find on a Ross

CLASS SPORTS DAY. Senior Zach Corum wore his Magic jersey for day three of spring week.

mannequin, so Ellie and I went to Ross and immediately found a shirt.”

The girls matched their outfits on Tuesday to surprise Brinkman, who thought the twinning was hilarious.

“The outfits matched what she would usually wear and so did the badges we made,” Moss said. “She thought it was very funny.”

For meme day, a variety of students dressed up as their favorite memes.

Sophomore Kaylie del Valle dressed up as “Steve” from the game Minecraft for meme day.

“It was a last-minute thing,” del Valle said. “My friend brought the torch over and I printed out a pickaxe and wore a blue shirt inside-out.”

For the final day of spring week, students, teachers, and administrators showed their school spirit by wearing their orange and black gear; to wear to the pep rally later on in the day.

While spring week is a new addition to this year’s activities, it could become the newest tradition.

MEME DAY. Senior Maya Patel dresses up as “The Rock” meme.

SPIRIT DAY. Senior Gabriella Tuten shows her Oviedo pride with her face paint clawed by a lion.

Career courses offer more than just school credits STORY BY JUSTINA NIELSEN While every class provides the opportunity to learn, some courses offer even more. Students in Early Childhood Education (ECE), Design Tech, Biotechnology, Culinary, Television Production, and other classes can earn certifications and increase their opportunities for jobs.

For some classes, these certifications have been around for years. For other classes, the certifications are just starting to show up.

According to ECE teacher Brittany Rogers, the Child Development Associate certificates have been around for over twenty years.

On the other hand, Biotechnology’s Biotechnician Assistant certification and ExCPT Pharmacy Technician certification are newer.

“It is relatively new to our school and the state, and they are trying to get it nationalized,” said Biotechnology teacher Kathy Savage.

Both teachers love the fact that students have an opportunity to see if they would like to continue in their field of learning for the next stages of their lives. Student gets the chance to see into what they might like to do by taking these classes on campus.

By earning these certifications, students increase the opportunity of getting a job over an adult who doesn’t have these certificates.

DESIGN BY EMMA YOST

Design Tech teacher Catherine Krupica said the certifications provide students with a privilege.

“I was out in the business world for a long time and I had to save up money to get these certifications,” Krupica said.

The fees for taking these exams are covered by the school, which can save students $150 on the Biotechnician Assistant exam and $80 per Adobe Certified Associate exam.

These certifications help students gain a greater chance of achieving their dreams from the past to present and to see if they really want to pursue what they thought they wanted to do.

Some students have opinions on how the certificates help them.

“I think it will because it gives the baseline of programs for architecture, and I talked to an architect and he says really good things,” said sophomore Duncan Clark.

Students don’t have to take this one of these classes all four years but it looks good for colleges to see that the student stayed with the program and didn’t give up on it.

“I plan on using this in college because I plan on being an interior designer, and going to Seminole State for it,” said junior Aubrey Bean. “So it’s not like I’m going to use it one time and never use it again, I’ll consistently use it when I go to work and do my job.”

Available Certificates Biotechnology Biotechnician Assistant Certificate TV production Adobe Certified Associate Early Childhood Education Child Development Association Culinary ServSafe Interior design Chief Architect Digital design Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel Certificate, MTA Certificate

8 | FEATURES | THE LION’S TALE | FEBRUARY 7, 2019

TEACHERS LIVEN

IT UP

Instructors mix up methods, implement entertaining lessons for students STORY BY BRYN GARICK Every fall, the school releases students’ class schedules and students anxiously check the names of their teachers.

According to junior Lindsey Simpson, how lively a teacher is changes how much she wants to be in a certain class.

“They make it less boring and more interesting,” Simpson said.

Freshman Kait Peterson thinks that a teacher’s personality can change the entire classroom dynamic.

“My teacher is really upbeat, so everyone is more involved and it makes everyone want to be more involved, it makes everyone want to learn more,” Peterson said.

Teachers find that doing activities makes it more interesting for them, as well.

“I have to make everything exciting because then I would get bored,” said AP Language and Composition teacher Shyana Hron.

Physics teacher Chris Capp said that it is natural for him to be lively.

“It’s just how I am as a person, I’m creative and that’s how I like things, so I try to exude that through my teaching,” Capp said.

According to AP Macroeconomics teacher Liam Mason, teachers should strive to make the subject entertaining.

“I believe when the teacher is boring, the kids will get bored and not care about the content of the class,” Mason said. “Students should want to learn.

All of school is exciting. Whether it is economics, humanities, math, science, or history, everything can be exciting and interesting.”

Senior Faris Uddin thinks that Mason’s lessons do help him learn.

“Mr. Mason’s ‘Pearl Exchange’ got us into being buyers and sellers, and that kind of gave me a good basis on what we were learning in class at that time,” Uddin said.

Mason said that interactive activities are a good way to involve students.

“Hands-on activities are the best way to connect with the students and help the students understand the depth of what they’re learning,” Mason said.

Hron tries to make her classroom immersive.

“No one wants to sit here and read The Odyssey,” Hron said. “Most people think it’s boring, but you can really connect their stories to your own, so I make it applicable to each and every one of my students.”

Mason uses multiple types of activities to keep students engaged.

“I try to employ dances or raps sometimes for different lessons,” Mason said. “I add role-playing assignments where students take on the role. Sometimes I run theatrical lessons to re-enact concepts for humanities. I add art, painting, and craft building for humanities. I add in computer video games for economics to teach certain concepts.”

Mason tries to use his personality to liven up not only the more “fun” assignments, but also the traditionally boring assignments.

“I try to be enthusiastic and I attempt to vary assignments,” Mason said. “I add in videos, audio podcasts, creative images and whatnot into PowerPoints so that at least the ‘notes’ part of the days are fun, too.”

Hron said that some of her activities push students’ comfort zones.

“I torture them,” Hron said. “I make them try different foods that are mentioned in our stories. In ‘The Most Dangerous Game’ they talk about beet soup, so I brought in beet soup for my kids to try. This past book we read about curds and whey, and I made them try Keper and whey. They walk in some days and are like, ‘Oh God, what’s happening next?’”

According to Hron, the overall classroom dynamic changes because of these types of activities.

“My kids actually like each other, they know each other, and because of that you can get amazing and interesting conversations with the students,” Hron said.

Capp said that making the course exciting can help students to learn.

“It’s better if you have different paths of explaining things, a n d more creative ways, because then

you can reach more people,” Capp said.

Some subjects are easier to make fun than others, according to Simpson.

“I think they know that some subjects aren’t interesting and they’ll even tell you ‘I know this is boring,’ but then they do something that makes it more fun,” Simpson said.

Senior Justin Nazario thinks that working to make boring subjects fun makes them easier to learn.

“For some subjects, they know it’s not the most fun to learn about, so they’re trying to make it more interesting for everybody to learn because the more exciting they are the more intrigued the kids are,” Nazario said.

According to Capp, it is easy to make his class entertaining.

“Physics is the study of how things work and everything can be taught of in terms of physics,” Capp said.

Mason has a more difficult time making all the material fun.

“I attempt new ideas each semester,” Mason said. “Sometimes they work great, sometimes they don’t. I learn, too, with each year. I try to add more creativity and different approaches each year as I truly think it helps students learn and cement the information.”

Learning always should be about more than just memorizing, according to Hron.

“You have to experience education because that’s what it is, it’s not about reading something in a book, it’s about being there and doing it,” Hron said.

Uddin believes that teaching in different ways is the best way to learn.

“Not only are you just looking at a book and reading and memorizing what it is, you understand why it exists and why it’s important in society and how it affects your life,” Uddin said.

“Students should want to learn. All of school is exciting.”

Liam Mason

AP Macroeconomics Teacher INTERACTIVE WALL. (above) Hron’s wall outside her classroom showcase her student’s opinions creatively.

LEARN, TEACH, REPEAT. (top left) Mason uses auctioning of Oreos to teach about inflation.

CLIP, SNIP, PASTE. (above) Senior Ava Ingle makes a poster of the government circular flow model.

WORDS INTO ART. (top right) Humanities classes display their classwork in the hallway.

DESIGN BY JOYCE NG

FEBRUARY 7, 2019 | THE LION’S TALE | FEATURES | 9

FAST FIVE TV Production

“I do TV because its something in sports that I thought could really prepare me for college."

-Senior Patrick O’Donnell

Early Childhood

“I take Early Childhood because this class is a great experience and a great way to work with children.”

-Junior Kelly Sheehan

DESIGN BY ABBEY LANDWEHR

The top five electives, by registration

Automotive Maintenance

“I do auto to learn how to work on my car and take car of it on my own.”

-Sophomore Kamron Barnet

Virtual Lab “I take virtual because it’s easier than normal classes and because I can get it done faster.”

-Senior Jacob Bierley

Biotechnology

“I take it to get the pharmaceutical degree that you get when I complete all four years.”

-Senior Gabe Alvarado

PHOTOS COURTESY FROM BRYN GARICK

10 | FEATURES | THE LION’S TALE | FEBRUARY 7, 2019

INFLUENZA TAKEOVER Illness forces decision between health, school STORY BY VANI THUPILI The influenza virus is a seasonal sickness that turns schools into an area filled with stuffy noses and sore throats.

“The flu is spread through contact with others that have had it and it can spread from germs in the air when people cough or sneeze,” said junior Emma Bruinsma.

The common symptoms of the flu are fever, aching muscles, dry cough, nasal congestion and sore throat according to Mayo Clinic.

“I had all the common flu-like symptoms,” said senior Connor Cleveland. “I was in quarantine because I couldn’t leave with the flu, and the doctor had to give me a mask so I wouldn’t get everyone else sick.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the flu season is identifiable by the peak in flu cases, usually during the cold part of the year, lasting from October to February.

AP English Language teacher Kate Kammeraad said she would have four to five students out each day due to the flu. She tried to minimize the spreading of the flu between her students by keeping desks, supplies and door handles sanitized as much as possible.

The school has a health service manual that provides protocol for communicable diseases.

“If we have a student come into the clinic with flu like symptoms we check their temperature,” said clinic nurse Rebecca Redfield. “If it is 100 degrees or more it is an automatic send home.”

The flu starts to spread a lot quicker after winter break, due to weakened immune systems from the cold and multitude of different germs encountered in winter break traveling.

“Basically I was feeling like I was down and out, confined to my bed for over a day,” Cleveland said.

Flu Statistics 2018-2019

People tend to miss school when they have the flu to take the time to rest and recover.

“Someone with the flu shouldn’t come to school,” said sophomore Kathyraine Coghill. “Stay home, that way it doesn’t spread even more. ” There are various opinions about coming to school with the flu. Some think it is best to keep up with the coursework while others believe the right thing is staying at home to prevent spreading the disease.

“If you have the flu you must stay home,” Kammeraad said. “Your body needs you to sleep and stay hydrated.

Plus, a sick student is not a productive student, so it’s essentially a wasted experience for the sick person.”

One of the worst parts about being out sick, for many students, is the making up for all the important work. “eCampus is always a big help and my teachers were very good about having everything on there,” Bruinsma said. “I had a good amount of work that I need to do and a couple of tests that I had to make up, which I still have to do two weeks later.”

Extra time has to be spent learning the material missed during the leave, according to Cleveland.

“I did have to spend sometime over the weekend, making up some homework assignments and various other things,” Cleveland said. “But the makeup work wasn’t so bad because I was mostly ahead in most of my classes.”

According to WebMD, the best thing a student, teacher or parent can do is stay at home if they have flu like symptoms and get it treated by a doctor to get the best recovery possible.

“We encourage all students and staff to stay at home if they are sick,” Redfield said.

Kammeraad said students should stay home, too.

“We will all thank you for not spreading the virus,” Kammeraad said.

Headache Sore Throat Fatigue

Fl sympt 118,000 to 141,000

flu hospitalizations

INFOCOURTESYCDC.GOV

DESIGN BY TESSA KOWALSKI

FEBRUARY 7, 2019 | THE LION’S TALE | FEATURES | 11

VACCINATION BATTLE Decision to vaccinate due to personal beliefs

Runny Nose Coughing Vomiting

lu toms

STORY BY SAADHANA SRIDHARAN More than a decade after it ravaged the world, the influenza virus was first identified in 1933. The first vaccine for influenza was developed just five years after its discovery, and was heralded as a miracle.

In 2019, the influenza virus--more commonly known as the flu--isn’t regarded quite as severely as it once was. In fact, the flu has become common enough to warrant its own season. With flu season comes a slew of different flu vaccines, which are designed to prevent pandemics like the one in 1918.

“There are several versions of the flu vaccine,” said Bioscience 3 teacher Kathy Savage. “Often your choice is determined by availability. However, the CDC has stated that none of the vaccines have been determined, at this point, to be better than the other.”

Despite the plethora of variants, the basic process of how a flu vaccine works remains the same.

“A flu shot presents a small amount of the flu virus into the body so that the immune system can create antibodies,” said junior Elise Compton. “If in future events, the body is exposed to the virus again, the immune system is better able to fight against it because of the antibodies.”

However, many people have different beliefs about flu shots and the mechanisms behind how they work.

“The flu shot doesn’t make you immune to the flu, it’s just that if you do catch it, your immune system is better equipped to fight the flu off,” said junior Wesley Lim. Senior Ruth Tufts recalls learning that doctors insert bacteriophages into flu shots from her science classes.

Many students cite science classes as helping them understand the process behind flu illness.

“Personally, having a biology education helps me really understand what the flu shot is doing,” said sophomore Eshan Ramesh. “It makes me a little bit more excited to get the flu shot as well.”

Vaccination Choices

Students and teachers alike choose whether or not to get vaccinated for the flu every year around flu season.

The decisions they make are informed by the education they have received and beliefs they hold.

“I got a flu shot, because not only is it dangerous to

myself and could take many weeks off my school if I get sick, but I could also infect family members and friends who I come in contact with, and cause them to lose time from school, and undergo a lot of suffering,” Ramesh said.

Savage agrees.

“It is important to note that your decision can impact other people, both on an individual basis and on a societal-think of missed work productivity--basis.”

However, some do not feel the shot is necessary.

“I chose not to get a flu shot because of the risk of getting sick after,” Compton said. “When I was much younger, I received the flu shot, but once I got older, I didn’t feel as though I needed it as much because my immune system was stronger.”

Support from her mom--who is a nurse--also informed Compton, as she feels she can take care of her body without putting the flu virus into it.

Lim’s parents also influenced his decision.

“My mom had this belief that vaccinating too often led to the weakening of the immune system,” Lim said.

For Ramesh, who chooses to get the vaccine, it is a family choice.

“My family tends to make it a point to get the flu shot every year,” Ramesh said.

School Impact

Those who did get vaccinated had many options to choose from, including the school.

“The county operates the flu shot program, and it’s been running for years,” said principal Joe Trybus.

The program has helped up to ten percent of Oviedo High School’s student population get vaccinated. It has been offered to both students and teachers.

“I and most of the other teachers usually get my flu shot through the school,” Demins said. “It has a positive impact on insurance premiums, especially if we get it through the school.”

This incentivization has led to a much higher rate of teacher flu vaccinations than student vaccinations; however, the choice is ultimately up to the individual.

“If I tell someone else I got a flu shot, they’re not gonna automatically change their minds and]get a flu shot, and vice versa,” Tufts said. “It really is a personal choice.”

10.1 million to 11.7 million flu illnesses

4.7 million to 5.6 million flu medical visits

12 | FEATURES | THE LION’S TALE | FEBRUARY 7, 2019

Murals around town promote joy, positivity STORY BY JOYCE NG From old town country to trendy hipster vibes, Oviedo’s reputation has been painted over. Even though the businesses may have always been there, the brightly colored paintings have brought new attention to their locations. Classic local businesses such as The Orange Door and The Pet Bow-tique have both adopted new murals.

Bow-tique’s Abstract Dogs

Orlando local muralist Joe Starkweather painted two abstract dog portraits, “Abstract Dog Murals in Oviedo, FL,” for The Pet Bow-tique, an Oviedo pet-boarding and pet-sitting center on Central Avenue.

“Each dog took about 12 hours,” Starkweather said.

Starkweather said his experience completing the mural from start to finish was only partially planned.

“I had a general sketch for the dog when I started each mural but the majority of the work I made up on the spot,” Starkweather said. “I think things worked out very well.”

Starkweather has been a artist since the age of three and spent some of his time as a teenager and young adult as a graffiti artist. Now, he has evolved into a full-time muralist.

The community’s response for the dog murals has been positive.

“It’s there for me to enjoy instead of just looking at a blank wall,” said senior Lauren Puig.

Starkweather was pleasantly surprised by the mural’s supportive compliments.

“I actually haven’t seen one negative comment!” Starkweather said. “That’s rare because people often have very strong opinions on art: either they really like a piece or they really don’t, most of the time.”

Despite the ambiguity of art and its subjective nature, Starkweather said he always learns from each work of art.

“There are aspects to every mural that I love and also parts I may learn from, or maybe would have changed,” Starkweather said. “As long as the client is happy, that’s what matters the most.”

Orange Door’s Wings

Oviedo local Caryn Dahm, a watercolor painter and member of the Oviedo Public Art Board, painted the angel wings on the side of The Orange Door Gift Boutique.

Kerry Kisinger, the owner of The Orange Door, likes to support local artists.

Although Dahm is not a muralist, she wanted to take on the project.

“I took the wing project on because I wanted to be a part of something special for our city,” Dahm said.

Yet, Dahm said that public art takes courage.

“Making art is an extremely vulnerable process, so it is important to develop that delicate balance of receiving constructive criticism but also not needing everyone ‘s approval,” Dahm said.

With each city having their own iconic pair of wings, Dahm got her inspiration and

COURTESY OF CARYN DAHM

PAINTING THE WINGS. Caryn Dahm paints the mural of wings on the side of the Orange Door. set to work.

“I had seen wings in other cities while working at art shows, so when Kisinger asked me to create wings for Oviedo, I was thrilled,” Dahm said. “Kerry and I worked together on the shape and style of the wings. It was a very collaborative process.”

Dahm spent four days actually painting the mural.

“The mural that I created is called, ‘The Oviedo Wings,’” Dahm said.

The wings hit close to home for Dahm as a local artist. She said she loves living in Oviedo, and painting watercolor scenes around town has long been a joy for her.

“Oviedo has many public spaces that lend themselves to unique artwork,” Dahm said. “I’ve painted Pappy’s Patch, the old fire station, the old Townhouse restaurant, the sod farms and the farmer’s market, to name a few.”

With her new, public work on “The Oviedo Wings,” Dahm has impacted the community.

“The murals are a gift to the community, uplifting spirits and showing that art is something everyone can enjoy,” said Puig.

The community has enjoyed and shared photos of “The Oviedo Wings.”

“I’ve seen everything from dancers holding a ballet pose to kids on shoulders, to families using them to celebrate the life of a love one who has passed away,” Dahm said.

As a parent, Dahm sees the wings as a special gift to the city.

“I’m raising three children in Oviedo, so this city is near and dear to my heart,” Dahm said. “To be a part of creating a little hometown landmark was very special.”

Dahm hopes it leaves a lasting impression.

“For me, art is less about self-expression and more about refreshing and inspiring others,” Dahm said.

Seniors face impact of standardized tests STORY BY TESSA KOWALSKI Juniors and seniors constantly face the responsibility of studying and preparing for the SAT and ACT exams.

Passing these tests determines the future for many students. It determines what college they go to or if they even go to college. It determines which scholarships they can qualify for.

According to junior Jaden Herbet, she is more focused on the math portion of the SAT, since her English score is normally higher.

“I’ve taken the SAT before and I’m trying to improve,” Herbet said. “I’m not happy with my score and I’m just trying to get a higher score, but I’m not sure on how much I want to improve by.”

According to AP Language teacher Shayna Hron, who has been teaching SAT/ACT prep for seven years, certain types of students will do better on certain tests.

“If you’re really good at English classes you’re going to do better on ACT,” Hron said. “The biggest difference between the two tests is the SAT is more general-knowledge based and ACT is really all about problem solving. A student with a 3.9 GPA and above typically scores better on the SAT. My A/B average students will always score higher on the ACT and get about the same score.”

Junior Alexandra Fil has taken the SAT previously, but she is prepping for both the SAT and ACT. “I was pretty happy with my SAT score for the first time but I am trying to improve by at least 50 points,” Fil said.

“The first time I took it, I got a 1250.”

Senior Elise Coleman took the SAT when it was offered to juniors and seniors at school. Afterward, her tutoring sessions were then catered towards her needs.

“My focus for tutoring was working on questions in math that seem tricky but, in reality, there is usually a pretty simple way to solve all the problems,” Coleman said. “And in the reading section, my goal is to remain focused even if

that story is really boring.”

There is a plethora of ways for students to prepare for these standardized tests, from studying online with Khan Academy to group sessions to individual sessions.

“I took a class during the summer and it was a big group with two teachers,” Herbet said. “I do use online Khan Academy for extra help.”

Fil also uses Khan Academy for extra practice, but she also does a smaller group session with her sister and one other person.

“I’m doing tutoring because I feel like sitting down and working the problems out is going to help me get better prepared, versus just me doing practice questions by myself,” Fil said. “Plus I’m less motivated to do it by myself.”

Herbet did a tutoring session over the summer with her brother.

“I don’t think that the tutoring helped as much as I wanted it to, since it was over the summer,” Herbet said. “I feel like I could’ve done better.”

After practicing, Coleman improved her score by 160 points. Her initial score was a 1260 and her last score was a 1390.

“I chose to do tutoring because I wanted my score to go up significantly for colleges,” Coleman said. “If I could have done anything differently, I would have taken both the SAT and the ACT to see how different they are and which one I’m better at.”

According to Hron, the kids that she tutors goes up at least 100 points on the SAT. “I’ve had three students in the past three months have gotten a 250 bump if not more,” Hron said. “A lot of schools give you that academic scholarship and that’s my game. I want my kids to have the school pay them to go to college.”

The more personalized the tutoring, the more expensive sessions can become.

“I don’t know the exact price per session, but it was around $1595 for nine weeks of tutoring,” Coleman said.

AVERAGE SCORES OF ADMISSIONS IN 2017

SAT: 1320 ACT: 28 SAT: 1260 ACT: 28 SAT: 1364 ACT: 30 SAT: 1300 ACT: 29 SAT: 1140 ACT: 23 INFOCOURTESYPREPSCHOLAR.COM

DESIGN BY BRYN GARICK

FEBRUARY 7, 2019 | THE LION’S TALE | FEATURES | 13

Mid-year transfers search for friends

school where something was already taught or where the information being taught is completely different from what was taught at their previous school.

“At my old school, we were sort of ahead studying in the books and here we are sort of behind, so I am learning stuff I already learned,” Adkinson said.

Not only is it a struggle for the students in the classes, but it is also a struggle for the teachers teaching the courses. They must try to figure out what the student has already learned at their previous school.

“Sometimes, just because you don’t know what they have learned at the other school, what depth of knowledge they have, what topics they went in detail into and what topics were just kind of passed over, there is so much information to figure out,” said geography teacher Ryan Hennessy. “Ideally, we are all supposed to be on the same topic at the same time and cover the same material, but every teacher has different passions.”

Although it is a struggle for teachers to figure out what the student has previously learned, they try to welcome the student welome to the Lion family.

“I have had a couple of students who came in mid-way through the second quarter and I definitely have made an effort to sit them next to the more outgoing or friendly people, just so they get an extra warm welcome,” Hennessy said.

HOW TO: Adjust to a New School Know your new schedule

Introduce yourself to

students and teachers

What’s YOUR Comfort Food?

Grilled Cheese Freshman Ryan Register

Wait, what??

STORY BY ABBIE WYDRA Starting at a new school is scary, intimidating and a very overwhelming experience.

Most students experience this in the transition from middle school to high school. However, some students have to face these overwhelming fears halfway through the school year.

Some students move because they are in a military family or their parents get a new job that causes the family to move.

Some parents search for a school that can provide their student more opportunities before college, or the family realizes the school their child would be attending as a high schooler isn’t the right fit.

“I realized that place wasn’t good for me for as a high school,” said freshman Hannah Zevos. “The school was very much like you have to think a certain way and do things a certain way.”

Public school itself can be a change for a student, especially if the student came from a private school or a school out of state.

“I like the freedom of it all,” Zevos said.

“Coming from a private school, it was very strict, and if you didn’t do things a certain way it all fell apart.”

One of the biggest struggles of moving to a new school is finding a new group of friends to hang out with and navigating the

completely different social aspects of a new school.

“I have not found a good group of friends that I can really trust and be with all the time,” said freshman Walker Adkinson.

“I have found friends, but I’m not sure if they are like true friends or not.”

Some students go into the whole experience with a positive attitude and know that the process of making friends and adjusting to everything new takes time --nothing will happen overnight.

“I know it is a process and I’m sure it will happen soon, and I’m sure by the end of February everything will be completely different,” Zevos said. “Like I know that for sure.”

When a student transfers to a new school they interact with new people in a new and unknown environment.

One of the hardest parts about leaving a school behind is leaving behind your friends and teachers, according to Zevos.

“I think the hardest thing about leaving is all the people there,” Zevos said. “They were very welcoming there; it was a small community, so everybody knew each other and I was kind of like a family with those people, so it was a little hard transitioning from them.”

One of the biggest struggles students who transfer face is the information that is being taught in the classroom.

The student may have come from a

Ice Cream Sophomore Davis Kruse

Bacon Sophomore Sean Mings

Sushi

Purchase all supplies and books

Join sports teams and clubs

Junior Lucia Orindas

Pizza Teacher Amanda Dickson

DESIGN BY PATRICK COSTELLO

ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA BLOOM

Now Go Study

Reviewed

14 | ENTERTAINMENT | THE LION’S TALE | FEBRUARY 7, 2019

The Upside Movie

Hamilton: An American Musical

STORY BY ABBIE WYDRA The Upside is a touching film based on a true story about how two men become best friends even though they come from completely different lifestyles.

Although Kevin Hart is known for his comedy roles in movies, he does a phenomenal job in this film as he takes on a more serious role.

I personally give this movie 4 out of 5 stars because it was very well done and had great actors. However, the movie was, for me, a little long and got boring every once in a while. But everything ties together to make up the big picture.

The Good Place TV Show

STORY BY NEVADA CULLEN Holy forkin’ shirtballs, this show definitely deserves five stars. The Good Place tackles the question of what makes someone a good person by teaching the viewer about ethics. It also provides plenty of comedy, replacing expletives with words such as “fork” or “shirt,” along with references to Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, Manny Jacinto and D’Arcy Carden unite to form an electrifying cast. There are many reasons to be excited for season four, which is set to air in the fall of 2019 and brighten your day.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

TV Show

STORY SAADHANA SRIDHARAN Chances are, you’ve already heard of this show. After all, it won three Golden Globes and four Emmys, and it seems like everyone and their mom is talking about it. So why read this review? Why even write this?

It deserves another review. It’s that good.

The second season--which premiered on Dec. 5--deals with Midge and her

PHOTO BY OWEN FRANCIS STORY BY VANI THUPILI Since the Aug. 2015, the Hamilton Broadway show has been transporting listeners and viewers to the times of the Revolutionary War on young Hamilton’s journey to rise up with his new nation.

The original cast of Hamilton has since moved on to perform in various other shows on Broadway, the expectations for the newer casts remain high.

The moment the curtains rose, the auditorium was filled with the beat of revolution that had the audience captivated throughout the musical.

Act One begins with young Hamilton’s disadvantageous beginnings and the journey to America. The formation of the Sons of Liberty introduces many of the characters that are present during the

show, such as Lafayette and Lawrence.

Hamilton’s lifelong rivalry with Aaron Burr is also established at the beginning of the musical, stirring up political tension. The dangerous uprising is accompanied by sudden lights and creative choreography that transform the stage into the Revolutionary War. The first act ends with the song “NonStop,” a combination of all the spotlight pieces performed on stage, bridging the events of the first act to the second.

Act Two engages the audience with spectacular musical pieces to follow along with the conflicts that arise with building a new nation. The arrival of Thomas Jefferson adds humor to the musical with sarcastic debate in the “Cabinet Battles.”

Conflict is the main theme present in the second act, conflict between Hamilton and

other members of Congress, Hamilton and his responsibilities and finally, Hamilton and himself.

As the act progresses on, it takes a dark twist towards the darker times of Hamilton’s life and his internal struggle with being “Satisfied.” The darker songs are depicted with darker colored lights and spotlights on individual characters as they describe to the audience their inner conflict.

The show ends with a moving song, performed by Eliza Hamilton, his wife, leaving the audience with Hamilton’s lasting legacy.

All in all, the standard held by the original cast was continued by the newer cast, as the audience will leave the theatre with their hearts in their hands and tears on their face.

agent Susie’s conflicts with finding new recognition as rising stars in the New York comedy business.

As Midge tries to find a balance between her once-perfect family life and her bold, charismatic stage life, her family also begins to explore the possibilities outside their perfect lives.

As they traipse to Paris and the Catskills, secrets are revealed, leading to an entirely uncertain season finale for all the characters.

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is a period piece that does a remarkably good job at making you feel like you’re in

New York City in the 1950s. The costumes, hairstyles and overall set design have a touch of whimsy that is often missing from other shows.

The show generally presents the most aesthetically pleasing aspects of society to viewers: from lavish Upper East Side apartments to Parisian cafes to high-ceilinged boutique department stores.

It reminds one of the general orderly beauty often associated with Victorian society; after all, Mrs. Maisel--or Midge--herself is from a upperclass upbringing.

Yet the show shifts in its second season to offer peeks beyond the idyllic Victorian housewife lifestyle Midge is

used to. From raucous comedy clubs, to cramped French hostels, Midge is transported to another world, a world where not everything is movie-perfect.

Hence, Midge’s innocent and carefree existence is challenged when she is left a single mother, with no choice but to leap into a field she never thought she would fit in: comedy.

The stark contrast of these two worlds is shown in a light that doesn’t glorify; the worlds are shown honestly.

One might now be tempted to wonder: Has Amazon finally figured out how to make good TV shows?

Well, if anythings proof of an affirmative answer, it’s this show.

“Thank you, and good night.”

DESIGN BY ABBIE WYDRA

One-Page Low-Down

FEBRUARY 7, 2019 | THE LION’S TALE | ENTERTAINMENT | 15

App Review: Reflectly STORY BY C.YORK & A.LANDWEHR

Reflectly is a journal / diary app made for selfcare.

I think that this app is a really simple idea yet so effective for so many people in different ways.

You can write about your day, how you’re feeling, basically anything you feel the need to get off of your chest.

I think that I will personally use this app just to write down whatever happened that specific day.

You can rate your day, post stories and favorite ones you want to look back at, etc.

I used to have a gratitude journal, but I don’t think it was as effective as an app would be, considering I have my phone on me at all times, and the journal I only have lying in my room.

I would definitely recommend this app to anyone who is willing to give writing a try.

Reflectly is a helpful app that can be used for people who have memory problems, or who have no one to talk to, to get things off their chest.

I have therapy every two weeks and I have problems remembering everything that has happened due to my ADHD. This app is easy to use and can help track the good and bad days which is important information for a therapist to know. This app is a good tool for anybody who can spend $35.99 annually.

Album Review: A Night at the Opera STORY BY LINDSEY SIMPSON As someone who tends to be fond of older, more retro things, music comes as no exception of that fondness.

I usually find myself unable to keep up with the people in my own generation for my ear buds are taking me back to the 80s, when I believe one of the best bands to ever exist, Queen, made multiple hits and created so many original songs that everyone knows today.

They had so many hits and so many albums, but they saved their best for last in their very last album, A Night at the Opera.

Freddie Mercury, lead singer and absolute rock legend, wanted to create songs that held a bit of Operaesque to them; thus leading to Queen’s number one hit “Bohemian Rhapsody” which came from this album. This

song, as well as “Love of my Life” from this album, were both featured in the recent movie made about Freddie Mercury and Queen, appropriately titled Bohemian Rhapsody.

This album was so amazing that, in 2018, it was added into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Every song in this album let the audience know how Freddie was feeling, since he was diagnosed with HIV at the time, a time when there was no cure or

reliable treatment.

This was his last album, the last thing that he could do to leave his incredible legacy behind; and that emotion, that absolute and overpowering emotion, is impossible to miss in his lyrics and his voice, which has a four octave range thanks to his teeth.

This album contains his number-one hit that everyone knows today: “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which was even played as the opening song for Queen’s performance of the Live Aid concert in 1985. It was the last time Queen ever performed live.

It’s long and there’s words that don’t even make sense, but it’s able to bring out raw emotion unlike any other. I’ve grown up with this song blasting through my dad’s speakers, jamming out to the music that is always able to bring me back to a good time.

Local Review: Arcade Monsters

DESIGN BY ABBIE WYDRA

soft drinks, chips and candies.

The price for a unlimited day of play is $12.99 and you can pay $7.99 for one hour of play earlier in the day. If you love this place, you can get a monthly membership at $60.

I recommend this arcade to people who grew up in the 80s and people who love Pacman.

I rate this arcade at 3 out of 5 stars-it’s cool if that’s what you like.

INTERVIEWED BY OWEN FRANCIS

Actor

Freshman Christopher Skelly Q: Who Is your biggest mentor?

Christopher: Mrs. Nora, my director at The Stage, which is where I act. I have loved having her as a teacher and I have done so many shows with her.

Q: How long ago did you start acting?

Christopher: I started acting around eight years ago after seeing my sister act.

Q: What was the best role of a character you have ever played?

Christopher: I played the baker in the show Into the Woods.

Q: Do you think this has had a personal effect on you?

Christopher: Yes, it has made me feel more confident when I am talking to others.

Q: Do you feel very confident when you talk about you acting pursuit?

Christopher: Yes, I do because I feel very confident in my abilities and I don’t care about any of their negativity.

Q: How did you get into acting?

Christopher: My sister was acting at a place called The Stage.

When I went to one of her shows I was astounded and immediately fell in love with it. So I started acting and I am still doing it now.

Q: Do you plan on acting later in your life?

Christopher: Yes, I have been acting for eight years and I am not planning on giving it up anytime soon.

PHOTO BY OWEN FRANCIS

Up and Coming Event PHOTO BY OWEN FRANCIS

STORY BY OWEN FRANCIS Arcade Monsters is like a retro arcade. Personally, I’m not into retro games.

However, there are loads of pinball games and there was also a second floor with virtual reality sets. Plus,they have two projectors playing games like Fortnite and Mario Kart.

There were loads of people all having fun, even though there isn’t really anything that makes this arcade different from others, compared to how District Eat and Play has escape rooms and bowling.

Arcade Monsters really just has lots of games and some black lights.

They sell some basic snacks, mostly

SOUL OF AN ARTIST

A Family Style Celebration of Black History with music & cultural presentations, a walk through Africa through art, step show, and fashion show When: February 17, 2019 2pm-6pm Celebrate Black History Month this February with a dynamic showcase of the Art, Culture and Business Community.

Where: Orlando Fashion Square Mall, Price: Free!

FEBRUARY 7, 2019 | THE LION’S TALE | SPORTS | 17

Athletes take advantage of playing multiple sports PHOTOS COURTESY TEAMS STORY BY N. CULLEN & V. THUPILI In high school, balancing school and extracurricular activities can often prove to be a challenge for teenagers.

Student-athletes have to find a way to complete their homework while having up to five practices or games a week.

Certain students even participate in multiple sports at the high school level.

Despite the increased workload, these athletes often see improvement in the classroom.

“It really helped me with my time management so I can keep things in perspective,” said senior Connor Cleveland.

“I can make sure my school work gets done after practice and ensure that I keep up my grades during the seasons.”

Cleveland has played basketball for most of his life, and tried out for track after his mother suggested it. He does shot put, which calls for lifting weights in order to gain strength, while basketball players focus on increasing stamina by running a lot to stay in shape.

“Shot put requires a lot of strength and I can’t really do a similar workout to keep me in shape for both sports because it messes with my skill for the sport,” Cleveland said. “So it kept me in shape in the regards that I was athletic enough and I had to do some weight training, but as soon as track season starts I have to really get into weight training and not do as much cardio.”

This is a benefit of participating in multiple sports. By playing different sports, student athletes constantly are exercising different muscle groups, leading to an overall increase in muscle health.

According to USA Today, participation in multiple sports can limit overuse injuries usually found in athletes who play the same sport year round.

“You work all your muscles in your body,” said junior

DESIGN BY VANI THUPILI

TWO SPORT ATHLETE. Junior Ximena Rosasco plays varsity girls’ basketball (above) and lacrosse (right). Girls’ basketball is a winter sport and lacrosse is a spring sport, leading to some overlap of practices.

Ximena Rosasco. “You get more friends, you enjoy high school better and you stay in shape all year.”

Rosasco plays both basketball and lacrosse. She also trains differently for her two sports, which vary greatly.

“Basketball is indoor and lacrosse is outdoor,” Rosasco said. “In lacrosse you run long distances, mostly, and a few short distances, while basketball is mostly sprints.

For basketball you condition more in sprints, and lacrosse more long distance to have endurance.”

Rosasco is part of an even more exclusive group of student-athletes whose sports’ seasons overlap. As basketball season ends, lacrosse is already beginning, but she works hard to participate in both.

“When basketball practice gets cut short or we don’t have practice that day, I go practice with lacrosse,” Rosasco said. “But usually since basketball season is near the end of the season and coming up towards districts, I need to practice more with them. Once the basketball season

ends, I will go to practice with lacrosse.”

One factor in athletes choosing an additional sport to play is the similarities between the two sports in the way that they are played. This is one of the reasons that Rosasco chose to participate in lacrosse.

“I have played basketball for so long, I wanted try something different,” Rosasco said. “I started lacrosse because they are similar and use the same techniques.”

There is one last reason why some athletes choose to play multiple sports, aside from the physical aspects: they enjoy the camaraderie. Playing multiple sports results in being a part of more than one team.

“I’ve been playing basketball for most of my life and I’ve just really enjoyed it and I love being a part of the team.”

Cleveland said.

18 | SPORTS | THE LION’S TALE | FEBRUARY 7, 2019

reporter

CONOR DUNCAN

Safety improved but not good enough yet

Over the past ten years, the culture of collegiate sports has changed tremendously.

Ten years ago, the life of a college athlete was frustrating, to say the least.

In 2010, for example, Denard Robinson of the Michigan Wolverines took over as the starting QB. Instantly, merchandise was started filling shelves of local shops and online stores. He never saw a penny of it.

Furthermore, he had to pose for the cover of “NCAA 11” because the Michigan Athletic department vouched to have him on the cover. He had no say in the matter and also never saw a penny of it.

Robinson is merely one example of a great injustice that the NCAA was imposing on their student athletes.

On top of that, safety regulations were much more relaxed than they are now. Players would play through concussions and many other serious injuries without question.

This all changed ahead of the 2013 season.

The NCAA came out and decided that they were going ban merchandise sales using the image or name of any player currently playing within the NCAA. They also introduced the “helmet to helmet’ rule, which basically meant any player who lays a hit to another player’s head using their head would immediately be ejected from the game, and the victim of a the hit would be benched so that they could go through concussion protocol.

All of this was good news, because it made it easier for student athletes to focus on the sport that they played without having to worry about any of those outside distractions.

Though safety regulations have gotten more strict, it still doesn’t solve the problem. Last year, the NFL selected 300 ex-NFL players to take brain scans. The results of that test were shocking. 299 of the 300 players tested showed signs of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a neurological condition developed through repeated head trauma.

So what does this mean?

While the rules and regulations of sports are getting stricter, measures still need to be taken in order to ensure players’ safety and well-being.

THE BLITZ Here at Oviedo, all athletes have to take a concussion protocol test and show proof of completion before they practice or compete.

NATIONALLY RANKED. The Oviedo girls’ volleyball team is recognized in the MaxPreps Tour of Champions at the RWL gym on Feb. 1.

ATHLETIC SUCCESS Fall sports teams, athletes rake in awards PHOTO BY OVIEDO VOLLEYBALL

STORY BY NEVADA CULLEN This school year has brought much success for Oviedo’s sports teams with winning three state championships in the fall. The school has received significant recognition for its athletic prowess.

The MaxPreps Fall Cup recognized Oviedo as the third best school in the nation for high school fall sports. State titles in boys’ bowling, boys’ swimming and girls’ volleyball, along with a state runner-up in girls’ swimming, led to the acknowledgment.

Athletic director Jennifer Darty was honored to receive the recognition.

“I think it’s a huge testament to how hard our student-athletes work in the classroom and on the court or field,” Darty said. “Our coaches ensure that they’re getting the most out our student athletes.”

This overall award was not the only achievement acquired by Oviedo through MaxPreps. Oviedo’s girls’ volleyball team was selected for the MaxPreps National Tour of Champions. Only ten of the highestranked volleyball teams are a part of the tour, and Oviedo stands at number eight in the nation.

MaxPreps paid a visit to Oviedo on Friday, Feb. 1, as part of an organized pep

rally. A speech was given in honor of the team as they posed for pictures with the plaque presented to them.

“It meant the world to us,” said senior Savannah Vach. “It was the best experience to win states this year and, to top it off, receiving national recognition for all the hard work we put in was icing on the cake.”

Along with the recognition of Oviedo’s fall sports teams, some of its studentathletes have acquired many awards for their individual effort. Vach was named Gatorade’s Florida High School Volleyball Player of the Year, Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Volleyball award and an Under Armour all-American, but none of those are her proudest accomplishment.

“I am most proud of the Prep Volleyball National Player of the Year Award because it is a National Award,” Vach said. “It is amazing to think that an association that has watched and analyzed volleyball for so long picked me out of all the amazing athletes in the country for this honor.”

Junior Abigail Gibbons is another Oviedo athlete that obtained many achievements in the fall. In addition to being named the Orlando Sentinel Girls’ Swimmer of the Year and an All-American, she was selected to go to the National Select Camp for swimming. The camp

allows the highest-ranked swimmers to go to the Olympic Training Center and spend four days learning what it would be like to be an elite athlete at the next level.

“So few people get the opportunity to go and meet the kids that will be on the Olympic and national teams and you’re going to see them on TV,” Gibbons said.

“There’s definitely some people in that you’re going to see again. They’re going to be great and famous kids. It’s an amazing achievement to be one of those kids and realize that you’re actually up there.”

Teams and individual athletes alike thrived in the fall, building the reputation of the Oviedo athletics program. With winter sports in full swing and spring sports gearing up for their seasons, there are more opportunities for Oviedo to win titles.

Girls’ soccer and basketball, as well as boys’ basketball, are all in the playoffs.

“I’m excited to see what winter and spring sports are going to do,” Darty said.

“Obviously the winter sports are getting close to the district and state tournaments.

They’ve already had very successful regular seasons, so it will be interesting to see how all that plays out into the ranking.

As spring start up, I know we’ve got some bright futures ahead of us there as well.”

DESIGN BY NEVADA CULLEN

FEBRUARY 7, 2019 | THE LION’S TALE | SPORTS | 19

ROARBOARD

For more, head to

OviedoJournalism.com

Football upsets water polo in the pool PHOTO BY PATRICK COSTELLO STORY BY PATRICK COSTELLO

FISH OUT OF WATER. The Oviedo football team takes on the Oviedo water polo team at the Oviedo Aquatic Center on Feb. 1.

SPORTS IN REVIEW: A PHOTO FINISH

SPRINTING FOR GOLD. Freshman Kristian Galloway during his 1600 race at Hagerty High School.

ALL INK’D UP. Senior Santiago DeStafano signs a letter of commitment to West Virginia Wesleyan for Swimming.

BALL CONTROL. Sophomore Brijae Trevino dribbles the ball up court on senior night.

PHOTOS BY: CONOR DUNCAN, HANNAH MCKERNAN DESIGN BY: CONOR DUNCAN

Oviedo’s boys’ and girls’ water polo teams faced off vs. the football team in an exhibition water polo match at the Oviedo Aquatic Center on the evening of Friday, Feb. 1st.

The event was created as a fundraiser to cover the cost of future tournaments for the water polo teams.

The match was played with standard water polo rules, except a handicap was imposed on the water polo squad--each score counted as three goals for the football team instead of one--in order to level the playing field.

The football team was also aided by having a couple of experienced water polo players and swimmers on their side.

The handicap was not applied on goals by these players.

Some of the football players struggled to adapt to the unfamiliar sport early on.

Their squad was penalized several times for rules violations such as holding the ball with two hands on offense, which only the

goalkeeper is allowed to do. Some of the players were also called for failing to keep their heads and the ball above water at all times.

The score remained close throughout the early minutes of the match, with each team failing to gain momentum on offense or a strong lead.

As the match progressed into its later stages, the football team built a solid advantage on the scoreboard behind the play of Josiah Gonzalez, and was leading 14 to 9 entering the final quarter.

It was at this point that the water polo team, led by Conor Duncan and player of the game Matthew Camp, capitalized on several scoring chances and rallied to cut the deficit to one with just a minute remaining. Despite sending the whole team into the field of play in the final seconds, the water polo squad was unable to score the tying goal as their last-ditch shot at the buzzer was caught by their opponent’s goalkeeper.

The football team thus walked away with the narrow 15-14 win and campus bragging rights after a hard-fought and exciting match.

Star Athlete: Nicholas Borazzo INTERVIEWED BY CONOR DUNCAN Senior Nicholas Borazzo is heavy lifter for the boys’ varsity weightlifting team. Though it is his first season lifting competitively, his determination and love of the sport proves him to be a tenacious opponent.

Q: How long have you been weightlifting?

A: I picked up lifting my freshman year.

I didn’t do it competitively, but I would go to the gym basically all the time.

Q: What made you want to start lifting?

A: Arnold Shwartznegger. I’ve always been inspired by him and I’ve grown up with all his movies. One day I watched a documentary about his weightlifting career and I just knew that it was what I wanted to do.

Q: Is weightlifting the only sport you have participated in?

A: No, I swam for the Blue Dolfins swim club for the better part of a decade, and I varsitied in swim here all four years.

Q: Why did you stop swimming?

A: I just needed a new challenge. I’ve been swimming my whole life and just got tired of it. I saw an opportunity to trade swimming for weightlifting and I took it. Though I miss some of my friends, I haven’t looked back.

Q: What is your favorite part about weightlifting?

A: I love that every meet is a new challenge.

Weightlifting allows me to push my own limits in a way that I’ve never been able to before.

Q: What benefits do you bring to your team as a lifter?

A : I love to work hard. When I am in the weight room, pushing myself is the only thing on my mind. I try and encourage all of my teammates the best I can, too. I also try to learn as much as possible from the more seasoned members of the team.

MEME EVOLUTION

20 | FEATURES | THE LION’S TALE | FEBRUARY 7, 2019

From ‘Dancing Baby’ to ‘Big Chungus,’ memes represent cultural phenomena STORY BY SOPHIA BLOOM An image of an obese Bugs Bunny smiles smugly on the cover of a PlayStation 4 game. The picture itself doesn’t make much sense, but any Generation Z teenager will look at it, laugh and say, “Big Chungus.”

Big Chungus is one a recent meme.

Although there isn’t much to it, many find it hilarious, and it achieved widespread fame when it went viral in late Dec. 2018.

Some may question why people find Big Chungus funny. The answer to that question lies in the annals of the 1990s, when memes were first invented.

“The earliest meme that I remember is the ‘Peanut Butter Jelly Time’ banana,” said senior Angela Snell. “I remember the Nyan Cat and LolCats, those were some of the original memes back when that was popular.”

According to most online sources, the first Internet meme was a computergenerated animation of a baby dancing to Blue Suede’s cover of “Hooked on a Feeling.” People commonly forwarded the animation to friends through e-mails, just to give them a good laugh.

In the 90s and early 2000s, that’s what memes were--simple online content with unsophisticated humor, which purely existed for comedy.

“They changed around 2010, they had Ragecomics, which were really popular,” Snell said.

Ragecomics, a series depicting stories involving crudely-drawn characters with exaggerated facial expressions, dominated the internet as meme humor became more complex and gained storylines. They were no longer simply entertaining; they were also relatable.

“They became a bit more of a cultural phenomenon,” said senior James Tringali.

Tringali said that caption memes-images captioned with a joke at the bottom-

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PHOTOS BY GILLIAN LANDWEHR, KNOWYOURMEME.COM, ANIMALIALIFE.COM, STAYHIPP.COM, ANIMATIONWORLDNETWORK.COM, TRIPADVISOR.COM, TIMESUNION.COM, LIVEAUCTIONEERS.COM, THECUBICLEVIEWS.COM

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DESIGN BY GILLIAN LANDWEHR

PHOTOS FROM FRONT: (clockwise, from left to right, starting at top left) Freshman Elliott Siress (Thanos), senior John Speer (it is Wednesday, my dudes vine), junior Sophie Gill (Miley Cyrus), senior Justin Nazario (Big Chungus), senior Alyssa Simpson (Walmart Yodel Boy), senior KJ Hayes (Tyler, the Creator vine), freshman Abby Gunter (SpongeBob), AP Lang. teacher Shayna Hron (Del Taco vine).

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-first started out in small groups on the internet, then quickly dominated social media.

“Sharing memes is just another avenue of social interaction,” said senior Kevin Jarvis. “I would say that the benefits of sharing memes are as equally valuable as those given by social interaction, albeit different.”

As the decade progressed, the social aspect of meme sharing overtook the humorous elements.

“It’s like an inside joke and everyone is in on it,” Snell said.

Today, memes are less focused on telling a clever joke and more on surreal, yet simple, comedy.

“In many ways, it distorts one’s reality,” Tringali said. “They’re becoming more and more chaotic to appeal to shorter attention spans and it just needs to get wilder and crazier.”

In Jan. 2019, a new meme took the Internet by storm--a stock image of an egg, which quickly became the most-liked picture on Instagram, surpassing Kylie Jenner’s post announcing the birth of her child. There is no caption on the picture, nor is there anything particularly of note about the picture itself.

For Tringali, the simplicity and absurdity of modern memes reflects society’s political controversies and natural disasters, making surreal comedy a form of escapism for Millennials and Generation Z teenagers.

“Ironic humor is a big thing,” said sophomore Christina McGraw. “It’s funny because it’s not funny. It’s like sarcasm.”

Although there’s no telling which direction memes will head to next, McGraw believes that memes will continue to grow more absurd.

“I think that a lot of modern memes are so diverse and there’s a lot you can do with it, and people just find them funny,” McGraw said.

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