The Lion's Tale - Volume 51, Issue 6 by The Lion's Tale

LION’STALE OVIEDO HIGH SCHOOL • 601 KING STRE ET • OVI EDO, F L • A PRI L 15 , 20 11 • VOL U M E 5 1 • ISSUE 6

TIME TO

CRACK

OPEN YOUR PIGGY B ANK

Scholarships may dwindle as state cuts back page 5

features

Senior Tessa France creates jewelry for senior project. 13

diversions

3-D technology brought into games, television. 18

sports

Students spend free time fishing in saltwater, freshwater lakes. 25

( news sports ) HELP FOR THE

THE LION’S TALE

APRIL 15, 2011

Luncheon celebrates scholars

Drive falls short of goal

THE SCOOP

The Principal’s Luncheon was on March 29. It honored 259 of the honor roll students. The top ten graduating students for 2011 gave speeches to the underclassmen during the luncheon. A 4.0 or above GPA was required to attend the luncheon.

The blood drive ended with 563 units collected in total for this school year. The goal was set to collect 600 units. The number of units collected will go towards saving 1, 689 lives. 143 more units were collected than during the previous school year. The Central Florida Blood Bank wrote a letter to Superintendent Bill Vogul, acknowledging OHS’s performance in this year’s blood drive.

Lions cook by the book “Cooking with the Lions Pride” cookbooks are on sale now. They include 405 recipes from the chefs at Oviedo High School. The cost is $12. All order forms, cash, or checks need to be turned in to the administration office.

Principal OKs Quidditch team Principal Robert Lundquist approved the application for the new Quidditch team. The date for the official meeting has not been set yet. AP European History teacher Karlin Gasthoff will be the sponsor. The Quidditch team will consist of two teams with five players on each side. There will be three snitches, nerf balls, and brooms.

Newspaper wins award

The Lion’s Tale earned a Silver Crown given by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) on March 18 at Columbia University in New York. According to http://cspa.columbia.edu, crowns are the highest award given to a student print or online media for overall excellence.

photo/COURTESY OF CSPA

VICTORY. Sophomore Jake Smith, junior Zoe Lyon-Goldman, sophomore Arianna Ray, senior Carson Bailey, juniors Amanda Ferguson, Stephanie O’Sullivan, and newspaper advisor Deborah Jepson all accepted the award from Bruce Watterson at CSPA’s 87th annual Spring Scholastic Convention.

HOMELESS

Organizations aim to provide aid for the homeless

“Her adopted mom told me a lot about her past. I think that she’s tried to block out what reshman Amy Wicken* stares into the happened to her. I’m surprised by how far she’s food pantry in her kitchen, looking at the come from being homeless to now. I’m amazed. bountiful amount of food. Her minds drifts Her parents now are very supportive. I’m always and she remembers back to a time when she used there to support her, too. I’m more like a sister. to go to bed hungry, when she used to move When she gets lonely, I go over and talk with her. around from foster home to foster home. We go for walks and talk a lot on weekends,” “My birth parents were addicted to 13 Hart said. different drugs, including cocaine and tobacco, Father John Bluett of the St. Stephen Catholic and I knew what they were doing was wrong. Community founded Pathways to Home a year That’s why we were homeless,” Wicken said. and a half ago. According to Beth Davalos, coordinator “The program entails that a certified case for the Families in Transition (FIT) program in manager is assigned to each family, who stays Seminole County, 36 with the family to a students at Oviedo High stable setting. They In our county, there are 223 School are homeless. have to be working, “In our county, there saving money, and homeless high school students. are 223 homeless high complete a financial Beth Davalos school students. It’s counseling course. really underidentified. It’s not a handout, Students don’t like to share that they are homeless it’s a hand -up,” Fr. Bluett said. and don’t like to talk about it,” Davalos said. Fr. Bluett relies on the local schools to According to www.scps.k12.fl.us, students report cases of homelessness. are homeless if they “lack a fixed, regular and “The most rewarding part is helping these adequate residence; or have a primary nighttime innocent children get off the streets, out of residence that is temporary in nature; or is a motels, out of the woods, and putting place not designed or used ordinarily as a regular them in stable housing. A place to call sleeping accommodation for human beings.” home. To date, we have helped 70 Wicken experienced this when she was families, and 184 children. Sixty of younger. the adults have finished a financial “I was homeless for seven years, from when I education course. Forty-eight was born to seven years old. It was kind of scary, of the adults are working and because we were always moving to new places, generating an income, and new houses, and I was always enrolling in new 21 have a saving plan,” Fr. schools. It was difficult,” Wicken said. Bluett said. Davalos has noticed that moving around Davalos is proud of has lasting effects on children. Wicken has her organization, but experienced this. “It was kind of hard to adjust to a stable household. My birth parents used to leave me a lot, so I thought my adopted parents would leave Y me too. It took me a year or two to trust them,” RA A N Wicken said. N IA Wicken was adopted eight years ago. AR / n tio “It’s better now that I’ve been adopted. They tra s u are the only ones that care about me. I don’t have ill to to bounce around a lot anymore,” Wicken said. pho Wicken’s friend, sophomore Laura Hart*, knows stories from Wicken’s past that Wicken does not remember.

by Stephanie O’Sullivan

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admits that there is still more work to be done. “I measure success in identifying students and providing assistance. It’s a group effort; we strive to be better. As long as there is a homeless student out there, we need to keep working,” Davalos said. *names withheld

stepho@ thelionstale.com

APRIL 15, 2011

news

THE LION’S TALE 03

Legislature proposes cuts to schools by Arianna Ray

students next year. Last year, the school was he NJROTC room fills with sound as staffed for 2080 students. freshman Mackenzie Campbell laughs “As it stands right now, because we’re at one of her friends’ comments. She in a growing cycle, we’ll be able to fund our soon returns to working diligently on the task programs based on that. A little bit of attrition, assigned to her. which is when teachers leave or retire, will also Programs such as these could be the first to help us because we do have some teachers that be affected by budget cuts, according to Principal are retiring,” Lundquist said. Robert Lundquist. Freshman Julia Wolfe believes that the Next year, schools in Seminole County face administration should encourage students to an anticipated $33 million dollars in cuts. transfer. In an article in the Orlando Sentinel, finance “We should recruit more students for the officer John Pavelchak told the board that the school. We should show them the good parts reduction in state funding, of the campus. We possibly 7 percent for could compare the We should recruit more Seminole schools, comes advantages of here students for the school. at the same time federal versus other places. Julia Wolfe, ‘14 subsidies are being Show them what we phased out. have. It really helps Seminole Schools received $34 million this us,” Wolfe said. year, but that’s down to about $13 million next Lundquist affirms that transfers will be year, and the following year will be zero. continued for the next year. “Most of the governmental money starts “We are going to continue to encourage from the district and then it distributes down to students to transfer here. I think diversity the schools. There’s no question that any time transfers are still in place from Seminole there’s a shortfall in budgetary monies that it’s to here. Everybody but Winter Springs, the going to impact the schools and the teachers. overpopulation transfers and diversity transfers, Certainly if you lose teachers there’s that those transfers will still be allowed next year. possibility that you’re going to lose academic The only school is Winter Springs that is not programs.” Lundquist said. allowing that. Their population is now lower “When that starts to happen then you’re not than ours,” Lundquist said. going to be able to take some of the elective Campbell believes that schools should be courses that make high school so wonderful. rewarded for doing well. All those elective courses will be the programs “I think schools should definitely that you will see go first when you have budget be rewarded for getting a good school shortfalls because you still have to have the grade. But at the same time it’s hard requirements for graduation. It’s the elective to say that a school with a worse courses that all our students enjoy taking that grade should get no money. will be the ones that first are affected by budget You can’t force kids to learn. cuts.” Sometimes you just can’t Campbell acknowledges the importance of help what the test results the budget to the school and to her extracurricular are. It’s not the school’s activities such as NJROTC. fault,” Campbell “I think that the school budget is really said. important. We need to use it to get more The half-cent textbooks to study. Then everyone can get an tax proposed education. The budget doesn’t really affect me. I for Seminole don’t do much for extracurricular activities aside C o u n t y from ROTC,” Campbell said. failed to Lundquist explains the technicalities of the p a s s school budget. “School budget is FTE. FTE doesn’t come to us until July. And then we establish our budget based upon how much money we receive in July. Then we get Advanced Placement monies in November. We budget for that money. When you say budget, budget comes from different areas. As far as the state and how much money they’re going to give the district, nobody knows. We don’t know yet. We don’t know how much the state is going to give our district so that we can staff our school,” Lundquist said. Lundquist doesn’t anticipate any teacher cuts due to an increase in student population. Seminole County is staffing the high school for 2210

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photo/LINSEY DUCA

DRAW IT OUT. Senior Frank Barrios sketches in art teacher Tonya Letzo’s Drawing I class. Although specific elective classes have not been targeted for cuts, some will grow larger due to the change in the definition of core classes by the Florida Legislature. Changes will take effect during the 2011-12 school year.

during last November’s elections. It would have generated around $26 million in revenue for the county’s budget. “The tax would have helped our district. The purpose was to provide the needs for our district in regards to construction that our district really and truly needs to maintain our schools. I was quite perplexed by the vote. I thought that voters would overwhelmingly support the tax. But they didn’t. I was very disappointed,” Lundquist said. Spanish teacher Cyndy Miericke was a supporter of the school tax law. “There’s been an ebb and flow of the number of students and worries about salaries in the schools. We’re always going back and forth between worrying about money and having enough. We definitely should have voted in t h a t school tax

OHS Budget

Capital Outlay

$35,841

School Improvement $65,537

School Supplies

Utilities

FTE Budget

Staffing

$107,014

$639,710

$872,401

law, though. The schools would have so much more money. We wouldn’t have these gigantic reductions,” Miericke said. In addition to news about budget cuts, foreign language teachers such as Miericke have learned that foreign languages will no longer be considered a core class. The number of core classes has been reduced from 849 to 288 by the Florida Legislature. “For language teachers, [foreign languages] aren’t really a lecture type of class. You don’t just read books and study text. It’s very interactive between the students and the teacher. Reading, writing, listening, and speaking are all important for a foreign language. There’s no time to cover all of it in a 50 minute class, let alone having more than 25 students. Foreign languages aren’t easy for everyone to learn. Everybody has different abilities and some students find it more difficult. We want students to succeed and we care about each one of them. It’s frustrating to not be able to help,” Miericke said. Senior Daniel Robertson considers foreign languages to be important. “Foreign languages should 100 percent be core classes. They are required by universities to gain admission. They are also especially helpful in English classes. It helps with grammar and the construction of sentences. It should be a requirement for high school. The point of high school is to seek further education. It is the same as in a university,” Robertson said. Miericke hopes for the best. “I’m staying optimistic. But what can you do with all the budget cuts? It’s really caused morale to sink. But we’ve gone through tough years before. If we’ve learned anything it’s that nothing ever stays the same. We’ll just have to hope the leaders of our state want the best for our students,” Miericke said.

$9,906,295

info courtesy/WWW.SCPS.K12.FL.US

ariannar@thelionstale.com

THE LIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TALE

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Complete Your Application Process Your Choice. Your Future. 407.708.2050 | seminolestate.edu/apply

APRIL 15, 2011

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Florida

Bright F utu r es

Scholarship Program

Popular aid award slated for large cuts by Harry Traber

qualified for the Scholar’s Award, and now he Florida Senate is proposing cuts to they’re telling me it will cover 60 percent. I the Bright Futures Scholarship that was shocked,” senior Emily Myers said. Guidance counselor Marcia Lightsey will total approximately $1,000 per clarifies the issue with the proposed tuition semester. Couple that with public colleges across the hike for this year. “I would guess that the gap [between what state raising tuition and going to college begins colleges will charge and Bright Futures covers] to add up to real money. “I was driving with my sister when I first might increase as the state has difficulties with found out Bright Futures will cover even less funding. There are basically four sources a than it already does. When she told me, I felt a student can look to for funding. One is FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) sense of dread,” junior Kaitlin Hardy said. The cuts to Bright Futures will not be for a grant or loan depending on the need for financial aid. finalized until the legislative session “Second is the state, which is ends in May and the Governor signs primarily Bright Futures. It is a the bill. Currently, Bright Futures merit-based system as opposed to only covers, at most, $125 per credit need-based. The third source is the hour at a four-year college. actual college itself would award Senior Gabriel Coppola is just one a scholarship, so the student may of many seniors who is at a loss as be awarded a scholarship from that to how he will make up what Bright college, but it would only be honored Futures used to cover. “Every day [Coach Howell] tells Amy Welch ‘11 if the student went to that college. The fourth source for scholarships us about some of the things in the would be private foundations that news, and he told us about a new legislation on Bright Futures and about how it the student could find online or in the college won’t cover as much as it used to. After hearing room,“ Lightsey said. Options like FAFSA are attractive to the news I felt shocked. I have no idea how I’m students whose families don’t have sufficient going to pay for college,” Coppola said. University of Central Florida intends to income to pay for one or more of their children raise tuition 15 percent next year. Additionally, to go to college. “I’m not getting Bright Futures, so it doesn’t the University of Florida would like to raise really affect me; we applied for FAFSA. The tuition by 30 percent in the next few years. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Florida program is paying for almost the whole tuition law allows public universities to raise tuition for one year, I believe. It was really easy. We 15 percent per year until tuition reaches did it on the computer. I had to fill out a bunch of information about myself, date of birth, national average. Seniors stand to be first affected by the rise social security number, basic information, in tuition this year and they are troubled by the and then my parents had to fill the rest; it was about their taxes and whatnot. I found out cost. “If Bright Futures was still covering 100 about FAFSA through a meeting at school for percent tuition, I probably would not have FAFSA and some people from a few different to pay anything, or very little, but with the places explained what it was. It was mostly for cuts, I will have to go get scholarships and parents of seniors, and took place around the probably pay a little out of pocket. I did all my beginning of second semester,” senior Amy community service, did really well in school, Welch said.

Students searching for scholarships should take into account the amount of applicants that apply for each scholarship. Students looking for other scholarships on the Internet will most likely be competing against other students around the country. Lightsey advises students to use the college room instead of looking for scholarships online. “We encourage [students] to go to the college room because many of those [scholarships] are awarded to Oviedo or Seminole County students, so the pool of applicants is much smaller. The scholarships come from local civic sources and local people, so the chances are much higher to get the scholarship, I believe,” Lightsey said. If students serve in the military, there are programs available to them, supported by the different branches of the military. “I was listening to my stepdad talk about the raising tuition. He works at UCF. I was a little surprised to hear the news. But I am supposed to go into the Air Force, and there is a program at UCF that will pay for four years of college if you enlist,” senior Michelle Scarbraugh said. The program is affiliated with the Air Force ROTC. This program is a scholarshipbased program that rewards enlistment with scholarships that pay for tuition, an annual textbook allowance, most lab fees and a cash allowance for every academic month. Nearly every branch of the military has a similar program, including the Army, Navy, Marines and the Coast Guard. With decisions on just how much Bright Futures will be covering in the coming years not arriving until some time in the fall, many students have no other choice but to look elsewhere for money to make up on lost money. “I already work now, so I will probably work through college, and apply for lots of scholarships. I’m going to SSC for two years, then I don’t know where I will be going,” Hardy said.

harryt@thelionstale.com

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THE LION’S TALE

| news | APRIL 15, 2011

photo/HARRY TRABER

photo/JESSI WHITACRE

WHITE BOARD LESSONS. AP Human Geography teacher Jason McDonald lectures his students. He doubts the new teacher evaluation system will work.

CHANGE TO COME. Spanish teacher Cyndy Miericke helps her student, freshman Nicholas Labrecque, with an assignment.

New law to implement performance pay into schools by Brandon Koller

he calendars mark the date as March 24, 2011. Through the office window the skies can be seen: occasional clouds drift past, the sun glares intently down, and the air relaxes after a noontime drop in humidity. Governor Rick Scott leans forward, pen in hand, prepared to make history in Florida’s education system. Scott slips the pen across the page in front of him, and rules the hotly contested Senate Bill 736 into law, the first signed by the new governor. The law overhauls contracts of public education employees via a new merit pay system and changes to teacher tenure, and goes into effect in 2014, leaving 2012 and 2013 for data collection. Positive educator reactions to the bill remained a scarcity, even after its passing. AP Human Geography teacher Jason McDonald remains skeptical of the law. “It’s necessary for there to be due process when teachers aren’t doing their jobs right, but teachers can be lost to administration politics and personal bias without tenure. Merit pay, too, is in theory a good idea, and teachers who achieve should be rewarded, but it’s a flawed system, and I don’t want teachers to be the guinea pigs in testing it. The question is ‘How can it be made useful, but not harm teachers with families to support?’” McDonald said. Bill 736 outlines merit pay as 50 percent of a teacher’s salary. A merit pay system bases the salary of a teacher on students’ performance. The merit pay system established by Bill 736 leaves the decision-making on implementation and evaluation methods to district boards. The decisions made by the school boards proceed to be reviewed by the Florida Department of Education on a regular basis. The only definite evaluation criterion mandates inclusion of student scoring on standardized testing. However, teachers on an existing payment plan can opt to continue on that schedule.

Teachers on the current pay schedule failed to they should fund us, by all means, but I don’t receive a raise for the last four years due to see things going so smoothly,” Lundquist said. reduced state funding. Tenure provided teachers with a McDonald doubts the system’s guaranteed 10-year contract after three years implementation will be effective. “The real issue with the system is fairness. of probationary time, but the bill institutes Maybe in 10 years, when a sustainable annual contracts in place of tenure. AP Art History teacher Didi Gibbs perceives system’s been worked out, merit pay can be implemented, but not now. What if the test a few issues with changes to tenure. “It really affects things at a college level merit pay is based on is flawed? Studies done on merit pay showed 30 percent of teachers more than at high schools. At universities, were wrongly underpaid because of a merit academic freedom must be preserved for pay system. Now isn’t the time for a system professors. At high schools, though, it’s less applicable due to our influences on youth. with those kinds of flaws,” McDonald said. Principal Robert Lundquist worries over We do need a way to get rid of bad teachers. But the combination of reduced tenure and other details. “Merit pay, theory-wise, is valid provided merit pay isn’t the way to do it, as we can’t you can produce a way to fairly justify control the system. If we could fire students, as in a business, then I achievement of could understand, but a teacher, for all Tenure is unnecessary so long we can’t. Teachers are teachers. Not just stuck with whoever core teachers, as teachers are doing their jobs signs up for their because teachers well. classes. It’s unfair, and teach many Garrett Urban, ‘12 I don’t know a single subjects. English, teacher, anyone in history, science, and similar teachers can use AP or FCAT education, who supports these laws,” Gibbs tests, but when you get into fine arts, physical said. However, junior Garrett Urban believes education, or vocational classes, we have no test to determine performance,” Lundquist there’s a necessity for a reduction in tenure. “Some teachers are just unable to teach said. The law never defines how to pay for these their classes well. It’s possible to have a few new performance tests, and lacks specific years filled with really impressive students; methods of application. While Race to the Top even more so in courses where students may will contribute some of the funding, how to already know most of the material. Tenure is fill the gaps is another decision to make. That unnecessary so long as teachers are doing their decision, and the decisions on implementation, jobs well, and there’s little reason besides the desires of unions to keep the system,” Urban will be left to the school districts. Lundquist doubts the decision process will said. Lundquist ultimately holds the power to be smooth. “How is merit pay going to be funded decide whether teachers receive tenure. He today? Five years? 10 years? That’s the big sees few flaws in the system. “If a teacher in their first year isn’t doing question. Legislators want to cut funding for schools, but in the same breath, they decide on a good job, it’s my job to say, ‘This is what merit pay. If they say they’re going to fund us, you need to improve. Come back next year

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and try doing that.’ If there’s improvement, they continue to improve in their third year, and if there’s no improvement, I have to ask if teaching is really the profession for them, if it’s something they’re deeply interested in. By the end of the third year, it’s my responsibility as an administrator to decide if they deserve tenure or not. I believe the system works in that way. So long as teachers are documented and worked with proactively in their first three years, there’s no need to worry about the system,” Lundquist said. However, Lundquist keeps ambivalent about tenure’s disappearance. “But without tenure there’s nothing to worry about either, so long as teachers do a good job. I’ve worked 31 out of my 38 years in the public education system on an annual contract. If one can’t self-evaluate their performance, it may be time to find a new profession,” Lundquist said. “I support teachers. I support teachers that do the right thing, and I support doing the right thing in teachers’ interest, for their good.” Similarly, Governor Rick Scott announced in his budget that government employees – teachers included – should make a mandatory contribution of six percent of their salaries to government pensions. McDonald counts himself opposed to the budget. “I realize that others have pensions in the private sector, but every job has benefits, and this sort of loss of perks for teachers in multiple sectors removes the carrot dangling in front of teachers to increase performance. Teachers feel underpaid and morale is lowered for new teachers. They might stop teaching and move to other fields because of this sort of attack. We have bills to pay, and these policies risk harming real people with families. Politicians can’t just rush these by because the political winds have changed,” McDonald said.

brandonk@thelionstale.com

(opinion sports )

APRIL 15, 2011

THE LION’S TALE

“Keep away from those wh o try to belittle your ambitio ns. Small people always do tha t, but the really great make you believe that you, too, can become great.” - Mark Twain

Bright Futures OUR WORD

becomes DARK FUTURE

Funds for Bright Futures program should not be cut

he Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program is surely that they would like to increase more than that. The Bright Futures program should not be one of the familiar to any student across Florida. Many students use the program to help pay for college and the many programs cut for funding by the Legislature. It is an important scholarship for college students around Florida. Rather than cut costs that come along with it. According to www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org, Bright funding, one possible solution is to raise the standards slightly Futures is designed to “reward students for their academic for obtaining a Bright Futures award. As it stands, a 3.5 weighted GPA is required along with achievements during high school by providing funding to attend postsecondary education in Florida.” It is a merit-based 75 hours of community service, and sixteen credits of college preparatory classes as well as a minimum of 1270 on the SAT is program that helps many college attendees. A Florida Academic Scholar -- the highest award -- required to obtain the Florida Academic Scholars award. For the Florida Medallion Award, a 3.0 weighted GPA, grants $125 per credit hour for students attending a four-year university. While this does not generally cover the entire tuition a 970 on the SAT, and 16 credits of high school courses are needed. The average SAT score hovers around 1000, allowing of a university, it does contribute significantly. Now Bright Futures is slated for budget cuts by the many people to qualify for the Medallion award. The top award could be made more Florida Legislature. According to The Bright Futures is an integral selective by raising the minimum GPA Orlando Sentinel, they are trying to part of the lives of Florida or SAT requirement while maintaining fill in a $4 billion hole in next year’s the standards for the lower award. This budget. Bright Futures scholarships college students. way, high-achieving students who need will be cut by approximately $1,000 an award based on merit, rather than for next school year. Funding for Bright Futures has already fallen by 24 percent since the 2007- financial need, would still be able to have access to the award. The Medallion Scholarship would still be available to those 2008 school year. These large budget cuts could potentially hurt thousands students who would not be able to achieve the new standards of students across the state. Many teenagers rely on this while the Academic scholars would receive the same amount of scholarship to help pay for college and will be unprepared to money they have always been. Another option open to the government to offset the loss in cope with the growing amount of money they will continually Bright Futures and help the students is to lower the percentage be expected to pay if they wish to continue their education. In addition to the cut in these scholarships, tuition is that tuition is allowed to increase. The two combined create also rising in several popular universities around the state. a deadly combination for college students who have trouble University students can be expected to pay at least 15 percent paying for college and rely on scholarships like Bright more for tuition for the next school year and for many years Futures. Lowering the percentage allowed per year would at least following. Florida law allows universities to raise tuition at a rate of give more time for students to come up with a suitable course of action to cope with the loss of money. 15 percent until their tuition reaches the national average. All in all, cutting Bright Futures is only going to hurt the Many universities are embracing this tuition raise students in Florida especially when there are other solutions wholeheartedly and some would rather see larger increases. University of Florida President Bernard Machen would like that the government could consider. Bright Futures is an to see a one-time, 30 percent increase. University of Central integral part of the lives of Florida college students, and for Florida will be raising tuition by the maximum amount for the some, a college degree would not be possible without it. next school year. UCF officials have also publicly proclaimed

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Japan spills radioactive waste into ocean illustration/ WESLEY WYNNE

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Corrections for March issue

- Nirvani Khan was not given a byline for the story “Internet Invasion” on technology’s effects on the brain on page 4. - Sophomore Kyle Bean was incorrectly identified as an MMA state champion on page 27. - The Lion’s Tale inadvertently left out the following names of the individuals pictured on page 32: Ethan Richards Luka Gorman Buck Mussatto Conley White Sarah Birkmire

LION’STALE

OV I E D O H I G H SC H OO L • 601 KING S T R EET • OV IEDO, FL - A PRI L 15, 2011 - VO L U M E 51• I SSUE 6

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Features Editor

Advertising Editor

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Diversions Editors

Copy Editors

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News Editor

Sports Editor

Arianna Ray

Janie Williams

Junior Editor

Opinion Editor

Nirvani Khan

Brandon Koller Jake Smith Staff Artists

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The Lion’s Tale reserves the right to refuse ads. The views of the staff do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, staff, or faculty of Oviedo High School.

THE LION’S TALE

| opinion | APRIL 15, 2011

CARSON BAILEY

CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Class surprises teen

illustration/WESLEY WYNNE illustration/ WESLEY WYNNE

Depressed friend teaches columnist true friendship

NIRVANI KHAN

OPINION EDITOR

ighth grade was the year I learned the meaning of true friendship. Chelsea Smith* and I had been really close friends for about two years during middle school. We understood each other very well and always encouraged each other. Not only was she a loyal, trustworthy friend, but also, some of the most memorable times in my life were spent with her. There was something strikingly unique about her personality that I particularly admired. Out of all the positive qualities I found in Chelsea, the one I admired most was the way she made me smile, even without trying. However, somehow, it felt as if the closer we became, the more difficult times were, not only for Chelsea, but also for me. Some days, she would hardly talk to me at all, or to anyone else for that matter. She would sit alone at lunch and sometimes when she did talk, she would treat me coldly. The zeal I had always known in her diminished, and she always felt hopeless and, from the expression in her face, I knew she was extremely down in the dumps. She would sometimes look pale, though she was not physically ill. Then other days, she was back to her normal self and it was as if the previous day didn’t even occur. The “good, happy days” spent with Chelsea helped me forget the times she wasn’t completely herself, and I knew she was still a

great, special friend. I didn’t want her gloomy, you.” As she spoke these words, tears rolled down irritable days to define her, and I didn’t want them to change how I looked at her. She just her apologetic face. I thought hard about what she said. had personal challenges she was dealing with. And then realization set in. Nonetheless, I was greatly affected by her No one is perfect, and we all encounter emotions. Her mantra, at times, was basically, “I cannot do this anymore. I give up. I hate my challenges that we are not able to control at times. My experience with Chelsea taught me life.” To be quite frank, spending time with that sometimes, even when it’s not the easiest Chelsea made me feel pessimistic in some decision to make, you should always support ways about my own life, too, which was very the ones you care about, and the ones that care much abnormal for me because I had always about you. Chelsea needed my support; she didn’t need me to walk out on her. maintained positive outlooks on life. Eventually, she started seeking therapy, and When Chelsea finally told me she was suffering from depression, I cannot say I was though she still had those “down” days, therapy helped control her emotions. surprised. It helped save the friendship between I never left her side, even when she was us; the friendship that extremely hard to be was not always easy or around. I can’t say It felt as if the closer we straightforward, but the that I never thought friendship that was so about giving up on became, the more more precious to me. our friendship, but I difficult times were. Depression is infamous knew that she needed for destroying relationships my support and I between family and friends. cared about her. After But with continual support, patience, and all, she was always present when I needed her. However, I was no stranger to cooperation, in my opinion, you can ultimately disappointment. Chelsea was always exhausted save any relationship. At the peak of depression, and did not want to hang out outside of school one really doesn’t act like themselves, from as often. Honestly, I think she spent the prior experience. Look beyond that, and remember your friend for who they really majority of her weekends sleeping. Though Chelsea suffered from depression, are. But no matter what you do, don’t let the she was never selfish. She saw how hurt I was depressed feelings of a friend affect you in a negative way. Your friend wouldn’t want that when she was hurt. I will never forget the day she told me for you. True friendship isn’t about having the something like, “Nirvani, I am so sorry for the way I sometimes act around you. You don’t perfect friendship, and it isn’t always easy. have to keep spending time with me. I know There will be difficult times in many friendships I’m not the easiest person to be around, but I we encounter. But Chelsea taught me that true do care about you a lot and I want you to be friendship is unconditional. *name withheld happy. I don’t want my feelings to rub off on

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nirvanik@thelionstale.com

ournalism started out as a scapegoat for me during my sophomore year. Half way into the first quarter I realized one of my classes definitely wasn’t for me. My twin brother told me I should join the newspaper staff because they were looking for a “technical” person, which I guess meant a computer geek, aka me. Newspaper just so happened to be the same period as the class I wanted to get out of, so I quickly made the switch, not knowing what was in store for me. I expected to be the technical guy who would give assistance in Photoshop or other programs definitely not writing stories, maybe sometimes laying out a page. I didn’t expect to be the leader, creator, or writer. I didn’t expect to be laying out color pages three issues in or writing lengthy controversial stories. I never thought as a staff reporter I’d be proof-reading the entire paper the night before we went to press. Along with designing five layouts, writing a story, and a column. Turns out what you expect doesn’t always play true. From day one as a Lion’s Tale staff member I started working on layout. Poor kid didn’t understand how to use Indesign and refused to learn, so the editors stuck me on his volleyball page. Mind you there were only two days before the paper was to be sent to the printer and my inherited page laid blank. For the next two days that layout became my baby. I obsessed constantly over how I should place the pictures and if the layout met journalistic standards. From that point on, I was hooked. The pure creativity you are allowed when designing a page intrigued me to the point I couldn’t get enough. As I proceeded into my second issue, I found myself with not only a layout, but a story as well. Never in my life had I written a story. In fact, I was quite turned off by the notion of writing. Regardless, I was assigned a story and I knew I had a responsibility to deliver quality copy. I remember reading story after story trying to soak up the writing style and then trying to imitate that same style as my own. After about three hours of rearranging words, my first story was written. And although I finished the story, I wasn’t confident in what I had written. I thought the copy was garbage and most likely would have to be rewritten. To my surprise, that was not the case. In fact, even the sports editor from the Orlando Sentinel, who helped sports writers on staff from time to time, commented on my story. He said it was great and not much needed to be changed. I felt on top of the world after hearing what he had to say. And armed with confidence I did just that -

Continued on page 09

APRIL 15, 2011

opinion

THE LION’S TALE

CALL DUTY OF

NERF GUN WARFARE

photo illustration/CARSON BAILEY

Columnist shares theories on world peace, resolutions The Wii is for wieners anyways. Or should I say Wii-eners? See what I did there? Great, now I just lost any future advertising possibilities with Nintendo. 3 Yes, I am the biggest hypocrite you’ll ever meet. That statement probably puts a lot of smiles on the faces of juniors who still hate me over a seven-month-old article. Typically anyone who plays video games has the proper instinct to take down any evildoer4. There are so many games that can help you train not physically, but mentally on how to fight in full combat. World at War, Black Ops, Modern Warfare and Gears of War5 are the best games for training. Really, they’re the only games people are buying other than Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Unless you do yoga or kickboxing on the Kinect, but I can’t imagine the combat boys doing downward dog. 4 Even the much feared Charlie Sheen. That guy has tiger blood pumping through is veins. So if you can take him down, you are one skilled warlock. 5 Pretty much any Call of Duty game is a win. Most gamers don’t play Gears of War because they think it’s awful, but that all depends on who you’re talking to. That’s really just my lame way of giving a shout out to all the real nerds out there, the only kind of boys I’m interested in. Now my second point. Once properly trained, it’s time to put the controller down and pick up your Nerf gun. A war with Nerf guns seems like an abundance of fun. There might be a squabble whenever someone hogs all the foam bullets, but that’s about it. Those who want to create an argument, I know what you’re going to say. “Nerf guns aren’t safe! What if someone wanted to bash your face in with one?” My rebuttal is this: if this is a peaceful world, there will still be laws. If someone can’t follow the proper rules of combat or 2

JULIA THORNCROFT CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

orld peace is more than just an unrealistic fantasy created by beauty pageant contestants. Believe it or not, there are several articles and theories on the internet about how we can create world peace. Honestly, world peace is a completely achievable goal. We only have to do one thing: replace every gun in the world with a Nerf gun. Most of the articles on the internet that talk about world peace preach tolerance, forgiveness, and love. But let’s be honest, this world is full of people incapable of those three things. Some people just want to shoot at each other. If people want to commit violent acts, it would be very difficult for them to actually harm anyone if all they had was a Nerf gun and Grand Theft Auto 4. Which brings me to my first point: it all starts with the video games. That is where the combat training begins1. You can’t just have people running around, willy-nilly, with their Nerf guns. No, I take battle very serious. When in video game combat mode, there will be two sides: you’re either a PS3 or an XBOX 360. If you’re a Nintendo fan, this sucks for you2. Keep in mind that the only console I have is a Nintendo 64 from 1996, so combat mode pretty much sucks for me too3. 1 Meaning in this new world, every thirteen year-old boy is a pro.

Continued from page 08

anything and everything. I slowly progressed from black and white pages to laying out color. Instead of writing small feature profiles, I started seeking the larger, more in-depth stories. I even started learning how to use a digital camera so I could be my own photographer. Within that year I learned the ins and outs of Indesign, how to photograph with a digital camera, interviewing techniques, proper AP style, and so much more. My strong commitment to the paper and willingness to learn led me to be selected as an editor my second year on staff. During that second

year, I continued to grow as a journalist, still taking in-depth stories and laying out the center spread every edition, in addition to other black and white pages. But no longer could I focus on my work and myself: I was responsible for the entire paper. From front to back, I had to ensure staff members were working on task to meet our deadlines, and sometimes that proved to be a difficult task. In addition to working on the newspaper that year, I made it my mission to revive the literary magazine. Sometimes I would go home after school and spend hours working on the development of Arts Unleashed and then have to switch to work on The

livelihood and they have to go around bashing people’s faces in then they will lose their right to bear arms6. 6 Forget Sarah Palin. I say, “Julia Thorncroft for President.” I’d be the Joe Plummer of candidates. Imagine how easy airport security would be in this world of peace. You wouldn’t have to take your shoes off7, go through metal detectors, or get violated by TSA employees. Plane rides would be so safe, just like it was back in the ‘70s. People could smoke on planes again8. 7 I don’t understand why we have to take our shoes off now. It’s not like I have a shiv in my shoe. 8 Except in this peaceful world I’m creating, we won’t let smokers smoke on planes again. That’s just plain disgusting. Or should I say, “plane disgusting.” Get it? Oh, never mind. Airports won’t be the only safe places, though. Everyday crimes will be a thing of the past, or a thing of entertainment. Picture what the opening scene of Pulp Fiction would be like: a couple trying to rob a restaurant with Nerf guns? Now picture bank robberies in the real world with Nerf guns. Nothing bad would ever happen. If anything, it would be downright comical. Not only the crimes, but the court cases would be much easier. A woman can’t get arrested for firing a Nerf gun at her husband’s face. Even if he cheated on her with that new secretary. But if the wife was enraged enough to strangle him with her bare hands, she’d need the defense attorneys O.J. Simpson used to get away with murder 9. 9 I hate to admit it, but this world is the best scenario for guys. You get to play Call of Duty all day and run around with Nerf guns and hot female secretaries by night. It sounds like a man’s dream to me. In short, I think I made my point very clear. We all need to put down our AK-47s and pick up our Nerf guns. That doesn’t just sound like peace, but also fun. juliat@thelionstale.com

Lion’s Tale. It was a constant balancing act. Yet never once did I fall through with my commitments, all seven issues of The Lion’s Tale and 40 pages of Arts Unleashed got printed successfully on time. I continue this year with the same drive and commitment as last year. Now, as I journey into my final months as editor of The Lion’s Tale and Arts Unleashed I’ve come to realize what a substantial impact journalism has had on my life these past three years. The technical aspects of journalism and moral values that have been instilled in me through these journalistic experiences are indescribable. I will leave Oviedo High School’s

journalism room a changed person. No longer will I question my confidence or ability but prosper in my passion to be that writer, designer, and leader: a journalist. Journalism is and will always be a part of my life. It’s made me who I am proud to be today and has given me the confidence I need to succeed. In the future I see myself staying with print publications, and becoming a major force in the mass media. From writing to design, photography to editing, you name it, I’ve done it. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

carsonb@thelionstale.com

THE LION’S TALE

| opinion | APRIL 15, 2011

//// THE GREAT DEBATE:

Should teachers have CON PRO a performance-based salary? Bill on evaluation proves unfair, detrimental Performance pay potentially creates new HARRY TRABER

JAKE SMITH

STAFF REPORTER

COPY EDITOR

teaching methods to help students

to teacher morale plus taxpayers’ dollars

he issue of merit pay is thorny. On one hand, is it really fair to ask teachers to base their pay off of students, students who can be interested and passionate about a subject just as easily as they can be uninterested and unwilling to learn? On the other hand, students are often left behind when a teacher’s style is not compatible to their learning style. In the eleven years I have been enrolled in school, I have seen just about every teaching style and student reaction there is. Before you shout out the obvious issues with students who just don’t want to learn, I have seen how those students get to be that way. It starts in elementary school. For our purpose, let’s name an imaginary student John Doe. John is sitting in his first grade math class struggling to grasp the idea of addition and subtraction. John understands how the equations work on the board, but on his own he becomes confused and struggles to perform on his practice work. John is a verbal learner and does not understand why the other students get the work and he does not. This is the tipping point. While the others excel, John falls behind, and as addition turns to multiplication, he is lost. He comes to his teacher for help at first and said teacher does not understand that John is a verbal learner. As John falls behind, he comes in for help less and less. One day John gives up and decides he is never going to be good at math. Now John is an uninterested student. Teachers, don’t get me wrong. This is just one imaginary example and plenty of students get help and become better and don’t give up on school. But the simple truth is students will give up, and it’s your job as an educator to do everything in your power to keep students like John from giving up on school. That is why I support merit pay, and while I have been lucky enough to always have teachers who won’t give up no matter how the student performs, there are still teachers out there who give up on some students. It is my opinion that by moving to a merit pay system, teachers will have an incentive to think outside the box to help students. I know that some teachers have a style that they have used and are just dedicated to, and they would not have this style if it did not work. But when students who have a different style of learning come into their class, the good old lesson plan just fails to help that student. If we had a merit system, it is my belief that teachers would be more willing to go out of their way to help those students by switching up the way they teach. I am by no means saying that teachers are bull-headed and don’t change the way they teach their lessons come hell or high-water. But some teachers give up and keep trying the old plan; that is what creates students who don’t want to learn, and that makes bad test scores for individuals who just aren’t getting the material. We need merit pay because we need teachers who are willing to take their plans and make sure they fit the students. I think it’s simple logic that if the plan fits the student then even the uninterested students will find an interest and the test scores will go up. Don’t think that just because we have a merit system that our standards will go down. Instead, innovation will go up and teaching will improve for all students.

revolutionary new bill was passed by the Florida legislature on March 24, 2011. This new bill will change Florida teachers’ lives and make their salaries exceedingly dependent on the achievements of their students. Although it seems plausible at first glance, if you truly dissect the ramifications of this new law you will see a very flawed system. First of all, it is unreasonable to base a teacher’s pay on student test scores. Teachers don’t get to pick what students go into their classes. There are many students who struggle in school, and this is reflected in standardized test scores. Although it seems logical that how a student performs on a test reflects their teacher’s teachings, this is not always the case. There are some students who, quite simply, just don’t grasp knowledge or who struggle with the material taught. Teacher salaries cannot be at the mercy of students like these, who are beyond help. Some students are familiar with the subject material of the class, and have an easy time learning. These students are naturally intelligent and require little instruction. Is it right that a bad teacher gets an increase in pay because they had smart students who performed well? On the other hand, other students have the capability to take in the knowledge, but just don’t care enough to apply themselves. Like all the others, the work ethic of this student will be reflected in the standardized test for the class, thus, affecting their teachers’ pay in a negative way. Attendance is often a huge factor in whether a student excels in a class. With the loss of the exam exemptions, students are absent more frequently. Teachers should not be held accountable for students when the students are not in attendance every day. Speaking of the standardized tests, where will all the funding come from to generate and maintain these tests? There will need to be a test for every class in every school. The bill does not specifically say where the money will come from or the method of application for the tests. At this moment, the state is trying to cut spending for schools significantly. One example of this is the proposed shutting down of Longwood Elementary. According to Bright House News 13, superintendent Bill Vogel has recommended the shutting down of the school because, “it just makes sense financially”. Boiling a class like debate down to a single test might sound good on paper. But how do you devise a test that will evaluate a student’s speaking ability? Or what about Art 2D, a class that teaches a student how to draw? What possible multiple choice test can evaluate the skills taught in that class? Currently, the bill for performance pay has been signed by the governor and will go into effect in 2014. The Florida Legislature will meet two more times before then. The Legislature must ask itself, “Is this law fair?” The answer, of course, is no. We, as a state, cannot afford it. Teachers, with families to provide for, cannot afford it. It must be repealed.

harryt@thelionstale.com

illustration/WESLEY WYNNE

out of 100 students

said NO Poll taken on 4/14/2011

jakes@thelionstale.com

(features sports )

APRIL 15, 2011

THE LION’S TALE

GET DOWN. Seniors Ben Traback

and Brittany Hudson join their friends on the dance floor at prom. (right) Seniors Amanda Lopez and Maximiliano Castrillon share a dance after being crowned prom king and queen.

PROM NIGHT

photo/LEONARD’S PHOTOGRAPHY

Special invites include flowers, logs, shoes by Jake Smith

The notes all contained one word, except her to prom in a way that is relatively similar t is the first Friday of spring break, early for the last, which had two words, from the to an infamous movie. “I went over to my boyfriend’s house and in the morning. The sun has not even risen sentence “Will you go to prom with me? – he was standing there holding a dozen roses. yet. Junior Stephanie Kirk sleeps soundly. Druuv.” Jones remained puzzled when she received He sat me down and gave me a card. He had a Suddenly, she is awakened by the train horn shoebox next to him. In the shoebox was one in her boyfriend’s truck screeching loudly the first note. “I was like, ‘Who’s Will?’ I was just shoe. I opened the card and it said, ‘Be my outside. “It was so loud the whole neighborhood wondering who it was [that sent me the note]. Cinderella. Go to prom with me,’” Welhoelter heard it. When I woke up I was like, ‘Why is Apparently everyone knew except me. Mr. said. Welhoelter felt as if she was in a Disney he here?’ Then, I saw he sent a text that said, Boggs even sent me out of his class to find out,” Jones said. fairytale during that moment. ‘Look out your window,’” Kirk said. “After I read the card he Kirk could not see anything The time, effort, and thought he put into it makes me put the shoe on me like Prince outside, due to the early morning feel really special. Out of all the people they could of Charming and Cinderella. It darkness. So, she went outside. asked, they asked you, and in such a memorable way. was really cute.” “He had flowers placed in my yard Senior Matt Tillman had and they spelled “prom?” He made the Casey Jones, ‘11 a flowerless and very public question mark my favorite color- pink. plan to get a date for prom. There is a log on my sidewalk and a Jones was overjoyed at the end of the day “During my lacrosse game at half time, note was attached to it that said, ‘Bring the about two weeks before prom, I had the game log if your answer is yes.’ The log weighed after getting the seventh and final note. “I got a huge smile and hugged him. announcer say, ‘This is a message to Caitlyn like 300 pounds, so I just took a chip of the log to him at McDonald’s. He was hanging The last flowers were orchid lilies, and they Dilis. Will you go to prom with Matt Tillman?’ smelled really good,” Jones said. Everyone started cheering. I looked up at her out there with two of his friends,” Kirk said. Patel believes that everything went exactly and she was saying ‘yes.’ It was extravagant Kirk walked towards her boyfriend, log as planned, and he couldn’t have asked for seeing her up there. I was a little embarrassed. chip in hand, smiling. It was cool, though.” “He asked, ‘So is this a yes?’ I said, ‘Yeah, anything better. “I wouldn’t change anything because it Although Tillman was thrilled about his it’s a yes. I’d love to go.’ We hugged and I hung out with him at McDonald’s for an hour was perfect, even though I was nervous. I plan’s success, he would change it if given a couldn’t sleep at all the night before,” Patel second chance. with him and his friends.” “I’d do it at the end of the game so I could Senior Druuv Patel took a different said. Jones remains overjoyed about being focus better. It threw me off a little bit. I got approach in asking his date, senior Casey asked by Patel to prom. five penalties in a row. I was in the penalty Jones, to prom. “The time, effort, and thought he put into box for most of the second half. I just wasn’t “I got the idea from a friend to take seven different flowers and give one flower from it makes me feel really special. Out of all the thinking. But, it was definitely worth it,” a random person to her each period, with a people they could have asked, they asked you, Tillman said. note attached to them. The last one I gave her and in such a memorable way,” Jones said. jakes@thelionstale.com Senior Karli Welhoelter’s boyfriend asked myself,” Patel said.

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photo/LEONARD’S PHOTOGRAPHY

Talking

ROYALTY

Prom king Maximiliano Castrillon and queen Amanda Lopez discuss... How was the experience for you when you were crowned? AL: “I was really, really surprised because I was in Homecoming Court and I didn’t think I would get voted for twice. In general, the same person wouldn’t win twice but I guess it was because I helped plan prom a lot.” MC: “I was sitting next to my sister and no matter what the result ended up to be, I knew I won because she was on the Court with me. Actually winning took it to a whole new level.”

What advice do you have for underclassmen wishing to be crowned? AL: “Be involved in a lot of activities and be a leader in the class. Also, be nice to everybody.” MC: “Get to know people. Show them that you are genuine and nice. Have an attitude that’s friendly.”

Why do you think you were crowned? AL: “I honestly don’t know. I guess it’s because a lot of people know I helped plan prom and I always know what is going on around the school.” MC: “People know me. I have a varied group of friends and I’m not one to make enemies.”

What would you like to say to the people who voted for you? AL: “Thank you guys so much for voting for me. It was really surprising and it was definitely a great end to my senior year.You are all awesome.” MC: “It’s greatly appreciated. Thank you to all who voted for me. Representing this senior class as prom king is something I’ll never forget.”

THE LION’S TALE

| features |

APRIL 15, 2011

illustration/WESLEY WYNNE

Women fight to break glass ceiling by Carly Ford

82.7 cents. This is an increase from 76.1 cents rowning in disappointment at the article in 2000. Freshman Sarah Ross feels the same in her hands, sophomore Maggie Forbes reads over the recent ruling in a class frustration as Forbes and Owens when it comes to women not receiving equal pay. She, too, action lawsuit against Walmart with dismay. The women bringing the suit lost the case, believes that women are entitled to just as high which leads Forbes to wonder whether she may of a salary as men. “It’s unfair that we do not receive the same face inequalities in her job as well. A class action lawsuit recently accused pay as men and I believe that something should Walmart of paying women a lower salary than be done to change the way women are treated in jobs,” Ross said. men and promoting them at a slower rate. The fact remains that women receive a If the Supreme Court approved the lawsuit, it would have made history becoming the largest significantly lower pay in many industries and job discrimination class action lawsuit in the U.S. also have less numbers employed in regard to men. with over 1.5 million women participating. Students preparing to enter the workforce On April 1, just two days after the women’s worry whether hearing, the Supreme they, too, will face Court ruled in favor of I learned about something called discrimination when Walmart. Judge Alito they begin to apply asserted that Walmart’s the Glass Ceiling, which means for jobs. pay and promotion rate you won’t see women in many “I think it’s really were in line with the rest of the higher CEO positions due not fair. I’d be mad of the U.S. workforce. I didn’t get paid Students have to stereotypes. equally and I would opinions in regards to Christian Owen, ‘12 definitely protest. I the class action lawsuit. think it might happen, “I don’t agree with the Walmart lawsuit verdict at all. I don’t think but I really hope not. If the economy continues to it’s fair. They’re doing the same work and so they get worse, though, then it’s probably going to,” should get equal pay. Women have families to sophomore Stacey Renick said. Teachers remember previous jobs where they support, too,” Maggie Forbes said. Forbes recently started a job working at a experienced harassment. Chemistry teacher Kathy Savage faced local preschool in Oviedo where she watches harassment from her boss at another job where over the kids during their daily activities Although she hasn’t personally experienced he asked her out repeatedly despite her insistent discrimination in her job, Forbes does have an refusal. Savage eventually reported the problem but opinion on women’s status in the workplace. “It’s not fair that we’re paid less. It makes instead of seeing justice served, she received no us feel less equal because we’re doing the same help. “I know that I finally reported my problem work for a fraction of the pay. I think we should receive the same salary as men because we work and ended up ‘demoted’ while my boss never got reprimanded or anything. I was patronized and just as hard,” Forbes said. Junior Christian Owens also believes that told I did the right thing, but obvious it didn’t seem that way to me. I would have handled it discrimination is prominent in today’s society. “I think women definitely face discrimination differently if it happened today,” Savage said. Today Savage is optimistic about the when it comes to pay. It’s just one of those things of the past that still affects us today. I learned way the current generation will deal with the about something known as the Glass Ceiling, discrimination issues in the workplace. “I think they are already more open and which means you won’t see women in many of the higher CEO positions due to stereotypes,” verbal about it. Women aren’t afraid to stand up Owens said. and say what they think anymore,” Savage said. One statistic shows that in 2010 for every dollar a man makes a woman will only receive carlyf@thelionstale.com

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APRIL 15, 2011

features

THE LION’S TALE

Stringing it together for senior project by Hafsa Hussain

France chose jewelry making as the basis for enior Tessa France sits down with her senior project. beads, charms and string scattered “I’d like to sell my jewelry more in the messily around a table. She patiently future. Maybe one day I’ll work at a jewelry strings together materials she finds to create store and make jewelry. The reason I picked her bracelets not only for fun but also for her making jewelry for my senior project was senior project. because it’s always been something I’ve loved “Since I was a little kid all I could remember and want to continue,” France said. was making things. I’ve been designing since Part of France’s project is trying to sell middle school. I used to make a whole bunch jewelry. of jewelry, mostly necklaces and “I usually sell to people who bracelets out of beads. I used to follow ask me to make them something a book but the more jewelry I made or my mom’s friends. When the more I started putting in my own they see my mom wearing the style,” France said. jewelry I make they ask me if I As France becomes accustomed to could make something for them,” her designs, she begins to branch out France said. and try numerous different methods for For France, making jewelry is her creations. also a fun way to keep busy. “I used to put key chains, and Tessa France‘11 “I always have to move my charms on my earrings and bracelets hands or be doing something with that look pretty cool or add other them. Making jewelry keeps me random things that’ll look good on earrings. busy and it’s fun,” France said. Usually things like little palm trees, cats, France learns more about the world of music notes and I get most of my supplies jewelry making with the help of her senior from Michaels or Bass Pro Shops which is project mentor. where I get my stringing material,” France “My senior project mentor Gena works at said. a bead store in Melbourne. She professionally Senior project is an assignment designed makes jewelry and sells it online. She makes to help seniors figure out what career they bracelets that she sells for $150 online. She would like to pursue when they get older. It has taught me a lot about both making jewelry also helps them get an idea of what it is like. and selling it. She always says to be patient

if I don’t like something I made; just take it apart and start over as many times as you want until you’re satisfied,” France said. Gena’s price range varies depending on the amount of money it takes to make the product and also the time consumed. “I charge depending on how much money I spent on making the products. I don’t charge for time consumption because at the rate I work people will have to pay way more than necessary. I like to take my time when I make jewelry. My bracelets are usually around $12,” France said. For the more complicated pieces, France charges up to $25. “One of my bracelets, called a Russian spiral is orange and I made it with beads. It took me three days to finish. I use a lot of tools to make different items like pliers, wires, and fishing line. I sell my Russian spiral for about $25,” France said. Whether or not making jewelry will be a future career for her, her love for putting things together will always exist. “Making jewelry has always been a really fun hobby for me. Now it’s part of my life, it’ s very important to me. I’ve always wanted to be a singer but if that doesn’t work out that’s my backup. No matter what I’ll always be doing it,” France said.

step by step

a 15g wire and cut it so its length is 1. Take wrist size plus two inches. the end of the wire with your round 2. Grip nose pliers and make a loop. the beads on to your wire in the 3. Slide order you want. Leave about an inch and a half to make another loop. your wire in the middle part of the 4. Grip round nose pliers use your hands to bring the wire around the top prong. cut the excess wire. Bend the bangle into a round shape and leave some room for the clasp. Attach the clasp and you’re done. To make a clasp go to: http://www.how-to-make-beadedjewelry.com/s-clasp.html

hafsah@thelionstale.com

4. Illustration/WESLEY WYNNE

THE LION’S TALE

| news | Apr il 15, 2011

AKE U Q H EART

Radiation 101

Due to the exposure of Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant reactors, large amounts of radiation are now being emitted. Radiation doses are measured in Sieverts (Sv). A Micro Sievert (µSv) is 1 millionth of a Sievert. Dose (Sv)

0 - .25 .25 - 1 1-3 3-6 6 - 10 Above

Symptoms None

Some people feel nausea and loss of appetite, bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen damaged. Mild to severe nausea, loss of appetite, infection, more severe bone marrow, lymph node, spleen damage; recovery probable, not assured. Severe nausea, loss of appetite, hemorrhaging, infection, diarrhea, peeling of skin, sterility; death if untreated. Above symptoms plus central nervous system impairment; death expected.

Levels of Radiation

Microsieverts (µSv) recieved each hour of exposure

1 10 100

Incapacitation and death.

7.1

Aftershock

7.7

*Anyone found within 12 miles of the Fukushima plant will be fined $1,200 or detained for a maximum of 30 days.

Aftershock

7.9

Aftershock

Epicenter - the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus of an earthquake.

JAPA

NHS, English teacher team u by Hallie Lavery and Kaitlyn Loughlin

T How are you helping Japan?

“

”

Malinda Bass ‘12

“ Mackenzie Schweinberg

‘11

“

I donated money through NHS and I encouraged my friends to donate as well.

”

Dr. Roy Starling

“

As NHS president, I organized a donation drive to help the Red Cross Foundation.

Allison ‘11 Tate-Cortese

I started a donation cup for my classes and teamed up with the NHS drive.

Lady GaGa was selling relief bracelets at her concert. They were $5 and all of the proceeds go to Japan.

”

he late bell rings and students shuffle into class. The sound of clanking change rattles inside a small, decorated bucket and English teacher, Dr. Roy Starling, announces that donations to help Japan would be greatly appreciated for the National Honor Society (NHS) charity drive. “I had already started my own donation cup for students who wanted to help,” Starling said. “People like to give, and one of my students, Mackenzie Schweinberg, wanted to start a donation drive with NHS, so I was more then happy to be the drop off location.” So far, the total amount of money raised is $425.20, with $134.20 coming from Starling’s classes and the other $291.00 from NHS members. Schweinberg, the president of NHS, thought this would be a great way for the club to show their community involvement by donating their Japan efforts to The American Red Cross Foundation. Dr. Starling, on the other hand, has his own personal ties to Japan. His daughter, who is currently studying abroad in Kyoto, Japan, has been there for a couple of years, along with his granddaughter. “Even if my daughter wasn’t there, I’d still want to help; I love that place,” Starling said. According to Starling, his daughter was far enough south and inland that she only felt the aftershocks. They Skype once or twice a week, and both stay updated and informed through Japanese news and the National Public Radio. “She tells me that it’s difficult to find bottled water and some foods in the stores because of the abundance of collection centers on every block, but besides that, everyone in her neighborhood is going about their daily lives as usual,” Starling said. According to an article from The New York Times, there are over 700,000 shelters in Japan, some housing over 500 people each. Senior Rie Yamada from Seirinkan High School in Ichinomiya, Japan, explains her experience with life in the middle of a country hit with on-going natural catastrophes.

“In my hometown, there who stand outside of the sh collecting money to help rec food and shelter for the home However, financial collect of Japan are reaching out a he “Many institutions, stores been saving electricity becaus to buy things that are made by the stricken areas to support th Yamada also notes that such as Toyota, have dona housing and other necessities use. Yet another extreme issue hardest hit areas of Japan that the wide spread loss of powe again, local communities, and help. “Our electric power com Inc.) is different from the on Power Company, Inc.). So in t Tokyo, there is a planned blac even if we, the non-stricken a really matter and we know it, that it is no concern of ours.” Starling’s daughter also co individual neighborhoods to h However, radiation prese Japan, and is virtually out of t According to The New radioactive gas took place i Nuclear Power Station that releasing radioactive material Junior Malinda Bass has

MAGNITUDE 9.5

2.5

Japan experienced over 900 aftershocks since the earthquake with about 60 being over 6.0.

ELP

news

THE LION’S TALE

GEOGRAPHIC IMPACT Parts of Japan were moved towards North America as much as

One minute before the earthquake was felt in Tokyo, the Earthquake Early Warning system, sent out warnings of impending strong shaking to millions.

TSUNAMI WAVE HEIGHT

33 FEET AC T UA L H E I G H T

PAN

Tsunami height

9.8 FEET ESTIMATED HEIGHT

”

kaitlynl@thelionstale.com

500 TRAVELING SPEED

MPH

Minutes after the earthquake, a Tsunami struck traveling up to 6 miles inland.

92%

up to raise funds for relief efforts

are a lot of collection boxes and people Japan, a mere 230 miles northeast of the targeted city. “My family doesn’t really live close to the nuclear site, but there helter stations, as well as other areas, construct the damage and help provide are still rules they are recommended to follow: they are not supposed to hang laundry outside, and they are not supposed to go outside unless eless,” Yamada said. tions are not the only way that the citizens it’s necessary,” Bass said. “People who live closer to the radiation have to wear masks that cover their face.” elping hand. Bass has been visiting Japan every summer to see friends and s, and individual home owners have also se of the shortage,” Yamada said. “We try family since a young age, but this summer may be different. “I was planning on going to y the victims of Japan, but now I’m not going,” Bass heir economy.” We try to buy things that are said. “It’s too dangerous; especially big companies, ated temporary made by the victims of the stricken with the reoccurring aftershocks and the radiation.” for the public to areas to support their economy. “My mom has been in Japan e concerning the Rie Yamada, ‘11 for the past two months to take care is still arising is of my sick grandmother when the er. Though, once d even other countries, come together to earthquake happened. She was close enough to feel the quake, but wasn’t in any serious danger,” Bass said. Yamada explains the recent disasters. mpany (Chubu Electric Power Company “First, a big undersea earthquake occurred in the offing of Miyagi ne in the east part (The Tokyo Electric the stricken areas or other places, such as prefecture. And then the tsunami struck most of the Pacific Ocean ck out each day,” Yamada said. “In fact, coastal cities. Especially the enormous tsunami surged more than 3 area people, saved electricity, it wouldn’t kilometers over the northeastern area, and a lot of people, cars, ships, but we all do, all because we cannot feel and even buildings were swept away by the waves,” Yamada said. “The newspaper on April 17, 2011, stated that over 13,705 have been onfirms this conservation of electricity by found dead, and 14,175 are reported to still be missing so far.” Even still, everyone is reaching out to help Japan with the best of help the shelters on near by power grids. ents yet another danger to the country of their abilities. Hope is still on the rise. ““The people of Japan are all very kind and honest people. They the hands of the general public. York Times, explosions and leaks of have such a sense of pride in their country,” Starling said. “The in three reactors at Fukushima Daiichi disasters happening there are just too big, but their government is t created partial meltdowns therefore doing everything they possibly can, and they’re doing it all right.” l directly into the atmosphere. halliel@thelionstale.com s friends and family that live in Tokyo,

7.9 FEET &1.8 MICROSECONDS The speed of the Earth’s rotation has increased, shortening the day by

for

“

TRAVELING SPEED

MILES/SEC

Chile

9.2 Alaska

9.1 Sumatra

9.0 USSR

Japan

9.0

Recorded as fifth largest earthquake

APRIL 15, 2011

DIED FROM DROWNING

S DAMAGES & EFFECT DEATHS

14,063 4,916 14,175 4.4 INJURIED

AT LEAST 3 NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS suffered explosions due to hydrogen build up.

MISSING

1.5

MILLION homes

without electricity

MILLION homes

without water

compiled by Carson Bailey

THE LIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TALE

| advertisement | APRIL 15, 2011

Start here. Finish here. 74 G=CÂ¸@3 B67<97<5 =4 5=7<5 B= 1=::353 VS`SÂ¸a a][S U]]R \Sea T]` g]c( 2W`SQb1]\\SQb b] C14 UcO`O\bSSa AS[W\]ZS AbObS 1]ZZSUS

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Apr il 15, 2011

features

THE LION’S TALE

Average person laughs 13 times in one day

American by birth Brazilian by culture

sports ) ///////////(DIDYOUKNOW?

Alissa Adam

Q: How many banks are robbed in a day? A: Every day 20 banks are robbed, the average take is $2,500. Q: How many left handed people die each year from using products made for right handed people? A: 2,500 left handed people a year are killed from using products made for right handed people. Q: What sentence uses every letter of the alphabet? A: The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog. Q: What is the longest recorded flight of a chicken? A: 13 seconds is the longest recorded flight of a chicken.

Q: How many eyelids does a camel have? A:Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand.

Freshman finds transition challenging

photo/LINSEY DUCA

by Zoe Lyon-Goldman

reshman Alissa Adam walks into a sea of unknown faces. She roams through the crowds of students walking to class, speaking a different language. She doesn’t know what to expect in this brand new place, much different from her life at home in Sao Paulo, Brazil. “I just remember going to lunch and I was trying to find my brother cause I didn’t know where to go. I just wanted to find him ‘cause he was the only one I could talk to,” Adam said. Adam’s parents both speak fluent English and with her plan to attend college in the United States and later pursue something in medicine, she realized she would need to learn the language herself. “I’ve learned English since I was little, but it wasn’t very good, so most of it I’m learning

now,” Adam said. Adam experiences times when she uses sayings from Brazil that students who speak English don’t understand. When saying, “I’m tired, people in Brazil say, “I’m sleeping.” Along with that, she says students have inquired her about the stereotypes of Brazil. “Everyone asks me if I’ve been to the Amazon River. It’s like asking them if they have ever been to the Mississippi River,” Adam said. The hardest part for Adam transitioning to a new, American school was the absence of her friends. She often cried when talking to them on the phone. “I think the hardest thing was not having my friends with me and having to make new ones, ‘cause in Brazil I was in the same school for years,” Adam said. Adam feels her language barrier has held

Freshman Franny: by Taylor Schwarz

her back from being social. Expressing herself comes easy when speaking Portuguese with her friends from Brazil. “I feel really comfortable ‘cause I don’t have to think or translate before I say something,” Adam said. Adam spends time with students she met in her ESOL class [English for Speakers of Other Languages] and she says she has more in common with them than other students because of the similar culture and language. “Some people say that Hispanic people are only friends with other Hispanic people and I don’t think that needs to be true,” Adam said.

zoel@thelionstale.com

Editor’s Note One by One features a selected student, whose story is told in only 300 words.

Q: How many birds a year die from smashing into a window? A: Over 100,000 birds die each year. Q: How many times does the average person laugh a day? A: The average person laughs 13 times a day.

Q: How many times does a hedgehog’s heart beat per minute? A: A hedgehog’s heart beats 300 times a minute on average. *If you have questions that you would like The Lion’s Tale to answer please submit them to: dyk@thelionstale.com courtesy/www.strangefacts.com

(diversions sport s )

THE LION’S TALE

| APRIL 15, 2011

3-D

INVASION

3-D makes come back after hiatus by Carson Bailey

tarting in the 1950’s, 3-D technology began being developed for feature films. Although the technology was not widely used due to high costs, now, almost 60 years later, 3D movies, television, and even games have started invading the entertainment world.

MOVIES

n 2003, 3-D films began to surface again with the release of Ghosts of the Abyss directed by James Cameron. This was the first full-length film shot in 3-D using the Reality Camera System, developed by Vince Pace specifically for Cameron’s movie. The development of the Reality Camera System allowed for more experimentation with camera effects and as a result, there are now more 3-D cameras and more films being shot in 3-D format then ever before. While 2-D ticket sales are trickling down into an overall state of decline, revenue from 3-D movie sales have continued to grow. Because of the soaring popularity of 3-D movies, and an increase in 3-D screens, the latter half of 2011 will have a large amount of 3-D film releases, with about three per month.

GAMES

ecently, electronic giants like Sony, Nintendo, and Activision are investing heavily into 3-D

games. In late 2011, Nintendo plans to launch a new handheld game system, the 3DS. This gaming system is very similar to their other handheld Nintendo systems with the addition of two 3-D screens. Normally glasses are needed to view anything 3-D related, but the 3DS offers non-glasses 3-D viewing. This new system is based on “barrier screens” technology that simulates the depth of display. Once released, the system will only support 18 3-D games, but you will have the option to switch into a 2-D mode. In addition, users will be able to take 3-D pictures with the built in camera. This is only the beginning for 3-D videogames; in 2012 Sony is expected to release new updated 3-D software for the Playstation 3.

Jordan Zarnowski ‘13

because a bunch of new ones are coming out now. It’s like looking through a window. ”

o longer will you have to travel to the movie theater to get that 3-D experience; 3-D TV sets are now being manufactured for commercial sale and use. These TV screens allow users to watch several TV shows, channels, as well as movies, in 3-D. There have been several notable examples of television where 3-D episodes have been produced, typically as one-hour specials or special events. Some include: 25 matches in the FIFA World Cup 2010 and the 2010 Grammy Award’s tribute to Michael Jackson. Major television companies such as Phillips, Samsung, and Panasonic are in full force to create affordable 3-D TV sets. LG also recently developed a demo version of their non-glasses 3-D TV, which is expected to be released in the near future. This will allow users the convenience of not wearing glasses.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 Released: July 15

The Smurfs Released: July 29

Puss in Boots Released: November 4

Happy Feet 2 Released: November 18

carsonb@thelionstale.com

“ 2-D; I’ve been

Tyler Brooks ‘13

3-D Movies

TELEVISION

Do you prefer 2D or 3D movies? “ I prefer 3-D movies

2011

“ It depends on which

watching them forever. 3-D is too overrated and hyped up. ”

“ 3-D is too

movie; some movies look stupid in 3-D. I prefer 2-D though. ”

Victoria Fairman ‘12

expensive; I can’t afford to see 3-D movies all the time.”

Kiefar Long ‘13

////Reviewed APRIL 15, 2011

diversions

THE LION’S TALE

Music, movies, books & more

VERY GOOD

OUTSTANDING

GOOD

RUBBISH

AWFUL

Icons Josh Turner Country

Rolling Papers Wiz Khalifa Hip hop

Blood Pressures The Kills Indie Rock

Wasting Light Foo Fighters Alternative

by Leigha Bennett

by Angiee Carey

by Taylor Schwarz

by Julia Thorncroft

ood news for all of the Josh Turner fans in Oviedo. Icons has hit shelves. Icons, Tuner’s newest CD, features songs that bring fans together such as “Backwoods Boy,” “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” “Long Black Train,” and more. The songs go back to 2003, Turner brings together all of his number one singles, featuring eleven chart toppers that brought Turner to the iconic country singer he is today. Although most of the fans are familiar with the songs, the CD features the slow, smooth, spine-tingling “Your Man,“ while also tying in the upbeat love song “Firecracker.” Working with big-named country singers like Trisha Yearwood and Alan Jackson through out his career, Turner knows how to keep his fans happy. Over the course of his career, Turner has stacked up multiple awards, winning Song of the Year from the Country Music Association Awards in 2004, 2006, and 2007, and Male Vocalist of the Year in 2007, along with multiple nominations still today. Turner appears to be a very talented, humble, family oriented man, making his name heard across the country and enjoying every bit of his music career and private life. His songs prove that point. Currently the South Carolinian country singer is embarked on a new tour, so keep your eyes out for stops in Florida on his website or Facebook.

ardcore Taylor Gang fans may be leaping with joy when they hear this one. But if they are expecting to hear what they heard on his mixtapes, they will be disappointed. Pittsburgh-based rapper Wiz Khalifa, dropped his new album, Rolling Papers, on March 29 and is already on track for sales of 200,000 copies sold in the first week alone. Atlantic Records is known for promoting rap artists like Flo Rida, B.O.B and T.I. Wiz Kahlifa is just another brilliant addition. Khalifa roared out of the gate with a killer single and the Super Bowl’s adopted anthem, “Black and Yellow.” This song is what most people know him by and how he will forever be remembered. Wiz has a habit of mixing in singing with his rapping, but it really does turn out for the best. Some of his other good songs such as “Roll Up” have already been blasting on playlists all over the web. It seems like more and more people are getting onboard with Khalifa and the Taylor Gang. He puts such passion into his lyrics and songs; music is his love, his leisure and other artists are taking note of it. When he raps the lyrics “I don’t wanna wake up from, don’t wanna wake up” in “Wake Up,” you can’t help but hope his dreams last an eternity. Rolling Papers ends on a strong and positive note of determination with “Cameras” when Wiz states “look at all your achievements; you work hard so it would be kinda hard not to believe that.”

fter guitarist/vocalist Alison Mosshart’s brief stint with Jack White in Dead Weather, she has returned to her rightful place by Jamie Hince’s side to revive The Kills. The unwarranted passion and raw, unpolished skill that the dynamic duet pumped into Blood Pressures exceeds that of their previous work- distance may not make the heart grow fonder, but it sure made their musicianship stronger. There’s a strange anxiety behind Mosshart’s vocals, and a fervor in her playing, as though she simply claws at her bluesy six string. But it is this primal tone and in-your-face attitude that pushes the album from an angsty bit of garageband quality music to a quality piece of art, complete with blood, sweat, and tears. Despite the generally pained, aggressive theme portrayed throughout the album, The Kills exposes a hint of vulnerability in pensive pieces such as “The Last Goodbye.” In this poignant number, they do not tear apart the fictional antagonist that lives within the lyrics, but, instead, they apologize for being unable to “survive on a half-hearted love that will never be whole.” Blood Pressures delivers a collection of music that is able to satiate even the deepest appetite for superb music, leaving listeners wondering what Mosshart and Hince will come up with next. Indeed, Mosshart and Hince are back together, rocking and rolling much harder than ever.

fter all the Grammys and nailing stadium shows, how do the Foo Fighters keep it real without songs growing stale? By going back to basics. Recorded in frontman Dave Grohl’s garage on analog tape, Wasting Light delivers exactly the kind of catchy, pummeling anthems the Foos are known for. The album proves to be one of the better of the Foos with songs like “White Limo,” with a brandish real heavy-metal muscle and “Arlandria,” one of the many songs off the album that are reminiscent of Grohl’s Nirvana days. Grohl uses Wasting Light as a way to revisit his painful past and gain closure. He confronts the issue of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s suicide with old friend and bassist Krist Novoselic in “I Should Have Known.” What serves as both a reunion for Grohl, Novoselic, and Nevermind producer Butch Vig turns into an indirect statement about the pain caused by Cobain’s death. With a solitary guitar and guilt in his voice, Grohl sings, “No, I cannot forgive you yet, to leave my heart in debt.” While the song never mentions his name, it’s clear that Grohl directs these feelings of pain and resentment toward the loss of Cobain. The whole album is a powerful piece of work. Recording on analog inside Grohl’s garage was clearly the smartest move the Foos made.

angieec@thelionstale.com

taylors@thelionstale.com

juliat@thelionstale.com

DOWNLOAD THIS >> Your Man

leighab@thelionstale.com

DOWNLOAD THIS >> Top Floor

DOWNLOAD THIS >> Satellite

Upcoming Concerts

Britney Spears Wednesday, July 20 TBA Amway Center

My Chemical Romance Wednesday, July 6 6:00 p.m. 929 West Fairbanks Avenue

Avenged Sevenfold Monday, May 9 6:30 p.m. UCF Arena

all photos courtesy/PUBLICITY WEB SITES

Plain White T’s Friday, May 13 6:00 p.m. The Beacham

DOWNLOAD THIS >> Arlandria

THE LION’S TALE

| diversions | APRIL 15, 2011

WINTER PARK TREASURE.

Sunlight pours into the Daffodil Terrace through the windows, showing the bright garden outside.

photos courtesy of/THE CHARLES HOSMER MORSE MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART

GRAPE VINE GORGEOUS. The dining room opens up to show an original table and chairs, with a 6-panel stained glass window of grape vines and water wisteria.

A review of

ARTS

UNLEASHED Preorder a literary magazine today! See Mrs.Jepson in room 5-020

$10

Price: Entertaining:

GLASS WONDERLAND.

Overall:

Several large stained glass windows fill the walls of the living room, each depicting a different season.

Morse Museum Stained glass museum opens new wing by Olivia Davila-Finch

ou know that old chandelier hanging in your dining room? That old dragonflypatterned stained glass lamp on your parents’ desk? Have you ever thought twice about the attention given to the individual glass cuts, or that little stamp on the base that reads, “Tiffany”? Imagine all those decorations magnified. Entire windows, as large as doorways and painstakingly pieced together. Glass splaying brilliant colors and hues across everything in the room as the sunlight reaches it. The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, better known as the Morse Museum, holds the world’s largest collection of work by Tiffany. Located in Winter Park, it has long been known for its historic and vast collection of art by Tiffany. Recently, Morse Museum added a new exhibit to its already bountiful collection. The new Laurelton Hall, named after Tiffany’s old home on Long Island, was restored and rebuilt in the Morse Museum. This new exhibit features 10 rooms, its main feature being the Daffodil Terrace, dining room, and living room. Bits and pieces of Tiffany’s original house make up these rooms, and they are modeled directly after the rooms in his home. For students, the price to see these historical and intriguing exhibits is only $1, an amazing deal for such amazing works of art. Over the Easter weekend, April 22-24, the Morse Museum will be letting guests in for free to see the new exhibits. The Daffodil Terrace was the first room I

saw. Built inside a glass-enclosed gallery in the museum’s garden, I thought it was masterfully redone. Staying true to its name, eight beautiful 11-foot pillars topped with glass and concrete bouquets of daffodils support the glass room. Tiffany’s main works are centered on glasswork and glassmaking. He also created new types of vases and pottery, such as the favrille glass vases. Doing most work at churches and cathedrals, his work was focused on the aesthetic properties of nature. Hundreds of stenciled wood designs make up the ceiling, and the room looks out to a welltended garden, with benches and sitting areas to rest and enjoy the vibrant views. A skylight in the middle of the ceiling opens the room up, allowing sunlight to spill beautifully over the columns. I then ventured into the restored dining room, which also features many pieces from the original 1,800 square feet room. The oriental dining table and several of the chairs resting around it were brought back to the museum from Tiffany’s dining hall. The little chairs seated around it are delicately designed and painted, with velvet blue cushions catching the eye’s attention. A brilliant, 13.5 foot marble mantle takes up an entire wall, with three blue tile clocks build directly onto the fireplace. Along one wall, a six-paneled window of grape vines and water wisteria catch the sun, shining light onto the royal blue, medallion patterned carpet. A round stained glass skylight of a floral pattern is built right above the dining table. The focal point of the living room is without a doubt the large, T-shaped wooden table topped with bright flowers and thriving plants.

This room was my personal favorite, with dark green walls and a very natural feel. Five low-hanging green stained glass lamps hang above the table, adding a soothing green light to the room nicknamed, “The Forest Room”. The Reception Hall, also called the Fountain Court, gained its name from the large, circular fountain that serves as the centerpiece to the room. A 4-foot tall glass vase sits in the middle of the fountain, with a color-changing light at the bottom. While not dubbed a ‘major highlight’ by some, I found this room to be very relaxing, with sky blue paint and small paintings hung along the walls a good place to sit down. This new exhibit of priceless works of art is a must see for any art-lover, especially those interested in stained glass. I highly recommend a trip down to Winter Park to see these breathtaking, historical works of art. The captivating pieces can provide muse for an aspiring artist, or just good means of entertainment for any patron of the arts. Stained glass lamps hung low over dark wood tables cast an eerie, colorful glow. And for all this, from the simple stained glass lamp on your bedside to the vivid windows in chapels, we thank the artist Louis Comfort Tiffany.

oliviad@thelionstale.com

FUN FACT During his lifetime, Tiffany dedicated himself to “the pursuit of beauty.” He lived from 1848 to 1933.

Soul

APRIL 15, 2011

diversions

Real life surfing tragedy leads to uplifting movie by Wesley Wynne

SHARK BITE. In the film Soul Surfer, actress Annsophia Robb portrays surfer Bethany Hamilton who lost her arm in a shark attack.

THE LION’S TALE

Get hooked on these shark facts

SURFER he story of Bethany Hamilton is something that sounds straight out of a movie-a talented young surfer with a promising future as an athlete who lost her arm by a 14-foot tiger shark attack. Despite losing 60 percent of her blood and the sheer trauma of the incident, Hamilton still was determined to keep surfing and less than a month after the attack she went back into the water. She is currently a top professional surfer. As you can probably imagine, such a miraculous true story is the perfect framework for a Hollywood movie. Directed by Sean McNamara and coming in at around 105 minutes, Soul Surfer is the result Hollywood’s adaption of Hamilton’s life, for better or for worse. For one thing, the acting is very solid. Annasophia Robb plays a convincing optimistic teen (Hamilton) and delivers a pretty good performance the whole way through, as do Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt, who play

Hamilton’s supportive parents, Tom and Cheri. I can’t quite say the same of Carrie Underwood, who plays Hamilton’s church group leader. Although highly publicized as much as Quaid and Hunt, she doesn’t deliver as good a performance and doesn’t do as much despite how much a role religion plays in Hamilton’s life. This leads into the subject of the portrayal of Christianity in the film. One of the difficulties of adapting Hamilton’s life story is that she and her family are devoted Christians and it can be very easy to turn characters’ religion in the film to a virtual sermon. Fortunately, the film handles Christianity in a tasteful way. Although early on you get that religion encompasses a big part of Hamilton’s life, it neither takes over the movie or just disappears completely as the film goes on. An odd thing about this movie is Hamilton’s psychological recovery from the attack. Bethany remains optimistic and positive throughout most of the film and barely suffers through any kind of depression. At first I was pretty relived not to have to go through annoying angst, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was kind of weird that she had relatively very few moments of depression. If I were her, I would probably be horribly upset for a very, very long time, and I’m sure others would, too. Then again, maybe that’s just the kind of person she is. In fact, this whole movie is pretty uplifting. For a movie about such a tragic incident happening to a girl, it’s nice and sweet, almost saccharine. Even the shark attack, something one would expect would be both frightening and suspenseful, is rather tame. It’s a film that truly deserves its PG rating. And although the true story of Bethany Hamilton is spectacular and inspiring, the film’s tone doesn’t exactly show an amazing triumph of determination as well as it could have. Even with its good points (the actors, the gorgeous underwater cinematography, and portrayal of religion), it’s still too overshadowed by its cheesiness and wholesome handling that the final result isn’t that spectacular.

wesleyw@thelionstale.com

You’re

1000

times more likely to drown in the sea than to be bitten by a shark. Before the invention of

sandpaper shark skin was used to polish wood. According to the International Shark Attack File,

New Smyrna Beach is the shark attack capital of the world In their lifetime, sharks can only give birth

2 times

Great White sharks can reach speeds of

43 mph in the water.

The dwarf shark is about the size of your hand. The whale shark can be as large as a

school bus. There are about

350

different known types of sharks. The chance of being killed by a shark is one in

300,000,000

While the chance of being killed by airplane parts falling from the sky is 1 in 10 million

photo courtesy/WWW.SOULSURFETHEMOVIE.,COM

THE LION’S TALE

| diversions | APRIL 15, 2011

Apps sweep the iPhone market by Angiee Carey

Tiny Wings

Check out the most talked about apps out on the iPhone and Android market.

Tiny Wings, being number two on the on the app list, happens to be a big hit for those Angry Birds fanatics. This game, is full of beautiful hills. Use the hills as jumps - slide down, flap your wings and fly. How to play this game is quite simple, but every part of this game is made to keep you engaged and not wanting to put the iPhone/iPod down for a single second. Android: No

Words with Friends A big fan of Scrabble? Words With Friends is the carbon copy of it and you’ll love it. This app is a good way to pass time and it’s the coolest application for iPod, iPhone and Android. Not only was this app Voted the #1 Favorite App Award by Wired Magazine, Words With Friends is the perfect game that players can play at their own pace and with as many other players as they want. The objective of this game is to challenge other players to create words from your word. Android: Yes

Angry Birds Just about everyone knows how to play the top selling app on both the Iphone and the Ipad. If not, it’s pretty simple: you swipe the bird back on a slingshot to pick the speed and direction for your shot. The original version of this app exceeded past 100 million downloads in early March and still has a very active player base. Android: Yes

Tap Tap Dash

If you know what Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution are, then you have a pretty good idea of how this game works. The purpose of this game is to rock out to the songs and tap on the beats that come down at the bottom of the screen. The more bubbles you tap, the higher is your score is. This app has more then 100 hit free songs and is one of the most popular free games on the iPod Touch and iPhone. Android: Yes

Looking for some fast-paced fun? Then Diner Dash, Wedding Dash, Hotel Dash and Cooking Dash are the busy and high-speed types of games you’re searching for. The objective of this game is to seat and serve people as quickly as possible. Taking too long to please the customers can cause them to leave and your score will go down. Android: Yes

angieec@thelionstale.com

Comedian shares humorous life stories in book Bossypants Author: Tina Fey by Julia Thorncroft

on’t judge a book by its cover. A cliche that I often cringe at when it comes my way. But gazing at the cover of Tina Fey’s new book Bossypants, almost every person asks the same frustrating question: “Why does she have the body of a fat man?” What? Is it unacceptable in our society for a woman to be famous, hairy and fat? Then I think it’s time for Whoopi and Rosie to leave fame for good. If you haven’t seen the cover, you are completely lost. Tina Fey sports her head on top of a big, fat boss man’s body. Making the title of her book Bossypants, a memoir of her climb to success, all the more appropriate. Is it disturbing that she has a man’s body? Yes. Is it funny that she has a man’s body? Yes. Well, it depends on if you’re a fan or not. Needless to say, the cover

is simple a small sample of the content inside this wonderful waste of trees. I grew up watching Fey perform along with Jimmy Fallon, and after him, Amy Poehler as a “Weekend Update” anchor on Saturday Night Live. I can quote nearly half of Mean Girls shamelessly. And I have my own Liz Lemon “TGS with Tracy Jordan” jacket which I wear at least four times a week. Yes, I would say that I’m a little biased. That’s not to say my word is completely void. Fey’s book serves as an anthem to all the wide-hipped and sarcastic girls that Tina Fey can relate to, not just me. These are the same girls that wear men’s overalls and chow down two McDonald’s cheeseburgers and fries with a milkshake for desert! These are just some of the humorous struggles that Fey endured through her young adulthood. Fashion faux pas, diet faux pas, relationship faux pas. Yes, Tina Fey endured her fair share of faux pas. She discusses when she first got her period, the expectations men have in the female appearance, and trying to raise her daughter with the mentality that blonds aren’t

better than brown-haired girls (Fey calls them “yellow-haired” to even things out). She mentions sexism in the workplace, stating that women should have an “I don’t give a bleep,” attitude toward what men think of them. Amy Poehler inspired that mentality by shouting that in a read-through at SNL, but she didn’t say bleep. Even the “praise” on the back cover proves how delightful her self-deprecating sense of humor is. She put a quote from her college boyfriend on the back cover: “you’d be really pretty if you lost weight.” An awful comment, yes, but one can’t help but laugh at the thought. The book isn’t just an endless rant about how awfully men treated Fey. An easy read, the book is incredibly well-written, with more jokes bleeding through every torturous story of heartbreak and danger. Fey also shares experiences as a teenager: theater students surrounded by gays, moving to Chicago holding a bleak receptionist job at an inner-city YMCA until Second City saved her, and ultimately reaching her dream of writing for Saturday Night Live. A show which, by the way, she

became the first female head writer of. But that’s a milestone she typically plays down. She talks about her initial nerves meeting the legendary SNL creator Lorne Michaels, the “Harvard Boys” who wrote sketches versus the “Improv People” who performed on the show, and Sarah Palin’s alleged influence on 30 Rock’s “low ratings.” It’s not like 30 Rock was an Emmy-winning show in it’s fifth season before Tina decided to put on a red pant suit and claim that she could see Russia from her house. Oh wait. Bossypants is not some feminist tale of redemption and success. It’s really more of a tale about Fey’s miserable life experiences that would usually bring down the weak. With her book, Fey creates the perfect fantasy world for all the chubby, brown-haired girls. She inspires young women in the world to go for what they want in life. Most importantly, to not care what men think of them. If only every book could be as laugh-outloud hilarious as this one. Then again, not every book can be written by Tina Fey.

juliat@thelionstale.com

(sports sports )

APRIL 15, 2011

THE LION’S TALE

Q&A

Girl’s 4x800

The girls 4x800 contributed to the first win ever at a meet for the girl’s track and field team.

Rachel Roberson ‘12

JUMPING into action

What do you do before a meet? For the SAC meet we had a team meal at one of the team member’s house. The day before, we did a light workout and ran 2 miles. Before every 4x800 we pray.

What do you do to team bond? We sometimes have group dress up days and we handed out spirit bags. And when we don’t dress up we wear our track Dana Roberson shirts.

Ryley McCallum

‘13

What’s the hardest part of the 4 by 800? Being the anchor, I watch everyone else run, and I know I’m the last one to run. And I just try to keep my pace.

photo/CARSON BAILEY

WAY TO THE TOP. Junior Alex Tejada practices pole vaulting for the upcoming district championship meet.

‘12

What are some team goals? We want to qualify for states. Last year we were one place away from placing, and the top eight go. So we hope to finish in the top eight at states.

Danielle Turk

‘13

Tejada places first in pole vaulting by Andrea Dobo

unior Alex Tejada positions himself on the starting runway and begins sprinting forward, lifting his knees up as he sprints forward. He places his pole, and launches himself over the bar, twisting vertically and landing on the pad that cushions his fall. Competing as a pole vaulter, Tejada placed first in the Seminole Athletic Conference (SAC) on April 14, and did well on his other three events. At the SAC conference meet, Tejada broke a personal record for the 110-meter hurdles, with 16.1 seconds. He ended the meet finishing third. While participating in SAC the athletes competed against schools in the whole county. “I did awesome,” Tejada said. “Having a personal record shows that I’m getting better as the season goes on. I should be prepared for districts. I need to make sure to get a better start for the hurdles.” Also, Tejada placed first in pole vaulting, with a height of 10 ft 6 in. In the 4x400, Tejada and his team placed fifth place. Running with Tejada were senior Brandon Fetter, junior Daniel Panton, and sophomore Tommy Anderson. With a personal record for 110-meter hurdles and finishing first for pole vaulting,

Tejada improved on his other events that weren’t up to par. Working on his triple jump, he hopes to improve for districts, which will take place Wednesday, April 20. “I need to make sure I eat healthy and I take ice baths so that my legs aren’t as sore when the meet comes,” Tejada said. Beginning as a freshman, Tejada competes in jumping events including the triple jump, the long jump, the 110-meter hurdles and pole vault. In previous years, he has also taken part in a variety of different events. As a sprinter, he’s competed in the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, the 4x100 meters, the 4x400 meters and the 300-meter hurdles. In the field events, he’s competed in the shot put and discus throwing. “I was on the pole vaulting team last year with another guy, I kind of feel like I have to be the leader. I’m happy that I’m not doing it by myself. It’s good to have people by your side,” Tejada said. Although Tejada pushes himself to keep improving, he focuses on the difficulties of each event he competes in. “At the end of the season, I start feeling like a competitor,” Tejada said. “I just need to watch how I can not do things I shouldn’t have been doing in previous meets. I go over what I’ve learned and put it all to use.” Although Tejada pushes himself to keep

improving, he focuses on the difficulties of each event he competes in. The triple jump tests the athlete’s distance they can cover after hopping on alternating feet, described by Tejada as playing hopscotch. “The hardest part of the triple jump is to get enough distance between each jump,” Tejada said. “My best is 40ft 7in, and I hope to improve to 41 1/2 in.” Also competing in pole vaulting, Tejada works all season to achieve his goal height of 10ft 6in. So far, his best vault is a 9ft 6in height. “The hardest part about pole vaulting is making your body go vertical and turn. You can’t get high without turning,” Tejada said. Tejada improves himself by asking his coach to diagnose his skills and try to fix the problems he is having. He looks at the outcomes and figures out what to change. “I call him Iron Man because he does so many different events and he does good,” head track and field coach Tom Hammontree said. “He is tenacious in what he does and succeeds.” Tejada’s coach since freshman year, Hammontree, sees progression in Tejada. “He’s gotten stronger, mentally and physically. He has a strong desire to try hard at anything he does,” Hammontree said.

andread@thelionstale.com

THE LION’S TALE

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11b-3367

APRIL 15, 2011

sports

Rods, reels, lots of fish Teens relish relaxing with fishing poles in hand by Amanda Ferguson

unior Will Cutler grabs his radio, fishing pole, tackle box, life jackets, fishing license and a couple of friends and heads out to one of his favorite fishing spots in town. “I either fish on the St. John’s, the Indian River, or Mosquito Lagoon,” Cutler said. Students share their fishing stories, and best memories from their fishing hobby. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission claims that Florida is the “Fishing Capital of the World” because of Florida’s resources and responsible management. Many students from around campus partake in fishing.

Freshwater

According to http://myfwc.com, Florida offers 3 million acres of freshwater lakes, ponds and reservoirs, and 10,550 miles of rivers, streams and canals. Cutler normally goes out fishing for four to five hours at a time, normally after school and on the weekends. “My favorite thing about fishing is the fight, and then the catching and accomplishment and being able to say ‘I caught you,’ ” Cutler said. Senior Will Goodman’s father introduced him to fishing at age seven. Although Goodman prefers saltwater fishing, he goes freshwater fishing more because it is more accessible to him. “I like to go trolling across Buck Lake on the days we don’t have school,” Goodman said. Senior Austin Lager prefers freshwater fishing because he gets to do it more than saltwater. His dad got him interested in fishing when he was in sixth grade. “The best part about fishing is just being out there on the water,” Lager said. Lager fishes on lakes all around Oviedo, including Buck Lake and Long Lake. “I think the hardest part about fishing is reeling in the really big fish,” Lager said. Junior Ashley Miller fishes from her dock on Seminole Woods Lake. She catches fish such as bluegill and large mouth bass. “I like when I catch a fish and when it gets on the hook. Fighting the fish is the best part,” Miller said.

Saltwater

Saltwater fishing is a common sport for the state because Florida is a peninsula. Senior Meagan Borger goes saltwater fishing with her dad when she does not have soccer games on the weekends. “Freshwater fishing is just too easy, I like the challenge of saltwater,” Borger said. Over the weekends they normally head out to Ponce Inlet. Borger does most of her fishing in the Florida Keys over the summer. “The best place I’ve ever fished was Islandmorada, and on Marathon I caught a MahiMahi,” Borger said. Miller also goes saltwater fishing with her

photo COURTESY OF /ASHLEY MILLER

FISH AND FRIENDS. Junior Ashley Miller, and her friends show off the products of their successful fishing trip.

dad, and catches a wide range of fish such as mahi-mahi, cobia, wahoo, and sharks. “I like both kinds of fishing, [freshwater and saltwater] but I like saltwater better because it is more exhilarating,” Miller said. Cutler enjoys saltwater fishing. He considers the canals of Miami to be the best place that he’s ever fished in. In the seventh grade, he caught a nine-pound peacock bass with his father while in the Miami canals. “I prefer saltwater because you never know what you are going to catch,” Cutler said. Junior Kayla Joyce goes fishing with her family at Cape Canaveral and in the Florida Keys whenever she gets the chance. Joyce prefers saltwater fishing to freshwater because of the solitude the ocean offers and that there are bigger fish to catch in the ocean. “I love not being able to see the land and being in the middle of the ocean and having no connection to reality or humans,” Joyce said. Joyce is most proud of the wahoo she caught on Marathon Key two summers ago. She claims it is the best fish she has ever caught. Junior Robert Sullivan fishes from the ocean and intercoastal shores, with friends and family. “The best fish I ever caught was a 15-pound redfish at Sykes Creek about six months ago,” Sullivan said. However, Sullivan considers the intercoastal the best place to fish. “The best fishing ever was off some island in the intercoastal. I caught a stingray, two redfish and eight mangrove snappers,” Sullivan said. Junior Steven Hartshorn does both fresh and saltwater fishing, but prefers to go in saltwater. “There’s more variety of fish to catch and the

photo/JANIE WILLIAMS

HOOKED ON FISHING. Junior Will Cutler catches a large mouth bass on Little Lake Howell and works to get the fish off the hook.

fish usually fight harder,” Hartshorn said. Hartshorn has been fishing since he was a little kid, when his parents first got him into the sport. Although Hartshorn fishes a lot in Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River, he really prefers the Florida Keys. “I like fishing in the Keys, but I usually catch the most fish in the southern part of Mosquito Lagoon,” Hartshorn said. Hartshorn enjoys fishing because he likes catching fish and relaxing on the boat. Freshman Nicole Sokolowski fishes in Haul Over Canal with her cousins and friends. They catch a variety of fish including sheepshead, catfish, redfish, and black drums. “What I like about fishing is that you get to go out on the boat, and have a nice day of relaxing, and being outdoors and waiting to catch a decent sized fish,” Sokolowski said.

amandaf@thelionstale.com

THE LION’S TALE

Excitement builds for senior night by Gloria Choi

t’s game day and the girls softball team walks to the left side of the field and huddles into a circle. The captains start the rally as they begin chanting “Oviedo” while the others join in or start screaming as loud as they can to try to get pumped up for the upcoming softball game against Lake Brantley High School. “We had pretty big wins this year,” junior Sable Lee said. Some notable wins include the recent game on Feb. 24 beating Lake Mary 9-1 and their recent game on April 8 against Lake Brantley, scoring 10-2. They have prepared for the game by running and doing conditioning drills like pitching, hitting and throwing the ball to each other. “The outfielders and infielders would practice catching ground balls and fly balls to keep our skills sharp,” Lee said. As they started to grow as players, they began to look at what they needed to improve on and worked hard to improve by the next game. “I don’t think we know how good we are and how the other teams are scared of us. I have a lot of friends on other teams because of club ball. They all said that we were the team they wanted to beat the most and that they see us as a threat,” Lee said. While they look to improve the Lady Lions also strive to win. “I hope we go far in districts because we have a lot of strong players this year,” senior Paige Mathews said. With the team overall statistics being 10-11 so far, they are excited to show the other team how much they improved from the previous game. “We have our ups and downs,” senior Chelsea Wildey said. As their excitement starts to build, the senior players were especially looking forward to the senior night game against Lake Brantley on Friday, April 8. “The seniors will start off the game, then the coach will do whatever she wants. The field will be decorated and the seniors will give speeches. It’s a big deal,” Wildey said. For the team, the best games are home games because of all the resources that are close to them. “I look forward to beating the opponent and have time to practice swings. Also the equipment is always nearby,” Wildey said. Playing fast pitch softball helped Mathews earn a scholarship at the State College of Florida at Manatee. “I got a full ride and I plan to continue playing softball,” Mathews said. Jacksonville University awarded Lee a scholarship and Florida Golf Coast University awarded Wildey a scholarship as well. “Bright Futures and the scholarship I got will get me a full ride,” Wildey said.

gloriac@thelionstale.com

THE LION’S TALE

| sports | APRIL 15, 2011

Second seat motivates players

Rigorous workouts in practice prepare team for districts by Daniel Condly

didn’t take the loss lightly. Knowing they needed to get better, the he boy’s varsity vollyball team currently ranks second in the team analyzed the mistakes they made and moved forward. district and fifth in the Orlando Sentinel Super Six. Hoping “When we lost to Lake Mary we were set back but not crushed. to maintain their position for the district semi finals, coach It could have happened to a lot of teams because Lake Mary won Rafael Valle expects his team’s hard work and rigorous practices the districts last year,” junior Cory Rogers said. “However knowing to pull them through. what we did wrong, we won’t lose to them again.” “There is no magic formula to our success,” coach Valle said. With the team’s next game April 27 against Lyman High “Only the hard work and preparation from practices the players School, Coach Valle knows Oviedo exhibit.” can pull a victory against this tough Senior Zak Blue agrees. contender. I have an abundance of faith in all my “We work very hard in practice, “I expect my team to go in and players and I know their hard work will following important details in play hard against Lyman. It’s not our drills to take our game to the give them a win in the first round. going to be an easy game but we next level,” Blue said. Coach Rafael Valle should be able to beat them,” Valle The team’s success is partially said. “We try to keep our playing due to the years of practice in standards higher than that of our summer tournaments. Being together for so long has created a opponents. As long as we play to our highest ability, we can beat great companionship among players. anyone.” “The team shows great respect for one another on and off the Districts are two games away and Vidot is happy about the court,” Valle said. team achieving their second place rank. Senior Connor Bailey agrees. “I’m very happy that we achieved second rank. It makes me “There is a strong bond between all of the players on the team. feel proud of my team because in the past we never reached that We have been playing together for a few years so we know each level,” Vidot said. other pretty well,” Bailey said. May 2-7, at Robert Lundquist Gymnasium, is when Oviedo Junior Andrew Vidot feels that the volleyball team is not will play their first game for the district semi finals. Coach Valle egotistic, which leads to their success. knows the team will go in and play hard against their first contender, “Most of the teams out there are selfish and the players only Winter Springs High School (ranked third overall). think of themselves. Volleyball is a team sport and players need to “I think we’ll do very well in our first game. Winter Springs act as one. Our volleyball team is family and that’s not something has always been a tough team, but we have beat them twice and many of the teams out there can say. We do a lot of things together look forward to beating them again,” coach Valle said. “I have an like team dinners and even watch movies just to get team bonding abundance of faith in all my players and I know their hard work and be a stronger family,” Vidot said. will give them a win in the first round.” danielc@thelionstale.com After losing to Lake Mary, with a final score of 0-3, the team

“

photo/ JANIE WILLIAMS

STEVEN HITS. Senior Steven Vaughn works on his spike at practice in the Robert W. Lundquist Gymnasium in preparation for the district championships to be held May 2-7 at Oviedo. While Vaughn practices, coach Rafael Valle watches for proper techniques. “We have been doing a lot of conditioning. Working on timing with setters has been a focus because we need to get kills during the game,” Vaughn said.

”

Team bonding results in wins by Janie Williams

he varsity girl’s water polo team focuses their eyes on key games that will get them to the state championships on April 29-30. After losing in the state quarterfinals last year to St.. Thomas Aquinas High School, the team focuses on a more organized warm up, specific plays and team bonding. The team’s won every game except one against Lake Nona High School. With no losses in the district the team has their best chance at winning the state title this year. “We are looking really good. We won every game but one and we are half way through our season. We beat Hagerty High School and Winter Springs High School by a lot and they were supposed to be close games. We destroyed them,” sophomore Madison Greco said. Team chemistry has been a big factor in the girl’s winning record. “The team has been working really well together. We are using everyone’s strengths to the team’s advantage,” junior Karen Thomas said. Senior Brittany Skeels, in particular, has been affected by the team chemistry. “The best part of this season would be, we all have been working so well together. It shows in our record. It is nice being able to go to practice and not worrying about fighting. We have great chemistry,” Skeels said. Two important match-ups this season have been against Winter Park High School who came in second last year at the state championships and Dr. Phillips High School. “We are first in the district but the game against Winter Park

will decide if we are first in the Super Six,” Thomas said. The girl’s team trains hard with the district championship less than a month away but remains confident. “We are confident about winning districts but we have to play strong against Dr. Phillips again so we can go to states. We beat Dr. Phillips 13-2,” Greco said. With districts just around the corner on April 23 at Lake Brantley High School, the girls push to remain focused on winning a state title. Girl’s water polo has never won a state title but they are hopeful this year. “We are working on various types of drives as well as the pick and roll for offensive drills, and the drop which we use for harder teams on defense,” Greco said. photo/ CARSON BAILEY Two to two and a half hours a day of practice LOOKING FOR THE PASS. Senior Tori Kidd looks for an open teammate to pass everyday helps the team keep their record. Working to in hopes of scoring a goal. on specific plays and skills helped the team produce about certain plays for the game,” Thomas said. a winning record. After high school seniors Shannon Bellamy and Brittany Skeels “We are working on specific plays and when we have performed the plays in games we have scored almost every time. We just have hope to play water polo in college. Skeels is considering playing for Florida State University’s club team but it depends on the workload to keep our heads in the game and stay motivated,” Skeels said. Before every game, the team starts with a warm up and of college. Bellamy plans to go to University of Central Florida and play their coaches Charlie Rose and Ryan Donnell talk about game water polo for her four years there. strategies. “We do sprints to get ready to swim and listen to our coach talk janiew@thelionstale.com

Roar Board

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APRIL 15, 2011

sports

photo/CARSONBAILEY

May wins first at district finals Seniors lead baseball team

Seniors Ryan Myers and Mac Metcalf have led the boy’s baseball The boy’s and girl’s tennis teams finished their season strong at the district tournament this year. Junior Lisa May won the #1 district title along team back from 0-5 start to the season, to a 13-10 record. The Lions with the #1 doubles final. May advanced to states but eventually lost in the beat Lyman High on Friday, April 15, 11-1. The Lions head into the semi-finals to Naples High. Junior Brandon Mordecai and sophomore Tacory district tournament on Monday April 25 at Lake Whales. Williams both finished as district runners up and Williams paired with Kyle Kierstead in the #5 doubles, losing in the semi-finals. The girls ended the season with a 3-7 record and the boys with a 1-9 record. Senior Tyler Chaudoin and Sean Mederos competed in the boy’s state wrestling competition. Medaros competed in the 219 pound category, placing 10th overall. Chaudoin competed in the 238 pound category and placed sixth overall. “I’m proud of the guys that went and hopefully next year the team can The boy’s lacrosse team defeated Trinity Prep School on Wednesday, improve on this year’s preformance,” senior Jarrett Slater said. April 13, 15-6. With a record of 11-3, the Lions now head into the district tournament seeded second. The Lions beat Hagerty Wednesday with a score of 15-5 and now face Lake Brantley in the final at 7 p.m. The girl’s lacrosse team are 14-4 on the season, coming off two wins over Park Vista and Pine Crest High School this past weekend. The team beat Park Vista 15-10, with a strong performance from sophomore Kendyll Darley, who lead the team with four points. Junior Natalie Schneeberger The boy’s water polo team traveled to Winter Park High on April 16 lead the lions to a victory over Pine Crest High, 14-9, scoring six goals. to take on the Wildcats. The Lions left with a loss, 29-3, but was led by The Lions defeated Hagerty High,21-6, in the district semi-final on senior Collin Perry with two goals. Wednesday, April 20. Winter Springs now awaits the Lions in the final. The “Our coach tells us ‘bleed in the dojo and you’ll laugh on the Bears came away with a victory over the Lions in their last encounter 12-11, battlefield.’ He wants us to try harder to compete with the more elite with the winning goal scored in the last two minutes. teams in central Florida,” Perry said. “I think we’re a lot more prepared than we were in the regular season. Currently ranked number 7 in the Orlando Sentinel Super Six, the We have been watching them play and adjusting our defense to stop their Lions hold a record of 6-1in the district, with their only loss coming to offense. Our offense has paid attention to the goalie’s weaknesses so they Hagerty High in overtime. The district tournament begins this Saturday, can exploit them,” Darley said. April 23 where the Lions will go in as the second seed.

Weightlifters place at states

Lacrosse team faces off LBHS in district finals

Lions down Hagerty HS

Boy’s fall to Winter Park

With

Sadie Yanckello

1.What is your favorite ice cream? Ben

and Jerry’s fish food

2. What is your dream pet? Velocaraptor or spider monkey

3. What is your favorite old Nickelodeon? Spongebob

4. Describe your dream house? Penthouse apartment in New York City!

5. FSU or UF? Neither

THE LION’S TALE

ON THE BALL. Junior Cole Hensley

palms the ball as he prepares to head toward the goal in the game against Boone High School. Sophomore A.J. Persampiere swims along side his teammate in a defensive position. “I’ve played water polo for six years starting when I was nine. I love the game because it is so physical with few rules,” Persampiere said. Players work against a 30 second shot clock and must turn the ball over to the other team if the time is exceeded. Two refs are stationed at each end of the pool where nets the size of a soccer goal await the ball. Both teams field a goalie. Freshman Cameron Gray maintains that position for the Lions.

On the sidelines...

photo/CARSON BAILEY

RUNNING THE BATON. Senior Sadie Yanckello practices her relay care hands offs at a training session.

JANIE WILLIAMS SPORTS EDITOR

Teens miss prom for sports tournament

hich is the better choice? Should I miss school and have all this make up work or should I go to a tournament and have a college scout be there to see me play? Teachers tell you to reach for your dream, which usually means they want you to apply yourself in school. For some kids the dream they are reaching for involves reaching to save the ball in a volleyball game or reaching to make a final second takedown in a wrestling match. I feel for all the girlfriends who do not go to prom because their boyfriends are out of town at club tournaments, and also for the female athletes who missed prom as well. Junior Kayla Joyce and other female club volleyball players missed the prom because the girls were in Atlanta at the Big South Volleyball tournament. In high school, the thing to look forward to are prom and graduation. Girls dream about prom from when they are little. “I was very mad I had to miss prom because my boyfriend is a senior and now everyone is talking about how awesome prom was,” Joyce said. Athletes need to focus on their games but it’s hard to focus on an important match when you are missing prom and school and then you are being scouted by a college coach. Turn on the pressure. Then when the girls arrive back home from an out of town tournament, they have to hear all they have missed. Imagine how these girls felt when they got back from the tournament and they missed prom. They hear about how pretty the dresses were, how long it took everyone to get ready and how great the DJ was. “It is really hard to manage. I am behind in almost all my classes and especially in math. I have four to five assignments to do,” junior Julie Brown said. The amount of work overwhelms athletes. Teachers need to realize the importance of these tournaments even though they are not school functions. Actors audition for production after production trying to find a show that will give them their big break. These tournaments are like an actor’s big production. They put a lot of practice in and have a few days to show their talent to a college scout. These girls work hard everyday in practice and as soon as they get caught up with school work they leave for another trip. Some people would say, why don’t they just quit? These tournaments sometimes give more opportunities to students than making them sit in class and learn.

janiew@thelionstale.com

THE LION’S TALE

| features | APRIL 15,2011

e y D Tie t c e f Ef Girls create tiedye to die for by Stephanie O’Sullivan

enior Lindsay Broadhurst taps her finger against her chin contemplatively as she stares at the beakers in front of her. She gives a small nod of her head as picks her colors and raises a dropper filled with dye. “I like tie-dyeing because it’s an easy, inexpensive way to transform plain clothes into something new,” Broadhurst said. Broadhurst began tie-dyeing during her sophomore year in her chemistry class. “Since the 10th grade, I have tie-dyed four t-shirts, a pair of boxers, shorts, a skirt, two tank tops and a pair of knee-high socks,” Broadhurst said. Senior Morgan Casavant has also been tie -dyeing since sophomore year. “I really wanted to do it again before I left. I like putting together different combinations of colors to see what it comes out like,” Casavant said. Broadhurst stayed after school with members of the Science National Honor Society to help Bioscience teacher Kathy Savage tie-dye. Senior Paige Giesler also enjoys tiedyeing. “I like to tie-dye because it’s a way to be creative. I love using new designs. My favorite colors to use are pink, blue, purple, and green, because they are dominant colors,” Giesler said. Broadhurst likes the originality of tiedye. “I love tie-dyeing because no two finished products are the same. Anyone can transform a plain white t-shirt into a technicolor sensation,” Broadhurst said.

stepho@thelionstale.com

WASH IT ALL AWAY. Seniors Alicia Tripp and Caitlin Loftus wash away the dye from their hands after dying their shirts on April 13 in Bioscience teacher Kathy Savage’s room.

SPIN THE COLORWHEEL.

(Top) Senior Lindsay Broadhurst checks out what the colors will end up looking like after being washed before dying her shirt. (Left) Senior Morgan Casavant twists her shirt into the “spiral” formation. (Right) Senior Traci Hill applies dye to her shirt. all photos/CARSON BAILEY

DECIDING DESIGN. Seniors Gloria Lozano and Paige Giesler plan how they want their shirt to look before starting to dye.