Volume 54 Issue 4 by The Lion's Tale

LION’STALE

OVIEDO HIGH SCHOOL • 601 KING STREET • OVIEDO, FL 32765 • FEBRUARY 14, 2014 • VOLUME 57 • ISSUE 4

features

news

Learn ways to ask a date to Sadie Hawkins

sports

Find out how men stand up under society’s pressures

Get an up close look at boys soccer’s dominant season

( news sports )

THE LION’S TALE

FEBRUARY 14, 2013

SECME team reaches sky

THE SCOOP

In competition on Saturday, Feb. 8, the SECME team of junior Brandon Lam, sophomore Sam Goldstein, sophomore Jing Wu, and junior Zack Spikes won first in the Math Bowl. Also, the water rocket team of juniors Kadi Gashlin and Clara Shine won second place along with getting Best Technical Drawing and Best Patch Design.

Dance wins national ranking

Mane Attraction won 10th place at the UDA National Dance Team Competition in Hip Hop. Last year the team ranked 22nd. “Our goal was top ten this year so we achieved our goal. It was just as good as winning,” said junior Hollie Moyer.

SCPS names Jarzynka TOY

Balloons greeted Beth Jarznka 1st period on Feb. 14 annoucing her win as Seminole County Teacher of the Year. She will go on to represent SCPS at the state level.

State to consider changes to school grading criteria

The State Board of Education meets on Feb. 18 to discuss revisions to how schools will be graded. Changes could include dropping many of the requirements and focusing only on FCAT scores. As a result, grades for high schools could be released during the summer.

Local artist wins award Local artist Kadi Gashlin won the Farmer’s Market Artist of the Month award for Febuary at the Farmer’s Market. “It made me feel like I have a chance at being able to do what I love,” said Gashlin.

photocourtesyof/WENDYLEVITT-GASHLIN

BEST LOCAL ARTIST. Junior Kadi Gashlin shakes hands with Mayor Dominic Persampiere after being named the Farmer’s Market Artist of the Month.

photo/MILESMINER

LOCKED FOR SAFETY. PE students collect their backpacks from the locked collection bin with Coach Harold Hitt. After everything is retrieved, they then head to their next period class.

Administration reacts to stealing in PE classes by Alex White

he Administration took decisive action this month to stop escalating thefts of backpacks in the men’s P.E. locker room, requiring all backpacks to have photo ID’s attached to them. “We’ve decided to print ID’s at our cost so that each student would have their own ID, separate from their school ID, just for their backpacks. Most backpacks are black. If you have 50 black backpacks in the bin a day, I can see why someone would mistake theirs with someone else’s,” Principal Robert Lundquist said. Senior Sergio Masci, one of many who lost their things to thefts, believes that there were not many ways he could’ve prevented his things being taken. He lost his Axe body spray and gym clothes to a theft. “The only way you could prevent your things being taken is making sure that everything is in place and locked up when you walk out. Other than that there’s not much you can do to prevent it. A person can just go in, grab something and then be out,” Masci said. “I never got my things back and I had to replace them but anyone can just snatch it and walk away.” A locker is provided to each gym student and some are able to squeeze their backpack inside, while others are not. These lockers are relatively small measuring 9.75 by 14 inches. According to Lundquist, stolen backpacks have not been a problem since the introduction of the ID’s. Freshmen Ken Evers describes how he would feel if someone were to steal his things. “If it were something that was small that was stolen I wouldn’t consider it to be a big deal,” Evers said. “If someone decided to take my backpack I would feel sort of desperate because all of my stuff

was in there. All of it.” Vice Principal Felicia Naidu states that thefts in the girl’s locker room are happening as well. “There have been some thefts with the girl’s shorts. Sometimes they don’t leave their locks closed so other people are coming in and taking their clothes. I’ve gotten a couple reports since I’ve been here which hasn’t been long,” Naidu said. “It seems like their items are left unattended and they leave their change and book bags out. Whether they leave their book bags or things out, people will still take them. Although the lock is there, it’s often left open. Maybe they’re giving their combination to their friends and they’re taking things. So far we haven’t been able to put the pieces together to when things are going missing.” Some students decide to share their gym lockers for various reasons and junior Simon Temple is one of them. “I don’t have my own locker, I share with a friend but it’s extremely small. I think if the lockers are enlarged students could then fit their backpacks in there and also prevent a lot of stealing,” said Temple. “Were the only ones with the code so no one else could just break in and take something like they would in a box full of other people’s backpacks.” Freshman Max Holbrook found an alternative solution, which is to place any valuables that are in his bag in his regular school locker instead of in his backpack. Freshmen Ben Shutt states his backpack is easily recognizable amongst the others and he believes that people steal because of personal issues. “People steal probably because they’re having a bad time out of school so they feel as if they should dish out their anger on other things. I’m just saying this from what I know but people will just take things

for themselves and do whatever they want with it and not care about the consequences,” Shutt said. Naidu has ideas on how to prevent stealing of people’s items as well. “I think it’s important that you take pride in your things and lock them up. Don’t share your combinations with other people so they can’t get into your locker,” Naidu said. “I’m not saying that its ok for your things to be taken, but with a school with over 2000 students, and people will come in and out of the locker-room, be proactive and lock your things up. Don’t leave your things out and think that the world is filled with great people because that’s not reality. We as people need to be respectful of others.” Freshman Nathan Haddadd believes that students moral code should stop them from stealing from others and that the school should be a safe place to leave your things. “It’s just wrong,” Haddadd said. “There’s trust in the school and students have trust that when they leave their things, even locked up, that they will be there when they get back. I would be pretty upset if someone stole something of mine because it’s supposed to be secure at school so it’s kind of a violation of privacy.” Lundquist doesn’t know if these students take the backpacks accidently, or purposely, but one thing that Lundquist has no tolerance for is a thief. “As a teenage student I can work with you in many ways. I understand students making mistakes whether its error in judgment, being lazy, or not doing your homework,” Lundquist said. “I don’t understand what goes through one’s mind for someone to want to steal something that doesn’t belong to them. I have no empathy what so ever and I think they need some help and they need to get help.” alexw@thelionstale.com

FEBRUARY 14, 2014 | news | THE LION’S TALE 03

CONSTANTLY ON CELLPHONES. Gabriel Antonio and Cammie Michella sit on their phones during lunch.

CALL. Trevor Barrows and Tim Torres stand on the overpass between buildings one and thirteen texting on their phones. allphotos/MILES MINER

Committee calls students out on cellphones L ast month a committee of administrators and teachers formed to look into cellphone cheating on campus. This action came after teachers responded to an online survey dealing with cellphone use. “[The intent was to] To examine our cellphone policy and see what changes we need to recommend going forward,” said Dean William Schult. The committee was formed in January and met multiple times, with a group of seven teachers and lead by Schult. “While this survey deals mainly with tests, taking pictures of homework is also a big (maybe bigger) problem,” said an unnamed teacher. Over forty-four percent of a survey of 81 teachers reported experiencing cellphone cheating in their class, but many teachers commented that they observed a considerable amount of cheating on homework also. “I’ve caught students copying homework from others who have sent a picture of the answers,” said another teacher. Teachers recognize the disruption cellphones cause during class, and these disruptions lead to dissatisfaction with the current policy. “I believe we allow these students to continue to walk around with their cellphones and just from having it on them gives them the want and the need to bring it out it into class,” said world history teacher Bryan Singer. Sophomore Eddie Acevedo says that he finds that when he uses his cellphones in class it becomes distracting. “I have missed a lot of things, and then I have to keep asking my classmate what is going on,” said

Acevedo. Teachers report that parents sometimes contact students during class in violation of school policies. “He [a student] was adamant that his parents told him that he must answer anytime they attempt to contact him… he is never to hand his phone over to anyone at school,” a teacher reported. Singer believes cellphone usage during class has increased. “I have seen lately it has been more of a problem. Wanting to text each other, playing games on class, Flappy Bird, and it’s gotten crazy,” said Singer. English III teacher Paul Brown and several teachers have expressed other opinions. “There are times that cellphones can be useful. I have one child assigned in each class [to use Google],” said Singer. Many teachers encourage students use cellphones to look up definitions or facts during class, including Brown and Singer. On the survey, a teacher suggested using phones as a learning tool; believing it is fruitless to try and stop the use of technology. Brown and American History Honors teacher Kimberley McKernan feel the policy doesn’t need to be changed. McKernan asserts that the faculty needs to be consistent when giving punishment or setting class rules for cellphones. “I think students need to meet the administration and policy half way, follow the policy with more respect than they do,” said Brown. Alternatively, Singer feels the policy is highly ineffective and needs to be changed. “It should stay in their locker. They should be

Have you experienced cellphone cheating in class?

Yes

info/COURTESY OF ADMINISTRATION

able to use it maybe in between classes and during the ten-minute break but it isn’t a necessity,” said Singer. In the survey, a popular alternative to the current policy would be for students to drop cellphones off with the teacher at the beginning of class, and collect them as class ended. Some teachers already require the removal of phones during an exam. Junior Andrea D’Alfonso disagrees, believing this policy would be ineffective. “I think people are really possessive of their phones. They don’t feel like its safe if it’s not with them,” said D’Alfonso Acevedo shares this viewpoint. He felt uncomfortable placing cellphones at the front of the class. Some teachers believe in banning phones from school completely, while others believe increasing consistency among faculty will improve the situation. “I know some people think we shouldn’t have them at all. I think that is foolish. I think that when times change, so do we,” said Brown. D’Alfonso supports the current policy, but agrees that large numbers of students are obsessed with their cellphones. “The phones are too much of an extension of these kids for them to exercise control,” said a teacher.

vey.

Editor’sNote Unnamed teachers reported from an anonymous survey.

Never Occasionally Enough for disruption Frequently So much, it’s a major issue

Q&A with Dean William Schult about the new cellphone committee

Q: Why was the committee formed? A: To examine our cellphone policy and see what changes we need to recommend going forward in the future. Q: When was it formed? A: January.

Q: What was the purpose of the survey ? A: The survey was really to determine the teachers’ perceptions of the use or bridgetteh@thelionstale.com misuse of electronic devices.

How often during a period do you tell a student to put away their phone? Percent of teachers (81)

by Bridgette Holland

Q: Who formed the committee? A: Mr. Lundquist asked me to put together a committee to study our current policy. Q: What is the committee doing to improve the policy? A: We have looked at other schools cellphone policies, and we have discussed what may be a larger issue of academic integrity.

THE LION’S TALE

| news | FEBRUARY 14, 2014

PRESSURE on men from society

photo/ COURTESY OF RYAN HELLIESEN-GRAY

Campus weighs in on social pressure toward males by Keenan Smith

ridiculous,” said sophomore Katherine Roberson. Roberson also believes females enforce a double standard when it rom advertisements in “crombie-esque” stores to leading male roles in films, statistics show pressure on males to be physically comes to objectifying men. “Guys probably think that if they are not perfect like that then they well-built affects the way they behave and view themselves. “Being healthy is a high priority but I think often guys do this just will not have girlfriends or go anywhere in life. A lot of guys start to to accommodate the culture. Society tells us that being muscular looks toy with girl’s emotions instead of going after a relationship because better,” said sophomore Sam Goldstein. “During the Renaissance, the they are pressured to be that guy that gets all the girls in high school,” style of the nobles was to wear a skirt and stockings and makeup. So said Roberson. She believes that if men carried around shopping bags with scantily this proves that culture is very powerful in shaping our perceptions.” The New York Times recently cited a statistic from the journal clad girls there would be an uproar. “If a girl has a picture of a jacked guy Pediatrics stating that more than 40 percent with a six-pack in her locker, people find that of boys in middle school and high school Society has a view of what we acceptable but if I had a picture of a Victoria said they regularly exercised with the goal Secret model in mine, it would be frowned should all be and too many people of increasing muscle mass. Thirty-eight upon,” said senior Stephen Slogar. percent said they used protein supplements, are trying to fit that mould “When the Twilight movies come out or and nearly 6 percent said they had there’s some really famous male athlete that’s experimented with steroids. Katherine Roberson, ‘16 jacked or whatever you’ll have moms go The big screen can also play a role in ‘oh that guy’s really cute’, and he’s like half shaping perceptions of what it means to be their age but if my dad thought some twenty year old actress was sexy a man. “In the movies there is always a muscle man who plays a hero, so everyone would be like ‘whoa, that’s creepy.’ There’s definitely some this forces people’s minds to think I should be strong. If a guy is not double standards,” said Slogar. Starling once taught a play by Tennessee Williams about two friends strong he cannot be a hero or good guy and the skinny guy always plays somebody who is weak and has less power,” said sophomore Jing Wu. and their relationship on and off the field. He says classroom discussion AP Literature teacher, Doctor Roy Starling says guys are not allowed soon led to conversation about males can and can’t do. “I said to my class, ‘When I have a really good class and my to admit having emotional or tender feelings. “Males aren’t supposed to show pain. You could get really hurt male colleague has a good class, you don’t see us coming out of our on the playground when I was in school but God help the boy who classrooms and slapping each other on the butt,’” said Starling. Roberson believes that individuals should not have to succumb to cried. Someone would say ‘Get up. You don’t cry, that’s for girls’,” said peer pressure in order to fit in. Starling. “People should definitely try to be themselves because everyone “Society has a view of what we should all be and too many people are trying to fit that mold. Guys are constantly going to the gym trying else is taken. There’s only one you, so own up to it.” to be fit and buff and all guys are going out and buying nike shoes spending like twenty dollars on one pair of elite socks. It’s kind of keenans@thelionstale.com

“

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FEBRUARY 14, 2014 |

illistration/LAUREN HEIGHT

news |

THE LION’S TALE

Since 1954

‘The Townhouse is where Oviedo meets to eat!’

by Stephanie Corrigan

hat started as a family owned business in the 1950s grew into a four-time winner of the Foodie Award Critics Choice for Best Breakfast. The Townhouse Restaurant will relocate to 139 North Central Avenue, about 300 yards away from the current location, due to the city widening the intersection at 434 and 419. “The Department of Transportation tells us that they will tear our present building down sometime next December. Hopefully, we’ll move shortly before they tear us down,” said owner Leigh-Ann Tepper. Not only will the location change, but a renovation will update the historic restaurant. “We have 102 seats now. We’re going to go up to 160 with the outdoor seating. We are going to make a few changes to the menu. We’re going to add ice cream for dessert. We’d like to be a little busier in the evenings so we’re going to add beer and wine,” said Tepper. Tepper says the expansion will require new employees. “We’re going to increase our capacity by 40 percent so I’m anticipating needing to hire about forty percent more staff. I have 30 staff now, so maybe another 12. I hope we’ll be so busy that at night [we’ll] hire more,” said Tepper. The Townhouse’s growth will be a big change for Oviedo’s oldest restaurant. “We were the only restaurant in town for like forever,” said Tepper. “It’s been a restaurant here in town since 1954. There have been a lot of things that happened here. I have certainly enjoyed the good times here; I came over here 10 years ago to buy the restaurant. My partner got this crazy idea to buy a restaurant [and] this was the one we bought,” said Tepper. Tepper says that they’re making progress in preparing to move. “It is still in the design phase. We are working on a plan [and] we are getting close. It’s going to be a great plan,” said Tepper. “We’re going to tear down the existing green building [and add] a little strip mall with retail shops that will open onto our parking lot that will have 82 parking spots. Can you imagine the Townhouse with 82 parking spots? It’s like someone’s been reading my dream journal.” To find a suitable site for the new diner, the Townhouse took both location suggestions and requests, polling many of their customers and publishing their findings on their Facebook page. “Everybody’s excited. We had a survey card so customers could say what they want [and] what they didn’t want,” said Tepper. “Everybody wanted more parking; that’s the number one demand. The other thing they all wanted was outside seating.” Tepper said she knew exactly what she wanted in a new location. “We rode our bikes around town. I like to ride my bike to work at least five days a week, so I wanted some place where I can keep riding my bike. We wanted to stay some place close to where we are because I think our customers expect us here. Also all our business neighbors are here,” said Tepper. Tepper felt a connection to the new location as soon as she

photo/ALEX WHITE

RISE AND SHINE. The Townhouse staff prepares to move to new location right across the street. Most weekends, people line up outside the restaurant ready for breakfast. The Townhouse is noted for homemade biscuits and down-home food.

toured it. “The guy who used to own it, he made robots [as his hobby]. It’s usually what people noticed,” said Tepper. “I coached my son’s robotic team for a while, so when we went in there, it was like ‘oh my gosh, robots!’ That’s how I knew. I thought ‘this is the place’… so we bought that property there. The signature paint color that attracts customers from all over the area especially stands out. “When I bought the restaurant ten years ago, I went to decide which paint to get [and] this paint was called ‘Sunny Side Up’ and I thought ‘We have to have that color. That’s the perfect color,’” said Tepper.

“

I had a team meal at the Townhouse once after basketball practice. It’s a nice memory since we all had a really nice time, eating good food and relaxing after a tough practice.

”

L. Hansmann‘14

Tepper wants to bring a piece of the restaurant with her. “We’re trying to take the Townhouse building with us in spirit,” said Tepper. It’s not an architectural marvel, but it has a little charm to it and we’re all used to looking at it, so in the design we have... some of the blooming yellow.” Tepper reflects on the influence her establishment has on the city of Oviedo. “This has been a really good location. There’s been a lot of stuff that’s happened here. If I had a dime for every customer that’s told me ‘I had my first job there’ or ‘we had our wedding reception there’... It’s funny to think about people having their wedding reception there.”

stephaniec@thelionstale.com

“

We met my mom’s (now ex) boyfriend’s son for the first time there. It was really nice to meet him there because the atmosphere of the restaurant made it feel like we were a family.

”

What Townhouse memory is your favorite?

Emily Marte‘11

(opinion sports )

THE LION’S TALE

LION’STALE

FEBRUARY 14, 2014

OVIEDO HIGH SCHOOL • 601 KING STREET • OVIEDO, FL • NOV. 18, 2013 • VOLUME 54 • ISSUE 4

Co-Editors Stephanie Corrigan Keenan Smith Alexis Diblanda Alex White Bridgette Holland Layout Editor Jaimie Landers Allison Owen Brendan McCoy News Editor Cloe-Marie Mora Clara Shine Camilla Omar Opinion Editor Sabrina Omar Amyliz Rodriguez Nicholas Rodriguez Features Editors Colton Weisent Kassandra Saliba Brandon White Chris Moskal Charity Winfrey Sports Editor Faculty Adviser Lyndsey Taylor Deborah Jepson Advertising Editor Admin Adviser Daniel Hernandez Drew Morgan Photographers Principal Miles Miner Robert Lundquist Tierney Salzmann Oviedo High School Staff Artists 601 King Street Harry Allen Oviedo, FL 32765 Catherine Griffith Phone: 407-320-4199 Lauren Height Fax: 407-320-4213 Staff Reporters Population: Alex Browning 2096 Students Sterling Corum 28 Staff members Mission Statement

The Lion’s Tale is the student newspaper of Oviedo High School, located in Oviedo, Florida. Our mission is to provide news, feature stories, editorials and opinions relevant to our readers while upholding the highest professional and ethical standards. The Lion’s Tale follows copy standards outlined in the Associated Press Stylebook, 42nd Edition, published in 2007 by the Associated Press, and is a member of the CSPA, NSPA, FSPA.

Reader Contributions

Letters to the Editor are accepted and may be sent by post, e-mail, or dropped off in Room 5-020. The Lion’s Tale does not accept guest columns, and reserves the right to edit letters to the Editor. Full policy is available on request. Advertising Policy

The Lion’s Tale reserves the right to refuse advertisements.The full advertising policy of The Lion’s Tale is on file in Room 5-020 and is available upon request.

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2500 copies of The Lion’s Tale are distributed free to all students and staff at Oviedo High School. Subscriber information is available upon request.

Submit letters to Deborah Jepson’s room 05-020 or via email to the writers of the stories

High School-First step to

Success

OUR WORD

Self control appears to key to achieving bright future

In 1970, a psychologist named Walter Mischel began an experiment that revealed the most important factor for success. A test group of four year olds were left in a sparse room void of distraction and one item within reach- a bell on a table . If the child rang the bell, the scientist would enter quickly with a single marshmallow. However, the child was told if they did not ring the bell and waited patiently for the tester to return, they would receive two marshmallows. Fast forward 10 years. The children who waited and received two marshmallows scored higher on their SAT’s, got into better colleges, and were even thinner as measured by their BMI. As for the children who rang the bell? They were more likely bullies and later in life, to struggle with drug addiction. The factor of success this test revealed is simple. Delayed gratification has a big part to play in the kind of life one will live. Self control- a trait found hand-in-hand with

delayed gratification- is believed by experts to be an integral part of society. Kirsten Weir from the American Psychological Institute puts it this way. “Most of the problems that plague modern individuals in our society — addiction, overeating, crime, domestic violence, sexually transmitted diseases, prejudice, debt, unwanted pregnancy, educational failure, under performance at school and work, lack of savings, failure to exercise — have some degree of self control failure as a central aspect.” High school provides a crucial opportunity to pave the way for success. Because of this, we at the Lions Tale believe there is no better time than now to make that possible through discipline and pushing one’s limits in education. Delaying gratification can come in different forms. For some it may be faithfully attending a less than exciting class. For others it might be cracking open a text book late at night. It might be attaining

EDITORIAL CARTOON- A view from the teacher’s desk.

the self control to avoid drugs and alcohol. Studies show the children who came from poor families had a more difficult time delaying gratification than those from middle class homes. This however does not mean individuals cannot make their own decisions. Research also shows that self-control is a skill to be learned rather than a permanent trait. When tested consistently on displays of self control young people’s aptitude for delayed gratification steadily increased. Finding the areas one is weak in offers the best starting point in the fight against laziness and impulsiveness. After this, it’s small steps towards improvement. Striving to become a super self-denier overnight can lead to a crash-and-burn. Start by taking simple notes, signing up for a semester academic elective, or answer a question in class. Living a party lifestyle or skipping out on work may seem gratifying now, but that short changes what could be had in the future. It all comes down to a simple decision. One marshmallow now, or two later.

FEBRUARY 14, 2014

opinion

Friends fight angry demons while finding perfect love

illustration/DANIELHERNADEZ

him and introduce myself? I found myself trying to get him to unleash all the anger held within the body that was his, making him promise me that he would work on getting better, to not let his life fall apart before it has even begun. I refused to quit him until he had agreed to do as I said. Something about the look in his eyes glinted appreciation while the rest of his body language screamed at me to back away. From that day on we talked constantly, but not without petty and unnecessary arguments. We would sit there in conversation, I would say something and suddenly it was a fight about shutting up and leaving one another alone. Yet neither of us shut up, and neither of us wanted to give up the fight. These fights would last for days. Eventually our friendship evolved into something more than wanting to kill each other every waking moment of the day while our peers watched us in amusement. It became something truly remarkable. He finally opened up to me about his past, his fears, his struggles. Matt confessed to me that he didn’t believe he was worthy of being loved, that he was a monster and always would be. Those were the moments where I knew I could never leave his side. I understood that he’d been through too much in life to be left

THE LION’S TALE

Time to take action to recognize rights of transgender teens

Fate takes the wheel e accept the love we think we deserve. We do this to ourselves because the way we see ourselves is the way that we project our image unto others. I never realized how much truth could be found within that statement until I met Matthew Spring. I’ll never forget the day fate introduced us. A. Rodriguez ‘14 My best friend knew him and had issues with him. We had been talking when he came in the room with his foul mouth in gear. Just from one look at him I realized what the problem was. He was angry, rude, egotistic, but most of all he was hurt. It was if I’d found myself confronted by a broken angel, a fallen soul. At first I was taken aback by his presencehe was remarkably beautiful in every sense to me yet no one saw what I did, not even him. I introduced myself, at the worst possible time in his life, thinking to myself that I would be able to repair it. Little did I know that I eventually would. Matt looked at me as if I disgusted him. Who was I, a complete stranger, to come up to

once again. I couldn’t bring myself to become another disappointment- instead I wanted to be the one good thing in his life. The person who made him the happiest. The transformation started taking place. I watched Matt go from this bad boy persona, to a man wanting to find his place in the world. He fought his demons, conquered his past, and became a person who wanted nothing but to be a better man, a better friend, a better everything. I fell for my best friend faster than the blink of an eye. I admired his tenacity, his charisma, his appreciation and love for people. In a way, I wanted to be just like him, to enable myself to understand that I was worth the love and appreciation people were giving to me. I guess, in that way, he saved me too. It’s been a year and six months, and although we still fight and he gets under my skin, there isn’t a day where I don’t tell him how much he means to me as well as the people around him. How loved he truly is. Matt is a man worthy of love. But he’s not the only one- everyone needs to know that they’re loved, that they’re worth so much more than they will ever know. Accept the love offered to you, but know you’re worth every single ounce because to someone you’re golden.

amylizr@thelionstale.com

rans*. From my experience, very few teenagers actually understand what it means to be trans*, maybe because Gender Identity Disorder only appears in an estimated one percent of the population. While gay-lesbianbisexual representation in society is climbing, the trans* population still gets pushed over into the darkest corners of acceptability. In the ‘15 gay, lesbian, bisexual, C. Shine transgender and queer acronym, T gets stuck in with the rest, and people seem to think that’s okay. Well, I stand here as crusader for equality saying that it’s not. To get this cleared up right off the bat: transsexual, transgender, genderfluid, genderqueer, non-binary gender, third-gender, a-gender, and many other labels do not in any way reflect a person’s sexuality. Gender identity is a person’s understanding of themselves and their gender, whereas sexual orientation refers to sexual attraction. Trans* is when gender identity and biological sex don’t match up. Gender is not black and white. Gender is a three-dimensional spectrum of possibility with very few people falling squarely in the textbook definition of ‘male’ or ‘female’. According to a GLSEN survey of elementary schools, one third of transgender youth have attempted suicide and 45 percent have thought about it. This is completely unacceptable. Why are we--as a community--so far behind on trans* respect? Paying the little bit more money to make gender neutral bathrooms should be worth the cost if they save a person from harassment, social embarrassment, and even suicide. Yeah, okay, a bathroom sounds like not that big of a deal but consider going into the bathroom terrified to perform the simple bodily function because you’re scared of being beaten because of the mechanics you were born with, fearful of getting smacked around and thrown out. California is the only state to allow students to use the rest rooms in public schools based on their gender identity as opposed to their sex. Nobody deserves that. Even at Oviedo, there’s cases of Transphobia I’ve seen; people making jokes about “dressing like trannies” for gender-swap day during Homecoming Week, or even laughing about the last celebrity transitioning. I’m not saying that everybody should go out and use non-violent protests to fight for trans* rights. Even though that would be awesome, I realize it’s not realistic. But just be aware that what you say or do can damage a person without you even knowing. What I want for everybody to get out of this is that these people are suffering and no matter how small the demographic is as Americans and people of this earth, we should care.

claras@thelionstale.com

08 THE LION’S TALE

| opinion | FEBRUARY 14, 2014

Are societal pressures greater on men or women?

Even at early age girls must conform Cultural norms require more of men by Alexis DiBlanda

ighty one percent of 10 year old girls are afraid of being fat. This troubling statistic from healthresearchfunding.org shows worries about appearance and the pressure to be thin starts young and affects girls far more than boys. Even at that early age society’s ideals have taken their toll. Everyone wants to feel good about themselves but 80 percent of women say the way movies, fashion magazines, advertising, and TV portray woman makes them feel insecure according to healthresearchfunding.org. The unrealistic images of women in the media have a major influence on self-esteem. These unrealistic images pressure women to look a certain way and can damage self-esteem. In extreme cases, the pressure to be thin can lead to eating disorders. According to www.anred. com, only 10 percent of people with eating disorders are male. This reflects society’s ideals for each gender, strong muscular men and thin women. In 2012 ninety percent of cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed on women. This shows that many women feel unhappy with their bodies and will go to extreme lengths in their quest for the ideal. Women are also more focused on looking younger. They pour endless amounts of money into creams and other products that claim to keep them younger for longer. Cosmetic companies market to this desire and market anti-aging products to women. Traditional gender roles are changing when it comes to raising children and supporting the family financially. However, mothers still spend

by Brandon White

more time on child care and fathers still do more paid work. According to a Pew Research Center report mothers spend an average of 14 hours a week on child care compared to seven hours for fathers. In today’s economy many families need two incomes. This puts pressure on mothers to work a full or part time job while continuing to be super moms, a time consuming task in itself. Balancing it all adds another level of stress to women’s already jam packed lives. Women’s challenges on the job begin even before she has children. A woman working full time year round is paid an average of 23 percent less than a man doing the same work according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This number has been consistent since 2002. This and other forms of inequality in the workplace can frustrate women and place pressure on them to perform at work. Women also face severe pressure in the workplace, especially in male dominated fields. Women may be underestimated by their superiors or not taken as seriously as their male coworkers. These biases can eventually lead to missed promotions and female employees not getting the recognition they deserve. Women may feel the need to work harder in an effort to impress the boss and keep up with the guys. It’s not easy trying to raise kids, advance in a career, and make personal time a priority all while looking flawless. Society puts much pressure on women to be accomplished, beautiful, and great mothers. It’s no wonder some of them are overwhelmed by the pressure.

alexisd@thelionstale.com

n the 21st century the dominance of men in our culture is still overwhelming. Men dominate politics and the business world; two forces that ultimately rule society. Not counting physical pressures, men are expected to be leaders, high earners, and well educated. With the dominance of men in leadership, the pressures of society are left to men. We as men are expected to be society’s leaders. Most politicians in our country are men, and few of our male leaders have their positions challenged by women. According to Rutgers.edu only 18 percent of our congress consists of women, thus the pressure to lead is mostly on men. Society expects and puts leadership pressures on men that women are not expected to take, so women have to work much harder to obtain these roles. Although women have to work harder, men inherit these roles and the pressure to adhere to norms these positions require. According to Forbes.com women fill only 16.6 percent of Fortune 500 Company’s board seats. According to Margie Warrell women are too candid, and less authoritative than men, which illustrates a lack of pressure to take leadership roles. The second pressure society puts on men is to make more money. According to the Huffington post women still earn 77 cents to every man’s dollar with men still the breadwinners of most American families. The typical American family features a working husband whose salary alone can provide for the family, and a housewife who relies on her husband’s income. More women in the workforce challenges the traditional family ide-

Answers: 1. D 2. E 3. B 4. C 5. A

Nearly every teenager is influenced by the

Media

brandonw@thelionstale.com

Match answers with stats on left of teens with B Percentage A Percent eating disorders thinner

ESSU

Answers on far left

E R

THE SCIENCE BEHIND PEER PRESSURE

al, but in general men are still relied on to be the primary earners in a family. Forbes.com states that 57 percent of men entering an executive or managerial position argue for higher wages than the base salary, to women arguing only seven percent of the time. This is evidence that men have higher pressure to be higher earners. The third reason men have more pressure is education level. According to nytimes.com, more people have been attending college than ever before. 33 percent of people age 25 to 29 have bachelor’s degrees. This a reaction to a recent demand for more educated people after our country’s recession, and for people to earn more money through jobs that demand a college or graduate degree. To be the primary provider inraise a family, men are expected to get a degree. Another facet of life that demands a high education is marriage. Women will not generally want to marry a high school dropout and sometimes not only a high school graduate. Men are expected to go to college and earn a degree. Through a man’s education he will be considered more educated, cultured, and have a brighter future. Women will generally find a man a better father and husband if he is college educated and his education can result in a better job. This expectation to be college educated puts a burden for men to be smarter and more educated. In conclusion, men share greater pressures from society mainly related to their expectation to be leaders, higher wage earners and college educated. These pressures are evident and have put higher pressure on men in recent poor economic times.

taller C Percentage models are than the average woman

88%

45%

15%

10%

D Percent of women displeased with their bodies

models are than average women

of E Percent students overstressed from schoolwork info/COURTESY OF SCIENCEDAILY.COM

(features sports ) I wish she would ask me to the dance. Should I ask him to the Sadie Hawkins Dance? I wonder if he’d say yes...

FEBRUARY 14, 2014

THE LION’S TALE 09

Girls get taste of what it’s like to ask guys out for date by Brendan McCoy

lthough the Sadie Hawkins dance has been around since the 1940s, the ways girls are asking have changed. Senior Heidi Hamil asked her boyfriend to the dance over the loudspeaker at an Oviedo high school baseball game. Junior Eva Pardo is taking the quirky route, asking her date with a beta fish and a snail in a fishbowl, naming the snail Sadie and the fish Hawkins. Sophomore Sally Sallas asked her boyfriend by getting some of her track teammates to hold sign spelling out ”Sadie Hawkins?” Overall, however, people around the school appear to be more concerned with the fact that the dance is being held on the practice field than the reversed gender roles. The dance is being put on as a novelty by Student Government to raise money for the “Make-A-Wish Foundation”. A DJ and dance floor will to be included in the event, being held under a tent on the practice field. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased from a ticket selling booth in the middle of the lunchroom at both lunches. But the Sadie Hawkins dance is more than just a throwback to an outdated social function, according to anthropology teacher Mary Woods. She believes the dance is an intriguing cultural opportunity. “Most cultures are generally male dominated, so the courting rituals tend to be controlled

by men. Sadie Hawkins gives us a chance to try out new cultural ideas.” Woods said. But not everyone sees the need for a special dance where girls ask. “I don’t think any dance should specify which gender asks which,” said sophomore Elizabeth Tammi. Junior Harley Polanco and other students share this sentiment. Polanco adds, “If the school has a dance for girls to ask guys, there might as well be a dance for girls to ask girls.” Senior Lindsey Haywood thinks the dance will give boys a new social perspective. “Now guys get to realize what it’s like to not be asked,” she said. She’s not going to ask anyone, but she said she can appreciate how scary it would be to have to be the one to ask someone to a dance. World history teacher Karlin Gasthoff shares her experience at a Sadie Hawkins dance from her own senior year. “Well, I went with a young man I hadn’t gone out with before. Even before the dance, his mother didn’t take to me for some reason.” After she says this, her face tells about the rest of the dance before her actual words do. “The dance itself was fun. We danced and everything, but he wasn’t as mature as I was. Also, he was too shy and I was too bold,” said Gasthoff.

Brendanm@thelionstale.com

photo courtesy/Sally Sallas photo illustration/Alex Browning

READING MINDS. Erin Tammi and Ishaan Singh give serious thought to whether they want to attend the Sadie Hawkins Dance.

IT”S A DATE. After varsity track practice, sophomore Sally Sallas askes Wyatt Anderson to the Sadie Hawkins dance. Seven signs say it all as they spell “Sadies?”. The dance will be held March 1 on the practice field next to the school.

THE LION’S TALE

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THE LION’S TALE

On average, there are 178 sesame seeds on each McDonalds BigMac bun.

Strong Tenacious Fighter

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

Grace Casey

FEBRUARY 14, 2014

Stressed is Desserts spelled backwards. The 57 on Heinz ketchup bottles represents the number of varieties of pickles the company once had. Cats can hear ultrasound. Odontophobia is the fear of teeth. Thomas Jefferson owned 6000 books.

photo/TIERNEY SALZMANN

Teen finds hope after adoption by Kassandra Saliba

reshman Grace Casey’s life’s changed forever Dec.12, 2012, when she was officially adopted. But before that, life presented its challenges. “I was born with a trauma to the head. I was also on a breathing machine for two weeks before my mother took me off and told me she didn’t care whether I lived or died,” said Casey. Casey was two years old when her mother walked out on her and the family. Every day was a living nightmare for her. She was abused, neglected, beat, hurt, and even locked in her room with little or no food and water at all. She even started stealing food from other kids at school. “ No matter how much I wanted to be loved, I knew that I wasn’t. But this whole process is

Lending a Hand: by Lauren Hight

going to make me stronger in the future,” said Casey. Casey spent 12 years in foster care. “It was a terrible experience. I had no privacy. I got talked about a lot and judged,” said Casey. “I met about 20 adopted parents, and I was in 200 foster homes,” said Casey. Sadness turned to joy when one of those couples decided to adopt her. At last Casey felt safe and loved. “I bonded with my new family really quickly. I get along with all of them but I am really close to my mother,” said Casey. The hardest part for her is not seeing her four brothers and one sister. The family separated and all live in different foster homes. Her sister lives out of the state and never see

each other. “You never know who is going to be in foster care or if you are ever going to be adopted, but don’t give up because you never know when that chance is going to come and when it does, grab a hold of it and don’t let it go,” said Casey.

kassandras@thelionstale.com Editor’s Note

One by One features a selected student chosen at random whose story is told in only 300 words.

“Goodbye” came from “God bye” which derived from “God be with you.”

7.5 million toothpicks can be created from a cord of wood. The most money ever paid for a cow in an auction was $1.3 million. President Kennedy was the fastest random speaker in the world with upwards of 350 words per minute.

Cats sleep 16 to 18 hours per day. info/COURTESTY OF cs.cmu.edu

THE LION’S TALE

| features | FEBRUARY 14, 2014

INTRODUCING

Prime Air Drone

a new way to... Get packages

Amazon just announced their plan to launch a delivery program called Prime Air, in which unmanned aerial vehicles, also called drones, will be used to deliver packages in 30 minutes or less. This could become available for public use as soon as 2015. photo/COURTESY OF THE-DIGITAL-READER.COM

Lawrence Rome with his invention

Power up

When hearing the request of the U.S. Office of Naval Research to develop a way to capture enery created by body movement, Lawrence Rome of the University of Philidelphia launched a backpack that weighs little more than a normal backpack and produces upto 7.4 watts of electricity. photo/COURTESY OF STUDENT.SOCIETYFORSCIENCE.ORG

dataSTICKIES

Transfer data

The invention of dataSTICKIES is meant to ease transfer of data.The invention, much like the combination of a sticky note and a USB drive, will stick to a Optical Data Transfer Surface which can be attached to the front of the computer. They are conveniently reusable, and they can be stacked together for a greater amount of data storage. photo/COURTESY OF COMPUTERWORLD.COM

Look around

the crosssection of the fiber

“12

MIT researchers created a fabric that is able to look in all directions, and when the data is processed by a computer, it is interpreted to be a picture.The fiber, no thicker than a strand of hair, can be woven to create clothing that would be able to assist with things like making a blind person aware of their surroundings or a soldier aware of snipers. photo/COURTESY OF WEB.MIT.EDU

Capp says survival depe by Amyliz Rodriguez

ver 37 years ago, Ken Olson, president of Digital Equipment Corp. made a prediction that will live in infamy. “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” Today, 1 billion people on the globe carry a small computer with them-a smart phone. “Technology has changed vastly since I was younger,” junior Armin Aryafar said. “We now have portable computers in our pockets, glasses that have an HUD, or a Head-Up display, allowing them to record video. Technology has become a part of us, that’s what has changed.” Google glass, a current innovation in progress by Google X, is a wearable computer with an optical head-mounted display. Glass displays information in a smartphone-like format that enables communication with the Internet via natural language voice commands. Glass is currently being tested for law enforcement usage. The technology works by capturing video of the crime scene and streaming it back to the police department. “I think that the concept of Google Glass is pretty insane. I mean now we have these specs without lenses that work as a smartphone,” senior Ryder Aaron said. “It’s like what you see in movies is actually coming to life. Sooner or later we won’t be able to do anything without technology and this is just the first step towards it. Google Glass is going to change a lot of lives.” By the year 2017, it seems that people and smartphones won’t be the only things talking to one another because the United States plans to mandate “talking” cars. Vehicle-to-vehicle technology allows cars on the

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE INVENTED IN YOUR LIFETIME?

road to trade traffic safety data, such as speed and position, at a rate of ten times per second. According to the NHTSA, or National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the exchange of this information between vehicles is estimated to reduce the severity of eighty-percent of crashes when the driver is not impaired. Along with “V2V” tech, Google is trending toward driverless cars. The car, powered by a system titled Google Chauffeur, include a $70,000 LIDAR (laser radar) system that allows the vehicle to generate a detailed three-dimensional map of its environment. The car then takes these generated maps and combines them with high-resolution maps of the world, producing different types of data models enabling it to drive itself. Physics teacher Chris Capp weighs on technology. “I think it’s a good thing to have more advancements in technology because it means we are evolving our brains and becoming a more intelligent species. If we want to be a species that survives for the millennium to come, we have to keep increasing our knowledge of the landscape around us and how to use it to our advantage. We can’t stay here on planet Earth forever, the dinosaurs surely didn’t make it and we won’t either,” Capp said. Aryafar believes that technological advancements can be both good and bad. “To me, technology is a form of both attachment and detachment. We battle out our fantasies in video games and text the friends we should be seeing every day. Technology has changed the very context of a relationship, leading us to feel a sense of isolation. The thing that is supposed to be connecting us is actually disconnecting us,” Aryafar said. In the recent release of the movie Her, where the main character falls in love with his operating system

A cure for cancer Collin Dell ‘16

Waterproof Phones

Shannon Tokumaru ‘14

FEBRUARY 14, 2014

features

THE LION’S TALE

OVING FORWARD

ends on new inventions illustrates the feeling of isolation that can set in from the way technology disconnects us. New technologies display information in a way society is not accustomed to seeing on a daily basis is changing. A growing market of smart TVs will continue to grow, having the option to browse the internet, launch apps and have social interactions with others. In January, LG released a feature that enables their users to communicate with their smart home appliances using an app called Line. Samsung’s smart TVs will soon let users use actions such as voice command and gestures to control the volume, change the channel and stop videos. Samsung has already released its 105-inch ultra high definition curved TV, selling it for well over $10,000. “I’m a huge movie junkie, I know it’s sad but it consumes my life, so knowing that there’s a television out there that can give me the quality I look for when I sit down and watch Netflix or Hulu,” Aaron said. “ I think that eventually the whole television company will aspire to something much greater than ultra-high definition or 3D screening. Eventually it’s going to get to the point where TV is like Google Glass, there’s going to be nothing but you and your wall and all you have to do is imagine what program you want to watch or say a voice command and the hologram will appear with the movie you want to watch,” Aaron said. In an age where technological developments are announced daily, A.I., or artificial intelligence gets a fair amount of press. Google recently acquired a portfolio of robots with its purchase of Boston Dynamics in 2013. The company is known for making two and four-legged machines that walk and run with an uncanny sense of balance.

Among these robots is Atlas, a six-foot twoinch, bipedal robot, can drive a car, charge up stair, do push-ups, walk on rough ground and is virtually indestructible. The company sees robots as transforming society. Such designs created have been robotic torsos that can interact with people at home and move with human motion. Google cofounder Larry Page stated that it was technology’s job to free humans from drudgery and repetitive tasks, and along with Boston Dynamics, Google purchased DeepMind from the United Kingdom. The company, which specializes in machines learning and systems neuroscience, describes itself as a “cutting edge artificial intelligence company.” Senior Cody Christian believes artificial intelligence will change the lives of many in the future. “With all these innovations coming out and with all of these technological advancements artificial intelligence will grow into something beyond what any of us ever imagined, Christian said. “Robots will learn to become one with humans, they will be programmed to be better, faster, stronger, etc. I think that maybe one day we will have the artificial intelligence seen in things like Terminator, I Robot, Almost Human, without all the killing of course, but yeah. If not they will be better.” Junior David Vastola sees advancements in technology as beneficial to future endeavors. “Technology is the greatest achievement of mankind. With it we will be able to provide a better living, a better health care, a better world,” Vastola said. “It is the greatest medium of information and it will advance the human race so much further than ever thought possible. I look forward to everything in store for our race and the innovations we conceive.”

PREDICTIONS

FILM

Back to the Future II (1989)

Google Glass photo/COURTESY OF GIZMODO.COM

photo/COURTESY OF TECHRADAR.COM

Star Trek: The Original Series (1966)

Smartphones photo/COURTESY OF GIZMODO.COM

photo/COURTESY OF POST-JOURNAL.COM

The Jetsons (1962)

Robot Vacuums photo/COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM

photo/COURTESY OF GIZMODO.COM

Total Recall (1990)

SelfDriving Cars

amylizr@thelionstale.com

photo/COURTESY OF WYOTECH.EDU

photo/COURTESY OF CANADA.COM

2001: A Space Odyssey (1990)

Rocket Shoes Andrew Birkmire ‘15

Phone without a battery Cayla Moseley ‘14

Flying cars

Skype

Anthony Coello ‘15

photo/COURTESY OF INTERNETINNOVATION.ORG

photo/COURTESY OF SKYPE.COM

THE LION’S TALE

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FEBRUARY 14, 2014

features

THE LION’S TALE

P=F v F=-kx C=Q/V

Teens step up for physics challenge by Cloe-Marie Mora

The high level and intensity of these classes also help tudents scribble furiously on loose-leaf sheets of paper students figure out what they intend to study after college. The and flip wildly through formula sheets, looking for an courses are similar to and in some cases even more difficult answer to materialize. Stealing glances at the clock in than their college level counterparts, which gives the students a the front of the classroom, the test-takers do their best to better idea of what they may deal with after graduation. “I took Physics C because I am going into electrical finish the most difficult test of the week in one of their most engineering and it’s a good way to know if electrical engineering difficult classes- AP Physics C. The challenge of the class is in the intensive curriculum of is a good fit for my future career. I don’t learn for the exam, the course, because the class is made up of two college courses. I jut learn because physics is interesting to me, and it’ll help Traditionally, college students with an engineering me in my college physics classes and in studying to become an track would take two physics courses, Mechanics and E&M engineer,” Mora said. The concepts in physics that are lightly explained in (Electricity and Magnetism). AP Physics C combines these two college courses into one high school class so challenging standard and honors classes are studied in depth in AP Physics C. that many schools only teach half of the course (Mechanics). Each concept is built off of previous concepts, and in order This class also calls for two separate AP exams, one per to pass the exams and receive their college credit, students must college course. “Most schools only teach Physics C: Mechanics to try to have a clear, fundamental understanding of every concept, or keep the pass rate up. Our pass rate last year was 96% so else risk falling permanently behind. “When you’re taking a test [in AP Physics C], you can have we’re not going to do any better by slowing it down. Including a formula, but then in that formula both courses seems to work out you have like three parts from lessons well for the students.” AP Physics that you’ve done all year, and you C teacher Troy Soos said. Part of the nature of physics have to bring all of that stuff together “Also, a lot of the material is that you have to struggle just to answer one question,” senior in the two different courses are to really get an understanding Clark Rollins said. related to each other, so when we The difficulty of this class is made do some things with Electricity of it. -Troy Soos apparent by the small size of the class, and Magnetism it reinforces some with only 26 students in the school of the earlier things we did in enrolled in the course. Mechanics.” “People have different aptitudes and interests and skills, The credits students are able to receive vary with the so different things are difficult for different students. I think university they attend. For example, according to apscore.collegeboard.org, at one of the encouraging things about the course is the pass the University of Central Florida both a 3 and a 4 on either rate always having been very high, and [the class] is not just the AP Physics C: Mechanics exam or the AP Physics C: for students who are going to go for science and engineering. Electricity and Magnetism exam gives the student 3 credits I think the pass rate shows that it’s accessible to a lot more students,” Soos said. per exam. Soos agrees that the subject is not a simple one, but he At the University of Florida, however, a 3 on either the Mechanics or the Electricity and Magnetism exam gives the expects his students to dedicate time to the material daily, student 5 credits, while a 4 on either exam gives them only 4 which will help lead them to success in the course. “Physics is pretty much always a struggle because you’re credits. “The fact that Physics C is two college courses crammed always learning new material. Even if you’ve learned a lot into one high school class makes it difficult, but that’s also already you’re sort of always on the cusp of learning new why I took it- so I could get the credits out of the way. Now if material, and part of the nature of physics is that you have to I pass this exam, I’ll also be on track for not having to take a struggle to really get an understanding of it, “Soos said. “It’s not something you can just memorize. There’s so physics class my first semester in college,” senior Brian Mora much material to understand- and it often is a struggle- that said.

“

”

What is the hardest class you’ve taken in high school? Poll taken on Feb. 12 in Physics C room Twenty students responded

25%

Foreign Languages: 6% Assorted Electives: 25% Chemistry: 19% Physics: 44% 6% English: 6% 19%

6% 44%

is has to be absorbed in small doses, so doing it on a daily basis instead of waiting a while to look at the notes works much, much better.” Teachers like AP Physics C teacher Troy Soos are largely appreciated by their students. “I guess it would be really hard if you didn’t have such a good teacher, but Mr. Soos is great at his job and just explains [Physics C] really well. Mr. Soos has very thorough power points and he knows the information really well because he’s been doing it for years. “Doing practice problems in class and going over the AP FRQS (Free Response Questions) makes everything really easy because it helps you apply the concepts to problems that you’re going to see,” Mora said. “Instead of just keeping them as abstract, you get to see examples of what you’re going to see on the exam. It’s not just learning the equations, it’s learning the concepts behind them so that not only do you understand what’s happening, you understand the equation behind it.”

cloemarie@thelionstale.com

THE LION’S TALE

| features | FEBRUARY 14, 2014

Teen seeks life’s meaning in anime

ALLEN

Obsession becomes guide on how to live an authentic life

illistration/HARRY

by Nicholas Rodriguez

e sat down. Not in a chair. No. On the floor, cross- legged. His long, frilly blond hair, messy, unkempt, just touched the middle of his back as he settled down. “A good story is more than just a plot, more than just good dialogue or a good script. Art is more than just plot and story. There’s symbolism in it, there’s meaning in it. There’s something more to it.” Anime. Senior Brendon Brendon Lay ‘12 Lay is describing anime. “I was obsessed with anime during my 10th grade year,” said Lay. “I formed a notion towards anime, I called it ‘respect’: anime must be watched without distraction. Light was distraction, so I covered my windows with thick blankets to shut out whatever came through the closed blinds and curtains. Sound was distraction, so I only used headphones and shut every door on my side of the house. There is less light and sound at night, so I only watched anime after sunset.” Anime is a form of Japanese animation used in film and television. An expression of Japanese culture, anime is replete with stories and plot lines ranging from angsty Edo-period samurai to post modern Eva Robots. But for Lay, anime was more. More than tired tropes and cultural clichés and rave reviews. For Lay it was something better, something

illustrations/KATHY GRIFFITH

greater. “In the 7th grade, I found my sister watching ‘Full Metal Alchemist’. I asked her what she was doing and she told me about it. I stole my dad’s laptop. I took it to my room. And I started watching it. It was wonderful. I was happy because of it,” Lay said. Lay’s approach to life, the dogma that guides him, is simply to do what makes you happy. A kind of hedonism. So long as you’re happy, life is good and needs no change. But before anime, Lay didn’t always do what makes him happy. “Inauthenticity. That’s big for me. In the 6th and th 7 grade, I had the tendency, the unfortunate tendency to ‘act’. I’d take food from the trash can to imply that I was from some destitute, impoverished family. I’d tell stories, of the deepest inequities, to make myself seem ‘epic’. I was acting, and I felt it. I’d walk away from conversations feeling sick, disgusted with myself,” said Lay. But on one gray morning, on a Saturday, Lay found anime. He found a beginning, a new start, an approach to life. Anime, to Lay, was freedom. Freedom from judgment, from anxiety. From self-hatred.

Anime represented to Lay everything authentic and everything sincere. Something true. Something genuine. Not false. Not cheating. “Maybe because I was trying to avoid everything inauthentic everything not genuine, maybe because of that I was pushed towards anime. Anime just seemed authentic, genuine, more than anything I ever saw. Maybe then is when I began critiquing other people’s acting, saying ‘I don’t believe that’ or that ‘facial expression wasn’t very good’. Anime was more genuine. Anime helped me to be more authentic,” Lay said. For Lay, anime is a more authentic way to live. He stresses, anime is limited to our individual interpretations. Anime, as life, is an illusion, a result, a product of our assessment of it. What matters, is that we’re happy and that we’re content. “Our reality, in the end, is impermanent. Disappearing, in an instant, it reappears in the next. What else, do we have to rely on other than our own individual feelings in a world that is perpetually in flight?” said Lay. To be happy, he says, is to understand those feelings and express them sincerely. “To feel authentic requires constant self-analysis,

which is tiring (though it gets easier). I’ve found that ‘immersing myself in the present moment’ effectively reveals my natural tendencies, which I suppose represent my fundamental self.” Behind doll eyes and doll faces. Behind the odd anime moment, the jokes, the laughs, the perversions, is something more. “Back then, I was used to cartoon network. I’ve never seen blood in animation. I remember the first scenes of ‘Full Metal Alchemist’. The floors, the ceiling, were covered in blood. It was everywhere. That threw me off. It defied expectation. That was wonderful. Back then, I really liked having expectations.” But anime undermined those expectations. I was used to Cartoon Network. One episode plots. But this, this was artistic, this was more.” Brendon Lay stands up. His long frilly blond hair catches the light. His long frilly blond hair wraps him in a deafening glow of sun and light and awe. “Man,” he says, “is great.” “Man is powerful.” “We are free,” he says. “We are free because we are powerful. We are free because we are great. Man is causal.” His future is his alone. “One of my teachers offered extra credit to those that could maintain an eight-hour sleep schedule for a few weeks; I failed, reckoning that extra credit wasn’t worth the loss of anime. Schoolwork became secondary — again, not worth the loss of anime. My grades dropped. I became irritable and impulsive. But it was worth it. Anime made me happy.”

nickr@thelionstale.com

FEBRUARY 14, 2014

Matthew Ackley

ssistant principal Matt Ackley stands out in the courtyard while students arrive for school everyday. “I get to work each day about an hour before school starts. That is my time in which I plan out what I am going to accomplish, and how I intend on getting it done,” said Ackley. “That might sound like a glorious

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position, but I am blessed to work with an administration team that I enjoy working with.” Ackley tells what drives him to get up in the morning. “I’m excited to come to work each day and work with our teachers, staff, students, and administration,” said Ackley. “Getting to be part of a team that is working together to reach a common goal is really special.” Ackley shares his views on leaving a mark on campus.

A.” aintain our help us m ses es d nf an co h ug Frasca t thro ha , w on k. ti or di w ad to about In his way talks to on school. e m e es co th ri I Frasca wor on hen kind he I truthfully, w ’s having d at he ve th an e’ w y ay ct ll w , pa ea re a im “R been he k about in ng th ri ve e I to I’ , tu on ay ce on “Sin everyd ’s just ter-school to work ct even if it d the af y ty pa ir er pe im th m ev an va k g re e in in of erag “I th n mak d we’re av e,” said Frasca. ca said Frasca. ce ert an en ” ob , y, er R ff m da di ra at og y l pr ther r ever principa a kid th a ds a day in n make, fo sitive ssistant making thirty-five ki at’s ve to drink pact you ca th ha im u do is a po t yo n’ y t ll es k ha fu is do w -r pe at k. in ho or e e el for w th Frasca ak od o, to m m “S u can erseeing ve role fore coming ” eas to yo . You try to be a positi That and ov y, id . can.” da ce RedBull be u w y en er yo ne er ev ff ay h di effect up wit in any w g g to work ts in em in m th en m co co ud re lp st , u’ he ve r yo st lp ou population “I just lo kids, and ju know what , and to he “You never n get them at a high help our teachers ca k e or w w at to th said Frasca. e m so when you co out, and in those categories going to get day planned ur yo ve .” ha ne n ca d do school. You u had planne hing that yo not get anyt

THE LION’S TALE

“I don’t know that I have a strategy as to how I will leave a mark,” said Ackley, “All I can do is come in everyday and give one hundred percent towards helping to raise student achievement.” “When Mr. Lundquist started here 19 years ago he was not looking to leave a legacy, he was devoted to helping others within the OHS community. I simply do the best I can each day to help others around me.”

ca s a r F t r e b o R

Campus Heroes

Alphas of the

Felicia Naidu

er office is general but assistan principal Fel t icia Naidu is not. “My family will since I was a kid that I was always tell you th dress up like a teacher beca e one who would use I always them as high viewed as being a pr esident. We future. We are the teach the fu ture, and I’ ve always

Drew Morgan

Morgan cipal Drew ssistant prin make everyday to works hard lives. on student’s here an impact e ar ho w ith the students uring “D “My mark is w n. ga or M be here,” said y now and will that I played m t to make sure w ts en ud st e es my tenure, I an th ing y role in prepar part, I played m hen they leave w e ar s al go r ei th r ve te ha for w

, a career, ol, be it college ho Sc h ig H o Ovied st that I can to ant to do the be w I . f ry ta ili m e th rs and the staf elf, the teache .” ve ha ey insure that mys th s r whatever goal what prepare them fo on s ct fle re ion. at Morgan uc ed into him rs he ac te e got m and I had so ol ho sc “I like kids, in as w rs when I to tra is in id m sa ad ” and on me, al big impact ds ki e th r who had a re at fo anted to do th . Morgan. “I w ol that I’m at ho sc e th h ug ro th e m co that

Dr. Trent Daniel

r. Trent Daniel, assistant principal, gets to work well before sunrise most days, working as hard as she can to have time for the students during the school day. “Every day looks really different, and if you don’t get your tasks done then you don’t have time for people,” said Daniel. “I have a couple extra hours in the morning, and I work on either a

Pride

wanted to do that.” Each admin by Clara Shin istration m at Oviedo.” e mark. Naidu ember leav es a weighs in on N ai du her’s will be what she ho speaks up on . pes studen ts to get from b what she wants the “I enjoyed sc heryevCerla hool so I ju ay.Shine y rda “My job ever be excited ab st want them y da out it and to y is to touch to an d m ak w somebody than where ant to go fu e that impact rther a sm they curren whether it’s tly are. I th ile on someb just putting drive, my en ink ody’s face in thusiasm, on the morning ce they get to my or just saying ‘H me, will shin ey, I like th know mak e through,” at outfit’ ju ing an impa said Naidu. “I have a re st ct on somebod ally great pe Naidu. y’s life,” said want them to rsonality, an d I be able to se “That’s real e that and se in me. I wan ly what I w e that I’m t to be the li orry about. not making ght that shin That that impact es here every day.”

years. So, educator for 35 an as ” w om m My s in my blood. better term, it’ he w for lack of a ho shares Oviedo. Morgan of n tio la pu po e th and I s view my passion, ts of en “My family’s ud st and faculty, staff n of io ns te consider the ex hool as an Sc h ig H o Ovied ilosophy is to organ. “My ph M id sa ,” at th tter after they and people be on them.” leave places ve an impact ha I r te af e, meet m

Saturday or a Sunday to catch up on paperwork. Just like teachers do. If they were to be grading during class, they couldn’t talk to you [students] as much. It’s just a habit I’ve had since I was a teacher.” Daniel shares why she works at the high school level. “High school kids are kind of fun,” said Daniel. “They come in in ninth grade, and you start to drive your sophomore/junior year. You go to Prom. There’s just so many changes. You play sports, you’re in newspaper, whatever

activities you’re in. And school wise you start with not that hard of classes and you go all the way up to AP. That’s a big change.” Daniel shares her views on leaving an impression on the campus. “Funny enough, I don’t know necessarily if administrators leave marks,” said Daniel. “I think teachers do, because really all the work gets done by the teachers and the students. So I think you lead with a vision, but the marks are being made by the teachers.”

THE LION’S TALE

| features | FEBRUARY 14, 2014

The One Page Low-down Compare & Contrast

Llama

by Alex White

Tired of your phone buzzing in the middle of the night? Annoying your peers and teacher by having your phone blast out your ringtone at school? You need Llama! Llama is location aware and includes over 30 setting options on your mobile device. Llama uses phone masts to determine your location, so that you can change your ringer, vibrate intensity and ringtones depending on where you are as well as the time of day. Llama provides you with sound profiles so you can quickly switch between quiet, loud, silent and normal sound settings. You can set your family and other specific people to ring even if your phone is set to silent. You can create events and home screen shortcuts to manage your sound profiles and more. Now with Llama you can make access to your settings simpler!

Album Review

Of Mice and Men “Restoring Force”

by Brendan McCoy Of Mice & Men’s third studio album is not the type of music I would typically listen to. I honestly didn’t think I would find listening to it terribly enjoyable. But I was wrong. This album opens with a fairly heavy number, titled “Public Service Announcement”. What made Of Mice & Men sound better to me than some other bands of the genre is that the heavy quality of the music comes not just from the vocals or screaming, but the tonal quality of the music itself. Another factor aiding the band is that the screamed vocals aren’t completely unintelligible. Restoring Force lightens a bit in the middle of the album with the song “Another You”, that has a less intense sound than many of the other tracks on the album. The album also closes with a softer sound on the track “Space Enough to Grow”. Although they are classified in a genre that I typically pass on listening to, the band earned my respect with this album. They wrote all of the songs on the album themselves and the songs have depth to them, rather than just sounding like a metalcore jam session. I would give Restoring Force three stars because it is a decent album in general and an excellent album in the post-hardcore genre. It is definitely worth a listen for anyone who enjoys rock or metal of any degree of heaviness.

SUDOKU

HBO vs. Showtime

What grinds my gear

GUYS GUIDE TO Adjusting the Inseam

by Chris Moskal CATEGORY

by Clara Shine

Everybody has been told at some point in his or her life “Act like an adult”. That phrase is the bane of many teen’s existence. I say in response “Then why don’t you treat me like one?” Teenagers are continually being told to be adults (even though the simple fact is that we’re not) while having decisions made for us and being treated like second-class citizens. Well, I say no more. The teenage years exist as a time of exploration, to figure out where I’m going with my life. However, that isn’t really possible when I’m not being treated like I will be when I’m ‘grown up’. I’m still treated like a kid as opposed to somebody who can think independently. We’re supposed to be engaged in society and begin stepping up as leaders and developing our own ideas. However, it’s frustrating when I have my own ideas only to have them get discredited because I’m “too young to know what I’m talking about”. What really grinds my gear is when adults act like they can be mean to teenagers because of age. Just because we’re younger, doesn’t mean that we’re any less important or that our opinions mean any less.

November 8th, 1972 Game of Thrones,The Wire,The Sopranos, True Blood 28.7 million as of 2013

Year Founded Famous Shows

by Daniel Hernandez

July 1st, 1967 A problem often faced with the male population Homeland, is the basic discomfort or Dexter, The “tightness” addressed in wearing pants. When faced Tudors, with this issue, guys often Weeds attempt to remedy the problem Subcribers 23 million as in too obvious of a way, often causing a spectacle. Girls just in the U.S. of 2013 don’t understand the struggle, describing adjustment as gross or disgusting. But guys WINNER: HBO continue to face this frivolous dilemma. When attacking the foul The Lego Movie beast of this “crotchal” issue, by Chris Moskal discretion is key. Simple techniques, such as the pocket pull-down, must be employed. Anti-corporate, Employing such techniques but still will sell tons of toys. requires the highest level of Lego: Geniuses. skill and stealth. • When preparing to make these delicate movements, there are basics steps which must be taken. First, insure that all eyes are averted away from you (a simple distraction such as a dragon or passing pigeon can insure this). • An alternative method would be the use of some sort of cover for the motion. Regardless, just remember, discretion and stealth are important want making adjustments.

Haiku Reviews

all photos/COURTESTY OF PUBLICITY SITES

band NSYNC Remember Legendary changed the 1990’s pop scene. famous boy band first This? The by Alex Browning formed in Orlando, Florida. The

Video of the Month by Brandon White

So Not Hot

NBC: All Visitors to Sochi by Amy Rodriguez Olympics Immediately Hacked 1) Boyfriends who worldwide sensation got their iconic name from the last letter of all the member’s first names. On Jan. 20, 1998 NSYNC released their first lead song in America, “I Want You Back”. Soon after their hit song “Bye, Bye, Bye,” reached the top 5 on the Hot 100 Airplay. While the other four members have faded into the past memories of 1990’s fan girl dreams, Timberlake’s career has succeeded expectations.

This revealing news video illustrates the chilling level of control Russia has on its people and its visitors. All visitors to the Winter Olympic games held in Sochi, Russia have their cell phones spied on and all their information examined.

2) 3) 4) 5)

don’t do anything on Valentine’s Day for you White people with dreads Cartoon network remakes Miley Cyrus (Really, Maxim?) Ice

FEBRUARY 14, 2014