The Lion's Tale Volume 52 Issue 3

LION’STALE OVIEDO HIGH SCHOOL • 601 KING STREET • OVIEDO, FL • DECEMBER 8, 2011 • VOLUME 52 • ISSUE 3

M.I.A.

When students skip, teachers notice. pg. 7

Find out how sports teams are paying off turf. pg. 24

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THE LION’S TALE

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DECEMBER 8, 2011

OHS joins social networks

Toys for Tots kicks off As Christmas is approaching, the NJROTC will be hosting the annual USMC Toys for Tots. The charity is to help unprivileged children receive toys on their Christmas morning.

NJROTC will be accepting any new, unwrapped toys in the NJROTC room or in boxes scattered over the campus.

In December, the local marines will be collecting all the toys from NJROTC and distributing them out to the children.

photo/AMANDA FERGUSON

HELP FOR KIDS. The NJROTC members collect toys for charity in their classroom.

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End of the Iraq war brings troops back to the U.S. after nearly nine years of battle.

WYN

OHS Thespians Troupe 4564 recently attended districts at Lyman on Nov. 17 to 19. They returned home with not only 15 Superiors, but also multiple awards.

Seniors Dallas Marcone won All-Star Cast Member, Devin Smith for All-Star Crew Member (Directing), Krystal Rivera as AllStar Crew Member (Stage-Management).

Representing Best in Show Pantomime were juniors Miranda Paine, Justin Hall, senior Brandon Mordecai, sophomores Tyler St. Amour, Bailey Pridemore, and senior Lexi Cairns. Best in Show Duet Scene went to seniors Jon Poweski and Phil Kelsey.

HOME

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Thespians win accolades

COMING ation/W

Compassion for Animals club currently is hosting a fundraiser for the local Pet Rescue By Judy organization. Brown paper bags have been distributed all over campus for students to drop the needed items that are listed on the bag.

Any of the items will be greatly appreciated. They will be picked up the week of Dec.14 or can be dropped off in Ms. Nash’s guidance office or in Mrs. Wood’s room 8-008.

illustr

Help for animals needed

THE SCOOP

OHS has recently joined social networking sites. To ‘like’ OHS on Facebook, follow the link provided on the OHS home page. Following on Twitter can be as simple as texting “Follow Oviedo_High” to 40404 to get up to date information in regards to all OHS events and news.

Families looks forward to reunions

by Hafsa Hussain

up the government,” Worth said. s of Dec. 31, all U.S. forces will have Although it hasn’t been too long since the withdrawn from Iraq, ending the nine last time he saw him Worth is still excited to year war. have him back.

This means that junior Marilyn Drummer “He was just deployed last month but before will finally see her cousin again after years. that I hadn’t seen him in months. It’ll be good “I think it’s great that the troops are coming when he comes back home. I’ll get to see him back. During the spring again,” Worth said.

I’ll be able to go and see “We’re very excited I think it’s great that the troops my cousin in Mississippi to see him. My [because] he’s coming sister’s definitely are coming back. During the back. I’m excited to see spring I’ll be able to go and see excited to see him. It has been years him. I’m glad that my cousin in Mississippi. since the last time I saw Obama’s finally him,” Drummer said. keeping up with his Marilyn Drummer, ‘13 According to yahoo. word and bringing com, President Barack them back home.

Obama stated that all U.S. troops “will definitely I’m glad he decided to do it now,” Worth said. be home for the holidays.”

Drummer also agrees that this was a great “Over the next two months, our troops in decision.

Iraq, tens of thousands of them, will pack up “It shows that Obama’s doing his job in their gear and board convoys for the journey office,” Drummer said. home, the last American soldier will cross Obama had originally planned on bringing the border out of Iraq with their heads held the troops home on Aug. 31, 2010, but when the high, proud of their success, and knowing the time neared, he decided to focus on building up American people stand united in our support for the United States. our troops,” Obama said.

Though some fear that by making this For junior Sean Worth, his brother-in-law decision the U.S. may be in harms way, many gets to come back from Iraq. such as junior Timothy Weighill agree that it “He’s an officer in the Marines as an infantry was time for it to end. leader. I’m glad [Obama’s] bringing them back “We don’t have anything else to do over they don’t need to be over there anymore there, we stabilized their government we got they’ve done what they needed to do, they set rid of Sadam and everything. It’s still a little

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bit unstable but I don’t think it’s anything that needs to involve the U.S. military,” Weighill said Weighill’s brother is coming home but it is unsure for how long.

“My brother, he’s an aviation safety officer he’s in San Diego and he prepares parachutes and gas masks that ship out to places like Afghanistan,” Weighill said. “He’s coming home in January and he has until the summer to know if he’s going to Afghanistan or not,” Weighill said.

As a precaution about 150-200 U.S. military troops will remain in Iraq for security but the remaining 40,000 will be taken out of Iraq immediately.

Although the war in Iraq is over the war in Afghanistan is still in action.

“I think there’s a lot of work to be done there because we still have the Taliban and everyone in there. It’s still very unpredictable what kind of capabilities the people of Afghanistan could have towards the United States,” Weighill said.

The decision of ending the war of Iraq also affects future plans for Weighill.

“I was planning on going into the army to get the experience because I want to go into law enforcement. This could possibly affect me because they might start deploying all the way to Afghanistan or [Obama may] possibly draw people back from Afghanistan by then,” Weighill said.

hafsah@thelionstale.com

DECEMBER 8, 2011 |

430 Million Dollars

news

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THE LION’S TALE

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386 Million Dollars 2011-2012 school year

2010-2011 school year

all photos/LINSEYDUCA

Because of the shortfall in Seminole County’s budget, the county will be making cuts to lower the overall costs of running the school system.

Budget reduction puts programs at risk

by Arianna Ray

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he Seminole County School Board faces a reduction of anywhere from $20 million to $40 million. The Seminole County School Board hosted a meeting on Nov. 22 to discuss the tentative budget reductions for the following 2012-2013 school year.

“As it stands right now, the board is looking at $20 plus million in deficits for funding for next year. This is their first look at how they are going to go about cutting to meet that $20 million deficit. So as far as high school is concerned, they’re looking at cutting 16 high school teaching positions. High school assistant coaches [will have] a 20 percent reduction in salary,” Principal Robert Lundquist said.

The 16 teaching cuts will be spread out among the nine high schools in Seminole County.

According to cmfmedia.org, the School Board chose to increase student/teacher ratios for all electives, raise money by selling advertisements, and perform other various reductions to counteract the budget gap.

“Hopefully attrition, retirement, or moving will take care of us not having to cut any teachers.

That’s our plan right now. The last thing we want to do is cut teachers. The consolidation of some of our programs could help us keep teachers. We may lose some elective programs.

“The student choice of elective programs may not be as great next year as it has been in the past because we don’t have the funds to support those.

I can’t tell you which programs those would be.

But there’s that potential. We really will not start to finalize or start to work on this until we get our allocations in maybe March,” Lundquist said.

Junior Kara Lahman laments the potential loss of electives.

“If we lost electives I don’t know what I’d do because they’re my favorite part of the day.

It’s nice to have a break from academic courses.

Electives are my favorite [classes] because they’re fun and it’s a good way to actually get a chance to talk to people and make new friends.

Academic classes can be stressful. Everybody more that way and it keeps the teachers from needs a break once in a while and the work load having too many kids to deal with,” Lahman for me this year has been a lot bigger than in said. previous years,” Lahman said.

Freshman Alexis Freeman notes that bigger Lundquist reports that concrete decisions will classes can be distracting to learning. not be made until the spring.

“Students won’t learn as much [with bigger “I think what the legislators do in the spring classes]. They’ll be with their friends. They will [decide] whether or not [more budget cuts] won’t be learning what they should be. Friends happens. Right now we have $21 million that are distracting,” Freeman said. they can account for. What are they going to do Lundquist doubts that a four day school week if it goes beyond the $20 plus million deficit? I will be instituted in the near future. have no idea what will “I don’t think it’s been happen next. It appears established as to how As it stands right now, the that the extracurricular much of a cost savings piece, primarily the [a four-day school week] board is looking at $20 plus arts programs, have would be to the district. million in deficits for been saved. That’s a All these suggestions funding for next year. good thing. Other than and ideas are based upon the sliding of teachers, saving money. I don’t Principal Robert Lundquist there’s really not that think there’s anyone in drastic of a measure for Seminole County Public us at the high school level,” Lundquist said.

Schools that’s figured out how much of a savings Lundquist explains that classes are getting a four day school week would be. I don’t see a larger because of a reduction in staff without an four day week coming our way. I think students increase in funds. would learn better over a five day period than a “The class size amendment is still in place four day period. so those core curriculum classes that meet the “You draw out that school day to the point that class size amendment of 25 to one will still be in you’re just so worn out. If you’re going to school place for next year. Classes will have to get larger another hour every day and you’re cramming it somewhere. We’re not going to make a situation all into four days then it’s just not, in my opinion, that is not conducive to learning for any one of conducive to good learning,” Lundquist said. our teachers at Oviedo High School. They may Lahman objects to the idea of a shorter have a few more students but we’re not going to week. have a scenario where there is more students in “[I wouldn’t like] a four day week because the class to where it’s not safe or conducive to then we’d be going to school longer in the learning,” Lundquist said. year. I enjoy my summer and I [don’t want] Lahman encourages the continuation of the the week schedule to get changed because kids class size amendment. can’t handle going to school five days in a row,” “I think smaller classes are better because you Lahman said. get more of a chance to participate. Participation Lundquist maintains that the arts remain an is important to me because that’s what helps important part of Oviedo. me learn the material best. [The class size “One of the reasons that students enjoy amendment] shouldn’t be removed because [you school is because of the arts and the programs get] more attention from your teachers. You learn that under the arts and vocational programs as

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well. Those elective courses that we offer are a big part of the high school experience. We need to keep those courses in place so that you have the full experience of high school. I think that there will be a move in the future toward a more comprehensive vocational program at the high school level.

“At least I hope so. Not everybody is programmed to go to college. I think that there are some viable vocational programs that we can offer at the high school level- auto mechanics being one of them. There are other programs: interior design, childcare, computer-based programs. I just think that those courses and those classes are so very important for our students. I’ll fight to keep them here,” Lundquist said.

Sports will not be affected by the budget cuts, according to Lundquist.

“We’re not in jeopardy of losing our sports programs because they support themselves. We need to keep that. Sports is just as important as the arts. Truly the full experience of Seminole County is very important and it’s who we are and it’s one of the reasons for our success academically because our students are happy. They participate in the arts, they participate in athletics, and their academics are top notch because of the full rewarding experience,” Lundquist said.

Lundquist believes that education should play a more prominent role in the state budget.

“You would think that everyone would put an emphasis on education and the importance of education. Why would anyone not support the betterment of public school education? How can our government not support public school education? I just don’t get it. I don’t understand the rationale behind that. I think that we’re just as important as health services, law enforcement services, and education. Those for me are the top three public service entities that we have. I just think that that should be on everybody’s priority list on funding and I just don’t understand why it’s not,” Lundquist said.

ariannar@thelionstale.com

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THE LION’S TALE

| news | DECEMBER 8, 2011

Anxiety mounts over evaluations Types of D Learners

by Harry Traber

and the new system. Whereas a seasoned r. Trent Daniel greets students and teacher knows the difference between the teachers running errands as she walks old system and the new system, I don’t know to her office. Here she will look over that difference,” Patterson said. “As far as the the county’s plan for teacher evaluations, with evaluation part and how they grade us on the indicators [points on the evaluation guide], the closest one coming before winter break.

All year she has been training teachers and I might not necessarily know the difference, administrators at Oviedo, Hagerty, and Lawton but the indicators all seem to align with good Chiles Middle School for these upcoming philosophy. It’s all about monitoring the evaluations, ensuring that administrators are students which is definitely important.”

This new evaluation prepared to give encourages teachers to use the evaluation.

We want teachers to know more technology inside the “All the classroom. According to principals are what our new evaluation is American History teacher supporting me; expecting.

Ryan Hennessy, the new this is an OviedoDr. Trent Daniel evaluation system tries to wide endeavor,” influence teachers to try Daniel said.

Of the county’s 41 standards for teacher things in their class room they may not have evaluations, 17 go into effect this year. Nine tried before.

“A lot of the stuff on there [the evaluation attempt to apply potential improvements to the educators’ classroom tendencies. Teachers guide] is stuff I have tried before. Some stuff fulfill the other eight goals via paperwork and works and some stuff doesn’t work,” Hennessy said. interview.

Algebra Two teacher Angela-Mia Kilmer For the majority of evaluations, administrators will perform in-class and Geometry teacher Tina Near don’t feel observations on their iPads. New teachers they will have to adjust their classroom will be evaluated twice this year, once before routines very much either.

“It’s not going to change how I teach. Some Christmas and once after. Veteran teachers are of my procedures might be a little different. evaluated only once.

“The administrators here will not just use I will change the way I write my objectives electronic [evaluation]; they will uses face to on the board—they will be a little more face contact. I have always found that more detailed—and the other thing is I’m going to check for understanding a little more formally. effective,” Daniel said.

First year Video Production teacher Kevin In the past I just judged by the questions and Patterson is not worried about his upcoming looks on people’s faces,” Kilmer said.

Multiple meetings are being held this year evaluations.

“The reason I’m neutral is it’s a new to instruct administrators and teachers about system and I am a new teacher, therefore it what the new evaluation will be expecting.

“We want teachers to know what our just comes down to I don’t know what the old system was like so therefore I don’t really new evaluation is expecting. I think we are know any difference between the old system progressive in this way,” Daniel said.

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The major things that cause concern are the Marzano Indicators, which are based off of a merit pay system. These are concerning teachers because it is a big change from the old system of evaluations. Teachers who do not have an end-of-course exam are concerned they will be evaluated unfairly.

Patterson takes a neutral stance on the teacher evaluations. He feels all teachers, regardless of course, should be working to improve student literacy.

“On the surface it seems unfair. I guess it would be more fair if they established an end-of-course exam for each subject, like TV Production or Newspaper, which are classes that stand apart. It would be ideal to establish a way of evaluating those students based on the curriculum of the class [for an exam]. I don’t know what end-of-course exam they are going to base it on; I assume it’s something related to reading,” Patterson said.

Patterson continues explaining his thoughts about what classes should be driving towards.

“We are all here to improve literacy to some extent. No mater what subject we are teaching we should, in some way, improve literacy. In some way I can see where they are coming from. There is an argument for everything. They [the state] have got their reasons for doing it [merit pay] that way. I’m sure they have rationalized it. Going back to ‘Is it fair?’ Probably not. Is there a better way of doing it? There always is. But again I’m just going to make the best of it. I’m going to do my part and I can’t control the rest,” Patterson said.

Near reflects on the feelings of stress she and other teachers have over the evaluations.

“I think it’s very stressful, but we deal with stress every year. Skyward was stressful too, but we deal with it every year,” Near said.

harryt@thelionstale.com

Manual

learns by doing

Auditory

learns by hearing

Visual

learns by seeing

all illustrations/WESLEY WYNNE

Technology in the Classroom The new evaluation requires that teachers be rated on how well they use technology in the classroom.

Interwrite

PRS

used by teachers to electronically “write” or “draw” on the projector screen

Personal Response System, used by students to answer questions like an audience poll

Elmo

used by teachers to project writing or images on paper onto the projector screen

Smartboard an electronic board teachers can write and erase on using magnetic “pens”

all photos/DUCA, FERGUSON, LO

DECEMBER 8, 2011

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news

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THE LION’S TALE 05

How do you feel about the occupy movement?

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Opinions differ over occupy movement

photo/HARRY TRABER

by Brandon Koller

president or a congress person that represents n a drive down South Magnolia in the whole. Where as here, in the general downtown Orlando, you might not assemblies, we aim to get a majority, which notice the group at first. There are no is 90 percent. A person can block a proposal, fliers littering the area, no smoke of marijuana and then there’s a whole process. In my eyes, it is direct democracy, kind of coming from the or other markers of the protests.

Nobody blocks the street or shouts at earth and emerging.”

“There is some friction; you have the passerby, and a group of American flags and makeshift tents paired with the murmurs of Occupy movement, you have people that are homeless, attracted to debate provides the first the [free] food, and sign that a 99 percent they tend to stay down group peacefully As a movement, they have at the other side [of occupies Senator Beth good ideas, but they have no the park], but we try Johnson Park – and has clear goal to get behind. They to bring them aboard, occupied it for over 50 you know, and that’s days straight since Oct. need a leader, and to outline the beauty of it, 15. solutions because anybody can This is how Occupy David Brickeen, ‘13 say anything,” Larry Orlando prefers things said.

– a movement composed “We have times that are [filled with] not of blabbering hippies or anarchistic teens, burning desire, but it is very organized in terms but of the people.

Anyone interested simply walks into the of general assemblies and working groups. group, contributing another perspective to the There are different working groups: media mass. The occupiers fill out an entire range of working group, which is what I’m on, food ages, professions, and political and religious working group, and also administrative. So there’s a lot of different little working groups beliefs.

However, some Oviedo High students, that are emerging from it. So, amidst chaos including junior Cameron Lynah don’t believe there is some order, including our little farms, which I think is great.” the movement has potential.

But junior David Brickeen sees “Half of the people don’t know what they’re protesting against. You see them on the issues with the movements’ organization. news and they’re just a bunch of jobless people “As a movement, they have good ideas, but they have no clear goal to get behind. They protesting,” Lynah said.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer accepted the need a leader, and to outline solutions they’re movement since its inception, and Doug Head, protesting against. Every movement needs former Orange County Democratic Executive a leader, because otherwise there’s nothing Committee chairman, participates in their to follow behind. They could die out in a few years, or they could be another political occupation regularly.

Four days a week – Monday, Wednesday, movement like the Tea Party. They need to Friday and Saturday – the group conducts a rally,” Brickeen said.

Larry disagrees with worries that the group general assembly.

A man going only by Larry, a week- might die out.

“I don’t think it’ll ever end, personally. It long occupier and student of law, explained his take on the movement. may fizzle, like Occupy Wall Street may have “Our representatives aren’t making decisions dismantled their encampment, but they’re that are accurately reflecting on most people. still living in town and they’re still meeting The way the election system is right now, at Zuccotti Park and they still have general you can have 51 percent of the people elect a assemblies, so they’re still moving forward.

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But the movement itself is beyond just the people who are occupying. There are so many different [groups fighting issues] – the deficit, the one to end corporate personhood, and that’s huge.

“There’s a lot – someone who may want animal rights could join this movement, and have a voice, and collectively people will vote – abortionists, even, could come down here and propose things, so I think that the 99 movement itself is just of fraction of the people who express themselves. I love that; it gets heated sometimes when there’s a proposal that’s hot and people know it’s maybe 50-50, and then it gets tabled so that people have to work together to come up with a new proposal and it gets voted on again during the next general assembly.

“It’s brilliant; I like it. Is this the world that I want to pass on to my daughter? It’s not – it really isn’t, and it’s not too late. Grassroots movements like this are popping out every day, and I think it’s like 1600 now,” Larry said.

The website occupytogether.org, a directory and information resources for interested potential occupiers, lists almost 500 Occupy movements.

David Wasman, part of Occupy Orlando’s media outreach working group, an occupier from day one and a 1987 graduate of Oviedo High School, believes the group’s lack of a leader is its greatest strength.

“Of course we don’t [have definite goals].

Nobody does – [Occupy] New York didn’t have a list of proposals that had gone to consensus until a month and a half in. This is a rebuilding of 30 years of economic distress, since the Reagan era, and it’s not going to be an overnight process. This is messy, this is rebuilding democracy as we know it,” Wasman said, “so, of course, we’re not [organized]. Each individual person here has their own reason for being here. There’s no agendas because we check egos at the door. So there’s no agenda, but they all have a reason: ‘I was mad enough that I had to show up here at the occupation – I was upset enough, I was engaged enough, and I had to be part of this occupation.’”

brandonk@thelionstale.com

Trenton Schacht

I support the 99 percent. All of Wall Street is just spending and spending.

Katie Rose

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‘15

It’s good that they are taking a stand.

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Brennan Hietpas

‘13

It’s a good thing. Finally people are standing up. It’s not fair that the rich get tax cuts and Wall Street is just handing out money like it’s nothing.

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Austin Gilbert

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I see where they’re going with. it. I’m both for it and against it. I do understand our tax system is old.

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THE LION’S TALE

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DECEMBER 8, 2011

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THE LION’S TALE 07

Skipping for

Skyrim photo/LINSEY DUCA

Opinions clash on importance of missing school

by Rachel Lo

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unior Nicholas Voss* walks to the bus stop with his friend. As the bus drives by, they purposely miss it. They wait for an hour, then head back to Voss’ house.

“I just walked to my bus stop, and my friend and I just hung out in the woods for like an hour.

Then my mom left for work and we came back to my house. A teacher noticed I was gone [that day] but they never really asked,” Voss said.

Voss occasionally skips school with his friends to play video games, such as Skyrim and Call of Duty: Black Ops, and Modern Warfare.

He has never gotten in trouble for skipping because his mom writes him notes.

“This year I’ve skipped once, but last year I’ve skipped five or six times. I go home and play video games, like before, when all the other games came out last year (Modern Warfare and Black Ops). I just sleep in; my mom lets me. As long as my grades were at a certain level and I was keeping up with them she’s like ‘It’s fine,’” Voss said.

Unlike Voss, junior Nicole Henderson* skips certain classes.

“I usually skip two or three times a week.

I usually just skip [classes that are] pointless classes to me. Photo class, for example, we do the same thing everyday. Some days we’re just looking in magazines for photos and we’ve been doing the same thing for like three days. I’m not going to be there all three days. Sometimes I’ll skip history just because it’s boring—we just watch movies. Any class that I’m going to be just watching a movie, that we don’t do anything in, [I’ll skip],” Henderson said.

Creative Photography teacher Alicia Pope has noticed that students who skip her class generally tend to not do as well as other students. “[Skipping my class] affects their grade because they’re not there to do the work. They don’t finish the projects. Sometimes students

don’t have something they can do that minute, but as far as I can tell, people who skip don’t tend to do well because they don’t know what’s going on,” Pope said.

According to Pope, it is also harder for students to keep up with the work.

“If they skip a photoshop exercise, for instance, on layers, then they are trying to find out what’s going on and keep up at the same time. I don’t know if everybody that skips my class makes a bad grade, but I know a lot of them do,” Pope said.

Henderson goes to different places when she skips classes.

“Usually when I skip fifth period, I’m going to go to lunch, but if I’m in a different class I’ll usually go off campus or walk around campus.

You just take out your backpack and pull out your planner, like you have a pass, and you can go anywhere pretty much. They [administration] don’t stop you,” Henderson said.

Skipping hasn’t affected Henderson’s academic studies.

“The days I do skip don’t really affect my grades because we don’t really do anything. But if there is something that by chance I miss, like a test, I can make it up,” Henderson said.

Henderson has rarely gotten caught. “[I got in trouble] my freshman year when I wasn’t good at it. The first time I skipped [a class, I went] in the bathroom at school, and Ms. Presley came in and she saw my best friend and me were there, and she was like, ‘You guys have to get to class.’ I didn’t think she was going to get us in trouble, and the next day she gave us a referral and I had a Wednesday school for that.

After that, I just learned to be more sneaky,” Henderson said.

According to Vice Principal Greg Register, the penalties for students caught skipping depends on previous skipping offenses.

“If a student is caught for the first time

skipping, they can get an offense like Wednesday school or an ISS. If it’s the student’s fourth or fifth time, they can get an OSS. Punishment is cumulative,” Register said.

Henderson managed to worm her way out when she got caught this year.

“This year, only one person noticed. It was my Early Childhood teacher. She noticed because I wasn’t there and I went to all my other class. I didn’t get in trouble because she called my mom, but I got to the voicemail before she could, so I just deleted it. I’m pretty sure a lot of people do that,” Henderson said.

In addition to parent notes and deleting voice mails, skippers also have teachers write passes or forge passes themselves. “[When I skip] I basically just go chill in [a teacher’s* classroom]. I just hang out, because the teacher knows me really well. I write my own passes or give my own excuses. I’ve kind of gone pro with this. What I do is I get my teacher to write a pass for it, or I write myself a pass and say ‘It’s this teacher’ and they never know. It works every time and they never notice,” junior Lydia Belle* said.

Belle skips classes for several reasons.

“I’ve skipped English, Biology my freshman year a lot, and PE a lot. When I skip, it’s either because something’s due that day, I don’t want to go, I’m extremely lazy, or I just feel like it and I don’t feel like going to class,” Belle said.

Like Henderson, skipping hasn’t really affected Belle’s grades, according to Belle.

“All the makeup work that I’ve had for the past three years has been really easy. I won’t skip test days. It’s the unimportant stuff I know, like if I’m writing a journal I can do at home, I’m just like ‘Okay, peace out.’ It doesn’t really affect my grades, so that’s why I probably do it more than I should,” Belle said. *Names Withheld

rachell@thelionstale.com

Attendance Policy qTo receive credit for a class, the student may be absent no more than nine unexcused days per semester. qCredit is automatically denied after the ninth unexcused absence. qParent/guardian must contact the attendance office for an appointment with the attendance review board for the possible reinstatement of credit via an attendance contract. qOnce on contract, student must: lattend all classes lmake up work missed lnot commit any suspendible offenses lpass the semester exam lreceive a passing grade for the credit to be

reinstated

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(opinion sports )

THE LION’S TALE

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DECEMBER 8, 2011

“Nothing is more expensi ve than a missed opportunity. ”

Cutting classes jeopardizes OUR WORD

FUTURE

- H. Jackson Brown,

Jr.

LION’S TALE

OV I EDO H I GH S C H OOL • 6 0 1 K I N G S T R E E T • OV I E D O, F L 3 2 7 6 5 • D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 1 •VO L U M E 52• ISSUE 3

Truants not considering consequences of skipping

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he teacher scans the classroom quickly, mentally noting the students and calculating a quick tally of those who are absent. A small frown plys across the teacher’s face as her eyes alight on a seat that is empty more often than usual. This is the fifth time the student has been absent in two weeks and he is rapidly losing credibility and grade points.

Skipping is often regarded as a harmless way to get out of class when nothing interesting is happening. Where’s the harm in that? The student isn’t missing anything and clearly going to class is just a waste of time. Teachers need to lighten up. After all, if they made the lesson more interesting, the kids would actually show up. Simple as that. Right?

Wrong. Cutting class should not be brushed off as a harmless way to find entertainment elsewhere.

School serves as the focal point of a student’s life.

Ditching harms grades and nourishes an unhealthy work ethic and an apathetic attitude.

Teenagers’ lives essentially revolve around school.

A social life and part-time jobs shape themselves around the school schedule. Decisions are made in accordance with school’s schedules. Vacations are planned during the breaks illustration/ WESLEY WYNNE we have off from school. Parties occur after school is over on the weekend. Sporting events usually conform to a schedule the radar. adapted to school hours.

At some point skipping class goes beyond a bored student. It Neglecting school to perform mundane and ultimately transforms into truancy. irrelevant tasks does little for a teenager’s future. Little else According to www.cde.ca.gov, “Any pupil subject to in a student’s life serves as important a function as school. compulsory full-time education or to compulsory continuation School serves as the vehicle through which students education who is absent from school without a valid excuse for achieve success. A college graduate can expect to earn $.9 ten percent or more of the school days in one school year, from million more in a lifetime than the average high school the date of enrollment to the current date, is deemed a chronic graduate according to the U.S. truant.”

Census Bureau.

A limit exists to the number of unexcused School serves as the focal Little logic lies behind the angry absences a student can have. A truant in Florida is point of a student’s life. claims that teenagers have better a student who has 15 or more unexcused absences. things to do. Nothing will impact a Skipping class comes with a price, one that many Ditching harms grades and person’s future job prospects more students are not aware of until it is too late. nourishes an unhealthy work than performance in school.

Reprecussions for frequently cutting class ethic and an apathetic Attendance also influences come in to play after the student has received 15 grades. unexcused absences on his or her record. At this attitude.

Students who regularly attend point the principal must notify the district. class will most likely absorb more “The district school superintendent must information from the class and provide the names and identifying information of subsequently perform better on tests. Absences force students these students to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor to miss out on potentially vital information.

Vehicles (DHSMV). DHSMV may not issue a driver license or Moreover, fellow peers feel the negative effects of other learner permit, or may suspend the driving privileges of any students ditching class. When a student perpetually misses reported student until the student has satisfied regular school school the teacher must focus attention on the absentee attendance requirements,” reports www.fldoe.org. teenager. This leads to a chain reaction in which students who Students risk their educaton when they decide to ditch class. genuinely need help cannot get it. The teacher spends time The ramifications are too great and the reasons too unsound. working with the lost student and other students fall below Attending class will only lead to a brighter life.

“

”

Editors-In-Chief Arianna Ray Stephanie O’Sullivan News Editor Harry Traber Opinion Editor Brandon Koller Features Editor Zoe Lyon-Goldman Diversions Editors Olivia Davila-Finch Carly Ford Sports Editor Andrea Dobo Advertising Editor Drake Dickerson Web Editors Amanda Ferguson Justin Mang Photographer Linsey Duca Graphic Editor Leigha Bennett

Staff Artists Jonathan Bohinsky Wesley Wynne Staff Reporters Andy Bosley Hafsa Hussain Trevor Khan Rachel Lo Ellen McCormack Chris Moskal Courtney Rothermich Alexis Sherwood Sarah Tripp Jessi Whitacre Faculty Adviser Deborah Jepson Admin Adviser Marcia Haskel Principal Robert Lundquist Oviedo High School 601 King Street Oviedo, FL 32765 Phone: 407-320-4199 Fax: 407-320-4213 Population: 2223 Students 165 Staff

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, and SIPA. Distribution

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.

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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.

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The views of the staff do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, staff, or faculty of Oviedo High School.

DECEMBER 8, 2011

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opinion

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THE LION’S TALE

09

STEPHANIE O’SULLIVAN CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dread sets in as election season nears

I illustraton/WESLEY WYNNE

Mind over matter to reduce obesity Obesity problem leads to billions spent, millions of deaths

BRANDON KOLLER

B

OPINION EDITOR

efore 2000, no state claimed an obesity rate of over 25 percent. Today, over three-fourths of states claim that at least that amount. Almost one-third of Americans choose to live obese.

“Obese”, according to the World Health Organization, means a body-mass index of over 30.

For a six-foot-tall person, that meansa weighing 221 pounds or more, and for a five-foot-four-inch-tall person, it’s a weight of 175 or more pounds.

Many people blame their overeating and resultant obesity on mental issues or illness. Fools to celebrity testimony purchase along dieting trends of the time, wasting money on snake oil to cure weight gain.

While rare exceptions exist, for the vast majority of people, obesity lies in their choices; it’s not a disease to be cured by miracle medicines or plans.

Willpower just fails to meet simple, acceptable goals.

A person will only gain as much mass as calories eaten, but this ridiculously obvious line of reasoning escapes many. The Calorie Control Council web site suggests a 20-year-old, six-foot tall person weighing 160 pounds needs, on average, about 2,000 calories every day to maintain their weight.

A pound of fat contains 3,500 calories. Therefore, a daily deficit of 500 calories, a total of 1,500 calories each day would cause a pound of weight loss a week in our “average” person.

It’s simple math, and doesn’t require anything but laying off the soda and fries. Even that is optional, as calories are calories; as long as the total is low, composition matters little to weight. A person will still be flabby eating smaller quantities of fatty foods, but it’s a healthier, skinnier state of being.

Admittedly, I’m not the healthiest person. I usually slack around and eat whatever I feel like, but after adjusting my diet, even I noticed real results.

Even the laziest person can adjust excessive eating habits to become healthier.

Exercise complements the effects of dieting. Just 30 minutes of intensive physical activity allows for a healthier being, and burning calories during this time can reduce the daily total to keep weight down.

Want to hit your ideal weight and stay there?

Keep the program up. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, in their “Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults” suggests a dietary and exercise plan be “continued indefinitely” to keep weight stable. The body reaches a healthy equilibrium under diet and exercise.

“I accept my body as it is” doesn’t apply. Selfconfidence cannot defeat a heart attack. Sure, diet and exercise remain a commitment, but the risks avoided are immense. Web MD reports a 40 percent increased risk of premature death in the obese, but that even a 10 to 20 pound weight loss, easily accomplished in a two-month span, significantly reduces risks.

The Weight-control Information Network, part of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney diseases, cites “112,000 excess deaths due to cardiovascular disease, over 15,000 excess deaths due to cancer, and over 35,000 excess deaths due to non-cancer, non-cardiovascular disease causes per year in the U.S. population, relative to healthy-weight individuals.” Obesity is the second leading cause of

preventable deaths in the United States.

The costs encompass economic, as well as physical, concerns. “Health Insurance, Obesity, and its Economic Costs” by the Economic Research Services of the USDA mentions obese pay $10,000 more in lifetime medical costs. $10,000 because of a lack of willpower that only improves life.

The Get America Fit Foundation notes $39.3 million lost every year due to workdays missed by the obese and $62.7 million spent in physicians’ offices by the obese. $63.14 billion spent in type II diabetes treatment costs and nearly $7 billion on heart disease wasted on a condition with such a simple treatment is ludicrous.

Obesity costs enormous amounts on both an individual and a national level, and little is done.

Excuses provided about accepting our bodies only ease minds; smokers, suffering from a real addiction problem, receive glares and insults aplenty, but the obese receive a pardon for their easily-solved issue.

Obesity reached pandemic status years ago, but Americans don’t do enough for themselves or others.

We always mind the feelings of sufferers of this self-inflicted disease, hoping to preserve self-esteem instead of motivating them to change.

By doing nothing, though, the obese have no time to live on with their pride – by staying mindful of feelings and making weight a taboo, we only allow another short, miserable life to go on, soon followed by painful death. A quick talk or a simple lifestyle change resulting in years of life seems more than a fair trade to any logical mind.

Whether you’re perfectly healthy or overweight yourself, everyone has a role to play in reducing America’s expanding obese population. Trim the fat of our society, for both individual improvement and that of others, and everyone will reap the rewards.

brandonk@thelionstale.com

dread the beginning of the “election season”.

It seems like the election was just last year, and I’ve enjoyed being able to watch T.V. without hearing the cursed words, “I’m Whoever-I-Am, and I approve this message.”

One or two ads isn’t bad, but by election day, just hearing the words make me tense up.

Not only are these ads annoying, but they are pointless. They’re either straight-out lies or malicious attacks on their opponents.

I understand the reasoning behind the attacks; campaign advisors think “Let’s show the viewers how awful the opponent is and what mistakes they’re bound to make!”

I don’t care what mistakes the other opponent might possibly make! Tell me what YOU will do during your presidency, and don’t be naïve enough to think you won’t fall into the same pitfalls, Mr. Presidential Candidate…

Just you wait.

I see political ads as the candidate’s chance to shine, to tell the viewer everything they need to know in 30 seconds or less, but not another chance for the candidates to criticize each other. I get enough of that from debates.

When President George W. Bush was running against Senator John Kerry, President Bush’s campaign advisors came up with the “brilliant” idea of pairing a clip of Senator Kerry windsailing with text showing how many times Senator Kerry had changed his mind.

Original, but what a waste of 30 seconds.

Congratulations, campaign advisors, you managed to show the same two camera angles nine times in a political ad. You have the talent of a beginning video production student in the fifth grade.

Not only am I bored to tears with this ad, but I learned absolutely nothing about what President Bush promised to do while in office.

Another reason that I dread election season is how awkward it can get. I have opinions on certain topics, like abortion, taxes, and which political candidates are suitable for office, that are very different from my friend’s opinions.

Anytime politics are brought up, an uncomfortable silence fills the air because none of us wants to be the one to start a fight.

So, for the next eleven months, I’ll be avoiding politics like the plague.

I’m Stephanie O’Sullivan, and I don’t approve the message that political candidates are trying to send to us.

stephanieo@thelionstale.com

10

THE LION’S TALE

TREVOR KHAN

| opinion | DECEMBER 8, 2011

Fascination with Bieber, Snooki, Kardashians baffles columnist

STAFF REPORTER

Bad audition humbles aspiring singer

F

or so long, it’s been a dream of mine to be a singer. Day after day I’d belt out songs and drive my family crazy. In the shower (I was singing). In the hallway (I was singing). Even when I wasn’t singing (I’d want to be singing).

Every day my dad would shut the door to the sound of my voice screaming the lyrics of a Nelly Furtado song. I’d made a mockery of the artists that I loved-Sean Kingston, Ciara, Missy Elliot - blackballing myself in the process, all a part of my nine year old hip-hop craze.

The only problem with my singing, aside from that it drove the family insane, was that I wasn’t particularly good at it.

“What’s worse than that?”

What was even worse was I wasn’t aware that I wasn’t the next American Idol.

My ego was bigger than my voice and it soon got out of control.

As was his job as the evil older brother in his quirky pre-teen phase, my brother had devoted his life to making mine horrible, so he would always tell me that I was bad at singing.

However, thinking that singing was my “destiny”, I brushed off his comments and held my head high. Let’s just say that was a bad idea.

To prove my devotion, I auditioned for my fourth grade Christmas chorus concert. The audition was for the solo of the song ,“Amen”, and I wanted to give it a shot.

My turn came and I stood tall and proud, my voice escaping my lips,. But to my surprise, I totally sucked. My voice cracked harshly and I couldn’t cement over it. The laughter of the other auditioning kids broke me that day.

To be honest with you, I’m kind of glad it happened. I don’t mean to sound like a teen cliché, but I will when I say that it’s easy to learn from the past.

I’ve left that day behind, though I cringe at its mention (I’m writing this column from a fetal position). I’ve managed to move on with my life. I know it wasn’t as traumatic and a bit easier to recover from than some things, but at least I can say that I’ve grown from my past.

I still don’t plan on being the next American Idol, of course. But in case you’re wondering, the voice got much better.

Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll be the one laughing at those kids. Only time will tell.

trevork@thelionstale.com

RACHEL LO

STAFF REPORTER

T

his world is crazy.

Just about everyone can agree to that.

No sane world would allow anyone to ever possess a two million dollar wedding ring when children are starving in Africa. No sane world would allow Justin Bieber’s haircut to be the most Googled haircut of 2010. No sane world would ever allow a 4’9” “guidette” to make more money in two episodes of Jersey Shore than the average high school teacher makes in a year.

Normally, I’d have much, much better things to do in my spare time (well, not really…) than to write about all these crazy problems of the world, but the fifty-third headline of Kim Kardashian’s divorce I saw on Yahoo today really got me on edge. I’ve stopped checking my e-mail just to stop seeing her sex kitten face. Who knew there could be so many variations of a single divorce story: “How Kim Kardashian’s mother found out about the divorce,” “Kim Kardashian says her wedding gifts are going to charity,” “What Kim Kardashian will do with her wedding ring,” “What Kris Humphries’ dad thinks of the divorce” (By the way, does anyone else think it’s strange that her ex-husband’s name is the exact same

name as her mom’s?). Point is, I can’t stand a bombshell who got famous by her lawyer daddy and making a sex tape.

Kim Kardashian makes me so angry at the world that I’d actually rather think about Justin Bieber. At least he became famous by his own talent—if you call singing like a girl “talent.”

No joke, the first time I heard “Baby” I thought it was Jordin Sparks. photo/AMANDA FERGUSON I am completely baffled as to why his hair is such a SNOOKI’S MAKEOVER. Junior Rachel Lo draws on a photo of Snooki. big deal, too. I’m pretty sure I think that “Snooki” should have its own I saw the pasta bowl style on Zac Efron in “High definition in the dictionary — something like “an School Musical” before the Biebs blew us away with obnoxious orange oompa loompa that gives the his girl-like soprano voice. I can’t believe that hair lovely state of New Jersey a bad name,” but then was such a big deal that when he cut it, he lost 80,000 that’d be an insult to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory Twitter followers. But even though I do passionately workers. Can you believe that she wrote her own hate Justin Bieber as much as the next kid out there, book too? Then again, it might not be that hard to I do have to respect him for making more money at write 304 pages horrible enough to get 16 one-star 17 than I probably will make in my whole life. So, reviews on Amazon in the first month of release. So props, girl. to everyone who watches Jersey Shore, I’d like to say Last on this train of American pop culture congrats. You’re giving Snooki and Pauly D more despair is, of course, the oh-so infamous Snooki. I, money than any firefighter’s annual salary. personally, don’t know why she makes me want to It makes me extremely angry and sad that people rip those shiny hair extensions out. Maybe it’s the like Snooki even have the audacity to exist. I don’t orange tan, the hair bump higher than the heels I’ll know what this world has come to, but I’m fairly wear to prom, or the fact that she was paid $35,000 to certain I can say there are more important things in give college students advice (evidently, she told them life than Kim Kardashian’s commitment issues. to “study hard, but party harder.”)

rachell@thelionstale.com

New compound changes everything

HARRY TRABER

I

NEWS EDITOR

n the event you do not know, silicon is the king of electronic hardware. Microchips and anything you can think of is made from silicon. While silicon is not insufficient by any means, there are always better options. Carbon is one such option, necessary for life on earth (for the most part) and always surprising us. For example, making carbon fibers stronger than steel relative to it’s size. One surprise came in the form of Graphene.

For those of you who do not know by now, Graphene is the latest in emergent technology displaying properties that stand to make it thousands of times more powerful than silicon chips and help create touch screens that can bend and morph while still remaining operational. It can generate electricity as a super efficient solar cell.

Before I begin to “nerd out” and talk about the specific capabilities and future of Graphene, I should

define it for those of you who haven’t been as well panels will have a drop in price. Eventually more informed as myself. people will be able to get panels on their houses.

Graphene is a carbon material that forms as a Over time, as Graphene becomes more and more single layer of hexagon rings. The property of being common, it will drop in price as well. a single layer is what grants Graphene its amazing Even further from solar panels is touch screens. properties. Not every Graphene has been proven to type of carbon atom functioning as a touch screen in has the potential, only Japan, so why should we care? allotropes of carbon can We should care because Graphene form into Graphene. An allows for the screen to bend allotrope is an atom that and be pliable. A screen made forms differently from from Graphene wouldn’t crack if the regular form of that dropped on the ground. Graphene atom but not necessarily would allow for phones and tech to an ion. be smaller as well as faster because Now that we have of another property Graphene has. the chemistry out of Being a single atom thick and the way, let’s get down photo/COURTESY OF LAWRENCE BERKELEY having a honeycomb shape allows to business. Graphene NATIONAL LABORATORY for faster transport for electrons is a relatively easywhich in turn allows for faster to-harvest material that can be gathered in a lab processing in computers, and we all love faster by electrifying two sheets of metal. Once a single computers. Every year with silicon chips we still sheet of the material can be lifted, scientists can start have a jump in power and speed, with Graphene I getting down to the nitty-gritty. think every two months companies will be pushing Scientist at MIT have discovered that Graphene out improvements. can allow for more efficient absorption of solar In summary, I am quite excited for the possible energy. This is kind of exciting for me because I implementations of Graphene to hit the market. Like lament every day that our world runs on fossil fuels. many in the emergent technology industry I expect Now, like all new technology, Graphene solar panels big things from Graphene. will be expensive. However, other types of solar harryt@thelionstale.com

THE GREAT DEBATE:

PRO BRANDON KOLLER

DECEMBER 8, 2011

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opinion

|

THE LION’S TALE

Will teacher evaluations work in Seminole County?

OPINION EDITOR

Evaluations improve teaching, boost grades

W

e can do nothing but our best under any circumstances.

Right now, “circumstances” include the merit pay system; for the foreseeable future, it’s here to stay. Accepting that, the SCPS School Board is left only a few choices.

The evaluation system being put in place this year is one of those local decisions. But does the SCPS Board’s choice really improve students’ education?

The system SCPS decided on comes from the mind of Dr. Robert J. Marzano, CEO of Marzano Research Laboratory. The Marzano evaluation system utilizes 60 possible strategies in and out of the classroom to improve education.

Merit pay laws and education reform receive many negative responses. Tennessee’s adoption of a teacher evaluations prompted Elliott Seif, a former professor of education at Temple University, to suggest that “successful teacher evaluations will improve teaching and learning only when they concentrate on assessing how teachers go about improving important skills, attitudes and behaviors necessary for lifelong learning.”

Marzano’s system accomplishes these criteria. Teachers show students to identify critical information, examine errors in reasoning, revise knowledge, and engage in cognitive complex tasks involving the generation and testing of a hypothesis; these are just a few strategies from a plethora dedicated to accomplishing this task.

A lot of faith is put into the plan, but research warrants this faith. The Marzano Causal Teacher Evaluation Model is based on principles from over 5,000 studies performed over five decades. These range from correlational studies connecting teaching practices to student achievement to causation studies establishing a link between the model and student results.

The model is supported by “over 300 experimental/control studies” spanning “14,000 students and 300 teachers across 38 schools in 14 districts.”

Without specific training, average student gain of 16 percentile points occurred in schools the Marzano model was tested in. Specific training boosts scores even more. Oklahoma studies based on the Marzano model showed correlated gains high as 31 percentile points in student achievement. Domain 1 principles, 41 of the 60 represented in the Marzano model, were measured for this correlation, proving their potential.

The research certain legitimizes the model, though possible issues could lie with the person compiling and interpreting data. However, Marzano checks out, with nearly 45 years of educational experience. Marzano worked at the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning organization for 27 of those years, serving as both Director of Research and Vice President. It would be tough to find someone more qualified to create an educational model.

The Texas Association of School Boards worries that evaluations depend on how reliable the person evaluating the teachers are and that teachers might not get the feedback they need to improve. With regular meetings and the current model, none of these worries apply.

Stubbornness for the sake of idealism won’t get us anywhere.

We need to choose the best option available, and with value evident, the SCPS board-selected Marzano plan works.

brandonk@thelionstale.com

CON HARRY TRABER

Making sense of...

Marzano Domains • Domain 1: Classroom Strategies and Behaviors • Clear learning goals provided • Rules, procedures, and content reviewed for effectiveness and relevance • Important materials and class engagement level noted • New information actively processed and continually practiced by students • Incorrect answers probed equally among students of all motivational levels • Domain 2: Planning and Preparing • Content standards followed in logical sequence • Available technologies such as interactive whiteboards, voting technologies, and wikis identified • Students’ special needs accommodated for during planmaking process

11

NEWS EDITOR

Anxiety of teachers hurts student performance

T

here are a lot of good teachers out there. But it’s just a fact of life that some teachers aren’t going to be the right kind of person to be a teacher and yet they work as a teacher.

So just like any work force, teachers need to be evaluated to determine if they are getting the best results they can get from their students.

But the new Marzano system goes too far and is much too stressful for teachers who have to deal with it.

It is true that we don’t want teachers to get lazy and waste time. But the current evaluation system works and has been working for years.

It might appear that the new evaluation system might pushes teachers to try out new styles and look to innovate their teaching methods. But this just feels silly to me,in some cases.

In my classes, my teachers have an established style that works, and it works well.

Mr. Valle, for example, runs his classroom in a way that makes me feel relaxed, but still keeps the attitude at the serious level that AP Government requires. This keeps anxiety off of me and it keeps anxiety off of my teacher.

Anxiety is the exact emotion teachers should not be feeling, which is why these new evaluations are a bad idea.

Teachers make nervous jokes about retirement; other teachers mention ita in passing often times accompanied by a lamentation involving our governor or with a joke. In any case, these are indicators that they are worried. It should be pretty obvious that we do not want worried teachers.

To the credit of administration, they have had multiple meetings to show teachers what is going to be asked of them. We should not demonize our administration by putting out the idea that they are out to make teachers nervous or are looking to cut anyone who doesn’t follow the outline of the policy to the letter.

In reality the decision was handed down from above.

We should, however, tell the state that it’s not a good idea to put an evaluation in to action that will make teachers uncomfortable and anxious.

The evaluations are the basis of merit pay, which is wildly unpopular with the teachers union who even went to Tallahassee to protest the merit pay bill. Merit pay was an issue I did support last year.

However, after further review, I agree that merit pay is unfair.

Teachers already deal with tons of meetings on policy and literacy. Obviously, our teachers get training and are up on their stuff.

We do not need a new evaluation system to ensure good education is being delivered by the teachers on our faculty.

harryt@thelionstale.com

12

(features sports )

THE LION’S TALE

|

DECEMBER 8, 2011

Ghostly

Presence

Believers claim supernatual forces at work on campus

by Sarah Tripp

B

and director Dennis Line checks the men’s dressing room to clean up after a Saturday performance of Oviedo Lion’s Showcase at 11:30 p.m.

“I opened the door to check if it was cleared out after Showcase, and before I turned the light on I saw a clear image of a little girl in a rocking chair. I slammed the door shut and after a couple minutes I opened the door again, turned on the lights quickly and it was gone. She was all bloody and she had a doll with her,” Line said.

After this encounter, he started looking into the legends of ghosts at Oviedo.

“I found out that there was a little girl who was murdered in the area, not at Oviedo, though,” Line said.

Before he had this experience, he didn’t believe in ghosts at all. Since that night, he believes 100 percent that the paranormal exists.

“It was very vivid. I got chills up my spine and it was obvious that I saw something. I still never look in the mirrors when I go in. I just go in and quickly turn out the lights,” Line said.

photo/STEPHANIE O’SULLIVAN

Line’s second encounter with a ghost was also at 11:30 p.m. after a Saturday Showcase, both before the renovation of the auditorium.

“I’ve encountered one on the catwalk when I was closing up for Showcase. I don’t know what it was, but they, said ‘Who’s there?’ Then I ran like a little girl,” Line said.

To this day, when Line closes up to his day for Showcase, he takes precautions.

“Whenever I close down and lock up, I always leave a light on where I’m walking. When I hear something in the catwalk, I walk a little faster,” Line said.

Line saw his third ghost on the baseball field.

“It was an Indian who breathed on my neck and ran into the dugout. I was mowing the field and it was 5:30 in the morning, so it was dark,” Line said.

Senior Krystal Rivera, a drama student, knows what it’s like to experience something unexplainable.

“The last time it happened was during the talent show. The lights just went wonky in one

of the acts. When that happens, you have to wait until you can get control of the board, so you just have to sit and wait,” Rivera said.

Lumiere is the name of the ghost that the drama department says messes with the lights during rehearsal.

“It was sophomore year. We were in tech week for Charlie Brown, one of our plays, and the lights went wrong. Our director got upset, and I thought it was our light guy at the time, but then she went on to describe the legend of Lumiere,” Rivera said.

This was her first time experiencing something paranormal.

“Actually, I wasn’t scared, but I didn’t think that it was Lumiere. I wanted to think it was just an electrical circuit, not a ghost,” Rivera said.

The drama department’s old director, Jennifer Devine, told them of the legend of Lumiere.

“According to the legend, you are supposed to leave a lamp lit on the center of the stage when you’re not rehearsing,” Rivera said.

Rivera has heard of stories of Lumiere that she, personally, has not experienced.

History of Spooky Stories Dracula 1456

Frankenstein 1818

The character Count Dracula has been in over 200 movies, more than any other besides Sherlock Holmes.

Author Mary Shelley wrote this story after a bet with poet Lord Bryon.

The first Frankenstein movie was released in 1931.

photo/COURTESY OF DRACULAS.INFO

photo/COURTESY OF BRAVEHOST.COM

“I’ve heard that all the lights in the auditorium have gone out, and they were just left in the darkness,” Rivera said.

Chemistry teacher Kathy Savage doesn’t believe that the paranormal exists.

“Every now and then I go and look stuff up, but really if there was any evidence [that ghosts exist], it would show up in scientific news and I don’t see it,” Savage said.

Savage has her reasons why she doesn’t believe in ghosts.

“Our brains are very imperfect. The main reason why they’re optical illusions is because our brain has a quirky way of working and we think we see one thing that’s really not there,” Savage said.

Although Savage finds no evidence that ghosts do exist, she is only human.

“Like anybody else, I get scared of things, but it’s certainly not the logical part of me,” Savage said.

saraht@thelionstale.com

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

1885

Created by Robert Louis Stevenson, this is the first horror movie ever made. photo/COURTESY OF HARRISONAMY.COM

Helping Hands Food pantry meets needs of community DECEMBER 8, 2011

by Courtney Rothermich

S

tudents will no longer be hungry over the holidays thanks to the food pantry that has been established on campus over the summer.

“The food pantry is a little stock room that we have here at Oviedo High School in the office to help homeless people or people that don’t have enough food in our community, and also our own students who attend high school,” secretary Patti Blake said.

The food pantry is collecting food and toilitetries items. The food pantry began as a simple room in the front office and transformed into a very active place. People come on Thursday mornings to pick up food.

“It was basically a storeroom for extra supplies: boxes of paper, envelopes, pens, pencils. So we’ve had to consolidate all of that, but we managed to do it,” Blake said.

The food pantry began last summer at the county level, when School Board Member Dede Schaffner decided that it would be a useful thing for the community.

“In the beginning of the summer last June, Schaffner decided that there was a need [for the food pantry] and that we would be able to service our students and families. It was supposed to end in the summer; it was only supposed to go through the beginning of August.

But because the need was so great, she decided that we would continue it, and it has been very successful and definitely a needed thing in most of the schools. And I think most of the schools have a food pantry,” Blake said.

Any non-perishable food item can be donated to the food pantry, including canned food, cereals, rice, pastas, peanut butter, jelly, macaroni and cheese and Hamburger Helper.

There is also a need for toiletry items like tissues, feminine products, toothpaste and deodorant.

According to Blake, students and families donate to the food pantry every day. Students in Beta Club and the National Honor Society also help out the food pantry.

“Every morning I find one or two bags at my door when I come in,” Blake said.

Blake and Bonnie Presley take charge of the food pantry.

“As the product comes in, I check expiration dates. Nothing here is expired. I put all the food in the proper locations, like all the beans together, all the corn, and protein and dried foods together. I keep it stocked, rotated, and cleaned. I clean the pantry, and take in and give out food,” security guard Presley said.

They are willing to get the donations to the food pantry in any way that they can.

“I would drive and go pick it up if they weren’t able to bring it to us,” Blake said.

The Hope Foundation also helps with the food pantry.

“I have a list of people that I can call on if running out of food happens and several churches also. The Hope Foundation also has extended a hand that if I ever run low; I can just pick up the phone and [call],” Blake said.

Blake believes that students should get involved with the food pantry.

“They have too much to be thankful about.

They need to learn how to share their wealth that has been given to them and you know with buy one get one frees, it is just that what several teachers here do: they buy one get one free no matter whether it’s rice, spaghetti sauce, they buy one for their pantry and bring one to our pantry. It’s kind of cool,” Blake said.

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THE LION’S TALE 13

How can you donate?

1.Collect any nonperishable items from home.

2. Drop them off in the

Guidance Room or give them to Bonnie Presley or Patty Blake.

3.Gift cards to local groceries stores would be appreciated during the holiday season.

courtneyr@thelionstale.com

A closer look with FCA Sponsor Elizabeth Jarzynka Q: What is FCA? A: FCA is an on campus school

Q: How did FCA begin?

A: It was started at a college and

Q: What does being a part of FCA mean to you?

club.We are allowed to talk about Christ and pray after school hours on campus. FCA has been around over 55 years.The students run the meetings.

they started it because athletes needed something to keep them focused and stay true to their Christian values.

A: I thinks it’s exciting to be a part of

Q: What do you do?

A: We meet weekly and we have

Q: What is the reason

Q: Who is able to join this

monthly events. Last month we had a UF baseball player speak and we had a former NFL player speak the month before that. photo/LINSEY DUCA

photo/AMANDA FERGUSON

behind FCA?

A: It’s a time for the students that

share the same faith to relate to each other.

something so big and being a part of the students’ walk with Christ.

group?

A:Anybody can join.You don’t have to be an athlete to join.

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THE LION’S TALE

| features | DECEMBER 8, 2011

WASTING AWAY

Drug abuse drags down families

by Jessi Whitacre

happened, and the story behind the terrible he phone rings and a woman answers. scars that I remember seeing on her when I The voice on the other end of the line was little, the only emotion I can really bring is the woman’s mother, and she is myself to feel for her is disappointment. crying. Her voice shakes as she explains the I’m so disappointed in her. She was my role tragedy that has just befallen the family. model when I was young. I just wish she Amy Thompson*, mother of an OHS could’ve made better choices. It would have sophomore, remembers the night her younger saved my family so much heartache, and she sister’s life changed forever. probably would have a much better life now,” “I remember being very scared for her Ella said. because I didn’t know Life for Emma any of the details. But since her accident has It would have saved my family I remember my parents been a struggle. She so much heartache. telling me ‘Don’t come has contemplated Ella Thompson*, ‘14 to the hospital right suicide because there now’ so I knew it must are times when she have been bad, and they were trying to protect feels the pain is too much to live with. me. The first time I saw [my younger sister] Emma also cannot sit or stand for she was in intensive care still hooked up to extended periods of time which makes it near machines and everything,” Amy said. impossible for her to keep a job.

Amy’s sister, Emma Thompson*, was “At her age, it’s very difficult for her to roughly 23 when she made the decision take find a guy that is willing to deal with all of pills and drink alcohol at a party. her illnesses and sicknesses and pain and “She left with a guy whom she thought doctors and doctors bills. And not being able cared about her. She was out of control, and to have children. That’s hard for a young guy she didn’t really know what she was doing. wanting to start a family and enjoy his life, Doctors later found out that he raped her when she can’t enjoy [her] life because her and threw her from the car, alongside the body and health is destroyed,” Amy said. highway, where she was struck by another According to the Substance Abuse and car going full speed,” Amy said.

Mental Health Servies Administration, the Emma had no heartbeat when the younger a child is when they begin using ambulance reached her. The surgeons marijuanna, the more likely they are to use couldn’t afford to work slowly which led other drugs and get into trouble. to hasty incisions that later would leave Former OHS student Enriquue Bravo* gruesome scars, but they were able to restore was 12 when he first used marijuanna, and her heartbeat and save Emma’s life. went to rehab at 16 for other illicit drug use. “[Emma] was in intensive care for a Bravo was expelled from school due to drug long time and had extensive rehabilitation. abuse, and also had been arrested 12 times She couldn’t even use a normal bathroom, with over 50 charges to his name. couldn’t get a shower without an old person’s Senior Ryan Connors-Tronpeter has also shower chair. She got around in a wheelchair, been affected by drugs. and she slept in a hospital bed. And now, to Connors-Tronpeter’s mother, father, and this day, from them having to crack her chest uncles abused drugs. When his mother was open, she still has extensive pain every day. pregnant with him, she drank alcohol, used She is sick and nauseated every day of her cocaine and smoked weed. After giving birth, life,” Amy said. she used an even more drugs.

Sophomore Ella Thompson* was two Because of this, Connors-Tronpeter was when her aunt was in the accident. taken away from his mother when he was two “Now that I’m old enough to know what years old and never got to build a relationship

T

“

”

with her.

“My mother actually left me on the highway in Connecticut. Someone called the police so they picked me up.

I was put on a missing person list. My grandmother saw it and she came to get me and my sisters. My mother was sent to court and basically the court stripped her rights as a mother and put me in foster care,” Connors-Tronpeter said.

He was told about his parent’s drug use when he was 13 years old. “[When I found out] I wasn’t upset about any of that because I knew I had gotten a better life. I was more upset with the fact that someone would do that to a child. The only thing I remember [from living with my mother] was that I was hungry. And I was in the crib, and she was walking away when I was crying.

That’s it. That’s the only memory I have of her, really,” Connors-Tronpeter said.

Connors-Tronpeter has had several therapists in his lifetime to help him cope with the experiences he went through due to his mother’s drug abuse. He has had nine different foster families before the guardians he lives with now adopted him, he said. Now, Connors-Tronpeter believes firmly in leading a drug free life.

“No good comes out of any drug.

The end result is that you either drop out of school and you don’t do as well in school so you don’t get a good education or go to college, and you don’t make much money. And then you either find yourself on the street or struggling to make ends meet every single day of your life for the rest of your life. You make bad friends. If you’re doing drugs, chances are you’re not hanging out with the right people. Your chances of getting arrested are higher, the chances of you committing a crime or not being trusted.

Just your overall quality of life is less,” Connors-Tronpeter said. *Names Withheld

jessiw@thelionstale.com

Conside

v There are appr United States.

v Drug overdose deaths. v

Every day 2,50 time.

v More teens are other drug com

DECEMBER 8, 2011

| features

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THE LION’S TALE

15

Best friend violates teen’s trust

er the Facts

by Leigha Bennett

roximately 28,000 fatal drug poisonings every year in the

e deaths are second only to car crashes for unintentional injury

00 teens in the United States do prescription drugs for the first

e currently being treated for marijuana dependence than any mbined. info courtesy/NOPETASKFORCE.ORG

photo illustration/AMANDA FERGUSON

E

veryone has some sort of best friend in his or her life. Someone they share a deep connection and level of trust with. They can talk to them about anything.

I met my best friend, Adam Foss, in my sophomore year. We both had family issues, and understood where we were coming from. We had the same sense of humor, attitude, and outlook on life even if he wasn’t the perfect citizen my parents wanted me to hang out with.

Foss partied, smoked weed, drank alcohol, and popped pills. As long as I wasn’t around it, I wouldn’t really have to deal with it. I should have done more to stop his habit, but it was like talking to a brick wall. It was pointless to tell him to stop.

Foss dropped out of high school in his freshman year. He packed his bags up for North Carolina. I cried, just like any best friend would.

Over this summer, I received a message from him, which was the first in months, saying he returned home to Oviedo.

Later in summer, my family and I decided to go on vacation. Homeless at the time, sleeping on a bench at night, and waking up from sprinklers in the early morning, Foss had it rough. I wanted to help him and I made the mistake; I sent the text “Sure, you can stay at my house.” I figured he’d stay a night, and leave the next day, nothing touched, and everything would be okay.

Sunday, nothing seemed unusual. Foss and I texted each other like normally. He thanked me for being such a good friend and helping him out.

Monday afternoon, I got a call. My older sister didn’t live with my family at the time, so she was watching the house and taking care of my cats while we were away.

“There are three people at the house. Who are all these people?” My sister yelled.

When you’re about to cry, you get that lump in your throat and you can’t speak because at any moment, you’d just burst out crying.

That became me.

“I-I don’t know,” I stuttered.

My sister explained that three people were sitting on my patio, smoking pot, drinking wine, and claiming to be friends of my best friend.

I knew two of the three vaguely.

My sister told them all to leave, and that she’d call the police. Later, Foss returned to the house and my sister kicked him out immediately.

I instructed my sister to call me if anything seemed unusual after that, and I called Foss to tell him never to come around my house ever again.

The police promised to patrol my house during the night and day while my sister was at work.

I felt the guilt in myself building up; I was in front of my parents that had absolutely no idea that a stranger to them had gone through their house, invited his friends over, smoked pot on the patio, and kicked in the back door.

I got a ping from Facebook. Fooss’s stepbrother sent me a message, “Did you know that he has been driving around town with your dad’s car?

And he stole a necklace from your attic?”

My hands shook as I called Foss, to say the least.. I had only given him two rules: Don’t have anyone over and take care of my cats.

But I just wanted to know why.

After trying and failing to convince me that

his stepbrother was only trying to get him arrested, the only reason Foss gave me for his actions was “that [he] did what he wanted, and was sorry that he hurt me.”

Foss said that he’d been high, and he couldn’t remember anything that he did. He denied the accusation of using my dad’s work car, but the more he lied, the more he backed himself into a corner.

Foss needed to find a Leigha Bennett ‘12 way out, so he told me that he was tired of life, and that he would do the world a favor by killing himself.

This was probably to convince me to feel bad for him; it worked. During the conversation, he popped a handful of ecstasy pills.

“There. They’re down,” were the haunting words.

I had no choice; I hung up on him and called his stepbrother and mother.

I didn’t hear anything for a few days. My sister came down on Thursday night and we both returned home the next day. On the way home, I received a text from my Foss.

“I’m so sorry for the disrespect I showed you and your family.”

Once I got home, I noticed that all the furniture was out of order. I ran into my parents’ room. I ran to my sister, crying.

“He took dad’s coin jar,” I managed to spit out.

A coin jar with over $107 packed into it.

My sister and I searched the house; I noticed that he’d gone through my room. All my jewelry boxes and photo boxes were opened and clothing that I haven’t touched in years was thrown across my floor.

The strings on my guitar were broken. But nothing as far as I knew was missing from my room. The rest of the house wasn’t so lucky.

I felt violated; someone I trusted had come inside my house and done this to my family. The wound went a little deep.

My parents came home that Sunday and quickly caught on. All of the beer, wine, meat and drinks from the fridge were missing. They called the police.

For whatever reason, Foss texted my phone “When you report me to the police, let me know so I can turn myself in.”

The police questioned me. I told them the truth and wrote my statement, and they went around my house to examine it. In the living room, they could see where he went through it; his fingerprints were left behind in the dust. They took fingerprints from my dad’s work car, cigarette butts that were left in a pile on the patio for DNA, and my cell phone for the ‘confession.’

Soon summer was over, I had to face my demons at school. Three of the eight people that Foss confessed to being at my house attend OHS. One of the three told me with all the money that my friend had gotten from selling the stuff he stole, he went out and spent on drugs.

I lost my friendship, my relationship with my parents, and I’ll live with this for the rest of my life. happiness can never be the same.

leighab@thelionstale.com

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THE LION’S TALE

| features | DECEMBER 8, 2011

Attention Deficit Disorder

No barrier for tenacious student

“My doctor advised me to take a meedication “I get pretty good grades but it takes me five called Vyvanse for my condition,” Hinnershitz hours to do my homework. Sometimes I stay said. “I also have a visual processing disorder so up studying until 12 o’clock,” Hinnershitz said.

I have to study and work extra hard.”

“I also will wake up three to four hours earlier A visual processing disorder hinders the depending on the amount of homework I have. ability to make sense of information taken Another hindrance of ADD is the medicine in through the eyes. Difficulties with visual given to control symptoms. processing affect how visual information is “When I first started taking the medicine for ADD I was always angry, but I eventually interpreted or processed by the brain.

“I used my body got used to it,” to stay up Hinnershitz said. “But when Life is sometimes funny because late with my I don’t take my medicine I someone will say something but I’ll get easily distracted.” dad because hear something totally different.

Hinnershitz’s ADD is I struggled Heidi Hinnershitz, ‘12 genetic; both her mother and with my math her sisters have the disease. homework.

My dad “For my support would stay up helping me, but we couldn’t system, my mother and sisters also have it and figure out why I didn’t get it,” Hinnershitz said. understand what it is like,” Hinnershitz said.

Hinnershitz says that sometimes her mother “My dad wuold get bery frusterated with me because I would unconsciously flip my letters will walk in the room five times in row telling her the same thing because she forgot. and numbers backwards and upsie-down.”

“It gets annoying, but it is very funny,” One of the biggest disadvantages Heidi’s visual processing disorder is that she can’t read Hinnershitz said.

Although Hinnershitz’s mother has struggled her own handwriting. Even during an early age Heidi experienced symptoms of the visual with ADD, she has been able to overcome the disorder. disorder.

“My mom always had trouble in school, but “In kindergarten my handwriting was bad and it never got better. It probably has actually worked very hard,” Hinnershitz said.

Hinnershitz’s older sister has also been able goten worse. The visual processing disorder prevents me from writing right,” Hinnershitz to cope with the disease and graduated from college with a Ph.D. in Nursing. said.

Hinnershitz believes that her disorder OHS presents Hinnershitz with resources to accommodate for her inability to interpret her changes how people see her.

“Other people might think I’m weird,” own handwriting.

“I get to use the computer for my work Hinnershitz said. “I doodle and draw a lot. I get instead of writing,” Hinnershitz said. “I also get sidetracked really easily.”

Hinnershitz advises other students with extra time when I take the AP exams. SAT and ADD to get help if they can.

ACT.” “Try your best to pay attention. If you Hinnershitz uses a program called Dragon Natural Speaking on the computer that translates can get help get it, especially before college,” Hinnershitz said. “Some people just kind of her words into text.

Although Hinnershitz struggles with ADD, grow out of it and you learn how to adapt.” she still manages to keep her grades up while taking four AP classes. ellenm@thelionstale.com

“

photo/ZOE LYON-GOLDMAN

Focus Focus Focus. Senior Heidi Hinnershitz who struggles with ADD, works on an assignment in Elton Sledge’s German class.

by Ellen McCormack

S

enior Heidi Hinnershitz sits unconsciously picking away at her pencil’s eraser and repeatedly tapping her foot. She does all she can to pay attention to the teacher but, even from an early age, Hinnershitz constantly found herself distracted and unfocused.

By the time Hinnershitz entered high school she knew she was different from other students.

“At first I felt secluded and I couldn’t figure out why it was so much harder for me compared to the other students,” Hinnershitz said.

All her life, Hinnershitz had been living with a serious disorder called attention deficit disorder (ADD). ADD is a mental disorder that often leads to distractibility, hyperactivity or impulsive behaviors.

Hinnershitz constantly experiences symptoms of ADD including being easily

distracted and not being able to think clearly.

Hinnershitz also undergoes periods of hyper focus, when she intently focuses on something that interests her.

Hyper focus can sometimes make her unaware of her surroundings.

“If I really want to get something done, I can focus,” Hinnershitz said. “Life is sometimes funny because someone will say something but I’ll hear something totally different.”

When her history teacher assigned her a history project, Hinnershitz experienced hyper focus.

“If I get started on a project I have to get it done right away. I am so focused I won’t do anything else,” Hinnershitz said.

A team of specialist diagnosed Hinnershitz with ADD during her junior year.

ADD continuously affects her daily life.

”

Dealing

DECEMBER 8, 2011

| features |

THE LION’S TALE

17

with Divorce

One senior explains how he put positive spin on his parent’s breakup

by Zoe Lyon-Goldman

appreciate her and she kind of does all of the our years ago, senior Ben Bazata’s parents work she can do to make sure I have the best I began the process that led to their divorce. can get,” Bazata said.

Aside from attending car shows and spending “It changed the way I look at families in general,” Bazata said, “I’ve realized that quality time, Bazata doesn’t feel emotionally making changes, even if it’s a little bit difficult, connected with his dad.

“My dad loves me, I know that. But he has an in the long run always helps out. If you feel like you’re not comfortable somewhere, you should interesting way of showing it. His parents were be okay to make a change rather than just stick the same way. He is still angry about my mom leaving him and he doesn’t take that out on me with it.”

50 percent of all marriages in America end in through abuse or anything, but he’s still really divorce, according to divorcerate.org. Discovery reserved and quiet. He talks to me, but not too Channel says that 40 percent of couples with much,” Bazata said.

Bazata’s parents’ communication towards children get a divorce.

Ohio State University reported that although each other post-divorce doesn’t necessarily concern him. children of divorced “He won’t pick up the parents experience more It’s not like the world is phone. If she calls, he will problems than those send it to voicemail. He is who live in families going to end; it’s still going okay about sending back with both parents, there to go on. e-mails. In person, he usually are also positive effects Ben Bazata, ‘12 gives her a really cold such as a development shoulder,” Bazata said. of maturity and moral “Their problems are their problems. They growth and a better perspective about finances.

Totaldivorce.com explains that although have been doing it long enough that they are going the aftermath of a couple’s divorce could result to do what they are going to do. It’s annoying in long-term damage, there are actually several that my dad won’t talk to my mom a lot of the benefits. These include skills of communication, time and he just doesn’t care. But whatever that’s organization, time management, and relationship his problem, not mine. I’m not going to concern myself with something he is doing to himself building.

Bazata soon realized his parents’ divorce that’s bad for him.”

In the long haul, Bazata doesn’t consider his meant an ending to the constant arguing and parents’ divorce to be harmful to his own life. He negative atmosphere.

“When my parents were divorcing, there was believes that his parents’ split was probably more a lot of arguing, and even before they broke up, beneficial than anything.

“It’s not as bad as it seems. A lot of people they were arguing a lot. Probably every day they were having really big arguments. So that kind come out and say ‘Oh, it really sucks,’ and for a of sucked. I didn’t really enjoy that and that was while it does; when you’re getting used to having kind of a downer to come home from school to both parents in your house, and then you see see my parents yelling at each other and throwing moving boxes and one of them is gone and the stuff. Now that they’ve stopped with that, it’s other one is still there, it’s kind of a hollowness in kind of nice. I would say that the pros definitely the house at first. But after a while, you get used to it. It’s not like the world is going to end; it’s outweigh the cons,” Bazata said.

The relationship with both his parents after still going to go on,” Bazata said. the divorce leaves Bazata feeling more gratitude towards his mother because of the changes she made to benefit his future.

“She really appreciates me and I really

F

“

”

zoel@thelionstale.com

illustration/WESLEY WYNNE

Recipe for Divorce What hurts?

In the aftermath of a divorce there is usually a dramatic drop in income that contributes to additional stresses, including moving to a smaller house and loss of friends.

What helps?

The custodial parent should try to establish a close relationship with the child. It is important to collaborate with the absent parent when it comes to making important decisions for the child.

When things go wrong The parents should not disagree over how to handle a crisis, but work together towards a solution for the good of the child. Depression is often an outcome of divorce, when this occurs people should seek professional help. info courtesy/OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

18

THE LION’S TALE

| advertisements | DECEMBER 8, 2011

DECEMBER 8, 2011 |

features |

THE LION’S TALE

19

Most lipstick contains fish scales

Hannah Procell Daughter Human Rights Activist

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

McDonald’s sells more than 75 burgers per second.

The average person spends three years on the toilet.

If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib.

The average lead pencil will draw a line 35 miles long or about 50,000 English words.

American Express issues a special black card that allows the card holder to be able to purchase anything they want. There is no limit.

When you combine a question mark with an exclamation point, it’s called an “interrobang”.

Americans consume about 10 billion donuts each year.

Abducted children change teen’s perspective photo/AMANDA FERGUSON

by Jonathan Bohinsky

W

hen she was 13, Sophomore Hannah Procell’s father lost his job and her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her family was at the mercy of a dwindling savings account and a deadly disease.

The future was looking bleak.

She was too young to get a job. All she could do was provide emotional support for her family.

After a year of dealing with that situation, she watched a movie in World Cultural Geography class that changed her forever. The movie was called Invisible Children: The Rough Cut. It documented the longest-running war in Africa that involves kidnapping children and forcing them to fight.

Watching the documentary made Procell realize she had to do something.

“It made me realize no matter what you’re going through in your life, every teenager in central Africa has had it worse,” Procell said.

Procell now works with the Invisible Children, an organization dedicated to ending the atrocities of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in central Africa. The LRA is a militant Christian group that has abducted over 66 thousand people who will be forced into sexual slavery or forced to fight for the LRA. Over the summer, Procell went to a summit with the Invisible Children in San Diego where she met a girl who was born in a displacement camp for people whose lives have been uprooted by the LRA. “We were both on the dance floor screaming the lyrics to ‘Hold It Against Me’ by Brittany Spears. I realized that it doesn’t matter how far away you are from somebody, you’re really the

Senior Steve: by Jonathan Bohinsky

same. Everyone is a reflection of one another,” Procell said.

Procell went out on Black Friday and asked people in checkout lines for donations to the Invisible Children. She plans to go caroling over the holidays with a group to raise money for the foundation. Procell has also made a website where you can donate to benefit the Invisible Children.

“If you know someone needs your help, are you going to say no?” Procell said. “If you’re given the opportunity to work hard towards something and make a difference, even if it’s a small difference, why not try?”

jonathanb@thelionstale.com Editor’s Note

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

There is enough DNA in your body, that if put end on end it would reach the sun and back 500 times.

If you take your age and multiply it by seven, then multiply by 1,443 the product repeats your age three times.

Borazon is one of the hardest substances in the world. It can even scratch a real diamond.

The “sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick” is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language.

dyk@thelionstale.com

info courtesyALLRANDOMFACTS.COM

20

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THE LION’S TALE

|

DECEMBER 8, 2011

Upcoming

December

movies

Looking for something to do over the winter break? Check out these new winter movies.

by Chris Moskal

Carnage

Release Date: 12/16/11 Rated: R Jodie Foster and Kate Winslet in the same movie! A comedy about two extremely dysfunctional families who have to meet together for group therapy sessions after their sons beat each other up at school. If that’s not enough to entice you, it’s directed by Academy Award winning director Roman Polanski, it has won an Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz in it, John C. Reily is in it, and its already received critical acclaim.

Polanski is a seasoned master, but he’s never done a comedy movie before, so it will be interesting to see how it turns out.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Release Date: 12/16/11 Rated: PG-13

The Adventures of Tintin

Sherlock Holmes has been the most represented character in the movies, with over 200 films featuring him. Robert Downey Jr. won a Golden Globe for the first movie and is back now to try to defeat his nemesis, Professor Moriarty. The Prince of Austria is found dead, and despite evidence showing suicide, Holmes believes it is part of a larger conspiracy.

If you didn’t see the first, you won’t have to, as it’s a stand-alone sequel that requires no prior knowledge.

Release Date: 12/21/11 Rated: PG

Steven Spielberg hasn’t done a kid’s movie in a long time, and he’s never done an animated movie before. Tintin follows a young reporter who discovers a model ship believed to lead to an ancient shipwrecked treasure, only to be pursued by pirates who (surprise!) want the treasure themselves.

Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson is producing and of course John Williams is composing the music like he does with every Spielberg movie. Don’t expect a Schindler’s List or an E.T. here, but expect a very fun, entertaining movie with amazing animation.

Classics

on Netflix

Missed the TV showing of your favorite Christmas movie? Netflix has put up several classics in honor of the holidays.

all photos courtesy of/PUBLICITY WEBSITES

chrism@thelionstale.com

It’s a Wonderful Life 1946

One of the first classic Christmas movies, and still the best. A story about a man who is about to kill himself on Christmas Eve, only to have his guardian angel show him what life would be like if he didn’t exist.

Santa Clause 2 2002 In this sequel Scott Calvin has been Santa Clause for almost a decade, but he faces a dilemma when this job could be taken from him if he doesn’t find himself a Mrs. Clause by a certain time.

Home Alone 2002

Kevin McCallister is a kid left at home on his family’s Christmas vacation who has to defend their house from two burglars. It’s an iconic movie with so many memorable scenes, and a definite Christmas classic.

////Reviewed DECEMBER 8, 2011

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THE LION’S TALE

21

Music, movies, books & more

VERY GOOD

OUTSTANDING

GOOD

RUBBISH

Blue Slide Park Mac Miller Rap

On Your Radar The Saturdays Pop

Talk That Talk Rihanna Pop

Break The Spell Daughtry Rock

by Leigha Bennett

by Trevor Khan

by Hafsa Hussain

by Alexis Sherwood

U

p and coming rapper, Mac Miller, has been taking the world by storm. Rapping since 2007, the current 19 year old has been tearing up the music industry with his upbeat songs. Over time Miller has dropped numerous mix tapes, How High, But My Mackin Ain’t Easy, The Jukebox: Prelude to the Class Clown, The High Life, K.I.D.S., Best Day Ever, I Love Life Thank You and just recently Black Friday. But on Nov. 8, he released his debut album Blue Slide Park.

Although this album does not feature any guests, Miller has worked with close and personal friend Wiz Khalifa and Cobra Starship in previous mix tapes.

Before the released of Blue Slide Park, Miller dropped individual tracks like “Frick Park Market”, “Smile Back”, and “Blue Slide Park”.

The songs are amazing, along with the entire album.

Although he’s famous for party songs like “Donald Trump”, Miller shows his calmer side with tracks like “English Lane” and “One Last Thing”. It’s refreshing to get different styles out of one album; it shows the artist’s talent to deliver so much more.

It’s also the story behind the album that’s so inspiring. Miller produced Blue Slide Park with personal friends that he’s grown up with, and even named the album after a part of his hometown. It’s good to know that even with so much upcoming fame, he still keeps his head level.

Overall, the album was great to say the least, and I’d strongly recommend to anyone.

D

id I just crash land in the ‘90’s? It’s hard to believe I didn’t after listening to the newest album from The Saturdays, the hot British-Irish girl group that’s been making music the way it should be.

Their album , On Your Radar, has 14 incredible tracks that blow you away right away.

Party pop music is loaded into this album, but with a fresh twist to it. The songs are all very upbeat, even their slower songs still have a catchy pace and they’re all hard to get out of your head.

My favorite song from the album is the first track, “All Fired Up”. The song is a fun dance song that is about going out and having a good time with your friends.

Another great song from the album is “White Lies” which is surprisingly an upbeat song due to the title. The song is about a girl warning a guy about her past before they get into a relationship.

Though the majority of the songs have similar dance beats in the background, save the few slower ones, each song makes a different point and has very strong lyrics to back it up.

This band’s music to me is like a beautiful mixture of the Spice Girls and The Pussycat Dolls, a combination that’s sure to have you abusing your replay button.

Overall, this album is very well put together and deserves more recognition than given because all the songs are well written, well produced and well performed.

I hope to see more of The Saturdays in the future.

DOWNLOAD THIS >> Party on Fifth Ave

leighab@thelionstale.com

DOWNLOAD THIS >> All Fired Up

Avril Lavigne Tuesday, Dec. 13 6:45 p.m.

House of Blues LMFAO Monday, Dec. 12 7:30 p.m.

House of Blues

trevork@thelionstale.com

R

ihanna has done it yet again with her sixth studio album Talk That Talk.

The Barbadian pop artist never fails to deliver a well-written, catchy, diverse mix of songs that will definitely make you want to sing them aloud despite your terrible voice.

Talk That Talk contain various genres from hip hop, to house, to even dubstep.

The album debuted at number three on the Billboard top 100. Not to mention it sold nearly 198,000 copies during it’s opening week.

The opening track of her Deluxe Edition “You Da One” brings high hopes for the rest of the album. Its Caribbean feel and steady beat make for an excellent beginning track.

The most popular track on this album, “We Found Love”, is more of a dance song then anything. Combining her Caribbean style with Singer/songwriter/DJ Calvin Harris’s electro/ house music infinite possibilities commence.

Of all the songs in this album my favorite would have to be, “Talk That Talk”. Jay-Z is featured in this track and if you’ve ever heard any of their pass collaborations such “Run this Town”, or “Umbrella”, you know that it’s a must listen. In the song Jay-Z raps while Rihanna pitches in with a fun and energetic chorus (as usual).

Compared to her last album Loud, which in my mind was slightly better, Talk That Talk contains a diverse set of songs and you’re bound to find one that you like.

Overall the album was great, and I enjoyed listening to it.

DOWNLOAD THIS >> Talk That Talk

hafsah@thelionstale.com

D

aughtry’s new album Break the Spell is a fantastic new addition to the already outstanding collection of albums that Daughtry has put out in the past few years. This album is much more upbeat and has more of a hard rock sound to it, and the lyrics are also more positive than the past albums.

According to singer Chris Daughtry, the band went into the studio to write and record songs without any pre-planning, and came up with very interesting tunes and lyrics.

The band knew they had to push themselves in order to get more fans attention, and to get more of a variety of listeners. For this album, the band was going for more of a bold “rockin” sound, and that’s exactly what they accomplished.

The first track “Renegade”, leads off the album with high energy in the guitars and intense vocals from Daughtry. While there are strong, hard rocking tracks like “Outta My Head” and “Louder Than Ever”, there are also calm and soft tracks like “Crawling Back to You” and “Start of Something New”, and it gives the album a unique mix of various tones.

The band felt very obligated to think outside the box since they wanted to keep their ratings up, and more importantly, keep their fans. According to the singer, it was a very inspirational experience to be able to just go into a studio, sit down, and come up with anything that the band could bring to the table and record it.

DOWNLOAD THIS >> Outta My Head

Upcoming Concerts August Burns Red Friday, Jan. 20 7:15 p.m.

House of Blues

all photos /COURTESY OF PUBLICITY WEB SITES

AWFUL

Jason Aldean Sunday, Jan. 22 8:30 p.m.

Amway Arena Slightly Stoopid Saturday, Dec. 31 8:00 p.m.

Hard Rock Live

alexiss@thelionstale.com

22

THE LION’S TALE

| diversions | DECEMBER 8, 2011

Miller’s Ale House impresses reviewer

by Carly Ford

C

ozy wooden booths filled with boisterous fans line the walls of the Miller’s House in Sanford as a multitude of plasma screened TVs shout the changing scores of the most current sports games.

The atmosphere welcomes families looking to enjoy tasty food and watch their favorite teams play.

Miller’s Ale House, a retail sports bar chain, will open in Oviedo by early April of next year located on the south side of Mitchell Hammock, behind the Tee it Up golf range.

After visiting the Sanford site of this chain, I’m convinced that the Miller’s Ale House will be a welcome addition to a town where new restaurants can sometimes photo/COURTESY OF PUBLICITY WEBSITE be difficult to find.

When I entered the building, NEW RESTAURANT TO OPEN. Miller’s Ale House, a I was overwhelmed by the loud sports bar chain, will be opening a new restaurant on Mitchell Hammock cheers of sports fans eagerly Road next to Taco Bell. The restaurant will open by April of next year. anticipating and awaiting the outcome of a sporting event.

After being seated by a server dressed in their own athletic team décor, I began to look over the menu.

The Ale House is commonly known for their wide variety of food that can please even the pickiest of eaters.

From their spicy chicken ‘Zingers’ to classic English style fish and chips all the way to grilled New York Strip steak, this restaurant offers almost anyone a satisfactory meal that Zingers: won’t disappoint.

I ordered the chicken fajitas with a ‘Zinger’ Boneless chicken wings $7.99 salad and didn’t have to wait long before I was enjoying my meal.

The food I ordered was delivered with The Big Red a minimal wait, which added to the pleasant experience.

Fried chicken breast My meal was flavorful and the taste was sandwich with hot sauce even better than I had hoped it would be.

Relaxing and enjoying a sports game made me & cheese $7.95 meal taste even better.

What I enjoyed even more than the taste, though, was the bill I received at the end of my Big House Fajitas meal. The price-friendly options on the menu at Miller Ale House offer quality food for a Grilled chicken & shrimp low price that will entice potential customers. with peppers, onions, Prompt service along with friendly waiters that were eager to be of assistance made my $11.95 mushrooms & cheese experience at Miller’s Ale House one that I definitely intend to repeat.

Once construction on the newest addition to this restaurant chain is completed, I would Ale House Mini Burgers highly recommend it to anyone looking for Four mini hamburgers delicious food and a place to relax while watching a sports game. with grilled onions $4.99

Menu

Highlights

carlyf@thelionstale.com

DECEMBER 8, 2011 | diversions |

THE LION’S TALE

23

IT DOESN’T WRITE. Hugo and Isabelle watch the automaton jot it’s first message.

IMPOSSIBLE TO AVOID. Hugo avoids the station inspector while he glances at his watch.

NOWHERE TO HIDE. Hugo hides from the station inspector on the clock tower.

New film intrigues reviewer, becomes instant classic

by Trevor Khan

the automaton and unravel the mystery behind trip back to childhood is almost it’s messages. guaranteed with the purchase of a ticket But the puzzle becomes harder and harder to to the newest Martin Scorsese picture, piece together when the body of Hugo’s uncle Hugo.

Claude is found deceased, and the train station Hugo revolves around the title character, inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen) starts to wonder played by Asa Butterfield, who is an orphan who’s been attending to the clocks all this time. living in the walls of a train station in Paris To me, this film is not what I expected. It during the ‘30’s. was easy to enjoy but it was more conflict than Hugo secretly manages the clocks of imagination and it seemed to be very long and the station, a job which his alcoholic uncle, drawn out.

Claude (Ray Winstone), abandoned without the Every time you’d assume the mystery was knowledge of his employer. solved, more details would be added to the ones Hugo’s main mission is to fix a wind-up you already had. figure, known as an automaton, that he and his There were some minor details about the dad (Jude Law) had began before his father’s movie that bothered me. death.

For instance, even though the film is set in When fixed, the automaton is supposed to Paris, every single character happens to speak write, and the only piece that Hugo is missing is with a british accent. Even the characters in the a key in the shape of a heart. background who said very little , spoke with a Hugo then meets a young girl, Isabelle British accent.

(Chloe-Grace-Moretz), the grand-daughter of a However, the film does bring to the table a train station shopkeeper. To Hugo’s amazement, large amount of originality and intrigue that is Isabelle has the key that Hugo needs. hard to find in a movie these days.

The two of them then work together to unlock With an amazing mystery to it and the

A

magical feeling behind every action made, Hugo managed to blow me off my feet.

The film interested me with a lot of aspects of the old times such as a lot of details about the silent film era. The film shows many silent films throughout and even give details about how some of them were made.

One of the things I liked was that the antagonistic station inspector seemed to have a good personality and often did and said the most outrageously funny things.

There was a minor back-story behind him and he became one of the most loved characters by the end of the film.

Overall, Hugo is a fun and imaginative piece of work. The acting is good and strong and the story is enchanting like no other.

Though it may have been slightly long and there were minor flaws, the film was very beautiful and shows you a different time and world you wish existed.

I think it’s safe to say that it’ll be a long time before a film can surpass Hugo.

trevork@thelionstale.com

all photos/COURTESY OF PUBLICITY WEBSITES

A TRIP TO THE MOON

In the film Hugo, there is a lot of discussion of the old silent film A Trip To The Moon. Made in 1902 by George Melies, this 14 minute film shows astronauts going to the moon in a ship, and when they land, the rocket hits the man in the moon right in the eye. Parts of the film were in color because the makers had to hand tint each and every frame.

George had planned to release the film in the USA but Thomas Edison’s film technicians had, without George’s knowledge, made several copies of it and premiered it in the USA over a course of weeks. George Melies never made any money from the film, and had eventually went broke a few years later.

In 2002, shots of the film were found in a barn in France. It was the longest cut of the film still in tact to that day and was managed to be saved and restored. It was then premiered at the silent film festival the following year. all info/COURTESY OF PUBLICITY WEBSITES

24

(sports sports )

THE LION’S TALE

|

DECEMBER 8, 2011

Working Together all photos/ANDREA DOBO

Fundraising pays off half of turf debt in one year Individual Sports Team H

by Amanda Ferguson

BUY IT HERE. Senior Andrew Bolen takes his turn holding the sign by the edge of the road to advertise the holiday tree sale. All proceeds go towards the turf.

alf of the loan the Athletic Booster Club took out at Citizen’s Bank to pay for the artificial turf on John Currier Field is paid off, thanks to the efforts of various sports teams and citizens in the Oviedo area.

The initial cost of the field was $548,000.

“We are well on our way to paying off the field completely. We have really moved forward significantly with our payments,” principal Robert Lundquist said.

Last year’s fundraising came from a variety of school events such as the holiday tree sales, which raised $13,000, and the carnival, which raised $10,000. The bowling tournament held last year raised $11,000 and the PTSA has donated $15,000. The World Soccer fundraiser last year raised $13,000.

This year’s fundraising kicked off with the Student Government’s O-Glow netting roughly $12,000.

“It was a great fundraiser in that while we were having fun we were making our school better and look better,” senior Allie Boardman said.

The Athletic Booster Club also receives contributions from hundreds of individual donators, most of which are directly linked to a specific team.

More fundraisers lined up for this year. The Booster Club is planning a Casino Night at UCF on Sat., Feb. 25, at the Fairwinds Alumni Center starting at 7 p.m.

Also on the calendar is the carnival to be held again on March 8-11.

Sports teams have also had to raise money for the turf. Fund raising consisted of selling

Want to Contribute?

The Athletic Booster Club is looking for things to auction off at its Casino Night on Feb. 25.

Suggested donations include electronics including TV’s, DVD’s, computers, hotel stays, spa packages, autographed items.

Contact Rob Thrift at 321287-6982 or @ P.O. Box 620693, Oviedo, Fl. or Linda Lougee in the Athletic Office Yankee Candles, Entertainment Books, Domino’s Pizza cards, cheesecakes, and carwashes.

“It wasn’t hard doing the work or selling the stuff. It was hard, knowing we were doing all this work for something that we don’t use that often,” sophomore Willow Mason said.

The football team is the largest contributor to the field. They have raised more than $50,000 to help pay for the turf.

Admissions to all sporting events also go to the fundraising process. The gate receipts have totaled to $95,000.

Band also contributed to the cause by fundraising almost $27,000.

“It was a lot of work and it was really hot, but being with friends made it better. It was also cool to see the ‘acorns’ drop from the helicopter,” junior Ross Johnson said.

amandaf@thelionstale.com

Fundraising

Campus-wide effort raises cash for John Currier Field Football $50,558 NJROTC

$13,000

Girls Lacrosse

$6,937

Girls Soccer

$5,013

Boys Lacrosse

$3,259

Boys Soccer

$2,078

Boys Volleyball

$500

Boys Weightlifting $300 Girls Track

$100

DECEMBER 8, 2011 |

sports

|

THE LION’S TALE

Teens share passion for hunting Whether using guns or bows, hunters

25

enjoy the thrill of the hunt. Birds, deer, wild hogs are the target of local hunters.

by Andy Bosley

A

fter a day of waiting in silence freshman Dakota Hanicak’s buck fever is ignited, her heart pounds and her body shakes.

She chambers a round in her AR 15 and waits for the sound of the dead leaves of fall crunching under the weight of a buck trotting towards her.

“I hunt deer, turkey, hog, and squirrel.

I hunt with my dad behind my house during hunting season and use a bow along with an AR 15,” freshman Dakota Hanicak said.

Hanicak has been hunting her entire life and hunts for fun. Since she is only 15, she is not required to have a hunting license.

Sophomore Fred Mayer shares the same photo/COURTESY DAKOTA HANICAK passion but has a wider variety of targets.

BANG. BANG. Dakota Haniak practices aiming “I like to hunt dear, bears, and hogs on the her AR 15 rifle with scope in preparation for a hunt. weekends with my father in Volusia County. I hunt with a 12 gauge shotgun, a bow, a .243 rifle, and a .270 rifle,” Mayer said. states. Philips hunts mostly on the Buck Lake Mayer has received his license on his 16 management area. birthday to be allowed to hunt in the state “I hunt with a Savage 308. and a bow. It legally. Through his 12 years of hunting Mayer requires more skill to bow hunt because with has taken many animals and has had eight of a gun you just set it up and you will hit three them mounted. fourths of the time, with bow hunting you have Sophomore Shelby Mcgoun is new to the to get used to the muscle memory,” Philips world of hunting said. but has found a new Philips hunts I hunt for the thrill of it. When hobby. for white tale deer, you see the deer walking out, “I hunt for deer pigs, and turkey. He and turkey whenever is more into bow the adrenaline starts pumping.

I can,” Mcgoun said. hunting because he Just sitting in the tree stand, Mcgoun started would like to become not even being the one hunting four years a professional archer. ago with her dad.

Philips biggest hog hunting, you still get the thrill.

Freshman Frank was 150 pounds and Stone Philips, ‘14 Strobl hunts a totally his biggest deer was different species than a 10-point buck.

Mcgoun and has been hunting for more than Philips is a twice as long. sensitive hunter and does not like hurting “I find it entertaining, It’s a nice thing to do the animals. with my family,” Strobl said.

“I don’t feel bad if it was a good clean shot, Strobl has a passion for all types of hunting but if I think it hurt the deer or pig I feel bad,” but he has a soft spot for bird hunting. Strobl’s Philips said. target is primarily ducks and other waterfowl Philips hunts for the meat not the rack or that live on the Merritt Island Wild Life “trophy”. So he does not have mounts strewn Reserve. about his house.

“I have recently started shooting with a “I hunt with my dad. I got him back into it, Remington 1100 shotgun,” Strobl said. when my brother and I were born he stopped Strobl has recently picked up the gun, after hunting because he didn’t have time to hunt, years of sitting in tree stands observing his dad but when I said I was interested in it we started take game. He got his hunters safety license again,” Phillips said. last summer and has been taking his own game Philips and his father hunt for the meat. ever since.

They enjoy experimenting with different Sophomore Stone Philips has the passion cooking techniques and whatever tastes the as all the others but does more than just take best they keep. His favorite meal is blackened the shot. back strap.

“I hunt for the thrill of it. When you see One of his proudest moments also occurred the deer walking out, the adrenaline starts while he was shooting a bow. pumping. Just sitting in the tree stand, not even “Splitting an arrow, I shot an arrow right being the one hunting, you still get the thrill,” through another. It is really hard to do now Philips said. because normally carbon arrows just shatter,” Philips hunts on management areas so Philips said. he gets hunting permits from the county or andyb@thelionstale.com

“

”

Hunting seasons for deer 2011-12 ZONE A: *Archery Season: July 30-Aug. 28 * Crossbow Season: July 30- Aug. 28 & Aug. 29-Sept. 2 * Muzzleloading Gun Season: Sept. 3-16 * General Gun Season: Sept. 17-Oct. 16 & Nov. 19- Jan. 1 ZONE B: * Archery Season: Oct. 15- Nov. 13 * Crossbow Season: Oct. 15- Nov. 13 & Nov. 14-18 * Muzzleloading Gun Season: Nov. 19- Dec. 2 * General Gun Season: Dec. 3- Feb. 19 ZONE C: * Archery Season: Sept. 17- Oct. 16 * Crossbow Season: Sept. 17-Oct. 16 & Oct. 17-21 * Muzzleloading Gun Season: Oct. 22-Nov. 4 * General Gun Season: Nov. 5- Jan. 22 ZONE D: * Archery Season: Oct. 22-Nov. 23 * Crossbow Season: Oct. 22-Nov.23 & Nov. 28-Dec. 2 * Muzzleloading Gun Season: Dec. 3-9 & Feb. 20-26 * General Gun Season: Nov. 24-27 & Dec. 10-Feb. 19 info courtesy/HTTP://myfwc.com/hunting/season-dates

26 THE LION’S TALE

| sports | DECEMBER 8, 2011

Football season ends with district title Team downs Oak Ridge...

by Andrea Dobo

“Against East Ridge we played the game hree-peat. Athletes, coaches and fans like it was our last. We played it like it was our chanted and cheered. After a shaky start last minute, and our last play. We just put it all with the loss to Lake Brantley, the Lion’s on the field,” junior Brandon Wilkes said.

Led by head coach Wes Allen, the team pushed to defeat Oak Ridge for another district focused on putting forth more effort as a team. title.

“We turned up the intensity. Practice “At the end of the season we got harder than the teams that we definitely got stronger as a team. We were playing,” Stapp said. played the game as one play at a time The Lion’s were often notorious and not a game,” junior Marshall Stapp for their size match-ups. The average said. “We finally realized our strengths. size for the Lion’s was about 5’10 The younger players have grown up and and 200 pounds, compared to an accepted responsibility. They learned average of 6 ft. guys about 300 to use their abilities to contribute to the pounds. team.”

Marshall ‘13 “The coaches got us ready to The Lion’s finished the season with Stapp play in big games, putting us in the a 7-5 record. With a defeat against Oak right positions to make plays. We Ridge on Oct. 28 the Lion’s clenched made sure that each person on the team tried to the district title, for the third year in a row.

Going into the second half, OHS was down feel important,” junior AJ Coney said.

Senior Terrence Thevenin worked all year to 14-0. The final score was 29-26.

“The Orlando Sentinel had us predicted finish the goal of being district champions.

“No one thought we could do it, so the us to lose that game, but we showed them differently,” junior Camario Chambliss said. feeling that we got when we won, when “When they doubted us we kind of liked the we accomplished our one and only goal is odds against us because we liked to prove them unexplainable. All the conditioning, lifting, and practicing paid off. There is no better feeling wrong time to time.”

Although the Lion’s finished their season than that. And the fact that we proved all the with a loss to East Ridge for regional title, the doubters wrong makes the feeling that much players looked to prove those who thought they better,” Thevenin said. andread@thelionstale.com wouldn’t make it past districts wrong.

T

photo/OVIEDIAN YEARBOOK

RUNNING IT IN. Sophomore Chris Davis runs past a defender during the district game against Lake Mary High School on Nov. 11.

“I think our season went real good because we accomplished a lot of our goals as a football team.

I learned a lot from this season like how to play a new position for the first time in my life. I learned how to play quarterback and I learned a lot of techniques for that position. An experience that I will never forget is being district champions for three years in a row,” Davis said.

Coach Jarzynka helps team adjust to changes

by Stephanie O’Sullivan

T

he wrestling team is completely rebuilding it’s structure this this year. The practices are a lot more strict,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell believes the changes have been good for the team. year.

“I think the changes have benefited us. They’ve definitely “It’s a completely new lineup. We only have two wrestlers that have varsity experience. It’s a very young team, but helped us build stronger relationships. Some people haven’t right now we’re 4-1. We’ve changed our attitude. We now have a liked them as much, but I believe they’ve brought us together,” very vigorous workout before practicing, which I don’t think they Mitchell said.

Jarzynka tried to instill a harder work ethic in the had last year,” head wrestling coach Jakob Jarzynka said.

Among many of the changes this year is the coach. Coach wrestlers this year.

“Because of our general Jarzynka took over the coaching at the lack of experience, we had to beginning of this year.

We’re a completely different work harder to instill a better “I’ve been a coach for seven years, work ethic in the students, but that was high school football. It’s team. It can hard sometimes. which can be hard with high a good working relationship, because Things are run a lot differently school students. They need to while I’m developing to my new this year. The practices are a want it more day in and day position, the team is developing to a out than any other school does,” new coach and a new structure as well. lot more strict.

Jarzynka said.

When the job opportunity came up, I Charlie Mitchell, ‘13 The team is bonding well couldn’t turn it down. I thought it would together, according to Jarzynka. be something I love, coaching a school I “They’ve adapted well. A lot of them were on JV together, used to wrestle for,” Jarzynka said.

According to junior Triston Shim, the biggest change is the and they developed a relationship by working together last year. That has helped us out,” Jarzynka said. amount of new wrestlers on the team.

The team is restricted in what meets they can compete in “We only have a couple of kids returning, but we have a lot more new kids this year. The team has the same bases that we had this year.

“Our biggest competition will be the Zac Jarzynka last year. It’s wrestling, you can’t really change it that much. We’re building up a new start this year. We’re starting over and starting Memorial tournament, which we host. We can still compete in conference meets. We’ll treat the Zacs and the Sacs from scratch. It’s a lot more hard work,” Shim said. tournament as our state championship meets. We’re in it Junior Charlie Mitchell agrees.

“We’ve lost our whole starting lineup. There are new leaders, a to win it,” Jarzynka said. lot of new members, and of course a new coach. We’re a completely new team. It can be hard sometimes. Things are run a lot differently stephanieo@thelionstale.com

WINNING

“

TAKING

AND NAMES.

Senior Tristan Walter practices taking down junior Deon Times at practice during warm-up wrestling.

”

photo/AMANDA FERGUSON

Roar Board

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DECEMBER 8, 2011

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sports

|

THE LION’S TALE

27

The cross-country team went to conference on Wed., Oct. 26. Both varsity and junior varsity girls came in second place. Varsity boys placed fourth and junior varsity boys came in first.

The team competed in district on Sat., Nov. 5. Boys placed third and girls brought home a fourth place victory. Now the teams move on to regionals in Gainesville.

AMANDA FERGUSON WEBSITE EDITOR

Seniors need to step up the school spirit

I

photos/ANDREA DOBO

GOING FOR GOAL. Junior Lia Whitmore stops a ball from going out of bounds at the last minute in the game against Lake Mary High School.The game ended in defeat with a score of 1-0. Sophomore Kristen Sherretz sprints to steal the ball from Seminole player in the game on Tues. Dec. 6. The girls now move on to play Lake Howell High School at Oviedo on Dec. 13.

Cheerleaders bring home 2nd place Boys basketball defeats Seminole The cheerleading team went to the UCA Central Florida Regional Championship on Dec. 3. The team practiced weeks in advance for the competition.

There were six different teams in Oviedo’s division and the girls placed second. The girls are going to continue to practice until their next competition, FHSAA Regional Competition on Jan. 7. Next the team will compete in the Husky Cheer Challenge on Jan. 14 and the FHSAA State Championships begin on Feb. 3.

Boys soccer advances into districts Boy’s varsity soccer has started their season with a 5-2-2 record.

The team tied with Lake Mary High School and Seminole High School, lost to Lyman High School and Hagerty High School.

The boys took on Seminole High School as their first district game on Dec. 7 and the game ended with a score of 3 to 3.

According to junior Thomas Evans the team chemistry has contributed to their on field success.

“We’re really close and that helps us work with one another on the field and work for each other,” Evans said.

The team moves on to play Lake Howell on Dec. 12 and Hagerty on Dec. 14. Both are district games.

“I think if we don’t lose focus then we can make it past districts this year,” Evans said.

On the sidelines...

Boy’s varsity basketball team is currently holding a 5-2 record.

The team started out undefeated.

“We started strong going 4-0, but hit some bumps in the road.

Against Seminole, we battled our way to win in double overtime by three points,” junior Tyler Hayden said.

Next the team takes on Evans High School at home on Dec. 14 for the first district championship game.

Girls bowling takes second in state The girls bowling team went to state championships Nov. 8-9. The championship was held at the Boardwalk Bowl. The team worked all season to prepare for the State Championships.

“The bowlers wanted to go to state really bad and worked and worked to get there after not losing a match during the season.

They had to prove they are just as equally good outside our district,” head coach Brittney Burr said. “Also, they dedicated the year to their previous assistant coach that passed away just over a year ago.”

The team placed second in States. According to Burr, the standout player on the team was sophomore Ember Miksa.

“If I had to choose who stood out and performed well it I would have to say Ember Miksa. She was our anchor and when the pressure was on her she showed up and battled for us. Most of our games in state came down to her and she did an amazing job,” Burr said.

With

Kyle Wnek

1. What does your family do for Christmas?

PREPARING TO

We go Christmas carolling, we read the Christmas Story, and we watch the Scrooge movie.

SHOOT.

2. If you were a teacher, what subject would you teach?

3. If you could go to any college, which would you go to?

The University of Florida because they have good sports teams and a good school environment.

4. What is the one thing you are most opinionated about?

Politics because I think everyone else is wrong except me.

5. What is your favorite animal?

Dolphins because they are sweet, nice, and peaceful.

photo/ AMANDA FERGUSON

I would teach science and do lots of experiments.

Senior Kyle Wnek practices his shooting at practice on Tues. Nov. 29 to prepare for the game on Wed. Nov. 30 against East Ridge High School.

have noticed two things about Oviedo that have never occurred to me before. One is that we have an extreme lack of school spirit compared to previous years. Two, we seniors seem to not know how to make noise, be loud, and cheer.

During spirit week, almost no one was dressed up. What kind of spirit is that? There were people who literally didn’t participate because they thought they would be the only ones dressed up.

In previous years, I never heard anyone say that they thought they would be the only one dressed up. All the seniors in past years were crazy. They would go all out for spirit week.

The most spirited senior this year is Janet Lavigne. She really got into the spirit of the homecoming week activities. I mean the girl wore roller skates to school for decades day.

That’s the spirit I want to see.

Our lack of school spirit has expanded beyond spirit days, however. It has now affected our football games. Where is the screaming, and cheering for touchdowns, and good plays?

We have seniors that actually sit down!

In the past, that at any game I have ever been to have the seniors sat down! They stood and cheered the entire game.

Now we have the annoying horns, but the student body doesn’t pay enough attention to the game to even know when to use them.

Come on, seniors! Let’s forget the horns, and let’s go out to the football games and lose our voices screaming for our favorite players.

Let’s be sure Terrence Thevenin can hear us out there on the field during the plays. We need to make certain that Devon Dwyer knows that we watched him wreck that guy.

Our team made it all the way to regionals.

It isn’t even like they had a bad season. We cannot take credit for cheering them all the way because we didn’t. The parents, Athletic Booster Club, and the cheerleaders did. That’s it.

We seniors need to be loud more than just during the gigalo. We need to make our presence known.

At pep rallies, let’s not assume that we are going to win the spirit stick because “we are seniors and we have to get the stick.” To be brutality honest, the juniors would actually probably beat us in a fair competition.

Basketball season is now underway, seniors. Let’s all go to the game on Dec. 14 against Evans High School, and let’s make sure that those boys know we are there for them.

Let’s make it obvious that we have school spirit.

amandaf@thelionstale.com

28

THE LION’S TALE

| features | DECEMBER 8, 2011

Drama department

Shipwrecked

gets

all photos/COURTESY OF ALYSSA APPLEGET

WAVE GOODBYE. Senior Matt Plotts waves goodbye to the audience before the curtains closed.

‘WOE IS ME’ Senior Jon Poweski (Louis) realizes that he has been stranded on an island (above). Junior Justin Hall played Louis when in London.

In this scene, Louis is trying to convince a magazine reporter, sophomore Sydney Garick, that his story about being stranded is true. Senior Taylor Schwarz holds a sign to publicize the magazine (left).

Storybook feeling enchants audience

A

by Stephanie O’Sullivan

ALL

BOW

DOWN.

Junior Andrew Brown, playing the part of Queen Victoria, awards Junior Justin Hall a medal for his story about being stranded, while sophomore Anna Johnson watches.

three months of preparation paid off. fter three months of practice, the “I felt an overwhelming sense of pride in drama department put on it’s fall the cast and crew when the curtains closed. play, “Shipwrecked” on Dec. 3 and All of our hard work had finally paid off and Dec. 4. we had a very successful show,” sophomore “I feel as though the show went extremely Sydney Garick said. well. My preshow speech really got the cast Senior Emily Wood was a tech during the pumped and gave them the mental adrenaline play. they were lacking throughout the rehearsal “The hardest part was making sure we process. Without me, the show definitely brought stuff out on time. There were a lot of would’ve dragged, but I brought unique people on stage and some of the props were charisma and excitement to keep the audience heavy. It was hard to hear the actors when you entwined,” senior Jon Poweski said. were trying to hear your cues,” Wood said.

The drama department wanted the show Woods built many relationships through to be open for the audience’s interpretation. the process.

“We wanted a storybook-esque feeling “The most enjoyable part was being able that made people use their imagination. to hang out with my friends. I definitely So we created a simplistic set that allowed made a lot of friends through this play,” people to imagine the situation in the way Woods said. they wanted,” junior Maddi Flanders said. stephanieo@thelionstale.com Sophomore Sydney Garick felt like the