The Lion's Tale - Volume 58 Issue 5 - Oviedo High School

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FEATURES

SPORTS

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Interships teach students lessons

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LION’S 5 TALE EDITION

NEWS

Students sell Yuda Bands to fundraise

Tennis team shakes up rankings

OVIEDO HIGH SCHOOL • 601 KING STREET • OVIEDO, FL • 32765 MARCH 27, 2018 • VOLUME 58 • OVIEDOJOURNALISM.COM

SPEAKING UP FOR CHANGE STUDENTS VOICE CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY PAGE 3

2 | NEWS | THE LION’S TALE | MARCH 27, 2018

the Scoop

SGA fundraiser supports education PHOTO BY FERN SILVA STORY BY MYLENA FERMAN The Student Government Association (SGA) sold Yuda Bands in the commons for two weeks in February to sponsor the education for a child in a third-world country.

“The Yuda Bands organization is a really incredible organization, where they work with students in developing countries to raise money for their education,” said junior Katie Pierce. “Each school gets partnered with one student.”

The student OHS sponsored, Tawida Dube, is a 16-year-old boy who lives in Zimbabwe. He told SGA, over a Skype call, why he aspires to be a police officer.

“He said, ‘There’s a lot of bad things in my country and a lot of theft, and I just really want to make the world a better place,’” Pierce said.

SGA sponsor Heather Delong stated that students who participated became leaders by doing what was needed to get the project in motion.

“They were doing it because they truly cared,” Delong said.

SGA sold over 400 bands, making an approximate $3,100, including donations.

SGA plans to give extra bands to Ronald McDonald House patients.

BANDS FOR EDUCATION. Sophomore Caroline Preston and junior Katie Pierce sell Yuda band bracelets in the commons.

Band musicians take a break in the Big Apple

the Month in Photos

STORY BY ALEXIS DESENA Over the years, field trips can diminish in importance.

But as students are able to do things more freely and gain a better experience, they can overall have a very enjoyable trip. This pertains to the band class of 2018, who have set themselves up for a trip up North to the Big Apple, New York City, just for fun.

Being in band can be stress- inducing, but one of the most fun experiences to have, according to junior Ruby Janisewski.

“Every four years, we go to New York instead of working hard at the end of the season to be able to go to state,” Janisewski says. “It’s just a break from the state mentality.”

Things like sightseeing and watching Broadway shows are just some of the main highlights to their trip.

Band director Dennis Line says “We go to master classes presented by BroadWay Musicians, and take in the sights and sounds of NYC.” Bonding is also factors that plays in such a big trip like this. Cooperation towards fellow members seems to be very important to marching band. “We are all friends, and going on this trip together gets everyone out of their comfort zone.” Senior Jessica Smith comments. “[team bonding] Is the core that keeps us all together.”

However, as some band members pack their bags for the trip, some stay behind. Whether it be the overbearing prices or personal matters, some miss the opportunity.

“Since we go during Spring Break, many families have planned other events.” Director Dennis Line states.

“Sometimes, it is a matter of cost for the tip.”

It’s easy to think that it can be expensive for a field trip but looking back on how it creates a stronger bond between members and how hard they work, makes it seem all worth it. “I consider the New York trip a reward trip. They work very hard from summer camps through the end of the year concerts.” Line states. “It’s my way of saying, ‘thank you for being part of the band family.’”

PHOTO BY FERN SILVA

WORDS OF KINDNESS. Students sign a banner, including notes of encouragagment, to give to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students.

PHOTO BY FERN SILVA

PROM STYLE. Juniors Veronica Oliver and Elimarie Shirer show off their prom dresses in the annual prom fashion show in the commons during lunches on March 9.

PHOTO BY DANIELLE GRIFFITHS

CHOIR CHOREOGRAPHY. The Horizons show choir practiced dancing for an upcoming performance on March 5.

PHOTO PHOTO BY

BY FERN SILVA

SENIOR PROJECTS. Senior Greg Brick presents his senior project on guitar repair during boards presentations on March 7.

FRONT PAGE DESIGN BY FERN SILVA

DESIGN BY MYLENA FERMAN

MARCH 27, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | NEWS | 3

SPEAKING UP, SPEAKING OUT Walkouts only one form of political involvement for students STORY BY PAIGE SIMPSON Rather than allowing the Majory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSDHS) tragedy to go unnoticed, one week after the shooting, on Feb. 21, students all across America left their classrooms at 12 p.m. to congregate-peacefully--for 17 minutes in remembrance of the 17 lives lost. At Oviedo High School, students poured out of their sixth period classes to participate under the watchful eye of administration and police.

Despite the peaceful plans, the scene soon turned into a yelling match, according to junior Cassidy Gillis, when protesters on both sides of the gun debate started fighting.

“We were all clashing and screaming,” Gillis said. “It was supposed to be a peaceful, quiet protest to honor the lives that were lost, but it turned into a yelling match.”

Stunned by the scene, Gillis reflected on the matter and realized where the fault laid: a lack of restraint.

“I think we need to control ourselves better, because we can’t control what [the other side is] going to do, but we can keep our side of it calm,” Gillis said.

On the one-month anniversary of the shooting, Mar. 14, Gillis and other students--along with students across America at their own schools--departed from lunch to gather for a second walkout, this time with a new focus.

“A friend and I realized that we should be more organized and that it would be better to have the two opposing sides separated because that was an issue at the last walkout, where we kept bombarding each other,” Gillis said. “We wanted to get the people who were mainly in charge together and unify what we were going to do to make sure it was peaceful no matter what.”

Gillis said the focus of this second walkout was to create a better understanding of what the walkout symbolizes.

“We want everyone to understand that we’re here for peace, not anger and violence, because what happened on Feb. 21 made us all look like a laughing stock--like we don’t know what we’re doing,” Gillis said. “This event was

to fix the messed up reputation of protesting and we should fix it because all we did was dishonor the lives lost.”

With the second walk out, Gillis stated that the reputation of protesting was reversed back, as it was peaceful-students huddled closely together, talking sparingly or remaining silent, while others held up signs, once again under the watchful eye of administration and police.

“Even though there were less people participating, it was more unified,” Gillis said.

While these walkouts are important to Gillis and those involved, she said that more must be done for the change students are seeking.

“There’re sudents doing way more than we’re doing with just sitting out by the clocktower; there are kids who are marching up to the capitol in Tallahassee,” Gillis said.

“We need to contribute because our generation is all the same. We all need to fight for our safety. I hope that we will actually make a change--that people will actually listen to us and that enough people in our school take it seriously, because our lives are in jeopardy.”

Other involvement

The fear that lives are in jeopardy has led students to take a stand and start politically active agendas.

Senior Melissa Krieger decided to compose a letter to Senator Marco Rubio after she heard the news of the MSDHS shooting.

“My purpose was to let Senator Rubio know that his position on gun control is directly contributing to the death of innocent people,” Krieger said. “People should come before campaign contributions from the NRA, which is why I see Rubio’s refusal to address gun violence as especially discouraging.”

In her letter, Krieger details her stance on gun control and how she believes revisions should be made to provide protection, as well as her dismay in regards to Rubio’s policy on gun control.

Although Krieger said she has complete faith that she will recieve a reply from the senator, she doesn’t expect

Are you politically active?

to receive the response she seeks, but still believes in the importance of her letter.

“I think that his response will be lackluster and reinforce his position that gun ownership is an absolute right,” Krieger said. “I think it is important, because I am unable to make a change with a vote, to openly expressing my disapproval to the people who are supposed to represent me; it’s a way I can make a difference.”

AP Government and Politics teacher John Howell said it is nice to see students like Krieger getting politically active, despite the unfortunate circumstances behind it.

“A lot of students have causes, whether it’s through their church or a local organization,” Howell said. “That’s being politically active, because you’re out there trying to help benefit society--anytime you’re trying to help make society better, you’re being politically active.”

Howell also hopes students will become prepared to vote as they enter adulthood.

“I’m trying to get the Seminole County Registry out here at Oviedo as they have in the past,” Howell said. “Last time, they came out we were able to get anyone who wanted to get registered to vote, registered, which was about 300 students; we’re hoping that will happen this time.”

Krieger believes this rise in involvement is something that should happen regardless of current political events-that students should always be active in their world.

“Young people especially should get involved in politics because we are all directly impacted by government,” Krieger said. “It is easy to complain and mock our current political atmosphere, but change comes from us.”

Gillis shares similar principle as Krieger, as she sees her generation as the future.

“These are our lives and we’re growing up,” Gillis said.

“I’m going to be 18 in a few years. I’m going to have kids one day. I want to pave the road because, right now, our younger generation people are starting to listen, which doesn’t usually happen, so we need to band together before it all goes wrong.”

Is school an appropriate place to peacefully protest?

YES

45%

YES

47%

NO

55%

NO

53%

Poll taken 3/13-27/18 out of 100 students

DESIGN BY DANIELLE GRIFFITHS

4 | OPINION | THE LION’S TALE | MARCH 27, 2018

Search for scholarships worth effort After high school, the societal expectation for students is to continue to improve themselves through means of college education, military enlistment or participation in the workforce. Though not all high school graduates attend college-and that is OK--an estimate of 20.4 million Americans are expected to attend colleges all across America in fall 2018, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Once acceptance letters roll in, the hunt for money to pay for the mountainous tuition begins. From loans to grants to work study, students have a multitude of funding options. The largest of these options are scholarships.

Scholarships can be awarded based on talent in athletics, academics and arts or can be based on essays, resumes or transcripts.

There are always parameters for who can apply to certain scholarships, such as: an applicant must be right handed, must want to major in engineering or must want to pursue marine biology, but there is such a wide platform for scholarships out there that there’s bound to be something for each student.

Scholarships can be obtained from specific universities or from hundreds of various websites online, which tend

IN YOUR FACE

Do you expect to get scholarships easily?

Freshman Chase Israel

to have a greater selection for students than universities. These websites instantaneously match students to scholarships best tailored to them and update when new scholarships are added.

Some of these websites include Fastweb, College Board & Zinch.

Although there so many options, scholarships tend to come thin.

An estimate of 19 percent of high school students with a GPA of 3.5 for above receive scholarships, an estimate of 13 percent with an SAT score of 1,300 to 1,400 receive scholarships and athletes have a 0.7 chance of gaining an athlete scholarships, according to the Washington Post.

Based on these statistics, it is evident that it’s ultimately difficult to be granted scholarships; with this, it can discourage students.

Even if a student receives none, the mere attempt is still worth it, because of the possibility of receiving “free” money, as opposed to the loans disbursed among 44 million Americans, which account for a debt of 1.48 trillion dollars.

We at The Lion’s Tale believe students should not let this discouragement hinder their process; yes, it is difficult to get scholarships, but even if one receives only a couple of scholarships, it’s worth it.

OUR WORD

“Yes, I do expect to get scholarships easily, there are a lot of eassy scholarships that you can do and if you just look around you can find a bunch.”

Junior Amelia Vasquez

“Yes, because I have spoken to my coaches about getting athletic scholarships and I plan to apply for academics as well.”

Junior Starla Pempey-Smiley

“Yes, I expect to easily get scholarships because there is a scholarship for almost anything.”

Senior Brandon Lester

“Yes, I do expect to receive scholarships for my Native American heritage and blood.”

PHOTOS BY ISABEL FAIN

Bright Futures

ISEF

“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.”

National Merit Scholarships

-Abigail Adams ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA BLOOM News Editor Saadhana Sridharan

Business Manager Julian Rios

Opinion Editor Joyce Ng

Photographers Isabel Fain Emma Stokes Sravani Thupili

Features Editor Danielle Griffiths Editors-in-Chief Paige Simpson Gillian Landwehr Online Editors Trey Hargis Bryn Garick

Artists Entertainment Editor Sophia Bloom Fern Silva Alexis Desena Josh Cordonero Kimberly Penuel Sports Editor Nevada Cullen

Designers Declan McCoy Chris Keefer Conner Quinlan

Reporters Connor Compton Mylena Ferman Tessa Kowalski Dylan Sachs Emily Vernikos Abigail Wydra Christina York Kathleen York Faculty Adviser Elise T Carlson Admin Adviser Drew Morgan

Principal Joseph Trybus Oviedo High School 601 King Street Oviedo, FL 32765 P: 407-320-4199 F: 407-320-4213 Population: 2530 students 28 staff members

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

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

and is a member of the CSPA, NSPA and FSPA. Distribution 1500 copies of The Lion’s Tale are distributed free to all students and staff at Oviedo High School. Subscriber information is available on OviedoJournalism.com Reader Contributions Letters to the Editor are accepted and may be sent by post, e-mail or

OVIEDO HIGH SCHOOL • 601 KING STREET • OVIEDO, FL • MARCH 27, 2018 • VOLUME 58 • EDITION 5

dropped off in Room 5-020.

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

Full policy is available on OviedoJournalism.com.

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

OVIEDOJOURNALISM.COM

DESIGN BY CONNOR COMPTON

MARCH 27, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | OPINION | 5

artist

SOPHIA BLOOM

Classical music brings happiness through depth

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXIS DESENA

Difficult to find identity through biculturalism

opinion editor JOYCE NG

Growing up as a child of Chinese immigrants, there are times when I wonder if I’m too American or too Chinese.

From the “weird” and “stinky” food I brought from home to school, to the way I began to talk and act at home, I felt stuck between two different cultures.

Kids at school thought that the Chinese food I brought to school was disgusting-they’d never eaten it before, and at first I was embarrassed.

In front of all the pointing fingers and staring eyes, I was embarrassed about the kind food I’d always eaten at home, and I dreamed about having Lunchables or sandwiches instead.

Through the years, I learned to be comfortable with the food I brought from home and even met friends who liked the food I brought. I learned to be proud of the Chinese food I ate.

Little things like the kind of food I ate were once things I was self-conscious about, because of what people said and the way they reacted. Because of these people, including my friends, I slowly became more “American”--and less DESIGN BY ABBIE WYDRA

“Chinese”--without even knowing it.

Since all my friends and the world around me spoke English, I slowly turned my head away from speaking Cantonese--even at home. My siblings and I spoke a mix of Chinese and English, something we call “Chinglish,” while my parents spoke to us in Chinese.

I think this past unwillingness of not wanting to speak my parents’ native language, which they so wanted for us to speak, stemmed from all the racist comments I’ve received. I found people yelling “ching chong” or making noises they thought sounded like Chinese very offensive, and I hated the thought of sounding anything like that.

Because of them, I regret that I’ve lost much of the ability to speak Cantonese fluently. Because we don’t have that much family in America, we visit them in Hong Kong frequently.

Going to there always refreshes the Chinese side of me, and I enjoy being in another culture that is pretty different.

I feel like I fit in there, but I also feel like a total stranger to the culture. When I visit all my relatives there, I struggle to speak to my grandparents and fully converse with my cousins.

But because I’ve realized the importance of this language in recent years, I’ve been working very hard to consciously remind myself to speak in Chinese at home. I hope I can truly reconnect with my relatives someday.

Growing up as an Asian American comes with a lot of uncertainty, criticism and acceptance.

Being part of the “model minority” brings along double standards and preconceived ideas that don’t necessarily

apply to everyone.

Not only have Asian Americans been looked over and down at, they are underrepresented in the media and publically in society. Many movies that portray Asian characters tend to whitewash the characters, or even have non-Asians play the role of an Asian character.

But shows like “Fresh off the Boat” bring light to Asian American immigrants and their cultural differences.

Being a female Asian in America brings caution to the fetishization of the culture and appearance--while using our culture for an “aesthetic” is slightly offensive. On the other hand, Asian males in America are stereotyped as unattractive, and that they can’t be attractive at all.

Fortunately, the rise of K-pop in America is able to bring awareness to the Asian culture, and it’s just the beginning of changing and breaking stereotypes.

Growing up as an Asian American has changed as the years have gone by, but racism against Asians should not be overlooked. It still exists today. Even a few weeks ago, when I was hanging out with my friends, a stranger casually called us “foreign exchange students.”

We felt confused, and we questioned the person’s intention. In the end, we brushed it off like it was nothing.

Because now, for me, being an Asian American is empowering. To me, it is what makes me special and different from everyone else. Finding my identity in both cultures and communities is a continual journey that will always be a part of who I am.

Everywhere I go, I always see people with earbuds or headphones in their ears.

Most likely, they’re listening to music.

Sometimes they mouth the words to the songs they hear, and other times, if the volume is loud enough, I can faintly hear it.

Everyone has their own favorite genre, something they can immerse themselves into and just feel okay.

For me, it’s classical.

More specifically, it’s not just classical music, but instrumental music from the Baroque period to the 1960s. Whenever I want, I turn on my phone, and my room becomes a concert hall, filled with the symphonies of Vivaldi to Rachmaninov.

It’s serene, exciting, pensive, passionate.

It can tell stories or evoke the raw, primal emotions of mankind’s very soul.

I’m sure your first impression of me is that I’m some sort of pretentious snob trying to set myself apart from the rest of the world by saying that I listen to this sort of music. The truth is, though, I’m not trying to say that I’m better than anyone else. It doesn’t make me smarter or more sophisticated. But it does make me feel happy, and that’s why I enjoy it.

Many people listen to classical music while studying or working, which is how I first grew to appreciate the genre. I found a Mozart playlist on YouTube once while doing homework, and before I knew it, I’d been introduced to not only the music of Mozart, but also the works of Chopin, Dvorak and Paganini, as well as many others.

Each composer had his own unique style that reflects his life, and I feel like I am not only listening to their music, but also to their voices, spoken through pianos and violins.

Soon, listening to classical music extended beyond working or falling asleep. Last year, I began taking violin lessons after a friend let me use her old violin. As I learned more and more, I began to appreciate the complexity of old compositions, the way all the pieces fit together so well. To me, a Bach fugue or concerto is the equivalent of a Greek temple or Gothic cathedral, mathematically and methodically structured, yet so beautiful.

I tell people I like classical music, and sometimes they find me pretentious.

But the truth is, music then isn’t much different than music now. It’s still music, nonetheless, that gets our blood pounding and our hearts leaping, just as it did for our ancestors hundreds of years ago.

It’s an undeniably human force, a force that unites us and strengthens our souls.

And no matter what form music takes in the future, there’s no doubt that it’ll continue to do so.

6 | OPINION | THE LION’S TALE | MARCH 27, 2018

staff reporter

EMMIE STOKES

‘Trolls’ influences new way of life

For most of my life, I found myself becoming more and more pessimistic. No matter the situation was, I’d always seem to find the negative. It was exhausting. I always thought that it was normal to be that way, until one day I found a movie that would somehow change my perspective of life.

The movie was a kids’ cartoon called Trolls. Watching this movie, I never really expected to gain anything from it, especially since the main character was an overly happy Troll that was the brightest shade of pink I have ever seen.

My assumptions about people’s outlook on life were proven wrong when an important theme was finally brought to light: that happiness isn’t something you put inside of you, it’s already there. You just have to figure out how to access it.

From just one scene, I was convinced to pack up my negativity-filled lifestyle and throw it away for good. Now my life is divided into two sections: Before Trolls and After Trolls.

The other day, I was walking to class when it started to rain out of nowhere.

While my initial thought was that it was the worst day ever and it would just continue to get worse, I found myself redirecting that thought, and thought of the good that the rain could bring.

I began to develop a rule that, with every negative thought, I have to make it up with three positive ones.

Another positive theme in Trolls is to never give up, and to get back up when life knocks you down. This theme is visualized by a song Poppy sings during a difficult journey to save her friends. Poppy’s song influenced me to start “growing some tougher skin” when life threw me curve balls.

Whereas before, any little upset would result in me giving up on an activity, now I find myself thinking that I am strong and that I am capable of more than I will ever know.

Now that my eyes are more open to the existence of the good in the world, life seems significantly easier. I am able to get more done and, more importantly, get more things done with a smile. I can finally understand why Justin Timberlake’s song is called “Can’t Stop the Feeling” because happiness is a really strong emotion that is the solution for pretty much everything.

Living life like Trolls has made me a better person inside and out. I have found a way of life that benefits me in ways I never thought a movie could.

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXIS DENESA

Digital world teaches real life lessons

staff reporter

CONNOR COMPTON

In the big wide world of games, there are tons of different universes and worlds one can go, to from post-apocalyptic wastelands to where dragons return to the realms of mankind.

But when you focus the lens on the Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) genre, you enter one of the most unique gaming experiences: the ability to be with millions of people all at once, something the gaming community probably never dreamed of 80 years ago.

The digital world reflects the real one.

In life, there will always be people that you don’t get along with. In life, you will have to complete some sort of a group effort. One of the online gaming community’s best lessons is working with people you might not like or get along with; it’s about putting aside petty feelings or dislike to work together for a common goal.

While traversing the worlds of MMOs,

you have to deal with people--and like in real life, you meet people of all kinds. I have seen a clique-like high school vibe from it, to where, if you don’t have a max level character or have the best gear set up, you not a part of the “C.C.C” (Cool Kids Club).

Essentially, you’re an outcast, trying to get these items or levels by yourself until some nice person comes along to help you. Then you might finally be accepted into a group or guild of theirs. These people will be on every day and expect you to do the same. In hindsight, you might ask, “How do these people have this much time to play videogames all day long?”

As time continues, the group grows closer and closer--until the drama starts.

The most common events are that two or more people group up and bash one or more people for being “bad at the game.”

The root cause is that these people are together every day in voice chats for hours on end. Like in any relationship, you’re going to fight eventually and when push comes to shove not only do the accusers feel betrayed but there is nothing really to rekindle the friendship but playing that game so most split apart and the pattern rinses and repeats.

What I have seen is that it’s not worth it to try to fit in. Just kindly say you’re not taking any sides and you want no part in it.

If it hasn’t started yet, make sure you don’t instigate anything that could possibly be turned into an issue. For instance, if one of your group members does

something absentmindedly, rather then laughing at them and making them feel less, just move on with whatever you all are doing at the time.

Redirecting the spotlight to the team as a whole is a great way to blame all of you, as a team, rather then one person.

Singling someone out could cause problems later on.

The more MMOs I play, the more tolerance of people I build, which has helped me in school when working on group projects. Most students want to team up with their friends, and when they get someone in their group that they don’t like, they exclude that person.

Exclusion isn’t necessary, either online or in the real world. Sometimes, people take it very seiously and withdraw from others.

In an MMO world, maybe you will take a break when said drama starts, but over the course of time and repeated issues, you may lose the drive to come back to the game becuase of drama of the past.

Even if a you do return, you don’t have a friend group anymore and you have to make new friends. And when those new friendships do form, the scars of the past come up. I’ve seen many players just shut people out and send them into a backwards spiral of making and breaking friends.

But if you go into MMOs with the mindset of being proactive rather than reactive, your gaming experience as a whole will go more smoothly--just like in real life.

DESIGN BY EMMIE STOKES

8 | FEATURES | THE LION’S TALE | MARCH 27, 2018

Increase in local robberies causes worries NATIONAL STATISTICS

BURGLARIES BY TIME FROM 1980-2009 Daytime: 910,000 offenses Nighttime: 625,000 offenses

TYPES OF THEFT IN 2015 One burglary every 20.0 seconds One robbery every 1.6 seconds One larceny-theft every 5.5 seconds TOTAL NUMBER OF OFFENSES FROM 1980-2009 Robbery: 408 offenses Burglary: 2,199 offenses Larceny/theft: 6,327 offenses INFO COURTESY OF USCENSUSBUREAU & FBI.GOV

STORY BY BRYN GARICK Around 3 a.m. on Feb. 7, five stores in the Tuscawilla Bend plaza were broken into: Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza, The Pet’s Natural Choice, a Subway restaurant, a Hair Cuttery and P&T Nails & Spa. While it is estimated by the Oviedo Police Department that the burglars stole about $115, a number of the stores suffered damage such as smashed doors and windows.

According to junior Paige Green, who is assistant manager at Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza, the store was broken into.

“I got a call from the police at 3 o’clock in the morning saying that someone broke the glass and came through the window and tried to steal money, but didn’t get anything,” Green said. “They just needed someone to go there, but out of that entire plaza, they only stole like $100.”

Senior Lindsey Lee, whose parents own the Foster & Lee Jewelers store located in the Tuscawilla plaza, said the store has been broken into a couple times.

“People have broken in, but they haven’t taken anything,” Lee said.

According to Foster & Lee employee junior Acelyn McKernan, robberies at the store have increased recently.

“Within the past year, it’s been double or triple the amount that it has ever been,” McKernan said. “They’ve been there 27 years, and so the past year it has been so much more than it ever has combined with the past years.”

According to McKernan, people sometimes try to distract the employees and then go behind the counter.

“People try to do that sometimes while we’re there, like they had a kid on one side and we were talking to them, while their mom went behind,” McKernan said. “So we put locks on those counters.”

According to Lee, in order to prevent robberies, the store has increased its security.

“We have cameras and if there’s any movement at night the owner gets a notification on their phone and it immediately calls everyone,” McKernan said.

Green, however, believes that new security measures will not protect anything for Papa Murphy’s.

“There isn’t really anything we can do about it,” Green said. “Even if they do steal stuff, it’s not just going to be from our store, and our store has been hit twice in three years.”

Green stated that Papa Murphy’s does take measures to limit what people can steal.

“Every night we take all the money out of the registers and keep the registers open,” Green said. “We put all of our money in the safe, so you’re not going to get anything but a couple bucks in change.”

Foster & Lee takes similar precautions.

“We don’t keep the money out at night, we put everything away in the safe,” McKernan said. “We keep the money tray open and empty, so if people were to come in there, there’s nothing for them to take. We put all the gold stuff away.”

According to McKernan, they’ve also changed how they act in the store.

“We stay in the front a lot,” McKernan said. “In the beginning, I stayed behind the cash register, which is in the middle. So now we stay more to the front, behind the jewelry.”

Green stated that the presence of robberies worries her.

“I was worried because I was the one that closed the store earlier, so what if they had gone earlier, because who knows what they were on or what they were trying to do?”

Green said.

Lee said that robberies anger her more than worry her.

“People should be working for their money and not just stealing from others,” Lee said.

DESIGN BY GILLIAN LANDWEHR

MARCH 27, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | FEATURES | 9

Internships provide hands-on growth, networking STORY BY ISABEL FAIN Students often wish to apply their classroom learning to the real world--and internships provide the opportunity to get hand-on experience. SCPS offers an online course that provides high school credit to students participating in an internship.

“I started early, so I did 75 hours of community service, then I’m doing the internship class on eCampus,” said junior Yesenia Castanedas.

Interior design teacher Janice Latimer’s class recently participated in a program that offered students internships with companies in Oviedo. Students went through rigorous training and interviews before attending an expo hosted by Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS).

“I did the SCPS expo,” said senior Naiya Stevens.

“Basically, you have to dress really professionally and there’re a whole bunch of booths with different companies, and you have to talk with them and give them your resume and create a short-term relationship with them.”

Latimer went to the fair to observe how her students did in front of the companies.

“The expo opened my students’ eyes to the competition, instead of just who and what’s here at Oviedo,” Latimer said. “They saw students from around the entire county, so they saw Lake Brantley, Hagerty, and they even spoke about some people they met from the other schools.”

According to Latimer, OHS students dressed well.

“I’m very proud of the way they dressed, some other

esses Offer Reasons Busin Internships: high schools

- Support local

as

- Gain new ide

23%

46%

llege interns

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people came not dressed appropriately,” Latimer said.

“After they went through, I met some of the companies and they said Oviedo had a wonderful showing. And so I was proud about that.

The atmosphere was also great exposure, according to Latimer.

“If the companies liked your preliminary resume and what you filled out, then they ask some questions right there and put you on the spot to have to be prepared,” Latimer said. “And whether you succeeded in answering them well or whether you did badly, you still learned from that experience.”

Gaining experience Stevens has an internship with Pearl White Events, which hosts weddings.

“At my internship, we have days where we are all going to weddings, and we have days where we go

“If the companies liked your preliminary resume and what you filled out, then they ask some questions right there and put you on the spot to have to be prepared.”

- Interior Design teacher Janice Latimer

to wedding expos,” Stevens said. “In the office, I just do some computer work and I transport photos for her. I email people, I email her leads, like the cake people. Anything she needs me to do, I basically do.”

Stevens helps decorate and prepare before the weddings her company creates.

“We have walkies to communicate, it’s like the real thing,” Stevens said. “And then, at expos, that’s when we get to put ourselves out there and create the more leads that we need to express ourselves. At the expos, you learn more about the company, and therefore, you can tell other people, and you also get to know other vendors as well.”

Even though Stevens doesn’t get paid, she said she still benefits from the experience.

“I really have been learning about business more in sales and marketing,” Stevens said. “I really have to put the company out there and get more leads for the company.”

According to Stevens, she has done well in her internship.

“It’s crazy, because I’ve been actually getting the most leads versus the people that have been working there for five years,” Stevens said. “And I get to learn how to network with people, and just learn how to create relationships with people that I might need later on in the future.”

Places that Off er Internships:

- Fairwinds Cre

dit Union

- Riptide - Hoyle,Tanner

& Associates

- C.R. England

INFO COURTESY OF SHRM.ORG

DESIGN BY JOSH CORDONERO

10 | FEATURES | THE LION’S TALE | MARCH 27, 2018

5.5

MILLION POUNDS -The force of the thrust that launched the Falcon Heavy rocket from 27 Merlin engines igniting concurrently -Makes the Falcon 9 one of the most powerful rockets ever launched

READY TO LAUNC

Historical milestone sets st STORY BY CHRIS KEEFER

History was made in Central Florida when the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launched into space on Feb. 6, 2018. This vehicle was unique, as it was composed of three Falcon 9 first stages and 27 engines capable of more than five million pounds of thrust. It was able to lift 141,000 pounds of payload into Earth’s orbit while costing only $90 million per launch. It also has the ability to land its three rockets onto designated launch pads for reuse--a new concept in space flight.

Senior Ben Robinson said he was fortunate to have witnessed this event up close.

“I am lucky enough to live only a short drive away to where history has been made time and time again,” Robinson said.

“The synchronized landing of the Falcon Heavy launch was such a bold and new idea, and I wanted to be there for when it either worked or catastrophically failed.”

The rocket did not blow up; rather, it completed all of its functions nominall, except for the central first stage missing its landing pad in the Atlantic.

Witnessing the launch so close up, Robinson was able to experience the landing of the two lateral first stage boosters.

“The coolest part of the launch was watching the two boosters come back to Earth in unison,” Robinson said. “Right before they landed, we heard two sonic booms from each booster, back to back.”

SpaceX, which is known for its inventive methods and motives, had more firsts to showcase. Encapsulated in the Falcon Heavy’s fairing, or nose, was SpaceX founder Elon Musk’s personal cherry red Tesla roadster.

“No other company shoots a car out into the great unknown with a livestream being sent to earth with ‘Rocket Man’ playing in the background, and a dummy carelessly hanging his hand out the window on an interplanetary road trip,” Robinson said.

Normally, to test payload-carrying ability in rockets, engineers use piles of rocks or bricks; however, Musk used this launch as an opportunity to raise awareness for his Tesla brand and SpaceX’s flair for modernity.

Theatrics aside, this launch was important for space travel, according to Robinson.

MARCH 27, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | FEATURES | 11

Predictions for 2020 • Flying Cars

CH

Flying cars do exist, but as of 2018, they’re still not nearly as prevalent as the movies predicted

• Video Calls

In 1966, Star Trek showcased video call tech that now exists as a staple in smartphones

• Earbuds

In Farenheit 451, people put “thimble radios” in their ears to listen to the radio

• Cubs Win World Series

Predicted by Back to the Future II, the Cubs won the World Series in 2016

tage for future spaceflight

“I believe this was a very significant launch, as it not only proved that this more-capable rocket could actually take large payloads to space, but also showed that SpaceX is unafraid to test new ideas that push the frontiers of rockets forward to new heights,” Robinson said.

With Falcon Heavy’s successful flight, some people expect that there will be a significant uptick in private space flight charters and SpaceX growth. Both NASA and SpaceX have plans to place the first humans on another planet.

According to SpaceX.com, its goal is to have humans become multiplanetary. The next stop for SpaceX will be Mars, to which the company plans to send cargo by 2022 and crew by 2024.

Science of spaceflight

The creation of a rocket requires engineers of all fields, including electrical, aerospace, mechanical and software engineers.

Future aerospace engineer sophomore Ryan Gibbons said the field will continue to expand.

“I think that materials engineering is going to be the most important because progress will demand stronger, lighter, cheaper and, overall, better materials more than it will need anything else,” Gibbons said.

The need for more advanced technology in space applies to life on Earth as well. The future of engineering and technological advancements that will improve human life relies on the success of the private space industry.

Scott Hansen, a local engineer at Lockheed Martin, said that competition to get to space is good.

“Privatizing the space industry was probably one of the most brilliant moves of the last decade,” Hansen said. ”Capitalism is a magnificent tool to reach the stars because there is incentive to succeed and try new things.”

This advancement will lead to many more possibilities in space such as asteroid mining, Martian colonies and permanent lunar bases.

“We will go back to the moon, then likely asteroids to build commerce and exploit resources,” Hansen said. “Teenagers today will have the opportunity to travel to space like we can’t imagine now.”

• Jetpacks

They aren’t here yet

“I think we’ll be able to do short flights, short up and down flights, sometime in the first half of next year.”

Elon Musk on going to Mars INFOCOURTESYCNBC.COM DESIGNED BY DANIELLE GRIFFITHS DESIGNED BY DECLAN MCCOY

MARCH 27, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | FEATURES | 13

Students seek scholarships to help with funds “I haven’t had much trouble finding scholarships,” Andrews said. “There are a lot of different kinds of scholarships available for just about anything.”

However, a student who plans to go out of the country or state may have more trouble because he or she is not a permanent resident of the new location.

“I have had a lot of trouble finding scholarships because my university mostly offers scholarships to only Dutch students, not to international students,” said senior Julia Cyrkle, who will attend the University of Twente in the Netherlands.

Students may also apply for scholarships if they plan on achieving more than a bachelor’s degree.

“I want to pursue a master’s degree after earning a bachelor’s, so I want to save as much money as possible for that, too,” Cyrkle said.

Another option for upcoming

seniors is to dual enroll in certain core classes to earn college credit so they won’t have to pay to take the class in college which can also help reduce college expenses.

If an upcoming senior chooses to dual enroll, Oviedo High School pays for the student to take the course at a nearby college such as Seminole State College so the student does’t have to pay for the course “I dual enrolled in some general education courses at Seminole State College and I do not have to retake them when I get to the University of South Florida.

This is because Oviedo High School paid for me to take the classes so I got some of my general education for free,” Andrews said.

Bad romantic comedies

Sophmore Julia Hoffman

Wait, what??

STORY BY ABBIE WYDRA College: the last step in a student’s educational career. It is also one of the main reasons that so many adults are in debt, but scholarships can help students cover college expenses.

Senior Hailey Andrews looks past college for her motivation.

“My motivation to find scholarships is to avoid debt from college,” Andrews said.

The Florida Bright Futures program has multiple levels of scholarships, each of which requires students to maintain a certain GPA and complete a certain number of community service hours.

“I am participating in the Bright Futures program, and the most difficult part the process has been finding out information for all the steps that need to be completed (besides volunteering for 100 hours) in order to receive the reward,” Andrews said.

Only eight states in the U.S. offer a scholarship opportunity like Bright Futures, but there are also thousands upon thousands of independent scholarships for which students can apply.

The two most commonly known ones are for sports and academics, but there are plenty of other scholarship options.

What’s YOUR Guilty Pleasure?

Fettuccine alfredo

Librarian Michelle Tibbetts

Watching TV and being lazy

Junior Aaliyah Beazer

Superhero TV shows Senior Ashley Lopez

Florida Medallion Scholars $77 Dollars per credit hour

Florida Academic Scholars 100% of tuition and applicable fees including summer funding

Academic Top Scholars $44 Dollars per credit hour How Much Is Each Level of Bright Futures Worth?

HTTP://WWW.SFA.UFL.EDU/TYPES-OF-AID/BRIGHTFUTURES/

DESIGN BY ISABEL FAIN

Junior Connor Cleveland

ILLUSTRATION BY K. PENUEL

Paperboy

Fortnite

R

14 | ENTERTAINMENT | THE LION’S TALE | MARCH 27, 2018

Black Panther Movie

eviewed

STORY BY SAADHANA SRIDHARAN In a world wracked by war, the nation Wakanda remains the last vestige of peace. The main character, T’Challa, is the crown prince of Wakanda--and the nation’s Black Panther, a worthy person who defends the nation from intruders.

This film challenges your perceptions of politics, family, ethics and technology.

Visual-effects buffs will gasp over the sweeping views of Wakanda’s skyline and its metalloid vibranium-powered technological advances.

See Black Panther if you are ready for depth, beauty, and adventure.

EXTENDED COVERAGE AT OVIEDOJOURNALISM.COM

Twentytwo Sunflower Bean

STORY BY PAIGE SIMPSON Sunflower Bean’s newest single “Twentytwo” is a coming-of-age song.

Lead singer Julia Cumming beautifully belts out lyrics about wishing to stay young and a refusual to fade “into the night” that summons her. “Twentytwo” easily crafts its duality about growing up and the desire to remain young forever, expressing this phenomenon through its lyrics and instruments.

My favorite part of this song is the overall message and sound, as it is very enjoyable to listen to. With vocals erriely similar to that of Fleetwood Mac’s Steevie Nicks and overall 90s feel, this song is a smashing hit.

A Little Something Different Novel STORY BY ISABEL FAIN A Little Something Different is a book about two people who go to the same college and are seen by everyone and everything as the perfect couple. With 14 different perspectives, this cliche book takes readers on a wild rollercoaster of love between Leo and Gabe.

Author Sandy Hall writes each perspective in such a unique way that readers will never be bored with the plotline or dialogue. Each perspective has different writing styles, which eliminates

‘Rock of Ages’ attracts new cast members PHOTO BY FERN SILVA STORY BY JULIAN RIOS From amazing musical numbers to an overload of 80s nostalgia, Rock of Ages has it all. This musical, as some people might say, is “totally tubular to the max.”

The story follows a group of quirky people in the Sunset Strip area of Hollywood in 1987. Soon, German developers arrive and plan to renovate the area to a more family-friendly area.

The music is incorporated creatively, using famous 80s hits.

“I think Rock of Ages is cool and interesting because it can give older folks a sense of nostalgia and younger people the knowledge of how cool it was to live back then,” said junior Riley Houde, who is playing Sherrie.

According to junior Brianna Collazo, the choreographer, the cast has been rehearsing the dance numbers every Thursday.

“Other than that, we have normal rehearsals two to three times a week,”

Collazo said. “As the show approaches, we will start having rehearsals every day including Saturdays.”

Collazo enjoys choreographing the show.

“It gives me a chance to do what I love and I get to bring my own personal style of dance to the stage and have it reflected and shown through the whole musical,” Collazo said. “After every rehearsal, I have no voice, though.”

According to drama teacher Tim Carter, the cast is huge compared to other years.

“A lot of them are non-Thespian students who just want to do theatre,” Carter said. “There is a great mix of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. I discovered a lot of new talent at the auditions for this show. There are just as many boys as girls. Most of the students love the show and that helps in getting people to audition and stick with it.”

Among the variety of musicals that OHS has performed, this one is unique because of its music.

“Rock of Ages is a rock/jukebox musical, with a book by Chris D’Arienzo, built around classic rock songs from the 1980s, especially from the famous glam metal bands of that decade,” Carter said.

The musical features songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and Europe, among other well-known rock bands.

Carter has been planning for Rock of the Ages for a while.

“I honestly started wanting to do this show three years ago, and I have waited and waited for it to be released,” Carter said. “I think we are the only school, or one of the only schools, in Florida to do Rock of Ages.”

typical monotone themes in novels.

The perspectives also help to further the plotline of the story by showing different conversations about Gabe’s past and Lea’s growing feelings for him. On this note, I did thoroughly enjoy the way Hall slowly reveals the traumatic event that affected Gabe not long before the book takes place.

Although it’s a little slow, it’s very satisfying to get little clues about his life along the way.

However, the romance aspect of the story seemed a little forced. Once I got further into the story, I began to connect with the characters and really start to want them to get together, but more in an irritated way.

The book has so many perspectives to show how the main characters should get together, but only one of the perspectives opposes the relationship. It would be great to get more perspectives that pose as prominent antagonists in the story because it would make the book a little more realistic and

structured.

Another aspect I loved about the book was the unique personalities of the characters. Gabe is sarcastic, quiet and hides his emotions. Lea is sweet, loves to read and is honest.

Both Gabe and Lea are awkward when it comes to conversations with each other, and both like the same things. Lea is Asian, which differentiates from most main characters in romance novels.

I feel like the characters have enough balance between differences and similarities to make the story seem realistic.

If you’re looking for a quick little cheesy romance for a plane trip, car ride, or simply need a little story to cheer you up, A Little Something Different is a great option.

DATES:May 19 TIMES: 2:00 PM and 7:00PM PRICES: $7 LOCATION: Casanova Auditorium

DESIGN BY ALEXIS DESENA

MARCH 27, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | ENTERTAINMENT | 15

The Lion King Musical STORY BY CONNOR COMPTON

‘Pacific Rim’ disappoints with lackluster storyline PHOTO BY COMICBOOKMOVIE.COM

STORY BY FERN SILVA As the second movie in the series, alongside multiple high quality trailers, Pacific Rim: Uprising came out on Mar. 23 with high expectations from critics and fans alike. But was it able to live up to those expectations? Short answer? No. To begin, the positives: from the get go, the movie’s visuals hit you. The Jaegers, from Gipsy Avenger and Saber Athena, come in sporting a new, sleeker design with multiple unique and different weapons. With every movement, you can see the gears turn and shake, which immerses you even further into the movie.

Alongside the main protagonist are the antagonists, the Kaijus. Each one is infinitely unique and different from its counterparts, with huge muscles that ripple with each crushing stomp.

Fight scenes, possibly the main focus of the series, help to bring these stunning events to center stage as spectacles.

They are meant to capture your eyes, and they surely do. Sparks flying everywhere, buildings collapsing, blood splattering--you name it. The movie provides a sensory overload of amazing visuals that will surely

capture anyone who watches it.

These items within the movie dominate the screen time, and are the main focus of the entire franchise, so of course they will get the most attention in development, but the utter magnificence of these massive beings is stunning.

Aside from the visuals, the sound design also comes in as a major aspect of what makes this movie good. The incredible bass ensures that every movement is felt within the theatre. Some sounds, whether it be the impact of a cannon firing, or the roar of a kaiju, will send chills down your spine. The sound genuinely immerses you and enhances the already gorgeous visuals.

Now, onto what makes this movie a disappointment: the story.

The movie introduces a few side stories to follow along with the main one. What made the first movie so good was its hero-centric story of overcoming oppressive odds and saving the day at the end. That’s it.

This movie has that, but butchers it by splicing in a coming-of-age story with a forced character, which runs alongside the main character’s own side story of crime (and how he no longer wants to be a

Up and Coming: Movies

Jaeger pilot), which rapidly resolves itself with little subtlety.

This would be less of an issue if the main story itself was able to support this monumental movie, which, unfortunately, it doesn’t. The main story has one good major twist within it, and that’s it.

Some characters feel underdeveloped, with quick changes of their central emotional sense that feel shoved in your face. The main antagonist is just horrid, due to the character’s original development as a goofy jokester, who still keeps their original personality as they change to the big baddie.

There are huge logical inconsistencies that make the movie feel almost like a fan project that, alongside the other major elements of a failed and disappointing plot, drag this movie down.

Overall, if you go into this movie expecting a deep, touching tale about how humanity made monsters to deal with monsters, you won’t find it.

The stunning visuals and glorious fight scenes might be enough for you, as they were for me, but the movie will leave a sour taste in your mouth as you walk out of the theatre because of what this movie could have been--and what it wasn’t.

Disney’s Broadway production of “The Lion King” came to life as animals leaped across the stage at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts from Feb. 22 to Mar. 11. Throughout the performance, the sets came to life, too, with things like the grass attached to people’s heads while they led a procession, or the reflection of Mufasa in the water projected to the audience in a 3D image.

The cast’s voices boomed through the theatre, and the stronger voices of the performance almost put me in a trance. The two younger actors of the play were about 8 and 9 years old, and they performed wonderfully--I was very shocked at their level of professionalism and execution. They were obviously talented for their age bcause they danced and sang with grace and uniqueness.

The stage animals that walk, run, fly and swim across the stage were vibrant and full of energy. They closely mirrored the moves and actions of the animals themselves. The costumes of the play were above and beyond: each with tons of work in each tiny detail, which made the characters come to life with tradtional African patterns and shapes.

Combined with the animal-like framework, these designs gave them an interesting appearance. On one hand, they looked like the animal; on the other, they looked like the human that showed the animals’ traits. This was very relatable.

Performed in the Walt Disney Theatre, the seating for the performance was very good, giving most everyone and 270-degree view of the stage. Only within some parts of the play was the view slightly obstructed, but with the high energy and mobility of the play, they did not stay in one place very long anyway.

Up and Coming: Events

Coming back this year, the Avengers now face a bigger threat than what they are used to, as a powerful being has invaded their home. Avengers: Infinity War was originally planned to be released on May 4, but is now being brought into theaters earlier, on April 27.

Avengers: Infinity War DESIGN BY ALEXIS DESENA

Live, Work, Move Seminole 5k and Kid Dash April 7, 2018

Car Show at Center Lake Park April 22, 2018

One-Page Low-Down

16 | ENTERTAINMENT | THE LION’S TALE | MARCH 27, 2018

W

App Review: Huji STORY BY GILLIAN LANDWEHR

Huji Cam is a photography app that allows the user to take images in the app and automatically filters the image. There’s not that much to the actual app, due to the process of automatic filtering.

The app is simple to use. You take a photo through the “viewfinder,” which is the screen of the camera. After you press the button, the image is processed for about a minute and is then able to be viewed in the “lab,” which is the collection of all the images taken.

The filters have a retro look to them: random streaks of light, high contrast, glares. The overall photos come out very crisp.

One downside of the app is that the images don’t automatically save to the your camera roll.

Every time you take a picture, you have to view

the image in the lab and then download the images to your camera roll.

Another downside is that you have to take an image in the app--you can’t edit a picture that you took with a regular camera.

Overall, Huji Cam is a really good app. I have tried photo-editing apps in the past and I found that most of them have too many options. I really enjoy the automatic filtering of the images because you don’t have a say in how you want the image to look.

If you enjoy the look of edited photos but don’t like the work, then I definitely recommend this app.

Album Review: Black Panther STORY BY EMILY VERNIKOS Released Feb. 9, Black Panther: The Album (music inspired by the Black Panther movie) is an ambitious album that speaks to the cultural potency of Black Panther as a brand, featuring artists like Kendrick Lamar and SZA. The opening song, called “Black Panther,” finds Lamar at his most explosive as the beat erupts beneath him.

The “All The Stars” opens with SZA’s hook, where she sings about the feeling that comes along with being closer to one’s dreams. Lamar then puts his own spin on the chorus, dismissing those who take advantage of his fame.

Lamar takes lead in the album; however, there are 20 other artists featured on this album, such as Khalid, Travis Scott, Zacari and Jorja Smith.

The album is full of powerful

moments that entertain the listeners. For example, Lamar raps “king of my city, king of my country, king of my homeland, king of the filthy, king of the fallen, we living again” and establishes the connection between himself and the film, making fans feel closer to the powerful character in the movie.

What makes this album remarkable is the layering of artists, sounds, styles and

even languages. The song “Seasons” opens with a verse from a South African rapper, Sjava, whose bars need no translation to be felt.

The album hints at the movie’s story while concentrating on tales of struggle and swagger.

From the songs, it would be easy to believe the movie was set in California, although there are bits of African input tucked in.

There are brief glimpses of South African rhythms: the most cheerfully upbeat song, “Redemption,” features Babes Wodumo riding the South African club beat called Wodumo.

For some, Black Panther: The Album will stand as just another star-filled piece. But for those who are excited to see the film’s diversity and symbolism, this is exactly what they’re looking for.

SOUL OF AN ARTIST INTERVIEWED BY SOPHIA BLOOM

Violinist Senior Lydia Stelhe

PHOTO BY SOPHIA BLOOM Q: What made you want to start playing the violin?

A: I was actually listening to a CD by the band Celtic Woman, and I heard their violinist, and I was young, and I thought, “Oh my gosh, I want to play this!” And my mom was like, “Um, I don’t know about it, but sure! Go ahead!”

Q: Has it brought you any specific memories that are important to you?

A: Yeah. There are definitely a lot. But I think the biggest one was my old conductor, Mr. May. He just brought so much joy and fun to the violin, and I loved it.

Q: What is your favorite thing about playing the violin?

A: I just get to express myself in some sort of way other than talking to people.

Q: Could you see yourself playing violin in the future?

A: Definitely.

Q: Who has supported your decision to play music?

A: Everyone. My family, friends, instructors.

Q: Could you see playing the violin as a future job?

A: I don’t plan on making violin a career, but I intend to keep playing through college, hopefully performing at weddings or other events.

Local Review: Clean Juice

PHOTO BY DANIELLE GRIFFITHS

STORY BY DANIELLE GRIFFITHS One warm afternoon, I was handed a brightly orange-colored juice called the Immunity One from Clean Juice. It consisted of carrot, lemon, orange, pineapple and turmeric, and it was surprisingly sweet and delicious.

However, I had a few qualms about the place.

It was quiet, yet my juice took a while to be made, while also ranking in at a striking $8 for 12 ounces.

I could have understood the pricing for a larger quantity of juice, but the size for the cost was not something I’d regularly go back for, except for an occasional visit.

For a place that would be great before or after an intense workout, it was a bit too costly for me to purchase a drink almost everyday. The health factor of the juice may draw me back in for a special occasion.

DESIGN BY CHRISTINA YORK

MARCH 27, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | SPORTS | 17

COMPETITION HAS ARRIVED GIRLS’ LACROSSE LEARNS FROM OUT-OF-STATE CHALLENGERS PHOTO BY FERN SILVA STORY BY TESSA KOWALSKI In their history, the Oviedo varsity girls’ lacrosse team has faced opponents that have had to travel far for the match. On Saturday, Mar. 10, the team hosted a game against a team from Alpharetta, Georgia.

According to coach Scott Dean, the game was set up like a normal high school game.

“I was contacted by the Hagerty coach, who was arranging to play Alpharetta this year,” Dean said. “He told me that Alpharetta was hoping to find a couple more teams to play them while they were in the Orlando area.”

Teams from out of state come to Florida to take advantage of various options, according to Dean.

“Some teams travel to increase the difficulty of the competition because their local competition may not be as challenging, while others just like to get out of the cold weather,” Dean said. “As a matter of fact, in past years, Oviedo has hosted teams from other northern states and we have even traveled to Maryland, ourselves, for games.”

Varsity lacrosse senior Morgan Clark said that it is fun to play teams from out of state who they’ve never played before.

“It’s cool to be able to meet girls from different places and different backgrounds,” Clark said. “Plus, it’s always nice to be able to play someone you’ve never really played before because you’re challenged with skill sets you’ve never seen before.”

Varsity lacrosse senior Breanna Heatter said she was excited for the upcoming game and looked forward to the

DESIGN BY TESSA KOWALSKI

lessons that came out of it.

“Playing a team from out of state excites me because it is a new team, and a different style of play that we might not be used to,” Heatter said. “Facing this team may give our team more of a challenge, which will help make our team better and get more out of it.”

The Oviedo lacrosse team did not scout the Alpharetta team prior to the game, but the expectations for the Lady Lions was just to play their hardest, like they always do.

“I wanted our lions to play hard, execute our game plan, and do their best,” Dean said. “We have a very young team this year and this will be a fantastic experience for them.”

Playing on home turf can make a DROPPED THE BALL. Senior Katie Benitez lost possession of the ball while difference, since the competition had to cradling. Oviedo beat Lyman 13-3 on March 8. travel, while the Lions didn’t.

“I think playing in our environment is always comforting,” defense, forcing our players and coaches to evaluate the Clark said. “Our team is also very close. We’re all really way the game is being played, and adjust our approach.” good friends and get along super well, which gives us great The girls’ lacrosse team fell to Alpharetta 16-6. Junior chemistry.”

Celina Corvea stated that since they had never played this The game will be beneficial to the growth of the players team before, they had a blank slate going into the game. on the team, especially for the freshmen, which would help “Every game we play makes the team better, and when the team grow together, according to Heatter. we face challenges, the team really learns from that and “I think it absolutely benefits our players,” Dean said. grows on our mistakes,” Corvea said. “It encouraged us “It gives them the opportunity to play against a talented to focus internally on our team and allowed us to see our team that might have a different way they play offense or flaws that we need to work on.”

18 | SPORTS | THE LION’S TALE | MARCH 27, 2017

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED Top tennis players lead despite changes PHOTOS BY F.SILVA & J.PHAM

sports reporter

TESSA KOWALSKI

Tryouts present many obstacles, challenges Tryouts: they are the make-it-orbreak-it moments when it comes to sports. The amount of stress put on our shoulders is crippling, and the possibility of not even making the team can cause fear in the fearless.

Trying out is an added stress to the busy lives of students throughout their entire childhood lives. But the stress is more impactful on the mentality of teenagers, due to the workload that they have to face in school and at home.

Students that do not participate in sports might not understand how much time and effort that athletes put into a particular sport. I joined water polo last year. I thought tryouts were terrible and that I had no chance to make the team, but I made the JV team and improved my skills immensely.

I also joined the swim team this year in hopes of building speed and endurance for water polo--and I think it made a difference. But even so, when it came to the actual tryouts for water polo this year, I was incredibly nervous; plus, I was sick at the time, and I was scared that my performance wasn’t going to be up to par.

And then, I made the girls’ varsity water polo team and I couldn’t be happier. It was all the extra time and effort--like summer polo, club polo and swim season--that helped boost my chances of making it.

When it came to the week before tryouts, I prayed that I wouldn’t have that much homework that week because I knew that I would be exhausted from practice, and not want to accomplish anything. Balancing school and sports is manageable, but the overpowering stress of not even knowing if you will make the team can truly break a person.

THE BLITZ March means water polo season, but it also means March Madness and the busted brackets that come along with it.

For the first time ever, a 16-seed beat a 1-seed, as the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) Retrievers shocked the VIrginia Cavaliers. 16-seeds had not beaten a 1-seed in 135 games before that.

UMBC lost in the second round to Kansas State, and Kansas State went on to lose to this year’s “Cinderella” team, Loyola-Chicago, in the Elite Eight.

Loyola-Chicago upset MIami, Tennessee, Nevada and Kansas State, to become only the fourth 11seed in history to make a Final Four appearance.

STORY BY NEVADA CULLEN When the tennis season started, sophomores Mateo Gamero and Jordan Kazaka were number one and two, respectively, on the boys’ team. This changed during the season, as senior Connor Stroyan overtook Kazaka for the number two spot.

Players on the boys’ and girls’ tennis teams can challenge each other’s rank once a week. Challenges usually occur when a reserve player feels his or her level of play has exceeded that of one of the starters, according to head coach WIlliam Furiosi. Stroyan challenged Kazaka for this reason.

“I thought I was good enough to beat him,” Stroyan said. “I played him and I won.”

Furiosi supports players who want to challenge a higher-ranked opponent, because he sees the necessity.

“Challenges benefit the teams by inducing line-up variation,” Furiosi said.

“Challenge matches also do well at simulating true match pressure in practice.”

Challenges put players in a game type situation, testing their agility and endurance.

Practice to perfection

Furiosi makes sure his team is wellconditioned by requiring different stretches and footwork drills--like ladders and lunges-to stretch their muscles, get them prepared for longer matches and improve their stamina and agility.

“I am a big believer in conditioning, especially for tennis, because it’s a measurement of effort,” Furiosi said. “One of the things you have completely in your control during a match is your effort, and conditioning plays a big role in that.”

According to Furiosi, being tired and worn out at practice gives players the experience necessary to push through during the match. After they condition, players practice volleys and serves, then go over singles or doubles strategies.

Senior Rhianna Ventura, who is the number two player on the girls’ team, learns to play against different styles of opponents in her individual practices.

“My coach is able to adjust his level of play so I can get a better feel for different types of players that I would probably be facing in high school matches,” Ventura said. “I get more experience with different types of players than I would playing the same person at practice.”

Ventura’s coach is Alan Sylvia, who is also the individual coach for Gamero and Stroyan. Sylvia said that some opponents force a tennis player to play outside of their comfort zone, whether by hitting the ball a certain way or verbally messing with them, which can be frustrating mentally and emotionally.

“There are ways to deal with these situations,” Sylvia said. “Changing your playstyle in the middle of a match is not an easy thing to accomplish, but is a necessary component of a well-rounded, mentally savvy competitor.”

Singles vs. doubles

Gamero prefers playing singles matches rather than doubles.

“It’s more dependent on me, instead of relying on other people,” Gamero said. “If they mess up, you can’t really do anything about it.”

Preparing for single matches is different than preparing for a doubles match.

Ventura and freshman Bailey Shams, who is the number one player on the girls’ team, both prefer to play doubles.

“You have the support of your teammate,” Ventura said. “Tennis is already an individual sport, so even though you have another person, it’s still an individual game. You have another person to cheer you on and congratulate you and tell you it’s going to be okay when you mess up.”

Both Ventura and Shams excel individually, and manage to continue that success when they play together.

“I think Rhianna and I get along really well on the court,” Shams said. “Our communication skills are really up to par with everything and contribute to all of our wins.”

Each of the top players on the boys’ and girls’ teams has their own individual strengths, which allow them to play well together in doubles matches. Ventura had

an injury that allowed her to develop her particular strength.

“I broke my right hand a couple years ago,” Ventura said. “Backhand is both hands, so with the strength of my left hand follow through I was able to build up a better backhand.”

Focus on improvement

A negative side of that injury was that Ventura was unable to develop her forehand. Ventura said she has a tendency to bring her elbow in, so she doesn’t get as much time to follow through, which decreases the power of her forehand.

Kazaka is also looking to improve his play, in order to beat Stroyan and get the number two spot back. After his loss in the challenge, Kazaka planned to counter Stroyan’s challenge with a challenge of his own the next week.

“I need to fix old mistakes,” Kazaka said.

“Forget what happened in the challenge last week, and get an easy win.”

It is unknown who will be the number one and two players on the boys’ team come playoff time. Whoever retains those positions will attempt to come out on top in the district.

“My goal is to win districts,” Gamero said. “Last year, I won districts as a number two. This year it’s going to be harder.”

Future preparations

With the number one girls’ player being a freshman (Shams), and the number one and former number two players on the boys’ team being sophomores (Gamero and Kazaka), there is much to look forward to for Oviedo’s tennis teams.

“I’m extremely excited about the future of Oviedo tennis, given the solid group of young players that we have this year,” Furiosi said. “A lot of programs have number ones or twos that stay in their position for merely a year or two, and it can be shocking for them during the first few times they experience the firepower topranked players have.

Furiosi expects the young players to work out the jitters early on.

“By the time they are juniors and seniors, they’ll have that early experience to fall back on,” Furiosi said.

THE ONES AND TWOS Bailey Shams, freshman (far left) Has the grit to win close matches.

Rhianna Ventura, senior (near left) Is a leader with a strong backhand.

Mateo Gamero, sophomore (near right) Helps teammates make ingame adjustments.

Connor Stroyan, senior (far right) Has a strong net game.

DESIGN BY NEVADA CULLEN

ROARBOARD

MARCH 27, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | SPORTS | 19

For more, head to OviedoJournalism.com

Supra Invitational takes pool by storm PHOTO BY FERN SILVA STORY BY VANI THUPILI

FOLLOWING THE THROW. Senior Brooks Meredith passes the ball to a teammate during the preliminary game.

SPORTS IN REVIEW: A PHOTO FINISH

SWINGING IT ALL. Rebecca Crowthers of the varsity softball team steps up to the plate to hit a throw at a home game against East River High School.

SMILING WHILE LIFTING. Senior Javier Correa lifts a barbell during the clean and jerk portion of the meet against Lake Brantley.

OUTTA THE PARK. Sophomore Joshua Allen gets into the stance to hit a throw against Colonial High School.

PHOTOS BY FERN SILVA DESIGN BY VANI THUPILI

On Mar. 9 and 10, the boys’ and girls’ water polo teams competed in the Supra Invitational.

“The Supra Invitational was a huge learning opportunity for myself and the team,” said senior Grace Nitti. “We played with brand new teams that are high-level.”

By playing new competition, the OHS teams faced unique opportunities that helped them develop as a team.

“The outcome we hoped for was just becoming closer as a team and starting to learn from these more experienced teams and players,” said senior Brooks Meredith. “[It gave us the ability to] make later runs in the season, limit mistakes and learn the specific things to do to become successful.”

All these changes helped the players grow individually as well as together, forming a tighter bond between the players.

“I just tried to get a lot of experience from it and played with the confidence level that we needed to play at our best capabilities,” said senior Owen McNamara.

This was the first time this team took on

the challenge of the Supra Invitational, but they played teams they usually match up against in their regular season.

“The team was excited, as it has some of the best teams in the state competing,” said Matthew Mason, who is the head coach for both the boys’ and girls’ water polo teams.

The team has an end goal of making it to the state playoffs, so it helped to face some teams they might face in the playoffs.

“We played Seminole, Olympia and Winter Park,” Meredith said. “They are three of the fastest teams in Seminole County, who are a lot more skilled than we are.”

It gave them the opportunity to push the limits and try new strategies against strong teams.

“I think it was advantageous for the team to be competing against strong teams to challenge them as well as test their endurance capacity in a strong tournament format.” Mason said.

Both girls’ and boys’ teams had a final result of two wins and two losses in the tournament. If they succeed in states, they can attribute that success to these games.

“Several of these teams lie in our path to states,” Mason said.

Star Athlete: Matthew Loiars INTERVIEWED BY NEVADA CULLEN Q: What position do you play?

A: I play right side and center.

Q: What kind of role do you play on this team?

A: I play a leadership role in where I set the ball to different positions either right side, outside or the middle or even the back row sometimes.

Q: How did you find out that you were comfortable at that position?

A: I became comfortable through repetition and practice.

Q: What are you trying to do to account for the loss of seniors for next year?

A: We are making sure our underclassmen are staying focused and will be able to give good direction in the years following.

Q: What is a small synopsis on the season so far?

A: We’re a formidable team but we have some mental setbacks where we could beat easy teams, but we get so stuck in our heads that they overcome us.

Q: How do you plan on overcoming these mental struggles to finish the season strong?

A: In practice we put ourselves in situations where there is a lot of pressure on us, to a point that it should frustrate us.

Q: How have you guys done these past few years?

A: We haven’t gotten past district semifinals which is quite unfortunate, but every year we have had the capability to, and it’s always been mental setbacks. But with our new practices and a new understanding of our frustration, we should be able to overcome that in districts.

Q: What would it mean to you to get to district finals?

A: It would mean a lot to me because being able to show that our team is a high-level team and a force to be reckoned with is my desire.

20 | FEATURES | THE LION’S TALE | MARCH 27, 2018

TV production wins national recognition are ones I will forever cherish throughout high school,” Brown said. “Experiencing a new city alongside a team of Every year, WROR-TV students travel to the Student dedicated students made the trip worthwhile. My favorite Television Network (STN) convention, and they hit the part of the trip was the abundance of different culture in the ground running with a Crazy 8 contest. city. Our team was privileged to meet people from around “The Crazy 8 contest, which is the first thing we do the world and encountered many diverse art, music, there, is an eight-hour contest where we have eight hours traditions and more.” to write, shoot and edit a either broadcast or short film, Prior to arriving at the convention, Davidson and senior depending on the category,” said TV production teacher Tanner Roberts submitted a film for art direction and visual Kevin Patterson. “This year, for the first time, we had two effects, for which they hoped to win a Film Excellence teams, one team doing broadcast, and the other team award. doing a short film.”

“Our video was ‘Kaiju, King of Coffee,’ Junior Blair Brown took part in and it was a video we made about a the Crazy 8 Morning Show and Spot small business owner,” Davidson said.

We were up against Feature.

The category they were up for was 400 other people just in “For the Crazy 8 competition, our jam-packed with other entries. our category, and we won. prompt was ‘We got the bea,’ Brown “We were up against 400 other said. “Our team instantly began to people just in our category, and we won Senior Tanner Roberts bounce ideas off of one another, and out of those 400 other people,” Roberts within the first hour we were calling said. businesses around Nashville for our potential story.”

Besides being very competitive, receiving a Film One of Brown’s team members for Crazy 8 was Excellency award in general was limited. aspiring college film student senior Jaiden Doddapaneni, “There were only 10 awards they give out to the who viewed STN as a great experience before graduation. country, and we won one of them,” Patterson said.

“It offers networking opportunities, and it’s just a great Although WROR-TV students did not place in any of the place to meet like-minded people that have the same competitions at the event, Patterson won STN’s Teacher of interests in TV production,” Doddapaneni said. the Year award, which is based on a teacher video contest.

STN is a convention which “supports, promotes, and “What they do is they open up entries for teachers to recognizes excellence in scholastic broadcast journalism, send in,” Patterson said. “They’ll announce a prompt and creative video, filmmaking and media convergence,” they give you about a month to make an entry.” according to studenttelevision.com.

This year’s prompt was “Figure it out.”

“STN is a way to gain networking and national “My video was sort of Sci Fi-ish: it was like one of recognition,” said senior Parker Davidson. “While we were the guys was going in for a medical test and the other there we did competitions, so that also allowed us to gain guy figured out a cure, and he went through this medical more experience.” procedure and started experiencing different supernaturalAlong with gaining vital experience to bolster future type things,” Patterson said. “He was having superpowers, endeavors, those who attended also obtained significant or there were different things happening to him. By the end, memories through their travels to Nashville. he’s kind of left with a, ‘Well, I need to figure out what to “The memories and experiences I had in Nashville do with this.’”

STORY BY DANIELLE GRIFFITHS

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PHOTOS BY KEVIN PATTERSON

WROR-TV COMPETES. (Top) Seniors Leeann Figueroa and Ryan Hart record a segment. (Middle) Seniors Ashlyn Register, Leeann Figueroa, Ryan Hart, and Jaedin Doddapaneni edit footage. (Bottom) Sophomores Brooke Brennan and Erin Newman film with natural lighting.

DESIGN BY BRYN GARICK