West Shore
ROAR
November 2017
INSIDE: Safety First
Security updates have students feeling fenced in, 12
IRMA-GOSH Meet the school’s YouTubers, 6
Senior sets the Barr for varsity soccer, 17 ‘Geostorm’ review, 23
October 2017
westshoreroar.com- -250 250 Wildcat Wildcat Alley FL 32935 westshoreroar.com Alley- Melbourne, - Melbourne, FL 32935
“West Shore Roar”: November 2017 EDITORS Editor In Chief Alexa Carlos Tamez Managing Editor Rachel Montgomery Sports Editor Ben Lack ADVISER Mark Schledorn GRAPHICS Emma Remonsellez-Conde Catherine Ho Photo: Fallon Klenotich
WHAT’S INSIDE
Fun and Games Playing at a History Fair booth on Oct. 20, English teacher Adrienne Gent tosses a ball with string.
pg 4
Staff Editorial
pg 6
Media Madness
pg 9
Winner’s Circle
pg 12
Safety First
pg 14
Messing with Sexting
pg 17
It’s time to hold sexual assaulters responsible
Meet the school’s leading YouTubers
Teacher and employee of the year
School board updates campus security
Rules, laws evolve as explicit trend grows
Raising the Barr
Senior ready to lead varsity soccer team
pg 18
Winter Sports Athletes
pg 21
Love it, Hate it
pg 23
A preview of who to watch this season
Thanksgiving, early Christmas music, Black Friday
Reviews
“Happy Death Day”, iOS 11, “Geostorm”
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ahjaney Friar, Auston Gonzalez, Angelina Grosso, Justin Ho, Shawn Humphrey, Valery Linkenhoker, Michael Lucente, Sanjay Ramchandani, Jessica Travis, Walter Wilinsky PUBLICATIONS POLICIES “West Shore Roar” recognizes itself as a public forum and encourages letters from West Shore students and members of the community. “West Shore Roar” cannot print ads promoting activity illegal by Florida law, ads opposing any religious beliefs, ads written in poor taste, ads with racial or sexist comments, ads considered inappropriate by the staff, advocacy advertising or ads containing libel. “West Shore Roar” is not responsible for web sites viewed through links found on pages mentioned in the publication. “West Shore Roar” values letters from our readers: maximum length for letters is 200 words. No more than one letter a semester will be published from a writer. Letters and columns are edited for length, content and clarity. “West Shore Roar” maintains the right to edit all submissions for poor taste, length, grammar and libel. Views expressed in the “Opinions” section do not necessarily represent the views of the Brevard County School Board, the West Shore administrators, faculty, student body or “West Shore Roar” staff.
SUBMIT Send opinions to wstheroar@gmail.com VISIT Go to westshoreroar.com for more content
4
westshoreroar.com
Staff Editorial During the past few weeks, media headlines all over the world have been plastered with the phrase “sexual harassment.” Women and men from all types of industries, whether it be Hollywood, sports or politics have stepped forward to accuse some very prominent men of harassment or in some cases, even assault. As defined by Merriam Webster, sexual harassment is the “uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature, especially by a person in authority toward a subordinate such as an employee or student.” The claim that started this domino effect came from the multiple women who accused film producer Harvey Weinstein of either sexually harassing, assaulting or raping them. Weinstein is now under police investigation — as he should be — and the countless others who have done the same should be next. That so many recently have come forward shows just how bad this problem is in the United States and around the world. Olympic gymnasts Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and
from the editor It’s time to hold sexual assaulters responsible countless others have reported being assaulted by their team doctor. U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo has accused former FIFA president Sepp Blatter of grabbing her inappropriately. Pretty much every ‘One Tree Hill’ female cast and crew member came together to write a letter saying she faced various levels of harassment from
showrunner Mark Schwahn. And what does the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have to say about sexual harassment? “It is helpful for the victim to inform the harasser directly that the conduct is unwelcome and must stop.” Well, this approach just hasn’t really seemed to work out. These individuals who have consistently abused women don’t
care if they say no. To them, “no” just means “I need persuading.” And not only that, but this “helpful advice” from the EEOC doesn’t even take into account the women who can’t afford to say no. Those who are at risk of losing their jobs, their professional reputations, are constantly taken advantage of because the perpetrators know exactly what kind of power they have over them. Sexual harassment hasn’t just shown up in national headlines, but in local ones as well. For example, School board member Andy Ziegler recently was cleared of sexual harassment charges in an investigation conducted by a private law firm and Cartoon: Minaal Murshid the school district. That’s a good thing. We need to hold those in power to high standards of integrity, and of honorable moral character. By supporting the works of perpetrators of violence and sexual assault, we are letting the behavior become a norm and standard of society. As victims come forward, they need to be treated with respect, and the assaulters need to be thoroughly investigated.
November 2017
to the editor
Clucky Look The tripods used by WCTZ increasingly resemble a chicken with ponytail. The center column of the tripod is the neck of the chicken, the tripod head is the head of the chicken and the positioning handle is the ponytail. This resemblance is amusing to me, and makes my group want to use the tripods more. Each time I leave sixth period TV productions, I say goodbye to the chickens because they are my friends. We recently got new tripods that don’t look like chickens, and it disappoints me. I hope the chicken head tripods stay at West Shore so everyone can use them. Jacob Kent, 11th grade
5
In Hot Water I am writing this to express my concern about the water fountains around campus. It has been known that at our school for quite a bit of time that the water system has not been at its best for the past couple years, but nothing seems to be changing, which sparks my concern. Many if not all of the water fountains on campus are bad quality, the water is warm and sometimes even yellow, which is not healthy for any of the students on campus. Not only is it not healthy, but not appealing. Although thirsty, students may choose not to get a drink because of the unappealing taste or temperature. This is a problem because students must stay hydrated all day to stay healthy and awake, ready to take on the day. The only clean cold water fountains in campus reside in our auditorium, which
may be quite a distance for many students based on where their classes are. In my personal experience it is not enjoyable to have to walk all the way across campus just to get a drink of water, and the distance also affects class learning time. Traveling from your class to get a cold drink of water while class is in session may disrupt the lesson. Water is a basic necessity for human survival so i would think that it would take priority over other funding, like a new cafeteria…… perhaps bringing more attention to this problem or raising money could help, but whatever is necessary, because clean water fountains should be a given. I hope you can consider my point of view concerning the water problem and thank you for your time. Taylor Donovan, 12th grade
opinion
Age of Trump
A review of the president a year after the election
By Alexa Carlos Tamez Editor In Chief A year ago this month, my family and I, like millions of other Americans, woke up in disbelief. Hillary Clinton had just lost the general election for the presidency, and the reality that Donald Trump would be the 45th president of the United States hadn’t yet sunk in. Everything that seemed as if it could go wrong did, and a year later, I’m still waiting to wake up from this oh-so-real nightmare. It seems that any forward progress that this country should and could have been making in 2017 has gone straight backwards. The United States is officially the only country in the world that has yet to agree to the Paris Climate Accord after both Nicaragua and Syria signed onto the plan. So, a war-torn country
riddled with terrorism and fear promises to reduce their emissions, but the U.S. decides to pull out of the world’s most promising political initiative to help save the planet. Maybe, if Trump didn’t choose Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who loves his big oil company friends, as the Secretary of Energy, and Scott Pruitt, who never seems to even want to discuss climate change, as head of the Environmental Protection Agency, we would see a little progress toward a more sustainable America. Another highlight (or should I say lowlight?) of Trump’s year in office were his comments to NFL team owners over players kneeling. He said those protesting should be fired, but why did the president use profanity directed at a specific group of people on live television? More importantly,
who is Trump to say that someone should be fired for protesting racial injustice, which he has never nor will ever experience? When Colin Kaepernick first protested during the 49ers 2016 preseason games, he sat on the bench. But, because he still wanted to respect his flag and his country, he took to kneeling instead. Kaepernick was and continues to try to create positive change for those who look up to him and have suffered racial discrimination, and he’s out of job and “anti-American.” Yet our commander in chief can’t even remember the name of one of his fallen soldiers: Sgt. La David Johnson. So, who’s the real patriot? To me, Trump’s first year has been a mess. How many “short and fat” tweets is it going to take before he puts the country at real risk?
6
westshoreroar.com
campus connect
Media Madness Compiled by Auston Gonzalez
Jared Hayes SUBSCRIBED 336 Jared Hayes 34,636 Views
“I kind of want to Most Popular Video go to film school DCI 2017 The Cadets “The Faithful because I do enjoy The Fallen The Forgiven” Pt. 1 filming. I’m just doing it for Orlando 7/8/17 fun so I have memories to 3,294 Views look back on when I graduate high school. As of now it’s just a “I’ve been vlogging way to not be stressed all the time.” for about eight months.” “One day I just wanted to bring a camera to school to see what would happen, so I brought a camera and I started vlogging. Then people in my class really liked my videos so I stuck with it and kept doing it. Now people expect a video every other day.”
Adrian Delia
Adrian Ryan Gaming
SUBSCRIBED 1,155
ARG Adrian Ryan Gaming 54,822 Views Most Popular Video Unlimited pro pack glitch in madden “My mobile!!!!!! goal 16,194 Views as a YouTuber is to just get more subscribers.”
“I’ve been on YouTube for three years.” “I make Madden Mobile videos and I do vlogs because Jared [Hayes] inspires me.”
November 2017
campus connect
7
Popularity of Wildcat YouTubers increases
Andrew Catti SUBSCRIBED 334 “My goals as a YouTuber are to make more business videos because I love making funny videos, but one day I just want to grow and get bigger.”
Zurge Pyscho 44,337 Views Most Popular Video Nikon Coolpix L310 vs IPhone 6 8,933 Views “I’ve been a YouTuber for four years.
“I do pranks, I make vlogs whenever I go to concerts or go on cruises, and I do review videos.“
Luke Butler SUBSCRIBED 111 Luke Butler 1,770 Views Most Popular Video Tiny Kid Arm Wrestles Trash Talker 249 Views “I just hit 100 subscribers so my new goal is to hit 200 subscribers.” “I have been a YouTuber for about half a year.” Profile information as of Nov. 9
Noah Wundke SUBSCRIBED 60 Aireus 2,361 Views
“I’ve been vlogging since August.” “For now I’m just starting with vlogs and I’ll make more content later.” Most Popular Video First Day of High School!!! // Vlog 291 Views
“[My videos] are kind of about “I try to put a lot of creativity random things. into my videos. I got a drone Sometimes I’ll vlog during because I wanted to step up school or sometimes I’ll do the quality.” challenge videos at home.”
November 2017
campus connect
Winner’s Circle
Gornto, Richardson named teacher and employee of the year
9
What do students have to say?
“Ms. Richardson is really nice, and down to earth.” —Bennett Kent, 9th
Go Figure Teacher Donald Gornto introduces a new topic during his third-period A.P. Computer Science Principles class.
Story by Valery Linkenhoker Staff Writer Balloons and gifts filled the rooms of math teacher Donald Gornto and virtual lab facilitator Laura Richardson in the days following the announcement of Teacher and Employee of the Year. “I hope that I do well, and that I’m able to represent West Shore in the final teacher of the year,” Gornto said. “I know from previous teacher of the years that there are lofty expectations and I just hope that I can live up to those.” Impacting students through the years, senior Anna Feldbush commended Gornto and his accomplishment. “I was super-happy,” Feldbush said. “I’ve had him for geometry and A.P. Computer Science, so it was really great to hear that his hard work was being rewarded.” Admiring the rest of the staff, Richardson was shocked to hear her name announced over the intercom. “I definitely was not expecting to win. There are too many incredible people here that work so hard for this school.”
Photo: Ahjaney Friar
Richardson said. “Just as [Principal Rick Fleming was] saying my name [Assistant Principal Catherine] Halbuer, [Athletic Director Tony] Riopelle and [Assistant Principal Glenn] Webb walked in and they had flowers and balloons, and with the students in class at the end of sixth period they were all excited and clapping. It was a very touching moment.” Richardson’s recognition didn’t surprise her students. “She is always a good spirit in the morning, and got my day off to a good start,” sophomore Lena Hatter said. “I’m really happy for her, she works hard to get her students to where they need to be.” Representing the school may be an honor; however, the honor from the students may be the best reward. “The kids are running up and hugging me, and that’s my reward,” Richardson said. “It’s a great place.” Richardson has been named a finalist for Brevard County Employee of the Year, which will be announced in January.
“She’s kind and patient. She’s a really great teacher overall and really deserves it.” —Makenzey Kologlu, 9th
“Mr. Gornto’s fun. The programs that we do are cool. He’s a really good teacher.” —Elijah Ortiz, 10th
“He interacts with his students. He’s peppy and really excited to teach. He deserves it.” —Kyle Johnson, 10th
10
westshoreroar.com
campus connect
Photo: Fallon Klenotich
Photo: Fallon Klenotich
Meet the People Students and teachers move around the various games and booths during the history fair, held in both the gym and the auditorium, on Oct. 20. Photo: Fallon Klenotich
A Day at the Fair
Middle-school students make the past come alive at history event Story by Ahjaney Friar Staff Writer After several weeks of preparation, eighth-grader Michael M. was ready to set up his basketball based game for the history fair that took place on Oct. 20. The seventh-grade fair was in the auditorium, while the eighth-graders were in the gym. Michael said the break from traditional schoolwork excited middle- schoolers. “It was really fun being able to break from our normal routine of things,” Michael said. “In class we always have to work individually and now we get a chance to work as a group doing fun things. It was a great experience.” The middle-school history teachers got together and planned the fair, in which the seventh graders dressed up as historical figures from the Constitution, while eighth-graders channeled those from the American Revolution.
“The high-school students and other visitors entered from one specific area of the gym and auditorium,” eighth-grade U.S. History teacher Amy Dimond said. “They were given a passport when they entered so as they moved around and visited each booth, they were introduced to either a topic from the spirit of revolution or spirit of independence in United States history. Then they got the passport signed from the persona represented.” As an attempt to get middle-schoolers more involved in activities around the school, the administration set out to look for ways and thought the middleschool history teachers could help. “We wanted to be able to give the middle-school students some form of connectedness to the school where they actually feel as if they’re playing a larger role in the big events here at West Shore, not just academically, but
being able to show the high school students that they have a place here,” Dimond said. “[Principal Rick] Fleming and [Assistant Principal Glenn] Webb came to me and asked if there was something that we would be able to do to help with that. They wanted to be able to put whatever it was on display because in high school there’s a lot of different activities that the students are involved in that you can see on campus whereas with the middle school it’s not as noticeable.” Eighth-grader Clifton Coyle said the experience as a whole was a good way to interact with the upperclassmen. “It was a really good way to get more involved with student activities,” Coyle said. “Because the high-schoolers get to do all the cool things, it seems like we just kind of get to watch but this time it was like we got to take the lead and they came to us to learn.”
Locked Down Board hopes spending millions on security will keep us safe
12
westshoreroar.com
BY THE NUMBERS
146
Number of mass shootings since 2006
366 8
Deaths from mass shootings since 2010
Schools that have completed security projects in Brevard
31 5
School shootings in the US since 1999
Millions of dollars spent on upgrades in Brevard Sources: F.B.I, USA Today, Florida Today
cover
Safety First New security updates impact campus By Justin Ho, Jessica Travis Staff Writers Columbine. Sandy Hook. Virginia Tech. Each of these schools across the U.S have experienced a mass shooting within the last two decades. When the Brevard School Board decided to implement new security upgrades to schools across the county, these were the type of events it had in mind. During the summer, the board voted 4-1 to increase the security budget of all schools from $5.7 million to $8.2 million to add remote access-control technology per the recommendation of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. Some of the new security features that can be found on the campus include cameras, gates and door keypads. The new gates can be seen blocking student access to parking lots in the front and the back of the school. In addition, instead of entering the media center through the front doors, students are now required to enter through the back doors with the front doors remaining locked. The same applies to students who are traveling to the auditorium. At the front office, instead of walking through the office doors to get to the car loop, students are now required to buzz in and wait for administrative approval in order gain entrance. This is meant to protect the office staff and the administration in the event of an armed intruder. School Resource Officer Valerie Butler said the security upgrades
are necessary in order to ensure the safety of students.
“One of my main objectives is to keep you guys safe.” “I feel like [the security features] make my job easier because one of my main objectives is to keep you guys safe,” Butler said. “This being an open campus, I really feel like this cuts down the amount of threats from the outside that I would have to worry about coming in, so that’s a big plus in my opinion.” Junior Catalina Lopez said the tight security is an inconvenience to dual-enrolled students. “When I come in, it’s a lot harder to park and, I was late multiple times because of [the gates],” Lopez said. “Because it’s locked, we have to go to the office and ask them to open it but I don’t park at the school anymore.” Along with the new security implementations, the school board is also contracting an armored car to facilitate money exchanges. Patricia Coleman, the bookkeeper at Eau Gallie High School, was convicted in March for embezzling $170,000, and Natalie Jones, the former bookkeeper at Southwest Middle, who was charged with stealing
November 2017
cover
How will the armored car help?
13
Source: BPS chief financial officer Pennie Zuercher
The armored car is meant for reducing the risk of losing student funding in the deposit process. The car is not being purchased, a contract will be made with a company to use it. The armored car is suggested to cost $175,000. Money will be taken out of the food program to pay for the armored car. $108,000 from the school, was sentenced to prison on June 30. “I don’t think people realize how many people they’re hurting when they break the law like that: her family, her school, all the teachers and principals,” West Shore bookeeper Kay Beach said. “I guess I’m still trying to understand why.” Brevard County School Board members proposed using an armored car and bringing all 82 school accounts under the same bank to reduce the risk of making one bookkeeper responsible for the students’ money. “It was my recommendation to do that,” Brevard Public Schools chief financial officer Pennie Zuercher said. “It’s part of the overall strategy to protect the funds that our students make in their schools by gaining better internal control.” Board Member Matthew Susin however, said he thinks the armored
How much does this security cost? $4,351,068
$2,523,268 $11,136,714 School security Educational Technologies Facility Renewal Contingency $68,918,981
Source: Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee for Brevard Public Schools
car is a waste. “All it is is [Zuercher] just wants to have an armored car,” Susin said. Susin said 17 of 67 school districts in Florida use an armored car. “The majority of school systems in the state of Florida don’t have it,” Susin said. “This is not a popular thing among the state or among the counties, and it has absolutely no return in investment.” Susin said the armored car is impractical for Brevard County. “There’s other counties where things have happened in their district that would make an armored car make sense,” Susin said. “It may make sense in their district, but it doesn’t make sense here.” Beach said she also doesn’t understand the reasoning behind the armored car. “The only thing about the armored car is they have to set times and dates,” Beach said. “For me to say ‘OK I’ll have this deposit done on this day at this time’ that’s my main concern.” Contracting the armored car is expected to cost $175,000 for one year, and money from the food programs will be used pay for it. Susin doesn’t agree with taking money out of the school’s food programs, saying that he is aware of the current quality of the lunch food. “It’s not a bad idea, but the question is ‘could that money be spent more inside the classroom?’” Susin said. “In our school system, we have thousands
Graphic: Catherine Ho
of things to fund that would make our schools more enriched than an armored car.”
“We have thousands of things that would make our schools more enriched than an armored car.”
The district is contracting with a company that uses an armored van that would do the transportation for the district, and it is not buying an armored car or hiring drivers. “I’ve experienced that these drivers are very well-uniformed,” Zuercher said. “They’re discreet and typically will wear a polo with the name of the company, have a badge on their belt and have black fatigues on and their weapon.” Under Florida law, the armored-car employees are permitted to carry a small firearm onto school campuses during pick-ups. “If this person is picking [the money] up from every school, we want them to be protected,” Zuercher said. Beach said she will work with the system. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make things safe for the money that the kids earn and the parents earn,” Beach said.
14
news
westshoreroar.com
Messing with Sexting Rules, laws evolve as explicit trend grows Story by Jessica Travis Staff Writer A cluster of boys crowd around him. “You’ll go to prison,” one says. ‘Isn’t it child porn?’ asks another. He just got caught sexting, and he doesn’t know what will happen next. “Sexting” is defined as the act of sending sexually explicit photographs or messages via mobile phone. “I think as people mature it’s natural to want to talk about [sexting],” School Resource Officer Valerie Butler said. “There does have to be a line drawn where it’s very inappropriate and they get themselves in trouble sending explicit material over their phones.” Various laws aimed towards sexting have changed over time. “It used to be that if a juvenile [was sexting] they could potentially be charged with possessing or sending child pornography, which is a very serious crime,” Butler said. “[Lawmakers] knowing that some of these things are natural, they wanted to still make it clear that it was not appropriate, but that the actions were not going to cause severe consequences for the kids unless it continued and progressed.” The first time caught sexting is an infraction, the second is a misdemeanor while the third time is considered a felony.
“If you just do it once you learn your lesson and that’s that,” Butler said. “If it continues and it’s a pattern of bad behavior then you’re going to pay the more serious consequence.” Some students say that the discouragement of sexting is proving and will prove unsuccessful. “I mean I have sexted before and I don’t really think it’s a big deal because everyone does it,” said a student who asked to remain anonymous. “It’ll be hard to catch everyone doing it, because it’s a lot.” Dr. Sameer Hinduja, a Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University, has written many articles on the topic of sexting. “We live in a very sexualized culture in society and sexting has become normalized by celebrities, politicians and so much more,” Hinduja said. “I feel like as youths are in, and wanting to be in relationships, and wanting to quickly increase the level of intimacy they think it’s very natural to go ahead and start standing nude images.” Hinduja said sexting is not limited to high school students, and that many older and younger people do it. “I worked with a lot of elementary, middle and high-school students,” Hinduja said. “We’ve seen it as young as fourth grade.”
In Florida, the laws don’t require a child caught sexting to be severely punished or registered as a sex offender. “I appreciate the fact that Florida is progressive enough to not immediately put kids on the sexual offender registry,” Hinduja said. “Those laws were meant for pedophilic predatory adults, so those laws should really not be applied to these teens who are doing it without any harm.” Administration can confiscate a phone at any time. They are allowed to search a student with reasonable suspicion and a valid complaint. “A lot of times those students will forward us a screenshot of the text messages that lead up to it,” Assistant Principal Catherine Halbuer said. “We talk to some witnesses, and sometimes we’ll call the parent in to go through the phone.” Halbuer is on her third year working at West Shore, and has dealt with sexting on more than one occasion. “It’s something that occurs at every school, it’s something we wish didn’t occur at every school but it does, it’s the reality of the generation,” Halbuer said. “Our biggest issue is to educate the children and the parents about what’s happening and to make better decisions in regards to that.” For more, visit www.westshoreroar.com
November 2017
news
FCA Saves the Day Club hosts annual toy drive Story by Auston Gonzalez Staff Writer With holiday season festivities approaching, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes members have found spirit in a school-wide toy drive. The club has begun community efforts to provide gifts for children in foster care in Brevard County. The annual Angel Tree Holiday Gift Drive for Children’s Home Society is underway until Dec. 8. Students can make online donations, give a gift from the provided wish list or take specific gift requests from the office. “I think it’s going to make a difference in the community,” Co-President
Lauren Novak said. “I see different organizations that put on toy drives and it may seem like a small step, but if you can make a difference in just one person’s life it’s all worth it. When all the projects come together, it can make a really big change all around.” Although the toy drive Photo: Auston Gonzalez is relatively new, FCA Gift of Giving The Angel Tree sits Co-President Kyle Caudill decorated in the office. said the event has been said she’s excited to be prosperous. involved with the project. “The toy drive in recent “I think the toy drive is a years has been very really great idea and a good successful and this year with gesture to get people into the FCA involved,” Caudill said. holiday spirit,” Taylor said. “I love doing the toy drive “It shows what the spirit of every year. It’s a great way to giving is all about. Hopefully get the whole school ready I can participate in activities for Christmas.” similar to the toy drive and Sophomore Alysa Taylor help out my community.”
Frisbee Frenzy Students take a spin on popular sport
Together After playing, the team poses for a picture.
the end zone. “I like that [ultimate Frisbee] is relatively easy to learn,” senior Hannah LeBeau said. “I decided to try it out one day over the summer, and I really liked that it was fun and easy.” The self-organized Spacecoast Ultimate Frisbee group normally plays twice a week, usually on Wednesdays and Saturdays at Max Rodes park or Hoover soccer complex. “A lot of my friends play, so I decided to try it not too long ago,” senior Sarah Edmiston said. “I had fun meeting new people.”
Photo: Hannah LeBeau
Story by Alexa Carlos Tamez Editor in Chief While some kids get ready for music lessons, theater rehearsal or soccer practice after school, senior Erik Dearmin, along with a few friends, engages in a slightly different activity: ultimate Frisbee. “[Spacecoast Ultimate Frisbee] was first organized a few years ago,” Dearmin said. “But for some reason it kind of fell apart. Last year, a friend of mine, Adam [Donato] started it up again just as a way for us to have fun and to meet new people.” Ultimate Frisbee is a game that combines the popular sports of soccer, football and basketball. There are seven people on a team, and the purpose of the game is to pass the Frisbee into the team’s end zone. In order to score, the team has to pass it to a player who is either standing or running into
15
Make it Count New program incentivizes reading Story by Rachel Montgomery Managing Editor As a way to have underclassmen read more, a Reading Counts incentive program has begun for seventh to ninth-graders. Students have bingo cards to fill out as they read books, and the amount that they read places them into different incentive levels, with prizes. Seventh-grader Shane Winsten approves of the challenge. “I love the Reading Counts program, and I think it’s a great way to start reading. I love ice cream sandwiches, and subs- Jersey Mike’s is my favorite. They picked a great way to get students to start reading. I’ve been reading tons more books since it started.” English teacher Carrie Glass chose to take the challenge along with her students. “I’ve fallen out of the habit of reading actual books, I miss sitting down with a paper book,” Glass said. “Offering a little bit of extra-credit when students read books and are signed off on their bingo cards — it’s inspiring people to read a little bit more.”
16
westshoreroar.com
sports center
SCOREBOARDS
Soccer Season Preview
Bowling
Defending state champions look to rebuild
Boys Districts- 467.0
Girls Districts- 394.8
Cross-Country Cape Coast Conference Boys-6th place Girls-7th place Districts Boys-1st place Girls- 2nd place
Regionals Boys - 3rd place GIrls- 4th place State Boys- 21st place Girls- 24th place
Golf Boys Cape Coast Conference- 405 Districts- 400
Girls Cape Coast Conference- 410 Districts- 438 Regionals (Lila Iwanowski)- 94
Volleyball Astronaut 2-3 Cocoa Beach 3-1
Harmony 1-3
Swim & Dive Boys Eau Gallie 113-17 Districts Regionals
Girls Eau Gallie 134-33 Districts Regionals
Soccer Girls 0-2 Viera 1-1 Satellite 7-0 Bayside 4-1 at Heritage 11/17 Trinity Prep
Boys 8-2 at Heritage 11/16 at Satellite 11/28 Palm Bay 11/30 Melbourne 12/1 Holy Trinity
As of Nov. 15; for more updated scores, visit www.westshoreroar.com
Superior Soccer The boys varsity soccer team battled Berkley Prep for the state title on Feb. 16. This was the second time the two teams met in the 2A championship game, with the Wildcats winning both.
Story by Michael Lucente Staff Writer After a 21-4 state championship season, the boys’ varsity soccer team lost eight seniors and one goalkeeper from last year’s title-holding team. “After losing so many seniors, our team will have to find a new captain,” junior Robert Dujovne said. “We’re also going to have to find new starters to replace the seniors. I want to bond with the new players on the team.” According to Coach Bob Robidoux, there is a good crop of young players lined up to fill the void left by the nine departed players. “We lost a lot of talent, but the underclassmen were able to train and play with the seniors and learn the system,” Robidoux said. “I am confident with the [ability of the] returning players to fill the roles left by the graduated players.” Junior Derek Dolnik is one of the rising varsity players and will be adding depth to the team’s lineup. “I definitely have some nerves since it’s my first year on the team, but everyone has been really supportive,” Dolnik said. “I expect us to be in good
Photo: Fallon Klenotich
shape. I think we definitely have the potential to win another state title, but we’ll have to work hard because of the loss of last years seniors and one of our goalkeepers.” Half of last season’s starting backline were seniors; as a result, younger defenders will have to step-up and assume the vacant roles. Sophomore goalkeeper Cooper Stein said he looks foward to working with the new defenders. “We still have Collin [Robidoux] and Brandon [Benitez] in the back who hold it down well, but I would like to see a couple of new players step up and fill those vacant roles,” Stein said. “I think with them, we will do well. My goal is to just stay as close as I can to a clean sheet.” Despite the minor rebuild in store, the team has high expectations for this season. “Players know the tradition and are proud to wear our jersey,” Robidoux said. “They understand the commitment of hard work to keep the program at the highest level.” The boys sit at 1-0 as of Nov. 15 after an 8-2 win at Heritage.
November 2017
sports center
17
Raising the Barr Senior soccer player to lead girls varsity team Story by Ben Lack Sports Editor Balancing on-the-field and in-the-classroom responsibilities is the ultimate quandary for a student athlete. Senior Elena Barr has seemingly found a happy medium between athletics and academics; leading the senior class with a 4.0 GPA, she also has committed to the University of Tampa to play Division II soccer next year. “I’m really excited to play college soccer,” Barr said. “I’m going to be learning from other really good and experienced players so I’m looking forward to becoming a better player and getting to represent my college through athletics.” Barr, who has been on varsity since eighth grade, said her experience on the team can help her be a better leader for her teammates, particularly the younger members. “My first few years I got to learn the dynamics of the team through the older players,” she said. “Now that I’m a senior, I hope that I can be a good leader and set a good example for the team. I’m glad that I’ve been able to contribute to the team for so many years.” Junior Anna Wilder noted that Barr made her feel particularly welcome last season, her first on varsity. “Elena is a really good team player,” Wilder said. “When I first came onto the team last year, I was really intimidated by people, and she was definitely one of the people who helped me bond with everyone at first because she is always there for people.” Following last season’s regional defeat at
Bishop Moore, the girls will look to focus on building a competitive team, starting at the backline, Barr said. “Our main team goal this season is to work on our defense in order to have a solid foundation and build our play up from there,” she said. Close to etching her name into the Wildcat record books, Barr is nine goals away from dethroning class of 2014’s Jenna Forry with 73 goals for the alltime mark. Additionally, with 65 goals through 63 games, she is second in school history in goals per game, behind only Orlando Pride defender and former Wildcat Toni Pressley. “Personally, my main goal this season is to do what I can to help the team and make us better as a whole,” she said. “Right now, I’m on track to break the girl’s soccer scoring record, so I’m going to continue to work hard and avoid injury this season.” As of Nov. 15th, the girls sit at 1-1-1, after a 1-1 tie to Satellite and a 7-0 win against Bayside.
18
sports center
westshoreroar.com
Auston Gonzalez, 11
Go T
eam
Malea Nelson, 12
Team captain 4th year on Varsity
Holds school record for 3-pointers: 51 7 in one gamer
Athletes to Watch Designed by Emma Remonsellez-Conde and compiled by Alexa Carlos Tamez
Liam Wiles, 12
0
2017 Class 2A State Champion 3rd at Disney Showcase
Jacob Lajeunesse, 12
2- seat varsity 8 boat 1st in Head of the South
November 2017
sports center
19
Fall Sports Wrap-Up
Golf, swim, volleyball and cross-country reflect on end of seasons Story by Shawn Humprey Staff Writer After advancing from district competition, seventh-grader Lila Iwanowski golfed against students up to five years older than her at regional competition. “I was just kind of like ‘calm down and play golf,’” Iwanowski said. “It’s just a sport and it’s not life or death, so I’m not scared.” Meanwhile, on the boys’ golf team, junior Matthew Senft-Greenberg was disappointed in his performance at districts, but remained optimistic about next season. “I played one of my worst matches all season and almost made regionals,” Senft-Greenberg said. “So I’m feeling pretty good about next year.”
The boys’ swim team won district runner up for the first time in the school’s history. Junior Dylan Gornto expressed pride in his team’s performance. “It feels pretty great to know that we’ve done something that no swim team here has ever done,” Gornto said. “We’ve had some really strong swimmers in the past and to know that we’re part of that history is really cool.” The girls swim teamed placed second in districts and advanced to regionals. The team was propelled by sophomore Sydney Weatherspoon’s district winning performace in two individual events and one relay. “We haven’t had a district champion in a few years,” Gornto said. “Sydney’s worked for it and it’s good to see her
hard work pay off.” The volleyball team won its first district match, but lost a thriller against Astronaut in which it forced a fifth set after going down three sets to one. “I wasn’t even playing and I was sitting there on the edge of my seat,” senior Kara Dubec-Hunter said. “Because we had tried so hard to get to the point where we could’ve won, it was kind of a let down.” The boys and girls cross-country teams came in 21st and 24th at their regional meet. “It was such a great experience,” senior Jared Hayes said. “It was also pretty sad because it was my last cross-country meet and so I had mixed emotions about it.”
1165 N Highway A1A Indialantic, FL 32905
1165 N Highway A1A Indialantic, FL 32905
A little bit of everything that's good.
pianomarvel Learn piano online with the world’s best piano learing system! www.pianomarvel.com
Caroline Grimaldi
(321) 693-2763
815 E. Strawbridge Ave. Downtown Melbourne, FL 32901 info@shoppesonstrawbridge.com www.shoppesonstrawbridge.com
simply happy creations eati HANDCRAFTED ITEMS FOR YOU AND YOUR HOME MADE WITH LOVE BY LISA O’BRYAN 20% off discount for all members of the Wildcat Nation! (use code “gowildcats” at checkout)
simplyhappycreations.etsy.com
Dr. Chad R. Reddick •
Quality, affordable treatment No interest financing • Insurance accepted • Free initial consultation
•
(321) 254-5232
www.MelbourneOrthodontics.com Two convenient locations to serve you: 22 Nelson Avenue Melbourne
1433 South Patrick Drive Indian Harbour Beach
November 2017
entertainment
21
Hate it
Love it
Compiled by Ahjaney Friar
"The food tastes really good. I could eat it all year.” —Sabrina Himmelsbach, 7th
“I have to pretend that I actually like the food that’s cooked. ” —Samir Ojha, 8th Thanksgiving
“It should be treated as a year-round gift to all and should continuously be enjoyed.” —Daniel Shelton, 10th Early Christmas Music “I like the thrill of going out and looking for the best deals on gifts for my friends and family. ” —Lasya Damaraju, 10th
“Christmas music is solely meant for Christmas time and shouldn’t be played before Thanksgiving.” —Austin Hayes, 11th
“It gets very intense for no reason because to be honest the deals aren’t even the good. ” —Liam Wiles, 12th Black Friday
Wildcat Winners Wilder elected FSPA District 3 representative Story by Alexa Carlos Tamez Editor in Chief Since junior Anna Wilder beat out three other opponents to become the Florida Scholastic Press Association District 3 representative on Oct. 6, she is now looking to prepare for the upcoming district conference. “I am so excited that I won the competition,” Wilder said. “I really didn’t think I had a chance considering I was running against three more people with a lot more experience, but I was really happy when I found out.” Because senior Gianni Valenti and
Wilder work together on the yearbook, he believes they will connect especially well together when planning FSPA’s Photo: Fallon Klenotich state convention in April. Jump for joy Hearing her name announced as the District “Since I know all the 3 Representative, Anna is congratulated by friends. workings of how the what it takes.” convention is planned, I’m going to Wilder said she is excited for the be really clear with everyone’s duties,” opportunity. Valenti said. “I’ll give Anna something “I can’t wait to start planning FSPA,” she can do really well so her part of Wilder said. “I want to do the best job the puzzle will be something she can that I can do and work with all the handle. I want to give her all the tools other representatives and Gianni to to succeed and make her the state put on a great convention.” chairwoman next year because she has
22
westshoreroar.com
reviews
‘Happy Death Day’ Movie
Photo: Creative Commons
Review by Walter Wilinsky Staff Writer “Happy Death Day” is predictable. You could see the entire plot coming. Overall the acting was pretty good, but the lead actress was your basic slasher girl. There was only one jump scare, but as a whole the movie was more thriller than horror.
‘Stranger Things’ Season Two
Photo: Creative Commons
Review by Rachel Montgomery Managing Editor Season two meets all expectations. The production value has increased exponentially, and the episodes are a movie beautifully cut into nine parts. Most impressive was Millie Bobbie Brown and Noah Schnapps’ acting skills, which blows the audience away in emotionally intense scenes.
Apple products iOS11
Photo: Creative Commons
Review by Shawn Humphrey II Staff Writer iOS 11 really isn’t anything new. Apple made a big deal about it, but now the volume interface is slightly different. That could be a good thing, but other than that nothing is easier to use. It just looks fancier, but the update could’ve been a lot more creative.
‘Geostorm’ Review by Jessica Travis Staff Writer The movie “Geostorm” portrays a satellite that prevents natural disasters and how it is being manipulated by an unknown person to cause extreme weather, which forces the main characters to investigate the problem. Besides the expectations of violent destruction, the story is actually a mystery and luckily doesn’t have a blatantly obvious villain. The villain’s motives are even somewhat understandable, and their goals are more complex than just messing with the weather to cause anarchy. The movie doesn’t just look at destruction of cities with shots of burning buildings (although it does zoom in on occasional explosions); it focuses on individual people and shows their real fear while they try to escape the spontaneous storms. The beginning moves slow and boring but it sets up enough background that it isn’t useless. One of the best details is that the secret service agent actually does her job and is never put into a ‘damsel in distress’ situation even though she is the love interest. The child actor Talitha Bateman, who plays the main character’s
Photo: Creative Commons
World ends in new movie daughter, is not completely insufferable as most child actors are.
“One of the best details is that the secret service agent actually does her job and is never put in a ‘damsel in distress’ situation.”
Even though most of the characters have very stereotypical personalities, they all still hold significance to the plot and perform well. The visual effects are a nice step up from other movies with seemingly ridiculous ideas like this one. Mainly any movie ever that is about the end of the world has obvious similarities. It also doesn’t come off as too preachy with its central message, instead mainting the actual plot unlike movies such as “Avatar” (by now everyone should know killing trees and people is bad). Many people thought the idea of a two-hour movie about a weather machine was a silly concept, but no matter how silly it sounds, “Geostorm” is a genuinely enjoyable movie that is executed extremely well by everybody involved in the production.
November 2017
reviews
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Harry Styles
23
WANT TO GO TO A CONCERT BUT DON’T KNOW WHO TO SEE? DON’T WORRY. WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED.
31.2 4 230,000 7 Million Twitter followers
out of 5 star album rating by “Rolling Stone”
Album copies sold in first week
Teen Choice Awards
Photo: Billboard
Review by Angelina Grosso Featured Writer On Sept. 30, I went to Boston to go see Harry Styles on his first world tour. I’ve been a fan of Harry since 2011, so seeing him at his first solo world tour was something I definitely wasn’t going to miss. I only got to stay in Boston for roughly 24 hours, but it was all worth it. Styles sang his entire album, some One Direction songs, a Fleetwood Mac cover and a song he wrote for Ariana Grande. The crowd was one of the most lively and exciting I’ve ever been a part of. During Harry’s infamous song “Kiwi,” the whole crowd went insane, jumping around and screaming out the lyrics. He was so interactive with the audience during the show; he took flowers and a pride flag from the audience and even attempted to talk to members of the audience. So much love and positivity was spread throughout the show, it was so incredible and I’m grateful I had the opportunity to go.
COMING UP
John Mayer Thursday, Dec. 7 Orlando
Katy Perry Sunday, Dec. 17 Orlando
21 Savage
Friday, Nov. 24 Orlando
Florida Institute of Technology is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Florida Institute of Technology. Florida Institute of Technology is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, ancestry, disability, genetic information, military status, protected veteran status, or other non-merit reasons in admissions, scholarship and loan programs, educational programs, athletic or other university sponsored programs or activities, and employment including employment of disabled veterans and veterans of the Vietnam Era, as required by applicable laws. Contact the Title IX Coordinator at 321-674-8700. MK-051-117
Talk to your Guidance Counselor for details.
Degree Programs for World Travelers
You can fly airplanes.
Literally.
Watch Your Career Take Flight.
fit.edu/programs