West Shore
ROAR
January 2018
INSIDE: Wage War
Teachers’ Union begins work-to-the contract campaign, 12 Sophomore designs art graphics for local companies, 6 Senior soccer player aims for Air Force Academy, 17 ‘Star Wars’ Review, 23 westshoreroar.com - 250 Wildcat Alley - Melbourne, FL 32935
“The Roar”: January 2018 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: Ahjaney Friar
Making Music Senior Jason Nemeroff plays the drums with freshman Luke Marzano playing the electric bass in jazz ensemble.
WHAT’S INSIDE
pg 4 pg 7 pg 9
Staff Editorial
Early Release moves to Friday
Graphic Greatness State of Their Art
Musicians achieve invitation to perform in select company
Principal Interest
pg 12
Wage War
pg 18 pg 21 pg 23
PUBLICATIONS POLICIES “The Roar” recognizes itself as a public forum
Sophomore creates designs for local companies and encourages letters from West Shore
pg 10
pg 17
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ahjaney Friar, Auston Gonzalez, Justin Ho, Shawn Humphrey, Fallon Klenotich Valery Linkenhoker, Michael Lucente, Sanjay Ramchandani, Jessica Travis, Walter Wilinsky
Fleming competes for state-wide award
Teacher’s Union begins working to contract
Wing Man
Senior soccer star eyes Air Force Academy
Winter Sports Athletes
A preview of who to watch this season
Love it Hate it
New Year’s Resolutions, College Bowl Games, NYC Ball Drop
Reviews
‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi,’ Jaden Smith, Apple HomePod
students and members of the community. “The 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. “The Roar” is not responsible for web sites viewed through links found on pages mentioned in the publication. “The 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. “The 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 “The Roar” staff.
SUBMIT Send your opinions to wstheroar@gmail.com VISIT Go to westshoreroar.com for more content
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Staff Editorial The school board recently announced that beginning next year early release days will move from Wednesdays to Fridays. For students attending a school as rigorous this one, that’s a bad idea. Having a shorter day in the middle of each demanding week provides a necessary break. Currently, many of us use early release Wednesdays to put in some extra studying, catch up on homework, attend tutoring sessions or — for those who are on top of their game — get a little bit ahead in our classes. By the time Wednesdays roll around, we have already spent the previous two days taking tests and working on myriad assignments. Early release in the middle of the week gives us time to recharge for the next two days of assignments and tests. Sure, it would be nice to start the weekend earlier or to get a head start on vacation plans, but that’s not enough of a reason to make the change. Attendance on Wednesdays already is lower because students think they’ll miss less if they skip 30-minute classes than if they miss the 51 minutes spent in classes on the other days of the week. Moving early
from the editor Early release Fridays will result in less productivity release to Fridays will cause an already low attendance rate to plummet even more, which will slow down progress in classrooms — and negatively impact our school’s annual report-card grade. Students will use the fact that teachers can’t cover as much on early release days to give themselves a three-day weekend, and those parents who can
afford to take off from work or who work four-day weeks will take advantage of the opportunity to get a head start on their travels or to simply spend more time with their kids. Other early release advantages also will be diminished because few students will stay after
school for tutoring on Fridays and even fewer will use the additional time for homework and tutoring;. On Fridays, students will be less motivated to actually start working on what they need to do. The school board argues that the change in schedule will better accommodate those who choose to dualenroll at Eastern Florida State College, which does not have Friday classes. Currently, a handful of those students miss parts of their Wednesday high-school classes. But what will to stop those students from taking off Fridays altogether since their school day will be even shorter than non-dual enrollees? It’s not too late for the board to rethink its position and keep early release as it is. Even though starting the Cartoon: Jessica Travis weekend an hour and 15 minutes earlier seems tempting, a shorter day in the middle of the week during which we can catch up on our heavy workloads would be more beneficial. The perceived needs of the few who dual-enroll should not outweigh the needs of the many who do not.
January 2018
to the editor
Too many words
Hurting our Habitat
I think the “Roar” should make their stories shorter than they currently are. As it is no one wants to read their mandatory school work that’s actually a grade, and now you want kids to read a long story that isn’t necessarily important or pertains to them? I’m not saying that the stories are bad, when I have the time and the story is relevant to me they are quite good, but I’ve seen kids roll them up and hit each other with them more than they actually read the articles. You should try more of the interactive stuff that is going on, like the superhero and super-villain battles. Thank you for taking this into consideration. Matthew Marcinkowski, 11th grade
I have noticed that students have left a negative impact on our environment by leaving their trash around school, which had been decreasing the environmental growth in the area. I have been researching many ways to create a positive impact on our environment. There are three very helpful ways that the students of West Shore can help benefit the environment all around us. The first way is for the teachers to start encouraging students to start recycling their bags, papers and glass, which is influential to our environment by remaking the original substance to another form of something that can be influential to
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someone else or something else. The second way to help our environment is by putting a down payment on solar panels that can create more clean and efficient energy that we would use daily. The third way to help our environment is to encourage both students and teachers to start using the decomposing method where we use the trash that we don’t need anymore. The trash can be a helpful substance to help the growth of environment by putting it underneath the soil, and the trash gives the plants nutrients. I hope you take my methods of making our environment clean once again to consideration. Ryan Canavan, 7th grade
opinion
Au Revoir, Madame Walker By Jessica Travis Staff Writer My first year on campus I didn’t know what language I wanted to take, procrastinating until eighth grade before deciding to take French. Although many people looked down on the fact that I didn’t take Spanish, explaining to me that it was a common language which would be useful anywhere, especially in Florida, I’m thankful I took French because I was able to be taught by Jennifer Walker. She was by far my favorite teacher, and I was lucky that she remained teaching through the three years I had her class. Madame Walker would surprise our class constantly with her fluency in not only French but also Spanish, German, witch cackles and even monkey noises.
French teacher leaves school after 19 years
Watching French movies in her class was always made more enjoyable because of her comments from the back of the classroom, “No! She’s in love with him but she thinks he’s dead! Fatalité!” Often it was in French and followed by her laughter, sometimes she would even slightly spoil the movie — but it didn’t matter. She had a wonderful personality, one that made me feel like she wanted nothing more than to see me succeed in being fluent and traveling abroad. She would talk about her travels to different areas of France, passing around small pouches of lavender for us to smell and presenting pictures of her standing next to impressive monuments. Although standing up in front of the class and having a staged conversation in French with my classmates
was anxiety-inducing, it was an opportunity to bring humor into my translations and experiment with new words for her to either correct or admire. Mme. Walker would applaud all performances no matter what. I never participated in Congrés, the French competition that Madame Walker would attend with some students, but I did try out for it once. I had to read a poem out loud and I thought that meant memorizing the poem and reciting it. When I had to present I found out that Mme. Walker only had us read the beginning lines, and would let me read straight from a piece of paper. I am sad to hear that Madame Walker retired in December. She was always kind and endearing toward her students. I already miss her as I am sure many other students do.
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campus connect
Challenging Curriculum Story By Rosellen Rodriguez Featured Writer A controversial state law enacted last June that allows anyone in a Florida school district to challenge texts taught in school may receive changes this year as a result of a new bill filed by state Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Naples). The proposal permits anyone in the school district to suggest alternative textbooks if they complain to local school boards or the State Board of Education regarding books currently being taught. “I think it’s good that people have more input,” junior Shannon Hogan said. “But I think it can give people too much control over the education, which can be unnecessary and lead to more problems in an already challenging school system.” Those in favor of the bill argue
Legislator invites calls for alternate curriculum
that everyone should have the right to influence curriculum funded by tax dollars, but history teacher Kirk Murphy said input should be limited to the parents of students who attend the schools. The bill would also require school boards to offer publishers of any suggested book an opportunity to be a part of public school business. “We get books from publishing companies who publish books specifically meant for schools, who will tailor books to the standards that a state has,” Murphy said. “Parents should have the right to question what their kids are being taught, but other people in outside groups, that’s taking control out of the hands of the school board and putting in the hands of people who don’t know, don’t have the expertise and don’t have knowledge of what it
takes to be in a classroom.” Sophomore Rudi Larkin said the proposed bill would encourage activists with destructive views to speak out, overshadowing the potential for a postive impact on education. “Typically when people have unconventional ideas, they tend to just sit back and be quiet about these topics when they are taught in school,” Larkin said. “This new bill lets people like this stand up and challenge books that they don’t agree with. Personally, I believe that this can be taken out of context. Irrational people can take this whole thing way too far, allowing flat-earthers to come out against science classes that teach about the earth being elliptical. Or people could be sensitive to topics in history and ask for that specific source to be taken out of the lesson plan.”
Commercial Office Cleaning
January 2018
campus connect
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Photos: Nathaniel Mauldin
Surf’s Up Sophomore Nathaniel Mauldin’s graphic desgigns can be seen on T-shirts and surfboard fins throughout Brevard County.
Graphic Greatness
Sophomore designer creates designs for local companies Story by Auston Gonzalez Staff Writer Passion and pay. As a sophomore, Nathanial Mauldin has achieved what others can only dream about. Beginning last summer, Mauldin started creating graphic designs for multiple surf companies, including New View, Raw Surf Company, and Tom and Dan Podcast, that have used his designs for T-shirts and surfboards. “I get so stoked when companies contact me,” Mauldin said. “Who wouldn’t be? I’m not too good of a hand artist, so this way I can do it on the computer. It’s easier because you can copy and paste and make it more symmetrical. You can also incorporate photos in with it and make illustrations too.” Graphic design teacher James Finch said he is pleased to see Mauldin’s success. “I am always excited when my students are learning how to create great art that is aesthetically pleasing,” Finch said. “That excitement and pride reaches new heights when they create art commercially on a professional level as is the case with Nathaniel.” Mauldin began graphic design in middle school. As a highschool student now enrolled in Digital Art 1, his capabilities have allowed him to create an array of projects. “He has an artist’s eye and sees things differently than
others,” Finch said. “It is his vision and passion to create that will drive his future. In addition to his design and illustration abilities, he is also developing as a photographer and has some beautiful floral photos. Creating art for a target market that is young and lifestyle-driven will help him focus on specific themes.” To that end, Mauldin has combined graphic design with his love for surfing. “I think it’s really cool,” Mauldin said. “I can express myself in both ways. How I feel while I surf can be expressed in art, and what I feel when making art can be expressed in surfing.” Finch said he believes Mauldin has both the necessary passion and ability to continue his digital art journey in the future. “Nathaniel’s work is reflective of his love of the beach culture,” Finch said. “Surfing has inspired him to create art to a demographic market that he belongs to. This gives him a distinctive advantage as an artist to create art for a specific audience. This year he will be meeting new challenges as he competes in a variety of art shows, exhibitions and competitions. Nathaniel’s creativity and his ability to target his art-making in unique ways are keys to his success. I can’t wait to see what he creates next.”
January 2018
campus connect
State of their Art
Musicians achieve invitation to perform in select company
By the Beats
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Pieces sung for chorus all-state
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Photo: Ahjaney Friar
Practice Makes Perfect Junior Evan Courtney practices the clarinet for his upcoming all-state performance as seniors Tyler McIntyre and Dominick Delgado practice for future school performances.
Story by Valery Linkenhoker Staff Writer Despite facing increased rigor and demanding deadlines, musicians in band, chorus and orchestra covet being named to an all-state ensemble. Auditions consist of musicians reciting scales and songs, playing in front of judges and then nervously waiting to find out if they are good enough to share their passion and ideas with others from throughout Florida next week. “A lot of it is knowing the theory, not just singing the music and repeating the notes,” eighth-grader singer Laura Shelton said. “You really have to know everything about it and the notes and the symbols and what they mean.” All-state competitions allow musicians to work with others who possess similar ability, according to junior clarinet player Evan Courtney, who also has been named to the allstate choir. “My favorite part is just making music on a high level with other people who are just as passionate,”
he said. ”I just love music, and being around people who are just as passionate is inspiring.” Senior violist Zachary Zaroogian said he expects to continue to collaborate with other musicians and to have fun during his last all-state concert. “It’s just really good to interact with very good musicians and cooperate and sharing music and its emotions,” Zaroogian said. According to Zaroogian, the first time at an all-state competition is about exposure and being able to play with other talented people who can help grow and guide a young musician. Zaroogian said he looks forward to his final competition and is ready to perform with experience from three pervious all-state events. Others selected for all-state include; Sarah Biesack (7) violin, Cooper Cheng (8) trumpet, James Leonard (10) violin, Emma Robinson (11) bassoon, Ben Pinfield (11) violin, Hannah Langenbach (11) viola and Yoosang Park (12) violin.
Total all-state competition performances
2
Play multiple instruments
23
Hours of practice a week
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campus connect
Principal Interest Fleming competes for statewide honor SGA wants Story by Madhav Pamidimukkala to the school’s daily operations. mental health Featured Writer When Rick Fleming won the Principal “We all work together of the Year award for Brevard County really well as a team so education Contingent will ask legislature to do more Story by Alexa Carlos Tamez Editor in Chief Student Government Association presidents from throughout Brevard Public Schools will visit Tallahassee on Feb. 8 to ask the Florida Legislature to initiate mental health education in high schools. The school board recently passed a legislative ask created collectively by the student government presidents along with superintendent Dr. Desmond Blackburn. “Our ask was to help in the area of mental health,” West Shore SGA President Rachel Montgomery said. “We want more education about it and to try to get a professional on campus at all times. We’re trying to break barricades and stigma surrounding mental health issues.” School Board member Tina Descovich said she fully supports the initiative. “The legislatures needs to see our students coming forward with their needs and speaking,” she said. “It’s is an important issue, I am 100 percent behind [the students].”
on July 20, the recognition came with some additional responsibilities that have required him to miss time from school. Fleming has been named to various committees and has been engaging in district and statewide collaboration and feedback practices that take him to classrooms in other school districts to gain new information to apply back home. And if that weren’t enough, Fleming also is representing Brevard County in a competition against administrators from the 66 other counties to become Florida’s next Principal of the Year. “I think he has a good chance of winning,” Assistant Principal Catherine Halbuer said. “He’s a great principal, and he has a great strength in empowering others to be successful and empowering others to step up and take leadership positions, even among the students.” Fleming’s absences have left a bit of extra work for the other two administrators on campus, but Halbuer said due to excellent communication and organization, the extra work does not pose a significant hindrance
that we share what’s going on, and we communicate about different aspects,” Halbuer said. “We Principal Fleming also try to have an open-door policy so that whoever comes through the door can be helped by any free administrator. I use my cellphone during school days, but it’s an efficient way of keeping him in the loop on decisions.” Both faculty members and students have celebrated Fleming’s accomplishment. “I definitely think this brings a lot of pride to the school,” Halbuer said. “It’s another accolade for West Shore and a testament to the commitment he shows for us. Mr. Fleming puts the students [first], then the teachers and then the administration, so it’s our job for us in administration to provide a foundation for your guys’ success.” Junior Jenna Franklin said Fleming deserves the recognition. “He is very involved with the school and students,” Franklin said. “He goes out of his way to know most of the students by name, which I find very impressive.”
Friday Finale Board considers moving early release days Story by Sanjay Ramchandani Staff Writer Early release days will move from Wednesdays to Fridays beginning next year, pending teacher and school board approval. Currently, early release Wednesdays cause scheduling problems for some students who dual-enroll at Eastern Florida State College because Wednesday schedules differ from those followed during the other days of the week. Moving early release to the end of the week would not impact those students because EFSC does not hold Friday classes. “Short Wednesday’s being pushed to Fridays is going to make ESFC students pretty unhappy,” senior Lily McKnight said.
“That’s the day we don’t have class, and it’s going to force people to actually wake up a little earlier. I think it’s a better move though, because depending on where and when you take classes, you sometimes can get to school really late, which adds tons of absences.” Not all students feel the change in early release days are all negative. Junior Sally Kempfer acknowledges that the mid-week break will be taken away however, chooses to focus on the positive that it will provide. “I see both positive and negative aspects in it,” Kempfer said. “It’s nice because teachers are less likely to schedule tests on Fridays which would make the transition to the weekend a little smoother.”
S R E H C A E T P U D E F E SOM E H T Y L N O K R O W O T W VO R O F D I A P E R A Y E H T S HOUR
DETAILS
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BY THE NUMBERS
$46,513 Average teacher salary in Brevard County
174,184 Number of teachers in the state of Florida
$77,843 Average teacher salary in Alaska, the state that pays teachers the most
1.7 8
Million members in the Nathanial Federation of Teachers
Number of hours teachers are paid for by contract Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, BFT
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Wage War Union begins work-to-the-contract campaign in an attempt to boost teacher compensation By Justin Ho, Jessica Travis Staff Writers Students may be seeing an increased use of worksheets and fewer creative lessons in the days ahead. The Brevard Federation of Teachers, the official union for Brevard Public Schools teachers, announced that participating members throughout the county will begin working to the contact in an attempt to increase compensation after recent contract negotiations stalled. “Our teachers are fed up to the point that if they don’t stand up for themselves and for students, then nobody will,” BFT Vice President Anthony Colucci said. “They’re not waiting for [Superintendent Desmond] Blackburn, administrators or school board members to save the day.” One of those participating instructors is math teacher Steve Thomas, the BFT building representative for the school. “For me, I think it is an attempt to raise awareness of the plight of the teacher in the state of Florida,” Thomas said. “Our whole profession has been turned upside down.” The plan is for teachers to work only the hours for which they are paid, which is 7:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Teachers are not eligible to receive overtime pay, and there is no compensation for hours worked beyond the contract. “I’m going to be coming in at the start time and leaving at the finish time, by the contract,” Thomas said. “So visibly, that
will be my contribution to the union’s effort to bring awareness to the public.” Participating teachers have vowed to not spend uncompensated time on nonessential school-related activities such as club sponsorships, extra paper grading or additional planning.
“If they don’t stand up for themselves and for students, then nobody will.”
“There may be some afterschool programs that are canceled,” Colucci said. “Lesson plans could potentially become less developed, but there are certain requirements for lesson plans that teachers will still have to follow. It also could take longer for students to get assignments back after they’ve been graded.” The BFT informational website states that Brevard Public Schools should be a place that retains and attracts teachers, and that the pay of teachers must increase. “A major reason why we’re doing this because we feel like our teachers’ pay needs to be competitive with the surrounding school districts,” Colucci said. “Otherwise teachers are going to choose to work in those districts [instead of Brevard].”
January 2018
cover
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Where do Brevard teachers stand?
Source: Florida Department of Education and Glassdoor.com
Top four districts for average teacher salaries • Monroe County: $56,868 • Sarasota County: $54,524 • Wash Special: $54,770 • Collier County: $54,069 Union members describe the workingto-the-contract campaign as the only option they have to protest what they describe as lower- than-average pay, which is currently $46,513.31, $1,344.95 less than the average teacher salary in Florida. “Right now we’re at an impasse with the district over our salary with our negotiations,” Colucci said. “Most of the surrounding counties and counties throughout the state have been given much larger raises than Brevard County has given us.” Colucci said that because of those lower salaries, schools such as Pinewood Elementary in Mims and Anderson Elementary in Rockledge have had difficulty filling positions. “Right now in Brevard County there are 30 teaching positions that they can’t fill. These positions have been open for most of the year, and they’re
Working to the contract means that teachers will work only the hours for which they are paid, which is 7:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Source: Independent Citizens’ Oversight
Source: Brevardfor Federation of Teachers Committee Brevard Public Schools
Bottom four districts for average teacher salaries • Holmes County: $34,026 • Gadsden County: $36,897 • Calhoun County: $39,570 • Madison County: 39,457 re-advertised and re-advertised again,” Colucci said. “But we’re in the midst of a teacher shortage, so they can’t find qualified teachers to hire.” Teachers in Volusia County used the working-to-the-contract strategy from January to May last year and substantial raises followed, although those raises varied in size. “We have a pay-for-performance evaluation program that’s been in effect for about four years now,” Colucci said. “There’s no automatic guarantee of a certain amount.” Colucci said it’s disheartening to work extra out-of-school hours for a highly effective evaluation and receive lower raises than teachers in surrounding counties. “We’re not thrilled to be doing this by any means. It’s a last resort,” Colucci said. “We sent out a survey to our members, and our members are at the point where they have to do it. They have to make a point to the school board and the superintendent because we’re not being heard. “Orange County teachers this year got a $1,125 raise, while our school district started out with a $516 raise,” Colucci said. “Our teachers are looking at all this and saying ‘enough, pay us what we deserve.’ We want a raise, not praise.” Thomas said BFT is doing the right thing in initiating the campaign, but that the impact it will have on West Shore is hard to predict.
Manager salaries from other professions per year • Publix: $60,000 • Wendy’s: $52,505 • McDonald’s: $46,707 • Burger King: $42,707 “I think the best way to say it is that for a school to be effective, it needs to provide an array of opportunities for young people in addition to the classroom, which generally fall under the term of ‘enrichment,’” Thomas said. “Schools in the state of Florida expect that out of the goodness of our hearts, teachers should regularly do these extracurricular things.”
“Right now we’re at an impasse with the district over our salary with our negotiations.”
He added that teachers do enjoy giving extra effort, but they also want a better working situation. “The environment such as the one we have — such as teaching six classes out of seven — has a lack of planning time and downtime that teachers need for the classroom and these extracurricular needs,” Thomas said. Latin Teacher Timothy O’Flaherty also supports working to the contract. “I’m not saying everything’s perfect, but I definitely agree with him [Mr. Thomas],” O’Flaherty said. “I’m not going to go home and work for free. I just won’t do it. Everybody wants high quality education but nobody wants to pay for it.”
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news
Veterinarian Volunteering Alumna extols value of passionate community service Story by Emily Lovelock Featured Writer As college application season comes to a close and a new batch of upcoming seniors becomes overwhelmed with the stress of having to make decisions about the future, 2016 graduate Haleigh Boyer recalls how choosing a volunteer position of interest helped her prepare for future career options. Boyer currently attends Auburn University where she is working toward her wildlife science pre-veterinarian degree. While in high school, she obtained an adult volunteer position at Brevard Zoo, which is open to anyone 16 or older, after previously applying for the Zoo Teen program, which is open to anybody from the ages 13 to 16. “I had wanted to work with the zoo veterinarian or the sea-turtle rescue that they had there,” Boyer said. “I found out that those jobs were only for vet students in college. I planned on going to college to become a veterinarian, and so I picked the next best thing: the petting zoo.” Despite not being eligible for her ideal job, Boyer dedicated her final two years of high school to working three-hour shifts every Sunday at the petting zoo. While supervising, she not only gained experience handling animals and interacting with the public, she found a loyal companion as well. “As the time went on, one of the pigmy goats, Ferdinand, constantly brushed up against me because he believes he is a dog and wants a lot of attention,” Boyer said. “I would pet him and show guests where to pet him as well. At times, he would come running toward me and hide between me and the fence because he was scared of little kids because they pulled on his hair instead of petting gently. It got to the point where Ferdinand would rub his
head up and down my legs, using them as a scratching post.” Boyer eventually left the zoo to pursue higher education at college. While filling out applications, she realized just how valuable her time volunteering was. It provided her with job experience and allowed her to be a more competitive applicant in regards to extracurricular activities. Photo: Haleigh Boyer She also noted how getting Animal Attractions While handling animals in the petting zoo, involved with activities that alumna Haleigh Boyer poses with a pigmy goat, Ferdinand, during sparked her interest helped her volunteering as a Zoo Teen at the Brevard Zoo. narrow her focus as she was considering majors. more than checking a box to meet a “Working at the zoo also helped me graduation requirement. decide if I wanted to work with exotic “Since I volunteer at vacation Bible animals or marine animals,” Boyer said. school every year, it helps prepare “It let me know that I was definitely me for working with kids of all ages,” going to be like my inspirations, Steve Zoe said. “That’s what I’ll have to do Irwin and Jane Goodall.” sometimes with the job I want to do, Boyer added that observing some which is musical therapy.” of the veterinary practices at the Senior Megan Lee was a Zoo Teen zoo prepared her for her current for four years, and she now works as a major, along with helping her obtain zoo experience adviser, managing the internships in vet offices and animal turnstiles. hospitals. “By working at the zoo I had the In addition to preparing for college opportunity to shadow Dr. Trevor and the job market, her time spent Zachariah the zoo veterinarian, and volunteering made trips back home that gave me perspective on what even more valuable. veterinarians do on a daily basis. I “I think the best thing that came also get to see the zookeepers help the out of working at the zoo is that the animals and interact with them.” animals still remember me, especially Lee plans to get her undergraduate Ferdinand,” Boyer said. “Every time I degree in animal sciences and then a visit and go to the petting zoo, I pet him degree in veterinary medicine, but her and once he sees me he starts running love for animals began at a young age. his horns against my leg or my arm if “My mom always had animals around I’m squatting next to him. Sometimes the house, like we’ve hatched ducks and he even paws at me so I can scratch his chickens,” she said. “I’ve fostered dogs feet.” since a very young age, and I would see Boyer has impressed on her younger some that we take care of come in sick sister, Zoe, a sophomore shows that and covered in ticks, and I wanted to community service can mean so much help them. I just really love animals.”
January 2018
news
Nixing Net Neutrality Story by Justin Ho Staff Writer When freshman Andrew Catti goes home to unwind after a day of school, he likes to watch a movie or video on websites such as YouTube, Netflix or Hulu. However, due to legislation repealed by the Federal Communication Commission, his pastime could be at risk. On Dec. 14 the FCC decided that it would repeal Net Neutrality with a 3-2 vote. Net Neutrality refers to the core principle that Internet Service Providers, such as Comcast, Times Warner and Spectrum, must treat all data speeds on the internet the same and not discriminate or throttle content depending on user, content or website. Currently the FCC is considering revising the classification of ISPs under Title II which would remove the ability to regulate ISPs. The argument for Net Neutrality is that it protects the freedom of speech for websites and prevents them from being throttled by internet service providers. This prevents an ISP from picking and choosing which websites consumers are able to visit and prevents cable companies from charging more money for certain websites such as Netflix or Hulu. The primary argument against Net Neutrality is that it stifles innovation and hurts small internet providers who don’t have the capital or resources to handle the heavy regulations under the current Net Neutrality plan. In 2015, when Net Neutrality rules were passed, a dip was seen in the total amount of investment in broadband networks according to data from the USTelecom broadband industry
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FCC repeal effects ripple to school
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Graphic: Catherine Ho
lobby group and the conservative Free State Foundation. Junior Kevin Barr said he believes Net Neutrality should have been kept in place because it protects the freedom of speech for all those who use the internet. “I am pro Net Neutrality,” Barr said. “The internet is information, and access to information is a basic human right. Net Neutrality is extremely important. Companies could pick and choose what you see. If there is an article bashing Comcast, for example, they could decide not to show it to you because they would have complete control over their network. Latin teacher Timothy O’Flaherty said the outcry over repealing Net Neutrality rules is unwarranted given the history of the internet. “I don’t believe it’s as big as a deal as most people say it is,” O’Flaherty said. “Most people forget Net Neutrality was passed in 2015, and the internet was fine and experienced an unprecedented amount of growth before it was regulated. I say let the internet go back to way it was when it grew like a mushroom.” After the vote, junior Maggie Dercole took action. “Shortly after the repeal, I immediately emailed Florida’s congressmen urging them to listen to the people and small businesses once the votes move forward,” she said. “I also signed a few petitions while urging those I knew to do the same.” The repeal of Net Neutrality is being contested by Democratic senators in Congress and as a result, the repeal of Net Neutrality will not take effect until after a 60-day challenging period by Congress.
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SCOREBOARDS Compiled by Walter Wilinksy
sports center
Brace Yourself ACL injuries plague student athletes
Girls Soccer 0-2 Viera 1-1 Satellite 7-0 Bayside 4-1 at Heritage 5-0 Trinity Prep 10-0 Cocoa 1-4 Edgewood 10-0 at Palm Bay
3-0 Eau Gallie 1-3 Melbourne 12-0 Spacecoast 2-3 at MCC 8-0 Cocoa Beach 1/11 Astronaut 1/16 at Holy Trinity
Boys Soccer
8-2 at Heritage 1-2 at Satellite 8-0 Palm Bay 1-0 Melbourne 2-1 Holy Trinity 5-0 Edgewood 10-0 @ Eau Gallie 3-0 MCC
0-1 Viera 1-1 at Bayside 1-1 at Montverde 1/9 at Spacecoast 1/11 at Cocoa 1/16 Cocoa Beach
Girls Basketball 27-48 Viera 14-45 Cocoa 18-60 at Palm Bay 18-59 at Melbourne 43-66 at Holy Trinity 26-54 Eau Gallie 60-30 Edgewood
18-62 at Astronaut 12-79 at Heritage 67-15 Satellite 25-52 MCC 1/8 at Bayside 1/10 at Spacecoast 1/12 at Cocoa Beach
Boys Basketball 60-67 at Spacecoast 54-49 Heritage 47-55 at Palm Bay 30-70 Holy Trinity 56-83 Viera 53-54 Eau Gallie 61-48 at Edgewood
32-69 at Melbourne 1/9 at Satellite 1/10 Bayside 1/12 Spacecoast 1/17 Odyssey Charter School 1/19 Edgewood 1/22 at Astronaut
As of Dec. 21; for more updated scores, visit www.westshoreroar.com
Tissue Trouble An ACL typically occurs when the ligament gets stretched or tears when the foot is firmly planted and the knee locks and twists or pivots at the same time.
Story by Michael Lucente Staff Writer While running onto a ball that was played to her during a soccer game against Heritage High, junior Izzy Nemes got hit hard on her left side and heard a loud pop in her knee. She tore her anterior cruciate ligament, putting an end to this year’s aspirations. “I’m out for the rest of the season for high school and club soccer which were two things I was really looking forward to,” Nemes said. “I had surgery on Dec. 14. I’ve started physical therapy and I’m beginning to gain the strength back in my leg.” Last season, junior Avery Kloeppel tore her ACL. “I was playing soccer and during a corner kick I jumped and landed wrong,” Kloeppel said. “I had to have knee surgery to make a new ACL and fix my meniscus, I didn’t get to play soccer for a year. Now I’m thankful for the experience though because I value the game more and I’m physically stronger.” The ACL is tissue that connects the thighbone to the shinbone, at the knee.
Graphic: Creative Commons
“The ACL is a ligament that specifically holds the femur and the tibia together,” Melbourne Physical Therapist Dr. Alexis Schrock said. “If you get a jutting force with your tibia going forward and femur going backward with your foot planted or vice versa that causes the ACL ligament to tear.” Junior Kyle Caudill has had knee injuries and had to switch and drop the sports he played because of them. “I tore my ACL playing basketball, but also during that time I was playing club soccer as well,” Caudill said. “After I tore my ACL, I figured it would be way too hard on my knee to play soccer and basketball. I decided to drop club soccer and just stick with school basketball.” Junior Scott Crissy has also had to stop playing basketball after tearing his meniscus. “My knee injury has limited my athletic ability as I can’t jump as high. If I put too much weight on my knee, it will begin to hurt and causes me to run slower,” Crissy said. “Now I just manage the boys’ varsity team because it has become too hard on my knee to play.”
January 2018
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Wing Man
Senior Abe Murphy aims for Air Force Academy appointment Story by Ben Lack Sports Editor State soccer champion Most Valuable Player. Valedictorian candidate. Accomplished video producer. For senior Abram Murphy, these accomplishments just scratch the surface of his extensive resume, one he hopes will soon catalyze his admission to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. “An advantage I have is that I’m being recruited by their soccer team,” Murphy said. “I went on an official visit there to meet with the coaches. They told me that if I get accepted, I will have the chance to fight for a spot on the team.” Entering a military academy is a process unlike any applying to most any other college. In addition to displaying academic and extracurricular excellence, applicants also must demonstrate physical competence, including completing 75 pushups in under two minutes. Murphy finished the feat in 60 seconds. Other obstacles include a vision test, a mile run, and earning a congressional nomination. “Getting accepted into a service academy is a huge deal,” said Dr. Spero Tshontikidis, Murphy’s guidance counselor. “It’s extraordinarily selective. Not that any other college is not selective, but there’s a whole other aspect to this in that they’re looking for leaders. They’re looking for a holistic Renaissance man with people skills, good teamwork, a good work ethic, who’s in good shape and fits the role that a military leader should be. The process takes a lot of discipline and tenacity to get through. I remember with Abe, we started it all last year.” Receiving a congressional or vice presidential nomination is akin to earning a scholarship. Candidates must submit a record of their academic achievements, write essays, and complete an interview, all while competing against other students for
a limited number of spots. “I got my nomination from Bill Posey, our local Congressman,” Murphy said. “When I went in there, I was interviewed by a board of Air Force Academy alumni. You compete against other students to get one of a U.S. senator’s 10 or a U.S. representative’s five nominations. I felt confident I got the nomination because they were very formal with me. They were more personable than Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson. [Posey] knew all about West Shore and what we represent.” Murphy, one of seven children, said he aims to be the second member of his family to enter the Air Force. “My older sister Bridgette is deployed in Germany right now,” he said. “Growing up with a sister in the Air Force has shown me what that lifestyle is like, and it fostered an early passion in me to go to the academy. I’ve always been inspired by the NASA program. I fell in love with the concept of the Air Force before I even knew it existed. When [Bridgette] went there, I was able to see that the United States Air Force Adademy is a great place to help me achieve anything. My long-term goal is to become an astronaut and going there could help springboard that.” In one of his essays, Murphy demonstrated that his desire to serve his country transcends soccer and a free education. “As a kid, I visited USAFA when my sister got accepted,” he said. “The students there told me you have to be committed or you’ll hate it. One of my sister’s commanders said to her ‘iron sharpens iron’ and that has stayed with me. She told me that I have to surround myself with the best people to magnify my strengths and improve on my weaknesses. Going to West Shore, I’ve always been around the smartest kids. This has made me want to use my gifts to serve the best interests of the nation. Living in a big family has shown me that I have to put the common goal ahead of myself.” In the meantime, Murphy says he is focused on getting the 7-2-2 soccer team to a second consecutive state championship.
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westshoreroar.com
Khalil Paul, 12
Jessie Shaw, 12
5th year varsity Dance team captain 6 time national champion
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
Erik Dearmin, 12
0
Bow seat varsity 8 Only boat to win a medal at states
Chloe Adams, 8
Varsity since 7th grade Current starting goalkeeper
January 2018
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Defying Expectations
Wildcat sports teams compete in Cape Coast Conference standings Story by Shawn Humphrey Staff Writer In late November, junior guard Auston Gonzalez sank two free throws to push the final score to 54-49, sealing the Wildcats’ victory against the Heritage Panthers, the first against the school in West Shore’s history. Adding to the historic value of the victory was the fact that it also was the basketball team’s first win in the Cape Coast Conference, which all of the school’s sports teams joined last fall. Before the school’s entry into the conference, where it stood at ninth at the conclusion of the fall-sports season, athletic director Tony Riopelle’s counterparts from other schools questioned the decision. “Being that it was West Shore and
Edgewood coming in, and we’re smaller schools, [the other athletic directors] were like ‘Why do you want to do this? It doesn’t seem like you’ll compete,’” Riopelle said. Adding to those doubts was the aforementioned boys’ basketball team, which was expected to falter after losing nine seniors, but has a 2-2 record in conference competition, with a number of close games against CCC opponents to add to the win against Heritage and a win against Edgewood. “When we came out and played Heritage, we beat them, so it just goes to show that we belong in the Cape Coast Conference,” senior center Antonio Hedrick said. “I think each game’s going to be close. It’s going to be a fight every game, but hopefully
we’ll come out on top.” The boys’ and girls’ soccer teams have both been successful to this point in the season, which further solidifies the school’s standing as a viable Cape Coast Conference contender. “We’re a good team,” senior striker Dylan O’Brien said. “We’re probably as good as last year if not better, and I think that we’ll fare perfectly well in the Cape Coast Conference.” While the girls’ team currently sits at 8-4-1, senior defender Fallon Klenotich believes the change in schedule has fostered an surge in work ethic. “We haven’t had to play teams like Viera and Mel High the past few years, so it makes us work a little bit harder since we’re actually playing teams that are more competitive,” Klenotich said.
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January 2018
entertainment
21
Hate it
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Compiled by Ahjaney Friar
"I like New Year’s Resolutions because it helps me get a fresh start.” —Ashton Braid, 10th
“It’s just a time people make excuses for themselves. You can always change your lifestyle.” —Lasya Damaraju, 10th New Year’s Resolutions
“I like it a lot personally, especially when my team wins.” —James Green, 9th
“It’s just not my type of thing. I think it doesn’t have much relevance.” —Lena Hatter, 10th College Bowl Games “Its very overrated and it gets a lot of senseless hype.” —Kayla Garoust, 12th
“It’s a great tradition that everyone loves, and it is just a good way to bring in the new year. ” —Alexon Beregi, 11th NYC Ball
Wildcat Winners Troupe 6034 stays superior at districts Story by Alexa Carlos Tamez Editor in Chief A pair of robbers enter a house looking to steal valuables. The family comes home and realizes the robbers are there, which causes a battle between the two groups. In the end, the grandmother saves the day. This story told only through gestures titled “A Robbery Gone Wrong” was the pantomime at theater districts that won Troupe 6034 its second best of show in two years at Eau Gallie High School Dec. 2. “I really was not expecting to win this year. To win again with all my
friends was an amazing experience,” senior Catherine Tenbusch said. “Getting recognition for how hard you’ve worked Photo: Angelina Grosso Amusing Act Pretending to fall, Catherine Tenbusch and is always a fulfilling Gianni Valenti rehearse their pantomime. experience. I feel really said. “It was very fun to do it with blessed to have gotten to do Evan, and it felt so natural while we theater all these years and this was the were performing and the fact that our perfect end.” instincts paid off felt amazing.” The other act to win a best of show Other groups winning superiors was the improvisation performed were a large group, two pantomimes, by juniors Dylan O’Bryan and Evan duet acting, duet musical, solo musical, Courtney. play writing, publicity and a costume “It felt very rewarding because I design. knew that we did a great job,” O’Bryan
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westshoreroar.com
reviews
‘Double or Nothing’
Big Sean and Metro Boomin Album
Photo: Creative Commons
Review by Auston Gonzalez Staff Writer “Double or Nothing,” though not a ground breaking album, feels like a pleasant surprise. Metro Boomin creates a solid array of beats, incorporating a calm, classical feel in songs such as “Go Legend,” and Big Sean performs as expected, using new vocal play and his typical, clever lyricism.
‘The Good Place’ Season Two
Photo: Creative Commons
Review by Rachel Montgomery Managing Editor “The Good Place” is an intricate, beautiful mess of a show. The recent partnership of Eleanor and Michael is ironic and creates comedic conflict. In season two, all plot devices are destroyed, and the audience is constantly left not knowing what to expect.
Apple HomePod New Speaker
Photo: Creative Commons
Review by Justin Ho Staff Writer In a market saturated by smart speakers such as the Amazon echo and the Google Home, the Apple Homepod is essentially a pricier version of its two rivals and boasts a less advanced smart assistant than the two. Despite this, the speaker, while limited, functions well as a music player.
Photo: Star Wars
‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Review by Jessica Travis Staff Writer There are some ups and downs in the newest “Star Wars.” Mark Hamill returns as Luke Skywalker, performing great during his lengthy amount of screen-time with the same teenage moodiness he had tens of years ago in the original trilogy. Carrie Fisher’s scenes, most of which had been filmed before she died and had to be inserted into the movie, blend perfectly without any weird or obvious editing. Poe Dameron, played by Oscar Isaac, does a great job of capturing the cocky attitude and arrogant humor that Han Solo had, with a similar arch that gives depth to his character’s personality. Daisy Ridley is an incredible Rey, equally matched with Adam Driver as Kylo Ren. They both act with intensity and skill, especially when they interact with each other on screen. Both Driver and Ridley’s characters reveal their different and complex pasts, adding some much-needed background. There is one uncomfortable scene that stands out, where Driver is shirtless and looks extremely awkward. The performances are overly dramatic, but it suites the
movie well. Some interesting characters are brought in, plus a couple of people from the original movies who make surprise appearances.
“There are more jokes in Episode eight than any other ‘Star Wars’ movie, and sometimes the humor feels out of place.”
There are some extended storylines in the middle of the movie that could have been shorter, especially when they only add slightly to the plot. There are more jokes in Episode Eight than any other “Star Wars” movie, and sometimes the humor feels out of place, like when Hamill brushes off his shoulder in the middle of a serious fight. The movie feels longer than needed; it could have ended once but then an entirely new ending is thrown on last-minute. However the final fight sequences (in both endings) are amazing, and something fans have been waiting for. Phasma’s return is awesome but she doesn’t get nearly the amount of screen time she deserves. Hopefully she’ll be given a more major role in the plot of the next movie.
January 2018
reviews
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Movie performances
16 23 7.1
Million views ‘Icon’ has on YouTube
Album rank on Apple Music
Million Instagram followers
Photo: Creative Commons
Review by Auston Gonzalez Staff Writer Jaden Smith recently released his debut studio album, “SYRE.” Though lacking much-deserved hype and recognition, the album is nothing short of incredible. “SYRE” is a beautiful confusion. Only those who truly have an ear for high quality music will appreciate the perfect complexity that Smith presents. Featuring tracks such as “Rapper” and “Blue,” “SYRE” completely reveals Smith’s diversity as an artist. He shows deep lyricism, as well as sophisticated vocals, covering both the popular topics as a rapper and the mysterious emotions he faces as a person. This was shown in his song “Hope,” with Smith saying, “My shoes are bleeding with the blood of Martin Luther King, these ain’t no Louboutins,” describing a high end brand compared to a historic activist. This combination goes unheard of for some absurd reason. “Icon,” the most popular track, is an understatement describing Smith. Music is just the next step in his legendary career.
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COMING UP
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Jaden Smith
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The Killers Wednesday, Jan. 24 Orlando
Lana Del Rey Friday, Feb. 2 Orlando
Tyler, the Creator Monday, Feb. 12 Miami
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