Irma-gosh Hurricane snaps trees — and ankles Page 22
Principal Interest, Page 9 This Is Giao We Do It, Page 17 ‘Rick & Morty’ Review, Page 23
October 2017
westshoreroar.com - 250 Wildcat Alley - Melbourne, FL 32935
$100
$100
For all West Shore Students
MELBOURNE 6300 N. Wickham Road 321-757-0379
West Shore Roar: October 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 credit: David Pritzer
Surfin’ the Storm Sophomore Nathaniel Maudlin rides a wave generated by Hurricane Irma during the seven day break.
WHAT’S INSIDE
pg 4
Staff Editorial
Are we helping or hurting hurricane victims?
pg 6
What’s the Mater?
pg 9
Principal Interest
pg 12
Irma-gosh
pg 15
New Stuff for Powderpuff
pg 17 pg 18 pg 21 pg 23
School song goes back to original
Principal wins award
Hurricane snaps trees — and ankles
Annual game moved to the spring
This is Giao We Do It
Volleyball star returns to the court
Fall Sports Athletes
A preview of who to watch this season
Love it Hate it
The new Taylor Swift, Powderpuff, Seven missed days to due Irma
Reviews
‘Rick and Morty’, Kendrick Lamar, ‘It’
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ahjaney Friar, Auston Gonzaelz, Justin Ho, Shawn Humphrey, Fallon Klenotich 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 your opinions to wstheroar@gmail.com VISIT Go to westshoreroar.com for more content
4
westshoreroar.com
from the editor
Cartoon: Catherine Ho
Staff Editorial After Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston, Irma rampaged through the Caribbean and Florida and Maria brought destruction to Puerto Rico, people have been looking for ways to help in relief efforts for these places. It’s human nature to want help those in need after a natural disaster, but it can be hard to determine what is the best way to help. One of the most popular places to donate when trying to aid in relief efforts is the Red Cross. That should be obvious, the Red Cross is one of the main health organization’s world wide. The organization uses prominent people such as former president Barack Obama to get us to open up their wallets and donate. Having such well-known figures to advocate for it makes people think that their money is actually going to go to the victims, but actually, by donating to large organizations, their money might not go to the place they think. In the wake of Harvey and Irma, many news outlets have been urging people not
Are we helping or hurting hurricane victims? to donate to large organizations, specifically mentioning the Red Cross. Instead, they urge them to donate to smaller organizations that have direct contact to those who need the help. Donating to smaller organizations is exactly what West Shore is doing. National Honor Society’s project for September was a donation drive for people in Puerto Rico, and they’re asking for items such as batteries, flashlights and bug spray. Other schools in Brevard, such as Melbourne High and Satellite High, are also having donation drives for people in Houston and the Keys, respectively. While these efforts from schools across Brevard County are inspiring and truly show initiative, another factor that should be considered when starting these drives is if the victims will actually receive what is being donating. It’s easy to think when donating these types of items that they will immediately get shipped and delivered to those who need them. In actuality it’s
really a much longer process. After Harvey hit, FEMA published an article urging people not to donate miscellaneous goods because volunteer staff would be redirected from giving direct help to those who need it to instead “sorting, packaging, transporting, warehousing and distributing items that may not meet the needs of disaster survivors.” It’s admirable that Brevard wants to help the victims of these devastating natural disasters, and although it seems impersonal, sending money is the best way to do so unless a local organization specifically asks for certain goods. If our school and the rest of Brevard is going to do something, we need to make sure what we send will not end up in a landfill, but actually make it to those who need it. And when we think about donating for relief, we should not only remember Florida and Texas, who will be largely supported by the United States government, but the other countries affected that will truly need our help.
October 2017
to the editor
Double the Spirit
Voice, not Act I often hear people saying not to objectify women, because it leads to a rape culture, and that one should treat them like people “instead.” Yet all humans are living in their own bodies, which are physical objects. Their forms are attractive by nature, and frequently exploited in artful designs. It is possible to like someone’s house, even to imagine being in it, without entering uninvited, or insinuating that you would like to do so when they make it clear that it’s not open, or only focusing on their house.
5
Rape culture occurs when society forgets who is ultimately in charge of the body: the person within it, regardless of gender, class or other factors. No one should be afraid that voicing their attractions will start a slippery slope to rape. Neither should anyone be afraid to tell someone when they are uncomfortable with advances. Respect and attraction are not mutually exclusive. Your crush does not automatically make you a monster, a pervert, or a deviant. Marina Curtis, 12th grade
Throughout Hurricane Irma I was excited that we were getting school off since I was enjoying my time away from school, but then I realized how school needed to open so we could start Powderpuff. During the break I was extremely worried that Powderpuff was going to be canceled completely or rushed and not be as fun. However, the Senior Class officers, Student Government officers and Administration came up with the idea of scheduling Powderpuff for the week of Wildcat Challenge and also introducing a spring
Spirit Week to the Wildcat tradition. I am extremely happy about this decision so that way the whole school, and especially we seniors, are able to have fun activities planned during the most stressful time of the school year. Having Wildcat Challenge and then Powderpuff the week before Spring Break will make it so much more fun for the seniors. Although we didn’t get Powderpuff leading up to Homecoming, I’m still super-excited to play and bond with everyone. Sydney Zamorano, 12th grade
opinion
Flip or Flop?
New cafeteria design hits and misses
By Rachel Montgomery Managing Editor Let’s talk about the newly designed cafeteria. I mean, the newly designed “cafe.” With the redesign also came a new name. There are now slick new food lines, cleaner and even new seating. Yes it’s nice, but is it really going to have students buying more food as hoped? Last year, the cafeteria was operating at a loss, so it would take a pretty big increase in sales to make the new redesign worth it. The design aimed to have more students sitting in the cafeteria, but without a major change to the food being served, I’m not sure how food sales can increase. Although the new design is trendy and more college-esque, it sacrificed seating. The I’m-not-so-sure-what-bluethis-is blue benches are now gone,
but instead of an eating sanctuary, we’ve been given a fight-to-the-death seating arrangement. The hightops seat only eight, there are tables for two with seats that can’t move (seriously, who’s going on a date to the cafeteria?), and don’t get me started on the booths. At least the high tops have outlets to charge your phone. Oh wait, they don’t work. Since one of the assigned seating areas for middleschoolers is the cafeteria, everyone is jumbled up into one area that is bursting at capacity. This capacity is accompanied by all the sights, sounds, and yes, even smells, that accompany a massive room filled to the brim with hungry middle-schoolers. To add to the “this is my seat” angst, the juniors and seniors no longer have priority seating anywhere. Last year, a similar predicament occurred with
the addition of Power Hour when underclassmen were allowed to sit under the pavilion. The combination of Power Hour and the new cafeteria design has created a perfect storm for seating to become chaos. Rumors excitedly spread before school that the new cafeteria would be the holy grail of the junior-senior experience, but tough luck. The Class of 2018 yet again is being denied the same privileges that classes before it received. At least Wednesdays split up the number of people at lunch, but even at half the usual number of students seating is still hard to come by. Oh, and if you were hoping to heat up your mom’s favorite lasagna, nice try. As part of the out-with-the-old movement, the microwaves also went. At least no one has to smell burnt popcorn anymore.
6
westshoreroar.com
campus connect
What’s the Mater? Story by Rachel Montgomery Managing Editor Students have begun to pledge their loyalty to the school every Wednesday, as part of a new school-wide implementation of the alma mater. The alma mater is the anthem of the school, and by teaching it to students during the morning announcements. the administration hopes to better bind the school together.. “The alma mater is a tradition that helps each student build an identity with their school,”Assistant Principal Catherine Halbuer said. “It also helps them in the future when they come back for Homecoming and different things [to] have that school connection for them.” Unlike recent years, the alma mater reaching students is West Shore’s
School anthem implemented to build unity
original. The song was originally written for the school when it opened, but through different Senior Project variations of the song have appeared. The version that has been used in recent years was an alteration made by 2014 alumna Lexie Krehbiel as part of her Senior Project, with the help of chorus teacher Amy Davis. “I really just wanted people to know the alma mater,” Krehbiel said. “Graduation would roll around and one or two kids would sing it while everyone else mumbled. I didn’t like that representation of the Wildcat Nation. The old alma mater had no choral arrangement. I figured that if I could make a version that the chorus kids wanted to sing, we’d at least have that subset of students singing.” For some, the goal of the
implementation doesn’t seem realistic. “I don’t think it will be a bad thing,” senior Andrew Leonard said. “But I don’t think it will instill the school pride or sense of togetherness or unity that people think it will.” Others have hopes that the song can help the school. “I think it’ll boost school spirit,” freshman Katie Perez said. “But we never needed it or thought about it before so I don’t really get why we need it now.” At least for seniors, learning the alma mater in homeroom will mean they should know it by graduation. “I don’t really care which version is being used, just that people know it and sing it,” Krehbiel said. “West Shore is great - people should be proud to sing the alma mater.”
1165 N Highway A1A Indialantic, FL 32905
1165 N Highway A1A Indialantic, FL 32905
October 2017
campus connect
Oliver! Awaits
Storm pushes all-school musical back two weeks
Story by Jessica Travis Staff Writer With the week off from school due to Hurricane Irma, the theater department’s production of “Oliver!” has been rescheduled for Oct. 27 - 29. Seventh grader Grant Newcombe is appearing as ‘Oliver,’ the orphan protagonist. He said he was excited to be the main character. “I’m glad they changed the dates because of the loss of time we needed to have more rehearsals,” Newcombe said. “I already thought that if the time didn’t change [Director Maureen] Fallon must have had some plan, but I wasn’t worried.” Senior Jerry Sola plays ‘Bill Sykes,’ a criminal in Fagin’s gang. “There’s good and bad [to the
postponement]. Part of me just wants to get it going already and now there’s just more time until the show,” Sola said. “But there’ll be enough time to make sure everything’s running smoothly as always, and that’s what’s needed.” Despite the later date, Sola remains hopeful families and alumni will still come out and see the show. “I don’t think it’s going to cause any problems,” Sola said. “We had the same situation last year with Hurricane Matthew for ‘Meet Me in Saint Louis.’ We’ll have more rehearsal time, so everything will be on track.” Senior Taylor Donovan plays ‘Nancy’ a member of Fagin’s gang Bill Sykes’ lover.
7
“I feel like [the postponement] actually gives us an advantage and I feel if they kept it at the same time it would’ve given us less than half a month to get ready for the show, and it’s a big production,” Donovan said. “I actually think it’s possible that there are some people that are now able to do the show [because of the date change.]” Alumna Eve Beard said the change of dates is helpful and allows her to see the show. “Personally I’m really pleased with the change of date,” Beard said. “This is especially important to me because I was very involved with the theater program at West Shore so the thought of not being able to attend the show was rather upsetting.”
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
8
westshoreroar.com
campus connect
Out with the Old School gets new look during summer
Photo: Ahjaney Friar
Photo: Auston Gonzalez
Photo: Fallon Klenotich
Story by Valery Linkenhoker Staff Writer Junior Lydia Howald was one of just five student athletes chosen to help with recent cafeteria renovations. Walking through the cafeteria with a group, to look at all the possible changes that could be made to the infrastructure of the building, Howald and the other four students met with an architect and designer, Assistant Principal Catherine Halbuer and district managers of food and revenue. “[The students] met a few times last year and talked about the concept,” Halbuer said. “What they eat in the cafeteria, what they would like to eat and what would bring them into the cafeteria. The students actually picked out the stuff on the furniture and everything else.” Profits made from the food sales in the cafeteria pays to keep the staff employed. The district food department decided to invest money in renovating the cafeteria due to the lack of money that was going in. Unlike the cafeteria, students were not a part of the changes in the gym. Every 10 years the floor has to be sanded down and redone. Focusing on the aesthetics, Athletic Director Tony Riopelle talked to former volleyball
coach Shane Castle about a two-toned floor. The district paid for a new basic floor, but the extra cost from the new design came out of the athletics department. “The school district says that if a wood floor like that doesn’t get sanded all the way down and get the paint taken off at least once every 10 years it shortens the life of the floor,” Riopelle said. “So the district said ‘We’re paying to have this done.’ It was really basic, and everyone I talked to said it would be great to have a two-toned floor. [The twotoned floor] was a very little cost to do, so we did it.” The last area of the school to undergo renovations over the summer was the media center. Much like the gym, the media center needed a new floor, according to Halbuer. “The carpet was soiled and stained,” Halbuer said. “So we had to first request a test of the carpet to make sure that it [warranted] being replaced. It [had] to fall in a certain range so that it [could] be approved.” Future possible renovations consist of a dug out for the soccer fields, a ticket booth, a new concession stand for both the soccer and basketball games and a press box. These are projected to start in about two to three years, according to the administration.
Webb’s World A close up on new Assistant Principal Glenn Webb Story by Ahjaney Friar Staff Writer Q: What made you decide to join the Wildcat Nation? A: It was the right job to leave Eau Gallie, at the right time for the right person, so my step towards and through administration. In order to move into a curriculum job, which is what I’m doing now. This school really matched nicely with areas I felt I needed to grow in, and West Shore just felt like the place to do that for me.
Q: How long have you been in the education system? A: My first teaching job was at the Bishop-Eton High School in Tampa, and I started there in 1989. I did that while I was in college teaching math and science to students who had learning disabilities. Then I left education and didn’t come back until 2000. And so now this is my 17th year in education. Q: How do West Shore and Eau Gallie compare?
A: They both are wonderful places and they both have wonderful students, and I have great friends at both, but they’re unique. Eau Gallie does what it does and fits it’s population, and the vision and mission for West Shore is a very different model. Over there I didn’t have the same job as I do here. At Eau Gallie I dealt with mostly discipline issues while here I have the opportunity to work with a lot of teachers on curriculum.
October 2017
campus connect
Principal Interest Principal Rick Fleming wins Principal of the Year award
9
FLEMING FACTS
12
Years as principal at West Shore
4
Principle Interest Principal Rick Fleming points toward a window as he explains the traumatic experience of Hurricane Andrew.
Story by Jessica Travis Staff Writer Rick Fleming was flattered when he won the 2017 Principal of the Year award, but instead of priding himself in the award, he attributes his success to the students at the school. Fleming has been in the school system since 1994, and has been at West Shore for 12 years. “I worked at several other schools, and I was nominated for teacher of the year, but I had never really won an honor like this. It was nice to be recognized,” Fleming said. “The school makes me look good. The students perform very well.” In 2004, West Shore won the National Blue Ribbon Award, and then again in 2014. West Shore was the only secondary school in the state to win the award that year, and the only school to win it twice.
Photo: Ahjaney Friar
“The thing I’m most proud about is the students of our school,” he said. “The moral fiber of our school is what’s most impressive to me.” As someone who has had Fleming as their principal for six years, senior Jessie Shaw said Fleming deserved the award. “Without him our school would probably not be as fun or friendly,” Shaw said. “He just makes it very personable. He knows everybody, he talks to everybody, and I love that about him.” One of the main things Fleming appreciates is the influence the school has on its students. “Students, in addition to being amazing students, come with a very good moral compass. They’re good people,” he said. “Our students are caring kids and come from good families.”
Brevard assignments Hoover Middle Rockledge High, Jefferson Middle West Shore Jr/Sr
955
Number of students he serves at West Shore
24
Years worked in Brevard County
10
westshoreroar.com
campus connect
Photo: Megan Mateosky
Bring it In Boys from the Class of 2018 circle around senior Brandon Benitez during last year’s Powderpuff.
New Stuff for Powderpuff
Hurricane Irma creates major changes to date of annual Powderpuff game Story by Ahjaney Friar Staff Writer While Mariah Jones escaped serious injury and property damage from Hurricane Irma, her school spirit didn’t fare as well. Coming back to a postponed Powderpuff left the senior feeling annoyed. Originally scheduled at the beginning of Spirit Week, Powderpuff had to be rescheduled for next spring due to a lack of preparation time. “I’m really frustrated because now we have to wait an entire semester,” Jones said. “I understand that the hurricane affected a lot of events but I don’t think pushing it back that far was really necessary. This is supposed to be like our big Homecoming game, but it doesn’t even match up with Homecoming which makes no sense to me.” Although Powderpuff was scheduled for Sept. 19, the day after students returned to school, administration held a meeting to
discuss the best possible move for students. “Obviously we had no time for practice or anything. We came back to school on Monday and Powderpuff was supposed to be on Tuesday,” Assistant Principal of facilities Catherine Halbuer said. “In our administration meeting we talked about whether the students would have had the same experience as they would if they had been more prepared for the event. Even if it’d be a fair competition for the juniors and seniors. Seniors would have an advantage over juniors because they had the opportunity to participate last year, so they kind of know how the game goes.” Despite some negative backlash, junior Zoe Moore appeared satisfied with the decision. “Overall I’m glad we still get to do it because I thought that it would be canceled altogether,” Moore said. “Looking at the bright side of things we have another fun-filled, relaxed
week of school. Powderpuff and Wildcat Challenge being in the same week and also having another Spirit Week makes for chill time right before Spring Break and relieves some of our stress, so I genuinely think it was a good move. “ Halbuer said the administration team took a hard look into what the students wanted while still keeping it in their best interest. “We just wanted to take a lot of aspects into consideration to really make it a quality event,” she said. “We brought in the Senior Class officers to brainstorm ideas about when we should have and they all ultimately decided that in the spring was the best idea.” Senior Kayla Garoust still has conflicted feelings on pushing the game back so far. “I don’t really think we had a real say in the decision-making,” she said. “I don’t think pushing it back makes a difference, but it would’ve been nice to have it sooner.”
12
westshoreroar.com
WICKED WINDS
37
Hours that Hurricane Irma sustained winds of 185 miles per hour
94 7
Miles per hour wind gusts at Cape Canaveral
Days that school were cancelled due to the storm
16 ‘04
Million Floridians that lost power due to Irma
The last year a category four hurricane hit Florida Sources: The Weather Channel. Brevard Public Schools, Florida Today
cover
Irma-gosh Hurricane snaps trees — and ankles By Alexa Carlos Tamez Editor in Chief Justin Ho Staff Writer Rachel Montgomery Managing Editor As if dealing with the normal burdens that come along with a hurricane isn’t bad enough, seventh-grader Abigail Watson now has to overcome an ankle injury. “I was in the garage and the hurricane shutters were leaning up against the wall,” Watson said. “I was walking by and they just came falling down. I don’t know what made them slip, they just came falling down on my leg.” Watson was gearing up to go to a soccer tryout for the Florida Olympic Development Program when the injury occurred. The purpose of ODP is to identify players for the men’s and women’s youth national teams, and the process takes place through state, regional and national levels. Watson is also going to miss out on the rest of golf season, and she won’t be able to try out for school soccer. “I feel bad because I can’t play this season,” Watson said. “I was only able to play in four golf matches and I’m going to miss districts. And I also was planning on trying out for the school team, but even though I’m upset about missing that, I know I have more years.” Watson is going to be out for six weeks non-weight bearing, and four weeks walking in an
ankle boot.
“The bone in the inside part of my ankle was broken into three pieces.” “The bone in the inside part of my ankle was broken into three pieces,” she said. “I had to have surgery and they put a bunch of pins and metal in it. They told me that once it heals I won’t break or sprain it again so it will be stronger when I come back next season.” Clean Slate for Storm Days Good news students: the remaing missed school days from Hurricane Irma will not have to be made up, as announced by the Florida Department of Education. This follows a decision from Sept. 20 when Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart announced two days would be waived to help districts find a way to make up missed time. Brevard Public Schools was required to not use any make up days because they had “enough instructional minutes built into the district’s schedule” to get by. Assistant Principal Catherine Halbuer explained the importance of being at school for a certain amount of hours. “At the high-school level, it’s required to be in attendance
October 2017
cover
How Do Hurricanes Form?
13
Source: NASA
Warm ocean water (80° F water) give hurricanes energy to form and cause more evaporation, making humid air clouds. Wind blows in the same direction and same speed to force air upward from the ocean surface. Winds outside the hurricane steer it and let it grow more powerful.
enough to receive credit,” Halbuer said. “The school board requires you to have a certain amount of hours in order for you to get credit for your classes. Luckily the district won’t have to make up any days since we have [time] to spare per week.” So, what this means for students is that they will be able to rest easy knowing that they won’t have to make up any more school days. During the 2003-2004 school year, hurricanes Charley, Francis and Jean caused students to miss a total 10 days of school. “By the time it’s the end of the year you don’t really remember it,” science teacher Magdalena Molledo, who taught in during the 03-04 school year, said. “Seven days is a lot. I don’t
How did Hurricane Irma Change Paths? When Hurricane Irma hit Cuba, it’s path changed to go West, and as it moved away from Cuba towards Miami it strengthened with the warm waters. Source: The Weather Channel
Photo: Creative Commons
remember missing that many that year. We would miss a couple at a time but, this year is weird.” A look back to Andrew While examining Hurricane Irma, notable similarities between it and Hurricane Andrew appear. Both began off the West Coast of Africa, went through the Caribbean and then curved West. Andrew made landfall with sustained winds of 165 mph, while Irma hit as 130 mph. In August of 1992, a category 5 Hurricane named Andrew hit the Bahamas and Florida, and to date is the most destructive hurricane to hit the state. Hurricane Andrew changed the whole face of natural disasters, catastrophes and how insurance is calculated. It established better ways to do mass evacuations and create building codes. Principal Rick Fleming evacuated to Homestead in Miami-Dade County for the storm, which ended up being the direct ground zero of the eye-wall of the hurricane. “At 4:40 a.m. all of a sudden the power went out,” Fleming said. “I was standing near a window and listening to rocks hitting the wood [on the windows.] A piece of Mexican tile blew through the window next to me, and if I had been standing two feet to
my right, I wouldn’t be here today.” The wind forces were 165 mph, strong enough to take off roofs, and propel large objects into the air.
“The windows started to explode in the house even though they were covered.” “The windows started to explode in the house even though they were covered because of the barometric pressure not being even with winds in the house,” Fleming said. “Then the roof started blowing off my house so I turned and I ran down the hallway, and as I was running to my family down the hallway a piece of glass about four inches long stuck me in the back. I didn’t notice because the adrenaline and my wife had to pull it out of my back. I still have the scar.” Both storms brought major damage to the Southern tip of Florida, and the Keys are still operating in full disaster mode more than two weeks after Hurricane Irma made landfall here as a Category 4.
14
news
westshoreroar.com
Dark Day Solar eclipse causes student absences Story by Auston Gonzalez Staff Writer Under the display of a waning sun and a crowd of people, junior Emily Ortiz had one of the greatest experiences of her lifetime. On Aug. 21, a solar eclipse cut across the continental United States, taking the nation by storm. Ortiz and her family took a trip to South Carolina, one of the states from which people viewed the eclipse in its totality. “It was really cool,” Ortiz said. “The crazy thing was that the bugs started coming out and the crickets were chirping and everything. We could even see Venus and Mercury. Venus was out in the distance and Mercury was right on the edge of the solar flares.” After Brevard Public Schools declared that all absences would be excused, students made sure to take advantage of the situation. Ortiz was one of the 632 students absent by seventh period. That means more than 66 percent of the school was not
in attendance. Assistant Principal Glenn Webb said he would have liked to see more students present, but considers the situation a rare circumstance. “I feel like we should have probably made it so students wouldn’t want to be away from school on that day,” Webb said. “They need to be in class and academically engaged as much as possible, but it really was a neat event. This had the potential to be a oncein-a lifetime experience. Students here could have had a shared experience that would been glue to hold the community together. So to me it was a missed opportunity. It was an empty place, but I understand why.” Middle school science teacher Amy McCormick would have liked to miss school herself. “I wish I was in South Carolina and a lot closer,” McCormick said. “If it wasn’t the first week of school I totally would have been there.” Those who attended school still made sure to experience the eclipse.
A bid to the death
Silent auction for parking spots sparks interest
Story by Rachel Montgomery Managing Editor For the first time in the school’s history, parking spots were bid on for seniors. The highest bidder, Tessa Smith paid $50 for her spot, $35 higher than the normal price of $15. “My main thought was essentially ‘go big or go home’,” Smith said. “I mean, it’s my senior year, I want to make it memorable. I knew that the money goes toward senior funds, which means prices for things like senior breakfast and grad bash would be lower.” Senior Class President Zachary Zoorigan says the idea came from a similar bidding at the PTA’s Parents
Photo credits: Shannon Topp
Look to the Sun Sisters Caitlin and Shannon Topp use their solar eclipse glasses to view the phenomenon.
Joseph Esteves’ AP physics 1 class, for example, capitalized on the event. “We used a pinhole projector,” junior Brendan Rannings said. “We came outside with some eclipse glasses. Different people were also taking pictures and what-not. It’s a once-in-alifetime kind of thing.” The last time of totality in the US was in 1979. It was in this year that Muhammad Ali retired and the average house price was below $15,000. The next eclipse is set to take place on April 8, 2024. “I had an amazing time,” Ortiz said. “I would love to see totality again.”
Night Out last year. “It seemed like there was a want for it,” Zoorigan said. “Last year they held one for parents and it sounded good to try again. We [the class officers] didn’t have a set goal in mind, but the minimum would’ve been $10 to $200.” With school being canceled for Hurricane Irma, the day to paint parking spots was postponed to Sept. 30, and this year the paw prints to paint were slightly larger to paint. “We originally had to post pone because of the SAT,” senior class historian Joanae Lawrence said. “The day it was moved to was one we had off during the hurricane, so it was set back again.”
Top 10 Bidders
1. Tessa Smith 2. Kayla Garoust 3. Allie Henderson 4. Morgan Stewart 5. Hannah Lebeau 6. Christine Beckham 7. Jasmine Greathouse 8. Shelby McKeever 9. Ryan Ringrose 10. Zack Bursk
October 2017
news
Shelter Together Administration helps with Irma recovery Story by Auston Gonzalez Staff Writer In the midst of destruction and devastation, Assistant Principal Catherine Halbuer found order in a hurricane shelter. According to the Washington Post, Hurricane Irma caused as many as 16 million people to lose power by Sept. 11. More than six million people evacuated and thousands more crammed into shelters throughout the state. Halbuer was assigned to Quest Elementary School, a special needs shelter. Although there was considerable damage, Halbuer said the response to the storm proved to be inspirational. “It was a very humbling and rewarding experience,” Halbuer said. “I was really moved by the comprehensive planning that took place to address the people that evacuated for special needs. It was really impressive to see the setup.” Halbuer had several jobs to maintain organization of the shelter. “Part of my role was to assist the workers that were working with the patients. We also had to take counts every two hours of people that were there for the county, there for the health department, people on electric,
people on dialysis, people taking insulin, and any family members that people had at the shelter.” Assistant Principal Glenn Webb was assigned to Meadowlane Intermediate Elementary School during this time. “My job for after the storm was to make sure as we got confirmation of different levels of safety, if people wanted to leave then we would facilitate that,” Webb said. “We did have people that were leaving the shelter and didn’t know what they were going home to. We needed to help them understand if they got home and their house was flooded or if they had no electricity, they could come back. We would facilitate moving people to other shelters after ours closed.” Webb, however, said he has different experience with storm shelters. “I worked at shelters for the storms in 2004,” Webb said. “I was there for nine days throughout that time. It’s a whole different ballgame when you’re there during the storm because you have to keep people busy, create games for them, organize food times, and make sure people are comfortable. It’s a very different atmosphere than closing the shelters.”
Papers Postponed Hurricane alters Capstone deadlines Story by Justin Ho Staff Writer Before Hurricane Irma, AP Capstone teacher Jeanie Griffin had an exact dayto-day schedule of what her students would be doing in order to prepare for their mock Capstone presentations. However, because of Hurricane Irma, students missed seven days of schools which set back Griffin’s plans for the students. “The schedule is going to need a little bit of
tweaking,” Griffin said. “We lost a lot of time due to the hurricane so we’re going to need to do some extra work to get back on track.” In order to get experience in writing a research paper and working as a team, the students in AP Seminar were working on their mock team project before Irma hit but due to the hurricane, in order to make up the lost time to finish their project. Time would have to be docked out of the student’s mock projects and used to
get back on pace. “We’ll make adjustments in different areas but time will have to be pulled from each section to make up,” Griffin said. “If we extend the point to the Task 2 project it will lower the impact of the missed days. We are doing a little extra work to minimize the make up work. We will not do it in a big rush so it is manageable for the students. We will make sure the students learn the skills needed for their projects.”
15
Food for Thought Students given free lunch after hurricane Story by Walter Wilinsky Staff Writer After Hurricane Irma, Brevard Public Schools announced that students can receive free lunch through Oct. 20. The Florida Department of Agriculture is covering the cost after the state declared Brevard County a major disaster. The district’s 74,000 students are able to get free lunch, but staff members are not. “I feel like it could be really helpful to those hit really hard with the hurricane,” sophomore Chris Johnson said. “But also unnecessary because we were hit harder by Matthew last year and they didn’t do anything.” The announcement applies to all public schools in Brevard County. Joy Salamone, principal of Harbor City Elementary School, sees some benefits. “Our families are not as stressed,” Salamone said. “We believe that serving most of our students breakfast and lunch has allowed families to spend needed dollars on housing needs. Less stress in the home allows students to better concentrate on school.”
16
westshoreroar.com
sports center
SCOREBOARDS Bowling
Boys Aug. 21 2-5 Aug. 28 inat, qui permili,
Girls
Hurricane Holdup Irma blows up sports schedules
Cross Country Warrior Jamboree Run Boys-4th place Girls- 5th place Fleet Feet Boys-4th Place Girls-7th Place
Golf
Boys Merritt Island 209162 MCC 217-180 Satellite 189-190 Holy Trinity 201-178 Bayside 181-206 Satellite 181-190 Viera 190-166 Melbourne 183-176 Heritage 176-230
Holy Trinity ClassicBoys-5th place Girls- 7th place Shark Classic Boys- 4th place Girls- 6th place
Girls Bayside 215-262 MCC 221-177 Satellite 230-232 Viera 235-158 Melbourne 221-236 Heritage 84-92
Volleyball Heritage 3-1 Holy Trinity 0-3 Palm Bay 3-0 Viera 0-3 Eau Gallie 3-0 Edgewood 3-0
Astronaut 1-3 Space Coast 3-2 Melbourne 0-3 Bayside 3-0 Cocoa Beach 3-2
Swim & Dive Boys Satellite 68-108 Bayside 114-55 Palm Bay 123-56 Melbourne 83-87
Girls Satellite 64.5-118 Bayside 139-41 Palm Bay 151-23 Melbourne 123-57
Middle School Basketball Boys Girls Stone 65-35 Hoover 31-18 Southwest 54-24 Southwest 16-33 DeLaura 35-54 Stone 53-16 DeLaura 30-8 Central 33-24 As of Sept. 29. ; for more updated scores, visit www.westshoreroar.com
Form Focus Sophomore Christopher Johnson and senior Adam Blackwell run at the Shark Classic Cross Country Meet.
Story by Shawn Humphrey Staff Writer Because seven days of school were missed due to Hurricane Irma, girls’ middle-school basketball Coach Derrick Hamilton has been forced to accept the reality that his team has lost a third of its season. Brevard Public Schools canceled all extra-curricular activities from Sept. 7 to Sept.15. As a result, numerous sports competitions and practices were either canceled or postponed. “We missed a couple of those games we really wanted to play like Hoover and Delaura,” Hamilton said. “Two of those games for me were really important as far as us winning and getting into the playoffs. I didn’t really like it, but I don’t make the rules.” The volleyball team went from missing nearly two weeks of practice — along with games against Melbourne, Satellite, Bayside and a scheduled tournament — to playing a game the day it returned to school. Despite this, junior Sally Kempfer said the layoff helped her team. “That time off gave us enough time to recuperate and relax,” Kempfer
Photo Credits: Richard Cheng
said. “It gave us a little more time against teams like Mel High and big Cape Coast Conference teams that we we’re a little worried about, so now I think we can just focus and practice on getting together and defeating the teams that are going to be big for us.” The boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams also missed two weeks of morning practices, along with meets at the University of North Florida and Bayside High School. Though the date was previously left open, a meet in Port Orange was rescheduled to Sept. 23, the morning of the Homecoming dance. The two-hour drive from the Melbourne Auditorium was a deciding factor in whether or not some runners attended the meet. “It’s affected some people,” sophomore Scarlett Heuett said. “Some girls didn’t go and it affected us because it’s really far from where Homecoming was.” Sophomore Diego Vento was disappointed in missing one of the previously scheduled meets. “It really stunk because we thought we were going do really well in that meet,” Vento said.
October 2017
sports center
This is Giao We Do it
17
Senior volleyball player makes comeback after injury Story by Ben Lack Sports Editor After missing the entirety of her junior volleyball season with a knee injury, senior Giao (pronounced Yow) Huynh has returned this year, looking to restore the chemistry with her teammates and build a strong comeback season. “We’ve had a few rough patches so far,” Huynh said. “Even though we’ve been focusing on having fun, I really want to go far. But it’s also about team building, and hopefully we’ll make it to the district finals.” Losing Huynh early in the 2016-17 season put a damper on a year filled with high expectations. Although she was sidelined for the duration of the year, Huynh served as the manager of the team. “ T h e team was honestly really devastated that we lost Giao because she was such a key player,” junior Lydia Howald said. “But on the sideline she was a great motivator. We had her throughout the year and it still worked out so we’re really excited to have her back.” Getting healthy enough to start the season was a long and arduous task, Huynh recalled. “Rehab was very challenging,” she said. “It took a lot of effort, but it was definitely worth it to get
to the spot where I’m playing again.” Senior Emily Canavan said that Huynh’s presence on and off the court positively influences the whole team. “Giao is a vital team player,” Canavan said. “She’s the backbone of the team, and she is going to help us make our run in districts. It’s really good to have her back.” With the recent resignation of Coach Shane Cassel, the team will look to Huynh to provide a veteran leadership presence during practice and games. Assistant coach and former player Megan Green has taken over head- coaching duties. The volleyball team sits at 6-4 at the time of this publication. Huynh leads the team with 76 kills thus far this season, good for fourth in the district. After her senior year, Huynh will be attending Jacksonville University on a volleyball scholarship. The JU Dolphins are an NCAA Division I school in the Sun Atheltic Conference. “I’m really appreciative of the opportunity to play college volleyball,” Huynh said. “I know it’s the dream of so many of my peers, and so I’m thankful I can do it.”
18
sports center
westshoreroar.com
Christian Camps,11
Lila Iwanowski,7
Golf Handicap: 38 Practices two to three times a week
Fastest 5K 16:46 500 to 600 miles of practice over the summer
Fall Athletes to Watch Designed by Emma Remonsellez-Conde and compiled by Alexa Carlos Tamez
Abriana Camilo,10
Best game 266 Participated in the Junior Gold Tournament
Sydney Weatherspoon,10
Best time1:04.81 School record holder in 100 backstroke
October 2017
sports center
19
Photo Credits: Fallon Klenotich
Shoot to Win Middle schooler Liam Schutte makes a free throw against Hoover on Sept. 5.
Photo: Fallon Klenotich
Stuck in the Middle
New rule excludes seventh- and eighth-grade from playing on high-school teams Story by Michael Lucente Staff Writer The years of middle school basketball athletes being able to play junior varsity or varsity have come to an end. The Florida High School Athletic Association passed a law two years ago stating that middle-school basketball athletes at a junior/senior high school can no longer play JV or varsity. The Brevard School District was able to get a waiver for the 20162017 school year, which let middleschoolers play on high-school teams, but this year schools in the district will have to abide by FHSAA rule. “A West Shore kid in middle school could start playing basketball in August,” athletic director Tony
Riopelle said. “Then, if they play JV or varsity, they would play all the way through February. Then, if you take a kid from a school like Stone, they can play starting in August but only until mid-October. It’s not fair for one kid to be able to play all that time whereas a kid at a regular middle-school can’t.” There is one exception to this rule. If middle school basketball players played on a JV or varsity team last year, then they are eligible to play on the team again this year, although they can only play on that team. This exception will pertain only to current eighth graders. In upcoming years, middle schoolers will not be allowed on a JV or varsity basketball team whatsoever.
“I see both sides, but if you’re an eighth grader and you’re really working hard and you really want to play JV I think you should be able to do it,” eighth-grader Jesse Bratman said. “They let it happen before so it has never really been an issue. I think they should let it keep happening.” Although this new rule may not impact boys basketball too much, the girls team will face some problems. “It’s not so bad for boys’ because there is enough interest to fill up the teams,” Riopelle said. “But for girls it hurts because last year our JV team was made up of a lot of girls who were also on the middle school team. This year, we have enough to fill JV, but are struggling to fill middle school.”
20
westshoreroar.com
entertainment
Humans of West Shore Senior Joanae Lawrence talks about her love of fashion
Photo: Jaonae Lawrence
Picture Perfect Lawrence models for the cover of Space Coast Living.
By Fallon Klenotich Featured Writer It’s one thing to see classmates walk down the hallways of school, but few know that senior Joanae Lawrence has walked down the runway of Miami Swim Week. Since she was 12 years old, Lawrence has been modeling and taking pictures professionally. “Fashion was always a big part of my life,” Lawrence said. “When I was around 10 years old I would make little dresses for my dolls. I love coordinating textures and colors, it helps me feel unique and special. My ultimate dream is to be a model and a fashion photographer, but a more obtainable goal is owning a boutique shop. I will be attending school in the
future for retail merchandising.” For the past two years, Lawrence has worked at Downtown Divas, a boutique in Downtown Melbourne. Through her job, she creates looks for costumers, models clothing and is featured on boutique’s social media accounts. “Downtown Divas allows you to be creative in your fashion abilities and be in an environment full of opportunities,” coworker Eva Banton said. “I think any time you are on social media modeling something or forced to interact with people, it brings opportunities for you to get a job offer. It only takes one person to notice you and then you could have a job.”
Brooke Deratany Goldfarb, Harvard JD, President Peaceful Beach Mediation & Collaboration, Inc. *Family & Elder Care Mediation *Arbitration & Mediation of Business Disputes *Divorce Facilitation *Parenting Coordination *Guardian Ad Litem “A Kinder, Gentler Divorce” 150 Fifth Ave, Suite E Indialantic, Florida 32903 Tel: 321.626.2858 http://PeacefulBeachMediation.com
October 2017
entertainment
Love it
21
Hate it
"It’s a different vibe that we get from her and I like it a lot.” —Lindsay Gill, 7th
“I don’t like the fact that she is trying to rap. It’s weird. ” —CJ Coyle, 8th The new Taylor Swift
“It’s a good thing because I feel like a lot more people can go now.” —Laith Rukab, 9th
“I’m kind of annoyed because I’ll be out of town due to spring break being the week after.” —Ashton Braid, 10th Powderpuff being moved
“It was great because I got to go out and help my family in need. ” —Alex Nixon, 11th
“It was such an incovenience for volleyball.” —Samantha Intille, 11th
7 missed days due to Irma
Wildcat Winners
Seven named 2018 National Merit semifinalists
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation recently announced its semifinalist for the 2018 year. West Shore had seven students that qualified for the award. Seniors Muhummad Abdulla, Ami Asar, Rys Sheker, Adam Blackwell, Clark Evans, Marina Curtis and Fatima Muhummad Abdulla Houssain all were named semifinalist winners. In order to move onto the Finalist portion of the competition, the student’s will have to submit their SAT scores and a descriptive essay about themselves in order to get considered for the next portion of the competition. If the students make it to the Scholarship level, they will be awarded $2,500 by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and additional money through corporate sponsorships.
Ami Asar
Clark Evans
Adam Blackwell
Fatima Houssain
Marina Curtis
Rhys Sheker
22
westshoreroar.com
reviews
‘It’ MOVIE
Photo: Creative Commons
Review by Rachel Montgomery Managing Editor The recent Stephen King adaptation “IT” (2017) has created quite the buzz in the horror genre. Being an adaptation of King’s novel, “IT” follows the youths of Derry in their quest to solve a mystery involving the disappearance of several people every 26 years.
‘Scandal’ Season Seven
Photo: Creative Commons
Review by Alexa Carlos Tamez Editor in Chief Having secured the prime time spot on Thursday’s ABC lineup, “Scandal’s” last season looks promising. I don’t underestimate Rhime’s ability to wreck the hopes of her audience, but hopefully Olivia can find her happy ending this time around.
Apple products iPhone X
Photo: Creative Commons
Review by Justin Ho Staff Writer Despite the newly added features of the iPhone X, it still has some noticeable flaws like the lack of Touch ID and a glass back which really increases the fragility of the phone. Overall, it’s a good design but is hampered by some questionable design choices.
‘Rick and Morty’ Review by Jessica Travis Staff Writer Many viewers of “Rick and Morty” have recently been celebrating the new season that had its first episode released on April 1, and the most recent episode called “The Rickchunian Mortydate” released on Oct. 1. In this season, the characters are developed even more. Not only does the new season properly display Rick’s destructive and outright dangerous personality (which is responsible for most of the plots and comedy contained in the show), but it has also given the second main character, Morty, his own focus and spotlight for character development. Morty was always the weaker of the duo and Rick would constantly remind him of this fact, but the recent season explores his individual feelings and fears. For example, in one episode his ‘toxic traits’ are given their own sentient form and we see that he dislikes many aspects of his cowardly personality. Many episodes ignored the cliffhanger from Season two where a mysterious alternate
Photo: Creative Commons
Season Three spotlights Pickle Rick
version of Morty successfully gained power by partnering with a robotic alternate Rick, of whom he directly controlled. Until the seventh episode “The Ricklantis Mixup” or as it’s also referred to as s“Tales from the Citadel,” finally allows the Mysterious Morty to re-appear. Although his overall intentions are not revealed, having the Mysterious Morty featured in the episode was definitely satisfying.
“In this season, the characters are developed even more.”
In my opinion the third episode of Season three, “Pickle Rick,” was the best episode out of the entire season. During Rick’s pesonal adventure, he is given plenty of screen time to participate in bloody action and develop a thriller-like plot. In all, the episode is equally ridiculous and hilarious because he is in the form of a pickle the entire time and is constantly announcing obnoxiously that he is Pickle Rick.
October 2017
reviews
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: KENDRICK LAMAR
23
WANT TO SEE A CONCERT BUT DON’T KNOW WHO TO WATCH? DON’T WORRY. WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED.
7 22 3 14
Grammy Awards won
Grammy Nominations
Platinum Albums
BET Hip Hop Awrds won
Photo: Creative Commons
Review by Alexa Carlos Tamez Editor in Chief Kendrick Lamar knows how to put on a good show. After he came on stage at the Amalie Arena, the entirety of his set was about an hour long, which some could say was too short because they’re used to seeing artists give speeches and talk throughout. Lamar, however, got through his set without many interruptions, which kept the audience on its feet. And when he wasn’t rapping, videos featuring his alter ego, Kung-Fu Kenny played. He performed all of his best songs on his newest album “DAMN,” but did miss a few of his most exciting throwback hits. He performed the song “Humble” about three times, with the first two being almost complete acapella from the audience. It was kind of a suprise that my brother and I were the only people under the age of 20 that I could see, but overall, Lamar is a natural performer who can make less seem like more with the quality of his stage production.
COMING UP
Bruno Mars Saturday, Oct. 14 Orlando
Halsey
Sunday, Oct. 22 Orlando
Imagine Dragons Friday, Nov. 10 Orlando