Luke Hoag
The Titans are going to the playoffs! For the first time since University High School opened in 2010, the Titans are going to the playoffs. The fans and students of University have been waiting for six years, but it is definitely worth it. “This is my fourth and final year at UHS, and I’m so relieved that we can finally play in a 8A district 4 playoff game. Our fans definitely deserve it,” said UHS Senior and Defensive Captain Matthew Zook. The Titans ended off their regular season on an unexpected loss to 2-6 Lincoln High School in Tallahassee but they still finished with a strong record of 8-2. The Titans also came in second in the division behind the Lake Brantley Patriots. The Patriots beat the Titans earlier in the season by one touchdown to give the Titans their only loss in division play, and the Titans will certainty remember it. They will have another shot at Lake Brantley in the first round of the playoffs. “We should have beat them last time, but we won’t make the same mistakes again this time,” said junior offensive lineman Jonathan Sandomenico. Despite the two losses, University had a hugely successful season dishing out losses to rivals Deltona, Deland, and Lake Mary. They also won their homecoming game against Oviedo in front of hundreds of excited titan fans, and put brutal beat downs on Lyman and Seabreeze. The leaders and captains change every year for the most part, and this year was a very different squad from last year. The offense is led by sophomore quarterback Cody Braden and highly scouted sophomore running back Lorenzo Lingard. On the defensive side of the ball, senior linebacker Matthew Zook and junior linebacker Peyton Henley have been killing it this season and are showing that they deserve to be the defensive captains. Head coach Brian Kells did an outstanding job this season coaching his players and creating successful game plans that allowed the Titans to pick up eight wins. It was very noticeable that Coach Kells made running the football and playing gritty defense a priority. With their very talented running back group and linebackers, it worked to perfection. “Overall the guys have done a really good job, but we have to make sure that we don’t make the same mistakes that we made against Lake Brantley the first time if we want to win the second time,” said Brian Kells. Yes the Titans have had a great season, but they have a chance to make it even greater. Can the Titans beat the Lake Brantley Patriots this time? Find out Friday November 6th at 7:00 in Jacksonville to see if the Titans can continue to make history.
Reflection My first article was about the University High School football team finally going to the playoffs. It was the first time in school history that the football team advanced to the post season. Sadly, our football team didnt actually make the playoffs due to a roster mistake made by the coaches, but this article was out two weeks before then. The single-most factor that I was proud about in my article was the excitement that I brought about in the article. I felt that my article really excited people about the football playoffs and our school making history. I felt that my title was also a big factor in creating the excitement that I was looking for. This article demonstrates good journalism writing in a couple of different ways. The article clearly identifies and explains the most important aspect of my article. In this case, the team making the playoffs. It is also acompinied by solid quotes from players and coaches that added to the excitement of this big achievemnt. The paragraphs arent all the same exact sentance length, which doesnt make the article look so bland. The article, for the most part, shows the exact aspects of APA style writing. Looking back on the article, I would change some things. I would make each quote its own parargraph, which is the APA format. I would also try to make the beginning of the article juicer as well. Overall, I feel that this was a great artcile and that I did a great job.
Being a teacher in 2015
Are teachers of today’s society getting paid enough for what they do everyday in and out of the classroom? Teachers in Florida, depending slightly on what county they teach, get paid an average annual salary of 43,583 dollars. In Volusia County, teachers are getting paid 39,796 dollars. Sure this number is high enough to sustain an average lifestyle, but for everything teachers do in the classroom and out, their salary is nowhere near high enough. From grading papers, to dealing with uncontrollable students, teachers deal with it all. Teachers have to deal with parent/teacher conferences with angry parents, students who are too loud and uncontrollable, and nights and nights of non-stop grading papers. That is only the start of what teachers have to do each and every day from sunrise past sunset. With all the work teachers put in (not only during school hours but also on their own time), teachers are still getting paid less than some jobs that don’t even require leaving the house, or getting changed into clothes. Teachers face a lot of difficult problems in and out of the classroom. Mr. Burnside, a tenth grade English teacher at University High School, can definitely agree. “In class, students can get distracted very easily, whether it’s their smartphones, or their urge to talk to those around them, it can cause them to get off track and lose focus in what I am teaching.” Burnside said. “Grading papers is also a huge drag, and it can really take the fun out of your weekend.” There are almost 40 more jobs that produce more of a salary than teaching. However, all 40 of those jobs require less time and work in college. 15% of those jobs that pay more than teaching don’t even require a high school degree. These numbers just don’t add up, and they are extremely unfair to hard-working teachers who spent four or more years getting their degree for teaching. Courtney Kohler, another teacher from University High School who teaches grades nine through twelve, went to UCF and graduated with a four-year English degree. Ms. Kohler didn’t have to teach in Volusia County, but she decided that it was the right choice and place for her. “I grew up in this county, and I wanted to teach in the same area that I went to school in,” Kohler said. Clearly, Money isn’t the only factor in deciding where to teach, but no matter where you go, the money is still too low. Another teacher who was in a similar situation as Ms. Kohler was Professor Osmon. Mrs. Osmon also grew up in Volusia County, and she had an interesting take on why she chose to stay and teach in the same area despite the lower income. “I think that teachers are definitely not getting paid as much as they deserve, but when you get to teach hundreds of kids that are growing up in the same area as you are, its pretty cool.” Osmon said. “This job is definitely worth the low salary.” No matter what area teachers are in, they are getting paid unfairly. It is unbelievable how teachers are being treated, and an outrage that they are not getting paid more for what they do every day in and out of the classroom.
Reflection For my second article, I chose the teacher essay. It was a prompted essay that I had to write, and I felt that this was a good article to pick because it was loaded with information and stats involving what a teacher does, and how it feels being a teacher in this day and age. After reading my article, you can see how tough it is being a teacher, and how they are being under-paid. In this article that i wrote, I am most proud of the fact that I was able to effectively include a ton of different information and statistics into it. I felt like my article helped peole invision how its like being a teacher in today’s world, and that was my ultimate goal. I feel like this article acurately displays traits of good journalism because I was able to effectively include my opinion of the topic in my essay. Not all essays require your opinion in them, but when they do its important that you accurately include all of your opinion into your article very descriptively, and i felt like that was what i did. Looking back on my article, there would be one thing that I would change about it. I would try to put more emphasis on how much work teachers do in order for their students to succeed. Overall, I felt like I did a tremendous job making this article was one of my bests of the year. I jam-packed it with information and it definietly paid off.
Baeball season beginning The University High School Titans started their season off on a high note Tuesday with a 3-2 victory over the Eustis Panthers in the first round of the preseason tournament held at Lake Brantley High School. Despite it only being a preseason game that doesn’t count towards their overall season record, the Titans played like as if it were a regular season game, by playing no-error defense. They now have a small idea of what their team will look like this year, and gave other teams a fair warning that the Titans are staying on their winning path like last season. The 2015 state runner-ups looked a little sloppy in the beginning on offense, not being able to put anything together at the plate. Fortunately due to good defense and pitching, the Titans managed to keep the Panthers off the scoreboard. The first run of the season for the Titans came on a crushed solo homerun by Senior Michael Harkcom in the fourth inning that soared over the left field fence. “We started off very slow on offense, so I was glad I could hit that homerun to energize the team offensively,” Harcom said. The bats started to come alive after that and the Titans scored two more runs in the fifth inning by Sophomore Jackson Roberts and Senior Quenell Rutlege to make it 3-0. Eustis managed to score two runs in the last inning, but the Titans were able to hang on for the win. A key success in the victory was good pitching and defense. Junior pitchers Logan Allen, Logan Lawrence, and Nathan Peden combined for six innings of scoreless innings. This is the first year that Lawrence has pitched for the team. “I’m glad that I had a chance to showcase my pitching and to help out the team,” Lawrence said. Head coach Frank Martello was happy with how the team played, but made it clear that they must play better in the future. “It was an average start of the season for us, but we are looking to get better each game,” Martello said. “There were definitely some positives, but also many things we must work harder on in order to succeed in the future.” Overall, it was a good showing or the Titans in their first preseason win of the season over Eustis, but the Titans must play more consistent in the future if they want to get back to the state tournament.
Reflection
For my last article, I chose my opening baseball season segment. Baseball around this school and area is very popular and important, so I wanted to make sure that my article was too. This article was a bit tough to write because I had to go over every little thing going on for the team, despite the season just starting. I had to go over expectations, and their previous season as well. Basically, I had to write a complete overview of the team, with them playing just one game in the season so far. In this article, I was very proud of how I was able to succesfully give a complete overview of the team and the team’s first game. I was also proud of how i was able to incorporate three good quotes into my article. This article demonstarted good journalism skills by being exactly in APA format. I had three good quotes, and all the paragraphs werent the same size, so the article didnt look bland. I also had added some descriptive details about baseball to make the article even more exciting. Overall, i didnt see much wrong with this article. I could have added more information to this article but it is still fine the way it is.
Personal
Where I have grown up has really made me who I am today. The neighborhood that I grew up in, The Reserve, is the neighborhood that I call home. It is located right off of 17-92 on the southern outskirt of Debary. In my neighborhood, where I grew up, I have met many different people who have made an impact on my life. I have met friends that I will know and stay close to forever. I have made many fun memories in my neighborhood, I have done many different activities in that neighborhood, and where I live has set me up for some of the best schooling in Volusia County. When I first moved to Debary in 2003, I didn’t know anybody. My dad got a better job down here, so we had to move from my birth town Bethlehem Pennsylvania when I was just four years old. I was very scared and nervous when I first moved down, and I feared that I would be too shy to talk to anybody new. That’s when our family met the Stevens. Dylan and Blake Stevens, a senior and sophomore now, were the two sons of Lisa and Dale Stevens, who were the first people my family talked to since the move. They were our next door neighbors and meeting them opened up a lot of opportunities to meet with other people in the neighborhood and community. One of my best friends Jackson Roberts, was also lives in my neighborhood, has been a huge part of my childhood, as we’ve went on many vacation trips and activities. Two of my good friends now, Shane Sweeney and Travis Lindquist, are two others that I have met in my neighborhood over the years. I now have a strong relationship with those two as well. All of these people who have had a strong impact on my life, were part of where I grew up. There are a lot of fun activities that I could and can do in my neighborhood. A couple of times a week, a lot of my friends and I head up to the local basketball courts to ball up. It’s a great court and a great way to get many people together doing something fun and athletic. Earlier in my childhood, before my family installed a pool in my backyard, we would go to the local community pool every day and swim for hours. The community pool was very important to me because I have made so many memories swimming with my friends in that very same pool. My friend Jackson, whom I mentioned before, would ride bikes with me all over the neighborhood for hours and hours every day. We would always go to our secret hideout and riding bikes was a huge memory that I will never forget about my friends and my neighborhood.
Essay
Of course, my house has been such a big part of my childhood life, as I’ve been in it almost every single day for twelve years. My mom and dad have done such an outstanding job taking care of our beautiful house and making sure that my little brother and I were in the best possible setting at our house. As I mentioned earlier, my parents put in a pool in the backyard that has become the number one hangout spot for all of our friends during hot summer days. We also have a basketball hoop in our backyard, which along with having a fun activity to do whenever I want, I can also work on my basketball skills. Last but not least, we just recently put in a trampoline in our backyard as well, which serves no use but to have fun whenever me or my brother wants to. Our house is so wonderful, and it will hold many fond memories of my childhood. Another added plus, is where my neighborhood is located and where we are zoned for schools. The location of my neighborhood is southern Debary, which means that I was located in the school zone for Debary Elementary, River Springs Middle School, and of course, University High school. This was so directly important to my childhood and education because all of the friends and different people that I met went to these schools. Each school holds many different memories of my childhood that I will cherish for years to come. If it weren’t for me going to these schools, I would have no idea who I would be as a person and who I would have as my companion and dear friends. I can definitely say that I was very lucky to be a part of the schools that I went to, and where I lived and grew up directly influenced that. Clearly education is important, and I feel that I have gotten the best possible education that I could have ever dreamed of. wIn conclusion, there have been many important factors of my life involving my neighborhood, house, and where I grew up. Whether it was meeting new people and friends, swimming in pools or jumping on a trampoline, getting zoned for outstanding schools, and simply living in a wonderful house all played a huge part in who I have become today. I have made so many memories and I still have time to make many more. I am so grateful for where I grew up and all the people that I’ve met along the way.