The Lion's Tale - Volume 59 Issue 1 - Oviedo High School

Second officer added for campus safety PAGE 3

FEATURES

SPORTS

PAGE 8

PAGE 17

Community rallies around ill student

’

LION’S 1 TALE EDITION

NEWS

Juniors beat seniors at Powder Puff

OVIEDO HIGH SCHOOL • 601 KING STREET • OVIEDO, FL • 32765 SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 • VOLUME 59 • OVIEDOJOURNALISM.COM

Tardy to class? Need

a pass

LSEN STORY BY JUSTINA NIE 19 year, there -20 18 20 Beginning in the HERO is the new is a HERO on campus. . It has improved tardy-tracking system ndously, according me school attendance tre . to dean Jason Maitland n a huge decrease see dy ea alr “We have dents walking around in the amount of late stu s d. “In my opinion, it ha campus,” Maitland sai r.” yea t las n effective tha already become more nd, the results are itla Ma to g din Accor

visible. ing to get to class, “You see students hurry thering in large groups you see students not ga between classes,” e talking, wasting tim little more serious for Maitland said. “It’s a time. Our tardies have them to get to class on gone way down.” had a couple of Some students have ss. issues on the way to cla en you hear the first wh run to t no g “Tryin if you know you are minute bell, especially one-minute, then you farther than making a rs will yell at you, ‘No have to run and teache double negative,” said a running,’ so it’s kind of Gonzalez. “You’re not sophomore Jacqueline t to one class, but if you supposed to run to ge

CONTINUES ON PAGE 3

2 | NEWS | THE LION’S TALE | SEPTEMBER 18, 2018

the Scoop

New drink machines offer updated features PHOTO BY EMMA YOST STORY BY EMMA YOST Over the summer, changes were made to campus, including the replacement of the old Coca-Cola vending machines with new Dasani ones.

“We were having issues, almost on a daily basis,” said assistant principal Drew Morgan. “Kids were losing their money in the machines. With our partnership with Coca-Cola, we were able to get newer, updated, nicer machines.”

Besides taking money, the old machines also caused other problems.

“They would give you the opposite drink of you wanted,” said sophomore Danielle Monahan.

Although the new machines don’t give students the wrong drinks, some students have had trouble with the Apple Pay feature and swiping their credit cards.

“You have to swipe it a few times until it works,” said sophomore Madison Huffman.

As for the drink options, all drinks in the new vending machine are sugar-free or calorie-free versions of popular drinks, such as Coke.

“I personally don’t like how water tastes, so I want something that has a little flavor to it,” Huffman said. “It’s just very convenient for me to come here and buy one.”

NEW VENDING MACHINES. Junior Josh Knoezer buys a drink at a vending machine. The new machines support cash, credit, and digital payments.

Administration purchases new computers for teachers

the Month in Photos

STORY BY PATRICK COSTELLO Reading teacher Nicole Davis was one of many teachers who discovered a new computer and monitor in her classroom when she returned to school in August.

“When students need assistance, it doesn’t take as long to find the answers that they need,” Davis said.

“With the second monitor, I am able to show a video on one, but still have other materials readily available on the other monitor.”

The school typically purchases 100-150 new computers each year in order to replace ones that are aging out or getting too slow, according to tech specialist Rick Voltoline.

“With the new operating systems and such coming out, we have to try to keep up with the latest technology,” Voltoline said. “We try to get rid of the oldest computers first.”

PHOTO BY MICHAEL GOTAY

O-GLOW. Students from schools around Seminole County come together to party and douse each other with paint at O-Glow on September 14th.

PHOTO BY PATRICK COSTELLO

BEST BUDDIES. Junior Caitlyn Bellhorn interacts with sophomore ESE student Jessica Thompson at the Best Buddies Club lunch.

ESE students’ new school store opens for business STORY BY SKYLAR ZERN The Roaring Lion Empire, a new school store and program for students, opened for business for the first time on Sept. 7. Transition resource teacher Joyce Davis and ESE teachers Beth Ann Yusk and Jen Quattry started the new program, which offers merchandise such as balloons for birthdays and other special events.

“The store gives our special needs students an opportunity to learn and practice valuable career skills that can foster further independence after high school,” Quattry said. “All profits go back into the business to hopefully help create more job opportunities for our students.”

Students can shop at the Roaring Lion Empire during both lunches, at the clock tower during break and the library before school.

PHOTO BY BRENDEN GRAVES

LIONS ROAR. Principal Joe Trybus rallies the crowd before the Aug. 2 football game against Timber Creek. The Lions would win 48-0.

PHOTO BY ABBIE KAUTZMAN

GO SENIORS! The cheerleaders celebrate halftime routine.

FRONT PAGE DESIGN BY GILLIAN LANDWEHR

senior powder-puff after finishing their

DESIGN BY PATRICK COSTELLO

SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | NEWS | 3

Second officer joins campus safety efforts STORY BY SAADHANA SRIDHARAN At the onset of the new school year, students returned to a changed campus.

Events over the previous year at other schools impacted the way district leadership viewed security.

“In [consideration] of recent events, legislation mandates that there should be one [school resource] officer for every 1,000 students,” said School Safety Officer Michalann Thompson. “When I first came to this school, there were 3,100 students. I was the only officer.”

After a deadly mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Feb. 2018, measures like these have been put in place in schools, districts and states across the country.

Students have felt fearful about school safety.

“I know that last year, even in middle school, we kind of felt like there was more that could be done,” said freshman Camila Torres. “We didn’t really feel…safe.”

Torres and sophomore Anila Bhusam support the addition of a second officer.

“I think that having two officers at school will make it harder for people who are not supposed to be at school to get in,” Bhusam said. “They’ll make sure the school is more secure, so that people can’t just walk in.”

Last year, the presence of an intruder on campus after school alarmed many school leaders. Calculus teacher and football coach John Rondone has adapted his approach to activities because of the recent events.

“There have been a lot of security precautions I’ve had to take as a coach after school,“ Rondone said. “These are my kids, you know. And as a teacher, there are things you have to do to take responsibility for all your students.”

School Safety Officer Karriem David joined OHS this year after being a school safety officer at Lawton Elementary school.

“It’s definitely a lot different from elementary school,” David said. “There are a lot more students, a lot more stuff going on. There’s also the fact that most of the students have some sort of social media.”

Social media, David and Thompson said, complicates things.

“There are a lot of records to keep track of when you’re dealing with a case in high school, because there will almost always be something on social media--whether it be Twitter or Instagram or something else-

-to refer to,” Thompson said. “There are so many perspectives and [ambiguities] that can make a situation spiral out of control.”

Students’ role

Principal Joe Trybus emphasized the importance of reporting suspicious behavior. “See something, say something” has become a phrase plastered on posters around campus in giant, blocky print.

Yet, many students don’t know what qualifies as suspicious behavior.

“I’ve never used it,” said senior Angela Snell. “I mean, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen suspicious behavior.”

Guidelines about this are not easily accessible, making it hard to distinguish between benign comments and consistently disturbing threats.

“I think everyone has a part to play in making the school safe,” Snell said. “If all the teachers and administrators work really

hard for school safety, but if the students don’t do anything, it’s not really going to work out well. We have to be informed.”

Thompson and David cite studentopened doors as a major safety risk.

“When you prop doors open--maybe to let your friend in, or even if you open doors for random people stuck outside--you’re increasing the chance of someone we don’t know coming in,” Thompson said.

David agreed that keeping doors closed is important.

“If you need to come into the school, go through the front office or ask one of the security guards or officers walking around to let you in,” David said.

Thompson said that safety is everyone’s job--including students’.

“We could secure, and secure and secure all day, and someone could just prop the door open,” Thompson said.

Florida’s school security budget increased by 2017-2018

1,517 school officers

51%

2,432 schools

for school resource officers

There were

2018-2019

This included more than

for

in 2015-2016

to

$162 million INFOCOURTESYORLANDOSENTINEL.COM

Thespians Society disbands, drama expands System decreases tardies Overlap of students created tension, competition within department

STORY BY CONOR DUNCAN The drama department has always been a place for students to hone their creativity. Year after year, it puts on shows for students and the community. Recently, however, conflict within the theatre caused a split between the drama department and Thespian Troupe 4564.

Drama teacher and former Thespians director Tim Carter said there was not enough time for both groups to run well.

“I feel like Thespians had been taking time and resources away from what could be used on making our school productions better,” Carter said.

Since Troupe 4564 dissolved, many things within the department have changed, according to junior Matthew Melendez, a third-year drama student.

“I don’t think the department will ever be the same, but maybe that’s not a bad thing,” Melendez said. “I’m thankful that I still get to act and do what I love with all my friends.”

Competing needs

Carter took over the department before the 2015-2016 school year and ran the two organizations simultaneously for the first two years of his tenure.

Senior Cameron Garrow said those first two years went smoothly.

“Everyone in Dracula did what they were supposed to,” Garrow said. “I’ve missed that.”

Problems began before the 2017-2018 school year, when Carter was hospitalized with a heart condition. He missed the first month of school, and both Thespians and drama had to rely on parents and club members in order to operate. Carter returned a week before the fall show, The Mousetrap, and in the middle of the Thespian club’s planning for district competition.

“While both The Mousetrap and districts went smoothly, tensions and disorganization behind the scenes caused DESIGN BY SAADHANA SRIDHARAN

the Thespians to fracture,” junior Diana Torres said.

Carter saw that the organization had become divided and had lost the meaning behind it.

“It just started becoming too much of a competition,” Carter said. “I didn’t like that. I wanted it to be about the performance.”

During summer 2018, Carter decided it was time for change and made the decision to cut Thespian Troupe 4564’s participation with the Thespian Society for the 20182019 school year.

Shifting focus

According to Carter, cutting Thespians has opened up many doors for drama. Carter has scheduled three shows this year, two of which are likely to be slated as musicals.

Actors and techs who would have had to devote their time to learning lines and building sets for Thespians competitions and showcases can now focus and their acting duties for the school, which could result in better shows, according to Mr. Carter.

Some students, like junior Zoey Young, have embraced this.

“I think Carter made a good decision cutting Thespians,” Young said. “Now we can work together in unison to put together some quality shows, instead of everybody at each other’s throats all the time for who gets a spot at states.

I think people need to understand that it isn’t all about competition and while it’s fun, I think as a whole we weren’t really getting the point.”

Regardless of the uncertainty facing the department, Carter has full faith in his group’s abilities.

“Though things have changed, expect to still see some high quality shows for years to come,” Carter said.

The first show of the 2018-2019 school year is slated to be The Uninvited and is on schedule to open on November 8th

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 don’t run, you’re going to get a HERO pass. So, there is a little bit of confusion there.”

Students have been working harder everyday to get to class on time.

“In building 5 the staircase is way too crowded and way too small, so I have to go use the back staircase, which most people don’t use,” said junior Parker Ferro.

Teachers have seen an increase of students in their classes since this system started, including biology teacher Heather DeLong.

“I think I have had three tardies all year this year so far,” DeLong said. “Granted, we are just a week into school, but this time last year I had way more than three tardies.”

The system behind HERO has reduced the number of referrals teachers have written and provides more time to teach what they must teach.

“The automation behind it, and the fact we don’t have to give the consequences, that it does it for us and it really takes a lot off the teacher,” DeLong said.

For students that are late to classes a lot, consequences do reset at certain intervals, Maitland said “At the end of every nine weeks, every student on this campus will go back to zero tardies,” Maitland said.

Coaches of sports have their own tardy systems in addition to HERO, and the consequences often affect the whole team.

“If I find out about it, then I would have to deal with it accordingly because we have a tardy system here,” said Bowling coach Pat Costello. “Whether you come to practice or not, we have our own rules and regulations for that, but we adhere to the policy of the schools.”

4 | OPINION | THE LION’S TALE | SEPTEMBER 18, 2018

Casting diverse actors future of entertainment Being inclusive in movies is very important because it adds diversity for young children to watch as they grow up, exposing them to different kinds of people who are not necessarily like them. It also shows viewers people with which they can identify. Seeing characters that a kid can relate to more closely than the cookiecutter image normally shown is helpful to a child’s growth.

The Lion’s Tale believes that showing diversity in a movie or TV show is a good thing, and that having openly gay characters in a major production, such as a Disney movie, reveals a level of progression in society.

We also believe there should be diversity among the actors. A majority of actors or actresses tend to be straight.

These straight actors tend to play straight characters, so we think that a member of the LGBTQ community should play an openly gay character.

However, if the decision between whether or not gay characters will be featured relies on whether or not the actors are straight, then we think that the representation of the characters is more important.

In the present day, we don’t think that there should be a problem with representing gay characters who are played by gay actors.

In movies, there are a lot of different characters who are not main characters. Therefore, there are a lot of different opportunities for characters to show diversity in different forms of media.

Showing diversity also leads to a more accurate representation of the world. This more accurate representation is good for companies too, as people like to see realistic stories, even when set in a fantasy world.

Throughout the history of movies and TV Shows, there have been improvements with diversity. There is more representation in a modernday TV show than there was in a show from the 1950s.

Yet, representation has a long way to go. Since actors began there is a lot more representation within actors as many actors are now out as LGBTQ or are different races.

But along with representation in the characters of a TV show, there should also be more diversity in the actors of other forms of media.

We believe that the openly gay Disney character is a great step in the right direction and hope to see further development of equality in portrayals in the future.

OUR WORD

“It’s KIND

IN YOUR FACE

Do you think it is appropriate for a straight actor to portray a gay character?

Freshman Nicholas Zeid

Yes, I think that it is okay because a straight person can act like a gay person in a movie or a show, and they can see what they go through to compare the differences of their lives.

Sophomore May Frangoul

Yes, I think it’s fine, because regardless of what their sexuality is, if they’re right to the role, if they are able to portray it the way it’s supposed to be portrayed, then they should be able to go for it.

Senior Tori Johns

Yes, I think that as an actor, you’re able to portray whatever character you’re given and I don’t think it’s wrong to play a different sexuality. As an actor or actress, you should be able to play the part.

Senior Julian Noah

Yes, I think it’s perfectly fine, I don’t have a problem at all. I think that we should distance ourselves from the fantasy world of acting. I really don’t see the problem if they portray someone who’s gay, straight, pansexual, etc.

PHOTOS BY JOYCE NG AND JUSTINA NIELSEN

OF

fun to do the

Jungle

impossible.”

Cruise

-Walt Disney ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA BLOOM

INFOCOURTESYMOMSWITHOUTANSWERS.COM

Editors-in-Chief Bryn Garick Gillian Landwehr News Editor Saadhana Sridharan

Opinion Editor Joyce Ng

Business Manager Julian Rios

Features Editors Tessa Kowalski Vani Thupili

Artist Sophia Bloom

Reporters Entertainment Editor Penelope Banks Abbie Wydra Patrick Costello Conor Duncan Sports Editor Owen Francis Nevada Cullen Brendan Graves Justina Nielsen Online Editor Christina York K. Penuel Kathleen York Emma Yost

Contributors Abbie Kautzman Skylar Zern Faculty Adviser Elise T. Carlson Admin Adviser Drew Morgan Principal Joseph Trybus

Oviedo High School 601 King Street Oviedo, FL 32765 P: 407-320-4199 F: 407-320-4213 Population: 2480 students 20 newspaper staff members

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

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

and is a member of the CSPA, NSPA and FSPA. Distribution 1400 copies of The Lion’s Tale are distributed free to all students and staff at Oviedo High School. Subscriber information is available on OviedoJournalism.com.

Reader Contributions Letters to the Editor are accepted and may be sent by post, e-mail or

OVIEDO HIGH SCHOOL • 601 KING STREET • OVIEDO, FL • SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 • VOLUME 59 • EDITION 1

dropped off in Room 5-020.

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

Full policy is available on OviedoJournalism.com.

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

OVIEDOJOURNALISM.COM

DESIGN BY JUSTINA NIELSEN

SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | OPINION | 5

artist

reporter

K PENUEL

BRENDEN GRAVES

Online dating presents challenges

When you start talking to somebody online, you usually don’t think they’re a potential candidate for your romantic affections.

Internet dating has been around for about as long as the internet has been available to the general public. In my personal experience, it usually doesn’t end well.

The only noteworthy relationship I’ve ever had was with a guy named Ivan, who claimed to be from Russia. It turned out he was from Georgia and was blackmailed by a jealous ex, along with others, to lie about his identity.

I helped him out with the blackmail issue, and so far the jealous ex is leaving him alone. All in all, it ended pretty messily and we’re in a complicated place to this day.

I’ve learned that, in an internet relationship, trust is vital. If there is no trust, there is no relationship. There also needs to be communication at least daily to keep the relationship healthy.

People in internet relationships know that there are potential risks. If you’re in an internet relationship, you most likely should do a background check on your partner to make sure their stories add up. If something seems sketchy, ask questions. More times than not, it’s nothing, but that rare one percent can be a scary one.

Another dangerous obstacle is misinterpreting text messages. A large percentage of the relationship may consist of just typing back and forth between each other on social media. For instance, I usually had trouble conveying what I meant through texts. My partner would always assume that I was brushing him off when I was, in actuality, being sincere.

Romance isn’t like how it typically is for couples “IRL” (in real life). Instead of being able to pick somewhere nice to go on a date, you usually schedule a day of the week to call.

Though the internet is dangerous, I’ve found some of my closest friends on it, and my relationship with Ivan was the best relationship I’ve ever had. While we are still trying to sort out all the issues, he will always hold a special place in my heart.

All in all, internet relationships are becoming more normal in our society.

The good, the bad and the ugly can all be seen, but that is the same with relationships in the real world.

As long as the digital relationship is built of the key components of all relationships (trust, communication and love), there shouldn’t be a problem.

DESIGN BY SOPHIA BLOOM

Popular director should not return to Disney

ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIA BLOOM

Impulse buy aids personal growth

artist

SOPHIA BLOOM

Living in the present moment is a challenge that many of us try to meet by making rash decisions. In the face of such a challenge, I bought a turtle.

An impulse turtle.

Sometime around February, I’d gone to a local reptile convention with two of my friends. There were all sorts of creatures available for sale--not only reptiles, but also a menagerie consisting of animals such as tarantulas and hedgehogs.

My friend, an aspiring reptile breeder, purchased lizard after lizard, but I resolved that I was only there to windowshop.

To be fair, I didn’t end up with a lizard.

By the time our day was nearly over, my friends both had geckos, and I was about to walk out empty-handed and reptile-free.

That is, until I saw him.

The next thing I knew, I was sitting in my friend’s truck with a turtle on my lap. I didn’t really think over the consequences of buying a turtle until I got home. The only thing I knew is that I was going to name him Tiny Tim and we were going to be best friends forever.

In the next five seconds, reality snapped in.

I was standing in my house. With a turtle.

An impulse turtle named Tiny Tim. To make matters worse, he wasn’t eating the pellets I bought him, and was often listless and bored. I panicked even more--the only thing worse than having an impulse turtle in my house was having a dead impulse turtle in my house. If Tiny Tim died, I would live with his miserable life forever on my guilty conscience.

My overwhelming anxiety soon turned to fierce resolve. Now that I had this turtle in my life, I was going to do my best to make his life as great as I possibly could.

The first thing I did was buy a bigger tank. It took him a while to get used to his new surroundings, but soon, Tiny Tim perked up and began eating voraciously.

As time went on, I stopped referring to him as an “impulse turtle” and began affectionately calling him my “turtle son.”

Of course, life with Tiny Tim won’t always be easy. Though he is quite small now, he’ll definitely grow throughout his surprisingly long lifespan. Buying a bigger tank will certainly prove to be expensive, and taking care of this turtle well into my adulthood is quite the commitment.

Unlike me, Tiny Tim doesn’t seem to worry about the troubles that lie ahead.

It may just be due to the fact that he’s a turtle and, thus, doesn’t have a very complex brain, but whenever I go outside to feed him or clean his tank, I notice that he looks happy eating, or sunning himself on his dock, or doing whatever turtles do.

From watching him, I’ve learned something that I don’t think I’d ever be able to figure out on my own. As long as he has what he needs, he’s okay. He just lives in the present. He doesn’t get stressed out or panic; he just lives his life without much concern.

And if a baby turtle has such a firm grasp on such a sage concept, surely I can work at it as well.

If you don’t know by now, James Gunn was fired before filming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. He wrote a series of offensive tweets before getting hired.

They later resurfaced, which is very unfortunate, but once you read the tweets you start to think, “How he was hired by Disney in the first place?”

I won’t quote Gunn’s tweets because of how disturbing and offensive they are.

Many fans wanted the studio to bring Gunn back or they would boycott the next few films.

At first, I was with them, demanding that Gunn be rehired. But then, I actually saw what he tweeted; now, I have a very different opinion.

Sure, Gunn is an amazing director, and deserves a lot of credit for what he did with the Guardians of the Galaxy films. But no one should tweet or say what Gunn had tweeted.

I think Gunn should not be rehired, and if he plans on making future movies, he will need to take a break from the spotlight.

The other problem I have with this incident is, why did Disney hire Gunn in the first place, if they knew he had tweeted these horrific things?

If it were me, I would not have hired him because he would be a risk to the company--a company that has already done a tremendous job of creating movies and pleasing an audience, including myself. Why would Disney hire him when he pretty much caused a liability to the Marvel franchise?

Now, Disney is crawling back to Gunn and is seemingly begging Gunn to come back, which is an even worse move than hiring Gunn in the first place. It shows how weak Disney gets when it has the press and fans protest against them.

Yes, they need to please an audience, but why go this far to do it?

A new director could benefit the Marvel Universe. We could see how other directors view the Guardians and see what adventures they bring to the big screen. One director with a dirty past shouldn’t bring a company to its knees.

Even if I were Gunn, I would deny the offer to join with Disney again because of a rough past with the company. I would spend some time out of the spotlight, take a break from the press and, most importantly, social media.

Then, when this incident blows over, I would try to get a director’s job again.

Gunn has made some hit movies before partnering with Marvel, and I believe he can do it again.

6 | OPINION | THE LION’S TALE | SEPTEMBER 18, 2018

HEAD to HEAD entertainment editor ABBIE WYDRA

Junior year brings new perspective for balance

Junior year: the year when students pass the halfway point of high school and get a step closer to graduating.

Everything seems to go faster. The first two years went by as fast as a turtle running a marathon.

But now, everything seems to be happening so fast, with the constant talk of SAT/ACT, scholarships, what you want to do with your life, whether you want to go to college. If so, which college?

You start to realize that graduation is not that far away. You see seniors walking around campus and suddenly realize that that will be you next year.

There is also the continuous pressure to have a good GPA, take a lot of AP classes and balance extracurriculars to build the perfect college resume.

I am trying my best to handle all the crazy pressure while enjoying my time in high school. This season for swimming, I am going in with a positive attitude and making the most out of every moment.

I am going to try to have fun and hang out with my friends because knowing I won’t see them much after we all go our separate ways is sad and terrifying. I am learning to live in the moment and enjoy my last two years of high school.

I am taking more time to relax on the weekend and watch Netflix--like every other teenager. Whenever I have a bad day or I am stressed, I can go to practice and swim until I can’t move, then leave the pool with a better mindset and more positive attitude.

Getting enough sleep also helps me cope with stress, which any teenager in high school can tell you is not the easiest thing to do. Especially with my 6:00 a.m. morning practices, I must get enough sleep so I can stay awake in class and learn the information I need to get my homework done.

I am also trying to eat healthier, not only because I am an athlete, but also because there are so many benefits.

When I started eating healthily, I noticed that I felt better about myself.

I still have two years, and I plan to make the most of them. First, I am going to train as hard as I can to go fast and make states in swimming. Second, it has always been my goal to get straight As, and I am determined to reach that goal this year.

I am also excited to see what will happen and where I am going to end up.

It is so crazy that, at the moment I don’t know where I want to go to college or what I want to major in but in such a short time I am going to figure it out.

The future is weird--so is junior year.

ARE OFF CAMPUS CLASSES BENEFICIAL?

Off campus classes offer more freedom STORY BY JULIAN RIOS Taking an off campus class is a privilege. It requires discipline to commit to accessing a class and taking it on your own terms. From the beginning of an off-campus virtual class, the student is entrusted with completing the course in an allotted amount of time.

Students are required to check in with the teacher every once in a while to consult with them, but other than that, it’s completely up to the student. With this process, there are a lot of benefits for a student.

First, it gives the student more freedom about the pace at which they go through the class. They can work at their own speed and focus on certain aspects of the topic that being in an actual classroom doesn’t touch on. It also gives the student more time for extracurricular activities, and other classes as well.

But, the class is not completely without a teacher. A monthly DBA is required for all classes and in some, one is required every chapter to make sure that the student is completing their work and understanding it. The online format provides easy access to the lessons as well as the assignments that a student needs to complete.

Another perk of taking off-campus classes is the ability to take dual enrollment classes at Seminole State, Valencia, or UCF. This allows students to experience an actual college class at an actual college instead of taking an Advanced Placement class at their high school. This gives the student a new and invigorating experience in the world they will soon be joining. It gives them the opportunity to get acquainted with the lifestyle of a college student.

Another perk of taking dual enrollment is that the school system pays for all your books and classes. If a student is less fortunate and can’t afford a class, this is a good start to get their foot in the door. Also, students don’t have to go to class every single day like they would have to in normal school.

Instead, they can go to class once or twice a week and have more time to do homework. It can be more flexible for a person’s schedule, allowing them to work as well as have time for normal schoolwork for high school.

Off-campus classes are an amazing perk that students get to experience. The student is given a new sense of responsibility which also enacts a sense of worth. It gives the student freedom and allows them to focus more on other things besides school.

60%

of dual-enrollment students graduate with a Bachellor’s in five years

Uncertainty leads to diminished off-campus experiences STORY BY SAADHANA SRIDHARAN All students at our school have to take a class virtually.

But many students also look into taking off-campus classes beyond this requirement. From dual enrollment to specialty electives, there’s a lot of options, but with those options come downsides. These cast doubt over whether off-campus classes are worth taking at all.

For instance, college professors can be more variable in their teaching style and routine than high school teachers; unfamiliarity with college-level or virtual-style teaching may make it harder to acclimate to the routine of an off-campus class.

In virtual school, especially, the lack of in-person access to a teacher may make it hard for some students to learn to the best of their ability; virtual school teachers may not reply soon enough to questions, which may have significant consequences upon students’ grades.

This leads to a lack of personal connection, one that may contribute to a detached academic relationship and lowered interest in learning among students.

Many students also consider dual enrollment, yet due to a general lack of information and unitary system, they often head into it with limited awareness and perceptions about the lifestyle that accompanies it. Proponents may harp about accumulating college credit with a more flexible pace and generally ‘easier-to-manage’ courses, but the unexpectedness of college courses can come as a shock to high school students.

In addition, there’s often little connection between dual enrollment programs across different colleges and schools.

Thus, credits that students earn--after toiling and stressing away--may unexpectedly not transfer over to colleges they enroll in.

It is this uncertainty that is the most troubling. What little organization there is in the dual enrollment world is not widely expansive. For example, although the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships has high-quality standards and a clear system that would be useful, but it only has 97 members. Seminole State College--where many Oviedo High School students dual enroll--isn’t accredited by NACEP. Off-campus classes may have benefits, but students must fully understand the process and outcomes before they commit to taking non-traditional courses.

Less than 10% of high school students participate in programs that offer college-credit courses

INFOCOURTESYALLFORED.COM

DESIGN BY EMMA YOST

SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | FEATURES | 7

New program gives outlet for future STEM careers STORY BY JOYCE NG Department of Health and Human Biotechnology teacher Kathy Services (HHS), physicists, data analysts, Savage fosters a Science, Technology, chemists, research scientists, audiologists, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) entomologists, etc.,” Savage said. “The list community. Savage named it ‘OHS STEM goes on. These young people do exciting Cell,’ a community of students interested in things, some of which I didn’t even know STEM careers and alumni that are currently existed as a career.”

Savage believes that the STEM Cell working in STEM careers.

In 25 years of teaching, Savage has community will be an excellent way for maintained relationships with many of her current students and their families to hear about different careers and get advice 3000 students.

“I started thinking about these young about college, interviewing, and even people as a valuable resource--mentors, simply life in general from people in their if you like, for our current students--and own community who have ‘been there and invited them to return to OHS as guest done that’.

On Sept. 7, the STEM Cell community speakers,” Savage said. “They were, had its first meeting. without exception, “Our first returning extremely enthusiastic These young people alumnus was about the idea. All do exciting things, some of Francisco Sotomayor, humble, they are brilliant which I didn’t even know Ph.D., who graduated adults that are excited to existed as a career. in 2007 and is ‘pay it back’ to Oviedo.”

Biotechnology Teacher currently working as “Alumni will return Kathy Savage an environmental in person or via Skype engineer for Anton to talk about a variety of STEM careers and the different pathways Paar Instruments,” Savage said.

With interesting new topics, students students can take to be successful in these can find out about the possibilities that are careers,” Savage said.

Savage is blown away by all the available to them in the future- especially outcomes of what her students have for students who are seeking ideas for potential careers. pursued after high school.

“I enjoyed the STEM Cell speaker, his “The list of alumni includes physicians, pharmacists, engineers of all types, presentation was very informative, giving statisticians, psychologists, a combat insights from his field of work and he systems officer in the air force, nurses, answered many questions of my interest in biologists, educators, the chief of going to college,” said junior Wesley Lim. “I would love to encourage any student Modeling and Simulation in the Office of interested in engineering to attend,” the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Savage said.

’’

’’

PHOTO BY JOYCE NG

STEM CELL PROGRAM. Speaker Francisco Sotomayor talks with the group about his career in environmental engineering on Sept. 7 after school.

FUTURE SPEAKERS 9/21 (2:30-4:00 pm) Nastassia Savage 10/05 (2:30-4:00 pm)

Whitney Bevis

10/19 (2:30-4:00 pm)

Luke Pearson

Daily thoughts spread learning, positivity through school STORY BY GILLIAN LANDWEHR Each weekday morning, AP Government teacher John Howell sends out his “Thought for the Day,” to an email list of current teachers, prior teachers and former students. Howell sends a quote to shed some positivity on everybody’s mornings.

Howell started his “Thought for the Day” eight years ago after feeling inspired by a book.

“I started reading a book by Dr. Caroline Dweck,” Howell said. “It was so inspiring to me, I said to myself, ‘You know, I think I’ll try to inspire other people with something they can think about every day that will make them about their students more.’”

Howell is proud of the growth of the list.

“It started out as a very small group and now it is probably around 75 people,” Howell said. “It started out as one person and then they told somebody and then they told somebody else. Every year we pick up a couple more, including former players of mine and students I taught about 30 years.”

Math teacher Paul Wilkie has been a member of the list for several years.

“It generally makes you think and realize many times, especially as educators, why we are in education–to work with kids and help the kids understand,” Wilkie said.

Media center parapro Michele Tibbetts joined the list last year after hearing other staff members discussing one of the thoughts.

“I decided to join because people were talking about his thought for the day and I wanted to see what it was all about,” Tibbetts said.

AP Art History teacher Jason Vallery has been a member of the list since last year and said he learns from Howell’s thoughts.

“There’s a lot of wisdom that we can pass on,” Vallery said. “It’s a quick read and a refresher or a reminder of DESIGN BY BRYN GARICK

things that we should be doing. A lot of the times, they are good lessons to pass onto people we are in charge of.”

Wilkie also shares the thoughts with his students.

“He [Howell] sent one out recently about the seven steps to success,” Wilkie said. “I actually posted it to my screen for my students to follow and show them how they can be successful.”

Howell tries to cover various topics.

“Sometimes it’s thoughts about enthusiasm, sometimes it’s thoughts about being nice, sometimes it’s thoughts about work, sometimes it’s thoughts about success, teamwork, any category you can think of,” Howell said.

Tibbetts feels a personal connection when reading Howell’s emails.

“I think for the most part the messages are very relatable,” Tibbetts said. “I feel like it’s just talking to me when I read the thought.”

Assistant principal Regina Klaers has been part of the group for two years.

“It is part of my day to actually read them,” Klaers said. “It’s never a waste of time, I always want to read the thought for the day.”

Klaers also started an email group similar to Howell’s in the past.

“I did it for years and I used to look up quotes and I had a chart where I would use quotes and mark them off when I had used them,” Klaers said.

Klaers appreciates the time and effort Howell puts into sending out his daily thought.

“It takes some time to do that, so he has the commitment and I want him to know that I appreciate that,” Klaers said.

Klaers values the meaning of the thoughts so much that she wants to ensure she will keep receiving them.

“When I retire, I’m going to give him my yahoo address so that I will continue to receive his quotes, so he has to keep sending them,” Klaers said.

Howell’s Thought for the Day 9/10 “If you want to conquer fear, don’t sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”

9/4 “There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.”

9/7 “It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.”

SEEING YELLOW 8 | FEATURES | THE LION’S TALE | SEPTEMBER 18, 2018

Community rallies to support senior with bone cancer STORY BY NEVADA CULLEN The color yellow is a symbol of happiness, hope and positivity. Recently, it has been the color unifying and strengthening Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS).

On Aug. 17, a student at Oviedo High School was diagnosed with a type of rare bone cancer, called Ewing Sarcoma. What made this news even more heartbreaking was that the student was senior Britton Daniel, Oviedo’s senior class president, and an important figure throughout Seminole County.

“The first day that my class found out was definitely a somber day for us,” said Student Government Association (SGA) sponsor Heather DeLong. “Everybody found out over the weekend, and we have definitely been reflecting on how much we care about him.”

On Aug. 22, Daniel began chemotherapy. He has been receiving treatment in Gainesville at the University of Florida Health Shands Cancer Hospital.

In order to help fund the family’s medical expenses, a GoFundMe was created, and it has raised more than $40,000 as of Sept.

17. “#B11STRONG” is the hashtag featured on all platforms of social media, representing Daniel and his growing support system.

“Everybody wants to give in some way,” said athletic director Jennifer Darty.

2.2k shares

BRIGHT YELLOW SUPPORT. Football fans show their support for senior Britton Daniel by wearing yellow and holding up signs.

“Whether it’s through a positive thought, financial support or just a conversation, and I think that’s really special.”

“It just gives me that much more strength to fight,” Daniel said. ”I honestly couldn’t do it without it all. It’s so comforting to see all the posts about me, it makes me feel loved.”

Yellow is the color for childhood cancer awareness.

SGA arranged

$40,598 $50,000 raised by 546 people in 28 days

STRONG SHIRTS. (top) #B11Strong shirts were sold on campus, uniting the school and raising funds for medical treatments.

CHEER FOR BRITTON. (bottom left) The cheer team wears yellow bows and shirts at the Timber Creek game in support.

TEAM UNITED. (right) Varsity football players place an image of a yellow ribbon on helmets to raise awareness of childhood cancer.

INFOCOURTESYGOFUNDME.COM

several yellow-out football games and pep rallies in support of Daniel and others affected by childhood cancer.

“We’re looking at different ways of bringing awareness,” DeLong said. “We’re working on getting an awareness t-shirt designed and then created, as well as awareness bands with Britton’s number on them and his name.”

The t-shirts and awareness bands have now been created, and yellow has become the predominant color in the community.

Everywhere--from Lake Brantley High School, where Daniel’s mother is the principal, to Partin Elementary

School--has had their students wear yellow in support.

“I love the way that the student body, teachers and administration at every single high school across Seminole County have really rallied around [Daniel],” Darty said.

“They just want to see him get through this and really push, and let him feel the support of everybody.”

Daniel’s football teammates have openly voiced their support and love for him.

Shortly after his diagnosis was announced, a rain-shortened practice allowed them to take action.

“It was a blessing,” said head varsity football coach Matthew Dixon. “We found a pair of hair clippers, and some of the players and coaches decided cut off their hair. It was a good gesture towards Britton to let him know that we support him.”

Players also wore yellow in their game against Timber Creek High School and lined up with ten men on their first offensive play, leaving Daniel’s spot open in his honor. At the game, wearing yellow, was head athletic trainer Erica Zimolzak-Coe, who came up with another way of showing support. “[Zimolzak-Coe] is hoping we’ll be able to fold one thousand yellow cranes that she can put in the commons in order to show support for Britton,” DeLong said. “As well as for other students or individuals that may be dealing with childhood cancer. There’s folklore that says if you fold a thousand paper cranes a wish will come true.”

Family and friends alike are making sure to talk to Daniel as much as possible and lift his spirits up. His close group of friends are all Christian, and they look to the Bible for guidance.

“We’ve all shared specific Bible verses with him every morning,” said senior Ashton Coker. “We’ve sent him daily devotions just to keep his morale up, and talked to him on the phone all the time to let him know that we all love him and are there for him all the time.”

The group arranged a trip to Disney World before Daniel began his treatment. Coker explained that it was what the group needed.

“We got a group of our closest friends together and had an awesome time,” Coker said. “It’s definitely a memory we’ll have forever.”

The support throughout the community is prevalent because Daniel’s mother, Dr. Trent Daniel, has worked at many Seminole County schools, including Oviedo, Hagerty, and now Lake Brantley.

“The entire county wants to rally around it,” Darty said. “Hagerty is even jumping in on it. Everybody wants to show their support because he is a wellknown kid across the county. He has a lot of friends and a lot of people that want to support him.”

PHOTOS BY ABBIE KAUTZMAN DESIGN BY JOYCE NG

SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | FEATURES | 9

fAST five Chicken Sandwich

“I chose the chicken sandwich because I’m a picky eater and I prefer meat so this is my choice.” -Sophomore Edward Grillo

Meal of the Day

“I got this meal because I like pancakes and potatoes.” -Sophomore Monica Morales

DESIGN BY GILLIAN LANDWEHR

The top five items, by sales number, from Dining Services in the Commons

Salad Meal

“I’m trying to be vegetarian, plus it’s a good fresh salad.” -Freshman Symphony McIntyre

Pizza

“I always get the school pizza, and it’s pretty good to me.” -Senior Destiny Smith

Hot-Italian Sub

“I chose this because it tastes good.” -Senior Yuyang Zhang

PHOTOS BY G.LANDWEHR&O.FRANCIS

10 | FEATURES | THE LION’S TALE | SEPTEMBER 18, 2018

STORY BY BRYN GARICK Former English teacher Lesley Russo flipped off the light switches in her classroom, ready to say goodbye to her teaching career and the students.

“I thought it was the most rewarding career I’ve ever had,” Russo said. “I enjoyed not only teaching, but helping guide students through their lives. Teaching was more than a job for me; it was a passion.”

Former AP Language and Composition teacher Dr. Roy Starling also said that he misses the students.

“I miss the classroom dynamics, especially being in a conversation with bright and interesting young people,” Starling said. “I miss making them laugh, and their making me laugh, and trying to answer their questions and their trying to answer mine. The classroom was my home, the students were my beloved guests, and I always wanted to make them feel at home.”

According to former ceramics teacher Robert Lawarre, interactions with other educators were equally as important as interactions with students.

“It’s not just teacher-to-student, it’s student-to-teacher, it’s teacher-to-teacher, it’s the sharing as well as the inspiration that comes along with those interactions,” Lawarre said. “That inspiration goes both ways: my students inspired me to be a better person and a better artist and a better educator.”

End of era

Eventually, for Starling, the joy of the student interactions was overshadowed by changes in the system as a whole.

“The profession I enjoyed is gone, abducted by brainless useless standardized tests, endless, disruptive ‘improvements’ and far, far too many restrictions on teachers,” Starling said. “Teachers are no longer asked to use their own talents and gifts, but to do the will of the State, to stay on the same page as their colleagues, to

teach what they’re told and how they’re told.

It’s disgraceful and I was really fortunate to be old enough to retire once those methods invaded the profession.”

For Russo, the decision to leave was based on financial concerns.

“It’s difficult to raise children on a teacher’s salary,” Russo said. “I began my new career at a higher salary than I would have reached as a retiring teacher.”

Lawarre has found success in running a machine shop with his dad.

“It may seem like a strange direction to go from teaching art, but there are a lot of connections there from working with your hands,” Lawarre said. “It’s all things I learned growing up, but that I also taught in my class that can be translated into other subject areas.”

Additionally, Lawarre still teaches—just not in a regular classroom.

“I’ve been teaching workshops abroad and in the states,” Lawarre said. “Part of how I allowed myself to leave that full-time position and take the next step was the fact that I was continuing to teach, just in a different situation. I saw my role changing in a way that I could help other educators in a broad scope and have the trickle-down effect.”

Advice for future

Though Starling believes the entire system needs to be rebuilt, he advises new teachers to truly care for their students.

“Ask yourself this: What is the one vital gift I have to offer my students, something no other teacher can offer?” Starling said.

“Then do whatever it takes to give that one thing to your students.”

Russo recommends new teachers ensure they have a second income, then get into the passion of teaching.

“Get ready to have the most rewarding career of your life...you have the opportunity to change a life!” Russo said.

“Nationally, the number of rules and regulations has exploded in a foolish and destructive search for legal perfection, and public education has been maimed in the process. Educators must comply even if the rules make no sense.”

“Never before have America’s children taken so many standardized tests, and never before have they meant so much. Testing proponents, including many powerful political and corporate leaders, contend that standardized testing objectively student performance as measured against rigorous standards.”

THE PLAGUE OF REGULATIONS

CHANGING JOB MARKET

ILLUSTRATION BY K. PENUEL

DESIGN BY GILLIAN LANDWEHR

CHALLENG of

TEACHING WHY THEY COME

WHY THEY LEAVE

Teachers leave classroom due to issues

New teachers join pro STORY BY BRYN GARICK

F reas “ teac “I lov even perio for e E that “ to m the Rus M and, “ McC wha extre by th diffe

Math teacher Tara Skaggs flipped on the lights switches of her classroom, ready to greet the students for the new year.

Skaggs always had a passion for teaching and helping others.

“As a student growing up, I was always paired with other kids to help them understand material being taught in math class,” Skaggs said. “I loved when I was able to explain something to them in a way that they had something I call a ‘Light Bulb Moment.’ Their eyes go wide; they finally understood what I was telling them.

That is why I teach--to help every student have ‘Light Bulb Moments’ for math class everyday!”

English teacher Michael McCarthy also said he was raised to teach.

“My aunt who raised me was a librarian, so that culture of reading and books and being in a school was very strong in my F family,” McCarthy said. “I definitely enjoy “ sharing what I know with other people.” will

“Public education has historically afforded millions of people access to the American Dream, but the path of upward mobility has become more challenging.”

STANDARDIZED TESTING

“ to re p a p p c la b th

SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | FEATURES | 11

GES

THE DOWNSIDES OF TEACHING

STAY?

Teacher education enrollments have dropped 35% between 2009 and 2014

LEAVE?

G

2/3’s of US teachers quit before retirement

In 2015, US public school teachers were paid 23% less than other college graduates

ofession due to passion

DECISIONS Teachers from Colorado, Arizona, Oklahoma, Kentucky and West Virginia held teacher walkouts, rallying for improvements in the school system

Skaggs said. “In other countries, teachers are treated and paid the same as doctors and lawyers. Which, I believe, is the way it should be, since no other profession can occur without teachers.”

Aspiring teacher junior Alex Wagahoff also thinks that the wages are an issue, yet they won’t affect her career choice.

“I don’t think it’s fair,” Wagahoff said. “I think they deserve more than they get paid.

But it’s not a problem for me because I’d be able to teach what I love.”

McCarthy agrees that the wages can be a problem in his day-to-day life, yet they don’t affect his choice.

“There’s always been this discussion about the value of teaching and the wages they’re paid,” McCarthy said. “When I chose this career, it was more out of what I wanted to do and not for wages.”

landscaping, metal shops, auto repair, plant nurseries, as a full-time musician and as a freelance writer,” Rush said. “Teaching is the first job that I wake up excited about, and that says something, because I’m not exactly what you’d call a ‘morning person.’”

McCarthy said that, despite any difficulty teaching, he still enjoys it more than his previous careers in public relations.

“It’s hard making a career change, but the first week that I was in a school I just knew; everything from the working with the students and the environment,” McCarthy said. “It’s such a creative environment. It’s just very refreshing.”

Rush agrees that he will stay a teacher.

“I plan to continue to teach because it’s in my blood,” Rush said.

“Because it’s who I Best career Rush does believe that despite the lack am. Because I don’t of credit, teaching still beats any other job want to spend my Fears for future days doing anything “My only true fear is that teachers he has had.

“I worked in restaurants, bars, in else ever again.” never get the credit they deserve,”

“Americans expect schools o teach the basics, create esponsible citizens, prepare effective workers, and respond to all the physical, emotional, and psychological needs of children. It may be a audable goal, but the bloated agenda disturbs his.”

“As a group, American students score no better than average on most international tests. Politicians and the press emphasize our position in the rankings as opposed to actual scores; they use tests as weapons instead of diagnostic tools.”

EVER-EXPANDING EXPECTATIONS

INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS

School funding for K-12 schools has been decreasing from 2008-2014

INFOCOURTESYCNN.COM

For some teachers, the students are the son they continue to stay.

“Without them and their personalities, ching can be very dull,” Skaggs said. ve how they work with information and n if I teach the exact same thing every od, it is a unique teaching opportunity each one.”

English teacher Skylar Rush also said students are the best part of his job.

“Above all, I love working with students make the high school experience inside classroom as beneficial as it is fun,” sh said.

McCarthy is inspired by the students , therefore, is inspired to teach.

“It’s such a collaborative environment,” Carthy said. “It’s always amazing at you can do as a teenager; they are emely capable of a lot. I get inspired hem and it’s always interesting to hear erent perspectives all the time.”

40-50% Of teachers leave the profession within the first five years of teaching

INFOCOURTESYSCHOOLSCANNOTDOITALONE

12 | FEATURES | THE LION’S TALE | SEPTEMBER 18 , 2018

Students flock off campus

STORY BY K. & C. YORK This school year, 499 students are taking at least one off-campus virtual class, according to assistant principal Jason McDonald. Some students use Florida Virtual School (FLVS), while others use Seminole County Virtual School (SCVS).

The State of Florida requires students to take at least one online class before graduation, but students can opt to take more than one.

Senior Audra Menard has been using FLVS since sixth grade.

“It’s an easy option to get credits in,” Menard said. “I also like them because I get to go at my own pace and I get to take classes not offered on campus.”

This year, Menard is taking three offcampus classes. To do so, she leaves school after fourth period. Menard is taking social media, personal education and lifestyle design.

Sophomore Katherine Cline has been using FLVS since seventh grade and heard about it from her sister.

“I’m taking virtual classes so that I can get more credits,” Cline said.

Cline has taken English 1, biology, prealgebra and personal fitness in past years.

Currently, she is taking world history.

“I like off-campus virtual classes because I get to go home early and [I don’t] have to be at school,” Cline said.

A lot of students haven’t used FLVS before this year, like senior Brady Michalik.

Michalik chose to take two virtual classes since he didn’t want all of his classes oncampus.

He hasn’t chosen what classes he is going to take yet, which is one of FLVS’s features that allows flexibility in student schedules.

“I enjoy them because you can set your own pace to the class,” Michalik said.

Senior Gabby Crespo has been using FLVS for five years. She has taken personal fitness, driver’s ed, critical thinking and study skills in the past. She is taking personal finance right now, which teaches students how to manage expenses and what to do with a credit card and budget.

“I use FLVS because it allows for flexibility and because it is easy for me to manage my time and causes less stress,” Crespo said.

Many people take FLVS as an offcampus class, while others use it for extra classes so they can get their credits faster.

FLVS can be a great way for students to manage time and discover their own educational preferences, according to guidance counselor Lauren Vosburg.

“If students are using virtual school as it was designed, to either accelerate their learning or for more flexible opportunities due to personal issues such as learning style, I think it can be a very positive thing,” Vosburg said.

Principal Joe Trybus also believes that virtual classes are a great option for some students.

“While earning my master’s degree, I was required to complete some online coursework as well,” Trybus said.

However, Trybus still prefers face to face because he views it as more effective.

Sophomore Erika Bostwick is taking personal fitness off-campus. This is her first time using FLVS. “I don’t prefer virtual classes because I like having a teacher physically there,” Bostwick said. “I’m taking a virtual class because it is required.”

Freshman Kennedy Cook heard about FLVS in middle school and is now taking her first virtual course this year, photography.

“I can learn at my own pace and get the credits needed to graduate,” Cook said.

FLVS is the nation’s first statewide online public high school There are more than 120 courses available 275 FLVS Full Time 12th grade students graduate and receive high school diplomas

74 percent of public/ charter school students complete semester courses through FLVS INFOCOURTESY NOVA.EDU, FLVS.NET

DESIGN BY KATHLEEN YORK

SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | FEATURES | 13

What’s YOUR Biggest Fear?

Ellen DeGeneres Dory

Allison Williams Peter Pan

Being buried alive

Jack Whitehall A new Gay Disney character

?

Scarlett Johansson Major

Disney’s new gay character sparks controversy STORY BY PENELOPE BANKS

*NAME WITHHELD UPON REQUEST

One of the largest mass media companies, Disney, has just announced they will be filming a live action movie of Jungle Cruise, which will feature a gay character. The actor, Jack Whitehall, however, is straight, which has caused some controversy across social media.

“I think it’s fine because acting is being someone who you are not, or relating to the character in any way you can,” said freshman Brianna Bibona.

Bibona doesn’t feel personally affected by the topic, and believes that once the movie is released, many people will calm down.

Senior Daniela Zini also agrees that the actor’s sexuality shouldn’t matter.

“I think it’s okay as long as it’s done respectfully and with good intentions,” Zini said. “I think people will be offended if it’s not well-founded and done correctly.”

Junior Miles Winterfeldt thinks that the actor shouldn’t be a problem.

“There are certain people who are like ‘If you want a gay character, then get a gay person to play them,’” Winterfeldt said.

coming, baby steps.”

Sophomore Sienna Decker feels that representation is viewed differently by various people.

“I mean I don’t mind it, yes it’s different and kind of weird, but I’m fine with it,” Decker said. “I think people should be happy with it. I don’t think it’ll have an effect on me or anyone. I think it’ll help people who are afraid of coming out.”

Decker thinks that one of the reasons this is so controversial is because of certain religious beliefs people may have.

“Although many people may be okay with this and don’t see the problem with it, there are also many who believe because it’s not in the Bible, it’s not right,” said sophomore Brendan Carney. “I love that they’re integrating different types of communities in the Disney world.”

Freshman Levis Strodel also thinks that it’s a positive thing for Disney to be inclusive, even if some people may mistake it as a stigma.

“Gay isn’t mainstream, and I don’t think it’ll ever be, but it is a good thing that Disney is trying to be inclusive,” Strodel said.

Uh...why is he doing that?

Sophomore Wesley Rupe

Worms

Junior Brooke Brennan

Parasites

Freshman Tiffany Perry

Being mugged Teacher Tonia Letzo

Jack got into candy...

Oh, jeez, e. another on

DESIGN BY OWEN FRANCIS

Snakes

plz...

ILLUSTRATION BY K PENUEL

PaperBoy

“But not all gay people are actors, just like how they tried to get Scarlett Johansson to play a transgender character, and she’s obviously not transgender and that blew up negatively in the community.”

As part of the LGBTQ community, Winterfeldt feels that it depends on the way the character is portrayed.

“Just me being a transgender gay person, I’m like it shouldn’t be that bad as long as we’re being portrayed positively,” Winterfeldt said.

Junior Sophie Gill thinks that the actor’s skill should be the only thing that affects casting decisions.

“It’s not based on sexuality, it’s just on the better acting skill,” Gill said.

However, not everyone feels the same.

“They can’t express themselves the same way,” said sophomore Jaymee Pohlad.

Senior Morgan Gunter also wishes that the actor portraying the character would be part of the LGTBQ community.

“I like that there is representation, but it would be nice to see LGBT actors in that role,” Gunter said. “But it’s a long time

Wait, what??

Senior John Wu

Reviewed

14 | ENTERTAINMENT | THE LION’S TALE | SEPTEMBER 18, 2018

Crazy Rich Asians Movie

STORY BY VANI THUPILI Crazy Rich Asians is a movie that defies the modern era of filmmaking by being the first movie to cast solely Asians.

Nick Young’s fiance Rachel Chu is asked to accompany him back to Singapore for Colin Khoo’s wedding, Little does Rachel know, Nick Young is part of an extremely wealthy family, which leads to a week of traditional Chinese families, upper class dilemmas and mean-girl scandals.

Compared to the book, the movie is less engaging, but still vividly depicts the rich and upscale lifestyle described in the book.

The Predator Movie

STORY BY TESSA KOWALSKI

STORY BY JULIAN RIOS Among the plethora of games at District Eat and Play, there is an abundance of arcade games, including, but not limited to, Jurassic Park, Walking Dead, military shooting games, Space Invaders and app games converted into consoles.

The shooting games were my personal favorites, as they had a storyline behind them. In Jurassic Park, you are constantly shooting at dinosaurs and other threats as you are whisked away in a jeep.In the Walking Dead, you use a crossbow to shoot zombies as you escape a jail.

While these games don’t reward players with tickets, they are still very fun to play.

Other games, like Crossy Road and Space Invaders, do award tickets. These games were simple and fun.

FOOD STORY BY NEVADA CULLEN

The original Predator came out in 1987 and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. The newest addition to the Predator Franchise came out Sept. 14.

The Predator 2018 shares the amount of violence and action with the original. But it lacks character development and has an inconsistent plot. And the CGI took away from the action scenes. It is totally different from the original Predator: it is an action comedy, not a suspenseful thriller.

Even so, the movie is, overall, decent, and if you like action-packed movies, this movie is for you.

District Eat and Play offers a wide selection of appetizers, sandwiches, entrees and desserts, similar to your typical bar-and-grill restaurant.

Unlike a typical bar-and-grill restaurant, however, you can select a combo meal to receive a game card and a discount on food. I spent $23.99 to purchase a $20 game card and a massive portion of pubstyle fish and chips.

The fish was crispy and light, pairing well with an abundant helping of thick-cut fries. A combination of tasty, inexpensive food and diverting games makes District Eat and Play an inviting place to grab a bite to eat.

Marvel Cinematic Festival Movie Festival

Iron Man. The festival lasted for eight days and featured 30 movies, showing four movies each day.

On the final day, they presented two fan-chosen movies, Iron Man and The Avengers. In my opinion, those were exactly what I thought the final movies should be. Those films are essentially the backbone of the whole franchise.

With all this excitement, and fans’ need to see these movies, how could anyone plan a great period of time in their days to see these movies? I only managed to see

STORY BY BRENDEN GRAVES The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has come a long way, lasting 10 years and producing 20 movies, starting with the first movie, Iron Man. It is one of the longest continuing franchises, with more still to come with Captain Marvel and Avengers 4 coming out within the next nine months.

This AMC Theatres-based film festival was set up for fans who love the franchise. It shows how far the universe came from the subtle and humble movie

TRIVIA NIGHT

ARCADE GAMES

PRICING Expert Card: $25 250 credits + 50 bonus credits Genius Card: $50 500 credits + 120 bonus credits Mastermind card: $75 750 credits + 200 bonus credits Create your own: $ varies $1=1 credit

PRIZES STORY BY PATRICK COSTELLO The arcade games at District Eat and Play award virtual tickets based on your performance in the game. Once you’re done playing at the arcade, you can redeem these tickets for prizes.

The average prizes range in cost from 150 to 600 tickets, although some prizes cost as few as 80 tickets or as many as 2,000.

I think this illustrates the great value the prize section offers, as players can easily reach 800-1,000 tickets with the basic “Expert” play card. three of the 30 movies.

Despite only seeing three movies, I had to drive 20 minutes to the nearest AMC theater in Altamonte Springs. With each ticket ringing up at about $8.00, plus the cost of food and gas, this “once in a lifetime experience” got very pricey.

When Iron Man came out in theaters it left audiences with a sense of awe, and the question of what was to come next. I also went to see The Avengers, which was just a thrilling as seeing it the first time six years ago.

Then I went to go see Avengers: Infinity War, which was still fresh since it came out four months ago.

STORY BY NEVADA CULLEN Every Tuesday, District Eat and Play hosts trivia nights with Tasty Trivia, a company that travels throughout the Orlando area and holds trivia events at restaurants, bars and other locations.

Every so often, they have themed trivia nights, such as Disney or Marvel trivia. On July 31, I attended a “Friends”themed trivia night.

The venue was electric. It was packed with hundreds of eager trivia players.

We were locked in a tie with another group, and the crazy tiebreaker added to the excitement of the night.

Our group finished in second place out of more than 40 teams.

Trivia nights are an entertaining way to hang out with friends or family, and there are themes for everyone to enjoy.

CARNIVAL GAMES STORY BY ABBIE WYDRA The carnival games at District Eat and Play are mostly typical games, like throwing balls at clowns for points and Skee-Ball.

However, there are some games that I find unique and have not seen often. For example, they have a game where you throw bean bags into a spinning target with holes to earn points, like the game cornhole.

They also had cup pong, which is also a very rare game that I see in arcades like Dave and Busters.

Some carnival games are unique, and it is fun to figure out different strategies for how to earn the most points and tickets.

Overall, the first ever Marvel Film Festival was a great hit. My only complaint is that planning to attend the festival is very hard due to school and other activities--and how much money I spent to see only three movies.

I also hope that, for the next MCU Festival, they will spread out the times and dates enough so I can go see all of the movies, which people could just watch from the comfort of their homes.

I am a die-hard fan, though, who is willing to spend as much money as possible to see these movies. These movies hold a special a place in fans’ hearts, and where else would we be able to see them again in their full glory except on the big screen?

DESIGN BY BRENDEN GRAVES

One-Page Low-Down

SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | ENTERTAINMENT | 15

App Review: Castbox STORY BY SAADHANA SRIDHARAN

I love podcasts, so it wasn’t long before I found Castbox, a podcast app.

When you first open the app, there is a selection of featured podcasts spanning a top banner. On the “Listen” tab, I learned that Castbox allows me to download podcasts without additional purchases. A downloads folder sits right above a playlist feature, where you can add any podcasts to listen to later. When I subscribed to podcasts, the “New Releases” section chronicles all the new podcasts I haven’t listened to yet, organizing them into a neat list.

The “Subscribed” tab is the one I ended up using the most. It’s similar to subscribing to YouTube channels. If enabled, you can also get notifications when a new episode is out.

However, it differs from YouTube in its

design. Instead of combining all of the episodes in one long list, Castbox instead organizes by podcast series and uses icons to represent this.

There are options for adding tags to podcasts to group them by topic.

For example, you can add a “News” tag to all the podcasts discussing news, and the app will group them in a section within the “Subscribed” tab to make it easier to find.

These functionalities make Castbox a promising app, one I will use to fuel my podcast addiction.

Album Review: Sweetener STORY BY GILLIAN LANDWEHR After two long years, Ariana Grande has finally released her newest album, Sweetener, on Aug. 17. Sweetener features 15 new songs that have a different vibe than Grande’s traditional pop style.

The first song from the album is called “raindrops (an angel cried).” This song is very different than her typical style.

This song is only 38 seconds long and only features Grande’s strong vocals.

One of the first songs Grande released for the album is called “no tears left to cry.” It was released on April 15. This is by far one of the most popular songs off the new album. It even reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

One of my favorite songs from the album is “God is a woman,” which sounds pretty similar to her previous works,

but it has a more seductive sound to it. In this song, Grande sings about the strengths of womanhood.

Another one of my favorite songs is “successful.” This song has a pop and hip-hop sound to it. Here, Grande sings about how fun it is to be young and successful. This song is very upbeat and catchy.

Sweetener features artists such as Missy Elliot and Nicki Minaj. The song “blazed” features Pharrell Williams, singer of the popular song

Local Review: Sno Tea STORY BY C. & K. YORK

Sno Tea is near UCF. It is an authentic Taiwanese Bubble Tea and Dessert café that offers a wide variety of desserts and teas, such as snow ice, bubble tea, crepes and waffles. If you like Boba, you will most likely enjoy Sno Tea. The Café offers games to play while visiting. For a small shop like this, I thought it would have had better service, but the wait time was quite long, and I was the only one who was in line. The items are a little overpriced compared to similar places.

I ordered a French Carmel milk tea that cost about $5. It tasted like coffee; I don’t think I’d order it again.

DESIGN BY ABBIE WYDRA

“Happy.” This song is very upbeat and has a bubbly feel to it.

This is my collaboration song from this album.

In the song “breathin,” Grande sings about the traits associated with anxiety. This song seems like a reminder to Grande and her fans to keep breathing whenever they start feeling anxious. Grande herself struggles with anxiety and understands it can be tough sometimes.

With this album, Grande released three different music videos. She released music videos for “God is a woman,” “no tears left to cry” and “the light is coming.”

Grande also sings about relationships, including a song titled “pete davidson.” Grande dedicated this song to her fiancée, Pete Davidson. Here, she sings about her newly found happiness and how she has found her soul mate.

They also had a wide variety of different items to choose from, so I did get a feel of what kind of things they serve.

The location is right in the UCF area, so it was kind of busy, but it was nice to go and try something new.

It had very calming popstyle music playing in the background.

I could see people using the cafe as a study place, PHOTO BY K. YORK mainly college students. They have a very modern design to the café, which matches perfectly with the environment.

SOUL OF AN ARTIST INTERVIEWED BY SOPHIA BLOOM

Writer

Sophomore Katie Coghill PHOTO BY SOPHIA BLOOM Q: What made you first decide you wanted to be a writer?

Katie: I used to write a lot of things, and someone read something and came up to me and said, “This isn’t good,” so I said, “OK, I’ll make it good.” So I succeeded out of spite, really.

Q: Is there anything you do outside of writing that helps you with your writing?

Katie: I do a lot of reading, my parents go a lot of places, and I do things like acting, which helps a lot with my writing. My dad works for an aerospace company, so if I’m writing a science-fiction novel, we have free passes to NASA, so I can go and observe, so that helps a lot.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge for you as a writer?

Katie: Naming people. If I name them after a friend, people might think I have a crush on them, which isn’t always true.

Q: What’s your favorite genre to write? Do you write novels, poetry, short stories?

Katie: I really like writing novels because I feel like I can get more out. I write poems sometimes, but I can’t always express all my ideas in poems.

Q: How do you feel after you finish writing a project?

Katie: I feel really accomplished because people will be reading my ideas. Even if they don’t really like it or agree with it, my ideas will be subconsciously in their minds, and I like to motivate people that what they think is the entire world isn’t always the entire world.

Up and Coming Event

Petrified Forest opens: Friday, Oct. 5 7:30 p.m.

Pricing: VIP Ticket: $33 Admission for 1 person into both (2) Scare Trails and (1) Backstage Tour Double Trail: $25 Admission for 1 person into both (2) Scare Trails Single Trail & Backstage Tour: $23 Admission for 1 person into (1) scare trail and (1) Backstage Tour Single Trail: $15 Admission for 1 person into 1 scare trail Backstage Tour: $10 This is where you get to do some of the scaring and not get scared!

This ticket will admit one (1) person to an interactive backstage guided tour.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | SPORTS | 17

POWDERPUFF GAME ENDS IN DRAMATIC JUNIOR WIN PHOTOS BY ABBIE KAUTZMAN STORY BY PATRICK COSTELLO The junior and senior classes faced off at the annual Powder Puff flag football game on the evening of Friday, Sept. 14. The game consisted of two 25-minute halves, and in the absence of the usual kickoff, possessions began at the 30 yard-line after a score and at the beginning of each half. Each first down was 20 yards.

After the pregame introductions of the players and cheerleaders had concluded, it was time for the action on the gridiron to get underway. While the seniors had control in their first possession, it was the junior class that gained some early momentum with an interception by Megan Campbell near the 50 yard line.

The juniors attacked with the ground game on their first possession, and were able to pull off a few solid gains on rushes by players such as Natalie Livingstone.

They ultimately failed to convert the opportunity into any points, and turned the ball over on downs after a few plays. Neither team could get much going on offense in the ensuing possessions, and traded punts for the majority of the first half.

There was an entertaining halftime show where the cheerleaders performed, much to the delight of the crowd, a routine to songs such as “Milkshake” and “Fancy.” To begin the second half, both teams came out looking to secure the lead and establish themselves as the superior class through dominance on the field.

Despite strong efforts from players such as Emma Warrner and Liz Leblanc on offense for the juniors, and Erica Taylor and Morgan Gunter leading the seniors on offense and defense respectively, the second half mostly followed the pattern of the first. Neither team could put together a scoring drive and the game remained deadlocked at zero throughout the half. The seniors nearly scored a game-

DESIGN BY BRYN GARICK

winning touchdown on the last drive of regulation, but couldn’t quite pull it off, leaving the game to be decided in overtime. The overtime followed “Kansas City”-style rules, in which each team has a chance to score starting at their opponent’s ten yard-line.

The juniors began the extra period with the ball at the seniors’ ten yard-line, with one set of downs to score. They quickly scored the first points of the game on a touchdown pass from quarterback Emma Warrner to Liz Leblanc, but were unsuccessful on their one-point conversion attempt.

Per overtime rules, the seniors then got the ball at the juniors’ ten yard-line and also had one set of downs to try to tie or win the game. The seniors failed to get into the endzone on this possession, the last play of the game being a rush that was stopped by the junior defense just five yards from the goal line. This secured bragging rights and the 6-0 victory for the juniors, and dropped the class of 2019 to 0-2 in Powder Puff games.

IN STYLE. Junior cheerleaders perform at the Powder Puff game on Sept. 14.

The juniors would go on to beat the seniors in an overtime match.

CHASE HER DOWN. Seniors and juniors face off in an intense game on Sept. 14 at John Courier Field.

HAND IT OFF. Junior Mackenzi Sakhleh takes the ball after a play. She would help the juniors go on to win this year’s Powder Puff game.

18 | SPORTS | THE LION’S TALE | SEPTEMBER 18, 2018

reporter

CONOR DUNCAN

Rivalries in sports bring out best of competition Ohio State vs. Michigan, Colorado Avalanche vs. the Detroit Red Wings, the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Boston Celtics. These are just a few examples of some of the greatest rivalries in sports to date. But what drives them? Why do sports fans collectively funnel so much anger toward a particular team or franchise for seemingly no reason?

Why do the players of the teams and franchises play more aggressively against their “rival”?

Rivalries have always been a part of sports at all level, and while there may be a multitude of reasons behind this, there are only two that explain this phenomenon across every sport at every level--talent and capacity of the teams involved. One of the best examples of a talent-born rivalry is that of the Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche.

The year was 1996 and The Detroit Red Wings were set to face off against Colorado Avalanche. The Red Wings had a picture-perfect regular season, gliding into the playoffs with an astonishing 131 points; the second-best record in NHL history. Everyone was betting on them to lift the Stanley cup, but the Aves had something to say about it.

Game 6 saw a huge on-ice battle between the two teams that would begin one of the most infamous rivalries in the history of the NHL. These teams were so angry toward each other because they were the only ones that were able to play against each other.

Both teams were stacked with all-star players. The Avalanche had star forward Claude Lemieux and Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy. The Red Wings had Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman and infamous enforcer Vladimir Konstantinov.

The Avalanche eventually beat the Wings, who were almost certain that they had the cup within their reach. Both the players and the fans felt robbed.

It was no surprise that when these two teams faced off again in the 1997 western conference final, things would be faster, harder and bloodier, only this time with the Red Wings coming out on top.

This was one example of an amazing rivalry born out of mere talent. Rivalries are a necessary part of sports because they spice up the entertainment factor of it.

THE BLITZ Oviedo High School has one true rival. Hagerty. This year, the Lions defeated Hagerty in dominating fashion, winning 44-23.

READY FOR ACTION. Freshman Riley Finnegan takes a knee at halftime during a game against Lyman on Sept. 13 at John Courier Field.

GIRL ON THE GRIDIRON Freshman football team features female lineman PHOTOS BY ABBIE KAUTZMAN

STORY BY TESSA KOWALSKI The 2018-2019 freshman football team has a secret weapon, and her name is Riley Finnegan. She plays left guard and defensive tackle, and just so happens to be a girl.

R. Finnegan has always played football with boys, so the only adjustment she had to make was to the physicality of tackle football.

“It’s a lot different than flag, contact is super different,” R. Finnegan said.

“But there are a lot more people on CFYFL and I played quarterback when I was in flag, and obviously I’m in a completely different position now.”

T h e r e are certain positions that R. Finnegan can’t play in a tackle game.

“I can’t be a center because that’s obviously kind of awkward,” R. Finnegan said. “But no there’s nothing really different that would make me have to be put off into a different group because of the fact that I am a girl.”

According to freshman football player

Joshua Joy, the boys on the team have adapted easily to Finnegan joining the team.

“We don’t treat her differently at all,” Joy said. “It’s no different than playing with a boy, we treat her all the same.”

R. Finnegan said that she’s treated like one of the guys and that the team has their own fair share of jokes.

“No one is really discriminatory towards me or anything like that,” R. Finnegan said.

“When I was in CFYFL, the coach would always try and include me in and be like ‘boys and girl.’ But now, in high school, I told them that I don’t care if they said ‘and girls,’ just as long as they know that I’m there.

Someone will say ‘boys’ and then one of the guys on my team will go ‘AND GIRLS.’ It’s stupid, but it’s our thing.”

English 4 teacher Kimberly Finnegan is the mother of R. Finnegan.

“At Oviedo, she’s a little separated, so sometimes communication breaks down and she’s waiting in the training room for them to come get her,” K. Finnegan said. ”it’s

something that they’re getting used to because they haven’t had a girl on the team since Register was here coaching, maybe 10 or 15 years ago.”

According to R. Finnegan, she isn’t that outgoing on the team.

“If we’re going into a really big game, I’ll bring positivity,” R. Finnegan said. “I try to bring confidence, just like, ‘Come on guys, we can do this, we got it.’”

According to Joy, the boys on the team have noticed her confidence.

“She’s very confident, especially for a team with all boys,” Joy said. “Most people wouldn’t do that. Since she is a girl, that makes her very confident.”

K. Finnegan expresses the qualities that R. Finnegan brings to the table.

“She is very much about the team and she is the coaches’ kind of kid,” K. Finnegan said. “Riley will do what the coaches tell her to do and won’t question it, and she gets along well with everybody.”

K. Finnegan said that R. Finnegan has wanted to play since elementary school.

“We wouldn’t let her play because she was a girl and it was too dangerous,” K. Finnegan said. “But she kept pushing and pushing to do it.”

K. Finnegan decided to let her join tackle football this year.

“She’s super tough, so we were like, ‘OK, at this point she’s as big or bigger than some of the boys,’” K. Finnegan said. “So this would be the time to let her play to see if she likes it before they get too big and she gets hurt. Riley loves it.”

K. Finnegan couldn’t hold her daughter back from doing something that she loves.

“She’s so passionate and knows the game so well we felt like we couldn’t hold her back,” K. Finnegan said. “She needed to know if this is what she wants to do.”

DESIGN BY NEVADA CULLEN

SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 | THE LION’S TALE | SPORTS | 19

ROARBOARD

For more, head to

OviedoJournalism.com

Volleyball puts on all-American display PHOTO BY ABBIE KAUTZMAN STORY BY VANI THUPILI

STAR STUDDED SET.

Senior Savannah Vach sets the ball during warmups against Lake Brantley.

SPORTS IN REVIEW: A PHOTO FINISH

MARCHING TO VICTORY. Oviedo Marching Lions head towards the bleachers after a half-time performance on Aug. 24.

UP FOR GRABS. Junior Keonte Coffee catches a long throw during a game against East River on Aug. 17.

CHEER IN SUPPORT. Oviedo Varisty Cheer team fliers wear yellow in support of Britton Daniel at the pep rally on Sept. 7.

PHOTOS BY ABBIE KAUTZMAN DESIGN BY VANI THUPILI

The Volleyball Preseason All American Award is awarded to the top 36 volleyball athletes in the nation.

During the 2018 preseason, the All American Award by MaxPreps was presented to Oviedo High School’s senior Savannah Vach.

“It’s a great feeling because you know all the work you are putting into it is paying off,” Vach said. “I was practically born with a volleyball in my hands and I have loved it ever since.”

Vach has been playing volleyball for 15 years, showing her dedication to the sport and to her team.

“They give everything they can to their team to help drive us towards success,” said varsity girls’ volleyball coach Jennifer Darty. “In how they handle the ball, in their communication, in their effort, in their passion and in their leadership.”

Vach’s impact on the team is visible through her teammates’ efforts on the court.

“It is a privilege to be playing on a team

with players who have won All Americans,” said Junior Abigail Mason. “She works extremely hard and does her best to contribute as much as she can to better the team so that we can be successful.”

Vach mans the position of setter on the Oviedo team and will continue playing that position at the University of Miami.

“It’s a great feeling because you know all the work you are putting into it is paying off,” Vach said.

Last season, the girls’ varsity volleyball team held the title as district and conference champions.

The team felt the season ended too early last year, as they made it all the way to regionals.

They fell to West Orange at the regional finals with a final score of 25-4.

“I look forward to seeing what this team can do this season and am excited about what each player brings to the table,” Darty said.

The team will be attend the Nike Tournament of Champions from Sept. 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Last year they placed 7th overall and hope to to peform better this year.

Star Athlete: Angel Vicioso INTERVIEWED BY NEVADA CULLEN The Oviedo cross country team is looking to repeat as state champions. They began their season with a victory in the Deland Invitational on Sept. 1.

Senior Angel Vicioso led the team, finishing in first place and setting a personal best time of 15:59 in the 5K race. Vicioso is using his status as team captain to make sure that the team exceeds expectations.

Q: What did it mean to you to have you and three of your teammates finish in the top ten in the invitational?

A: It feels really good. It’s a testament to what we’ve been doing in preparation.

We do a lot of hard stuff on the track.

They’re hard times. It’s hard work, and we have fun doing it and it’s competitive.

Q: How are you working to improve?

A: Capitalizing on each practice…doing every practice the best we can. If we do the best we can every single day, it will add up and we will see big improvements.

We just have to be competitive and hungry.

Q: Now that you are a senior, what is it like being a leader of the team?

A: Since I’m a senior, I have more of a role.

I’ve been named captain. I’ve always been the same type of person, I’ve always been concerned with my teammates. Now I get to be more vocal and influential.

Q: What are your goals for the season?

A: Our goal is to win the state championship again.

We’re expecting that everyone continues to improve.

Q: What is the legacy you’re trying to leave?

A: We want to leave the team off better than it was when we came into the program. Every year, we’ve gotten more intense in terms of training and commitment, so hopefully next year the team will be even more committed. We have fun, we stay relaxed, and when it’s time to work, we work.

20 | FEATURES | THE LION’S TALE | SEPTEMBER 18, 2018

SENIORS RULE Tradition allows seniors to express individuality STORY BY ABBIE WYDRA Senior crowns: one of the many privileges in which seniors get to participate.

It is a big form of creativity and shows the other students who runs the school.

According to secretary Patti Blake, the senior crowns have been around since 1996. At first the crowns started off as just basic black-and-orange crowns, and students put their own spin on the school’s colors.

Today, some seniors get really into it, using pom poms, stickers and even string lights to make their crowns glow.

“Every year, some of the students never cease to

PHOTO BY BRENDEN GRAVES

SUPERIOR SENIORS. Seniors wear their crowns and sing the Alma mater during the first pep rally on Aug. 24.

surprise me,” Blake said. “They are much more elaborate now. I have seen a great change throughout the years.”

Senior Cheyanne Smith made her senior crown based off her interest in the season of fall.

“I am the queen of fall,” Smith said. “I just found all the stuff at the dollar store it was six dollars total to do all of it.”

Senior Mia Hudanich also made her crown distinct.

“I plan to do a navy and white theme with navy and white flowers,” Hudanich said.

Senior Elise Coleman used paint,

tape and sticky letters from Michael’s to decorate her senior crown.

“It’s a tradition that the seniors have been doing for years,” Coleman said. “It lets everyone show their creativity.”

Students find the basic crowns themselves in several places. Amazon, Michaels and Burger King are all common places where seniors can get their base crown to decorate. “ O c c a s i o n a l l y, Burger King will donate all of the crowns

and, occasionally, over the years when I have gone and gotten them, they aren’t really happy to give me too many more, but I still try,” Blake said.

Hudanich hopes the tradition will live on.

“I think it brings pride to seniors and future classes will love it,” Hudanich said.

PHOTOS BY TESSA KOWALSKI

DESIGN BY TESSA KOWALSKI