The Lion's Tale - Volume 52, Issue 1

LION’STALE OVIEDO HIGH SCHOOL • 601 KING STREET • OVIEDO, FL • SEPTEMBER 23, 2011 • VOLUME 52 • ISSUE 1

On the

chopping block School Board considers cutting sports, fine arts, extracurriculars pg 6

Check out OHS’s version of ‘Sister, Sister’ pg 13

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( news sports )

THE LION’S TALE

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SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

Drama does ‘Shipwrecked’

THE SCOOP

The drama department is currently working on their fall play called ‘Shipwrecked’.

The play is based on the stories of Henri Louis Grin, who claimed to have had extraordinary adventures under the pseudonym Louis de Rougemonte. His stories were published in The Wide World Magazine in 1899. The play opens on Dec. 3rd and continues through the 4th.

Bright Futures hours increase

The Florida Bright Futures scholarships now require more community service for 2011-2012 academic year.

For the Florida Academic Scholars, 100 hours is now required. To receive Florida Medallioin, 75 hours are needed and 30 hours for Gold Seal Vocational Scholars.

State phases in EOC exams Governor Rick Scott has signed into law a bill that will replace the FCAT with Endof Course (EOC) exams. By 2014, there will be an EOC for every class. The cost to develop and administer such a test will cost between $1 million and $1.5 million per test.

The cost of administering the FCAT each year is between $38 million and $44 million. The EOCs are the next step in Gov. Scott’s merit pay plan in which teachers are evaluated and paid based on the performance of their students.

School bans NJROTC machines NJROTC is no longer allowed to sell soda products. This is because of a Florida Department of Education program to fight teenage obesity that requires all sugary drinks must be removed from schools.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 17 percent of kids between the age of two and 19 are obese. The soft drink vending machine in the auto building was also removed.

photo/LINSEY DUCA

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. Junior Diego Zegarra does push ups after school for NJROTC.

all photos/LINSEY DUCA illustration/WESLEY WYNNE

NEW DEPUTY IN TOWN. (left) Principal Robert Lundquist recently became a deputy supervisor of elections for Seminole County. He is now able to help register voters.

This new process allows students to submit their voter registration form directly to him rather than students driving down to the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Mike Ertel’s office in Sanford. (right) Lundquist received his certificate on July 21. It now hangs in his office.

Lundquist able to register voters

by Stephanie O’Sullivan

would be an interesting way to help the students rincipal Robert Lundquist signed his turn in their voters registration forms at the place name on the paper, shook hands with where they are five days a week, instead of having the Supervisor of Elections in Seminole to drive down to my office, which is located by County, Mike Ertel, and became a deputy the Sanford Airport,” Ertel said. supervisor of elections for Seminole County on Lundquist can receive registration forms and July 21. help students with the process.

“We, the principals, were sworn in by “Now, if students have blanks on their form, the supervisor they can come to me of elections for and I can provide it for We, the principals, were Seminole County them. Then they can to allow students to turn the forms into me sworn in by the supervisor of be able to register and I can take it to the elections for Semionle Couty to vote at school,” supervisor. It eliminates to allow studnents students to Lundquist said. the step of the step of In the past, Ertel the students going to be ale to register to vote at would visit all of the the supervisor’s office,” school. schools in Seminole Lundquist said.

Principal Robert Lundquist County and urge Senior Ben students above 16 to McMichael plans to register or preregister to vote. If students didn’t ask Lundquist for help when registering. know any of the information, they had to take the “I don’t really know a lot about registering, so forms home and could leave them with teachers I think it’s really cool that he can help me register. the next day. The Florida Legislature changed I’ll be going to him for help,” McMichael said. this law over the summer.

According to Lundquist, the principals were “In order to receive voter registration only notified a few weeks before the ceremony. information, the receiver would have to be a For Ertel, however, the process was long. deputy or a third party organization. The law was “The first thing that I did was to make sure first discussed in May, so I thought about what it was legal. I approached the department of the we could do to help the students in June. The law state in Tallahassee to make sure, and they said was passed on July 1,” Ertel said. it was legal. But just to make sure, the attorney Ertel first thought of deputizing the principals from my office checked,” Ertel said. in June while driving.

The next step for Ertel was to get the school “I just thought that deputizing the principals boards approval.

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“Next, I contacted the superintendent, Dr. Vogel, and the board via e-mail and proposed my idea. They loved it. The next step was to figure out when to do it. During the summer, the principals have many meetings. The one that worked the best for everyone was July 21,” Ertel said.

Seminole County is the first district in Florida to take this kind of action.

“Right now, I’m mostly just concerned with our county. I don’t think it’ll happen in every single county in the state of Florida, but it would be awesome,” Ertel said.

Ertel will still be visiting OHS. “I’m not sure yet when I will be visiting Oviedo High, but it’s usually in the spring.

We work with the social studies department, specifically the government classes,” Ertel said.

The registration process will remain the same at OHS. “We will still go through the government and economics classes for registration. We will start and stop the registration process here, and it will begin before the next election,” Lundquist said.

According to Ertel, this new process will affect students in three ways.

“Firstly, it will be easier for students to preregister and register to vote now. Secondly, it will also give the students confidence that the school board and the office of elections is hyperinterested in them and their chances. Thirdly, they can immediately vote. Basically, this is like the ticket to the dance. It’s a free dance, students, take advantage of it,” Ertel said.

stephanieo@thelionstale.com

SEPTEMBER 23, 2011 |

news |

THE LION’S TALE

03

illustration/WESLEY WYNNE

Packed classes lead to tough learning environments

by Arianna Ray

would change it. It can be hard to teach, though, enior Zoe Stapleton wearily trudges up since there are so many people,” Hodges said.

Hodges laments the loss of personal help the stairs, resigned to attending the wrong class for a day or two. She pulls open the from the teacher that smaller classes can offer.

“It’s harder to teach with too many people door to Patricia Simmons’ AP Language and Composition five minutes after the bell rings. in one class. There’s no individual time with the Heads swivel in her direction as a rumbling teacher. There’s always someone talking and of laughter breaks out among the students you can’t learn anything. When there’s too much assembled. Yet another student had joined their conversation in the class, the teacher gets more worried about the kids and how loud they are, already crowded classroom.

“First, I went to the office, because I was rather than the actual material. The teacher is in the wrong class. I was supposed to be in AP just trying to get people to quiet down. You don’t get the lesson you Lit, but I was put in AP Lang. need to,” Hodges They said that they would fix Schools pack a lot of kids in said. it, but I had to go to the Lang one class because it’s cheaper.

Stapleton class for that day. I walked into likewise prefers Simmons’ rooms five minutes You can have less teachers if smaller classes. late. The entire class began to you put more students in one “Somewhere laugh that another person had class. between 10 and come. Mrs. Simmons directed Mia Oberien, ‘12 15 is the ideal me to a little desk in the corner class size for me. of the classroom that was If there was only away from the group. People kept walking in after me too. Some people had to one or two students then the teacher has more stand. It was a full class in a small classroom. We time to work with you personally but there’s less interaction as a class. If the class is too big had to go get more chairs,” Stapleton said.

Due to the implementation of the class size then it’s difficult to get anything done. 10 to 15 is amendment, many classes have been expanded in perfect. It’s not too big or too small,” Stapleton size. At the beginning of this school year, many said.

Through the course of her career Whaley has classes, including the one attended by Stapleton, found that more difficult classes such as those experienced a class size above 25.

“This year my classes are around 30. that are Advanced Placement (AP) require less Precalculus isn’t a mandatory subject. It’s not students in each period.

“Some classes like AP Calculus need to be required to fall under the 25 students per class lid so there can be as many kids in here as possible. less than 25. You’ve got pretty intense learning I personally don’t have a problem with 30 but I material. You have more questions from the know that some teachers do,” Precalculus teacher students because the material is so much harder, so you need more time to answer everybody.

Verna Whaley said.

Sophomore Hayley Hodges understands what Classes like that can’t be too big,” Senior Mia Oberien describes the difficulties it’s like to be in a large class.

“Early Childhood is the biggest class I’ve that can accompany having a lot of students in ever been in. There are 35 kids in my class. It can one class.

“I’ve always found that it’s a lot harder to seem too big at times. Sometimes it’s really close quarters for the assignments we do. Everyone learn in big classes. The teacher can’t get to wants to deal with the kids. Then it can get too every single person who has a question if there crowded. Overall, I think it’s fine, though. If it are 35 students in the class. It’s just not possible. needed to be smaller, then I’m sure the school 20 to 25 is the ideal size for me. Any more

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would be too much. You have too many people, too many voices, too many opinions. Too many personalities leads to conflict and makes it harder to learn. In my middle school, all the kids argued a lot. I remember one time someone literally flipped a desk over, they were so mad,” Oberien said.

Whaley, however, finds it easy to deal with all of her students.

“When I first got to OHS, I had anywhere from 30 to 35 in my classes. I’d take 40 if I could. If you’re teaching lower level classes and you have kids that don’t want to be there, then you definitely need a smaller class. It’d be hard to have a big one. With these upper level classes, though, you don’t have that problem. My kids are extremely motivated. They want to be here.

I have the best kids on the planet. They want to succeed, so I don’t have to motivate them at all. I never have to write referrals. I’m very lucky for my kids. I’m thankful,” Whaley said.

Whaley knows that some students need to be in smaller classes.

“I don’t think my kids think it’s more difficult to learn [with a bigger class]. Some people might, if they need a lot of teacher help. My students don’t get as much individual help. But we already started the seven period day, so they were getting less attention anyway. You really get a problem when you have a student who needs a lot of extra attention,” Whaley said.

Oberien explains why schools make large classes despite reported negatives.

“Schools pack a lot of kids in one class because it’s cheaper. You can have less teachers if you put more students in one class. Schools need to think about quality though. In high school, our whole goal is to prepare to go to college. We strive for it our entire educational career. We’re not going to succeed in college if we get a bad education,” Oberien said.

Large classes can present helpful opportunities according to Stapleton.

“The only advantage to having a large class is having a lot of people to ask for help and work with. With small classes, there are only a few people that you can talk to and that can help you.

Some of them might not know what they’re doing either. In a bigger class, there are people that can potentially help you out,” Stapleton said.

Teachers like Whaley use smaller classes to forge a closer bond with their students.

“With smaller classes, you get better interaction with the kids. They can get more individual help and you can answer more questions. With smaller groups, you generally feel more relaxed. You grow closer as a group,” Whaley said.

ariannar@thelionstale.com

Penalties for breaking the Class Size rule • Core classes in grades 9-12 require a class size of 25 students per teacher. If broken, SCPS will be charged

$2,715 for every student over the limit.

• Grades 4-8 require a class size of 22 students per teacher. If broken, SCPS will be charged

$2,715 for every student over the limit.

• Grades PreK-3 require a class size of 18 students per teacher. If broken, SCPS will be charged $3,136 for every student over the limit. info/COURTESY OF SCPS

04 THE LION’S TALE

| news | SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

AP scores number one in county

by Rachel Lo

class participation,” Shepherd said. hush fills the room as AP Chemistry Although Dr. Roy Starling, AP Literature teacher Scott Waisanen turns off the teacher, thought he had a solid pass rate last year, lights. He makes his way over to a lab he plans on improving it even more this year. table containing a gummy bear and a potassium “I’m going to address the needs of struggling chlorate fire. The class begins chanting “Hoo students early on. I have a tendency to be an ‘Aw, haha, hoo haha” as the gummy bear is lit on shucks’ kind of guy. I’m going to intervene early fire. After a dramatic moment of suspense, the and let students know if they’re a long way from gummy bear launches in the air, ricochets off the their goal,” Starling said. “I think AP teachers ceiling, and lands on the desk of a student who can sharpen and develop skills, but they’re not sat there moments earlier. good at creating them.”

“We do the gummy bear suicide demo as a AP Music Theory teacher Dennis Line decomposition reaction and the gummy bear is believes that his 65 percent pass rate was the catalyst,” Waisanen said. satisfactory, and has plans for maintaining it.

Senior Megan Heil, a former AP Chemistry “I’m going to go slower this year, because student of Waisanen, found demonstrations there are a lot more students with no prior like these an amusing way to make class more knowledge of music theory. I’d say the course interesting. is hard if you compared the average [national] “Anything teachers do that makes class pass rate of 45 percent with other courses’ pass entertaining helps me learn. Like Waisanen’s rates,” Line said. demos and also his Improving pass rates ‘Bend and Snap.’ He can be challenging for By just taking an AP class, you took breaks to refresh teachers like Starling. get so much more; the quality us,” Heil said. “Chem “I plan on being was the hardest AP I’ve of learning is much greater luckier this year, taken by far because it because it’s not like than what you’d get in an was fast paced and really the people at AP send honors class. extensive material. I’m us detailed feedback just surprised I passed.”

Natalie Shepherd ‘12 on where students need Last year was help the most. They just Waisanen’s first year give a general score. If teaching the course. an athlete got that feedback, it wouldn’t be much “I felt like I was treading water for a year. direction,” Starling said.

I stayed up late to grade papers and learn the Line would rather maintain his pass rate. material myself,” Waisanen said.

“I’d focus on improving my pass rate if there Despite his challenges, Waisanen obtained was a prerequisite class [to music theory] because a 58 percent pass rate, a more than 20 percent it’s two years of a college course rolled into one increase from the previous year. year of high school. That’s a lot for students to “I didn’t know what to expect last year. I was learn,” Line said. hoping more students would pass, but I feel like Senior Rachel Brockman prepares for her those that didn’t pass had a bad day or just didn’t exams by taking lecture notes from teachers. put enough time in the year to learn the material,” “As Mr. Valle says, ‘Everything that comes Waisanen said. out of my mouth is gold’. Teachers are really, Teachers like Waisanen contributed to the really focused on students and making sure they overall 66 percent pass rate for the school last pass,” Brockman said. year, 23 percentage points above the state Tenth grade is the year students usually take average. 654 students took 1,214 exams last multiple AP classes. year, including senior Natalie Shepherd.

“I’m taking three AP classes this year. I took “Doc Star’s method of prepping and the AP Human Geography last year,” sophomore feedback he gives on essays really helped me Lucy Wu said. pass the AP Lang exam. He also encouraged AP Human Geography introduces freshmen

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photo/COURTESY OF ALLISON TERRY

IT’S A GUMMY EXPLOSION. Sophomores Lloyd Verdeflor and Jack Oliva perform “gummy bear suicide,” the burning of a gummy bear in liquid potassium chlorate. A reaction occurs between the sugar in the gummy bear and the potassium chlorate. As the reaction works towards completion, a purple flame is produced.

If the reaction does not go to completion, the gummy bear will launch out of the tube.

to the AP program.

“I try to connect Oviedo life to the course and textbook stuff and make the class more personal,” AP Human Geography teacher Jason McDonald said.

McDonald has had consistently high pass rates for the past few years.

“We’re balling in here. We work hard and play hard,” McDonald said.

Constantly reviewing course material for the exam has helped AP Calculus BC teacher Barbara Kelly prepare her students.

“Extra study sessions helped a lot. We had to come in at nights after school,” Kelly said. “I would bake cakes and stuff and beg the kids to come in because we just didn’t have enough time in class. We didn’t even have enough time to check homework in class. 50 minutes just isn’t enough.”

Kelly also encountered challenges teaching the course for the first time.

“Teaching BC was the hardest thing I’ve ever

AP By the Numbers

1,349 AP exams will be taken by OHS students in 2012

56.5%

Pass rate of AP exams in Seminole County in 2011

48%

Pass rate of AP exams in Florida in 2011

66%

Pass rate of AP exams at OHS in 2011

done in my entire life. I went to bed at 8:00, but got up at 1:30 in the morning to prepare, to study, to research, grade,” Kelly said.

With experience, teachers like Starling found methods to help students learn better.

“I treat all my students with respect and that makes them more likely they’ll return the favor.

I don’t talk over them when they’re talking, I don’t text in front of them, I don’t fall asleep in front of them,” Starling said.

Although students face difficulties with AP classes that they wouldn’t normally face in honors or standard, many students encourage other students to take them.

“By just taking an AP class, you get so much more; the quality of learning is much greater than what you’d get in an honors class,” Shepherd said.

Starling agrees with Shepherd.

“You’re in a room full of people who want you to succeed,” Starling said.

rachell@thelionstale.com

Freshmen, do you plan on taking an AP class in high school?

Maybe

11%

Yes

64%

No

25% Poll taken on 9/22 out of 250 freshmen

Teens reminisce about lost loved ones on 9/11

by Stephanie O’Sullivan

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reshman Jyllian Hancock stares at the photographs of her with her brother, great aunt, and great aunts partner at the beach.

“My great aunts partner had been in the family for 20 years before I was born, so she was just like an aunt to me. When I was little, they would take me and my brother to the beach every summer for a few days,” Hancock said.

These trips to the beach stopped when after the summer of 2001, when Judy, Hancocks great-aunts partner , became a victim of the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center.

“On the day of the Jyllian Hancock ‘15 attack, she was visiting somebody in the Towers.

The family down here in Florida didn’t hear about it for about a week,” Hancock said.

On the tenth anniversary of Sept. 11, the official memorial opened in New York at the site of the attacks on the World Trade Center.

Two reflecting pools now sit where the Twin Towers used to stand, and a three-story tall fountain is in between the pools. The names of every person killed in the 2001 and 1993 attacks are engraved in bronze plates that line the memorial pools.

Senior Tia Bellaire’s family friend was on Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11.

“I thought her memorial was really pretty, but also really upsetting. It’s like the bench of a ghost. For each victim of the Pentagon crash, there is a bench with water under the benches.

I like the connection between the memorials,” Bellaire said.

Hancock plans on visiting the memorial this winter with her family.

“I’ve seen pictures of it online, and it looks so pretty. I thought it was only going to be a fountain, and I thought the victims deserved something better than just a fountain. But now that I’ve seen pictures of it, I think it’s spectacular,” Hancock said.

stephanieo@thelionstale.com

SEPTEMBER 23, 2011 | news |

THE LION’S TALE

05

Miranda rights

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.”

Officer Michalann Thompson photo/LINSEY DUCA

Supreme Court expands Miranda Rights for juveniles

by Harry Traber

questioning to be had. I like to read Miranda ny time a student is called to the office for rights anyway just to read it whether I question questioning, campus officer Michalann them or not, because it covers everything. And Thompson must decide whether to then they go off to the Juvenile Assessment inform that student of his Miranda rights.

Center or whatever jail depending on what age “It depends on if they are going to be they are. Each case is different. There is never a questioned. There are some circumstances where black and white. That’s why you have case law.

I can get a call from a detective who is out there It varies,” Thomson said. and they want to come to speak to the student.

Freshmen Sebastian Deveraun has had Any time there is going to be a questioning, you experience with the Miranda rights. He knows have to. In an interview or interrogation, you what it’s like to not know your rights when being have to read Miranda,” Thompson said. questioned by the police.

Miranda rights spell out that individuals “I didn’t know my rights before, but then I being questioned by the got involved with police have the rights to the police a little Well, obviously it’s messed up remain silent, and have bit. I got stopped an attorney present during because we all have our rights. joy-riding and questioning. [the police] tried It’s a double standard if one This summer the to do things that person can get their rights and Supreme Court ruled in a were[not clear] landmark decision, J.D.B. another can’t. with the Miranda v North Carolina, that rights, and I did Sebastian Deveraun, ‘15 juveniles must be read not know that at their Miranda rights if the time. Then they are suspects and are being questioned about when somebody told me about that, I thought that breaking the law. was a little messed up. So I started learning more A 13-year-old student at Chapel Hill was about them, so I would not have to go through taken from his classroom and questioned by an that again,” Deveraun said. officer about several burglaries in the area and Deveraun was not formally arrested, but he eventually confessed to the burglaries, but was was detained and questioned about his crime never read his Miranda rights. without understanding that he had the rights to “It is beyond dispute that children will often remain silent or have an attorney with him when feel bound to submit to police questioning when he was questioned. an adult in the same circumstance would feel “Well, obviously it’s messed up because we free to leave. Seeing no reason for police officers all have our rights. It’s a double standard if one or courts to blind themselves to that common person can get their rights and another can’t. It sense reality, we hold that a child’s age properly should be the same for everybody, It shouldn’t informs the Miranda custody analysis,” Justice be up to the discretion of the officer,” Deveraun Sonia Sotomayor wrote in the majority opinion. said.

According to Thompson, each case is handled However Senior Ryan Mulvaney disagrees individually. with Deveraun about the ruling.

“If a student is caught with marijuana, and it “I disagree. I think it should be up to the is in their possession, and there is not too much officer because the officer may be gathering questioning to be going on and if they admit to it, information, and reading Miranda would get ‘Yes, it’s mine. I had it’, then there is not much in the way. If they’re questioning someone,

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it’s because there is a crime involved, and they should get as much information as possible,” Mulvaney said.

In a previous ruling this summer, a distinction was made for adults stating they had to activate their right to remain silent, which is the first right read in the Miranda rights. Mulvaney disagrees with this distinction as well.

“I don’t think there should be a distinction [between juveniles and adults] in respect to Miranda rights. Because the Miranda rights should just be automatically activated, ignorance is no excuse” Mulvaney said.

Dean Drew Morgan supports the Miranda rights ruling, explaining that the new Supreme Court guidelines for questioning minors keeps the feelings of students in mind.

“I support the change. A lot of times students are scared. They don’t understand what their rights are when it comes to a legal matter. They are citizens like everyone else. They need to be informed,” Morgan said.

AP Economics teacher Alan Musante worked as a civil attorney before coming to teach at Oviedo. In his studies to become an attorney, Musante had education in criminal law.

“I think the [Supreme Court ruling] is okay, because young people need more protection than old people because authority is not always right.

Law enforcement sometimes gets so fixated on charging someone that might forget people’s rights. Adults might be more likely to know what their rights and stand up for themselves.

Young people may be taken advantage of by the minority of unscrupulous officers. When confronted with a bad cop, adults are more likely going to know how to protect themselves than a kid is,” Musante said.

Musante goes on to explain his opinion of law enforcement officers.

“I really think most cops are good cops, but there are some out there who are bad and who we need to be protected against Miranda rights help us do that,” Musante said.

harryt@thelionstale.com

06 THE LION’S TALE

| news | SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

BUDGET CUTS Extracurriculars potentially lost to budget cuts

by Arianna Ray

has gotten on budgets and how they never get new or the next 2012-2013 school year, the equipment. It’s always a concern to be cut because Seimole County School Board must cut over we put so much effort and passion into what we do,” $20 million. Among these considered cuts are Langston said. extra-cirriculars and the fine arts.

Band director Dennis Line remains concerned Junior Amelia Langston has grown attached to over the state of his program.

TV productions.

“We wouldn’t have band. The entire program “Film is what I want to do for my life. If I didn’t would be eliminated. I wouldn’t have a job. It would have this I wouldn’t know how I want my life to hurt the kids. Kids spend lots of hours in a structured turn out. Film has helped me so much. It’s what environment after school with band. That’s something I’ve done since seventh grade. It helped me find that they would no longer have. It could really hurt my path and has given me them,” Line said. the experience I need. It’s Line notified all It’s always a concern to be cut given me something to the members of the because we put so much effort do with my time and be band. and passion into what we do. really passionate about,” “My band Langston said. members are Amelia Langston, ‘13 Programs such as aware. They’re just these could be cut from the in disbelief. They budget next year. According to Seminole County don’t think it could ever happen. A lot of people tell School board chairman Dede Schaffner, the county me that they come to school because they love band. has a deficit of $22 million. Next year the county will This is what they thrive in, what they’re best at and not receive the $13.3 million Federal Jobs Money enjoy most,” Line said. that was received previously. Added to that amount, Line believes that band helps all of its members the county will be required to pick up $6.7 million in in ways that extend beyond learning music. retirement for their employees.

“Band helps kids with time management. They “The Board is looking at two pages full have to deal with all their homework in addition to of suggestions for budget cuts and asking the everything they have to do for band. They really do community for their suggestions as well. Every learn a lot in this program. They are learning about School Board meeting is open to the public with long-term goals. We start something and three and the opportunity for public input. In addition, on the a half months later we see the end product. That’s School Board website there is an opportunity for not something that happens all the time. They work public input regarding the budget. As a School Board really hard,” Line said. member, I am seeking input on an on-going basis.

Langston’s desire to attend school would fade if I am visiting schools to see the impact each budget the county cut TV productions. cut might have on the classroom. This is not an easy “I probably wouldn’t have a reason to come task,” Schaffner said. to school if they cut TV productions. TV is two of All extracurriculars and the fine arts programs my classes. I usually spend all my free time and my fall under some of the potential budget reductions for lunch in there. If it was gone I wouldn’t really want next year. Cutting these programs could save over $2 to come to school anymore,” Langston said. million for the county.

Schaffner stresses that the effect on the students Students such as Langston noticed the increasing will be considered in all decisions. attention being paid to budget cuts.

“I always consider the impact on the classroom “I’ve heard from other people that are doing - my personal goal is to affect the classroom as little things like band. They’ve seen how tight the county

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as possible. But, there are many factors to consider.

The biggest factor is that we must find $22 million to cut and that is not an easy task. When we closed Longwood Elementary School, it saved $1 million but we can’t close 22 schools,” Schaffner said.

Line proposes his own budget cuts to save some of the extracurriculars.

“If the state would have not passed the class size amendment then we would definitely be in better shape. As hard as it is to take on 30 or more students, it would eliminate teachers and save the county money. They could do away with freshmen sports, as awful as that would be. They should also be looking at salaries at the school board levels. Look at the county as a whole. Some of those people on the school board make a lot more than I do,” Line said.

These cuts could influence Line to change his career.

“I would have to find a job in another county.

I could do it. This is my third high school job in 20 years. But I don’t want to. It would almost make me change my career field. This could happen anywhere.

Budgets go away and funding needs to get cut. All counties will be forced to make the same cuts as us,” Line said.

School Board member Karen Almond understands the importance of extracurriculars.

“I only speak for myself, and not the board. I value art, music and technology. I know that they enrich the students’ experiences and make them better students too. I cannot make you a promise that we as a board will not make this cut. I can say that this item is very low on the list. When it comes time to make the cuts, we will weigh each individual decision, both the pros and cons, and work toward making cuts that don’t directly affect the students in the classroom. It is challenging, to say the very least.

As far as reading teachers, if they are mandated, then they will not be considered for cuts. If you mean teachers that work directly with students, that would be a different consideration than reading coaches who work with teachers,” Almond said.

Pay to play for athletics or for extracurriculars amasses many negatives according to Almond.

“Pay to play, whether we are talking about athletics or any other extracurricular opportunity… it can help, if the students can afford to pay, thus keeping the programs alive. I don’t know that it could actually work, as it would take a lot of participation financially to actually have the program pay for itself. This suggestion came from a parent in another state. I would not want to see our students turned away for lack of funds. Perhaps the District and the local Recreation/Leisure Departments would work together for afterschool offerings,” Almond said.

Sophomore Tyler Kell’s days would be empty without football.

“I’d be pretty sad [if I didn’t have football] because it takes up a lot of my time. It would look really bad on the school too. If I didn’t have practice, I’d just end up staying at home,” Kell said.

Almond holds onto her hope for more funding.

“My personal goal is to put a plan together for worst case scenario and best case scenario and continue to work toward any possible cuts, without affecting student performance. The Board Members are meeting with legislators now, before session, and we are having very honest conversations. We are fortunate to have a good relationship with many of our local leaders. Our legislators are responsible for the entire state. One Representative in particular is offering to help reduce regulation, in turn saving us dollars and not costing the State additional dollars.

I am going to remain hopeful that our legislators will find the dollars to fund education as a priority,” Almond said.

Line encourages all of his students to fight for their program.

“First of all, I would suggest the kids to fight like crazy to reinstate their program. I know they won’t go down without a fight. They should just stay involved in the community. Band students could join music groups like the Florida Youth Symphony Orchestra.

There’s really no solution to this problem unless the kids move to a different county and join the program there,” Line said.

ariannar@thelionstale.com

SEPTEMBER 23, 2011 |

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THE LION’S TALE

07

(opinion sports ) Top-ranked system LION’S OUR T ALE WORD now at 08

THE LION’S TALE

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SEPTEMBER 23,2011

“Life is never fair, and perha ps it is a good thing for most of us that it is no t. ” - Oscar Wilde

Time to ask voters to support schools

risk

S

eminole County must cut $22 million from its 2011-12 budget.

Next year the county will not have access to the $13.3 million Federal Jobs Money that was received previously. These heavy cuts are forcing the school board to look at a list of potential budget cuts.

While the county has cut $83 million from the operating budget and $50 million from the capital outlay budget over the last three years, it is not enough for the following school year.

On this list of budget cuts are eliminating art, music, and reading teachers as well as possibly cutting all extracurriculars including sports. These two cuts alone could potentially save over $5 million.

However, their impact would be devastating to students and teachers.

That is why we here at The Lion’s Tale believe that the school board should abstain from cutting these programs and consider putting a bond issue before the voters.

Extracurriculars including sports, clubs, and fine art programs hold a vitally important place in high school. They give students an opportunity to express themselves. These programs often provide scholarships for their participants. With the loss of activities that students enjoy, families might be prompted to relocate and enroll their children in schools that offer all of these programs.

Sports in high school help athletes excel. They can aid students in earning scholarships and money for college. According to www. athleticaid.com, colleges and universities award over $1 billion every year in sports scholarships.

Band, chorus, drama, and art are major parts of students’ lives.

Many of students come to school only because of these programs.

Extracurriculars inspire kids in high school to achieve and to work hard in all of their classes. The fine arts give students a place to belong and a group to be a part of. They provide a sense of security.

Fine arts students love being a part of their band or chorus or drama productions.

The fine arts also bring prestige to the county. The Marching Lions Band won straight superior ratings from the Florida Bandmasters Music Performance Assessment for ten years straight.

All of these programs remain essential to students.

None of these things should be considered for budget cuts.

Seminole County is known for its outstanding schools that attract parents who relocate here for the excellent schools.

School Board Chairman Dede Schaffner knows how important schools are to the county. “The Seminole County Public Schools are an economic driver in our county. People buy homes in Seminole County because of the quality of our schools. We are an academically high performing A rated school district We are an academically high performing A rated school district. All nine of our high schools are ranked in the top 3% in the nation by Newsweek Magazine. Our SAT scores have been above the state and national average for the past 35 years - Last year we were 43 points above the national average and 79 points above the state average...We are cutting programs

OV I EDO H I GH S C H OOL • 6 0 1 K I N G S T R E E T • OV I E D O, F L 3 2 7 6 5 • S E P T E M B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 1 •VO L U M E 52• ISSUE 1

Editors-In-Chief Arianna Ray Stephanie O’Sullivan News Editor Harry Traber Opinion Editor Brandon Koller Features Editor Zoe Lyon-Goldman Diversions Editors Olivia Davila-Finch Carly Ford Sports Editor Andrea Dobo Advertising Editors Drake Dickerson Andrew Bosley Web Editor Amanda Ferguson Photographer Linsey Duca

Graphic Editor Leigha Bennett Staff Artists Jonathan Bohinsky Wesley Wynne Staff Reporters Hafsa Hussain Trevor Khan Rachel Lo Ellen McCormack Chris Moskal Courtney Rothermich Alexis Sherwood Sarah Tripp Jessi Whitacre Faculty Adviser Deborah Jepson Admin Adviser Marcia Haskel Principal Robert Lundquist Oviedo High School 601 King Street Oviedo, FL 32765 Phone: 407-320-4199 Fax: 407-320-4213 Population: 2223 Students 165 Staff

Mission Statement illustration/ WESLEY WYNNE

that are preparing our students for their future careers as well as postsecondary education. That is not in the best interest of our students,” Schaffner said.

With the loss of extracurriculars and fine arts programs, many families could decide to leave the county to live in a county that provides the programs the students are involved in.

Bond issues have the potential to help this problem. A bond issue is when a state or local unit such as a county proposes a tax increase to raise funding for the government. The voters decide on the ballot whether or not to approve the bond issue during elections.

Seminole County previously attempted to pass a half-cent sales tax in 2010. If the voters had passed the tax, then the school system would have earned approximately $26 million per year according to www. scps.k12.fl.us.

The tax was due to be implemented until January 2012. The total tax on all items would have been six and half percent, down from seven percent. Unfortunately, the tax failed to pass.

A bond issue would help fund operations and it would enable the county to acquire a sufficient amount to make up for the deficit.

Voters need to realize the effect of these cuts on the schools.

Perhaps if they understood what was at stake, they would be willing to accept a small tax.

Orange County approved a half-cent sales tax in September 2002.

The fact is that Seminole County Schools desperately needs more money. Otherwise the board will be forced to make unpopular cuts that could hurt all students.

We advise the school board to give the bond issue another try for the sake of the students and the wellbeing of the county.

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 readership and campus community 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.

Distribution

2500 copies of The Lion’s Tale are distributed free to all students and staff at Oviedo High School. Subscriber information is available upon request.

Reader Contributions

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

Advertising Policy

The Lion’s Tale reserves the right to refuse advertisements. The full advertising policy of The Lion’s Tale is on file in Room 5-020 and is available upon request.

Online

The Lion’s Tale is accessible through the OHS website.

The views of the staff do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, staff, or faculty of Oviedo High School.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2011 | opinion |

Alcohol use is associated with numerous negative consequences for the drinker and society at large. Globally alcohol causes 3.2% of all deaths or 1.8 million deaths annually and accounts for 4.0% of disease burden. Many of these deaths are the result of injuries caused by hazardous and harmful drinking. Of the total number of alcohol-attributable deaths, 32.0% are from unintentional injuries, and 13.7% are from intentional injuries. This means that about half of the deaths attributable to alcohol are from injuries. 20.4% of injuries involve alcohol usag.

Alcohol

To avoid dangerous trap-abstain

BRANDON KOLLER

OPINION EDITOR

Most of my life I’ve been under the influence of alcohol.

Not in the way you might think, but the “devil’s drink” tends to play some part in my life’s journey. Years ago, it seemed inconsequential and I simply shrugged off the way my parents’ old friends acted after a night on the town. I usually just slept through things, young as I was.

It wasn’t just once in a while. Any time something potentially enjoyable lurched around the corner, the dark, gleaming bottles of temptation emerged. Weekends my parents spent with their friends, drinking going on all the while, became the norm, and I noticed a sickening trend: the more their friends stuck around, the more my parents drank.

As I moved into high school, the same thing nearly happened to me. I hung around with a group of heavy drinkers and again I heard the gulps forming a siren’s song. Its call strongest when the drama of my life veered towards tragedy.

Alcohol never stopped its luring ways. My friends’ alcoholfueled aggression after a session remained the only reason I resisted.

Bad as that is, the problem is worse: This isn’t an isolated problem. 17.6 million American adults suffer from alcohol abuse or alcoholism, according to joint study by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, and many don’t acknowledge it as an issue. One drink leads to another, that leading to another, that leading to another . . . and so “casual drinking” can get out of hand.

I’m not asking you to lead a crusade against alcohol, or rant at the lunch tables about how you loathe it. I don’t want any random person taking a drink to be hassled, scorned and spit on, as has happened to smokers. Hostility simply isn’t the solution.

It tends to make things worse.

But there are things you can do to keep the situation from worsening. The most obvious – control your self and resist peer pressure. I’m well aware that alcohol is an issue, especially at the high school level. It’s no secret, despite what we might like to think. Even now, most of my better friends thoroughly partake in its consumption, and hoping that’s an isolated group is ignorant at best.

Actually, it’s also statistically inaccurate to dismiss the problem. The 2009 Youth Behavior Survey, sanctioned by the CDC, showed 42 percent of high school students drank some alcohol and 24 percent binge drank. A SAMHSA study in 2008 linked 190,000 emergency room visits with underage drinking.

Alcohol has a stranglehold on a great portion of our society and it is a problem, despite its popularity. It’s not difficult to avoid drinking earlier in life, so why risk contributing to those numbers?

Just avoid drinking, and you’re already doing your part.

A seemingly simple solution, surely, but it makes a huge difference for both you and those around you. There’s the risk of serious injury due to some “accident” or another, and CDC studies of youths drinking alcohol reveal far greater tendencies to experience academic, social, legal, and physical problems.

The government’s run quite the multitude of youth-oriented, anti-drug campaigns and these are often shot down for being too costly and ineffective. What defines a worthwhile price is debatable but effectiveness certainly needs boosting.

But the latter depends entirely on you.

If any one thing sticks from this column, I hope that last sentence does. Beyond anything else, personal willpower avoids potential addiction.

I won’t pretend there aren’t temptations, and I won’t pretend alcohol isn’t everywhere. I live just meters from a fridge full to bursting with lagers, ales and spirits of every sort, and nothing prevents me from drinking any of it. Nothing, aside from will, prevents me from making a huge mistake. The same applies to everyone.

Don’t fall victim to peer pressure. Ayn Rand insisted individualism stands on a perilous edge. In our time, the homogenous mind of the internet, where every man competes for the “likes” of his peers on Facebook, threatens to push any one of us over that edge.

As Facebook’s creator Mark Zuckerberg hoped, it mirrors real life. Just like on Facebook, though, whatever “likes” you get from drinking ultimately turn out to be insubstantial and artificial. Why should you risk your life for that?

brandonk@thelionstale.com

TREVOR KHAN

THE LION’S TALE

09

STAFF REPORTER

‘Stick Dude’ turns ‘egg-headed pre-teen’ doubts into confidence

G

rowing up, I’d been known for being a cheeky kid. But, I don’t mean cheeky as in trying to be cute: I mean that I had cheeks that made me look like Alvin the chipmunk. My father claimed that my head was so large that I had trouble standing up. To be honest, I don’t blame him for saying it. In all my pictures my dimples look like they were swollen, and the rest of my head wasn’t exactly what I’d call small. I’d been born an odd mutant child, but as a kindergartener I failed to notice.

As time progressed, change played a horrific role in my adolescent comedy. Middle school came but my head remained in its massive state (the mop-top hairdo didn’t help) and my body hadn’t yet caught up. I had become an egg-head preteen who was 20 pounds underweight. This time, I noticed . “You need to eat a little bit more,” my mom would say. Kids at school would call me tiny. For three years of middle school, people always asked if I was in the sixth grade.

Then came high school. Day one of freshman year, I walked onto campus expecting the same old ‘Hey! Look at small fry!”

But, instead I got a good dose of “Wow, Trevor! You grew so much.” Puberty plucked me from my ‘small fry’ stage. But, of course, as luck would have it I grew from ‘small fry’ to ‘stick-dude’. Yes, the world really did find another flaw for me.

The cruelty of the high school students was just oh so wonderful. illustration/WESLEY WYNNE I may have gotten taller, but to no surprise I’d somehow got skinnier. I was weaker than a child at a body-builder convention and wore jean sizes smaller than all my friends (28 waist). My lack of body was caused me serious problems especially since what my body didn’t have went straight to my giant feet (Not an exaggeration. They could be compared to my head). To top it all off, I was having difficulty doing the simplest of tasks. I fainted while trying to run the mile!

How I’d hated personal fitness so very much. Luckily for me, I continued to grow awkwardly into myself.

Today, I’m fully aware of my uneven eyebrows, spaghetti arms and, yes, even my marble-shaped head. But today, I don’t care what you think of me. I happen to love that my head resembles anything that can roll, and that my eyebrows look like they were razor jacked by someone with their eyes closed; I even love my nickname ‘stick-dude’. The teasing and laughter became building blocks of my life, and now I won’t let words box me in. And not to toot my own horn, but a lot of those “you’re so ugly” comments have turned into “you should model” comments. So hi, I’m ‘stick-dude’. Oh, and I’ll ignore your backhanded comments. I love myself too much for them.

trevork@thelionstale.com

10

THE LION’S TALE

| opinion | SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

Huddles, circles, gangs

Google steps into social network scene STEPHANIE O’SULLIVAN CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Columnist takes candidate to task over comment

P

oliticians have responsibilities.

Responsibilities to speak the truth, to actually think before they speak.

Politicians have said stupid things since the beginning of politics, but most memorable are George H.W. Bush’s “Read my lips, no new taxes” speech, and Bill Clinton’s “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.”

The Republican Party held a debate in Tampa, Florida on Sept. 12. During the debate, Michelle Bachmann blasted Governor Rick Perry for his 2007 mandate for 11 and 12-year-olds to receive the Gardasil shot to prevent cervical cancer.

The next morning, Bachmann was interviewed by Matt Lauer on the Today show, and she announced, “I had a mother last night come up to me here in Tampa, Florida, after the debate. She told me that her little daughter took that vaccine, that injection, and she suffered from mental retardation thereafter.”

For Bachmann to come out on national television and make this statement proves how irresponsible Bachmann is. Over 35 million vaccinations have been administered, and not one case of mental retardation has been reported after.

I don’t have a problem with Perry’s mandate. It is a preventative shot, and, according to the official Gardasil website, the effects are no more dangerous than taking an Advil.

In Bachmann’s words, “Little girls who have a negative reaction to this potentially dangerous drug don’t get a do-over.”

What happens to the girls who don’t get this preventative shot because of Bachmann?

They don’t get a “do-over” either. Not taking this preventative shot could lead to teens getting cervical cancer, all because they were afraid of the “negative reactions”, such as headaches or a fever. What a horror.

As for her attacks on the age, for the “innocent 12-year-olds”…. That is exactly the point. They are innocent. Gardasil works best when the recipient is not yet sexually active.

Better to be safe than sorry.

Bachmann came out two days after the debate and said, “I am not a doctor. I am not a scientist. I am not a physician.”

No, Bachmann, you’re not. You are an irresponsible politician who spoke without getting your facts right.

Now, because of you, teens may not get the Gardasil preventative shot and have a chance of getting cervical cancer. Hope you sleep well at night knowing that.

stephanieo@thelionstale.com

HARRY TRABER

NEWS EDITOR

T

he ever-expanding company that is Google is well on its way to becoming the Swiss Army knife of all companies.

Google took their first steps in making all things Google by linking its search engine to our email accounts, adding apps for our phones beside creating a phone themselves. Now Google is taking their next step by adding a social networking aspect to their company.

The release of Google Plus is not projected any time soon though. Google Plus is currently very much in its building stage and users are only allowed limited access to the beta.

However, that has not stopped Google Plus from reaching 18 million users and, according to Tara Steele it is projected to reach 100 million by December or January.

Google Plus will be adding five new applications to your Google accounts conveniently hidden under the new “+you” button. Applications include Circles, Hangouts, Instant Upload, Sparks and Huddle.

The first application is Circles. This appears to be a cornerstone for the applications on Google Plus. Circles allows organization of friends into your own personal group. This is not unlike what can be done on Facebook, but is different in one major way: Circles interacts with all the other applications available through Google Plus. Lets take a moment to look at the application Huddle as an example to how circles works. Lets say you have five friends

who you call “The Gang” (excuse the Scooby Doo reference). You want to go to the movies, and you want to talk to all of The Gang at once, but you’re all off doing your own activities.

Well, with Circles you have your friends in the Circle called “The Gang” and you decide to use Huddle to text them all. This strategic move in Google Plus is possible because your friends are in a Circle, while your other friends are organized in other Circles. This functionality alone is a far cry better than the groups in Facebook.

Huddle, is in my opinion, the most promising aspect for Google Plus if its social network is to compete with Facebook or Twitter.

Huddle is an application that links your cell phones text conversations, allowing groups of people from your Circles application to all talk in one conversation. This is expected to be an application for your phone, but I don’t see why Google would not allow users to have this “App” on their PC as well. This is interesting is because text conversations between six or more people could look hectic on your phone, but having everyone in your chosen group communicate at once outweighs any disadvantage of clutter on your screen.

Now that the shining star of Google’s potential success is out of the way, let me introduce the rest of the applications-with one warning: Don’t look for anything revolutionary out of Google Plus immediately. It will take Google time to look at how Google Plus is used before they can make another big leap in innovation.

Instant Upload is nothing new to social network users. On just about any smart phone on the market is the option to take photos and videos off of your phone and add them to Facebook. But Google Plus adds a twist to Instant Upload: Google automatically takes your photos and videos and uploads them to a private album on Google Plus. Then the user may decide which photo or video they want to share

Why have you not created a

Jonny Olsen ‘12

“I guess I just never thought of making one. It’s new and I’ve had so much work and homework. I haven’t had time ot think about it.”

“I don’t need one.

I didn’t even know what it was, to be honest. I already have a Facebook, and I don’t even use it that often.”

Tristan Anderson

‘15

“I’ve never really looked at it. I haven’t really had time to look at it”

Dana Roberson

‘12

“I’m a Facebook person. It’s more useful. I don’t find Google Plus appealing because of the way the social networking is set up.

It’s complicated.”

with the world. A major problem exists with this application. When Google Plus moves photos and video automatically to the internet, just because your friends can’t see your mistakes doesn’t mean they go unnoticed. Any time a piece of data reaches the web, it leaves a trail, and that could possibly lead to some unwanted attention from authorities.

Google Plus fills another niche for their users with Hangouts, another application not unknown to anyone who has used Skype.

Hangouts allow you to chat face-to-face with friends via the web camera on your PC, and is open to any and all members of your aforementioned Circles. The only way I see Google getting any major attention out of this feature is users using it out of convenience because they’re using all of the other features available through Google.

Anyone who uses Facebook knows about Pages. Pages are a collecting place for people who share the same interest. Sparks is about the same thing in Google Plus. However, it appears Google will be using its search engine aspect to enhance the information appearing under interests in Sparks. This is different from Pages on Facebook which are updated by their users or administrators in that it appears that Sparks will update from anywhere on them through the search engine, giving the latest news on the interest in question.

Overall, I am very excited for the full unveiling of Google Plus. Though many of its features are nothing new, Google has a history of innovation and taking user responses to make their interactions and overall experience with their products better. Will the addition of Google Plus features beat out Facebook or Twitter?

Only time will tell, but I am optimistic that with features like Circles, combined with Huddle, Google Plus will be a hit with social network members.

harryt@thelionstale.com

+ Sara Ellis

account?

“It’s way too soon to switch social networking sites.”

‘13

“I don’t know enough about what it is. Plus, I already have a Facebook, and I’m too busy with homework to start something new.”

Marcia Decker

‘13

Kelsey Cameron

‘14

THE GREAT DEBATE:

PRO BRANDON KOLLER

OPINION EDITOR

SEPTEMBER 23, 2011 |

Should a four day week be approved by the board?

No educational losses in hroughout shorter week the country, our population is still suffering from

T

the fallout of the Great Recession of the late-2000s. Schools, especially, are feeling the pain of foreclosures, shrinking property values and lower tax collections.

The education system is sinking like the Titanic, signaling the need for a “life raft” to keep us all from drowning.

That raft is a four-day week and it can save us from much worse alternatives.

Technically, a four-day week works one of two ways and neither actually loses any education hours. Either each day lengthens by an hour and a half or the school year is going to get longer to make up for the lost days. Typically, the former option wins out.

That means no loss of school time, and even more time each day to get lengthy assignments completed. Working with a teacher allows for a student to get help from a trained, professional instructor, rather than hopelessly polling Facebook for homework answers.

In this way, a longer school day might also take the place of some afterschool programs, advocated in an essay entitled “AfterSchool Programs: Keeping Children Safe and Smart” hosted on ed.gov, and allow students to get additional help and stay out of trouble.

Does this work in practice, though? Colorado started four-day weeks in some counties in the 1980s, and today around one-third of its school districts follow a four-day week.

Not only does Colorado save hundreds of thousands of dollars avoiding the costs of transportation and utilities for a day, but almost 10 percent of Colorado schools received a Bronze Medal or higher from U.S. News Rankings and Reviews in their latest state-by-state review, compared to 7.1 percent of Florida schools.

A four-day school week works – in all, over 120 districts in 21 states operate on a four-day school week. Twenty-seven states in all, over half the country, support the four-day week.

A four-day week actually gives everyone an entirely free day for whatever extracurricular activities they prefer. For groups who need to practice every day, times might be scheduled later in the day. But for many, this fails to change anything.

Students in band often start practice around five or six at night, as is, and many band students excel in their studies, despite this late practice. This means that a later day fails to corrupt minds or drain students. Schoolwork and extracurricular activities won’t fall by the wayside - disproving a common, yet now invalid, argument.

A four-day week also benefits teachers. With another free day, grading fails to absorb an entire weekend. Rather teachers, who once needed that time to grade, enjoy an entire day without stress, likely leading to better teaching performance and thus a better educational experience for everyone.

The three-day weekend does the same for students, as well.

Rather than a Saturday spent sleeping after a week and a Sunday of homework, students now gain a day of relaxation, which provides the same benefits as it does for teachers.

Admittedly, I don’t expect the school week to change without difficulty – changes very rarely smooth over without slight growing pains. It could be a year or two before administrators, teachers and students adapt to the four-day week and develop methods to cope with four days rather than five.

brandonk@thelionstale.com

$5 million

Amount of money Lake County estimates will be saved by switching to fourday week.

60-75

Minutes added to school day during four-day week.

$4.5 Million

Amount Marion County District said it would save after switching to the fourday week.

50%

Superintendents who said they would need to cut field trips due to a four-day week

124

Number of schools that have switched to the four day week

opinion |

THE LION’S TALE

11

CON HARRY TRABER

NEWS EDITOR

Proposed week wreaks havoc with learning

A

s an honors student and a member of many AP courses a four-day week sounds like a dream come true. However, when you allow the thought to sink in, a four-day week is actually pretty horrible.

Consider what a loss in time means, it could mean either an entire loss of one fifth of our time in school or a very sizeable amount of universal make up work.

The loss of one fifth of our school year with out compensation is possibly the most horrible worst-case scenario.

What could happen is we do nothing to make up for that lost classroom time. That means that the students who struggle in a class, like I did in AP Biology, would not be able to keep up with the students who get the material naturally.

This may come as a surprise to the people who heard I got a three on the national exam but that three came through the hard work of Mrs. Klemann and myself. If we lost 36 days of schooling that I needed to pass that course, I would not be sitting here with an entire course of entry-level college biology under my belt.

Now lets take a broader look at the situation. For the students who are in intensive cores, wouldn’t a loss of every Monday greatly impair their chances of passing the FCAT? The other option of how to handle the situation is far more likely. Our teachers her at Oviedo want to keep us passing so the logical reaction of the loss of a day in the school week would be… wait for it…. MORE HOMEWORK! If we lost an entire day, our teachers would give us a greater amount of homework to insure that we get all we can out of the courses.

I, for one, know the way I am with homework. I put it off until the last moment and in some cases do not do it at all. If I had to make up an entire day’s worth of work I would wait until 6:00 Monday afternoon. Let’s be honest. That would not be feasible.

I know for a fact that somewhere out there worse procrastinators will wait until possibly event, the morning of Tuesday, to get all that work done. While it can be done, it means a loss of sleep for those students, making their ability to learn the next day impaired.

One of the certainties is more potential days test could fall on. We all know what it’s like to say “Darn I have six tests this week.” Now imagine that we have one less day for those test days. Instead of six tests this week, we would get some thing like this. “My god I have 3 test today.”

With a missing day, we also would have less time for other things that make some classes as memorable. For example, biology without time for labs and dissections. Or a history class without time for documentaries to give us a solid visual of what we are learning about. There is another loss to be considered. If we move to a four-day week teachers would also take a pay cut.

Now teachers are already plaid a very low amount when you consider the service they provide, and to ask teachers to get plaid less just isn’t fair, not in this economy or in any economy.

For the reasons listed above it is my personal recommendation that we do not move to a four-day week. Acknowledging the monetary gain of moving to a four day week what could be gained in money will mean the sacrifice of the educational quality that sets our schools ahead of the pack and consequently our students ahead in the work force.

harryt@thelionstale.com

12

THE LION’S TALE

|

SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

(features sports )

Gary Remembering

The Sweet

The cry that follows the trills of the boat tailed grackle is long and syrupy, like the tablespoon of honey you eat right from our mason jar.

The blue black male comes to our garden each morning just as the dawn trips over the chunky mulch and slides over our wet lawn.

Our feeder stands among jasmine and orange blossom damp from the night. The grackle rubs his beak against the iron bars of the birdfeeder as if sharpening a blade for battle.

But there is no battle here.

Life with you is easy. Like the sweet tea you order with every meal, You never want for sugar; it is all around you.

Life

- Didi Gibbs In Memory of Gary A. Barnett

photo/COURTESY OF DIDI GIBBS

THE BIG APPLE. Gary Barnett stands in front of the New York City skyline in 2007 during his trip with his students and wife.

Campus mourns loss of popular teacher

by Hafsa Hussain

D

ylan Berry’s fingers flow elequently along the surfaces of the keys on the piano, producing a somber but commemerative melody at his step-father Gary Barnett’s memorial.

“It was very emotional when his son played the piano. He was so composed. Everyone was just wondering how he was keeping it together. Mr. Barnett always talked about how great he was at playing the piano and I think he’d be really proud of him,” junior Gaby Rodriguez said.

Gary Barnett, teacher at OHS since 1998, passed away on July 13, 2011 at the age of 44.

People across campus join to remember him as a teacher, friend, colleague, and husband.

“He was the only person that could add humor to boring topics. Once he did a Sputnik impression and he would just stand there for 20 minutes beeping until someone called to tell him to shut up,” junior Adam Pfeifle said.

His goofy teaching tactics proved to be useful to junior Jordan Ingalsbe as well.

“He had a song about Constantinople and a Chinese Dynasties song that were very helpful.

The Chinese dynasties song really helped me get their orders straight because they could get very confusing. It went Shang, Zhou, Qinn, Han,(repeat) Sui, Tang, Song Sui, Tang, Song, [etc. in the tune of Frère Jacques] it really stuck in my head for the whole year,” junior Jordan Ingalsbe said.

For Ingalsbe, Barnett’s unceasing enthusiasm was what she looked forward to more than anything.

“He was always so much fun and active during class. He was always so pumped. He really cared

about his students and you could tell that he was really passionate about teaching and he wanted to be here each and every day. He never came to school in a bad mood. I’m glad I had his class first period. He always put me in a good mood by telling jokes. He would talk with us for a little while before jumping into his lectures,” Ingalsbe said.

For Principal Robert Lundquist, Barnett’s leadership is what he admired most.

“We often talked about setting an example for our students to become leaders. He was a leader not only to his students, but to his peers. He truly epitomized the educator. He led by example and knowledge of the subject, and his wisdom. I would always go to him when I wanted to know how the teachers felt about a new system etc. We miss him greatly,” Lundquist said.

His students appreciate him not only as a teacher but as a person as well.

One day during the last school year, because of his supposed resemblance to Robert Downey Jr., Pfeifle, and juniors A.J. Persampiere and Diego Zegarra decided to start calling him “Iron Man.” “We came up with this joke that he looked like Iron Man. So we got a lot of people to chip in some money so we could buy him an Iron Man helmet,” Pfeifle said. “One morning me, A.J. Persampiere and Andrew Mack walked into his first period class and A.J. took the boom-box I brought to the back of his class and started playing the Iron Man theme song. Mr. Barnett, at that moment, didn’t notice us with the mask under a pillow case and he was like, ‘Ah, my theme song!’ He got out of his chair, and then we walked up to him. I uncovered the mask and put it on his head. Then he started pretending to

play air guitar and he started dancing and laughing. good friends. He liked to scare me. He scared me I showed him how to work the mask. He was extra one day in particular when I went to get something fond of the missile launcher button and the ability to I had printed from the printer in his room and he lift up the visor so people could see his face.” hid behind the wall by his door when I walked in.

Because it was something Barnett has always I was so focused on going to the printer I didn’t wanted to do and often talked about, AP Art History notice where he was. He jumped out and I lost it. I teacher and wife of Barnett, Didi Gibbs, established screamed and I dropped what I was holding and his the Gary Barnett Scholarship. whole class erupted in laughter. I just got the stuff “He’s always wanted to do this. We would out of the printer and left and couldn’t believe he talk about the both of us taking our AP money that got me that good,” Densberger said. we make, we get so much money per student, and Barnett loved to visit Densberger’s classes. putting it back in to some type of scholarship and “He’d come into my room sometimes and being able to help pay for a kid for college. This is would be these strange characters. One time he something that he always used to talk about, so I was a T-Rex and went around snapping at people, know he would have wanted didn’t say a word, then me to do this,” Gibbs said. left. Another time he was a He was the only person Students weren’t the ninja. I have no idea what that could add humor to only ones to be entertained he was doing. He just went

by Barnett’s crazy stunts. around karate chopping boring topics.

“He would do the everybody,” Densberger Adam Pfeifle, ‘13 same things to my classes. said.

Last year one time he was Their friendship was meowing outside the door during my AP class. It not just limited to school.Barnett and Densberger was seventh period and I was teaching up in front often “hung out” after work hours as well. and it was dark. We heard this ‘meow, meow’ and it “We would watch magic games at Beef was him outside the door,” Gibbs said.

O’Brady’s. I’ve been over to his house plenty of Barnett frequently came in to Gibbs’ classroom times. We didn’t really get to hang out as much as and entertained the class. we could have. Our time was always so occupied “Another time he came through the window. with other things such as my coaching basketball, It was his plan period and he was just wondering and his soccer world. Now when you look at it, it’s around campus and all of a sudden he banged on a stupid reason when you get caught up in other the window. It was dark and he scared us! I opened things in our life that seemed important at the time it and said, ‘What are you doing’ and he climbed when something like this happens you realize how in through the window. He would come in and be unimportant those things were,” Densberger said. part of the class and teach. He did that all the time. hafsah@thelionstale.com I loved it whenever he would do that and I think the kids did, too. They loved it whenever he came in.

He was silly,” Gibbs said.

Close friend to Barnett, U.S. History teacher Zack Densberger spoke at his memorial service. He talked about multiple things such as what it was like working with Barnett and about their friendship.

“I wanted people to know what a great teacher he was and how he was fun. One thing we both liked to do was play pranks on each other. We were really

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If you wish to donate to the Gary Barnett Scholarship fund, make checks payable to Oviedo High School and drop them off in the front office.

‘15 Lac ey hty n As

by Courtney Rothermich

Personality Traits of...

First Borns:

• Reliable and conscientious perfectionists who don’t like surprises • Walter Cronkite, Peter Jennings, and Oprah Winfrey

Second Borns: • Social and outgoing, always want to have a good time • Billy Crystal, Drew Carey, and Steve Martin info courtesy/CBSNEWS.COM

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better,” Ashtyn said. ike tires skidded and brakes slammed as junior Lindsey Savanah enjoys participating in cross-country with her Brunkala fell off her bike. Her twin sister, junior Erin younger sister.

Brunkala, did not know that her sister was hurt but “It’s cool, because I’ve been telling her all of these stories, continued to complain that her own ankle was hurting badly. and now she is actually in cross country with me. I can’t wait to “I was riding my bike, fell off, and twisted my ankle, which see her in her uniform. I’m happy that she enjoys the same things was sprained. Later that night Erin said, ‘Oh my gosh, Lindsey, as me,” Savanah said. my ankle hurts really bad.’ That was before she even knew that I The Brunkalas also play on the same lacrosse team at had sprained my ankle,” Lindsey said. school.

Erin and Lindsey share all aspects of school, from friends and “Sometimes it can be hard, especially if we were already sports, to having the same classes. fighting or there was already drama, because it can be brought “Sharing classes is helpful for homework, because if one of us into it. Although, it is usually okay because we work well doesn’t understand something we can help each other out,” Erin together,” Lindsey said. said. “It also gets distracting because we are always laughing and According to Lindsey, having a sibling at school can prove giggling.” to be troublesome.

Teachers confuse the two sisters because they share the same “We fight sometimes. I’m already with her 24/7, so it is bound classes. to happen,” Lindsey said.

“Erin and I share classes, so sometimes Savanah feels more pressure teachers will pass back papers and hand to watch out for her sister now me Erin’s paper. Sometimes I say that I am You always have someone to that they are in the same school. her just to mess with them,” Lindsey said.

“It’s 100 percent my responsibility to hang out with. You’re never Students at school also confuse the two make sure that she isn’t bothered by alone. sisters. anyone,” Savanah said. “I just have to Erin Brunkala, ‘13 “Sometimes people will come up to keep track of her.” me and think that I am Erin. It’s awkward Despite the negatives, Ashtyn because I don’t know the person,” Lindsey said that having a sibling at school is said. “People will come up to me and ask questions meant for beneficial. my sister, like ‘Hey, did you do this for class?’ and I’m like, ‘I’m “When I got my schedule changed, my sister showed me Lindsey.’ If I’m trying really hard to get to class, I usually just where my classes were,” Ashtyn said. say, ‘hi’ back to the people who think that I am Erin, even if I The Brunkalas have made new friendships by having a sibling don’t know them.” at school.

According to freshman Ashtyn Lacey, sister to senior Savanah “We introduce each other to people we know. We get more Lacey, one of the more difficult parts about having a sibling is friends and it’s nice,” Lindsey said. sharing, including the space to get ready in the morning.

She also explained that sometimes being friends with the “You have to share a lot of things when you have a sibling. same people as her sister can become annoying.

It’s hard to share the bathroom in the morning because there is “Usually when we are friends with the same people, they less time to get ready,” Ashtyn said. group us together, which can get annoying,” Lindsey said.

The Brunkalas feel as if people associate them with each For the Laceys and Brunkalas, having a sibling at school other. gives them someone who will always be by their side.

“There was a rumor going around about Erin, and people “You always have someone to hang out with. You are never didn’t like it or me because I was her sister. It made me kind of alone,” Erin said. look bad,” Lindsey said.

Going to the same school and participating in the same extra Ashtyn said that people also associate her with her sister, but curricular activities has allowed the Lacey sisters to spend more it doesn’t really bother her much. time together.

“People are always like: ‘She’s going to be really good at “We spend more time together, and we have a lot of the same cross-country because her sister is really good at running cross- interests. We can relate more, and can talk more about school country’,” Ashtyn said. now, unlike when she was in middle school,” Savanah said.

For both sets of siblings, the pressure to compete increases Sharing schools has also helped the Laceys’ relationships to when they are at the same school. grow.

“My sister and I compete academically and athletically. We “Our relationship has gotten much better, because now we both play lacrosse and basketball. Lindsey played basketball actually see each other. When she was in middle school, I got a year before I started, so I was very competitive to get to her to see her for like an hour a day. Now we see each other in the level,” Erin said. hallways,” Savanah said.

Lindsey also feels competitive with Erin about sports.

Having a strong relationship with her sibling increases “We try not to show it, but I think it is there. Because I started Ashtyn’s trust in her sister. playing basketball first, if she gets better than me, I get jealous,” “We can tell each other everything that happened during Lindsey said. the day and know it’s not going to come out. We can trust each Ashtyn feels competitive with her sister in the extra curricular other.” Ashtyn said. activities that they participate in together, like cross-country. courtneyr@thelionstale.com “It’s a healthy competition because it pushes me more to do

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all photos/AMANDA FERGUSON

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Siblings take sharing to a higher level

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Trouble

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members of band and colorg participating in the show

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types of instru Guard.

WAN

Half-time show high

by Carly Ford

performance.

Senior Madison Amhrein plays the role ilence fills the packed bleachers at John Currier Field as the student body the white swan in the beginning of the show an anticipates the start of the half-time the rest of the Color Guard will act as the bla show. On the turf the band stands in position, swans. Sometime later on in the performan ready to perform the music they’ve practiced she will ‘transform’ and become the black sw and perfected since the start of summer. In while the others become white swans.

Tejada believes the Color Guard workin the center stands color guard member, senior Maddie Amhrein, as she prepares to dance the together with the band will be beneficial f both groups. solo role of the White Swan.

“I think i “The show’s awesome. normal for the It’s one of the best, if not The show’s awesome. It’s one to work with t the best show we’ve ever of the best, if not the best, band because i had. I’m really excited also somethin about it and we’re ready show we’ve ever had. that catches t to start playing at home Jared Moons, ‘14 eye. Just becau games,” sophomore Jared we’re a marchin Moons said.

The Band is collaborating with the Color band doesn’t mean that the only people there a Guard to perform a show from the ballet Swan instrumental. The color guard plays a big ro too,” Tejada said.

Lake.

The color guard adds a visual element to t “The theme is about the Black Swan and the music is from Swan Lake and Fire Bird. Due show that complements the music performed b to budget cuts and everything, we just decided the band. The dances correspond to the son to use a show already written out by someone played and allow for an even better viewin and this just happened to catch our eye and ear,” experience.

“The color guard’s awesome this year. T senior Alex Tejada said.

Another twist to this year’s show is the fact theme works perfectly with the show. Everyone that Color Guard will play a large role in the going to see it and I think it’s really going

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all photos/ALICIA POPE

RISE OF THE SWANS. (top) Senior Madison Amrhein performs in the half-time show of the band. She stars as the black swan. (bottom) Junior Sara Barncord participates in the show.

Meet the

“

SWANS What is your favorite part of the band show?

Madison Amrhein ‘12

”

I start off as an evil character.

[My favorite part] is getting to act evil. I’m not actually evil so getting to act like that is a fun thing to do.

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“ Danielle Turk ‘13

I love the costume because we have n anything like that b

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total members of staff.

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” Kim Abney ‘13

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A regional band competition This is the first competition out-of-state that the band has ever participated in

WHERE: Atlanta, Georgia

Practices can range anywhere from three to seven hours depending on the day. Saturday practices begin at two in the afternoon and go on until nine at night. The dedication and time put into choreographing and completing this show is extensive, according to junior Gabe Cortese.

“Band is extremely hard but I love it because we get to make friends and we have somewhere to go and someone to always depend on. And at the end of the day performing is really fun,” Cortese said.

Members of the band realize just how much of a commitment is required to perfect a show with this much choreography.

“Right now were just trying to learn as much drill and then put it on the field as soon as possible. We’re preparing by taking it more seriously this year and we’re trying to get more people to practice and improve on their musicality skills,” Tejada said.

All this hard work and preparation will hopefully pay off in the upcoming competitions.

“It seems like such a long process and we work hundreds of hours in the end. When the time comes to play, people are so into it. It’s very emotional and something very powerful,” Moons said.

WHEN:

October 29, 2011

WHO:

The Marching Lions and the Color Guard

photo/ALICIA POPE

BLACK AND WHITE. Senior Madison Amrhein bursts out of the center of a group of swans during her dance.

carlyf@thelionstale.com

“

e change just never done before.

THE LION’S TALE

drum majors- seniors Ellie Weinbel and Gaby van Ravenswaay who direct the players.

WHAT:

hlights Color Guard stick out. The choreography, the dancing, and the flags all work well together,” Moons said.

The Band remains preoccupied with preparing for their many upcoming competitions as they anticipate competing at a regional level for the first time.

The biggest competition the school has ever traveled to, Bands of America, takes place in Atlanta and occurs in October. In previous years, OHS never made it past the state level.

Moons comments on the rewarding feeling performing for the band gives him.

“Well, it feels amazing either way. I mean you may not have won the show but it feels awesome because you’re in Georgetown where the Falcons play, performing for lots of people.

It’s a great feeling and hopefully your show is the best, but it’s not about who gets first place.

It’s about how well you did and how far you can go in the end,” Moons said.

Bands of America, the regional competition, hosts 50 bands that will perform in order to see who makes the top 12 finalists.

To improve their routine, the band practices every day during school and afterwards on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They’re currently working towards the goal of perfecting their routine with the color guard and ultimately placing in competition.

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Bands of America

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of nd ack nce wan

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hours spent practicing by the marching band

uments including Color

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My favorite thing about the band show is that it’s a completely different show from last year.

”

Megan Sullivan ‘14

I like the story of it. I love the theme and the costume change into different [colored] costumes.

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Welcome to the 16

THE LION’S TALE

| features | SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

Jungle

photo/AMANDA FERGUSON

JOINING THE PRIDE. Dr. Trent Daniel explains course classification to the Bio-Tech students .

Assistant principal talks about journey to becoming administrator

by Ellen McCormack

Leadership. Dr. Daniel was also a department chairman for more en-year-old Trent Daniel gazes into her makeshift classroom than eight years at Winter Springs and Hagerty high schools and setup in the kitchen. Only one student is in attendance, in about as many committees as you can think of, according to her little brother, among an assembly of stuffed animals. Dr. Daniel.

Dreams of educating students enter her mind, influencing her Part of being an administrator involves disciplining. As for future goals. disciplining students, Dr. Daniel said that the students know what “I first became inspired to become a teacher when I taught they are doing wrong and you just have to tell them and give them my younger brother, Torao, to read and write before he was in a consequence. kindergarten,” Dr. Daniel said.

In order to motivate students, Dr. Daniel thinks that one not In the fifth grade, Dr. Daniel would make up worksheets to only has to recognize the negative but to be praise the positive. school her brother in math and read to him constantly.

“You have to take time with the student to understand them “It was like I was his own personal tutor,” Dr. Daniel said. and to applaud them when they do things right,“ Dr. Daniel said.

Looking back, Dr. Daniel admits that she probably wasn’t a Dr. Daniel shares what she thinks is the key to good very good teacher to her younger sibling. administrating.

“At the time I thought I was doing a good job, but in reality “To become a good administrator you have to be constant my brother is just really smart,” Dr. Daniel in rule following, fair, and above all said. listen to the students and teachers,” Dr. There is only one important Dr. Daniel is an assistant principal and Daniel said. previously taught 21 years.

Dr. Daniels says that an example thing and it is that students “I taught chemistry and pretty much of this is to always answer the phone learn. every science class, a transition class, and because she is there to help the students Dr. Trent Daniel an op dip [operation diploma] class over and teachers. the summer,” Dr. Daniel said.

Dr. Daniel recognizes the hardest Dr. Daniel’s philosophy of teaching is part of her job is dealing with school that you have to be familiar with the person that you are teaching. systems.

“You have to look at the whole person and understand them in “The worst part for me is to make systems that aren’t efficient order to teach them and if you can’t understand them then you can’t made easily understood,” Dr. Daniel said. teach them,” Dr. Daniel explained. “There is only one important During her job as assistant principal Dr. Daniel oversees thing and it is that students learn.” teachers and their classes.

After working many years teaching in other local schools, “The most satisfying part of my job is seeing teachers teach Winter Springs, Lake Mary, Hagerty, and Seminole High School, well and students understanding,” Dr. Daniel said.

Dr. Daniel decided to become an administrator.

In a regular day as an administrator, Dr. Daniel works 17 “I wanted to be an administrator because I am good at hours a day. organizing people and things,” Dr. Daniel said.

“I get here at 5:00 to check my email and stuff. At 6:45 I start Dr. Daniel feels her job as an administrator and former teacher duty which is either in a classroom or my office. Then after school differ and the difference has changed her life significantly.

I take my son to football practice and then come back to school “I think the main difference is the amount of talking that I do. until ten,” Dr. Daniel said I used to talk more as a teacher, but now I’m doing the listening.

Dr. Daniel says she passionately enjoys her job.

You have to listen to become a good administrator,” Dr. Daniel “If I can make a difference, then why not do it,” Dr. Daniel said. “I now work longer hours than I used to, my responsibility said. has increased, and I think that I’m much happier because I have a Dr. Daniel is learning and getting to know the staff and challenge now.” students. Having worked with other schools, Dr. Daniel says that According to Dr. Daniel, the transition from teaching to Oviedo is set apart from the rest. administrating was simple.

“What makes Oviedo very special is that Mr. Lundquist, “I think that I had just been department chair for so long it just teachers, and administrators genuinely care about students and occurred to me naturally,” Dr. Daniel said. have a culture of caring,” Dr. Daniel said.

To become an administrator, Dr. Daniel graduated from the ellenm@thelionstale.com University of Florida with a doctorate degree in Educational

T

“

New teachers

What is your favorite thing about OHS so far?

My favorite thing is the “people here. Everyone I

met has been very nice, welcoming, and school spirited. That goes for students and faculty.

Angela Kohler

”

”

Teaches: Dance Tech the teachers are “ All welcoming and the

”

students are friendly.

Kati Hansen

Teaches: English atmosphere “ The of success. ”

Nolan Carey

Teaches: Acting

Other new teachers include: Johnna Denny, Shayna Hron, Jakob Jarzynka, Jilian Kistler, Kevin Patterson, Aubrey Plounde, Ryan Rink, Connie Torres, Erin Waddell, Diana Rodriguez

SGA’s goal ‘to make a difference’ SEPTEMBER 23, 2011|

features |

THE LION’S TALE

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by Zoe Lyon-Goldman

J

uniors Kalee Simpson and Allison Terry, along with senior class president Sable Lee, splatter orange and pink paint on the aluminum foil-like material glistening in the hot sun.

The paint, flying from the girls’ hands, forms a disarrayed piece of artwork that will later be displayed on a bulletin board with a brief announcement about “Roar for a Cure,” an upcoming school function.

Roar for a Cure, a fundraiser for next month’s breast cancer awareness month, will allow students to purchase T-shirts for $10.

The proceeds will then go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Sophomore secretary treasurer Hannah Procell came up with the title. Being a daughter of a breast cancer survivor, she connected with the month of October.

“I walk every year with my mom at the Race for the Cure and I just felt like I needed to do something more. Yeah, it’s true that everybody is doing something to try to end breast cancer, find a cure. People say ‘it’s pointless-no matter how much we search it’s not going to happen,’ but that’s not true. If you have the chance to work towards something greater than yourself and you know you can make a difference, then why not try,” Procell said.

Leadership class is a class made up of 32 students. A majority of the students also belong to SGA [Student Government Association], while a few do not. The class enables the students to plan events for the year. The students contribute to events like O-Glow and Homecoming week. In addition to these, they organize Wish for Winter Week, where proceeds from the various activities go to the Make a Wish Foundation.

“Our main goal is to make sure everyone at Oviedo High School has the best experience,” Lee said.

Among these events, they help the special needs students on campus.

“I think it gives them an opportunity to realize special need kids need to be able to look up to someone, and they like it when they can give assistance to the student population,” SGA sponsor Brenda Holmes said.

The class has grown in size. More and more students have become active in SGA, which benefits planning for major school functions.

“I would say every year we kind of add a little something. Our leadership class has gotten bigger. We have been able to get more done,” Holmes said.

Lee says the new contributions have a positive effect on SGA as a whole, bringing a variety of new ideas.

“We have new leaders who have really stepped up and made a difference,” Lee said. “We get a wide range of opinions. We like to appeal to the whole school, not just seniors. so having more opinions is better.”

Members of the class began orientations Aug. 10 for incoming freshman as an introduction to the school. In the morning, various

students from SGA spoke in the auditorium. Then the tours began,

with around 20 freshmen in each group, and 18 to 20 leaders assisting them around the school.

“My tour guide took us around the whole school. It really helped

because I was really nervous. This school is really big compared to my middle school,” freshman Rebecca Flachner said.

The idea originated from assistant principal Marcia Haskel.

More activities will continue to be planned for the freshmen this year. Whether or not the orientations will continue in the future depends on how successful administrators feel it went this year.

“They are going to evaluate how this year went to see if they need to change anything for next year,” Holmes said.

The new bright neon shirts seen all around campus belong to every member of the Leadership class, which brings some sense of unity and recognition to the “Lion Leaders.”

“That was something Mrs. Haskel and I decided we wanted to do to make student government members more visible. If someone comes up and asks them a question, they are supposed to answer or find the answer for them,” Holmes said.

Seeing a final product which they helped create really inspires members of SGA.

photo/LINSEY DUCA

SEARCHING FOR IDEAS. Junior Allison Terry, senior Meaghan O’Kennedy, sophomore Carson Smith, and senior Alyssa Alers, members of the Decoration Committee, sit around looking through magazines to find different decoration ideas for Homecoming’s dance theme, “Old Hollywood.”

“My proudest moment was seeing everyone at O-Glow,” Lee said.

O-Glow kick-started the year, but many events still lay ahead, with more people, new ideas and lots of enthusiasm.

“I would say so far it seems like everyone is working together.

They seem really motivated. I’m really happy I had as many people as I did. We are trying to make it so people can really see what we do,” Holmes said.

zoel@thelionstale.com

Upcoming Events Roar for a Cure Month of October

•T-shirts on sale for $10 •Dodgeball tournament (women and co-ed) on Oct. 19 •Pinkout Football game on Oct. 21

Homecoming week Nov. 7-12

•Monday- Back to the Future •Tuesday- Movie Day -Freshman: Cowboys and Aliens -Sophomores: Grease -Juniors: Avengers -Seniors: Pirates of the Carribean •Wednesday- Multiples Day •Thursday- Harry Potter Day •Friday- Spirit Day

photo/AMANDA FERGUSON

ROAR FOR A CURE Senior Sable Lee and juniors Allison Terry and Kalee Simpson splatter paint with their hands for the Roar for a Cure banner.

18

THE LION’S TALE

| advertisements | SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

SEPTEMBER 23, 2011 |

features |

Entrepreneur Singer Designer

19

Heart attacks most common on Mondays It would take 1,200,000 mosquitoes all sucking at the same time to drain the human body of blood.

Due to gravitational effects, you weigh less when the moon is directly overhead.

sports ) ///////////(DIDYOUKNOW?

Bryce Redfern

THE LION’S TALE

There are 192 deffinitions for the word ‘set’ in the English Language.

In 1957, a dog named Laika became the first dog to orbit the Earth. She died hours after launch.

The muscles that focus your eye move about 100,000 times a day. To give your leg muscles that amount of exercise you would have to walk 50 miles every day.

The risk of having a heart attack is greater on Monday than any other day of the week.

photo/LINSEY DUCA

Dreams of surf shirts dance through his head

by Olivia Davila-Finch

C

ountless phone calls to shirt printing companies. Tireless hours spent surfing Google for reliable companies. Endlessly asking friends, “Which design is your favorite?”

All paid off as junior Bryce Redfern tears open a large cardboard box, finally seeing his finished shirts.

“Me, Kevin Collins, and Heath Kerr have been working on getting our own brand of shirts made for three years, and we’ve finally done it,” Redfern said. “Our first shirt is done and ready to be sold.”

Redfern’s brand is called Covalent Seas, a symbol of the shared emotions between the surfers that the brand is aimed for.

“Covalent bonding means that atoms share ions, so Covalent Seas is all about surfing and sharing

the experience of the sea,” Redfern said.

Redfern took care of the business part of creating the brand, such as finding a printing company and ordering the shirts.

“I’ve known for a long time that I wanted to do business,” Redfern said. “I love being in a position of leadership, and I’ve always had a knack for it.”

Redfern specifically chose to orient his brand towards surf-type clothing.

“Surfing to me is an ideology that’s about appreciating life and what you have. Breaking your own ground and setting your own limits,“ Redfern said. “That’s what I plan on doing with my business.”

Redfern hopes to bring his success to Orlando, and to create a new name and image for the people here.

Senior Steve: by Jonathan Bohinsky

“I want to put Orlando on the map,” Redfern said. “You have all your surf companies in one part of California. It’s time for us to get one of our own. A new homegrown ideology and company.”

After all is said and done, Redfern wants nothing but the simplicity of retiring and singing.

“I want to take this business to new heights with the community and change lives, and after I accomplish all this? I just want to sell the business and sing,” Redfern said.

oliviad@thelionstale.com Editor’s Note

One by One features a selected student, whose story is told in only 300 words.

If you go blind in one eye you’ll only lose one-fifth of your vision, but you’ll lose all of your depth perception.

Rabbits and parrots can see behind themselves without turning their heads.

Women produce half of the world’s food, but only own one percent of its farmland.

Venice, Italy is built on 118 islets connected by 400 bridges and is slowly sinking into the water.

The average person has 100,000 hairs on their head. Each hair grows about five inches every year.

dyk@thelionstale.com

facts/COURTESY OF WONDERFUULINFO.COM

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(diversions sport s )

THE LION’S TALE

|

SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

Teens audition for TV shows Three young musicians put their singing skills to the test

by Olivia Davila-Finch

from country singers this season, and she did ophomore Megan Klauck steps up in not progress any further.

Senior Zac Figueroa auditioned for The front of a small panel of producers. She clears her throat and runs the lyrics of Voice on August 11 in Orlando and had a Vienna by Billy Joel through her head one last similar experience.

“It was mostly just standing in line,” time before erupting into song.

“I’ve always loved music. I love how Figueroa said. “They only called back 0.01% singing makes me feel, and I’ve always of people that auditioned.”

Figueroa began singing at the age of loved performing,” Klauck said. “I want to see what it’d be like to be on TV.” seven, and auditioned in a room with nine Klauck began singing at the age of three and other people.

“I sang Who’s Lovin’ You by Michael plans to pursue a career in music.

Jackson because I was “I sing country, already familiar with pop, and acoustic,” I’m bound and determined. I it,” Figueroa said. “It Klauck said. “I write my know I’m going to be successful. was kind of nerveown songs and travel to Megan Klauck, 14 wracking being one of Nashville to sing too. the youngest people I’ve also met a few times with publishers about there – the youngest you can audition is 16 and I just turned 17.” record deals.”

Figueroa was put in a room with nine other Klauck auditioned for American Idol on July people and they all performed their songs for 23 in Charleston, South the judges.

After auditioning the group was told that Carolina.

“I figured it’d be a too many people had applied and they would good experience, just probably not get called back.

“They only accepted seven people out of to see what it’d be all the people that applied. But it was exciting like,” Klauck said.

The sign up process, and a good opportunity to get out there and which mostly consisted of filling experience this. If I try out again, I’ll know out forms, took two days, and on not to expect anything,” Figueroa said.

Unlike Figueroa, senior Ali Hartwig the third auditions started.

“We had to wake up at 3:00 a.m., enjoyed her experience auditioning for The and then stand in a huge line until Voice.

“I thought it was really fun,” Hartwig said.

9:00 am. They came down the line with a bunch of cameras and everyone “I liked talking to the other people and hearing the songs they were going to sing.” screamed and yelled,” Klauck said.

Hartwig auditioned for The Voice on After several hours, Klauck began August 12. the first round of auditions.

“I’ve been singing my whole life, and I’ve She sang a group song with three people that she didn’t know, judged by been training since I was eight. I won the OHS a small group of producers. The actual talent show when I was a freshman, and I’ve audition, however, was not what she won a few other shows around the county,” Hartwig said. expected.

Hartwig sang Undo It by Carrie Underwood “They give you about 10 seconds to sing,” Klauck said. “Then they give you and, like Figueroa, was told too many people a questionnaire about your family and life. had applied.

“They said they were looking for a ‘certain They don’t care about how talented you are.

They care about your background and how style’,” Hartwig said. “But they told us that your story will sound on TV. Honestly, all that we were all very talented. I really enjoyed it, and I think they were really looking for a waiting wasn’t worth it.”

At the end of her audition, the producers good voice. I would definitely do it again if told Klauck they were trying to stay away I could.”

Despite her unsatisfactory audition, Klauck photo/LINSEY DUCA has decided not to let her bad experience affect her desire to pursue a career in music.

PURSUING A PASSION. Senior Zac Figueroa “I’m bound and determined,” Klauck said. practices his audition piece as he prepares to perform the song ‘Who’s Lovin You’ by Michael Jackson.

“And I know I’m going to be successful.”

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oliviad@thelionstale.com

Star in the making

by Olivia Davila-Finch

S

ophomore Megan Klauck at first appears to be your average high school student. But in Nashville, Tennessee, Klauck is known as Megan Katarina, a rising country/pop singer.

Klauck began writing and composing her own songs at the age of five, and began playing the guitar at 13. Soon after she started playing guitar, she traveled to Tennessee with her dad when she was younger to perform at local popular venues and to meet with publishers in hopes of getting her lyrics published.

Now, Klauck performs once every two to five months in Nashville. She one day hopes to move there so she can focus more on her future career.

Last summer Klauck released one EP of six of her own original songs accompanied by a live band. This was her first time recording an album.

Recently, several artists have come to her after watching her perform to ask about writing songs with them, a writing technique called pitching.

Klauck has met with several publishers and song writers. Her main focus now is to get her song lyrics published. While she would like to sing her own lyrics, Klauck said she would be happy just to know they’ve been sung and published.

Klauck writes about her everyday life and most of her songs are about love, or just how she’s feeling that day.

oliviad@thelionstale.com

photo/COURTESY OF MEGAN KLAUCK

LIVING THE DREAM. Sophomore Megan Klauck travels to Tennessee to record and perform songs in hopes of having them published.

////Reviewed SEPTEMBER 23, 2011 | diversions

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THE LION’S TALE

21

Music, movies, books & more

VERY GOOD

OUTSTANDING

GOOD

4 Beyonce Pop/Rock

Rabbits on the Run Vanessa Carlton Alternative

Tha Carter IV Lil’ Wayne Rap

by Hafsa Hussain

by Trevor Khan

by Olivia Davila-Finch

eyoncé Knowles releases her highly anticipated fourth album 4 on June 24, her first album after separating professionally from her father and ex-manager.

Rolling Stones Magazine rated it a four-outof-five stars and it was acclaimed number one on the Billboard 200 Chart.

In this album Beyoncé mixes it up a bit with themes of women empowerment and “I don’t need guys to be happy.”

In Beyoncé’s third album, I Am…Sasha Fierce, the songs are more upbeat, up-tempo, and just fun to listen to. 4 slightly contrasts with it in a way that most of the songs are a bit slower but great to listen to, nonetheless.

The lead single, “Run the World (Girls)”, gives the album an edgier feel and brings the whole womanhood concept together. Other tracks such as “Best Thing I Never Had” have a much slower vibe to them but are catchy and are guaranteed to stick in your head for quite a while.

Though some tracks such as “I Was Here” were a little too slow for my personal taste, the album as a whole was something different from the loud, mechanical music that’s become ever so popular today.

The best song on the album is undoubtedly “Best Thing I Never Had,” a ballad with a “Ineeded-you-then-but-definitely-don’t-needyou-now” feel to it. Slow? Yes. But, the wording, rhythm, and chorus are irresistible.

In my opinion it’s a four for 4.

he adult alternative genre has taken a grand turn with the return of singer/ songwriter, Vanessa Carlton in her fourth studio album Rabbits On The Run. With strong, powerful lyrics, Carlton manages to lose her reputation song “A Thousand Miles” within her new work.

Inspiration inhabits lyrics as Carlton uses real emotions in her song. The tracks “Fairweather Friends” and “I Don’t Want To Be A Bride” show some of Carlton’s tender side without all of the cheese in other Hollywood love tunes.

Her new songs hit very touchy subjects, like fear of commitments, the changes of life, cheating and losing those who you love. It feels almost as if Carlton sings to us from her diary.

Her lyrics are relatable and moving in a way that I’ve never experienced from another artist’s work.

Overall, I’m genuinely refreshed by this album. It’s exciting to hear good music that doesn’t feature a horrible dance beat in the background and that also manages to stay in your head and your heart for a long time after listening to it.

I’d say that Carlton has the same effect on me that artists Colbie Calliat and Sara Barielles do. Their songs are real and to the point but still fun and catchy all at once. I most recommend the songs “Carousel” or “Fairweather Friends” because they are sensitive and easy to whistle. I would suggest this album to anyone looking for a real sound that they can fall in love with.

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DOWNLOAD THIS >> Best I Never Had DOWNLOAD THIS >> Ticket To Ride

hafsah@thelionstale.com

trevork@thelionstale.com

Josh Turner Friday, Nov. 18 8:30 p.m.

House of Blues The Script Saturday, Oct. 8 8:00 p.m.

Hard Rock Live

RUBBISH

AWFUL

I’m With You

Red Hot Chili Peppers Rock

by Alexis Sherwood

A

A

fter several years of mixed tapes and a short period in jail, rap legend Lil’ Wayne has finally returned with his new album, Tha Carter IV. Featuring several big artists such as Drake, T-Pain, and Rick Ross, Lil’ Wayne brings a new style to this album. Tha Carter IV is noticeably more melodious than previous “Carters”. In my opinion, this switch from hard beats to complex, musical rhythms is a change that really works.

The song “How to Love” particularly stands out in this album, showing a different side to Lil’ Wayne; a softer, emotional side as he sings about a girl who’s been hurt too many times. Instead of his usual rough rapping, Lil’ Wayne sings about more personal subjects. It gives a revealing glimpse into his actual character, rather than the hard exterior we’re so used to seeing.

The song “Mirror”, featuring Bruno Mars, also displays Lil’ Wayne’s insecurities. Instead of seeing a confident Lil’ Wayne, this song alludes to his inner struggles as Bruno Mars’ haunting voice adds to the intensity of the lyrics.

Of course, Lil’ Wayne hasn’t completely changed. The song “Blunt Blowin” is another of Lil’ Wayne’s typical hits, a song with a catchy beat and his usual raspy, harsh voice. He touches on his usual subjects and reassures his listeners that jail hasn’t done too much to change him.

Overall, while this album is definitely a change from the previous “Carters”, no loyal Weezy fan would be disappointed. Lil’ Wayne has once again proven himself to be one of the best rappers out there.

fter taking a nice two year break from doing anything related to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the band was ready to get back into the recording studio.

The Chili Peppers were in the recording studio from Septemeber 2010 to March 2011 and had more than enough songs for two albums. They decided on 12 of them, and released the album.

The Chili Peppers claim this album, “I’m With You”, will be a refreshing start and a new beginning for the band. With old guitarist John Frusciante gone, and a new guitarist taking his place, that’s exactly what it is. There has been a new musical mind helping to write songs for the new album-Josh Klinghoffer-and he certainly brings a unique sound to their music.

The reviews that the band received a couple days after its release were mostly positive.

Several reviews said that the songs were original, unique and creative, but they could tell that John Frusciante is missing.

The tracks included on the album, such as the single “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” and others like “Happiness Loves Company”, “Even You Brutus”, and “Police Station”, show that the band has definitely changed their sound and are heading toward the path of change. They are all funkier than what is a typical sound from the band.

Any fan of this band would undoubtedly think this album is different, but it is far from a disappointment. This may be one of the Chili Peppers most memorable works-it’s anything but ordinary.

DOWNLOAD THIS >> Megaman

DOWNLOAD THIS >> Monarchy of Roses

oliviad@thelionstale.com

Upcoming Concerts Death Cab for Cutie Saturday, Oct. 8 7:30 p.m.

House of Blues all photos /COURTESY OF PUBLICITY WEB SITES

Adele Thursday, Oct. 13 7:00 p.m.

Hard Rock Live Artic Monkeys Friday, Oct. 7 7:00 p.m.

Hard Rock Live

alexiss@thelionstale.com

22

THE LION’S TALE

| diversions | SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

‘Contagion’ infects fans nationwide

by Chris Moskal

H

alloween is coming up, and scary movie season brings serial killers and supernatural threats along with it. But you won’t find a movie as scary as Contagion this year. It’s an epidemic movie, and it’s probably the most realistic of the genre to date, despite a few flaws.

As the movie begins, you hear coughing, and see a woman named Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) looking quite ill. She had just been on a business trip in Hong Kong for her company, and returns home to her husband Mitch (Matt Damon) and her son. Shortly afterwards, Beth is taken to a hospital after collapsing with a seizure and dies, making her the first victim of an unknown disease.

Soon, more deaths start, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have to find out what’s causing the outbreak and how to cure it.

Dr. Ellis Cheever (Laurence Fishburne) is the head of the investigation, along with Dr. Erin Mears (Kate Winslet) of the Epidemic Intelligence Service.

The disease isn’t the main problem, though-they

also have to prevent worldwide panic, and have to deal with media conspiracies posted on the internet by people like Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law), a blogger who spreads paranoia almost as fast as the disease.

There is a lot going on in Contagion, but it’s never confusing. A marker at the bottom of the screen tells you how many days have passed since the infection so you can keep track without difficulties. You’ll never be confused over the number of characters, either.

Even though it has a star-studded cast, the main characters are Mitch, Dr. Cheever and Alan Krumwiede. Mitch shows us how normal people are reacting to the virus, Dr. Cheever shows how the government would respond to a massive outbreak like this, and Alan shows how the media could easily blow a situation out of control. The rest of the characters have minor roles.

Even though the movie is great, it’s not without problems. It goes by very fast, which prevents emotional attachment to some of the characters, and a few of them are completely unnecessary to begin with. If you took Marion Cotillard’s character, Dr. Leonora Orantes of the World Health Organization out of the movie, it would have made no

difference whatsoever because she had very little screen time.

There’s also a concern about whether Beth was cheating on Mitch that served no purpose and was just added information. The 106-minute length could have been cut by at least ten minutes this way.

What makes the movie so good and worth seeing is how it feels. You never think, “That could never happen.” The characters react the way you’d expect them to in real, life thanks to the great acting, and the story is filled with interesting information to make it even more believable. (Did you know that every human being touches their face three thousand times a day?)

Contagion begins well, ends well, has great performances, shows many different aspects of the situation realistically and will scare you. Its flaws prevent it from being worth seeing more than once, but it’s definitely worth it. Rather than seeing another installment of the usual horror movie franchises, watch this instead. The idea behind it is far scarier than any horror movie.

chrism@thelionstale.com

MODERN PLAGUES Necrotizing Fasciitis (Flesh eating virus) Symptoms: Severe pain and swelling.

Fever and redness at wound site. Skin begins peeling away.

Infection Risk: 6-7% Prevention: Proper hand washing

Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever Symptoms: Muscle aches, sore throats, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain.

Infection Risk: very low Prevention: Wash hands frequently, avoid bush meat, don’t contact infected

Onchocerciasis Symptoms: Vision impairment, blindness, skin nodules and itching Infection Risk: 15% Prevention: Wear long sleeves and insect repellent in areas indigenous to black flies info/COURTESY OF WWW..CDC.GOV/

1. Actress Sanaa Lathan on the phone. 2.

Actor Matt Damon and co-star Anna Jacoby-Heron walking in the supermarket.

3. Actress Marion Cotillard being pulled by co-star Chin Han. 4. Actress Kate Winslet handing mask to off-screen subject. 5. Actors Laurence Fishburne and Sanjay Gupta at a conference. 6. Marion Cotillard and Chin Han examining a scene.

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6.

all photos/COURTESY OF PUBLICITY WEBSITE

SEPTEMBER 23, 2011 |

diversions |

THE LION’S TALE

Apple comes out with new updates for iPad and iPhone

by Trevor Khan

P

ancreatic cancer struck the Apple corporation, threatening to take one of the finest technological geniuses and forcing the resignation of Steve Jobs. But his absence will not stop the long running production of Apple corporation products.

The newest models are to have new features and improved versions of those that had originally been on the previous models. One new feature of the iPhone 4GS is the new Retina Display, said to be the highest resolution on a smart phone.“I think the graphics are awesome,” AP Psychology teacher Zachary Densberger said. Densberger, owner of the iPhone 4GS, says he’s been a long term Verizon customer.

“I wanted it since the day it came out and AT&T had it. I’ve been a Verizon customer for 15 years,” Densberger said.

The iPhone 4GS, like previous models, has a built in iPod with an iTunes app on it which can play up to 40 hours of music.

The battery life can last up to 10 hours on the internet through Wi-Fi , 10 hours of video playback and up to seven hours of talk time on 3G network.

The iPhone 4GS also has a new feature of HD video recording with video editing apps available from the app store. The camera is said to have an advanced backside video illumination sensor and built in LED light which could be used even in low light settings.

New features aren’t only on the iPhone. But they are also on the newest model of the iPad. The iPad 2 has a dual core A5 chip making the iPad faster.

Being 33% thinner than the original and up to 15% lighter, the iPad 2 is full of new features including two cameras for facetime video chat and a battery life of up to 10 hours.

“Apple seems to be ahead of the curve,” chorus teacher William Schult said. “It’s not as heavy or as hot as a laptop.”

The new 9.7 inch screen is used to view movies and Youtube videos on the iPad. Schult claims that his model of the iPad is not very good for viewing movies.

“It doesn’t do flash movies. I wish Apple would get together with whatever company does movies and work on it,” Schult said.

To some, the Apple technologies of today are more important to them than expected.

“It’s the only thing I need. It’s my phone, my calendar, my music. I can get on the internet. It’s my lifeline,” said Oviedo sign language teacher, Kathy Bingham.

Although some of the newer features don’t apply to everyone, like Bingham.

“I can’t imagine having another phone, because I can use it for so many different things,” Bingham said. “I don’t see myself getting a different type of phone anytime soon.”

trevork@thelionstale.com

23

iPad

Updates Dual core A5 chip 10 hour battery life 2 cameras (Facetime) LED Backlit display Thinner than the first iPad 9.7 inch screen Video mirroring

iPhone

Updates Retina display Built-in iPod with iTunes Facetime video chat Multitasking HD Video recording 5 Megapixel camera Voice control iBooks (e-readers) all photos/COURTESY OF PUBLICITY WEBSITE

Movie remakes and sequels fill local theaters T

by Chris Moskal

ap dancing penguins, vampire romances, terrorist plots, and murder mysteries are nothing new to the world of Hollywood.

Instead, they’re part of the record 27 movie sequels and nine remakes that are coming out this year.

Three have already reached over a billion dollars-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

Happy Feet Two Happy Feet Two, the sequel to the Academy Award-winning animated movie is also set for release on Nov. 18. Our hero, Mumble, now the Master of Tap, has to find his son Erik, who left the penguin group due to his fear of dance. Robin Williams and Elijah Wood are returning as the voices of Ramón and Mumble Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman are not returning, but Matt Damon and Brad Pitt are going to have voice roles as Krill, along with Hugo Weaving, who plays Elrond in The Lord of the Rings.

Twilight: Breaking Dawn Whether you’re a fan or not, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 of the series is set to be released on Nov. 18. The series so far has grossed almost 1.8 billion dollars worldwide, making it the 16th highest grossing movie series of all time. The movie is going to be divided into two parts, so the 756-page story won’t have to be significantly cut.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is set for a release Dec. 21, and the movie is an American remake of the Swedish film, based on the book by Stieg Larsson, directed by the two-time Academy Award nominated director, David Fincher, of The Social Network fame.

Daniel Craig, the latest James Bond, is set to star as the journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, who is searching for a woman who has been missing for 40 years with the help of a young computer hacker.

Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol will be released on Dec. 21. J.J. Abrams, the director of MI:III and co-creator of Lost, will not be returning to direct but will produce instead and the new director will be Brad Bird. Tom Cruise is returning, and Jeremy Renner is also going to be a major character.

The story involves Ethan Hunt and his team on the run after being blamed for a terrorist attack in Russia, and the team having to go on the run while searching for the real culprits. all photos/COURTESY OF PUBLICITY WEBSITES

chrism@thelionstale.com

(sports sports )

24 THE LION’S TALE

| SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

Steppin’

UP

Young players bring new talent to turf

photo/ALICIA POPE

EVERYBODY’S HANDS GO UP. Senior Dayo Adisa #23 accepts a pass from sophomore quarterback Chris Davis Jr. #3. The Lions lost to Lake Brantley 27-7 on Sept. 16. The Lions will face upcoming rivals Hagerty on Sept. 30 on the John Currier Field.

quarterback,” Davis said. sophomore players.

Allen and the other coaches do all they “We have to mature fast as a team.

We arsity football coach Wes Allen makes can to ensure that the team’s attitude remains really have a lot of sophomores and juniors,” it clear that the changes now in place Allen said. “We have a good group of kids and positive. But Davis doesn’t know if other will lead to a great football season. people are so sure about their abilities and or “Chris Davis is our starting quarterback and they’re working hard.” have confidence in Despite being he played freshman last year. John McDaniels them beating district We’re a very young team, and young, training and is our offensive lineman. He played freshman playing together creates we’re going to have to learn to opponents. last year,” Allen said. “I’m sure they’ll improve “We’re a very unity. our team’s performance. The kids that we’ve go against our odds, because a young team, and “A lot of the young brought up from JV and freshman are all good lot of people expect us to lose we’re going to have athletes. They’re ready to play varsity football. players are starters and they make big plays district. We have to prove we’re to learn to go against We’re excited about what they’re going to our odds, because a for us but when we’re bring to the table.” going to be good. lot of people expect The season’s first two games ended in wins on the field together Chris Davis, ‘14 us to lose district. We we have good team against Lyman and Seminole High School. The have to prove we’re chemistry and we play Lions crushed Seminole High on their home going to be good,” Davis said. as a team, not individuals,” said junior David field with a final score of 24-2. The Sept. 17 According to Allen, the team has not faced Joyce. game against Lake Brantley High on John Edgewater or Oakridge High Schools as district The ten assistant coaches and head coach Currier Field ended in defeat with a score of opponents before, so they may be a challenge Allen focus on making sure the players get the 27-7. this year.

“We lost a lot of kids on defense last year training they need.

District opponents are opposing high school “The coaches still help like last to graduation and on offense so football teams in the same division as Oviedo’s. year, but they influence us more by we’ve got some new faces. We have conditioning us more strictly. We That means that the OHS team will have to be a couple new coaches, and changed don’t get away with slacking,” Joyce the best to win the district championship. our offenses slightly from last year.

The players and coach Allen are especially said. “They make you run to the line, We’ll be in no huddle offense this looking forward to playing Winter Park, not past.” year,” Allen said.

Hagerty, East Ridge and Seminole High According to Davis, playing No huddle offense means that Schools.

According to Allen, those particular varsity ball requires a certain set the team will spend less time in high schools field great football teams, of new skills.

He says it is really huddle, and snap the ball quicker, David Joyce ‘13 tough having to remember plays. and to win against them would be a major making the defense have to readjust That, combined with the fact that the accomplishment. their formation. This tactic takes the “I’m just looking forward to a great season team has never played district teams defense out of their routine and ensures more with a good group of kids,” said Allen. “ And before, puts pressure on him. scores for a better game for the offense.

“Everyone’s going to be waiting on you I’m excited about the support we’ve had.”

Even with two wins on their plate, the big to mess up, and it’s my first time playing alexiss@thelionstale.com challenge facing the team is the number of

by Alexis Sherwood

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According to

Joan Stone AP Psychology teacher Joan Stone expresses her opinion of this seasons football team and players.

Stone attends the football games to support the Lion’s.

What difference have you seen in the teams performance since last year?

They are very organized and seem confident.

Which players would you recruit to go to your college?

A.J. Coney Anthony Gonzalez Marshall Stapp

What do you like so much about football?

It has a lot of action and it is exciting to see all the different strategies.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

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sports

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THE LION’S TALE

25

Senior diver combines two sports in one Perna’s dance skills add to success as a diver

by Charlie Rose.

Perna, a returning diver, started her diving career when her friends at the University of Performing Arts dance studio talked her into joining the dive team.

Oviedo vs. Winter Springs Dancing since the age of four, Perna finds the dancing and Sept. 20 at Seminole High diving skills similar and uses the same techniques in both.

“There are a lot of the same techniques between dancing and Girls Boys diving. You need to point your toes, keep your legs straight, and 1st-Eric Freeburn 3rd- Danielle Perna hold your center,” Perna said. “My favorite dive is a layout twist. I go backwards and then spin.”

2nd-Carson Smith 4th-Amy Small Although injuries may occur while diving, Perna’s only experience with a diving injury comes from hitting the water

by Andrea Dobo enior Danielle Perna flies in mid-air, flipping and twisting hard.

“I sometimes get bruises from belly flopping and slapping the after taking a great leap off the springboard at Seminole High School pool. Water splashes as her body hits the water, water. I have to try not to over-rotate on a dive,” Perna said.

Over-rotating is a term used by divers that describes the body’s her arms straight and toes pointed out as she completes a layout excess turning on a dive. When a diver over-rotates the risk of twist.

“Diving gives me the chance to not worry about everything. flopping on the waters surface increases.

Friends are part of the reason Perna enjoys being a part of the I don’t have to be perfect. I can jump off a big board, and I don’t have to worry about being graded on technique or performing,” team.

Senior Kim Pastrana and Perna have Perna said. been best friends since their sophomore According to diving head coach Diving gives me the chance to chemistry class.

Alice Roseum, each week of the season “It’s fun to be with someone you’re there is a declared “required” dive from not worry about everything, close with and someone as serious one of five categories. One week it may Danielle Perna, ‘12 about diving as you are,” Pastrana said, be a twist, or a reverese type dive.

“We tell each other to keep on trying.

The 11 person dive team consists of nine girls and two boys. Practices are held on Friday and Saturday’s We’ll listen and be there for each other and listen to each other’s and meets take place on Tuesdays at the Seminole High School problems and give advice.”

Finishing up her senior year, Perna wishes to attend a college pool. SHS is the only local facility that gives divers the proper pool that fits her dancing interest. depth and diving boards.

“I want to attend a dance oriented school, like a consevetory, photo/AMANDA FERGUSON At the end of each dive meet the total scores are added with the or FSU,” Perna said.

POINT YOUR TOES. Senior Danielle Perna performs a straight dive total scores of the swim team’s meet. The swim team is coached andread@thelionstale.com at the Seminole High School pool.

Dive Team Scores

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Friends commit to FSU for beach ball

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by Jessi Whitacre

photo/AMANDA FERGUSON

GETTING SET. Seniors Kayla Joyce and Julie Brown brace themselves for a serve from their opponent during the game against Bishop Moore High School on Sept. 7. The Lady Lions started their season on Aug. 31 and have a 7-3 record. The girls go on to play Lake Brantley, Winter Springs and Seminole High School. According to head coach, Jen Darty, to prepare to beat their biggest opponent in conference, Lake Mary High School, the Lady Lions are focusing on the positive chemistry of the team and the atmosphere in the gym at practice and during games. The team also plans to eliminate small errors, and emphasize their strengths.

est friends since the first grade, senior varsity volleyball players, Kayla Joyce and Julie Brown are as at home playing volleyball in the sand as they are playing on the hardwood floors. Because of this, both are now committed to Florida State for beach volleyball.

Although Georgia State offered them both a scholarship and they were talking to FAU, they committed to Florida State, with a 25 percent scholarship each before FAU could even make an offer.

“It was both of our top choice school, even if we weren’t playing volleyball. We have been huge fans since we were little,” Joyce said.

Being committed to a college this early into their senior year became a big stress reliever for the girls, explained Joyce.

The duo first began playing volleyball indoors at O-Town in the seventh grade, but formed a beach team at Club Beach Dig three years ago, working with professional coaches.

Beach volleyball is fundamentally similar to indoor, however there are a few differences between the two sports, the most noticeable being team size (indoor is played with six girls on the court at a time, who must be in position, while beach involves only two players and no positional rules) and the fact that coaching is not allowed.

“Me and Julie played volleyball together, and just love the beach. We were just messing around at first,” Joyce said.

Since they first began, the two of them have never placed below third in a tournament, according to Brown.

“We wanted the absolute best competition, and you only get better by playing the best. We were playing against pros. To be able to play up to their level…you see a lot of improvement, and the whole speed [of the game] is different,” Joyce said.

Joyce explained that although competing is enjoyable for Brown and her and they both learn a lot from their experience; it doesn’t come without effort and sacrifice. Tournaments are held about every weekend during summer.

Being in a Dig The Beach tournament over summer entailed long hours outside in the heat, setting up before the games and taking down the equipment after, said Brown.

“The hardest part is probably being in the hot sun 24 hours and constantly running,” Brown said.

In addition to getting committed, another advantage to being involved in beach volleyball is that it helps with their indoor skills, said Joyce.

“It has increased my vertical [jump]. Once you’re used to playing on sand, you feel like you can fly indoor. It also increases and has helped my attitude, because you can’t get aggravated at little things,” Joyce said.

It’s with that attitude that both Joyce and Brown eagerly await their futures at FSU, where both girls hope to play all four years of their college career and continue to improve their skills.

jessiw@thelionstale.com

26

THE LION’S TALE

| sports | SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

photo/LINSEY DUCA

JUST HANGIN’ AROUND. Junior Cole Cooper practices his climbing skills at Aiguille Rock Climbing Center. Cooper practices three days a week.

Cooper climbs to the top

by Sarah Tripp

J

next July in Atlanta. unior Cole Cooper grabs his shoes, chalk Junior Steven Eley rock climbs with Cooper bag, rope, and prepares himself for practice at least once a week. He has been climbing since at Aiguille, a rock climbing center in Freshman year.

Longwood. He checks the clock constantly “I enjoy climbing because it is physically because if he’s late, even by only a minute his challenging and mentally challenging because it coach Eugene Hoberg makes him do 150 pull is like a puzzle and you have to find your way ups. through,” Eley said.

“He is very difficult. If we don’t bring our Cooper and Eley spend their time climbing at equipment he makes us do 150 pull ups or if we’re late by like five seconds we have to do 150 Aiguille. The center held 17 competitions in the past six years pull ups,” Cooper said.

“It’s very safe. Nobody has ever fallen from He practices on a team with 30 other people.

Practices are three days a week for two hours. the top of a rock. They have competitions there and everything,” Cooper said.

The rest of the time, he Outside of Aiguille, climbs for enjoyment.

Cooper’s favorite place to My mom thinks I’m trying to Cooper rock go climbing is New River climbs 20 hours a give her a heart attack. My Gorge in West Virginia. week at Aiguille. dad’s all for it. He likes rock “There are all sorts Just equipment is of climbing on amazing climbing over $300, and a rocks, and the scenery is membership at Cole Cooper, ‘13 unbelievable,” Cooper Aiguille is $80 a said. month.

Sports injuries are one of Cooper’s biggest His first competition was in Melbourne, and challenges. it earned him fourth place.

“I have had tendonitis in both wrists, both “I was scared honestly, but I loved it at the elbows, both knees, and a shoulder. I had to stop same time,” Cooper said. “I was afraid of loosing climbing for two months,” Cooper said. and not being good enough, and not representing Cooper looks up to his role model, Chris my team and coach, but I ended up in fourth place, only behind climbers who had been Sharma, a professional rock climber.

“He’s the best climber in the world and he climbing since they were very young.”

His best placement was at another competition makes a living the way I eventually want to, through sponsorships and traveling the world in Melbourne.

“I got first in bouldering in the state of Florida climbing,” Cooper said.

Cooper’s parents have mixed feelings about in my age division,” Cooper said. “Bouldering is climbing only 15 to 20 feet of the ground without his interest in rock climbing.

“My mom thinks I’m trying to give her a any gear except shoes and a chalk bag.” heart attack. My dad’s all for it. He likes rock Cooper started climbing three years ago.

Since then, he has traveled all over the United climbing,” Cooper said.

Cooper made friends through this experience, States, and as far as Colorado for competitions. and he hopes to continue rock climbing for the “Nationals in Atlanta was the best because it was in the biggest, newest gym in the nation. It’s rest of his life and get sponsored by La Sportiva, amazing. The walls are as tall as 60 feet and there a shoe company.

“I would like to get sponsored, but now it’s is a 40 foot horizontal roof, making some routes just a hobby,” Cooper said. “I want to travel the as long as 100 feet long.” Cooper said.

He goes to competitions once every month world and establish climbs in different places.”

“

”

and he looks forward to going to nationals again

saraht@thelionstale.com

Roar Board

SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

|

sports

//////

CHEER ON THE TEAM.

all photos/LINSEY DUCA

Senior Sabrina Grimes cheers on the fooabll team from the side lines during their game on Sept.16 against Lake Brantley High School.

Sophomore Allyson Powers balances as she pumps up the crowd at the Lake Brantley game.

Cheerleaders head into their first competition of the season in Demember.

Cross country places in top five Bowling teams remain undefeated Cross country competed in the Astronaut Invitational on Sept.

10. Boys varsity came in third and girls varsity came in fourth, out of 30 schools.

“Our varsity team is really shaping up. Hopefully we will be a 2A or 4A school,” junior Justin Schanze said.

The team moved on to the DeLand Invitational on Sat., Sept.

17. Varsity girls placed fifth and varsity boys placed third out of 33 schools. On Wed.,Sept. 21, the team competed at the Trinity Invitational girls finished in first place and the boys placed second.

Softball team defeats Seminole

Girls varsity slow pitch softball has begun. The team took on more freshman than in previous years.

The team defeated Lyman High School 12 to 4 and Seminole High School 8 to 4. The team lost to Lake Brantley, Lake Howell, and Winter Springs.

The boys and girls bowling teams have seen changes this year.

This year the girls have a new coach, Brittney Burr.

“The new coaches have divided the team. We used to be like a family,” senior Victoria Fairman said.

The coaching adjustments have not affected the teams competitive game. Both teams have had an undefeated record. Both teams have defeated Seminole, Hagerty, Lake Brantley, Lake Howell, Winter Springs, and Crooms Academy.

Next the teams take on Lyman on Sept. 26.

Hammack sets new standards

The boys golf team acquired a new coach this year, Erik Vallieres.

Vallieres recently graduated from the Golf Academy of America. “He will bring a new dimension and understanding of the game,” assistant athletic director Matt Ackley said.

The season began on Sept. 1 with a match against Lake Mary.

“The team will be very competitve this year. Matt Ainsworth and The dance has a new coach this year, Angela Koehler.

Daniel Hammack offer lots of experience. Plus newcomer Carson “I think we are going to be a lot better this year because we have a really experienced coach that works us hard,” senior Nicole Stroyan promises to be one of the best sophomores in the county,” Ackley said.

Johnson said.

Tues., Sept. 13, the boys took on Winter Springs High School at The team brought on five new freshman. The team has been Twin Rivers. On the third hole, senior Daniel Hammack got a holepracticing to compete in competitons, the first of which is in in-one, a first in Oviedo High School history.

December.

The team proceeded to defeat Winter Springs, Lyman, and “We need to work on getting mentally prepared for University High Schools. The boys lost to Lake Brantley by one point. competition season because it gets really stressful,” Johnson said.

Dance team prepares for season

On the sidelines...

With

Matt Ainsworth

1. What was the best thing you did this summer?

Went on vacation for a week to Cocoa. I went with a lot of friends and learned how to surf. photo/ AMANDA FERGUSON

2. Guitar Hero or Rock Band?

Guitar Hero, because I’ve only owned Guitar Hero and I used to play it everyday.

3. If you could live your life fighting for only one cause what would it be and why?

Cancer, because my dad just got diagnosed.

4. Favorite thing to get at Sonic?

Green Apple Slush, the big one.

5. What is your goal for yourself this year?

Graduate. Don’t fail.

OFF THE TEE. Senior Matt Ainsworth tees off at their match against Winter Springs at Twin Rivers on Tues. Sept. 13.

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THE LION’S TALE

27

AMANDA FERGUSON WEBSITE EDITOR

Athletes beat the summer heat

W

ith record high temperatures and heat indexes well into the 100ís, athletes have to be really careful in the summer time. Heat exhaustion, heat strokes, and dehydration are some of the major effects of being out in the extreme heat, but getting light-headed, getting sick, and passing out are also common in these temperatures.

The football team practiced almost all summer long. The boys practiced Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and towards the end of the summer the team even switched to having two practices a day.

With all those pads and helmets I can only imagine how hot it would feel. The FHSAA recommends that teams take breaks every 15 minutes when practicing outdoors. According to senior Anthony Gonzalez, the coaches never denied the players water breaks. If a player wanted water, they got it.

I think practicing in this heat is crazy.

Coaches have to be so careful to watch all the players to make sure they are all drinking enough water. During the summer, I think the teams should work on more indoor conditioning whenever they can.

The football team is not alone however; the cross-country teams were out there practicing, too. The team averaged 30 to 40 miles per week.

This, I think, is even more insane than the football team conditioning. At least if the football players get thirsty their water and Gatorade are just waiting on the sidelines. The runners could be three or four miles away from school when they run out of water.

The team runs around the Oviedo library area, Lake Charm, and the Winter Springs area.

Thatís when it gets really dangerous because if a runner gets affected by the heat, who is there to help? The coaches are back at school, and none of the runners carry their cell phones to call for help.

During the school year the coaches drive around with water coolers and wait at the half way point to hydrate the runners. Over the summer the coaches donít have access to the training room and canít get to the water coolers.

I think the cross-country teams needs to wait until the sun begins to set before they start their conditioning, but according to junior Justin Schanze the runners are acclimated to the heat because they practice in it all the time.

Our wicked Florida summer heat is lifethreatening. Everybody must be so careful to stay hydrated. Athletes, remember to drink your Gatorade and water excessively!

amandaf@thelionstale.com

HONK if you’re HUNGRY

28

THE LION’S TALE

| diversions | SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

The Lion’s Tale rated the best places for distance, wait time, and overall quality of food.

Fast Food Where to Go: McDonald’s Where it is: 1605 E Mitchell Hammock Road, 3.1 What to Get: McDouble Cheeseburger, small Coca-Cola - $2.14

Pizza Where to Go: Marco’s Pizza Where it is: 1977 Alafaya Trail, 2.8 miles What to Get: 10” small Classic Cheese Pizza - $6.99

Healthy

Where to Go: Subway Where it is: 1700 Oviedo Marketplace Blvd, 2.7 miles What to Get: Any regular Footlong sub - $5.00

Chicken Where to Go: Sarku Japan Where it is: 1700 Oviedo Marketplace Blvd, 2.7 miles What to Get: Chicken teryaki w/ rice & steamed vegetables - $4.39

BBQ Where to Go: Woody’s Where it is: 1340 Alafaya Trail, 1.9 miles What to Get: Woody’s Signature Baby Back Ribs Combo - $10.99

all illustrations/WESLEY WYNNE Page designers: Olivia Davila-Finch and Leigha Bennett

Oviedian

Yearbook

on sale now for Can be purchased in room 5-023

$75

or online at: http://shop.balfour.com/oid109322/ catalog/category/view/s/yearbooks/id/17/