Devil's Advocate Issue 3 (2011-2012)

devil’s advocate stanton college preparatory school

your stories. your school. your voice.

BREAKING THE MEDIA’S mOLD AND DEFYING EXPECTATIONS How some student’s are proving the stereotypes wrong By taylor galloway

no. 3 | march 2012

devilsadvocatepaper.blogspot.com

devil’s advocate

no. 3 march 2012

Official Publication of Stanton College Preparatory School

In This Issue Campus Affairs: 7 Sports:

Record Setters

Stanton’s sports teams may be better than you think.

Check out our story on the records and achievements of Stanton athletics.

11Cover Story: Teens Defying Stereotypes

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In society today, teens are portrayed as lazy as mischevious, but some youth are defying those stereotypes and creating a new image for teenagers.

photo by Sarah Roberson

Drunk Driving

Alcohol consumption and driving is something that affects many teens. The Devil’s Advocate discusses drunk driving and what Stanton is doing to prevent it.

photo from internet

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Cover photo illustration by Michael Romaine

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Opinions: Party Parents Editor Kia’ Cooper examines the consequences of parents who condone partying and other reckless behavior.

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Student Life: Culinary Creativity Stanton’s diverse student population is unique. The Devil’s Advocate has chosen to profile a future chef within our midst.

In Every Issue 8 16 17

Athlete of the Issue Halos and Pitchforks

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Reviews The Playlist

Issue of the Issue

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Contributing Advocates The Devil’s Advocate is searching for contributing writers, photographers, and artists.

Please submit your work to stantondevilsadvocate@gmail.com. Or contact Greg Todaro at gregtodaro0@gmail.com, Katie Raymond at katie.katith.raymond@gmail.com, or Mr. Knight at knightl1@duvalschools.org or in room 204.

Become a Sponsor!

The Devil’s Advocate is dependent on our advertisers and our sponsors. When you purchase an ad with us, it reaches a diverse student population that can help your business. We can also design your ads. 1/4 page $25.00 1/2 page $50.00 Insert $75.00 *10% discount for multiple runs Full Page $100.00

Production Staff Adviser Larry Knight

Editor-in-chief Greg Todaro Katie Raymond

Senior Photographer Sarah Roberson

Letter from the Editor

When you think of the average American teen, what pops into your head?

Apathetic? Anti-social? Promiscuous? Violent? Our portrayal as a “party generation” has given adults a reason to prejudge us. With the way we’ve been portrayed in the media as troublemaking, unruly and rebellious, teens everywhere are having a hard time being taken seriously. In this issue, the staff is confronting these stereotypes and showing that we’re “more than meets the eye.” We’ve found students in Stanton and across Jacksonville who have broken this stereotype. We are profiling students like Jedd Marrero who shows a passion and enthusiasm for the culinary arts. We’ve also found students who contribute to their communities through volunteering and service; we are profiling young men and women who go against the misconception that teens are self-absorbed and indifferent. Hopefully these stories inspire teens everywhere to break out from this stereotype and show the world what they can really do.

Section Editors Kia’ Cooper (Campus Affairs) Jonathan Kemp (Sports) Laura Gerbec (Features) Alexandra Morgante (Opinions) Leah Quisenberry (Student Life)

Reporters Hamza Ajmal Ishmail Dowridge Brandon George

Reporters/Photography Team Alexis Brown Taylor Galloway Kathryn McMullen Joc’lene Scarlett

Please Recycle

Printed at Florida Sun Printing, Callahan, Fla.

Charitable Foundations Aside from studying, extracurricular activities, and “making the grade,” many Stanton students are doing a lot in their communities by participating in foundations that help other kids to be successful. The Devil’s Advocate discusses these foundations and the good these students do for and in their communities.

photo from Facebook

By GREG TODARO, Editor-in-Chief and TAYLOR GALLOWAY, Reporter

Stanton’s “Teens for Jeans Campaign” was successful this year due to an outpouring of student interest and support.

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“The kids at The Sanctuary may not have fancy things, but they have the biggest hearts in the world. I have learned to be patient with them, and I have received more love from them than I could ever give,” said Flanders.

While these organizations create a positive change in helping students improve their school grades, other actions such as Teens for Jeans work to help others on a large scale. This drive, sponsored by the clothing retailer Aeropostale, calls on high schools to gather as many jeans as possible for the 1.8 million homeless people under the age of 18.

Senior Kevin Chang led the movement at Stanton this year, and the students donated a total of about 1330 pairs. According to Chang, this type of volunteering from teens can make a huge impact.

“As long as you’re passionate about it, even just one person can make a difference,” said Chang. As far as Chang is concerned, this generation is not as apathetic and selfish as they have been portrayed.

“It does seem like society behaves like that, but not all of us do,” said Chang.“I like to do it because I enjoy being out there and getting people involved. After last year’s efforts of about 400 jeans, I wanted to prove we could [do way better].”

While this movement was to collect as many jeans as possible for donation, the main goal of Stanton’s Senior Women club is to assist the community in as many ways as possible through volunteering. According to senior Molly Dunlop, this year’s group has made a real impact on others.

“When the Senior Women club volunteered at the Mayor’s Senior Citizen Holiday Banquet in December, we could tell how much it meant to the senior citizens of our community,” said Dunlop. “They loved seeing young people get involved, and appreciated the fact that we spent an afternoon with them.”

Groups like Senior Women, and the affiliated club Senior Men, show that teens are not only able to contribute to their community, but feel very strongly about what they do.

“I think we are sometimes too involved in our own lives to understand everything we have going on around us, but I don’t

necessarily think it means we are too apathetic towards others,” added Dunlop. “We aren’t as selfish as other generations think we are, we just look at things differently.”

The majority of these clubs help kids throughout Jacksonville who are not as fortunate as others, such as children who are underprivileged or terminally ill. Kids Helping Kids is one of the clubs that assists youths who have life threatening illnesses.

This club was brought to Stanton in the 2009-2010 school year and now raises money for the Dreams Come True Foundation which grants a dream for children between the ages of four and 17.

According to dreamcometrue.org, this foundation strives to give these children hope and help them get away from their daily troubles that they have to deal with due to their illnesses.

Stanton’s many organizations and service groups create networks throughout the school and the community that strengthen them both. These students break the typical teen stereotype or indifference and apathy, creating a better atmosphere around them.

Principal Majova-Seane, who has been working in the school system for about 25 years, is not surprised by the commitment shown by Stanton students in their community.

“I’ve realized they don’t consider volunteering a hardship, they see it as the right thing to do,” said Majova-Seane.

She also believes that the portrayal of teens as apathetic and self-centered is inaccurate.

“We have a little minority who give us the stereotype that you see today, but you have to look at individual cases,” said Majova-Seane. She added, “to me, sweeping generalizations leads teens to say ‘everyone else does it, why shouldn’t I?’” While the stigma of the “party generation” may stick around for a while, efforts from Stanton students and teens everywhere are on their way to revealing the true behavior of students. photo from Facebook

The saying “one bad apple spoils the whole bunch” is not an understatement. From students beating each other up to teens getting busted with drugs, those who do wrong are always in the spotlight.

In today’s society teens are surrounded by negativity 24 hours a day, seven days a week and sometimes it’s hard to surmount. As a result of this, many teens who have done remarkable things with their lives and in their communities are often over looked and ignored.

Many students at Stanton who have helped within the community do not get enough recognition. These teens create a positive change in both their school and their neighborhood.

There are a total of nine service clubs at Stanton that students use as an outlet to be actively involved in their community, as well as countless local organizations outside of school who take on teen volunteers that show how involved these teens are.

Helping Unique Girls and Guys Succeed (HUGGS), a club founded in Jacksonville in 2000 by the Malivai Washington Kids Foundation, came to Stanton in 2004. Student members involved in the club serve as mentors for elementary aged students after school at the Malivai Kids Foundation. They also play sports with them as a way to involve these kids in a fun recreational program. Sophomore Jessica Momorie, a first-year member of the HUGGS, says the club has a positive effect on both her and the children she tutors.

“I’d like to think [we both benefit], depending on the strength of the relationship between the kid and I,” said Momorie.

Another club that tutors kids in need is The Sanctuary, which was founded at Stanton in 2007. This club volunteers at The Sanctuary on 8th Street, a local learning center which was founded in 1992. Their goal of encouraging and empowering Jacksonville’s youth through education, social services, recreation, and the arts has had a positive effect on Jacksonville’s kids.

“The biggest thing The Sanctuary has taught me is love and patience” said Junior Leslie Flanders, this year’s president. She added that she and the other members of the club developed a special bond with the children they mentor.

Under The Influence

By LEAH QUISENBERRY, Student Life Editor

photo from internet

Although Stanton is one of the most prestigious high schools in the country, it doesn’t substitute the fact that the majority of it’s population are teenagers, who drive. What are the effects of driving under the influence and how do we bypass them?

After the scene of an accident is cleaned up, the yellow caution tape removed, the debris collected, it seems as if the tragedy that took place has been erased; gradually flowers bloom, birds chirp, life goes on. The only things that do not adhere to appearances and survive the tests of time are the memories of the people who lived it.

Almost ten years ago an event occurred, a tragic one to say the least, but one that provides a testament to the dangers of driving under the influence. On May 1, 2002, around 2:15 a.m., four teenagers, the 19-year-old driver, Lance Cohen, a student at the University of Central Florida and his passengers, Adam Goss, 17, Randall Childress,17, and Timothy Forsberg Jr., 18, all students of Mandarin High School, were involved in a crash on Scott Mill Road.

This deadly accident took the lives of two of the car’s passengers and resulted in the other two passengers being hospitalized. Cohen was pronounced dead at the scene while Goss was rushed to Shands Jacksonville, where he later died.

The other two passengers, Childress and Forsberg, were taken to Baptist Medical Center and survived.

This accident took place 13 days before these seniors would graduate from high school and start their lives as adults.

Sadly, because of underage drinking one of them did not have the opportunity to arrive at this milestone. When police investigated the accident, beer bottles were found in the car and it was later discovered that Cohen had a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .28. In the state of Florida the legal BAC is .08., so Cohen’s BAC was more than three times the legal limit.

Cohen’s inebriated state caused him to speed; going 60 mph around a curve in the road, he lost control and the car struck a concrete curb and culvert and flipped onto its roof killing the driver as well as one of the passengers.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-

tration (NHTSA) the peak months for car accidents are April, May, and June, the months in which prom and graduation are usually held. Times that are meant for looking towards the future are also the times to be more aware of the consequences of unsafe driving. The NHTSA website also states that 40 percent of teen car accidents are due to drinking and driving.

While Stanton College Preparatory has not had any drunken driving related crashes, a few students have been killed in deadly car accidents. In 2008, junior Arjun Good, a member of Stanton’s crew team and a student in the International Baccalaureate program, died in a head-on collision while driving to school on U.S. Route 90. Another Stanton student, James Pickren, was killed in a wreck in 2002 while driving on Interstate 95.

His retired football jersey now hangs in the main hallway. of the school. According to those that knew them both students had futures that were cut short by tragic car accidents that were never meant to happen.

Prom is one of the many school events where teenagers are more likely to drink. According to totaldui.com, 33 percent of teen fatalities involving drinking are between the months of April and June. Stanton has only had one incident at a prom, eight years ago when students arrived in a limo with alcoholic beverages in their bags, the students were sent away and not allowed inside the prom.

Stanton’s administration and security staff cares about the welfare of their students. If teen drinking is suspected school officials have breathalyzers on hand to prevent students from driving under the influence, “I would hope the children here would be smart enough to not drive under the influence of anything including narcotics for injuries.” Injuries are what could be sustained in the case of an accident occurring or worst case, death.

Each year Stanton provides students with information on the subject of drunk driving by having a Drunk Driving Demonstration at the school. Although this year the event has been cancelled twice due to inclement weather, it has been rescheduled for April 26, 2012. Other schools have been participating in this demonstration as well; Mandarin participated in the program after the deaths of Goss and Cohen and many other schools in the district are using this demonstration as an opportunity to teach their students about the dangers of drunk driving.

When someone starts driving they take on the huge responsibility at ensuring their safety and the safety of others, this is why students are encouraged by their parents to complete Drivers Education courses, partly because it provides an opportunity for lower car insurance rates and partly because it teaches safe driving techniques to inexperienced drivers.

There is always a possibility of an accident, but when taking preventative measures it increases the chance that a crash will not happen. An accident is unexpected and has dire consequences for those involved. Once alcohol is introduced into the equation it creates an even greater chance of an accident, 12.8 percent of all drivers involved in fatal accidents in 2001 died because of alcohol intoxication.

According to dontdiedrunk.org, a non-profit organization that provides awareness about drunk driving, impaired drivers kill someone every 2,880 seconds, which is every 48 minutes; this meaning 30 people die every day as a result of drunk driving. That equates to 210 people a week and roughly 10,920 people a year.

Many of the people who die every year are teenagers, whose lives are extinguished before they have a chance to live them. Preventative solutions are to call a friend, bring cab fare, ask someone for a ride, or abstain from drinking any alcohol all together; all simple solutions to a growing problem.

campus affairs / february 2012 / 5

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Record Setters Stanton athletes all strive to set records in their respective sports, but what records have been set at Stanton?

Stanton senior, Rami Hirezi during a Stanton home game. He scored the winning goal against Fletcher, to end Stanton’s 16-year winless streak against the school.

Although a rigorous academic curriculum, math leagues, and a first place Brain Brawl team may be the extent of Stanton College Preparatory School’s image, the need for a release from school work through sports is often sought by many students. These sports require dedication and passion, so the upcoming season is one of their best. Every season new records are set, both as teams and as individuals.

A record is a constant goal for every athlete to aim for. In order for any athlete to achieve their goal, they must both work with their team, and push themselves to their limits.

With dedication and practice, many teams have climbed their way up both district and state rankings. For example, Stanton’s varsity baseball team had 22 wins out of 31 games during the 2010 season, leaving their winning percentage at 71 percent. The team also achieved four shutouts, which is when the opposing team does not score a single point, which set a new record for Stanton.

Another record was set recently when the Stanton boy’s varsity soccer team beat Fletcher High School with a score of 2-1.

Stanton had not beaten Fletcher since 1996, and senior Rami Hirezi scored the winning goal, leaving Stanton victorious over their longtime rival. Stanton then beat Nease High School in January with a score of 3-2, which advanced them to another round in the Regional Quarterfinals. Stanton itself came in third place at the Gateway Conference this past season, beat only by Fletcher and Mandarin High School. For the upcoming season, Coach Bob Fleming said their goal is

to “get as many people to state and to win the Gateway Conference.”

Even higher goals are set by the players, who are all working very hard to make their upcoming season a better one than the last.

“Our goal for next year is to win the state championship for the first time ever,” said Bassem Ashouri, a junior on the varsity soccer team. “I think we could have won [the Gateway Conference], but it is what it is.”

Records are not only made on the field, but can be created in the water, too. For example, swimming and diving at Stanton is one of the many sports that is always achieving new records. Sophomore Lizzie Tillo recently broke the diving record that was set by Rachel Heilman with a score of 471.55 points, which is based off of an elaborate judging technique.

“I was probably most proud of my front one-half with a full twist,” said Tillo. “Twisters are normally more difficult for me.”

Setting a record takes constant practice, so when Tillo is not swimming for Stanton, she dives at the University of North Florida.

Another swimmer who showed dedication to Stanton’s swimming team was Anastasia Ivanova, who graduated in 2011, and had set many records for Stanton. Ivanova received an athletic/academic scholarship to Florida Atlantic University for her stellar swimming, and currently holds two of Stanton’s swimming records for 100 meter and 400 meter relay. Swimming alongside Ivanova during their high school years was Shannon Blizzard, who received a scholarship to Florida Gulf Coast University in 2009 and still holds four records for the Stanton swim team, and currently is swimming for FGCU.

Despite some formidable obstacles, Stanton’s football team continues to play in hopes of having its first winning season. As a team, each member not only has to better all other players, but themselves, too. Junior Palmer Wilsie said he is trying to “be the best person and player.” To get there, the players must not only train hard, but play a fair game and support their team whether they win or lose.

“We have to have the mindset that we will win every single game,” said Head Coach Ray Tiller, who has been coaching at Stanton since 2005. “We also are trying to develop a winning attitude, sometimes that is not measured in wins and loses, but how we compete.”

The environment around Stanton football is supportive, but many students do not expect their team to win when they play a game.

“We want to change the culture of the school, not just the athletes,” said Tiller. “We want to create an environment to where playing football and winning is expected.”

Although their coach has set their goal for this season for a minimum of six wins, some of the players themselves are hoping for even more than that.

“If you shoot for the moon, you’ll land on a star,” said Tiller.

The team’s only win this season was against rival Paxon School for Advanced Studies. Next year, junior Brandon Penn aims to “get more wins than loses,” but their main goal should always be to at least beat Paxon.

“You can’t take big steps, you have to take baby steps,” said Penn.

To achieve all of these goals junior Nyjah Maat said the team needs “better cooperation,

photo from Rami Hirezi

By LAURA GERBEC, Features Editor

work ethic, leadership, and chemistry between the players.” When asked what the team was planning on doing to ensure all of these, Maat said they are putting Stanton out there as a good football program, making a reputation for the years to come.

Track is another sport that holds both individual and team records, and is also coached by Tiller, who says the team is going to “remain competitive in our district and on a state level. We aim to be one of the top ten teams in the state.”

As district champions last season, the team is hoping once again for that title. Senior Kendia Thomas said that they are hoping “to get the whole team to states,” alongside the goal of getting a district banner. Co-captain Rachel Soloman, a senior, said she hopes the team wins the Conference for the third time, but also holds the personal goal of beating her record in the mile run.

“We hope to be more united as a team,” said co-captain Lauren Harris, also a senior, who added they are planning to win the districts and make it to regionals.

Every sport in Stanton is attempting to do better than ever in the upcoming seasons, working on bettering themselves and their teams as a whole.

“We have a solid foundation, we just need to build around that foundation,” said Tiller.

Although Stanton may not be one of the top schools for sports, many people tend to overlook that our teams and individual players have a lot of talent. To many of these students, talent itself is not defined in wins or loses, but the goals in which they are hoping to reach.

sports / march 2012 / 7

Shooting For Perfection

My Side of the Story

By MERICIA YOUNG, Contributing Writer

Junior Mericia Young has played on the Varsity basketball team since her freshman year, helping the team do really well and excelling at school at the same time.

photo by Alexis Brown

photo by Sarah Roberson

By ALEXIS BROWN, Reporter

When I was a toddler, I was like every little girl; I loved cheerleading, gymnastics, doing cartwheels, dancing, etc. I even dreamed of being the world’s next best tap dancer. Just about everyone in my family played basketball, but I didn’t know the effect that it would have in my life until I got older.

The first time I actually played basketball was in the fourth grade, when I attended St. Pius Catholic School. It was then that the guidance of my grandmother and the support of my family, made basketball a permanent part of my life.

As I began to learn the game more and practiced with my new found friends, I realized that basketball was extremely fun. It was obvious that I had a passion for the game when waiting until after school for practice seemed like an eternity. Because my grandmother and I regularly engaged in games and practiced at home, my experience at St. Pius did not present much of a challenge. The same was true even when I transferred to James Weldon Johnson; we easily crushed our competitors and triumphed for two consecutive seasons with only one loss. Needless to say, I was not prepared at all for what was to come.

It was only after my first practice as a high school player that I opened my eyes and realized that basketball was serious business. I wondered if my previous experience had given me the tools that I needed to be successful at this level of competitive play, and even though I eventually made the varsity team as a freshman, I knew now that I still had a ton of work ahead of me.

During the summer, I attended basketball camps, played on an AAU team, and participated in other sports in order to stay active. Camps for all sports help because there is always more to learn, or something that can be improved. While playing basketball I made sure I ate three meals a day, at least one snack, and always stayed hydrated. I love making fruit salads composed of strawberries, blueberries, and mangos. On days when I don’t have practice, just doing small things such as running around the neighborhood while dribbling the ball improved my ball handling skills.

Because of my small stature, I am the point guard, and my job is to control the tempo of the game. During my sophomore year, I sprained my ankle and was out for a few games. I cried not only because I was in pain, but because I could not be there for my team like I was supposed to. All I could do was elevate, ice, and pray over my ankle. I was still in a lot of pain when I returned to the court, but I was willing to suck it up for my team’s sake. Plenty of times I thought that my ankle would cause me to make a mistake, or that I would eventually have another injury, but I kept the faith and God did the rest. I recovered before the end of the season and provided my teammates an example of how to persevere until the very end.

During the last game of my junior year, I suffered a knee injury would change my life and my perception of a team forever. I was dribbling down court, and as I jumped for a short jump shot, I landed on the court and my right leg was extended. I immediately fell down, clinging to my knee.

The pain did not kick in until a few minutes later. I was not there to lead and guide my team on the court, but I was definitely on cheering from the sidelines. I later found out that my injury was a torn ACL and lateral meniscus and that made my junior year worse than my sophomore year.

We had worked so hard to get to the district finals and we lost in the second round. I felt that I had let my team down by not being able to play.

However, it helped them to realize their own potential and in the end we were victorious, because we stuck together as a team.

Being the eldest and the so called “quarterback” of the team, the under classmen now look up to me. It feels like yesterday when the upper classmen were teaching and training me, now I am following in their footsteps. There is so much responsibility and things that have to be accounted for, and it all relates back to me. This year I reached my goal of twenty points in a game, and now I am reaching higher. Basketball is a stress reliever for me, because if I’m angry or upset, I can channel that negative energy into adrenaline, which magnifies how well I play in the game. I recommend basketball to anyone because it doesn’t take a skill, but it takes heart, and that’s all that matters.

Some people find going to Stanton and maintaining a high GPA to be difficult, even stressful. However, junior Mericia Young has sustained her school, social, and home-life, all while playing varsity basketball.

Since starting basketball in the fourth grade,Young has been passionate about the sport because it is something that has been with her all of her life. For her, basketball is a way of life.

“Basketball is just something I love, and will always love,” said Young.

From friends and family supporting her, to having her name mentioned during the morning announcements, Young is thankful she plays point guard on the varsity team this year. As a well rounded junior she maintains a 3.3 GPA, plays basketball, and is a frequent member of her church.

“My dad is a pastor, so I’m in church on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, but I still manage to do all of my work,” said Young. “I also dance at church.”

Dancing and track are two other activities she participated in before entering high school. While going to church on the weekends,Young has a way of keeping everything together without it falling apart.

“In order to maintain my grades, I just keep school first, and never stress,” she said. “I do my homework during the week, but Sunday is the best day for me to do homework because I have so much energy.”

Many students do not know the importance of keeping school first, and one can’t solely depend on a sports scholarship for a way into college. Having the grades to go with it is also important.

Although balancing homework, studying, and playing basketball are three tasks that are important to Young, time-management skills are necessary to succeed and maintain an exceptional GPA. “On game days I have time to do my homework before the game, but sometimes I go home and get it done,” said Young.

Not only is it important to practice for the games, staying healthy is also something Young says she needs to work on. According to her, if an athlete does not stay healthy outside of school, their energy level decreases while practicing and participating in a game. In order to stay healthy she drinks an ample amount of water and Gatorade to give her energy during her game.

To maintain her health, she also enjoys eating fruit salads, however, she does not always stick to her diet.

“I love food and have a fast metabolism, so I eat anything and everything,” said Young.

Before a game,Young has a routine in which she listens to music before entering the court. Avoiding everything

8 / devil’s advocate / sports

around her is a way she can focus on the game, and not on the distractions that surround her.

Before playing in a game,Young likes to block out all extraneous noises around her and focus on one objective: getting the ball into the hoop. Teamwork, determination, and practice is what made their team something to remember this season.

A part of playing basketball is coping with the loss of a game. Dwelling on the time spent playing makes it harder to win the next match. When they lose a game,Young and the rest of the team try to focus on what they did wrong and then work on correcting their mistakes.

“A part of making mistakes is learning from them and correcting them, not doing the same mistake over again,” says Young.

By practicing almost everyday with her team, she has become a “mother” to her teammates. As a freshman, she learned from the “mothers” who molded her into an exceptional player, but now she enjoys sharing her knowledge with others because she wants her teammates to know just as much as her.

“I once was the youngest learning from my peers, and now my peers can learn from me,” says Young.

While playing her last game of the season, she faced a potentially career ending challenge that kept her from playing in the playoffs.

“I was in the game going for a short jump shot, and my right leg was extended causing it to hurt after the game,” said Young, “When I went to the emergency room that night, they told me that I had to get an MRI to see exactly what happened.”

Even though she is suffering from a torn ligament in her hamstring and calf muscle, she is recovering slowly with hopes of returning to the court soon.

Not only are basketball and grades Young’s top priority, she also loves being around her family outside of school.

Young has two little brothers who she helps with basketball that are following in her footsteps. She also loves helping out at her mother’s daycare provides her with community service hours and gives her something to do when she does not have much homework.

Even though making it to the WNBA, Women’s National Basketball Association, would be a great accomplishment, Mericia Young does not want to be a professional basketball player. While still deciding what her major is going to be, she will not be attending college for basketball because she wants to be something more than an athlete. However, she will always have a passion for basketball.

Sidelines:

Staying Healthy

By JONATHAN KEMP, Sports Editor

While juggling school work, home responsibilities, and other extra commitments, staying healthy may seem like the least of a student’s concerns; however, it is one of the most important aspects in life.

In sports, especially at Stanton, athletes are expected to take care of themselves on and off the field. Although they wear protective gear on the field and take precautionary actions off the field, athletes, in many cases, are not taking care of themselves.

Staying healthy requires a combination of factors including sleep, exercise, healthy eating habits, proper hygiene and abstaining from drugs and alcohol, which all play a role in leading an active lifestyle. Athletes also have to follow certain guidelines in order to keep in shape and avoid injury.

The lifestyle of an athlete or any individual can be divided into social, mental, and physical health. If either the social, the mental, or the physical health factors are not functioning, the entire health triangle is jeopardized. The health triangle, popularized by Livestrong, a foundation started by cyclist Lance Armstrong, is a teaching tool that examines mental, physical, and social health. Each aspect of the health triangle ties in to one another, and if each aspect is balanced, an athlete is considered ‘healthy.’

The social aspect includes a healthy social life and a real-life social network. A student’s ability to form positive and supportive relationships with peers is a critical indicator of one’s social life. In many sports, a weak team bond can lead to weak leadership; in fact, respect for one another and loyalty to the team would dissipate. A team without leadership and strong bonds can result in losses and even injuries.

For example, a football team needs every player to work together, and especially protect the person with the ball. The quarterback is the playmaker; however, without linebackers who are dedicated to defending him, the entire team will take the hit and will lose the game.

A majority of sports need some degree of teamwork, and a deprivation of social skills and connection between team members can ruin the entire health triangle of an individual.

All three sides of the health triangle need one another. A weak or negative social life, filled with peer pressure or depression, can cause physical-related problems, including the intake of drugs, alcohol, and self-harm. However, having a positive social life can support strong physical health, which is required of athletes.

Physical health can be defined as a delicate balance of sleep, hygiene, eating habits, and exercise. Detriments to one’s health can include sleep deprivation, lack of hygiene, unhealthy eating, lack of exercise, intake of drugs, alcohol, and self-harm. A deviation from any aspect of the health triangle can be unfavorable to an athlete. The consequences of not adhering to a strict physically active regime can entail fatigue, obesity, hygienic problems, and most importantly, injuries.

Taking care of one’s body, internally and externally, will boost that person’s health, but our generation, known as Generation Y or Millennials, has faced criticism for being inactive “couch-potatoes” who are addicted to technology. However, many student athletes lead a balanced lifestyle by staying active in sports and keeping up school work.

Even though leading a healthy lifestyle is great, it can be negated by not protecting one’s self while playing sports.

The precautions taken in sports, including lacrosse, where players are required to wear extensive padding and protection, such as a helmet, shoulder pads, mouth guards, and many other protective pads, is more than adequate. Each respective sport requires players to wear bodily protection to ensure every player is as safe as possible. Sports are generally safe, because of all the protective padding provided and required of all players. Nonetheless injuries can always occur, during practice or games.

Serious injuries which include sudden cardiac arrest, broken bones, concussions, lack of oxygen, dehyrdation, and sometimes death, are commonplace in sports like football because of the intensity of the sport. However, with current technology and developing technologies, more players are safer from injuries and death. Athletes have no influence over accidental injuries, but technology should continue to improve to allow athletes to be as safe as possible in certain circumstances.

Athletes are required to wear gear, but they must also take care of themselves on and off campus. They should have a high calorie diet that is healthy and filled with lots of water, proteins, low sugar, and high carb foods. When faced with peer pressure and lack of willpower, athletes and normal students tend to consume unhealthy and processed junk food. Although diets have been laid out in front of students and athletes, individuals tend to lean towards the sugar loaded, processed, and unhealthy foods.

Athletes are generally secure when playing sports, since they have padding and other protective gear. However, to ensure they do not get hurt, athletes should stretch before working out, lead a healthy social life as well as follow a healthy diet. Athletes and even students should recognize health as being one of the most important aspects of life, and it should be strived for, in order to attain safety and overall good health.

Where are the Coaches?

It is not uncommon for schools to lose a number of coaches at the end of a school year; however, at the end of last year a total of 15 coaches left the Stanton College Preparatory School athletic program. Their departure forced the school to find new coaches and required student athletes to learn new plays. The reasons for some of the coaches leaving were unavoidable, but at the same time it seems strange that so many coaches have left Stanton each of the past two years.

The school’s athletic program cannot continue losing so many coaches each year. At the professional and collegiate level, most teams will have the same coach for at least a decade.

Sometimes coaches will even stay for forty or fifty years, which creates stability in the program. High school coaches do not usually stay for that length of time, but usually they will stay for around six years; in some rare cases it is not unusual to see a coach stay for at least a decade. For example, John McKissick recently won the Don Shula High School Coach of the Year award. He has coached football at Summerville (S.C.) High School for 60 years, and has won more games than any coach at the high school, college, and professional level.

Many former Stanton coaches however, do not stay for near as long as McKissick did at Summerville. They felt they either needed to move on or Stanton was not the right fit for them. However, the situations that should raise red flags are those where the coaches were here for one year and stated they were committed to Stanton, only to leave soon after. Life is filled with change, and things will always come up that cannot be controlled, which is the case with some of the coaches that left Stanton. Coach Bob Esguera, the former varsity basketball coach, resigned after summer league in 2011 because he could not justify driving all the way to Stanton from his home in St. Augustine. Now he is back at St. Augustine High School, the school that he coached at for most of his career. Coach Joe Siegfried, the former varsity football coach, resigned after only one year because of personal reasons. He led the football team to its most wins ever, and seemed like a natural fit for the job.

Coach Esguera and Coach Siegfried had no choice, and those types of situations are not the ones Stanton should be worried about. It seems like coaches should know going into the job whether they are going to be committed to it. Coaches at the high school level, especially at public schools, know beforehand they will barely make enough money to cover the cost of gas.

Most coaches coach for the love of the game and the ability to influence and make an imprint on the lives of athletes.

“The depth of that relationship is what it’s all about,” said former Coach Siegfried. He went on to say, “I love some of those kids like they’re my own.”

When coaches leave they not only force the school to find another coach to replace them, but they also force the players to learn new styles of coaching and new plays.

“It’s hard to get any kind of momentum or consistency [when there are so many coaching changes],” said Stanton Athletic Director Lisa King.

Most athletes get annoyed by constant coaching changes, and it can be hard for them to keep learning new plays each year. Some athletes even choose what school or program they go to based on the coach, so that can be even more frustrating for them. Stanton’s athletics department is in a never-ending, detrimental cycle that will not be fixed until Stanton finds coaches that are willing to stay for a longer period of time. Athletes can be easily discouraged, even if it is just missing two shots in a row, or dropping two passes in a row.

When a coach leaves, athletes sometimes take it as a personal attack, and it can really discourage them. They wonder what they could have done to keep them around.

Many times first year coaches will come in and completely turn around the program, like Coach Esguera did last year. He led the team to an 11-12 record, which is better than previous years and is one of the best records in recent years. They even made it all the way to districts, losing in the first round.

However, over the summer Coach Esguera left, and Stanton hired Coach Dennis Hodges to take his place. For the third year in a row the team had to start all over again with learning new plays and building up trust with the coach. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage for the team is the fact that they moved up a division because of the success Coach Esguera brought last year. The team ended with a 3 -19 record this year, which could be proof of the detriments of changing coaches over-andover again.

Many of the coaches that have been at Stanton for a number of years are also teachers at the school. One of the main reasons Coach Siegfried was hired was because he had been working at Stanton as a Guidance counselor. Coach Bob Fleming is a prime example of a long-time teacher who has also been a long-time coach. Fleming began coaching soccer and swimming in 1986, one year after he started teaching at Stanton. Then about ten years later he began coaching fastpitch softball and has coached those three sports ever since. Fleming has brought stability to those programs, which is seen through how well each of them usually performs every year. Then there is Coach Rodney Smith, who has taught math for 31 years while coaching cross country and track for 17 of those years. Under his coaching both teams have done pretty well most years, which can probably be attributed to the stability of having the same coach in place. They are just two prime examples of teachers who double as coaches.

Probably the best solution to this problem of coaches only being at Stanton for a couple years is to hire teachers who can also double as coaches or vice versa. Fleming and Smith are prime examples of how effective this would be. Usually teachers stay at a school longer than coaches do, so if Stanton had teachers who were also coaches, they may stay longer and bring stability to the athletic program.

By BRANDON GEORGE, Reporter

sports / march 2012 / 9

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The media often portrays teenagers as reckless, lazy and with no burden for their future.

However, the teenagers of today are doing extraordinary things, proving these stereotypes wrong.

By TAYLOR GALLOWAY, Reporter Teens are usually looked upon as lazy, narrow-minded individuals, when in fact some can single handedly change the world. Angela Zhang, a senior at a Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, Calif. is the typical teenager. She plays piano and golf in her spare time but has done something amazing aside from her normal teenage life. She has invented a formula that could possibly cure people of cancer, the second leading cause of deaths in the U.S. She first brought this idea to her chemistry teacher Kavita Gupta in her sophomore year of high school, and since then has earned herself a spot at the Stanford Laboratory as well as a first place check of $100,000 in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology.

Zhang created a nano-particle that attaches to the cancer cells and releases a medicine that kills them, without harming the healthy cells. This nano-particle also releases gold and iron-oxide materials that help doctors to see where the tumor is when they look at an MRI. “It was more of a ‘this is really cool, I want to see if it works’ type thing, and when I found out it did, that was pretty amazing,” said Zhang in an interview with CBS News. “I’m excited to learn everything possible in order to make new innovations possible.”

“I think the media portrays us teens as something completely opposite than what we really are,” said Romaine.

Not every teenager has been able to have the type of success that Zhang has had at such a young age. However there are many teenagers who help within their community and accomplish many things in their lives. Despite these accom-

12 / devil’s advocate / features

plishments and accolades the media still portrays the teenage population as much different than who they really are. Television shows and movies that feature teens normally make the adolescent character an out of control individual who disrespects their parents and authority, parties non-stop and has a carefree attitude towards life and the world, thus creating many different stereotypes that inevitably change people’s views of teens.

THE PORTRAYAL OF TEENS IN THE MEDIA From T.V. to billboards, today’s population is surrounded by the media 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is able to influence people throughout America, including their opinions on certain subjects.

While many teens have a plan for their life, and know what they want to accomplish, the media often portrays them as something much different. When a television show or movie features a teen they are usually rebellious, disrespectful, inept characters or even the cause for trouble in their society.

The new movie “Project X” produced by Todd Phillips, director of the 2009 film “The Hangover,” is a perfect model for the stereotypes the media produces. This movie features three “nerdy” teenage boys who plan to throw “the ultimate party” in order to make a name for themselves. The whole movie focuses on provocative language, drugs and total chaos caused by teens. While there are many teens who do spend their lives this way, the movie escalates the situation and immediately connects the bad behavior with the individual’s age, thus creating a stereotype as well as exemplifying one that already exists.

This portrayal is perceived in many different ways; there are some who believe that it is an accurate illustration, and others who believe that it is completely inaccurate. However, senior Michael Romaine feels that this portrayal is true for some people, and false for others.

“I think the media portrays us teens as something completely opposite than what we really are,” said Romaine.

“However, it really boils down to what kind of person you are to determine whether the media portrays you correctly or not. But in the Stantonians case our image produced within shows and movies are very misleading and untrue.”

While teenagers may feel that the stereotypes that the media conveys about them are unfair and even untrue, many adults have a conflicting opinion; such as, Guidance Counselor Bob Turba who considers the media’s viewpoint as a valid interpretation.

“While teens today don’t party anymore than my generation did, we saw the future and how it could affect us, while most of today’s teens find it hard to see that.”

Turba feels the media could be the reason why teens are unable to look at future repercussions.

“We live in an instant society with texting and the media as a whole and in a way I feel like it has short sided teens,” said Turba. “As an effect I sometimes have trouble making teens look at the consequences of the things that they are doing now.”

Even before the texting era, teens were still looked upon as party goers who do not think about the consequences of their actions.

“That ‘70s Show” is one example of this, featuring teens who smoke marijuana and focus solely on having fun. This not only places a stereotype on teens but also shows that they have been partying for decades. However this show is an example of the type of stigma attached to teens by the media and illustrates how the media throws real life out of proportion, creating a worldwide stereotype.

“I have seen teens who take life for granted and who think that the world owes them something. But when I watch my students it makes the stereotype go away,” said Majova-Seane.

Sophomore Sammy Spencer is the historian for the Junior Branch Board of Children’s International Summer Villages, a non-profit peace organization. According to the organization’s website, CISV focuses on “developing cross-cultural understanding in children,” and four other main points. This includes: providing opportunities for children to learn by experience, research on resolutions without conflict, work with other organizations that have the same purpose and to inspire children to want a more peaceful world. As the historian, Spencer is

in charge of planning mini-camp activities with other board members that are focused on the four core values. The mini-camp held in February was focused on the dangerous things that people will put themselves through in order to protect the things that they love. Spencer is not only involved in her own community, but within others as well. She went to Denmark when she was 11-years-old and interacted with other children her age from 14 different countries in a village-like setting.

“The purpose of this trip was for us to realize that no matter where you live, 11-year-olds aren’t that much different from each other,” said Spencer. “We want to get rid of hostility and stereotypes against other cultures by interacting and understanding these people, in order to reach world peace.”

Spencer is also planning on going to Dallas this upcoming summer with teens from 14 other countries.

Unlike Spencer, not all teens are involved within their community, but there are many who have done extraordinary things through their academics.

Sophomores Kevin and Ryan Shih have created a project that has taken them all the way to the international science fair. They created a piece of equipment this year that spells words using brain waves.

“This innovation is able to see what letter you are focusing on by using a criss-cross method,” said Ryan Shih. “It is able to recognize which letter you are thinking of by certain brain waves that are formed, letter by letter it spells out words.”

The Shihs made it through school and regional science fair, placing first in the senior behavioral division. From there they were invited to attend both the state competition in Lakeland, Fla. and International Science and Engineering Fair held in Pittsburgh.

“Our overall goal is for people to spell using this equipment, what got me was that some people did not spell as well as others,” said Kevin Shih.

There are also many students who have helped their community with the assistance of academics with the overall goal being to help their society at large.

For example, junior Mohawn Ravi is the president and founder of Stanton Medical Society which was formed last year. He and the students in this club have decided to teach 40,000 Jacksonville residents in CPR which is enough people to fill up EverBank Stadium. He wants to meet this goal by Emergency Medical Services week 2012 and has was motivated to do this through a few baffling statistics. According to takeheartfirstcoast.com, 1,000 heart attacks occur per year and only five percent of those people survive. By teaching these people CPR he hopes to increase the Cardiac Arrest Survival rate from five percent to 20 percent.

“As a person of science and faith I believe that I can help our society, and medicine is one thing that can benefit people,” said Ravi.

This is not the last medical related project that Ravi has in mind; he would also like to help people with nutrition deficiencies.

Photos from Internet

Teens Defying Stereotypes

students it makes the stereotype go away,” said Majova-Seane.

Stanton students have created many clubs, and are a part of organizations that inevitably help rid this stereotype.

Freshmen Tahmina Kareem, Mia Howell and Amra Karjasevic created “The Princess Club” this school year that was initially thought of because they needed service hours. The three then realized they could create a group that they would enjoy and inevitably benefit from. This club partners with Wolfson Children’s Hospital in order to interact with children who have cancer. They already have around 65 people in the club, and hope that it can someday become as big as IGNITE, a club at Stanton that unites upper and lower classmen.

The purpose of this club is to help the kids take their mind off of their illness for a couple hours and make them feel special.

“We will do their make-up, and dress up with them; tiaras and feather boas for the girls, and action figures for the boys,” said Howell. “We will also create crowns that they can keep and play games with them.”

This club is also trying to eventually hold fundraisers for these kids, and wants to pair up with Nemours and Shands as well, in order to make as many kids as possible happy. “It makes me feel great to know that I’m helping kids,” says Karjasevic. “Making them happy makes me happy.”

Kareem, Howell and Karjasevic are three teens who are currently doing tremendous things within their community, but there are also many Stanton students who are helping within different communities throughout the globe.

BREAKING THE GENERALIZATIONS

While there are many teens that get wrapped up in the wrong crowd and don’t have a plan for their life, there are others who have done extraordinary things, even at Stanton; this is evident to Principal Nongongoma Majova-Seane.

“I have seen teens who take life for granted and who think that the world owes them something. But when I watch my

“Leave It to Beaver,” (left) created in the late 1950s, taught the basic lesson of good behavior and the consequences of bad behavior. In the 1980s, “Saved By the Bell” (center) began to talk about more promiscuous ideas, but still did not air subject material that was seen as controversial. However, the show “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” (right) first airing in 2008, focuses on the common occurance of teenage pregnancy.These shows are prime examples of media’s shift in the portrayal of teenagers over the passing decades.

features / march 2012 / 13

The media often portrays teenagers as reckless, lazy and with no burden for their future.

However, the teenagers of today are doing extraordinary things, proving these stereotypes wrong.

By TAYLOR GALLOWAY, Reporter Teens are usually looked upon as lazy, narrow-minded individuals, when in fact some can single handedly change the world. Angela Zhang, a senior at a Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, Calif. is the typical teenager. She plays piano and golf in her spare time but has done something amazing aside from her normal teenage life. She has invented a formula that could possibly cure people of cancer, the second leading cause of deaths in the U.S. She first brought this idea to her chemistry teacher Kavita Gupta in her sophomore year of high school, and since then has earned herself a spot at the Stanford Laboratory as well as a first place check of $100,000 in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology.

Zhang created a nano-particle that attaches to the cancer cells and releases a medicine that kills them, without harming the healthy cells. This nano-particle also releases gold and iron-oxide materials that help doctors to see where the tumor is when they look at an MRI. “It was more of a ‘this is really cool, I want to see if it works’ type thing, and when I found out it did, that was pretty amazing,” said Zhang in an interview with CBS News. “I’m excited to learn everything possible in order to make new innovations possible.”

“I think the media portrays us teens as something completely opposite than what we really are,” said Romaine.

Not every teenager has been able to have the type of success that Zhang has had at such a young age. However there are many teenagers who help within their community and accomplish many things in their lives. Despite these accom-

12 / devil’s advocate / features

plishments and accolades the media still portrays the teenage population as much different than who they really are. Television shows and movies that feature teens normally make the adolescent character an out of control individual who disrespects their parents and authority, parties non-stop and has a carefree attitude towards life and the world, thus creating many different stereotypes that inevitably change people’s views of teens.

THE PORTRAYAL OF TEENS IN THE MEDIA From T.V. to billboards, today’s population is surrounded by the media 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is able to influence people throughout America, including their opinions on certain subjects.

While many teens have a plan for their life, and know what they want to accomplish, the media often portrays them as something much different. When a television show or movie features a teen they are usually rebellious, disrespectful, inept characters or even the cause for trouble in their society.

The new movie “Project X” produced by Todd Phillips, director of the 2009 film “The Hangover,” is a perfect model for the stereotypes the media produces. This movie features three “nerdy” teenage boys who plan to throw “the ultimate party” in order to make a name for themselves. The whole movie focuses on provocative language, drugs and total chaos caused by teens. While there are many teens who do spend their lives this way, the movie escalates the situation and immediately connects the bad behavior with the individual’s age, thus creating a stereotype as well as exemplifying one that already exists.

This portrayal is perceived in many different ways; there are some who believe that it is an accurate illustration, and others who believe that it is completely inaccurate. However, senior Michael Romaine feels that this portrayal is true for some people, and false for others.

“I think the media portrays us teens as something completely opposite than what we really are,” said Romaine.

“However, it really boils down to what kind of person you are to determine whether the media portrays you correctly or not. But in the Stantonians case our image produced within shows and movies are very misleading and untrue.”

While teenagers may feel that the stereotypes that the media conveys about them are unfair and even untrue, many adults have a conflicting opinion; such as, Guidance Counselor Bob Turba who considers the media’s viewpoint as a valid interpretation.

“While teens today don’t party anymore than my generation did, we saw the future and how it could affect us, while most of today’s teens find it hard to see that.”

Turba feels the media could be the reason why teens are unable to look at future repercussions.

“We live in an instant society with texting and the media as a whole and in a way I feel like it has short sided teens,” said Turba. “As an effect I sometimes have trouble making teens look at the consequences of the things that they are doing now.”

Even before the texting era, teens were still looked upon as party goers who do not think about the consequences of their actions.

“That ‘70s Show” is one example of this, featuring teens who smoke marijuana and focus solely on having fun. This not only places a stereotype on teens but also shows that they have been partying for decades. However this show is an example of the type of stigma attached to teens by the media and illustrates how the media throws real life out of proportion, creating a worldwide stereotype.

“I have seen teens who take life for granted and who think that the world owes them something. But when I watch my students it makes the stereotype go away,” said Majova-Seane.

Sophomore Sammy Spencer is the historian for the Junior Branch Board of Children’s International Summer Villages, a non-profit peace organization. According to the organization’s website, CISV focuses on “developing cross-cultural understanding in children,” and four other main points. This includes: providing opportunities for children to learn by experience, research on resolutions without conflict, work with other organizations that have the same purpose and to inspire children to want a more peaceful world. As the historian, Spencer is

in charge of planning mini-camp activities with other board members that are focused on the four core values. The mini-camp held in February was focused on the dangerous things that people will put themselves through in order to protect the things that they love. Spencer is not only involved in her own community, but within others as well. She went to Denmark when she was 11-years-old and interacted with other children her age from 14 different countries in a village-like setting.

“The purpose of this trip was for us to realize that no matter where you live, 11-year-olds aren’t that much different from each other,” said Spencer. “We want to get rid of hostility and stereotypes against other cultures by interacting and understanding these people, in order to reach world peace.”

Spencer is also planning on going to Dallas this upcoming summer with teens from 14 other countries.

Unlike Spencer, not all teens are involved within their community, but there are many who have done extraordinary things through their academics.

Sophomores Kevin and Ryan Shih have created a project that has taken them all the way to the international science fair. They created a piece of equipment this year that spells words using brain waves.

“This innovation is able to see what letter you are focusing on by using a criss-cross method,” said Ryan Shih. “It is able to recognize which letter you are thinking of by certain brain waves that are formed, letter by letter it spells out words.”

The Shihs made it through school and regional science fair, placing first in the senior behavioral division. From there they were invited to attend both the state competition in Lakeland, Fla. and International Science and Engineering Fair held in Pittsburgh.

“Our overall goal is for people to spell using this equipment, what got me was that some people did not spell as well as others,” said Kevin Shih.

There are also many students who have helped their community with the assistance of academics with the overall goal being to help their society at large.

For example, junior Mohawn Ravi is the president and founder of Stanton Medical Society which was formed last year. He and the students in this club have decided to teach 40,000 Jacksonville residents in CPR which is enough people to fill up EverBank Stadium. He wants to meet this goal by Emergency Medical Services week 2012 and has was motivated to do this through a few baffling statistics. According to takeheartfirstcoast.com, 1,000 heart attacks occur per year and only five percent of those people survive. By teaching these people CPR he hopes to increase the Cardiac Arrest Survival rate from five percent to 20 percent.

“As a person of science and faith I believe that I can help our society, and medicine is one thing that can benefit people,” said Ravi.

This is not the last medical related project that Ravi has in mind; he would also like to help people with nutrition deficiencies.

Photos from Internet

Teens Defying Stereotypes

students it makes the stereotype go away,” said Majova-Seane.

Stanton students have created many clubs, and are a part of organizations that inevitably help rid this stereotype.

Freshmen Tahmina Kareem, Mia Howell and Amra Karjasevic created “The Princess Club” this school year that was initially thought of because they needed service hours. The three then realized they could create a group that they would enjoy and inevitably benefit from. This club partners with Wolfson Children’s Hospital in order to interact with children who have cancer. They already have around 65 people in the club, and hope that it can someday become as big as IGNITE, a club at Stanton that unites upper and lower classmen.

The purpose of this club is to help the kids take their mind off of their illness for a couple hours and make them feel special.

“We will do their make-up, and dress up with them; tiaras and feather boas for the girls, and action figures for the boys,” said Howell. “We will also create crowns that they can keep and play games with them.”

This club is also trying to eventually hold fundraisers for these kids, and wants to pair up with Nemours and Shands as well, in order to make as many kids as possible happy. “It makes me feel great to know that I’m helping kids,” says Karjasevic. “Making them happy makes me happy.”

Kareem, Howell and Karjasevic are three teens who are currently doing tremendous things within their community, but there are also many Stanton students who are helping within different communities throughout the globe.

BREAKING THE GENERALIZATIONS

While there are many teens that get wrapped up in the wrong crowd and don’t have a plan for their life, there are others who have done extraordinary things, even at Stanton; this is evident to Principal Nongongoma Majova-Seane.

“I have seen teens who take life for granted and who think that the world owes them something. But when I watch my

“Leave It to Beaver,” (left) created in the late 1950s, taught the basic lesson of good behavior and the consequences of bad behavior. In the 1980s, “Saved By the Bell” (center) began to talk about more promiscuous ideas, but still did not air subject material that was seen as controversial. However, the show “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” (right) first airing in 2008, focuses on the common occurance of teenage pregnancy.These shows are prime examples of media’s shift in the portrayal of teenagers over the passing decades.

features / march 2012 / 13

“When I went to India I discovered that there were many people who could not achieve social mobility because of physical deformities, such as blindness, caused by vitamin A and iron deficiencies,” said Ravi. “I want to send vitamins throughout the world with the help of the International Red Cross, with hopes of decreasing the number of people born with deformities.”

While all of these teens have done extraordinary things in their lives, there are also teens who go down the wrong path, and the “reconstruction” of their brains could be to blame.

INSIDE THE TEENAGE MIND

Many things happen within the brain during the teenage years, parts of it don’t completely work and others are just starting to develop. According to psychology.com one part of the teen brain that is still underdeveloped is the pre-frontal cortex. This part controls things such as emotion. It would tell a adult to stop because there might be danger ahead, but in the same situation the teenage brain thinks that it will be exciting.

“When others do better than me, it pushes me to do better than them. I feel like by surrounding myself with hardworking people I am able to push myself to do the same,” said Akbari While there are many statistics on why teenagers act a certain way and what makes them who they are, teens have their own opinions. Many teens have reacted to certain community tragedies in an extraordinary way, like brothers Zach and Matt Perry.

The recent murder of Episcopal School’s Headmistress Dale Regan affected students across the First Coast. While this incident did not take place at Stanton, many Stanton students were affected and felt the pain that their Episcopal friends felt.

In reaction to this tragedy the Perry brothers held a meeting with the Revival Club, a club at Stanton that meets every morning in the courtyard to pray. When they found out about this incident they made posts via Twitter and Facebook telling all students and faculty to join them.

“We dedicated that following morning to pray for the head mistresses’ family as well as the shooters’ family,” said Perry. “We all know a lot of people that go to Episcopal and we wanted to show support for them. What affected me the most was that we are all the same age, this could have happened anywhere.”

The way these Stanton teens reacted to this situation shows how caring and aware teens can be, but what makes a teen act this way?

“I think our parents and friends influence the way we behave,” said freshman Tabitha Raskiewicz. “As well as bad choices that you make because you learn from them, and you can choose for those to either make you or break you.”

These things not only shape the way a teen acts but it can also motivate them to be productive within their lives.

“I’m very self motivated but other people motivate me even more,” said sophomore Rona Akbari. “When others do better than me, it pushes me to do better than them. I feel like by surrounding myself with hardworking people I am able to push myself to do the same.”

Even though the media and numerous adults continue to have a negative view of teens, there are many who defy these stereotypes.Yet the media still focuses on the few irresponsible teens rather than putting an emphasis on the good that they are capable of.

THE PULSE POLL: Do you think the stereotypes of teenagers the media has created has influenced the way adults think of them?

GO TO www.devilsadvocatepaper.blogspot.com TO COMPLETE THE POLL

14 / devil’s advocate / features

We Are More Than Stereotypes

BY JOC’LENE SCARLETT, reporter It is not uncommon to see newspaper and television headlines that characterize teenagers as both uncontrollable and headed down a path of self-destruction; however what many adults forget is that the sensationalism with which these stories are written is meant to grab their attention rather than accurately assess the behaviors of an entire group.

In January 2009, Echo Research Group, a British-based global research and reputation firm that provides careful research methods and analyses, surveyed 1,000 teenaged boys ranging from 13-19 years old to get their opinion on their portrayal in the media. As many as 85 percent of the respondents felt newspapers put them in a bad light by calling them violent and prone to criminal mischief. Although this study was done in the United Kingdom, Echo tracked both regional and national press coverage of teenage boys and found the majority of newspaper articles on them to be more negative than positive.

This type of coverage also exists in the U.S. with Florida being the scene of many high-profile cases involving teen boys and their violent tendencies. In 2010, 17-year-old Makia Coney, a University Christian student, was shot and murdered by two fellow classmates after disappearing from campus in February. The suspects, Charles Roy Southern, 17, and Connor Julian Pridgen, 16, allegedly committed the crime to “see what it felt like to shoot someone.”

Both were charged as adults and convicted of second-degree murder with life in prison. Most recently, the cases of Cristian Fernandez, the 12-year-old murder suspect in the death of his two-year-old half brother, and T.J. Lane, the 17-year-old shooter at Chardon High School in Ohio, has made headlines and prompted critics to hand down harsh judgment. Fernandez’s abusive upbringing sparked compassion in some while others use it as justification that kids like him would never be rehabilitated, so there is no point in trying to help them. Unfortunately, it is attitudes such as these that show how easily adults can give up on kids who act out in extreme ways, regardless of the many factors that come into play with violent offenders.

It is ultimately the job of the media to report the facts of what is happening and offer some reason as to why these crimes were committed. Those aspects of the media are indisputable but sometimes, when either the police are uncooperative or the culprits offer no sensible motive for their actions, there is room for interpretation of how and why things went wrong with them. Experts in child psychology are at times asked their opinions and because that bears a lot of weight, it is taken at face value, even if what they are saying applies to only a small number of individuals.

Although teen girls are not in the news for their violent crimes like boys, they are in the media spotlight for being increasingly promiscuous. Past stories published on Time Magazine’s website entitled “What Does It Mean to Be 13?” and “The Truth About Teen Girls” are written with the intent to uncover the “reality” about how teen girls act overtly sexual and are becoming ever more disrespectful to their elders without taking into consideration that not all girls in adolescence act with “easy virtue.”

Jamie Lynn Spears, the alleged inspiration for MTV’s “16 and Pregnant,” disappeared from the eyes of Hollywood and the general public to take on the responsibility of being a new mother 16. Spears explained in an interview with Glamour Magazine that young love was the reason that she, and many others who were aware of the availability of contraception and other preventative methods, decided against going to a doctor for fear of being judged. The negative perception of teens and their sexual misconduct breeds secrecy and lies that strain the relationships of teens and their parents.

Generalizations that tarnish the integrity and morality of teens are undoubtedly unfair in that no one thinks to include the opinions of those being judged. There seems to be no middle ground for teens because there is the assumption that they may become troublesome. The facts and figures that organizations have come up with are likely to be based more on biased news articles, incorrect sampling measures, or some combination of the two.

This is not to say that teens have not played some part in the way adults judge them.

Pregnancy in the United States accounts for the highest in the developed world and violence in teens has long been attributed to video game play. The stigma associated with adolescence has been a driving force behind many studies giving out advice about how teens should be dealt with. None seem to take into account that pregnancy has been on a steady decline to record low levels and it was proven certain video games, like ‘World of Warcraft,’ aid in the progress of math and language skills for teen boys who were not previously strong in those areas of academics in a Live Science program.

The portrayal of teen behavior by adults is justified to a point. Poor decision-making and thinking of short-term consequences are the main issues but, bad choices are a part of growing up, not a sign that we lack the self-control to make good choices.

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Editorial Staff 2011-2012 Katie Raymond, Editor-in-Chief Greg Todaro, Editor-in-Chief Leah Quisenberry, Student Life Editor Alexandra Morgante, Opinions Editor Kia’ Cooper, Campus Affairs Editor Laura Gerbec, Features Editor Jonathan Kemp, Sports Editor The Devil’s Advocate serves as the official newspaper of Stanton College Preparatory School. It is produced monthly by members of the Journalism class. The editors reserve the right to edit any material submitted to the paper for content, grammar, length, and accuracy.

The Devil’s Advocate is a public forum for student expression, which encourages free exchanges of opinions concerning controversial and non-controversial community and school related issues. The ideas and advertisements expressed within the newspaper are not necessarily those of the newspaper adviser, school administration, or the Duval County Public School Board.

The Devil’s Advocate accepts advertisements from all businesses in the Stanton community. The ad format can be given to the staff or the adviser, Mr. Larry Knight.

Students, faculty, and parents may contact the staff and adviser at (904) 630-6760 ext. 143 or at knightl1@duvalschools.org.

The groups of friends teenagers hang around have a great impact on their choices. This also extends to the adults that are in their life. If these adults smoke marijuana and cigarettes, chew tobacco, drink alcohol, or drive recklessly, then the exposed teens are learning those “toxic behaviors.” The same is true for friends that drink and drive, use drugs, broadcast their promiscuity, and indulge in violence. The continuance of those negative activities in their proximity is influential and can result in teens attempting it themselves.

Peer pressure, a widespread problem and a reason for dangerous behaviors, originates from either longing to be accepted in a group of friends or wanting to stay with a set of friends; either one can result in changing one’s mind to comply with the group’s plans. If the desire is strong enough, they would be willing to partake in harmful behaviors.

Although the easiest methods to overcome peer pressure for teens are to distance themselves from those friends or “Just say NO,” it is not always that simple.

Social acceptance is hard to achieve with low self-esteem, and those teens are more likely to take the first sip of alcohol or pick up the first cigarette or ride behind the wheel of a car while under the influence. Low self-esteem is created by a number of factors such as a problematic home life, bullying, stress, or feeling unworthy. Any of these factors can cause someone to head down a self-destructive path.

In order to counteract the outside influences positive peer pressure and positive role models are needed. Positive peer pressure develops when teens’ friends are supportive of individual decisions that the teen makes and do not pressure them to partake in harmful activities. These types of friends create a healthy and stable environment to boost self-esteem and promote individual ideas.

Aside from seeking out healthy relationships with peers, overcoming negative influences is easier with a mentor whose exemplary life will benefit the teen and cause them to make better decisions. Teens might realize that their role model didn’t have to smoke, steal, or drink to enjoy a happy life.

While there are several local, state and national organizations that promote positive mentorship in a healthy environment, relying solely on them isn’t enough. More than one person influences a teen which is why one person cannot steer a teen in the right direction, it takes effort from people in their environment. Anyone can time out of the week to socialize with a teen and participate in activities that are enjoyable, which beats the alternative of letting them smoke, drink, or steal.

Halos

Pitchforks

We award halos to all nine Miss Stanton contestants and a congratulations to winner Jennifer Stehlin!

We handover a pitchfork to the rising gas prices. Almost $4 per gallon?

Ridiculous.

We crown every sophomore with a halo for having to sit through FCAT Writing.

Pat yourselves on the back, this is the last time you have to take it.

We give a pitchfork to the lack of street smarts in Stanton students; leaving valuables in cars and lending phones to people in the area. Newest class to Stanton: AP Common Sense.

We give halos to all of the Stanton students who joined together in a prayer vigil to remember the tragedy at Episcopal School.

We give a pitchfork to the reckless behavior that some students are pressured into experiencing during high school.

16 / devil’s advocate / opinions

Postive Peer Pressure

Effects of Reckless Behavior

Some teenagers do not think twice before doing something potentially foolish; they would rather live in the moment and not think of the consequences that their reckless actions might entail.

Modern teenagers are presented with many opportunities to do things potentially harmful to not only themselves, but to others as well. Activities such as partying, drinking, and driving under the influence can have major repercussions on teenagers.

Some teens drink, use drugs, and do illegal activities when they are pressured by peers.

These influences can cloud a teen’s judgement and decision making. Doing things that seem fun and harmless at first, can be extremely detrimental to a teenager socially, mentally, and physically. Recklessness outside of school eventually creeps its way into a student’s school life, and these earlier actions can create rifts between family members and close friends. Most parents would not trust or give responsibilities to teenagers who partake in careless behavior.

In fact, they would be more cautious of their teens and limit their freedom.

Although some teenagers do not consider the consequences of their actions outside of school, teens can be just as shortsighted on campus. If doing negative things away from school has such a profound effect on a student’s school life, actions inside school go to a whole other level. Doing disobedient things outside of school might bring social repercussions without any real consequences. Pranking a teacher or bullying a student however, might not only bring social backlash, but also incident reports, referrals, suspension, and even expulsion. Unlike middle school, where incident reports and referrals are not checked by high schools, college admissions officers look at referrals and other negative things on a student’s high school record when selecting future students. Students should be wary and more cautious when attempting potentially detrimental actions because these stunts can impact their lives later on. No one can force anyone to do anything, and if it looks even slightly bothersome, the action should not even be considered.

Teens do not often consider the effects of their actions, and if given the opportunity, they would act without a second thought. Though it is natural, restraining the urge to act quickly can often times save one from a possibly dangerous situation.

Lacking foresight is unfortunately a common problem among teenagers, and its effects are widespread. Irresponsible actions have the potential to influence nearly every aspect of a teen, be it social or mental, public or private. If given the opportunity to partake in mindless, risky or illegal actions, one should promptly decline and not think twice. Teens should be onscientious of what they do, and understand the consequences of their negative actions before attempting them.

Issue of the Issue: Teenager Bill of Rights: Is One Needed?

The views of columnists do not reflect the views of the Devil’s Advocate staff or the Stanton administration.

photos by Sarah Roberson

A society inevitably falls to anarchy without a set of enforced rules. A strong set of rules that are enforced with power and occasional leniency is needed to keep people from harming themselves and others. Without rules, a person is inclined to do whatever they want, whenever they want, without any consequences or realization of the negativity of their actions.

The Teen Bill of Rights, an unofficial set of rights that was informally granted to all teenagers, has a set of eight rights that are supposedly applied to all teenagers. Most of the privileges are not explicitly conflicting; however, it can be detrimental if a teenager does not adhere to the rules of a parent.

When reviewing the rules, the overall feeling is not antagonistic, but under closer scrutiny, it can be understood that some of the rights are slightly negative in certain aspects. However, most of the rights are not detrimental to a parent and teenager’s relationship, or to a family.

Many of the rights that are granted to teenagers do not have contravening effects but still can be damaging to a family. If a teenager is allowed to do whatever they want, whenever they want, then the role of a parent is diminished. Certain rights, however, are not conflicting with a parent and teenager’s relationship. For example, the right to let one’s childhood be forgotten does not pose any danger to the teenager or the parent. A teenager should be able to live in the present, and not have their past be brought up by their parents. However, there are consequences in the right to make mistakes. If a teenager makes a mistake, and does not correct it then that can, in some cases, be negative. However, if the problem is corrected and the reason for the mistake is explained and understood, then the right to make mistakes is not adverse.

The right to have rules explained and not imposed can be consequential if teens take advantage of a rule free environment. Without rules, a society is doomed to be overtaken by anarchy. If consequences are not imposed to a group of people, then that group of people can do whatever they see as right. Rules that are explained are more likely to be broken than those imposed. The leeway and lightness attributed to explained guidelines can incline teenagers to want to break them, and get away with them, since the rules were not enforced sternly in the first place.

Two of the rights, the right to be romantic and ability to struggle towards an individual philosophy of life, are not necessarily conflicting but if done against the parents’ will, can be contrary to the wants of a parent. Teenagers should be allowed to date, but if they come in conflict with a parents’ beliefs, then teens ideally should adhere to their parents’ wishes.

When looking at the Teen Bill of Rights, most parents should have no problem giving freedoms to their teenage sons and daughters; however, if rules are broken, restrictions should be implemented. In a teenage mind, parents are seen as oppressors, when in many cases, a parents’ main intention is to protect their children. It may seem like parents treat teenagers as if they are inferior, but teens are just being safeguarded until they can make rational decisions on their own. Often, teenagers disregard what they say, and through trial and error they will learn the consequences of their actions and the benefits of listening to their parents.

By brandon george, Reporter

There comes a point in a teen’s life when parents do not need to look after their kids anymore because they are, for the most part, fully grown and developing their own ideas. The teenage years are when adolescents are still kids at heart but they are given more freedom, similar to an adult. Teens do not want to be in these awkward years because they are only given a few rights. They are eager to grow up and be adults because they feel like they are responsible enough to handle more rights and responsibilities than they are given. The Teenage Bill of Rights is an unwritten set of rights that a teenager is entitled to have.

Unlike the United States Bill of Rights, the Teenage Bill of Rights allows teens more freedom as opposed to constraining them like the young children that they used to be. Though no one seems to put these bills to use, or even know about them, teens need them in order to become independent, despite what adults think. It shows adults that teenagers have the right to be the way they are in a mature and sophisicated way.

I feel teens want to be treated like adults because we feel more confident after being given the additional responsibilities when we reached high school. I never listen to everything my parents say, unlike when I was a child. I now understand there are two sides to every story, and not just my parent’s opinion. By this point, I also know there is more to the world than just my home. The Teen Bill of Rights not only allows teens to be treated like adults, it also gives them the freedom to see the world with the responsibility they deserve and make their own opinions on it.

The first bill says teens have the right to forget their childhood. We do not want to be reminded of when we were treated like a child, because as we get into high school, we gain new responsibilities. Teens start to feel more confident among their peers becuase they are now given more freedom. That is why teens are so embarrassed when our parents tell us stories from our past or call us by our pet names.

The second bill says “[Teens have] the right to have a say about their own lives.” This states that teens are old enough to make their own life decisions, without the hassle of listening to parents trying to guide them. After roughly 16 years of parenting, teens should be able to take those lessons and apply them to every decision we make. We are taught by our parents how to live in the world. There comes a time where we start to see the world for what it really is. Most of the time, we like it. However, adults seem to think that they made a mistake, so they overreact and give us even more restriction than we had before. We should be allowed to experience mistakes.

There are numerous bills that basically give teenagers the right to be mature. These bills include the right to make mistakes, to have rules explained, to have fun with companions, and many others. There is a constant struggle every day between teenagers and adults concerning teen’s privileges versus their rights. The Teen Bill of Rights could help our case and defend our maturity. Although there are many teens who do not put the rest of us in a good light, the good ones are struggling every day to prove to their peers and adults that we are deserving of respect. I think we should be rewarded for being mature and responsible, despite other thought.

By Kathryn McMullen, Reporter

Students Speak “No, it is overkill. It just needs to be a mutual respect.”

-Nicholas Harrington, 11th “No, because I think as kids you’re really not responsible for your own rights. It could be kind of scary if we give the wrong people rights, especially children.”

-Lindsay Kaufman, 9th

“No, as a teen you knows what’s right and wrong, but you have to choose not to do it.”

-John Tamburrino, 11th

“I think it’s smart, the way it is now, because we have to be mature in order to get those rights. It makes perfect sense to get them when we understand them.”

-Taylor Atkins, 9th

“No, because it applies to us in the same way.

We should be able to say what we are thinking.”

-Megan Federico, 11th

“Yes, because it is for adults and teens have their own lives and rules to live by.”

-Alyssa Carbrera, 11th

opinions / march 2012 / 17

Party Parents

photos by Sarah Roberson

This scene is a familiar one: a teen comes home, in an indescribable state, unruly, and not realizing the true consequences of their mistakes from the party they’ve just attended. In a split second their actions could have completely ruined their life, the lives of people around them, or innocent strangers. That teen has not realized that their decisions could have left them seriously injured, or their parents receiving the worst possible news they could ever imagine: their child is DEAD. As horrific as it may seem, on average an estimated 3,000 teens die each year because of injuries from driving while intoxicated, according to DrunkDrivingLawyers.com. But who should essentially be put to blame for this recklessness which unfortunately happens every day? The party teen who doesn’t seem to have regard for their lives, or the party-parents who condoned their child’s actions and just wanted their child to have some “fun”? Primarily, fingers can be pointed to both sides, but it all comes down to self control.

Plenty of parents allow their teens to indulge in alcoholic beverages and out-of-control parties. Why? Party-parents help support their child’s party-behavior by giving them access to alcoholic beverages, allowing their residence to be a party location, and “turning the cheek” to adolescent alcohol consumption and drug usage at such parties. Party parents help condone sexual and party behavior. These parents don’t allow their children any responsibility, granted all parents, not just party parents can control the actions and decisions their children make at all times. Although all the blame can’t be pointed at the parents, it is the children who need to accept their role in alcoholic and substance abuse that affects their behavior as well.

In a 2002 incident in Stuart, Florida, a 16-year-old was involved a car accident where he killed two teenagers. The teen driving was under the influence and lost control of the wheel.

Police reports revealed hours earlier the teen attended a party where the host’s parents allowed the kids to engage in underage drinking. A tragedy like this could have been prevented, if that teen hadn’t participated in alcoholic consumption.

Drinking and driving, smoking marijuana, and being reckless are a part of the lives of many teens around the nation; but some teens more than others take way more responsibility for their actions when they participate in these events. In their parents’ defense, they can’t manage their children 24 hours a day for 365 days a year. This means teens have to be mature, even if their parents condone their irresponsible behaviors. By being even the least bit responsible, teens can save their lives and the lives of people around them as well. Everyone, teens included, have to remember that just because someone is allowed to do something, that doesn’t mean it should be done.

Having self control means that sometimes you have to say no, even if it is to your parents.Yes, sometimes they want us to have a good time, but there is a realization in which too much fun becomes tragic or fatal and lines have to be drawn.

Unfortunately when it comes down to it, both sides have to take responsibility for their actions. Parents have to take responsibility in trying to manage, not intrusively control, their teen’s actions in a way they both feel comfortable. At the same time, teens need to learn to have self control and make sense of their actions. In the “real” world you are held accountable for your actions, and no one including your parents will be there to save you. This is unfortunate, but its also reality.

By Kia’ Cooper, Campus Affairs Editor

The views of columnists do not reflect the views of the Devil’s Advocate staff or the Stanton administration.

18 / devil’s advocate / opinions

Extraneous Testing Most students who attend any school in Duval County would agree that extraneous testing is something nobody likes. The MAP test, or the Measure of Academic Progress test, is one that students do not take seriously.

First introduced in Greenville, S.C., in the 2005-2006 school year, the test was brought to Jacksonville the following year. Initially intended for a group of students in grades 3-5, the MAP test is beneficial for teachers, students, and parents because it helps promote growth in a child’s learning experience three times a year. Although some students think nothing happens to them if the test is not taken seriously, the administration has cracked down on the apathy and has started calling in students because of the poor scores.

“It is a waste of my time because I ‘Christmas tree’ the test anyways. Sometimes I don’t even put my name,” said sophomore Gabrielle Lewis.

Principal Nongongoma Majova-Seane says it is important to take these tests seriously because it gives students baseline data on what skills need remediation. On the other hand, public schools have now changed the rules about the End of Course exam.

“If a student fails an Algebra I End of Course exam, and has made straight A’s during the year in that course, then they will not get credit entering high school,” said Mrs. Majova-Seane. “All students must pass the EOC in Algebra I, and there will soon be an EOC test for every course.”

Summative and formative assessments have also been highly debated. By using formative assessments at the beginning of a unit, students are better off because they learn the state’s standards from the teacher..

“A teacher who gives formative assessments are good teachers,” said Mrs. Majova-Seane. ‘Good teachers’ put forth the work ethic to help their students have a clear understanding of the unit. For example, if a math teacher decides to give a formative assessment on unit four, and most students pass the first half but not the second the teacher may need to focus on the second half the most. Most students think it is a waste of time, whereas teachers think this test is efficient enough to decide what they need to focus on for the unit.

Furthermore, summative assessments are given at the end of a unit, or at the end of the school year. Some of the assessments include final exams, quizzes, lab reports, and homework. National exams such as the SAT and ACT are types of summative assessments given to students their junior and senior year. The question is should the state make one or the other mandatory, or should we do away with both? Even though Duval County Public Schools can’t do away with formative and summative assessments, other extraneous tests like the FCAT should be cut from our system because it does not help with students and school improvement.

By Alexis Brown, Reporter

Mandatory Labor Florida Bright Futures and other scholarship programs have put more emphasis on the community service hours aspect of their requirements.Volunteering is about a person freely offering to take on a task, so increasing the amount of time students have to invest in volunteer activities to qualify for a scholarship, and in some cases to graduate from high school, not only diminishes the purpose of volunteering, but has made it extremely unpopular.

The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution has caused tension among teenagers and their schools in the Supreme Court cases of Immediato v. Rye Neck School District, Herndon v. Chapel Hill, and Steirer v. Bethlehem School District. In these cases the constitutionality of requiring community service for high school students under the threat of withholding their diplomas was called into question. Each case asserted the schools and their officials were imposing involuntary servitude on the students, violating their right to privacy, and infringing on their personal liberty. It was ruled in the U.S. Court of Appeals that using community service as a graduation requirement did not violate the Thirteenth Amendment. Florida school districts have not made it mandatory for its students to complete a certain number of hours before they become eligible for graduation. But the fact that some students would blatantly refuse to participate in community service for graduation purposes shows how they do not feel that it is essential for the school board to extend its reach so far as to what someone does in their free time will dictate whether or not they receive a diploma.

On the other hand, programs specific to a particular school may demand a number of community service hours be done in order for a student to continue on in that program. At Stanton, students who have enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program have to fulfill a total of 25 hours before Dec. 1 of their sophomore year to even be eligible for induction and have to complete an additional 50 hours by April 1 of their senior year to meet the requirements for the IB Diploma. In this case, community service is acceptable in order to receive an IB Diploma at graduation.

Volunteering has always been about fulfilling a want or need to help others in some way, so enforcing a policy that makes it obligatory to participate takes away from the social and personal benefits students glean from the experience. On a personal level, reaching out in any community is the most rewarding thing that can be done because it lets them see firsthand that their hard work impacts others’ lives.

When giving back does not come from an organic place, it takes away from the meaning behind volunteering and reduces it to being another minute obstacle standing in the way of someone and their ultimate goal.

Community service provides windows of opportunities that can both benefit and enrich students’ lives when they remain open-minded to the experience. Being forced to do it, however, holds them back from letting themselves be immersed in their surroundings.

By Joc’lene Scarlett, Reporter

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Attention ALL Stanton Seniors: Each year the Devil’s Advocate has a special insert in the last issue of the paper solely dedicated to Seniors. This year we are doing things a little differently. This year’s Senior Issue will be a complete production of its own. With that we need your help. We need your ideas and contributions to make this issue possible.

One new addition to the Senior issue will be the “Before I Start College I Want To,” section. This is only going to be possible if everyone participates.

Look forward to more upcoming news and events regarding the production of the Senior Issue. We need YOU! -The Devil’s Advocate Staff

Culinary Creativity How freshman Jedd Marrero is expressing himself through his cuisine

By KATHRYN McMULLEN

photos by Kathryn McMullen

Freshman Jedd Marrero presents his atypical lunch dish, freshly prepared sushi.

At first glance freshman Jedd Marrero seems like just another student at Stanton College Preparatory School. He makes good grades, is participating in this year’s Multicultural Extravaganza, has been playing the piano for five years, and participates in karate classes at Paks Karate. Marrero’s best skill however is that he bakes deliciously mouth-watering desserts.

Inspired by Iron Chef Bobby Flay when he was eight years old, his first dish was Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Pine Nuts. According to him, it started out as a meaningless experiment, but soon, he was cooking his family’s dinners at home. “His interest in cooking has grown and has included pasta dishes, soups, and has been cooking full meals for the family which he serves in a fancy way that a gourmet restaurant would. But he enjoys cooking desserts the most,” says Marrero’s mother, Carmita Marrero.

From then on, Marrero used a variety of cookbooks and taught himself by modifying dishes in his own way. Cooking soon turned into a hobby that was used to relieve the stress that came with the overbearing workload that Stanton students experience. However, since entering the school in August, he has not found enough time to do it as much as he used to.

“Whenever I cook, I get in an atmosphere and it’s not stressful. I forget about everything else and just focus on cooking and it really

relaxes me,” said Marrero, who is accustomed to baking and cooking anything including cakes and entrees, but prefers French desserts over traditional American treats.

Marrero enjoys cooking more ethnic foods than traditional Southern foods. Whether ethnic or traditional, he strives to make every dish beautiful, even when he brings it to school.

Because of his passion he feels offended and upset when people slap something delicious on a plate.“The whole concept of preparing, serving, and eating food is often taken for granted as an easy process. I admit, once you’re used to it, it is pretty easy,” says Marrero. “But the skill it takes to reach that level is more than people imagine.”

Although he always challenges himself to be a better chef, he finds that he is toughest on himself when he plates.“When it comes to plating my food, I’m usually never happy with the end result. Especially if it’s a main-course type food,” Marrero said. There’s just so little (to me) to do with the main courses, and I actually hate what ends up on the plate sometimes.

People say, ‘Oh , it’s so nice!’ I don’t agree. I find the constant need to top myself when I plate food. Sometimes I fall short of my own expectations, not anyone elses. I guess it just falls under being a strict self-critic.”

Marrero’s affection was so strong in middle

school that it was clearly evident to his friends.

“He takes cooking seriously and always likes to share but, it’s funny, he doesn’t like eating his own food,” says friend and eighth grader Alexis Coelho. She and Marrero are extremely close though they don’t get to see each other since she is a student at James Weldon Johnson Middle School.

Marrero’s baking in middle school quickly transfered over to high school and allowed him to befriend many people.“He is a fun guy.

I love his passion for cooking. His desserts are amazing,” says senior Kevin Chang, who met Marrero through their shared love of cooking and the Multicultural Extravaganza. “He is a different kid.”

Marrero plans to pursue his hobby further after high school by seeking a master’s degree in Cooking and Management in a college in New York City because it offers a variety of culinary opportunities. Even though he still has three more years to think about it, he has tried doing some research but hasn’t found any colleges that catch his eye.

Throughout his cooking carrer, he has looked up to many restaurants that he has visited for inspiration such as Paula Deen’s restaurant, The Lady and Sons, in Savannah, Ga. and The Ritz Carlton Hotel, best known for their exquisite rooms and service, in Amelia Island, Fla. The Ritz Carlton was the most exhilarating experience. “It was amazing. Everything inspired me, from the sounds, to the aromas, and the mere sight of a professional kitchen,” said Marrero. “It definitely made my passion for my dream intensify.”

While he has other ambitions to excel his cooking carrer, his major ambition for now is to visit SoCo, a popular jazzy Southern comfort restaurant in Brooklyn, N.Y. because it does exactly what he wants his restaurant to do.

Besides that, he is planning on opening his own restaurant with a small bakery inside. He hopes that it will serve a variety of Southern and comfort foods with a modern twist, mostly inspired by SoCo and his home. He already has his dream restaurant planned, right down to the atmosphere.“I believe presentation and taste work together in harmony,” says Marrero.

“If one isn’t executed correctly the entire dish falls apart and isn’t successful.”

He does not just cook solely for his friends or for the career and fame, he cooks because he loves it. “Perhaps the main reason why I cook is to escape everything,” he says. “The kitchen serves as a refuge, a chamber of solitude. It clears my mind and relieves stress, kind of similar to an artist painting on a canvas.” His favorite dish to cook is pasta because “it’s so easy and versatile.”

Whenever Marrero gets upset or frustrated, he always turns to cooking for relief and support. “Cooking can often sooth my emotions. It never makes me angry or mad,” he said.

He doesn’t worry about gaining any weight from the foods he bakes and is still able to maintain a healthy lifestyle.“If there’s anything people should know about food, it’s not the number of calories each serving has, how good for your body it is,” says Marrero. “The one thing everyone should keep in mind is that food (and cooking) is an art. Whether it’s the aroma emitted from preparing the dish, the sound of sizzling or sautéeing, or the overall appearance of the dish, food represents so much more than just something our bodies use for energy.”

His balance between school and cooking has helped him grow academically because he uses cooking an intteruption in his studies so that he can have a clear mind when going back to his homework or projects.

student life / march 2012 / 21

MUSIC REVIEW

By JONATHAN KEMP, Sports Editor

ful Words,” said lead singer Zach Riner in a recent interview. “Our Graceful Words” is a little bit less edgy and when you see us live we’re a little more intense. I think this new CD really captures that, and that’s why I’m stoked.”

“Prudence” starts off the album with a bang, and gets right to the point of why the band wrote the album. The song is a great way to begin the record, as well as a good way to gauge what the rest of the album is going to be like. The next song Sent By Ravens, a Christian rock on the album, “Listen,” talks about band with a background in Jackbeing transparent in our lives and sonville, released their sophomore leading by actions rather than words. album, “Mean What You Say.” Feb. 28 The song has a pretty great breakon Tooth & Nail Records. The band signed with the premier rock label in down near the end of the song, and the chorus is one of my favorites on 2009, and then released their debut the album. album in 2010. The album delves The first radio single from the deeper into the theme the band dealt with in their first album, “Our Grace- album “Learn From the Night,” deals with humbling ourselves and admitful Words,” which is the power and ting our own mistakes in order to weight of the words we say. “Mean What You Say” definitely feels a little heal broken relationships. If you let the words sink in, they are very more emotional, and is no doubt a powerful and will make you stop lot more polished than their debut. and think.

“I think it better represents how The title track from the album we are live, opposed to “Our Grace-

of course deals with the power of words and that we really need to be careful what we say. I love the part of the chorus where it says, “I don’t need to hurt with my hands. I could find some value, destroy it with my mouth.” The song goes back to the Bible verse that says the tongue is sharper than a two-edged sword.

The whole album has a more serious tone than “Our Graceful Words,” and with each song you can tell the band believes what they are preaching.

The eighth track on the record, “Never Be Enough,” really slows the album down. The piano-driven song is one of the most emotive songs on “Mean What You Say,” which is clearly proven in the chorus of the song.

The chorus says, “Every wall we build inside will never be high enough to keep the water from our eyes. And all the good you see in me will never be good enough, it doesn’t have to be good enough,” which when you hear it has so much emotion, that you can almost feel it.

“We’re All Liars” is definitely the best song on the album. The band played a show at Murray Hill Theatre back in October, and they decided to play this song at the concert. The

song is one of the more hardcore tracks on the CD, and you can tell when the band plays it live that they absolutely mean every word in the song. The song is hard-hitting, and deals with how we all lie to each other and put false trust in things.

With every word Riner says is filled with intensity. If you have the privilege of hearing this song live, you will feel the vigor I am talking about.

The album ends with a remake of the song “Best in Me” off their second, and final, independent EP entitled “The Effects of Fashion and Prayer.” The song has long been a fan favorite and is one the crowd always gets very involved with. It is one of two slow songs on the album, and is a great way to end the album.

The concept of the song is that we are not strong on our own, and we need someone to lift us up and see the best in us - a great reminder for each of us.

Sent By Ravens has created a masterpiece that I believe will be in the runnings for top albums at the end of 2012. “Our Graceful Words” garnered the band a lot of fans, and I think this one will be loved by even more people. All the songs get right

²THE Playlist Name

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Party Rock Anthem (D...

Sexy and I Know It Mr. Saxobeat Grove St. Part...

Hot in Herre No Sleep I’m Yours Geek in the Pink Boombox (Fea...

Bodies Shots Tank Top Smells Like Teen Spirit Young, Wild &...

Gold Digger (F...

Macarena The Ballad of Mona Lisa I Like It Like That (Feat...

Raise Your Glass

22

I’m Breaking Down War of My Life

Song Issue of the

22 / devil’s advocate / student life

Time

to the point of what they are trying to say, which is one thing I love about the band: they never mince words. If you want an album that will change the way you think, as well as entertain you, you might want to consider buying “Mean What You Say.” Sent By Ravens did not do anything groundbreaking, or new, but the overall content is stellar and it is easy to tell the band knows what they are doing.

Rating:  Release: February 28, 2012 Label: Tooth & Nail Records

Key     

- Horrible - Okay - Good - Great - Exceptional

#2 / Party Playlist Artist

Album

4:50 3:19 3:15 4:10 3:48 3:11 4:04 3:55 3:13 3:21 3:42 3:20 5:01 3:27 3:27

LMFAO LMFAO Alexandra Stan Waka Flocka Nelly Wiz Khalifa Jason Mraz Jason Mraz The Lonely Isl...

Drowning Pool LMFAO & Lil Wayne Family Force 5 Nirvana Snoop Dogg & Wi...

Kanye West

Party Rock Anthem Sorry for Party Rock Saxobeats

3:08 3:23

Hot Chelle Rae P!nk

Whatever

3:52 Los del Rio 3:46 Panic! At the Disco

Flockareli (Deluxe...

Nellyville Rolling Papers We Sing, We Dance Mr. A-Z Incredibad (Deluxe...

Sinner Party Rock III Nirvana Young, Wild & Free Late Registration Now That’s What I...

Vices & Virtues (D...

Raise Your Glass...

Genre

Dance Dance Pop Hip Hop/Rap Hip Hop/Rap Hip Hop/Rap Pop Pop Comedy Rock Dance Rock Rock Hip Hop/Rap Hip Hop/Rap Latino Alternative Pop Pop

Student

Taja Brown(10th grade) Nisha Horton (12th grade) Rebeca Leon (11th grade) Kierra Davis (11th grade) Reggie Davis (11th grade) Darius Holliday (12th grade) Peyton McDonough (9th grade) Melissa Inge (9th grade) John-Thomas Gideon (10th grade) Sam Hannah (10th grade) Cameron Boseman (9th grade) Jonathan Kemp (10th grade) Zane Dickonson (9th grade) Andrew Berlin (10th grade) Haley Langella (11th grade) Logan Austin (9th grade) Marissa Felliciano (9th grade) Kayla Heard (9th grade) Haley Garvin (9th grade)

Up

“Domino” by Jessie J

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To listen to this song visit our blogsite: www.devilsadvocatepaper.blogspot.com

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