The BluePrint - Volume 14, Issue 3

the

blueprint Hagerty High School

Volume 13, Issue 3

Dec. 17, 2018

Oviedo, Florida

Let’s hear it Senior Nicolas Ayala plays mellophone in the Oviedo Holiday Parade on Dec. 8. The parade started at the Oviedo Rec Center and finished at Oviedo in the Park. photo by Eileen An

Vape haven

Global groove

Easy access to e-cigarettes causes ‘epidemic’ as students deal with vaping trends page 8-9

And that’s the key

Senior Da’Zhaun Hicks travels across the world with his dance group, The Funkywunks.

page 11

Head football coach Phil Ziglar retires and looks back on his career and achievements page 13

page 2

news

Chorus gets in holiday spirit at Disney’s Candlelight

VOCAL WARM-UP Junior Ariana Caldwell-Kercado and senior Jordan Fernandez-Donohue practice singing for Candlelight. photo by Sammi Marino

Zoey Young

C

Staff Reporter

lad in long, sequined yellow robes, the chorus classes clutched their candles as they eagerly got into place, waiting to perform at Walt Disney World on Tuesday Nov. 20, Friday, Nov. 28 and Wednesday, Dec.

Candlelight is a premier chorus event, which is why chorus teacher Victoria Rathbun wasted no time to start teaching her classes the song list, which includes, “Joy to the World,” on the second day of the school year. Sophomore Tally Chamelin worked on memorizing the songs in class and at home so she would be ready.

“It took a lot of time and effort to participate in Candlelight and I had to spend time at home preparing myself, so I would be completely ready,” Chamelin said.

Candlelight, a holiday celebration hosted by Disney, is an event featuring a variety of choirs and an orchestra putting on a Christmas-themed performance, hosted by a celebrity narrator.

This year, Candlelight was hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, much to students’ excitement.

Sophomore Laura Shaw had watched “How I Met Your Mother,” a show Harris acted in, and was happy to hear he would be there.

“My favorite part about Candlelight was probably being that close to Neil Patrick Harris,” Shaw said.

With Harris in attendance, as well as a large crowd, students were nervous to perform.

Chamelin was anxious to be singing a piece that she had never sung in front of an audience.

Junior Evan Bogert faced a “slight bit of worry” but managed to overcome his nerves eventually.

“I calm my nerves by putting my mind to other things to put myself in a more comfortable mindset,” Bogert said.

All of the time eventually paid off. Despite singing outside in cold temperatures for extended periods of time, students got to appreciate the lights and decorations as well as spend time and “crack jokes” with friends. Disney also thanked students in the honors choir by giving them two tickets for each performance.

“Disney pays you with tickets. I think that is really cool that they thought Hagerty was so good,” said Shaw.

Candlelight Set List

“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” “Little Town of Bethlehem” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” “Shout for Joy” “Come All Ye Faithful” “Away in a Manger” “Holy Night” “Angels From the Realms of Glory” “Is Est Ne” “Rejoice with Exceeding Great Joy” “What Child is This?”

“Silent Night” “Joy to the World” “Hallelujah”

Debate hosts tournament Ahilyn Aguilar

1 2 3 4 5

GUYS AND DOLLS AUDITIONS

The theater department is beginning auditions for its spring musical production, “Guys and Dolls,” on Tuesday, Dec. 18 in the auditorium. All students are eligible to audition. Auditions run through Thursday, Dec. 20.

VOICES OF HAGERTY TO APPEAR ON NEWS 6

The Voices of Hagerty choir will be one of 49 ensembles to be featured in Local 6’s “Sounds of the Season” holiday special.

The special is slated to air on Christmas Day, between noon and 12:30, and 4 and 5 p.m.

STUDENTS TRAVEL TO SUNDEW GARDENS

On Jan. 10 and 11, students taking AP Environmental Science will travel to Sundew Gardens. They will learn about naturally grown crops and how the garden functions, along with being able to pick a carrot from the ground and feed the greens to a rabbit.

DEC 18-20

DEC 25

JAN 10-11

CHORUS SOLO AND ENSEMBLE

JAN 22

SNHS CAMPUS CLEAN UP

JAN 26

Chorus will be holding a solo and ensemble concert in the auditorium on Jan. 22 at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Performances include classical songs, barbershop quartets and foreign language songs.

On Saturday, Jan. 26, the Science National Honor society will hold a campus clean-up event. From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., students in the group will work to improve and tidy the school by dispersing throughout the campus to collect trash.

Editor-in-Chief ith having only part of her speech memorized and low confidence during practice, sophomore Maitri Jajoo went in the debate tournament hoping for the worst. But, when the awards ceremony came around, she had won first place for the Novice Declamation forum.

On Saturday, Dec. 8, the Debate team held their season tournament. Although the event marked their fourth event of the year, it is the only competition hosted by the team itself.

The tournament consisted of multiple divisions, such as Declamation, Public Forum, Lincoln Douglas and Congress; all which were chosen by students depending on their interests and recommendations made by their team members. Although the competition’s participants were novice debaters, varsity students took part by helping debate advisor Julie Love organize the event, and gave competitors advice to deliver a convincing argument.

“The [captains] helped me with voice fluctuation, they told me where to walk, where to look and how to keep the judges interested,” Jajoo said.

During the award ceremony, along with Jajoo, sophomores Emily Grossenbaugh and Roshna Cherugail won first place for Novice Public Forums, while sophmore Sophia Willis placed first in Best Novice in Congressional debate.

Before the tournament, Love and varsity debaters required Monday practices for two weeks for novices to attend, as well as team meetings to discuss the tournament’s logistics.

The team also prepared the school to host

W

GET READY Sophomores Roshna Cherugail (left) and Emily Grossenbaugh practice their casework before the tournament. photo by Sacha

the tournament by reserving rooms for the competition, sorting out competition ballots and meal tickets, as well as making signage to help prevent confusion among debaters.

An important part of preparation was the collection of supplies for the concession stand and the judge lounge, which ensured all of those who attended has a good experience. “[We expected] to have a great judge’s lounge for our judge parents who dedicate so much time to this event,” Love said.

During the tournament, the team held a fundraiser, ‘Snap! Raise,’ to raise money for future tournaments like the Harvard Invitational. Days prior to the event, the team collected items such as candy, chips, soda and cases of water to sell at the event.

“The purpose was to host our annual tournament in order to help out local league and to raise money for our team,” Love said.

The debate team is scheduled to have three more away regular season tournaments and plans on attending to the annual Harvard Invitational and nationals.

page 3

news

ROTC instructor Vazquez saluted in final farewell

AN EMOTIONAL GOODBYE JROTC instructor 1st Sgt. Jose Vazquez stands with principal Mary

Williams. He received an award for his 18 years of teaching on Nov. 14. photo by Chatham Farrell

Sarah Dreyer

I

Staff Reporter

t was junior Lewis Wood’s first day of high school. Nervous and not knowing what high school was like, he walked into 1st Sgt. Jose Vazquez’s classroom, and saw him carrying around his stick, a wand from a window that opens and closes blinds with tape on one end.

Then Vazquez hit the desks with his stick to

either grab the student’s attention or to wake up a sleeping cadet.

“I was confused,” Wood said. “I thought every teacher had a stick, too.”

For Vazquez’s JROTC I class, there was no sleeping in his class, a thing cadets know well.

In 2000, Vazquez started his teaching career at Lyman High School when the principal, Sam Momary, called him for an interview. The first question that was asked was when he could start

JROTC hosts Operation Care

I

stuff done,” Cook said.

Saddened by Vazquez leaving, Cook doubts that anyone who replaces him will ever live up to his legacy.

Always seeing him running the track at 6 a.m., junior Alex Noren learned how to be a better leader from Vazquez telling his classes to stay fit. When Noren first moved to Florida, Vazquez was the only father figure that he could look up to.

“He is the best person that I’ve ever met and the best teacher,” Noren said.

Noren remembers during the Military Ball how Vazquez would do the Dougie and have fun with the other cadets. During class, Vazquez would get passionate about a specific topic, but the way he spoke about it would make the cadets chuckle because they could understand most of what he said, but not everything.

Senior Gavin Lagrange recalls in his freshman year how Vazquez called the sandhill cranes ‘alligators’. Many can recall Vazquez going outside and throwing rocks at the ‘alligators’ to go away.

Wood also remembers when they were outside for physical training, Vazquez tried to jump and catch the sandhill cranes, then calling them ‘kangaroos.’

From funny moments to serious moments, all the cadets wish him a happy retirement.

Through his career, Vazquez always worked to impact his students, which he definitely did.

“I want every student to be successful in life,” Vazquez said. “I’m here to make sure that every student that I touch, can do the right thing.”

NEWS BRIEFS

GUYS AND DOLLS AUDITIONS THIS WEEK Calling all actors: this year’s spring musical auditions for the Tony-award-winning musical “Guys and Dolls” will be held in the auditorium and chorus room Dec. 18-20. This oddball romantic comedy set in New York City first opened up on Broadway in 1950, the theater program plans on reviving it with style. Callbacks for the musical are scheduled for Dec. 20. The sign up sheet is outside room 9-109 and all students are welcome to audition.

Amelia Anthony Staff Reporter

t’s been a busy year for JROTC, with multiple blood drives and fundraisers in the first two quarters, but their most recent Operation Care donation drive has proven that no amount of helping others is too much to handle. From Nov. 26 to Dec. 14, the cadets have collected a variety of essentials for soldiers deployed overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, South Korea and Africa to send abroad just in time for Christmas.

Operation Care has been sending care packages to deployed soldiers for years, but this year, for the second time, students are collecting items to send abroad for troops who are not able to come home for Christmas. Items being collected include essentials for both male and female soldiers as well as food and entertainment items: paper, pens, board games, shampoo, body wash, deodorant, instant meals, cup noodles, travel mugs, condiments and more.

“The collection is so important because the people serving our country right now don’t get to have the luxury of having a lot of the items we do.” sophomore Bradley Sheppard said.

The assembled items are being collected in both the cafeteria and the front office up until Friday, Dec. 14. After Friday, the items will be assembled into care packages including handwritten notes and folded flags in every box.

The boxes will then be shipped abroad in time for Christmas. “Usually there’s a place they call ‘Walmart’ where they can get the money to go to a place not even the size of a normal classroom and shop for only a couple items at a time. The

teaching.

“I always dreamed to come to high school and teach our fellow students,” Vazquez said.

When the school opened in 2005, Momary transferred here and Vazquez followed, hiring another instructor and starting the program with just 24 cadets.

Throughout his teaching years, many cadets have been impacted by him and have had good memories with Vazquez.

Retiring at the end of this semester, Vazquez made the hard decision to retire for his wife.

“I owe my time to my wife, because I hardly spend time with her,” Vazquez said. “I have to make this decision because it’s for the better of my family.”

Senior Hayden Longo came to JROTC I class, viewing Vazquez as a stern man, but when showed his fun side, Longo had a different perspective of him.

“At last year’s battalion [barbeque], we chased him with an ice bucket and dumped it right on top of it,” Longo said.

After that, those that were involved with dumping ice water on Vazquez were punished with push ups.

For Longo, a valuable lesson that Vazquez taught him was to take on life and move on and to lead and be an example of others.

When senior Kyle Cook walked into JROTC class in his freshman year, he was really confused because he could not understand all of what Vazquez was saying; however, he did see something interesting and fun in the class.

“He is always the perfect balance between goofy and fun and serious and actually getting

FEA HOLDS PARENTS NIGHT OUT

PACKED UP Col. Calvin Wimbish and JROTC cadets package supplies for soldiers as part of the Operation Care Project. Students collected items to send to soldiers stationed overseas during the holidays. photo by Chatham Farrell

Army just doesn’t have the resources for them,” said sophomore Aliyah Gibson.

Along the front of the classroom, incomplete boxes, around 20, sit in rows, ready to be finished and sent abroad.

“It’s the thought that counts, that drives veterans and patriotic citizens to show their love and respect in such a small and precious way for those men and women in harm’s way,” said veteran and JROTC Colonel Calvin Wimbish.

Students also wrote cards in class to be put in the boxes and sent abroad. Each box will include a card from a student.Wimbish remembers getting packages when he was stationed abroad.

“I sincerely enjoyed recieving those little joys and comforts from home,” said Wimbish.

The Future Educators of America Honor Society hosted a Parents Night Out event on Friday Dec. 1 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. With a $20 fee to enter, the night included pizza, drinks, snacks, a t-shirt and educational games. The purpose of the FEA honor society is to inspire young men and women to explore a career in teaching. They provide members with knowledge and experiences which develop qualities and aptitudes that are important in the teaching career. In order to join the club, members must have at least a 3.0 GPA.

BAND PERFORMS RHAPSODY IN BLUE On Dec. 8, band performed in the annual Rhapsody in Blue concert. During the night, each instrument section performed ensembles and the three main bands performed three pieces each.

Symphonic band played “El Camino Real” and Percussion ensemble also played a song called “Stormbreak.” “I believe we performed really well and it is a great experience for all of the band students,” sophomore Ann Robertson said.

page 4

news

Modeling & Simulation: Modeling and Simulation students work on unique and impressive projects throughout the year Sharika Khondaker

Staff Reporter ou might not think a periodic table is interesting, but if you could reach out and touch the elements, see the electronic geometry, and rearrange the configurations of the atoms, maybe you would.

With virtual reality, you can, and these are the kinds of projects that advanced students in Modeling and Simulation work on every day.

The Modeling and Simulation class focuses on using programs such as Maya, Unity and Unreal, and these programs are designed to help students develop 3D models and learn how to create simulations. Students watch tutorials on how to create different elements, and using that knowledge as a backbone, they create their models with additional features they decide to include.

Modeling and Simulation, taught by Jonah Hardy and Samuel Adorno, is one of the most popular courses offered at the school. It is one of four programs of emphasis in Seminole County, and it is only offered at Hagerty. Not only do students receive an industry certification for

Y

THEY GOT GAME

completing the course, but it opens the door for creativity.

“I think it’s awesome that students who would not have a chance to go to Hagerty are able to go,” Hardy said. “It gives them a class that they can look forward to every year that they are familiar with, and it opens up the class so that it is not just an elective class.”

Program founder Lindsey Spalding left at the end of last year to earn her doctorate degree.

Hardy took her place as the teacher for levels two, three and four, while Adorno covers level one.

“We still cover the things that Mrs. Spalding set up, such as getting ready for the field through business presentations,” senior Jacob Steinebronn said. “Now the focus is driven on the Modeling and Simulation part of the program and is more hands-on.”

As students move up through the different levels of the course, the topics they learn about are more focused every year. Level one introduces the aspects of Mod and Sim, level two is focused on design and art and level three is based around game development. Level four implements all of the skills students have learned throughout the previous levels, and so it is a freelance year, where students get to create a senior project implementing the different aspects of Mod and Sim that they have learned about. Students even come in during their lunch

THE

MEET

A

fter being coerced into auditioning for “Legally Blonde,” junior Emi Oberson never looked back. Oberson has been participating in theater ever since, both at school and as a part of Winter Springs Performing Arts. While Oberson has participated in jobs, such as stage manager, technical crew and actor, her most memorable experience was an understudy for the play “The Ghost of Christmas Present” in 2017, as well as playing ‘Ms. Smythe’ in the same play.

“On the nights where I was swinging in, I had to play all three parts. I had a quite a few quick changes, which was hectic, but it all worked out. It was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done,” said Oberson.

Despite being busy, Oberson plans on continuing theater, eventually minoring in theater-related endeavors while in college.

W

Painter

hile one might vent to a friend or a family member, junior Julia Zhu chooses to confide in a canvas.

She uses paint brushes and acrylic paint in place of words. Zhu’s way of expressing her feelings led to the creation of her favorite painting, an image of a girl devoid of color with a black stripe covering her eye.

“It’s my favorite because I created it completely organically, without any planning or sketching,” Zhu said.

Since childhood, Zhu was always interested in the abstract side of art, as well as being attracted to the “creative freedom” art offers. Though art is a hobby for Zhu, she has many accomplishments, most recently being the Best of Show for the student division in the Maitland Rotary Art Festival.

“I view achievement as a reward for my hard work, not as motivation to work hard.

It’s a difference that is difficult to maintain at times,” said Zhu.

MOLDING CHARACTERS Junior Deborah Lu works on her character project for Modeling and Simulation II during lunch. photo by Sharika Khondaker

ARTIST

Julia Zhu

Emi Oberson Actor

to work on their projects.

One of the new things Hardy implemented this year is the character project. Students create a character from scratch, based on a common theme such as fantasy. They made a character concept board, canon cages and facial expressions to see what their character would look like if it was actually created. Finally, they made a sculpture with a wire skeleton, adding clay to the top of it to make it look like the character.

“I like to draw and design, and this has been the only project that I can physically take home.

I have never seen a Modeling and Simulation teacher allow us to do this before,” junior Mason Dettman said.

Hardy also took Spalding’s place as the sponsor for the Modeling and Simulation club, the Mod Squad, another place where students are able to get hands-on experience with the different software. Students split up into different groups to work on projects based on what they want to create. This quarter, students are in the process of creating a racing game, animated shorts and a tank simulator.

“The class is a stricter environment, where the problems that they are solving are more specific, whereas the club is meant to be more fun and relaxed. Students have more freedom in what they do, and sometimes we play games during the last half of the meetings,” Hardy said.

Kate Schuck

W

Graphic Artist

ith a beanie on her head, pencils in hand, and paper in front of her, senior Kate Schuck is deep in thought about to what to draw next. While she does not own a “good luck charm,” Shuck treasures her beanie, believing that her it helps better her art.

“I do have a beanie that I will sometimes wear when I am doing so, and I have noticed that I have produced some of my best work when wearing the hat, as silly as that sounds,” Schuck said.

While the beanie sits on Schuck’s head, inside there is a hectic swirl of ideas for new art ideas and inspiration. She finds deciding what to do next is a challenge for her.

“There are so many possible ideas that run through my head when I am thinking of what to do that I have trouble choosing one and sticking with it,” Schuck said.

page 5

opinions

Mental Illness: Not just a mood

W

e have all heard it- you finish a test and the first comment you hear is “I’m going to be depressed for a whole week if I don’t get a good grade on that,” or “That test was so hard I had a panic attack.”

As awareness of mental illness has grown, terms like ‘depression,’ ‘anxiety’ or even worse, jokes about suicide, become ordinary expressions in our day-to-day conversations. But what most people don’t realize is the detrimental effects these phrases can have on those who are mentally ill.

While it may not be obvious, there are many teens and adults who suffer from mental illnesses. According to a poll run by The American Psychiatric Association in 2017, millenials are considered the “most mentally ill generation,” and the number of teens who are treated has increased by 5 percent every year. It is no surprise that mental illness’ awareness has expanded over the past few decades, with more people willing to get help. But what is surprising is the increasing ignorant use of these terms.

In our effort to turn mental illnesses such as obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder or even anxiety into adjectives to describe a bad week or unfortunate events in our lives, we diminish real problems. While this might not seem like a big deal, these conditions are serious, and using them as everyday phrases downplays the validity of these issues.

OCD is a cycle of unwanted, intrusive obsessions and distressing compulsions; not how you feel when you see your friend’s messy iPhone set up. Panic attacks are an abrupt onset of intense fear or discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes and includes pounding heart, sweating, shaking and sensations shortness of breath. Not what you have when you get an unexpected text from your crush.

Even though these terms are used impulsively, it is important to recognize the power that they have. By using mental illness as a way to describe our moods, we deteriorate the seriousness of the words and defame acute illnesses.

We should continue to expand awareness, advocate and show support for those who suffer from it, not use their illness to appear trendy or relatable. Downplaying someone’s disorder will only lead to losing consciousness of the effect that mental illness has in someone’s life.

This is not to say that people here do not suffer from these issues. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. If you know of someone who has a persistent issue, it is essential to ensure they get the help that is needed.

So, as the end of the semester approaches and we’re overwhelmed with stress, remember to think before using careless adjectives to describe your week. Instead of saying how your six exam reviews make you ‘depressed,’ say how stressed or upset you are. Make an effort and try to express yourself without belittling people who are mentally ill.

BARKING

MAD

Barking Mad is a collection of short submissions about things that tick students off around school. If something at school makes you mad, e-mail us at hagertyjourn@gmail.com and it may be featured here.

blue print

The BluePrint is a student-produced newspaper in which the student editors make all content decisions. The newspaper belongs to the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association and the Florida Scholastic Press Association.

Opinions expressed within the newspaper do not represent the staff’s views as a whole (except Hagerty High School for Our Take), the views of Seminole County 3225 Lockwood Blvd.

Public Schools or Hagerty High’s administration Oviedo, FL 32765 hagertyjourn@blueprint.com and staff.

For information about advertising in the paper, Phone: (407) 871-0750 please contact us via one of the above methods. We Fax: (407) 871-0817 reserve the right to reject any advertisement.

the

OUR TAKE

Editor-in-Chief Ahilyn Aguilar Managing Editor Melissa Donovan Online Editor Bryson Turner

News Editor Emily Cosio Lifestyles Editor Jessica Maldonado Sports Editor Michael Gibson

Staff Reporters Hannah Hadelman Zoey Young Hayden Turner Charlotte Mansur Luke Goodwin Noah Kemper Sharika Khondaker Amelia Anthony Olivia Gatchev Sarah Dreyer

Opinions Editor Katarina Harrison Business Manager Andrea Izaguirre Photographer Chatham Farrell Adviser Brit Taylor Principal Dr. Mary Williams

Passion prevails Katarina Harrison

H

Opinions Editor

ave you ever been told to stop wasting your life on something trivial? What about being torn away from something you enjoy because it is not nearly as important as homework? These harsh words leave students discouraged.

This unnecessary stressing of students by pressuring them toward certain careers is not only unnecessary, but also harmful.

With 40 percent of students chronically disengaged from school, according to generationnext.com, the stakes are already drastic. When students are asked to excel in advanced classes they have little interest in, it is little wonder they are not successful.

While school contains a few outlets for creative expression, they are often cast aside as meaningless electives, not as important as core classes. Even students with interests that fall into the realm of academia – a fascination with literature, an aptitude for numbers, or a focus on science – are often forced to work in subject areas that do not meet their aptitude. A math whiz will get more attention from their parents for their failures in English than their overwhelming success in their favorite fields.

With choosing classes and colleges just on the horizon, students will be influenced by their parents and teachers to pursue courses and majors with a concrete career at the end. Rather than the art class that the student craves, they may be pushed toward the memorization-focused AP Art History for the grade, or for how it looks on college applications. Students wanting to attend art school may be similarly pushed away.

Most of this pestering comes from good intentions. Students who are successful in high school and college are often more accomplished, at least financially, than their peers, and that leads many well meaning adults to push students into traditionally successful careers. While this ‘guidance’ comes from a place of good, it can easily discourage students with different interests, leading them into an array of harmful effects.

Well that is just the short term, right? Surely, in the long run, pushing students towards academic success will be worth the trouble. That idea is overwhelmingly false. After years of being told how to succeed, many students land themselves in college, digging themselves into debt that they are sure they can repay with the job they do not want. While it is true that there are more

“Hagerty locks the side door at the end of the day, and you have to jump over the fence to get to your bikes, and push them over.”

- Sana Yooseph, 9 “Teachers do not give out Pride tickets unless it is a bad student doing a good thing, but if a good student did the same thing, they would not get one.”

- Trever Tedesco, 11 “Getting out of the school parking lot is a mess and a hassle, it takes way too long ” - Ryan Self, 12

engineers than artists, there are enough artists that someone with a true passion will be able to find a passable job. As for income, studies have shown that the satisfaction tied to increased salary only persists until salaries reach $75,000 (USA Today), well short of the average of $88,271 that those in the gaming industry make (U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Furthermore, those jobs that students are pushed toward are unlikely to bring satisfaction. While this may seem like a minor, easy to overcome problem, science shows that low job satisfaction can be tied to serious problems, including low self esteem, depression and anxiety. With such serious problems at stake, and so few long term benefits to happiness or contentedness, there seem to be few reasons for students to only consider those fields with the highest economic payoff. In this context, such a worldview seems dangerous not only to the student themselves, but to the future of a creative world.

There are plenty of merits to the salary-driven careers, from financial security to acclaim from peers, but for students with other passions, the rewards are simply not worth it. Neither in the short run, or the long run.

“I wish the DJ was here more often.”

- Sam Jones, 11 “When I first moved here, it took a really long time to figure out where things were and none of the administration really helped me.”

- Cam Varady, 11 “Teachers quitting is really annoying because we have substitute teachers for a while, and it is hard to learn the content properly without a teacher present.”

- Kieran Thorn, 9

“There have been bees at lunch, and it is really annoying because there are a lot of people who are scared of them and they get in people’s food.”

- Emily Matthews, 9 “Buses get here 30 minutes before school starts, which is annoying because I lose so much sleep.”

- Freddie Hohmann, 10 “The stairs are always really crowded in buildings 6 and 7 and it is hard to get through the crowd. ” - Gary Neidhardt, 10

page 6

Q

Advice Column

“Exams are really stressing me out and they’re going to make or break my grades this semester. I’m panicking-what should I do?”

opinions

Disappearing into our screens

A

Tips to lower cell phone use

Exam week is a nail-biting experience for any high school student, but the only thing students have control over during exam week is their own preparedness. Although there have been numerous study groups and tutoring opportunities available for anyone to join, at this point in the semester, options are limited. Coping with the stress that comes along with quarterly exams, students have many systems and relaxation methods available to help them focus.

According to Susan Stiff Elman, clinical psychotherapist and author, “Chunking things down makes them feel more manageable and less anxiety-inducing.” Here she suggests that students will be more efficient if they take things in sections rather than cramming as students are so keen on doing around exam time. So even if you have six hours of studying to do, break it up. Every hour, take a five minute break outside. Eat a snack. But set a timer and get back to it.

All in all, students can take comfort in the fact that their peers are going through the same nerve wracking experience.

Information provided by PsychologyToday

Block your day in time zones, where you spend time using technology, but also have blocks of time for genuine interactions.

Try a “technology fast” every month, where you actually go for a day or more without a computer, tablet or phone.

Q

“I’m really insecure, and I don’t know what to do.”

A

Many students struggle with selfconfidence, from saying “I look fat” to “I am not going to be able to graduate.” According to Entrepreneur.com, saying these things can make you even less confident in yourself. You need to be a candidate for yourself, because there will be times in life where you feel alone.

The first step to gaining confidence is to visualize yourself and where you want to be. Next, say positive things about yourself.

Repeating positive things will slowly start to make you more confident. Another thing you can do is set up small goals for yourself.

Today, many students set up goals that aren’t easily achieved, which lowers selfconfidence. Making small goals, like turning in an assignment on time or cleaning your room, will make you feel good.

Most importantly, take care of yourself.

Getting a good rest, drinking water, or even having a ‘me day’ are things that can boost your confidence. Once you’ve taken care of yourself, help those around you. Being confident does not happen overnight.

Have a question for the Advice Column? Send us an e-mail at hagertyjourn@gmail.com

Melissa Donovan

Y

Assistant Editor

ou just got accepted into your dream school, you are on top of the world and nothing could bring you down. You try to tell your best friend and they reply with “Wait a second. Let me finish sending this text.”

Cell phones might be pocket-sized but, they have enough power to disrupt relationships.

Face-to-face interaction has become rare since most communication is electronic. Going to an event or a concert is no longer a “once-ina-lifetime experience” because people can take out their phones and are more focused on capturing the moment rather than living it.

Hanging out with friends and family does not require talking any more as everyone stares into their screens.

So why do we do this? Well, it is easy: we have become device dependent. Pictures, emails, important documents are all held on our phones or other devices, and it seems that losing that device would be like losing a part of ourselves. Separation from our phones is like a bad break up it brings: loneliness, sadness and anxiety.

Maybe you see the flash of your phone screen reminder while you are talking to someone from the corner of your eye and lose track of whatever you were saying, break eye contact and pick up your device to look at whatever notification you just got. Ask yourself—how long can you go without looking at your phone?

You are out with friends, their phone dies and instantly they scavenge for a charger or an

outlet. And if no one has a charger to offer, they ask for your phone to log into their Instagram or Snapchat account so they can document every moment. Attached much?

Or even worse, you are in the car and your friend is driving and they are Snapchatting or texting someone — not even at stoplight, but, while driving. While the passenger is fearing for their life, but the driver is more concerned about sending their message than getting to their destination alive.

All of these scenarios are everyday occurrences. This is not only insane but it is also annoying. People disregard what is in front of them in the real world, and lose the “human interaction.”

Sure, these tendencies may never fade fully, but they can be reduced. Challenge yourself to three things. First, put your phone down in a different room even if it is just for just 15 minutes at a time. Do homework, eat a meal with friends or family, or to read your favorite book.

Second, balance your screen time with face time, and face time does not mean FaceTime.

This means face-to-face interaction with friends and family. Third, do not let your phone be the last thing you see at night and the first thing you see in the morning. It is not healthy.

Change is hard, so start slow. Try things of once or twice a week and soon each will subconsciously become routine.

Technology will continue to advance -that is inevitable- but we cannot lose the human interaction that we truly need to survive, a need even greater than our cell phones.

Balance screen time and in-person time each week. For every hour invesedt in front of a screen, invest the same in human contact.

Place your phone at least 15 feet away from you when you sleep at night. You’ll have to get up to push “snooze,” but it’s safer this way.

Be sure there are daily times you turn off the cell phone and experience either face-to-face conversations or solitude.

llustrations by Amelia Anthony

page 7

entertainment

The “Good Place” is still good Lukas Goodwin

P

Staff Reporter

remiering on Sept. 27, season three of NBC’s “The Good Place” jumps right into the action, following up on season two’s cliffhanger. The quartet of main characters, Eleanor Shellstrop (played

by Kristen Bell), Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper), Tahani Al-Jamil (Jameela Jamil) and Jason Mendoza (Manny Jacinto), have returned from the dead in an experiment ran by their friends, a demon named Michael and an Artificial Intelligence named Janet.

This season returns with the same exceedingly clever humor, which, with its compelling plot, keeps viewers consistently entertained. The premise of the third season is structured around where season two left off: the four humans must be able to use their second chance at life to become better people and earn a chance in the “Good Place.”

While it sounds simple enough, this leads to an interesting tension, as the humans’ memories of the afterlife have been erased, leaving them oblivious to the dangers they are prone to. It becomes a race between whether Michael and Janet can coerce them into working toward finding each other to get into the Good Place

before the demons steal them back to the “Bad Place.”

The main characters are excellently written and relatable to viewers. Eleanor’s dry sarcasm, Chidi’s constant anxiety over everything, Tahani’s excessive pompousness and Jason’s dim-wittedness, all bounce off of each other in hilarious ways. Michael (played by Ted Danson) and Janet (D’Arcy Carden) add an extra level of quirkiness to the humor with their inability to understand people, and their unrelenting efforts to save the humans are endearing.

All of the episodes are riddled with miniature twists that help keep things fresh and maintain interest. Halfway through the season, there is a major plot twist that shifts the dynamics and goals of the characters. This is especially appreciated, as without the constant additions of new story elements, it would be easy for the show to become dull.

The only major blunder of season three seems to be the question the entire cast keeps asking: why do the demons care so much about these particular four humans if they already have billions of others to torture? This seems unclear throughout the show, as the demons chasing after the humans only waste all of their time and energy trying to capture them.

However, the question is also brought up so

“A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships” by The 1975

Netflix Original: “The Princess Switch” Although it suffers from a noticeably low budget with Hallmark levels of predictability, this cheesy Netflix Original is an escape from everyday life into a world where high-stakes baking competitions and royal family drama blend. With Vanessa Hudgens heading up the well-known cast, “The Princess Switch” follows a Chicago baker and a duchess who look strikingly similar as they switch places a week before Christmas to see what the other’s life is like. In the end, while this movie seems simple, it captures the Christmas spirit in a happy story. While somewhat bland at times, it is an easy watch that viewers will enjoy watching to get in the mood for the holiday season.

- Amelia Anthony

“LM5” by Little Mix Although Little Mix utilizes a mainstream pop sound, the group has found little success on the charts. Their most recent album “LM5” is just another example why. While their message of this track is amazing, their lyrics were not anything special. While, ‘Woman’s World,’ ‘Only You,’ and ‘Motivate,’ are good, the rest are forgettable. Little Mix’s voices do sound pretty together, and in, ‘I Told You So,’ their talent is evident. Overall, the mentioned songs are worth a listen, but the other 14 are just a waste of your time.

-Emily Cosio

Netflix Original: “Death by Magic” Season 3

Netflix Original: “A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding”

Last year, Netflix released the hit Christmas romance, A Christmas Prince, gaining fans with clever characters, a clever (if a bit cliché) plot and the warm feelings of the holiday season. This year, they tried following the footsteps of the previous movie: this movie follows the two main characters as they delve into marriage and follows Amber, the main female lead as she struggles with becoming queen.

- Emily Cosio

frequently by Michael and the others that it seems like the show is either calling itself out on its plot holes, or secretly has an explanation not yet revealed.

It also becomes somewhat irritating how this season teases at the two love interest couples in the show: Eleanor and Chidi, and Jason and Janet. It is hard to tell whether the baiting will continue up until the series finale, which could frankly be multiple seasons away, or if they will pair up again soon, only to be split apart due to some other alteration of the timeline. Regardless of how deterring it is to

The Netflix Original “Death by Magic,” is a charming show that is simply fun to watch. The show’s host, narrator and main character, Drummond Money-Coutts performs small tricks for strangers in the midst of his mission: to recreate a trick that has killed a magician in the past.

At times, the show focuses too much on what we already know trying to play up the drama by repeating the danger of the main trick again and again, but the overall pacing is nice and the style is clever.

When they finally get to the potentially deadly finale, the trick is impressive and the payoff is binge reminding the viewer why they wanted to watch in the first place.

- Katarina Harrison

The latest album from the pop-rock band “The 1975” is delightfully outside of the norm, rebuilding the model for songs and songwriting in eccentric and unique ways. This is perhaps most evident in the quirky and almost narrative style of “The Man who Married A Robot.” Spoken nearly entirely in the voice of Siri, this addition to the album is more of a story than a song, and serves to add another layer to the album. At every turn, this album diverged from the expected, and the result is not only unique, but delightful.

-Katarina

have to practically beg for them to fall in love over and over, though, it aids in enriching the drama easily enough.

Once again, season three of “The Good Place” has proven how talented the writers and actors are at making this show what it is: a clever, self-aware sitcom that pokes fun at everybody watching. It is fulfilling to watch the characters grow and flourish, as they work hard to better themselves. And beneath all the satire and drama, it carries an underlying, introspective message: everybody has the ability to become a good person.

REVIEW BOX

Oyishi Japanese Steakhouse Sushi

Spiders are the opposite of appetizing, but Oyishi Japanese Steakhouse’s “Spider Roll” is delicious.

It has the foundation of a basic sushi roll, with an outer layer of fresh rice and seaweed wrapping. Found inside is deep-fried soft shell crab, avocado, cucumber and a seaweed salad.

Additionally, it comes with a side of eel sauce to dip: essentially a soy sauce.

What makes the Spider Roll especially unique is the crab inside, which makes the sushi extra crunchy and more diverse from the rest of the menu.

Harrison

“Dumplin” Netflix Original Netflix’s new drama has it all: pageants, body positive messages, drag queens, fresh storyline, and an adorable romance. “Dumplin” follows Willowdean Dickson, the daughter of a former pageant queen, as she enters her town’s famous pageant to prove a point about the town’s stereotypes.

Overall, this movie had a good story with an amazing message about breaking stereotypes and loving yourself.

It is something you will not want to stop watching.

- Amelia Anthony

-Lukas Goodwin

First Watch Cafe

While its bright green hue may be off-putting, First Watch’s hand-brewed “Kale Tonic” is perfect to pair with some hearty bacon or pancakes. The Kale Tonic is a refreshing drink composed of fuji apple and lemon juice, some English cucumber and of course, kale. It was an intriguing item I just had to order, and despite how gross the kale may sound, the drink was nutritious and it retained a mild flavor. The apple and lemon gave a tart punch of flavor with the first sip, but the lingering aftertaste of mild kale and the freshness of the cucumber balance it out to a great drink, perfect for starting the day.

- Lukas Goodwin

Easy access to e-cigarettes turns U.S. into a DRIP TIP Allows dripping of juice

VAPE H

‘Epidemic’ hits locally as students d Andrea Izaguirre and Olivia Gatchev

TAN Holds the juice

P

Staff Reporters

eering through the smog that seemingly fills all the corners of public schools these days is a growing trend: vaping.

Vaping is the action of inhaling and exhaling aerosol, referred to sometimes as vapor, which is produced by an e-cigarette. When the device is used, the battery heats up and turns the contents of the e-liquid into a vapor that is taken in through the mouth.

There are many different vape products: Juuls, drops, pens, and mods. Each product can have different types of nicotine such as “regular nic” or “salt nic,” salt nic being a chemical formulation of nicotine that lowers its harshness while allowing vapers to get more nicotine and inhale less vapor. According to Global News, Juul, the most popular e-cigarette, has 72 percent of the market share of vaping products in the United States.

Despite its growing popularity, like cigarettes, vaping has serious effects. Medical research has found that nicotine negatively affects one’s metabolism and causes respiratory problems and the risk of cancer.

An article published by Truth Initiative, shows that each Juul pod has about 200 puffs, which is equivalent to the amount of nicotine one pack of cigarettes has. On average, smoking a pod every day for five weeks would equal about 100 cigarettes.

According to the Department of Health’s Florida Youth Tobacco survey in 2016, 22.9 percent of high schoolers in the state have tried a cigarette whereas 37.6 percent have tried an e-cigarette. The growing popularity of e-cigarettes has overpowered teenage cigarette smoking.

ANATOMY OF A VAPE BATTERY Supplies power

DISPLAY SCREEN Shows battery percentange and wattage output of device

The ease by which students acq vaping devices is partially to blame fo rapid spread of the wave. Although the pu health law center in the state of Flo prohibits the distribution and posses of nicotine dispensing devices or nico products to persons under age 18, vapers, that being anyone 18 or older, are able to provide vaping products to virtu any student.

“It isn’t hard to get a Juul and much easier to get one on campus,” *B sophomore said. “Senior friends and de can get it to us quickly and they get to ma quick buck so it’s a win-win.”

Supported by diverse groups of te vaping devices exist as devices that trans social barriers. Students who desc themselves as “hard-working and relia might be just as involved with a vaping de as those who similarly describe themse as “rebellious and unbothered”. Vaping evolved into more than just a trend for t who have a disciplinary history and do po in school.

The thought process behind students choose to participate in both legal and il vaping activities varies for each individu ”Because I’m underage it makes it a more difficult for me to get my products in the end it helps me deal with myself w I get nervous,” *Jimmy said.

Many students have suggested that de the risk, they vape because they belie helps relieve stress. Health professio however, are not as quick to believe reason.

“From what I’ve seen, students ten blame their e-cigarette usage on their s and anxiety derived potentially from

DIFFERENT T BOX MOD VAPE BOX MOD VAPE

VAPE PEN

SUORIN DR

• Nicotine: 18 mg per every 30 mL • Tank size varies on “fill line” • Good for vape tricks

• Nicotine: 18 m per every 30 m • Pod size: 2 mL • Lasts longer th most vapes

* Any type of e-cigarette is

HAVEN

deal with vaping

quire or the ublic orida ssion otine legal e still ually

d it’s Bill, a ealers ake a

eens, scend cribe able” evice elves g has teens oorly

who llegal ual. little s but when

espite eve it onals, that

nd to stress their

school load.” Dr. Pinkal Patel of Oviedo Family Health said.

According to Business Insider in 2017, the presence stress and anxiety in an adolescents environment are one of the leading causes of teenagers being introduced to vaping.

“I started vaping sophomore year because school became a very stressful environment for me. I know it’s not great for me, but I feel that it helps me fight my anxiety and depression on a day to day basis, so I’m going to do it,” *Michael said.

Regardless of an individual’s reason, students who use vaping products on school grounds not only put their health at risk but also are more susceptible to exposure.

According to Dr. Cruickshank , the school policy mandates that students caught vaping nicotine on school grounds, regardless of their age, will receive an In-School suspension as the minimum consequence for first time offenders.

In addition, any student caught with a marijuana vaping device will be persecuted with an Out-OfSchool suspension. The school does not condone vaping of any form and any illegal smoking act where a student violates these rules will be persecuted.

Though the trend is growing, plenty of students do not take the risk.

“There’s no way to justify vaping on school grounds, and if it’s illegal for you then there’s no way to justify it off grounds either,” said senior Sam Thompson.

Despite the adverse health effects and school disapproval, the growing popularity from the JUUL epidemic among adolescents remains unmatched.

“It’s crazy man, I swear they’re everywhere.” *Jimmy said. * Names withheld by request

Students who are caught vaping on Seminole County School grounds will be prosecuted, regardless of their age.

JUUL became more popular with youth that it captured 68% of the e-cigarette market in 2 years.

-Based on an article published by Truth Initiave, 2018

The 2018 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey found that 24.8% of high school students used e-cigarretes compared with the 15.7% who reported use in 2017.

-Based on a survey conducted by Florida Health, 2018

The use of e-cigarettes by high schoolers on school property has increased from 3.3% in 2017 to 6.9% in 2018.

-Based on a survey conducted by Florida Health, 2018

When asked what Juul’s pods contain 66.0% say just flavoring, 13.7% don’t know, 13.2% say nicotine, 5.8% say marijuana, and 1.3% say other.

-Based on an article published by Truth Initiave, 2018

TYPES OF E-CIGARETTES

ROP

SUORIN AIR

JUUL

mg mL L han

• Nicotine: 18 mg per every 30 mL • Pod size: 2 mL • Very lightweight

• Nicotine: 59 mg per every 1 mL • Pod size: .7 mL • 200 puffs a pod

s prohibited on all Seminole Country Public Schools property Illustrations and design by Parker North and Ahilyn Aguilar

FDA-led pressure brings reform for vape industry Jessica Maldonado

E

Lifestyles Editor

lectronic cigarettes started as a means to help adults who needed to transition from tobacco to a lower level of nicotine, but as its popularity grew, e-cigarettes use has increased throughout teens in middle and in high school. This brought national attention with different groups and government agencies labeling vaping as an epidemic for teens.

Several devices are easily available for teens 18 and up, but the most popular one is the Juul, which was first produced in July 2017. E-cigarettes and vaping started without government regulations, but The Food and Drug Administration has recently started implementing laws.

In a CNN article posted on April 6, researchers found that “1.7 million high school students said they had used e-cigarettes in the previous 30 days.”

With this rise in vaping, the FDA sent out more than 1,300 warning letters and a fine to retailers who sold Juuls and other smoking devices to minors illegally. The FDA sent minors on a nationwide sting to buy e-cigarettes illegally to find out how easy it would be.

Along with this, the FDA sent out a warning to Juul and four other manufacturers of popular electronic cigarettes, giving them 60 days to figure out a plan that will keep these devices out of minor’s hands.

On Nov. 12, Juul labs announced that they would suspend sales of most of its flavored e-cigarette pods in retail stores and would discontinue social media promotions The flavors they plan on banning are mango, fruit, crème, and cucumber, the most popular flavors for teen vapors. Due to this increase, a study was done by Health Line Red reporting that 60 percent of kids believed that the pods used in Juuls did not contain nicotine, and mostly did it because of the different flavors.

The growing concern, after Juul announced that they would ban certain flavors, was about the adults who use Juuls because they need to quit smoking and how the fruity flavors helped them. In response to this concern, Juul said that they will keep flavors such as mint, tobacco and menthol for the devices in retail stores. With the date still not announced, they said they will eventually put the fruity flavors back to stores who invest in an age-verification system.

The company also plans on banning Juuls from convenience stores, such as gas stations, and they will change the age to buy Juuls online to 21, along with making their age verification stronger.

On a Nov. 13, a New York Times article reported that Juul executive, Kevin R. Burns stated their goal is to make sure minors don’t get it online is by implementing stricter restrictions. They will be adding in a real-time photo requirement and allowing consumers to purchase no more than two devices and 15 pod packages a month and no more than ten devices a year.

Due to these laws not being implemented yet, Juuls and pods, including the fruity flavors, are still sold at local gas stations and convenience stores, such as Wawa, 7-Eleven and Circle K. The only official law that has been implemented was Amendment 9, which was updated after the 2018 midterm elections. Before, in the state of Florida, there were laws about smoking in public places but no laws about vaping.

Now, according to Ballotpedia, Amendment 9, which also included language to ban offshore drilling, prohibits, “use of vapor-generating electronic devices to current prohibition of tobacco smoking in enclosed indoor workplaces with exceptions; permits more restrictive local ordinances.”

FDA is pressuring e-cigarettes companies and giving them a deadline act, but nothing is official yet. Between what Juul say they are going to do and future bills and laws that are being discussed in Senate, making the future of the vape industry turn cloudy.

page 1 0

lifestyles

One novel, one month

National Novel Writing Month

Emily Cosio

News Editor

Creative Writing students take on the challenge of National Novel Writing Month as they hone their writing craft

F

or one month straight, creative writing students did nothing but write.

As part of the national organization, National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo, 40 students under the guidance of English teacher Lindsey Jackson spent the month of November typing away, forming characters, putting paragraphs on the page and crafting an intricate storyline. The goal of the program was to complete a 50,000 word novel in a month, and while few students reached that final goal, the experience was crucial in helping them become better, more motivated writers.

“It was an excellent segway from the braided stories we had been working on and a fun way to get students taking the abstract of plot twists, character development and climax in a concrete way since NaNoWriMo really helps guide and prompt that process,” Jackson said.

Over the course of the month, students spent all of their class time in the media center, where they were given time to let their creativity flow and their hands type. They were aided by a prep workbook they had filled out before they began, including extensive information about their characters and plot. As the story continued, many students found themselves straining to meet the 1,667 word-a-day goal set by the NaNoWriMo website.

“I think it’s important to realize that there is a significant amount of hard work that goes along with a creative endeavor, especially one that is long-term,” Jackson said.

All the same, Jackson found it necessary to revise the goal for her students, requiring her students to achieve about 1000 words a block, culminating in a required total of 12,000 words by the end of the month. The word count was high enough that students had to put effort into their work and devote their class time to work instead of goofing around.

Despite the 12,000 word minimum for the grade, many students went above and beyond, with several even crossing the 50,000 word goal set by the website. By using their own time, whether after school, on weekends or during break, these students were able to achieve what they must once have thought impossible — writing a full length novel in a single month.

“It was an interesting experience and it showed me how much work it takes to write a novel,” senior Mary Fusca said.

While mandated for the creative writing class, the NaNoWriMo organization is open to all, and even includes a Young Writer’s Program that allows writers to set their own goal.

The program caters to those not yet ready to tackle 50,000 words, or perhaps simple not ready to engage with the traditional NaNoWriMo community, which is made up mostly of adults. Both the adult and the children’s sites are built to support writers on their own treks.

Once the month was over, students were left with a finished project — at least 12,000 words of their own creativity sat in front of them, printed and put in their hands. Over the course of the next few weeks, the classes will work together to revise and edit these works, turning them from first draft drivel into “publishable works,” according to Jackson.

“When we reflected on it afterwards, students realized what it takes to fulfill a dream or a follow a passion - hard work,” Jackson said. “And, they got a taste of what it was like to push through some unexpected barriers and lulls in motivation/creativity.”

JV & BANDNEW PHOTOS FRESHMAN UPLOADED EVERY WEEK SPORTS ODD COUPLE DOWNLOADS ONLY $1

HOMECOMING

PRINTS STARTING AT $2

CHEER

POWDERPUFF

hagertyjourn.smugmug.com

SOCCER

BASKETBALL

NaNoWriMo is a creative writing challenge in which participants of all ages and abilities push themselves to write 50,000 words during November.

NaNoWriMo brings together a diverse writing community allowing novelists to collaborate, communicate and create.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

How it works Create your profile at NaNoWriMo.org Announce your novel and share a short synopsis before November begins Join a home region for special encouragement and events in your area Meet writing milestones and earn badges to celebrate your success Enjoy pep talks, advice from successful writers and other writing support On Nov. 1, start writing your novel and updating your word count Reach your goal by November 30, and claim your victory

JUNIOR OPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL & YOUTH PALS Get service hours helping the special needs community Meetings every Thursday in 6-202

WE NEED YOU! Cops ‘n Cars for Kids - Jan. 26 Hearts for Autism Walk - Feb. 16

page 1 1

lifestyles

l a b o l G oove gr

Senior Da’Zhaun Hicks travels around the world for dance Hannah Hadelman

Staff Reporter s senior Da’Zhaun Hicks got off his overnight flight to Shanghai, people started taking photos. This happened several times on his trip , so he got used to this attention. When people in China see Americans, they assume they are famous.

Hicks might not be famous yet, but he is on his way.

Hicks has been dancing since age 3. When he started, he never pictured himself traveling to Los Angeles to pursue a music career, performing on the competitive dance show “World of Dance,” or being hired for the Dolce and Gabbana fall/winter fashion show, all by age 18.

“I could not think of much when I landed in China,” Hicks said. “I was overwhelmed with emotions, and truly felt fortunate with the opportunity.”

All of these are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, and Hicks feels more than blessed to be a part.

Over Thanksgiving break, Hicks and his dance crew, the Funkywunks, traveled to Shanghai, China. They were hired to perform a dance routine in Dolce and Gabbana’s fashion show. He was there for six days– the flight alone was 18 hours there and 13 hours back.

Shanghai is different from America, according to Hicks, but he thought it was cool being thrown into a different culture and adjusting to their customers and how they live.

“My favorite thing about China was how everyone had their own individual style and how they expressed themselves through how they dressed,” Hicks said. “Being able to go to the markets or the mall and show was definitely my favorite experience, and they had some really unique stuff that I liked.”

The show took place on, Nov. 21, was onehour long and was titled “The Great Show.”

For the Funkywunks, this trip means that their brand is expanding and becoming international. Before China, the crew’s break was on the competitive dance show, World of Dance. He was able to do what he loves in front of a national audience. The group was back and forth in the competition for about a month, but lost in The Duels by .3 points to another crew.

A

“It was just a lot of fun. It was not nerve wracking, even though it was a big platform to be on and we had a lot riding on it,” Hicks said.

Hicks believes that some dance competition shows “want you to fail” due to lack of engagement from the audience, but this was not the case for World of Dance. According to Hicks, there were a lot of people in the audience, but they had good energy and really fed into the performance.

On top of receiving all of these opportunities, Hicks gets to experience them with his closest friends, the members of the Funkywunks crew.

Julie Johnson created the Funkywunks in 2015 and put Hicks in the group in 2016. Hicks was brought to her by the man who taught Hicks how to dance, and he has been with them ever since.

“The family bond that is made from being in the group is like no other. I feel like I have a bunch of brothers and sisters out of everyone there,” Hicks said.

However, Hicks did not start off with the FunkyWunks. Hicks’ mother, who is currently a teacher at Hagerty, was a dancer, so he was always around dance. He saw it as something he could use to express himself in a different way as a child, inspiring him to continue with it.

He has danced for different dance teams and companies such as DemStreet, Extreme and Legendary. His team won the Dance World Championships in 2017, the primary dance competition held every year at Walt Disney World’s Wide World of Sports. This competition features dancers from around the world hoping to earn the top spot and being crowned world champion. Additionally, he has been recognized by major Los Angeles choreographers. Dancing is something Hicks always turns to when feeling low and recommends it to anyone interested.

“There is no wrong way to dance,” Hicks said. “However I feel like expressing myself is how I dance in that moment.”

According to Hicks, the Funkywunks have a lot of big things lined up including a lot of performances around the country, and events that cannot be discussed yet. For him personally he has music coming out soon, and the group is often planning things for the future to further expose their brand and get their name out.

“There is no wrong way to dance. However I feel like expressing myself is how I dance in that moment.”

page 1 2

lifestyles

no horsing around Zoey Young

W

Staff Reporter

ith the bottle of Gatorade clenched between her teeth, Kali trots around the arena going about her merry way. Kali, Sophomore Ana Cortez’s favorite horse, spent the better of part of the day bonding with the Gatorade bottle, something Cortez had never seen before.

“She was just carrying the Gatorade the same way a dog carries a bone. I had never seen anything like it; it was the funniest thing,” Cortez said.

Cortez, showed around three times a

month, participating in the jumping event. This event requires horses and their equestrians to overcome a set of obstacles in a set course.

To prepare, Cortez must groom and bathe the horse, as well as braid it’s mane and tail.

Similarly, Sophomore Karlie Marini has been riding for six years, and shows her horse monthly to qualify for finals. One of her biggest accomplishments is becoming champion in July at Grand Oaks, a large equestrian show in Apopka.

Achievements aside, being an equestrian means being very close to their horse. Carlson treasures the trust and bond she shares with the horses she works with. This trust is essential for an equestrian to control their horse. Marini also the values importance of kindness and patience to avoid rider injury.

“Horses are sensitive animals; it is important

to be kind and patient with them. They have the power to hurt the rider at any moment,” Marini said.

Cortez recalls a horse that was unwilling to cooperate. Arriving from Ireland, the horse was jumpy and scared to complete basic skills.

Eventually, over the course of four months, he [the horse] began to be more comfortable with Cortez and jump over high distances.

“Building a relationship with horses takes time. You gain a relationship through spending time with them and even riding,” Cortez said.

The relationship between horse and equestrian isn’t the only thing equestrians’ treasure. Cortez believes that equestrianism is a way to meet new people, “essentially creating a second family.”

Sophomore Megan Carlson faces difficulty with the heavy price of being an equestrian.

Unlike regular sports one could join at their school or in a local community, equestrianism is a financially demanding sport. Taking into consideration the stable, equipment, and horse maintenance fees all add up to a hefty price, not to mention training of the horse and riding lessons. From Kathryn Tuggle at The Street in 2014, “On average, lessons and training cost between $30 and $100 per half hour.”

Despite this roadblock, Carlson is further motivated to push herself further whenever the chance arises.

“When I have the money to show consistently, I work harder since I have the opportunity to win an end of the year award, so I ride multiple times during the week and focus on bettering myself each ride,” Carlson said.

Carlson hopes to continue being an equestrian after college when she is “financially stable.” Cortez also dreams to be able to support herself enough to afford being an equestrian too.

“While it is a very expensive sport, I always think about having a job that is able to support the financial needs of the sport,” Cortez said.

For now, Cortez, Carlson and Marini are all focused on getting through school right now and juggling other sports. Marini spends a lot of time weightlifting, yet still finds time to be with her horse, making more memories. Her most coveted moment she remembers is seeing him for the first time.

“Seeing him being unloaded from the trailer for the first time was so special, because it meant an amazing, talented horse was all mine,” Marini said.

Char-casm Gift giving for the Hot Pocket friend

F

Charlotte Mansur

riends are like instant ramen. Reliable in a jiffy, and always satisfactory.

A good friend knows when you need them the most, making sure you feel supported at all times. But there will always be that one friend that is less instant ramen and more, well, Hot Pocket. Fine on the outside, but on the inside you are just met with a bunch of hot unsatisfactory cheese.

For some of us, the holidays can bring lots of unanswered questions; what is taking Uncle Dave so long in the bathroom, and how many fuzzy socks can I reasonably ask for this year? However the question that lingers is what gift do you get the “Hot Pocket” friend.

Obviously getting them a good gift is not practical, but if you give the rest of the friend group a gift and not them it is just cruel. The goal is to distance yourself, but not be a jerk. Luckily there is a multitude of gift options that fit the criteria.

Old Halloween candy is the perfect inbetween. Last minute Whoppers thrown into a gift bag shows just how little you care, but it falls into the food category, so no one will pass that up. Food Allergies are even better. Allergic to peanuts? Here is my grandmother’s famous peanut brittle that has been sitting in my pantry since last Christmas.

Even better than candy, glitter.

Anything glitter. Ornaments, sunglasses, duct tape, whatever. If it has glitter you can expect for it to be everywhere for the next three months. I once got a glitter bracelet, I wore it for one day, and by the next day there was glitter in my hair, on my clothes, on my backpack, heck it was stuck in my rabbit’s fur for a month. No one likes cleaning up, especially when it is something as persistent as glitter.

For those who don’t like cleaning at all, hygiene products. My personal favorite, prescription deodorant useful and kind of offensive.

Whatever you choose for the Hot Pocket friend, remember it is the thought that counts.

page 1 3

sports

6-1984

AND THAT’S THE KEY

ww

Bryson Turner

Colonial: 197

Phil Ziglar caps off 43-year career dedicated to both the game and those who play it

I At Colonial High, Ziglar took e over varsity soccer for thre seasons after coach John Klingmeyer fell ill.

Oak Ridge: 1

984-1987

Dr. Phillips: 1987-1990

r. Phillips ed the D Ziglar join ching staff in the oa football c 987 season. l1 ra u inaug

90-2012

t was the end of an era. Despite a Nov. 9 loss to Robert E. Lee, the varsity football team exchanged tearful embraces at midfield, long after the game had ended.

“There’s two things in life you remember as a head coach,” head coach Phil Ziglar said. “Your first game and your last game.”

After a 43-year long career on the sideline, including six for Hagerty, Phil Ziglar is retiring from coaching and teaching when the semester ends on Dec. 21.

“I just really felt that it was time for me to go,” Ziglar said. “I felt that right now was a good time for me to start being able to visit my grandkids in North Carolina.”

He leaves not only a prolific career on the sideline, with eight district championships, three regional titles and a state championship appearance in 2007, but also a career that has allowed him to impact the lives of those who have worked for him, played for him, or simply known him.

After two seasons playing in the Canadian Football League for the Calgary Stampeders, Ziglar began coaching as an assistant for Colonial High School in 1976, when Gerald Ford was president, gas was 59 cents per gallon and the release of Star Wars was still nine months away.

He was there when Dr. Phillips High School started its football program in 1987, there when Boone went to its first (and only) state championship in 2007, and he was there when Hagerty won its first district championship in 2015.

William Daniel, who has known Ziglar since he joined the Boone coaching staff in the summer of 1994, still remembers the lead-up to the state championship game, in what was then known as the Citrus Bowl.

“Kaley Street was lined three deep for a mile with nothing but orange & white. Over 20,000 people were in the stands, the alltime high in attendance for a high school championship game held in Orlando,” Daniel said.

“To see the smile on his face, realizing that all of his hard work had led to the creation of that celebratory experience for every graduate of Orlando’s oldest high school, is something that I’ll never forget.”

Ziglar’s dedication to the success of his athletes went so far that he participated in drills with them. Even as he entered his 60s, he always thought that if his players could do it, he could do it too.

“What I remember most about him is his total commitment to the players, not just to turn them into better players but into better men,” Kenneth Hensley, who coached with Ziglar for 17 years at Boone, said. “His passion for this goal was all-consuming and the results are evident in the caliber of men he produced.”

Cody Allen, who played football and baseball for Boone and graduated in 2007, was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 2011, and made his MLB debut a year later. He went on to become the team’s closing pitcher and became the franchise leader in saves this past season. Though all of his on-the-field success is in baseball, he still remembers the life lessons Ziglar taught him on the football field.

“I didn’t truly realize at the time, but he was molding and shaping us into better husbands, fathers, brothers and sons,” Allen said. “He taught all of us about hard work and accountability, and that those character traits of a man should never waver. He drove all of us to heights some of us thought we could never reach.”

Ziglar has had the same impact on his staff. He gave Hensley, now coaching flag football at Boone, his first coaching job.

“I’ve modeled a lot of what I do as a coach after his example,” Hensley said. “He was able to get the most out of people and get them to believe in themselves.”

Those who know him say Ziglar would “give the shirt off his back” if asked.

“He always put your needs in front of his,” Winter Springs head coach Steven Mikles said. “He really would do anything to help you if he liked you.”

Some of Ziglar’s favors to his assistants included picking Mikles up from the airport at 1 a.m. and letting him stay in his house for two weeks, or giving current Masters Academy head coach Jermal Jones his car after Jones locked himself out of his own car.

“Coach Zig wasn’t just my boss,” Jones said. “He was my friend and mentor.”

This was especially true for his student-athletes. Colonial Athletic Director Andrew Hamre coached with Ziglar at Boone for seven years in the ‘90s. His son was being scouted by colleges, and a coach from Wisconsin flew in to see him practice. However, Hamre’s son was suffering an injury, but he decided to push through and practice anyway.

“When it did not go well, the coach gave my son some grief and carried on about having to come all this way to see a poor performance,” Hamre said. “Ziglar got wind of this and went to my son’s defense. He ran the coach off and we never saw or heard from him again.”

Ziglar’s presence did not just impact the football team.

During his 23-season tenure at his alma mater Boone, he helped shape the school’s culture. He hosted an annual back-to-school faculty fish fry, a Christmas party at his home, and attended games from all of Boone’s sports. Boone’s student section was dubbed “Zig’s Pigs,” which Hagerty would emulate, coining their student section “Ziglar’s Zoo.” Through it all, however, the key was that he treated everyone he met with the utmost respect.

“I’m a firm believer that every person who wakes up in the morning is due the same respect that you want given to you,” Ziglar said.

Some view Ziglar’s departure as an end of an era. From his first season at Colonial, to his state championship appearance with Boone, to upsetting an undefeated Edgewater for Hagerty’s second district championship in his final season, Ziglar attributes his success to having his heart and mind invested in the game.

Even in retirement, he will still have a place in his heart for coaching.

“When a person finds something they love, and they love to do it every day, and every minute of their life, they’re blessed,” Ziglar said. “And I can truly say that I’ve been a blessed man.”

“Coach Zig wasn’t just my boss.

He was my friend and mentor.”

-Jermal Jones

seasons ached 22 oone.

Ziglar co B r, te a ma for his alm raves to the B e He led th ip game mpionsh state cha ere they lost to wh in 2007, rn, 41-0. rthweste o N i m Mia

Hagerty: 2013-201

8

Boone: 19

Online Editor

A meeting with Sam Momary was all it took for Ziglar to accept the head coaching job at Hagerty.

He gave speeches at pep rallies during all of his six seasons.

page 1 4

sports

Young guns make varsity

Varsity basketball off to rough start with young team Hayden Turner

B

Staff Reporter

asketball felt more like baseball with all of the curveballs thrown at them early in the season. Head coach Josh Kohn had a team with no returning starters, and starting point guard Gerold Manderville suffered a fractured ankle. However, two players have come in and changed the dynamic of the team.

Those two players are freshmen.

“Being a freshman on varsity motivates me to become a better player,” freshman Brice Sensabaugh said. “I want to improve my ability to lock up whoever is in front of me on defense.”

Jah Nze is the second freshman on varsity, and one of the two leading scorers, averaging 26 points and seven rebounds per game. The other, Sensabaugh is averaging 14 points and eight rebounds per game. These two freshman certainly do not play like it as they are both impact players on both sides of the court.

Because the team is young, they have had early season struggles, but they are showing that they are able to bounce back.

“It’s why basketball is so great, this will motivate us a lot going forward,” Kohn said.

With the team at 2-2, there was motivation to get something going, and senior Jeremiah Wilson knows the team has it in them.

“Last year, we had battle-tested guys that knew the ropes. This year we’re all learning how to win,” Wilson said. “We have new roles, doing things that we’ve never had to do before. But in

the end, it’ll be worth it.”

University traveled to play the team on Wednesday, Dec. 12, and the team was eager to get back in the win column.

The game was off to a quick start, with Hagerty taking an 18-8 lead at the end of the first quarter. It was very much of the same in the second, with Hagerty leading by 10 at the half.

The team slowed down, and by the end of regulation, the game was tied at 72 after a comeback effort by University.

Once overtime started, it was back and forth,until Wilson and junior Tyler Pate put together a “steal-and-score” run, with Wilson having two points and Pate taking advantage both times, scoring 4 points to ultimately win the game for the team’s third win of the season.

“Our team performance was overall good, just needed to execute and finish the game,” Nze said.

Sensabaugh was on fire in the second half, drilling five consecutive three pointers.

“I felt that my performance was solid and that I helped the team on to a victory,” Sensabaugh said. “We played good team ball and scored well.”

Regardless of the rough start, their goal hasn’t changed.

“Personally, I want to add a banner,” Wilson said. “Whether that’s a district, regional, or state championship. Maybe even all three. I want people to remember this team.”

The next game is Tuesday, at 7 p.m. versus Liberty/Foundation.

SPORTSHORTS

JV CHEER WINS BISHOP MOORE COMPETITION On Saturday, Dec. 8, the JV cheer team went to Bishop Moore to compete in their second competition of the season. After a first place victory at UCA regionals, the team was confident going in. They came out with a win beating three other teams in the JV competition category.

Their next meet is this Friday at Bartow High School and they are looking to remain undefeated on the way to JV Nationals. “We all performed really well both times, we have some issues to fix but it’s nothing we can’t handle,” sophomore Hannah Osgood said.

GIRLS SOCCER FALLS TO LAKE HOWELL On Thursday, Dec. 6 the girls soccer team faced Lake Howell, 2-0. The team did not have a shot on goal, until midfielder Rachael Pyro got free, but unfortunately the ball was blocked by the goalkeeper. Halfway through the first half, Lake Howell scored the first goal of the game off of a breakaway. When the second half started, the team lost the ball leading to an early second half goal for Lake Howell from just inside the box. “The team played well, but we had a tough time getting shots off,” head coach Angie Densberg said.

TRACK AND FIELD BEGINS PRESEASON Track preseason conditioning has started as runners, jumpers and throwers came out to get ready for the upcoming season. The conditioning is optional and is every Wednesday until the first official practice on Jan. 21. The conditioning includes a warmup, the scheduled workout for the day which usually includes a stadium and striders. “I do throws and some sprints so I just pick the area I want to go to and work there for the day but it is important to condition no matter what you do,” sophomore Aramis Sattler said.

TO THE BASKET Senior Tyler Pate drives for a layup during the second quarter. The team won the game, 72-66. photo by Chatham Farrell

Cheer begins competition Michael Gibson

stunts, tumbling lines and a pyramid to finish.

Sports Editor They managed to have only a few mistakes.

The team placed second to Bartram Trail, who n Saturday, Dec. 1, the JV and varsity consistently has one of the best cheer programs cheerleading squads travelled to Tampa in the state, but the cheerleaders are not too to compete in their first competition of concerned about this one competition. the season. Both teams earned national bids in “We did pretty good overall, considering both their Game Day and Competition cheers it was our first competition,” junior Camilla as JV won their Game Day division and varsity Pagan said. “We need to work on our tightness placed second in their Game Day division. and how clean we are.”

Both teams placed second with their Comp.

This competition is the first of many for this routines. season, including one on Wednesday, Dec. 5 at The varsity Comp. routine consisted of the Masters Academy and another competition on Dec. 8 at Bishop Moore. The rigorous schedule is put in place to get the team as much experience as possible as they head into states and nationals.

“This week has been stressful,” senior Jesse Vaughn said. “We added a lot of more stunts to make our routine harder but hopefully it will help us score more points.”

The team is also competing in so many competitions because they need to compete in, at least four in order to be eligible for the state championship, which they have won for the past four years.

The team won the Master’s competition in the Large Varsity category and hit all but one stunt. Three days later, the varsity, JV and freshman all got first place in the Bishop Moore competition.

Things appear to be coming together for this team and they will continue to get better through the season until states comes around.

FLIP AND TUMBLE Senior X’Zaria Bullard “I feel like we will be pretty good at the end cheers and the Oviedo vs. Hagerty pep rally.

Nationals is later in the year but the team com- of the season we just need to figure everything petes to prepare. photo by Faith Marino out with our routine,” Pagan said.

O

page 1 5

sports

Weightlifting pushes for state championship

Hayden Turner

T

Staff Reporter

he girls weightlifting team hit the weight room and jumped out to a 5-1 record before the regular season came to a close. The team is currently on a four-match winning streak, and head coach David Attaway has led the team through another impressive run and another chance at a state championship.

The streak began against Seminole on Nov. 28, which they dominated in a landslide 6328 win. Senior Cheyanne Ducharme has been leading the team and setting the tone all year.

During the meet, Ducharme set a school record for the bench press in the 110-pound weight class, lifting 160 pounds, with a 335 pound total. Ducharme also hit all of her lifts.

“It meant a lot to me to set the school record.

It is really special,” Ducharme said.

Junior Jillian Lawrenson was a contributor from the 169-pound weight class, also lifting 160 pounds on bench, but lifted 200 pounds on clean and jerk, a 360 pounds total.

“My performance was good for clean and jerk,” Lawrenson said. “I took it easy and did numbers I knew I could hit.”

Attaway was pleased with the performance, but knew the team could lift more. Since it is still early in the year, there are no real needs for lifters to go for their personal best this early, hence why the team is still taking it light.

The following week, on Dec. 5, the team matched up against Lyman, with another dominating win, 63-21. To stay prepared for the postseason, the did not strain themselves, hitting numbers they knew they could hit.

Sophomore Olivia Lipari turned in the top performance of the night with a bench of 130 pounds and 160-pound clean and jerk, a 290pound total. To add on to the win, the team set

eight new school records.

“I was happy with my performance [at the meet], I finally hit 160 pounds after attempting it a few meets earlier in the season,” Lipari said. “After putting up good numbers, I’m really excited going into the postseason because increasing my total gives me leverage over girls from other schools.”

In another match on Dec. 12, the girls took on Lake Howell, and once again, followed the trend of winning.

Junior Camilla Pagan of the 169 pound weight class led the girls to a dominant 64-26 win. This is the team’s fifth consecutive win.

Pagan lifted a total of 285 pounds, with 120 pounds on the bench press and 145 pounds on clean and jerk.

“I’m just happy that I was able to help the team,” Pagan said.

Senior Lane Thompson also did not fall short by hitting a 275-pound total, with 135 pounds on the bench press and 140 pounds on the clean and jerk.

With the postseason in sight, the team knows what needs to be done, and Ducharme is taking the measures to do that. Aside from going 6-6 and 5-6 on making her lifts in back to back weeks, Ducharme is currently struggling to make weight for the meets.

“I am going to buckle down on nutrition and how I eat so I can make weight easier than I have been,” Ducharme said.

The postseason is scheduled to start on Jan. 16 with the district championships at Hagerty.

The state championships, the end goal for the team, are scheduled for Feb. 2.

“We build techniques throughout the year and a lot of strength training,” Attaway said.

“All that matters is the conference and district championship at the end of the year, so we are building for that.”

PUMPING IRON Sophomore Daryn Miller on her second clean and jerk attempt during a match against Lyman. photo by Chatham Farrell

Boys soccer wins on last second goal PLAY OF Noah Kemper

Staff Reporter n Friday, Dec 7, the boys soccer team took the ball down the field against Lake Howell with just enough time for one more shot. Forward Alex Chin crossed the ball to the center of the field where midfielder Connor O’Malley put a foot on the ball to put it into the back of the goal to win the game with

O

OUTSIDE CHANCDEE Senior Conner O’Malley dribbles down the right

sideline in the game versus Lake Mary. photo by Chatham Farrell

no time left. The boys team defeated the Hawks in a conference matchup.

When the whistle blew, the boys soccer team started off strong by maintaining momentum throughout the first few minutes. Early in the match, Chin had a shot on goal from just outside the box, but the ball was blocked by the keeper. Soon after, O’Malley had a breakaway; which led to the first goal of the game from the far left side of the box and a 1-0 lead with 32 minutes left in the first half.

After the first goal, Lake Howell became more aggressive. A diving save by goalkeeper Abdul Muqeet followed a corner with little time left in the half. The defense was able to clear the ball out of the backfield and go to halftime with the score 1-0.

When the second half started, neither team could create much offense, and after a lot of back and forth the team called a timeout. After the timeout, Lake Howell had another breakaway, but Muqeet forced a corner. During the corner, Lake Howell was fouled in the box giving them a penalty kick. The ball was just out of Muqeet’s reach and Lake Howell tied up the game with 15 minutes left in the game.

“We played unbelievable,” Muqeet said. “Any team would of settled for a draw, but we didn’t give up and scored the last goal.”

Toward the end of the game, and boys soccer team had one more chance to win the game as Chin crossed the ball in the middle, and O’Malley scored and won the game, 2-1. The team advances to 6-0-2 and 4-0-2 in the SAC. Their next matchup is at home against Winter Springs on Dec. 19.

“We played really well against a very aggressive team and when they tied the score we could have folded, however the players dug down deep and this allowed for victory” head coach Michael McAvoy said.

THE

ISSUE

Team: Varsity Basketball DATE: Dec. 4 GAME: vs. Lake Mary

Who: Jah Nze PLAY: Freshman guard Jah Nze had an outstanding performance in a 72-66 win over Lake Mary. Nze put up a stellar 33 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. After a slow start, the team is now 3-2 on the season. “ I am doing whatever I can to make my team win,” Nze said. The team’s next game is versus.

Liberty/ Foundation on Dec. 18.

page 1 6

TRUE COLORS

sports

Girls team wins five straight for best start in program history Michael Gibson

S

Sports Editor tarting off the season with five straight wins, the girls basketball team is new territory. Led by senior forwards Megan Reilly and Aryann Johnson, this team has an experienced front court and three wins over conference opponents.

In previous years, the girls have never won a conference championship, and defeating three of the teams in a five game span was a huge confidence boost for the team.

“Staring off the year this strong has been really motivating for the team,” Reilly said. “We haven’t started this strong in the past years so I think we just need to keep this energy for the rest of the season.”

The team started the season perfect, but the next two games did not measure up to that level. On Dec. 7, the girls faced Oviedo in their most exciting game of the season. The game was back and forth all the way to the final buzzer but Hagerty came up short, losing 37-36. Losing to Oviedo always hurts, but the girls had no time to dwell on it as they faced off against Evans the next day.

In the game against Evans, the team also faced a tough one point loss and is now off on a two week road game streak including games as far as Melbourne and St. Cloud.

“All of those road games are probably going to take a toll on our momentum just because we are travelling so much,” Reilly said. “We also won’t have as many practices because a lot of the games are back to back, so I think we just need to keep focused through it all.”

Reilly, a fourth-year varsity player, has been able to use her experience to lead the team through the first part of the season. In the second game of the season, a 55-47 win over conference opponent Lake Brantley, Reilly scored 21 points along with three rebounds and then dropped another 21 points two games later against Winter Springs. Other than scoring her major role, she says, is helping the younger teammates adapt.

“We try to just help them wherever we see they need it,” Reilly said. “Whether it’s shooting, dribbling or whatever we just try to help them develop as players.”

The seniors are not the only ones leading the team, however as sophomore Natalia Cruz has also become a big part of the team’s success, dropping nine points in a 59-43 win over Forest Lake Academy.

The team has a chip on their shoulder to prove that they are one of the top teams in the conference and that could be true with this group. They know how to play as a team, and do everything that head coach Joshua Johns tells them to do.

“These girls are amazing,” Johns said. “We have a really great atmosphere on this team and things haven’t really gone as planned the past couple of years but I feel like with this team we can really make a push.”

The team’s next game is Monday against Winter Springs, who they beat earlier in the year.

“In the past years it really hasn’t been this exciting I guess,” Johnson said. “This year it’s just a new group of girls and we are all excited.”

DRIVE THE LANE Sophomore Liala Viator (top left) dribbles

against Winter Springs. Megan Reilly (Top right) drives down the lane to score a layup. Aryann Johnson (middle right) looks to get open for a floater. Sophomore Ainsley Watson (bottom right) passes the ball to an open teammate. Sophomore Grace Truong (bottom left) drives the lane for a contested layup. photos by Chatham Farrell