The BluePrint - Volume 18, Issue 6

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BLUEPRINT Vol. 18 Issue 6 | May 10, 2023 | Hagerty High School | Oviedo, Florida

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School store shut down Parent complain forces school store, Cupcake Friday closure

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The senior issue Seniors speak about plans after high school

SENIOR WEEK WRAP UP

Seniors Jacob Seguinot, Sofia Federman, Avery Descheneaux and Tris Witter-Lowry dance at prom.

Read the story (and about the rest of senior week) on pages 6-7. Photo | Levi Cal-Rivera

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Let me be clear Students reflect on their Accutane experiences

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Parent complaint closes school PTSA holds “Living On My Own” store, ends Cupcake Friday S Janell Lim | Online Editor

Frasca informed the PTSA that the school store had to overview the items being sold. He also informed the senior class committee that Cupcake Friday efore the hectic schedule of exams and had to come to an end, as it violated both the smart graduation begins, students look forward snack standard and the time when food could be to their last Cupcake Friday of the year. As sold. students wander around looking for cupcakes, they “All rules and laws are in place for a reason. I quickly remember that Cupcake Fridays are no understand both sides and it’s been frustrating for longer happening. everybody on all sides of After a complaint this scenario,” Frasca said, was brought forth by two “but the bottom line is we parents at Lawton Chiles are breaking the law if we I loved looking forward to an Middle School, SCPS set up continue doing that. As a a meeting with all principals occasional cupcake so I am I may not have and the superintendent to pretty sad about the closure of principal, known all the repercussions discuss the federal laws for both events, everyone loved it of that before. I’ve got to selling food items at school. make sure that we are trying In the meeting, it was - Carter Bruno, 11 to do things the right way.” explained that schools were PTSA decided to close the not allowed to sell snacks from school store for the remainder of the year to make the midnight before school until 30 minutes after. sure they are able to meet requirements from the They were also told that the snacks sold could not smart snack standards. They will continue to make compete with Red Apple Dining, the county’s lunch sales for their spirit merch in the online store. program, and needed to follow the smart snack “Our school store is going to revamp to help standard which is the state’s standards for healthy support those expectations, so we need some time food. to do that well,” PTSA president Gaynor BrockAfter the meeting was over, principal Robert Edgar said. “Because of this, we had to close the school store for the remainder of the year, but our plan is to reopen for next year.”

While the loss of the school store is upsetting, the end of Cupcake Fridays has proven even more upsetting, as they were a staple for many students.

“I loved looking forward to an occasional cupcake so I am pretty sad about the closure of both events—everyone loved it,” junior Carter Bruno said.

As of now, no concerns have been brought forth for the current senior class as their prom and senior week events have already been paid for from the fundraising and previous Cupcake Friday sales.

However, upcoming senior class sponsor Jacob Colquhoun just learned about the change, and he and his officers have yet to figure out their options.

“Anytime things change, you have to get over that initial frustration, and everybody’s got to come together and put their thinking caps on and try and figure out what options we have and how we can do something different,” Frasca said.

“We have a lot of volunteers, a lot of parents that are involved in this school, that do so many things to support our students and our staff, and THE FROSTING ON TOP Junior Preston Rupert buys a cupcake I hope that collectively they can come up with on Cupcake Friday. Complaints from parents at Lawton Chiles another great idea that maybe is even better than Middle School resulted in Cupcake Friday and the school store what we have been doing now.” being shut down. Photo | Levi Cal Rivera

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Greta Carrasco | Opinions Editor

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ophomore Jessica Buzzard woke up as a normal high schooler, brushing her teeth, getting dressed and going to school. But for an hour or two, she was a physical therapist, married with two kids, for the sake of a game of life called “Living On My Own.” On April 24-25, administration collaborated with the University of Florida to bring “Living On My Own” to Hagerty, an interactive session where students learned financial responsibilities through a simulated game of life.

Assigned different jobs, annual incomes and family circumstances at the start of the program, students went through different stations labeled “Cool Car Co.,” “Great Groceries,” “Bank Your Money” and “Want It All Mall,” where they could buy everything from food to a Netflix subscription. As they tried to budget their money, volunteers randomly hand them “life happens” cards, which can range from having another kid, getting laid off or going on a date night.

“It’s like the board game, ‘Game of Life,’ but in real life,” assistant principal Kristi Draus said. “It’s an experience for kids to really get to know the real world. Getting out of mom’s house where she doesn’t decide for you and having to make those decisions and see how far money really gets you.”

According to Draus, the PTSA and counselors first brought the idea to her nearly a year ago and contacted UF to make it happen.

After getting the proper approval, working out dates that fit both Hagerty and UF, and asking for parent volunteers, “Living On My Own” was ready to come to Hagerty.

“I think financial literacy is important. I think it’s important to think about the decisions that you’re making as a young person and how pursuing certifications or higher education will influence how you’re able to support yourself,” UF Youth Development Agent Karen Henry said.

As the first year of the program at Hagerty, several classes were chosen to test out the simulation, including coach Steven Mikles’ Algebra II class. Prior to the event, his class went through some basic financial literacy lessons and researched what job they wanted.

Scan the QR code to read the full story!

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news briefs

Spearheading new intelligence: new AI course offered for 2023-24 Andrew Wilson | Staff Reporter From ChatGPT to computergenerated art, artificial intelligence has been everywhere, and to keep up with this trend, Florida has funded and promoted a new curriculum for students that will cover the usage of AI in the world and experiment with cloud computing platforms. Through a grant provided by the University of Florida, Hagerty has been the only school chosen in the county to spearhead the new program of emphasis.

AP Computer Science teacher Charles Haibel will begin teaching the

fundamentals for AI for the coming year.

“The first two are semester courses, Artificial Intelligence in the World and Applications of Artificial Intelligence, which will be available in next year’s electives. The second year is procedural programming, and the last year is Foundations of Machine Learning—the key to artificial intelligence,” Haibel said.

As AI becomes more prevalent in the world, students who have heard of the class plan to join and learn more about AI and what it means in the real world.

“I’m very excited to learn about

AI and understand how it works,” sophomore Pierre Cachet said. “I mean, if AI ever tries to take over the world, we’d know how it’s made and be able to combat it.”

Because the course is new, students like Cachet who are interested may have already filled out their course registration for the coming year. However, Toro and other guidance counselors, as well as several flyers around campus provide students the opportunity to change their selection if they want to join.

The QR code with this story will link students to a Google survey where they can sign up for the

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program and what elective they wish to drop.

Haibel and other instructors who teach digital subjects are looking forward to the upcoming course and expanding the digital courses and opportunities for digital learning at Hagerty.

“I’m really, really pleased that Hagerty was asked to pilot this program next year,” Haibel said, “especially since we were asked before other schools in the district.”

Anderson directs independent play Rachelle English | Staff Reporter

Matthew Thompson, chef Mickey and Disney ambassador Raevon Redding. Photo | Brooke Bohan

Disney celebrates Thompson Angelica Mendez | Reviews Editor

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n April 24, Disney ambassador Raevon Redding visited culinary teacher Matthew Thompson’s culinary class. Redding’s visit, along with special guest chef Mickey Mouse, was filmed for national television as a way to recognize Thompson for winning the Imagination Campus Disney100 Teachers Competition.

“I feel really proud of our program and how far he has taken it, I know different schools also have our program but he has elevated it to another level,” junior Savannah Nguyen-Meyer said.

Before the visit, each student in the class filled out consent forms allowing for them to be filmed for

the video. During the class period, students completed a mystery box challenge with an “Under the Sea,” inspired by the Little Mermaid, theme.

Each group’s basket had five ingredients, and students had an hour to create and present their dish. In the meantime, a crew filmed the students and talked to Thompson.

“I really liked the lab they did because they did not know what was in there so they could have went 1000 different ways,” Thompson said.

This is just one of the many ways creativity thrives in Thompson’s culinary classroom every day.

“All this stuff you see when you look around, all the equipment and the tools they have, there is nothing these kids can not do. It is up to them to be creative,” Thompson said.

On April 15-16, the studentwritten and directed play, “I Have Twenty Questions and Nineteen of Them Are About the Weather,” was performed at Penguin Point Productions in the Oviedo Mall.

After the success of his first independent play, senior Mac Anderson was motivated to write another. Every aspect of the play was student led, and students from several Seminole County high schools came to act and participate.

“About 60 people attended, which might not sound like a lot, but to me, that’s 60 people that were interested in the story I had to tell,” Anderson said.

The play follows Wes and his step-brother Matty on a road trip where their car breaks down and they are left to fend for themselves. In their time alone, they ponder several life changing questions and events, which result in several arguments, truly showing the relationship between the two. The playwright felt that the fruits of his labor were shown through his work.

“I hope people take away that it’s possible for students to achieve their goals with the right planning and ambition,” Anderson said.

Anderson first began writing the script in the summer of 2022, and

Actor Sage Baril and actor Oliver Maki.

Photo | Mac Anderson

after it received a superior rating at the Thespian District Festival, production began in February.

“Writing this one was way different because in this case, I took all the critiques I got from the first play, and applied it on the first draft,” Anderson said.

The play was a success, but it did have some ups and downs. There were absent members of the cast and some difficulty in finding space to rehearse.

From its conception to its production, Anderson was satisfied with how everything turned out. despite the challenges.

“I felt so proud of both my cast and crew because we worked so hard and it showed,” Anderson said.

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Greta Carrasco | Opinions Editor

t is only day 114 in 2023. Yet the number of mass shootings this year has already reached 168. Amidst the rise of gun violence, people would expect a tighter reform of gun use and possession; instead, the opposite is occurring. Effective July 1, House Bill 543 will make Florida the 26th state to allow permitless concealed carry. Although the law will maintain permits and background checks to buy a gun, people will no longer be required to have training nor a permit to carry it.

With similar laws implemented all over the nation, gun violence has seen an increase of 13 to 15 percent in states with concealed carry laws. The reason could very easily be the loophole of firearm transactions. Although the federal law requires sellers to perform background checks, unlicensed and online sellers typically do not perform this process.

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opinions 80% of all firearms acquired for criminal purposes are from unlicensed sellers.

In these cases concealed carry permits could have provided a legitimate background check that would have confiscated guns from the wrong people. But further prevention from gun-related crimes is not available with the new law that facilitates this violence.

Even if guns are bought legally, deadly consequences remain. Previously, permit owners were required to take a training course that taught gun usage, maintenance and storage. After the implementation of HB 543, this will no longer be the case. Of course, Gov. Ron DeSantis ignores the fact that untrained civilians end up injuring themselves or others due to firing too quickly.

The effects are not limited to the violence.

Tourists will be rightfully scared to come to a state with more guns, and especially international tourists who will look at our

shooting numbers and decide to go elsewhere.

With Florida earning $51 billion from tourism annually, this could prove disastrous.

Although the law does implement restrictions of places where conceal carry is not permitted, these places do not include restaurants, malls or tourist spots like beaches.

Just imagine strolling on the beach for a walk and wondering if the family next to you is packing a gun in their lunch cooler. With concealed carry law, expect these situations to become more common.

The statistics and countless deaths speak for themselves: we cannot afford loosening gun restrictions. Using guns as a way to cater toward voters may leave them satisfied until the death count starts to rise.

HB 543 will simply make a mass shooting headline in the news no longer seem like a big deal which should not, in any circumstance, be the case.

WILL CONCEALED CARRY

CHANGE ANYTHING?

photo illustration| Ailinh Vu Angelica Mendez | Reviews Editor

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hen a person thinks about guns, two different perspectives tend to come to mind. Vision A shows a world where guns are a danger to everyone and everything, while vision B shows guns as a way to protect and keep people safe. To reach a medium, current gun laws center around meeting certain requirements, like a safety course and permit. However, starting July 1, these rules are set to change in Florida.

On April 3, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 543, also known as the constitutional carry right. Constitutional carry will allow for any Florida resident to carry a concealed weapon in public. Upon first glance, the bill is likely to send anyone into a frenzy. By establishing this law, Florida does run the risk of increased violence, but is this different from what happens now? Anyone can get a gun and use

it for the wrong reasons, and the news is filled with these stories every day.

Focusing on HB 543 is not how we fix the issues we already have, and spending time fighting this law only focuses on a small match in a giant bonfire. Guns as a whole are the real issue here.

Even now, if someone wants to get and use a gun for a crime, there, is nothing really stopping them. The Stoneman Douglas shooter legally had a gun. The Oxford High School shooter did not legally have a gun.

It did not matter. HB 543 is not going to change the dangers that already exist when it is not the real issue we are facing. Just because a gun owner takes a course on how to handle a weapon does not mean they will end up listening to what they learned or that accidents will not happen.

Even now with HB 543 being put in effect, getting a permit to have a concealed weapon

has been growing almost as fast as these laws are put in place. According to the Crime Prevention Research Center, there are already 16.5 million people who have concealed carry permits, and that number is steadily rising.

Following recent shootings like The Covenant School shooting, Louisville bank shooting, and February Orlando shooting, it is not a piece of government paper saying ‘I can carry this weapon’ that will have stopped it. To fix the problem, all parties in Florida and other states have to work together and figure out how to deal with it in different ways.

Creating HB 543 does not help end the violence, but if we want to actually create a change, it starts with reevaluating the role of guns and if we even need them. The problem with gun violence has never stemmed from people having a permit or not, the problem is guns themselves.

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SENIOR ISSUE

getting to know each other while we worked.” hen senior James Griffith Seniors have also made plenty of recalls his freshman year, memories outside of extracurriculars, the first thing that he whether it be during school events or remembers is nervousness, fresh out in class on a regular day. of eighth grade, surrounded by older “I have a lot of core memories students and unfamiliar teachers. from my junior year, but one of them “I just remember sitting here and was taking ceramics with my friend, wondering who everyone was. I didn’t Sophia Federman. Ms. Smith always know anyone,” Griffith said. “It did not made it engaging and was always set in that was in high school.” very fun with our class,” senior Avery Though most students can easily Descheneaux said. remember the awkwardness of their The class of 2023 has a history freshman year, most would rather of forging friendships in unexpected reminisce about the memories they ways, especially during 2022, where made with their families, friends and half of their class attended school teachers. This is especially true for virtually due to the COVID-19 senior Kylie Sheplan, who did not pandemic. Senior Nina Honda recalls expect her senior her teachers year to be so finding ways to bittersweet. lessons Over the years, it felt like the make “In the past, engaging. disconnection between us has I would roll my “When we all disapeared. eyes whenever first went online, [in people would say 2020] I remember - Nathan Forrer, 12 that they couldn’t that Ms. Lake believe it was actually happening, but had given us an assignment to make I feel the same way,” Sheplan said. “It’s paper masks for ‘Romeo and Juliet,’” crazy to think that after 13 years, it’s Honda said. “Because we weren’t able all ending. I’m excited to move on, but to actually go to class, she logged into nervous about the future.” the Zoom call wearing a crazy mask.”

Sheplan is one of the many Despite the pandemic, seniors seniors that cherished Hagerty’s can still look back on their earlier extracurriculars. years with fondness. When senior “I’ll look back on the closing night Nathan Forrer first joined the of Cinderella because it was extremely robotics program, he remembers chaotic and we were all sick, but we growing closer to his team members still had to do the show. That was one and receiving mentorship from the of the most stressful but exciting times upperclassmen. of my life,” senior Zoe Zachry said.

“While waiting to hear our Finding themselves in the final competition results, our team shared stretch, many seniors also rush to the stress and excitement of seeing collect their graduation cords for the results of our hard work. Over participating in honors societies. As the years, it felt like the disconnect senior McKenzie Adams received her between us had disappeared,” Forrer National Honors Society cord, she said. thinks back to the bonds she formed While the first day of freshman during the club’s volunteer events, year was the most awkward, the last some of them still holding strong. day of senior year will be the most “My favorite memory from NHS bittersweet. was volunteering for the Ronald “If I could talk to my freshman McDonald house,” Adams said. “We self, I would tell her not to be stupid, were helping out with their yard and and to choose happiness and be with garden and we had fun talking and friends,” Descheneaux said.

Sophia Canabal | Lifestyles Editor

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Unleashed Dance To the 2022-2023 Unleashed Dance Team Seniors,

Thank you on behalf of the team, Coach Allyson and myself for all the hard work, dedication, and endless hours of devotion you have had to the team. We would not have been able to get through the season without your tireless efforts to provide the team with the best experiences this year. We wish each and every one of you the best in the future and the best of luck in the path you are choosing. You will be missed!

- Coach D, Coach Allyson and the 2022-2023 Unleashed Dance Team

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TOP TEN

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rv Tristan I

ing

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Class of 2023 VALEDECTORIAN: Tristan Irving

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N Chelsea

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guyen

GPA: 4.680 Fun fact: “I used to live with the Amish for two years.”

g Nhavy N

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uyen

GPA: 4.636 Inspiration: “Malala. I could never take a gun for education.”

n Tao Benjami

GPA: 4.593 Dream career: “Playing poker and gambling.”

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H e l e n Zo

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photos | Janell Lim Illustration | Josephine Lim

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Connor

GPA: 4.673 Bucket list goal: “Learn martial arts so I can beat people up.”

abir K n a h s E

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GPA: 4.690 Fun fact: “I was born in England.”

GPA: 4.635 Fun fact: “I knew Tristan would be valedictorian in eighth grade.”

To A n d re a

r re s

GPA: 4.573 Dream career: “Artist but they’re broke so architect or engineer.”

Pham

GPA: 4.642 Bucket list goal: “Get rich.”

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rc Carina O

utt

GPA: 4.596 Fun fact: “I’m on level 5,000 on Homescapes.”

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a Tara Ch

n d ra

GPA: 4.564 Dream career: “I want to be a doctor, specifically an OB/GYN.”

fine art superlatives THEATER

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CHORUS

Zoe Zachry

Veronica Yanes-Nadal

Thespian Troupe President Assistant Director and Assistant Technical Director “Something Rotten!”

Superior rated Scene Design District and State Thespian Festival

Stetson Choral Festival and Camp UCF Celebration of the Arts FSU Choral Summer Camp

“Zoe has shined both on stage and behind the scenes. She is the example of what a true Thespian should aspire to be. Zoe is a total team player as well as a dependable, kind and dedicated leader. She will give her all and more to make those around her successful. I know that she will go far in life. I cannot wait to see where her journey takes her next!”

– Jamaal K. Solomon

“Veronica Yanes-Nadal has been a valued member of the chorus program for the past four years.

Veronica has a powerful voice and an ability to push herself and those around her to improve every day.

She has performed as a soloist in chorus concerts, in theatre shows, and for different performances around campus. Veronica’s graduation will leave some large shoes to fill in the chorus program and I will miss her passion for excellence, her beautiful voice, and her questionable sense of humor!”

— Christopher Hickey

DANCE

BAND

Rita Smith, Rylee Howell

Jackson Kaplan

Four-year team members Unleashed captains “These two ladies lead the team through a full regular year with multiple pep rallies back in the gym and a full competition schedule after never experiencing a full ‘normal’ year themselves.

As freshmen, they had regular indoor pep rallies but did not have a regular spring. As sophomores, they did not have a regular year at all due to COVID. These ladies navigated uncharted waters with grace, and I couldn’t be prouder of them. Thank you Rita and Rylee for a wonderful 2022-2023 Unleashed Dance Team season!”

— Diane Hasenbank

Percussion Section Leader All-County Band Jazz Band AP Music Theory “Jackson Kaplan is an exceptional musician and student in the Hagerty Band. He has been a part of the percussion class, jazz band, and AP music theory class. Jackson participated in the All County Band and countless ensembles during his time here. He will be missed.”

— Brian Kuperman

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teacher farewells

Teacher farewells

Class of 2023, I thoroughly enjoyed teaching you all Geography and U.S. History. Best wishes for you to achieve your goals and enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness while being kind to all you meet!

- Mrs. Hernandez: World Geography It has been a pleasure working with the leadership of the Class of 2023! I hope that each senior has had a memorable experience through your journey at Hagerty High School.

- Mr. Dishman: ESE To all my ‘SAUSOME SENIORS’: Be bold, be kind, be patient, and be prepared! There’s a whole world waiting for you to discover it, improve it, protect it, and leave it in better condition than you found it! Please do that. I wish you all the very best of everything!

- Mrs. Knoblauch: Math To the class of ’23, Those who had me for Austin Whitworth & English III Honors were my Mrs. Knoblauch first students at Hagerty and will always hold a special place in my heart.

It has been an absolute honor and privilege to watch you all grow into the talented and capable young adults you are. Thank you for welcoming me to Hagerty with open arms. I know that you will do great things.

- Ms. Ollwiler: English

You made it class of 2023! I for one am extra proud, either because I have had the utmost joy in knowing you as a student in either English or Film (or both), or I have seen you grow up from your kindergarten days. Continue being the iconic group that you are.

Congratulations!

(And long-live Good & Fresh!)

- Mrs. Gendreau: English I am so proud of you! Always remember, life is what you make of it. There will always be good times and bad times so just hang in. And never forget, ‘Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.’

- Mrs. Decio: Social Studies Best of luck on your new beginnings!

- Mrs. Kurtz: Clerical

You guys made it!! You went through a pandemic, hurricanes, and all sorts of challenges! Good luck and we’ll miss you.

- Madame Lynch: French

Nicole Marin & Mrs. Wilken-Yoder

Seniors, It has been a joy to see you go on your ASL journey! I remember way back when many of you were learning the manual alphabet. Look at you now! Just keep signing!

- Ms. W-Y: ASL Be good, behave, have a great life, I hope you’re successful and fall in love, we love you all.

- Mr. Bordelon: Social Studies You’ve worked hard now go forth and conquer the world!! Find something you love to do and you will never “work” a day in your life.

Always remember to laugh not only at the funny things but at yourself as well.

- Mrs. Burrell: ECE

Ariana Seguinot & Mrs. Burrell

Congratulations class of 2023! I’m so delighted to have known so many of you and sincerely wish you happy and illustrious futures. Hope you are all ready spaghettis because now is your time to shine and (please) make the world a better place.

- Mrs. Rose: English Congratulations, Seniors! I am so proud of all that you have accomplished and how hard you have worked! This is just the beginning! Have FUN this summer, make good choices, and remember you are loved!

- Mrs. Bearss: English Congratulations. Don’t ever put off what you are able to & Emily Bass do today. You never know s Mrs. Bears when things can be taken away from you. Ask permission, then you will not need forgiveness. Don’t apologize, it is a sign of weakness!

- Mr. Stansbury: Social Studies

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Class of 2023, I wish you all the best! Go forward and achieve your dreams. Congratulations!!!

- Mrs. Bingham: Social Studies Brooke, Landyn, Avery, & Nadya - Thank you for an INCREDIBLE Indoor Volleyball Season! Your hard work and dedication to this program speaks volumes. We couldn’t have had a better season and you will all be missed! Don’t forget to laugh and have fun!

- Coach Hitt: Volleyball To the Chorus seniors, thank you for welcoming me with open arms to Hagerty High School in 2019. I’m so proud of your growth over the last four years and I can’t wait to see how you tackle and change the world! I miss you already!

- Mr. Hickey: Chorus I will miss all of you! We went through the pandemic together and survived. You are smart, driven, and will do wonderful things in this world. Do keep in touch. Go Class of 2023!!!

- Mrs. Ramsey: Career Ed I am so proud to be a teacher at Hagerty. I have taught at many schools and Hagerty shines like a diamond. I taught some of you and am so happy for all of you in your next journey! You have survived and conquered these years that are monumental with school shutdowns for disease prevention and had to learn a new way for achievement. Kudos to you all and strive for excellence in your future!

- Ms. Thomas: Science

Thank you for the incredible impact you had on both myself and our culinary class this year as this senior class was truly legendary. Thanks for TCB every step of the way and making a difference in the lives of those around you. Your kindness and passion for what Annabella M usumeci you do will be of great benefit and Mr. Thom pson for those who are lucky enough to cross your paths in the future. Best of luck and stay grizzly, my friends!

- Mr. Thompson: Culinary ‘What did the acorn say when it grew up? Gee Om a tree!’ Laugh and live life to its fullest! Congrats—and remember: Life without Geometry is pointless!

- Mrs. Arp: Geometry

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SENIOR WEEK

Students recall the magical night at Hard Rock Cafe Ava West | Sports Editor

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s prom was drawing to an end, junior Jenna Lopez and senior Malacy Crossan walked to the dance floor for one last dance. The room was sparkling as they held onto each other. Crossan took her hand and spun her around, admiring her beautiful dress.

“It was magical,” Lopez said. “The venue was amazing and being able to have fun with my boyfriend and seeing everyone’s different dresses was so fun.”

On April 22, prom was held at Universal CityWalk’s Hard Rock Café with the theme, ‘A Night in Vegas.’

“The theme was fairly easy to come up with because we wanted a theme that would match the vibe of Hard Rock Café. This made it easier on us regarding decorations and things like that,” junior class president Ainsley Pomp said.

Students were able to dance the entire night with their friends and partners under purple and blue flashing lights. They danced to songs like “No Hands” by Waka Waka Flame and “Party in the U.S.A” by Miley Cyrus.

“My favorite thing about the dance was everyone was up and dancing the whole time. I went to another school’s prom and it was not as fun because most people just stayed seated,” senior Melina Lange said.

With 500 students in attendance, the venue was crowded. Most of the students were in the middle of the floor dancing in groups and having fun.

“People were stepping on my feet so I had to keep pushing them off, but all of the dancing was so much fun and

it exceeded my expectations,” senior Toní Greó said.

To enter the dance, students had to purchase a ticket through MySchoolBucks during ticket sales and show a form of ID. Once they arrived, there was a buffet that served caesar salad, macaroni and cheese, chicken tenders, bread, mocktails and soda.

Beginning at 7 p.m., the staff held a mocktail hour and opened the top viewing deck. Senior Ian Miller was crowned prom king and senior Ruby Isaacs was crowned prom queen, ending the night.

“This was pretty similar to last year’s schedule, the only difference we made was with the layout. We made a smaller dance floor and had fewer tables around the venue,” Pomp said.

The layout change came with some complaints as there were less tables, leaving many without space to sit and eat throughout the night.

“The seating arrangement was bad, there was nowhere to sit and we had to stand the entire time,” senior Josh Brawner said.

Some students did exciting things after prom like staying in a hotel, hanging out with friends or going to Universal Studios.

“I stayed in the Hard Rock Hotel after prom and the price was worth it. I also went to Universal Studios the next day, even though we were tired it was still fun,” Brawner said.

Even though there were some complaints, the dance was a success and students had a great time.

“I loved the dance and I am excited to do it again next year,” Lopez said. “I had so much fun and was able to dance with my friends the entire night.”

Monday 4/17

Tuesday 4/18

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Senior Victoria Halligan Photo | Sarah Hinnant

10 years back Adam Sandler Day Scan the QR code to read the full article on the Sammy’s

Senior Rita Smith Photo | Rita Smith

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Honor Grad Sen Ceremony

Scan the QR code for more SmugMug photos of senior week

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Kathlynn “Mrs. AWARDS NIGHT Seniors nell Lim Ja , ng Wo e Nguyen, Bernic dress and Helen Zou week p Photo | Bernice Wong

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Photos | Bro oke Bohan and Levi Ca l-Rivera

ednesday 4/19

Thursday 4/20

Friday 4/21

Senior Blake Andres Photo | Sarah Hinnant

10 years forward

Senior Citizen Day Senior MJ Pierre Photo | Levi CalRivera

Sammy nior Switch Awards

Photo | James Griffith

“It felt really great to win.

It was nice to see that my peers think of me highly like that. I was very shocked when I won and I didn’t expect to be nominated.”

- Logan Lopez, 12

Rose picked out the I wore and I spent a planning what to wear. der it one of the best ol days of all time.” Photo | Francesca Salas James Griffith, 12

Senior Neiken Nguyen Photo | Mia Campese

College Day Backyard B ackyard Bash

SPIKE IT Se nior Giancarlo Rodriguez sp ikes the ball in a game of volle yball.

Photo | Ava West

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destinations

Class of 2023 destinations

A list of the graduating seniors and where they will go after high school

A Michael Abdelnour Undecided Mohamed Abdou Ahmed Adam UCF Mckenzie Adams UCF Naseem Adgar SSC Abigail Adkins SSC Saud Alay John Alcala Jenaiya Alfonso Renard Ali UCF Lukas Allen Undecided Mackenzie Allis Molloy Uni. Kennedy Alvez-Geisbert SSC Ramy Aly Christiannie Anderson SSC Mackenzie Anderson UNF Blake Andres Samford Jacob Arcena UCF

Garrett Baumann UCF Lyndsey Bedwell Daniel Beldowicz USF Jamason Belgrave Brenau Cadence Bell Gustavo Bello Riera UCF Anthony Benzija Stetson Michael Benzija Monmouth Zachary Betancourt Mckinley Beute Gurpreet Bhatia FIT Ciara Bibbs Rollins Zachary Boggs UCF Amelia Bohl Millsaps College Angelique Boles SSC Natalie Boo UCF Alyssa Bookhart Gabrielle Bornelus FAMU Kade Brashear Sarah Braun UCF Joshua Brawner

William Carr SSC Jonathan Carrillo Work Force Zarley Casas Katherine Castro Grace Catina NSEU Alyssa Cecere Alexander Cedillo Casey Chamelin USF David Champlin FSU Andy Chan Tara Chandra UF Noah Charles Clayton Childers Coast Guard Aiden Cilladi Ole Miss Jaden Claps Valencia Kimbyrlee Clark UK Liam Clark Arianna Clarke Luciano Coello SSC Kylie Cohen Mikayla Cooney SSC David Correa Restrepo SSC Morgan Costa SSC Alexandrea Coulter

Austin Desoto Undecided Madison Dewitt FSU Daimyan Diaz Rivera UCF Ella Digiore Alejandro Diodonet Caceres Makenna Dipaolo UCF Peter Donnellon Daveanand Doodnauth Evan Downs UF Arynn Duba Pasco-Hernando Olivia Dudash Connor Dudley UCF Emma Duffendack SSC

E

Erwin Eberhardt William Edmonds Richard Elam Grace Elliot Mackenzie English Rachelle English Nathan Epperson Grace Escudero Briana Estevez Brendon Excellent College Kaden Exner

Newberry

F

Zorian Facey Sofia Federman Sofiia Filonovska Hayden Firmin Gavin Fishman Rylan Fitzgerald Amaury Flete Brandon Fokine Abigail Fooshee Nathan Forrer Platinum Foster Maleah Frederick Amelia Fullmer Samantha Fusca

B

USF SSC SSC SSC

Aaditya Balasubramaniyan UF Caleb Barber UCF Amira Barek Valencia Amanda Barna SCAD Jonah Barnes Emma Barona Lynn University Dawson Barr Embry Riddle Mark Basaly Tadros Emily Bass FSU Braden Bast UCF

Hayden Brewer Gavin Brickler Andrew Broome Catherine Bunn Domenic Burd Jacob Burniewicz Casey Burns Michael Byers

C

Emmalys Caamano Kailyn Caballero Alya Caban Kaleb Caicedo Mia Campese Isabella Campo Sophia Canabal

Undecided FSU SSC SSC Undecided SSC SSC

SCAD Undecided UCF FSU UCF

Tyler Covelli UCF Malachy Crossan Noel Cuadrado UCF Damarco Cummings Karson Cuozzo Francis Marion Angelique Curbelo SSC

D

Megan Dathe NSU Annalise David Reymonie Davis Gianna Defalco Embry Riddle Jan Delgado Alvarez SSC Emanuel Delgado Aries Deloy Eric Delrosario SSC Madison Denizard FAU Avery Descheneaux UNF

SSC

Brown Chapman Univ.

G

Charalampos Archavlis John Arraia Brandon Ashby Alexane Ayup

SSC UCF Navy SSC Purdue Rollins

U.S. Navy UCF SSC UCF UCF SSC EFSC SSC

Charlotte Gabbard Samantha Galiano SSC Tristin Gammons Katherine Gan Adrian Garces SSC Alana Garcia Alicea Destinee Garcia SSC Gabriel Garcia FSU Luke Gatten Kenna Gay UCF Delaney Geiger USF Leah Gendreau Santa Fe Gauge Gibson Lindsey Gimbert UTampa Skyler Glenn UF John Goff Maria Goncharova UCF Gonzalo Gonzalez Astudillo Savian Gonzalez-Velez Andrew Gonzalez Shadeysha Gonzalez Kailyn Granados Jhael Greer SSC Brock Gregory UF Antoinette Greo SSC Ashton Griffith James Griffith UCF Celeste Grimmer FAU Dylan Grossenbaugh FAU Riley Grubb SSC

Isabela Guise Owen Gurtner Amanda Gutierrez

H

USF UCF

Alison Hagan FSU Caitlyn Hale UCF Aine Hall Eckerd Verona Hall Victoria Halligan UCF Tyler Hancock UCF Jada Hani Valencia Mohammed Haq UCF Paul Harkins Kiara Harris Keiser Univ.

Kamdon Harrison Navy Daniel Harvey SSC Devon Hawkins Brandi Heckle SSC Christian Henning Elian Hernandez Daniel Hernquist UCF Israel Hilerio Aviles Undecided Conlon Hill UCF Alyssa Hines Sarah Hinnant Daytona State Tran Ho Jenna Hoffman UCF? Jesse Hoffman UCF Kiyra Hoffman SSC Joshua Holcomb SSC Nina Honda UCF Charles Hooper SSC Demestrious Howard FAU Rylee Howell USF Gavin Hurt UCF

I

Olivia Iacono Sophia Iacono Lilian Iannuzzi Nickolas Ingolia Tristan Irving Ruby Isaacs Addison Isaacson Jada Itani Lily Ives Alexis Izaguirre

J

Hadyn Jacob Kendall Jenson Victor Jimenez Alyssa Johnson Elizabeth Johnson Jayden Johnson Keoni Johnson Jasmyne Johnston Sierra Johnston Marietta Jordan Cameron Jorgensen Lily Joseph Xavier Joseph Jacey Judd Brianna Justice

K

WKU U Arkansas UCF FGCU Coker SSC

USF UCF Gap Year Elon Univ.

Marines UCF UCF UNF Undecided SSC SSC

Eshan Kabir Columbia Gregory Kalayedjian Valencia Carter Kamm Coker Brody Kane Flagler College Jackson Kaplan UF Joshua Kasner Undecided Ava Keating Daytona State Kiley Keegan UCF

Alaref Keiman UCF Lindsay Kempf Laith Khartabil UF Dylan Khreiche UCF John Kimball Austin Kline Hannah Kohn UT Chatanooga Isaac Konz Logan Kovats Valencia Aaron Kratz Corey Kruse SSC Hannah Kuerbitz UCF Joshua Kunitsugu Daler Kurbansho UCF Eric Kwiecinski Marines

L

Robert Laakso Marines Adriana Labarbera FSU Almarie Landeros Cosme Hailey Landon UCF Melina Lange F&M College Abigail Lannon KJ Lanz DePaul David Lara Brenda Larrea UCF Noah Larson Robert Laumeyer RPI Julia Lavoie UCF Isaac Layo Sofia Leggiero SSC Kendall Leiss Ole Miss Kendrick Leoncio Gabrielle Lewis UCF Janell Lim UF Allyson Limbrick-Rosado UCF Victoria Limbrick-Rosado UCF Kristen Lindsey VSU Mackenzie Lipsey UCF Sofia Llerandi UCF Sophia Logalbo UCF Austin Longo Liberty Logan Lopez UCF Massimo Lopez SSC Nathan Lopez Elmhurst Alexis Lord Ashley Lowery Alexander Lue-Yat UCF Kameron Lujan Jaylee Luna USF Emma Lundquist UCF Sofia Lynn FIU

M

Michael Ma USF Dodji Maboudou-Tchao UCF Kristian Macaw SSC Avery Machules SSC Alexander Maduro-Sykes SSC Jesse Maguire USF Ava Manieri FGCU Robert Manieri FGCU Ashtyn Marchese Nicole Marin SSC Tristan Marinshaw Undecided Vanessa Markeci UCF Andre Martin Jenna Martin FAU Andrew Martinelli Westin Mathies SSC Owen Matson UCF Daniel Mayhew Hannah Mays Brayden Mcclain UCF Bobby Mcclintock Kamari Mccloud SSC

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Connor Mclaughlin UCF Natalie Mcmaster Sophia Mcneill Damien Mcquillin Frank Mediavilla Rollins John Medlock Quinn Mehring FSU Blake Mendenhall Matthew Mendoza Francis Mentlick UCF Carolise Mercado Colten Merrihew Undecided Abigail Miller Valencia Ian Miller FGCU Matthew Mirise SSC Tyler Mitteff SSC Omar Mohammed UCF Madison Molina Jacksonville Univ.

Kadin Monk Jonathon Montero Pedro Montes Mundaray Whitney Montgomery Michaelya Montique Kaylin Mooreland SSC Brock Morris UF Kendall Morris ECPI Cameron Morrison Undecided Yasmin Mouloua SSC Giovanni Muniz Olivia Munoz Flagler College Christian Murphy SSC Annabella Musumeci UCF

N

Annabella Musumeci UCF Kallista Narunsky WCU Arjun Nattanmai Adriana Navarro SSC Abigail Neal SCAD Alexander Nelson Ainsley Newton FIU Chelsea Nguyen Undecided Kathlynn Nguyen UCF Neiken Nguyen FAU Nha-Vy Nguyen UF Nathaniel Nichols Kyan Nieto UCF Mika Noorlander Florida Tech Dylan North FSU Jake Nunn St. Petersburg Nadya Nute Samford

O

Payton O’Berry Catherine O’Connor Lynn Caitlin O’Donnell Coastal Georgia Rilee Oakman SSC Evalynne Oberosler UCF Zamien Oden SSC Tiffany Odimegwu Northeastern

Jaret Ong Carina Orcutt Boston Lila Ormsby UCF Christopher Orne UCF Airam Orozco Cruz Addison Orr Embry-Riddle Adelina Ortega SSC Lyan Ortiz Brito SSC Diego Osorio UCF Karina Ostashchuk Undecided

P

Julius Pacheco Christian Paladino Miguel Pantojas De Jesus UF Glen Parada Davila Cassandra Parrott Victoria Parsaram Aryan Patel FSU Emily Patterson UCF Daniela Paulino Advent Health Gabriel Pedroza UCF Celeste Pelayo Undecided Cyrus Peloso Jasmine Pennie SSC Arianna Peters Connor Pham UCF Kevin Pham UCF Kaelyn Philippe Flagler College Marcnell Pierre FSU Sofia Pilia Luis Piris Landyn Pittman UT Gabriella Pizza SSC Ryan Plourde Undecided Preston Pomp Ole Miss Cassidy Poorvin FIT Alexandra Popovschi FSU Samantha Porter Emily Poulin UTampa Mallory Precord FGCU Quashell Pruitt Nicholas Pryor

R

Joshua Rae Siddanth Rajan Gabriel Ramia Marcus Ramsey Ritam Rana Sophie Razzell Kaitlyn Reed Syed Rehan Haley Reilley Landon Revis Evan Reyes Mason Reyes

UCF SSC MSU UF FAU UCF SSC SSC

Madison Rhode SSC Christian Rhodes Thomas Rhodes Jillian Ricks SSC Andry Rincon Rincon UCF Marcos Rios Stefany Rios USF Elijah Rivas SSC Mariana Rivera-Maldonado UNF Jordan Rivera UCF Luis Rivero Alina Roberg SSC Timothy Roberts Angelina Rodriguez-Perez CSU Giancarlo Rodriguez Erskine Cesar Roldan Nicholas Roman DCU Ryan Rookey Valencia Renaldo Rosado SSC Stephanie Rosario Rhea Rose USF Johnathan Rothenberger Savanna Rowell Anthony Ruberto Undecided Andrea Rubio Edward Ruping UCF Thomas Russell FAU

S

Mark Sanchez SSC Rebecca Sanders Michel Santana Arias Raymond Santiago-Barahona Giovanni Santiago Orange Tech Diam Santos Delgado Erik Schlichenmaier SSC Megan Schmitt FSU Grace Schoening John Schuck UF Rachel Scura North Central Technical College Ariana Seguinot FSU Ilani Seguinot UF Jacob Seguinot UF Benjamin Sekunna UCF Victor Sepulveda Elizabeth Shaffer Daisy Shambrook SSC Xander Shank Vijay Sharma UCF Gwenivere Shaw UCF James Sheehan FAU Kylie Sheplan UNF Christina Sheridan UCF Natalija Shumkovska Samuel Silveri UCF Raylee Simmons Isabella Simonetti FGCU Jazmin Simpson SSC Michael Simpson AIM Shanna Sims Giovanni Singh Ellie Sjoberg Caidyn Slawinski SSC Braydon Smith FSU Rita Smith UT Desiree Snell SSC Alexa Sommerfeld UNF Riley Spagnola SSC Luke Spencer UCF Alexander Stasik SSC Brooke Stephens Undecided Carsyn Stephenson George Stevens Isabella Steward Chapman Benjamin Stewart Parker Stimpson SSC Emma Stoner USF Leah Strickland Prarie A&M Ashton Sukhdeo Cade Sullivan Julia Sumpter SSC

Noah Urbina

T

Abram Basaly Tadros UCF Lauren Tait Univ. of Utah Benjamin Tao Vanderbilt Leena Taubeh Mckenzie Thacker My Thai SSC Ava Thornsbury Alexander Thrash SSC Rachel Tillison SSC Rebecca Tocco Sean Torrence Manuel Torres Santiago Andrea Torres UCF Emely Torres Jariana Towes SSC Mason Towne FSU Lizt Trapaga Morejon Undecided Ngoc Trinh UCF Jake Troup SSC Shalyn Tupper Shahmir Turk Nicole Turner Trent Turner SSC Reese Twiggs Rollins Heaven Tyrell-Crittington

U

Bradley Uhler Mason Uhrick Jerzey Urban-Diaz

Work force SSC

V

13 UCF

Carlos Valencia-Gonzalez SSC Sabrina Valentin Taylor Vanhoozer Curran Vaughn Daniel Vega Zalazar Paul Mitchell Roselyn Velez SSC Pradeep Velmurugan Jennyliz Vera Rodriguez Ava Vettorel Layla Vieni The DAVE School Michael Vinti Shaun Vocks Anastasia Vrljanovic

W

Mackenzie Wallace UCF William Wallen Army Kyle Walsh Riley Walsh Marcus Watson SSC Ariana Weber-Hernandez UCF Owen Welch UCF Tyler Welch UCF Hailey West SSC Tianna West SSC Aiden Wetzl UCF Grace White UCF Corbin Whitlow SSC Austin Whitworth Rollins Lilia Wilken-Yoder Sarena Wilkerson Flagler College

Camden Williams Christian Williams Jeremiah Williams Julia Winiarski Gabrielle Witherite Tristan Witter-Lowry Bernice Wong Chloe Wood Kelsey Worthy Abigail Wynn

Y

SSC UNF UCF UCF Ithaca SSC

Veronica Yanes-Nadal Daytona Diana Yanez Paul Mitchell Nathan Young SSC Preston Young UCF

Z

Zoe Zachry Haven Zeigler Carlos Zena Megan Zimmerman Helen Zou Daniel Zuniga

Photos | Mia Campese and Ava West

UNE USF UF

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Congratulations varsity senior wrestlers!

Spanish Honor Society

Chorus

Dear Senior Chorus Members,

I couldn’t have asked for a better class to spend my first four years at Hagerty with. I have loved seeing you all grow up and mature into wonderful young adults. Please keep singing and come back to tell me all about your adventures!

Congratulations class of 2023!

- Mr. Hickey

Seniors - Les deseamos mucho éxito en el futuro. Que sigan triunfando y alcanzando sus metas que se propongan. ¡Muchas felicidades!

-La Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica

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BOYS TEAM OF THE YEAR: CROSS COUNTRY

The boys varsity cross country team was SAC and district champions, regional runner-ups and fifth place state finalists this year.

ACADEMIC ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

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GIRLS TEAM OF THE YEAR: VOLLEYBALL

The girls varsity volleyball team took second place in the state tournament this year and took first at districts and regionals.

MULTI-SPORT ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

Chelsea Nguyen

Brock Morris

Delaney Geiger

Caleb Barber

While on the girls golf team, Nguyen held a 4.691 GPA, ranking second in her class. She was an honor grad this year, 2021 and 2022 AP Scholar and received the AP Capstone Diploma in 2022. Nguyen also served as the president for both National Honor Society and National English Honor Society.

While on the football and water polo teams, Morris had a 4.525 GPA, and he ranked 17th in his Class. Morris was a National Merit Commended Scholar in 2022. Morris also earned Seminole Athletic Conference All-Academic Honors for football, track, water polo and swim team, all while being the captain of the water polo team.

On the girls weightlifting team, Geiger took seventh at states. She was also a part of the competition cheer team who placed second at states.

Barber had 25 receiving yards and 369 total yards with five touchdowns for the varsity football team. He also scored 12 goals with four assists on the varsity locrosse team, all while going through both seasons with a torn hamstring.

MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Kamdon Harrison

Kamdon Harrison was a district and regional champion in the 160 lbs weight class this year. Harrison placed third in the state and he is Hagerty’s first wrestler who was a four time state qualifier and placer.

Harrison also broke the single season pin record for the fourth year in a row (45). His season record was 54-10, 45 by pin.

TEAM POINTS 1225

PINS 158

WINS 196

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Hannah Kohn

Hannah Kohn is the national record holder for most three-pointers in a game. Kohn has scored over 500 points playing for the girls varsity basketball team. She will be continuing her academic and athletic career at the University of Chatanooga on a full ride scholarship to play collegiate women’s basketball.

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PTSA Scholarship

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Emily Bass Mia Campese Clayton Jeffrey Childers Tyler Covelli Annalise David Jackson Kaplan Allyson Limbrick Emma Lundquist Brock Morris Mika Noorlander GFWC O viedo W omen’s Cl Andry Rincon ub schola rshi

Leadership Scholarship Logan Lopez Emily Bass

Prinicpal’s Leadership Award Logan Lopez Rita Smith

Citizenship Award Riley Grubb Lindsey Gimbert

Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority Mallory Precord Julia Sumpter

senior awards CTA Howard Fenner Scholarship

Brock Morris

Seminole Association of School Administrators

Eshan Kabir Ilani Seguinot Helen Zou

Amelia Bohl

Whitney Montgomery

Hagerty Family Scholarship Emily Bass

Seminole South Rotary Club Rising Achievers Lyan Ortiz Brito Isabella Campo p recipie

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GFWC Oviedo Women’s Club Lyan Ortiz Brito Sophia Canabal Kimbyrlee Clark Caitlyn Hale Brock Morris Abigail Neal Landyn Pittman

Lion Club Dennis Dulnak Scholarship Gabriel Martin Pedroza

Kiwanis Club of Oviedo-Winter Springs Lyan Ortiz Brito

National Merit Finalists

National Recognition Program Blake Andres Zorian Facey Rachelle English Israel Hilario Tristan Irving Victor Jimenez Brenda Larrea Sofia Llerandi Victoria Limbrick Rosado Dodji Maboudou-Tchao Omar Mohammad Tiffany Odimegweu Rhea Rose Ariana Seguinot Sabrina Valentin

SCPS Foundation Impact Jumpstart Award Ciara Bibbs

National Technical Honor Society

We congratulate our Career & Technical Education seniors who have achieved the highest level of their chosen educational pathway here at Hagerty High School in the areas of Television Production Technology, Early Childhood Education, Culinary and Modeling & Simulation.

Yearbooks are still available! You can buy one in room 6-201 with $85 in cash or on MySchoolBucks.

Lindsey Gimbert &

Ciara Bibbs

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CLEAR Let me be

Accutane comes with significant side effects Nadia Knoblauch | News Editor

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followed by 80% of users developing dry skin, itching and consistent nosebleeds.

“It definitely did mess with my confidence a little bit because, I mean, no one really wants to walk around with chapped lips 24/7,” John said.

“Most of my time on Accutane was pretty awful, I will say that.”

tarting his morning routine, John* washes off his tretinoin cream from the night before with his salicylic acid cleanser. Walking out of the bathroom, he grabs a prescription box that contains red pills—the most important step of his skincare routine. While many can get by on drugstore products and pimple Severe risks patches, John had to take it a step However, dry lips and nosebleeds further. After going through countless are not the worst effects that can be other treatments and remedies to experienced, as 1 in 500 Accutane treat his acne, John was left with a users will experience severe side final solution: effects, including birth Accutane. defects, premature “It is like birth, miscarriage, the last resort It definitely did mess with Inflammatory Bowel because it is my confidence a little bit Syndrome and suicidal kind of intense,” thoughts. because, I mean, no one John said. “I Accutane has also went through a really wants to walk around been linked to causes couple of other of anemia, a reduction with chapped lips 24/7. medications in the number of - John like tretinoin one’s red and white and antibiotics, and when that didn’t blood cells. Medical News Today work, they put me on Accutane.” reports that 1 in 10 Accutane patients may develop anemia, a fact Jane* experienced firsthand.

Side effects “[Anemia] was very draining and Isotretinoin, better known as taxing on my health because it takes Accutane, is a form of vitamin A so much out of you,” Jane said. taken daily to clear cystic acne or Besides the development of other severe skin conditions. While anemia, Jane was met with another the medication has close to a 50% potential health risk due to the success rate, according to the prescription, one that half of Accutane American Osteopathic College of patients face.

Dermatology, the pill is notorious for The bottle’s label contains a its severe side effects and health risks. warning that the medicine has an “Pretty much everything is dry extremely high risk of severe birth even with moisturizer. I had dandruff, defects. While commonly only 3-5% dry face, chapped lips all the time, bloody noses and even my mouth was of pregnancies result in birth defects, 35% of infants who have been dry really often,” John said. “Whether exposed to Accutane during the it outweighs the benefits kind of pregnancy have been diagnosed with depends, it did work for a while, but a birth defect. As 50% of Accutane then I just got acne again.” users are females of child-bearing According to drugwatch.com, the age, the iPLEDGE program was most common side effect is dry lips, created to require monthly pregnancy which 90% of patients experience,

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tests for patients. Although this program has decreased the number of Accutane-caused birth defects, the company still advises female patients to go on birth control pills as a precaution, which brings difficult decisions for patients and families.

“My parents thought 15 was too young for birth control, and if I went on it there’s no going off,” Jane said.

Along with required pregnancy tests, patients are also required to have their blood drawn to observe their overall health and wellness while on the medication.

“Accutane definitely messed up my hormones so I have more mood swings, anemia, fatigue and anxiety, which is why it’s such a risky medicine to be on,” Jane said.

Different results

Even with all of the side effects and extra treatments, some patients only experienced clearer skin for a short period before their acne returned, even forcing some to go back on the treatment a second time.

“I was on Accutane for two sixmonth spurts because it didn’t work the first time,” John said. “[When I was] off of Accutane, obviously the side effects went away, but so did clear skin. I got acne again a few months after being off of Accutane both times, and they won’t do another round since it is heavily regulated by the government because of fertility side effects.”

Other patients, such as Jane, did not only continue to experience acne after treatment but observed changes in their overall skin texture and type.

“I was on it for eight months and fully cleared my skin for about four months, but now I have acne again but in different places because it changed my skin type,” Jane said. “It really dries out your skin and changes it, like I had oily skin and now my skin is dry, but I don’t think that should stop people from taking it because it works eventually.”

Despite many still experiencing acne after treatment, 99% of patients see

17 lasting improvements in their skin, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“My skin does respond a lot better to other medications now [and] is almost clear after being on a tretinoin cream for almost five months, which didn’t work at all the first time I used the cream,” John said.

A poll on the Hagerty Journ Instagram showed that 75% of Hagerty students say they have struggled with their skin and 16% have gone on Accutane, so it is important to remember that no matter the result of treatment, the main goal is for students to feel more confident and comfortable in their own skin.

“My skin definitely put a damper on me most of the time because I thought it was the only thing people could see,” Jane said. “I would recommend to people that are struggling with their skin to remind themselves that everyone has or has had acne—it’s a normal occurrence.” *names changed for privacy

Illustration | Andrew Wilson

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Duel it out

Greta Carrasco | Opinions Editor

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tudents searching for college credit and bumped up GPAs are faced with an important decision: should they choose AP or dual enrollment classes? In recent years, dual enrollment has become a more popular option. Especially for freshmen and sophomores, assistant principal Kristi Draus says she has noticed an immense increase in interest for dual enrollment courses.

Flexibility

Senior Avis Shaw first looked to dual enroll due to recommendations from upperclassmen — she decided that starting her college credits was something she was committed to do.

After comparing AP and DE courses, Shaw believed dual enrollment would look good on college applications

Illustration | Josephine Lim

and was sure the experience she gained through those classes would allow her to get into a good college.

“I think dual enrollment is an amazing choice if you are committed to it,” Shaw said. “It wasn’t that difficult. I was able to understand the same things I would’ve learned in high school while only going to class once a week.”

For senior Carsyn Stephenson, her main reason to choose dual enrollment was due to the assured college credits. She is taking both College Algebra and Environmental Science.

“I feel as if I barely have any schoolwork at all, and the workload for the classes is pretty light, making it less time-consuming than regular classes,” Stephenson said.

Taking just one on-campus class, Stephenson says dual enrollment has given her more free time.

“I took AP Lang last year and it was just more complicated than any DE class I’ve taken, I would have rather been dual enrolled,” Stephenson said. “There is way less work and I feel as if I get more out of it by not having to take certain classes in college.”

Junior Amari Patel has had a similarly positive experience with dual enrollment. She enrolled in the English course (ENC11010) and has so far enjoyed her experience. She likes that she does not have to go in person for the course and that there was an option to choose a college course.

“I enjoy dual enrollment because of the ease of it. It is flexible and takes half the time to complete [than regular classes],” Patel said.

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Dual Enrollment numbers rise compared to AP classes

Overlooked risks

Students who have taken dual enrollment courses have been extremely pleased by the outcome, but counselors make sure to warn students about this option. Although dual enrollment assures students college credit if they pass the class, there are factors that students might not take into account.

“Students in the community have heard these classes be described as ‘easy,’” school counselor Nick Maby said. “I tend to warn that if our 9th10th graders have already discovered that dual enrollment is an easier option, they can be sure that college admissions are also aware of this.

Be selective in the classes you take.

Only sign up if you are confident you will earn an ‘A’ as anything else will negatively impact the college GPA.” Aside from these warnings, DE has other limitations. At Seminole State College, the classes that students are able to take for dual enrollment are limited to required courses only, and students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0, along with other restrictions. Seminole State College has started enforcing requirements to pass all subjects of the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test in order to Dual Enroll, meaning students who want to take an English course will need to pass the math section as well.

Even though dual enrollment classes continue to rise in popularity, AP courses have kept their high enrollment. Senior Mac Anderson has taken a total of seven APs throughout his high school career. Anderson decided to take AP classes to challenge himself and take the highest level possible.

Benefits of AP

“I was planning on dual enrolling for english but I ended up missing the deadline,” Anderson said. “Still, I am actually glad that I ended up taking AP Lit instead of DE because of the

great teacher and the fun class.”

Over the years he has been able to figure out which classes are his strong suit and which are not. He took AP U.S. History and although he passed the class and exam, Anderson believed he could have done better in the class.

“I had to play it by ear, but over time I was able to understand which classes I could take AP for and I enjoyed it,” Anderson said.

For junior Ivy Victoria, AP classes were the best option for her. She decided to take AP classes because of the availability.

“Dual enrollment is a long process so you don’t know what you’ll be able to take until a few weeks before you have to start,” Victoria said. “You are only allowed to take something like six credits at a time which only covers two to three classes, so it’s just not as convenient.”

The resources she has available have made the transition for early college admission easier for her and helped her understand college-level work.

“AP was the easiest option and there are a lot of resources and great AP teachers at Hagerty,” Victoria said.

“I feel more comfortable in starting the college application process early because the [AP classes] really helped my GPA and showed me that I am ready for college level courses.”

Junior Alena Pezzoli has taken both AP and dual enrollment classes and plans to do so next year as well.

Pezzoli says she asked herself which classes she wanted college credit for and those would be the ones she would choose to dual enroll in. Her APs would be classes she will retake in college.

“I recommend doing research and asking previous students on what they suggest,” Pezzoli said, “Not only are certain curricula much easier to understand, but certain teachers, and their ways of teaching are important to know when choosing classes.”

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Volleyball earns playoff berth James Lopez | Staff Reporter

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Karson Cuozzo | Sports Editor The boys varsity baseball team lost to Winter Springs 3-2 in the district championship on May 4.

Pitcher Talan Bell pitched five innings, getting five strikeouts and only allowing one run.

“I feel good about my pitching. I felt like I did my job and kept us in the game as much as I could,” Bell said.

Winter Springs scored in the top of the fifth, but the team quickly responded with two in the bottom of the sixth. First baseman Luis Rivero led the team with two hits, along with right fielder Adam Ciccone’s two RBI’s, and the score was 2-1 as pitcher Brayden Toro stepped in to finish.

However, Toro could not stop Winter Springs as they scored one run in the top of the seventh, sending the game into extra innings. Winter Springs scored the winning run in the eighth for the 3-2 victory.

The team will not move on to regionals for the first time since 2017.

“I feel like the team deserved a chance in regionals, but ultimately we lost some games we shouldn’t have and that prevented us from moving on,” Toro said.

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Outside hitter Marcel Clemens Photo | Marietta Jordan

ith other spring sports fighting for state titles and winning multiple district championships, boys volleyball has largely flown under the radar, struggling to post a winning record most seasons. This season seemed the same, but a three-game win streak pushed them to a third seed in the district playoffs.

“We have been all over the place playing some really great matches and some not so good ones,” libero Kaleb Heyliger said.

The team’s first playoff match against University on May 2 started rough. After falling behind in the first set due to University’s defense, the second set looked better as the team held a seven-point advantage.

However, University came back and beat them 25-23, putting them at a 2-0 disadvantage moving into the third set.

The team didn’t lose hope and neither did the home crowd, as they only got louder. The third set began to show off the synergy of the team especially with striker Marcel Clemens and Heyliger, and setter Giancarlo Rodriguez who propelled the team to

six unanswered points in the set, and a 25-20 win, keeping the pressure on University going into the fourth set.

The team did not falter, even as top players were subbed out—junior Evan Lusher with his more technical striking and senior Aiden Cilladi with his defensive work, which included six blocks in the match-up.

The team would stay alive, winning the fourth 25-22. The game had reached an energy peak from both sides in the crowd, only making the final set more tense. This proved to be the easiest set of the whole match after a series of University miscommunications and Clemens’ spikes helping the team win 15-8.

Two nights later, however, the momentum ran out against top seed Timber Creek, who swept the team in straight sets, 3-0, but the late-season win streak and win over University allowed the team to get into the regional tournament as the six seed, where they will face Freedom High School on Tuesday.

“We have beaten some really good teams,” Rodriguez said. “To advance further, we need to minimize the mistakes during games, and we have to be confident every time we step on the court.”

Softball falls in district semifinals but advances to regionals Karson Cuozzo | Sports Editor The girls varsity softball team lost 11-3 to Oviedo in the district semifinals on May 2.

The game started off with Oviedo scoring three runs in the top of the first inning, but Hagerty responded to make the score 3-1 going into the second. Pitcher Reese Twiggs threw a scoreless second inning, along with Oviedo’s pitcher Kennedy Gibson.

Both teams scored one run in the third inning, but Oviedo continued their lead in the fourth inning, scoring three more, 7-2. Center fielder Ana Roman and right fielder Addison Orr both had multiple hits, each with an RBI. “We need to tighten up our

defense a little and attack pitches that work for us early,” first base/ pitcher Rachel Matthiesen said. “We kept our energy up even while we weren’t playing the best and our fight was never gone.”

Both teams had scoreless fifth and sixth innings, but in the seventh inning, Oviedo added four more runs where Oviedo maxed out their score, adding four more runs. Roman managed to push one run through, but that was all the team could provide. The final score was 11-3, with Oviedo advancing to the district championship against Lake Howell.

The team has beaten Oviedo two times before the district match up, 12-0 and 4-3.

“I just think this loss was a bump in

the road and it doesn’t define us as a team at all. Oviedo simply outplayed us but they are not the better team,” Matthiesen said.

The team has a bid for the regional tournament and is scheduled to play,Thursday, May 11 at 7 p.m. at Oakleaf.

Head coach David Stone, after 19 years of coaching, 12 as the head coach at Hagerty, announced that this will be his last season with the program.

“We want to make a serious run through regionals, so we know that means championship level practices, we have to go out and represent that ‘H’,” Stone said. “It’s my last run here at Hagerty with a special group of girls. I want to make it memorable.”

First baseman Rachel Matthiesen Photo | Marietta Jordan

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FINAL FOUR: Lacrosse ends season in state semifinal not prepared for. We practiced their plays based on film and they ended up running a hybrid version that led to us being in the wrong position,” defender he April 29 regional final between varsity girls Elena Hill said. lacrosse and Vero Beach had been close During the second half, the team switched up the entire game. With a minute left, Hagerty the offensive play and the defensive set they were was up by two when Vero got the ball off the draw, sprinted the field and tried to set up their offense as running to try and make a comeback.

Attacker Madison O’Connor was subbed in quickly as possible, but the defense held strong and during the second half of the game and scored two caused a turnover. Defender Madison Rogers ran goals, the first on a feed from her sister, attacker the length of the field to get it back to the offensive Catherine O’Connor. Glover and Wilkins each scored side to seal the regional championship. another goal, contributing to the comeback.

“Everything on our minds outside of that “We definitely had the chance to win in the game was gone—that is all we were focused on,” second half,” Glover said. “We were finally able to midfielder Stacy Glover said. “The parents started get to the goal, and the defensive side was able to count down the last 10 seconds of the game and to hold the eight and not let them get as many that’s when I knew that we did it.”

The girls won that game, 13-11, a game that was chances,” Glover said.

The girls won the second originally scheduled for the day half 6-5, but lost the game 10before but was moved to the due to rain delays. The game We realized what we were 8, sending Saint Thomas to the championship. was also moved to a different capable of and it paid off. state“They did not beat us, we field because the Vero Beach beat ourselves,” Hill said. “We High field was deemed unsafe.

- Elena Hill, defender could make up excuses, but we Because of the delays, all know we could have won that game if we played the team had to drive to Vero Beach twice in the better in the first half.” span of 24 hours. Nevertheless, the team still pulled Even though the season might not have ended through with the win, making up for the loss in the how they would have liked, it was still one of the best last year’s regional final as well as a loss to Vero seasons the team has ever had.

Beach to begin the season.

“I am so proud of this entire team,” Lange said.

It was an all-around team effort with five people scoring the 13 goals, including Glover with four goals “Overcoming all of the adversity in the regional finals and finally being able to beat Vero. That was and attacker Ellie Wilkins with three. our biggest goal this season.”

“After losing to Vero earlier in the season the The first three games of the season were losses team was motivated to come back and show them on the road to top-ranked teams in the state: Vero who we really are,” midfielder Melina Lange said.

Beach, Bartram Trail and Ponte Vedra.

“Being able to experience going to the Final Four “We turned it around quickly after those because of that win was amazing.” games,” Lange said. “We worked on our offense and After winning the regional championship the improved so much.” team advanced to the final four for the first time To compete at the state level, the team realized since 2019. Their opponent for the state semifinal they needed to make some changes. was Saint Thomas Aquinas on May 5 at the “We realized what we were capable of and it Paradise Sports Complex in Naples. paid off,” Hill said.

The game started off slow for the offense The team then went on to face Lake Mary because they were not running the plays they for the SAC championship. The girls lost the practiced for the game properly, and Saint championship last year to Lake Mary. The final Thomas’s defense shut down the dodges and score was 13-12 with Wilkins scoring in the last 30 caused multiple turnovers. seconds of the game to put the team in the lead.

“We needed to value possession of the ball and “Making the winning goal against them felt so work on our shot placement, we rushed into a lot of satisfying,” Wilkins said. “ It was like I could finally our plays causing them to not work,” Glover said. breathe after holding my breath for 25 minutes.”

The defensive side also struggled with a lack The team won the SAC, district and regional of communication in the first half due to new plays championships and hopes to compete for a state that Saint Thomas was running. Wilkins and Glover championship again next year. scored the only two goals for Hagerty, and they “We should have been able to do it this year, but trailed 5-2 at the half.

I am glad that I got as far as I did with these girls,” “There was a big miscommunication between our defense when they started to run plays we were Lange said. “Next year is the year.”

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Ava West | Sports Editor

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ON THE RUN: Attacker Ella Digiore dodges her defender and assists attacker Ellie Wilkins for the first goal of the game. The girls varsity lacrosse team won against Creekview, the #10 team in the nation, 9-7 on April 4, one of several big wins this season. Photo | Brooke Bohan

Top wins of the 2023 season 1. Vero Beach: 13-11, April 29 A regional final win after the team lost to them at the beginning of the season and in last year’s regional final.

2. Lake Highland: 9-8, April 5 Lake Highland’s first loss to a Central Florida team since 2019. Earned Hagerty “top Orlando team” title.

3. Lake Mary: 13-12, March 8 The team lost to them last year by one point and won by one goal this year, making them SAC champions.

4. Creekview (Ga): 9-7, April 4 Creekview is ranked #10 in the nation.

Biggest out-of-state win this season.

5. Sacred Heart: 6-5, March 25 Out-of-state tournament overtime win against the Kentucky state champion.