April 2014 Red and Black

& black

Florida’s first high school ol newspaper Hillsborough High School 5000 N. Central Ave. Tampa, mpa, FL 33603 April 2014 hhstoday.com @hhstodayonline stodayonline Volume 114, No. 6

School is their Sport pages 8-9

JROTC’s Cunningham says goodbye after 20 years page 5

EDITORIAL: Evaluation system turns teaching into theatrics page 6

Baseball team forced to adapt during field renovations page 15

2news

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Zooming in

on Ukraine

hhstoday.com | April 2014

& black Editors-in-Chief Nikki Ferrera Ellie Rodriguez

News Editors

As tension builds between Russia and the world, Hillsborough students question the positive effects of American intervention In recent months, the southeastern European a region of the Ukraine, feels that their ethnic ties Vincent Bencomo Sarvika Bommakanti Jose Leon Staff Writers

country Ukraine has taken the corrupt behavior of its former president, Viktor Yuschenko, into consideration; citizens have resisted suppression by governmental forces since mid-January. Crimea,

lie with Russia, as they did during the Cold War. According to BBC, the people of the Ukraine feel repressed by the former political regime and are consequently open to the Russian annexation.

Entertainment Editors

Ivy Bennett-Ford Maria Roberts Kathy Xie

Vijata Patel Shelby Shoup

Opinion Editors

Life Editors

Dana Dinh Cade McCurdy

Holly Schroeder Kimberly Rampersad

Sports Editors

Photo Editors Katie Frost Aleesha Mundra

Samantha Votzke Daniel Hamilton

Graphics Editor John Veliz

Jan. 16-Feb. 20: Violent protests in Kiev

Staff Writers Vincent Bencomo Sarvika Bommakanti Clayton Callison Josie Chappell Sophia Diaz-Carraway Daniel Dolford Valean Hawkins Kenni Holland Jose Leon Kourtney Melendi Monisha Pillai Vishwa Shah

Principal Johan von Ancken

The Red & Black belongs to the Florida and National Scholastic press associations. The paper is subject to prior review by school administration.

The staff editiorial reflects the view of student editors and the columns represent the viewpoints of their authors. The R&B welcomes letters from students, teachers and members of the Hillsborough community. Letters may be edited for brevity and clarity, and should be submitted to Room 506 or to the Red & Black, 5000 N. Central Ave., Tampa, Fla. 33603.

Advertising content is subject to approval of the editorial board. The Red & Black is printed in partnership with The Tampa Tribune. This newspaper includes content from the MCT Campus wire service.

Phone (813) 276-5620; Fax (813) 276-5629; e-mail hhstoday@gmail.com Red & Black: All-Florida, FSPA; First Class, NSPA HHSToday.com, All-Florida, 2013-14

www.hhstoday.com

“I’m not sure if we should get involved, but then again, I don’t think we should just let this happen.”

-Achile Joseph, 10 “We should rely on the authorities’ best judgment in this matter.”

-Heather Hodges, 10

Feb. 26: Russian forces enter Crimea

“America isn’t the world police. Other countries can sort out their own affairs without us getting involved.”

-Jason Chapman,11

“I think [the US] should stay out of the situation completely as it is a domestic dispute between Russia, Ukraine and the area of Crimea.”

-Anthony Suarez, 9 Graphic by Ivy Bennett-Ford

briefly

Adviser

Joe Humphrey, MJE

Feb. 22: Former Ukrainian president Viktor Yuschenko flees the country

March 2026: Crimea is willingly annexed

by Russia

Pasta pots and flurries of freshmen IB program and Hillsborough has to offer prospective students.

“It’s an eye-opening experience for incoming freshmen,” said junior Rachel Chang. “It’s good for recruitment.”

-Ivy Bennett-Ford Compacted and busy, senior Mikel-Ange Adelson works on a robot before the IB spaghetti dinner. (Photo by Ivy Bennett-Ford) Hillsborough freshmen filtered through the layer of hopeful club members to reach the promised spaghetti dinner. Once again, potential IB freshmen flocked the short distance from the auditorium to the cafeteria to learn what the

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news3

Hooked on Hookah Maria Roberts News Editor After school in the senior lot, smoking has become a common sight.

Students walk from car to car chatting and laughing with a cigarette in hand, a cloud lazily forming above their heads. Under closer inspection the small strong smelling tubes can be identified as Electronic-Hookah cigarettes, a new invention replacing traditional cigarettes.

Products such as Hookah pens or E-Hookah are popular in college and high school. According to the Centers for Disease Control Hookah pens are battery powered tubes that produce a flavorful vapor that can be inhaled by converting nicotine and flavor chemicals from liquid to vapor. Hookah itself is normally smoked through a larger apparatus, but the pens make the Hookah portable.

At Hillsborough students mainly smoke Hookah pens instead of E-cigarettes which contain all the chemicals of a normal cigarette, but “e-cigs” is often used as slang to describe both electronic devices. The new devices and their lingo are trending nationally and Hillsborough is not an exception.

Fifty years ago it wasn’t considered abnormal to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day. This no longer true for cigarettes, but soon it may be possible for Hookah.

In 1965, according to the CDC, 42.4 percent of adults in America were smokers. The trend in American high schools was first recorded by the CDC in 1991 when almost 30 percent of students smoked regularly.

The trend peaked in 1995 with about 1 in 4 high school students using cigarettes regularly. The CDC has since reported a consistent decline in the use of cigarettes.

But according to the CDC as the use of cigarettes in American high schools decreases the use of Hookah increases. By 2010 1 in 5 male and 1 in 6 female high school students were using Hookah regularly and by 2011, 17 percent of high school seniors were using the drug.

Many at Hillsborough have witnessed the senior parking lot become clouded by the smoky trend. After school students can be seen smoking the popular drug outside their cars with friends.

“I smoke when walking, in my car, whenever I’m in the mood.”

One student was willing to share his experience with E-Hookah, but wished to remain anonymous. He explained that E-Hookah is nicotine free, it is portable and “perfect for parties or any social gathering.”

He said that one aspect of the Hookah pens are their exotic flavors. His favorites are mango, blueberry and chocolate strawberry.

The E-Hookah is a safe way to practice smoke tricks that are popular at parties. “Like ghost inhales and dragon inhales, French inhales … rings just stuff like that. ” His interest in the electronic devices began when he spent part of his

New SAT coming The 2016 SAT will receive some key changes aimed at focusing on topics related to “college readiness and success.” According to College Board, the new questions will be “modeled on the work of the best classroom teachers.”

The critical reading and writing skills sec-

April 2014| hhstoday.com

summer in Europe, where it is popular.

“I decided that E-Hookah was a much safer and more portable alternative.

Using them I am able to smoke about three times a week and sometimes for hours straight, wherever I am.”

“I smoke when walking, in my car, whenever I’m in the mood,” he said.

He admitted that E-Hookah could be considered a gateway product, “but that depends on the person. For me Hookah is NOT a drug.”

Other students at Hillsborough have mixed feelings regarding the devices.

Gillian Boyce, a sophomore who carpools daily from the senior lot, said she thinks E-Hookah seems like “an expensive habit.” Boyce had a run-in with the new fad when she and another sophomore, Paige Hill, were offered a smoke after school. Both said that they were repulsed by the offer.

“It smells nasty,” said Boyce, while Hill added, “I don’t want my mouth where other people’s mouths have been.” The two said they couldn’t see a point to the new fad.

“It’s disgusting when you look in the [rearview] mirror and see [students] smoking e-cigs,” said senior Jordan Singletary. Many students must pass through the lot before leaving school, witnessing the smokers outside their cars.

Principal Johan von Ancken said school administrators will enforce school policies that prohibit any tobacco use on campus.

“School security and police will also enforce the law after school,” he said.

tions will be combined into one evidencebased section. Students will now define words based on the context of the passages. They will also analyze information from a variety of sources, including fiction, non-fiction texts and informational graphics.

“The SAT should be aimed more at capacity and intelligence, not retaining information,”

Smoke Facts

Studies by the CDC done within the last 5 years have produced the following information.

shisha narghile argileh hubble-bubb le goza

From 2010 to 2011 use of electronic smoking devices has

doubled

Hookah pens come in a variety of flavors. One hour of Hookah

200 puffs

Smoking Cigarettes has declined consistently from 1995.

17%

of high school seniors in 2011 were using hookah regularly.

20

puffs One cigarette E-Hookah can often be seen in the hands of seniors after school in the senior lot.

(Submitted photo)

1 in 5 male students in high school were using hookah in 2010.

freshman Madeline Morgan said. “I think the changes to the SAT will benefit us.”

To assess writing skills, students will analyze paragraphs for grammatical mistakes and edit passages accompanied by graphics to ensure that the text correctly conveys the information from the graphic.Students will have 50 minutes to read a passage and explain how the

author builds an argument.

The revised math section will focus more on algebra and data analysis. Incorrect answers will no longer be penalized.

The exam will be scored on a 400-to-1600 point scale with the essay seperate.

-Dana Dihn Opinion Editor

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4news

hhstoday.com | April 2014

Seminole Heights restaurant burns down

l a c lo

Domani Bistro was damaged in an overnight fire in February.

The building was constructed in 1922, and stood as one of the oldest businesses in the area.

The local Seminole Heights restaurant is now fundraising. They have held different events and are selling T-shirts. All profits go toward helping the people affected by the fire. More information can be found on the restaurant’s Facebook page.

-Sophia Diaz-Carraway

FCAT replacement starting 2015

“I heard it was one of the first restaurants ever built in Seminole Heights. I would love to see it reopen.”

–Mike Mikulec, history teacher

e

“[The new exam] is probably going to make [results] more accurate to what kids are actually achieving, but at the same time, it’ll take more mental capability to take the entire test and do well.”

–Jarod Finland, 9

Landslide devastates Washington state

Missing Malaysian flight Malaysia

A landslide hit the Osa, Wash. in the Washington northwest corner of the state on March 22, resulting in 24 deaths and 22 individuals missing, along with over 30 homes destroyed.

Emergency search and rescue officials have been searching the area, and said the number of missing people is expect- “This is horrible, but I didn’t hear ed to “decline dramatically.” anything about it on the news ...

The U.S. Geological SurThere should be more coverage vey said the landslide was of natural disasters like this caused by recent rain so we can start donation conditions that had saturated the soil. funds and hopefully

n o i t na

stat

Most of the FCAT will be replaced next year by a new system of exams. These will rely less on multiple-choice questions, instead focusing more on students’ writing and “higher-level thinking skills,” according to the Florida Department of Education.

The test will also be tougher than the FCAT, aligned to new Common Core academic standards and require more time for the students to complete.

find the people that are missing.”

–Hailey Allegra, 10

Kuala Lumpur

A flight disappeared on March 8 en route from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, to Beijing. The plane was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members.

Since the crash, satellites have detected debris in the Indian Ocean that could be related to the flight, but the exact location of the plane has not been determined.

“The people running the search are doing a sad job. With developed countries such as Japan and China in the area, you’d think they’d be able to find [the plane]. I hope that our technology is better in case something like this ever happens again.”

–Abhishek Taiwade, 11

wor

ld -Kathy Xie

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news5

April 2014 | hhstoday.com

So long Sergeant

Command Sgt. Major Oscar Cunningham cuts his celebratory cake with not just a puny knife, but a massive silver sword, topping off a sentimental sendoff after years of service as Maj. Inalvis Alvarez watches. The school honored Cunningham with a retirement ceremony on March 28. (Photo by Katie Frost)

RELAY

by the numbers

Liz Tsourakis Staff Writer Soldiers are known for their stoicism, but the members of JROTC were all close to tears on March 27. It was the day before Command Sgt. Maj. Oscar Cunningham’s retirement, after nearly half a century in uniform, and his cadets were visibly despondent while practicing on the front lawn.

At the mention of his leaving, senior Dasia Darns hid her face in her hands, pouting “I don’t like it; I want to cry!”

Darns, who has been under Cunningham’s instruction for four years, credits him for inspiring her to join the military.

“He has helped me grow,” she said. “He has molded me into a cadet that everyone wants to be.”

“He’s very strict,” she laughed, but ironically enough, the thing she’ll miss the most about Cunningham is his sense of humor.

Senior Donny Tran was also thankful for his time with Cunningham, but equally upset with his retirement.

“I told myself I’m not going to cry today,” he said jokingly. “I’m going to cry tomorrow.”

Tran said that Cunningham made him a “better person” and brought him out of his shell.

“The biggest thing I’m going to miss about him?” Tran paused. “Everything.”

Kendall Baerwald, a sophomore who’s in her second

Ready for Relay

Which teams are in the lead?

1 the INCREDIBLES 2 the AVENGERS 3 National Honor Society $3,425 raised

$2,517 raised

$1,852 raised

the school has raised

$14,863 30

in total

teams participating

319

student participants

*all monetary values are as of April 1 - Kathy Xie

year of the program, echoed her fellow cadets. “It’s very sad,” she said. “He’s an all-around awesome person; even though he can be tough, he does really care for all of us.”

Like her classmates, Baerwald showed the utmost respect for Cunningham.

“He’s one of the best role models I’ve known,” she said, pointing out his talent for leading by example. “He’s always doing what’s right, and pushing you to do what’s right, and I admire him for that.”

Col. Samuel Taylor, Cunningham’s co-worker for seven years, described working with him as an extraordinary and inspiring experience.

“Not a day passed that I didn’t learn something of great value from him,” he said.

“The dedication he showed for his work and the love he demonstrated for his students [was admirable.]”

When Cunningham himself was asked what he’ll miss the most about teaching, his commanding face softened and tears pooled in his eyes.

“Just bear with me, OK?” he paused. “My students — my day’s always so exciting with these kids.”

He calmly wiped his eyes and excuses himself from the room, taking a few moments to collect himself. He returned composed, but tears still evident in his eyes.

“These kids have been part of my life … these kids have been my kids and I love them to death.”

The annual Seminole Heights Relay for Life is April 5-6.

From four-year attendees to first-timers, these students are looking forward to the event.

“I’ve done relay all four years. They’re really fun.

At night, you get to see a whole ‘nother side of people that you never see.”

-Jessi Shelton, 12

“I joined a Relay team because I wanted to support cancer research and do it with my friends.”

-Gabriele Keller, 9

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6 opinion hhstoday.com | April 2014

editorial

Teacher evaluation criteria is unfair In our education system everything is based on grades. Whether we get into college, whether we pass a class, it all comes down to grades. What happens if the grading system is flawed? Well in the case of a student, they may fail or not get into the college they want. So, it is incredibly important that students are graded as accurately as possible. Many would assume this would apply to teacher grading as well, but little could be further from the truth.

Teaching is one of the most important professions.

What you learn in school affects how you live your life, especially if you have great teacher. At Hillsborough we are lucky to have some really dedicated and awesome teachers who make school a positive environment. It is unfair to these teachers that our county has set up such an inaccurate rubric to grade them with. The best teachers often have to jump through hoops just to get a decent score on their evaluation because the criteria are so irrelevant and a bit absurd.

Observations can often feel like a theatrical perfor-

mance. We’ve all experienced that moment when our favorite teacher becomes a professional actress and performs for his or her evaluator.

The rehearsals before the observations often mirror the dress rehearsal of play when the person whom you trust to educate you is overly concerned that they will experience a technical difficulty and their performance will receive a poor review.

This is an insult to the integrity of our teachers. A good teacher is not defined by whether or not they can work the Smartboard, but by how positively they impact their students. They should teach us to strive for excellence, not to settle with a pass. They cannot do this if they’re hoping to settle for a pass as well.

Instead of focusing on content the confusing criteria causes teachers to abandon the syllabus and practice their evaluation for a week. The cause of this situation is not laziness, but a poor grading system. A student isn’t going to do extra work, not related to the exam, unless it’s going to be graded by the teacher.

Teachers are graded on their performance during the observation, which is not an accurate representation of their teaching ability.

It is unfair to the teachers that make it their priority to push their students to excellence and nurture their desire to learn, when they lose points based on whether the students can state the objective to the evaluator verbatim, because the observation does not accurately portray this dedication.

Teacher-student relationships should be encouraged and pushed. They need to be able to use their own skills to help us as we progress through high school.

The observations should focus on what a teacher does that is above and beyond just standing in front of a classroom lecturing, with the Smartboard on and the objective written on a whiteboard.

When students enter high school, they are nothing more than lumps of clay waiting to be molded into scholars. Teachers hold the clay.

*The opinion section represents opinions expressed by any student; opinions expressed in the editorial are supported by the Editorial Board (listed on page 2)

Pd. 3: Freshmen

Agenda:

April 1, 2014

Today in class we will: A) Rehearse before the evaluation in order to ensure that I will be able to continue inspiring you to strive for academic excellence B)Try to find time to rehearse use of the Smartboard and projector

Okay, let’s try this again... repeat after me. Today in class we will...

Homework- Prepare for a Quiz on the objectives next class Notes: The proper way to take notes is to first outline the topic your are studying and then focus on content. Content can be bullet pointed or done...

Illustration by Maria Roberts and John Veliz

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opinion7

The price of fame Maria Roberts Commentary

In our society we expect parents to do what is best for their kids, even if that means making sacrifices for them. Did the celebrities not get the memo, or are they too focused on their career to think about their children as most important?

The California legislature passed a law preventing paparazzi from harassing celebrity children in September that states that paparazzi can only take pictures of celebrity children with consent of the parents.

Recently, Hilary Duff shared her experience with paparazzi breaking the law and photographing her kid without her approval. She tweeted that she let them off with a warning this time only.

It is easy to applaud Duff for having the photographers arrested as well as for her mercy, but isn’t being followed part of her job? Celebrities make their money when people are buzzing around them. The more they are in the spot-

yousaid it “It’s a waste of money.

-Juan Jimenez, 12

{ } “I have no desire to go. I’d rather spend my time doing anything else. It’s kind of sad that that’s what I think of my own prom.”

-Bella Junejo, 12

light and the more attention they attract, the bigger the dollar signs are on their paychecks.

So when they are complaining about their kids being harassed, it is possible that they picked the wrong career.

If celebrities don’t want their kids to be photographed, they shouldn’t dress them up like teenagers or adults in all the latest fashions and parade them around.

You can’t blame the photographers for your daughter’s lack of a childhood when you named her after a color and a plant. That is no one’s fault but your own. All responsibility cannot be put on the paparazzi- the blame belongs to both parties.

The photographers are not saints. They do overstep their boundaries and invade people’s privacy, but if you don’t want to have your life documented daily you shouldn’t go into acting or singing or any sort of career in the eye of the public.

The paparazzi come with the job and the big bucks. If you don’t like it, or feel that it is harmful to you children, than it is time to act like a parent and switch careers.

Students share why they didn’t go to prom

{ } “My commitment to horses is far greater then any school event.

I have a horse show in Palm Beach that night.”

-Sarah Martinage, 12

“I don’t like anybody here.”

-Demarcus Dorch, 12

April 2014 | hhstoday.com

We’ve heard enough

Vijata Patel Commentary

Why do people feed into reality competition shows? What is it about seeing strangers competing for a prize that is so addictive? Especially singing competitions such as “The Voice,” “The X Factor” and “American Idol.” I understand why people love watching shows like “Storage Wars,” which have drama and excitement, but I don’t get why people love watching strangers sing. There is no drama and essentially we’re just watching people perform and get critiqued.

I won’t lie, I’ve watched all three of these shows before. The difference is I’ve only watched auditions, after that I usually watch my favorite performances on YouTube and search for original music from that artist and ignore the actual competition.

After the auditions the shows become increasingly more unappealing, but producers try to stay relevant.

“American Idol” added new judges, like Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj, who somehow created drama that made the show even less engaging than before. Simply hearing about their fighting and their ridiculous arguments was enough to make me stop watching the show completely. Not to mention that the auditions weren’t serious anymore, they purposely allowed individuals with no talent to audition simply for views.

“The X Factor” came to America after Simon Cowell quit “American Idol.” When it began, it was new and fresh and had a different perspective from other singing shows, so people pounced on it. They scarfed down the new hit, no questions asked. However, the show could not keep the interest of the public and the winning artists flopped after the show.

By the third season, the excitement died completely and Fox cancelled the show.

“The Voice” is my favorite out of all of the reality television shows because the producers made the show different entirely. The anonymous audition portion is always interesting to watch because of the judge’s reactions to the appearance of the singer they chose, and the element of surprise associated with it. Watching the judges argue over an artist is entertaining due to the witty comments and convincing arguments. Their antics are never outrageously over-the-top, but it can get a little excessive.

Overall, I love their audition portion.

The actual competition portion, however, is not interesting to me.

There isn’t anything wrong with it, as far as I know, but it seems so mundane and purposeless.

After the audition process of all competition shows, the rest is insignificant and there’s no need for 20 versions of basically the same show. The world will be a better place without all of these programs.

American Voice Factor

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April 2014 | hhstoday.com

hhstoday.com | April 2014

Striving Scholars Nikki Ferrera Editor-in-Chief The furious scribbles as time ticks down to draft a final resolution for Model United Nations; the delicate placement of wires

as the Robotics team forms what was once a hunk of metal into a functioning robot; the carefully composed music as it flows from the well-practiced instruments of the Big Red Band.

They work their brains as intensely as athletes work their bodies. Instead of How many extracurriculars activites are hours pushing past physical hurdles at the gym, some you involved in? students spend long nights 7 practicing the same convinc6 ing oratory beyond the point 5 of memorization.

4 For these students, school 3 is their sport.

2 The presence of academic 1 clubs on campus may not be 0 as noticeable as that of sports teams, but that doesn’t make 0 15 5 10 25 20 30 them any less of a force.

They may not have the same cheering crowd at their MU conflicted with r e Alpha Theta competition as on ev e ey the football team has on a Friday night game, but with countless clubs, the groups of students who participate in 29% academic competitions are impossible to ignore.

Senior Brianna Honeywell is president of Future 61% Business Leaders of America.

She decided to join during her freshman year because she wanted to have business

er? oth an

Hav et h

We polled 61 students about their extraccuricular activities, here are your responces

Yes

No

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focus9

8 focus

experience in the future.

FBLA competitions are a solitary endeavor for those not in a team contest.

Whether the contests are in the classroom of a school or the conference room of a hotel, participants sit at computers and quietly fill out electronic Scantrons that correspond to their event. Even the national competitions from FBLA don’t require don’t require any cross-country traveling — just access to a computer.

Unlike the soft sounds that accompany FBLA, robotics competitions boom with intensity. From the time teams arrive and begin assembling their robots, to the time they leave their events, it’s a constant clamor. The contests are held in stadiums that are filled with high school kids all working towards the same objective: creating the best machine.

This sort of collective goal is part of what makes these robotics competitions such a collaborative affair. In what senior Trevor Mungovan describes as a show of “gracious professionalism,” even competing teams are more than willing to help each other out.

Marquez Gonzalez, a junior, is on Robotics with Mungovan, as well as HELM, Gay Straight Alliance and band. Like many students who are involved in multiple after school extracurriculars, it’s very much a matter of prioritizing and being smart with your time.

“On Mondays, I go to HELM for half of the club, and then I go to band, which starts halfway through,” Gonzalez said. “I don’t go to Robotics because you can go on Wednesdays and Fridays.”

Senior Sumanth Potluri is involved with a similar type of balancing act. After starting the Science Olympiad team last year, he’s had to find ways to make time for both Science Olympiad and MUN, even though some of the competitions have had conflicting dates.

When GatorMUN and Science Olympiad regionals clashed earlier this year, Potluri and other students involved in both clubs, made the decisions to go to the regional Science Olympiad competition in Fort Myers. “It turned out better because we were able to place first,” he said. “We were able to fit in both of them. Luckily for Science Olympiad we had the ability to adjust, although that may not be feasible for all competitions.”

As far as preparing for these competitions goes, Potluri decides what to do first based on proximity. “I go by deadlines. If MUN is a week before Science Olympiad, I’ll prepare for MUN, and I’ll focus on MUN completely, and once MUN is done, I’ll move on to Science Olympiad.”

Kadin Bruce, a freshman on JROTC, emphasized the importance of competitions in high school life. According to him, competing with JROTC allows him to prepare myself for a future in the military. “It gives you a sense of realism, very close to the actual thing.”

-Ellie Rodriguez, Shelby Shoup, Vishwa Shah and John Veliz contributed to this report.

Speech and Debate is currently preparing for nationals, which will be held in Chicago in May. Model United Nations won best overall delegation for North Korea at FHSMUN. Senior Sumanth Potluri and freshman Anthony Suarez won most outstanding delegate.

Band competed in MPA at King High School on March 29.

Science Olympiad placed 17th out of 42 teams at their state competition. In January, the team will compete in regionals.

The Robotics team won the Winning Alliance at the Vex State Championships. In April, they will compete in Worlds in Anaheim, Cal.

Just a few

shiny trophies

JROTC placed second at a drill competition at Zephryhills HS. Future Business Leaders of America is preparing for nationals, which will be held in June.

Yearbook, newspaper and TV Production will attend the Florida Marayna Martinez Scholastic Press Association on Commentary April 24-26.

When I started high school, Drama Club competed at the anxiety was a major problem for Florida State Thespian Festival. me and I hadn’t really figured out Caroline Hamby received two suhow to cope with it yet. But, rather periors and Sam Paz received an than sit by and do nothing, I decidexcellent in monologues. ed to join activities that would ocThe MU Alpha Theta Precupy my time and take my mind off calc team came in fifth at a my anxieties. Speech and debate team? state competion while Sam Why not! MU Alpha Theta and Model Russell, Jacob Leuthold United Nations? Obviously. Robotics? Could and Maricio Riverabe interesting.

Condori all reSo, that’s how my crazy, competitive high school caceived individual reer started. I honestly didn’t know what awards. to expect and had no set goals in mind.

My competitive extracurricular activities were a way to occupy my wandering mind more than anything else.

But, as time passed, I didn’t need to be constantly working on things to avoid anxiety. I started to enjoy my work and learn things about myself I never expected to find.

During my later high school years, I narrowed in on MUN conferences, Speech and Debate tournaments, MAO competitions, Science Bowl tournaments and Science Olympiad competitions. I’ve always favored math and science academically, but I love to talk and have a fascination with global and political affairs.

In my mind, I divided my

Keeping up with competitions

Senior student keeps self busy with the help of five academic clubs

extracurricular activities into two areas: politics and math/science.

Preparation included flash cards for science, math tests for math and news articles and voice notes for politics. I always have a calendar on hand to keep dates straight and remind myself to prioritize my time.

Some preparation is habitual and constant, like keeping up in math and sciences class or reading the Economist and Time magazines.

But, the other part of the preparation came about a week before a deadline. Probably not what anyone wants to hear, but it’s true.

Weeks tend to be identified in terms of the type of competition I have that weekend. Researching during JA, writing speeches on my phone or going over flash cards in the car have always been typical practices for me.

The constant flipping between topics and disciplines never really bothered me. I have always loved staying busy and I only do things that I actually enjoy.

I have been able to learn all kinds of things I would never have gotten from a traditional classroom, travel to new places and meet amazing people from all over the country. At the same time, I’ve also competed against people that came to be some of my best friends.

My high school career of competition after competition has given me the best four years of my life so far. I will walk away from high school with invaluable experiences, lifelong friends and a few shiny trophies.

As difficult as it has been, I wouldn’t trade my experiences for anything.

Graphics by John Veliz, Ben Muschol, Vijata Patel and Ellie Rodriguez

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10 life

hhstoday.com | April 2014

Picture Perfect

Prom Left: Seniors Frank Carter and Faith Hendrix share the first dance as prom king and queen.

Middle top: Senior Marcus Russo and other students dance to DJ Lady Shay.

Middle bottom: Senior Gio Maiquez and date Monique Puentes enjoy a slow dance together.

Right: Senior Noemi Reyes said she “[dropped] it like it’s hot,” with date James Hsiung. (Photos by Aleesha Mundra)

Chicks with Chicks

Several female students raise chickens

Ivy Bennett-Ford and Shelby Shoup News Editor and Entertainment Editor Traveling down Hillsborough Avenue, there’s no end to the supermarkets and auto repair shops dotting the streets. Turn onto Central, and you’ll find yourself in the smack dab middle of Seminole Heights.

Tampa is known for its urban elements and high population density.

In a city where trees and fields are constantly exchanged for apartment houses and offices, finding traces of rural agriculture isn’t always easy.

In recent years, many individuals are rejecting the concept of “dog is man’s best friend.”

Many students are proud own-

ers of farm animals, namely chickens and other poultry.

“I have three chickens and a rooster,” sophomore Aida Vasquez-Soto said. “[My family] likes the eggs. My sister and I eat like wild animals, and go through eggs really fast … this is cheaper.”

Keeping chickens as pets has grown substantially more popular in recent years. Chickens can be tamed by feeding them by hand, and treating them kindly. More often than not, they’ll reciprocate with some entertainment.

“When [the chickens] were babies, [my sister and I] used to put them on the ground, and they would chase my dog around the house. Now they chase cats out of the backyard,” sophomore Megan Cabana said.

Some however, take their bird cultivation to the next level.

Junior Sade Santana is proud of the 100 quails and two turkeys that roam with her chickens.

Raising poultry “was a hobby of my boyfriend’s mom,” Santana said. After her mother moved in with her boyfriend to a non-deed restricted community in Lutz, all pets were a go. “I definitely prefer having birds when it comes to eating eggs.”

Special Olympics makes special bonds

Jose Leon Staff Writer Recently the Best Buddies club hosted a Special Olympics.

In the Special Olympics students with intellectual and developmental Disabilities are paired with a “peer buddy.” The two then compete as a team in the many events.

Bowling, tennis and badminton are some of the activities that took place. “It’s a great event because you get to do all kinds of activities” said IDD student Jesse Smith.

After the main events were over the teams posed for photos with each other as proud parents looked on and even snapped a few pictures themselves.

Sophomore Alex Morrison, who also participated in the event, said he enjoyed his time at the Best Buddies Special Olympics. “It was good to see how happy everyone was at the event, I like being in that kind of atmosphere.”

The event raised money for the Best Buddies Organization whose main goal is to assist people IDD in living a normal and healthy lifestyle by helping parents of these children understand their disabilities and give them a push toward success. The organization hosts many other events similar to the Special Olympics across the country and even internationally.

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life11

blast. Of the skits that I wrote durSamantha Votzke ing those months of meetings, one Sports Editor Months and months of writing, made it into the script. I had never editing and rehearsal all come down been prouder.

We’ve spent nearly every Sunday to three nights a year for the kids of On The Brink. For those who since August of last year writing. don’t know, On The Brink (OTB), We write everywhere, all the time: in math class, is a sketch comJason’s edy troupe run, “Of the skits that I wrote during in written and per- those months of meetings, one Deli, in bathtubs, piled in formed by students. It is by far made it into the script. I had one bed, on a trampothe most strenunever been prouder.” line, at 3 a.m. ous endeavor I have ever undertaken, and the most Nothing can compare to the rush rewarding. That sounds incredibly that comes from sitting back and cliché, but it’s the truth. It’s difficult admiring a hilarious skit.

Finally, when all the writing is to explain because to an audience member, it’s a two hour show of done, you print out your script, around 50 sketches, and not a year’s and we rehearse. You laugh, you worth of work that you’ve grown at- doubt, you cringe, you wonder if it was wise to invite your mom to tached to and love.

I started out as an audience the show. You procrastinate on member. I walked out of the show homework and turn into a salesblown away, sides split from laugh- man, hawking tickets to strange ter, inspired. But I never knew the freshman to try and get them to amount of sweat, blood and tears come to the show. Throw in some sort of catastrophe, maybe get in a that went into the production. fight with other cast members, and I was lucky enough doubt whether or not we’re going to to join my sophobe able to pull it off. more year. The The show this year is April 17cast was like 19, 7 p.m., at Transitions Art Gala family, lery. Tickets are $5, and all profits and the go to charity. If you show like to laugh, be was a there.

Photo by Ellie Rodriguez

Tampa

of

of laughter

SPRINGING OUT

A firstperson account of the comedy troupe

This past spring break, Terriers traveled all across America. Here’s a look at some of the desinations of their trips. (Graphic by Monisha Pillai)

Ashton Davis, 12

“It’s really relaxing to do yoga in the mountains.”

Trades of the Terriers

A closer look at one student’s job

Kimberly Rampersad Life Editor 200. That’s the number of biscuits senior Caleb Hall makes in one weekend.

At the beginning of last year, Hall landed himself an internship at the nearby restaurant, The Refinery.

“I love it. I get to cook a lot of really great food, get to learn a lot of stuff, and hang with a bunch of really cool people,” Hall said.

As an intern, Hall preps food on weekends. He plans to use his experience at the restaurant and a future business degree from USF to help

CALEB HALL

ON THE BRINK

April 2014 | hhstoday.com

him achieve a culinary career.

Hall planned to go to culinary school, but now thinks his internship will be more helpful. He said, “Culinary schools put out a lot of people who work for fancy hotels and cruise ships doing the same thing every night, but down here I get to do a lot of different stuff and learn a lot of things rather than just being specialized to one field.”

What Hall finds most appealing about cooking is its flexibility. “It’s something that if I mess up, I can just start over and try again until I get it right,” Hall said.

Senior Caleb Hall prepares pie at his Saturday shift at The Refinery. (Photo by Aleesha Mundra)

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12 entertainment How I Met Your Mother: hhstoday.com | April 2014

A less than legendary ending

After 9 seasons, countless plot twists and one final episode “How I Met Your Mother” ended Monday night on CBS. Fans of the show, Maria Roberts and Daniel Hamilton, share their thoughts on the decisive finale.

Roberts: “At first, the announcement that Ted had finally met the recently revealed mother of his children, Tracy, left me feeling secure in the perfect ending to my binge-series. The first blow to my still hopeful confidence was the divorce of unlikely couple Barney and Robin. A couple who, in my opinion, could have stood the test of time.”

Hamilton: “I agree, when they revealed that Barney and Robin were getting married, it seemed like the perfect marriage. They connected two characters who basically wanted the same things from each other. “ Roberts: “Next, was Barney’s tumbling into old habits, Marshall’s judgeship, Lily’s next pregnancy and Robin’s alienation from the group. Then, they killed of the mother and changed the entire story line.”

Hamilton: “This ending was the worst possible ending idea

the show could’ve had. They got you so connected to Tracy, and spent the entirety of the last season making you crave this character, before they went and ripped her away from you.”

Roberts: “The show I believed to be about Ted and the woman he was mean to marry was suddenly turned upside down. Ted ended up being pushed back into a relationship, with Robin, that didn’t work the first six times and probably won’t work now.”

Hamilton: “It’s not that Ted ended up with Robin, it’s the way that the creators did it. They had the ability to make everyone extremely happy by keeping the romances of Lily and Marshall, Robin and Barney and Ted and Tracy. They didn’t.”

Roberts: “Each twist tightened the knot forming in my stomach as I watched the lives of the characters, whom I had grown to think of as family, slowly crumble. I often wondered if the writers were purposely trying to make me feel uneasy or if that was just a happy accident.”

Hamilton: “It was a less-than-satisfying ending to what I think may be one of the best sitcoms of all time. “

why you should be watching

Brooklyn 99

Ellie Rodriguez TV Review Andy Samberg.

No really though, watch it for the Saturday Night Live alum and stay for the hysterical character development.

Brooklyn 99 provides what a lot of sitcoms today lack; character development beyond the typical stock characters. The amalgamation of a variety of such well-developed characters is really what gives the show its flavor. The brilliant pairing of Scully and Hitchcock consistently adds another layer of humor, even if barely detectable. In many cases while bigger ticket characters like those played by Samberg or Terry Crews are solving cases or cracking jokes, Hitchcock and Sully are casually playing cards in the background or making a mess in the kitchen. The jokes are smart, and don’t rely on superfluous phallic jokes or watered down puns that are older than television itself.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m a fan of dorky comedies that maybe aren’t hailed for being brilliantly humorous or satirically acclaimed, but this show really bridges all forms of comedy.

It’s also refreshing to see three strong, powerful female characters on the screen that have not all season solely had a conversation dominated by talk of the opposite gender.

This show is here to stay, and if you’re not on board already, y o u should be.

Kendall Gribble (@kendyyfire), “THAT IS NOT HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO #HIMYMFinale” 3/31/14, 9:01 PM Seth Wood, “How I Met Your Mother finale was fantastic, but someone must’ve been chopping onions in my house while I was watching it.” 3/31/14, 9:04 PM Liz Tsourakis (@LizTsourakis), “If you didn’t cry, you’re actually satan. #HIMYMFinale” 3/31/14, 8:47 PM

Anything but

Divergent

Shelby Shoup Movie Review Director Neil Burger draws “Divergent” fans to the theaters by staying true to the storyline.

The movie does not diverge from the book, with its accurate and effective capture of the spirit of Veronica Roth’s debut novel, and her fierce feminine protagonist, Tris Prior.

A feat truly impressive for the film industry, Tris retains all of her action-packed moves, along with her strong, independent personality. This comes into play especially during her fear simulation, when she imagines an alternate Four, her love interest, who tries to rape her. So of course, she fights him off, and defends the right to her own body. You go, Glen Coco.

In the book, Tris finds herself surrounded by friends and enemies in the Dauntless barracks.

She constantly relies on her two best friends,

Will and Christina, for support. She struggles with rejecting Al, a boy who has developed feelings for her. Peter and his cronies constantly harass Tris, threatened by her prowess. It’s all love and war for Tris. The movie, however, decreases the amount of time spent on Tris’ relationships with other people, focusing instead on her internal development. Will and Christina are placed on the back burner, and while in the book we know that the ultimate attempted murder of Tris is conducted by Peter, he is treated as more of a “empty threat” villain, serving as some comedic relief in contrast to the darkness of the movie.

Dynamic directing duo Neil Burger and Veronica Roth (the author of “Divergent) have created an impactful movie that, unlike many, sticks true to the text it’s based off of.

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entertainment 13 April 2014 | hhstoday.com

Miley twerks it out Kourtney Melendi Concert Review I stood there in shock as I watched thousands of people, myself included, flood the Tampa Bay Times Forum following their idol’s lead in wearing very little clothing. I had never seen so many crop tops, high-waisted shorts and signature Miley Cyrus buns in my life. It was the concert of the year and everyone from young girls to grown men were there to witness the show.

Icona Pop was the first to enter the stage. I had never heard of them before, but I was not impressed. With the background music way too loud and the femme duo trying to yell over it, it sounded like bad karaoke. However, the crowd was too excited for Miley to care and they jammed out regardless.

Then, out came the controversial superstar sliding down the tongue of an enormous replica of her head. Cyrus started off the show singing the titular song of her Bangerz tour. There was no holding back as she spanked her background dancers and repeatedly touched her own crotch.

Cyrus, known for provacative actions, comments, and overall bravado, should have loved Tampa, because as she spat on the front row, they only wanted more. That’s not to mention their fling-

Artist Spotlight:

Jake Bugg

Miley Cyrus emerges from a giant replica of her own head, via personal tongue-slide. (Photo courtesy Payton Barnwell) ing of bras, t-shirts and underwear at her throughout the concert.

After many raunchy performances, including butt-grabbing, money-throwing, crotch-touching and of course, twerking, Cyrus calmed things down when she sat and sang outstanding renditions of The Scientist by Coldplay, Summer Time Sadness by Lana Del Ray, Jolene by Dolly Parton and It Ain’t Me, Babe by Bob Dylan.

The performances were out of this

world, and Cyrus had vocals to match.

Her background singers took very little part in any of her songs as she nailed every note.

People will be talking about this concert long after it’s over. I would say Miley Cyrus came to Tampa and did exactly what she had set out to do: give the performance of a lifetime.

Josie Chappell Staff Writer Move over, Alex Turner.

20 year old Jake Bugg has recently gained fame and recognition in the media by making his way around the circuit of the late night shows. His nonconforming and unusual style of folk rock and his eccentric voice make him the hottest topic of conversation in the indie music scene.

Born and raised in Nottingham, England, Bugg came from a very musically-oriented household. His parents, both previously involved in the music industry, exposed him to music since infancy.

His single “Two Fingers” from his self-titled album topped the UK charts. It showcases his unique voice and appeals to indie fans alike.

With such large popularity, Bugg’s ego remains small. He is the poster boy for a “go with the flow” attitude, and lets the music come to him at what he feels is a natural rate. Bugg is still only a kid (although his brooding lyrics and masculine tone might suggest otherwise) and he hopefully has many of years of good music to come.

(Photo courtesy www.jakebugg. com)

Foster the People’s “Super” album Kathy Xie Album Review Trumping the impressive feat of making the entire nation fall in love with a song about a school shooting, Foster the People is back after three years with a solid sophomore album. “Supermodel” is a refreshing blend of the band’s usual Indie Electronic vibe with tracks that are more organicsounding, and those with a few subdued but effective traces of ethnic influences.

The album opens with Are You What You Want to Be, which takes existential-crisisesque questioning into catchy, head-banging caliber by the time the chorus begins. The disc then flows gracefully into Coming of Age, the first single released from the album, where lively guitar riffs and a freshly retro (How’s that for an oxy-moron?) sound hooks listeners for good.

Additionally, “Supermodel” features songs that are a little more unplugged and

raw than those Foster the People have released before. The album ends with Fire Escape, an acoustic ballad presenting another sentiment of growing older and wiser.

“Never mind what you’re looking for / you’ll always find what you’re looking for,” opines lead singer Mark Foster on the fourth track of “Supermodel.” And he’s right – I’ve found what I’ve been looking for from this band, and this album is it.

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14 sports

One in 300, One in a Million

hhstoday.com |April 2014

Ellie Rodriguez Editor-in-Chief Watching the blades of the oars slip beneath the surface of the water on the Hillsborough River as she rows, it’s obvious this is where Kellen Yent is at home.

“I fell in love with [rowing] right away. I just love being on the water. There’s nothing like it,” explained Yent, as she described what it’s like to row, and night rowing in particular.

“There’s no sight, no sound, it’s just you and the water. And it’s the ultimate feeling, it’s like you’re flying.”

Even from an early age she had an intensity about the way she approached athletics. When she was little she would practice soccer for almost nine hours. Such an emphasis on sports helped to instill this idea in her of “if you’re doing anything athletic and you’re hurting then it’s a good thing, it shows you’re trying,” she explained.

She’s had to rework this mindset as her physical health has become a major priority.

While most student athletes struggle to balance a rigorous course load with a strenuous workout routine, Yent juggles the difficulties of a national champion’s athletic workout and the repercussions of a failing pancreas.

“I wouldn’t even know she has diabetes,” admitted her coach.

Beyond the Diagnosis But when the 5-foot-9, heavyweight-class rower is shaking uncontrollably, gasping for breath, with glazed eyes, you know. Understanding that the most you can do is offer her a granola bar or a glucose tab is heart wrenching.

To see the nationally ranked rower try to control her body’s reaction to a lack of in-

sulin is jarring. “[It’s] terrifying. It’s shocking to see what blood sugar can to do an athlete, can do to a person,” explained Stephen Long, her rowing coach of the past three years. “I’m one of the people who she can always come to. I knew nothing about diabetes other than it existed, until her first attack. I’m always going to be there.”

Yent was diagnosed with diabetes two weeks before her 16th birthday more than two years ago. During spring crew season her freshman year, Yent had felt sick and generally exhausted. She remembered walking into her Journalism I class and collapsing onto the couch.

She had two close friends who were both diabetic, and comparing her own symptoms, she “self-diagnosed herself ” with diabetes.

“It’s funny,” she laughs now, “I pretty much already knew.”

Doctors first tried to explain that she was probably reacting to heat exhaustion from long hours of crew practice. Only she after she had blood work done for a second time did doctors finally confirm her Type I Diabetes.

The diagnosis did not come at an easy time for the Yent family. She learned she had a chronic disease right before her grandfather entered hospice care and a close family friend died.

Yent said she isn’t one to focus on the negative.

But for nearly a month after her diagnosis, Yent would wake up every morning in tears; realizing she would have to live with diabetes for the rest of her life. “It seemed like a really long time for me to actually find joy in anything,” she said. “My brother’s closest friend has been diabetic since he was four and my dad’s always said that he would die before the age of 30 because of it.

That’s what I thought my life would be.”

For people living with Type 1 diabetes, exercise can help manage blood sugar levels. Kellen Yent was diagnosed with the disease in her freshman year, but continues to pursue rowing.

(Photo courtesy of Kellen Yent)

Moving Forward Friends and family made the realization of the permanence of her situation easier as her brother’s diabetic friend constantly joked with her, “aw, that sucks, my pancreas doesn’t work.”

She explained that the humor and sarcasm made it manageable.

Being able to talk to a fellow diabetic, Class of 2013 alumna Maddie Varda, about anything and everything, diabetes related or not, was “the greatest stress relief.”

Yent founded the 1 in 300 club to raise funds for diabetes research, educate people about the chronic disease and unite thoseliving with it. The senior, who has rowed at the national level two years in a row, confessed that now diabetes itself isn’t a hindrance.

“It actually helps me. I understand my body more than most people do. I’m in tune with my body. I look at it like a reading problem or vision problem; it’s something I have to work with. Some people have to wear glasses before they read, I have to take a shot before I eat. But it doesn’t hold me back.”

Minor Setbacks What did hold Yent back was a torn shoul-

der. A minor injury while tubing grew into a debilitating obstacle as she continued to race and train.

She was unable to row for the entire fall season.

She intends to pursue rowing at Florida State University, where she will attend in the fall. She plans to grow the rowing program and the team as part of a business research venture related to her major.

Despite saying that diabetes doesn’t hold her back, on some days it’s more than noticeable. Fellow senior and friend from middle school, Madeline Quam, was racing with Yent when she entered diabetic shock.

“She just kept screaming. I can’t even explain it. Apparently she had blacked out and couldn’t do or remember anything. I wanted to help so badly but I just didn’t know. I just didn’t know what to do.”

Yent says “When I think of myself, I don’t think of myself as an athlete. I see myself as someone who works hard, is focused and wants to row my best. That’s what this is for me, it’s laid back. I don’t go around telling everyone how I’m an athlete, you just do the job you have to do, you do it right.”

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sports15

April 2014 | hhstoday.com

Outfield repairs leave baseball team without a home

season were held at home.

Samantha Votzke According to senior utility Sports Editor player Jerod Jones, the team is A combination of pelt“looking to find another field ing rain, football players to use, like the one at Univerand middle-schoolers has sity of Tampa or a park ball left Hillsborough’s baseball field. field in tatters. Now, in the Sophomore shortstop middle of the baseball seaRodney Bernard commented, son, the field is undergoing “If we don’t find a field … our renovations, leaving the game is going to suffer a lot.” team with little options for He added, “People will have practice and forcing them to practice on their own.” to shift all of their games to “When these guys say, ‘we away. Senior night, a tradihaven’t been on the field’ [as tion for most sports teams an excuse] I just tell them, held on the last home game ‘don’t go home and sit on the of the season, was held at the University of Tampa last Although usually held at home field, senior night was held at University of Tampa’s field this year because of repairs being done to the Xbox…go find a field. Pracoutfield. The rest of the season’s games have been changed to away. (Photo by Morgan Floyd) tice.” senior catcher Luis Vega week. said. “I admit that not getting Luckily, only the outfield is being repaired, rains, it all rushes to the outfield.” During last “[The repairs] had to be summer, there were no baseball games held so the team is still able to throw groundballs extra work on the field is messing with me, but done,” said coach Kenny White. and do bullpens, in addition to using the bat- hopefully the next few games will make us ad“Essentially, they’re fixing a mistake made because there was standing water for months.

The repairs come at the most inconvenient ting cages installed in White’s room for batting just to not having it. I mean, we’re a scrappy around three years ago, when they redid the team already. We just need to do what has to outfield,” White said. “Because the baseball time, but it was a county decision to fund the and pitching practice.

Additionally, the first several games of the be done.” field is lower than the other fields, when it renovations in mid-season.

Students Respond “After spring season their roster has stayed consistent so I think they’re going to do pretty well.”

–Jong-Min Kim, 12 “I don’t the know the statistics, but I know that they’re going to win.”

–Dylan McAleese, 9

-ing the Bar Daniel Hamilton Commentary With Spring Training over, the Tampa Bay Rays are looking to use their young talent to a major advantage this year, hopefully pushing them into the playoffs.

Last year, the Rays, after winning a play-in game for the postseason against the Texas Rangers, went to win the wild card game then lose in the American League Division Series three games to one against the Boston Red Sox. With a team led by three former rookies of the year, Jeremy Hellickson, Evan Longoria and the newest winner, Wil Myers, as well as a returning veteran, Grant Balfour, the team should be on track for another play-off season.

Personally, I think that the Rays have a definite shot at winning the American League Championship Series this year. .Their starting rotation is better than it has been in past years, but even then it was still one of the best in the American League East.

The Rays have definitely improved upon themselves from

last year. With four veteran starters, and relatively new starter Jake Odorizzi, starting pitching is not and has never been a problem.

The only issue with the Rays presents itself with the team’s offensive abilities. The Rays have consistently had problems with offense. Last year, they were averaging around 10th place in terms of offensive statistics such as batting average, runs, home runs, and runs batted in.

The additions of Ryan Hanigan, and the retendering of the contracts of James Loney and David DeJesus may help this problem.

Ryan Hanigan is a definite improvement upon the lackluster batting skills of Jose Molina. Also, with Loney and DeJesus returning the Rays seem to have a solid upper half of their lineup.

Overall, I think the Rays will make the postseason, probably as the division champions.

From there, I think that they will probably go on to win the ALDS, then lose in the ALCS, most likely at the hands of the Detroit Tigers.

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16 sports

A note to our readers: A baseball story in the February edition contained quotes that were partially or entirely fabricated. The story has been removed from our archives.

hhstoday.com | April 2014

Sports Update Baseball Record: 12-4

Tennis districts

On the line

The boys and girls tennis teams headed to the highly contested districts on April 1-2

Softball Record: 5-10

Boys Tennis Record: 10-3

Girls Tennis Record: 3-7

Boys Track and Field Places: 1st, 3rd, 9th

From left: 1. Showing off his tennis prowess, junior Abhishek Taiwade backhands the ball, keeping it from bouncing out of bounds and awarding the other team a point. 2. Keeping his eye on the ball, sophomore Hugh Nguyen finishes off his backhand swing, ready for the ball to return.(Photos courtesy of Leslie Kennard) 3.Quickly setting her feet, sophomore Rianna Alex gets into a return position, ready to backhand the ball over the net to her opponent. (Photo by Katie Frost)

Girls Track and Field Places:4th, 5th, 10th

Flag Football Record: 0-4

Track sends runners to county championships Cade McCurdy Opinion Editor The track team competed in the Hillsborough County National Division Western Conference Final to determine what runners would be moving on to the county championships on April 1 at Jefferson High School.

Eleven boys qualified for the county championship in 12 events: Long jump, triple jump, high jump, the 110 meter hurdles, the 300 meter hurdles, 100 meter dash, 400 yard dash, the 800 yard run, 4x100 yard relay, 4x400 yard relay and the 4x800 meter relay.

The girls team yielded nine qualifiers in nine events: 4x100 yard relay, 4x400 yard relay, 300 meter hurdle, the 100 meter dash, the 800 yard run, the triple jump, the long jump and discus.

Hillsborough had first place finishers in three events -- Chloe Jones won girls shot put, Xavier Byrd in boys long jump and the boys 4x800 meter relay, with a team consisting of Roberto Sanchez, Johsua Thomas, Jeanrony Jeanbaptiste and Bruce Nowell.

After practicing for over three months, 11 boys and nine girls qualified for the county championship.

(Photo by Sam Votzke)

Communication key for softball team Aleesha Mundra Photo Editor For most athletes, team building happens on the field, through bonding over exhausting drills and the sweet taste of victory.

The softball team takes a different approach. On one day, you could find the girls playing around with gumballs and spaghetti.

Strange structures are taking shape, with groups taking half-chewed, sticky, primary-colored wads of gum out of their mouths and using them to bind spaghetti strands together. The only catch?

No one can talk. The team has done other activities before, but this one in particular was more effective because it was structured to display how crucial communication is on and off the field.

Junior Abigail Bicknell said teambuilding is “supposed to help us understand what it means to trust each other and to work together to accomplish things.”

Freshman Tegan Smith said that this activity will help her to be more communicative with her teammates, a skill that she says will make her a better player overall. Coach Kristina Ravenel said that by utilizing team bonding activities the team will be more communicative. Ravenel hopes that these exercises will improve the team’s record and their confidence. Junior Jamie Bevins said “that these activities will help improve the team as a whole.”

With the goal of improving communication within the team, junior softball players Jamie Bevins (left) and Amanda Bachmann tried to build stuctures using only dry spaghetti and chewed-up gumballs without speaking to each other. (Photo by Aleesha Mundra)