Red & Black, August 2016

we’re back.

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WHAT HAPPENED IN THE WORLD OVER SUMMER? A recap of world news from the past two months | p. 2

POKÉMON GO GAINS POPULARITY ON CAMPUS New mobile app brings childhood game of Pokémon to life | p. 12

JUNIOR IAN VELIZ SETS WORLD WEIGHTLIFTING RECORD Veliz holds two world records after training for eight months | p. 15

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Red & Black

WHAT’S UP WITH THE WORLD? POLICE SHOT IN DALLAS Five Dallas police officers were killed by a lone gunman July 7 during a protest of the shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile by police.

Two civilians and seven police officers were also injured in the shooting by 25-year-old Micah Johnson. Johnson was ultimately killed by a bomb-carrying police robot after engaging officers in a shoot-out for hours from a parking garage.

In a follow-up press conference, Dallas Police Chief David Brown told the media that Johnson had said he was upset about Black Lives Matter. “He said he was upset about the recent police shootings,” Brown said. “The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.”

In response, President Barack Obama promised that justice would be served. “The pain we feel may not soon pass, but my faith tells me that [the officers] did not die in vain. I believe our sorrow can make us a better country,” Obama said in a speech at the memorial service for those killed in the shooting. “I believe our righteous anger can be transformed into more justice and more peace.”

ORLANDO NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING The deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history happened June 12 in Orlando, where 49 people were killed and 53 injured at the Pulse nightclub.

Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old Floridian, went to Pulse nightclub and opened fire. Before the attack, he called 911 and claimed allegiance to ISIS. It is thought that the attack was targeting both LGBTQ people, especially those of Latin descent, since the shooting was on Latin night.

On Aug. 5, Mateen and some of the victims’ autopsy reports were released to the public. According to the Orlando Sentinel, there were more than 200 gunshot wounds among the 49 victims who died. Although Pulse nightclub is currently closed, the club’s owners held a Latin night in late June, and have expressed a desire to memorialize the site.

STORY BY AMBER SHEMESH

STORY BY ANNIE AGUIAR

CONSECUTIVE SHOOTINGS SPARK PROTEST A video of police beating a Louisiana man caused a national outcry in July.

In the video, a 37-year- old black man named Alton Sterling is being held down on the ground at gunpoint, and is shot multiple times by officers of the Baton Rouge Police Department.

Sources say the officers were responding to a report of a man selling CDs outside of a convenience store, reportedly threatening a man with a gun.

The officers who responded to the call, Officers Howie Lake II and Blane Salamoni, tased Sterling and proceeded to force the large man onto the hood of a car, then onto the ground. While on the ground, both officers kneeled on his body, one on his arm, and the other on his chest.

In the video, both officers can be heard shouting, “He’s got a

gun! Gun!” Then Salamoni shouts, “Lake, he’s going for the gun!”

The camera pans away as three gun shots are heard. As the camera pans back, three more shots are heard. The officer who fired his gun keeps it pointed at a gunshot wound in Sterling’s chest, then reaches in and pulls a small firearm from Sterling’s pocket. Witnesses say the officers radioed for Emergency Medical Services.

The incident was captured by numerous bystanders, the store’s surveillance cameras, and officer body cameras. Videos were posted online the day after the shooting by bystander Abdullah Muflahi, and the store owner. Some witnesses say Sterling never held the gun, or threatened the officers.

The night after Sterling’s death, July 6, another case of a police shooting arose online involving a black male by the name of Phi-

lando Castile. Castile was in the car with his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds and her 4-year-old daughter when he was pulled over

by St. Anthony, Minnesota police officer Jeronimo Yanez.

According to Reynolds, Castile told Yanez he was licensed to carry a weapon and he had one in the car. “The officer said don’t move,” said Reynolds. “As he put his hands back up, the officer shot him in the arm four or five times.”

Immediately after the officer fired, Reynolds live-streamed a video, with Castile groaning in pain, to Facebook.

Twenty minutes after being shot Castile was reported dead in the emergency room of the Hennepin County Medical Center.

Castile’s funeral was held on July 14, in Minnesota. Sterling’s funeral was the day after, in Baton Rouge.

STORY BY THEONTAE WALTON

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UNITED KINGDOM LEAVES THE EU The United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union June 23. The EU is composed of 28 European countries and was originally created to permit the free movement of money, goods and people. Members of the U.K. Independence Party disagreed with these aspects of the EU. They want to control the U.K.’s border, have more business rights and be free of the EU membership fee.

The opponents of the so-called “Brexit” were the Conservative Party and Prime Minister David Cameron. They wanted to stay within the EU because they favor the single market system. As a result of the decision to leave the EU, Cameron decided to step down as prime minister.

Many economic concerns surround Brexit. According to the U.K. Treasury, the country “would be permanently poorer” by leaving the EU. Trading partners such as India and China have voiced concerns that the decision will harm more economies than just the U.K.’s. These countries, along with the U.S., invest in U.K. operations so they can have access to the free trade within the EU. Now that the U.K. has voted to leave, all of the countries that invested in the U.K. are at risk for economic downturn.

It is uncertain how long it will take for the U.K. to officially leave the EU. The UK has to negotiate its withdrawal with the other 27 members which can take more than two years. While many politicians were surprised at the referendum vote, Brexit is not set in stone.

STORY BY TEGAN SMITH

MILITARY COUP IN TURKEY

TWO ATTACKS IN FRANCE Two major terrorist attacks occurred in France this summer.

The first attack occurred on July 14 at a commemoration of the French holiday Bastille Day in Nice, and resulted in 85 deaths, including two Americans and 10 children. The attacker drove a 19-ton truck into the celebration while simultaneously firing into the crowd. The truck was ultimately damaged, forcing the driver, later identified as Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, to exit the vehicle. Bouhlel was gunned down by two police following a brief shootout.

Bouhlel left his birth country of Tunisia for France in 2005 but was not on any terrorist watch lists. Although he had a criminal record, it consisted of minor crimes including petty theft. Police suspect that he was only radicalized just prior to the attack,

Turkey recently experienced a failed coup d’etat which sought to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in order to “protect democratic order.” Carried about by major members of the Turkish military, including the Turkish chief of military staff, the coup began on July 15 with simultaneous attacks in the cities of Istanbul and Ankara.

Yildrim quickly disparaged those who were participating in the coup, stating that deadly force will be used if necessary in order to prevent the coup from being successful. Erdogan requested that those who support his presidency occupy the streets in protest of the coup. Hundreds of thousands did so, quickly crowding public spaces like the parade grounds of Istanbul throughout the duration of the coup, as well as the weeks following its conclusion.

Within 12 hours, Erdogan and his administration had regained control in the cities of Istanbul and Ankara, commissioning the arrest of over 12,000 individuals who were thought to have been involved in the coup attempt. Over 2,000 were reported dead and 2,100 wounded as a result of the coup.

Erdogan has since expressed his belief that Fethullah Gulen, a cleric and former leader of the influential Turkish AK political party who is currently exiled to Pennsylvania, was behind the coup attempt. Gulen has refuted these claims, and has criticized the coup attempt due to its potential destabilization of the Turkish government as it resists ISIS’ attempts to seize territory in the region.

Erdogan has used the coup attempt to seize additional power, declaring a three-month “state of emergency.” Erdogan has also shut down thousands of private schools and charities in his consolidation of power, asserting that those organizations are connected to Gulen.

STORY BY ANTHONY SUAREZ

around April this year. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack just two days later.

The French government responded to the attack by extending France’s state of emergency by three months; it had initially been scheduled to end on July 26 after a nightclub shooting last November. Six accomplices were later arrested by police. President Obama gave a speech shortly after the shooting, referring to it as, “… a horrific terrorist attack” and said that, “… we have offered any assistance that [France] may need to investigate this attack and bring those responsible to justice.Another terrorist attack occurred in France on July 26 when two ISIS attackers entered Église St.-Étienne, a 17th-century Normandy church. They brutally murdered an 85-year-old Reverend and, after taking hostag-

es, the pair were ultimately killed by police. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after.

The terrorists were identified as 19-year-olds Adel Kermiche and Abdel-Malik Petitjean; both were known by French officials as radicalized. Kermiche was even under house arrest when the attack occurred.

As a sign of solidarity, a large number of Muslims in France and Italy attended Catholic Masses on July 31, the Sunday following the attack.

French President Hollande called this a “vile terrorist attack” and promised to double the number of officials dedicated to French national security.

STORY BY MICHAEL STROBL

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Red & Black

HHS ADDS CAMERAS, UPS SECURITY

A seventh period AVID class sets out the goals for the year with Coordinator Jazmine Clarke | PHOTO BY KATIE DELK

AVID 1-1 OFFERS LAPTOPS

Each AVID student will receive a laptop this week to utilize in every class sources and their textbooks, are now made easily accessible to the students.

Most of all, she wants them to be prepared for the challenges ahead with as well as at home.

“The main goal is one, to provide AVID students with the potential to be college and careers. “That’s the goal: to move kids to that age where we alable to prepare them for digital citizenship in a global society,” said AVID ready are as adults, but I think it’s time for students to get there in education too,” she said. Some of the students also don’t have access teacher Jazmine Clarke. This program exists in to this technology outside of the classroom. other schools but Hillsborough is the first to per“I want everyone to buy into “This is an opportunity for them to feel like every other mit students to take the laptops home, Clarke said. this idea that education is student,” Clarke said.

AVID has recently been incorporating new More than just impacting the AVID students, Clarke programs. Since the end of last year, for example, moving toward technology.” believes it is significant for the program to spread. “I want the involvement of parents and teachers to raise an JAZMINE CLARKE to see us move school wide,” Clarke said. awareness of the impact of the program has grown.

“Right now I know the program is focused on me, beTechie Tuesdays were also created for teachers to incorporate technology in their classroom. Programs such as Near pod, cause I’m the AVID coordinator. I don’t want to be the center of the program nor do I just want my students to be the center of the program,” Clarke said.

Kahoot, Weebley, Socrative and Padlet are all utilized for this reason.

Also, the number of cohort classes, in which the AVID students trav- “I really want my teachers, the students, schoolwide, the community, I want el and take classes with one another, have increased to include all of their everyone to buy into this idea that education is moving toward technology.” classes.

STORY BY KATIE DELK “So they’re traveling like a little family together,” Clarke said.

They couldn’t be spotted in the 400 building. They viewed only some of the cafeteria and H Patio. But this year, Hillsborough isn’t just getting new students, a new schedule, and new teachers. It’s also getting new cameras.

While Hillsborough had about 25 cameras last year, the number has risen to roughly 90.

“Prior to the new cameras, we had no coverage in the stairwells, we had no coverage in the 400 hall, we had one camera in the 500 hall,” said Assistant Principal of Administration Mick Boddie.

“There were blind spots on the campus a lot of areas where kids are interacting. With camera coverage, we can now see those areas and we can supervise them. ” Cameras have been installed in every hallway, the cafeteria, the H Patio and other areas with less school security. Officer Joe Amiel said, “You know how last year we had the rush of fire alarm pulls? Probably not going to be able to do that this year.”

According to Boddie, the cameras will work well as a monitoring system, and that the additional cameras had other benefits.

“Cameras are not for the thefts or the crimes, cameras are deterrents,” Boddie said.

[Plant] has more cameras than us, but that’s because they want to keep their kids safe. It’s not a bad school thing.”

Having more cameras also aids investigations, according to the assistant principal.

When something happens in any building, the administration can use video footage to assess the truth of the claim.

“With the extra eyes,” Boddie said, “ we can provide more justice, more insight on dealing with circumstances or dealing with certain situations.”

STORY BY DENZEL PIERRE

Her main goal is to help the students flourish in their skills and be prepared. The tools Clarke says are essential to the students, such as credible

CLASS COUNCILS GET THEIR OWN CLASS Fifth period for April Fiore is leadership skills development, a class for members of class council.

The council, in past years, met after school once every week. But there were problems. “They [students] never have time after school. Some had a crew meet, some had band practice. I’d spend my whole weekend working on stuff, so I decided to quit,” Fiore continued. “It was too much, so I said I’d only do it again if I had a class period for it.”

The class was expected to have all 30 members from every council, but as of now there are only seven students in the class.

With having periods for council and Student Government, there have been many schedule complications.

“We’re juniors now, we have important classes like AP Bio fifth period,” says junior Laurie Rodriguez. Many IB students were unable to get the council period as well.

STORY BY THEONTAE WALTON

CLASS COUNCIL VS SGA CLASS COUNCIL 1. HAS A COUNCIL FOR EACH CLASS 2. RESPONSIBLE FOR EVENTS FOR THEIR OWN CLASS, INCLUDING RAISING MONEY FOR PROM AND PLANNING THE SENIOR BREAKFAST. *Students cannot participate in both at the same time

SGA 1. FOCUSES ON THE STUDENT BODY AS A WHOLE 2. SGA PLANS EVENTS SUCH AS HOMECOMING AND PARTICIPATION AT FOOTBALL GAMES

“So iur cu erexI

campus

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STORAGE WARS

Lockers cost $2 and are now available to reserve Check out hhstoday.com to see:

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P SSING PUPILS

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Aug. 19

Sophomores can buy lockers in the cafeteria during all lunches

Everyone who missed their day can buy lockers

Pricey Parking The price to park is going up. Read our story on the web to find out how much and why.

After Aug. 19

Aug. 18

Lockers will be sold in room 110, student affairs.

Freshmen can buy lockers at all lunches

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The IB pass rate of the Class of 2016 landed at 96 percent, making Hillsborough the highest scoring IB school within the district.

Despite dropping slightly from the 97 percent achieved in 2015, the school’s score managed to surpass Strawberry Crest, which scored a 94 percent pass rate, along with Robinson and King, who tied at a 95 percent pass rate.

According to Assistant Principal for Magnet Curriculum Trisha Fitzgerald, Hillsborough’s pass rate can be accredited to administration having “drilled down to what we were not accomplishing.”

The Class of 2016’s success was also attributed to many administrative moves such as revamping the extended essay process and more carefully considering student placement in IB classes.

Fitzgerald also says effort was made schoolwide to get, “refocused on rigor and content,” contributing to high IB pass rates.

STORY BY JULIANA LECHNER

GRAPHIC BY ALYSSA IERNA

BRADY’S

HANGES

Principal Gary Brady has a seemingly endless supply of inspirational quotes. Whether delivered over the intercom in the morning or via Remind, they’re always there.

However, one of his frequent quotes, emphasizing the importance of a 2.0 GPA by the end of ninth grade and increasing attendance rates, holds much more importance than many students realize.

Hillsborough received a school grade of C for this past academic year, down from a B for the 2014-15 school year.

The school received the grade based on students’ performance on EOCs for subjects such as Algebra 1, geometry and biology as well as FSA reading and writing scores.

This year, however, a new grading system was implemented. Learning gains, as they’re called, assess that each individual student makes progress from the previous year.

This new grading system negatively impacted all 27 schools in the county, according to Brady.

New as of last year, Principal Gary Brady explains his strategies to get a higher school grade

Only four were able to maintain A’s. Brady states, “There’s definitely things we need to work on… There’s no excuses, it is what it is, but to me the gains are [the most important part of it], because that’s something we can totally control.”

Though Hillsborough’s test scores decreased due to the exam scores of Algebra 1, English language arts and overall biology, there was major improvement.

Brady said gains were made in Algebra 2, geometry and U.S. History.

“There’s definitely things we need to work on … There’s no excuses, it is what it is, but to me the gains are [the most important part of it], because that’s something we can totally control.”

PRINCIPAL GARY BRADY Hillsborough was also No. 1 with AP exam pass rates in the county and led the district with the percentage of IB diplomas.

Despite the dip in grades, Brady explained the school did improve in other areas.

“We went up in three main things: attendance,

ninth grade GPA, and [number of students without] suspensions ... If kids have a 2.0 GPA, they’re here and they’re not getting suspended, then they tend to do better on those things … Those were massive improvements.”

This upcoming year, Brady says that, in addition to continuing to encouraging attendance, administration also has plans for a proactive approach to aiding the more than 450 students with a GPA below 2.0.

With 150 staff members, a plan is proposed in which each student is assigned a mentor to, “meet with on a quarterly basis to discuss grades,” according to Brady. Each staff member would be responsible for an average of three students.

Assigning students to a mentor would improve involvement and interaction between administration and students who may be struggling.

According to Brady, students with a GPA of 2.0 by the end of ninth grade have a 90 percent chance of graduating.

Teachers are also going to be helped. Brady says, “We’ve got great plans moving forward, a lot of training for teachers, a lot of feedback that I’ll be giving teachers. So we’re very close in a lot of areas … It’s something definitely doable.”

STORY BY MCKENZIE MCINTYRE

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MEET THE MAJORS Q&A

Red & Black Two new drum majors Mica Jadick and Diego Suazo respond to questions regarding their experience, goals and leadership of the band

Mica Jadick, 11

Diego iego Suazo, 12

Why did you want to become a drum major?

What made you decide to become a drum major?

“Well it started in middle school, I remember attending a high school band night and witnessed how crazy and enthusiastic they were, I told myself ‘I want to do that.’”

What do you enjoy most about being a drum major?

“I just love being able to stand up on the podium, look down, and see the whole band stand there responding back to me enthusiastically.”

“How do you distinguish yourself as drum major?

What are your long term goals for the band?

“I try to incorporate my own things into the band, I’m really into having fun and I think it’s very important, it creates more of a family atmosphere.”

“We really want the band to have a higher level of respect and pride in the band program, we want to improve communications between everybody so everything runs smoothly, we want band to be a family atmosphere.”

Have you noticed any major difference between being a regular band member and being a drum major?

How well do you and Diego work together?

“Its been great working with Diego, We understand each other, we work great together but since we are both new drum majors were still trying to figure things out, and as we work together we make mistakes but always learn from them.”

“You’re scrutinized much more, you’re a leader and people look at you. My relationships haven’t changed at all though, we’re all friendly.”

How would you like to be remembered?

“I want to be known as the one who makes things fun and exciting for the band, I want to be the fun one.”

How would you like to be remembered?

“As a drum major I want people to recognize how hard I work, I want them to recognize the things do and say ‘wow, thats my drum major, thats Mica.’”

“Funny story actually, beginning my freshman year, I didn’t really want to join band, freshman me was lazy, but I attended band camp and saw everyone having fun, I wanted to be a part of that.”

I COMPILED BY JORGE GARCIA LEFT Drum major Diego Suazo leads the band in doing the “running man” challenge for their excercise block. Excercise block is where the band does various works out to prepare their bodies for games and performances.

RIGHT Led by their drum major, Mica Jadick, the band begins to go through various warm up excercises before a three-hour practice. Jadick, who is a junior, looks forward to turning band into a family atmosphere. | PHOTOS BY MAKAYLA BROWN

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PHOTO FINISH IB seniors wear shirts specially made for the first day of school as they start the countdown until graduation

TOP LEFT Francesca Giorgianni, Shreya Dundigalla, Alaina Thomas, Victoria Ellwood, Shani Abraham and Dachel Sanchez wear matching-homemade shirts to celebrate their last-first day of school.

TOP RIGHT Seniors Lydia Bicknell and Sabrina Chang get ready to take a back-to-school picture.

BOTTOM The IB class of 2017 poses for a group picture. | PHOTOS BY AMBER SHEMESH

MATH CLUB PLANS FALL OUTREACH EVENT Mu Alpha Theta is beginning the school year with plans to host an elementary and middle school conference on Nov. 12.

Inspired by elite schools in north Florida, the team plans to work with elementary and middle schoolers to get them interested in and familiar with Mu Alpha Theta.

For the event, seniors Jakob Nicolasora, Mckenzie Gracyalny and Gaurav Rao are in the midst of writing both individual and team tests for each grade level. Tests are designed to coincide with each grade’s math curriculum and familiarize students with the style Mu Alpha Theta tests.

“People in MAO don’t go to competitions because when they first entered high school they were intimidated by not only the level of math, but the structure of the tests,” Nicolasora said. “So we just wanna make it more accessible for incoming students.”

Ultimately, “the point is to get middle schoolers interested at an early age” in hopes that they will join Mu Alpha Theta in high school, Gracyalny said.

STORY BY YESHA SHUKLA

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Red & Black

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SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW They stood in the back, along the walls, in the doorway, in the hall after the amount of empty seats in the auditorium slowly dwindled to zero. The incoming freshman class and their parents crowded the room on Open House to hear Principal Gary Brady address them for the first time two days before school started. School maps and schedules in hand, they sat and watched their new principal speak before the Big Red Band took the stage, welcoming the freshmen to high school.

In two days, students would wait in lunch lines, play games on their phone, check out textbooks.

Freshman Willow Morton would be in such a rush to get to class on her first day of high school that she would fall up the stairs.

Sophomore Adalis Moody would be repulsed by the apple juice after eating her first cafeteria meal of the year.

Seniors would gather in the parking lot before class, posing to take pictures of their last first day of school.

Each school year brings new teachers, new administrators, new students and new challenges. But some things always remain the same. The first day of school is for some the first glimpse of four years ahead and for others the start of a countdown until graduation.

But that night, in the auditorium, all the Class of 2020 could do was wait for it.

New teachers LEFT The H Patio slowly fills with students during Open House on Aug. 8. During Open House, students received their schedules and syllabus and met teachers for the first time. | PHOTO BY JACOB KIRCHHEIMER

BACK TO THE BOROUGH

TOP Students and parents speak to Spanish teacher Yamile Gonzalez on open house. Gonzalez teaches IB seniors and juniors in addition to having a sophomore homeroom. | PHOTO BY KARA RODRIGUEZ BOTTOM IB Freshmen world history and American government teacher Zaan Gast faces a line of students and parents on Open House. | PHOTO BY JACOB KIRCHHEIMER

Students return to their classes, schedules Terrier life as the school year begins. With new teachers, new administrators, a reorganization of district structure and more, the freshmen aren’t the only people new to HHS.

ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL...

Freshman ISABELLA ROMAN walked less than a block home from school.

IB SENIORS posed for a picture wearing their senior shirts.

DAVIN PHAM waited in line during lunch.

SRO JOE AMIEL and AP LARRY FULKROAD chatted while monitoring C lunch.

Senior ROCHELLE LUNDEEN only had one class on her schedule.

Junior ALEX LANKFORD played games on his phone.

GRAPHICS BY ANNIE AGUIAR, PHOTOS BY KARA RODRIGUEZ, AMBER SHEMESH AND TAYLOR JORDY

Twenty-three new people joined the Hillsborough faculty this year, filling vacant positions in multiple departments.

Three teachers are joining the IB faculty in particular after two retirements and one relocation.

Eleanor Dorta joined the IB English department after the retirement of Valerio Reynolds at the end of last year. Dorta is a Scotland native who has spent the last 29 years teaching English at every level from ESOL to IB English in Miami. After 38 years in the United States, Dorta moved to the Tampa area with her husband.

“My goal, first and foremost, is to do a good job for my IB students. I hope to maintain the high achievement level that IB students have here,” she said. “This looks like a school that has a lot of spirit, lots of history and most of all character.”

While Ashlee Palmer is new to the IB faculty, she isn’t new to Hillsborough; this is her third year teaching here after teaching traditional English and reading.

A former owner of a marketing and public relations company in Pensacola, Palmer replaces Theory of Knowledge teacher Sandra Grudic, who relocated to Palm Harbor University High in Pinellas County.

“I know that [Grudic] was very well loved and that she taught the subject for many years,” Palmer said. “I feel like her and I are going to have different teaching styles, but we have the same goal for the class and that’s to get [the students] to think.”

Like Palmer, Hillsborough isn’t that new for new intensified freshman algebra teacher Michael Welch; he’s a graduate from the Class of 2008 who majored in media production at Florida State University.

“I love the school. This is where I spent four formative years. I was a proud student to go here, so I want to keep the tradition of pride alive,” he said. “It’s like my school.”

Administrative changes In addition to the 16 new teachers, a new administrator joined the faculty.

Philip Morris, the new traditional assistant principal of curriculum, comes to Hillsborough from being an AP of Student Affairs at Wharton High School and after teaching social studies at Gaither and Middleton. Morris is the successor of Kysha Herald, who is now APC at Erwin Technical College. A native of Grand Bay, the watermelon capital of Alabama, Morris was the first person in his family to graduate from college. “[My No. 1 goal] is to show the students that I’m an advocate for them and that I’m here as a resource to help them get to the place they want to be in life,” Morris said.

Day to day, Morris works with test scores and guidance counselors to place students into the classes they will get the most from.

“We’re working with students but we’re also working closely with teachers to help them reach their full potential,” he said. “I see myself being a person that can come in and help bring about the sense of trust that students need when they need to reach out to an adult for supporting whatever way that might be.”

“I love the school. This is where I spent four formative years. I was proud as a student to go here, so I want to keep that tradition of pride alive. It’s like my school.”

MICHAEL WELCH, MATH TEACHER With new faces in the school come new goals for Brady. After a focus on culture last year, survey responses saw improvements of over 50 percent in agreement with statements like “school administrators are visible to students and faculty throughout the day” and “in this school, we take steps to solve problems.”

“We’re finding that, now we need to see a correlation between [culture improvements] and how the kids perform on tests,” Brady said. “We need to get our graduation rate higher; we were at 76 percent last year. We certainly eventually want to have a 100, but we have to get to 80 first. We really see that connection between the kids coming to school, not getting in trouble, maintaining that GPA and then getting where we want them.”

The last first For some seniors like Hanna Seligman, the last first day of school was exciting; “I was kind of excited [on the first day of school],” she said. “I know that the end is near.”

For senior Dominique Dixon, it wasn’t anything special: “it just felt like a regular day.”

But at the end of that day at least one thing was the same for every student, be them freshmen or seniors: 179 more days to go.

STORY BY ANNIE AGUIAR ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MERCY TSAY

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RED&BLACK VOLUME 118, ISSUE 1

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Annie Aguiar, Bianca Cegatte WEB EDITOR Amber Shemesh DEPUTY WEB EDITORS Alyssa Ierna, Maddie Dhondt WRITING COACH Denzel Pierre PAGE EDITORS Madison Forbis, Jorge Garcia, Matt Lutton, Yesha Shukla, Tegan Smith, Michael Strobl, Anthony Suarez, Theontae Walton STAFF WRITERS Juliana Althaus, Makayla Brown, Katie Delk, Gaby Fernandez, Jubilee Gonzalez, Carolin Hearne, Lauren Komar, Juliana Lechner, McKenzie McIntyre, Varun Puri, Fernando Rosas, Atiya Simmons, Bre’Asjia Thornton, Mercy Tsay, Moryah Wells ADVISERS Joe Humphrey, MJE Jill Burns, MJE PRINCIPAL Gary Brady ABOUT Content decisions are made by student editors Red & Black belongs to the Florida, National, and Columbia Scholastic press associations AWARDS 2015-2016 FSPA All-Florida 2015-2016 NSPA All-American 2015-2016 4x NSPA Best of Show awards The EDITORIAL reflects the view of student editors and can be found in the opinion section.

Bylined COLUMNS represent the viewpoints of their authors.

We welcome your LETTERS, which may be edited for brevity and clarity.

Submit via email, deliver to Room 506 or mail to Red & Black, 5000 N. Central Ave, Tampa, Fl 33603.

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opinion

Red & Black

A CALL FOR MORE

Principal Gary Brady’s announcement that the clinic bathroom is gender-neutral is a push in the right direction, but it’s not enough — we need more At freshman orientation, Principal Gary Brady announced to students and teachers that Hillsborough has a specially designated gender neutral bathroom in the clinic.

Hillsborough is following President Barack Obama administration’s directive from this summer about how students should be allowed to use the restroom they identify with, which he defended at a town hall event broadcast by the PBS television network.

“What happened and what continues to happen is you have transgender kids in schools. And they get bullied. And they get ostracized. And it’s tough for them,” Obama said.

This is a step forward for the country and, similarly, a push in the right direction for our school. According to Brady, administration hope that announcing that the clinic bathroom is a “universal bathroom will “allow anyone who has any anxiety about using any restrooms feel safe.”

This does raise the question, however, if we are truly doing everything we can to ameliorate the issue or if we are simply using the already gender-neutral (and hard to access) bathroom as a way of curving Obama’s directive.

Just having one gender neutral bathroom simply isn’t effective. If a student on the third floor needs to use the bathroom, asking them to walk two floors down, use the bathroom, and walk two floors back up is impractical. It cuts into class time, making instruction less effective for students.

Every minute spent out of class is a minute that a student’s education suffers. The current

setup inherently causes transgender and gender nonconforming students to choose between their identity and their education — a difficult decision most students don’t have to face.

According to a 2013 national survey from the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, LGBT students are less likely to plan to go to college and more likely to have a lower GPA. We need resources to reduce this statistic, and only one gender neutral bathroom will not suffice.

Furthermore, the bathroom in the clinic has always been non-gendered; it’s like putting new wrapping on an old gift. Brady’s announcement has simply “brought awareness’” In reality, Hillsborough can and should do more.

By standing in front of this new batch of parents and students and declaring the gender neutral bathroom, Brady and administration have finally acknowledged the needs of marginalized genders. But mere acknowledgment isn’t enough — it isn’t news and it’s not changing anything.

His announcement only helps place our school in a new light — making us seem more progressive than we actually are.

If we really want to make a change — if we really want to uphold the progressive reputation that we claim to have - then let’s call for action.

The gender neutral bathroom in the clinic should be the first of many. Remodeling the school isn’t really an option; our historic architecture is difficult to carve into and create new spaces in.

Therefore, the most practical solution is to

designate all second floor bathrooms in the main building as gender neutral. That way students can easily access a bathroom from any floor, and their education isn’t as interrupted. For students in the 500 hall, they can access the bathroom near the media center since it is already designated as gender neutral.

Our focus shouldn’t be on appearances, such as that of a progressive school. Although our reputation is important because it’s a large factor in how successful our school is, we aren’t saving any lives by applying a new coat of paint to the Big Red. “Raising awareness” isn’t tantamount to actually doing something. That simply isn’t acceptable in this context. According to the Youth Suicide Prevention Program, over half of transgender youth will have had at least one suicide attempt before they turn 20. These students are in need of support from their families, their friends and their schools. ‘Raising awareness’ is by no means enough.

Hillsborough High School should be a place where people of all gender and orientations should feel welcome and by announcing that we have, and always had, a gender-neutral bathroom in the clinic, we have publicly taken a stand on the controversial issue -- something to be proud of. By having a designated gender-neutral bathroom, HHS finally acknowledged the needs of our students. However, to truly accept and support them, the administration cannot be stop here -- we are in need of further action.

A STEP TOWARDS TRUE REPRESENTATION It took the Emmys almost 70 years to give people of c color the acknowledgment they deserve and for the first time in all its history, actors of color have been nomt inated in all six leading actor categories for the 2016 in COLUMN BY awards.

BIANCA This is groundbreaking news because just this year CEGATTE during the 2016 Academy Awards, no actors of color were nominated and, in response, host Chris Rock delivered a monologue about racism in Hollywood.

His comedic technique at facing the issue was brilliantly – uncomfortable. And even more so, was Jada Pinkett Smith’s boycott against the award show, which she announced on Twitter and in a video, where she explained her refusal to attend, calling for other actors to join her.

This was the second year that the Oscars lacked people of color in their nominations and, although watching white actors in the room nervously laugh at Rock’s jokes just moments before graciously accept-

ing their awards was cringe-worthy, it did push forward conversation as #OscarsSoWhite began trending on Twitter and discussions about black representation in films and television shows were sparked.

The movement has proven to be successful as the Emmys promote diversity in award shows for the second year in a row, this time with almost 25% of their nominations. Actors of color were represented in 18 of the major 73 acting nominations in the categories of lead and supporting performers in drama, comedy, and limited series.

Even more rewarding, first-time nominee Rami Malek was nominated for lead actor in a drama, a category that was entirely white in 2015.

Also, “Black-ish” Tracee Ellis Ross was nominated for lead actress for a comedy — another all-white nomination last year.

It’s important to remember that we aren’t finished. The Emmys haven’t quite yet represented America’s diversity, but every accomplishment should be celebrated and we are closer than ever with this year’s Emmys award show.

life

hhstoday.com

August 2016

11

PRESIDENTS WITH A VISION

SGA presidents junior Gaby Fernandez and senior Marlee Linnell decorate doors in the 500 hall. They hope to fight divisions between the IB and traditional student bodies. | PHOTO BY TAYLOR JORDY

SGA’s co-presidents Gaby Fernandez and Marlee Linnell start the year as equals, aiming to unite Hillsborough’s population across dividing lines Hours of practice, writing and rewriting lyrics, at least 20 takes, and a lot of editing all led to this. Junior Gaby Fernandez and senior Marlee Linnell stood on the H Patio in front of the camera, waiting to lip sync to their version of the viral video, the Petty Cheer.

The song began as Fernandez and Linnell sung their campaign motto: “OK, Terriers, now let’s get in formation!”

The video, which has 433 views, was a campaign strategy that in part won Fernandez and Linnell the election last year.

“Perfect wasn’t our goal; fun and dorky was,” Fernandez said. “I think it was a success because the original video was going viral at the time and ours was a spin off on the original, making the student body relate to us and it gave them a feel for who we are as people and who we will be as their president and vice president.”

As president and vice president of the Student Government Association, Fernandez and Linnell want to get the school in formation.

Fernandez and Linnell are succeeding 2016 graduate Amber Pirson and current senior Veronica Ortiz. The two ran against Ortiz and John Lawrence last year and won after releasing their Petty campaign video.

“I’d say that my biggest accomplishment last year was the Disney Leadership Conference,” Fernandez said. “When you put so much work into something and then you hear people give good comeback on what you did, it is one of the most rewarding feelings ever.”

Linnell became part of SGA due to the encouragement of a friend. However, she came into her first interview scared and not knowing what to expect but in the end, enjoys being a part of something bigger than herself. “I liked having the

ability to positively influence the school and listen to the students, and make events and change stuff the school wanted to see,” she said.

As president and vice president, Fernandez and Linnell work alongside a team of students and the sponsor, Samantha Wallace.

“Newer, fresher ideas is what it is really about,” Wallace said.

According to Fernandez, a traditional junior, and Linnell, an IB senior, the divide between Hillsborough’s student population needs to end.

Making HHS a family “I want Hillsborough to be more of a family and I want people to respect each other a lot more and I think through school spirit and school involvement that will follow through,” Linnell said.

They also plan to create events such as a homecoming for the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) students, to promote students being active.

One of the SGA’s major goals for Hillsborough this year is to bring the diverse student body and the administration together.

Starting this year to further reflect the student’s needs, a new position, possibly with the name Speaker of the House, will have town halls to give students a voice and to represent more than just SGA’s ideas of what the school needs.

The new position will allow “a more community based system because as we know, as a democratic system, you want to hear from the majority anyway, not just the executive branch,” Wallace said. “So coming down and making sure that there is more voting happening and that we are running an organization that is democratic and follows what we’re trying to teach our students anyway, how to be productive citizens.”

Fernandez and Linnell aim to guide students

to realize their potential and to carry this with them. “That’s my goal, making people feel special and that they’re not the only ones in different situations,” Fernandez said. “I want people to leave Hillsborough feeling like they are somebody.”

Through Fernandez’s and Linnell’s leadership positions, they hope to make a change in the school to encourage Terrier pride. “I hope that the events SGA puts on and the messages we put out will inspire Terriers to have school spirit, to come to class, to show up to events,” Linnell said.

“If we have the opportunity to have the power to make change and to put these ideas into play, then we’d be stupid not to take it.”

Fernandez and Linnell have similar goals for the year, and according to them, this helps make the partnership easier. “The stuff we did during campaign season and the election wasn’t the easiest time, but I think our ability to support each other has been great,” Linnell said.

To them, it’s not president and vice president.

In everything but title, the girls say they consider each other equals. “We do everything together,” Fernandez said.

“When I see her doing great things, I’m like, man I want to do more great things and she definitely inspires me to be a better leader,” Linnell said. “I love the teamwork we have.”

Fernandez plans to foster diversity among the student body. “I love being able to talk to so many different types of people,” Fernandez said. “You don’t know what somebody’s thinking; you can’t judge someone based on what they’re wearing or you don’t know everybody’s strengths, you don’t know everyone’s past because you’re not with them.”

“I hope to lead the student government that will make a positive impact on the school,” Lin-

nell said. “I never want it to be just me, I want to be the one inspiring other people to make the change.”

The next step Both Fernandez and Linnell plan to pursue careers in the medical field. Linnell wants to go to college in North Carolina because she likes schools such as UNC Chapel Hill or Duke University. “I want to pursue something medical, probably pediatric medicine,” Linnell said. “SGA will be critical for my future and I’ve gained valuable amounts of lessons in leadership and teamwork from that.”

Fernandez wants to follow in the footsteps of her mother, who is in nursing school. Family is a real drive for Fernandez, who wants to attend Florida State University with her brother, 2016 valedictorian Adrian. “I hope to join student government because it’s a really big school and getting involved with a niche like that and getting involved looks really nice,” Fernandez said. “It’s just one of my goals because I love being involved.”

After college, Fernandez wants to send her children to Hillsborough, just like her parents did.

“When I was a little kid I went to preschool at Hillsborough in the Tiny Terriers program so I’ve been a tiny terrier since birth,” Fernandez said.

She would love for her kids to also join SGA, but she says it is their decision whether or not.

“SGA has helped me grow as a leader and an individual,” Fernandez said. “I have learned how to interact with people of all ages and backgrounds and take the initiative of being a leader in everything I do, in and out of school.”

STORY BY KATIE DELK

12

life

August 2016

READY, SET,

Red & Black

POKÉMON OH NO

Check out hhstoday.com to see:

This summer, a new app called ‘Pokémon Go’ grew in popularity as students all over the world left their homes and began their hunt for the rarest Pokémon, in an attempt to be “the very best.” Here’s a quick recap of how far the game has come since its release on July 6.

3 THINGS I WISH I KNEW ABOUT POKÉMON GO BEFORE PLAYING IT

Harry Potter is a no-go Did you hear a Harry Potter version of Pokémon Go is in the making? That may be a flop. Read our story on the web to find out.

Add us on Snapchat and Twitter @hhstodayonline

You can choose Pikachu as a starter Pokémon When the original trio of Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle appear, choose to run. Supposedly, after the fourth time you run away, the game will get the hint and offer you pikachu.

The size of the ring matters If you’re running out of pokeballs in your attempt to be the very best, try tossing the pokeball when the ring around the Pokémon is at its smallest circumference. BUT, your ball still has to land inside the ring — so, only worry about this with higher level Pokémon that escape your pokeball.

WHICH TEAM RULES THE SCHOOL? “Team Mystic because it’s lit, red is basic and yellow just tries too hard.”

-Johnathan Estevez, 12

When battling, there are actual battle moves Once you’re in the arena with the currently dominant Pokémon, you have three moves. You can tap your screen as fast as you can to perform rapid basic attacks, until the blue boxes fill up. Once they’re filled up, tap and hold for the special attack. You can also swipe across the screen to dodge the opponent’s attack. Remember that this is still like a rock, paper, scissors game: fire beats grass, water beats fire and etc.

STORY BY BIANCA CEGATTE

TEAM VALOR

29% 52%

TEAM INSTINCT 19%

TEAM MYSTIC *based on a twitter poll from @hhstodayonline with 73 responses

“[Team Valor] is the most logical because.. it’s the only one who was like ‘we’re going to train our Pokémon’.”

-Matthew Sain , 11 “Team Instinct just because there’s always Valor and Mystic gyms and it’s fun to take a gym and make it a different color.”

-Tyler Barat, 11

GRAPHICS BY BIANCA CEGATTE

Pokémon Go has received national attention — in more than one way.

On one end, it has captured the imaginations of nostalgic fans who are now able to catch their own Pokémon. On the other, it has made headlines, resulting in car crashes, robberies and even murder.

Sisters senior Maggie Kratzer and freshman Sheila have firsthand experience with the dangers of Pokémon Go. While Maggie was driving, Sheila gave her directions to the elusive Pikachu.

The game claimed he was only three steps away, so Sheila directed Maggie to turn left.

As Maggie turned the wheel, she nearly missed sight of the car coming her way.

“I got so caught up in the game and just wanted to catch the Pikachu,” Maggie said.

She ended up being able to avoid a collision and the siblings were safe; however, not everyone is as lucky. A controversial aspect of the game allows users to place a “lure” on a PokéStop. This is supposed to promise users a higher probability of finding Pokémon in the area. However, this feature has already been abused by people who have used lures to entice players to remote areas and rob them at gunpoint.

Yet another issue with PokéStops is the location they’ve been placed in.

Some PokéStops, such as a California rehab center with recovering sex offenders, pose a threat to the safety of the younger gamers. In an attempt to resolve such issues, states, such as New York, have decided to ban sex offenders from playing Pokémon Go. This is, specifically, in response to incidents in which players have lured gamers to certain locations for malicious purposes.

On Aug. 6, Calvin Riley, a 20-year-old baseball player, was shot and killed while playing Pokémon Go with his friends in Aquatic Park, San Francisco.

The incident has prompted national awareness to the dangers of the game as tragic incidents related to Pokémon Go continue to make headlines.

STORY BY TEGAN SMITH

NINTENDO DID NOT MAKE POKÉMON GO Pokémon Go may look like Nintendo has came, saw and conquered mobile gaming apps, but it’s not made

by Nintendo at all.

A company called Niantic has been allowed to use the Pokémon label such as names and character design. It created its own gameplay for Pokémon Go from its other VR game called Ingress. The Pokémon part of Pokémon Go is essentially a blanket of graphics Nintendo gave Niantic the rights to use, covering the original logistics of Ingress.

The idea for the game was originally a 2014 Google April Fools joke that Niantic saw as an opportunity for an actual game, using it to approach The Pokémon Company.

Naturally, Nintendo should be getting a whole lot of money — 125 million in the first month according to CNBC. And although Nintendo is also making money off of it, it’s just not as much as Apple or Android which have a 30 percent cut. Nintendo only owns one third of “The Pokémon Company” shared with Game Freak and Creatures. So, the involvement of Nintendo in Pokémon Go is actually a small fraction.

According to Forbes, investors have realized that Pokémon Go isn’t doing much to help the company like the Wii did, which may be why, according to Google, whose stock is 18 percent.

Pokémon Go isn’t an act of Nintendo getting into apps and taking over mobile gaming. Before now, Nintendo hasn’t been ca-

tering to the desires of their fanbase. They’ve been sticking with consoles like Wii and Wii-U instead of moving to mobile apps that rake in a lot of cash like CandyCrush.

Hopefully, Pokémon Go has inspired Nintendo to start catering more to what their fans want as they have announced the mobile versions of Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing, but will be working with mobile game developer DeNa, not Niantic.

But in true honesty, Nintendo’s part in the making of Pokémon Go is no more than a pretty cherry on top of something that already existed.

STORY BY ALYSSA IERNA

entertainment

hhstoday.com

August 2016

13

SUICIDE SQUAD ENTERTAINS DESPITE BAD REVIEWS

comic

Watching this movie is like watching a comic book come to life, and nowhere is that more evident than with the cast. They look exactly like the characters they’ve been tasked with portraying, and capture the spirit of the characters as well.

Will Smith brings the hitman Deadshot to life while maintaining the charm that Smith is known for. His concern for his daughter is touching, and Smith nails the comedic lines his character is given.

Margot Robbie plays an excellent Harley Quinn; she captures the fun and danger of the

Compelling characterization Director David Ayer’s script is full of fun action and character moments. Because these characters are so obscure, the first third of the movie is devoted solely to introducing them all; it does so in chapters that explain each Squad member’s history and personality.

These introduction scenes are easily the highlight of the film.

Although the subject matter presented in this movie is just as dark as that of “Batman v.

Superman,” “Suicide Squad” definitely has more life and color. Ayer represents each character’s distinct personality with perfection, really capturing the spirit of each character throughout the film.

While some Squad members definitely receive more emphasis than others (Deadshot and Harley get the most focus), every member has a distinctive trait that makes them unforgettable.

Not perfect, but close “Suicide Squad” is not without faults. It has some choppy transitions between scenes and also removes much of the abuse that has always been a tenet of the interaction between Joker and Harley Quinn. Once Dr. Harleen Quinzel

A

gives into her desire and becomes Harley Quinn, their pairing is treated as an equal partnership rather than an abusive relationship dominated by the Joker. Also, during the character introduction scenes, “fun facts” about each character appear on the screen but disappear too quickly to be fully read. This can be somewhat frustrating for those hoping to catch every Easter Egg in “Suicide Squad,” but the information these snippets provide is not essential to the film.

Considering the sheer entertainment value that this movie provides, these are forgivable shortcomings. No film can be absolutely perfect.

Although this is a movie intended for DC fans, it’s hard to believe anyone wouldn’t have a blast watching “Suicide Squad.” Although it has a few problems, “Suicide Squad” more than makes up for them with sheer entertainment value. “Suicide Squad” is far superior to the lackluster “Batman v. Superman” and is a definite step in the right direction for DC and Warner Bros.

J

J

J O K E R

A live-action book

character perfectly. Harley’s emotional conflicts, bubbly personality and surprising level of danger make for a difficult combination, but Robbie pulls it off without a hitch.

Finally, Jared Leto is an ideal Joker. Although he’s only in the movie for about 10 minutes, Leto steals every one of his scenes and pairs excellently with Robbie. His Joker is unsettling but still energetic and charismatic, the hallmarks of a great Joker.

A

J O K E R

Don’t believe the reviews.

Ask anyone who’s approached it as a fan, and they’ll tell you that “Suicide Squad” is, without question, one the most entertaining and enjoyable movies ever made. Will it win any Oscars? Probably not. With that being said, it’s impossible to have more fun than you’ll have watching “Suicide Squad.”

An energetic and passionate cast and an engaging script come together to create one of the best summer movies ever released in theaters.

REVIEW BY MICHAEL STROBL

PETE’S DRAGON CHARMS VIEWERS THROUGH FRIENDSHIP, FUN AND FANTASY No, I did not cry over this movie. Because it’s a movie for small kids and can’t be that good anyway, right?

Nope. I cried like a baby.

I’ll admit, I went into “Pete’s Dragon” thinking it would be terrible. Maybe I still had a bad taste in my mouth about children’s movies

from “the B.F.G.,” but the “Pete’s Dragon” trailer definitely didn’t make this movie seem like something a teenager would like.

But it was actually the best film I’ve seen all year.

The plot is fairly simple: a young boy named Pete lives in the woods with his friend, who happens to be a dragon named Elliot.

They live a happy life together until Pete is spotted by a girl his own age, Natalie (Oona Laurence) and a park ranger named Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard). Pete and Elliot are separated and, after Elliot is spotted, some of the locals go on a stereotypic monster hunt. The story follows Pete and Elliot as they try to find each other again, learning some things along the way.

The plot isn’t what makes this movie so heartwarming to watch, though.

The characters are. Even from the first scene in the movie, you can’t help but smile at the pure joy Pete represents and the kindness of the supporting characters.

Not to mention that Elliot is the cutest, sweet-

est dragon I have ever seen.

We’re talking hour-long-puppy-plays-with-baby-video levels of sweet. A dragon that chases its own tail kind of sweet.

Most of the scenes with he and Pete share made me want to cry with happiness.

That’s not to say the movie wasn’t also heart-wrenching. Pete’s backstory, as well as Elliot’s struggle to reunite with him while evading hunters made me want to cry with sadness.

But that sadness serves a purpose. It seems to say that all things, even those that hurt the most, have meaning.

Scenes near the end had me sitting in the back of the theater crying and philosophizing about life thanks to a movie intended for kids half my age.

This movie was not at all what I expected; it was so much better. If you have some extra time and can ignore the third-grade birthday party that will be there, “Pete’s Dragon” is beyond worth a watch.

REVIEW BY MADISON FORBIS GRAPHICS BY MICHAEL STROBL

14

August 2016

entertainment

SUMMER OF SOUND

Red & Black

Students share photos from their favorite concerts from over the summer in the Tampa and St. Petersburg area

LEFT Snoop Dogg and Wiz Kalifha keep the crowd of 12,000 dancing. | CONTRIBUTED BY DOAN VY VU CENTER TOP Pierce The Veil rocks out the stage at Vans Warped Tour. | CONTRIBUTED BY CAROLINE MORENO CENTER BOTTOM Panic! At The Disco excites the crowd by adding fireworks to the performance.

RIGHT Kat Bowers, Emily Quin, Tiffany Nguyen and Serena Jonas gather for a photo at the Weezer concert. | CONTRIBUTED BY KAT BOWERS

HIGHLY ANTICIPATED CONCERTS COMING TO TAMPA Grammy nominees Drake, Fifth Harmony continue tours making stops at the Tampa MidFlorida Credit Union phitheatre and Amalie Arena

Drake: Summer Sixteen Tour

Fifth Harmony: The 7/27 Tour The Members of pop sensation group, Fifth Harmony, are coming to Tampa’s MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater.

The five-piece group, Ally Brooke, Dinah Jane, Camila Cabello, Normani Kordei and Lauren Jauregui, are expected to draw crowds from all across the Bay to come see them perform their hit songs “Worth It” and “Work from Home.”

Their album, 7/27, of which they are currently on tour for, is named after the date the girls formed their group on the TV show “The X Factor” back in 2012.

Tickets are still available for their concert averaging from $24 to $600 a ticket.

Fifth Harmony will be arriving in Tampa on Aug. 25.

STORY BY FERNANDO ROSAS

There was a time when he was known for a role on the Canadian TV show, “Degrassi”. Now, rap superstar Drake Graham will be performing at the Amalie Arena on Aug. 27.

While Drake has been to Tampa a few times before, he will now be performing at the Amalie Arena on his Summer Sixteen tour featuring fellow rapper Future.

Drake released the album, “Views” on April 29 — and it shot to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and remained there for three months.

It included hit songs such as “Controlla”, “Pop Style”, “One Dance”, “Hotline Bling” and “Too Good”.

Drake fan Ria Dey has tickets to the concert. “The fact that I get to be in the same room as [Drake], and Future is literally such a blessing,” said Dey, a sophomore.

“Because they’re both great performers.”

Fans like Dey wait until they are finally able to see Drake in person.

STORY BY LAUREN KOMAR PHOTOS FROM CREATIVE COMMONS

sports

hhstoday.com

CREW TEAM FINDS A NEW HOME They’re knee deep in water as they pull their boats to dry land. They carry them a few meters up an incline to a fenced in area containing racks where several boats are placed. There is no roof to cover them, allowing the sun’s harmful rays to slowly damage the boats. This is what the crew team’s new home looks like.

The crew team has been forced to move to a new boathouse. “We needed to find a new location immediately because these type of things usually take a long time. It could be closed for at least 2-3 years,” crew coach Jesse Tate said.

Their new location, Rivercrest Park, is less

than a mile away from Hillsborough. The boathouse, which is still in development, is shared by three schools: Hillsborough, The Academy of the Holy Names and Berkeley Prep. Most of the responsibilities fall on Hillsborough, as they are the ones in charge of keeping things clean and making sure everything is locked up.

Their new boathouse seems to be an improvement from their previous location. The rent is cheaper, it has cleaner water and it is less crowded.

However, they have no dock. The crew team is forced to get into water a little bit past their knees.

August 2016

15

The crew team has a “land day” at their new boathouse located in Rivercrest Park. They run, erg and do workouts similar to cross fit. | PHOTOS BY HARMONY TARPEIN

Junior Rafa Carrion recalls the first time he had to wet dock. “I’m not too fond of it,” he said. “The first time I went in the water I cut my feet on some rocks. I’m just eager for a dock to be built.”

The crew team has made it their primary goal to build a dock and are currently raising money for its construction.

The cost will be shared between all three schools. In the meantime, they plan on using a portable dock that’s easy to dismantle and put away.

Overall, Tate has high hopes for their new location. According to Tate they are planning

to make Rivercrest Park their permanent home.

They hope the proximity to the school will help parents pick up their children, allow team members to get to practice on time after school and attract new recruits. “I have high hopes for this boathouse,” Tate said. “It will definitely be an improvement.”

The crew team will be holding a dedication ceremony to the new boathouse on Aug. 20 at Rivercrest Park with food trucks and barbecue.

All proceeds will go towards the construction of the new dock.

STORY BY JORGE GARCIA

JUNIOR SETS WORLD RECORD Most high school students probably aren’t breaking any records related to their sport, certainly not any records of the global variety.

At least, that’s what one would assume.

However, junior Ian Veliz’s accomplishments in competitive weightlifting after only eight months of training refute this assumption. Standing approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall and, as he put it, with a “walking around” weight of 122 pounds, one would never guess that Veliz is capable of deadlifting nearly three times his body weight. Eight months ago, Veliz had never lifted before. His brother-in-law motivated him to begin weightlifting.

Today, Veliz holds the world record for a combined deadlift of 358 pounds and a 350 pound squat in his weight class. No one, even Veliz himself, could have foreseen himself being at this ranking in such a short amount of time. As Veliz points out, when he began his training less than a few months ago he was lifting an “embarassing” amount of weight, using just the bar (45 pounds) when benching, two 45 pound plates plus the bar (135 pounds total) on the deadlift, and two five pound plates plus the bar (55 pounds total) when

squatting.

Veliz’s success has not come without hard work and dedication.

He spends three hours a day, six days a week training.

Four days before a competition, Veliz will “water load,” drinking at least a gallon and a half a day. Two days before, he’ll cease to eat anything, and one day before he will go completely without water, all in the interest of weighing in at 114 pounds, his competition weight.

After attending weigh-in the day before a competition, Veliz will “eat good” in order to gain back that lost weight. Veliz points out, “You could be weighing in at 114 pounds and competing at 125 pounds.”

Despite already achieving things that some professional weightlifters never do, Veliz’s ambitions know no bounds.

He plans to compete at a world weightlifting competition in two months, where he will attempt to break his weight class record for a triad of lifts, the deadlift, squat and bench press.

Although weightlifting is a huge part of his life, Veliz continues

Ian Veliz strains to lift 225 pounds. CONTRIBUTED BY JOHN VELIZ to attend school regularly and has yet to let weightlifting seriously interfere with his academics.

However, he does admit, “Weightlifting is what I’m thinking about when I’m at school.”

STORY BY ANTHONY SUAREZ

16

sports

August 2016

Red & Black

NEW QB IMPRESSES TEAMMATES

LEFT Junior cornerback Ken Montgomery cuts hard during a scrimmage on Friday. | PHOTO BY MORYAH WELLS TOP Senior defensive end Zach Carter, a Florida commit, chases down a ball carrier to make a tackle.| PHOTO BY GABY FERNANDEZ BOTTOM Senior running back Duran Bell, a USF commit, follows the ball during the scrimmage. | PHOTO BY GABY FERNANDEZ

TERRIERS TOP CHARTS Three football players were recognized in the Tampa Bay Times’ Hometeam 100, an annual list of the top players in the area.

Junior Ken Montgomery was ranked 48th, senior Duran Bell was 39th and senior Zach Carter was third.

Carter, a defensive end and Florida commit, finished last season with 76 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Carter is widely regarded as a top recruit, and his third place ranking was no surprise. “It really means a lot, because when I came into high school, I didn’t even know if I was going to be good at football or not,” Carter said. “It means a lot to me and it makes me want to work harder. “ “He’s not the normal defensive end,” Montgomery told the Tampa Bay Times.

“He can catch, he’s quick, he’s fast and he knows how to use his hands swiftly to get the ball. He can line up anywhere on the field and destroy his opponent.”

Montgomery is also a top defensive

prospect who recorded 21 tackles and two interceptions in seven games played as a sophomore last year. Montgomery also had 79 yards on five completions as a wide receiver for the Terriers. “It took a lot of hard work,” Montgomery said. “A lot of hard work when nobody’s looking.” Montgomery’s recruitment has blown up since the end of last season; the cornerback has received offers from many top Division 1 schools.

Montgomery and Carter lead a talented defense that seems poised to make a statement early this year. “Our defense is deadly,” senior Armand Chalk said. “We’re all strong, we fly around to the ball, we know our positions so everybody knows where they’re supposed to be, and we fit the puzzle pieces to each other.”

On the other side of the ball, the offense, led by Bell, hopes to score more than the 1.1 touchdowns a game it did last year.

“I’ve been working in the offseason on my

Bay area’s best football players names 3 Terriers

knees, my ankles, my hips, everything to keep myself strong and healthy and to have a great season,” Bell, the team’s top running back, said. “I want to be able to produce for my team.”

Bell was fairly surprised by his high ranking the Hometeam 100. “I wasn’t expecting to be ranked as high as I was because I had a not so good season last year,” Bell said. “I really appreciate it, and it means a whole lot to me and my family.” Bell finished last season with 592 yards and three touchdowns on 99 carries.

Last year’s 4-6 finish, a rare losing season for long-time head coach Earl Garcia, contributes to this year’s team’s hunger for a playoff appearance. “That’s not Hillsborough football,” Carter said about last season. “We have something to prove.”

STORY BY MATT LUTTON

He might have only been on the team since the middle of last year, but sophomore quarterback Tyler Thomas is a young rising star on the varsity football team. Thomas left Blake High School after his first semester last year and enrolled at Hillsborough.

Thomas has a long history with football. “I started when I was 3,” Thomas said. “I used to go to the park [and] throw, catch, and run with my Dad, but I didn’t play organized football until I was 9.”

Thomas’s dad, who played semi-pro football, started teaching Thomas at a young age and is Thomas’s biggest inspiration. “I just love to watch him play, and I just love how he dominated.” Thomas said “he’s a great mentor.”

In Thomas’s one semester at Blake, he didn’t play on the football team, but coaches saw his potential as soon as he came to Hillsborough. “He has done very well last year and this summer,” head coach Earl Garcia said. “Tyler is very athletic, a hard worker, comes from a good family, and is very bright.”

Both coaches had nothing bad to say about Thomas. “His potential is through the roof,” said assistant coach Jimmy Sapp, “so we got high hopes for Tyler this year.”

Being an underclassmen in a crucial position, such as quarterback, can be tough, but Thomas’s teammates and coaches say he will really be beneficial to the team. As of right now, senior Caleb Youngblood will continue to be the starting quarterback, partly due to Thomas’s body cramps that led him to be briefly hospitalized after practice last Thursday. Thomas was released shortly thereafter, attributing his cramps largely to dehydration. Once Thomas regains his health, he will likely start and split time with Youngblood, who took over the starting job last year after Lawrence Dawsey suffered an injury “He’s a great player and a great teammate,” said Youngblood. “Becoming the starting quarterback is a big job for him, but I think he can overcome it.”

“He will bring a lot of success,” said teammate Venet Desir. “He’s encouraging, has good work ethic, [and] he is a good leader.”

According to Thomas, being on the varsity football team is “really a dream come true.” “It was difficult at first,” he said. “I had to adjust to a faster game and a new system, but other than that it’s great. I have great teammates and great coaches that’ll make sure I’ll be ready to lead the team.”

STORY BY LAUREN KOMAR