Red & Black

Florida’s first high school newspaper  Hillsborough High School  5000 N. Central Ave. Tampa, Fla. 33603  Volume 113, No. 4  February 2013

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www.hhstoday.com

Briefly

February 2013

Band marches at Knight Parade Clockwise from left: Drum line practices in the holding pen, Derek Otis (sophomore) practices bass clarinet, sophomores Marina Klicker and Karielys Delgado accompany each other with flute and clarinet to “Let’s Go.” (Photos by Ivy Bennett-Ford.)

Cosmetology students place at SkillsUSA Cosmetology students recently went to SkillsUSA at PTECA. Trish Miller, the cosmetology teacher, said she sent her best students to show off their knowledge. Senior Alexis Gonzalez won first place in Extemporaneus Speaking. Although this does not have to do with cosmotology directly, the category quizzes each

Grad Bash anticipation rises The Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks will be available solely to the Class of 2013 from all around the state of Florida on Saturday, May 4. After the park has closed that night it will reopen solely for Grad Bash. A charter bus will take seniors there and back with their chaperones. Students should also adhere to the school dress code while at the park. Throughout the park there will be designated fun zones like “dance zones” or

“karaoke zones.” Pitbull will also be performing. It has been suggested that during his performance, lines for rides will be the shortest. Senior sponsor April Fiore said, “Even the teachers have a good time. This is one and only event where I have a waiting list of chaperones that want to help.” Currently, 162 seniors are on the roster. Only about 40 spots are left. Tickets are $100 and available in Room 534. -Nadiya Fakhar

Exam exemption requirements Students may not miss more than five days in any class or have any out of school suspensions (OSS). Day 1 and Day 2 does not factor into which exams IB

students can exempt. Senior Eva Hall said, “I used to miss every Monday, now I’ve only missed two days.” -Jodeja Chisholm

participant on knowledge of the field. Gonzalez said loves doing hair. Other winners included Mercedes Battle for first place in hair weaving and Russell Johnson for third place in men’s haircutting. For the hair weaving, the participants had 45 minutes to put the weave in and 60 minutes to cut it. -Mariana Correa

FBLA members place at competition

An average of 53 fewer students per month are being sent to ISS than last year, according to Assistant Principal Jeremy Klein. -Sydney Stallworth

MUN members place at UF “I became a Sith lord and took over the galaxy,” said Kallett, who competed in a Star Wars inspired committee. “All of my studying on Wookipedia paid off.” -Jennifer Travis

The Model United Nations club competed at the University of Florida Feb. 3-5. Co-President senior Andy Paloumpis won for Best Delegate. Elijah Kallett won Outstanding Delegation.

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Twenty of 31 Hillsborough participants placed at the district conference for Future Business Leaders of America. The winners are now eligible to move on to states later this April. Some winners include: Shirun Gazar & Andrew Porat, first place Business Ethics Zachary Johnson, first place Business Procedures Teresa Chorvat, second place Business Communications

Ivan Rojas, second place Computer Solving Niritta Patel, second place Intro to Business Communications Vishwa Shah, second place Spreadsheet Applications Brianna Honeywell, third place Business Procedures Alex Wang, third place Intro to Tech Concepts Hugh Ngyen, third place Word Processing -Ellie Rodriguez

Key Club members volunteered at Rock N’ Roll Marathon on Feb. 9. Club members passed out iced towels to runners. (Photo by Nina Phan.)

News

February 2013

Women gain more opportunities JROTC members react to the lifting of the ban on women in combat By Kenneth Gonzalez Correspondent

Since 1994, the Pentagon had a strict rule that restricted women from artillery, armor, infantry and other combat roles. But on Jan. 24, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced that he was lifting the ban on women in combat, opening around 230,000 front-line positions in the military. Out of the total active troops 14.6 percent are women, which is 214,098 women out of 1.47 million total active members in the military. Women are excluded from nine percent of all military positions, and 30 percent of Jordan Angel, one of several girls on the JROTC team and a supporter of the allowance of women in combat roles, goes on her daily run for JROTC. (Photo by Kyle Rosenthal) active-duty positions. Many others also hold this viewpoint. More than 130 women died between “Women actually doing a man’s work is Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and only 11.4 awesome, they should have the same rights. percent of OEF and OIF veterans are women. I mean it should have already been this way Senior military officials say the services along time ago. We deserve the chance to will develop plans to allow women to seek prove ourselves as someone who can decombat positions. While some jobs may fend themselves, and show we can defend open as soon as this year, others such as spe- our country,” junior Jordan Angel said. However, not everyone is so accepting cial operations forces, may take longer. Junior Eric Martinez thinks it was a great of this new policy. Sandy Tran, a senior, opidea to give women in America this oppor- poses the idea of men and women being in combat in the same place. tunity. “I don’t think it’s a good idea because “I think that people are supposed to be equal, yet there’s still this idea that men are with females our hygiene is different from superior to women in the physical aspect, men, it takes three days for us to be out in but I don’t agree with it. I know a lot of fe- the field for that long, but for guys, they can males that would beat a lot of guys in run- be out forever.” Military job openings for females are goning, probably even benching”. Junior Inavis Hernandez, also thinks it is a ing to start around May. A senior defense good thing that women can now hold more official said the Pentagon expects to open “many positions” to women this year; senior positions in the military. “I agree that everybody should have the commanders will have until January 2016 to same opportunity, and women can now ask for exceptions. have a chance. They have a special instinct that can greatly help them out on the field,” Staff Writer Kyle Rosenthal contributed to this report. she said.

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Title 1 breakdown

Every year, Hillsborough is granted Title 1 money. These funds are given in order to provide financial assistance to schools with high percentages of low-income families. Federal funds totaling to $195,250 is received annually and distributed as seen below. (Source: Principal William Orr) -Brittany Valencic

75%

or $147,441 of the total allocation of Title 1 money is dedicated to personnel.

$29,609

is dedicated to equpiment such as computers, printers and SMART Boards.

8%

or $15,000 of the funding is put towards academic and attendence incentives and the FLEX program.

$3,200

is required to be set aside for parental involvement for things like postage and printing.

News

February 2013

And then it hit me A first-hand account of being struck by a car

By Emilie Brooks Staff Writer o one plans waking up in the morning to get hit by a car on the way to school on your bicycle. Three weeks ago, my day started with a car crashing into me. It felt as though I had been smashed against a concrete wall. All I remember was seeing the car in front of me, then seeing pavement. It made me realize anything can happen at any point and no amount of caution can prepare you. I’ve heard people describe collisions as though it’s happening in slow motion, but in my case it was completely different. I didn’t have time to process the car appearing from the bushes in front of me. I shouted and crawled into the fetal position after the wind was knocked out of me. I was in so much

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Brooks sits by the damaged bicycle she was riding when she was hit. (Photo by Emilie Brooks)

Alumni Spotlight: Chloe Coney Chloe Coney is District Director for the Office of U.S. Rep Kathy Castor. She is the founder of Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa, Inc. The Chloe Coney Urban Enterprise Center is named after her. She graduated from Hillsborough in June 1968. She spoke with News Editor Roksana Borzouei, who interned in Rep. Castor’s office last summer. community? Have you visited Hillsborough since you graduated? What was the biggest change for you? I guess being raised in Tampa made me want to make Yes, I graduated in June of 1968. My sister was a a difference here. I have enjoyed helping families, esteacher so I came back as a substitute teacher. It gave pecially to get a house. I have enjoyed working with a me a chance to come back and see the school and it total family from the dad to the mom to the children to go to college. I worked through a youth center and was really cool to see integration. In my class, there was about 10 African Americans who graduated. with small businesses to get them started. Most of all Do you have a favorite memory from HillsborI wanted to give hope to the county. ough? What advice would you give a current HillsborI only went to Hillsborough one year. They changed ough student who wishes to follow a career in the old Jefferson into George Washington High and public service? transferred all of us to Hillsborough. It was a great First of all they must have a desire to help others, to change because it was a larger school. To move my be a servant. They must want to make a difference senior year was different, but everybody knew about in their community. I would advise them to come to being a big red. an official’s office and intern. They should learn the You are very involved in the county as District different issues that a constituent may have in the Director. What do you want to give back to the district. I would tell the Big Red to dream big.

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pain initially I didn’t know what to do with myself. It was intense. The aftershock was probably the worst part. People care a lot more when you get hit by a car; I felt suffocated by the crowd around me, like a helpless child strewn on the road. The adrenaline pulsed through me so I couldn’t tell what damage was done. I recall everything that happened, but the long-term pain didn’t hit me until I was in the back of the ambulance on the way to St. Joseph’s. Luckily, I got by with just a chest contusion and an extremely sore body. All in all, getting hit by a car really hurts. Often times, it’s nothing you can avoid and I feel lucky to survive.

Alumni Trivia Contest Pick up a questionnaire in the main office or guidance office. Turn in all the correct answers on the questionnaire to the drop box in the main office by Feb. 28 for a chance to win a new iPad.

Go to hhstoday.com for five FREE answers!

February 2013

Students search for scholarships By Ellie Rodriguez News Editor Although college acceptance letters have already been sent, there are still plenty of opportunities for scholarships and financial aid available to seniors and underclassmen alike. The new college and career counselor, Lynette Henry, recently set up a financial aid meeting presented by USF admissions counselors explaining FAFSA applications and other types of financial aid. Although a FAFSA application is necessary when requesting federal aid and student loans, there are many oth-

(Photo illustration by Jimmy Herd-Bond)

New counselor helps collegebound students plan ahead By Gabriella McIntyre Staff Writer

Scholarships - Ronald N. Davis Academic All-State Team Award - Goizueta Foundation Scholars Fund Scholarship - "Frame My Future" Scholarship Contest 2013 -Poster Contest for High School Students -Schools4All Scholarship Contest For more scholarship information check out hhstoday.com

er financial windfalls available without the FAFSA application. Website such as zinch.com, scholarships.com, and cappex.com are specifically designed to match patrons (any student in high school or beyond) to scholarships as well as universities. Cappex.com shows the amount of competition for a scholarship as well as what are the odds that one may actually be awarded the scholarship. Each year Gen and Kelly Tanabe, who also host their own scholarship,

News

publish an SAT-prep book-sized book of the year’s available scholarships. Within the school, Henry publishes a scholarship matrix each month with new scholarships. “You should start looking for scholarships at any time,” Henry said. She advised that while students should focus on their grades and standardized test scores, it's smart to begin looking at scholarships even as an underclassmen.

After the departure of Kerry Youngman, the previous college and career counselor, Hillsborough has welcomed a new face to fill the position. Lynette Henry started this November and has already coordinated some college preparation events and presentations Originally from Barbados, Henry came to the United States in 1995 in hopes of teaching in Hillsborough County. Two years later, she received her master’s in guidance and counseling at the University of South Florida. After teaching science at the middle school level, she realized “teaching was not enough,” and that she would prefer a career in counseling.

She later became the school counselor at Just Elementary for three years. Henry also taught at USF helping to train other counselors, but quickly found that she missed being with students. Henry has been published in a book associated with National Association of College Admissions Counseling about college and career. As of right now, she is working on a Ph.D in counselor education and program evaluation.

Henry sorting through lists in her office. (Photo by Gabriella McIntyre)

Assistant Principal Solomon wins state award for school administrators By Aleesha Mundra Staff Writer Assistant Principal of Student Affairs Tee Solomon recently received the Florida Association of School Administrators Florida Assistant Principal of the Year. Solomon has worked for HHS for nine years and in the Hillsborough County Public School system for 20 years. Her responsibilities include managing registrations, teacher observation, teacher duties

and adjusting new teachers to the Hillsborough community. Before working for HHS Solomon taught middle school and high school English and SAT classes. She took interest in teaching after she decided that she didn’t want to major in communications and when she discovered that her niche was in writing. “I had a teacher who encouraged me.” Solomon said. “I recall wanting to do

something my older son does,” she said. However, she thought that teaching would be a better fit for her. She earned her college degrees at the University of South Florida and Nova Southeastern University. Assistant Principal for Traditional Curriculum Stephanie Davis said, “We should feel very humble and fortunate for winning this award.” Davis also said, “She –Solomon- is a very well respected assistant princi-

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pal at this school.” Solomon said, “My goal for students in general is for him/ her to reach their highest potential.” regarding to the students at HHS. “I felt honored, I felt humble, it’s good to be recognized for hard work,” she said after she won the award. This is her first state award and she is nominated to receive a national award for as- This is the first state award for Tee Solomon, the sistant principal which will take assistant principal of student affairs. (Photo by place in Washington D.C. Aleesha Mundra.)

Opinion Red & Black Editors-in-Chief Chrissy Geshel Brittany Valencic Page Editors Ivy Bennett-Ford Roksana Borzouei Nikki Ferrera Jimmy Herd-Bond Kristine Lee Ellie Rodriguez Jennifer Travis Samantha Votzke Kellen Yent Staff Writers David Blanchard Emilie Brooks Jodeja Chisolm Daniel Dolford Nadiya Fakhar Hayley McAleese Aleesha Mundra Gabriella McIntyre Kourtney Melendi Robert Murphree Vijata Patel Imraan Rafi Kyle Rosenthal Holly Schroeder Elizabeth Shugart Adviser Joe Humphrey, MJE

The Red & Black weclomes all thoughts and opinions for a thoughtful discussion. Any comments? Email us at hhstoday@gmail.com

February 2013

EDITORIAL This reflects the viewpoint of the Red & Black staff

Lawmakers should gun for change After the tragic massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School of 20 children and six adults, Congressional lawmakers are creating new proposals in the hope of halting further gun violence. According to CNN, President Barack Obama has decided to reinstate a ban that restricts ammunition magazines to 10 rounds and to have more extensive background checks on anyone who purchases a gun. Democrats such as Sen. Diane Feinstein of California want to prohibit new assault weapons from being manufactured, sold or imported. The National Rifle Association, led by Wayne LaPierre, has stated that law-abiding citizens should not be blamed for the actions of criminals. The guns are not the problem in his eyes; the people holding them are. LaPierre argues that background checks would be ineffective because criminals will simply not turn them in, while becoming a hassle for law-abiding citizens, according to The Huffington Post. As a diverse group of students, we wrestled with this issue. Keeping the fact that the First Amendment allows us to write this editorial in mind, we wanted to make sure we understood this intense debate between lawmakers. We realize that despite the NRA’s constant assertions that the easy availability of guns is not the issue, it certainly has played a role throughout history which resulted in mass killings. Massacres from Virginia Tech to Sandy Hook repeatedly show how each killer has had easy access

to obtaining deadly weapons -- either through legal means (such as Virginia Tech mass murderer SeungHui Cho did) or by having someone else supply them. We fully support more extensive background checks on anyone who aims to purchase a gun. With these precautions in place, people with mental illnesses or malicious intent will have a harder time getting their hands on deadly weapons. We also agree that further implements should be put in place to incarcerate “straw purchasers,” people who buy and sell guns to a person who fails the current background checks, allowing criminals such as Columbine murderers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold to obtain guns, according to the Violence Policy Center. We recognize and support the right to bear arms, which allows Americans to protect themselves or their property or to hunt. We do not want guns taken away from the public, merely stricter gun control to protect Americans. The rivalry between the NRA and lawmakers in favor of terminating gun violence has become childish and detrimental to further progress in ensuring the safety of American lives. President Obama stated the absolute truth in his State of the Union address on Feb 12. about gun proposals, “Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress. If you want to vote no, that’s your choice. But these proposals deserve a vote.”

Principal Dr. William Orr Jr. The Red & Black belongs to the Florida and National Scholastic press associations. This newspaper considers itself an open forum for student expression; however, 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. 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 joseph.humphrey@sdhc.k12.fl.us.

Comment Corner “What do you think about gun control?” “Teachers should be able to have guns to protect students. Also, doors should be locked more because I don’t want anyone harming me.” - Jerry McNeal, sophomore

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“I think that people who have a criminal background should not be able to own guns.” - Dalia Anderson, sophomore

Opinion Seniors should be rewarded Think twice before you for their work in high school give your heart away Not sure about Grad Bash? Read one student’s opinion

February 2013

@hhstoday.com

By Roksana Borzouei Commentary Today, the idea that a woman loses something her first time and a man doesn’t is archaic. The idea that a guy who has the most sex is the winner among his males is basically prehistoric. Hillsborough seems stuck in that era, content to coat the concept of virginity with the romantic idea of girls giving away beads on Valentine’s Day. The Mr. Irresistible contest seemed innocent. It could have been a romantic opportunity to tell someone he or she is special to you on a romantic holiday. Yet, the rules set by SGA turned the Mr. Irresistible contest into a misogynist portrayal of romance in America, excluding the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual

“People were hurting each other for the beads.” – Alexander Bencosme 9th

community (LGBT). In this game, women gave something away for nothing in return and the male with the most beads was the winner. Women, gays or lesbians had no chance to win. Only girls were given beads and only guys could receive them; a gay student could not give a bead to his boyfriend. Regardless of the symbolism of the beads, the school has a responsibility to foster an equal environment in all of its functions. As a school sponsored event, Mr. Irresistible was an inappropriate contest, glorifying values of certain individuals and excluding the LGBT community from any chance of winning. No matter who sponsored the event, the blame is also on its indifferent participants.

“It should have been on Valentine’s Day. I hope there will be one for girls.” – Jenya Graham 10th

There is always the choice to voice your opinion or refuse to participate. Though this issue may seem small and unimportant in the global scope of problems, it isn’t. The roots of social problems are local. Gender inequality and unfair treatment of women and minorities in everyday events normalize discriminatory behavior. If the school is committed to supporting all of its students, next year’s contest should be renamed to remove the Mr. Something; for example, “Most Irresistible Terrier” is all inclusive. SGA should also strive to give beads to all, not just the girls. Regardless of the symbolism, love is something shared; it is not something lost by one and gained by another.

“People were violent to get the beads, but it was a good game.”

“It gave the girls a challenge to talk to guys” – Luis Apolinar 10th

–Tijay Ray 12th

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By Gabriella McIntyre & Imraan Farooq Commentary You finally made it to your senior year and you can’t wait for all the cool things that come along with it. You must endure three years of being an underclassman and of hard work to build your way up to senior year, and you would think you would get some special privileges when you get to your final year, right? Wrong. As of right now, the seniors don’t have much that could vaguely be considered special privileges. According to April Fiore, Grad Bash is considered a senior privilege, along with the senior picnic, but many seniors expect more. In the past, seniors had several privileges, such as the ability to leave five minutes earlier to lunch and be able to leave early at the end of the day, but those privileges were revoked as a result of their abuse. Past yearbooks revealed that freshman used to clear the tables for seniors after they finished their lunch. Times have changed, but seniors still deserve to feel like the hard work they’ve

endured has earned them something other classes don’t expect to receive. Underclassmen deserve to have something like this to look forward to as they approach their senior year. Because the year is coming to an end, it seemed more appropriate to speak with current juniors about the topic. Incoming seniors for the class of 2014 expressed to us some senior privileges they would implement if they had their say. Many want returned the ability to get to lunch earlier in order to avoid the long lines. Others want a section roped off in the cafeteria specifically designated for seniors. Some also want to have the privilege of eating lunch in Positive Park, as seniors did many years ago. Even more want to be able to have a day of the week where they don’t have to get to school until at least an hour later than normal. We can’t help but to agree that many of these seem like perfectly plausible ideas. Though we do understand that issues have come up in the past with privileges being abused, we as seniors still feel as though we’ve worked the longest and the hardest and should be able to get certain privileges that allow us to deviate a little from the rest of the high school population.

Focus

What the f? T

his is a story about words we can’t write in this story. You most likely hear these words frequently, and now more than ever before. But, even though the words are not present on this page, we can certainly ask: Are we living in an age of profanity? Out of 200 students surveyed, 64 percent admitted to cussing quite regularly, while all students declared they encountered profanity in public all the time. And as for the gold standard of foul words, a single hour at lunch resulted in a total of 97 F-bombs being dropped. “It’s much more prevalent now,” said Principal Dr. William Orr. “I think we’re much more desensitized to it.” And that appears to be the common outlook. Swearing seems to have become the rule, rather than the exception. “Profanity has become more accepted and mainstream,” said Assistant Principal Melvin Williams. And Tampa Police Officer Frank Noel agrees. “You hear [profanity] so much it’s become the social norm. Nowadays, people just dismiss it,” he said. As society becomes fountains

of four-letter words, many are not keen on its newfound prevalence in our daily lives. “The fact that [profanity] has become such an acceptable part of society doesn’t please me,” said Lou Rowland, a longtime English teacher. “It shows a deterioration of respect for people.” Profanity is not just prevailing at Hillsborough. It’s everywhere. “It’s society as a whole. It’s become socially acceptable,” Officer Noel said. It’s not too alarming to hear profanity peppered throughout television shows, films and music. Much of the pop culture we

tune into today has become as lax about keeping “bad words” out of its shows and songs as many of us have been about keeping it out of our daily vocabulary. The f-bomb was first dropped on American television audiences in 1981 on Saturday Night Live. Charles Rocket was fired from the show after improvising and using the word during a sketch. Since then, we’ve increasingly heard it slip out during talk shows, award ceremonies, sporting events and even a presidential health care signing. And to think, George Washington called swearing a “wicked practice” in his 1776 “Gen-

eral Orders on Profanity.” The Parents Television Council conducted a study to examine the increase in profanity in primetime

*** * * * * * February 2013 ****** ****** * * * * * ***** ***** * * * * * * * * * **** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** ** increase in cursing on broadcast are making little efforts to make ****** ********** ********** ********* shows. Fox Broadcast Network saw their songs airwave-friendly. “Thrift ** ** ** ****** ********** ********** ********* the largest per-hour jump in pro- Shop,” by Macklemore and Ryan fanity, with 269 percent. This study Lewis, the current No. 1 song on ****** ********** ********** * * suggests that while the prevalence the Billboard Hot 100, features the *** * * * ****** * * * * isn’t completely new, we have f-word alone nine times. * ** * * ***** Part of the reason for this may heard a greater amount of cursing * * * * * * **** be the change in the industry itself. on TV lately. * * * * * In movies, directors and script- With music downloading on the ****** ******* of students hear writers can get away with colorful rise, gone are the days where art** * * * * * * * language even in PG films. As the ists have to rely on their songs to * others use profanity regularly ***** * * film rating increases, the profan- be radio-ready to be heard. Singers * * * *** **** ity can get harsher and harsher. and rappers can say whatever they * * * * * There’s also the option to appeal want in their songs; radio audienc****** ******* for a lower rating if the filmmaker es just might hear more bleepings ** ****** ******* believes that a different rating is and lyric changes because of it. ** Many students and adminisappropriate for the movie due to ****** ******* **** * * trators don’t have concrete anthe circumstances of the cursing. * * * * * ***** It’s hardly something new for swers for what seems to be this * * ****** ******* **** * * * * * * * * * * * * onslaught of cursing and its cause. * * ** ****** ********** ********** ********* Junior Gianna Rhodes said, “I don’t of students admit * * * * * * * * * * mind cursing in music if it’s not too * * * * * * * * * they use profanity ** ** *** *** * * * * * * * much.” * * * * * * * * * * * frequently Rowland continued his opinion ****** ********** ********** ********* ** on the current state of cursing in ** ** ****** ********** ********** our society by saying, “I’m not sure * * whether our common culture re****** ********** * flects pop culture or the other way *** * * * -Officer Frank Noel * * around. I don’t know if profanity * ***** * * appears in music and movies be* * * *** the music industry to have a bit of cause of society or vice versa.” ***** * * * * -By Brittany Valencic * a pop potty mouth, but it increas*** & Nikki Ferrera ***** ingly seems as though musicians * * of students believe * * * *** * * * profanity is acceptable **** ****** ***** * Junior Jessica Fernandez stands out among her friends as the girl ****** **** * * who doesn’t curse. While Fernandez admits to having cursed a few ****** *** * * times, profanity is a rarity for her. *** * * * * * “[Profanity is] disrespectful around people, especially at school. It’s disruptive, re- ** **** * * * * * ally. Most of my friends curse and sometimes being around certain people, their **** of students use **** * * traits can rub off on you. My mom is against cursing. But my brother does it on * * * profanity equally ** ** * purpose, because he knows [Fernandez’ mom] doesn’t. That’s why it’s disrespect- ** * * * * between friends and family ful. Most people cuss out of habit, but really it’s a moral issue. You can’t just say ****** ***** ** left: In order to determine just how prevelant profanity is at Hillsborough, we tracked stop, [people] won’t listen.” ****** ****** Top how many swear words we heard in one day. The chart shows the top five words. The ** F-bomb led the way, with 687 utterings (one for each *) Top right: Survey of 200 students. ******

Focus

y n a m How e r e w f***’s ? n e v i g

“It’s become socially acceptable.” television from 2005 to 2010. It found that over those five years, there was an overall 69 percent

When sophomore Vinny Ruia discovered he was being interviewed for his steady use of profanity, he responded with a loud “f*** yeah!” “I rarely curse just to curse. I curse for comedic purposes; people laugh when I curse even if it isn’t very funny. I think cursing should be acceptable. Why should some words be considered taboo, when words like ‘fat’ and ‘ugly’ are just as offensive? I don’t think cursing is a problem when done tastefully and in moderation. You should use appropriate words to express your feelings, but sometimes there aren’t any appropriate words! Curses are the salt on the dish of life.”

81% 64% 61%

* * * S 124 * * * * B 113 56 A** * * * D 2 42 2 0 , 1 Total:

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41%

Life

February 2013

REVIEW

Fairly entertaining By Brittany Valencic Editor in Chief As I contemplated coughing up $7.50 to soar through the air on SkyHawk, my senses drifted to the midway where the smell of deep-fried obscenities captivated my attention. “I’d much rather eat fatty foods,” I said. Welcome to the Florida State Fair. As I walked through the fair grounds for the first time, I entered a realm unlike any other. A realm including a wide array of carnival rides among an expanse of pavilions and carts. A realm containing games, farm animals and live entertainment and where putting just about anything into a deep fryer is acceptable. The neon lights radiated, the sound of carnival games blared and the parade of fried delights and food on a stick wafted to my nose. Within moments of entering the fair, I found myself sampling my first funnel cake. Watching them make the treat was almost as fun as eating it; seeing the dough dribbled into the bubbling oil, simmering until gold brown. After being doused in powdered sugar, my funnel cake was now complete. I dove in wholeheartedly and indulged on this fair favorite. As my 17year funnel cake-less existence came to an end, I was more than happy to see it go. After devouring the remnants of my deep-fried pastry, I continued to venture further into the madness of the fair. Throughout the day, I dined on corn dogs, fresh squeezed lemonade and a new treat — the infamous pizza cone. But my favorite delicacy of the day was none other than the deep-fried Oreo. As I contemplated clogging my arteries at such a young age, I thought to myself, “Why hold back now?” Although hesitant at first, I was bewildered to discover just how delicious this deep-fried cookie could be.

As the day drew on, I continued to meander through the midway. I gazed up at giant ferris wheels, gawked at funhouses and their many mirrors and surveyed fairgoers being strapped into machines that flipped them like a flapjack. My wandering eventually led me to the Hollywood Racing Pigs. I had the honor of watching Taylor Swine, Justin Bacon Bieber and The Notorious P.I.G. battle it out toward the finish line. Guest appearances from Spongebob Pork Pants and Piggy Minaj topped of the evening’s festivities. As the sun began to set, leaving an iridescent gleam on the metal fixtures of the fair rides and my stomach was stock full of fatty, deep-fried foods, I proudly deemed my first fair experience a success.

Photo by Noemi Reyes

“I love going to the fair because it has amazing rides and fatty foods.”

“The pizza in a cone I got at the fair was nothing short of magical.”

“Seeing all the people I haven’t seen in a long time was the best part.”

“I liked Twiggs the giraffe. I was able to get so close to him. It was awesome.”

-Marcus Heyder freshman

-Angel Murchison sophomore

-Matias Marchi junior

-Dana Foshee senior

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Life

February 2013

Jayjeezy drops the beat Student rapper Jay McNeal works his way to the top with student support By Daniel Dolford Staff Writer Out of all HHS rappers, junior Jay McNeal (commonly known as Jayjeezy,) is the most commercially successful and is rapping his way to popularity with HHS students . Without a manager or agent to guide him, McNeal has made a name for himself around campus and even earned some profit from his hard work. McNeal has already begun reaping the profits, selling his CDs for $1 each. Throughout the years, McNeal has continued to rap. “I’ve been rapping since I was 15, but I wrote my first rap at 13 years old,” McNeal said. Students of all different grades and classes are aware of Hillsborough’s new celebrity. “He’s … different. I do believe if he markets himself the way he

does now, he has the potential to become a really famous artist, whatever your definition of that is,” said junior Jose Chavez. McNeal states that his first album, “Best of Jayjeezy,” started it all. He’s also produced another album, “Best of Jayjeezy II” and has the third installment on the way for eager listeners. “I’m making videos too. My fans can see those soon,” McNeal said. As he propels forward into the limelight, McNeal embraces his local fan base. Whether he’s performing on a stage, practicing by himself, or just putting on a friendly show during lunch, the crowd goes wild with enthusiasm. “Jayjeezy is great. He makes sure everyone has a good time and I love his energy,” said senior Yasmany Almanza.

Junior Jay McNeal drops a beat in the dog house on the H Patio during lunch. (Photo by Jimmy Herd-Bond)

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Life

February 2013

Musical madness Drama students practice for annual show, Cabaret By Elizabeth Shugart & Nikki Ferrera Staff Writer and Life Editor The Thespian Club is gearing up to present Cabaret, a popular musical set in Berlin circa 1930 during the rise of the Nazi Party. Cabaret will be shown from March 5-7 in the Auditorium at 7 p.m. According to junior Cassidy McDuffie, the cast is currently working on the choreography of the show. All of the roles have been cast, and they are well into rehearsing and building the sets. They rehearse every day after school until around 5 p.m. The cast has also made additional efforts to rehearse after experiencing a shortening of preparation time -- just six weeks instead of the usual eight. “We spend a lot of time doing dancing and running though our lines and just trying to get it all together,” said McDuffie, who plays a Kit Kat Girl, one of the dancers in the show. Drama teacher and director Jeff Pittard chose Cabaret for the drama program’s spring show because it is one of Dr. William Orr’s favorite productions.

After the program’s successful run of Cabaret in 2007, Pittard thought putting it on again this year would be a nice way to say goodbye to Orr during his last year as Hillsborough principal. Senior Kelvin Fermin landed the lead role of Clifford Bradshaw, a writer. “The play is really good and very fun to be working on,” he said. Although he has some stage fright, Fermin said it helps him to take his glasses off “so it makes the people blurry and makes them less intimidating.” While some of the content of the show may raise a few eyebrows -- it’s set in a risqué night club -- Pittard said there is “no toning down without losing the edge of the play,” and warned that it may not be appropriate for children under 12. Students junior Erin Davenport and sophomore Taryn Watford are both looking forward to seeing the show. Watford, who has seen the play and the movie version, finds the actors very iconic and said they give her “lots to live up to,” as a dancer. Pittard considers Cabaret “the best historical fiction for your money’s worth,”

“Cabaret is the best historical fiction for your money's worth." - Jeff Pittard

and said it is “classic, historical, and has some very talented kids.”

At a glance Date: March 5-7 Time: 7 p.m. Tickets: $5 in advance, $10 at the door

Junior Debbie Ferro practices the trumbone during Cabaret rehearsals. (Photo by Elizabeth Shugart)

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On the Brink prepares for spring show By Ivy Bennett-Ford Opinion Editor On The Brink (OTB), a multischool student comedy troupe has a brand new season ready to roll for Hillsborough High School and its associated community. On March 7, the cast opens at the newly dubbed Epic Problem (formerly Transitions Gallery) with its annual spring show, Once Upon a Time. The cast has been hard at work for a couple months now, working to get every skit just right. ”This show is different from all the other shows we’ve had in the past,” said junior Noemi Reyes, who has been part of the cast since her freshmen year. She said that other cast members were “talented in areas outside of acting,” so the show will hold “some surprises for the audience.” Senior member Alex Gonzalez said of the way this season is going: “It’s awesome, we’re ahead of schedule.” Gonzalez acts as a leader for the troupe along with fellow senior Connor Rigsby. “We expect a large turnout,” said Rigsby. He said that “[OTB] expects to diversify [their] audience, pulling patrons in from other local schools and colleges. Hopefully, this works out.” When asked about how he thinks his last year in OTB at Hillsborough, Rigsby said, “So far, so good. We have a few tricks up our sleeve to call attention to the show.” “I would say that this year’s show is a bit more difficult but ultimately putting all this extra work in is going to be worth it,” Reyes said.

Life

February 2013

Many non-commercial restaurants offer homemade food and a nearby location

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1: Mikey’s Cafe opened up six months ago and recently moved from Hillsborough Avenue. 2: The Refinery only uses local ingredients for their entrees. 3: Nicko’s Diner is one of the closest restaurants to campus, only a block away. 4: Sabroso offers nearby authentic Cuban Food. 5: Ella’s has live music such as Poetry And Lotion perform. (Photos by Ivy Bennett-Ford) By Ivy Bennett-Ford Opinion Editor

at $8 and then pick them up on Christmas Day, even though the shop was closed to the general public.

There’s more to Seminole Heights cuisine than just Starbucks or McDonald’s. Many family owned businesses offer homemade food and service that has been around for more than 20 years. Many of these restaurants are located within a 5 mile radius of campus.

1. Mikey’s Café Moving back to the school area but sticking with sweets, you can find Mikey’s Café and Bakery on the corner of Hanna and Central avenues. Mikey’s just moved from an address on Hillsborough, but they continue to make a selection of cupcakes, pies and sandwiches as well as some independent soda brands. Over the holidays, you could order special pies starting

2. & 5. The Refinery and Ella’s If you want to go classy for a nice family meal or even a date, there are two possibilities close to the school; Ella’s on Nebraska and The Refinery on Florida. Both serve food around the $10 range, but if you’re going to go for a special occasion, it’s worth it. On Sundays, The Refinery holds a brunch – the Beans and Eggs are to die for.

3. Nicko’s Diner If you start walking south on Central and turn right on Cayuga Street, eventually you’ll get to Nicko’s Diner. Elvis ate there in the ’50s.

Students choice: Best picture for the Oscars By Jennifer Travis Opinion Editor With the 85th annual Oscar awards coming up Feb. 24, students are eager to see which of their favorite films will win an Academy Award. In a survey of 100 students, each student was asked from the list of Academy Award nominations “which film do you think will win the award of Best Picture.” The results are shown to the right. Last year, The Artist, directed by Michel Hazanavicius won Best Picture. However this year students believe that the film,

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Students have been going there for over 23 years. That’s how long waitress Brenda Martin has been serving tables at the joint. She says that students will often come in “20-30” at a time and tend to “scream and holler and switch tables” on her. “One minute they’ll be there and then you’ll turn around and they’ll be somewhere else,” said Martin of the multitudes of student customers. Nicko’s serves Greek food along with the typical diner fare.

4. Sabroso Sabroso, which means ‘delicious’ or ‘tasty’ in Spanish serves Cuban food. Sabroso is located on Nebraksa Avenue. Remember that debate a few months back about who had the best Cuban sandwich in Tampa? We have a new contender.

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Django Unchained, directed by Quentin Tarantino, will win Best Picture. The movie follows Django (Jaime Foxx) and Dr. Scultz (Christoph Waltz) on a bounty hunting mission to save his wife (Kerry Washington) from an infamous plantation named “Candie Land.” Earlier this year Waltz won Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes. Tarantino also won Best Screenplay at the Golden Globes this year. The other nominees for Best Picture also won Golden Globes. (Graphics by Chrissy Geshel and Jimmy Herd-Bond)

2% Amour

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Argo Beasts of the Southern Wild

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Django Unchained Les Misérables

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49% Life of Pi Silver Linings Playbook Zero Dark Thirty

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Sports

February 2013

Four seniors officially sign to their choice colleges

By Chrissy Geshel Editor in Chief After four years of high school football and track, four seniors are ready to take their athletic experiences to the college level. At the signing day ceremony, Coaches Earl Garcia and Joe Sipp spoke about their experiences with each of the seniors and how they developed as atheletes. Garcia coached all of the seniors on the football team and said their success is “a culmination of 16 to 17 years of hard work.” This year the football team was the district champion, and made it two games into the playoffs. Sipp said the seniors have “taken this track program to the next level.” Jeremiah Green signs to Alabama Jeremiah Green signed for the triple jump and long jump in track. Green has a No. 1 ranking for the long jump at 50 feet, eight feet off from the world record. He is also the cornerback on the football team. During the football season Green recorded a team-high five interceptions. Along with the athletic opportunity Green said, “I just want to get an education and I want to come out with a degree.” The transition from high school sports can be difficult for some but Green said, “The past weekend I prepared at the

college level and ended up winning at the meet so I think I’m prepared.” Nigel Harris signs to USF The next senior, Nigel Harris, signed to the University of South Florida for football. During Harris’ high school career he was a linebacker. Harris, who also played running back, also scored the most points during this year’s season: 92. Harris sees playing football at the college level as starting a new chapter in his life. Harris said “I’m starting a new regime, Coach (Willie) Taggart’s regime.” Trevor Steinke signs with Weber International Trevor Steinke is a running back. During his football career he sustained multiple injuries, but Steinke plans “to improve the stuff I wanted to improve this year, and I want everyone to know who I am and what I’ve been through, and I want to go to the NFL.” Steinke also credits the coaches for his many successes in football. Steinke said, “They got me better and faster. Nobody can catch me because of Coach Sipp. The coaches are like fathers to me.” Jordan Sherit signs to Florida After multiple scholarship offers, Jordan Sherit signed to the University of Florida for football. Sherit is a defensive

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Top Left; Green, Sherit, Steinke and Harris pose with the hats from the respective schools they signed to. Top Right; Harris displays the Bullls hand gesture while signing to USF. Bottom Right; Sherit is interviewed by various television networks. (Photos by Jimmy Herd-Bond) end. After being signed to UF, Sherit said, “I’m just happy I’ve found a home, I want to get a degree, and being a part of the Gator nation is fantastic.” Another large part of Sherit’s football career was “the coaches had a great impact on me. Without them I would not be here. They helped me develop as a player and as a person.” UF is Sherit’s dream school, and he also liked that “it has a large network of people there.”

Sports

February 2013

Calorie Count

657

684

747

297

342

Crew

All calculations are based off of a 150-pound person per hour of continuous, virgourous activity. Source: heathstatus.com

Football

Cheer squad improves training for competitions

Soccer Basketball Volleyball Baseball Golf

Wrestling

405

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din

g

396

Ch

eer

414

666 Swimming

The cheer squad, performs at the Winter Sports Pep Rally to pump up the student body. (Photo by Kaeley Starling)

Running 783

594

(Graphic by Chrissy Geshel) (Data by Kourtney Melendi)

Crew is ready to row without a captain for its upcoming regattas By Robert Murphree Staff Writer With the varsity season about to begin, the 2013 crew team has to deal with their intended captain relinquishing his position on the team. Over the past few years, the team had many captains resign, but members say that doesn’t disturb their over-all ambition. Adam Montgomery said although this year’s captain left, “We, the juniors, decided to fill his spot together and

lead our team.” Ahava Jernigan, a freshman on the team, said they “have a lot of really dedicated, awesome juniors, who will definitely be willing to … take charge in the future.” Montgomery said the loss of the team captain made the team stronger overall. He said members of the squad who stepped up “proved to us who was really devoted and willing to sacrifice for the team to Crew members, Alex Wang, Adam Montgomery, and Garrett Andrews practice their relays with the new leadsucceed.” ership in place. (Photo by Ellie Rodriguez)

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By Kristine Lee Life Editor After hours of hard work and dedication, the cheer squad placed in the top three at two of its competitions. The Terriers placed second at the second competition they participated in. “This was a great way to start off the season; it got the girls pumped for the rest of the season,” said senior Ciara Angol. The cheer squad finished third at its third competition. Robinson took first and Alonso took second place. The team improved this year by going to a camp in St. Petersburg that they all called “beach camp.” They also went to a competitive cheerleading gym to practice and work on elite stunts. “Everyone took tumbling classes at the gym to improve their tumbling, especially back handsprings,” said junior Jalyn Stallworth. The squad brought in a UCA choreographer to choreograph their routine and hired a new assistant coach, Adarius Payne, to help them clean up their routines and get in shape for the season. The squad changed the amount of conditioning they did: instead of one lap they ran eight. “This helped us get through the routine. Doing this made the two minute and thirty second routine seems like nothing compared to running,” Angol said.

Sports Tennis twins dominate the court February 2013

SPORTS UPDATE

BOYS SOCCER 6-7-3 (Distict champions, see HHSToday.com) BASEBALL 1-1 SOFTBALL 0-3 GIRLS TRACK 2-1 BOYS TRACK 1-0

Assistant softball coach moonlights as ‘Star Goddess’ In the morning on the radio, she’s known as the “Star Goddess” but in the evening on the field, she’s known as Coach J. Janet Sciales is both an assistant softball coach and an encourager, one who pushes her team to want to be successful in life. She’s coached at HHS for two years. Her daughter also plays softball at Hillsborough Community College. After college, Sciales started working at a club doing her horoscopes for people, and a TV producer came and noticed her, and put her on a TV show. Sciales began working at Wild 94.1 in 1999 where she started reading horoscopes on the air. -Jaela Gardner For more on this story: www.hhstoday.com

By Malvika Bapna Correspondent

This year will be twin sisters Jayash and Manash Ramanathan’s fourth year on the Hillsborough High School tennis team. Manash is ranked as the first seed on the HHS girls’ tennis team, and Jayash is ranked as the third seed. The sisters have been playing tennis for seven years now, beginning in middle school with private coaches. “Tennis is the only sport we have been playing our whole life,” Manash said. “We love tennis.” With such passion for the sport,it was obvious they would continue to play in high school. “We like the competition,” Manash said. “We also like the experience of playing against other high schoolers.” “We like representing our

school,” Jayash added. The sisters also described their love of the sport. “I get this weird passion to go out and play,” Manash said. Manash and Jayash hold records for the school. Last year, when the girls were juniors, they placed second in districts. “Two years ago we made history because we came in first place in districts,” Jayash said. Jayash has gotten the title of district champion for No. 3 singles all three years in a row now. Amanda Glenz, a teammate of the sisters, said, “Playing tennis with the twins and the rest of the team is a truly amazing experience. They are great players and great friends. I am excited to continue playing with them and hope to get to states this year!” Along with playing tennis, the

Manash and Jayash Ramanathan talk with one of their coaches. The twins play singles and doubles for the Terriers. (Photo by Dana Dinh) sisters are in the IB program. They said that “it is pretty difficult” to handle the workload and play tennis. Manash and Jayash are trying to get more freshmen to join the ten-

nis team. “We want to encourage freshman to come out and play,” Manash said. “The experience is really different.”

Track and field hits the ground running By Holly Schroeder Staff Writer

Sophomore Dwayne Lawson trains for track season. (Photo by Samantha Votzke)

The track and field season officially kicked off with the first meet of the school year at King High School on Feb. 18. However, both the girls and boys teams have been practicing after school for several weeks now. Girls track and field coach Jean Wiser said, "So far we've focused on individual events, then depending on which girls run which events the fastest, we'll create relay teams. So for example, the four members on the team who can run the 100 the fastest become the four by one relay team." Generally track events such as long jump, triple jump, sprints and long distance runs, as well as field events such as shot put are individually based, with the relay teams being the obvious exceptions. In relays, teams of four pass a baton over several distances ranging from short to longer sprints.

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This season there are roughly 30 members on both the girls and boys teams. According to Coach Wiser, both her girls team as well as Coach Joe Sipp’s boys team lost many of the key runners last year, though there are still some major returning runners. One returning runner to watch is senior Jorian Ordway, who Wiser said will often be a part of the 4x400 relay team. According to Ordway, overall the team was successful last year as both individual competitors and as a whole. “I want to enforce my personal best and win states,since it’s my last year,” Ordway said. “I was third in the 400 meter and last at states [last year].” Track meets will be occurring at least once a week throughout the rest of the season.