October 2015

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Florida’s first high school newspaper Hillsborough High School 5000 N. Central Ave. Tampa, FL 33603 October 2015 hhstoday.com @HHSTodayOnline Volume 117, No. 3

RALLY TO RAVE: Homecoming photo gallery | pg. 5 Treats, tricks and Halloween content | pgs. 7-10 Superintendents lack confidence in FSA | pg. 3

Dancerettes Alex Thrower, Nicole Hernandez, Cici Ogden and Dominique Hughes perform at the Homecoming pep rally. | Photo by Dana Dinh

2 October 2015

VOLUME 117, ISSUE 3 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Dana Dinh, Kathy Xie DESIGN EDITOR John Veliz WEB EDITOR Daniel Hamilton PAGE EDITORS Annie Aguiar, Sarvika Bommakanti, Bianca Cegatte, Alyssa Ierna, Matt Lutton, Denzel Pierre, Monisha Pillai, Amber Shemesh, Shelby Shoup, Tegan Smith STAFF WRITERS Madison Forbis, Jorge Garcia, Daniel Garrison, Jeremy Leong, Julissa Machado, Racheal Maillet, Alex Morrison, Suparna Narayan, Shreya Patel, Varun Puri, Laurie Rodriguez, Vishwa Shah, Yesha Shukla, Atiya Simmons, Michael Strobl, Theontae Walton ADVISER Joe Humphrey, MJE PRINCIPAL Gary Brady ABOUT Content decisions are made by student editors.

Red & Black belongs to the Florida and National Scholastic press associations.

AWARDS 2014-15 FSPA All-Florida 2014-15 NSPA All-American 2014-15 NSPA Best of Show recipient Printed in partnership with The Tampa Tribune EDITORIAL Reflects the view of student editors and can be found in opinion section.

COLUMNS The bylined columns represent the viewpoints of their authors.

LETTERS 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.

ADS Advertising content is subject to approval of the editorial board.

ONLINE Visit us online at HHSToday.com.

CONTACT Phone (813) 276-5620 Fax (813) 276-5629 Email hhstoday@gmail.com Twitter @HHSTodayOnline

Red & Black

We have to help “AB, my dear, it breaks my heart that we didn’t know and couldn’t help.”

-Post on AB Taiwade’s online memorial Class of 2015 graduate AB Taiwade died last week at the University of Florida.

Since then, our normally cheerful campus has been a little quieter.

Because last week, the Hillsborough family lost someone important to many.

As the news was disseminated, its impact became evident.

AB’s online guestbook shows pages and pages of condolences from his family, friends and teachers alike. On Tuesday, the vigil held in Positive Park had hundreds of attendees.

We are grieving, and that’s OK. Grief is natural and a healthy part of recovery. But equally important is honoring those who have passed due to mental illness by doing what we can to prevent more deaths.

editorial

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opinion

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 34,000 lives are taken each year due to suicide.

It is the third leading cause of death among teenagers.

But these lives aren’t just a statistic. They can’t be. They are our friends, our family members, our classmates. They leave behind irreplaceable memories and unfinished conversations, parents left searching for answers, little brothers who have lost their role model.

We must band together in this difficult time to change society’s perception of those who suffer from psychiatric illnesses. Depression, anxiety and other mental ailments are commonly trivialized by society, with its victims facing responses like “get over it!” and “you’re just feeling sad.” This attitude that pervades our society is not only unproductive to our population’s health, but also disrespectful and insensitive to those affected by the diseases.

Those who seek help face the same kind of tactlessness, for mental counseling is stigmatized in our society as well.

Would you criticize someone for having cancer? For having Type 1 Diabetes? Physical ailments are common within the population, with everyone succumbing to them at some point in their lives. There’s no reason to think that mental ailments are anything less common or less significant.

Although the prospect of changing the ideas ingrained in society may seem like a formidable task, the first step starts with our relationships in everyday life. It’s important to try to reach out to your peers – we are one big family, so we have to look out for each other.

It’s something as simple as asking, “How are you?”

Asking, and meaning it.

Help and counseling can be found with school psychologist Dr.

Abhishek (“AB”) Taiwade, 1997-2015 Evelyn Hernandez in Room 113, or by calling (800) 273-8255, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Or you can pick up the phone and call anyone you know. There are always people willing to help. There is always an alternative.

And for those who are struggling, remember that asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness or surrender; it’s a sign of strength.

Above all, we cannot undermine the value of simply being kind to others. Life is tough. You never know what battles someone else is fighting. But by reaching out, spreading kindness and being empathetic towards each other, we can work to find out.

Then, we will know. And we will be able to help.

Standardized testing is hindering quality education Daniel Garrison @HHSTodayOnline PSAT, SAT, EOC, AP, IB. It seems like we’re always preparing for some standardized test. In this system, students rarely have the chance to develop a real interest in the subject; they are simply regurgitating the material they have learned in class.

If we are to have an effective education system, we need less tests and more teaching.

All this testing doesn’t actually teach students anything, other than perhaps good study habits (or how to cram an entire semester’s worth of information the night before). While time management skills are great, they shouldn’t be the focus

of every class.

Earlier this year, Gov. Rick Scott issued an executive order suspending an 11th grade Language Arts exam which was later completely eliminated by a new bill. This bill also does away with the requirement for final exams in all courses, doesn’t require middle and high school students who do poorly on state tests to automatically take remedial courses, reduces how much test scores count in teacher evaluations and limits to maximum time spent testing to 45 hours a year.

Many have criticized the bill for not doing enough, since most of Florida’s standardized tests are still in place and results from those tests can still be used to aid in judging students, teachers and schools.

So much still depends on how students per-

form that one day on that one test, and then another day on another test, over and over again. These changes, while a step in the right direction, are not enough.

More needs to be done to allow for more studentand teacher-friendly schools.

Graphic by John Veliz

campuss

hhstoday.com

Graphic by Annie Aguiar

FS-Nay

Hillsborough County superintendent Jeff Eakins expresses concerns with last year’s Florida Standards Assessments

Dana Dinh @ByDanaDee Students aren’t the only ones feeling the pressure of standardized testing.

The spring 2015 administration of the FSA suffered many delays due to statewide technical difficulties, most of which were inabilities to log in or stay logged in to the testing program.

In addition to the technical difficulties, superintendents across the state are concerned with the validity of the test itself.

Superintendent Jeff Eakins recently released a statement, expressing Florida school superintendents’ loss of confidence in the current “accountability system” for the students.

“Students and teachers worked very hard to prepare for new standards and prepare for the new test, but a lot of students across the state had trouble with the test,” Eakins told Red & Black in an interview. “Students were getting

yousaid it Students share their thoughts on what the state should do about the FSA

kicked off. The administration was not very standardized.”

Many of the technical difficulties were statewide, such as an unauthorized change to the test, but some were the result of inadequate computers at certain schools.

“That was an obvious concern. If the computer shuts down who do we hold accountable?” principal Gary Brady said. “What do we tell those parents? What do we tell those kids?”

Hitting a moving target According to Eakins, the questions on the FSA were based on an assessment in Utah called the SAGE (Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence) and were very different from the norm for Florida students. The FSA was not field tested prior to the first administration last spring, nor was it correlated to any national or international assessments.

“They should get rid of it. It doesn’t measure anything it’s supposed to.”

-Zach Evans, 11

“I agree with [the superintendents]. I think we all just want to know that the test is fair and valid, but that’s like hitting a moving target,” Brady said. “We try to level the playing field, but it’s tough to say [if the FSA is a fair and valid assessment of student achievement]. We don’t even have the results yet.”

The release of the test results were delayed while a private company assessed the FSA’s validity. In September, the Florida Department of Education deemed the assessment valid, refuting the superintendents’ criticism of the FSA’s validity.

“It’s worth noting that for all but three [questions], there was a connection to a standard,” Florida Department of Education spokeswoman Meghan Collins told the Tampa Bay Times. “A majority of items did have an exact match.”

Some still have their doubts.

“Implementation of the test was difficult across the state of Florida,” Eakins said. “It may not be possible to have reliable data because of the problems with the test administration.”

Without the test scores themselves, Hillsborough is lacking a large indicator of the test’s validity as well as a tool to improve students’ learning.

“Until we have the test scores, we don’t know if the test is a valid measurement of our students and our teachers,” Assistant Principal for Curriculum Kysha Herald said. “That’s where the uncertainty is.”

Eakins said that the delayed results are another sign of lack of accountability for students. “[Our school district] has high standards.

My job is to support our students to achieve those standards,” Eakins said. “Any assessments given to these students should be used to help these students. That can’t happen if we don’t get these scores in a timely manner.”

“I think the state should get another test that we could actually solve and go through.”

-Rozasha Borders, 10

October 2015

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Flaws and frustration The results of the FSA impact not just students and teachers but also school grades. According to Eakins, the factors that determine school grades are the percentage of students who are “proficient” – meeting grade-level benchmarks – and those who make at least “a year’s worth of gain.”

Because the FSA has only been administered once, there is not enough information to calculate learning gains. As a result, only proficiency scores can be used to grade schools.

However, the scores from the spring are “extremely low,” according to Eakins.

“That’s not fair way to evaluate schools and teachers. [We need] a baseline year,” Eakins said.

The superintendents are requesting that the state suspend application of the FSA results to schools, teachers and students, issue incomplete grades – if grades must be given – due to “flawed” data and review the test to ensure that students’ learning gains are measured accurately.

In addition, Eakins believes that an option to take the test on paper is necessary, as many schools do not have the resources necessary to electronically administer the FSA fairly.

Eakins, as well as other superintendents across the state, will be meeting with the Florida legislature on Oct. 28 to discuss the FSA. While changes – if any – have yet to be determined, Eakins wants parents, teachers and students to know that he “supports them.”

“I hear their concerns and frustrations. I know these a lot of pressure on these kids,” Eakins said. “I want to make sure [the FSA is] fair and accurately reflects the great work that students and teachers.”

“They should just make us take final exams.

If you don’t pass, you don’t go on.”

-Dylan Haight, 11

4 October 2015

campus

Red & Black

Tech Trouble?

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We’ve answered three of the most frequently asked questions about how to use Managebac, the program Hillsborough IB recently implemented for CAS and Extended Essay submissions, below.

Q:

Thursday

“CAS hours. How do you A: Letterheads are no longer required. You can send an email to your put them in? Do you still need supervisor via Managebac, and they can fill out a form from there. Of letterheads, how do you get course, letterheads can still be scanned in to the system as an alternathem into the system?”

-Lydia Bicknell, 11 tive.

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Q: “I have a bunch of hours

A: If it’s already been 30 days, it’s late. You should have received instruc-

and the homeroom teacher says it’s late. But I didn’t know how to use ManageBac before.

What do I do?”

-Ariel Skinner, 10

tions on using Managebac in class, homeroom or at the assembly. For further information, please contact either the CAS coordinators (Mike Mikulec for grades 9-10 and Cecilia Boyce for grades 11-12) to sort out your situation.

Q: “Hours from last year: no

A: If you have already turned in a blue CAS form for the activities, they

descriptions or anything, just go in as one activity on Managebac with hour totals. There is no need a number. Is that OK?” to scan in documentation. However, if there isn’t already a form on file, - Mica Jadick, 10

Contacts

you must categorize your hours by activity an attach documentation.

Graphic by Bianca Cegatte Interviews and information by Vishwa Shah

If you’re still unsure about something, check out the Managebac guide for students on hhsib.org

So you still haven’t logged onto Edsby...

Laurie Rodriguez @LaurieSayWut When Hillsborough County introduced Edsby, the goal was to give students the opportunity to virtually track grades, assignments, and keep in contact with teachers. But to some, Edsby fell short.

“I still don’t know how to log in. It doesn’t serve a purpose to me,” said sophomore Johnny Martin.

At its initial release, students had a negative impression due to the fact that they had warmed up to Edline, but the negative feelings toward Edsby easened once its benefits were discovered.

Can’t keep track?

There’s an app for that Keeping every class notebook organized and on your person is time-consuming, heavy and inconvenient. These helpful and free apps can keep your paper waste down and grades up.

“I liked Edline, but the longer I use Edsby the more I like it,” said English teacher David Bramer, “Edsby’s grading system lets me input different assignments over a period of time and I can wait to share it until I have all the assignments.”

The service also has many features that allow students to stay connected to school while at home, such as mass messaging, which supplies teachers with a way to communicate with all students at the same time.

This tool is especially useful because any question a student asks concerning the mass message will be available for the rest of the class, eliminating the flow of repetitive questions that many

Google keep: My favorite of these, its clean, crisp and there aren’t too many buttons. You can make reminders with audio and set customized alerts and categorize the notes by color.

It allows you to make notes with pictures too which I think is neat.

P.S.: If you haven’t logged in yet this year, your information has been reset since last year.

Username: your student number Password: your birthday (mmddyyyy) teachers complain about.

So why do students still refuse to use Edsby?

Some students say it’s because of its difficulty and the confusing interface. “It took me some time to understand Edline and its functions then the county just feels like switching it up on me.” said junior Michael Harrison. But others disagree, claiming it’s easy to use Edsby if you download the app.

Quizlet: The audio flashcards are super helpful. You can turn the same set of information into flashcards, matching quizzes, and free response or make folders for different subjects to put quizlet sets in and mark for later studying.

DuoLingo: Lots of good; lots of bad. It can be used to study vocab and simple phrases if you need to brush up for your actual class, but learning a language from this app would be impossible without supplements. The language choices are slim, but it will set reminders and you can do lessons for 10 minutes a day to improve vocabulary.

-Alyssa Ierna

snapshot

hhstoday.com

Out of this world

October 2015

5

Students and faculty end Homecoming week with music, dancing and a Space Rave themed dance at MOSI

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1 Drum major Nick Gonzalez conducts the Big Red Band during the homecoming halftime show. | Photo by Emma Rodriguez

2 Amanda Moonitz, Ashlee Palmer and Charlene Dorsey break out their best moves during a dance battle against fellow teachers.

3 Percussionists Alex Lankford, Kyle Allen and Henry Lanza play their snare drums as the band performs the fight song. | Photos by Dana Dinh

4 At the Homecoming dance, students crowd around the camera to take a photo on the strobelight lit dance floor. | Photo by Cassidy Bull

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The Dancerettes perform to a medley of Lil’ Wayne’s “Phone Home,” Future’s “Gone to the Moon” and Katy Perry’s “E.T.” | Photo by Dana Dinh

6 October 2015 Briefly NHS inducts 109 members Juniors and seniors were inducted into National Honor Society on Oct. 13. NHS is a nationwide organization recognizing students “who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service and character.” During the ceremony, each student lit a candle and recited the NHS pledge, completing the induction process. Secretary Trinh Nguyen, parliamentarian Robert Wood, vice president Jennifer Valdivieso and treasurer Lisebeth Noel each spoke briefly about one the organization’s four core values: service, scholarship, leadership and character. Principal Gary Brady and club sponsor Linda Wilson also spoke at the ceremony. The longest speech was given by club president Nick Pham, who discussed the club’s principles and encouraged inductees to strive for greatness. “We Terriers endeavor to climb up the tree of success,” Pham said in his speech.

-Matt Lutton

National Merit Semifinalists Eleven seniors qualified to be National Merit Semifinalists: Malvika Bapna, Enzo Cabrera, Daniel Hamilton, Gia Jadick, Cici Ogden, William Petro, Sameer Puri, Emma Rodriguez, Shelby Shoup, John Veliz and Kathy Xie. Students were chosen based on their scores as juniors on the PSAT, or National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Semifinalists must complete an application process, after which they must wait until February to find out if they have qualified as finalists. Finalists are eligible to earn a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship and a chance at other National Merit related scholarships.

-Denzel Pierre

campus

Red & Black

Market brings community together

Vendors’ tents fill Hillsborough’s front lawn at the Sunday Market on Oct. 11. The market is held on the second Sunday of the month from October to May. | Photo by Jorge Garcia Jorge Garcia @HHSTodayOnline When you take your first steps on the lawn of Hillsborough, it hits you. The smells, the music, the sights. The Seminole Heights Sunday Market is back on Hillsborough’s front lawn after moving during the summer. The market will be held on the second Sunday of the month from October to May. Around 70 vendors attend each event. Vendor Sarah Veagan has been selling handcrafted Ice Pops, called “Whatever Pops,” at the market for about a year now.

As a vendor, Veagan has had a good experience at the Market. “The setting is nice, the people are nice, there’s a nice sense of community,” she said.

“It’s definitely worth checking out.”

The market attracts people of various demographics. Young entrepreneurs are able to set up their business for free and showcase their products. Twelve-year-old Ben Hebert is a “kid vendor” who sells homemade bracelets and sends all the proceeds to Equestrian Inc., Horse Rescue, where they take care of horses that were injured in races.

“I just really like horses most of my friends are all about horses, we even volunteer there often,” he said.

Theater teacher Jeff Pittard is a part of the market as well. Pittard is co-leader of a band, Big Picture, which he started in 1985 with his wife. They have played several times at the Market but not ev-

ery time the event is held, as they have several gigs.

Their band plays original songs as well as covers to lighten the mood. Being a band for 30 years now, Pittard wishes they were more famous. “Just keep on rocking,” he said. “If it’s in your blood, you’re never going to stop.”

Assistant principal Mick Boddie also enjoys the Sunday Market. He loved seeing the community come out and show their support. “There was very nice turnout with all the vendors and people socializing,” he said. “[The Market] opens up the community to our school,” Boddie said. “This is a large community, and this is a great community.”

The next market is Nov. 8.

ambassadors and Alumni Association A hallway of history Student collaborate to renovate the 100 Hall Yesha Skukla @yeshaa42 Nearly 100 years, encapsulated in roughly 25 feet.

The student ambassadors and Alumni Association are undertaking a project to replace the current paintings in the 100 Hall with a photo timeline of Hillsborough through the decades. Students will be able to view the history of the school, in-

cluding the renovations, differences in student life and different principals.

The timeline, which is predicted to be 25 feet long and 5 feet wide, will begin in the 1920s and span to today.

“Our school is like a time capsule,” senior ambassador Amber Pirson said. “If students are reminded daily that school is more than a facility [for them to study in] for four

years, they’ll have a greater appreciation for the grounds themselves and the traditions.”

The timeline will be a visual representation of the development of Hillsborough, unlike current paintings that “don’t have anything to do with this school at all,” senior ambassador Kathleen Tan said.

The project will finish in April, coinciding with the release of the

100th edition of the Hilsborean yearbook. The ambassadors are looking for vendors and photos to help complete the timeline.

“Finding photos of the school from the certain time periods has been really difficult,” junior ambassador Maggie Kratzer said.

“I’m really looking forward to the finished product, when it all comes together.”

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halloween

hhstoday.com

Where to be scared?

October 2015

Three students answer questions about their experiences at Howl-o-Scream and Halloween Horror Nights

How was your experience at Howl-O-Scream?

“It was really fun and really dark; people would just jump out and scare you!”

What was your favorite aspect?

“There was a haunted toy house that was filled with moving stuffed animals, it was so creepy!”

Selena Carbajal, 12

In a Halloween season dominated by big-name attractions, a new haunt has sprung up in Dade City. Aptly named Screamaggedon, this smallscale horror park features five unique scare zones alongside a concessions area full of carnival-themed horror.

What was your least favorite aspect?

“The lines were ridiculous, I was waiting in line for over an hour.”

Which line was longer?

“The lines at Halloween Horror Nights were way worse… They took forever.”

Which theme park was scarier, in your opinion?

“Halloween Horror Nights was scarier because the actors came a lot closer.”

Which would you re-attend this year, and why?

“I would go back to Halloween Horror Nights because it’s different and new every year. Howl-O-Scream doesn’t make that many changes.”

Savannah Puleo, 11

How was your experience at Halloween Horror Nights?

“It was insane! It was as if I was actually in that situation!”

What were your favorite aspects?

The zombies were most scary! They were the best part of it all.”

What was your least favorite aspect?

“The lines were horrible. I was waiting for like 25 minutes.”

Hector Hernandez, 12

How old is too old to trick or treat?

We asked our staff when they feel it’s time to kick the candy bucket. (Continued through page 10)

This is not the biggest draw, however. The Pandemic zone of the park is implementing a feature that may either excite horror fans or drive them away in panic. Visitors are given the option of truly “interacting” with the monsters, allowing themselves to be physically grabbed and even dragged away.

Ticket prices change depending on the night, ranging from $19.95 to a maximum of $30.95. These tickets are available online and on-site, but be aware that cashing in at the gate adds $5 to the cost. Screamageddon is open for a limited time until early November.

-Alex Morrison @magadon433

-Racheal Maillet @itsrachealhere

Treats are for kids: Age 12 is too old Stopping trick or treating at age 12 gives kids all of elementary school and, in most cases, the first year of middle school to participate. Around that time, more

ways to celebrate Halloween begin to appear: parties, scary movie marathons, costume contests and theme park celebrations.

I’m not against dressing up on Halloween (it’s great at any age), but leave the candy to the kids and try something new.

-Michael Strobl

8 October 2015

halloween

Using an online quiz on hhstoday.com, Red & Black set out to find the most popular halloween candy among students. After online voting, the most popular choices were judged by a panel of students. These are our results.

Red & Black | hhstoday.com

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Sweet 16

The Final Round: Chocolate VS Gummies. Sour Patch Kids are victorious.

“My favorite candy is Kit Kat. [Sour Patch Kids] don’t make me feel no way. But, people have their different opinions.”

-Mariecia Romero, 9

“I like candy corn. I don’t really like Sour Patch Kids — I don’t like sour stuff. “

“Sour Straws are my favorite. I don’t like Milk Duds because they’re nasty.”

-Casey Vasquez, 9

-Areonna Rogers, 9

“I don’t celebrate Halloween. But, Twix is my favorite.

Sour Patch Kids are too sour.”

-Sandra Davis, 11

-Annie Aguiar and Julissa Machado

Leave it in middle school: Age 14 is too old Halloween is a celebration for children.

By the time they get to high school, they should be done with dressing up and taking

candy from neighborhood houses.

Nowadays, high school is one of the most important stages in education and development of students. It’s the time when kids prepare to become adults and should start acting like them.

-Varun Puri

We grow out of it: Age 16 is too old Let’s be honest. If you can dress up as Dumbledore and not wear a fake beard, it’s probably time to give it up. And if you’re old enough to go get your own

discount candy after Halloween, what’s the point? It’s kind of like believing in Santa Claus -- a grown person doing activities intended for children is just weird.

Crash parties all you like so you still get free food, just don’t take it from kids.

-Madison Forbis

What’s the point? Age 0 is too old My parents have never, ever let me trick or treat. Now, as a teenager, I think trick or treating isn’t necessary at all.

Trick or treating may seem like an exciting tradition, but it really is just strange.

Time could be better spent on that day at-

tending parties or actually spending time with friends.

Maybe we should focus less on candy, and instead care about like, literally anything else.

A holiday’s main focus shouldn’t be candy; it should be something that actually matters. Trick or treating only promotes greedy, self driven behavior.

-Denzel Pierre

10 October 2015

halloween

Dressed for HALLOWEEN success Students share their best Halloween costume options

Red & Black

Netflix

&CHILLS

Jeremy Leong @HHSTodayOnline

Saw: “[The movie has] a good plot change.”

-Nick Caropreso, 9

Scream: “[It is] funny but very interesting and scary.”-Lauren Komar, 9

GENIE

COW

SIMBA

Aysa Pallencia, 12

Gillian Boyce, 12

Rodnie Bernard, 12

“My mom bought it for me.”

“My entire family were cows.”

“A guy threw $20 at me because he liked [my costume.}.”

Sinister: “[It] scared me witless to the point where I fell.”

-Daniel Posada, 11

Halloween: “Michael Myers [constantly] attacks.”

-Domonique Hollis, 10

The Babadook: ELVIS

Jeena Patel, 10

“I looked like an idiot. It was funny.”

WOODY

Savvas Ferekides, 10 “I was in love with Woody when I was younger.”

PUMPKIN

Emma Rodriguez, 12

“The pictures are really cute.”

Compiled by Michael Strobl Graphics by Annie Aguiar and John Veliz

Rated E for everyone: never too old!

It’s absolutely ridiculous how the moment you turn a certain age, you’re deemed “too old to trick or treat.” Halloween is a holiday where anybody can be anyone and anything they want to be, regardless of his/her age.

Sure, it’s relatively creepy if a 45 year old is going door-to-

“It was creepy and strange, but [not] as scary as I wanted.

-Elena Brown, 11 Graphics by Shelby Shoup and Madison Forbis

door asking for free candy, but that’s the beauty of Halloween: free things.

So, I say, “Go ahead and dress up like an alien, 85-year-old!” If I want to dress up like a princess when I’m old and withering, then so be it!

-Amber Shemesh

entertainment

hhstoday.com

TV REVIEW We all scream for scream queens Denzel Pierre @HHSTodayOnline Scream Queens takes place in the most horrifying setting imaginable: a college sorority populated with stuck up, rich white girls. That happens to be plauged by a serial killer in a Red Devil costume.

But all jokes aside, most of the horror found in Scream Queens isn’t exactly worth screaming for. But what the show lacks in horror it makes up for in its hilarious and intriguing plot.

Set in fictional Wallace University, the show mixes sassy comedy with chilling killing. In each episode any character could die, and any character could be re-

vealed to be involved in the Red Devil murders.

In fact, the murder are one of the best parts of the show. Cringeworthy, shiver inducing, and creative, most of the deaths so far have been inventive and eye catching.

Thinking about which character will die next and how the killer will kill them is possibly the best part of the show.

Although Scream Queens’ silliness and mockery are definite reasons to watch, it also addresses some of the seriously messed up things common in fraternities and sororities- the racism and unnecessary hazing, and the way some colleges just allow unacceptable actions to take place.

However, the Scream Queens plot can be irregular and unconnected, jumping from scene to scene in an irrelevant fashion.

Regardless of this flaw and others, the show finds a way to add murder mystery into one in a combination that constantly leaves me craving for Tuesday nights. For anyone interested in satire, murder, and having a good laugh, Scream Queens is a devilishly fun show to watch.

“Scream Queens” airs every Tuesday at 9 p.m. on Fox.

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October 2015

MOVIE REVIEW Everest loses its cool Amber Shemesh @HHSTodayOnline “Everest” is based on a true story about several expeditions up Mount Everest in 1996. I didn’t have any expectations for the movie, especially because I didn’t see many advertisements for the movie before it was released; however, based on the one trailer I did see, the movie seemed interesting, so I went to see it.

The film’s plot was non-existent; the movie included random, insignificant events that made it hard to keep track of what was going on (besides the underlying event, which was just the characters’ trek up the mountain).

The only thing that made up for the movie’s mediocre plot was its cinematography. The cinematography, alone, is what kept me in the theater for two hours. The stunning imagery was contrasted by the grueling conditions of the climb.

If you’re an avid thrill-seeker, then you’ll probably enjoy “Everest,” but otherwise, you’ll probably get bored within the movie’s first half hour.

Graphics by John Veliz and Amber Shemesh

TV REVIEW

Check in to the horror hotel Bianca Cegatte @BeaLovesYou2 American Horror Story creators Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy are used to pushing the boundaries of cable television and the popular show’s loyal fans are numb to the blood-curdling characters and risqué scenes. But is it possible that American Horror Story can have too much horror?

After the premiere of season five: “Hotel,” social media boomed with both reverence and repulsion at the racy and blood-curdling scenes that displayed on their screens on Oct. 7. Just when you think they’ve bent the rules all they could, Falchuk and Murphy shock everyone with a more-than-disturbing rape scene starring New Girl’s Max Greenfield and some strange, icky wax figure called “The Addiction Demon.” They then take it

up another notch, (if that’s even possible) and throw The Countess’s (Lady Gaga) and her hunky beau, Donovan’s (Matt Bomer) blood fetish into the mix.

It’s not that disgusting events as these aren’t expected from our favorite weekday television show, it’s simply that never has AHS been so grotesque. If the goal was to allow a glimpse into just how far AHS is willing to stretch the rules, then consider it accomplished.

Was it too gross? Too deep? Was there even a line to cross?

Were we shown too many nude behinds? AHS fans sent their questions to the internet in hopes that some answers might miraculously appear.

Opening with two Swedish tourists and pulling through on a series of murders themed with the 10 Commandments, “Ho-

tel” already introduced the pattern of victims we’ve all come to expect. And although no whirlwind romance was instituted yet, they did present AHS viewers with a pair of heartstrings for them to pull at: John Lowe (Wes Bentley), a loving father grieving his kidnapped son and broken marriage and Sally (Sarah Paulson), a crying ghost junkie who just needs someone to tell her she’s loved.

The only difference between this tangled up storyline and all of the others is that this mess leaves even more room for Falchuk and Murphy to run wild with their sick yet, creative ideas - although I’m not quite sure if that’s a good thing yet.

“American Horror Story” airs every Wednesday at 10 p.m. on FX.

12 October 2015

entertainment

Red & Black

‘Boys Don’t Cry,’ but fans do Frank Ocean’s album was rumored to be released in July… four months later, fans are still waiting Laurie Rodriguez @LaurieSayWut Today is July 114, if you’re a Frank Ocean fan.

The Grammy award winning singer announced his new album, “Boys Don’t Cry,” teasing his fans that it would drop in July. It is now late October and we still have no sign of the album.

Secretly, Ocean is out there laughing at our pain.

Ocean’s fans came out of hibernation last April after the artist posted on his Tumblr saying, “I got two versions. I got twoooo versions,” with the hashtag #July2015. Fans became anxious after having to wait three years since the release of his award winning album, “Channel Orange.” The album included

songs such as “Bad Religion,” “Pyramids” and “Forrest Gump,” which left fans wanting more. The singer has produced four singles since the last album.

“Boys Don’t Cry” was rumored to be the follow-up to “Channel Orange.”

Frustrated and impatient fans have been having breakdowns on the Internet. Turning to Twitter to make fun of Ocean’s missed deadline, tweeting things such as “Frank Ocean is the dad that went to the store for cigarettes and never came back of R&B” and “The next super moon happen before ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ does.” Fans have even went as far as editing his Wikipedia page, labeling him “liar” in the “occupation” field.

In the time that has passed, Ocean has made no public appearances.

“I don’t listen to Frank Ocean so his album not dropping doesn’t affect me. But if I were a fan, I’d be mad that he played with our feelings.”

-India Green, 10

A large number of fans were disappointed in the singer’s negligent behavior. “He lied to us and it’s rude,” sophomore Julianna Althaus said. “If you are going to make a commitment, follow through.”

The excruciating lack of information has created an insurmountable amount of hype for the album.

There are many rumors regarding this album and one is that “Boys Don’t Cry” might even be canceled. Fans hope that this is a lie but with no statements from Ocean, we are all left to wondering what’s true and what’s not.

It is Day 90 and still, no album. At this point we can only hope that Ocean pulls a Beyoncé and drops the album without warning.

WANTED

“It’s his choice to make a new album or not. It’s coming, be patient.”

-Daniel Posada, 11

Graphic by John Veliz

“It sucks because I like his music from before, so if its really good we’re missing out.”

-Hanuar Medina, 9

Taylor brings ‘1989’ to Tampa Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour comes to Tampa, along with Vance Joy and Shawn Mendes

Graphic by John Veliz

Sarvika Bommakanti @HHSTodayOnline Halloween is a day full of candy, costumes and this year, Taylor Swift.

The seven-time Grammy winner returns to Tampa during her 1989 World Tour.

Taking place Oct. 31 at the Raymond James Stadium, Swift is expected to perform some of her most popu-

lar tracks such as “Bad Blood,” “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “Blank Space.”

Swift’s album, “1989,” debuted at the top on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart with the highest number of sales for an album since 2002. The album sales were over 3 million in 2014 and it’s continuing to sell.

Swift’s previous RED tour sold out to 1.36 million fans and tickets are

going quickly for her current tour.

Special guests Vance Joy and Shawn Mendes will be performing as well.

“I’m excited. Although she’s definitely changed her music and sound, she still has maintained her dramatic performance style,” said senior Nedi Ferekides about the concert.

Tickets are available on ticketmaster.com.

life

hhstoday.com

13

October 2015

Five Alarm Fire rocks to positive change Varun Puri @HHSTodayOnline An 8-year-old girl with bone cancer. A retiring teacher. A Metropolitan Ministries food drive.

Since 2008, Five Alarm Fire has been rocking around the Bay area to raise money for positive causes in their community. Profits from their performances go directly to charities and people who are suffering. So far, they have raised over $24,000 in donations from concerts.

“Five Alarm Fire began with five students at a music learning center, and that’s how the band originally came together,” junior Alex Pillai, bass guitarist and vocalist, said. Pillai is the only band member who goes to Hillsborough.

“The band separated from the learning center and we added and removed members over time,” he said.

Unlike a traditional band, Five Alarm Fire plays a multitude of genres, including classical rock, pop and contemporary rock. “We like to play multiple types of music from classic rock to pop and put our own spin on music.” Pillai said.

“Early on as the band, we saw a necessity for what we could do. The response that we got from the people we were helping was such a great reward.” keyboarder Jor-

dan Vivero said.

The band often plays for victims of diseases, especially cancer patients. None of the members have earned profit from their performances; instead, the money goes directly towards medical treatment which the family of the patient are not able to afford otherwise.

“It just seems kind to do it, and we all benefit from it,” said Chase Ure, one of the band’s guitar players.

“They get care and we get happiness from doing it.”

“We have raised funds for cancer patients, including a 30-year-old woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer,” Pillai said. “She was one of our biggest fans and came to all of our gigs, whether or not she was on chemo. We’ve put on two From left, Jordan Vivero, Alex Pillai, former member Michael Giorgi, Andrew Pillai, Zach Pillai and Chase Ure play individual concerts for her,” said pool at a band hangout. | Photo courtesy Alex Pillai Vivero.

Currently, the band consists of five active we find a way to work around not having that The band raised over $8000 for her and composed an original single for her members, including Alex Pillai, his brothers member. If they ever wanted to come back, called “Hero.” They have released the song on Andrew and Zachary as well as two of their they’re always part of the band.” friends. In the future, the band plans to keep iTunes and Spotify.

Five Alarm Fire’s next gig: Localpalooza Five Alarm Fire also arranged a concert in playing for charity in Tampa. Pillai explained When: Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. which they encouraged fans to bring canned that members ‘graduate’ from the band as they Where: Orpheum Music Club in Ybor City food. All of the food was donated to Metropoli- go different ways.

“As people leave the band and go to college, tan Ministries to help families in need.

Tickets: $10 in advance, $12 at the door

Dance-turbing the peace?

Theontae Walton @HHSTodayOnline You never know when the next one is going to happen: during B Lunch, before the 7:35 bell, maybe even during passing period.

They don’t even need music to start. Suddenly, there’s a circle of excited students in the middle of the walkway, and in the center are two boys breaking out their most impressive moves.

Each battle is completely different from the last, with people flopping on the floor, doing the worm and hitting the quan.

The dance battles are fun for many students.

“School’s pretty boring and [the dance battles are] a good way to be culturally active,” junior Vincent Del Castillo. “If you’re having a bad or boring day the battles will cheer you up. They’re funny to watch sometimes.”

However, not all students enjoy the spontaneous battles. Some, like senior Cardierre Harris, find them “childish.”

“Seriously, we’re doing this right now?” Harris said, after witnessing a dance battle break out between second and third period. “People have better things to do than fall on their backs.”

Some faculty members feel the same as Cardierre.

“During the last dance battle, I [had to come] between because the bell rang and students should have

been going to class, not dance battling,” Assistant Principal for Student Affairs Jackie Eisenhauer said. “I don’t feel like this is an environment for dance battles; I feel that this is an environment for learning.”

The occurrences, at times, are an extreme distraction for students.

“As long as they’re not disruptive it’s fine. If it gets inappropriate it is cut short,” Assistant Principal for Student Affairs Henry Burns said. “If the whole court yard’s looking and people from the inside are looking outside, then they become disruptive.”

14 October 2015

life

Red & Black

Where are they now: RJ Aguiar Annie Aguiar @annieinfinitely He turns on the camera, points it at himself and begins to speak.

“When I look at who I was starting off high school, even who I was leaving high school and who I am now,” he says into the lens, “there are a lot of coincidences and a lot of shifts and [a] lot of what happened in order for me to get to where I am today.”

What follows is the rest of his day; walking in the streets, playing with his

“

signments and then he and I started doing the daily vlogs. Things sort of took off from there.”

Turning points and taking pride “This is our fourth year of doing the daily vlogs, and I still don’t think I’m used to the idea of people watching us on a daily basis,” Aguiar said. “The fact that what we do means something to people—I take enormous, tremendous pride in that.”

Another point of pride for Aguiar

“When I look at who I was starting off high school, even who I was leaving high school and who I am now,” he says into the lens, “there are a lot of coincidences and a lot of shifts and [a] lot of what happened in order for me to get to where I am today.”

1

-RJ Aguiar, Hillsborough alumnus

dog, folding his laundry.

This is what Hillsborough alumnus and YouTuber RJ Aguiar does every single day.

Aguiar broadcasts his life with his fiancé on a daily basis to thousands of viewers on their joint YouTube channel shep689, which has 214,678 subscribers. Aguiar’s personal channel, TheNotAdam, has 112,542, totaling an almost quarter million subscribers across both.

To Aguiar, YouTube was only a website before he met his now-fiancé, Will Shepherd. The two started dating while they were attending Florida State University. Shepherd, a math major and YouTuber, introduced Aguiar, a communications and English double major, to the media platform.

“Through him, I saw that this was an incredible and thriving community,” Aguiar said.

“I starting posting some of my as-

is completing the Hillsborough IB program, an accomplishment he calls “one of the hardest things I’ve ever tried to accomplish.”

“IB is all about teaching you how to think. Whenever you do any kind of advanced placement learning, you learn how to read something and break it apart and analyze it,” Aguiar said. “How to break stuff down; that’s a skill I feel that everybody should be learning in school. “ Analysis is a large part of the content Aguiar creates for his online audience; many videos on his personal channel discuss and analyze social issues like educational problems, LGBT rights and the extent of political correctness.

“Hillsborough definitely stressed the importance of being a well-rounded invididual,” Aguiar said. “It had so much to offer beyond the curriculum.” Aguiar was involved in the swim

2 team, Thespians, National Honor Society, National Science Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society while he was a student.

When he’s not making videos, Aguiar prepares television and web series. He and his fiancé are also both working on writing books and are planning on getting married in May. “High school definitely was a turning point in the sense that it helped me

3 1

discover what I want to do with my life,” Aguiar said. “Being able to try so many different things-- it was a place where I found my passion. I’m very glad I was pushed in the direction I was pushed in.”

Aguiar appears in a photo of the poetry club in the 2007 Hilsborean.

Note: The writer and RJ Aguiar are not related.

RJ Aguiar is now a popular YouTuber, living in Los Angeles, Cal. | Photo courtesy of RJ Aguiar

2 Aguiar poses for his senior photo in 2007.

3

15

sports

hhstoday.com

October 2015

Fall sports recap Golf

Winter Sports Schedule

Football

The boys golf team had three members qualify for the regional golf tournament. At districts, senior Jake Kennard finished first in the individual qualifiers with a score of 94, followed by sophomore Aaron Jensen in second place with 102 and senior Sam Burnett in third with 122.

The girls golf team had two players qualify for the regional tournament. Senior Sarvika Bommakanti finished in first in the individual district meet with a score of 87 and junior Olivia Knowlton finished in third with a score of 118.

None of Hillsborough’s five participants qualified to move on to the state golf tournament.

Staff photo

Swim & Dive

The football team is in danger of having Earl Garcia’s first losing season in 22 years as head coach at Hillsborough.

The Terriers’ loss to Blake put its record at 4-4, with two games left to play against Armwood (7-0, 3-0) and district newcomer Brandon (5-2, 2-1). Armwood is currently in first place in the district, with Brandon in second and Hillsborough in a four-way tie for third place.

“Personally, it isn’t about me. It’s about our football program,” Garcia said. “I couldn’t care less what my record is. We’re going to right the ship; if it’s not the ’15 season, it’s going to be right after it ends, or the ’16 season. We’re going to bring Hillsborough football back, and make it relevant again, and make it something that we can all be proud of.”

Photo by Ahava Jernigan

Volleyball

Cross Country

Boys and girls swimming will both be competing at the 3A-7 district meet. The meet will be held on Oct. 30 with warm-ups at 10 a.m. and the actual meet starting at 11 a.m. The meet will be held at the Temple Terrace Aquatics Center. Diving finals will occur on Oct. 28 at 3:30 p.m. The district diving meet will be held at Copeland City Park.

The volleyball team finished the season with a 9-9 record, with a 4-1 record in district play. They finished the season ranked second in the district, behind King. The volleyball team won its first district tournament game against Chamberlain, 3-0. The team then played Wednesday against King.

Photo by Suparna Narayan

Photo by Ahava Jernigan

The boys and girls cross country teams competed at the 3A District 9 meet on Oct. 19 at Al Lopez Park. No athletes from either team qualified to participate at the regional meet.

The boys team finished eighth of 13 teams.

Recaps by Daniel Hamilton Photo by Annie Aguiar

Oct. 28

Soccer

vs. East Bay

Nov. 5

Soccer

vs. Jefferson

Nov. 9

Basketball

vs. Durant

Nov. 13

Soccer Basketball

@ Leto @ Gaither

Nov. 16

Basketball

vs. Leto

Nov. 17

Soccer

vs. Chamb

Nov. 20

Basketball

vs. Brandon

Dec. 1

Soccer Basketball

@ Plant City vs. Blake

Dec. 2

Basketball

@ Jefferson

Dec. 3

Soccer

vs. Sickles

Dec. 4

Wrestling Basketball

@ Chamb @ Chamb

Dec. 5

Wrestling

@ Chamb

Dec. 8

Soccer Basketball

@ Mitchell vs. Armwood

Dec. 10

Basketball

vs. Alonso

Dec. 11

Wrestling Soccer Basketball

@ State Fair vs. Alonso @King

Dec. 12

Wrestling

@ State Fair

Dec. 14

Basketball

vs. Robinson

Dec. 15

Soccer Basketball

@ Freedom @ Brandon

Dec. 18

Soccer Basketball

vs. Gaither @ Blake

Dec. 19

Wrestling

@ HHS

16 October 2015

sports

Red & Black

Different language, same goal Despite language barriers between team members, the boys soccer team strives for clear communication While team members aim to create closer John Veliz bonds, the difference in languages often times @TheJohnVeliz Even with the graduation of experienced prevents progress.

During practice, members often separate players and the absence of their starting forward thanks to a broken arm, the greatest con- into pairs according to a common language. cern boys soccer faces this year actually lies Standing at a distance, one can hear the two tongues interspersed. within their classrooms.

However, while With a new team members are year comes new that they’ll have players and for “Well, we can work around aware to work hard in order some members it because the language is to facilitate clear comof the team, it munication, they don’t also means a new everywhere ... Like ‘goal’ — view it as a negative. language.

Some ‘goal’ is the same in every “Well we can work members of the around it because the team are recent country.” language is everyimmigrants from -Camilo Carla, 10 where,” said sophomore Latin America Camilo Carla. “Like without native flu‘goal’ — ‘goal’ is the same in every country.” ency in English.

Third-year veteran player senior Jake KenThis hurdle in communication comes at a time where many players feel that chemistry is nard, expressed similar sentiments.

“Honestly, if we just get our synergy togeththe team’s priority.

“We didn’t really click on the field [last er, it won’t be a problem at all.” year],” said sophomore Savvas Ferikides.

“

At an afternoon practice, Denis Guifarro conducts drills. | Photo by John Veliz

Banners still blank Shreya Patel Commentary Our athletes work hard to improve their skills, play as a team and overcome challenges. Countless hours are spent in the gym, on the track and in the water, pushing limits and putting in the effort that it takes to come out on top.

Every year, Hillsborough’s sports teams have been the victors of district, regional and state championships.

And every year, the banners in the gym stay blank.

We’ve demanded that something be done about these banners twice before, yet the teams’ hard-fought victories remain unre-

corded.

“That’s pretty far down on my priority list,” Assistant Principal for Administration Mick Boddie said.

He explained that issues such as these are resolved by a strong athletic booster club, and that ours currently consists of two people, one of which is Boddie.

According to Boddie, money is currently being used to meet more immediate needs such as games and concessions.

While Boddie agrees that if the banners are hanging they should “either be filled in or taken down,” it could be a while before the school has the resources to add years to the banners.

New players, district for girls soccer Suparna Narayan @HHSTodaySports The silence was overwhelming as the team members looked at each other in anticipation.

Their future teammates would be decided in mere seconds, and the stress was ever present.

This was the moment that could make or break their entire season.

This season, the girls soccer team is facing many new changes. With new members and a new district, the team is making some adjustments. The team is hoping to come back stronger than ever.

The girls soccer team gained three new players: Brianna Joseph, Maria Vanegas and Eliza Loaiza. The captains say they look promising.

“The freshmen goalie [Brianna Joseph] has re-

ally surprised me and shown a great amount of potential,” said captain Cassandra Cooper.

In addition to the new players, the team had a huge change in their district. This is something that happens every three to four years. With a new district comes new teams including Chamberlain, Freedom, Leto, Mitchell and Sickles.

Now, the team has to readjust their methods and adapt to the new teams in their district.

“It will be challenging especially with certain schools in the district but I think we can do it,” said captain Taylor Bott.

The team is really focusing on strategy this year, and trying to capitalize on the strengths of their current players. The first game will be Oct. 28 against East Bay.