The Red & Black, May 2011

THE

RED & BLACK

Florida’s first high school newspaper

Hillsborough High School • 5000 N. Central Ave. • Tampa, Fla. 33603 • Volume 111, No. 6 • May 2011

@hhsredblack.com h

SPECIAL REPORT Osama bin Laden’s life and death

pages 10-14

Tampa’s Tastiest

Awake 48 hours

presents Battle of the Burgers

page 15

page 6

Farewell

pages 2-3

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May 2011

NEWS

IB Valedictorian

Traditional Valedictorian

Hamilton aims for peace

Kelly plans for future in business

The IB valedictorian, Jennifer Hamilton, is headed off to George Washington University in Washington D.C. to “pursue a double concentration in the Middle East and Conflict and Security or International Politics at Elliott School of International Affairs. I would also like to learn Arabic and either Turkish or Hebrew, and I hope to spend time abroad in order to gain fluency in these languages,” Hamilton says, “then I would like to earn a master’s degree in international affairs.” She hopes to work for the government, United Nations or some international NGO (non-governmental organization) so that she can “work on breaking down misconceptions and build a greater understanding where there are cultural gaps.” She wants to focus on either Arab-American relations or the Arab-Israeli peace process. “The Middle East is a region that most Americans find “touchy,” so to say, or even dangerous, which is why it is so important.

People need to realize that they aren’t all that different from each other and that we should be able to coexist peacefully and reap the benefits of diversity,” she says. With all of the planning Hamilton has done to focus her career goals, she says that she is trying to keep herself open to opportunity. Hamilton does not know where she is going to work, but she will definitely have an idea of where to start. “I also think it would also be fun to try teach high school at some point,” she says, “I know that it is possible to get high school students excited about history.” Looking back on high school, the one thing she will miss most is “definitely the people.”

Growing up, Neela Kelly knew that one day she would be standing before thousands of people giving her valedictorian speech. Throughout her time in high school, Kelly did everything it took to be at the top of her game and attain her weighted GPA of 5.8. Not only did she completely devote her school days to numerous honors courses and AP courses but took on online courses as well on Florida Virtual School. Kelly began her path to becoming this year’s traditional valedictorian in the young stages of Kindergarten in elementary school. Kelly was a member of the gifted program while in elementary school. Her greatest achievements throughout high school have been being a part of the National Honor Society since her junior year and being treasurer of the Student Government Association since her freshmen year. “Being a well rounded student was not easy, but I am very proud of all my accomplishments,” Kelly said. Kelly has balanced her social life with her school life, from maintaining two jobs since she was a sophomore to staying up late studying for the next exam. Kelly plans to attend the honors program at the University of South Florida. She wants to get her bachelor’s in Business and hopes to run and create a successful company. “Although I struggled very hard writing essays and getting all of my scholarships in by their deadlines, it was well worth it,” Kelly stated triumphantly. Reflecting on the memories of high school, Kelly says, “What I will remember most was being able to be a part of all the activities at this school and the very many supportive teachers that I have had.”

IB Salutatorian

Traditional Salutatorian

When Megan Jones first heard about Hillsborough more than four years ago, she knew immediately that this was the place she wanted to start making her future. “There were no other options, this school was made for me,” says Jones, who has been made the IB salutatorian for the Class of 2011. Attending the University of Florida in the fall with plans on majoring in biology, Jones is somewhat unsure of her plans beyond college. “I don’t really want to be a doctor or a teacher,” she explains, “but I want to do something with humans. I want to help people in this life.”

Her favorite memory from her four years at HHS is the IB Senior lock-in, which she claims gave everyone the reality check that “while there is drama and stress, we have each other.”

Through her time at Hillsborough, Jones has learned some nuggets of wisdom that she wishes to pass down to the juniors, sophomores and freshmen.

“Don’t be intimidated to ask for help, because you need it,” she says, “and when you apply for college, have others read your essay. An amazing essay can be the difference between getting accepted or rejected.” All in all, Jones has loved her four years at HHS and claims she “couldn’t imagine spending [her] high school years anywhere else.”

Cassandra Nevarez, this year’s traditional salutatorian, carries an intense background consisting of taking honors and AP courses throughout her high school career. With her weighted GPA of 5.6. Nevarez plans on entering HCC Honors this upcoming fall majoring in criminology and plans to transfer to the University of South Florida after completing her two years. “Ever since I could remember, I enjoyed watching CSI and instantly knew I wanted to study the nature of criminal behavior,” Nevarez excitedly states when asked what she hopes to accomplish in the future. Her achievements thus far have been winning an HCC scholarship and gaining the Bright Futures Medallion scholarship that will help her along her path to success. As an involved student, Nevarez has played girls basketball all four years and has also been the captain her junior and senior. She plans to continue on her devotion for the sport when she enters college. Nevarez has also been a member of the National Honor Society her junior and senior year as well as Student Government. Thinking back on her many experiences throughout high school, Nevarez exclaims, “I will always remember the interesting people who have helped me every step of the way.”

Jones chooses biology as path Nevarez sees criminology in future

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NEWS

May 2011

Allie Brannan plans to attend FSU and major in meteorology. “I like math and science and a meteorologist uses both,” she explains. Along with meteorology, Brannan dreams of joining FSU’s gymnastics team. While FSU doesn’t have an official gymnastics team, it does have a club team. “I’d really like to continue with gym, even in college,” says Brannan, a gymnast at Tampa Gymnastics and Dance.

Sean Scott, a player on the HHS football team, plans to attend college at FAMU to study criminology. Scott hopes to get a career in law enforcement, making it perfectly clear that it’s his “passion.” After losing a friend in a hit-and-run incident, Scott’s urge to bring perpetrators to justice took a whole new turn. Scott says “it’s an honor to pursue the same career of such legends as those that helped in the 9/11 terrorist attack.”

Along with many IB seniors here at Hillsborough, Yash Patel plans to attend the University of Florida this fall. With intentions of pursuing a career in the medical field, Patel possesses skills that set him apart from the average student; one of those skills is tennis. Patel was one of the HHS tennis players who made it to the state competition, forcing him to juggle school work and tennis matches.

Eddie Samuels has known that he wanted to work with his hobby for as long as he can remember. “I’ve always done little electronics projects,” says Samuels, “but not software. I’m more into hardware stuff.” He will be attending the University of Rochester this fall with plans on studying engineering, and after college he wants to start his own business.

After graduating, Amanda Brown will attend Florida State University in the fall with hopes to become a marine biologist.

Brown strives for a career in marine biology because she “loves the ocean and animals.” After graduating from college, Brown dreams on going to Australia to do research on the Great Barrier Reef.

Instead of college, Decari Fleming plans to join the Air Force after he graduates, his interest in the military came from the job’s benefits and health plans.

Flemming’s family supports his decision on joining the air force even though they are afraid he will be sent to war. When asked how long he plans on staying in the air force he said, “I don’t know yet I have to see how things work out.”

Philip “Jesse” Guggino is a senior with a love for art and writing. After he graduates, he hopes to go to community college to get some courses out of the way then further his education at a school of the arts; he plans to get a degree in graphics design. Guggino hopes to work in the game design field designing and to be on the design team for the upcoming game Fault Lines.

11 from the class of 2011

Deidra Goodwin will be going to Florida Gulf Coast University in the fall. Majoring in environmental studies, Goodwin wants to work with an environmental group and someday teach people about environmental stewardship.

“I’m in a research SCUBA group that does a lot of things related to the ocean and environmental stewardship.

Many people don’t know about the environment, and that makes me want to teach people how we can keep nature beautiful.” Goodwin said.

Tom Travis has plans to attend the University of Florida. Travis was drawn to this school because of its excellent standing as a top Florida school. At UF, Travis will study to become a medical doctor specializing in radiology; he will start with biology and then medicine.

Travis’s interest in this profession stems from his love of science and his pleasure in helping people. Outside of his studies, Travis looks forward to being involved in UF’s drum line much like he was for all four years at HHS. Danny Ryan was so determined to become a Florida Gator to take part in it’s “great education and football games” that the University of Florida was the only school he applied to. Happily accepted, Ryan will be studying accounting in order to prepare for a career as a CPA, (Certified Public Accountant). Ryan has little idea where he will work after college, but he says that “my next-door neighbor runs a tax business, so I could do that.”

Kalah Williford has a job and goals she hopes to achieve after high school.

However, it’s her dreams that set her apart from the rest of the Class of 2011.

“After high school I plan on going to Saint Leo University because they have a really good psychology program and it’s close to home,” says Williford, “I hope to become a psychologist. I really like the aspect of figuring out how the human mind works.”

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NEWS

May 2011

Webb wins school’s first Cadet of the Year

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JROTC

Above left: Katrina Webb poses with mother Mary Muschick, brother Andrew and CSM Oscar Cunningham Jr. after winning Cadet of the Year. Above right: Webb represents the school at the Gasprilla parade.

By Elizabeth Gwilt Page Editor For the first time in the school’s JROTC history, a student won the district’s Cadet of the Year award.

Senior Katrina Webb won the honor out of students competing from 25 schools.

Webb, who has been in the program since sophomore year, said she was surprised when she won.

“I found out during an awards ceremony at the school. I was pretty happy when they called my name,” she said.

As part of the award, Webb was given a $1,000 scholarship and a commemorative clock.

Webb also was named Distinguished Cadet for the school and

received an engraved saber at academic awards night. Webb’s teacher, CSM Oscar Cunningham Jr., said that he has watched Webb grow throughout the past three years.

“I remember she was very quiet and shy, but when you talk to her now, she lights up the room,” he said.

“When I saw her win Cadet of the Year, tears started coming to my eyes,” he said, “I’ve grown very close to her, and I consider Katrina my third daughter, and I was one proud papa.”

“Katrina is one outstanding lady, and she will do anything she wants in life, she just has to choose,” he said.

Webb plans on attending HCC then USF, where she plans on studying to become an Army human intelligence collector.

Legislative session results in new laws

By Elizabeth Gwilt Page Editor

The 2011 Legislative session, which was dominated by Republican party leaders, left the state with a plethora of new laws when it ended on May 7.

SEXTING:

Decriminalizes the act of minors sending sexual text messages and photos. Senior Qwanteshia Burke agrees with the state’s decision to ban the practice.

“Underage kids shouldn’t be doing that anyway,” Burke said.

SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA:

Brand name products such as K2 and Spice are now banned in Florida. Although the packets are labled as incense, the substance has been used to get high and has resulted in several emergency room visits.

At least one student, who The Red & Black is not identifying, is upset at the ban.

“I smoke that stuff, since they made the actual weed illegal,” she said. “The state needs to loosen up.”

CLASS SIZE:

The Legislature passed a new definition of the

core curriculum. Also, the number of classes that must meet the class-size caps has been lowered.

But some students liked the class-size caps.

Senior Sachira DeAza said,”I’m glad that there is now a cap on the number of students per class. I’ve had classes that were out of control and obnoxiously loud because the teacher couldn’t control them.”

SAGGY PANTS:

This amendment was proposed after an increasing number of students began wearing baggy pants to school.

This law prohibits students from wearing clothing that shows their underwear while at school.

“Finally!,” said Burke, “I’m tired of seeing people’s dirty underwear everyday. Now the young men will look nicer.”

VOUCHERS:

Aimed towards increasing school choice, vouchers gave money to parents who wanted to send their kids to private or charter schools.

DeAza said “I think the state should be paying more attention to public schools. We barely have books as it is and they’re giving away money so kids can go to a private school.”

TENURE/MERIT PAY:

The Legislature voted to eliminate tenure, which

in the past has protected experienced teachers from being fired. Teachers across the state are angry about the change, which they say is taking away teacher rights. A switch to merit-based pay also passed, which directly ties student performance to a teacher’s salary.

“I feel conflicted on this one,” Burke said. “I feel bad for the teachers who have worked hard their whole career, but I know that some people might get lazy and stop doing their job. Although at this school we don’t have that problem, I know other schools do,” she said.

VIRTUAL SCHOOLS:

The Legislature voted to expand online education by allowing private companies to get involved. The law also requires incoming high school students to take one online course to graduate.

Burke, having experience with virtual schools from taking Algebra II online, doesn’t support the state’s decision. “Not everyone has access to a computer. Also, a lot a people procrastinate when it comes to online classes,” she said.

STATE BUDGET:

The issue of the budget caused the session to stretch into 3:35 a.m. on Saturday. Lawmakers finally agreed on a $69.7 billion plan for the 20112012 year.

May 2011

NEWS

Fitzgerald becomes new IB coordinator

JIMMY HERD-BOND

Trisha Fitzgerald replaced Anthony Jones as the IB coordinator. She was an assistant principal at Blake High School for four years. Fitzgerald also taught in Palm Beach County, where she was involved in IB. She also spent some time teaching in Scotland.

Staff Writer Kristine Lee sits down with new IB assistant principal Trisha Fitzgerald.

Q. Where did you work before you came to Hillsborough?

A. Blake, as the assistant principal for student affairs.

Q. How do you think Hillsborough will be different from Blake?

A. At Blake I was the assistant principal for student affairs where I dealt with discipline and attendance. Here I will be dealing with IB students and not as much discipline and more curriculum.

Q. Why do you think this job is a good opportunity?

A. Working at Hillsborough is an opportunity of a lifetime. The faculty is amazing and truly cares about success.

Q. What led you to this job?

A. I was looking for a challenge and something different. I knew that I wanted to work here in my career. The opportunity came and I took it.

Q. How was your first day?

A. Awesome! I loved it. I got a chance to meet the teachers last week but

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everyone was so welcoming.

Q. What do you hope to accomplish here at Hillsborough?

A. I want students to continue to succeed. I also want the parent to feel comfortable and know that their kids are getting the best possible education.

Q. How is this staff the same as Blake’s staff?

A. Both have wonderful teachers, are rich in history, care about their kids, and have their own unique culture.

Q. Did you ever meet Anthony Jones, the previous IB director?

A. Yes two years before I started working here at professional development conferences.

Q. How do you think you and Mr. Jones are similar?

A. We are both laid back and not uptight.

Q. You have big shoes to fill. Are you up for the challenge?

A. I am absolutely up for the challenge.

I love kids and helping them achieve their goals. I would do anything to help kids succeed.

Simple tricks to save gas and stretch your money

By Eric Martin Staff Writer Summer is coming, opening up your time for a variety of activities and travel. With prices as high as they are, saving gas is a good way to ensure that summer remains fun. Here are some tips to help save gas: Park in the shade: If you have a sunshade, use it. Leave windows open a crack. The common factor in all of these? The temperature. Using the air conditioning uses gas, so if your vehicle is cooler to begin with, you will not have to blast the air conditioning to cool it down.

Cap your tank: Make sure that your gas cap is screwed on tightly. Gas can evaporate, and with the Florida summers, it is quite possible that a significant amount of gas can escape.

Do not be an angry driver: The most gas is used during acceleration, and tailgating will result

in frequent braking and accelerating, severely reducing your gas mileage.

Keep your windows up: Opening up windows increases turbulence because the aerodynamic design of the car is disrupted. This increases drag and reduces fuel efficiency.

Keep tires inflated: If a tire is properly inflated, there is a smaller surface area in contact with the road.

This reduces friction, so that there is less resistance to your car. Less resistance improves fuel economy, and tires that are inflated correctly will also have a longer life.

Don’t idle: If you are waiting for something in your car, turn it off. Letting your car run for 5 minutes while someone stops at the grocery store adds up. Instead of going through a drive-thru, park and go in the facility.

There is no point in letting your car run if you

know that the next few minutes it will be still.

Hit the beaten path: If you are on long road trips, do not fill up at gas stations immediately off of the main road.

These will see a large number of people, and the prices will be higher because of the convenience factor. Driving a few extra miles will see more competitive and reasonable prices.

Share a ride: If four people live around each other and are going to the same place, why take four separate cars? Instead, each person contributes a few dollars to the driver.

This will make the cost easier on everyone, since multiple people split the cost of gas in one car.

More money means that there are more things you are capable of doing.

To get the most out of summer, follow this advice to keep your gas tank -- and wallet -- happy.

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NEWS

May 2011

Sleep deprivation can negatively affect behavior According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, deprived sleep has caused 100.000 car accidents.

High school students sleep less than 6.5 hours during the school week according to a 1998 study by Wolfson and Carskadon.

Less than 8 hours of sleep can result in a 24% greater possibility of obesity according to the National Institutes of Health.

JESSE GUGGINO

THE EXPERIMENT

CHRISSY GESHEL

Cerkoney before the experiment (top) and after (bottom).

Freshman William Cerkoney agreed to take part in our study on sleep deprivation.

Cerkoney would have to stay up for 48 hours without sleep, allowing no more than a two-hour nap per 24 hours. Coffee, energy drinks and other stimulants were prohibited during the experiment.

Cerkoney stayed up for 22 hours the first day and 24 hours on the second day. While awake, Cerkoney noticed some changes in his vision and concentration. Cerkoney said, “Everything was blurry, I couldn’t really concentrate, and I could hardly keep my eyes open.”

After being tested for 48 hours Cerkoney said, “I am never doing this again, I felt like I was going to die the entire time.”

Cerkoney said, “The one benefit to being sleep deprived was doing work.

It would be extremely efficient because I felt like I added another day to my schedule.”

However, staying up late is not the optimal studying method. Sleep deprivation alters behavior and concentration needed to perform everyday school tasks. A well-rested mind can be far more efficient and alert than an exhausted mind deprived of sleep due to last minute studying.

Cerkoney said, “Even if I need to cram for an exam it’s just not the way to go because I might fall asleep in the middle of the exam.”

By Chrissy Geshel & Roksana Borzouei Page Editors For most high school students, the month of May is a nonstop train of exams. Advanced Placement testing takes place throughout the entire month, as do exit exams for IB seniors.

Students with this increased burden of work and stress find it difficult to manage their time and the first priority that is put off is sleep.

The effects of sleep deprivation are tantamount to severe psychological and physical disorders. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reported in a study that sleep deprivation has been associated with an increased risk of obesity, diabetes and depression.

Sleep deprivation has been shown to lead to elevated glucose levels which causes obesity and diabetes reported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

A good night’s sleep involves going through many sleep cycles, which is important for maintaining a healthy brain. Interruption of sleep can alter brain function, diminishing the amount of serotonin used by the brain. Sleep deprivation is able to alter serotonin levels in the brain. Depression is caused by an imbalance of serotonin and a smaller than average hippocampus.

A common misconception with teenagers is that regardless of their sleeping routine during the weekday, sleep can be made up by hibernating on the weekends. This cycle results in poor sleep quality and can lead to needing increased amounts of sleep, as reported by the American Psychological Association.

There are many ways to cope with sleep deprivation, such drinking coffee, taking power naps, and various caffeinated products. However, the only way to fix sleep deprivation is to regain a normal sleep schedule. The ability to manage time can be vital to finding more time to sleep at night.

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NEWS

May 2011

Noted alumnus Maynor left his mark on alma mater

By Samantha Matras Editor in Chief From being a staff artist for The Red & Black to teaching thousands of Tampa locals how to draw on his own T.V show: Arthur Maynor most certainly had a very creative life.

Arthur (Art) Maynor, a former Hillsborough Alumni president, died in March at the age of 83.

Part of the class of ‘46, Maynor was in the JROTC, but he knew his passion early on.

His wife, Dinga “Rusty” Maynor said, “He started drawing when he was very young. As a young boy he would lay on the floor and copy cartoons.” And so he continued to do that throughout his life. “He loved that [drawing cartoons] and that’s what he planned to do,” said Maynor.

Although the Maynors didn’t get married until 1950, she knew of him before that.

“He was the boy next door. I know it only seems like that happens in movies,” Maynor said. “He went off into the service and we started dating when he came back.”

Graduating during World War II, Mr. Maynor’s education was interrupted by the draft. After he graduated from high school, he went into to the Marines in January 1946 before he could go on to college. As a Marine, he was

HHS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Rusty and Art Maynor pose in matching Terrier polos for a picture outside in front of school during a campus visit.

stationed in Hawaii for two years before he could return to his hometown of Tampa. It was after that that he was able to continue to do what he loved.

“He went to UT [University of Tampa] and studied art and elementary education,” said Mrs. Maynor. As an elementary school teacher Maynor taught all subjects at that time, but he still managed to incorporate art in

some way. “He thought that art was connected to everything in education.

[His favorite part was] if he could spark an interest in the student. If he could awaken them to something, he was happy,” said Maynor.

“I think one [reason why he we valued education] is that we grew up in the depression years after the war and there were little educational op-

portunities for our parents,” Maynor said. “His dad and mother were cigar makers. Our parents wanted us to be educated so they emphasized it, because they wanted us to have more choices.”

Art continued his creative career when he debuted on WEDU in his television show called “Art if you please,” teaching basic art. While working for WEDU he went behind the scenes and started to write scripts for historical shows.

“He had been hired as an artist, but he had ideas for a show and would present them to his manager and get permission to do them,” Mrs. Maynor said.

After working for the station for almost a decade, Mr. Maynor decided to branch out and start his own business. At first, he created educational picture books for other people and companies, but then he started writing his own material. His last book was an educational children’s book about Abraham Lincoln. “[Creating a book] takes many months. The Abraham Lincoln book took three years,” said Maynor. “He had to put it all together. He put it all in sequence, have it numbered from front to back, and create the cover.”

And from there he got his books published with Creative Space.

Students seek jobs to finance summer

By Devin Lee Staff Writer As summer rapidly approaches, many students are scrambling to find jobs to finance their summer plans as employment rates cease to rise.

The good news for these high school job seekers is that many stores are seeking to hire new employees from the select teenage population.

High school students are the target age group to work in popular clothing stores like Abercrombie or Hollister. These stores are frequented by local teens, and employees with titles such as “Floor Model,” are hired in order to “protect and project the

image of the brand through personal style, providing customer service and maintaining presentation standards” according to the Abercrombie & Fitch Careers web page .

Seniors Abe Avila and Frankie Ramos landed jobs after completing the interview process. Ramos was hired at Hollister and works about one day per week. Additionally, senior Nina Joung works at Abercrombie, and she is the younger sister of the store’s manager. “The managers are looking for cleaned up, classy teenagers during the interviews, the stores aim to hire as many local high school students as possible,” Joung said.

Other employment opportunities can be found at thriving local hot spots like frozen yogurt shops.

Many of these stores are also seeking out young employees to draw in the teenage crowd.

Seniors Sophia Bartolotti, Leah Santos and Lauren Flannery all work at the Yogurt Mountain on North Dale Mabry.

They were thrilled that the store hired mostly teenagers in preparation for its grand opening last December.

Bartolotti said she “loves the simple aspects of the job” and is “happy with the hours” that she is offered multiple times per week.

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May 2011

OPINION

Volume 111 No. 6

Zack Peterson & Samantha Matras Editors-in-Chief Jesse Guggino Graphics Editor Nick Bennett Roksana Borzouei Jasmine Edwards Jake Gagne Christine Geshel Elizabeth Gwilt Savannah Howard Katie Lutton Nico Tavella Brittany Valencic Luke Votzke Page Editors Jimmy Herd-Bond & Drea Sloan Photo Editors Eddie Samuels Multimedia Editor Antonio Brown, Rachel Cardona, Nick Cullen, Amanda Glenz, Jon-Michael Knight, Devin Lee, Kristine Lee, Eric Martin, Amaris Nogueira Staff Writers Joe Humphrey, MJE Adviser William T. Orr Jr. Principal The Red & Black belongs to the Florida Scholastic (All-Florida, 2011) and the National Scholastic (First Class, 2010) press associations. The newspaper is an open forum for student expression.

Decisions about content are made by student editors. However, the paper is subject to prior review by the school’s administrative staff. The staff editorial reflects the view of student editors, and columns represent the viewpoints of their authors. The R&B welcomes letters from students, teachers and members of the Hillsborough community. Letters December be edited for brevity and clarity, and should be submitted to Room 506 or to The Red & Black, 5000 N. Central Ave., Tampa FL 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

@hhsredblack.com

Our View Teen curfew is a poor decision for St. Pete police Police officers have always seemed to be the closest thing one could get to the true embodiment of enforcing justice. However, with the murders of several of these sentinels of the law over the past year, panic has gripped the minds of the Tampa Bay area.

NATURAL REACTIONS

The natural reaction to this problem is to create a curfew to keep teenagers home at night in hopes that these murders become less frequent, and maybe even help troubled teens work out their problems before they escalate to violence that may lead to a death. Though this seems harmless and, ultimately, a beneficial response to such a detrimental series of events, harmless is not nearly the correct adjective to describe a curfew keeping teenagers under the age of 18 at home after 11 p.m. during the week.

POINTLESS BILL

Rather, the word to describe this idea is something along the lines of pointless or wasteful. Keeping kids in their houses after dark does little more than it suggests. The idea that this curfew will help teenagers work towards more open relationships with their parents cannot be achieved through the means that St. Petersburg officials are suggesting.

We all know through various personal experiences that if kids want to do something, they’re going to do it. Teenagers get drunk because it’s illegal; they go to bars with fake IDs because it’s illegal. If the city council of St. Petersburg makes it illegal to go outside after 11 at night during the week, they’re likely to find

even more teens out than before the curfew was installed.

The result would be a much larger demand for police officers to enforce a law whose efficiency is crumbling.

CURFEW DEPLETES EFFICIENCY

And if the efficiency problem wasn’t bad enough, the wastefulness of this curfew is just as significant.

To enforce the curfew, police would need to be patrolling up and down all the streets in the area all night long to be sure there aren’t any teens breaking the law.

Not only does this take police officers away from more important jobs, but it also puts them out in the streets at night where the initial danger existed.

The curfew really doesn’t solve the problem of protecting police officers because it’s cutting the average duties of these officers and putting all their work time towards preventing a

very unlikely reoccurrence.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE

The solution to this is quite simple: keep parents in the area aware of the events over the past year and of possible warning signs to look out for.

The teen who committed this murder had a record and noticeable mood changes leading up to the crime.

We must remember that one of these crimes was committed by a teen who already had problems and made up a small percent of the teens in the St. Pete area.

It makes little sense to restrict all the teens for what one has done, especially when more moderate and productive solutions exist, such as things as simple as looking a little harder at school records.

For now, the best solution is to simply keep people informed and keep a lookout for any suspicious occurrences.

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OPINION

May 2011

Age restriction for contraceptive raises concern The FDA recently created a proposal that would eliminate the age limit to buy the Plan B “Morning After birth control pill.” Previously, there has been a limit of 17 to purchase the pill over the counter and anyone 16 and under had

If the age limit is lowered or thrown out all together, parents of teens who choose to use the emergency contraceptive might Savannah Howard not have any Commentary idea of the risks that their child is taking.

Many women use it as their only form of birth control. This drug can have adverse health effects on women who use it while already pregnant.

It may lead to miscarriage.

Miscarriages can lead to extreme bleeding, which can be fatal. Even if a teen is not pregnant, there can be many negative side effects such as; depression, ovarian cyst enlargement, respiratory disease, and even death.

If girls aged 11 to 17 are able to buy this product without parental

consent, they will be putting their own health at risk. At the age of 13, a teen girl is not allowed to buy alcohol or take herself to the doctor. If she is not considered mature enough to do those things without parental consent, the government shouldn’t consider her mature enough to buy a lethal dose of emergency contraceptive.

Instead of allowing younger teens access, we should continue to educate them on the importance of safesex practices and abstinence.

The Plan-B emergency contraceptive does not protect from sexually transmitted infections and if teens believe that is will prevent pregnancy, they need to realize that it it won’t protect them from disease.

Ultimately, the goal of the FDA and the American government should be to protect our teens.

By making this drug available to teens, the government will be doing them an injustice and possibly cutting their lives short.

to obtain a prescription from a physcian. This raises opinions of wheather or not this would be beneficial or harmful to young women who are sexually active.

Plan B should b e o ff e r e d t o women of all ages so that, in case of an emergency a woman wouldn’t be hassled when the time constraints Chrissy Geshel are so limited.

A girl may not Commentary get along with their parents, a family member may be out of town, and plenty of other things may come up that would prevent a woman from being able to obtain a prescription.

This is the exact reason extending the age limit to all women would be beneficial.

Offering the pill to all ages without prescription would help decrease the number of teenage pregnancies. Less teenage pregnancies would result in more teens staying in school, leading to a more educated generation.

One example of the proposal in action is in Wales, England. Wales had one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in all of Europe. Plan B is offered free if the person is in dire need of the medication, however for everyone else in England, Plan B costs about $40. The motive for their decision was to decrease pregnancy, which has worked in their community.

If Plan B is offered to all ages, there would be more money available for other state programs. According to plannedparenthood.org, in Hillsborough County alone there have been 2,078 teenage pregnancies since 2004. This has amounted to $42.7 million given to teen parents.

Allowing Plan B to be offered to all women would positively affect our community, with a lesser teen pregnancy rate, and more money to spend on other parts of the state. Although it may take a while to approve Plan B should be welcomed due to all the great aspects it has to offer.

Taking initiative is vital to getting ahead in life The first time I meet Kyle, I was touring the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida with Reed Erickson, whose sole goal is to convince me to attend Florida.

Kyle had just recently turned 19 and is sitting in a desk with a giant pair of headphones on and looking at a computer with a focused Zack Peterson Commentary countenance.

He introduced himself and after some small talk, Kyle cut to the chase: He wanted to know if I was looking at going to school there. I gave him the automated response I had prepared for anyone who asked me such a question: I’m not entirely sure yet; just test-

ing the shores and wading my way into the waters.

Kyle, without any hesitation, proceeded to inform me about what he was doing. Working as a sportscaster at WRUF (the student radio at UF), Kyle was already light years ahead of his fellow students.

“I’m only in my second semester of my freshmen year,” he told me. “But I’m already working a solid beat, announcing on the radio, and even occasionally holding my own talk shows.”

At the age of 19 he was already partaking in a level of journalism that post-college grads were scrambling to participate in at the age of 22.

For Kyle, it was simple. He could take weekend trips whenever he wanted to: he could go to a party if he wanted to! He understood how to balance his social life and whatever the program threw at him with simple ease and eager energy.

There’s a better message to be taken from Kyle.

As individuals the world offers us all the materials

necessary and we could build great palaces out of them; we could also squander all our opportunities and let everything rot.

It is about taking leadership where you can find it; branching out into the sea of unknown and finding something that quenches your curiosity.

What will take you places are innovation and being proactive. There will always be room for fun, and there will be times where the balance between the two is entirely skewed. But there’s a beautiful thing about the world: nothing is as predictable as you think it may be.

No one ever knows where the road will lead, or what they’ll be doing 20 years from now. That’s why it’s important to find leadership where you can while you can.

Because of his determination, next time I meet Kyle he may be announcing on ESPN or hosting a radio talk show.

10

May 2011

SPECIAL REPORT: Death of bin Laden

May 2011

11 PHOTO BY MICHAEL FORAN ILLUSTRATION BY JIMMY HERD-BOND

TIMELINE

U.S. kills 9/11 leader bin Laden Osama bin Laden, born Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden, was born with about 50 siblings to a millionaire business man in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. There are conflicting reports concerning the exact date of birth. He grew up non-confrontational and a model student and Muslim in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

1957

When the Soviet forces leave Afghanistan, bin Laden takes his contingent of volunteer fighters and establishes Al Qaeda, translated as “The Base.” He founded it as a haven for radical Muslims that want to fight for a more fundamentalist government and share a mutually intense hated for Israel, the United States and any Muslim governments aligned with the U.S.

1988

Bombs placed in trucks explode at U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

The explosions kills 224 people, including 12 Americans. Two weeks later, thenPresident Bill Clinton declares bin Laden America’s No. 1 enemy, placing responsibility for the deaths upon his shoulders.

1998

Al Qaeda suicide terrorists hijack four commercial planes, three of which crash into U.S. landmarks. Two crash into New York’s World Trade Center with another slams into the Pentagon. After a fourth crashed in Pennsylvania, the death toll totaled about 3,000. Unprecedented despair for the victims of the first attack on American soil ensued, and on Sept.

17, President George Bush stated bin Laden is “Wanted: Dead or Alive.”

2001

12

SPECIAL REPORT: Death of bin Laden

Muslims report teasing after bin Laden’s death

By Brittany Valencic Page Editor As the news of Osama Bin Laden struck the nation, students and others have seized the opportunity to insult, tease and ridicule Muslim classmates, resulting in extreme discrimination and prejudice.

“After Osama’s death, a lot of people came up and hugged me and said ‘Sorry for your loss’ or “I’m so sorry about your uncle,’” said sophomore Sakib Kazi.

Offended by such racial jokes, Kazi said, “Just because I am Muslim doesn’t mean I support Osama Bin Laden. He is a terrorist. Not everyone in the Muslim faith is a terrorist.”

After five instances of such abuse, Kazi believes they have taken the joke too far. “I realize we all have the freedom of speech and our own opinions, but how would you feel if I made fun of your religion and compared you to a national terrorist?” Kazi asked. No one did anything to stop the insults either. “They just laughed along with them,” said Kazi.

“The same thing happened to me too. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. Everyone on Facebook was joking around and celebrating his death, so I figured I could too,” said sophomore Arun Katikala.

Living with a label; the passing of bin Laden leading people to mock their Muslim peers.

Even Muslims themselves took advantage of the shocking news to have a laugh.

Although it may have offended some of our students, others took the situation lightly seeing it as a way to have a tease.

Sophomores Nadiya Fakhar and Sally Hamami weren’t offended by the stereotypes at all and happened to turn the ridiculing to their own advantage by making jokes about themselves.

“What made us feel we could joke about it was that Osama’s death wasn’t a particularly mournful event for anyone,” Fakhar said. “And I didn’t care that our actions were furthering the stereotypes because stereotypes and racism can’t be avoided in today’s world, regardless.”

The girls posted on each others Facebook walls comments about their long lost uncle being killed. They pretended to mourn the event, but all in jest.

“Being the Arab comedians we are, we had to take advantage of the situation. What made us feel we could joke about the event was no one was upset about his death. Sally and I used our

May 2011

“Just because I am Muslim doesn’t mean I support Osama bin Laden.

He is a terrorist. Not everyone in the Muslim faith is a terrorist.”

-Sakib Kazi

Middle Eastern heritages to our own advantage and entertainment,” said Fakhar Both Fakhar and Hamami have been known to make terrorist related jokes, and the death of bin Laden just simply added more fuel to the fire.

“It’s of my nature to joke around with things like that, especially when it’s my own background. It’s different when you’re making fun of your own ethnicity,” said Hamami.

“I am Arabic. It doesn’t matter to me if I further the stereotype, because it’s like I’m insulting myself. My Arabic friends and I all joke around about it, and it’s quite amusing.”

Yet others felt quite differently. Junior Imran Gruhonjic said, “Obviously I wouldn’t take [the mocking comments] well; I feel offended. You would think things would get better after eleven years, but it’s getting worse.”

Gruhonjic experienced a similar case of abuse from students, but from a teacher as well. “[My teacher] told me to go to the printer,” because it was jammed, “and he said something like ‘Muslims can’t do anything’ or ‘How many Muslims does it take to fix a

printer?’”

Gruhonjic said he “lost a lot of respect” for that teacher.

And the taunting is present out of the school setting as well, explains Gruhonjic. “When I volunteered at a hospital, they thought I was Christian.

Once they realized that I was Muslim, I could tell they felt uncomfortable with things that they said, or things they would have said.”

“I think that for kids, I expect that kind of immaturity, but not from a grown person. They’re supposed to be role models,” he said.

This recent backlash at Muslims is sparking discussion and varied viewpoints.

Junior Demondre Daniels said, “This behavior is really inappropriate.

Not all Muslims represent Osama.

They don’t deserve to be clustered, they have their own minds.”

Senior Brenda Torres holds a much different point of view. “It’s a joke.

Nothing harmful,” she says.

In the end, Katikala, one of the several who taunted Kazi, apologized.

“I felt bad though, so I ended up apologizing to Sakib.”

2001 2002 2004

Forces dedicated to the opposition of the Taliban seize bin Laden’s main base in the Tora Bora mountains in eastern Afghanistan.

Bin laden escaped capture.

Suicide car bombs in Kenya blew up the Mombasa Paradise resort hotel, which is popular among Israelis. Killing 15 people and wounding 80, Al-Qaeda took responsibility for the bombings.

bin Laden launched his antiBush campaign by bursting in to U.S. election with his first videotaped message in over a year. The tape was a criticism of his platform and Americans in general.

May 2011

Reactions mixed to bin Laden’s death

By NIco Tavella Page Editor Images of people, drunk and loud, celebrating outside the White House or at Ground Zero, dominated the airwaves following the news of Osama bin Laden’s death.

American reactions to the news ranged from elation to paranoia, causing some to be critical of the celebrations.

“It was a relief for me,” said junior Brianna Battle, “My sister was in the Pentagon during 9/11 so it was a good thing to see justice prevail.”

However, the big question is whether or not we should be celebrating.

“Personally, I think it makes us look stupid and I’m not proud of it,” said Battle.

The idea that drunken celebration is an inappropriate way to react seems to be pretty wide-felt. “He was a bad person,” said freshman Ashley Ortega, “but I don’t think we should celebrate the death of anyone.”

The celebrations that took place at Ground Zero stirred up more controversy than anywhere else.

Seen as a memorial site by many, people feel conflicted about whether or not it’s just to hold celebration at the very place where bin Laden killed

13

SPECIAL REPORT: Death of bin Laden

How did you react to Osama bin Laden’s death?

We surveyed 50 students see thier reactions towards bin Laden’s death. Although some think that our generation should be deeply affected by this event, the numbers tell differently, with the greatest reaction amongst those surveyed one of indifference.

thousands of Americans a decade ago.

“No one, especially people who didn’t lose someone in 9/11, Celebrated should celebrate on Ground Zero,” said senior Cody Rogers, “I see it as very disrespectful for those who died.”

Though the debate over celebration seems to sway to the reserved side, the same can’t be said for the possibility of retaliRelieved ation.

“I definitely see an attack in our future,” said Battle, “I mean look at the facts; we killed someone these terrorists looked up to and then celebrated about it. They’re bound to be pissed.”

However, some aren’t so sure.

“They may attack us again,” said Scared sophomore Arun Katikala, “we can’t be sure. Killing bin Laden definitely didn’t help though. A future attack isn’t something we can predict, and we just have to wait and see what happens.”

2010

An audiotape relased by AlQaeda stated that they will kill as many Americans as they can if Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused planner of Sept. 11, is executed. Mohammed was held by the United States.

Happy

Upset

Indifferent

2011

SAMANTHA MATRAS

Osama bin Laden was taken down by a joint Pakistani-American effort in Abbottobad, Pakistan on May 2. The leader of Al-Qaeda was tracked down to a custom built hideout near a military academy. The operation took a mere 40 minutes as U.S. helicopters swooped in and shot bin Laden in the head. The majority of his bodyguards resisted arrest. The anti-terrorist forces had been gathering intelligence since the 9/11 attacks by tracking a trusted courier of bin Laden and his brother, and on April 29, President Obama decided he had enough intelligence to give the order to prepare an attack. The remains were cared for in accordance with Muslim law and was buried quickly at sea. Families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks spoke out with approval and Obama stated -COMPILED BY JACOB GAGNE • SOURCE: REUTERS that “Justice has been done.”

14

SPECIAL REPORT: Death of bin Laden

Social Networking The Red&Black

How we found out

By Savannah Howard Page Editor When the news of Osama bin Laden’s death reached the majority of American people, President Obama was still 20 minutes away from making his official address to the country.

This can be attributed to something that hardly even existed when 9/11 happened: social media.

More people found out about bin Laden’s death through venues such as Facebook and Twitter before the staff at their local newspapers had even begun writing stories for the next morning’s newspaper. According to Twitter, the popular social network broke their record for most tweets in a second. Around 10:45 that night, the tweet count was at around 3,000 tweets per second and by the official announcement, the tweet count had reached over 5,600 tweets per second.

Social news media is changing the way that readers view the news. Instead of ordering the daily times, many people turn to their smart phones or laptops for information.

Sophomore Keyondae Evaris, said, “I use Facebook to get a lot of my news. If I see a news story online, I usually go and check it out in a newspaper or on television, which is what I did when I saw the news [about bin Laden] on Facebook”.

Junior Jasmine Lavette found out when her mother texted her Sunday night. “I Googled it after my mom texted me and then saw a few posts on Facebook about it,” said Lavette.

Other students, such as Alyssa McLendon, found out the news on a social site even after it became available on news television stations and in newspapers. “I was asleep when

Added May 1st

Sally Hamami My uncle Osama is somewhere in the sea. We must rescue our uncle Nadiya Fakhar D: YA ALLAH! ALLLLLLLAAAAAHHHHHHHH! Rest in Peace my friend. We ? benny!

May 1st at 10:45

Kevin Stephens Lol at the Trending Topics on Twitter now: #USA, Chuck Norris, Fox News, Osama, Mission Accomplished, Pakistan, and Hitler.

May 1st at 1:50

Deidra Goodwin This news just means two major things: The Daily Show and the Colbert Report should be hilarious, and SNL and South Park will either be amazing or mediocre.

May 1st at 1:55

Osama died. I found out on Facebook the next morning.

That’s how most of my friends found out also,” McLendon said.

Many teens say social networking is the primary source of news for teens. Rachel McKay, a sophomore, uses social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook to stay informed about the world. “I think that [for teens] it’s easier to use social media sites to stay updated because, none of us are going to read the newspaper every day. I personally found out about bin Laden’s death on Twitter,” McKay said.

There are many adults who have mixed feelings about the new popularity of social news media.

Wayne Garcia, executive director of the Florida Scholastic Press Association, said social media will have positive and negative effects on the future of news.

“I do like social media for breaking news and building a relationship with the reporters. Breaking news is perfect for Twitter. Smaller news stories are great for Facebook feeds,” Garcia said.

Social media has shaped news in phenomenal ways over the past decade. Sites like Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr have made it possible to receive news through many venues.

Still, Garcia said Facebook wouldn’t have made much of an impact back in 2001. “Even if we had social media back in 2001, it wouldn’t have changed anything. When you have an event that big people just stop what they’re doing and turn on the TV. I don’t think it was possible for news to travel any faster like it did that day,” Garcia said.

May 2011

15

LIFE

May 2011

TAMPA’S TASTIEST

battle of the burgers

This Five Guys burger emblemizes the great look and taste of a heavyweight hamburger.

Square 1 Burgers and Bar was the No. 1 winner among are the four restaurants tasters visited.

Though the restaurant was nearly empty at the time tasters went, right after school, after tasting Square 1’s burgers it wasn’t hard to imagine the place full to capacity. From the “fantastic butter-toasted buns” to the “delicous, juicy patties,” the Square 1 burger was nearly flawless. Though the perfect burger has yet to be found, the Square 1 burger comes close!

Five Guys Burgers and Fries has achieved a reputation for serving the best-tasting burgers for the lowest price. When our tasters unwrapped the tinfoil covering of their burgers and dug in, they were immediately impressed by “the succulent juices flowing throughout the immaculate patties,” as one taster eloquently described it.

The service was a bit slow and the price not the most affordable, but the Five Guys burger is still nearly top of the line when you have a hankering for a hamburger that won’t let you down.

Burger Monger advertises that “once you taste the Burger Monger difference, you won’t be able to go back,” but tasters found that the burgers didn’t quite live up to that slogan. The restaurant itself got low marks for its awkwardly high tables, but earned back some points for its friendly, attentive service staff. The patties are made from Akaushi beef, which is savory but doesn’t really deserve the hype. Along with a bad case of topping overload, the burger didn’t fulfill tasters’ expectations.

9/10 8.5/10 7/10

NICK BENNETT

Evos is not a burger chain so much as a full-fledged fast food outlet serving everything from trout filet to buffalo chicken, all air baked for minimum environmental impact. Tasters tried both the steakburger and veggieburger, and were underwhelmed on both counts. The steakburger was panned for its“crusty dried-up hamburger meat,” and the veggieburger tasted “rubbery and gross.” Not bad for a “healthier hamburger,” but it still doesn’t stack up to its richer (i.e. fattier) counterparts.

6/10

16

LIFE

May 2011

Daycations: Three trips to save your summer So the school year is almost over, and everyone is excited for summer vacation. But if you’re like us, you have experienced the awful feeling of waking up on the last day of summer to realize that you’ve

spent the past two months sleeping, watching TV and wasting time on Facebook. This year, to help you avoid wasting your valuable vacation time, we’ve created a handy tearout guide with summer

1

Rainbow River Answer the call of nature and spend a day taking in the great outdoors. At

2

Rays Game Admission to the upper decks of Tropicana Field: $12. Hot dog at First

3

Beach Get an early dose of your summer rays by hitting up the beach. Clearwater,

Rainbow Springs State Park in Dunnellon, visitors can swim, snorkel, rent a canoe or kayak and go tubing. General admission to the park is $2 per person. Another option to explore Florida’s natural wonder is an excursion to swim with the official marine mammal of Florida, the manatee. Check out River Ventures Manatee Tour Center. They offer three-hour trips for reasonable prices, making memorable interactions with the gentle giants both closer and more affordable than most people think.

Base Food Court: $4. Tampa Bay Rays Replica Game Cap: $17.99 Getting a break from the sun in an enclosed, air conditioned stadium: priceless. The Rays play at home 33 times during summer vacation. Try to make the 30-minute trip over to St. Petersburg to see them at least once this summer. Get to the game early to watch batting practice, browse the gift shops, and check out the Rays Touch Tank interactive experience before the game. Saturday games feature post-game concerts.

St. Pete, Fort DeSoto, Pass-a-Grille and Indian Rocks are all nearby options.

Other than parking fees, beach days are generally low cost and high fun.

Don’t forget the sunscreen! (But if you do, check out our sunburn remedies on page 18). Activities such as parasailing, banana boating and jet skiing are offered at many of Florida’s local beaches. At Clearwater, Sky’s the Limit Parasailing costs around $70 and banana boating is only $20. Such activities are sure to liven up your beach day.

Students take advantage of many beach activities offered at Clearwater.

BECCA JAVIER

outings that are nearby, affordable and fun.

-Katie Lutton & Brittany Valencic

Rainbow Springs State Park 19158 S.W. 81st Place Road Dunnellon, Florida 34432 River Ventures Manatee Tour Center 406 NE 1st Avenue Crystal River, Fl 34429

16

LIFE

May 2011

Daycations: Three trips to save your summer So the school year is almost over, and everyone is excited for summer vacation. But if you’re like us, you have experienced the awful feeling of waking up on the last day of summer to realize that you’ve

spent the past two months sleeping, watching TV and wasting time on Facebook. This year, to help you avoid wasting your valuable vacation time, we’ve created a handy tearout guide with summer

1

Rainbow River Answer the call of nature and spend a day taking in the great outdoors. At

2

Rays Game Admission to the upper decks of Tropicana Field: $12. Hot dog at First

3

Beach Get an early dose of your summer rays by hitting up the beach. Clearwater,

Rainbow Springs State Park in Dunnellon, visitors can swim, snorkel, rent a canoe or kayak and go tubing. General admission to the park is $2 per person. Another option to explore Florida’s natural wonder is an excursion to swim with the official marine mammal of Florida, the manatee. Check out River Ventures Manatee Tour Center. They offer three-hour trips for reasonable prices, making memorable interactions with the gentle giants both closer and more affordable than most people think.

Base Food Court: $4. Tampa Bay Rays Replica Game Cap: $17.99 Getting a break from the sun in an enclosed, air conditioned stadium: priceless. The Rays play at home 33 times during summer vacation. Try to make the 30-minute trip over to St. Petersburg to see them at least once this summer. Get to the game early to watch batting practice, browse the gift shops, and check out the Rays Touch Tank interactive experience before the game. Saturday games feature post-game concerts.

St. Pete, Fort DeSoto, Pass-a-Grille and Indian Rocks are all nearby options.

Other than parking fees, beach days are generally low cost and high fun.

Don’t forget the sunscreen! (But if you do, check out our sunburn remedies on page 18). Activities such as parasailing, banana boating and jet skiing are offered at many of Florida’s local beaches. At Clearwater, Sky’s the Limit Parasailing costs around $70 and banana boating is only $20. Such activities are sure to liven up your beach day.

Students take advantage of many beach activities offered at Clearwater.

BECCA JAVIER

outings that are nearby, affordable and fun.

-Katie Lutton & Brittany Valencic

Rainbow Springs State Park 19158 S.W. 81st Place Road Dunnellon, Florida 34432 River Ventures Manatee Tour Center 406 NE 1st Avenue Crystal River, Fl 34429

S May 2011

17

LIFE

ummer cenes

Summer brings along free time and great weather, perfect for *fun day trips and weekend excursions (see page 16). But when unexpected summer thunderstorms ruin your plans or you just don’t feel like sacrificing your daily dose of air conditioning, movies are a great alternative. We’ve picked out the best of the best of this season’s hottest flicks. This summer, as new movies fly into theaters, superheroes and sequels reign supreme.

-Amaris Nogueira & Rachel Cardona

Transformers: Dark of the Moon July 1

The Autobots Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Ironhide and Sideswipe are back in action im Transformers 3. With the discovery of hidden secrets on the moon, the robots soon find themselves involved in a threatening space race.

New characters, including a new villain, make their debut on the big screen in this action-packed thriller of the season.

Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides May 20 Jumpstarting the summer movie fest is a thrilling continuation to the Pirates of the Caribbean saga. Captain Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp) embarks on a new quest to find the legendary Fountain of Youth. Running into mermaids and zombies he comes in contact with a woman from his past, Angelica (played by Penelope Cruz).

X-Men: First Class June 3 The fifth installment in the X-men series tells the story of the origins of X-men, First Class.

Before Professor X and Magneto got their mutant names, they were once two young kids, Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr, discovering their powers. Working together with other mutants to defeat a world threat, a rift begins to form, leading to the later war between the two.

Cowboys and Aliens July 22 When two extremes such as aliens and cowboys come together, one can only imagine the plot that will unfold. When a man awakens with his memory wiped clean and a shackle around his wrist, he soon discovers he holds the secret to fight off an alien force. Based on a comic book series, this film will have you on the edge of your seat.

Super 8 June 10 Fans of Fringe and Lost eagerly await what will hopefully prove another sci-fi bombshell from director J.J. Abrams. After a train crash, the town begins to observe strange occurrences, and send Deputy Lamb, (Kyle Chandler) to investigate.

What he finds is stranger than anyone ever imagined.

Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 2 May 26 For all Harry Potter fans, the journey draws to an end with the seventh installment of the series.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione make their way to Hogwarts one last time in the most epic battle of good versus evil. In a bittersweet finale, the movie brings to a close the magical story that began over a decade ago.

Hangover Part 2 May 26 Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug reunite; after their memorable adventure in Las Vegas for Stu’s bachelor party. This time, it’s off to Thailand, for Stu’s bachelor party. Knowing this bunch, all does not go as planned. Yet again, they wake up not remembering anything of the night before. The Wolfpack is back for the must-see movie of the summer.

Crazy, Stupid, Love July 29 When Cal (Steve Carell) and his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) start to lose hope in each other, she files for divorce. Devastated, Cal receives help from Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) who teaches Cal how to master the modern dating scene. This romantic comedy is bound to be filled with laughs and leave you smiling.

Friends with Benefits July 22 When two friends decide to create a pact to be in a sexual relationship without having any feelings for one another, the plan turns out to be a lot harder than they expected. Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis take on the role of Dylan and Jamie on their journey when they both seem to start falling in love.

18

LIFE

May 2011

Beat the Burn

Living in Florida, we have the ability to enjoy the Sun’s warming rays almost year round. Whether you are soaking up some sun at the beach or in your backyard, it is easy to acquire some unwanted sun. Of course, the best way to prevent sunburn, and skin problems like cancer later in life, is to use good sunscreen and reapply often when in the sun.

But no matter how much sunscreen you lather on, sunburn can be hard to avoid, especially in the summer time. So when that red itchy sting appears on your skin, what’s

the best remedy to take the burn away?

Tipnut.com offers the following suggestions to help soothe the pain that comes with excessive basking. These products may seem random, and frankly, a little weird for treating a sunburn.

But don’t worry; other sources verify Tipnut’s recommendations, and besides, when your stomach looks like a lobster and your shoulders sting when you try to put on a shirt, almost anything’s worth a try.

-Brittany Valencic, Page Editor

Honey

Smooth honey over the burn or slather honey on a strip of gauze and apply to skin.

Vinegar

Baking Soda

Dissolve some baking soda in water and make a compress using a clean cloth. Let the affected area air dry. Baking soda is cooling and will help the skin retain moisture.

Cucumber

Rub sunburned area with fresh cucumber slices. They are very cool and will soothe the area.

Aloe

Soak small towels in vinegar and apply to the skin. Vinegar draws the heat from your burn.

Purchase Aloe Vera Gel and apply to the burned areas. You can even use a clipping from a live aloe plant if you have one.

Mustard

Yogurt and Milk

Smear mustard on burned skin.

Soak small towels in milk and apply to burn area. The fat content of the milk is soothing for burns. Apply plain yogurt to the burned skin.

Tomatoes

Slice or mash tomatoes and apply to burn.

Potatoes

Lemon Water

Mix the juice of three lemons into two cups of cold water and sponge on the sunburn. The lemon will cool the burn, act as a disinfectant, and will promote healing of the skin.

Aspirin

Aspirin kills the pain and reduces inflammation and redness of a sunburn.

Tea

Make some tea, cool, and apply to the burn.

The teas help the healing process.

Grate a potato and apply it to the sunburn. The starch will cool and soothe the burn.

19

SPORTS

May 2011

Boys tennis ends season at states

By Amanda Glenz Staff Writer The boy’s tennis team had yet another victory in the semi-final regional match against Largo. The boys won overall with a clean 7-0. Their record has kept them pumped up and ready for the final regional match that occurred on April 14.

“7-0? You can’t expect to win any more than that,” said sophomore Will Clarke, the No.3 seed.

The boys’ hard work paid off as they headed to the regional finals against King. The team played their regional finals at Cheval on April 14 with a winning score of 4-3. The No. 1 and 2 seeds won their singles, but the three, four and five players lost their matches, leaving it up to both doubles teams to win in order to go to states. The No. 1 doubles teams had an amazing win at 6-1, 6-1. The number two doubles team, consisting of the No. 3 and 4 players, had a tougher match that went to tie breaker for them to win by the required two points.

“Every time [we] hit a winner, everyone w a s

PHOTO BY JIIMMY HERD-BOND

Se- nior Brian Kowalski serves the ball in hope of acing it against his opponent. Serves like these helped him win a scholarship to Emory.

yelling!” said Clarke about the pressure. “[Coach Palus] told us, ‘You win, you go to states; you lose, you go to school.’”

“I am proud of the No. 2 doubles,” said senior Brian Kowalski.

Unlike last year, the entire team will head to the state championship instead of just the No. 1 and 2 players. “[We will] just try and be competitive like last year,” s a i d Kowalski.

The team w a s dealt tough matches in the first round of s t a t e s and seeds three and five lost in the first round. Seed four, senior Greg Hasegawa, won his first match but lost his second. Junior Jack Murphy, the No. 1 seed, got to the finals before his loss.

But Kowalski managed to get first place in the No. 2 singles.

Kowalski has earned a scholarship to Emory from playing tennis. The team is happy for Brian, but worry about what will happen when he’s gone. “Brian’s leaving… it’s going to be tough [next year],” Murphy said. Murphy said he doesn’t think that the team will make it to states next year, but is sure they will be first or second in districts.

“Nos. 2 and 4 are leaving, but Jack’s still here. He’s going to win, so hopefully we win,” said Clarke. “We should be pretty competitive.”

Girls finish season 2-7, await next season The Hillsborough flag football team ended the season with a 2-7 record. Although happy with their performance at the end of the season there was much left to be wanted.

“Before the season I was real excited, I saw that we had a good team and everyone was committed,” said sophomore Nikkita Sims.

Plans for next year have already begun. Junior Destany Mackey said, “We’re gonna run faster, learn to catch and focus on our positions.”

The replacement of Coach Holmes has been fi lled by one of Hillsborough’s very own this school year, Dean Eychner. “I liked Coach Eychner,” said senior LaDonna Butts, “He supported us in everything.”

“I was pretty happy with our performance this year and how we all became really close” Sims said. “I can’t wait for next year. Most of the players are going to be coming back.

We are going to be unstoppable.”

20

SPORTS

SPORTS

Boys track team loses grip on second place WINTER PARK -- The Terriers’ showing at the Class 3A state track and field meet started out with a bright outlook, but mishaps and bad showings in our most hopeful events later on turned the highly anticipated finish into a disappointing third place by a defi cit of one point.

The 4x800 meter relay team began the meet with much promise after placing second behind Charlotte High. The team (in race Jake Gagne order) of Fabian Woodard, Commentary myself, Carlos Flores and Robert Wilson beat out the third place team of Miami Central by 0.03 seconds to run a school record of 7:56.18, shattering their fifth seed time of 8:04.97.

Sophomore Jeremiah Green began the decline with a disappointing finish of seventh place in the long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 11.5 inches, but made up for it with a jump of 47 feet, 9 inches in the triple jump to place third.

Junior Evan Jennings failed to qualify for finals in the 300 meter hurdles, posting a prelim time of 39.36, finishing 10th.

The real shocker of the day came during the 4x100 meter relay preliminaries.Hillsborough was seeded second overall by a mere 0.03 seconds to Jefferson. When Jefferson got disqualified in the prelims for handing off outside the hand off zone, the team of Charles Lovett, Green, Anthony Brown and Akeen Anthony were then seeded to win states in that relay.

But at the last handoff, emerging to win the heat, the baton slipped out of Anthony’s hand when he brought it up to being his final sprint, and the team did not finish, costing the team a much needed 10 points.

However, there was a shining light amidst this

May 2011

PICK SIX

Junior Armaud Herndon makes an interception in the second quarter of the Hillsborough Terriers spring football game against the Middleton Tigers.

As Herndon sets up the pick, he sees an opportunity for a turnover and makes the interception, leaving the stunned Tigers’ receiver in the dust while sprinting towards the endzone. Herndon’s interception accounted for the third of four touchdowns scored by the Terriers in their 28-0 victory over Middleton. Photos by Jimmy Herd-Bond.

JIMMY HERD-BOND

Sophomore Robert Wilson pushes his limits in the 4x800, contributing to the team’s second overall finish in states.

tragedy emitting from junior Anthony Brown, who received a third place finish in the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.67 seconds and a time of 21.60 in the 200 meter dash to finish third as well.

The 4x400 meter relay team posted a personal record of 3:18.78 to finish fifth overall.

The team of Flores, Anthony, Wilson and Jennings finished merely half a second behind the fourth place team of Edgewater.

The Hillsborough High track team was seeded second in the state by a point, and we ended up losing by a point, a testament to the meaning behind our team motto of “Finish, finish, finish.”

We ended up finishing third overall with 32 points behind Palm Beach Lakes, who had 33 points. Charlotte left everyone else in their dust with a state-winning total of 53 points.