Red & Black, September 2017

Hurricane Irma was the most powerful Atlantic storm on record. See inside how Tampa handled the calm (and chaos) before the storm. | p.6

RED && BLACK BLACK

Florida’s Florida’s first firsthigh highschool schoolnewspaper newspaper| Hillsborough | Hillsborough School 5000 5000N. N.Central CentralAve. Ave.Tampa, Tampa,FL FL33603 33603 | High School hhstoday.com || August September | Volume 20172017 | Volume 119,119, No.No. 1 2

Most didn’t lament the week sans school.

Some SGA members did. Find out why. | p. 5 Fire devastates Lee Elementary.

Check in with the school’s plans. | p. 9 It memes take Twitter by storm.

View our carefully curated list. | p. 10

2 September 2017

briefly

Red & Black

MOST MERIT SCHOLARS NAMED Nine seniors have qualified as semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship this year.

Seniors Sydney Cabana, Savvas Ferekides, Madison Forbis, Karen Gonzalez-Videla, Isabelle Hall, Chase Memmer, Wilson Morse, Varun Puri and Michael Strobl are those nine semifinalists.

What it is

The National Merit Scholarship program is a competition for scholarship recognition that first started in 1955.

Students enter the program by taking the PSAT during their junior year.

Nearly 1.6 million students take the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test annually and roughly 16,000 of those are named semifinalists.

Semifinalists then represent the top 1 percent nationwide.

For Florida’s class of 2018, the cutoff PSAT/NMSQT Score Index to qualify this year was 219. It was two points higher than the class of 2017’s cutoff score of 217. Hillsborough and Robin-

Hillsborough’s National Merit Semifinalists pose outside the auditorium alongside Principal Gary Brady for a photo. They represent the top 1 percent of student scores on the PSAT. I PHOTO COURTESY GARY BRADY

son tied for the most semifinalists in the district with nine students each.

What it means

“I feel really excited because being a semifinalist means that I’ll have financial aid opportunities opened up to me,” Isabelle Hall said. “It’s super cool to get national academic recognition.”

For Chase Memmer, being named a semifinalist has a different meaning. “It doesn’t mean much to me yet. Until the finals, I haven’t really earned anything except a “pat on the back,” Memmer said. “However, it will eventually mean that all the time I spent at school was worth it. Learning is fun but it doesn’t pay.”

To become a finalist, semifinalists have until mid-October to submit their application.

If they are selected, they will be notified by mail that they have advanced to finalist standing.

About 15,000 semifinalists will be notified in February if they advance.

STORY BY FERNANDO ROSAS

HISPANIC HERITAGE TO BE CELEBRATED 40 percent of students at Hillsborough are Hispanic.

Each year, the school holds a celebration of the month.

Hispanic Heritage Month began Sept.

15 and will end Oct. 15. The celebration gets its roots from Central America’s Independence Day. This year, Monica Sleeter and Maria

Gonzalez will be in charge of the assembly.

On Oct. 20, there will be both an assembly during the day and an event in the afternoon.

During the assembly, donated school supplies will be accepted for Robert E. Lee Elementary, which was severely damaged in a fire, and a book drive.

The event after school will have entry

by donation, which again will go to the elementary.

At the assembly, popular songs in the Latin community and a comedy skit will be performed by members of both the Spanish club and the Spanish Honor Society.

STORY BY LESLIE BRACAMONTES

HOW MANY STUDENTS WERE BORN IN LATIN AMERICA? PUERTO RICO 56 CUBA 188

GUATEMALA 7 NICARAGUA 3 ECUADOR ARGENTINA 2 2 PANAMA

DOM. REPUB. 16

COLOMBIA MEXICO 12 15 VENEZUELA 19

MARIA MAKES LANDFALL IN PUERTO RICO

PERU 1

EL SALVADOR HONDURAS 3 16

1

SPAIN 2

URUGUAY 1

GRAPHIC BY MADISON FORBIS

On Sept. 20, Puerto Rico was hit by the destructive forces of Hurricane Maria.

The hurricane pummeled throughout the island as one of the most devastating and strongest Atlantic hurricanes in 90 years.

Maria was a Category 4 storm that hit several islands in the Caribbean before making landfall in Puerto Rico.

Maria came ashore with sustained winds of 155 mph, knocking out power to the entire island. Trees were uprooted, houses were destroyed and widespread flooding was caused across the island. Maria has taken the lives of at least 10 people in Puerto Rico, with possibly more deaths not reported.

Without power or a way to communicate, the island was cut off from the rest of the world for several days.

For people who have family members in Puerto Rico, this is an emotionally challenging time.

Many Puerto Rican students like junior Angel Perez have not heard back yet from their families, and don’t know if they are safe.

“I have my grandma and auntie back in Puerto Rico,” Perez said. “The last time I talked to them was about two months ago. I’m just extremely worried because my grandma has trouble getting around, it’s really scary.”

STORY BY JORGE GARCIA

CLUB DAY CANCELED Clubs will be off to a late start this year due to the cancellation of club day for the month of September.

Club day was originally scheduled to be on Monday, Sept. 18, but was ultimately canceled after Hurricane Irma caused seven days of school closure.

Club Rush, held Aug. 29 and 30 on the Red Carpet, allowed clubs to both recruit members and introduce themselves. Both familiar and new clubs were seen on the Red Carpet and students were able to sign up or grab applications.

New clubs that were introduced this year include African Connect, College Readiness Club, Sunshine Scholars, JSA and HHS Film.

The decision to cancel this month’s club day was made to ensure that teachers would have adequate time to catch up after missing days for the hurricane. It was also so that students could get back to a regular routine and have a sense of normalcy, as opposed to the first day that students return to school being a club day.

Club day will not be postponed for later this month, but rather skipped altogether and held as usual in October. Some clubs continue to hold after school meetings as usual, giving them a chance to make up for lost time.

STORY BY REEMA PATEL

life

hhstoday.com

September 2017

WHERE TO HIT UP THE HEIGHTS?

3

Seminole Heights offers a variety of quaint shops ranging from coffee to antiques and groceries, and many can be found on Florida Avenue.

DRINKS: SPADDY’S COFFEE COMPANY Sitting in a courtyard less than a 10 minute walk from Hillsborough at 5206 N Florida Ave, Spaddy’s is a stand that sells local coffees and local teas from Kaleisia Tea Lounge.

The stand is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Every first Friday of the month, they host an event called “Art in The Heights” that includes local artists, food trucks and a DJ, among other things.

“My experience at Spaddy’s is fun and comfy,” said senior Stephen Doan, who goes for tea and coffee.

“The owner is very friendly.”

COFFEE: JET CITY ESPRESSO Situated inside an old Seminole Heights house, Jet City can be found at 5803 N Florida Ave. The coffe shop has coffees from Seattle and The Organic/Fairtrade Amavida Coffee roasters, as well as a menu of foods. This includes many gluten free and allergy friendly options.

Sophomore John Doan is a frequent customer. “Jet City provides a welcoming environment that is both a great place to hang out with friends, and a great place to study and get some coffee,” Doan said. “I’d recommend this place to anyone who wants a relaxing and peaceful environment to get some last minute school work done.”

ANTIQUES: VINTAGE POST MARKET PLACE Located at 5206 N Florida Ave, Vintage Post is an antique marketplace that sells old furniture and collectables.

Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Storegoers can consign old items in good condition, or vintage furniture, clothing and house decorations.

“The employees are always willing to help and the items are always in great condition,” junior Ashley Jarman said. “There are lots of cool items to stop and look at that you can’t find anywhere else.”

GROCERIES: SEMINOLE HEIGHTS GENERAL STORE This “community store” sells fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as a variety of antiques, live bait, handmade soaps and local honeys. It can be found at 5420 N Florida Ave. The general store also has a deli with sandwiches, salads, soups, and baked goods.

It can be an ideal place either for entire grocery lists or even just for quick bites to eat.

“The shop is old timey just how you would want it, it has a small business feel,” junior Nathan Gustafson said. “I would go back any time for some basics or even lunch because they serve fresh sandwiches.”

PHOTOS AND STORY BY MAKAYLA BROWN

SENIORS SNAP THE SCHOOL Students across campus have been tuning into their Snapchats for the newest way to see what’s happening in their friends’ lives at school, thanks to student-generated Snap-stories, a recent update to Snapchat which allows the creator to select who is able to add to or view the story.

The original story, simply named “HHS SENIORS” served as a space for seniors to submit pictures and videos for other students to see while on campus.

By students, for students

Part of what draws students to post in it is that the story is student-centered, created and monitored by senior Camilo Perillo.

“I created it because I wanted all the seniors to post themselves at

together. “It was a great way to meet other students,” Perillo said.

school doing funny things,” Perillo said.

However, the setup on the Snap-story feature has allowed people other than senior students to view and post. “Sadly, it’s open to everyone that goes to Hillsborough, even teachers,” Perillo said.

“The other grades copied us and started making their own.” Because the story is open to anyone, students of all grades have posted in it- particularly juniors.

Commonly seen posts in the story include videos of other students, pictures of classrooms, selfies, and the occasional ‘2:55 wya??’ post. The story was intended to bring people on campus

Raising spirits

The ability to post in the story has also has made more people around campus involved in spirit for sporting events, with students posting updates and spirited selfies at football games.

Although the “HHS SENIORS” story has proven popular among students on campus, it isn’t affiliated with the school itself in any way.

Since its creation, the story has been erased multiple times, yet unidentified students have revived the story afterwards.

STORY BY JULIANA LECHNER

4 September 2017

RED&BLACK VOLUME 119, ISSUE 2

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Madison Forbis WEB EDITOR Carolin Hearne PAGE EDITORS Katie Delk, Marin Fehl, Jorge Garcia, Lauren Komar, Juliana Lechner, Reema Patel, Mercy Tsay STAFF WRITERS Julianna Althaus, Leslie Bracamontes, Makayla Brown, Abby Conger, Ria Dey, Arianna McQueen, Mia Perez, Fernando Rosas, Jaden Shemesh, Theontae Walton ADVISER Jill Burns, MJE PRINCIPAL Gary Brady ABOUT Content decisions are made by student editors MEMBERSHIP Red & Black belongs to the Florida, National and Columbia Scholastic press associations AWARDS 2015-2016 FSPA All-Florida 2015-2016 NSPA All-American, 2015-2016 CSPA Crown receipient 2015-2016 4x NSPA Best of Show awards

editorial

Red & Black

IT SHOULDN’T TAKE A HURRICANE We’ve all been taught from a young age to treat each other with kindness, it’s the quintessential kindergarten lesson.

But in the midst of everything, we may have forgotten it. It hasn’t disappeared entirely, somewhere along the way we’ve lost sight of the value of a random act of kindness.

Flash forward to Hurricane Irma. In the middle of impending disaster, the Tampa Bay area seemed ready to make random acts of kindness a regularity.

We all saw the inspirational stories of strangers giving up generators and a multitude of other supplies on our timelines.

And in the days following Irma, this mentality seemed to persist.

Strangers helped each other clean up debris with no hesitation.

Even as people braced for impact in their own lives, they sent support to Houston after it was devastated by Hurricane Harvey.

Friends and neighbors offered each other solace in their air-conditioned homes after the power went out.

The community seemed ready to recover together, leaving no family behind. But we shouldn’t have to wait for disaster to strike to make this effort.

We can do better

But the question is: would any of this have happened without Irma’s westward shift? And perhaps more importantly, when it’s all said and done, will the community leave their empathy behind once more when they leave their houses in

the morning?

While communities came together to provide each other with aid following the storm, there is no guarantee that this changed mindset will become the norm. But it should be.

It’s time for members of the community to participate in the welfare of the community, and not just because they’re under the threat of a hurricane.

It’s not hard to get involved. Opportunities for volunteering are always available. Groups organize cleanups of parks and beaches, and drives for supplies are ongoing. But people don’t always pay these opportunities much mind. Part of our responsibility as citizens is to look after our community.

Permanent impacts

Regardless of the reason, we all have to make a conscious effort to pay more attention to the needs of those around us. With all of the recent disasters, the need for empathy is greater than ever. And Tampa will become a stronger city with more of it.

The recent change in attitude towards helping others has been uplifting for now, but it should have a permanent impact. There are numerous ways to ensure this happens. Charity drives to aid those impacted by the recent storms and earthquakes are ongoing and there are various opportunities to help neighborhoods clean up debris from the storm, much like the one hosted by students from Hillsborough High School this past weekend.

But this needs to go beyond more than just

disaster relief. Volunteering isn’t the only way to be a valuable member of the community.

It all goes back to that kindergarten lesson of kindness.

People need to be willing to do more than pick up debris if they want to make a difference.

They also have to be prepared to make a conscious effort to ensure those around them are treated with the kindness each individual deserves.

Setting an example

It’s important that we provide an example to those who look up to us.

To show those kindergarteners that the lessons they learn in class are ones that can should be carried with them beyond first grade.

After all, it shouldn’t take a hurricane to appreciate the value in what’s around you.

While material contributions are important, the community could afford to change their attitude to their surrounding in order to be viewed as truly charitable.

It’s about changing the mindset. People need to treat each other with compassion and exercise understanding to those around them.

We weren’t devastated by Hurricane Irma, but instead of viewing this as simply good luck, it should be considered a call to action.

A call to action to become involved in the wellbeing of strangers.

To make an effort to improve Tampa so it can become a place where random acts of kindness are no longer random.

The EDITORIAL reflects the view of student editors and can be found in the opinion section Bylined COLUMNS represent the viewpoints of their authors We welcome your LETTERS, which may be edited for brevity and clarity Submit via email, deliver to Room 506 or mail to Red & Black, 5000 N. Central Ave, Tampa, Fl 33603.

ADVERTISING content is subject to approval of the editorial board Visit us online at HHSTODAY.COM CONTACT Phone: (813) 276-5620 Fax: (813) 276-5629 Email: hhstoday@gmail.com Twitter: @HHSTodayOnline Snapchat: @HHSToday Instagram: @HHSToday

TOP LEFT Freshman Rachel Kandl signs in to Hillsborough’s student-led cleanup on Sept. 15. TOP MIDDLE Residents help each other bag sand before the hurricane. TOP RIGHT Some took to social media to advise others on finding scarce water.

BOTTOM LEFT Volunteers for the school’s community cleanup pose for a picture. BOTTOM RIGHT Junior Brianna Joseph trims branches that fell in the storm. | STAFF PHOTOS

campus

hhstoday.com

September 2017

5

THE BIG REVEAL While students simply watched the homecoming theme reveal, SGA faced planning difficulties behind the scenes.

Planning for Homecoming might appear to be fun and exciting to the regular student body from the outside.

But to those involved in the Student Government Association, homecoming is an especially stressful time.

Finding a venue

TOP Members of SGA carry the banner announcing the theme for this year’s homecoming around the lunchroom. BOTTOM LEFT Senior Janele Munguia uses a megaphone to announce the theme to outside lunchgoers. BOTTOM RIGHT Junior William Andrews reacts to the New York theme announcement. PHOTOS BY MAKAYLA BROWN

WELCOME TO NEW YORK What: Homecoming 2017 Theme: Bright Lights, Big City When: Oct. 14 at 7 p.m.

Where: George M. Steinbrenner Field Venue will include an inside dance floor and outside patio.

How: Tickets can be purchased for $35 Sept. 27 through Oct. 13 after school.

GRAPHICS BY JULIANA LECHNER COMPILED BY MERCY TSAY

SGA started planning at the end of last school year by attempting to find a venue. They reached out to multiple venues but many of them responded saying they had no vacancy.

“We called every venue we could think of in Tampa that could hold 800 people, but nobody was available for Oct. 14,” SGA president Gaby Fernandez said. Without an available venue, they were not able to begin planning things such as the theme, food, or ticket prices.

At the end of summer, members had the idea to call George M. Steinbrenner field. It was three weeks into school that the location was approved. Once the location was approved, the next step in planning was much easier.

“We were finally able to come up with the idea to make the theme ‘New York’, since we are holding the dance at the Yankee Stadium” Fernandez said.

SGA also decided this year’s spirit week themes. The themes will be Tie dye Monday, Character Day on Tuesday, Extreme Age Day on Wednesday, Throwback Thursday and Friday will be Red and Black Day or Toga Day for seniors.

Hurricane setbacks

Hurricane Irma has affected SGA’s planning process and has cut back their time to get things done by a week. “It doesn’t seem like a lot, but trust me, it is,” Fernandez said. “Homecoming is not just the dance, it’s also the reveal, spirit week, the terrier bark and court elections.” SGA is in the process of organizing the Terrier Bark, the half time parade around the track during the homecoming game. They are also working on preparing court election nominees.

Homecoming will be on Saturday Oct. 14 and ticket prices will be $35.

They will be sold beginning Wednesday, Sept. 27 after school from 3-3:20 until the day before homecoming .Students will need to bring a photo ID to homecoming.

PHOTOS BY MAKAYLA BROWN STORY BY JORGE GARCIA

GET THE LOOK: TOP HOMECOMING TRENDS THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS Don’t knock the classic. The LBD has been a fashion staple for decades, but that doesn’t make it any less trendy in 2017.

Spice up a black number by adding appliqués or bejeweling it, if you’re feeling crafty.

Styling choices like hair, makeup, jewelry and shoes can set your LBD apart from the others on the dance floor.

LULU Don’t Let Me Down Body-Con Dress, $54.

Available at shop. nordstrom.com.

THE TWO-FOR-ONE Tired of wearing a dress that’s one connected piece? Then a two piece dress is the choice for you! A trend commonly seen at parties and school dances in the past few years, the two piece not only offers an opportunity for your torso to breathe, but also a fashion forward approach to homecoming attire.

Kenzie Two Piece Dress, $69.90.

Available at windsorstore.com.

THE POP OF COLOR For the boys (or anyone who prefers wearing a suit to a dress), pickings may be more slim as far as fashion.

However, a suit can still be made unique by adding a personal flair of color in ties, shirts or socks. Patterned shirts under plain suits are also in style this year.

Tommy Hilfiger Slim Fit Suit, $299.99.

Available at Men’s Warehouse.

GRAPHICS AND STORY BY JULIANA LECHNER

6 September 2017

focus

Red & Black

7

HURRICANE IRMA STRIKES SOUTH FLORIDA, TAMPA HOW DID HCPS HELP WITH HURRICANE PREP AND RELIEF? In every direction, there was some warning or another flashing about the hurricane coming.

The news warned of it. The Governor advised many to leave the state. Social media was blasted with people frantically searching for water, gas, groceries, batteries.

Houses were boarded up, people hunkered down. But in this chaos and uncertainty, senior Pierre Alsint knew clearly what he needed to do.

He had to help others.

Alsint helped at a local sandbagging center shortly before Hurricane Irma hit Tampa.

“I wasn’t worried at all- we prepared and prayed before the hurricane,” Alsint said. “I knew that I did all that I can do for mine now it’s time to do for others.”

Alsint was helping people prepare for what was predicted to be one of the strongest hurricanes to hit Tampa in recorded history.

Irma was originally expected to impact the east coast of Florida, but models shifted increasingly toward the west as the superstorm approached.

As the hurricane approached, the scramble for supplies began.

Gas prices rised to $2.69 per gallon. The lines at local WaWas were infamously long, as they wrapped around corners and back out into streets.

Water, batteries, and candles were the first grocery items to go.

Then non-perishable food and other drinks, like Gatorade.

Tampa was expected to have Category 4 or 5 winds; by the time the storm reached the Bay Area, winds were closer to that of a Category 1.

Although Irma had less of an impact than expected on Tampa, its effects on regions of the Caribbean were devastating. Barbuda, an island of the country Antigua and Barbuda, was nearly leveled.

For the first time in 300 years, not a single person is living on the island. “The damage is complete,” Antigua and Barbuda ambassador to the U.S. Ronald Sanders told Public Radio International. “It’s a humanitarian disaster.”

The physical toll associated with Irma may not have been major, but its effects were still felt across the area. 1.1 million power outages were reported in the Tampa Bay Area after the storm, according to News Channel 8.

Tampa Electric Company (TECO) assured the majority of its customers that their power would be back within a week of the hurricane. By Friday, Sept. 15, two days before that deadline, News Channel 8 reported that TECO had restored power to 90 percent of its customers.

Due to safety concerns and a lack of power after the hurricane hit, Hillsborough County schools were closed for seven full weekdays.

Hillsborough County Public Schools decided upon a number of different options to compensate for the lost days in school. These options were then turned into a poll for teachers to take. The final decision was to convert four early release Mondays into full-length school days.

From Oct. 23 to Nov. 13, Mondays will be under the typical fulllength bell schedule.

HCPS will also be offering all breakfasts and lunches at schools for free through Oct. 20.

STORY BY MADISON FORBIS

More than

40

Hillsborough schools served as shelters

Bus drivers provided more than

About

800

rides to shelters

29,000 34,000

evacuees stayed in Hillsborough shelters

meals a day

Student nutrition provided

GRAPHIC BY MAKAYLA BROWN INFORMATION VIA HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

you

SAIDit

ABOVE ‘Evacuation route signs point the way out of the state. More than 6.5 million Floridians were under orders to evacuate. | STAFF PHOTO

TOP LEFT A house in Seminole Heights has collapsed after the hurricane caused trees to fall on top of it. BOTTOM LEFT Senior Pierre Alsint helps bag sand at his local bagging station. “It felt like a sixth sense, it was automatic when I saw someone in need,” Alsint said of his volunteering. “The bags weighed about 50-60 pounds each and each family needed about 10-15. That’s a lot of weight for women and children to carry back to their cars.” | PHOTO COURTESY PIERRE ALSINT TOP RIGHT Some took the hurricane less seriously than others; a boarded up window includes the joke “Irmagerd.” MIDDLE LEFT Sandbags are lined up for those who need to take them at a local sandbag location. MIDDLE RIGHT Hillsborough students participate in a Seminole Heights cleanup on Sept. 15. MIDDLE Electrical trucks are lined up, waiting to restore downed power lines. | STAFF PHOTOS BOTTOM RIGHT Prior to Irma arriving in Tampa, the water in Bayshore seemingly disappeared. Many feared this meant a storm surge would occur, and all the water would come rushing back and cause flooding. However, there seemed to be few negative impacts of it. | PHOTO COURTESY MICHELLE MOORE

Where did you and your family go during the hurricane?

WHO Cassie Truong, 10 WHERE Biloxi, Mississippi WHY “My brother was scared and we had family friends move because they were required to.”

WHO Ava Anderson, 10 WHERE Sarasota, Florida, to an aunt’s office WHY ““It was the opposite of where we were supposed to go but her office was hurricane proof so we felt safer.”

WHO Giovanni Strong, 10 WHERE Tampa, Florida WHY “I helped shovel sand to help out the community.”

WHO Ceejay Liberatore, 9 WHERE Louisiana WHY “My uncle said the storm was going to be really bad and everyone else was leaving.”

GRAPHICS BY MADISON FORBIS COMPILED BY MARIN FEHL AND ABBY CONGER

8 September 2017 CONFEDERATE STATUE RELOCATED The 106-year-old Memoria In Aeterna has rested in front of the Hillsborough County Courthouse in Downtown Tampa since 1952.

Following the protests in Charlottesville, Va., concerning the fate of a Robert E. Lee statue, the presence of this war memorial depicting two Confederate soldiers was called into question.

After hours of debate and calls for removal from the public, Hillsborough County commissioners voted 4-2 to remove this monument from outside the courthouse and place it in a private family cemetery in Brandon.

But not everyone was on board with the removal of the statue.

“I don’t think it should be removed because even if you don’t like it or agree with the meaning, you should respect it,” senior Gabriela Melendez-Arroyo said.

Efforts to remove this monument began earlier this month, but its movement will be no simple task.

The 32,000-pound statue will be broken into 26 parts and then be sent to storage until its new resting place is ready to accommodate the large monument, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Despite a sense of urgency from the public to remove the statue, this process will be long and careful to ensure no damage to it is caused.

Hillsborough County also recently passed a measure that will protect war monuments like this one in the future.

It will now be illegal to move or remove any war monument without obtaining a special waiver and attending a public hearing with the Board of County Commissioners, according to the Times.

This measure was passed following outrage directed towards the movement of the Confederate statue in front of the courthouse. “The statue should just be bulldozed because it’s disrespectful and no longer has any point,” freshman Raigan Moragne said.

Although not all opinions were as derisive.

“I don’t really care,” sophomore Keilis Harris said. “It has nothing to do with me and what’s going on in the future” Even though the Memoria In Aeterna is exempt from this recent ordinance, any actions in the future to remove similar statues and artifacts will be temporarily halted until these requirements are met.

However, despite any conflicting opinions, by the end of October, the place where the monument once sat will be nothing more than a patch of freshly planted grass.

STORY BY MARIN FEHL

news

Red & Black

SAVED BY THE BELLS

Hillsborough County Public Schools is gathering community input for upcoming bell schedule changes

Next August, students could find themselves setting their alarms for a new time. Hillsborough County Public Schools is reevaluating the current bell schedules for all schools, and gathering input from students, parents, teachers, and district officials regarding which new system would be best.

The Basis for Schedule Changes

The reason behind the changes is the statewide standard of 55-75 minutes difference between start times for elementary, middle and high schools.

With the current times, there is only a 27-minute difference between the start times of high schools and elementary schools. This short time difference makes it difficult for bus drivers to get elementary students to school on time with enough time to eat breakfast. The same problem is posed in the afternoon, as elementary schools end only 45 minutes before high schools.

Seeking Input

The school district felt the best way to resolve these issues was to collect ideas and input from the parents, teachers, and students. In order to do this, the district formed focus groups last September to gather ideas and collected historical concerns from parents such as late buses and appropriate instructional time.

The district also has created a survey for students and parents in order to accumulate opinions on several bell schedule options. The survey, which can be found on Edsby or on the district website, gives several variations of schedules and asks participants to choose one.

erations are keeping early release Mondays and accounting for extracurriculars and student work schedules.

The school district will make their decision on April 25, but the current tentative bell times for high school propose a start time of 7:15 a.m. and an end time of 2:10 p.m.

The school district website provides a detailed list of proposed times for each school.

“We know that this change may be difficult for some of our families,” Superintendent Jeff Eakins said in a video introducing the proposed changes. “We appreciate your willingness to do what we must to secure the appropriate instructional minutes for our students.”

SCHEDULE OPTIONS High School

Middle

Elementary

9 a.m.

8 a.m.

Current start

7:33 a.m

Tentative new start times

7:15 a.m. 9:30 a.m.

times

Other options

7 a.m.

8:00 a.m.

9:25 a.m.

7 a.m.

9:15 a.m.

8:30 a.m.

7:30 a.m. 8:30 a.m.

9:40 a.m.

8 a.m.

Under consideration

For high schools, maintaining the seven-period schedule, ensuring teacher planning time, and adequate time during passing periods all must be taken into account when changing the bell schedule. Additional consid-

7:15 a.m.

7 a.m.

8:30 a.m. 9:00a.m.

9:25 a.m.

7:30 a.m.

STORY AND GRAPHIC BY REEMA PATEL

LOOKING AHEAD AT...

Halloween Nights Starting Sept. 22

Busch Gardens hosts Howl-O-Scream and Universal Studios holds Halloween Horror Nights. Both feature interactive haunted houses and scare zones.

Zoo Boo Starting Oct. 6

Megacon Sept. 29-Oct. 1

Megacon is a three-day pop culture event featuring celebrity cosplayers, celebrity photo sessions, sketch duels and workshops. Tickets start at $25.

Foster The People Sept. 28

Paddle for Peace Sept. 30

The Paddle will take place at Water Works Park from 8:00 am to 11:30 am. The event is sponsored by the Spring of Tampa. Participants will paddle on the Hillsborough River to raise money and awareness for the domestic violence program.

Disney On Ice Sept. 30

Lowry Park Zoo presents Creatures of the night on Friday and Saturday nights only. This kid-friendly Halloween experience includes scare zones, and nocturnal animals to meet.

Tickets range from 22.95$ to 32.95$.

Foster the People is an indie pop band whose most popular tracks include Pumped Up Kicks and Houdini. They will be performing at the Ritz Ybor on Sept. 28 at 8:00 p.m. General admission tickets are 35$.

Disney on Ice is an ice skating performance with this year’s theme being Frozen. It comes to Amalie Arena on Sept. 29. Ticket prices vary from 25$ to 175$ depending on the seating preferred.

STORY BY MIA PEREZ

news

hhstoday.com

September 2017

9

LEE ELEMENTARY DAMAGED IN UNEXPECTED FIRE The smoke billowed, seen from miles and by countless observers. On Sept. 12, following Hurricane Irma, Lee Elementary Magnet caught fire for reasons unknown. The historic school, well-known for its preservation of its architecture, suffered severe damage.

“Lee Elementary has just been there for so long so it’s like you could never envision it just burning to the ground,” senior Emmanuel Strong said, who attended Lee in fourth and fifth grade.

More than just a school The school’s history is more than just the building.

“Now that Lee is destroyed, I think it made me realize how special it is to go to a school with all of the history and traditions it has,” junior Emily Bowling said. “Even if you don’t like school, just appreciate that you have a school to go to.”

The wreckage impacted more than just former students. Senior Mikila Simmons, whose god-brother goes to Lee, empathized with the students. “I’ve come here since freshman year, all I know is I wouldn’t know what to do without Hillsborough,” she said. “So I feel sad for all of the teachers, the students that switched schools and had to make arrangements and adapt to a new environment all because their school burned down.”

The big move In preparation for their transfer, English teacher Suzanne Cooks and Reading coach Karina Streeter assisted at Lockhart Elementary, where students from Lee would relocate for the remainder of the year. They unloaded the donated supplies and helped organize the teachers’ classrooms. Along with Hillsborough, other District 4 schools were present. Restaurants such as McDonalds also contributed food.

“I’m in education so I feel that pain and I would want as a teacher that, if that was to happen to, God forbid, Hillsborough High School, that we would have that support of other teachers and the community,” Cooks said.

Students such as junior Lazlo Nziga are also providing aid. Nziga is involved in Ryan Nece Foundation Student

Service Program and is collecting supplies and gift cards to provide teachers.

“I hope the donations will give the students and faculty supplies to use so that they may return to a state of normalcy as quickly as possible, without causing teachers or parents to spend too much personal money,” she said.

Community members gather to watch crews of firemen put out the flames engulfing Lee Elementary. The fire occurred after power was turned back on following Irma. Officials say the cause of the fire is still unknown. | PHOTO BY JOEL BROWN

Future plans Cooks also plans to find the positives in this situation.

“At some point I think there is a lot of life lessons that could come out,” she said. “What a wonderful lesson to teach about giving back and paying forward and you know just that you can instill in these kids at Lee Elementary,” she said.

“It’s always going to be this negative impact that it all brought, that’s what people remember, so hopefully in the realm of all of that, people remember that the community came together and all the districts,” Cooks said.

Streeter emphasized the importance of unity, not just in times of need. “I just really hope in the future we can do things that are positive for one another without something traumatic happening,” she said.

Recovery City code enforcement is yet to determine the future of the building. The and the damage is worth $4,975,000.

After teaching years at Lee, the teachers felt the hurt of losing their classroom. “[The teachers] put a lot of time and effort into it and some of these teachers have been there for years and just watching that go down is devastating,” Streeter said.

For students, Lee also gave them a family. “There was a sense of unity, like everyone there was friends and there wasn’t really any drama” Strong said.

Although Lee suffered damage, Bowling says its legacy will endure through the memories and relationships built there as a family.

“If you’ve ever walked down the halls with squeaky wood floors and have been surrounded with pictures of generations that have come and gone. You could sense the feeling of being at home.”

STORY BY KATIE DELK

TOP LEFT Lee music teacher Margaret Porter leads community members in a prayer circle. MIDDLE LEFT Chief of Schools Harrison Peters comforts Lee Principal Beverly Smith. BOTTOM LEFT Assistant Principal of Westchase Elementary Elise Suarez gathers supplies. TOP RIGHT Donated books crowd Lockhart’s media center. BOTTOM LEFT Magnet curriculum specialist Kelly Geurts adds Lee onto Lockhart’s Lego sign. | PHOTOS COURTESY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

10 September 2017

entertainment

Red & Black

THE ORVILLE SOARS

BOJACK DOESN’T HORSE AROUND Season four of the cult-favorite animated comedy, BoJack Horseman, premiered in full on Netflix Sept. 8.

However, fans of the series’ first three seasons will attest that ‘comedy’ may not be the best label to describe BoJack, a theme that becomes even more glaringly present throughout the newest season.

Creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg consistently gives the series a knack for exploring the darker, more depressing side of comedy.

Seasons one through three followed the life of BoJack Horseman, a ‘90s sitcom actor 20 years after the end of his fame. Although technically the series’ protagonist, animatronic horse BoJack isn’t the classic good-guy character you want to root for.

BoJack isn’t exactly a good person at all.

The first few seasons watch him make moves on his married ghost-writer, Diane, get in a fist fight with an estranged friend, weeks before he dies of cancer, and sabotage his “best friend” Todd’s aspirations so he won’t leave his house. With such a sadistic protagonist, it only makes sense that much of the plot of BoJack Horseman is centered around cynical situations and gloomy backstories.

The fourth season lives up to the promise of melancholy humor right off the bat.

Series premiere “See Mr. Peanut Butter Run” picks up where season three left off, asking the question: “Where is BoJack?”. The previous season ended with BoJack leaving LA in a moody montage. When the next season begins, we learn the main character has been gone for over a year, and he doesn’t even make an appearance until Episode 2.

This season manages to capitalize on BoJack’s tragic backstory in a way prior seasons never attempted, making the darkness of the season even more apparent. Writers explored BoJack’s toxic relationship with his mother through the help of two flashback episodes (Episode 2, “The Old Sugarman Place”, and Episode 11, “Time’s Arrow”).

While two entire flashback episodes may seem excessive, each proved necessary in expanding upon the Horseman family’s disjointed relationships. All of these flashbacks eventually come together to clarify the new dynamic of BoJack living with his mother and long-lost daughter, introduced early this season.

But who wants to watch a comedy that will make them depressed? Enough people to warrant four seasons apparently.

Avid fans see BoJack’s

TOP SOUNDS OF THE SUMMER JMSN, Whatever Makes U Happy

Mix Justin Timberlake’s voice with an unexpected amount of soul. In essence, you’ll end up with JSMN’s third album.

The singer/ founder of his own record company expertly mixes the songs on Whatever Makes U Happy.

The tone of the album is great for when you feel moody.

Songs to look out for on the album include Drinkin’ and Where Do U Go.

darker moments not as a hindrance to its comedic value, but instead as making the series deeper and more well-rounded than a typical animation.

Somber subplots touching on depression, failed relationships, sexuality and drug abuse are pierced by endless amounts of goofy comedy and whimsical pop culture references.

For instance, Todd’s main story arc of dealing with his newly recognized asexuality is accompanied by a subplot in which he begins a business of clown-dentists.

Diane and Mr. Peanut Butter’s marital troubles are another example.

They are highlighted by his new political endeavors, which serve purely as a political satire (think: ‘small hands’ jokes).

Story lines such as these are a perfect example of what make BoJack great: each episode has the capability to make you laugh, cry, and maybe have an existential crisis, all at the same time.

STORY BY JULIANA LECHNER

Seth MacFarlane's new creation satisfies his preteen dreams of creating his own universe that replicates all the best parts of his favorite show, Star Trek. The show starts by setting up the conflict between the main characters, Ed Mercer (Seth MacFarlane), and his wife, Kelly Grayson (Adrianne Palicki) and how their relationship ends. The show then jumps one year later where Ed is getting a promotion only to find out that he has to work with his now ex-wife.

The show is very much a tribute to Star Trek with a similar plot line. Ed Mercer becomes captain to the Orville, which is comparable to the Enterprise, where he and his team go on eccentric adventures.

The show has been promoted as a homage to Star Trek rather than just a parody. Many critics have compared the show to the film Galaxy Quest, which was also loosely based off of Star Trek, claiming that neither production’s jokes are specific enough to the sci-fi genre to be a proper parody.

However, this show was created and written by the same man who created Family Guy and American Dad, both

shows known for their raunchy humor.

So of course the show would have the same humor. Macfarlane created the show with the thought of making it a work on its own, rather than just a Star Trek spoof.

So far, the show is reminiscent the original Star Trek series, with its light humor and its similar uniforms. Trekkies will feel right at home with The Orville.

The first episode does its best to introduce all the characters and the villains. Starting with the team members and their roles.

Dr. Finn (Penny Johnson Jerald) acts as the psychologist for the team, particularly the troubled captain. Lt. Commander Bortus (Peter Macon) is an alien from an all-male planet and also third in command. Gordon Malloy (Scott Grimes) is the alcoholic co-pilot and best friend to Ed. MacFarlane makes sure to introduce plenty of odd and conflicting personalities from the start.

One complaint I do have is that the show has some awkward silence between characters. It feels like it should be humorous but it just comes across as strange.

This could be due to the fact that the show is one hour long, rather than half an hour, as MacFarlane has been used to with his past shows.

Pardoning the occasional awkward silence, The Orville shows promise and could have a long run in its future.

STORY BY LESLIE BRACAMONTES

As summer comes to an end, here are some of the best albums to remind you of the season.

SZA, CTRL

Angus & Julia Stone, Snow CTRL is great to study to. And cry over.

Solid vocals combine with lowkey, calming beats.

But the lyrics contrast with the vibes of the beats; many songs focus on SZA’s insecurities in her relationships and life. It’s hard to pick favorites, but if pressed, I’d say Normal Girl, Prom and The Weekend.

Snow is another great studying album.

Gentle beats make for an overall calming experience.

The duo’s voices are a perfect complement to each other, and the Big Jet Plane singers did not disappoint on this album.

Top songs include Who Do You Think You Are and Oakwood.

STORY BY MADISON FORBIS

entertainment

hhstoday.com

IT’S A GOOD SCARE Based on Stephen King’s novel It, the movie of the same name has grabbed the world’s attention with its witty and funny remarks between the protagonists.

The revamp of the original 1990 film has also led to some hilarious memes. Pennywise, more widely known as It, terrorizes and kidnaps children in a small town in Maine during the summer of 1986.

It opens with Georgie ( Jackson Robert Scott) playing with a wax paper boat when a stream created by rain leads the boat down into the sewer. This is when Pennywise is first introduced, as he persuades Georgie to come into the sewer.

“The Losers’ Club,” as the protagonists are known by, go on a search for Georgie. Along the way, they find and add new members to their group.

The film starts off slow, with Pennywise taunting the children without scaring any of them too much.

Unlike the first film, Pennywise

talks a lot to the children.

The combination of more dialogue between Pennywise and the kids and the easy humor of The Losers’ Club brought plenty of relieving moments. Seeing these fearless kids amusingly tell off a terrifying clown helped the audience overcome their fear of Pennywise too.

Because of this, the film was more comedy than horror. Constant banter from lovable, rambling Richie continues to steal a laugh from the audience.

As the movie fades to black, the phrase “Chapter One” flashes on the screen hinting at a sequel.

Since the film’s release, memes have become rampant. One of the most famous memes comes from Pennywise dancing to scare Beverly (Sophia Lillis). However, this dance scene did not scare anyone. In fact, it did the opposite. It brought some humor- and memesto the horror behind Pennywise.

September 2017

The adaptation of the novel is the highest-grossing September release in film history, and has become an Internet sensation.

STAFF PICKS: IT MEMES EDITION

you

What would It say to SAIDit get you in the sewer?

“I have your USF acceptance letter.”

Mariah Ferro, 12

“I have Future Tickets.”

Alexssa Montilla, 11

“I have $5 million.”

Shyanne Hardy, 12

“I have free food.”

Stephanie Pardon, 9

STORY BY THEONTAE WALTON

FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER siblings.

The film chooses to illustrate the terrifying events through Ung’s perspective, causing the audience to feel the same confusion and horror that the character experiences. This technique also leads to the perception of constant chaos, depicting the real, brutal events that occurred.

While there are some gruesome scenes, most of the camera shots focus on Ung’s reactions to the frightening events around her.

Although the point of view helps immerse the viewer, the lack of political details about the situation can sometimes be an annoyance.

First They Killed My Father is an impactful work of art that dives into the brutality of life during the Khmer Rouge’s rule. In an effort to educate the western world on a less explored subject, the film beautifully details the trauma and horror that affected millions of Cambodians.

GRAPHIC BY MERCY TSAY STORY BY JADEN SHEMESH

FLATLINERS FLASHBACKS

COMPILED BY MADISON FORBIS

First They Killed My Father is a Netflix film following the life of 5-year-old Loung Un (Sreymoch Sareum) as the Khmer Rouge comes to power in Cambodia during the 1970s. The film, directed by Angelina Jolie, is adapted from a memoir written by the real-life Loung Ung, describing her childhood surviving the Angkar’s four-year reign.

The movie begins by showing part of daily life for Ung and her family. Ung is one of seven kids living with her family in Phnom Penh.

The family is wealthier than most because her father, portrayed by Phoeung Kompheak, works as a government official. However, when the Khmer Rouge, also referred to as the Angkar, soldiers take over the capital, the family flees into the countryside of Kampuchea.

As the Khmer Rouge rebels begin forcing Cambodians to work for them, the family is separated, and Ung is trained as a child soldier. The screenplay spends a large amount of time depicting her journey to reunite with her

11

While taking a look back at the original Flatliners made in 1990 in anticipation for the new remake, I found it turned out to be a very thought- provoking watch.

When a group of med students first tries an experiment to see what exactly happens after death, they expect to find the stereotypical happy place. But, as they soon find out, there are ramifications of cheating death.

The technology used in the original Flatliners shows just how much we’ve advanced since then. When you look at the equipment, the first thing that jumps out is how little the screens are and overall how bulky the machines look. Machines these days are all touch screen and slim technology, so it’s weird to look back at that time.

Though the pacing was a little slow, it made up with a very mysterious plot to keep the audience entertained.

The star-studded cast set the bar high for the Flatliners reboot, such as Ellen Page as the lead doctor Courtney Holmes.

COMPILED BY THEONTAE WALTON Julia Roberts held the role in the original film.

Kiefer Sutherland plays Dr. Nelson in both the 1990 and 2017 versions. Hopefully, he will bring in not only new watchers but also original fans of the movie.

The remake of Flatliners has big shoes to fill when the movie comes to theaters. I personally hope it will meet more modern standards by having a faster pace, and stay true to the medical technology we have today, rather than aiming to be more futuristic.

The med students in the original movie took a chance on the unknown in the name of science; it takes brave, well-written characters to do something so life changing. In the new Flatliners, there might be just as many obstacles that they have to face and friends getting hurt that they have to save.

I hope the new movie that comes out will be up to par with such a great, interesting movie.

Flatliners comes to theaters Sept. 29.

STORY BY ABBY CONGER

12 September 2017

sports

Red & Black

SWIM CAPTAINS MAKE WAVES The swim and dive teams appoint an atypical amount of leaders each year.

It all started with one email.

“Wow Katie,” Jay Vickers wrote. “Literally I am just blown away with the quality of your email. Great use of humor, bullet points, and a light writing style. You nailed it.”

One innocuous email.

But it didn’t take long for Jay Vickers, father and biggest fan of senior swim captain Katie Vickers, to realize his mistake.

He had sent the email to the entire 97-person swim email chain.

Katie Vickers is one of six appointed swim and dive team captains this year. Coach Tom Paloumpis appointed two seniors and four juniors to the position, in order to divide up the work associated with leading a team of over 40 people.

The captains oversee everything from ordering the swim suits and merchandise, to holding fundraisers and organizing team events.

Building a team

This year’s swim oligarchs have formed plenty of inside jokes with each other and the rest of the team in the few weeks of swim since August.

“The number of funny moments we’ve had is the domain of x2+7x +10,” joked junior captain Tim Cui. “We all think Grey’s the funny one, but Tim’s a sleeper over here,” Vickers added in.

The captains have worked to have a strong bond, as they felt last year’s captains lacked in communication skills and want to improve the team.

“We weren’t as much as a unified group last year. This year is everything we dreamed it could be,” Vickers said.

“Yeah, this year we’re all closer, with each other and as a team,” fellow senior captain Serena Jonas finished.

With the change in leadership, things are changing for the team.

“I’d consider us to have a family dynamic this year and much more communication compared to last year,” junior captain Ethan Pham said.

The selection process

Having such a high number of captains isn’t new to the team, as each year the number seems to increase.

“P has this thing about wanting as many captains as possible,” junior captain Morgan Bott joked.

At the end of each season, Paloumpis recommends a few teammates that he believes would be a good captain for the next school year.

Then at a captain’s meeting, the current year’s captains make the final decision of who should be the captains for the upcoming year.

The new captains are later announced at the swim banquet.

Only seniors and juniors are eligible to be a captain. The senior captains train and prepare the junior captains for running the team the following year.

“It’s great watching all the wonderful people we chose to be junior captains this year,” Vickers says. “They actually step up and make Serena and I feel confident leaving the team with them.”

“I love having senior captains this year to look up to,” junior captain Madeline Rawls said. “It’s going to be an honor to follow in their footsteps.”

STORY BY THEONTAE WALTON

CROSS COUNTRY GETS NEW RECRUITS The cross country team, for the entirety of recent memory, has had relatively few members.

Cross country is similar to track and field. However, races are longer and competitions are held in openair courses such as trails and natural terrain as opposed to a standard track.

Because of this, Hillsborough’s team can typically be spotted running around Seminole Heights and the nearby Rivercrest Park.

This year, there is a seemingly random increase in students joining.

“We believe as the program slow-

ly grows, our athletes are telling their friends and so on”, said coach Jehri Buss.

Returning members are working to adjust to the changes that are being brought along with the increase in team size.

“I’m glad that we are getting more girls on the team because it brings female representation into a sport that seems to be lesser known around the school,” girl’s team captain Sydney Cabana said.

With this new addition of people also comes more recognition towards the sport itself.

“We made sure to try to reach out to incoming freshmen and returning students during open house and at the spaghetti dinner,” explained Cabana whose main goal is to attract more participants.

The deadline to join the team has ended, so no new members will join until next season. In the meantime, returning members will show new recruits equal opportunities.

“Everyone has to start somewhere and everyone deserves a chance to show what they got,” said junior Adrian Arano.

STORY BY RIA DEY

TOP LEFT Junior captain Madeline Rawls practices her butterfly stroke.

TOP MIDDLE Captain Morgan Bott shows sophomore William Thompson proper diving form. PHOTO BY LAUREN KOMAR TOP RIGHT Captain Ethan Pham swims a butterfly stroke while racing his teammates.

MIDDLE LEFT Juniors Cathrine Discenza, and Lycia Zavala take a break from diving and splash in the water. MIDDLE RIGHT Cathrine Discenza executes a pike during a dive.

BOTTOM Sophomore Keegan Melendi tries to beat her teammates in a race.

PHOTOS BY MAKAYLA BROWN

VARSITY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Sept. 28 @ Brandon Blake @HHS Oct. 2 @Jefferson Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Chamberlain @HHS Oct. 20 @King Oct. 27 @Armwood Nov. 3 Lennard @HHS GRAPHIC BY LAUREN KOMAR