Red & Black

Red & Black

Florida’s first high school newspaper  Hillsborough High School  5000 N. Central Ave. Tampa, Fla. 33603  Volume 113, No. 1  September 2012

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The Big Red Band gets the crowd warmed up during the Newsome game. (Photo by Nadiya Fakhar)

Impact players page 16

Chick-Fil-A donations spark debate

Vending machine achine creations page 12

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News

@HHSToday.com Hillsborough parent elected to county school board

September 2012

New sponsor makes changes to SGA

By Kimberly Rampersad Opinion Editor New changes have been made to SGA this year.

Last year, SGA controlled everything for the school.

This year, SGA has branches, including student council and ICC (Inter-Connected Clubs).

Student council consists of each class president and deals with functions that concern each specific class.

ICC is a union of all of the clubs at HHS that enssures conflicts with things like fundraisers don’t arise. SGA deals with events concerning the entire school.

There is one student body president, like before, overseeing everything, and two vice presidents along with the other SGA officers.

The first vice president is in charge of student council, and the second vice president is in charge of the Inter-Connected Clubs (ICC).

“The idea of these branches to make sure every class or club is benefiting and that there is better communication between members,” said student body president Anna Paz. Also new, because student council is now a branch of SGA, students do not need to be in the SGA class to be an officer for their class.

The reason for the reform of SGA is because of the new sponsor, Sheree

McCutchen.

McCutchen said, “My goal is to bring in new things that are for the whole student body.”

Before coming to HHS, McCutchen was the student government sponsor at Brandon High, and before that, Hernando High.

She just came to Hillsborough as the new English department head and the AP Language teacher.

McCutchen said, “I thought my schedule would be really packed with a new school, new curriculum and new job. But when the position became available to sponsor student government I said I’ll take it, because I just love it. But I said I’d take it only if we separated out student government and do it the way I did it in the past.”

“Ms. McCutchen is one of a kind,” Paz said. “She came in here like a hurricane with rapid changes and rapid movements, and was very efficient. She made sure everything was getting done but everyone was still having their say in it and made sure they knew what their jobs are.” “[What I love about sponsoring student government is] the involvement with the students. As long as there are students here that want to work, I’ll be here working,” McCutchen said.

SGA elects first junior student body president

Meet the Executive Board The executive board consists of the officers of SGA, who deal with the whole school.

Student body president

Anna Paz

First Vice President

Justin Zeger

Second Vice President

Marcus Russo Historian May Lin Carmentes Recording Secretary Kendal Lee Treasurer Catherine Cosgrove Corresponding Secretary Alexa DeSilva Art Coordinator Brittany Glenon

By Kimberly Rampersad Opinion Editor Junior Anna Paz was announced student body president this month. Unlike previous years, the decision was made by members of SGA rather than the student body.

“Normally, we would have a student body election, but our last sponsor didn’t organize it on time. We have a new sponsor, Ms. McCutchen, and she decided to comprise a group of old SGA members to use their better judgment to elect the new SGA officers,” Paz said.

To elect a new president, SGA voted in a secret ballot. Paz and her opponent Erica Amos, senior, both gave speeches before the vote. “When I was giving my speech, I told everyone to vote for me not because I was their friend, but because I was the best person for the job,” Paz said.

Last year, Paz was president of the sophomore class. “I decided to run for student body president this year because I felt that I was the best leader for the school,” she said.

“SGA contains the leaders of the school and to be the leader of the leaders is an honor.”

Any student in the school can run for student body president, allowing Paz to become what’s believed to be the first junior ever elected student body president.

Paz said, “This year, I want to create a base so that we can have the strongest SGA in the county. I’d also really like to raise money and promote school spirit. My ultimate goal ... is to bring together the traditional students and IB students for one united Hillsborough.”

Elections for freshman, sophomore and junior class officers will be held in October.

Visit Room 539 for more information if you are interested in running for office.

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September 2012

News

@HHSToday.com Parents, teachers recall where they were on Sept. 11, 2001

Salad bar revolutionizes the school lunch experience

By Emilee Brooks Staff Writer

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The Green House has been so popular lately that on Sept. 20, the cafeteria ran out of lettuce. (Photo by Emilee Brooks)

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For students who eat school lunch on a regular basis, the 2012-13 school year has brought a few changes to the school lunch program, offering more alternatives for students. Now, the lunch room has a stock full of healthy and nutritious choices for the students who flood into the cafeteria each day.

Students are only allowed to have chips if they are not ordering pizza or macaroni and cheese, forcing healthier choices to be made. The cafeteria has started offering more fruit and vegetable selections, including apples and carrots.

Another addition that students haven’t seen before is The Green House, the name of the brand new salad bar the cafeteria acquired after the second week of school. There are 22 new items available, including turkey, ham, tuna salad, turkey breast, as well as a large variety of fruits, vegetables and salad dressings.

“It’s good. I like it,” said Jay Graves, a senior at HHS. “It always gives me an option to eat something because I’m a vegetarian.”

Junior Emilee Smith said “I like the side choices.

Even if you don’t like salad you can get chips or chicken with it.”

The salad bar is available for all students, whether you get free and reduced lunch or not. The salad costs the same as any other school lunch, $2.50, and is available during every lunch.

Student enrollment lower than projected

NUMBER OF STUDENTS Student enrollment is down from last year. (Graphic by Chrissy Geshel)

Low numbers result in loss of multiple teaching slots

By Brittany Valencic Editor in Chief As the new school year began, the halls of Hillsborough High School seemed to be less crowded than usual. That’s because they were.

Hillsborough is way below its projected enrollment rate.

“For the first time since I’ve been here, we came in significantly lower than projected,” said Principal Dr. William Orr. Schools are required to take a first, third, fifth and 20th day counts, allowing them to see the number of students attending. In comparison to last year, when Hillsborough’s population was at 1,857, this year brings a significantly smaller number.

This year’s fifth day count came in at 1,777 a reduction of 80 students. Every grade level is lower in student count than the previous year.

As a result, classes are becoming smaller and in need of balance. But, balancing classes is not an easy task.

“The issue right now is we’re so low in students across the board that we have some classes that are really high in students and some that are really low,” said Assistant Principal Stephanie Davis.

To fix this problem, Davis and counselors alike must look at where the low and high numbers are and pull rosters of those classes so they can make schedule changes accordingly.

“It’s whoever’s schedule can accommodate a move at the time. It’s all very random. I even start at the bottom of the class list or in the middle of the alphabet sometimes. I don’t want anyone to feel like I’m moving all the R’s,” Davis said.

It’s a lengthy process to get everything straightened out.

Davis and the counselors are working around the clock to get

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Assistant Principal Jeremy Klein helps students get their schedules on the first day of school. (Photo by Jasmine Seales) everyone’s schedules set and final as soon as possible.

Five teaching positions were cut due to the enrollment, but two of them were held by subs. About 300 students were affected. Some were redistributed while some classes were completely reassigned due to the lower enrollment.

As for the cause, Orr said he is stumped.

“It’s a mystery; I don’t know what to attribute [it] to,” Orr said.

News

@HHSToday.com See updates from this week’s club meetings

September 2012

New clubs and policies created to improve organization Three new clubs advocate participation and action within the community

By Chrissy Geshel News Editor The club fair advertised the various clubs that students are able to join this year. Along with the clubs that have been around for a while, there are three new clubs that advocate taking action and participating in the school activities.

Break the Beat Break the Beat combines the art of break dancing and beat boxing into one unified club. Senior Dominic Beecham and junior James Hsuing founded the club.

Break the Beat was founded to “introduce and teach those who are interested in the arts of dancing and beat boxing. For those who can already dance or beat box, we would like to

perform,” Beecham said.

The events Break the Beat would like to perform at include “pep rallies, fundraisers, sports games etc.,” Beecham said. To join Break the Beat costs $5.

As Varda said, “Kellen wanted to start a diabetic club to raise awareness and essentially money to hopefully find a cure one day.”

The cost to join One in 300 is $15.

One in 300 Founded by senior Madeline Varda and junior Kellen Yent, One in 300 (also known as the Dead Pancreas Society), has plans to raise money for diabetes research and awareness.

“We will participate in cycling races and walkathons that will ultimately raise money for diabetic research,” Varda said.

Both co-founders and presidents have Type 1 diabetes which makes the cause of the One in 300 important to them.

J is for Journalism Sponsored by Joe Humphrey J is for Journalism is for students who are interested in media.

Humphrey said, “J is a new student group for journalists around the country; it’s a spinoff of a club for journalism advisers like myself.”

The cost to join J club is $10. Since the club has not chosen its leaders, “we will let the club form, and the leaders will decide what they want to accomplish this year,” Humphrey said.

Junior James Hsuing break dances in France in front of the Eiffel Tower by displaying the baby freeze move. (Photo courtesy of the Hsuing family)

Clubs will now meet each period of the day; members will be required to show club cards to get out of class

By Aleesha Mundra Staff Writer New Assistant Principal Melvin William changed the way clubs operate by utilizing contain color-coded cards to enhance organization and will allow more supervision by the teachers and administration.

In contrast to last year, the new system will maximize club time.

According to Williams “IB classes didn’t correspond with the traditional color code and will not correlate.”

IB students will be given a slide day.

Many IB students like the new schedule.

Sophomore Jade Reppenhagen says “it

At the club fair, students pass by the YAAMAD table inquiring about club information.

(Photo by Aleesha Mundra)

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means we do nothing.”

Traditional students don’t have to worry about a changing schedule. Senior Dipanti Patel didn’t notice a difference, but wouldn’t mind being informed of the modifications to the club schedule. For some students clubs means a day out of class.

The first meeting will occur on the last Monday of every month except December and April. Announcements will occur every period, sophomore Vinny Ruia said, “teachers will actually let us out of class.”

To kick off the school year students with white cards will go to their clubs starting at the end of September.

Briefly

@HHSToday.com Campus transforms into movie set during summer

September 2012

Obama visits Tampa after DNC

By Roksana Borzouei News Editor

President Barack Obama kick started his post-convention bus tour in Seminole on Sept. 8. He spoke to a crowd of 11,000 at the Seminole campus of St. Petersburg College.

Campaign strategists claim that Florida, a deciding state in the election, swings depending on Hillsborough and Pinellas

counties. Speaking to this, Obama finished with “We will win this county. We will win Florida and we’ll finish what we’ve started.”

His speech, tailored to Floridians, focused on jobs, health care, the military and energy alternatives. These issues are most relevant because Florida has an unemployment rate is 8.8 percent, the highest number of senior citizens and houses

MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.

President Obama visited Hillsborough Community College this June. Vice President Biden canceled his scheduled visit Aug. 27 due to Hurricane Isaac.

Tampa can expect visits from Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama and Romney before the election due to the significance of this region on a national scale.

Clockwise from top left: A supporter cheers for another four years, the president rallies the crowd; a fan takes a photo of his commander in chief. (Photos by Gabriella McIntyre.)

Local Starbucks renovated The Starbucks on Hillsborough Avenue is getting a makeover. The store began remodeling Sept. 10 and finished Sept. 21.

In the past few weeks the ceiling has been painted, tiles have been added, and wood trimming was installed.

The store, normally open 24 hours, will be closed 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. periodically over the course of the renovations.

-Holly Schroeder

Go to election.dos.state.fl.us and fill in the Voter Registration Application (make sure to use a black ballpoint pen). All information on the application must be accurate and fully completed.

Next, sign your application in your own signature because along with the seriousness of carefully selecting a candidate comes a sworn oath behind such a decisive action.

Mail your application to your county Supervisor of Elections with a first class stamp. If you qualify as a voter and have correctly filled out your application, you will be mailed a voter information card to your address and you will be legally registered to vote.

New iPhone 5 arrives

Voting registration deadline Oct. 17 The deadline to register to vote is quickly approaching. All students who will be 18 by the time of this election are encouraged to register to vote Oct. 17.

County Supervisor of Elections Earl Lennard said teens should vote because “the laws and rules of our representative gov-

The much-anticipated iPhone 5 is now available for $199.

The newest iPhone boasts a two tone combination of aluminum and glass, an 18% thinner and 20% lighter body, and a 4.0 inch screen size. It features an A6 chip and 4G LTE compatibility as well as the newest iOS, iOS 6.

-David Blanchard

ernment impacts the future of our young people the most, and they should be concerned about our government.”

Lennard added, “People have shed blood, sweat, and tears to ensure they have the ability to (vote).”

-Jenn Travis

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Texting can wait

11 students qualify as National Merit Semifinalists This month National Merit Semifinalists were announced, with 11 out of approximately 16,000 others being from Hillsborough.

The semifinalists are Donald Chappell,

AT&T came to Hillsborough Sept. 18 to promote their “It Can Wait” program, which informs drivers of the hazards of texting and driving. Guest speakers Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor and the Augelo family spoke to Ms. Carson’s 2nd period Drivers Ed class.

Alec Clark, Vincent Griffith, Yuliya Kozina, Katherine Metzer, Bo Moon, Suvetha Ravichandran, Sireesha Reddy, Jasmine Rogasner, Christopher Sato and Taylor Sisson.

-Ellie Rodriguez

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Students gathered around for the "It Can Wait" program. (Photo by Kaeley Starling) “If your life can depend on it, it can wait,” said Castor, representing Mayor Bob Buckhorn. “People don’t realize how serious of an issue this is.

-Jasmine Seales

Family Dollar plans cause a stir A new Family Dollar is being built in Seminole Heights. In July, the white vacant building on 5100 N. Florida Avenue was purchased by the company.

Some residents anticipate the inexpensive products and the jobs supply. “I like Family Dollar,” said Stacey Lima, also a freshman, “It’s cheap.”

However, locals are rallying to boycott its construction.

They say a Family Dollar has no place among the quirky, independent businesses that line Florida Avenue.

-Ellie Rodriguez

Opinion Red & Black Editors-in-Chief Jacob Gagne Brittany Valencic Section Editors Roksana Borzouei Nikki Ferrera Chrissy Geshel Jimmy Herd-Bond Kristine Lee Kimberly Rampersad Ellie Rodriguez Jennifer Travis Kellen Yent Staff Writers Ivy Bennett-Ford David Blanchard Emilie Brooks Jodeja Chisholm Daniel Dolford Nadiya Fakhar Imraan Rafi Gabriella McIntyre Kourtney Melendi Aleesha Mundra Kyle Rosenthal Holly Schroeder Samantha Votzke

@HHSToday.com COLUMN: Snooki stirs up mixed opinions with baby Lorenzo

September 2012

Musical mind

EDITORIAL This reflects the viewpoint of the Red & Black staff

By Daniel Dolford Commentary

AP is not for everyone Advanced Placement (AP) courses do not necessarily benefit all students. Yet teachers and administrators still push for students to be placed in them.

Some students who are enrolled in AP classes are not there for the right reasons.

The results from the AP exams last year show that 62 percent of Hillsborough students did not pass with a 3 or higher, on a scale of 1-5.

If they don’t pass the exam, they won’t qualify for college credit.

There are students who may not be able to handle the workload. It can be a detriment to students’ GPA’s since AP classes weigh more than traditional classes.

Currently, standardized tests and recommendations help school officials determine who lands in these courses. Test scores can

present ideas about what a student has the potential to do. However, they do not tell a teacher what the student will do in the classroom.

And it can be tough to get out if those scores land you there against your will.

That’s not good. If a student doesn’t want to be there, they have the potential to negatively affect the rest of the class.

The point is, standardized tests scores aren’t enough to seek out AP students.

There needs to be a thorough examination of the student’s willingness to do the work, rather than placing so much emphasis on test scores.

In such a time-sensitive situation, energy spent trying to help students who don’t care about AP classes should be invested in preparing a student who does.

Students sound off on AP classes

Adviser Joe Humphrey, MJE Principal Dr. William Orr Jr. The Red & Black belongs to the Florida and National Scholastic press associations. This newspaper considers itself an open forum for student expression; however, the paper is subject to prior review by school administration.

The staff editiorial reflects the view of student editors and the columns represent the viewpoints of their authors.

R&B welcomes letters from students , teachers and members of the Hillsborough community. Letters may be edited for brevity and clarity, and should be submitted to Room 506 or to the Red & Black, 5000 N. Central Ave., Tampa, Fla. 33603. Advertising content is subject to approval of the editorial board. The Red & Black is printed in partnership with The Tampa Tribune.

This newspaper includes content from the MCT Campus wire service. Phone (813) 276-5620; Fax (813) 276-5629; e-mail joseph.humphrey@sdhc.k12.fl.us.

www.hhstoday.com

“Mr. Rogowski is really fun, he’s a good teacher.

It’s worth it for the way he teaches.”

“It’s great, even if you don’t pass the test, you get credit.”

Kacey Johnson freshman

Chayla Vasquez sophomore

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“Mr. Henderson is great with AP World History. You get stuff done in his class.”

Keisha Lockhart sophomore

As you listen to your music on a daily basis, you may not be aware of the effect it may have on your mental well-being. Research by Virgil Griffith, at the California Institute of Technology, has shown that listeners of artists such as Lil’ Wayne have shown poor performance on their SAT scores compared to a wide variety of other genres.

Further studies have revealed that people sometimes acquire a brief improvement in their visual-spatial skills immediately after listening to a Mozart sonata.

However, the results have been inconsistent and it’s unclear if it’s really the music that is responsible for the temporary enhancement of intelligence. It seems more likely that people improve their performance because listening to music elevates their mood and alertness level.

“I listen to a lot of Wiz Khalifa and Lil’ Wayne, and I get A’s and B’s,” said junior Edwin Velez.

“Well I usually listen to the Beatles or anything from the 1970s and I get straight A’s,” junior Alex Rosendo said.

However, until further evidence is gathered and held credible, the true answer about whether music preference influences intelligence remains a mystery.

Focus

September 2012

Stepping up the

sound

Big Red Band director Kimberly Mieder instructs members on the 50-yard line during the pregame performance period of the football game against Newsome. (Photo by Nadiya Fakhar)

By Nikki Ferrera Life Editor The band room is packed. Packed with students; packed with instruments; packed with energy.

“I want big sound!” Big Red Band director Kimberly Mieder yells over the rustling of moving bodies, flipping papers and quick bursts of brass sounds.

It’s almost 6 p.m., an 90 minutes before the start of the

football game against Newsome. It’s the first home game of the year, and so, for the first time, the band will perform its Dazzling Divas halftime show in front of a home crowd.  Two hours earlier, anyone passing through the walkway near the cafeteria -- maybe even anyone in the 500 Hall

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or near the trophy cases -- would have been treated to sporadic noises echoing from the H Patio.

Groups of students sat around the tables, or on the bench-like, low wall that surrounds the patio. There were the occasional students who lingered in the center chatting in groups of two or three, waiting for an afterschool activity to start or maybe passing time around campus until their parents picked them up.

(Continued on page 8)

Focus

Band members perform during the halftime show, which features songs from Etta James, Donna Summer and Whitney Houston.

(Photo by Jimmy Herd-Bond)

(Continued from page 7) But the most prominent group of students, the ones who were clearly identifiable in their red, black or gray “Dazzling Divas” T-shirts, were the band members who remained at school rather than going home before rehearsal started for the night’s show.

A few flipped through their blue Springboard books or large binders, trying to get homework out of the way as soon as possible, while others had their instruments out and were preparing for the game. There was little uniformity in the notes these students played. Most mainly practiced independently as others looked on, some clapping to the beat of the tempo their friends made.

Amid the people and sounds, some students took a moment to describe the band’s relationship. “We’re probably the greatest band in the land - no, we’re definitely the greatest band in the land,” said junior Lane Griffin. “We form a great bond together, and we kind of have to because we have to mesh well together to make good music.”

Focus

September 2012

Senior Katelyn Ellwood becomes emotional as she and her fellow seniors reminisce on their years in band to underclassmen during freshmen initiation on the night of the seniors’ last first home game. (Photo by Victoria Russo)

Sophomore Emani Aikens agreed. “It’s really fun. We’re always doing something new and it’s like a family.”  Before long, all the non-band students had either left campus or relocated. The large, maroon door of the band room constantly whooshed open and closed, signaling the arrival of even more musicians to the H Patio; a couple were already in full uniform, hat and all.

Whether they left for home or happy hour at Steak ‘n Shake, by 5 p.m., nearly all the band members were back. The H-Patio was still filled with band students, but this time, it was clearly for a reason other than the laid-back practice that characterized the previous two hours. Band freshman and seniors (or in some cases, section leaders who weren’t seniors) stood circled around the chained-off H for a special ceremony: freshmen Initiation.

At the feet of these uniformed “band freshmen” (any first-year band member) were

red paper bags. The bags remained unopened as seniors went around the circle, giving the freshmen words of wisdom or personal tales of how band changed the past three years of their life. Some described band as being their saving grace, others the reason that they stayed at Hillsborough or the one thing that really allowed them to come out of their shell and be themselves.

“They’re making me start,” said onlooker Tarsheta Jackson. The band parent, mother to junior Robert King, let out a small, almost embarrassed, laugh and quickly fanned her tearing eyes.

Jackson wasn’t the only one who got emotional during the initiation. Several of the seniors began crying as they told their story or listened to a friend’s. “It moves people and it moves me and I’m so proud to be in this band,” said senior Sarah Rehl.

Drum Major Rachel McKay offered the final words of advice, more to her fellow seniors than any of the first year band students. “Enjoy our last first home game!”

With that, the freshmen were able to open

their bags, a couple of which had been blown over by the wind. In each bag was a ribbon with the student’s class on it, and section leaders went around, pinning the ribbon to their section members’ jackets and instructing them to wear it the rest of the night. Group hugs were abundant as seniors and freshmen alike enjoyed this small time among their friends and band mates.  “Everyone get inside, it’s time for warmups!” yelled McKay and fellow Drum Major Anthony Green. Drum beats traveled through the open band room door and in to the patio.

Within minutes, the band room was full, and nearly everyone had begun playing synchronized scales. A few students still hurried into their seats to get started, as McKay and Green conducted at the head of the room and Mieder silently took roll.

Scales progressed to pregame tunes such as The Star Spangled Banner and the Alma Mater, finally leading way to the opener of the

halftime show, Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”

“Picture where you are on the field,” Mieder said as students marched in place and balanced on their toes while they played the song. “Play it all the way down. Move your bodies to the drill.”

“Forte! Piano! Piano! Forte!” Mieder instructed when the music finishes, her 10 years of experience as the director of the Big Red Band allowing her to pick up on flaws that an untrained ear wouldn’t detect. “Please remember to do this tonight. We need to master these dynamic nuances.”

The band continued through the rest of their Dazzling Divas set, which was picked by Mieder and pays tribute to the late vocalists Whitney Houston, Etta James and Donna Summer.

Then they moved on to choosing the songs they would perform in the stands before and after the halftime show, with Mieder approving or denying each choice.

Suddenly, the air conditioning in the room went out. “This happens every time,” Mieder

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said and rushed out the door to try to get it turned back on.

“OK guys,” McKay said, “We’re going to run through a few more.”

“You’re going to run through more,” someone called out from the opposite side of the room.

Mieder re-entered the room and instructed everyone to move to the air conditioned cafeteria where they could “relax before going out there.” Soon enough, the relaxation period was over and it was time to leave for the field.  Band members and Dancerettes created two massive lines outside the cafeteria and made their way through the JROTC Hall, on to the track and finally the center of the football field as the audience in the stands cheered. After playing the pregame songs, the band filed onto the stands. Drum majors stood at the front of the group on high, silver podiums. Every once and a while, the rest of the crowd would begin to sing fight songs, but regardless of where the chants originated, the band always sang them the loudest and

Drum Majors Rachel McKay and Anthony Green do their take on the traditional halftime show dance. “I help command a fantastic band filled with fantastic people and fantastic talents and minds,” Green said. “I can vouch for everyone in this band. They’re all such hard workers and I love leading them.” (Photo by Jimmy Herd-Bond)

with the most liveliness.

While students went through their song, parent volunteers started taking out bright red plumes from a gray container on the side of the stands. They called the kids to come down, and one by one, parents placed the plumes on top of everyone’s hats. The parents worried whether there would be enough plumes for everyone, but by the end, there’s one left.

The band made a large oval-shape on the side of the track, playing a three minute warm-up and getting in the last chances to rehearse the numbers before the show.

“Beautiful. Bring it in,” Mieder said after the final note of “At Last.”

The notion that this band is a family is prevalent among its members. And all night, that notion was never clearer than during the pre-halftime huddle. As everyone packed in tightly around one another, arms in and extended toward the center of the circle, their collective excitement couldn’t be missed. It was clear how much work they put in for, how much they cared about, the next few minutes of the night.

“See that crowd out there?” asked junior

Shawn Joseph to the huddle. “They’re waiting.

You know what they’re waiting for? The Big Red Band!” The air momentarily filled with a ferocious barking noise. The band again took up a two-line formation and marched around the field. It’s halftime.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s show time!” said an announcer. “You’ve seen the rest, now it’s time to see the best.”

The audience automatically started clapping and cheering, whooping and hollering and didn’t stop the entire performance. The band didn’t miss a beat. The mock choreography they did in band room hours earlier was nothing in comparison to their full effort. They oozed exhilaration.

People in the crowd chanted along with every fight song and moved along with every body roll. They continued clapping even as the band left the field and entered the concession area for their third quarter break.

When they got back to the stands, the band played their last selections of the night, including the crowd favorite “Jump on it.”

With that, they were done, and the Big Red Band left the football field the same way they entered it -- in two single-file lines.

Focus

Behind the Above: Band and Dancerette members play for the crowd during the Newsome game. (Photo by Jimmy Herd-Bond) Right: Senior Tyler Jones pins Ryan Williams during freshman orientation.

(Photo by Victoria Russo) Far right: Drum line busts a beat during the halftime show. (Photo by Rachel Mowat)

September 2012

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September 2012

Opinion

@HHSToday.com COLUMN: Ann Romney doesn’t understand real American women

Is Chick-Fil-A spreading hate or voicing opinion?

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Many think that one chicken sandwich, one $3 donation, does not equate to “I hate gays.” Yet, collectively, $3 becomes $3 million.

Chick-Fil-A promised to no longer support anti-LGBTQ organizations, yet days after that announcement they held a fundraiser for an organization that lobbies against same-sex marriage.

It seems fallacious for me to slate Cathy for mixing his anti-LGBT views with his company’s policies when I commend companies like Oreo and Cheerios for donating to pro-LGBTQ groups.

The difference is that Cathy supports hate groups and Cheerios donates to groups supporting equal rights.

The reality is that Oreo fosters an environment of caring that your neighbor has equal rights too; something like the Christian value “love thy neighbor.”

d un

By Roksana Borzouei Commentary Dan Cathy’s comment is not original. He shares the widely held opinion that marriage is only between a man and a woman and that the Christian biblical definition of marriage should become the law of the secular land.

However, the difference between Cathy and your homophobic compatriots is that Cathy owns Chick-Fil-A, and used the profits to support anti-LGBTQ organizations that not only spread hate in this country, but also use their money to influence legislation.

The issue of free speech is not the major issue in this debate. Both sides expressed their beliefs easily.

The ethical dilemma that emerges is supporting a company that openly supports hate groups against a minority by buying a chicken sandwich for $3.

That is where the moderates add to the problem.

Chick-Fil-A donates through the WinShape Foundation, created by Chick-Fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy in 1984. In 2009, WinShape donated about $1.7 million to anti-gay organizations, the individual percentages shown here. Fifteen percent was donated to National Christian Foundation, Focus on the Family, Eagle Forum, Exodus International and Family Research Council. (Source: Equality Matters.)

Nation al

Chick-Fil-A’s profits go to anti-LGBT groups that spread hate and use the money to decide legistation

15%

Sandwich graphic by Roksana Borzouei.

Cow illustrations by Chrissy Geshel.

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Dan Cathy has the right to voice his beliefs and set the policies for his company. It is his money to donate

By Jodeja Chisolm Commentary I believe Dan Cathy, President of Chick-Fil-A, should voice his opinion on nontraditional, LGBTQ families because he has the right.

The First Amendment gives Americans five rights, one of them being speech.

Furthermore, in an interview with the Biblical Recorder, Cathy said, “We don’t claim to be a Christian business, companies are not lost or saved, but certainly individuals are.”

His comments on nontraditional marriages are of his own belief. As a company, Chick-Fil-A does not mirror the views of Cathy.

Chick-Fil-A does not consider sexual orientation when hiring employees. I believe that gay employees should stop speaking out about his statements and be happy that they still have their jobs.

According to an article on CNN.com, by law, in 29 states, employers can fire

employees from a job because of their sexual orientation. There are openly gay employees who work at Chick-Fil-A around the country and haven’t been fired.

Recently, Chick-Fil-A, as a company, pledged to stop donating money to anti-gay groups such as, Focus on the Family and the National Organization for Marriage.

If Cathy decides to donate his own money to antiLGBTQ organizations then, that is his personal business.

He is just a man standing up for what he believes.

People will always have opposing views on controversial subjects. One man’s opinion on nontraditional families should not stop you from eating at a restaurant you enjoy.

There’s no such thing as a right or wrong belief.

So, your pro-nontraditional marriage views are not “right.” Just like Cathy’s beliefs, they’re opinions.

Life

@HHSToday.com VIDEO: Find out what happens when you mix Mean Girls with CSI: Miami

Something’s cooking

Cheeto-Fried Chicken

Real meals from the vending machine

By Imraan Rafi Staff Writer The vending machines at our school supply us with food that is quick, satisfying and just down right boring.

Most of the time, we just go to the vending machines for a snack that can easily quell our craving for something sweet, salty or tangy, but have you ever stopped and looked at the choices of snacks and just wondered how this can be fulfilling?

September 2012

Well, the Red & Black wanted to find out how.

We set out to create real meals out of foods that can be found in the vending machine and we delivered.

We created Cheeto-Fried Chicken and Dorito encrusted mozzarella sticks. We wanted to know what the student body thought about our new concoctions as well.

They rated each item with 5 stars being the highest.

Ingredients 1 Chicken breast (sliced) 2 Eggs (beaten) ½ cup All-purpose flour 1 ½ cup Finely crushed Cheetos (original) 1 cup Cornstarch Canola oil (enough to go half an inch up the side of the skillet) Baking pan (Photos by Imraan Rafi)

Dorito Mozzarella Sticks

Instructions Mix flour and crushed Cheetos into a bowl and mix. Take pieces of chicken, one by one, and coat them in cornstarch. Then, dip them in the beaten egg mixture and put them straight into the Cheetos breading.

Once all the pieces of chicken have been cut, take out the pan and pour the oil in, setting the stove temperature to medium-high. Wait until the oil is hot (you can check by putting a small bit of flour into the pan and if it starts to crack and bubble, then it’s ready). Fry the chicken 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown (Pro-tip: Try to minimize flipping the chicken too much. Too much movement and the breading will start to fall off ). Once golden brown, remove from pan and allow them to cool on the side in a paper towel lined container before devouring.

Ingredients ¾ cup Nacho Doritos (finely crushed) ½ cup Seasoned bread crumbs 2 Large eggs (beaten) Baking pan Skillet Canola oil (enough to go half an inch up the side of the skillet) 12 Half sized mozzarella sticks (cut regular cheese stick in 2) 1 cup Cornstarch Instructions Place seasoned bread crumbs and crushed Doritos into a bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Roll the cheese stick in the cornstarch and shake to prevent cornstarch from clumping up.

Dip the coated cheese stick into the beaten egg mixture before moving it to the Dorito/bread crumb mixture. Now, roll the cheese stick around in the mixture until fully coated and then move it to baking pan. Continue the process until all cheese sticks are coated in the Dorito/bread crumb mixture. Once finished, place the mozzarella sticks into the freezer and leave them to rest for a minimum of 2 hrs.

Once this time has elapsed, take out your skillet and pour canola oil in at medium-high temperature on your stove. When the oil is hot, take out the mozzarella sticks and fry them in the pan. The cheese sticks cook quickly so make sure you continue to turn them until all sides are golden brown. Once golden brown, quickly remove them from the pan and allow them time to cool down before you devour them.

Ratings “Delicious,” said junior Aaliyah Burch.

“The chicken is really, really good,” said senior Edyward Lewiss.

Ratings “It adds spice and flavor to the cheese stick,” said senior Edyward Lewiss.

“It’s so good,” said junior Aaliyah Burch.

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Your turn

Now that you’ve seen what’s possible, let’s see what you can do. Send in your own recipes of wacky, yet delicious creations that are made from foods found in the vending machine.

Cheez-It macaroni and cheese, perhaps? Funyun crusted salmon, maybe? Be creative. Turn in your entries to Mr. Humphrey in room 506.

September 2012

Details on the dance

By Kourtney Melendi Staff Writer For those of you who plan on attending homecoming, expect a fairytale evening. You’ll be dancing the night away at the Museum of Science and Industry as the Student Government Association presents an “Enchanted Evening” themed Homecoming.

Why MOSI? “Honestly because it’s the only place that I could find once I found out that I was in charge of homecoming, which was two weeks before school started.” SGA sponsor Dawn McCutchen said.

The dance will take place where the Mummies exhibit is now on the first floor of MOSI, there will also be food and refreshments in the main entrance area. To ensure that everyone remains in the designated area, there will be policemen and teacher chaperones; no second floor access will be allowed.

However, there is a chance the flight simulator, located near the main entrance, will be open to students.

Upon arriving at homecoming, make sure you have your ticket, student I.D. and are dressed according to the dress code policy in place. If you’re bringing a guest, they must be under 20, have a photo I.D. and their ticket in order to get into the dance. The appropriate paperwork approving their attendance should already have been turned into McCutchen upon purchasing their ticket.

The doors will open at 7 p.m. and the dance will draw to a close at 11 p.m.

Due to a law by the city of Tampa, 15year olds have a curfew of 11:30 p.m., giving them plenty of time to return home.

@HHSToday.com VIDEO: Students show off the dance moves they’re planning for Saturday

Life

Homecoming 2012 Students share their thoughts on this year’s activities

“I’m excited to have fun and laugh at people’s outfits for spirit week. I’m excited for Wacky Tacky day too.”

“I want to do Multiplicity Monday because my friends and I want to dress alike. Homecoming is on my birthday too, so I’ll be celebating.”

“I’m excited for the game. Spirit week gets everyone pumped for the game and then everyone gets to see how crazy, awesome and spirited the student body is.”

“The Homecoming game gives the school a chance to come out and support the team and have a good time. That’s the best part of Homecoming week.”

Kylia Johnson freshman

Yoheimy Jimenez sophomore

Zachary Wolf junior

Leroy Haris senior

Seniors show their spirit repping their Class of 2013 T-shirts. Sophomores Monica Taylor and Brittany Lovett get tacky on Tuesday with neon (Photo by Brittany Valencic) colors and tutus. (Photo by Brittany Valencic)

13

Sports

@HHSToday.com Meet four-sport athlete Savannah Wisdo

September 2012

An inside look: In the pool and at the park The swim & dive and cross country teams get going with pirate ships, spaghetti dinners, park runs, dancing and team bonding

By Ivy Bennett Staff Writer

Swim & Dive

It started with a rain. It ended the same way. After Hillsborough’s swim and dive team won against Strawberry Crest, they celebrated by climbing on a pirate ship-like fixture in the shallow end of Copeland Pool. In seconds, the rain that had threatened for the last hour of the meet came down with a vengeance.

The team dove into the year with three meets in quick succession, two at Copeland and City Relays.

At this particular meet, the night’s roster was released at six, while the spaghetti dinner was still going on at junior captain Teresa Chorvat’s house.

“These spaghetti dinners make the world go round,” said sophomore member Thomas Liu. The team dined

on pasta, watermelon, strawberries and soda.

Once the 40-odd members of the swim team are present at the host house, the senior captains address them.

One captain, Kristine Lee, called the swimmers to order from the front of Chorvat’s house.

“Swim team, assemble,” she said with a business-like attitude. Lee reminded everyone of the golden rule for spaghetti dinners: “be respectful of your host’s house.”

Once that detail is taken care of, the swimmers are released to eat and play games. “It’s more about the team than the sport,” Lee said.

“The team is definitely closer than last year,” said senior swim captain Andy Paloumpis. “They’re bonding.”

The swim team cheers for a fellow swimmer at the Strawberry Crest meet. (Photo by Ivy Bennett)

By Gabriella McIntyre Staff Writer Coached by Hassan Wajd, the Hillsborough cross country team trains six days a week, Monday through Saturday, and hopes to make its way to a state meet in Tallahassee for what would be the final event of the season on Nov. 17.

The team, which began training in early July, emphasizes the importance of change in their routine for success.

Junior Kourtney Melendi said that in order to keep their interest in the sport high, Wajd often changes the running distance.

They run in intervals so it isn’t always a repetitive length they have to take on.

They never practice at the

schools track; instead, they use multiple local parks as their training grounds, such as Rivercrest Park near campus.

Melendi said without hesitation that the best part of cross country is by far the team.

“When you’re running, it’s not fun, it’s kind of torture … but knowing that your team is counting on you pushes you to do your best because you don’t want to disappoint your team or coach,” she said.

Senior Laila Al-Khalaf, co-captain with Melendi, said that the feeling of accomplishing a run is what motivates her.

Along with that, the team itself is a big part of what keeps her going. “I love my team so much.

We laugh, make jokes, tease each

other, and even dance sometimes,” she said. “Our team is so close, we’re like a big family and we get stronger each day.”

Junior Daniel Lorenzo said the team is extremely supportive and encouraging. “There’s a mentality of never wanting to lose, so you just keep trying to get better,” he said. The team is closeknit and even though the members often play around to distract themselves, when running, they get serious.

Al-Khalaf said the team has almost tripled this year and is definitely a lot more connected this year than it was in the past three years she’s been on the team.

There are five more meets until districts, each of which consists of eight to 14 teams.

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Cross Country Krisztian Vero, Kourtney Melendi and Alex Morrison make laps around the trail at Rivercrest Park. (Photo by Gabriella McIntyre)

September 2012

@HHSToday.com Find scores and schedules at Terrier Sports Central

Sports

Dispute leaves home course unavailable for golf teams

By Nadiya Fakhar Staff Writer A legal dispute has forced the golf teams off their home course.

A lawsuit has kept teams from throughout the county from using Rogers Park this season.

Lanness Robinson, the county’s athletic director, said he does not have details on the lawsuit, except that the two parties cannot come to a decision.

Thus, Robinson said, individual schools are responsible for finding alternative locations and planning accordingly.

That has been a hardship, according to junior golfer Junior Nina Phan winds up to hit the Nina Phan. golf ball at practice. (Photo by Holly “Practice is difSchroeder) ficult for the team,” she said, “because private courses can be expensive and they don’t accommodate public school matches.”

Only students who have access to another course get a chance to practice. And the team has yet to host a match.

“We’ve had four matches rescheduled due to the problems with the golf course and the (Republican National Convention),” Phan said.

Boys coach Bryan Burgess said he is in the process of trying to reschedule some of the matches, but it’s certain that some of the cancelations will not be replayed.

“It stinks,” said junior Doug McGuire. “You can’t practice and we lose like half our practices because we don’t have anywhere to play so we either reschedule or cancel.”

The team has only played four out of its eight matches so far, which was originally a total of 13 games, but because of already canceled games and time some matches were lost.

Phan then said “We’re still a really young team, but no practice means no growth.”

From left: Senior Brianna, sophomore Nicola and freshman Francesca Althaus warm up before volleyball practice in the gym. All three play volleyball and a fourth sister also plays at her middle school. (Photo by Samantha Votzke)

Althaus sisters share volleyball bond

By Samantha Votzke Staff Writer In the world of sports, there are many talented siblings, from Peyton and Eli Manning to Venus and Serena Williams. The Althaus sisters are no exception, with all four sisters playing volleyball, and three of them playing here at Hillsborough.

Senior Brianna and sophomore Nicola are respective captains of the varsity and junior varsity teams, while freshman Francesca plays defense on junior varsity.

“Julianna [the sister in middle school] is very excited to come play for Hillsborough,” Nicola said. Brianna then added, “We have high hopes for our sister, that she’ll make the varsity team her freshman year so they can all play together.”

On and off the court, volleyball plays a central role in these siblings’ lives. At the Althaus home, it’s “all volleyball, all the time,” according to Francesca. “Sometimes I get sick of the play-by-plays!”

15

Teammate and sophomore Ally Abbuehl, said, “[The sisters] thrive off the competition-they constantly want to one-up each other.” Kimberly “Kiki” Sutherland went on to say, “They have a very high ‘volleyball IQ’ and that helps out the team a lot.”

Junior Casey Gonsalves and her sister, senior Ashley, also play on the varsity volleyball team together. “Siblings can call each other out on things other players wouldn’t,” said Casey Gonsalvez.

When it comes to constructive criticism, Nicola said, “[I am] harder on Francesca, because I want her to be better.”

Francesca said, “They just like to yell at me!”

Coach Yolanda Whitehea Driskell said that “they each have their own personality” and brings something different to the team. She then commented, “All of them are competitive and fun.” Whitehead Driskell also said, “the complete, 100

percent support they get at home” is essential for the girls’ success.

Brianna and Nicola fill their lives with volleyball, competing in the beach version on the weekends. “We currently have separate partners,” said Nicola, “but we want to play together soon.”

For these siblings, there is no such thing as too much volleyball.

According to Nicola, “[Volleyball is] the best thing that happened [to us]!”

Senior Brianna Althaus hones her “digging” skill at volleyball practice in the gym. (Photo by Samantha Votzke)

Sports

September 2012

FALL SPORTS UPDATE

Jeremiah Green has scholarship offers from schools including Bowling Green, Florida International and South Alabama.

While his football options are limited by size (he is 5-foot-8), Green has a much more attractive athletic skill. He’s the current under-18 world champion triple jumper.

Varsity football Record: 3-0 Notable: Game at Cocoa canceled due to lightning Key Stat: Nigel Harris has 353 rushing yards and eight touchdowns for three games (Story, right) JV football Record: 0-2 Coming up: Alonso, home, 7 p.m., Oct. 4th Armwood, away, 7 p.m., Oct. 11th

Jordan Sherit

is a defensive end who caught the attention of Division I NCAA football coaches back in 10th grade.

He has more than 25 scholarship offers from prestigious programs including Stanford, Notre Dame, Florida and Vanderbilt.

Before the school year began, Sherit verbally committed to the University of Florida.

He took to twitter, writing, “So blessed and privileged to announce that today I have committed to The University of Florida. Go Gators!”

“It has everything I was looking for in a school, and it’s close to home,” Sherit said.

Varsity Volleyball Record: 4-2 Notable: Had two five set matches, one resulting in a loss to Robinson, and the other a win against Brandon.

JV Volleyball Record: 5-0 Notable: None of the games have gone into a third set.

Swimming Girls Record: 3-1 Boys Record: 3-0 Golf Girls Record: 2-3 Boys Record: 3-0 Notable: Practices have been and games have been canceled due to their home course not letting them play (Story, page 15) Crew Coming up: Season opener is Oct. 6 on the Hillsborough River, downtown Cross Country Girls Finishes: 15th, 7th Boys Finishes: 13th, 7th

The Big Three, (from left) Jeremiah Green, Jordan Sherit and Nigel Harris, stand together after their win against Newsome High School. (Photo by Jimmy Herd-Bond)

The

Big Three

By Jimmy Herd-Bond Photo Editor

The varsity football team has three athletes who all have at least one scholarship offer to play NCAA Division I football. The three seniors are Jeremiah Green, Jordan Sherit and Nigel Harris.

All three of these athletes knows what it is like to practice long hours, play in horrible condi-

tions, get no sleep and then start over again the next day.

Commitment is something that is a key role in football, and now is a key role in their next step as a senior in high school.

Like all other students, athletes or not, they have to make the big choice: What am I going to do after high school. But for these three, this de-

16

Nigel Harris

, senior inside linebacker, running back and punter, has scholarship offers from Vanderbilt, Purdue, Wake Forest and Arizona.

“I have not yet [made a decision], most likely Vandy, Purdue and either Wake Forest or Arizona,” Harris said.

cision might be a make it or break it choice. They are weighing their options between education and athletics, coaches and campus, team pride and tradition.

One of trio has already made his decision, but the other two still have that road ahead of them.

It is time for them to make their next commitment.