Red & Black

HOLDING & toHOPE black on

Florida’s first high school newspaper Hillsborough High School 5000 N. Central Ave. Tampa, FL 33603 September 2013 hhstoday.com @hhstodayonline Volume 114, No. 2

“We’ve done it [come back from 0-2] once in my 21 years here, and you just go to work every day. You don’t work any less because you’re 0-2, and you don’t work any harder when you’re 2-0.”

-Football coach Earl Garcia

-See story, page 16 Coaches and players discuss a play during the Armwood game on Monday, Sept. 16. The Terriers lost 37-2, a week after losing to Jefferson. Both were district games, leaving the Terriers 0-2 in district play after their first two games. The team will need to win the rest of its games and hope one of those teams falters during the season. (Photo by Katie Frost)

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hhstoday.com | September 2013

& black

painting

Seniors ask for

privileges

Editors-in-Chief Nikki Ferrera Ellie Rodriguez

News Editors

Entertainment Editors

Ivy Bennett-Ford Hayley McAleese Maria Roberts

Daniel Dolford Vijata Patel

Opinion Editors

Life Editor

Kathy Xie Cade McCurdy

Holly Schroeder

Photo Editor Sports Editors

Katie Frost Aleesha Mundra

Samantha Votzke Daniel Hamilton

Staff Writers Vincent Bencomo David Blanchard Sarvika Bommakanti Sophia Diaz-Carraway Dana Dinh Valean Hawkins Kenni Holland Jose Leon Kourtney Melendi RJ Murphree Monisha Pillai Vishwa Shah Shelby Shoup Emma Silbert John Veliz

Holly Schroeder & Valean Hawkins Life Editor & Staff Writer The Class of 2014’s senior privileges, a much anticipated rite of passage, are currently being negotiated by the Senior Class Council.

Currently there are two senior privileges the council hasn’t yet proposed to Principal Johan von Ancken, but plan to in the near future. The council hopes to allow parking spot painting in the senior lot for an increased fee as well as the ability to paint a senior mural on a school wall.

The senior class council proposed some senior

privileges to von Ancken at a meeting on Sept. 9. Senior Class Council sponsor April Fiore felt optimistic about the meeting, but no privileges have been approved yet. “The meeting went well, von Ancken was very receptive and sounded positive about what was discussed,” Fiore said.

One potential privilege brought up in the meeting is early release for seniors. “I would like seniors to be able to leave early for both lunch and daily release,” said council member Faith Hendrix.

This new privilege would al-

low all seniors to leave three minutes early for both lunches and possibly at the end of the school day. “Allowing seniors to leave early for lunch seems like a really good idea,” von Ancken said after the meeting, however nothing has formally been approved yet.

The last proposed privilege is more lunches in Positive Park for the senior class.

The principal has final approval. von Ancken spoke to staff members about the proposed privileges on Sept.

13. “I want to filter the ideas through the staff and administration and get their thoughts on them” he said.

More Apples fall from the tree

Adviser Joe Humphrey, MJE

Principal Johan von Ancken

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. The 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 hhstoday@gmail.com Red & Black: All-Florida, FSPA; First Class, NSPA HHSToday.com, All-Florida, 2012-13

www.hhstoday.com

David Blanchard Staff Writer The world of technology will have two new members this fall as Apple has released the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c.

The iPhone 5c is the introduction to a new line of cheaper iPhones that see their starting price drop to $99 with a two year contract, down from the $199 starting price with the iPhone 5s.

“I think it’s a great idea to come out with a cheaper iPhone,” said junior Christina Christie.

The iPhone 5c contains some of the same hardware in the iPhone 5 in a plastic casing.

The “c” in the name stands for color. It comes in five different colors: white, blue, green, red and yellow.

The aluminum and glass iPhone 5s comes

in three colors: space grey, gold and silver. It contains the new A7 chip which is, according to Apple, twice as fast in CPU and graphic performance. The iPhone 5s the first 64-bit smart phone.

Most notably, the iPhone 5s contains a fingerprint sensor.

This feature allows users to unlock their iPhone simply by pressing the home button.

The sensor can also be used to complete purchases. The sensor can be programmed to accept whoever the owner wants.

Both phones will ship with the latest version of iOS, iOS 7.

The colors of the iPhone 5c include white, red, yellow, blue and green. (Photo by Justin14/ Creative Commons)

Hot wheels hit the halls Hayley McAleese News Editor Many changes have been made to the everyday atmosphere of Hillsborough High School. Not only are there new teachers and new students, but there is also a new way for officers to roam the halls. Tampa Police Officer Frank Noel has not been walking his route through the school, but instead has been riding atop a Segway.

Segways were gifted to both Hillsborough and Middleton High School by the Tampa Police Department. According to Noel, they help the most during dismissal time.

These scooter-like contraptions cost $6,340 each and were paid for with a public safety grant for the Republican National Convention last year and the officers that use them were given basic training.

Stairs are not in the segway’s repertoire and when Noel is faced with them, he must choose a different route or carry the 40-50 pound apparatus over them. The elevator is an invaluable asset in this situation and, when going outside, Noel utilizes ramps.

Te a c h e r Kathy Griffin is nothing but envious and because “they got [him] one and not [her] one.” She thinks the campus security will truly benefit from it.

It will allow two officers better control nearly 2,000 students.

Officer Frank Noel patrols the bus ramp on a Segway. (Photo by Alex Lutton)

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September 2013 | hhstoday.com

9/11 You Said it “It was like the world stood still and the world was holding its breath.” Tammy Crosby “It makes me angry because nobody deserves anything like that.” Jermika Hamilton, 11

Thespians perform at fall coffeehouse “At first it didn’t make sense but now it’s depressing.”

Nicole Hernandez, 9 “It makes me sad that people could do such horrible things.”

Matthew Bredahl, 10

On the anniversary of Sept. 11, students honored those killed 12 years ago. A moment of silence was called for over the morning announcements after a brief reminder was read. Students and faculty reflected on how they felt during this dark day.

-Maria Roberts

Students sound off on rule changes affects your workload,” said sopho- done as possible.”

Originally JAs were created after more Rianna Alex. “Why can’t we just students kept complaining about not go back to the way things were?”

Alex also Out with the old, in with the new.

“Why can’t we just go back having enough time to manage That’s the motto when it comes to the brought up how to the way things were?” the rigorous worktransition period headed by Hillsbor- the policy with load that comes passes is much ough’s new principal.

Rianna Alex, 10 with IB. restricted Johan von Ancken and his team more “If we let students use their elechave been cracking down on school this year. The policy is that if you want policies, specifically electronic device a pass to another classroom, you must tronics, then that totally undermines usage and sleeping in JAs. No longer obtain the pass from that teacher, un- the whole purpose of the JA,” said von last year Ancken, a former IB coordinator from are students allowed “We are being monitored like where the JA Robinson High School. to use their headlike little kids.”

Even with all these advantages a d m i n i s t r at or phones during their stemming from the no-phones study could give you study hall or use any Jared Jensen,11 a pass for that hall, an overwhelming number of stuelectronics, save for dents were angered by the transition. educational purposes, approved and class or the media center.

However these revisions to school A petition even circled the campus to monitored by the teacher. bring back headphones during JA, but For many students, this is a drastic rules don’t come without a reason.

“All of these rules serve a purpose,” it was unsuccessful. “It’s stupid that we shift from last year’s more laid back policy concerning electronics, particu- said IB coordinator Trisha Fitzgerald. can’t use our phones,” said junior Jared “And that purpose is to give students Jensen. “We are being monitored like larly in JAs. “I can’t see how using headphones the most time to get their homework little kids.”

Katie Frost Photo Editor

Espresso Yourself Jose Leon Staff Writer This year’s twice annual coffee house began Sept. 11, with a short moment of silence honor the victims of 9/11.

Highlights included Tani Pittard’s cover of Adele’s “Hiding My Heart,” accompanied by her father, Director Jeff Pittard, and Caroline Hamby’s rendition of “Roar” by Katy Perry.

Kenni Holland recited a poem about her life, the issues she faces and her experience with heartbreak.

Tani Pittard and Erin Davenport played a soulful melody of Eminem and Rihanna’s “Love the Way You Lie.” The beginning of the performance was plagued by forgotten lyrics, but the girls regained their composure.

Samantha Paz stepped on stage and began screaming. After a few screams were let out she stated, “Now that I’ve [gotten] that out of my system,” and began her stand-up comedy routine.

Exploring subjects including Canada, Middle Eastern music and her parents, she kept the crowd laughing.

Other performances included a cover of Eric Idle’s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” by Jacob Ward and a dance routine by Gina Pamplona, Tani Pittard and Davenport.

(Graphic by Hayley McAleese)

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Hillsborough students say hhstoday.com | September 2013 the U.S. does not put enough emphasis Students say the on recycling state of Florida does not pursue Hillsborough’s students slant towards disapproval of how our enough recycling projects community, state and country deals with recycling.

3/5

Trashy statistics

7/10

Hillsborough’s recycling club was reduced, reused and then recycled in time for the new year Sophia Diaz-Carraway Staff Writer The recycling club, Keeping Our School Eco Friendly (KOSEF), has changed quite a bit from last year. It is no longer a normal school club.

According to science teacher Judy Charlton, “The recycling will be an IB project which will allow students to earn service and action hours”.

Two seniors, Dessica Harry and Daniela Perez, have taken responsibility for the running of the recycling club. When asked why she decided to take responsibility for the service project, Harry said “[she] joined freshman year.” She said that the project would also look good on college applications; for her, those deadlines are imminent.

“We want more enthusiasm for recycling at Hillsborough,” Perez said. The goal of the recycling club is to reduce Hillsborough’s waste and promote recycling in the school.

A bin will be placed in every room and the first pick up will be on Oct 2.

According to Charlton, “the KOSEF team plans to pick up each week, alternating between Mondays and Wednesdays.”

briefly

Quiet in the Library, not at the construction site The Seminole Heights Branch Library across the street from campus is due to reopen in late November. Closed for renovations during the last school year, the new library will have additional parking, a computer lab and a children’s section. There will also be more than 20,000 more square feet of space with the addition of another floor.

The library was popular among students from Hillsborough before its temporary closure. “It wasn’t that it needed renewal, but it is good that it is getting some,” said sophomore Madison Stuart.

Some students seem to disagree, voicing their complaints about the pre-renewal library openly. “The computer thing was ridiculous. We had to wait in line,” freshman Jallany Pena said. “It was small and crowded.”

-Monisha Pillai

Have map, navigate Building 4

According to the Bridgestone Recycling and Sustainability Earth Day Survey, 72 percent of Tampa residents say they recycle regularly.

On average, the U.S. “Hillsborough recycled and composted should reduce waste 1.53 pounds out of our production” individual waste gen- Daniela Perez eration of 4.40 pounds per person per day.

The new numbering system for the 400 building caused confusion on the first day of school. The administration redubbed the classrooms as a room in either the 100s or 200s, a choice made by the district back when remodeling began in 2005, but was just now implemented.

However, the schedules still show them as 400s.

“I got lost, and was late for class,” freshman Timmy Chen said about the mix up.

There are still signs on the door that list 400s, but according to AP Melvin Williams, the district should send down some official signs soon. Only the 400 will change.

“They wanted the numbers to correlate with downtown,” Williams said.

Williams also said that the juniors and seniors didn’t have a problem with the change, but some freshmen and new teachers had some problems.

-Shelby Shoup

8 National Merit Semifinallists, 5 National Hispanic Semifinalists Eight students were named National Merit Semifinalists: Teresa Chorvat, Kelly Cochran, Trevor McCabe, Arpan Parekh, Samuel Russell, Elizabeth Tsourakis, Brittany Young and Aaren Zhou. The National Hispanic Semifinalists were Nikki Ferrera, Daniel Lorenzo, Gustavo Marino, Madeline Quam and Mario Cardenas.

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Charter schools draw students out of district

September 2013 | hhstoday.com

“You knew every single person in your grade”

-Farin DeBose, 10

“[The curriculum] didn’t work for me, the lessons didn’t stick…and I wanted more time so I could get a job”

-Sienna Barrera, 11

150

14,000

Students left Hillsborough High School to attend charter schools Students left the Hillsborough Area because of the school Source: Tampa Bay Times choice option

Dana Dinh Staff Writer Picture classrooms with empty seats, hallways with less chatter and pep rallies and football games not full to the brim with excited, shouting Terriers.

Student enrollment is a factor that dictates the number of teachers required and the amount of funding that schools receive.

Should Hillsborough worry about lack of funding in the future?

According to assistant principal Kysha Herald, the answer is no.

“Here at HHS, since the school has been around for so long, there is a large number of families in the community who have graduated from here,” Herald said. “[Many of] our students come from former generations of HHS grads.”

Student enrollment is a factor that dictates the number of teachers required and the amount of funding that schools receive.

Hillsborough’s enrollment is higher than its projected 1,800 students with a total of 1,887 last week in both traditional and IB, Herald

said. Yet Hillsborough lost 150 students last year to charter schools, according to a report this summer in the Tampa Bay Times.

Jenna Hodgens, director of Charter Schools for Hillsborough County Public Schools, said 14,000 students were enrolled in charter schools out of 200,000 Hillsbor-

“It’s all about school choice....[charter schools] give students more options.”

-Jenna Hodgens, Director of Charter Schools ough county students this year.

As charter schools continue to advertise better curriculums and new learning opportunities more students may start considering whether or not public school is right for them.

“It’s all about school choice,” Hodgens said on why students made the move.

Last year, junior Sienna Barrera considered transferring to Semi-

nole Heights Charter High School because she was “failing most of [her] classes.” “[The curriculum] didn’t work for me, the lessons didn’t stick… and I wanted more time so I could get a job,” said Barrera.

However, the more she learned about charter school the less appealing it became. Barrera said that she realized “that it wasn’t a matter of the schoolwork” but of how much effort she put into her classes.

Junior Olivia Piazza, who previously attended Trinity School for Children, said that she prefers public school because the larger student population increases social interaction and exposure “to different types of people.”

On the other hand, some students prefer the smaller student population of charter schools.

“You knew every single person in your grade,” said sophomore Farin DeBose, a former attendee of Terrace Community Middle School. “And we were a lot closer to the teachers and administrators [than we are at Hillsborough].”

Password snafu holds up students for the first two weeks of school Kenni Holland Staff Writer Students began the school year to be faced with failed attempts at logging into a school computer with their personal logins, only to find out that the accounts had been reset over the summer.

On top of that, the new grade-viewing software threw an extra kink into the first few weeks of school. Starting from Sept.

5, there has been an ongoing effort to reset every student’s personal accounts, according to Christina Mayo, business teacher and coordinator for the lost passwords.

“The county decided to reset everything, I think some other schools wanted it, and it was an all-or-nothing thing,” Mayo said.

Homerooms have flocked to reset the passwords since the start of the new school year. According to Mayo, the process should only take a few minutes. She describes the process as

“no major ordeal” and says by Sept 13 every homeroom should be fixed.

“I want to be able to see what I’m missing [the teachers] don’t tell us anything. I’m very frustrated.”

Deloris Stevenson, 10

“I got my login the second week of school, I had an [American Sign Language] project and the info was in Edsby, so we reset it in the computer lab during the class,” said Junior Andry Sanchez. “[It] didn’t really affect me much.”

However, there have been difficulties getting the software to work. Sophomore Deloris Stevenson is such a case.

“My homeroom has gone, but some of us haven’t been able

to reset it,” said Stevenson. “It just says ‘error’ every time I try.”

Since Stevenson has not been able to get her personal account, she also has been unable to access Edsby. She says this has affected her ability to keep track of her grades.

“I want to be able to see what I’m missing [the teachers] don’t tell us anything,” she says “I’m very frustrated but not stressed.”

While the changes have been met with mixed response, this all is effects of the district attempting to modernize the education system to fit the changing needs of today’s tech generation, Edsby was set up like a social networking platform; it has its own app. But it just has some kinks that need to be ironed out, and students need time to adjust.

According to senior Robert King, “It’s pretty simple, it’s not complicated, it’s just way too much to take in.”

“Everybody is starting fresh,” Mayo said.

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6 opinion* #sorrynotsorry Racism is unacceptable

editorial

hhstoday.com | September 2013

An inferno of turmoil ensued at Florida State University this month after a racist post was sent from a student’s Vine and Twitter accounts.

A Vine (six-second video) was posted of black students on campus and included the hashtag “#monkeyseverywhere” in the post, causing social media wildfire.

Naturally, it’s understandable that an event this serious received attention from students (and non-students alike) across the country, especially because the derogatory post came from an individual of our age group.

However, it provokes thought as to why displays of racism in schools had to get this severe before being noticed.

Students do not treat racism at a serious enough regard until something monumentally offensive occurs and causes huge amounts of disruption. Often times, racist comments are not noted as “important” because they happen on a daily basis, and we

become accustomed to their presence.

To those who are staring incredulously at the sentence prior: think about it for a second. How many times have you heard the N-word or other derogatory terms thrown around as a joke? This phenomenon can be dubbed “casual racism” because we don’t take it seriously even though it’s definitely not politically or morally correct.

But this brings up some questions.

Where is this unspoken line we draw between what’s “just a joke” and what’s genuinely offensive?

Additionally, how does social media factor into all of this? After all, this entire issue would not have occurred if social media outlets like Vine and Twitter didn’t exist.

As for the threshold that separates “harmless” from “insulting,” subjectivity exists at a glaring degree; jokes told within your circle of friends are massively different than jokes made on the internet, where the entire public can view your comments.

The Internet is designed to spread information instantaneously, but at the cost of also spreading hate like racist comments.

Realistically, we can’t control the actions of other people or change the attitude of a whole population.

However, we can focus on ensuring that on an individual basis, we are more selfaware of what we say both in real life and online.

The Internet is a powerful tool and can be used to have a positive or negative impact on the world.

The anonymity provided by a username and password can bring out the worst in people. It is easy to post ignorance and negativity without repercussions.

Many people do - on a regular basis.

Ultimately, it is up to you to decide whether or not to partake in such hatefulness. Think twice before you post something that could offend someone else.

While we’re at it...

This month, the 2013 Miss America winner was announced: Nina Davuluri from Syracuse, NY. Immediately, Twitter erupted with post-9/11 racial hatred because Davuluri is of Indian descent, even though she was born and raised in America.

This ignorance is a disappointment.

Miss America Nina Davuluri. (Photo courtesy of Bruce Vartan Boyajian / The Miss America Organization)

*The opinion section represents opinions expressed by any student; opinions expressed in the editorial are supported by the Editorial Board (listed on page 2)

yousaid it

— school buses

Vincent Bencomo Staff Writer The Big Yellow Bus has been a primary means of getting children from point A to point B since they were drawn by horses, but as population increases, so do demands placed on the county to continue this practice.

The results are overcrowded buses, buses being made to take more than one load of students after school (leaving many kids waiting for up to an hour) and the “infamous” transfer station.

Many students just accept the bus as their only means of getting home, but how do they actually feel about it?

“I don’t like [the bus] because IB is already very overwhelming and having to wake up at 4 a.m. every day doesn’t help.”

“The bus is always late and a few days ago it was so late I had to have my mom drive me so I wouldn’t be tardy to school.”

“Bus rides are usually two hours long, meaning I’d have to wake up at 4:30 a.m. and get home at 5:30 p.m. I hated it.”

“I have to wait outside for a bus that sometimes never shows up. The only reason I ride the bus is because I have no other way to get home.”

– Bianca Cegatte, 9

– Trinh Nguyen, 10

– Ricardo Rodriguez, 10

– Chad Cole, 11

Pictures and quotes collected by Vincent Bencomo and Cade McCurdy

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COUNTER

September 2013 | hhstoday.com

point

Is Edsby really better than Edline?

All the opposition to Edsby is based on two things: Edline was “good enough” and Edsby is hard to navigate. However, I disagree. Edsby allows students to access their grades, communicate with peers and teachers and view a calendar of their events and assignments.

One of the more frequent student complaints is that Edsby doesn’t allow us to view our averages for all classes at the same time. It does. On the computer, click where it says “Classes” on the left sidebar and a summary will show up.

For students who don’t use social media or use it infrequently, Edsby makes group projects and club communication simple. The messaging service even allows us to include teachers in the conversation, along with our peers. Mass communication is made easier, and if a student asks a question, the rest of the class can see the answer. Many clubs use Facebook groups to inform members, but with Edsby even those who don’t check their email or have a Facebook account can be reached. After all, they’re going to use Edsby for grades anyway.

Many teachers are updating the calendar with tests and assignments, helping students keep track of important class dates. It should help provide an opportunity for students to improve their time management skills, whether they use it or not.

Once you figure out how to use Edsby, it really is a great service. If students play around with it a few times, the site becomes much easier to navigate and use.

Edsby has changed the way grades are entered, which, although confusing at first, has brought along a few new features. “[Edsby] allows you to enter information one time for all the classes.

It gives an option for me to say repeat,” said teacher Zaan Gast, “It saves time in that respect.”

Besides being much more aesthetically pleasing, Edsby allows for an emphasized calendar, more effective communication, and of course, viewing grades. Edsby is much better than people think it is. Take some time to explore it, and you’ll see that it really is a good service.

-Vishwa Shah

yes

When Edline was first available to me, I absolutely adored the system. I didn’t have to pester my teachers about grades and my mom was also able to access them. Edline’s sole purpose was to check grades and ask teachers questions through e-mail.

Last spring, Hillsborough County teachers voted to select Edsby, the self-proclaimed “World’s Best Education Engagement Platform.”

There are three main things in which Edsby is lacking compared to Edline; the organization, design layout and the major adjustments.

Edsby is very disorganized and extremely confusing to navigate.

After logging on to the homepage, you see all of your classes in a column on the left side. When you go to click on the classes, it brings up a page with descriptions of each lesson.

However, Edsby fails to conveniently answer the real question: Where are my grades? Eventually, you find the small “my work” button that appears only when the class is highlighted.

With Edline, you could click “My Classes,” followed by “Private Reports” and there were all of your grades. Not only that, but the grades were all in a straight column with no confusion.

Edsby’s design layout is not aesthetically pleasing at all. The home page is very cluttered with grades, announcements and our schedule.

Unlike a well formatted website, it has no center point to capture our attention. Edline had everything in a structured column to the left and a main picture as our focus sight.

Another major problem with Edsby is that teachers have to readjust to a totally new online grading system. Most staff members were used to the process of inputting grades into Edline, and now are extremely confused with Edsby.

Change is beneficial, but too much like change Edline to Edsby is ultimately a detriment to the students and staff.

-Sarvika Bommakantii

no

60%

hhstoday.com | September 2013

Syria matters

By R.J. Murphree • Commentary

I

n the last several years, the Middle East has shown itself to be imbued with a spirit of democracy. Country after country has turned to civil war, revolution and rebellion like they’re requirements to be part of the popular table in the respective Middle Eastern lunch-room. The latest country to demand and pursue social justice is Syria.

As teenagers in high school, it’s easy to forget about the rest of the world when everything in your own life seems so crucial and demanding. Nonetheless, it’s important to remain informed on current events, even if they might not be right on your front lawn.

The conflicts in Syria are by no means irrelevant to the United States.

Since March 2011, protesters have been speaking out and demonstrating against Syrian dictatorship headed by Bashar al-Assad. In April of that same year, the government responded to the protests. Security forces began killing demonstrators and generally terrorizing anyone who spoke out against the dictatorship.

Eventually the rebels retaliated with forces of their own, and civil war broke out. The war has lasted for quite a while, with no end on the horizon, and things are only getting more violent. On top of the estimated 100,000 casualties and 2 million refugees, there have been reports of chemical weapons being used by the government, which violates international law established at the Geneva Convention in 1949.

Now that chemical weapons (which are illegal and horrific weapons of terror) are part of the equation, America has taken notice.

As previously stated, chemical weapons were a

mistake on the anti-rebel group’s part. They were made illegal under international law because they usually end up killing innocent civilians along with soldiers in extremely painful and disturbing ways.

After these alleged reports came out, President Barack Obama gave a few heart-felt speeches about the happenings in Syria. He sought to inspire justice and duty in Americans by emphasizing that the transgressions made by al-Assad should not be ignored.

So far the Obama administration has suggested launching a missile strike against al-Assad as punishment for using chemical weapons, but now Obama and Vladimir Putin of Russia have agreed to put pressure on Syria to get it to relinquish its chemical weapons. Both Obama and Putin are trying to get Iran to join their cause, but their involvement is not yet clear.

For one, if Iran agrees to help rid Syria of chemical weapons, that puts the US in a better position to deal with Iran’s nuclear threat to Israel.

Israel is an important ally to the US in the Middle East because it provides us with a strong military presence that we would not otherwise have. A strong military presence allows us to respond quickly to any threats of violence and warfare in the Middle East.

Secondly, it’s the humanitarian thing to do.

We cannot ignore images of dead children popping up all over the internet and the press. Time and time again we have made it clear as a country, that we will not sit idly by when atrocities are committed against humanity. We may not know all the facts yet, but we cannot let what may have happened disappear from the public’s attention.

Sources: Huffington Post, BBC

“We had a chance before ... but now if we stay out we’ll be seen as weak if we don’t fall victim to the very things that we stand against.”

-Aida Vazquez-Soto, 10

focus9

September 2013 | hhstoday.com

of students had no idea who the leader of Syria is.

You should know:

“I don’t think we should go to war. I don’t know much about it … I think Syria should solve their own issues. They should stay in their country, and we should stay in ours.”

Bashar al-Assad

27%

WHOO iiss he WH he??

The Th e President Pres Pr esid iden entt of SSyr Syria yria ia

whyy is he wh he IM IMPO IMPORTANT? PORT RTAN ANTT?

He’s aacc He’ ccus used ed o off using usin us ing g ch chem emiiaccused chemicall we ca weap apon onss ag agai ains nstt hi hiss ow own n weapons against peop pe people ople le in in Damascus, Dama Da masc scus us,, the the SyrSyrian ia n capital. capi ca pita tal.l. According Acc A ccor ordi ding ng tto o CN CNN, N, the th e attack atta at tack ck m mig might ight ht h hav have ave e ki kill killed lled ed more mo re than ttha han n 1, 1,40 400 0 pe peop ople le..

1,400 people.

of students knew Assad is the leader of Syria.

how ho w did did he ccom come omee in into to PO POWE POWER? WERR? Assad Assad Assa d became beca be came me president pre p resi side dent nt iin n 2000, 2000 20 00,, after afte af terr succeeding succ su ccee eedi ding ng hiss father hi fath fa ther er H Haf Hafez afez ez aalal-Assad, l-As Assa sad, d, who wh o ru rule ruled led d Sy Syri Syria riaa for for 30 years year ye arss before befo be fore re his his death. dea d eath th..

-Emily Rodriguez, 11

“The United States should reassess who exactly they’re helping and why, so we don’t have a repeat of what happened in the ‘80s with Osama (bin Laden) ... To end it all, we need more peaceful and rational solutions than just invading entire countries at will.”

53%

Creative Commons

of students said they thought chemical weapons had been used against the Syrian people.

Key Student estimates closest to the actual location of Syria Student estimates within a 2,635 mile radius of Syria

-Brendan Ciccone, 12

Student estimates within a 5,315 mile radius of Syria Student estimates beyond a 5,315 mile radius of Syria

94 students were randomly surveyed about their understanding of the current events in Syria. They were asked three questions: What recently happened in Syria to generate a bunch of news? Who is the current leader or government of Syria? What does Obama want to do about the situation?

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10entertainment hhstoday.com | September 2013

Breaking Bad breaks expectations New Girl,

NEW season

It’s hard to believe that it has been about five years since we first saw Walter White standing on a desolate road, holding a gun to the world in nothing but his underwear. But it has. This all but begs the question: Are you ready for the end?

For those who don’t know, Breaking Bad is a show on AMC about high school chemistry teacher, Walter White (played by Bryan Cranston), who decides to make and sell meth to guarantee financial security for his family.

Since the show first aired on Jan. 20, 2008, the many present dynamic characters have witnessed and been changed by the considerably traumatic events originating from White.

Junior Laura Paloumpis says, “I was always impressed by the depth of the characters, and it’s going to be interesting to see how their traits play out in the finale.”

White started out as a timid chemistry teacher who always followed the rules of the world. Chemistry teacher Tammy Crosby says she “identifies with him on wanting to break

the rules” and says we all feel like that sometimes.

The final show airs this Sunday, Sept. 29, at 9 p.m. Paloumpis says she’s “more than hyped for it.”

-Story and illustration

by Robert Murphree

How I Met Your Mother

New season expected to be legendary

The CBS show How I Met Your Mother began its final season on Monday, Sept. 23 after eight years on air.

The show has followed the dating life of New Yorker Ted Mosby and his group of five friends as he’s narrating to his children the story of how he met their mother.

During season eight fans saw the birth of Marshall Erikson and Lily Aldrin’s son, the breakup of Barney Stinson and Quinn Gar-

Oh, how I’ve missed the gang. Season 3 of New Girl, the hysterically adorkable show created by Elizabeth Meriwether, returned Sept.

17.

The premiere centered on the idea of being “All In,” as Jess and Nick were expressing their readiness and excitement to jump headfirst into their relationship.

Finally seeing them together is the greatest thing. It’s obvious there are problems; it’s going to be difficult for them to work out the boundaries between their friendship and their relationship.

I may love the budding bff-ship between Schmidt and Winston more.

Speaking of Winston, he killed it. His lines were expertly delivered, and his facial expressions deserve a show of their own. My hope for this season is that the writers finally give him the lines with more punch.

The season should only go up from here.

-Ellie Rodriguez

vey, Ted striking out with every single woman in New York, and the engagement of Barney to Robin Scherbatsky.

The season ended with Lily and Marshall deciding not to move to Rome, Ted deciding to move to Chicago and Robin having second thoughts about the wedding.

The face of the mother is revealed for the first time to the audience as the last episode ends.

-Maria Roberts

“I love it, it’s really funny.”

Jacob Spanjers, 10 “They are running out of ideas.”

Vince Gyongyosi, 11 “I expect a lot of loose ends to be tied-up.”

Dory Rosenthal, 11

Students actually care about

Dancing with the Stars Keyshawn Johnson 4 percent

Snooki 16 percent

Christina Milian 8 percent Bill Nye 65 percent Amber Riley 1 percent

Corbin Bleu 14 percent

Season 17 of Dancing with the Stars began Sept. 17.

This is a poll showing who students are most excited to see dance.

“I’m excited to see Bill Nye the Science Guy,” said sophomore Mahogany Coy. “I used to watch his show a lot.”

“My favorite thing about the show is the dresses and the makeup,” junior Katherine Guaba.

-Dana Dinh

Creeping Up

Walking Dead preview

The entire cast of The Walking Dead is returning for this season despite rumors that some actors were to be replaced. Producers say everything for the new season is going according to plan, with the premier scheduled to air Oct. 13 on AMC. Production of Season 4 started on May 6 and will consist of 16 episodes.

Season 3 ended with plenty of room for speculation about when and where season 4 would take place.

Bringing the presence of Woodbury survivors into the prison and the ongoing menace of The Governor are two of the three things that the creators of the show have allowed fans to be sure of.

They have also promised that the setting will stay the same because in December 2012, producers stated that “it hasn’t been announced yet, but we’ll be back here next year for Season 4.”

The set of Woodbury played a huge role in the third season and will most likely continue to do so.

All in all, this season has been highly anticipated by longtime fans and newcomers alike, generating much speculation and hype.

This season is expected to have an even higher viewership resembling the exponential growth of previous seasons.

-Jose Leon

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entertainment 11 September 2013 | hhstoday.com

Nothing Was the Same is the same

Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine performs in Tampa Sept. 13.

(Photo by Nikki Ferrera)

Maroon  Band exceeds all expectations during Tampa show with Kelly Clarkson Nikki Ferrera Concert Review When Maroon 5 took the stage in front of a sold-out crowd at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, I had high expectations.

The Honda Civic Tour show on Sept. 13 was, after all, my third time seeing them in the span of two years — something had to keep me coming back for more.

What I wasn’t anticipating, though, was just how enjoyable this particular concert really would be.

The band played a mixture of tracks from all four of its albums, slipping in covers of Prince’s I Wanna Be Your Lover and Daft Punk’s Get Lucky during the concert.

Despite the musical metamorphoses they’ve undergone since their soulinspired debut Songs About Jane, their songs are still upbeat and enjoyable for fans of all ages, something that was especially evident in a live context.

Even the supporting acts were great. Current Maroon 5 keyboardist PJ Morton opened the show with his soul band, PJ Morton and the Crusade. Kelly Clarkson and her powerhouse vocals reminded me why she’s one of the few relevant American Idol alums.

While the music in and of itself was phenomenal, it was the smaller details that really made the concert special and memorable— when Levine

literally gave his guitar away to a girl in the audience who had a sign asking for it, or during Moves Like Jagger when confetti exploded over the crowd, or the cheers that erupted when, after several songs of looking like he spent the day in a sauna, Levine stripped off his shirt.

That’s the stuff dreams are made of, kids.

Three concerts later and Maroon 5 still manages to make me thoroughly love every minute of every show.

That’s why, whenever concert four comes around, I won’t mind spending every day on the corner in the pouring rain if it means I can get tickets.

Daniel Dolford Album Review Drake’s newest album, Nothing Was the Same, leaked a little bit over a week ahead of its Sept. 24 release date, making this early review of the album possible.

The album isn’t a huge departure from what you’ve heard on previous albums.

The highlights of the album are songs you’ve already heard like “Started from the Bottom,” “All Me” and “Hold On, We’re Going Home.”

Here’s what you might not have heard: the fourth track on the album, Wu-Tang Forever, is a reference to Wu-Tang Clan and their critically-acclaimed double-album Wu-Tang Forever.

As the album’s executive producer in ad-

dition to its chief performer, Drake enlisted some of the biggest names in modern rap to collaborate on the album such as: 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Future, Rick Ross, Jhene Aiko, Sampha and J. Cole during the recording process.

All in all, those who listened to the album leak, including myself, hailed the album as generally successful. Some stated it is his best album yet, showing that Drake still has some talent for audiences to discover for years to come.

I AM hooked on Arctic Monkeys album Shelby Shoup Album Review Arctic Monkeys have always wowed fans with the diversity of their albums.

They evolved from the post-punk revival sound of Favourite Worst Nightmare to the garageband-goes-indie sound of Suck it and See. But the new album, AM, released on Sept. 9, goes in a mind-blowing new direction.

Think Outkast plus Damon Albarn going back to the ’70s; basically, AM is an electric tribute to powerhouse rock, pairing synth beats with retro

guitar solos.

The album is a Brit-hop influenced power pack of songs, ranging from the grimy grunge sound of “R U Mine?” to the power ballad “No. 1 Party Anthem” to the slick beats of “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?”

While the addition of Josh Homme’s vocals on some of the songs gives a very choral vibe, differing from the usual emphasis on frontman Alex Turner’s sulky and syrupy vocals, it retains enough of the classic Arctic Monkeys style to please old fans, while luring in new ones.

Check out Kathy Xie’s concert review at www.HHStoday.com

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12life Quintet Threat hhstoday.com | September 2013

1

2

k Sc Spirit Wee hedule Spirit week is Oct. 7-11, with the Homecoming Dance on Oct. 12 at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay.

Oct. 7 ‘Murica Day

Oct. 8 Twin Day

4

Oct. 10 Throwback Day

Oct. 11 Red & Black Day

Five string students play in a wedding band 3

1. Keon Sahebkar plays the bass at Vinnny Ruia’s house during quintet practice.

2. Jade Reppenhagen practices cello.

3. Mateo Gulick and Christina Maldonado, who play the viola and violin, respectively, work on their timing in preparation for a show.

4 Vinny Ruia plays the violin.

(All photos by Nikki Ferrera)

Nikki Ferrera Editor-in-Chief Beethoven and Pachelbel are not the standard sounds people expect to hear flowing from a living room full of teenagers on a Saturday afternoon. But then again, it’s pretty uncommon for a room full of teenagers to spend their Saturday afternoon rehearsing for a performance at a wedding ceremony.

Hillsborough juniors Christina Maldonado, Jade Reppenhagen, Vinny Ruia and Keon Sahebkar, along with Steinbrenner junior Mateo Gulick, are members of a string quintet. The ensemble formed after Reppenhagen’s music teacher asked her to gather a group together to play a gig.

Reppenhagen knew Sahebkar, Ruia and Maldonado from school. When the four realized they needed a violist to complete their quintet, Ruia called up Gulick, who he knew from Martinez Middle School. Since then, the nameless quintet has played at a wedding, a graduation party and a nursing

Oct. 9 Western Day

home and have another wedding in the works in the upcoming weeks.

Although it may occasionally be difficult to spread the word about their performances, the group has tried to expand their audience by leaving business cards at their shows. “I walked up to people and I was honestly like a sales person,” Gulick said.

All members come from varying shades of experience. While most began playing in their sixth grade orchestras, Maldonado has played the violin for nearly 13 years.

The quintet are now either involved with school orchestra or take private lessons, but they all come together to practice whenever they have a show coming up.

After a run-through of “What a Wonderful World,” one member joked, “I don’t think that we should go with that. The skies of blue are turning black.” That’s the essential format of a practice session — trying out new songs, seeing what works, what doesn’t and joking throughout. They sift through musical pieces gathered from school or online, using whatever they can find to create a full set of music.

“But nothing too dark,” Ruia said.

“Or too hard,” Reppenhagen added.

At the end of rehearsal, they reflected on why they enjoy being in a wedding band.

“It’s fun to play in a small ensemble because we only play in a big orchestra at school,” Sahebkar said.

“There’s different perspectives,” Gulick said. “Because you can play in a big orchestra, you can play as a soloist, so I think it’s good to have bunch of different experiences and play in different environments.”

“It helps you grow as a musician,” Reppenhagen said.

Pupil Picassos Artistic students show off their work and explain what inspired them

Aaren Zhu, “World of the next generation” The senior said she was inspired because, “I hate how everyone is willing to chose money over the good of the environment, which is creating problems the next generation will have to solve.”

Nicholas Searle, “Dervish” Searle said his piece is “a welding robot from the book I’m writing.” In order to help his friend visualize this welding robot, Searle, a senior, “decided to draw it.”

Christina Christie, No name Christie, a junior, decided to make this piece in order to “practice with watercolors.” The piece is of a man from a game Christie played when she was younger.

(Compiled by Vijata Patel)

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life13

September 2013 | hhstoday.com

Terrifying thirteen

3-3-3

worker scare guidlines

stay 3 feet from guests, don’t pursue a scare for more than three seconds and don’t take more than three steps toward a guest

600+ average number of people hired every year for Howl-O-Scream

“Our goal is to really scare our guests,” Scott Swenson, director of production, told high school journalists during a behind-the-screams tour this month. “We’ll scare you everywhere but the bathrooms.”

Between the eight total haunted houses the return of scare zones, Swenson and his staff are well on the way to achieving their goal.

Howl-O-Scream runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday from Sept. 27 until Oct. 26. Tickets can be purchased online for $30-65.

56

average number of workers per scare haunted positions house in Death Water Bay

28

5

1700

returning haunted houses

average number of people who audition every year

13

Postcard proclamations Josie Chappell Staff Writer Frank Warren went door to door giving strangers blank postcards with the intention of them returning the cards to his house, anonymously confessing secrets to be published on his website, PostSecret. Initially he had only hoped for 365, one for each day of the year.

Now, nine years later, he has published five books and is running a successful blog incorporating thousands of secrets he’s collected.

Warren, who spoke Sept. 17 at the University of South Florida, said there are two things you can do with a secret -- hide it in a coffin deep in the ground or let it into the light, granting inner recognition but not allowing the

Senior Zoe Ridge creates a voodoo doll at a Howl-OScream high school media day. The doll will be displayed at Death House Bayou (Photo by Holly Schroeder)

by the numbers

72

Nikki Ferrera Editor-in-Chief The Possessed. The Torturer. The Hunter. The Butcher.

The Banshee. The Voodoo Queen. The Surgeon. The Demon. The Zombie. The Cannibal. The Psychopath. The Hangman. The Clown.

Thirteen chilling characters have arrived to Tampa, and they can’t wait to meet you.

Howl-O-Scream returns to Busch Gardens on Sept. 27, featuring three new haunted houses.

One of those new haunted houses is Death Water Bayou.

Those brave enough to enter the New Orleans-inspired abode of the Voodoo Queen will leave transformed into her zombie slaves. During the haunted house experience, rickety wood floors creak, cockroaches crawl over windows and strobe lights leave you feeling disoriented and honestly a little bit dead.

That alone is enough to make even the manliest man scream like a little girl, but it’s not even taking into account the dozens of actors in the house who are prepared to jump out at passersby at any moment.

After an analysis of popular movies, literature and videogames, and an assessment of successful aspects of previous years, the Busch Gardens creative team decided on “The 13” for this year’s theme. Inspired by various horror archetypes, there’s a member of the 13 for everyone to fear.

age of oldest employee on the cast this year

14

years of Howl-OScream

8

1

makeup artist total haunted houses

To share your secret, write it neatly and creatively on a postcard. Stamp and mail it to PostSecret 13345 Copper Ridge Road Germantown, Md. 20874-3454

secret to trap us or block us from who we truly are.

He said allowing our secrets to be heard but not cited is personally liberating.

Warren came from a broken family and went through the struggles of mental illness, homelessness and deaths of loved ones and that was part of his inspiration for PostSecret. The secrets on his site range from entertaining to heart-wrenching, but the overall goal is to allow the sender and reader to create a realization that everyone has something their hiding and that it’s OK to let go of it.

One of Warren’s major goals is to spread suicide awareness; PostSecret has donated more than $1 million toward the cause since its creation.

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14sports

hhstoday.com | September 2013

1

2

1 race, 4 strokes Fly-Back-Breast-Free

Ivy Bennett-Ford News Editor The 200 IM, or individual medley, is a competitive race of four 50 meter periods of four different strokes; butterfly, back, breast and freestyle. Here’s the anatomy of the different strokes: Fly: Circle your arms over your head. Keep your legs together and kick them in unison. Pretend you are a dolphin. Arms are straight and enter the water at shoulder-width.

Swimmers operate on a count. For sophomore Connor Knauer, a 200 IM swimmer, his easiest stroke is the fly.

“It’s a powerful stroke with a one-two pattern,” said senior and veteran 200 IM swimmer Garrett Reidy.

Transition: Swimmers push off from the wall after completing 50 meters of fly. They can then flip onto their backs, or roll forwards.

Back: Begin by raising one arm out of the water. At the same time, keep your legs straight and kick, as you would if you were swimming freestyle on your stomach.

Transition: Again, when a swimmer reaches the wall after 50 meters, roll forwards to end up on your stomach again.

“You should pull your arms in tight, and kick your legs out like a frog,” said sophomore 200 IM swimmer Kayla Childs.

Breast: Begin the breast stroke; this is done by straightening your arms in the water, then circling them out and thrusting your hands forward to push yourself through the water.As you are circling your arms, prepare to kick your legs out like a frog. Your arms and legs should alternate, with legs moving while your arms are straight.

Free: Once you reach the wall again, swimmers flip so that they face the other direction. Then push off from the wall, and begin the freestyle. This is 1. Sophomore Kayla Childs swims the butterfly in the 200 IM, a medley race of all four swim strokes. 2. Freshman done by bringing one arm out of the water, and then bringing it back in as Hayley Dansby swims backstroke. 3. Freshman Victoria Ellwood pulls herself forward during the breaststroke. 4. quickly as possible. Bend your arm at the elbow, and knife them back into Senior Seth Wood swims freestyle, the fourth and final stroke of the individual medley race.( Photos 1-3 courtesy the water. of Hillsbrough swim team; Photo 4 by Ellie Rodriguez)

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Fall Sports Update Seniors Catie Elko, Kourtney Melendi and Ashton Davis of the girls cross country team take a running start at the Hillsborough Invitational, a district meet. The girls placed fourth overall at the event, with the boys team taking seventh overall.

(Photo by R.J. Murphree) The crew team faces two critical races in the Head of the Hooch in Tennessee and the Head of the South in Georgia, both nationally-ranked races. “This race is extremely important to our team. I am only going to send the fastest boats that I think will win,” said head coach Stephen Long. (Photo by Katie Frost)

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sports15

September 2013 | hhstoday.com

Fromtoclassroom cages Samantha Votzke Sports Editor Every afternoon, the resounding ping of aluminum meeting leather rings through the lower floor of Building 4. Heavy nets, once dropped, have extra length that piles on the floor and anchors each cage.

Each baseball that is slugged or thrown smacks the netting and then bounces to the brown-floral carpeted ground.

The boys of the baseball team are practicing in newly installed batting cages, pitching and hitting in a variety of drills to prepare them for the season.

With only a swish of netting, half of coach Kenny White’s world history classroom is transformed into several large cages. The baseball and golf coach set up huge hanging nets and carpeting this year to provide a way for the team to get more swings in and catch up on lost practice, all in the cool comfort of air conditioning.

“This was a way for us to ‘keep up with the Joneses,’” White said.

While other schools are able to use their field year-round, the baseball team has to deal with sharing the field with other teams and recent field drainage issues. Not to mention, the physical education class at Memorial Middle School uses the field until 4:15 p.m.

All of that use not only hinders the availabil-

Baseball coach Kenny White installs batting cages into the back of his history classroom

Athletic Director Melvin Williams expressed their support for them.

“The opportunity showed itself and I jumped on it,” White said.

Sophomore Sam Burnett is extremely grateful to have the batting cages. “[To Coach White] I would say thank you for supporting the team and creating something that most other coaches either don’t or can’t do for their teams.”

Each day a majority of underclassmen can be seen practicing their batting, with the team gaining a record 13 freshmen this year. “They look good,” White said. “They need work, but they have Freshman Justin de Hoyos prepares to swing at a ball pitched by sophomore Yoan Hernandez in one of the several potential.”

The extra practice will batting cages coach Kenny White set up in his room in Building 4. (Photo by Samantha Votzke) certainly pay off for the team this year. Burnettt said “They’re helpful ity of the baseball fields, but also damages the road games than anybody else,” White said.

Of course, White had to seek approval to me and the team and I think it’s cool that field itself, leaving a substantial part of the field mostly dirt. “We’ve worked with football, from administration before putting in the cag- we are one of the only schools to have indoor we’ve worked with soccer and we play more es, but both Principal Johan von Ancken and cages.”

Junior golfer Jessica Thornton “chips” the ball in order to make it onto the green of the last hole. “Chipping is my least favorite part,” Thornton said. “I always go way over or two inches in front of me.”(Photo by Aleesha Mundra) Junior volleyball player Kiki Sutherland (center) sets the ball while fellow juniors Alex Lutton and Amanda Bachmann prepare to spike back against Spoto. (Photo

by Hayley McAleese) The members of the Dancerettes line up for the halftime performance during the Monday night football game against Armwood. (Photo by Hannah Baade)

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16sports

hhstoday.com | September 2013

Playoff hopes rest on perfection, help Fall Sports

UPDATES

Varsity Football Record: 1-2

JV Football Record: 0-2

Boys Swim Record: 3-1

Girls Swim Record: 2-2

Varsity Volleyball Record: 5-1

JV Volleyball Record: 4-0

Girls Golf Record: 3-2

Boys Golf Record: 1-5-1

Football

STATS

Passing Yards: 561 Rushing Yards: 362 Points for: 82 Points against: 68 Dwayne Lawson: 28 for 47 passing, 4 interceptions Safeties: 2 2-Point Conversions: 2 Field Goals: 0 Source: MaxPreps

By Daniel Hamilton & Cade McCurdy Sports Editor & Opinion Editor The football team is scrambling to stay in the playoff picture, beating Leto 57-3 to make its season record 1-2.

Now, the varsity team is focusing on going into the rest of the season on top of its game and staying motivated.

“It’s very simple [how we’re going to keep the team motivated], the ones who aren’t motivated won’t play,” said head coach Earl Garcia. “We don’t care what the score is, what the record is, how hot it is, how beat up they are. If they don’t want to win, they won’t be on the field.”

It doesn’t seem motivation will be a problem though, as many players still believe the team can manage to make the playoffs.

“Yeah, we’re going to make the playoffs,” said offensive tackle Frank Carter.

With the win over Leto, the Terriers have a solid idea on what they need to do the rest of the season.

They are hoping for a general improvement in all aspects of their game, and to make the plays that they need to make.

two in a row, but we’re going to need some help from other people in order to make the playoffs.

All we can do is do our best,” Garcia said.

Armwood and Jefferson both are undefeated, but they still need to face each other which will force a loss on one of the two teams. No matter which team loses, Hillsborough still needs to be perfect.

“I promise you we won’t cut any corners going 0-2, were going to prepare the same for the next eight weeks, no matter what our record is,” Garcia said.

“You try and work to maintain a consistent level Quarterback Dwayne Lawson and the Terriers will need to win all of their of effort in practice and games and get some help to make the playoffs. The team plays at home that will translate to conFriday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. against Lennard. (Photo by Hannah Baade) sistent effort on the field on Friday night. And, that’s all you can do as an athlete is give your best and as a the playoffs. And the Terriers will need some help.

“Well, were gonna need some help. We’ve lost coach, give it your best,” he said.

“Steady improvement is all you can hope for as a coach, is that your guys come to work every day and try to get it better,” Garcia said.

Hillsborough potentially needs to win every game for the rest of the season in order to make

From hea ks c d l o oh

Kourtney Melendi Staff Writer Most high school boys spend hours in the gym to stay in shape for an upcoming sports season.

Senior Michael Williams and sophomore Marcus Heyder train differently.

When they aren’t rolling around the floor wrestling, they’re lifting girls, working on technique and cheering on the football players from the field.

“When our friends hear that we cheer, they are appalled that there are actually male cheerleaders.

But it’s not as easy as it looks. It takes a lot of technique and we have to work harder than the girls because we have to lift them,” Williams said.

Heyder added, “While some people think we’re smart [the feedback from friends] is mostly negative.”

Cheerleading coach Sophia Stallworth, however, said having boys on the team will bring them to the next level at competition. “It’ll give the judges something different to look at and we are trying to make it more co-ed and grown up,” Stallworth said.

t

an dstands

T h e other cheerleaders and coaches agree the boys have brought a lot of spirit to the team and encourage the girls to do better every time. Stallworth mentioned although they are a great addition to the team, she coaches differently to accommodate their talents. Instead of using cheer terms such as “a clean and jerk” they try to switch to weightlifting lingo like a “lift and press.”

Junior Sade Santana said, “I think the boys bring great attributes to the team and we don’t lose focus because of them.”

The cheer team has already gained two

boys this season and plan on getting two more linebackers from the football team when football season ends and cheer competition season starts.

“It will bring us out of that pee-wee stage and bring us a more collegiate look with one boy-one girl stunts as opposed to a group [stunt].”

Senior cheerleader Michael Williams.

(Photo

by Gillian Boyce)