WILLIAM R. BOONE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT PAPER • FOR STUDENTS, BY STUDENTS
opinion campus and local feature special sports entertainment photo essay 2000 South Mills Avenue Orlando, Florida 32806
FRIDAY, DEC. 19, 2008 Volume 57, Issue No. 3
NEWS
2 NOTE WINTER BREAK No school Dec. 20 to Jan. 4.
CRAM SESSIONS NEEDED
Semester exams will be given the week of Jan. 12 as follows: Jan. 12 third; Jan. 13 first and fifth; Jan. 14 second and sixth; and Jan. 15 fourth and seventh. Due to the time change, there will be no half days. Jan. 16 is set to makeup any exams missed during the week.
REPORT CARDS
First semester report cards will be distributed Jan. 28.
BRAVE AID
Hosted by SGA, Brave Aid will be held Sat., Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. Tickets will be $5. Proceeds will benefit the Coalition for the Homeless.
BLOOD DRIVE
On Feb. 2, the Senior Class will be hosting its third blood drive. To sign -up, see a Senior Class officer or Sarah Kittrell in Room 220.
FCAT WRITES
The writing portion of the FCAT taken by sophomores is Feb. 10. Signs will be around campus with classroom assignments.
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Machine tracks students By AMANDA FLEMINGER
“Every Brave in class, on time, every day, every period,” is the motto administration is pushing in regards to tardiness. Administrators have decided to take detentions to the next level. Plasco is a new method of tracking students that will help save time and increase accuracy regarding detentions. The Plasco system cost approximately $4000 for the three systems used around the school. School Advisor Counsel approved the purchase which was paid for out of school improvement funds. “I don’t think it’s fair [the school is spending money on this] because they could’ve used it for other things the school needs like books,” sophomore Shelby Miller said. According to the company’s Web site, Plasco is a “fast pass.” It is meant to reduce redundancy and help make things run smoother around the school campus. “It’s helpful for administration to keep track [of students] but [it’s not helpful] for students because you’ll be later than you originally were because you have to stop for a detention,” senior Lavelle Simmons said. Principal Margaret McMillen received
Please see
Plasco, page 4
Bins encourage recycling
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By EMILY O’LOANE and KAREN JAEN
“Drink It, Then Sink It” is the new plastic bottle recycling program set to begin on campus Jan. 27. “It’s awesome that the school is helping save the Earth because even if global warming isn’t real, it’s great the school is trying to help,” senior Tiffany Wilson said. Funded by the Dairy Council of Florida, the County Office of Environmental Services originally contacted assistant principal Carlota Iglesias, who is in charge of school grounds, about the program. She then contacted Environmental Club sponsor Wendy Ernest to get their support and help in the new program. “It’s a collaboration [between the Environmental Club and Mrs.. Iglesias]. Our job is to work with Mrs. Iglesias, ensure student awareness, pick up the bins and pump students up for the program,” Ernest said. The program is entirely funded by a grant
Please see
Recycle, page 5
Project appreciates silent heroes STUDENTS VOLUNTEER TIME
DID YOU KNOW?
By LAURA UNCAPHER
One in 20 people are born with an extra rib. Florida has more tornadoes per square mile than any other state. The loudest burp was 118.1 decibels, as loud as a chain saw. People spend about two weeks of their lives at traffic lights.
4 6 8 10 14 16
assistant principal, page 6
Dreaming of a green X-ma$
FOUR DAY WEEKEND
There is no school on Jan. 16 and on Martin Luther King Day, Jan. 19.
Please see
2
photo/LAURA UNCAPHER
PAY UP. On Dec. 5, math teacher Trisha Colvin puts her donated money together for Project X-mas. “The custodians do so much. I don’t think students know what their job entails,” Colvin said.
Spare change jingles against the side of jars in over 50 classrooms as students support Project X-Mas, an on-campus project created to show appreciation for the custodial staff’s work. “[They deserve the money] because the custodial staff does a thankless job, rain or shine, and our school could not run without them,” Jennifer Hilley, project sponsor, said. Junior Mary Claire Dillard started the project her sophomore year; it originally began as Project X. The X was so the custodian could not identify what the money being raised was for. Dillard designed Project X to raise money for the 300 building custodian; however, his gratitude caused the project to expand into a campus-wide effort for the whole custodial staff. It evolved into a Christmas time appreciation project, Project X-mas. “For a grass roots project generated from a student’s generosity, [the first year] was overwhelmingly successful,” Hilley said. According to assistant principal Carlota Iglesias, there are 12 custodians on campus plus the head of
the maintenance staff. Project X-mas is planning on raising $200 for each custodian for a total of $2600. They started collecting on Nov. 1. The goal is also to provide the staff with a lunch. The money will not be given in the form of gift cards but rather presented as a check for each individual to spend as he or she pleases. “It is a good feeling [when you hand over the money] because it is good to see how happy it makes them,” Dillard said. Begun on Nov. 3, over 50 teacher volunteers keep a Project X-mas jar in their classroom to collect money. To keep the project a secret from the custodians, teachers lock the jars in their desks to keep it out of sight. “[I put a jar in my room] because I believe they work very hard, are underpaid and would appreciate it,” Dwayne Floyd, math teacher, said. In addition to collection jars, various teachers and clubs have donated money to the cause. The following clubs and teams donated money to the Project X-mas fund: Spirit Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Spanish Club, Bravettes, cheerleading, softball and Math Club. In order to get organized, Dillard and Hilley created the Project X-mas team. This group of six to eight student volunteers helps collect and count
the donated money. The students come before school on Monday and Friday. Monday morning they give the jars to the teachers and Friday morning they collect them back to count the donated change. They meet in Hilley’s room at 9 a.m. and receive community service hours for their help. “The janitors are really nice and they put a lot of time into what they do. They don’t have time to get a separate job so we give them the extra money they have earned,” sophomore Emily Oswald said. The Project stopped collecting the second Wednesday of December, Dec. 10. Project X-mas raised a total of $2,660 at the end. Each custodian received $190 each. The custodians received their checks in the the junior/senior cafeteria prior to winter break at the faculty meeting held Wednesday, Dec. 17. Although Dillard graduates next year, the future of Project X-mas is not uncertain. Sophomores on the Project X-mas team have already stepped up and plan to continue this project for years to come. “This project will definitely live on because there are enough people showing up that care about the cause that it will definitely carry on,” Oswald said.
2
OPINIONS
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008 •
letter from the editor GIRLS SHOULD ESCAPE MEDIA IMAGE For almost ninety years I’ve walked among my kind and yours all the time thinking I was complete in myself, not realizing what I was seeking. And not finding anything, because you weren’t alive yet. Taken from Twilight, this quote said by Edward Cullen epitomizes the romantic expectations of teenage girls of this generation. Capturing the hearts of those wanting to be loved, the Twilight series is one example of the unrealistic expectations teenage girls have. From finding Prince Charming to becoming the perfect size 0, girls are bombarded by pop culture that screams for a change in who they are and what they should want. Possessing more freedom than countless generations of women before them, they choose to shackle themselves to an image or an expectation. Often this image is unrealistic and impossible, and also dangerous if the drive to possess it becomes too great. Fueled by books and movies such as Twilight and The Notebook, the need to find Mr. Right consumes high school girls’ lives. Feeling the need to be the perfect cute couple, teen girls often forget that finding their Edward Cullen is most likely not going to happen in high school. High school is a time to figure who one is, not a time to find the man of one’s dreams. Learning how to stand on one’s own two feet is vital before one tries to build a romantic relationship. The man of one’s dreams will come, but the chances of finding him in high school are slim to none. Despite what pop culture says, romance doesn’t need to consume one’s high school years. Not only are girls’ expectations for romance unrealistic but also physical expectations. Plastered all over magazines, billboards and commercials, the perfect body is constantly set as an ideal for teens. The perfect body, the perfect hair, the perfect skin – all are paraded around as the ideal that every “normal” girl should work for, even if this perfection is airbrushed and realistically impossible. Dove’s campaign for real beauty showed the beauty behind every woman, no matter her imperfections. This mentality should be practiced by every teenage girl. Realizing the falsehood in the model image, girls should be confident in who they are. Instead of feeling unattractive because of one’s imperfections, one should embrace them. Confidence makes one feel great. Women possess equal rights to men in voting, education and the work force. With an abundance of opportunity, girls refuse to live up to the potential they can now reach. Instead of using independence to build their future, teenage girls decide to follow an ideal set by advertising executives as the norm. Restricting oneself to the expectations the media culture has outlined is disrespectful to oneself and harmful to one’s future. Breaking free of the mold is what every teenage girl needs to do. Don’t settle for the things the media puts in front of this generation; rather go out and make an entirely new path in uncharted areas. Instead of pining away for an unrealistic body or perfect boy, girls should become independent and make a future for themselves. A girl needs to enjoy life because she is comfortable with who she is makes it 10 times more enjoyable.
HI-LIGHTS
Role calls for passion player deserves to face the consequences. The honor code should be upheld, not just talked about at the beginning of the season and then forgotten about. Whether it be through random drug testing or breathalyzer tests, players who break the honor code should not be allowed to get away with their enterprises. It is up to a leader to set the example and follow the honor code. If the captain of a team goes out drinking on a Saturday night, the reputation of the whole team has been adversely affected, whether or not the rest of the team participates in such activities. Therefore, the rest of the team is also responsible for making sure their leader remains up standing and in line with the honor code. Leaders are the representation of the ideals their club advocates to people who aren’t familiar with what the club’s role is. Their leadership could make or break a club’s reputation on campus. Having a leader that doesn’t follow what the club advocates would be like having a SADD officer who binge drinks on the weekends. The hypocrisy undermines the entire mission of the club. According to Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonalds, the quality of a leader is reflected in the standards he sets for himself. A person should not be in a leadership position if he has no standards. Innately, a set of standards and morals should be within a leader and should be the reason they were chosen in the first place. Likewise, a person should not be in a leadership position if he is simply doing it for the title. Because getting into college is becoming more and more competitive, students are now trying to get leadership positions to give them an edge in the college application pool. The drive to get into college should not be the reason a leader steps up to his position. If a person doesn’t have an interest in the club but only in the title, he will bring no vision or true responsibility to his job. If he feels more passion and zeal for the power and authority, then there is something wrong with his priorities. When it comes down to it, a leadership position should be sought out of passion for a cause or sport, not out of a desire to hold power. More than anything though, a leader should
EXPECTATIONS REMAIN CONSTANT
OUR view Leadership is declining both on campus and around the world.
With over 58 clubs, sports teams and organizations prevalent on campus, leaders must emerge from within the student population to direct these clubs and sports teams. However, leadership has become a lost art both on campus as well as on the world’s stage. In modern times, it has become normal for a leader’s inappropriate behavior to be rationalized or trivialized. It is no longer shocking to hear that the captain of a sports team was arrested for fighting or a class council member was removed from this position due to partying or drinking. It is also no longer shocking to hear stories about such actions and then see no repercussions for some of the people involved. If a leader isn’t removed, condoning immoral and inappropriate behavior by a leader should not be acceptable, whether it be the president of the United States or of the History Club. Oftentimes, society itself punishes leaders for wrongdoings. When President Bill Clinton had an affair with Monica Lewinski while in office, the public reacted negatively towards him and his actions. When Congressman Mark Foley sent explicit text messages to underage pages, the public’s bitter and condemning reaction caused him to resign from Congress. Likewise, an officer of a club or captain of a sports team’s actions should be held to higher standards. Whether it be the sponsor of a club or the members, an intervention is necessary if these leaders are doing anything illegal or disrespectful. Members of a club should not be afraid to hold their leader accountable for his wrongdoings. If a leader is not performing up to the standards of the club, then it is up to the members to make him be held accountable. At the beginning of each season, coaches should ask their players to sign an honor code which says that the player will refrain from drinking, smoking or other activities which could lower players’ dedication to the team. If this honor code is broken, especially by the leader of a team, the
What is the most important quality a leader should have? YOUR thoughts
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Leaders should not follow. They should be original, positive and strong-minded.
- aaron johnson, freshman
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Leaders need honesty. You don’t want to lie because then no one will trust you.
- brianna anderson, junior
illustration/EA CARTWRIGHT
be a role model and set the standard of the club. Their job is to represent the club, as well as to inspire the members. Inspiration shows that a leader has a vision, which is important when leading an organization. The most influential leader is one who practices what he preaches. Who would want to follow leaders like Tim Tebow if he was a hypocrite with a less than respectable reputation? Though they come and go,
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Integrity because we shouldn’t have a liar as a leader. We need to respect them.
- leopold sabangan, junior
Laura Uncapher
Managing Editor Elizabeth Cartwright Copy Editor Emily O’Loane Business Manager Zoe Compton Campus and Local Editor Lindsey Dye Features Editor Danielle Cole Sports Editor Brendan Hall Entertainment Editor David Matteson
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Leaders need selfconfidence because without it you would be guided by everyone else.
- christian lopez, senior
Coins waste time, money By DANIELLE COLE
illustration/EA CARTWRIGHT
Walking along the streets or in a local parking lot, one cannot help but spot the amount of abandoned coins along the side of the road. With the busy lives of Americans, permanently coining the $1 bill would be both inconvenient and a waste of Americans’ money. When one shops for groceries or other items, it is more convenient to hand the cashier a few dollar bills rather than dozens of coins. Coins are heavier than paper money. It takes 56 dollar coins to equal a pound of 455 dollar bills. Therefore, one is able to carry eight times more money than he could with coins. If one wanted to go out to lunch by today’s prices, he would have to carry 10 to 20 coins rather than one or two paper bills. Dollar bills are nearly weightless and easy to fold up in one’s pocket or purse. The US Mint is spending roughly $12 million to promote the dollar coin, arguing that the coin lasts longer and is more economical. Advocates also argue that Americans could save money if more people used them. However, money is not saved if Americans do not use the coins. The coin may last longer, but time is insignificant if the coin is immediately dropped onto the sidewalk. Dollar coins are not a new invention. The US introduced the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin in 1979 and failed to witness success. Other coins have followed including the Sacagawea coin. There are 92.7 million Sacagawea dollar coins that have remained uncirculated since 2000. In a survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 13 percent of 2,513 adults preferred the dollar coin to the dollar bill. If the other 87 percent want nothing to do with the coins, then money is not saved, it is wasted. Wasting $92.7 million with today’s economic
crisis is not something Americans can afford. It is not worth spending money on a coin that will waste millions in the long run. People do not use the dollar coin today. Despite hopes that new designs will persuade nonusers, the face of a dead president is not worth pulling one’s pants up in order to keep them from being weighed down with pounds of loose change. It costs 16 cents to produce a $1 coin compared to 6.2 cents to make a $1 bill. This means that every dollar coin tossed in a gutter wastes $1.16. With millions wasted in unused coins, millions more would be wasted in the production process. For years there has been talk about the insignificance of the penny. People have asked, “What is the point?” It takes up space, costs more to produce than its worth and the reality is Americans do not like change. With arguments to eliminate a coin from circulation, there is no legitimate reason for coining anything else. A dollar coin is also no more convenient than a penny. With the easy access to credit and debit cards, Americans have little use for paper money much less coinage. A small plastic card in a wallet is preferable to bills and far more convenient than a sack of change. It is easier to pull out a card and swipe it in a machine than it is to count out the number of coins needed to make a purchase. Taking the dollar bill out of circulation and replacing it with a coin is not a money saver, it is a waste of time, money and effort. Coins are an epidemic, appearing everywhere from the street corner to one’s pocket or purse and the way to cure an epidemic is not to add more to the mix. Dollar coins may be sufficient for objects of small prices or a chance at the claw machine in a grocery store, but the dollar coin would be insufficient for convenience and savings.
hi-lights
Editor-in-chief
expectations remain constant for leaders and the values they should possess. A leader exerts a certain amount of influence within their sphere of power. Leaders should take hold of the power given to them and use it as best they can to do good. A difference can be made on campus that in turn could make a difference in the world. As Mahatma Gandhi said, we must be the change we wish to see in the world.
Reporters Victoria Boatman, Carmela Crutcher, Ashley Edwards, Katie Edwards, Amanda Fleminger, Haley Guiette, Karen Jaen, Rachel Laquea, Jessica McCoy, Rachel Motta, Tyler Patrick, Jonathan Warren Adviser Renée Burke Principal Margaret McMillen Policy Statement Hi-Lights is a student run publication of William R. Boone High School, 2000 South Mills Avenue, Orlando, Florida, 32806. The ideas and
views of the aforementioned students and faculty are not necessarily those of Boone or the Orange County School Board. Opinions expressed in unsigned editorials are those of the editorial board, who determine the content. Opinions expressed in columns are those of the authors. Comments, letters, stories and ideas are welcome and encouraged under the following: 1. The material is not obscene or libelous 2. The material is signed The staff reserves the right to edit letters for grammar, length, punctuation,
accuracy, invasion of privacy and potential disruption of the school. Hi-Lights is associated with Florida Scholastic, American Scholastic, Columbia Scholastic and National Scholastic Press Associations.
Our Mission This paper is a quality product whose sole purpose is to pursue the truth, and to provide objective data for the student body as well as the surrounding community. Any questions or comments can be directed to (407) 893-7200, extension 2614 or Room 224. If you find any errors, please call our offices or
visit us. Advertising We welcome advertising into the paper, however, we do not publish advertising for tobacco, alcohol or illegal substances. The paper is free to students and subscriptions are available for $10. Advertising prices are as follows: Business card $20 Eighth page $45 Quarter page $75 Half page $125 Full page $175 Contact our offices for exact press dates.
It costs 16 cents to produce a dollar coin. 92.7 million Sacagawea coins went uncirculated in 2000-2001. It takes 56 dollar coins to equal one pound. It takes 455 dollar bills to equal one pound. The US Mint is spending $12 million to promote the dollar coin. 13 percent of 2,513 people surveyed by Harris Interactive favored the dollar coin over the paper bill.
Your compliments, critiques and letters are welcomed. Note that we do not print anything libelous or any poetry. Please sign your name to anything you submit, if you would like it published. If you would like your name withheld, please state so. Submissions are subject to editing for length, clarity and accuracy. Bring letters to room 224 or place in Renée Burke’s mailbox or mail to the school address before Dec. 7, 2008.
OPINIONS 3 Students debate cloning FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008 •
Don’t
DYE
from it A column By LINDSEY DYE
Talking on the phone with an obnoxious friend is no easy task. No one likes to talk to annoying people, whether or not it is in person or on the phone. If one’s calls seem to be rejected and not returned more often than not, pay attention; phone etiquette is simply just a common courtesy. Text messaging while talking on the phone is not okay. It is rude and will only anger the person on the other line, especially while the friend is trying to communicate something important. If it is extremely necessary to check a text, tell the person on the other line to please hold. It’s easily noticed when someone is trying to pull a fast one and text and talk at the same time. The clicking of buttons and reoccurring question “wait, what did you say?” is a dead give away to the person on the other line. Life does not revolve around one’s text messages. The drama being shared through them can wait five minutes while one’s friend speaks. It has not yet been reported that a young person died due to texting withdrawals. If you answer a phone call in public, do not talk loudly. It is human nature to increase the volume of one’s voice while on the phone but that does not mean it is acceptable. Trying to walk through the grocery store and hearing people two aisles away chat it up on their phones is never amusing; rather, it is annoying. No one cares about what he said or she did or what one thinks about it; keep that business in the phone call. There is a new term for these people, “yellular.” Not only is talking loudly in public obnoxious, but talking on the phone or text messaging during a movie is also rude, not to mention when someone’s cell phone continually rings throughout the duration of the movie. A movie is supposed to be peaceful and relaxing. If you cannot live two hours without your phone, do not go to the movie in the first place. Also, hanging up on people is never okay. All it will do is anger the person on the other line. No matter how mad, frustrated or annoyed one may get, he should not hang up the phone; it doesn’t make him seem more in control or like the cooler person, it comes off as immature and rude and no one wants to look like that. On that note, there is a proper way to hang up on someone. When the conversation is coming to a close, one should say his good byes and then hang up. Even if it is a heard conversation-tell the person the discussion is over, say goodbye and then hang up. Talking on the phone or text messaging while driving is also a nuisance and is very dangerous. Usually, while one is driving and text messaging at the same time, it causes him to drive slowly or miss when a light switches from red to green or green to red, thus frustrating the person behind him. It causes one to be a bad driver, no matter how great he thinks he is. In 2007, driver distractions, such as using a cell phone or text messaging, contributed to nearly 1,000 crashes involving 16 and 17-year old drivers. Over onethird of all young drivers, ages 24 and under, are texting on the road. Almost 50% of all drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 are texting while driving. Each year, 21% of all fatal car crashes involving teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 were the result of cell phone usage. This result has been expected to grow as much as 4% every year. No matter how unimportant it seems, phone etiquette is something to be noted and remembered by everyone. With all the wrong doings by everyone talking on the phone, there will be no point in talking on the phone. Most people will not ever answer when those with poor etiquette call in fear of being hung up on or ignored while the person on the other line is text messaging.
TAKING sides
Science breeds ethical questions
HI-LIGHTS
Cloning research enhances medicine
By JONATHAN WARREN
By ASHLEY EDWARDS
Throughout history, there have been inventions that have forever impacted the world and led humanity in a new direction. Notable examples include the plow, paper, the car and the computer. However, few inventions reach the status of life altering. One such endeavor is human cloning. Scientists have successfully cloned adult animals and humans in an embryonic state. The directions and possibilities for human cloning are unimaginable. That’s the scary part. The concept of cloning seems relatively simple. One must take a donor egg, extract its nucleus and fuse it with any cell from a living human. From there, the egg will grow as a human. However, what seems so simple could not be more complex. The risk involved with human cloning is high. Not only are many embryos discarded in the process, but if a human was to be successfully cloned, the chance of it having a deformity is high. This is due to a number of things that can go wrong including improper development or function of the nucleus and egg together, failed implantation into the surrogate mother or the pregnancy itself fails. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science reports that only one or two viable offspring are produced for every 100 experiments. Of the successful embryos, 30 percent will have a debilitating condition. Supporters of human cloning say that it could be used to create organs for transplants, help infertile couples or bring a child recently lost in a car crash back to its parents. It is apparent, however, that organ farming would be an unethical conundrum. To create a human being solely for its kidney to be taken for someone else couldn’t be more skewed. Scientists claim that one day only the specific organ could be grown for use and not a whole being, but the number of embryos that would have to be experimented upon would be staggering. Though helping infertile couples through cloning seems harmless, one must wonder how far we will go before the line is crossed. How much control in the birth process is too much? By the time science gets there it will be too late. Couples will be lining up with a strand of Jessica Simpson’s hair, begging for a clone baby of their own. Other scientists are beginning to oppose cloning for fear that when the first human is cloned, all science will come under scrutiny. They believe that once the first human has been cloned successfully, there may be such an outcry that other endeavors will be put on hold, such as stem cell research, that has little to do with cloning. Randolfe Wicker, spokesperson for the Human Cloning Foundation, believes that human cloning is a way to “triumph death.” Wicker wishes to have his cells preserved for future cloning and to leave his property to his future clone when he dies. What many who wish to conquer death don’t realize is that while their traits may live on (much like a regular son), he himself will be nowhere on Earth. In the end, his clone would be its own person capable of its own thoughts and feelings. One could argue that we are free as individuals to want a clone of ourselves or of a child. But the effects would impact the whole community, not just individuals. Like many social issues, the effects of cloning are widespread through aspects of our everyday lives such as healthcare, agriculture, economics and morality. If human cloning becomes common practice in the future, thousands of clones could be walking the streets while more would be discarded due to deformities. At risk is nothing less than the individuality of humanity and the true unique nature of child-bearing.
The concept of human cloning immediately sparks distrust and fear in the majority of people. It tends to incite thoughts of mass-produced armies or soulless copies of selectively-bred individuals. The world of science fiction and moral ambiguity has cast a dark shadow on a line of research that in reality could be a blessing to thousands of people. A clone is produced by stripping a donor egg of its unique DNA, and replacing it with the adult body cells of an individual. The result is a reproduction of the genetic composition of the person from which the cells were taken. Variations of this technique can also produce skin, limbs and even organs of an individual. This opens up a wealth of new scientific and medical possibilities. Instead of having to wait for months as one’s condition worsens, patients in need of a heart or kidney donor could have a healthy copy of their own organ. In the same token, patients with amputated or lost limbs could have an exact reproduction of their own limb in the foreseeable future. The average wait for a kidney transplant is five years. People die waiting. It is ludicrous that thousands of people must suffer through this when the best solution is known, and only needs to be permitted and funded. Transplanting cloned organs into patients would be a helpful and efficient procedure. Doctors would no longer have to worry about trying to find a recently deceased donor with the correct blood type and all the other multiple qualifications (such as ethnicity, medical history, etc) because the organ or limb is, essentially, the patient’s. It is a horrible mark on the scientific and medical community that such helpful remedial innovations are not being pursued due to fear. With funding and research, this technology could save and improve the lives of thousands of people. Furthermore, the case against creating identical people is a groundless and ignorant trepidation. Thousands of human clones live in the United States right now, and more are born every day. Identical twins are naturally produced clones, and are more similar than any clone produced synthetically. Identical twins have the same DNA, and are often indistinguishable from each other. Even artificially created clones do not turn out this similar to their progenitor. As far as the resentment toward cloning being an “unnatural” form of conception, one might compare it to artificial insemination; however artificial insemination is much more widely accepted than the concept of human cloning. Those against human cloning worry that funding programs to study it will inevitably lead to the condoned re-creation of individuals; some officials dwell on the possibility of parents selectively choosing traits of children. But what must be understood is that the benefit of human cloning lies, fundamentally, at the cellular level. The key to the success of these studies would not be to harvest a cloned human’s organs as many against it fear, but rather the discovery of new and easier methods of growing the organ or limb itself. Scientists say with adequate research, this could be possible in the very near future. The research of human cloning provides a road to countless more amazing and advantageous medical breakthroughs, such as extensive knowledge of causes and potential cures of diseases such as diabetes and numerous cardiovascular and degenerative diseases. With correct standards and regulations, the study of human cloning, not for the purpose of making exact copies of humans, but rather for the safe health curatives of those people that need it, will be the greatest medical revolution in history.
Deadlines make the world turn By BRENDAN HALL
Missing a deadline should be declared the eighth deadly sin. No one ever got very hurt by overeating or looking at a foxy lady as she trounces down the street. Yet to be late when something has been given a specific due date is completely unacceptable. There are a precious few things in this world that contribute to the overall stability and order of society; deadlines may very well top that list. Being late to deadline should lead to banishment or a very severe form of humiliation for missing deadline is the root of corruption in today’s youth. Being timely can only improve productivity and efficiency because without deadlines, time would be of little importance to all of humanity. Along with being known as
someone who doesn’t keep his promises, a person could also be on the wrong end of a secretly planned attack by his fellow classmates or coworkers. For the safety of everyone involved, it is monumentally important to be on time when something is supposed to be completed. Nobody really asks much more than that and to fail at that one duty is unacceptable. Making deadline brings widespread joy to everyone. To be frank, making deadlines makes everything right in the world. All stresses are relieved when a person lays his head on the pillow at night because he is confident in the fact that he was on time and fulfilled his obligations. It is interesting that this is such a cause for merriment even though the only thing required of was to do something
when he was supposed to. Without deadlines, this world would become the tattered remains of what can only be described as nonsensical beings aimlessly running around trying to decide a proper time to turn in the product of their efforts. Without deadlines, nationally renowned high school newspapers would not be able to print their papers because stories could be turned in at any time from the first day of school to summer vacation. Projects that are assigned in classes would never be completed because no due date was ever given. Deadlines are the motivation behind success (and procrastination). Without them, the very fabric of society would fall apart. Turn assignments in on time or develop a rift in the entire universe.
photo illustration/BRENDAN HALL
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CAMPUS/LOCAL FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008 •
HI-LIGHTS
Pulsating pain puts pressure on mind People who suffer from migraines are called migraineurs 25% of U.S. households have someone who experiences migraines 75% of migraineurs are female 70% to 80% of people who have migraines have a family history of them Migraines are most prominent in Caucasians 15% of the population have migraines Migraines occur in 23% of teenagers 3% of preschool children have migraines
Depending on the day, [a migraine] can affect my grades, sometimes my mood, how I treat people and how they feel about me.
By CARMELA CRUTCHER
Throbbing, pulsating pain in the head causes more than just physical discomfort and distress in 15 percent of the population. Migraines are intense headaches typically lasting from four to 72 hours whose causes are still not completely understood. They are most prevalent in people ages 15 to 50. An imbalance in the nervous system is thought to cause dilation and inflammation of blood vessels in the head which causes the pain of migraines. Migraines can be triggered from a variety of circumstances like irregularity in one’s eating schedule, bright lights, excessive noise, certain medication and watching TV. Foods high in the amino acid tyramine triggers migraines and other headaches. Chocolate, pickles, olives, nuts, aged cheese, soy sauce and pepperoni are high in tyramine. Migraines are also started by foods containing monosodium glutamate (MSG), a common food enhancer often found in Asian food, canned soups, snack foods, salad dressings, grill spices and frozen dinners. “[My migraines are triggered] when I don’t drink enough liquid. Now that I know that, I try and drink more fluid to prevent them,” junior Colin Smith said. Other than the headache, migraines can cause nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, numbness and tingling sensations in arms or legs and visual or auditory disturbances such as blind spots, blurred vision and auditory hallucinations. “At first my hands go numb, then my vision gets blurry and my head hurts and then I feel like I
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- colin smith, junior
have to throw up,” senior Jeffery Bennet said. Migraines also inflict pain that affects normal activity. Migraines of all intensity levels reduce people’s ability to focus and think because the pain is concentrated in the head area. This has effects on people’s life whether they are adults or children, teachers or students. “Last year I got [a migraine] the day before fifth and sixth period midterms and I had to go home. That night I couldn’t study and those midterm grades were much lower. It was upsetting because I knew I could have done better,” Bennett said. Migraines where pain circulates out to more than the head can be so severe that one is unable to function entirely due to the extreme pain. “Usually I have to go home [when I am having a migraine] because it’s hard to concentrate,” freshman Christina Ragland said. To help relieve the pain while having a migraine, one should first get away from stressful surroundings. One should try and rest, or preferably sleep, in a dark, quiet place with pillows supporting the head and neck and a cold compress on the area of pain. Over-the-counter medication can help relieve the pain. The three that have clearly shown they relieve migraine pain are acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine combinations. The Food and Drug Administration has approved three over-thecounter medications that are specifically to relieve
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migraine pain for adults: Excedrin Migraine, Advil Migraine and Motrin Migraine Pain. One must be careful when taking medications with caffeine and consuming caffeine in foods and drinks. While caffeine in medication helps the body absorb medication faster and therefore bring relief faster, excessive amounts of caffeine can cause rebound migraines. As well as the effects migraines have on one physically, there are also effects on one’s personal life. The effects migraines have on each individual’s life vary according to the severity and frequency of their migraines. “My migraines have stopped me from doing fun things like hanging out with my friends because I’m too sick to do anything and it’s frustrating,” senior Shawna Wright said. The intense, concentrated pain in the head due to migraines can also lead to changes in one’s mood. These changes in mood can cause one to act unlike themself and can cause further complicated circumstances if something is said or done unintentionally. “[Migraines] affect my work, day and attitudes negatively because of the unbearable pain. Depending on the day, [they] can affect my grades, sometimes my mood, how I treat people and [therefore] how they feel about me,” Smith said. To prevent migraines, avoiding what specifically triggers them, like a certain food, is best. Also, one must reduce stress in his or her life since this is a common trigger. Relaxation and simplifying one’s life are ways to do this. Eating right, exercising and having regular sleeping habits are also helpful. Migraines are usually painful and uncomfortable but not life-threatening unless there is an unknown, underlying condition causing them. It is always important to take the precaution and see a doctor about the ailment.
Common Locations of Headache Pain Tension Headache
Cluster Headache
Migraine Headache Often on one side of the head but location varies
Illustration courtesy of/University of Nebraska-Lincoln Health Center
PAIN, PAIN, PAIN. Tension headaches feel like a tightening around the head. Adults between the ages of 20 and 50 will probably experience at least one tension headache in their lifetime. Pain from cluster headaches is felt behind one eye and is sharp and stabbing. Unlike the other two types, these are more common in men. Migraine headaches are usually on one side of the head.
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CAMPUS/LOCAL FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008 •
New system tracks kids Plasco, from page 1 recommendations from other Orange County schools to get Plasco on the Reservation. The system helps save money with the detention forms that were purchased in the past, helps with accuracy and has decreased clerical records. “The new system helps get kids in class more quickly than before. Because the scanning is so quick, students don’t have to wait in long lines for hand written passes,” administrative dean Amanda Miles said. Once a student is late, the student reports to an administrator. Using the student’s ID, the machine scans it and prints a detention slip. Students must have a school ID on them in order for this process to work. If a tardy
New members dominate board
student has an ID but not with him, it will be excused at that time. If, however, a student doesn’t have it because he has lost it, he must buy a new one for $5 in the media center. “[The system] reinforces having ID’s on campus which helps with campus security. It helps make sure [the administrators] know who needs to be on campus is here and those who shouldn’t be on campus aren’t,” McMillen said. Plasco will not allow anyone to have more than one detention scheduled per day. The machine tracks how many times one has earned a detention for being tardy. After a student has three detentions, he will be issued Positive After School Suspension. PASS is a two hour detention served after school. “We need you in class to learn,” McMillen said.
Drink it then sink it
VOTE CHANGES START TIMES By DANIELLE COLE
photo/DANIELLE COLE
SPEAK UP. At the town hall meeting held on Dec. 8, PTSA President Danella Schuller voices her opinion on the time change. “I was opposed to it from the beginning and I am very happy it got switched back,” Schuller said. Approximately 50 people attended the meeting entitled “Life After the Flip.”
Recycle, from page 1 from the Dairy Council of Florida after their decision to revert from paper milk containers to plastic milk containers in order to gain more teenage milk drinkers. None of the money for the bins or dumpster came from the school budget. “We have seen so many bottles and cans [around campus] and we need to go greener. We want to cooperate with our environment,” Iglesias said. The program will be entirely carried out by the Environmental Club. The janitors will not have extra work on campus except for dividing the recycled goods in the containers if they happen to be in the trash can in order to make the program completely effective. “It will make a difference around campus. [I recycle paper and plastic] because if it goes in the trash, it can’t be reused, which is pointless to throw away,” junior Ethan Falk said. When used in production, recycled plastic can save more than half the amount of energy that unrecycled plastic requires. “We will actually be helping with the biodegradable landfills. Not only are we helping the environment but we are also teaching students so they can promote recycling at home. It has to be a school wide project,” Iglesias said. Unrecycled plastic can run off into the ocean and form huge packs of trash that can be seen from space. Right now, there is a plastic trash runoff in the Pacific Ocean roughly the size of Texas. Runoff can go into forests and other natural areas,
HI-LIGHTS
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Vicky Bell District 4 Southwest Orlando
Christine Moore-Curtis District 7 Apopka
Nancy Robbinson District 6 Northwest Orlando
Vowing to shake things up, the three new school board members, Vicky Bell (District 4), Christine Moore-Curtis (District 6,) and Nancy Robbinson (District 7), have plans for the future of Orange County Public Schools. Each of the new members has a set of goals for improving the school system which range from increasing community involvement to addressing the current budget crisis concerns. “[Right now] I do not think [the school board] listens to the community. I think the children’s needs should be the priority,” science teacher Sara MacLemore said. Christine Moore-Curtis, who has two school aged children of her own, decided to run for the school board and was elected to serve the Apopka area. Her goals for the upcoming year include improvements in communication with parents in the community, online videos to allow the public to view board meetings from their homes, improving the quality of newsletters as well as the ability to e-mail newsletters to the general public, and addressing the recent budget crisis as further cuts are likely to come next school year. The cuts could be as high as $46 million added to the $70 million cut at the start of the 08-09 school year, according to recently elected Chairman Joie Cadle. Although new members are now part of the board, old issues needed to be resolved, including the time swap. On Dec. 8, a town hall meeting took place in the auditorium to allow parents and students to voice opinions regarding the change. At the board meeting on Dec. 9, the board members voted 4-3 to change the start times back in August of 2009. The district decided to change the middle and high school times with the intention of saving $15 million. In the first nine weeks, the county saved $713,000 in operating costs by consolidating bus routes. As a result of carry-over and a nonrecurring expense fund, the change kept further
cuts from reaching and affecting the classrooms. “I have been stopped by business people applauding my decision on the school start time as the right financial decision. This is a balancing act,” Chairman Joie Cadle said. Unlike Cadle, Moore-Curtis and newly elected member Nancy Robbinson opposed the swap. “I was opposed to [the swap] from the beginning. I think there are many ways to balance [the budget] without taking such drastic measures,” Robbinson said. Robbinson ran for election to the board out of an eagerness to bring back community involvement she felt has been lacking in recent years. Robbinson’s goals for the year include: working on stronger community engagement, strengthening the partnership between OCPS, The City of Orlando and other government agencies, and to continue working on improving public relations. “A lot of times the news agencies only report the bad stuff. Lots of good things are going on in OCPS and I would like to get that good news out there,” Robbinson said. Along with being new members and facing new challenges, each board member, both new and old, faces the upcoming possibility of a county elected chairman in 2010. The chairman would serve a four year term and receive two votes on an issue. “I didn’t have a problem with an elected chairman. I thought that [a chairman] would be able to help develop communications,” MooreCurtis said. Before the election of the new members, the board filed a lawsuit against the Supervisor of Elections and Let Us Vote (LUV), arguing that the county elected chairman is unconstitutional. “I don’t want to continue with the lawsuit,” Robbinson said. “I have always been in favor of people having the right to vote and if the people voted for it than [the board] needs to give them what they want.” The new board members, although among senior members, are confident in their ideas and positions on the board. “[The other members] have been wonderful. Everyone’s opinion is equal and I am sure they will hear me,” Moore–Curtis said. The next board meeting is Jan. 13 at 5:30p.m.
Buddy up, get involved effective events that everyone can be involved in so no one gets left out,” senior Jessica Jensen said. The club chooses fun and simple activities that each member, no matter what his or her restrictions, is able to do. Anyone wanting to positively affect someone’s life can get involved. See Stacey Strom in Room 309 if you are interested in becoming a member of the Best Buddies.
SMALL GESTURES HAVE BIG IMPACT killing wildlife in the process. For example, plastic wrappers can choke animals like dolphins and fish living in the ocean. “They aren’t just little pieces [of plastic] but a whole emulsified pack [of plastic] floating in the ocean,” Ernest said. The club will begin to place public announcements on BBC before the program is implemented in order to increase student awareness. Ernest is also looking for volunteers to help. “We want everybody to help. We live on the Reservation more than our home,” Iglesias said. See Ernest in Room 505 to help volunteer and to receive community service hours. Recycling bins will be located by trash cans in the cafeterias as well as other designated areas around campus. “[This program] depends on the willingness of students. It takes an effort from everybody [on campus],” Iglesias said.
By RACHEL LAQUEA
Eating lunch together, bowling and talking with the members of the Best Buddies club are the smallest activities that have the largest impact on the buddies’ lives. Former Boone student Emily Onderick started the club to help mentally disabled students feel more involved at school and connected with their peers. “Knowing that I’m helping the buddies feel like they’re regular students and less different than everyone else inspires me,” junior Kevin Holmwood said. Students who do not know about the club and who have misconceptions about its purpose and what is involved in being in it, feel it is too timeconsuming. What they do not realize is that, even the smallest gestures can have the biggest effect on each of the buddies’ lives. “People think that it’s a lot of work, but it’s just a normal friendship,” Brittany Childress, vice president of Best Buddies, said. The club members have a specific buddy with whom they are paired. A member does not have to have a buddy to be in it. Each month the members of Best Buddies do a group activity that helps them bond and have fun. The buddies went bowling at Boardwalk Bowl on
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OTHER CLUB NEWS
photo/RACHEL LAQUEA
EAT UP. During lunch, Best Buddies president, Jessica Jensen talks with her buddy Heather Oliver on Dec. 10. “What inspires me the most is the fact that people with disabilities have an ability to see the small things in life,” Jensen said. Nov. 15, ate lunch together, and had a Holiday party on Dec. 16. The club also plans to continue its events and do more activities outside of school, such as going to parks or to the movies. “My favorite activity has been hanging out, relaxing, and talking to my buddy, Brittany,” junior Emily Greenwood said. The key part of planning a Best Buddies event is making sure everyone is included and involved. “The most important part of planning an activity for the club is making sure that we have
Most Valuable Teacher Award Who: Connie Heiselman When: Fri, Nov. 21 Why: Heiselman will be honored for her hard work with “Agua Para Nicaragua” and “The Shirt Off Your Back,” which raised money for a well in Nicaragua and shirts for migrant workers Green Up Boone When: Sat, March 21, 8 a.m. What: All clubs must report to help beautify the campus and their assigned areas. Community service hours will be provided Evening of Entertainment What: Students who will be participating in the District drama competition perform their songs and scenes at this performance When: Tues, Jan. 27 Where: Auditorium at 7 p.m. Cost: $7
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FEATURES
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008 •
HI-LIGHTS
Let them eat clay By EA CARTWRIGHT
photo/EA CARTWRIGHT
IT’S A PIECE OF CLAY! In her Ceramics I class, junior Allison Otterbacher pieces together the beginnings of an octopus. “I enjoy [ceramics]; it is really not work for me,” Otterbacher said. She plans to continue to pursue ceramics and art throughout high school and beyond.
First period Ceramics I sits restless as the substitute keeps close watch. However, on the far right one student keeps busy, away from the crowd. Working on her octopus creation, junior Allison Otterbacher attaches the clay tentacle to the base of an octopus sculpture. “I had to choose another fine arts elective and I heard from friends how fun ceramics was,” Otterbacher said. Excelling in the class, Otterbacher works on pieces that display her inner creativity. “I enjoy [ceramics] so it is interesting to me. I am a perfectionist so I would not be satisfied unless I went above and beyond with every project,”
Otterbacher said. Unlike most upperclassmen who take tedious arts credits to merely pass the time or graduate, Otterbacher is taking the class for herself. “I enjoy it. [Ceramics] is not really considered work for me,” Otterbacher said. Balancing both a full course load at school as well as being a member of the varsity cheerleading squad, Otterbacher finds time for her creative side in her ceramics class. “[Ceramics] has not really impacted my life, but it has become something I really enjoy doing and is a good way to spend my day,” Otterbacher said. Her influence is the ceramics teacher Buffy Dowdell. “[Everyone] should take
ceramics because it is a good experience and fun to do. People really find their creative side,” Otterbacher said. Otterbacher created various works such as detailed pots, mugs and statues. Her current project is a clay octopus. Of these pieces she has made, her favorite creation has been her slab mugs which look like pumpkins with leaves and vines. Slab mugs are mugs which are cut from a slab of clay and are formed by the artist into a drinking mug. Her mugs have become well known within other art classes for their detail and precision. In the future, Otterbacher would like to make an enormous vase with a face carved into it. Otterbacher was recognized
Eagle soars into Reservation By KATIE EDWARDS
After years of trading the barrel with the Edgewater Eagles, the rival schools traded more than the barrel this year: they exchanged assistant principals. To broaden his leadership experience, John Carlucci went to Edgewater to serve as an assistant principal in a different capacity. To fill his spot Dr.. Alice Joossens is the school’s new assistant principal. Dr. Joossens served 14 years as an assistant principal at Edgewater. She received her doctorate at University of Central Florida while working at Dr. Philips High School. She received her undergraduate degree in English from the University of Missouri and her masters degree in reading from the University of New Hampshire. “I will most miss the
early in her class as being one of the best and classmates notice the perfectionist in the corner of the room. Although Otterbacher’s creations have not been a part of any art shows yet, she plans on showing her work in the spring art festival on campus. Otterbacher feels that ceramics is a rewarding experience despite the fact that she has not won any awards as of yet, “I put a lot of work into projects and to hear people say it is good is rewarding,” Otterbacher said, Being the perfectionist she is, Otterbacher toys with the placement of the tentacle on her octopus. Finally content with the proper pose, Otterbacher looks up and smiles.
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friendships I created with the teachers, students and the student’s families over the years. I will also miss knowing all my students, but that will come in time,” Joossens said. Her role as assistant principal is to create the master schedule for the 2009-10 school year. The master schedule determines what courses are offered each period and who will teach them. “It’s a real challenge making the master schedule because we are using a new program. I enjoy working with the counselors and administrators and I’m looking forward to making it for next year,” Joossens said. Joossens plans to focus on teachers and students more. “I want to provide the best education possible and help teachers have a fulfilling year,” Joossens said.
I am enjoying working with the teachers and administrative team and working on the master schedule for next year. - alice joossens,
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008 •
The
Black DENIM FITS PERSONALITY
Despite how Sir Mix-a-lot feels about “big butts,” plastering yourself in tight fitting denim and walking out of the house with your rear on display is not attractive. It’s a crime. A crime that may easily be prevented if one considers the many aspects of choosing the right pair of jeans. Think of denim shopping like adopting a foster pet. The process is excruciatingly painful and time consuming, but produces a result that makes everyone happy. Before you even pick up that credit card and head to the mall, you should check out this list of things to consider when buying the right pair. Consider your personalityJeans don’t just take on the personality of the wearer in cheesy, B-rate, teenage girl movies like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (did they seriously waste money on a sequel?). Denim may take the shape of the person who wears them, but each pair has its own voice and style. Finding a pair of jeans that match one’s character is extremely important. Preshopping, try evaluating and analyzing your wardrobe since clothes you already own are a reflection of your taste. Then, with each pair you try on make a mental sketch of how these bottoms would sync in with the rest of your wardrobe. When you find the pair that “fits” in perfectly, you’ll have fireworks go off in your head and that little voice will be screaming “buy them!” Consider the Fit- As stated above, it’s criminal to wear jeans that are too tight. It’s not only a poor reflection on your wardrobe choices, but jeans that create a “pooch” effect (where excess fat hangs over the top) are incredibly repulsive and should be burned. Whenever you have trouble breathing in a pair of pants a little signal in your brain should be telling you that its time to go shopping. Further, whoever convinced men that skinny jeans are attractive should be sentenced to life in fashion prison. Seeing a man in pants as tight as nylon leggings can make anyone stop in their tracks, reach for a trash can, and hurl. However when one looks at jeans that are too baggy, they may have the same reaction. Boxers and other undergarments are not meant to be visibly seen. The trend of wearing baggy jeans so low that one’s entire bottom is on display was started by ex-convicts in support of their comrades still in jail who did not have belts. Following that type of trend indirectly supports convicts. That’s not just a fashion crime, but a crime to humanity. When looking for the proper fit, you should choose the right size (remember sizes differ at every store so be sure to try on). Jeans are worn at the waist, with a belt. The legs should hit at the ankle with no excess. Consider the Price- In these rough economic times it’s important to consider your budget before shopping. However if you’re trying to single handedly revive the economy by splurging, designer jeans may be an important investment. True Religion jeans are a well known designer label ($200 and up). The brand has longevity with their classic cool styles and horseshoe back pocket insignia. However for more economically savvy shoppers, quality jeans can be found at great prices at stores like Marshalls, where they sell labels like Apple Bottom Jeans and Seven at extravagantly low prices (usually $60 and under depending on the brand). Love at first sight is not impossible. In fact it occurs all the time when one finds that perfect pair of jeans.
HI-LIGHTS
Homemade gifts save money, mean more By HALEY GUIETTE
a column by DAVID MATTESON
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With money no longer growing fast from the money tree, a homemade gift is the way to save cash and prevent one from emptying his wallet. Instead of purchasing name brand items, a personally decorated picture frame should do the trick for a loved one just in time for the holidays. Other easy to make gifts include cards, shirts, decorated ornaments and different food items such as brownies, cookies and cakes. To get creative , burn a mixed CD. For $3.35 at Target, packs of five blank CDs are available. Each disk can hold up to 80 minutes of tunes burned from a music network, most popular being iTunes. If a computer isn’t accessible, there are other alternatives. It’s as easy as folding a piece of computer paper and coloring with markers to make someone’s holiday a little more personal. In remembrance of grade school, a glue coated popsicle stick picture frame may come to mind. For finding a home for a favorite snapshot, this is the inexpensive path to take. It doesn’t take a degree from a culinary school to bake a batch of Betty Crocker brownies. With a baking pan, eggs, vegetable oil, water and having the sense not to burn the building down, brownies are easy and inexpensive. Money does not buy happiness and whoever thinks such can easily be proven wrong. A personal gift for the holidays is both inexpensive and original.
Brownies
Picture Frame
Ingredients: 1 egg 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup water Brownie mix of your choice
Supplies: card board glitter, glue, stickers, etc. Directions: 1. Cut out a card board frame the size of the picture 2. With glue, stick on accessories of your choice 3. Lay out to dry
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 325 F 2. Prepare slightly greased baking pan 3. Blend water, oil, egg and brownie mix 4. Stir until moistened bake: 38-47min.(see box for specific times) 5. Put in plastic container or tin ($1 at Dollar Tree)
Best gift you ever made?
Decorated Tee Shirt Mixed CD
Instructions: 1. Create a playlist of songs you want on the CD 2. Insert a blank CD 3. Click “burn CD” 4. Decorate with sharpies for a personal touch
“““ I made a rice crispy snowman [balled up rice crispy] for my mom when I was in first grade.
Supplies: a solid colored tee paint, tie dye, permanent markers, iron-on pictures Instructions: 1. Buy T-shirt and paint 2. Choose design and create
O
I made a blanket when I was eight years old for my cousin.
- megan knight sophomore
Every year I make gift baskets for my family full of inside jokes and memories we have.
- carlos cruz senior
- cameron lemme freshman
2
PICT URE S
Dover Shores Baptist Church 180 Student Ministry
HIGH IMPACT Visual Imagery www.o2pictures.com
551 Gaston Foster Road Orlando, FL 32807
407-277-5810
Carmela’s Cakes
Cakes and Chocolates for every occasion Designed to your needs!
Call to order. Prices vary.
407.812.9102 8000 South Orange Avenue 407.812.6898 fax Orlando, Florida 32809
(407) 761-1037
SPECIAL
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008 •
HI-LIGHTS
Video game produces beneficial exercise By JESSICA MCCOY
“Archery, a game you can’t play with your butt” is one of the slogans heard in commercials for the revolutionary video game and a new balance board made for Wii Fit. Wii Fit is the Nintendo fitness video game designed to help the player lose weight and become healthier. Each player starts by creating their own profile by entering their height, age and other body measurements. “It actually works. You get a workout from using it,” junior Shannan Edwards said. “Video games can now be used for beneficial reasons instead of promoting laziness.” By standing on the balance
board, the game checks the player’s Body Mass Index, which is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. However, doctors say Wii Fit can’t possibly improve one’s BMI by simply playing a game. “My understanding is that Nintendo is saying that if you track BMI, and by using this program, that you’ll improve or lower your BMI. I say baloney to that. In fact, I’m sure you’ll see very little change in BMI,” Dr. Judith Stern, a distinguished professor of Nutrition and Internal Medicine at the University of California said. The Wii Fit comes with four specific training modes: yoga, balance games, strength training
and aerobics. It was designed for players of all ages to play a little each day with the end result of becoming more physically fit. With over 40 different games available, the Wii Fit comes with settings that allow players to set goals and chart their progress, as well as an activity log that records the time that the players spend on each separate activity. The balance board, that can be stepped on or sat on, is used to help train one’s body into a healthier one. As well as being a scale, it can also read a user’s real-life movements while bringing them to life on screen. “It’s more interactive and it makes the game feel more real,”
Mercado said. As well as being a fun game to play at home, ORMC hospital is now using the Wii Fit to help rehabilitation patients with everyday movements like sweeping and putting things away around the house. The Wii Fit has changed the video gaming world by making it easier than ever to get into the game. The Wii Fit can now be found at stores including Target, Best Buy, GameStop and Circuit City for the average cost of $89.99. “It is helping lazy video game players get up and get a little exercise every now and then,” sophomore Connor Meredith said.
In its first two weeks on the market, 338,000 Wii Fit units were sold. Wii Fit costs $89.99.
Wii Fit is the first videogaming device that can check BMI. Wii Fit comes with a Wii balance board and basic Wii Fit training games.
DON’T FALL. Alexandra Murray snowboards on a Wii Fit balance board.
Game WoWs players By LINDSEY DYE
With more than 2.8 million copies sold in its first 24 hours, World of Warcraft, often referred to as WoW, is gaining popularity. “I enjoy the game because you get to build up your character. The game is addicting; you keep coming back for more,” junior Grey Floyd said. World of Warcraft is a multiplayer online computer game. WoW is a 3D representation of the world of Azeroth where players interact with their characters and other players on the server. “There’s up to 2,000 people on one server. The game is really cooperative, you have to have a lot of people to complete most of the missions,” sophomore Angel Rodriguez said. With more than 11 million monthly subscribers, WoW is currently the world’s largest massively multiplayer online role playing game and holds the Guinness World Record for the most popular multiplayer online role playing game. In April 2008, WoW was estimated to hold 62 percent of the massive multiplayer online game market. The game is so addicting that in 2005 the people in the Republic of China were limited to three hours of gaming time due to death and game addictions. People would sit on the computer all day and never leave the house. There were cases of parents forgetting to tend to children which later died. After three hours, the game logged the player out. In 2006, the law changed to limit only those under 18. “I don’t think the U.S. should limit gaming time because you can decide to do something other than play. If playing is what makes you happy, go for it. People should be disciplined enough to stop if it gets out of hand,” Rodriguez said. World of Warcraft is not a linear game, meaning there is not a distance to go. As characters become more developed, they gain talents which require the player to further develop the qualities of the character. The game also involves missions, often called questing. The quests reward the player with experience points, items or game money. It is throughout the quests that the story of the game is told. “World of Warcraft is my favorite game. I like the thought of upgrade and how you can change your class. You’re a warrior so you can tank or kill through talents and that gives the game more of an edge,” senior Wilson Luong said. World of Warcraft requires the player to pay for a subscription, either by buying game cards for a pre-selected amount of playing time, or by using a credit or debit card to pay on a regular basis. The first edition of WoW, known amongst players as an expansion is $28 and the second, most recent expansion of WoW is $40. “I am against this game because you will end up with a game addiction. People go to extremes and say it is their anti-drug but I think that is just an excuse to play all day long. I think it is dumb to waste so much time over a game,” junior Ashley Claridge said. With the never ending fantasy world that the game supplies and the wide ranged server, World of Warcraft is the most popular computer game out today.
killed theboard By EA CARTWRIGHT
Current generations are basking in the glow of the television and computer screens due to the increase in video game technology. Ninetendo itself has gone through multiple stages, beginning with the Super Ninetendo and ending with the most recent being the Ninetendo Wii. This advance in technology has created fields of entertainment and money that would not have existed if Pong did not catch on. This multibillion dollor industry has taken the world by storm. These are the consoles that stole the show.
Rockin’ a virtual gig
ROCK ON. Brice Thomas, Tyler Perine and Matthew Levy play Rockband after school.
By KATIE EDWARDS Keeping eyes glued to the TV, trying to hit every note needed to end the song with five stars. Rock Band is a game that allows the player to perform with a band on gaming stations or online. The game has two modes: solo tour or co-op, which allows for four total players and no fewer than two. Rock Band has four instruments: the guitar, drums, bass and vocals. “Rock band is easier than Guitar Hero because the keys on Guiatr Hero are more spread out so it’s difficult for my pinky to reach the bottom key, making it harder to keep up with the song,” sophomore Brenna Moseley said. Rock Band allows the player to customize band members by featuring a variety of styles to choose from.The game provides an array of songs, from classic rock to modern day. The game contains music by artists such as Foo Fighters, Hinder, and KISS. The list contains over 500 songs. “Rock Band is such a fun game,” junior Matthew Sabio said. Rock Band has two games and two expansion packs: the original Rock Band($56.99) Rock Band 2($49.99), AC/DC LIVE($45.99): Rock Band Track Pack($27.99) and Rock Band Track Pack Volume 1($28.99). Rock Band 2 is a sequel to 2007’s Rock Band. AC/DC LIVE: Rock Band Track Pack allows players to experience playing AC/DC songs. Rock
Band Track Pack Volume 1 is a musical expansion to Rock Band. It has songs that are not available on the original like ACDC’s B a c k In Black. For any version of the game there are three levels of difficulty: easy, medium and hard. The player’s choice depends on what notes he or she will be expected to hit. Each player will have a solo. The game allows the band to play extra notes in a short period of time towards the end of the song for extra points. If the player doesn’t hit that final note the points do not count. Every player will be required to hit a reasonable amount of consistent notes, otherwise another band member will have to save him or her. The only way another player can save a band member is if he is doing well enough to make up for the other player’s lost points. If one is not able to be saved, then the whole band will fail and have money taken out of their account. When the band completes a song, they will be awarded virtual money for each gig they‘ve played. The band can use the money to unlock objects. “I enjoy playing Rock Band because I can have friends over and we just chill and play all day,” senior Brandon Hopkins said.
SPECIAL
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008 •
9
HI-LIGHTS
Hand over the game from Game Boy. The handheld has one touch screen where one controls the game and the other screen is to see what is being played. Wireless connection is also a part of the handheld; it allows one to connect with up to 16 people for multiplayer games. Games for the DS average from about $25$40 depending on the condition. Handhelds are sold new, used and refurbished or rebuilt. “[Handhelds} take away from socializing, people are more focused on the game, rather than the social situations around them,” senior Theresa Bruno said. Sony is also taking advantage of the demand for handhelds. Playstation released the Playstation Portable in early 2005. The PSP contains music, video and other various multimedia functions aside from gaming. Some people argue the design was taken from the Game Boy Advance, but this handheld is more advanced than any of the Game Boy models. Although the Nintendo DS allows Wi-Fi connectivity, it doesn’t have any multimedia options. The PSP has Wi-Fi, a music player, a video player and also stores photos.The PSP has sold approximately 130,000 units since its release. “[I prefer playing the] PSP because you
can put music on it and watch videos,” junior Ricardo Castro said. The one thing the Nintendo DS and PSP share is the advancement of games. The original Game Boy’s signature game was Tetris. Now games like Guitar Hero on Tour and Super Mario Bros are available for the devices. Games created as board games can now be found on the DS too, like Clue, Monopoly and Mouse Trap. iPods are also considered handhelds. The new iPod touch and Nano-chromatic have a wide variety of games. The Application Store allows people the choice to download free games or buy games, which average from $0.99 to $5.99 There are also other applications like iGroceries which allow one to make a grocery list and check off items as they are purchased. Advancement of handhelds will continue to progress in the future; the Nintendo DSi will be released in November 2009, and Sony is releasing an updated version of the PSP in 2009. Handhelds have increasingly progressed in technology and sales since their beginning and new innovations are being designed for them.
1958– Creation of “Ping pong” tennis on an oscilloscope screen by William Higinbotham at Brookhaven National Laboratory. 1972- Nolan Bush produces “Pong”, a simple tennis game for arcades. 1980 – “Pacman” is released in Japan. 1983 – Nintendo releases their first computer and Mario. 1985 – Nintendo releases
Pong
d game
the Nintendo System selling 62 million copies. 1989 – First hand held machine from Nintendo, called “Game Boy”. 1991- Sonic is produced by Sega in response to Atari Nintendo’s Mario. 1994- Sony releases the Playstation in Japan and sold 20 million copies. 1996- Nintendo releases the Nintendo 64 which sold over 30 million copies worldwide. 2001- Nintendo releases the Gamecube. 2001- Microsoft releases the Xbox. 2004- Nintendo releases the Nintendo DS, a portable system with two screens. 2005- Sony releases the PS 1 Playstation Portable (PSP). 2005- Microsoft unveils the Xbox 360 selling over 11 million copies. 2006Nintendo releases the Wii. 2006- Sony debuts the Playstation 3. 2007- Halo 3 becomes the biggest selling game of all time after it breaks record sales selling over 10,000 copies in pre-sales and $170 million in the first 24 hours
PSP
TIMELINE: video games through the decades
By KAREN JAEN Portable games are quickly taking over the video game market. Handhelds have become one of the most convenient ways to ease boredom. These devices are portable and a miniature version of a game played on a larger game console. “I like handheld systems because they’re light and easy to carry,” sophomore Christopher Shanahan said. Handhelds began to slowly make their appearance in the late ‘70s with a handheld called Microvision designed by Smith Engineering. The first portable only had three games; for this reason the game was cancelled for its inefficiency to sell. Today, most handhelds areNintendo: Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo Game Boy Color, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP, Nintendo DS, and the most recent Nintendo DS Lite. Nintendo’s Game Boy and Game Boy Color combined sold 118 million units from 1998 to 2005. “The Game Boy was something no one thought of and the Nintendo DS, well of course it was going to be big,” freshman Michelle Tongue said. The Nintendo DS Lite is the newest handheld
Nintendo DS Lite Released in March 2006 Average Price: $129.99
Original Game Boy Released in 1989 The gameboy is discontinued
XBOX takes gaming to a new level By ZOE COMPTON
Millions of people across 26 countries are joining together on XBOX Live, a gaming service that lets its members experience a new kind of multiplayer gaming. XBOX Live lets its members download content, watch stream videos, play multiplayer games with people from across the world and a broadband Internet service provider. With a headset accessory, $20, one can talk to people while playing the multiplayer games online. “[The XBOX Live experience] is cool. It’s almost like you’re playing with a bunch of people when it’s really just through the television,” sophomore Valerie Butler said. Using Netflix on the game system, one can download movies onto the XBOX memory hard drive that will stay in the memory until the movie is manually deleted. “The XBOX Live experience is very different. There is a personal avatar which you can customize. The whole design of the dashboard [of the console] is different and the Netflix option is very neat,” senior Matthew Girgenti said. There are two forms of membership, the silver level and the gold level. The silver level is free and lets one download content and chat with friends. The gold level is a paid service and has the same benefits of the silver level as well as letting one play multiplayer games against people from around the world, create gaming parties and join games with friends. The gold level is $50 for a 12 month subscription, though it can be bought in monthly, $8, or trimonthly, $30 subscriptions. “Some games are expensive and so is the membership, but they are worth it [because XBOX Live] is fun and keeps me occupied and entertained,” junior Gabriel Bodon said. There is an online marketplace where one can use Microsoft Points to buy games and weapons or vehicles for games using their game console. In order to download, one needs to go to the XBOX marketplace on the game console and click on an item that seems appealing. In a few minutes, the downloaded content appears. The points can also be used to enhance already bought games through more maps to play on or characters. Points can be bought through retail stores or one can use a credit card. One dollar buys 80 points and points needed to download items range from 20 to 50,000. A popular game for the 360 is Halo 3 ($60), rated M for mature due to violence. Halo 3 offers a solid-single player or multiplayer game, realistic graphics and has the ability to save screenshots. The game comes with 11 maps that one can play and multiple game types. Also, one can customize character’s armor to fit any liking for playing online. There are also new weapons and vehicles that Halo 1 and 2 does not include, like a Lancer assault rifle. Halo 3 ranks as the seventh highest rated XBOX 360 game to date. Another game that is popular is Gears of War 2 ($60), rated M for mature due to violence and language. Gears 2, when using XBOX Live, allows 10 people to play in a game room at a time, which is two more players than Gears of War 1 allowed. Also, Gears 2 has eight multiplayer modes and has a tool that can match players based on skill levels. Gears 2 has filters that can downplay the violence and language of the game, making it acceptable for people of younger ages to play. “[Gears 2] has the best graphics in a shooter RPG game out there. It also has various game types that make the game interesting,” senior Kevin Breidenstein said. XBOX Live takes one from the couch into a world of play with a best friend around the corner or someone who lives in another country.
Bring out the Hero By KAREN JAEN
With over 450 songs, Guitar Hero has become the game to play. The game journeys through virtually every kind of rock music. There are more than eight Guitar Hero games available based on music from Aerosmith to 80’s glam rock like music from Motley Crüe and Poison. These games are available on almost all game consoles and can even be played on cell phones, like the iPhone. With most game consoles, one can connect to people playing these games
around the world. Guitar Hero also gives people the ability to create, share and download any genre of music from the Guitar Hero Web site (www.guitar hero.com). Originally, the guitar was the main focus of all the games, which is why people have chosen Guitar Hero over its competitor Rockband. Guitar Hero limits the amount of players to two to give it a more competitive feel; however, with the Guitar Hero World Tour the drums and vocals were added. “I would [choose Guitar Hero] because I like to do things by myself and if you don’t have multiple guitars, you can do the individual thing,” sophomore Haley Gardner said. Since the beginning of Guitar Hero, consumers have been amused by the characters in the game. The lights, blasting amps and crowd give the game a feeling of an authentic rock exposition. Guitar Hero has also
touched upon interesting themes in the games like Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock, which gives an insight on famous guitar idols throughout rock music history. “[Guitar Hero’s] different because you feel like you actually can play a guitar,” freshman Rio Jones said. The characters are varied from Guns n’ Roses guitarist Slash, to recently added Ozzy Osbourne. Rockband doesn’t give this option. “I think [Guitar Hero] should have more people to choose from; or like on the Wii where you can create your own person so you can see yourself jammin’ out,” senior Hayley Radant said. Guitar Hero has grasped almost all parts of being in a band. At first the game isn’t a breeze, it takes practice for “the band” to get to an expert level. “It’s not difficult if you have practice with it, but it was difficult for me in the beginning,” junior Dakota Bush said.
Guitar Hero World Tour outsold Rockband 2 in October sales by roughly 300,000 units. Guitar Hero World Tour: Band Edition is $179. Bands featured in the game have increased CD sales by 200%. Guitar Hero World Tour has a music studio where bands can create their owns songs and tunes.
GET THE LEAD OUT. In front of her television, Nicole Gianette tries a Guitar Hero song.
10 J VBriefs Girls hold record
Priding themselves on their camaraderie on and off the field the junior varsity girls’ basketball team is maintaining their untainted record of 5-0. “They care about each other; they are like a big family getting closer and closer every game,” coach Tom Wills said. With a 5-0 record, the girls are looking forward to improving as basketball players. “[I am] looking forward to getting those girls to varsity and giving them some experience,” Wills said. With tough competition like the Apopka Blue Darters, the girls intend to use their strong defense and communication to win. “Apopka is so aggressive, but we are better skill wise,” Wills said. Players like Kendall Skersick, Jaci Chastain and Judith Olimpo are proving to be key players on the court. Practices concentrate on fundamentals such as shooting, dribbling, passing and rebounding. The emphasis on these fundamentals makes the girls stronger players. “JV is very physical, but when you get to varsity it is a whole different concept,” Wills said. The girls most recent game was against rival Apopka who they beat by 3 points. The girl’s next game is scheduled for 6:30 Jan. 8, at Timber Creek.
SPORTS
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008 •
Runners conquer distance MARATHONS PROVIDE UNIQUE CHALLENGES By JONATHAN WARREN
There are few sports events that take more grit than the marathon. This 26 mile footrace has challenged even the toughest runners. However, runners are flocking to marathons and other races as a way to test their bodies. Senior Andrew Dillard will be running the ING Miami Marathon in January. The ING Miami Marathon is one of three held in Florida every year. “I just wanted to push myself to my body’s limit. I’ve never been able to do that before,” Dillard said. Another reason runners do marathons is because many benefit charities. The ING Miami Marathon allows runners to choose from a list of over 20 charities of which one will benefit from their run. The price of a marathon ranges from $80 to $120. Dillard is preparing by running daily and doing a run close to 20 miles every two weeks. Preparation is essential for the toll that a marathon can take on the body. Common effects runners feel are dehydration, muscle fatigue and “hitting the wall” which is a common term that describes the feeling of one’s body simply running out of fuel. These can all be prevented by keeping hydrated, training well and loading up on carbohydrates before the race. “Leading up to the day of the race I’ll take a couple of days off running to load up on carbohydrates and fuel up my body,” Dillard
said. Senior Morgan Hurley ran the OUC Half Marathon last December, and finished the race in one hour and 50 minutes. “It was at the end of cross country season so that helped me. I did three or four 8 mile runs for two weeks to prepare,” Hurley said. However, for senior Alexander Bosak racing runs in the family. Bosak completed the Disney Marathon in four hours last January. His father is also a marathon runner. After her race, Hurley was tired and sore for the next two days. Bosak felt fatigue as well and was unable to run for a week after his race. “You have to be committed to training for at least three months in advance and have a lot of mental toughness,” Bosak said. Sophomore Phillip Duncan ran the OUC Half Marathon on Dec. 6 this year. The race starts and ends at Lake Eola. He finished in twelfth place out of 2,249 runners with a 1:18:04 time. “After the race, I was extremely exhausted and fatigued. They took me to the medic and took my blood and heart rate,” Duncan said. Marathon deaths, such as that in the Chicago Marathon in October 2007, may discourage those looking to try one. However, it should be noted that while eight people will die running a marathon each year, they represent a 1 in 67,414 minority. A number of those deaths come from pre-existing conditions. “Make sure that you’ve been running long enough so you’ll be confident you can run the race because you don’t want to have to drop out of the race and not finish,” Dillard said.
Jspotlite V girls’ soccer
Laura Hart, Junior What’s your favorite sports movie? Bend it like Beckham Who is your sports idol? Cristiano Ronaldo; He has amazing skills and he is on my favorite team, Manchester United. How long have you been playing? Since I was in kindergarten. What is your favorite part about soccer? Scoring and when you’re in the goal.
UPCOMING MARATHONS Walt Disney World Marathon; Jan. 11 National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer, Jacksonville, FL; Feb15 Pensacola Marathon; Feb. 15 Sarasota Marathon; Feb. 15 A1A Marathon, Fort Lauderdale, FL; Feb. 22 Five Points of Life Marathon, Gainesville, FL; Feb. 22 Gaspirilla Marathon, Tampa Bay, FL; March 1
Athletes must blend to bend it
Boys strengthen skills
With an undefeated season of 4-0-1, the boys’ junior varsity soccer team is shooting for a successful season. “We have a lot of talented players and they have very good attitudes; it’s easy to coach them,” coach Jim Griffin said. The boys are working on basic skills like shooting, passing and trapping the ball, and are getting in condition by doing leg sprints and suicides. With four wins so far, the team believes their training is proving effective. In an intense game against Freedom, the boys scored in the last two minutes, winning the game 3-1. “[The game against] Freedom was very difficult; we had to really work for it,” sophomore Zachary Bell said. The team’s focus is teamwork, communication and making smart moves on the field. “The quality [of the team] is much higher and more competitive,” Griffin said. With solid teams like Timber Creek and Winter Park as competitors, the boys are looking forward to facing the tough competition ahead. “I’m looking forward to us working as a team and going undefeated,” Bell said. The boy’s next game, on Jan. 6 at home against the Winter Park Wildcats at 6:30 on the Norton Baker field.
HI-LIGHTS
working effectively together,” senior Adam Shirzad said. Coach Jim Griffin realizes that the boys must take the sport seriously as well as stay focused and dedicated as these are major factors in the team’s By RACHEL LAQUEA The players’ hearts race, and palms sweat as success. “Faithfulness is the most important thing I they mentally prepare, and then jog out to center require of my players. It is hard to build a team field one by one as their names are called. The boys’ soccer team prepares for a tough without players who are faithful and dedicated to practices and games,” Griffin season on and off the field said. and they rely on each other to The boys’ daily practices work as a team and face their involve instructional videos and challenges. The most rewarding part one-on-one preparation, which “One of our biggest of coaching soccer is seeing are tactics they use to improve. challenges will be building as The boys beat Timber Creek a team since there are a lot the guys come together as on Dec. 9, 3-2, and had excellent of new people,” senior Kody a team. When they work offense from Kody Bailey, Juan Bailey, center midfielder, together and win, it is Escobar and Austin Crimmins. said. Each player scored one goal. rewarding.” The team faces other On Dec. 11 the boys beat the -jim griffin, challenges from rival Winter coach Wekiva Mustangs with a score of Park and Olympia, who they 5-1. Sean Kelly, Juan Escobar, play on Jan. 6 and Jan 16, Andres Guzman, Alexander respectively. Winter Park has a number of players who have previously played together on a club Bisbee and Sebastian Carmona each scored a team, which gives them an advantage of experience goal. The team has a record of 7-1-1, with the loss to in working together. Freedom and the tie with Dr. Phillips. The boys are motivated and plan to improve During the winter break, the boys will participate tactically and mentally in order to get the results in the Hickory Point Tournament, Dec. 29-31 in they want against the Wildcats. “Our team plans to improve by more practice Leesburg. The team will also compete in districts, of team skills, conditioning more regularly and which includes teams from all over the county.
TEAM ADAPTS TO NEW METHODS
“
photo/CARLIE SLETTEN
DRIBBLE. At the Wekiva game on Dec. 11, junior Sohail Mattar gains control of the ball and works it down the field. “In the game, we don’t really talk so passes when we’re wide open don’t always get done, so communication is a problem,” Mattar said. The boys went on to win the game.
Players fight inexperience UNDERCLASSMEN DOMINATE TEAM By CARMELA CRUTCHER
With half of varsity composed of freshmen, the girls’ soccer team is working to counter their weakness: inexperience. Because the majority is underclassmen, the team was unsure how they would perform. With two seniors and one junior, the team lacks experience that other varsity teams have. “[Our toughest game was the one against] Timber Creek because they have a lot of good, aggressive, skilled players and we didn’t have the skill to beat them,” freshman Molly Wallace said. Timber Creek won 8-0. The game against Deltona was the toughest game for sophomore Alicia Berlin, because she was injured during it and was forced to watch the remainder of the game from the sidelines. “The game I got knocked out and my nose was broken
[was the toughest game for me.] comes from the bond the players It was scary because there was have with one another. All three blood everywhere,” Berlin said. of those players agree that the Despite its lack of experience, team’s inexperience is their the team perseveres. They never biggest weakness. give up when “No one likes defeated, but to lose, but since rather work we’re a young No one likes to lose but since team we take it to improve and bring we’re a young team we take as a learning their best to it as a learning experience, e x p e r i e n c e , the field. because you can because you can only get “ O u r only get better,” friendship Berlin said. better. definitely - alicia berlin, Seniors Megan [keeps us sophomoreDenny and Laura playing and Uncapher are from getting defenders who down] and the duty we have help lead the team, especially the to the other players to keep younger players. Toomey also going. Our coach tells us to serves as a key player because keep our heads up and put the of her knowledge and strategy game behind us. There’s no of the game and her desire to use dwelling on it, just perform improve as a player. Freshman better next time,” Berlin said. Marilyn Roy, striker, controls The team’s speed in mid-field the game by being aggressive. and up front is one of its strengths “[Marilyn] ‘Jordan’ Roy is an according to freshman Nikkia important player. She controls Toomey, center-mid fielder, as the game, leads the center and is well as their strong defenders. a scoring threat,” Toomey said. Other players like Wallace and The team and individual Berlin think the team’s strength players are working to improve.
“
The team as a whole is trying to be more aggressive and capitalize opportunities. They are also trying to learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The individual players are working on improving things such as passing, speed and scoring. “I am trying to improve as an individual. I’m working on running and mentoring younger players. As a team, we are trying to learn to play together and to play at a higher level,” Denny said. With three wins against Oak Ridge, Colonial and Jones and 10 losses, the team hopes to finish the season strong with their new coach. Their former coach Cephas Thomas is not finishing the season. “[The rest of the season] is going to be hard. I don’t think we are necessarily going to win many games, but we will stick together and get through it,” Wallace said. The girls play their next home game on Thursday, Jan. 8 at 8 p.m. against Wekiva.
photo/CARMELA CRUTCHER
CONTROL. Senior Megan Denny controls the ball in the game against Oak Ridge. “I’m playing for myself to get better and to encourage and teach younger players,” Denny said. The team won against Oak Ridge, Colonial and Jones.
SPORTS
11 Bad health habits eat away at age FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008 •
WEB SITE CALCULATES AGE By AMANDA FLEMINGER
“Live your life to the fullest because you never know when it’ll end” is an everyday cliché used to encourage one to have fun. Nowadays though, one can figure out approximately how long he will live to and when life will end. All one has to do to figure out his estimated life expectancy is to log onto livingto100. com and take a survey that includes questions regarding personal life and family background. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes. “[The calculator seems] like it’s a pretty good range because it puts all the factors of your daily life into it,” Alexander Foster, freshman, said. Dr. Thomas Perls is the founder and director of the New England Centenarian
which studies the genetics of generations,” Rendon said. longevity. The study began in According to Perls, it is never 1994 in which the scientists too late for people to start making hypothesize the cause of why changes to extend their life. one lives to the age they live to “Changes you make today and how one c o u l d can prolong immediately his age. extend your Perls is one life,” Perls [People should] excercise of the nation’s said in an three to five times a l e a d i n g interview with gerontologists week by doing something CNN. (study of Feedback active and making wise aging) who also from the choices on what they developed an quiz includes age calculator activities put into their body [to that will it sees one prolong their age]. predict one’s lacking in and - matthew slason, life expectancy tries to show junior age. how one could “I think live longer by it’s kind of hard for someone cutting back on it. For example, to predict when someone will if one were to brush his teeth die based off an online quiz,” everyday, it could add one more Matthew Slason, junior, said. year to his life expectancy. Also, “As your lifestyle changes your if one were to manage his stress age maximum changes and if well, that could possibly add on you get cancer, you can’t predict another quarter of a year. [your age].” Drug usage can limit one’s Gabriel Rendon, sophomore, life expectancy and those who plays soccer which helps him use can expect their life to end exercise two hours a day; he also before 100. Also, those who are eats healthy food including fruits, involved in unprotected sexual vegetables and protein in his activities are exposed to AIDS diet. This way of living will help and other diseases leading to increase one’s life expectancy. death at a young age. “[My family’s health is] good. Caffeine is another substance If my family’s [health] is good that teenagers are addicted to then it’ll pass onto me through that can lower one’s life span. Even though kids turn to it in
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stressful times, it can provoke high blood pressure and decrease bone density. According to livingto100.com, one can add half a year to his life by cutting back on caffeine. Exercising is a large part of being healthy as well. Those who change their lifestyle to working out three times per week can add an additional half year to their life, changing it to four times a week can add a year and a half, five days of exercising a week can add three years and exercising six or seven days a week could potentially add five years to one’s life expectancy. “[People should] exercise three to five times a week by doing something active and making wise choices on what they put into their body, including food and drugs [to prolong their age],” Slason said. Livingto100.com can help one out if he is trying to see where he stands with his lifestyle. It is away to see if you are living your life the right way in order to reach the age 100. “[Perls] probably thought [livingto100.com] would help people and hope they’d look into what could help them live longer,” Chanzes Murray, senior, said. “If people paid attention [to the feedback at the end of the survey], it would benefit them.”
HOW OLD will you be?
“
I think it’s a good way to predict how long you will live if you are one of those [people] that want to know your [approximate] age.
- matthew rodriguez, senior
Actual Age:18 Calculated Age:92
“
No [I did not expect this age] because I thought it would be lower because not that many people live to be 100.
- gabby winter, sophomore
Actual Age:15 Calculated Age:100
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12
SPORTS
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008 •
HI-LIGHTS
Season starts differently than expected TEAM MORAL IS UP DESPITE LOSSES By JESSICA MCCOY Tonight at 8 p.m. the boys’ varsity basketball team will play the Oak Ridge pioneers on their home turf. “They’ll be athletic and they are well coached, but if we play like we are capable of playing, we’ll be fine,” coach Willie Anderson said. With a 3-4 record, two of which were pre-season wins, things aren’t looking up for the boys’ season. “I expect the guys to come out and play hard,” Anderson said. “It’s just the small things that are costing them the games.” The first pre-season game was Nov. 18 against Poinciana High School which resulted in a win. The team won both preseason games. Unfortunately they started the regular season with a loss to Spruce Creek High School 51-57. This loss was quickly followed up by close losses to Pine Castle Christian Academy, 31-34, Colonial High School, 50-51, and Cypress Creek High School, 47-55. In the fifth game of the regular season, they ended their losing streak by beating Freedom High School 65-50. With lead scorers Terrence Linton, 17 points, and another lead scorer Jamell Crowely, 11 points, this win was exactly what they boys needed to put them back on the track to success. Despite the four losses, coach Anderson has high hopes that the rest of season will be a
complete success. “I don’t expect anything less than 17 wins,” Anderson said. “We have a solid guard play and better basketball players.” With only 20 games left in the season, in order to achieve this goal the team cannot afford to lose anymore than four games. One of the major strengths of the team is their guard play, which they have been trying to use to their advantage. “We have a lot of good guards who can get to the basket fast and score,” junior Eric Sorice said. A game to look forward to will be the game against University High School on Jan. 16. “It’s a big district game and every time we play them it has been close,” Sorice said. Another game to look forward to is the game on Jan. 30 against Winter Park. “They’ve been district champions the past two years, and they are the team to beat,” Anderson said. “If we play the way we are capable of playing, we should be fine.” The team expects the season to be better than previous years despite their early losses. “This season is going to be successful,” Lanier said. “We are a lot more disciplined than other teams [in our district].” Despite their 3-4 record, it is obvious that team morale is up despite the losses. Hopes for future wins are what propels the team to play their best. “[Our] heart [is what sets us apart from other teams]. We are not scared of anyone and we come to play every game,” senior Leonard Lucas said.
1
1. LOOKING TO PASS. In the Colonial game on Dec. 5, senior Leonard Lucas maneuvers around a Colonial player. “We weren’t playing as a team. I could have limited my turnovers,” Lucas said. Lucas was the lead scorer with 16 points. 2. TOP OF THE KEY. At the top of the key, junior Peter Morgan looks to pass. “We were very disappointed because we thought we should have won,” Morgan said.
photo/EMILY BUTTERFIELD
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photo/EMILY BUTTERFIELD
photo/EMILY BUTTERFIELD
photo/EMILY BUTTERFIELD
JUMP SHOT. First year varsity player and shooting guard Bryan Yovaish jumps to score. “We played really hard and it was a disappointing loss,” Yovaish said. The team went on to lose the close game against Colonial High School, 50-51.
Boys condition to take down By HALEY GUIETTE
Body slamming has never been more positively productive. With a fan base and teammates for a support system, the boys’ varsity wrestling team is yearning for a victory. The season began with a match against University High School on Nov. 19, where the boys hustled their way through but came up three points short. Even with the more recent loss against Celebration High School on Dec. 3 added to their record, the boys still have high hopes. Those high hopes are focused towards the boys going to states at the end of the season. “I want to build a stronger team and get them set up for the following years,” senior Alan Hansen said. The only freshman on the team, Lee Hagood-James, is in the 103 weight class, the lightest
of the groups. The different weight classes at the high school level are 103, 112, 119, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 152, 160, 171, 189, 215 and 275 lbs. Wrestlers are required to weigh in 30 minutes to an hour before the match. “The hardest part about wrestling is making weight. My mom has had to start buying less groceries because I am not eating as much,” senior Rohandre Facey said. Because they have been conditioning since Oct. 2, the boys are stronger than other teams that did not conditioned before the season began. “Conditioning [is the hardest part] because you have to overcome your own mental attitude,” Hansen said. “Matches are the longest six minutes of your life.” In preparation, each wrestler
has his own way of dealing, preparing and adjusting for an upcoming match. The wrestlers try to be mentally prepared. “You have to tell yourself no matter what to try your best,” Hansen said. The sport has been proven to not only build muscle in the boys; friendships and leadership skills have also been created along with lifelong memories. “[The most memorable event this season was] when I became captain,” Hansen said. “I worked so hard over the past four years to obtain it and it shows that I can be a leader.” From conditioning and having a solid team bond, varsity wrestlers are looking towards the rest of the season to improve and better understand the sport despite their 0-3 record. “Wrestling is a lifestyle, not just a sport,” Hansen said.
SPORTS calendar BOYS’ BASKETBALL
DATE OPPONENT 1/5 Celebration
PLACE Home
1/7
Agape Christian
1/9
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DATE OPPONENT 1/6 Winter Park
PLACE Home
Home
1/9
West Orange
Away
Timber Creek
Home
1/10
Bishop Moore
Away
1/16
University
Away
Home
1/17
Wekiva
Away
1/15 Olympia
1/19 Bishop Moore
Away
DATE OPPONENT 1/6 Winter Park
PLACE Away
DATE OPPONENT 1/8 Timber Creek
PLACE Away
1/8
Wekiva
Home
1/9
West Orange
Home
1/15
University
Home
1/15
Dr. Phillips
Away
1/20
West Orange
Home
WRESTLING
1/22
Winter Park
Away
DATE OPPONENT 1/7 West Orange
PLACE Away
1/24
Jones
Away
1/21
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SPORTS
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008 •
13
HI-LIGHTS
GREAT EXPECTATIONS Zone In
the
OBNOXIOUS FANS ANNOY OTHERS a column by BRENDAN HALL
At every sporting event there is always that one parent who feels that his or her kid is the greatest athlete to ever grace the surface of this earth. To the chagrin of everyone playing and observing, that parent has an undeniable urge to constantly yell, whine and complain about every questionable or blatantly obvious call against his kid. These parents degrade the integrity of the game and erode the foundation of good sportsmanship supposedly instilled in student athletes. Poor parental behavior should not be tolerated and both the coaches, other parents, students and referees should band together to assure that the sport is played in a wholesome and respectable manner without unwanted interruptions. Coaches have to constantly remind their players to make sure that above all they have fun playing the game. It is hypocritical that while they preach this in the locker room, the parents get so riled up during the game that they find it necessary to scream profanities at the referee, the coach and even the players for mostly insignificant reasons. Although it is hilarious to watch adults make complete idiots out of themselves when they blurt out anything they can think of to make the referee feel inadequate, it’s also really sad. Furthermore, there is no reason for the parents to try and belittle the officials. That is the referee’s job. It is a safe bet no one stands behind the parent’s desk while he is at work, telling him how slow he types or how he sucks at life just because he spilled his coffee. After most calls the player just continues his game and there is no reason for the parent, who isn’t even involved in the event, to think he knows more than the people playing. It is ironic that the same parents severely exaggerate their child’s ability. The parent feels he has to ridicule the talents of other players because his kid will make up for it. Sporting events are not frat houses, and there is no reason to shout at another child just because he dropped a pass or missed a shot. The obnoxious adult feels that his kid should play every minute possible because he or she is better than every other player. It is quite funny to discover that the child is mediocre at best. Then, when the child air balls a couple of three-pointers the parent responds, “It’s okay, he’s just warming up. Pass him the ball more and he’d hit more shots.” Another adult needs to tell that parent his “athlete” couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn door and they should stop embarrassing themselves and their superstar player. An obnoxious parent ruins the game for everyone involved. The fact is the vocally abusive adult isn’t in the game, so he shouldn’t try to dictate the way the athletes play it. Spectators who have a hard time keeping their mouth shut should be given a strict warning early on and then thrown out after one more outburst. They embarrass not only themselves but their child, the game and everyone who is forced to watch their useless tirade. Parents should start practicing the coach’s advice and learn the values of good sportsmanship because if they don’t they will only be aiding in the development of a whole other generation of rude and obnoxious parents. Although immaturity and humiliation accompany these parents, in the end it’s all worth watching them get thrown out amidst cheering fans that have had just about enough. Final score: referee one, parent zero.
EMILY VIERLING SHOOTING SENIOR [She is a] consistent jump shooter [and] has to be in the right spot to knock down shots.
STEPHANIE WILLS POWER FORWARD JUNIOR [She is] very undersized, 5’6, [she gets] in there and scraps, is an aggressive rebounder.
JORDAN MOSLEY SMALL FORWARD SOPHOMORE [She is the] most versatile, can slash to the basket and knock down outside shots, [is] multidimensional and very athletic.
KATHRYN GORDON CENTER SENIOR [She is a] four year varsity player, brings experience [and] plays inside and outside.
LEONELLA MONTALVO POINT GAURD JUNIOR [She plays] floor generally. She runs the team and controls the tempo, a team leader - according to Coach Burke
By RACHEL MOTTA
Dribbling the ball down the court, running at full speed toward the basket, senior Kathryn Gordon throws the ball and watches as it swishes into the net while people in the stands cheer. Despite changes in school hours which caused a change in the game schedules, the girls’ basketball team continues to work toward a district title. “I expect us to work really hard as a team and hopefully come out with a win,” senior Emily Vierling said. The change in school times requires more discipline from the team members regarding games. They have early morning practices and their games now start at 8 p.m. as opposed to the earlier 7:30 p.m. start time of previous years. “It’s really hard when you have to practice [and play] and everyone is tired from homework,” Vierling said. Although the team is tired, they are still going strong with eight wins and one loss as of Dec. 16. Their strengths include defensive intensity and team chemistry, according to coach Kim Burke. “We’re all really good friends, but during the game we just [concentrate on what we have to do],” junior Stephanie Wills said. The team held the title for the past ten years and last year was the first year they lost it. Freedom won it instead. Recently, the team beat Freedom, 64-58. Freedom was the team’s biggest challenge this season. Since the team’s victory over Freedom, Freedom has lost twice. “If we can outwork and out hustle the other team, then we’re going to be successful,” Burke said. The teams also beat Apopka, 46-38, in an exciting game. The score went back and forth as the fans sat on the edges of their seats and applause rose in the gym as a few seconds after the final points were made, the stop watch came to zero and the team was victorious. “We’re a pretty strong team. If we work hard, we can’t be defeated,” sophomore Ranika Rone said. Other victories include Cypress Creek, 51-43; Dr. Phillips, 56-48; and Lakewood, 45-43. “We were down to five with a minute to go and came back to win on a 3-pointer with three seconds left against Lakewood,” Burke said. Earlier in the season, the team beat Lely, 45-40; Oviedo, 64-28; and The First Academy in the second annual Misty Cox preseason Classic, 49-41. “We always try to keep each others’ spirits up and give each other constructive criticism,” Vierling said. The team’s only loss as of Dec. 15 was against Colonial, 41-48. “[We need] to go 100 percent all the time. We’ve got to go hard at everything instead of being lazy,” Rone said. Burke has great expectations for her team. “Our goal is to win districts, win the Metro Conference, win regionals and win the championship,” Burke said. She expects the team to give their all and concentrate on growing and strengthening their weaknesses. “Last year we had a hard time managing the end of games and executing . This year we are a lot better at team management,” Burke said. She is not blind to their weaknesses but proud of her team. “The unique thing about Boone is the tradition. The players have a lot of pride,” Burke said.
CHARLIE HALL
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14 SNEAK peaks
Upcoming Concerts
ENTERTAINMENT FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008 •
Restaurant pleases local crowd FISH EATERY GIVES FEEL OF THE SOUTH
Between the Trees with Automatic Love Letter House of Blues; Dec. 19; 6:30 p.m.; $13.25
By ZOE COMPTON
To Write Love on Her Arms The Social; Jan. 11; 6 p.m.; $12-$15 3 Doors Down Hard Rock Live; Jan. 28; 7:30 p.m.; $45-$85
photo/ZOE COMPTON
Upcoming CDs
HI-LIGHTS
SEAFOOD IS IN. The fried shrimp basket, $11, had a crunchy coating and was filling enough for dinner.
Walking into Fish on Fire, the smell of seafood hits one before one even walks through the door. This local, mom-andpop place serves decent food and provides wonderful service. Although there was a group of seven teenagers, the waiter made all separate checks, refilled the drinks with speedy efficiency and even provided glow-in-the dark bracelets and pirate hats at the end of the meal. The average entrée price is $11 and there are a variety of seasonings for the meal, including Key West citrus and herb, mesquite smoked, jerk Caribbean barbeque and fire blackened. All entrees come with a side salad, bread, vegetables and a choice of a side. The side choices are black beans and rice,
pan fried red potatoes, french fries, potato salad or corn-onthe-cob. A majority of the meals come in a wicker basket, giving one a true feeling of the South. The Bimini trio, $13, consisted of a snow crab cluster, two skewers of shrimp and three stuffed shrimp. The crab was tender and served with melted butter. The shrimp skewers were seasoned perfectly with an array of lemon-flavored herbs. However, the stuffed shrimp were less than delicious. They were breaded heavily so that one could not taste the shrimp and it made it difficult to identify what the shrimp were stuffed with. Even though it is mainly a seafood restaurant, there is chicken, alligator, barbeque and burgers as well. The only vegetarian options are the side items, which include a variety of starches or a side salad. Fish on Fire has daily specials that make the local fish eatery
even better. Every Sunday and Wednesday, there are $.50 wings. Every Monday is home cooking night, with a $5 pork chop or chicken breast served with mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables and bread. Monday is also game night with Texas Hold ‘em and pool. Tuesday serves as an all-you-can-eat fish fry for $9, which is served with french fries, cole slaw and bread. Every Thursday is Jam Night where local musicians play. Lastly, every Friday night there are steel drums playing on the patio and a happy hour buffet. Another special feature about Fish on Fire is that they will take the fish one has caught and cook it any style, for only $10. This fee includes a salad, bread and two sides of one’s choice. This local mom-and-pop fish restaurant has decent food and serves its purpose of being a quick place to eat regardless of a busy day.
B
GOOD ENOUGH FOR TEENS
7937 Daetwyler Drive Hours: Sun-Thurs 11 a.m.11 p.m. Fri and Sat 11 a.m. -1 a.m. Fish on Fire hats, BBQ sauce, shirts and CDs for sale Desserts: Key lime pie and banana cream pie, $4
Novel portrays American racism
Dec. 21Savage Savage Island Dec. 29Sarah McLachlan Closer
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Jan. 27Ciara Fantasy Ride
GOOD ENOUGH FOR TEENS
Upcoming Movies Dec. 25 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Rating: PG-13 Genre: Drama Director: David
Book: Towelhead Author: Alicia Erian Price: $12 Publisher: Simon & Schuster
CHARACTERS INVOKE NO SYMPATHY By EMILY O’LOANE
Though painfully explicit and graphic, Towelhead by Alicia Erian provides a simplistic and absorbing story of a Lebanese girl dealing with racism, war, rape and child abuse in early 1990s suburbia. Set in Houston, Texas, at the outbreak of the first Gulf War, 13-year-old Jasira is sent by her immature mother to live with her strict Lebanese birth father after she is accused of seducing her mother’s boyfriend. Once in Houston, Jasira
gets a job babysitting her army reservist neighbor’s bigoted nine-year-old son Zach who calls her racial slurs like “towelhead” and “sand n*****.” Mr. Vuoso, Zach’s father, also begins to make sexual advances towards Jasira, constantly accusing her of being desirable and even once giving her a Playboy magazine. Jasira’s divorced father also creates problems for Jasira. Demanding and controlling, Rifat even sometimes leaves Jasira home alone at nights to stay with his girlfriend at her house. To relieve his frustration over the prejudice he faces for being Lebanese, Rifat resorts to abusing Jasira verbally,
emotionally and physically. Her only safe haven in Houston is with her neighbor Melina, who is like the mother Jasira never had. Jasira is truly a character of the time. Her faults are a product of the war going on in the Gulf and the discrimination she receives because of it. Though innocent and honest, she begins to get fairly irksome to the reader as the novel wears on due to her pushover attitude and inability to say no, even when she is getting raped. None of the characters in the novel make the reader feel sympathetic or connected to them in any way, with the exception
of Jasira and her motherly neighbor Melina. A downfall of the novel is the fact that the rest of the characters are developed in such a disgusting way as to make the reader feel absolutely no sympathy or connection to them or their lives. Mr. Vuoso is possibly one of the most detestable and repugnant characters developed in a recent novel. He actually makes one shiver in disgust at points throughout the book. Jasira’s father’s character flaws are also often too much for the reader to handle. Not only is he angry and a child abuser, but he is also a hypocritical racist. The novel, however, hits its
stride when describing the racial tensions that erupt between Mr. Vuoso and Rifat. In one of the most poignant scenes of the book, Rifat buys an American flag to compete with Mr. Vuoso over who is the better American. The characters in the novel are one-dimensional and the plot is fairly tiring due to its repugnant topics, but Towelhead manages to provide a unique story that captures the racial stereotypes and prejudices that existed well into the 1990s and even today. An insightful look into the plight of the Arab culture in America, Towelhead is worth reading despite its graphic explicitness.
SUGGESTED
A
Fincher Based on a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) is a man who ages in reverse. Set in the 1920s, this movie also stars Cate Blanchett.
SIMPLY THE BEST
Seven Pounds Opens Dec. 19 Rating: PG-13 for thematic material and some disturbing content Genre: Drama Director: Gabriele Muccino Actors: Will Smith and Rosario Dawson
Dec. 25 Marley & Me
Rating: PG Genre: Comedy Director: David Frankel A writer (Owen Wilson) and his wife (Jennifer Aniston) move to Florida and adopt a mischievous puppy who they name Marley.
Dec. 25 The Spirit
Rating: PG13 Genre: Action Director: Frank Miller Based on the comic book series by Will Eisner a cop (Gabriel Macht) battles super villians.
photo/SONY PICTURES
Smith ‘pounds’ at heartstrings By DAVID MATTESON
Upcoming Books Jan. 13 Mounting Fears
Stuart Woods $26 The incumbent president, William Lee, faces a string of crises in the year of reelection. His vice president died in surgery and replaced by a man entangled in a messy love triangle. These events along with others may cost him the re-election.
Jan. 27 The Associate
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John Grisham $28 Kyle McAvoy, a Yale graduate, becomes an associate at one of the world’s largest law firms and is forced to lie, cheat and steal. He becomes involved in a scheme that could cost him everything.
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In the opening sequence of Seven Pounds, a desperate man makes a 911 call to report a suicide. When asked who the victim is, he states, “I am.” The man, who is later revealed as Bill Thomas, is played by Will Smith. The skilled actor’s portrayal of this grieving man is captivating. He has a strong sense of confidence incorporated with a high level of mystery that draws in the audience. Intense sequences where Smith is tortured by memories of his wife’s death showcase Smith’s talent. Bill is an IRS agent, secretly searching for seven kind hearted people in order to “drastically” change their lives for the better. The reasoning behind this search isn’t revealed to the audience until the conclusion of the movie. This mystery serves as the central conflict and keeps viewers perplexed until the end credits. Along the way, Bill finds Emily (Rosario Dawson of Rent), a woman with congenital heart failure. Poignantly, the woman, who has been told her heart will fail in less than six weeks, falls in love with Bill. Other people who Bill deems as worthy include a blind man named Ezra (Woody Harrelson of Semi-Pro) and an abused woman named Connie (Elpidia Carrillo of Nine Lives). All of these people receive a life altering
gift from Bill. For example, Connie receives Bill’s beach house, where she and her children take refuge from her abusive boyfriend. All of the actors stay true to their characters. They successfuly deliver the passion and kindness of their characters. In fear of being labeled “hoaky,” each actor portrays his or her “good” character without melodrama. Not only does the movie showcase the passion of its actors, it is a striking story of human morality. It is a tale of how one may redeem himself through acts of kindness. The audience will find themselves suppressing tears as the story unfolds. The beauty of the film is not just restricted to its message, but is also shown in artistic scenery and symbols. In one sequence Bill and Emily are contemplating their feelings for each other in a gorgeous California field with acres of tall grass. Bill’s beach house is also a stunning set where, as he puts it “the soul can heal.” The producers continued their artistic approach to the film through the use of symbols. A jellyfish reoccurrs as a beautiful but deadly creature. By the conclusion of the film, viewers will realize Bill’s intentions. However, despite his noble actions, the question still remains whether a man can ever truly be redeemed for his actions?
E N T E R T A I N M E N T 15 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008 •
HI-LIGHTS
Factory makes the scene 4
JUST fun
DOWNTOWN COMES ALIVE WITH CITYARTS By EA CARTWRIGHT
1
2 photos/EA CARTWRIGHT
FACTORY TURNS OUT ART. 1. “Pound” the gallery is one of CityArts feature exhibits. “Pound” is the vision of Jim Faherty and Gene Zimmerman. In the gallery, they wish to create and illuminate the energy that sparks when art and music unite. 2. In CityArts Factory, senior Paige Preston strolls through the central hallway. “I really appreciate and love urban art, and I like that there is a place that supports it,” Preston said. CityArts is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Orlando is known for its tourist attractions over any other facet. However, in the years past and future, Orlando, or Ourlando as the local artists and activists call it, has been taking baby steps towards becoming an art capital. People have noticed the budding music scene which is housed in local venues such as Backbooth, The Social and Black Box Collective. These places host an arsenal of music ranging from grungy hardcore to flamboyant hip-hop. The music cannot stand alone, and the art scene has taken giant steps since its appearance two years ago. The center of all this artistic mayhem is the CityArts Factory on the corner of Pine Street and Orange Avenue in the crux of downtown. This white two story building is exactly what it is named—a factory. Inside this complex, artists are constantly creating and innovating new ways to capture their audience. Glass blowing, sculpting, painting, photography and film are just the beginning of the CityArts factory. Visitors can see the artists working in their workshops, as well as their creations on display throughout the brightly lit gallery. Maintaining its art theme, Café Roho blends into the factory like creamer into an espresso. A Cuban coffee shop dedicated to anything of Hispanic origin, Café Roho is truly unique. Unlike other downtown coffee shops, it offers a comforting atmosphere with couches, mood lighting and warm paintings on the wall. Café Roho is also an art gallery within itself. The art pieces that
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adorn the walls must be created by an artist of Hispanic descent or have a Hispanic theme. These paintings are made by local artists and are for sale. Café Roho’s main moneymaker is the Cuban coffee, known as espresso ($1.50) or espresso macchiato ($1.65), which is classic Cuban coffee with a dollop of steamed milk. CityArts Factory is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Cafe Roho is open from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Both are closed Sundays. The CityArts Factory is the new art district of downtown, even though it’s only one building. The towering white building has rejuvenated downtown and has attracted a different, more eclectic crowd.
UPCOMING EVENTS ‘Tis the Season (Midnight Light Show) When: Sat, Dec. 20 at Midnight Where: Science Center Planetarium Cost: $23 Capones Holiday Show When: Tues, Dec. 23 Where: Capone’s Dinnner Theater Cost: $50
Companies honor birthdays By VICTORIA BOATMAN
A huge tourist venue, Orlando offers its citizens some very impressive deals when it comes to one’s birthday.One can visit the world renowned Walt Disney World for free just by signing up on their Web site at disneyparks.disney.go.com. Though only valid for one person, one should go with friends and family to make it a very magical day. Check out the list below for all of the possibilities. With these choices, there’s sure to be something for everyone to help make one’s birthday a very special day. Applebee’s- Free dessert with purchase of an entrée. BJ’s- Free pazookie with purchase of an entrée Black Angus Steakhouse- Free entree Chilis- Free dessert; join club at www. chilis.com/emailclub Cold Stone Creamery will send an e-mail with a coupon for a free ice cream creation to enjoy. Sign up at coldstonecreamery.com. Disney- A free entry for your 2009 birthday to anyone of the Disneyland® Resort theme parks with sign up at disneyparks.disney. go.com. Annual pass holders can receive other benefits such as a birthday fun card equal to that of a one day park ticket or a one day park ticket for you to use anytime until your next birthday. Einstein Bros. Bagels- Free sandwich Kobe’s Japanese steakhouse and sushi barreceive $15 off with any entree. Firehouse Subs - Join the Firehouse Subs Birthday Club and enjoy a free sub on your birthday. Visit http://www.firehousesubs.com/ birthday/ to sign up.
Last Comic Standing Live! When: Sat, Dec. 27 Where: Hard Rock Live Cost: $45
Hollywood Video - Free rental with card membership. In fact, anyone on your account can get a free rental on his/her birthday. Macaroni Grill - Free dessert plus a song
Footloose ‘80’s dance night When: Fri, Jan. 2 at Midnight Where: The Backbooth Cost: $4 RV’s Urban Art Experience When: Tues, Jan. 6 Where: CityArts Cost: Free
Outback Steakhouse- Free appetizer of your choice P.F. Changs - Free dessert with a purchase of an entrée. T. G. I Fridays- Free birthday dessert Tony Roma’s – Free dessert with purchase of an entrée.
got game. got smarts. got cliques. got spirit.
GOT YOURS? legend 2009
Yearbook 2009 on sale now!
$75 (until Jan. 30)
Mail your order today or Come to Room 224 Name of student*: _________________________ Parent name: ________________________
Grade: ________
Phone #: ________________
Address: _______________________________________________________ City/Zip: _______________________ *If you are ordering more than one book, please photo copy this and submit one for each student.
Mail check or money orders only (NO cash) to: Boone High School Yearbook, 2000 S. Mills Avenue, Orlando, FL 32806
(Receipts will be given to your child, unless you provide a self addressed stamped envelope.)
PHOTO ESSAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2008 •
RUNNING MAN. On Oct. 24, against the Cypress Creek Bears, senior James Washington III runs the ball down the line. “We have to show every opponent that we’re the best team around and that we can’t be stopped,” Washington said. He ran 1778 yards and made 22 touchdowns.
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HI-LIGHTS
3-peat
By LAURA UNCAPHER
Hearts pounding and adrenaline rushing, the varsity boys’ football team waits with anticipation to run through the banner onto the field to play in the state 6A semifinal game. On Dec. 12, at Seminole High School, the two teams battled to play Miami Northwestern in the 6A state finals at the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. During the regular season, the boys played tough opponents such as Dr. Phillips to ultimately make it to the state semifinals. They held their record at 8-2 during the regular season. Learning from their mistakes, they took to the road to defend their class 6A regional title. Driving to Sarasota to play Riverview High School on Nov. 21 for the regional quarterfinals, the boys beat the Rams in a shutout, 38-0. “Our greatest strength is that we play as a team. It is all about teamwork there are no all stars,” head coach Phil Ziglar said. Coming back to Central Florida, the Braves played the Dr. Phillips Panthers on Nov. 28, who they lost to in the district championship. With the Braves leading in the first quarter, 14-0, the Panthers were able to secure a touchdown in the second quarter. Defense held the game, 14-7, forcing three fumbles and eventually ensuring a win.
Getting revenge against Dr. Phillips, the Braves travelled to Royal Palm Beach High School on Dec. 5. Winning, 31-6, the boys won their third consecutive regional championship title. These wins brought them to the state semifinals to play the Seminole High School Noles. In the first half, running back James Washington III made a touchdown and kicker Joshua Pruitt kicked a field goal to lead 10-0. In the second half, the Noles scored two touchdowns, causing anxiety for the sea of orange and white. Quarterback Samuel Hutsell answered back 15 seconds later to throw an 80-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Keith to gain the lead, 17-14. In the last minute of the game, however, the Noles scored a touchdown securing their place in the state finals. The Braves were unable to make a comeback in such a short amount of time. With a final score of 17-21, the boys ended the season with a 12-3 record. “We made some mistakes, but when you are playing in a big game like that you can’t make those mistakes, mental or physical,” Ziglar said. Despite not making a repeat trip to states, the senior players hold the record for the most titles and have won more games than any other team in the Reservation’s history.
1 photo/MADISON SMITH
2 photo/MADISON SMITH
photo/SYDNEY MORMAN
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photo/MADISON SMITH
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4. FUMBLE. Against West Orange, defensive back Joseph Martinson grabs for the ball after West Orange fumbled it. “I get excited after a great play because I know it is helping out the team. There are a lot of emotions,” Martinson said. They beat West Orange, 38-0. Martinson has 70 tackles and three touchdowns throughout this season’s games. 5. KICK THAT BALL. In the first quarter against West Orange, senior Joshua Pruitt kicks the ball for a field goal. “Before every game we try to get the crowd involved and I get pumped by yelling along with the chants,” Pruitt said. At the Sarasota game on Nov.. 21, Pruitt broke 200 points over the course of his high school kicking career. He is the first kicker in Central Florida to do so.
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1. PEP TALK. On the sidelines, defensive coordinator Tom Carlson strategizes with the defensive backs. “During pep talks, it really sinks in that the game is more than us. It matters to the coaches, the players and the Boone community,” senior Jeremy Coffman said. Coffman blocked one field goal. 2. CLOSE CATCH. Jumping up for a catch, senior Michael Keith is tackled mid-air by a Winter Springs’s player. Keith scored six touchdowns throughout the season. 3. HURDLE. Diving for a couple yards, quarterback Samuel Hutsell carries the ball through the mass of players. “We pretty much can’t take anyone lightly, can’t lose focus and got to keep working,” Hutsell said.
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photo/DSP
HERE THEY COME... Before every game, the football team runs through a banner. The boys try to pump up the crowd with their enthusiasm. They played 15 games this season.
photo/MARK LOYACK
6. GOTCHA. On Aug. 29 against Winter Springs, running back Al Graham gets tackled by a Winter spring’s player. The boys beat the Bears in the pre-season classic 7. HOME FREE. In the West Orange game, wide receiver Matthew Roy sprints past the 20-yard line. “I get pretty proud when I make a big play; it makes me want to make another one,” Roy said. Roy made 14 receptions and one return kick throughout the season.
6 photo/MARK LOYACK
photo/DSP