The Growl - Graduation 2013

GROWL The Growl

THE

A Student Publication of Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy

1

May 2013

Opinions

2 THE

GROWL Volume 10

Issue 6

Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy 5625 Holy Trinity Drive Melbourne, FL 32940 (321) 723-8323 news@htes.org Ally Neutze Editor-in-Chief Megan McCreery Feature Editor Patrick Black Opinion Editor Bobby Forman Web Editor Catie Sergis Sports Editor Staff Reporters Andrea Bomalaski Suzannah Boyle Paige Golson Alyssa Nelson Jenny Ryan Sam Woods

Adviser Jim Hale Headmaster Catherine A. Ford Printing Indian River Press

The Growl

Letter from the Editor As the class of 2013 begins to count down our final days and we wrap up our high school careers, it is hard not to get a little emotional.

After May 18th, I will have completed my time here at Holy Trinity and also my editorship with The Growl. This year has been absolutely amazing and I could not have asked for a better staff. We worked hard as a team to produce the best issues possible and I am confident that next year will be just as wonderful with Catie Sergis in charge as Editor-inChief.

The wonderful thing about taking a class like Newspaper is that it is unlike any other class. You don’t sit and get lectured for 48 minutes on the importance of knowing the quadratic equation, or how many atoms make up a molecule -- you work together with people to solve problems and come up with solutions,

which are things we are all going to have to do in the real world.

I can honestly say that of all the things I am going to miss at Holy Trinity, my time in the journalism department will be missed the most. I will miss brainstorming for stories, distribution days, and my staff.

Catie, I will miss your looks of enthusiasm and annoyance.

Suzannah, Paige, and Alyssa, I will miss all the selfies you three took on my phone.

Andrea, I will miss your beautiful photos.

Jenny, I will miss your stories coming in perfect and ready to be published, and also your quiet humor.

Sam, I guess I will miss all of the absurd ideas that you come up with because quite honestly, it entertains me.

Thank you all for making my job so easy and so much fun.

But there is still one person

whom I have to thank because without him, none of this would have been possible, and that is Mr. Hale.

Throughout these past four years, he has helped me in more ways than he will ever know.

Over the course of the fourteen semesters we’ve spent together, he’s been my teacher in the classroom who has challenged me to become a better writer, but more importantly my mentor in life who has made me a better person. He has believed in me and encouraged me every step of the way and without him I would not have achieved my goal of becoming Editor-inChief, or be writing this letter.

Mr. Hale, thank you for all that you have done and for all of the opportunities you have given me -- I will forever cherish my memories in Room 203.

Signing off, I’m Ally Neutze. Thanks for stopping by -- Ally Neutze Editor-in-Chief

Cover Photo The Class of 2013 Cover Photo by Andrea Bomalaski

The Growl is published monthly during the school year by students of Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy. The publication is a public forum, with its student editorial board making all decisions concerning its contents.

Unsigned editorials express the view of the majority of the editorial board.

Letters to the editor are welcomed and will be published as space allows.

Letters must be signed and will be verified.

The paper reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and clarity, and all letters are subject to laws governing obscenity, libel, privacy and disruption of the school process, as are all contents of the paper.

Op i n i o n s i n l e t t e r s ar e not necessarily those of the staff, nor should any opinion expressed in a public forum be construed as the opinion or policy of the administration, unless so attributed.

The senior Growl staff members, from left, Patrick Black, Megan McCreery, Ally Neutze, and Bobby Forman with Mr. Hale.

The Growl

3

What I Learned on the Way to Graduation

By Patrick Black As my senior year is coming to a close, I look back on my years here at Holy Trinity and wonder how I got here.

The one thing I have figured out during my time at Holy Trinity is that you should never lose sight of your goals. While that may seem obvious, it is surprising to see people who, instead of focusing on their goals as much as possible, decide to spend their time fighting battles that do not matter in the long run.

I have met some of those people and I have been that person myself at times.

They do exist, and there is plenty to learn from them.

When I was a sophomore, there was a new director of the Upper School whose strict enforcement of the rules was not well-received by the students. However, instead of trying to say anything to anyone in the administration, most students took to just complaining in class. And it was not just regular complaining. It was all-out rants that took several days of class time, which is saying something considering that anyone who has been around me knows I complain about everything.

The thing I noticed is that people were wasting their time moaning and groaning

which I found very distracting. While I did agree with many of the students, I did find that the battle they were fighting was just not worth it. It was more of an inconvenience to try to rebel than it was to actually follow the rules.

I, like what many others figured, just dealt with the situation and concentrated on what mattered most -- doing well in school and having fun with my friends.

However, I often find myself in situations where I am the person who is wasting their energy.

There have been classes in the past that I disliked to say the least. Often times in these classes (which are once again going unnamed) if I felt that the work given was a waste of my time, I would do everything in my power to not do it. I procrastinated on many things, but here I took it to a whole new level to the point where I was doing homework the day after it was due.

Furthermore, this rebellion of sorts would cause me to stay up much later than I needed to because I would constantly debate with everyone around me whether the work was a waste of time or not.

This lack of sleep was not good as it not only ruined me mentally for school the

next day, but my body would start feeling physical pain from more than three days of only three to four hours of sleep.

It took me only six years of using this method to come to the conclusion that doing the work itself was a much easier task, and that by procrastinating I wasted even more time. Now I didn’t do this for every class, and I didn’t do it all the time, but I did it frequently enough for it to be a problem.

I have found through my many experiences in both school and in life that sometimes doing the agonizing, boring work, or following the rules despite their ridiculousness, is the easier to do.

I find that learning to not fight unnecessary battles and instead use that energy to accomplish what you really need to is the much better option.

From what I have observed, you should only fight battles that really impede your progress instead of ones that will get you no further to your goal.

If the answer to the question, “Is it worth it?” is “No,” then use that energy for something else.

The Growl

4

Ford looks to the future

By Ally Neutze In 1988 when Mrs. Catherine Ford became the Headmaster of Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy, no one would have imagined that she would take the school to the heights that she has.

At the time, Holy Trinity was a small 5-acre campus off of Strawbridge Avenue consisting of approximately 140 students.

However, Mrs. Ford had a vision to expand the school to create a second 40-acre junior high and high school campus.

“It’s been a 25 year job that’s been a 24/7 job,” said Mrs. Ford, who spent time teaching at Melbourne High School and volunteering throughout the Brevard

community before coming to Holy Trinity.

“Before I came here, I was president of the Junior League of South Brevard, and that’s where I got my administrative skills,” said Mrs. Ford. “When I was president of the Junior League we adopted the Festival of Trees and The Haven as our projects. At the end of my presidency at the Junior League I became the first president of The Haven.

That’s where I learned about acquiring real estate like we had to do for Holy Trinity and a lot of government things -- writing bylaws, negotiating big contracts -- all that stuff I learned in the volunteer community before I came to Holy Trinity.”

While serving as Headmaster of Holy Trinity, Mrs. Ford also served on many community organization boards, such as the board of directors for Health First, and national boards, such as the National Association of Episcopal Schools.

“Being at Holy Trinity, I’ve gotten really involved in the independent school community. I served for many years on the board of directors for Florida Council of Independent Schools, which is our accrediting body,” said Mrs. Ford. “Then I was on the board for Sewanee and spent nine years as a trustee. I’m still on the governing board for the National Association of

The Growl

Episcopal Schools (NAES) and have my last meeting coming up. I’ve spent six years there, but you have to be in an Episcopal School to serve, so I’ll be saying goodbye to that.”

Mrs. Ford believes that serving on these boards has helped her better our school.

“Sewanee and NAES are two national presences; it’s helped me so much to know what’s out there and to help me bring some of that back to us,” said Mrs. Ford.

After all of the time, effort, and work Mrs. Ford has given to the Holy Trinity community over the last 25 years, it is no surprise that she is excited to spend her retirement enjoying time with family, especially her daughters and three-year-old grandson.

“It’s the little things I’m looking forward to. My house is going to be clean, my garden is going to have flowers in it. And I’ll spend time with the people I love and that love me,” said Mrs. Ford. “I’ll get to spend more time with my daughters and grandson. I’ll get to see more of them and when they are visiting me, I’m going to be at home rather than at work. I’m so excited about that, because my daughter with the grandson comes for the whole summer and I never get to see them. You know, I come home for dinner and that’s it. And by that time, the grandson is going to sleep and then in the morning when he wakes up, I’m leaving for work. So those are my priorities.”

Mrs. Ford also wants to continue giving back to the greater Brevard community.

“I’m not big into traveling the world or any of those things -- I just want to do things.

I want to volunteer here in the community.

I want to continue my association with Health First, and then maybe pick up some other special interests in the community volunteering,” said Mrs. Ford. “There are so many needs out there and I think my heart really is in the underserved. I’d like to get involved in some areas where people are not well served. There are so many people with so many needs and in so many areas in this community. I think the Children’s Hunger Project is really good -- 1500 homeless school-age children in our community. So I’d like to get involved with things like that, but I’m not going to do anything for a while.”

Although the time has come for Mrs. Ford to retire, her impact on the Holy Trinity

5

community will leave a lasting impression.

“I love my job, and the people that I get to work with, and I’m going to miss it a lot, but I know the time is right for the school and for me,” she said.“And also, I think that I like the idea of graduating with the class of 2013.”

Left: Mrs. Catherine Ford sits with her daughter Anne, grandson Dalton, and daughter Eleanor.

Below: Mrs. Ford and Rev. Alex Boyer, founding rector of the lower school, break ground at the upper school campus.

The Growl

6

Summer Camps

By Paige Golson

When people hear the word summer, they think of the beach, no school, and lots of down time. But some people consider summer as a time for camps. Summer camps seem to be popular at Holy Trinity.

Sophomore Emma Rylander goes to Camp Crestridge in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Camp Crestridge is an all-girls camp where they stay in cabins from two to eight weeks.

“I’m going to this camp because I like having the independence and opportunity to meet new people in a really fun environment,” said Rylander.

Camp Crestridge was originally a Christian camp but is now open to all girls of different religions and cultures. They do lots of exciting activities like archery, rock climbing, white water rafting, and scavenger hunts.

Many students will attend sport camps.

Eighth-grader Talia Douglas is going to World Series at Vero Beach, Florida. This is a softball camp where only 55 girls from throughout the country come and join the camp. Douglas was fortunate enough to be asked.

“I hope to improve my hitting and fielding skills,” said Douglas. “There will be college scouts watching us while we practice and play.”

The World Series camp lasts one week and five or seven teams are created so they can play against each other. Douglas is most excited to improve her skills.

Junior Robert Morgan is also going to a sports camp this summer. Morgan is going

to Indiana University Diving Academy.

Morgan got an invitation letter from the university and is spending two weeks there.

“I’m hoping to get a two and a half in all directions,” said Morgan. “I want to get back and gainer twisters and improve the little aspects of my board work.”

Sophomore Zach Funk is going to be spending a lot of his summer at lacrosse camps. Funk is going to many different colleges in the New England area. There will

be many scouts looking to recruit players when they are seniors. Usually each camp is three days long, and they play three to four games each day with meals in between. At the end of the day the coaches talk to the players about how to get recruited.

“The kids that come to these camps come to play. They don’t goof around,” said Funk.

“It is like a business trip.”

Funk gets to learn how other players from around the country train and practice.

The Growl

These camps will help to really improve Funk’s skills.

Sophomore Amy Jameson also goes to a camp in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

Camp Merri Mac is a five week camp and is also an all girls camp. Jameson takes eight activities and rotates four each day.

“My favorite activity is kayaking because it is a lot harder than it looks. It is a little scary too because you are strapped into a boat,” said Jameson. “I learned things like my T-rescue, wet exit, and kayaking roll.”

Jameson found Camp Merri Mac because her mom’s friend went there as a little girl and Jameson’s sister Meg is a counselor there as well.

“The best part about camp is being with my friends,” said Jameson. “Though we don’t see each other during the year, I love being with them all summer” Some students even go out of the country for camps. Junior Catie Sergis is going to Greece this summer for camp. Sergis is going with her youth group for three weeks.

7

They travel to different islands in Greece and hang out at camp and go to the beach on the weekends.

“I’m most excited to travel to all the different islands and to meet new people,” said Sergis.

Sometimes students go to camps to be counselors instead of campers. Sophomore Brett Hausman has been an assistant manager for three years at Carolyne Seiler’s Art Camp. This camp goes on for one week in Cocoa Village. Hausman became assistant manager because he used to go there as a kid, and he loved it so much he wanted to help the little kids have as much fun as he did.

Hausman helps the kids by getting them set up, figuring out what they want to draw, and then cleaning up.

“My favorite part about camp is at the end of the day. I have a smile on my face because I got to help out all the little kids,” said Hausman.

Left: Sophomore Emma Rylander attends camp in the mountains of North Carolina.

She enjoys the freedom of camp and making new friends.

Above: Sophomore Amy Jameson, second from left, goes to Camp Merri Mac in North Carolina. Her favorite part is hanging out with her friends after a year of not seeing them.

The Growl

8

Seniors Present Year’s Work

By Bobby Forman During this time of year when students are carefully going over the course catalog looking for classes, many juniors are contemplating doing a senior thesis for their senior year.

Senior Thesis is an independent class where students choose a topic they’re interested in and do a self-led study for a year, ending in a large project and presentation in May. Senior Ally Neutze chose to do her senior thesis project by creating a documentary about the different interpretations of love.

Neutze came up with her project idea the summer inbetween her junior and senior year.

“I had come up with the project idea over the summer and then I found out about Senior Thesis. I was going to do the project anyway so I figured why not get graded on it,” said Neutze.

Many students enjoy the freedom that Senior Thesis allows them to have. While many classes have a strict, rigid curriculum, Senior Thesis allows students to be creative

and explore topics that interest them.

“I enjoyed the freedom to be creative,” said Neutze.

However, with such freedom comes a lot of responsibility to stay on track throughout the course of a year. Senior Patrick Black, whose project was to create a short film, felt this was the hardest part of the year.

“Trying to stay on track was the hardest part. There is no teacher to tell you what to do,” Black said.

Many students do their Senior Thesis project because they want to study a particular topic in college or because it was already a hobby they had.

“I do plan on doing some film as a hobby in college. Georgia Tech has a campus film festival every year I’m planning on doing,” said Black.

Senior Dolan Bortner incorporated his love of art into his Senior Thesis project.

His project was a comparative study of art history through architecture.

“I’ve always had a passion for the classics. I thought this would be a good

way to incorporate those interests,” said Bortner.

Senior Thesis students are responsible for doing their learning on their own.

“I used a lot of databases [for research],” said Bortner. “Also, I was in Japan about a month ago. While there I took note of their buildings and use of space.”

For juniors thinking about taking the class next year, the current Senior Thesis Project presentations were May 1st and mandatory to attend. This gives the rising seniors an idea of what is expected of them.

Junior Josh Rain is considering doing a Senior Thesis project next year.

“I want to design a robot that uses pneumatics and shoots an air cannon, as well as learn about pneumatics,” said Rain.

“I want to do a Senior Thesis because it will give me the opportunity to learn something that I am interested in and hope to pursue a career in.”

Senior Dolan Bortner works on his Senior Thesis presentation. The presentations took place on May 1st in the Tiger Cafe.

The Growl

9

Survival of the Fittest

By Alyssa Nelson s the seniors approach the end of their high school career, many of them look back and remember the great memories they had and the challenges they faced. They often think about things they know now that they wish they would have known then.

Senior Gabriela Aguilo-Seara feels that one of the most important parts of high school is focusing on your GPA and not procrastinating.

“I wish I would have known how important a GPA is. I think I probably focused too much on extra curriculars, but those can't make up for a weaker GPA if you want to get into a highly selective school,” Aguilo-Seara said.

Many seniors think that trying different techniques until you find the best one for you will help to achieve your goals.

“For example, it's kind of embarrassing, but when I got tired of drawing to study for AP Bio, I'd read my book aloud with different bad accents. It's also really important to make a list of goals and schools that you want to go to with their requirements and put them somewhere really obvious so you are reminded of them every day,” said Aguilo-Seara.

Senior Dolan Bortner also believes a GPA is important.

“Remember to pay attention in class, and seriously strive to attain maximum academic performance,” Bortner said. “It'll ease some of the stress when applying to college.”

Senior Brianna Wahy thinks the key to success in high school is your freshman and sophomore years.

“Work harder ninth and tenth grade year and kind of know the GPA you need to get into the schools you are thinking of because in eleventh and twelfth grade when you are applying, it's too late if you messed your grades up then,” said Wahy.

Senior Emily Jameson wishes she would have taken harder classes throughout high school.

“I wish I would have challenged myself more and gotten more college credit,” said Jameson.

Many seniors believe their high school years went by way too fast, and some

A

even regret not taking advantage of all the opportunities Holy Trinity has to offer.

“It'll be over before you know it, so enjoy every step of the way,” said senior Calvin Quigley.

Bortner has more advice for underclassmen.

“Join student government, run for Mr. Tiger, and ask out whoever suits your fancy. When you get to your senior year of high school, you don't care so much about

how awkward and quiet you were in junior high,” said Bortner. “What you regret are missed opportunities -- experiences that you wish you could have back again.”

Senior P.J. Rodriguez shows freshman Stacey Torkelson the best water fountain on campus. Holy Trinity upperclassmen often give advice to underclassmen to help them get through their high school years.

The Growl

10

Comeback Kids

By Suzannah Boyle Some Holy Trinity students leave the school for a change of scenery -the allure of life at another school.

Some of them come back, if given the option.

Junior Mackenzie Hennis started going to Holy Trinity in first grade and then left her sophomore year to attend Viera High School for one year. Hennis left because she wanted to experience public school.

“Even though sometimes it’s miserable, it’s like home for me,” said Hennis in regards to Holy Trinity.

Hennis said that the best part about Holy Trinity is that it’s like a big family and everyone is there for you if you need it.

“I feel like people are always welcoming if you’re the same to them,” Hennis said.

Some students feel that Holy Trinity is all around a better fit for them. Junior Taylor Wilson left Holy Trinity in eighth grade to attend Edgewood School of Choice. Wilson decided to come back to Holy Trinity in the second semester of her freshman year.

“I came back because my parents felt that it was a better fit for me scholastically and that it was just a better school all around where I could receive a better education,” said Wilson.

Now a sophomore at Stanford Online High School, Katie Hoagland started at Holy Trinity as a seventh grader and left after her ninth grade year, looking for a school with a more flexible schedule.

Hoagland plans on coming back to Holy

The Growl

11

“I feel like people are always welcoming if you’re the same to them.”

Junior Mackenzie Hennis reflecting on her return to Holy Trinity

Trinity next year because she values having teachers in person to help her with her school work.

“I miss being in school with my friends and my new school isn’t anywhere near as flexible as I predicted it would be,” said Hoagland.

Holy Trinity is known for its tight-knit community feeling.

Sophomore Katie Higgins started attending Holy Trinity in seventh grade and left after her freshman year because she wanted to have a change of scenery.

Higgins returned to Holy Trinity the second semester of her sophomore year.

“My parents felt like I was a lot happier when I was at Holy Trinity,” said Higgins.

Higgins said that her favorite thing about Holy Trinity is the fact that everyone knows each other, which is hard to find at a large public school like Viera.

“My least favorite part about Viera was how crowded the hallways were,” said Higgins.

Hennis also agrees that at Viera it was easy to get lost in the crowd.

Holy Trinity’s close-knit, caring environment is appealing to many students and is hard to find anywhere else.

Left: Sophomore Katie Higgins holds up her Viera Hawks hoodie. Higgins is among a group of students who have returned after leaving HT. Right: Junior Taylor Wilson spent some time at Edgewood before returning to HT during her freshman year.

The Growl

12

Boys Track D

By Catie Sergis

In the past, our school has always performed remarkably well at the track and field state meets, and this year was no exception.

The boys team placed first overall making it their second state championship title in Holy Trinity history.

Senior Alex Brown had many victories this year at the state level. He became the cross country state champion; he was a member of the 4x800 state championship team, and he was the 1600 meter state champion. He also took third place in the 3200 meter race.

“The 4x800 team was very solid, and we had a decent lead when I got the baton,” said Brown. “In the mile, Cole and I went one and two in a crazy race. I was really happy we

could go one and two like Joey and Daniel did in the two mile last year. In the 3200 meter race I was just really tired, but it was okay because we were already able to score a lot of points.”

Senior Cole Oliver also knows what it feels like to experience some of these victories. At the state meet Oliver was a part of the winning 4x800 team. He also went head to head with Brown in the 1600 meter race.

“It was bittersweet. It would’ve been nice to win, but going one and two with Alex was awesome. It was just bitter because I lost by 1900ths of a second. It was still nice to stand on the podium with Alex,” said Oliver.

Both Brown and Oliver will be competing at the college level next year -- Brown at

Columbia University and Oliver at the University of Kentucky.

Oliver was also part of a 4X400 relay team with sophomores Demetrius Shaw, Daniel Welch, and senior Michael Cacciatore. This relay team placed eighth overall.

“In the 4x4 we weren’t really motivated because we already knew we won overall,” said Shaw.

Senior Marques Burgman worked hard to get to the top of the podium this year, and took first place in the 110 hurdles.

“I felt really good warming up for my 110s. I knew I was going to have a good race because I was posted first in the prelims,” said Burgman.

Burgman has high aspirations after his high school career. He plans to attend the University of Florida in the fall to run track and field.

“After college, God willing, I plan to run as an Olympic Hurdler in Rio,” said Burgman.

This year was junior James Lovett’s first year on the Holy Trinity track team.

He received fourth place overall in the 100 meter race.

“I was excited to place fourth, because I didn’t think I would place at all. Next year I hope to get first in the 100, 200, and 4x100,” said Lovett.

The girls team came in second place just 16 points behind Maclay.

“The girls were predicted to come in second, and we ended up having a couple more points than I thought we would.

Maclay just has a good team, and they have a fast senior on the team,” said Track and Field Head Coach Doug Butler.

Sophomore McKenzie Kilborne had a very successful track season. Her 4x100 relay team comprised of juniors Daryth Gayles, Gaby Gayles, and freshman Alisha Pound, won a state championship. Kilborne also earned first place in high jump.

“I hurt my back the night before the meet, so I was a little worried. I just stretched a lot and took Advil before my events,” said Kilborne.

The Growl

13

Does It Again Despite this being Kilborne’s first state title, she knows what it takes to be a state champion, and has advice for athletes who want to compete at the next level.

“Don’t let people’s size intimidate you. I was the shortest one in my high jump event, and the runner up was 5’9,” said Kilborne.

Gaby and Daryth Gayles have high hopes for their next track season.

“We want girls to win overall next year,” said Gaby, who won the 400 meter event.

Like Gaby, this was not sophomore Julie Wollrath’s first time at state. Wollrath placed second in both the 3200 meter and 1600 meter, however next year she is planning to take home the gold overall and as an

individual.

“I wasn’t that happy with my races, because I usually do better. Next year though I’m planning on working harder and winning first,” said Wollrath.

Just like every cross country and track season, Coach Butler has high expectations for his teams.

“Next year I would like our boys team to place in the top five at the state track meet, because we’re losing a lot of seniors. I think the girls could win overall next year though,” said Coach Butler.

Even though Holy Trinity has experienced many track and field state victories, the

significance of the championships still remains. Receiving a championship at this level is the greatest achievement in a high school athlete’s career. As a school we ought to support our track and field team more and more, as the victories progress through Left: Senior Mackenzie Dummer, who will compete at the University of Louisville next year, ran in the 4x800 meter relay race which placed fifth.

Below: Seniors Alex Brown and Cole Oliver went one and two in the 1600 meter. Brown took home the state title.

14

The Growl

The Growl

15

Gomez Sets up his Future

By Jenny Ryan Holy Trinity has always been known for their impressive sports, and many students have gone on to play their sport in college.

Some of these athletes were basketball players, football players, golfers, swimmers, or cross country runners. However, Holy Trinity has never graduated a college-bound male volleyball player until this year.

After much thought, senior Johnny Gomez will be attending Belmont Abbey College in Charlotte, North Carolina to play men’s volleyball.

“I chose to go there because I was offered to start as a freshman and I am getting a very good amount of scholarship money,” said Gomez.

Gomez started his volleyball career at Cape Coast Volleyball Club when he was eight years old. Cape Coast had no boys teams, so he played on an all girls team.

Even though he had to play on a girls team, Gomez immediately fell in love with the sport. Playing came very naturally, and Gomez continued playing for Cape Coast until he was 11.

“I played on my mom’s first club team.

I decided to play because I was always involved in the sport since my mom was a coach. I thought that playing would be really fun,” said Gomez.

Mrs. Gomez realized Johnny had athletic potential when he first played competitive soccer at the age of six. She had a special feeling that he would do well playing volleyball. Johnny’s sister was already playing, so Mrs. Gomez decided to bring Johnny to his sister’s volleyball practice.

“Johnny had so much fun at his sister’s practice so I just kept bringing him back,” said Mrs. Gomez. “Because he was so little and the only boy, the girls loved it. There were no boys teams so he was a bit famous

at the earlier tournaments. Coaches would ask who he was and if he was allowed to play because no one really had a boy playing.”

Many students may know that Gomez plays volleyball at a high level; however few realize the dedication that Gomez has given. Gomez travels all the way to Tampa to practice for a team called the Tampa Bay Invaders. His team has been together for a long time and has had a lot of success, winning and performing well in many tournaments.

“My team has won over 10 qualifiers in the past five years. We have beaten the number one team in the nation in our age group and the number one teams from Canada and Puerto Rico in our age group,” said Gomez.

On his club team, Gomez plays a position called the libero. A libero is responsible for the defensive part of the game and is the player seen in a different color jersey. His team depends on him a great amount because the libero is a very specialized, important position.

“I enjoy being a libero because I have really fast reactions and love the defensive perspective of the game,” said Gomez. “My favorite part about playing is the intensity and competition,” he said.

One person who has always inspired Gomez is his mom. He has also relied on self motivation and inspiration to keep pushing himself.

“One piece of advice that I would give to someone who wants to play volleyball at a high level is to never quit,” said Gomez.

“There were a lot of times where I thought I wasn’t good enough and I had to keep pushing. I proved to myself that I could play at the next level.”

If given the opportunity, Gomez would

love to go overseas to Europe to play professionally after college.

As his first volleyball coach, Mrs. Gomez wanted to leave Johnny with one last piece of advice to take with him to college.

“Thank God for all your gifts every day first. Secondly, remember that when much is given, much is expected. Finally, treat your teammates well by being humble. Being a team player no matter how the game goes is the most important aspect of being an athlete. And, don’t forget to kiss your mom!” said Mrs. Gomez.

Senior Johnny Gomez plays aggressively on the volleyball court. Gomez will take his game to the next level at Belmont Abbey College in the fall.

The Growl

16

[Clever Senioritis Headline Goes Here]

By Megan McCreery In our Newspaper class, the day after we distribute the issues of The Growl, we sit down as a group and discuss the story ideas for the next issue, because the turnaround time is short.

This particular time, I’m sitting in the back when Mr. Hale suggests a senior on the staff write a story about senioritis. Hearing the word senioritis caught my attention so I raised my hand and volunteered to be the one to write it.

This process happened about three weeks ago, so between then and now, I figured I would have time to pull it together.

However, here I am, Sunday night at 10:30 p.m. and the story is due tomorrow.

I procrastinated doing the interviews, so quickly this afternoon I sent out a few emails to my teachers and wrote on our class Facebook page to get some responses.

I figured I should quickly type in “What is Senioritis?” into Google to have a definition to explain to those who don’t already know, what it is. The wonderful Wikipedia came up with this: “Senioritis, from the word senior plus the suffix-itis, is a colloquial term used in the United States and Canada to describe the decreased motivation toward studies displayed by students who are nearing the end of their high school, college, and graduate school careers.”

One senior at HT describes senioritis a bit differently.

“Senioritis, it starts out small and like a parasite, it takes over until it has complete control of you,” said Jack McGee. Generally the teachers and students feel differently on the topic towards the end of the year.

“Senioritis occurs ANYTIME during a student’s senior year of high school and is dreaded by most teachers. Its onset begins with lack of focus, procrastination and an occasional missed assignment, or low test grade,” said Mrs. Judy Baxter. “However, as the year progresses the student’s acceptance to college may cause these symptoms to escalate and their grades to plummet along with their enthusiasm and conscientiousness in the classroom. Daydreaming becomes a daily occurrence and they no longer work to their fullest potential nor do they seem to care. The worst case I have seen caused the student’s college acceptance to be revoked

because his grades slipped so dramatically that he was in danger of not graduating even though he was in the top 10 percent of his class during the first semester. Consequently, he had to attend a junior college prior to being reinstated at the college of his choice,” she said.

As we entered fourth quarter, students began to make decicions about college and some started slacking off.

This is when teachers decide that it would be a perfect time to add some more work into the curriculum to keep the seniors focused and motivated. However, the students decide they really don’t want to do anymore work, so they choose to slack off even more and not do the work. This angers the teachers so they pile more work on, and needless to say, this cycle continues.

Senior Ryan Collins shared a little secret

about his high school career.

“Out of Dylon, Brandon, and I, I can say that I’m probably the one with the worst case of senioritis. The last time I remember completing two consecutive homework assignments was eighth grade,” said Collins.

Some students thought they’d never be affected by senioritis.

“I didn’t feel a difference at all first semester of senior year, but second semester I’ve slowly gone downhill. Especially because I can’t get exempt [from exams] because of absences,” said senior Emily Jameson.

As our senior year comes to an end, students are reminiscing on the past few years full of countless memories. It has been a great time, but like all good things, high school has to come to an end as well, so we can move onto the next chapter of our lives.

Teacher Perspectives

Student Perspectives

“I would describe senioritis as an excuse for the seniors to slack off during their final year of high school and think it is totally acceptable. I totally get the idea of senioritis but I don’t accept it as an excuse. High school is practice for real life and you can’t just slack off with your job, your marriage, or your children because you have been doing the same thing for a long time. The symptoms are: general apathy towards anything having to do with school, saying “seniors” ALL THE TIME -- because that somehow justifies and explains the apathy and behavior and declining grades.”

-- Mrs. Melissa Euziere

“I am not a doctor, but I have seen many cases of it over the years. It is a pretend illness many seniors think they have when they start looking forward to graduation.”

-- Mr. Bill Lindner

“The biggest side effect this year is complaining. It must be a grouchy sort of thing, but my students are still working hard. I think especially in my AP classes, I ask them to do something and they seem to do it.”

-- Mr. Trevor Herntier

“When you’re like a junior you think that senioritis hits early and then you think you have it at the beginning of senior year, but you really have no idea what it is until the second semester. As soon as you make it through January everything just gets really difficult.” -- Gabriela Aguillo-Seara “At first I was trying really hard to make sure I didn’t miss more than five days, then everything started feeling like busy work because I think the teachers have a case of senioritis too.” -- Allen Britten “I started off really strong thinking I needed to get good grades to get my diploma, but senioritis took over once I got into colleges and I realized these grades don’t count for my college applications in Chile.”

-- Sophie Rousseau “In particular, Mr. Lindner really hates it. But teachers don’t normally respond to it too badly unless the whole class is slacking off.” -- Kaleigh Leeney “Usually I’m pretty on top of things, so initially I didn’t think it was going to be that bad. No. It’s bad. At the beginning of the year I was fine, but once I put down my deposit to where I want to go all bets were off.” -- Sumi Mujeeb

The Growl

17

Senior Wills

18

I, Idanis Perez, leave Gabo my passion, leadership, Perez legacy, Mr. Chiarella, and an open ear to hear about all your crazy shenanigans. To Ali Hackett, my car. To Austin, keeping Gabo straight, and PR repping. To Paris, Gabo (you can see he may be a lot to handle). To Hannah, the tennis team and taking care of Coach Lori.

To Meg, taking care of Dean. To Morgan Walker, long brown hair and puffy/fluffy.

To Savannah Kutryb, all my puffy paints, and tennis bonding. To Stuti Mishra, taking care of Ramzey and protecting him (occasionally) from Chia. To Phoebe, Senior Thesis, bio labs, gossiping with Alex B, and caffeine.To Lydia Kucera, FCA, morning sunrises, my driving skills, my love;). To Catie Sergis, making cake pops, and the ability to stay up late. To Julie Wollrath, all my earrings and the cute PR dude from Wet n’ Wild. To George Winsten, my tennis and pottery abilities. To Mr. Chiarella, my lovely brother, not so lovely Ramzey, my brain cap, countless valuable hours of my senior year, and sheer respect. To Mama Rod, dried clay balls Altman and I threw at each other, my bongos, crazy stories, and patience with pottery 1 students. To Coach Phillips, Honor Council, and “The Idi Challenge”. To Señora Mirda, Gabo, secret class, la cultura hispana, all my crazy skits, SNHS, an endless supply of CHEETOS AND OATMEAL CREAM PIES, y mi amor. And lastly to Mrs. Euziere, my respect, my spanish abilities, litigious societies and all the fake stories Ally and I made up such as Build-a-Doll, Northern Bohemias, and sueing smarties after sniffing them. Love you!

I, Neil van Allen, leave Maria Van Allen the Van Allen legacy. Use it well. Katherine Hess, I leave you the Movement, Starbucks chats, Midnight dance parties, all the memories of the great times we had/will have, and care of Maria. Keep that girl in line ;). Mason Baughan, I leave you my eternal respect for being one of the coolest cats on campus. Also Maria. Dan Constantine Cronin, I leave you my portion of the 2nd Period Ceramics Choral Group.

Give it to someone deserving, and keep the legend alive. Emma Walker, I leave you 2nd period ceramics in general, and the hilarious talks we had when we weren’t talking to Dan. Vanessa Alvarez, “My lord!

Your hair looks great today!” Isabela Rovira, I leave you with a never-ending fountain

of compliments for your wardrobe which never ceases to impress. Stay classy girl ;).To Mrs. Rossillon, I leave the Neil Van Allen Seal of Appreciation for being the best teacher I have ever had. Your classes were the reason I came to school every day. To Ms. Gutierrez, I leave a huge “Thank you” for being available to talk all of the time, and not necessarily about AP HUG (A-mazing class, I might add). You helped me out so much. Stacey Torkelson, Nöel Whitlock, Katie Voepel, Barrett Hess, and Venetia Lush all get the “Freshmen who are much cooler than I am” Award.

I, Sean W. Carroll, leave drama class, Ms. Killian, and the Florida State Thespian Festival to Dan O’Brien. You know what to do. To Hannah Shuman, I leave Dan. Don’t let him over do it. To Jillian, I leave you gluten. You should try it, it’s good for you. To Charlie Barger and Zach Funk, I leave you the Attack. To everyone else, all students, teachers, faculty, and staff at Holy Trinity, I leave you nothing but my complete and utter gratitude for a fantastic six years, and my best wishes for you all.

And finally, to my little sister Tara, who will be in seventh grade next year, I leave you Holy Trinity. You’re going to like it here.

I, Ryan Allison, would first like to leave Mom, Dad, Lily, and Parker to my brother Matthew. You are the best brother anyone could have asked for and it will be sad to not see your smiling face every day. I would like to leave my golf game and team to Kerry Sweeney and Calvin Serota because they need it. I leave my insane basketball skills including my layups and jump shot to Trey Ville. I leave my political ideas and opinions to Jared Davis because he can keep the dream on (tame Guyton). I leave the chicas to Bohne. I leave my rhymes to Kerry. I leave my zombie skills to Tony Morelli. I leave my swag with Tony and Joc. I leave my baseball skills to Sean Paul. I leave Denis with my brains. I leave Catie Sergis with a plea that she can finally acknowledge that I am hilarious. I leave George Winsten my dance and lady killing skills.

I, Reid Stockett, leave Andrea the boy hams, Anselm the trap game, Erin the animal hams, Julian my guitar mastery, Evan my lifting abilities, Ben my athletic spirit, Sam my creative control over our band, Frank

The Growl

my kung fu technique, Kent my love of Chengdu, Star my enthusiasm for math, Vanessa my love, Austin my mission trip passion, Bilal my hatred for volleyball, and Alisha my knowing look. It’s been a trip guys. Remember me for my red pants in the talent show and for my rippling muscles. Goodbye Holy Trinity. Peace and love forever.

I, Karina Mann, leave Lydia Kucera, those stained sweatpants I refuse to trash. Drew & Emma, you are the mini me’s and Stacey is the mini Bri, so take care of Stacey and help her through her blonde moments. To Drew, every skateboard in the world. To Stacey, Drew & Emma and all their sarcasm & sass. Julie Wollrath, never lose your inner diva, and remember them Crossfit days. Charlie Barger and Mason Haley, I leave you my heart. Charlie, please don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone. Bohne, supervise Charlie carefully. Nadia Kumar and Phoebe Nimocks, my parents are now all yours. Bryce Wahy, you get nothing, just stay out of trouble. To Andrew Cacciatore, the babe magnet, every girl in the world. For Jared Davis, hours of facetiming. To Isaac, Kim’s hand in marriage. For Mary Lewis, the Southern gentleman you’ve always dreamed of. To Cameron, Allie, Katherine, Zach, Nick, Kaley, Jenny, Dan, baking duties for JKB. Coach Henderson, please help Zach reach graduation. For Austin Riffe, my epic dance moves. To Catie Sergis, my jealousy of your adorable fashion sense. Trey Ville, I leave you burgers, cupcakes, and sundaes to make up for all the amazing food your mom made us. To Mr. Herntier (H-dawgg), a lifetime supply of random facts. To Mrs. Rossillon, thousands of dwarves. To Mr. Mancini, the proposal of carrying “24/7 Mancini” into college. To Mr. Gibson, a cheerful “good morning” to begin every day.

To anyone with an empty Monday night, Wing Night.

I, Emily Jameson, want to start off by leaving Amy happy hour at Sonic, my great sense of humor, and a pug hug. To Mr. Hale, Yogi Ferrell and a love for Wild Cats. Ms. Sharpe, I leave you a giant bag of candy. Mrs. Sergis, I leave you a ticket to an Ole Miss game. To Señora Mirda, I leave Spanish chats in the hall way and a big hug. Mrs. Gutierrrez, I leave Enrique Iglesias. To Egan Kattenberg, I leave my

The Growl

heart. To Julianna and Victoria, I leave Mimi, Jasmine, and Krystal. To Kenzie Farrish, I leave smiles in the hall way. Emma, I leave a hair tie for races. Sydney Sergis, I leave you the best sister ever, Catie. And Catie, I leave you Syd, a super fun senior year, Dakines, and a ticket to an Ole Miss game. Laura Bell, I leave a season without injuries. Jimmy, I leave you Jennifer and our dance. Julie Wollrath, I leave you lots of cheetah power, Kendall Jenner good looks, and Kourt the coupe. Alyssa Nelson, I leave lots of mayonnaise. Charlie, I leave you my love, and a surf lesson. Lily, I leave you my coolness. Lydia, I leave you lots of sass and the Kardashians. Mary, I leave you Snapchat. Evan Enders, pan twistados.

DOBs, I leave “funny” jokes. Meg Rydson, I leave you the hood. Hannah Shuman, I leave you an Army man and a singing partner for next year. Aliyah, I leave crazy Broadcast stories. Allie, I leave acrylic paint free shorts. Austin, I leave the Seminoles and beach dates. And to Jillian, I leave you compliments!

I, Jack Olinde, I would like to leave all of my old homework and tests to my brother Nick, so that he can “check his answers.”

To my brother Hunter, I leave Catie. I see the way he looks at her... I want to leave my lacrosse locker, as well as all my coordination and agility to my final brother Matthew. To Zach, Trey, Marcus, Hector, and Jace, I leave a couple hundred more Tigers, compliments of Coach Henderson.

I will abdicate my position as captain of the lunch table to Stephen Rotolante, as long as he promises to clean up after himself.

To J’V’on, I would like to leave all of my official Holy Trinity logoed gear and my haircut. I leave my parking spot to Coach Ainsley so that no one will ever back into his truck again. Coach Henderson, I would like to take you up on that ski trip you offered to the team at the beginning of Christmas Break. I would like to give my sixth grade math bible to Mrs. Fletcher, I think I can handle it from here. Mr. Herntier, I want you to have all of my 1.8 horsepower. One request: Mrs. Rouse, when you finally write your trigonometry textbook, please use my name in some of the examples. Lastly, Catie, Take good care of Hunter; you know how he gets.

I, Veronica Paniccia, would like to leave

Senior Wills Vanessa Paniccia our last name. You pretty much get everything. You get Jason, Jace, Sebastian, Lance, Oliver, Keyton, rubyeggshell, brookbluerose, DemontaePR, porclainpanic, the children, Jer, Jaz, Mattely, Cole, Mikau, our video game rap battles on online Family Feud, you get Louis and Nick from L4D and I’ll keep Francis and Ellis, concerts, the butterfly “tasting” the flowers, kidpix, Boo and Dry Bones, our version of Nintendo Monopoly, IAMAVICTIM, Club Esteban, Emo Love Stories, Marth and Link, and much more. I’ll miss you, McLoser, you’re the best sister in the world! To Natalie Rolls, you can have McLoser because I don’t need her anymore. You can also comanage Club Esteban with her. To Megan Murphy, you get The Wind. She needs you.

Oh, and your 8th grade boyfriends.To Max Rossi, I GUESS I can bestow you with my title of King of Computer Graphics because you’re KIND OF cool... I guess.... To Justin Ganiban, you can have all of my ROMs as long as you keep Max out of trouble.To Marco Pena, I will get Britney Spears for you. To George Winsten, you can have Neil.

To Alex Miller, you can have Neil if you can win him from George in a duel. I also give you air freshener duty in Lovelace’s class. To Isabela Rovira, I’m giving you the whole art class. But maybe I should let Mrs. Rodby know first...Mrs. Rodby, am I allowed to leave things for teachers? Well, I gave Isabela the class, sorry. But you can have Vanessa!

I, Michael Boyle, leave Justin Ganiban my punt returning abilities on the football field.

I leave Jace my stats keeping skills for next basketball season. I leave Meg my acting skills and rights to Zach Ullian. I leave my little cuz Cameron my shaving kit.

I, Munashe Chinyanganya, leave the following: To Isabella Greenspoon, Kendall Kara. I leave the basketball team (Keep my legacy alive). Cameron Osman, I leave our inside jokes and dancing skills (bffs forever). Katherine Hess I leave my sass (Keep Barrett in line). Milan Lanier I leave all my boii toyz (Just want you to always have some options). Sophia I leave my clicking skills and the unfinished book that we never wrote. Lily Goodlive I leave my nickname Moonshine Chimichonga. Dylan Ryland I leave our bickering debates every morning. (I know you’re going to miss

19

me). J’V’on Butler I leave my HT sweater that you love so much. Julian Gardner I leave our wonderful hallway talks and my basketball skills. Chandler Sutherland and Annie Hirsch I leave math. (lol I will miss my math buddy!) Kerry Sweeney I leave paper. Stacey Torkelson I leave the movie Madea’s Family Reunion. Rachel Cantelou I leave the ability to turn your phone on to show me a picture. To my lunch table I leave my wonderful stories of me venting.

Meredith and Mason Haley, I leave Steve.

My AP World posse I leave our laughs and always being mean to Josh Unum. And to anyone I might have forgotten you know I love you!

I, Adam Baugher, would like to leave all my Surfboards to Charlie Barger and Austin Riffe. I want to give all the water in my house to Taylor Wilson, and all my volleyball skills to Lily Goodlive.My soccer skills to Mikey Lynch, and all my cats to Lucy Thomas. I want Anselm Teather to have all my inhalers, and I want to give Andre Neuharth all my Jordans. Colin Lenhard should get the keys to my car, and David Melito can take the spoiler. Jimmy Reinman can also take the wheels if he so desires.

I, Kathryn Pentz, do hereby leave The Movement, cats, my kitchen counter, my love for Starbucks, and all my Barons AP test prep books to Katherine Hess. To Isabela Rovira, I leave mac n’ cheese, academic team, NAHS, the art room (both sides and everything in it, including Mrs. Rodby), and a love for Disney soundtracks (especially the Spanish ones). I leave raisins and other assorted dried fruit, fundraisers for NAHS, and enough glass to cover the whole library.

To Vanessa Paniccia, I leave a love for One Direction, and kittens. To Taylor Wilson, I leave my parents, without me, they will be at your house more often. To Audrey Wilson, I leave my prom and debutante dresses and an award-winning smile and personality so that she may be the most beautiful, wellrounded young lady. To Sydney Sergis, Alicia Araj, Haley Solazzo, Victoria Araj, and Zaria Lovett, I leave all the amazing moments I have had cheering for Extreme Allstars. To Mason Baughan, I leave all the parties our parents could possibly throw plus a little extra. To Maria Van Allen, I leave Mason Baughan, Infinite Hope t-shirts, and TWLOHA merchandise. To (In order of

Senior Wills

20

when I took your class) Mr. Chiarella, Mrs. Duguid, Mr. Lovelace, Senora Mirda, Mrs. Rodby, Madame Doucet, Mrs. Baxter, Mr. Herntier, Mrs. Euziere, and Mrs. Rouse, I thank you for preparing me for college and I leave you with all of my notes, tests, papers, and homework from your respective classes.

I, Danielle Hennessy-Wack, would like to leave Natalie Rolls my collection of Vera Bradley products, the sweater I keep in my locker because that’s what she asked for, and Isaac Furtney. Take care of Mr. President, and keep him out of trouble. I would like to leave the girls in my 6th period PE class, Natalie Mercaldo, Audrey Wilson, and Joya and Jana Collins more “supplies” and a new victim to throw things at. I want to leave Reece Winkler a lifetime supply of Cheetos, which he can now eat happily because I’m gone. Lastly, I want to leave Isaac Furtney every single Harry Potter movie, because he’s never seen any of them. I also want to leave him my superior math skills so that he will excel in multivariable next year, and I didn’t want to make this mushy, but yes, I leave him my love and the best wishes for his senior year.

I, Ryan Collins, leave the Goodlive twins 180 pre-packed lunches for each of you to get you through senior year. To Robert Morgan I leave my ping pong skills. To Jared Davis, I leave my never ending SWAG. To my boys on the football team, I leave a winning mentality and a beastly work ethic. To John Wills, I leave my discus in hopes that it will generate another school record. To all the underclassman, I leave a hidden treasure buried on campus. And to Mr. Mancini, I leave the satisfaction of surviving the Collins Trips for four long and wonderful years.

I, McKenzie Altman, would first like to leave my brother Hunter my ability to stay up late and study, the name “Altman”, my close parking spot (because I know you will be late), and my love. Ricky, an air horn to wake Hunter up in the morning. Aliyah, my permission to date Dewitt, duct tape if your pants get caught on any fences, balancing equation worksheets, and the Broadcast camera because you will be the best next year! Jake and Morgan, my physics book so you guys can keep studying when I am not there. David, the two Cheerwines that I owe

you. Gaby and Daryth, Slurpee’s, shower caps for when it rains at track, hair ties, paper for Daryth, some yummy smelling spikes for Gaby, cell phones for you both, real socks for Gaby, the WAY harder workouts for Gaby and to you both, all of the amazing memories we have had at track the past four years! I love you guys so much, you have both made track so amazing and a highlight of my years at HT. Lizzie, the 4x400, our twin tennis shoes, workouts together, non-itchy grass and a nice hot bath at State. Julie, my spot on the 4x400 because I know your passion for the 400;). Lastly, I leave my gratitude to the teachers and faculty. I cannot thank you all enough for teaching me not only what is necessary for school, but also who I am and what I am capable of achieving.

I, Ruby Watts, leave Stacey dance parties at your house and mad bass droppin’ skills. To my gurl Jewels, I leave my state championships, Hittin’ the town, Hardwear, the Bachelor and Carrie Diaries. To Lydia, I leave a video of a dancing dog, tripling (doubling on a good day), “You can still win!”, Veronica Mars, and Wendy’s nuggs in chocolate frostys. To Austin, I leave the legacy of the bros, our lunch table, Dakine’s, and FIFA. To Isaac, I leave Moody’s Mega Math and Mu Alpha Theta. To Mary, I leave lots of slurpee runs, our awesome trail, denying our love for certain boys, and George. To George, I leave Jew Parties and random road trips. To Catie, I leave glowing cups with water and a house a little closer than Maine. To the adorable Miss Emma Walker, I leave my style and admiration. To Bryce, I leave the Lorax. To Evan, I leave potatoes. To Drew, I leave good times in Satellite Beach. To Natalie, Kenzie, and Laura, I leave my favorite race, the 800.

To Lyds, Emma, and Stace, I leave the duty of painting at state. To my teachers, I leave loads of thanks. To Holy Trinity, I leave my heart.

I, Nick Hamer, would like to start by leaving Coach Ainsley the ability to finally get out of Dodge, though I’m not positive where that is. I leave Leary my lacrosse abilities because let’s face it, you really need them.

I leave Hunter Altman all the wild animals in the world to hunt. To Ricky or Rickslap, I leave you your lacrosse nickname which cannot be mentioned. To Allie Knodel, I leave the ability to pass an AP Human test

The Growl

and a trip to Fiji. To Morgan Walker, I leave you Bae, wherever he may be, as well as the ability to get an A in Contemporary Issues.

I leave Drew Desalvo an infinite of favors to make up for not coming to watch a girls’ lacrosse game. To Emily Morgan, I leave my pottery abilities. To Danielle Thomas, I leave Leary to talk to in class next year even though it won’t be the same without me in the middle. To Justin Ganiban, I leave my speed and surfing abilities because you could use the work. To Riffer, I also leave my surfing abilities as well as my FIFA abilities.

To Cameron “Rozzy” Osman, I leave talking in an obnoxious country accent, cooking over an open fire for extra credit, and most importantly I leave you with all the wisdom given to us by Kieth Mitchell; most importantly, the very popular “BOUT 4!!”

To anyone not mentioned I leave an apology -- I was only given 250 words to write.

I, Gustaf Stangel, have a few things to leave to a few very special persons. Matthew, as you are partly Swedish, I feel that it is appropriate to be sensitive to the sun.

Therefore, I will give you my tendency to get sun burnt -- nice little challenge when saving lives at the beach. Jared, my Viking helmet is gone, you don’t happen to know where it is? As you seem to have a tendency to take my Swedish items, I will give you my clogs and Sweden shirt. This way I don’t have to wonder when you are going to take them and you will have a great outfit for next years’ Spirit Week. Aliyah, I leave you the kids. There’s also as promised, a bottle of my cologne waiting for you when I leave.

Hannah, this has been an amazing year for me! Thank you for helping me making this year so great! It is soon time for me to leave.

I will then leave you a house in peace where you can focus on your senior year.

I, Dylon Collins, would like to leave the offensive line to Dylan Ryland and Garrett Heinlen. You have a legacy to uphold. Kim Fiore, keep everyone in line and hydrated, I’m counting on you! I leave George the crown of “shut out king”. Keep the ball in your hands! I leave the throwing to Morris, John, and Hunter. Stick with it and big things will come. I want to see you out on that dance floor Morris -- show the ladies what you got! I leave the lunch table to be held down by Sophia and Lily. Keep the tradition going, and only let the most qualified sit at

The Growl

those prestigious seats. Lastly, I leave all the South Carolina memories to Jared and Matt.

I, Patrick Black, leave the HT boys soccer team Evan Enders to fetch the soccer balls from the pond at Masters. To Evan Enders, I leave patience, good swimming abilities, and a smaller backpack. To my sister Victoria, I leave my car, my room, and my advice on how to survive your next two years. To Mr. Hale, I leave my opinions, so he can always have a laugh, and Sam, because someone has to listen to his crazy ideas. To Sam Woods, I leave you with the possibility to make a movie with me so you can channel those ideas of yours. To Tori Clark, I leave you with the patience to deal with that lunch group for another year. To Brent Allard, I leave you the potential for a career in movie voiceovers. To my AP Lit class, I leave each of you a metaphorical gold medal for surviving this year. To Joon Choi, I leave you an actual senior year instead of one teased in Econ and Gov. To Mrs. Euziere, I leave you the comforting thought that I won’t go into the world as “that guy.” To Mr. Herntier, I leave you with a request that you buy a cell phone and or ride a roller coaster. To Mrs. Duguid, I leave my thanks for a new appreciation of history.

I, Maddy Kissell, leave my parking spot to Kailey Fischer, and I also leave her all of my love. To Matthew Allison, I leave my kick butt zombie playing skills in COD. I leave Alyssa Nelson a plane ticket to Colorado and all the hugs I can give. I leave Emma Rylander and Natalie Mercaldo the girls lax starting defense. To Erin Magee, I leave my amazing skills at predicting movies in film study and a promise to go to the Sundance Film Festival together. I leave Izzy Greenspoon a nice, but cramped dorm room to stay in while you’re in Colorado.

To Amy Jameson, I leave the title of Mrs. Duguid’s favorite student in History of the Holocaust. To Gabby Jones, I leave Natalie because she’s going to be so lonely without me to pick on and go to church with. And lastly, I leave Charlie Barger my heart.

I, Alex Theodotou, first, but not foremost, leave Riffer high-fives for having bro-out class right after lunch one third of the time.

To Stacey, I leave memories of when she was nine. To Spencer, I leave the fraternity of the brothers of Xavi. To Evan, I leave

Senior Wills goals, and lots of ‘em. I also leave him the responsibility of censoring any and all foul language. To Charles, I leave the correct pronunciation of his name. To Catie and Sydney, I leave Greek dance and a thousand Opa’s! I also leave Greek dance to Gabo. In addition, I leave him a certain style of Latin dance, as well as FIFA skills. To Luca, I leave visiting Sra. Szmidt’s Spanish class. To Alex Miller, I leave daring kayak excursions and my first name. To Alex Hernandez, I leave my first name and my birthday. To Kent, I leave a nice big Szechuan hot pot. And lastly and leastly, I leave Riffer being up to no good. Keep fighting the good fight, and keep getting those critical hits, brother.

I, Marques Burgman, want to leave Morgan Zuchowski all the talks we had and my love. Josh Harden, my knowledge.

Hector, Morgan. J’V’on, I leave you Febreze for the football locker room. Daniel, I leave you my encouraging words. Marcus, I leave you a better vocabulary. Julian, I leave you the weight room. Keoni, I leave you “dad.”

James, I leave you the 4x1 baton. Gaby & Daryth, I leave you Coach Bailey and my heart. Alex & Steven, I leave you AINSLEY. Demetrius, I leave you all your girlfriends that you’ll never cheat on and lms. Jacccceee Hooogan, I leave you our fun rides home.

I want to leave Ainsley all the records I set and hate for MCC and TFA. I want to leave Coach Butler more State Championships to come and my name on the record board forever ;). Coach Hendy, I leave you nothing you’ll never find a better manager than me ;). And Biggs, I leave you more gray hair!

I, Victor Rhaner, leave Charlie Barger the starting attack line, a bunch of sick waves, and my stunningly good looks. I leave Matthew Allison my muscular physique and my skill with the ladies. I leave Matthew Allison, Jared Davis, Trey Ville, and Kerry Sweeney the lunch table and the many nights spent at the Allison household. I leave Cameron Osman my stick skills and my post-goal celebrations. I leave Mike Leary my outside shooting ability. I leave Reuben Carmona and Justin Ganiban the football team. I leave John Bohne my maturity. I leave Charlie Barger, Matthew Allison, and Taylor Wilson my passion for keeping the beaches of Brevard County safe. I leave Zach Rahner my swag, the man-van, and my good decision-making. And, of course,

21

I leave Hannah Shuman my heart!

I, Cole Oliver, leave Jonny/Andrew Cacciatore my hair. I leave Egan/Trevor Kattenberg Michael to make sure he doesn’t get in too much trouble. Josh Morris, my work ethic. Bryce Wahy, my bod. Michael Wilson, my tallness. Dan Cronin, I’m taking Emma to college with me. Pavlos Pavlakos, Coach Butler. Stacey Torkelson, Pavlos.

Emma Walker, Blue Toms. Jimmy Reinman, slender. Daniel Welch, the record board.

Drew Desalvo, my sass and my heart. Julie Wollrath, my heart (only if Drew doesn’t want it). Jake Bacon, all my snacks. Jake Burns, Mr. Dopira. Daryth/Gabby, all my medals and rings. Mary Lewis, my sarcasm.

Austin Riffe, Drew ;). Spencer Sperando, 47 (I still don’t know what that is, but I feel like you would want it). Trey Ville, permission to scare Jason. Jason Gong, all my girlfriends.

Cheng Chang, my girlfriends that Jason doesn’t want. Coach Butler, the babies.

J’V’on, my jumping skills. Demetrius, my dance moves, and “I Cut to the Front”.

Sweeny, Jason. Matt Allison, Orion and all the stars. Emilio Zipf, a monkey. Morgan Walker, Joe Torkelson ;). Kate Elstun, our old P.E class. Sydney Sutherland, anything that you want.

I, Lauren Ferrara, leave Anastasia Hirsch the title, “best football buddy”, for next year.

I leave all the cups to continue on the cupsin-the-fence tradition. Also I leave the cheer team, take good care of “my girls.” Julianna Cally, Alycia Araj, Sydney Sergis, and Sommer Rush, I leave you our awesome car rides and fun times at cheer, take good care of the team! Julianna, I leave my patients and “mother-of-the-school”. Anna Barger, I leave the memories of our awesome drives to morning practice, keep cheering you’re a great flyer! To my softball girls, I leave all our great winning games; you all made this year the best! I also leave the girls in charge of Golson’s dressing style, keep him stylish. Talia Douglas, I leave you all the ranch flavored sunflower seeds and orange Gatorade in the world and all future dinner dates with my family. Talia I also leave you my brother, “T…be nice to him :)”! Paige Golson, I leave my speed of running bases, oh and you can have my catchers’ gear if you want it. Lauren Perry, I leave my first name, take care of it because it’s a pretty cool name.

I leave Michael Ferrara, my little brother, my

Senior Wills

22

parking spot for senior year. I leave my room but I get yours. Chass Charroux, I leave you the chorus and my skill of being quiet. Mrs. Baxter, I leave you Dunkin Dounuts tea.

Mrs. Williams, my school mom, I leave all of the gossip.

I, Sophie Rousseau, leave to Gigi Guyton a few slices of pizza, Chuck E Cheese and a Nutty Buddy. To Taya Britten, I leave Vanilla Ice and locker room jam sessions.

To Austin Riffe, I leave a vest, Al Jenkins, and some chicken from that chicken place across from the Sonic. To Phoebe Nimocks, some awkward stares, some knocks on styrofoam and shower singing sessions. To Suzannah Boyle and the future HT softball teams, I leave a “well done”, to be used in softball plays of excellence. To Joon Choi, I leave a pool game rematch and to George Winsten, everlasting patience. To Stacey Tork, I leave my weird dinner calls and my sisterly love for being the best host sister ever. To Lydia Kucera, I leave Krispy Kreme doughnuts and a large sip. To Catie Sergis, I leave a dog that doesn’t share my name for no further confusions. To Paige Golson, I leave my Chilean love and a sassiness meter. Alex Radke, Cody Simpson goes to you. To Claire Patton, I leave some morning Oreos, and to Katie Higgins I leave a fixed knee and better luck. To Julie Wollrath, I leave my Latina genes. To Mr. Lindner, I leave my severe case of senioritis. To Coach Ainsley, my awesome Chileaness and a few conspiracy theories. To Coach Phillips, I leave my brother’s soccer talents for the future. Most importantly, I leave my eternal gratitude and my heart to HTEA for the best American senior year ever.

I, Brandon Collins, leave Dylan Ryland the 5th definition of “weird”, which I clearly show every day. To Sophia Goodlive and Ms. Sharpe, I leave Carl the Cooler. May Ms. Sharpe still babysit him and Sophia fill him up with snacks of deliciousness. To JR, do I leave the camping trips packed with never ending memories. To Matt Allison, I leave all the great memories from South Carolina.

To Slim Shady, I leave a voice that I hope you may use someday. Yes, you will talk one day. At least say “hello”. To Hunter Olinde do I leave the love of throwing discus, not shotput, only discus. To John Wills I leave you my discus skills and technique. To Milan

Lanier, I leave you my easy-going coaching critique. May you carry on with it and help all the others throwers achieve their goals with “love and compassion”. To Robert Morgan, I leave you more fun times with your brother Adam. To the younger lacrosse players, I leave you the ability to join track and come to the dark side, which we call Discus. To all of the juniors, I leave you my knowledge and feelings of senioritis and a great year with the most unbelievable fun.

Finally, I leave Mr. Mancini with all of the very much fun Collins Brother’s memories.

From oldest to the youngest, have you been there to help, guide, and sometimes direct us in the right direction. For those years with us, I truly thank you.

I, James Befanis, would first like to leave my Presidency as well as my coats to Jared Davis. I leave Hannah Shuman a dirty welcher. I leave James Reinman my sense of humor, Genova’s love, and my show off attitude. I leave my happiness to George Winsten. I leave Trey Ville Carlos Garcia. I leave Matt Allison my lifeguarding ability and way with women. I leave Charles and Jason my love for Chinese culture. I leave Daniel O’Brien my singing ability. I leave Kelly O’Neil my love for acting. Isaac, you can have my feelings towards sophomores. I leave Jake Bacon his real name John. I leave Morgan some lotto tickets. Aliyah Stephens can have full control over the Broadcast team. I leave John Bohne JMT Detailing.

Finally, I leave Joshua Knight the key.

I, Mackenzie Dummer, would like to leave Sam Folio my braiding skills and numerous random runs, but watch out for any squirrels.

Lauren Folio, you will have to keep Darby in place, and in return I leave you all the scary movies ever made and extra large spandex. I leave all the frogs on campus and a straightener to Rachel Cantelou, and hope that you will find a new apprentice. To Bryce Wahy, I leave running shoes in hopes you’ll stop forgetting/losing them. I give Mary Lewis my Snapchat account. I leave awesome summers, a gym membership, and long mornings getting ready to Julie Wollrath. To Natalie Mercaldo, I leave my 800m passion and a baton. I leave Amy Jameson all the words I never spoke and my cupcake mixes. Emma Walker gets my Sperrys; however, I get to have hers. I do not leave my room to Darby! She can have

The Growl

my dresses, instead. I leave Catie Sergis my love for the Bachelor and Pretty Little Liars.

I leave Hunter Altman an outside sink to put his dead animals in after he hunts. I leave Sara Shamlin all the ice cold showers after morning practices.

I , B r i Wa h y , l e a v e m y t e a m m y championships, plenty of cold showers, the square, my jamboree tradition, candy corn and my love -- I will ALWAYS be there for you guys -- for anything! Micky, you can have all my electronics. Alexis, I leave you plenty of water and bees. Andrea, Mrs. Rouse, plenty of undone homeworks and of course I will you my superb photography skills. Austin, you are willed my Calc exam, our mission trip love, our lunch table, really good lunches and my motherly love. Bryce, a bike and an alarm clock. Catie I leave you basketball seasons, XOXO, paint parties, black Friday/footlocker and my Greek dancing skills. Drew, I bestow Karina and I’s friendship with Stacey. Emma, I leave you armadillos. To Julie another trip to NYC, chocolate cake, 7-11 day, hummus, my senior schedule and GJ;) Kenzie you are left Bryce, because you are the only one who can handle him. Mary , the team (goodluck), a stress free senior year, a cheetah prom dress and plenty of boys. To Olivia, the responsibility of washing Stacey’s clothes, my A in PE, and my 9th grade girl crush award. Stacey you don’t get my heart but a spot in my house, M&M pancakes, my varsity spot, Emon, mustaches, a jam sesh in my car and my legacy (so everything else).

Sammy, plenty of long runs and success (not that you need it!!) Last but not least Robert Morgan, Nathan Bohbot and Ricky my heart. Oh, and I leave Michael Leary my left ring finger.

I, Bobby Forman, leave Rachel the Forman legacy in the hopes she can fix it. To Sam Woods I leave my newspaper skills because he really needs them. To Mrs. Kelce I leave my “breakfasts.” To Jimmy Reinman I leave many more Digital Shorts and trespassing at the sheriff’s house. To Mr. Hale I leave “Squirrel!”, a closed trash can lid, and an empty place in his heart there will be after me and Ally leave. To Alex Radke I leave Tori because she needs someone to take care of her and I also leave you someone to complain about when you talk about One

The Growl

I, Matt Vickers, leave Sam Woods my charms, devilish good looks, and Zhong Wen struggle. Zach Rahner, I leave you lady troubles (not mine, just in general).

McKenna Ville, you get every mouthwatering baked good I never made for you. Vanessa Paniccia, you recieve my #SWAGGERYOLOTUMBLR.jpeg. Andrea Bomalaski, I leave you my apple orchards.

Daniel Cronin, I leave you my sweeping ballads and ceramic shenanigans (and a whole bucket of slip). I leave my apocalypse survival skills to Zach and Sam, seriously, stick to the plan. Zoe and McKenzie, I leave you those really odd noises the Teathers and I make whenever class gets quiet. Mrs. Euizere, I leave you my AP Gov notes (you’ll have to find them first). To Lydia, I leave my good graces and religious devotion. Nate Herman, I leave you my oration and chapel responsibilities. Evan Ristow, I leave you Jungle Annie and AD Malzahar (seriously man that’s a real thing).

Erin Magee, I leave you my McNuggets and the Diesel. Katherine Hess, I leave you the ability to kick back and drop it low. Ms. Sharpe, I leave you my blue belts, I have about 20 of them. And most importantly, I leave Anselm Teather my legacy, keep on exploring new areas, learning every day, and getting into trouble when it could have been easily avoided.

I, Christian Teather, leave to Austin, my mad knowledge of calculus so that you may pursue rad studies.To Andrea, I leave my outstanding vocal ability, but it can only be used to sing The Grace :-). To Ahsan, I leave my memories of State Latin Forum, and the great times that were had. To Jared, I leave my multiple volume collection of the series “How to Interpret a Bostonian Accent.” To Katherine, I leave 10,000 kittens in shoeboxes doing cute things, and a video camera to make the greatest cat videos of all time. To Jake, I leave a warning because ni bu ke yi shuo! To McKenzie, I leave grass seed, so that she can plant grass in the class.

To Isaac, I leave my mediocre certamen ability. To Erin, I leave a corgi rump.To Zach, I leave a design for an ignition in which keys can never be stuck. To Sam Woods, I leave the position of CEO of Goodwill.

I, Ally Neutze, leave Catie our trip to IU, “Catie don’t look at your phone”, Givedaball, and the Newspaper staff. Stacey and Drew, I leave you Mr. Hale -- laugh at his jokes, give him a hard time, and take good care of him.

Kelly, I leave you “Yeaaahh Kel!”, the title of Ringleader and Instigator, Golson, boy talks, weekly Skype seshs, and a plane ticket to IU. Suzannah, you get your favorite song, “Oh Suzannah”. Mrs. Baxter, I leave you my papers to edit and 2nd period chats. Tony and Sean Paul, I leave you my heart. Paige, you get morning car rides, Call Me Maybe jam seshs, and your family. Julie, I leave you my hair. Alyssa, I leave you all the mayonnaise in the world and a plea to pitch again. I leave the softball team my ability to always get Golson’s phone, my prank book, a phone call whenever any of you need anything, “Tigers on 3”, some good umps, and my deepest gratitude for making my junior and senior year the best they could have been -- I love you guys so much. Daniel, I leave you late-night/early-morning conversations, Saturday mornings at Bagel World, and the best senior year imaginable. Oh, I guess you can also have my house and my room -- after all, it was yours first. Ben, I’m leaving you a hallway confrontation and girl talks. Mrs. Euzierre, I leave you Build-a-Doll and all of the other stories that Idi and I made up for Current Events. Mr. Mancini, I leave you daily trips to the office to hang out and mornings unlocking the auditorium for me.

And finally to Mr. Hale, I leave a snail and a turtle, your people, TYDTP, a pistachio, some sass, a skateboard under your desk, golf clubs in your car, a strategically planned haircut, better lighting, some SURiousness, many trips to Bloomington to come visit, 14 semesters, and all the thanks in the world for everything you have done for me.

Editor’s Note: While the leaving of parking spaces and lockers is a lovely idea, the act is neither legal nor binding. Parking spaces and locker assignments will be made at the beginning of next year. Also, hearts left to someone else may be retrieved, if necessary, within a reasonable time period.

Have a great summer!

23

Seniors 2013

Direction or Dr. Who. To Victoria Clark I leave Coke and DEcaffeinated Coffee.

Senior Wills

The Growl

24

On the Job

By Sam Woods

W

ith summer approaching students might be looking for a job to make some extra gas money. Usually, jobs are a great way for students to build their resume and learn confidence and valuable life skills. But working students sometimes have bad experiences on the job.

Junior Sophia Goodlive and her twin Lily, both have jobs working at Steak `n Shake.

“Once I had a guy hit on me by giving me a huge tip, he friended me on Facebook, then he messaged me to ask if I had gotten his tip,” said Lily.

“In front of the Steak `n Shake this man who I was a server for asked me to be his elf warlord princess for posters around town. The table I was serving was just as creeped out as I was,” said Sophia.

Sophia also said that there were benefits to working at Steak and Shake.

“The great thing about working is hearing all of the stories that old people and travelers have to share. The amazing advice I get from older people about

college and my future is heartwarming.

This job always keeps a smile on my face and teaches me how to work with people for future reference,” said Sophia.

Senior Munashe Chinyanganya has a job as a party hostess at Chuck-E-Cheese.

“Over spring break I dressed up as Chucky for the first time. They told me last minute because the girl who was normally Chucky called in sick. The suit smells fine, but it was really hard for me to see out of it because the costume was too tall. The kids followed me around for tickets and we all did the cupid shuffle,” said Chinyanganya.

“All of the kids actually thought I was Chucky and freaked out. Everybody wanted to take photos with me, and I had to kind of push the children off me they had their photos taken, and they wouldn’t let go,” she said.

Senior Bobby Foreman has a job as a Front Service Clerk at the new specialty Publix at Stadium Corners in Viera.

“Once I was pushing carts inside and this car started backing up. He stopped, and I thought it was safe to walk behind

him. Then he raced it backwards and barely missed me, and a lady started screaming.

He missed me by a couple inches,” said Foreman Senior Joe Cronin held a job delivering pizza for Diangelos Pizzeria and is currently a writer for Brevard Life magazine, where he writes about business out and about in the community.

“Once I delivered pizza to this house where a white and latino guy answered the door in their underwear.”

Junior Andrea Bomalaski has a job as an a coach for a soccer team.

“The guy I work with used to be my coach and needs my help because he has leg problems,” said Bomalaski. “We moved up some kids to the next age group, and now I’m teaching twelve year olds to eighteen year olds three days a week.”

Juniors Sophia and Lily Goodlive have jobs working for Steak `n Shake, where they learn life skills working with the public.