The Growl - Dec. 2013

GROWL The Growl

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THE

December 2012

A Student Publication of Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy

State Champions

Opinions

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The Growl

GROWL Volume 10

Issue 3

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 Cover Photo Individual state champions Alex Brown and Julie Wollrath

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.

Parents who host drinking parties place themselves and students at risk

By Ally Neutze It’s not a right of passage.

It’s not a harmless memory. It’s dangerous, and it’s against the law.

At a time when YOLO has become the motto of our generation, and celebrities like Lindsay Lohan seem to capture the most attention in our media, it’s not surprising that approximately 10.8 million young Americans are breaking the law by consuming alcohol while under the age of 21.

To make matters worse, many of these kids are receiving assistance in obtaining alcohol.

In many cases that assistance is coming from their parents, or the parents of friends.

It’s happening at high schools across the nation. Holy Trinity is no exception.

Parents who host drinking parties are placing themselves and students at risk, as well as undermining the parenting of other adults. It may be legal to serve your child alcohol in your own home, but it is not legal to serve someone else’s child. By allowing teenagers to drink at parties, hosts are inviting a slew of problems ranging from drunk driving, violence, injuries, and assault, not to mention the legal charges they might face.

According to a 2008 study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Services Administration (SAMHSA), of those 10.8 million who drink, over 40 percent were given alcohol by someone 21 years of age or older.

“Its [the study’s] findings strongly indicate that parents and other adults can play an important role in helping influence, for better or for worse, young people’s behavior with regard to underage drinking,” said SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline, Ph.D.

Host parents aren’t just making choices for their own children, they are undermining other parents.

Students generally develop their beliefs and values based off of the adults they are surrounded by. Parents and adult role models shape young people’s definition of right and wrong, and have the responsibility to help them make good decisions. So how can a parent justify helping

their child, and others, break the law?

In many cases, parents argue that they want to “provide a safe environment” for their children to experience drinking, and would rather have it happen in their own home than somewhere else. Others say they want to teach their children responsible drinking habits. However, adults who condone underage drinking rarely consider the effects that their influences can produce. It has been found throughout various studies that children who begin drinking before age 15 are more likely to abuse alcohol and are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependency than those who begin drinking at the legal age, or later.

The reality of the situation is that children depend on the adults in their lives to teach them the responsible way to live, as well as the smart decisions to make. How can a child be expected to make good decisions when they are being tempted and encouraged to break the laws set before them?

Parents have a duty and responsibility to protect their children and guide them, not to be their friend.

More parents need to remember that.

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Application Frustration

By Patrick Black I’ve finally done it. I have sent in that last application.

After months of writing essays, filling out biographical information, and sending in test scores over and over again, I have finished the college application process.

I should be happy, right? I mean, I put in all that time and effort to try and get into a college that will give me a successful career.

I should be jumping for joy right now.

I should be feeling like I accomplished something great, but as much as I want to feel that way, I can’t help but feel that I just left a war zone.

I hope I’m not alone in saying that the college application process is stressful.

While reasons vary from person to person, I’m sure the thing that stresses out most students is writing the essays.

Lots of essays. More essays in four months than your English teachers have

Senior Dolan Bortner yells at the computer after several hours of college applications. Many students find the process of applying to be extremely stressful.

assigned in four years. Enough essays to make you want to throw the computer out your window and say, “That’s it!”

Now for the most part the essays are short, there is no research required, they can be duplicated from college to college, and they don’t have to be formal in any form or capacity. But still, in my last year of high school, the very last thing I want to do is to write nine essays in my free time.

The sheer amount of pressure that is placed on the essays doesn’t help either.

They say that the essay is a big factor when it comes to college acceptance, and because of that, it has driven every collegeseeking senior to go on a stress-filled, overpassionate, sleep-free quest to write the perfect essay that, quite frankly, doesn’t exist.

Because of this mind-set, every day I hear one of my classmates freaking out over an essay they wrote and asking the college advisors or various English teachers for advice on even the slightest improvement in their essay -- no matter how unnecessary.

Probably what makes the essay so hard to write (and so annoying), is the fact that you need to write about yourself. Sounds easy, right? Well, it becomes infinitely harder when you go to that keyboard for the first time and for some reason your mind draws a blank and cannot remember a single interesting day in your life.

You could have ended world hunger or found the cure for cancer, but right at the moment you start writing, you forget everything.

But as much as I complain (and exaggerate), I don’t find the college application process that bad. It’s just that it was a lot more work, time, and effort than I initially led myself to believe.

Since my applications are done, I have more of a sense of relief than one of accomplishment. I’m just glad that it’s all over.

If there is one thing that I can say to the juniors for next year, it is this: start early, don’t procrastinate, manage your time, don’t procrastinate, finish as soon as possible, listen to your college advisors, and above all don’t procrastinate.

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A

lthough Holy Trinity is an Episcopal school, it actually consists of less than 10 percent of Episcopalian students. Many students at Holy Trinity have beliefs besides Christianity, including Islam, Judaism, Agnosticism, and Atheism allowing our school to be very diverse regarding religion.

Reverend Joy Williford welcomes all the different religions at our school. She believes we can learn a lot from each other and it is important to discuss other religions to better understand our own.

“Jesus was welcoming at the table so I want to be welcoming to everyone as well,” she said.

Holy Trinity Upper School Population

“During Ramadan, we fast for a month.

This year it was in July and August and last either 29 or 30 days,” said Mujeeb. Mujeeb enjoys Ramadan and believes it is a lot of fun especially since she gets to spend time with her family.

Unlike Mujeeb, some Holy Trinity students do not practice any religion.

Sophomore Denis Koksal-Rivet, an Atheist, has never practiced any religion.

“My parents had a strong influence on me since they are Atheist too,” KoksalRivet said. He is glad that Holy Trinity has not forced Christianity onto him.

Although there are many non-Christian religions at our school, some Holy Trinity students practice their Christianity.

Freshman, Noah Benjamin, is a Christian, but has some Jewish background

in his family. He celebrates Hanukkah, where they light a menorah and candlesticks to celebrate God helping the Jews in their days of oppression as well as Passover.

“I do not regularly practice, but I would go to temple on Saturdays and observe Holy Days,” Benjamin said.

Sophomore Daniel Welch considers God to be part of his daily life.

“I pray before games, and I also go to church because it makes me feel better about life,” Welch said.

From left, former Holy Trinity student Elizabeth Bersheirs, and Holy Trinity students Shaden Hobbs, Daniel Welch, and Kathryn Welch participate in the Easter service in the gym at the Lower School.

Christian 81% None 10% Unknown 3% Hindu 3% Jewish 1.3% Other 0.6% Based on responses on registration forms.

One of those students who practice a different religion is senior Sumayya Mujeeb. Mujeeb practices Islam, a religion similar to Christianity in that they are both Abrahamic religions. Islam is based on the Qur’an and the teachings and practices of Muhammad.

“I enjoy learning more about Christianity during chapel every day because I can see the similarities [between my own religion and Episcopalian],” said Mujeeb. Mujeeb prays five times a day, which is considered the second most important of Islam’s five pillars.

Mujeeb also celebrates different holidays.

“We celebrate Eid which lasts for three days,” said Mujeeb. “We pray in the morning, listen to a sermon, have a feast, and then have family time, where my family usually goes to dinner together.”

There are many parties around Eid, and they generally last for about two weeks.

Ramadan is also important to Mujeeb and her practices.

Diversity

By Alyssa Nelson

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Fine Arts Preview

By Suzannah Boyle

On top of their demanding school work, the fine art students are preparing for a wide range of performances.

The advanced drama class will be presenting You Can’t Take It With You on December 6 and December 7. The band, orchestra, and chorus are holding a Christmas concert in the auditorium on December 14.

Mrs. Lorie Wacaster is looking forward to the annual winter concert and hopes it will draw a large crowd. The chorus and orchestra have been very busy prepping not only for the concert, but also for the solo and ensemble competitions and the Candlelight festivities at Disney World.

The chorus, band, and orchestra will be performing a series of Christmas songs and pieces from their competitions. Admission to the concert is free.

“I think the students are very excited for the concert,” Mrs. Wacaster said. “We’re encouraging everyone to come out and get in the Christmas spirit.”

Chorus student, sophomore Chass

Charroux, is looking forward to the concert because it includes a funny version of The Twelve Days of Christmas called The Twelve Days After Christmas. Charroux thinks that the chorus is sounding good so far and is excited for the outcome of the event.

The band is also busy preparing for the Christmas concert. They started their preparation process by listening to pieces to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.

The band will be having 20 rehearsals to prepare five pieces, and though this may seem like plenty of time, getting a large musical production like this together can be a very challenging task.

Mr. Jim McCarl is confident that the band will do a great job and he is excited for the band to be showcased, rather than on the sidelines, or accompanying an assembly, like in the Veteran’s Day ceremony in November.

“I’m really excited for the band to be displayed so everyone can see them on their own,” said Mr. McCarl.

The chorus, band, and orchestra will all be performing a group piece in the concert which will combine all of the different departments’ talent and hard work.

You Can’t Take It With You is a comedic play about Alice Sycamore and her crazy family. Alice is engaged to Tony Kirby whose family is the complete opposite of the Sycamores, and when they finally meet, things go haywire.

Alice Sycamore is played by senior Emily Jameson and Tony Kirby is played by junior Josh Unum. Along with this comedic play, the Christmas concert and senior high art show are sure to be a nice break from the stress of school this quarter.

Sophomore Evan Ristow practices his violin piece for the winter concert. All of the students have been practicing hard for thieir performances.

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Cross Country domin

By Ally Neutze

The guns went off and feet flew across the grass at the FHSAA state cross country meet on November 17 in Tallahassee. Going into the race, both the HT boys and girls teams had already claimed the district and regional titles with significant wins over other schools.

Sophomore Julie Wollrath and senior Alex Brown won individual state championships and lead their teams to an appearance on the podium. The boys claimed the team title and the girls finished second.

“Both the girls and boys teams had their best races that they had all season,” said

Coach Doug Butler. “In the last 11 years, the girls have won 10 first or second place titles -- six first places and now four second places.”

The girl’s team, made up of seniors Mackenzie Dummer, Jenna Hindsley, and Brianna Wahy, junior Mary Lewis, sophomore Wollrath, and eighth-graders Sam Folio and Natalia Walcott, finished only 15 points behind state champions Oak Hall -- a team that beat them by 50 earlier in the season.

“I did well. I went out really fast, tried to create a gap, and then held the gap,” said

Wollrath, who won her second consecutive state championship. She finished the course ahead of the pack in a time of 18:15. As a seventh grader she placed 10th in state, and as an eighth-grader she placed third.

Dummer, one of the captains of the team, finished 10th and joined Wollrath on the podium for individual honors.

“I ran my season best time, 19:11, and placed 10th even though I wasn’t expected to. I was proud that all the girls tried their hardest to get back on the podium, and did so successfully,” Dummer said.

Dummer was pleased with her last race as a senior and season overall.

“As a senior it was one of the best days ever because I feel like my senior season ended greatly. We got back on the podium and the team was so close. It felt like such a joint effort, and as an individual I was able to place again, which I haven’t done since sophomore year so that was really exciting,” she said.

Although this was Dummer’s last cross country race as a Tiger, she will continue her running career as a Cardinal at the University of Louisville next fall.

“Making my college decision was extremely hard. I narrowed it down to the University of South Carolina and the University of Louisville. At Louisville I can make the travel team and I saw that as a benefit because I can be included in more races. And even though it’s far from home I’m excited to dress in cold weather clothes and encounter new people,” said Dummer.

Wahy played a big role in helping the girls to take second place as a team.

“It was really different because during most of the season, I’ve been racing for a certain time or place to tell a college. But at state, we were just racing for a spot, for the team, and for the team title,” said Wahy. “It makes it really easy to push through because you’re running for your other teammates, not just yourself.”

Being that it was her last race, Wahy wanted to leave everything she had on the course.

“It’s definitely really cool to go to the line and give everything you have because

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nates podium at state

you are representing Holy Trinity for the last time. I really wanted to leave everything there and give it my all because it’s the last race I have in high school as a cross country runner,” she said.

On the boy’s side, the team was comprised of seniors Brown, Tristan Kattenberg, Cole Oliver, and Coleman Sperando, sophomore Andrew Cacciatore, and eighth-graders Trevor Kattenberg and Michael Wilson.

“The boys had a phenomenal race,” said Coach Butler. “This is the first time we have won the first place individual title and first place state title on the boy’s side.”

Led by Brown, the boys took the 1A state title, beating out Maclay by 65 points.

“I ran very well and ran a PR of 15:37,” said Brown. “It’s a great feeling to be a part of accomplishing something like that and being a part of a group like David Kilgore

and Kyle Cooke. I’m glad I can be a part of the group that we have.”

Brown has been running in the state meet since seventh grade and has been in the top 10 at state since his sophomore year.

Kattenberg also medaled individually at state for the third time.

“I led the majority of the race, and around the 1000-meter mark Alex Brown pulled away and won thankfully. I got third and ran a PR of 15:51,” said Kattenberg.

Following in the footsteps of Brown and Kattenberg is Cacciatore. Cacciatore ran at state for the first time last year as a freshman and came in 21st, but this year he made it to the podium as an individual.

“I was really happy that I made it to the top 10 this year,” said Cacciatore. “I want to win another team title and place top five at state next year.”

This year’s win for the boys brings them to a total of six first place titles and four second place titles -- an astounding record they share with the girl’s team.

“Training is year round. They run about 340 days a year -- that’s why they perform the way they do. Champions are made in the offseason,” said Coach Butler.

Opposite page: Senior Alex Brown crosses the finish line and claims an individual state title, while leading the Tigers to a team championship. Above: Tiger fans, from left, senior Ruby Watts, junior Lydia Kucera, freshmen Stacey Torkelson and Emma Walker show their support at the state meet in Tallahassee.

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Stuck in the Middle

By Andrea Bomalaski It is written on a wedding invitation, and sometimes written on a tombstone. It is overlooked, and known by only few. It is the middle name and it seems to not get much recognition.

It is argued that the middle name is useless. There are a lot of people who don’t have a middle name and they seem to be just fine.

“I don’t have a middle name,” said sophomore Denis Koksal-Rivet. “My mom decided to keep her last name so I have two last names and no middle name.”

On the other end, sophomore Milan Lanier has two middle names.

“My middle names are Arlicia and Anne. They come from family members” said Lanier.

A lot of people’s middle names are family names.

“My middle name is Victoria and it’s been in the family for three generations,” said sophomore Ava Zisman.

“My older sister’s name is Jessica and my middle name is also Jessica. Her middle name is Ashley, and that’s my other sister’s name. Ashley’s middle name is Paige, and that’s my name,” said sophomore Paige Golson.

“My middle name is Baeleah. My mom wanted to put her first name in my middle name and that’s why it’s spelled funny.” said sophomore Kiara Barret.

The middle name, much like the first and last name, is sometimes a representation of a person’s ethnicity. Senior Munashe Chinyanganya was born in Zimbabwe and her middle name is Mazuitaishe, meaning “Thank You God.” Sometimes the middle name is chosen before the first.

“Both my children’s middle names were chosen before their first name. My daughter’s middle name is Rose, and Rose

was my great grandmother’s name. We knew her middle name was going to be Rose and we chose a first name that went well with it,” said yearbook adviser Mrs. Sarah Tricano. “We chose my son’s middle name first. My son’s middle name is Briant which is my husband’s middle name and also his mother’s maiden name.”

Yearbook advisor Mrs. Sarah Tricano gave her daughter Charlotte Rose the middle name of her great great grandmother.

Many parents choose names with family significance.

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International Students Continue Their Studies

By Catie Sergis During the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the number of international students enrolling at Holy Trinity. International students are not only coming from China, but also Germany, South America, Sweden, and South Korea.

One of the many reasons these students are enrolling at our school is because of the demanding curriculum, and the great opportunities Holy Trinity provides for the students to get into well-established colleges and universities.

Alumni Kevin Yoo found that Holy Trinity was a great step into getting in a well-known university, Penn State.

“The many different AP classes offered helped me become more prepared for college courses,” Yoo said.

Other students who are currently enrolled at Holy Trinity have decided to take a different route after high school graduation.

Senior Gustaf Stangel has decided to go home to Sweden after he graduates.

“I’m not going to college in America, because I left what could be compared to junior college in Sweden to take one year off from school back home,” Stangel said.

However, some students aren’t sure yet what their plans are after graduation.

“I have both options. I can either stay here to graduate and go to college, or I can go back to Chile and finish the last six months of senior year there so I can graduate with my class in Santiago,” senior Sophie Rousseau said. “I’ve been thinking about it, but I’m still not sure what I’m going to do. I’ll just have to see how how it all goes.

I have applied to Emory University and University of Miami. I am also planning to apply to University of Alabama and University of Central Florida.”

International students must put in extra work in order to apply to these colleges.

“All of the paperwork for international students was really hard for me,” Yoo said.

Rousseau agreed.

“Writing the essays is definitely the hardest part. It’s so hard to write them, revise them, and rewrite them again -- it gets so tiring. I love to write but I never thought it would be this hard,” Rousseau said.

“All of the schools I’m applying to require you to take a language test. There are four different sections; speaking, listening, reading, and writing. It’s difficult so I really

have to study for it,” senior Nina Ma said. “I want to go to UCLA, Boston University, or Indiana University to study applied math.”

Even though the application process is a lot of hard work, students have found that the college office has really helped them.

“The availability of the counselors, Naviance, and the willingness of the counselors to help me whenever I need it has made the college process go smoother,” Rousseau said.

“The college counselors also helped me a lot with the application process; they were always patient with me and worked with me on my essays. The class of 2012 also helped me because by listening to my friends I could connect the dots and figure out how to make a good application,” Yoo said.

No matter where you’re from one thing is certain, the college application process is not easy. However, with the right guidance students are achieving their goals.

Senior Nina Ma stands in front of the map in the college office. Here students can pin the colleges they’re attending.

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Jore and Joye

By Paige Golson

I

t is very common for twins to want to create their own identity, but this is not the case for freshmen soccer stars Jore and Joye Oni. The Oni twins came to Holy Trinity last year, and decided to try out for the JV soccer team because they always had a love for the game. Both twins have been playing soccer for the greater part of their lives, and this year they are both part of the JV and varsity squads.

Having a sibling on the soccer field with you is always reassuring but having your twin playing alongside you is a blessing that both Jore and Joye have taken advantage of. They are able to communicate with one another with just a look and always know what the other one is thinking.

“We can always rely on each other,” Jore said. “We know each others’ strengths and weaknesses.”

Jore is not the only one that depends on his twin telepathy on the soccer field.

“If I’m running and cannot see anything, I pass to Jore because I know where he is,” Joye said.

Sibling rivalry comes into play in any circumstance and the Oni twins are not an exception. Both Jore and Joye not only want

to be the best on the team, but be better than each other.

“I’m the better player because I’m more skillful and faster,” Joye said.

Jore disagrees.

“I’m better because I’m more athletic and have more skills,” Jore said. “I’m just better.”

Coach James Phillips thinks of them as equals and enjoys coaching them.

“I get very frustrated because they are really hard to get mad at,” said Coach Phillips. “They both have massive smiles on their faces at all times. My goal for them is just to keep improving, gaining experience, and growing.”

Teammates also enjoy playing with both Jore and Joye.

“They help the team. They talk to the team while playing,” said junior Jake Bacon.

“They work really hard which pushes the other players to work harder than them.”

Junior Robert Morgan also enjoys having them on the team.

“It is confusing to play with them because their names are so close,” said Morgan.

“They control the ball well and have good speed.”

“They are always competitive with each

other,” said freshman Ryan Bastien. “They are always smiling.”

Like other players, Jore and Joye have soccer stars to look up too.

“Wayne Rooney is one of my favorite players,” Jore said.

“I look up to Lionel Messi because he scored the most goals last year in the world and he is on the best team,” Joye said.

Even though they look up to different famous soccer players, they both look up to freshman Luca Campanini. Campanini has been on the varsity soccer team since seventh grade. Jore and Joye also agree that Manchester United is the best soccer team.

Despite the fact that Jore and Joye Oni are competitive, these twins always have each other’s back. They share a love for the game of soccer, and they have the strongest bond that two teammates can have. Having a family member, let alone a twin, will always be an asset for both Jore and Joye on the field. They are there for each other both on and off the field.

Above: Joye, left, and Jore have been playing since they were little. The two brothers have a love for the sport and both now play for the Holy Trinity team.

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New Players Take the Court

By Jenny Ryan With high hopes and goals for the season, the boys basketball team has been hitting the gym and working hard. Practicing six days a week, for two hours at a time, the team continues to work on their chemistry.

With five returning varsity players, the team’s short term goal is to get all of the new guys to learn the system. Once they get all of that down, they will be focusing on getting out of district play, and advancing onto regionals.

“In the past, the depth on the team was weak, and so injuries have been a main concern,” said varsity head coach Steve Henderson. “This year there will be 12 to 13 guys on the team, which creates a lot of depth in case an injury should occur. This also creates good competition for playing time.”

Sophomore Keoni Wallington is an experienced player for the Tigers and plays as a point guard. Playing basketball for 10 years, Wallington has set high goals for himself, as well as for the team.

“My personal goals for the season are to be considered as Mr. Basketball for the state of Florida and to get to Lakeland for the state tournament,” said Wallington.

Junior Marcus Barham is a new addition to Holy Trinity’s basketball program.

Barham has been enjoying the game of basketball since he was six and has been playing for a total of 10 years.

“My personal goals are to win and to play 100 percent for every single game we have,” said Barham. “I enjoy being a part of this team because we are like a family.

We all stick together and help each other out,” he said.

Senior Jack Olinde is excited for a memorable last season.

“Since I played last year, I know how everything works, and I can help the other guys out,” Jack said.

A returning player for the team, junior Zach Ullian wants to win districts and regionals. Ullian contributes to the team as a small forward.

“This season, I am most looking forward to beating MCC,” said Ullian.

Ullian says that everyone on the team are best friends, and that shows on the court.

The only freshman on this year’s varsity team, Alexander Keel, has been playing basketball for pretty much his whole life.

He agrees that the team this year has a lot of depth unlike the past seasons.

“Our biggest challenge will probably be not slipping in the playoffs,” said Keel. “I enjoy being a part of this team because even outside of basketball we are all pretty close.”

Sophomore Nicholas Olinde is a first year varsity player. He is most looking forward to having a winning season with the team, winning districts, and possibly going further.

“We are a very cohesive unit and we always have each other’s back,” said Olinde.

“We are super hard workers and we all push each other on and off the court,” he said.

Another addition to the Tigers is sophomore Julian Gardner. He is very excited about coming together as a family and putting up a state banner in the gym.

“Any given night any of us can show up and have a spectacular game, and another night it can be someone else. We have too many weapons and a lot of talent,” said Gardner.

Another first year varsity player, junior Trey Ville, is looking forward to getting to know all the new guys on the team, since there are quite a few.

“It’s going to maybe take a while but when it comes down to districts and regionals later on in the year were going to be on point,” said Ville. “Winning districts is basically the short term goal, while getting to states would probably be the main focus and most challenging task,” he said.

Ville says that there is a lot of athletic ability on the team this year and that the team has a lot of potential, especially because they are so young and athletic.

“At HT the way of winning is defense and pushing the ball up the court. All the guys are buying into the defense, pushing the ball and playing ‘Tiger basketball.’ The potential is great to have, it shows us that people believe in us,” said Ville.

Top: Junior Hector Vazquez dribbles the ball down the court.

Middle: Lower schoolers Tanner Bean and Izzy Henderson cheer on the team with their home-made signs.

Bottom: Junior Jace Hogan shoots the ball into the hoop for two points.

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The Growl

Room 411: Crawling with Creatures

By Megan McCreery Six classes of students pass through his room daily, each one fascinated by the multitude of animals he keeps on display in his room. Mr. Wes Lovelace has been teaching at Holy Trinity, losing and accumulating a variety of animals, over the past 18 years.

After graduating from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1968, majoring in history and English, and minoring in natural science, Mr. Lovelace began his teaching career at an elementary school in Maryland teaching sixth grade.

“I worked there two years and then went to the planetarium, stayed there six years, left teaching, and then was a landscape architect for about two years,” said Mr. Lovelace. “Then I went back to teaching and taught Gifted and Talented for 15 years.

That made a total of 24 years in Maryland,” he said.

Beginning in 1994, Mr. Lovelace began to teach biology and English at Holy Trinity.

“The first year, we had all kinds of stuff,” said Mr. Lovelace. “Then I got the big cage with a chameleon in it from the lower school, but he passed away eventually. I get the animals people don’t want, or things people find and bring in,” said Mr. Lovelace.

Many students feel similarly about the animals Mr. Lovelace keeps in his room.

“I like that he has so many organisms on

display in his room, because I take Earth Science, and when he is talking about the organisms from the past, he can offer us fossils of their bones and other cool things to look at,” said junior Alex Radke. “We are able to see how such organisms evolved over time,” she said.

Senior Dolan Bortner sharess a similar perspective. ve “I believe that having live specimens in his room is a da wonderful learning tool. I had teacher in elementary school that m, so also had animals in their room, it’s somewhat nostalgic for me,” said senior Dolan Bortner. mals His room has a variety of animals including: a slider iped (turtle), a three striped fish, mud turtle, a goldfi a yellow rat snake, two n, a geckos, a scorpion, brown musk turtle, ten nd a Cuban tree frogs, and ball python. ban “I keep these [Cuban tree frogs] alive so the hat students learn what en they look like, so when p, they go out in the swamp, ,” they know what to look for,” said Mr. Lovelace.

Mr. Lovelace feeds all of y. his animals every Friday. m He gets his food from Incredible Pets, and usess donated money -- aboutt $15 per week.

“I feed all the animals crickets, except the snakes, which get live mice,” said Mr. Lovelace.

Since the animals remain in his room over summer, he has to continue to feed them. Mr. Chiarella will sometimes help him out and feed the fish and turtles in those months.