Volume 17, Issue 6 Senior Issue 2019

May

2019

the

J.W. Mitchell High School 2323 Little Road New Port Richey, FL 34655 Issue 6 Volume 17

hoofbeat

Senior Issue

“Throughout my last four years, I have grown so much as a person. I have so many memories here that I am forever grateful for. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store.” Kirsten Whitney (‘19) Photo by Bailey Illig

Issue six

2019 Outstanding Senior

Abby McNulty

Table of

Contents

“I think Abby deserves it because out of all the students that I aspire my daughter to be over all the years I have taught, it would be her. I think she works hard, she’s intuitive, she’s responsible, she has integrity; all the qualifications I feel that an outstanding senior should have.”

- Ms. Traci De Leon (FAC)

News (page 3)

- Top 10 seniors in the Class of 2019 - Important graduation information for all seniors and their parents

Lifestyles (pages 4-7) - Pictures reflecting seniors’ favorite memories from their entire time throughout high school - Seniors enlisting in the Military right after graduating high school - Man on the Street: What has high school taught you over the past four years?

- Advice to graduating seniors from their favorite teachers - Map of where students are going to college

Centerspread (pages 8-9) - Senior Superlatives

Sports (pages 12-13) - Senior track stars reflect on their season and past years on the varsity team - Man on the Street: Seniors’ favorite sports memory throughout their career - Tennis and baseball players remember their senior season and look forward to the future - Year in review for Mitchell varsity sports

Entertainment (page 14)

- A recap of the Great Gatsby themed prom - Seniors shared what they liked and didn’t like about Grad Bash this year

Opinions (page 15)

- Staff editorial concerning the importance of choosing a college major - Letter to the Editor - Should you rush a sorority or fraternity your freshman year in college?

- Looking back at this year’s Water Wars

Back Page (page 16)

- Pros and cons of studying abroad

Congratulations to the Class of 2019!

Editorial

Policy

Published six times a school year, the student newspaper of J.W. Mitchell High School is a public forum with its student editorial board making all the decisions concerning its contents. Unsigned editorials express the views of the majority of the editorial board.

Letters to the editor are welcomed and will be published as space allows. Letters must be signed, although the staff may withhold the name upon request. 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.

Opinions of letters are not necessarily those of the staff nor should any opinion expressed in a public forum be construed as the opinion or policy of the school administration, unless attributed.

HoofbeatStaff

Editors

Staff Reporters

Morgan Fliss

Ruhan Alam

editor-in-chief Hayley Fliss

Emma Diehl

lifestyles editor

Valerie Farrar

Avery Philion

Jonah Freeman

news editor Richard Daley

Gracie Glover

sports editor

Rylee Kaiser

Bailey Illig

Hailey Kroll

ent./opin. editor Emma Rogers

business manager

Ostina Myrtil Madeline Smyth

Class of 2019 Top Ten 1

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Kaitlyn Tucker College: University of Florida Major: Biology and Marine Science Favorite Class: AP Research with Ms. Jamie Orrego Advice: Take the time to join a club or spend time with friends because high school should be filled with great memories you can look back on.

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Abby McNulty College: Florida State University Major: Percussion Performance Favorite Class: Calculus BC with

Ms. Traci DeLeon Advice: The more you put into your senior year, the more you will get out of it; so invest in clubs and take advantage of what Mitchell has to offer.

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Nathaniel Aldino College: University of

South Florida Major: Computer Science Favorite Class: Calculus BC with Ms. Traci DeLeon Advice: Do your homework because it is maintinence and you might not have to study as much for certain classes [opposed to others].

Alexis Caporusso College: University of Florida Major: Financing Favorite Class: Law Studies Advice: Definitely work hard

and make sure your grades are good. Start looking at colleges early and take the SAT and ACT early.

Seating Chart

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Mansi Patel College: University of Florida Major: Applied Mathematics Favorite Class: AP Calculus and AP Psychology Advice: Enjoy [high school] because it goes by so fast and you are going to be stressed out with college and high school stuff combined.

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The Top Ten for the class of 2019 give advice for next years’ seniors and share plans for their future

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5

Ciara Cabrera

Kaitlyn Killeen

College: University of Tampa Major: Writing/Journalism Favorite Class: AP Literature with Ms. Beth Seletos Advice: Space out all of your assignments because you need to get it all done beforehand, so you can do other things without stress

College: Florida State University Major: Business and Entrepreneurship

Favorite Class: Capstone and

Seminar Research with Ms. Jamie Orrego and Ms. Beth Seletos Advice: Try to avoid senioritis since you have a lot to do by the end of your senior year

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9

John Henges

Stephanie DeVlieger

Julia Walkup

College: University of Florida Major: Biosystem Engineering

College: University of South Florida Major: Educational Psychology Favorite Class: Yearbook with Ms.

College: University of Georgia Major: Journalism Favorite Class: AP Seminar with

or Biomedical Field Favorite Class: Calculus BC with Ms. Traci DeLeon Advice: Do not overwhelm yourself with classes you do not need to take even though you think they might boost your GPA. If you [need to], take classes with more breathing space.

Susan McNulty

Advice: Take classes you want and not for GPA, because yearbook helped me determine my [educational] field and I earned two honors credits

Ms. Jamie Orrego and Ms. Beth Seletos

Advice: Get everything done early because I failed to and I was scrambling to get everything done regarding college.

Graduation Information Graduation Practice May 28th and May 29th in the gym at 8:30 a.m.

Attendance is mandatory for graduation

Graduation Ceremony June 9th seniors arrive at 5 p.m. ceremony starts at 6 p.m.

USF Sundome 4202 e fowler ave.

Tampa, FL 33620 no charge for admission $$7 parking fee at entrance

News

Gigante Productions (813-907-1078) will photograph each senior individually upon receiving his/ her diploma. Purchase of these photographs are optional.

Visit their website at www.giganteproductions.com for any more questions.

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Class of 2019 Senior Memories More than just a picture

Photo provided by Kenna Main Photo provided by Lindsey Hoskins Photo provided by Jade Casale

My favorite thing about homecoming week was being together and having fun for the last time with my whole class. The crazy things we come up with every year and the different types of themes are amazing. I’ll miss getting out of classes early to go out and show spirit for Mitchell.

Photo provided by Emma Glover

Jade

Casale (‘19)

I loved being able to spend time with my friends and people I wouldn’t normally hang out with at the park [during Grad Bash]! And I will miss the fact that [Grad Bash] was probably one of the last times our whole class will all be together.

Photo provided by Veronika Trtik

Kathryn Photo provided by Avery Philion

Edwards (‘19)

Photo provided by Gil Gonzalez

Photo by Alexia Carmack

Photo provided by Darius Far

Photo provided by Austen Fields

Photo provided by Tara Pirozzi

One of my favorite memories was from sophomore year when the Student Council volunteered at the 2017 prom. It was so fun seeing all of the upperclassmen dressed up and it made me look forward to the future things I would get to experience at Mitchell.

Being surrounded by friends and teachers made the night great despite being there only to volunteer.

Photo provided by Chloe Snow

Lindsey

Hoskins (‘19)

Photo provided by Sarah Kosik

Photo provided by Bradley Smith

My favorite thing about Grad Bash was how all of my friends managed to stay together the entire night and not lose anyone.

There was 22 of us in total. The thing I will miss the most is how we will never be able to get everyone together for a whole night in one place again.

Jessica

Kalo (‘19)

Photo provided by Kathryn Edwards

Photo provided by Maria Abreu

Photo provided by Darius Far

Photo provided by Jessica Kalo

This was the first football game that I was ever able to be in Stang Gang for because normally I would have to be in the stands for marching band. I had an amazing time cheering on the football team from a whole different perspective with my bestie.

Photo provided by Colin Dempsey

Photo provided by Kirsten Whitney

Photo provided by Abby MNulty

Rachel

Lane (‘19)

Photo provided by Jamie Rivera

Photo provided by Abby McNulty

Photo provided by Rachel Lane

Photo provided by Veronika Trtik

[My picture] was taken the morning after Grad Bash. My friends- Belle Kruger, Felicity Weisbrod, Stephanie DeVlieger, and Emily Crudup- and I had all just woken up after getting 5 hours of sleep. We all were trying to stay awake to go eat breakfast, but we were super happy to just enjoy the time together.

I will definitly miss the school related events like pep rallies and homecoming week the most because these events made for some of the memories I think a lot of us will remember for a long time.

Colin

Dempsey (‘19)

Photo provided by Abby McNulty

Jamie

Rivera (‘19)

Photo provided by Gil Gonzalez

Photo provided by Veronika Trtik

Photo provided by Avery Philion

Photo provided by Shanna Morgan

Serving in the United States Military These dedicated students proceed from high school onto their next journey of serving, according to the canvas survey

United States Air Force

United States Army

“I’m expecting it to require hard work, and it will be a different lifestyle, plus it will show me how to be responsible, and how to become a better adult.”

“They will pay for all of my college. I want to serve my country because a lot of my family has been in the military. It offers great opportunities, and I can make good money.”

Malaki Josefowitz

Enlisting in Coast Guard

Kaitlyn Gordon

Students enlisting

Taylor Hall-Licavoli

Hunter Adams

Kaitlyn Gordon

Leonardo Lantigua

Christian Bailey

Diego Figueroa

Ethan Hettich

Andrew Guy

Manon theStreet

Smith (‘19)

Esteban Rodriguez-Jimenez Jake Herny

Malaki Josefowitz

Bradley

Enlisting in Marines

Students enlisting

Emily Ulmer

I’ve been taking AP classes and have been involved in different programs throughout the years I’ve been in high school, which will further my academic goals in college and in my pursuit of a law degree.

Matthew Greco

All of the AP classes that I have taken in high school will benefit me in the future because they prepare me for the academic rigor of college in order to become an aerospace engineer.

Ted

Farrar (‘19)

Enlisting in Navy Nicholas Ortiz

Zoe Nall

How do you think high school activities will help you later on in life?

I’ve been in ROTC for two years and I’m going into the Navy, so that program will help me because I am more knowledgeable about my role in the military.

Zoe

I plan on going to community college for two years, then transferring to UT, which is a good business school and I want to major in business.

Samuel

Nall (‘19)

Adawonu (‘19)

EMR will help me get a job because of the experience and knowledge that I have gained about the medical field through the class in high school.

Dylan

Schuse (‘19)

Teach, love, and inspire your students As seniors prepare to move on from high school, their favorite teachers have words of wisdom to give them before they part “Through literature we have an opportunity to discuss huge life lessons like the journey and the threshold. These ideas are relevant as the seniors are on a journey, and in another few weeks they’ll cross the threshold into the next phase of their lives.”

Ms. Karen Hall

“Any success that I may derived from teaching comes from a simple mantra: Try to be more like Steve Burns. That, and some people confuse Thanos for the Grand Puba. Final advice: Don’t spit into the wind.”

Mr. John Scott

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“I hope that they will remember my classroom as a place they could be themselves, have some fun and learn some stuff in the process.”

Ms. Andrea Berry-Guth

“When I look back to high school, I remember all the fun times I had with my friends. Cherish those memories and try to keep in touch.”

Ms. Traci De Leon

“The future is here. Don’t squander the opportunity to improve yourself. My hope for your future is that you live a life of integrity, conviction, and kindness.”

Ms. Beth Seletos

“Human beings will always make mistakes; however, people will, more often than not, forget about the mistake but always remember the response to the mistake.”

Mr. Daniel Vanno

“Some will choose to use different stepping stones, but those who choose my rock know that I will not let them slip into the river, for I am solid and secure.”

Mr. Steven Burnes

How far until your next adventure Below are the graduates attending a university or technical school who ďŹ lled out the canvas survey during their RANCH class Belmont University

Indiana University

Sebastian Vaughn

Solomon Keim

University of Washington Ethan Hubbartt

Berklee College of Music University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

Khalid Razick

Leia Randall Rutgers University

Iowa State

Justin Alexander

Kym-Mani King

Barton College

University of California San Diego

Leonardo Lantigua

Valentina Moreno

Montreat College

University of Arizona

Hallie Young

Alexus Collado-Cancel

University of Georgia

Ole Miss

Julia Walkup

Demetra Giakoumatos

Valdosta State University

Troy University

Kennedy Deluca

Aja Graham

Florida State University Abby McNulty Alyssa Divincent Ashley French Caitlin Connor-Sipple Connor Sherman Julianna Coates Kaitlyn Killeen Morgan Bombei Pasco Hernando State Patrick Tomic Jacobe Gray April Leo Alexandra Kaufman Anthony Scaviola Daniel Gonzalez Emma Cavanagh Gregory Burney Jenna Fontanez Lily Hunter Nicholas Thurston Samuel Adawonu Thomas Burney Tristan Wijnmaalen Jaime Hanoman Kayla Alderman Angel Schumacher Raneem Nasser Phoebe Vecchioni Shania Snell

Jordan Bunker Alina Hogan Brandon Felmly Katrina Trautschold Alyssa Gill Brooke Bliss Cristian Escalante Hailey McKim Jade Casale Jordan Nutter Marina Cardosi Manuel Merello Parker Runman Paul Fournand Sarah Kosik Sierra Echevarria Mya Jones Kirsten Whitney Brady Bodden University of Central Florida Aidan McCall Karman Eckelbarger Kristina Jautze Conner Knight Danielle Fink Erika Taylor Gilbert Gonzalez Jessica Husak Julia Fasano Kailey Sidders Lauren Wright

Maria Abreu Crespo Miranda Medlin Natalie Soto-Morera Paige Taylor Parker Marchant Sydney Moore Tyler Dempsey University of Florida Emily Goney Alexis Caporusso Caitlin Casady Jacob McLaren John Henges Kaitlyn Tucker Lindsey Hoskins Mansi Patel Sarah Wasley Whitney Herd Ted Farrar University of South Florida Amber Profeta Stephanie DeVlieger Jaqueline Montalvo Janie Currier Felicity Weisbrod Tiffany Trice Alexis Majorana Andy Nguyen Anthony Sarim Brandon Davani Charles Nagel

Chelcie Harris Chloe Snow Cole Hendrick Dana Chamberlin Emma Glover George Habib Hannah Small Jeana Walter Jessica Kalo Jessica Pleus Joshua Cooney Kenna Main Kristopher Morena Lauryn Cusma Lisette Anton Maria Stege Matthew Harmon Michal Wieczorek Nathaniel Aldino Olivia Gray Pilar Eguino Sarah Helgeson Tara Pirozzi Tricia Chapman Jacob Ramella Rachel Lane University of Tampa Ciara Cabrera Sara Stewart Jamie Rivera

Valencia College Madsion Maring Emily Lawrence Rachel Geiger Florida Atlantic University Ashley Grisley Brittney Mathis Jayden McGregor Florida Gulf Coast University Austen Fields Abigayle Manfre Drew Pfeifer Veronika Trtik Kathryn Edwards Logan Rossignol Florida Institute of Technology Cameron Heid Zachary Watson University of North Florida Bradley Smith Kendall Dowell Webber International Chloe Thomasson Saint Leo University Brianna Wiik Florida Polytech in Orlando Gustavo Maldonado

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Running straight towards graduation Senior track and field athletes share their personal goals and achievements from their last season on the team Rylee Kaiser Staff reporter Manuel Merello (‘19) Merello competed in the long jump, triple jump, 200-meter dash, and 100-meter dash. His best time for the 200-meter dash was 10 seconds, and 100-meters was 7 seconds. For the long jump he jumped 15 to 20 feet.

Throughout the year he picked up speed and improved on the long jump and got second place.

“I started track because my friend wanted me to. She wanted to spend more time with me and it made me not be lazy and work out more. My main goal was to stay In shape,” Merello said.

Christian Bailey (‘19) Bailey was one of the district champions in track. He competed in long jump, high jump, and triple jump. His best times were 40 feet 5 inches for triple jump; for long jump it was 20 feet 1 inch, and high jump was 5’9. He improved on his jumping by increasing his jump by 10 feet and improved 5 feet on the triple jump and long jump and 6 inches for high jump.

“I started track because my friend asked me to join track so I said yes. I started track this year and my goal is to be the best and stay fit. After one year of track I’m a district champion,” Bailey said.

Haley Lewis (‘19) Lewis’ biggest event throughout high school was the 300-meter hurdles. In districts she placed 4th and moved on to Regionals. Her distance events like the 800-meters and mile were her most improved this season.

“I’ve always really enjoyed running and I wanted to be a part of a sport so I started track in 7th grade on the middle school team. My main goal for track was to make it to states and my biggest accomplishment was beating the school record in the 100-meter hurdles. I don’t have any official plans for track after high school but I will definitely

Man Street

Brianna

Wiik (‘19) Varsity Soccer

After Ruhan passed away, we played the tournament at Jesuit in the finals and we had to play nine versus eleven in the final game for Sickles and we ended up winning.

Maxwell

Moon (‘19) Varsity Soccer

Zachary Steadham (‘19) Steadham competed in shot put and Discus. His best distance for shot put was 36 feet and discus was 121 feet. At the beginning of the season he was throwing about 90 feet then improved to 121 feet, 30 feet and improved to 36 feet.

“I started track to give me something to do, and I was curious about how to throw the discus and shot. I thought I would be good at it. My goal is to throw as far as a could and I finished the year throwing 121 feet,” Steadham said.

What was your best sports memory from high school?

on the

Coach Dave, the parents, and our teammates made it so special for us and it was a great opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to our soccer careers.

continue to run on my own,” Lewis said.

Jake Herny (‘19) Herny competed in long jump, 200-meter dash, and the 100-meter dash. His best time was 12.1 seconds for the 100-meter and 26 flat for the 200-meter and 4.7 meters for long jump. He improved on the 100-meter dash by decreasing a few seconds and his long jump increased to above 4 1/2 meters.

“I started track to get in shape and missed most of the opportunities for sports. Senior year I wanted to get at least one sport in. I didn’t go through high school not being able to experience a sport,” Herny said.

My favorite sports memory for this year would probably have to be scoring four against River Ridge. It was our senior night and it was really cool.

Brendan

Bruer (‘19) Varsity Soccer

Playing on the same team as my sister because she’s a freshman and she got to play on varsity, so not that many people can say they’ve played on the same team as their younger sibling

Megan

McCain(‘19) Varsity Volleyball

All my friends came to watch and all my teammates were talking about how they’re going to miss us and it really shows you the impact you can have on your team over these four years in high school.

Kennedy

Deluca (‘19) Varsity Volleyball

Senior athletes’ blast from their past Senior athletes look back on their years on the team and reflect on their favorite memories and their seasons Gracie Glover Staff reporter As the year comes to an end, so does the senior athletes’ time on the team. Whether they played all high school or just for one season, being on the team and the bond the team shares is something to cherish and to reflect on.

Being the number three player of the girls tennis team comes with a lot of pressure, but Marina Cardosi (‘19) never forgets the significance of the team as a whole. Her season was full of

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memories and she felt the team played as one.

“Districts was my favorite moment. We all became as one and we cheered like we have never cheered for each other before. We didn’t play against any other school. We just did our best and kept going. We needed to remember to keep the spirit and never forget we are a family,” Cardosi said.

The baseball team celebrates an undefeated season. Dylan Allen (‘19) has been on the team for his freshmen, junior and senior years. He is an

Sports

integral part of the team and he season,” Allen said. consistently has his teammates’ Ivy Schiro (‘19) has been backs. on tennis “This season team since has been really sophomore The bond that I’ve created great. We are year. She with my teammates, it’s a really good reflects on the team and our memories she just something else, it team bond is gained from is definitely the most incredible. The the girls on memorable thing this bond that I’ve the team. season created with my “Senior teammates it’s night was a Dylan just something lot of fun. All else, it is the girls came definitely the together and most memorable thing this it was really nice. All the younger

Allen (‘19)

players wrote cards for the seniors and it was really sweet. I loved being a part of the team.

My favorite part of being on the team was playing with the other girls. Even if I didn’t get to play I still enjoyed the experience of being a part of the team,” Schiro said.

Seniors prepare to say goodbye to an experience they have known for years. They bid farewell to friends, family, teammates and teachers as they get ready to start a new chapter in their lives.

The varsity sports annual recap

All the sports throughout the school year and their records with how far they were able to go in the length of their season

Girls’ Cross Country

1st at Conference, 5th at Districts

Cheerleading 1st at Best of Pasco, 3rd at Regionals, 5th at States, 12th in Preliminary at Nationals

Volleyball 14 wins - 8 losses

Boys’ Soccer

12 wins - 7 losses - 4 ties

Girls’ Weightlifting

3rd at Conference, 4th at Regionals

Girls’ Tennis

10 wins - 2 losses 1st at Conference

Boys’ Cross Country

Boys’ Golf

Girls’ Golf

2nd at Conference, 4th at Districts, 8th at Regionals

1 win - 2 losses 2nd at Conference, 1st at Districts, 5th at Regionals

7 wins - 5 losses

Football

Girls’ Swim & Dive

Boys’ Swim & Dive

Boys’ Basketball

Girls’ Soccer

8 wins - 3 losses

Girls’ Basketball 7 wins - 19 losses

7 wins - 3 losses

10 wins - 0 losses

7 wins - 19 losses

18 wins - 1 loss

Wrestling

Baseball

Softball

7 wins - 21 losses - 2 ties

18 wins - 0 losses

16 wins - 5 losses

Boys’ Weightlifting

Girls’ Lacrosse

Boys’ Lacrosse

4 wins - 0 losses 1st at Conference

Boys’ Tennis

8 wins - 3 losses

7 wins - 3 losses

5 wins - 4 losses

Girls’ Track & Field

1st at Conference, 3rd at Districts

Boys’ Track & Field

1st at Conference, 3rd at Districts

sports

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Ain’t no party like a Gatsby party

Photo by Ms. Tracy Illig

Photo provided by Abby McNulty

Photo provided by Kristopher Morena

Photo provided by Kristopher Morena

Students gathered at the Inverness Hall located at the Innisbrook Resort on May 11 for their Great Gatsby themed prom. With many options for food, places to listen to the Mitchell jazz combo and a photo booth, students had lots to do in order to enjoy the night.

Kym-Mani King (‘19) was announced as the prom king and Ashley Grisley (‘19) as the prom queen.

Lindsey Hoskins (‘19) was voted as the prom princess and Kristopher Morena (‘19) as the prince.

On Thursday, May 9, the ESE department hosted a prom event for all of their students in room 303 with Mr. John Sousa (FAC)

Jessica Brown, Alicia Gonzalez, and James Randolph join hands to dance with each other and enjoy their prom with their friends and teachers.

Richard Klepatski moves and dances to trendy music while at prom. Dressed in a light blue shirt and black bow tie, Klepatski was dressed to impress.

Samantha Gedymin smiles and laughs as her and her partner dance and sing along to the music. All photos by Avery Philion

Rain rules the night at Grad Bash

In spite of a downpour, seniors enjoy a night at Universal Studios Orlando to celebrate the end of their high school years avery philion News editor

On Saturday, April 6, 2019, the senior class chugged through Universal Studios in the pouring rain. Leaving the school around 4 p.m. and getting home around 5 a.m. provided the seniors with some memories to never be forgotten from Grad Bash.

“The best part of Grad Bash was spending it with my friends.

Universal is fun and all, but the friends I spent my time with there truly made it a memorable senior experience,” Colin Dempsey (’19) said.

As fun as many seniors had, there was still a hiccup that most were not expecting. About an hour and half into the night, it

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started pouring down rain.

“The worst was when it was raining and the rides were shut down for a good two hours. In the end, everything was alright.

I can’t complain,” Jade Casale (’19) said.

Because many rides at Universal Studios are indoors, such as Spiderman and Men in Black, the rain did not ruin the night for most at Grad Bash.

“The best part was waiting in lines with my friends. We had 22 people in our group and we had a great time waiting in hour-long rides because we never ran out of stuff to talk about and played games to make the time go by,” Brady Bodden (’19) said.

Going on the rides and running around wasn’t the only thing to

entertainment

do at Grad Bash. DJ Nasty made a big impression on everyone with good, loud music.

“My friends and I were kind of disappointed when we found out we didn’t have a big artist for Grad Bash, but we still wanted to go see DJ Nasty. He played really trendy and fun music. Even though he wasn’t a huge artist, we made it fun with everyone around us and it became one of my favorite parts of the night,” Sydney Moore (’19) said.

As seniors count down the final days until graduation and prepare to move on, these last few times where all their friends are together can be important.

Grad Bash was a success and everyone returned home safe and sound. Said by many, it was

Raneem Nasser (’19), Katrina Trautschold (’19), Jaden Chambers (’19), Nicholas Ortiz (’19), Paul Fournand (’19), Marina Cardosi (’19), Stilianos Aivatoglou (’19), and Daniel Gonzalez (’19) gather for a quick picture in the middle of enjoying Universal’s Grad Bash. Photo provided by Daniel Gonzalez

an experience they will never forget from their senior year and

were happy they got tot share this with their whole class.

Reality is creeping up

Letter to the editor I found the “Plastic or reusable bottles”, editorial was very fitting for what is happening today, and it gives a lot of good information to the readers. I think both sides of the story had very good points, however I agree with the reusable bottles argument more. I loved the way the article was laid out, and was very straight forward. The bottles on the picture were also cool, and the “vs.” on top, made it look appealing to the reader.

The articles were laid out well, and both were very straight forward. For example, it says in paragraph 2, “ Plastic bottles are accessible, being an easy grab-and-go option for water,” and this shows that the editorial was very straight forward. The editorial was right to the point, and the readers knew exactly what it was talking about.

In paragraph two, it says, “Last year, a study estimated that around 8 million tons of plastic waste entered the

As applications are sent to college, choosing the right major is important Madison Stysly Guest columnist When the time comes to decide on a college major, students are often placed under a great amount of pressure, but this is a decision that will severely impact their future. It is important to make the choice based on personal interests, but what will also provide the best benefits for the upcoming years. Selecting the appropriate major establishes the foundation for one’s career and life style later down the road and needs to be taken into careful consideration.

Finding the right major will have a lasting effect because it determines work experiences, earnings, and other choices.

However, the impact it will have also depends on the student’s future goals. If money is the goal, there are certain groups of majors that offer the best

salaries and investments. Tony for in the work place.

Carnevale at Georgetown Carnevale continues to say, University researched the highest “Results of national tests and paying majors and found what several recent studies have the majority of them have in shown that students who major common. in mathematics, science, and According to his study, engineering, as well as the “STEM, health, and traditional liberal arts, business majors make larger gains in are the highest learning skills than paying, leading do those who study to average business or service of college graduates annual wages fields.” of $37,000 or Regardless, it have a job related to more at the is crucial for a their major according entry level and major to be chosen to the U.S. Census an average of that best reflects Bureau $65,000 or more a student’s abilities, annually over interests, and goals. the course of a With the right major, recipient’s career.” these things become much Although, if the student’s goal easier and achievable. Selecting is advancing in a career, there a college major may be stressful are other options that may be and a tough decision, but it more effective. Some majors is well worth it to be able to provide the necessary skills and experience a successful and experience that will be looked productive career and future.

27%

oceans each year.” This gives a different view of the point that they are trying to come across and really shows the reader how important it is that we eliminate the use of plastic as much as possible. When using facts in an editorial, it is much more persuading and supported.

In paragraph eight, of why reusable water bottles are better, it says, “Plastic water bottles are costly, contain harmful substances, and create unnecessary waste. Reusable water bottles are a convenient alternative to plastic, and will help make the Earth a cleaner place.” This is a very effective way of proving to the audience, that the point they are trying to persuade is better.

I think you did a great job of using multiple techniques, while trying to persuade [the audience on] both sides. Great job!

- Maddie Timmons

To rush or not to rush into college

Future graduates ponder the decision to participate in sorority or fraternity recruitment during their fall semester of college

Valerie farrar staff reporter

decided not to rush into a fraternity.

“I don’t want to join a fraternity

oi

All 11 of the Apollo

sI

n

Jennarose Luy (‘19) will also be attending USF, but decided not to rush into a sorority.

“A lot of people join sororities to make friends, but there are less expensive ways to find a group, like joining other clubs [around the campus],” Luy said.

Sororities are not the only Greek life organizations that are prominent on college campuses.

For boys interested in rushing, there is the option to join a fraternity. Ted Farrar (‘19) will be attending the University of Florida (UF) in the fall, but

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When entering freshmen year of college, many people worry about finding their place. Emma Glover (‘19), however, knows exactly where she will fit in. On a college campus, a sorority is the name that applies to all Greek organizations characterized by a ritual, badge and strong ties to friendship and moral principles.

In the fall semester, Glover will be rushing into Chi Omega at the University of South Florida

(USF), the same sorority her mom was in when she attended USF. “I always felt like people thought sororities were paying for friends, but after learning about all the community volunteering they do, I think the best aspect is the community service that is built upon the sorority’s purpose,” Glover said.

Despite Glover’s reasons, not everyone feels the same way about sororities. Between initiation fees, housing costs, and membership dues, the price of joining begins to add up.

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The decision to join a sorority or fraternity is not an easy one to make, affecting your college experience. These organizations can help you make friends and serve your community, however are expensive and time-consuming.

Whether or not you join a sorority or fraternity, there are a myriad of ways to get involved on a campus. Your own college experience will be whatever you make of it.

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because it doesn’t sound like fun to me, and it would also take up time that I could be using for other things, like schoolwork,” Farrar said.

What is going on in the realm of war?

The annual water wars tournament ran from April 15 to April 22, but is the extracurricular all it is hyped up to be?

Valerie farrar staff reporter The war of water begins and ends every year with the winning team who used dynamics, strategy, and cheating without getting caught to bring home the money. Since water wars is student-run and not affiliated with the school, it is expected to have some issues. Aidan Metz (‘19) ran the event and made it an overall success for everyone playing.

The main battleground for the war was at Mitchell Ranch Plaza, because of the popularity

and accessibility. A thread of have gone too far with all the tweets was made comparing it cars and noise, the cops ended to the Tilted Towers in the game up showing up like three times,” FORTNITE. Madison Williams (‘19) said.

“The plaza Metz, was in was just crazy charge of keeping Some people may have all the time. track of who had gone too far with all the If you wanted bands, when cars and noise, the cops to try and get someone gained or ended up showing up like someone’s band, lost bands, solving three times. the first place problems with to go was the cheating scandals, Madison plaza. It was dropping off mystery Williams (‘19) constantly a care packages and war zone with keeping the water cars and people running around wars twitter page up to date. trying to shoot each other with “It’s not easy having 100 water guns. Some people may people yell at you and say each

team is cheating while trying to post kills on Twitter while getting phone calls constantly. But with all those negatives it’s still a blast running it. I wasn’t paranoid every second of the day and it’s nice having control of something that big,” Metz said.

As people got off work they were on guard because it was okay to ambush people walking to their cars. Waiting for people to get home and get out of their cars was a common strategy.

“Avery and I tried to get one guy when he got home from school, but our plan got turned around on us and we

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got ambushed by his team.

Somehow, Avery escaped without losing her band and took off running. It turned into a hunt for her and it was crazy,” Jack Mazur (‘19) said.

As the war started coming to an end, it was decided that the three winning teams from Anclote High School, River Ridge High School, and Mitchell, would compete in a county-wide Water Wars. There is not much detail yet, but it will be held sometime after prom. Information will be posted on the Water Wars Twitter. Congratulations to the winning team!

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Travel around the world for college?

The controversial debate of studying abroad for college is discussed with both positives and negatives for abroad education Hailey Kroll Staff reporter

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Although studying abroad seems like an exotic new experience, the transition becomes difficult for students because they must learn to adapt to all the new faces and unfamiliar cultures. New places have different laws and ways to do things, which can make the adjustment confusing.

Taking the step from high school to college is already terrifying, but going straight to another country is even more daunting. This big move might be a decision students are not ready for.

One of the main topics discussed about college is the cost. Money plays a huge role in what school students choose and it causes extra stress on families over how they are going to pay for all of the expenses. Studying

abroad adds to this stress as it is fairly expensive.

According to research by the International Institute of Education, the average cost of studying abroad is around $36,000 a year on top of the cost to get into the school, housing, and transportation.

“Studying abroad is an expense that a lot of people can’t afford.

They may have other expenses they have to take care of, such as helping out their family. Studying abroad can also lead to a lot of

debt. College is expensive just by itself, let alone studying abroad,” Sarah Kosik (‘19) said.

The study abroad program leads to other issues as well, if a student studies abroad in a location with a prominent foreign language, it creates a harder time for them to communicate. At least at first in a new place, this can get very confusing and overwhelming.

“If you travel somewhere without knowing the language, it makes it harder to adjust to your new surroundings. A common language being spoken and understood solidifies an environment. Without knowing the language, you can’t form bonds with other people who know the new place, which makes it really hard to adapt,” Jamie Rivera (‘19) said.

The struggle to communicate leads to the inability to connect with others.

Students often feel isolated in a

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After disembarking a train to Cinque Terre, Alyssa Chamberlin (‘17) hiked the trails through the Italian coast with six of her best friends who were also studying abroad. Studying abroad is usually run through a university, which allows a student to live in a foreign country and attend a foreign university.

Mitchell alumni have participated in the study abroad program. The program helps their students establish learning of different cultures, as well as taking academic courses for their degree. Chamberlin went to Valencia, Spain through the study abroad program at University of Florida. Through the program, Chamberlin fulfilled six Spanish credits that counted towards her minor in Spanish.

“The biggest thing I learned about myself while in Spain was to slow down and enjoy the small things that

happen in life.

Spanish culture is very relaxed and the people do not stress about little things; they really appreciate each moment as they are living it. This is something that I found so endearing about their lifestyle and I realized while I was there that there can be a balance between working hard and also taking the time to enjoy your life and the people in it. It is important to find a program that fits you individually and I think it is most beneficial to go through your university and take credits that count towards your degree. Taking a summer to study abroad really helped me gain perspective on my life and an

awareness that not every person has an experience similar to mine,” Chamberlin said.

Additionally, the study abroad program gives the possibility of new experiences, such as traveling alone or flying on a plane for the first time. Joining groups such as sororities and fraternities in college can be beneficial to find new people.

Choosing to participate in Greek life can expand experiences abroad, as well as one’s perspective on the community. Raleigh Illig (‘18) committed to studying

abroad this summer in London, through the University of South Florida. Illig expressed an interest in the English culture and the architecture that is based out of London.

After an experience in the city, for only a few days, Illig wanted a chance to go back.

“I think that this can broaden your college experience because it forces you to go somewhere new and meet new people who have the same interests as you, that’s beneficial to any study abroad program. [In the program,] you get to fully experience a new culture and you are fully engaged in it.

You live in a different country for weeks at a time and you learn their culture and

new place, and not being able to communicate makes it harder to create new friends.

The isolation alone can ruin the abroad experience by making the student want to travel back home to familiar faces.

“I definitely think it would be a change especially since I’ve never been on my own completely before, let alone being by myself in another country. It would be hard to make new friends because I don’t know any other language besides English, so I would one hundred percent have to study it and become somewhat fluent before I went,” Julia Cirigliano (‘19) said.

Change is a difficult experience and college is definitely not an exception.

Students may have anxiety about the transition and studying abroad may not be the right choice for them.

Moving so far away can make the life changing shift a lot more challenging and may ruin the college experience.

customs, it really opens your eyes about the world around you,” Illig said.

After long consideration with his college of choice, Joshua Cooney (‘19) thought about the prospects of joining the study abroad program during the summer after his freshman year of college at the University of South Florida.

“I would like to go to England because I’ve always wanted to go. I think that would be such a cool experience with their accents and the language they use, it sounds so much more proper than America,” Cooney said.

Joining a study abroad program during college proves to be a beneficial experience to not only the education towards a student’s college degree, but also the building of character that can occur while enrolled in the program.

If interested, check out colleges participating in study abroad programs and see if openings are available.