CHAMELEON
+ The story behind the many faces of Amber Finefrock
the
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LOVE IN THE TIME OF LULU
Landis Lapace is bringing the house down
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Steinbrenner High School
5575 W Lutz Lake Fern Rd
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“It’s not about infringing upon students’ rights to be on the campus and move freely from one place to another. It’s about making sure the perimeter is secure.”
Eye in the Sky
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March 2013 — Vol. IV, Issue 3
Open
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March 2013
SIPA’s 2012—13 Best in Florida Newspaper Kyle Dunn
Editor in Chief
Sam Bequer News Editor
Brandon Mauriello News Editor
Natalie Barman Opinion Editor
Rachael Landes
Centerspread Editor
Jake Bittle A&E Editor
Emily Goldbach Sports Editor
Zealand Shannon Sports Editor
Gaby Morillo Photo Editor
Evyn Moon
Business Manager
Kiran Shila Web Editor
Evan Abramson Staff Writer
Anthony Armenia Staff Writer
Nataly Capote Staff Writer
Hannah Crosby Staff Writer
Angela Sexton Staff Writer
Alex Troutt Staff Writer
Tiffany Napoli Graphics Dept.
Mariangely Miyares Graphics Dept.
James Flaskamp Adviser
Ask Debby Meet Debby, the newest member of the Oracle staff. She came aboard to answer all the questions just eating away at your brain. Visit us online and ask away!
oraclenewspaper.com
Letter from the Editor Age three was a big year for me. This was the year I broke my left arm after falling hard to the ground while pretending to be a pirate (Blackbeard, not that sissy Jack Sparrow). It wasn’t the first time I’d played pretend to pass the time nor the first time I’d broken that same arm moonlighting as a sordid criminal. I feel less terrible about these incidents, though, by reminding myself that everyone, even if they didn’t shatter some bones in the process, pretended to be something else at some point in their lives. Right? In fact, I’ve decided that no one stops pretending. Not really. I convince myself that this theory is absolutely correct without any real evidence—that is, that makeup is actually fancy facepaint, graphic tees are canvasses and shoes are stamps of personality pounding the pavement. That’s what drew me, out of insecurity and curiosity, to the story of Amber Finefrock, a learned master of disguise who sought to test the limits of everyday pretending. She’s so good, I’m convinced she’s disguised herself as me before. (Page 4) Things may not always be what they seem, and
identifying the truth can be risky business. Sometimes the risk is our own safety, and that very concern is the guiding principle behind the installation of security cameras at the school in the months to come. (Page 3) Being under a watchful eye, for whatever reason, is tantalizing to think about. But I think there’s more fear in the unknown watchers that operate without one’s knowledge of their scrutiny than the tangible, visible eyes in the sky. Other people, for instance, are constantly watching. For whatever reason, you may never know. Perhaps they’re looking at what car you drive, who your friends are, where your clothes are from and all for the purpose of quantifying your traits into a measurable score to validate companionship. (Page 8) The things we keep an eye on—or the things we’re afraid to look at—come and go all the time. One departure I won’t shed a tear over or lose a minute of sleep to, though, is the dreaded Edline. It’s being phased out, murdered, retired, put to bed. (Page 10) Though it will be replaced with something harder, better, faster and stronger, I can bask in the glory of seeing it pushed out the door. —Kyle Dunn, Editor in Chief
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Keeping an even closer eye Revisions in security policies lead to surveillance cameras on campus A1 A1 A2 11:40
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Tiffany Napoli & Nataly Capote / Oracle
Sam Bequer
News Editor
Administrators at schools across Hillsborough County are making changes to security policies that include installing surveillance cameras on campuses. Parents and school officials are bringing their attention toward ways to make schools safer and determining how to prevent disastrous situations, like the incident at Sandy Hook Elementary, from happening in the future. “Our superintendent and our school board members are addressing the concerns of security on campus. And the incident at Sandy Hook is something that certainly drew our attention to that, not that it wasn’t already there,” said principal Brenda Grasso. Here at school, security policies such as always having a deputy present on campus and an anonymous tip service where students can report a crime without having their identity known have always existed. Assistant principal Eddie Henderson also meets at least four times a school year with a group of staff members as part of a school security committee. This group has been in place since the opening of the school. Even routine procedures like having a safety drill every month makes students aware of how to behave appropriately on campus and feel more protected at school.
Installing security cameras on campus will add to these existing security measures. “It’s not about infringing upon students’ rights to be on the campus and move freely from one place to another, it’s about making sure the perimeter is secure,” said Grasso. Simple procedures such as locking the outside gates during school hours and fencing off different places of the school that aren’t completely fenced off are also ideas that have been suggested in order to create a safer school atmosphere. About a year ago, Grasso met with the Council of Principals with 27 other high school principals and about half a dozen Tech-Career principals to discuss ideas on where to integrate the cameras into the school, when they will be placed, and how this plan has worked in other schools. The idea of surveillance cameras came forth during this meeting, and it was brought up that security cameras would give the school an opportunity to have a better sense of safety on campus. Schools in Hillsborough County like Sickles High School contains surveillance cameras on campus that help monitor the school’s daily activity while also giving the community a feeling of protection of their students. The ultimate motivation for having security cameras installed is that Steinbrenner has such an open campus and it is difficult to monitor all areas of the campus
at once with only administration walking around and checking the perimeters. Surveillance cameras on campus would not affect students’ right to learn and students would not be very aware of this security change. Questions that originally came up when this idea was suggested were what sources would fund the cameras, when they would be installed, and how they would affect the daily schedule of the students on campus. As of right now, the funding for the cameras would come from the district’s budget. In order for the project to be financially feasible cameras would be installed in places where students are frequently present. Places would include the courtyard, the lunchroom, and various positions in the hallways. When addressing the issue if security cameras really add to the protection of the school, Grasso went over research and took a look at the use of security cameras at other schools and the measure of their effectiveness. Teachers were made aware of these security plans during a faculty meeting on Feb. 12. No oppositions from faculty or administration were made when the proposal for the cameras were explained. Plans to install the cameras on campus are tentative as of right now and will receive a set date when funds and more information arrives.
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oraclenewspaper.com
March 2013
The girls ask the guys Tiffany Napoli Graphics Department In an attempt to add a unique spin to the typical dance environment and to raise additional funds, the school, along with the PTSA, recently scheduled a Sadie Hawkins dance to take place on April 20 in the cafeteria at 7 p.m. The Sadie Hawkins dance has been around since 1937, where it started from a comic strip and eventually became the dance that is known today. The comic strip was about a day, every year, where single women chased the single men around town and caught one for marriage. The main character, Sadie, was the ugliest girl in town, which made the day her favorite. As the comic gained popularity, it was turned into the musical, Li’l Abner, and celebrated throughout schools. The dance taking place at the school will be open to all grades, and tickets start going on sale April 3. They will continue to be sold until April 12. The cost per ticket will be $20. “We wanted something different than homecoming and prom, and we wanted the girls to ask so that there was less pressure on the guys,” said PTSA representative Kim Birnbaum. The theme of the dance is diamonds and denim, a formal style that Birnbaum says will allow students to attend the dance without being required to spend large sums of money on luxurious things. In order to gauge interest, the PTSA posted a poll on Edline about the dance, and 362 students (14 percent of the school population) participated. According to Birnbaum, when students purchase their
tickets to the dance, they will also be given a card that will direct them to the website of the DJ that will be at the dance. Each student can then select five songs they’d like to be played during the dance, and the DJ will prepare a playlist with the requests for the night of the dance.
Brandon Mauriello / Oracle
The PTSA will analyze the results of this year’s dance to determine if they will continue to do this in the future and make it an annual event. “We want to do it again next year in February. We’ll probably do another poll after the dance to determine if we should do it again,” said Birnbaum.
What do you think of a Sadie Hawkins dance?
“I don’t know if I’m going, but I “I might go if it wasn’t a Sadie know two girls are going to ask Hawkins and if it was more like me. I’ve seen it in their eyes.” homecoming.” —Freshman Ben Tkacik —Junior Tabitha Alcott
“I’d think it was good if it wasn’t a Sadie Hawkins dance and it wasn’t in the cafeteria.” —Senior Sydney Kalita
“I’d go if they cleaned up the cafeteria, if teachers were 50 miles away and if it looked nice.” —Senior Tyler Heveran
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March 2013
oraclenewspaper.com
The many faces of Amber Finefrock
This is the story of how one girl’s experiences with the way she dressed inspired her to discover the thin line between the way we want to look and the way we think we’re supposed to look. Donning costumes representing different types of people, sophomore Amber Finefrock measured and observed how her peers reacted to her. Kyle Dunn Editor in Chief “Mothers would snatch their children away from me,” said sophomore Amber Finefrock of going to the mall with her own mother last year. “[That was] the first time I really became aware of my appearance. I had pink hair back then. I used to dress bizarrely.” Since then, Finefrock has taken an interest in appearances and their effects on social interaction. She took that interest a step further this year and decided to conduct an experiment, albeit one different from the kind studied in Biology. The question was a simple one: Do people at school treat others differently based on their appearances? How would they look at you and treat you in the hallways? How would her own friends react? The foundation of Finefrock’s hypothesis was what she believed was common knowledge that select groups of friends all dress similarly— either because they started dressing the same naturally due to their friendship or they became friends because they look alike. “There’s definitely a specific set of dress here,” said Finefrock. Plimsoll shoes like Vans and Converse, Polo shirts, Michael Kors watches and “all the girls with extreme parts in their hair all the way to the side.” Are they all conscious style choices or safe uniforms that help us identify friends and strangers? Finefrock couldn’t get the answers she wanted by measuring chemicals in a beaker and recording the subsequent reactions. Her study was more akin to Jane Goodall embedding herself among chimps in the jungle. Finefrock dressed as a different stereotype and archetypal high schooler every day for four days and gauged the way people around school treated her. The first day would be her control, the way dressed regularly from day to day. Scrutinizing oneself under a microscope long enough could be nerve-racking or even unhealthy. “Would people even notice?” said Finefrock. “Some
people may treat me badly without knowing that I could be a really nice person or have a bad home life.” It was the second day when the tide of commentary about her appearance rolled in. Finefrock came to school in simple getup of a white tee shirt and jeans, but her face was pocked with bruises, her eyes heavy with bags and her throat given a hollow look with makeup. “It looked like I was basically dying,” said Finefrock. She was hoping people would notice the bruised, abused and exhausted girl, the kind of person she believes often gets overlooked and swept under the radar. “People came up to me and asked me, ‘Are you okay?’” The concern for her health from complete strangers was uplifting. The next day, the goth, fared on the opposite end of the spectrum of kindness. “I expected mean comments, and I got them,” said Finefrock. “People were saying ‘girls shouldn’t dress like that,’ and a girl I didn’t even know told me that I looked disgusting.” Finefrock’s own friends and acquaintances—“people who I thought were my friends”— wouldn’t speak to her in class while others whispered insults under their breaths. Finefrock has no problems dressing up and putting on disguises. She frequently attends comic book conventions dressed as video game and Japanese comic book characters in costumes she makes herself. Her penchant for transformation runs in the family, too. Her father is a professional make-up artist who publishes his own magazine (Finefrock has graced its pages more than once) and has worked on the zombies at Busch Gardens’s Howl-OScream. The skills she’s learned from her father have come in handy for her experiment, and things were looking up on the final day when she displayed her more fashionable, hipster persona. “I actually got compliments that day,” said Finefrock. “People really change when you do, even those who already know you’re a good person. I guess that’s what I had hoped to find out with this experiment.”
“Some people may treat me badly without knowing that I could be a really nice person or have a bad home life. ”
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March 2013
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A special
THANK YOU for a fantastic year!
This year we’ve been busy with ... ... hosting the back-to-school faculty breakfast ... organizing the Warrior Bash ... putting together the first ever Sadie Hawkins dance ... selling Spirit Wear and datebooks ... launching the Student Ambassadors program ... helping out with parent volunteers ... and giving back with Teacher Appreciation Week! Steinbrenner’s Hardworking PTSA Board President — Jeanette Scarboro 1st VP (Membership) — Cindy Nott 2nd VP (Programs) — Monique Dailey 3rd VP (Ways & Means) — Dr. Debbie Berkiw 4th VP (Volunteers) — Deborah Sickmon Recording Secretary — Amy Prue Corresponding Secretary — Chris Langsam Treasurer — Melinda Sheer Committee Chairs — Karen Cuervo & Debra Blossom
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Opinion
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March 2013
oraclenewspaper.com
Staff Editorial
A limited lunch menu Students should have access to culinary lunch meals and vending machines during lunchtime in order to eradicate cafeteria issues. For the last few weeks, this school’s lunch is the tendency for certain options culinary program’s lunchtime sales have to run out by the time sixth period lunch been stifled by a federal regulation which rolls around. Some of the more popular prevents sources besides the cafeteria from entrees and a la carte items have all been selling food to students during lunchtime. sold before students in later lunches even This agreement, however, allows the caf- get in line. If the school is unable to preseteria to hold a monopoly over lunchtime ent these students with the same options food sales, which is unfair to hungry stu- as their peers who were luckily placed in dents. an earlier lunch, an alternative, such as a “Any school with a culinary program or meal prepared by culinary, should be availvending maable. This option would also chines may not reduce the sell products of possibility “The ban doesn’t allow for the cufood or beverof the caflinary program to make as much age (from) two eteria from money as it could and develop hours before a running out into a really good program. If lunch period of certain we were able to sell to students, to an hour afmeals for we’d be able to make the school ter. That is students. more interested in the program.” the contract Chef PhilSophomore Lauren Heldt between the ip Meola county and the said that he schools,” said was unwillStudent Nutriing to comtion Manager ment on the Sheryl Rabelo. issue at this Rabelo said time. that the conIn additract exists betion to the cause having culinary other sources lunch isof food for sale sue, there is detracts from some conthe cafeteria’s flict conbusiness. cerning the While this limited acregulation may seem viable, it is a bit ex- cess to the vending machines. Due to the treme considering culinary does not sell narrow window of opportunity to take adenough food to feed the school’s entire vantage of the school’s vending machines, population. The cafeteria still earns the their presence on campus is insignificant. majority of the lunchtime profit, so what The machines, which return some profit to sort of threat does culinary really pose? the school, are not maxmizing the amount Opponents may argue that it’s still a loss of money that they could make. of money, but there are other less visible If education officials are worried about gains in allowing culinary to sell lunch: cu- competition from culinary students and linary students will be gaining the neces- vending machines, then perhaps they sary sales experience for a culinary career. should spend more time focusing their efSince the program was designed to educate forts on improving the quality of the food students for work in this field, it’s silly for that they are providing. Although one may education officials to take that away from argue that higher costs stand in the way, students. clearly some students are willing to pay Another issue with the school’s cafeteria more for a culinary lunch, so why wouldn’t
they be willing to pay more for a higher-quality cafeteria lunch option? Another alternative is to have every student interested in purchasing a lunch from the school pre-order his or her entree. This would ensure that the school would not over-spend and would also allow for the vending ma“I think it’s inconvienent that chines to operate in they shut down the machines conjunction with because if kids are hungry and the cafeteria. Culithey don’t have any food it’s nary would be able to sell just easier to go in the vending food to students throughmachines.” out the day, during any peSenior Greg Zielinski riod they please, gaining the experience and profits that they need. Although it’s only school, competition is the driving force behind quality products. Shouldn’t that hold true for high school meals as well? “I don’t really care that only the cafeteria sells food because I don’t buy food from culinary ever.” Sophomore Christian Baldovski
Photoillustrations by Natalie Barman
Opinion
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March 2013
oraclenewspaper.com
Column
Love in the time of
A new phone application, Lulu, allows girls to anonymously review their male peers. Is this the end of relationships as we know them? Although I have no idea as to how the iPhone application Lulu came into being, I imagine that it began as a joke. Can’t you just picture four heart-broken teenage girls, wiping tears off their cheeks, saying how they wish that they had had an app to warn them that their ex-boyfriends were horrible people? Of course, one of these girls was in AP Computer Science and was thrilled to seize this brilliant opportunity. And thus, Lulu was born. Okay, not really. But the idea behind this fictional saga pertains to Lulu. Lulu is an iPhone application that allows anyone who is registered as a girl on Facebook to anonymously read and write reviews about boys. The reviewer can rate the boy’s looks, sense of humor, level of commitment, etc. She can then select a number of positive and negative hashtags, which supposedly indicate what sort of man the boy being reviewed is. I am not sure whether to be completely enthralled by this application or utterly repulsed by the fact that grouchy ex-girlfriends would choose to spend their time trashing former boyfriends and- even worse- that some girls would form their opinion of a guy based on ratings from an iPhone application. I decided to test it out for myself. I filled out a Lulu review of my friend and newspaper counterpart, senior Jake Bittle. I found myself chuckling as I reflected on the abstract idiosyncrasies and positive qualities of his that were highlighted in the hashtags. Was I actually enjoying this service that I had previously ridiculed? Evidently, yes. After I finished the survey, I proudly clicked on my completed work. However, as I read through my review, I realized that my first impression was correct. Anyone who would avoid Jake based on the fact that I said he “#Can’tBuildIkeaFurniture” and is a “#ManChild” would be missing out on a number of other great traits. Some of those “worst” traits were things that I like about Jake. It is impossible to form an accurate opinion about a guy based on the hashtags that some anonymous girl selected. A huge chunk of the picture would be missing: the actual getting-to-know-you-in-person part. Thus, it seems to me that the only reason that a girl would use this application is to bash a guy that she is not on good terms with. But teenage girls do that enough over Twitter, on Facebook, via Instagram and (although more seldom) in person. Do we really need another medium to do this?
Hello, my name is 7.5. Wait, that’s not my name. I’m Jake Bittle. Or am I? Could I perhaps be defined better by #InACult, #OwesEveryoneMoney (okay, maybe that one) or even #OwnsCrocs? These are just a few of the labels my female peers—all anonymously, of course—have slapped upon me on the iPhone app Lulu, which allows girls to anonymously rate their male Facebook friends on a scale of 1-10. Girls can review guys—say, me—and review me as a hook-up, crush, friend, ex-boyfriend or current boyfriend. Girls also assign me hashtagged traits, which are normalized to a numerical score out of ten—in my case, the aforementioned 7.5. Actually, that’s the first interesting thing about Lulu I want to point out—raters don’t actually pick the numbers that the people they rate get. The score emerges, often bizarrely, out of hashtags and subratings. I’ve experimented on female friends’ phones and the score always emerges a little bit off: a 9.2 instead of a 10, or a 4.5 when I checked every negative option. A difference of .8 could up me to an 8.3! At first, Lulu seemed like an outlet for crazy ex-girlfriends with potential for misunderstandings and hurt feelings. For example, I am not a #VideoGamer, and have not been in three years. What if a potential girlfriend wandered onto my account and shied away because of this hashtag? How is a girl to determine which ratings have been given seriously and which ones are pranks played by my devious female friends? After some thought, I was certain that this Lulu was an injustice to men everywhere. But if I freak out about what my Lulu rating is, aren’t I admitting that I care about what others think? What does it matter if my fellow newspaper staffer Natalie Barman thinks that I’m only an 8.2? I imagine girls asking, “Do you really think he’s #InACult”? If that makes you laugh, then you’ve already proven my point: that Lulu, because of its vagueness isn’t dangerous, but just dumb. It’s not going to lower anyone’s self esteem, and it’s not a hallmark of the end of modern romance. It’s just a self-contained matrix built for shallow comparison and quick giggles—like a wimpy version of the Facemash website in The Social Network. Unlike Facemash, however, Lulu is not likely to be the forerunner of anything revolutionary, except for a revolution of the eyes.
[female perspective]
Jake Bittle A&E Editor
8.2
Natalie Barman & Gaby Morillo / Oracle
[male perspective]
Natalie Barman Opinion Editor
Opinion
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March 2013
oraclenewspaper.com
Satire
Student twerkers, others recognized for talents Nataly Capote Chief Copy Editor This past week, Steinbrenner High School was visited by representatives from CollegeRecrewt, a scholarship service that helps students pay for their post-high school education. 13 Steinbrenner students were recognized for their unique habits and talents. Among them was senior Tonya Torque, who received a prestigious award for her notorious twerking abilities. “I was delighted,” said Torque’s mother. “I couldn’t even believe it; it’s a dream come true.” Although she was surprised at her daughter’s achievement, considering her poor grades throughout school, Mrs. Torque is happy to take the money to further her daughter’s education. Torque plans to use her $50,000 grant to help pay for the University of North Florida, although she has not yet decided on her career path. “I’m really honored to receive this award,” said Torque. “Twerking is challenging, but also so rewarding. It’s my passion.” Torque has also performed competitively in dance groups, though she has yet to claim a first place trophy. She has instead been recognized her for her hard work, devotion and dedication to the art since the age of 12. Also part of the winning bunch was senior Dan Turner, well known in his community as the “town prophet”. Turner has received the Psychics of the Future Scholarship, worth $20,000 towards the college of his choice. Though branded as “that psychic kid who always skips class” by his classmates, this reward undoubtedly showcases Turner’s extraordinary abilities and does away with any mistakes he could’ve possibly made in the past. “I already knew I would win,” said Turner. “But it still feels
good.” When asked where he has been accepted, Turner stated confidently that he would be receiving a letter from Cornell University on March 20th. Torque and Turner weren’t the only ones who received these well-deserved cash prizes; amongst them was senior John Jenkins, who was granted the Graphic by Mariangely Miyares Star Wars Speaker Scholarship for his (From left to right) Senior Oscar Olden, senior Tonya Torque and sophomore proficiency in the Dan Turner pose with CollegeRecrewt representative Michael George. These fictional language of students recieved scholarships for what some might call “useless” talents. Ewokese, and junior Becca Morrison, who won $7,000 for her relationship to than your typical kid. I think it’s important for students to American rapper Sean Combs. Most may know him as P. realize that good grades and extracurricular activities just Diddy, but Morrison knows him as Uncle Puff. This af- aren’t enough anymore.” CollegeRecrewt is working on developing several more filiation with the recognized rap star caused quite a stir in her community (especially during her 2nd grade show- scholarships that will bring to light students’ wonderful and-tell) an, according to a spokesperson, CollegeRecrewt talents and help them pay for college. Undeniably, students will need to find new ways of impressing college couldn’t let such remarkable news pass them by. The final scholarship winner was sophomore Oscar recruiters—and perhaps look into their family trees for Olden, who was presented with a scholarship for hoarding any links to notorious millionaire rappers—as it seems over 10,000 granola bars. When asked what made them de- that obtaining principal’s honor roll will no longer suffice. cide to give out such a valuable college grant, CollegeRec- Steinbrenner students should keep an eye out for these rewt representative Michael George admits that he prefers scholarships and stay in touch with CollegeRecrewt to be more versatile individuals who don’t fit the standard of rewarded for their accomplishments and talents. They are regular honor roll students. “Oscar worked really hard to also encouraged not to stress over their inability to twerk achieve this goal,” said George, “so why shouldn’t he be or hoard 10,000 granola bars, because sooner or later their rewarded for it? It’s obvious that he has achieved more moment will come.
What do you think? Share your opinion. Comment on our site: www.oraclenewspaper.com
Shoot us an email: nataliebarman@gmail.com
The Oracle is affiliated with the following organizations:
The Oracle Editorial Policy The Oracle is published by the newspaper staff at Steinbrenner High School: 5575 Lutz Lake Fern Road, Lutz, Florida, 33558 The Oracle works under the SPJ Code of Ethics, Which has been set down as our journalistic standard. The staff believes in freedom of the press, honesty, accuracy, impartiality, decency and equality: We will be observing these at all times. Alll the editorials will be backed up with facts and research. Staff editorials will never be by-lined, because they represent the opinion of the staff as a whole. Money for the publication of the Oracle will come from advertising sales. Any advertising rates are available upon request by calling the Steinbrenner newspaper staff at (813) 792-5131, ext. 258. Advertising which promotes illegal products under Florida law, opposes any religion or is of any sensitive nature will not be accepted. The Oracle is established as an open forum for student expression as outlined in the Student Press Law Center’s model guidelines for student publications. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the faculty and administration of Steinbrenner High School, but rather of the author or of the newspaper staff and its editors. As student journalists, the staff occasionally commits errors,; however, we will always correct the errors in an honest and timely manner. The Oracle welcomes letters to the editor on topics of interest to Steinbrenner High School and its surrounding community. We also welcome contributions from writers not associated with the newspaper staff. All letters submitted to the editor will require the signature of those who submitted them. All contributions need to be turned into Mr. Flaskamp in room 215.
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March 2013
The
oraclenewspaper.com
Review
The death of Edline is upon us. Next school year, the site we all rely on for updated grades and lists of assignments will be replaced by a more social friendly site called Edsby. The new site not only allows open communication among teachers, parents and students but is also much more cost effective according to district officials. All schools in the Hillsborough county district will make the switch over the summer. Compiled by Rachael Landes Q&A
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Centerspread Edsby usurps Edline with superior tools, social functionality
the
Switch
We spoke with Hillsborough County Public Schools Web Communication Manager Gregory Hart about the impending move from Edline to Edsby. Evyn Moon Business Manager
Q. Why is the switch from Edline to Edsby taking place? A. Edline is actually expiring in June of this year. Q. When will this switch take place? A. Starting next school year. Q. What schools will be affected? A. It’s a district-wide change in elementary through high Schools.
Q. What was the process of finding a new website? A. We were given 14 vendors to choose from for a new website. We went through a long process of reading through proposals, and narrowed it down to five. Then eventually narrowed it down to just two. We took survey results from teachers who helped decide upon choosing Edsby along with interactions with each company. Q. What was different about Edsby from Engrade, the second best choice, and why was Edsby chosen? A. It wasn’t a matter of Engrade not working as well. There were just individual aspects that were looked at and compared. A huge benefit to Edsby was the way of contacting parents and relaying the academic progress of students. It also has more of a social network type feel to it, which makes it easier to use. Q. Will there be a change in cost? A. Yes. The annual cost of Edsby will end up saving us about 50% of what was the annual cost for Edline.
Q. Will it be a difficult transition for teachers, students and parents next year? A. Obviously I’m hoping for a smooth transition, although any major change will have some small bumps in the road. We are working closely with the Professional Development Department to develop training materials that will work hard with teachers to get them well prepared. Also, we are working with Parent University who provide open forums where parents can take classes and work with the university to offer information on Edsby. I believe Parent University was over at Chamberlain High School about two weeks ago offering similar informational sessions. The Edsby website itself will also offer great tutorials. Q. What is the next step in this process? A. Although we have voted as a committee, the school board makes the final decision. We go to the school board tomorrow (March 19) to present the vote. Based on the school board’s vote, we will see what the next step is from there.
Poll
Do you like Edline?
62.1% say yes
Would you prefer a different website to report your grades ?
78.8% say no
Do you think edline is useful?
83.1% say yes
The information in this survey was derived from a random cluster sample of second period classes. The Oracle surveyed 330 students with a margin of error at +/-4.9%.
Jake Bittle A&E Editor Would you use a school Facebook? Is such a thing even possible? The Oracle was able to secure a trial student account on Edsby, the online system that the school district of Hillsborough County chose to replace Edline. After exploring the site’s features as a student, it seems that Edsby, even if it takes some getting used to, is a much more powerful and versatile system that, if used to its full potential by teachers and students, could possibly change the way we think about the school environment. The moment a student (or parent) logs into Edsby, they see something curiously, and almost delightfully, similar to Facebook: the Edsby homepage, rather than a bunch of irrelevant links and information, contains updates from all classes. These updates can include notes (important pieces of information for classes), journal entries (describing what happened on a given class day), or even assessments (online tests that go in as entries in the grade book). The most profound difference between Edsby’s and Edline’s homepage is that Edline’s is static and impersonal, where Edsby delivers a homepage full of only information relevant to the student, collated for his/her easy consumption.
The “timeline” approach (perhaps grafted from Facebook, perhaps not) continues in individual class pages. Classes can be easily located from the left of the homepage. On each class, all the notes and journal entries teachers post show up in chronological order, but here, students have the ability to “reply” to individual posts and start conversations with the teacher and with other students. Teachers can “pin” important info on the left side of the page, upload documents, and even fill out a course plan for the entire year. Immediately the experience seems that much more intuitive, compared to Edline’s labyrinth of links. At the top-right of each class page is a “my work” button. If a student clicks this link, they can see all their grade in a class, as well as their grades on all the individual assignments from the class. For classes with a lot of assignments, this may prove a little tedious, especially because Edline made all grades from a class easy to see at once, and Edsby seems to only show grades such as “A+” or “B-” on individual assessments. The most exciting way in which Edsby differs from Edline, however, is not so much in the way it is laid out, but in the way it offers an entirely new way of communication between students and teachers. Each student and teacher has a “profile” on Edsby, with a picture and an “About Me” section (one sample teacher’s
about me: “Although I’m pretending to be a math teacher, I’m actually one of the co-founders of Edsby.”). Each student’s Edline account exists in a vacuum: there is no way to communicate with other students, and to talk to a teacher one has to follow an email link that most often doesn’t even work. On Edsby, however, students can send messages to each other and to teachers, both publicly and privately. This allows the website to become not just a reference source but a forum for discussion and clarification. On the bottom left of a class’s page there is a grid filled with the faces of all the students in the class; all one needs to do is mouse over a face to send a message to that student. There are also “groups” which students can form and join, as well as a very cool “knowledge base” in which students can post everything they have learned from a certain subject or help each other with homework. Whether these groups will be used is doubtful, but their presence still establishes Edsby as a program taking a step in a new direction. Because the trial account is filled with dummy teachers and students, it was initially difficult to figure out where everything was, but Edsby’s Facebook-style layout and exceptional social features make it not just a replacement for Edline but a revolution in the way students interact with their teachers outside of school.
A&E
12
March 2013
oraclenewspaper.com
The Arts
SHOE-IN?
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Piz
Through the Vans Custom Culture design contest, student artists have a chance to win the school’s art department a $50,000 grant Jake Bittle A&E Editor
1500 schools. 6000 shoes. Four Steinbrenner students. $50,000 in grant money for the school’s art program. These are the stakes for the Vans Custom Culture contest, in which select schools receive four pairs of blank Vans shoes on which the school’s foremost student artists are to draw custom designs following four themes: Action Sports (anything but sticks and balls), Art, Music, or Local Flavor. Art department head and pottery teacher D o n Sizemore found out about this contest last year and made sure to sign up immediately when the registration date came around. Joss
eline
Melg
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Steinbrenner was chosen to be one of the 1500 schools sent Vans shoes for designing. Sizemore and photography teacher Kyle Wolf set up a school-wide contest to see which students could supply the best entries. He and Wolf, along ini ton An with two other n a i rist Ch judges -- one a former coworker of his and the other a former student involved in local underground art-- narrowed the over 30 submissions down to four. The four students whose submissions were chosen were senior Josseline Melgar, senior Taylor Graham, junior Rebecca Pizano, and sophomore Christian Antonini. Pizano, who entered her Tampa Theatrethemed shoe under the “Local Flavor” category, said that she appreciated being able to work on free shoes because one day she hopes to do commissioned art. “I really like the
Tampa Theatre and I wanted to incorporate that in my design” said Pizano. “It’s a really beautiful Tay lor place.” Gra ham The four students are at the time of writing in the process of drawing their designs on the blank Vans shoes. Sizemore will photograph the shoes and submit the photographs to Vans. On April 22, Vans will announce which 50 schools h a v e made it to the semif i n a l round. Sizemore expressed his excitement about the contest but said he had no plans for what he would do with the grant money. “I’m trying not to think about it,” said Sizemore. “Mr. Wolf and I were just jokingly thinking the other day about an allMac computer lab or something ridiculous. Honestly, I don’t know. All three art teachers have participated, so we
would naturally split it up evenly.” For Sizemore, the allure of the contest had more to do with the underground nature of the design prompt and his history of enthusiasm for alternative art. “As a kid, I always drew on my shoes,” said Sizemore. “I think there’s this, kind of like with tattoos and graffiti, this need to fill up an empty space, like margins on a page. If it’s there, you just fill it in.” Sizemore welcomed the opportunity for students to participate in art that was not restricted by typical academic molds. “I think art class can get a little too stale and academic, too bland, too pristine,” said Sizemore. “I tend to like more the art that’s a little more freeform.” Sizemore also cited —Don Sizemore the fact that he grew up around Vans and skateboard culture as a reason for his enthusiasm for the contest.
“... there’s a group of kids that want to decorate everything, drawing on their hands, and this contest appeals to that. ”
Follow the shoes As the final decorated shoes are photographed and the contest progresses, photos and updates will be posted on oraclenewspaper.com. The full story is also online.
A&E
March 2013
13
oraclenewspaper.com
Student Musicans
Bringing the House Down
O: So I heard you don’t like dubstep. LL: Well that’s what got me into electronic music, so it’s not that I hate it; I just don’t listen to it. It’s was still kind of my route into electronic music. It’s not dubstep; it’s house music. And for sophomore O: How would you describe your music? Can we hear Landis Lapace, it’s an interest he’s been dedicated to for traces of other artists in your songs such as David Guetta about a year. It began with a toy drum kit from his parents. or Daft Punk? Then time in his school band, inspiration from his drum LL: I think it’s vibrant and happy, and very uplifting. instructor, and a nudge from a friend helped him get start- And I’m influenced by artists like Arty and Mat Zo, so yes. ed. In tracks such as “Sunday Funday” and “Horizons” O: What would you say is the difference between dubone can hear traces of other electronic music artists such step and house music? as Arty and Mat Zo, though Lapace incorporates his own LL: Well the major difference is the BPM (beats per style in his music with catchy beats and distinct chord pro- measurement). Dubstep is usually at 140 and house is at gressions. By now he has nearly 30 tracks, many of them 128 though both can vary. Also, a lot of the drum samples played by his brother, senior Logan LaPace, at parties. and synths you’d use in both styles are difOracle: What got you started ferent but you can with this, or what inspired you to still cross things over. start? O: Have you conLandis LaPace: I’ve played tacted any record lathe drums since I was about 3 bels? or 4; I used to have this little LL: Not yet, but drum kit that my parents bought I plan on doing that me. One day my friend showed once I come out with me this software and I thought my LP, which stands it was really cool. I got on my for Long Play, it’ll computer and I just started makhave around 6 to 8 ing music from there about a songs on it and I’ll year ago. hand them out for O: What was the very first Jake Bittle / Oracle song you created? Landis LaPace works on a song at his computer. free. I’d like to be LL: It was called “Pine- He uses FL Studio to create electronic house mu- signed by Anjuna Beats or Spinnin’ Reapple”. At the time I thought sic available for free online. cords. it wasn’t that bad, since it was O: What kind of equipment do you use? the first song I’d composed, but thinking about it now it LL: I have a laptop and I use FL Studio, and if I do live wasn’t very good although some people said it was for a sets I have a tractor control, which is basically a system first track. that allows me to mix music live like most DJs would. O: Do you prefer to make your own original music or O: Do you think your family and friends are support do you put together mixes? you in this? LL: At first I liked to do a lot of remixes, but then I got LL: Yes, a lot of my friends like to play my music whermy skills and learned to create melodies and chords, so I ever we go, and I know my brother plays it at parties. I like to make my own now.
Nataly Capote Chief Copy Editor
also have a few friends who produce music. My parents are supportive of it, at first my dad was like, you know, ‘whatever’, but now he supports me. O: Do you think producing music is a creative outlet or a stress-reliever? LL: Definitely. Pretty much with all my spare time I’m making music, so it releases my emotions and stress. I spend anywhere from an hour to 4 hours a day [on it]. I’ll sit at the computer and just think of ideas, and once I get the main idea of the song it usually takes me about 2 to 4 hours to get it done. O: There’s nothing you do specifically to fuel your inspiration? LL: Sometimes I’ll listen to other artists for inspiration, but mostly I’ll just stare out my window and think. O: Is there anyone you look up to? LL: Definitely my drum instructor; even though I don’t play the drums much anymore I still show him my songs. He does drum lessons and sound engineering, so I look up to him. O: What do you consider the best part of producing music? LL: I love when I finally come up with the chord progressions and all of that, and I love listening to the final product and hearing that other people like my music is a really good feeling.
Check out Landis LaPace’s music LaPace has released numerous songs for free on his Soundcloud account. Scan this QR code with a QR code reading app on your mobile device or visit www.soundcloud.com/ landislapace to hear them. Additionally, to read the full interview with LaPace, visit the Arts and Entertainment section of www.oraclenewspaper.com.
A&E
14
March 2013
oraclenewspaper.com
Music
JT adds brass, stays brash on ‘20/20’ Jake Bittle A&E Editor I remember where I was the first time I heard Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack” -in a Subway in Rhode Island, waiting for a sandwich. The synth-filled production, combined with Timberlake’s sexy yet dignified voice, made that song, as well as the rest of 2006’s FutureSex/LoveSounds, superb . FutureSex was long, complex, and, above all, supremely sultry. There is no “SexyBack” on The 20/20 Experience, Timberlake’s seven-years-inthe-making return to music. In fact, the only song that would work as a radio hit, “Suit & Tie”, is the worst song on the album, as well as the least indicative of the album’s essence. What there is on 20/20 is a barrage of sprawling, suggestive trance-grooves that channel “What Goes Around/Comes Back Around” from FutureSex. These songs are as epic as music from JT could
be. There’re only three tracks on the album under seven minutes, and one of them just barely. FutureSex had long songs too, but they tended to drag. Not here. These songs are diverse, too: “Tunnel Vision” is nothing short of futuristic, but three tracks later “Let The Groove Get In” throws listeners into a Latin dance hall. Then, in the very next track (“Mirrors”), Timberlake lays on classic synths and handclaps for a delicious and almost spiritual elegy to his beloved. Here’s my attempt to sketch a premise for this album: JT wanted to ask new wife Jessica Biel (probably responsible for the subdued promiscuity on this album) to bed in a very special way, so he wrote ten songs that toe the line between metaphor and innuendo and asked his buddies Timbaland and J-Roc to come over and help produce what is essentially an hour-long confession of Justin’s desire. This confession takes various guises: in the album’s superb opening track “Pusher Love Girl”, JT compares
love to drug addiction. In “Strawberry Bubblegum” he compares his beloved to, yes, gum, suggesting that he’d like to “smack” and “pop” her like he would chewing gum. The last song, “Ocean Blue Floor”, takes on a nautical theme, and borders directly on the beautiful. Timberlake has perfected a new sort of artistry: long and complex electro-poems that don’t care about radio, and don’t have to. Something about the almost mantra-like groove that “Strawberry Bubblegum” gets into by the time it’s in its seventh minute would assuredly be lost in a radio edit. Because of this, 20/20 is not as immediately accessible as songs like “SexyBack”, and might not be as much fun. There’s much more going on here than FutureSex, though, and that’s a bold claim to make. Each song, from the near-ominous “Don’t Hold The Wall” to the soulful “That Girl” (even with its bizarre intro), has a unique aesthetic, and needs to be discussed in-
Courtesy of UMG
dividually to give a sense of 20/20’s textures. Timberlake, in a word, has cleaned up his act. 20/20 finds him jumping from synthy sexual energy to complex grooves that don’t leave behind the exceptional vocals and production we expect from him.
8.5
A&E
15
March 2013
oraclenewspaper.com
The
Break
7.5
Down Each month in the BreakDown the Oracle collects reviews posted on www.oraclenewspaper.com over ther past month. The dotted squares that accompany some of the bubbles are QR Codes. Scanning these codes with a QR-code-reading app (most are available for free on the App Store for Android and iOS) will take the reader to the full review on the Oracle’s website. This month the BreakDown includes contributions from Evan Abramson, Jake Bittle, Hannah Crosby, Brandon Mauriello, Tiffany Napoli, and Zealand Shannon.
Coheed and Cambria 8.5
“All The Time” (The Strokes)
8.5 “Entertain-
Though it falls short of ment” its predecessor Ascension by inches, The Afterman: (Phoenix) Descension is still Coheed at their staggering, epic, Fall multifarious best. Key “Diane tracks include “SenOut Boy Young” try the Defiant”” and Fall Out Boy’s first new song in “Gravity’s Union”. (Vampire years definitely has their signature sound, but without the band’s noWeekend) table guitar solos or complex tunes. It’s good music, but there’s just no variation; the song quickly becomes repetitive. We’re The latest adaptation of a hoping for better cuts Nicholas Sparks novel has on the new album. heroine Erin (Julianne Hough) running away from malicious Detective Tierney and starting a new life with a new name (Katie) in a ruA$AP Rocky ral North Carolina town where she meets her love interest Alex (Josh Hip-hop’s most promisDuhamel). Although the first few ing MC is A$AP Rocky, scenes between these two protagoa rapper who somehow nis are uncomfortable for both they and the audience, in time manages to maintain swag the film’s plot picks up, because as the romance develops, so whether he’s rapping does Tierney’s pursuit of Katie. In final estimation, Safe about drugs or motivation, Haven incorporates just the right blend of romance both of which he does on and tragedy, keeping fresh those formulaic NichLONG.LIVE.A$AP with olas Sparks romance plots that entertain so a skill that bespeaks his definite many adolescent girls. The but overlooked artistry.
Safe Haven
9.0
6.5
8.0
7.0 Pusha T Pusha T delivered a loud but shoddy mixtape in Wrath of Caine. However, there were some notable features, some memorable lines, and hints of his talent showed through. Hopefully his forthcoming album My Name Is My Name will fulfill this rapper’s raw, unrefined promise.
Atlas Genius
8.0
This Australian alt-rock band have established themselves on their first album When It Was Now as a streamlined and ethereal-sounding group. Thundering highlights include “Trojans” and “Electric”.
8.0
All photos annexed under the Fair Use principle.
Les Miserables
Director Tom Hooper was able to pull off a brilliant combination of classic musical numbers and staging and a starstudded Hollywood cast. Triumphant, epic, and emotional, Les Mis shone on the big screen as one of the best films of 2012.
9.0
Following (TV)
“Started From The Bottom” (Drake)
3.0
Side Effects (film) 6.0
8.0
Sports
16
Grace Korta serves up a bright future Sam Bequer News Editor Junior Grace Korta held the number one title of the girls tennis team since her freshmen year. This year though, she has decided to quit the school team, and focus more on her own game. “I realize I needed to focus on recruitment this spring for tennis,” said Korta. Korta feels by concentrating on her competitive tennis more she’ll be able to attract the D1 schools in the southern conference. In order to fully benefit from only playing competitive tennis, Korta has altered her academic schedule to fit in more playing time. She attends school for four periods: Sports Marketing, AP Language and Composition, Web Digital Media, and Analysis of Functions. Korta fills her school schedule with mostly electives in order to get a better experience and have a variety of students in her classes. “I wanted to take electives at school because I get a better range of people. It’s more diverse with people who are seniors or freshman, I wanted a mix,” said Korta. Korta’s schedule has always varied from her classmates. Fifth through seventh grade she was home-schooled to really start dedicating herself to playing tennis and then went back to public school in eighth grade, but did not stay a full day and left school after fifth period to train.
While leaving the team may be the best decision for Korta, her teammates will be looking for a number one spot to fill. This gives sophomore Kate Geshel an opportunity to showcase her ability and step up to the number one position. “She was number two last year and naturally she’ll be number one this year. I think she’s starting to show leadership and commitment to team,” said Korta New tennis coach Andres Perez-Reinaldo welcomes new players with open arms. With Korta not on the team, this allows athletes who did not have a chance before to play to better themselves and their playing ability. “We’re definitely going to miss Grace this year, but this gives opportunity to the rest of the girls to move up one and play one spot ahead and make our entire team a little bit better, “ said Perez. Korta’s hopes for college include being recruited by a division one school in the southern conference of the United States with a full-ride scholarship, but having the possibility of attending school outside of Florida.
oraclenewspaper.com
Courtesy of Lloyd Clayton
March 2013
Shir Shraga undergoes big transition into new home, sport
Zealnad Shannon / Oracle
turned upside down. Zealand Shannon From the small town of Reut, to the Sports Editor comparable metropolis of Tampa was In Israel “Judo is like football in America,” and senior Shir Shraga was the best. Third best in the entire country for his weight two years in a row. T h e n , when he was 13, his dad got an offer to work in America, and Shraga’s althetic world was
more than a small change for Shraga, and it didn’t help he didn’t speak English. “No, (I didn’t speak English) at all, just ‘hi my name is Shir, I don’t speak English,’” said Shraga. “It was a matter of time, learning a new word every single day, and walking around with my dictionary in my hand.” When he arrived in America, Shraga tried to keep up his Judo but didn’t find American classes to be near as good as his homelands’. “They were all really bad, after three months; people got black belts and the coaches...they weren’t even good, I would teach them things,” said Shraga. He quit the sport, but when sophomore year began he had a new pursuit: wrestling. At first, he wasn’t chomping at the bit to get started. “I had coach Noble (pictured right) for
American Government I believe, and he talked to me about it. I didn’t know much English, so I was just said ‘okay, whatever.’ Then sophomore year I actually joined; it was pretty fun,” said Shraga. In his first year Shraga was already on varsity, and got fourth in the district. Junior year--keeping in mind that he is a year younger than all other juniors--Shraga went 27-13 and won the district while hampered by a neck injury. In his final year, injury struck again, but not before Shraga came out of the gate with a 38-6 record. Ranked top 10 in the state his senior year, who knows where he could’ve gone if a knee injury hadn’t ended his high school career. Now his family plans a move back to Israel, to the town of Beit Hashita, where Shraga plans to enter the special forces branch of the Israeli armed forces. That, of course, is only if he can’t secure a scholarship to attend a university in the United States, and achieve his dream of a degree.
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Sports
March 2013
On the Sidelines WINTER RANKS
Boys
1. Jason Collister, forward soccer 2. Shir Shraga, wrestling 3. Keshawn Ingram, guard basketball 4. Jake Silverman, wrestling 5. Enrique Barboto, midfielder soccer
Girls
1. Alexis Bredeau, forward soccer 2. Bailey Hooker, forward basketball 3. Justice Thigpen, guard basketball 4. Danielle Eule, midfielder soccer 5. Marley Opila, defensive mid soccer
CHEERLEADING
Courtesy of Allison Ennis
Cheerleading picked up where it left off last season, putting up a great performance in the County competition to take first place. Led by four year seniors Jessica Brewer and Kori Rankin, the Lady Warriors pulled into states with high hopes and ended up taking second place in their division, the highest finish in school history. It was the first year at the helm for coach Allison Ennis, who followed in her dad’s coaching footsteps. She’s the third cheerleading coach for the team in four years, and it will be interesting to see if Ennis can maintain her success with nine of the 20 roster spots filled by seniors this past year.
oraclenewspaper.com
Coach Perez: from endzones to rackets Emily Goldbach Sports Editor After getting to know him as the head coach of the football team, the school can now see coach Andres Perez-Reinaldo as the head coach for the girls tennis team. “I sat down and talked with Mr. Henderson and he needed someone who had some tennis background to fill the spot,” said Perez. “I love the game, so I just stepped in and decided to help.” While playing on his high school team, Perez enjoyed watching the rivalry between two famous tennis players, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Now that he’s the coach of a tennis team, Perez said that he idolizes famous Russian player Genny Kafelnikov . “He [Kafelnikov] was a bit unorthodox, but very successful in the game,” said Perez. “His style of play and the enthusiam he had before every match was fun to watch.” From coaching 120 boys to 10 girls, Perez said that he wouldn’t be able to handle it all without his crew of assistant coaches. However, no matter what team, Perez’s focus is always academics.
Zealand Shannon / Oracle
Coach Perez directs sophomore Nicole Meyers to where she needs to go for the teams’ match against Tampa Bay Tech. After taking home the win, the Lady Warriors’ record improves to 7-3.
Boys soccer makes first-ever finals run Evan Abramson Staff Writer
UPCOMING GAMES Softball: Thurs, Mar 28 VS Gaither (7 p.m.) Baseball: Thurs, Mar 28 VS Gaither (7 p.m) Track & Field: Tues, Mar 26 VS Jefferson (1 p.m.) Flag Football: Mon, April 1 VS Freedom (6:15/ 7:30 p.m.) Tennis: Tues, Mar 26 VS Gaither (Girls [H]; Boys [A]) Compiled by Zealand Shannon & Emily Goldbach
Courtesy of Stephanie Hirsch
The boys soccer team celebrates after beating Forest in the State Semi-Finals. Senior forward Derek Gebhard, who was suspended up until senior night for a violation of team rules, scored the winning goal in the second half of sudden death overtime to seal the 4-3 win.
The 2012-2013 varsity boys soccer team finished their season at the Class 4A Florida State Championship. In their final moments, they just couldn’t commit to two goals against Gulf Coast to win the game. They played a total of 25 games going 19-3-3, including their playoff runs. They scored a total of 91 goals against an opposing 19 goals throughout the season. “We are going to lose 28 goals from Jason Collister this year and a good amount of goals from Austin Labban. So, we’ll need someone to compliment Austin next year,” said head coach Chad Ebright. Players such as junior Austin Labban, senior Enrique Barboto, senior Jason Collister, and senior Derek Gebhard led the team in numerous goals. Junior goalie Christian Knight also aided the team with a variety of saves. “Consistency was one of the best things we did all season. We never really had a huge let down that destroyed our team’s moral and motivation” said Ebright. The team had a .841 win percentage and went undefeated in their district, other than the one district loss when the Warriors fell to the Gryphons in the district championship with a final score of 2-1. “Next season, all I can say is that we are going to work hard, do our best, and we are going to play as hard as we possibly can,” said Ebright.
18 Sports SPRING SPORTS OVERVIE W March 2013
oraclenewspaper.com
Several teams’ performance peaking at halfway point of season 1. Track & Field
Zealand Shannon Sports Editor
Boys - New track athlete senior Trey Johnson has made a big mark by setting the school record for the 100 with a 10.59 (hand timed). Boss Cross seniors Matt Magee, Zach and Tyler Lima have had success in the distance events. Girls - Junior Nicole Dorsey holds the 100 for the Lady Warriors, with junior Rebecca Tabor consistently putting up good times in the 200. Senior Jessica Brewer is a state caliber jumper and is in exceptional form this year.
1
2. Softball
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After a 4-0 start, the team has gone into a bit of a skid, 5-5 in its last 10 games, including district losses to Freedom and Chamberlain. Only two teams can make regional play from a given district. Currently, the Lady Warriors are 2-2 in district play and are in third. Sophomores Erica Serafini and Paige Cimino can really hit, and freshman Emily Carter is a solid pitcher. If the Lady Warriors want a repeat trip to regionals, these ladies will be key.
3. Flag Football
Coming off of a season that was almost historic for the program, the Lady Warriors are going to need to find some new key players to make a return trip to the district finals. The season hasn’t started well, with a 7-0 loss to Plant as the opener; although, the team knows it can play better. Senior leadership at the quarteback position will be vital from senior Alexa Fernandez. She was a starter last season, and her experience will carry the team in this campaign.
4. Baseball 4
The Warriors have been on fire since the first pitch of the season. They won four of their first six games by mercy rule (ten run lead after five innings), and they’ve won six of their twelve games overall in that fashion. Senior pitcher Nick Sucarichi has a perfect game and allows less than half on average. Five players are batting over .400 with over 16 at bats. At 11-1, their loss involved an unassisted triple play. This team wants it all this year.
5. Tennis
Nataly Capote and Zealand Shannon / Oracle
Boys - After starting 0-4, the team has turned it around with a five match winning streak, highlighted by a 4-3 win over Plant. The boys head into important district matchups against Gaither and Freedom this week. Girls - After a 1-2 start, they’ve won six of their last seven, the loss was to state champions Plant. The girls also are looking to top Freedom next week and head into districts on a roll.
19 Sports Creating a path to success March 2013
oraclenewspaper.com
Lacrosse rolling ahead while still a club, looking to next year Zealand Shannon Sports Editor
Zealand Shannon / Oracle
The boys laccrosse team huddles at halftime in the game against Springstead. The Warriors would go on to win 17-4, one of their school record eight wins to start the season.
It’s one year before lacrosse becomes an officially sanctioned high school sport in Hillsborough County, but the Warriors’ boys lacrosse team has decided to kick it in gear a bit early. The boys team is currently 8-1, with their only loss coming right before the break to Wesley Chapel, who’s rated the best club in Florida according to LaxPower. On that same ranking (using a BCS like computer compiled rating system), the Warriors are fifth in the state, second in their eight team western conference behind Alonso. Both are undefeated in their conference; the two teams played Wednesday after the deadline for the submission of this paper, and that game will go a long way towards determining the conference champ. Of course next year, there won’t be a club conference champ. The pay to play
pilot program for lacrosse as a school sanctioned sport will be in full swing, with each of the 27 Hillsborough County Schools having the option to participate. “It’s going to be interesting to see how a new sport takes off. It’s grown so much, so it’ll be very interesting to see how it takes off in Hillsborough County,” said Warriors Athletic Director Eddie Henderson.
GIRLS LACROSSE
The girls have started out slow, 2-4 according to LaxPower, but they still have high expectations.Three of their four losses they’ve been within two goals, including a double overtime loss to sixth ranked Ocala. Last season the girls put up a team record 10 wins, and they only lost four seniors heading into this year.. With five more games left to play, 10 wins is out of the question, but there is a chance at a win against top-ranked Plant on March 25. This year’s team is also light on seniors, so the Lady Warriors will only get better
Close
March 2013
oraclenewspaper.com
In memoriam
Agriculture teacher and FFA sponsor Donna Moeller, 57, passed away at Good Shepherd Hospice House in Lakeland on Dec. 23. On the afternoon of Feb. 18, members of the FFA Club conducted a tree planting ceremony to honor her memory. Several other students, teachers and administrators attended the ceremony.
“She will be missed.” —Biology teacher Paul Thomas
Above: Biology teacher Paul Thomas places a flower under the memorial tree. Thomas worked with Moeller since the school first opened. Photos by Zealand Shannon / Oracle Compiled by Gaby Morillo / Photo Editor
20
Left: (From left) FFA members junior Chelsie Bedingfield, sophomore Summer Shell, senior Veronica Peralta, and junior Julian Mulkay gather around the memorial tree. FFA officers presided over the ceremony. Middle: FFA member junior Stephanie Langsam prepares the flower distribution for a large crowd of students and faculty. Nearly 100 people attended the ceremony. Bottom Photos: FFA, the girls track team and other members of the student body place flowers alongside the memorial tree. Faculty and staff participated as well.