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Teens alter eating habits pages 12 & 13
Decemeber 9, 2016 | Volume 90 | Issue 4 H.B. Plant High School | 2415 S. Himes Ave. Tampa, FL 33629
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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
@plantpop
News They Gotta Cut It
5
Features You Can Do It
Centerspread @humansofplanthigh
Mind over Body
Opinion SNAPCHAT
Budget Cuts, Face Off: Volunteering or Donating
Arts & Entertainment Festive Films @pepoplantnews WEBSITE
pepoplant.com 2 | Table of Contents
Sports Boys Soccer Season, Girls Soccer Season
6-7 12-13 14-15 18 21-22
MISSION STATEMENT: The Pep O’ Plant is the student-run publication serving the community of H.B. Plant High School. The mission of the Pep O’ Plant is to provide an open forum for the free exchange of ideas.
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Editors-in-Chief Savannah Lowry Rachel Ferreri News Editor Zoie Ashmeade
Features Editor Darnell Henderson Centerspread Editor Zoe Antinori Opinions Editor Sam Werner Art & Entertainment Editor Maggie Fitzsimmons Sports Editor Jacob Robinson Business Manager Natalie Grant Public Relations Pershia Haj Emilia DiFabrizio Copy Editors Jake Criser Dean Criser Sports Writer Reed Frevola Staff Writers Isabella Ank Sydni Bates Thompson Draper Elizabeth Hancock Cole Maines Amanda Rodeiro Faculty Adviser Louisa Avery
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They gotta cut it
County deficit creates reductions Sydni Bates Staff Writer
A serious debt issue has put the county on a high financial alert and they Hillsborough county has begun monitoring spending intently by establishing a strict budget. The county is operating on a $100 million dollar deficit. Now, over 260 specialist jobs are being eliminated. There are over 225 teaching positions that need to be filled. Since the county announced its hiring freeze, they will transfer existing faculty rather than hire new teachers. “Looking at the funding and the many different accounts that Hillsborough county has, [Jeff Eikens] had to make some very tough calls. It’s come in different phases. His goal would be not to directly touch the classrooms,” Principal Robert Nelson said. The idea is to take all of these specialists, which include guidance counselors, reading specialists, success coaches and administration and putting them in a pool, then transferring them into classroom positions throughout the county that they may qualify for. “It [the transitioning of teachers] is really going to hurt the students who need it. It’s their job,” junior Megan Tice said. One of the school’s specialist have had their position removed Susan Wallace, Success coach. Wallace supervises Unity Day as well as helping students stay on the path of success through out high school and continue after high school. In Wallace’s 15 years at the school, she has unceasingly embraced the diversity and created a welcoming community along with sponsoring the Student Advisory Committee (SAC).
“I am not happy about leaving Plant, but I certainly understand it’s not personal. I think I ended up in a good place,” Wallace said. Hillsborough is a title one school,schools with high numbers or high percentages of students that come from low-income families. Hillsborough will be able to keep their specialist positions. After searching for a few weeks, Wallace has taken a new job at Hillsborough High School. She will be working with exceptional education students on jobs and social skills and will teach English I the second part of the day. “Mrs. Wallace has done a great job. She has established relationSusan Wallace ships with many is the success of our kids. So, coach, but will could I fully rebe transferring to place Mrs. Wallace? I just could Hillsborough High not,” Nelson said. School to teach. R e a d i n g Wallace has been coach positions working here for have been elim15 years. Photo by inated in some Zoie Ashmeade. schools across the district, which may affect Amy Farino, though she has not yet been told if she will have to leave. “[Mrs. Farino] helped me in so many ways. I’m such a better reader than before,”junior Emily Bosco said. “A lot of students who knew her [Wallace] as a success coach are devastated at what’s happening and are doing their best efforts to make some sort of change,” senior Hannah Diasti said. “ She’s had a huge impact on SAC and has brought a lively hood and sense of community to SAC as a whole,” Diasti is President of the Student Advisory Committee. The county hired Gibson Consulting Group for $810,000 in hopes of solving the deficit crisis. Of the $130 million that is to be saved through budget cuts, the teacher transfer should account of $50 million, according to Union leader Stephanie Baxter-Jenkins.
Budget Cut Breakdown The district hired Gibson Consulting Group for financial advice. The company is being paid $818,000 to help reverse years of deficit spending that raised alarm last year.
April 2016 Cut $51.5 million from the districts general fund.
Sept. 2016 Traveling ban instituted.
Oct. 2016 Excess energy costs decreased by $6 million.
Oct. 2016 Bonuses to advanced placement, AVID, and International Nov. 2016 Baccalaureate District cuts teachers cut by support positions 1.7 million like success coaches and reading coaches.
Compiled by Zoie Ashmeade Source: Tampa Bay Times
News | 5
Charlotte Holman, sophomore, listens as another mentor explains a math concept. Mentors tutor kids in subjects ranging from math, science, writing and reading. Photo by Darnell Henderson
Noah Blackman, senior, offers two students clementine slices. Though, Blackman specifically tutors two children, he makes sure to connect and talk with all children in the program. Photo by Zoie Ashmeade.
YOU CAN DO IT
Senior empowers underprivileged students with mentoring program Noah Blackman, senior, tutors a student on the history of Fredrick Douglas. Blackman hopes to inspire students to realize their true potential. Photo by Darnell Henderson.
6 | Features
Chatting with some of the students before tutoring begins, Jack Schifino, junior, learns about students’ interest. Next year, Schifino will be Noah Blackman’s successor. Photo by Zoie Ashmeade.
Laughing as they work on a writing assignment, Hannah Diasti, senior, guides a student in writing about her weekend. Diasti has been part in managing the Kids of Tomorrow program since its start. Photo by Darnell Henderson
Darnell Henderson Features Editor
Q A
Q A
Why did you decide to start the Kids of Tomorrow? Pretty much what’s made [Plant students] successful is the fact that our parents encouraged us to learn at an young age. Plant kids weren’t necessarily smarter than any other school in the area, it’s just the fact we had a better upbringing and our parents encouraged us to read and be educated at a young age. We have good learning structures and we have good teachers but a lot of places don’t have that. [The kids I tutor] have cultures that don’ t necessarily emphasize that learning and knowledge is the way to success; its kinda the opposite. We were very lucky to have that mind frame that learning is good and a lot of places don’t have that which inspired me to start this up. So, I said I want to instead of giving money to charity for some thirty-year-old to tutor them, why don’t I get kids my age who are seven years older than these kids to go tutor them so they know what they can do with their life.
Q A
How did you get this program started? So I asked all these organizations, I went around Tampa said “Hi, I’m Noah Blackman. I’d like to create teen mentorship, tutoring program and I’d like to come to your location.” I went to the YMCA, to the Prep, and I went to some schools in Hillsborough County and they all pretty much turned me down. A place called St. Peter Calver School in Ybor City accepted me and I go there.
Q A
How do you keep the program going smoothly? I manage the program by diluting power to people. Like Jack Schifino helps me out a lot, Richard and Mackenna help me out a lot and Hannah Diasti was a huge help in this.
What does a normal tutoring day look like? We go in every Monday and we tutor them for about an hour aand nd a half, and then we either play games or we go outside and play sports and I think this makes my [tutoring program] different than others is the fact that the kids bond with us so they’re happier with us than they would be with like I said earlier, a thirty year old who they barely know. Most of the time I help them with their homework which is ELA so language arts, sciences and maths.
Q A
What is your greatest takeaway from this mentorship program? p rogram? Everyone has potential. I was very judgmental of people who I eessentially ssentially thought were stupid. It was eye-opening to me that situations and context really do mean a lot in a kids development, and that was pretty much the biggest thing I learned that these kids they do want to strive but its later in life teachers adults and other kids put them down and we should emphasize that they should develop.
Q A Q A
What is the ultimate goal of Kids of Tomorrow? They should be empowered. I really want these kids to feel tthey hey have the knowledge and ability to do what they want to do with their lives. What is the future of Kids of Tomorrow? Honestly, I’m very happy to know this will go on for many years. y ears. Jack Schifino’s gonna take over after me and I really do like seeing the kids being happy. I’ve already talked to community service organizations in the D.C. area and in the Seattle area about maybe expansion or just other ways they can help me with my school and ways I can help them with their schools.
Features | 7
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Mind Body over
Teens alter eating habits
12 | Centerspread
Savannah Lowry, Editor-In-Chief Carson Gibbs, senior in partnership with Academy of the Holy Names senior, Kendall Bulleit, founded Tampa Eating Disorder Initiative, an organization formed to combat assumptions about eating disorders and raise awareness. "She [Bulleit] chose to start this because eating disorders are such a huge issue in our society. Although they are a huge issue, nobody ever talks about them," Gibbs said. "The lack of communications leaves people without a real understanding, assuming it’s all just a state of mind that can be changed, not a medical disease that needs treatment." The organization hosts their own fundraiser every year, in addition to participating in any local fundraising events for eating disorder benefits. This year’s fundraiser was held on Oct. 16 and they raised 31,500 dollars. "We hold our own fundraiser every year and raise money for an eating disorder center in Nashville hoping to build in Tampa," Gibbs said. Organizations like Gibbs’ benefit those who are impacted by the weight standards of society, for high school students and beyond. Weight tends to play a strong factor in performance level associations for adolescents playing sports. Some of these sports include wrestling, crew and cross country. "Cross Country has affected my eating habits, because what i have noticed is that if I eat clean and
healthy, then I have a much more productive run, than if I eat unhealthy junk food," Cat Cadrecha, freshamn cross country runner said. “Also, as a team, we all try to drink plenty of water because it also benefits our run.” While cross country is more performance based eating stigmas, there are also sports with clear weight classes. "Any sport that dictates weight there is always an issue with kids not managing and what we call yoyoing weight," wrestling coach, Bryan Kenney said. "The biggest thing for wrestling is maintaining a constant diet, increasing cardio, instead of the binging and starving, which is what most of us [wrestlers] did when we were in high school, unfortunately." Similarly, as evident with crew, different positions on sports can lead to different levels of dieting and pressure. "Personally, I've observed that most eat freely while some stick to diets or regiments, especially those in light weight or top tier boats," junior rower, Jackson Ford said. According to school psychologist, James Landers, there have been local trends in eating disorder growth on grounds of age. “Locally, the number of reported cases of eating disorders is increasing slightly,” Landers said. “However, it is assumed that many more adolescents experience one or more of the signs of an eating disorder before the age of 25, and go unreported.”
By the Numbers:
Words to Know:
20 million 10 million
In the United States, women and men suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life Source: nationaleatingdisorders.com
According to the National Institute of Mental Health around of teens, ages 13-18 years old struggle with an teens in eating disorder. That correlates to around the student body.
2.7%
63
25%
of college-aged women engage in bingeing and purging as a method of managing their weight.
30%
of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting and taking laxatives to control their weight. Source: nationaleatingdisorders.com
of American adults will struggle with B.E.D. of individuals suffering during their lifetime. Close to from Binge Eating Disorder will obtain treatment
43%
Source: eatingdisorder.org
It is estimated
1% to 4.2% of that
women have suffered from anorexia in their lifetime. Source: eatingdisorder.org
What Age Eating Disorders Occur:
44% ages 16 to 20 years
an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat
Bulimia Nervosa: an emotional disorder involving distortion of body image and an obsessive desire to lose weight, in which bouts of extreme overeating are followed by depression and self-induced vomiting, purging or fasting Binge Eating Disorder (B.E.D.):
Source: nationaleatingdisorders.com
2.8%
Anorexia Nervosa:
33% 14% 10% ages 11 to 15 years
ages over 20 years
ages 10 or younger
characterized by regular episodes of binge eating, not followed by compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting or over-exercising
Where to Find Help: “Anyone who is concerned about their eating and believes that they may have an issue, should reach out to a trusted friend, teacher, counselor, administrator or mental health professional.� -James Landers, school psychologist
Crisis Call Center Source: eatingdisorder.org
800-273-8255 or text ANSWER to 839863 Centerspread | 13
Budget cuts take away jobs
-Madi Norman, sophomore 14 | Opinions
-Daniel Curtis, junior
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I think we could do fundraising like selling magazines or wrapping paper. -Grace Owens, senior
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Fundraisers.
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Coupons.
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More donations to schools and using charity events. -Marjorie Baker, Freshman
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Making sure the governor that is elected is defending public schools.
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From the halls What are some alternatives to the county budget cuts?
PO’P Natalie Grant
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From the PO’P Staff
both mentally draining and stimulating. When they are forced to be there for that amount of time, students want to achieve the highest level of education. So when the teachers they see everyday are being reassigned to other positions it is distressing to the students. The confusion is whether or not teachers will be reassigned to positions within their current school of employment or sent to another school in the district. If teachers were reassigned to different schools, this would break the bonds between students and teachers, a fundamental aspect of modern education. However, instead of changing teachers jobs, these issues with budget cuts could be fixed simply with cutting the pay of the school board members and decreasing the pay of the superintendent and the upper level district employees. Schools could raise more money individually by redistributing the budgets of sports and sharing with academics so that vital resources and positions like the reading coach and success coach can be sustained in schools.
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The Hillsborough County School Board made the mistake of using half of its reserve fund in the last four years which they tried to combat with budget cuts. This careless mistake is hurting the education of the students in the district and taking away innocent teachers’ jobs. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the district expects to relocate about 225 teachers, a number which seems low but considering the circumstances is incredibly high. Positions such as the reading coach and success coach, will be cut. These teachers will be reassigned to new jobs, and the position they previously filled simply will not exist anymore. This is a problem since the jobs these teachers filled were important to many students’ education. The quality of the education that students are receiving will decrease as well since the students will not have access to these vital resources. Students attend school from 7:33 a.m. until 3 p.m., a length of time that can be
-Alberto Rivera, teacher
How should you give back this holiday season? Give Gifts
PO’P Grace Summers
Thompson Draper Staff Writer During the holiday season, it is always a good thing to give, which can be done in a variety of ways. Volunteering is one of the best ways for anyone to get involved in the community during the holiday season. Volunteering at local areas is not only beneficial to the community, but also the business being assisted. In the Tampa Bay area, there is a plethora of opportunities that anyone can volunteer at. Some of these include Feeding America, Metropolitan Ministries, Meals on Wheels and Faith Café. All of these businesses are happy to have people come in and donate their time to help to help out the process of giving out to the community. Doing this is always an important thing to put someone in a good mood, as the joy shown by the people being helped is immense. Volunteering is not hard to do either, as it usually only takes a few hours out of the day. Most people have this
Sam Werner Opinions Editor Christmas has been described as “the most wonderful time of the year.” It’s a time filled with joyful attitudes and cooler weather. It’s also a time for people to give back to their communities, and the best way to do this is by donating. One of the most anticipated traditions of the Holiday season is waking up on the morning of Dec. 25 and finding presents under the tree. For families who can’t afford to buy presents, their children won’t get to experience this special moment. The only way these families will be able to truly experience Christmas is by relying on the generosity of others. There are organizations such as “Toys for Tots” that collect presents to give to families in need. By donating a gift, a child’s holiday
amount of time to donate, and doing this only once is even beneficial to society. Even just giving a few hours has a very large impact on the people being helped, as they need help, and are grateful for everyone willing to do so. There are also many groups that focus on getting people involved in the community. One of these is Teens in Action, which has high school students go out once a week to a certain site to volunteer to a business that needs help. Some people believe that donating is the best thing to do during the holiday season. While donating is very helpful to others by providing them with necessities that they might not obtain, volunteering is better for the community, as charities are being donated to, and helping out the community by providing people with the same necessities, simultaneously. During the holiday season, if there is ever some spare time, sign up to help those who need it, so they can enjoy the holiday season to the extent that everybody deserves to enjoy it.
could completely be transformed. Donating is also a very easy way to give back during the holiday season. During Christmas time people are usually busy hosting parties, attending holiday events and buying gifts for friends and family. Little time is left for other activities. By donating, even without extra time to volunteer there is still a way to make a difference. Although donating has been seen as the lesser way to give back, because people can’t be completely sure where their donation is actually going, there are ways to avoid this. For example, some organizations, such as planting the seeds, gives the donation directly to the person in need, so you can be sure where the contribution is going. Giving back is a major part of the holiday season. Donating is the best way to reach a big group of people during the Christmas season.
Give Time
PO’P Grace Summers
Opinions | 15
Sally O’Neal’s would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to all the Plant High families who have supported us and the students from Plant High School that have worked for us over 31 years. You have played a big part in our continued success and we thank you!
Go Panthers!!
Pat and Judith O’Neal*
*Former Plant High graduate
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Movies help create holiday spirit Rachel Ferreri Editor-in-Chief
Fitzsimmons & Maggie Arts & Entertainment Editor
Festive Films Students share the movies that mean the most to them this season "I love to watch The Grinch, because he got a big heart at the end, and finally believed in people." sophomore Melissa Simeon
"I like The Christmas Story because the main character had a cool BB gun." senior, Nick Rice
PO’P Emilia Difabrizio It’s that time of year again. Once Thanksgiving passes, most people begin to pull out the lights and decorations, and watch their favorite holiday films. Pop culture has catered to the craze for holiday movies on ABC Freeform where the channel sponsors a “25 days of Christmas” marketing ploy. For each day of December leading up to Christmas, ABC Freeform plays an original Christmas movie. This provides movie lovers with a large variety of holiday features to enjoy all month long. Netflix has added most of the Freeform original Christmas movies as well as some of the classics as well so that they appeal to all viewers. The most popular Christmas movie among students at Plant was widely recognized as Elf since it combines many
18 | A&E
features of a film that appeal to viewers. “[My favorite Christmas movie is] Elf because it’s so iconic,” freshman, Hanalei Mattingly said. Romantic comedies are also a popular genre during the holiday season. “[My favorite holiday movie to watch with friends is] Love Actually because it’s a good movie, because it’s a bunch of stories intertwined,” junior, Oline Otterstad said. The Hallmark Channel has also been working towards impacting the Christmas spirit by adding new movies to their repertoire for the 2016 Christmas season. According to their website, three new movies will be aired this year including ‘Journey Back to Christmas,’ ‘Broadcasting Christmas’ and a ‘Dream of Christmas’ (still a working title).
"White Christmas is my favorite movie because I haven't watched it since I was a kid and my dad loves it as well, so it gets me in the spirit." - junior, Juliana Weber
Check out the ABC Freeform “25 Days of Christmas” online at pepoplant.com
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Girls soccer endures trials and tribulations Cole Maines Staff Writer
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The girls soccer team, coached Our coach did a really good job by Jeanette Rosado, look to improve upon last season’s 8-8-1 record under of bringing us together and we former Coach Pam Smith. have really gotten to know one With this young team, chemisanother personally. try and compatibility were building blocks during the beginning parts of -Alli Bonilla, freshman. the season. “We’ve had a rough preseason. We weren’t together and were really new too,” sophomore, Shannon Snyder said. “This year is more of a learning curve Snyder is a forward on the team and because we have a new coach and a a new student at the school. She said she young team but with the people we has struggled getting used to her new have we should make a deep district school and said that the soccer teams’ run,” Tyl said. “I’m excited for all the fun environment was the main thing that team building and long away games, and helped her assimilate. I’m really excited to spend time with the Emma Platt, junior, is one of the few team. upperclassmen on the squad and says Alli Bonilla, freshman, has her own she is very optimistic. positive perspective of the essential “We have soccer sisters and that teambuilding the squad needs. really helps us get used to one anoth“Our coach did a really good job of er with team dinners and a lot of team bringing us together and we have really building,” Platt said. gotten to know one another personally,” Lyndsey Tyl, senior, is one of the Bonilla said. few seniors on the squad and likes her All of the players as a collective have role.“It means a lot to me because even hope for what the season will bring. “I’d though I’m a senior, it’s my first year on like to go to states, I know that’s a big the team, but I do see a lot of potential goal but I think we have a team and an in the underclassmen and the juniors,” environment that can do that,” Shannon Tyl said. Snyder said. Tyl is without a doubt optimistic because of the possibilities of success.
As a freshman, Alyssa Bonilla is playing her first year on the team. She participates in a volley teamwork drill during the Dec. 4 practice on the baseball field. Photo by Jacob Robinson
Ansley Melendi, sophomore, practices her dribbling and coordination skills during a drill on Dec. 4. She plays midfield, and this will be her second year on the team. Photo by Jacob Robinson Allison Hernandez, junior, dribbles to her left against Mia Bush, sophomore, during a practice on Nov. 30. This will be Hernandez’s 3rd year on the team and 2nd for Bush. Photo by Cole Maines
Sports I 21
New season brings new coach for boys soccer team Reed Frevola Sports Writer This is a new beginning for the Boys Soccer team. This season is the first under Coach Janessa Taddei. Taddei is a female coach for an all boys soccer team. One might expect challenges, but luckily, this has not been the case. “So far there haven’t been any challenges,” Taddei said. “We have a great group of boys who are very motivated to succeed both on and off the field.” Assistant coach Paul Huszar has helped Taddei while she learns the ropes of the team. “I have great support from my assistant coach, Paul Huszar, who has been here at Plant for three years now,” Taddei said. “She definitely has the respect of the boys because she is a fantastic player and knows the game inside and out,” Huszar said. “It was a fresh new set of eyes that really has helped us grow as a team.” One aspect of Taddei’s coaching ability that has impacted the team is her understanding of the players.
“[Coach Taddei] is really good, she really understands us as players and tries to work with us and tell us what we need to improve on,” Victor Gonzalez, junior, said. Another asset that Taddei brings to the table is being able to get the team in shape and maintain that shape. “I think Coach Taddei will bring a new aspect to the team in regards to team shape and training that will benefit our team,” Garrett Spicola, senior,said. Every day of the week, the team has been practicing to prepare for the upcoming season “In preparation for the season, the team has practiced Monday - Friday for two hours a day,” Taddei said. “We’ve also played a lot of possession games in order for the team to bond quickly, and full field scrimmage games which helped establish our tactical awareness. To build off of last season, the team has prepared to improve their play in various ways. “To prepare for this upcoming soccer season I have been working out on the side, focusing on endure and my upper body, which is very important for high school soccer because unlike pop-
ular belief, soccer is a contact sport,” Gonzalez said. One reason why the team has the chance to succeed is because of the experience on the roster. “Our young guys on the roster have gained experience and our older players have became leaders,” Jake Gesuale, sophomore, said. According to Taddei, success for the season would include getting to the District Finals. “My expectations for the team are very high since we have an extremely talented group,” Taddei said. “I would like to see us make it to the district finals.”
Last season, the boys went 5-6-2 last year under former coach John Feely. Eric Machado, sophomore, practice his skills prior to the Dec. 4 practice. Photo by Jacob Robinson
During a practice scrimmage on Dec. 4, Jack Casey, sophomore, runs up to cross the ball to his teammates. As Coach Taddei looks on, this is her inaugural season as head coach of the boys team. Photo by Jacob Robinson
22 | Sports
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