October 2016

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Students share their voting plans for upcoming election Page 6

October 7, 2016 | Volume 90 | Issue 2 H.B. Plant High School | 2415 S. Himes Ave. Tampa, FL 33629 PO’P Jessie Yang

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

TWITTER

@plantpop INSTAGRAM

News Dress Code Poiicy, Seniors vote

Features National Merit Finalists, World of Dog Competitions

Centerspread Homecoming Day Rituals

@humansofplanthigh SNAPCHAT

Opinion Dress Code Editorial, Face off on High School Tradition Participation

Arts & Entertainment Pumpking Carving, Marching Band Starts Up

@pepoplantnews WEBSITE

pepoplant.com 2 | Table of Contents

Sports Fantasy Football, Coach Weiner Q&A

5-6 8-10 12-13 14-15 17-19 21-23

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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Staff

SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY: Members of the staff are expected to use personal and publication social media accounts in a mature, responsible, and professional manner. Students who do not follow these guidelines will lose the privilege of posting on the Pep O’ Plant social media accounts and may face additional consequences. Unsigned posts on a publication account will be removed.

EDITORIAL POLICY: The editorial board will make all decisions for the publication. Editorial board members will discuss controversial issues and will consider the advice of the adviser before making decisions regarding coverage. Administration will be made aware of any sensate topics in advance. Unsigned editorials reflect the opinions of the majority of the editorial board. Signed opinion columns and reviews do not reflect the views of the entire staff, advisor, fatality, or administrators of Plant High School.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY: Letters to the editor can be emailed to pepoplantnews@gmail.com. The editorial board has the right to revise, edit, condense , and reject any letters. Unsigned or anonymous letters will not be published.

OBITUARY POLICY: Any current student, staff, or faculty member who dies during the year will be recognized in the newspaper with a 300-word obituary and one mugshot photo. The editorial board may decide to cover the deaths of alumni or former staff/faculty members when appropriate.

ADVERTISING POLICY: The Pep O’ Plant has ad space available in print and online for members of the school and local community. To receive advertising information, email pepoplantnews@gmail.com. Advertisements that promote services or products that are illegal or harmful for anyone under 18 will not be considered. The editorial board has final approval over all advertisement content and design.

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

Policies | 3

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Dress code policy reinforced Darnell Henderson Features Editor Mrs. Mellnick scans the throng of students dashing towards their next class. She is keeping an eye out for dress code, which could entail an exposed shoulder or perhaps shorts that are too short.

“This is a place of academics and students need to dress appropriately,” Mrs. Mellnick, assistant principal, said.

The dress code policies have seen a rise in enforcement. This can be accredited to a more prominent search for dress code violators, since last year when dress code enforcement slackened.

Mellnick also said that this enforcement can be accredited to the need for students to dress more professionally in preparation for jobs and life.

Though this may be the belief held by the administration, students opinions differ.

Liam Steadman, junior, feels that this is an topic that delves into the rights guaranteed by the Amendments.”I feel that it restricts our freedom of speech.

I’d like to wear a banana hammock,” Steadman, junior, said.

Generally though, it can be said that some of the student body feels a bias towards females, and the rate females receive dress code violations.

“It’s super subjective and bias towards women,” Donovan Butler, junior, said. And he among others isn’t the only one that holds this belief.

“I think its sexist. I also think that men don’t get dress code as much as women,” Mary Picone, sophomore, said. Expressed her feelings of dress code bias directed towards women, However, Mellnick challenges this with her statement that, “Plenty” of boys receive dress code, but primarily for hats and sagging pants.

There are also some students who agree that Plant is an environment that

Dress Code Policy Shoes must be worn. Pajama slippers or skating shoes cannot be worn.

should exude professionalism, this reflecting in attire.

Charley Brannan, sophomore, said, “I think [dress code] is fair for both genders even though there are differences because it reflects a professional environment.”

Stuart Lindquist also shares this viewpoint, but feels that the teacher enforcement isn’t prominent enough for there to be an issue. “I think the dress code is fair especially because teachers are so lax about it,” Lindquist, senior, said.

One wanders though if teacher enforcement will truly solve the problem of dress code.

“One time I almost got dress code for my cheer uniform. And I’m a cheerleader,” Talley Murphy, junior, said.

“Does Plant even have one?” Natalie Ulm, freshmen, questioned when asked her opinion on dress code.

Check yourself!

No hats worn

NO underwear shall be seen.

Clothing intended for sleep i.e. pajamas, should be worn or replace appropriate outer garments.

Shoulders covered

Garments advocating for or supporting illict activities and having the potential to invoke a disruption or violence will not be worn.

Pants secured at waist

NO miniskirts, short shorts or mini-dresses.

All pants and shorts shall be secured around the waist.

Clothing exposing the entire shoulder shall not be worn without a blouse or shirt to cover shoulders.

NO hats or head-coverings, unless for religious purposes or health reasons, shall be worn inside buildings.

Source: Hillsborough County Student Handbook

No short shorts worn No slippers or shoes with wheels worn Daniel Bonilla, junior Alisia Pride, freshmen

You are now in dress code.

Complied by Darnell Henderson

News |5

Arm the Polls: Seniors plan to vote Thompson Draper Staff Writer As November is approaching soon, United States citizens are preparing to vote for a presidential candidate. As the age to vote is 18, some seniors will be able to vote for their first time.

The votes will be split up between two candidates, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. “[A good candidate would be] A strong leader who can take on whatever they are faced with,” Wright Holman, senior, said.

A president is faced with resolving global issues, including warfare and economy, among others.

“Both of them are awful candidates, the two worst ones in American history.

Experience means nothing when your entire career is based on corruption and war mongering,” Jake Alvarez, senior, said.

A constant change in the polls is present from uncertainty of American citizens in who to vote for.

“The only candidate with an honest executive branch career is Gary Johnson,” Alvarez said.

Watching the democratic and

republican debates is a way to learn what each party prioritizes, providing insight for each candidate.

“I plan to watch the news with my parents so that I can see what is going on throughout the country,” Annie Jinks, senior, said.

Watching the news is a way that Americans are keeping up with what each presidential candidate is saying and doing.

Many issues are prominent in America, and how each candidate is planning on solving these is important for who America will vote to be the next president. “[The most important issues are] Campaign finance and term limits.

Because neither of these issues have been addressed majorly in the past, our government has become significantly more corrupt and tyrannical,” Alvarez said.

Some seniors are very opinionated when it comes to who they are voting for. Some heavily favor Trump, some favor Clinton, and some do not care enough to vote.

“I’m voting for Donald Trump because Crooked Hillary is a liar and doesn’t care about you or me. She only

cares about her foundation. Also with the recent health issues, Clinton seems unfit to be our next president. When confronted of why she did not send help to the four Americans in Benghazi, she simply says ‘Who cares? It doesn’t matter.’ Trump has the courage to take on any and all problems head on,” John Shields, senior, said.

As it is seniors’ first time getting to vote, many of them are getting involved in debates and activities.

“I’m voting for Gary Johnson because we need some integrity in the White House. Someone who speaks for the American people as a whole and refuses to now down to special interests or ideas of hatred and bigotry for the sake of bettering polling or party funding.

As a governor of New Mexico, he has proved time and time again that he is an effective leader in every sense, working with an opposition state legislature while still getting done what needed to be done,” Alvarez said.

The final presidential debates are approaching soon, and then on Nov. 8 seniors will vote for the very first time in their lives.

GET INFORMED on where canidates stand Trump Johnson Clinton

Increased gun control measures Deporting undocumented immigrants Increase in military spending Raising minimum wage Cutting social Security

6| News

☑Yes

☑Yes

☑No

☑No

☑No

☑Yes

☑Yes

☑No

☑Yes

☑Yes

☑No

☑No

☑No

☑No

☑No

Source: Washington Post Compiled By: Zoie Ashmeade and Sydni Bates

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Senior gives insight into the world of dog competitions Zoie Ashmeade & Elizabeth Hancock News Editor & Staff Writer Many people train their dogs to the extent of teaching them how to sit but Cole Ferreira has trained his dogs to the next level.

Starting at young age Cole Ferreira, senior, has competed in dog shows after being introduced to the hobby by his father.

“I started [dog shows] when I was young because my dad did it when he was young so he got me into it. We’ve always had dogs we started off with beagles but then we moved into bigger dogs.

We just breed them and we raise them.

And we travel the country and do dog shows.” Ferreira, said.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) holds competitions known as conformation, in which the dog is judged based on appearance and structure.

“So lets say we have a litter of puppies, then we’ll raise that dog and we’ll pick out of the litter which ones the most structurally correct. The AKC has standards that they want their breed, like how the head

should look how the body should look and basically you look for that. And you

Cole Ferreira, senior, helps examine one of his dogs during the competition.

With quite a few dog shows under his belt, Ferreira knows what the judges are looking for in a dog and the American Kennel Club’s requirements. Photo courtesy of Cole Ferreira. get like trained to look for that, I guess going to dog shows and it’s kind the stuff

Cole Ferreira, senior, trains one of his show dogs for an upcoming competition. Passed down from his father, Ferreira has been training dogs since he was a child. Photo courtesy of Cole Ferreira.

that people don’t realize judges look for at Westminster.”

The AKC also holds competitions known as juniors that Ferreira competes in.

“I also compete in juniors. Which there’s regular breed where you’re judging how good the dog looks and there’s juniors where you’re judging how good you can show. And I competed in that too.

Last year I was a lot more competitive than I am this year just because like it’s a lot of work, it’s every weekend. Last year I was for a short while third in the country for it, I traveled around a lot.”

Ferreira doesn’t plan on taking competing in dog shows farther than a hobby in the future.

“I don’t want to do it as a profession, you can there are people that do that and get people to pay them to show their dogs but it’s like not a very stable profession. So I want to be a vet and specialize in marine mammals but I definitely think it could be a thing that I get my kid involved with and I would probably own a show dog when I get older it depends what happens.”

“

“...it’s kind the stuff that people don’t realize judges look for at Westminster.”

-Cole Ferreira, senior

“

10 | Features

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Should students participate in high school traditions?

Ferreri Take football games on Friday nights Join the fun Rachel Editor-in-Chief for example. Some people are not sports fans and dread the games, while some

P’OP Emilia DiFabrizio

High School students have four years to make memories that last a lifetime. Students should embrace the opportunities to embrace themselves in the traditions of high school.

During high school, there are many events and activities that students have the option to go to or participate in.

They can play on sports teams, get involved with community service and more. They can go to homecoming and prom, they can participate in the pep rallies, and they can be in school sponsored shows.

It is important for students to engage in these traditions of high school because these are the little things that people will remember later in life. While they may seem "lame" or "unimportant" these are the stereotypic events of high school.

Emilia DiFabrizio Public Relations Traditions are a major part of community life in high school. During the year students are highly encouraged to participate in activities, even though these events only cater to the interests and abilities of a certain percentage of the student body.

While students are presented with opportunities to have fun and make friends, these chances can be illusive as well as exclusive.

Sports such as crew and hockey have extremely high costs, and club dues and event admissions add up quickly over time. With the increase and required payment of dues, those without the means to pay for such extracurriculars feel like outliers.

Fifty dollar advanced Homecoming tickets are inaccessible — not to mention the price of dresses, corsages, meals, transportation and more. Leaving lower income students without the ability to participate in events that should be free.

Whilst the pressure remains on students to make the most out of their

can’t wait to get to the front row. Going to the game is fun because students can go with friends, and can get into the school spirit with face paint and watch friends who are playing in the game or cheering.

Homecoming and Prom are another prime example of high school traditions.

Some people look at them as not fun since a lot of planning goes into finding a date and making plans for the night, but when you look back at photos from the fun night out with friends, it is a really cool event.

High school is a time for teenagers to make memories. Since teens live at home, they have opportunity and support from their parents to participate in activities they won’t get an opportunity to later in life.

high school careers, perhaps counselors and administrators should be presenting more opportunities for students outside the classroom.

Student-organized events outside of school are much more valuable to the growth and independence of students.

Learned leadership is a necessity at in high school, however students should be presented with the means to do so.

Rather than administrators standing at all the schools exits, preventing students from signing out in order to avoid the first pep rally of the football season, faculty should work to compile information that caters to each individual student’s needs and interests.

Students should be listened to rather than funneled into the football stadium on Friday nights.

By taking increased initiative for the students actual needs, new traditions will be made and new trails will be blazed by students affecting more than the mere high school community.

High school will not last forever — just four years. While one should make memories and friends, the focus should be on discovering oneself within a larger community.

Just stay home

P’OP Emilia DiFabrizio

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Prettiest Pumpkin Pick in the Patch Students carve jack-o-lanterns to celebrate the new season Zoie Ashmeade & Elizabeth Hancock News Editor & Staff Writer As students prepare for fall, they participate in a classic autumn tradition by carving pumpkins. Showcasing their creativity by carving unique faces and designs, they express their excitement for the upcoming season. Students show the steps in order to carve the perfect jack-o-lantern.

Step One Pick your pumpkin from the patch, the best pumpkins are large and circular to provide the best canvas for your masterpiece.

“As a Pisces, I thought my pumpkin would look best with the Pisces symbol,” Chloe Sysk, junior, said.

Step Two With a marker or a pen, draw an outline of the face or shape that would best fit the pumpkin shape.

“I just wanted to make the typical pumpkin face...like a jack-o-lantern,” James Waller, sophomore, said.

Step Three Use a knife to remove the top of the pumpkin and take out the seeds and guts.

“Taking out the insides of the pumpkin was disgusting...it felt repulsive,” Olivia Schmideke, freshman, said.

Step Four Use a serrated knife and carve in a sawing motion to cut through the interior of the pumpkin.

“The strategy of carving a pumpkin is all about the angle,” Steve Grant, senior, said.

7 Ways to Use Leftovers 1. Roast pumpkin seeds 2. Make a pumpkin

smoothie with guts, banana, soy milk, and ice

3. Make a pumpkin body scrub with salt, honey, and almond oil 4. Create a DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte! Just heat together pumpkin guts, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract then blend and combine with espresso or coffee.

5. Use guts as compost 6. Make pumpkin bread or fun fall pumpkin flavored pancakes!

7. Make a pumpkin pie!

It’s Poppin’ on pepoplant.com Watch videos of students carving their pumpkins online under Arts & Entertainment!

A&E | 17

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Marching Band Starts Up the New Season Marching band students attempt to pump up the student section at a home football game with familiar songs. They have been practicing for these performances as well as competitions every week this year. Photo by Natalie Grant.

Natalie Grant Business Manager With the football season kicking off, Marching Band works collectively to produce music that will energize the school and encourage school spirit. By being in the marching band, each member is required to attend every game where they must pump up the crowd.

“I love it. It’s a great experience to be a part of that atmosphere and cheer on our team. It’s like going to the game as a fan but a lot more fun”, Sean Costello, junior, said.

At the game they stand in their own gated off section and preform for not only the school, but themselves.

“Playing at the games is the best.

Marching the show is fun and it’s fully entertaining but I think the game and pumping up the crowd is the best,” Johnathan Clements, senior, said.

By preparing simultaneously for not only the games but also the competi-

tions, the group of student continues to show involvement in the varying aspects of school functions. They practice three days a week after school, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, for their upcoming performances.

However, they do dedicate some class time in school to competition music. At school, during the fall, the marching band practices concert music and marching music at the same time.

In the end their time totals over 5 hours and 30 minutes. However, despite the time commitment, Sean Costello, junior, describes a typical practice.

“They are pretty tough both physically and mentally, especially Wednesday when we practice in the heat the whole time. Although at the end of the day we get a lot done and have some good time,” Costello said.

The performances seen at school and the home games aren’t the only events played. Since the band must be at every game, they travel to different schools around the area to share a piece of

school pride all over the county.

“It feels different performing a new crowd of students that you aren’t familiar with. Performing in front of students and teacher’s is comforting because you are familiar with them. A different group feels like a different performance,” Dali Calo, freshman, said.

Then through all the traveling and practice, they continue to strive for success at their competitions. Maysie Calzon, senior, takes a look at the game and competition performances.

“That’s like comparing apples and oranges, but if I absolutely chose I would go with competitions because they are more competitive and I love to win,” Calzon said.

Band Director Mr. Dell shares the upcoming music that will be preformed at their first competition.

“This year’s show is featuring the music of Queen. We are working on the whole show which consists of We Will Rock You, Another Bites the dust [and] Bohemian Rhapsody,” Mr. Dell said.

From the Halls

What’s your favorite thing about marching band?

“The fact that we are all as one. We are a family and we feel like we are all the same.”

-Racquel Carley, junior

“The performance and “The amount of how hype we get the crowd. Also how we are able to preform.”

-Micah Smith, sophomore

excitement we get out on the field. Also the ability to play all of these great songs.”

-Txanton Bejos, senior

“Probably playing in

the stands, that is really fun. Being drum major is really fun too.”

-Alina Dimaio, sophomore

A&E | 19

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Q & A with Coach Robert Weiner Reed Frevola Sports Writer Throughout the course of the football team’s history at Plant High, there has been one man at the helm of the program, Coach Robert Weiner, who has compiled 4 state titles during his tenure. Despite being the football coach, Weiner has a back story that not too many people know about.

Q: How did you get into coaching?

When did you start?

A: Well, I actually started 29 years ago. I started when I returned back to the high school that I went to, which was Jesuit. My mentor back when I was a student at Jesuit, his name was Bill Minahan, asked me, ‘do you want to be a cross country coach or a football coach?’ I asked if I could take some time to think about it and he said, ‘nope!

I need you to tell me right now.’ I then said, ‘ok I’ll be a football coach.’ I really had no idea what I getting into or what it was all about, but that’s how it started.

Q: How has coaching football affected you life?

A: Well its pretty much consumed my life. When you are coaching football its all encompassing. The one thing that’s interesting about football is that, in some jobs, you finish a task and say, ‘I’ve finished the task,’ yet in football you might finish the task but its never the end of the overall task, there is always more to do. There is always more film you can watch, there is always a better way to prepare you players. There is always something more. There never is a cap space where you say, ‘I’ve done that and I’ve completed that.’ First of all,

just time wise, in order to do the way I think is the right way, its something that you really have to put yourself into, but I think most of all, the more important answer to that question is that, football coaching is like any of the great vocations or jobs that involves really, really, really profound interaction with other people. I guess the reason why I’ve stayed in it for so long is certainly not for the money, certainly not for the work hours, but its because I love the interaction with young people and I love watching them grow and develop. I love seeing somebody put their mind to a task and then do the work that it takes, then seeing them have the opportunity to be successful or to fail, and to learn become better people because of it.

Q: Is there a certain person who has had a certain influence on you?

A: I would say probably two. I would say coach Bill Minahan, he was actually a coach at Plant back in the 50’s and the early 60’s but he was my coach at Jesuit. He was a legendary coach, the first coach in Hillsborough County to win 100 games at one school. He was the only coach in Hillsborough County to win state championship, other than Blake, before we did it at Plant, and he did it at Jesuit. He was a long time coach there and he impacted me in ways. Both by his attitude and work ethic, his loyalty, enthusiasm. His assistant, Dominick Ciao was a guy I was an assistant coach under for 15 years. He’s now the head coach over at Berkley Prep. He’s had a tremendous influence on the way that I coach, just coaching side by side with him for years. He’s had a great influence on the way I coach and the way I treat people.

Q: What is the recruiting process like for a head coach?

A: College recruiting is really all encompassing. There are a lot of things that come into it. First of all, its just moderating your own players, to try to make them have realistic expectations of what they could possibly do in moving on. The worst thing is having unrealistic expectations, and then having those expectations not be met. The first

thing is just making good evaluations and being honest with your players and your player’s parents and letting them know where there might be some possibilities for them. But then there’s putting together film and information in terms of academics, and then getting that out to coaches. So the recruiting process is a huge part of what we do.

There’s a lot of coaches that just players and parents do that on our own. That’s not the way that we feel about it. We feel like our players give us everything that they have, and we want to give back to them in return as much we possibly can, so the recruiting process is obliviously important to many of our players’ next step in life.

Q: What is your favorite memory from coaching here at Plant?

A: That’s a tough question. We’ve had a lot of amazing memories. I think most people would quickly say four state championships and the moments after that, the celebration. But I would say there’s probably the many more moments I remember, just kind of way smaller moments, more intimate moments, in which players and coaches have been affected by what we’ve done on and off the field. Players that come back and reflect upon that years later, as to how football played an important role in their lives.

Q: For you, what do you consider success?

A: We have a mission statement on our team, so I think like any corporation, the mission statement determines the direction of potential success.

Our mission statement is, we want to enthusiastically work and relentlessly pursue the best we can be as a person, as a student, as a player, and as a teammate, for the sake of our Plant Football family.

If you look at that, you’ll recognize that it says nothing about an opponent and nothing about winning games, but it says everything about pursing in a way that has great enthusiasm and great figure to it, pursing the best we can be in all the areas we can be in our lives. Its not necessarily measured by wins and losses and championships.

Sports | 21

Designed by Natalie Kerr

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Waiver Wire Worries: A look at fantasy football players throughout the school Jacob Robinson Sports Editor Fantasy Football has been around since the age of new technology. From locating stats on newspapers to phone notifications, the sport has drawn popularity among kids and adults throughout the United States. The same applies among this school, where a topic of discussion can always be how their team performed during the week.

Along with students, the game found on any app or website, teachers also continue to play, even after they started teaching. John DeOrio, English, has been playing with the same group of friends since he was a kid.

“I’ve been playing long before fantasy platforms existed. We would use scoring by hand, and it was a group of kids in my neighborhood when I was little. We would watch all the games on Sunday and when the paper came out on Monday, we would score the results then.”

What motivates DeOrio is the entertainment that comes with playing, drawing attention to games that nobody

would pay attention to without the art of the game.

“It gives me a sense of increased interaction with a game I already love.

This gives me the chance to be the ‘coach’ and build your own dream team; It brings me closer to the sport for good and bad,” DeOrio said.

Fantasy Football can always be played for fun, but most of the time, money happens to be involved.

“Playing for money only heightens the interest and when you’re doing well, it makes it even more enjoyable”, Nathan Kovalchik, junior said.

“I love fantasy football for the competitive aspect, as I always love to compete against anyone in anything, and this is a great place to do it.”

In the day and age of football rivalries and heated debates between teams, NFL fans can find common ground on the topic of fantasy football and their waiver wire worries. In a technology and dominated teenage boy society, evading fantasy football is a tricky task. In the day and age of advertising and pushing products, daily and season-long fantasy is as popular as rap albums, and even the NFL itself.

Stats & Numbers

“Tom Brady”-

“Ezekiel Elliott”-

“Doug Baldwin”-

“Adrian Peterson”-

Nic Cohan, Senior

Neil Gallon, Football Coach

Sebastian Hernandez, Sophomore

Fuller Sanders, Junior

74.7 4.6 29

Number of Fantasy Football Players, in millions Money spent playing fantasy football, in billions Fantasy Football Leagues that will not wager

20

Percent of fantasy football players who are women Compiled by Jacob Robinson

From the halls

Who was your first round selection in your fantasy football draft?

Sports | 23

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