SNN - Spartan News Network

LAKEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL • MARCH 2020 • VOL. 11 NO. 3

Spartan Besties

SNN interviews best friends throughout Lakewood to find out about the bonds they share.

Pages 8-9

Vals and sals

This Class of 2020’s top students are announced.

Page 3

Humans of Lakewood

Students and teachers share moments and memories that changed their lives.

Page 5

Kickboxer by night

Math teacher Melissa Ostrowski moonlights as a kickboxing teacher.

Page 6

2 THE HUB March 2020

XAVIER SUMNER | Alpha-Omega

Senior Truong Van gives a carnation to math teacher Melissa Ostrowski on Feb. 14. The Spanish Honor Society sold carnations throughout the week to raise funds.

Your Voice With spring coming up, the season for sunbathing and fun is starting.

Spring break is just around the corner so SNN asked:

What would be your ideal spring break destination? Why?

I would visit California because there are always things to do there, so you can never be bored.”

-De’Jah Boyd, 10th grade

A word from SNN

With the end of the third quarter approaching, it’s easy to start slacking off at school. Time is running out and people’s grades are starting to slip. As grades go down, anxiety goes up.

Some people’s grades are affecting their mental health negatively. Schools all around the state are trying their best to help students learn how to cope better. Our story on Page 4 will give you information about the mental health lessons and how they came to be. Although most of us can agree that these mental health lessons are good, some of us are left wishing for more after these sessions. In our editorial on Page 10, we call for students and teachers alike to take these lessons more seriously.

Though things might seem bleak, it’s important to remember that there are still good things in the world.

Whenever you are feeling too stressed out, you’re encouraged to look at cute things. Babies are cute, and Lakewood teachers are having them. On Page 6, learn more about science teacher Rachel Fawaz’s new baby, Arya, and English teacher Kate Drof ’s summer arrival.

Also on Page 6, take a look at our teacher feature on math teacher Melissa Ostrowski, who moonlights as a

kickboxing teacher at a local gym. Now there’s a way to relieve stress.

The Drama Club is planning to bring entertainment to Lakewood once again - though not without some last-minute obstacles. See what they have in store for this spring’s musical on Page 7. Speaking of music, read about Vanessa Natal and her addiction to concerts on Page 12.

If musicals aren’t your thing, try sports. A story and photos on our back page highlight a stellar season for the boys’ soccer team.

We all have hardships, and overcoming them often makes us stronger. Read about your fellow Spartans overcoming their difficulties in our feature called Humans of Lakewood on Page 5.

Friends are important. Especially, best friends. They can help you remain focused and healthy, something that is most definitely needed during these times.

Check out Pages 8 and 9 to find out all about your fellow Spartans and their best friends.

This is your editor-in-chief, urging you to stay healthy and safe this quarter.

Editor-in-chief Angel Laclaustra Deuces.

Did you know...

I would go to California because the beaches there are beautiful.”

-Carlos Cornejo, 12th grade

I’d spend my spring break at (sophomore) Aissatou Kounta’s house. Her house seems fun, and I see everyone going over there and I want to see what the hype is about.”

-Montrea Griffin, 10th grade

Epic win for academic team Lakewood and St. Petersburg High schools’ academic teams were neck and neck at the Jan. 23 competition with everything coming down to the final question. Initially, St. Pete’s team was declared the winner. However, Lakewood challenged the score and, in the end, took the win from St. Pete by two points.

“It was a roller coaster of emotions. I was really proud of them when they got second place, but when they won first place, I gave a very undignified cheer and then swallowed my smile to go and congratulate the other teams,” said history teacher Jessica Herring, who is the sponsor of the academic team. The theme of the competition was Harry Potter, and students had to identify and relate specific people in history to different characters of Harry Potter. The champions for Lakewood were juniors Travis Brooks, Max Dayton-Yaeger, Erin Singh, Chase Royal, Gavin Reese, Ryan Smith and sophomore Brian Tran.

- SNN Staff Writer MARTIN REID

NICHOLAS MADOLE | SNN

Steel drum band receives donation

From left, Skyway Marina District representatives, band teacher Jacob Merrett and principal Erin Savage pose with senior Cheryl Land, junior Dylan Pacowta, and seniors Justin Yearwood and Eric Smith as they are presented a check in the auditorium lobby on Jan. 22. The students are members of the Lakewood steel band, which was given a check for $250 as a sign of appreciation for performing at the 2019 May Day Race. Members of the Skyway Marina District presented the check. “I think they did an amazing job. It’s our pleasure to make the donation,” Skyway Marina District member Kent Rodahaver said.

-SNN Staff Writer NICHOLAS MADOLE

On the web

I would visit New York because I’ve never been and in the movies New York looks fun.”

-Kareem Grant, 11th grade

I would go to Miami beach to have fun with my family.”

-Terrell Crosby, 10th grade PHOTOGRAPHS AND QUOTES BY KA’WON REEDY AND JABRIEL JACKSON | SNN Staff Writers

SPECIAL TO SNN

Fourteen members of the International Day team traveled to Osceola High School for a culture competition.

Spartans take on other cultures International Day, Feb. 22 at Osceola High School, offered student competitions and workshops that include all cultures and languages. Students learned how to cook food from different countries like Colombia and Germany and how to make friendship bracelets. This year Spanish teacher Linda Santiago took several students to compete and volunteer at the event. Students competed in a variety of events such as skits, banner-making and Day of the Dead projects. The team won first place for the banner and for the skit they presented, El Delantal Blanco. Individually, students participated on the project event with their Day of the Dead altars. Sophomore Elijah Algarin placed first, sophomore Aaliyah Ball got second place and senior Anna Wetzel placed third. “I think that our team did excellent and they stepped up the game, and I’m very proud of everything they did,” Santiago said.

-SNN Staff Writer ANGEL LACLAUSTRA

Our new podcast, SNN Spotlight, takes a look at all types of entertainment. From movies to music, hosts Robert Zachem and Ray Land take listeners through the newest trends in media, sharing their opinions about the latest bandwagons people have jumped on. In their premiere episode, the hosts discuss Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and offer a well-rounded view of what they like and dislike.

SNN Spotlight encourages listeners to send in suggestions for future topics. For people wanting to learn more about the latest buzz, this podcast is for you. To find the podcast, go to pcsb.org/snn and click on mulitimedia and then podcasts.

Sophomores Robert Zachem and Ray Land host the new podcast SNN Spotlight.

ON THE COVER: Sophomores Makayla Johnson and Jonyeisha Thomas pose in front of the recycling mural near C-wing. Find their story and other best friends’ stories on pages 8 & 9.

(A’SHIYA YOUNGBLOOD | Alpha-Omega)

Library closes for lunch

March 2020 NEWS 3

Too many kids and too much trash forces the librarian to close the media center at lunch time.

BY ROHEY BARROW SNN Staff Writer

M

any students weren’t happy when the wings closed for lunch, so they quickly took advantage of the library when new media specialist Heather Robinson opened it during lunch at the beginning of the school year. It officially closed in early February, however, with a sign posted in the window explaining why.

“I think it closed because people took advantage of her kindness,” junior Allicia Rodgers said.

Robinson said she opened the library for lunch because she wanted it to be a welcoming and inviting environment where she and the students could get to know each other, because it’s her first year at Lakewood.

“It was a lot of fun. Students were excited to have another space to eat lunch,” Robinson said.

It started off slow, but once more people started to learn it was open, it became a popular spot during lunch. So Robinson then created designated days for certain grade levels.

“I did class days in order to avoid having too many students in the library. I wanted to divide things up by day,” she said.

How do you feel about the library closing for lunch?

PHOTOGRAPHS AND QUOTES BY O’MRION FLOWERS | SNN Staff Writer

Seniors were allowed in on Mondays and Fridays, juniors on Tuesdays, sophomores on Wednesdays and freshmen on Thursdays.

“I used to eat lunch in here on junior day and sometimes on senior days and when she didn’t check,” junior Robert Hopkins said.

Robinson often found herself monitoring the door the whole lunch period, which defeated the whole purpose of the library being open in the first place.

“It’s only me in the library. I’m the only adult, so if I had 200 kids in here it would not be very wise,” she said.

Many factors led to the official closing of the media center, including broken chairs and trash being left around.

“She doesn’t have the time to go through and clean up and get the smashed ketchup packets,” assistant principal Andrew Oyer said.

The large number of students in there also was concerning to administration.

“One day there was a pretty large crowd in there, and it wasn’t clear who was supposed to be in there or not based on their grade level, so the administra-

It sucks, but I completely understand it.”

-Tyler Rivera, 12th grade

It shouldn’t be closed. It should be open for us to chill in and do things during lunch.”

-Charles Jackson, 12th grade

tion team and school resource officers discussed it and closed it again,” Oyer said.

There are only seven adults who can monitor students during lunch, and they already have assigned stations throughout the school.

“We can’t ask extra teachers to help Mrs. Robinson, because they have to eat. She was doing that out of her own kindness and wanting to welcome everybody in,” he said.

Now that the media center is closed, students must eat outside or in the cafeteria, and the library is exclusive to teacher-sponsored events and clubs during lunch.

“I want it to open again, because it’s nice to have a peaceful spot. ... Usually there’s not enough seating for everyone (outside), so most people are standing,” Rodgers said.

Although students are disappointed with it closing, some understand why it had to be done.

“I’m sorry for the other kids’ behavior and the people who were taking advantage, because that sucks and she was really nice and really open and last year we didn’t have this,” Rodgers said.

It sucks. It was a really good place if you needed to get some work done during lunch and if the weather is awful outside.”

-Sierra Haas, 12th grade

Honestly, I don’t really care, because if you can’t keep the library clean then why should you be able to eat in the library?”

-Diasha Bristol, 11th grade

TREVAUGHN CURRINGTON | SNN

A sign posted on the window of the media center informs students of the reasons the library is now closed for lunch.

I think it makes no sense for them to close the library during lunch. They’re making it harder for the students to do work.”

-Ernest Houston, 12th grade

To be honest I really don’t care. I’m eating lunch no matter the atmosphere.”

-Gabriel Ramos, 12th grade

‘I’m leaving at the right time’ After 11 years at Lakewood, School Resource Officer Lerric Boyd retired in February.

BY TORRY JONES AND O’MRION FLOWERS SNN Staff Writers

After 31 years, School Resource Officer Lerric Boyd has decided to hand in his badge. Boyd worked as an SRO for Lakewood for 11 years.

“I feel good about it. I put in 31 years and two months, so I feel as though I’m leaving at the right time,” Boyd said.

Boyd was a person to learn from and a role model at school and at the police department, Officer Eduardo Rivera said.

“I feel sad. Officer Boyd is considered a legend at the police department,” Rivera said.

Boyd’s family wasn’t too happy about him deciding to be a cop, but they are happy to see him retire.

“My family feels very good about it, especially my mom. She never wanted me to be a cop in the first place, so seeing the start of it and being able to see the end of it is awesome to her because that’s what she wanted,” Boyd said.

Officer Julian Battiest will replace Boyd. (See story at right.)

“I’m looking forward to our new SRO who will be taking over (after) Boyd’s departure,” hall monitor Greg Hinton said.

Boyd’s time at Lakewood has not always been smooth. He said there have been good times and bad times.

Boyd’s scariest moment was eight years ago when gang violence was “really bad” at Lakewood. Boyd was in the bus circle when everything broke loose.

“We were chasing people, but we ended up arresting everybody and getting people out of the school,” Boyd said.

Boyd said when he came here in 2009 it was “really, really bad” as far as the gang activity.

“But with the team of folks we have here with Mr. Darby and Hinton came in (2010) we have a great team,” Boyd said.

Boyd’s most memorable moment O’MRION FLOWERS | SNN was when a young lady left a suicide note in the girls’ bathroom on a Friday. From left, campus monitor Greg Hinton, school resource officers He didn’t know who wrote the note, so Eduardo Rivera and Lerric Boyd and campus monitor John Darby they were very concerned. watch a retirement tribute video to Boyd on his last day.

They checked cameras to see who was in the bathroom at the time and “This girl was going through a hor- Lakewood on Feb. 18. narrowed it down to one girl. So, they rible situation,” Boyd said. “The whole “I felt very good about my time at went to the girl’s teacher, and she said family was in distress.”

Lakewood. I really enjoyed it, because one of her students was gone for some It was around Christmas time, so Lakewood is like a family. You come time to the restroom.

Boyd, the St. Petersburg Police De- here every day and you see the same They compared the writing on the partment and Lakewood staff gave people, so you get a chance to bond suicide note to some of the girl’s class- the family a $500 gift certificate along with the students and the staff. It’s work and the writing was a match. with some gifts from Target. something I’ve always enjoyed. I’m They found out that the girl’s moth“The whole thing was just memora- definitely going to miss that part of it,” er had just passed, and she was going ble and outstanding,” Boyd said.

Boyd said. through a hard time.

Boyd ended his police career at

MARIANA CLARK | SNN

Junior Cha Niyah Walls speaks to new School Resource Officer Julian Battiest in February.

Officer comes home Alumnus Julian Battiest has returned to Lakewood as a school resource officer.

On Feb. 18, she took over Officer Boyd’s position after he retired. Battiest graduated in June of 2011. She said she wanted to come back for several reasons.

“I love to work with children,” she said. “I went here, I love Lakewood. ...Lakewood is family.”

Her goals are to build a strong relationship with students and better their future. The biggest challenges she faces are students accepting the change. Officer Eduardo Rivera describes her as “willing to learn” and having a “cando attitude.” He says she offers a “younger perspective.”

Before coming to Lakewood, Battiest was a case manager at Lutheran Services, a non-profit organization.

Though her new job can be challenging she said she is “willing to accept the challenge of making Lakewood the best,” Rivera said.

Junior Cha Niyah Walls said so far she likes Battiest.

“I think it’s pretty nice having a female officer now.

She’s really nice,” Walls said.

Vals and sals announced

JADA SANDERS | SNN

The Lakewood valedictorians and salutatorians were announced on Feb. 28.

Pictured at left are Center for Advanced Technologies salutatorian Eric Gass and CAT valedictorian Eneda Kulla. Pictured at right are traditional valedictorian Jade Marks and traditional salutatorian Yafreisy Rodriguez. “(I plan on going to) the University of Central Florida for college and going into the computer science field,” Gass said.

Kulla said she wants to go to college, but she doesn’t quite know where yet, though she is considering University of Florida or Stanford.

“I want to get a degree in psychology or neuroscience, then go into clinical psychology,” she said.

Traditional salutatorian Yafreisy Rodriguez, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, said she plans to go to Lynn University in Boca Raton and study psychology. “When I came to this country, I was held back for not knowing certain things. Ever since then, I promised myself I won’t be in that situation ever again,” she said.

Finally, traditional valedictorian Jade Marks, a member of the Center for Journalism and Multimedia, said he wants to “produce videos and little documentaries to hopefully build a career out of.”

DESTINI GONZALEZ | SNN

Campus hosts voter registration drives

BY ANGEL LACLAUSTRA SNN Staff Writer

As voting season approaches, first-time voters are getting ready to exercise their 15th amendment rights. In late January, Lakewood students had the opportunity to register at school during lunch with the help of the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections.

American Government teacher John Toronski is trying to set up several registration booths a year and is already planning the next one.

“It hasn’t been set yet, but I would assume we’ll shoot for middle of May,” Toronski said.

You also can register to vote online at https://registertovoteflorida.gov/home if you meet these five requirements: • You must be a citizen of the United States of America.

• You must be a Florida resident.

• You must be at least 18 years old, though may pre-register to vote if you are 16 years old.

• You must not have been found legally mentally incapacitated.

• You must not be convicted of a felony without your voting rights restored.

Even though it’s a simple procedure, not a lot of people showed up to the voting registration booth in January. Toronski estimated that 10 students signed up at school.

“It’s an easy process, it’s not time consuming and you get a chance to express your opinion and be involved in your community,” Toronski said.

One of the reasons why there wasn’t a big turn out might be because of an increased sense of apathy that students seem to feel toward voting and the government in general.

Senior Charles Jackson is not voting in this up-

coming election, even though he qualifies to vote.

“I feel like voting does not really change anything, because people have been voting for … years and there’s still hasn’t been a change in the way people live and how they run their life in America,” Jackson said.

To be able to vote in the presidential primary and municipal elections on March 17, the last day to register was Feb. 26. The primary election is on Aug. 18 and the general election is on Nov. 3.

There are a few things students say they will keep in mind when voting. Junior Jayden Gorousingh said he wants to stick to his personal values.

“I’m a Republican, because they have mostly American values. I grew up in a Christian family, so we value traditional values,” Gorousingh said.

Some believe voting is essential to keep the American government working in harmony and in a way that helps its people.

“It is important. We live in a democratic society.

People need to vote to get things done,” junior Zion Henderson said.

It is not necessary to pledge to a specific party to vote. Senior Jacob Bystrycki is still undecided.

“I don’t really know. I haven’t made a decision as to what party I’ll follow or what beliefs I fall under,” Bystrycki said.

The ideal way to understand what party you might be inclined toward is to do research about the different parties and candidates. But there are also fun, quizzes online that can make the process easier. Toronski had students in his class take a quiz to know which side they lean toward.

Even though the voting process might seem daunting, Toronski has some words for first-time voters.

“It’s important to have a say in our government,” he said. “You can’t complain if you don’t vote. It’s our right to vote.”

4 NEWS March 2020

Lakewood junior dies in car crash K

BY CYNTHIA LAWSON AND ANGELINE BEARD SNN Staff Writers

eeoshia Edwards, a junior who died in a car accident in early February, had close friends at Lakewood who felt deeply for her.

One was junior Skydasha Wiggins, who recently broke down talking about her friend.

“Me and Keeoshia’s best memory… everything. … I remember when we were dancing and making dumb videos. … She was so sweet, and she was funny,” Wiggins said. “I used to want to come to school all the time just to hang out with her.”

The last thing she would tell Edwards, she said, would be that she loved her.

Edwards was in a car crash on I-275 N around 6:21 a.m. on Feb. 8. She was a passenger in a car driven by Erinasha Jones, 18, that collided with another car and slammed into two trees, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The Toyota Camry Jones was driving spun out Susan Alvaro of control and landed on the shoulder of the exit Assistant principal ramp. While Jones, who survived the crash, was wearing a seatbelt, neither Edwards nor the other passenger, Jiana Minaya, were. Both Edwards and Minaya died from their injuries at Bayfront hospital.

Jones was arrested on Feb. 27 and charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and taken to the Pinellas County jail, FHP Sgt. Steve Gaskins said. According to the report, the crash was alcohol related. “Preliminary indicators are that the driver (had a blood-alcohol level of ) 0.06,” Gaskins

said.

Keeoshia was one of 13 children. She had 10 sisters and two brothers.

Her sister, Towana Edwards, who attends Lakewood High School, declined to comment.

Art teacher Larry West was one teacher who was close to Edwards.

“She was so fun-loving. She always had a joke or smile for you when she was in class. Always would make my day in the morning. … She had a very happy spirit and very confident,” he said. “She did some very nice artwork, also, so I appreciated her being in (my) class.”

Assistant principal Susan Alvaro remembered Edwards for her generous and loving spirit as well as her improvement throughout the years.

Edwards started at Lakedwood as a freshman.

Alvaro described her as “a little firecracker,” who sometimes lost her cool.

“This year, though, she was like the perfect student. ... She turned it around completely,” she said. “She was super pleasant to work with, always in a good mood, helpful to others, just this super nice, sweet child this year, always making sure her people had what they needed.”

Edwards was a motivation and inspiration to a lot of people, Alvaro said, especially tending to kids that might not automatically fit in.

“She tried to make people feel comfortable,” she said.

“She was super pleasant to work with, always in a good mood, helpful to others, just this super nice, sweet child.”

SPECIAL TO SNN

Junior Keeoshia Edwards in a photo from Facebook.

Spartans join countywide Unity Walk

Flashes from the past

Clearwater High students organized the gathering, which they hope to make an annual event.

BY LEAH BROADNAX SNN Staff Writer

About 40 Lakewood students joined the first ever Unity Walk on Jan. 28, an event organized by the freedom ambassadors of Clearwater High School. Students from all 17 high schools in Pinellas County came together to share experiences and knowledge and then walk across the Causeway Bridge while students sang and chanted.

The message was that there is a way for young people to make a difference and to voice their opinions without getting physical.

“People can be powerful by coming together. You don’t have to commit violence to get your point across,” said Lakewood junior Raz Tafari, who participated in the walk.

School Board vice chairperson Eileen M. Long spoke at the event.

“We want to recognize people that have stood for equality in human rights. We will celebrate their impact and how far they have come and to inspire and continue the

work of the next generation,” she said.

The students gathered at Clearwater High around 11 a.m. to listen to Lynda Blackmon Lowery, 69, an African-American woman who was the youngest person to walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma to Montgomery in March 1965. Lowery, who graduated from Clearwater High School, told the students that she was proud of them and that the future is theirs to control.

“Children have the power to change the world, not adults,” said Lowery, who went to jail nine times and wrote a book called Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom. “You’re in a fight for humanity that’s not just the people in Florida or the people in the United States. You’re fighting all over the world just for this, for us to come together on one accord and that our voices be heard.”

Pinellas County school superintendent Michael Grego and School Board chairperson Rene Flowers also attended.

VANESSA NATAL | Alpha-Omega

Assistant principal Tequena Akintonde holds a sign to represent the Lakewood students during the Unity Walk in Clearwater on Jan. 28.

Clearwater mayor George Cretekos met the students at the end of the walk to not only congratulate them but to proclaim Jan. 28 to be Unity Walk Day in Clearwater.

“The unity walk will leave a lasting impression on the importance of civil rights and respecting the individual no matter who the person is,” Cretekos said.

Lynda Blackmon Lowery, the main speaker before the walk, recalled stories of racism from her childhood. When she was about 9, her father took her to town to get a pair of Sunday dress shoes and she remembered getting out of the car walking down the street with him swinging hands. She described her dad as “this tall black man, shoulders square, head high, hat on his head, and I was just skipping and laughing.”

“Then we went into a store … and a little white girl younger than me looked at my daddy and said, ‘What you want n----?’ I remember looking up at (my dad) and his shoulders were slumped, head down, hat in hand, and he was squeezing my hand. The look I saw in my daddy’s eyes I will keep as an image for the rest of my life. That word and that girl brought my daddy down to nothing in front of his own child,” Lowery said.

Law means students will get mental health lessons

The lessons came after the Parkland shooting and aim to prevent future violence.

BY TREVAUGHN CURRINGTON SNN Staff Writer

By now students should’ve had around three lessons about mental health from their first block teachers.

The lessons started at Lakewood because of a new mandate that requires school to give five hours of mandatory mental health lessons, according to Lakewood social worker Erica Dickerson.

“These lessons are developed with licensed mental health professionals and district staff certified in health education,” Dickerson said.

The new lessons are a part of the state reforms passed after the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland, Fla. In total there should be six mental lessons that the students should get by the end of the school year. A survey taken

by SNN showed out of 84 students at TREVAUGHN CURRINGTON | SNN Lakewood, 45 have had one of the mental Math teacher Ruth Hester teaches her class one of the mental health lessons health lessons so far this year, while the in February that are required by the state. other 39 have not.

Mental health among teens is very important, especially with the second leading cause of death in teens is suicide according to the CDC. One in five young people have a mental illness, which is about 20% of the national population.

At the end of class, students complete an “exit ticket” upon completion of the lesson that offers students an opportunity to speak with a member of the school staff about any concerns they may have.

“On an average about 10 students ask to speak with a mental health professional after each lesson,” Dickerson said.

Once the exit ticket is received, either school psychologist Dr. Brett Stone or Dickerson will call the student down and talk with them. They end up seeing some students on a regular basis for counseling.

In other cases, Dickerson said, they will speak to their parents and help to set them up with counseling in the community.

Some students also think that the les-

sons are useful, and others should appreciate them.

“I take them seriously, and others should take them seriously because mental health is a real issue in the world today,” junior Charneice Ford said.

While some students see the value of the lessons, others haven’t found them useful.

“I guess it’s helping but it hasn’t done much for me,” sophomore David-Mark Peck said.

The goal of the presentations is to help students recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health disorders, but that’s not the only thing administrators hope will come of the lessons.

“We would also like to reduce the stigma around mental health disorders and bring awareness of resources that are available, not only here at Lakewood, but also in our community,” Dickerson said.

School garden taken out

Administrators say it was removed to improve drainage and to spruce up the area.

BY YURI DEJESUS SNN Staff Writer

Above, a front-end loader driven by a school maintenance worker clears the plot of land that was once used by the Garden Club.

The land was cleared because it posed drainage issues and also because the school was cleaning up the area in preparation for a School Board meeting held on campus on Feb. 25.

Right, the area now is covered in crushed shells. A new garden eventually will be built on the east side of the school.

O’MRION FLOWERS| SNN

ESSEX POTTS | SNN

In late January, a front-end loader leveled the garden between the media center and T-wing. Workers from the school district pulled out all the vegetation, including an ice cream vanilla bean tree, avocado tree and a plum tree.

Now crushed shell covers the area.

Assistant principal Andrew Oyer said the renovations were done to take care of drainage issues that made water just sit there when it rained.

“The surface was uneven, and the mulch and dirt built up, causing drainage problems over time,” Oyer said.

Andrew Oyer The district and administrators decided to level out the Assistant principal garden and lower it by 3-4 inches to ground level so that when it rains it drains well.

In addition, county workers put in news sidewalks surrounding the garden.

“That would make sure that it was a safe flat surface to walk on,” Oyer said.

Principal Erin Savage said the work also was done because the school wanted to spruce up the campus when Lakewood hosted the Pinellas County School Board meeting on Feb. 25.

“The garden looked a bit unkempt,” Savage said.

In addition to the renovation of the garden area, workers power washed the floors, reglazed the bathrooms and placed crush shell outside the CATCOM room, as well as on the beds in the front of the school.

Both Savage and Oyer said the garden, which was built by the Garden Club in 2017, would eventually be rebuilt adjacent to the water supply between the tennis courts and the Outdoor Classroom on the east side of the school.

Cafeteria manager and Garden Club sponsor Kim Griffin said the plot grew romaine, kale, cabbages, squash, peppers, tomatoes and many more vegetables and herbs. In the summer, it grew basil, parsley oregano, rosemary and sage. She said she used some of the food in the garden in the cafeteria.

“Pretty much everything you would get at a grocery store that’s not real sensitive to weather, we grow it,” Griffin said.

Garden Club members, who took care of the garden, were unaware that it would be removed.

Members found out a week before it was leveled.

“I was sad, honestly,” senior and Garden Club member Nazerena Scott said. “It was a lot of hard work to do.”

“The surface was uneven, and the mulch and dirt built up, causing drainage problems over time.”

March 2020 FEATURES 5

See ya later, alligator Wildlife officers are called in to help nab a hungry alligator in the Outdoor Classroom.

BY ESSEX POTTS SNN Staff Writer

Jose the alligator is no longer a part of AMSET’s Outdoor Classroom (ODC) ecosystem. The four-and-a-half-foot gator likely spent its last day in the ODC eating tadpoles and blue gill fish that live in the retention pond.

Two officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commision (FWC) set up bait and trapped the gator on Jan. 11.

The FWC operator set up bait along the ODC dock and caught the reptile in a large net.

The story started on Jan. 2 when cafeteria manager Kim Griffin arrived at school to check on the chickens being held in coops in

the ODC, but when she arrived she discovered the chickens were gone.

Instead, she was welcomed by the juvenile gator looking for a snack during the start of winter.

The gator had come ashore to the hen house and chewed a hole through the chicken wire at the bottom of the house, Griffin said.

The two chickens, a rooster named Lenny and a hen named Agnes escaped through the hole and were left wandering through the wilderness of the ODC. “The chickens were out of the coop and running around,” Griffin said.

In the process of capturing the gator, and for the safety of the wildlife officials, the alligator’s limbs were tied behind its back.

This is because a gator’s greatest strength is not its endurance and stamina on land, but it’s ability to launch a surprise attack when you’re least expecting it.

“It was bizarre,” said Griffin.

“They came in with a box that made a cracking noise, then he threw a line out to bait the gator and after that wrapped the gator in a net off the dock and tied its legs behind its body.”

SPECIAL TO SNN

SPECIAL TO SNN

Humans of Lakewood STORIES GATHERED BY ANIYA TRUEBLOOD AND JAMMISHA SMITH SNN Staff Writers

An alligator named Jose lies on the deck after being caught by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commision officials on Jan. 11.The gator was an unofficial part of AMSET’s Outdoor Classroom.

The Thomas Sisters

Humans of Lakewood is inspired by Humans of New York, a photoblog of street portraits and interviews created by photojournalist Brandon Stanton in 2010. This project shows that nearly everyone has some sort of story to tell.

SNN journalists talked to Spartans throughout Lakewood, and in their own words, they share their stories about moments and people who shaped their lives.

Tracy Teartt, AVID and PE teacher

MAKAYLA JOHNSON | SNN

From left, senior Jo Shauntye, sophomore Jonyeisha and freshman Joteisha Thomas lost their father in fall 2019.They each wear silver urns holding some of their father’s ashes.

ESSEX POTTS | SNN

AVID and PE teacher Tracy Teartt, left, fist bumps with fellow gym teacher Cory Moore. Moore was instrumental in helping Teartt succeed when he was a student at Lakewood.

“Growing up in St. Petersburg, I moved around a lot, so I didn’t really have as many friends as I was supposed to. … My mom and dad were on drugs so I really didn’t have the lifestyle a normal child should have. I had to take care of my siblings. I had to make sure that my sister ate every night. I had to make sure that my sister got to school, and, also, I had to make sure that I got to school on time. We moved around St. Petersburg, we moved outside of St. Petersburg, then we moved back, we moved out of state then we moved back in state, so it was just an ongoing thing throughout my life. When I got to Lakewood, 2007, it changed my life, because when I got here it felt like a family, like I had a purpose when I got here. Because of Ms. (Chantella) Moore, because of (former principal Dennis) Duda, Mr. (Cory)Moore, Necole Tunsil, Anthony Snead - because of a lot of different teachers that were here. A lot of teachers played a role in my success in high school. Then Ms. Moore and Mr. Moore kind of took me under their wing. They fed me. They made sure I ate. They made sure I (had) the right utensils for school supplies. They even gave me a couch to sleep on, because they knew I really didn’t have a place to lay my head. So, I really appreciate (them) and their parents because they truly helped me throughout my high school career.”

“My father died Oct. 18, 2019. He had liver problems and kidney problems.

I knew he was sick but I didn’t know it was going to happen that fast. My necklace is a mini urn. Inside of it is another glass with ashes. My grandmother and my mother thought of it. The only people in my family that have this necklace is me, my two sisters, my mom and my grandmother. I wanted to have it because if I go far or if there was a time I just wanted to be with him, I would have a necklace and it would remind me that he is still with me. ... I would describe him as funny, loud, aggravating sometimes, always singing and goofy.

The piano pendant on my necklace means music because he played the piano, loved playing the piano. I sing. We sung a lot. … I could always sing since I was little, but he would always play for me as I was singing. My tattoo expresses my feelings that he still lives within me. It has a heart with heartbeat line and a cross, which means God for the cross, the heart for love.”

Benson Callier, social studies teacher

Avion Maybell, senior “Well, I was getting ready for study hall because it was during football season, the football spring season. I was at the vending machine in the front of the school when (my friends) told me about (the car crash), but I didn’t know that my brother was involved.

And then me and some other football player went in front of the CAT building to see it and Officer (Lerric) Boyd told me. ... Well, I never seen it because they had everything blocked off and they didn’t really want me to see it, but I didn’t believe so I didn’t really feel nothing then. ... I didn’t believe it until two weeks later. … (Bryson) was somebody to talk to and he was like my closest family member. ... It doesn’t really change me, but it gives me something to motivate myself to do good things. … (I think about him) everyday, especially coming to school, because I have to drive past the tree every day so I think about it every school day.”

In Jonyeisha Thomas’ words:

MAKAYLA JOHNSON | SNN

Senior Avion Maybell shows the tattoo he got after his brother, Bryson Welton-Williams, died in a car crash in May 2018.

“I had a kid when I was 16. I was on my own, didn’t really have much guidance, and I met Coach Anthony Lawrence, the coach that’s coaching the basketball team here. I met him at Lake Vista. … One day I was skipping class and I ran into him and his brother and he was asking me what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. At the time I didn’t even know and they kind of took me under their wing. … He always used to take me to get a haircut because I was about to go to the Job Corps. … I ended up getting my grades back together and my son - he’s 20 now - but when he was born, I stopped thinking about myself and started focusing on him. When I was thinking about myself, I was a bit more reckless. So, in that sense he kind of saved my life, because I stopped thinking about myself, and I had to think about somebody else’s future. In the process of doing that I was also fixing my past. … It got me focused, it wasn’t easy. … You know the reason why I stopped playing basketball overseas is because I needed to be here and be a father. I didn’t plan on that when I was 15, 16 years old, out here making adult decisions, but I had to make an adult decision. I had to sacrifice something that I truly loved for something else that I loved KA’WON REEDY | SNN greater than anything.”

Teacher Benson Callier holds a photo of him and his son on his cell phone.

6 FEATURES March 2020

Here’s how she kicks back Math teacher Melissa Ostrowski moonlights as a kickboxing teacher.

BY MAYA RISH SNN Staff Writer

In a hot and sweaty gym filled with punching bags and foam mats, Melissa Ostrowski teaches a kickboxing class. She’s covered in sweat but is filled with an ecstatic type of energy. She runs, does squats and push-ups and hits punching bags, all while her voice booms over a microphone.

This is Ostrowski’s double life. During the day, she’s a math teacher at Lakewood High School. But after school hours, she’s a kickboxing pro, teaching people of all ages and personalities her craft. “(It’s good) stress relief after being with teenagers all day long,” she said.

Originally, she found the sport during her sophomore year at St. Petersburg College, but she stopped in her senior year. Then when she moved back into the area, she discovered the local kickboxing gym, MA Fitness, and got back into the sport. She had only been training there for three months when they asked her if she would consider teaching.

“They literally came up to me one day after class and were like, do you want to be a coach?”

Ostrowski said.

Since then, she kickboxes with her students and by herself, every day but Wednesday and Sunday. When you picture kickboxing, you may think of mixed martial arts, which involves two athletes. Kickboxing, however is much more of an individual sport.

“We hit bags, not people,” Ostrowski says.

“We are pretty safe and aware.”

And after a full day of teaching, she says it’s just what she needs. It’s her home away from home. She’s close with the other instructors, and they have a relationship like family.

“Our gym has a really big family vibe, so we all keep each other accountable,” Ostrowski said.

She’s brought her real family to work out with

“They literally came up to me one day after class and were like, do you want to be a coach?”

Melissa Ostrowski Math teacher

her before, too, along with some of her friends.

But not everybody is in such good shape, and kickboxing is an intense sport. When talking about her family, she said “a lot of them want to throw up afterward.”

Math and physics teacher Kayla Smith also went to visit the gym. The two teachers have been fast friends ever since they met six years ago. Smith was one of the first people Ostrowski told when she decided to try kickboxing.

“I was excited for her, because she loves to work out,” Smith said.

They went on a Friday last year and partici-

pated in a workout challenge together. It was a fun way to spend time together and a good way to exercise.

Smith isn’t the only one who has seen Ostrowski’s double life. Senior Kevin Insaly has been to her gym and was surprised to learn about her other career.

“She’s so short. I could never imagine her instructing anyone to fight,” Insaly said.

But before kickboxing, Ostrowski had other athletic endeavors. In high school, she was a cheerleader, up until her junior year when she had to get a job to pay for her car.

“I’m in the best shape of my life, and I cheered competitively,” Ostrowski said.

It’s clear that she’s a person who loves to exercise, and is thoroughly dedicated to fitness, although kickboxing has really made her step up her game.

“For the first time in my life I have abs,” she said.

But sometimes it’s hard to keep up the work, and no matter how dedicated you are, everyone goes through lulls. Ostrowski said she experiences this the most during the holidays. It’s “very easy to fall off ” she says. But with such a good support system around her, it keeps her in place. Her gym “family” keeps her motivated and working out.

“They keep me there, they keep me going,” Ostrowski said.

MAYA RISH | SNN

Math teacher Melissa Ostrowski kickboxes while leading a class at MA Fitness on March 2.

AMSET teacher has baby girl Teacher Rachel Fawaz was on maternity leave until early March.

BY JADE MARKS AND OERYAN WILSON SNN Staff Writers

AMSET teacher Rachel Fawaz and her husband, Tarek Fawaz, hold their newborn daugher, Arya Anne Fawaz, on Jan.10.

SPECIAL TO SNN

Aquaculture and marine science teacher Rachel Fawaz runs a classroom teeming with little lives. Crabs and turtles and axolotl fill up the glass tanks and give the main AMSET classroom its unique look and smell. The newest addition to her life, though - which won’t be kept in a classroom tank - is named Arya Anne Fawaz, Fawaz’s new daughter.

Arya, who was born on Jan. 10, is 20 inches long and 7.7 pounds of baby. She has “lots of dark hair,” in the words of Fawaz, and a pair of blue eyes that are likely to change later on. Her name was agreed upon easily by Fawaz and her husband, Tarek Fawaz, and is pronounced like “Aria” from Game of Thrones.

“We both love the character from the show,” Fawaz said.

Fawaz will be on maternity leave for eight weeks, until the week before spring break, taking care of Arya. While she’s gone, students and members of the AMSET team are making sure the animals are taken care of. Leaving them under the supervision of a substitute is a tall order to make, so students such as junior Damayah Hall were ready to pitch in and bring the AMSET pets home. Hall made herself the temporary guardian of Nagini, AMSET’s ball python. It’s her way of helping Fawaz through the transition.

Cafeteria manager and friend to Fawaz, Kimberly Griffin, is happy for her and ready to help. The tortoise Dolores is under her care during Fawaz’s maternity leave.

“I have not spoken to (her), but (we) texted all the way up until she had her baby,” Griffin said.

Transition brings further difficulties to the classroom; students will have pre-delegated assignments to complete, and are expected to be civil toward the long-term substitute.

“Some of the classes have a tendency to be silly and I don’t want anything to happen to our expensive technology or animals or each other. I hope everyone can be on their best behavior,” Fawaz said.

Childbirth and the aftermath are not widely considered easy to adapt to. Changes at home interrupt the flow of work, and Fawaz said that by being away from school she was afraid that things “will slip into chaos and students will feel like they are missing out on their education.”

Worry and woe fall behind when it comes to Fawaz, behind her desire to take care of her new daughter.

“You never imagine being capable of loving someone so much,” Fawaz said.

Lakewood couple prepares to welcome new family member

From left, English teacher Kate Drof and her husband Steve Pope stand on the beach with their son, Milo, in front of them while he holds a sign that reads “Big Brother.”

Drof is expecting her second child on July 12. Drof won’t be back until almost the end of the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year.

Teacher Kate Drof and plant operator Steve Pope are expecting their second child.

BY JADE MARKS AND CHRISTOPHER WESSEL SNN Staff Writers

English teacher Kate Drof and plant operator Steve Pope are no strangers to parenthood. They already have one child, a son named Milo, who’s soon to find a sibling for himself, since they’re expecting their second child on July 12.

“We have no idea what we are going to name them; we are still trying to figure it out,” Drof said.

Soon, their household will have to host another small child, in addition to the three people and two dogs who already live there.

Drof is also aware that additional financial pressure will come from the soon-to-be newest member of their household, but she is confident she will make it through.

Milo doesn’t know what exactly is happening, according to Drof, but she is confident that he will be a great big brother. Whether Milo will be getting a brother or sister doesn’t matter to Drof; she said she will be “thrilled either way.”

“The gender doesn’t matter at all. I just want them to be healthy,” Drof said.

Having a child tends to take priority over the mundanities and nuances of one’s life and career. In the instance of Drof, her teaching will have to go on pause for the first 12 weeks of the 2020-2021 school year, almost the entire first semester.

“It stresses me out because of my type A personality. I want to be there because it’s the beginning of the year and first impressions are important,” Drof said Drof said her husband, Pope, despite being “terrified” at the prospect of having a second child, was looking forward to “showing them the world, as cliché as that must sound. Little things like doctor visits or car trips.”

Drof ’s students and teacher friends seem excited for her.

Senior Kyla Martin said she is happy for Drof and Pope. “(It’s) amazing. I love Milo already,” she said.

English teacher and friend to Drof Elizabeth Halstead said she was also also exited by the new.

“I ... can’t wait to meet this new little one,” she said.

SPECIAL TO SNN

Math teacher is set to retire

Laura Lake plans to play more tennis and spend more time with her family after she retires.

BY CYNTHIA LAWSON SNN Staff Writer

Math teacher Laura Lake is retiring after a 32-year teaching career - 17 of them at Lakewood High School. Lake taught all grade levels several different courses, including AP calculus, statistics and research in the Center for Advanced Technologies (CAT).

“This year is my 32nd anniversary of teaching, and it’s just time. I could probably go for three more years but... no,” she said.

Lake was born in downtown Detroit and lived in the suburbs until she was 14 and moved to Florida. She said she ended up going back to Michigan to finish high school. She had no intention of ever becoming a teacher until closer to her junior year in college after she changed her major two times.

“When I was a little girl, I thought I wanted to be an astronaut.

When I first got into college, I was a computer science major. I was thinking about an engineering major and then I got sidetracked with astronomy,” she said. “But all the time I kept taking math classes. …

A person is really lucky who gets to make a living at what they love or have a passion for, and I was lucky to have some really wonderful OTEMAN DELANCY | SNN teachers early on in mathematics.”

Math teacher Laura Lake helps freshman Owen Grospitch with his Teachers at Lakewood adore Lake and have nothing but good classwork. Lake plans to retire after this school year. “A person is things to say about her. really lucky who gets to make a living at what they love or have a Guidance counselor Cheri Ashwood has known Lake for “as long passion for,” Lake said. as I’ve worked here,” which is about seven years. She describes her as “very caring and really good with all grade levels, 9-12. She’s just a

great all-around teacher.”

Computer teacher Bob Tenza has known Lake since she started at Lakewood. They eat lunch together every day along with several other teachers.

“She’s a wonderful person and a great teacher and puts (the students’) best interest first. Even though she loves teaching, there comes a time where a person needs to focus on their family, friends, and activities,” he said.

Lake said once she retires she looks forward to playing more tennis. But she will also do some volunteer projects that she has had on the back burner for a long time.

“I was never blessed with children; I was the baby of the family, so you know everybody adored me. I have my one brother in California.

I married a man with five sisters, and between us we have 19 nieces and nephews and it is such a fun family. We have a blast. I’m looking forward to spending more time with them,” she said.

In addition, Lake is also a big reader. Outside of school, she belongs to two book clubs. They read books and meet at each other’s houses or different restaurants once a month. Sometimes, they go on trips sometimes related to the books.

CAT secretary Beverly Mitchell-Brown is not only a colleague but also a friend.

“As a person she is fun and always willing to help out,” MitchellBrown said.

March 2020 FEATURES 7

Beating the odds

Senior Sorayah Douglass is breaking the stereotype by heading to college and raising her son at the same time.

BY ROHEY BARROW SNN Staff Writer

Only 40 percent of teen mothers finish high school and fewer than two percent finish college by age 30, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures - but that won’t be 17-year-old Lakewood High School senior Sorayah Douglass, who gave birth to a son the fall of her junior year.

“She knows what her end goal is. She knows she wants to be a good example for her son, Sebastian, and she knows that going to college is the way to be better,” said Spanish teacher Linda Santiago, a supportive teacher throughout Douglass’ pregnancy.

Douglass, whose son was born on Oct. 24, 2018, currently has a weighted GPA of 3.7 and plans on going to the University of South Florida in Tampa to major in biomedical engineering after she graduates with her Center for Advanced Technologies (CAT) certificate and diploma in May. “It was hard in the beginning to maintain my GPA,” Douglass said.

Douglass discovered she was pregnant in the summer of 2018 when both her mother and grandmother had a dream about it and noticed she was gaining weight. She then took a pregnancy test and it came out positive.

“I don’t really know what my mom was going through; she didn’t show it much,” Douglass said.

Her family arranged a meeting between her mother, Sebastian’s father, Raymond Richardson, his parents and herself to give them the news. “(The father) was silent the whole time, he didn’t really do or say much. I wouldn’t say he was excited, I wouldn’t say he was not excited; I didn’t know what he felt,” she said.

Douglass dated Sebastian’s father during her freshman year and his mom really liked her.

“His mom was way too excited,” Douglass said.

“She was happy with his decision of a mother.”

She continued to attend school even after her pregnancy started to show.

“At that moment I didn’t have many friends anyway, so I didn’t want to tell anybody,” she said.

After Sebastian was born, Douglass was in the hospital for two days and took six weeks off from school after giving birth, which meant she missed all her semester exams.

“I thought it was going to be easier because I was going to be at home in my own bed, but everybody started coming over and they wanted to see him,” said Douglass, who has continued to live with her

mom.

Douglass and Richardson decided to remain separate.

“I love my son, but I wouldn’t put myself in a position where I wouldn’t be happy, and kids notice things,” she said.

Her family members visited her often, giving loads of advice and opinions on how to care for Sebastian.

“When I was at home by myself, it was a lot less stressful; I had time to actually be with him and not worry if I’m doing this right or doing that right,” she said.

Douglass went back to school for the second semester and it was a challenge for her to catch up.

Senior Justin Yearwood is a good friend of Douglass’.

“I’ve seen her work through financial struggles, stress, personal family issues and finding her balance because she has a kid she wants to take care of, but she’s still a teenager and there are things she wants to do,” he said.

Even though she had to manage school, nursing her baby and work, she finished her junior year with good grades and continues to thrive in her senior year. Douglass is also a hostess at the Don Cesar Sea Porch Rowe Bar in St. Pete beach.

“She’s got a kid and she’s got her stuff together,” Yearwood said.

Because she continued to nurse Sebastian when she returned to school, there were many times when she had to leave class to pump the milk.

“It was hard. People don’t think it’s hard, but it was,” she said.

Administration gave her a room in upper B-wing to use when she needed to pump, but there were often awkward encounters.

“There would be times when administration would walk in and be like ‘Why are you here?’ and I’d have to pull out the machine,” Douglass said.

One thing that made last year a little less stressful for her was help from teachers and school resource officers.

“The SROs made it easier because when going (to pump) during lunch I didn’t have to explain myself that much,” she said. “My teachers I had last year were really nice and understanding, too.”

Sebastian’s father is attending college in a different city, but his parents have been helping with babysitting and expenses.

SPECIAL TO SNN

Senior Sorayah Douglass, who was voted Ms. LHS by her peers, walks with her son, Sebastian, in front of the gym lobby on Jan. 31.The two were attending a Lakewood basketball game.

“I don’t really have to pay for much, but I try not to depend on them too much because he’s my kid,” she said.

Teachers and peers were impressed with Douglass’ strong work ethic. In January, her fellow seniors voted her “Ms. LHS,” a yearbook superlative that goes to the senior who is most involved in her school.

“She didn’t take her pregnancy as an excuse of not doing her work. She always stayed on top of things and even though she was out giving birth she came

back and finished the year,” Santiago said.

Other teachers, however, were surprised by her pregnancy and that she wasn’t more careful. Douglass, however, just shrugged it off. Despite the hardships, she always follows through to reach her goals, Santiago said.

“She was never a victim.”

Lots of drama in Drama Club This year’s spring musical was switched at the last minute from Grease to Legally Blonde.

BY HENRY HAIGHT SNN Staff Writer

The Lakewood Drama Club’s spring musical is right around the corner, and though the team is excitedly pushing forward, the path hasn’t been without a few snares.

Originally, the club planned on putting on a rendition of the 1971 classic Grease, even going as far as conducting auditions and assigning roles to students who performed well. Though the club was excited to move forward into rehearsals, according to drama club president and the spring musical’s director Cheryl Land, a number of issues quickly came to light.

“We really wanted Grease because it was popular, well-known, and easy to produce. But the licensing company required many extra steps for permission to perform it,” Land said, referring to the license needed to use the name and script of a production. “Whereas with other musicals you could just apply and pay a small fee, every request for Grease had to pass through the writers’ hands themselves, which would have made the process take months.”

The issue was also one of cost, Land said, explaining how the Lakewood Drama Club’s lack of funding forced them to reconsider.

“The cost was astronomical compared to what we would usually pay. I heard it cost $7,000 for another high school to get the rights. Since we have no real performing arts program, and virtually no district funding, all we have is the revenue from last year’s show,” she said. “We do not and never will have that kind of money.”

Though disheartened - Land called the pivot akin to “putting down a sick dog” - the group nevertheless continued. After an internal poll, the members of the club decided on another musical: the 2007 hit Legally Blonde, which will cost the club only $1,500.

Members of the club were more than happy to go along with the change, the energy of the cast swiftly shifting towards making this year’s spring musical the best it can be.

“I’m really excited for this play,” sophomore Emma Ash said. “The songs are catchy as heck, and my character’s really fun.”

The roles for the play have already been cast. Land and her team of club officers picked from those who auditioned for the ill-fated production of Grease. The cast is made up of some of Lakewood’s best actors, with sophomore Emma Ash portraying the main character Elle, senior Mounir Ziad as Emmett, freshman Maddie Kirsch as Paulette and senior Davon Miller as Callahan.

The student body of Lakewood has also been accepting of the change.

“I’m honestly so excited,” freshman Josie Pitzen said. “I love Legally Blonde, so this is just awesome.”

The first showing of Legally Blonde will be in the Lakewood auditorium on April 17, with a reprise the next day. Both showings will be at 6:30 p.m., with a cost of $10 per ticket.

Jazz band travels to New Orleans During the end of winter break, the Spartan jazz band traveled to New Orleans to attend a music conference.

BY ZONTERIO GREEN SNN Staff Writer

As many students were adjusting to the first week back from Christmas break, the jazz band took a five-day trip to New Orleans to start off their 2020 year. According to the website for the Jazz Education Network ( JEN), Lakewood was among 15 schools invited to the JEN Conference. The JEN conference consisted of some of the best jazz performers performing along with open clinics where schools played a set of songs practiced by the jazz band in front of jazz performers and judges. They also performed as a demo band where they were judged and critiqued on what they could improve on.

Band director Michael Kernodle said the band left on the Tuesday returning from Christmas break and they returned the following Saturday night. The band had an early jump start in plans as they were required to arrive at Lakewood at 5 a.m. to load a motorcoach they used as transportation.

After loading and having an attendance check, the band departed from Lakewood at 6 a.m. to New Orleans.

During the 10-hour bus ride to New Orleans, they spent their time bonding, recording each other doing silly things and overall enjoying their time together.

“The bus ride was insanely long but we all made the best of it,” jazz band member Adam Darbyshire said.

Kernodle said although he didn’t know how to feel about the band’s maturity at first, he thinks they handled the stress and overwhelming pressure from the performances and the time they spent practicing well.

“Some of this stuff can be a little overwhelming when you see so many people and you hear so many musicians, but I think they held it down,” Kernodle said.

During the trip the band performed three times. Ker-

YURI DE JESUS | SNN

Senior Caitlin Faykus auditions on Jan. 24 in the Lakewood auditorium for the spring musical.

To watch a video of the jazz band’s trip to New Orleans, visit www.pcsb.org/SNN and click on multimedia and videos.

nodle said their first performance they were a part of the generation jazz festival at a clinic, they also performed at Jackson square for fun and as a demo band where they were judged by educators and jazz musicians. He said he thought the band did well and he’s glad they were given pointers on what aspects of their performance they could improve on.

He also said he thinks the trip benefited the jazz band.

“It was great exposure for them to hear different levels of music and meet different musicians, some their age and some professional,” Kernodle said Jazz band member Apollo Leavy was interviewed after their demo performance about the performance and the judges’ critiques.

“We did learn some new stuff about what we should be doing and what would make us better, and (we will) just use the criticism ... to improve ourselves and play better,” Leavy said Darbyshire said he thought it was a great trip and thinks the band benefited from it in more ways than they thought.

He said New Orleans has music on every corner and being right in the middle of it was an incredible experience for him. Although he said he had a fun experience he also said missing a week of school had its impact.

“It was hard catching up after, but I was able to manage,” Darbyshire said JADE MARKS | SNN Although their trip came to an end quickly, Kernodle said they spent time they weren’t performing exploring The Lakewood jazz band gathers for a photo after their performance in New New Orleans, getting a feel of the history and eating all the Orleans.The band traveled to Louisiana in early January for the Jazz Education food there. He said in the end he learned different tech- Network conference. niques he could apply to future kids who join Lakewood’s jazz band.

8 STUDENT LIFE March 2020

Two p in a p

Makayla & Tulee

A’SHIYA YOUNGBLOOD | Alpha-Omega

Sophomores Makayla Johnson, left, and Jonyeisha “Tulee” Thomas met in the fifth grade, playing AAU basketball. Thomas said her favorite memory with Johnson is “when we went on a AAU trip and we got in the pool.”

Johnson said her favorite memory is “all the memories … because we always have fun.” Johnson describes her bestie as “pretty, funny, goofy, loud, energetic and sometimes she just be having her slow moments.” Thomas said Johnson can be “funny, goofy, aggravating and the worst attitude in the world.”

Sophomores Jordan Alcira, left, and Sebastian Brown have been friends for four ye classes and shared interests like robotics,” Brown said. Alcira can be described as so done,” Brown said. Brown can be described as “a very goofy human being and can be

Eli & Michael

ROBERT ZACHEM | SNN

Jordan & Sebast Diamond & Ashanti

Reilly & Josalynn

Sophomores Eli Algarin, standing, and Michael Damel met each other in seventh grade playing for their middle school’s volleyball team. Now they are both on the Spartan wrestling team. Algarin describes Damel as a funny guy with lots of energy. He said he enjoys “watching him get his butt kicked in wrestling.” Damel describes Algarin as a “short but strong kid who’s packin’ cake.” Damel most enjoys going airsofting with Algarin and not getting his butt kicked.

JAMMISHA SMITH | SNN

JESSICA FREEMAN | SNN

Sophomores Reilly Webb, left, and Josalynn Young are a pair of best friends who met in English class their freshmen year. They have known each other for about a year and have been best friends ever since.

Young thinks of Webb as a friendly, cool and kind person. “She’s a really friendly person and she’s always there for me when I need her, plus she’s really pretty,” said Young. Webb thinks of Young as a great person. “She’s really great. She’s always there for me and I really appreciate that,” said Webb. Their favorite memories together include working as athletic trainers at football games and basketball games and going to Physics Day.

Sophomores Diamond Brown, left, and Ashanti Davis met at a birthday party in 2014 and have been friends since. “To uplift each other we make each other laugh and I make her laugh a lot,” Davis said. Her favorite memory with Brown was their trip to Miami and they both also used to dance. “Ashanti is funny. She can get rude a bit, but not to me. She is a good friend. She’s always there, considerate and passionate,” Brown said.

March 2020 STUDENT LIFE 9

peas pod

Google defines a best friend as someone you share your closest bond with, but they’re so much more than that. We make unbreakable bonds with them and memories that can never be forgotten. SNN went around the school and asked some BFF’s what they like about each other. These are some of Lakewood’s best dynamic duos.

–By SNN Staff Writer ROHEY BARROW

Tampa & Ejack

How do you define a best friend?

School isn’t the same without that one person you call your best friend. We make unforgettable memories with them and form bonds that can never be broken.

This is what some Lakewood students consider best friend material.

Someone that’s loyal and doesn’t lie that much, like a bro or sis but not actually being related to you.”

-Rayhan Mohammad, 11th grade

Someone who is loyal and is there when I need them through hard times.”

-Alexis Parks, 10th grade

CAITLYN AGOSTINE | Alpha-Omega

ears. They met at school and became friends because “we had similar omeone who “has common sense and is determined to get the job e a little random but all around he’s a pretty nice guy,” Alcira said.

tian On the web ...

For more pictures of best friends and other stories about Lakewood students go to pcsb.org/snn and click

DEONDRICK MOULTRIE | Alpha-Omega

Seniors Marques Tampa, left, and Elijah “Ejack” Jackson have been friends since Tampa moved to Florida from Georgia when they were sophomores. Jackson caught Tampa’s eye with his shooting at one of their basketball practices. “One thing I like about Tampa is that he’s funny and cool, nice to hang around with, and me and him are inseparable,” Jackson said. They often find themselves at Tampa’s house playing 2K on his PlayStation 4. They see each other all day and have made unforgettable memories because of it. “Me and Ejack have lots of good memories, but one of my favorites is when he ally-ooped me the ball and a did a dunk and the crowd screamed,” Tampa said. Jackson’s favorite memory was going to Tampa’s hometown in Atlanta. When asked if they’ll keep in contact after school, Jackson said, “Of course, that’s my brother.”

A best friend is a person that you trust with anything, basically another sibling and you have known them for a long time and your parents have known them and you know theirs.”

-A’shiya Youngblood, 9th grade

A best friend is a friend like no other, one you can trust and someone you can remain friends with through thick and thin.”

-Earvin Ealy, 12th grade

on Latest News.

Logan & Zion XAVIER SUMNER | SNN

Juniors Logan Coriale, top, and Zion Henderson have been friends for six years. They met at Bay Point Middle School. “Zion was being funny and got on top of the teacher’s table, took his shirt off and started dancing around,” Coriale said. The best memory they have was Homecoming night 2019 when they were goofing around and having fun. Logan describes Henderson as “one of the most goofiest people I know,” while Henderson describes Coriale as “erratic.”

Someone who will cry with me when I’m sad and laughs when I laugh.”

-Siyuan Yin, 9th grade

A best friend is someone you can call on if you’re sad and someone that can help you mentally and physically.”

-Ashanti Davis, 10th grade

A friend is someone who’s got your back and won’t switch up.”

-Jonnie Whelan, 9th grade

10 OPINION March 2020

Mental health needs to be taken seriously M

Mental health affects everyone and is a serious issue. We can’t ignore this problem.

ost people, when asked the seemingly simple question “How are you?” don’t even think before they respond with “I’m good, you?” But if they really thought about it, how many would honestly be able to respond by saying they are actually doing well?

Our emotional and mental health is an ever-growing topic of discussion. This is partly because so many studies have been done tying it to many of the problems going on in the world today. But it is also because research proves it affects more of our population than many of us would care to admit, especially teens.

Because of this rising issue among teens, the state of Florida has decided school districts need to give a total of five hours a year of instruction on mental health awareness.* This is a great first step in the right direction. However, even though it may seem simple enough, it has fallen through in its execution due to the ever-ingrained stigma surrounding mental health, as well as the simple fact people aren’t taking it seriously.

SNN surveyed 84 Lakewood students, asking if any of them had been taught these mental health lessons. Nearly half, 46%, of these students reported they had not been taught any. Out of the 54% of students who reported being taught these lessons, not a single one said they had been taught all four, which they should have gotten at that point.

For the longest time, we have created a culture of shaming those who struggle with mental health, but why? Mental health affects everyone. Whether or not

we struggle with it ourselves, the likelihood we know someone who does is pretty much guaranteed. So, this means, even if we don’t realize it, we could be hurting those closest to us. We could possibly be doing this by simply failing to acknowledge the existence of the problem and remaining ignorant in dealing with this issue.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, also known as the CDC, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 24. And this number is just increasing, even though it doesn’t have to. The first step to helping end this epidemic is raising awareness of the issue and allowing those who need to, to talk about what is going on.

Both teachers and students need to be taking this issue more seriously, that means not skipping over a mental health lesson even if you feel it may be a waste of your time. Learning about mental health can not only benefit those struggling with mental disorders but can also help us all with regulating our day-to-day emotions.

And this doesn’t have to be just something we learn about in school. Farther educating yourself can help save someone’s life.

So, if you’re still wondering what it is that you can do to help, the answer is simple: let others know it is okay to ask for help. This doesn’t make you weak, in fact it’s the opposite, it shows strength.

These lessons are important and can only truly make a difference if we treat them as such. Remember, what may seem like a waste of time for some people could save the lives of others.

Letters to the Editor

Fix the water fountains Dear Editor, I don’t like the water fountain system. I don’t know what the problem is, but some of them are hot, and some of them just don’t work. The only ones I know that work and are cold are in A-wing downstairs or B-wing on the male side upstairs. I don’t want to go all the way downstairs just to get some water. I hope this problem will get fixed.

- Jamarion Ellis, 9th grade

Shout out to our staff Dear Editor, I would like to compliment the teachers and staff for being great and trying their absolute best to teach us students and help us. The teachers at Lakewood High School not only respect us, but also respect our privacy and opinions, which is a good factor of having good respectful students in a classroom. But all in all, majority of the adults at LHS are great role models.

-Godfrey Torres III, 9th grade

Tablets for all students Lunch should be longer Dear Editor, Most kids go to second block anxiously waiting for lunch. Then once we get to lunch it’s over in a second. Lunch time should be longer, and class can still be an hour, just not an hour 45. We don’t even need a whole hour for lunch but 30 minutes. Class can still have enough time to get work down and we can at least still get some more time to chill out at lunch, and I’m sure students will complain that it’s still not enough time but at least there will have been a change.

- Inage Coates, 9th grade

Upgrade vending machines Dear Editor, Our vending machines need to be updated ASAP. I think we should have better snacks in them. Also, it should be less pricey. One dollar and fifty cents for a small snack is crazy! Let’s eat well, Lakewood.

- Tarrielle Hilliard, 9th grade

Dear Editor, Some teacher’s give online homework assignments that would be hard for students who don’t have access to a computer at home. But all students in the CAT program have access to a tablet if they choose to. Those tablets also have apps like Microsoft Word, Office 365 and PowerPoint, which are essential for getting most online assignments done. Many of the students in the CAT program finish their online work faster than traditional students, because they have access to do it wherever, whenever. It is true that some students may not be responsible enough to take care of a tablet, but if you look around there are a lot of CAT students who shouldn’t own one of those either. Tablets should at least be offered to everyone in the school. The classes a student has could determine if they get one or not. If the classes you take do not demand that you have a tablet, then there is no need for you to have one, and it could also be based on the number of referrals and absences a student has. Giving all students the choice to receive a tablet would not only give every student an advantage to learn and get all their work done at a faster pace, it gives everyone an equal opportunity and will have a higher chance of success in school.

- Irvin Lawrence, 12th grade

Share your opinion Letters to the editor should be sent to caitlinrf46@gmail.com. They should concern opinion on a featured editorial, column or news story.

They must be signed, accurate and at most 150 words. Letters may be edited for taste, length and grammar.

Editor-in-Chief: Angel Laclaustra Managing Editor: Julianna Raymond News Editor: Maya Rish Photo Editor: Essex Potts Opinion Editor: Caitlin Faykus Entertainment Editor: Henry Haight Feature Editor: Rohey Barrow Web Editor: Jade Marks Multimedia Editor: Emma Collins Equipment Manager: Jada Sanders Advisors: Kathleen O. Tobin and Jade P. Shiver Code of Ethics

ILLUSTRATION BY BENJAMIN TUNNELL

Dress code is not that bad Dear Editor, Everyone at Lakewood High School is always complaining about how they don’t like our school’s dress code, and they wish they could wear more trendy clothes. Honestly, I think the dress code is good. First, the dress code is easy to have because the colors are so simple. Also, the clothes are affordable, and you don’t have to put much thought into it. You can get your clothes from Walmart, Target or The Children’s Place. Also, say I woke up late for school, all I will have to do is throw on a shirt, some jeans and shoes to match, plain and simple. People always say, “I wish we were like other high schools and could wear anything we want.”

One of the reasons we can’t wear regular clothes is because students were wearing inappropriate things like short dresses and skirts, tank tops and crop tops. Even if they give us another chance to wear regular clothes, students probably won’t be able to handle it and will mess up again. So, therefore, it is not the school’s fault. It is the students’ fault for not following the rules, and they’re the reason we aren’t allowed to wear regular clothes now. I just want students to stop complaining all the time. It’s not that bad. If you really don’t like the schools dress code, then go to a different school. For the rest of us, let’s show other high schools how to rock this dress code.

-Ki’mya Robinson, 9th grade

Staff

As journalists for the Spartan News Network, we work together as a community with respect, professionalism, accuracy and curiosity. We collect information and dig deep to get to the bottom of the most current events to produce and distribute hard-hitting and honest news to the Lakewood community in a timely manner. SNN is an open forum that strives to accurately report a balanced and truthful depiction of the news while remaining objective. Our main goal at SNN is to build and maintain trust with the people, to give a voice to the voiceless and to succeed at not just painting the picture, but telling the story behind the art.

Corrections Policy

We need more clubs Dear Editor, Lakewood is a great school and all but when it comes upon the middle of the school year it gets kinda boring. Honestly, I think I would prefer more activities and events because pep rallies are cool, and I love football games, but I want this school to have more events and fun activities. This will make this school more fun and may even cause recommendations to come to Lakewood. The only thing that Lakewood is good at is basketball and football and that needs to change. Let’s make more clubs to make more people interested.

-Jaden Tyrell, 9th grade

Cheerleading is a sport Dear Editor, Lakewood High School’s cheer team receives no money from the school to help pay for their uniforms. Everything they have comes out of their coachs’ and parents’ pocket. While sports teams do receive money, assistant principal Laura Mudd said cheerleading does not, because it is not considered a sport. I disagree. I think cheer team should receive money from our school because cheerleading is a sport just like any other. The cheerleaders work extremely hard and deserve better uniforms.

Cheerleaders practice hard several days a week just like any sport. They must cheer on the football and basketball teams every game, even through overtime. Also, they constantly work out and must stay in shape to do the different physical activities.

Cheerleaders work extremely too hard to be having plain uniforms. They should look their best while they are doing their job.

-Aniyah Price, 9th grade

Homework does not help Dear Editor, Homework is supposed to be a way of practicing the lessons learned at school to better the students’ understanding of the lesson learned, but instead homework is the cause of stress and the reason teens now are so distant from the world. Homework has affected my life in unexplainable ways and has caused me so many step backs with following my dreams. It’s like teachers have abused the power of giving homework and only give it out so they can say they are helping students. Homework affects our social life and even affects the way we act toward others. How are we supposed to chase after our careers? How are we supposed to have good communication skills if we are locked up doing homework all day? Homework takes opportunities away and, for what? Just to get it looked at by a teacher and get a grade. Half my teachers don’t even check the work to see if it is correct! Maybe we would understand if it was really for practice instead of just some busy work. I have gotten so much homework that keeps me up past midnight and it causes me to have a variety of emotions such as sadness and anger. I have cried in my mother’s arms due to all the homework that is piled up at my desk. I have also yelled and took out all the rage on my own brother who was just concerned about me since I was up all night. Is this what we want for the students - not just at Lakewood but anywhere in any school? It is true that homework can really be good practice and help us to get a better understanding of the lessons learned in the class room. However, teachers don’t know how to give the right amount of homework, which means that the so called “benefits” do not actually benefit the students and instead cause many disadvantages for students.

- Destini Gonzalez, 9th grade

Concerns about errors in SNN may be submitted to the advisor at tobink@ pcsb.org. The editorial board retains the right to determine whether, in fact, an error has been made. If an error has been made, it will be corrected in the most timely manner possible.

Advertising Policy

SNN will not accept ads that are libelous; promote academic dishonesty; violate federal, state or local laws; or encourage discrimination against any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, age, color, creed, religion, national origin or disability. We reserve the right to edit or reject any ad copy, photos, graphics or entire ads. SNN encourages responsibility and good taste in advertising. For information about advertising, please contact the SNN staff at tobink@pcsb.org.

SNN is produced by the students of Lakewood High School.

1400 54th Ave. S St. Petersburg, FL (727) 893-2916, ext. 2163 SNN is printed

by Lakewood’s business partner, the Tampa Bay Times.

For more news, go to the SNN website:

pcsb.org/snn

Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver Crown Winner 2019, 2018, 2015 & 2013 Gold Medal rating 2018

Pacemaker Winner 2015

March 2020 OPINION

11

High school students need nap time Teenagers can benefit greatly from nap times being instituted at school.

BY NATE SOSA SNN Staff Writer

E

very year, high schoolers have been getting up before the sun hits the horizon to make it to the bus stop and be on time for school. This early start hinders their whole day, making them sluggish and tired all day. If high schoolers were able to get just 45 minutes in their day to rest and sleep, this could boost their mood, allow them

to focus more, and improve their work ethic. This is why high schoolers should have naptime back in their school day.

“Nap time is a very important thing for everyone’s health. … even for teenagers. … I really need nap time back,” sophomore Jada Sanders said.

According to the Stanford University website, 87% of high schoolers suffer from sleep deprivation and can’t get the recommended 10 hours of sleep per night. This number is constantly increasing. If schools want any chance of getting good test scores and keeping their students focused, they need to consider bringing back some sort of rest time for the students. According to the CRC Health website, this lack of sleep for high schoolers can also lead to depression and suicidal thoughts. I think it’s safe to say

teachers want to see their students sleep and not pass away.

Now some might say that nap time is just a poor excuse for high schoolers to not do work. But if students are struggling to get the healthy 10 hours of sleep, then this could be a crucial time for those students. Also, in the struggle to help students with depression and anxiety, this extra nap could solve this problem for many students because it gives them a jolt of energy and boost for the rest of the day.

So, in the end, we need to help the high school kids who struggle to get the sleep they need by giving them a time where they can sleep. Forty-five minutes a day could change a student’s life for the better.

Let’s give high school students – our future - the right things they need to succeed, starting with nap time.

ILLUSTRATION BY MAX MARTIN | SNN

When to draw the line Companies often have a different set of moral beliefs than their customers, so SNN asked students what they would do if a company they support believes in something they do not.

If it violates human rights, yes, I believe in equality, and if I found out a company I like infringed on those rights I would stop buying from them.”

-Misael Baez, 12th grade

I would condemn them but I would not out right stop buying their products because if I like what they’re making and I want it, I would still buy it.”

-Brian Lach, 12th grade

I would probably buy less (of the product), but it also depends on the product and the company and what they are doing.”

-Sierra Haas, 12th grade

I still bought the product, because at the end of the day, I mean, I have to buy something.”

-Zeden Tafari, 11th grade

If it’s a special place I enjoy, I would feel offended if they were supporting innapropriate things, and I would stop eating there.”

-Jaylen Wooden, 9th grade

It all depends on what happened, the situation, and did they fix it, yes or no.”

-Travis Brooks, 11th grade

It’s important to stand up to companies that support something you view to be wrong, even if you like their product.

BY CAITLIN FAYKUS SNN Staff Writer

Everyone has something they believe in - whether it be their faith or their own principles in which they conduct their everyday lives. Many of our everyday decisions, both conscious and unconscious, are influenced by these beliefs. It is nearly impossible to remain unbiased in our actions.

But where should we draw the line when it comes to supporting or not supporting a person or a company with beliefs different from us?

I believe we should always be kind to one another despite what our differences may be. So, it would be a no-brainer for me when it comes to standing up to someone who may be discriminating against someone else. But it becomes a lot harder to stand up against someone when their discrimination is hidden behind a logo or a company.

For example, according to thinkprogress.org, Chickfil-a has long-standing anti-homosexual beliefs and has donated millions of dollars to anti-homosexual organizations.

Being gay myself, I highly disagree with what they support. So why would I want to give my money and support to a company that gives its money and support to something that discriminates against me and my beliefs or lifestyle?

Yet ... I love their chicken sandwiches, their fries and their

“It becomes a lot harder to stand up against someone when their discrimination is hidden behind a logo or company.” shakes. Most people I see who work there look happy, and I have friends who do work there.

But is that enough for me to continue to eat there? I don’t want to withdraw my support

from my friends, but I also think it would be morally wrong for me to still support the company.

With lots of consideration I decided that no, the things I like about Chick-fil-a do not outweigh all the negative things the company has done in the past and likely will do in the future.

Even though I know the likelihood that my singular withdrawal of support would actually change anything is slim to none, I think it is still important for me to stand up for what I believe to be right. I do not want to support people who would use my support to discriminate against others.

Everyone has beliefs of what is right and what is wrong, and it is important for us to stand by our beliefs. If a company is going to use the money that we give them to support something we disagree with morally, the solution seems simple: Don’t give them your money.

And despite other factors that may make it a lot harder to come to this conclusion, the fact of the matter still remains you are supporting something you don’t agree with, something you believe to be wrong. So don’t.

Chronic absenteeism can derail your future Constantly being absent does nothing but set you back in school and in life.

BY ARVINDRA PERSAUD SNN Staff Writer

Tests, work and teachers that you just don’t like. With these components, it’s understandable that students don’t want to come to school, but they need to.

“Chronic absences keep kids from getting the consistent instruction they need to build on basic skills,” said author Kate Kelley in her article on chronic absenteeism on Understood.org.

We, as young adults of the future, need to learn as much as possible before walking out those doors to true adulthood - but staying absent will get in the way of that.

If children are constantly absent at an early age, it can cause them to read and write poorly, which in turn can make them get held back. Basically, kids as young as 7 start

life off with a damaged record, something that can restrict them from certain jobs that they dream of. According to the U.S Board of Education, 21.1% of high school students were absent during the 2015-2016 school year across the nation. That’s nearly 3,000,000 students. Just imagine if that keeps climbing. Remember we need to make a path to the future and the key to that is our youth, but without nurtured youth, there will be no future.

People say it’s okay to miss a couple of days of school, but what happens when a “couple of days” turn into weeks or months? You miss whole units, topics, chapters and experiences that can be so useful for the real world, especially in high school. Being absent puts a toll on if you can get

your high school diploma, and you need that for most jobs.

Without it, you’d pretty much be out on the street.

As said before, it’s understandable why kids don’t want to go to school, but what wasn’t said was that some kids don’t come to school because they are getting bullied. But if that’s a problem, talk to an adult that you can be open with. Try the guidance counselor, do whatever it takes for you to be able to be comfortable at school.

Just do the right thing and come to school; it’s for your own good. It will allow you to solve problems that may concern you in life - and might even allow you to make some nice memories.

Mistakes with shooter drills

Teachers need higher pay

Active shooter drills are not the answer. Mental health awareness is.

Raising teachers’ pay not only benefits the teachers, it can also help the students they teach.

BY KYLER BUENDIA SNN Staff Writer

In 2019, there were 434 mass shootings in the United States. In these shootings, 1,643 people were injured and 517 people died. Active shooter drills were implemented in 2013 and helped stifle shootings for a year while the number went down in 2014, but it went up again in 2015. These numbers show that active shooters drills aren’t helpful for students and may even make things worse.

Elementary school students are part of the demographic who must endure active shooter drills, and mentally to them it is quite dreadful.

Younger students fear that people will come and shoot them at school.

Fifth-grader Dezmond Floyd was featured in an NPR StoryCorps. In it, he tells his mom that he has to think about saving his friends from a shooter rather than himself.

“My life matters, but it’s kind of like there’s one person that can come home to a family - or 22,” Floyd says.

Active shooter drills have been in place for years, and, currently, mass shootings are becoming more frequent. They clearly are not helping as much as schools and workplaces think. Most high schoolers don’t even take the drills seriously by now because of how many times they’ve done these drills. I find them mundane, and no one will be prepared for when a shooting actually happens.

Yes, active shooter drills do give

students a frame of reference anticipating this, but the shooters are most of the time students themselves. So, they would know how the drill goes and where people would be due to their own experience.

I think if active shooter drills are to stay, school staff should take into consideration the mental effects of the drills, and how to calm such negative reactions from students. Teachers and students also need to report violent or strange behavior. This was evident in the Virginia Tech Shooting on April 16, 2007. The shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, showed many signs before taking the lives of 32 people and injuring 23. This could have been prevented if students had pointed out his suspicious conduct.

Active shooter drills are not the most effective means to prevent school shootings. Rather we should focus on making mental health a bigger deal and not a joke.

BY INAGE COATES SNN Staff Writer

There are an estimated 7.53-billion people in the world and each and every one of them is different. Among those people are the teachers who prepare us for the world of independence, but some of those teachers are barely getting by. I believe that teachers should be paid more.

Often teachers are not given everything they need to help

students, and they must buy it themselves. For example, if a teacher needs the students to do something for homework but doesn’t have enough copies to print, they have to buy it themselves and this is an issue because for the teacher this is a job where they should be earning money not spending it. Also, a higher salary might give teachers better attitudes and attract better qualified teachers, which gives students a better learning environment.

Others might say that teachers are fine how they are because they have summers and breaks off, but raising their salary will benefit them in many ways. If teachers are paid more, better qualified people may apply for

the position. A raised salary might catch more people’s attention.

“As more teachers across the country are actually making $100,00, evidence is rolling in…

Paying teachers more improves teacher quality.” (Michigan State University). This shows us that the teachers who have already gotten their salaries raised have had a better impact than previously.

Raising teachers’ salaries doesn’t have to happen all at once. It can be done a little at a time and state by state. But it needs to start now. Everything is becoming more expensive so that means people need to earn more.

Teachers deserve to have a little more in their pockets, and students deserve to have a little more in their brains.

12 TRENDS March 2020

Feats of fashion A freshman has found a way to jazz up the dress code with unique footwear.

F

reshman Demarria Raiford has about 20 different pairs of hightop socks, and she is known for wearing a new pair every day.

“I want to have a crazy collection, crazy colors, crazy patterns, you name it,” she said.

Raiford said her mother came up with the idea so she could do something different.

Some of the standout socks in her collection include a pair that looks like Stitch from the movie Lilo & Stitch, complete with hanging ears; a blue pair with a white and pink rabbit in the middle; and a pair of Lakewood socks that are gold, black and white with a Spartan logo.

She says her socks bring a lively trend to school since the school has a modified

dress code that restricts students’ fashion choices. Raiford doesn’t just wear the socks with any shirt. Most of the time the shirt matches the socks.

Freshman Katelyn Barnes, Raiford’s friend since kindergarten, says she’s always worn socks like that, and Barnes thinks they’re cool.

“She’s always been bubbly and outgoing and the socks express that,” she said.

Raiford gets her socks from all types of places but mostly the Pink store connected to Victoria’s Secret.

“I try to spice it up,” Raiford said.

-Words and Photos

by SNN Staff Writers MAKAYLA JOHNSON & JADA SANDERS

Addicted to concerts A junior at Lakewood is an avid concertgoer who has been to over 24 concerts in the past three years.

BY MAYA RISH SNN Staff Writer

Vanessa Natal stands in the hallway at Lakewood, wearing a black hoodie with the words “Falling in Reverse,” the name of a band from Las Vegas, inscribed in red and yellow.

Natal, an avid concertgoer, has been to more than 24 concerts just in the past three years. Though she doesn’t get to go as often as she’d like, she still has an impressive list under her belt, and has been all over Florida to chase the music.

“The main reason I go to these concerts is because there’s … this adrenaline rush to be in a place where all these people are here for the same reason, there’s no judgment,” Natal said.

Natal’s love for music developed years before she started attending concerts. She was in second grade when she got her first cell phone. On it her dad, John Natal, had downloaded some of his favorite music.

From there it took off, and her love for rock, pop punk and alternative was shaped into what it is today.

Vanessa’s father has been a huge influence in her music taste and helped foster her love for concerts.

He has been going to concerts since he was 16, and said he has seen about 300-400 concerts.

“I’m kind of an old-school metal head,” her father said.

When Vanessa was younger, her dad would buy her CDs from her favorite artists, and now that she is older they listen to each other’s music.

“We’d play a little bit of my music, little bit of her music,” John Natal said.

When she was younger, Vanessa’s taste in music differed. At 11 she attended her first concert: Justin Bieber. Now, she says this singular night might have

SPECIAL TO SNN

Junior Vanessa Natal, center, poses for a photo with the members of All Time Low at a concert on Sept. 28, 2018.

been the worst show she’s ever been to.

“I’ve just grown out of his phase, and I think back on it and, you know, he wasn’t really the best,” said Natal. “Not that he’s not a great singer, but he sounds better with autotune.”

Now her favorite band is All Time Low. She’s been to six of their concerts, and in one night while at a show, spent $400 collectively on their merchandise.

She’s hard core and loves both the way live music makes her feel, and the experiences it brings. Some of her other favorite bands include Shinedown, Twenty-One Pilots, Set It Off and Bring Me the Horizon.

Some of these bands she’s seen live, with four more upcoming shows to add to her list.

All this entertainment starts to get expensive somewhere. In total, Vanessa and her father estimate a collective $1,500-$2,000 spent on concert tickets alone. That does not include the amount spent on merchandise or gas money. Before, she says, her dad would fund her hobby. But now that she’s older and has a job, it’s her responsibility to fund her passion.

Unless the tickets are pricey, the show is unique, or it’s a gift, then she is responsible for paying.

For example, My Chemical Romance, now on reunion tour is playing in the Miami area on Sept. 26.

Because the band is no longer making music, the tour is the source of much excitement for all fans, including Vanessa. Because this show is so unique, and her birthday is right around the corner, Vanessa’s father is paying for her ticket as a birthday gift.

“I found out they were touring and was like, dad give me your card information now,” she said.

The money spending goes both ways. Vanessa spent $130 on tickets for her dad and his friend to go to see the band Sepultura for his birthday. He said he was excited about the show, although not surprised.

It’s clear, the two share this passion for making cherished memories at concerts.

“I think it’s a good outlet (for) teenagers as a whole, there’s so much going on,” John Natal said.

Vanessa agreed.

“Everyone is just hyper and energetic and just VANESSA NATAL | Alpha-Omega ready all the time,” she said. “There’s been times when Alex Gaskarth, the lead singer of All Time Low, I’ve been jumping so much or I can’t catch my breath performs on Sept. 28, 2018. Natal had a meet because I’ve been screaming so much, you know, just and greet with the band at Jannus Live. enjoying the concert.”

Describe your best concert experience ...

I went to a Lil Uzi concert.

It was really fun. Everyone was yelling the words and we were able to walk up and touch him."

- Cole Sauvageot, 10th grade

My best concert experience is when I went to see Machine Gun Kelly with my boyfriend back in October."

-Josephine Richards, 11th grade

Make your memories last forever!

Buy your $80 Alpha-Omega

yearbook today!

Bring cash, check or money order to C100 or order on Balfour.com!

PHOTOGRAPHS AND QUOTES

BY THANE SUNTER | SNN Staff Writer

Rage Against The Machine …. Right when I’m in the mosh pit a couple of people fall down and I pick a kid up and the kid gets up and he goes ‘No. Way! Mr. Ganchou!” and I went, ‘Crap I am officially too old to be in the mosh pit at this point.'"

- Jayce Ganchou, art teacher

I saw Rag'n'Bone Man. I was in the front row with some friends and we had a good time."

-Derrick Young, 11th grade

On the web: The Mop Viral dances flood social media month after month. The Mop is one of those dances.

SNN takes a look at this new dance sensation created by music artist TisaKorean in an online tutorial created by staff writer Mario Heatly.

Seniors Edris Guitard and Jared Rouson walk you through the dance. To see the tutorial, go to pcsb.org/snn and click on videos.

From left, seniors Edris Guitard and Jared Rouson do The Mop in the Lakewood courtyard.

March 2020 ENTERTAINMENT

13

Star Wars Episode IX ... love it or hate it

Episode IX failed to rise to the occasion.

The movie is a force to be reckoned with.

BY MAYA RISH SNN Staff Writer

BY EMMA COLLINS SNN Staff Writer

T

A

here has been a lot of talk about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Most people I’ve talked to decided it was underwhelming and were dissatisfied by the ending. But I have an unpopular opinion. I didn’t hate the movie. I think there were a lot of high expectations for the end of the saga, but sometimes that’s what you get with expectations, disappointment.

Star Wars is a huge franchise, so there are thousands of people to satisfy. Rise of Skywalker had a lot to wrap up. It was about more than the last two movies. It was an ending of an entire series - a lifetime of movies and storytelling. Not only did they need to include the storyline of the last few movies, but also incorporate the other eight movies that came before it. It had to make the old Star Wars fans feel nostalgic, but also give the newer fans something to hold onto.

I’ll admit, the movie had some flaws. There was too much effort to tie up those loose ends, resulting in a longer than needed movie, with a lot of jumping around. But it had a lot on its to-do list, and pleasing such a large fandom isn’t possible with something like this. Because of the mass of characters and storylines, giving every character a full arc took too much time within two hours.

But we got what we wanted, a satisfying conclusion to the culmination of Star Wars movies. And in the end, it’s entertainment – a role that the movie definitely stepped into, and one of the things director JJ Abrams is known for. The movie included sentimental characters like General Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), a smuggler friend of Han Solo who helped in the fight against the empire and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), as she commanded the rebel armies to the finish.

When Poe’s message went out asking for assistance and Lando arrived with a fleet of ships, it felt like when the resistance destroyed the Death Star in A New Hope. The final battle incorporated all the right things. I won’t give it away, but it was a crowd pleaser, or that’s what it was intended to be.

Not everyone can love a movie, but it was a movie meant to please.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalk premiered on Dec. 20, 2019. The main cast included Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn ( John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), and Kylo Ren/ Ben Solo (Adam Driver).

The Rotten Tomatoes rating is currently at a Tomatometer of 53%, and an audience score of 86%. The IMDB rating is at 6.9/10, and the Metacrirtic score is at 54 with mostly mixed and positive reviews.

JADA SANDERS | SNN

A great war movie

This review doesn’t matter Why are you even reading this? It doesn’t matter.

A critical and commercial success, 1917 is a movie unlike any other.

BY ANGEL LACLAUSTRA SNN Staff Writer

When Nothing by Janne Teller came out, I was in elementary school in Mexico. It was an award-winning book (including an ALA Printz Honor) and had received a lot of positive reviews. But it wasn’t until I found out that it caused controversy in Denmark and was banned for a time that it caught my interest, and I decided to read it. I was 10 years old.

Since then Nothing has been a part of my library, and almost every year during the holidays I re-read it.

Yes, it is that good.

The book is set in a small town in Denmark that remains unknown and it starts on the first day of school when 13-year-old Pierre Anthon stands up in the middle of class and claims that nothing matters.

He then leaves school to sit in a plum tree. He sits in that tree for almost all the book.

His classmates, distraught that Pierre ever got to the conclusion that nothing in life matters, try to make him come down from the tree and reconsider his life views. But not even throwing rocks at him makes Pierre change his mind. The children become determined to prove to him that life has a meaning, and to do so they decide to give up things of importance and put them in a pile - the pile of matter, they call it.

The pile, which is in an abandoned garage, starts with superficial stuff, a pair of shoes or someone’s new bike. However, with time the kids get increasingly more desperate and start asking for more horrendous stuff from each other. A finger goes missing, people get hurt and, eventually, after months, someone tattles to her parents. The media goes insane, and eventually a museum tries to buy the pile.

The kids suffer no real consequences for their actions, even though someone lost his thumb, and so they decide to show Pierre the pile. Can you guess what happens next? Yes, Pierre decides that the pile also does not matter. They sold it too easily, he said. It

s a Star Wars fan, I think Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was a very unsatisfying movie. The character development was sloppy and not as good as the other Stars Wars movies. I think the director, JJ Abrams, was trying too hard to meet fans’ expectations and forgot to tell a good story.

The movie centers on Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Finn ( John Boyega) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Throughout the movie, Rey and the resistance must figure out the location of Palpatine and how to defeat him, while Kylo is trying to get Rey to turn to the dark side and kill Palpatine and rule the galaxy together.

As I was watching the movie, I felt like the pace was too fast, and didn’t let anything sink in. Abrams and writer Chris Terrio didn’t bother with storytelling or character development. For example, when the character Jannah (Naomi Ackie) is first introduced with her gang of ex-stormtroopers, it is never fully explained why they defected from the First Order.

Not only was there not a good storyline to begin with, there were too many plot holes. For example, it was confusing when they brought Palpatine back from the dead and didn’t explain how Rey was his granddaughter.

It was ridiculous to bring back someone who died in Return of the Jedi and then make them a villain without explaining.

I also didn’t quite understand Kylo’s and Rey’s relationship. In the first two movies they are mortal enemies trying to kill each other and then, in The Rise of Skywalker, they’re saving and kissing each other. It doesn’t make any sense to me.

I didn’t understand why she had to bury Luke’s and Leia’s lightsaber only to have a completely different one appear. Why bury the lightsabers that were special to someone you loved instead of using it in honor of them? It would have been a better ending if she used one of theirs because she considers herself a Skywalker so why not use one of the Skywalkers’ lightsabers?

Although the movie doesn’t have the greatest storyline or character development, there were some good moments. Lando, a character who first appears in The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, comes back and brings people from around the galaxy to help Poe Dameron and the resistance. Another good moment in the movie is when Rey, Poe and Finn are reunited near the end.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiered on Dec. 20, 2019. The Rotten Tomatoes rating is 53% with an audience score of 86%.

I wouldn’t say Stars Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was a complete fail. I think fans - myself included - were disappointed that they didn’t see the magic in the storytelling that was presented in the other Star Wars movies. I give this movie a solid 5 out of 10.

BY JALEN LAKE SNN Staff Writer

ATHENEUM BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS

has lost meaning.

The children go insane, there’s a fire and someone dies – but I won’t tell you who.

It’s a short read, and I agree when some say that the book is rather bleak. But, I’m rather fond of existential nihilism. I enjoy the thought of nothing really mattering. Also, this book has more deeply cemented my fear of seventh graders. It is a short read and so good that I give it a 10/10.

Best known for his directorial debut American Beauty, director Sam Mendes shows with his newest film 1917 that he knows how to use his tools to his advantage.

Along with cinematographer Roger Deakins, Mendes creates a film that is as suspenseful as it is original. Though some directors have played with the idea of cutting their films to look like one continuous shot before, none have done it on this scale: a budget of $90 million, full of explosions, gunfire and warfare.

Based in part on a story told by Mendes’ grandfather Alfred Mendes, 1917 centers on young soldiers Lance Cpl. Schofield (George McKay) and Lance Cpl. Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) on their way to deliver a message that may save the lives of 1,600 men, including Blake’s own brother.

What follows next is two hours of extreme suspense as viewers trail the two young soldiers on their mission, watching them narrowly dodge certain death time and time again.

No amount of praise can accurately describe the work and inventiveness that went into crafting a film of this magnitude, though three Oscar wins can certainly go a long way toward giving the film the recognition it deserves. The film won best cinematography, best visual effects and best sound mixing.

With an especially amazing performance by McKay, noted by many critics and audiences alike, and an all-around remarkable performance from all its lead actors, the film certainly cements its place in the 2020 Academy Awards.

And of course, praise is deserved as far as the score. Composed by Thomas Newman, the music plays a crucial role in developing the story of this film. In what is possibly the most powerful scene

in the film, it’s only fitting that it is accompanied by an interlude of song. Emerging from a river following the insanity of war, we see a young man sing The Wayfaring Stranger. It’s an interlude that brings the characters and audiences together, jointly experiencing the calm before the storm that lies at the heart of conflict.

After winning Best Picture at the 2020 Golden Globes and three awards at the 2020 Oscars, this film should definitely be on your watch list for this year. This in turn makes Mendes a director to watch for 2020 and beyond, showing his creativity and genius better than ever before.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Editor’s Choice - Halo: Combat Evolved A genre defining game, Halo: Combat Evolved, is still a must-play nearly two decades later.

BY HENRY HAIGHT SNN Staff Writer

The year is 2001, and the PlayStation dominates the gaming scene. With games like Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil 2 dominating popular culture and even more exciting games coming for the recently released PlaySation 2, it looked like the PlayStation’s creator Sony was the king of gaming. Microsoft, a latecomer to the gaming scene, needed a killer app that would draw people to their Xbox.

They needed Halo.

Developed by Bungie Studios and published by Microsoft on Nov. 15, 2001, Halo: Combat Evolved (or Halo: CE) brought the ever-popular first-person shooter genre from the 2D days of Doom to the modern era, and more importantly, brought it online. The original Xbox was one of the first consoles to have simplistic online gaming in the form of the now famous service Xbox Live, only requiring the customer provide a monthly payment and an internet connect. Xbox Live brought the new console into the limelight, but without a good game to back up the service, the console would be dead in the water.

It’s a good thing, then, that Bungie didn’t disappoint.

Following the mysterious Master Chief, the campaign mode of Halo: CE takes you through action-packed battlefields in the Science Fiction setting of the 26th century.

Earth’s domination of space being questioned by the seemingly endless soldiers of the Covenant, and the super soldier Master Chief must help the UNSC (United Nations Space

“With the game easier than ever to play, you can experience one of the most influential first-person shooters of all time, like millions of others have.”

Command) protect Earth and her colonies from the alien threat. With ten sprawling and difficult levels, the campaign mode will test your critical thinking and reflexes with the powerful and varied forces of the Covenant always outnumbering you, forcing you to use the environment to your advantage. With a satisfying conclusion along with strong setup for the sequel, Halo: CE is at its best when you’re immersed in the action and the story.

Stronger still is it’s multiplayer. While a campaign mode with toggleable difficulties for added replay value is good, the game really needed something to bring players back again and again, and the multiplayer mode delivered in spades. With the option for local split-screen play, or online multiplayer via the Xbox Live service (or, on the PC release, with an internet connection). Game modes range from the ever-popular King of the Hill, the progenitor of the modern Battle Royal

style of game where players battle over dominance of a control point, to the lesser played Race, where teams or solo players compete to be the first to reach all the checkpoints on a map, the game has something for just about anyone.

Though originally available for Xbox and PC, the game has since been rereleased as Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary for the Xbox 360, which released in 2011 on the game’s tenth anniversary and gave the game upgraded graphics and a more powerful engine. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary was also later included as a part of the 2014 game Halo: The Master Chief Collection, a collection and remake of all games in the Halo series up to Halo 4, though with a retooled online system. The Master Chief Collection is available for the Xbox One, and was released for the PC in late 2019. Both versions of the game can be bought for only $39.99, a steal considering the amount of games available in the collection.

Halo: Combat Evolved is one of the most important games ever made, being the sole reason the Xbox was considered viable as a console. Without the game and Bungie’s efforts, it’s likely that Microsoft would not have continued their business in the gaming industry and pushed the limits of hardware with their later consoles. And now, with the game easier than ever to play, you can experience one of the most influential first-person shooters of all time, like millions of others have.

BUNGIE, INC

14 SPORTS March 2020

Seasons end with disappointment The girls’ team looks to the future as it reflects on a season that did not go the way they wanted.

BY ELIJAH JACKSON SNN Staff Writer

ESSEX POTTS | SNN

Junior Anthony Perkins pushes the ball up the court during a game against the Dixie Rebels in February.

The boys’ team, made up of mostly younger players, vows to make it to states next year.

BY DEMETRIO MARTIN SNN Staff Writer

T

he boys’ varsity basmostly seniors, the rest of ketball team finished the team will be returning. the season 24-6.

“I feel the younger ones Unfortunately, they will step up. They use this didn’t reach their goal of the season to sit back and unstate championship, but they derstand, and next year have this season to build on. will be their time to shine,” “We really wanted to return Reynolds said. to states, but I’m a senior so the The Spartans will need guys behind me will have this Anthony Lawrence for the young guys to step season to build on,” senior bas- Basketball coach up next year and fill those ketball center Jamille Reynolds roles. The team will look at said. this past season as a foundaThis year’s team won the PCAC championship tion and use it to help next year’s team to do even after their 57-50-win against East Lake High. That better. means the Spartans were the best in the county. The “We’ll try to keep playing at a high-level next Spartans also made the playoffs. In the first game of season,” Lawrence said. “There’s a couple returning playoffs, the team beat Lincoln Park Academy 80- guys that I’m looking forward to seeing develop.”

46 in their regional quarterfinals. In the next round The team will eventually be working out this offof the playoffs, in the regional semi-finals game, the season and they are looking to eventually get back to Spartans lost to Tampa Catholic 62-42. states as the 2018-2019 team did.

“There were only one or two teams that could “I want to return to states. We didn’t get it done actually beat us, and Tampa Catholic was one of this year but that will be my goal next season. I’m them,” head coach Anthony Lawrence said. “They going to work even harder this offseason to achieve did a good job of negating our strengths.” that goal,” junior forward Oteman Delancey said.

The Spartans this season only had five seniors and -SNN Staff Writer HENRY HAIGHT four were starters. Even though the starters were contributed to this story.

“There were only one or two teams that could beat us, and Tampa Catholic was one of them.”

The Lady Spartans did well this season but fell just short in the regional semi-finals on Feb. 18, ending their run for a state championship The girls started off the regional tournament well with a win over Atlantic High School (63-43) in the quarter-finals. They then faced Cocoa High School in the regional semi-finals. They fell short by three points with the final score 48-51. The Spartans had a 15-point lead going into the second half, but Cocoa came back and won.

“We did pretty good for a young team and went further than everybody else expected. I’m excited for next season,” sophomore Makayla Johnson said.

Head coach Necole Tunsil is excited for next season because most of the team is returning.

“The future looks extremely bright. This team has three freshman, six sophomores and two juniors returning,” she said.

Although they didn’t reach their goal, Coach Tunsil is proud of her team.

“When you set a team goal to win a championship, everything else is a bust but when I reflect upon the whole season and all the adversity we’ve been through, I’m proud of being a part of this team. There were times the team could’ve folded but we didn’t,” Tunsil said.

Earlier in the playoffs, the team advanced in the district tournament. On Feb. 3 they beat Sarasota Military Academy (104-8), and then they play the Academy of the Holy Names winning (37-28). Before moving on to the regional playoffs, the girls beat

Booker High School for the district championship (50-43).

The Lady Spartans have been playing with predominantly underclassmen, and with such a young team the Spartans had experienced growing pains this season. The final record was 15-14, with some losses against tough competition.

But Tunsil said she is proud of her young team fighting through adversity.

“Senior Macey Zeh-Arndt (was) down with injuries there have been a total of three upperclassmen on the team, so this young team has been carrying us and learning valuable lessons,” Tunsil said.

Senior JoShauntye Thomas was the lone senior while Zeh-Arndt was down with an injury. She said she is pleased with the development of the team and is impressed by the team’s toughness.

“I’m proud of my teammates for fighting through adversity and developing while having fun doing it,” Thomas said.

It was difficult for Zeh-Arndt to watch her teammates play while she was injured.

“It was hard to watch my team play knowing I could help,” Zeh-Arndt said.

The Spartans had no problem beating up on teams in Pinellas County, with dominating wins against, Pinellas Park (66-26), Boca Ciega (73-17) Northeast (55-38), Dixie Hollins (68-18) and St. Petersburg High School (71-44). But when they went to tournaments away from the county and played better competition, they got beat.

INAGE COATES | SNN

Freshman A’shiya Youngblood, a shooting guard for the Lady Spartans, tries to get away from a defender during a game against Clearwater High School on Jan. 31 in the Lakewood gym.

Wrestlers advance to states

As the wrestling season continues, two Lakewood Spartans move up.

BY HUNTER NEAL AND DEMETRIO MARTIN SNN Staff Writers

As SNN went to print, the wrestling team was nearing the end of its season and preparing for the state finals on March 6-7. Two of the team’s members were scheduled to compete in the finals in Kissimmee over this past weekend.

Lakewood wrestlers senior An’darius Wilson and sophomore Pharee Reed were to attend the state finals.

“I’m excited to see how the finals go. I think I’ll do good,” said Reed, who is currently 22-2 this season.

Recently the team won third place at district duals. The teams included were Admiral Farragut, Bay Shore, Gibbs and Northside Christian. The team also recently had a meet at Bradenton Christian where senior Ryan Turri went undefeated, sophomore Nate Sanders won his first match by pin, and sophomore Julian Gonzalez won a match by mercy rule, because he was beating his opponent 15-0.

“It felt good to go undefeated and just dominate and beat everyone that stepped on the mat with me,” Turri said.

Wrestlers from more than 200 teams will be attending

the state finals, including Admiral Farragut, Dunedin and Pinellas Park.

Wrestling coach Jacob Kowalczyk said he has been especially excited this season because the team has lots of young talent.

“The team is great. We are better than last year, and the future is bright. … We have many first-year wrestlers, who are just learning the game and will come back even stronger,” he said.

An added factor that may have helped the team grow this year is the new wrestling practice facility, part of the recent renovation of the gym, Kowalczyk said.

“The new facility (has attracted) more athletes than last year. We had four. Now we have 12. It also helps us get better, stronger, bigger and better fundamentally,” Kowalczyk said.

Check the SNN website at pcsb.org/snn for an update on the outcome of the state finals after March 7.

SPECIAL TO SNN

Lakewood wrestler An’darius “Tank” Wilson, a senior, tries to control his opponent during a recent wrestling match. Wilson has qualified for states.

Lakewood coach named Coach of the Year Coach Cory Moore is recognized by the Tampa Bay Times for being a standout coach.

BY BRANDEN COOPER SNN Staff Writer

JAMMISHA SMITH| SNN

Coach Cory Moore, surrounded by his football players, accepts his Coach of the Year award during halftime at a boys varsity basketball game on Jan. 12.

This year head football coach Cory Moore guided the Lakewood Spartans football team to a nearly undefeated season, ending with a 14-1 record.

For his efforts, he was named Tampa Bay Area Coach of the Year for 2019 by the Tampa Bay Times.

Even with such accolades, Moore, a 1994 Lakewood graduate, remains humble “You can’t forget where you come from and you remember the times you used to have issues and problems and have obstacles,” said Moore, who is also a physical education teacher at Lakewood.

Moore said like some of his own students, he faced obstacles while growing up.

“I remember when I was in high school, I used to stutter a lot. When I was in middle school, I used to get bullied so you try to find kids that remind you of yourself and you want to make them better,” said Moore.

After high school, Moore went to Bethune Cookman College on a football schol-

arship and majored in mass communication and broadcast technology.

After graduating college, Moore wanted to help students in the community succeed. He came back to teach at Lakewood in 2008 and has been coaching since then.

“I wanted to come back to Lakewood because I wanted to come back and help the young men and women in our community, I feel it was important that not only was I able to be successful at graduating, but also what was most important for me to come back and helping someone else,” Moore said.

He explained one of his strategies that he uses to give feedback to athletes and students, which he calls “The Oreo method.” Moore starts with something positive, then corrects what needs to be corrected and finally finishes up with something positive.

Freshman Ashton Anderson, one of Moore’s students, calls Moore a role model.

“Coach Moore has taught

me how not to give up, no matter how painful it gets,” Anderson said. “No matter where he is, he’ll tell you if you’re doing something wrong or just trying to keep you on the right track.”

Anderson said he thinks Moore was chosen as Coach of the Year because he knows what he is doing.

“He’s been coaching for quite a while and he is one of the best coaches out here,” he said.

Freshman Samarion Lang is another player on the football team who thinks of Coach Moore as a mentor.

“He helps me out with things I don’t know how to do and teaches things I’ve never learned before,” Lang said. “He always does a little dance before every practice to hype up the team.”

Moore said he doesn’t plan to stop his success and will continue to improve.

“My plan right now is to be the best that I can right now at Lakewood and who knows what the future holds,” said Moore.

March 2020 SPORTS

Seven Spartans sign to colleges

15

TAVEON WHEELER | SNN

From left,Tre’von Riggins, A’ndarius Wilson, Zyquavious Scruggs, Samari Smith, Marques “TJ” Tampa, Derrel Kelley, Aubray Chevannes, Shaquill Griffin, Jordan Brown, Gregory Spann, Shaquem Griffin hold up L’s after seven Spartan football players commited to colleges on Feb. 5.

BY MAYA RISH AND TAVEON WHEELER SNN Staff Writers

Seven Lakewood High School athletes received scholarships and signed Feb. 5 to play college football.

The athletes included Samari Smith (New Mexico University), An’darius “Tank” Wilson (New Mexico University), Aubray Chevannes (Morehouse College and Georgia Tech), TJ Tampa (Iowa State University), Jordan Brown (Florida Memorial University), Derrel Kelley III (Tarleton State) and Zyquavious Scruggs (Rochester Community College).

“I’m super excited about the guys moving on to the next level. To watch them grow up and transition to the next level. ... I’m just happy for them,” said head football coach Cory Moore.

The boys sat on the Lakewood Auditorium stage, shoulder to shoulder, as Moore introduced them. One by one, they came up to thank friends and family and announce which college they will attend. The marching Spartans were there to help in the celebration and wish the boys the best .

“Thank you to my loving family for always staying on me,” Kelly said.

“Thanks to all my coaches for never letting me quit,” said Brown.

Lakewood alumni Shaquem and Shaquill Griffin, who graduated in 2013 and now play for the Seattle Seahawks, were there to support the upcoming college

players and give useful advice to the boys as they move on.

“Keep your mind right. Keep working. Keep grinding,” Shaquem Griffin said.

“Don’t forget to enjoy this time,” said his brother, Shaquill Griffin.

Family members were also in attendance and were very excited and optimistic for their sons.

“I feel great. I’m trying to hold up, not crying,” said Yolanda Garrett, Wilson’s mom. “He came a long way from a freshman. He wasn’t really doing right, but by 11th grade he was on the right track, because he knew what he wanted, and he knew he had to get it right

to get to college. … God listened. He’s working it out for him.”

“It’s great. My other grandson went here, and he plays pro for the Packers … Marquez Valdez Scantling. I’m real excited about him. I’m glad it’s not just football. He has the academics,” said Mila Scantling Holmes, Chevannes’ grandmother.

Fernando Maynor, Brown’s father said he is very proud of his son, who wants to go into sports medicine.

“To have that honor, to have someone see enough in him as a football player as well to make him a student athlete. It’s a life changer,” Maynor said.

Support from the sidelines

There are certain athletes who everyone knows, the ones reporters always crowd around, the ones who make the big plays. But what about the others guys, the benchwarmers, the players who put in the hard work and effort, but don’t get on the field or the court as much? Those people play a role, too, just like the stars. SNN decided to give them a little bit of the spotlight.

Isaiah Cooper

Jalil Cabbil

Sophomore football player Isaiah Cooper is a hard worker and determined athlete. Despite his hard work, he finds himself sitting on the bench most of the time.

“It sucks to be on the bench, because you see things that can be fixed but can’t do anything about it,” he said.

Cooper played about eight games last fall. He said he thinks it’s fair because there are guys ahead of him, upperclassmen, who have been on the team and put in the work and therefore get more playing time.

“I know it’s not easy for coaches to choose their starting lineup, but (coach Cory Moore) still has to make choices,” Cooper said.

Cooper said he brings hard work and a good mindset to the team. Even though he doesn’t play much, it’s still worth being on the group and it motivates him.

“I think my chances (to play) are higher next year because I’m going to work hard, and spots are opening up,” he said.

Freshman baseball player Jonathan Whelan said he thinks sitting on the bench is boring because you want to compete and contribute to the team as well, but he can contribute by rooting on the team.

Although it’s boring to sit on the bench he’s only a freshman and he knows he’s going to have a better chance to play next year because spots are opening, and he’ll be even better and more prepared.

“Not playing is worth staying on the team because coach will see you’re determined,” Whelan said.

Sophomore basketball player Jalil Cabbil made it on the varsity boys’ basketball team, but he wants to contribute, not just be on the team.

Cabbil says sitting on the bench isn’t such a good feeling because as an athlete he questions himself about what kind of effort and work he’s putting in.

“The amount of playing time I get is unfair because I work hard in practice and coach tells us if you work hard, you’ll play,” Cabbil said.

Being an underclassmen, Cabbil is very confident in his game and isn’t settling for anything less than great.

He knows he’ll be a starter soon and will contribute to the team.

“Yes, not playing as much is worth staying on the team because I know I’ll be a starter and will have a great senior season,” Cabbil said.

JABRIEL JACKSON| SNN

Jonathan Whelan

NICHOLAS MADOLE | SNN

Gabby Goodleigh

TREVAUGHN CURRINGTON | SNN

-By SNN Staff Writer KA’WON REEDY

OTEMAN DELANCY | SNN

Freshman basketball player Gabby Goodleigh is a hard-working player who seems to find herself on the bench.

“Sometimes I don’t get the playing time I deserve, but it’s a learning experience,” Goodleigh said.

Goodleigh’s playing time can depend on a few things, her effort and work in practice or if the starters aren’t doing their job. She thinks it’s fair because everyone must work to get what they want.

Goodleigh said she can put up shots and rebounds and can play defense.

Her chances of playing next year are high she says because she’s getting better daily and is learning the plays.

“Yes, its worth being on the team because I’ll play if I work harder,” Goodleigh said.

All athletes matter There is more to Lakewood sports than just football and basketball.

BY EMMA COLLINS SNN Staff Writer

Imagine making an amazing goal or homerun and looking out into the stands and seeing five people cheering you on. This is what is I see as a softball player at every game. At Lakewood High School, football and basketball get all the glory and attention. I think other sports deserve some attention, too.

When I had my first softball game the other team had all their seats filled up and even had people standing, and when I looked to our side the first row wasn’t even full. When you go to a football or basketball game you would be stunned at how hard it is to find a seat.

This makes me feel like other sports aren’t as important as they should be.

As a student and athlete, I am tired of hearing “football this, football that.”

Why don’t other sports like baseball or soccer get any attention? On the morning announcements, the first thing to be said about sports is basketball or football related. And when announcements are made about the lesser-followed sports, the announcements often contain mistakes.

This makes me angry. All athletes work just as hard as football and bas-

ketball players, but they still don’t get the recognition they deserve. I think it’s important to give attention to the other sports because it makes the athletes feel supported and want to play harder.

Many students will say that the sports like softball and tennis don’t get attention because they’re not good. I feel that if the school supported and gave us the funding that the other sport teams get, then we would want to play harder and win more games.

I know staff and students can’t always come to games, but as a school we should make more of an effort to know about when the games are, where they are and how they went. If you have a friends on a sports team, go and support them.

SNN Sports Editor Needed Requirements: • Knowledge of and passion for sports • Willingness to stay after school • Ability to cover extracurricular sports • Skilled writer If interested, please contact Angel Laclaustra in C100 as soon as possible.

16 SOCCER HIGHLIGHTS March 2020

Spartan soccer has sensational season

BY ANGEL LACLAUSTRA SNN Staff Writer

The Lakewood High School boys’ soccer team had a stellar record this season, making it into regionals for the first time in 13 years.

The final game went down to the wire, with the Spartans losing to Cypress Creek High School on Feb. 12. At 100 minutes, they stood tied with Cypress with a 0-0 score. During overtime, the team lost 5-4 because of a penalty kick.

Despite the loss, soccer coach Brandon Vaughan said he is proud of the team.

“Just the way we competed and sort of bounced back from the disappointment of not winning the district championship and playing really, really well and basically leaving it to a coin flip,” he said.

Vaughan said the strengths in the team are that they have good comradery and they work hard.

He said he finds no flaws in his team.

“Other than being short, I would say really nothing,” Vaughan said. “Next year, we

will win districts.”

This team is only losing three key players this year, so the productivity of the team should not be affected too much next year.

“We have a lot of key players and key spots that are going to be a year older and a year better,” Vaughan said.

The team ended with a record of 16-6, which beats last year’s record of 5-13-2.

“The season went really good; we finished with a record that we were really proud of,” sophomore goalie Aiden Barnes said.

The team did well all season, as they held a ten-win streak that ended with Tarpon Springs High School. They also beat St. Petersburg High School twice.

“I was proud of all the boys,” Barnes said.

“We did the best we could with what we were given. Next season we want to keep it plain and simple and focus on making it into the state playoffs.”

Photo by HUNTER LOVEC | Alpha-Omega

HUNTER LOVEC | Alpha-Omega

Senior Alonzo Harris gains control of the ball during a quarterfinal match against Cypress Creek High School on Feb. 12. The Spartans lost 5-4.

HUNTER LOVEC | Alpha-Omega

Sophomore Aiden Barnes catches the ball in warmup against Cypress Creek.

HUNTER LOVEC | Alpha-Omega

Coach Brandon Vaughan gives a pre-game speech to the boys’ soccer team before their game against Cypress Creek on Feb. 12.

The Spartans made it to the quarterfinals this year and lost 5-4 after eight rounds of penalty kicks.

HUNTER LOVEC | Alpha-Omega

Junior Philip Pierre jumps as he tries to be the first to the ball during a game against Cypress Creek.

HUNTER LOVEC | Alpha-Omega

Senior Antonio Gayoso gets ready to stop the ball during a game.

HUNTER LOVEC | Alpha-Omega

HUNTER LOVEC | Alpha-Omega

Junior Max Bernhart, right, jumps to get the ball against Cypress Creek during the quarterfinal match in February.

Junior David Silvers runs with the ball against Cypress Creek High School on Feb. 12.

INAGE COATES | SNN

Junior Andi Agolli, right, tries to steal the ball from a Tarpon Springs High School player on Jan. 12.

For more pictures of the soccer team and other Lakewood sports, visit www.pcsb.org/SNN and click on multimedia.

The Lakewood boys’ soccer team stands for the national anthem on Feb. 12 at Cypress Creek.

HUNTER LOVEC | Alpha-Omega

INAGE COATES | SNN

Senior Antonio Gayoso, left, defends against Tarpon Springs on Jan. 15 at Lakewood High School.