May 2018

LAKEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL • MAY 2018 • VOL, 9 NO. 4

Senior Week

Lakewood seniors celebrate their upcoming graduation with a week of activities.

Pages 8-9

Gone too soon

A Lakewood senior is killed in a car accident 22 days before graduation.

Page 3

Summer fun

As summer approaches Lakewood staff and students share their plans for break.

Page 5

Relive the moment

Student athletes reflect on their favorite moments of the year.

Page 15

2 THE HUB May 2018

PARIS MCDOUGLE | SNN

Senior Georgia Dunning plays in foam during the senior Be Out Day on April 26 on the practice field. Seniors spent the day playing frisbee golf, volleyball and basketball.

A word from SNN

Dallas Davis, Editor-in-Chief

Hello, Lakewood. I’d like to welcome you to SNN’s final issue of the 2017-18 school year. This year has been a rollercoaster of emotions due to the various events around campus from the eclipse and spirit week in the fall to the walkouts for gun violence and the race to graduation this spring.

In my four years, I would’ve never expected to earn the title of editor-in-chief, being able to work with an amazing staff and having the honor of distributing hard-hitting and honest news to the community.

With just seven days left until graduation, school is ending for seniors.

Graduation will change a lot: no more putting in work in sports, no more studying for upcoming tests, no more staying after school for various clubs - at least for high school.

We will have to take that next step in pursuing our goals for the future, and we must make sure we never give up on what drives us to succeed. Whether you have been with us for all four years or not, this time has gone by in a blur for most and in these last few days we should enjoy our last moments in the Lakewood experience.

SNN wants to give our hearts out to the families affected by the car accident on April 24 in front of Lakewood. The tragedy has struck everyone here and has opened our eyes about how fast one incident can change a lifetime. Senior Bryson Welton-Williams will be remembered among his peers for his

Did you know...

Conferencia team receives high honors

The Lakewood High School Conferencia Team, made up of 16 students, went to Orlando to compete at the Florida Spanish State Conference in March and came home with 15 sobresalientes – outstanding ratings - in impromptu speaking, the highest honor they could receive. Five of them had perfect scores. In the declamation competition where six students competed they received six outstandings, two of them with perfect scores. The team’s scrapbook received first place among all the schools and the team came in second in its division. Two seniors, Sarah Nouri and Jahaziel Alonso, won scholarships from the Florida Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese of $100 and $250 respectively for their writing.

-SNN Staff Writer KEONDA MOORE

From left, seniors Alicia Lopez, Paris McDougle, Jorden Pompey and Dallas Davis after recieving their CSPA Silver Crown award in New York City on March 16.

SNN wins Silver Crown

Special to SNN

The Spartan News Network (SNN) won a Silver Crown during the 94th annual Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) Convention in New York City on March 16. The Silver Crown is one of the top awards for scholastic publications in the nation. “The front page covers are impressive. The staff is clearly comfortable taking risks with its print design,” CSPA judges said. “They are effective at zeroing in on the daily lives and personalities of readers.” About 1,100 yearbooks, newspapers and magazines were eligible for judging. Eighty-five publications received a Gold Crown, while 163 received a Silver Crown for overall excellence, design, photography, coverage and writing. Four students and three teachers were able to travel to the city to accept the award and participate in workshops. “I was proud of myself and everyone who contributed to the paper,” SNN photo editor Jorden Pompey said.

- SNN Staff Writer ALICIA LOPEZ

enthusiastic attitude and sense of humor. He brought happiness to a lot of his fellow Spartans, and his impact will stay with us forever. A remembrance of Bryson will be featured on page 8.

Also featured in our newspaper, is a story on page 3 discussing upgrading security at Lakewood. On page 5, we also feature a summer package highlighting the best beaches and people’s choices on how they plan to spend their summer.

Finally, as this year comes to a close we want to hand over the responsibility of running next year’s newspaper to the talented new staff. It’s my pleasure to welcome the 2018-19 staff.

• Editor-in-Chief Camila Cherone • News Editor Malkolm Belfor • Photo Editor Gabby Sliwoski • Opinion Editor Angel Laclaustra • Entertainment Editor Cristin Thomas • Sports Editor Diana Rosenthal • Web Editor Davario Campbell • Chief Photographer Vivian Manon • Multimedia Editor Torrence Ruffin • Business Manager Tyler Graham • Copy Chief Julianna Raymond • Lead Sports Photographer Jonathan Myers • Assistant Chief Photographer Lincoln Rosenthal • Copy Editor Max Dayton-Yaeger

Teacher wins volunteer award AMSET teacher Rachel Schalles is more than just a teacher. She also goes out and volunteers to help the environment and won an award for doing so. On March 9, Schalles received the Tampa Bay Watch Teacher Volunteer of the Year award. “I was really excited about it, I just love doing stuff with them. It’s really educational and fun, and a nice thing for us to do. I was really humbled by it, and I thought it was great,” Schalles said. Tampa Bay Watch is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Tampa Bay environment. The award is for the teacher that dedicated the most time and effort toward the program.

-SNN Staff Writers ANTHONY MELENDEZ and DONTAE MITCHELL

New classes come to Lakewood In the fall of 2018 English teacher Kristie Dowling is going to begin teaching Theater Cinema and Film Production.

“Since I got my humanities certification last year I felt like I wanted to branch out,” Dowling said.

So far 30 students have signed up for the class. Dowling said she wants to teach future students to see movies not simply as entertainment. She wants to teach students about film technique and then show a film to illustrate the technique.

Self-identifying as a film buff, she took five film classes in college and some of her favorite film classes were called Rogue Films, Shakespeare in Film and Psychology of Horror. *** Lakewood also will be offering an astronomy class for juniors and seniors for the 2018-19 school year. The honors class will be taught by physics teacher Ryan Frewin and will be counted as an elective.

“It’s open to anyone that is willing to put in the work. Doesn’t matter what program you are in or not,” Frewin said.

The class will be covering the solar system, history of astronomy, the stars and their characteristics and the galaxy. Frewin said it will be an interesting topic and will keep upperclassmen busy.

“I used to teach it but then the state forced the school to go to this modified block schedule and I didn’t have space in my schedule anymore so I had to stop. I miss it,” Frewin said.

-SNN Staff Writers CRISTIN THOMAS and GABBY SLIWOSKI

ON THE COVER: A Lakewood senior holds up a 2018 sign at sunrise on May 4.The Class of 2018 will graduate May 16. (JORDEN POMPEY | SNN)

Spartan News Network Staff Editor-in-Chief: Dallas Davis Photo Editor: Jorden Pompey Feature Editor: Alicia Lopez Opinion Editor: Paris McDougle Entertainment Editor: Christopher Velgakis-Blanck Chief Photographer: Gabby Sliwoski Assistant Chief Photographer: Vivian Manon Web Editor: Alexis Crawford Fashion Editor: Daishanna Reaves Copy Chief: Jace Campbell Copy Editor: Julianna Raymond

Code of Ethics 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.

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 web site:

pcsb.org/snn

Advisors: Kathleen O. Tobin and Jade P. Shiver

Silver Crown Winner 2018

Pacemaker Winner 2015

May 2018 NEWS 3

Gone too soon

Lakewood senior Bryson Welton-Williams lost his life just 22 days before his high school graduation.

BY JOSEPHINE RICHARDS AND PARIS MCDOUGLE SNN Staff Writers

T

he sun was setting April 29 as a group of staff and students huddled on the Lakewood High School football field for a candlelight vigil to remember senior Bryson Welton-Williams who was killed in a car accident April 24.

“I believe that Bryson has given us some gasoline to move forward in our lives, to better our lives, to maximize what we continue to move forward with,” football coach Cory Moore said.

Principal Erin Savage also spoke, remembering Welton-Williams and thanking his friends for coming out to support the family in their time of grief.

“I’ve never had to do anything like this, but I’m trying my best,” she said. “For the family, if you need me, just call, text, email, anthing. I’m here for you all.”

Just before dismissal on April 24, less than a month before graduation, Welton-Williams and two other Lakewood seniors were involved in a car accident, in which their vehicle collided with a tree in the median.

Welton-Williams, 18, was killed, while Ramcharan “Trey” Lattimore, 18, and Joshua Heath, 18, were taken to the hospital.

The accident happened in front of the school on the corner of 16th Street and 54th Avenue S. Savage said she was on her way

Bryson Welton-Williams to the front of the school to make her daily afternoon announcement when she heard about the crash.

“As principal 20 days before graduation … this is the last thing I want. One promising life is gone, and two are changed

forever,” Savage said.

According to Savage, Welton-Williams, Lattimore and Heath were all active around school and well known among their peers.

“They are my babies,” she said.

At the site of the accident, friends and family of Welton-Williams created a memorial, at which loved ones left flowers, stuffed animals and posters.

Manny Sanders, Welton-Williams’s uncle, said Bryson was a “laid back dude with a good spirit.”

“He made people feel good about themselves. When they were down, he made them feel up,” Sanders said. “He kept his head together, and he was a smart kid.”

Lattimore and Heath continue to recover after the incident.

Lattimore is currently in crutches while Heath is in a wheel chair for six to eight weeks due to a broken pelvis. Savage has been in contact with them both and said they are both working from home to complete their credits.

VALARIE BERTRAM | SNN

Above, friends, classmates and teachers, including art teacher Larry West, right, gather April 29 on the Lakewood football field to remember Bryson WeltonWilliams.

Left, Spanish teacher Lydia Harless and assistant principal Laura Mudd comfort students on April 25 after the loss of senior Bryson Welton-Williams in the car accident the day before.

DALLAS DAVIS | SNN

No guns for teachers

Securing the school Lakewood is taking steps to make the school safer, installing buzzers on doors and closing entry points.

BY CAMERON DAYNARD AND LINCOLN ROSENTHAL SNN Staff Writers

The school district decides not to allow staff or teachers to be armed but will continue to bolster security.

BY MALKOLM BELFOR SNN Staff Writer

The Pinellas County School Board passed a resolution in March to not allow teachers and staff to carry guns.

The vote came after a bill was passed in the state legislature in response to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The bill would have allowed teachers and staff to be armed, but school boards and sheriffs would have to agree on it.

Superintendent Dr. Michael Grego said the school system will not pursue training and arming teachers.

Instead, he said, the “school district will work to fulfill the requirements of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act by placing a sworn law enforcement officer in every school.”

One school board member who was against the bill was Eileen Long. She was concerned that the bill would just put more people at risk.

“I don’t want to put the principal in the situation where they JORDEN POMPEY | SNN have to decide, ‘Do I want to shoot my own student?’” Long said. School Resource Officer Lerric Boyd stands outside Students at Lakewood were relieved to hear that the bill would Lakewood High School during dismissal as students exit not be enforced. Junior Alexis Chase said it was good that the the campus on April 23.

School Board won’t allow armed staff members because a teacher could possibly use the gun on a student.

Staff that might have been eligible to carry guns were against “Some teachers and students don’t get along, and a student may the bill, too. Campus monitors John Darby and Gregory Hinton push a teacher to the point where they use the gun for the wrong agreed that the district made a wise decision. reason,” Chase said.

“I think they made the right choice not to arm teachers and Junior Sara Sulku made the same point but also added that the staff,” Hinton said. student could possibly be the one misusing the gun.

“I think there should only be one person on campus with a gun “A student can easily get ahold of it, no matter what type of and that’s Officer (Lerric) Boyd because he is trained for every security you put on it. It’s just not safe for kids or teachers overall,” situation.” Darby added. she said.

The one person Darby said should carry a gun agreed with him.

English teacher Joseph Lippitt, on the other hand, said he Boyd said he was totally against the bill because there are so many thinks arming teachers could be a good idea if they volunteered things that can go wrong if a teacher is armed. and they were trained.

“A teacher’s profession is to teach, not to carry a gun,” Boyd said.

“I think if teachers went through proper training and believe HOPE teacher and football coach Cory Moore also said he they can handle themselves with a firearm, I do think that would would not want to carry a gun. be a good idea,” he said.

“The type of weapon I bring to school is my body and my ability Lippitt said he understands where the School Board is coming to listen,” he said. “In my world I can get a lot more accomplished from, though, and isn’t disappointed that teachers and staff won’t by praying for my students and colleagues.” be armed.

With the recent school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County, pressure for better school security is rising. The school shooting claimed the lives of 17 people, by an 19-year-old former student with a legal assault rifle who walked right into the school.

That seems preventable, right? So what should be done here to take a defensive stance against a similar type of attack? With added security and new gun control laws, Lakewood is taking action against this type of violence with small changes and more vigilance.

Protecting and watching the border of our school is most important, School Resource Officer Lerric Boyd said.

“The T wing doors are more closely watched and are locked. Everybody must enter through the front of the school, including teachers at least until I am on campus,” Boyd said. “There are also buzzers on the office doors, and dress code will be enforced more so that we could recognize an outsider or someone who is not supposed to be on campus.”

Student Services clerk Nykisha Davis is in charge of buzzing people into the side door of the Student Services office, a task she says may be aggravating but makes her feel safer.

“I can control who gains access - who I let in and who I don’t let in. … It’s a safety measure. That’s why it’s there,” Davis said.

It is a new thing that everyone must get used to and learn how to use.

“When you hear the click, pull the door. Don’t twist the handle, just pull,” she said.

Front desk clerk Veirette Lundin, who said she sees new people every day come through the front door, said a

buzzer lock will be installed on the front door soon. In addition, when the front office is remodeled, her desk will be encased in protective glass.

“I’m comfortable; you get a sense of who should or shouldn’t be here,” Lundin said.

So what if something like Parkland were to happen at Lakewood? Would our security staff be able to stop it?

“Our security is sufficient enough to stop this type of attack,” Boyd said.

Campus monitor John Darby also said he thought the Lakewood staff could stop an attack similar to what happened in Parkland.

“Security at Douglas High went to sleep,” Darby said.

A bill passed in Tallahassee in early March raises the minimum age to buy a rifle to 21, allocates more funds for students’ mental health, bans bump stocks, and gives teachers and hall monitors the ability to take a class that lets them have a gun on campus.

The Pinellas School Board, however, voted against allowing teachers and staff to carry guns. (See accompanying story.)

“Nobody should be armed on campus except police,” Boyd said.

Right now, Lakewood will have just one resource officer on campus.

“I don’t think we should have more than two officers, but if the school is over 2,000 then there needs to be more campus police,” Darby said.

Boyd said even with extra measures things can happen.

“Sometimes as much security as we have around, people can still slip through the cracks. Sometimes people can still get on the campus that we don’t know,” Boyd said. “We do what we can, but if kids want to jump fences there is not a lot that can be done.”

Dismissal will be 15 minutes earlier next year Despite a year-long push to start school later, the school district instead decides to keep the start time the same but make the release time earlier.

BY AYANNA FOWLER SNN Staff Writer

School start times have been a hot issue throughout Pinellas County schools during the 2017-18 school year. Some parents and students fought for later school times while others wanted the times to remain the same.

Now, finally, a decision has come from the Pinellas County School Board, and after all the debate nothing much will be changing at Lakewood.

Lakewood start times will remain the same but students will be dismissed 15 minutes earlier. Instead of getting out at 2:05, students will be dismissed at 1:50.

This is likely to be good news to those at Lakewood who were opposed to starting any later. According to a Lakewood High School survey done last fall, 67 percent of the students and 55 percent of the staff wanted to keep the start time the same.

The start time wasn’t changed due to the block schedule, assistant principal Susan Alvaro said. Pushing the start time back would go below the minimum instructional time of around 130 hours a year, she said.

With the earlier release time, about three minutes will be taken off each class. Lunch and in between class time won’t be affected.

“As far as student gains I don’t think it will have much of an impact on student learning,” Alvaro said.

While the change is not significant Alvaro said it will give students and staff more time for after-school activities.

“It could give us more flexibility,” she said.

She said she thinks students will enjoy the change but she doesn’t expect a huge reaction from them.

“We lose like three minutes; it’s not that big of a deal,” science teach-

er Justin Bending said. “It might take some getting used to, but it should be an easy change.”

Most of the schools in the county had their start times pushed back to 7:20. Only four high schools in St. Petersburg – Lakewood as well as Gibbs, Boca Ciega and Dixie Hollins – will stay the same.

Some students didn’t think it was fair that the start time wasn’t pushed back like other schools in the county.

“I would have preferred to start later instead of being dismissed early,” freshman Nandi Rosero said.

Rosero said she would rather have an extra 15 minutes to get ready in the morning than extra time for dismissal.

However, she thinks it’s good to have some time off.

“It’s not much time but it’s something,” Rosero said.

HIBA AITGRIF | SNN

Students walk to their buses during dismissal at Lakewood High School in April. Next year, students will be dismissed at 1:50 p.m., 15 minutes earlier than this year.

4 NEWS May 2018

Another voice

Five boys brought signs to a Lakewood walkout, protesting gun control.

BY DA’IZAHNE MOORE SNN Staff Writer

L

akewood High School participated in the nationwide walkout on March 14 for the Parkland victims who lost their lives in the tragic school shooting on Valentine’s Day In the midst of the students grieving about the shooting victims, some were surprised to see a handful of students with signs protesting gun control.

Five students brought posters to express their opinions on the Second Amendment. One sign said “Start Your Local Militia Today.”

Senior Brian West said he participated in the walkout, because he wanted to protest against gun violence and gun control.

“I wanted to support the Second Amendment and put out another voice,” he said.

After the Parkland shooting, controversy about gun rights exploded. Many people expressed their thoughts on how the country should have stricter gun laws. Shortly after the shooting the state legislature passed a law that raised the age for purchasing a rifle from 18 to 21.

So during the Lakewood walkout, the boys

decided to present their viewpoint that gun laws shouldn’t be stricter.

“For example, say it was an 18-year-old male who was living by himself and he is getting robbed and (the robbers) have a gun and he didn’t because he had to wait till he was 21. If they continue to change the gun law and make the age 21 he would have been dead all because he couldn’t purchase a gun because he was too young,” senior Saeem Fm said.

Some students at Lakewood’s walkout thought that Fm and West’s signs were inappropriate.

“I felt that the signs weren’t needed during the walkout because we were honoring the 17 victims who died in the shooting, not protesting gun laws,” junior Aryanna Hall said.

Both Hall and freshman Layne Griffith agreed that it wasn’t the right time to do the gun control protest, because the walkout was about honoring the victims.

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying the demonstration was bad. It just wasn’t the proper time to do it during the 17 minutes of silence for the victims,” Griffith said.

NIKIYAH NEAL | SNN

From left, seniors Brian West and Saeem Fm hold signs protesting the walkout on March 14 during the moment of silence. The walkout was a nationwide movement in memory of the 17 victims in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting.

Students lose gym as construction continues

The new gym should be finished by the beginning of the next school year.

BY JA’LISSA LYONS AND JULIANNA RAYMOND SNN Staff Writers

Students who have weightlifting classes - and other gym classes - are now lifting their pencils to write assignments.

Students who have a gym class were moved to the cafeteria in mid March and are doing book work for the 90-minute period. Most of the students were unaware that the gym was going to be unavailable and most of them aren’t too happy with it.

“I feel sad because there is no more basketball,” sophomore Austyn Pickens said.

The gym closure happened because it is being renovated.

In the gym, the ceiling is being torn down, along with the basketball goals. The bleachers are being remodeled and the bathrooms have been gutted, which will be health teacher Erika Miller`s new training room. The banners noting athletes’ accomplishments and records that were hung on each side of the gym were taken down and will be rehung in the newly renovated gym.

“The grand opening of the gym will be the beginning of the next school year,” said principal Erin Savage, who attends weekly meetings to get all the updates on construction.

In addition, the weight room and wrestling room will be two new buildings attached to the school near the practice field. The new lobby entrance will be in the back of the gym where the old weight and wres-

tling rooms were.

While this is happening, students who are passionate about gym or weightlifting say they are not able to use their class in an effective way.

“I want to be able to lift weights. My health is very important to me,” senior Kaesell Emerson said.

Gym teachers Cory Moore, Chantella Moore and Tracy Teartt keep their students in the cafeteria due to the gym being closed. Teachers aren`t allowed to use their offices or equipment for the curriculum, so students are either given written work or use the class time to do work for other classes.

“We`re just trying to maneuver and get used to the change, because this is out of our comfort zone, but the tough part is not having the locker room for students to dress out,” Cory Moore said.

On the other hand, there are some students who are happy with the change.

“I no longer have to have gym,” sophomore Jenisus Galloway said.

There is no telling when the the students will be able to get their belongings back from the locker rooms in the gym.

“I have had my clothes and shoes in my locker for about two months without getting them back,” sophomore Candace Talanay said.

She said she is often confused about where to go for class because Teartt holds his class in different lo-

JA’LISSA LYONS | SNN

Students are no longer able to use the gym as renovations are continuing. Instead, PE classes are meeting in the cafeteria.The gym should be ready to open by August, with a new weight room, wrestling room and lobby entrance. cations.

“I never know where my class is going to be held, the cafeteria or the classroom,” said Talanay.

In addition to the gym, the auditorium has been closed all spring.

“Nothing has been done to the auditorium yet, because the lighting material that is needed to start the process hasn`t come in,” principal Erin Savage said.

Construction is moving slowly, because during the demolition phase, workers come across things that need to be fixed then and there.

“The workers are a little worried about the … hurricanes that could occur during this upcoming hurricane season, which can delay the grand opening,” said Savage.

Social studies teacher honored for excellence

Jessica Herring was named social studies teacher of the year in Pinellas County for the 2017-18 school year.

BY NYVONTAE CROMPTON AND ANTHONY BOSTIC SNN Staff Writers

No matter who you talk to, they always describe social studies teacher Jessica Herring as in a good mood.

“She is an astonishing teacher and works really hard to get the students engaged. She cares a lot and she’s a perfectionist,” principal Erin Savage said.

This is the reason why Herring won social Studies teacher of the year for Pinellas County in April.

“I was super ecstatic and super happy,” she said.

Herring was nominated by English teacher Kristie Dowling. In a letter to the district, Dowling described Herring as having an “infectious smile” and praised “her zeal for teaching and learning.”

“She is an amazing teacher and works hard to get the students engaged, she really cares a lot,” said Dowling. “(One day) I walked into her room to students designing their own versions of hell, after reading excerpts of Dante’s Inferno to understand some anti-Catholic sentiment during the Renaissance.”

Sophomore Jayden Rucker describes Herring as a very helpful and caring teacher, who really likes to break things down.

“She … stays on us about our work and explains stuff,” he said.

Herring received an award at a banquet on the April 24.

“I … felt fabulous because of all the nice things they were saying, I was blushing,” she said.

VIVIAN MANON | SNN

A student lies on a the seat of a picnic table near the media center on April 6 during class hours.

Skipping referrals on the rise

The number of referrals for skipping have blown through the roof the past two years.

BY SHAKERA THOMPSON SNN Staff Writer

In the bathroom chatting it up with friends instead of being in class - some Lakewood High School students think this is the way to graduate. The statistics on skipping this year are off the charts According to senior data management technician Dianne Roth, in the 2015-2016 school year the number of referrals for skipping were at 110. In 2016-2017, the referrals dropped to 66. This school year, however, the referrals shot up to 186 – through the month of April.

That is a 182 percent increase.

“If you are going to skip, you might as well stay home in bed. Why come here?” campus monitor John Darby said.

Getting caught skipping is not without its consequences. The first time students are caught, they get a two-hour detention. If they get caught again it’s up to the assistant principal to hand out a consequence, such as suspension or alternative bell schedule (ABS).

Darby and campus monitor Greg Hinton said they find skippers hiding mostly in the restroom. Darby said he thinks they are wasting their time in school skipping and they don’t realize how it’s going to hurt them in the long run.

Senior Dashun Gray said he skips because if he doesn’t like the class, he’s just not going to go until the

last week of the grading period - when the grades go in.

“It’s crunch time then,” Gray said.

When he’s skipping he can’t go home because his parents are home and if they aren’t home he doesn’t know when they are going to pop up. So, when Gray skips he roams around school, goes to some other teachers’ classes or goes to a friend’s house.

Senior Antuan Thomas said he skips because he doesn’t like school and hates going to boring classes. Thomas said he doesn’t want to stay home because his mother will get in trouble and he will have to go through the whole truancy process.

Truancy is when students have 15 or more unexcused absences in a three-month period without the knowledge of their parent or guardian. The consequences will then be handled by courts and can lead to the student and/or parent being arrested.

Skipping class by hanging in a teacher’s class also bothers some people.

“The teachers are just as bad for letting the skippers skip in their classroom,” senior Terrijana Moore said.

Moore said she thinks skipping is overrated.

“Don’t skip just go to class, if you don’t like it just put your head down,” she said.

Sizzling Summer

May 2018 FEATURES 5

Summertime is almost here, and students and teachers will have the next two months to enjoy some well-deserved leisure time. SNN highlights some options on how to spend your summer.

Must-eats

Donut factory serves tiny treasures

If you’re looking for a quick bite this summer, here are some great alternatives to the regular fastfood joints.

1.Pizza Box A chill setting with good woodfire pizza is what Pizza Box offers in its hole-in-the-wall restaurant.

At 923 Central Ave., this place offers fair prices and free Wi-Fi. 2. Smiley’s Deli With only one item on this entire menu ringing up at $10 it’s safe to say that this is in anybody’s budget. On 3441 Central Ave this underrated Cuban restaurant will fill you up.

3. Culvers Coming over from the Midwest this fast food chain, with a menu reminiscent of a ‘50s diner, will leave you and your wallet content. Go to 1451 34th St. N and ask for a Concrete Mixer.

4. Tony’s Pizza Buy a whole pizza or a slice. Dine in or take out.

With 15 unique pizzas, this is a can’t miss place when grabbing a bite with friends and family. At 533 Central Ave. 5. Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill This homely restaurant is close to Lakewood on Uber Eats, so there is no excuse for you not to try it. One visit will turn you into a regular. At 3010 54th Ave S.

What are your summer plans?

We’re going to Indiana for a youth convention.

Two-thousand youths come together for Christian events. We play sports, have seminars and we have Bible quizzes....

We’re also going to Germany to visit Larry West Jr. ” Larry West, art teacher

JAMILA DEDMON | SNN

The doughnuts at this store on Fourth Street N might be the best you’ll ever eat.

By JAMILA DEDMON SNN Staff Writer

Must-reads

Top five books to read while you’re lounging on the beach.

1. The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas (Published Feb 28, 2017) Starr Carter explores the bridge between her poverty-stricken community and the affluent prep school she attends. When she becomes the only witness to the fatal shooting of her best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer her statement of what happened that night, or lack thereof, could make or break her communities. This book teaches a valuable lesson about speaking up for what you believe in. The movie based on this book doesn’t have a set release date yet.

On the side of the building is a huge color-filled mural of a man holding two doughnuts over his eyes like binoculars. Next to him is a phrase in cursive saying, “Doughnut you look sweet?”

This is the second Mini Doughnut Factory in Tampa Bay. It opened in December on 730 Fourth St N in St. Petersburg. I’ve been there three times and these doughnuts and shakes are slightly addictive.

Their doughnuts are gluten free and so are their milkshakes and doughnut sundaes. The store also serves coffee, tea and smoothies.

The idea here is to create your own doughnut choosing from a wide variety of toppings and icings and dough. You put your order in and the staff starts making them right in front of you. They have cotton candy topping, sprinkles, Oreos, Fruity Pebbles cereal, even maple flavored icing with real pieces of

2. Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (Published April 7, 2015) Simon Spier is a junior in high school, in love with a guy he’s never met, and is not-so-openly gay. While he is trying to navigate his life he finds himself in a stressful situation: He’s being anonymously blackmailed and if he doesn’t do what anonymous wants his sexuality will be revealed. As bad as that sounds this book is very uplifting and will leave you smiling. The movie that came out this year will do the same. (See the movie review on Page 14.)

3. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (Published April 1, 2014) In the first book in this series, you meet Amy Gumm and when Amy gets swept up in a tornado and transported to Oz, it isn’t what it used to be. Dorothy found a way to come back to Oz and now she’s wicked.

You can’t trust the Good Witch and winged monkeys can be executed and Amy’s only hope is to follow the crumbling yellow brick road. There is talk that a tv show based off this book series is in the works for the CW. 4. The 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (Feb 8, 2018) How do you stop a murder that’s already happened? At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed and Aiden Bishop will live the day over and over again until he solves it. In this spiraling murder-mystery you will be captivated by the first chapter.

5. Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai (Feb 17, 2015) Mai, a born and raised California girl, finds out she has to spend the summer in Vietnam with her Grandmother. She wants nothing more than to go home and her grandmother wants nothing more than to find out what happened to her husband during the Vietnam War. Lose yourself in this nostalgic novel.

bacon in it.

Their store in Tampa has been open since 2015, and between the two stores, they have sold 1.4 million doughnuts Their doughnuts and toppings come fresh and stay warm. Also, their icing doesn’t harden and their dough is so soft and warm on the inside. The customer service is excellent with friendly staff who make you feel welcomed.

This summer bring your friends, family or acquaintances after the movies or just to have a nice treat or hangout.

Hyppo, Hyppo, Hooray

I’m going to Ohio for a wrestling camp and then I’m going to Costa Rica with my church for a mission trip. We’re probably going to build someone a house.’’

Alonzo Harris, 10th grade

I am going to celebrate my friend’s birthday and get lit.

I’ll also be working at Panera Bread over the summer.’’

Camille Myrick, 11th grade

The downtown St. Petersburg shop serves all-natural popsicles that have only four ingredients.

BY ANGEL MAY

SNN Staff Writer

If you need a way to stay cool this summer, keep the Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pop shop in mind. Even though $3.50 sounds like a lot for one popsicle they are made with just four simple ingredients: fresh fruit, fresh herbs and spices, low processed cane sugar and sometimes dairy.

The shop has 450 flavors, including watermelon, Mexican hot chocolate and champagne mango.

Other flavors are seasonal, like blueberry cheesecake, eggnog and papaya mango.

I have only tried the watermelon popsicle because watermelon is my favorite fruit, and I was not at all disappointed. It felt like I was eating a chunk of frozen watermelon. The flavor doesn’t taste like an artifi-

cial watermelon like other popsicles. It was very fresh and I will be going back soon to try more flavors.

The shop, which opened in 2015, has eye-catching décor. It has several murals of under the sea and a popsicle city. It has a lot of open seating areas, where customers can enjoy their snacks. You can also buy other things like a cold drink or merchandise, such as shirts and plastic popsicle sticks so you can make your own at home.

I would rate the shop 5/5 stars and I would encourage every fruit lover to go try their popsicles. The shop, at 627 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, is open from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m.- 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

I am going to Miami. I will be going to the beach and other different places. I’m going to find a job, but I don’t know where I want to work yet.’’

Aryana Davis, 11th grade

I’m going on a cruise to the Carribean and going to Michigan to help my parents.’’

Justin Bending, science teacher

- By SNN Staff Writer Cristin Thomas

What is the best beach to visit this summer?

PHOTOGRAPHS AND QUOTES BY ANGEL MAY | SNN Staff Writer

Anna Maria, because it’s beautiful. The sand is nice, the view is magnificent and they have sand bars so you can collect sand dollars.”

Ryan Molina, 11th grade

Clearwater, because the water is cleaner and there are more people to communicate with.”

Khyla Baylock, 11th grade

Gulfport, is the best because there aren’t that many people there.”

Cornieshiana Thomas, 9th grade

Treasure Island is because it’s easier to get to the sand bars.”

Luis Rosario, 12th grade

St. Pete Beach because the environment is good and the police don’t care what you do. ” Ani Agolli, 11th grade

The best beach is Clearwater Beach because it’s clean, the water is really clear, and there are always a lot of people there that are nice.”

Bre’Nesha Hyman, 9th grade

6 FEATURES May 2018

‘It’s hard to miss something you’ve never had before’

Senior Carson Hamel completes classwork in physics on Thursday.

He will head to the University of Florida in the fall. Hamel has an eidetic memory, which means he can read something once and memorize it.

Junior Taylor Ortego has a rare condition that means she can’t smell, but she doesn’t let it bother her.

BY CAMILA CHERONE SNN Staff Writer

TYLER GRAHAM | SNN

A marvelous memory Senior Carson Hamel never forgets anything. His rare ability is called an eidetic memory.

BY CAMILA CHERONE SNN Staff Writer

Since senior Carson Hamel was a child he noticed he had a particularly good memory. In first grade he went to a Harry Potter competition that was meant for fifth graders, where kids had to answer trivia questions about the books.

“I got all of them right. I dominated everybody,” said Hamel, who had been reading the books since he was in kindergarten.

Hamel’s incredible ability to read something once and memorize it is thanks to his eidetic memory.

“I have a good one,” Hamel said when talking about his memory.

Since his was young, Hamel demonstrated he was a quick learner.

His parents say that he may be part of the 2-15 percent of children that have eidetic memory because of his amazing ability to recall words and images after being exposed to them only once.

“I remember when he was little he used to ask me to read bedtime stories. When I messed up a quote or a word from the book, he would correct me and tell me the right way,” Carson’s mother, Nicole Hamel, said.

Hamel believes his amazing memory has been helpful when he needs to study, because he doesn’t have to go over the same material repeatedly.

“If I write notes I won’t look at my notes (again),” Hamel said.

In some people, this condition can go away when they reach puberty. If his good memory were to change Hamel said he would feel “overwhelmed and sad.” Since he would have to change the way he manages his time, since he does not spent that much studying.

“When you live your life with something, it is hard to forget about it,” Hamel said.

Hamel speaks English, Italian, French and Spanish. He believes what had has the biggest impact on learning four languages is his memory.

“It definitely was a plus in the learning of new languages. When learning a language, you need to use it, speak it and love it,” he said.

He has won multiple perfect scores for Spanish competitions and is a member of Spanish Honor Society.

“I was team leader last year. Spending time with my close friends was great,” he said.

Hamel is also a member of FBLA – Future Business Leaders of America. Last year he won first place in “Securities and Investment” at national the competition “I felt great but hungry, award ceremonies are too long, but I am proud and happy of all the trophies,” he said.

Hamel is this year’s valedictorian with a 4.63 GPA for the Center for Advanced Technologies.

“I was not surprised at all, I am proud of him,” senior Gianfranco Torres said.

After high school, Hamel will continue his education at the University of Florida.

Language is not his only passion he also loves soccer and computer programming.

He has played soccer for over four years as a goalie and a striker.

“My favorite moment in soccer was the first time I won a tournament, it was a great feeling with my team,” he said.

Hamel also loves to cook and bake. “Any kind of food from Hispanic to French,” he said.

Hamel describes himself as “goofy.” He said he loves to have fun with friends and as a person with leadership skills.

“I am good at recognizing what people are good at and to point them that way, I am also good at complimenting them. I do stuff not because I want to make an impression, but because I want to make people happy,” Hamel said.

A malfunctioning gas stove, a closed-up housed and a little girl without the ability to smell. It’s one of the memories junior Taylor Ortego has of her childhood growing up.

“When I was a little girl, I told my parents I could not smell but they did not believe me,” she said.

But when she was 7, her family finally believed her when she tried to cook on the stove in her kitchen and mistakenly left the gas on. Ortego did not smell the fumes, but when her mom came into the room she immediately noticed it.

“My parents sent me to the doctors and they say the part of my brain in charge of smelling never developed,” she said.

Ortego is part of about 1 percent of the population - or 2.5 million Americans – who have major loss of smell in the United States.

“I have anosmia,” she said.

Lakewood High School nurse Kerry Carlisle said she is aware of the condition, but most cases she has seen have been temporary and often caused by sinus infection or another underlying condition like nasal polyps or nasal passages.

“I don’t know of any other students at the three schools I work in who have anosmia,” she said.

Even though it may seem like an adversity, Ortego accepts it, and sometimes sees it as more of a blessing than a bad condition. Not having to smell bad odors in a locker room or a spoiled egg sounds like an awesome gift, though on the other hand, she will never be able to describe the refreshing smell of nature or the latest popular perfume.

“It’s hard to miss something you have never had before. I can’t miss what I have never smelled before,” Ortego said.

Even though she can’t smell odors, she can detect some of them.

“I know when it smells like gasoline or mint because it gives me a bad headache,” Ortego said.

She doesn’t wear perfume and she can’t smell her deodorant but she stills uses it.

“I don’t want to be offensive,” Ortego said.

Ortego’s friends said they find anosmia cool.

“Sometimes I say, ‘Hey, smell this,’ but she can’t,” junior Emily Flake said.

“When she told me, it wasn’t like I did not believe her, but it kind of surprised me,” junior Caitlin Hays said.

Ortego’s mom, Kristin Conley, said she was devastated when she found out her daughter could not smell because as a child her mother had a lot of memories related to smell: her grandfather’s cologne and his chewing tobacco, the smell of flowers or the smell of the damp after a storm.

“Taylor could not smell, but she has other gifts that allow her to experience ‘sense’ apart from most others.

JA’REE JACKSON | SNN

Junior Taylor Ortego has a condition called “anosmia,” which means that she has no sense of smell.

… She has exceptional hearing and eyesight,” Conley said.

Carlisle, the school nurse, said she thinks people underestimate the impact of the daily lives of individuals who have anosmia.

“Smells surround us and can have a big impact on our safety – think about how we might be warned of the danger of smoke if we are asleep, or the smell of gas, or even spoiled food. It can also impact how food tastes. Pleasant smells/scents are also something we take for granted. When I smell fresh baked cookies, it always makes me happy and brings back positive memories of baking with my children,” Carlisle said.

However, even if she had the chance to smell for the first time, Ortego said she is not interested.

“Since I have never smelled something before, I think it would overload my brain,” she said.

Math teacher takes new job

After 14 years, varying exceptionality math teacher Bruce Hewitt leaves Lakewood High School.

BY PARIS MCDOUGLE SNN Staff Writer

Bruce Hewitt started working at Lakewood High School in 2004. Before that, he was an employment agency manager, where he helped adults with job hunting.

Now, following his resignation from his position at Lakewood, Hewitt is returning to familiar territory as a full-time adult education teacher.

In 2016, he picked up a side-gig as a nighttime GED teacher, and fell in love with the job the second he got it. He said he thoroughly enjoys helping people ascend to their next level in life – especially when it involves math.

“Adult students need math to pass the GED - and I’ve got the math to give them,” Hewitt said.

His experience as a math teacher at Lakewood along with his history as an employment agency manager is a winning combination.

“The interview, the resume, the whole helping people get jobs – I’ve done that before,” he said. “Then I came here and

learned how to do the teaching of the math thing to kids, and now it’s like ‘Whoa!’ This is a job for the employment agency person Mr. Hewitt and the math teaching Mr. Hewitt.”

Hewitt’s new position is as an adult basic education teacher, and he will help people get their GEDs in his own classroom. He will teach students ages 17-70 during the day through Clearview Adult Education Center. The new position is still within Pinellas County Schools.

Hewitt said that although he loves the staff, student body and culture of Lakewood, this new position is one he was meant for.

“So, it’s picking up a lot of pieces of me that I have been working on. I didn’t know, and all of a sudden, they come together and they’re in one package,” he said.

In a way, Hewitt said his long-time job at Lakewood has been training for this new opportunity. However, there are some things about Lakewood that frus-

Special to SNN

Varying exceptionality teacher Bruce Hewitt sits in front of the library at Columbia University in New York Ciry on March 15. He attended the CSPA convention as a chaperone when SNN won a Silver Crown award. trated him. He thinks there isn’t enough career training for students who may not be “meant” for college.

“I think that there should be more things available to our young people sooner. (This job) feels like it’s the right move

because I really care about that, and all of a sudden, there is a job for that,” he said.

At his new position at Clearview Adult Education, Hewitt will teach adults who may lack certain skills because their high school lacked the resources he advocates

for.

“This is the first time in my life that I feel like I was led to a point where everything I have done as a professional and a teacher is going to be used by this next job in GED,” he said.

Two teachers say goodbye to Lakewood English teacher Kathleen Zambrano is retiring in May. Zambrano, who has been teaching for 30 years, said it is time for her to leave.

“I’m getting old.”

She taught mostly in Chicago then moved to Tampa Bay and started at Lakewood two years ago. Over the course of her career she taught English, journalism and computer software.

Junior Raymond Richardson says he is going to miss Zambrano.

Kathleen Zambrano “I feel that it’s good for her because she wouldn’t have to deal with students, but I would like for her to stay so she can teach me more about English and life,” he said.

Zambrano said her plan for retirement is to move to Los Angeles and be a studio teacher, working with students who do TV and film. She also will have more time to babysit her 19-month-old niece.

“I’m going to miss my kids the most, because they teach me a lot and they keep me young,” she said. “(But) I won’t miss the paper work.”

- SNN Staff Writers KA’WON REEDY and MARKEYSIA PLEASANT

ESE teacher Anna Neal will be retiring this year.

“I am retiring because I am a senior citizen. (I’ve worked) over 43 years as an educator,” she said.

She has been working at Lakewood High School since September 2005. This is not the first time that Neal has retired. Before coming to Lakewood, she spent a year and a half retired, after leaving as an assistant principal at Pinellas Anna Neal Park Middle School. Neal said she enjoyed working at Lakewood because of the challenge of working with the students.

One thing that Neal will miss about working here is teaching and interacting with students. She will not, however, miss getting up so early in the morning. Neal said she plans on traveling and enjoying time with her family.

- SNN Staff Writer TYLER GRAHAM

May 2018 FEATURES 7

An epidemic of vaping Vaping, a trend among high schoolers, may seem cool, but many of the devices contain nicotine and studies show it is highly addictive.

BY NATACHA OLIVERO SNN Staff Writer

Found in school resource officer Lerric Boyd’s drawer are items that look like little black flash drives - a frequent object in his stash. They’ve become the latest trend at Lakewood - the infamous JUUL. A JUUL is a small e-cigarette that resembles a flash drive or even a tube of lipstick and is hard to see in a student’s hand. JUUL has grown quickly in popularity since its introduction to the market in 2015. Its recent popularity has been raising questions about its potential effect on health.

A JUUL is used by inhaling a flavored vapor. It comes in “youth-friendly” flavors including mango, mint and fruit-medley. According to pediatricians, a JUUL is highly addictive due to the high concentration of nicotine in it. It has more than double the concentration found in other e-cigarettes. The New York Times wrote about a study that said one JUUL is equivalent to a whole pack of cigarettes or 200 puffs.

In Lakewood, there were 11 tobacco-related offenses written in this school year alone, which includes e-cigarettes. According to Boyd, if a student gets caught with an e-cigarette the first discipline is a two-day suspension, and the second is a two-week class for drug addiction.

Boyd also said that most students take out the original liquid inside of the JUUL and replace it with THC oil, which is an extract of the cannabis plant.

“If you are found with traces of THC in the e-cigarette then you can receive a misdemeanor charge,” he said.

So why are students still using them on school campus? Because they are a popular pastime, like the way cigarettes were cool and trendy accessories in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

They could also be popular because you can customize a vape from the color to the flavor of the syrup you’re inhaling into your lungs.

“I guess half of it started because some people want to look cool, maybe. The other half… it makes you feel good. Like, it gives you a good feeling,” said one Lakewood student who vapes regularly.

A JUUL vaporizers have a minimum of five percent nicotine per vape yet people puff on them and still tell themselves that it won’t hurt them.

“It’s just way safer than cigarettes. I know there have been studies saying that it’s not as safe as you may think, but still. I’m here for a good time not a long time,” the same student said.

It almost mirrors the situation prior to the ‘80s before people found out that cigarettes caused cancer. According to TobaccoControl.com, even in the late 1960s, only one third of U.S. doctors believed that cigarettes were bad for your health.

- SNN Staff Writer CAYLA HESTER contributed to this story.

AUJONEE DUNBAR | SNN

Lighters, JUULs and other e-cigarettes on school resource officer Lerric Boyd’s desk have been confiscated from Lakewood students.

‘I would just throw it away if I wanted to’ An 18-year-old Lakewood High student talks about why he started vaping and his thoughts on its appeal.

Q: When did you first start vaping, and why did you first start vaping?

It was probably three or four months ago, and probably just because a few of my friends were doing it and I wanted to see what it was like.

Q: What is it like?

It’s all right. In the morning… the morning is probably when it is the best. It just gives you a good feeling. And the rest of the day, it keeps me relaxed.

Q: Were you 18 when you started vaping?

No, I was 17. … Me and one of my friends who was 18 would leave school sometimes to buy the pods for it. I pretty much just got my friends who were 18 to buy it for me.

Q: How expensive are they?

The starter kit comes with four pods and the JUUL. It’s like $50. And

He’s

then the pods themselves come in packs of four and they are $16. The packs of pods probably last you a week.

Q: Do you ever use it at school?

Sometimes I use it at school in the bathrooms, like in-between class periods.

Q: What is the appeal of vaping?

I guess half of it started because some people want to look cool, maybe. The other half…. It makes you feel good. Like, it gives you a good feeling. It’s nicotine, and the nicotine gives you a buzz. It’s just way safer than cigarettes. I know there have been studies saying that it’s not as safe as you may think, but still. I’m here for a good time not a long time.

Q: Do your parents know you vape?

Yes, and they’re not happy about it. I am on my fifth one, because they threw away my first one, they threw away my third one, and they took

TALL, she’s

the charger to my fourth one. So, I just had to buy a fifth one to get a new charger. It was on sale though when I got the fifth one, so it wasn’t a big deal.

Q: Why do they hate it so much?

Because my mom doesn’t want me to get addicted. She was a former smoker, so she is against that. She says in her own words that she doesn’t want it to control me.

Q: Do you think that you’re addicted?

Probably, at this point. I feel like I could probably break it, though, pretty easily. I would just throw it away if I ever wanted to.

Q: Have you noticed any health problems?

I didn’t notice anything happen with my lungs or anything. I don’t have trouble breathing or anything.

-SNN Staff Writer PARIS MCDOUGLE

SMALL

At 6 foot 9, Jamille Reynolds is the tallest student in the school, while Jadea Donald, more than two feet shorter, is the smallest.

By JA’REE JACKSON | SNN Staff Writer

Jamille Reynolds Sophomore Jamille Reynolds, 16, is a 6-foot-9 center on Lakewood’s varsity basketball team. He is the tallest person in the school - and he has not even finished growing.

Q: How much did you grow since middle school?

I’ve grown five inches since middle school.

Q: What is an advantage of being that tall?

I’m good at a lot of stuff like basketball. I can reach a lot of stuff, also.

Q: How long have you played basketball? Why do you like it?

I’ve played for three years so far. I like it because I’m good at it. When I first started I was doing good so I kept playing.

Q: What is the disadvantage of being that tall?

It’s hard to fit in small places. It’s hard to fit in small cars, doorways, walkways and small rides. At Busch Gardens I can’t fit in the cheetah hunt ride because my legs are too

long.

Q: Does your height run in the family? How tall is your mom and dad?

Yes, my dad is tall. He’s 7’3 and my mom is 5’6.

Q: What shoe size do you wear? And is it expensive to buy your shoes?

I wear a size 17 and, yes, I have to (special) order all my shoes.

Q: Is it hard to buy clothes for your size?

Yes, most of my shirts cost $60 and my pants cost like $45.

I have to buy clothes every three months because I grow fast and they get small.

Q: What is a good memory of you helping someone because of your height?

In the store it was something on the top shelf and I helped this lady get it.

Jadea Donald Junior Jadea Donald, 18, is 4’7 and the shortest person at Lakewood High School, a fact she is just fine with.

Q: Are there any advantages to being short?

No, not really because it’s hard to do stuff. It’s hard to reach things, and I can’t get on all the rides at festivals or carnivals Q: Does your height run in the family?

Yes, my mom and dad are short. My dad is 5’5 and my mom is 5’4.

Q: What shoe size do you wear? Is it hard to buy them?

I wear a size 3, and no it’s not hard to buy them. I just go to

Kids Foot Locker.

Q: Is it hard to buy clothes for your size? What size do you wear?

Yes. I wear a size 4 in jeans and shirts are small to medium.

Q: Do people comment a lot about your height?

Does it bother you?

Yes, everyone says, “You’re so short.” Tall people always say it, and they have to look down at me and I have to look up at them. It’s not good.

Q: Do you think you have stopped growing?

I just turned 18, so, yes, I’ve stopped growing.

PARIS MCDOUGLE | SNN

Sophomore Jamille Reynolds and junior Jadea Donald stand back to back in the practice field on April 30. Reynolds is the tallest student at Lakewood while Donald is the shortest.

8 SENIOR WEEK May 2018

1

Dear Seniors,

BY JACE CAMPBELL SNN Staff Writer

W

alking into your first day of high school may have seemed like an exciting adventure. You were one of “the big kids.” You had four years left to go and then you’d be an adult. You saw those vending machines and thought, “Man, we didn’t have those in middle school.”

Later, you may have come to find that all the hype around the high school experience was false and that it tends to be disappointing. Those first two years were exhausting and came with a large workload.

However, there was hope.

Moving on from the lower class to the upper class was a little more laid back. Teachers and students had a little more respect for you because you were almost out the door. You also had the ability to take part in dual enrollment and had the ability to drop classes you didn’t need if you completed the credits.

However, there was a little more to moving on up, especially to being a senior. Some of us are ready to get out of here and enjoy the real world, but others are going to miss it. These last two years really are

2

our last. These are the years we must cherish because we really are never going to get them back.

These were are our last high school football games, our last high school dances. Having a date for prom and taking photos that we are going to look back on in 60 years and say to our kids, “Yes, I really did look like that.” These were our last high school Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring breaks.

These were our last high school years to cherish.

For athletes, these were also your last years in high school to play basketball, football or run track.

Some of us filled out our college applications, and others made plans to move into the work force.

Before we knew it, we were sitting in the gym filling out little forms asking how we want our names printed on our diplomas. Some of us might have been wondering, “What’s next?” and some of us still are. And that’s perfectly okay.

Community college is always a good place to start with English and math prerequisites. Universities will provide you with the classic experience of being on a college campus. And pursing your trade may be

3

4

a path to fulfilment. You don’t have to know right out of high school exactly who you want to be.

Everything is going to be okay, we are all going to be okay.

So, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.

These last two years of high school life flew by. Hopefully, we took in every moment we could in our senior year. These were the fun years, and hopefully, didn’t disappoint you too much.

Now we’re ready for the next chapter of our life and saying goodbye to our formative years. It may be scary, it may be relieving but one thing is for certain, it is all new. When times get hard, remember the lessons you have learned.

5

1. Senior Dalon W on April 27 in the G Ballroom.

2. Seniors Katelyn Johnson laugh befo

3. Senior Troy’von volleyball during th on April 26.

4. A Firefly Events a photo of seniors Anna Robertson a

5. Front, from left, Ja’Lissa Lyons, Jayd Bergmiller, Zahra Hamilton, Stanley Raymond Wong po the football field a prom court.

.

9

In memory of

Car

Bryson Welton- Williams

CAT G

At the beginning of senior week, senior Bryson Welton-Williams was involved in a fatal car accident outside of campus.

His loss was felt throughout the student body. SNN would like to dedicate this spread to him.

“He made people feel good about themselves.

When they were down, he made them feel up. ...

He kept his head together, and he was a smart kid.”

Manny Sanders Bryson Welton-Williams’ uncle

10

May 2018 SENIOR WEEK 9

Cool Schools

BY JAYDA WATTS, O’MRION FLOWERS AND DAVID SILVERS SNN Staff Writers

At least two Lakewood seniors are continuing their education out of state.

Senior Zahra Barrow never thought she would get into the University of Pennsylvania; she was certain, in fact, that she didn’t get in. On the day acceptances came out, her friend finally convinced her to go on the website and check. Barrow logged in, clicked on the link and was in disbelief.

“Music was playing and the screen said, ‘Congratulations, you’ve been accepted!’ When it all set in, I was freaking out,” Barrow said.

Penn is one of the top schools in the United States with an acceptance rate of 9.4 percent and is considered an Ivy League school. Barrow will be majoring in business analytics in the fall.

“It has a good business program and a good atmosphere, mainly the city. It’s in a big city but an urban campus, the best of both worlds,” she

said.

Penn is a private school, which is costlier, but with financial aid and the Doorways Scholarship, Barrow has 90 percent of her tuition covered.

CAT secretary Beverly Mitchell-Brown described Barrow as dedicated, committed and outgoing. Barrow told Mitchell-Brown personally about her acceptance to Penn.

“I was happy for her. I definitely think she deserved it,” she said.

Senior Kevin Lai received a scholarship to Northwestern University in Chicago, Ill. Lai will be majoring in economics and said that he got accepted to the university because of his “good grades, high test scores and well-written essays.”

“It was one of my first choices, because it was a

good academic school, and I like the location,” said Lai, whose grade point average is 4.5.

Spanish teacher Linda Santiago said Lai is one of her favorite students.

“Some of his best qualities are that he is hardworking, determined and diligent at almost everything he does,” Santiago said. “He will do excellent and will be very successful at Northwestern.”

Israel Graveran, a close friend of Lai’s, said he’s very enthusiastic and outgoing.

“He is willing to help others, and loves to try new things,” Graveran said.

While Lai is excited to get accepted, he knows his family will miss him.

“When we got the acceptance letter, my mom was sad that it was so far away but she was happy anyways,” Lai said.

6

Graduation will be at Tropicana Field on May 16 at 8:30 a.m.

Students should arrive at 7:30 a.m., and gates open for guests at 8 a.m. Parking fee for visitors will be $10 per car. No balloons, flowers, banners, umbrellas, strollers or air horns will be allowed in the stadium. Each student will be checked for appropriate attire.

As the year comes to a close, seniors prepare to start the next chapter of their lives. SNN asked seniors:

Where are you going to college?

7 8

I am going to University of Central Florida. I am definitely excited.

It has a great computer science program and a double major in finance.”

Harry Sauers, 12th grade

Wilson dances at prom 6. Seniors Kevin Lai Gulfport Casino and Zahra Barrow shake hands in the courtyard on May 1.

Angelis and Jiana ore prom on April 27. 7. Senior Georgia Dunning sits on a towel while holding a rainbow umbrella Johnson jumps for a during the senior Be Out Day on April 26. he senior Be Out Day 8. Seniors Brittney Jackson, Ernest Fuller and Kijara Ellis dance at prom on April 27. photographer takes Desirae DeFazio and 9. Seniors Matthew Hamilton and Zahra at prom on April 27.

Barrow dance to Perfect by Ed Sheeran for their first dance after being voted prom king , seniors Kendal Wood, and queen on April 27. da Watts; back, Brigit Barrow, Matthew 10. Seniors pose for a picture after recieving Moise, Kevin Lai and their caps and gowns on May 1. ose for a photo on after being named to

I’m going to attend Georgia Tech to learn about industrial design.”

Hannah McAuliffe, 12th grade

Vals and Sals

rson Hamel

AT Valedictorian GPA: 4.79

I’m going to attend Thiel College in Pennsylvania. I’m excited to play football.”

Gabriel Jackson, 12th grade

I’m going to Santa Fe College then the University of Florida. I’m excited for it ... excited to see what life is like living on my own.”

Connor Voigt, 12th grade

Anthony Gruber II CAT Salutatorian

GPA: 4.78

I’m going to be attending Garden City Community college in Kansas.

I’m excited about different levels of football and the climate change.”

Adrian White, 12th grade

I’m going to North Carolina A&T State University. It’s a great campus ... and they have a good political science program.”

D’Asia Waters, 12th grade

PHOTOGRAPHS AND QUOTES BY HIBA AITGRIF, KEONDRICK DAVIS AND GABBY SLIWOSKI | SNN Staff Writers

Martin Salamanca

Traditional Valedictorian GPA: 4.25

Alexis Crawford

Traditional Salutatorian

GPA: 4.04

Photos by ALICIA LOPEZ, PARIS MCDOUGLE, DALLAS DAVIS, AUJONEE DUNBAR, TYLER GRAHAM and MIA MALDONADO.

10 OPINION May 2018

Editorial

With the school year coming to an end, seniors graduating and underclassman rising, students share advice they wish someone had told them as underclassmen.

SNN asked students:

What advice would you give to incoming freshman?

“Stay focused in class, stay on task, always come to school, never be late, listen to the teachers because they know everything.”

-Rakeesh Wideman, 11th grade

When you’re in high school, time really flies. In the blink of an eye, you go from a chubby-faced freshman to a bright-eyed senior ready to graduate.Top row is SNN’s editor-in-chief, Dallas Davis, second row is photo editor Jorden Pompey and third row is opinion editor Paris McDougle.

Dear Underclassmen,

W

e all grow up with a warped perception of high school – enthralled by the campy high school dramas on TV, envious of our oh-so-glamourous high school-aged family members, anxious to finally break out of the annoying shackles of middle school and get into the freedom of high school.

However, for most of us, getting to high school is a huge letdown.

We get here and things are astronomically more awkward. For example, one day, you’re walking down the hallway and minding your innocent, freshman business and suddenly a girl busts out of a classroom in front of you. She’s in tears and beelines to the girls’ bathroom for refuge.

There is nothing glamourous about that..

Upon getting to high school, we all experienced wakeup calls like this – experiences that showed us that high school isn’t all we dream it up to be.

It’s rougher, more stressful, and everything is made 10 times worse by unruly hormones. The people are annoying, clique-y and petty. Your teachers are even pettier.

But now that the seniors are four years into it, and can look back with some perspective, we can tell you high school isn’t all bad.

When you’re an adjusting, struggling underclassman, it may be hard to see, but high school is an important transitional period in all our lives. Here, we’re frozen in between childhood and adulthood. We are allowed some freedom, but there are still authority figures hanging over our every move.

Letters to the Editor

Tone it down, administrators Dear Editor, I think administrators need to be less hostile. I understand that they have a stressful job – and who really wants to deal with kids all day, but not every kid in the hallway is skipping. Some are actually just going to the bathroom. Not every kid is just going through the office to avoid going around. Actually, quite often, they’re going to see someone in the office. Also, when a kid has a question about testing and where or when it is, could they not resort to screaming as soon as it’s asked? No wonder kids wait so long to ask about FSA-related things. If you’re met with yelling, you’re going to wish to avoid that next time.

- Sierra Haas, 10th grade

Lack of baseball coverage

Dear Editor, I feel as though the baseball team is not reported on nearly enough. The team is currently undefeated in district play (9-0), and won in the district championship game Friday after winning the second-round game against Booker 18-0 with Scott Germak pitching a perfect game. I have probably seen one or two articles at most on the baseball team while I’ve seen at least a double-digit number of articles on the football and basketball team.

- Anthony Melendez, 11th grade

XXL list is underwhelming Dear Editor, I think that the XXL list is becoming less and less credible each year. They will make a couple of good picks, but also some questionable ones, especially this year with the absence of both 6ix9ine and Famous Dex (again). And also not to mention Lil Skies called out XXL for being rigged. The XXL freshman list is to show who’s up next in the rap game, but it is no longer a credible source for that, and it’s time for a change.

- Xavier Richards, 12th grade

High school is a frustrating period, especially when you’re still finding your footing. But, as cliché as it may sound, it gets better.

Don’t get me wrong, all four years of high school are annoying. The people will continue to be petty, the work will continue to be hard. But as you get older, you slowly realize that it is all a part of the process.

As you will find in every facet of life for the rest of your life, we learn the most from our low points. The most formative experiences are the bad ones. And, if you work hard enough, high school provides countless opportunities.

While you’re feeling out high school’s disappointing trials and tribulations, it is important for you to keep your eyes on the prize. The prize, of course, is your future and high school is the beginning of a transitional period for you.

You learn mini-lessons in high school that teach you how to adult. By being diligent in high school, you are training yourself to be diligent through your entire transition into adulthood.

You will be surrounded by people who are archetypes of those who you will continue to meet for the rest of your life. Although you will not like all of them, being here will teach you how do deal with them. Being aware of the differences between people will teach you more about yourself.

So, underclassman – hang in there.

High school is like training for life. If you can make it through the tumultuousness, you can make it through anything.

Don’t be disrespectful

Dear Editor, I get that not everyone knows everyone in this school, and I get that not everyone is going to care, but how can you disrespect someone who died at a young age and a few weeks before graduation?

Bryson was a sweet boy and he always picked everyone up who was down, from what I heard. But what I also hear is that (the incident) is his fault because he didn’t have his seatbelt on. But in my opinion, it’s not his fault. No one is going to know the truth besides Josh and Trey. But just because you didn’t know who Bryson was doesn’t mean you can talk down on somebody who isn’t here, because at the end of the day, you are disrespecting somebody’s son, brother, friend or cousin. If you don’t care about what happened, keep it to yourself because putting it on social media for everyone to see is just bringing that (negative) attention to yourself. This was a horrible thing that happened after school, that has changed almost everyone’s lives. Nobody deserves to get disrespected.

Forever gone, never forgotten. Rest in paradise, Bryson.

- Faith Guimares, 10th grade

Teacher pay not worth risk Dear Editor, How much do you think a teacher is being paid?

About $40,000 to 60,000 yearly. How do you think that’s good enough for half the things they go through? They are putting their lives on the line.

How would you feel if one day you came to work expecting the normal routine, and the next hour you are huddled up with your students in a dark, compact room hearing screams and gunshots in the distance?

For only $40,000- $60,000. Now, imagine you are a student chilling in class with your peers and then BOOM, there’s a heated argument between a random kid and your teacher. Your teacher looks like she’s had the last straw. Out of nowhere, you see the teacher pull out a gun. Do you guys honestly agree with fighting fire with fire? Teachers shouldn’t have guns, nor should they be scared for their lives because a child has a gun. Honestly, why aren’t there any metal detectors instead of gunfire?

- Judy Pierre, 9th grade

Trouble students need help

Dear Editor, In Pinellas County, the worst problem in every school is behavior. Students always want to disobey teachers by not doing their work or talking back to them. We should put a stop to every student with behavior problems by starting clubs or programs so students can talk about their personal problems.

Parents or guidance counselors should help the kids with their problems so they can move on and be motivated. I think students who have bad behavior are trying to impress their friends and show off.

Teachers need to start calling students’ parents if they are disobedient because it’s the right thing to do. You do not want any students telling you what to do, because it will get out of hand and you will regret it. Every student with bad behavior wishes they can drop out because they hate learning. But everybody needs an education to be successful in life.

Guidance counselors need to start bringing students together in a circle for them to talk about themselves and work out their problems. That will help their problems out more and more to have them be better students in or out of school.

-Jalen Boykins, 11th grade

“Be yourself, but at the same time get your work done, and kinda stay low. ... Don’t do everything to get friends, but it’s not a bad thing to fit in.”

- David Keister, 11th grade

Practice good work ethic. Don’t put too much emphasis on making friends, because you will meet a lot of people thoughout the four years.”

-Brigit Bergmiller, 12th grade

Treat all students equally

Dear Editor, Some students are overlooked and not set on the same level as other kids just because the teacher may not like them or just simply likes the other student more. I’ve seen countless students with the potential for greatness, but since the teacher doesn’t realize this or just simply ignores it most kids won’t thrive in that class. Teachers also often focus on the kids that already understand the material that they are teaching but not the kids that don’t. So there will be 50 percent of students that get it and the other 50 percent don’t and just cheat off the people who do.

It’s bad because the teachers probably know they do that and just say so what, and it’s bad because some teachers may not even notice what they do.

-Dontae Mitchell, 11th grade

Don’t come to high school acting like a middle schooler. It’s time to mature. Don’t come thinking you run stuff how you in did eighth grade messing with the seventh and sixth graders. Come in and do your work, be chill, ninth grade is the worst year to mess up.”

- Duane Sutton, 10th grade

Lakewood is what you make it Dear Editor, Lakewood High School is not as bad as some kids think. It’s what you make it. To enjoy your time in school it’s all in the way you view things. Even though we may have certain situations happen to us in the school year, that’s not what defines the school.

There are many great teachers and things that go on around the school. Most kids just make excuses about the teachers and the work because they don’t want to do it. The reality of it is that any other school you go to is going to be the same. You’re always going to have a teacher or a class you may not particularly care for. You will also have work in class. So a word of advice would be: Rather than complaining about the school just look for the good in your school and have that Spartan pride that we need.

- Tyler Graham, 11th grade

My advice is to stay quiet and be respectful to your teachers and classmates and try to do well in school because freshman year is the most important year of your life.”

-Alex Carmichael, 11th grade

Response to wage gap Dear Editor, I disagree with the opinion piece published last month (see “Wage Gap Isn’t What You Think”).

Women on average do make only 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. For women of color, the gap is worse, with Hispanic women averaging 54 cents for every dollar a man makes. This wage gap is due to many factors. Many women have to leave a well-paying job in order to care for their children, because the United States is the only developed country in the world without paid maternity leave. If maternity leave was mandated by the government, then women of child-bearing age would not have to leave their jobs. America also does not have a law mandating equal pay; the only country that does, Iceland, is one of the wealthiest and happiest countries in the world. Equal pay legislation would aid women across all classes and bring more money into the economy.

Equal pay would help the many single mothers who work full time for their children and bring home less then their single dad counterparts.

-Max Dayton-Yaeger, 9th grade

Mind your own buisness and focus on your schoolwork.

Otherwise, you will regret it.”

- Reyna Williams, 11th grade

I would say do all the extracurriculars you can before it’s too late. It allows you to integrate into your school better and get to know people.”

-Richard Brennan, 11th grade

PHOTOGRAPHS AND QUOTES BY MARIO HEATLY, PARIS MCDOUGLE AND NICK STODDARD | SNN Staff Writers

May 2018 OPINION

Columns

11

Walkouts need more organization Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder who was recently grilled by Congress following the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, (CC) BRIAN SOLIS

Facebook information scandal is ridiculously overblown Perhaps it is time for us to learn how to be a little more careful with the information we share online.

SARAH KELLY SNN Staff Writer

I

t’s been all over the news lately. The scandal is this: Facebook, doing what Facebook does, sold the “private” information of more than 87-million people to an organization called Cambridge Analytica, which, in turn, appears to have been sold to the Russian government - which used that information to sabotage our 2016 election largely by targeting partisan ads toward those who were

already for one candidate or another.

Once the scandal came to light, Congress called Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify. He spent 10 hours and answered 600 questions explaining social media to old people, specifically his company’s privacy policies.

But, here’s the thing: Nothing on the Internet is “private,” and the expectation that it should be is hilariously naive. Facebook makes money by selling your information to advertising agencies - that’s why you don’t have to pay money for a membership.

It’s not as slimy a system as you’ve been led to believe, either.

Facebook gives other companies information about where you live, what you like and how much you’re likely to buy, and companies use that information to tailor ads specifically to you, to get you to buy their products.

Nothing you put online, in any platform, is only yours to see; it’s best to operate as if someone, even just a hypothetical someone, is watching. For example, if you post a picture of your baby on Facebook, you’re telling thousands of companies that you might be interested in buying baby products. If you post a picture of yourself at a March for Our Lives rally, you’re telling thousands of companies that you’re almost definitely a Democrat.

Could that information be used for wicked purposes by foreign governments? Undoubtedly.

As we’ve seen, it has been. But is it Facebook’s job to prevent that?

Absolutely not.

Facebook is a private company and has no responsibility to “protect our democratic process.”

You know whose job that is? The CIA, the FBI, and the NSA, the

School time change is not worth cost

‘Dress for Success’ days needed Professional dress days for students can jump start them for the real world.

The county is spending thousands on a tedious modification to school start times.

VERONICA SIERRA SNN Staff Writer In April, the Pinellas County School Board decided to change the school start times for the majority of schools in the district.

For most schools, the first bell will ring 15 minutes later than usual.

The only schools that will not be changing are Lakewood, Gibbs, Boca Ciega and Dixie Hollins high schools.

The only difference for these schools is that they will end 15 minutes earlier.

As you can see, this isn’t a huge modification. This isn’t even a change that’s affecting all schools. It’s not even that big of a time difference.

But guess what?

It’s going to cost the district $900,000 to add more bus routes.

You read that right. A change that won’t make an impact on every school

in the district. A change that won’t even help students get the sleep they need is going to cost nearly a million dollars.

The biggest issue surrounding this change is that it costs so much money, yet it has almost no positive impact.

Students will still be getting up at the same time. High schoolers will still be walking in the dark to catch the bus.

The only change? 15 minutes.

With that being said, what is the point of spending so much money on something so inefficient and practically pointless? Why not instead, spend that $900,000 on funding the schools themselves in the district?

Perhaps instead of investing money in a failing attempt at solving the school start time issue, the district could give the schools materials that they’re lacking, such as computers and books. Maybe they should use that money to fix the schools that are breaking down.

Or if they really do care about changing the start time, maybe they should invest into a change that will be effective. If it was a one-hour change, maybe even a 45-minute change, the amount of money that would be put into the change would be completely realistic.

But $900,000 for just 15 minutes?

It’s irrational and unreasonable.

JA’LISSA LYONS SNN Staff Writer Slacks, dress shirts, blouses, tailored blazers, dresses - all are suitable business attire. This is my fourth and final year at Lakewood and through all my years here, I wish I could have had the chance to dress professionally for appropriate real-world situations. Therefore, I am proposing professional dress day, a specific day to let students dress in business casual clothing.

Students can get the opportunity to practice and learn what to wear and what to avoid when going on a job interview, going to work or for certain occasions. Professional dress day would take place two days out of the week, so if they don`t get the attire right the first try, the second time JA’LISSA LYONS | SNN they can correct it or even alter it.

Junior Alexcia Fluellen and senior Tynia Tillman, A 2015 study published in the Sodressed in classic black and white, pose with cial Psychological and Personality Scitrophies they won in the Girlfriends of Pinellas ence Journal, proved that people who County club. School Board member and wore more formal outfits performed Girlfriend’s mentor Rene Flowers awarded better on cognitive tasks. What you the trophies during an initiation ceremony at wear is your personal brand; your Lakewood in December. brand is a representation of you. You

West should watch his words Kanye West needs to be more responsible. His actions and his words affect too many people for him to be so reckless with them.

MALKOLM BELFOR On TMZ on May 1 West hurt SNN Staff Writer the black community when he said 400 years of slavery sounds “like a choice” to him. He then went on to talk about mental enslavement, as if that was the reason for slavery lasting so long.

Slavery was not a choice. Fleeing the legal oppression and captivity in a foreign country where you are outnumbered is more complex than a mindset.

Slaves did try to fight for their freedom. They continuously revolted and tried to gain their freedom but they simply didn’t have enough power. For slaves to be freed power was needed. An amount of power that they didn’t have.

West is misunderstood. He must know that slavery

secretive alphabet soup of our national security. They failed, and now they’re laying the blame on a company that had no obligation to protect us in the first place.

Facebook, a multinational, multibillion dollar company, should not be the arbiters of what we see and who shows it to us.

It should be expected to make money and to follow the rules in each country it’s operating in and it is. None of its behavior in this “scandal” has actually broken American law.

Even beyond this, there’s another issue. Our elections should not be so fragile, and so shallow, that a few foreign ads without any backup information can poison them. Our political minds should not be so poorly formed and exercised that behavior like that can shape our opinions. And if they are? That’s not Facebook’s fault. It’s ours.

The recent walkouts at Lakewood High School and around the country were meant to pay our respects to those who lost their lives during the Parkland shooting and to protest

BY MIA MALDONADO gun laws. But with each walkout at Lakewood, SNN Staff Writer you could hear distant conversations over an off-topic subject and see people taking selfies for Snapchat just to get some extra views. Not only was this rude and annoying, it was very disrespectful and unprofessional.

“I don’t feel like the students respected the silence,” sophomore Candace Talanay said.

The school’s walkouts were not carried out by the staff, but by students. The walkouts were unplanned and unorganized, which influenced many students joining in to simply get out of class, joke with friends and be disrespectful to those who have passed.

I understand that there are people in this school who want to do something positive for the community, but there are factors that need to be considered when doing these kinds of actions in the school.

The walkouts are an honorable idea, but at Lakewood they have little heart behind it.

Why not let the adults take part in organizing the walkouts?

For example, teachers should have only allowed students who they know would have behaved to attend. That way, those who wanted to attend the walkouts, would have a better chance of getting their message across and not be distracted by immature students.

Many schools nationwide have had successful walkouts with no interruptions. Their students protest maturely with posters and signs. These events are made for the intention of making a change.

But there still have not been many changes. Students can still get their hands on a weapon and many schools have not changed their security policies, nor have they come up with good mental health care for students who need it.

If students really want to make a change, students should protest and march in appropriate places where they know they can influence a change in gun control and mental evaluation and where there won’t be any disrespect for the students to express their thoughts and opinions toward this controversial issue.

was more than a choice or a mental state. How could he not when he’s tweeting out that “if this was 148 years ago I’d have been more like Harriet (Tubman) or Nat (Turner)”? It’s impossible for him to compare himself to two of the most notable rebels of slavery and not know that slaves rebelled and attempted to fight back.

However, these comments hurt those who are still affected by slavery the most.

After slavery ended, slaves had nothing. They owned no land and had no money. Businesses and jobs weren’t inclined to employ them without discrimination until the 1960s, 100 years after they were freed. The 50 years from that time until now isn’t enough to decrease a gap of wealth that 400 years of free labor created. This leads to black communities being poor and underdeveloped.

For the failing kid going to a failing school with their failing friends in their failing neighborhood and going home to their failing home with their failing parents, West is their Tubman or Turner. Just like Tubman and Turner meant hope for a better and free life for slaves, West means the same to those who still feel the effects of slavery. He is proof to them that even though they are surrounded by failure that they can still be successful. He is an example for them to see

can express your style, be confident in your skin and strive for excellence.

Along with this, I would want to have a one-semester career class where students learn about making a resume, problem solving, interviewing techniques and how to explore what different jobs are out there.

A survey of American millennials by OnePoll found 65 percent don’t feel comfortable engaging with someone face-to-face, and 80 percent prefer conversing digitally. Professional dress day and a career class will be beneficial for students, because they can develop leadership or communication skills that can land them that job, give any presentation, or make that best first impression to anyone they encounter.

All we do is learn the basics - reading, science and math - at school.

We never take the time to learn the fundamentals of life: how to write a check, cursive, budgeting, whether or not to have a credit card. All of this is important to know when leaving high school.

For example, Future Business Leader of America, Girlfriends and other extracurricular groups try to promote dressing for success. Why can’t everyone?

Administrators should enforce the dress code to prevent bullying, cliques and unwanted distractions, but if you don`t explore different ideas, you`ll never see the possible outcomes.

Rapper Kanye West seems to have forgotten where he came from. that no matter where you come from you can still become something greater.

West is too impactful and important to the black community to be so careless. West wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat just days before his TMZ comments and endorsing Donald Trump who has no intentions to help the black community, is like Tubman freeing herself and not going back to conduct the underground railroad and help free other slaves.

West is underestimating how the community that he effects the most feels by his actions and words. He has been privileged for so long and free of the burdens that slavery still brings to black people that he has forgotten what it feels like. West went from saying that our former president, “(George) Bush doesn’t care about black people” in 2006, to associating with our current president who cares less about black people than Bush.

For West it’s easy to befriend a politician who doesn’t care about the black people still affected by slavery, because he no longer feels the effects of slavery. But for those who are still oppressed and for those who look up to him as a sign that they can make it out of the oppression, his words and his association with someone who isn’t helping them feels like a betrayal.

ILLUSTRATION BY AYANNA FOWLER | SNN

12 FASHION May 2018

Prom Perfect

Summer Skin Care

This year’s prom took students on a trip around the world. Two fashion stand-out seniors break down the cost of their oncein-a-lifetime night.

Armani Adams

Dierra Bradley Bradley donned a pretty pink gown with a dramatic tulle bottom. She accessorized with a glittery clutch to match her sparklely waist accent. To add to the sparkle she wore a jewelry set and tiara (not pictured).

Adams sported a midnight blue tuxedo with a pink bow tie to coordinate with his date’s dress.

He topped off his look with a pair of reflective sunglasses.

Adams pulled back his twisted hair for a sleek and sophisticated look.

Dress: Around $600, from CC’s boutique in Tampa.

Tuxedo (rental): $250 from CC’s boutique, tailored by Jim’s Formalwear.

Cost of accessories: Shoes $80, diamond tiara $42, jewelry set $40

Cost of accessories: Shoes $80 (Amazon).

As summer approaches, dry skin can be a problem for some teenagers. Take a look at some products, you can find at your local pharmacy.

Hydrating facial mist Use this mister to lock in moisture during the day.

$5.99

Hair: Retwisted: $70

Hair, nails and make-up: Extensions $230, hair $190, nails $173, makeup free.

Mercedes Car Rental: $200 Enterprise

Face Scrub

$7.99

Total Cost: $600

Total Cost: $1,355

A daily scrub should be added to your skin regimine to exfoliate your skin. Similar to a charcoal scrub, Acure will brighten your skin in just a few days.

ALICIA LOPEZ | SNN

Seniors Dierra Bradley and Armani Adams pose at the Gulfport Casino during prom on April 27.The two spent nearly $2,000 altogether on prom.

I tried it: Eyelashes

Moisturizing Lotion

BY DAISHANNA REAVES | SNN Staff Writer

BEFORE

AFTER

Over spring break, I had the best lash experience. I took a trip to Crystal’s Nail Plus in Sanford, Fla., to get my lashes professionally done. The wait wasn’t long and the price was only $25. I asked for a short and natural look.

It took about 30 minutes for the stylist to put the lashes on.

When she called me to the back, she put on gloves and put glue on her hand. She grabbed the lashes individually, dipped them in glue, and placed them on my eye. Every two minutes she used tweezers to fix them. The whole time I had to look down but not close my eyes.

The lashes last up to a week or two but after

that you should take them off. To get mine off I take a hot rag and rub my eye until they fall off.

For me, it was a great experience. If Sanford is too far, there are some places nearby that offer the same treatment for similar prices.

Here are a few: 1. Lee Nail’s- 5003 Gulfport Blvd S, Gulfport, FL 33707. $20 2. Nails By Lina- 1110 34th St N, St.Petersburg, Fl 33713. $25 3. Nancy Nails- 1001 49th St S, Gulfport, FL 33707. $20

Fashion line not so supreme

A staple all-year round, Nivea is a body lotion that smooths and softens your skin.

Witch hazel

Fashion brand Supreme has been taking the world by storm since it emerged from the shadows of skate-wear culture a few years ago.

Originally started as a skate shop in Manhattan, the brand is now a billion-dollar industry, with the likes of Kanye West, Kylie Jenner and Justin Bieber all cashing in on Supreme’s newfound popularity. The brand drops its collections in seasons, FW (Fall-Winter) and SS (Spring-Summer) and the company is currently in the middle of the SS18 season.

It has drops every week, with some items being carried onto the following week, mainstays like hats, backpacks and fanny packs, to name a few. It also has new items that only stay for a week at a time, and will then get resold on websites like EBay and StockX for high prices.

For example, in the April 12 drop, luggage was for sale. Yes, luggage, which started at $1,800, consisting of just a metal suitcase with wheels, with the Supreme logo plastered across the package. They sold out in less than five minutes. It seems like a big waste of money to buy this brand of luggage, considering it’s just a plain suitcase with minimal branding.

This is just one example of items that Supreme sells that are non-clothing related, and usually, these items are the ones that will resell for a lot more online, not only because of how unusual it would be for a fashion brand to sell these items, but because these items, like all the items Supreme carries, are in limited

quantities.

On the fashion side, there are Martin Luther King hoodies, consisting of King’s face all over the hoodie with the words “I have a dream” and “We shall overcome” on the front and back. The hoodie itself, when disregarding the message and history behind its content, isn’t that appealing either, looking very rushed and lazily put together.

When shopping on the website, you can always count on items like the fanny pack, shoulder bag and backpack to sell out almost immediately, and usually there isn’t much left but scraps. These items are some of the best looking of all of Supremes’ accessories, looking very simple, and the easiest to style.

In addition to its website, Supreme also has stores in New York City, Los Angeles, London and several stores all over Asia. Its new collections have been a bit less hype than previous drops, but if you do plan on buying something, stay alert, because it still just might sell out before you can get to it.

The April 12 collection may not have very many desirable pieces, but this has nothing to do with the overall quality of the brand; rather, releasing a new collection every week tends to make you run out of ideas, and that’s what it seems has happened, with Supreme nearing the end of its SS18 season.

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Witch hazel can be used as a toner, to clear dirt from your pores at the end of the day.

Supreme’s lates Spring-Summer drop, which includes of all things luggage, doesn’t deliver.

BY HUNTER NEAL SNN Staff Writer

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SUPREMENEWYORK.COM

What is your must-have summer outfit?

Summer Staples Everyone has a go-to summer look, from rompers to slides, your wardrobe adapts to the heat. Spartans share their favorite summer outfits.

PHOTOGRAPHS AND QUOTES BY KEONDRICK DAVIS & LINCOLN ROSENTHAL | SNN Staff Writers

Nike fleece shorts, wife beater, because most of the time it will be hot.”

Elijah Jackson, 10th grade

“A romper, like blue, something that will bring out your skin tone.”

Aryana Davis, 11th grade

I usually just wear shorts and wife beaters most of the time.”

Ani Agolli, 11th grade

Normally, a T-shirt or a tank top and some shorts.”

Nicole Sullivan, 9th grade

Usually I wear Shorts and sleeveless hoodies, and slippers.”

Kazi Haque, 11th grade

Ripped jeans the ones with the knees out. Graphic tees and Jordan’s, because they are comfortable.”

Marques Tampa, 10th grade

Stung with laughter

May 2018 ENTERTAINMENT

13

The drama club’s spring production was captivating and hilarious.

BY PARIS MCDOUGLE SNN Staff Writer

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was the first, and probably last, high school production I have ever seen. It exceeded my expectations in every way, and I’m sure that if I ever did see another high school play, it would lack in comparison to Lakewood’s production. This show was packed full of fun and campy musical numbers, hilariously clever jokes and interaction from the audience.

Before the musical’s opening number, the voice of music director Jacob Merrett can be heard, giving the crowd a disclaimer: “This production is rated PG-13, so if you are offended by anything in the first half, the second half isn’t any better.”

And boy, were there a few things to be offended by. From a plethora of penis jokes - most memorably from senior Luis Rosario, who plays Boy Scout Chip Tolentino and sings a whole song about erections - to some questionable descriptions of Mexicans from junior Leo Bergmiller as vice principal Douglas Panch in the production.

The main cast of this play is amazing, consisting of mostly veteran members of Lakewood’s drama club. All the performers play their part to a tee. It almost seems as if the roles were written for them, as each actor shares little commonalities with PARIS MCDOUGLE | SNN their parts.

The cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee performs a song For example, junior Taylor Ortego has two moms in real life and plays Logainne on stage during their dress rehersal on April 19 at Lakewood Elementary.

Schwartzandgrunenierre, who has two dads. Senior Destiney Waters plays the overachieving Marcy Park, and said herself that she relates to her character on a former spelling bee champ Rona Lisa Peretti. Dunning is a real scene-stealer, with a higher level than the rest of the cast. huge voice and impressive amount of high-heeled dancing.

PARIS MCDOUGLE | SNN Standouts from the show include senior Christopher Velgakis-Blanck, who plays Overall, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was an amusing and Sophomore CJ Land performs the I Love the “nerdy and rough around the edges” William Barfée. Velgakis-Blanck is en- well-rounded production. Aside from a smashing cast, the Lakewood drama club’s ergetic, consistently hilarious and captivating. The same can be said about Rosario, crew is stellar, with a great attention to detail when it comes to lights and stage proYou Song on stage at the musical’s dress Bergmiller and junior Jakob Shepherd as the rambunctious and unpredictable Leaf duction. Additionally, the orchestra pit consisted entirely of Lakewood student musirehersal on April 19 in the Lakewood Coneybear. cians except for one professional hired by Merrett. The pit is an excellent addition to Elementary auditorium.

As far as the female cast goes, senior Georgia Dunning stands out as the peppy, the production, though Merrett’s piano playing kind of steals the show.

Cardi B’s chart invasion

No end in sight to Fortnite’s popularity The video game Fortnite just keeps getting more and more popular on a multitude of platforms.

Rising star Cardi B let’s us into her new album.

BY ELI TRIPPI SNN Staff Writer

BY PARIS MCDOUGLE SNN Staff Writer

Rap’s reigning it-girl, Cardi B (born Belcalis Almanzar), broke records with the release of her highly anticipated debut, Invasion of Privacy. The album dropped April 6 and was certified gold the same day, which means it sold 500,000 units the day it was released. Almanzar is the first female rapper to ever achieve this feat. A week later, her album sat comfortably atop the Billboard Top 200 charts at No. 1.

She has been everywhere this past year, from commercials to features on practically every popular single on the radio.

Although Almanzar released decent mixtapes in both 2016 and 2017, we have never heard her like this. In Invasion of Privacy, she switches it up from track to track and hits the nail on the head every time. From glitzy bangers to uplifting anthems, Almanzar does it all. With this album, she’s showing fans and critics alike that she’s going to be around for a while.

The track list on this album is star-studded, with features from other esteemed newcomers like SZA, 21 Savage and Migos. Almanzar also takes a stab at crossover success with standout track I Like It, which features Latino megastars Bad Bunny and J Balvin.

Invasion of Privacy is an album I could listen to from start to finish, and there is not one track I don’t like. Some are better than others, however, and my favorite is a song called Best Life. The track features Chicago native Chance the Rapper, who spits an unforgettable verse and sings an inspiring chorus alongside Almanzar.

Cuts that fall flat in comparison to the stand-

ATLANTIC RECORDS

out tracks include Ring featuring Kehlani, She Bad featuring YG and Thru Your Phone. These songs are just slightly underwhelming. They’re simply not as engaging as the rest.

Almanzar has an unapologetically dirty mouth, and she uses it to talk about whatever she wants.

Her versatility is captivating, as she can go from rapping about men and sex in one song, to crooning about her hurt feelings in another, to telling us about her Bronx upbringing. To me, what sets Almanzar apart from other artists is her ability to stay genuine at all times.

Cardi B really knows herself, and that is reflected in her music. As a result, we, as fans, really get to know her through this album.

Invasion of Privacy sticks true to its name. Since the release of her chart-topping summer banger, Bodak Yellow, the world has been dying to know more about the dancer turned social media star turned reality star. With this album, Almanzar allows us to do just that. Invasion of Privacy is her officially introducing herself to the world and telling us her story.

Cardi B used this album to set herself up perfectly. She’s left the entire world wanting more by totally exceeding our expectations. As a result, perhaps her sophomore album will be even more highly anticipated than her debut was.

The latest video game trend over the past four months has been Fortnite, which is being played throughout the world.

The free game, which is offered across PS4, Xbox, PC and mobile, offers players a fight to survive through strategic decision-making and building.

Fortnite is similar to games like Player Unknown Battlegrounds and H1Z1, which have a “last man standing” format. But those two games fail to offer the unique building style that Fortnite offers its audience.

The game, as of February, has about 3.4 million concurrent players worldwide. Part of the game’s recent success comes from its availability across all consoles, for free. Fortnite still makes money off virtual currency that players buy called V-Bucks. They can be used to buy exclusive skins - costumes - that players can play the game with. Fortnite also makes money from its PVE version of the game, where your goal is to defend your base from zombies trying to take over.

While the game is successful among players, it has also become a form of entertainment for viewers via platforms such as YouTube and Twitch. Players can stream or upload videos of their plays and games for others to view them.

One of the most popular Fortnite players, Ninja, makes $500,000-plus a month playing in front of an average of 100,000 people a day. He draws a huge crowd to his streams because of his ridiculous plays and humorous personality. In March, Ninja had the third most social interactions among athletes, just behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lebron James. Ninja’s 8-million YouTube subscribers is a huge part of Fortnite’s growing success.

The game has even drawn attention among celebrities such as Drake, Logic, Marshmello and Travis Scott. Drake and Ninja, with appearances from JuJu Smith-Schuster and Travis Scott, teamed up to

WILLIE SMITH | SNN

Sophomore Dean Hudson plays Fortnite on a Playstation on April 12. Fortnite has become a popular game among teens since its intial release.

break the Twitch livestream record with more than 600,000 viewers during their time playing.

Personally, Fortnite is a well-developed game that offers great gameplay and graphics for all to enjoy.

It offers a unique type of gameplay that extends just past the typical shooting game, including the ability to build structures not only as protection but as a base that helps you win the game.

If you are looking for a fun, online game to play with friends, I would recommend Fortnite to you. I give it a 10/10.

‘Simon’ touches a chord

This movie is timely, insightful and hilarious - the perfect representation for LGBTQ teens today.

PARAMOUNT

‘Quiet’ makes a big bang A Quiet Place’ keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.

BY JACE CAMPBELL SNN Staff Writer

A Quiet Place will leave you emotionally invested in the fate of its characters - and not so quiet leaving the theatre. The movie has so many jump scares it is sure to make you throw your popcorn into your neighbor’s lap during the film.

At first glance, the family in the movie appears deaf because of their continuous use of sign language throughout the film.

Within the first scene, however, you find out the real reason they live in silence is because the world is infested with monsters that are blind, and will literally consume anything that makes a loud noise.

The film will have you almost nauseated with anxiety because of how tense it is.

The film is directed by John Krasinski who also plays the dad, and the mother is

played by Krasinski’s real-life wife Emily Blunt. The movie takes place in the year 2020, after most of the earth’s population has been wiped out by monsters called “Death Angels” that look very similar to the Demogorgon’s from the popular Netflix show, Stranger Things.

The fantastic trailers leading up to the movie did not do it justice. The film had me completely engulfed in wondering what would happen next. The way the filmmakers use the sounds throughout the movie to move the story along is a genius idea because it keeps the viewer watching. In A Quiet Place, every move in the movie means something even when you might not consider it at first glance.

Every sound and every second is dedi-

cated to building the characters and the tension in the film.

However, I can say that no movie is perfect, and I did happen to find myself frowning at some of the decisions made by the characters in certain situations.

Still, this movie is an almost perfect movie that I did thoroughly enjoy from the sound building tension, to the way that it made me grip the arm of the chair throughout the film. When you’re out looking for a scare, this is a great movie.

I would rate this a 9.5 out of 10. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 96 percent ranking. It is rated PG-13 and is suitable for mature children and up.

BY JACE CAMPBELL SNN Staff Writer

Love, Simon, a sweet, positive and affirming movie based on the book Simon vs. The Homosapien Agenda by Becky Albertalli, brings a heart-warming story of self-identity and first love to the big screen.

Simon is a gay teen played by Nick Robinson who has yet to “come out of the closet.” But when he finds out another anonymous student at Creekwood High School is also gay, Simon develops a friendship with him through email.

When his classmate Martin, played by Logan Miller, finds his emails he uses them to blackmail him.

Blue, the anonymous email crush, is probably the most well-developed character. The movie keeps you on the edge of your seat wanting to find out his identity, which isn’t revealed until the end of the film.

This movie might not catch the eyes

FOX

of every young teen or adult, but for the LGBTQ group of individuals, this movie caught hearts and inspired teens all over the United States to come out to their friends and families.

Not only has this movie made an emotional impact, but because there aren’t a lot of LGBTQ movies out there about real-world experiences such as this one, it was a big step for the community. I have already seen the movie four times in the theaters because it really is just that good.

This romantic love story isn’t just for LGBTQ people, though, but for everyone. By the end of the movie, you will most likely be tearing up because of how sweet and heartfelt it is.

The movie has scored a 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and is a must see in the theatre. If you’re looking for a tear jerker, this is your movie. I rate this a 10/10.

14 SPORTS May 2018

Running in the right direction

Senior Shakera Thompson signs with Brenau University on a track scholarship.

BY JAELYN BROWN SNN Staff Writer

Lakewood High School track athlete Shakera Thompson signed on March 19 to attend Brenau University in Gainesville, Ga. Thompson will be attending Brenau on a 90 percent athletic scholarship. The only thing she has to pay out of pocket for are books.

Thompson said she came across Brenau when she Googled schools that had her intended major, exercise science, and the university’s name came up. She applied shortly before taking a questionnaire, which got the attention of Brenau track coach Byron Kramer.

According to Thompson there is a hospital next to school, which lets students intern after receiving their bachelor’s degree.

Kramer wants Thompson to run several events such as the 100-meter, 200-meter and the first leg of the 4x100 relay.

Her current track coach Anthony Snead said Thompson will do an excellent job in college and put her school on the map. He said that even though Brenau is smaller than an average university, she’ll be able to compete with larger schools. Brenau is an hour and 30 minutes from Atlanta and has 2,899 students.

“Shakera is a pretty focused person who cares about her success, and I think that kind

of equated to the fact that she signed a scholarship,” Snead said Thompson said her parents liked the school because the classroom sizes are smaller than the average size at other universities. They also like the idea of Thompson going to Brenau because of the amount of financial help they’re offering.

Currently, Thompson is trying to get mentally prepared for the collegiate curriculum and being away from her family.

Some of her goals for her freshman year in college are to excel in the classroom - specifically to keep getting honor roll and maintaining her grade point average. As far as track goes she plans to at least maintain her current times but anticipates getting better.

“I feel like I’m going to be really successful in college. I’m going to feel like a boss,” she said.

Teammate Jarvis Kellogg, a senior, describes Thompson as a very dedicated and hardworking person who is willing to help her other teammates and motivate them to reach their potential.

“I think she’ll be very successful,” Kellogg said.

JORDEN POMPEY | SNN

Senior Shakera Thompson runs the 4x100 meter relay at Lakewood in February. She will be heading to Brenau University in the fall on a track scholarship where she hopes to major in exercise science.

Special to SNN

Gabriel Paskevicius Jr. stands behind a sign in the town of Gijon in Spain.

Paskevicius went to Spain in late March to play in a tennis tournament.

NICK STODDARD | SNN

Tennis coach Alan Anastos teaches his team some techniques. The team was not able to compete this year, only practice, because they did not have enough eligible players.

Tennis season falls apart

This year’s tennis team couldn’t compete because of ineligible players and too few boys on the team.

BY NICK STODDARD SNN Staff Writer

Each day after school the tennis team heads to the courts for practice – but despite their dedication, none of the players have been able to compete in a real match.

That’s because of two factors. One, there are only two eligible girls, and to compete the team must have five. And, two, there are no boys on the team Senior Sunny Parvataneni, one of the best players from last year, left the team after three successful years playing for Lakewood.

“Two of our top players quit, so then Eneda Kulla I didn’t have anyone to practice with,” Tennis player he said. “It really sucks because our last three years were really successful.”

Last year, he said, there 11 boys on the team and six girls, most of whom graduated.

The last boy that was on the team, sophomore Will Albee, stopped playing toward the end of March.

“I retired from the team because there’s no point in playing if I can’t play matches,” he said.

This isn’t the only hardship the Spartans tennis team

faces. Sophomore Eneda Kulla, a player on the team, is disappointed the girls who are left cannot compete.

“We only have two eligible players to play in matches. That’s me and my partner Tanya. We do good, but we can’t play matches because you need five eligible players,” Kulla said.

As a result, this year the tennis team has only practiced – not officially played in match - but team members are hoping that next year there will be more eligible players for both a girls’ and a boys’ team.

“I will try and recruit some more people next year so we can have a boys’ team,” Albee said.

Tennis coach Alan Anastos, who is new this year, said he is not allowed to recruit players, “only encourage those who have participated to continue to play in the off season and participate again next season.”

Even though they didn’t get to compete, Anastos said, all the boys and girls who practiced consistently on a regular basis improved.

“We do good, but we can’t play matches because you need five eligible players.”

‘A one-of-a-kind experience’ A freshman traveled to Spain to compete in an international tournament.

BY TARA DAVIS SNN Staff Writer

Lakewood High School has many star athletes on the school’s sports teams, including basketball, football and soccer. Though there are plenty of athletes who play for the school, there are also some talented people who don’t talented people like freshman Gabriel Paskevicius Jr., who competed in a tennis tournament in Spain in late March.

The Open De Liberbank- a tennis tournament in Gijon, Asturias in northern Spain took place from March 14 to April 3.

Paskevicius has been playing tennis for nine years and aspires to be a professional tennis player. He remembers his father being very supportive when he found out about Paskevicius’ goal.

“As parents we always hope our kids not only have goals but also dreams. … My first reaction was to offer him my full support,” said Paskevicius’

father, Gabriel Paskevicius Sr. Paskevicius first started playing tennis when he was 6 years old. He played for about 7 months, then he quit. He came back a few years later in 2013.

Open De Liberbank had 32 people in his division and about 300 competitors in the whole tournament. Out of the 299 other players in the competition, he made it to the semifinals.

Paskevicius’ talent had brought him to many places. Just last year he trained in La Plata, Argentina and will travel to France this coming summer. He has earned two training scholarships, but he also hopes for one to help him attend a good college.

Some may be wondering why Paskevicius doesn’t play for Lakewood’s own tennis team. He said he needs more time with his own coach, and high school tennis isn’t the

level he’s looking for. He also prefers to play by himself. He says that it’s harder to get a higher ranking and play individual tournaments when part of a team. He has participated in 84 tournaments since 2014 and is ranked 200th in the state.

His best friend, freshman Bailee Johnson, said she’s known about his goal for about a year and a half. He told her about the tournament the day he found out.

“I felt proud and happy for him, but I was also sad because he was leaving,” Johnson said.

Both Johnson and Paskevicius Sr. are supportive of Gabriel’s dreams and ambitions.

The two are both certain he will succeed and prosper as a professional tennis player.

“I like tennis because it’s a challenging sport and it improves who I am,” Paskevicius said.

Junior breaks mile record A Lakewood runner beats the previous record set 17 years ago in 2001.

BY DAVON MILLER SNN Staff Writer

Junior Lucas Sheridon broke the Lakewood High School mile record for track March 10 at the 56th Annual Ed Wells Jr. - Kiwanis Invitational in Clearwater – a record that was held for 17 years.

“I still have to do a double take, realizing that I hold the mile record. I don’t know, it’s just cool. I just really didn’t believe it at first,” Sheridon said.

Sheridon found out he’s broken the record, just as he crossed the fourth lap on his run where he could view a clock during his laps.

This year he beat the previous record holder, Justin Dodson, who in 2001 ran the mile in 4:38. Sheridon, beat it by 4:36:83.

“I knew I was at least one second ahead, but I didn’t realize afterward that I beat it by two seconds,” he said.

Sheridon’s parents, however, were unable to make that specific event where he broke the record, but are extremely proud of their son who told them the news.

“He called us, because we weren’t at that event,” said Sheridon’s father, Paul. “I think he told his mother first.”

Although Sheridon couldn’t believe his new record, track coach Anthony Snead knew that someone would beat the record.

“Records are made to be broken, so when Lucas leaves here they’ll probably be another kid that I’ll be pointing to the record,” he said.

Sheridon got interested in running from an elementary school program called Super Sneaker Challenge Days, where kids run around the courtyard for 30 minutes.

Sheridon’s motivation to keep running, not just for events but for practices too, comes from the push that he gives himself.

His success comes from the many tips that Snead and other coaches have provided to

him.

“What motivated me to keep running from day to day is just knowing how much better I could be. And if I did not work, how much worse I could be,” Sheridon said.

Motivation and running tips also come from other coaches besides Snead.

“I’ve had other coaches that work with him. A coach worked with Lucas and really helped Lucas understand distance running and helped me as well,” Snead said.

The motivation that coaches provided helped him to not giving up on track.

“I’ve noticed my body is more fragile.

I need to take better care of myself like, games, such as flag football I need to be careful. Just, the side to side motion is a little bit harder on my legs. But, benefits, I’d say it’s just really fun, I enjoy it a lot,” Sheridon said.

JORDEN POMPEY | SNN

Junior Lucas Sheridon runs during a track meet in February. Sheridon broke the mile record that was originally set in 2001. “What motivated me to keep running from day to day is just knowing how much better I could be. And if I did not work, how much worse I could be,” Sheridon said.

May 2018 SPORTS

Relive the moment

15

Lakewood athletes reminisce about their favorite moments of the season.

CAMILA CHERONE | SNN

JORDEN POMPEY | SNN

Boys basketball: Freshman Oteman Delancy

Soccer: Senior Jahaziel Alonso

“It was the day of senior night and it was a home game. We were down 1-0 and then I was able to score “It was (my) first end-game dunk against Tarpon Springs. … I did not think I would make it. I never and tie the game up. It was the best score I ever made. It was set up so perfectly and I got it from the air it dunked in a game before. And afterward all my teammates were hype.” was a special moment because all my family was there my parents and my grandparents was able to see this great moment for me.”

JORDEN POMPEY | SNN

JORDEN POMPEY | SNN

Softball: Freshman Bailee Johnson

“I have been playing most of my life, so it’s all exciting the way the game works. There was a game where we were down a couple and we needed motivation. A girl in front of me hit, then I went and we scored. Then we saw we had a chance, which was the motivation we needed to win.”

Baseball: Junior Aidan O’Dowd

“We played (Pinellas Park) and I was the one who hit the winning run.

I was at the plate, and a guy was at third base. The catcher was trying to be all buddy-buddy with me. I was just ignoring him because I was in the zone and normally I don’t hit curve balls, but this time I did. And then we scored and we had a walk off, which is when you score at the end of the game and we end up winning. I had a great time all in all.”

Special to SNN

Football: Junior Raymond Richardson

“The second game of the season. We were playing against St. Pete High and that was the best moment to relive. … It was a Friday night and they were up 13-0 and it was halftime, and it started raining. … They canceled the game and then played the next day and then it was third quarter and we were up 19-0 and somehow St. Pete got power and beat us. Them beating us made us a better team.”

By SNN Staff Writer TYLER GRAHAM

18 athletes on track to states Eighteen members of Lakewood’s track team headed to states this past weekend.

BY ELI TRIPPI SNN Staff Writer

As the Spartans entered Cypress Creek High School on April 25, they had one goal in mind, make it to states. When it was all over, the Spartans had 18 runners that made it to states, which took place on May 4-5 at the University of North Florida.

Most of the runners were participating in relays while there were three girls and five boys competing in individual events.

Senior Michael Hancock was running in four races at the state championships, the 400 meter, the 4x400 meter, the 800 meter and the 4x800 meter.

“My season has been up and down. … I started this season trying to be a 400 (meter) runner and mid-season, I was an 800 runner

and found more success,” Hancock said.

Senior Mohammed Haitham, who is only running in the 4x800 at states, said that even though he did poorly at the regional finals, his team still managed to get the job done.

“As a team, everyone did what they needed to do, whether that was going to states or not,” he said.

Senior Shakera Thompson will be running the 100-meter and the 4x100 relay at states.

“I’ve been (to states) three years, and I’m excited and blessed to be attending once again, but it’s bittersweet because it will be my last high school track meet,” she said.

In the days after a big meet, track coach Anthony Snead likes to take practices light with limited running for each athlete. But typically, two days before meets, he and the team participate in hard running.

“It can be very emotionally challenging, both physically and mentally, but it’s what we do to prepare,” Snead said.

Regardless of the results from states, Snead said that his team has had an amazing year overall.

He thinks it’s a huge step forward from last year.

“It was excellent… we’ve always had good athletes but this season was wonderful. The athletes were flying and very hard-working,” Snead said.

For the seniors going to states, they’re ready to make their last race one to remember.

“I’m going to leave it all on the track,” Hancock said.

(To get results from the state championships, go to pcsb.org/snn.)

GABBY SLIWOSKI | SNN

The Lakewood boys’ track team celebrates its district championship on April 11 at Booker High School in Sarasota.

From here, most of the boys advanced to regionals and 10 and one alternate headed to states this past weekend.

2 girls get basketball scholarships

BY DIANA ROSENTHAL SNN Staff Writer

Two girls’ basketball players - seniors Paris Williams and Jakyra Champine - signed with colleges on Thursday in the Center for Advanced Technologies auditorium.

Williams will continue her basketball journey to Daytona State College. She said she is happy with her choice.

“It feels good. It feels like I’m going to another Lakewood because they play the same way,” she said.

Boca Ciega girls’ basketball coach

Cheryle Greene attended the signing because she was Williams’ coach during her freshman and sophomore year.

“Paris has always been a phenomenal athlete and achieved in any sport she chooses. I know her future is going to be bright,” she said.

Champine will continue her career in basketball at Webber International University.

“It feels amazing. I was ready to get out of St. Pete. I almost died a million times because of Coach Necole,” she said.

Champine’s father, Otha Green, said

From left, senior Paris Williams, girls’ basketball coach Necole Tunsil and senior Jakyra Champine sit together after signing with their schools on Thursday.

he is super proud of his daughter.

“It’s still half full. This is the beginning and like I told her, hard work pays off. It only gets better from here,” he said.

Principal Erin Savage and girls’ basketball coach Necole Tunsil both gave speeches about how they are proud and blessed to be part of the girls’ journey.

“It’s been our honor to be a part of their lives on and off the court. I know some of it seemed abusive but look at the result. Words can’t describe how I feel as your coach,” Tunsil said.

DIANA ROSENTHAL | SNN

16 BEST OF 2017-2018 May 2018

SNN’S BEST PHOTOS OF 2017-2018 Every year SNN compiles the best photos for the school year. Here are this year’s top picks.

NIKIYAH NEAL | SNN

Senior Khalid Davis and football coach Justin Smith talk about a play during a game against Boca Ciega High School on Aug 25.The Spartans beat the Pirates 27-26.

JONATHAN MYERS | SNN

Senior Adrian White celebrates on the court during a basketball game on Jan. 12.

JORDEN POMPEY | SNN

People gaze at The Hallucinogenic Toreador in the Dali Museum on Sept 23.

LINCOLN ROSENTHAL | SNN

Lakewood students converse during lunch on Jan 29.

DALLAS DAVIS | SNN

JORDEN POMPEY | SNN

Freshman Lincoln Rosenthal prays before the 800-meter race on Feb. 10

DALLAS DAVIS | SNN

Sophomore Jade Marks gives a speech on Feb. 21 in the Lakewood bus circle during the walkout in memory of Parkland shooting victims.

From left, juniors Tyler Graham and Cristin Thomas use tablets on the C-SPAN bus on Nov. 14. C-SPAN is a public service news ccable news channel.

Junior Jeremy Texel runs out of the dugout onto the field on March 26.

CHRIS WESSEL | SNN

Blueberries sit on a table in a bin during the Saturday Morning Market in downtown St. Pete.

PARIS MCDOUGLE | SNN

The Apollo Theater is one of the notable sights that SNN visited on its trip to New York in March.

JORDEN POMPEY | SNN

TORRENCE RUFFIN | SNN

Senior Armani Adams waves down a player during the football game Sept. 2.

ALICIA LOPEZ | SNN

Birds stand on the edge of a seawall at Vinoy Park on Sept. 23.

JORDEN POMPEY | SNN

Senior Alexis Crawford reaches to put a beanbag on a Velcro strip to mark her distance in a bungee challenge during senior Be Out Day on April 26.