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December 11, 2009
The Lion’s Tale
News
‘How to save a life’ Student heroes turn out by the hundreds to donate blood
International Cuisine Club works Victoria Persampiere in kitchen to stir up charity funds news editor
International Cuisine Club plans on hosting a charity event to raise money to be donated to Savannah Court Assisted Living Home. Ten students, including seniors Alan Zegarra, Christina Moyer, James Telson, juniors Lindsay Knox, Anthony Buday, Christine Schuler, Chenell Henderson, Jehnifer Frank, sophomore Rebecca Peters, and one other as of yet undecided student make up the club. The club will prepare and serve food at Maggiano’s Little Italy on Jan. 22. The banquet will begin at 6p.m., but the students will be on-site at noon to get started. If the club manages to sell out every seat (at $20 each seat) , the club will raise a total of $600, all of which will be donated the night of the banquet to a represetnative from Savannah Court. Tickets to the event will be on sale for $20; please see Karen Stapleton for more details.
SECME recruiting new members
SECME, sponsored by physics teacher Jim Bolin, is currently recruiting new members interested in science, engineering, or technology. Club dues are $10. SECME members are currently working on their projects for regional competition, which will be held in Feb. at the University of Central Florida, Orlando.
National Honor Society welcomes 56 new members at ceremony
56 juniors and seniors were induceted into the National Honor Society this past fall. The club welcomed the newest members at a formal induction ceremony in the Cassanova Performing Arts Center during periods 6 and 7. NHS will host another induction ceremony in the spring. This induction will be open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors who meet the requirements for admission to the club.
photo/MIRANDA GHALI
FIRST MEETING. New NHS members gather for their
first meeting in sponsor Janice Latimer’s room. NHS typically meets once a month, with seasonal dinner meetings.
from GRADES, page 1
T
he students at Oviedo High are accustomed to being the best. They’ve earned the highest district scores on the FCAT, the varsity football team pounded out a crushing 9-1 season, and the band’s percussion section placed number one in the state. Now the students have another accomplishment to be proud of – one that arguably means more than any they’ve attained before. Last year, OHS students saved a total of 1,473 lives by donating blood – the highest of any school in Central Florida history. “Our last year’s blood drive was commendable; during our four blood drives, we collected 491 units,” said Col. Joseph Nardo. “No one had ever collected that much before.” The Florida Blood Bank, aware of and grateful for the sacrifices of OHS students, has worked with NJROTC to make this year’s blood drives even bigger. “In light of the fact that we have so many donors, we’ve generated additional buses for each drive, so that the wait time is shorter and we can accommodate more donors,” said Nardo. In addition, the Florida Blood Centers have extended an offer to help pay a select few OHS donors back for their selflessness. “Central Florida Blood Bank has been so impressed with our success that they’ve activated a Blood Bank scholarship in honor of what we’ve done here,” said Nardo. While the particulars of the scholarship are as of yet unspecified, Nardo plans on making an announcement to all donors when the information becomes available. And the donors are as varied as they are many; students of all colors, sizes, classes and blood types board the Blood Buses four times a year to help save lives. However, there seems to be an unusual trend in the gender of OHS’ donors. “Something I find really interesting is that around 70% of donors are girls; consistently, at all six drives, they’ve had a better showing than the boys,” said Nardo. “They really take joy in it. They aren’t concerned with the needles or passing out, they just come out to donate.” This bias is contrary to the national standard, where more men turn out to donate than women. “Men have a lesser iron challenge than women do, because women are more often deferred because of low body weight or iron levels. So we really need the men [at OHS] to step up,” said Doug Goldbarth, Donor Development
Lundquist explains that a luncheon for students with a grade point average of 4.0 or higher will still be held at the beginning of second semester. “We were not trying to offend students who do not have straight As. There are great students here who will be recognized. And I am optimistic that there will be even more straight As at the semester,” said Lundquist. Freshman Mitchell Callaway battled his first AP class to receive straight As, while senior Jon Thomas battled the disease commonly known as senioritis. They both agree, however, that the seven period day hasn’t really affected them in their efforts to receive straight As. Sophomore Megan Heil, one of the 8 sophomores to earn straight As, believes that many sophomores are having trouble adjusting to their course load. “The workload is a lot but it doesn’t become stressful if you don’t let it The only big difference between sophomore year and freshman year is that AP World History is really fast paced compared to AP
photo/CARLY MCCARTHY
THREE LIVES SAVED. Junior Sarah Parks waits patiently on the Blood Bus as her blood races through the complex
network of tubes and into a carefully marked blood bag. Within 48 hours, that bag will be used to save up to three lives.
Coordinator at Florida’s Blood Centers. While the Blood Drive is on track to beat last year’s record, with 270 units already collected at two drives, Nardo would like to see OHS boys come out and help save lives. “I’d like to issue an official challenge to the male community to be as active and dedicated as the girls have been in the past,” said Nardo. “In addition, if any other clubs would like to help out with the blood drive, they can contact me at any time. Beta Club was a huge help during the last blood drive; I’d like to thank Mrs. Tina Near and Mrs. MaryannMontione for their help.” Each unit of whole blood can save three adult lives. The blood is available for use in hospitals two days after students donate, and for the most part it stays local. “Everything collected at Oviedo High School goes first and foremost to Orlando Regional Medical Center, Florida
Human Geography,” said Heil. AP World History teacher Gary Barnett explains that sophomores have very high standards to live up to. “The tenth grade is a very transitional year. The standards really rise – especially in courses like AP Chemistry and my own. Sophomore year has to prepare students for junior and senior year – they have to be used to the rigorous workload they will receive. At times it seems overwhelming, but it works out in the long run. The students that don’t get straight As sophomore year will probably adjust and succeed in junior and senior year,” said Barnett. Though it seems the seventh period day has left less students with straight As, several teachers, including Barnett, say that they haven’t seen much of a change in their grades. “My grades are pretty much the same as they’ve always been,” said AP Art History teacher Didi Gibbs, “I think that students do have more work and more stresses forced on them with the seventh period day, but it seems like students are adjusting and handling it quite well.”
Hospital, and other regional hospitals,” said Goldbarth. “We are the sole provider of blood to the Central Florida area.” Central Florida’s hospitals are always in need of blood. The donations collected at OHS are used to replenish blood lost during trauma, heart surgery, and organ transplants. They are used to help patients with cancer, sickle cell disease and thalassemia. They are used every day to save lives, and the blood supply always needs to be replenished. There is currently an urgent need for type O-, AB-, and A- blood, although all blood types are always in demand. “We tend to have a shortage during the holidays. People go on vacation, or they’re just not thinking about it – but we really do need the donations,” said Goldbarth. “We also have a higher need in the summer, once again because people often go away, and because school isn’t in. The schools are a huge help.”
Straight A Stack Up
16 freshmen 8 sophomores 16 juniors 18 seniors
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58 Students