The Lion's Tale - Volume 51, Issue 4

LION’STALE OVIEDO HIGH SCHOOL • 601 KING STREET • OVIEDO, FL • JANUARY 28, 2011 • VOLUME 51 • ISSUE 4

D N U O B 4 FINAL Lady Lions win regional final page 26

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news

New methods of cheating found among Florida Virtual School students. 4-5

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features

Freshman Sophia Mackrides performs trapeze act in circus.

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diversions

Check out what shows made the trash TV list.

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THE LION’S TALE

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JANUARY 28, 2011

AP or dual enrollment?

Drama actors waltz for play

Pennies add up to dinner

THE SCOOP

The drama department decided not to organize a musical this year. Instead, they agreed to put together a play entitled Cinderella Waltz, which will be held April 8-10.

On Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. they will host the Robert Locke Night of Stars in the General Performing Arts Center.

The Pasta for Pennies Campaign held by the NJROTC will continue to raise money until March. The collected funds will go towards research for finding a cure for lymphoma and leukemia.

The teacher who collects the most money will win a complimentary dinner from Olive Garden for him/her and 35 of his/her students.

Carnival ticket sale begins

The Athletic Booster Club will host the Spring Carnival of 2011. It will be held March 10-13 at OHS. Single-day unlimited ride wristbands retail for $15 each. Fourday unlimited ride wristbands costing $45 are available.

Tickets can be ordered during lunch in the Commons.

Newspaper crowned winner The Lion’s Tale newspaper received a Crown award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) as well as receiving All American by the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA). Six staff members will travel to the CSPA Convention in March where they will find out whether the newspaper has won a silver or gold crown.

In his summary, the judge for NSPA wrote “this was by far the best coverage of topics I’ve seen ever in a high school newspaper” and “outstanding coverage in news, features, sports, and opinion.”

photo/COURTESY OF KATHRYN BAILEY

HARD WORK PAYS OFF. The Lion’s Tale newspaper achieved the status of Gold Medalist from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, first place in the Medalist Critiques. They were recognized in a Seminole County board meeting for this on Dec. 14. Newspaper advisor Deborah Jepson, juniors Stephanie O’Sullivan, Amanda Ferguson, Jordan Branch, seniors Carson Bailey, Lindsay Knox, Connor Bailey, Kaitlyn Loughlin, Julia Thorncroft, and sophomore Wesley Wynne all were recognized.

Top scholars weigh in

by Olivia Davila-Finch

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ophomore Marcus Robinson sits in his first period, contemplating his schedule for next year. He counts up each credit and reviews each Advanced Placement class, his mind buzzing as he tries to make a crucial decision. Which path offers more benefits: AP classes, or dual enrollment?

Many colleges, such as Seminole State College (SSC), Valencia, and the University of Central Florida (UCF) support dual enrollment as long as the student meets certain requirements.

For SSC, students must pass all sections of the 10th grade FCAT, be enrolled in at least five high school classes, and have a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.0.

“I very much prefer AP classes over dual enrollment,” Robinson said. “In an AP class, you get to spend a whole semester or a year in the class and learn a lot more.

You don’t get as much education in a college class.”

Students complete an AP class in a time span of 180 hours. Compared to that, a dual enrollment class consumes about 42 hours.

“When I took calculus with Mr. Safi some time ago at Oviedo, I may have read a total of one or two sections of the book because there was enough class time for us to be taught all of the concepts we needed to know,” senior Toby Tobkin said. “However in my current math class, the professor expects us to read all of the sections he teaches topics from and study most of the proofs for theorems we learn.”

Some students find this beneficial.

“I think dual enrollment classes give you more freedom to learn the material at your own pace; there’s more flexibility,” sophomore Anya Katsevich said. “It’s also a GPA booster, because semester dual enrollment classes count as full year AP classes.”

Katsevich finds one advantage to AP classes over dual enrollment.

“I also enjoy being able to know all my classmates,” Katsevich said. “I feel that being able to talk to and learn from my peers is a big advantage of AP.” Along with the faster pace of dual enrollment classes, the size of the class tends to be larger in college. Generally, a college class will average 150 students to one professor. Most AP classes taken at the high school fall under the class size amendment and can only have 25 students to a class.

“I like the smaller classes in an AP class because there’s more one-on-one time with the teacher,” Robinson said. “I find it very helpful to be able to have help from my teacher. The individual focus applied to each student makes it easier to assure everyone’s learning.”

Cost can be a disadvantage in dual enrollment.

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While the dual enrollment program spares students from having to pay tuition fees when taking college classes through dual enrollment, he or she must buy their own textbook.

“Not having to pay for my books in AP is a big factor to me,” Robinson said. “Classes should be free in high school, regardless of whether you’re at a high school or college. Why would I pay for a class at college that I could take for free and learn the same material at high school?”

Dual enrollment Marcus Robinson ‘13 offers several advantages as well.

“The most important advantage to dual enrollment for me is the assurance of having that college credit and being able to use it,” Tobkin said. “Accreditation is essential to me. At UCF I can earn a larger quantity of credits and also take higher level courses than those offered by the College Board through AP classes.”

In AP classes, an exam is administered by the College Board at the end of the year to determine whether the student will receive college credit.

This exam has no effect on the student’s grade in the class, and as long as the class is passed, the student will receive high school credit. However, if the exam is not passed the student will not get the college credit.

In a dual enrollment class, the student just needs to pass the class to receive the high school and college credit. If the student passes the class, they receive the college and high school credit.

“I don’t like how in an AP class the only way to truly earn the [college] credit is through passing the end of year exam,” Robinson said.

“On the other hand, it’s guaranteed you can get the credit if you just pass the college class.”

For Tobkin, it can also be helpful to take dual enrollment classes in order to prepare for college.

“None of them [my AP classes] really helped me to prepare for dual enrollment or college,” Tobkin said. “Classes at UCF work radically different than ones at Oviedo. For example, in math classes at Oviedo you get significant amounts of credit from homework and quizzes throughout the semester. On the other hand, the entire grade of my first math class at UCF depended on two exams and a final.”

Despite the academic advantages and disadvantages of both courses, Robinson just believes it’s best to enjoy his high school years.

“I believe that students should remain at high school and enjoy their high school years,” Robinson said. “You only have four years at high school – four years to hang out with friends, meet new people, and have a good time before college and the rest of your life. You don’t get them back.”

oliviad@thelionstale.com

JANUARY 28, 2011

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Upcoming education reforms may affect Oviedo

by Arianna Ray

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rincipal Robert Lundquist furrows his brow in concentration, staring down at the information in his hands. His lips purse as he considers the packet. A sigh escapes him as he contemplates the effects of the recommendations put together by Governor Rick Scott’s Education Transition Team.

The Education Transition Team released their recommendations for education reform on Dec. 21 entitled the “Education Transition Team Policy and Agency Review Recommendations.”

One proposal in the document reads, “require students to take an online course to graduate from high school to prepare them for the digital requirements of the 21 century.”

Lundquist’s opinion wavers on this suggestion.

“I think some students would benefit from that, but not all students. I think you need the high school experience. You need classes like journalism, yearbook, newspaper, NJROTC, our child care program, music, band. All these programs that we offer at the school, you can’t get online. You’re going to benefit from courses at school. I don’t think online is for everybody. It could help some,” Lundquist said.

Sophomore Rachel Winnie objects to the possible requirement.

“I think that is unfair. Some people don’t have access to the internet. If it is required to take an online class to graduate, how are people without

internet going to do it? Plus you shouldn’t rely on technology too much. It’s going to take over the world one day,” Winnie said.

Freshman Holly Romero holds the same viewpoint as Winnie. However, she has different reasons.

“I don’t think online classes are a good idea.

They are not real classes necessarily. You can’t really learn. You need to be able to interact with other people and especially with the teacher.

Then you can understand the subject better,” Romero said.

The other suggestions in the document include implementing a teacher evaluation system that will “ensure at least 50 percent of a teacher’s evaluation is based upon multiple year review of student progress.”

Lundquist takes no issue with this proposal.

“I don’t have a problem with that at all.

That’s what we do now. Our teachers intrinsically evaluate themselves based upon our students’ progress. I believe our teachers would embrace this because they do this anyway. They are concerned about our students’ progress. That’s what they do,” Lundquist said. “We try to make learning gains with our lower quartile students.

That’s part of the process. And our teachers are on board with that. We want progress with our students. I don’t think that there’s a teacher out there that is afraid of review. That’s what they do on a daily basis. They try to make that student better.”

While Lundquist agrees with some of the suggestions, he does oppose others such as requiring consent from parents to place a student “in classrooms of teachers who are rated ineffective.”

“Well, what is defined as an ineffective teacher? I think you’re now getting into a popularity contest in comparing two teachers who teach the same subject. One may be more popular than the other teacher. That doesn’t deem the other teacher ineffective. That one’s not going to work,” Lundquist said.

Winnie offers a different idea for dealing with teachers rated ineffective.

“If they are rated ineffective they shouldn’t even have that job. If they’re bad, then there is obviously something wrong. Replace them instead. There are plenty of teachers out of college or out of work that need the job. The ones that are staying are just ungrateful,” Winnie said.

Lundquist remains skeptical about the future of the recommendations as a whole.

“What Rick Scott wants and what the legislature wants are two different things. It always has to be approved through committee and the floor. It has to be approved through the legislatures. Let me just say this in regards to any new legislation with public schools. It’s a long process. In regard to Governor Scott, who knows what’s going to happen with what he wants to do?” Lundquist said.

ariannar@thelionstale.com

Should incoming freshmen have to take an online class to graduate?

Yes 17%

Maybe 2% No 81%

100 students surveyed on Jan. 27

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THE LION’S TALE

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F L O R I DA V I RT UA L S C H O O L

CHEATING me to, but she did,” Walters said. “After that classes done by graduation.” people would mention that I did their FLVS for Money isn’t always the motive in online cheating situations. them, and other people would ask if I could do Sometimes students will exchange assignment for assignment. This theirs for them.” allows each student to work at his or her academic strength.

Word of mouth spread Walters’ name to Senior Jasmine Smith* experienced this type of online cheating new clients, which now span across multiple first hand.

Seminole County Public Schools. Typically she “I retook precalc over the summer on FLVS and I didn’t want to will gross 50 dollars per semester of a FLVS do some of the work that was difficult,” Smith said. “So I asked my photo illustrations/CARSON BAILEY course. And if the student wants to get the course friend if she would do my difficult precalc work if I did her vocab.” done faster, that means a larger paycheck.

The method in which Smith and her friend completed oral “I check it [FLVS class] everyday to make sure she’s getting it assignment doesn’t involve three way calling. It requires an empty done,” Murphy said. “She knows the quicker she gets it done the house and a phone put on speaker. more she gets paid.”

“For oral assignments my friend would come over to my house This job doesn’t come without it’s consequences though, Walters when I was home alone,” Smith said. “We would then call my teacher must live under constant alert that she may one day be busted. on speaker so we could both hear. My friend would work out the math Although that thought doesn’t seem to bother her. problem the teacher gave me and then I would say the final answer.”

“I worry most when I do oral assignments,” Walters said. “But Move a little bit further down the online cheating pyramid and most of the time I feel pretty confident that the teacher won’t find you will find parents that help their kids pass their online tests. me out. “ “I didn’t cheat on my FLVS assignments because they were Throughout every FLVS course students must complete too easy,” junior Gabby Williams* said. “The tests were harder for multiple discussion-based assessments, or ‘oral assignments’. For me though, so my dad would sometimes help me with questions I this assignment teachers discuss topics learned in the students’ couldn’t get.” current module via telephone. The Other smaller forms of FLVS

by Carson Bailey students receive a grade based on their cheating include students plagiarizing, She knows the quicker she gets ith more than three Florida Virtual School (FLVS) classes ability to answer questions and have faking online physical education data, it done the more she gets paid. to finish before graduation, senior Kayla Murphy* didn’t a conversation about the particular and opening multiple browsers during think graduating on time could be possible. module. tests.

Kayla Murphy*, ‘11 That was until two weeks ago, when Murphy found the help she This poses a problem when Walters’ In an effort to combat cheating needed – senior Jenny Walters* of Winter Springs High School. clients are due for an oral assignment. But they’ve figured a way students, FLVS set up an Academic Integrity policy. This policy Walters isn’t your typical high school senior, consumed with around that. maps out tools teachers can use to catch cheaters as well as discipline senioritis. In fact she is quite the opposite.

“I actually haven’t had to do one of these yet but from what my procedures for students found cheating.

Since the beginning of the school year, Walters has successfully friend told me, she will text me when she needs to do one, then I will “Academic Integrity is the most important things we do at Florida completed three FLVS classes. To boot, she currently is working on call her, and then three way my teacher. The teacher knows my phone Virtual School. Our high standards and procedures are what set us three more, bringing her total completed class count to six. number but she doesn’t know my voice,” Murphy said. apart as a learning organization to ensure our students are both Yet if you took a glance at her transcripts, nowhere would you In some cases, student’s parents pay the bill that follows this productive and ethical,” said FLVS Academic Integrity Manager find a course taken from Florida Virtual High School. Instead Walters online service.

Angela. ends the course 100 dollars richer and Murphy a half-credit closer to “At first my dad didn’t support me paying someone else to do FLVS personal fitness teacher Tabatha Harris agrees. graduating. my work, but now he is the one paying for it,” Murphy said. “But the “We take academic integrity very seriously at FLVS. There “My friend was telling me that she had to do algebra on FLVS only reason he supports it is because he wants me to graduate on time are numerous training sessions to help us as teachers identify and and I offered to do it if she paid me. I didn’t really expect her to want and he understand that it wouldn’t be possible for me to get the online deal with plagiarizing and cheating when it occurs. We have a very

New method of cheating evolves as technology advances

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JANUARY 28, 2010

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students take a FLVS course yearly

strict procedure that we follow to deal with it when it happens,” said Harris. “We also provide students tools in our courses to help them understand what plagiarizing and cheating is. I have a video about academic integrity in my welcome letter I send all students when they start the course.”

One vital tool FLVS uses constantly is turnitin.com. This site allows teachers to check students submitted work against any other work on the Internet, making plagiarism impossible to get away with.

“Every day more and more assignments are added into our Turnitin.com database,” said Anastacio. “When a student submits an assignment it is automatically added to the Turnitin.com database used by high-schools and universities throughout the world. It stores the students name as well.”

Anastacio and a team of 15 academic integrity specialists constantly monitor sites like Craiglist, Yahoo Answers, and Facebook.

“We monitor sites like Craigslist to find students who are seeking other people to complete their course work. If we do find a case, we will call the student and parent to discuss the situation,” said Anastacio. “Sites like Yahoo Answers are typically where students will post answers to assignments. We always contact the website and ask them to remove the copy righted content from their site. We also will contact the student and follow through with our academic integrity policy.”Other ways of catching cheaters include tracking IP addresses “Tracking IP addresses is used as an investigative tool,” Anastacio said. “If we find a student logging on from two different IP addresses at once that can lead to us to become suspicious. When teachers find it necessary they can limit access students have to their courses until the teacher talks with a parent.”

Along with a defined academic integrity policy, FLVS teachers try to develop a relationship with each of their students. It is thought that if a student has developed a personal connection with the teacher, they will be less likely to cheat.

“At FLVS teachers are encouraged to develop a relationship with the students and parents,”Anastacio said. “By making a connection we hope that students will not want to cheat because they don’t want to damage the relationship they have built with their teacher.” *names withheld

carsonb@thelionstale.com

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DEFINED: Students with Students

Roles

School Based Leaders

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Academic Integrity make decisions based on ethics and values that will prepare them to be productive and ethical citizens.

Academic Integrity Parents

Teachers

Tool Box

In order to keep an honest academic integrity, Florida Virtual School has a variety of tools to ensure the integrity of all assignments submited by students • Discussion-Based Assessments Each teacher regularly conducts discussionbased assessments with his or her students. These conversations occur at specific interverals as well as randomly in a course and are included in the assessment component of each course. The teacher discusses individual student work and extends the conversation to allow the student to demonstrate mastery of the content and to verify the authenticity of the student’s work.

• Proctored Exams Each teacher can request a scheduled proctored exam at any time for a student.

• Academic Integrity Hotline/Email Community members, guidance counselors, parents, and students can call or email any academic integrity-realted issue annonymously.

• Turnitin.com This internet tool compares student work aganist a variety of databases. The FLVS Learning Management System is now integrated with turnitin. com, and most is automatically uploaded to the system. This database compares students’ work, as well as work found on the internet.

• Academic Integrity Database FLVS maintains its own database of student integrity incidences or violations. This database is used to monitor the number of student integrity issues.

• Teacher Expertise FLVS instructors have extensive classroom experience. Their expertise is often a guide in identifying the level of originiality in student work. info courtesy/FLVS.NET

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THE LION’S TALE

| news | JANUARY 28, 2011

Local opposition grows to Obama’s newly implemented health care law

by Harry Traber

Gilbert argues that the law does not go far enough to unior Austin Gilbert pushes the food around his cover Americans. He feels the law should be amended so plate, listening absently to the chatter of his family. that it covers the public option. “I feel like it has been compromised. It no longer The light from the television flickers. Suddenly, his father’s attention turns raptly to the reporter speaking covers the public option as it was originally proposed,� on the TV. Curious, Gilbert swivels around to face the Gilbert said.

The public option would be set up so that a governmentscreen as well. His mouth drops open in shock as he hears run health care provider could provide health care for the that the Affordable Care Act has been repealed. “Shock was my first reaction. It seems like not even a basic needs of any person who applied.

Gilbert’s problem with the health care law stem from year ago the law was passed. Now they’re trying to repeal the problems and holes contained in the document. it,� Gilbert said. “I don’t support the law because it no longer carries its The House of Representatives voted 245-189 to pass a bill that would go to the Senate to repeal the health care original intent. There should not be way anyone can exploit it, no earmarks. There should not be a way for people to fall law on Jan.19, according to www.huffingtonpost.com Resistance to the law saw success when United through the cracks,� Gilbert said.

Stanley anticipates the problems that would occur with States district judge Robert Vinson ruled parts of the law as unconstitutional. Florida’s former attorney Bill this health care plan. “I would say certain people would take advantage of McCollum , who was backed by the state of Florida along with 25 other states, drew up the lawsuit that lead to the the system and would backlog the system. I understand health care is not a privilege but a ruling of parts of the law being necessity. It should be accessible unconstitutional.

I dont support it because we to everyone but Obama’s plan Opinions against the law has a lot of points that need to be exist outside of the professional should not be forced. This kicked,� Stanley said. arena as well. country is supposed to be free.

One possible solution offered Junior Matthew Tomasetti

by Stanley is to localize health believes that the health care law We should not be taxed. care to each county or state. opposes the foundations of the Matthew Tomasetti, ‘12 “If health care was handled country. county by county, state by state, “I don’t support it because we should not be forced. This country is supposed to be it would be a lot more effective. Obviously people living in their communities know the people in their communities free. We should not be taxed,� Tomasetti said.

In counties such as Brevard, health care plans much better than the talking heads in Washington know,� are available for entire families. In Seminole County Stanley said.

Stanley criticizes the politicians for their lack of plans are in place for women and children according to seminolecohealth.com. A clinic card can be accessed by consideration. “How on earth can they tell little Seminole County all uninsured people in Seminole County as well.

Precalculus teacher Verna Whaley objects to the what to do when they’re not in the community?� Stanley said.    health care law as well.

In order to pass the law, President Obama avoided “I am against the United States government telling citizens what they have to purchase. I like my right to several controversial issues that many Americans feel chose. I think it [the law] is un-American,� Whaley said. should be included. The law for example, does not cover Whaley considers the health care law unnecessary abortion. “Quite frankly, it’s a person’s choice. If she wants to get because other health care programs exist. “I think that we do that [provide reasonable health rid of their baby, it’s her unalienable right,� Gilbert said.

Stanley believes that government involvement in health care] already. You have to enroll but there are plans in Florida to get health care for minimal charge,� Whaley goes against the fundamentals of the country. “Too much government is not good and it’s not what said.

Whaley holds the belief that the cost of health the United States was based on,� Stanley said. care would fare better without interference from the harryt@thelionstale.com government.

Editor’s Note “I don’t like them [insurance companies], and I don’t like paying tons of insurance but I do. I think if interstate This is part 1 of a two-part series. Part II will rivalry between companies was allowed, health care cost take a look at favorable opinions and give an would go down on its own,� Whaley said. update on any legislative changes to the law.

Substitute teacher Kellie Stanley fears that if the government takes control of the health care system the quality of care will go down.

The Affordable Care Act “Through my eyes I have seen socialized medicine lower the quality of medical care. I also think the least Florida Policies amount of government involvement in health care is better for the country,� Stanley said. w Plans must offer coverage to children on Stanley asserts that involvement in the medical field their parents’ policy until they are 26. by politicians will be detrimental to health care as a whole. w Florida has the option of Federal Medicaid “Politicians in general can’t possibly be experts for low-income people regardless of age or in the medical field. They’re not doctors, not medical disability. professionals. In countries that have socialized medicine, I see it on the news and media, and my husband works in w Funding for Community Health Centers heath care, he and his colleagues have had direct contact will increase and subsequently allow a greater with professionals in countries with socialized health amount of patients. care and in those places it’s quantity, not quality,� Stanley info courtesy/WWW.HEALTHREFORM.GOV said.

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JANUARY 28, 2011

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HIGHEST

PAYING MEDICAL JOBS

1. Surgeons Job details : Operates on patients to treat injuries.

SALARY:

$219,770 all photos/CARSON BAILEY

CAT IN THE LAB. (left) Senior Morgan Cassel records her observations from the cat dissection performed in Anatomy and Physiology. (right) Senior Thomas Range follows the procedure laid out by the lab. Anatomy and Physiology teacher Amber Petschel conducts this dissection with her students every year.

Local area bursts with medical opportunities Voorhees, along with sophomores Kara

by Jake Smith enior Christine Schuler spends days in Lahman and Bridget Perry, stand among the the ER wing of the hospital, pursuing her 146 students currently taking advantage of the career as a doctor. New patients appear bioscience classes.

“I like doing all the labs, but a lot of work is every minute. Families show up with injured loved ones in the back of ambulances, creating involved. It’s interesting because you get to work with machines like the PCR (Polymerase Chain an atmosphere of distraught panic.

“I want to be an ER doctor because it’s fast- Reaction), which replicates DNA. If you want paced, and I get to help people. People come in to be a geneticist, it] helps prepare you for it,” [to hospitals] all the time, so you’ve got to stay Lahman said.

Perry, who plans on becoming a on your feet,” Schuler said.

Sophomore Tessa Voorhees shares the dream microbiologist, has a similar view on the biotech course. of pursuing a career “You learn a lot that involves medicine.

There are glitches that need to about genetic disorders “I’m leaning by doing experiments. more towards being a be identified and fixed, since Also, it [the biotech surgeon. I wouldn’t like the college is a new school. course] gives you to give people the bad Dr. Jasna Kojic all the basics of the news, but I like having bioscience field. It’s the opportunity to help fun, interesting, and people that otherwise would not have had a chance to live,” Voorhees you really learn a lot.” Perry said.

Voorhees considers the class to be vital in said.

According to Dr. Jasna Kojic of Orlando helping spread the knowledge necessary to save Child Neurology, being a caring person plays a lives.

“Bioscience is the medicine of the future. large role in the decision of a medical career.

“Compassion is very important. You really There is lots of potential for curing diseases,” have to have that compassion in order to care Vorhees said. for patients. Otherwise, you’ll crash and burn,” UCF College of Medicine The University of Central Florida College of Kojic said.

Schuler believes that going after a career you Medicine is on track to becoming one of the most actually have a passion for is more important premier medical schools in the nation, according to www.med.ucf.edu. It began in 2006 and will than getting paid well.

“If you’re not happy at your job, you won’t soon be producing 120 medical graduates per year.

Training is offered in over 2,350 undergraduate do your best,” Schuler said.

The up-and-coming biotech and bioscience majors including biotechnology, molecular courses are a direct reflection of the need for biology, and medical laboratory sciences.

The College of Medicine offered over $21,000 skilled individuals in the medical field.

“Bioscience is the foundation of medicine. worth of compensation to its first students.

“Every student received an iPad. Also, they You have to be very strong in bioscience before you go on to clinical science. I also recommend get paid full tuition for the first class, because it is a strong background in biology, chemistry, and difficult to be among the first students. There are glitches that need to be identified and fixed, since physics,” Kojic said.

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it’s a new school,” Kojic said.

Schuler intends on going to the College of Medicine to make her dream a reality.

“It’s new. It looks really good from what I’ve read, plus it’s close to home,” Schuler said.

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) is the nationally recognized association that grants accreditation to medical schools in the U.S. and Canada.

LCME gave the College of Medicine preliminary accreditation, which is granted prior to recruiting the Charter Class. The college will not be able to receive full accreditation until the first class has completed four years.

Voorhees’s father, Dale, is an Assistant Director of Educational Technology at the UCF College of Medicine. He holds high regard for the university’s technological innovations in the education of bioscience.

“One of the things that makes our college of medicine different than other colleges of medicine is our dedication to the use of technology throughout the curriculum. Students use online and computer-based activities to collaborate, discuss, and document their work. These include low to high level simulations, online case activities, as well as virtual microscope laboratory activities,” D. Voorhees said.

D. Voorhees expresses high hopes for the addition to UCF. “The faculty, staff, and students are all excited to create the premier college of medicine for the 21 century. We are not satisfied to create just another college of medicine, but expect this college to become a model for others to emulate,” D. Voorhees said.

Kojic too has an optimistic view about the new medical college.

“Overall, it’s going to improve the quality of care in medicine and bring new talent to Central Florida. A medical school in the community promotes more [medical] research,” Kojic said.

jakes@thelionstale.com

2. Anesthesiologists Job details : Administer anesthetics during operations or during other procedures outside the operating room.

SALARY:

$211,750 3. Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons Job details : Perform surgeries to correct diseases and injuries to the mouth, jaw, face and skull.

SALARY:

$210,710 4. Orthodontists Job details : Apply braces or retainers to straighten teeth.

SALARY:

$206,190 5. Obstetricians Job details : Specialize in women’s health; treat disease related to pregnancy and the reproductive system.

SALARY:

$204,470 info courtesy/WWW.CNBC.COM

(opinion sports ) EDUCATION

08

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THE LION’S TALE

OUR WORD

JANUARY 28, 2011

“The human race has on e really effective weapon, and that is laught er.”

- Mark Twain

REFORM

Policies proposed by Governor benefit students

G

overnor Rick Scott along with his Education Transition While teachers unions may not respond happily to that, the Team revealed their recommendations on education matter of fact is that it’s about the quality of students’ education. reform in late December - a twenty page document Scott does, however, need to develop a plan concerning teachers titled the Education Transition Team Policy and Agency Review who are involved in elective classes.

Recommendations.

Another recommendation was to implement a new teacher Scott unveiled his policies on education reform at an Opaevaluation in accordance to Race to the Top that would “ensure locka charter on Jan. 6, 2011. It was there that he stated that the at least 50 percent of a teacher’s evaluation based upon multiple current education system isn’t working. He also promoted his year review of student progress.” This policy would give real main goal inspiring these policies: putting students first. results about the teacher’s effectiveness and subsequently raise That is why we on The Lion’s Tale believe that the ideas the education quality at schools. proposed by Governor Scott and his Education Transition Team The document also suggests implementing policies that would are beneficial to Florida public school students. “empower administrators to keep the most effective teachers in A primary goal for Scott, found under the government the classroom rather than rely on seniority.” Doing this would section of the document, is the curriculum of high schools. In reduce the amount of teachers that students are dissatisfied with their policies, Scott and his team and would establish a foundation of state how crucial it is for Florida successful teachers in the education Scott states how crucial it is high schools to offer a rigorous system. for Florida high schools to offer curriculum that should help prepare To ensure that students are on a rigorous curriculum that should students for either college, postpar with a set level of standards, secondary institutions, or working Scott proposes to provide each help prepare students for college. in a particular industry. Doing so family with a student achievement would allow students to be able to chart. This chart would “show participate more productively in life after high school and thus how their children are progressing against predicted growth and help society as a whole. college-ready measures.” This recommendation would allow Technology also plays a prominent role in Scott’s policies. parents to be more aware of the standards that students are In their recommendations, Scott and his team wish to “move expected to achieve and how they are faring. Increased parent toward replacing textbooks with digitally-delivered content.” involvement, in elementary school specifically, would allow This also requires a portion of teacher’s evaluation to be based developing students to go beyond a level they may never have on technology use inside the classroom. This helps implement passed. If parents were aware of these measurements, they could multiple sources other than textbooks for teachers to use as help their child to improve in his/her problem area. educational tools. Using more than one resource to educate The other policies made up by the Education Transition Team may help students who struggle in a certain subject. It would include: allowing parents to be more involved in school decisions also create a more dynamic educational experience and help the and focusing on accountability and efficiency. student to gain familiarity with other mediums that information Inside the document, Scott makes promises to work can come in. with Legislature, business, and parents to “develop a more Another issue, teachers’ salaries, is tackled inside the list of comprehensive program that will allow all of Florida’s children recommendations. The team proposes a plan to establish merit to have the best possible education that meets each child’s unique pay for teachers. This is intended to reward high performing need.” With these recommendations made, it appears that Scott’s teachers and weed out poor-performing teachers. taking a step in the right direction.

“

”

LION’STALE

illustration/ WESLEY WYNNE

Letter to the editors Dear Editors, Though killing trees is a cherished hobby of mine, there comes a point where the sheer quantity of research-drafts that emerge from the printer becomes ridiculous.

Every single little error that is in your research paper means a re-print; and a seven page paper, printed out hundreds of times, by hundreds of students, is the equivalent to the Air Force napalming all of Vietnam - again.

You might be a little lost if you don’t understand what I’m talking about. Well, you know it’s about Senior Project. The whole concept of Senior Project is as follows: we’re going to halt your English education for a year, in exchange for a massive project; for better or worse, eh?

Senior project forces ordinary students into liars and beggars.

During orals you have to lie to the board about how senior project is such a “wonderful experience, and how I’m going to get a lot out of studying penguins” or whatever the project is.

Well, you don’t have to lie, but if you think you can get a good grade on your project and tell the board your project is rubbish, you got another thought coming. In regards to begging, you have to rely on the charity and the good will of others to obtain a mentor and advisor. You literally have to beg these people - formally of course - for their time and help; with them getting nothing out of it, except, of course, that warm fuzzy feeling the supporters are always talking about.

Personally, I would rather do senior project than English IV. But that’s because I have all of my ducks in a row. I’ve known what I was going to do since junior year, and I took steps in preparing for my project since then. But, by and large, most people would rather take English IV than senior project. My advice to you is that, if you’re any good at English, take AP and get out of the project.

Personally, I’m going to be proud of the music I make for this project; just like they said I would. And there’s nothing wrong with pride, is there?

Sincerely,

Will Murley ‘11

OV I E D O H I G H SC H OO L • 601 KING S T R EET • OV IEDO, FL - JAN UARY 28, 2010 - VO L U M E 51• I SSUE 4

Editors-In-Chief

Features Editor

Advertising Editor

Carson Bailey Julia Thorncroft

Hallie Lavery

Amanda Ferguson

Diversion Editors

Copy Editors

Stephanie O’Sullivan

Angiee Carey Kaitlyn Loughlin

News Editor

Sports Editors

Arianna Ray

Lindsay Knox Janie Williams

Junior Editor

Opinion Editor

Nirvani Khan

Brandon Koller Jake Smith Staff Artists

Taylor Schwarz Wesley Wynne

Photographer

Linsey Duca Staff Reporters

Connor Bailey Leigha Bennett Gloria Choi Maria Cokosvska Daniel Condly Olivia Davila-Finch

Andrea Dobo Carly Ford Hafsa Hussain Zoe Lyon-Goldman Eric Mooney Harry Traber Jessica Whitacre

Faculty Advisor

Deborah Jepson Admin Advisor

Anna McCarthy Oviedo High School

601 King Street Oviedo, FL 32765 Phone: 407-320-4050 Fax: 407-320-4213

Online

The Lion’s Tale is accesible through the OHS website.

The Lion’s Tale reserves the right to refuse ads. The views of the staff do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, staff, or faculty of Oviedo High School.

JANUARY 28, 2011

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opinion

Hiding

photo/CARSON BAILEY

Skin issues causes columnist to pursue dermatology

I

wore jackets frequently in middle school to conceal the hideous blemishes on my hands. Anytime I had a presentation in class, or anytime I met someone new, I thought they’d judge me based on how my hands appeared.

Some people loved the freezing cold temperatures in New Jersey so that they could build snowmen. I, on the other hand, loved the cold weather because it was an excuse for me to cover up my hands with gloves.

I am definitely no stranger to skin issues.

For about four years of my life, I had eleven warts on my hands (six on my left, and five on my right) and one on my left foot. Warts, as stated in www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, are small, painless growths on the skin caused by the human papillomavirus.

These four years were particularly challenging for me, because my hands made me insecure and embarrassed. I saw how other girls’ hands were absolutely smooth and flawless compared to mine. I will never forget when a girl in sixth grade accidently touched my hand, cringed, and called me “wart

CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

E

CONCEALING BLEMISHES. Junior Nirvani Khan illustrates former insecurities because of the eleven warts she used to have on her hands.

OPINION EDITOR

09

Self-indulgence can lead to danger

hands...

NIRVANI KHAN

THE LION’S TALE

CARSON BAILEY

her

girl.” Now, quite frankly, I crack up at this nickname I had been given, but at the time, it truly did hurt me and I tried to always keep my hands covered.

It was never easy for me to do simple things such as shake someone’s hand, or give someone a high five.

Finally, my parents took me to a dermatologist, and he froze-burn my warts off, which was probably the worst physical pain I have ever experienced in my entire life. Not to mention, it cost my parents almost $800 dollars. But it was well worth it. I was surprised at how such a minor physical change in my life made such a significant difference in my self-confidence.

After I got my warts removed, I was able to boldly shake hands with people, and I no longer hid my hands in my jacket sleeves.That wasn’t the only experience I have witnessed with dermatology issues, however.

According to zerozits.com, acne affects about 85% of American teenagers in some way, and 25% of those teenagers will have permanent scars on their face. Acne is usually genetically predisposed, so there is nothing teenagers could really do to completely prevent it.

Acne, especially, in teenagers, often leads to a low self-image, criticism, as well as stress.

When I was in eighth grade, one of my good friends, had an extremely severe acne problem, and a lot of people, even her own friends, would comment on it. I remember

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one time one of her peers jokingly asked her, “What’s up crater face?” She ran into the bathroom crying, and she told me that the only reason why she had acne for so long was that her parents couldn’t afford to take her to the dermatologist.

Now, I am actually considering becoming a dermatologist, so that I can help people, especially teenagers, with their skin issues to boost their self-esteem. I believe teenagers should be more comfortable in the skin they’re in. My experience with having warts opened my eyes to the fact that teenagers are extremely sensitive about the appearance of their skin, and most of the time, we cannot even help it. Our skin is the first thing someone sees when they first meet us. They don’t see our inner personalities, our beliefs, our emotions, our goals, our ambitions, our virtues. Some people simply aren’t able to look past what they see on the outside.

nirvanik@thelionstale.com

Acne Tips • Choose oil-free soaps • Use ace medicine as directed • Drink plenty of water • Don’t overwash your face •Never use heavy cosmetics

very school day I wake up around 6:40, jump in the shower, rush to put on clothes, and then race to school.

I cycle through my routine of going from class to class to class, sometimes switching up my schedule on Tuesday and Thursdays with a little Chick Fil A or Sarku Japan in place of the less appetizing school lunch.

After school I inevitably end up working on whatever school, newspaper, or design work that is thrown my way. And then end my day around 11:30 at night.

That gives me about 17 hours a day to live with. 17 to work, eat, and live. 17 hours a day sounds like a lot but it’s not enough. For those 17 hours a day, I’m focused on myself and getting my work done. I don’t have time to worry about other people’s problems or tough situations.

That sounds pretty harsh doesn’t it? But it seems to be the reality of the 21st century.

Our population is constantly self-indulged, which isn’t always a bad thing.

Yet after hearing the following news report, my thoughts quickly changed.

On January 8, 2011 a 22-year-old man named Jared Lee Loughner entered the parking lot of a Safeway supermarket in Tucson, Arizona.

In this supermarket parking lot, U.S. Representative Gabrielle Gifford’s was holding an open meeting called “Congress on Your Corner” with members of her constituency.

With a 9mm glock, Loughner shot Gifford directly in the head.

He then proceeded to randomly shoot at the crowd gathered around Gifford, which included a 9-year-old girl, Christina-Taylor Green.

The shooting all together happened within two minutes. Within those two minutes, 5 lives were taken including Christina.

After this incident Loughner was taken into custody.

But that wasn’t the first time he’s made a scene.

Multiple students from his former community college and high school commented on Loughner stating that he would disrupt class frequently with nonsensical outbursts and how he seemed to be just ‘floating through life.’

In my head that sets off a red alert, why didn’t anyone say something about his sanity before this incident?

As a population we must all work together, which includes watching out for each other.

When someone or something doesn’t seem normal, we should act on it instead of just going on with our 17 hour day.

carsonb@thelionstale.com

10

THE LION’S TALE

| opinion | JANUARY 28, 2011

Becoming the

ULTIMATE GUIDO as defined by Jersey Shore

photo/CARSON BAILEY

Columnist searches for inner guidette, finds humor

JULIA THORNCROFT CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

F

or the most part, I consider myself an intellectual person. I wear thick black framed glasses, play sudoku in my free time, and I drink Earl Grey tea while quoting Shakespeare.

Although I take great pride in my intelligence, I have my guilty pleasures. One of those pleasures is watching the cast of Jersey Shore parade around like drunken imbeciles.

Fans like myself try to emulate Jwoww, The Situation, or even the infamous Snooki. But what does it take to be like the members of this gel-haired, overly-tan gang? Being the devout journalist that I am, I decided to see for myself all the effort it takes to become a true Guido/ Guidette in a small town like Oviedo1: 1 If you really wanted to be a Guido, I have a feeling that not only would you be incapable of reading or comprehending the written word, but would watch Jersey Shore seriously and learn from the show alone. Despite this, I’m going to take up space in the school paper to talk about Guidos.

It all begins with the appearance2. When dressing like a Guido, your appearance should follow this famous three-word motto: gym, tan and laundry. Or “GTL” if you’re too cool to

write out or say all three words.

2 If that seems superficial to you, keep in mind that you’re reading an article to turn you into a glorified stereotype you discovered on MTV. Other than bronze skin and a six pack3, a true Guido should wear tight track suits, zipped down to expose a little chest hair and tie it all together with a fake gold chain. If you want to look fancy but Guido-riffic, then you should wear embroidered jeans and an Ed Hardy T-shirt4. And fellas, don’t forget about the gel-spiked hair.

3 Less bronze, more orange.

4 Because what says, “I like to blow my money on ugly crap” more than buying an Ed Hardy shirt with a tiger that looks like it just dropped acid?

Now for all those beautiful Guidettes out there: you need a poof. That’s not debatable.

I know that Snooki doesn’t sport the poof as often as we’d like her to, but a poof definitely proves you are a Guidette. It is the easiest way for people to realize that you’re a Guidette without even having to talk to you5.

Keep your hair incredibly straight and get hoop earrings. Oh, and wear some fake nails too. It’s crucial that you come off as fake as humanly possible6.

5 Or they’ll think you’re two bucks a dance.

Either way, it prevents the other person from losing any IQ points by having a conversation with you.

6 Don’t try to be Barbie doll fake though, more like Bratz doll fake. Bratz are really the Guidettes of the child toy industry.

Now when you’ve done all your shopping and GTL-ing7 it’s time to hit the clubs. Is it wrong for me to promote clubbing to a bunch of minors? Yes, it is. So just get a stereo, blast some God-awful techno house music, and fist pump. Have your Guido-posse come over and you can all fist pump, or possibly have a family dinner8. Maybe you guys could watch Jersey Shore while you Guido it up9.

7 Yeah, I just turned GTL into a verb.

Jealous?

8 Have some spaghetti and breadsticks.

Or just go to the Olive Garden. That sounds delicious.

9 Yeah, I just turned Guido into a verb.

Jealous? Or do you just want to slap me right about now?

That brings me to another point: to be a real Guido, you must surround yourself with as many Guidos and Guidettes as possible.

How many times do you see a lone Guido?

That’s right, never! And as you read this, don’t say - “I see Guidos by themselves all the time.

What is this girl talking about? She’s stupid.

Lalalalalalala.”

Look, Guidos are like wolves. They run in packs. If there is a lone wolf, it’s an outcast. If you’ve seen a Guido by him or herself, they’re a reject. I mean, come on. That is exactly what’s happening to Sammi on Jersey Shore right now. Basically, if you want to be a Guido, find some friends who want the same thing.

Finally, don’t worry about being Italian.

In my book, being a Guido is not about being Italian. Being a Guido is not determined by the color of your skin or the great nation that

your family came from when they immigrated to America10. Rather it’s the content, or lack of content, in your character or morale that truly makes you a Guido.

10 All our families immigrated here at one point. Unless you are Native American, or some sort of expert on this topic, then don’t argue with me.

To be a Guido is more than just throwing on some four inch pumps or spiking your hair, it’s about your personality and how you present yourself to society.

It’s about being both ignorant and confident at the same time. Saying, sometimes slurring, words that don’t make sense at all.

The point is, if this is the persona that you truly want to convey -- go for it. I support you, The Situation supports you, and for the love of New Jersey, Snooki supports you.

juliat@thelionstale.com

What’s a Guido?

A sad pathetic excuse for a male; not necessarily of Italian descent, but most likely; usually native to the New York/New Jersey TriState area. info courtesy/URBANDICTIONARY.COM

Julia’s gone cyber check out Julia’s new humor blog at: porpoisemonster.tumblr.com

//// THE GREAT DEBATE:

PRO BRANDON KOLLER

COPY EDITOR

JANUARY 28, 2011

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opinion

Should students be allowed to take classes online?

F

brandonk@thelionstale.com

THE LION’S TALE

11

CON JAKE SMITH

COPY EDITOR

Columnist opposes online classes

Columnist advocates online classes

lorida education certainly has room for improvement, evidenced by a 36 percent dropout rate, as reported by the U.S. Department of Education. Cutting this number down is the primary goal of education systems, and online testing could play a vital part in this reduction. Florida Virtual School (FLVS) offers more than 90 online courses to over 97,000 students each year.

I’ll concede that Florida Virtual School, in many ways, fails to prevent students from cheating. Students can open a tab to look up answers on Google or get someone to help them.

Yet, were FLVS to be cut, little would change. Whether or not ‘real’ school makes it slightly harder to cheat on your homework or look up answers to a quiz, cheaters will be cheaters, regardless of whether they’re on a computer or in a classroom. Nearly every radical attempt to date to cut illegitimate activities down found little success, even in its prime, from Prohibition against alcohol to Digital Rights Management on music, and this is not different. Limiting the options of everyone does not equal a solution to the problem, whether it’s public drunkenness, music piracy, or cheating.

Furthermore, most FLVS courses have Discussion-Based Assessments (DBAs), a major roadblock to cheaters. These DBAs demand a student understand material, so that she can communicate to the teacher by responding to questions over the phone. If a student can pass a DBA, surely he understands the material, and education reaps another victory.

If one disregards cheating, there’s little more to argue against FLVS. Teachers understand technical problems, and if one’s internet connection fails, it does nothing to damage a student’s average. FLVS teachers can reset exams that have been interrupted, and it’s immediately apparent whether there are blank answers that suggest such a fate. Furthermore, tests on FLVS have a checkbox that must be ticked before anything is submitted, so accidental key presses cannot doom a student to any cruel fate. While a student can take advantage of this to see a test’s questions, the questions on a test come from a pool of potential questions, so this option nets little for a cheating student.

One cannot deny that FLVS gives students in schools lacking certain classes a chance to take them, or that students in areas far from schools can benefit from the program. 97,000 students a year take FLVS courses, and to make things more difficult for these students, in hopes of preventing students often caught by the current system, is folly.

FLVS students earned 106,962 credits in the 2009-2010 school year. Even with a high estimate of 5 percent of students being cheaters, 92,150 valid students taking 101,614 credits worth of courses exist, nothing to be scoffed at.

Per capita school funding in Florida ranked 50th in the country in both 2008 and 2009, according to U.S. Census Bureau reports. Without money, Florida’s education system needs a boost, and online test-taking provides that leverage.

FLVS is, without doubt, a powerful program to help students on their path of education, wherever they are and whatever their situation may be. Free, equal FLVS courses can counteract Florida’s notoriously low school budgets. Education must evolve if students’ learning stays its most important goal, and a few cheaters can’t stand in the way of this evolution.

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E

121

out of 150 students

said YES

Poll taken on 1/26/11

nvision a world where people receive degrees and diplomas for passing classes that they didn’t even actually do work in.

Envision a world where people are being put into classes that they are not prepared for. Envision a world where careers are filled with people unequipped to properly handle the job, because they lack the proper prerequisite knowledge.

This world is not a possibility; it’s an inevitability if cheating in online classes does not come to an end.

The primary problem with online testing is that students cheat.

Students open their books while taking tests, open another browser window to look up answers, or get answers from parents, friends, and peers. The simple fact is that the online teachers cannot monitor what they cannot see.

Florida Virtual School (FLVS) offers almost all of the required high school classes as online choices. Theoretically, a student entering high school could complete all of their courses through this virtual school.

However, this program is harmful to education altogether.

Given, as I stated before, that there are no teachers there to watch over students, it is a lot easier to get away with cheating.Once colleges start realizing that online education may not be authentic education, they will start looking at credits earned online differently.

If not, graduation rates may decrease because if students are passing courses by cheating, they are not actually learning the material presented by the course itself.

When students are admitted into courses that require knowledge from previous courses taken online, ones in which they cheated, they set themselves up for failure. Failure in courses makes not only the student look bad, but also the teachers and the school.

To make matters worse, Governor Scott’s education committee recently released a report recommending that at least one online class be required for high school graduation. They state their reason for this recommendation as, quite simply, because it’s the 21st century.

Those students who cheat and breeze through school are also students readying themselves to be a part of the United States workforce.

The possible, harmful side effects from this are endless. If online testing becomes even more widespread, that will increase the amount of people under-qualified for careers. Some will get these careers because they possess the diplomas and degrees to prove that they passed the necessary classes. Individuals who care more about the money, and not enough about the job will then occupy countless careers. Because if they actually did care about their potential career, they wouldn’t have cheated and instead would have taken the proper route, the one where they actually do their own work so as to learn the required material.

The FLVS website states that proctored exams, verbal assessments done over the phone, helps ensure that students are actually learning the course material. This sounds like an effective measure, but unfortunately students who pay others to take the courses for them have found a way around this. They simply set up a three-way-call with the teacher and hired student, mute their phone, and sit back while somebody else answers their questions for them.

Online testing harbors an environment where cheating is an easy capability. Although FLVS boasts about its Academic Integrity Policy as an effective tool in combating cheating, it continues to be beaten by students with an agenda to pass courses by doing as little work as possible. Traditional tests and classes, taken at school, in the proximity of instructors who can actually see the students, remain the best option for education and the future of our society.

jakes@thelionstale.com

12

(features sports )

THE LION’S TALE

|

JANUARY 28, 2011

LOST HOMES, MEMORIES BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE. The aftermath of the fire left junior

all pho

Hayley Carter-Fredrickson’s house partially demolished.

tos CO

URTES

Y OF/H

AYLEY C

ARTER

-FREDR

ICKSO

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House fires ravage homes, change lives

T

by Hallie Lavery

what she was witnessing. he silver Cadillac rolled to a stop where a “I cried immediately. Fire trucks, police cars, police officer was directing traffic. Police and ambulance were blocking off our whole street. cars and fire trucks blocked off the street. We had to get out of our car and run up the street.

Junior Haley Carter-Fredrickson craned her neck We couldn’t get in the house anymore, all we saw from the back seat of the car to try and get a better was flames,” Carter-Fredrickson said. view of the thick, black smoke billowing into the When the fire was finally put out, reality air. That second, she saw the bright orange flames began to set in. leaping from her bedroom window. Before Carter“It was devastating. I was born in that house, Fredrickson could even move her dad grew up in that house. I lived in it was out of the drivers seat racing up the such a long time,” Carter-Fredrickson culdesac towards the family’s home. said.

“That evening I went out to dinner Most of the ruin to the Carterwith my family for my dad’s birthday.

Fredrickson household was smoke The restaurant is about a mile from my and water damage. dad’s house in Apopka. When we stepped “My room got the hottest the outside the restaurant after dinner I fastest, but my brother’s room had ‘12 the most damage. Our rooms are in immediately smelled thick smoke in the Hayley Carter-Fredrickson air,” Carter-Fredrickson said. between the laundry room,” CarterUnknown to the family, the raging fire Fredrickson said. was taking place in their own home, caused by a The frame was still standing, but everything spark from the dryer left running while they were else was lost. out to eat.

“Nothing was recovered from my room. I had “My neighbor went into our house to save our to get all new clothes too. Only our cars, some two dogs. He could only find one of our dogs. He of my dad’s clothes, and a couple guitars were tried to search for the other but the smoke got to saved,” Carter-Fredrickson said. bad and he couldn’t breathe. Thank God she got Once again the Carter-Fredrickson’s neighbors out of the house and ran away. She came home offered a helping hand. later after the fire was put out,” Carter-Fredrickson “They [neighbors] let us keep the things we said. saved from our house in their garage, but it made Upon arrival home, the family was in shock. their whole house smell like smoke and they had As Carter-Fredrickson’s dad jumped out of the car to replace their vents. We also slept with them a and raced up the street, she could barely register few nights until we could find a rental house to

stay at,” Carter-Fredrickson said.

After finding a more permanent house to live in, life started to return to a new version of normal.

“The fire happened during spring break, so I missed the first Monday back to school because I was moving into our rental house. But when I got back to school, sometimes I would just break down and cry,” Carter-Fredrickson said.

Through all the tragedy, there was one saving grace.

“Even though our house was so badly damaged, our insurance covered most of it. It would be less expensive to rebuild from what we had than knock the whole house down and start over. We made a lot of changes, the renovations look awesome, and I love it. I think we’re moving back in sometime in February,” CarterFredrickson said.

Elizabeth Saenz

Sophomore Elizabeth Saenz was walking home from the bus stop, to her Chuluota home, when she saw billows of smoke rising from the front door.

“My mom and sisters were standing outside our house when I got off the bus. The front door was open and there was a lot of smoke coming out,” Saenz said.

The cause of the fire was clear, a cooking fire started by oil.

“My mom was deep frying something, which involves a lot of oil. Somehow it sparked a fire and the whole kitchen caught on fire. The oil

caught on fire really fast, and my mom couldn’t put water on it because that doesn’t help oil fires,” Saenz said.

The family waited outside as their kitchen went up in flames.

“The fire department took forever to come.

The house was pretty damaged and it was too expensive to repair,” Saenz said.

Saenz’s belongings were left intact, although her mom wasn’t as fortunate.

“I didn’t lose anything really important to me.

But my mom lost all of her expensive suits and clothes in her closet. Her closet was right behind the kitchen,” Saenz said.

“I couldn’t believe it. There was so much going through my mind,” Saenz said.

While trying to get their life in order, the Saenz family stayed with relatives.

“We had to stay with our cousins for a while until we got another place to stay. It was really hard to get back on track,” Saenz said.

Saenz’s predicament occurred over the summer, so school wasn’t a top priority.

“It didn’t affect my schooling at all. It would have been really hard to focus otherwise,” Saenz said.

The fire sent the family back to square one.

“The ceiling had big holes in it, and the whole kitchen was black. All the stuff in the kitchen was ruined, and our cat ran away. It was our first real house and our last real house, we live in an apartment now,” Saenz said.

halliel@thelionstale.com

JANUARY 28, 2011

BODY at

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features

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THE LION’S TALE

13

WORK Trapezist pursues hobby as performer

photo COURTESY OF/ SOPHIA MACKRIDES

FLYING HIGH. Freshman Sophia Mackrides (left) reaches out for her partners hand as she practices her trapeze act.

by Carly Ford

F

reshman Sophia Mackrides crosses her arms across her polo. chest preparing to launch herself off the platform over They also offer a special program designed to teach kids 25 feet above the ground and onto the trapeze bar below. and adults how to learn the basics about performing in a Underneath on another bar, someone waits to catch her after circus. They put forward a circus school for children and a she flips off the bar and then puts her life into her partner’s flying trapeze class. Mackrides specializes in the latter and hands. can perform a multitude of tricks.

“When I started getting into the circus was when I was “I perform the flying trapeze where I do a trick on the bar around four and we went to a resort called Club Med where I and I fly off and get caught by another person. I do tricks like would always perform in the shows,” Mackrides said. the reverse single knee-hang, straddle whip, and split, which Mackrides began to perform in the circus when she was are difficult tricks,” Mackrides said. very young, a hobby her parents influenced her to try after Performing the straddle whip requires you to put yourself they began to learn. She got her start at a chain of hotels run into a straddle position upside down on the trapeze and prepare

by Club Med. yourself to be caught by a partner. The split is a similar trick According to www.clubmed.us, Club Med hotels give but you position yourself in a split rather than a straddle on vacationers opportunities to relax and enjoy the many activities the trapeze. the establishment has to offer. Known as a ‘village’, the staff Some of the tricks she performs require a partner, one of and guests eat, dance, partake in athletic activities, and perform which is the reverse single-knee hang. together in an all-inclusive experience at the resort.

“You jump off the platform with your hands crossed, turn Club Med keeps their resorts all around the world in over around, hook one leg on the bar and flip down where your 30 countries.They have locations in the Caribbean, South partner catches you on their bar,” Mackrides said.

America, Europe, and many other places.

Various staff members teach the trapeze classes. The “I have been going there since I was about two, and I’ve vacationers get to experience what it’s really like to be in the been all over like Cancun, Punta Cana, circus and they learn many of the tricks and the French West Indies,” Mackrides that actual performers use.

My favorite thing about said.

Mackrides participates in Mackrides travels the world with performances put on by the resort each performing is the adrenaline her family to pursue her hobby in evening for an audience made up of rush before each trick. performing as well as to enjoy the the other guests. The guests take the Sophia Mackrides, ‘14 atmosphere Club Med offers. classes in the afternoon and at night “It doesn’t cost money you just demonstrate what they’ve learned have to pay to get into the resort. My in a variety of shows. Mackrides parents love it and they have tried it too,” Mackrides said. demonstrates her skills on the trapeze in these events.

Her parents began by taking the circus classes just for Mackrides doesn’t think of her work in the circus as a fun during the day. The adults could participate in the classes career, but instead as a hobby. taught by the staff and Mackrides’ parents picked up some “I think of it more like a hobby over the summer when we tricks while learning. Not long after, Mackrides undertook go to Club Med, which has resorts all around the world, for some of the lessons which marked the start of her new hobby. example there’s one in Cancun. I meet new people every year “My parents can do it because anyone at the resort can try who become my friends,” Mackrides said. stuff during the day for fun,” Mackrides said.

Mackrides enjoys her work in the circus and the thrill of Every summer since then, Mackrides and her family have performing on the trapeze all around the world. stayed at one of the resorts and she’s taken an assortment of “My favorite thing about performing is the adrenaline rush the classes the hotel provides. before each trick,” Mackrides said.

Each of these assorted locations offer a variety of sports tutorial lessons that their residents, like the Mackrides family, can take advantage of. Some of the activities include aqua carlyf@thelionstale.com fitness, sailing, golf, cardio-tennis, basketball, and water

“

”

Famous circus

acts

Ringling Brothers CActs include tightrope walking, animal acts, and daring stunts CIt all started when brothers Albert, August, Otto, Alfred, Charles, John and Henry decided to open up their own circus in 1884

Barnum & Bailey DPhinease Barnum was an entertainer and buisnessman when he decided to open up his circus DBarnum and Bailey were originally competitors in the circus business DIt was purchased by Ringling Bros. in 1907

Cirque du Soleil DKnown around the world for its tricks including juggling fire, contortionists, trapeze acts and clowns DThey’ve received multiple awards for their performances such four Emmys

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THE LIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TALE

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DecisionDay2011 ...you are invited to attend

Friday, February 18, 2011 at Seminole State College Sanford/Lake Mary Campus Transportation from your high school departs at 9:30 a.m.

To attend, visit seminolestate.edu/decisionday For more information call

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Snake TALK Steve Tillis gives us the low-down on his snakes

Yellow Anaconda- will grow up to

12 feet in length and weigh up to 60 pounds Worth: $200

A REPTILLIS

Matrix Herozygous Albino Red Blood Python - breed two

CAUTION, I MAY BITE. Junior Steven Tillis handles one of his largest snakes, the hypo hetrozygous albino red blood python.

all photos/LINSEY DUCA

Business booms for teenage herpetologist

snakes to get a white snake Worth: $1,200

by Taylor Schwarz

M

arketing, communication, and reptile breeding consume junior Steven Tillis’s free time. If these three activities appear odd, one might be even more surprised to learn that he is only 16 years old.

Before selling any of his 60 animals to collectors, Tillis must earn the trust of his customers.

“At first it was hard to get the customers to trust me,” Tillis said. “Then, once I started getting my name out there and people got to know me, people actually seemed more inclined to buy from me since I’m so young and have such passion.”

Tillis began breeding snakes three years ago, beginning with a mere pair of sand boas. From there, he bred a pair of normal ball pythons, and then a normal ball python bred to a pinstripe ball python. Over the years, Tillis transformed from a kid interested in reptiles to a young breeder known throughout the reptile community.

“It [expanding his business] was exciting but

terrifying,” Tillis said. “I went from cleaning a handful of cages a week to worrying about permits, finances, website design, advertising, answering hundreds of emails, phone calls, investing, moving territory, and taxes on top of just cleaning cages.”

Tillis’s business focuses on the breeding of ball pythons, carpet pythons, and Kenyan sand boas, though blue stripe garters selling for $35 and snow corn snakes selling for $20 have also become available to customers. Current breeding projects include corn snakes, green tree pythons, blood pythons, and poison dart frogs.

He also makes cages and rodents, such as mice and rats for snake food, available to customers; his non-reptilian products comprise a large portion of profits.

Tillis often finds that snake breeding involves much work and little play, being thrust into his work as soon as he arrives home from school.

On Fridays, he drives home, tends to the reptiles, and allows himself to spend time with

friends for the rest of the night. Business, however, consumes Tillis’s Saturdays and Sundays.

“Saturday nights I always have to stay home feeding snakes,“ Tillis said. “I’m busy all weekend cleaning. Occasionally, I do find time to be a normal teenager but a lot of times friends and girlfriends get mad at me because I don’t put them first.”

Despite Tillis sometimes feeling as though he misses out on average activities involved in teenage social life, he does not mind missing out on “high school drama”. In Tillis’s opinion, his reptile business is well worth the standard social life he often does not experience.

“It keeps me out of trouble. I can’t be going out doing drugs or drinking when I have 500 animals I need to care for,” Tillis said. “It’s totally worth it. I don’t absolutely lose my social life and I meet a lot more interesting people through the business than boring generic high school students.”

Reptile reproduction process in five steps

Step 1 Find two snakes that are: Healthy Proper Size Proper Age

Step 2 Keep the snake’s body temperatures down at 82 degrees for four months.

taylors@thelionstale.com

Step 3 Pair up the male and female snakes until the female begins to swell and gets bigger.

Albino Stripe Kenyan Sand Boa- one of ten in the world Worth: $800

Hypo Heterozygous Albino Red Blood Python-harvested for

their skins for years, and now are booming in the snake industry Worth: $5,000-$10,000

Step 4 55 days after the female begins to swell she will lay her eggs. The eggs must be incubated.

Step 5 55 to 60 days after being in incubation the baby snakes will begin to break through the egg shells.

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THE LION’S TALE

| features | JANUARY 28, 2011

Within 10 years, wind power could provide

Green Livin’

20%

of America’s power.

Students promote green lifestyle at home, school

by Julia Thorncroft

“It’s not so much that students are wasteful, but rather that they’re wice a month senior Ashley Tooke picks up trash. She and a lazy,” Tooke said. “Because the bins are outside the commons and band of about 15-20 students venture off around the campus. away from the lunch tables, most students would rather use the trash The group cleans out the recycling bins of aluminum cans bins for convenience. We’ve walked around asking people to recycle and plastic bottles that wait inside teachers’ rooms and outside the instead of toss things in the trash and they always give us a weird look.” commons.

Although recycling may seem like a small project, Henderson As president of the Students for Environmental Action club (SEA), it’s Tooke’s job to make sure that every bin is cleared out. Afterward, sees SGA’s eco-friendly act as a growing trend in school.

“Right now it’s just a service that we pay to the school. In the the group calls the county to pick up the recyclables.

While some may not desire to pick up trash, others like Tooke do future I see SGA becoming more passionate about it and really pushing the whole school to recycle more of their paper products,” it for the sake of saving the environment.

“I find it [the environment] really beautiful and believe it’s Henderson said.

For junior DJ Riordan, living a green lifestyle goes beyond important to preserve the environment as long and as best as you can,” recycling bottles and paper at school. Riordan’s family put solar Tooke said.

Although she claims that being eco-friendly was self-motivated, panels on their roof and purchased Energy Star appliances.

“The panels just produce electricity and what isn’t used is sold Tooke cites her mother as a strong influence in living a green back to the electric company. This was all my dad’s idea but my mom lifestyle.

“My mom definitely influenced me because she loves to plant really liked it,” D. Riordan said.

According to his father, Ed Riordan, and grow things and also cares about the they decided to put solar panels on their environment,” Tooke said. “My family My family recycles at home and roof in June 2009 and completed the recycles at home and we are also very we are conscious about how project in December of that year. conscious of how much water we use. much water we use.

“We got the solar panels to reduce We also use eco-friendly materials like Ashley Tooke, ‘11 our personal reliance on the power grid, recycled paper and cleaning products reduce pollution, and make good use without harmful chemicals.” of renewable energy sources, as we all Tooke’s passion for taking care of the environment carried over from her home life into her school life. should,” E. Riordan said.

E. Riordan added that the amount of power created by the solar Being the SEA president, she is responsible for leading meetings twice a month alongside advisor Lynn Klemann where they discuss ways to panels depends on the weather or time of day.

“We don’t store the power we make. We actually use it in realhelp make students at the school more environmentally conscious.

“The goals we have for the club are ways to improve our time,” E. Riordan said. “On a sunny day, we can produce more than campus,” Tooke said. “We talk about projects around campus such we might be using at the time, and that allows us to sell the excess as recycling and other things that can be done to make students more back to the electric company. They are required by law to do so.”

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) provides incentives for environmentally aware.”

The members of SEA are not the only eco-friendly group on people to live a greener lifestyle like the Riordans. There are tax credits campus. The Student Government Association (SGA) contribute to available to those who purchase energy-efficient products and many keeping the school clean and green by placing green recycle bins in states offer rebates to help people buy energy-efficient appliances for every classroom. The leadership class collects recycled paper around their home.

“We were supposed to get a rebate from the government because campus.

According to senior class president Chenell Henderson, the what we’re doing is environmentally friendly, but because of some bill we aren’t getting it now and my parents are fighting it,” D. Riordan members of leadership class collect recycled paper every few days.

“We have teachers who call Mrs. Holmes [leadership teacher] and said.

D. Riordan claims that his parents put forth their strongest effort in let her know if their bin is ready to be dumped. We usually have a fighting to get their rebate. handful a week call for us to dump it,” Henderson said.

“They [Riordan’s parents] are writing to Congress people,” D. While some may think students don’t recycle at school because Riordan said. “It helps that they’re politically active. They are friends they’re wasteful or careless, Tooke thinks differently.

T

“

”

with a lot of people holding political positions.”

Despite the issues with receiving a rebate, the Riordans claim there’s no profit involved with the transition to their eco-friendly lifestyle.

“It isn’t cheaper for us right now but we will be saving money in a few years,” D. Riordan said.

Costing about $27,000 to put on their roof, E. Riordan added that the solar panels reduce ongoing cost in their monthly electric bill.

“With a usable life of about 20 years, we hope it’s the gift that keeps on giving. Each time the power company raises the cost of electricity, the value of the power we can produce is increased as well,” E. Riordan said.

In addition to solar panels, the Riordans’ house has ompact florescent lighting, tinted windows, solar powered attic ventilation fans, water saver toilets, and a tankless hot water heater that all aid in saving energy.

The next household project for Riordan’s family is the construction of a green house in their backyard which E. Riordan intends to complete within the next few weeks.

D. Riordan stated that even though it’s “not his thing,” he supports his parents.

“It’s [living eco friendly] an example we should all follow to whatever extent we can. Just unplugging electric accessories when not in use helps. Everyone can be eco friendly and save money by making even small changes in their home or the way they choose to use energy,” E. Riordan said.

juliat@thelionstale.com

Kristin Sherretz

“

‘11

My family and I use the light bulbs that conserve energy in our house.

”

Cassidy Hopkins

“

‘

I have a milk c drink water ou water bottles

”

JANUARY 28, 2011

Less than

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THE LION’S TALE

5

of the world’s freshwater is readily available for human use

planets to provide enough resources

On average every person throws away seven and a half times their body weight each year

10%

15%

Plastic

Food

o t o d ou festyle? y o d What a green li t OHS te o en a s e m r g o r ampu ng c p i d v i n l ou o 1.

st s ar n i ub b Step e l c ion cl y t c c e A r l vided menta o n r ir o p r i v e En in the Us

or bin ents f cycle d e u r t S a the place o t r 2. Join e each class room t r u o ky 3. As

‘14

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features

If the entire world lived like the average American, we’d need

1%

carton jug that I ut of instead of

|

15%

30% Paper

Garden Waste

2% Misc.

5%

Wood

5%

Rubber

Machaela Hisle ‘11

“

8% Glass

German Salazar

I use Publix green bags when I go food shopping at Publix.

”

“

10% Metal

‘14

By recycling and not wasting as much water when I shower.

”

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THE LION’S TALE

| features | JANUARY 28, 2011

Truth revealed whatmenwant

With Valentine’s Day coming up, read what the opposite sex is looking for in order to find their perfect match.

whatwomenwant

E

veryone has heard the term “prince charming,” which conjures up the image of perfection and something every girl desires. However, what if the roles were reversed, and guys got to choose their perfect girl, someone with the whole package. That leads to the lingering question, what exactly do guys want in girls?

“They need to be outgoing,” sophomore Brandon Wilks said.” The more you’re willing to put yourself out there, the sooner I’ll catch the hint and talk to you.”

Wilks likes athletic girls who are smart and have confidence.

“There are girls that you have to break out of their shell. I usually go for girls that can trust me,” Wilks said.

Senior Ryan Ireland says when it comes to outgoing girls, it might be hard to rise above his level.

“If a girl can be more outgoing than me, I give her props,” Ireland said. “I like friendly competition.”

Ireland is looking for a girl who is funny, but knows when to be serious. He also wants a girl that can come to him for anything.

“She has to feel comfortable coming to me with her problems, knowing I won’t blow her off,” Ireland said. “I want them to show me they have a good personality, be themselves, and know that I am okay with that.”

Ireland says he doesn’t like when girls go to other guys asking what they can do to grab his attention.

“She has to be bold and take a chance,” Ireland said.

What about makeup? Do guys want a girl’s make up to be overdone or to have none at all?

“Make up doesn’t make you beautiful. It perfects it,” Wilks says.

Ireland believes there should be a happy medium when it comes to the way girls present themselves.

“I don’t want someone who doesn’t care at all or someone who cares too much,” Ireland said. “But I tend to find natural beauty first.”

Junior Renaldo Watt is looking for someone he can kick back with.

“It’s just cool to have someone you can hangout with and care about.”

by Zoe Lyon-Goldman

W

hat Women Want, a movie where actor Mel Gibson can suddenly read the minds of women and instantly find out what they’re really thinking. If only all males could discover that unsolved mystery.

So the question remains, what do women want?

“Good hygiene,” junior Asia Landenwitch said.

Landenwitch says she’s looking for someone fairly intellectual.

“If you’re smart, we can have good conversations, “ Landenwitch said.

Junior Paola Espinoza hasn’t had an official relationship with anyone but she knows what she wants, a guy that knows how to dress nicely and who doesn’t have too much confidence.

“Cause that’s not cute. It makes you look ugly,” Espinoza said.

Freshman Maggie Wagner said guys that spark her interest are typically the ones into sports that can make her laugh and have an active social life.

“Someone that has a bunch of friends that’s always doing something and that’s in the ‘in crowd’,” Wagner said.

Wagner said going somewhere else out of the ordinary would be far more exciting than doing everyday things.

“A different state would be fun, just something fun and crazy,” she said.

Wagner also believes opposites do attract.

“I’ve dated someone that was into different music and believed different things than I did and we got along perfectly,” Wagner said.

Out of all students interviewed, the top place to go on a date was the movies. But the question is what movie to see.

“Something funny, so we can both have something to laugh at,” Wagner said. “And scary movies so he can protect me.”

At the end of the day, maybe what girls want isn’t all that different from guys.

“Every girl wants to be with someone that has that special something,” Wagner says.

all photos/LINSEY DUCA

n

18

zoel@thelionstale.com

Natalia Rodriguez, ‘13

Dylan Mueller, ‘11

We asked men what they want in women...

We asked women what they want in men...

56%

42% 29%

21%

30%

8%

Brains

8%

Looks Personality Humor

*This poll was taken Jan. 25, 2011 out of 100 students

Brains

6% Looks Personality Humor

JANUARY 28, 2011

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THE LION’S TALE

19

Shocking Nobel Peace Prize Design Q: What is the design of the Nobel Peace Prize medal?

A: The Nobel Peace Prize medal depicts three naked men with their hands on each other’s shoulders.

sports ) ///////////(DIDYOUKNOW?

Anäis Vallejo Beauty Pageant Participant Princess-in-Training Etiquette Expert

|

Q: What is the correct response to the Irish greeting, “Top of the morning to you”?

A: The correct response would be “and the rest of the day to yourself” Q: What is the most popular name in the world?

A: The most popular name in the world is Muhammad.

Q: What is the fastest animal on six legs?

A: The cockroach is the fastest animal on six legs, convering one meter per second.

Q: How much food does the average person eat in a lifetime?

A:The average person eats about 60,000 pounds of food.

photo/CARSON BAILEY

Devoted teen pagent participant strives to reach success

by Hafsa Hussain

T

he audience hushed, 170 teenage girls stand lined up across the stage waiting anxiously for their names to be called to move on to the top 30 in the National American Miss pageant.

Among them, junior Anäis Vallejo waits with fingers crossed.

“When my name wasn’t called I left the stage crying. My dad came to comfort me and told me it was great,” Vallejo said.

Though disappointed that she lost, Vallejo remained calm and hopes for a better turn out in the Miss Teen America Pageant.

“I compete in pageants because like every girl I’ve always wanted to be a princess. Fairy tale princesses are perfect. When you compete in a pageant you feel perfect,” Vallejo said.

Her next pageant, Miss Teen America, beginning in March, is more of a

beauty-based competition meaning girls focus more on beauty where as the National Miss Pageant is an empowering young women competition that shows people that you’re a strong woman.

Getting ready for the intensity of Beauty pageants is not all that easy.

“You have different dresses you wear throughout the competition and when you go back stage to change, it’s crazy. They have a few assistants, they’re always rushing you,” Vallejo said.

Throughout the craziness of the pageant, Vallejo’s parents supported her every step of the way.

“I basically have a pageant dad. In the military he had to present himself to the board, which required dressing up in the right uniforms. He’s really helped me throughout all this and has always told me what I’m doing right and wrong.

I also have an etiquette coach who helps me with my walk,” Vallejo said.

Stumbling on her gown or messing up the introduction dance is the furthest thing from Vallejo’s mind.

“I never get nervous. I love standing out. I act like I’m the best and that I’m determined to win,” Vallejo said.

“I’d really love to be Miss America or Miss Universe one day. I also want to open up a fashion line and business with my sister,” Vallejo said.

hafsah@thelionstale.com

Editor’s Note One by One features a selected student, whose story is told in only 300 words. If you want to nominate someone for a feature, please email us, or stop by room 5-020.

Freshman Franny: by Taylor Schwarz

COMIC

Q: What is the most powerful brand in the world?

A: Google is the most powerful brand worth $86 billion dollars.

Q: Is a zebra white with black stripes or black with white stripes?

A: It’s proven to be white with black stripes.

Q: How many ways are there to make change for a dollar?

A: There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar. *If you have questions that you would like The Lion’s Tale to answer please submit them to: dyk@thelionstale.com

courtesy/www.strangefacts.com

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TOP 10 POP CULTURE

by Angiee Carey

1. The Dead Alive. Just when people thought

This past year was a tough one. Yes, 2010 gave us unforgettable special moments but without a doubt. All the scandals, break ups and celebrity slip-ups kept us entertained throughout the year. Here’s a recap.

the pop culture’s sexy vampire stage was over, 2010 brought it back bigger than ever. The third film based on Stephanie Meyers book series, The Twilight Sage: Eclipse, toted up to $300 million in sales and $43 million in DVD sales in the year 2010 alone. “True Blood”, “Vampire Diaries” and “The Walking Dead” continued to soar up with many, many viewings during this amazing decade.

2. Bed Intruder. Hide yo’ kids.

Hide yo’ wife! Just about everyone has heard about the biggest Internet star of the year, Antoine Dodson. His interview about his sister’s attack in Lincoln Parks’ projects was turned into a remix as the “Bed Intruder Song” which hit Billboard’s Hot 100 list.

Dodson sold a “Bed Intruder” costume, endorsed a “Sex Offender Tracker” app and performed at the BET Hip Hop Awards all in the year of 2010. “So, You can run and tell that.”

5.

Idol Ditch. It seems that what happens behind the scenes of American Idol is more interesting than the show itself. In 2010, the head judge Simon Cowell decided to leave American Idol to be the new host for the show, “X-Factor”, which will launch in 2011. New producers were brought into the show along with Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler who were brought in to join Randy Jackson as the judges for the 2011 season.

8. Gaga in Meat. It’s

said that Lady Gagas’ meat outfit was by far the most outrageous moment of 2010. She stepped onstage at MTV’s Video Music Awards to collect her Video of the Year award from pop legend Cher in her meat outfit designed by Franc Fernandez.

9. Marriage

Trouble. The famous

6. Lilo in Jail.

3. Bieber Fever. Justin started off

2010 as the presenter at the 52nd Grammy Awards. His hit song “Baby” reached the top ten hit singles chart in eight different countries and his album debuted at number one in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Ireland and Australia. In November 2010, Bieber won the American Music Awards’ Artist of the Year along with with three other awards. He’s also had a guest spot on CSI and performed on “Saturday Night Live.”

4. Free Weezy. Well, it finally

happened in the year of 2010. Rapper Lil Wayne served eight months in a prison on Riker’s Island for the possession of an illegal weapon, a loaded .40 caliber handgun. His original court date was postponed because the rapper needed root canals in addition to having his platinum grills removed.

For Lindsay Lohan, 2010 was actually a lot worse for her than her previous years. After rapidly failing her drug tests and missing frequent court dates, she spent 14 days in jail, went to rehab, then left rehab, went to court, and is now going to rehab yet again. What a year for Lohan. Hopefully 2011 treats her better.

7.

Movie of the Year. This movie portrayed the birth of Facebook, the social

networking Web site. The Social Network was not only a box office hit of $96 million, but also is the top nominee to win the Oscar for best movie, winner of the Golden Globe Awards and the Critics’ Choice Awards. Founder Mark Zuckerberg got a lot of face time with Oprah and on “60 Minutes” and was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year.

actress Sandra Bullock found out after winning her best actress Oscar for The Blind Side that her husband of five years had been cheating on her for 11 months. Jesse was carrying on an affair with a tattoo model, Michelle McGee.

10. Surgery

Addict. Heidi Montag

is known as a reality star back in 2006 on the show, “The Hills.” This girl is now recognized for being one of the five most talked about plastic surgery transformations of all-time.

She has even admited that she has undergone a 10 plastic surgery procedures in one day.

angieec@thelionstale.com

all photos/PUBLICITY WEBSITES

MOMENTS OF 2010

JANUARY 28, 2011

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THE LION’S TALE

Say hello to Ophiuchus

by Leigha Bennett

S

ophomore Amanda Nacin logs onto Facebook clicking around to check her daily horoscope. She reads, reads, and reads. About to sign off, she notices that she is no longer a Scorpio.

“I was so shocked,” Nacin said. “Basically, I read the wrong horoscope.”

News about a zodiac change ripped through OHS and the entire country. Some are confused and aggravated about the new dates and the addition of the ‘new’ 13th sign, Ophiuchus.

According to Parke Kunkle, the astronomer who stirred up all the controversy, this is old news, about 5,000 years old, which is how long astrology has been practiced.

The question is what exactly caused this controversy?

Think of the earth as a toy top. As the top spins, it wobbles one way and then the other. Five thousand years ago, the earth’s axis faced one direction. Then it wobbled, and now it faces the North Star.

The wobbling is caused by the Earth spinning on it’s axis. With all these rotating revolutions, the gravitational pull from the moon

Capricorn

finally pulled the Earth in another direction, 10 degrees to be exact, causing the astrology signs to be off by a month.

“Ever since astrology began back in 3000 B.C., we’ve known there were problems with it,” Kunkle said in an online article on FoxNews.com. “The ancient Babylonians had 13 constellations, for example, so they just threw one out.”

Kunkle also told FoxNews.com that even the sign Libra didn’t come into existence until Julius Caesar’s time.

But where did Ophiuchus, the new sign, come from?

Kunkle explains that Ophiuchus, known as the snake-bearer, was ignored so the 12 signs we have today would align equally with our calendar.

With the change in tilt of the earth’s axis, Ophiuchus can now be viewed in the night sky and some astrologers believe it is valid to include this constellation in the zodiac.

Rumor has it that only people born in 2009 will be effected by the change. Scientists agree that the change in tilt could not be accomplished in one year but took place over a number of years.

Astronomers who embrace the new zodiac lineup say that if you are a believer, you just might have to accept a new sign.

Taurus

The Sea-Goat

May 13 to June 21

January 20 to February 16

leighab@thelionstale.com

Descriptions courtesy of www.astrology-online.com and www.love-astrology.com New dates courtesy of www.huffingtonpost.com.

Virgo

Gemini

Known for being shy, sensitive, gentle, and patient. Usually honest enough to share their opinions. Very serious-minded, humane, idealistic, and practical. They are quick, active, and persevering without being self-assertive. Express themselves with reason, moderation, and sometimes a dry humor.

June 21 to July 20

Ruling planet: Mercury

Libra

Ruling planet: Uranus

Pisces

March 11 to April 18

The Fishes

Known for their gentle, patient, and malleable nature.They have many generous qualities and are friendly, good-natured, kind, and compassionate. They are sensitive to the feelings of those around them. Popular with all kinds of people because of their easygoing, affectionate personality. Known for creativity.

Ruling planet:Venus

April 18 to May 13

Scorpio

The Twins

Ruling planet: Mercury

Ruling planet: Pluto

Cancer

The Crab

July 20 to August 10

A mixture of toughness and softness. They

favor the dark and mysterious. They are

thick-skinned, intuitive and wise. Timid, dull,

and shy. Doesn’t like failure, opposition, and aggravating situations. But on the softer side, they like to have a large family, down-to-earth, and tend to be romantic and emotional.

Most intense and profound of all the signs.

They remain self-controlled and calm, but may burst at any moment. Harness aggression, and and seem to be forceful.Very persuasive but dislikes being taken advantage of.

Ophiuchus

Begins a new zodiac year, so is also known as the sign of new beginnings. Known for being courageous leaders, genuine, impulsive, ambitious, enthusiastic, and full of energy.

A lover of freedom. Open to challenges and will not be diverted from their purpose.

Known as the snake-bearer. Cares for the safety of others. Many people envy this person. Favors bright colors. Authority looks upon them well. Enjoys having a big family.

Ruling planet: Pluto

The Lion

August 10 to September 16

Sagittarius

The Archer

December 17 to January 20

Leonians are the most dominant, creative, and extroverted of all the zodiacal characters.

Born leaders, strong-willed, self-confident, independent, positive, and dominant.Very arrogant, haughty, having a short temper, and usually jealous of suspicious rivals.

Ruling planet: Sun

Ruling planet: Jupiter

The Snake-Bearer

November 29 to December 17

Ruling planet: Moon

Leo

The Scorpion

November 23 to November 29

Famous for being dual-natured, elusive,

complex, and contradictory. Childish, lively,

happy, egocentric, imaginative, and restless.

Don’t like labor and routine.Very affectionate, courteous, kind, and generous. But, they demand attention and admiration.

Ruling planet: Neptune

The Ram

The Scales

October 30 to November 23

Enjoys having social harmony and music

Normally very elegant and charming.

Naturally kind, very gentle, and lovers of beauty. Strongly dislikes cruelty, destruction, and violence.

Likes the finer things in life. Best known for having a balance lifestyle.

September 16 to October 30

Being the only sign represented by a girl, the

sign Virgo show mainly creative and delicate

traits. Sophisticated and outgoing. Having

considerable charm and dignity.Very logical and enjoys having things in order. Dislikes sloppy workers and being uncertain.

Ruling planet:Venus

The Water-Bearer

The Virgin

Known for being extremely determined and strong-willed. Doesn’t like to be controlled, but will be loyal to those they trust. Stable, balanced, conservative, law-abiding citizens and lovers of peace. Dependable, firm, and unshaken in the face of difficulties.

February 16 to March 11

Ruling planet: Mars

Astrologer: A person who studies the position and aspects of heavenly

Ruling planet: Saturn

Aries

Astronomer: A scientist specializing in the universe beyond the earth, especially the evolution and observation of celestial bodies.

Known for being stable, serious, independent, rock-like characters. Normally confident, strong-willed, and hardworking. Don’t like to show emotions. Very practical, persistant, responsible, persevering, and cautious to the extreme persons. Usually become the backbone for any company they work for.

Aquarius

The Bull

21

Sagittarians have a positive outlook on life.

They are honorable, honest, trustworthy, thruthful, generous, and sincere. They enjoy justice and are open-minded. Usually modest and are often religious, with strong sense of morality. Enjoys traveling, freedom, and getting to the point. But hates being bothered with details.

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THE LION’S TALE

| diversions | JANUARY 28, 2011

Music, movies, books & more

VERY GOOD

OUTSTANDING

Science and Faith The Script Pop/Rock

by Angiee Carey

T

he Script released their long awaited for second album, Science and Faith, on Jan. 18, with music and lyrics much better than their debut self-titled album two years ago. As their fan base grew, so did their talent apparently.

The trio tackled heartbreak and the pain of starting over again with humor and succeeded immensely. The only sour note of the album is hit when B.o.B. attempts to rap in the song “Walk Away”, and fails miserably. B.o.B. “raps” the same words over and over again, throwing off the true beauty of the song, and turning it into the worst song of the entire album.

The energy remains upbeat throughout the entire album, from the opening “You Won’t Feel a Thing” to the final “Exit Wounds”, calmed through the sensitive lyrics. The first single off the album, “For the First Time,” embraces the idea of starting over in love and in a new place with lyrics that inspire listeners- “Oh these times are hard, yea they’re making us crazy, but don’t give up on me baby”.

The best feature of this album is the soul behind the words. Lead singer Danny O’Donoghue co-wrote eight of the 10 tracks on the album, and his sincerity is clearly shared with listeners through the melody of his voice.

My only hope is that it won’t take the trio another two years to release an album that is sure to be just as amazing as this one was.

DOWNLOAD THIS >>For the First Time

stepho@thelionstale.com

The King is Dead The Decemberists Alternative

Loud Rihanna Pop/Hip-Hop

by Stephanie O’Sullivan

GOOD

I

’m not going to lie, I was expecting Rihanna to come back with another down in the dumps and dark kind of album, like her 4th studio album, Rated R. To my surprise, I found her fifth album, LOUD, to be a distinctive breakthrough in image and sound since the whole Chris Brown nightmare.

As you can see, Rihanna’s look has changed over the years. However, the bright red lipstick and fire red hair wasn’t the only thing to change.

LOUD is swarming with potential singles.

It highlights precisely the best and worst of today’s pop culture.

Frankly, this isn’t the album you would want to play on a house stereo or on a road trip with your family; In fact, a song like “Only Girl (In The World)” screams, dance to this and needs to be blasted out in a club, not to mention “Skin”, which, if you ask me, isn’t exactly appropriate for ages under 13, but can still get anyone in the mood for a seductive evening.

“Raining Men feat. Nicki Minaj” is a catchy, up-tempo song. I’d have to say that the chorus isn’t a in-your-face type of rhythm. It reminds me more of a popular children’s phrase “Eenie, meenie, minie, mo”, but it does seem to leap out of the speakers and stick in your mind like Rihanna’s other Caribbean groove “Whats My Name feat. Drake.”

Everything regarding this record is entirely authentic to Rihanna as an artist. LOUD is, quite simply, about getting crazy and letting loose.

DOWNLOAD THIS >> Skin

angieec@thelionstale.com

RUBBISH

False Priest Of Montreal Indie Pop

by Julia Thorncroft

by Taylor Schwarz

nlike their past album, The Hazards of Love, which was an epic failure, The Decemberists take on a different path with their latest album The King is Dead. What they do differently: they keep it simple.

Instead of creating an album full of intricate lyrics, The Decemberists reconnect with their southern roots by fusing blues, folk, and soul.

The end result is a meticulously crafted album of heartwarming lyrics thanks to talented frontman Colin Meloy.

The band wrote many songs as homage to other musical influences incluing The Rolling Stones and R.E.M. In addition to R.E.M. styled songs such as “Calamity Song”, guitarist Peter Buck appears on three tracks.

There are points when the album may seem predictable though. It’s a typical album with lyrics on universal feelings and the faintness of familiarity in each melody.

Like most albums, The King is Dead bounces back from slow to fast songs. Slow track “Rise to Me,” is a laid back, typical indie song with a bold point to it. Meloy’s voice sounds brilliant on this track.

The slower songs seem to be the best tracks off the record. Mostly because they have a darker side to them.

The album ends with “Dear Avery,” a song of heartache (naturally, a girl’s name is in the title) and is one of the better songs on the album. There is no bad track on this album, The Decemberists are worth the money.

o those who have listened to Of Montreal over the last few years, a slight shock may occur after noticing the lack of eardrum-blowing synthesizers (Never fear.

They are still there, just in a cleaner form), but the heart and soul of Of Montreal lingers within the heart of False Priest.

Another surprise could be found in Kevin Barnes’s uncharacteristically raw, personal song writing. A man known for his multiple personas and whimsical wordplay, Barnes exposed much more of his heart than the public has ever seen through songs such as “Girl Named Hello” and in a duet with Solange Knowles.

The album’s opening number, “I Feel Ya’ Strutter”, is an upbeat, optimistic tune, quite easy to bob one’s head to, an ideal opener for an album meant to evolve the image of the group. Alas, “Our Riotous Defects” does not fail to take the listener down a couple notches as Barnes spins a tale of heartbreak through a number plagued with foreboding.

The album’s main message-do not worship cruel people that do not love you back. At least, that is what a brokenhearted Barnes seems to portray through his songs of love faded, lost, and sometimes not even consensual.

Perhaps Barnes has a point-worship of a person that one knows they will never win over is a tad bit unhealthy. Or maybe he just needs to ditch the high-heeled boots and hang out with a nice girl that does not have tattoos on her face.

U

DOWNLOAD THIS >> Dear Avery

juliat@thelionstale.com

T

DOWNLOAD THIS >> Famine Affair

taylors@thelionstale.com

Upcoming Concerts

Katy Perry Thursday, June 9 TBA UCF Arena The Expendables Saturday Feb. 26 8:00 p.m.

The Social

AWFUL

Kid Rock The Dirty Work Tour Saturday, March 5 featuring: All Time Low, 7:30 p.m.

Yellowcard, Hey Monday, UCF Arena and Summer Set Kenny Chesney with Friday April 1 Zac Brown Band 6:00 p.m.

Saturday March 19 House of Blues 7:00 p.m.

Raymond James Stadium all photos courtesy/PUBLICITY WEB SITES

JANUARY 28, 2011

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diversions

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THE LION’S TALE

Friends 5 w i t h benefits

Movies To Watch on Valentine’s Day

No Strings Attached

1.

2.

3.

23

Predictable romantic comedy offers no surprises or fresh perspective on male/female relationships

The Notebook Rated PG-13

by Stephanie O’Sullivan

“Behind every great love is a great story.”

J

oin Adam (Ashton Kutcher) and Emma (Natalie Portman) on the relationship rollercoaster, as they try to figure out the complexity of their relationship.

No Strings Attached begins with a series of flashbacks, staring with “15 years ago” when the couple first meets at a summer camp.

Adam mourns the collapse of his parents divorce, and Emma tries to comfort him with the least amount of personal contact possible, a trait that carries on through the entire movie.

By chance, they meet again five years later at a college party, where Emma invites Adam to join her to go to “a thing”, which turns out to be her fathers funeral.

This scene only serves the purpose of ‘meeting the family’ for Adam, because other than that, the scene is completely pointless.

A final flashback leads viewers to one year ago when Adam and Emma meet up at a market, joined by Adams overly-affectionate girlfriend Vanessa. Adam and Emma exchange numbers, and set off on their separate paths again.

Finally, the movie takes place in the present, where viewers learn that Adam is an assistant on a t.v. set and that his ex-girlfriend Vanessa is now dating his father.

Hours and numerous beers later, Adam sends an emergency text to Emma unknowingly and wakes up at her apartment the next morning.

Their relationship grows and the couple form a

“friends with benefits” relationship.

Emma sets firm rules for their relationship; no dating, no staring deeply into each other’s eyes, no staying the night, and if one person feels feelings deeper than their current relationship, the relationship is over.

Weeks pass by, and viewers realize something that neither character does; both Adam and Emma are falling for each other. After Adam shows up at Emma’s apartment with cupcakes for her and her roommates, and a mixed CD for Emma, Emma terminates the relationship, leaving them both broken hearted.

Soon enough, however, the couple joins up again when Adam lands himself in the hospital, and their relationship resumes where it left off.

Rules are broken and barriers are crossed as the movie dully continues until the end.

Overall, the movie was incredibly predictable and dry. Every scene is predictable, and just as enjoyable as the trailer was.

The only reason that I would watch this movie again was because of Kutchers acting. He was clearly the star of the movie, only dragged down by Portman’s pitiful performance.

Because of her poor acting, my favorite couple of the movie was that of Patrice (Greta Gerwig) and Eli ( Jake Johnson). Best friends to Emma and Adam, they form a relationship that is actually genuine and believable.

Titanic Rated PG-13 “Collide With Destiny.”

P.S. I Love You Rated PG-13 “His life ended.

Now, a new one will begin.”

stepho@thelionstale.com Valentine’s Day Rated PG-13 “A Love Story.

More or Less.”

4.

Love Actually Rated R

6. all photos/PUBLICITY WEBSITES

5.

1. Emma smiles into the surrounding crowd. 2 Adam turns his attention to the side during a party. 3. Adam and Emma run into each other again after a year and exchange numbers. 4. Patrice and Eli exchange an awkward glance as they dance. 5. Adam gives Emma a bunch of carrots on their first date because she told him not to get her flowers. 6. Adam and Emma stroll along the mini putt putt course on their first date.

“It’s All About Love... Actually.”

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THE LION’S TALE

| diversions | JANUARY 28, 2011

H S A TR

photo courtesy/PUBLICITY WEB SITES

What they think

V T

“I think TV is heading in a negative direction because of the increase in promiscuity and loss of home Joey Hefley ‘11 values. It portrays the false idea of what life should revolve around and makes loud, obnoxious, self-centered personalities look acceptable.”

ion/C ARSON

photo illustrat

BAILEY

Television shows portray negative messages

by Kaitlyn Loughlin

Jersey Shore

M

TV’s Jersey Shore began as just a more hyped-up, stereotyped rip off of The Real World. Yet, producers probably would’ve never guessed the enormous hit this show would blow up to be.

Now in its third season, Jersey Shore continues to deepen its roots into the lives of Americans every Thursday night. As if one Snooki was not enough, the newest addition to the family, Deena, Snook’s ‘fun-sized’ friend, stirs up drama, and a catty fist fight, on her very first night in the house.

However, this fresh-meat rookie eventually gained respect in the house and slipped her way into the hearts of viewers by becoming the new wing-woman of the dearly beloved “MVP” (Mike, Vinny and Pauly D).

The key building blocks keeping Jersey Shore at the top of the charts is clearly the audiences’ guilty pleasure in getting to laugh at another’s expense.

After all, no true objective exists in the show.

It merely films a drunken Snooki making a fool of herself by getting arrested while MVP spends their nights “creeping” on girls at the club and recycling them like yesterday’s used junk.

The hardest obstacle these young ‘adults’ face on the show consists of waking up for work at the local t-shirt shop, after a long intoxicated night, to the sound of a quaking telephone; or maybe living with the constant bickering of Ronnie and Sammi, who proved herself certainly no ‘sweetheart’ at all when she stooped down to domestic violence as a solution to her problems numerous times on the air.

And although this behavior is outrageous, hilarious, and a big waste of time to watch, according to TV.com, Jersey Shore ranks on the

charts as number two, following American Idol, as the most popular reality show of all time.

With sky-rocketing popularity, it’s a no brainer that the show will continue into a fourth season. This time, the cast will be filmed in Italy, taking in the true Italian culture beneath these fake-tanned, fist-pumping, twenty-something’s.

It’s about time America embraces the Italian lifestyle in ways other than how the Jersey Shore members poorly display it by their false ‘guido’ image. Hopefully, viewers will catch the cast in an eye-opening exploration of their heritage, rather than exploiting it with wild-child actions.

Bridal Plasty

From flowers and catered cuisine, to the elaborate white dress and an eternal binding love; nothing about a wedding is fake. Except for maybe the bride herself- or at least in the case of E!’s newest show, Bridal Plasty.

Brides-to-be face off in a series of wedding preparation challenges to win a list of plastic surgeries in which they wish to undergo before their ‘big day.’

As these women compete for more and more surgeries on their ‘wish lists,’ they also must successfully complete their recovery periods throughout the duration of the show.

New noses, liposuction, breast enhancements, eyebrow raises, wrinkle reductions, and even shortening of the second toes. You name it. These potential brides want it.

The grand finale comprises of the winning, now Barbie-like bride to be granted her dream, all-expenses-paid wedding, with additional perks of a new appearance.

Whoever said that “true beauty is on the inside” obviously didn’t get the point across to these insecure brides. But for society to promote this kind of ‘show’ is degrading and supericial.

Skins

No televised program recently stirred up more turmoil than that of MTV’s new hit series Skins. An extremely popular, former British teen drama, Skins (U.S. version) follows a similar paralleled plot, though claims to eventually veer off into its own twists and different scenarios from the original.

Written initially by father and son, Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain, to lure in teens in search for more interesting shows, Skins represents every aspect of a ‘typical’ high school life: drugs, sex, alcohol, family trouble, love triangles, and bizarre friendships.

However, there is absolutely nothing realistic about the lifestyle portrayed in the show. If the average teen partied as carefree and often as these adolescent actors did, there’s a good chance that probably half of the teen population would die.

The extremely amateur acting skills also leave viewers lacking any sense of belief in the character’s emotions, though, maybe, this is exactly what the producers were searching for.

After all, not a single character carries a good head on their shoulders and they themselves are too messed up to know what’s going on during any given segment of the program.

Intense public and media bashing about the show being an ‘illegal child-pornography’ has been circling the nation, attempting to end the show before it can even take flight. The criticism is still very fresh and controversial but is continuing to rise in disapproval.

One thing’s for sure; this series must step up its content, ratings, and possibly even tone down the already-lessened promiscuity if it wants to excel into a fifth season like it’s UK cousin.

kaitlynl@thelionstale.com

“I don’t watch any trashy reality shows because they demoralize people. They symbolizes women Mackenzie poorly by making ‘11 Schweinberg it seem like all women are trashy, rude, and disgusting, when the majority of women aren’t.

And also, that men only think about themselves and go through women like underwear.”

Renner Powell, Nick Nemeh, Blaine Smith

‘11

“I like Jersey Shore because of Mike ‘The Situation’ ,Vinny, and Pauly D (MVP) and how they pull all of the girls and just have fun being themselves.

That’s just how my friends and I are and we have our own name too.

“RNB” stands for Renner, Nick, and Blaine (AKA Renny, Nicky D, and ‘The Incident’).

Blaine Smith ‘11

JANUARY 28, 2011

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diversions

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THE LION’S TALE

TED blog catches school interest

by Brandon Koller

S

omewhere, in conference halls and on the world wide web, experts discuss the future – our future. Exploration of possibilities – of restoring rivers, of robots as comedians, of the modern man as a cyborg – becomes a mission, rather than something to pass the time. This “somewhere” is TED. TED conferences exist to help “Ideas Worth Spreading”. The name TED is derived from the initials of three fields, technology, entertainment, and design. Four major conferences, annually held, act as the focus for TED, as a place where experts disseminate their world-changing ideas and the future of the world reveals itself as inventions, improvements, and innovations based on what is today.

At each conference, these presenters play the key role. During 18-minute time frames, speakers describe and define what ideas they hope to bring to reality in the future. Their speeches, called TEDTalks, can be found online at ted.com. An expert, in his or her TEDTalk, may detail an idea ranging from suspended animation, to the expansion and control of data, to poverty, to new instruments and styles of music.

Anna-Marie Cote, deputy superintendent of SCPS, was in awe after seeing TED talks for the first time online.

“My initial reaction to the first TED video I saw was total amazement, and then wondering how to share this source with teachers, administrators and students so that they too could have access to and think about how innovation and this work

25

Recent guest speakers at TED conventionsCheck Check out these featured speakers stories on TED.com Ueil Gegenschatz tests his daring feat as he soars through canyons at 100 mph in his wingsuit. Check out his video “Ueli Gegenschatz soars in a wingsuit,” to see his film.

Jake Shimabukuro strums a cover of Queen’s “Bohemiem Rhapsody” on his ukelele. You can see his preformance at “Jake Shimabukuro plays Bohemian Rhapsody.”

In hopes of revolutionizing the four-string, two octave instrument.

Director, writer and producer J.J. Abrams talks about his unseen love for mystery dramas like Lost, Mission: Imposible, and Undercovers, in “J.J. Abrams’ Mystery Box.”

photos and info courtesy of TED.com

could impact education,” Cote said.

Embracing the same ideas as national TED conferences, TEDx events are independently operated worldwide, and have varying attendance numbers. From under 30 people to over 100, the experiences at TEDx events all depend on the planning, as Jenny Casey, an organizer of TEDx Orlando, knows well.

“I can speak only for TEDxOrlando. We look for people who are doing interesting work, communicate passion, have a story to tell –and are willing to donate a considerable amount of time and energy toward preparing their talk,” Casey said.

The TED website describes TEDx conferences as “TEDTalks video and live speakers combine

to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group.” The results of TED and TEDx are something Cote can attest to.

“Typically, I learn from each of the videos, regardless of whether it is so relevant that I can’t wait to share it with the district Instructional Support Team, or whether it is educational on a more personal level. The most recent video that was of interest is Sugata Mitra’s, How Kids Teach Themselves, also reference as the “Hole in the Wall” project.” “ I learned about it from one of our elementary teachers who saw the video and shared it with our Superintendent, Dr. Vogel, who then shared it with his team. As a learning organization, we are always seeking to learn more about how to best

deliver educational opportunities to students, and this video generated a lot of conversation,” she said.

Outside of the educational level and amongst the regulars at TEDx events, Casey notices a trend of independence that leans towards future progress.

“I’ve noticed that many of the people who attend TED conferences are unusually entrepreneurial. They also tend to be highly intelligent, curious, and very active, often with many interests they pursue with passion and energy. [TED] is a way for people to connect globally over ideas that offer hope for the future,” Cote said.

brandonk@thelionstale.com

Sushi goes upscale at town’s newest eatery T

by Leigha Bennett

echno music and a very modern Japanese atmosphere greeted me as I walked into Sushi Pop, located on Mitchell Hammock next to Taco Bell.

Sushi Pop is the newest restaurant to hit Oviedo, and it sure is giving itself a good name.

I’ve been enjoying sushi since I was little and I love giving my taste buds a treat, and Sushi Pop definitely executed that perfectly.

Within minutes of being seated, our waitress hurried to the table to take our drink orders. While she was pouring each person a glass of water, she talked about the appetizers. She said that they had specials, which vary every day.

Luckily, my table got the chance to try deepfried bacon wrapped scallops with spicy mayo. It was only three scallops, but it had my table ready to lick the plate clean.

Sushi Pop prides itself on serving the freshest fish possible, flying it in daily.

Our table decided to take to order the Hot Mess-smoked salmon, avocado and tempura flakes with maple soy, topped with baked tuna, salmon, yellowtail, flounder, spicy mayo, smelt roe, scallions and rendered bacon, for $14.

Another person ordered the Oviedo Chickentempura chicken, Japanese mayo and avocado drizzled with honey mustard for $7 and the Drama Queen- spicy tuna tartare and avocado, topped with

hamachi, kimchee sauce and wasabi sesame seeds for $11.

This restaurant offered so many tasty-sounding choices that we had trouble deciding when to stop ordering. So we added two more sushi rolls, one with crab and another with tuna.

We could hardly contain ourselves when the plates of sushi were brought out. We cleaned off the beautifully presented plates in about 20 minutes.

Each person at the table had two rolls and we all were extremely full.

The menu is extensive and those who don’t fancy fish can find tasty alternatives including pork chops, chicken and steak.

Those with a sweet tooth can order peanut butter and jelly sorbet made table side with liquid nitrogen or apple fritters topped with maple ginger ice cream and candied bacon.

Sushi Pop fills a void in the Oviedo dining experience. Although we have a number of pizza, chain, and Italian restaurants, Sushi Pop is one of the first upscale family-owned restaurant to open here.

On Friday and Saturday nights, the wait can be up to an hour and a half but on most week nights you can walk right in.

And you’ll be glad you did. Because as we left, the table agreed. It was the best sushi we’ve ever had in our life.

leighab@thelionstale.com

2 1 3

all photos/CARSON BAILEY

PREPARING THE COURSES. 1. The Peanut Butter and Jelly Sorbet Dessert, is made with grape sorbet, table salt, liquid nitrogen, peanut butter powder, and topped with whipped cream. $8 2.The Coconut Shrimp roll local Cape Canaveral shrimp and assorted vegetables with ten-tsuyu dipping sauce. $7 3. A plate of Yee-Haw! roll is a dish that includes wagyu beef, avocado, peanuts, and chives.. $6

4 L A N I F 26

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THE LION’S TALE

| JANUARY 28, 2011

ate t s o t e c advan s n o i L y d a L

KEEP AWAY. Senior Morgan Campbell dribbles the ball to keep it away from Spruce Creek during the Regional finals.

Winning season propels team to state competition at University of Tampa

by Connor Bailey

O

ne hundred and sixty minutes stand between the Oviedo girls’ soccer team and a 6A state championship.

The Lions handled Spruce Creek in the regional final with a final score of 4-1.

Senior Colleen O’Kennedy blasted a rocket from 25 yards out right through the keeper’s hands, igniting the eventual four goals.

“At first I was excited that we scored and I was glad we got on the board early. Then I calmed down and regained my focus because I knew the game was far from over,” C. O’Kennedy said.

Twin Katie O’Kennedy then ripped a shot from 18 yards landing in the back of the goal to put the Lions up 3-0. photos/CARSON BAILEY Creek’s only goal came off a corner, but freshman goalkeeper ALL FOR ONE. The team runs off the field to thank the fans for their support after they defeated Spruce Creek in the regional final.

Lindsay Preston wasn’t fazed by the goal.

“I told myself that I wouldn’t let it happen again and that I just “Despite the injuries the team had, we knew we had a change needed to communicate better with my defenders,” Preston said. to be a great team. We didn’t want to let injuries and hardships Smiles, hugs, and screams of pure joy erupted after the final define us,” C. O’Kennedy said. “We overcame the hurdles and whistle had blown. reached our ultimate goal, the state tournament.”

“It was unreal that we won. We came together as a team and Two freshman including Preston and Sarah Buckley joined the pulled it together. I didn’t know how to react,” senior Meagan varsity lineup.

Borger said.

“It’s pretty awesome. Most freshman don’t get the chance to With the win, the team travels to University of Tampa’s Peppin start on a team that is competing for a state championship,” Preston Stadium on Feb. 11 to compete against Miami Palmetto High said.

School for the team’s first state championship. Game time is 3 Compared to the previous state bound teams, this year’s team p.m. holds a tighter connection.

The Lions have reached the state “This team is closer then the We overcame the hurdles and tournament three of the past four years, rest. We are a tight knit family,” reached our ultimate goal. never winning the title, however.

C. O’Kennedy said.

C. O’Kennedy, ‘11 During the 2007-2008 season the team “We work so hard because we shocked the state reaching the 6A final for want to be better for each other IN HOT PURSUIT. Junior Megan Heil races a Spruce Creek the first time. The team faced off against Wellington High losing and make each other better. It drives us to all the success we have opponent for possession of the ball. in PKs (4-3). had this year.”

The Lions returned the next season with a vengeance, once Seniors Morgan Campbell, K. O’Kennedy, and C. O’Kennedy again reaching the state tournament but faced Melbourne High in all play on the same club team, Florida Rush, and have been final the semifinal. four contenders for four continuous years.

Kara Mundelein, since graduated, netted the first goal of “Reaching final four in club helps with playing under pressure. the game yet Melbourne answered with three consecutive goals I’ve been there before so it helps with my nerves,” Campbell said. eventually wining the game, 3-2.

C. O’Kennedy agreed.

The most challenging game in regular season played out “The more times you go to any sort of final four it gives you against Hagerty High although OHS came out on top. experience. Going to final four with my club team prepared me for “Hagerty was our toughest game because they are our biggest high school season. It helped me become a leader on and off the rivalry and anything can happen with a game that is emotionally field,” C. O’Kennedy said. intense,” C. O’Kennedy said.

“It’s our last year. We want to finish our senior year with state Coaches Scott Waisenen and Bill Barker’s expectations championship,” Borger said.

LOOK SKYWARD. Seniors Colleen O’Kennedy and Anya Phillips and after-game speeches helped the girls stay competitive and connorb@thelionstale.com wait for the ball to hit the field before pursuing a goal. focused.

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27

Lifters struggle to make weight for sectional championships

by Gloria Choi

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photo/JANIE WILLIAMS

DOWN FOR THE PIN. Junior Geordan Speiller wrestles againt Lake Mary wrestler in the S.A.C. (Seminole Athletic Conference) tournament and takes first place for the team.

Wrestlers prepare for states

Quest begins for sixth state championship

by Janie Williams

the wrestling team showed up for morning t begins at six a.m. Monday morning with workouts every day but Sunday for the next weightlifting. When the seventh period couple weeks. During the holidays, they worked bell rings it starts a two hour practice. After out twice a day hoping to achieve their sixth state the long day at school and practice, wrestlers title.

“We felt like South Dade should have been an then make their way to the gym for individual improvement, trying to meet the goals they have easy win, so we went into the hardcore morning workouts and two a days over the holidays set for themselves.

The wrestling team is scheduled to go to willingly even though it was grueling. Our team districts in St. Cloud on February 5. Then the has come together through the season,” Hedberg individual boys that place in the top four in the said.

Senior Lee Wildes began his season with district for their weight class will move on to regional championships on February 11 and 12 a meniscus tear in his knee, which kept him from wrestling until in Avon Park. nationally ranked “We started preparing We started preparing for the the Walsch Ironman for the state meet the state meet the Monday after we tournament held Monday after we won the in Akron, Ohio on state title last year,” Coach won the state title last year.

December 10 and 11.

Tom Coffman said.

Coach Coffman “Even though I On February 18 and 19, only had a week of the top four individuals in the region in their weight classes will move on to practice before the Ironman tournament, I haven’t lost a match since the Ironman, “ Wildes said. the state championships at the Lakeland Center.

Junior Geordan Speiller had two staples put The team’s future challenges include losing six seniors after this season as well as many in his head after facing Hagerty’s 160-pound wrestler. injuries and new weight restrictions.

In addition to the physical injuries and After this year’s state championships, the wrestling team anticipates losing seniors Eric the hard work, wrestlers have a new weight Hedberg, Lee Wildes, Joey Hefley, Michael restriction.

This new weight restriction forces each Alpert, Kurt Keebler and Carlos Martinez.

“This year will be unforgettable because wrestler to certify with a certain weight. The of the trials and tribulations the team has gone restriction only allows the wrestler to lose a through to get to the level where we are today certain amount a week based on his body fat. The especially because it was a group effort and amount of weight an individual can lose readjusts required complete dedication from everyone. every week based on his last weigh in.

“It hasn’t really allowed us to adjust our lineup Aside from actually wrestling, my senior year is most remarkable because of how close all of us by moving guys up and down in weight classes giving opportunities for others to get varsity time. have gotten,” Hedberg said.

After starting off the season losing the dual The rule itself in its conception is a good idea but against South Dade in the O-Town Showdown, is ineffective in its purpose of managing gradual

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weight loss. So instead of keeping their weight up and gradually waiting to drop at the end of the three month season, they basically roller coaster up and down by maintaining their weight class the entire year,” Coach Coffman said.

State Champion, Geordan Speiller started preseason at 171 pounds and dropped down to 160 pounds for season, he followed the new weight restriction rules closely.

“You have to keep your weight down; you can’t have a cheat day because it forces you to work that much harder that day and the next day in the gym. Even though it helps you stay in shape, you can only loss 1.3% of your body fat per week. This new rule also prevents you from wrestling people above your weight class, even if you want to wrestle them for the competition,” Geordan Speiller said.

The wrestling team raced until the end with Springstead High School last year at the state championships. Oviedo beat Springstead 161.5 to 156.5 at last year’s state championship which gave the wrestling team its fifth state title. This year the team competes for its sixth state title.

“Springstead High School got some pretty big transfers and that puts them solidly in a neck and neck race with us for the state championship,” Coach Coffman said.

Update: The team won the district championship for the 13 year in a row.

Six wrestlers took first, six wrestlers took second and one took third at the district championships and all 13 wrestlers are moving on to the regional championships at South Floirda Community College Feb. 11 and 12.

janiew@thelionstale.com

eightlifter senior Shanisse Lanoue stressed out as she visualized participating in the state sectional championship held at Flagler Palm Coast High School on Jan 26, 2011.

“I thought there would be many manly looking girls and it was intimidating mentally,” Lanoue said.

Not only was Lanoue worried about her opponents, she also had to lose weight to meet certain weight requirements.

“It was hard to lose weight because I had to lose 1.2 pounds,” Lanoue said.

Lanoue did everything she could to meet her weight requirement. She even considered cutting off her hair.

“I thought about cutting off 1-2 inches of my hair, and I didn’t really care because it would always grow back,” she said.

But in the end she was disqualified from the sectional championships because she was .4 pounds over the 119 pound body weight requirement for her weight class.

Second year weightlifter junior Kayla Joyce met her weight challenge by trying to eat healthy.

“Kayla eats just veggies and lean meat,” junior Julie Brown said.

Both Lanoue and Joyce tried to lose weight naturally by exercising.

Lanoue ran while playing basketball, trying to lose weight while having fun.

Joyce lost all the weight she needed to drop the weight, and made it to the sectional championship meet.

Joyce clean and jerked 130 pounds and bench pressed 115 pounds but didn’t place in the meet.

“She did not meet her personal best on her bench press of 130.” Coach Sal said.

Neither Lanoue nor Joyce qualified for state championships.

“I’m not disappointed in their efforts but I am disappointed for the girls.” Coach Sal said.

gloriac@thelionstale.com

College money Athletes across campus pledged to attend various schools on Natinoal Signing Day.

Soccer

Katie O’Kennedy Stetson University Colleen O’Kennedy Stetson University Morgan Campbell Stetson University Meagan Borger Florida Atlantic University

Lacrosse Shanin Darley Caitlin Tribit Lauren Wixted Lee Wildes Joey Hefley Michael Alpert

Belmont Abbey College

Volleyball South Florida CC Pasco Hernando CC

Wrestling Northern Michigan University Duke University Yeshiva University

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THE LION’S TALE

| sports | JANUARY 28, 2011

Welcome to Hall of Fame Kershner breaks state record for most career wins

by Andrea Dobo

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all photos/CARSON BAILEY

GOT UPS? Senior Carnelius Green (20) attempts to block a lay-up by an Oak Ridge opponent. The Lions won the Jan. 31 game 60-42.

BREAKING IT DOWN. Head Coach Ed

said. “You need to have good relationships with your players. Have them know what you expect and know what they expect from you.”

Kershner has been coaching a total of 45 seasons, for eight different teams in Florida.

Starting his career at Oviedo in 1996, Kershner spent his first season at Oviedo leading a team with 28 wins to the state finals.

“I was offered a job at Winter Park, but I liked Oviedo better because of everything in general,” Kershner said. “Oviedo is a great and respectful school. One of the best academics in Florida and the athletics can strive for championships.”

Playing as a team with a size disadvantage, Kershner works extra hard to make sure they play at their best.

“He walks us through the drills, critiques our shots, and asks questions on how we think we can do better,” sophomore Blake McClain said.

“He’s a great guy, good person, humble, he has a great attitude, and cracks jokes.”

With more than 761 wins Kershner plays with the intentions of keeping things in perspective and playing by what he calls the “Oviedo way.”

According to Kershner, the “Oviedo way” is “To play hard, play together, and put individual goals aside.”

First year player, senior Nick Nemeh, likes the working together method that Kershner has motivated through his coaching.

“He knows what he’s doing. He has a lot of experience. He’s a great dude and great coach.

He teaches us how to work as a team,” Nemeh said.

With districts ahead of the team, Oviedo needs to conquer the rest of the 5A teams. Oviedo will face off on Feb. 8 and Feb. 10, with the opposing teams to be announced.

If Oviedo advances further than districts, Kershner will still keep things in perspective, playing one game at a time.

At the age of 70, Kershner has no plans for retirement any time soon.

“Why quit what you love, if you’re doing good?” Kershner said.

andread@thelionstale.com

LIONS ON THREE. The varsity basketball team huddles together before the game against Oak Ridge.

Coach Kershner leads the boys in the Lions’ chant before the starting players run onto the court.

photo/L INSEY D

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Kershner gives the team a quick pep talk before heading back onto the court.

s a record winning coach, Hall of Fame inductee, and motivational teacher, coach Ed Kershner leaves his basketball mark all over the state of Florida, leading the state with 761 wins.

Oviedo took the court on Jan. 5 to defeat Trinity Prep 56-36. The win against the Saints granted coach Kershner 761 wins, the most wins by a coach in the state of Florida.

“We won that game for Kershner. It feels great being a part of history,” senior Matt Smith said.

Following the history-making game, Kershner received the game ball and another basketball signed by all the players.

After the win, Trinity Prep’s principal and athletics department held a ceremony for Kershner initiating him as the record holder for the most wins by a coach in the state of Florida.

“At the end of the game, Kershner’s former players held up a sign that said ‘Congrats Coach K, 761 wins’,” Smith said.

Kershner passed Don Walen of Stuart Martin County with his win, and became one of the only six coaches in the state of Florida to have won 700 games.

Being inducted into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association and two other Florida Hall of Fames, Kershner will also be attending his induction into the University of Indiana Hall of Fame on March 23. The induction will take place in Primos, Indiana and will be observed by about 2,000 people.

“I feel totally honored being the only one from out of the state of Indiana to be in the Hall of Fame. It’s just not done. It blows you away,” Kershner said.

As a player for the University of Indiana Hoosiers, Kershner holds the record for being the all-time leading scorer with 1,308 points.

From being a Hall of Fame player to a Hall of Fame coach, Kershner uses his own achievements to influence his team.

“All the players have to motivate each other, or else they leave each other behind. Kershner

Kershner’s Honors •Three-time state Coach of the Year • McDonald’s All-American Coach • Orlando Sentinel’s Top 10 Coaches of All Time • Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame • Florida Association of Basketball Coaches Court of Legends • Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame

JANUARY 28, 2011

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Twins

snag state titles

competitions. Practicing four hours a day with the team has led to very strong bonds among the reshman twins Jamie and Jennifer Brenner team. quickly chalk up their hands before stepping “We’ve grown really close to the other girls onto the mat to perform a routine full of on the team. It’s almost like they’re another giant folds and bails. A minute and a half later, family to us. We have movie nights and hang out they are anxiously waiting with their teammates a lot,” Jamie said. and coach for their results. The screen flashes The twins parents have also grown close to their scores and the reality sets in: they’ve won the parents of other gymnasts on the team. first place at the state competition.

Family is very important to the sisters.

“One of my favorite memories from the “Jennifer and I aren’t very competitive with past few years was when we won first place at each other. In competitions, we are always like the State competition in 2002. When we heard a point apart in our scores. The best part about our name being announced, we were so happy,” doing the same sport as my twin is that we get to Jennifer said. talk to each other about gymnastics, and we both Jennifer and Jamie started practicing understand the sport. We also get to help each gymnastics when they were 10. other out if it doesn’t look like they are doing a “We started off at level four when we were 10. trick right. We have a really good relationship,” You go up a level every year, and so now we’re on Jamie said. level 10,” Jennifer said.

The girls occasionally get frustrated with each The twins started playing sports when they other. were seven.

“It’s not often, but it gets frustrating when “We have always been really active. Our she’s not doing the moves right after a few mom always says tries. But then I feel bad that we were flipping because she feels bad,” The best part about doing the around in her stomach Jennifer said. during the pregnancy. same sport as my twin is that The twins credit a lot By the time we were we get to talk to each other of their success to their 10, we had tried just parents. about gymnastics, and we both about every sport, “Our parents are very and just stuck with undertand the sport. supportive of us. They gymnastics,” Jennifer take us to practices and Jamie Brenner, ‘14 said. work more to pay for Jennifer and gymnastics, because it’s Jamie leave school very expensive. Also, they’re always available to after fifth period to finish off the day with two help us out with homework and other schoolwork classes, English and Algebra 1, on Florida Virtual if we don’t understand anything,” Jennifer said.

School.

Jennifer and Jamie compete in six competitions “It’s a very hectic life, and very time every year, and are currently at Level 10. consuming. Between taxi-driving and their “Jamie and I are at Level 10, which means schooling being done on a weird schedule, it we’re at the highest level of gymnastics. It’s a lot all takes up time. We home schooled them for more intense than other levels. We have to learn three years so they would have more time for bigger skills, and they’re a lot harder to learn. I’m gymnastics,” the twins mother Kathy Brenner very proud that we’ve made it this far, and that said.

I’m getting better each time,” Jennifer said.

In the past, Jamie and Jennifer couldn’t attend The twins’ parents are very proud of them. some school functions, such as school dances “I’m most proud of the fact that they have and football games, because they were attending chosen a sport that has so much discipline and

by Stephanie O’Sullivan

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all photos COURTESY OF /THE BRENNER FAMILY

STRETCHING FOR THE WIN. Freshman twin Jennifer Brenner competes on the balance beams during the state competition. The twins placed first in the state competition in 2002.

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stepho@thelionstale.com

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THE LION’S TALE

| sports | JANUARY 28, 2011

photo/LINDSAY KNOX

SEEKING THE BURN. Senior Nina Yonkova sports her balance bracelet while working out at the local L.A. Fitness gym before attending her kickboxing class.

Balance Bracelets Fans claim fashion statement helps performance

by Lindsay Knox

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espite claims made by the makers of PowerBalance Bracelets, some athletes remaine skeptical about the bands’

powers.

Since hitting the market in 2007, balance bracelets have sky rocketed in popularity. These multi-colored bands feature two hologram pieces embedded in the bracelet, which claims to improve both physical and mental performance by joining with key frequencies of the human energy system.

At a price of 30 dollars apiece, PowerBalance Bracelets topped over three million bracelets sold in the past three years, and it is expected to continue steadily increasing.

“I love my balance bracelet,” senior Nina Yonkova said. “One of my managers at work gave it to me, and I wear it every day. I think it really works.”

The balance bracelet advertisement states that the wristbands improve strength, balance and flexibility.

“I take kickboxing classes at L.A. Fitness every week,” Yonkova said. “I wore the bracelet to one class, and didn’t wear it to the next. I definitely saw a difference in my performance.

The bracelet improved my balance and endurance.”

Sports stars including NFL quarterback Drew Brees and professional soccer player David Beckham also wear the balance bracelets.

Athletes including Shaquille O’Neal wear the bracelets during games.

“It seems like everyone at school wears one,” junior Ryan Dooley, who doesn’t own a balance bracelet, said. “I don’t know whether or not they really work, but a lot of people are convinced.”

The bracelets can be purchased from sports apparel stores including Foot Locker, Sports Authority, and Champs. They are also available

online from the PowerBalance website.

Although the balance bracelets’ popularity ranges from teenagers to celebrities, a recent forced confession from an Australian court disproves the balance bracelet claims.

On Dec. 22, PowerBalance Bracelets admitted having no scientific proof to back their claims about the bands improving athletic abilities. They also offered full refunds to any users who felt betrayed by the company.

The company relies on the testimonies of celebrities to enforce the product’s effects.

Some of the athletes are paid by PowerBalance to have their picture taken during games and training while wearing the bracelet to increase the publicity of the bands.

“They’re more like a fashion statement,” senior Kadee Turner said. “One person wears it, and it turns into the next big thing. That doesn’t mean that they improve athleticism at all.”

Turner, who also works out at a local gym, thinks the bands are a joke.

“I see people wear them to the gym all the time,” Turner said. “Personally, I think it is just in everyone’s head, and wearing the bracelet makes them feel they’ve done better than they really have.”

Even with the company’s confession, many professional trainers and coaches are convinced of the bands’ abilities and promote them through their teams .

After the forced confession from PowerBalance, the company also still stands behind the products tweeting on their Twitter account to fans, “Don’t believe what u hear.”

“I don’t care what everyone else thinks,” Yonkova said. “If I see improvement in my own performance, I’m not going to stop wearing it.”

lindsayk@thelionstale.com

Roar Board

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LINDSAY KNOX SPORTS EDITOR

Senior nights mark new beginning instead of end

T photo/CARSON BAILEY

SWING, BATTER BATTER. Junior Tyler Ragland practices pitching during after school practice. Senior Ryan Meyer and Josh Voyles wait until it is their turn to show their pitching talents.

Boys soccer rolls into semi-finals Lacrosse teams plan for success The boys soccer team went to the district semi-final championships this season.

The team made it past the first round against Lake Mary High School.

The game went into double overtime and into a penalty kick shoot out.

This means five players from each team attempt a penalty kick and the team that gets the most goals wins the game.

The boys’ won with the final score being 5-3. Round two of the semifinal championships took place on Jan. 24 against Lyman High School.

Now the team is done for the season.

“I am disappointed that our season is over and how we ended on a bad note. I am also going to miss all the seniors that are going off to college,” junior Scotty David said.

Track teams race towards first meet Boys and girls track teams have come together and began practicing on the track every day after school for a few hours. The girls have their first meet on Feb. 21 at Winter Park High School. The boys have their first meet on Feb. 22 at Winter Park High School, also.

Tennis team prepares for season Tennis team try-outs are over. Originally, 14 guys and 16 girls came out for the team. The teams have been cut down to seven on each team.

The team captains from the boys and girls teams are working on getting the uniforms designed and picked out so they will be ready for their first match.

“Last year we were really good, but this year without seniors we all seem to be playing at the same level. We need to practice to get a little better to be able to compete,” junior Ashwin Babuji said.

The boys team face off against Lyman on Monday, Feb. 7, at home. The girls’ team plays Lyman High School on Tueday, Feb. 8, at home.

On the sidelines...

Boys and girls lacrosse teams hosted try-outs on Monday, Jan 31. The junior varsity and varsity teams have been chosen.

Both boys and girls teams practice every day after school. The junior varsity team has their first game on Feb 22 at Lake Howell. The varsity boys have their first game on Feb. 22 at Lake Highland Prep.

“This will be one of our toughest games because they [Lake Highland Prep] are number three in the state, but we are going to win,” junior Austin Garrison-Free said.

The girls’ team has started practicing every day for two hours. Coach John Darley has been working with the varsity team to start a new type of defense style this year. The defense will now be playing zoned defense rather than man-on-man. Darley also wants to see the girls setting personal goals for themselves.

The girls, varsity and junior varsity, have their first game is on Feb. 25 at Vero Beach High School.

“Our team is looking good because we are in better shape from lots of conditioning, and we are going to win our games against our big rivals like Winter Springs High School, and Lake Brantley High School,” senior Yanire Acra said.

Water polo team plays Lake Howell Girls and boys water polo teams are preparing for their first game on Wed. Feb. 23 against Lake Howell.

The team practices at the Oviedo Aquatic Center Mon. through Sat. from anywhere between two and two and a half hours to prepare for their game.

“We look awesome this year. We only graduated one senior last year so we have a lot of returning people and we have a lot of strong swimmers. The team is mainly just working on our technique,” senior Brittany Skeels said.

With

1. Cats or Dogs?

Kodee Mann

Cats. I hate dogs.

2. What is your college of dreams?

University of Florida and I find out if I got in on Feb. 11.

3. What is the color of your room?

Green, it is the same color as the rest of my house because I didn’t get to choose because my parents said I am moving out soon anyway.

4. What was it like to be the one to die in the DUI reenactment?

It was really scary. I had parents coming up to me crying, even though I was still alive. I really didn’t like to see my own coffin.

5. McDonalds or Burger King?

Burger King, but only their chicken. I have never had a Burger King burger.

photo/JANIE WILLIAMS

GO TEAM GO. Senior Kodee Mann performs the competiton routine during practice.

here comes a time for every senior when it finally hits him or her-This is it.

For some, it may be when we place our orders for cap and gowns, pay for grad fees, and get struck with a bad case of senioritis. For others, it’s not until their name is being called by Coach Howell to walk across the stage at the UCF Arena to receive their diploma.

But for many students at OHS, their moment arrives as they celebrate Senior Night with fellow teammates.

Toward the end of a sport’s season, the team selects a game night to be named Senior Night. The seniors are often rewarded with an organized team breakfast or luncheon, and given a goody bag full of their favorite items by an underclassmen teammate.

Before the game of the night begins the senior players are announced onto the field or court, escorted by their family members and recognized for their achievements throughout the season and their high school career. The player’s parents are given flowers, while the players receive gifts from the coaches and teammates.

For some of the players, this moment is only the beginning of the rest of their athletic career. They sign with colleges to devote the next few years of their life to the sport that they love.

But what about the rest of them? The players that don’t get signed with a college and receive a scholarship, or the ones who choose to pursue an education over their sports dreams. Dreams don’t die that easily.

And they shouldn’t.

When high school ends, there are a few guarantees. You are guaranteed to lose some of your closest friends when you leave for college; you are guaranteed to have sleepless nights cramming for college midterms; you are guaranteed to die a little on the inside when you realize your mother won’t be there for you to do your laundry and make your bed.

But leaving high school in your rearview mirror does not include abandoning the dreams you have, or once had. Moving onto college is about fulfilling your dreams, not giving them up. This relates to sports, as well. Even if you choose to give up the sport you play for academics, don’t let it drop completely out of your life.

There are many opportunities for graduates to pursue the love of their sport well beyond high school. There are club teams, leagues, and even coaching opportunities to stay involved.

So don’t let Senior Night bring you down.

It’s a time for celebration. A celebration of you, your achievements, and your love for the sport.

lindsayk@thelionstale.com

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THE LION’S TALE

| features | JANUARY 28, 2011

‘Painting my portrait’

Senior uses art to express her feelings, plan for the future

by Wesley Wynne

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enior Alana Harris spreads her colors on the canvas using careful and precise strokes. Harris continues to create work for her portfolio, her main assignment in her art class.

Harris must create 24 pieces of art, 12, called Breadth, of which have to combine all the elements of art and apply them together and another 12, which are based on a certain concentration of ideas. Harris chose tigers for her concentration.

“I was intrigued by their personality and the uniqueness of their stripes,” Harris said. “They’re elegant, but fierce and dangerous.”

Since the beginning of the year Harris continues with creating her portfolio.

“I’m half way done. I have 12 more pieces to make, six in each [type of piece],” Harris said.

Art interested Harris from a young age and she wanted to paint and to draw.

“Art gives me a chance to express myself, as I have [had] a speech problem since I was little,” Harris said.

Harris feels she has no trouble making art, as she considers herself very creative. Of all of her artwork she has done though, she is the most proud of a self-portrait, done entirely in ink, which took a week.

“I’ve never done that before,” Harris said. “I used a quill and [it] took a lot of time and effort, but it mirrors my image.”

“I only used to draw animals,” Harris said. “I didn’t really care about drawing human faces and abstract art. But after I took classes, I had more appreciation for art.”

Harris hopes to pursue a career in architecture, which she can take advantage of what she learned in art. “[Architecture] would help me put on paper what I visualize in my mind on so that way other people can see and do anything I put my mind to,” Harris said.

wesleyw@thelionstale.com

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photo/CARSON BAILEY

all art COURTESY OF/ ALANA HARRIS

WORKS OF ART. 1. Senior Alana Harris uses tigers for inspiration for half of her paintings. This painting is called “Asian Tigris”. 2. Harris works on her latest painting, another self-portrait, during her sixth period class, Advanced Placement Studio Art. 3. “Tiger Trance” is another piece from her portfolio.

She chose tigers for the Concentration section of the AP Exam, one of three different sections that are graded. The other two sections are Quality and Breadth. 4. Nature often inspires Harris.

“Butterflies” is one of her paintings that will be submitted for her AP Exam. All of her paintings will be evaluated by three to seven art educators for the AP Exam. 5. Harris is most proud of this self-portrait. Her portfolios will be graded on a scale from one to six by the College Board.

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