December 2016

the ORACLE Steinbrenner High School

5575 W Lutz Lake Fern Rd

www.oraclenewspaper.com

DC movies can’t seem to do their characters justice (pg. 12)

December 2016 - Vol VIII, Issue 2

Living without a cell phone (pg. 4)

Hillsborough county budget cuts (pg. 10-11)

No escape at home or school

Athletes commit to college early (pg. 17)

Students share their experiences about what it’s like to be a teacher’s kid (pg. 3)

Open

2015 December 2016

2014—15 FSPA Silver Rated Newspaper SIPA’s 2014 Best in Florida Joey Menendez Editor-in-Chief

Joselle Schaffer News Editor

Jillian Dradzynski Opinion Editor

Ariel Cox

Centerspread Editor

Melody Ocasio A&E Editor

Fernando Mallicote Co-Sports Editor

Adler Shannon Co-Sports Editor

Marielyssa Hernandez Backpage Editor

Katelyn Payne Copy Editor

Kayleigh Haight

Business Manager

Calvin McClarin Staff Writer

Alyssa Ruiz Staff Writer

Madeleine Coreen Staff Writer

Lauren Johnston Staff Writer

Jack Comiskey Staff Writer

Jordyn Dees Staff Writer

Kelyn Goff Staff Writer

Grace Becker Staff Writer

Hannah Makholm

Head of Graphics Dept.

Jo Hindle

Graphics Dept.

Erix Pizano

Graphics Dept.

Pauline Howard Graphics Dept.

Cameron Wingo Ad Designer

Kristen Crosby Advisor

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Letter from the Editor This year, all I want for Christmas is a less stressful layout week...

The holidays are finally here! As our gift to you, the Oracle staff presents yet another fantastic edition of our newspaper!

As people rush from store to store, looking for that perfect gift, learn more about Operation Christmas Child and how they’re working to give gifts to others (pg. 5). But are the holidays starting to lose their true meaning as stores begin to focus more and more on sales (pg. 7)? Find out what makes Florida’s winters different from any others (pg. 8), and as 2016 draws to a close, take a look back at all the good, and bad, that this year had to offer (pg. 9).

Students in Creative Writing classes participates in the NaNoWriMo writing challenge, where each student is tasked with writing 40,000 words throughout the month (pg. 5)! See what kinds of interesting careers were showcased in this year’s Great American Teach-In (pg. 6). Find out what it’s like to go to school every day… with your parents, as we feature the children of various teachers on Steinbrenner’s campus (pg. 3). We’re always so used to relying on our phones for many things in our lives, but find out what it’s like to live as a high school student without them (pg. 4).

Check out a local band featuring Senior Tim Dixon and Junior Michael Giovenco as they continue to strive for success (pg. 14). Head over to the breakdown page to hear what we had to say about the newest

movies, shows and albums (pg. 15). With their recent movies receiving harsh critical reviews, is it safe to say that DC movies aren’t giving their heroes the justice they deserve (pg. 12)? And introducing our new Celebrity Watch page, where we provide interesting facts about the most popular celebrities and feature rising stars here on Steinbrenner’s campus (pg. 13).

Similarly, don’t forget to flip to our Starwatch to learn more about our featured athletes (pg. 18). In addition to the new music instructors, Colorguard also gains a new head coach who has big plans for the future of the team (pg. 16). Take a look back and see how Steinbrenner athletics have gradually improved over the years, as we have more teams reaching the state level now than ever before (pg. 16). Hear what some Seniors have to say about the importance of committing to colleges earlier, and which ones some have already committed to (pg. 17).

Finally, we interviewed many officials from the school, union and district level of education about the recent changes to the school budget and staffing positions that will soon be put into effect (pg. 10-11).

Throughout this past week, I’ve laughed until I’ve almost cried more times than I can count. This layout week in particular has probably been one of the best ones we’ve ever had, due a brand new server and a surprising lack of stress. Everyone really steeped up this time around, and I commend everyone for a other fantastic job. Happy holidays Steinbrenner! v

- Joey Menendez, Editor-in-Chief

News

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December 2016

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The truth about being a “teacher’s kid” Having mom and dad in the hallways can bring some interesting feats Marielyssa Hernandez Backpage Editor Seeing your parents in the hallway can be something out of a nightmare for some people, but here at Steinbrenner, that’s a reality for some students. Having a parent that teaches at the same high school you attend can come with some unusual features.

“It’s a lot of fun,” said Junior Jamie Leist. “It’s great because you get to see your parents in the middle of the day and pass them in the hallways sometimes, so that’s pretty cool... I get to see them all the time and I’m very close with my parents so I think that its a great thing.”

Most students think that teacher’s kids have different work ethics and attitudes towards school. Some may think that these kids are usually introverts, more intelligent and more disciplined in their education- especially when their parents work at the same school they go too. In reality, only some of the assumptions are true. “ I think that I would act the same [Whether her mom was a teacher at the same school she attends]. I try to do me and I’m not really worried about if my mom is watching,” said Marie Van den Broecke.

Many also assume that, because their parent teaches at the school they go to, they get more opportunities than other students.

“If I have to stay after school for practices, chances are that they are in their room grading papers and so sometimes I don’t have to call them for a ride and can just walk back to their room,” said Leist. “Occasionally I hang out their during my lunch period in case I need a quiet place to do stuff.”

Another benefit of having your parent teach at the school you attend is having an easier access to communicate and get help from your teachers when it is needed.

“I do get free tutoring until I’m in college, for math so that’s a plus,” said Freshman Samuel Gamez.

Other students often think that teacher’s kids are straight A students

Joselle Schaffer News Editor

Courtesy of Katelyn Payne

because their parents help them with the work. But in reality, only some of that is true. Some students who go to the same school that their parents work at say that they get help from their parents mainly in the subject their parents teach. It doesn’t necessarily mean they get A’s in every subject.

“I feel that there is a degree of expectation if you have a teacher as your parent to be good at the subject that they teach and whether that may or may not be true to the child you still have to try.

Since your parents know your grades almost instantly there’s not much that you can hide from them so you do have to keep your grades up,” said Leist.

“She’s an awesome English teacher so she can help me out on whatever assignments I need,” said Van Den Broecke.

Parents are always monitoring their kid’s grades, some more than others.

Students often believe that having a teacher as a parent means that grades would be monitored even more.

“She hovers over Edsby so if I get a bad grade she’ll be like, why did you get this bad grade,” said Gamez, “but that’s just her being a mom.”

These students are rarely able to hide anything from their parents regarding school because their parents are very in the loop. There is no chance that these kids can miss an assignment or test without a serious questioning based on the gossip their parent has heard in the halls.

“My mom does keep me on track, like if I get distracted she’ll be like ‘son, do your work,’” said Gamez.

One may think that having your parents at the same school impacts your social life. There’s a good chance that

There is a degree of expectation if you have a teacher as your parent to be good at the subject they teach

your parent could know your friends and other classmates. On the other hand, some students said having their parents at the same school helped them meet new people and get involved in an array of extra-curricular activities.

“She runs a few clubs so that helps getting to know people,” said Van den Broecke.

“Some of my classmates know my parents,so that is a little weird,” said Freshman Mckenna Leist.

Numerous people say that the teacher’s reputation at the school tends to be a reflection of the students social life.

Some students may treat that person differently because of how their parent is perceived as a teacher, without even knowing what the student is like.

“Sometimes people will be like ‘hey, are you Dr. Van Den Broecke’s daughter’ and I’ll be like ‘yeah’ and they’ll say that pretty cool shes a good teacher,” said Van den Broecke.

“At first I thought it would be kind of weird, but then I found out that a bunch of people really like my mom as a teacher. So I now I’m like okay, I guess it’s all right,” said Gamez.

Sometimes the actions of their parent can also follow the student around.

“My mom did dab in front of a classroom... but I decided to embrace it more than be embarrassed by it,” said Gamez.

However, having your parent on campus can also have some benefits.

“If I ever need any papers signed, I’m always one people to get them done because I can just pop down the hallway,” said Leist.

While being the son or daughter of a teacher may bring some interesting aspects to school life, the students still love their parents and wouldn’t change them for a moment. “ I’m pretty close with my mom so I would really miss her if she wasn’t here,” said Van den Broecke.

Overall, having a parent as a teacher can bring some stressful aspects to a student’s life, but most of the time it's pretty cool.v

News

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December 2016

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The life of a student without a cellphone Grace Becker Staff Writer From frantically asking your friends about homework at the last minute to staying up to date with your work, to club reminders, to Kahoot- our cellphones tend to be a second life source for most high school students. Therefore it may seem strange when a classmate says they don’t have a cellphone, since the majority does have one. According to Boston Globe, about 88 percent of American teens ages 13 to 17 have a mobile phone, most of them being smart phones.

However, some students at Steinbrenner manage just fine without a phone.

Studies from Daily Mail show that the average person will check their phone around 110 times a day- about once every ten minutes of the time that they are awake.

They also suggest that students without cell phones are more attentive during class.

Sophomore Lindsay Bauman says that she is grounded most of the time, so she is familiar with life without a phone.

“It’s a struggle sometimes, when I need to research something or that I can’t listen to music with the rest of the class,” said Bauman.

She does admit however that she pays more attention in class without it. Not watching Snapchat stories and staying up to date with Twitter does cause for less distraction, but there are downsides.

“Most of the time I don’t finish my work at school so I have to take it home. It’s hard in some cases after school because I don’t have access to anybody to ask them questions about what the homework is or how to do it,” said Bauman.

Being able to contact your classmates is a major luxury, but it does cause stress to students without it, espically when they have to do a group work and projects.

“Communication is a problem without a cellphone. In classes with group work, where decisions are made over group chats, it’s tough. It requires more planning, and we have to be sure of what we are all doing in order to avoid a communication error,” said Sophomore Jacob Allen.

While Allen has been able to overcome the struggle of not ownng a cellphone, there are other students who find it a struggle for various other social reasons not related to school.

Social media is a rather large aspect of many student’s lives, which can cause people without it to feel out of the loop with a lot of trends as well as keeping up with their friends. However, some students who do have a cellphone, and choose not to use social media say that it stresses them out or that they would rather not be plugged in all the time.

English teacher Tiffany Southwell has her students do a project every year where they volunteer to give up their cellphone for 24 hours, and then write a reflection on the experience.

“At the beginning of the project, most of them are terrified since they are so used to always having their phones on them. However, afterwards they all tend to have similar reactions. What most of them will say is that at first, they realized how nervous they were without it and that they would keep checking their pockets all the time. But then, they would realize how often it was that t h e y w e r e checking it when it w o u l d n ’t even make a sound.

They say how crazy that is, and afterwards how relaxed they felt,” said

Southwell.

The students that do the experiment often say that they shouldn’t use their cellphones as much as they do, and that they should have certain hours where they turn them off. However, they also say that they probably wouldn’t do that unless someone encourages them to do it.

“Students tend to say that they get more sleep, feel relaxed and feel relieved after giving their phones up. Also a lot of students say after the project that they paid more attention in class. They just can get so much more out a class without a cellphone, since they aren’t constantly checking their messages,” said Southwell.

Obviously, there are disadvantages to being a student without a cellphone, like the lack of ability to communicate with your classmates outside of school or certain inconveniences in class and the inability to have instant access to information.

However, there are certain advantages that may make you think about turning your phone off every once in a while. v

Graphic by Jo Hindle

Courtesy of Joselle Schaffer

News

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December 2016

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Courtesy of PTSA Student Ambassadors

Jo Hindle Graphics Dept.

Our Student Ambassadors are a volunteer club who do all kinds of amazing things around our community especially the Old Lutz Schoolhouse. The Old Lutz Schoolhouse is a historic part of our community built by the North Tampa Land Company in 1910 with just one teacher and thirty seven students. One thing they do for them every year is take part in a Christmas event held there.

The Student Ambassadors do a lot for this event, the majority of what they do is setting up all of the christmas decorations, they also pick the theme for the event and its decor, work with a variety of the community leaders to plan what events will be taking place and take part in the events.

This upcoming event will be the 20th anual Christmas at the Old Lutz School House, but they say they’ll never do the same decorative design set-ups two years in a row.

This event is a chance for the community to come together for a lot of fun, and help others in need. They do collections of food and toys for the less fortunate every Christmas. On December 10th they will hold a “Breakfast with Santa” along with crafts for kids, they also will do things like tours of the school through all the decorated rooms, and on the 20th our ambassadors will be performing Christmas carols.

The event will be held throughout December, for more information on upcoming events at the Old Lutz Schoolhouse go to their website and see how you can get involved at www.oldlutzschool.com. v

Courtesy of Joselle Schaffer

Kelyn Goff Staff Writer

For most people, November is nothing more than a month of bearable weather and anticipation for the weeklong Thanksgiving break. But for those participating in NaNoWriMo, November becomes a month of blood, sweat, tears and 40,000 words.

National Novel Writing Month is just about exactly what it sounds like.

Within the given thirty days, participants strive to meet the goal of 40 to 50 thousand words. According to NaNoWriMo’s official website, “National Novel Writing Month believes in the transformational power of creativity. We provide the structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds on and off the page.”

However, the title does not accurately describe how difficult this experience really is.

Everyone has faced writer’s block in some way. It is a common obstacle that occurs when writing any piece, but the frustration practically increases tenfold while attempting to write a novel.

“You will get stuck in writer’s block very often, and it can be over the stupidest things, like a transition sentence,” says Senior Samuel Ake. Time management skills and excessive amounts of motivation are essential to meet the deadline, but despite this, people enjoy the challenge and the thrill of completing a novel. With the increasing chances of getting a novel published, those who are passionate about writing have never had a path more clearly set out for them. v

Graphic by Pauline Howard

Courtesy of Ariel Cox

Ariel Cox Centerspread Editor

“Operation Christmas Child” is a donation drive for children in under-privileged countries that don’t usually get Christmas presents. Every year the Legacy Club runs this drive at Steinbrenner, and has been for the past five years. The idea for the drive here was sparked by a former Legacy Club member whose church donated to the same cause and suggested the idea that Steinbrenner could also contribute.

The drive originated from Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian organization whose goal is to help others in need internationally in the name of Christ. They have a multitude of drives helping different countries all over the world whether it’s a natural disaster or gathering donations to give to individuals not as fortunate.

To participate in this event, students fill a shoe box with toys, hygiene products or school supplies and drop it off in James Flaskamp’s room (212) to be collected.

After the final collection day, Legacy packs up the shoe boxes and transports them to a church which later sends them to be shipped internationally to children in third world countries for Christmas.

“It’s important because here in America we get Christmas presents every year and in some countries they don’t even really know what a Christmas present is and so just the ability to help those kids and give them a Christmas present for once in their life is just such a special thing,” said Legacy Student Leader Kayla Wittyngham.

The drive ran for two weeks and officially ended November 17th with a total of 455 shoe boxes. v

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December 2016

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The Great American Teach-In 2016 Kayleigh Haight Business Manager

Courtesy of Marielyssa Hernandez

The Great American Teach-In is a day for professionals to share their work, hobbies, and life experiences with students. It’s a fun day filled with policeman, football coaches, artists, and doctors.

The speakers talked about how school helped them to become who they are today. They explained what they do, how they do it, and gave examples of some components of what they do. The Great American Teach-In helps students in understanding just where education can take you, and it is also a good thing way for parents to further appreciate the things that teachers do for their children.

“I wanted to come and talk to yall because people wonder about the military, and I wanted to give yall an idea about what basic training and EIC is about and if yall had any questions,” said Sargent Jonathan Vasquez.

Volunteers such as blah bleh inform students about the field that they work in. For instance bleh works in the military and was informing the students about the benefits of serving your country. He explained the types of things that go on in basic training and also the qualifications that you need in order to be successful in the military.

Graphic by Pauline Howard

“It felt good coming back to Steinbrenner and seeing all of my teachers like Dr. Powell. Teachers that counted on me and it just felt good coming back and seeing all of them,” said Private Maurice Stringer Many of the people that speak in the teach in have a personal connection with Steinbrenner. Mr. bleh was a former student who came back to share what he’s been doing with others to get them motivated like he was to join the military.

“I also talked for teachers in AVID and math. Also Cornell Sanders,” said Stringer.

Many volunteers go class-hopping, meaning they go not only to one specific teacher, but they talk to many different classes and to a more diverse area of students. This way, more people can hear their message and know what they do and can be inspired by them.

“I’m stationed in Fort Campbell. I’ve been doing this for six months now.” Said Stringer.

This is an opportunity for employees, workers, community leaders, workers, sports figures, local personalities, volunteers, parents, local personalities, and also creative individuals to share what it is they do and also their knowledge with the younger generation.

All in all, the annual Great American Teach In was a big hit with many of the students at Steinbrenner High School. v

Graphic by Hannah Makholm

Opinion

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October 2014 December 2016

The increasing trend of holiday commercialism How the season is slowly becoming more shopping and less sentiment Jordyn Dees Staff Writer

Many holidays are founded on the principles of love, friendship, and family. One of the ways people like to show these qualities is by exchanging gifts. Everyone knows the feeling of scrambling to the mall in the days before the holidays, hopelessly browsing for any scraps the stores have left, praying you find the right gift for your loved one.

However, more and more often, people are opting to get the holiday shopping done months in advance.

Holiday shopping has become something of an inconvenience that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible.

One of the main reasons this is possible, is because stores have made it so.

In fact, an increasing number of stores are having pre-Black Friday sales, including Walmart, Sam's Club, and Sears. This means that deals will be available on the evening of Thanksgiving, as well as the days leading up to it, in addition to the day after.

"I feel like the stores are trying to get you to buy stuff, rather than the holidays being about religion, or spending time with your family," said Junior Kelli Norkas. "Thanksgiving should be about being with your family, not shopping."

Most of the stress of the holidays comes from finding that perfect gift. Stores have insane sales to get their customers to spend as much money as they possibly can. Black Friday has been around since the 1960s, and marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.

A lesser-known deal-day (although it is steadily growing in popularity) is Cyber Monday. It is characterized as the Monday following Thanksgiving, and has similar deals to Black Friday, minus the long lines and foot traffic.

Instead, Cyber Monday is focused purely around online deals, on websites like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Best Buy. "I think that Cyber Monday is smart," said Freshman Rebekkah Chen. "It helps businesses get more sales, and a lot of people don't want to go out and deal with a hectic Black Friday. With Cyber Monday, they can do it through the computer instead, in a more pulled-back way."

While it is convenient, the cons may outweigh the pros when it comes to holiday commercialism. An additional problem to holiday sales is the irritation of seeing decorations of holidays far precede their actual date. This could be seeing St. Patrick's day hats in January, or Halloween decorations in August.

Competition over sales can get chaotic, or out of hand.

"An example is Christmas," said Senior Jessica Berringer. "Most of what that's about is the presents, and the exchange of presents rather than any sort of familial or religious aspect. It's sort of become more of a capitalist holiday than anything else."

What do you think?

Share your opinion.

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One thing is for sure, the little celebrations with our families that we enjoy probably won't be going anywhere any time soon.

Whether you're decorating the tree on Christmas morning, or enjoying fireworks displays into the wee hours of the morning on New Years Eve, our little traditions are a comfort that even holiday commercialism can't buy. v Graphics by Erix Pizano and Pauline Howard

How do you feel about commercialism and increasingly earlier display of holiday decorations?

Courtesy of Madeleine Coreen

Courtesy of Madeleine Coreen

“I love seeing all the decorations everywhere, it’s so festive. It’s not inappropriate now that it’s past Thanksgiving… any time before, it’s unneeded.”

-Sebastian Ferracci “It’s a little sad to see Christmas decorations out before Thanksgiving.

People are starting to forget what the holidays are really about. It’s slowly becoming more and more materialistic.”

-Lexy Geriane

The Oracle Editorial Policy The Oracle is published by the newspaper staff at Steinbrenner High School: 5575 Lutz Lake Fern Road, Lutz, Florida, 33558 The Oracle works under the SPJ Code of Ethics, Which has been set down as our journalistic standard. The staff believes in freedom of the press, honesty, accuracy, impartiality, decency and equality: We will be observing these at all times. All the editorials will be backed up with facts and research. Staff editorials will never be by-lined, because they represent the opinion of the staff as a whole.

Money for the publication of the Oracle will come from advertising sales. Any advertising rates are available upon request by calling the Steinbrenner newspaper staff at (813) 792-5131, ext. 258. Advertising which promotes illegal products under Florida law, opposes any religion or is of any sensitive nature will not be accepted.

The Oracle is established as an open forum for student expression as outlined in the Student Press Law Center’s model guidelines for student publications. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the faculty and administration of Steinbrenner High School, but rather of the author or of the newspaper staff and its editors. As student journalists, the staff occasionally commits errors,; however, we will always correct the errors in an honest and timely manner.

The Oracle welcomes letters to the editor on topics of interest to Steinbrenner High School and its surrounding community. We also welcome contributions from writers not associated with the newspaper staff. All letters submitted to the editor will require the signature of those who submitted them. All contributions need to be turned into Mrs. Crosby in room 215.

Opinion

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October 2014 December 2016

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Freezing winter sends Florida residents into a frenzy [satire] Jillian Dradzynski Opinion Editor A state of emergency was called earlier this week when temperatures dipped below seventy degrees, some unfortunate counties suffering temperatures hovering around the mid fifties. The state sprang into action, tapping into their rainy-day funds, dolling out millions for salt trucks, as a precaution to the ice or snow that may appear as temperatures continue to drop. Stores have closed locations, the demand for winter supplies unable to be met, canned goods and other provisions severely depleted.

School officials have announced emergency meetings, to discuss the arctic temperatures that could cause hypothermia to those walking to school or waiting at bus stops. Area schools have been temporarily closed until average temperatures start to rise or superinten-

dents figure out how to handle this dire situation.

The economy has crashed- a direct result of a much lower number of snowbirds flocking to our once balmy shores. There has been a rise in cases of Floridians hospitalized due to the nature of their "thin blood". There has been a sharp increase in weather-related accidents, the majority of them traffic accidents, as residents are unused to driving in frigid temperatures. Emigration rates are high, as many Floridians are moving to much warmer areas, such as Mexico.

Residents in the southern areas of Florida have taken to building reinforced homes or underground bunkers to get warm. Warmer home temperatures have elicited a cry of outrage from the general public- residents are not used to

having to turn the heat on in their house, and are therefore not used to higher heat and electricity bills. Social outreach groups have organized "Safe Spaces" where freezing residents can huddle in groups of up to 100 to conserve and contain body heat.

Others still, are taking advantage of this colder weather and heading to local parks with newly purchased sleds, hoping for snow, and some have invested stock in winter gear, such as ice skates or woolen coats. Beaches are now dotted with sandmen, the Floridian's version of a snowman, instead of the sand castles that once reigned supreme in the warmer months.

The governor recently released a statement on how Floridians could cope with the cold. In the statement, it was expressed that we should use caution when driving, and watch out for dangerous patches of black ice. It was also recommended that residents wear longer, heavier, and more durable clothes that are more likely to protect against the cold. School superintendents immediately seized this suggestion, and recent talk has been to enforce a state-wide uniform of woolen winter gear in public schools.

In the mean time, it's best for residents to exercise caution when dealing with colder weather. We suggest investing on cold-weather coats, like the ones used by those climbing Mount Everest.

Most importantly, stay tuned to weather reports, conserve heat, and stay warm, Steinbrenner. v

Brace yourselves, homework is coming

Graphic by Pauline Howard

Graphic by Hannah Makholm

Opinion

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October 2014 December 2016

A strong contender for the “worst year ever” Why people think 2016 is quite possibly the worst year in our history Lauren Johnston Staff Writer

With the early part of this declaring the presidential candidates within the primaries, the races began. By summer, campaigning was in full swing and it was difficult to find a channel that was not constantly playing a commercial highlighting America's potential misfortune.

As their campaigns continued, the media covered every issue and conspiracy involving the candidates leaving many feeling that this election had been talked to death.

This year we were also forced to say goodbye to many of our icons and role models. Between Alan Rickman, Harper Lee, Prince, and many others we found it difficult to cope with the losses we suffered as a whole.

While Hillsborough county students did enjoy a few hurricane days off due to storms such as Hurricane Matthew, others were not so lucky. Many in both Haiti and Cuba suffered losses with the destruction brought by the storm.

Now, this whole 2016 thing wasn't so terrible. A few good things included the release of some highly anticipated movies such as Captain America: Civil War, and Finding Dory, which proved to be huge hits among fans, and the fact that a few endangered species such as the Giant Panda and Iberian lynx have e m e rg e d from the brink of extinction.

2016 has left us all confused, leaving many already jumping to the conclusion that this is quite possibly our worst year yet. Who can argue with their logic when they support it with the many disasters that have seemed to define this year?

Between the election and the social unrest mixed with cringe-worthy trends, this year did not get off to a good start. This pattern followed until all hope for the year was reduced into nothing more than the dirt trampled by the many Pokémon GO! players as they desperately searched for the next spawning location.

As the new year resolution craze (a mandatory part of ringing in the new year) died down, we finally began to see 2016's true colors...and they were awful.

As the Ebola epidemic died down, many thought they were in the clear for a short period of time. That was until the introduction of Zika became a reality and panic sprung and rightfully so. With this disease spreading fast through South America, many feared that it would do the same in America. Though there were cases reported the outcome of the disease was not the same as it was in other areas.

In addition there have been numerous events leading to social movements and overall tension within our country this year.

For example, the Pulse nightclub shooting was a devastating event that led to #KeepDancingOrlando as a way for Unithe city to heal ty has through the a l s o ways of dance in been a the aftermath of side efthis tragedy. It also fect of all raised awareness Graphic by Erix Pizano the tragedy that action needed to be we have suffered take so that such hate crimes as a collective society. of discrimination couldn't be carried out again. Different causes highlighting specific groups Though many dividing of people rose to the spotlight as those groups met to ad- factors have left our vocate for their rights and their cause. Occasionally this country in pieces, many lead to riots and protests. Several terrorist attacks were still realize that we are conducted as the year progressed. We also saw a rise in all in the same position and that whatever internal fanatic groups such as the threatening clowns.

comes we are going to have to face it together.

We have to realize one small fact as we criticize the year as a whole, claiming a certain year as the "worst year ever" is not an original statement. Not by a long shot. With each passing year, a frenzy of people emerge giving a list of reasons why the current year is worst year ever.

Make no mistake, this year has not been our finest, but dubbing this our worst year yet might be a bit too harsh. v

Famous deaths from 2016: Alan Rickman Anton Yelchin Arnold Palmer Christina Grimmie David Bowie Dorris Roberts Elie Wiesel

Gene Wilder Harper Lee Jose Fernandez Kimbo Slice Muhammad Ali Nancy Reagan Prince

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December 2016 Jordyn Dees Staff Writer

For the past two years, Hillsborough County has been facing a complicated budget crisis. The school board has initiated various policies to combat this issue.

One such policy was to keep an Emergency Fund, to be used only in case of actual emergencies, rather than to cover any kind of regular expenses.

The man overseeing much of budget recovery process, Jeff Eakins, was first the interim Superintendent for Hillsborough County, but was fully appointed to the position in July of last year. The responsibilities of a Superintendent are extensive, but include managing the budget, carrying out district policies and rules, and the insurance of a quality education for all students.

“The one thing that we’ve had to really look at in the district is how we make sure

September 2015

the schools, and the classrooms, and the people that are most directly working with our students- that their needs are served first. We have to make sure we make wise choices. We’ve analyzed all the different parts of our district in making sure we have a more efficient structure in place to protect the dollars that go to our schools,” said Eakins.

The school board’s decision to hire the Gibson Consulting Group to help improve the efficiency of the county and reduce unnecessary spending has caused much controversy throughout the county. The fact that the consultants cost over $800,000 in a time when cuts are being made across the district has been a difficult thing for teachers and administrators to come to terms with.

School board approves a $2.8 billion dollar June 2015 Jeff Eakins takes office as budget and Gibson consulting group is hired as the new Superintendent. auditor to perform “efficiency review”.

August 2015

It is discovered that for the past four years the school board has spent over half of its $361 million dollar resereve fund.

Lauren Johnston Staff Writer

Hillsbourough County budget squeeze

District dilemmas

Graphics by Pauline Howard, Erix Pizano and Hannah Makholm

worry Union leaders and teachers. One such suggestion is the recommended shedding of 1,700 jobs. However, according to Eakins, the hope is for the jobs to disappear through attrition, retirement or exit employees.

“It’s more going to be assessing, when positions go vacant, do we need to reassign current people to those positions so that we don’t add additional salary coming in for a new person, or do we eliminate that position at the time it goes vacant,” Eakins said.

Another strategy that the school board has begun to implement is reassigning suc-

December 2015

Teacher’s Union discusses salaries with board, board plans to renovate downtown offices with budget of $40,000.

Consulting firm suggests laying off more than 1,700 employees.

a handle because the largest expense for the school district is on employee salaries,” said Kelly King, principle of Steinbrenner High School.

Not only are these positions going to remain empty but other positions will be eliminated at all levels within the district.

Both the district level and the school level will see losses in positions in an effort to keep spending under control.

“We are going to be losing one position.

It is expected to happen at the end of this semester. Every school in the last couple of week has been notified if there are any positions that the school will be losing. These positions usually are not tied to a roster of students,” said King.

As it turns out, the position that is being eliminated from most schools in the district is the student success coach. Student success coaches are helpful to those students who are at risk of graduating and the success coach helps to establish a plan and

April 2016

Joey Menendez Editor-in-Chief

Schools asked to cut back on non-essential spending, 75% of school’s nonspent money taken from accounts.

acts as a mediator between the students and their teachers. Overall, this has the potential to negatively impact students as these coaches are very beneficial not just for the students that they work with but also they serve as a positive symbol for the school.

Though this decision may look grim, it is predicted to save money as that is the school board’s main goal right now.

“I do understand the need to make sure that our salary expenditures are not higher than the money that’s being brought in. No business or organization can operate like that and at the end of the day it’s taxpayer money so we do have to be fiscally responsible with that. I think in any organization that’s as large as we are you have to always be looking for ways that you can cut costs and be more fiscally responsible in what you’re doing,” said King.

Other policies aside from the position situation are currently taking place.

“They’ve been looking at travel reimbursements because a lot of money gets paid out for people who are traveling. Also

cess coaches to classrooms. These coaches were formerly working in classroom jobs years ago, but up until recently, have been in a success coaching position. Success coaches are employed to help with dropout prevention, assist at risk-students in reaching their personal goals, and much more.

The reassignment is due to the fact that there are around 150 vacancies at schools across the district, and many students are currently taught by an uncertified teacher; this solution would put certified teachers back into those classrooms while eliminating certain job positions to help save money. While having more qualified educators in the classroom would be

June 2016

January 2016

Teacher’s Union and board agree to contract over teacher’s raises.

Contract includes 20,000 teachers.

New School Board policies

For a little over a year, the school board has noticed that spending seems to be out of control within the county. The board has recently taken precautions to ensure that spending is being reduced. These new changes have effects that are not always favorable but they have been deemed necessary in order to cut costs.

When the new superintendent, Jeff Eakins, took office in June, a wave of new budget reforms followed due to a renewed interest in the district’s spending. New policies have come into effect that are aimed to reduce spending. A major portion of the money being spent is on salaries for employees in the county. Because this is such a large area of expense, this is the primary place where these new policies are targeted.

“And so what they’ve started to do is look for places where they can either eliminate positions or when people retire or resign, not fill those until they can really get

“This is really about honoring the decision the parents make to have their children attend our schools,” said Eakins. “We don’t want to spend money somewhere else frivolously in the district and not be able to provide the best education and all the right resources and services for the children that parents enroll at our school.”

In other words, spending money on the consulting firm will improve the overall efficiency of the county and end up saving money elsewhere.

The group was employed to recommend new strategies to the school board. While many of these plans are helpful, some

looking at the rationale behind some o f the expenditures that happen.

Can schools really justify the need for either personnel or to be sending people to trainings...Some of our supply budget money has been cut as well and that started happening last school year and so we have to become a little more creative in how we supplement that because at the end of the day we don’t want you as the students to feel the impact from that,” said King.

The school board has taken measured steps in getting the budget back under control through many recent policies that have been implemented. Although these decisions are made at the district level, we as the schools of Hillsborough county will still feel the effects of these new standards as they begin to take place. v

Acting as the voice of the people, the Classroom Teachers Association (CTA), or “teachers’ union,” consists of various individuals who represent around 20,000 teachers, educational staff, and other professionals.

“We bargain the contract under which they work and bargain regarding issues such as wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment,” said CTA Executive Director, Stephanie Baxter-Jenkins.

The CTA interacts in correlation with the district school board, both consulting and bargaining about many policies and contracts, “They have things they want to accomplish and we have things we want to accomplish, and we go back and forth before coming to a final agreement.” said Baxter-Jenkins.

There are other instances that occur where the district isn’t required to bargain with the CTA, rather they consult with them and seek their opinions before enacting certain policies. The school board may be the ones in charge of creating and en-

a good thing, many teachers and students worry about how this will affect their schools. Many students depend on extra guidance that only success coaches provide, and without it, it’s more difficult to get through school and to graduate.

According to the laws of the state of Florida, students within a two-mile radius of school do not need to be provided transportation, safety hazards not included. Any transportation that is provided by the district is then dubbed “courtesy bussing,” as the district does not receive money from the state for this transportation. This “courtesy bussing,” of course, is just another factor that has added to the budget problem. The school board aims to eliminate so-called “courtesy buses” possibly in time for the 2017-2018 school year for middle

September 2016

About 50 clerical worker’s jobs eliminated to futher cut spending.

and high schools. This means that those students living within two miles of their school, who rely on the bus to get them to and from school every day, will most likely have to walk or arrange other forms of transportation for next year. Worries arose over the safety of this decision, but that is something that the district is looking into.

“We are making a determination of what [bus] stops we still need to continue because of safety hazards, and what [bus] stops have we just been doing for a long time, and that safety hazard has been fixed, but we just haven’t taken it off our route,” said Eakins.

The school board is hopeful that the various changes mentioned in this article, as well as many that weren’t, will be implemented smoothly and successfully; how-

October 2016

Full report from Gibson Firm released, firm paid $818,000. Teacher hiring freeze takes effect. Emails released showing succes coach position will be elimnated.

November 2016

District moves employees to classroom positions. District and Union increase certain teacher’s cost of living raise by $200.

Bargaining with the Union forcing policies that affect our education system, but the CTA also has some level of influence on those policies before they’re enacted. “We hope to have a huge influence on their decisions, given that we’re speaking for the majority of their employees,” said Baxter-Jenkins.

One such policy that is currently being proposed is the reutilization of our custodial staff, but no actions are being taken just yet.

“The district has a legal right to manage its affairs, and in doing that, they have the legal right to choose the number of employees to carry out their mission,” said Baxter-Jenkins.

The recent budget and staffing changes will be set into place next semester, and at Steinbrenner, we will unfortunately be losing our student success coach, Trina Rodriguez.

“We do remain concerned that there are a lot of things about the individuals they’re cutting, such as the programs they were managing along with the services they’ve been providing, we remain concerned about how those things are going to happen

ever, many teachers, administrators, and faculty in Hillsborough County remain nervous. v

without individuals in those positions,” said Baxter-Jenkins. Some such programs at risk include the student success programs in schools across the county.

Another point of contention between the CTA and the district comes from the fact that the basic fiscal year for teachers began in July, but they were not granted their previous year of experience by the district until just recently. “Teachers come back to work in August, we didn’t settle their contract until a couple weeks ago,” said Baxter-Jenkins. That earned year of experience moves teachers up along the pay-scale in order to increase salaries; this means that teachers were working for nearly four months without the raises that were originally guaranteed to them.

The district has been struggling with recent leadership changes over the past two years, and the CTA had hoped that an early start during the last school year would result in contracts being settled before school started, but unfortunately that did not happen.

However, the school board and the CTA are collaborating to produce a possible so-

lution and ease some tensions brought about by these changes.

“The superintendent has called together what he is calling a ‘Stakeholder Committee’ and that group is looking at ways to provide services in the future in a more streamlined and sustainable fashion,” said BaxterJenkins. CTA members will also serve as members of this committee, and other teachers will be appointed to serve to propose and settle long term decisions.

“We don’t necessarily agree with the cuts, but we do pursue into our contracts, we come up with a reasonable and fair process for people to return to other jobs,” said Baxter-Jenkins.

With the recent budget crisis in Hillsborough County, it seems as though the CTA has an uphill battle to fight if they want to make significant changes to benefit our teachers, but they hope to keep working with the district in order to make as many benefits as possible a reality. v

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oraclenewspaper.com Graphic by Pauline Howard

December 2016

DC Characters fail on the big screen Jack Comiskey Staff Writer From the 1966 cinema release of Batman to the semi-recent 2016 release of Suicide Squad, it seems to many that the comic book and superpower ideals of DC’s movie industry may be dying off. While more recent DC movies have received less than stellar reviews, it is important to determine whether or not this apparent decline is factual, or merely the perception of a nostalgic fan mentality.

To do this, the requirement of an objective look at a random set of DC’s movies in chronological order would be needed, as well as an analysis of the general reception of each by critics and fans, and then an organization of the reviews into a kind of mental line graph to determine whether or not they are on the decline.

We begin in 1966, with DC’s first official full movie release of the highly praised Batman. This was DC’s very first adaptation of a comic book character, based off of the TV series by the same name. The movie was thought of highly by both fans and critics, giving it a score of about 8 on a scale out of 10.

Moving almost two decades forward, we find ourselves analyzing the 1982 release of a lesser known film entitled Swamp Thing. This 80’s sci-fi horror film tells the tale of a scientist who undergoes a transformation into a now cliché horror creature due to sabotage of his laboratory. The critical reviews were mixed, with many critics simply calling it average. Overall, it’s a 6/10.

The very next year saw 1983’s Superman 3, which was seen by critics as full of expected cinematic elements and over-thetop gags. The film faced an overwhelmingly negative reception from critics, placing it at a 5/10.

Nine years later, we arrive at the 1992 screening of Batman Returns. The first DC film to be nominated for an Oscar, making the movie’s nominations a total of two. The critical reviews were mixed, some labeling it as overly dark and violent, but mostly positive. This 1992 film earned an average of 7/10.

Jumping ahead three years, the release of Batman Forever saw more hopeful reviews than Batman Returns, having been nominated for three Oscars. The film sustained an average critical review near 8/10 In 1997, audiences across the country marveled at the train wreck titled Batman and Robin, with critics harshly assigning the film 3.5/10. The flood of negative critical reviews resulted in director Joel Schumacher releasing a public apology for his involvement in the production of the film.

The 2006 release of V for Vendetta saw a total shift to a dystopian world, often said to be reminiscent of Nazi Germany in its fascist idealism. The reviews seemed nearly split down the middle, with reviewers Ebert and Roeper giving it “two thumbs up,” While BBC’s Jonathan Ross harshly bashed the film. Overall, it sustained a 7/10.

Moving forward to 2008, DC’s The Dark Knight reeled in extremely positive reviews from both critics and fans, and was called an “engrossing tragedy” by critic Roger Ebert. It was the first DC movie to win an Oscar; as it received two, and nominations for six more. The Dark Knight easily held up a high average

of 9.5/10. It was soon followed by the infinitely less successful 2011 release of Green Lantern, often named the “worst superhero film in years” by fans.

The failure of the film was made up for the next year by the release of The Dark Knight Rises, which, like most of the previous films based around the same character, received comments by fans.

Finally we find ourselves at DC’s three attempts at building a proper extended universe (a vital trait of any comic book-cinema giant, one that Marvel has effortlessly mastered). The first of the three attempts being 2013’s Man of Steel. Although the Superman movies stand as an icon of DC’s cinema universe, Man of steel followed the same formula as each before it, becoming reportedly stale. It received an average 7/10. In 2016, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, drew negative critiques from the majority of reviewers, many labeling the movie as action-driven and shallow. Lindy West, a columnist for “The Guardian”, described the film as “153 minutes of a grown man whacking two dolls together.” It barely managed a 4/10. The second attempt did not receive as harsh criticism from most fans, but the same year’s Suicide Squad proved to be a let-down when compared to the amount of hype generated before its release. Suicide Squad was criticized by reviewers for not remaining consistent with DC’s previous extended universe attempt, taking a tonal shift towards a more nihilistic atmosphere than Batman v Superman. Reviews for Suicide Squad appeared particularly mixed, averaging out somewhere between 6/10 DC’s EU attempts from 2016 proved themselves to be disappointments, but the comic book giant’s cinema career has only been on the decline in very recent years. DC is most likely not dying, but fluctuating, as it always has been, as it experiments with new ideas such as 2016’s extended universe. v

8/10

7/10

6/10

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December 2016

oraclenewspaper.com

Graphic By Pauline Howard

Chris Evans

Katelyn Payne Copy Editor Born on June 13, 1981, Chris Evans was raised by his mother, a director and his father, a dentist. This meant that their son was a great actor and had perfect teeth. After graduating from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, Evans attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute where he began to discover that his true calling was not the stage, but the big screen.

In the late 2000’s, Evans made appearances

in a wide assortment of movies, but the ones he is best remembered for are truly super. In 2005, Evans played pilot Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four later followed by Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer in 2007, where he continued to play “The Human Torch.”

And who could forget Steve Rogers- also known as Captain America, whom Evans has played in every movie involving the well-known hero since Captain America: The First Avenger in 2011?

But he wasn’t always the man behind the blue mask, as he initially declined the role of Captain America, fearing what the fame would do to his private life. After being convinced by Robert Downey Jr. to take on the role, he began attending therapy in order to assist with the sudden fame he found himself surrounded in.

Chris Evans has shared that his mother was once a professional dancer, and it seems he has carried on the legacy. In fact, he even had a dance floor installed in his basement, which he uses to deal with the anxiety from acting.v

Colin Wolf

Courtesy of Katelyn Sly

Katelyn Payne Copy Editor Senior Colin Wolf, born February 6, 1999, has made himself well known across the Steinbrenner campus with his recent role of Sweeney Todd. But what many do not know about him is that he has only been acting for three years. Wolf’s love of acting began to develop gradually the more he practiced and performed, with the musical elements of plays being something he specialized in. Initially, he only wanted to complete a credit to fulfill the

Jennifer Lawrenwce

Melody Ocasio A&E Editor Born in Indiana Hills, Kentucky on August 15, Jennifer Lawrence was a girl with aspiring dreams away from the big screenfar, far away to be exact. Graduating high school in two years and striving to be a doctor, this small town tomboy was involved in just about everything.

Playing field hockey, basketball and softball were just some aspects that set Lawrence

Morgan Freeman Fine Arts requirement, but in his first year they did a production that sparked his interest and made him want to continue.

Just this year, Wolf played the star role in the Steinbrenner Theatre department’s production of, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” A fan of the play and musical numbers himself, Wolf was thrilled to take on the role.

“The second I figured out I became Sweeney it was such a big moment because it was something I was so excited to do,” said Wolf, “Being able to be handed that opportunity was such an honor.”

In his spare time, Wolf enjoys listening to music and hopes to begin making some of his own music very soon. He also has begun to write plays, music and all, of his own.

While he does want to continue acting, Wolf thinks it is best to wait until things are more secure with school, and especially to ensure he has something to fall back on in case a career in acting did not work out.

“If time and money are available and I have a safety net, I would love to pursue acting in the future,” said Wolf. v

Katelyn Payne Copy Editor Morgan Freeman was born on June 1, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee, and has since starred in countless movies and television shows. Some may know him from “Batman Begins” in 2005 and other following Batman movies as Lucius Fox, but others know him for his notorious voice used for Vitruvius in “The Lego Movie” in 2014.

After spending some time serving in

apart from her peers. She was asked to model for an H&M ad because they believed her rugged yet beautiful style was unique. This ad introduced her to the world of publicity.

Having seen her pictures, an agent liked the look of Lawrence, and asked to meet with her. Thinking this was another modeling job, she complied, but the man brought an idea that was never brought to her before- acting.

Lawrence went along with her agent, and trusted his words that she was going to get far.

Starting off as an extra in shows such as “Cold Case, her fame was took off, she was soon asked to star in “The Poker House.” Although it won her no awards, it exposed her to the world of Hollywood. It was a stepping stone for her career, which led her to win her first award in “Winter Bones.”

Now Lawrence is known most commonly known for her appearance in “The Hunger Games,” which was a phenomenon among the masses. With Lawrence’s career taking such a different route, it seems that anything can happen to very ordinary people even with no ties in the world of Hollywood.v

the Air Force, Morgan Freeman began to take on television roles that made him more and more well-known. In the early 1980’s, his voice was recognized by millions, and he began to be cast simply for his voice. His first series that incorporated only his distinct voice was called, “The Atlanta Child Murders” which led him to share his talents in “Slavery and the Making of America” (2004) and “March of the Penguins” (2005).

Freeman is also a huge advocate for the end of racism, in a CBS interview, Freeman states that racism can be ended if it is just not talked about as much, and that “Black History Month” shouldn’t be a month at all because black history is American history.

“If you talk about it, it exists. It’s not like it exists and we refuse to talk about it. Making it a bigger issue than it needs to be is the problem here,” says Freeman. He uses himself as an example for breaking the barriers of racism, as the first African American to be in three movies that won Academy Awards for Best Picture along with numerous others including Golden Globes, Peoples Choice and the AFI lifetime achievement award. v

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December 2016

oraclenewspaper.com

Aspiring band has high hopes for the future

Melody Ocasio A&E Editor In Freshman year, Timothy Dixon found his passion in the field of music. A experimenting throughout the numerous instruments available to him the guitar was the one that attracted him the most.

“I’m an introvert, so playing the guitar allows me to express myself,” said Dixon. The genre that drew him in happened to be the one most involved with the guitar, “rock,” Dixon says, “the guitar is so prominent,”.

Although rock is his go-to for inspiration, he mentioned that jazz and the blues have also assisted his drive to learn more guitar. Alex Lifeson, a guitarist in the Canadian band Rush, is a musician that Dixon looks up to with great reverence. According to Dixon, “The guitar is an instrument that has endless opportunities regarding patterns of music and tunes, there is no end to the melodies it can create”. The talent Lifeson has is one that Tim hopes to one day acquire. “I make my own stuff, and when I started to perform at Tanya and Matts it allowed me to share what I can do with other people in a low-key environment,” said Dixon.

Michael Giovenco, Dixon’s friend whom he performs with, is one of many talents as well, playing the drums and the bass as well as being gifted vocally, Dixon looks greatly upon how talented his fellow band member is. Although Giovenco is one who can play many instruments,

both Dixon and Giovenco are currently looking for a lead bassist and lead singer. Additional band members would allow them to not only make better music, but get the full experience of having a band that can further their career.

So far, the idea of creating music alongside his friend is probably the greatest memory music has brought him.

Dixon states, “The feeling you get after listening to a finished piece after hard work is truly rewarding, it’s like ‘I made that,’. Sure- playing other artist’s stuff is cool, but doing it on your own is even better”.

The idea that just three years ago Dixon was trying to find the thing he would dedicate all his time and effort to has become a future plan is inspiring. “I definitely plan on playing at the next level, I’ve been saving up for about six months for some new equipment, and Michael and I wrote twelve songs that we’ve Graphic by Erix Pizano been working hard to perfect,” says Dixon. The idea of playing music professionally is not easy, but both Dixon and Gio-venco are willing to take small steps to reach a big dream- whether it be buying gear to making their music sound good live or willing to release all nerves to play at Skipper’s Smokehouse, a joint for up and coming bands, any stepping stone to a future full of music is one they’re willing to take. v

All images in this section are used under Creative Commons and Fair Use Law. Please visit oraclenewspaper.com to read more and comment.

Graphic by Cameron Wingo

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December 2016

oraclenewspaper.com

“Luke Cage” is the newest of Marvel’s Netflix originals, soon to join “Daredevil” and “Jessica Jones” in the upcoming series, “The Defenders”. Like most Netflix originals the cinematography was outstanding, with a beautiful setting and use of light to convey feelings for the scene.

Between scenes there is almost always a certain uncomfortable ominous vibe,

this went hand in hand with the fact that it was not easy to trust any character, so the movie conveyed its themes quite smoothly. The most notable aspect of the series itself was the way it effectively addressed many issues of today and brought a new perspective to such widely discussed topics and the superhero genre itself. v

Doctor Strange 8/10

With his newest album released on October 21, followed by a world tour, Bon Jovi has had plenty of new iconic music to keep fans at bay from his last album, “Burning Bridges”. “This House is Not for Sale” combines the edginess of today’s music, the classic Bon Jovi style, and overall a catchy tune. Definitely worth listening to, but isn’t my favorite album of 2016. v

making you feel as if you were witnessing what the show was screening to new characters like Negan in season 7, “The Walking Dead” has kept its fan base on its toes. “The Walking Dead” is definitely the zombie apocalypse show to watch this year v

10/10

9/10

9/10 7/10

6/10

Moana The new Disney film, Moana crashed into theaters on November 30, the same waves that flooded everyone’s emotions and tear ducts arrived during the majority of the public’s Thanksgiving break. The film’s witty selfawareness of princess clichés and its ability to avoid them entirely brought a fresh outlook to the “run of the mill Disney princess” part of the franchise. The unique character designs that break away from Disney’s “same face syndrome” accompanied with the complex message left many stunned in the best way as they left the theaters.

v

Alicia Keys, newest album “HERE” is one full of a life and was quite surprising to hear when compared to her previous albums. When Keys piano talent is heard in her newest release the music is grittier with a hip hop feel, while in her other albums the piano was more melodic with a smooth jazz feel. Her vocals are more exerted, sounding similar to

church choir while also including a solid old school hip hop. This feel is believed to be largely influences by her husband Swizz Beatz, and overall does not disappoint and is aesthetically pleasing to listen too. v

Alicia Keys

Bon Jovi

Acting as Marvel’s newest film, Doctor Strange tells the story of Stephen Strange, a world renowned surgeon who learns to control mysterious forms of magic in order to protect the world from mystical threats. The film suffers from a slightly generic plot, with your typical superhero origin story. The plot contains some various clichés, but there are still enough changes to keep you invested throughout the movie’s run time. Where Doctor Strange really shines is with its stunning visuals, which can range from kaleidoscope like action sequences to indescribable scenes of trippy chaos. v

“The Walking Dead”, may be one of the best plotted zombie meets human series, has been nothing but a continuous thriller for its fans. Although season one had a slow start, the overall idea of a zombie apocalypse enticed the public to tune in for the next season. Each season just comes with even more twists and turns. From the intense graphics,

“The Walking Dead”

“Luke Cage”

Graphic by Pauline Howard

All reviews are courtesy of the following Oracle Staff members: Madeleine Coreen Hannah Makholm Joey Menendez Alyssa Ruiz Jo Hindle

Sports

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December 2016

oraclenewspaper.com

Steinbrenner rises to athletic excellence Steinbrenners continued domination in the field of sports Adler Shannon Co-Sports Editor

Florida is known as one of the best areas for high school sports in all of the United States, as winning a state championship in Florida is quite an accomplishment, and winning multiple is grounds for excellence. Since the beginning of Steinbrenner sports we have been winning all types of championships. Districts, regionals, and now state titles adorn the walls of Steinbrenner and add evermore to the legacy that Steinbrenner is building within Florida as a dominant sports school.

Steinbrenner High School opened its doors for its inaugural year in 2009 and by 2011 had a state championship in girl’s soccer. Our girl’s soccer team has continued this domination as throughout the school’s history they have brought home three district titles, a regional title, and a state title, and only one

losing season (with a record of 7-8-2) in the school’s history. They have been at the forefront of leading our school in its rise to high school sports glory.

“Winning the first state title for Steinbrenner was great because the entire team was truly committed to the team.

Most of them had come from Sickles and Gaither and it was great to see them come together as Warriors and as a team and develop Warrior pride. We hoped that our success would help bring about further athletic success in not only soccer for Steinbrenner, but for all Warrior sports,” said former Lady Warriors soccer coach Teresa Patterson on winning the first state title for Steinbrenner in 2011.

The girl’s cross country team has also helped lead the way as they recently brought home a state title in their second time making it to states since the school’s inception.

Perhaps the pinnacle of Steinbrenner sports is the esteemed

Steinbrenner baseball team. Coach John Crumbley has been the coach since the school’s beginning and the team has consistently been within the top 30 in the state, and were able to bring home the state championship as well as winning the esteemed Saladino tournament last year as well.

Steinbrenner’s football team has also done well over recent years, having a record of 9-2 in the 2015 season and going to the playoffs for this first time in school history.

Lacrosse, a relatively new sport for Hillsborough county, has also been fruitful for the Warriors. The Lady Warrior’s lacrosse team has become one of the best in the county having gone 10-2 and 15-3 records in the past two years, while the boys team went 9-7 last year and were able to win the district championship.

Steinbrenner is building upon its traditions of sports excellence every day. It seems as if every sports season brings more and more championships adorn the trophy cases of Steinbrenner. The banners at Steinbrenner are full of accomplishments of the past, and surely many more into the future v.

Graphic by Erix Pizano

Steinbrenner welcomes another new face New English and reading teacher, Matthew Caudill, also takes over colorguard team Alyssa Ruiz Senior Staff Writer

The 2016 school year has been filled with many changes. One of them being the new color guard instructor, Matthew Caudill. Before working at Steinbrenner, Caudill was a director for an independent group in Nashville, and also worked at Land O’ Lakes high school before making his way here.

Caudill has a major in dance and from this he became a professional performer. He is able to choreograph the dances and movements for the colorguard with proper technique and style as any instructor should.

Although Caudill is new to Steinbrenner’s colorguard, he is not new to the world of colorguard. He is a professional performer who has taught in independent groups and has brought many groups to state championships and national competitions. Even with all this experience, Caudill has to rebuild a program and is looking forward to starting fresh.

“I really can’t wait for the future. The colorguard here has so much untapped potential. I have even spoken to the band director Jason Allgair and he agrees with me that within the next couple of years the Steinbrenner High School Legends colorguard will be attending state competitions and hopefully national competitions,” said Caudill.

“I definitely believe there’s going to be a big improvement in this year’s winterguard show because of Caudill’s experience in the dance world. Just based off of march-

ing season I can tell we’re going to have a pretty amazing show,” said guard captain and Junior Skyler Mason.

Mason isn’t the only one who feels that this year’s winterguard show is going to be amazing. Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors all agree with their captain that this year is going to have more choreography than previous years.

“So far this year I can already tell Mr. Caudill is an amazing teacher. He knows how to explain things and fix minor details that make the biggest differences,” said Junior Kelly Thal.

Being in her first year of guard, Senior Katie Molsen shared her feelings about Caudill.

“With his past experiences, I think he’ll do great things with the school’s color guard, and I believe that guard in the future is going to go very far even though it is my first year. I’m glad I joined with him here to teach me.” said Molsen.

“He really knows what he’s talking about. He has a lot of background in dance and he’s able to give us critiques that we need. He is a very effective coach, yet he’s hard on us and it’s because he cares and I would rather have a coach who cares than one who doesn’t at all,” said Freshman Brenna Foreman Caudill is prepared to take this group as far as he can.

From state to nationals the Steinbrenner High School Legends colorguard has plans that will hopefully be completed.

“Hopefully within the next five years, I will make this

Courtesy of Alyssa Ruiz

group of dancers the best in the state and possibly the nation,” said Caudill.

With hard work, dedication, and time, our colorguard can be the best in county, state, and be nationally ranked.

With the winterguard season here this is the color guards time to show everyone what they are capable of. Many people look forward to watching them compete against the other schools in hopes of winning first place. We wish Caudill and the colorguard members the best of luck in the future. v

Sports

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December 2016

Students make decision for their dream school earlier than usual Ariel Cox Centerspread Editor Steinbrenner is known to have some of the best high school athletes in the state. These remarkable athletes are rewarded with scholarship opportunities to a multitude of colleges throughout their high school athletic career. The decision of when to take up these opportunities is entirely up to the student.

Recently an increase in early commitment has begun. These verbal commitments can last up until signing day where athletes have an official commitment contract and become a player on the college’s team. Steinbrenner’s last signing day was November 9th with nine students-athletes who signed that day.

“It was probably one of the best days of my life...I’ve waited two years to sign this National Letter of Intent which is an official contract to sign you to that school,” said early commitment Florida Atlantic University softball athlete Senior Amelia Iacovino.

Although there has been an increase in early commitment, not everyone believes it is the right decision. Many athletes remain uncommitted until their senior year, some even until the last possible chance to commit.

Committing early is beneficial towards students who get offers from their dream school who have their mind set on where they want to go to school. It also relieves them from the stressful college application process.

Iacovino knew exactly where she wanted to go (FAU), so when she was offered a verbal commitment her Sophomore year she was more than happy to accept. Her heart had been set on this school and she never considered decommitting. Her Senior year she made it official by signing and has no regrets on her early commitment. She believes that if it is the school you have always desired to go to, that early commitment is beneficial because you’re set for college.

However, s h e

says people overtime may change their original opinion on their decision and committing early is not always the right choice for everyone.

“I think you mature through high school so you’re opinions may change by let’s say your Sophomore to Senior year,” said Iacovino.

Another athlete, Cameron Coakley also signed early during Junior year to Stetson University for a baseball scholarship. Stetson became interested in Cameron after watching him play during his tournaments and games and later asked him if he wanted to verbally commit. Coakley followed through on his commitment and signed recently. He thinks early commitment is a good idea, but if you decide to hold off you have the potential to gain more offers.

“The offer was perfect and the school was really good, I looked at the school first and saw their baseball team which was pretty good. I didn’t have to hesitate...to commit later you can get more offers, but other than that I don’t really see the benefits,” said Coakley.

Devon Connors plans to sign in February to the Air Force Academy to play football, but prior to this he had verbally committed to FIU. He had always been interested in being able to play football while serving his country, but had received an opportunity from FIU and decided to commit there. Air Force Academy later came back and gave Connors an offer which was what he had always wanted to do, so he decommitted with FIU and committed to the Air Force Academy.

“Early commitment is good as long as it’s somewhere you know you want to go because it’s hard not to want to commit everywhere when you get offers because they make it all awesome and beautiful with the glitz and glamor... I would probably say for most people don’t do it just because you have a lot of options and offers especially after your Senior year, I’d tell someone to wait unless your heart is there,” said Connors.

Many students still decide to hold off on committing due to the ability to gain more opportunities and the possible regrets on committing. Although, many students at Steinbrenner do decide on early commitment and usually stand by their decision. v

Graphic By Jo Hindle

oraclenewspaper.com

Winter Sports Update

Boys Basketball-

The Warriors are coached by JR Allen. They have opened thier season with a 1-3 record but have high hopes for the rest of the season. They have seen great leadership from Seniors Trey Williams and Kenny Midura, and also Junior Zach Johnson.

Girls Basketball- The Lady War-

riors are coached by coach Josh Goldstein.

They opened the season with three straight wins, but have since dropped their next three putting their record at 4-3.They are lead by Senior co-captains Maddie Deneen and MK Miller.

Boys Soccer- The Warriors are

coached by Chad Ebright. They have had a succesful season so far with a record of 5-1 and are lead by captains Junior Kellan Wallace, and Seniors Dovydas Sakalys, and Steven Soronellas.

Girls Soccer- The Lady Warriors are

coached by Head Coach Shannon Scott. They have started the season on fire putting in 33 goals while only giving up 3. They have accumulated a record of 5-1. They are lead by Senior captains Karinna Williams, Mia Brantley, Claire Morrison, and Erika Peitersen.

Wrestling- The Warriors are coached by

Coach Paul Noble. Although their season has not officially started yet, with their first meet coming up this Friday (Dec. 3), they look to be strong this season and compete for a district title. They have seen leadership from Justin Moran, Michael Furnari, Matt Gallo, and Nate Bautista.

Cheerleading- The girls cheerleading team is coached by Jacquetta Woods. They have high hopes for states this year as they always look to go far every year. With a new coach, the team has faced challenges, but is ultimately hopeful that they will do well in competitions throughout the season.

Compiled By: Adler Shannon and Fernando Mallicote on December 1, 2016

Sports

18

December 2016

oraclenewspaper.com

Graphic by Pauline Howard

Patrick Morris

Courtesy of Calvin McClarin

Cameron Wingo Ad Designer With Steinbrenner just recently coming off a state championship win last year, it’s no surprise that our baseball team has an amazing amount of talent. A member of the champion team, Senior Patrick Morris is continuing to show his prowess this year and will be

CJ VanEyk

Courtesy of Calvin Mallicote

Calvin McClarin Senior Staff Writer Steinbrenner’s star pitcher CJ VanEyk recently signed to continue his education and athletics at Florida State, a division one school located in Tallahassee, Florida.

He will be joining a team that went 4422 last season and was ranked number 13 in the nation.

attending Florida Atlantic University, a Division 1 program, in the upcoming fall.

Although starting his athletic career with football in his early childhood, Morris says he has always loved baseball.

He has been inspired by players such as Bryce Harper and fellow Steinbrenner athlete, Senior Ricky Melvin, since his freshman year. Morris’s love for the sport shows through his abilities on the field; making Morris an important part of the team.

“I’ve played all my life so it’s basically been like a staple for me through my years.

It means the world to me.” said Morris.

His favorite moment in his Steinbrenner baseball career is when he hit a walk off homerun in the regional semifinals game to get them to the finals last year and has big plans for the upcoming season. However, Morris hopes to get more wins and more home runs for the Warriors before he takes his talents to Boca Raton, Florida. v VanEyk has had a very successful career as he helped lead the Warriors to a state title, the first one in school history.

This sport means a lot to VanEyk who began playing baseball at the age of six “This sport means everything to me.

I’ve been playing since I was six years old and I’m lucky enough to be able to play in college,” said VanEyk. He has created many great memories with his time on the diamond; his favorite being winning states last season “I wouldn’t trade that team for anything,” said VanEyk. Just like many athletes, he too looks up to someone. The people who inspire him to be the best he can be are his parents.

“I look up to my parents…they are always trying to get me to do better,” said VanEyk. VanEyk has huge plans for this upcoming seasons as he and the Warriors look to repeat last year’s success. v

Claire Morrison

Courtesy of Calvin McClarin

Cameron Wingo Ad Designer Making it far in most regional competitions over the eight years the school has been open, it is no surprise that Steinbrenner’s soccer teams holds a ton of talent.

Among the talented athletes is Senior Claire Morrison, who is doing well this season, be-

coming an important asset of the team.

Morrison’s athletic career contains softball, cross country, track and a bit of volleyball but her home is with soccer. She started playing soccer because of her brother. Her brother played soccer when she was younger and she thought it looked fun.

As Morrison’s last season goes underway, she plans to do better than the team performed last year and make it past districts. With the team being undefeated right now (5-0) the team seems to be on track with her goal. The first game of this season also holds one of her favorite memories.

“I think it was when we won 9-1 against Strawberry Crest. Mia [Brantley] hit a corner and I headed it and it was honestly my most favorite thing to happen because Mia and I are besties,” said Morrison.

She will be missed as she trades her blue and gold for white and green when she becomes a Hatter and plays for Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. v

Kayley Wojciechowski

Courtesy of Adler Shannon

Calvin McClarin Senior Staff Writer While her sport is not offered here at school, Kayley Wojciechowski did not let that stop her from going above and beyond in her sport. Wojciechowski has committed to row at Clemson University, a division one school in Clemson, South Carolina.

“The coaches, the school, the atmo-

sphere just felt like home and I can really picture myself there,” said Wojciechowski.

It was love at first sight when she was introduced to the sport.

Wojciechowski has been rowing for about four years now since she was first introduced to the sport.

“I’ve been rowing since the middle of 8th grade,” said Wojciechowski.

Her favorite moment was when she won regionals last year with her team.

“We practice so hard together and at the end of the day to have a result like that and qualify for the youth national completion together…it was really something special and unique,” said Wojciechowski.

This sport means a lot to Wojciechowski, who has put in countless hours of hard work to be where she is today.

“It means the world to me. Every day I go to practice and I know I will be surrounded by friends…it has really shaped who I am today,” said Wojciechowski. v

Sports

19

December 2016

oraclenewspaper.com

Goodbye to the Class of 2017 football players Senior football athletes say goodbye at their final high school game Calvin McClarin Senior Staff Writer

Joselle Schaffer News Editor

For most of the Warrior football players, they just finished playing their last game of the season, but for the Seniors they just finished their last high school game ever.

After years of putting in hard work on and off the field for most of the seniors, it has come to a bittersweet end. Steinbrenner’s “Senior Night” was on November 17, where the Seniors were honored by having custom-made banners and walking out on the field before the game.

“It was a surreal moment,” said Senior Dane Coleman, “It was sad, but that’s just a part of life. I was just trying to enjoy it and reminiscing about how much I enjoyed the experience and all of the great memories we have made.”

For the Seniors, their football experience wasn’t always on the field. As a team, they were also motivated to do better off the field. They were encouraged to do their best in academics due to their past of hav-

ing the top GPA in the county.

“Football has motivated me to do better in school because we have a history of winning the highest GPA in the county, so I was motivated to help us win that,” said Senior Zach Schachter.

“Being on the team has taught me to be more dedicated and how to work harder on my goals,” said Senior Matt Fischel.

Brett Bitter scored the Warriors only touchdown and Noah Ruggles added to the scoreboard with a field goal, both Seniors.

While Senior night did not go the way the team hoped as they lost to Berkeley Prep, handing the Warriors a 35-10 defeat

and their first lost at home this season. Despite the loss the Warriors did not let this ruin their night as they celebrated their Seniors for the last time.

“It was a great experience knowing that my family and friends were there for me,” said Senior Nick Larosa.

It was hard for the team to say goodbye, but the they plan to hold on to the great memories and friendships they made over the years.

“Being on the team taught me a lot and allowed me to make good friends. I learned a lot about how to do things that were hard, but football guided me in the long run in life,” said Senior Ryan Bogdanski.

“Because of the seniors, we will never be the same and we will try to hold their legacy as much as we can next year,” said Sophomore Jake Hyer.v

Because of the Seniors, we will never be the same, and we will try to hold their legacy as much as we can next year.

Courtesy of Joselle Schaffer

Courtesy of Joselle Schaffer

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oraclenewspaper.com

December 2016

On November 17, the Steinbrenner student body hosted a kick ball tournament for Mike Leist. Leist struggles with ALS a debilitating muscular disease. The game was a huge success in raising awareness as well as funds for the Leist family.

“I had a son die from a muscular dystrophy years ago and when I found out Mr. Leist’s diagnosis it just hit me and all summer I just kept thinking, I have to do something,” said Beverley Jarrett Courtesy of Marielyssa Hernandez

“I was thankful for our students. They were just wonderful,” said Lisabeth Leist, “We just appreciated it so much.”

Courtesy of Marielyssa Hernandez

“My favorite part about the entire event is just seeing everyone in the entire student body and the comunity coming together for such a good cause,” said Ruth Medveczky.

Courtesy of Marielyssa Hernandez Compiled by Marielyssa Hernandez