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snntoday.snn.pcsb.org Lakewood High School - November 16, 2011 Two-Time Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist Bands of Lakewood ... PAGE 8 A FAMILY AFFAIR ... PAGE 5 SWAG-OFF PREVIEW ... PAGE 3

SNN November 2011

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Second print edition of the Spartan News Network in the 2010-2011 school year. SNN is a two-time Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold medalist.

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Page 1: SNN November 2011

snntoday.snn.pcsb.orgLakewood High School - November 16, 2011

Two-Time Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist Bands of Lakewood ... page 8

a Family aFFair ... page 5Swag-OFF preview ... page 3

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November is known for the beginning of the “Florida chill,” fall holidays and the newest edition of the Spartan News Network!

In this issue we have covered every-thing from the new talent show, otherwise known as the Spartan Swag-Off, to Austin Copeland’s ineligibility to play football this school year - and everything in between. Everyone has seen the boxes of choco-late, gummy candies and lollipops floating around the campus as well as the slushies of varying flavors being sold with fervor in the hallways. Most people, however, do not stop and ask what the money is for. It’s for… fundraising. Drama Club, Girls’ Ser-vice League, Student Government Associa-tion, Future Business Leaders of America and the Lakewood band all fundraise at the school. (See page 7 for more.) Why is your teacher a teacher? For years, students have heard about teachers’ woes and seen laws on the chopping block aimed at taking away more of their pay. We talked to the teachers and got the infor-mation straight out of the their mouths. Is it worth being a teacher? Their answers may surprise you. (See page 4 for more.) Did you know that St. Petersburg is well known in the music scene? It’s a tradition-ally artsy area with many venues where music can be heard all the time. At Lake-wood High School alone, we have talked to four separate bands with members who go to our school. Ranging from alternative, to post-grunge, to progressive metal, LHS has it all. (See pages 8/9 for all the informa-tion.) “Bros before…women?” is a slogan heard often when speaking about the “codes” between the sexes. Ever wondered what was going on in the other sex’s head? Well, with SNN’s help, you can. We have compiled a list of the rules eight LHS students believe you should be aware of. (Check out page 6)

the hub We d n e s d a y, N o v e m b e r 1 6 , 2 0 11

Marqaivia Pittmon, 9th• Webbie-What’s Happening (rap)• Keysha Cole-Take Me Away (R&B)• Drake-Marvin’s Room (hip hop)

By SOFIA DAMOSSNN Editor in Chief

A word from

SNN

What’s on your iPod?

Junior Alyiah Stephens looks into the side mirror from the passenger seat of a driver’s ed car on Oct. 17. Students in Rudy Coffin’s class work towards their driver’s license by the end of the semester. Stephens said the most im-portant part of driving is, “You have to keep your eyes on the road.” Check out the multimedia piece at snntoday.snn.pcsb.org

ALEX BRACKX | SNN

English teacher Kristie Dowling• Amy Winehouse-Back to Black (blues)• The Pixies-Salvation (punk)• The Shins-Back To Back (Indie rock)

Chorus teacher Jacob Merrett• Switch Foot-Underwater (punk pop)• The Duke Ellington Orchestra-Perdido (jazz)• The Sydney Philharmonic - Beethoven’s Ninth (classical music)

Danielle Matthews, 11th• Adele-Someone Like You (pop)• J.Cole-Cant Get Enough (hip hop)• Beyoncé-Start Over (R&B, Pop)

Malia Sanders, 12th• Drake-Trust Issue (rap)• Taylor Swift-Today Was A Fairy Tale (Country-.Pop)• Wynter Gordon – Dirty Talk (Techno)

GAVIN ZITMAN | SNN

Information gathered by Makini Harris | Photos by Kamdon Martin, Katie Blevins and Martin Hood

Alexis Goodridge, 12th• Lil Wayne- How To Love (hip hop)• Taylor Swift-Love Story (country- pop)• Back Street Boys-Bye Bye Bye (pop)

Cover photo: From left, Ian Gray, Lakewood senior Brandon Klase, Garen Freed, Shawn Grantham and Kyle Gray of The Rival Within. (KATIE ATKISSON| SNN)

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Sophomore Ryan Robertson, center, and junior Darius Evans perform during their Spartan Swag-Off audition on Oct. 26. Check out the video preview of the talent show at snntoday.snn.pcsb.org.

TYLER HOLCOMBE | SNN

In a talent show you would expect to see dancing, singing, a band or two and maybe some poetry, but junior Tasso Niko-lov, 16, is doing something more unusual. Nikolov will be showcasing his talent with the yo-yo in the Spartan Swag-Off, though he is a little nervous. “At first I thought it would be a good idea until I realized I would be doing it in front of a bunch of people. I don’t know, I think it would be really cool,” he said. The Spartan Swag-Off is being pro-duced by the drama club and will be held in the school’s auditorium during eighth period on Friday. “We know there is a lot of talent at LHS and we want to discover and showcase those people,” said drama teacher Colleen Coughenour. Tickets are $2 and proceeds will be used for the club’s spring production. Judges are math teacher Phillip Morgan, history and psychology teacher Gabrielle Squarciafico and band teacher Michael Kernodle. “We thought that the teachers would bring a professional and fun edge. Also, it would be a lot to ask for student judges to be unbiased,” said Coughenour. Though each year the school holds a lip sync show, it’s been years since the school has had a real talent show. “My guess 15-20 years,” Coughenour said.

By NILAJA KING and SACAREE WRIGHTSNN Staff Writer

With the Lakewood High School graduation rate at its highest ever, there is nothing but optimism from principal Bob Vicari about this year. Last year’s rate went from 82 percent to 84 percent. And this year, he said, “If I don’t get past 84 percent, then I’m obvi-ously not doing my job.” Vicari says that an 85 percent rate is “acceptable” but he is aiming for higher. “I’m not giving up on the other 15 per-cent,” he said. One reason for this increase is that more programs are being offered to boost the graduation rate and help students out while credit recovery and night school still remain options. In addition, the staff has been commu-nicating more with parents so that they are not left out and then get what Vicari calls a “surprising message” that their child will not be graduating on time. Credit checks are now started when students are fresh-men instead of waiting until their senior year. Course modification is a new system being used. With course modification, teachers are covering two classes in one. For example, if a student fails English 1, instead of that student retaking it, he or she would be placed in a modification class. The teacher would be covering English

1 curriculum as well as English 2. After the student passes that class he or she will receive credit for both classes. Vicari and records keeper Dianne Roth said they are tracking down students who are on the “dropout list.” They are finding that some of them are enrolled in other schools or may have moved to another school zone. They then withdraw the stu-dents from Lakewood to keep them from hurting Lakewood’s rate. Roth said she is going back to the students’ freshman year and tracking their educational status. She is finding that some students have not even attended this school but are still being placed on the dropout list. Roth goes through the records of these students and tries to find contact informa-tion and contact the parents or relatives of the student. “We aren’t just doing it to make the school look better. We want to check on them to find out the whereabouts of the student and make sure they are furthering their education,” said Roth. Even with all of his optimism, Vicari still sticks with reality, keeping in mind that he will not be able to help every stu-dent graduate. “You can’t win the race all the time, but that does not mean you should stop running,” said Vicari.

Get ready for Spartan Swag-Off

Auditions were held on Oct. 26. Here is a list of acts that made it into the show:Band: 1. Eric Bliss Danny Showuyan James Picker

Dancing:1. Alexis Peterson 2. Justin GonzalezBryan San AntonioJason MoralesShawn Cunningham3. Shyann RobertsDesmanique BlueTequilla Gaddy Laronda CohenKeyana HawthorneSydny Johnson

Solo:1. Shyann Robertswith Robert Hout-tuin on guitar2. Tristan Denton 3. Shawn Cunning-ham

Spoken Word:1. Tedric Ellis2. Jasriel Reid

Jazz Ensemble:Darius EvansChris FeltonDanny Stagnitta Tony StagnittaChris WoodleBen EdmondsGreg Studer

Drum Line:Kiara FlantroyShelby Johnson Malik HaywoodDerrick HerringAaron HeronJaquartez RobinsonChris FeltonChris ElliotAustin TruebloodDre Walker

Yo Yo:Tasso Nikolov

The Line-up

Graduation ratesat Lakewoodrising steadilyBy BRIANNA JOHNSONSNN Staff Writer

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news We d n e s d a y, N o v e m b e r 1 6 , 2 0 11

By LAUREN HASTINGS and SABRINA SCHMIDTSNN Staff Writers

Education has a price

By DRE WALKERSNN Staff Writer

He started when he was 7, getting in trouble for beating on pots and pans and playing the drums in his church. He was in the Everyone’s Youth United drum line and also played in Mount Zion’s drum line. When he started his freshman year at Lake-wood High School, he began playing snare drum. Now junior Jaquartez Robinson may be headed for a position on the marching band at North Carolina A&T. Robinson is the drum major of Lake-wood’s Soul of the South Marching Band along with senior Vershayla Munnerlyn. “It’s a great experience. It isn’t some-thing I thought I’d be doing,” said Robin-son. This is his first year as drum major, taking over the role after Joe Davis and

De’Vontae Harrington graduated last year. Drum majors are in charge of the band. They conduct and run practice, know their music on their instruments and help others, said band director Michael Kernodle. “(Robinson) loves music; he likes to work with other musicians and likes to cre-ate music and cadences,” he said. Robinson wants to go to North Caro-lina A&T and has talked to representatives from the college. He said they plan to come down and see him play. If he goes, he wants to major in music and law. Robinson said he wants the band to succeed and grow by the time he graduates. He is serious when it comes to authority, respect, commitment and motivation. “Be

stern. You got to be aggressive, and give re-spect before it is received,” said Robinson.Robinson described Kernodle as a father figure. “He’s like my dad, man ... He pushes me forward. He just sets the bars and you got to reach the standards.” “He’s a great drum major, and he’s like my brother,” said band member and sopho-more Aaron Heron. “I think he is a great drum major because he’s serious and wants the best of things.” One thing for sure about Robinson is that he really loves what he does. In fact, he never wants to leave the band room. “It’s a good music environment,” he said. “I love the people who are in there. I can connect and be able to have fun.”

The merit pay bill has teachers contemplating their future in their profession. Senate Bill 736, the first bill signed by Gov. Rick Scott in March of this year, will now base teacher pay partially on the performance of their students and eliminate tenure. A similar bill was vetoed in April 2010 by former Gov. Charlie Crist due to protests from teachers. In previous years, teacher pay was based on advanced degrees and number of years spent teaching. Tenure guarantees that teachers can keep their jobs; in most cases, they will not be let go after a certain probationary period. The new bill, which will go into effect in 2014, will base teachers’ pay on evaluations and their students’ performance. Advanced degrees will not be considered in teacher pay after July 1, 2011. Teachers’ evaluations are comprised of student FCAT test scores, instructional

practice, professional responsibili-ties and peer review. Teachers will now have annual contracts to be renewed each year based on their evaluations. The evaluation system has four levels: highly effective, effective, needs improvement, and unsatisfactory. Teachers’ contracts will not be

renewed if they receive an unsatisfactory evaluation or three consecutive “needs improvement” on their evalua-tions. Many teachers have strong opinions about this bill, including English teacher LaTonya Hill. “Education in this country is deteriorating. I think something should be done, but I don’t think attacking teachers or making teachers fearful for their jobs is the way,” said Hill. Hill said she also thinks that the new bill will not hold

up based on Florida’s budget. Chemistry teacher Andrea Carvill shares this view. “No one thinks the state of Florida is ever going to have enough money to pay teachers based on merit,” said Carvill. Carvill says that from what she un-

derstands of the bill teachers with two years or more of experience can opt out of merit pay and can re-ject the currently proposed contract and go to an annual contract. As a teacher for 11 years, Carvill says she has nothing to worry about. She also thinks the bill will not last.

“I think it’s going to change many, many more times,” said Carvill. American history teacher Stuart Wilmarth, who is Lakewood’s teacher union representative, says the bill is a temporary thing. “Once they realize what a fiasco it is, it will change,” said Wilmarth. Wilmarth said the merit pay bill is politically motivat-ed. He says it doesn’t compensate for what teachers do. He also poses the question why certain teachers such as art, social studies, music, and drivers education teachers should get paid based on students they don’t teach. “I believe the whole concept is a way to rip off teach-ers. … It’s a blatant attack on teachers and public educa-tion,” said Wilmarth. Similarly, Lakewood principal Bob Vicari also be-lieves the bill will change. Vicari says he is not against merit pay; however, he sees too many problems with the way that it has been implemented in the past and with the current plan to believe that it is going to work.

DOMONIC EAVES| SNN

English teacher LaTonya Hill instructs her English class on Oct. 27.

Andrea Carvill

Bob Vicari

Drumming his way to college

Drum major Jaquartez Robinson shows his moves on Oct. 21 . “You have to know what you’re doing in order to help everybody else,” he said.

RACHELLE GADDY | SNN

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School is not only a place to learn, but also a place to escape from your parents. The freedom of being around your friends, however, could change if your mother or father doubles as a teacher at your high school. Mother-daughter pair Colleen Coughenour and freshman Olivia Gibson keep a professional relationship at school. Coughenour said she likes having her daughter here, and Gibson says she doesn’t mind having her mom teach here since it’s easy for her to get to school and she can go to her room if needed. Gibson has her mother for stage-craft. “It’s not weird since it is a big class,” said Coughenour. “I just treat her like another student.” Although Gibson says that most of her friends like her mom, Gibson says, “Not everyone will like my mom. So sometimes I don’t want people to know who she is.” There are now two Anthony Law-rences at Lakewood: teacher Anthony Lawrence and his son freshman Anthony Lawrence II. Law-rence likes having his son at Lakewood. He says there are no disadvantages, “because he and I are really close.” “I can stay on top of his grades,” said Lawrence. His son seeks him out at times for one particular reason. “I’m more of an ATM for him than anything,” said the elder Lawrence. “He sees me when he wants money.” The advantages for the younger Lawrence are that, “At lunch I can get free money.” On the other hand, the son said, “He knows when I’m slacking because my teachers tell him.” His father is also the coach for the basketball team and the younger Lawrence plays. His father says his son is on the varsity team because he’s a good player, not because he is the son of the coach.

“He treats me just like the other kids,” said the younger Lawrence. Sophomore Danny Carvill said he changed his sched-ule to get a different chemistry teacher, anyone other than his mom, Andrea Carvill. “We already decided it wouldn’t work,” Carvill said. Carvill tries to stay objective since she

knows what is coming up on tests even though she isn’t his teacher. She has high expectations for her son’s grades. “I probably am tougher on him than other parents would be,” she said. Danny doesn’t entirely like chemistry, but nonetheless he has pressure to keep a good grade. When it comes to his friends, Danny says they always ask him what his mom assigned for home-work and to change their grades. “(My friends having my mom as a teacher) kinda makes things weird,” he said. Linda Santiago has her sopho-

more daughter, Naya Santiago, in her AVID class this year. Last year, Naya was in Santiago’s Spanish class. “I have no privacy. I can’t leave early because I have to wait for her to get out of school,” said Santiago. However, she says, “I’ve grown closer to her because I’m with her all the time.” “When it comes to school I’m not her daughter, I’m her student,” said Naya. She said that the only bad thing about her mom working here is that she knows when she’s in trouble. Naya’s friends are comfortable with Santiago being their teacher. “I have a very close relationship with all my students,” said Santiago, “so if they’re her friends and come over to our house it’s not a problem.”

featuresWe d n e s d a y, N o v e m b e r 1 6 , 2 0 11

By KIM KOAGEL and KATIE DICKINSONSNN Staff Writers

Making school a family affairBRITTANY JACOBS| SNN DANE MORRIS| SNN

Sophomore Danny Carvill changed his schedule so he would not have his mom, chemistry teacher Andrea Carvill.

SCOTTY SCHENCK| SNN

MARILYN PARKER| SNNFreshman Olivia Gibson and her mom, drama teacher Colleen Coughenour.

Far left, fresh-man Anthony Lawrence II walks out of B wing with his fa-ther, Coach An-thony Lawrence at the end of the school day on Nov. 8. Left, sophomore Naya Santiago and her mom, Linda, walk through the parking lot after school on Nov. 8.

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9. Bros before women10. Don’t steal swag.11. If you’re going out to dinner with your girl and your bro, pay for your bro and make your girl pay for herself.12. If your girl and your bro get in an argument, back up your bro.- Michael Wos, junior

Dating in high school (not to mention making and keeping friends) is always tricky. Everybody has their own code that they live by and expect others to follow, but the problem is nobody is exactly the same. The “code” is the forever changing list of unspoken rules that govern high school relationships. Even between the genders, some definitions of the bro code are entirely different from the girl code. In an attempt to crack the Bro Code and the Girl Code and settle the eternal question once and for all, we asked Lakewood students to decipher what their own ‘code’ is.

features We d n e s d a y, N o v e m b e r 1 6 , 2 0 11

1. If your boyfriend and your friends get in an argument, don’t side with your boyfriend unless he’s right.2. Always tell your friends the truth. If they ask you if they look fat and they look fat, you have to tell them.3. Don’t tell your friend’s secrets.4. You have to cover for them when they get in trouble with their parents.

- Mariana Barros, sophomore

5. Don’t date your girl’s man, to her face or behind her back.6. First dibs gets it.7. Even if she didn’t date him, if your girl talks to him, he’s off-limits.- Caitlin Christensen, junior

1. Don’t have more than one girl.2. Don’t have friend-girls.3. If your bro wants to hang out and you have a girlfriend, hang with your bro.4. If you’re at McDonalds, and you ordered some chicken nuggets, and you have one left, and your girlfriends wants it, and your bro also wants it, give it to your bro.

- Cornelius Copeland, junior

5. Don’t take your bro’s girl.6. Don’t mess with your bro.7. Don’t leave your bro hangin’.8. If you’re holding hands with your girlfriend, and your bro wants somebody to hold his hand, hold your bro’s hand.- Danny Ramdhani, junior

13. You can’t go out with your bro’s ex.14. Don’t be two faced.15. Boost up your bros.16. Get money at all times.- Alonzo Smith, senior

8. Girls that are homewreckers won’t ever have a home.9. If he’ll cheat with you, he’ll cheat on you.10. It’s okay to tell business to a certain extent, keep secrets.

- - Adrianna Swinton, senior

11. Don’t date your girl’s man.12. If a boy talks to you AND your friend, he’s trifling.13. (When dressing up) don’t reveal too much. It isn’t classy. - Kyashia Walker, senior

He said | She said - Compiled by Tyler Holcombe

Girl Code

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Thousands of dollars are made by clubs every year through fundraising at Lake-wood High School. Many students, by now, know about such fundraising favorites as the World’s Finest Chocolate. However, most of them do not know what clubs they are contributing to when they pay for a candy bar or buy a slushie. Technology teacher Chris Borg runs the Future Business Leaders of America, which sells Frosty Fruit slushies outside of his room. In addition, band teacher Michael Kernodle is having his students sell choco-late as are Girls Service League sponsors Laura Lake and Kathy Zavadil. Student Government sponsor Ivana MacIntosh is having her members sell candy and will hold car washes throughout the year. Before working the slushie stands out-side of Borg’s room, FBLA fundraised at the Tampa Bay Rays baseball games. Borg got the idea of selling slushies at the FBLA National Conference. Now Borg sells 100 percent fruit-juice slushies at $1 for a small cup and $2 for a large. “It’s a good product. I think the faculty, staff and students love it,” said Borg. Borg sells the slushies during lunch, after school and during football games. Ac-cording to Borg, the machine costs about $4,000. However, he managed to get it for free by buying product from the same company for about $1,200. “They’re not as bad as the ones at 7-Eleven and they’re a good alternative to the Moo-Moo Truck,” said FBLA member Shawn McCort. Borg said he will use the money to help the school as well as FBLA. He said he will pay 50 percent of the cost for improve-ment of stadium seating in the gymnasium, which will ring in at about $3,300. The rest will cover FBLA state and national costs. States cost around $5,000 and nationals $13,000. Band teacher Michael Kernodle is also interested in fundraisers for his students.

The students need to raise money to go to Atlanta, Ga. to watch the Honda Battle of the Bands on Jan. 31, 2012. They also have to buy mouth pieces, reeds, uni-forms and instruments as well as pay for travel for all band members. “Without proper equipment the band can’t operate,” said Kernodle. Band member Tony Stagnitta sold four boxes of the world’s finest chocolate in the first two weeks of school. Stagnitta be-lieves it’s a good idea because it costs around $5,000 to get up to Atlanta. The Girls Service League has also been selling the “World’s Finest Chocolate.” GSL sponsor Zavadil said she picked this fundraiser because it’s easy and profitable for the 25 members of the club. GSL uses the money to buy appreciation gifts for teachers and plans to have an end-of-the-year banquet. “GSL is a service club, so it is all about serving others at school,” said Zavadil. GSL president and co-founder Taryn Schlather says the reason for the fundrais-ers is to give back to Lakewood. Although she likes the idea of getting money to help Lakewood, she isn’t thrilled with the idea

of selling candy. “Mine always goes miss-ing,” she said. GSL vice-president and co-founder Sanah Vora said the league only sells chocolate once a year. The money gained from fundraisers is used to improve upon the school and the goal is to give the future members something to look forward to after Vora and Schlather leave. SGA, like other clubs, is also looking for ways to raise money. They sell candy and hold car washes throughout the year. SGA donates portions of its profits to the school and asks administrators and staff what the

school needs. All 50 members have to par-ticipate in the sales compared to last year when not everyone participated. SGA candy sales start Nov. 28th and run until winter break. Due to last year’s little profit, Homecoming was held at Lakewood High School’s gymnasium. However, next year they would like to hold Homecoming at a different location. SGA president Kiara Allen has always supported fundraisers for the club. “In order to do activities for the school, to give back to the school, it costs money,” said Allen.

featuresWe d n e s d a y, N o v e m b e r 1 6 , 2 0 11

Slushies, candy and

donuts,

MADDIE GLASSMAN | SNN

MOLINSEAI ELCIUS | SNN

Above, junior Edward Mojica makes a slushie while senior Steven Doyle super-vises the money and Chelsea Gadbois looks on during break on Oct. 28.Left, junior Marianne Foley re-ceives change after buying a donut dur-ing the fundraiser held by the Lake-wood band.

By SCOTTY SCHENCKSNN Staff Writer

oh my!

Page 8: SNN November 2011

See the Sound

T h e V i o l e t R a m b l e s Many famous bands started in high school: Blink 182, Sum 41 and U2. The Violet Rambles could be on that list. Sophomores Nia Cumberlander and Zach Shea and junior Tristan Shuler make up the band, which plays alternative music. The band started in June, a couple days after Cumberlander posted a status on Facebook that she wanted to form a band. She sought members who had similar tastes in music. “I’d asked a couple people who I knew could play instruments,” she said. “But they said they were in a band.” When Shuler saw the Facebook posting, he had just started playing bass. “It’s not like I knew everything about the bass, but it didn’t sound like a cat,” said Shuler. Music was a part of his life early, and he was inspired by the game, Guitar Hero, he said. The Violet Rambles takes its inspira-tion from bands like Alice in Chains, Nirvana, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pixies and Incubus. They started out with only two mem-bers, Cumberlander on guitar and Shuler on the bass. “We got together and started jam-ming,” said Shuler.

Then the three-month search for a drummer began. A friend of Cumberlander’s suggested Shea. “He’s probably one of the best drum-mers in the school,” she said. Shea said his musical family inspired him. “My dad and grandfather played the drums all their lives,” he said. “We practice at Tristan’s house in this really, really tiny, cramped room,” she said. “Like Harry Potter’s cupboard under the stairs.” If you want to hear some of their music you can visit their Facebook page.

The echoing chords of an electric guitar mingles with the gruff vocals, a steady bass line and unfailing drum beat plays from a cramped garage. The music rumbles through the alleyway, bouncing off of metallic garbage cans. The source of the music: Through Fields and Graves, a metal band located in north St. Petersburg. “We’re a bunch of talented kids, who have a passion for the music we play,” said Lakewood High School senior Matt Saunders, vocalist and lyricist for the band. The band began with three members: Lakewood’s Brian Clarke and St. Petersburg High School students Cecil Thomas and Levi Foe. The band started during the seniors’ underclassman years of high school, with two guitarists and a bassist. The trio began looking for a drummer and a vocalist. “I met Cecil (Thomas) in sophomore year. He was big into playing guitar. … We both wanted to be in a band,” said Foe, lead guitarist for the band. Thomas transitioned from guitar to the

drums, to fill the gap in members. “They’re the most intensive and it’s all physical, so you’re always doing something,” he said. Though there is some confusion over what genre of metal the group falls under, whether it’s progressive or hardcore, they

all agree on one thing: they’re a metal band. “There’s not much singing in it,” Saunders said, who pulls inspira-

tion from artists like Winds of Plague, and Arsonists Get All the Girls. “We all like different types of music,” said Thomas. “We don’t want to set it to one genre.” “Our sound is raw and very underde-veloped… We’re just trying to play to get ourselves out there,” he said. Through Fields and Graves aspires to play with local bands Lucy Grey and The Rival Within, at venues like the State Theatre and eventually at Jannus Live, the largest venue in the area. “We look at music as a lifestyle,” said Foe. “It’s what we want to do for the rest of our lives.”

“Our sound is raw and very

underdeveloped.”

No Matter WheN is an alternative, post-grunge band that started last year with three Lakewood students: seniors Stuart Brinkman and Robert Clark and junior Weston Gillette. The band also includes Dillon Parz, a junior at St. Petersburg College. Brinkman is a vocalist, Clark plays the guitar, and Gillette is the drummer. Parz is the bassist. The band members originally got together – not including Parz – at a 2010 New Year’s Eve party. “We hooked up and saw what happened. It kind of worked,” said Clark. Gillette said there were family and friends at the party. “It was a big get-together, so it was kind of comfortable playing for people you know. … It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside,” he said. The band members classify their music as “alternative, post-grunge.” “Post-grunge is the sound we naturally fall into,” Clark said. “When you’re writing a song you don’t think about it, it just falls into place… You don’t think about the style of the song, you just write the song and attach the genre later.” Gillette said every member of the band brings something different to

the table. “It’s theoretically a melting pot,” he

said. No Matter When has played at venues such as Pegasus Lounge, Gasoline Alley and several parties. Band members say they hope some day to play at the 1-800-ASK-GARY AMPITHEATRE, Local Studio 662, and the State Theatre.Gillette’s motto is “music equals life.” “Music is all around us, but we don’t even know it. Every sound you make is music. … It’s inside you. It’s in your heart. Your heart is like a big bass drum,” Gillette said. “Every person is their own kind of music.”

“Music = life.”

Through Fields and Graves

Page 9: SNN November 2011

See the Sound While some high school seniors are comparing color patterns for dorm rooms and stocking up on ramen noodles, the student musi-cians in The Rival Within are preparing to record their first album and planning for a summer tour that will take them to venues and musical events in different areas of the United States. One of the largest is Cornerstone Festival, where music and art is showcased. It is near Bushnell, Ill., held every year the week of July 4th. This festival has seen bands like P.O.D. and Anberlin on its stages. From Nov. 12-24, The Rival Within was scheduled to be in Illinois recording their first album, which their record label, Red Cord Records, will distribute to Hot Topic and F.Y.E. next summer. The band takes inspiration from artists like Metallica, Lamb of God, Born of Osiris and System of a Down. “We generally describe ourselves as applecore,” said Lakewood senior Brandon Klase, bassist for the band. “It’s

our genre.” The group wanted to break away from the typical metal genre, so they created their own. “We have very fast drums, we’ve got a bassist that slaps, we’ve got a really distorted sound,” said Osceola High senior Shawn Grantham, who transitioned from guitarist to vocalist. “It takes a lot more creativity and skill to play,” he said. The Rival Within began with two best friends, Klase and Kyle Gray, who met other musicians in middle school and decided to form a band. Now the band also

includes Ian Gray and Garen Freed. The group has been signed by Red Cord Records which was established in 2008 and prides itself on “artistry relationships and growing together as a family.” This label supports artists like Day of Vengeance and Phinehas, with a wide range of genres. “I feel like (we’ve) accomplished a lot,” Gray said. “Not a lot of bands get to go record a full length album.” The band members from The Rival Within see themselves on several tours across the coun-try, including tours to Europe. “Hopefully we’re going to go somewhere,” said Klase. “We have time to develop as musicians.”

No Matter WheN is an alternative, post-grunge band that started last year with three Lakewood students: seniors Stuart Brinkman and Robert Clark and junior Weston Gillette. The band also includes Dillon Parz, a junior at St. Petersburg College. Brinkman is a vocalist, Clark plays the guitar, and Gillette is the drummer. Parz is the bassist. The band members originally got together – not including Parz – at a 2010 New Year’s Eve party. “We hooked up and saw what happened. It kind of worked,” said Clark. Gillette said there were family and friends at the party. “It was a big get-together, so it was kind of comfortable playing for people you know. … It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside,” he said. The band members classify their music as “alternative, post-grunge.” “Post-grunge is the sound we naturally fall into,” Clark said. “When you’re writing a song you don’t think about it, it just falls into place… You don’t think about the style of the song, you just write the song and attach the genre later.” Gillette said every member of the band brings something different to

the table. “It’s theoretically a melting pot,” he

said. No Matter When has played at venues such as Pegasus Lounge, Gasoline Alley and several parties. Band members say they hope some day to play at the 1-800-ASK-GARY AMPITHEATRE, Local Studio 662, and the State Theatre.Gillette’s motto is “music equals life.” “Music is all around us, but we don’t even know it. Every sound you make is music. … It’s inside you. It’s in your heart. Your heart is like a big bass drum,” Gillette said. “Every person is their own kind of music.”

Photos by KATIE ATKISSON, ALEX BRACKX and TYLER HOLCOMBE

Design by KATIE ATKISSON

Stories by Sofia Damos (Through Fields and Graves, The Rival Within), Owen Dyches and Zoe Blair-Andrews (No Matter When) and Kahil Holmes (The Violet Rambles)

“We generally describe

ourselves as applecore.”

The Rival Within

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We d n e s d a y, N o v e m b e r 1 6 , 2 0 11 reviews

Your page for reviews of the latest movies, books, fashion and music.

Lakewood High is known as Holly-wood High for a reason. Mike Jones, who goes by Slick Jones is currently a senior at LHS and is on his second mixtape called Humble Hustle. “I love music and my dad was a big influence; when he passed he inspired me,” said Jones, who started rapping at the age of 12. The first mixtape he made is called Upper Classman. It includes 13 tracks. One unique aspect of his songs is they are all curse word free. Although he’s made hundreds of CDs he says that he just hands them out everywhere he goes, free of charge.

Jones said he doesn’t charge people for his mixtape. “I think I’ll get signed solely off of talent.” Jones does get paid to do gigs. These gigs range from parties to auto shows. His next scheduled event is Nov. 17 at the Florida International University talent show in Miami. Senior Shineice Beamon is one of Jones’ fans. “My head be bobbin’,” she said. “It’s off the chain.” Jones plans to go to college at FIU for journalism, because he likes to write. “It’s my love, my passion. It’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

By BRIAN BARFIELD and CIERRA CHAMPAGNESNN Staff Writer

Reviewed By KIMBERLY MCENTEGARTSNN Staff Writer

Reviewed By SYMONE BROWNSNN Staff Writer

A slick talent

Footloose and fancy-free

Get ur music reviews here :P

Cut loose, footloose, kick off your Sunday shoes. It’s like the song is on repeat in my head. I’ve been humming it, singing it and dancing to it ever since I saw the remake of Footloose. The iconic dance, ‘80s movie is revived by director Craig Brewer. The magic of the original can never be recreated, but Brewer comes close. Footloose is set in the small town of Bomont, Tenn. Tragedy strikes, taking the lives of five teenager in a car crash. The city panics and creates strict laws against dancing and rock music. A rebellious city boy, Ren McCormack (Kenny Wormald) moves to Bomont. He dares to change the laws of the city and the hearts of the people who live there. Brewer’s recreation gave the film a small-town feel. He captures the essence of small towns while keeping it interesting and thought provoking. Drama, hypnotic dancing and good music makes for a great movie. Footloose makes me want to get up and dance my life away.

Nowadays, many teenager’s motto is “tl;dr” which stands for “too long; didn’t read.” Anything longer than a text message or tweet is such a hassle to read. Now, SNN is bring-ing you music at your convenience. We are summarizing some of the best albums of the year, so far, in 160 characters or less.

Adele (21): Heartfelt, body shaking & soul baring r the only way 2 describe Adele’s 21. No 1 can compare 2 her. I <3 Adele. Blue eyed soul @ its best.

Lady Gaga (Born This Way): Little Monsters rejoice abt Gaga aka Mother Monster's new al-bum. It celebrates individuality, self luv & acceptance w/ kooky lyrics over crzy beats.

Lady Antebellum (Own The Night): This record is a joy 4 country fans and a guilty pleasure 4 those of us who aren’t.

Wilco (Whole Love): This obscure band’s latest release starts 2 spark my interest but fails 2 start a

fire. This depressing album bored me to tears.

Lupe Fiasco (Lasers): Reppin’ 4 the underdogs, Lupe makes a comeback. He climbs 2 the top and replants his “freak flag.”

Big Sean (Finally Famous): This yr seems 2 b the yr 4 the newbies. Big Sean delivers an album worth a listen.

BRIANNA JOHNSON|SNNSenior Mike Jones sits on a bench in the walkway. Jones is a producer, rap-per and poet. “My mom always told me to perfect my craft, so that’s what I’m doing,” said Jones.

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fashion We d n e s d a y, N o v e m b e r 1 6 , 2 0 11

Alicia Hare, 9th grade

Charlotte Russe

Shirt $18Pants $25Shoes $30

Lazaria Newton, 11th grade

Rue 21

Shirt $10Pants $20Shoes $21

Brian Dozier, 11th grade

Hollister

Shirt $30Pants $55

Tracy Johnson,11th grade

Dillard’s

Shirt $60Shoes $170

A trip to the mall

Photos by DOMONIC EAVES and DE’SEAN WILLIAMS|SNN

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We d n e s d a y, N o v e m b e r 1 6 , 2 0 11 opinion

Spartan News NetworkStaff

Editor-in-Chief: Sofia DamosManaging Editor: Julia PohlmannDesigners: Chris Deister, Katie AtkissonMultimedia Editors: Katie Atkisson, Madeline GlassmanOnline Editors: Molinseai Elcius, Jessica ThorntonWeb Technician: Lauren Hastings

Code of EthicsAs journalists for the

Spartan News Network, we work together as a community with respect,

professionalism, accuracy and curiosity. We collect information and dig deep to get to the bottom of the most current events to produce and

distribute hard-hitting and honest news to the Lakewood community in a timely

manner. SNN is an open forum that strives to accurately report a balanced and truthful depiction of the news while remaining objective. Our main goal at

SNN is to build and maintain trust with the people, to give a voice to the voiceless and to succeed at not just painting the picture, but telling the

story behind the art.

SNN is produced by the students of Lakewood High School.

1400 54th Ave. S St. Petersburg, FL

(727) 893-2916, ext. 2163

SNN is printed by Lakewood’s business partner,

the St. Petersburg Times.

For more news, go to the SNN web site:

snntoday.snn.pcsb.org

We’re students, not cattle

Share Your Opinions Letters to the editor should be sent to [email protected]. They should concern an opinion on a featured editorial or news story. They must be signed, ac-

curate and at most 150 words. Letters may be edited for taste, length and

grammar.

Editorial

There are a certain set of standards every human being should express to every other human being, certain courtesies that help the world run smoothly and effectively without constant conflict and struggle. Some things that come to mind: treating people how you’d like to be treated or ap-proaching a person with as open a mind as possible. These standards seem to not exist when students are being told to leave the campus of Lakewood High School. We’ll get right to the point. Most of us are good people, and at this age maturity is starting to change the way we act. Granted there will always be exceptions. Not every-one can be nice, but as a whole the student body of Lakewood generally follows direc-tions. However, this fact seems to be lost on the individuals responsible for moving students out of the school at the end of the day. Judging by the way they speak and act toward us, we’re less “developing youths” and more “anti-establishment teens out to prove to the world that the book of rules wasn’t written with them in mind.” As the

bell rings, gates are prematurely closed as if the school were going into lockdown, and the student body is herded out with shouts of “Out! Now!” or “I don’t care if you’re going to a club; they’ll let you back in!” We don’t need to treat each other this way. We aren’t saying we don’t understand that what the administrators of the school do is all part of a larger protocol; we’re saying that we would appreciate it if the whole ordeal were handled with a bit more grace. Has it ever been considered that if we were asked to leave the school in a nice but firm manner that the whole process would go far more smoothly? Just try it out for a week and see what happens. Administrators should be a little more respectful and kind when telling students to leave the main school area. We get that we can cause you all stress, but to be fair, as an adult, shouldn’t you all be showing us how to handle these kinds of situations with maturity? Yelling and hollering seems

more like a tactic reserved for us rebellious teens.

This editorial was written by AJ Valdes, editor of editorials, and reflects the opinion of the SNN editorial board.

ALGERNARD BROWN|SNN

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Columns

Rap music can get you an A ... if you’re allowed to listen

SARA-KAY WEST

Lefties are right, too

When students ask to listen to their iPods while they do classwork, teachers often get upset or frustrated. In reality, the students are just trying to improve their learning because it is extremely

beneficial for students to listen to music. Studies

have been done that prove the educational value of listen-ing to music while doing schoolwork. Not only does music

help you chill out, but it can improve your memory, brain stimulation, concentration, and also your optimism.Music has many benefits in an educational environment. It actually increases concentration. A prominent beat stimu-lates the brain. For example, rap music will definitely help you in the classroom. Working and listening to Lil Wayne may help your grade after all. It has also been shown that music overrides other environmental distractions such as other students talking. If students are working and listening to music, it will cut down on total classroom noise. Instead of listening to all the other noise going on around you, you can plug in your

headphones and concentrate solely on your work and your music. Music also generates electrical energy and fires neu-rons, thus creating brain waves and brain activity. Any song that is upbeat can help your brain exercise longer therefore increasing the amount of time you can work productively. Listening to music in the classroom can help both the students and the teachers. So teachers, next time you give us a nasty look for having our iPod out, think again, we’re just improv-ing our learning.

We have special school supplies and a special day, and studies show we are even better at video

games. Yet left-handed

people are treated as if they don’t exist in the Pinellas County school system. I have only seen a single desk specially made for left-handed students, and even then, it was broken. Thanks to the district, I get to twist my body, uncomfortably, just to do my work. In the mean time, the majority of the rest of the class is strolling along, having no issue with the desks that favor their

rightness. Left-handed students should not have to conform to the ways of the right-handed pupils. This is an important issue because there are more left-handed people in the world than one might think. Four out of five origi-nal designers of the Mac were left-handed. Plus, quite a few leaders of the free world are too. These include Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Harry Truman and Ronald Reagan. Other celebrities who are left-handed ge-niuses include Judy Garland, Jimi Hendrix and even Henry Ford. If there were more left-handed desks in schools, some would be surprised at the improvement of test scores. If lefties sit in their favored desks, research shows their grades would increase dramatically. When

we don’t have to stress about trying to get in a comfortable position, we focus more on the actual test, not attempting to arrange ourselves. This is not the first time left-handers have not been treated fairly. This has been happening since the beginning of time. In the Christian Bible, there are more than 100 references that righties are favored and more than 25 sayings that lefties are associated with Lucifer. Hence, when salt is spilled, it is best to toss salt over the left shoulder to ward evil off. When you get out of bed with your left foot forward, it is said that you got up on the “wrong side of the bed.” Ever had an itchy left palm? It sym-bolizes one having to give money, where as when your right palm itches, one receives

money. Not fair, right? Left-handed people deserve more respect. We are just misunderstood, being associated with all the unfortunate supersti-tions of the world. Pinellas County needs to realize that lefties do exist and that we should have desks that accommodate us, or at least more neutral desks. With more comfortable desks, our overall scores would increase. There are numerous accomplished people in the world who are left handed. If the school system accommodated us, we could become just as accomplished. Lefties aren’t evil or givers of bad luck, we are just normal people. The only difference is that we write with our left hands.

The addition of an hour to the daily schedule for Lakewood High School students is unreasonable. It’s not fair how this new schedule is not a requirement for all Pinellas County schools. The school days for some schools were extended by one hour for the county’s lowest performing schools. Lakewood, currently rated as a C school, is included in the handful of high schools that added on an hour each day. As

a student who attends Lakewood High, I believe that it is not a fair solution to the problem of schools’ decreasing

test scores. By the end of a regular school week, all students at Lakewood have had five hours of their weekly lives taken away from them. Other teens who attend different high schools do not have to spend an additional hour in school each day. The extra hour is only required for schools who have been showing low performances in their academics scores. Not all students at Lakewood, however, should be blamed for their schools’ rating. If more than one school now has the requirement to lengthen its school days then it should be made mandatory for all schools. It`s unreasonable to have each student stay at school one hour longer, while there are students attending another school who aren’t required to do the same. Another point is that this additional five hours a week takes away from everyone’s life

outside of school. For many people, family time is a crucial part of their daily lives. By the end of this school year, Lakewood students will have had about 180 hours taken from their time spent with family or from other after-school activities. Also, time after school includes extracurricular activities, such as sports, clubs, and tutoring. The extra hour has especially forced students who have jobs to change their working schedules. Time is too important for students to lose, especially when it is unfairly taken away. Finally, it`s not fair how all students at a high school should have to suffer this “pun-ishment” just because there are some kids in their school who fail to succeed. The good students who succeed in maintaining high grades and FCAT scores should not be affected by a rule that was meant for those who constantly misbehave and fail to keep their grades up. If schools are considered low performing, then they should make a solution to their problem that would only involve the students who are affecting the rating of the school. Some solutions may include mandatory after-school tutoring or weekend schooling. Drag-ging responsible and high achieving students into a problem created by students, who struggle or refuse to do their best and take education for granted, is in no way okay and it should not be allowed to happen. Lakewood students along with other Pinellas schools should not have to have an addi-tional hour added to their daily school schedules. Time is too precious to be manipulated so unreasonably.

Extra hour is unnecessary for all students

ANNA NIZNIK

LISA DIFFENDALE

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We d n e s d a y, N o v e m b e r 1 6 , 2 0 11 sports

This soccer season will be a tough one for the girls, according to senior captain Katy Lally. “We lost some of our key senior starting players, but with the new players who’ve come out, we hope to have a great season,” she said. After their loss against Largo on Nov. 10, the girls record was 1-1. The Lady Spartan’s next game is Dec. 2 against Palmetto High. -KC SHELTON

GIRLS’ SOCCER

After taking the title of state 4A Cham-pions for girls’ basketball, this year’s newbies have big shoes to fill. “We have potential to go back to states,” said senior Shineice Beamon. “We will go as far as our leadership takes us,” said girls’ basket-ball coach Necole Tunsil. -KC SHELTON

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

Sports Roundup

‘It was heartbreaking’By ZOE BLAIR-ANDREWS and KAYLA GARCIA SNN Staff Writers

When Austin Copeland transferred from Pinellas Park to Lake-wood High School, he thought he would spend his junior year play-ing football. However, before the season started, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) denied Copeland eligibility to play on the Lakewood team. Copeland had worked with former Lakewood assistant coach Rod Williams during a speed and agility camp last spring, which the state board ruled as a recruiting violation. “It was heartbreaking. I came to all the practices and (now) I have to sit in the bleachers,” Copeland said, “I just feel like there was someone out to get me, who just didn’t want to see Lakewood succeed.” Lakewood football coach Cory Moore says coach Williams voluntarily left his position at Lakewood after the incident occurred. “He did not want to penalize the kids in any way. I think that says a lot about his character,” Moore said. Copeland, however, is not the only high school student who has been ruled ineligible. FHSAA spokesman Corey Sobers says this is a statewide issue with high school football and other sports. Sobers defines recruiting as when “a student chooses to attend a school after participating in a non-school activity.” Sobers ex-plained that recruiting can be dangerous sometimes. “With recruit-ing, there are going to be instances where a student likes a particular coach,” Sobers said. “Potentially, you’re following a coach.” Because Copeland went to the camp and interacted with a Lake-wood assistant coach before he attended Lakewood, he has to wait a year before participating in the school’s sports.

Austin Copeland stands on the Lakewood High School football field on Nov. 2. Copeland was ruled ineligible from the Lakewood football team after he transferred schools.

WILL BOLINGER | SNN

The Lakewood boys basketball team starts fresh since they have lost five seniors, but they have a new head coach as Anthony Lawrence replaces the retired Dan Wright. “I’m very excited ... It’s an opportunity I’ve always wanted,” said Lawrence. “No losses, we want to be undefeated, and we want to win the Knology Cup,” said senior Alonzo Smith. Some major players to look out for are seniors Frezell Roux and Ernest Clayton and sophomore Jacobi Boykins. Their first game is at St. Petersburg High on Nov. 17.-ELIJAH FLEWELLEN

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

The boys’ soccer team hopes to have a good year. “We hope we’ll have a success-ful season in districts and hope that by the end of the season, we’ll have a full set of black uniforms; we currently don’t have enough so we have to wear our home shirts to away games,” said senior captain Steven Doyle. “We’re gonna take it game by game, we hope we’ll make it to districts,” said coach Matthew Gorny. “We have short-term goals, rather than long-term goals.”-ELIJAH FLEWELLEN

BOYS’ SOCCER

Copeland said he wasn’t recruited and he didn’t come to Lakewood specifically to play football. Some of his friends who attend Lakewood went to the camp and wanted him to attend, too. He wasn’t sure he wanted to go to Lakewood, but he eventu-ally transferred because his family moved. Lakewood became Copeland’s zoned school, and his brother began attending. Copeland’s mother, Bridget Pace, confirmed why Copeland was ineligible. “He had prior contact with coach Williams. …According to the FSHAA that is against the bylaws.” Pace said the situation is unfortunate, since Copeland wants to play football in college. Eleventh grade is a crucial year and now he’s miss-ing out. “We’re very disappointed about it,” she said. “He really enjoys playing football.” Coach Moore is also disappointed about the situation. “He’s a good kid off the field and a good athlete on the field,” said Moore. “You feel bad for any kid who is ineligible.” Lakewood assistant principal of athletic activities Deb Fab-rizio says Copeland can play on the football team next season. “He’s been ruled ineligible for this football season,” she said. Fabrizio said that recruiting violations are very rare at Lakewood and that kids are usually ineligible for other reasons. “Many children are ineligible for their grades,” said Fabrizio. Lakewood’s defensive end Elias Villarreal said Copeland would have been playing linebacker. “It would have made a very big difference,” he said. Villarreal said Copeland did some workouts with the team and practiced with them when they got their pads. “Right now we’re just moving on,” said Villarreal, “We want him to play, but we’re just worrying about right now.”

Student was denied eligibility to play football

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MOLINSEAI ELCIUS | SNN

By JULIA POHLMANNSNN Staff Writer

Taking the next step...

Name: Shineice BeamonPlans for after graduation: (I’ll) major in communication and design and (play) small forward and center (on the court).What do your parents say about this? My mom’s very excited. She’s glad I’m close to home and (is) 100 percent supportive. My dad just doesn’t want me to leave just yet. What do your friends say about this? My friends are excited for me. They’re like “Oh my god, you’re going to college.” They just want me to do well and (to) not forget where I come from.What has helped prepare you for this at Lakewood? Definitely the teachers, they

are very supportive and see you all the way through. They want you to succeed. What do you wish Lakewood had done to prepare you for this? Lakewood has ev-erything. (It put me in the position) where I needed to be seen. What are your plans for after college? (I’ll do some) photography freelance (until I own my) own business (of) photography and graphic design. Who have been your biggest supporters?My mother and coaches. Each one of them(my coaches) want something better for me than what they have. They want me to reach my full potential.

As a recurring series, SNN will be interviewing various seniors about their plans for after high school graduation. Shineice Beamon will be attending Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University on a full basketball scholarship after signing with the school on Nov. 11.

Senior Shineice Beamon spins the ball while wearing a Rattlers shirt. Beamon signed with Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University to play ball next year. “I am looking forward to the different competitions, for the most part,” Beamon said.

Can we please stop all of the scolding of soc-cer players who fake injuries when they’re just trying to win the game? If you watch soccer as much as I do you cannot argue when I say every-one does it, even your favorite player. In soccer if you can get another player a red card, he’s out of the game. I would rather have the best player on the opposing team sitting

the bench than in the game scoring. Some people say they would be ashamed to be caught doing it. If you’re ashamed for a simple flop then I guess you would be proud to lose every game. Let me touch on my meaning of flopping. I think flopping is just a way to gain an advantage in the game by faking an injury or falling. In fact I would call it a skill. It’s not as easy as it looks. Yes, you’re just throwing your body around but you have to time it, make sure the of-ficial is watching and most importantly you have to make it look real. I am a fairly small soccer player, and I flop all the time. I run full speed with the ball and when someone bumps me I fall. That would easily give them a yellow card from the officials. I say it’s a great tac-tic coaches should teach. After a player gets a yellow card they think twice before they touch you again. Winning isn’t everything but it means a lot to me. I’m a competitive person so I would basically do anything to win. And I really don’t see flopping as a way of cheating. It’s not like I’m the only one who can do it; people just choose not to. I know it makes other players mad because basically you’re ruining the game for them, but maybe it’s their fault for not being careful. Those who oppose this tactic never think of it that way. I think flopping is going to be around for awhile. I think people should join the bandwagon or continue to be mad. The only way to stop it is by fines, but are they really going to fine a high school kid for something completely harmless?

CEDRIC WHITLEY

Don’t stop the flop

CEDRIC WHITLEY | SNN

Seniors Christo-pher Huber (left) and Matthew Saunders (right) scrimmage during practice on Nov. 1. The Lakewood boys soccer season kicked off on Nov. 8 and goes through the spring. “We’re definitely one of the strongest teams, so we should make it (to districts),” Huber said.

Opinion

Page 16: SNN November 2011

Guys look laid back and put

together wearing cargo pants

usually topped off with a Hollister,

Aeropostale or Nike tee or maybe

a Polo button down.

Denim jackets are the emblem of style

this fall. They are the perfect accesso-

ries to throw on for those windy days.

The ways to accessorize with a denim

jacket are endless, whether it’s cut-off

sleeves or full length. It pairs perfectly

with a maxi dress, a pair of skinny

jeans, body con skirt or leggings.

The off-the-shoulder shirt, an ode

to the ’80s, can be seen on all

the fashionistas. It can be worn in

different styles from comfy-casual

paired with jeans or glammed

up with lace and thrown over a

camisole and a pencil skirt.

Story By SYMONE BROWN

Photos By SHERICE JOHNSON

and QUANTAVIOUS JONESDesign By

KATIE ATKISSON

Griffey’s, a new shoe trend with an ’80s

throwback swag, made its debut this sum-

mer. Nike’s new addition to its mega popular

franchise is famous for its vibrant colors and

unique design. These colorful soles are often

sported by athletic guys and girls down the

halls of Hollywood High.

Many of this year’s trends are recycled from notable fashion

eras and feathers are one of them. Feathers have made their

comeback from the ’70s through jewelry and hair accessories.

What are you wearing?

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