LION’S TALES e p t e m b e r 2 6 , 2 0 0 8 V o l u m e 4 9 I s s u e 1 6 0 1 K i n g S t r e e t O v i e d o , F l o r i d a

There are always things to stress over on day one: locker real estate, lunch table space, figuring out your new schedule. And, as many students noticed

upon walking into their first period classes, this school year’s first day boasted an entirely new battle to stress over – desk space.

“My world history class is huge,” said junior Lauren Small. “There’s got to be like, 35 people. It’s crazy big – there weren’t enough desks for everybody.”

Ordinarily, students give their desk choice a great deal of thought. Sitting at the front of the class could mean you’re overzealous…but sitting at the back could make the teacher think you’re a troublemaker.

This year, however, there was little contemplation. Once word got out that the desk count was low in many classes, students were quick to sit down wherever they could find room.

Tom Jesse’s 6th period AP Language and Composition class had four students without desks; instead, they parked themselves on the tables and ledges in the back of the classroom, and have remained there since day one.

Many students attribute these colossal class sizes to the low county budget and the fact that Oviedo High lost 18 teachers last year. In actuality, Guidance Director Dr. Nicola Johnson said it’s a combination of many factors.

“We’ve had some issues with the master schedule,” said Johnson. “Reduction in teachers means that there are only so many sections of classes that we can offer – we’re working to spread students out as evenly as possible. And last year, we could offer two to three sections of each AP class – but now that we have fewer students, we can only offer one section of, say, AP Biology. This creates a lot of conflict in scheduling a bunch of high-demand AP classes.”

Not only do larger class-sizes create headaches for the guidance department, they also raises questions about the level of education students will receive this year.

“I’m a pretty good student,” said Small, a new student from Master’s Academy. “I do most of my work on my own anyway, so I don’t think big class sizes will make a difference for me.”

Victoria Persampierenews editor

Marsha Gibbsfeatures editor

see CLASS SIZES, page 4

Desk space at premium in crowded rooms

T.S. Fay leaves soggy mess behind

see FAY, page 9THEY ALL FALL DOWN. Tropical Storm Fay caused damage to local residences and left workers to clean up the debris.

photo/MARSHA GIBBS

Junior Nancy Nasser still felt the sting coming from her raw fingers which had been wringing out soaking towels the night before.

Tropical Storm Fay lingered over the state for days, Aug. 18-24, leaving inches of rain to fall upon Central Florida residents and their homes. That rain found its way into Nasser’s home.

“I would wring out a huge towel in a bucket and then turn around and see more water that needed to be soaked up and wrung out,” said Nasser.

Nasser devoted multiple days along with her two parents and two brothers, Sammy and Tony (former graduates of Oviedo High School), cleaning up the debris and leaky damages Fay left behind.

A few people were left without power, like the Nasser family, but that was not the peak of their problems.

“Water came under the back door, and through the

windows flooding the living room,” said Nasser. “If you stepped on the carpet in my parents’ room, a couple of inches of water would rise up.”

By twelve o’clock on Thursday night, after the downpour of rain dwindled down, Nasser, now exhausted from trying to keep her house from flooding further, slept. She arose to see the sun revealing the total amount of damages the next day.

The damages amounted to leaky stains on the walls from unsealed windows, destroyed carpets, and drowning backyard plants.

Before the next hurricane or tropical storm, Nasser and her family will take more precautions to prevent floods. They will use resources in hopes of preventing the same events from spiraling out of control again. When first hearing about a possible storm, they will prepare sandbags or go to a place that already has sandbags available just in case the potential hurricane crosses over Seminole County.

POUND THOSE PUPS

GIVE A C H E E R .

Senior Amanda Reed hoists thunder

sticks in the air to show school spirit

during the pep rally for the football game against

Hagerty High School on September 12. For a wrap-up of the football game and a preview of the football season, see the story about this football game on page 18.

Oviedo graduate Jenny Barringer competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Look inside to see how she credits OHS with helping her.

page 19

See how students cut corners and try to get jobs in the rough economy.

pages 12 and 13

Pep rally held to muster school spiritall photos/BRO

OKE FID

RICK

SHOW THAT SPIRIT. Senior Shayna Thompson shows her senior spirit with a senior ensemble complete with a decorated Burger King crown, a cape, and a last year’s Powder Puff t-shirt.

KILLING THE COMPETITION. Seniors Brock Smith, Nevin Place, and Robert Jennings rip up a stuffed Husky dog to enthuse students at the pep rally.

2 September 26, 2008

News

Victoria Persampierenews editor

Drivers, passengers beware Jordan Hugh Sam

op-ed editor

Leadership Club initiates recycling program with campus clubs

Here’s a hint— When you get a ticket, pay it off before your parents find out. Psych!

Since August 1, Oviedo officers will call the parents of 16 and 17 year old drivers whenever they get pulled over, no matter if it was for a ticket, written warning, or verbal warning.

If the police cannot get in touch by phone with the driver’s parent by the end of the day, notification will be sent through the mail.

“The Teen Traffic Safety Notification program exists because parents and law enforcement officers must talk and cooperate to prevent traffic deaths and injuries among inexperienced young drivers,” said Commander Marc Beaulieu.

“Across the country, 16 and 17 year old drivers are involved in preventable traffic accidents, including fatal traffic crashes, at twice the rate of the rest of the population. Thousands of teen traffic deaths and hundreds of thousands of injuries occur annually. Each school year brings more local tragedies involving young drivers. Oviedo Police want to do everything possible to prevent traffic crashes that kill or injure local students,” said Commander Beaulieu.

Officer Michalann Thompson believes the new program will hold teens more accountable for their actions.

“When we used to write out verbal warnings, chances are the parents would never see them. This is just to let parents know what happened so they will have knowledge of their teen’s driving behavior.”

Some students remain indifferent to the new program.

“I don’t really care since my parents are probably going to find out anyway and getting pulled over or getting a ticket isn’t something you can hide easily,” said senior Johnny Goode.

Others expressed a strong dislike for it.“I don’t like that they end up telling my parents

cause then I’d get yelled at and grounded. My mom wouldn’t be too happy about getting that

call cause she would want to kill me no matter what I did,” said junior Nathalie la Madrid.

If contact cannot be made with parents by phone, a notification will be sent to a parent. The notification details what the driver was stopped for, where and

when the driver was stopped, and the officer involved. The notification also includes tips for how parents should encourage safe driving. The tips promote supervision as well as setting limits on when, where, and with whom teens should drive with.

“Parents have told us they like the notification program because they want their kids to drive safely and stay alive. Parents can work with police to correct improper driving only when they know how their kids really drive when out on their own,” said Commander Beaulieu.

Officers will also call the parents of passengers in the car. To ensure the parents of the passengers have knowledge of the incident.

Senior Cindy D’aulerio supports it. “I think it’s great because then people are inclined to tell their parents instead of hiding it and parents can be made more aware if their kid is driving badly.”

However, Commander Beaulieu feels the program is more than just a phone call.

“The Oviedo Police Teen Traffic Safety Notification program is about much more than parents being called by the cops. It’s also about adults holding their kids accountable for obeying family driving rules and about all young drivers recognizing that every motor vehicle can be a deadly weapon. Most teens want to be treated like adults—once they get their license driving responsibly all the time is the best way to show they have earned that privilege,” said Commander Beal.

News The Lion’s Tale

Wait! Don’t throw that plastic bottle in the trash. Leadership Club recently initiated a new recycling project to go into effect on campus as soon as possible. Sophomore Allison Tate worked with the City of Oviedo to pass a resolution to support Oviedo and Hagerty High with their recycling efforts and to help secure a pickup of any recyclables collected.

Green recycling receptacles will be scattered around the campus and Environmental, NHS, SGA, Beta Club and the Science Honors Society will join Leadership Club in their efforts for a cleaner campus.

Oviedian comes to life online

PTSA gives contest updateOHS will participate again in Reflections, the National PTA’s

annual arts program. This year’s theme is “WOW!” Create entries inspiried by this theme in one or more of the six arts areas: Visual Arts; Photography; Literature; Musical Composition; Film Production; and Dance Choreography. Multiple entries in multiple catagories are permissible. The official entry form is available in the front office. The deadline is Dec. 5.

Seniors now need 24 credits to walkSome students took advantage of the ability to walk

across the stage during graduation with less than 24 credits, so long as the credits would be made up during the summer.

After much discussion, the Seminole County School Board has decided to change this rule. Seniors now need a full 24 credit transcript to walk at graduation.

“One thing to really remember is if you’re behind on credits, you have to do Florida Virtual School” said guidance counselor Ellen Roberts. Signups for Florida Virtual School can be found online at flvs.net

Drama students prepare for fall play

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE Freshmen Rachel Garcia and Haley Bolt rehearse their lines together inside Jen Devine’s drama room. This fall’s play is Shakespeare’s Othello.

Othello Information:Cast: Othello - David Mila Dela Roca (Junior) Desdemona - Kelsey RenfrowDate: Nov. 19-22 at 7 p.m.

photo/BROOKE FIDRICK

Police use dialing fingers to contact parents

illustration/MIRANDA HARMON

College VisitsSign up to visit with a represntative from the following colleges in guidance.9/29 -- University of Central Florida9/29 -- University of Alabama10/1 -- Florida Southern College10/6 -- University of Florida10/7 -- Florida State University11/17 -- Hoffstra University11/6 -- Hoffstra University (New York)

Homecoming Week Dates to KnowThe annual Homecoming parade and the

Homecoming carnival are on Nov. 13. This year’s Homecoming dance theme is Las Vegas, and it will be held on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. in the old gym.

Move over MySpace! This year the Oviedian plans to become both a social networking site and a traditional yearbook in one.

Students who purchase this year’s Oviedian will be given a logon or a CD for a new online feature, where the yearbook will come to life with sound, video, and other features.

“It’s called Cliq.n, and it’s one part social networking community, and one part yearbook,” said Karl Hall, Marketing Manager of New Products at Taylor Publishing, the Oviedian’s publisher. “You know how McDonalds has ‘supersized’ stuff? This is like a supersized yearbook. We’ll look at the overall theme of the yearbook and repurpose it online with pop-ups, rotating pictures, sounds, all kinds of stuff to give the yearbook more excitement.”

Oviedo High will be one of the just five schools in Central Florida to have used this brand-new technology. “It’s going to take some getting used to,” says yearbook editor Emilyn Banfield. “For now we’re just taking baby steps as we’re trying to get the hang of what it’s capable of.”

Cliq.n’s capabilities extend far beyond that of an average yearbook. Don’t like the pictures that the yearbook staff takes? No problem!

“It turns the entire school into a yearbook staff,” said Hall. “You can send in your own photos, and if the yearbook staff

likes them they could get in the book.”Besides the ability to influence your school’s yearbook,

Cliq.n also allows the staff to submit information that would be impossible to portray in the book itself.

“Every time we finish a page, it’ll be able to go online,” said Banfield. “We’ll be able to add pictures and videos and stuff. So we could have video of, say, a pep rally; we could upload that video onto the pep rally page, like a video yearbook.”

With one click, pictures could come to life with sound and motion.

The logons given when students pick up their books contain a secure, campus-only social networking feature; students can keep a 300-word, five-picture profile (called a “locker”). Should anyone click that student’s picture anywhere in the online book, Cliq.n will redirect them to the student’s personal profile, where they can interact with comments and share pictures and videos.

“Schools, parents and even kids say that they don’t feel safe on Myspace and Facebook. This is a place where you can feature your personality in a closed environment,” said Hall.

Is this new yearbook a step in the right direction, or will old books be a thing of the past?

“Nothing will ever replace a yearbook. This is just a brand-new dimension to the yearbook experience. A book is something you can pull off the shelf and remember, and see all of your friends and all of their signatures,” said Hall.

Chelsea Carrera‘10

Different places, same purposeBridgitte Batista

staff reporter

Everyone knows community service isn’t required for graduation. But it doesn’t look bad on a college

application. Plus, it’s a requirement to qualify for Bright Futures Scholarship.

But the question is, where should I go? What do I do?

“First go onto the Oviedo High School website and click on the community service link “ said guidance counselor Marcia Lightsey. “Then you can decide wherever you want to go up to two places, as long as they are on the list. This list shows you which places are acceptable by us.”

Junior Christina Moyers didn’t have to look far to know where she was going to volunteer.

“It’s right in my neighborhood, so I would usually pass by when on my way to Publix to stuff my face,” said Moyers.

The place she’s referring to is Savannah Court of Oviedo, which is an assisted living community for patients with mental disabilities.

Moyers said that since none of the volunteers are assigned to any of the patients, introductions are common when meeting new patients.

But in the case of people battling Alzheimer’s disease, a mental disorder that results in loss of memory, simple things such as introductions are forgotten almost instantly.

“You have to have lots of patience and understanding,” said Diane Granger, the program director for Savannah Court. “It can be overwhelming when you introduce yourself and they forget who you are.”

Savannah Court may be for senior residents but they still know how to have fun.

“Volunteers can help the activity assistant in the memory unit play Bingo, or Tic-Tac-Toe,” said Granger.

For Moyers, it was ‘a walk-in’ for the summer, but Granger has many activities coming up that could really use the volunteer’s help.

“On Sept. 25, there was a Candlelight Dinner and Dance and we will need volunteers from 4 to 7:30 p.m. On Nov. 1, there will be a Fall Picnic, from 11 to 3 p.m. Then on Dec. 7 and 14 from 11 to 3 p.m. there will be two Christmas parties. Manly the volunteers would have to help get the food and push them from the room to the diner and entertainment and then help them push back to their rooms.”

“A volunteer can work from 1 to 3:45, seven days a week. Any day of the week would be fine,” said Granger. New hope helps through hard times

In Maitland there’s a corporation dedicated to helping children who know what it means to have a loved one taken away from them. The Name is New Hope For Kids and they could really use the help of eager volunteers looking for community service.

“New Hope For Kids is an organization that

NewsThe Lion’s Tale 3September 26, 2008

offers group services for kids three to 18 who have lost someone in their family,” said Tamari Miller, program director of New Hope For Kids.

At New Hope For Kids, there are about 200 volunteers and 40 grief facilitators, but Millers said, “ [We are looking for volunteers] all the time. We are desperate for volunteers!”

“When I was 12, dad died,” said junior Caitlyn Braswell. “My mom found this place and it really helped me. So when I got old enough to become a counselor I kind of felt the need to help these kids like the counselors helped me.”

Even though Braswell wanted to work with kids, she

was required to take a two-hour training program. But to her, it was “only a weekend.”

“Obviously, the volunteers will benefit from the community service for college, but they also get a positive feeling for helping kids in need,” said Miller.

With benefits come challenges, as Miller knows well.

“Death as well as physical illness can make someone very emotional. They realize about self-

care and it’s overwhelming for some people that have lost loved ones.”

Cory Johns, the event coordinator at New Hope For Kids, said that there are many ways to volunteer at New Hope or any of the available organizations, like the Grief Program or the Wish Foundation.

“The program we have the most success in we have is the Center for Grieving Children. Families come in and the volunteers, who are under observation and ongoing training, get to work with them. There’s a painting room, an arts and crafts room and a game room, which gives them the opportunity to talk about their family and their loss. The parents participate in an adult group session downstairs.”

Less fortunate live out their dreamsAbout 300 children receive services at the

Grieving Children’s organization and about 50 children in the Wish Foundation. From 1985 the Wish Foundation grants about 1200 wishes a year for children with terminal illness. Once a child receives his/her wish, they become part of the New Hope Foundation.

“There are many upcoming events that require volunteers, like the Halloween Bowling Party, where the volunteers can Trick-or-Treat with the kids,” said Miller. “ There’s a Thanksgiving Food Drive and Christmas/Holiday Family Events, which applies to families who don’t celebrate Christmas.”

Coming in Nov., a citywide candlelight memorial will be held for all loved ones lost.

In Orlando, junior Chelsea Carrera thinks that working with animals at the Pet Rescue by Judy organization is more her style.

“I have two dogs, a snake, a lizard, two birds and a horse,” said Carrera.

Living on a farm a while back, Carrera developed a love of working with animals.

“When I was living on my farm, we had horses and turkeys and we would always play Frisbee with them,” said Carrera.

Judy Sarullo, the program director for Pet Rescue by Judy, tries to work around the volunteer’s schedule so that they can work.

“The volunteers can walk the pets, feed them, take care of them, clean them, but we there are also files on the computer if the person doesn’t want to work with animals. Also we have

pet adoptions on the weekend.”Channel six will be appearing at the Orange

County Convention Center for the pet adoption but there are other events. With Earth Day approaching dogs will be available to pet, to love, and to adopt. There will be a dog parade for all dog-lovers.

With about 50 to 80 animals, the volunteer can choose with or what they are most comfortable working with.

But there are positions open for those who are not so crazy about dogs or any type of animal.

“We do need help cleaning the new facility and the backyard. We will also be needing painters soon,” said Sarullo.

According to Sarullo, the most beneficial thing about volunteering with animals is knowing that people still care about them.

“Seeing the sadness in their eyes from being abandoned by their owners is the most challenging part of this job,” said Sarullo.

Along with her other pets, Teddy, Spike the Snake, Simba the Lizard, Smokey and M&M (Marshall’s Marshmellows) the Birds, and her horse Fancy, working at the pet shelter was more than just volunteer work.

All of these corporations, plus many others, give back to their communities in more ways than one. Whether by lending a helping hand at a local retirement center, guiding children through their darkest hours, or just hanging out with a bunch of fury friends looking for a home, community service doesn’t have to be boring.

“Obviously, the volunteers will benefit from the community service for college, but they also get a positive feeling for helping kids in need.”

Tamari Miller, Program Director New Hope for Kids

Do

Branch out. Talk to more than one place to do your volunteer work. The more places you check out, the more oppurtunities available at your disposal.

Don’tTry to find an organization close to home. It will save time, energy and definitely gas money, expecially if you drive. If you don’t then consider how annoying it will be to keep asking your parents for rides all the time.

Make sure that you can work well with people. You are going to be surrounded by other teenagers your age looking for some community service hours. This will be a good oppurtunity to make new friends since you will be seeing a lot of them.

Pick a place just because your friends are there. Remember, you are doing community service, not gossiping about shoes or someone’s latest boyfriend. Try to find a place that you would enjoy without the help of your friends.

Go somewhere that you are not used to. For example, if the sight of blood makes you weak, a nurse position may not be the best choice for you. Study your strengths and weakness before you sign up for something you might regret.

Forget to get your Student Volunteer Application form. Without this you can’t get credit for your hours and you can miss out on scholarships. More hours, more chances for scholarships.

Volunteers at various corporations aspire to better community, themselves

Christina Moyers ‘10

Share The Love. Christina Moyers shares some quality time with the patients of Savannah Court, an assisted living facility that actively seeks to support the suffers of Alzheimer’s and similar devastating conditions.

photo/VICTORIA PERSAMPIERE

News The Lion’s Tale4 September 26, 2008

from CLASS SIZES, page 1“If it’s a big class size, the teacher has a lot more

going on. They won’t be able to focus their attention on you,” said sophomore Lauren Leto, a student in one of Dr. Marie Causey’s larger classes.

“We can’t have one-on-one learning if there’s so many kids,” said freshman Ashley Miller. “Like in my AP Human Geography, there’s got to be like, 30-something people.”

Besides their concern over teacher-student ratios, many students also mentioned their fear of being ‘bumped down’ from their AP classes if there just wasn’t enough room for them. This, Johnson assures, will not happen.

“We’re not changing the level of the students. We’re just moving them around to other periods. Guidance has done a lot to maintain the vigor the student wants in their classes and to not drop them from AP to Honors, or from Honors to Standard,” Johnson said.

The main problem, Johnson says, is with the uneven distribution of students. Karlin Gasthoff has only 17 people in her first period class, but 36 in her 6th.

“We will march on no matter what,” Gasthoff said. “I don’t think the size is pleasant to deal with, but it shouldn’t interfere with a teacher’s ability to deal with each child individually. However, smaller class sizes mean a greater opportunity [for individual attention]. If the teacher is on top of things then every kid should be treated as an individual, no matter what the class size.”

According to the Florida Class Size Amendment passed in 2002, there should be no more than 25 students per any given class.

Mary Woods has three classes with 28 students each. “We’ve had a problem with desks and space – it really makes it harder for students and teachers,” she said.

The Guidance Deparment is striving to fix the erratic up-and-down class sizes. Until then, guidance counselor Ellen Roberts advises students to be patient. “We as administrators are feverishly working to level class loads. We’re putting everyone into the smallest classes we can get them in. Please don’t come in to complain about your schedule change – be nice! We’re working on leveling it off so that everyone has a better school year.”

Q:

A:

When will all construction be finished?They will be finished with the majority of the work at the end of Spring Break 2009. They will be doing little things for another three or four months, but the campus should be in a somewhat finished state, if all goes well, by spring of 2009.

A:Q:When will the Commons be

open?The Commons will be open on January 5, 2009.

Q:

A:

When the science classes in building 12 move in November for remodeling of building 12, where will those classes be moving to and how will those classes perform labs?

There are some areas that were designed for physics labs in building 8 and they will be shared labs. We don’t have the gas hookups so the full scale labs won’t be possible. Some of the classes will be going to building 8 and some will be going to building 21.

Q:

A:

What will happen to the old gym after it completes its job as a cafeteria?

We are going to refinish and repaint the floor and bring it back to function as a secondary gym for the uses of our physical education classes and for our athletic programs during and after school.

Q:

A:

What is the circular structure in front of the media center in the courtyard?It is a raised amphitheater. It’s going to be used for student gathering during lunch, a place where you can sit and interact with each other. It can be used for outdoor performances. There are power functions there where we can put a band there and have a concert. It has multifunction. Most amphitheaters are sunken, but this one is above the ground which I though was quite unique.

The inconveniences of the courtyard area will gradually become more convenient. There will be more sidewalks poured each week. As we progress, it’s going to be easier for students to go from building 8 to buildings 12 and 13 since that’s an inconvenience now. It’s going to be much better as we move forward and you will see much progress in the next month .We appreciate everybody’s cooperation with the project.

- Principal Lundquist

One last note:

Five construction questions with Principal Robert Lundquist

THINGS TO DO:

Apply early. There is no application fee at SCC!

Take your SAT/ACT and make sure a copy of yourscores are sent to SCC!

Apply for SCC scholarships. SCC has lots of great scholarships, but deadlines are sooner than you think!

Keep your grades up! Grades do count.Enjoy your senior year, but don’t let your grades slip!

Call 407.708.2050 or visit www.scc-fl.edu/futurestudentsfor more information!

NewsThe Lion’s Tale 5September 26, 2008

Tiffany Raystaff reporter

Orange County time change scrambles schedules, turns life upside-down for teachers, families

RISE AND SHINE. Though the time change allows teenagers to sleep longer, many are unable to pick up their younger siblings from school or participate in after school activities such as sports, clubs, or jobs.

Michael Martin, an eighth grader at Conway Middle School, awakens to the shrill of his alarm clock at 5:30 a.m.

He sleepily looks across the hall into junior Jodé Martin’s room, knowing his older sister will rest soundly for another few hours.

According to www.wesh.com, effective last August, high schools’ time schedules swap with middle schools’ in Orange County. The new start and end times for middle school are 7:30 a.m. to 1:50 p.m. while the new times for high school are 9:30 a.m. until 4:20 p.m.

Many students, however, did not want their school schedules to be changed.

“[The time change has] affected my home life. I don’t get home until seven or eight o’clock some nights. My [younger] sister’s almost asleep and the family’s had dinner,” said Lee Pancake, a junior at Boone High School. “I should be there for my sister when she gets home [from elementary school] or I should pick her up. It’s depressing, really.”

Students in Orange County who have jobs have problems dealing with less time after school. Due to the change in time, Pancake quit working on weekdays altogether, and now only works on the weekend.

“The fact that I get out at 4:30 and my job starts at 5:00 is stretching me too far,” said Elizabeth Cartwright, a senior at Boone High School.

J. Martin, a student at Boone High School, knew from the start that the time change would be a really bad idea.

“I don’t think it saves that much money and it’s really messing up my life. I have crew [also known as rowing] after school and it’s usually in total a three hour practice. I’m not home until night and I have three AP classes. It’s going to be hard to manage all of them,” said J. Martin.

M. Martin agrees with his sister.

“When I first found out I was kind of mad. I have to get up at 5:30 in the morning now. I’m always tired in class because I have to get up so early,” said M. Martin. “I’m always up before my sister now. It’s kind of weird.”

M. Martin does enjoy the extra time after school, however, and being one year away from high school works in his favor.

“I like getting home early because I have the rest of the day to do things. Waking up is hard but I’ll probably like [the new times] in high school

because I’ll be getting up later,” said M. Martin.

According to an article on brain connection.com “High school teachers know that many of their students don’t seem to function well in the first hours of the school day” and scientific evidence suggests teenagers are not getting enough sleep.

“Another important benefit could be improved high school academic performance. Some research maintains that teenagers perform better academically when allowed more time to sleep in the morning,” said Orange County School Board Member for District 2, Daryl Flynn.

“Traditionally my first period classes are less enthusiastic and end up with slightly lower averages,” said physics teacher at Oviedo High School, Art Woodruff. “[If the time changed] I think students would tend to sleep more.”

However, Cartwright does not gain more sleep from the new time schedule.

“I’m up until two in the morning. I should be sleeping but I say, ‘I still have seven hours [until school]’,” said Cartwright.

The change proposal was formally presented on April 15, 2008, according to Flynn.

“Due to the drastic cut in state funding, the Superintendent charged all schools to cut their budgets. One of the ways that the Transportation Department could cut their budgets was to reverse the start and end times between the middle and high schools,” said Flynn.

According to Flynn, four board members voted for the time change, including herself.

“I believe the new bell schedules will work and work successfully. I felt it more important that our

limited money should flow to the classroom rather than the gas tank,” said Flynn.

According to Flynn, after-school care in middle schools have expanded hours, and practice for sports have been scheduled before and after school to help with the new schedule. However, parents

and students argue that middle school bus-riders are unsafe.

“For me, it seems like a safety issue for middle school students to be out in the dark. High school students are the ones used to it,” said Guidance Director at Oviedo High School, Nicola Johnson.

J. Martin, whose younger brother does not ride a bus, agrees.

“I’m worried about the middle school students at bus stops without crossing guards,” said J. Martin.

Also troublesome to those in counties other than

Orange County is the chance that more counties will follow Orange County’s lead. According to Flynn, two other counties, St. Johns and Santa Rosa, have changed their bell schedules to save transportation costs as well.

“A time change in Seminole County would be very damaging. Our rehearsals [for plays and musicals] go from 5:30 to 6:30 after school. We’d have to go on later which would not work because of homework,” said drama teacher Jennifer Devine. “It’d be hurting the school because after school

programs help create the school.”Drama student, junior Lexi Knerr, agrees.“Rehearsals already run late and if the school

times change we will either have not enough rehearsal time or not enough homework time. We would probably have weekend rehearsals, but no one will want to do that,” said Knerr.

A junior on the varsity football team, Sean Smith, coaches Pop Warner, a football league for elementary and middle school students, after school. If Seminole County changes school times, Smith will no longer coach.

“I coach the Junior Midgets [one of the age/weight groups for Pop Warner]. Football practice starts at 4:00 but Pop Warner starts at 5:30. Pop Warner is my community service. I’d have to find another way [to gain hours],” said Smith.

However, Johnson does not believe Seminole County will make the change. According to Johnson, the County is cutting budgets in different areas.

“The School Board hasn’t been talking about bus routes. We’ve been finding different ways to make the cuts. We’ve lost teachers, the temperature is turned up and the bathroom lights are on timers so that they’re not on all day,” said Johnson.

Flynn’s hopes for the time schedule remain high, even though it’s been a “controversial move by the school board”.

“In the end, we’ll not only continue providing our students with a high quality educational experience but will do so in a financially sound way,” said Flynn. “One thing I am sure of is that [Orange County] students will continue to achieve and succeed.”

photo/TIFFANY RAY

• Against change • For change

Are you for or against Seminole County switching the middle school and high school start times?

*This poll was taken by 100 students on Sept. 15, 2008.

CHECK OUT OUR HOMECOMING DRESSES!

Starting at $65.00!

Butterflies Bridal Boutique

Suits and Tuxes also available for your date!*School Registry*New Location

3635 S.R. 426,Oviedo

321-972-4978Bring this card in for an additional 10% off!

News The Lion’s Tale6 September 26, 2008

Campus debates McCain’s historic choice for VPPalin perfect to represent families

Palin pick only cheap political trick

In what can only be described as a political fast one, Republican presidential hopeful Senator John

McCain announced his pick for vice president, the all but unheard of first term governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin.

The decision comes at a time following recent Democratic divisiveness between supporters of Senators Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton. It seems only all too obvious that by presenting a woman for VP at the last minute, McCain is angling for the disgruntled Clinton-backer vote.

The true Republican in McCain shines through now, as he is exercising what Republicans do best. Instead of focusing on governing the people, unnecessary resources and shady political maneuvers alike are thrown into the ring to do whatever it takes to win elections.

But the move is so much bolder than it would seem on the surface. By selecting an all-American beauty queen, McCain has planted the seeds of a potential boom in Republican enthusiasm. However, the nomination of Governor Palin marks a new frontier in conservative delusion. The notion that democratic women on the fence will flock towards the right wing for the sole reason that they will identify with the feminine portion of the ballot is outrageous and insulting.

McCain and the rest of the GOP are fond of criticizing Obama from atop their firm pedestals, calling him inexperienced and unprepared for the task of leading the free world. The truth is, Sarah Palin has yet to even complete half of her first term as governor.

It should also be pointed out that she is governor of Alaska, a state of only 670,000 people, a fraction of several major cities in the United States. Also worth noting is her foreign policy experience, or lack there of. Does she really believe that being able to see Russia from Podunk, Alaska qualifies her to handle affairs on the world stage?

Now just where does Palin stand on the issues? She’s about as right wing as any candidate can be. This pro-choice, anti same-sex marriage, ultraconservative, life-long member of the NRA has Republicans across the nation salivating. And that’s all she is really, an empty shell of a candidate, the poster-child of the conservative dream.

She hunts and fishes in the back woods of Alaska, she’s the mother of five children, and her politics line up with the Ronald Reagan criteria, but that’s not what this country needs at the moment. Staunch, unwavering conservatism is what deepens the already cavernous schism in America.

What we need now in the White House is an administration that takes in to consideration the opinions of the 81% of citizens who are dissatisfied with the direction the country is headed.

So when impressionable right-wingers describe McCain as a maverick in his decision, they couldn’t be more right. This move stands for unprecedented progress in maverick stupidity.

C. Smith and K. Andersonstaff reporter

Kenny Andersonstaff reporter

Miranda Ghalico-editor-in-chief

Opinions split on VP candidates

Most government officials are way richer than you would ever think possible. They tell you they care

how much gas and taxes cost, but they really don’t because they have more money than they know what to do with. Gas prices and taxes don’t even hurt them.

Most of them don’t worry about how their choices will impact the typical middle class American family. They don’t know the typical American family.

They don’t worry about how such a family will get by this week when that family has to pay for mortgage, food, and gas so they can take their kids to school and to soccer practice. They don’t remember about the electric, water, car bills, and home owner’s insurance that all families have to pay.

The Palin family was, at one point, a typical American family. Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin is a poster American working mom. She has a big family that she always worries about. She’s a hockey mom and was on the PTA. Her husband works in the fishing industry. She even makes jokes (One of her favorites making fun of herself, “You know the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick.”).

Palin has done more in her one year as a governor of Alaska than Illinois Senator Barack Obama has done in his eight years as a senator. Palin has vetoed nearly half a billion dollars that the Alaskan state wanted to tax payers in wasteful government spending. Obama “is a man who’s authored two memoirs, but not a single major law or reform.” According to his website, Obama has only “provided over $100 million in tax cuts to families across the state.”

Palin supports the war in Iraq, another huge topic in this election. Her son is joining the troops in Iraq during the week of September 11, proving that even though she could lose her son to the war, she still supports the work that the troops are doing there.

Palin supports the NRA, the National Rifle Association, and is a lifetime member of the organization. She believes the right to bear arms should remain a Constitutional right. The Obama and Delaware Senator Joe Biden stance is not so enthusiastic. While Obama claims not to want to ban guns completely, he does want to prevent assault weapons from reaching the hands of criminals. Well, duh… I want that too. But when you prevent specific types of guns from being legal, that’s not going to stop criminals from using them.

Many people think that Arizona Senator John McCain only picked Palin for his vice president to get all of the Hillary Clinton voters. There are absolutely no similarities between Palin and Clinton. McCain picked Palin for VP because she is qualified for the position.

Obama continually bashes the McCain presidency, saying that if McCain did become

president, there would be no change in the White House. What better way to have change in the White House than to bring a woman into the equation? Obama himself didn’t even want a woman for his VP, which would have been a sure ticket into the White House. Instead,

he wanted all the focus on him.The McCain/Palin ticket for the

election this year is the best thing to do for the future of this country.

You’ve always learned that America is a country governed for the people,

by the people. With a McCain/Palin win, that can finally ring true.

John Johnson ‘10

photo/BROOKE FIDRICK

illustration/MIRANDA HARMON

Controversy made its way into politics when Senator John McCain chose his little-known

running mate, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska.

This right wing Republican, mother of five and former beauty queen, quickly raised questions as to why she’s been put on ballot.

“I think that Sarah Palin is a breath of fresh air,” said junior Fletcher Bell, who embraces Governor Palin and the change she represents.

Many, however, do not approve of McCain’s choice of running mate.

“I think Sarah Palin has virtually no experience. She’s been involved in a lot of scandals and I don’t think she’d be good for vice president. She’s similar to Karl Rove and Dick Cheney in her ethics,” said sophomore Sean Moskal.

Palin is only the second woman ever to have her name on the ballot for Vice President, the first being Democrat Geraldine Ferraro when she ran with Walter Mondale in 1984.

Many students like sophomore Allison Miller believes that McCain picking Palin is a good strategy since Obama missed out on that opportunity.

Sharing this sentiment is freshman Dallas Marcone.

“I think Sarah Palin was the smartest VP choice McCain could possibly make. I don’t particularly agree with what she says, it just gives working moms a reason to vote for [McCain],” he said.

Others believe that Palin being a woman may cost the Republicans the white house.

“I know a lot of people who wouldn’t vote for Hillary [Clinton] because she’s a woman, so now they won’t be voting for McCain either,” said Junior John Johnson.

When Barack Obama announced his running-mate was a fellow presidential nominee hopeful, it didn’t come as a shock to many.

“When I heard that Obama chose Senator Joe Biden as his running mate, I

wasn’t surprised. Most people who were skeptical about Obama were so because they believe he doesn’t have enough experience to be president. Biden definitely makes up for what his presidential candidate lacks in experience,” said senior Tyler Dupre.

Biden brings much needed experience to the Democratic ticket, having been elected to the Senate at the age of 29. Now in his sixth term, Biden has over 35 years of experience under his belt.

Sophomore Max Castrillon said, “I think Biden is strong because he’s been involved in the government for a long time. He’s experienced and he talks about the issues a lot, which I think he’ll incorporate into his

vice-presidency.”Others however don’t agree.Junior Brittany Warren said,

“You just don’t know that much about him and he doesn’t seem very personable. He also seems like a pushover unlike Palin. Sarah Palin is in the press a lot so you know more about her.”

Bell agrees.“Biden is constantly making up facts or

exaggerating them in an attempt to better his campaign; you can’t deny that he’s a compulsive liar,” said Bell.

Some people believe Biden will help put the Democrats back in office.

“My father was undecided before, but after Obama chose Biden, he decided to vote for him. My dad believes that Biden has the experience in foreign policy that this country needs and will be able to help Obama win over votes,” said Johnson.

Despite the numerous headlines dedicated to the election, many believe neither candidate is right for president; Miller calls McCain the lesser of two evils.

“No matter who wins this election, it’s going to be history making. It really shows how far we’ve come over the years,” said Johnson.

NewsThe Lion’s Tale 7September 26, 2008

Smoothy-Bee

1625 Oviedo Marketplace Blvd. Oviedo, FL 32765407-366-2961

SATTests are stressful.

You think, How can so much ride on just one test? What can I expect on test day? Am I ready? With UCF Test Prep you will be. We can provide in-depth preparation for the SAT because we know what to study and how to study, with exercises and sample exams that help you get the score you need, all in a low pressure environment (and at a much lower price than those big national chains).

And life is basically a series of them.

There’s school, there’s sports, there’s social events.

Then there’s the

B R I N G I N G U C F T O Y O U

UCF Alumni Parent Discount

Available!

UCF TEST PREPSmarter Test Prep.

www.testprep.ucf.edu

407.882.TEST

JAMES E. HARDY, D.M.D, P.A. Health-Centered Dentistry

“We’re Proud To Be Mercury Free”

Winter Park, FL 32792

213 Edinburgh Drive

www.mercury-free.com407-678-3399

T:4.25 in

T:7 in

!"#$%&'$(&)'$#*$+"$,-./0.1$2")$%"33(4(

%566$78$9:7;$<=$=7>8$67?56$&8@=$)A?8>B:BCD$"EEB?A

+F)"#4F$+F($&)G!$%"33(4($2#'H$&'H$4I$JI33

KL-M1-NM1LKN/$OP-O$)AQ$J>D$35RA$)Q/S+($NPT/$UBC:A8$S;8BCD9/$23

Lundquist hits pavementPrincipal sets fitness goal to improve health

The thumping of his sneakers as they hit the ground in rhythm accompanies him on his run. The icy water of the swimming pool cools him down as he does

laps soon after. Principal Robert Lundquist does vigorous exercise every

day from running, to biking, from swimming to lifting weights; exercise has become part of his daily routine.

“I started about 25-30 minutes of jogging along with sit-ups, push-ups, and light weight workouts and then I [realized] why not increase it? Why not get those juices flowing even more? I increased it with biking, swimming, continued to run, I was playing golf, and walking. I’ve increased it to a point this past summer that I was running well over 20 miles a week, biking 10 miles a week, and swimming a mile a week,” said Lundquist.

Lundquist’s recent exercise kick, which began in January 2008, started because he realized that he wasn’t in the state of health that he wanted to be in. He began to read a book called The Athlete’s Way by Christopher Bergland. Through this book, Lundquist realized why exercise can be so beneficial to one’s body. He found that he enjoyed exercising so much that he even worked his way up to a ten mile run.

Lundquist said, “It gives me more energy by exercising. It makes me happier, it reduces the stress level that physically is with me every day with this job, and it makes me healthier.”

Lundquist is no stranger to the benefits of exercising. Through his high school years he played many sports, and even discovered sports as a career option.

“I always enjoyed physical activity, particularly competitive sports, and that has always been a release for me throughout my entire life. I played football, basketball, and baseball, and I was a coach when I first started my career, so physical activity has pretty much been a part of my life,” said Lundquist.

Even though he began exercising for the psychological benefits, Lundquist found that he lost 20 pounds just by exercising.

FeaturesFeatures The Lion’s TaleSeptember 26, 20088

How to getinto shape

1. What equipment is essential to a work out?Principal Robert Lundquist said a hat, sunglasses, s u n s c r e e n , comfortable shoes, and good music.

2. What songs are needed for a work out?You should have a theme for everytime you exerscise, keeps your mind off the pain and sweat.

3. What type of music do you prefer to listen to?I l ike music f rom the 60’s and 70’s. L ike J immy Hendr ix, and J immy Buf fe t .

4. What is your fa-vorite song?Jimmy Buffet’s “Chee sebu rge r in Paradise.”

Miranda Ghalico-editor-in-chief

photos/BROOK FRIDRICK

“For all of you out there who would like to lose weight, I lost 20 pounds by doing all this and that was not my intent to begin with. I’ve never really been overweight but I did lose 20 pounds and I’m right at my high school weight right now,” said Lundquist.

With Lundquist’s busy schedule during the school year, it can be hard to find time to exercise. That goes for the same for most students. With after school activities, honors and AP classes, jobs, and a social life, it can be easy to push off exercise.

“Setting aside 20 minute a day (140 minute a week) is what you should shoot for. Set aside some time on the weekend. We have to arrange our exercising around our schedule,” said Lundquist. “I know that many of our students are taking AP courses and honors courses and have a really stringent schedule, and by exercising you will find your study time far more productive than it probably is now.”

Lundquist stresses the importance of exercise. For those who don’t exercise regularly, he recommends to start slowly.

“You have to make your mind up that you must start. I suggest that you start in small incremental times and gradually increase those times. We all know how to walk, how to ride a bicycle, and we all should know how to swim. Those are the three areas that you should start. It doesn’t have to be a quarter mile swim; it can be 10 laps in the swimming pool,” said Lundquist. “Start small. Start with a walk, start with a bicycle ride, start somewhere. Just don’t keep saying ‘I don’t want to do this.’”

Lundquist believes that there are life long benefits from exercise for everyone, and that anyone of any age should do it.

Lundquist said, “I like to use the Dr. Seuss quote. He says, ‘You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes and you can choose any direction you would like to go.’ That’s true, you have brains and you have feet and [if] you put aside the time to make sure you exercise on a daily basis, it will happen.”

FeaturesThe Lion’s Tale September 26, 2008 9

Ariel Sowersstaff reporter

In a race against time, senior Emily Mellen careens through the Steak n’ Shake parking lot, uneaten fries and shake beside her, anxious to get back to class

before the bell. This semester, seniors have the privilege to venture

off campus on Tuesday and Thursday at lunch, and some, like Mellen, have found it a challenge.

The rush of driving off campus, ordering food then driving back to school all in 30 minutes is a hassle for some.

“I have to go to my locker, then I have 10 minutes to get to my car and then out to Steak n’ Shake, 10 minutes to get food and pay, and 10 minutes to get back,” said Mellen.

Many seniors agree that it is nice having lunch off campus two days out of the week. Even if time is restricted.

“It should be every day out of the week so we can choose the days we want to go,” said senior Grace Riera

Senior lunch is a block of time where seniors can take a break from school, senior David Mila says.

“Leaving campus helps me wake up in time for fourth period,” said senior Laura Brancheau.

But is the limited time affecting their classes?AP Physics teacher Troy Soos finds that his students

seem to be handling it.“I think that if they focus on getting back on time, it’s

okay,” said Soos.Senior Marissa Nichols remembers her freshman year,

walking to class and seeing the returning seniors toting large paper bags from Taco Bell and MacDonalds.

“At first I was excited, but once I realized it wasn’t the full hour, I was disappointed. I don’t think it’s fair,” said Nichols.

In the preceding years, lunch for seniors was once a month but took a full, and even relaxing, hour.

But now the 30 minute time period is very hectic for some.

“I didn’t like not eating lunch and rushing around. I felt unorganized and stressed,” said Nichols.

Another option that many seniors are using, is stopping by a friend’s house.

Senior Amber Herring prefers a friend’s house.

“No one is supervising, there are no rules. We just make ourselves at home and take a quick break,” Herring said.

“We can watch TV and eat whatever we want. And it’s sanitary,” said Brancheau who also hits up a friend’s house for a quick bit to eat.

The ever popular fast food joints that take residence down the road also get frequent visitors from the graduating class. Sonic became popular after its completion the year before, and Chick-fil-a and Publix

“Everyone had become more stressed and short tempered throughout the storm. We couldn’t really leave my house the day after because the driveway was flooded and so were the streets surrounding my house on Lake Jessup Street,” said Nasser.

Submerged roads blocked the workers who were going to fix their electrical problem.

“Once the power went out, we called the electric company and they said they would fix it by eight o’clock that night, but they didn’t end up coming ‘till the next day. Plus our house was one of the only ones out of power on our street,” said Nasser.

Once some of the puddles of water had evaporated, a clear path was available for cars to pass by.

“Part of South Lake Jessup was blocked off because workers were draining excess water near Lawton Elementary so I took

a detour. I saw signs everywhere that said ‘road under water.’ Just going to Home Depot took my parents a long time and I live five minutes away,” said Nasser.

After experiencing her own house damages she understood everyone else’s hardships.

“My neighbor is trying to move, and his yard was a mess and it made me realize how lucky I was to not have that added pressure of keeping my house and yard looking perfect, even through a storm,” said Nasser.

Keeping a positive outlook, Nasser and her family learned how to work together during a high-pressure situation by not choosing to look at the experience in a negative way giving them a chance to bond.

Although my house flooded, it could have been worse and I thank God that it was minor flooding. This experience had definitely taught me patience,” said Nasser.

Modern Technology

Ryden Butler staff reporter

from Fay, page 1

“During construction, it is a nice reward for them, as long as they don’t abuse it. If too many come back late, they might have to revoke it.”

Buddy Burton, Dean

Collected by a staff reporter from www.nasa.gov, this graph demonstrates the amount of rainfall that Tropical Storm Fay brought to Deltona, Jacksonville, Orange City, and Sanford.

A RACE AGAINST TIME. Senior Amanda Foster rushes to her car to leave school for a 30 minute lunch.

photo/GRAHAM CHRISTENSEN

The phone rests in your hands. After a long math lecture, it radiates warmth from non-stop texting. But what is this, a call?

It rings. Smirking, the teacher stands before you, hand outstretched, waiting. Your hands emerge from beneath the desk to reveal – Nothing!

Your classmates snigger. Science has saved the phone yet again.

Scientists at the University of California in Berkeley have recently developed a material which has taken the theory of invisibility one step closer to reality. Before this, the scientific community had based the principle of invisibility on theoretical calculations. But now they have made their theory a three-dimensional reality. The new “metamaterials,” as they are known, cause visible light to bend the “wrong” way in a principle known as negative refraction.

By alternating layers of conductive silver and non-conductive magnesium fluoride or aluminum oxide and cutting them in a fishnet pattern, the team of scientist was able to create a material that opposes the magnetic field of incoming light. Essentially, like a rock in the center of a stream, the electromagnetic waves of visible light flow around the metamaterial, not even showing a shadow.

While the current product does not cause invisibility (instead it projects the image it is hiding in one direction around it), the scientist in charge of the project, Professor Xiang Zhang, believes that complete invisibility will be attained within the next five years. The creation of the metamaterial was the hardest task, now it’s simply about fine-tuning it to the point of perfection.

Other obstacles in the way of completion are the size and durability of the material. While the metamaterial is considered the first created three dimensional bulk material of its kind, it is 10 times thinner than a sheet of paper, and is unable to be mass produced because its fishnet pattern is cut on the scale of one nanometer (one-billionth of a meter). Due to its thickness, or lack thereof, the material can literally be blown away be a sneeze – I suppose it’s not really “Army Strong.” And it would give a whole new meaning to “blown cover” if military personnel wore it into battle on a particularly windy day.

While these obstacles may seem impassible, the scientists at Berkeley have an organization on their side that doesn’t know the definition of the word ‘obstacle’ (or ‘deficit’ for that matter). That organization is the United States Department of Defense, the government’s second most funded department. This means that their “generous contributions” will most likely cause the metamaterial to be used for military applications.

But is there hope in seeing invisibility products in the civilian world? Certainly! After all, the Transmission Control Protocols were funded by the Department of Defense, and now it’s used by well over a billion members of the world’s civilian population. Granted we civilians call it “the internet,” but I’m sure my point is clear. And if the predictions are accurate, it won’t be long before you see (or don’t see) invisibility products hitting the market.

Inches of Rain Fay Left Behind

0

5

10

15

20

25

Deltona Jacksonville Orange City Sanford

Cities

Inches of Rain

Senior lunch crunchWith construction taking place in the cafeteria, seniors leave campus for lunch on Tuesday and Thursday every week

have retained their favoritism.“I usually get my food to go at most of the places in

the mall like Subway or Chick-fil-a,” said senior Kayla Pyecha.

But the one thing that worries them the most is losing the privilege all together.

Dean of Students Buddy Burton finds senior lunch a good thing for the students.

“During construction, it is a nice reward for them, as long as they don’t abuse it. If too many come back late, they might have to revoke it,” Burton said.

The thought alone makes Pyecha cringe.

“If we lost our privileges because kids come back late, I would be very upset. It’s our reward for getting good grades.”

And so working through their final year of high school with loads of homework and the prospect of a nice refreshing shake just minutes away, seniors head off to lunch.

Will senior lunch continue after the Commons is finished?

Principal Robert Lundquist is taking a wait and see attitude.

Invisibility cloak comes to life

10

Drinking age debate ragesKevin Baird

staff reporter

Features The Lion’s TaleSeptember 26, 2008

Throughout high school, many feel pressure to drink illegally. What if the drinking age was lowered and 18 year old seniors were now legally allowed to drink? This change is being considered by a group of college professors who claim that lowering the drinking age may actually save lives.

Soon, tavern doors could be thrown open to 18 year-olds across the country.

It’s thanks to an organization called Amethyst Initiative. Backed by 129 presidents and chancellors from America’s most prestigious schools, it calls for a lower legal drinking age in the United States.

“This is definitely a bad idea,” said junior Casey Barnhardt. “People between the ages of 18 and 21 are irresponsible. If we have access to alcohol at that age, it will be even easier for younger kids to get their hands on it.”

The concept originated with an invitation, extended to John McCardell of Middlebury College. The President Emeritus had been chosen to speak at a meeting of Annapolis Group, a nonprofit alliance consisting of the nations leading liberal arts colleges.

The official Amethyst Initiative website reveals that, in preparation for his public address, McCardell gathered several colleagues and solicited their thoughts on the 21 year-old drinking age. He quickly found the Annapolis leaders to be bound by a common thread.

They all wished to revive the drinking age dialogue and, in

response, formed the coalition now known as Amethyst Initiative.

“[It] asserts that the 21 year-old drinking age isn’t working,” said Grace Kronenberg of the official Amethyst Initiative website. “And calls on the public and elected officials to consider new ideas.”

However, the official objective of the association is not solely to lower the age, but rather to instigate a “serious, sustained, unfettered debate.”

Kronenberg continued.“The goal of the initiative is to give leaders in higher

education a unified voice on the issue, and to promote debate about the drinking age and alcohol education on a broader, national level.”

Having witnessed 157 American students drink themselves to death between 1999 and 2005, educational representatives have long since been relegated to the sidelines - observers to a culture that’s slowly being corrupted by extracurricular binge drinking, according to MSNBC.Widespread opinions

Physics teacher Jim Bowlin said, “They’re shirking their responsibilities. These teachers have problems on their own campuses that they’re not willing to deal with.”

He went on.“When kids are able to demonstrate that they are mature,

they should be able to earn this privilege. But I don’t think

[our society] is quite there, yet.” BBC News maintains that western media is “awash

with alcohol” and that a reduction in the drinking age has potential to dramatically increase the number of high school casualties.

“I have really mixed feelings,” said Dean of Discipline Robert Williams. “At 18 there are many responsible people, so it’s acceptable. Conversely, at 21 there are many irresponsible people. That’s where things get complicated.”

“We haven’t had any cases yet this year, but we will. Though there have been some instances [of drunkenness] in the past. It’s a zero-tolerance offense and all violators are assigned to an alternative school.”

Educators supporting Amethyst Initiative hope that stripping alcohol of its forbidden fruit label will promote maturity among adolescents and reduce the number of problem drinkers in the system.

Junior Kyle Kassik said, “Its the danger that gets people off. If you take that away, you significantly lower the risk.”

The World Health Organization points out that the United States, with one of the highest rates of alcohol-induced fatalities, also enjoys the most stringent age limits for the purchase of intoxicating beverages. Additionally, The National

Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence has

Mary Acken Author, Chess Educator407-496-3903chess@maryacken.comEducation programs for thinking, reading and math

ISBN 0971980306

identified that the full-time college student drinks more liquor than his un-

enrolled peers.“When you hear that there is a big party, everyone

immediately thinks that they are going to be able to get drunk and have a good time. In other countries, [drinking] isn’t considered as popular a recreation as it is in America. Its just not a big deal,” said junior and traveler Madison Steiner.

Prior to reaching the age of 21, adults are permitted to enlist in the army, vote for the highest government official, and yet still aren’t viewed as being mature enough to sit down for a pint of beer.

Junior Casey Cepek said, “It’s dumb that they want to lower the drinking age. People are mistaken if they think we’re responsible enough for that. Though I don’t see a problem with underage veterans knocking back a few. They’ve proven themselves.”Attempts being made to introduce law

The Washington Post reports that bills have been previously considered in Kentucky, South Carolina, and Wisconsin that would lower the drinking age only for individuals serving in the armed forces.

Ultimately, even these propositions were dismissed.Senior Hosea Rogers said, “They’re just postponing the

inevitable. There’s no point in setting limits since kids are just going to find ways around the rules.”

America hasn’t witnessed a major drinking age movement

since the late seventies, when society sought to accommodate drafted Vietnam War veterans and lowered the drinking age to 18. The American Medical Association confirms that this time recorded a greater number of motor vehicle fatalities among teenagers. Because of this, the minimum drinking age was quickly restored to 21.

To assure that the states complied, Congress soon after responded with 1984’s National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which penalized states with a drinking age below 21 by forcing them to forfeit 10 percent of their allotted annual highway funds.

Not only has this law kept money in the pockets of government officials, Florida Today reports that federal highway authorities believe it to have contributed in saving some 25,000 lives.

It is for this very reason that so many individuals and organizations doubt they’ll ever see a change in the drinking age. The desire for federal funds far outweighs the popularity of Amethyst Initiative.

Others think it slim-to-none that Amethyst Initiative would bring any change to the table.

“The problem is rampant throughout our society and lowering the age will not increase or decrease [the number of] those who have the potential for developing a problem,” said John Neary, a public information persona for Indian River County Alcoholics Anonymous. “Minors have access

to alcohol any time they want it. Age restrictions are not effective.”

Junior Ryan Leatherman shares similar beliefs.

“Nothing much will come of it. If

kids are going to drink later in their lives, they’ll likely start earlier than legal, anyways,” he said.

Not everyone is persuaded by these arguments, though. Nor convinced of the good intentions behind Amethyst Initiative.Speaking out against new laws

No single association has been more engaged in voicing their concerns than Mothers Against Drunk Driving. [MADD]

They state that 3.5 million persons between the ages of 12 and 20 suffer from alcohol use disorder, and actively seek to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime, and prevent underage drinking.

“MADD shares the legitimate concerns of college administrators as campuses across the nation struggle with the increasing instances of underage drinking, binge drinking and alcohol related health, social and legal issues among young students,” said Donald Murray, the Florida state executive director for MADD.

“Colleges need to work cooperatively with parents, law enforcement officials, local alcohol retailers, clubs and other community partners to seek and implement solutions whose process will not place additional risks on our kids and our community.”

Laura Dean-Mooney, MADD national president, agrees.“Mothers Against Drunk Driving is open to a discussion

about solving the problems of underage and binge drinking. But the discussion must be based on facts, and, in this case, the facts are clear: 21 saves lives.”

Family Law• Real Estate Law• Wills• Trusts• Estates• Criminal Law• Bankruptcy• Personal Injury• Business Law•

The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask us to send you free written information about our qualifications and experience.

FeaturesThe Lion’s Tale September 26, 2008 11

President Kennedy was the fastest random •speaker in the world with upwards of 350 words per minute.In the average lifetime, a person will walk •theequivalentoffivetimesaroundtheequator.In the early days of the telephone, operators •would pick up a call and use the phrase, “Well, are you there?”. It wasn’t until 1895 that someone suggested answering the phone with the phrase, “Number please?”The most common name in the world is •Mohammed.It would take 11 Empire State Buildings, •stacked one on top of the other, to measure the Gulf of Mexico at its deepest point.The King of Hearts is the only king without •a moustache.The three best-known western names in •China: Jesus Christ, Richard Nixon, and Elvis Presley.American car horns beep in the tone of F.•Alion’sroarcanbeheardfromfivemiles•away.The largest number of children born to one •woman is recorded at 69. From 1725-1765, a Russian peasant woman •gave birth to 16 sets of twins, 7 sets of triplets, and 4 sets of quadruplets.Kansas state law requires pedestrians •crossing the highways at night to wear tail lights.Plants run fevers when they are sick.•Lemon Pledge has more lemons than •Country Time Lemonade.More people die playing golf than any other •sportThe most popular reason for not voting in •elections, according to the U.S. Census, was “Too busy.”AGoldfish’sattentionspanisthreeseconds.•

Editor’s Note: One by one appears in every edition of The Lion’s Tale, and features a randomly selected student. This edition, a staff reporter interviewed the first person seen wearing a dress in the cafeteria during first lunch.

Freshman Maddie Cozart felt mixed emotions.“I was scared because I didn’t know what it would be like there. I thought it was going to be more

ancient-looking and have more deserts,” said Cozart.Instead, she found herself surrounded by bright orange,

paint-plastered walls inside a motel room about the size of a small classroom, crammed with a bathroom and two full beds covered with unique patterns in the middle of the room. Cozart experienced this picture when she visited Israel in the summer of 2008 for a month trip.

“I was scared because I didn’t know what it would be like there. I thought it was going to be more ancient looking and have more deserts,” said Cozart.

Accompanying Cozart in her motel room was her mother, father, and her eighth grade sister. Another family also accompanied them on this journey.

“We went to Israel because of my Dad’s business,” said Cozart.

Cozart’s father’s company distributes cell phones to people in Africa who are less fortunate. Her father visited Africa three times so far, and the company for which he works hopes to expand to Israel.

“My dad helped discover how vegetable oil can run a car and they’re going to use vegetable oil to run the cell phone towers in Africa, so it’s not as loud because Africa’s cell phone towers are really loud,” said Cozart.

Atown-centerlocatedinIsraeloverflowedwithunique gifts, and crafts that were all handmade. Blankets and bracelets engraved with unique patterns and designs were the main products found at the town-center.

“I got a bracelet but I didn’t really like the other stuff,” said Cozart.

Cozart stayed at her motel while her father worked during the day, but she still explored the geographical features of Israel when time allowed.

Cozart overcame many differences and challenges during her stay in Israel. However, Cozart’s expectations proved to be her greatest challenge.

“I thought it was going to be poor and run down, but it wasn’t that bad because we were in a city. I just wore regular clothes, and I didn’t feel out of place,” said Cozart.

Although she lacked the many comforts of home while in Israel, Cozart still found comfort. And to her surprise, the

actualtripturnedouttobegreaterthanshefirstexpected.“The food wasn’t like fried American food, but it wasn’t

that bad. Our hotel actually wasn’t that bad either, it was more like a motel than a hotel though. They had a ventilator for air by the window, which I didn’t think they would have since they don’t have that much electricity in Israel, but I was glad because it was hot,” said Cozart.

Cozart expected the land in Israel to be more rural, and deserted before departing for her trip. In actuality, she soon realized that her expectations were wrong as she found out that there were only deserts in certain parts of Israel, and she was fortunate to stay in a city.

Cozart learned many things about Israel and their diverse way of life. She experienced the town-centers, the food, and much more about the culture. And even though the journey proved to be a good experience, there are reasons as to why she would not embark on this journey again.

“I wouldn’t go again. There’s more technology and electricity here, but I liked all the history in Israel because it is in the Bible,” said Cozart.

Teen follows father to Israel,discovers thriving city life

Maggie Kipi

One by OneJe

lly

by M

irand

a Har

mon

SNUGGLE UP. Freshman Maddie Cozart keeps warm in a cold classroom. She encountered interesting blankets and bracelets

while visiting a market in Israel.

photo/GRAHAM CHRISTENSEN

Crossing the street? Wear tail lights

Compiled from http://www.cs.cmu edu/~bingbin/

News The Lion’s Tale12 September 26, 2008

Penny pinching in styleTova Kranz

staff reporter

K

Sophomore Jenny Atkinson and her friends know how to save gas money.

“We went to my friend’s house which is about two miles away [from my house], to my house without pushing on the gas, and it took us about 45 minutes. When we reached a stop sign, to start going [she] would just take her foot off the brakes,” Atkinson said.

As gas prices eat away at everyone’s wallets, carpooling and public transportation become increasingly popular.

“We carpool and try not to make too many out of the way trips. If we know we’re going to be in a certain part of town, we try to get as much done on that part of town as possible so we don’t have to visit again if there’s anything we might need,” senior Marissa Nichols said

Squeezing all errands into one trip tops gas saving techniques.

“I live in Geneva, so when I go into Oviedo, I make it one big trip,” senior Kim Lyttle said.

Many families catch on quickly.“If we do anything, we make it one big

trip, and my dad’s company pays for his gas so if we go anywhere as a family we’ll just use his truck,” Lyttle said.

With unstable gas prices and no end in sight, people get on the roads reluctantly, if at all.

To save gas, people like Lumia visit relatives less frequently, drive less and stay in the area.

“Before gas prices went up, my family and I would visit our relatives about twice a month. This past summer we only visited my grandmother once. It is difficult to drive over to them anyway. They live up in Clearwater, on the west side of Florida. Now that gas prices are up, it’s sad that we cannot visit our already far away relatives as often,” Lumia said.

Sophomore Joanna Henderson and a friend saved gas this

summer on the way to band camp. “One of my friend’s mom would drive me

and her to band camp every day and my mom would drive us home to help save gas for both of our parents.” Henderson said

Over the summer, travel to other states was also significantly decreased.

“I used to go to Massachusetts and New Hampshire, but now I usually stay home. I can make it to Boston for a few days if I’m lucky,” Nichols said.

Some students’ social lives have declined since the gas prices began to hit three dollars a gallon.

“I can’t afford to drive wherever I please and a lot of my friends can’t either. We carpool once a week to a movie or something, but I went out a lot more about two years ago,” Nichols said.

Senior lunch poses a challenge for some students due to the cost of driving out and back to school, and also the cost of food.

“If I don’t have the gas money, I don’t have the money to eat out every Tuesday and Thursday,” Nichols said.

Using bikes and legs save the most. “If we’re only a short distance away from

a certain places [we get there] by walking or riding our bikes. The biggest advantage with walking and biking is, of course, the exercise and fresh air,” Lumia said.

Coupons come in handy for families going grocery shopping as well.

“We definitely don’t buy as many name brands as we used to, and if we need something that’s a name brand we cut coupons,” Lyttle said.

Lumia’s family hits the sale rack to save money.

“We definitely buy things that are on sale. If

something is overpriced or unnecessary, we [just] don’t buy it,” Lumia said.

A n o t h e r way families save is by b u y i n g the store brand food as opposed to a name brand.

“Food prices affect what brands we eat at home because they’re starting to get higher, so we have to eat store brand foods such as bread,” Henderson said.

Students are also saving money to spend on gas by spending less on unnecessary objects.

“I have cut back on a lot of stuff that I buy such as clothes and school supplies. If I have to buy a certain thing I always look for ways to get a discounted sale,” Nichols said. “I look for more sales and cheaper prices now, but I don’t think that I save that much money because I can tell that my attempt at saving my dollar doesn’t get me very far.”

illustration/MIRANDA HARMONphoto/GRAHAM CHRISTENSEN

NewsThe Lion’s Tale 13September 26, 2008

nockout

Kenny Andersonstaff reporter

As junior Joey Schmidt walks out of his latest job interview, a feeling of dejection sweeps over him.

“I turned in an application, and they said they’d call me back,” says Schmidt, “but of course they never do.”

He laughed and said, “I feel like crawling in a dark corner and staying there forever.”

His parents pressured him to seek employment after getting his license and for the past three months of opportunity, applying at places like Sonic and Publix, his endeavors have come to naught.

“I think I am just gonna try new places because it does not seem like these guys are coming around.”

Summer has come and gone, and like Schmidt, many of OHS’s student body have been faced with the harsh reality that employment over the vacation months has eluded them.

Back in 2000, as much as 45 percent of the American workforce was comprised of teens. In the wake of the recent lagging economy, that number has dwindled down to as low as 34 percent.

With the falling economy, many older, more experienced members of the workforce turn to business that would typically hire teens.

Jessica Gott, a hiring manager at the local McDonald’s on E. Mitchell Hammock Rd, said that employers look for someone with

more experience as opposed to someone looking for their first job.

She’s experienced a massive flow of applications, the majority of which will be overlooked.

“I get stacks and stacks of applications,” she said, “I don’t even need to look at them because I’m so overstaffed.”

The cause of the overwhelming influx of applications comes out of a necessity from older generations to bring home a little extra support. Said Gott, “They’ve got families to feed.”

These economic times come as a stark contrast to days gone by. Gott recalls a time when young teens came to McDonalds in search of their first jobs.

“Now it’s an even playing field,” she said.

Experiencing even more disappointment is junior Brian Billips, who after searching since turning

16, has yet to come any closer employment.

“I’ve applied at Panera Bread, Planet Smoothie, Pac Sun, and USS (University Surf and Skate),” Billips said.

Fortunately, Billips was spared evasive language facing many applicants. “They told me you could apply, but don’t count on anything.”

In fact, out of the numerous places of which Billips chose to apply, not one of them went so far as to give him a call back.

Even more affected is senior Heather Jaeger.

“I have been looking for a job, on and off, for about a year and a half,” she said.

“More seriously in the past few months.”But things are different for Jaeger. Her

mother has been subjected to taking care of her

great aunt. “At the moment my mom isn’t working

so our budget is a little tight,” she said. “It would be a lot easier on my parents if I could pay for my own gas and spending money.”

Faced with the self-conscious fear of becoming a burden to her family, Jaeger launched a fierce campaign to find a job and relieve the mounting tensions.

“I have applied to several places at the mall, Target, Wendy’s, Publix, and a

few other places. “As is the case with most of her peers,

Jaeger has been unsuccessful thus far.“Many of the places I want to apply

don’t higher minors, or I would have put in even more (applications),” she said.Despite her lack of luck, Heather remains

percerverant in her goal.Said Jaeger, “I am going to beginning

looking at jobs that are further away than I have previously not considered because of the distance. I know that it is important for me to find one, not only for me but to help my parents out.”

Help Not WantedPenny pinching in style Teens struggle to find work in rough economy

K Economy ScoresCorrine Brown

“I only fill up my truck about once a week now. It’s crazy!”

Remember to not to fill up when a hurricane comes by! The storm may only be a catagory 3, but the prices can top $5! Also, be sure to shop around - some stations are cheaper.

Try to coast as often as possible when driving; you use more gas when you drive aggressively. Brake early and accelerate slowly to maximize fuel economy.

Alan Zegarra ‘10

“I don’t buy milk at lunch anymore; I just bring something from home. And I don’t spend money on things I don’t need.”

s

s

The fifty-cent Picture Show at Alatamonte features current big-screen movies for under a dollar. It’s a steal if you can get past the cheap decor and somewhat smelly upholstery.

The Wal-mart RedBoxes offer no-hassle DVD and Bluray rentals for a dollar each. Add to that an ultra-cheap raid of the candy aisle and you’ve all the convenience of the movies without the outrageous eight-dollar ticket.

s

sGas

Tips for saving on...Date Night

‘10

DiversionsDiversions The Lion’s Tale14 September 26, 2008

Julia Thorncroftstaff reporter

It all starts with a prank. Freshman English teacher Chris Mallory eats a cupcake while he discovers that there’s a

live worm inside. “It was a retaliation,” said sophomore

Laura Kissinger. “Because one day [Mallory] rushed into my teacher, Mrs.Kreahling’s room, and told her that her car was in a hit and run accident.”

Biology teacher, PJ Kreahling, rushing and panicking to save her car, was soon made a fool of.

“I was worried,” said Kreahling. “I was running around, looking for my insurance card and as I walk out Mallory shouts, ‘April Fools!’ To get back at him, I gave him a cupcake with a live worm in it.”

Kreahling was concerned that her prank was harmful, but she didn’t know how Mallory would react.

“I started to feel bad,” said Kreahling, “I thought that he might get mad or upset, but he ate the live worm. He ate three live worms.”

Kreahling was disappointed that her prank went unharmed.

“It’s almost as if it wasn’t a real prank,” said Kreahling. “It didn’t even bother him that there were live worms inside the cupcake.”

While there are funny stories about pranks pulled on teachers, some are about teachers embarrassing themselves. Sophomore Jenny Atkinson remembers an embarrassing story about former Oviedo High freshmen English teacher Kris Lodrick.

“[Lodrick] took out a gallon jug of water from her filing cabinet to fill up a

water bottle,” said A t k i n s o n . “ S h e tipped the gallon jug upside down and the water just spilled out all over her desk and her stuff. Everyone was trying not to laugh.”

Although Lodrick no longer works at Oviedo, her students still remember this moment.

“It was so hilarious. Anyone who knew [Lodrick] would never be able to forget that story, since it’s so funny,” said Atkinson.

Sophomore April Sullivan still laughs at her first day of school.

“It was the first day of school in Acting III and we were playing a game where you had to remember one thing that everyone did that summer and if you got it right, you got a candy from the bag. Of course when it was my turn, I went to take

it and I dropped the bag and it spilled everywhere.

Everyone was laughing including me,” said

Sullivan. Some students worry when

their peers gossip about their embarrassing stories. Kreahling still talks about one of her

students.“One time I was giving a

reading quiz, just one of your basic quizzes to make sure that the

students are reading and one of the questions was ‘What kind of animals

did Frederick Griffith discover?’,” said Kreahling.

Most students know that Frederick

Worms, drool...yuck

“I started to feel bad. I thought that he might get mad or upset, but he ate the live worm. He ate three live worms.”

PJ Kreahling

SECRET INGREDIENT. Biology teacher PJ Kreahling replays the moment Chris Mallory, a former English teacher at Oviedo High Shcool, ate a cupcake with a live worm in it. Kreahling cut a cupcake in half and placed a live worm in the center to get revenge for a prank Mallory previously pulled on her.

photo/TIFFANY RAY

Griffith discovered mice. “When going over the quizzes, one

student shouts ‘Aw, shoot. I got that one wrong!’ When I asked him what answer he put, he said, ‘Oh, I put down mouses.’ After I stood there, laughing for a while I looked at him and said, ‘Mice and mouses are the same thing.’ And he said, ‘but I thought mice were the smaller version of mouses,” said Kreahling.

AP Art History teacher, Didi Gibbs, recalls an odd student she taught one year.

“I had a kid in my class who put a watch in his mouth. Whenever he’d open his mouth, it’d beep,” said Gibbs.

A challenge for some freshmen can be staying awake. Sophomore Carissa Phillips remembers when a student fell asleep in her English class.

“We were reading Romeo and Juliet and one of the students fell asleep with his head on his book,” said Phillips. “When Miss Duffy went to wake him, he lifted his head up and there was a string and a puddle of drool on his book.”

Duffy tried to be stern about getting illustration/MIRANDA HARMON

Just for kicks“Kick Me” Sign

Spit Ball

Shoe Laces

Hertz Donut

illustrations/MICHAEL MANGOS

after the student for falling asleep, but she couldn’t.

“She started hysterically laughing. She couldn’t even talk she was laughing so hard. So finally she calmed down and we started reading again. After about two lines she just starts hysterically laughing again. This went

on for five minutes. And she started getting really embarrassed because another student started taking video of her,” said Phillips.

Embarrassing moments happen to everyone. One of the best ways to handle embarrassment is to laugh it off. From the website www.world laughter tour.com, psychologist Steve Wilson says,

“Cultivate the ability to see the lighter side to everyday life and you won’t feel defeated nearly as often. Take the joke on yourself in a good-natured way and it will be impossible for others to make jokes about you.”

Sophomore Joe Lumia has a similar yet great tip on how students can keep their cool.

“People won’t make a big deal out of the situation. Just try not to look embarrassed, laugh it off and make a joke.” said Lumia.

A note (commonly reading “kick me”) is attached to the back of an unsuspecting victim.

A clump of paper is chewed and soaked in salivia, then thrown, spit, or blown at a person.

A victim’s shoe laces are tied to an object or are tied together. This is typically done while the victim is seated or distracted.

The prankster approaches the victim with a closed doughnut box and asks, “Would you like a hertz doughnut?” If yes, the victim is punched and the prankster asks,“Hurts, don’t it?”

Pranks, funny moments, embarassing stories from inside classrooms

Carissa Phillips ‘11

“It entertains me to dress up. I love fashion and I love clothes. I think clothes show your personality by how you dress,” said Lee, “ I think about what I’m going to wear the next day and usually try on everything the night before. I used to pick out my clothes for the week but it’s just easier to do it day by day.”

AP Psychology teacher, Karlin Gastoff, wears clothing that looks neat,

clean, and appropriate.“I don’t like to wear

clothes that make me feel bound up. If I could get away with jeans and a t-shirt I would,” said Gastoff.

Ackerman feels that dressing down is a way in which he can wear what he wants and feel comfortable.

“ It’s too high maintenance and time-consuming to dress up everyday,” said Ackerman.

Lee also agrees with this and sometime dresses down for school as well.

“ When I’m tired and work late I sometimes just dress down because I just want to be comfortable,” said Lee.

Sophomore Karli Welhoelter’s closet is mainly full of preppy and clothes.

“ I mostly have t-shirts and tank tops. I think people should wear what looks good on them, not what everyone else is wearing,” said Welhoelter.

DiversionsThe Lion’s Tale 15September 26, 2008

Miranda Ghali co-editor-in-chief

Take a ride in the cash cab

People tend to relate the Discovery Channel to boring documentaries and school-like educational television.

Some would argue that “Mythbusters” remains Discovery Channel’s only good show.

I used to believe this for a while, until I saw the “Cash Cab”.

The “Cash Cab” is a game show offered by Discovery Channel to unexpected travelers of New York. Basically, they get paid to answer questions on the way to their destination.

As soon as passengers get into the banana yellow mini van taxi cab and tell driver, Ben Bailey, where they want to go, he turns on flashing lights and music, and most people are shocked.

He will then say, “You are in the Cash Cab, a T.V. game show that takes place right here in my taxi. So what do you say, do you want to play?”

Bailey quizzes travelers with general knowledge questions that range in difficulty as the game progresses. Easier questions are worth $25, medium questions are $50, and the harder questions are worth $100 each.

Sounds easy, right? Here’s the catch: Once the passenger gets three strikes, they are out. Literally! Bailey pulls over right on the spot and kicks passengers out with nothing to show from their experience except a free cab ride halfway to their destination.

If the passenger makes it all the way to their destination without getting three strikes, they get the money. But again, it’s not that simple. Passengers will then have the choice of going for “double or nothing” on a Video Bonus Question.

On the Video Bonus Questions, the passengers watch a video clip and have to answer a question about that video clip. It’s not as easy as just paying attention to the video though. The question is usually harder than all the previous questions and requires the passenger to have previous knowledge of the topic.

Another surprise of the show, a Red Light Challenge, comes along when (you guessed it!) there’s a red light. This challenge is a multiple part question that passengers answer and have no penalty on. They have 30 seconds to call out any answers they want and have to get all parts of the question right to win 250 dollars.

Of course Discovery Channel couldn’t be cruel to the contestants of the Cash Cab, (too bad, huh?) so they award them with two lifelines each. They can use a “Mobile Shout-Out” or a “Street Shout-Out” where they can call a friend, or pull over and ask a stranger on the street for help on their question.

The great thing about this show is anyone can get on it with a little bit of luck, no matter how intelligent (or not so intelligent) they are. There are some ridiculously smart contestants who can win around $1500, and then there are those contestants that couldn’t tell you the square root of four and get kicked out after their first three questions.

So, next time you’re in New York, just look out for all the mini van taxi cabs, and hope for some luck so you can put some of your random knowledge to the test.

This show airs with new episodes weekdays at 6:00 p.m. on Discovery Channel.

Cashmere or casual?Choices vary when picking what to wear to school

Junior Anders Ackerman wakes up to the ringing of his alarm clock at 6:00 a.m., with only 15 minutes to shower, dress, and eat before leaving for the bus stop.

Ackerman slides out of bed and takes a quick 10 minute shower before putting on his favorite band t-shirt, Tool, and cargo pants. He then proceeds inhale bowl of cereal before having his mom drive him to the bus stop.

“ On average it only takes me around 30 seconds to get dressed for school because all I need is a shirt and shorts so that I’m not exposed,” said Ackerman.

Sophomore Austin Tyszhowshi doesn’t like to spend a lot of time shopping or picking out clothes.

“I don’t go shopping that often, I usually just put on whatever is in my closet at the time,” said Tyszhowshi.

Junior Casey Hayes likes to shop at second-hand stores.“They [second-hand stores] are usually pretty cheap and

finding something is extremely satisfactory,” said Hayes.Ackerman understands that not everyone follows his

“grab the first thing you see” philosophy.“I have a lot of respect for the students who spend a

really long time getting ready for school because they want to look good for you, which makes them easier to talk to,” said Ackerman, “ But I personally think people should dress however they want, rather that be dressing up or dressing down.”

Senior Kristan Lee is one of those many students to who Ackerman respects for taking time out to dress up.

Kristan Lee ‘09 Favorite Shopping Places Wet Seal Papaya Forever 21 Average outfit price: $70

Connor Stanley ‘11 Favorite Shopping Places Champs Sears Sports Fanattic Avergage outfit costs: $35

“On average it only takes me around 30 seconds to get dressed for school.”

Anders Ackerman, ‘10

Carly Browerco-diversions editor

Tube Talk

photos/GRAHAM CHRISTENSEN

Anders Ackerman ‘10

Leadership by Example NJROTC

Diversions The Lion’s Tale16 September 26, 2008

Movie Reviews

What the heck?! will be repeated by every audience member as they leave the theater of Babylon A.D. The movie makes for an

entertaining 90 minutes, but will leave confused viewers asking tons of questions. The beginning of the movie captures the audiences’ attention with a unique plot and mysterious characters, but the answers viewers expect are never given.

Babylon A.D. an action-packed sci-fi film directed by Mathieu Kassovitz, takes place sometime in the not-so-distant future, and centers around Toorop (Vin Diesel), a mercenary living in a disintegrating town of Eastern Europe.

When hired to smuggle a young woman named Aurora (Mélanie Thierry) to New York City, Toorop takes on more than he bargained for. Aurora turns out to be more than an ordinary human, making the trip much more complicated.

The futuristic outlook on society could be described as post-apocalyptic. When the movie begins, Vin Diesel’s character, Toorop, lives in a run-down apartment building in a regressive society of Eastern Europe. The area seems torn apart by warfare, and citizens eat wild animals for dinner. However, on the other side of the world, New York City has become highly urbanized in an almost eerie way.

The acting is not something that leaves you in awe, but the characters are portrayed well by Vin Diesel, Mélanie Thierry, and Michelle Yeoh. The plot becomes confusing, however, so viewers cannot fully understand these personas.

The action scenes portray intense violence, but feel cut short, just as the movie itself. The futuristic shots of the megalopolis of New York bring a sense of excitement, and the futuristic technological advances will astonish audiences.

The premise of the film is exciting on many levels, but it fell through in execution. The movie’s director, Kassovitz, stated that the outcome did not please him,

blaming 20th Century Fox’s lawyers and the studio for editing the movie down to “a confusing 93 minutes.”

“The movie is supposed to teach us that the education of our children will mean the future of our planet. All the action scenes had a goal: They were supposed to be driven by either a metaphysical point of view or experience for

the characters… instead parts of the movie are like a bad episode of 24,” said Kassovitz.

And that’s a good explanation of the movie. Good idea, bad results.

“I should have chosen a studio that has guts. Fox was just trying to get a PG-13 movie. I’m ready to go to war against them, but I can’t because they don’t [care],” Kassovitz said.

Emily Cottrellco-diversions editor

This 61 year old movie might initially scare away the average teenager with its black and white color, but given a chance, this Alfred Hitchcock classic won’t

disappoint.Though Notorious may not keep people on the edge

of their seats as much as a modern day thriller like Saw, Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman still provide plenty of suspenseful moments in this romantic thriller.

Bergman, daughter of a recently convicted Nazi spy, is recruited by Grant in an attempt to bring down some of her father’s co-conspirators. After Bergman reluctantly agrees, the two make the trek to Brazil.

Once in Brazil, Grant convinces Bergman to seduce and marry a Nazi mastermind. Bergman’s husband, played by Claude Rains, soon finds out that she is working for the American government. With a little help from mother dearest, Rains decides to poison Bergman.

Grant soon discovers that something is up when Bergman misses one of their much anticipated meetings. As soon as Grant makes his grand entrance in an attempt to save Bergman’s life, it’s hard to help but think “Saw that one coming.”

Despite Notorious predictability and the fact that every upcoming suspenseful moment is given away by the blaring 1940’s cheese ball music, Notorious is definitely worth the $5 rental fee.

Caitlin Smithstaff reporter

Hitchcock’s thriller enjoyable, suspensful

Vin Diesel dissapoints in sci-fi flick

I feel like I should explain myself.After all, not everyone goes out of their way to

put themselves through immense pain and suffering for the sole purpose of laughing about it later. But I have so little room to write… so I’ll keep it short: remember those movies you always see on the shelf at Blockbuster, doing nothing but taking up space and spawning comments like ‘what is this?’ I rent them. For fun. And I share these abominations with the world.

Why? Some movies are so bad that you can only do one of two things: laugh, or bleed viciously from your eyeballs in anguish.

Case in point: The Hottie and the Nottie. Just the the name sounds bad, but when you hear that it stars a dynamite cast led by Paris Hilton, you should be truly terrified.

The movie’s reception was hilariously awful, and it earned less than $30,000 in the box office opening weekend. If you do the math, you’ll find that this movie drew four people per showing… and hence lost eight million dollars in the box office.

Even funnier is the fact that it promoted itself in Britain as the “Number One Movie”… with fine print revealing that this was actually the #1 movie on imdb.com’s Bottom 100 List. But let’s get down to the movie itself.

It’s terrible. You may think you’ve seen bad movies, but until you’ve seen Paris Hilton wear a whoopee cushion under a wedding dress that goes off sporadically (even when she’s not sitting down), and then cry about it afterwards, you haven’t seen anything.

The story follows Nate Cooper, who attempts to track down his crush from the first grade, Cristabel (Hilton). You’d think this would be extremely difficult, but conveniently, his friend from the first grade has kept ludicrous amounts of tabs on her life since elementary school. He has thousands of pictures, and somehow he knows everything about her down to her jogging routes in the morning.

Yeah, more than a little creepy. No word on how Nate managed to track down this guy in the first place, either. He hadn’t seen him since, what, first grade? Does everyone from Mrs. Johnson’s elementary class keep such good tabs across the United States? Whatever. Nate tracks down Cristabel and, for no reason whatsoever, she likes him just as much as he likes her.

But there’s a problem: Cristabel has promised herself

that she won’t date until her friend June has “someone special.” Unfortnately, June is one of the least attractive women alive. Cristabel’s stalker astutely notes that the “hotness” of one girl is inversely proportional to that of her best friend.

Yeah, the plot is stupid; what did you expect it to be, The Notebook? It’s Paris Hilton for godsake. Oh well, what’s left to do but watch Nate try to hook June up with random men he finds in gutters outside of a Steak’n’Shake?

Ugh. It’s brutal. The “comedy” in this romantic comedy is either completely non-existent or offensively bad, save Paris Hilton’s unintentional moments of idiocy, which often spawn gut-wrenching laughter. I swear, every time she opens her mouth it’s a toss up: it could be the equivalent of inhaling laughing gas or akin to drinking a cup of hydrochloric acid. I’m tempted to say they didn’t even hand her a script: they probably just sent her out onto the set and told her to just react to what happened around her. The result was lines like, “you know, I think our bodies… are like earth suits, vessels to help us pass from this planet to the next.” Insert your own sarcastic comment here.

How did the night end? The movie was so bad, that we ripped the Xbox it was playing in from the wall in anger. Watch at your own risk.

If You’re Interested In This Movie, You’ll Like:

Strangers on a Train - Alfred Hiticock presents suspense and surprise as humorous characters board an exciting train ride.To Catch a Thief - In this classic Hitcock film, Cary Grant stars as a retired cat buglar trying to keep the blame of jewel thefts away from him.Spellbound - This Hictchcok film starring Ingrid Bergman mixes mystery with romance as a psychologist tries to keep patient from being accused of murder.

Rating: PG-13 Time: 90 min Grade: C

Rating: Not Rated Time: 101 min Grade: A-

David Parsons

What’s hot? That’s not

moderately angering

inherently stupid

so bad it’s funny

emotionally scarring

cruel and inhuman punishment

so bad it hurts to live

HOW BAD CAN IT BE?

photo/WWW.BABYLONADMOVIE.COM

BOX OFFICE BOMBS

staff reporter

DiversionsThe Lion’s Tale 17September 26, 2008

As I arrived at the overcrowded Borders on August 2, I could not help but feel ecstatic. After over a year of anxiously awaiting Stephanie Meyer’s final

installment in the Twilight saga, Breaking Dawn was finally here.

As I pushed open the doors, I couldn’t help but admire all the other teenagers, and even the parents

who attempted to dress up as their perception of what a vampire would look like.

A f t e r about an hour of Twilight s c a v e n g e r hunts and c o s t u m e contests I decided to go to Barnes & N o b l e , where I had pre-ordered my book.

Finally

at 12:01 a.m., I received my book. I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do first; scream with joy, pass out, or run to the nearest corner and start reading.

As my best friends parents drove us back to her house to start reading it took all my energy not to open to the back of the book and read the ending. I arrived at my friends’ house around 12:30 a.m. and we didn’t stop reading until 6 a.m. I finished the book that same morning.

Breaking Dawn begins a day before the long anticipated wedding between human Bella Swan, and vampire Edward Cullen. Bella is worried about becoming a vampire and becoming a married woman. I find this very irritating because she has this perfect guy and yet she keeps complaining about getting married.

Eventually Bella overcomes her cold feet and marries Edward. During the honeymoon, at the exclusive Esme Isle, Bella becomes pregnant. Edward thought the child would be dangerous to both the world and Bella, so he concludes that the ‘spawn of evil’ should be killed. Bella, being her stubborn self, cannot bear to lose her child, the half human, half vampire baby.

The book then switches point of views from Bella to her best friend and werewolf, Jacob Black. Now I’m not sure about you but throughout the whole series I was very team Edward, yet I really enjoyed Jacob’s humorous outlook on life.

Bella’s pregnancy is not only bizarre but also very gory. As Bella goes into “labor” she throws up a pool of blood, and to remove the baby Edward has to bite or rip Bella’s stomach open. You can thank Stephanie Meyer for that visual.

Carly Browerco-diversions editor

*spoiler alert

Book Review

The anticipation of Jaguar Love’s debut album ‘Take Me to the Sea’ is well understood. Featuring ex-

Blood Brothers Johnny Whitney and Cody Votolato meshed with ex- Pretty Girls Make Graves guitarist Jay Clark (who plays drums), the band is nothing but strong in creativity.

They didn’t think twice before keeping Whitney’s high, melodic whine he’s known for. Songs like ‘Bats Over the Pacific Ocean’ feature out of ordinary sounds and with Whitney’s voice whaling over the rhythms, it’s easy to beg for more than just the 11 songs in the Jaguar Love collection.

Starting NowChuck WicksCountry

Dance Gavin DanceDance Gavin DanceAlternative rock

Take Me to the SeaJaguar LoveAlternative IndieCaitlyn Braswell

staff reporter Stacey Sterlingco-editor-in-chief

Caitlyn Braswellstaff reporter

Up’ n’ Coming

With taking the signature band-aid off his cheek, buffing up a little bit comes new swag from the St.

Louis native rapper Nelly. The release of his new album “Brass

Knuckles” defined him differently. The 16-track CD is a mixture of his previous albums “Sweat” and “Suit”. Nelly hit the scene with an all star lineup of guest appearances such as Rick Ross, LL Cool J, Fergie, and Ashanti. Working with major artists like Jermaine Dupri in the song “Stepped On My J’s” was number one on the 106 & park countdown. With hits like this to the hip-hop game, Nelly is blazing and hot just like the song “Body on me.”

Mellow beats and up-beat rhymes differentiate Nelly from other artists, like T.I. Intense vocals and soothing sounds are heard when listening to “Long Night” featuring Usher make the CD unforgettable. Nelly is alive and making it known that he is the “One and Only.”

One would expect more from the veteran Shaggy on his new album. With this new era

and the popularity of reggae music sky rocketing, the talent should’ve gotten

better. In 2008 Shaggy was caught “sleeping

with the girl next door.” Not literally, but in the music business he was caught with his pants down making a horrific album. The “it wasn’t me remix” was an utter disaster, the drums, the overall tempo and beat of the song. His voice, is like 30 needles being stuck in an ear. With the rise of artist like Sean Kingston, Shaggy is not a “hotshot” anymore like his 2000 album made him out to be.

The Boombastic CollectionShaggy Reggae

Tien Holmesstaff reporter

KnucklesNelly BrassRap

ww

w.ne

lly.n

et/ With a new singer in the mix, it

seems as though Dance Gavin Dance has never been stronger.

On their new self-titled album, it sounds like the band finally found a singer who sounds over the age of 10. The band managed to keep their unsystemaatic, alternative sounds that fans everywhere learned to adore all while making progression in their attempt to grow artistically. Sounds such as ‘Caviar’ and ‘Robot with Human Hair pt. 3’ send a wave of nostalgia through listener’s ears as shrill singing and high screams morph together with experimental guitar riffs and catchy drum beats, blending together the formula that is ‘Dance Gavin Dance.’

Tien Holmesstaff reporter

Breaking Dawn falls short of expectations

COLDPLAY Friday, November 7th 7:30 P.M. Amway Arena

State Farm BATTLE OF THE BANDS Friday, November 21st7:00 P.M.Amway Arena

NEIL DIAMOND Tuesday, October 28th8:00 P.M.Amway Arena

Grab your tickets because these artists are heading our way

Carrie UnderwoodSaturday, December 13th7:00 P.M.UCF Arena

MTV Rock Band TourSunday, November 9th7:00 P.M.UCF Arena

Rating: C

Finally, Bella becomes a vampire and not soon after she learns that Jacob has imprinted, or fallen in love, with her daughter, Renesmee. But after that shock she seems to be truly happy with her new life and daughter.

The happiness does not last long and the story is thrown into many more plot twists and turns.

Midnight Sun, Meyer’s version of Twilight in Edwards’ point of view, was cancelled indefinitely after the first 12

chapters of the book were leaked online. Meyer explained on her website that she wouldn’t be able to finish the book because she is too distraught over the incident. I myself am furious with Meyer. So many loyal fans were looking forward to this

book and she shouldn’t punish the fans for someone else’s mistake.

Overall, Breaking Dawn, itself was adequate but a little too gory and bizarre for the average Twilight reader.

Chuck Wicks broke into the country music with his country hit single, “Stealing Cinderella”. Who knew

that when his first album, ‘Starting Now’, was released it would meet the standards of his hit single. The album is a mix between Alan Jackson and Kenny Rogers. Songs such as “Man of the House” and “Stealing Cinderella” relate to the Americans in a way that hasn’t been done in quite some time. The songs on this album portray the different ranges of Wicks voice, from the contemporary country, to the soulful R&B sound.

Currently, Stephanie Meyer is • focusing on spending time with her family and working on some other unknown writing projects.

Meyer Update

Twilight• the movie is due in theaters November 21st

Sports The Lion’s Tale18 September 26, 2008

SportsConnor Bailey

sports editor

Young team feels pressure after lossWith an outstanding comeback

in the last half of the game, the Oviedo Lions came up short,

35-28, against in-town rival, Hagerty High School. Going into the second half with a deficit of 21 points, the team knew they had to pull themselves together.

Scoring 28 points and limiting Hagerty to only two touchdowns in the second half, the team had a lot of positives to take from the game.

“We knew we had to score to win so we didn’t hang our heads. We knew we could come back, we weren’t scared,” said senior wide receiver Trey Lundquist in reference to the falling behind in the first half.

“We know no one can stop us when we are on our game,” said Lundquist. “We play as a team and work hard.”

With a record of 1-1, the new starting quarterback junior Blake Bortles looks forward to this promising season.

“Getting to play at the end of the year was great for getting experience for this year,” said Bortles.

Even with experience, there still comes pressure with a position of such importance.

“Yes, I feel pressure; I have to live up to the expectations of Oviedo football.”

According to team members, Coach Wes Allen has stepped up practices for the team.

“Practices are more intense, faster, and more physical,” said Bortles.

Senior runningback Collin Christmas outlines a daily practice lasting from two and a half hours to three:

√Individual positions√Team Period Offense & Defense√Perimeter (passing only)√Specials Teams√Conditioning√Break“Once break is over, we repeat drills,

first half offense, second half defense,” said Christmas.

Christmas said that practices are much more tiring but he explained that it’s how the team comes up big in the fourth quarter and get the win.

Lundquist said practices are much harder this year compared to last.

“His intensity in practices is unbelievable, more running than last year. We are in better shape physically,” said Lundquist.

Starting sophomore wide receiver Chris Gallon said that varsity practices are much harder than freshman with definitely a lot more running at the end of practice.

The team roster is down from last year’s 57 players to 48 including 18 sophomores, five of them starting. Youth looks to play a major role in this year’s season,

Offensive lineman junior Brenden Ramsey and outside linebacker sophomore Jake Redding are two young players looking to have a break-out year.

Redding is enjoying the varsity experience. “I’m pretty happy about it; I wasn’t sure if I’d make it sophomore year,” said Redding.

“A younger team means less experience, but also means young hungry players,” said senior defensive lineman Nevin Place. “I am excited to be a leader for the younger and older players this year.”

Redding says the leaders of the team have been great.

“They’ve helped me with the transition from freshman to varsity,” Redding said

Gallon also said that the older players have been a great help,

“They push me to work hard and to never give up. They also help me in practice to do my best,” said Gallon.

Gallon said that senior Trey Lundquist has been the most influential on him

“He plays my position and he tells me what I’m doing wrong and right. He pushes me more,” Gallon said.

L u n d q u i s t said that he enjoys helping the younger players.

“I help them with routes and push them to hustle during practices. I try to teach them the game and help with my position,” said Lundquist.

“I try to keep them confident and when they make mistakes help them out,” Christmas said.

Sophomore Adonus Oden was not as nervous about playing in his first varsity game as would be expected.

“It was very exciting. It felt very good, all of the fans there,” said Oden.

photo/BROOKE FIDRICK

With so many new younger players this year, Coach Allen and his staff looks forward to working with this “very talented group” this year and beyond. The coaching staff’s expectations for all players are the same, however they train the younger players more slowly while still keeping expectations high.

Allen says the advantages of youth are lots of experience for next year, and a very talented group but the staff expects them to play like juniors/upper classmen this year.

The younger players said that the coaches have been great influences on them.

Oden said, “If I have a problem they help me out and boost me up.”

Lundquist said that the players and coaches all have good relationship this year “All of us are close to our coaches.”

Two of last years graduating seniors Garret Wilkins and Xavier McGinnis were key loses

“They were huge losses, but we have changed up our offense to accommodate the athletic personnel,” said Bortles. “We only lost one starter from our offensive line, so they are experienced, fast, and look to play well this year.”

The win against Lake Howell really boosted the team’s confidence,

“It was great because we were on a losing streak,” said Lundquist.

The Lake Howell game was also Coach Allen’s second game and his first win as head coach.

“It was Coach Allen’s first win as our coach and he definitely deserved it,” said Lundquist.

All of the seniors have goals for this year’s season, but Gallon said that his goal is to get noticed by college scouts and help my team win a state championship. Proving that these young players are determined to make a strong impression on this team.

When senior Nevin Place was asked who this year is your toughest opponent his response was “Ourselves.”

Hail to Oviedo High. During the Lake Howell game, the football team place their helmets together for a team huddle.

“We knew we had to score to win so we didn’t hang our heads. We knew we could come back. We weren’t scared”

Trey Lundquist, ‘09

photo/GRAHAM CHRISTENSEN

Allen brings new philosophy to the fieldLions Tale: So far, in your short tenure as head coach, what has been your biggest struggle?Head Coach Wes Allen: “Everythings gone pretty smoothly. The hardest issues have probably been practice schedules, the hurricanes, and injuries. Injuries and hurricanes the most, though.”

LT: How did your experiences in college football help with your coaching methods?Allen: “I use a lot of things we did. We try to run this like a college football program. Workouts over the summer, practice schedules, and even our game plans.”

LT: How did it feel after the loss to Hagerty High School, our archrivals?Allen: “It hurt. I’m proud of the kids, though, for the second half they displayed. It showed we can come back and be a great team. I honestly don’t know if I want to win anymore than I do now.”

LT: What players do you expect to breakout this season?Allen: “Trey Lundquist had a great off-season. Collin Christmas is a leveling force on offense. Adonus Oden, who was injured last year, is also doing an outstanding job on offense”

Allen: “Well, the coaches break down the film from the game to see what went on, and we start washing the clothes to get a head start on that. The players listen to Palm Dale and then they go to Froggers, and go over highlights from the game.”

LT: What goes on after each game?

-compiled by Zane Beard

SportsThe Lion’s Tale 19September 26, 2008

Brooke Fidrickstaff reporter

Though Jenny Barringer traveled to Beijing to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics, she still traces her spectacular successes back to a supportive high

school career.“Oviedo helped prepare me for ‘life’ because of the

constant encouragement I had while I was there and the space I was given to explore exactly who I am and who I want to become. There’s no way high school can mimic college or professional athletics and it shouldn’t. Oviedo did me the favor of allowing me to be and act my age and enjoy being a teenager,” said Barringer. “There’s a lot of pressure and expectations at this point in my life. I can embrace them fully because I was able to begin running and develop in those early years without the high intensity that I experience at this higher level.”

After graduating from OHS in 2005, Barringer enrolled at Colorado University to compete in track and field. In 2008, she earned the chance to compete in the Beijing Summer Olympic Games, finishing third in the trial heat. Among the first women to ever compete in the steeplechase (a 3,000 meter race covering seven water jumps and 28 hurdles), Barringer placed ninth in the Olympic heat and shattered an American record—finishing the event in nine minutes and 22 seconds.Former teachers recall fond memories

Barringer’s own influence left as much of a mark on the school as its influence left on her. Dr. Roy Starling, English III and AP English Literature teacher, recalls the fierce drive that dominated Barringer’s character.

“[Jenny was] a really hard-working student,” said Starling. “Back then, I asked every student to teach a poem. It was a big project--do research on it, some background, and have bells and whistles—whatever it takes to get the class involved. I said, ‘Who wants to go first?’ Jenny holds her hand up. Nobody else wanted to go. She said, ‘Yeah, I’ll go first.’ She told me, ‘I’m going to set the bar high. I want to go first. First place is my comfort zone.’ She knew the thing inside and out. She was able to lecture. She lectured, she had discussion, and she had a visual aid—it was a Robert Frost poem on apple picking, so she made this big thing that looked like apples but when you picked one it was a question, and she was asking them. It was just absolutely astounding. She did set the bar high. For that reason, most of the rest of them were pretty ambitious.”

Starling makes note of high-achieving students with a “Fab Five” display on his classroom bulletin board. Students who receive scores of five on their AP exams receive recognition for posterity with their pictures and names on this board. Barringer herself holds a spot on this board under the “Lit 2005” section.

French teacher Sandy Bierkan took Barringer to France as part of an annual French class extended field trip.

“Jenny was in one of the groups that I took to France. When she was a junior here, I believe, between her junior and senior year,” said Bierkan. “We went to France and she totally immersed herself in the culture. She tried as hard as she could to speak French, of course that meant so much to me. She really was such an open-minded person… Jenny and I got to be very close. We could talk about anything.”

After she competed in a track event in France, Barringer sent a jacket she wore in that competition to Bierkan. Barringer also presented Bierkan with a piece of special memorabilia from her Olympic experience.

“She actually, through her mom, sent me an 8 by 10 photograph of her after she won the Olympic trials and wrote an inscription on it. Her mom told me that she sent a lot of pictures to a lot of people but she only wrote an inscription on two of them and I got one of them. That gets me teary-eyed,” said Bierkan.Competitive nature integral to Olympic success

Starling remembers Barringer’s strong sense of competition.

“She was a cold competitor,” said Starling. “I think that’s what it takes to be Olympian. When she beat this girl,

she caught this girl as far as from [Starling’s classroom] to Mr. Jesse’s room. In just the last few seconds, she kicked in and beat the girl on the line in just the last few seconds. She turned to the girl and said, ‘I bet you thought I wasn’t going to catch you.’”

Barringer also recognizes this nature in herself.“I really enjoy competing just for the pure sport of

out-training, out-paining, and especially out-witting my opponents,” said Barringer. “I feel you can have great competition while still respecting your competitors. Crush them, then shake their hand and wish them a safe trip home.”

Personal faith and potential opportunities also motivate Barringer.

“I also feel very strongly that God has designed and gifted me in a special way to excel in my sport. I want to make the most of the opportunities ahead and that motivates me to take nothing for granted. How many people can be excellent at what they do with a stadium of 90,000 people watching them? I feel blessed that what I do has

such a big stage and I want to give everyone a show worth watching,” said Barringer.Character remains unchanged despite stardom

While Jenny’s OHS coach Jay Getty (now a Cross Country, Track and Field, and Soccer coach as well as Assistant Athletic Director at Hagerty) may have kidded Barringer about becoming an Olympic athlete, he knew from her first run that she had something special. Still, watching his former athlete compete on national television was a moment he won’t soon forget.

“She ran some stuff with us when she was an eighth grader during the summer when she was making the transition. [She had a] talented, clean form. Definitely something we

looked at to say had some potential we hadn’t seen in recent years…[it’s] very surreal at times to watch her on TV and on interviews to know that’s the same kid that babysat my children in high school,” said Getty.

To Bierkan, Barringer remains as grounded and normal as she was before her track career sky-rocketed.

“She is so humble. She is so friendly. She’s just the kind of person that makes you feel her sincerity from the get-go. With all that she’s accomplished, she has remained as humble as the first day I met her as a freshman,” said Bierkan.

Barringer herself feels that despite her nearly-superhuman accomplishments, her character has remained intact.

“Do I feel like a different person... no way! I still wake up grumpy in the mornings and know the road ahead to 2012 will be just as difficult as the road to 2008 was,” said Barringer.

However, Barringer feels guilty knowing the accomplishments of others won’t be acknowledged like hers on such a grandiose scale.

“What might be different is a little strand of guilt inside of me now that I’ve returned,” said Barringer. “I have achieved the highest level of track and field and so many people were able to celebrate it with me. I experienced and enjoyed the feeling of support and love from everyone I know then thousands more.”

Barringer believes the excellence of being an Olympic athlete parallels the excellence of less-vaunted accomplishments.

“The guilt comes when I recognize equal excellence in people around me such as my roommate who carries a nearly perfect GPA, teen mentors at my church, fellow teammates that run 100+ miles a week, my university professors that research and publish groundbreaking studies,” said Barringer.

“I recognize how equally excellent in the areas they pursue yet, 90,000 people will never honor Rachel’s GPA, thank the mentors, calculate our men’s mileage, or read m y professors articles. If there were Olympics in their interests I think they would do even better than my heralded 9th.”

OVIEDO OLYMPIANBarringer represents Lions at 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics

Courtesy/JANET BARRINGEROHS GRADUATE SHINES. (Top left) Jenny Barringer jumps over a hurdle during the 2008 Bejing Olymics where she placed ninth. (Bottom left) Barringer, Number 3138, jumps over the hurdle into the water during the steeplechase, which also includes a multitude of terrains. (Above) Barringer smiles as she receives the third place medal at the Olympic trial ceremony.

“Oviedo helped prepare me for ‘life’ because of the constant encouragement I had while I was there and the space I was given to explore exactly who I am and who I want to become.”

Jenny Barringer, ‘05

Sports The Lion’s Tale20 September 26, 2008

Lady Lions remain undefeatedTEAM TRIUMPH. (Top left) Jacqueline Neff [number 9] spikes the ball. (Bottom Left) Juniors Gabrielle Ruiz and Jennifer Ward and senior Brittany Maggio prepare for the opposing team’s serve. (Right) The team huddles together to celebrate another win.

photo/GRAHAM CHRISTENSEN

Connor Baileysports editor

Junior Sam Bloomfield had only played eight seconds before he cracked and dislocated his fifth vertebrate.

After his opening kickoff against Lyman, Sam made a touchdown saving tackle against Lyman’s Jordan Jackson.

“I went to make the tackle and when I made contact I landed on my back and could not move and I could not feel my body. I felt like a turtle on it’s back,” said Sam.

After Sam hit the ground Lyman’s coach had all the players exit the field.

Sam’s parents, physical trainers, and coaches immediately surrounded him.

According to the Sep. 21 edition of the Orlando Sentinel, the paramedics immediately immobilized Sam’s head and removed his facemask before he was transported to the hospital.

Sam was surprisingly in good spirits on the field after the accident.

“The Talladega Night’s movie scene was going through my mind. I was laughing,” said Sam.

Sam’s sophomore year chemistry teacher, Scott Waisanen, said he [Bloomfield] always was an upbeat student.

“He was engaging and always had fun things to add to the class,” said Waisanen.

“After Sam was taken to the hospital, Coach Allen held his facemask during the rest of the game,” said sophomore Michael Beavers.

Before resuming the game, both of the teams met on the field and said a prayer and then began play again.

Unfortunately surgery was the only way to repair his severe injury.

“They had to cut open the front and back of my neck to repair my fourth and fifth vertebrate.

The surgeons tediously repaired his injury by bolting and plating his vertebrates.

After injuring a vertebrate as bad as Sam did, the doctors would usually predict that the patient would be a paraplegic and be on a respirator for the rest of his life.

But, Sam defied the odds.“I am able and up walking, but my right hand is hard

to use right now,” said Sam. Before Sam returns to school, he has to travel to

Atlanta for physical therapy for a month, but will return to school following that.

Kicker undergoes neck surgery

The whistle blows. The lady varsity volleyball team in sweaty uniforms come to a stop, pant, breathe hard and prepare for instructions from

coach Chad Long. “Play chess, not checkers,” he says, blows the whistle and practice begins again.

The theory requires the team to use new strategies and tactics to not just defeat their opponent but to outwit them.

Despite graduating seniors last year, that went on to play for Division 1 schools, the Lady Lions team is equipped with an all-star lineup this year.

“In the last three years we have won over 96 percent of all our matches. That is on all levels; the varsity, JV and freshman,” said Long.

Last year the team tied for conference and district champions. This year the same if not more is a goal for the Lady Lions.

“We practice really hard,” said senior middle blocker Samantha Boesch. “And we are the only volleyball team that works out everyday.”

The fairly young team consists of mostly upperclassmen with the exception of sophomore outside hitter Jacqueline Neff who has showed outstanding commitment to the sport, according to Long.

“Its pretty cool to be on varsity,” said Neff. “I get to learn a lot from my older teammates.”

The lions have started the season with a shutout winning their first six games (6-0); including defeating conference rival Hagerty High School.

“It felt good to beat them [HHS],” said junior Jennifer Ward. “They were talking a lot of smack, saying that it was their year to beat Oviedo, just very cocky.”

The Lions defeated Hagerty 25-10 in the first set, 25-9 in the second set, and 25-20 in the third.

“Our strategy is to play our best volleyball when districts come around in October,” said Boesch. “We also work to play smarter than the other teams.”

In the recent video broadcast, the Orlando Sentinel varsity forum praised the Oviedo lady lions as the unexpected team to dominate the Seminole conference.

“Everyone thinks we are the underdogs,” said Boesch. “This year we’re using the element of surprise.”

With other great teams in the Seminole conference, the Lady Lions have a tough schedule ahead of them despite being undefeated now.

Lake Howell, their toughest opponent, is yet to come.“This year we play Lake Howell twice,” said Boesch.

“We rival with them because we tied with them in the conference last year.”

“Strength is our work ethic,” said Long.

Tien Holmesstaff reporter

The girls practice everyday during 6th period and after school.

“We have intense practices,” said Ward. “We work a lot on serving which are the two of the most important skills of the game.”

Senior setter Alexa Dahlstrom is one of the star players mentioned in the varsity review. The 6’2 star takes on more than just being the tallest person on the team.

“With last years seniors gone, someone has to stand up and take their position and people are actually doing that. I help hype up the team when we get a point or something I get excited scream and yell,” said Dahlstrom.

Boesch adds that they [the team] did lose a lot of players but they are confident in their ability to win conference again this year.

Dedicated fan Alex Lopez attends the majority of the games not just because some of her close friends play on the team.

“Volleyball is much different than say football,” said Lopez. “It’s like your right there, and they need to be

supported just as much as other sports. Especially since we are this good being undefeated and everything.”

In the game against Winter Springs, the team was down by 11 and came back to win the match.

“Coming back from 11 was the highlight of the season so far,” said Neff.

Undefeated in the conference, the girls look unstoppable.

“We don’t foresee any challenges this year,” said Long. “We plan on being the challenge this year.”

“In the last three yeras we have won over 96 percent of all our matches.That is on all levels; the varsity, JV and freshmen.”

Chad Long, Head Coach

Upcoming gamesUpcoming games

10/23 OHS vs Lake Howell

10/2 OHS vs Winter Springs

10/9 OHS @ Lake Mary

10/7 OHS vs Seminole

10/6 OHS @ Lake Howell

10/16 OHS vs Hagerty

10/20 OHS vs First Academy

7 PM

7 PM

7 PM

7 PM

7 PM

7 PM

7 PM

Connor Baileysports editor

Softball team off to a productive start

H alf way through the season, the Lady Lions slow pitch softball team tear right through their opponents.

The Lions have had impressive wins over Lake Howell, Winter Springs, and Lyman this season.

With a strong record of 6-2 the team looks to repeat their conference championship of last year’s season.

The only two loses the team has suffered this year are to Lake Brantley.

“We play them soon and we need to beat them this time,” said senior Stephanie Shoup.

There are eight experienced seniors on the team this year.

“It’s not that much different than any other year. It’s just that you set the standard and examples for the underclassmen,” said Shoup about being a leader.

Surprisingly the freshman this year are impressive.

“We have three freshman that are very athletic this season. It’s very exciting,” said Shoup.

With only seven more games left in the season [excluding playoffs] the team is expected to have a winning season.

The fast pitch season is already starting conditioning and is hoping to compliment the slow pitch season.

Volleyball

SportsThe Lion’s Tale 21September 26, 2008

-

KELLAN REGISTER

I saw him rip off his shirt-Principal Lundquist, of course.

You remember the last pep rally when we were bragging about how we were going to tame the “puppies”, aka the Huskies.

The fires of this rivalry burst into roaring flames when Mayor Mary-Lou Andrews announced she would present the Cup of Oviedo to the team that won.

We didn’t win the cup. We lost (35-28). Eh, not a big deal, right?

It’s just a football game. No. In fact, this game became so intense I

saw people getting jumped, fights coming out of nowhere, because fans were wearing orange (What a good color!) and fans were wearing blue (What a bad color!).

This rivalry had a student from Hagerty arrested and suspended from school.

C’mon now.That’s ridiculous. Neither school is gang affiliated, so why do the fans have to rep their colors, school colors mind you, so hard that ambulances and the Oviedo Police Department have to be called to the game?

We’re the better school, right? Rhetorical because I know we are. Of course we are. A+ school seven out of the last nine years. Our athletics-superb.

The school down the street, does not compare to the greatness of OHS.

Yet, as fans we got caught up in the cheers and the taunts from the other school.

Naturally we tend to pump out our chest, roar and claim territory. Oviedo will always be ours. No stupid cup can determine if Lions or Pups run the city.

It’s like Scooby-Doo trying to buck up to Mufasa. Mr. Krabs VS Plankton. N’sync vs The Backstreet Boys. You catch my drift.

I’m sure the Mayor had good intentions with the institution of this cup thing.

But it’s not really about who wins a cup or not. Real champions don’t have to fight during a football game, feel discouraged because they lost the cup to the city.

Winning the cup would’ve been nice, the prize at the end of the victory would’ve been nice too. One day, the cup will sit in the right hallways, behind the right plexiglass.

As for now, relax. Take a chill pill. It wasn’t that serious.

Fight when fighting is necessary, not when something frivolous is at stake. The cup of Oviedo belongs to Oviedo, whether at OHS or HHS.

HITTING THE TEE WITH:

Girls swimming strides towards the finish

Inhale.Exhale.Swim. Junior Debin Long competes in the breastroke relay Sept. 24 against Lake Howell High and Hagerty High .photo/Carly McCarthy

Swimmers look to upcoming FSPA meetGirls swimming have been on par this season. The

girls (5-2) have defeated Circle Christian High, Lake Howell High, Lyman High, and rival Hagerty High.

The distinguished players on the team include sophomore Brittany Skeels and sophomore Paige Moorhead. Coach Charlie Rose expects two boys and two girls to attend the upcomming regionals.

Senior Dustin Keyes is among the boys on the mens team who has shown outstanding progress and leadership.The men look to improve on their record of 4-3. The FSPA Invitationals are upcomming on Oct. 10-11. Catch the teams in action at the Oviedo Aquatic Center where they practice and have meets.

Golf looks to invitational

With a record of 4-8, the boys golf team looks forward to the game against Lake Howell at Deer Run on October 2. The Lions are expected to play

in the Bishop Moore Invitational at Forest Lake Oct. 4.

Girls bowling leading SAC conference

Leading the conference 8-0, the Lady Lions bowling team is undefeated. Junior Julie Leonard averages a 192, the highest of any of the girls competing

in the conference this year. The ladies go against rival Hagerty High Oct. 6 at the Longwood Lanes.

Tien Holmes staff reporter

The Roar

Rivalry sparks uproar at Hagerty game

Upcoming GamesOctober 1stBoys Varsity Bowling-Baker Tournament 3:30pmBoys and Girls Swimming-4:00pmFreshman football Vs Lake Brantley-5:30pm JV football Vs Lake Brantley-7:30pmVarsity girls slow pitch-7:30 pmOctober 2ndBoys Varsity golf Vs Lake Howell-3:30pmGirls Varsity golf Vs Lyman-3:30pmOctober 3rdBoys Varsity football Vs Lake City Columbia- 7:30pmOctober 4thBoys and Girls Cross Country-Titusville Invite 7:30amNJROTC Emory Riddle field meet-6:00am

Lion’s Tale: When did you first realize you enjoyed playing golf?Kellen Register: In the summer of eighth grade, on a trip to South Carolina.LT: Who is your favorite pro? KR: Myself, haha. Mark Hedberg.LT: What is your favorite type club to use?KR: Five iron because of it’s accuracyLT: Is there any rituals you do before you take a swing?KR: I take my club from the bag, I stare at it, then I stand behind the ball, line up and extend my arms and then SWING!LT: Which do you prefer, regular gold, or putt-putt golf?KR: Putt-Putt golfLT: When did you first bounce onto the golf scene?KR: When my family joined the Tuscawilla Country Club when I was 14. LT: Subway or Quiznoes?KR: Subway all day every day. The guy [Jared] is my role model.LT: Have you ever participated in another sport?KR: Yeah, I played basketball, soccer, softball, lacrosse, cross country and ran track in the eighth grade.

with Zane Beard

Op-edLION’S TALEOUR WORD

Right to drink goes with being adult

Currently the minimum drinking age is set at 21, but a recent initiative by Ivy League college presidents asks

for lowering the drinking age to 18. It is said that the United States has one

of the most strict youth drinking laws in the Western World. In countries such as Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Canada, 18 year olds can drink.

In the US, when a minor turns 18, children turn into adults, are considered mature enough to choose the direction of our country through the right to vote. They can be tried as an adult in court, enter into binding contracts, own and drive automobiles, be executed, serve on juries, fly airplanes, be sued, and go to war, and possibly die for their country. So why not drink?

Perhaps parents would feel more pressure to teach responsible drinking if the age were lowered. High schools would have more of an obligation to educate students on alcohol,

Drunken driving penalties could be increased to help curb offenses.

Being able to legally drink at 18 would help law enforcement officers concentrate on arresting criminals, not teens with beer bottles.

According to experts, alcohol is readily available to most teens who want to drink. Being able to drink in an established business would provide some supervision and safety.

We believe that while there will still be problems related to drinking, it is only fair to allow all adults to have the same rights-including the right to drink.

The Lion’s Tale provides an open forum for students, teachers, and the members of this community. Letters to the editor and guest columns are welcome and may be written and submitted to Deborah Jepson’s room 21-020. Anonymous columns or letters will not be printed, though names may be withheld upon request.

Kevin Baird staff reporter

Outstretched on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, beads of sweat streaked around my eyes. Despite

the occasional critical glance from the other visitors, I felt no remorse over dozing on a national monument.

These looks might have bothered me, once upon a time, but I found myself preoccupied with more trivial matters - like whether or not my feet would be bleeding by the time I got back to the hotel.

And yet, in a way, it had bothered me, though likely not in the manner intended by my fellow sightseers. The source of my anguish was a simple question—

Were the homeless ever subject to these exact same glances?

A solid three months have passed since then, and I still fail to comprehend how the less fortunate manage to survive in a place like Washington DC - where marble is synonymous with bedtime and streetlights act as impromptu clotheslines.

On Capitol Hill, homelessness isn’t just

an eyesore, or an epidemic; its a way of life for 15,000 people, according to Dane, the thoroughly unsettling conductor of a local trolley tour.

The people on the streets of DC aren’t even of the shiftless variety that most people tend to think of when the term ‘vagrant’ comes up in conversation. Some Others Might Eat, an organization that aims to help the poor and homeless within our nation’s capitol, has determined the majority are high school graduates; that almost half have a job of some sort. Regrettably, a blue-collar career can’t always put a roof above your head in a district like Washington.

Statistics even show that about one-fourth of the entire homeless face in the United States is made up of prior-veterans, a fact that is sadly evident on the streets and in the parks of our nation’s capitol.

I first arrived in the District of Columbia as an obvious tourist. Fatigued by a two-hour flight and toting a bag whose weight rivaled my own, I was instantly confronted by members of the homeless crowd. Though various vagrants wandered about the crowds of clean-cut businessmen pleading for pity, this man had stood out to me. Nameless, he was decked out in a blue and orange Hawaiian shirt.

While cars sputtered by and horns sounded off in the distance, he stood upon his invisible soapbox, hidden behind black-rimmed shades.

I had initially assumed he was speaking

on a headset - as I do with everyone who confers with the unseen. But, I spent enough time perched at the edge of the sidewalk, eavesdropping on his conversations with himself, to know this wasn’t the case.

He said, “Its not about the money. I don’t want your dividend checks. It was my civic responsibility, and I take pride in what I was able to do. It’s just shame I could spare this world another race war.”

It was at this point that he began to repeat himself, like an audio player set to loop, and I wondered if the words that existed in his head had ever been part of a real-life conversation. It was at that point that I took my leave.

The next beggar I was exposed to I called “Walkman.” He shuffled about on the street corner down from my hotel, repeating the word “Walk” over and over again - only occasionally breaking this pattern for the obligatory, “Spare a quarter?”

It truly broke my heart that I had

nothing to offer.What disturbed me more, however,

is the fact that the homeless aren’t even treated as human beings in DC. Sprawled out on concrete with a palm raised to the sky, I found it hard to walk by without being overcome by guilt. Most people made a habit of avoiding eye contact and keeping their mouths closed, but I took it upon myself to look at them and flash a smile, even if only to reaffirm their existence.

After all, homelessness is always just a paycheck away - for most of us, that is.

illustration/KEVIN BAIRD

Guilt overwhelms tourist as homeless spill over monuments

“There is much to be said in favour of modern journalism. By giving us the opinions of the uneducated, it keeps us in touch with the ignorance of the community.”

The human

Oviedo High School601 King Street, Oviedo FL 32765 • Phone: 407-320-4199 • Fax: 407-320-4213

The Lion’s Tale belongs to CSPA,NSPA, and FSPA. We reserve the right to refuse ads. The views of the staff do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, staff, or faculty of Oviedo High School. Advertising and editorial policies are on file in the newspaper room. (21-020)

Editors-in-Chief: Miranda Ghali, Stacey SterlingNews Editor: Victoria PersampiereFeatures Editor: Marsha GibbsDiversions Editors: Carly Brower, Emily CottrellSports Editor: Connor BaileyOp-Ed Editors: Brooke Fidrick, Jordan Hugh SamPhoto Editors: Graham Christensen, Brooke FidrickStaff Artists: Miranda Harmon, Michael MangosStaff Technician: Graham ChristensenAdvertising Editors: Ryan Fuerst, Ryden ButlerFaculty Advisor: Deborah Jepson

Administrative Advisor: Anna McCarthyPrincipal: Robert W. LundquistStaff Reporters: Kenny Anderson, Carson Bailey, Kevin Baird, Bridgitte Batista, Zane Beard, Caitlyn Braswell, Tien Holmes, Amy Judah, Maggie Kipi, Tova Kranz, David Parsons, Colin Perry, Tiffany Ray, Caitlin Smith, Ariel Sowers, Julia Thorncroft, Kevin Veloso

Lion’s Tale is accessible through the OHS web page.

Oscar Wilde

element

Op-Ed The Lion’s Tale22 September 26, 2008

Op-EdThe Lion’s Tale September 26, 2008 23

Tigers poised to go way of dodo

Miranda Harmon staff artist

This is not a column about global warming. This is not a column about Barack Obama, John McCain, or any

politician. This is not about electric cars, gay marriage, gas prices, or the latest leap and/or bound in technology.

No, no, this is something a little more specific, a little more under the radar, and to some of you, probably a little less exciting.

I’m talking about tigers. Panthera tigris. The large, orange, striped cats that are steadily dropping in numbers, and slowly but oh-so-surely becoming more and more endangered each day.

Tigers don’t talk, they can’t work for us, they provide no essential resources, and certainly can’t pay us. So why bother?

Because this is bigger than money. This is an entire species.

It’s estimated that there are approximately 4,000 tigers left in the wild, as opposed to the 100,000 alive a century ago.

This is 2008, an election year, and there are plenty of issues to be concerned about. However, whether you’re a conservative or a liberal, a Christian Fundamentalist or an Atheist, it’s undeniable that tigers are disappearing.

It is a problem. Here’s why.

The very thought of extinction, that tigers could vanish and never come back, is no longer impossible.

Tigers are disappearing mainly due to human activity, such as habitat loss and poaching throughout certain parts of Asia. Whether or not tigers can give back is beside the point.

If the tigers die out, it won’t harm us physically. The food chain won’t collapse, nor will the economy.

However, it’ll be a sad day when we take our kids to the zoo and the tiger pit is empty. So what can we do to make sure tigers don’t go the way of the dodo? How can we make sure that when our grandchildren read Calvin and Hobbes comics, they won’t think that Hobbes is a mythical creature?

In order to help, you don’t have to trek out into the wild jungles of India and dress tigers in bulletproof vests. Nor do you have to travel halfway around the world to plant trees, or keep a tiger healthy and well fed in your home.

It’s actually a lot easier than that, and won’t require travel, or bulletproof vests.

Certain organizations, such as Save the Tiger Fund and the World Wildlife Fund help out tigers directly, and in order to help them

they require donations. By checking out their websites, donating, or simply telling others, in some way you’re helping. As it turns out, the Central Florida Zoo is currently raising money to build a Sumatran tiger exhibit. By taking two cubs from other zoos, they could very well produce offspring and help the struggling Sumatran tiger population. Just going to see the exhibit when it opens will help.

If we made a mistake, it’s up to us to try and fix it, and right now that’s about all we can do. Trust me, your efforts don’t go unappreciated.

So lend a hand and save the tigers. Your grandchildren will thank you.

illustration/MIRANDA HARMON

Need a hero? Grab a comic

Stacey Sterling co-editor-in-chief

I have been stuck in prison for almost 12 years. No, not literally. Of course I am talking about school. I remember the many mornings when my

mom would walk into the room and attempt to wake me up for school because I slept through my alarm.

I remember the many days when I felt that I would die from exhaustion due to lack of sleep, and an overwhelming amount of homework.

I remember the many days when I would arrive at school and wish I could be anywhere but here.

Somewhere between the late night homework, and the Friday night football games, I realized how little time I have left.

I awoke for my last first day of high school an extra 20 minutes earlier, just to meet some friends at McDonald’s for breakfast.

We all sat around the table enjoying our orange juice, ice blended coffee, and tea. We talked about how we wanted our senior years to go, and what we hoped to accomplish this year. We also talked about how crazy we were for getting up so early just to spend time with each other.

As we left, three of us went to Oviedo High School, and one to Hagerty High School. I never will forget that morning and how we were all just happy to see each other on our last first day of high school.

Upon arriving at school, I ran into my friends who I hadn’t spent much time with since leaving school in June. I quickly greeted my friends, and talked about how crazy it would be to walk all the way from Building 21 to Building 12 this year with the demolition of the courtyard.

I entered Building 8, and gazed at the unfamiliar building and the odd numbering on the classrooms. The barney colored floors, and the awkward colored lockers began to distract me as I tried to find myself a new locker.

I knew that I was supposed to be a senior, but I somehow felt like I was showing up for my first day of high school, with the unfamiliar building and the non-existent commons.

I had expected the days to go slower for some reason. I can hardly remember standing in line to get my senior sticker, or where I went off campus for lunch.

I ask not only the seniors, but every student to enjoy high school while it lasts. Some days school seems like it will never end, but it passes by quicker than you realize. Cherish every moment, laugh at every embarrassing mistake, and take as many pictures as possible.

Before you know it, school will be over and you will be released from everything you have ever known into the real world.

I’ve been a fan of comics and movies for a while now and I’m beginning to see how much these two mediums are starting to blend together.You can’t go to the movies anymore without

seeing a preview for the latest Marvel or DC superhero movie.

Faithful comic book movie adaptations have become popular lately, as seen in this summer’s Iron Man, The Dark Knight or even that forgettable Hulk remake. More people spend their money to see their favorite hero come to life on the silver screen.

Maybe it’s just a trend or Hollywood really has run out of ideas but I think it’s something more.

Movie producers and directors realized that both normal moviegoers and avid comic fans are more than willing to pay to see a movie that is based on a comic that has a popular fan base and compelling characters.

The fans want to watch their favorite hero on-screen and the casual moviegoers want to see why the comic is so popular without having to read it.

But whether you’ve been a faithful Batman fan

since pre-pubescence and dressed up as the Joker for the midnight premiere, or you just wanted to pay your respects to Heath Ledger and be there to see one of the most unforgettable performances Hollywood is here to cater to you.

I’m no expert but I know that if a certain genre of movie makes money you can probably expect them to make more. Heck, how do you think those terrible parody movies like Epic Movie keep getting made? It’s because it appeals to a huge demographic of moviegoers. In this case, pre-teens who can’t get enough fart jokes.

Superhero movies are bankable for several reasons. Most draw their stories from years of established plot lines, characters and basic human conflicts.

No, I’m not talking about trying to relate to Peter Parker by remembering the time you were bitten by a spider. I’m talking about those of us who relate to his human side, the awkward geek who finds confidence only when he imagines himself as someone else and, in his case, becomes that someone else.

Movies are a great way to experience these stories but I encourage those of you who don’t know much about Hellboy or Iron Man but have an interest in them to go to your local comic store and

pick up some comics. I know what you’re thinking, “I don’t want to

go to a comic store, I’ll look like a dork.” Well, here’s the good news, everyone else in

that store is a dork and we don’t make fun of our own. Except for the Anime fans, but they deserve it.

By buying and reading some of these comics, you’ll discover some interesting things about a hero you just can’t get enough of on the big screen, like the fact that the eye-catching yellow bat symbol on Batman’s chest is bullet-proof and meant to act as a target for gunmen.

You’ll also notice that comics and comic book inspired movies usually become more popular

during times of crisis. For instance, the first comics appeared in

the thirties during a time of economic collapse, when America was on the brink of World War II. People were looking for escapism and heroes they could look up to. They got

what they wanted when the first issue of Superman was released in 1938.

We are in a similar situation now. Our economy is terrible and we’re involved in a botched war. We are looking for escapism and heroism and now that film technology has

caught up with the creativity of comic books we can experience these stories in the way past generations could not,

at the theater.So whether you enjoy reading about your

favorite hero or watching him on the big screen kicking crazy clown butt, it’s an exciting time to be a comic book fan.

Miranda’s Marvelous

Musings

Senior year flies by fast

Slice of

Life

“Yes, because if I am allowed to die for my country I should be allowed to have a beer.” Tyler Baker, ‘10

“No, because I think if they lowered it to 18, people would be immature and not drink responsibily.” Monica Kiefer, ‘10

BecausePobody’s Nerfect

Michael Mangos staff reporter

Poll out of 100 students taken 9/24

illustration/MICHAEL MANGOS

Sports The Lion’s Tale24 September 26, 2008

David Parsonsstaff reporter

Junior Mackenzie Gill places her palms flat on the ground before the world suddenly turns on its head.

She raises her head slightly to keep her eyes facing forward, her mind concentrated on one thing and one thing only.

She contorts her body in a way that would be painful for many and impossible for most, the tips of her feet dangling just into her line of vision as she walks forward on her hands before flipping herself once more, and landing feet first on the mat.

Ever since she was eight, Gill has been involved in acro, a type of dance that combines classical ballet styles with acrobatic elements. Well-known for its physically demanding nature and its distinctive choreography, acro has become popular both at the amateur and professional levels; its form is most famously displayed by Cirque du Soleil.

“A lot of my friends got into it first, and told me that it was a lot of fun,” says Gill. “I was also really drawn by what it was: it’s basically all the things you’d normally get in trouble with your parents for doing as a kid – cart wheels, flips, and other tricks that you could potentially hurt yourself doing – all pulled into one sport.”

But acro isn’t all fun and games: it requires a lot of hard work to be really successful.

“Sundays are the really big classes-they last generally around six hours, and most of that time is spent doing competition routine rehearsals, trying to make all the details as perfect as we can. Weekdays are more experimental; if there’s anything new we want to try, we do it then.”

If that wasn’t enough, Gill explains that acro’s multifaceted nature makes a versatile approach to training the best one. She also takes other classes in conjunction with acro jazz, ballet, and lyrical dance, to name a few, that all intertwine and allow her to improve in multiple aspects of acro at once.

In total, she spends over 12 hours a week in acro-related classes.Not surprisingly, this creates a rather difficult time crunch to overcome.

“Homework can be a real problem sometimes, so I really had to learn to utilize my time at school well. But sometimes that’s not enough, and I have to take my homework to the studio to work as much as I can during breaks.”

Although at the time it may seem a bit overwhelming, Gill says it all pays off when the competitions roll around.

“At my very first competition, I almost felt a little unprepared. I mean, it’s a completely different feeling; I was used to being one of the only people I knew who did something l i k e this, and all of a sudden I was

competing against a lot of people who were just as good as I was.”

However, Gill explains that being a competition veteran doesn’t necessarily make a dancer jitter-free.

“It can be really nerve-wracking at times because the judging is so picky. It is not enough for you to just do the tricks, you have to make them look good at the same time. They can take points off for some really small stuff, like not having your hands in the right position and exactly the right time.”

The huge amount of skill and precision that go into acro are some of its most exciting and appealing qualities. One of the reasons that Gill has stuck with acro for as long as she has is the reaction she gets from people on the subject.

“It’s definitely a wow factor for people,” Gill said, “Instead of just dancing, you’re doing something that’s dangerous which kind of scares people, so they’re usually much more impressed by it.”

Dangerous is right, it seems. No athletic career is without its setbacks, and Gill’s own was mired a little over a year back after she tore the cartilage in her hip while performing a trick known as a “hand spring step-out.”

“I was used to having some pain every

CREATIVE CONTORTIONISTTwo surgeries plus month and a half in wheel chair can’t slow this junior down

I CAN FLY. Mackenzie Gill poses for a picture while performing a signature move called the ‘seal’, which is essentially a chest stand with feet together and straight. A normal chest stand involves a contortionist’s arms pushing against the floor, but she went beyond the standards, by researching and experimenting until she found a way to free the arms from the side.

photos/GRAHAM CHRISTENSEN

HOW TO FROM MACKENZIE GILL“The first step is all about getting my balance. I

have to concentrate on finding my center of balance before I rush into anything. Notice how I havent started to bend my body yet at all, and I am looking down. I am parallel. Once I get settled then I can start moving the rest of my body

The next step is, while maintaining concentration, starting to shift my weight. I slowly start to relax my back and move my upper body a little bit father back to counter act my feet and lower body moving forward.

It is like I rotated myself to maintain balance in a different position. From start to finish my body line has developed into a curvilinear shape, especially as I lift my head. I can do this and maintain balance because I already found my center of balance and didnt need to keep looking at the ground for help/support. All I have to worry about now is smiling for the camera!”

BALANCING ACT. The key to a successful elbow stand, says Gill, is finding the balance between two pressure points, in this case between the hands and elbows. “For most people an elbow stand along with other balance moves may require more effort, but because I have the advantage of back flexibility, it sends my center of balance farther over myself so I am virtually sitting on top of my body. Then I use my elbows and hands to make sure it stays that way.”

T FOR TERRIFIC. Handstands require great upper body strength and balance. Aside from the basic form of the trick, a large range of leg motions can be combined with a handstand to make a basic trick far more complex.

ON THE CHIN. Chest stands usually involve the arms pressing against the floor for balance to counteract the weight of the dancer’s body, but Gill has found a way to free up her arms to the side. “By moving my center of balance much farther forward it becomes a balance move, not so much of a strength move. There’s usually much more pressure on the chest, but with my “signature creation,” the pressure points are my chin and my collarbone. It took a while to get it right, but it was worth it!”

once in a while, but this was really persistent. I tried a lot of pain medications for a long time, but it wasn’t really helping. Eventually, I had to get hip surgery to repair the cartilage and muscle tissue, which actually took two surgeries to do. Afterwards, I had to spend a month and a half in a wheel chair, just watching and learning the choreography. Once I was cleared to practice again, the injury was still hindering what I was doing at first, so I began to focus more on contortion as my part of the team.”

Such injuries are not that uncommon on the acro team. “There’s usually about one major injury a season, but we have minor injuries almost constantly,” said GIll.

Anytime you have groups of people so close to each other tumbling, there’s always the chance that there’ll be a few collisions.”

But Gill won’t let anything, not even the surgery, slow her down. The season afterwards, she was out competing once again.

In the end, she says, it’s all worth it. “Sometimes you can tell the second you

finish that you were excellent; you can hear it from the crowd, from your coaches, and from yourself at the same time. Moments like that are the best parts of acro.”