Lion`s Tale Newspaper

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LION’STALE
OVIEDO HIGH SCHOOL • 601 KING STREET • OVIEDO, FL • 32765 • APRIL 27, 2016 • VOLUME 56 • ISSUE 6
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2 | NEWS | THE LION’S TALE | APRIL 27, 2016
The month
in photos
The
Photo’s Of
The Month
NHS elects new
leadership officers
WRITTEN BY NIYATI SHAH
This April, the National Honor Society elected a panel
of officers to serve in the 2016-2017 school year.
The officers are juniors David Son for President, Carly
Mitchell as Vice President, Sara Costello as Treasurer,
Kailey Davis as Secretary, Braden Cronin as Reporter,
and Ishaan Singh as Historian.
The officers have a distinct plan in mind for next year.
“More point opportunities and doing things more as a
club are our priorities,” Davis said.
The club wishes to expand their involvement by
including other clubs and groups, such as the special
needs population, Junior Optimist Club and Tri-M, the
music honors society at OHS.
They hope to gain prominence through social media.
“I really want to use SnapChat to post for different
events and to show that NHS isn’t just volunteer work,
and can be fun,” Cronin said.
The club is also planning to offer induction to new
members next fall.
Teacher uses Zika
virus outbreak in
classroom studies
WRITTEN BY FERN SILVA
In recent months, the Zika virus has become a very
large and frightening reality for the occupants of South
and Central America and the Caribbean Islands. The
virus causes fever, and can lead to a massive birth defect
in children, called microcephaly, that makes newborn
babies’ heads much smaller than expected.
Bioscience teacher Amy Demins has used the recent
outbreak as a way to highlight a section of her curriculum.
“Earlier in the year, we had a major unit on infectious
diseases, viruses, and the sorts,” Demins said. “I felt that
showing my students the effect of an outbreak will help
pound in the information more.”
To link the virus back to the class, Demins tied the
virus to a project.
“We applied the virus to a project we had been working
on, which talked about infectious diseases that had
affected, or are currently affecting, us humans,” Demins
said.
Demins also said there is really nothing to fear in
Florida.
“There have been a few cases so far in Florida, but
all are travel-related,” Demins said. “So while there is a
scare, nothing has come of it.”
According to the CDC website, all 85 cases of Zika
virus have been linked to travel to the central and south
American regions.
Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the
bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. These are the
same mosquitoes that spread dengue and chikungunya
viruses in other areas of the world.
These mosquitoes reproduce in still water, such as
lakes, ponds and bowls.
PHOTO BY INDIA PANTIN
PHOTO BY NIYATI SHAH
NHS ELECTION. The new National Honor Society
officers’
vision
includes increased volunteer
opportunities and association with more local
organizations.
COLORS IN CHEMISTRY. Sophomores enrolled in
chemistry classes participate in a tie-dye session
outside the science building, as per tradition in the
science department.
ZIKA ANALYSIS
How does it spread?
The virus spreads through
mosquito bites to humans.
Humans pass it on via blood,
intercourse, and pregnancy.
PHOTO BY DAVE TIBBETTS
TURNING LEFT. Sophomores Priscella Betts and
Kellie Kosmitis round the corner at the Lake Highland
Elite Classic track meet.
How can it be prevented?
-empty clean containers
that hold water
-utilize mosquito nets
-spray insect repellent
-wear long sleeves
What are the symptoms?
-red eyes
-rashes
-fatigue
-fever
-headache
-joint/muscle pain
INFOCOURTESYOF
CENTERFORDISEASECONTROL
PHOTO BY NIYATI SHAH
SAVVY SENIOR CITIZENS. Seniors channel their
inner elderly selves during senior week. Senior Sean
Tibbetts is emulating track and cross country coach
Tom Hamontree.
APRIL 27, 2016 | THE LION’S TALE | NEWS | 3
Staff react to recently-passed state education bills
WRITTEN BY NIYATI SHAH
Traditionally stringent rules about transferring
between high schools have grown lenient after
Governor Rick Scott signed the education bill HB
7029 on April 14.
The bill allows any student to transfer to any
school within the state as long as parents facilitate
transportation, students haven’t been expelled or
suspended, and schools have the space available
to admit students, according to the Orlando
Sentinel.
“Imagine a parent discovering the perfect school
for her child, a public school with just the right
magnet program or the right services for a child’s
unique abilities,” said Patricia Levesque from the
Foundation for Florida’s Future, a nonprofit public
policy organization. “There is space available
but she is locked out because she lives on the
wrong side of a district boundary line.... It is time
to tear down invisible barriers that block students
from
attending
schools that best
meet their needs,
School Choice
even when there is
available space.”
OHS, however,
limits on how much
does
not expect
districts can spend
to be drastically
building schools
impacted by the
bill.
creates funding for
“I think it will
state colleges if
have a minimal
they meet certain
impact on our
requirements related
school,”
said
Joe
to degree completion principal
Trybus.
“Right
and employment
now, they are
telling me that we
offers an opportunity
are at capacity.
for colleges, including
It could have an
UCF, to be declared an impact on non-at
“emergent preeminent capacity schools
state research
as far as adding
university” and earn
students to classes
money
and not having
the
appropriate
number
of
teachers to teach those classes, based on the
class size amendment that says all classes need
to be at 25.”
Economics teacher and girls basketball coach
Bill Bronga disapproves of the law.
“I don’t agree with the bill because I don’t think
that people are going to use the law in the right
way,” Bronga said. “I agree that you should have
some choice where a kid goes to school, but I’m
afraid they are going to make it too easy to abuse
the law. Too many kids will jump from school to
school for the wrong reasons.”
Football coach Ryan Hennessy is concerned
that sports may be among those “wrong reason.”
“It could create sports dynasties if it is not
regulated properly,” Hennessy said. “You could
see kids going somewhere for football, trying to
win a state title together, then go on to another
sport or school for maybe another semester for
basketball or baseball.”
The freedom of movement may also be
detrimental to the school atmosphere.
“It could change school atmosphere in that
there is less school spirit, less loyalty to a school,”
Hennessy said. “Like we see with professional
sports, where rather than athletes staying
wherever they are drafted, they jump from place to
place, trying to win. Instead of competing with the
best player from lacrosse in the city or the state,
an athlete will team up with that player and beat up
everyone else. Hopefully, it doesn’t happen.”
The families who will act upon this new
legislation will be middle class and affluent,
projects AP Physics teacher Art Woodruff.
“I would think it is the kids whose parents have
higher socioeconomic statuses and who value
education who will move their kids,” Woodruff said.
“The kids whose parents don’t have the means
or don’t have the understanding or time to worry
about their kids’ education will stay where they are.
The students who have the higher socioeconomic
parents typically are more involved--those are
typically the students who I would expect to move.”
For students aspiring to admission into a top
tier college, moving may be countereffective.
“I think colleges are going to want to see
stability, and jumping from school to school shows
a lack of stability,” Bronga said. “If it is between you
and your 4.0 GPA and you were at three different
schools, and someone else’s 4.0 GPA who just
dug in and was a part of that school for four years
and accomplished a lot there and was a part of
that community...which looks better to you, if you
are a college admissions officer?”
Hennessy believes there are many other
considerations to take into account when weighing
the pros and cons of this legislation.
“It doesn’t seem like it is in the best interest of
the schools or the state,” Hennessy said. “It goes
under the guise of less regulation, and it penalizes
kids who can’t afford to go to one place or another.
It gives an advantage to people who have the
means to transport themselves.”
In addition to the school choice bill, another
piece of legislation has surfaced in recent debate,
this time regarding teacher effectiveness.
The Best and Brightest Teacher Scholarship
Program rewards Florida’s teachers who are
considered “highly effective and who have earned
college entrance exam scores that indicate they
were exceptionally well-prepared for collegelevel coursework” with “ up to $10,000 bonuses
to qualifying teachers,” according to the Orlando
Sentinel and the Florida Department of Education
(FLDOE).
This program has been passed for the second
year.
AP U.S. History teacher Jessica Jenkins
outlines the discrepancy between test scores and
her performance in the classroom.
“I took my SAT in 1993 and I just barely missed
that 80%, so I wouldn’t receive the bonus,” Jenkins
said. “Yet, I am rated a highly effective teacher. In
my very first year of teaching, I took the AP program
from a less than 30% pass rate to over 50% pass
rate at OHS, and had a 99% pass rate on my EOC.
Yet, none of that factors in. The ACT or SAT that I
took way back when, or even present day, has no
reflection on or correlation to, what kind of teacher
I am or to the subject I am teaching.”
Environmental science teacher Joe Iacovino
agreed.
“It is akin to taking a look at what you did in
kindergarten,” Iacovino said. “Have you grown at
all? Your prefrontal cortex, the decision-making
part of your brain, doesn’t even fully develop until
you are 24. I don’t know if me at 17 really has
much to say about who I am now.”
The Florida Education Association, the state’s
largest teacher union, filed a complaint against
the Senate for this provision in December.
“Too many high-quality teachers in Florida
were denied access to this bonus program
because of the unfair and discriminatory rules and
short timeline set up by lawmakers,” said union
President Joanne McCall in a release regarding
the legislation. “This bonus plan wasn’t thought
out very well and wasn’t properly vetted in the
Legislature, and that has resulted in many good
teachers unfairly denied access to this bonus.”
The passing of this bill could discourage future
teachers, according to Jenkins.
“It is just one more piece of evidence to why
many people don’t see it as being a beneficial
career choice, even if it something they are
passionate about,” Jenkins said. “If they don’t
change policies such as this one, where really
highly effective teachers are not getting rewarded
for their effort, if they don’t change pay, if they don’t
change benefits, we are going to have a severe
shortage.”
Iacovino finds that
Best and Brightest
using
standardized
test scores, overall, to
assess performance is
unfair.
$45 million will be
“What does the
spent on funding
SAT really tell you?”
the scholarships
Iacovino said. “It tells
you whether a student
More than 5,500
is a good test taker or
teachers
qualified
not. It tells you more
about their testing
Many, including
strategies than about
Orange County
their knowledge. We
math teacher Josh
do it to the kids and it
clearly hasn’t been the
Katz, have spoken
answer.”
out against such
AP
Calculus policies on YouTube
teacher
Barbara
Kelly, who has been
teaching for 30 years, defines highly effective
differently than the Senate.
“If you are in your classroom and you are trying
your best to impart what you are supposed to
impart, if you are staying with the curriculum, doing
what you are supposed to do, I think you are highly
effective,” Kelly said.
4 | NEWS | THE LION’S TALE | APRIL 27, 2016
Reflecting, Reminiscing, Retiring
Retiring teacher recounts
changes throughout her career
WRITTEN BY HANNAH GIBILISCO the years is the increase in phone usage,”
Thompson said.
This year, the Oviedo High School
“When I first started, children did not
Science department is bidding farewell to have phones in the classroom. It causes
chemistry teacher Deborah Thompson.
them to be distracted. It makes teaching
Having taught both biology and very difficult.”
chemistry, she’s wrapping up her current
According to kidshealth.com, 71% of
occupation as a chemistry teacher as soon children express a dislike towards school
as summer comes around the corner.
and learning. This information is worrisome
Thompson reminisces upon her teaching to Thompson, and she wishes to see the
experience and
approach
to
vocalizes
her
learning change
Education must be refocused upon
hopes
of
life
in the future.
learning in its purest form.
beyond teaching.
Thompson
Thompson
says
that
Teacher Deborah Thompson
expresses
that
students, as of
seeing children’s
late, are going
lives progress outside of her classroom is a through the motions just to get by, rather
defining component of teaching.
than taking the time to actually know the
“A highlight that stands out to me is material.
when I run into children at the grocery store,
“Education must be refocused upon
and other public places,” Thompson said.
learning in its purest form, to ensure
Seeing her past students’ futures take that students are actually understanding
shape is imperative to Thompson.
concepts; rather than just going through the
“I love when they tell me about what’s motions,” she said.
going on in their lives and what their future
Thompson, despite her plans to travel to
plans are,” Thompson said. “It’s really one Italy this fall with her newly retired husband,
of the great parts about being a teacher.”
intends to keep her passion for teaching
From her years of teaching, Thompson ablaze.
notes that technology has taken a toll on
“I imagine I’ll be doing some tutoring,
the quality of her classroom.
and I want to try to keep my teaching
“The biggest change I’ve noticed over certificate,” Thompson said.
THE TEACHER’S TOIL
What
do teachers experience on a daily basis?
$49,000
per year
Average U.S.
teacher salary
12-16
hours
Average
teaching day
76%
of U.S.
teachers
are female
FLUCTUATING FACTORS
What obstacles must teachers handle?
Handling
growing class
sizes and
diversity
Finding
funding for
classroom
supplies
$$$
$$$
Preparing
for more
standardized
tests
APRIL 27, 2016 | THE LION’S TALE | NEWS | 5
THE LUNDY AWARDS
A set of superlatives for the class of 2016
Most Likely to be on SNL
Luke Nitti & Cassie Barone
Heartthrob
Nick Carbone & Kaylynn Kissenberth
Best Nickname
Most Likely to Win the Lottery
Kyle Panagiotou & Regan Johnson
Couple That Should’ve Been
Matthew Carbone & Erin Belmore
Most Likely to Shock Everyone at Reunion
Anthony Guliano & Nicole Perez
Jacob Bushey & Nicole Perez
Biggest Complainer
Most Likely to get ID at 30
Girls Attached at the Hip
Jules Burford & Natalie Buzyinski
Best Bromance
Kurt Quackenbush & Austin Miller
Most Likely to Win an Olympic Medal
Papaa Kodzi & Julie Cates
Most Likely to be an OHS teacher
Chris Cafaro & Sarah Carbone
Brennan B. & Regan Johnson
Cooper Bradford & Haley Thrift
Most Likely to Get Married
Power Couple
Musically Inclined
Chase Kinglsey & Bella Garzon
Chase Kinglsey & Bella Garzon
John Howington & Rachel Ray
Most Likely to Be Tardy to Graduation
Most Likely to Be on Survivor
Best Voice
Andrew White & Jackie Koehen
Jon Austin & Alana Slone
John Howington & Rachel Ray
Gym Junkie
Best All-Around Personality
Most Likely to Cure Cancer
Corbin Follet & Emily Isert
Ryan Travis & Lisa Karpinski
Sam Goldstein & Maddie Walker
Class Flirt
Most Unforgettable
Most Likely to Change Major
Austin Miller & Breanna Marquez
Caleb Greek & Julie Ellis
Ty Cox & Macy McCorquadale
Senioritis
Best to Bring Home to Mom & Dad
Most Trustworthy
Chris Loving & Kailyn Oliver
Matt Davis & Harper Bolt
Ryan Travis & Valerie Cyrkle
Most Likely to Be President
Twitter Addict
Best Dancer
Mickey Kennedy & Elena Vernikos
Luke Nitti & Natalie Buzy
Shamus McKenna & Molly Murphy
Hardest Worker
Elliott Nasby & Jacquelyn Zipay
ENDING
WITH A
ROAR
Most Photogenic
Most Likely to Play a Pro Sport
Sajid Jafferjee & Abbey Cowen
Cooper Bradford & Payton Greywall
Art department celebrates last performances of seniors
WRITTEN BY ANSLEY BABCOCK
Some students count down until the last day of school
or graduation, but some seniors aren’t ready to leave their
favorite teachers and classes.
Senior Blaine Browne claims that spring concerts and
showcases signal the end of seniors’ time in the fine arts
department.
“I will miss the people the most after four years in the
program,” Browne said. “I’ve made great friends and it will
be hard to see them go.”
Seniors aren’t the only students in the fine arts who are
sad about the departure of this year’s senior class.
Sophomore KC Kanistras is proud of the class of 2017.
“The seniors are amazing and they have amazing
voices,” Kanistras said. “We’re going to miss them, and we
have big shoes to fill next year.”
The filling of those shoes starts now, as Bel Cantos,
Horizons and Bravo work on their vocals during school,
plus the week prior to any show they perform.
For their spring show, the three choirs worked on
choreography, placement around the auditorium and stage
changes. In their spring show, “Takin’ it to the Streets,”
they also rehearsed costume changes in and out of their
70’s gear and choir dresses and suits.
The dance department also hosted a spring show,
which included students from dance technique, STEPS,
and Mane Attraction. There were also performances by
just the senior class, plus parents of dance students.
“Its so sad to leave my second family; I love dance and
this being my last show it is sad to think that I’ll never be
performing with these people again,” said senior Jose De
Jesus.
Journalism’s
6 | OPINION | THE LION’S TALE | APRIL 27, 2016
IN YOUR FACE
evolution doesn’t
change its value
Journalism is put under a lot of shame.
In the nooks and crannies of society,
journalism is often frowned upon, scorned
at, even discouraged as a potential field
of choice. It is criticized for its fickle, risky
nature and the possibility of not gaining the
“bang for your buck.”
We as a staff at The Lion’s Tale, on the
contrary, believe that journalism is alive, if
not flourishing, in this day and age.
The world of journalism is an evolving
realm. A century ago, average Americans
held large newspaper spreads in their
hands and listened to bulky
radios for both news and
entertainment.
Today, those very hands
hold the digitized versions of
journalism on their phones,
where they read digitized
articles.
Today, those households are now laden
with technology that enables them to view
the latest CNN udpate.
In fact, as teenagers, we all engage
in some form of journalism. We tweet,
we post, we write, we discuss. We are
storytellers.
How can someone argue that
journalism is dying out when that same
person refreshes his Twitter feed and
double-taps Instagram photos to receive
the latest update on the presidential
election?
The rising workforce consists of
journalists; according to Statista, 198,410
undergraduates applied to college with a
major in mass communications.
Journalists often work because of
intrinsic, not extrinsic, motivation. They
work for the experience of meeting
unique people, empathizing with those
of another culture, perceiving the
differences between two opposing sides.
Those in the communication industry
provide news on matters that impact
humanity in tremendous ways each
day. The recent series of earthquakes,
terrorist threats and political progress
are all brought to you by journalists who
place themselves in dire circumstances,
simply to report to you, the
rest of humanity.
As time progresses,
Americans want more than just
“what” occurred in the news.
In addition to the content, we
want to know “so what” and
“now what,” the implications of
say, the new Harriet Tubman $20 bill.
We have branched out, finding
different approaches to inform the
populace. Buzzfeed, a multi-platform
potpourii of news and entertainment,
provides information in a relatively quirky
format. Apps such as Circa, Feedly and
Pocket offer concise, engaging articles,
tailored to each reader’s interests.
Writers engage in free-lance and blogs,
providing their opinion to their world,
accessing the freedom of the press.
We, as fellow journalists, certainly
don’t think journalism is stagnant. It is
blooming, expanding, fulfilling; we are
well aware that storytelling never goes
out of style.
Do you think journalism is dying out?
Danielle Griffiths, 10
“No, because there will always be a need to
learn about the world. People will always be
interested in other people.”
Elizabeth Tammi, 12
“No, it is evolving. We need to have access to
global communications and information, we
are constantly getting new stories.”
Kaitlyn Montcriff, 12
“I would like to say no, because with the work
we see at student television network, they are
becoming more invested.”
OUR
WORD
Taylor Basile, 11
“Yes, I think it will become more digital. Journalism
classes are becoming smaller and they will get
less funding from the school system.”
PHOTOS BY STAFF
“Journalism can never be silent: That is its greatest
virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak
immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims
of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.”
- Henry Anatole Grunwald
Design Editor
Alex Damis
Advertising Editor
Makaila Cowart
Opinion Editor
Hannah Gibilisco
Photographers
Alex Browning
Delaney Robb
India Pantin
Features Editor
Alexis DiBlanda
Editor-In-Chief
Alex White
Co-Editors
Nathan Haddad
Niyati Shah
Entertainment
Editor
Faiz Uddin
Sports Editor
Douglas Chiodini
Staff Artist
Bria OllivierreWilliams
Staff Reporters
Krislynn Keeton
Declan McCoy
Ansley Babcock
Yaritza Calvert
Connor Compton
Sterling Corum
Bryn Garick
Megan Ghersi
Danielle Griffiths
Gillian Landwehr
Jesica Litton
Conner Quinlan
Fernand Silva
Paige Simpson
Anna Tagye
Jessica White
Faculty Adviser
Elise T Carlson
Admin Adviser
Drew Morgan
OVIEDO HIGH SCHOOL • 601 KING STREET • OVIEDO, FL • MARCH 9, 2016 • VOLUME 56 • ISSUE 5
ILLUSTRATION BY ALEX SAYAVONG
Principal
Joseph Trybus
Oviedo High School
601 King Street
Oviedo, FL 32765
Phone: 407-3204199
Fax: 407-320-4213
Population:
2474 Students
31 Staff members
Mission Statement
The Lion’s Tale is the
student newspaper of
Oviedo High School,
located in Oviedo, Florida.
Our mission is to provide
news, feature stories,
editorials and opinions
relevant to our readers
while upholding the highest
professional and ethical
standards. The Lion’s Tale
follows copy standards
outlined in the Associated
Press Stylebook, 42nd
Edition, published in 2007
by the Associated Press,
and is a member of the
CSPA, NSPA, FSPA.
Distribution
2100 copies of The Lion’s
Tale are distributed free
to all students and staff
at Oviedo High School.
Subscriber information is
available upon request.
Reader
Contributions
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APRIL 27, 2016 | THE LION’S TALE | OPINION | 7
illustrator
BRIA-OLLIVIERRE WILLIAMS
Artist illustrates character
through color and pattern
The creator of this senior illustration is Bria-Ollivierre Williams, who
has been drawing since she was six
months old.
“Art is a way of recognition and how
I express myself,” Williams said.
Williams has a vision she would like
to fulfill.
“I would like to work at Disney in the
animations department,” Williams said.
The designer seeks to broaden her
passion by exploring different fields and
creating her own game.
“I would incoporate my characters
and make an adventurous action-packed game,” Williams said.
Wisdom occurs through experience
staff writer
MEGAN GHERSI
Starting high school, I was so excited.
I knew it was going to be tougher than
middle school, I knew I was going to have
more homework, and I knew what classes
I had to take to graduate.
Despite all that I thought I knew, it
wasn’t until my senior year that I realized
I had so much more to learn. Things
that seemed so far off weren’t that far
anymore, and I wish my younger self had
known so much more.
GPA isn’t just some random number. I
never realized, until senior year, that grade
point average determines so much. It
determined what college I can get into and
what scholarships I can get.
While I knew this even in freshman
year, I didn’t realize just how important it
was until I was applying for college and
trying to get scholarships. It wasn’t until
I actually saw all the numbers that the
importance of that one little number finally
registered.
My freshman year, I didn’t really know
what I liked doing, and that was okay.
It wasn’t until junior year that I found
journalism and writing and I found what
I really love doing. It really made me a
happier person, because rather than just
taking random classes I didn’t exactly
enjoy, I was doing what I wanted to do.
I wish I had joined more clubs and
activities that I wanted to join. I never
knew how important it was to find what I
like to do instead of just going where my
friends went. By not joining the clubs I
wanted to join, I missed out on some great
experiences. I should have made those
decisions based on what was best for me,
what made me happy.
It’s okay to ask for help. I was always
a shy girl, so whenever I had a problem
I always tried to solve it myself instead
of asking for help. I never realized that
if I had just asked for help, my problems
would have gone by much more smoothly,
because someone who knew more than I
did could fix it that much faster.
Chances are, in college, there won’t be
as many people around that can or would
help, and I wish I had asked for help when
I needed it.
Scholarships are important.
Considering how many people told me
this, it may sound crazy, but I never
realized just how expensive college was.
Honestly, until I looked up tuition numbers
while looking at colleges, I had no clue.
There are so many scholarships for a
variety of things, and I wish I had looked
for them sooner. Looking for them is
half the work and it isn’t hard. Even the
smallest amount can go a long way.
Volunteer work is very important.
Many scholarships and colleges like to
see volunteer work or community service
hours. I didn’t realize how important it was
to get my hours until senior year. I wish I
had completed them much sooner, as it
is actually pretty hard to get a lot of hours
within one year.
There are so many places to volunteer,
and I wish I had started freshman year
instead of senior year.
Get a summer job. It is extremely hard
to get a job in high school when you are
under 18 and don’t have the availability
that jobs are often looking for. I started
looking for jobs in the summer before
senior year. I wish I had gotten jobs during
all the summers, starting when I was a
freshman.
While a lot of places want applicants
to be 18, there is a small percentage that
hire younger employees. The problem
then becomes availability. When in high
school, I couldn’t exactly work a lot of
hours, and a lot of places expect more
than a high schooler can give. So, I wish
I had gotten a job during the summer so I
could have saved up money then. Determine goals. A.P. and honors
classes are hard. When I started high
school, I was planning to take A.P.
Calculus. The problem is, I’m not that
good at math. I realized in the middle of
my junior year that taking high-level math
courses was not the route for me, and that
was okay.
I should have taken A.P. classes
because I wanted to, not because it’s the
next step on the chart they gave me.
Everyone is different, and I wish I had
known that it was okay not to be the best
at everything.
The most important thing I wish I had
known is to do what is best for me, and
not what someone else thinks is best
for me. Not everyone is meant to be the
same: some people are better at math,
others science, others English.
Everyone is so different and unique,
and it should stay that way. I wish I had
known that not being like everyone else
is a good thing, because that means I am
being myself.
When you are yourself is when you are
at your best self. Why would you want to
be anyone but you?
editor-in-chief
ALEX WHITE
Editor expresses
passion for journalism
I’m a nerd. Not the typical nose-pressedto-the-pages-of-a-book, grade-obsessed,
school-loving nerd, but a newspaper nerd.
For the past six years, I have lived and
breathed for a publication that will one day
be a stack of off-white paper telling stories
from another time.
One moment they are in the hands
and minds of hundreds; the next they fill
trashcans and birdcages. I have spent
hundreds of hours in the same computer lab,
writing, editing, re-editing, pulling my hair out
trying to make deadline. People ask me why
I do it, why I subject myself to this intensely
stressful class, one that is all-consuming,
with little to no gratification or appreciation.
Although this class is stressful and
difficult, it’s helped me decide what I want in
my future.
Joining the newspaper staff has been the
best experience I have been granted. It has
given me opportunities to learn responsibility,
teamwork and, above all, leadership. It has
built the foundation for who I am and will
shape my future in the communications field.
There have been many struggles
and obstacles to overcome, specifically
in learning how to lead with humility and
confidence and trust; being editor-in-chief,
I now feel I have been given an advantage
most do not get the chance to experience.
Even though (like many other jobs) this
path is often thankless and demanding, I
can’t imagine doing anything else. It is my
passion. I do this not only because it is a
way to express myself through the written
word, it is a way for me to deliver stories to
the ears and hearts of others. It is a way
for me to speak on behalf of those who are
muted by fear, anger or sadness. It is a way
for my words to transcend the page and
become part of the experience of life.
I do this for my staff because they hold
me to a higher standard than I sometimes
hold myself. They support me, they
challenge me, they make me a better writer
and leader. I have 30 best friends, and they
make me so proud. As a staff we all work
hard, but the best thing about it is that we
work together. This staff allows me to inspire
and make others feel appreciated.
In a few weeks, I won’t have the daily
luxury of walking into a room filled with
laughing and accepting people who all share
the same love for journalism I do. I won’t
be able to write stories about the captain of
the water polo team, the girl who is abused
by her mother, or the boy who regrets his
actions after being arrested.
In a few years, all 24 newspapers, 50+
page layouts I have designed, 40+ articles
I have written and poured my soul into, will
be nothing more than faded paper, smudged
ink, and a distant memory. I’m a nerd. But
being a nerd is okay if it means being on this
amazing staff and growing every day in my
love for journalism.
Expectations not only route to happiness
staff writer
CALEB MINUS
Moving elicits fresh perspective
Three days before my junior year, I
made a huge move from Germantown, Md.,
to Oviedo, Fla., and transformed into an
Oviedo Lion. The past two years, I’ve made
life-long friends and learned so much.
Oviedo has given me a number of
opportunities, the most impactful including
discoursing on a competitive debate team,
running for the track team, and playing
saxophone in the jazz band.
Oviedo is much smaller than my
old home, but it has provided some
unforgettable experiences. The evolution of
Oviedo in the past two years is somewhat
like my personal evolution. I’m growing,
changing and becoming better. Just as the
Townhouse was rebuilt, new characteristics
have emerged from my persona. For one,
I met my true love in Oviedo: nothing is
sweeter or greater than my love, Jeremiah’s.
Jeremiah’s cookies and cream gelati is lifechanging and cannot be forgotten.
On a more serious note, I met some
great friends, and learned from a group of
astounding and knowledgeable teachers.
With this came lessons, lessons that have
molded me in noticeable ways. The downsouth attitude has helped me lighten up as a
person. The constant sunshine and relaxing
personalities in Oviedo have truly been
refreshing.
Mr. Soos helped me scratch the surface
of the secrets of our universe. Ironically, he
taught me, though counter to intuition, to
keep my windows open during a tornado so
my roof doesn’t fly off. Also, Mr. Singer gave
highly considered and credible advice, as I
planned out my future ROTC Scholarship
and military career.
Coach Brown, quite possibly the most
instrumental figure in my growth through
high school, is a beloved mentor and role
model. His dedication to his craft of teaching
is clearly seen in both the classroom and
on the track. Furthermore, Brown has been,
and is, an encourager. From waking up early
in the morning to teach me how to hurdle
and improve my writing, his drive and care
is seen and appreciated. With everything
he does, there is meticulous planning and
research.
These teachers, along with many other
people and family I’ve interacted with over
these past couple of years, deserve a huge
thank-you.
Combined--but not alone--these teachers
have guided me and inspired me to new
heights. As I continue to progress and bloom
into a self-sustaining young physics major at
the Virginia Mlitary Institute, I will not forget
the lessons these men and women have
taught me.
Likewise, I will not forget what Oviedo
High School has taught me. I’m sure that my
classmates, like me, “through the years we’ll
always remember… OHS!”
Features editor
ALEXIS DIBLANDA
I began freshman year with lofty
expectations of reconnecting with old
elementary school friends, making new
ones and, finally, having classic teenage
experiences.
Of course, it wasn’t that easy.
Adjusting took more time than I would
have liked, and in October I found
myself in the same place as I was in
August, wondering if it would all come
together.
But by the end of first semester,
things began looking up.
I started sitting with friends at lunch
and, when the time came to fill out my
sophomore year schedule, Ms. Jepson,
my Journalism 1 teacher, asked me to
sign up for newspaper.
Before this, joining the newspaper
staff never crossed my mind; I took
journalism with the intention of being on
yearbook staff, but life had other plans
for me.
That second August, I waited outside
Building 8, preparing to pick a random
Newspaper staff was a place of
person to interview for my first school
community, of laughter, stress and,
newspaper piece.
occasionally, tears.
I spotted a girl with long dark hair and
I became part of a community,
glasses. She seemed nice enough, so I
experienced the mass chaos of press
made my move.
week, and the joy of finishing something
Thankfully, she turned out to have
good that follows
interesting stories and a willingness to
Now as my third year on staff draws
share them.
to a close this thing I never would have
A couple months, numerous
chosen is where I have made some of my
questions, and four or five rewrites later,
fondest high school memories.
I finally had the joy of seeing my writing
At the end of senior year, I’m still the
published for the first time.
loud, energetic, kind-hearted girl who
I wrote much better articles later,
came to Oviedo High School four years
but that one started me on the path to
ago.
becoming a better writer.
However, some things have
Throughout the year I learned some of changed since then. I’m more confident,
the life lessons involved with working on
comfortable with myself, and have the
a professional team.
great group of friends I wanted at age
For one, finishing late no longer
fourteen.
impacted just me, but also the person
Everything fell into place: each year
who worked on the page, and the overall
of high school went a little better than the
progress of the
last, and I look
paper.
back on my high
I became
school experience
I have high hopes for the next
much more
and think of the
stage of my life.
comfortable
memories I made
Senior Alexis DiBlanda
with
and how much
interviewing
I’ve learned and
and asking for
grown.
help from the editors.
Soon, freshman year will begin again.
I’ve always been the type to overreact
I have high hopes for the next stage in
and take criticism personally.
my life and understand that they won’t all
Receiving feedback on my writing not
happen right away.
only helped me improve my technique,
This time I will be more patient
but also helped me remember that
with myself as I find my place in a new
criticism of my work isn’t criticism of me.
environment.
I may not have gotten it right the first
This time I will know that my good
time, but with patience and persistence it
reality may not be anything like the one I
always worked out in the end.
planned.
Dog comforts, provides stability during stress
The sorrow of losing my mother followed me into middle
school, high school, and will, most likely, follow me always.
However, this is not about my mom--it is about cherishing
what I still have. Lucy has been more than a pet. She is my
baby.
In high school, I got my first taste of real responsibility.
Through it all, Lucy has been my silent teacher of positivity,
productivity, and enjoying life day by day.
There is no way to escape the inevitable hardships of
high school. Even when I focused on schoolwork, life always
seemed to throw me curve ball after curve ball. Drama
between friends, partners or even people I didn’t even know
photography editor
affected me via stress, sadness and depression.
Nothing about high school has been easy, especially with
ALEX BROWNING
the madhouse I call home. The only joy I found in those days
were coming home and just cuddling with Lucy. Depression
acts as a black hole and continuously consumed me. Lucy was
the only thing with me through it all.
one of those few is my dog, Lucy.
Lucy has also had her share of struggles. She was not
Friends come and go, family is never easy, but the one
always the plump and lovable bear that I know today, as my
thing that has shown me the definition of unconditional love
family rescued Lucy at four months old, after she had been
is Lucy. Good day or bad, she is there, waiting on her big red
abandoned and sent to the pound. To think of my Bo-bear
bed, tail wagging, face smiling, just waiting to comfort me.
alone, scared and in a cage, almost
I got Lucy on my tenth birthday,
brings me to tears.
when things were simple and good.
If I didn’t choose to overcome
Soon after, my mom was diagnosed
Lucy was the only thing with me
my
depression, if I had instead let it
with cancer, and only one year later
through it all.
consume me, who knows where she
it reached her brain. She passed
Senior Alex Browning
would be today.
away that year.
Yes, life is hard; yes, high school
As a child, your mom is the most
doesn’t make it any easier, but
amazing and beautiful thing there
remembering who I’m doing all of this for can be the biggest
is, and even after her passing I still see her in that beautiful
comfort and motivation I could ever need.
way. Although Lucy was just a puppy at the time, she was
Friends come and go, family is never easy, but my dog will
the only thing I could hold on to; she was the last gift my
always love me and be there for me.
mother gave me.
High school
has been a
marathon of
exhaustion,
strain and tears. I cannot say it
was all bad,
but there have
definitely been
some struggles.
Throughout the
four years of
emotional torture
there have
been very few
things that have
brought me joy;
APRIL 27, 2016 | THE LION’S TALE | OPINION | 9
Should senior year be so costly?
Memories shouldn’t have price tags
WRITTEN BY HANNAH GIBILISCO
The picturesque prom dress, the
exhilarating grad bash, the comical
senior week costume: all aspects of
senior year that tends to leave bruises
upon one’s wallet.
In my opinion, having a final year
that is forever engraved in your memory
shouldn’t be dependent upon the money
you spend in an attempt to do so.
The average amount spent on a prom
dress in America was $1139 in 2013,
according to Glamour.com.
With that amount of money, a student
could buy an entire year’s worth of books
and supplies at Seminole State College.
Spending an inordinate amount
in senior year is overrated and
unnecessary.
Experiences shouldn’t come at a
price.
Grad bash was $90.
I’m sure that a closed-off park
reserved just for seniors is a memorable
and fun experience, but spending nearly
$100 for a final exhilarating experience is
a bit too much.
Ending high school with an expensive
“bang” is of secondary importance to
future matters just around the corner:
college.
And, in most cases, the cost of the
infamous senior year falls back upon the
parents rather than the senior.
According to FoxBusiness.com,
parents are often worried about the
cumulative price of their child’s senior
year.
Yearbooks, senior pictures, class
rings, dances, standardized tests and
college application fees (which can be as
high as $50 per application) are just few
of many prices that parents of seniors
will have to face in just one year.
Dances alone, such as prom, for
example, cost $70 for just a ticket—
not to mention hair, makeup, dresses,
tuxedos, and limousines.
Furthermore, class rings are
hundreds upon hundreds of dollars for a
hunk of metal that will never be worn.
College is already a huge impending
cost that must be paid; it’s safe to
assume that most students never would
have thought that senior-year spending
would be equally, if not more, daunting.
Fun doesn’t have to come at such
a high price; Florida in particular is a
beacon of free fun.
There are beaches, springs,
downtown Disney, Universal Citywalk
and a multitude of other things that
seniors can do before they say goodbye
to their native environment of high
school and hello to the new realm of
college.
This, of course, can all be done
without throwing money down the drain.
High school, especially senior year,
is a time of acquiring knowledge, friends
and experiences.
This can be done without placing a
hefty price tag upon priceless memories.
Experiences are well worth the cost
WRITTEN BY PAIGE SIMPSON
Senior year: the final and most
memorable year of high school, is also
the most expensive year of high school.
According to an article by KJRH, on an
average, high school seniors spend about
$5,000 to $10,000 during their senior
year.
Between dances like homecoming
and prom, graduation expenses, college
applications, yearbooks, senior lunch and
sports games, the expenses add up.
Although seniors spend a tremendous
amount of money during their senior year,
the large expense is worth it to make their
last year memorable.
Senior year is very expensive and to
many may seem frivolous, but it’s not.
Senior year is the last year to enjoy high
school before it’s time to start a new
chapter in life; by going to school events,
seniors get the full experience.
The enjoyments experienced during
senior year give seniors something
to remember and look back on when
they’re older. Senior year is the year
for reminiscing, remembering all the
good times in high school, making new
memories, and experiencing everything
for the last time. Indulging in school
events makes senior year a year to
remember.
Many seniors hold jobs during their
last year in high school, which gives them
the capability to spend a lot of money on
experiences they find enjoyable.
Although it’s very expensive, there is
no fault in spending a little money if you’re
spending it on something you enjoy.
Even though privileges like senior
lunch are a large expense, the freshman,
sophomores and juniors are envious all
throughout high school, just waiting for
senior privileges. When seniors are finally
granted their privileges, they should take
full advantage of them, no matter how
much money it costs.
When graduation comes around for
seniors, it’s bittersweet; they are both
excited and sad to be finally moving
on from high school. To make senior
graduation memorable, expenses like the
cap and gown, diploma and pictures make
the long-awaited final moments of high
school worth it.
Yearbooks commemorate the final
chapter of high school and give seniors a
way to go back and relive the memories
they made during high school.
One of the most enjoyable events are
homecoming and prom, and the pictures
taken with friends and dates are the only
way to preserve the evenings.
Many seniors keep not only the
pictures, but also the signatures, the
chords and the graduation gown as
mementos of their four years of high
school.
Nothing stays the same: people
age, friendships and relationship break,
but memories will last a lifetime. In the
end, the cost isn’t remembered but the
memories live on.
INFOCOURTESYOOFCONSUMERIST.COM
Senior Spending
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Engaging Experiences
ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXIS DIBLANDA
Senior summer provides immersive opportunities
WRITTEN BY ALEXIS DIBLANDA
Summer offers a time to relax and
unwind, but some seniors are using their
time to pursue immersive experiences.
These experience provide opportunities
for seniors to pursue their passions and
develop new skills.
Camp counselors
This summer, senior Sara Carbone
will begin her mornings with breakfast in
her pajamas, surrounded by second to
tenth graders, as a counselor at Camp
Weequahic in Pa. Transitioning from camper
to counselor isn’t easy, but Carbone sees it
as a worthwhile challenge.
“I’ve heard it’s just weird, but also very
worth it, to be on the other side of things
and help everybody else have the same
camp experience, and even a better one,”
Carbone said.
Senior Lindsey Turner also hopes to
work as a counselor this summer, but at a
local Girl Scout camp in Chuluota, Camp
Mah-Kah-Wee. Turner believes that the job
would be a good fit for her.
“I really love working with younger girls
and just younger children,” Turner said. “I
really like being outdoors, and it’ll just be a
good opportunity to save money for college
and get a head start financially.”
The application process was quite
competitive, so Carbone was thrilled when
she received news of her employment.
“Being an alumni, it’s kind of hard to get a
job, honestly, because they usually only take
one or two,” Carbone said. “This year they
actually picked about five girls from my age
group and five boys from my age group. I
was one of the first to be picked, so I thought
it was the best thing ever.”
time at a resident camp, where the staff and
Although job interviews are still a campers stay on-site overnight.
“I definitely will get to know the campers
relatively new experience for Turner, she
believes that her interview for the position better because I’ll be staying with them, not
necessarily in the same cabin, but we’ll be
went well.
“It was kind of scary, because job closer together and get to do some more
interviews do scare me,” Turner said. “But I things,” Turner said.
was really prepared for it and I was able to
As she adapts to her role, Carbone will
be in an environment of camp traditions that
answer all their questions fully.”
Carbone’s role at camp will take she has participated in as a camper.
advantage of her athletic experience.
“We do this thing at the very end of camp
“I will be teaching soccer this summer,” and it’s called Color War,” Carbone said.
Carbone said. “Basically I just get to come “The whole camp is split into two teams and
up with a bunch of games and hang out it’s a week-long thing where you’re doing
competitions
with the kids all
day down at the
and all this stuff
soccer field.”
and there is one
I’m definitely excited to actually know
Turner expects
winner. There’s a
people going into the whole summer.
lot that goes into
that working as a
Senior Sarah Carbone
it, but I’m really
camp counselor
will provide many
excited to see the
CITs, which are
new experiences
for and help her develop skills that will be of the Campers in Transition, lead a team.”
benefit in the future.
Drum corps musicians
“I might have the possibility of being a
Senior Juliana Lind is immersing herself
lifeguard, so I’m looking forward to getting in a musical experience this summer by
to do that and getting experience with that,” joining the Boston Crusaders Drum Corp.
Turner said. “And I look forward to getting
“Drum corps is basically like major league
used to working with the girls because I marching band,” Lind said. “The oldest you
might want to pursue a career in education.” can be to participate is 21, and you go all
Working at camp will bring a blend of summer. There are different groups and you
new people and familiar faces for Carbone.
compete with one another. You rehearse 12
“I’m definitely excited to actually know to 14 hours per day to make your show the
people going into the whole summer, but I’m best.”
really excited to meet new people,” Carbone
Lind’s family history of spending
said. “I think it will be a great experience to summers with drum corps is part of why she
have the people I know but also be able to wanted to join.
meet new people.”
“My dad did drum corps when he was
Although Turner has experience with a teenager, this is my brother’s fourth year
day camp, this summer would be her first doing it, and I just love music,” Lind said. “It’s
kind of a limited opportunity so I wanted to
take advantage of it.”
Her path to becoming a member of the
Boston Crusaders began in a familiar place.
“The first audition camp I went to, they
hosted at Oviedo,” Lind said. “So I stayed
at Oviedo for a weekend in the gym and I
had to participate in rehearsal all weekend,
as well as audition individually. You do that
two times, and then the people who made
the cut after that are in the corps.”
Learning that she made the cut was a
surreal experience for Lind.
“It was really emotional because I’d been
hanging around the drum corps a long time
and to actually join it. It still hasn’t really hit
me,” Lind said. “I was crying and I was really
excited.”
Although music is Lind’s passion, she
is less enthusiastic about the physical
demands the summer has in store.
“I’m not the most athletic person, and it’s
kind of one of the most athletic things you can
do,” Lind said. “I’m just not looking forward to
all the joint pain and other ailments.”
The extensive history of the Boston
Crusaders is another area of interest for
Lind.
“It’s got a really long history; this is the
76th year of the Boston Crusaders, so it’s
really cool to see the alumni and hear their
stories,” Lind said.
The
well-established
group
has
numerous other traditions that Lind is
looking forward to enjoying.
“My favorite is the corps song, it’s called
“Giant,” and it’s from an old movie, but it has
new words,” Lind said. “After a show the
whole corps has a choral arrangement and
they sing it together.”
12 | FEATURES | THE LION’S TALE | APRIL 27, 2016
HATCHING PLANS Inventor builds mobile hatchery for Capstone project
WRITTEN BY STERLING CORUM
Each spring, Oviedo High School
showcases the best Capstone senior
projects. Typically, the projects consist
of students exploring possible career
fields, but senior Jacob Bushey
decided to try something different.
“I was deciding between topics for
my senior project, and I knew I wanted
to build a tiny house or an incubator,
something that I knew was going to be
interesting, and I chose to combine the
two and develop a mobile hatchery,”
Bushey said.
The projects usually begin in the
fall of the school year, but the mobile
hatchery received special approval to
undergo construction early.
“It took a little over six months to
build,” Bushey said. “I got permission
at the end of the year last year to start
building it over the summer.”
This also meant that Bushey had to
have has contracts written before the
start of his senior year as well.
“Most people don’t start their senior
projects until around September, and
he applied and spoke to Mrs. Finnegan
over the summer to get prior approval
and start his project early,” said senior
English teacher Katherine Hansen.
According to Hansen, most senior
projects take between 20 and 25
hours to complete. Bushey spent over
400 hours just on construction.
Bushey began the project only with
basic knowledge about the functions
of power tools.
“Originally I found a picture of a
tiny house online; I didn’t really have
any plans, and I mostly just designed
as I was going,” Bushey said. “I had
to watch a lot of YouTube videos
because I realized I had no idea what I
was doing. It was a long process that I
just had to figure out very slowly.”
Not only was a large amount of
free time and effort put into the making
of the mobile hatchery, but Bushey
also spent over $6000 on the supplies,
ranging from cedar siding to the readyto-install double-pane glass windows
needed to construct the house.
“The supplies cost a little over
$6000, but most of the payments I had
to make happened over long periods
of time,” Bushey said.
Senior projects are supposed to be
used to reflect a real-life experience
PHOTO BY JACOB BUSHEY
for seniors working in their desired
career fields.
“It was a very big stretch from what
I knew already, I had to learn a lot of
new things,” Bushey said.
According to Hansen, senior
projects allow students to develop
their time management skills and
avoid procrastination.
“You learn how to actually reach
out and talk to people you don’t know,
which is a great skill to develop,”
Hansen said.
The chicken house sets an example
of how much seniors can learn during
the creation of their projects, and
Bushey has proved that the process,
although new to him, has provided him
with tools on how to construct things in
the future.
“I figured out how to build stuff,”
Bushey said. “I already knew how
to use power tools, but not to the
extent that I needed to use them for
building a house. And I learned how to
structurally build things in a safe way
where they can stay up.”
Since she saw the development
of the house throughout the year,
Hansen has a good sense of how
much the house developed.
“I think seeing the parts and the
pieces of the house come together
was the most interesting part,” Hansen
said. “The walls and the ceilings and
windows were all so elaborate, and
it was nice to see a final product that
someone was proud of.”
On top of the physical appeal and
the design that make the house look
like a very realistic tiny house, the
incubator itself does work. Bushey
has raised chickens inside of it and
brought the mobile hatchery with him
throughout Central Florida.
“I took it to the Good Neighbors
Farmers Market and I brought my
chickens with me,” Bushey said. “It
was very festive.”
As for the house itself, no one
really knows what’s going to happen
to it in the long run.
“I honestly have no idea what I
want to do with the house as of now,”
Bushey said. “I know I’m at least going
to hatch chickens for the time being,
considering the incubator I built can
hatch up to 180 eggs at a time. So I
do want 180 chickens, and then I will
figure out what to do with it afterwards.”
APRIL 27, 2016 | THE LION’S TALE | FEATURES | 13
MUSICIAN IN THE MAKING
Aspiring rapper debuts public project
WRITTEN BY FAIZ UDDIN
Senior John Howington has been
pursuing music since he was eight
years old. These days, he is also
known as Drex Carter. He recently
released a mixtape called “Artesia,”
available on SoundCloud.
“When I made ‘Artesia,’ I figured
out a lot about my musical sound,”
Howington said. “When people first
heard that song they started taking me
seriously.”
As a kid, Howington loved to
perform, and his passion of music was
born from that.
“Music means everything to me;
without it, I don’t know what I’d be
doing,” Howington said. “When I
write, it just feels so natural.”
Before “Artesia” came into
development, Howington’s friend gave
him a position in a music contest.
Not thinking anything big would
come of the contest, Howington
developed three new songs to
perform.
Howington was offered many
different record opportunities, which
helped him continue writing and
recording music.
According to Howington, each
song is unique and portrays a part of
himself.
“I build my songs from the ground
up,” Howington said. “I try to tell a story
in the music.”
Howington explains how his
musical style is innovative.
“I want to do things that no one has
done before,” Howington said. “Some
people make music to make music. I
make music because it’s something I
enjoy doing.”
According to Howington, his friends
and family have supported him in his
pursuit of music, and he has a bright
vision of his future journey.
“I’ve only just begun,” Howington
said. “Ten years from now I’m going to
be with my own record label.”
To the Seniors of the 2016 Oviedian staff:
You’ve proven to be dedicated leaders who excel in your achievements, and
I have no doubt that great success will find you as you reach your goals. I hope
you find many adventures ahead and enjoy each moment of the journey.
You are brilliant stars that make the world a much brighter place; I thank you
for all your contributions to this year’s publication.
It’s time to celebrate your accomplishments!
Congratulations!
Love, Ms. Pope and the entire Oviedian staff
Jacob Bushey
Ashley Krummenacker
Elena Vernikos
Danielle Appleget
Tyler Caccavello
Molly Garboski
Kimberly Gonzalez
Nicholas Hinds
Ghousia Hussain
Jordan Jahosky
Kennedy Murdock
Kailyn Oliver
Emma Oullette
Evan Pearre
Hailey Pope
Nora Sherwood
Nicholas Thorp
Lindsey Turner
Caitlin Baird
Shelby Jacks
TOP
SAM GOLDSTEIN
PURSUIT: either physics or cognitive
neuroscience
COLLEGE: University of Florida
HOW MANY YEARS WILL IT TAKE TO EARN A
MILLION DOLLARS?
The question is “how many years will it take to
earn a billion dollars?” Give me 10 years.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE APP?
Wolfram Alpha
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COOKIE?
Macadamia Nut
OFFER A PIECE OF ADVICE TO
UNDERCLASSMEN.
Throughout high school, don’t do stuff just
to get into a top school, because that is
extrinsic motivation, you are motivated
based on some external factor. You
should do stuff that you are passionate
about because in the end that is going
to make the biggest difference.
10
PROFILES OF
SENIORS WITH
HIGHEST GPAs
1
LOGAN TURK
PURSUIT: either a medical laboratory science
degree or biology with an emphasis on
ecology
COLLEGE: University of Central
Florida
WHO IS YOUR ROLE
MODEL?
Mr. Furiosi, because he
is well-endowed when it
comes to academics, but
he still is able to have a
personal life and have an air of
friendliness. FAVORITE WORD?
Timshel: thou mayest
WHAT ARE YOU THE MOST PROUD
OF?
My continued ability to try my hardest
when it comes to academics and
personal endeavors. Perseverance.
4
PATRICIA
MILLER
ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRIA OLLIVIERRE-WILLIAMS
GEOVANNA OLLIVIERRE-WILLIAMS
CASSIE LACKEY
J
PURSUIT: teach English to kids from other
countries who are limited by language
barriers
COLLEGE: Colorado State University
MOST VALUED POSSESSION?
The sea shell I picked up when my brother and
I went to the beach before he went off to the
military. That shell shows me how being there
means more than the fanciest gifts.
FAVORITE JUNK FOOD?
Vanilla Frosting Doughnut
WHAT ARE YOU THE MOST PROUD OF?
My individual nature. I couldn’t care less
what people think of me, I kind of just
go down my own route and see where
it goes from there. I am proud of my
whateverness.
8
ELLIOT NASBY
PURSUIT: molecular
engineering
COLLEGE: University of
Florida
FAVORITE SAYING?
“If you get the right words in the
right order, you can nudge the world a
little.” -Tom Stoppard
BEST HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE?
In 10th grade, when I decided to stop
playing basketball and I got into water
polo and ultimate frisbee. The people I
met in those sports completely rerouted
my experience, for the better.
WHO IS YOUR GREATEST
MOTIVATION?
In everything I have done, I just try
to pursue excellence. For me, it is
self-motivation.
5
AID
PURSU
COLLE
WHAT
Th
m
st
pro
FAV
“Don’t
-Shia La
WHO H
I respec
me star
which is
9
LIVIA MUCCIOLO
JING WU
PURSUIT: advance in the business field
COLLEGE: University of South Carolina
FAVORITE ANIMATED CHARACTER?
Monkey D. Luffy, from “One Piece”
HOW DID DUAL ENROLLMENT
INFLUENCE YOUR DECISIONS?
It didn’t change my future goals
profoundly, but those classes I have
taken at UCF have broadened my
views, especially in the business field,
and advise me what and how I should
study to keep competitive.
WAS THE EFFORT TO REACH TOP 10
WORTH IT?
Yes, it was worth it. However, I believe the
title of top 10 was not the criteria to
define how successful a student has
been in high school, but rather an
accomplishment to award diligence.
2
DAVID
ZULUAGA
PURSUIT: mechanical
engineering and economics
COLLEGE: Yale University
WHAT SONG DEFINES YOU?
“Can’t Tell Me Nothing” by Kanye West
FAVORITE PERIOD OF HISTORY?
Any time before the Renaissance. I wish I
could start a small kingdom and gradually
grow it and create a huge empire. I was born
in the wrong time period. I’m great at
managing stuff like that.
WHO IS THE GREATEST INFLUENCE IN
YOUR LIFE?
My mom. After my father passed, she
raised me all by herself and moved us to the
USA when I was 3 to find a better future
for us; she’s been a waitress all my life.
Seeing her work as hard as she does
makes me feel like I have no excuse bu
to work as hard as I can.
6
DEN JUGE
UIT: Theater
EGE: New College of Florida
IS YOUR SKILL?
he skill that I care most about developing is
my singing. Being on stage is terrifying, but
till the most exhilarating thing ever. Every
oduction is an emotional experience.
VORITE QUOTE?
t let your dreams be dreams! Just do it!”
aBeouf
HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST INFLUENCE?
ct Ms. Hron the most. Her class really made
rt examining the world more critically,
s something that is very hard to learn.
PURSUIT: public health with some chemistry
COLLEGE: Brown University
ONE MOMENT OF HIGH SCHOOL YOU
WOULD LIKE TO RELIVE?
Being in Germany, abroad for one year, was
such a good experience for me. It introduced
me to so many different opinions. It definitely
changed everything, who I am, my perspective.
YOUR GO-TO JOKE?
Why couldn’t the honeydew and the
watermelon get married? Because they can’t
elope.
WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU
BESIDES ACADEMICS?
Staying happy. Being in a
place where you are not
constantly worried, and
allowing yourself to breathe.
3
HRISTO SHMEROV
PURSUIT: biomedical science to become a
surgeon
COLLEGE: University of North Carolina
GREATEST SOURCE OF HAPPINESS?
Relaxing and looking at the sky on a cloudless
night
FAVORITE ANIMATED
CHARACTER?
Mario
WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT
TO YOU BESIDES
ACADEMICS?
Family is really important
to me. Without the
support of my family,
I wouldn’t be where
I am today. When I
picture my future, I
always see my relatives
by my side and I hope to
make them proud.
7
MADISON
WALKER
PURSUIT: Major in cellular and molecular biology
& pursue cardia surgery
COLLEGE: Vanderbilt
ONE THING YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE
ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSIONS?
It
used to be about who is the richest, and now
it is geared to diversity. That is a wonderful
thing, but I know so many students that
deserve to get into the college they aspire
to get into, because of their background.
FAVORITE SONG?
“I’m On Top of the World” by Imagine
Dragons
A GOAL OF YOURS?
I want a wallaby as a pet. They
have these wallabies and they
are only a $1,000. You don’t
need any documentation to
have one.
10
Falling Into Place
WRITTEN BY C.COMPTON & J.LITTON ideas of “cool.”
From their early days as young freshmen
through their final semester, seniors have
undergone changes in mindset, opinion and
happiness, changes that they try to share
with underclassmen.
Senior Daniel Stadler believes openness
to experiences allows individual growth.
“Have a very open mind, because you
are going to do a lot of growing as a person,
and you’re going to find out more about
yourself and what you like to do,” Stadler
said. “Just be prepared to explore new
things to find who you really are.”
Senior Corey Savolainen found his true
self by focusing on his own perspectives.
“Be yourself; let people influence you,
but don’t let their influence take over who
you really are,” Savolainen said. “When
being yourself, you are the happiest.”
According to senior Christa Yate, she
told her younger sister to define her own
Seniors share tips for
discovering individuality
“People are going to tell you who to be
and what to think just so you meet their
standards of a friend,” Yates said. “You’re
going to try and be someone else, and try
to fit in, and people will walk all over you;
it’s just a fact of life, but don’t let what your
friends think is cool define who you are.”
Senior Steven Morgan found his “cool”
in theatre.
“Find what makes you happy and stick
with it, just like I have done with drama,”
Morgan said. “Being in an environment with
all of my friends has made me happier, and
has helped me build character and grow.”
Yates thinks the best way for students
to find a group is to showcase their
personalities.
“Don’t hide who you are to make
friends, because you will find a group that
is compatible with you if let yourself do what
feels natural,” Yates said.
Savolainen found his way through a
passion--music.
“Try things that suit your interest,”
Savolainen said. “For instance, if you love
music, try making music or playing an
instrument. When I first came into high
school, I bought my first guitar, and now it
has blossomed into my life and I can’t stop
playing.” Getting involved is a big part of high
school, according to senior Abigail Harper,
who recommends joining school activities.
“Enjoy it while you can because it’s fun to
go to events and find yourself,” Harper said.
“It makes school less of a drag.”
Senior Kenyon Coxon wishes he had
gotten involved before his senior year.
“Go to games and have fun, be part of
something, and be part of activities without
overwhelming yourself, because it can really
help you grow as a person,” Coxon said.
During her years in high school, senior
Cassie Ball learned a very valuable lesson:
a lot of things don’t go as planned.
“That’s just how life goes, and it definitely
helped me grow as a person,” Ball said.
Senior Natalie Finch also faced struggles
during high school.
“Nothing about my high school went as I
planned, and the experiences that I took out
of it were rough, but help shaped me to who
I truly am,” Finch said.
FINALLY
HOME
For two years of his life, senior Gene Calina was
homeless, living out of his car with his two sisters and
parents.
“Being homeless felt as though someone wrote a
book about a character that had the worst life possible
--and that character was me,” Calina said.
Calina would drive two hours to and from Flagler
County to Oviedo--every day--to attend OHS.
“My parents really wanted me to go to OHS because
it was such a great school and we wanted to eventually
move there,” Calina said.
Calina strove to achieve in the classroom.
“I was able to keep up my grades because school
was sort of an outlet for me and I focused heavily on it,”
Calina said. “I didn’t want others to look at me differently
and feel bad because I was homeless. So I stuck to
studying.”
During sophomore year, while Calina continued to
make the commute from his home to school, a tsunami
hit his relatives’ home in the Philippines.
“Some of my family are still missing; we were never
able to find them,” Calina said. “We spent the last of our
money to go to the Philippines and help with the relief
effort.”
“When we got there, the whole town was wiped down
and there weren’t any buildings or anything left,” Calina
said. “We lost a lot of our money traveling back there, but
it was worth it if we were able to help.”
To add on to the financial issues happening at the
time, Calina also dealt with his dog and his grandpa
having cancer.
Calina never told anyone about his troubles because
he didn’t want to create any hassles.
“I never told people at school about what was going
on in my life because I didn’t want the attention,” Calina
said.
After two years of hardship, things were finally
starting to let up for him and his family members.
“Eventually things got back to normal,” Calina said.
“My dad was able to make enough money to sustain
us and we were able to save up enough to get a down
payment on a house.”
Now, Calina’s family owns a house in Oviedo, and he
will attend UCF in the fall.
Calina feels that the experience of being homeless
benefited him in ways he didn’t expect.
“A lot of people would look at this situation and think
their life sucks, but it just gave me a thicker skin,” Calina
said. “I just know how hard life can be. I am much more
sympathetic for all kinds of people now.”
He feels it has changed his personality intrinsically.
“It also made me more easygoing because I
understand that some people may have it better, but
everyone still has their own issues,” Calina said. “This
experience definitely impacted me in a positive way
because now I feel like I’m ready to face anything.”
AGE BREAKDOWN OF HOMELESS AMERICANS
40%
(UNDER
(31-50
22%
20%
{
{
{
18 )
INFOCOURTESYOFSAFEHORIZON.ORG
YEARS OLD)
18%
{
YEARS OLD)
(18-30
(OVER
50)
{
{
HIGHEST
WRITTEN BY ALEX WHITE
RATES OF HOMELESSNESS
(PER 100,000)
LOWEST
SENIOR FINDS SANCTUARY AFTER
TWO YEARS OF HOMELESSNESS
PHOTO BY ALEX WHITE
90
WASHINGTON D.C.
49
NEVADA
HAWAII
47
OREGON
47
44
CALIFORNIA
MISSISSIPPI
5
SOUTH DAKOTA
KANSAS
IOWA
7
8
9
WISCONSIN
10
HOMELESS FAMILIES MAKE UP
36% OF THE HOMELESS
POPULATION IN AMERICA
Modern technology leads to a revised, updated form
WRITTEN BY NATHAN HADDAD
Cynics have predicted the death of
journalism for years, yet they continue to
be proved wrong to this day, according to
WROR TV adviser Kevin Patterson.
“I hate it when people say newspapers
are dying; I’d say while the actual paper
itself is dying, the writing will always be a
key element,” Patterson said. “The ability
to tell a story will never change, whether
it’s printed in a newspaper or posted on
the internet or shared on social media or
blogged--it’s all always going to exist.”
Patterson believes journalism is
evolving rather than dying, a sentiment
with which The Oviedian yearbook adviser,
Alicia Pope, agrees.
“Yearbook is an industry. They’ve been
predicting the demise of the industry for
a while, at least since I first started doing
yearbooks in 1998,” Pope said. “It’s definitely
declined because people have social media
to keep connections. So yearbooks aren’t
as dominant as they used to be.”
Pope, however, believes the production
of yearbooks will continue.
“Yearbooks have tried to adapt by
adding some forms of video, but people
still like to get the hard copy to write in and
stuff like that--to have it on their shelf,” Pope
said.
Pope believes yearbooks appeal on
multiple levels.
“When they first come out, it’s like an
exchange time and a time to exchange
thoughts of the year and friendships,” Pope
said. “On an historical level, when people
get ready for their ten-year reunion, they
can look at it.”
Pope has also seen the impact
yearbooks can have beyond reunions.
“I’ve had people call me who graduated
in the 1960s, and people who called
me after Hurricane Andrew trying to get
yearbooks for their kids,” Pope said. “So it
exists on an historical level to have a record
of what you were like at a time in your life.”
The Lion’s Tale is just stepping into this
fast-paced world.
“We are going on-line, and that’s totally
Patterson, like Pope, has noted a
new,” Carlson said. “We have to play
change in the industry.
“My experience has been in schools; around with it and see what works and what
having seen what I saw from high school doesn’t.”
Senior Alex Browning, photography
to now, within the broadcast field, the
production quality has definitely gone up,” editor of The Lion’s Tale, has noted
Patterson said. “You definitely see a huge improvements to journalism over her time
difference between what professionals did on staff.
“Photography-wise, the technology
in the 90s and what high schools did in the
90s. Broadcast journalism in high school has improved,” Browning said. “There’re
was not nearly at the level it is now. It was better cameras, better editorial things you
can do to a photo; all that has added to the
in its infancy stage.”
Technology has played a large part creativity throughout the time.”
Pope notes that changes in journalism
in the growth of broadcast journalism,
have been positive in her class, in certain
according to Patterson.
“The technology has allowed stories to ways.
“The positive change is that students are
be produced in a much more timely fashion,
in a more efficient way, and with better very computer savvy, so most of my students
tend to know a lot more than I do about how
quality,” Patterson said.
Newspaper adviser Elise Carlson, who to use computer programs or how to just
research how to
worked on The
do it,” Pope said.
Lion’s Tale staff
“I’ve had students
as a student
The ability to write and tell a story
who have taught
herself,
has
will never change.
themselves
seen the pace of
Teacher Kevin Patterson
Adobe Illustrator
journalism speed
because
we’ve
up because of the
needed someone
internet.
to know how to
“When
the
internet was first starting, it was only print use Illustrator--without me trying to teach it
news and the TV; now it’s so much more to them.”
digital with the use of phones,” Carlson Schoolwide impact
said. “Journalism was already fast because
Senior Alex White, who has been
news organizations had to make deadlines an editor of The Lion’s Tale for three
and get out an early edition in the morning, years, notes the importance of the field of
but now they want to beat everyone else for journalism within the school.
breaking news.”
“Journalism is important because a
Carlson sees some changes as lot of people in our school are silenced,
beneficial, while some are detrimental.
whether it’s because of fear or anger,”
“How fast people can turn stories around White said. “They have emotions that they
is good in a lot of ways because it keeps us can’t express outwardly and they don’t have
more informed, but I think we also receive an outlet to tell people what they’re feeling,
misinformation because sometimes people and a lot of times it takes that one reporter,
turn stories around faster than they should- or the one person who is actually interested
-pending actual facts,” Carlson said.
in their life, to break their emotions out and
Technological progress
JOURNALISM
from the inside
make them feel like they matter, and that
their problems matter.”
Patterson believes the work his students
do inspires a sense of pride in the rest of the
student body.
“So for us to do a good quality job, and
produce content that is well-written, and
the communication skills are solid, with
anchors that are well-spoken, proper and
well-dressed, all that reflects upon the
school,” Patterson said. “When students
see that professionalism, particularly when
they see something that’s well-written, it
just enhances the learning environment,
and gives them something to look up to and
witness that something is well-produced.”
Carlson sees journalism as beneficial to
both students and the community.
“Keeping the community informed
about what’s relevant at this school is
our responsibility,” Carlson said. “It is all
student-driven, which is important because
the students decide what to cover, what’s
important and needs to be talked about.”
Learning experience
White has learned a lot from journalism.
“The most rewarding thing is getting
a good basis of what journalism really is,
and it’s important to actually get a glimpse
of what it’s like to be in a sort of real work
environment in high school,” White said.
“You don’t really get to experience teamwork
like this anywhere else.”
On the other hand, White experienced
some downsides, as well.
“I think the most difficult thing about
being editor is dealing with everyone’s
personalities on a daily basis and realizing
that not everyone is going to like you, not
everyone is going to respect you, but that
comes with having any job,” White said.
“People are always going to disagree with
you.”
Browning feels she’s gained benefits
from her work in the field as well.
“Being able to get a photo, that was
satisfying, because when you first start
EDITING TO PERFECTION.
Junior
Kadi Tao and senior Elizabeth Tammi work
and editing and producing WROR TV’s
morning news which is broadcast daily on
the morning announcements. The morning
announcements include a variety of topics,
including informing the student body of
relevant news pertaining to the school,
along with sports updates, and information
on testing times and information on other
EVOLVING
JOURNALISM
and era of newspaper, yearbook, and TV production
off, you don’t how many photos to take, or
what exactly to look for, stuff like that, so it
was really difficult and frustrating initially,”
Browning said. “The more I learned about
it, the better and easier it was to understand
what a creative photo would be and how
it could work on a page--that’s the most
rewarding thing.”
Pope thinks journalism is great training
for students.
“If a journalism student learns to write,
learns how to talk, learns to use computers-it’s real-world experience that can transfer
into many other subjects and studies,” Pope
said. “You have to be organized, you have
to be logical, and all those things translate
into other areas.”
Though many of her former students
went into non-journalism industries, they
were able to use skills they learned while
creating the yearbook.
“I have students who have graduated
that tell me yearbook gave them the skills
they used, even if they aren’t in magazine
production, because you have to produce,”
Pope said.
Carlson believes participating in
journalism programs is one of the best
things students can do in high school
because students learn how to get things
done.
“Students create a product that other
people are going to see, and while making
it, they have to deal with other people’s
issues and find a way to get everything
done--and get it done well,” Carlson said.
Carlson remembers the moment
she realized how much her high school
experience with The Lion’s Tale impacted
her professional work.
“I was a summer camp director, and it
was my second summer when it finally hit
me that I ran my summer camp staff the
same way I ran newspaper when I was the
editor,” Carlson said. “I didn’t make that
connection for a long time, but the impact
journalism has is real.”
The Oviedian
Silver Crown from the
Columbia Scholastic Press
Association
Three time award
winner
X
Pacemaker from the National
Scholastic Press Association
X
Two time runnerup and 2012-2013
winner
INTERVIEW, WRITE, REPEAT.
Sophomores Fern Silva, Declan
McCoy, Paige Simpson and Danielle
Griffiths develop stories and layouts
during their 5th period newspaper class.
To write stories, they must transcribe
quotes from interviews, organize the
information, and write multiple drafts.
They also discuss design ideas for the
layouts of their pages.
PHOTO BY DELANEY ROBB
WROR TV
Awards from the Student
Television Network
• 2016 Best Daily Taped High
School News Show in the
Southeastern US
• 2nd Place in Commentary
at 2016 Student Television
Network Convention
From FSPA
• 2016 All-Florida Feature
Package
• 2016 All-Florida Videography
Demo Reel
• 2013 Best of the Best in
“Every Student Has A Story”
From the County
• Best High School Broadcast in
Seminole County 2013, 2014,
and 2015
The Lion’s Tale
National Silver Crown
awards from the Columbia
Scholastic Press Association
X
2010-2011
2013-2014
2012-2013
X
X
X
2014-2015
All Florida awards from
the Florida Scholastic
Press Association
2015-2016
2014-2015
X
X
X
BRAINSTORMING TAKES SHAPE.
Seniors Kailyn Oliver, Danielle Appleget
and junior Charlotte Skipper view another
publication in order to glean ideas for
their own spreads in yearbook. Yearbook
as a whole goes through several stages
of brainstorming in order to produce
a visually appeasing yearbook with
variation each despite covering certain
similar concepts and subjects each year.
PHOTO BY ALEX BROWNING
2016
2026
Get a new car
Graduate High School
Start College
Move out into apartment
Get dream job
Get four-year degree
Move into house
Get married
The 10-Year Plan
“I will have my career started and have a family started as well. I’m going to Florida State to
major in pre-med and hopefully get into Austin Texas. My mom always pushes me to do the
best of my abilities and she will help me get to where I need to go. School In general gets
harder as you age, but roadblocks are something you are going to have to deal with. My
backup plan is changing my major to business law. I have always wanted a good career over
everything.”
-Sarah Carbone
“Within four years I plan on graduating from the university of Alabama with two degrees, one
in communications and one in business. Then I want to move back to Florida and work for
Orlando City Soccer Club for communications. My parents will help me not only financially, but
also keeping my grades up.”
-Mickey Kennedy
“I’m going to college in Texas on a full scholarship and after that I want to rodeo full-time.
I hope to finish college and rodeo the best I can. Sponsors will help me get to being a
professional. I watch the full time-riders and they inspire me to get to where I need to be.”
-Jessi Petri
“I’m planning to graduate from college, then go through fire school to become a firefighter. In
the end, I just want to be happy and save people.”
-Ryan Travis
“I will be going to Alabama to get my master’s, then come back to UCF or hopefully MIT to
reach my bigger goals, then from there I will be working in the space industry to develop my
own type of launcher and hoping to see some new advancements.”
-Sean Tibbets
“I want to go to school to become a physical therapist. I’m going to SSC for two years then I am
transferring to UCF. My back-up plan is to become an athletic trainer or something along those
lines. I want to help athletes to get back to their sport, because I tore my ACL, so I understand
how it feels.”
-Dominique Pardo
“I’m going to Florida State and I definitely want to do something medical, like an occupational
therapist or a physiologist, and I might be going to grad school soon after. If the medical job
doesn’t work out, the other option would be to become a lawyer.”
-Caitlyn Baird
“In ten years, I would like to be working in mass communications and photography! With
a major in Mass Communications from USF, I would be working in advertising with large
corporations, preferably in New York with multiple corgis accompanying me in my studio
apartment.”
-Lindsey Turner
“Professionally, I see myself beginning to work for some non-governmental organization (like
the UN) after completing my Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering. On the more social aspect,
I see myself being married (or at least trying to) and reconnecting with my close friends every
once in a while.”
-Valentina Gamero
“I’m going to Auburn for a degree in mechanical engineering. I have a dream of going
to MIT for a master’s degree. After that, I want to come back to Oviedo and work for
Lockheed Martin, doing who knows what. They do so much stuff; there are really no
restrictions on which direction of engineering you can go from there.”
-Blaine Brown
SENIOR
SPLURGE
Students make sense of spending, saving cents
WRITTEN BY DANIELLE GRIFFITHS
Senior year brings many privileges, many memories,
and many opportunities for seniors to spend money.
Senior lunch, Homecoming, Prom, and graduation are a
few of the final high school experiences for many seniors.
There are many items and events that seniors spend
their money on.
“I have spent money on cap, gown, senior lunches,
Prom, college applications, college orientation, and Wet
’n Wild senior night,” said senior Ninna Cruz.
“I’ve spent money on a lot of things like football
games, school activities, food, clothing, and friends,”
said senior Amanda Rivkin.
Senior lunch is one of the many things that seniors
spend money on. Though it may be small amounts each
lunch, the total does add up.
“My friends and I go to senior lunch every Tuesday
and Thursday,” said senior Tyler Caccavello. “We try
to go to senior lunch as much as possible, so that is a
majority of the money spent.”
Many seniors also said they spent some money to get
dressed up for their final Homecoming and Prom, such
as senior Paula Quereo.
“I spent quite a bit of money getting ready for my final
Homecoming and Prom,” Quero said.
“I have spent more on my senior Prom than my
junior Prom, because I’m going to spend money on hair
and extras,” Cruz said. “This will make my Prom more
memorable.”
“Prom was the event I spent the most money on. My
dress was over $200, and the tickets, plus the hotel room,
and getting my date ready for it was well over a grand,”
Rivkin said. “These expenses have made my senior year
very expensive, but also well worth it because things
like dresses for Prom and Homecoming have made the
events more enjoyable.”
Though Rivkin enjoyed the money she spent on big
events, she does regret some of the things she have
spent money on.
“I regret impulse buying things like clothes, shoes and
food just because I’m craving something new,” Rivkin
said. “I wish I had saved this money for my future
expenses, such as car payments.”
“I like being able to go out to senior lunch,
but I also feel like I should have brought my
lunch more to save money from that,” said
senior Laura Day. “I wish I could have saved
more money; you never know when you might
need something, so I wish I would have saved
instead of spent.”
“I regret spending so much money on fast
food because I could’ve used most of that
money to start saving up for college funds.”
Cruz said.
According to some students, they will be spending
a lot of money on graduation, but they believe it will be
worth it in the end.
“Most of the money spent on graduation will be just
the cap an d gown,” Caccavello said. “We are also
having to fly in some of our family, so that will probably
be most of the expense.”
Overall, the money spent has helped Cruz
enhance her senior year.
“What I have spent this year has helped because
I’ve been able to experience all the senior perks
throughout the year,” Cruz said. “It’s also made my
last prom one of the best.”
////Reviewed
////
APRIL 27, 2016 | THE LION’S TALE | ENTERTAINMENT | 23
QUICK REVIEW
Dimension W
Anime
SUPERLATIVE
ADMIRABLE
Dark Souls III by Software
The 1975
Song Review
Music
REVIEWED BY G.LANDWEHR
“Love Me,” by The 1975, was the first
song to be released off of their newest
album, I like it when you sleep, for you
are so beautiful yet so unaware of it.
“Love Me,” along with the other
songs on the album, has a different
sound than their older music. A lot of the
new music involves the synthesizer and
new keyboard chords.
Lead singer Matty Healy has a
striking voice. “Love” is a happier song,
and his vocals really help show that with
his use of higher pitches.
Xbox One
Backwards compatibility
REVIEWED BY DECLAN MCCOY
Last year at E3, Microsoft revealed
one its biggest and most ambitious
announcements that they have ever
have dropped: the Xbox division
released their intent to make Xbox
360 games backwards compatible
Action, Adventure
PlayStation 4, Xbox One & PC
PHOTO COURTESY OF GAMESTOP&PINTEREST
Enter the new world of souls as you
embark on the quest to find and defeat the
Lords of Cinder.
Dark Souls 3, the newest iteration of
the Dark Souls franchise by FromSoftware,
borrows mechanics from the developers’
recent game, BloodBorne, while also
getting back to the roots of the Dark Souls
franchise.
Dark Souls 3 is a fantasy game, set in
a world with a convoluted story. The main
selling point for the game is the difficulty that
it presents.
The game will not hold your hand; it
expects you to figure out what exactly you
will be doing throughout the story. Your
character will die--multiple times.
The game will push you, and make you
angry, but also fill you with satisfaction as
you complete areas and defeat bosses.
Like in the first Dark Souls, you must
rekindle the fire that once held hope for
mankind. As you journey in new areas you
may notice the certain number of Estus
Flasks (health refills) you have in your
posession. Instead of the game handing
you five or ten Estus Flasks like in the first
Dark Souls, you start off with three and must
find the rest of them as you discover new,
uncharted territory.
What you’re looking for are Estus
Shards. Bringing these back to the
blacksmith will increase the number of flasks
you can carry. This makes the game slightly
challenging, as you can have low health
while fighting high-level monsters while
having only a few Estus Flasks.
A new aspect of the game is your Focus
Points (FP), which allow you to use special
skills with your weapons and changes the
number of spells you can cast. This is one
of my favorite features of Dark Souls 3; no
more cheap players trying to win the game
by standing in the far back casting magic at
the enemies.
But for those of you who do like casting
some spells, fear not, the new Ashen Estus
Flask allows you to refill your FP.
There is a catch, as always: there is a
certain amount you can have with both your
Estus and Ashen Flasks. For instance, you
may split the number of Estus with your
Ashen, five Estus and five Ashen.
Not everything is different. The currency
is the same: souls. To acquire souls you
need to kill enemies, which will automatically
harvest the soul for you from the dearly
departed enemy you just slayed.
Fighting higher-level monsters will enable
you to get more souls. With the souls you
have collected you are able to level-up your
character, increasing your health, stamina,
strength and more. You can also buy items
from merchants Non Playable Character
(NPC) that you find while traveling.
The real challenge is the game itself.
Take every precaution, because you may
never know what is around the corner.
It could be a simple enemy waiting for
you to kill it as bait, or a man-eating dragon
raining down hell-fire. Most of the time the
enemy is simple, but a group of two or three
can annihilate you if you are not careful.
If you are a new gamer to the souls,
a word of advice: never be relaxed. The
moment you are, your world will turn upside
down.
If you’re a veteran at the game, well,
there’s nothing I need to say.
with the Xbox One. This means that
many cherished Xbox 360 games will
be playable on the modern console. For
now, the list of playable games is small
and just barely over 100 games, but it’s
constantly improving and increasing.
It isn’t so much like playing Xbox
One as it is an extension of Xbox 360,
meaning the graphics and functions
are still that of the 360; it’s more like an
emulator than anything else.
Recently “Saints Row IV” was free
with Xbox Live Gold, out on the Xbox
store, so I took the opportunity to try out
backwards compatibility for myself. It’s a
neat thing seeing a game you know and
love from 360 on your Xbox One. The
graphics are still like those on a 360, so
the few 360 games that are out are just
that much better with Next-gen graphics.
When the “Elder Scrolls” or “Witcher”
series get released for Xbox One, that
might be a worthwhile investment. For
me, my Xbox broke last year, so the
opportunity to play the games I’ve been
missing for so long is euphoric.
While playing “Borderlands,” I was
happily surprised to see how smoothly it
ran, as compared to what I’ve seen and
heard about PSN’s similar service, in
which games are streamed across the
network as opposed to being played and
read locally. This often leads to lag and
times of down internet, as is accustomed
to happen to even the best internets.
I was able to completely play
“Borderlands” through, like when it first
came out, raging across the desert.
My one major bone to pick with
this new set-up is the same that most
everyone complains about with the Xbox
One: you have to download games
before you play them.
So, before you go race to play
whatever Xbox 360 game, it’s still
necessary to spend that dreadful
few minutes waiting for the game to
download.
REVIEWED BY F.UDDIN & F.SILVA
QUICK REVIEW
ATROCIOUS
FromSoftware
introduces updated
game with new features,
challenges, levels
REVIEWED BY FAIZ UDDIN
The new addition to the anime world,
“Dimension W,” consists of a world run by
coils. These coils have unlimited energy
that gets power from Dimension W.
Join Kyouma and his partner Mira (an
advanced android) collect illegal coils to
earn a living.
However, things don’t go the way
they wanted it to go when New Tesla
Energy (the founding company of coils)
intervenes with their pursuit of coils.
The show ends each episode with
a cliffhanger, leaving the audience in
suspense for the next show.
ADEQUATE
24 | ENTERTAINMENT | THE LION’S TALE | APRIL 27, 2016
One Page Low-Down
App Review:
Poshmark
WRITTEN BY JESICA LITTON
Poshmark was brought to the internet to help women and
men find cheap brand-name styles. Sometimes the clothing or
accessories are even new, with tags still on them. This mobile
app allows teens, moms and the general public to find new hot
styles for less.
The app features different categories, and when you create
your account it asks you to click which styles or brands you
are interested in, then shows them to you in your feed.
It also allows you to make a little cash. You can sell any
clothes, shoes or accessories (and even makeup) that you
don’t use anymore, or haven’t used at all.
This app is a neat way for teens to save/make money.
Haiku Reviews
WHAT
GRINDS
MY
GEARS
Stitchers
WRITTEN BY FAIZ UDDIN
WRITTEN BY K. KEETON
What really bothers me is
when people tell me, “You’ve
changed,” in a condescending
tone, like it’s a bad thing. Like,
yeah, I hope I’ve changed! I’ve
worked hard to get to where I’m
at in my life right now. If you stay
in the exact same place, what
are you getting from life? What
lessons are you learning? What
insight, wisdom and experiences
are you gaining?
Your interests and mindset
REVIEWED GILLIAN LANDWEHR
should be constantly evolving
Former One Direction member
and changing. Your horizons
Zayn Malik, now known as Zayn, has
should be expanding. As you get
released his first solo album, called
older and gain experience, you
Mind of Mine.
should be developing insight that
Mind of Mine was released on March
causes you to change yourself
25. This date just so happened to be
for the better. You discover your
the date Zayn announced he was going
strengths, you lose interest in
to become a solo artist. Songs “Pillowtalk,” “iT’s YoU,” “LIKE
people and things around you,
I WOULD” and “BeFoUr” were all dropped before the actual
you find solutions to things that
album was released.
weren’t clicking—you become
This album is very intimate. There is a large number of
more yourself and who you want
songs on this album that are about relationships. The songs
to be.
are quite slow and they have a bit of a beat to them, which I
Life and youth should be
think really helps create that intimate feeling. Not to mention,
spent exploring, evolving and
his vocals are quite strong but chill at the same time, which
learning. As humans, we aren’t
also helps create that intimacy.
supposed to remain the same
When I first listened to the album, I wasn’t so fond of it. I
our entire lives. Even if you have
had to go back and listen to it two or three more times to start
a husband or a family or a set
liking it. I wasn’t used to listening to One Direction’s pop music career, or you think your life is
and then transitioning into this slower, more meaningful music perfect the way it is, you’re never
from the album.
truly done evolving as a human
I think Zayn did a wonderful job with his first solo work and I being.
can’t wait to listen to what he does in the future.
Life is a journey of constant
evolution. It’s exciting to learn, to
expand, to let go of the past, to
experience and learn. I’m sorry
people are so bitter when people
change. I’m sorry you’re stuck in
place as I discover myself and
create my own happy reality.
You should do the same, but
I suggest letting go of your
resentment for other people’s
successes first.
Album Review: Mind of Mine
SUDOKU
Husky
WRITTEN BY B.GARICK
In Husky, Davis is
told that in high school,
you get one adjective
to describe you. He is
worried about what his
adjective will be, though
he is fairly certain it will
be “husky,” a word to
describe his overweight
stature.
GUYS/GIRLS
GUIDE TO NOT
CARING WHAT
PEOPLE THINK
Temporal dysplasia
Stitching into dead bodies
Secrets kept within
Short Stories
WRITTEN BY YARITZA CALVERT
Saying goodbye was the hardest part
for Kate. High school was the biggest roller
coaster life put her on. She’s finally grown and
is on her way now.
Even though she spent many weekends
at home, alone, contemplating life, these
were the best four years of her life. The love,
hate, happiness, sadness and anxiety she
felt through high school was totally worth the
end product. She learned so much about
the person she was and her strengths and
weaknesses and so much more than she could
ever explain to anyone.
School didn’t just teach her the basics of
core subjects, it taught more about how to
deal with personal problems. It taught her
how society views things and it educated
her on many things people should know but
aren’t taught in classes, like feminism, politics,
individuality and personal relationships. These
were what are important in life--the foundation
of the person she is.
High school taught her that there’s more
than one true love. She knows that there really
are more fish in the sea, and friendships are
way more important than a boyfriend.
Now she is grown. Now she knows, and
now she’s educated. High school made her
a new person. She’s moving out on her own
and she’s excited to reach her final goals as
a young adult. She’s becoming a beautiful
butterfly whose wings fly through the tough air
that life throws at her. She finally understands
and is no longer questioning the adult
decisions her parents were telling her about.
She really will miss high school, but now it’s
time to move on. She’s off now, and she’s so
proud of who she became. She can’t wait for
the next adventures life has to throw at her.
Weeks before
school starts again,
Davis is already
being put through
life’s tests: he has to
deal with his mom
dating again, his best
friend not inviting
him to her birthday party
because it is a “girl thing,”
not to mention listening to
his loud grandmother tell
him about everything that
is going wrong in his life.
What Davis does have
are his operas. No opera
WRITTEN BY S.CORUM
The first concept to
realize when relating to not
caring what people think is
that literally nobody cares.
Nobody cares enough to
notice the zit on your nose
or that you stuttered when
you talked, or anything you
think other people care
about. Nobody actually cares
enough about you to notice
your insecurities.
But that doesn’t mean
that occasionally, people
won’t have something bad to
say. And when that happens,
you have to realize that
nobody knows you like you
know you. You have to have
the strength to be completely
honest with yourself. If
people think badly of you,
reflect on their reasons; if
some of them are true, own
up to your mistakes, change
them and move on with your
life.
The most important thing
to remember is that the only
opinion that really matters is
yours. It is your life, and all
of the things you enjoy and
love may not be as enjoyable
to others, but you have to let
that go. You have to ignore
the opinions of others and go
on about your life in the way
that you please.
If people are irrelevant
to you, don’t pay any mind
whatsoever. It’s okay to feel
bad for a second, but overall,
you should realize irrelevant
people provide irrelevant
opinions. Only consider your
own opinions, and those
of people close to you.
That’s what’s important and
essential to grasp in life.
is described twice,
and the moment an
opera is mentioned
the author tells the
basic outline of it,
in simple words,
to help the reader
understand the
complex plotline. Each
opera Davis chooses to
listen to relates to the
event that is occurring at
his life at the moment.
The book is incredibly
well-written. Author Justin
Sayre does a stunning job
explaining scenes without
overdoing description or
using too much dialogue.
However, the end is
incredibly anticlimactic.
Few problems are solved
and the reader is not
yearning for more, but
rather, is relieved it is over.
Overall, this book
was okay. Scenes
were portrayed well and
characters were welldeveloped, but with a
rather boring storyline, it
was hard to finish.
APRIL 27, 2016 | THE LION’S TALE | ENTERTAINMENT | 25
THIS YEAR WAS LIT
IN THE MEDIA
IN
MEMORIAM
Fuller House was finally released on
February 26, 2016.
Leonard Nimoy (83)
Leonardo DiCaprio won the oscar for
Alan Rickman (69)
Marty McFly traveled from 1985 to
Prince (57)
our time on October 21, 2015.
TOP 9 HASHTAGS FROM THIS SCHOOLYEAR
TOWNHOUSE
#DonaldTrump
#Election2015
#PrayForParis
#LoveWins
#BlackLivesMatter
THE 2016 ELECTION CONTROVERSY
The election of 2016 boiled over the edge when celebrity Donald Trump ran, but to America’s surprise was surpassing Cruz in
the primaries. Hillary Clinton also stirred the pot by being the
first woman candidate to succeed this far in the presidential race.
REPUBLICAN
Donald Trump
54%
DEMOCRATIC
Hillary Clinton
61%
7,100
Delegates
was legalized on June 26, 2015.
David Bowie(69)
Best Actor for the film The Revenant.
2.0
SAME-SEX
MARRIAGE
#CallMeCait
#AskRachel
BIG MOVIES
STAR WARS EPISODE 7
BATMAN V SUPERMAN
J U R R A S S I C WO R L D
M O C K I N G J AY P T 2
FAST AND FURIOUS 7
#TheDress
#RefugeesWelcome
THE
DAB
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
I N S U R G E N T
TO P 1 0 S O N G S
1. The Hills
Weeknd
2. What Do You Mean
Justin Bieber
3. Hotline Bling
Drake
4. Sorry
Justin Bieber
5. Stitches
Shawn Mendes
6. Hello
Adele
7. Stressed Out
Twenty One Pilots
8. Roses
Chainsmokers
9. Pillowtalk
Zayn
10. Me, Myself, and I
G-Eazy
TRENDING
TOPICS
Damn Daniel
back at it again with
the white vans.
Steph Curry
became an NBA
Allstar.
Steve Harvey
crowned the wrong
Miss Universe.
The Dress
blue & white or
white & gold?
T H E C H A L L E N G E S W E FAC E D
This schoolyear brought laughs and good
memories, along with memories that can
never be forgotten. In the schoolyear of
2015-2016, all over the globe, countries
gathered together in support to stand
against the tragic attacks.
GOING THE EXTRA MILE
26 | SPORTS | THE LION’S TALE | APRIL 27, 2016
Track team channels determination to improve results over course of season
PHOTOS BY DAVE TIBBETTS
FORERUNNERS. Junior Carly Mitchell and sophomore Grace Wildgen lead a pack
of girls athletes in a distance event.
WRITTEN BY DOUG CHIODINI
Determination. Grit. A champion’s
mentality. Described by numerous names,
Oviedo’s track team embraces one simple
concept—heart. That struggle to the top
paid off with an impressive showing in the
district meet, crowning junior Jada Davis
and senior Tristen Elmore champions and
many other Lions in the top four in their
events.
That determination to improve trickles
down from the top, from the seniors to the
underclassmen.
“Each of us has a responsibility to
motivate each other and be positive,” said
senior Patty Miller. “Seniors have to lead
by example. We can’t just walk, we have
to push harder, take one more step to
make sure everyone has everything taken
care of.”
Realistic practices that pit teammates
against one another provide extra
motivation, making improvement nearly
impossible to avoid.
Having met his personal goal of
running a five-minute mile, sophomore
SET, SPRINT, JUMP. (Top) Junior Toby Alexander lands smoothly into the sand as
he competes in the long jump. (Bottom) Junior Kendra Moore sets her vision on the
next hurdle at a Lake Mary meet.
“You have to practice your technique
Tyson Harper reflects on the team’s
throughout the day--in school, outside of
friendly rivalries.
“In practice, it’s basically just a school and at practice,” Barbara said.
meet,” Harper said. “I don’t want to let
Harper also acknowledges the effect
the people next to me beat me, and they the seniors have had on him, saying
have the same mindset. It’s just constant they help him when he’s down, always
encouraging him to persevere.
competition.”
The seniors, along with instilling their
Practice,
although
vital,
barely
scratches the surface of the sacrifices advice on underclassmen, are also in
the athletes make to be at the top of charge of keeping them under control.
“We [seniors] just have to keep the
their game. From running trails to dieting,
team focused,”
success in track
Elmore
said.
takes much more
Each of us has a responsibility to
“The
coaches,
than just showing
up.
they don’t really
motivate each other and be positive.
run the warm-ups
“It’s
all
Senior Patty Miller
and everything.
mindset,” Elmore
The seniors just
said. “I get myself
prepared the day before [a meet]. It’s all on take charge.”
Although the seniors run the practices,
my dieting and workout and stuff, so every
night I try to keep my core tightened and the coaches still call the shots and
do sit-ups every now and then, go to the influence their athletes on and off the
gym, do squats, keep my body healthy and track.
“I love the coaches,” Harper said.
everything, eat right so I can perform my
“They’re a huge part of my life. Without
best.”
Freshman Dalton Barbara mimics the them, I probably wouldn’t be where I am
same methodology.
right now, physically or mentally.”
The combination of the seniors’
guidance and the coaches’ wisdom allows
for the maximizing of potential, especially
for newcomers.
“[Practice], it’s the same thing over and
over again to help you perfect what they’re
trying to teach you,” said freshman Ethan
Terrell.
Despite this hardcore attitude at
practice, the team still manages to have
fun, building chemistry and trust amongst
each other.
“After practice, going to get slushies
and eating with the team was great,”
Terrell said. “We talked the whole time,
made conversation, and learned things
about each other.”
Although the season has been a major
success, highlighted by an outright win at
the Trinity Prep meet and a stellar showing
in districts, Harper says it could have been
better earlier.
“In every workout toward the end of the
season, you’re giving it your all, but in the
beginning of the season you’re not thinking
of the consequences of not training hard,”
Harper said.
ROAR BOARD
APRIL 27, 2016 | THE LION’S TALE | SPORTS | 27
The voice of OHS sports
STAR ATHLETE:
COOPER BRADFORD
Q- How long have you wanted to play college baseball?
A- Since I was 10. That’s been my goal since I started
playing baseball.
Q- What drew you to the game of baseball?
A- My dad brought me into the game because he
used to play it as a child so I just followed in his
footsteps and ended up loving it.
Q- What separates baseball from other sports?
A- The difficulty. I guess you can say it takes a
little more brain to play baseball.
Q- How do you mentally prepare yourself for
the game?
A- Usually music. Sometimes I’ll sit peacefully,
quiet, thinking about scenarios through the
game.
Q- How would you say using your head gives
you an advantage over your opponents?
A- I have to outthink them. As a pitcher I’m
looking in their heads.
Q- What made you choose the University of
North Florida over other schools?
A- I like their coaches the most. They have a good
fan base they have a good field. I think they could
propel me into the next level.
PHOTO BY REED SCHWARTZ
READY TO STRIKE. The Oviedo girls soccer team celebrates their state championship
following their 3-1 win over Lourdes Catholic School.
STRIKING IT BIG
Girls soccer looks back on
state championship season
WRITTEN BY ANNA TAGYE
They came. They saw. They
conquered. The Oviedo girls soccer team
trounced Lourdes Catholic School 3-1 in
the state championship game.
With their championship banner
secured, senior Alexys Nowak reflects on
the team’s performance.
“In the game we scored our three goals
in about eighteen minutes, and there
wasn’t any scoring until the second half
when they scored their only goal,” Nowak
said. “It was a very good game.”
Nowak felt the season was never dull,
especially with success and friendship
leading the way.
“Everyone gets along really well;
seniors hang out with freshmen and it’s
like there is no age difference,” Nowak
said. “I like to have a lot of fun with the
game and the girls I play with. We all just
love each other so much.”
Although the seniors supposedly lead
the team, Nowak believes everyone plays
their own role.
“There’re not really classes,” Nowak
said. “People just get along really well and
they want to do well to help the team.”
PHOTO BY ALEX BROWNING
STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM. The
football team breaks down the huddle
after practice at the John Courier Field in
preparation for their season.
FOOTBALL
ULTIMATE UPBRINGING
Ultimate Frisbee team recalls
club’s past, looks to future
WRITTEN BY DOUG CHIODINI
Two years. Two years turned an idea
into a reality, a doormat into a contender.
Two years seperate the club’s humble
origins from its current prosperity.
Junior Edward Berman reflects on the
club’s upbringing.
“It started out with just a few people, just
literally throwing a Frisbee,” Berman said.
“Now we have a team of 20, 30 people
going out to tournaments every month,
placing in the top three.”
Although the rigor of the sport remains,
having more members reduces stress,
fatigue and injury in the players.
“We did a pretty good job of preventing
injury,” Berman said. “What Ultimate takes
out of your body and what it takes, abilitywise, just to get through one game, much
less five in one day, is insane. If somebody
wasn’t feeling 100 percent, they rested.”
Even though the team will lose many key
seniors, Berman still has high expectations
for the team, hoping to make the state finals
and place first in multiple tournaments.
If the club keeps expanding and
acquiring talent like it has been, those
expectations could soon become a realtiy.
FINISHING STRONG. Junior Ivan Smith
slams it home against Lake Mary at the
RWL Gym.
BASKETBALL
INSTAGRAM OF THE MONTH:
PHOTO BY DOUG CHIODINI
TWEET OF THE MONTH:
Elena Vernikos
@e_vern23
@melissaannag
Apr. 20
4 years of the sport I fell in
love with just ended and I
couldn’t be more sad
2 RETWEETS 20 LIKES
200 likes
ROARING SUCCESS- YEAR IN REVIEW
MENS VARSITY
Football
Basketball Baseball
Lacrosse
Soccer
Volleyball
(6-5)
(18-12)
(15-12)
(5-12)
(5-12-3)
(17-2)
PHOTO BY AMC-IMAGES.COM
STICKING TO IT. Junior Kelsey Tatum
charges towards the net, attempting to
score during the regional semifinals at the
John Courier Field.
LACROSSE
WOMENS VARSITY
Basketball(17-8)
Lacrosse(15-6)
Soccer (21-2)
Volleyball
(17-10)
All records as of Apr. 26
Info Courtesy of Maxpreps.com
PHOTO BY SEAN TIBBETTS
NOW WE’RE HERE. Seniors Sentwali
Staten, Papaa Kodzi, Tristen Elmore
and Mason Mihm pose after winning the
4x400 relay on Apr. 20 at the regional track
tournament.
TRACK
SENIOR
NOSTALGIA
Students rem
inisce about
WRITTEN BY PAIGE SIMPSON
As their final year comes to a close,
seniors reflect on their experiences in the
Oviedo community.
“My favorite part of Oviedo is the
proximity,” said senior Elena Vernikos.
“It’s a small town with a small-town
feel, but you’re still pretty close to larger
attractions and places like theme parks,
shopping centers, concert venues and
good restaurants.”
Vernikos says Oviedo has changed
drastically
throughout
the
years,
especially commercially.
“My favorite place to go in Oviedo is
Sweet Swirlz,” Vernikos said. “It’s a frozen
yogurt and Boba tea place on Lockwood.
I really enjoy it because it’s one of the only
places to get Boba tea around Oviedo,
and the prices are reasonable.” Vernikos believes her experience at
OHS has made her a better person.
“My experience at Oviedo has been
beneficial; I’ve been introduced to
different people with different views and
opinions,” Vernikos said. “I’ve learned
to see from various points of view and
develop my own opinions, to be proactive
and take my education into my own
hands.”
Like Vernikos, senior Kamden
Konrady believes his experience at
OHS has helped him achieve a realistic
mindset.
“My experience at Oviedo has
prepared me for my future a lot,” Konrady
said. “Freshman and sophomore year, I
slacked off a lot and I regret that so much,
now I’ve changed completely; I see high
school differently. I used to see school as
poppin’
places from
the good
ol’ days
what makes
a joke, whereas now I see my education
as something serious that’s going to set
me up for the rest of my life.”
Konrady and senior Kaitlyn Montcrieff
both value their education; Montcrieff
finds that teachers have impacted her the
most.
“I liked the teachers the most; they’re
honestly the coolest people I’ve ever
met, the AP teachers especially: they
interact with you, they help you no matter
what, whatever you need they’ll focus on
you,” Montcrieff said. “I’m going to miss
them the most.”
Senior Elizabeth Tammi says she’ll
miss the friendships she’s made the most.
“The best part about the four years I’ve
been here is the people I’ve met,” Tammi
said. “I was never a very social person in
elementary and middle school, and here
I’ve found really great friends; I’m going to
miss them most of all.”
Many changes have occurred to the
Oviedo community, like the Kaioen coffee
house and Oviedo on the Park, which
have become some students’ favorite
places to go.
“I moved to Oviedo from Northern
California when I was seven; I’ve seen a
lot more construction going on from when
I first moved here,” Tammi said. “There
was mostly a bunch of trees and now
there’re more apartment complexes, like
Oviedo on the Park.”
Konrady also enjoys going to Oviedo
on the Park.
“I go sometimes to play frisbee with
my friends,” Konrady said.
Although the some of the changes
have improved the Oviedo community,
Montcrieff misses aspects of her past.
Oviedo spe
cial
“I’ve lived here my whole life
and I miss the forest; we used to
feed cows, but we can’t anymore
because of all the construction,”
Montcrieff said. “As much as I
like renovating and bringing in all
these new people, I don’t like how
much they’ve destroyed the original
Oviedo; it’s changed a lot. I don’t
think it’s completely been for the
better.”
Unlike Montcrieff, Tammi says
she likes the changes that have
occurred to Oviedo.
“Oviedo is a really special
place; I’ve enjoyed my years
here,” Tammi said. “I’m excited
to move away to a different state
and start college, but it’s very
sad to me as well.”
Tammi feels she is lucky to
have such good memories of
her hometown.
“Oviedo is a kindhearted
community and the people
and the places have made
my
childhood
special,”
Tammi said.
Tammi says her favorite
place in the community is
the Oviedo public library.
“I’ve enjoyed the public
library: I’m a huge book
nerd so that’s always
a pretty cool place to
go to,” Tammi said. “I
love libraries, and it’s
in a great location; the
Kaioen coffee house is
right next door, which I
enjoy as well.”

Lion`s Tale Newspaper

Transcription

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