November 4, 2011

INSIDE

17410 Commerce Park Blvd. Tampa FL 33647Vol. 10, Issue 2

Revolutionfhs.com

7

revolutionfreedom high school

15

‘Why are you wearing a hat? Are you a cancer patient or something?’ Sophomore Jordan Harris was greeted with these words on the first day of the school year.

“I was like yeah and she was like ‘shut up, no you’re not,’” Harris said.

Last year, Harris knew something was wrong. “I started getting migraines everyday but I never used to

get headaches at all,” Harris said. Following the headaches, Harris began experiencing a loss of mobility in the left side of his body.

“When I would walk my left arm would just sway like it was just hanging dead,” Harris said. “At soccer practice I just started to do worse and worse and at a point I couldn’t even use my left foot anymore.”

On April 30 last year, Harris was diagnosed with Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors. Doctors found a tumor the size of a fist on the right side of Harris’s brain through an MRI.

“I thought ‘this is going to screw up my everything; my life.’ I wasn’t scared or anything. I was just surprised it was happening to me,” Harris said.

The first step on Harris’s road to recovery went extremely well.

“Surgery to get the tumor removed went perfectly. Sometimes the tumors are in your brain but mine was right on it and they just sucked it up and got all of it,” Harris said. “I was supposed to be in the hospital for seven weeks but since I was athletic and healthy I recovered quickly. Eight days after surgery I was at the beach.”

From there, things got harder for Harris. The next milestone in his recovery was radiation therapy. “I didn’t have any (tumor) in me but if it did come back they wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it and eventually I would just die.”

The radiation process lasted six weeks. Harris says that was the worst part.

“It killed my taste buds,” Harris said. “I did not eat anything through my mouth for a month in summer. I couldn’t even watch any commercial for food.”

A feeding tube was inserted through Harris’s stomach and for months, he was unable to consume food normally.

“The machine ran through the night and I woke up full,” Harris said.

After radiation therapy came chemotherapy. Starting in August, Harris began his six sessions of chemo, one every 28 days. Each time he goes in for chemo, he is in the hospital for four to five days.

“When I’m in there I get annoyed with everything,” Harris said. “I give my mom my phone and I don’t take it out until I’m leaving.”

Harris has gone from weighing 160 to 100 pounds. “I have 0% body fat and 1% muscle left in my body. If I lose any more weight I would be kept in the hospital and fed constantly.”

Harris has grown accustomed to his new appearance. He is now bald with a scar going across his head.

“I’ve gotten used to it,” Harris said. “ I think I look weird now with hair.”

He wears a hat most of the time, including the week of school that he attended, but does not feel insecure about his newly bald head.

“If they had a problem with (my hat) at school I would just take it off. I didn’t care,” Harris said.

Harris said that when he goes out in public most people just kind of assume it’s cancer.

“Waiters at restaurants always tell me ‘God bless you’ and how strong I am,” Harris said.

Through it all, Harris has maintained a good attitude.“I’m kind of glad it happened because it put my whole

view of life in check,” Harris said. “I feel like it’s made me a better person. It completely changed my attitude.”

Harris focuses on all of the positive aspects of his situation.

“It was the perfect age for it to happen, not too young or too old,” Harris said. “It would have sucked if it was senior year because I couldn’t have applied to college and if it was freshman year I would have been really confused.”

“Coming back to school will be easy,” Harris said on his expected return to school after winter break. He will have one more session of chemo following this.

“The first month will be hard but after that it will be smooth sailing from there.”

Leah Wassermaneditor-in-chief

Blessingfrom BattlesStudent gains perspective from fight with cancer

When you think of October, Halloween immediately comes to mind. It conjures up images of

pumpkins, costumes, candy, and even such creepy creatures as bats. So having a bat infestation at our school for October is pretty

ironic. However, these aren’t the bats that you

think of around Halloween time. These are normal bats that are common around North America

and the only thing that should be quivering in fear because of them is the insect population of New Tampa.

Some people believe that since they aren’t hurting anybody they should be left alone.

“As long as they’re not doing anything wrong I don’t see why

Sherard Payne works towards dream to become a rapper

Preventative measures taken to eliminate batsPest control called in to deal with bats after teacher complaints

we should get rid of them,” senior Cody Baker said. Others even like having these bats in the school and want to keep them here.

“I think we should all be advocates for the bats,” freshman Katheryn Clark said. “Please don’t take them away.”

The administration, however, is less concerned with advocating for the bats and more concerned with the safety of the school . Although most bats do not have it, some bats are carriers of the rabies virus. According to Bat Conservation International, an average of two people per year have died of rabies in association with bats since 1995.

“I personally don’t see the use of having the bats,” assistant principle Elijah Thomas said. “I’ve gotten numerous complaints from teachers who come in early in the morning and see them flying around.”

Kelly Bonnville-Sextonstaff writer

Source: Florida Bat Conservancy

Hockey team starts out strong, despite low game attendance

Courtesy of Jordan Harris

See Bats/page 2E. Winick/revolution

news November 4, 20112

Changes made to adequate yearly progress qualificationsNCLB transitions to new expectations for students

Erin Winickeditor-in-chief

Band competes at new level

from page 1/ Bats

With both a senior and a junior drum major, this year’s band aims to repeat last year’s success by winning a superior at their most important competition of the season, the FBA competition. FBA- which will be held at Strawberry Crest on November 5- acts as a final exam, in the sense that every band is scored individually and doesn’t compete with each other.

So far, the marching band has placed second in the white division and fourth overall in the Ocala competition and the Lion’s Pride competition, despite limited practice time.

“We kept the same level with considerably less amount of practice,” said senior drum major Lauren Gandy.

Gandy is confident in their ability to achieve a superior.

“We’ve sort of proven at these competitions that we’ve know what we are doing and we are just going to do it.”

>> Emily Ball

Talk has once again began in Florida about whether the state should continue following standards set by No Child Left Behind(NCLB), or if they should opt out with a new waiver. This talk is occurring as the district, state and school again failed to meet the high bar set by federal expectations as a part of NCLB.

The standards that all levels have to achieve are called Adequate Yearly Progress. AYP measures many areas of student progress.

“AYP is a complicated formula,” Guidance Counselor Department Head Carlos Diaz said. “It takes into account the progress of what is called the lower quartile, which is the bottom 25% of the students. Are they, usually your lower quartile and minority students, making progress towards graduation, test scores, and a bunch of things?”

However, AYP is not easily achieved by all schools. According to Supervisor of Federal Program Evaluations Julie McLeod, only 13% of Florida schools last year made AYP.

On the district level, the statistics aren’t any better. McLeod says that the district has never made Adequate Yearly Progress, but that we are not alone. Only 3 or 4 districts in the state have ever made AYP. McLeod

does see a chance for this to improve with the waiver Florida is applying for.

“The current percentage to make AYP is that 86% of students must be proficient in reading and math,” McLeod said. “However, this could be waived. Hopefully this will make it easier for schools to make AYP.”

Florida will be applying for the waiver to change get rid of some NCLB requirements in mid-November, and the results will be announced in January.

“There are ten requirements that can be waived. In exchange for the waiver we have to commit to college career standards. There also has to be accountability, support and recognition programs as well,” McLeod said. “Florida already has many of them in place so it makes it easy to apply.”

Diaz does not see the main problem as the bar for AYP being too high. Instead he believes the lack of diverse standards to be the problem.

“I think what we can do as educators is limited to meeting the bar. We can’t control certain factors,” Diaz said. “It becomes really complicated to say these are fair [regulations] for all 50 states when all 50 states don’t have the same requirements and when all 50 states don’t have the same demographics. It’s a nice thing if we could get there. Realistically I don’t think we can do that.”

Often times one or two parts of AYP are met. According to the Associated Press, most Florida schools get grades of A or B, but still

fail to meet the more complex No Child Left Behind standards.

Last year, the only area that Freedom made AYP in was writing. After making this hurdle, writing objectives are going to be altered.

“They are going to change those standards for writing,” Diaz said. “They are going to become more difficult. Writing is going to be more stringent than it has been in the past; the style of writing and the grading of the writing.”

Despite issues with the system, guidance counselor Amanda Petry doesn’t see the program going away soon.

“Every year they end up talking about changes they want to make and things they want to put in place,” Petry said. “I imagine it will be around for a little while. Each state has their own ideas and have some bigger projects I know are in the works for education as a whole.”

Diaz would ideally like to see a change in the program to a national curriculum and a way to evenly compare all countries’ educational progress.

“We’ve lost a lot of those things that we used to do to teach children just how to be children and function in society,” Diaz said. “That’s now gone by the wayside so that we can do these courses of rigor. I think a lot of that is really politics more than sound educational policy.”

Since the bats are only active at night to early morning it is mainly teachers that arrive long before the start of school who have spotted them lingering around the one hundred building. After seeing the bats the teachers started raising concerns about them being in the school.

“I started seeing them around the end of July,” Captain Wasylkiw said. “They were fun to watch but I knew they weren’t supposed to be here.”

After the teachers expressed their worry, Thomas contacted the county.

“The county sent in pest control people to put traps on the entry points in their nest,”

Thomas said. “That way the bats can get out but not back in so they have to find another site to nest in.”

According to Florida Bat Conservancy this process is called exclusion and it’s the only efficient way to permanently remove the bats without harming them. In an exclusion all the entries to the bats nest are blocked off with one way doors where the bats can get out but not in. That way the bats have to find a new place to nest.

“All I know is we can’t kill them, it’s probably some standard set up by the PETA or something,” Thomas said.

In fact, bats are protected as Florida

wildlife under Florida Administrative Code. According to these laws you cannot remove bats unless with the use of an exclusion device. Also you cannot disturb bats roost site from April 16 to August 14.

So by using the exclusion devices the pest control people legally started the process of removing the bats from our school a few weeks ago despite some expressed fondness of the small creatures.

“I’ve had no complaints from teachers in the past two weeks so I’m assuming they are gone,” Thomas said. >> See www.revolutionfhs.com

for more news info.

Agricultural dept. at local fairgrounds

The agriculture class brought back plenty of experience and awards with them from Hillsborough County Fair. Junior Jessica Switzer introduces her prize winning goat.

“I got a first and second in a breed class,” Switzer said. “She beat out all the other breeds.”

Switzer says taking care of the animals is “a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week job.”

Preparing the goat for competitions requires her to train her goat to walk and stand in certain ways for the judges.

Another compet i tor i s sophomore Haley Zvirblis. She competed in the forestry competition on October 13.

“You have to study and learn to identify the scientific names then you look at trees and identify diseases.” Zvirblis said.

Zvirbli also had to do what they call ‘timber cruising’, which means to look at the trees and determine how much and what kind of lumber they could produce.

The students, along with their teacher Elizabeth Tozier, hope to go on to bigger competitions.

“[If you win] you go to state competitions,” Tozier said. “You compete against the top schools.”

Tozier tells about another of her students, Cody Coffin, who competed in a tractor competition.

“[Cody] had to hook up a trailer and go through a course. He had to maneuver throughout the course without hitting any stakes,” Tozier said. “He actually did really well. He only hit one stake.”

Tozier hopes that these competitions will help her students in the future.

“I want to broaden their view of agriculture; it’s not just all about plants,” Tozier said. “I want to spark interest into a possible career for them to go into.”

>> Jessi Guidry

E. Winick/revolution

Reading AYP over the years

revolution news 3

staff writersRowan AllenAlex BallMarc Berson Kelly Bonnville-SextonForrest CanadayJessi GuidryJonathan HarrisSamantha McCarrell

Staff ArtistRachel Gaynor

revolution

news editorSamantha Seto

features editorBreana Pauline

centerspread editorBrandi Chmielewski

entertainmnent editorCristina Cordova

sports editorEmily Ball

adviserSean Marcus

Revolution is published by the newspaper staff at Freedom High School, 17410 Commerce Park Blvd., Tampa, FL 33647.

Advertising rates are available upon request by calling 813-558-1185 ext. 251. Advertising for illegal products, that opposes any religion or is of a sensitive nature will not be accepted.

Revolution has been established as an open forum for student expression as outlined in the Student Press Law Center’s model guidelines for student publications. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the faculty and adminis-tration of Freedom High School, but rather of the author or the newspaper staff and its editors.

Revolution welcomes letters to the editor on topics of interest to Freedom High School and its community. We also welcome contributions from authors not associated with the newspaper staff. All freelance material must be submitted to room 723 and bear the author’s name.

Revolution is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press As-sociation, Florida Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Southern Interscholastic Press Association and Quill and Scroll.

editors-in-chiefLeah Wasserman Erin Winick

opinion November 4 , 20114

The Bad

The Ugly

In January, minimum wage will be raised from $7.31 to $7.67. For anyone working at or below minimum wage, this will have many benefits. Though the change is not enough to raise a family out of poverty, it is an important step in the process. It will ease daily struggles such as providing child care and grocery shopping. This change is going to improve the lives of all the people actually working for minimum wage. It would lessen the gap between low and middle class drastically.

People already making well above minimum wage are the ones who oppose this change because it will not impact them as much. They assume that more pocket money will lead to superfluous spending when in reality, an extra few dollars a week could make a huge difference to a family struggling to buy their necessities.

Such changes will lead to a positive impact on smaller and more local businesses. The risk of business failure does not rise when minimum wage increases. People’s incomes increase, allowing them to spend more at such businesses and rely less on social service agencies. The Center for American

Raising the minimum wage from $7.31 to $7.67 looked like a good idea on the surface, but when you get down to it, in fact it is the opposite. Considering that many small businesses are already struggling or almost underwater, forcing the businesses to dish out more money is ludicrous.

Without jobs no one would get paid at all, let alone acquire better wages. Sucking money from small businesses is not a solution but a detriment to the economy. Even though the raise is a small one it equates to a $14.40 weekly increase and $748.80 yearly (for a forty hour work week), which an already stone broke company has to pay.

The wage increase is a proposed “solution” for the symptoms of the high cost-of-living. The justification for this is,

“By putting more money into the pockets of these workers, who spend every penny they earn on basic necessities in their local businesses, raising wages for the lowest-paid workers will help sustain consumer spending and spur economic recovery,’’ wrote Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project.

Coming from a sugar-coated reality it

PRO

CON

Wage increase is needed gain

It’s called ‘minimum’ wage for a

reason

Progress argues that, based off fifteen years of research, higher minimum wages would pour money into the economy without cutting into job growth which could only help this stagnant economy.

According to New York’s Fiscal Policy Institute, states with minimum wages above the federal level have had faster growth in small business and retail jobs. Their report proved that in small businesses employing less than fifty workers employment and payrolls grew faster in the states with minimum wages above the federal level. Obviously, higher minimum wages can’t be all bad.

Small businesses can also benefit from an increased enthusiasm in workers due to an increased pay. This would likely cause a raise in productivity as well. There will be an overall raise in employee morale. Employees would be more likely to stay at a specific job which would save companies money on new job training. More experience will also result in higher productivity.

A raise in the minimum wage will lead to positive changes in the lives of individuals, the success of small businesses, and the nation’s economy as a whole.

is a simple solution; giving more money to people for necessities, sounds great. However, in actuality it is human nature to want greater things; a flat screen T.V., new Jordan’s, or a bigger house. The $14.40 raise might go towards needed items, but most likely it will go to pay for the newest iPhone.

What happens when the “lowest-paid workers” again “need” even more money? Should the government pay for their new house or new Toyota? The answer is no. The solution for inflation and high cost-of-living does not come with the quick fix of raising the minimum wage but with a long process of smarter spending.

The unemployment rate in Florida is 10.7 percent, which is 1.6 percent higher than the national average. This may seem like a small number, but there are a lot of people in Florida making the unemployment rate even more signifigant. The results of a minimum wage increase would actually put more constraints on the job market. This affects the student even more considering that most minimum wage jobs are held by students.

Students might think why they wouldn’t want more money, however Waiting out would benifit everyone in the long run.

Leah Wasserman

Alex Ball

Fresh Perspectives

Is an increase in minimum wage a positive or negative change?

The Good

Lack of students at spirit night

H o m e c o m i n g game loss of 69-0

Girls cross country gets trophy from

County Championsips

You said:

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Bachir Touirbi, 12

“Then people won’t be on the streets because they’ll be able to pay the bills.”

Hannah Henderson , 9

Cameron Barker, 10

Maggie Ford, 9

“Quote.”

“If we raise minimun wage it will add up to a lot of money other people will have to pay.”

“People will be able to buy supplies for themselves.”

“Yeah because of the inflation that’s in our economy right now.”

Anthony Hendryfreshman

Rosemary Owensassistant principal

MTV Made

Bats

Classroom Observaations

Occupy Wallstreet

Gadaffi

QA&

Jeff Hulsejunior

Ashley Smithsenior

Anne Tolsonsophomore

Superstar

Flashing lights

Soldier

Creepy

Nosy

Waste of time

Money

Fur

Terrorist

Obnoxious

Funny

Have no clue

Scary

Lame

Dead

Lame

EwUgly

Stupid

What?

Way cool

Gone

Not the Arabs’ spring

Creepy

Very interesting

“You’re going to, like, MIT or Harvard or something, right?” Just to get it out of the way, no, I’m not. I want to go to a normal state school in Florida. No, it’s not because I grew up in Gator onesies or FSU hairclips. It is because I have found that these schools are what fit me best.

Every senior recites the list of colleges they are applying to by heart. We are asked it almost daily by fellow students and adults. The list includes the safety school, the reach school, and the schools in the middle.

M a n y p e o p l e h a ve t h i s preconceived notion that every “smart person” on this planet has the ultimate goal of attending an Ivy League school, and may even have a few as their “schools in the middle”. People seem almost mad when I tell them I am not applying. They think every “A” and extracurricular is solely motivated by the dream of one day walking the esteemed Yale campus or proudly displaying their Princeton diploma on their wall.

For me, this is not the case. I like what UF and FSU have to offer. They are close to home, beautiful, allow me to use my Florida Prepaid Tuition to its greatest extent, and offer me the chance to use the Bright Futures Scholarship. I have had people tell me I should at least apply to some of these schools to see if I get in, but why should I pay the extra application fee and go through the interview and application process just to possibly get an acceptance letter to put on my fridge?

I completely respect those who choose to try for the Ivy League route. No one disputes that they are wonderful schools. However, just because I’m involved and get good grades does not mean that is my set and predestined path. I have found what I am looking for in an undergraduate education in multiple schools in Florida, and they even have the plus that I can come home on the weekends on just one tank of gas. I do not see any reason to search further.

State college vs. Ivy League

revolution opinion 5

Every girl has that one guy that changed everything. For me, it was the first guy to simply kiss me on the forehead, just cuddle for hours, and give me advice when I thought everything was going wrong. Then he turned out to be a lying jerk just like every other guy. But he changed me. He made me fast.

Jake ended everything with me last summer and I was miserable. The only way I knew how to feel better was to run. I got in more miles than I ever had before, just trying to clear my head. I never missed a cross country practice because I knew that was how I was getting my emotions out.

At a meet in the beginning of the season, we ran against a school named Sebring. Upon seeing their jerseys, my mind immediately jumped to Jake because there is NOTHING that boy loved more than Sebring. The sighting prompted a few text messages and before I knew it, we were back to being friends.

I told him that I’d grown to love dubstep and he supplied the majority of my warm-up playlist. Before every meet, I put in my headphones and let the beats tune out the rest of the environment. The songs he picked never failed to get me focused before a race. My nerves would melt away and I could step up to the starting line without a care in the world.

What could have been a distraction turned out doing the exact opposite.

The actual running came easier than ever. I was in the best shape of my life because of him and I was always well hydrated; Jake thought it was gross to pee yellow. I’d run my race looking forward to telling him how I did afterwards. And ever since I’ve had him to report my results to, I’ve only had good news. Who knew a little heartbreak and a bad guy with good taste in music was all I needed?

In retrospect, Jake may not have been as bad as I made him out to be in my head. Maybe I’m a tad over emotional but learning to channel that into my running was one of the smartest things I have ever done.

Running through my Mind

varsity sports. While lacrosse is pushing to become a varsity sport in the next few years, hockey has little chance. Anyone who has ever watched the NHL knows how dangerous hockey can be so it makes sense that the school would not want that liability. However, we cannot cast these athletes aside with no team just because the school will not sponsor them. Forming a school-oriented club team provides players with a chance to play the sport they love while representing their school. The students have a high school team to play for and the schools do not have to take any responsibility- it’s a win-win. Whether or not the sports obtain such a title, they should still be able to remain visible to the student body.

Both hockey and lacrosse not only wear ‘Freedom’ on their jerseys but are already viewed as a part of the school. Hockey and lacrosse programs are already stuck with home games off campus so they should be able to make their peers aware of how they are doing. One way of doing this is proudly displaying trophies in the front office. Without this, it will be far more difficult to make their success known to the school.

Non-school sports still belong on campusEvery year, students have gone out and played

hockey and lacrosse proudly displaying ‘Freedom’ across their chests. Boys’ lacrosse founded the New Tampa Cup, girls’ lacrosse has won the West Florida Lacrosse League Championship several times and hockey has brought home plenty of hardware to the trophy case in the front office including three very dominant trophies: the Ice Sports Forum High School Championship (07-08) and Finalist (08-09), and the Combined Division Championship (06-07). These are programs that we should be proud of.

Recently, the administration has been cracking down on these sports’ presence in the school. Future trophies will not be displayed and current players are not allowed to recruit in school by hanging posters or passing out flyers to classmates. It seems a little silly that the school would not allow such things. Success among sports is an easy way to increase our Patriot Pride so we should not be rejecting teams that have done so well.

One solution to the problem is to simply allow lacrosse and hockey to become school sports. There are obvious pros to being a school-sponsored sport but it may not be feasible for the programs to become

The Way We See It

SomethingAppropriateErin Winick

Something InappropriateLeah Wasserman

R. Gaynor/revolution

features November 4, 20116

Nerd Talk

Breana Pauline

The holidays are fast approaching. Halloween is over, and before we know it, Thanksgiving will be here.

I love the holidays; my favorite time of year starts on Halloween and ends on New Years. But lately, they seem to be losing something. That magic that made the holidays we remember from our childhood so special. Every year, I notice more and more that the holidays sneak up on me and are gone before I even have time to appreciate them.

Don’t get me wrong, I still look forward to Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. But it used to be when they finally got here, there was something to them. It’s hard to explain, that feeling we used to get, but we all remember it. The fun of trick-or-treating and filling up our buckets with candy. The wonder of getting new toys and playing with them all day long. The thrill of getting to stay up until midnight on New Years-if you could make it that long.

But now, things are different. We’re too old to go trick-or-treating. Our gifts come in the form of cash, gift cards, clothes, and movies. We stay up well past midnight almost every day. The things that made the holidays such special days for us are gone. They feel less and less like holidays and more and more like just another day.

We’ll never have that feeling back. Sure, we learn to appreciate the holidays in other ways, like enjoying being with family, but we’ll never see them through the eyes of a child again.

It happens to everyone. We all grow up, we all have to give up the wonder and excitement that childhood gives to things. It’s just disappointing to realize that all that is gone. Because while it was here, it was so nice.

I guess it must have been a gradual thing, losing the magic. It’s not something that you have one year and lose entirely the next. It seems to hit you like that, though. One year you’re participating, and the next you’re just a spectator.. Watching and remembering.

There is one upside to it all. We won’t be spectators forever. Maybe we’ll have our own kids someday. And maybe watching them experience the wonder that is a childhood holiday will help us all get some of that magic back.

Losing the magic

Students see him every week. He’s at every football game, bearing an American or a Freedom flag on his wheelchair. His dedication to the team matches that of the players on the field. His name is Taylor Nay, and he’s the football team’s flag bearer.

Taylor was born on October 12, 1995. He likes to play video games, draw, and read comics. He also has Muscular Dystrophy, an incurable degenerative muscle disease.

“It weakens my arm and leg muscles,” Taylor said. “And it’s progressive. One year I can walk but I have to have a walker, next year I go in a wheelchair but I can walk some, and the next year I’m in a power chair. It’s kind of like that.”

Taylor’s mom, Melanie Nay, knows first-hand the challenges facing Taylor.

“He used to be able to run and play,” Melanie said

Melanie says Taylor sometimes gets frustrated because he doesn’t have the freedom he used to.

“It makes it where it’s hard to get things,” Taylor said. “And it’s also hard to reach things.”

Despite these challenges, Melanie says Taylor wanted to be involved in sports with regular kids.

“Taylor’s freshman year his mom sent me an email saying that her son Taylor Nay wanted to be involved in athletics and wanted to be involved in the football program in some facet,” football coach Tchecoy Blount said.

Melanie and Taylor spoke with Blount at Taylor’s freshman orientation.

“Taylor said he needed to be on the football team, and Coach Blount said ‘You want to be linebacker?’” Melanie said.

Taylor started out on the team doing various jobs as a spiritual and equipment

manager.“As that season progressed, we asked

Taylor to put a flag on his chair and when we score; when we have good plays [to] bear that flag, and he’s been doing an excellent job,” Blount said.

Taylor loves being on the team. He attends every practice. He enjoys carrying

the flag, seeing a lot of people at the games, and talking to the players. He’s made friendships on the team, as well.

“They’re really good friends,” Taylor said. “They like my jokes.”

Blount says that at the end of every practice, Taylor has a joke of the day for the team.

“Taylor is a very funny individual,” Blount said. “I think he will have a career as being a comedian if he continues to work on his jokes and his delivery.”

Taylor likes the idea of becoming a comedian.

“I like making people laugh,” Taylor said. “It makes me feel more popular.”

One day, Taylor got in trouble for making tracks on the field with his wheelchair.

“He was all smiles when he came home,” Melanie said. “He said, ‘Couch Blount yelled at me.’”

Taylor felt like he was a part of the team because of this.

Melanie says that being on the team has been a positive experience for Taylor because it’s helped him come out of his shell.

“I think it helps the team, too,” Melanie says.

Taylor is always there for the team, ready to encourage them and cheer them up.

“When guys are down he’ll go up to a player or go up to a coach and he’ll make them smile and make them laugh,” Blount said.

Despite challenges in transportation, Melanie wouldn’t change anything about Taylor being on the team. Blount is happy Taylor is on the team, too.

“Taylor is an excellent person, because one thing I tell the guys [is] that everyone is able to play this sport that wants to play,” Blount said. “So he’s also an inspiration to the team and to me.”

Breana Paulinefeatures editor

Flags, friendships, andfearlessness

(Above) sophomore Taylor Nay. (Below left) Nay displays the Freedom flag at a football game. (Below right) Nay enters the field with the foot-ball team.

Sophomore Taylor Nay overcomes challenges to be a vital member of the football team

revolution features 7

Those who dream, do what it takesSenior Sherard Payne practices his passion in hopes of entertaining someday

(Above left and bottom) Senior Sherard Payne, aka Spitta, hangs out with his friends at lunch and in class. (Above right) Payne practices his dance moves.

He can be seen walking around campus in the mornings shaking the hands of people he’s never met before. Se-nior Sherard Payne, also known as Spitta, has a cloud of questions following him. Why is he called Spitta? Who is he? Why, at 19 turning 20, is he still here?

Someone who knows a lot about him is Tchecoy Blount, who spends 6 peri-ods each day with Payne. During second and third period Blount takes him and his classmates off cam-pus for work experience. Blount says Payne does “vari-ous jobs” at Palm Gardens nursing home such as main-taining the grounds, wash-ingdishes, and mopping the kitchen.

Though Payne can pic-ture himself helping people when he gets out of school, his true dream is to be on stage. Payne hopes that his rapping, which earned him his nick-name, Spitta, will make him famous.

“Ten years in the future, just seeing myself on the stage, I can hear people yelling ‘Spitta!

Spitta!’” Payne said.He creates his own dance moves and rap

songs that he performs for students during school.

“When I first came here I knew there were some people [who] wouldn’t like me so I gave entertainment,” he said

Senior Tyler Wodrick believes that Payne can incorporate both his dreams of fame and desire to help into his rapping

career.“He might be the next [male]

celebrity in Hollywood,” Wodrick said. “[I can see him] helping the

community and making money for the poor.”

Before he can move on to achieve his dreams, he must first graduate high school.

“Sherard has a learning dis-ability where he needs curricular modifications to succeed,” Blount said.

Payne didn’t foresee staying after his senior year but he’s still planning on finishing and going to college.

“When I first graduated I thought I was done with school,”

Payne said. “When I walked across [the] stage I thought ‘dang’. I was actually happy for graduating.”

Though he is at Freedom for a little longer than expected, the students appreciate his good natured humor.

“We can learn a lot from Sherard.” Blount said. “How to enjoy life in the moments [it] brings us.”

Jessica Guidrystaff writer

B. Pauline/revolution

in-depth8

Cha

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unts

Brandi ChmielewskiCenterspread editor

From the shy and unnoticed to the loud and com-petitive, a good laugh out on the field brings relief to

just about every sports player. The main provider of these laughs on the cross country team is none other than junior Kendall Small. And Small will do just about

anything for a good laugh.“A dance here or there or a funny accent [as a

joke] definitely takes the team’s mind off of the hard running,” Small said. “Even if it’s just for a second my purpose has been accomplished.”

Small’s role on the team is definitely some-thing that can’t go unnoticed, and it is pretty neu-tral throughout the team that she is the one that

helps them get through some gruesome practices.“Kendall’s humor helps motivate the team in every

way. She is what keeps us alive,” junior Stephanie Ortiz said. “Before every practice in the locker room she always finds a way to get the team laughing, even though we know we are about to go die in our workout.”

Small doesn’t save the jokes for just the field though. She loves to make anyone laugh.

“I love having the power to affect how someone’s day goes,” Small said. “You never really know what people have going on in their lives, so spreading around some laughter can help anyone even just the tiniest bit.”

The cross country team enjoys Kendall’s company and would definitely miss her fun presence if she was not on the team.

“She’s just always so funny, she does Nikki Minaj raps and she randomly makes jokes up off the top of her head,” Ortiz said. “And her groovy dances totally make my day.”

A little joking around is healthy for a team and Small’s ability to bring some fun into the hard-working lives of her fellow teammates is a great contribution.

“The whole team works hard, so giving them a good laugh here and there is a great feeling,”

Small said. “I mean what can I say? I’m blessed with the gift to make others laugh.”

Comic Relief: Kendall Small

When a lot to a little is glaring on the score-board, there’s always that one athlete who tells their team they can still do it if they work hard for the last fourty nine seconds. When everyone is arguing, there’s the one person who asks why we can’t all just get along. Senior Emma Dan-iel plays this role on the Varsity cheerleading team.

“Our football team doesn’t win a lot and it can be disappointing, but we have to support them no matter what and maintain a positive attitude,” Daniel said. “Usually when it gets to the third quarter, our team loses energy and fo-cus. We have to get in a huddle and re-ally focus because we need to support the football players.”

Daniel emphasizes the im-portance of maintaining a positive attitude no matter the circumstances.

“I always try to look at things with a positive attitude,” Daniel said. “If you look at things nega-

Little Miss Sunshine: Emma DanielLeah Wasserman

editor in chief

1. When you go to a meet/ game you: a. Act all quiet and shy until it’s your turn to play. Then blow everyone away with your awesome skills. b. Cheer everyone on so loud you lose your voice the next day. c. Crack jokes the whole time to keep peoples spirits up. d. Bring the adhesive bandages and snacks to hand out. e. Smile the whole time whether you’re winning or los-ing. f. Pull the team together because you care so much.

tively you’ll never succeed.” Sometimes, it is difficult to keep your head up.

Daniel said that at times girls on the team can get very competitive.

“It’s hard to be positive when other people are trying to beat you,” Daniel said. “You can’t think of it as being the best. You have to be your best.”

Daniel tries to shift her teammates’ attitudes to something that would benefit the team.

“Everyone is so competitive with each other and I try to get them to be competitive with the other teams,” Daniel said.

At the end of the day, any team needs to work to-gether. Daniel believes that the team is more success-ful when everyone on the team shares her attitude.

“If only a few people are positive, others put down the positivity and everything gets negative,” Daniel said.

Being on a team means putting aside the negative opinions of others and making the most of the good things.

“Even if people have problems with each other you have to work together and be able to take constructive

criticism as a good thing.”

What character are you?2. Outside of practice you: a. Secretly practice more so you can continue to surprise people with your awesome skills. b. Facebook everyone and tell them how great they are and how well they are going to do at the next meet/game. c. Come up with more jokes to tell at your next practice. d. Keep up with the players and make sure they are still okay. e. Still smile all the time. f. Practice more and try to get the team together for some outside-of-practice bonding.

a . If you answered mainly A’s then you are the Dark Horse of the team.Answers:

b. If you answered mainly B’s then you are the Motivator of the team.Ever

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B. Pauline/revolution

courtesy of A. Grace

November 4, 2011

e. If you answered mainly E’s then you are Little Ms. Sunshine. f. If you answered mainly F’s then you are the Heart of the team.

revolutionin-depth 9

Breana PaulineFeatures Editor

The Dark Horse: Gus Papas

Few athletes have the qualities it takes to be a true leader, but also a team player. To find a common ground of being tough while being comforting is a challenge, but football player Kurt Schaller finds the perfect balance be-tween the two.

“I don’t really consider myself a mother hen,” Schaller said. “I’m just there for my team, like everyone should be.”

Schaller says it’s really no challenge to be there for your team.

“I think the title [mother hen] is kind of something anyone could be considered,” Schaller said. “I mean if you play hard and encourage others to do the same you pretty much have that title.”

But according to teammates Schaller exceeds just en-

Papas says he has missed several practices due to academics and his birthday, but Armstrong says that Pa-pas really doesn’t need the practice anyway.

“If I wasn’t the captain, I think Gus Papas would be the captain. The whole team agrees,” Armstrong said.

Papas jokes around with the team in the locker room, and says he tries to boost team morale.

“If they think that I would be captain if [Armstrong] wasn’t, that’s flattering, I would do that, but it’s not actually my goal,” Papas said.

Papas tries to play to the best of his abil-ity and doesn’t concentrate on what other people think.

Armstrong thinks highly of Papas’ con-tribution to the team.

“He’s a good kid,” Armstrong said. “He’s a good player. He’s just great at every-thing.”

Comic Relief: Kendall Small

The dark horse of a team is some who is un-expected. You don’t perceive them as a threat until it’s too late. They may not look their part, but they have a lot of talent and a lot to offer their team.

On the hockey team, this character comes out in center Gus Papas.

“...He looks like a straight-up strong man, and he’s really good looking, and you’d think, ‘Oh, he’s probably a model,’ but he’s really a good hockey player,” team captain Tyler Armstrong said. “[He’s] just one of those kids.”

Forward David Greenberg agrees with this observation.

“I don’t think Gus looks like the most hockey-type player,” Greenberg said. “But he gets it done on the ice

and that’s what counts.”

Papas says that when he sees his team is lagging, he’ll give it his all and push himself in order to help.

“I think t h a t

sometimes I don’t put all my effort in but when I’m needed I try to step up my game and show people what I can do,” Papas said.

Greenberg says that their opponents can get caught off-guard.

“They definitely don’t expect it from Gus, mostly because he wasn’t the highest scorer last year,” Green-berg said. “But he still scores goals and he’s always a threat.”

Brandi ChmielewskiCenter-spread editor

couraging them.“I feel like he’s there for me on and off the field,” junior

Bryan David said. “I don’t feel like that with everyone.”Schaller is committed to the football team and has

methods to keep them all together.“A team should all be one,” Schaller said. “You have to

keep your team focused and not arguing.”There’s always feuds on and off every field, but Schaller

keeps them to a minimum as much as possible.“Arguments shouldn’t affect our play,” Schaller said.

“Every team has to keep together.”His methods of helping the team do not go unnoticed

and Schaller tries everything he can to get the team ready for games.

“Besides actually practicing hard I just try to fire up the team,” Schaller said. “I use Buzz words or just anything that’ll catch their attention to where they know to play hard. It’s definitely necessary for someone to do that.”

The Mother Hen: Kurt Schaller

3. The most important thing in your game bag is: a. The paper with your personal record on it so you know how much you need to improve for the next time you show off your awesome skills. b. The inspirational speech you give before every game/ meet. c. The whoopie cushion you try to sneak under teammates seats all the time. d. Nothing, the most important thing is the happiness and health of your team. e. Crest Whitening Stripes to keep that smile nice and white. f. Team bags with everyones names on them that you will pass out after the game/ meet.

What character are you?2. Outside of practice you: a. Secretly practice more so you can continue to surprise people with your awesome skills. b. Facebook everyone and tell them how great they are and how well they are going to do at the next meet/game. c. Come up with more jokes to tell at your next practice. d. Keep up with the players and make sure they are still okay. e. Still smile all the time. f. Practice more and try to get the team together for some outside-of-practice bonding.

Take this quiz to find out!

b. If you answered mainly B’s then you are the Motivator of the team.

Little Miss Sunshine:

Abby Wambach, USA Soccer

The Dark Horse:

Clay Matthews, Green Bay

Packers

Comic Relief: Chad

Ochocinco,New England

Patriots

Professional character match-ups:

c. If you answered mainly C’s then you are the Comedic Relief of the team. d. If you answered mainly D’s then you are the Mother Hen of the team.

E. Winick/revolution

B. Pauline/revolution

e. If you answered mainly E’s then you are Little Ms. Sunshine. f. If you answered mainly F’s then you are the Heart of the team.

10 entertainment November 4, 2011

November is a month of brisk breezes, election talks, turkey, elastic waist bands and beard growers. That’s right, beard growers.

Extensive hair growing occurs during a widely participated event called No Shave November.

It originated as a way to bring awareness and raise money for testicular cancer, encouraging fellow shavers to put down the razor for a month and grow out a whisker or two.

Beards, mustaches, uni-brows and even arm hair, you name it, they’re all grown out.

Anything from scruffy patches to full on body hair can be seen out and growing on the student bodies during this time of year.

The boys say that they grow out their facial hair to look manly, while the girls do it just for a good excuse to get a break from the razor, or even to get a rise out of their peers.

“I think it’s disgusting,” freshman Elyana Hatzifrangou said. “and unlady-like.”

There are mixed reviews on the ladies participation in this activity.

“[No shave November] is something fun to do and usually only guys do it, so it’s funny when girls do,” sophomore Erin McCarthy said.

While the girls seem to be getting a break from the tedious task, the boys are just getting started, anticipating the event.

“Why not participate? I do it just to grow [my beard] out.” Senior Adam Albadawi.

The boys enjoy growing out their facial hair but for some, growing out their hair is a little ridiculous and farfetched. For English teacher Charles Haueter it’s just another benefit of no shave November.

“It saves me money on razors.” Haueter said.

No shave November is no longer just about saving money on razors and taking a break from shaving , it has also turned into a full on battle of the beards.

“Renninger and I are going to be competing this year,” Haueter said “[I’m] probably going to win because I’m younger and I don’t have any grey in my beard.”

William Renninger fires back with his thoughts on the competition.

“I have no idea [who’s going to win],” Renninger said, “I think it’s going to be kind of a close contest.”

Don’t worry; this contest may or may not be a close one, but it will definitely be an interesting one.

“In the movie ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ I remember the guy who played Santa Clause like left his beard outside the covers because he said the cold air made his whiskers grow,” Renninger said, “So maybe I’ll have like a fan blowing on me at night.”

This could be a new annual tradition that might start popping up here at Freedom. It might even inspire students to compete with their teachers and fellow students.

So, put down the razors and let the battle of the beards begin Freedom.

Facial hair face-offSamantha McCarrell

staff writer

The month of November brings out not only stubble but manly competition

1 week into November?

3weeks into November?

revolution entertainment 11

It seems that the 90s were the last great frontier for animation. No longer is it worth waking up early to catch Saturday morning cartoons, or worth the money to collect figures outside of the occasional comic book convention. This was all true until October of last year, when the children’s cartoon channel The Hub, in association with toy company Hasbro released the newest incarnation of the My Little Pony franchise, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

“My Little Pony is easily the most successful of any pony show before it, having as many as 4 million viewers a month by the end of its first season,” Wired magazine said.

The remarkable aspect about this colorful show full of sparkles and rainbows lies not in its content, however, but in its fan base. Although the show is aimed at 6 to 12 year old girls, a large portion of its viewers are males aged 15 to 35, who proudly refer to themselves and each other as “bronies.”

The pony craze has even infiltrated Freedom where bronies seem to be coming out of the barn as the second season of the show trots on.

Senior Damien Terry is one of these bronies. “My little sister was watching it once, so I sat down and watched it with her.” Terry said.

“It brings out the kid in you.” Senior Trevin Bultman said.

Terry and Bultman, like other bronies, aren’t really sure how they became such avid fans, but say they don’t really care,

“[The show] has great graphics, and it’s just awesome, awesome, awesome.” Terry said.

Though the prospect of young adults and grown men enjoying a show such as this may be an embarrassing thought for some, a surprisingly large amount of bronies, such as sophomore Casey Gross-kopf, are open about their pony facination.

“Now other people know once I started lik-ing

it. I began advertising my ponies everywhere.” Gross-kopf said. He’s not the first to do so, either.

Gatherings known as “brony meet-ups” are becoming increasingly common as the brony force gains momentum across the country. At these meet-ups, groups of bronies gather to discuss their pony enthusiasm and to show off and trade their pony toy collections.

Equestria Daily is the largest functioning brony centered site on the internet. Acquiring 500,000 views a day and with a rising total number of 60 million views, the site brings pony fans worldwide news about the site and brony happenings from across the globe.

Older males are not alone in the surprise audience of My Little Pony. Sophomore Chy Devane is one of the teen fe-males that is equally enthralled with Friendship is Magic,

“I like the plot and animation quality.” Devane said.

Bronies, or their female equivalents, commonly called “pegasisters,” sometimes encounter abrasion when they talk about their enjoyment of the show.

“They kind of laugh and think I’m joking [when I tell them],” Devane said.

“My friends say ‘Are you serious?’ when I tell them, but then I tell them how awesome it is and now they’re watching, too.” Terry said.

Expansion of the fan-base is almost viral. Bro-nies agree that one taste of Friendship is Magic is all you need to become hooked.

“My friends told me to watch an episode, so I did. Then I watched another, then another…” said Bultman.

The executive producer and creative director of Friendship is Magic’s first season, Lauren Faust, have been in constant communication with them, receiving feedback about the show and giving the occasional shout out to their unusual fans.

“From the messages I’ve received, these episodes have lifted spirits … and inspired the most unlikely of people in the most unlikely of places. Who would have thought it from a show about candy colored ponies?” Faust said in a post on her deviantART.com page.

To the bronies of Freedom and beyond, no end is in

Jonathan Harrisstaff writer

After purchasing your ticket you enter the auditorium and find a seat. While wait-ing you glance at the program or talk to your friends until suddenly the lights dim and the excited chatter that had previously filled the room is suddenly hushed.

Finally the curtain opens onto an old lady (played by Blair Bowman) sitting in a chair and you’re hooked. One after another the plays unfold.

There are laughs, vigorous nods of agreement, and even some more serious moments all of which followed by a loud, genuine applause. That and more is what you experienced at A Night of Student Directed Shows performed by the drama program on October 7.

“Every year Holden gives the opportu-nity for seniors to direct a short one act play to get the experience of directing,” senior and co- director of Stray Cats Evan Kennedy said.Carly Quisenberry also co- directed Stray Cats.

After rehearsing twice a week for a month and every day the week of the pro-duction the directors were excited as well

as nervous.“It’s nerve-wracking in the sense that if

someone doesn’t like the show more empha-sis is placed on you as the director,” senior and co- director of Questionable Michael Hogan said.

Shelbie Kelly was also one of the direc-tors for the play Questionable.

Despite the jitters the show got positive feedback.

“People said they really liked it,” junior Kelly Wilkinson said. “They said all the shows were great and the acing was even better.”

While good reviews from their peers was appreciated that wasn’t the only favorable part of the experience for the directors.

“It was great working with my peers in a different way and helping to guide them as actors,” senior and director of Wrecked Mia Topic said. “You just need a lot of patience and time to take care of all the director’s duties.”

That’s one advantage some people such as Michael Hogan had this year. Hogan got the chance to direct last year as well and knew some of what it would take to do it again this year.

“Going in I had an idea of the amount of work doing everything such as auditions,

rehearsals, managing schedules, etc would take,’” Hogan said. “I also had an idea of how to guide someone to give the perfor-mance I was looking for.”

All in all the rehearsals and hard work paid off and the performance went well.

Kelly Bonnville-Sextonstaff writer

A Night of Stars: Student directed plays show off rising talent

“I thought this years student directed shows were performed beautifully,” Ken-nedy said. “They weren’t perfect but every show has its flaws and accepting them is all part of the experience.”

(above) Students performing in the play “How to Suc-ceed in High School Without Really Trying”. (right) Blair Bowman and Chloe Stokes acting in “Questionable.”

sight for My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic’s influence of companionship,

“As long as they keep making more seasons and don’t water it down [it will keep going].” Terry said.

“It will never end,” said Grosskopf. “It will grow throughout the known universe.”

Of course, where there is an enjoyment for something, resent for it is usually not far. Senior Rick Baum is against My Little Pony and its brony followers.

“[The show] is for children,” Baum said, “The people who watch it live on the internet.”

Despite resistance, the quickest reaction for most bronies encountering hate is to just shrug it off. Grosskopf says the bronies follow a policy of love and tolerance, so insults don’t really faze them.

B u l t m a n argues that simple ignorance is the reason anyone could hate Friend-ship is Magic.

“The only people who hate it are the ones who haven’t seen it

yet.”

B.Pauline/revolution

The secret life of a

J.Harris/revolution

entertainment November 4, 201112S E E I T S K I P I TS E E I T S K I P I TS E E I T S K I P I T S E E I T S K I P I TS E E I T S K I P I TS E E I T S K I P I TS E E I T S K I P I TS E E I T S K I P I TS E E I T S K I P I TS E E I T S K I P I T S E E I T S K I P I T

Everyone’s a critic...Staffers take the time to review the latest in movies, dining, and television

Ace Combat Assault HorizonReturn to the skies with a vengeance in Namco

Bandai’s latest installment of the hit Ace Combat series. Ace Combat: Assault Horizon brings a twist to the Ace Combat franchise, taking players to the wild blue yonder of the real world for the first time in the history of the games as they play various American pilots battling an errant coup d’état that has taken Russia by surprise.

Armed with a dangerous weapon, this renegade Russian force will stop at nothing to ensure that their goals are realized, even if it means wiping entire cities off the map.

Assault Mode, an entirely new way to dogfight, challenges players in a way never before experienced

in a game of this type. Close range combat brings you closer to your enemies than ever before, and oil and molten bits of metal fly off planes and dot your screen as you literally rip your opponents out of the air.

Every aspect of Assault Horizon is executed so well, it’s hard to pinpoint where to start. Project Aces display their skills in writing stories for the Ace Combat games, bringing convincing characters and a pulse-pounding plot directly to your living room. Graphics are nothing short of cinematic genius, from the biggest bomber to the smallest truck.

Even multiplayer online play, which is something that is hard to establish for any game that’s not a first person shooter, is wildly popular and is just as intense as its single player counterpart.Whether you’re new to the series, or a veteran pilot in the Ace Combat world, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is worth keeping on your shelves.

>>Jonathan Harris

If you’ve seen the first of the series, then you already know how the third Paranormal Activity is going to be laid out. The young, lighthearted husband rigs a number of security cameras around the house when the wife becomes paranoid, and they notice a progression of “paranormal activity” on the recorded tapes, and by the end someone becomes possessed and goes on a murderous rampage.

What makes Paranormal Activity 3 different from its predecessors is the introduction of a pan shot. The husband makes this shot by mounting a camera on an oscillating fan, which creates suspense every time the shot appears. Toby, the youngest daughter’s imaginary friend, adds an eerie effect to the film as well. You can almost feel his presence in every scene as he haunts the family and anyone who tries to intervene.

While watching the movie, I couldn’t stop thinking about the extreme coincidence that every male protagonist in the series was technologically savvy with cameras, or how they all immediately thought of recording their daily lives to solve a mystery.

Even though these movies are becoming increasingly predictable, they accomplish their main goal: to scare movie goers into not being able to walk into a room alone without the thought that an invisible demon is looking over their shoulder and watching their every move.

>>Forrest Canadaywatch

Paranormal Activity 3

play

The Crazies-SKIP IT “You are crazy if you think this movie is actu-ally scary.”-Cristina Cordova

Cloverfield-SKIP IT “It’s a good idea but watching it gave me a headache.”-Emily Ball

Devil-SKIP IT“The only part that was scary was the end.”-Kelly Bonnville

Haunting in Connecticut-SEE IT“Good amount of creepi-ness and surprise.”-Alex Ball

Knowing-SKIP IT“They literaly carry bun-nies to a different plan-et, how could that be good?”-Erin Winick

Scream 4-SEE IT“It has a great story line, and keeps you guess-ing.”-Leah Wasserman

The Gremlins-SEE IT“It’s a classic, it makes me never want to get wet.”-Forrest Canaday

Corpse Bride-SEE IT“It’s just creepy enough to be a fun Halloween film.”-Breana Pauline

From freshmen to seniors it could be agreed that homecoming was a fun, enjoyable and respectable event with only a few exceptions.

Getting to homecoming was a frustrating part of the experience without a driver. Having to travel down uncommon roads and getting lost on multiple highways wasn’t the best way to start out the night, but things quickly turned around upon entering the dance.

There were plenty of teachers there ready to check your tickets making getting in easy. Once getting in it was time to party. A huge projection screen and a dj in the front helped the dance floor get fired up. Students were free to dance with only a few patrollers creeping around the dance floor to keep the student body in line.

If dancing became too much there was ice water and lemonade on either side of the dance floor with sweets in the middle.

A La Carte was most certainly an upgrade from MOSI, the venue was clean and huge with large bathrooms that were easily accessible. Not only was the venue nice but the things inside were even better.

Decorations filled the room as well as picture booths and a back drop for a more formal photo to remember the night.It was a fun event that was well worth the money.

>> Samantha McCarrell

Homecoming 2011

dance

revolution sports 13

In a sport that is characterized by rowdy fans, a team with a subpar student fan base has risen. Unlike football, volleyball, or basketball, the popularity of hockey is either a hit or miss with student fans.

“The average attendance rate of students is seven; the crowd is mainly parents,” sophomore, goals leader James Jones said. “But during rival games [the number of stu-dents] is around 30.”

“We know it is a long distance,” captain Tyler Arm-strong said. “Honestly, hockey is an extremely fun sport to watch.”

Transitioning from the small crowd to the big plays on the ice is drastic. It comes as a shock to students that the team plays at such a high caliber. The team not only has an explosive offence, but also has a dependable defense.

“Our offense is the strongest [part of the team] and the goal tending is pretty solid too,” sophomore Brendan Rog-ers said.

New additions to the team have also helped with the success.

“We came out strong in our first game and we have a lot of good guys this year,” junior assistant captain Justin Lewis said. The team is confident in themselves and in making the playoffs, a chance to seperate themselves from the rest.

“Realistically, we have a chance to win districts because of the new additions [to the team] and the coaching staff,” said Jones.

Individual effort can be considered one of the biggest drivers to the team’s success and confidence.

“It starts with our back, with the goalie, he makes ev-eryone else more confident, knowing you got a guy back there who is one of the better goalies in the league,” coach Mike Lumkis said. “I don’t think that there is any one par-

ticular player, they all seem to bring a different skill set to the ice for us, and it seems that every game another player steps up when we need them.”

The team as a whole put in off-ice work, lifting weights and running for an hour each week. Also individuals such as Rogers, traveled to Minnesota for two months to train for the high school season, are a prime example of indi-vidual off- ice effort.

In the team’s first match against Bloomingdale their ex-

Small crowd sees big plays After weak attendance, hockey team seeks supporters

Thomas Kilker

tra efforts paid off in a big win, 7-1. “For the one minute you are not working hard, it could

cost you the game,” Jones said.

Alex Ballstaff writer

Goaltender

1.333 Goals Junior

5’8’’165lbs

Breaking down “The Wall”

AverageAgainst

4 wins

0 losses

1 assist

A look at Starting goaltender Thomas Kilker’s stats for the start of the season.

See continued coverage on Freedom Hockey at www.revolutionfhs.com

sports November 4, 201114

Sprinting to the finish lineGirls’ cross country are determined to become champions

The girls’ cross country team has experienced astound-ing success for this season. The team has continuously delivered their fastest times and have finished among the top five runners in the majority of their races. Recently the Lady Patriots returned with a trophy from the county com-petition.

“At County Championships we got second, so we were runner-up,” freshman Kristina Tedesco said. “It was a big accomplishment because we’ve been working toward it the whole season.”

Sadly at the last meet the course was set 100 meters short so times were skewed.

“It was diappointing to find out everyones times were faster then they would have been,” Kristina said.

Junior Alex Mitchell attributes the long string of victory to intense practices.

“We’ve really stepped up our practices,” Mitchell said.Sophomore Annie Tedesco hopes the team can make

it to the state competition, and to her, the goal is well in sight.

“We never slack off, we’re like a family,” Annie said.Girls’ cross country is skilled, but Annie says they don’t

take their high position lightly.“It takes a lot to get to the top, but it’s easy to fall,” she

said.Senior Ashley Smith is one of Freedom’s strongest run-

ners on the team, with times well under 19 minutes. Her personal best time so far is 19:28.

“I want to push myself so I can push my teammates to do better, as well,” Smith said.

Smith channels her success through herself to the rest of her team.

“Ashley is always there for us no matter what and she runs really fast,” Kristina said. “She inspires us with

her kind words and always tells us, “Don’t play; do your thing.”

The younger players on the team have dropped their times considerably since the season first started, thanks to the motivation of Coach Dwight Smith.

“I wanted to start runnig when I saw my sister,” Kris-tina said. “She did so well and i wanted to see if I could do just as well on the team.”

“Coach really pushes us. We always get motivation talks,” Smith said.

The girls’ success does not only stem from their desire to succeed, but their joy for the sport of cross country.

“I like always trying to beat my time,” Annie said. The team is close knit and communicates well.

“I love the people on the team—my teammates and the coach,” Mitchell said.

Kristina also feels this closness within the team.“We’re all like a family,” she said. “We all support each

other; we never leave a sister behind.”Though each individual runner has their own time, the

girls agree that it takes a village to raise a child. “We have to help by putting in the work [to win],” Te-

desco said.Dwight hopes to gain more success within practice.“He increases the intensity of the works out,” Kristina

said. “We do mile repeats more often to quicken our mile splits during our race.”

The Lady Patriots eagerly await their chance to perform at the state competition for cross country. With skill and perseverance on their side, it would be no surprise to see them return as champions.

“Even if we dont make it to the podium at states I will still be proud of my team,” Kristina said. “Next year i hope we can achieve just as much, if not more than we already have.”

Jonathan Harrisstaff writer

It’s hard to imagine walking a mile in the shoes of someone else. It’s even harder to imagine running more than a dozen in them weekly. Such is the training regimen for the boys’ cross country team.

Coach Greg Lewandowski has been conditioning the boys’ cross country team since before the beginning of the school year, with practices seven times a week.

“We have two captains this year, who lead the team more than I do.” Lewan-dowski said.

Aside from the praise of Lewandowski, the captains, Adam Urbaniak and Forrest Canaday, receive good reviews from the runners themselves, as well.

“The captains are there for encourage-ment, motivation, and they push us through the workouts.” Senior Chris Tolson said. The younger runners, too, appreciate the work done by the student captains.

“Our captains get us to try our hard-est and come to practice every day,” said sophomore Klaus Vollmer.

Vollmer also enjoys the connectivity of the runners.

“We joke around a lot; they’re like an extended family.” Vollmer said. Vollmer says team practice is balanced, and upper-classmen treat the underclassmen fairly.

To train, the boys run half a marathon, or a little over 13 miles every week. Le-wandowski says that this type of practice is unique to the Patriot team, contributing to their strength. Such training is useful for the five kilometer races that constitute a

cross country meet.This year, the team says goodbye to a

large group of seniors, but they have been replaced by skilled freshmen and sopho-mores.

“The team will be just as good, if not better,” Lewandowski said.

Tolson, one of two remaining seniors on the team, has confidence in the new run-ners,

“They [underclassmen] definitely pull their weight,” Tolson said. “In one or two years our team will be amazing.”

Because of the team’s new talent, Tolson hopes that they will advance further than they did last year, when they succeeded in

Jonathan Harrisstaff writer

Courtesty of Kendall Small

Teams in the playoffs

making it to the regional competition.As a sport, cross country running serves

as both an athlete’s sole sport as well as cross training for other sports that involve endurance such as soccer, football, and basketball. Others get into cross country as more of a sport of passion.

“That’s [cross country] your sport, and you know it.” Lewandowski said.

As for Tolson, his brother ran cross country, and he just followed suit.

The team’s next meet is (insert date), just one of many Lewandowski, Tolson, and Vollmer hope will end in fast times and victory for the Patriots.

Swimming Boys and girls swimming finished the year strong with a total of sev-en swimmers moving on through districts and into regionals, in-cluding: Johan Toso, Brennan Noll, Aron Comeau, Kevin Tian, Jordan Shollenberger, Marc Berson, and Caitlin Slater. The regionals begin today in Clear-water.

Cross Country Both girls and boys cross country teams begin their playoff seasons with districts today at Ed Radice Park. Only the top 8 teams will qualify for regionals.

VolleyballThe Lady Patriots finished second in the district playoffs against Steinbrenner and played in the regional quarterfinals on Tuesday , Novemer 1 at Clearwter High School. The winner will advance to the regional semi-finals which will take place on Tuesday Novem-ber 8.

L. Wasserman/revolution

3.1 miles in their shoes

Senior Ashley Smith finishes the race at the Central Hillborough meet. Her efforts contributed to the team’s win at that meet.

Training, teamwork unite boys’ team

Sophomore Carter Gay begins his run at the Central Hillborough meet. The boys team came in second in this race.

revolution sports 15

Busy with school work and being a teenager sophomore James Jones lives a clustered life. However, in whatever free time he has, he works to perfect his golf and hockey abilities. James, also known as Jimmy by his friends and team mates, is one of a small portion of students who take sport participation to a higher level and partake in mul-tiple sports.

“I got involved with hockey when I was 6 years old. My mom’s brother played hockey and my mom thought I should try it. I did and I fell in love with it,” Jones said. “I got involved with golf at the age of 12 for fun but then switched over to doing it competitively at 14. My mom is a professional golfer and my dad also plays so one day I went out and tried it and I have liked it ever since.”

Jones admits that his parents are his biggest fans. “My parents have supported me through all of my sporting ventures. They realized recently that I could go some-where in golf so they have influenced that a little more than hockey,” Jones said.

Jones’s goal to succeed in golf has pushed him to work even harder. “I practice Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thurs-day for two hours. I practice for one hour on Fridays and have three hour practices on the weekend,” Jones said. “I also practice for hockey for one hour on Monday’s.”

Jones has shown to be an exceptional player based on his multiple accomplishments across both sports. In 2008 his hockey team won the 12 & Under Ice Hockey National Championship. He also has five Ice Hockey Florida State Championships and one Ice Hockey Southeast Regional Championship. Last year Jones played on the high school hockey team for 18 games. He had 25 goals and 11 assists for 36 points. Because of this he had the 4th most goals in the league.

Since he started golf only a few years ago he doesn’t have as many achievements under his belt compared to hockey but, he still has some pretty impressive wins to flaunt. Jones has two 18 & Under Statewide tournament

wins and five Central Florida tournament wins. Further-more, Jones is currently ranked in the top 2000 in North America for golfers under 18 years old, which is an impres-sive feat considering that he has only played competitively for two years.

Jones is proud of his accomplishments in golf so far but has greater goals to strive for before he finishes high school. “By the time I’m a senior I want to be in the top 100 in North America for golfers 18 and under,” Jones said.

The golf season is nearing an end for this year but with great results for Jones. “I’ve had a great season in golf this year,” Jones said. “I was the 2011 district 2A champion. I had a score of 71 and won by three shots.”

Jones is trying to help fellow players at the school level as well as competing for himself. “The golf team at school

Putting, pucks and perfectionJimmy Jones takes participation in sports to the next levelMarc Berson

staff writer

E. Winick/revolution

Left: Jones fights for the puck in a game against Wiregrass. Jones’ skill contributed to a win for Freedom. Right: Jones watches for the outcome of his shot at golf practice.

K.Zamani/revolution

doesn’t have a captain but I am working hard to be leader,” Jones said.

“Jimmy is a pretty funny well-liked guy,” Sophomore Christian Lashley member of the golf team said.” He is an exceptional golfer and is always focused when playing at competitions. During practice Jimmy gives plenty of help-ful tips and pointers to fellow teammates.”

Jones has a few rivals in other schools in the Hills-borough area.”I compete intensely with Gaither’s Jimmy Stanger and Steinbrenner’s Trevor Joseph, “Jones said.

Jones acknowledges that he prefers golf better than hockey. “Golf is more fun and even though I got a late start playing competitively I have proven to myself that I can compete with other kids. My goal is to become a profes-sional golfer,” Jones said.

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1. Chamberlain 2. Brandon 3. Steinbrenner 4. Blake 5. Gaither 6. Wharton 7. Sickles 8. Plant City 9. Bloomingdale 10. Spoto 11. Robinson 12. Alonso 13. Jefferson 14. East Bay 15. Newsome 16. King 17. Armwood 18. Leto 19. Middleton

20. Hillsborough 21. Lennard 22. Freedom 23. Tampa Bay Tech 24. Riverview 25. Strawberry Crest 26. Durant 27. Plant

You think you know your campus, but can you pick out Freedom from aerial shots of every school in the county?

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