Hardee High School 830 Altman Road, Wauchula, FL 33873 Volume XXXVI, Issue Three March 2012

The Wildcat Scratches

For years, Hardee Senior High school was ranked a D school. However, like a student who is tired of settling for less than his best, the school stepped up its game and was rewarded with an upgrade to a C. The school rank is primarily dependent on overall graduation rate, FCAT scores, and participation and success in accelerated programs. In these areas, HSH demonstrated improvement. In fact, participation and success in areas such as AP and DE classes increased, while the graduation rate soared to the highest it’s been in six years. Taking this into account resulted in the school’s score of 976 points, exactly 14 points from a B.However, the road to this triumph was not an easy one. After being ranked as a D school for four of the last five years, the HHS administration was tired of the school’s grade not reflecting its potential, so they refocused. As a result the faculty buckled down and really made an effort to get through to students, even if it meant altering some instructional techniques.

“As a literary coach, I believe one of the main improvements made was that all teachers began to understand the importance of literacy across all curriculums,” Reading Coach Mrs. Shiver said. While the changes to classroom instruction have made it more difficult on some accounts, many students have recognized how the impact has improved their performance in many areas. “Though I’ve lost a lot of my free time working to keep up with the increasing difficulty in class, I see how the hard work is showing positive results on my grades,” Junior Tiffany Ford said. Despite the fact that the students will not receive a tangible reward for their hard work, many individuals feel the benefit goes beyond that of material goods.

“Anytime hard work is payed off with something as notable as a higher grade, there’s a sense of pride,” Mrs. Farr said. “Everyone’s walking with their heads a little higher.” Although many seem to be walking around with pride on their sleeves, others are not quite yet satisfied. To them, HHS has not achieved its potential. “I feel we are on a roll,” Mrs. Shiver said. “We need to continue the upward momentum and live up to our potential.” With the B rank close enough to taste, many individuals refuse to stop and take a breath. They strive forward with a goal of an A on their minds.

by Jessica Brewer

In this issuenews

SPORTS

SEE PG.8

PHOTOJOURNALISM

FEATURES

SEE PG. 11

FEATURES

SEE PG.15

OP/ed

SEE PG.7

SEE PG. 10

Miss Project Graduation

Long Distance Love

Pennines for Prodigies

Changes serve the Tennis team some obstacles

Band looks forward to All That Is To Come

Waiting to learn in some classes while overloaded in others

Hardee Senior High

C

CC

C

CC

C

CC

C

CC

CCC

CC

C

C

C

CC

C

CC

C

C

C

C

CC

FCAT scores

Participation in DE classesParticipation in AP Classes

Success in AP Classes

Success in DE Classes

Graduation Rate

C

C

C

CC

C

CC

C

C

C

C

C

C

CC

C

C

C

CC

C

C

C

CC C

CC

C

C

PAGE 2 . march 2012 campus highlights WILDCAT SCRATCHES

WILDCAT SCRATCHESVolume XXXVI, Issue 1

Jessica BrewerEditor-in-Chief

Arissa Camel

Dana Miller Feature Editor

Adriana Aguilar Business Manager

Farrah MuntzLayout Editor

Staff Members

Estephanie Gonzalez-Alvardo,Karlee Benton,Denise Burnside,Erica

Cisneros,Carleigh Coleman,Klarissa Hall,Chris Mendez

Statement of Policy

The Wildcat Scratches is published seven times a year by the

Journalism Department at Hardee High School.

W.S. is a student-run publication committed to providing the

students of Hardee High School with objective and informative

coverage of events involving or affecting the student body.

The W.S. serves HHS as a forum for student expression and

thought. Content decisions are made by student editors.

Factual errors will be corrected by a retraction in the next issue.

Opinions expressed are those of students and do not necessarily

reflect the views of the adviser, administration, Hardee High School

faculty, or the Hardee School District. Editorials represent the

majority opinion of the W.S. staff.

Letters to the Editor are accepted and published, excluding

those that are deemed libelous, malicious, hurtful or disruptive.

Unsigned letters will not be published, and all letters are subject to

editing. Please email all letters, or other comments/concerns, to

vvalletutti@hardee.k12.fl.us.

David ValletuttiAdvisor

Denise ValletuttiAssistant Advisor

Danely FloresManaging Editor

Christian RichardsonNews Editor

B l o c k s c h e d u l i n g i s something with which current Hardee High students are unfamiliar. However about five years ago, the school day was scheduled where students would attend four 90 minute classes a day. The reason for the change was to increase the amount of learning time for students. Budget cuts changed the school back to the traditional seven period a day schedule. Then, in 2011, the staff decided to attempt to make the transition back to an alternative block schedule that wouldn’t cost as much money. But technical issues forced the idea to fail. The MIS department w a s u n a b l e t o work out technical i ssues with the school’s grading and attendance system. “At the time, the change to block scheduling w o u l d h a v e caused confusion with attendance and c red i t s ,” A s s i s t a n t Principal Mrs. Farr said. Despite the setback, the staff is persistent in making the block scheduling dream a reality. They once again voted to convert t h e c u r r e n t s c h e d u l e f o r numerous reasons. “Currently, every teacher gets approximately 46 minutes to teach a lesson,” Mrs. Farr said. “That isn’t enough time to do group activities that cause students to challenge themselves.” Because of the benefits of block scheduling, teachers urge

the administration to support the transition. “As administrators, we present our teachers’ concerns to our district,” Mrs. Farr said. “Supporting the change in helping resolve the complications is the best thing to do.” While Hardee High staff is fighting for block scheduling, students are still trying to get informed of how exactly block scheduling works. So far many students express enthusiasm about the change. “I think that block scheduling is a great idea,” sophomore Kaitlyn Shaw said. “With a change like this, I would have more time to finish work in class and get a better understanding of the lesson being taught that day.”

O n t h e o t h e r h a n d , some students don’t have a

positive view on the change t o b l o c k scheduling. “ I l i k e having shorter c l a s s e s , ” s o p h o m o r e Brea Farrer said. “With b l o c k schedul ing , each day I w o u l d f e e l tired and have less time to socialize.” W h i l e Hardee High s t a f f w o r k hard to change the cur ren t

school schedule, the final decision remains in the districts’ hands. “It is their choice to make as of now,” Mrs. Farr said. As Hardee High awaits the districts decision, many are hopeful that the change will come soon. Many feel a change like this could greatly improve our school academically.

Hardee High tries for block scheduling AGAIN

Could Hardee High’s schedule look like this?

by CARLEIGH COLEMAN

WILDCAT SCRATCHES news MARCH 2012 . PAGE 3

Pennies for Prodigies Spare change? Not to worry. Advanced Placement classes at Hardee High School are having a penny drive to take some of those extra coins off your hands. The penny drive was organized when Jerold Knight, a representative from the Hardee County Education Foundation, contacted Mrs. Strickland about Advanced Placement funding. She, along with the other AP teachers, agreed that it would make a good fundraiser. “In the past we have found it difficult to get the needed resources that could be available to us through the community,” Mrs. Strickland, AP English teacher, said. “So we are collecting pennies to buy things that we need in the short

term.” The money collected during the penny drive will go to workbooks with practice AP exams, MP4 players for the AP Spanish students, and many other tools needed to help students pass the AP exam. Teachers are also going to try to set up a scholarship fund for AP students regardless of whether or not they pass the exam. “Many of our students do not get a lot of scholarships because they are made available to other people,” Mrs. Strickland said. “So it would be a means of providing them with money for a college education.” In addition to raising money, teachers and students involved in the AP program are hoping to use the fundraiser as

a means of informing other students and the community about AP classes and how these classes help the school grade. They are also hoping to familiarize others with the difference between the Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, and Honors programs offered in hopes of convincing students to take advantage of what is offered to them. “We need to make more

students who plan to go to college aware of the benefits of the AP program at HHS,” Mr. Knight said. “The more students who take AP classes, the more it helps our FCAT score for the school.” So far, AP students have been collecting pennies nonstop. The students feel that it is very important for them to receive better materials to improve their learning experience. “I have to use books that are falling apart in most of my AP classes,” senior Briana Albritton said. “I think the penny drive is a great opportunity for me to improve the Advanced Placement program for myself and future students.” The penny drive will end at the beginning of March, so students and teachers are continuing to work hard to raise money. Not only are pennies being collected in AP classrooms, but in local businesses as well. Teachers anticipate that by March there will be enough money to set up a scholarship for senior AP students. Therefore, they are optimistic about making the penny drive a fundraising tradition.

by DANELY FLORES

These are a few of the books AP students are subjected to using because of insufficient funds.

PAGE 4 . march 2012 news WILDCAT SCRATCHES

Freshman year stinks! Looking back on their schooling, seniors would agree with this. And it wasn’t because the work was too difficult. It was be-cause of the transition from junior high to high school.

Immediately, many freshmen notice their work has increased from eighth to ninth grade.

“I remember go-ing to class last year and not having to even worry about having a pencil, let alone paper,” freshman Milli Jones said. “Now, it’s constant work, not only at school, but also when I get home.”

Therefore, some freshmen are having a dif-ficult time adjusting to the change.

“Teachers give us so much work,” freshman Carl Douglas said. “Wheth-er it’s in Algebra, English, or Science, we are always given assignments that take up so much time.”

Though some stu-dents have issues maintain-ing the motivation to stay focused, others use good grades as their inspira-tion for putting forth hard work.

“I kept A’s the first semester and even though it was tough, I plan on

continuing to be on the honor roll,” freshman Dana Terrell said. “The reward of seeing the good grades on my report card is worth all of the late nights and stress that I have to go through to get them.”

As the third quarter rolls around, many fresh-men remain hopeful and are starting to get accustomed to their new work load.

“I’m getting used to the fact that we have to work from bell to bell,” f r e s h m a n Kristiana Flu-erimond said. “Don’t get me wrong, I hate it, but now that I’ve had a cou-ple of months to get the hang of it, it isn’t too bad.”

While many students see the work load as a point-less burden, others see it as necessary preparation for their future.

“ I ’ m glad that we have so much work, consid-ering that most of us need to be prepared for the future,”

freshman Mariah Edenfield said. “I’d rather work for an education and get ready now than do nothing and then get to my future career and fail miserably.”

Even though some freshmen see the increase of school work as a nega-tive, many upper classmen look back and realize how important their first year in high school actually was.

“When I started my freshmen year, I didn’t take anything seriously,”

senior Justin Knight said. “I blew off homework, and now those couple of grades are dragging down my GPA that’s being submitted to colleges.”

As they adjust to their last three and a half years in high school, fresh-men are remaining hopeful that the hard work that they are putting in this year will benefit them in their con-tinuing years and HHS and throughout their lives.

by FARRAH MUNTZ

Milli Jones and Dana Terrell reminisce on their junior high awards and school days.

THE MOST STRESSFUL YEAR OF YOUR LIFE

Freshmen adjust to high school

WILDCAT SCRATCHES news march 2012 . PAGE 5

by CHRISTIAN RICHARDSONDonations saves 600 lives Si t t ing in the chair she watches as the bag slowly fills with her blood. At first the needle was painful, but she smiles at the thought of the lives she has just helped. All it takes is one person to make a differ-ence. This year, Hardee Senior High put those words into action when a Blood Drive was held on campus. While Blood Net hoped 100 students would pre-register to do-nate, they were shocked when 200 students pre-registered who met the requirements, shattering that goal! “I was so excited to see students meet the challenge and go even further,” nursing teacher Mrs. Autry said. For safety reasons, students had to be 16 years old with a signed permis-sion slip and weigh 110 pounds.” Accord ing to Blood Net, blood donors are desperately needed now more than ever. Blood has a shelf life of 48 days, and donors are required to wait a minimum of 56 days be-tween sessions of giving blood. “Many don’t re-

alize that blood expires,” Autry said. “It’s vital that people get informed on the issue and become active.” The blood is sep-arated into its three main components. For every one person who donated, three lives were saved. For HSH, this means that through the efforts of students and staff, 600 lives were saved. “This was an amazing goal to reach,” Autry said. “It allowed students to show support in their community, be-come more responsible and save lives.” Throughout the week prior to the donation date, the nursing classes, along with HOSA, were act ive in ra is ing aware-ness. Some even walked around during lunches as a blood drop to in-form students about the upcoming event. “After seeing the blood drop and becom-ing aware in my nurs-ing class, I decided to donate,” junior Danielle Milby said. With such a show of support and active participation from stu-

dents and staff, nursing class and members of Blood Net have high hopes for next year. “I decided to get involved after my younger brother died of cancer,” junior Adna Me-tayer said. “With the show of sup-port this year I hope that even more people will get in-v o l v e d n e x t

year and save more lives.” With such amaz-ing results students and faculty hope to save even more lives one drop of blood at a time.

“And as he was holding onto that last note, we were all there with him.”

This was an opportunity experienced by a select few people from Hardee County. Thirty-five individuals embraced the chance to go on a field trip to Tampa’s Straz Center to see the musical Les Miserables, also known as Les Miz. “The inside was huge! We sat at the very top, and we could see and hear the musical so well from up there,” junior Rachel Burton said.

Based on the book by Victor Hugo, Les Mis-erables is a musical by Claude-Michael Schönberg set in early 19th century France. It is also the second longest running musical in the world, having over 10,000 performances, and the third-longest running musical in Broadway history. “I was extremely excited about it,” senior Hailey Selph said. “I‘ve been to every play our cho-rus has been to.” Every year chorus has a spring concert, and this year, they chose to sing a medley of songs from

the musical. “The pur-pose of us going to see the musical was for those in chorus to better un-derstand the story of Les Miz,” said chorus teacher, Mr. Radford. “They wit-nessed a professional musical so they could see how the songs related to the story.” Mr. Radford hopes that going to the musical will not only improve the spring concert, but impact how his students view life. “I learned that there are some people who are willing to risk their lives to gain power,” said sophomore Ashleigh Prieto. This was the first time the chorus had the opportunity to see Les Miz. “It was a new experience for all of us,” says chorus teacher, Mr. Radford. “I’ve seen many of these musicals and they are always good!” Everyone who went seemed pleased with the performance. “Overall, it was a very positive experience,” said sophomore Cleston Sanders. “Seeing this made me understand that music is a way to express yourself no matter what you feel.” Many were also impacted emotionally. “It was so sad and made me cry,” said junior Liliana Iniguez. “It was really good, and an awesome experience for me.” The chorus department rotates four musicals performed for each spring concert. “We’ve sang The Phantom of the Opera, Westside Story, Grease, and this year we will be singing Les Miserables,” said senior Jenna Williams. Coincidentally, Les Miz was showing the same year HHS chorus was singing it. This year’s concert is scheduled for May 10th. Overall, those who went to see the musical Les Miserables say that they thoroughly enjoyed it. And there are hopes that the chorus rendition of the musical will be just as enjoyable.

PAGE 6 . march 2012 news WILDCAT SCRATCHES

by CHRIS MENDEZ

Musical Theatre Performs PlayMy Review

by DENISE BURNSIDE

Chorus Attends Les Miz for Inspiration

During my fifth period class, I was given the privilege to view a play put on by the Musical Theater class. It was performed by their class in hopes of entertaining the school, and I am happy to say it did! They play was about a troubled girl who goes missing after her mother takes her up a mountain and punishes her. The premise sets five detectives in motion as they try to uncover what happened to the girl. This play lasted about twenty minutes and amused the students that attended. As the story unfolded, the viewers, including myself, laughed at the funny parts and gasped at the shocking ones. The performance had a great

WILDCAT SCRATCHES Photojournalism march 2012 . PAGE 7

Campus LifeM

iss

Proj

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Gra

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ion

Science Fair

Honors Luncheon

PAGE 8 . march 2012 feature WILDCAT SCRATCHES

Every day she anxiously checks the mail in hopes of receiving a letter from him as their only way of contact. If one is there, she grasps it after it’s eight day journey, and tries to make the long distance between them seem shorter. This is reality for senior Jessica Morris and her boyfriend David New-comb, who is currently at a Marine boot camp in South Carolina. While many couples would find the long distance un-bearable, to Jessica it’s more than worth it. “At first it was really hard, and I didn’t want him to go, especially since it had only been a month since we had started dating,” she said. “But even

though it’s hard, I wouldn’t change a thing.” Jessica and David have known each other since 8th grade, but it wasn’t until the passing of their friend Cassidy Knight that they became closer. In losing such a close friend, they found a bond between them that couldn’t be broken. They helped each other pick up the pieces, spent time together, and realized that Cassidy would want them both to be happy. Therefore, with the help of her family, they decided to take the next step. “When Cassidy passed away, all of my friends really tried to help me, but it was hard for them to be able to relate to me,” she said. “With David, we both know what to say and how to help each other. It’s something that the two of us will always share.”

While the thought of going for a single day without talking would be difficult for some couples, Jessica found that for months, letters would be the only way of contacting her boyfriend. “I write him every day and send them out every other day,” she said. “it takes eight days for a letter to make it to him, and since he has been gone I’ve got-ten around 15 letters and I’ve kept every one.” With such a long distance between them, Jessica realized a lot of dedication, trust in the other person and willpower is required to make things work. “At first I was worried, but I made the decision that it was worth it,” she said. “I would do whatever it took to

make it work. We definitely trust each

by CHRISTIAN RICHARDSON

Long distance love: dedication stronger than miles

other 100%, and without that it definitely wouldn’t be possible.” With the end of the school year and graduation quickly ap-proaching, Jessica is anxious

about her future. “I really want to be a pediatrician,” she said. “While I hope that David and I are still together, I know that it is all in God’s hands and that we will just take it day by day.” On February 24th,

a day Jessica had been anxiously awaiting arrived. She was finally reunited with David at his graduation from boot camp. Unfortunately, their time together was still short as David had to leave for training shortly after returning home. As their future unfolds, the couple plans to focus on their strong relationship to be ready for whatever life throws at them.

WILDCAT SCRATCHES feature march 2012 . PAGE 9

As teenagers, many students find Hardee Senior High a place to escape from family life and spend time with friends. One student, however, doesn’t have that option. Sophomore Brandon Beatty has his father, Mr. Beatty, as both his science teacher and track coach. While some would think this would lead to either favoritism or a tense relationship, Brandon disagrees.

“We have an average father -son relation-ship,” he said. “My dad treats me the same whether at home, at the track, or in school.”

Although he has a close relationship with his father, Brandon also believes his dad distinguishes between their home relationship and a teacher and student relationship. In fact, it’s led to some situa-tions that Brandon finds humorous.

“He doesn’t favor me over other kids,” Brandon said. “I’ve had detention in his class so many times. I don’t like being babied, but I think it’s pretty funny.”

Sophomore Ashley Baker, who’s had Mr. Beatty with Brandon all year, didn’t even realize their unique relationship.

“Mr. Beatty doesn’t show his son favorit-ism,” Ashley Baker said. “He just tells him to grab materials for him and sometimes make copies of worksheets we need.”

She was also surprised how good their rela-tionship is, considering the time they are required to spend together.

“I’d feel like my dad would be always on my case if he were my teacher,” Baker said. “I don’t see how Brandon and Mr. Beatty do it.”

Even though Brandon and Mr. Beatty bond

while they are at school, they continue to spend qual-ity time together outside of HHS.

“Although he spends a lot of his time grading papers, sometimes we’ll sit down together and watch a movie after supper,” Brandon said.

Still, he also enjoys the times he can be more independent. After school activities and weekends are just some of the times when Brandon escapes family life.

“I get to be away when I’m at cross-country practice or hanging out with friends,” Brandon said. “I also usually go to a friend’s house or spend time with my girlfriend.” While some would still shudder at the unique situation, Brandon’s father believes it is something to be cherished.

“I am extremely glad to have Brandon in my class, on the track, and at home,” Mr. Beatty said. “The reality is that in a couple of years he will be off studying somewhere else, and I’m sure I’ll miss him. Until then, I hope he and I keep an enjoyable relationship and that he continues to develop good character.” Ultimately, being around his father more than the average teenager has helped Brandon develop a stronger relationship with his father. It has also taught him the life lesson that family comes first.

by ARISSA CAMEL

Teacher serves as dad and coach

Brandon balances having a dad, coach, and teacher.

PAGE 10 . MARCH 2012 feature WILDCAT SCRATCHES

Band looks forward to All That Is To Come

Who would’ve ever thought that what started out as just a simple trip to a Def Leppard concert would become more than just an exciting day. Surely, two Hardee High seniors definitely didn’t.

They were inspired and filled with adrenaline after attending a Def Leppard concert. During their final year in junior high, Filiberto turned to Tomas and said, “Bro, we should start a band!”

And so it all started. “We didn’t think it would

take us this far,” senior Tomas Lobato said. “It was just something we decided to do for fun.”

One day while pondering band names, they wrote down various names but only one truly caught their eye. The last name that was written on the paper was All That Is To Come.

“The name is basically saying that we have a future in front of us,” junior Noe Navarro said. “We are just waiting for what is to come.”

All That Is To Come became a band comprised of five members: Filiberto Montanez, vocalist and

gu i tar i s t , Tomas Loba to , guitarist, Noe Navarro, drummer, Reimundo Garcia, guitarist, and Julio Estrada, bassist.

However, this wasn’t how the band started. Like most bands, it had to evolve with time.

“My old band wasn’t going so well, so Noe and me asked Filiberto if we could join together. Filiberto and Tomas were okay with it,” junior Julio Estrada said. “Then we found Reimundo and we became All That Is To Come.”

While some bands struggle from the beginning, Tomas believes his group has many strengths.

“We are like brothers,” senior Tomas Lobato said. “We share the same interests and goals. We relate to each other because we are close and are always here for each other.”

Using this bond, they also plan to bring something unique to today’s music scene

“We keep what’s modern but add a little twist,” senior Filiberto Montanez said. “For example,

listening you always expect the same thing, but BOOOM!.. it’s different depending on the song. Having said that, we are also Mexican so we add a Spanish influence to our songs.”

“In our type of music you’ll look for the random approach,” senior Reimundo Garcia said. “Usually in most songs, if you listen to that band enough, you can tell what’s going to happen next. In fact, it’s pretty much what goes on in most average bands. What we like to do is throw a curveball at listeners.”

The band aspires to stand out to the crowd, and many of their fans feel they have succeeded.

“I saw them play at a festival in Winter Haven,” sophomore Adriana Hernandez said. “They didn’t look nervous and they looked like they were meant to be on stage. It was amazing!”

The band recently performed in front of hundreds of people on March 4 at The State Theater in St. Petersburg. The tickets were priced at $12.00.

For more information on All That Is To Come, contact the band members on their Facebook page.

by ADRIANA AGUILAR

The band performing in Lakeland in front of a crowd of people.

WILDCAT SCRATCHES sports march 2012 . PAGE 11

For most teens, getting used to changes in life is one of the greatest problems. This year’s tennis team has to adjust to having new coaches and stepping up to help with the new players.

After much thought, Coach Ken Leopold felt it would be best for his family to move back to New Mexico.

“Once it was decided they were going to move, Coach Leopold’s wife and daughter both found jobs and moved first,” Coach Aubry said. “Ken Leopold stayed back to deal with his house, but he got a coaching offer at a college and moved shortly after.”

Coach Leopold’s move has taken a toll on many of the older players.

“I actually began to tear up when I heard he wouldn’t be coaching this year,” sophomore Susana Oceguera said. “Even though he only coached me for one season I learned a lot. Because of him, I challenged myself to try Varsity this season.”

Due to the unexpected change and the fact that the new coach was still involved with the soccer team, many veteran players temporarily filled in as coaches.

“As a Varsity player you have more responsibility on your shoulders,” senior Summer Palmer said. “I felt that I should help out Coach Aubry with his first year coaching tennis.”

Despite his busy schedule and short notice on having to take over the tennis team Coach Aubry was happy to fill the vacant position.

“I think you can never fill someone’s shoes exactly,” Aubry said. “The players really appreciated his knowledge and love for the game.”

While many still miss Coach Leopold, and were cautious of the new coach early in the season, they quickly bonded and accepted Coach Aubry.

“At first I wasn’t really feeling the vibe with Coach Aubry,” sophomore Araceli Ramos said. “However, the more I got to know him, he’s actually good at what he does.”

Though this season had a hectic start everyone has a high hope for its outcome.

“The group is positive and looking forward to this year and what the season has in store for them,” Aubry said.

Despite their beginning obstacles, the tennis team experienced a great start to the season winning many matches.

Changes serve the tennis team some obstacles by ESTEPHANIE GONZALEZ-ALVARADO

with Coach Leopold with Coach Aubry

Girl’s Tennis teamThen Now

PAGE 12 . MARCH 2012 sports WILDCAT SCRATCHES

Hardee’s Baseball

Team Helps Coach

Remain On The Diamond

Coaching has always been important for Coach ‘Hoppy’ Rewis. Watching his grandson step up to bat his first year of tee ball brought back memories, such as watching his son do the same. He wasn’t ready to quit his coaching career. Therefore, when his son, Coach Rewis, head of Hardee High’s baseball team, offered him a chance to take part in coaching the Wildcats, he jumped at the chance. “ H e ’s r e t i r e d f r o m coaching in Sebring, and I knew it

was something he enjoyed,” said Rewis. “So I decided to ask him if he wanted to help out, being as how he was already familiar with the team, as well as the players.” Hoppy began helping out the team by first improving the facilities and the infield. However, unfortunately for the Wildcats, he is only able to help out the team three days a week and spends the remainder of the time with his grandson’s team. Still, many of the players feel they have benefited from their time with him.

“He coaches us and helps the team in a way that makes him seem like mini-Jesus,” sophomore Jacob Bolin said. “He also motivates us to be as hard of a worker as he is.” Head Coach Rewis was inspired by watching his father coach his own baseball team as a child. He also heard the thrilling stories of his father’s college baseball. Using his father as a role model, he also hopes to create many memories with his Wildcat team.

by KARLEE BENTON

WILDCAT SCRATCHES sports MARCH 2012 . PAGE 13

Robyn sh dreamsMany people look at life

as a mission. For them, they feel they have a particular purpose or a gift to show the world, and for some, it comes naturally. To many, a Hardee High junior who plays on the basketball team is one such person.

“We’re trying to rebuild this team up from the ground again, and Robyn Tanksley has stepped up since some of her other teammates have left,” her head, Coach Jeanne Adkins, said.

Junior Robyn Tanksley loves basketball with all her heart. It’s not just on the court, but out-side as well.

“Basketball teaches you a lot of lessons, on and off the court,” she said. “It helps you a lot of the times to work together on the team; you learn to work with people and encourage them.”

Since Robyn was a child, she learned to love basketball. It was her family that inspired her to play the game.

“My brother would set me on his shoulders, and hand me the basketball,” she said. “I’ve been shooting it ever since.”

To this day, her family still shows their support. Robyn’s sis-ter comforts her if she experiences a tough game, while her mom continually motivates her.

“My mom has to be my n u m b e r o n e

fan, always screaming

for me,” she said. “ T h a t just puts a smile on

my face.” In addition to

her family Roby also has a boyfriend who encour-ages her to do better.

“Whether it was a good or bad one, he always has words of encouragement, and calls me after every game.” she said.

In the future, she hopes to attend Florida State University to play college basketball. Being on the team here will prepare her for her goals, as she strives to become a stronger player. She also real-izes it is not going to be easy and she has already faced obstacles

throughout her journey.“Playing at Hardee High

School was definitely different than junior high basketball,” she said. “I went straight to varsity as a freshman, and the older girls were more aggressive, ran faster, and pushed me around.”

Always looking for im-provement, Robyn is also one to recognize the need to step up her game.

“My weaknesses would have to be dribbling and rebound-ing,” she said. “Being a post player I should be able to rebound since I’m tall, but it’s not as easy as it sounds.”

To help her get better, Robyn also looks to her team for support.

“One of the players from last year helped me out a lot with my basketball,” she said. “I always wanted to be better so she would play her hardest against me.”

Robyn’s current team-mates have also shown their ap-preciation for her as well.

“Robyn is an all around great girl,” junior teammate, Stephanie Perez said. “She is a great teammate and helps as much as possible. I don’t know where we would be without her.”

Even though experience does not come easy, Robyn be-lieves she is patient enough to strive to be her absolute best. While various obstacles will occur along her journey to achievement, she feels the ride along the way will capture her heart.

by KLARISSA HALL

PAGE 14 . mar 2012 op/ed WILDCAT SCRATCHES

“Who am I?” This is a question I’ve asked myself over and over again. At one time I couldn’t answer this question and I felt like I was living my life as someone else. This is my story, the story of a boy who was lost and found his way back in being true to himself. In life I quickly realized that we all play a role. Whether we are a leader, a follower, or a bystander, we are all part of a collective existence. Sometimes we are assigned a part that we do not want to play yet have to fill. However, it is up to each one of us to decide whether or not we will stay in the position life has placed us. I feel that my childhood events had and still have an influence throughout my life. I know that my past has helped to shape the person I am now. I realized that, while we all have misfortunes and hardships in life, these can have an impact on the way we live our life in the future. Throughout my adolescent years, I faced challenges and met people who tried to test the limits of who I am. During seventh grade, I met two people who tried to change me. They didn’t like the person I was and told me that nobody wanted me and that I should just stay home. They made me feel like an out-sider. So I started to act more like them because I wanted to fit in. Being like them made me feel different and replaced the person I was with a new persona. While I may have gained a few more friends, it cost me my true self. If I would have stood my g r o u n d , i t would have made

me feel more like the person I wanted to be. Many experiences and circumstances in my life have made me change, but through my confi-

dence and merit as a person, I stayed true to myself. Coming to HHS as the “new kid” was quite an experience. It taught me many things about life and myself, strengthened my morals, and helped to keep me on a straight path. Meeting new people and taking in different cultures has made me more aware of myself and ways that I want to change for the better. Witnessing others’ mistakes, as well as their senses of morality, inspired me more than ever to be true to myself. Therefore, I take every moment to learn how I can become a better “me.” One of the most important things a person can do for themselves is to stay true to themselves. Knowing problems or difficulties will persist, I will steadily focus on being true to myself. I won’t give into peer pressure ever again and will always remember who I am.

by CHRIS MENDEZ

Staying True To Myself

WhoAmI???

Teachers often use the phrase ‘we will work from bell to bell,” but is that really the case in every class? With barely enough time to finish one task before another begins you truly work “bell to bell” in some classes. However, in others you do absolutely nothing but sit there drawing in a notebook or talking with your friends. The simple fact is that students are waiting to learn in some classes while being overloaded in others. Where is the balance? Sadly, most students wouldn’t complain about the lack of challenge in some courses. Yet, they don’t recognize it will have a

major effect on them in the future. When teachers show stu-dents that doing absolutely noth-ing will get them a decent grade, it teaches them to be lazy. How much are students actually learn-ing if they copy half the Cornell Notes from another student and then use them on a test? What have they learned other than deceitful behavior? With that attitude and approach in life, stu-dents will never be able to handle the real world or a major career. Wanting someone else to do it for them is not the answer. However, in other courses, the teachers do work their students “bell to bell” with little break or pause. After the load of work is accomplished in class a mountain

of homework awaits students after school.

Even though a wide range of important information is being taught, how much are students re-ally mastering, if they simply cram it in to make a passing grade on the next test only to forget it all when a new unit starts the following day.

These extremes that exist in many classes both have flaws. In the end are we really learning?

The solution is simple communication. The faculty and staff have weekly meetings in each department to discuss the upcom-ing week. At these meetings, teachers should discuss ways to keep their students active in class, focused on learning while not overloading them to the point of

memorizing facts for a test. Meaning-ful units should be consistently taught in all classes.

An open-minded staff can easily create a so-lution to the dilem-ma. With the staff working to achieve a united focus, stu-dents would defi-nitely be willing to learn.

WILDCAT SCRATCHES op/ed march 2012 . PAGE 15

Waiting to Learn in Some Classes While Overloaded in Others

by CHRISTIAN RICHARDSON

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PAGE 17 . MARCH 2012 op/ed WILDCAT SCRATCHES

Click: a girl makes a new friend. Click: a father in the military sees his new-born son. Click: a man gets a promotion. Facebook, one of the most popular sites on the Internet, positively impacts the lives of its users. The most obvious reason for Facebook’s popu-larity is the convenience it gives to people for communi-cation. Since it is universally common for individuals to have a Facebook account, it is easy to search for some-one and reconnect with them. This site creates a smaller world in that it allows people from opposite ends of the Earth to communicate as if they are in the same room. Facebook is a great way to catch up with old friends, and keep in touch with distant relatives. In fact, there have been many cases involving long lost relatives reconnecting through its use. Unlike most areas in life, Facebook goes beyond the boundaries of one gen-eration. Recently, my mother contacted a few of her cous-ins that she hasn’t spoken to in years. Now they are able to communicate through mes-sages and were even able to exchange phone numbers. Currently, there are over 500 million active Face-book users from all over the world. One teenager is able to observe the life of another teenager from any other part of the world by looking at pictures and reading status updates. While teenagers are used to studying about other

cultures in a boring class-room setting, now they can truly broaden their horizons through an instant message with a person from that coun-try. The invention of Facebook is also altering how companies are choos-ing to advertise. No longer is there a need to create generic billboards, commericials, or radio announcements. Face-book advertisements that ca-ter to the user’s interests ap-pear in the sidebar and make the products sell. This helps companies bring in profit and improve the economy. While the site em-ploys those working in the field of social networking, it also aids a member’s search beyond looking in the news-paper. Since millions of peo-ple use Facebook, including prospective new employers, users find networking with others forms connections in the business world and im-proves their chances of get-ting hired or promoted. In addition to net-working with others, Face-book is a site for self-ex-pression. Whether someone posts a status or uploads a picture, an opinion is shared. Facebook offers individuals validation that people are in-terested in what they have to say. If someone posts a status that receives a lot of “likes” and comments, this boosts the person’s self confidence. In today’s world, Facebook plays a vital role in almost every aspect of our lives. It is a great tool of technology that should be embraced.

There is no doubt Facebook is a world wide used network. People use it for a number of reasons: from socializing with others to ex-pressing creativity. However, while these reasons seem harmless enough, Facebook definitely has a negative side to it. Initially, when you get an account, it seems like a good idea because you get to post what you feel for everyone to see. However, if you share something per-sonal and then later regret it, there’s nothing you can do about it. Once something is posted, everyone can see it and while you may delete the post, there is no deleting the memories of people. Being able to pub-licly share whatever crosses your mind may appeal to many who feel that they are not heard on a normal ba-sis; however, as a teenager, I recognize the reality of the situation. Gossip can flour-ish when people are friends one day and then enemies the next. One second you’re talk-ing about what a bad person ‘so and so’ is and then the next you’re regretting it be-cause you never really meant it in the first place! That being the case, Facebook causes too many issues that lead to more drama. Additionally, Face-book use can cause us to not use the best judgment. If an individual talks about how they party all weekend and post pictures of themselves being indecent, there is noth-

ing stopping everyone from seeing and using it against them. Most teens also don’t seem to concern them-selves with privacy setting. Once they post something, it stays there forever and is ac-cessed by anyone. This can hurt in the long run because Facebook is so widely used in the workforce. If you get a job and they see something inappropriate on your profile, they could fire you for some-thing that happened weeks or even months previous. It may not be fair, but it’s just the way life is. While indecent be-havior may not be an issue for some, there are still other negative aspects to Face-book. While some use Fa-cebook as an outlet to display their creativity, they forget what may occur. Using a public network to show the world your drawings, poems, and ideas may seem like a great idea, right? Wrong! With a click of a button, work can be stolen and ‘owned’ by someone else. Everything ever posted will be there for the world to see. There is also no guarantee that any of the information will be kept se-cure. Some photos like the new Cover Photo on the new timeline option can’t be set to “Friends Only.” Once it’s been seen, there is no taking it back, no deleting it; it’s just there. Therefore, maybe you should think about these things the next time you go to click ‘share’.

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