Volume 85, Issue 2

Volume 85, Issue 2 December 2021

THETOMAHAWK TALK
Florida State University Schools • 3000 School House Road • Tallahassee FL, 32311

12 Days of Caring Holiday Desserts Ballpark Movies The Nutcracker

Page 3 Page 7 Page 8 Page 10

As 2022 Winter Olympics approaches,

Americans get excited for U.S.A. athletes

coach said, “The most interesting sport in the
Winter Olympics is curling, when they throw or
slide the stones and they have to brush the ice
in front of them to get them to curve or move
and knock the other stones out of the circle”

The location of the 2022 Winter Olympics
makes it appealing.

This Winter Olympics is more unique than
others,

“What’s so interesting about this Olympics
is that it is being hosted in Beijing which also
held the Summer Olympics [in 2008],” said
Katie Martin, junior.

Others like the Olympics because of the
athletes that compete in it.

“What I find so interesting about this Winter
Olympics is that the best of the best show off
their hard work and dedication, then see it pay
off,” said Keisha Cowhey Assistant Librarian.

Courtesy Photo “It is amazing just
The Winter Olympics roll around again in 2022 after four years off; thletes compete for honor, titles, and medals. watching them com-
pete at a high level,”
Isaiah Young · Staff Writer watching figure skating and ice skating; it’s just
so fun watching them compete,” said Tristan -Keisha Cowhey
Every 4 years, all countries come together to Brumbley, senior.
compete in the Winter Olympics. This year the The Winter Olympics is sure to be an amaz-
event will take place in February 2022. Many The popular sports like ice skating and ing event to watch. It is incredible that the elite
families around the world anticipate this event snowboarding appeal to many. from each country in the world come to one
for a long time. place and battle it out for gold medals. The bet-
“I’m looking forward to watching the snow- ter part is the FSUS family can sit back at home
Florida State University Schools (FSUS) boarding; it’s very fun to see them flying and and watch it together on T.V.
students are very excited for this extraordinary flipping in the air,” said Caleb Thomas, fresh-
sports event. man.

“The main thing I am looking forward to is Others enjoy sports with more strategy,
probably because of the technique involved.

Matthew Wheeler, FSUS varsity football

Annual Jingle Bell Run returns for 2021

participants excited for upcoming run

Anjali Jain · News Editor weather, and it is exciting for me,” said Justin Courtesy Art
Mosley, sophomore at Florida State University Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer competes in the city of
The 2021 Jingle Bell Run is happening on Schools (FSUS). Tallahassee’s annual Jingle Bell Run as number 8631.
the first Saturday of December in downtown
Tallahassee, and preparation is helping the ex- The Jingle Bell Run made its debut during
perience remain the same as always. the Winter Festival’s second year. The road
closures associated with the parade and festi-
The Winter Festival and the Jingle Bell Run val gave an opportunity for the run, and since
are on December 4 in Tallahassee’s downtown then the Jingle Bell Run has become an annual
area. The run will start at 6:15 PM, after the tradition for many individuals and families and
Lighting Ceremony, where the Mayor and City is Tallahassee’s only nighttime run.
Commissioners flip the switch to turn on ap-
proximately 25,000 lights in the vicinity of the “The Jingle Bell Run, due to its short dis-
parade and run. tance, is an extremely [family-oriented] run,”
said Palmentieri.
“Participants can expect the same festive
event they have enjoyed in the past,” said Mario Each year, participants receive a long-sleeve
Palmentieri, the Special Events Supervisor for commemorative t-shirt, a jingle bell for their
the City of Tallahassee in the Parks, Recreation shoe, a holiday hat and necklace. The number
& Neighborhood Affairs Department. of participants varies each year, but it typically
averages at about 2,000 registered runners.
Each year, the family-friendly run covers
around 1.8 miles, using the same route. The The annual Jingle Bell Run is happening
race starts and ends near the main stage, located with few changes as local events are resuming
at Monroe Street and Park Avenue. Volunteers around Tallahassee. Despite these changes, the
will not be handing out water this year and par- run will be an event that residents continue to
ticipants are instead encouraged to fill their own enjoy.
reusable water bottles at home and bring them
to the race. “The festival provided an opportunity to
give residents a fun run to show Tallahassee’s
“I like to run with my friends in the cold beautifully lit downtown,” said Palmentieri.

Page 2: News December 2021

Southwood presents annual Winterfest celebration

Neighborhood puts on many holiday-inspired activities for residents

Jaleah Darrisaw · Staff Writer they come together to celebrate a wonderful This event gives local schools like Florida
time of year,” said Nicole Hoffmann, Art of State University Schools (FSUS) a chance to
The holidays are all about spending time Living Director for the Southwood Residential showcase their talents. The FSUS Chorus has
with loved ones and the Southwood Winterfest Community Association. performed there on many occasions.The event
provides a chance for family and friends to also has a partnership with the Church at South-
come together and make lasting memories. The theme for the Southwood Winterfest wood, the Southwood Town Center and other
this year is “Winter Wonderland” and will be great sponsors.
Winterfest gives locals a chance to feel held on December 11 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
connected to the people around them. This Admission is free with a valid amenity card, or “The annual Southwood Winterfest has
occasion is characterized by an ice skating rink, just $10 per person without one. been a tradition for many years. I am so hon-
bouncy houses, story time with Mrs. Claus, tree ored that I get to be a part of an event that
lighting in the town center and much more for “I enjoy that each year provides an oppor- brings people together and can provide memo-
families to love. tunity to be creative and bring different aspects ries for years to come. Seeing people happy and
to a winter-themed event. This year I am ex- enjoying time together is what fulfills me and
“I hope this year’s Winterfest allows people cited to have an ice skating rink as one of the makes all the time and effort worth it,” Hoffman
to be proud of the community they live in. What activities for people to enjoy. Plus, who doesn’t stated.
makes Southwood so unique are the diverse love having photos with Santa and enjoying
families and community relationships and how cookies and hot cocoa?” said Hoffmann.

Tree Lighting Ice Skating Storytime

With an increase of substance abuse,

D.A.R.E program helps students resist drug usage

Linea Henry · Staff Writer consequences are results of your actions that are Photo By Saumyaa Misra
very important to learning and growth. Officer McLeod helps run the D.A.R.E program at FSUS.
The Drug Abuse Resistance Education
(D.A.R.E) program teaches students all around In the program, students are assigned to
the world valuable and important lessons that write down the definitions of words they went
they will need and use when they get older. At over that day. This particular assignment makes
Florida State University Schools the program is sure that students paid attention to the class
provided for rising middle schoolers. and helps them remember the terms that they
learned in that class.
The goal of D.A.R.E is to teach students to
not give in to peer pressure and that drug use “My favorite part is at the end of classes we
is not okay in any circumstances. The program get to do glossaries about some of the words we
starts around the middle of September and ends heard and guess the definition,” Henry said.
around the fourteenth of December. This time is
spent teaching students the importance of sobri- The program requires a lot of hard work, but
ety and not giving in to peer pressure. it pays off in the end, and sticks with the stu-
dents when they need it the most.
“Peer pressure is when people around your
age try to get you to do something that isn’t “The most exciting part about this program
right or something you don’t want to do,” said is the graduation at the end,” said Danzy.
Daylin Danzy, fifth grader.
The D.A.R.E program is an international
The D.A.R.E program doesn’t only teach program that is taught in more than 50 other
students about drugs and peer pressure, it also countries. The program currently has six train-
teaches students about consequences. ing centers for teaching in various languages.

“Consequences can be both good and bad,” “To me the most important part of this pro-
claimed fifth grader Lorenzo Henry. When peo- gram is to teach kids not to do drugs, and to not
ple think of consequences they think it always let people pressure you into doing something
means a punishment, but D.A.R.E teaches that that you don’t want to do,” said Danzy.

THE TOMAHAWK TALK STAFF

News Staff Head Managment Features Staff

Anjali Jain News Editor Holly Majszak Editor-in-Chief Alyssa Kruger Features Editor
Bryce Kelley
Megan Nguyen Jalieah Darrisaw Editor-in-Chief Kiersten Shaw Madalyn Friemoth
Megan Nguyen Assistant Editor
Ay’keelah Green Nix Wimberly Saumyaa Misra

Editorials Staff Amelie Pelham Managing Editor Sports Staff

Benjamin Kyvik Editorials Editor Bryce Kelley Sports Editor

Ayden Mohammed Lucy Rushing Chief Advisor Keegan Flury Sydney Moore

Hannah Hamilton Linea Henry Christine Russell [email protected] Isaiah Young Graham Senior

THE TOMAHAWK TALK EDITORIAL POLICY

This paper is dedicated to giving students a forum by which to express views as part of education and in preparation for life in a democratic society.
The Tomahawk Talk is an award-winning newspaper and member publication of the Florida Scholastic Press Association (FSPA), American Scholastic Press As-
sociation (ASPA), and Quill and Scroll Honor Society. Views expressed don’t necessarily reflect the views of the Florida State University Schools Administration,

faculty, staff or of Florida’s schools. The newspaper staff encourages letter to the editor as a means of expressing constructive opinions on articles, photographs
or editorials that have appeared in the newspaper. However, to be considered for publication, the letter must be signed and 300 words or less. It should also be
understood that due to the space limitations not all letters can be published. The editor also reserves the right to edit all letters for space in the paper so long as
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December 2021 Page 3: News

Local chapter builds little library for community

Amelie Pelham · Managing Editor reasons,” says Christine Russell, NEHS spon- Little Free Libraries, registered on their web-
sor and high school English teacher. “The first site, and the startup books came from a book
The National English Honors Society reason is because that area of town did not have drive we did last year for Literacy Week.
(NEHS) at Florida High has taken on a new any little libraries, and second, the community We will continue to restock it using donated
project to build a “little library” in hopes to help center is a large part of the local community.” books,” says Russell.
the community and benefit those who are less
fortunate, while also promoting learning and the “The idea was that by putting it at a place For NEHS, installing the little library will
English language. accessible to all, we would make reading acces- provide one huge step towards their goal to
sible to everyone,” adds Evelyn Truitt, junior “promote literacy at FSUS and in the communi-
The library was installed at the local Walker and NEHS Co-President. ty,” according to Russell.
Ford Community Center.
For those unfamiliar, a “little library” is Building little libraries has already positive-
“That place was chosen for a couple of designed to provide individuals with access to ly impacted many across the United States, and
books, magazines and even movies and games, will continue to do so in Tallahassee, with the
Photo By Christine Russell through an honest trade system. These libraries help of organizations like Florida High’s NEHS.
NEHS builds little library as a way to promote reading. are usually placed strategically in schools, com- The overall goal of projects like these is to bet-
munity centers, and neighborhoods to provide ter society through thoughtfulness and provide
the most coverage and allow for a large group those in need with opportunities for learning.
of the community to be in close proximity to
one, and therefore be able to use them. “I believe that this project will be beneficial
for children. We know that in many places chil-
“A (little library) or (lending library) is dren might not have access to funds for books
essentially a miniature library that is based in a or education, and we hope that by providing
community. People donate books and the idea is books we can work to bridge that gap,” said
that when you get a book, you give a book. It is Truitt.
meant to foster learning and encourage read-
ing,” explains Truitt. “This project will hopefully put books in
the hands of many people,” states Russell. “We
This project required much planning and want the Tallahassee community to know that
effort on NEHS’s part, including ordering the Florida High wants to serve Tallahassee and
little library, building and decorating it, install- help those around them.”
ing it and filling it.

“The library was purchased directly from

“Every time I see someone smile or feel joy, I am always reas-
sured that I am following my purpose.” - Kalylin Jean-Louis

Non-profit organizes holiday drive to give back

Holly Majszak · Co-Editor-in-Chief

A local non-profit organization, Kaylin’s Courtesy Art
Caring Konnection, gives back to the communi-
ty with an annual Christmas Drive. The organi- Jean-Louis uses her organization to bring smiles to everyone through the donations her organization receives.
zation will be hosting their 12 Days of Caring
event from December 6 - December 17, giving the receivers, they are generally very thankful to join the cause and learn more about commu-
the community the opportunity to give back to
those less fortunate. to receive them. In some instances, they were nity service and opening support groups around

This year the organization’s goal is to raise even ecstatic and showed such emotion that it Tallahassee.
$5,000 for the Hang Tough Foundation located
here in Tallahassee. Information on which items moved me to tears,” said Jean-Louis. “With so many issues and problems in our
can help contribute can be found on their web-
site, and drop-off locations of such can be found In the future the organization hopes to raise world, I just want to use my voice for change
at Florida State University Schools and Capital
Mitsubishi. $1 million and donate to various causes, fulfill and help everyone feel cared for. I am a firm

Kaylin’s Caring Konnection, run by Ex- the special needs of the community and bring believer that when people come together for a
ecutive Director Kaylin Jean-Louis, holds its
annual fundraiser near Christmas in order to a smile to everyone’s faces. They hope to reach common cause, we can do so much good in the
give back and show those who feel like no one
else cares that they do. their goals by recruiting other passionate youths world,” said Jean-Louis.

“In my household, we had to give back to
someone less fortunate than us in our communi-
ty before opening our Christmas presents. After
doing that for a couple of years, it stuck with
me and I decided to make it my mission to in-
corporate that into Kaylin’s Caring Konnection
every year,” said Jean-Louis.

Jean-Louis has created her organization in
the spirit of helping others, and distributing the
donations has been a crucial part in the experi-
ence and goal of improving our world.

“When we deliver and pass out the gifts to

New foundation scholarship to further students careers

Hannah Hamilton · Staff Writer David Dekle, one of the founder’s of the schol- Courtesy Photo
arship. Dekle, a loyal member of the FSUS staff provides un-
Florida State University Schools (FSUS) has conditional love around school by helping students. The
been making efforts to further students’ academ- The foundation received help from the Dekle foundation was started by Chris (left) and David (right)
ic careers after graduation, and the Jennie Dekle family, Calvin Dennis, Kevin Collie, Tryone members of her family who have decided to honor her.
Foundation’s “Unconditional Love” scholarship McGriff and many other FSUS alumni. The
helps students to do so. program was shared after getting donations need so that they can focus on their school-
from sponsors. work,” said Dekle.
The Jennie C. Dekle Foundation was made
to honor Dekle and help students. Dekle has This program is open for any student in need
been at FSUS since 1999, touching the lives of financial assistance, but next year there will
of many. The idea of the foundation came be new requirements made for this foundation
after learning about the number of students including GPA, discipline and attendance re-
who could not afford their entry fees. Holds on quirements. The student will also have to write
accounts and late fees only added more stress a short essay explaining what FSUS means to
to the students and families of those who are them and the scolarship.
economically disadvantaged. The Dekle Foun-
dation helps students and families afford school, “Florida High has been very influential not
by providing financial assistance to those that only on my life but also my entire family. It
are having economic hardship. feels great to give back to the same community
that helped raise the Dekle family,” Dekle said.
“The foundation was founded in 2020 but
was never publicized until this year, 2021,” said The goal of the foundation is to bring equal
opportunities to students at FSUS and create a
lasting impact on all students.

“We want to provide relief for families in

Page 4: Editorials December 2021

Rosa Parks’ legacy inspires future movements

Ayden Mohammed · Staff Writer

Courtesy Photo Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an Afri- Courtesy Photo
can American civil rights activist best known
Parks’ arrest sparked many protests and demonsrating for refusing to give up her seat to a white man Injustices continue today; Black Lives Matter protests the
across the South during the Civil Rights Movement. on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. However, inequalities the Black community faces now.
few know and recognize her impact enough to
celebrate her holiday, Rosa Parks Day.

Currently only four states celebrate Rosa
Parks Day as a state holiday. California and
Missouri celebrate it on February 4 (her birth-
day), while Ohio and Oregon celebrate it on
December 1, the day of her arrest. Rosa Parks
Day promotes equal opportunities, civil rights
and fairness. Parks is celebrated because of
her monumental refusal to give up her seat to a
white man in 1955 which started the Montgom-
ery Bus Boycott.

Jeanna Theoharis, political scientist and
author of “The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa
Parks,” said, “Rosa’s family sought to teach
her a controlled anger, a survival strategy that
balanced compliance with militancy.”

According to Revolt TV, soon all of Amer-
ica will be introduced to celebrating Parks’
contribution to civil rights because of the new
bill which would make Rosa Parks Day a feder-
al holiday. Many people believe that it is finally
time for Parks to get the national recognition
that she deserves.

Congresswoman Joyce Beatty stated that
“Rosa Parks is a hero to countless Americans
and to me.”

Parks is a hero in many ways other than just
her refusal to give up her seat.

According to the National Women’s His-
tory Museum, Parks was an active member in
several organizations, including Detroit’s Civil
Rights Movement.

Parks stood for strength and courage for
those who struggled against racial segregation.
The movement that she and many others started
still continues to this day. In 1999, Time Mag-
azine named Rosa Parks one of the most im-
portant people of the 20th century. Parks is also
called “The Mother of the Civil Rights Move-
ment,” because of all of her dedication and hard
work that she put into ending segregation and
discrimination. She is one of the many reasons
why there is no segregation today.

About that day, Parks said, “I had given up
my seat before, but this day, I was especially
tired. Tired from my work as a seamstress, and
tired from the ache in my heart.”

LGBTQ+ continues fight for equality across nation
States join ban against use of trans panic defense tactic

Courtesy Photo about the victim being a part of the LGBTQ+
community, they panicked and harmed them.
The LGBTQ+ community protests the usage of the trans panic defense tactic and other oppressive strategies.
Very few states have laws preventing the use
Nix Wimberly · Staff Writer against members of the LGBTQ+ community, of this claim in court to justify violent actions.
especially people under the Transgender Um- Out of 50, only 16 states have laws prohibiting
Trans panic defense is a legal strategy that brella. the use of the trans panic defense.
rationalizes crimes such as murder or assult
In the states without preventative laws, the “People in the other states have to worry
assaulter may claim that when they found out not only about being attacked for existing, but
that the attacker will not be held legally respon-
sible because they ‘felt uncomfortable,’” said
Deborah Whetstone, a secondary social studies
teacher.

The states with bans in place include Cali-
fornia, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois,
Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New
York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia,
Washington as well as the District of Columbia
with Florida soon to join them on July 1, 2022.

“The argument against trans panic defense
is that it essentially promotes discrimination
against a segment of the population, up to and
including murder,” said Whetstone.

The concern in educational environments
and schools like Florida State University
Schools is that there is a higher risk of bully-
ing in states that have transphobic laws and/or
states that don’t have protective laws in place
for transgender people.

“One of the best ways to express support for
banning such unconstitutional defenses is to
reach out to state legislators,” said Whetstone.

Another way to promote the ban of the trans
panic defense, is to support groups such as the
Equality federation, an organization that works
on critical issues relating to the LGBTQ+ com-
munity like the trans panic defense.

December 2021 Page 5: Editorials

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?

War on Christmas casts doubt on phrasing traditions

Benjamin Kyvik · Editorial Editor one’s Birth.” He later goes on to blame Jewish their radical agenda over the country by caus-
For at least sixteen years now, some politi- people for this supposed plot against Christmas. ing Americans to subconsciously abandon their
cians and members of the media have practiced This wouldn’t be the last time someone claimed Judeo-Christian values, but instead because the
an annual tradition of trying to convince their that there was a conspiracy to ban Christmas. company wanted people to feel more included.
audience that their favorite holiday is under There are many people who don’t celebrate
attack. In 1959, the far-right John Birch Society Christmas, and employees saying “Happy Hol-
Anyone who has watched Fox News in published a pamphlet saying that the UN was idays” would make them feel like others recog-
December has probably heard the term “War trying to replace Christian symbols with “their nize that they celebrate a different holiday, and
on Christmas’’ to refer to the apparent conspir- high-pressure propaganda.” According to the therefore feel more welcome at that store.
acy to ban Christmas. Though it only became pamphlet, “What [the UN fanatics] now want to
prominent around 2004, the idea of a “War on put over on the American people is simply this: There are many religious holidays that
Christmas’’ has been around for at least a centu- department stores throughout the country are to happen around the Christmas season, such as
ry. In 1921, Henry Ford wrote a pamphlet with utilize UN symbols and emblems as Christmas Hanukkah and Diwali. There are also many
the antisemetic title The International Jew: The decorations.” non-religious holidays around that time, such as
World’s Foremost Problem in which he claims Kwanzaa and New Year’s Day. Saying “Hap-
that, “Last Christmas most people had a hard However, the idea of a war on Christmas py Holidays” isn’t an attack on Christianity,
time finding Christmas cards that indicated in only came to prominence in 2004, when on it’s a way to greet someone regardless of what
any way that Christmas commemorated Some- his Fox News show, The O’Reilly Factor, Bill holiday they celebrate. The term “Happy Hol-
O’Reilly aired a segment called “Christmas idays” isn’t new either. The oldest use of the
Art By Holly Majszak Under Siege: The Big Picture” in which he term “Happy Holidays” was in the Philadelphia
Twitter data shows which term users prefered when claimed that secular progressives were trying to Inquirer in 1863, as another way to say “Merry
tweeting for the holidays. The term “Happy Holidays” “destroy religion in the public arena” by reduc- Christmas.”
polled a 72% overpowering “Merry Christmas” which ing the amount of Christian displays. As he put
only polled to 28%, which can be seen in the pie chart it, “The Canadian model is what progressive However, the history of the persecution of
above. Americans are shooting for. Thus, Christian Christmas predates the war on Christmas the-
displays like Christmas must be scaled back ory and the term “Happy Holidays,” and even
because the connection with Judeo-Christian America as a country. Christmas actually was
beliefs is bad for the secular agenda.” once banned in Massachusetts by the Puritans.
Historically, many of the biggest attacks on
O’Reilly’s evidence of this war on Christ- Christmas in America have been by Christians
mas was that a holiday parade in Denver didn’t who considered it to be Pagan (relating to poly-
permit religious floats, New York City unveiled theistic religions that are considered primitive).
a holiday tree rather than a Christmas tree, pub- Even today, Jehovah’s Witnesses are prohibited
lic schools aren’t allowed to display Christian from celebrating Christmas.
symbols and employees at Macy’s were asked
to say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Even if there was an attack on Christmas,
Christmas.” However, none of this is new, nor that wouldn’t necessarily mean that it’s an
does it prove that there is a secularist plot to attack on Christians. In fact, many Christians
stop Christianity. The government has been who celebrate Christmas think that it actually
prohibited from “respecting an establishment demeans Christmas when companies try to
of religion” ever since the first amendment was monetize the sacred holiday by using Christian
adopted in 1791. symbols in their advertising.

Occam’s Razor would suggest that employ- Christianity is not under attack in this coun-
ees at Macy’s were told to say “Happy Hol- try and neither is Christmas. The War on Christ-
idays” not because the company was run by mas is an absurd conspiracy theory rooted more
secularist progressives who wanted to impose in antisemitism than it is in fact.

Cancel Culture: New reality for today’s society

Benjamin Kyvik · Editorial Editor

Often, when comedians begin to run out of Courtesy of The Wall Street Journal
material, or begin to face criticism for too many Cancel culture has evolved to become extremly prevalent in today’s society with the simplicity of the action.
of their jokes consisting of punching down and
making fun of marginalized groups, they try to some of the pictures were bigoted toward dif- France, Spain, Canada, and Germany) exam-
save their career by complaining about “cancel ferent races, and that the author would not want ined in the study (Germany was the outlier). In
culture.” to be associated with such portrayals if he were Canada, which had the greatest disparity be-
alive today. It may have been a better idea to tween posts from liberal and conservative poli-
Somehow, fans of these comedians never sell edited versions which did not include such ticians and media outlets, posts from left-lean-
seem to get bored from hearing them devote pictures, but it was ultimately up to his orga- ing sources were amplified by 43% while
so much of their acts to complaining about the nization what should be done about the books. right-leaning posts were amplified by 167%.
same thing. Somehow, these comedians also Those books were never banned either. The
manage to convince their audiences that free- organization just stopped selling them. Twitter generally favors conservatives with
dom of speech is under attack because people their algorithms when trying to determine
are criticizing these comedians, and somehow, Conservatives also seem to consider the cen- which posts should be shown on the home page.
they’ve managed to convince their fans that sorship of far-right figures on social media to Many of the people who complain about big
cancel culture will someday get to them, and have emerged from some of the same ideas that tech censorship rarely seem to suggest any solu-
that they too will be cancelled. led to cancel culture. To conservatives, cancel tions. Perhaps the easiest solution would be for
culture was somewhat to blame when people the government to create its own social media
Too many comedians, the most recent of like Alex Jones and Donald Trump were banned which does not ban people for their speech.
which being Dave Chappelle, fail to understand from Twitter. Many people on the right seem Twitter is a private company, and they can cen-
that it’s their job to be funny, and that it isn’t to consider big tech companies to be run by the sor whoever they want, but the government, in
the audience’s job to find them funny. It’s this left, which cancels and censors conservatives theory, cannot censor people for their speech.
misunderstanding that allows them to blame the on social media.
audience, not themselves, when nobody laughs To put it simply, the myth of cancel culture
at their jokes. When they get criticized for mak- However, Twitter actually recently per- is an extremely exaggerated problem, which
ing fun of marginalized groups, they decide that formed a study on the algorithm the website failing comedians can use to blame the audience
they’re the victims, not the people harmed by uses to show posts on the home page, which for not laughing at their jokes, and is used by
the stereotypes that these jokes often reinforce. found that there was a “statistically significant conservative media to make their audience feel
It doesn’t matter if the jokes aren’t funny; if the difference favouring the political right wing” like they are victims of censorship by the left.
audience doesn’t laugh, it’s their fault. in six of the seven countries (US, Japan, UK,

Most of these comedians haven’t been can-
celled. They may have been criticized for some
of their jokes, but such criticisms almost never
caused them to lose their audience. Comedians
aren’t entitled to have their own TV shows, or
to host certain events, and even if these come-
dians have had their TV shows cancelled, they
can still complain about it.

However, cancel culture isn’t unique to com-
edy. People also blamed cancel culture when
Dr. Seuss’ own organization stopped selling six
of his earlier books (the most popular of which
being To Think That I Saw it on Mulberry
Street) which they considered to include hateful
portrayals of certain racial groups. This decision
wasn’t prompted by widespread calls to cancel
these books; the organization just decided that

Page 6: Entertainment December 2021

Majszak: Genre selection important for movie night

Courtesy Art cess in addition to everyone’s particular inter- There are far better options instead of lis-
ests. In my personal opinion the genre of these tening to a quite monotonous narrator spouting
Holly Majszak · Co-Editor-in-Chief movies should not consist of romance, horror or facts and information you will never use again.
any resemblance to a documentary. An hon- The only exception to this genre is anything
Families spend time together in several orary mention is anything Hallmark related as narrated by the well-known actor Morgan Free-
different ways especially during the holidays they are just poorly made movies in general. man, having as the French say, that je ne sais
like going out to a restaurant, family vacations, quoi (that special something) to his narration.
game nights and family movie nights. Movie Horror movies are a bad move for these
nights are a particularly interesting affair as nights as not everyone can handle the jump However, despite the many don’ts of many
there is an immense amount of thought put into scares and blood that might occur throughout movie nights, there are some genres that are ac-
the movie that is appropriate to be viewed. the duration of the film. Furthermore, nobody ceptable when viewing alongside your siblings
wants to deal with the nightmares that will fol- and parents; genres such as comedy and adven-
Considerations such as age and genre appro- low the film nor a month of constant paranoia ture are acceptable.
priateness go into the movie deliberation pro- after what has been seen.
Comedies are a great option as they appeal
Romance movies are a hard pass for several to everyone’s humorous side and have a low-
reasons. No one wants to be stuck in the same er chance of creating awkwardness within the
room with their relatives watching two charac- audience. For example, anything with Adam
ters follow a sappy plot line and the possibility Sandler in it usually is a good option for this
of any risque scenes spontaneously popping up category, as long as the main genre of the movie
on the screen. Moreover, any parental figure is comedy. Romance is merely a side plotline
may start to suggest unwanted advice about which doesn’t need to have too much attention
your love life, comments that you certainly drawn to it.
didn’t ask for and would love to avoid hearing.
Keeping romance out of the options makes it My other recommendation for these films
your safest bet for making it through movie include adventure movies as it is hard to see a
nights. reason why anyone would have a problem with
it, nor would it lead to any compromising situ-
Now, documentaries, unlike the reasons ations or awkward conversation. They are also
listed above, are to be avoided at all costs for appealing to everyone from children to adults,
the sole purpose that the boredom might just be the impressive range making the option sit high
your end. Documentaries are the type of film in the ranks compared to its fellow competitors.
you want to watch in class instead of doing
work. In fact, I would rather watch paint dry, Overall, family movie genres should be
instead of viewing documentaries on family thought out with care and consideration and
movie nights where the goal is to enjoy what people should consider the previously men-
you are watching. tioned options before picking a film.

No reason to remake movies, classics unparalleled

Courtesy Photos

Lucy Rushing · Staff Writer man at Florida State University Schools (FSUS) nothing on the original.
said. “I think the storyline in the original is al-
“Home Alone” came out in 1990 and has
been a part of many families’ holiday traditions. Younger generations grew up watching re- ready really good and there’s no need to keep
Since the movie came out there have been many makes, some even never watching the original. making more remakes,” Nguyen said.
remakes, which have sparked debate on wheth- While the plots are similar, the “Home Alone”
er or not the originals or the remakes are better. originals and remakes have key differences The original movies are already excellent
that can make or break them. Even though the and continue to do well in recent years. There is
“The original is better, but I can see why remakes have sometimes been a hit, they hold no reason to recreate something that is already
people like newer ones,” Megan Nguyen, fresh- good.

As online platforms grow,

Movie theaters become obsolete against new technology

Saumyaa Misra · Staff Writer TV and Disney Plus. Because of this, less people
Movie theaters have slowly become super- have been going to the movie theaters.
fluous in the past couple of years of following
advances in technology. This could be a possible “[If theaters close] It would just give the
reason why movie theaters close. general public less places to spend their time
Movie theaters have a likelihood of closing recreationally. I almost equate movie theaters to
within the next 10 years, not just due to techno- libraries. It’s just such a common form of media
logical progression, but also a plethora of issues to the masses. I can’t imagine if it were gone.”
that have been building, including pandemic said Kimberly NeSmith, junior.
safety.
“I believe that theaters could potentially close Advances in technology will continue to
within a few years because most people would dominate societal changes because of the ex-
rather buy movies online and watch them at pansion of the internet and the ease of accessing
home.” said Reanna Ho, sophomore at Florida movies.
High.
Many businesses have been affected by the There is no actual way to prevent movie
proliferation of online shopping and business, theaters from closing but people can do small
and now people have access to view movies at actions to help them not close.
home, with many different streaming services
including: Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple “We could stop them from closing by mak-
ing theaters a bit homier. Perhaps by pushing
the decoration of theaters to make them pleas-
ant to be at.” said NeSmith.

Courtesy Art

December 2021 Page 7: Entertainment

Sydney: Fool-proof sweet snacks for holiday season

Photo By Sydney Moore Sydney Moore · Staff Writer and Reeses. First get your marshmallow, as this
is the body of your little snowman, then take
Moore enjoys a hot choclate with marshmallows a festive December is the best time for holiday festiv- pretzel sticks and stick them in the marshmal-
mug and marshmallow snowman this holiday season. ities, being with family and celebrating all the low for the arms. Next, you’ll take a Reeses and
traditions the month has to offer. It’s also a great put it on top of it, making the hat. Then, melt
time to try new, delicious foods. a little chocolate in a bowl and use a toothpick
to create eyes. Now you have a picture-ready
If you’re like me, you might be scared you’ll Christmas snack.
burn your house down. But these recipes are
Syd-proof and if I can do them, so can you! These extremely simple and foolproof
These are two dessert recipes perfect for the recipes would also be fun to do with family or
holiday season. friends during the holidays. The possibilities
are endless for creating your own fun holiday
With the cold weather settling in in Florida,
I can’t think of any drink better than a cup of Courtesy Art
hot chocolate. The tasty drink is easy to make
at home. Place ¾ cup of your milk of choice
in a pan over medium heat - whole milk or 2%
is best. Next, mix ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa
powder, ¾ cup white sugar, 1 pinch salt and ¾
cup vanilla extract. Then add ½ cup of half and
half of your choice. Mix it all up and you have a
toasty hot chocolate to keep you warm whether
you’re sitting by a fire or looking at Christmas
lights! You can add whipped cream or even a
candy cane in your hot cocoa, or add chocolate
syrup for extra sweetness. Make it any way you
like.

To go along with the warm beverage, an easy
holiday treat is a marshmallow snowman. This
is even easier than hot chocolate; no measuring,
no using the oven, but still tasty! All you need is
marshmallows, pretzel sticks, melted chocolate

Crumbl Cookies opens new Tallahassee location

Amelie Pelham · Managing Editor In terms of what to expect from the bakery, Photo By Amelie Pelham
Crumbl offers outrageous cookie flavors based Crumbl employee frosts seasonal pumpkin pie cookie.
Many locals are excited about the new and on favorite candies and desserts ranging from
extremely popular confectionary chain, Crumbl pies to cakes and more. For Halloween this
Cookies, that opened a location in Tallahassee year, fans received flavors like monster cookie
just in time for the busy holiday season. and dirt cake, and for Thanksgiving, the chain
offered selections like pumpkin pie and cranber-
Crumbl Cookies, is a modern dessert chain ry chip on the festive lineup.
that offers mouthwatering cookie selections
which vary weekly. The new Tallahassee location, located in the
Bannerman Crossing Shopping Center, opened
Crumbl’s rotating menu, offering new flavors in early December and local fans who discov-
every week alongside their permanent choco- ered Crumbl in other cities are ecstatic that they
late chip and sugar cookies, gives the popular now have access to the mouth-watering cookies.
chain a distinctive advantage over other bak-
eries whose selections rarely change, usually Meanwhile, Crumbl admirers across the
only to offer limited seasonal selections. Their country are anticipating exciting holiday fla-
ever-changing menu is one of the unique char- vors, including both new and returning se-
acteristics that has made Crumbl so famous. lections with flavors like cinnamon, eggnog,
peppermint and hot chocolate are sure to make
Although the cookie chain is extremely new an appearance.
and has only been open for a couple years, it
has gained substantial momentum on social me- There is no doubt that this popular chain will
dia and has also grown an extremely large fan continue to grow and thrive, continuing with the
base spanning across the country. One of Crum- release of its original and enticing flavors.
bl’s biggest followings can be found on TikTok,
where obsessed fans have taken to reviewing If Tallahassee Crumbl fans weren’t excited
the bakery’s flavors every week. enough, another location will be opening later
along Mahan Drive.
As of now, Crumbl has opened more than As a huge fan myself, I urge you to give these
250 bakeries nationwide, and continues to delicious cookies a try and support our local
maintain its popularity. Crumbl.

What is your festive game for the holidays?

Logan Nguyen Makayla Vail Kiersten Hollingsworth

Senior Freshman Sophomore

White Elephant Monopoly Charades and Connect 4

Page 8: Features December 2021

Dorothy B. Oven presents Elf Night

Visitors receive magical experience with elaborate lights

Alyssa Kruger · Features Editor Courtesy of Tallahassee Democrat

Every year, Dorothy B. Oven hosts Elf The Tallahassee community looks forward to Elf Night each year, a well-loved tradition for the holiday season.
Night, a popular local event that boasts large
displays of festive holiday lights and is an event parking spot. But I do think it is a good holiday “I would totally recommend Elf Night to peo-
where many people go to see the lights and event to go to, especially for kids who have ple. It’s a really great experience and a great
walk around with family, friends, etc. likely never seen so many Christmas lights in way to spend your night. I have been for years
their life,” Pelham said. but the lights and the atmosphere of the event
“‘Elf Night’' is an annual event in Dorothy are still so captivating,” Nguyen said.
B. Oven where the park is opened to guests who Some believe that Elf Night is an event
are able to explore the grounds and its thou- worth experiencing once.
sands of festive lights,” Amelie Pelham, sopho-
more, said.

While many people go to see the lights in the
park, some people have other reasons for going.
“My favorite part is the hot chocolate that they
serve,” said Megan Nguyen, freshman.

However, Elf Night is more than the pretty
lights and hot chocolate. Elf Night is also an
opportunity for people to make life-long mem-
ories.

“My favorite part of Elf Night is probably all
of the good memories. I have been there sev-
eral times with my best friend, and we always
exchange gifts and have a really good time in
the park,” Pelham said.

Many people go to Elf Night during the
holiday season. “‘Elf Night' is a pretty popular
event; whenever we have gone, it’s hard to get a

FSU hosts Elf at Dick Howser Stadium

Megan Nguyem · Assistant Editor letic facilities.” “We plan to have some fun holiday activities
Many people enjoy the Dick Howser Stadi- in the plaza for our guests to enjoy before the
Florida State University (FSU), as of fall movie starts,” Rooney said.
of 2020, started an exciting community event. um during baseball season. This event is a great
“Movie Night at the Ballpark” is hosted at the way for families and friends to come together This event has been a great success and has
Dick Howser Stadium. and enjoy an event filled with movies, games, helped to bring the community together during
and food. a difficult time.
“Movie Night at the Ballpark” is an event
run by the Seminole Experience. At FSU’s Rooney said, “They have really enjoyed “We started the event in the fall of 2020 in
baseball field (Dick Howser Stadium), they are being able to experience these spaces in a new Dick Howser Stadium as a way to get back to
showing newly released movies and old clas- way” hosting events in a space that would be out-
sics. On December 17, 2021 they are showing “Elf” doors and allow for social distancing,” said
as a way to get people in the holiday spirit. The Rooney.
Jessica Rooney, general manager of the tickets cost ten dollars per person and the gates
Seminole Experience said, “My role with the will open around six at night. Many people en- Although it hasn’t been around for very
Seminole Experience is to create new and joy the affordable prices and how much you get long, the event has already become a Tallahas-
unique experiences within Florida State’s ath- in return for how little you pay. see favorite and is hopefully here to stay for
many years to come. For now, locals can enjoy

Courtesy Photos

With Christmas approaching,

Fuqua wins over Southwood with extravagent lights

Photo By Nix Wimerbly locals can vote for upcoming songs that will
play through a custom radio frequency, allow-
Fuqua uses technological innovations to bring classic Christmas lights into the future by syncing the lights to music. ing the music to be played in the car.

Keegan Flury · Staff Writer Tallahassee. Carl Fuqua is the man behind the curtain,
For those who have never been, “Endicott creating the light show for “Endicott Lights”
¨Endicott Lights¨ has provided a light show every year. This year, it started the Friday after
since 2017, drawing an audience from all over Lights” features a light show corresponding Thanksgiving and will end on New Year’s.
with holiday music. There is a website where
“The light show started in 2017 and every
year I add more lights, props, and special effects
to the house,” said Fuqua.

In his free time, Fuqua is a technology en-
thusiast, enjoying things such as flying drones
and creating home automations. The light show
occurs at Fuquas house, located on Endicott
Drive.

“The house itself contains over 10,000 pix-
els, each able to be any color or brightness and
can be on, off, or in motion,” Fuqua said.

The process starts in August, with trying to
figure out which sequences to use. In October,
Fuqua started to build the new props.

“In early November, I will start to deploy
everything onto the house,” said Fuqua.

This popular light show should be here for
many years to come.

“I have always loved Christmas lights and
making people happy,” said Fuqua.

December 2021 Page 9: Features

Dear Santa,
all I want for Christmas is...

Holly Majszak · Co-Editor-in-Chief Presented by The Tomahawk Talk Saumyaa Misra · Photographer

Cole Allen Koda Brown Zelia Buselli Bryce Butler

“Kar” “Car” “Dutrfli Sacr” “Starwars Lego”
(Car) (Butterfly Shaker) (Star Wars Lego)

Samantha Cohn Asher Gardner A’meesha Kelly Caleb Kerr

“Unicorn Stuffv” “Yellow Kpl” “Bab Dol” “Nex Fureehose”
(Unicorn Stuffy) (Yellow Kindle) (Baby Doll) (New Treehouse)

Alex Massey Savi Nadikat Anvvy Paidakula Natalie Perez

“Fidget Spinner” “Ranbow Toy” “Coloring Books” “A New Costum”
(Rainbow Toy) (A New Costume)

Jillian Roberts Isabella Salter Braydon Smith Telly Thomas

“New Hiale Two” “Oaf” “Skbord” “Bb Yoda”
(New Horse Toy) (Olaf) (Skateboard) (Baby Yoda)

Kara Vause Rachel Youngman Eulalia Wyman

“Apple Muth” “Nuw Borbe” “Black Kitten”
(Apple Watch) (New Barbie)

Page 10: Features December 2021

Pas de Vie Ballet

Local ballet company hosts annual Nutcracker

Courtesy Photo (above) & Courtesy Art (below)
Nutcracker Ballet, produced by Pas de Vie ballet company, performs Act II Scene 1, The Land of Sweets, a scene performed bewteen Clara and the Prince before the ballet ends.

Madalyn Friemoth · Staff Writer still keeping the basic concepts.
“The Nutcracker is about a young girl who
The local Nutcracker ballet performance is
presented by the Pas De Vie ballet company is given a nutcracker toy on Christmas Eve.
located here in Tallahassee, Florida and young She falls asleep and dreams of helping the
children and teenagers participate in the event Nutcracker defeat the Mouse King in an intense
once a year during the holiday season. battle,” said Allie Manalo, junior.
This year the Pas De Vie ballet company is
presenting the Nutcracker on December 17 at 8 It takes months of preparation for the danc-
p.m. and on December 18 at 2:30 p.m. ers to perfect the show for the audience. The
original choreography was created by the Pas
The Nutcracker production is based on the De Vie studio itself. There’s no other routine
story “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice,” like it.
written by Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffman,
and it has various translations all over the “The preparation is a long and difficult pro-
world. The dance was first choreographed by cess, but the finished product is worth the hard
Marius Petipa in 1892. (Information derived work,” said Alyssa Crouse, freshman.
from literature.fandom.com and nutcracker.
com) This event has been performed annually by
different dance companies located in Tallahas-
Over time, the dance changed to become see since 1986.
more modern to fit newer ballet trends while
“The Nutcracker ballet will always have
its place in Tallahassee, especially since it’s a
holiday tradition,” said Hunter Stanley, junior.

Kwanzaa: Cultural holiday goes overlooked

Graham Senior · Staff Writer American History teacher at Florida State Uni- Courtesy Art
versity Schools (FSUS). Families celebrate holiday with the lighting of the kinara.
December is known as the holiday month,
with Christmas, Hanukkah and the New Year The celebrations in Kwanzaa are similar to
right around the corner.With all of these holi- Hanukkah, where there are seven days and each
days there is one that goes unnoticed: Kwan- day has a different meaning. Kwanzaa is cele-
zaa. brated from December 26 to January 1.

Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration of unity, People who celebrate Kwanzaa light can-
creativity, giving gifts and faith. It was founded dles on each day. On the left side are red can-
by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966 in response dles, and on the right they are green. In the
to the Watts riots that ensued a year prior. The middle there is one black candle. Each candle
Watts riots started in August of 1965 when a 21 represents the principles of Kwanzaa, such as
year old African American named Marquette Umoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-determina-
Frye was pulled over for driving intoxicated. tion), Ujima (to build and maintain communi-
People gathered and the occurrence escalated ty), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia (self-
into a brawl between police officers and rioters. less), Kuumba (creativity) and Imani (“belief
The riots lasted five whole days and ended with with all our heart in our people”).
34 people dead and over 4000 people arrested.
Kwanzaa is about uniting the community
“Kwanzaa was created to promote African and creating a better bond with neighbors and
Americans heritage,” said Chene Olgar, African also serves as a reminder to follow the princi-
ples year round to better society.

NORAD tracking Santa’s sleigh for more than 60 years

Courtesy Photo Tracker that details the whereabouts of Santa the Santa Tracker because it’s one of those
NORAD generates a map of Santa’s travels for children. on Christmas Eve and where he will be making nostalgic Christmas traditions that make me feel
stops to deliver presents to children. like a little kid again,” said Copa.
Holly Majszak · Co-Editor-in-Chief
Many students have grown up with mem- According to NORAD, the tradition started
The North American Aerospace Defense ories as NORAD has been instilled as part of when a child dialed their number after it had
Command (NORAD) holds an annual Santa the holiday traditions within many households. been misprinted in an ad, in which Air Force
These memories of sitting with a parent and Col. Harry Shoup had answered and pretended
looking at the map waiting for Santa to make to be Santa. Children continually called after
his flight to your city and to drop off their pres- that and thus the Santa Tracker was formed in
ents are what makes NORAD special. 1958. What had started as a misprint quickly
became part of Christmas traditions around the
“A particular memory I have with the Santa world as families looked to the platform as a
Tracker is watching it from my dad’s phone on way to get into the Christmas mood and start
Christmas Eve and feeling so excited for Santa the holiday off right.
to come to Florida,” said Maggie Copa, Florida
State University Schools freshman. “Ever since we started using the Santa
Tracker for Christmas, we haven’t stopped.
Not only is the Santa Tracker something Even now, as both me and my brother are older,
good for little ones; it grows with children as we still love seeing where Santa is and when
they age into adults. The memories stay with he’s going to arrive,” said Copa.
them as they age and continually help them get
into the Christmas Spirit every year.

“Even now that I am older, I still love using

December 2021 Page 11: Sports

Student-run FCA opens worship to FSUS

Bryce Kelley · Co-Editor-in-Chief “FCA has provided me with a community Courtesy Photo
that I can always count on. Knowing Jesus The FCA is student-run organization focused on creating
Fellowship of Christain Athletes (FCA) is a gives me the strength to do anything and I know an environment for students to worship at school.
student-run organization that is open to ev- that anything I put my mind to I am able to
eryone and is about bringing the Florida High do with a strong community behind me,” said the word of God and the positive impacts that
community together towards Jesus. Hayden Center, junior. following Jesus can have on student lives and
those around them.
FCA was founded in 1954 as an organization Meetings are held on Wednesdays during the
to bring athletes closer to God. Through coach- second lunch and are currently in Shannon Ax- “The most important things in life are the
es, athletes are exposed to and taught the values tell’s room. Every meeting is student-run. The eternal questions and for students to find salva-
of Christianity. Sports teams serve the commu- students, a part of the FCA leadership team, de- tion through Jesus Christ. This opportunity is
nity as Jesus served his community. Over time cide on a lot of the concepts talked about at the provided in the student run organization, FCA,”
it has evolved into a fellowship that is open to weekly meetings. Students often speak about said Capas.
every student, teacher and faculty member at how Jesus has changed their lives and ways to
schools. grow closer to Him.

“The mission statement of FCA is to lead “It is a legally recognized way that students
every coach and athlete into a growing relation- can discuss and express their religious beliefs
ship with Jesus Christ and His church,” said openly. It’s a safe place to publicly pray, which
Ryan Capas, academic dean and FCA co-spon- you don’t get a lot in public school,” said Ca-
sor at Florida High. “Although the history is pas.
tied to athletics I rely on students to debunk that
because the meetings are open to everyone.” Students who are curious about Christainity
and what it is about are encouraged to come
Many students have found strong friendships to FCA and give it a try. You don’t have to be
through FCA along with a group of positive, saved in order to attend FCA. One of the main
open-minded individuals who are supportive of goals for FCA at Florida High is to bring stu-
one another. At the center of these relationships dents and faculty to salvation and show them
is the students’ love for Jesus.

FSUS organizes Hall of Fame induction ceremony

Martin Mayhew Cam Brown

David Ross Brett Blizzard Dean Palmer

Courtesy Photos

The athletes above have previously been inducted as of 2018 to the Florida State University Schools (FSUS) Hall of Fame as some of the most honored athletes to roam the halls.

Ay’keelah Green · Staff Writer gained recognition and alumni who have made together and helps support FSUS’ future.
an impact at FSUS. The FSUS Hall Of Fame committee is taking
The Hall of Fame is an induction ceremo-
ny hosted by Florida State University Schools “Meeting all of the legendary Seminoles is their time preparing for the ceremony and is
[FSUS]. The ceremony had been postponed always special. We have had some really awe- trying their best to make it memorable. Most
twice now due to COVID-19. some alumni come out of here. The ceremony students don’t know the history and rich legacy
is a very unique event that spotlights all of our of the FSUS athletics.
“I am anxious to get the Hall Of Fame com- great history. Many of our students are unfamil-
pleted. The recognition each inductee receives iar with the rich legacy of FSUS. This event is “I love FSUS and a part of loving it is re-
is extremely important. I believe that each not only a fundraiser for them but a lesson on specting it’s past. I used to think that I was do-
inductee has played a special role in making our tradition,” said McGriff. ing something that had never been done there,
(FSUS) what it is today,” said Tyrone McGriff, but then I realized, I was only keeping up the
head of the Hall Of Fame. Each inductee receives a plaque or medal, tradition. That meant more to me than being the
shirt, VIP pass to all Florida High events and first or the best,” said McGriff.
The ceremony will highlight athletes a presentation. It brings the past and present
throughout FSUS’ athletic history who have

With soccer season approaching,

Class of 2022 seniors face one final season as Seminoles

Courtesy Photo player, talks about leaving next season.
“It’s sad. I would be leaving my team be-
The FSUS Womens Soccer team begins their 2022 season with 12 seniors competing for a state championship.
hind,” said Quijada.
Keegan Flury · Staff Writer to players as Coach V, speaks about the future This season, the team is expected to play
season without the seniors.
The Florida High Women’s Soccer program well. Scahs is looking forward to the type of
will lose 12 seniors after this upcoming season. “The big thing we would be losing is leader- gameplay the seniors will offer. She has been
ship and consistency,” said Sachs. coaching the current seniors for three years
Head Coach Victoria Sachs, better known now, so they know what “Coach V” expects.
The senior’s leadership provides an example
to younger players. Daniela Quijada, a senior “I hope the game plays will be a little more
sophisticated and creative with the maturity on
the field. That’s the goal,” said Sachs.

With 12 seniors leaving this year, the team
has to prepare for the season to come. Sachs
says that they have been training the younger
players to fill the gap that will be left after the
season.

“We have to make sure we’re rotating our
younger players into those senior roles to make
sure they’re shaping up to take the position
when the seniors leave,” said Sachs.

Though the team is losing 12 seniors, this
will give the program an opportunity to grow
and develop.

“The younger players will be prepared as
ever to fill these roles,” said Sachs.

Page 12: Sports December 2021

Photos By Saumyaa Misra

Young faced challenges Young led her 2020-2021 Young begins her senior
freshman and sophomore Florida High Women’s season statistics with
season as she battled two an average of 17 points
Basketball team to a 15-3 along with 3 rebounds
knee injuries. record her junior season. per game.

Courtesy Photo

“Overpower. Overtake. Overcome.” - Serena Williams

Young demonstrates power of perseverance

Bryce Kelley · Co-Editor-in-Chief Getting to a Division I level does not come Florida State University Men’s Basketball, C.
without hard work. Both Young’s mother and Young has helped inspire Young to continue
Florida High Women’s Basketball shooting father have inspired her daily to keep pushing working for her goal of playing Division I col-
and point guard senior Audia Young, has signed to be the best. Carolyn Jones-Young, Young’s legiate basketball.
with Auburn University to further both her mother, left a legacy at Auburn. Leading the
sports and academic careers. team to two Final Four appearances during her “My dad, because he is a trainer, pushes
time, Jones-Young’s jersey now hangs in the me to get better everyday because he sees my
Following in her mother’s footsteps, Young rafters of Auburn’s basketball arena. Young has potential. My teammates have also impacted
chose to commit to Auburn University on earned the opportunity to live out the legacy her my basketball career because they push me in
November 10, 2021. Young has been on many mother left and create one of her own along the practice,” said Young.
Division I school’s radars. When deciding, it way.
was more than just choosing a university with a Young has had a successful start to her final
good women’s basketball program or going to “I have worked extremely hard to get where high school basketball season. Playing along-
the same school as her mother. I am today. I feel like it makes me wiser be- side her teammates, Young has won many
cause I have my mom as a mentor and someone games and been consistently successful at a
“Auburn gave me the family atmosphere I I can look up to,” said Young. high level.
love and was looking for. The coaches and staff
believe in me like no other which was very Young’s dad, Charlton Young, has also been “Basketball is fun and competitive. I love the
important to me. Auburn also has a beautiful a mentor to her because of his experience with sport and I am so happy to have the opportunity
campus,” said Young. Division I basketball. As an assistant coach for to play at the next level,” said Young.

Courtesy Photos

Florida High seniors pursue collegiate careers,

female athletes sign to Division I universities

Kiersten Shaw · Staff Writer From the multiple offers Morgan received, which team but preferably one not too far so my
she went with Georgia Tech. The Institute’s family can watch me play often,” said Morgan.
Graham Senior · Staff Writer 88% Graduation Success Rate (GSR) is its
highest since the NCAA began using the met- On the other hand, Cobb started diving in
Florida State University Schools (FSUS) has ric in 2005, topping last year’s record of 87%. 2019 as a sophomore in high school. Her main
a top notch athletics program with a plethora of Georgia Tech’s GSR surpasses the Division events are springboard platform diving. Cobb
Division I athletes going to college each year. I average of 87%, which is also an all-time is a hard worker and is inspired by her coaches
However, some feel women in sports seem to record. and teammates to work harder every single day.
be underappreciated. Two examples of these Committed to Kentucky as a diver, Cobb will
women are FSUS varsity basketball player Ton- “I chose Georgia Tech because it was the start her career next fall.
ie Morgan and FSUS varsity diver Jodi Cobb. best option for me and I could see myself there
with them for my 4 years,” said Morgan. “I feel like Kentucky was the best fit for me,
Tonie Morgan, a senior on the varsity girls and the team in general was very welcoming,”
basketball team, is in her last year with FSUS Tonie has been through many hardships that said Cobb when asked why she committed to
basketball. She has been a part of the FSUS she is still struggling with within basketball, Kentucky.
basketball program for 6 years. During her time including injuries.
with FSUS she has experienced many hard- Cobb’s commitment to Kentucky was en-
ships. “The thing I am still struggling with is the couraged by a coach of hers who was a former
metal part of basketball,” said Morgan. “I have Division I diver at Kentucky.
Athletes must choose goals that will self-mo- had a few major injuries, my most serious one
tivate them and will impact their performance in was when I hyperextended my knee last season “It helped me make the decision to go to
the game. As athletes set aspirations for them- in the regional semifinals.” Kentucky because I heard nothing but good
selves and coaches set objectives for the team, things about it, and [my coach] impacted me a
it will help those players optimize their perfor- In the long run, Tonie does want to make it lot and I want to follow in his footsteps,” said
mance in games and have better outcomes. to the Women’s National Basketball Associ- Cobb.
ation. Approximately 3% of male and female
“Some main goals for myself is to be Ga- high school basketball players go on to play When Cobb starts at Kentucky this fall,
torade Player of the Year,” said Morgan. “As a college basketball, and only about 1% of those FSUS students will cheer her on with pride with
team, I want for us to get closer, become more players turn professional. in whatever she does.
locked in and to win state.”
“I want to go to the WNBA, it doesn’t matter