Volume 86, Issue 1 (Oct. 2022)

Volume 86, Issue 1 Bella Blends October 2022
Standing Ovation The Comeback Kid
Lowe sisters build
Theater program resumes popcorn and lemonade A student athlete’s road
fall play after hiatus. business. to recovery after injury.

Page 3 Page 9 Page 11

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

Photo By Ashlyn Powell
Varsity Football takes the field as wide reciver Brooks Hickman carries the American flag down the hill. Florida High went on to beat Taylor County 48-0.

New QB1 learns ropes of high-achieving team

Bryce Kelley · Co-Editor-in-Chief Jeremy since he was in middle school. It has Photo By Saumyaa Misra
Jeremy Johnston, junior, started the 2022 been fun and exciting but it has also been a
football season off as QB1 following the gradu- challenge because he’s different and different Johnston takes advice from Head Coach Jarrod
ation of last season’s two starting quarterbacks. is good,” Hickman said. “It really means that I Hickman as they work towards a win.
With a combination of patience and persever- have got to coach him all the time. He’s done
ance, Johnston has led the illustrious Seminoles a good job and made some mistakes, but that’s have a lot of eyes on you and you’re wondering
to a victorious season thus far. part of being a new quarterback.” if you’re good enough to fill the shoes of Drew
“His greatest strength is his toughness and and Tre. But if I mess up [the team and parents]
his coachability. Everyone has been adjusting Johnston has been connecting with his are patient with me and they know that I am
well, being patient and allowing him to work receivers and running backs very well during still learning,” Johnston said.
through some things. Each week he gets bet- games. Senior wide receiver Brooks Hickman
ter at really just trying to get the ball to all the averages about 50 receiving yards per game Johnston is only at the beginning of his high
playmakers we have,” Jarrod Hickman, varsity alone. Michai Danzy, junior running back, school quarterback career leading the team as a
football head coach said. averages 70 rushing yards per game. This con- junior and looking forward to his senior season.
Johnston started the season off strong with a nection has come quickly following Johnston With playoffs coming up, the team is hyper-fo-
win over Trinity Catholic 22-19. Following that taking on the starting quarterback role. cused on making every improvement they can
win, he has been consistent on the field leading so that they make a solid run for the state cham-
“We have been staying after [practice] pionship.
Photo By Ana Adank throwing. I am getting to know how they like
Johnston prepares to throw to one of Florida High’s to run their routes and how the backs like to get “I just try to play my game; I am not trying
dominant playmaking recivers. the ball handed off to them. I have been trying to be anyone else. I just want to be comfortable
to spend as much time as I can off the field with on the field,” Johnston said.
the Seminoles through an undefeated season so them as well to build our chemistry,” Johnston
far this year. said.

“The beauty of our school is you get to The team strives to make a good run at the
watch these kids for a long time. I have watched playoffs year after year. Players learning and
growing after every game has given the pro-
gram strong runs at state for many years.

“[This season] has been really good. I told
the guys the other day that our effort has been
incredible. We still have a lot of guys learning
but everyone is doing a really good job. I think
our chance at state is as good as everybody else
and as good as any team we have ever had. This
team has the capabilities, especially if we keep
getting better week to week,” Hickman said.

The support for Johnston does not stop at
his team. Not only have students been cheering
him on at every game but parents and boosters
have been supporting him on his journey as he
gains more experience each week.

“It has been pretty stressful because you

Thrills and chills
Behind the scenes of Thespians’ haunted house

Nix Wimberly · Staff Writer ondary haunted houses. some fun.
“Music and scare actors have always been “I can say that there’s a good amount of the
Students looking for a spooky thrills flock
to the Thespians haunted house each fall carni- elements of the design,” said Ortiz. club that doesn’t always want to do districts,
val. Harley has made it his mission this year to and I think it’s a good opportunity for students
to come and do something theater-related out-
“I enjoy FSUS haunted houses because I not only produce the best haunted house yet, side of class,” Anthony Ortiz said.
like the scary vibe of them. Every theme has but to also earn more money for the club, and
been thrilling and my favorite so far was the bring students together. The entire process of creating the haunted
hospital theme,” Lyric Pettway, freshman, said. house is very hands on deck and students work
“I would love to incorporate different fears together to create the set and decide how to go
The first step to creating the haunted house such as claustrophobia, I want to try to mess about scaring students of all kinds.
is to pick a theme. Students Mathew Harley and with the five senses,” said Harley
Anthony Ortiz, the club president, take the lead “Expect the unexpected,” said Harley.
in designing both the elementary and the sec- Acting in the haunted house gives the stu-
dents a chance to put their skills to use and have

Page 2: News October 2022

Despite difficult start, sewing club thrives

Photo By Florida High Sewing Club Iris Christie · Features Editor students ready to join.
Brooke Cochran, sophomore, works on a sewing “We had overfilled spots this year…they
club project. After struggling last year to build a strong
foundation, the Sewing Club is finally going on would go up to the teacher and beg to be in the
Art Courtesy of Canva its first off-campus trip. They will be traveling club,” Sofia Rios, club president, said.
to Atlanta with the National Art Honors society,
visiting many art and fashion-related destina- Once an unknown club, Sewing Club has
tions, including the SCAD fashion museum. now become a fun and safe place for the stu-
dents of Florida High. After going through the
“Sewing Club’s going to get a real taste of trials and tribulations of starting something new,
the fashion industry… it's going to be inter- the club has persevered and thrived.
esting to see Sewing Club’s reaction to that,”
Katharyn Jones, the Sewing Club’s sponsor, “You don’t have to be a specif-
said. ic type of anything to be in the

With the myriad of clubs at Florida High, the club, you can just be yourself,”
Sewing Club and other newer clubs alike are
struggling to fight for acceptance. Conflicting - Sofia Rios
schedules and lack of compromise has caused
new clubs to struggle.

One club that had similar issues to the
Sewing Club was the Debate Club. Deborah
Whetstone, the sponsor of Debate Club said this
to clubs just starting out “good luck, because it
is so hard… a good problem to have is that we
have so many clubs here.”

At first, recruiting members was trouble-
some. To most, sewing and fiber arts seemed
like a niche interest at best. But popularity has
skyrocketed, due to carnival, members spread-
ing the word and their new trip. The Sewing
Club has finally cemented itself as a part of
Florida High, even gaining a waiting list of

Courtesy of University of Central Florida Courtesy of Fine Art America

Courtesy of Fine Art America Courtesy of Arts & Collections

The Caribbean culture is a unique blend of many traditions often expressed through art, music and dance, which are shared and taught to others through festivals.

Caribbean culture: combining traditions from around the

Ayden Mohammed · Staff Writer it taste more different and unique than the food and celebration through carnivals and parades.
we have here,” freshman Alana Avilus said. These carnivals and parades often feature loud
Caribbean culture is a melting pot of differ- music, energized dancing and vibrant clothing.
ent languages, cuisine, and music. This culture Caribbean culture is heavily influenced by This showcases the best aspects of the culture
has been molded and shaped by its history of African culture. Africans brought music, rituals and its rich environment.
colonization and abundance of immigration. and dances when they were sold to the Carib-
bean as slaves. Even though these cultures are “The carnivals we have for the culture
Represented by the traditions, literature and similar, they are not the same. should be more appreciated in the states, it em-
arts of Caribbean people worldwide, this cul- braces our culture more than just having little
ture is a diverse blend of elements from several “I believe music is a key component of things,” said Avilus.
countries’ socio-cultural ways of life. unifying all of us,” Spanish teacher Frances
Baez-Arroyo said.
“Different spices we have in our food make
Caribbean culture often showcases freedom

Florida High Journalism Staff

Editors Amber Walker, Anjali Jain, Ayden Mohammed,
Benjamin Kyvik, Clare Andrew, Demi Robinson,
Sections Hannah Hamilton, Jaleah Darrisaw, Jazyra Lock-
Writers wood, Jessie Sanders, Lily Griesheimer, Maddie
Christine Russell - Adviser News Editor - Vy Nguyen Friemoth, Nix Wimberly, Saumyaa Misra, Sean
Holly Majszak - Co-Editor-in-Chief Opinions Editor - Megan Nguyen Finnemore, Sydney Moore, Tre’vion Clark
Bryce Kelley - Co-Editor-in-Chief Features Editor - Iris Christie
Amelie Pelham - Co-Editor-in-Chief Sports Editor - Sofia Brooks

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 Asociation (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 letters to the editor as a means of expressing constructive opinions on articles, photo-
graphs 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 the meaning of the letter remains unchanged. No material, opinion, or otherwise, will be printed
which is libelous, irresponsible or which the staff considers to be in poor taste. For advertisement information, and to submit letters, contact the advisor. Tomahawk Talk email: [email protected]

October 2022 Page 3: News

Murder in fast food joint

Fall play returns after five years

Art By Holly Majszak tions of this year’s fall play.
“I feel this year’s play is going to be suc-
After a five year absence, the fall play returns for a second time, just in time for the upcoming spooky sea-
son of Halloween. The premise of the plot surrounds a murder in a fast food joint. cessful because it is a very funny play, and if
you come, you are going to love it. It is made
Jazyra Lockwood · Staff Writer ater teacher, said. for teenagers with a sense of humor,” Hailey
The fall play is quite different from the Smith, junior theater manager, said. The excite-
The Florida High Thespians are kicking off ment about the play’s high among the cast.
the autumn season with a new play. After the spring play that took place earlier this year. It
highly anticipated “Legally Blonde” musical is set in a unique location and the casting took “The people who have been cast bring a cer-
took place last April, many were wondering place in a different way. tain type of energy, I think they’re going to be
what to expect from this troupe. positive and take what we give them and work
“I had students read for the parts they were with it,” Smith said.
This year’s fall play is “set in a low-end fast most interested in, and it was a difficult deci-
food burger restaurant,” Lisette Merlano, the- sion because a lot of them could fit a lot of the High schoolers are attracted to many things,
parts,” Merlano said. but with a comedy-show people are wondering
how the high school audience will react to the
There are many people with high expecta- show.

“This show is a comedy. It is always good
to have audience feedback for an actor. Hear-
ing a joke land with a crowd is a great feeling,
it is something everyone wants, it is instant
gratification, you can tell what works and what
doesn’t, and that can emulate your performance
based off of that,” Carter Nelson junior thespi-
ans vice-president, said.

This is Florida High’s second fall play, the
first one happened five years ago, the anticipa-
tion is high due to the fact that this is the second
fall play in years.

“I am very glad we are trying it, we’ve ever
only done a fall play 5 years ago, and I am very
happy we are going to do the fall play again, I
hope it is a success because I would like us to
do a fall play every year I hope that it is some-
thing that continues,” Nelson said.

FSU changes review process, moves to holistic approach

Vy Nguyen · News Editor their application deadline to Oct. 15.
“They used to have it [as] Nov. 1 like other
Florida State University (FSU) has restruc-
tured their admissions process, changing the Florida state schools, but right now it is Oct.
future for many Florida High students. In the 15,” Jennifer Kinney, High School Academic
past few years, FSU has joined the Common Advisor and Counselor, said. “FSU is the only
Application and allowed students to submit the one who has an Oct. deadline, making [stu-
SSAR, the Student Self-Reported Academic dents] start [applying] sooner than later.”
Record.
The circumstances for college admissions
“That allows everything to be in the hands are quite unique in Florida. With programs like
of the student, and everything can be given to Bright Futures, Florida Prepaid and more, the
us within 24 hours. Giving that control to the competition for college acceptance in Florida is
students was really important. The access and very high.
timeliness of it was really important to us as
well,” Hege Ferguson, FSU Director of Admis- “We [have] the second lowest average tui-
sions, said. tion cost in the country, so lots of people want
to go to school here. [Universities in neigh-
Another change FSU has made is moving boring states] are having a little more trouble
getting as many applicants as what we get, so
their GPA requirements are a little lower,” Todd

Infographic By Holly Majszak

Florida State’s student profile continues to evolve as
they receive more applicants each year this makes
the application process become more competitive.

Courtesy of Florida State University News McNeil, High School Dean of Academics, said.
More applicants are getting drawn to FSU’s highly ranked academics and college town atmosphere. The purpose of these modifications is to

reduce potential anxiety and reinforce accessi-
bility and convenience for applicants.

“Since 2016, we’ve had [a] 169% increase
in our applications for first-year students at
Florida State,” Ferguson said. “By receiving an
increase in applications, it’s clear that the stu-
dents are finding it easier to navigate the appli-
cation process with Florida State. The fact that
we are able to reach those students and make
the process easy for them to navigate is hugely
important and has really contributed to students
feeling good about applying to FSU.”

New club seeks to promote awareness of autism, other disabilities

Saumyaa Misra · Staff Writer Courtesy of the Charleston Gazette and Wednesday after school, in Mr. Kerstetter’s
room. Seniors Chinonso Okoli, Abigail Wil-
Florida High’s new Spectrum Awareness Club Autism awareness come to attention as Florida High liams and Shruthi Sankuratri decided to start
is about spreading awareness about autism and students take action and start a new club. this club to continue to bring the Florida High
other disabilities while bringing people together community together.
as a community.
“I thought it was a good idea and would be
“I think that diversity and awareness is beneficial to Florida High since this is the first
important in promoting to all students and giv- club at the school that I know of that relates to
ing neurodivergent students a place to educate autism and neurodivergence,” Sankuratri said.
others about the difficulties some disabilities
face. It is important to acknowledge others in Spreading awareness in a school atmosphere
this growing society,” Tyler Kerstetter, English is crucial so that everyone can be educated on
teacher and club sponsor, said. different disabilities, making all students feel
safer.
The Spectrum Awareness Club is open to
middle and high school students to promote “My favorite part about the club is that
inclusivity and to help everyone learn about people who have different disabilities and those
the diversity of our school. Meetings are two who don’t are brought together so they won’t
days a week, on Monday during second lunch feel alone, it is a safe place for everyone,” said
Okoli.

Page 4: Opinions October 2022

Often forgotten on sidelines,

Marching band continues to support the Noles

Photo By Saumyaa Misra Jessie Sanders · Staff Writer “It’s a balancing process of working on the
Drum Major Evelyn Truitt conducts the Marching musical performance with the visual process,”
Braves during a Friday night football game. Your typical Friday night lights is watching band teacher Brian Hanson said.
the football team put their hard hours of prac-
tice to work, but there’s a team that’s easily For being a forgotten program, the band has
forgotten. Despite having the same ambitions as traditions like no other.
normal sports teams, the Florida High Marching
Braves are overlooked. “My favorite tradition is close out,” Evelyn
Truitt, senior, said. “I love seeing everyone
While the band is overlooked, there are some come together after a long practice for a final
people who enjoy the talents of the band. goodbye.”

“For me everytime I see them I'm shocked Other band members have favorite tradi-
at how good they are because nobody really tions like the story of the Purple Wombat.
talks about them,” Aubrey Tangen, senior, said.
“We’re a big football school and even with the “It’s slightly different each year, so it’s fun
STEAM building people overlook the arts.” to hear each person's interpretation,” Joseph
Eckhart, junior, said.
It’s not everyday someone compliments and
notices the efforts the band put into the music. At the end of the day, the band is like any
other sports team. The blood, sweat, tears and
Just like other sports, the band has to reach hours of hard work is just the same as compared
an end of the year goal. The marching band’s to other sports.
goal is the Marching Music Performance As-
sessment. The Florida High Marching Braves “Eyes with pride, Eyes with pride, Eyes
are on a streak of receiving Excellents at with pride” roars after each practice and games
Marching MPA. to show the Florida High Marching Braves
leave a mark on this program.

Harsh realities of Columbus Day revealed

Benjamin Kyvik · Staff Writer to enslaving them in the future, which he did Courtesy of kofc.org
As a more accurate and nuanced under- upon his return the following year. He also
standing of Columbus’ discovery becomes wrote in this journal (intended to be read by the coast of South America, he returned to Hispan-
mainstream, it grows increasingly difficult to Spanish monarchy) that “I [Columbus] could iola, where many of the colonists had begun
justify the celebration of his accomplishments. conquer the whole of them with fifty men, and to rebel against him for a multitude of reasons.
The perception of Christopher Columbus has govern them as I pleased,” which suggests that According to the Spanish historian Antonio de
dramatically changed in recent years as many he had some interest in doing so. Herrera y Tordesillas, one of the primary criti-
people have begun to look past the revised and cisms by the rebelling colonists was that:
one-sided version of the story they are used to Columbus’ second voyage across the Atlan-
hearing. The man once known for discovering tic Ocean consisted of a fleet of seventeen ships “[Columbus] would not consent to baptism
the Americas in an attempt to prove the Earth with the supposed goal of converting the inhab- of the Indians whom the friars wished to baptise
was round is now remembered for his mistreat- itants of the islands to Christianity. However, because he wanted more slaves than Christians;
ment of the Native Americans and the geno- this goal did not last long, as Columbus made that he made war against the Indians unjustly
cide that he enabled. This new understanding clear when he shipped five hundred of the na- and made many slaves to be sent to Castile.”
of Columbus’ contributions begs the question tives to Spain to be sold into slavery. This was After only a few years, Columbus was now con-
of whether or not the explorer deserves to be only the beginning of Columbus’ enslavement sciously contradicting the stated purpose of his
celebrated. of Native Americans, which quickly grew quite previous trip, violating the orders of the Spanish
Perhaps the most important criteria in deter- widespread on the island. According to Colum- crown. Upon his return, the explorer was put on
mining this would be the significance and con- bus’ son Ferdinand: trial for mismanaging the colony on Hispaniola,
sequences of Columbus’ achievements, which and his governorship was ultimately revoked.
haven’t always been portrayed accurately. Co- “In the Cibao, where the gold mines were,
lumbus, in fact, was not the first to discover the every person of fourteen years of age or upward The enslavement of the natives of Hispan-
Americas, as millions of people had lived there was to pay a large hawk's bell of gold dust; all iola, however, continued, and after about fifty
for millenia. Nor was he even the first Europe- others were each to pay 25 pounds of cotton. years, the original indigenous population of
an to reach the Americas. About five hundred Whenever an Indian delivered his tribute, he ten thousand to fifty thousand was reduced to
years before, the Norse explorer Leif Erikson was to receive a brass or copper token which he the hundreds. Although it is true that not all of
had temporarily established a settlement on the must wear about his neck as proof that he had these deaths were directly caused by Colum-
East Coast of Canada. made his payment; any Indian found without bus, they were enabled by the precedent that he
It can be argued that Columbus Day is such a token was to be punished.” set--a precedent of slavery and cruelty. While
Columbus’ treatment toward the natives certain-
Courtesy of kofc.org Allegedly, the enslaved Native Americans ly wasn’t as brutal as that of Cortes and other
were punished for this by having their hands cut explorers who came after him, his behavior
more of a celebration of the colonization of off, which often led to them bleeding to death. led to the genocide and slavery involved in the
the Americas, rather than the mere discovery, Proponents of Columbus Day have argued that colonization of the Americas.
as this was the primary aspect that set Colum- Columbus and his men, despite enslaving the
bus’ discovery apart from previous ones. Since natives of the island (the Tainos), saved them It might be impossible to deny the signifi-
Columbus’ crew were the first Europeans to from the inhumane treatment from the neigh- cance of Columbus’ accomplishments.
encounter the indigenous population, they were boring Carib tribe, which was known for can-
responsible for the precedent that was set for nibalism and dismembering people. While it is Columbus reconnected two parts of the hu-
their treatment. Unfortunately, the precedent set somewhat true, Columbus and his men were not man species that had been separated [for millen-
by Columbus was one of cruelty. much more civilized than the Caribs, even to nia],” World History teacher Jacob Roberts said.
their own people. When a Spanish colonist was
Proponents of Columbus Day generally caught stealing corn, Columbus had the man’s Unfortunately, this reconnection ultimately
only cite his initial voyage, despite the fact that ears cut off and sold him into slavery. When led to the demise of millions of Native Ameri-
he made three trips to the Americas (or, rather, a woman accused Columbus of being of low cans and the forceful conquest of the land they
the Caribbean islands) afterwards, in which birth, his brother, Bartolomé ordered that her had inhabited.
colonies were established. In his first trip, he tongue be cut out. Christopher congratulated
primarily focused on finding gold, with his crew his brother for this. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before
mainly associating with the Native Americans someone would find and conquer the Americas.
in hopes that they would lead the explorers to On Columbus’ third voyage in 1498, after
it. However, Columbus noted in his journal that spending a brief time exploring the Northern “[Had it not been for Columbus,] someone
the indigenous people whom he encountered would have eventually gotten here, but it would
“would make good servants,” which shows that, have been delayed,” explains Roberts.
although their interest at this point was in gold
rather than labor, the explorer was not opposed However, just because the genocide was in-
evitable does not mean that those who enabled
it deserve celebration.

October 2022 Page 5: Opinions

Credit or debit: weighing the options
Anjali Jain · Staff Writer people are not saving and you never know when
an emergency will present itself,” Lisa Phillips, Photo By Christine Russell
Debit cards provide students with a safer secondary math and finance teacher said.
way to learn to budget their finances compared Katie Russell, freshman, uses her debit card to pur-
to credit cards. While debit cards may help with saving chase items at the store. Students need to understand
money, they may also lead to more spending. the differences between using debit and credit.
Credit cards allow the owner to borrow a Money on cards is something that can be taken
limited amount of money from the bank to pur- lightly since the paper is not physically in
chase items or withdraw cash. Debit cards, on one’s hands. Although debit cards could lead to
the other hand, allow the owner to spend money money easily gone. Credit cards can accumulate
by withdrawing from funds they previously debt and other complications with overspend-
deposited in the bank. ing and the lack of understanding of credit card
policy that most students have.
“Having a [debit] card helped me make my
own personal decisions on how I want to spend “Having my debit card has made it a lot
my money and how much I want to spend at easier to buy things and get gas,” junior Leah
one time,” junior Miyuki Vos said. Keller said.

Regardless of which card one gets, they Debit cards are more beneficial to students
will learn financial responsibility from it, like than credit cards and help with learning money
managing their own money and developing an responsibility and saving without the risk of
understanding of the banking process, as well as debt with credit cards. Teenagers having con-
getting into debt and how to avoid it. However, trol over their own money will help them learn
debit cards also teach the art of saving, and they financial responsibility in a safe environment.
use money straight from one’s bank account,
while credit cards take borrowed money. “Managing [your] own money will develop
better financial decisions in the future,” Phillips
“It is imperative for [students] to understand said.
money and to live within their means. So many

Vegetarianism not a trend, a lifestyle

Photo by Amelie Pelham Amelie Pelham · Co-Editor-in-Chief Photo By Amelie Pelham
No, vegetarians don’t just eat salads.
Ice cream is a delicious treat that can cure all. It’s past time to address the realities of it might seem.
Stressed out by school, eat ice cream. Need some- vegetarianism and to debunk some common “I would only recommend becoming a
thing as a comfort food, ice cream is the answer. misconceptions about going plant-based.
“I think the biggest thing that people have vegetarian or a vegan if you can commit to
Ice Cream questions about is ‘how do you get your pro- something. Vegetarianism is not something that
tein?’, so I try to tell them that protein is a myth is very easy,” said Kruger.
the best medicine in the fact that you need so much of it,” Whit-
ney McMullen, high school math teacher and Becoming a vegetarian is not just about
Holly Majszak · Co-Editor-in-Chief vegetarian said. eliminating common meat products from the
This is probably the most common misun- diet like beef, poultry and fish. In actuality,
A half-pint of ice cream is the answer to ev- derstanding about vegetarians: they don’t get meat products and byproducts are used to make
erything, whether to celebrate an A+ or to throw enough protein. However, most people overes- a disturbing amount of different foods.
yourself a pity party after the F you got on a timate the importance of and therefore overcon-
quiz you were not prepared for. sume the necessary amount of protein everyday For example, “A lot of cheeses you think
- meat eaters just do so more than vegetarians. are vegetarian really aren’t,” McMullen said.
With the shadow of college looming over Either way, there are a plethora of plant foods “Rennet is [an animal enzyme] that you have
me, I have successfully, like many of my peers, with sufficient nutrients and protein that can to look for, because it’s the lining of a stomach.
stacked my schedule with plenty of classes to healthily and easily be substituted for meat. Which, of course, the animal has to be slaugh-
ensure I get the acceptance letter of my dreams. “I’ve learned that our bodies don’t need it; tered to get that.”
Along with my extensive schedule comes much if I don’t have to kill a chicken, why would I?”
homework, many late nights and a ridiculous McMullen said. In addition to any dairy products containing
amount of ice cream. Many scientific studies have brought to light rennet, prepare to say goodbye to marshmal-
that consuming meat actually does more harm lows, gummies, Jell-O and anything else made
Throughout my experience with college than good to the human body. Eating lots of with gelatin, an ingredient produced by boiling
level classes I have developed a routine. At the meat, especially non-lean varieties, can lead to cow and pig innards. Also, make sure to check
beginning of a week loaded with tests, I will cardiovascular issues like high blood pressure condiments for fish products, commonly used to
buy myself a pint of ice cream. As the week and higher susceptibility to heart attacks and add a salty flavor, and canned goods like refried
goes on, the amount of ice cream dwindles. My coronary heart disease. beans for animal fats. Always check ingredient
theory is ice cream fixes everything; if I do not While the health benefits of a plant-based labels - what’s on them can be shocking.
perform well at the beginning of the week, I diet are a positive side effect, most vegetarians
will mourn with a half pint of ice cream before are actually in it for ethical reasons. “I think if people really thought about where
cutting my losses and doubling down. Then at “I decided to become vegetarian because their food was coming from and what the
the end of the week I will redeem myself and every single time I ate meat, I thought about process was to get it on their plates, a lot more
finish my half pint in celebration. what I was eating and I did not want to do that people would be vegetarian,” McMullen said.
anymore,” Alyssa Kruger, sophomore, said.
This realization has proven to reduce my Animal ethics are the main factor that lead However, the biggest difficulty that vege-
stress and motivate me in my endeavors to not people to make the dietary change to vegetari- tarians face is not necessarily eliminating meat;
be swallowed up by a college workload that anism. It is common knowledge that companies the lack of support and recognition can be an
comes when trying to perfect my college appli- in the meat industry have been found to be overwhelming problem in itself.
cation. severely mistreating their animals, in addition
to slaughtering them. “I would say a major challenge I have had to
I encourage the rest of the student population “For me it started with the animal ethics part face is going to restaurants. A lot of restaurants
to try this technique, as it may prove to work of it: chickens in these really small cages and do not cater to vegetarians or vegans, so I have
for you too. If not, at least you have ice cream. pigs living on top of themselves,” said McMul- had to struggle picking out what I want to eat,”
len. said Kruger.
Along with the pure cruelty of it, meat farm-
ing is also detrimental to the environment. The Most restaurants do offer vegetarian and
meat industry actually produces more harmful vegan menus, but since today’s society is so
emissions and greenhouse gases than vehicular reliant on meat, options for plant-based custom-
and transportational industries do. This is why ers can be slim.
environmentally-conscious individuals make up
a good portion of the vegetarian community. “I think that the biggest challenge was the
“Now that I am vegetarian, I feel like I have social aspect of it, like when you go to people’s
become more sensitive and aware of the world houses or you have company over. Just being
around me. I try to recycle as much as I can,” able to vocalize ‘oh sorry I don’t eat meat’ I
Kruger said. found kind of difficult,” McMullen said.
Going vegetarian, though, isn’t as simple as
Alongside all of the struggles that go along
with committing to a plant-based diet, vegetar-
ians must endure overwhelmingly unencourag-
ing attitudes from the people around them. For
all of the people out there that aren’t vegetarian,
what matters most to those who choose that
lifestyle is not convincing people to stop eating
meat, but seeing them make an effort to be ed-
ucated and accepting of vegetarianism and the
people who choose to pursue it.

Page 6: Entertainment October 2022

Black Panther 2 aims to honor Bozeman legacy

Jaleah Darrisaw · Staff Writer the film after the death of Chadwick Boseman Courtesy of Filmy Hotspot
in 2020. While other fans are on the edge of
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” has fans their seats to see who is the new Black Panther. The anticipation is high for the release of “Black
excited for its release in theaters in Nov. 2022. Panther: Wakanda Forever” after the death of star
This impending release leaves many people “I feel like this movie will support the legacy Chadwick Boseman in 2020.
questioning if this film will live up to the first of the late Chadwick Boseman, and so I think
Black Panther movie, or if it will even be able that's also a very important thing because he
to surpass the old one. was a very important figure,” Nia Terry, senior,
said.
The Black Panther movies are a representa-
tion of culture, family and change. Black Panther movies also advocate for
strong women by showing the trials and tribula-
“It's a continuation to link African Ameri- tions they go through.
cans to different African culture representations
that they may not have been exposed to,” said “I think that the movie is going to highlight,
African American History teacher, Marlon Wil- even more than it did in the original, the impor-
liams-Clark. tance of women in black and African cultures,”
Terry said.
Because it is fiction, this film is able to show
African Americans in a whole new light, dif- The new Black Panther has big shoes to fill,
ferent from the usual stereotypes. It showcases but there is no doubt the film will continue its
black people and Africa as something different precedent for culture, color and representation.
than the expectation.
“History, a ball of emotions and celebration.
Although people are excited about this mov- These are the things that make Black Panther so
ie, some fans may have a hard time watching exciting to watch,” Stephen Brooks, teaching
assistant, said.

Horror movie redundancy leads to uneventful films

Amber Walker · Staff Writer Courtesy of Good Housekeeping new horror movies work on being more inclu-
sive and they don’t really focus on true scary
Over time horror movies have become so Classic films like “Frankenstein” are a fall favorite stories.”
repetitive that people find them less interesting. for some horror fans. Fans of classic and modern
Many people believe that the movies being horror films look for both suspense and excitement. Not all horror junkies are convinced though.
remade are not as good as new movies. Lee Cameron, English teacher, believes that,
“Horror movies are better today because people
“Horror movies have decreased in quality,” have experimented with the form, done new
Atiya Cornell, English teacher, said. “I believe things with it and pushed the limits of what a
back in the 90s, 80s, and even the 70s, the horror movie could be.”
storytelling was a little bit better and now they Some people prefer newer movies where
are focusing more on the visuals than the actual creators had more experience making horror
story and it’s not really horror anymore.” films over older movies where creators had less
experience making horror films.
She, along with many other people, believes Horror movies have definitely changed over
that today’s horror movies are either based on time in many ways but everyone has their own
jumpscares or gory jumpscares. opinion on how and why they have changed and
if they like the new changes.
Kori Brown, sophomore, said, “The old
horror movies had more of a scare factor that
really worked on suspense, but nowadays the

13 years later Avatar returns

Sofia Brooks · Sports Editor Courtesy of IMBD

Avatar was the first of its kind when it hit After a 12 year absence in theaters, the next chapter of the “Avatar” series opens in Dec. Fans look forward
theaters and witnessing the movie for the first to the movie’s visuals and motion capture technology, which have improved in the last decade.
time left viewers with a truly unforgettable
experience. did,” Roberts said. no longer a shock of what CGI can do in films,"
The anticipation of what the second film will said Kruger.
Jacob Roberts, history teacher, said, “I first
saw it in theaters, and it was life-changing as be about and how it will visually look is leaving After a two-year delay, “Avatar: The Way
well as the last time I went to the movies and fans to wonder if it will live up to the expecta- of Water “ releases this year in theaters on Dec.
was impressed.” tion and success of the first movie. 16 and will tell the story of a family and what
lengths they must go to keep each other safe,
The benefit of extensive motion capture "I don't feel like the first movie will ever be fight battles to stay alive and the tragedies they
technology gave the audience realistic fea- surpassed by any other future Avatar movies suffer.
tures and movements that changed the world because people know what to expect, and it is
of animation. It proved the potential of CGI
effects that broke the foundation for 3D graph-
ics in films and transformed distinct popularity
in IMAX experiences. In addition to the tech-
nological advancement Avatar brought to the
big screen, it displayed relevant issues in our
society. It highlights the nature of catabolism
and the delicate balance between preservation
and profit. Human greed leads to the destruction
of everyone and everything and destroys the
way of life.

Alyssa Kruger, sophomore, said, “Others
should watch this movie because of the mean-
ing behind the story and the representation it
presents on real-world topics.”

The 2009 motion picture by James Camer-
on tells the story of the alien planet Pandora
populated by the Na'vi. Jake Sully, a disabled
and former Marine, travels to their world along
with a team of troops and scientists to extract
valuable resources. One of the women of Na'vi
catches Jake's attention, and he finds himself in
a war for the survival of her home. The impact
of Avatar opened the genre of science fiction
and even earned its theme park ride in Disney's
Animal Kingdom. The films may be over a
decade ago, but their influence on people has
not faded.

“I saw the movie for the first time when I
was six years old with my dad, and it has been
one of my favorite films ever since then,” Kru-
ger said

As technology over the years has advanced,
viewers wonder how the graphics will improve.

“I would hope to see something impossible
and think there is no way they can deliver a
masterpiece like that only with CG, but they

October 2022 Page 7: Entertainment

Book Tok makes reading trendy

Megan Nguyen · Opinions Editor Underhill.
Many people shy away from reading books
Reading, once looked down upon by society
as a ‘nerdy’ thing to do, is now being seen in a after they read one they don’t necessarily like.
new light. BookTok has changed many people's Some students have found themselves reading
view of reading. again after finding new favorite books on Book-
Tok.
BookTok is a community of readers on the
popular social media platform, TikTok. Creators Freni said, “Shatter Me” and “Red Queen”
on the app often use TikTok to share with one are some of her new favorite discoveries from
another their personal book reviews and recom- BookTok.
mendations.
Finding the perfect book can be very-time
Jennifer Underhill, librarian, said “I often consuming and with the help of BookTok peo-
pass some of the TikToks along to friends that I ple can find a book to read and know they will
know will like [the books].” enjoy it.

BookTok has begun a new trend of reading “Sometimes the reviews on BookTok are
and many students and faculty have seen an negative reviews. I think this is good for people
increase in book engagement. to see that you don't have to like every book,
and if it can save you the time of reading some-
“It made people enjoy reading again, be- thing, but then you can also find something that
cause they are finding actual good books on you love,” said Underhill.
there,” said Ella Freni, sophomore.
BookTok, which has taken the internet by
Underhill often sees books on the site that storm, has pushed people to find the joy in
are suitable for students at Florida High. reading again.

“I have found some good young adult books “Go read some books,” said Freni.
that I think you guys are going to like, that I
Photo By Holly Majszak ended up ordering because of BookTok,” said

Bok Tok, a community on TikTok, connects readers
to interesting books.

Music in film

Megan Nguyen · Opinions Editor

Movies and music have gone hand in hand for
as long as many can remember. Quite a few famous
songs owe their exponential success to classic mov-
ies and television shows.

“Iconic scenes in movies like the end of ‘The
Breakfast Club,’ I think that the reason why that song
was popular was because it was already good at the
time, but then that movie and its popularity skyrock-
eted that song,” math teacher Amanda Dunkelberger
said.

In recent times, songs from decades ago are mak-
ing their way back into many playlists.

“I think movies bring back popularity of songs
and help songs get noticed by younger generations
who didn't grow up with the music,” senior Molly
Russell said.

The song “Master of Puppets,” which was re-
leased by Metallica in 1986, reached the Billboard
Top 100 for the first time ever after the popular
Netflix show, “Stranger Things” used it in one of its
episodes (pitchfork.com).

Not only do songs benefit from being featured in
films, but the films benefit from them as well.

“Music makes you feel a type of way, it tells you
how to feel in the moment,” Dunkelberger said.

In the new Amazon Prime series, “The Summer
I Turned Pretty,” during each scene between the two
main love interests, a Taylor Swift song was played
in the background. Swift is known for writing about
love and relationships, and the use of her songs
throughout these scenes set the mood.

“I think the use of music makes the movie overall
better because people recognize the song and people
can connect parts of movies to music,” Russell said.

Art By Amelie Pelham

Social media causes rise in thrifting popularity

Sydney Moore · Staff Writer This gives everyone the opportunity to have Photo By Christine Russell
a new outfit without spending department store
. For most people happiness comes in a lot prices. Molly Russell, senior, looks through the racks in
of different forms. You could have a beach day, hopes to find the best deals. Thrifiting has risen in
go to a concert or even hang out with friends, “Plato’s closet is a place to get second hand, popularity due to social media and thrifting apps.
but one thing that should make everyone happy cheap, name brand clothes,” senior Anna Wil-
is cheap clothes liamson said.

Thrifting has become popular on many so- Plato’s closet, an affordable trendy second
cial media platforms. People can post hauls and hand store, has recently become popular be-
apps like Poshmark have created a safe space to cause of the rise in thrifting.
buy or sell used clothes.
“I’ve definitely started going to Plato’s more
“The most popular app for thrifting is called often because of the popularity in thrifting,”
Depop. You can get a wide range of any type of senior Makenzie Freeman said.
clothing style or brand for a respectable price.”
senior Jordan Green said. The rise in thrifting has created opportuni-
ties for making money also. Selling clothes on
With inflation, cheap clothes are hard to thrifting apps is now quick and easy.
come by. Thrifting gives everyone a chance to
feel good in their clothes at affordable prices. “Several of my friends have created ac-
counts selling clothes in the last year,” William-
“With thrifting you can buy three pairs of son said.
pants and three high end sweatshirts for 25
bucks,” Green said. Thrifting is one great way to change up an
old wardrobe without breaking the bank.

Page 8: Entertainment October 2022

Kindergarten, high school connect through reading

Lily Griesheimer · Staff Writer

The Florida High reading buddies program has Photo By Amelie Pelham
given students the chance to work together and
help kindergarteners learn to read for many Kindergarten teacher Emilee Thompson and student Liliana Revell enjoy Reading Buddy Fridays.
years. However, the impact it has on upper- ing buddies. “I had a new girl that got added to gym sometimes and I’ll say ‘Christian!’ And
classmen is often overlooked.
our group and we played when we were done wave to him.”
“I just think it’s such a valuable opportunity
for every kid to get to be a mentor and a lead- reading, so we would focus and get done with The excitement the younger students can get
er.” said John Stinchfield, English teacher who
has run the program since 2003. “It’s a great the book so we could play.” said Marteina. from their mentors makes the campus a place
way for the high schoolers to also remember the
joy of reading.” Even our own little friends can point out where they feel comfortable reaching out to

Not only do students learn to have patience the importance of the program. Austin Castillo, them.
with the younger kids, but they also are encour-
aging them to read. who was Christian Johnson’s reading buddy, “Making him smile was my favorite part of

Wendy Stinson, kindergarten teacher said, said he “liked when he sat down with him.” reading buddy Friday,” said Christian Johnson,
“after reading buddies, my kindergarteners have
a confidence and happiness about themselves.” Johnson, who is 6’8 and on the varsity basket- Senior.
The upperclassmen are able to get to sit down
with them one on one and read what they’re ball team would get down to Austin’s level by The end of the week may have been an easy
“working towards” instead of “making up stor-
ies from the pictures” Stinson said. sitting with him when they read on Fridays. break for the upperclassmen, but for the little

The program is meant to create lifelong “Every book I read with him was my favor- ones, it was an experience that changed every
friendships between mentor and buddy. Alex-
is Marteina (7), was a kindergarten buddy to ite,” says Castillo. “He walks past me in the Friday for them.
Austen Stinson who graduated in 2017. “I see
Ms.Stinson and I wave hi to her,” Marteina
said. The relationship not only was between the
buddies, but the kindergarten teacher and men-
tor parent as well. Even seven years later, she
remembers having an experience with her read-

Student expression flourishes through art

Clare Andrew · Staff Writer Photo By Amelie Pelham

Students use many mediums of art to ex- Sophomore Clare Andrews finds watercolor and drawing an exceptional medium for expressing herself.
press their opinions, beliefs and feelings. Art is
important in classrooms because it allows peo- “People make assumptions based on the way Famous artists use their platform to show their
ple to convey emotion and share their passion that people express themselves like what they thoughts and beliefs. Some of the most expen-
through imagination and creativity. wear, when in reality, expressing yourself is sive art pieces have a much deeper meaning
what makes people feel most confident,” Terry than what the eyes can see.
“My investigation in art is to show collec- said.
tions that I have had during certain eras of my “People create art to show a message or tell
life. My collections have very vivid memories It is strongly encouraged to relate artistic a story,” Terry said.
and feelings attached to them that I express talents to expression of opinion and emotion. It
through my art,” Molly Kilcrease, president of can help spread spirit throughout the school and Art is a physical representation of something
the National Art Honor Society, said. get ideas that are hard to communicate across inside of the artist and it needs to come out.
whenever words seem too difficult. Using imagination can create things that others
It can be difficult for students to find ways to may have never envisioned.
express themselves in a classroom setting, but
art is a convenient way for them to do so. There
are many different forms of art that can be used
to help students communicate their ideas.

“Using collage allows me to deconstruct
pieces and reconstruct them into things or
events that are relevant to me. Using colors and
different shapes helps show the emotion these
periods in my life created,” Kilcrease said.

Traditional art is not the only form of art
students can use to express themselves. Other
methods of art like hair styling, makeup and
fashion are explored by students as a way to
express themselves.

“Something as simple as painting your nails
can have a big impact,” sophomore Madison
Terry said.

There are many preconceptions about peo-
ple based on the form of art they use to express
themselves. Students often face harmful stereo-
types and have fought against them to protect
their fashion and expression.

Myers-Briggs validity called into question

Vy Nguyen · News Editor even more are misconceptions about how exact- Courtesy of Cornell.edu
ly MBTI types are determined. Most personal-
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is ity quizzes are inaccurate due to the exclusion Myers-Briggs determines your individual identity
popular among the youth for its unique yet of cognitive functions. Cognitive functions are by testing four different indicators. There are 16
simple take on the various ways people behave. a more complex and thorough analysis of the different personality groups that people can fall into.
Despite its popularity, though, there are still dis- eight traits in MBTI and how they interact.
putes on how accurate the personality types are.
Magen Rhoden, Psychology teacher, said
MBTI types are made up of four letters that she has heard of cognitive functions but does
each stand for a personality trait. These letters not know much about them. “I would definitely
denote how an individual socializes with others, look into [cognitive functions] when I get to
interacts with the world, processes information my personality unit with my psychology class,”
and makes decisions. For instance, an INFP Rhoden said.
would be an introvert, intuitive, feeler and pros-
pector. Regardless of whether or not MBTI is a
myth, it still remains widely used by this gen-
“I do think there are some stereotypes at- eration for entertainment and understanding of
tached to the MBTI types. [Not everyone] can themselves and the people around them.
fit into the tiny little boxes the quiz makes,”
Katie Russell, freshman, said. “It’s entertaining to take these tests, but I
really wouldn’t rely on it or say it’s super accu-
What muddles the authenticity of MBTI rate,” Rhoden said.

October 2022 Page 9: Featues

Bella Blends: a fusion of passion, loss, commitment

Bryce Kelley · Editor-in-Chief lemonade and popcorn by blending what they Courtesy of Bella Blends
Entrepreneurial sister duo Kenedi and Chloe call “local yummy goodness.” Unique flavors
Lowe have built their prosperous small busi- of lemonade such as “Purple Rain,” “Venom” Sisters Kenedi and Chloe Lowe putting in the work
ness, Bella Blends, from the ground up. and “Smacking Sensation” are the Lowe sis- with their self-made business Bella Blends.
The Lowe sisters started the lemonade and ters’ specialty along with popcorn flavors like
gourmet popcorn business as a tribute to their “Cookies and Cream,” “Banana Pudding” and rigorous course load at school while co-owning
late sister, Carrington Bella Grace Lowe. “Strawberry Cheesecake.” Bella Blends.
“When our sister passed away about eight
years ago it was a very hard time for us,” Kene- “We chose lemonade because lemons are “It can be hard to balance everything but in
di Lowe, junior, said. “Since our parents are sour. We took that sour experience and turned your downtime, you should always time man-
entrepreneurs this business has a double mean- it into sweet lemonade. Popcorn is something age what you are doing. While it can be chal-
ing to us.” we wanted to try and it developed to be really lenging, it is manageable,” Chloe Lowe said.
Bella Blends crafts their own flavors of good over the years,” said Chloe Lowe, seventh
grade. As Bella Blends continues to develop, the
Courtesy of Bella Blends Lowe sisters are seeing the impact they are able
Bella Blends offers consumers various unique flavors Since the start of Bella Blends, the Lowe sis- to make with their business through community
of both lemonade and popcorn. ters have had many doors opened to them. With outreach.
chances to sell their original blends of lemonade
and flavored popcorn around the community “We have become so much more under-
and ship their product nationally, Bella Blends standing on how we can change other people’s
is not done growing. Prominent people of the lives. This especially applies to kids, [we]
Tallahassee community, such as the mayor and encourage them to start their own businesses,”
school board, have also purchased from the
small business adding to their wealth of well-
known customers.

“We want to take Bella Blends as high as
it can go. Within the next two years, we want
to transfer it into stores and eventually a na-
tionwide business. Shark Tank is the end goal
because once you get in Shark Tank it is pretty
much up from there,” Kenedi Lowe said.

Starting Bella Blends at a young age helped
the two entrepreneurs to gain many real-world
skills such as time management, communi-
cation and creativity. Both Kenedi and Chloe
dance competitively and are involved in a

Dunkin’ reigns superior in the donut chains

Amelie Pelham · Co-Editor-in-Cheif and have a unique variety of flavor options. Photo By Vy Nguyen
Again with the sweetness though! We don’t Dunkin’ stays on top if the donut chains because of
Anyone who thinks that Dunkin’ doesn’t need our donuts to look and taste like someone their superior bites and brews.
have the best donuts is horribly wrong. dropped them in an ice cream parlor’s topping
bar. you could just suck on a lollipop and get the
I can hear it already, the horrified screaming same experience; whatever floats your boat.
of Krispy Kreme lovers and Donut Kingdom Don’t despair though, our savior is here: Dunkin’ is clearly the winner here, and anyone
stans. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Dunkin’. Not only are their donuts pure per- who disagrees is free to continue living in their
I’m just stating the cold hard facts. To prove my fection, but they also offer some good coffee false reality.
point, I have picked apart the flaws of each of brews. All of the people whining about how
these companies’ offerings to prove my point. Dunkin’ donuts are “too bready” have poor
taste: their old-fashioned donuts are dense yet
First of all, Krispy Kreme donuts are far too soft, melt-in-your-mouth creations that are just
sweet. I can understand liking them as a sev- sweet enough to be delicious without giving
en-year old who has not developed any sense of you a cavity. Don’t even get me started on how
taste, but in high school? Come on, their glazed delicious their pumpkin spice donuts are, only
donuts taste like you just stuck your head into available for a limited time in the fall. Some
a sugar bowl. Also, they are extremely greasy. other good options are their French crullers and
I understand that donuts are fried, and that any- sour cream varieties. When you get a Krispy
thing fried will have some grease, but you could Kreme donut, let’s be honest: you’re buying
literally take a shower under a fresh Krispy mostly air. However, you actually get your
Kreme donut. money’s worth with the more substantial donuts
from Dunkin’.
As for Donut Kingdom, well this newbie
has at least proved to be slightly better than Still not convinced? Fine. Keep eating your
Krispy Kreme, which I applaud them for. They Krispy Kreme or Donut Kingdom donuts. Or,
seem to put a little more effort into their donuts,

Chicken Wars: the battle for the best chicken sandwich

Madalyn Friemoth · Staff Writer Art By Nix Wimberly breading, almost more breading than actual
chicken. I bought the sandwich to have chick-
The “Chicken Wars” stemmed from a dis- the top two competitors for best chicken sand- en, not a bunch of bread crumbs. Clearly the
agreement between several chicken-serving fast wich. However, students have mixed reviews Popeyes chicken sandwich is worth skipping.
food chains over who makes the best chick- for the former chain. However, the small amount of sauce made up
en sandwiches. I went to try two of the most for a little bit of the dryness from the over-
recognizable chicken sandwiches to settle the “When I tried the Popeyes sandwich, it had whelming amount of fried breading.
argument. way too many crispies on it, like an excessive
amount,” Makayla Vail, sophomore, said. “Popeyes’ chicken sandwich is disgusting.
It's fair to say Popeyes and Chick-fil-A are Chick-fil-A definitely has the best chicken sand-
For me, the amount of hype that the Popeyes wich,” Makenzie Freeman, senior, said.
chicken sandwich had for a while did not match
up to the actual taste. There was too much According to www.chick-fil-a.com, the
Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich is unique because
they fry their chicken in high-quality peanut
oil. Although the type of oil they use is a large
factor, I don’t think that is the only reason for
their huge success. Their bread is sweet and lay-
ered with butter. They definitely have the best
seasoning in the bread crumbs surrounding the
piece of chicken on the sandwich too.

“Have you ever noticed the mile-long line at
Chick-fil-A compared to Popeyes, which always
has an empty parking lot? I think that says a lot
in the argument between Popeyes and Chick-
fil-A,” Vail said.

Chick-fil-A is an all-time favorite for stu-
dents at Florida High who crave a delicious
chicken sandwich for lunch. They don’t have
to be open on Sundays for them to get constant
business. Popeyes on the other hand, even
though they’re open all week, still doesn’t get
the same amount of customers coming to buy
their food as their competitor does. I think
I’m going to stick with the long-time favorite,
Chick-fil-A.

Page 10: Features October 2022

To start off our day, we Fall figured out:
stopped at Barnes and
Noble. Nothing says fall An autumn day itinerary
like a cozy trip to the
bookstore, and Barnes We are quite confident that we have
and Noble even has spe- figured out the perfect fall day. That’s
cial Halloween-themed right, we spent an entire Sunday run-
tables to pick from. ning around town and experiencing
all of the free fall activities that we
could think of. So, get ready to follow
along with us, and maybe we’ll help
you figure out what to do this autumn.

Story and photos by Amelie Pelham, Co-Editor-in-
Chief and Holly Majszak, Co-Editor-in-Chief.

Next, we headed over to the
mall which boasts a plethora
of autumnal options in var-
ious stores. Bath and Body
works is an iconic spot for
amazing fall scents.

After the bookstore, it was time to grab
a bite to eat. We settled on Panera, and
visited the new location that just opened on
Apalachee Parkway. Panera has lots of fall
options including pastries, soups, sand-
wiches and more. This cute bakery is the
perfect destination for a fall-themed day.

It wouldn’t be a trip to the mall without browsing How could we not stop at Starbucks? Starbucks has great sea-
the clothes; stores like Forever 21 have all of the sonal offerings like the Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino and Apple
fall must-haves like chunky sweaters, cargo pants, Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato (both pictured above). Coffee lover or
and, of course, awesome hats. not, Starbucks definitely has a fall option for everyone.

As our day came We visited the Pump-
to a close, we kin Patch at the Talla-
made a final stop hassee Heights United
at perhaps the most Methodist Church.
iconic fall stop: the
pumpkin patch.
This was definitely
the way to close
out our fall day; we
had so much fun
picking out pump-
kins and finishing
off our delicious
Starbucks drinks.

October 2022 Page 11: Sports

Dedication leads to inspirational recovery

Tre’vion Clark · Staff Writer “They have to be diligent Photo By Ashlyn Powell
and work upon the time
Most athletes' main goal is to play their Senior Jalon Carter returns to the field after missing
sport, go to college, do well in college and then frame.” his junior year season due to a knee injury.
go pro. An injury can put a halt to that dream in - David Walls
seconds. Absence due to injuries can range from
two or three games to an entire season. Harm on the body can also be harmful to
a person's mental state. Being out for a whole
Preparations can be a very important practice season can put a lot of doubts and pressure on a
for athletes struck by injury. Good preparation person's mind.
plays a big part in whether an athlete can even
play the sport again. “It was hard going to therapy everyday and
keeping going to practice, knowing I can’t
“Right now I'm doing a lot of stretching and play,” Carter said, “I got over it because of my
fundamental work,'' Jalon Carter, senior running teammates.”
back on the Florida High football team, said.
The goal of any and every athlete is to go
Carter missed all of last season due to a knee to college and then go pro, but with an injury,
injury. Harm to the knee, especially in football, college coaches are more likely not to recruit an
takes real time and care to recover. athlete. The injury could put a bad reputation on
their names and cause a significant decline in
David Walls, athletic trainer, is tasked with their college recruitment.
helping athletes recover and keep their heads in
the game so they come back as good or better
than before. Time and patience is Walls key to
an athlete's quick and healthy recovery.

“I just try to tell them it's going to take some
time,” Walls said.

Golf team learns to regrip clubs to benefit program, charity

Demi Robinson · Staff Writer

The golf team is learning about remaking
golf clubs this school year and it’s impacting
both the campus and golf team in a positive
way. This experience has provided the team a
chance to improve their performance as a team
and as individuals.

“Mr. Stinchfield brought up the idea of
remaking the golf clubs,’’ sophomore Keegan
Flury said.

The purpose behind this is to improve the
golf team’s focus on how clubs are built and
how the team can contribute to the community.

Photo By Keegan Flury

Members of the boys golf team learn how to regrip golf clubs to benefit the charity First Tee.

Photo By Keegan Flury “It’s kind of a combination of things. Being the support golf at the same time.
golf coach I think it’s important kids know how “One of the players’ parents got a partner-
equipment is made,’’ golf coach John Stinch-
field said. ship with First Tee where they take home clubs
and then refurbish them and give them to peo-
The focus on learning how clubs are made ple who need them,’’ Flury said.
helps the team learn more about how golf clubs
work. This benefits their playing abilities. The team has learned important lessons
through this project.
“They are loving it. I think they enjoy
understanding how to put grips on, understand- “We’ve always talked about in our team of
ing not to block the line, understanding swing making sure they give something back and so
weights,’’ Stinchfield said. this is the perfect vehicle to do that. You can
give back in a lot of different ways and this is
Refurbishing the golf clubs is a way for the the kind that meshes with what we do,’’ Stinch-
golf team to give back to the community and field said.

Refurbishing the golf clubs allows the team to learn
about how a club works as well as earn service hours.

Structure, uses of different golf clubs

Grip

Shaft

Head of Club

Page 12: Sports October 2022

FSHAA shuffles conferences, Florida High benefits

Sofia Brooks · Sports Editor Photo By Saumyaa Misra

This year the Florida High Varsity Football Offensive and defensive lines go head to head on a game-changing down in the Madison County versus
team moved down a conference because the
state directors were worried about the distinct Florida High game.
amount of classes in metropolitan and suburban
cities, so they decided to divide the conferences effort and are determined to have a victorious the pressure of how the outcome will turn out.
up.
season. Wyatt Crosby, junior, said, “There’s always
Anthony Robinson, Athletic Director, said,
“After the state relined the original district plan- Julius Harley, Defensive Coordinator, said, going to be some pressure because as each foot-
ning made it somewhat unbalanced, especially
with [our] high school having 600 students and “We have them lifting weights, conditioning, ball season passes, the standard always rises for
a team in our district has over 1700 students. It
doubles our school size and seems unfair while focusing on more technique and getting ready the team and program.”
also challenging.”
for whatever challenges we face. Our main goal With the state changing conferences for
It creates a new set of obstacles about who is to win districts for our home-field advantage high school football, the question remains if
the football team plays this season and might in playoffs.” other high school sports will be affected by the
give them a better chance of succeeding in the new conferences in the future.
State Championships. Metro cities have been Most of the teams we are going against this
winning for the past twenty years, demonstrat- year aren’t as challenging, but some players feel
ing the fierce competition faced by the team
each season. Nonetheless, Florida High benefits
from having private schools with tough football
teams that moved into one district.

“The benefit to our football team is that
metro cities like Chaminade-Madonna High
School have a more open range of enrollment or
admissions than our school does and they have
a strong football team,” Robinson said.

Players and coaches trained during the
summer and prepared before school started.
They worked on getting stronger and faster as
well as building their mentality. Despite this
new circumstance, our players are putting in the

FHS Impact players

Leading Tackler 7-0 Total Touchdowns

Christopher Cotton Rhyder Poppell
11.4 tackles per game 11 total touchdowns

Top Receiver Art By Holly Majszak Top Rusher
Statistics from MaxPreps
Brooks Hickman Micahi Danzy
49.0 yards per game 80.3 yards per game

Helmet advancements provide safety for players

Photo By Amelie Pelham Tre’vion Clark · Staff Writer chise history.
The revised policy has now hit college
The NFL has established a new rule for helmets to The 2022-23 NFL season has kicked off,
prevent CTE and other traumatic head injuries. and with a new season comes new policies and football. On Sept. 16 Florida State University
rule changes. After nine years, the NFL finally unveiled their new white helmets. Sometime
revised their one shell policy on helmets last in their season the University of Miami will
June. premiere their “Miami Nights” uniform, with
entirely new designs than their other uniforms.
The revised policy now lets teams use one
alternate helmet. Before teams would have to “The helmets not only provide safety, it also
wear the same helmet the entire season, no improves their swagger and self-esteem,” Clark
matter what. said. “It makes [the players] want to go harder
in that uniform.”
“It’s about time they did this, they should
have already done it,” Maurice Adams Jr., soph- First NFL, then college football - will high
omore football player for Florida High, said. school football be next? Many players on the
Florida High football team would like to change
The policy was placed for safety reasons. their helmets and uniforms a little.
The NFL didn’t want players wearing helmets
that wouldn’t be worn enough to familiarize “A black helmet with a spear in the middle
and comfort the player heads. Teams now have would be nice,” Adams Jr. said.
to go through strict helmet mandates for the
helmet to be worn in game. Purchasing new helmets can be expensive
for schools. Just one helmet can cost up to
Right now only 13 teams have taken ad- $400, and with the average number of players
vantage of the policy change, not even half the on a high school football team is 40-50 stu-
league. dents, it could potentially cost the school up to
$20,000.
“They’re stepping up their safety…some
helmets are not durable for players’ heads, and “As much money as we fundraise I think we
it can cause trauma like CTE [chronic traumatic should be good,” Adams Jr. said.
encephalopathy] ,” Jayvion Clark, junior player
for Florida High football, said. Though a little change in the policy gives
teams a chance to express themselves and their
Before teams were allowed to change hel- culture more, it’s somewhat of a safety hazard.
mets, it stopped them from also wearing many What’s most important to a team is its players
alternate uniforms. Now with the new helmets, and their health.
the team is bringing back throwback uniforms,
or uniforms that the team has worn in its fran- If not having new helmets will keep players
safe and healthy for the entire season, the team
will not get new helmets.