Issue III, March 2014Volume XIII A Student Publication

THE TIMBER CREEK TRIBUNE

CONTENT

VISIT OUR WEBSITEScan or visit http://tctribune.com/

Juniors Conary Ramos and Melinda Ramos work on building robot 5956B. PHOTO/ Donated

Course cuts cause chaosBrittany CraryPage Editor

Junior Kaitlyn Packard gives her support to the course cut petition. PHOTO/ Brittany Crary

Orange County recently notifi ed administration that a variety of courses would be cut for the 2014-2015 school year, allegedly due to their inability to follow Common Core standards. When the list was released, panic and disappointment settled in. As of Mar. 3, the courses that affected Timber Creek included Analytical Geometry and Trigonom-etry, Advanced Algebra with Financial Applications, Integrated Science, Genetics Honors, Forensics (Bio 2 Honors), Zoology, Medical Research, Creative Writing 1-4, Comprehensive Law Honors, African American Studies, and Peer Counseling 1-4. The list was subject to change as administrators from across the county negotiated with county per-sonnel. By Mar. 7, Creative Writing 1-4 and Peer Counseling 1-4 were reinstated. While losing electives took a school-wide toll, the class that caused the most uproar among the student body was Forensics, taught by Anna Stevens. “I love my forensics class. It’s 90 percent lab and

it’s one of the few classes that is purely hands-on,” said Stevens. Not only is the thought of not teaching Forensics a disappointment to Stevens, but it is also hard on stu-dents who were looking forward to taking the course next year. “I’m interested in Forensics. I really like

watching ‘Criminal Minds’ so I fi gured I would take the class,” said junior Kaitlyn Packard. To save the some of the classes, a student created a petition that has made its way through the school. While most teachers are putting their trust in the county to make the right decision, the petition has helped lift spirits. “I think that anytime students take action for any reason it’s a good thing,” said Stevens, “The Ameri-can Revolution didn’t happen because people sat on their rear ends.” The cuts are considered unfair by students as demonstrated by over 400 signatures on a paper pe-tition, and nearly 400 parents and concerned citizens who have signed of an online petition through mo-veon.org. “I don’t think it’s fair to cut courses because it helps with our career choice. Cutting them kind of sets us back for when we go off to college. Say I wanted to major in Medical Research, I go to college and the students that had the course available to them in high school and took it will be ahead of me,” said sopho-more Julianna Arabejo.

Students in Project Lead the Way have spent the past several months building and testing the robots that landed them a spot in the 2014 VEX Robotics World Championship in Anaheim, CA. They will compete against 400 teams from 29 countries. With only the top teams chosen from around the world, this is a huge accomplishment for these rookies. “I think it’s awesome. It’s the fi rst year they have competed in this competition and made it all the way too, which is rare. They worked every day till nine for this. They worked hard and I feel they deserved it,” said sponsor Jennifer Kane. For two months students have been busy putting the robots to the test with a total of four competitions. With every match video-taped, the competitions are a learning experi-ence, to see what improvements can be made.

Robotics team gears up for World Championship

To date, the robotics team has received three awards; a Judge’s Award, Excellence Award, and En-ergy Award. They have also qualifi ed for VEX Ro-botics State Championship, which led them to VEX Robotics World Championship. They are ranked 4th out of 159 teams in Florida. At the Battle of Brandon, the team’s third compe-tition, robot 5956A won the programming challenge, and 5956B won the Excellence Award, which is only presented to the best robotics team. With the World competition quickly approaching, the team is stepping up their game. “Right now it’s meeting after school every day, and doing practice runs, and making any last minute fi xes If necessary,” said senior Jesus Penaloza. The World Championship will be held Apr. 23-26. Seniors attending will miss prom, but they are a ded-icated group and think the sacrifi ce is worth it. “This is a stepping stone in to what we want to do when we get older,” said senior Austen DeGrenier.

Brittany CraryPage Editor

Comic by Tre Blodgett. Life Skills Staff Editorial on page 10

2 - Features4 - Academics5 - Sports6 - Spring Break Special8 - Brain Food9 - Entertainment10 - Opinion and Editorial

Features and Highlights 2

On Wednesday, Jan. 29, students and teachers participated in a school-wide Curriculum Day. Students who will continue their education at Timber Creek next year were able to discuss class choices for the 2014-2015 school year. While many students have a clear course progression for their classes in core subjects (such as English or math), those tracks often do not extend past sophomore or junior level classes. Then a variety of classes at different levels of rigor and areas of interest be-comes available. Picking these classes can be confusing or overwhelming. However, teachers believe students may already know what choices suit them best, even if they are nervous. By talking about their options in class, teachers gave students the peace of mind knowing they approved of their choices. Math teacher Philip Bradford said, “It reassures them of the decisions they’ve already made.” Some teachers discussed require-ments outside of their subject areas. Science teacher Minerva Rauback ex-plained not only course offerings to her students, but also class prerequisites, graduation requirements, and what it takes to receive a Scholar Diploma. “It seems as though I always get asked a lot if Chemistry is required,” said Rau-back. What seemed to be the most fre-quent questions were concerning Ad-vanced Placement (AP) classes. Ger-man instructor Christine Gildner felt that talking to her upper-level students

helped them make prudent choices re-garding whether they should contin-ue to the AP German class next year. “Knowing what they’re doing in the next year of German, that makes a big difference in their decision.” Students worked to balance their schedules and not overwhelm them-selves with advanced, high-rigor coursework. Gildner noted that some-times even high-performing students who are interested in continuing her program decide to not take the class due to the time-consuming nature of their other AP classes. Elective classes had the option of advertising their programs at A and B Lunch during Curriculum Day, hop-ing to recruit current freshmen, soph-omores, and juniors. Additionally, “Middle School Nights” for these pro-grams to advertise to incoming fresh-men from Avalon Middle School and Discovery Middle School were held on Jan. 28 and Feb. 4, respectively. “It’s more effective when parents are involved,” said art teacher Kathleen Shannon concerning recruiting incom-ing freshmen. Overall, teachers explained the power of communicating with other students. Gildner said that many of her first-year students have older siblings in the German program, and Shannon has often had students from her Sculpture classes continue on to her AP Portfolio courses. “Word of mouth and peer counseling is probably the greatest avenue students use to select their courses,” said Rau-back. Bradford added that “talk[ing] to their like-minded students about what they liked and disliked” would help students make wise course choices.

Talking it out: teachers sit down with students to make the grade

Annie MageeCopy Editor

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

EducationEnhancement

Metalworks

Surf Club

Teen Trendsetters&

Electronic Gaming

Teenage RepublicansRoller Hockey

Young Democrats

Musicians’ Alliance&

Pot Luck Club

Greeting Card Club

Wilderness Awareness

Garden for Change&

Beyond the Wall

A tribute to Timber Creek’s lost clubs Below is the life span of some of Timber Creek’s distinctive clubs from the years 2002 - 2012. To create a club, request a form and approval from Mrs. Hemann on which you state the purpose for the club, gather at least 10 students to sign it, find a

sponsor, and a meeting location and time. The Vice President of each club must attend a monthly Inter Club Council meeting.

While most people were receiving oversized bears and boxes of choco-late, 100 unsuspecting recipients were given “Serenade Grams” performed by the Silver Bells and Silver Gents throughout the day on Friday, Feb. 14. For the first time, both the Gents and Bells hosted a fundraiser where they sang 30 second clips of popular songs on Valentine’s Day. During the week leading up to Valentine’s Day students were able to purchase a Serenade Gram for three dollars, choose a song, and address it to anyone at school. The Silver Gents is an acapella sing-ing group that was originally started five years ago. After being inactive for the last two years, the group reformed. The Silver Gents divided themselves into smaller groups, based on their vo-cal ranges; together they had a jazz in-spired sound to them. They rehearsed for over a week and their song selec-tion were chosen through group dis-cussion. In the end they chose songs

people would recognize, such as: “Love on Top” by Beyonce and “Just the Way You Are,” by Bruno Mars. I’d describe us as organized chaos…when we calm down we create good music,” said senior Andy Novoa. The Silver Bells are an all-girl group comprised of students in choir. The singing group was initially started seven years ago. The Bells practiced two days a week, for about an hour each day and rehearsed four times in preparation for the fundraiser. “In-stead of writing down the songs and practicing that way, we were able to piece it together by ear and collaborate on the overall sound of the singing and work on it that way,” said senior Juli-anna Kolbrich. With almost 100 Serenade Grams purchased between the Gents and Bells, the Choir program has raised nearly 300 dollars. This money will go towards future concerts and the senior field trip at the end of the year. “Considering that it was our first year doing the Serenade Grams, wewere very happy and surprised with the results,” said junior Matthew Clet-to.

Serenade Grams woo on Valentine’s Day

The Silver Gents delivering a serenade gram during third period. PHOTO/ Tyler Andre-ala

Tyler AndrealaPage Editor

The first addition to the Waterford Lakes Town Center is Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant (CHWR). It is a complex lot, where there is a place to eat, shop, and taste wine. In 2005, Tim McEnery opened his first CHWR in Orland Park, Illinois, a south suburb of Chica-go. Its restaurant menu consists of all types of meals from burgers to salads to seafood. The price range of all items on the menu is from $6 - $30. It is expected to be opened before noon until 10:00 PM on most days. There is no in-formation on the CHWR or Waterford Lakes website about hours in this specific location.

The next addition to the Town Center is Fresh To Order (F2O). It originates in Atlanta, Geor-gia and is scattered throughout the state as well as in Tennessee. The restaurant was by Pierre Panos whose dream was to create an alternate experience to fast dining. F2O’s mission prom-ises serving fresh food in 10 minutes for under 10 dollars. Its menu showcases their “Amazing Panini Sandwiches” as well as their so-called “Long Plates,” which come with Wheat Berry Rice and a choice of meat. F20 also provides a catering menu and a gluten free menu.

Originally located in Atlanta, Georgia, Mar-low’s Tavern is the last addition to the plaza. The restaurant serves salads, sandwiches, and burgers. Its founder John Metz was shooting for a modern-tavern menu, truly for the aver-age American. Metz’s cofounder Thomas Di-Giorgio designed the restaurant so that it was modern, warm and welcoming. Expect to see Chicago-styled brick walls and black and white pictures spread across them.

Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant

New restaurants in Waterford Lakes Town Center

Fresh To Order Marlow’s Tavern

Scan to visit their website or type coopershawkwinery.com into your address bar

Scan to visit their website or type freshtoorder.com into your address bar

Scan to visit their website or type marlowstavern.com into your address bar

Teenagers constantly hear warnings about the dangers of reckless driving, especially in regards to drinking and driving. More often than not, teens merely disregard this message until someone closer to their own age has suffered the consequences, and shares their story. Juniors and seniors sat in the per-forming arts center during the Safe Driving assembly on Jan. 31 during first through third period, as a video displaying the average social problems teenagers face played across screens set up on stage. All scenarios ended with the worst possible consequences of reckless decisions.

Produced by Tom Guy of The Me-dia Guy Inc., the presentation is part of Guy’s mission to help young people be more aware of the problems they face and to handle them. Guy shows his videos, which combine images, mov-ie clips, discussions with celebrities, news, and popular music to address the core challenges facing the youth of today, across the U.S. to school aged students and youth groups. “I try to reach the emotional level of what kids are doing right now,” said Guy. The assembly concluded with a tes-timony about the dangers of reckless driving from former Timber Creek stu-dent Pranjal Dahiya, who has become

Pranjal Dahiya speaks about his accident and the consequences. PHOTO/ Lauren Trevino

Former student shares experience

Most students may find themselves unaware of the fact that one of their classmates may be homeless. Home-lessness is defined officially as “lack-ing a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” These students and families find shelter in motels, ho-tels, trailer parks, camping grounds, cars, parks, and other public spaces. According to the Orange County Pub-lic Schools McKinney-Vento Program, youths often become homeless due to loss of housing or economic hardships. These children may also be awaiting foster care placement. Even students housed with relatives or friends on a temporary basis are considered home-less. MVP is on a mission to rid homeless education seekers of the conflicts that they face when enrolling and attending school. MVP is an expanding service to these students qualifying as home-less under the McKinney-Vento Act (MVA). The act ensures that schools

across Orange County disseminate public notice of educational rights in schools. The educational rights of homeless students under MVA state that they can enroll and attend school no mat-ter where they live or how long they have lived there. Students who qualify as homeless are not to be denied the opportunity to attend school programs with children who are not homeless. Once officially designated as a home-less youth, s/he is provided free lunch-es and transportation to a school in their zone. Backpacks, school supplies, funding for specific required school materials, field trip money, emergency basic needs items (clothing, hygiene products etc.), and Lynx Bus Passes/ Gas Reimbursement Cards are given to these students. Other than the MVP organization, Timber Creek itself also provides help for its homeless students. Free break-fast and lunch are offered, along with bus transportation. The SAFE office and guidance counselors help coordi-nate food pick-up and delivery.

Tyanna GuzmanStaff Writer

Students homeless, not helpless

Lauren TrevinoFeatures Editor

a member of Guy’s organization. In 2012 Dahiya was severely injured in a car accident. “When [adults] go up there and talk, no one really listens to them because [students are] like, ‘Oh it’s a teacher,’” said Dahiya. “I can just relate to peo-ple because they’re two years young-er.” Afterwards, students were given the opportunity to ask Dahiya any ques-tions they may have had about his ex-perience. “It was really eye-opening and it makes you think about all the deci-sions you’re making,” said junior Me-gan Peterson. “I just want people to know that it can happen to them,” said Dahiya.

The Student Government Associa-tion (SGA) fundraises for the homeless around Thanksgiving and Christmas by organizing food baskets. BETA do-nated gifts around Christmas for them through Operation Santa Surprise. Clothes and accessories, as well as free formal attire for school dances, are provided through Key Club, located in room 560B. Every Wednesday, Orange Coun-ty's Burning Hearts Ministry provides baked goods for students to take with them as they leave school. The school’s food pantry, located within the cafete-ria in a room that was formerly the fac-ulty dining lounge, has had donations from the Primrose School at Avalon Park, Wemert Group/ Bridge Water, and Kavaliro. Service Learning students help to keep the food pantry stocked as well. Service Learning Academy Coordina-tor/teacher Wendy Doromal and her students work with the Health Care Center for the Homeless (HCCH). "We have food drives and clothing drives for the homeless," said Doromal. In Orange County, the homeless stu-dent count as of Dec. 12, 2013 was 5,101, an increase of 322 from a month

earlier. At Timber Creek 23 students are cod-ed as homeless, but that does not mean there are not more. Most of these teens spend their day at school and blend in. JoLynn Schall is on staff in the SAFE office and specializes in working with these students. "They inspire me because, despite their circumstances, they have a good attitude and want to do well in school," Schall said. One of these 23 coded homeless stu-dents spends her day facing the hard-ships of finding a job, doing everything on her own, and not having money. School has become more difficult in the three months she has been home-less. She finds it hard to focus and is constantly worried. "We have more obstacles to over-come," she said about herself and other homeless students. Through the school she has food and clothes. She currently lives with a friend due to problems in her previous household. With the help of schools and orga-nizations, homeless students can make the best out of being without a perma-nent home.

3 Features and Highlights

Academic Spotlight 4

With all of the required reading for courses, do students still fi nd time to read for pleasure? In a Feb. 2014 campus survey of 443 students of all grade levels, 324 stu-dents responded to the question “How often do you read for pleasure?” The responses were fairly balanced, with 35% reading monthly, 26% reading weekly, 23% reading daily, and 16% reading yearly. When asked if they enjoyed reading, the majority of respondents from each of the four grade levels said they liked to read. The highest percentage of stu-

dents who liked to read came from the juniors with a whopping 74%. So what happens in junior year that sparks stu-dents’ love for learning? Is junior year not the hardest academ-ic year after all? Why do juniors love to read? “I love being sucked into a new story with each book,” wrote junior Al-exander Gonzalez. The other grades were split relatively evenly when it came to who liked read-ing. 53% of freshmen love to throw themselves into books. “Reading is like eating breakfast. You have to do both to have a great day,” wrote freshman Joey Messer. 56% percent of sophomores said yes to loving reading. “It’s like television, but the TV is in my head,” wrote soph-

Reading for pleasure remains balancedTyanna GuzmanStaff Writer

omore Egypt Arnold. With senior year being the last year of high school, of all students, seniors read for pleasure the least. Maybe studying, jobs, and college planning take up all of the seniors’ extra time, but 52% of senior respondents said they liked to read for pleasure. “I love to read books because they stimulate the one part of my being that no other form of entertainment can, my imagination,” wrote senior Giovanni Rosado. When students were asked which genre of 45 presented they preferred, 60% chose mystery, and romance was the runner-up. Even though high school can be hec-tic, the survey showed that students of-ten set aside time for reading.

PROCRASTINATOR’S CORNER

Room 560D B-Lunch

Every Tuesday

Still need to register for classes?

Even if you didn’t get your registra-tion form signed, you can turn it in at the Guidance Offi ce and/or make an appointment with your counselor.

Sports and Athletics5

Since winning the Super Bowl Feb. 2, Lemuel Jeanpierre has become the most famous Timber Creek alumnus since the school opened in 2001. Jean-pierre, now an offensive lineman for the Seattle Seahawks, played defensive tackle under head football coach Jim Buckridge and earned 6A fi rst-team All-State honors. Jeanpierre was also a three-year start-er on the basketball team, but clear-ly his future was on the gridiron. He went on to play college football at the University of South Carolina where he played in 36 games at guard and center. After fi ve seasons as a South Caroli-

Trailblazers open door for gay teens

As support for gay rights grows, more and more athletes are opening up about their lifestyle. Last April, NBA player Jason Col-lins became the fi rst active male pro-fessional athlete to come out as gay publicly. On Feb. 23, Collins became the fi rst openly gay pro-athlete to sign a contract with a team when he signed a deal with the Brooklyn Nets. This May, NFL teams will have the opportunity to also make history by drafting Michael Sam. Sam, a consen-sus All-American defensive end for the University of Missouri, could be the fi rst openly gay professional football player ever. Of course there have been profession-al athletes that were gay, but none of them ever came out publicly while they played. Now, two from major sports like football and basketball have come out in less than just one calendar year. Even with all the support, there are some who do not think that the world is ready for openly gay athletes. When teams draft a player like Sam, they in-vite the circus to town: the media. But when a team drafts a defensive end in the 3rd or 4th round, they are not going to have put up with the media circus. They can focus on their job. NFL teams hate distractions, and unfortunately for Sam, his sexual preference is one. Many believe the media attention and scrutiny could affect Sam’s on-fi eld performance. At least that is what gen-eral managers are afraid of. Why draft someone who is in the spotlight with baggage when you could take someone just as good, operating completely un-der the radar?

Super Bowl Champ returns home

Regardless of gay or straight, Sam is too talented to not be drafted. And with regard to him being gay, he has some of the best intangibles. He works hard. He is tough. He is a leader by mouth and by action. He is extremely well spoken. He is a winner. He is exactly who the gay community needs in pro-fessional sports. With Sam and Collins paving the way for other gay athletes to come out, their impact on future generations is bound to be tremendous. Not only do they make kids think it is socially accept-able to be gay, they tell the gay com-munity that it’s okay to play sports. Sports like football, basketball, and baseball have had the reputation of be-ing for tough guys. Stereotypically, gay men do not play those sports. Now that gay children and gay adolescents will grow up watching openly gay athletes play these sports, it will encourage them to play them, too. And it will en-courage them to be truly who they are, while they play.

uting to their continued success. The team is led by head coach Timothy Beaman, the former JV coach. Despite the fact that it is only his fi rst year with the varsity team, he seems to be making an impact. “This year we’ve gotten along a lot better than in past years, and I think it’s because the coach has really installed a system of teamwork,” said DeCola. Though the team is strong, they still have some things to work on. “The team is pretty well rounded but we all need to work on our mental approach,” said sophomore Peyton Skurr. With the improvements they are ex-pecting to make, much of the team and coaching staff are confi dent in their abilities to bring home the title for the fourth straight year. “I think we have a really good opportunity to defend the championship,” said Beaman.

Baseball team strives for another title

Todd AkroydSports Editor

Todd AkroydSports Editor

Lauren TrevinoFeatures Editor

It is typical for records to be broken and history to be made in the world of sports, though generally the com-petitors are the ones to set the new and improved standards. The Timber Creek varsity baseball team is trying to defy the norm by plowing ahead in an attempt to win the district cham-pions title for the fourth straight year. “We like to say we play in an easy district but we have our challenges,” said senior Nicholas “Robby” DeCola. As reigning champs, the boys have started the season with a re-cord of 3-3, including two presea-son games, and a district record of 1-0. According to DeCola, the team dynamic is much better, contrib-

na Gamecock, Jeanpierre signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent. He ultimately made the Se-attle Seahawks practice squad in 2010 and was moved up onto their offi cial 53 man roster later that season before the playoffs. He made his fi rst career NFL start as center against the Cleveland Browns during the 2011 season. In 2013 he started three more games, against the Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts, and Houston Texans. In the same year, Jeanpierre and the Seahawks went 13-3 in the regular season, and went on to win the Super Bowl. Jeanpierre will occasionally come back to Orlando and workout during the offseason while also giving back to

his community. “I love Timber Creek and all the coaches and teachers I had there,” said Jeanpierre. “Every coach has a part in where I’m at today. Mrs. Hemann does too. That lady is one of my best friends.” Positive Behavior Support dean Col-leen Hemann was Jeanpierre’s “Wolf Mom” for his last three years of high school and still keeps in touch with him today. “He loves Timber Creek and all the kids. He comes back to give advice to the kids and talk about how his hard work has paid off,” said Hemann. Role model Jeanpierre may be an NFL player, but he is still the same humble, hardworking kid that walked these halls just nine years ago.

Michael Sam gets amped before the play.PHOTO/ Donated

Players practice batting the day before their next game. PHOTO/ Lauren Trevino

Mrs. Hemann and Lemuel Jeanpierre at a Seahawks practice. PHOTO/ Donated

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Spring into break in your own backyardIndie Movies at the Enzian

Watch cult classic and independent movies at The Enzian Theater in Mait-land while enjoying lunch or dinner from their full-menu restaurant.-Wednesday, Mar. 19: “Blair Witch Project” -Bring blankets and lawn chairs to watch this classic 90’s horror fl ick under the stars -Free Admission -7:30 PM -Rated R (for students 17 and older)-Sunday, Mar. 23: “Matilda” -$5.00 admission -Special Build-Your-Own Peanut Butter Sandwich menu ($5.00 per person) -12:00 PM -Rated PG

Universal Mardi Gras Concert Series

Celebrate Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando, complete with parades, New Orleans food, beads, and a star-studded concert lineup. All events are includ-ed with park admission.-Concerts begin at 8:00 PM-Friday, Mar. 21: A Great Big World-Monday, Mar. 22: Gavin DeGraw-Saturday, Mar. 29: Weezer

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Spring Fever hits OrlandoSring Break March 21 - March 30

6Rip tides, Mai Tais, and ‘Oh God, Whys?’

drug/alcohol-related offenses like DUIs) will revoke scholarships, sports privileges, or even expel students. Over 650 people were arrested in three weeks during high season in Panama City’s 2012 Spring Break. Often seen as “victimless crime,” the is-sue is more problematic than a 20-year-old drinking a margarita on the beach. Large groups of intoxicated young people are not only breeding grounds for fatal acci-dents like alcohol poisoning (especially in the Florida heat) or injuries, but also be-come targets for more disturbing crimes. Being intoxicated in an unfamiliar place makes people easy prey for assault, ab-duction, sexual violence, and even homicide. Spring Break can be fun as long as stu-dents act responsibly and safely. Be wary of excess drinking, travel in groups, keep emergency cash in your hotel safe, and think before meeting up with strangers, especially at hotels (yours or theirs). By sticking together, you protect yourself and your friends, while also making memories with your favorite people that will last you well longer than next semester’s stress.

2013. If those Spring Breakers were only college students, and not high schoolers, that would leave an average of around 175,000 underage partiers in a single Florida city. When a survey was conducted of female college students regarding Spring Break ac-tivities, more than half said they drank the entire day, and 40% drank until reaching un-consciousness. Binge drinking (even among students as young as 16) is widespread, and can lead to physical injury and even death. Falling from hotel balconies has long been a tragedy associated with drunken Spring Breakers. Just four years ago, the fatality of 19-year-old Christopher Grasso made na-tional news after being killed in his Daytona Beach hotel by falling from the fi fth fl oor. Autopsies revealed that he was highly intox-icated at the time of his death, despite being underage. His is only one of many examples of accidental death related to underage drinking that could have been prevented. Students can face severe repercussions from colleges for their actions during Spring Break “festivities.” Many colleges, upon learning about students’ arrests (es-pecially those concerning violent crimes or

By the time March rolls around, students across the country, both in high school and college, have had enough. The gener-al antsy feeling that another year is al-most over and winter is fi nally gone leaves America’s young people are ready to let off some steam. These so-called “Spring Breakers” head south to the Florida coast. Unfortunately, what starts off an ide-al island getaway does not always stay so peachy. In Spring Break hot-spots like Daytona, Cocoa, and Panama City beaches, crime rates and accidental deaths go up as the party rages on for an entire month. In the fi rst three weeks of March 2012, the Panama City Police Department an-swered over a whopping 6,500 ser-vice calls, over twice the usual rate. That same year, over 20,000 fake I.D.s were confi scated by underage individuals trying to purchase alcohol in Daytona Beach and Panama City alone. And if that number seems high, consider the estimated 350,000 students headed to Panama City in March

Annie MageeCopy Editor

Comic by Tre Blodgett

Key West: Located at the farthest point int he Florida Keys, Key West is the epitome of Old Florida. Here residents can visit historic Vic-torian homes, such as the famous Hemming House, the South-ernmost Point of the Continental United States, Duval Street, and the Mel Fisher Martime Museum, which showcases treasure

recovered from sunken ships. 8-9 Hours driving distance from Orlando.

Flights avaliable from Orlando International Airport.

Anna Maria Island: This Gulf Coast beach town has private bungalows and resorts located right on the water. The island is famous for its white powder sand beaches and warm water. Trolleys move visitors around the barrier island in true Old Florida style. In the spring, sea turtles also come onto shore and nest

on the sand dunes. 2:30 hours driving from Orlando.

Flights avaliable from Orlando Internation to nearby Sarasota, Florida.

Sandals, Sand, and Surf in the Sunshine State’s Best Watering Holes

Spring into break in your own backyard Epcot HGTV

Flower & Garden Festival Disney’s Epcot theme park is hosting their annual Flower & Garden Festival this spring, with countless activities for green thumbs all around. -Events include: -Gardening demonstrations -Cooking seminars with local and organic foods -Flower Power concert series -Featuring 1960s and 1970s musicians such as The Lovin’ Spoonful (Mar. 28- Mar. 30)

Blockbuster Movie Release

- Will be released Mar. 21-“Divergent”-Rated: PG-13-Director: Neil Burger-Starring: Shailene Woodley, Miles Teller, Kate Winslet, Ansel Elgort-Synopsis: In this dystopian society, Tris (Wood-ley) leaves her faction, Abnegation, and transfers to Dauntless where she questions herself, her society, and all she has grown up with.

Spring Fever hits OrlandoSring Break March 21 - March 30

7

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Key West: Located at the farthest point int he Florida Keys, Key West is the epitome of Old Florida. Here residents can visit historic Vic-torian homes, such as the famous Hemming House, the South-ernmost Point of the Continental United States, Duval Street, and the Mel Fisher Martime Museum, which showcases treasure

recovered from sunken ships. 8-9 Hours driving distance from Orlando.

Flights avaliable from Orlando International Airport.

Wekiwa Springs: One of Florida’s most famous freshwater springs, Wekiwa Springs offers nature-goers a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life, while taking a depature from the typical beach-bash vacation most Spring Breakers look for. For a small fee, visitors will be admitted to the park and able to use its amendities. Both a 13 mile hiking trail and an 8 mile horseback riding trail. For an additional fee, canoe rentals and campsites are avaliable for guests looking for a more

involved visit. 40 minutes driving from Orlando.

Daytona Beach: This Atlantic seaside playground has been a staple in Spring Break festivities for over 30 years. Countless resorts invite guests every spring to partake in surfi ng, swimming, and sun. Additionally, the iconic Daytona pier was renovated and reopened in 2010, providing a place for sunset-watchers and fi shermen alike. Take a ride on the colorful ferris wheel or have a cookout by the beach, all while enjoying a close-

to-home haven. 45 minutes driving from Orlando.

St. Augustine: Being the oldest continuously-populated city in North America, St. Augus-tine has plenty to offer in sight-seeing opportunities. Historical landmarks like the Castillo de San Marcos and Flagler College are equally balanced with seaside attractions like its famed beaches and lighthouse. Take a stroll down St. George Street for ice cream, art galleries, and fun novelty shops. For those looking for spooks and scares, there are many walking and trolley ghost tours that take visitors to some of the most infamous

cemeteries and horror sites in the city.

Anna Maria Island: This Gulf Coast beach town has private bungalows and resorts located right on the water. The island is famous for its white powder sand beaches and warm water. Trolleys move visitors around the barrier island in true Old Florida style. In the spring, sea turtles also come onto shore and nest

on the sand dunes. 2:30 hours driving from Orlando.

Flights avaliable from Orlando Internation to nearby Sarasota, Florida.

Sandals, Sand, and Surf in the Sunshine State’s Best Watering Holes

Break it Down

Brain Food 8

by Tre BlodgettGulf Cart Cops

Entertainment and Reviews9

September Girls is a book of beau-ty and life. Written by Bennett Madi-son, author of The Blonde of the Joke, brings a mix of lyrical writing, com-plex characterization, and wry humor to this young adult novel in which the intriguing magic of fairy tales is retold. Whisked away by his father to an un-usual beach town in the Outer Banks, Sam fi nds himself having the summer vacation most guys can only dream of. He is surrounded by beautiful blonde girls and, better yet, they all seem in-explicably attracted to him. However, Sam seems to notice that there is some-thing strange about those Girls. Strange things like they only wear fl ats because heels make their feet bleed. The Girls don’t even like the water. The strangest thing to Sam is that they all want something from him.

September Girls is a stunning novel about fi rst loves, oblivious parents, sib-ling rivalries, and secrets. This imagi-native and painfully honest book still kept me reading to the end. This is a rare and lovely novel that will rapidly capture reader’s attention. I think that this novel is exquisitely beautiful in wording. It is a haunting

Mysteries arise in September Girls

Tyanna GuzmanStaff Writer

work of magical realism. September Girls includes what most readers, in-cluding myself, love to read: drama, su-pernatural characters, surprises around every corner, and lingering secrets. This work of teen fi ction is among several other books by Madison. The average rating for this book, according to goodreads.com is 2.96 on a scale of one to fi ve. However, I highly disagree.

Rating: four out of fi ve stars: Sep-tember Girls is worthy of a four in my mind. With a “splash” of romance, teenage rebellion, and, what I love, dark humor. September Girls left me waiting for Madison’s next book.

Miyazaki delights viewers again Tyler AndrealaSection Editor

Behind the Scenes of ‘Once Upon a Mattress’

Tatum SwansonGuest Writer

“The Wind Rises” is a new animated fi lm from the acclaimed director Ha-yao Miyazaki, who created “Spirited Away” and “Howl’s Moving Castle.” The fi lm’s new-age style and subject matter give it a special charm. The movie follows the life of Jiro Horikoshi (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in-ventor of the Japanese Zero fi ghter plan used during World War II. The movie is adapted from a manga written by Miyazaki inspired by a short story with the same title by Tatsuo Hori. Young Jiro has grand dreams of fl y-ing an airplane. We follow Jiro through college, young adulthood, and court-ship as we learn more about his ev-er-growing passion for aviation, which is sparked when the Italian aviator Caproni appears in his dream. Sur-prised to see that a Japanese boy has the same dream as himself, Caproni shares his invention ideas with Jiro and has philosophical conversations with him. On his way to college Jiro meets a French girl named Naoko Satomi (Em-ily Blunt) who quotes a poem from Paul Valéry: “The wind is rising. We must try to live.” This quote is repeat-ed throughout the movie when wind is used to signal events to come. “The Wind Rises” has all of the tradi-tional Miyazaki trademarks that view-ers love so much, including zany facial expressions and memorable charac-ters. Falling into that category is the fl oppy-haired Mr. Kurokawa, (Martin Short) who is Jiro’s boss at his fi rst job. Kurokawa is a short tempered, vocal character who is also very loveable and serves as our main source of comedic relief. Unlike Miyazaki’s previous fi lms, this one uses historical events and people as its frame instead of fi ctional

characters and crazy, thought-up mon-sters. Mixed together with a very real-istic animation style, this movie has a seemingly real feeling despite the fact that it is after all animated. Setting is a huge player in this fi lm. Jiro is faced with the fact that Japan is ten or twenty years behind the rest of the world; they still use oxen to haul their aircraft out into the fi eld and make their planes out of wood. Despite progress in the creation of the airplane Japan needs, he knows that it will be used for war and dislikes this thought. With this in mind “The Wind Rises” has anti-war roots, but sticks to the journey of Jiro. His drive to create a beautiful aircraft is hindered by the wants and desires of his colleagues and countrymen. This is the real challenge that Jiro faces as he goes through trial and error to come up with the perfect aircraft, while trying to balance this with his personal life, he is caught in the middle. “The Wind Rises” is another mas-terpiece in the Miyazaki collection. Combining a clear and well-written story with beautiful presentation and a lovely French-inspired soundtrack, this tale of determination has you phasing through emotions as you cheer for Jiro to complete his life-long dream.

On the nights of Jan. 23, 24, and 25, the Timber Creek Thespians opened the curtains for a two hour comedic production titled Once Upon a Mat-tress, a parody of the classic tale The Princess and the Pea. Held in the Tim-ber Creek Performing Arts Center (PAC), the entire cast, crew, and direc-tors (seniors Chris Newton and Ruth Ann Spears) watched weeks’ worth of preparation unfold. The auditions for the production were held during the summer prior to the 2013-2014 school year. Students wishing to be placed in the Theatre Production class offered at the school were required to sing a 30 second ex-cerpt and perform a monologue. A month later, the class members were determined based on their vocal per-formance, relationship and interaction with other characters, and their ability to capture the image of the character. From then on, the cast wasted no time preparing for the show. “I think it was rehearsals because [I had to be] persistent and dedicated. [There were] lots of homework; you had to know your lines and be pre-pared,” said freshman Grace Murphy about the most diffi cult part of the production.

In Stagecraft, a class where students created the set for the production, stu-dents constructed the pastel-colored castle and throne used in the show. Some students involved in the show even brought in props from home. Ac-cording to Murphy, who played Prin-cess number 12, “We couldn’t touch [the set].” Eye-catching costumes worn by the cast were handmade by Dody Horn, faculty adviser Elizabeth Horn’s moth-er. The dresses were ankle lengths while then men’s ensembles correlated with the women’s attire. As opening night drew close, rehears-als grew longer. Two weeks prior, the cast stayed at school, rehearsing until six in the evening. They also rehearsed all class period and performed for el-ementary school classes. Since there were four separate performances, they had to divide the show times between two casts, A and B. Cast A performed Thursday and Saturday night, and Cast B performed Friday night and the Sat-urday matinee. Inevitably, when the curtain closed the fi nal night, the cast was proud of their performances. “After the fi rst performance,” said freshman Ally Hettanbach, “It was really fun considering it was my fi rst high school performance, and I got to make new friends. It was so fun working with them all to put on a great show.”

Break it Down

The cover to Bennett Madison’s novel, September Girls.

Rating:PG-13Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, John KrasinskiDirector: HayaoMiyazakiRotten Tomatoes: 88%

Moving out of a childhood home as a young adult can be exciting, enthrall-ing, nerve-wracking, and above all, harder than it looks. It does not take long for the dream of independence and freedom to turn into a huge pile of laundry in the corner of your apartment and nothing but Top Ramen in your stomach. The transition is often bumpy and full of pitfalls (usually ones that can cause more havoc that one would ever expect), but maybe there is some-thing that schools can do to help pre-vent this coming-of-age chaos. Timber Creek, and other public schools in the state, should require a class that teach-es students how to be successful in life, at home, and in the offi ce. Traditionally, high schools across America have offered courses like Home Economics (or the more “PC” Family and Consumer Sciences) where students were taught how to mend shirts, bake pies, and sometimes even balance their checkbooks. But the new generation needs a class that prepares them for life in the 21st century after they leave the comfort of their parents’ homes, and the school system has a re-sponsibility to do just that. Of 350 polled Timber Creek students, only 36% said they had completed a course relating to Life Skills, citing specifi c credentials like CPR certifi -cation or participation in local scout-ing troops. Instead of covering one or two abilities, Life Skills would offer a range of necessary (and often not real-ly considered) topics, from keeping a home to buying a car to knowing when and when not to open just one more credit card. Many students felt very confi dent in their abilities to maintain a home by themselves. A whopping 78% of stu-dents gave themselves a six or higher out of ten on the subject, with 38% giving themselves an eight or above. Some things seemed to be mastered by a majority of students, such as cooking a meal and doing laundry. But when daily tasks were broken down, many students did not feel con-fi dent with important responsibilities. 50% did not feel confi dent in changing a tire (31% gave themselves a one out

of fi ve) and 62% were uncomfortable completing household repairs. Perhaps the most important units in the course would be concerning the two of the biggest focuses in society: personal fi nancing and building a ca-reer. The National Housing Federation recently released a survey stating that 27% of adults have at least one of their adult children living with them. That is the highest percentage since 1996, longer than most high school students have been alive. And the cause? Two-thirds of these parents blame the high costs of living away from home. In a time of economic distress in America, it is more important than ever that young people learn how to man-age their money wisely and get (and keep) a sustainable job. Teachers will help shed light on topics like interview professionalism, offi ce expectations, and how to fi nd a position that allows for growth or builds a professional net-work. Here’s where most Timber Creek stu-dents seem to struggle. 56% were not comfortable in maintaining a checking account, 46% did not know how to write a resume, and over 82% were un-able to fi le their taxes. All these bench-marks are supposedly covered in vari-ous classes already required by Timber Creek for graduation, such as English and Economics, but are clearly not be-ing addressed completely. Some students chose to ignore these factors based on the fact that it is too late for them to learn. One student said, “I really don’t care, I’m a senior.” Others had their eyes opened the diffi -culties and challenges of living on their own. Senior Carlos Ramos said, “I would like to learn about how expen-sive life is when you live by yourself.” This is a real problem with our gen-eration and the next. Students heading off into the real world should know what it takes to be independent and be able to execute the tasks that are neces-sary when living alone. These are skills that can help young adults excel and succeed when life becomes a reality, an important reason why a course teach-ing these abilities should be included in the typical high school curriculum.

How to make it in America:What teenagers don’t know about life after home

MEET THE TIMBER CREEKTRIBUNE STAFF

Sponsor: Kimberly DobsonEditor-in-Chief: Reyna PerezCopy Editor: Annie MageeSection Editors: Todd Akroyd, Tyler Andreala, Brittany Crary, Lauren TrevinoWriters: Tyanna GuzmanGuest writer: Tatum SwansonCartoonist: Tre Blodgett

Opinion and Editorial 10

Opinion and Editorial11

Unaware of its medical benefi ts and blinded by the federal government’s view of right versus wrong, some consider marijuana a joke. Federal law still considers marijuana more dangerous than cocaine and metham-phetamine. The DEA classifi es it as a schedule 1 drug, signifying a belief that marijuana has no medicinal value

and can lead to potentially severe psy-chological or physical dependence. Unlike an array of other schedule 1 substances, cannabis has been ap-proved in 21 states and Washington D.C. for medicinal purposes. Two states, Washington and Colorado, have even gone as far as legalizing it for rec-reational use. On Friday, Jan. 24, a ballot that would

‘Green rush’ coming to the Sunshine State

Todd AkroydSection Editor

legalize medical marijuana in Florida gathered over one million signatures and will be presented to voters next fall. According to a Quinnipiac Univer-sity poll, 82% of Florida voters support the legal use marijuana for medical use by adults if prescribed by a doctor. By the end of 2014, the “Green Rush” currently sweeping across the west coast could be coming to Florida. More conservative Floridians against legalization might be nervous for the 2014 vote, but for the millions that have waited years for their medicine to become legal, the vote can’t come fast enough. “I hate that I can’t just get my med-icine legally,” says a Timber Creek graduate and current Full Sail student. “I think medical marijuana should have been legalized a long time ago. It works better than the prescription my doctors give me and it’s safer. I can’t overdose.” This alumnus with the neurological disorder epilepsy experiences sei-zures that can range from completely unnoticeable to stretches of relentless shaking. Many people are unaware of just how many conditions cannabis can

help treat. Marijuana has been known to help people with serious conditions like HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, can-cer, epilepsy, anorexia, Crohn’s Dis-ease, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, fi bromyalgia, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and Tourette’s syndrome. However, marijuana has also been used to treat lesser issues like nausea, anxiety, depression, mi-graine headaches, pain, insomnia, and arthritis. Clearly marijuana is a viable option for patients across the state, and Flor-ida would benefi t both medically and economically if voters say “yes.” By alleviating pain and painful symptoms, creating jobs, and fi lling vacant retail spaces with dispensaries, an infl ux of tax money will benefi t our state. The hope for legalization was once just a distant dream, but Floridians can now see legalization as a serious possibility. With the political push for marijuana over the last 10 years cre-ating a “Green Rush” that has fi nally touched Florida, it is no longer a ques-tion of if medical marijuana will be le-galized, but a question of when.

Every time my bus hits a bump in the road, passes a traffi c sign, or even turns a corner, I already have a scream built up in my throat. A scream that is ready to come out in the next school bus accident. On Sept. 18, my bus hit a metal sign at 7:09 in the morning on Avalon Park Boulevard. There were around 30 stu-dents on board. The side front window was shattered, showering glass on my peers and I. That day, three of us suffered minor concussions, a girl got glass in her eye, and a few of us had cuts from the shards of glass. We learned that the bus driver we had that day was a cancer patient. Every Tuesday she got chemotherapy. It was a Wednesday when we got into an accident, a day after her treatment. I’ve had trouble feeling safe on the

� e destruction of the bus accident on Alafaya Trail. PHOTO/ David Steinfeldt

Bus accidents affect student’s peace of mindAn Open Letter by Tyanna Guzman

school bus since then, and getting into another accident on my bus on Feb. 5 did not help. We were approaching Stoneybrook on South Alafaya Trail when a road machine working with a construction team in front of us gave the signal to pass him on the left. As we passed the machine it unex-pectedly swerved left on us. Metal bent loudly and, once again, we were show-ered with shattered glass. Some of us sobbed. I was halfway off my seat since we don’t wear seatbelts on the bus. I was taken to the hospital, suffering from a panic attack. After a long wait with no end in sight, some of the students just walked home since no one took charge. When I ride the bus every day I look out of the window, worried that at any moment we could be in another school

bus accident. I no longer feel safe on the bus during my commutes to and from school. I believe that buses should be better

and that we, as students, should be bet-ter taken care of.

Comic by Tre Blodgett

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