April 23, 2012

INSIDE

17410 Commerce Park Blvd. Tampa FL 33647Vol. 10, Issue 5

Revolutionfhs.com

7

revolutionfreedom high school

14

Global connection

It is the voice of Afghanistan. Leaving the books and paper at home and learning about a society through the eyes of those living in it, completely letting go of the world in which you live in and understand the social structure of a place where you’ve never been. It is called Global Nomads and thanks to this program students are able interact with girls from other countries and learn hands-on what is like in a day in the life of these students.

“Global Nomads is a group located in New York that gives students the oppor-tunity to talk to other students across the world,” senior and program participant Megan Doherty said. “For our group, spe-cifically, it is Afghanistan.”

This is the first year Freedom has been able to be a part of this enlightening pro-gram.

“I found out about this group [Global Nomads] a couple of years ago,” assistant principal Rosemary Owens said. “I signed up our school and they chose us towards

the beginning of the year.”This is not the first time Freedom has

been involved in conferences with people from a different part of the world.

“We have done worldwide conferences before. Some were a group of students who lived through the earthquake in Haiti, and another from Tunisia where students discussed their government,” Owens said. “This particular program is different in that the young girls are in an area that is diffi-cult to access.”

The Afghani girls attend Marafat School and range in similar ages as the girls here.

“We talk about anything and every-

thing,” Doherty said. “Our discussions range from ‘what do you like to do on the weekends?’, ‘what are your favorite hobbies?’ to talking about politics and the burning of the Quran and the regime of the Taliban.”

The program has done its job in allow-ing these students to better gain knowledge from each other.

“Their goal is to create dialogue be-tween students in different cities, different countries, and different states and all over the world,” Doherty said. “[It is to] under-stand different cultures and learn to accept diversity and everything that comes with

Global connection

that so that when you do go to those coun-tries you will know from a personal experi-ence the way life is there.”

The lesson of cultural experience isn’t just bound to the walls of Freedom; the girls in Afghanistan are learning that their depiction of America is very different.

“They thought America was just one ba-sic group of people,” social studies teacher Ambareeb Ameenuddin said. “They soon realized America is a melting pot of so many different people; we are diverse, and are just like them.”

As the number of conferences has in-creased, the discussions and topics have grown deeper. However, the girls still have their fun.

“We do a show-and-tell at each meet-ing; sometimes we show them a song or painting,” Doherty said. “One conference we decided to do a Zumba class for them. Mrs. Owens was quite the character.”

This combination of dance moves and Latin rhythm entertained the Afghani girls.

“We sent them the video and they

Students use video conferences to connect to Afghani girls

Kickin’ for a cause:

Cristina Cordovaentertainment editor

Emily Ballsports editor

Freedom defeats Wharton while raising money for cancer research

Scan me!

Starting a new tradition, Wharton and Freedom faced off in the first ever Wharton-Freedom Kickball Classic on March 23rd. After a riveting game of kickball, Freedom won 5-4, and left the softball field with a 3 foot golden cone trophy. However, to these schools the game was more than another chance to triumph against their rival; it was about giving back to the community. All of the proceeds from the game will go to the American Cancer Society.

“Whoever wins the game will get the check written in their schools name,” SGA member Daniella Smith said.

The Student Government Associations from both schools collaborated to organize the event. Alba Dogani was in charge of or-ganizing it on the Freedom side. Accord-ing to Dogani, 717 dollars have been raised just from ticket sales at Freedom alone.

“We wanted to use rivalries as a good thing instead of a bad thing,” Dogani said. “We all came together to raise money and

help.”SGA promoted the event by reinforcing

the rivalry to draw people out to the game. They put up posters around the school, ran a commercial on Patriot Primetime, and even got the teachers involved.

“Mrs. Feldman asked me if I would help out with it,” said English teacher and as-sistant soccer coach Charles Haueter said.

(Top left) Junior Ali Dioiia kicks the ball for Freedom. (Top right) The crowd of Freedom and Wharton supporters sits in the bleachers during the game. (Bottom right) The Patriots kickball team watches their teammates from the sidelines. They defeated Wharton with a final score of 5-4.

“She thought it would be a good cause for us to work with; something to help build up the rivalry between us and Wharton.”

Haueter was impressed by the event and the crowd.

“I thought it went very well. There were way more kids that showed up for atten-dance to watch than I thought would show

See Kickball/Page 13

J. Harris/revolution J. Harris/revolution

J. Harris/revolution

E. Winick/revolution

Students take advantage of two-wheeled transportation to get to school

Tennis teams eliminated early in districts after a tough season

Courtesy of Ambareen Ameenuddin

See Global Nomads/Page 2

news April 23, 20122

For the past few weeks students have been able to spot a camera roaming through the halls following one student around. This camera belongs to MTV’s Made and has been following around junior Sammy Almasri who is being made into a ‘ladies man’.

“I’m not a ladies’ man at school. I’m like stuck in the friend zone with everybody so I wanted to move forward in that,” Almasri said.

MTV’s Made selected Almasri when they came to Freedom to conduct interviews with students earlier this year.

“They called me that next week and said, ‘We want to move forward with you and do a preliminary filming’. They did that and came to school for three days,” Almasri said. “Then they just kept on calling me every month to keep me updated. Then in March they called me and said, ‘You are in episode mode’.”

MTV’s Made Field Producer Nate Hof is the camera man assigned to Almasri and is filming him for about 14 hours a day for six weeks.

“Sammy has got a lot of layers to him,” Hof said. “He is the first born of his family in this country. There [are] quite a bit of differences between where his family grew up and where he is growing up now. It is pretty fascinating.”

Hof films Almasri going through different obstacles.

“We give Sammy challenges where he has to step outside of his comfort zone and we watch how he triumphs through those challenges,” Hof said. “Sometimes there are challenges that just happen naturally at school on their own and sometimes they are challenges we involve his Made coach with.”

As part of these challenges Sammy has gone on seven dates in a week which Hof was there to film.

“I pick girls to ask out on dates and in the end I’m going to choose a prom date,” Almasri said.

The experience on Made had some learning experiences.

“I’ve learned that rejection is not so bad because I have been shot down twice by twice girls within an hour of each other,” Amasri said.

Almasri’s episode will be airing soon on MTV.

“Sammy’s episode is going to air around May 28th, but that can always be bumped up or back a little bit,” Hof said. “You will start seeing promos for it on MTV somewhere around the 23rd or 25th and certainly on MTV.com.”

>> Erin Winick

When the statistics come back on this school year’s progress, some things will appear pretty bleak. According to the Department of Education, district wide, there is a projected drop of 14.9 percent in graduation rate. However, this is not due to a large increase in failure or dropout rates. It is a result of changing the way the graduation rate is to be calculated.

L a s t y e a r ’s s t a t e w i d e graduation rate of an 80.1 percent, when recalculated, would be 70.6 percent.

The new graduation rate is implemented by the federal government.

“The requirement is to now go with the Uniform Federal Graduation Rate. That one only counts a standard diploma as a graduate,” Supervisor of Federal Program Evaluations Julie Mcleod said. “So a student who earns a special diploma, which are ESE students, they will not count as a graduate. Also if you earn a GED instead of a standard diploma, that does not count as a graduate.”

Guidance Department Head Carlos Diaz sees this change as connected to the waiving of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in Florida.

“A lot of people are calling for [NCLB] to come to an end now because if you aren’t going to fund an initiative and you are just going to throw some parameters out there and not going to give anybody money to get it done, a lot of people will rebel against it,” Diaz said.

The end of NCLB in Florida came after the state’s waiver was approved in January.

“The waiver is temporary until NCLB or Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is reauthorized,” Mcleod said. “We keep hoping that is going to happen soon but we have been waiting. It was supposed to be reauthorized in 2007 and we are still waiting. At this point it is probably going to be maybe

with a new president.”However, in calculating school grades

Florida will be using two graduation rates.“I know Florida is at least adding a different

graduation rate,” Mcleod said. “They are going to split the school grade now. Half the graduation rate is going to be the [Uniform Federal Graduation Rate] and the other half is going to be a five year graduation rate that does include special diplomas.”

Mcleod sees this as a compromise for Florida.

“Florida believes strongly, from what I can tell, in counting special diplomas as graduates,” Mcleod said. “This is kind of the best they can do and still meet the federal requirement.”

This stricter formula has gotten rid of some loop holes schools could exploit.

“There was a time when perhaps some people were trying to encourage students to get out [of day school] because they could still count them as a graduate. If I can get you out of day school it doesn’t ruin my

Recalculations, huge impactErin Winick

editor-in-chief

MTV Made at Freedom

day school grade and I can still count you as a graduate,” Diaz said. “This has kind of eliminated that scenario.”

Despite what the new lower numbers may appear to indicate, if all the graduation rates from the past four years are adjusted to this new federal calculation method, the state has actually been making positive progress. According to the Florida Department of Education, over the past four years the graduation rate has increased by 10.8 percent when calculated using the federal formula.

Diaz sees the change as more realistic because of some of the motivation behind NCLB being that schools need to be run more like a business.

“[Educators] can’t do that,” Diaz said. “We must educate everybody who walks through this door. Fireman can’t pick and choose who they are going to save. Neither can policeman. State workers are not a business and can’t be. You can’t judge us like a business.”

started laughing,” Ameenuddin said. “I don’t know if it was at us or with us but we did successfully show them what Ameri-can girls do.”

The program itself is free, yet joining

from page 1/ Global Nomads

New calculations, lower graduation rates

Global Nomads is 300 dollars. Once joined, membership is forever. Due to our life long membership, the hopes of this program be-coming a class may be an actuality.

“Next year this may be my first period

class,” Ameenuddin said. “This way we can do more countries and more confer-ences. Girls have already come up to me being interested in the program. I hope it succeeds.”

Students in the program now wish they would have done this sooner.

“If they had done this in previous years, I definitely would have liked to do it. I have done conferences at school, but nothing like this,” Doherty said. “To get an opportunity such us this has been incredible. How many kids can say that in school they talked to girls from the other side of the world?”

Global Nomads has benefited students greatly and they appreciate the lessons these have taught them.

“Something really important that I’ve learned from this experience is that I have always loved my family and cared about them. But hearing how people would break into their houses take their fathers and kill them just because they were teaching them how to read amazes me,” Doherty said. “That would never happen in America. Having people fight for that freedom, hav-ing a government that can defend us and listens to us and respects our rights as hu-mans, it makes me appreciate what I have, and love where I live. I never would have realized that if not for these conferences.”

Source FLDE

Scan Me!

revolution news 3

Fact or fiction?Whether the student body was prepared

or not, change has happened. Christopher Farkas stepped out of office and David Shep-pard has been in his place since February 20, 2012.

Some students have fears that accompa-ny the idea of a new leader for their school, and rumors of new rules have spread.

“Uniforms [and] changing our passing periods to four minutes were the two that I’ve heard,” senior Chloe Stokes said.

To put a stop to the paranoia and reas-sure the school, Sheppard held a senior assembly where he discussed any changes that he planned on making.

“The passing bell schedule will remain the same. There’s no need to change it,” Sheppard said.

While our passing periods remain the same, and the common nightmare of uni-forms is put to rest, Sheppard does have some things he’d like to alter.

“One of the things, though, I would like to change is the public perception,” Shep-pard said. “This is a great school that does great things but in the public perception it’s not as great as it could be.”

To make the public see the school differ-ently Stokes believes there has to be a few changes first.

“Unfortunately not many students have school spirit,” Stokes said. “I think if we improve our school spirit, it’ll help with the public view of us.”

Negative media coverage of our school is what is shown to the public who don’t go to the school or have a child who does. It’s a main source of information about the schools events and it can leave an impres-sion with the students and parents alike.

“They [parents] think that the school is dangerous and might be a threat to their

kids attending Freedom,” senior Jacob Klay said.

Though there are negative events there also a positive side to every story that isn’t always being told.

“We see stuff so much about the one day that one student tried to harm the school. We don’t see how our preventative systems worked and stopped it,” Sheppard said.

Sheppard hopes that after some time the attention will be taken away from the occasional mishaps of our school and will be redirected towards our successes.

“There will always be bad things. What

the community doesn’t see is good things happening,” Sheppard said. “Like the story about the Haas’s and how people donated. That’s the kind of stories happening every-day.”

Sheppard hopes that his experience at Wharton High School for 13 years will help him make the improvements he wants and to maintain what Farkas left.

“I watched the growing pains of Free-dom that Wharton has already experi-enced,” Sheppard said. “I’ve already been through some of the same things Freedom is going through.”

Jessica Guidrystaff writer

The truth about Sheppard’s new policies

New Bell schedulE

uniforms

New principal

Positive Public ViewScan Me!

staff writersRowan AllenMarc Berson Kelly Bonnville-SextonForrest CanadayJessi GuidryJonathan HarrisSamantha McCarrell

Staff ArtistRachel Gaynor

revolution

news editorAlex Ball

features editorBreana Pauline

centerspread editorBrandi Chmielewski

entertainmnent editorCristina Cordova

sports editorEmily Ball

AdviserAmanda McLean

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

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

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

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

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

editor-in-chiefErin Winick

opinion April 23, 20124

The Bad

The Ugly

Many groans were heard from student drivers after the placing of a new stop sign at the exit to the school parking lot onto Commerece Park Blvd. Many students have complained about the increased amount of time it takes to get out of the parking lot. However, is it really that bad? It may have taken a bit of getting used to and have slowed down the flow of traffic, but the truth is it would have to have been put there eventually.

A large bridge is being constructed that will soon carry large amounts of traffic and congestion straight in front of the school along Commerce. This seems like a reasonable place to put a stop sign. Students and teachers alike need to start getting accustomed to stopping at the end of the parking lot before more traffic and more risks are present when the new bridge opens.

As much as students complain about the sign, it is for our own safety and in the long run will be extremely beneficial to the student body. There have already been instances that it has made people look up and be aware of a dump truck or other contruction vehicle

At the end of the 3 pm bell it becomes a mad dash to the parking lot. Consisting of staff and student cars frantically fleeing for a spot in line on their way out of the overcrowded parking lot.

A mass of cars pile into a one way out lane. Not only are students and staff members on their way out, so are anxious parents trying to beat the line pile into the already crowded parking lot. A second stop sign just adds to the already growing traffic. When construction is not being used there is no need for the stop sign. It’s a right straight onto the correct side of the road.

The first stop sign is needed so parents can get into the car line but the second stop sign has no effect or purpose other than keeping you aware of dump trucks. Any defensive driver is smart enough to look right left then back right before entering a main road. Also, the stop line causes a build up of cars between the first stop sign and the current stop sign. This results in a blockage of the entrance to the car line, which begins a snowball effect resulting in complaining parents who try an find a way around the car line by filtering into the parking lot. When

PRO

CON

Stop sign prevents traffic congestion for

drivers

Stop sign is a traffic hazard in the parking lot

entering the road from the contruction site right after school ends.

In addition, the parents picking up their children out front of school will now have a much easier time pulling out onto Commerce. Now that the constant stream of cars exiting the student parking lot is forced to brake at the stop sign, parents have a simpler and more secure way to pull out from the school. This lessens the hassle on the parents, keeps them much more protected and saves them time. The gaps in traffic are more frequent and longer allowing a much more straight forward and simpler turn onto the road.

On top of that, remember that other stop sign at the end of the parking lot? Yeah, the one that almost everyone passed by as if it was not there. Maybe now that there is another one right after it people will actually pay attention to both of the signs. Stop signs are put in their place for a reason. If you do not abide by them you are completely responsible for putting yourself and others at risk. They do not mean to only stop if a policeman is sitting right in front of it watching and waiting to give you a ticket.

Erin Winick

Samantha McCarrell

Fresh Perspectives

Is the new stop sign in the parking lot helpful?

The Good

AP Tests com-ing up! Time to

prepare.

End of School Year coming soon

You said:

Like us on Facebook at Revolution Media Group

Savannah Berger, 9

Michael Keller, 10

opinion editorSamantha Seto

Its that time of year again.

FCAT time.

these extra parents come in, it causes extra people piling out of the slow moving line, all due to the new stop sign.

With an increase of traffic in the parking lot the likelihood of an accident skyrockets leaving all those in the parking lot unsafe.

Also another result has been an increase of tickets given to students leaving freedom and running the stop sign. Let’s be honest, how many students would stop at a sign that was not always there?

This puts people in danger when there is construction equipment present. So now instead of looking both ways, like any good driver would do, students and staffers alike would be more tempted to just blow through the stop sign because it is not needed.

Not only is it a waste of a stop, it encourages the construction company to work during busy hours on Commerce Boulevard. Big trucks and heavy equipment do not mix with teenagers in compact cars. Commerce is busy only 4 times a day. The construction workers should continue finishing the bridge between that time, eliminating a need for the stop sign.

“Yes, to all the stu-dents that drive but not to those who are reckless drivers.”

Danny Divilla, 12

“No, it just slows down the traffic.”

Krystalynn Gulczewski, 11

“Yes. It could, but I don’t drive yet.”

“No, nobody uses the stop sign in the student parking lot anyways.”

Juan Muñozfreshman

Chad Pearsassistant principal

Hunger Games

Musical

Kickball

Prom

Teachers Leaving

QA&

Monique Simpsonjunior

Imani Davissenior

Caitlin Powellsophomore

After Party

Great Day

Stupid

Kick the ball

Book Series

Awesome

Expensive

Sad

Sport

Movie

Fun

Lot of money

Kick

I don’t know

Want to Read

Very SadLike Movie

Fun

I’m not sure

Cool

Wish you the best

Glamorous

Exciting

In the past month some of my friends introduced me to their favorite show, BBC’s Sherlock. Favorite show is a bit of an understatement. They are insanely dedicated fans that are absolutely in love with the plots lines, the stars and every little aspect of the show. And now they have transformed me into one of them.

Whenever any friend of mine has introduced me to a book or show they love, I suddenly become their favorite person. They need to receive constant updates on every notion I have about every detail of the show.

I have received many texts interrogat ing me about a l l the thoughts I have regarding characters, actors and plot details. The texts often end with three to twenty exclamation points. The next day in-depth discussions about my favorite parts and overall impression of each episode occur. Their faces make pained and excited expressions as they try to suppress giving me any spoilers.

Sherlock was no exception to this. Instead of watching the show with me, my friends watched all of my facial expressions at the pivotal points of the first two episodes. If I had not liked the show it would have been like saying that their child was horridly hideous. Thank goodness it’s my new favorite show.

I have been on the other side of this as well. I have been the obsessive one telling people they just have to read The Hunger Games and then see the movie. These books took over my life in the few days it took me to read them and now whenever someone mentions they are thinking about reading them, I must to convince them to start them now. When I knew a crucial part of Catching Fire was coming up as my friend was reading at lunch I made her stop eating to get to the major twist.

I always enjoy getting into the same series or topic as a group of people. By growing the group of fans by spreading shows and books it makes the experience of watching it that much better.

You Have to Watch This

revolution opinion 5

Let’s be honest, it has been a hard time being a Freedom Patriots fan. Many sport seasons have ended in heartbreak, the basketball team can’t fill up half of the gym for games, and trying to get students to attend pep rallies is like pulling teeth. Students who enter from the bus ramp see “Patriot Pride, a new attitude” written above them but the pride seems to stop there. Even worse, Wharton has outnumbered us at every sports event we have played in this year, even at our home games. It is hard to inspire the freshman to have any school spirit when the only source is from Student Government.

It is no secret that successful athletic programs arouse school pride. At the core of every program is the football team. However, it has been an especially hard year for our football team as they only won three games all season and had hardly any fans. The team had all of the potential to make their mark in district 7A with players to watch such as Jon Economou, Kurt Schaller, and Deven Turner. Unfortunately, football is a team sport in which all of its players must work together to win. I believe new head coach Todd Donohoe will bring the much needed change.

Anyone who has had coach Donohoe for HOPE or Weight Training knows that you have to work for your grade; he is fair, but strict. Coming over from his assistant position at Armwood, I know Donohoe will bring discipline and teamwork to the team, something we desperately missed last year.

He is uprooting and reviving the program, trying to transform Freedom football from a team to a family and it is about time. As the teams 6th coach in 10 years I hope he will stop the revolving door of coaches and will receive the necessary support from the administration. Hopefully, he will inspire the rest of the school to realize that we are on the same team and we should act as a family. Donohoe has all of the potential and we are already seeing the action.

School Spirit Boost

Kony 2012: Just a fad?

The Way We See It

Of course, a simple publicity movement cannot fix the horrific circumstances. And it doesn’t help when people lose interest after only a month.

There are several possible reasons for the loss of interest in the Kony movement. One could be the Ugandan reaction to the video. Many were frustrated by the portrayal of the issue. They believed it simplified a very complex problem.

Then there was Jason Russel’s very public meltdown and subsequent arrest. The family blames reactive psychosis, but there’s no doubt the incident reflects badly on his campaign.

Or maybe it’s just teenage mindsets in general. Teenagers don’t tend to dwell on one thing very long. Maybe Kony was just another trend; something students could get excited over for a short while before moving on to something new.

Students do have the ability to make a difference in the world. But a lot more has to be done than just talking about an issue for a short while, then forgetting it. With Knoy 2012, that appears to be what has happened.

SomethingAppropriateErin Winick

You’re killing me, Smalls!

Emily Ball

Missed it

Jason Russell has organized a new force for as part of Kony 2012 to get attention to the issue of Joseph Kony. Kony is the founding leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army. He has abducted children from their homes and forcing them to be drafted into his army.

All over the world, people have been putting up newletters and posters, trying to get more people to support this important cause. There have been over 100 million views on YouTube for Kony 2012 Part 1. This major impact came when the video was first released. However, we haven’t heard much lately.

On April 20th, Invisible Children is hosting Cover the Night, a day of social activism for the Kony 2012 cause. When the Kony 2012 video first appeared, many students were excited to get involved in this day. But now that the day is drawing closer, interest has waned considerably.

From a global perspective, Kony 2012 has affected millions of people worldwide. According to the Kony 2012 website, people from 204 countries have pledged to help. The Invisible Children organization promotes equal human rights.

Food

R. Gaynor/revolution

features April 23, 20126

Nerd TalkBreana Pauline

I’m not going to prom.Crazy, right? I’m a senior, and I’m not

going to prom. It’s been a long process making the

decision, and it wasn’t an easy one to make. But I finally decided that there’s really no point in me spending an exorbitant amount of money on a night I’m not even going to enjoy.

I know most girls look forward to prom their whole life. But the whole thing’s just not my idea of a good time.

For one, I’ve never liked dances. I don’t think I’ve ever once been to a dance I’ve had a great time at. I get bored after the first hour, and then I spend the next three hanging around because I feel obligated to, not really enjoying myself anymore. It’s happened at every dance I’ve gone to, and it would happen at prom, no matter how “special” the night’s supposed to be.

And that’s another thing. Why is this one night so special anyway?

My mom saw on the news the other day a woman claiming prom was the second most important date in any girl’s life, next to her marriage. Excuse me, but I can think of plenty of days that will be more important to me than a high school dance. My high school and college graduations, for example. Or maybe the birth of my children. I understand that prom is important to a lot of people, but it’s not life-changing. It’s not going to make or break you. And to me, it’s not even important at all.

My mom didn’t go to her prom. She grew up in a household with a single mother and five kids, and my grandmother couldn’t afford prom. I asked her if she regrets not going. She doesn’t.

There’s this idea surrounding prom, that it’s supposed to be this magical night that you’ll remember and cherish for the rest of your life. And maybe that’s true for some people. But for others, it won’t be like that. I feel like I’m square with the latter group. If I went to prom, I might have fond memories of it down the road. But I’ll probably also think, what was the big deal?

When I think about prom in terms of it being a once-in-a-lifetime event, I regret my decision a little. But then I remember what prom really is. It’s a dance. That’s all it is. Just another dance, just like all the other dances I’ve been to and haven’t been impressed with.

All year, I haven’t been able to get myself excited for it. And I finally decided that there’s a reason for that.

My friends all want me to go, but they understand. I know they’ll have a great night. But I’ll have a great night, too. I’m not sure what I’ll do yet, but I’ll find something. Something that’s a little more enjoyable-and a lot less expensive-than prom night.

But to everyone going, have fun. It may not be my thing, but I know it’ll be a fantastic night for everyone that’s looking forward to it.

A night to (not) remember

Pursuit of perfectionDrill team brings positive atmosphereAlex Ball

news editor

In addition to learning about the mili-tary, ROTC members have the opportunity to join the drill team. This team performs in competitions outside of school hours.

The drill team started the year with humble beginnings. However with their positive atmosphere they fostered their new members into a drill team.

“We don’t have a lot of people try out for it so we just get what we get and we work with them and a lot of them they come in not knowing anything, and then leave ROTC knowing a lot more than they thought they would ever know,” sopho-more, commanding officer Alyssa Martin said.

To be successful on the drill team, preci-sion and practice is essential.

“You keep practicing and practicing un-til you get it right, and once you get that part right, then you move on and you mix it with the others who have got it down and you get a performance,” freshman Devyn Castro-Almeyda said.

The beginning of the year is reserved for training and splitting the teams.

“In the beginning of the school year we have a couple of weeks where we train

everybody together and we teach them the basics of marching and military knowl-edge; as the year progresses we split them up and that’s when the teams form up,” se-nior commanding officer Jonathan Morrow said.

The drill team is made of two parts, the armed and unarmed teams.

“The unarmed drill team is more like a step team but there is no dancing involved. Armed is the one with the rifles that you see spinning and doing all of the cool tricks,” Morrow said.

They work as a team during and after performances, they have high standards in regards to academics. Yet they are not alone, they developed a support system within the group.

“If you have F’s or D’s you’re on aca-demic probation, and if you have a C or below when you get your report card or progress report, we make them write a paragraph saying how they are going to fix it and they have to get it signed by their parent and they turn it into us,” Morrow said. “If somebody needs help with home-work we help them out.”

Their support group extends beyond the classroom and school.

“We stay after school and we talk about all of our problems together. If someone is feeling down we go out to the movies and

we go out to eat, and we throw parties, like we had a get together with some people af-ter the carwash, and we had a Christmas party and we invited a lot of people from ROTC,” Martin said.

As time went on, their bonds strength-ened and they moved past a support group and became friends. The friendship they achieved transcended to their performanc-es as well.

“It helps you have a lot of friends you get to know a lot of people it’s fun because you get to go and perform with a lot of peo-ple to show your talent,” Martin said.

The friendship and support doesn’t come free, it is a benefit of hard work and a little bit of cleaning.

“We have the cleanliness campaign, they do it at lunch, and just around school when you go from class to class you have to at least pick up one piece of trash, you can have a whole pile of trash,” Martin said. “You pick up that one piece of trash, and you’re hoping someone sees you and they follow right behind you and pick up a dif-ferent piece of trash.”

The drill team isn’t just a performing group but friends who support each other.

“We go and we hang out after school and go out places as a whole team,” Martin said. “We became more of a team, more of a family.”

Formal affairs:Brandi Chmielewski

centerspread editor

This year’s annual ROTC Military Ball was held on April 1st at Saddlebrook and took a lot of time, preparation and effort to set up. When the time came the dance was a hit and the ROTC students received an amazing and well deserved dance.

“The theme was a ‘Night in Paris’,” ju-nior Christian Walters said. “It ended up being a really fun night and I think every-one had a ball.”

Many other ROTC students enjoyed this night as a way to finally cut loose and have some fun after working so hard in their class. Having a lot of outside practices and meets, they really appreciated having

this time to enjoy with each other.“We all love ROTC and enjoy our time

in and outside the class,” Walters said. “But we all really appreciated having this time to just hang out with each other, other than just in ROTC.”

A lot of time and effort went into the process of making this an enjoyable event for all of the students. One of the people who put a lot of their time into planning this event was junior Katherine Brewer.

“I planned the event and it took a lot of time but it was worth it,” Brewer said. “I may be a little biased saying this, but I for one think that this was the best one yet.”

The effort was appreciated amongst the students who look forward to the event each year.

ROTC hosts military ball for students

“Brewer and all of the other people in-volved in the planning worked hard,” Wal-ters said. “I’m very appreciative of their work. It was a fun event and everyone en-joyed themselves.”

Seniors showed a lot of appreciation as well, that so much care was put into this night that they will remember in their high school memories as they leave ROTC.

Although the students were at a dance they did not let go of their ROTC spirit. Boys wore their uniforms to the dance, while the girls wore proper dresses.

“The main thing was to have fun with our ROTC friends who we spend so much time with,” Brewer said. “We definitely did that.”

Far left, ROTC on the dance floor at the Military ball. Left, students enjoy the dinner at the dance. The annual ball was held at Saddlebrook this year and had a “Night in Paris” theme. The dance was a fun night for those who at-tended.

Courtesy of Kierra Smith Courtesy of Kierra Smith

revolution features 7

Gearing up for the school dayStudents travel to and from school on their bicycles

There are many different ways for students to find their way to school in the morning. However, most students ride the bus or a car. The bike rack isn’t a place most students frequent. With only a handful of bikes left there each day, it’s clear that biking to school is a unique method of transporta-tion. There are a few, however, that choose to bike to and from school each day. The reasons behind their decision vary.

Freshman Trevor Mills rides his bike to school because it’s easier on his family.

“My mom is a lawyer, so she finds it trou-blesome to always bring me here because it’s out of her way,” Mills said. “I just do it be-cause I’m a good biker; I have a good range of stamina, and I can do it. We live pretty close, and it’s not too much trouble.”

Junior Margarita Zhakhovskaya likes to bike because she says it’s good for the environment.

“I don’t have to ride a car; I don’t have to waste money and oil,”Zhakhovskaya said.

Zhakhovskaya says another advantage to biking is the health benefits.

Freshman Jamal Burgos thinks riding his bike in the morning helps him prepare for the day.

“You’re not still sleeping. When you’re riding a bike, you’re waking up. But on the bus you’re still asleep,” Zhakhovskaya said.

Mills likes the freedom his bike gives him.

“I do like the fact that I can control what time I leave, control what time I go,” Mills said.

Breana Paulinefeatures editor

Junior Jonathan Jahn rides his bike be-cause it is convenient for his after-school job at Stonewood.

“I pretty much have to be there right after school, and it’s quicker, because I don’t have a car,” Jahn said.

His bike has been noticed at Stone-wood.

“My boss’s boss saw it in the back and he was wondering whose it was because he used to have one back in his day,” Jahn said.

Jahn’s bike is a Panama Jack bike. He says the model is probably about 20 to 30 years old. The bike was given to him by a family friend.

“We were visiting a friend of ours,” Jahn said. “He’s in his 80s; he’s actually a World War II veteran.”

He couldn’t use the bike due to heart problems, so he gave the bike to Jahn.

When I first got it, everyone was like ‘Wow, where’d you get that bike?’ and I was like ‘I got it for free,’” Jahn said. “In fact, I hear that it’s actually an antique, that they

actually don’t sell those anymore.”Jahn likes and dislikes some aspects of

biking to school every day. “I definitely like that it’s convenient,”

Jahn said. “I don’t like getting up and hav-ing to bike in the morning. That’s definitely not that fun.”

Mills has seen other disadvantages to biking to school. He says that kids some-times yell or throw things at him as he rides by.

“It’s somewhat scary because a lot of times it may [not] be just a blank threat. You never know if it’s real or not.”

Mills also recently had a bike stolen from the school.

“It was a really good bike, really impor-tant to me,” Mills said. “It’s kind of disap-pointing.”

Despite the flaws, all agreed that biking to school is an overall positive experience. Zhakhovskaya even uses her bike whenever she can.

“If I have to go somewhere and it’s near, I’m always riding.”

Left, Freshman Trevor Mills rides off on his bike after school. Right,Sophomore Myles Smith with his bike. Above, the bike rack. Biking is a unique for of transportation.

E.Winick/revolution

E.Winick/revolution

E.Winick/revolution

April 23, 2011 in-depth8

Cristina CordovaEntertainment Editor

By the second half of the year, school becomes redun-

dant. It’s the same schedule, with the same teachers, and the

same impatient peers that just want the year to end. Yet after a series of un-

fortunate events the likelihood that you end school with the same cheerful teacher as in the beginning is slim.

Coaches, administrators and teachers have all left during the year for many dif-ferent reasons.

Social studies teacher Derek McCoy is one of these brand new teachers at Free-dom temporarily replacing Melissa Haas’ American Government and Sociology classes for the remainder of the year.

“I graduated from Freedom and be-gan coaching E sports in the area,” McCoy said. “When I looked on the school web-site I found an opening and sent in my ré-sumé.”

What sets him apart from the other new instructors is that McCoy graduated from Freedom High school in the class of 2005.

“It is cool but weird being on the other side,” McCoy said. “I had Mr. Leitzke, Mr. Burns, and Mrs. Carr all my senior year.”

Though only being a patriot for his se-nior year in high school McCoy is excited to be back.

“The entire social studies department is helpful and energetic,” McCoy said. “They gave my advice on the diversity in the classroom, looking at different ways at teaching, giving me lesson ideas and tips.”

Help from fellow teachers has really paid off in the classroom.

“Mr. McCoy is really chill, and a lenient

New teaching spots filled with valuable candidates

teacher,” senior Jessica Alexander said. “Yet he still understands that we need to learn, it’s nice to have such a good teacher when we went so long with just substitutes.”

Aside from being a first year teacher, the idea of starting mid-year also poses a challenge.

“Students get long-term subs and end up doing nothing academic,” McCoy said. “It is a drastic change from doing nothing

to doing a lot in order to keep up with the academic schedule to pass the end of the year exam.”

Not all teachers at Freedom are new educators, some are just new patriots.

“I taught at Strawberry Crest for awhile,” English teacher Bradley Jefferson said. “I also taught at a university in China called Pei Zheng for two and a half years, now I am excited to be at Freedom.”

Both students and teachers have differ-ing opinions about leaving such an estab-lishment.

“People do what is best for them,” Jef-ferson said. “You can’t judge someone for leaving, it is a difficult decision to make and you never know what might have hap-pened.”

Students see teachers leaving as more of an abandonment.

“Depending on the situation it is fine,” Alexander said. ”In some cases it is selfish for he teacher leaving us on the path to fail-ure.”

As a new teacher McCoy brings a fresh to perspective to academics comparing it to athletics.

“A teacher is like a coach,” McCoy said. “And the coach isn’t going to let his play-ers [the students] sit on the sidelines during practice so that they fail during the game.”

Not only does McCoy intend to change the classroom academically but he also plans to change it physically.

“If it was my choice I would have more desks facing each other in order to encour-age discussion,” McCoy said. “I would also add more posters and music that relate to the students more.”

One of the newest educators that have joined the Patriot staff is College and Career Counselor, Natalie Papagionnopoulos.

“I really like it here, it’s my first year out of college,” Papagionnopoulos said. “The school is beautiful and the students are re-ally friendly.”

Starting midyear has its benefits to some.

“I made it so students can come into my office at any time now,” Papagionnopoulos said. “Also I am very resourceful; I know different services and like to help people so this is the perfect job.”

All and all the new teachers are bring-ing a positive attitude to the hallways of freedom.

“I want to encourage the students to speak their opinions, “McCoy said. “I am excited to get to know them and learn better ways to relate to them through my teaching career.”

You can’t judge,

someone for . Bradley Jefferson

revolution 9in-depth

Samantha Mccarrell Staff Writer

Students lack direction due to absence of teachers

As a student it is assumed that the teacher directing the course is going to continually be present throughout the entire year. Though, that is not always the case, as seen in the 2011- 2012 school year. After the teacher leaves, no one looks at how it will affect the 150 students that become abandoned before the year is even up.

“When a teacher leaves in the middle of the school year, It’s just a waste to kids educations”, Freshman Jordan Herd said.

For students it is a rough transition to a new teacher into a class that they’ve already been enrolled in, but some-times it is a much needed leave of absence. Principal David Sheppard suggests that teachers who are continuously ab-sent and are not of aid of students are more likely to find themselves fit in another job rather than in a school set-ting.

“Sometimes it’s a good thing, if a teacher is not helping students, then we can get someone in there who is better suited for the job.” Sheppard said.

The transition may be a much needed one but it is not always easy for the students regardless of the circum-stance.

“It’s hard to trust [new teachers] at first”, sophomore Katie Byrum said, “ It’s like getting to know a whole new person”

Samantha McCarrell Staff writer

Byrum describes how it was hard for her to go from her familiar TV Production teacher to a com-pletely different teacher, with harder work ethics.

“I was sad and upset because he was a really cool teacher and I was afraid for what the new teacher coming in would be like”, Byrum said.

Sheppard shares that in the year 2012 only 5 teachers have left on record. This is not a surprising number and is actually fairly normal for a school of our size.

“[The amount of teachers] leaving is about right, out of 120 teachers total that’s about a 4 or 5 percent loss.” Sheppard said,” Not much, considering.”

Staff member leaving may be a thing of normal-ity in some settings; but for school settings there is still an adjustment that needs to be made when teachers desert their positions.

“It’s disappointing that you plan for them to be here and you give them a class that you think they will be best at teaching, then you have to make an adjustment in finding someone else that will be just as qualified,” Sheppard said.

Teachers leave for a number of reasons and some even come back, but no matter the circum-stance it is a struggle that teachers, students and staff members have to deal with in a quick and assertive manner.

R. Gaynor/ Revolution

10 entertainment April 23, 2012

Top: Members of the Legally Blonde crew dance to bend and stap. This is just one of the numerous dance numbers to be performed in the play.Right: Students go over lines with each other. Drama has been working hard to perfect the famous production.

Legally ExcitingKelly Bonnville-Sexton

staff writer

Its springtime again and you know what that means, it’s time for the annual spring musical. Every year the drama de-partment puts on a musical around this time and this year is no disappointment. The production chosen for this year is Le-gally Blonde: The Musical.

“I’m glad Holden chose Legally Blonde,” junior Leah Brown said. “I like it because almost everyone knows what it is and it has fast paced songs so it isn’t boring.”

The student body was able to preview a piece of the show in the courtyard after school on Friday, April 13 when the cast of the show performed Bend and Snap to promote the musical. They were all also wearing their shirts displaying the logo for the musical in order to promote ticket sales.

Since the musical is one most people are at least slightly familiar with, many stu-dents are excited to see the outcome.

“I’m really excited to see how it’s going

to be different from the movie,” senior Chelsea Singleton said. “I can’t wait to go see it.”

The cast is also excited to see

all their hard work coming together.“Rehearsals have been rough but fun

and we have got a lot done,” Brown said. “I’m really excited about the musical. I think it’s going to be really great and that everyone is going to shine on stage.”

The drama department has been hard at work prepar-ing in the auidtorium for their performances.

“We have been practic-ing almost every day after school,” junior Emily Ander-son said. “We’ve been practic-ing at home, and going through our songs. We have even been review-ing things on Youtube going through our songs and all that.”

Anderson, as the main lead, was very enthusiastic about receiving the roll of Elle, especially after only being at Freedom for a short amount of time.

“I love it. I’m so happy I got the part of Elle,” Anderson said. “I’m still in shock a little bit because I just moved here, and

then I was on Homecoming Court, and then I got the musical and everything is so, like, wow. I’m grateful though.”

They performed the show Legally Blonde: The Musical on Wednesday, Thurs-day, and Friday April 18-20 at 7 PM in the Freedom auditorium.

Leads performed Wednesday and Fri-day and understudies performed on Thurs-day and at the showings for Liberty Middle School.

Cast and crew work to present well known musical in a positive way

Everyone is going to shine on stage. Leah Brown, 11

revolution entertainment 11

Marc Bersonstaff writer

Within the last few years, smartphones have become more prominent in society. According to Project Tomor-row, nearly 50% of high schoolers own a smart phone of some sort.

Sophomore Joanna Ma is one of the many students now carrying around an iPhone, a popular smartphone.

“My phone has benefited me because it’s more con-venient and you can do more stuff on it than on regular phones,” Ma said.

Smartphones’ have a variety of uses that you are unable to access on a lesser enhanced phone. This includes email, web browsing, and GPS. Many of these features allow people to increase their productivity.

“I mainly use my phone to send text messages, check Facebook, and catch up on the daily news,” Junior Patrick Bliven owner of an iPhone 4s said. “I also use my phone to study flashcards and do research for assignments while in class.”

One of the main perks of buying a smartphone is the apps that you can download on it. They range from classic games like checkers, to weather apps. You can even watch your favorite television shows or movies.

Though some have come to rely greatly on their smart-phones, others feel that not having a smartphone really isn’t a big deal.

“I would be very angry if I lost my smartphone or if it was stolen,” Sophomore Isaac Cress said. “But if I didn’t have a smartphone I would be more productive with my free time because now I just play games and browse the internet on my phone.”

One of the negative aspects of buying a smartphone is the price. If you head to a Verizon wireless store, it will cost you $199.99 for a 16 GB iPhone 4s, not including calling fees, texting or data plans.

“I don’t have a smartphone, but I believe there are many capabilities on a smartphone that my phone doesn’t have and smartphones can make things a lot easier,” Freshman Dalton Smith said.

Cress thinks Smartphones seem to have many benefits but they definitely aren’t a necessity.

“I would easily be able to live without a smartphone and

Round 1 OS AndroidWith the newest Android operating system is Android

4.0 (Ice cream sandwich). With Ice cream sandwich Google adds new features

while keeping their extreme flexibility. Face Unlock allows the user to unlock their phone with a simple smile. Android beam uses Near Field Communication to be able to pay from your phone.

Ice cream sandwich allows for its continued flexibility and customizable options. Android’s integrated notification bar allows for a central spot for all of your notifications.

iPhoneiOS 5 is apple’s newest revolutionary operating system

boasting Siri your all seeing personal assistant, and launch-ing the camera from the lock screen.

Apple is the champion of simplicity and uniformity throughout its apps and devices. iOS 5 also includes iCloud which enhances is device transparency.

If you can use an iPhone you can use an iPad and an iPod, you can also take a picture on your iPod and it shows up on you iPad, iPhone and Macbook.

Winner: AndroidAndroid gains one point with its power and flexibility.

Round 2 CameraAndroidThe cameras on multiple android devices have made top

marks some with 3D cameras. Though you never know what you’re going to get with

each device. With Ice cream Sandwich new effects and shar-ing options are also available.

Android wins with the megapixel race, surpassing

iPhone with upwards of eight megapixels.IphoneThe acronym is HDR (high dynamic range), that is one

of the best features about the iPhone 4s’s camera. Apple includes this multi level exposure to its already

amazing iShight Camera.Winner: iPhone,In this fight its Picture quality over megapixels one.

point iPhone

Round 3 hardwareAndroidTrue 4G LTE (long term evolution) requires a 4G LTE

chip installed in the phone. Not an update. True 4G speeds are 10 time faster than 3g speeds. An-

droid has multiple 4G devices on multiple networks.Android devices such as the Droid Razr Maxx boast an

4.3 in display. The droid Razr Mazz also has super strong gorilla glass

and a Kevlar backing.AppleHow many iPhone do you see that aren’t cracked, shat-

tered or in an Otterbox? I think it is a fault to make an entire phone out of glass.

Although this has led to some pretty cool accessories, it is like using a ticking time bomb.

One major worm in apple’s iPhone is they didn’t include a true 4G LTE card in their phone, despite the update that says you magically received 4G.

Winner: Android, Android tops Apple with super, strong phones and 4G LTE

Final winner: It seems like there is a bad apple in the bunch, Android wins two to one.

News editor Alex Ball reviews the pros and cons of purchasing either an Iphone or a Droid

Students state their opinions on how necessary smartphones are to themDroid rage

entertainment April 23, 201212

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

21 Jump Street

This year at the school’s annual talent show students came out in numbers to showcase their skills. With a wide range of acts being performed, student inspiration came from a variety sources.

Senior Trisha Carman reveals that she was inspired by her significant other to write an original song.

“I played piano and sang a song that I wrote” Carman said,“It’s actually about my boyfriend, its not so much a love song though, it’s more about how his parents pushed him so hard to do the right thing. Its more about what you do for other people that makes you who you are”

Carman later went on to win the award for best solo song in the competition. Senior Lilly Friedman admits to having some difficulties choosing what song to perform.

“I sang You and I with my best friend Kelly Wilkerson and she played the ukulele,” Friedman said. “We had 3 different songs and we chose which one to do right before the audition.”

Out of all types of genera Friedman explains which one inspired her deciscion to choose the song the duo performed.

“We love folk type music so we decided that [You and I] would be the best choice,” Friedman said. “I’m glad obviously because we won [best group], which is awesome,” Friedman said.

Although the talent show has come and gone, the contestants will forever remain a piece of high school history.

>> Forrest Canadayattend

Talent show

S E E I T S K I P I TS E E I T S K I P I TS E E I T S K I P I T S E E I T S K I P I TS E E I T S K I P I TS E E I T S K I P I TS E E I T S K I P I TS E E I T S K I P I TS E E I T S K I P I TS E E I T S K I P I T S E E I T S K I P I T

If you almost peed yourself by laughing during the Hangover then you will have to wear a diaper to see 21 Jumpstreet.

Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are cops that go undercover as high school students to infiltrate and stop the distribution of a new synthetic drug called FRS through the high school.

Schmidt was the werid dork in high school while Jenko was the cool, athletic, popular kid.

Although they were enemies in high school, they become best friends in the police academy since they are able to help each other pass through the academy.

This hilarious spin off of the 1980’s television series 21 Jump Street brilliantly weaves together typical high school sterotypes with the new, diverse cliques of today, resulting in the clash of generations and an amusing backdrop.

This movie also contains a plethora of well-known actors playing minor roles including: Ice Cube, Ellie Kemper , Chris Parnell and Johnny Depp making a cameo appearance.

I would recommend that anyone who likes a good laugh to see this movie; however, I would also advise that you do not see this movie with your parents or little siblings as it contains crude and graphic humor.

21 Jumpstreet is a hysterical hybrid of “Mean Girls” and “The Hangover”.

>>Emly Ballwatch

The LoraxSEE IT-This movie brings back some great memories and is a cool update of the original story.-Erin Winick

The Hunger Games SEE IT-The intense action will leave you starving for more.-Emily Ball

The Three StoogesSKIP IT-The whole movie is them making third grade jokes and laughing like drunk-end men.-Samantha McCarrell

Titanic 3D SEE IT - Love, water crash-ing down corri-dors, people get-ting punched in the face, and social classes fighting for survival. Oh, and there’s a giant diamond...- Ms. McLean

revolution sports 13

Nadine AbukhaledBeatrice AdelufosiHector AgostoSandra AkachuwuAdam AlbadawiZachary AlgerTianah AllenTyphani AllenSammy AlmasriTyler AlvarezAndrew AndrolewiczAuveed ArshadiAaron AschJude BahloulCody BakerMeredith BakerEmily BallJacob Balmaseda Roktim BarkakatiDavid BarkerElizabeth BarnesMatthew BedoskyEmily Nahrman Shedrick BellamyMarc BersonCassandra Bitar Sara BlaylockSean Patrick BlivenMarina BojorquezKelly Bonnville-Sexton Brooke BoylanBrian BrennerRaychel BriggsJanecia BrittMichael BittinghamMartin BrouillardDaicia Brown Dillon BrowneLacey BuchananMatthew ByramAlexandra CamposPatrick CarrShelby CarrLindsey CarollCristina CarterAmanda CentenoNicholas CerilloAmy ChangAmanda ChaplinNikhil ChariHeather ChaudrySavanna Chavez Allison CheungAlexander ChinNicholas ChinGuillermo ChinchillaKatie ChmielewskiSarah ChoiAlex ColemanCristina CordovaHannah CortelliSuzanna CrochetAspen Croushorn

Sarah DacostaRadhika DangMatthew D’AngeloEmma DanielAlyssa DanielloLindsay DarbyMeghan DarbyTaylor DarrahGabrielle Deal Nicole DenicolaVictoria DiPierroAlbana DoganiMegan DohertyRomina DrazhiTyler DugaNevedha DuraimuruganBrian EarnestJane EnnisEvan EricksonBrittney Falcon Jordan FisherCrystal FlemingLogan FreedmanLauren GandyKarla GaonaCorey GassawayKailey GayMichelle GaynorAllison GilesBita GorgzadehOlivia GrabowskiMarina GrampietroDavid GreenbergKathryn GreshamBenjamin GriffinAlec GrubbsBryan GrubbsNicholas GuggemosElizabeth GuidryJessica GuidrySamantha GutmanCharlotte HamiltonCaitlin HarperRukshana HasanTrinity HeimerDiego HernandezSara HillAmber HodgeMichael HoganBenecia HolderSebastian HollandChelsea HoweKeith HufstetlerShannon HurleyEmily IlerKristi IlievaJennifer IrizarryTania IvanovaChristian JacksonGabrielle JacobsCaitlin JefferisJames Jones Natalee Judson

Kris KaranxhaJohn KeigherKevin KellyShelbie KellyEvan KennedyTommy KilkerHarnjoo KimJacob KitchenMackenzie KitchenMatthew KnappBradley LazerAlexandra LeonChase LeoneJustin LewisRenata LimaConnor Limburg Alexandra LiuzzoVanessa LockwoodTanner LoydJoanna MaIan MacklerWerther MarcialesMitchell MarloweKylie McCaffreyRachel McDowellBrenna McKeownGertrude McMahonKeenan McMahonJordan McManusRyan MediseShayda MilaniRyan MillsBrianna MirandaKaryn MnassaSophia MohseniSusan MontgomeryJonathan MorrowNicolas MortellaroJose MunozDelaney MyerChase NallsEddy NarvaezSarah Nickle Joshua NormanCasey NunuzKayla ObergfellNicole OcampoSydney OlingerStephanie OrtizNeena PacholkeKayla PageReed PassmoreDhanisha PatelJasmine Patel Breana PaulineJustin Petrello Alejandro Pinilla-BaqueroEstephany Polo-BravoAshleigh PooleAlysha QuieroloCarly QuisenberryHana RaSarah Ramos

Hala RefaieCrystal ReinaMadison ReinhardTaylor ReinhardLauren Repp Patrick RichReyna RiveraLaury Rivera-AdornoRenee RobertsNatalie RobinsonIsabella RodriguezLyndsay RogersSamuel RosenThomas Rossi Domenick SaiaMarilyn SalvatierraJodee SaundersJenna SchallKelly SchallerKent SchallerKurt SchallerAlexus SenterSamantha SetoSarah SetoCharles Seward Nicole SeyboldHobert Houston SheffieldAaron SheinbergJordan ShollenbergerMichael Simon Chelsea SingletonMedha SinhaCaitlin SlaterKendall SmallDaniella SmithKierra SmithMegan SnowJenna StilingLeah StilingChloe StokesKelsey StorlienJessica Switzer Lanxavier TaylorAmena ThomasAshle ThompsonChristopher TolsonMia TopicJessica TrobaughPanos ValavanisBrenton VanfleetCaitlin WarnerLeah WassermanCorey WatsonAlexis WeinburgDariele WeissmanAshley WilsonGarrett WinberryErin WinickJett WrightJianhua WuMargarita ZhakhovskayaLauren ZuccarelloHaley Zyirblis

Congratulations National Honor Society Inductees!

sports April 23, 201214

up,” Haueter said.There were about 200 tickets sold in the presale result-

ing in a crowd filling the softball bleachers. “I definitely think the students came to see the teach-

ers more than they did to come see their friends play,” Haueter said.

Even principal David Sheppard participated. Despite his prior affiliations with our friends to the east, Sheppard umpired as a representative from Freedom.

“He didn’t exactly go yelling at Wharton but he was fair,” Dogani said.

“I thought he did a good job especially considering the fact that he had just come over from Wharton, so that try-ing to be neutral when he doesn’t really know any of us yet and knows all of them is probably pretty tough but I thought he did a good job.”

The week long practices for Wharton did not help them come game time. The patriots won 5-4 with major efforts by soccer coaches Dennis Derflinger and Charles Haueter, who hit in many of the runs.

Handling the commitment of being on just one high school sport can be a large amount of work. However, for many of the girls playing flag football they must man-age two or more.

For the team’s first game on March 20 against Lennard they were missing a key returning player to basketball.

“Our first game went really well con-sidering we only had one person as an of-fensive returner and she wasn’t even at the game,” coach Dennis Derflinger said. “The one who was a returning starter, Ashley Thompson, was out on a basketball practice because she has a tournament this week-end.”

Despite missing Thompson, the team was still able to shutout Lennard, 19-0.

With all the overlapping schedules, the team has to take advantage of the time they do have together at practices.

“We warm up and then we do about 30 minutes of running through our plays, ones that need to get better, and then we do flag pulling. Towards the end of practice we scrimmage with JV,” outside linebacker and wide receiver Jacquelyn Vaughan said.

Erin Winickeditor-in-chief

“As we have more practices and start to get down the plays we will be a better team af-ter that.”

Even Derflinger has experience han-dling multiple sports. He is also the boys soccer coach and sees variations between

coaching flag football and soccer.“The biggest difference is before [stu-

dents] get to high school, hardly any of the girls have played flag football before,” Derflinger said. “They don’t have any bad tendencies or things like that. You are

teaching them exactly how you want them to play the game. It is a little easier in that respect.”

Although there are some disadvantages to managing multiple sports, the experi-ence can also produce some positives.

“There are two girls doing track and flag football so that helps them because they are really fast,” Vaughan said.

Vaughan played soccer with wide re-ceiver Hanna Seybold this season. Seybold was on the varsity cheerleading squad as well.

Although some people would not im-mediately think of a crossover between flag football and cheerleading, it is actually quite common.

“This is my first year [playing], Seybold said. “A bunch of girls from cheerleading talked me into playing it.”

Seybold got 137 yards in the game against Lennard. Fellow cheerleader and varsity quarterback Melissa Dunbar threw for 231 yards.

Seybold has truly seen the positive im-pacts of playing multiple sports.

“I think that the fitness with soccer helps during the games and the agility and flexibility helps me have a little more of an edge and be faster.

Flag Football benefits from multi-sport athletesThe team draws members from other sports to up their game

Wharton freedomvs

2007

Football is shut out 20-0.

2007Softball wins three games. One game 19-0.

2008 2009 2011

2011Volleyball loses 3 sets to 0 resulting in their 6th straight loss.

Boys soccer wins for the first time in three games, 4-1.

Baseball wins for the first time in two years 3-2.

Girls soccer loses for first time in four years 1-0.

2011

Taylor Burmister (right) matches her opponents stare as she sets up on the line for the next play. Flag football triumphed over Lennard 19-0.

Kickball, con’t from page 1

E.Winick/revolution

For more stories and updates check out

www.revolutionfhs.com

@RevolutionFHS

Follow us on Twitter

Revolution Media Group

Like us on Facebook

Football wins for the second time in a row 16-7.

Baseball loses 11-10 in a heartbreaker.

2008

revolution sports 15

Of all the sports, clubs, and activities at Freedom, one of the lesser known is win-ter guard, a sport in which participants use flags, rifles, and sabres to create magnifi-cent displays timed to contemporary mu-sic. While their outdoor counterpart, color guard, is a common sight at the football games in the fall, winter guard performs indoors and at pep rallies.

“Winter guard is essentially color guard in a gymnasium,” winter guard adviser Michael Barrineau said.

The team travels to different schools, pitting their skills against other teams to earn the highest score they can based on points awarded by five judges.

Jonathan Harrisstaff writer

“The routine is about three and half minutes, and we are judged on the rou-tine’s cleanliness and progression,” Barri-neau said.

The sport is appealing to its participants for a number of reasons says senior Kristi Ilieva.

“[When I heard about it] it looked fun, and it was not as expensive as other sports,” Ilieva said.

Ilieva said winter guard appealed to her because it involves choreography and she was already a dancer.

“Mrs. Haas was talking about it in my sophomore year. I decided to try out, I

made it, and I’ve been with it ever since.” Ilieva said.

Ilieva is one of the three captains of Freedom’s winter guard team, and says she would like to see more awareness of the sport.

“We’re a pretty new group, so people don’t really know about us,” Ilieva said. Ilieva’s and the other captains’ roles are similar to that of captains of any other sports team.

“As captains we keep everyone in check,” Ilieva said.

Sophomore Jordan Baaske says practice is tough for Winter Guard.

“We always have practices after school. We work hard to get it all done,” Baaske said.

To put on the types of shows that win-ter guard does, a unique type of student is needed.

“It takes personality, dedication, and good grades [to be on winter guard],” Ilieva said.

Winter guard has seen varying levels of success at the competitions they’ve been to so far. At their first competition they fin-ished 6th, and repeated that place at their second competition, but at their competi-tion at Seminole High School they placed 1st. Recently, at the championship in Day-tona, Freedom’s winter guard placed 2nd overall out of 24 schools.

While the students of winter guard fo-cus on their routines, Barrineau is behind the scenes, handling the logistics and fi-nances of the group.

“[Barrineau] is the lead of the team, he does all the paperwork.” Ilieva said.

It may seem that these students are just like any other flag twirlers or marchers, but when you get to know the team and what they do, winter guard stands out as a valu-able asset that Freedom can be proud of. Barrineau is happy with how the season has gone.

“I’m very proud of them.”

Winter guard gains recognitionFormely lesser known sports gains popularity

As the season comes to a close, players aren’t satisfied with how the team did. As the new school year slowly arrives, they’ve decided to develop a new frame of mind.

Serving up a new team attitudeBoys tennis improves throughout the season, keep up spirits

Baseball works to make historyThis year’s team looks to be the first to make it through districts

The baseball team has put on an impressive perfor-mance this year. With thirteen wins, they’re passed the school’s record for most wins in a season. That makes this the best season for baseball in Freedom history.

“The season’s going great,” third baseman Johnny Keigher said. “We started off pretty well, but we’ve got-ten a lot better. We started to hit the ball a lot better. We’re looking good for districts.”

The team is currently tied for second in their district, with a record of 5-3-0.

Coach AJ Leppla says that winning the district title is a big goal for the team this year. The tournament pits teams from the same district against each other in one-round elimination. Last year the team made it to districts but lost in the semifinals. If the team makes it through the district tournament, they would then advance to regionals, and then to the state tournament.

“I think that if we don’t make it to regional’s, we sell ourselves short,” shortstop and pitcher Kyle Schindler said.

The team would love to go even farther than that.“I want to go to states. That’s what everyone wants to

do,” outfielder and pitcher Cameron Morgan said. One of the reasons for the team’s success may be im-

proved team chemistry.“The team gets along really well,” Keigher said. “We

have a pretty good chemistry throughout the whole team, and our team bonding seems to be going really well, too.”

Although the team has some altercations, pitcher Aus-

tin Atkinson says that’s to be expected.“At practice we bicker sometimes, but every team has

that,” Atkinson said.Keigher says the team has gone bowling and watched

movies together to improve the team bond.“It carries over to the field because we all know that

we’re not out there just for ourselves, we’re out there for the same goal and the same purpose, and that’s just to win the baseball game,” Keigher said.

They had more strengths than just the team chemistry.“The pitching and defense is something that we really

worked heavy on this year, and it’s been going quite well,” Leppla said.

The team has also been hitting impressively, with 114

Breana Paulinefeatures editor

hits and 77 RBI’s throughout the season. Atkinson says the team’s strengths are well rounded.

The team will lose several key players when seniors leave this year, but Leppla says there are other players ready to step up.

“It’ll be different. I don’t know if we’ll be as good, but we’ll be pretty good,” Atkinson said. “I’m going to miss them, that’s about it.”

After pulling off an impressive record-breaking season, the team has high hopes going into the playoffs.

“We’re going to go all the way,” Atkinson said. “We’re going to districts, we’re going to win districts, and we’re going to win everything after that.”

Rowan Allenstaff writer

Left: Senior Kyle Schindler winds up for the pitch in a game against Durant. Middle: Senior Eric Schindler slides in to make the catch. Right: Senior Tyler Cotter and Junior Austin Akinson exchange a handshake before the game. The baseball team remains optimistic as they head into districts with a winning record.

The winterguard practices the flag and rifle parts of their routine routine, “All Eyes on Me” in the gym. The team placed first at the Seminole High School competition with this routine.

They aim to win and don’t intend to miss. Though it’s only his first year as a player on the tennis team, sophomore Nikhil Chari has a positive outlook for the team.

“We’ve had our wins and losses. We’re a new team, so we’ve made a lot of im-provements,” Chari said.

Motivation is key when it comes to help-ing a team stick together. Coach Karanxha helps them in case they’ve lost the passion to keep going.

“He tells us to never give up, and no matter what to keep trying,” Chari says about his coach.

Sophomore Alex Chin joined the tennis team after a temporary break from playing when he was younger. He’s also seen im-provement since the first game.

“We’re not the best, but we’ve gotten better,” Chin said.

Karanxha helps the team in every way he can.

“He gives us helpful tips on how to hit a ball and he drives us places. He’s our

Left: Senior Nick Chin serves up the ball during practice. Right: Senior Kris Karanxha practices his forhand as the team prepares for the next match. Teamwork was a major factor during the season.

chauffeur,” Chin said.Each player has their favorite part about

being on the team. Chin’s, however, is sim-ple.

“I just like getting to play,” Chin said.Though they may go through downfalls

and bad days, the team doesn’t take it out on each other. This team is a family and always has each other’s backs.

“We stick together,” Chari said. “We don’t let each other down.”

For more updates and stroies check out at:

or follow us on Twitter

revolutionfhs.com

@RevolutionFHSE.Winick/Revolution

E.Winick/Revolution

J. Harris/Revolution J. Harris/Revolution

Courtesy of Pam Schindler Courtesy of Pam Schindler Courtesy of Pam Schindler

etc. April 23, 201216

Before School First Period Lunch

Seventh Period Leaving School

Highway to HellACDC

The Lazy Song

Bruno Mars

Cheeseburger in Paradise

Jimmy Buffett

Shut Up And Let Me Go

Young, Wild & Free

The Ting TingsWiz Khalifa, Kid Cudi,

and Bruno Mars

Soundtrack to our lives

Beach Playlist1. 2. 3.

4. 5.

Knee Deep Zac Brown Band

Sexy And I Know It LMFAO

Revolution staffers make up a playlist for a normal school day

California GurlsKaty Perry

I’m Your’sJason Mraz

Surfin’ USAThe Beach Boys

Nap Time

Pursuit of Happiness

Kid Cudi

One LoveBob Marley