Paw Print Newspaper Volume 33 Issue 2 2011-2012

FEATURES 2

Walking through the hallways at Countryside High School, bits and pieces of conversations are thrown out for everyone to hear. Most of these conversations are full of random gossip. Many students will hear things about others just from walking to their next class. After

students hear gossip, naturally they spread it and the ugly chain of a new born rumor has begun.In high school, students have the dirty habit of gossiping. According to a poll given at Countryside High School in the 2011-2012 school

year, 94% of students have both been talked about behind their backs and talked about other people behind their backs. 4% of students have talked about someone behind their backs, but have never been talked about. Another 4% had neither been talked about or have talked about other people.

Teenagers always hear that talking behind each others backs is wrong, but what they do not hear is why people do it. “I talk about other people if I don’t like what they do, how they dress, or how they act.” said Jessica Jones*� e real question is if school gossip aff ects students emotionally. “It doesn’t really bother me because I know whatever they are saying isn’t true.” said Mary Smith*. Although some students say that they do not pay attention to the talk, others claim it makes them feel hurt and betrayed.

When rumors spread they normally come full circle back to the person being talked about. As soon as the person fi nds out that another person has been talking about them they have to make the decision to either confront the accused, or simply ignore the hurtful words. “I would confront the person talking about me if they kept doing it, so I could stop them.” said Mary Smith*.

Another decision a student must make when they fi nd out someone is talking about them behind their back is whether or not to stay friends with the person. Students’ decisions vary when it comes to staying friends with the person talking about them. Some students say that they would not continue to be friends with them because they would not be their real friends, while others say it just depends on the friend.

Something that students need to take into consideration is that gossip is a huge problem at Countryside and it needs to be controlled. “Con-sidering I went to a diff erent school last year I would say that people talk about each other behind their backs no matter where they are.” said student Jessica Jones*

It all boils down to one thing: each student’s tolerance. If students do not like what they are hearing they can simply ignore it. How someone reacts to gossip depends on only them and only they can change that.

*Name has been changed

Rumor has it...BrianaDILWORTH

Staff writer

If you’re gunna bring your guitar to school, please don’t smack

me with it in the hallway.

If you’re gunna bring your If you’re gunna bring your guitar to school, please don’t smack

me with it in the hallway.guitar to school, please don’t smack

Why is it that after 6 weeks of school, students seem to have left their brains at home?

Bacne distrupts my learning. Low-cut

back shirts should be against dress code!

Why can’t the school board keep

to one policy? � ey’re more up and down than a hormonal

woman.

Why has the circle of death still not gone away?

Why is it that after 6 weeks Why is it that after 6 weeks Bacne distrupts Why can’t

Stop making out next to my locker, you prepubescent parasites.locker, you prepubescent parasites.locker, you prepubescent parasites.

Why don’t the cheerleaders get

dress-coded? You don’t see the swim team walking

around in their swim suits.

Ben and Jerry’s has “Shweddy

Balls” fl avored ice cream??

Whats up with the sudden lack of cookies in the vending machine?

Cookies and yoga pants are the only reason I wake up for school in the

morning.

sToP tYPing lIke � Is. Ur NOt c0ol.

Have some complaining to do? Email your rants to the Pawprint sta� at [email protected]

It all boils down to one thing: each student’s tolerance. If students do not like what they are hearing they can simply ignore it. How someone reacts to gossip depends on only them and only they can change that.

OPINION 3

In a school where pride and “100% student suc-cess” is said to be put fi rst, one would expect to fi nd every rule enforced and every miscon-duct apprehended, but at Countryside High School this is not the case. Take a look for yourself, it is happening all around you. A junior girl walks past and out comes a fe-male administrator to hand her a referral for her shorts, mere centimeters above the tips of her brightly colored fi nger nails. Next strolls by the crown jewel of our sports-oriented estab-lishment, a cheerleader, with a skirt of only 18 inches and a hem pushing nearly 7 cm above the accepted length. � e junior girl having been sent to IC and brushed away, sits silently while the cheerleader has made her way to class completely unaff ected. I would say this makes perfect sense, but I would be lying.

Part of Pinellas County policy states: “All shirts, tops, and dresses shall have sleeves and cover the shoulders.”, and bot-toms must “be mid-thigh legnth or longer.”

According to the opinion of an un-named school offi cial, the rules and re-percussions do not indeed apply to all. Certain students, mainly athletes, are exempt as they are part of “the estab-lishment”. � is minority in the student population rakes in money for the school, and therefore may do as they please. Evidently enticed by the pop-ularity of football at our school, this person has proceeded to overlook the profi t commissioned by the said “intel-lectual assembly” throughout campus. A generous amount of 150 referrals per AP are fi lled out each week and even so,

katelynWABNUMnews editor

In a school where pride and “100% student suc-cess” is said to be put fi rst, one would expect to fi nd every rule enforced and every miscon-duct apprehended, but at Countryside High School this is not the case. Take a look for yourself, it is happening all around you. A junior girl walks past and out comes a fe-male administrator to hand her a referral for her shorts, mere centimeters above the tips of her brightly colored fi nger nails. Next strolls by the crown jewel of our sports-oriented estab-lishment, a cheerleader, with a skirt of only 18 inches and a hem pushing nearly 7 cm above the accepted length. � e junior girl having been sent to IC and brushed away, sits silently while the cheerleader has made her way to class completely unaff ected. I

news editor news editor

would say this makes perfect sense, but I


According to the opinion of an un-named school offi cial, the rules and re-percussions do not indeed apply to all. Certain students, mainly athletes, are exempt as they are part of “the estab-lishment”. � is minority in the student population rakes in money for the school, and therefore may do as they please. Evidently enticed by the pop-ularity of football at our school, this person has proceeded to overlook the profi t commissioned by the said “intel-lectual assembly” throughout campus. A generous amount of 150 referrals per AP are fi lled out each week and even so,

In a school where pride and “100% student suc-cess” is said to be put fi rst, one would expect to fi nd every rule enforced and every miscon-duct apprehended, but at Countryside High School this is not the case. Take a look for yourself, it is happening all around you. A junior girl walks past and out comes a fe-male administrator to hand her a referral for her shorts, mere centimeters above the tips of her brightly colored fi nger nails. Next strolls by the crown jewel of our sports-oriented estab-lishment, a cheerleader, with a skirt of only 18 inches and a hem pushing nearly 7 cm above the accepted length. � e junior girl having been sent to IC and brushed away, sits silently while the cheerleader has made her way to class completely unaff ected. I would say this makes perfect sense, but I


According to the opinion of an un-named school offi cial, the rules and re-percussions do not indeed apply to all. Certain students, mainly athletes, are exempt as they are part of “the estab-

A generous amount of 150 referrals per AP are fi lled out each week and even so,

every day several are left unassigned or ripped up only to be forgotten except by the recycling bins.

� e bottom line being if you do not spend you free time tackling people, scoring touch-downs, or tossing small girls in the air, then it is not possible for your misconduct to be swept under the rug and disciplined with a smack on the hand.

Only fi ve short years ago, the Country-side boys basketball team entered a request to

wear their jerseys to school on game days. Re-fused due to the sleeveless nature of the uni-

form, players to this day are required to sport “dress code friendly” attire off the court.

Speaking out against the obliged wearing of “school-inappropriate” uni-forms, one of Countryside’s own var-sity cheerleaders said, “On every other non-game day my clothing is ques-tioned and I am told not to wear cer-

tain things. On the dates of home and away events I walk through the hallways hearing unappreciated comments about the amount of skin bared by the school-spirited garments. By being required to wear this skirt and this top [cheer uniform] it is defeating the purpose of the dress code’s anti-distraction claim,”.

Many will argue that life is un-fair and there will always be those with special privileges, but also in life there a people to speak up; people to say this is im-moral, and people to say I’ve had

enough. Is risking your chances of participating in clubs, getting

into college, and being given an equal chance to succeed due to an angled

rule what it takes? If so, have you had enough, Countryside?

Dress code reveals fl aws

staff photo Katelyn W

abnum

Victoria Jackson

“IC” you’re in trouble againmollyCURLS

staff writer “IC” is not a new term to most students of Countryside

High School. For those unfamiliar, IC (Intervention Cen-ter) is a classroom located in G wing where students are sent either for an entire school day, a class period, or even up to a week. The goal of IC, according to Mr. Angelo, Countryside High School’s campus monitor, is for the par-ticular “student to take a break from the teacher, or the teacher to have a break from the student”. He says it gives the individual “time to think” while in the confi nement of IC. Well that’s to say the least, IC resembles some form of a jail cell. With the unbearable cream colored walls, the painful industrial lighting, and the emptiness surrounding you.

The controversy of the IC system is this; when the stu-dent is absent from class during any given amount of time, the teacher is expected to send down their missing work to G wing, adding an extra strain on the teachers. Also, in the last few years, students have been seeing IC as a reward, rather than a punishment. It was a place to go if you didn’t want to go to class, if you wanted to see your friends, or even to sleep. You had privileges, and virtually no consequences.

This year, change has come. You not only go to IC, but for most of the reasons you would be sent there, also comes with a referral. Students say that they would “rather be suspended than go to IC”. One student also expressed that he gets “more discouraged” about school and his grades when all of his makeup work comes his way. The students mentioned it’s very easy to get lost in their classes after being in IC.

Then, comes up the proposition to have students stay after school to “do their time” in IC, therefore not missing class-time, and subsequently effecting their grades. The problem with this idea is the school would be responsible for facilitating rides home for the kids who have to stay after school and rely on a bus, or a ride from someone at a particular time.

A teacher, Coach David Sica, stated his opinion on the subject. He believed that IC is effective the fi rst couple times, but after those chances, more severe forms of pun-ishment should be implemented, such as suspension.

The awfully sharp point seems to be, if you don’t want to sit in a quiet room with nothing to do but think, have a hard time making up your work, and potentially getting behind in your classes, don’t do anything that would war-rant a trip to the Intervention Center in G wing. Mr. Angelo makes a good point in saying, “If someone has the will and desire to be, they will fi nd a way to be successful.” He’s right, if you don’t want to suffer the repercussions of your actions, then think before you execute them.

“Over 90% of dress code referrals are issued to girls.”

“When it comes to girls the problem is what clothing they wear, and for guys it is how they wear the clothing.”

“I wore these jeans all last year and they were fi ne, this year they must have magically turned into a giant dis-traction, because every time I turn a corner there runs an angry Saginario.”

Anonymous Quotes

Aleksandra Simic

IC students studying to make up their missed classwork. Photo credit Molly Curls

Junior Senior

With today’s day and age becoming more and more tech-nologically savvy, the sight of wallets full of paper money is less and less common. Instead, the sight of plastic money and the words “debit or credit” are heard worldwide.

But because banks are struggling so much to survive in this harsh economic downfall, they need a new way to make money. With banking fees being no stranger to humans, a new generation of fees is making a huge appearance in the lives of average Americans.

Debit card fees, which are diff erent for each fi nancial institution, will soon be made eff ective,, and are not very pretty. Five dollars for having the privilege of us-ing a debit card, 10 dollars for not spending a minimum amount of money each month, you name it and it has been made into a fee.

With so many Floridians in outrage, one Florida lawmaker decided to do some-thing. House Democrat Jeff Clemens, from Lake Worth said “national banks have gotten too greedy.

NEWS 4Students arrive alive, if they do not text and drive

Everyone is told the same thing time after time: “Be a safe driver, don’t get distract-ed.” Be honest, are you really one of the safe drivers on the road?

Texting and driving has caused over 16,000 deaths in the past fi ve years and is the number one source of driver inattention, ac-cording to research done by Virginia Tech. Drivers are twenty-three times more likely to be involved in an ac-cident if they text while driving. Both teens and adults are guilty of this action.

� irty-four states, not including Florida, and the District of Columbia, have banned this prac-

tice. � e American Automobile Association (AAA) is setting out to ban it in all fi fty states.

A national survey conducted by AAA revealed that 46 percent of people ages 15 to 20 confessed to texting while driv-ing. As for Countryside High School,

40 percent of students said that they are guilty of the practice. About 27 percent of

those students say they wait until red lights to text. � e other 13 percent claim they know it is not safe to text and drive but do it anyway because they believe the real threat to them is from other distracted drivers.

“I think it is okay if you’re not actively driving at the time you send or receive a message. As long as you’re

alexMILLERstaff writer

As the fi rst bell rings some kids are eager to get to their fi rst period class, while others walk sluggishly, dreading another day of learning. Some students are not even co-herent enough to realize the bell has rung. � ey stumble late into class without a second thought. Many of these students are under the infl uence of drugs and don’t realize to what extent drugs can aff ect their school, work, and life.

During breaks and randomly selected classes, students received an anonymous survey which probed the topic of whether or not their bodily systems had ever been under the infl uence of drugs or alcohol during school. 43% of the 75 students that were surveyed indicated that they had come to school either inebriated or under the infl uence of some type of drug. � is amount is astounding considering these actions are not only against school rules, but against federal law.

Why do students choose to arrive to school in this state? A Countryside High School junior answered, “I do it almost every day. I’m kinda addicted…. It’s too much fun not to do!”

� ere are several behaviors that indicate that someone may be using drugs or alcohol. At home, parents might see

their students beginning to lose respect for rules and respon-sibilities, along with becoming more detached. At school, dismissing homework, sleeping during class and dropping grades are apparent warning signals. Finally the change in friends, behavior, and appearance are also fl ags that a peer may be involved in using drugs.

Anoth- er Countryside junior said, “� e one time I ar-rived at school a little drunk, it felt so good, but I could not concen- trate. � e w h o l e day I was in a haze and I did not learn much.”

S t u - dents from both sides of the spec- trum, how-ever, have been caught with the possession of drugs. Whether it is kids that are in honors classes and get good grades or students in remedial classes with poor grades they both have been found with the pos-session of drugs, the consequences are all the same.

Students under the “high” school infl uence danaHARRIS news editor

Pinellas County’s School Boards policy on drug use is zero tolerance. If a student is caught with or suspect-ed of having any drugs in their possession they are sent to jail, suspended for 10 days, and are required to go to the “FACEIT” program for 8 weeks. “FACEIT” stands for “Families Acting Collaboratively to Educate and In-volve Teens”. � is program is for youths from ages 12 to 18. It emphasizes building communication and relation-ships between the student and caregiver. � is arrange-ment extols the benefi ts of a drug and alcohol free life.

Mr. Curtwright expressed his opinion by say-ing, “[Drug use] is happening. At Countryside, it is comparable to other high schools in the region. I think everyone should go through the ‘FACEIT‘ pro-gram. Although not every student will abuse drugs it’s still a good learning experience to go through.”

Drug use and alcohol consumption are dangerous prac-tices.Students who attend school with the possession or under the infl uence of these products are in danger of losing themselves. Drugs aff ect the lives of people and change the performance of students. � ere is a time to be crazy and a time to be poised and mature. At this age especially, and in a learning environment, the right choice should be obvious.

stopped and aware of what’s going on at the time, you should be fi ne,” said sophomore, Stephanie Schwartz.

Many drivers feel that there should be a nation-al ban on this issue. As the state governments debate the fi nal decision of banning it or not, phone applica-tions and organizations such as AAA off er brochures and safety courses to prevent or discourage distracted driving. For example, utilities can be purchased in the Apple Application Store that will temporarily disable messaging on your phone while you are on the road.

� ere are many opinions regarding this ongoing argu-ment across the states: Will a ban really keep our roads safer? Will it save lives? Some answer yes, others answer no, but no one really knows. As days go by and research continues, all anyone can do is to drive safely. By being attentive while driv-ing, you can save not only your life but also the life of others.

Big brothers and big sisters brighten our societies future With Bright Futures adding new rules to their scholar-

ship program, a student may wonder how they are going to be able to reach the new 100 service hour quota to qualify for the scholarship.With the academic challenge of high school, and for many the addition of sports, most students fear they do not have the time to complete the service hours.

For many, the thought of do-nating their time to an organiza-tion just to receive fi nancial aid seems burdensome, boring, and ideally is not the way they wish to spend their free time. Also, the organizations available for students to volunteer with must be ap-proved by a guidance counselor and can only be non-profi t organizations. It often takes time for a student

chrisRICEstaff writer

Can you see the debit card fee? chrisRICE

staff writer � ey are making huge profi ts, making huge execu-tive salaries, and now they want to turn that around and dump that on the consumer in the form of this fee.”� is legislation could provoke a huge court bat-tle, determining whether each individual state

has the right to regulate national banks.Many people are agitated and angry about these new

fees and are leaving their current fi nancial institution and fi nding a new place to take their hard earned money.One option, complete online banking, is also mak-

ing an appearance. Many chains of these new banks g r a n t you access to do anything you want with

your money, at any time.While these banks still do have some branches for you to physically

walk into, the majority of the time you are your own branch

manager and you manage your money in a way that best suits you.With tons of online banks pop-

ping up, and the rapid succession of the com-puter technologic world, online banks which don’t charge you fees are shaping the future for the banking world.

for the scholarship.With the academic challenge of high school, and for many the addition of sports, most students fear they do not have the time to complete the service hours.

For many, the thought of do-nating their time to an organiza-

receive fi nancial aid seems boring, and ideally is not the way they

to locate these opportunities, apply, and be approved, which can lead to lack of interest and steer students away.

One organization, however, is desperate for volunteers. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, a non-profi t organiza-tion approved by Pinellas County School Board as a place to complete service hours, needs students to be a mentors today!

� is program will truly change the character of any hu-man being, and often is not thought of as volunteer work, but more as a fun way to make a diff erence in the community.

Upon the acceptance into the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, you will be matched with a young-er child that shares the same common interests as you.

Once a match is made, you begin by spending just one hour a week with your little brother or sister at their school. You and your little brother or sister will spend your hours doing fun activities together- whether it be reading a book or playing basketball; the possibilities are endless.

Every student wonders “what will I get out of this?” � e

answer is simple; you will develop a better character and know that you’re making a diff erence in developing a child’s life.

Studies have shown that after 18 months of spending time with their bigs,little brothers and sisters involved in the program were 46% less likely to begin using ille- gal drugs, 27% less likely to begin us-ing alcohol, 52% less likely to skip school, and 37% less likely to skip a class. Also, it has been found that little broth-ers or sisters were more confi dent in their schoolwork, and get along better with their families.

� e rewards of becoming a big brother or sister are endless, and this could be a great way for you to get in-volved in the community and earn Bright Futures credit.

grades are apparent warning signals. Finally the change in friends, behavior, and appearance are also fl ags that a peer may be involved in using drugs.

Anoth- er Countryside junior said, “� e one time I ar-rived at school a little drunk, it felt so good, but I could not

haze and learn much.”

S t u - dents from both sides of the spec- trum, how-ever, have been caught

Five dollars for having the privilege of us-ing a debit card, 10 dollars for not spending a minimum amount of money each month, you name it and it has been made into a fee.

With so many Floridians in outrage,

g r a n t you access to do anything you want with your money, at any time.While

manager and you manage your money in a way that best suits you.With tons of online banks pop-

less and less common. Instead, the sight of plastic money and the words “debit or credit” are heard worldwide.

huge appearance in the lives of average Americans.Debit card fees, which are diff erent for

each fi nancial institution, will soon be

tle, determining whether each individual state has the right to regulate national banks.

and fi nding a new place to take their hard earned money.

ing an appearance. Many chains of these new banks g r a n t huge appearance in the lives of average Americans.

Debit card fees, which are diff erent for g r a n t

source of driver inattention, ac-cording to research done by Virginia Tech. Drivers are twenty-three times more likely to be involved in an ac-cident if they text while driving. Both teens and adults are guilty of this action.

photo credit www.bbbs.org

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Everyone is told the same thing time after time: “Be a safe driver, don’t get distract-ed.” Be honest, are you really one of the safe drivers on the road?

Texting and driving has caused over 16,000 deaths in the past fi ve years and is the number one source of driver inattention, ac-

the District of Columbia, have banned this prac-tice. � e American Automobile Association (AAA)

is setting out to ban it in all fi fty states. A national survey conducted by AAA

revealed that 46 percent of people ages 15 to 20 confessed to texting while driv-ing. As for Countryside High School,

40 percent of students said that they are guilty of the practice. About 27 percent of

those students say they wait until red lights to text. � e other 13 percent claim they know it is not safe to text and drive but do it anyway because they believe the real threat to them is from other distracted drivers.

staff writer

source of driver inattention, ac-cording to research done by Virginia

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cally pleasing for anyone who happens to see the campus; every National Honor Society member is required to be in attendance. Students will take shifts raking leaves in the front of the school, and placing bricks around the remembrance area to commemorate the de-ceased by making the area look more inviting.

Jack Yongue ex- p l a i n s that � e National Honor So-ciety “want(s) to give back to Coun-tryside,” and the National Honor Society offi cers deemed this to be the most fi tting way.

� is Beautifi cation Project will replace the car wash the Na-tional Honor Society has every year. Speculation among National Honor Society offi cers and advisors suggests that the new project will be annual, but they will clean diff erent parts of the school in diff erent ways

every year.Such benevolent apprecia-

tion is a reminder to every-one to show their apprecia-

tion for what they care about. I f they do not, what they care about may never know.

Every year, the National Honor Society strives to make a positive diff erence in the community by helping others. For the 2011-2012 school years the National Honor Soci-ety has taken the liberty of starting a new project to beau-tify Countryside High School. � is altruistic Beautifi cation Project will mainly focus on the refurbishment of the remembrance area of the school, and the front of the school.

� e remembrance area of Coun-tryside High School is dedicated to Dr. Maurice “Bud” Browning, a for-mer Guidance Coun- s e l o r , who passed away i n 2000 and John E . Lynch, the for- m e r Head Plant Op- e r a t o r ’s son and student at C o u n t r y -side High School, who passed away in 1999. � e area con-

sists of two named plaques, along with two trees and a bench in the front of the school.

On November fi fth National Honor So-ciety members will meet at Countryside

High School at fi ve o’ clock and be-gin to make the school more aestheti-

in attendance. Students will take shifts raking leaves in the front of the school, and placing bricks around the remembrance area to commemorate the de-ceased by making the area look more inviting.

Jack Yongue ex- p l a i n s that � e National Honor So-

NEWS 5

calebCARNEYstaff writer

It’s no news that this day in age is surrounded by tech-nology. Since the advancement of computers (starting in 1945), the world is fascinated. We are starting to do most everything on the computer-pay our bills, get our report cards, look at our work schedule, we can even go to school and college online.

A new Florida education ordinance is requiring that all incoming freshman for the school year 2011-2012 must take one online course sometime within their high school career in order to graduate. Students currently are able to take most all courses online, from Physical Education, to Chemistry, to American History. � is is helpful for seniors missing credits, students who previously failed a class try-ing to regain a credit, or students aspiring to increase their GPA.

One of Countryside High School’s Assistant Prin-cipals, Cynthia Saginario, is not in favor of the new rule. She believes “the interaction in a high school is irreplaceable.”Some students deeply need that sense of hands-on learning. Many young people are visual learn-ers, or need a teacher right there to help them, and answer questions. She agrees that technology is the newest up and coming source for most things, but thinks online classes should be kept as an option, because of the diversity of students and their needs.

“E-learning” is the newest medium of education. It al-legedly gives you the same eff ect, learning skills, and GPA opportunities, but at the comfort of doing it on your own time, in your own home, and on your very own computer. It’s advanced so much, that you can actually get your entire Bachelor’s degree online, without ever setting foot onto a college campus. Too good to be true?

It seems to be a matter of opinion. Do you need the help and support of a teacher, someone to guide you, to be

physically there whilst you learn the material? Do you need the hands on aspect of learn-ing? You might even be a visual learner and

not even know it. If you are not self-motivated, and self-disciplined,

either, online schooling might not be the easiest thing to do.

So the question is: should taking online classes be up to the

individual student, or forced by administrators, even though online educating is not for ev-eryone?

O n l i n e c l a s s r e q u i r e m e n t n e c e s s a r y f o r d i p l o m amollyCURLS

staff writer

NHS: Taking pride in Countryside

sists of two named plaques, along with two trees and a bench in the front of the school.

On November fi fth National Honor So-ciety members will meet at Countryside

High School at fi ve o’ clock and be-gin to make the school more aestheti-

and a bench in the front of the school.

ciety members will meet at Countryside

rule. She believes “the interaction in a high school is irreplaceable.”Some students deeply need that sense of hands-on learning. Many young people are visual learn-ers, or need a teacher right there to help them, and answer questions. She agrees that technology is the newest up and coming source for most things, but thinks online classes should be kept as an option, because of the diversity of students and their needs.

Such benevolent apprecia-tion is a reminder to every-one to show their apprecia-

tion for what they care about. they do not, what they care about

Such benevolent apprecia-

they do not, what they care about tion for what they care about.

motivated, and self-disciplined, either, online schooling might

taking online classes be up to the individual student, or forced by administrators, even though online educating is not for ev-eryone?

Do you need the hands on aspect of learn-ing? You might even be a visual learner and

not even know it. If you are not self-motivated, and self-disciplined, motivated, and self-disciplined,

� e Har-ry Potter books

are internationally acclaimed fi ction

books that depict the extraor-dinary life of

a young w i z a r d , and how

he saves the world.

Harry Pot-ter, the young wizard, is

taught, among many other young wizards, at a school

called Hogwarts Academy for Witchcraft and Wizardry. � e Harry Potter Club and its ninety members are syn-onymous with Hogwarts and its students; the club is meant to make a member feel as if they are in Hogwarts.

� e founder of the Harry Potter Club, at Country-side High School, is no other than Elizabeth M. Ma-son. As well as being the founder, Mason is also what club members would call � e Headmaster (� e Dean of Hogwarts). Her responsibility lies within the curricu-lum of the club. Mason decides when meetings are, who gets diff erent responsibilities, and overall club activities.

Elizabeth Mason has “been a fan of Harry Potter ever since [she] read the fi rst book,” however she ad-mits that it was not her original idea to start a scholas-tic Harry Potter Club. Her friend from Eastlake High School had started a Harry Potter Club in the 2010-2011 school years, at her respective school, and encour-aged Mason to do the same at Countryside High School.

Meetings for the Harry Potter Club are held every week in ____. At every meeting each house has certain responsi-bilities that they must complete, in order that the club may stay self-sustained. For example, one week Huffl epuff may be in charge of food and drinks for the entire club, whereas Ravenclaw might be in charge of cleaning up after meetings.

At Hogwarts Academy, two Prefects per house are cho-sen to govern the students. Mason has split her workload by following suit and selecting Prefects which of whom will work directly under her. � e Prefects are solely in charge of their respective house’s responsibilities for each week, and anything else Mason deems necessary. By us-ing this method, � e Headmaster can share responsibil-ity while still keeping structure and order in the club.

In order for students to be admitted to Hogwarts

Academy, the students must be sort- ed in to houses de- pending on their per- s o n a l i -ties and life c h o i c e s . � e four houses are Hufflepuff, R a v e n c l a w, Gryffi ndor, and Slytherin. � e Harry Potter Club has attempted to rec-reate the sorting process by ad- ministering tests to students which de-termine what h o u s e is best suited for t h e m . Members cannot retake the test, nor can they be reassigned to a dif-ferent house upon completion of the test.

� e main purpose of any ex- tracurricular activity is to learn things that you can’t learn by just com-ing to school for the standard allotted amount of time. � e Harry Potter Club’s abstract goal is to learn how to “create unity and inspire creativity among Countryside High School’s students.” Mason intends on achieving this goal by creating a friendly club in which any student may join at any time without any sort of discrimination, and by showing students a fun way to learn.photo credit Kelly Pettit, thewrtingnut.com, moviecostumes4u.com, and polyvore.com

Academy, the Academy, the Academy, the students must be sort-houses de-on their per-ties and life c h o i c e s . � e four houses are Hufflepuff, R a v e n c l a w, Gryffi ndor, and Slytherin. � e Harry Potter Club has attempted to rec-reate the sorting process by ad- ministering tests to students which de-which de-termine what h o u s e is best suited for t h e m . Members cannot retake the test, nor can they be reassigned to a dif-ferent house upon completion of the test.

tracurricular activity is to learn things that you can’t learn by just com-

has at-reate the by ad- ministering tests to students which de-

staff writerstaff writer

Dr. Maurice “Bud” Browning, a for-mer Guidance Coun- s e l o r ,

i n

Lynch, the for-Head Plant Op- e r a t o r ’s

C o u n t r y -

calebCARNEYstaff writer

� e Har-ry Potter books

are internationally acclaimed fi ction

books that depict the extraor-dinary life of

a young w i z a r d , and how

he saves the world.

Harry Pot-ter, the young wizard, is

ry Potter books are internationally acclaimed fi ction

photo credit laptop-software.com, fi nd-whosells.com

NHS retouched the C-side memorial garden in their mission to take care

of our school.

FOCUS6

Black Friday is a killer holiday to shop for great deals. It has a historic record of injuries and deaths that occur during the rampage and cold hearted-ness that people seem to gain as they stampede through the store doors. It is the beginning of holiday shopping and apparently that triggers customers into the “me, myself and I” mode.

� ese horrifi c incidents seem to be elevating as the years carry on. Methods for putting an end to these fatal happenings are being brainstormed and experimented, however, there is something with people and discounts that seem to be inseparable. For instance, a security guard was sta-tioned at a Wal-Mart in a “plain clothes” uniform. Unfortunately, he was mistaken as a customer and fell upon the wave of crazed shoppers. However, he did make an arrest to someone who had cut in line to receive a discounted laptop.

Wal-mart seems to be the mother of all injuries and deaths on Black Friday. One well-known example happened at a Wal-mart in Long Island, New York, when a 34- year old, temporary employee was trampled to his death. Ambulances and police rushed to the scene with a harsh wel-come. � ey too were pushed and thrown back and forth during the course of the immense crowd without respect. When customers were stopped and questioned, they simply said “I’ve been in line since early Friday morning for twenty dollars off a PS3”. After that, employees formed a human wall to slow down the crowd- it failed. � e attempt was considered as a “lethal Red Rover”.

While some pass on, others live the rest of their life in misery. One middle-aged women waited hours on end to earn the lucky spot of second in line. � e doors opened and in came the crowd and she was, like the young man, trampled. However, her life was not taken from her that day. Instead, she was paralyzed. To this day, she must walk with a cane and has to take pills every-day. “I saved $100 on a laptop,” She said “But I’ve probably spent $100,000 of medical bills.”

However, Wal-mart is not the only one with public safety problems. At Toys R Us there were two mothers who had gotten into a fi ght and, of course, the fathers had to defend them and joined in the argument. To do so, they both got out guns and cocked them. Immediately, the joyful toy-shopping crowd turned into a screaming frenzy. � e men shot their bullets and in no time, they both ended up dead.

Black Friday is no joking matter. In fact, it may be taken a little too seriously. Sales are good, but lives have a much greater value. However, people just do not get that concept. � us, there will most likely be more deaths and injuries in the future. So before you go out there and spend $50 for something that is really $100, ask yourself, “Is it worth it?”

during the rampage and cold hearted-ness that people seem to gain as they stampede through the store doors. It is the beginning of holiday shopping and apparently that triggers customers into the “me, myself and I” mode.

� ese horrifi c incidents seem to be elevating as the years carry on. Methods for putting an end to these fatal happenings are being brainstormed and experimented, however, there is something with people and discounts that seem to be inseparable. For instance, a security guard was sta-tioned at a Wal-Mart in a “plain clothes” uniform. Unfortunately, he was mistaken as a customer and fell upon the wave of crazed shoppers. However, he did make an arrest to someone who had

Wal-mart seems to be the mother of all injuries and deaths on Black Friday. One well-known example happened at a Wal-mart in Long Island, New York, when a 34- year old, temporary employee was trampled to his death. Ambulances and police rushed to the scene with a harsh wel-come. � ey too were pushed and thrown back and forth during the course of the immense crowd without respect. When customers were stopped and questioned, they simply said “I’ve been in line since early Friday morning for twenty dollars off a PS3”. After that, employees formed a human wall to slow down the crowd- it failed. � e attempt was considered as a “lethal Red Rover”.

While some pass on, others live the rest of their life in misery. One middle-aged women waited hours on end to earn the lucky spot of second in line. � e doors opened and in came the crowd and she was, like the young man, trampled. However, her life was not taken from her that day. Instead, she was paralyzed. To this day, she must walk with a cane and has to take pills every-day. “I saved $100 on a laptop,” She said “But I’ve probably spent $100,000 of medical bills.”

However, Wal-mart is not the only one with public safety problems. At Toys R Us there were two mothers who had gotten into a fi ght and, of course, the fathers had to defend them and joined in the argument. To do so, they both got out guns and cocked them. Immediately, the joyful toy-shopping crowd turned into a screaming frenzy. � e men shot their bullets and in no time, they

Black Friday is no joking matter. In fact, it may be taken a little too seriously. Sales are good, but lives have a much greater value. However, people just do not get that concept. � us, there will most likely be more deaths and injuries in the future. So before you go out there and spend $50

For most people � anksgiving is the same every year; they go over to a family member’s house for dinner, or just stay home and have their family members come over. For other students, � anksgiving is more than the American tradition.

� e average American thanksgiving consists of the re-uniting of families, afternoon foot-ball, and a big dinner .Most teenagers have the same idea of � anksgiving, but what they do not realize is that diff erent religions and ethnicities celebrate � anksgiving in their own way.

“For � anksgiving my whole family comes over and they each bring their own dish, then we criticize them and play games the rest of the night,” said sophomore Laila Ittayem. Ittayem is an Arab that celebrates � anksgiving, but her family puts their own spin on the holiday. Instead of just having a big dinner in the evening, Laila’s family tries something new by spreading out the role of cooking, and instead of her family going home after dinner they all stay around for games.

Many Italian families have almost exactly the same traditions as American fami-lies. Some do the same activities for � anksgiving, but eat diff erent foods. “In my family we eat turducken, which is a chicken inside of a duck, inside of a turkey,” said sophomore Dominic Ferraro.

� ere are some religions that do not celebrate � anksgiving at all. “I do not celebrate � anksgiving at all because I am Jehovah Witness and it is against my religion,” said senior Kristof Williams. Instead of celebrating � anksgiving, Williams usually stays home or hangs out with his friends. Williams’ choice in opting out of holidays such as � anksgiving and not celebrating them in the slightest is very unusual in America.

Canadians have their own � anksgiving to celebrate. “In my family we pretty much do the same thing as American � anksgiving, except we eat ham instead of Turkey” said freshman Kyle Swanson. Although Canadians have their own holiday to cel-ebrate, some continue to celebrate the American tradition. “We celebrate Ameri-can � anksgiving also, but my mom does not make as much food, because it is not as important to our family” said Swanson.

Not every family in America celebrates � anksgiving the same. America is a melting pot; so naturally, holidays are diff erent in every home. Even with the diff erences � anksgiving is still important and meaningful to every family.

just stay home and have their family members come over. For other students, � anksgiving is more than

� e average American thanksgiving consists of the re-uniting of families, afternoon foot-ball, and a big dinner .Most teenagers have the same idea of � anksgiving, but what they do not realize is that diff erent religions and ethnicities celebrate � anksgiving in their

“For � anksgiving my whole family comes over and they each bring their own dish, then we criticize them and play games the rest of the night,” said sophomore Laila Ittayem. Ittayem is an Arab that celebrates � anksgiving, but her family puts their own spin on the holiday. Instead of just having a big dinner in the evening, Laila’s family tries something new by spreading out the role of cooking, and instead of her family going home after dinner they all stay around for games.

Many Italian families have almost exactly the same traditions as American fami-lies. Some do the same activities for � anksgiving, but eat diff erent foods. “In my family we eat turducken, which is a chicken inside of a duck, inside of a turkey,” said

� ere are some religions that do not celebrate � anksgiving at all. “I do not celebrate � anksgiving at all because I am Jehovah Witness and it is against my religion,” said senior Kristof Williams. Instead of celebrating � anksgiving, Williams usually stays home or hangs out with his friends. Williams’ choice in opting out of holidays such as � anksgiving and not celebrating them in the slightest is very unusual in America.

Canadians have their own � anksgiving to celebrate. “In my family we pretty much do the same thing as American � anksgiving, except we eat ham instead of Turkey” said freshman Kyle Swanson. Although Canadians have their own holiday to cel-ebrate, some continue to celebrate the American tradition. “We celebrate Ameri-can � anksgiving also, but my mom does not make as much food, because it is

Not every family in America celebrates � anksgiving the same. America is a melting pot; so naturally, holidays are diff erent in every home. Even with the diff erences � anksgiving is still important and meaningful to every family.

just stay home and have their family members come over. For other students, � anksgiving is more than


“For � anksgiving my whole family comes over and they each bring their own dish, then we criticize them and play games the rest of the night,” said sophomore Laila Ittayem. Ittayem is an Arab that celebrates � anksgiving, but her family puts their own spin on the holiday. Instead of just having a big dinner in the evening, Laila’s family tries something new by spreading out the role of cooking, and instead


� ere are some religions that do not celebrate � anksgiving at all. “I do not celebrate � anksgiving at all because I am Jehovah Witness and it is against my religion,” said senior Kristof Williams. Instead of celebrating � anksgiving, Williams usually stays home or hangs out with his friends. Williams’ choice in opting out of holidays such as � anksgiving

Canadians have their own � anksgiving to celebrate. “In my family we pretty much do the same thing as American � anksgiving, except we eat ham instead of Turkey” said freshman Kyle Swanson. Although Canadians have their own holiday to cel-ebrate, some continue to celebrate the American tradition. “We celebrate Ameri-can � anksgiving also, but my mom does not make as much food, because it is


“For � anksgiving my whole family comes over and they each bring their own dish, then we criticize them and play games the rest of the night,” said sophomore Laila Ittayem. Ittayem is an Arab that celebrates � anksgiving, but her family puts their own spin on the holiday. Instead of just having a big dinner in the evening, Laila’s family tries something new by spreading out the role of cooking, and instead


� ere are some religions that do not celebrate � anksgiving at all. “I do not celebrate � anksgiving at all because I am Jehovah Witness and it is against my religion,” said senior Kristof Williams. Instead of celebrating � anksgiving, Williams usually stays home or hangs out with his friends. Williams’ choice in opting out of holidays such as � anksgiving

Canadians have their own � anksgiving to celebrate. “In my family we pretty much do the same thing as American � anksgiving, except we eat ham instead of Turkey” said freshman Kyle Swanson. Although Canadians have their own holiday to cel-ebrate, some continue to celebrate the American tradition. “We celebrate Ameri-

brianaDILWORTHstaff writer

______________________________________rachelWAAGstaff writer

Black Friday is a killer holiday to shop for great deals. It has a historic record of injuries and deaths that occur during the rampage and cold hearted-ness that people seem to gain as they stampede through the store doors. It during the rampage and cold hearted-ness that people seem to gain as they stampede through the store doors. It is the beginning of holiday shopping and apparently that triggers customers into the “me, myself and I” mode.

� ese horrifi c incidents seem to be elevating as the years carry on. Methods for putting an end to these fatal happenings are being brainstormed and experimented, however, there is something with people and discounts that seem to be inseparable. For instance, a security guard was sta-tioned at a Wal-Mart in a “plain clothes” uniform. Unfortunately, he was mistaken as a customer and fell upon the wave of crazed shoppers. However, he did make an arrest to someone who had

Wal-mart seems to be the mother of all injuries and deaths on Black Friday. One well-known example happened at a Wal-mart in Long Island, New York, when a 34- year old, temporary employee was trampled to his death. Ambulances and police rushed to the scene with a harsh wel-come. � ey too were pushed and thrown back and forth during the course of the immense crowd without respect. When customers were stopped and questioned, they simply said “I’ve been in line since early Friday morning for twenty dollars off a PS3”. After that, employees formed a human

While some pass on, others live the rest of their life in misery. One middle-aged women waited hours on end to earn the lucky spot of second in line. � e doors opened and in came the crowd and she was, like the young man, trampled. However, her life was not taken from her that day. Instead, she was paralyzed. To this day, she must walk with a cane and has to take pills every-

However, Wal-mart is not the only one with public safety problems. At Toys R Us there were two mothers who had gotten into a fi ght and, of course, the fathers had to defend them and joined in the argument. To do so, they both got out guns and cocked them. Immediately, the joyful toy-shopping crowd turned into a screaming frenzy. � e men shot their bullets and in no time, they

Black Friday is no joking matter. In fact, it may be taken a little too seriously. Sales are good, but lives have a much greater value. However, people just do not get that concept. � us, there will most likely be more deaths and injuries in the future. So before you go out there and spend $50

is the beginning of holiday shopping and apparently that triggers customers into the “me, myself and I” mode.

______________________________________staff writer

______________________________________staff writer

______________________________________

FOCUS 7

provided by Dana Harris

1 c. canned pumpkin1/2 c. cold milk1 pkg. (6 serving size) Jello vanilla instant pudding

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice3 1/2 c. thawed Cool Whip Topping1 graham cracker crustCombine pumpkin, milk, pie fi lling mix and pumpkin

pie spice in small bowl. Beat at lowest speed of electric mixer until well blended, about 1 min-

ute. Fold in 2 1/2 cups of topping. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate until fi rm (can put in freezer) about 4 hours. Top with remaining whipped topping.

� anksgiving; usually spent around the TV gazing admirably at the annual Macy’s � anksgiving Day Parade and later on rooting for the (insert team) during the Turkey bowl. In midst of it all, you travel between the dining room feasting upon the immense amount foodstuff s laid out and outside punting the old pig skin into your neighbors de-cade-old gnomes; all of which takes place in the comfort of your own home. Before all of this can happen arrangements must be made and questions must be posed. Some of which tend to take on the tone of a highly marketed holiday. “My

house or yours?”, “What color table cloth goes best with my cornucopia center piece?” and of course, “How big of a turkey should I buy?”. At the time these inquirer challenges seem to be vital, but in the context of reality they are really quite frivolous.

So, what happens if someone was to not have close living relatives, enough money, or even a home? � eir struggles may sound similar to, “Where is the nearest pantry?”, “If I attend will there be enough food left?”,and “Can my worn wind-breaker keep me warm despite the freezing rain?”. Many might disregard the previous sentence, as they believe it does not apply to them personally; but it can be seen everyday.

In a study provided by www.aboutpinellaskids.org, of one hundred and eighty-six students, four were homeless, of which one is currently attending high school. If multi-plied by our schools population of 2,343, that calculates to be sixteen homeless students in all. Sixteen who are working towards a brighter and more stable future, sixteen who are part of our cougar family, and sixteen who are in need.

� e original purpose inspiring � anksgiving was a day for all the members of a com-mon community to give thanks for their many common blessings. Yet many students from Countryside High School have never attempted to invite an impoverished indi-vidual or family to their holiday festivities. Going with the notion that hosting others in your home is not a possibility, the local news and radio stations adequately make available information on participating in food drives.

So go ahead, get out their and make someones day, I dare you. Let’s do � anksgiving the right way by starting with small moves like this, and one day the world’s cold exterior just might melt to reveal a change for the better.

house or yours?”, “What color table cloth goes best with my cornucopia center piece?” and of course, “How big of a turkey should I buy?”. At the time these inquirer challenges seem to be vital, but in the context of reality they are really quite frivolous.

So, what happens if someone was to not have close living relatives, enough money, or even a home? � eir struggles may sound similar to, “Where is the nearest pantry?”, “If I attend will there be enough food left?”,and “Can my worn wind-breaker keep me warm despite the freezing rain?”. Many might disregard the previous sentence, as they believe it does not apply to them personally; but it can be seen everyday.

In a study provided by www.aboutpinellaskids.org, of one hundred and eighty-six students, four were homeless, of which one is currently attending high school. If multi-plied by our schools population of 2,343, that calculates to be sixteen homeless students in all. Sixteen who are working towards a brighter and more stable future, sixteen who are part of our cougar family, and sixteen who are in need.

� e original purpose inspiring � anksgiving was a day for all the members of a com-mon community to give thanks for their many common blessings. Yet many students from Countryside High School have never attempted to invite an impoverished indi-vidual or family to their holiday festivities. Going with the notion that hosting others in your home is not a possibility, the local news and radio stations adequately make available information on participating in food drives.

So go ahead, get out their and make someones day, I dare you. Let’s do � anksgiving the right way by starting with small moves like this, and one day the world’s cold exterior just might melt to reveal a change for the better.

katelynWABNUMnews editor

provided by Dana Harris

1 c. canned pumpkin1/2 c. cold milk1 pkg. (6 serving size) Jello vanilla instant pudding




1 pkg. (6 serving size) Jello vanilla instant pudding1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice3 1/2 c. thawed Cool Whip Topping1 graham cracker crustCombine pumpkin, milk, pie fi lling mix and pumpkin



1 pkg. (6 serving size) Jello vanilla instant pudding1 pkg. (6 serving size) Jello vanilla instant pudding1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice3 1/2 c. thawed Cool Whip Topping1 graham cracker crustCombine pumpkin, milk, pie fi lling mix and pumpkin


ute. Fold in 2 1/2 cups of topping. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate until fi rm (can put in freezer)

1 c. canned pumpkin1/2 c. cold milk1 pkg. (6 serving size) Jello vanilla instant pudding1 pkg. (6 serving size) Jello vanilla instant pudding1 pkg. (6 serving size) Jello vanilla instant pudding



ENTERTAINMENT 8

Drama is out of this wor ld “[Return to the Forbidden Planet] has great music,

spoofs, singing, and is a fun play!” Exclaimed drama club’s head, Mrs. Florio. � e drama clubs latest production will be showing � ursday, Friday, and Saturday on November 17-19 at 7:00 p.m. and there will be a Friday matinee at 3:00 p.m. Since the fourth week of school, the CHS drama club has been hard at work on Return to the Forbidden Planet. Students of the drama club have been practicing lines, and set building in preparation for their debut at Countryside. � e production was chosen by drama club teacher, Kimberly Florio. “� is summer when I was work-ing at a production, one of the actors was also a teacher,

and said it [the production] was one of the best shows to do. Plus, I needed a show my kids (the CHS drama club) didn’t know”.

Return to the Forbidden Planet by Bob Carlton, is about a mad scientist whose wife sends him to space for many years only to meet again when a routine sur-vey fl ight leaves Earth’s orbit, but, unexpectedly lands towards planet Dy’llria. � e play is a musical and is a parody off of Shakespeare. It also has elements of Star Trek. “Return to the Forbidden Planet is modern but Shakespear- ean at the same time. It has fi fty’s and six-ty’s rock music, it’s upbeat,

modern and fun. I can’t wait for people to see!” Explains sophomore, Victoria Locicero, who has been doing back-stage.

� e musical features familiar songs such as “Shake, Rattle and Roll”, “Wipeout” and “Monster Mash”.

� e production is guaranteed to draw in a large crowd, according to Mrs. Florio. � e main

set is a spaceship. Return to the For-bidden Planet will be judged and

taken to States this year. If the judges keep an open mind, the chances of Return to the For-bidden Planet’s success seem

high.

Return to the Forbidden Planet by Bob Carlton, is about a mad scientist whose wife sends him to space for many years only to meet again when a routine sur-vey fl ight leaves Earth’s orbit, but, unexpectedly lands towards planet Dy’llria. � e play is a musical and is a parody off of Shakespeare. It also has elements of Star Trek. “Return to the Forbidden Planet is modern but Shakespear- ean at the same time. It has fi fty’s and six-ty’s rock music, it’s upbeat,

sophomore, Victoria Locicero, who has been doing back-stage.

� e musical features familiar songs such as “Shake, Rattle and Roll”, “Wipeout” and “Monster Mash”.

� e production is guaranteed to draw in a large crowd, according to Mrs. Florio. � e main

set is a spaceship. Return to the For-bidden Planet will be judged and

bidden Planet’s success seem high.

paigeSTEELEstaff writer

Countryside tops off homecomingCountryside High School rocked homecoming this

year. With the theme of Cirque Du Soleil the decora-tions followed the theme but were still lacking in some ways. Many juniors wanted “more lenient rules and fewer restrictions” which they received . None of the administra-tors ranted at the students about “face-to-face with space” and let them grind until the clock struck eleven o’clock. It started slowly and took approximately thirty minutes for everyone to get comfortable and dance without being judged as the fi rst person on the dance fl oor.

� ere were big white sheets that covered the lockers between the tardy booth all the way down to the E-Wing

which fell down during the dance because students were going to their lockers behind the sheets. � ere were no in-

juries besides screaming girls in fear of their life. Many students were impressed by homecoming this year. Joe Ganci ( Jr.) said “It was awesome!” � ere were few com-plaints about the location. Junior, Alex Tran says, “� ey need to move it to a diff erent location. We are in the con-course 5 days a week for like 6 hours each day.”Also, the school ran out of drinks half way through the dance which was disappointing for the worn out students.

Other than those few complaints, homecoming was the best it has been in a while. Even the junior homecoming queen, Harmony Tyler, enjoyed the dance and thought it topped the previous years she had attended. Hopefully the years to come will be better than this years’ homecoming and keep getting better as the tradition gets older.

kelleyBUTTERFIELDsports editor

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tures were amazing, but the ridiculous and creepy way they moved just seemed silly. � e seemingly random selection of characters that became infected by the � ing was not explained well enough, leaving the audience asking how certain characters had enough time alone to be killed, replicated, a n d return to the group without any-

one realizing they had left.

� e main theme of the movie is para-noia. All of the characters are stuck in the middle of nowhere and

nobody can be sure if anyone is who they say they are. It is entertaining to watch as the group splits up to fi nd lost members and have them regroup, not knowing who is really a human and who is not.

Whether or not you are were a fan of the fi rst movie, the 2011 “� e � ing” is fun and entertaining enough to have been a stand alone movie. If you want the best “� e � ing” movie- watching experience, I recommend watch-ing the 2011 fi rst and watching the original immediately afterwards, for both a comparison and explanations.

ENTERTAINMENT 9

In 1982, Director John Carpenter released the visual masterpiece of it’s time “� e � ing.” Now, 29 years later, Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. has created a prequel to the 1982 � ing, but with the same name. In the 1982 version, none of the visual ef- f e c t s are computer graphics and all of the creatures are puppets. � e simplicity of the fi rst movie made it much more e n t e r t a i n i n g than the 2011 � ing.

� e 2011 � ing begins with a small group of scientists fi nding the alien ship and the rest of their team later fi nding the alien mere yards away from the ship and the movie ends per-fectly where the original begins. With many explanations as to why certain things were placed where and how they got to be that way, the 2011 � ing was the near- perfect prequel.

Although “� e � ing” is a horror fi lm, many moments were quite laughable. � e computer graphics for the crea-

parkerANDERSEN entertainment editor

macyHARPERstaff writer

If someone from the turn of the 20th century looked into the future and saw the crowd of bizarrely dressed concert junkies at Jannus Live, they would probably think aliens had taken over the planet. Long gone are the days of easy-listening tunes and wholesome concerts in the park. � e overwhelming bass lines and techno infl uences of dubstep are clearly not your mother’s music.

� e electronically produced phenomenon became pop-ular in the early 2000’s, with DJs, like Bassnectar, taking dubstep from experimental club music in Europe to main-stream audiences all over the world.

� e crowd at Bassnectar on Sunday, October 23 was unlike any crowd I have ever seen. Apparel for dubstep concerts need satisfy only one requirement: anything goes! Girls wore fairy wings and sparkly bras as they paraded around on guy’s shoulders. Judging by the penguin cos-tume, strobe light hats, and neon corsets, I would say the crowd was well-informed of the dress code.

Above a sea of lit cigarettes and glowsticks, Bassnec-tar’s sole DJ Lorin Ashton began to play his signature bass beats while scratching on a CDJ, an electronic version of the vinyl records DJs scratched on decades ago. His equip-ment was surprisingly low tech; simply a laptop and the CDJ disks were used to create the blaring sound, carried out by the enormous speakers.

His lights and stage display, however, were the exact opposite. On enormous screens abstract images fl ashed in an illogical order-- babies, grass, unrecognisable cartoons, eyes-- thus adding a visual element to the musical experi-ence. Without hesitation I grabbed my phone and tried to take a picture of the stage. To my disappointment, it only captured an overwhelming explosion of light and only a slight outline of Lorin.

� e sold-out concert resulted in a packed venue, leav-ing almost no room to dance. I spent much of the evening squished between a couple who was enjoying each other’s company a little too much and a teenage guy who liked to shake his long hair all over the place. � at aside, the energy of the crowd was overwhelming with excitement.

When the speakers started to blare a tripped out, bass-enthused remix of “Bass Down Low”, the crowd went ab-solutely wild, dancing all the way to the ground in unison.

Shortly after, Lorin slyly grabbed the mic and asked “So who here’s got school or work tomorrow...?” A roar came up from the audience “Yeah!!” “Maybe I should stop early so you guys can get some sleep!” he replied. He did no such thing, letting the bass drop till 11 PM-- pretty late for a school night!

In all honesty, Bassnectar was glorious. Not only was it a mecca for people watching, but a chance to experi-ence the new era of music in all of it vocal-dubbing, bass-dropping splendor.

haleyPETERSfeatures editor

Paranormal Activity: Prequel to a prequel � e Paranormal Activity franchise continues with

its third movie from Paramount Pictures. With $54 mil-lion made by the fi rst night, this movie was number one at the box offi ce. It had the biggest debut ever for a horror movie, according to Sunday Studio Estimates. Prior to the movie release, the usual October horror competition died off . Paranormal Activity 3 is a prequel, with disturbing home-made footage back from 1988. � is time, however, the movie producers assigned a fresh new fi lm-making duo, Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman to control all di-rectorial duties. Although it is a prequel, this fi lm is not likely to answer many of the questions left in the wake of Paranormal Activity.

� e tagline for Paranormal Activity 3 reads “it runs in the family” because all 3 fi lms tie into eachother. � e fi rst two fi lms were based on Katie and Kristi, two sisters who have had demon problems throughout there lives. � e movie begins with leftover footage from the 2nd movie where Katie is in the process of moving and packing boxes and decides to place a box of VHS tapes in Kristi’s base-ment, which goes missing at random. � is part of the mov-ie caused a lot of confusion. � e footage then cuts into the footage of what was presumably on the VHS tapes that

disappeared. � e year of this movie is 1988 and we get in-troduced to Dennis, the father fi gure of Kristi and Katie. Early in the movie it is revealed that Kristi has an imagi-nary friend who goes by the name of “Toby”, this is where the movie began to become more scary by the minute.

Dennis hears and earful about “Toby” from Kristi which begins to concern him in addition to the strange noises he complains to be hearing at night. � e noises are unlike any other and sound like an unknown presence is in there home. Dennis takes action and decides to place 3 surveillance cameras throughout there home, which built up suspense through the roof. Along with the other Paranormal Activity movies, there are night scenes set up which display the time and date, and also have a time lapse, to give the audience a glimpse of the footage caught on the surveillance cameras. Similar to the fi rst two takes, the footage is calm at fi rst and slowly becomes out-of-hand. During the time lapse the whole audience is scared of what might possibly happen next.

After a night full of noises, door’s being slammed, fur-niture fl ying, and paranormal activity at its worst, the mov-ie ends and the screen is cut to black. Many questions still remain about the entire Paranormal Activity prequel itself. Whether or not their will be a fourth Paranormal Activity is one of the biggest questions.

The Thing: Now and Then

photo credits: screenrant.com and robotplunger.com

SPORTS 10

� e Countryside Cougars are done with the regular football season with their sights set on the playoff s. � e Cougars are dominating games and running up the score with recent wins to set themselves at an impressive 10-0 for the season. Countryside has been conquering oppo-nents to achieve another undefeated season for the second year in a row.

On Friday October 14, 2011, the boys took the fi eld against the Wire-grass Ranch Bulls. With the homecoming game on the line, the Cougars did not disappoint; they easily broke the school’s record for most points scored in a single game for a 66-6 victory. Af-ter halftime, head coach Jared Davis decided to let the fans have a taste of the future, sending in the younger members of the team with a 49 to 0 cush-ion to comfort them. � e most notable performance of the night was by senior running back, Diomi Roberts. Roberts fi nished the night with three rushing touchdowns and a fourth off of a blocked punt. His total night included 11 carries for 54 yards for four touchdowns. Even though Countryside was the favorite to win, the Cougars never al-lowed the Bulls into the game, dashing the Bulls hopes of claiming their fi rst win of the season.

A week after the Cougars held Wiregrass to just six points, Countryside put in another dominating perfor-

Cougars refuse to losehaliKUDLER

sports editor

When watching a racing event, fans often take for granted when a car fl ips, catches fi re, or slams into a wall, and then driver walks out perfectly fi ne. It happens so often that sometimes fans forget about the dangers of auto rac-ing. Unfortunately, on October 16, 2011, a horrifi c crash at the IndyCar World Championship in Las Vegas reminded the world of the extreme risks of auto racing

On lap 11 of the fi nal race of the IndyCar season, di-saster struck. As Dan Wheldon headed into a routine turn, a massive multicar wreck broke out, and engulfed Whel-don, sending his car airborne at fi rst and then straight into a wall. Wheldon’s car burst into fl ames in a fright- ening scene and everyone was left to hope for the best.

Whel- don was a i r l i f t e d from his car, but died shortly after, the cause de-termined as a blunt f o r c e trauma to the head. � e race was cancelled, but the emotional driv-ers decided to give a fi ve-lap tribute to Wheldon. Whel-don was the fi rst IndyCar driver to die on track since Paul Dana in 2006.

Wheldon was born in Emberton, England, but lived in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was an IndyCar Series Cham-pion and a two time Indianapolis 500 winner. However, it was his great personality that made Wheldon stand out. Drivers loved Wheldon, and many were isn tears when his death was announced by IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard.

� e only positive that can be taken out of a tragic story like this is the hope that an incident like this will lead to improvements in the future. Obviously there is no way to completely take out the risks of racing, but changes need to be made to ensure better driver safety. � e crash has brought much needed attention to the dangers drivers face every sin-gle time they step behind the wheel, and hopefully will lead

Tragedy on the trackzacharySTEELE

opinion editor

mance against the Clearwater Tornadoes. � e Cougars held the Tornadoes in a scoreless victory of 35-0. � e defense held the spotlight holding the Tornadoes to just 150 total off ensive yards. � e Countryside defense held Clearwater’s quarterback, Rob Yarbrough, to just 100 yards through the air and 20 rushing yards for the night. Yarbrough came into the game averaging 170 yards a game that was slowed

by the stingy Cougar de-fense. � e Cougars dom-inated the Tornadoes to add a second shutout for the season.

On Friday October 28, the Cougars moved on to their next op-ponent, the Pinellas Park Patriots. � e game didn’t start well for the Cougars, as the Patriots jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead off a 30 yard run by Marquis Samuels. Trailing 14-7 at half-time, the Cougars rallied behind two touchdown runs by Diomi Roberts

to take the lead 21-14. In the fourth quarter, Roberts scored one more time on a

35 yard run to seal the game 28-21.In the fi nal game of the season on November 4, the

Cougars welcomed the visiting St. Pete High School and sent them home packing. Countryside dominated the game, holding the Green Devils to just 14 points, while scoring 28 unanswered points in the second half to secure the 41-14 win. � is win gave the Cougars their second straight Class 7A, District 9 title, and a perfect 10-0 sea-son.

Wheldon’s car goes airborne after a multicar pile up.

Photo credit ESPN.com

Adam Vinson, Zak Laursen, and Ryan Yates celebrate after a hard fought victory. Photo credit idreamstudios.com

Upcoming games:Date Opponent11/30 Palm Harbor12/06 @ East Lake12/08 Dixie Hollins12/14 @ Clearwater

Date Opponent 11/29 @ St. Petersburg12/05 Tarpon Springs12/07 @ Seminole12/09 East Lake12/12 Riverview12/13 @ Northeast12/15 Lakewood01/03 @ Clearwater01/06 @ North Port01/24,25,27 5A-8 District Tourney

Date Opponent 11/29 @ St. Petersburg12/05 Tarpon Springs12/07 @ Seminole12/09 East Lake12/12 Riverview12/13 @ Northeast12/15 Lakewood01/03 @ Clearwater01/06 @ North Port01/17,18,20 5A-8 District Tourney

Date Opponent 12/02 @ Pinellas Park 12/06 @ Northeast 12/07 Palm Harbor 12/09 Dunedin 12/13 St. Petersburg 12/15 Clearwater 12/16 Tarpon Springs 12/20-22 Port St. Lucie Tourney 12/27-29 Boca Raton Tourney 01/03 @ St. Petersburg 01/04 Pinellas Park 01/06 Seminole 01/10 @ Clearwater 01/11 @ East Lake 01/19 @ Sun Lake 01/20 Largo 01/24 @ Seminole 01/30 @ Dunedin 02/07,08,10 7A-10 District Tourney

Date Opponent 11/30 @ Seminole 12/01 Northeast 12.06 @ East Lake 12/08 @ St. Petersburg12/13 @ Dixie Hollins12/15 @ Pinellas Park12/16 @ Osceola01/03 @ Northside Christian 01/05 Clearwater01/11 Seminole01/13 @ Keswick01/19 @ Sun Lake01/20 @ CCC01/23 @ Largo01/24 @ Calvary Christian 01/26 PCAC Challenge

Girls Junior Varsity Soccer

Boys Soccer

Girls Varsity Soccer

Boys Varsity Basketball Girls Varsity Basketball

SPORTS 11

Varsity football remains undefeated. JV football goes 8-1 so far this season, in-cluding the one loss against East Lake High School.

Many great accomplishments achieved by Country-side High School’s sport teams can be blown off and never heard about; therefore, it is time to check back in with those teams and see how things are going.

Countryside champs conquer competitorsalexMILLER

staff writer

Girls’ swim and dive

team came in third at

the Pinellas County

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o cre

dit c

ount

rysid

eswim

dive

.com

� e volleyball team

has gone 10-14 so

far this season.

has gone 10-14 so

far this season.

� e boys’ golf team has earned a total of four fi rst

places and one second place in their matches so far

this year. � e girls’ have had fi ve fi rst place and one

second place wins this year; they have also won two

third place in their tournaments: one in the Mus-

tang Invitational and another in the Class 2A, Dis-

trict 11 (2A-11).

photo credit Kylee Strapp

Aquatic Conference with 267 points

and boys came in fourth with 233

points.

Boys’ cross country

has a total score of 77

points this year and

the girls’ team has a

score of 153 points.

photo credit sicksport.com

photo credit Elizabeth Mason

PAWPARAZZI 12

It is every athlete’s dream to be featured in the Olym-pics; however, for Ariel “Summer” Finke, it is reality. Ever since the age of six, Summer found her passion in the sport of swimming. Throughout the past nine years of her life she has worked her way up to the top of the charts, and has recently been asked to participate in the Olympic trials for swimming. Being a freshman here at Countryside High School, it is astounding that Summer has qualifi ed for the Olympic trials this soon in her high school and swimming career. Summer says that without her head coach, Fred Lewis, to look up to and for support she could not have made it this far. Her family also plays a vital role in her swimming ca-reer for her siblings, Autumn and Bobby, also take part in the sport of swimming. Above the other events, the 500 freestyle is her favorite to race; having a fastest time of 4:50-- An amazing feat considering that the girl’s national record is 4:33. “She’s a beast!” Says sophomore, Megan Kearns, “Her swim times are amazing! And she’s not only a fantastic swimmer, but she’s a really great person over all.” Recently, at the FLAG (Florida Age Group champion-ships) swim meet, formerly known as the Junior Olym-pics, on July 19th through July 22nd, Summer was ranked as one of the top sixteen fi nishers of her age group thirteen through fourteen; remarkably achieving fi rst in 1000 yard free style, third in 200 free, second in 400 Individual Med-ley, fi rst in 500 yard free style, fi rst in 1650 yard free and eighth in 200 yard back stroke). Summer Finke is consid-ered one of the best swimmers in the state of Florida. Even more so, she was titled the Florida Swimmer of the Year and is also the fi rst thirteen year old to qualify for Olympic trials out of the whole country. This straight A student has quite the future ahead of her- with hopes to go to the Olympics or possibly Col-lege swimming. In June 2012, Summer will compete at the Olympic trials in Omaha, Nebraska for a chance to be in the Olympics, taking place in London, England.

Countryside student turns

Swimming fi ve days a week and up to fi ve hours a day, Summer is practically part fi sh. Obviously, swimming at her level takes pure power and dedication, which Summer seems to have an abundance of. Now, realizing that the Olympic ring is only a few steps away, Summer must work twice as hard and believe in her self more than anyone else. We congratulate her on all of her hard work and wish her luck in all upcoming meets, as well as the trials.

The struggles of cancer include constant hospital visits, the loss of hair and the risk of dying. Cancer strikes 10,000 children each year, killing 1,500 of them. Cancer cannot only rob a family of their child, but it can put them through physical and fi nancial strain. Sydne Mushaben, a current sophomore at Country-side is a survivor of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and has been through the life changing events of being a cancer patient. Sydne was diagnosed December 8th, 2010 after being sick with mono. Studies performed in the United States and England have found connections between mono and Hodgkin’s lymphoma but remain inconclusive. Sydne has visited the hospital four times due to her diagnoses of cancer. Three times she spent Saturday and Sunday nights going through chemotherapy. The fourth visit, due to a fever, was for Sydne’s safety.. Sydne was one of the lucky teens who never got sick from undergoing chemotherapy. After receiving her fi rst round of chemo the cancer was almost gone. By the end of the third round Synde was considered cancer free. Therefore, she never needed radiation. Commonly associated with cancer patients is the loss of hair. This comes as a more diffi cult side effect to tackle because of the fact the other people can see it. Cancer pa-tients put a label on themselves based on the loss of their

hair and receive sympathy because of it too. Sydne lost some of her hair but not all. She did however wear a wig that was both stylish and similar to her own hair color. Wigs come in various cuts and colors, allowing patients to choose a style thats right for them. Sydne took part in the Dunedin Dulathon. The purpose of this event was to “showcase me and show people sur-vive cancer”, Sydne said. To promote her event her friends and family hung fl yers around the community and school. Another organization that has greatly impacted Sydne and her family was the Dream Fund. This organization, very similar to the Make a Wish Foundation, only its local and only for kids. For her 16th birthday they threw Sydne a special sweet sixteen at the Safety Harbor Spa. Her party consisted of load music and happy teens dancing. The par-ty was completed with a tiger and other exotic animals. As with any case of cancer, the disease effects friends and family almost as much as the patient. For Sydne her closest family, her mom and younger brother, had the hardest time knowing what Sydne was going through. Her dad however has other family members go through can-cer and knew more about the process and how to be there for Sydne. According to Sydne “my doc thinks I have the cancer jean like my previous relatives” since cancer runs in the family. Sydne now is a star on the varsity cheerlead-ing team. Sydne’s story is similar to many other teens. Although heartbreaking, knowing their success and triumph brings hope that one day cancer can be defeated.

Cheering for more than just football

______________________________________rachelWAAG

photo credit: http://oldnortheast.patch.com

photo credit: http://ww

w.fl ickr.com

staff writer

______________________________________abbyMILLSbusiness editor

than just football than just footballphoto credit: http://w

ww.fl ickr.com

ummer Finke, swimmer on the St.Petersburg Aquatics team, readies herself before the race.

photo credit: lifelong studiosydne poses in her Countryside Cougars Cheer-leading uniform.

S

S

Future Olympian

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Paw Print Newspaper Volume 33 Issue 2 2011-2012