Graduating Top 10

By MacKenzie Craig

Competing with schools all over the county, Sickles FFA went to the Florida State Fairgrounds to show their wonderful barnyard animals. Livestock, such as pigs, cows, sheep, chicken, and rabbits, are taken to show. Judging is done one of two ways: showmanship, the ability to control ones animal; or breed, the focus on certain qualities of an animal such as structure, fat content, and meat quality. “Students through school are chosen to go to competition based upon how well they can maintain their animals’ health,” Senior David Morrison said. “However, all are encouraged to go as long as they have an animal to show and can pay the entry fee.” Preparation for competition can be quite challenging. “There are many things for competitors to remember, supplies, their record book, how students record the progression of their project, and facts for a ‘skillathon,’ which is competition based on the knowledge of species one decides to show,” Senior Josh Dedabo said. “Not only must a competitor have a solid knowledge of their breed, but each animal must be clipped and cleaned beforehand making the livestock look as clean and presentable as possible.” “The best part of the fair is being able to spend time with your friends that you show with,” Dedabo said. “Also, splurging on some fair food and the experience you gain and learn from the fair.”“It’s something I never really thought I’d do,” Morrison said, “and when I actually get the opportunity to interact with the animals it’s almost an unreal feeling.

Walter L. Sickles High School7950 Gunn Hwy. Tampa, FL 33626

The Gryphon GazetteSpring Break IssueVolume 16, Issue 5

By Ryan Walsh

Advanced Placement (AP) classes are college-level courses. They’re specifically designed to challenge students and push them to work their hardest and reach their full potential. After two grueling semesters of homework, multiple choice practice, and Free Response Question writings, these students put it all on the line when they take their AP exam in May. This year, the Hillsborough County School Board has instituted a separate, county-mandated exam that will be given alongside the national AP exam for all social studies classes. Although mandatory for science AP classes since 2006, never before has this been applied for social studies. AP U.S. History and American Mosaics teacher Cynthia Robinson has been at Sickles since

the day it opened. Content with the previous system, she is not enthusiastic about the new changes for her department. “I believe they’re just giving the test for no reason,” Robinson said. “All students, but specifically juniors, are burned out by the end of the year. Having two final exams for one AP class is too much added stress.” It has been shown that juniors are, in fact, impacted by these exams the most, as juniors on average take the highest number of AP classes in a year of any grade. Junior Julia Krems can attest to this. Krems is currently enrolled in four AP

classes this year, and she plans on taking on another five her senior year.

“Students taking multiple AP’s can’t handle this extra burden,” Krems said. “Teachers should do what they can to try to get this reversed.” Since Krems is taking two social studies AP’s, she will have two extra exams to study for along with the county exams already in place. Freshmen are preparing to feel the added pressure as well. With many of them taking AP Human Geography, they’ll have to study for another AP exam. Freshman John Dickey is feeling the pressure. “I find Human Geography pretty challenging, and I’m sure that the county exam will be really hard as well as the AP one,” Dickey said. Dickey went on to explain how he felt that the new test is unnecessary, and only leads to an increase of pressure on his fellow freshman taking the class. As of now, the county is still requiring the extra examination, but many teachers are pushing for it to be eliminated.

County Exams for AP Classes

FFA Goes to the Fairgrounds

Kelly Wittel7.04

Studying for two AP level exams at the end of the year can be too much stress for students to handle.

Senior siblings David and Devon Morrison show their pigs at the Florida State Fairgrounds swine competition.

Stephanie Erickson6.72

Nicole Smith6.38

Kelsey Gemmill6.36

David Piatt 6.32

Amanda Kissoon6.26

Amanda McDade6.24

Meesha Mobley 6.17

Casey Cook 6.13

Amanda McDade6.08

Page 2 Spread

Caladesi Island is another getaway beach that is separate from Honeymoon Island where everyone goes. In order to get to the island you must get on a private boat for twenty minutes, for the cost of $14 . Visitors who come to this beach enjoy hiking trails, fishing and boating. The most popular activity Caldesi Island is known for it’s three-mile mangrove shaded trail that you can kayak for a small fee.

Caladesi Island

Fort De Soto beach consists of seven miles of beach located in Pinellas County. It was rated Tampa’s number one beach for the second year in a row, according to Trip Advisor. Canoes and kayaks are available to rent as well as beach chairs and umbrel-las if you plan on staying at the beach all day. They also allow RVs to park and stay overnight and use tents to camp out.

Fort De Soto

Sand Key

Spring Break Beach Destinations

Sand Key is a 95 acre park that also includes a beach. It’s right down the street from the main circle of Clearwater and is more tranquil to spend the day at the beach. Visitors are able to cookout on grills in the park and rent bicycles or kayaks for the beach. A salt marsh is located here with benches to observe the nature at the park. Senior Nicole Leonard says, “I love Sand Key, the water is really nice and the beach is really clean.”

• Comfort Suites Clearwater bay is located across the street from Sand Key Park, and their rooms start at $129 dollars a night. This hotel is near the Dunedin stadium and Pier 60 for activities nearby.

• The Best Western Yacht Harbor Inn is 1.8 miles away from Caldesi Island that has rooms running $114 dollars a night.

By Alyssa Fedorovich

Tips on brightening up your Spring Break Spring break is a time for parties, beaches, and tanning. But you don’t want to end up in the house all week because you got ground-ed for doing something stupid or got an aw-ful sunburn because you didn’t care to pack the necessities. So here are a few helpful hints to help make the best of your Spring Break.• Bring lots of sunscreen and aloe vera. You may think your invincible once you set out towards the beach, but this is Flor-ida; the sun is vicious, and you don’t want to stay indoors all week nursing fried skin.• Don’t put all of your eggs in one bas-ket. Meaning, don’t keep everything valu-able (money, identification, credit card, keys, photos of your loved one, etc.) in one place. Spread them out and keep them hidden. One of the top vacation killers is losing your wallet. • Keep your phone in a sandwich bag; it

sounds silly, but you won’t be laughing when you go in the water, forgetting that your phone is in your pocket, especially for guys. Just put your phone in a plastic bag and take it out when you need it. This prevents it from getting damaged and is a great alternative to leaving it in a bag where it can fall out or get stolen.• Make reservations! Do not wait un-til the very last minute to book a hotel be-cause then every place will have no vacancy, and you’ll be forced to stay at a one-star ho-tel with a sketchy motel suite and a creepy concierge. Same thing applies to restaurants! • Keep an extra of everything. Have an extra towel, bottle of sunscreen, pair of shoes, bathing suit, and clothes handy on you. Think of it as a Spring Break first-aid kit. You never know what could come up, and you don’t want to be left out in the sun bare naked on the beach

because some college kids thought it would be funny to pull a prank. “I love Spring Break. It’s my favorite time of year because we get a break from school and it’s warm enough to spend time at the beach getting tan,” Sophomore Sara Matthews said. “I would hate to have my week ruined be-cause I got a bad sunburn or lost my wallet.”

By Stefanie LeRiche

Let me tell you why it’s ironic for me to write about tanning. I have red hair and pale skin that freckles just by walking outside, so I don’t even tan! You may be asking yourself why the staff would make me write the tanning tips. I think it’s for the sole fact that they know I will never be able to achieve a tan myself, so instead, I can help you achieve your tans. Get your bathing suit ready, and head on outside it is time to tan with Taylor.1. Be safe-Don’t lie out in the sun for hours on end without reapplying sun block every few hours or so. The hottest part of the day is between 10 to 2, so try to avoid going to the beach during that time. “Skin is sensitive, you will burn. We live in Florida!” Sophomore Elisa Al-damuy answered when asked about tanning.

2. Use sun block-An ideal SPF for tanning is 10-15. SPF 10-15 will protect skin from dangerous rays and allow the tan to build gradually, which prevents sunburns or a reddish tan. Esthetician Renee Rouleau said, “Apply sunscreen in forgotten areas: hairline, ears, tops of feet, toes, eyelids.”If you go in the water don’t forget to reapply when you get out.

3. Drink lots of water- After being in the sun for a couple of hours, your body might become dehydrated. Make sure to drink a ton of water pre-tan and post-tan.

4. Moisturizing is a must- Try to moisturize twice a day. You want to keep the skin hydrated so that the tan lasts longer! Don’t use moisturizers with per-fume! Cocoa and Shea Butters are recommended.

5. Pucker up- Don’t forget about your lips. Lips have no melanin, so they will not tan. Go to a drug store and pick up a chapstick with built in SPF.

6. Even tanning- Alternate between your front and back. Try lying on your stomach for 30 minutes and your back for 30 minutes for up to two hours.

7. Wear sunglasses and a hat- Being out in the sun too long can have an ef-fect on your eyesight later on in life and can dry out your hair.

8. Dress appropriately- Wear light colored clothes that are loose fitting. This helps to reflect the light and keep the body cool. If you want to control your tan, Rouleau suggests wearing clothes with built in SPF. “Most shirts offer only 5 to 9 SPF whereas sun protective clothing can offer up to a 10-15 SPF. “

9. Do it yourself- Don’t have time to go out and tan? Bronzers and tinted body lotion are a great alternative. The best part is most drugstores like CVS and Walgreens sell them for about $10.

10. Have fun- Bring a group of your friends and make a whole day out of going to the beach. “I like going tanning with my friends because they keep me company, and I don’t have to be alone. I also enjoy listening to music while I tan. It’s so relaxing,” Sophomore Rachel Matko said.

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Taylor’s Top Ten Tan Tips

Senior Christina Linton is an aspiring artist in the surreal realm of artistic drawing. Beginning to draw at a young age, she found art to be her pas-sion. As a child, Linton had a fascination with dinosaurs, especially T-Rex’s. With this inspiration, she would draw the creatures over and over again until it was just to her approval. “I drew them everywhere: paper, walls, tables,” said Linton. “One day somebody complimented me on it, and it made me feel really good so I never stopped.” Linton goes far beyond what the typical high school student would draw of landscapes, people, or objects. Rather, she finds herself indulging in the visualization of the mysterious. “I love the unknown, like monsters and aliens and everything you used to dream of as a kid. That’s what I like to base my artwork around.” With support from her family and friends, Linton continues to draw. Hoping to follow her dream and do what she loves, she will be attending The State College of Florida in Bradenton on a full ride for softball. There, she will be studying art as her major.

Student Spotlight

By Taylor Amore

By MacKenzie Craig

Don’t forget to reapply every forty-five minutes, burns take longer to heal!

Tanning oil is great if you want some color fast! It still has an spf to pro-tect your skin, but it makes you bake in the sun.

The honeymoon causeway is a great place to go to for tan-ning; there aren’t a lot of people on the beach and you can even pull up your car!

Spring Break is the time for going to the beach. Bring friends and make a whole day out of it.

Volume 16, Issue 5 Arts and Entertainment Page 4

HoroscopesPisces- Your break will be outstanding! Things for you will shine bright, and you’ll have fun in the sun. Don’t worry about a thing, “’cause every little thing is gonna be all right.”

Taurus- It’s time to take a break. It is well deserved, so kick up your heels and relax. Go tanning, be a beach bum, or just relax by the pool side.

Cancer- Hang back and just think today. Focus on your future, because it may be closer than it appears. Thinking is very productive, and can lead to great things.

Capricorn- You feel trapped. You need to get out, but how? Well, try to find something that makes you happy. Surround yourself with it, and just let all of your problems melt away.

Scorpio- You are about to have really bad luck. Be cautious and know your limits. Do not press your luck. The stars are not aligned for you this month.

Aquarius- Be happy! Times are turning up and all your worries will disappear. Now get ready for the break of your life. You deserve it! But make sure not to take advantage of it.

Gemini- Take your time doing things. It’s all about quality, not quantity. But be careful with your time management. Make a plan so you don’t end up missing a deadline.

Sagittarius- You might not feel like yourself today, but that’s okay. Everyone gets in a funk every now and then. Just relax, take a deep breath, and try to think positive.

Leo- Don’t let people get to you. If someone presses your buttons, just take a deep breath. The last thing you want to do is fight with someone over something insignificant.

Aries- Watch out for anything out of the ordi-nary. Times are changing, and it’s good to look out for what’s to come. As for Spring Break, be weary and cautious.

Libra- You have someone in your life that is causing you grief. They are ruining great things for you. Cut them out immediately before they get too attached.

Virgo- Your life is like a game right now- and even if you’re not winning, you’re having a blast. Try to let go of any serious concerns that have been pulling you down.

Jake Russell, PrincipalDeanna Bunch, Adviser

(813)-631-4742 ext.258

MacKenzie Craig,Editor-in-ChiefRyan Walsh, Managing EditorTaylor Amore, Opinion Editor

Stefanie LeRiche, Entertainment EditorAlyssa Fedorovich, Features Editor

Daniele Mendez, Online EditorDelanie Mobley, Advertising Manager

Giovanna Bovera, Staff WriterAaron Pitcher, Staff Writer

The Gryphon Gazette Staff

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