1. education
2. graduate school
3. college

Hairspray: The Musical
Who: performed by a talented collection
of PVHS students
When: April 16 - April 18, 2015
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Where: PVHS Auditorium
Tickets are $15 for parents, $10 for
students, and free for teachers.
MISS PVHS
PAGEANT
Where: PVHS Auditorium
When: Saturday, April 4th
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
UPCOMING DATES:
April 3, 2015:
Student/Teacher Holiday
April 9, 2015:
Blood Drive
April 17-18, 2015:
Grad Bash @ 8 PM - 3 AM
April 25 - 26, 2015:
Relay for Life
SHARKFEST
When:May 16, 2015 @ 6-11 PM
Where:Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
Sharkfest is Ponte Vedra High School’s largest fundraiser of the year. This fundraiser supports
the 22 sports at PVHS. There will be 27 tables to
fill with guests, a sit down dinner, a silent and live
auction, and a band. The 2014 Sharkfest brought in
$110,000 to the Booster Club to support the teams
at PVHS. The goal for this year’s Sharkfest is more
than $125,000, over half of which will go directly to
the teams. The money previously raised has helped
maintain the gym floor, upkeep the fields, and fund
a new scoreboard for the stadium. The money raised
this year will go toward adding lights and stands
to the track, as well as draining on the main stadium field. If interested in attending, speak with
your designated sports team booster liasion to purchase tickets to the event. Individual tickets can
be purchased for $100. The PVHS Booster Club is
selling diamond sponsorships for local businesses to purchase.
PROM:
Prom will be held at the everbank stadium on
april 11, 2015, from 8:00 pm - 12:00 Am. Tickets can
be purchased for $60
Spring Testing Schedule:
March 30- April 2, 2015:
DDA Music, DDA Visual & Performing Arts,
DDA World History
April 6 -10, 2015:
DDA Single Semester Courses, DDA Creative
Writing, Academic Electives, Physical Education,
DDA Social Studies
April 13 - May 8, 2015:
FSA English Language Arts (9-11)
April 20 - May 15, 2015:
FSA Math (Algebra 1 & 2, Geometry)
April 20 - May 22, 2015:
State EOC: US History, Biology
SAT TEST DATES:
Test Date: May 2, 2015
Reg. Deadline: April 6, 2015
Late Fee Required: April 7-17, 2015
Location: PVHS
ACT TEST DATES:
Test Date: April 18, 2015
Reg. Deadline: March 13, 2015
Late Fee Required: March 14-27,
2015
3
National Merit Finalists
The National Merit Scholars from PVHS are Brett Greene, Elizabeth Bugbey,
Lily Norenberg, Sonia Samant, Rina Samant, and Emmanuel Stamatogiannakis
Students Compete At Science Fair
by Grace Kellaher
-Cassia and Charis Wang’s project was the “Prevalence of Beta-Lactamase genes in Oral Strep species: Molecular Analysis by
Polymerase-Chain Reaction.” The pair received the St. John’s County Medical Alliance award at science fair. Their project was conducted to find a gene that codes for antibiotic resistance in bacteria
in the mouth. They chose this subject because they learn a lot about
antibiotic resistance in Biotech, and wanted to incorporate everything
they’ve learned in Biotech into one project. Through their research
they wanted a solution to a big problem, which is increasing antibiotic resistance.
-Jordan Bartfield and Harrison Snowden’s project was “The Correlation between Working Memory Levels and Reading Comprehension
Scores and Paper Based versus Computerized Testing. The pair won
the American Psychological Association award for their outstanding
research in psychological science.
- Matt Hart and Matt Norton placed second at the regional science
fair, and are moving on to the state science fair. Their project was
“ The effects of the Bisplenol-A on the expression of insulin-like
peptides in Drosuphila Melanogaster.” When plastic is microwaved
theres’s a chemical in it that can leak, and they tested to to see if it
would increase production of insulin in fruit flies. The pair conducted
their project because they had read that the chemical can affect metabolic function, and they wanted to test it.
-Arman Tabassian’s project was “The Effects of Herbal Remedies
on the Growth of Bacteria.” He won the US Naval Research Award.
His project was testing spice solutions to see how they effected of
E. coli versus other bacteria. He chose this topic because he finds
herbology and pharmacology interesting areas of study, and a field he
might be interested in going into when he’s older.
-Steven Medarev and Steele Tarleton’s project was “Inducing E.
coli bacteria to produce spider silk.” The pair won the ASM Materials
Education Foundation award for the Best Materials engineering project
at the fair. Medarev and Tarleton’s project was inducing E. coli bacteria to produce spider silk by capturing a golden orb weaver spider,
extracting its DNA, and then taking the gene from the DNA, inserting
it into a plasmid, and using a heat shock treatment to transform the E.
coli, which would then be able to produce the protein that creates spider
silk once it accepts the plasmid. The two chose this subject because,
so far, no one has been able to use E. coli to produce spider silk that
is as strong as its natural counterpart. The applications for spider silk
are endless, as it has been proven to be stronger than steel by weight,
ductile, lighter, and can absorb more kinetic energy than materials like
Kevlar (which is used in bullet proof vests). Spider silk is also lighter
and stronger than carbon fiber, so it could be used to make stronger,
more efficient automobiles. Because of all of these practical applications, Medarev and Tarleton’s project would help increase the amount
of spider silk available to be used in all of the previously mentioned
ways.
-Adam Snowden’s project was “Using an Ultra Thin High Performance Sensor for Transdermal Analysis of a Pulse Wave Form.” He
received the US Naval Research Award, the Yale Engineering and Science award for an outstanding project in computer science, engineering, physics, or chemistry, and the Florida Power and Light Award. His
project was using a Raspberry Pi and smart phone camera chip to measure pulse rate, store it, and graph it. He then wrote the program that
analyzed the data. In the past he’s done electrical engineering projects,
but his interest has always been in medicine, so this project allowed
him to combine the two areas, and incorporate modern smart phone
technology.
4 Don’t break the bank when paying for college
by John Panner
Shortly after the excitement of
getting accepted into college wears
off, parents and students alike are
faced with the reality of paying
for it. Thankfully, there are numerous scholarship opportunities
that PVHS students can take advantage of to help mitigate the
cost of college. Students who will
be staying in-state can qualify for
the Bright Futures Scholarship by
maintaining a weighted GPA at 3.5
or above, scoring a 1290 on the
critical reading and math sections
of the SAT (or a 29 on ACT), in
addition to completing 100 hours
of community service. This scholarship awards $103 per semester
hour at a four-year college. The
Florida Medallion Scholarship
through Bright Futures awards
$77 per semester hour for students
who have a 3.0 weighted GPA,
1170 math and critical reading
score on SAT (or 26 ACT), and
75 community service hours. For
students who plan to go out of
state, there is a variety of other their counselor in order to have acscholarships differing in require- cess to view the available scholarments posted on Naviance. Se- ships. Additional scholarships can
be found on fastweb.com. Toyota
is offering a $15,000 scholarship to
students who create a 60-90 second
video demonstrating the importance
of safe teen driving and submit it by
Mar 16. The Delete Cyberbullying
Scholarship awards $1250 to the
top three students who write a 500word essay on how cyber bullying
has personally affected them or why
it is important to stop bullying online. The deadline to submit an essay is Jun 30. For seniors too lazy
to write an essay, The GotScholarship Giveaway awards $20,000
by Frances Keady
with no GPA, financial need, or
essay requirement. All that is reniors are encouraged to request quired is to apply by Feb 28 and the
their account information from winner will be randomly selected.
Amendments to the testing schedule
by Austin Taylor
G overnor Rick Scott issued a
in grades 3 through 10 are beginning to test now. Gov. Rick Scott
said he would drop the eleventh
grade English FSA test along
with banning the districts from
new executive order to take
away some testing in the state
of Florida. The students tell administrators that the given tests
are sometimes excessive and unneeded.
Now, the students “Along with this, he is urging district to
will have something their “interim” tests given throughout
to be happy about year”
as
superintendents
statewide have asked
higher officials to cut some test- giving their own final exams
ing. Gov. Rick Scott will drop for subjects that already have
the 11th grade English test. This an EOC, such as algebra and getest was part of a bundle of tests ometry. Scott also plans to take
called the Florida Standards away state requirements for cerAssessments (FSA), which is tain high school students take the
replacing the FCAT and even PERT (college readiness test.)
some end-of-course (EOC) ex- He is as well urging districts to
ams. Students who are currently take away their “interim” tests
given throughout the school to
see if students have been learning and progressing throughout the year. Although that this
might sound like music to your
ears, some of
his statements
take away
go against state
the school
law. For example, state law
requires
that
a majority of
a teachers review be based on
academic growth, just as some
tests are mandatory to see how
the student developed throughout the school year.
College Tours: Know before you go
College applications are a stressful part of
high school life, and the events leading up to
application submissions can seem overwhelming at times: research, discussion with parents,
meetings with a college advisor, and potentially college tours. All of these are important in a
student’s search for the right college, but one is
overlooked perhaps more often than it should
be. College visits can increase the appeal of an
applicant more than many people realize, give
students a good look at what the school is like
while in session, enable a student’s questions
about the school to be answered by a knowledgeable source, and allow one to more confidently determine if the school they’re touring
is a place they want to spend four years of their
life.
When a college visit is booked, the name of
the visitor is kept in the college’s admissions
office computer system (except in some Ivy
League schools). This is because when someone visits the school, it is considered “demonstrated interest,” something the school actually
considers when sorting applications. Demonstrated interest in a college tells them that a
student is more interested in the school and, if
accepted, more likely to attend than a student
who does not visit and may simply be applying to a particular college as a “safety school”.
A college’s yield rate (percent of students who
are accepted that attend) has an effect on their
prestige and planning, so the likelihood of a
student being accepted increases if the school
is confident they will attend when accepted.
Attending a college without visiting the campus first can end up being a serious regret.
Many colleges are not exactly what they advertise in the mail and online, and if something
about the school isn’t what a student expects,
the college experience can become more negative than positive. Location, the opinions of
Attending a college without visiting
the campus first can end up being a
serious regret.
the student body, and campus size/layout can
all create dissatisfaction if they differ from
what a new student was expecting. For example, someone who has lived in a city their whole
life may not enjoy a quiet college in the mountains, and someone who has lived in a rural area
their whole life may not enjoy the higher pace
of a city campus. Besides location, the size of a
campus, the proximity of buildings, the amount
of open space, the neighborhood surrounding
the school, and even architectural style can
help determine whether a school is right for a
prospective student. Some colleges’ student
bodies also lean fairly conservative or liberal,
and a difference of opinion can make spending
several years there somewhat difficult.
College tours should be scheduled while
classes are in full session, because for an appli-
5
by Cameron Rumsey
cant, seeing what the campus looks like while
students are around is important in making
the right decision. Students visiting in session
schools should seek to sit in on several classes.
Teaching style and student to faculty ratios in
certain classes can be make-or-break factors in
deciding where to attend. A college advisor and
college ads can only describe so much, and the
final judgment on whether or not the campus
life is a good fit is up to the applicant. The only
one who can decide if they like the school is
the applicant and looking around campus without parents around is another good way to get a
better feel for how you like the school. It’s also
helpful to ask students questions, as they have
attended the college and know what it’s really
like at the school. Inside opinions can reinforce
or change a student’s thoughts on a college,
helping them make the right decision.
After all the college applications are submitted and the results returned, colleges will encourage students they have accepted to come
for an extended visit on campus. During this
time, the schools that have accepted a student
will try to encourage them to attend there. This
can be useful, as spending a longer period of
time on campus provides an even better look
at the school and helps a student narrow down
their choices between schools where they have
been accepted. The usefulness of college visits
is often overlooked and with a full understanding of it, this usefulness can be used to one’s
advantage.
The Real Truth
Behind AP Courses
by Tom Snyder
At Ponte Vedra High School, Advanced Placement classes are
notorious for being the most challenging courses the school offers.
However, the teachers of these classes and the students in them may
have largely different expectations for the class, specifically regarding the AP exam.
All AP courses have a corresponding AP exam. At PVHS, students who take AP classes are automatically signed up for the exams
for those classes. Students who pass these exams may, depending
on the college they attend, receive college credit hours and be exempted from certain writing requirements. For example, at the University of Florida, students may receive credit for a maximum of
45 hours, with many classes contributing 6,000 words towards the
24,000 word writing requirement in the state of Florida known as
the ‘Gordon Rule’.
However, many students do not prioritize performance on the AP
exam, and are more focused on receiving a good grade in the class
as a whole. Junior, Kenny Murphy, said that “Although the AP exams are important, they are not nearly as important as the grade in
the class.” Senior, Dylan O’Shea, said “I definitely put more effort
into getting an A in my AP classes than passing the exam.”
Many top-tier schools, such as those in the Ivy League, do not give
credit for any passing score on AP exams, instead requiring students to
take the course at the college. Therefore, students often find it more important to focus on the grade received in the class, which, as AP classes
have a 5.0 weight, can drastically affect a students GPA and class rank;
both factors that greatly influence a student’s chance of getting into an
upper level university.
Teachers, in contrast, have a very different goal for their AP students.
Most AP teachers prioritize helping the students to prepare for college
classes and earning credit hours. Martin Hillier, the AP physics teacher,
wants “[His] students to be able to walk into a college physics course
and think ‘this is easy’,” and “to get his students college credit, saving
them time and money.” Paula Fryer, an AP Calculus teacher, stated her
goal was for students, “To pass the exam,” and to “inspire in [her] students a love and passion for calculus and engineering.” Furthermore,
AP teachers have part of their teacher evaluations based on the pass rate
of their students and receive a monetary reward for each student that
passes the exam, as does the school as a whole.
6
by Mary Grace Scully
HumansofPV
Democratic Dramatist
Hailing from New York, Cooper Gelb brings an eclectic energy to Ponte
Vedra High School. He claims to have enjoyed growing up in Ponte Vedra but
there are many things he wishes to change about the community. “It’s just too
Republican here,” states the vocal liberal.
As an avid supporter of LGBT rights, Cooper officiated the Gay-Straight
Alliance club at PVHS. It serves as a “safe space for all students to be welcomed and eat donuts and talk with other teens.” Cooper competed in the
inaugural Mr. Fintastic production this year and found the experience to be
to be worthwhile. His chosen fundraiser was the It Gets Better Project, an
organization that supports LGBTQ kids.
Cooper is involved in the International Thespian Society and has been
in several PVHS drama
productions. “I was going
to be in “Hairspray” but I
was a diva and dropped
out when I didn’t get the
part I wanted,” says Cooper. He enjoys acting but
has discovered he is more
interested in the technical
side of theatre. He jokingly adds, “I love the attention but know I’m not
good enough to pursue
acting as a career.”
In regards to life after high
school, Cooper plans on
attending New College of
Florida, DePaul, or University of Chicago. He
hasn’t decided a major yet
but is interested in studying Technical Theatre or
Political Science because
he is more than eager to
make a difference in politics for future generations and people without a voice.
Happy New Year
photos by Josh Daniels
Broadway-bound Brit
Chloe Ann Elizabeth Kramer, unlike most Ponte Vedra students, was not
born in the United States. She was born in Oxford, England in 1996 and shortly after moved to London. Her family then departed the UK and, “In 2000,
my family and I moved to Virginia because my dad got a new job there,” she
says. Both of Chloe’s parents are Episcopalian priests, a profession that often
requires constant uprooting and adjusting to new communities.
“I’ve been to about 10 or 11 different schools and have moved around eight
times,” she claims. This lifestyle is certainly a difficult one but she prefers
moving around rather than residing in one place or rather country, for an extended time. When asked if she could go back and permanently live in one of
the places she has in the past, she remarked that she would prefer to continue
exploring new places and move north instead.
Chloe is outgoing and talented in theatre. Her passions are acting and
singing and she can almost always be found in Mr. Kemper’s room. Chloe
scored the lead role of Tracy in the Ponte Vedra High
School musical production
of “Hairspray” and hopes
to pursue performing as a
career in the future.
“My dream is to be on
Broadway as I have grown
up loving Broadway plays
and musicals,” she excitedly says. Chloe has been accepted to her dream school,
Marymount
Manhattan
College, and recently had
her musical audition for
their theatre program. With
talent, spunk, and a great
school to learn from, Chloe
is destined for greatness in
New York and wherever
else her ever-changing path
leads her.
Year of the Goat
Ms. Li’s Chinese classes
celebrated the Chinese
New Year in February.
Chinese writing courtesy
of junior, Molly Schillig.
Professional identity creation
7
by Michael Swain
Many
students act
like teachers
have
existed
only in the
classroom,
and
are
there solely to grade
papers and
photo by
cater to evJosh Daniels
ery whim or
complaint of each individual student. However, contrary to popular belief, teachers have lives
outside of school, and most had
professions prior to entering the
realm of education.
Doctor Randall Blake, a chemistry teacher at Ponte Vedra High
School, was a general dentist for
thirteen years, but had to leave
his practice because of severe
back problems. After ending his
career as a dentist, Dr. Blake
was an executive in growth and
development at the Orthodontics Center of America for two
years until he decided that the
corporate world was not for him.
He then traveled with his family
for a year and homeschooled his
kids. It was during this time that
Dr. Blake discovered his love for
teaching, so, he re-taught himself
AP Chemistry so that he could
become a teacher.
Lee Gaul, an English and Business Law teacher, had multiple
professions before she arrived
at Ponte Vedra High. She was a
bank manager, a stockbroker, a
teacher in an intercity school for
five years, a rowing coach, and
she taught at Princeton as well
as a charter school in Louisiana.
Gaul then went back to school to
study law, and, once she graduated and became a lawyer, she
went to work defending a big oil
company in court in civil cases.
After practicing law with the oil
company for a while, Gaul decided that it was not for her and
chose to come back to teaching
because she really enjoyed it and
wanted to like what she does for
a living. She has taught at Nease
High School until Ponte Vedra
High opened, and has been here
ever since.
Doctor Karen Ford, a Biology and AP Environmental Science teacher at Ponte Vedra, researched molecular biology for
three years. She then taught and
continued her research at the College of Charleston until she left
to become a professional mom.
After her kids were old enough
for her to go back to work, she
went and taught at Pedro Menendez, but she decided to come
to Ponte Vedra because she was
informed by Menendez’s former
principle that Ponte Vedra was
the best school in the area. While
she enjoyed all of her careers, she
said that teaching at Ponte Vedra is
her favorite.
Dustin Latta, a Government and
Economics teacher at Ponte Vedra,
was a Lieutenant in the Navy in
charge of the training and the budget for four years. He left because
he didn’t want to stay in the Navy,
and, as of now, he teaches economics at St. Johns River Community College as well as teaching here, at Ponte Vedra. Latta said
that he liked being in the Navy, but
he likes teaching more because he
gets to be near his family.
Though it may not seem like it
at times, teachers are here because
they enjoy education. They had
many other viable career options,
but settled on teaching for both
their benefit as well as the benefit of their students, so do not take
their help for granted because
many can leave just as easily as
they came.
8
Habitat for Humanity
PVHS students get life experience from volunteer work
by Molly Voytecek
When I joined the Habitat for Humanity club at the beginning of the
school year, I didn’t know what to expect. I briefly entertained the notion of merely attending the meetings and being in the club picture, just
looking for something to add to college applications. Once I got more
involved in the club with my friends, I realized just how wrong I was.
This was not a club I could fake being in, I had to actually participate
and put in hard work. That was the mindset I had when I signed up for
my first HabiJax build.
As I heard my alarm go off on a cold January morning at 6:30, it was
all I could do not to roll over and “forget” about the build. With some
encouraging from my mother, I managed to get all the way to HabiJax
headquarters in Jacksonville. I joined the group of nine other Ponte
Vedra High School students, wide-eyed at the environment around us.
After the final checking of signed waivers, we were given our job assignment: laying sod at three different houses. At first, this task seemed
small, and we thought we’d be done by lunchtime. We were sadly mistaken.
We got to the first house and saw that we had our work cut out for
us. “Lawn” would have been an exaggeration of what we saw, a completely bare yard of dirt. With six pallets of sod standing before us, we
quickly got to work. In the beginning, we were full of energy. We sang
and laughed; cracking jokes about all the work we had to do. Ten club
PHOTO BY JESSICA READE
members from different grades and social circles became fast friends,
and I learned a lot about my fellow Habitat-ers that day.
After what seemed like an eternity, with sore backs and aching wrists,
we finished the first house and broke for lunch. We ate and with new
energy we moved on to the next house, which felt like more work than
the first. Eventually, we were mostly throwing sod at each other, (which
was a bad idea, because there is still dirt in the pocket of my sweatshirt.)
But we continued working; steadily laying down patches of grass to
create what would soon be the yard of someone’s brand new home.
Once we finished for the day, though, we felt thoroughly accomplished. In six hours we had completely sodded two houses (we never
got to the third), and turned a large square of dirt into a respectable
lawn. What made it even more satisfying was that we had done all this
for a great cause, and helped people who are less fortunate than we are.
Over the course of one day, I had made several new friends, because
you can’t lay that much sod and not become friends with someone, and
developed a certain fondness for this great organization, Habitat for
Humanity, where PVHS students have volunteered around 1,200 hours
since 2012, according to HabiJax. It was a truly humbling experience
and I’m excited for our next build.
Life is like a pallet of sod
by Grace Kellaher
In the three times that I’ve laid sod, the boring and strenuous
task usually leads to some choice thoughts on the task, usually
beginning with “What did I get myself into?” and “I’m never
doing this again” and “I really hate sod,” and ending with some
expletives. In my more recent encounter with the devil-incarnate
that is laying sod, my thoughts turned more philosophical. While
performing this monotonous chore, I realized that laying sod is a
really good metaphor for life.
Number 1: You’re going to have rough patches in life. Sometimes when you’re laying sod, the palettes that you’re given aren’t going to be so great. They can look pretty rough- mostly
dirt and bugs with almost no actual grass. It looks like it’s never
going to be nice and pretty like all the other sod. Life is like that
sometimes too. There will be times when life is going to hand
you something that isn’t very pretty, but like with sod, “lay” it
anyway, take care of it, and watch it grow into something great.
Number 2: Look out for “holes” in your life, and be sure to fill
them. Sometimes when you lay sod, the seams between rows
don’t always match up, and you’re left with holes. Most of the
time, these holes are hard to find, but they need to be filled in order for the sod to grow correctly. Just like you carefully look for
the holes in the sod, look carefully for any “holes” in your lifetoxic friends, bad habits, etc- areas where you seem to be lacking
or striking out, and “fill” them (get ride of the toxic friend, knick
your bad habit) so your life, like the sod, can “grow” together.
Number 3: Sometimes your plans “crumble.” When laying sod,
sometimes you come across a piece that just disintegrates as soon
as you pick it up. Sometimes in life you’re plans disintegrate
and don’t work out how you want them to. Like someone laying
sod, brush yourself off and move onto the next piece, as dwelling
on the crumbled piece isn’t going to get the job done any faster.
Number 4: Not everything in your life is going to be a perfect
fit. Although a majority of pieces of sod are cut to the same size,
there can still be outliers. There’s usually one or two pieces that
don’t fit where you want to lay them. You can’t force the piece
into the spot. The same goes in life. Sometimes things just
don’t “fit,” and you can’t force something or someone into a spot
where they don’t belong. Do what sod layers do, either adjust
the piece that doesn’t fit, or find a new one that does. No sense
in forcing something that isn’t ever going to work.
Number 5: Things might not look great at first, but over time
they’ll grow together beautifully. After you’re done laying sod,
sometimes it doesn’t look that great. The yard just looks like a
bunch of ugly green squares pushed together. Have patience
though, give the sod time and it all grows together into a beautiful, seamless grassy area. So when things in life aren’t looking
that great, give it time, because eventually, like the sod, things
are going to look up.
Triskaidekaphobia:
Fear of the number 13
by Jenny Norenberg
photo by Josh Daniels
experiencing
anxiety, avoid
travelling, making
business
investments,
or even getting
out of bed. The
study includes
statistics
that
show a 52 percent increase of
transportation
accidents
and
a loss of 800
million dollars
in
businesses
in the United
States alone on
a Friday 13 th in
1993. The psychologists who
worked on this
study attribute
these statistics
to the anxiety people feel, not the day
itself. Just like Franklin D. Roosevelt
said, “The only thing we have to fear
is fear itself.”
Paraskevidekatriaphobia is a combination of the fear of two things rooted
in ancient history: the ear of Fridays
and the fear of the number 13. The
fear of Friday stems from the Christian Bible story of Jesus’ crucifixion,
which occurred on a Friday. It is also
believed that Eve tempted Adam with
the forbidden fruit and let sin into
the world on a Friday. The fear of
the number 13 comes from a Norse
myth about a dinner party among the
gods. Loki, the god of mischief and
the uninvited 13 th guest, shot an arrow
that killed Balder the Beautiful, the
god of joy and happiness. The entire
earth mourned her death and has since
eared that number.
So this year those fearing this infamous day have three chances to face
their fear, or to just hole up in their
homes and try their best to ward off
the bad luck.
A
large part of human nature is centered around
fear. Some fears, however, are irrational and otherwise unlikely to come
true. Several students
at Ponte Vedra High
School have these kinds
of irrational fears. Freshman, Frankie Lukens is afraid of cockroaches
and sophomores, Sarah Graham and
Emily Lube are afraid of spiders and
stalkers, respectively. Math teacher, Ms. Blake is afraid of lightning.
More fears include being arrested for
no reason, driving across a bridge and
having it spontaneously crumble, and
even fearing a date on the calendar.
Since ancient times Friday 13 th has
been associated with bad luck and
misfortune. Usually only occurring
once or twice a year, 2015 will experience this date three times in February, March, and November.
Fear of Friday 13 th is known as
paraskevidekatriaphobia. A study
published by the British Medical
Journal states that on this day people
How are students spending money 9
Over the years, high school students have
developed a reputation for being notoriously financially irresponsible. However,
this begs many questions, does acting in a
financially responsible manner come with
age? Do students with jobs tend to spend
their money differently than those without jobs? To find out, a survey was conducted with 50 randomly selected students
“Do your spending habits
change when you’re spending your parent’s money as
opposed to your own?”
from each grade. Each student was asked
the question: “ Of the categories, food, entertainment, gas/car expenses, clothes, or
save, what do you spend most of your money on?”
After working up some statistics, it was
found that there is a significant difference in what students spend their money
on depending on their grade in school. It
was determined that, regardless of a student’s grade in school, most PVHS students
spend their money on food and very few
students actually save their money. However, of the students surveyed, it was found
that there are significantly more freshman
and sophomores that save their money than
students in any other grade. Additionally,
it was found that while 70 percent of the
seniors in this study reported that they have
a job, only 24 percent admit to paying for
their own gas and only 6 percent reported
that they save most of their money. On the
other hand, 26 percent of freshman in the
study reported that they save most of their
money while most are prevented from having a job by law. Regardless of grade, few
students reported that they spend the bulk
of their money on entertainment or clothes.
We next asked the question, “ Do your
spending habits change when you’re spending your parent’s money as opposed to your
own?” Not surprisingly, most students reported that they were more inclined to frivolously spend their parent’s money than
their own. For students at PVHS, it is much
easier to spend money given than money
earned.
by Matt Norton
90’s
Babies
taking a trip down memory lane
compiled by Nina Leroux and Abbey Parker
photos by Josh Daniels
graphics by Reece Dantin
T
elevision
The last generation of the 90’s babies are finishing high school. Very few people in
the upcoming generations will be able reminisce about the best television shows
that have aired, the funny clothing styles, or the fun toys and candy because they
will not remember the great times from 25 years ago. The class of 2017 is the last
class of 90’s babies. Sorry, freshmen are not able to contribute to this flashback.
This is what the 90’s generation at Ponte Vedra High School remembers.
G
ames &
what they watched
Sarah Snyder, 10th, remembers Kim Possible, Phil of the Future, and Rocket Power
T
oys
what they played with
Adam Snowden. 10th, remembers Super Soakers, Doodle Jump, and
Club Penguin
Paige Eastland, 10th, remembers Blues Clues, Sesame Street, Between the Lions, and
Dragon Tales
Gaby Estevez, 11th, remembers Skip-Its
Jude Kuhn, 11th, remembers Ed, Edd, and Eddy
Kayla Smith, 11th, remembers American Girl Dolls
Adam Snowden, 10th, remembers Power Rangers
Izzy Abril, 11th, remembers Polly Pockets, Barbies. Tech Dechs, and Play
Dough
Gaby Estevez, 11th, remembers Rug Rats, Amanda Show, Spongebob, Dragon Tales, Boy
Meets World, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Christian Kimball, 12th, remembers roller blades and Hot Wheels
Ansley Brigman, 11th, remembers Rollie Pollie Ollie, Calliou, Arthur, Clifford, Hey Arnold,
That’s So Raven, and Max and Ruby
Allie Reade, 12th, remembers Baribe Dolls
Kayla Smith, 11th, remembers Proud Family, Tellie Tubbies, Dragon Ball Z
Zak Patel, 12th, remembers Tamagachis and Moon Shoes
Jake Richard, 11th, remembers Code Name Kids Next Door, Cat Dog, Bob the Builder,
and Dexter’s Laboratory
Other Popular Games & Toys: Dragon Ball Z, Snake, Bratz, LEGOs,
Teksta Dogs, Pokémon cards, Yugioh cards, Hair-styling Barbie Head
doll, Magic Plastic Bubbles, Beanie Babies, Pogs, Skip-Its
Adam Snowden, 10
Izzy Abril, 11th, remembers Powderpuff Girls, Oswald, and Courage the Cowardly Dog
T
Allie Reade, 12th, remembers Rocket Power
echnology
M
Jake Richard, 11th, remembers Blockbuster and the RAZR phone
ovies
Christian Kimball, 12th, remembers bulky computers, bulky cellphones, and boxy cars
Zak Patel, 12th, remembers CD Roms and AOL Messenger
what was in on the big screen
Kayla Smith, 11th, remembers Zenon, Cadet Kelley,
Land Before Time, and Matilda
Other Popular Movies: Mulan, Mrs. Doubtfire, the Goofy
movie, Forrest Gump, Pretty Women, The Iron Giant, Small
Soldiers, Jumanji, Jungle to Jungle, George of the Jungle,
Bug’s life, Pocahontas, Johnny Tsunami, Parent Trap, Stuart
Little, Little Vampires, Doctor Dolittle, Sandlot, Mighty Ducks,
Home ward bound, Harriet the Spy, Osmosis Jones, Big Daddy, Jurassic Park, The Lion King
what the entertainment was
Izzy Abirl, 11
Other Popular Technology: VCR tapes, Myspace, Game Cube, Game boys, Amandaplease.com,
Nintendo
F
oodwhat they ate
Jade Kuhn, 11th, remembers Wonderball candy
A
pparel
what they wore
Ansley Brigman, 11th, remembers gaucho pants
Ansley Brigman, 11th, remembers Jawbreakers
Christian Kimball, 12th, remembers turtle neck sweaters and high
water pants
Zak Patel, 12th, remembers Ring Pops
Zak Patel, 12th, remembers heelys and snap bracelets
Other Popular Foods: Bubble Tape, Push Pops, Baby Bottle Pops, Gushers, Sprinkl’ins yogurt, Kid Cuisine, Squeeze-its, Lunchables, Easy-Bake ovens
Other Popular Apparel: mood rings, chokers, scrunchies, skorts,
butterfly hairclips, Reebox pumps, Fanny packs, parachute
jackets
12
by Austin Taylor
Watches of Ponte Vedra
A majority of us buy certain watches that appeal to our taste, and wear them with a purpose. We all have our reasons, whether
is it a fashion statement or it is just for function. Other reasons involve deeper thought such as a waterproof, keeping track of
the lunar cycle, and even a ultra light watch. At Ponte Vedra High, we have our own watch gallery, and we have decided to
take a look behind the showcase.
Jack Hart
Brand: Fossil
“Acts as a timepiece
and still looks stylish.”
Austin Reyes
Brand: Nixon
“It makes me look fly.”
Maddie Sypniewski
Brand: Fossil
“It matches my outfit.”
Cassie Moore
Brand: Michael Kors
“I can tell the time.”
Photos compiled by Austin Taylor
Gingers Have Souls
by Nicki Piccione
In society, redheads have always been considered to be “odd balls” since only two
percent of the world population can honestly say that their hair is naturally red. This
can prove to be an enviable condition for many though, because redheads have been
given scholarships based on the fact that they are considered to be a “minority”. As
a member of a minority population, redheads deal with the same sort of fascination
and stereotypes as any other minority group, and are even shunned and insulted in
some world cultures. However, in Roman art and culture, redheaded slaves were
held in high esteem. They were thought to be strong and determined and were more
expensive than other slaves.
Unfortunately, in history, redheads were among the 45,000 women killed between
1483 and 1784 for witchcraft. Red hair was believed to be one of the traits considered to be a specific witch mark. In old Christian communities, Judas was thought to
be a redhead and he was betrayed as this by many artists.
It has been suggested that red hair could have originated in Paleolithic Europe,
especially since Neanderthal, also had red hair. Red hair is a recessive genetic trait
caused by a series of mutations, which must be inherited from both parents to cause
the hair to become red. Consequently, there are more people carrying the mutation
for red hair than actually having red hair.
However, being a redhead has it benefits. Ginger hair retains its natural pigment
a lot longer than any other shade; it doesn’t turn grey when the person ages. Even
though redheads have less hair strands than brunettes and blonds, they are not exactly
going bald. Each strand of natural ginger hair is much thicker, giving the appearance
of having much more actual volume.
Five interesting facts about
redheads:
1. The Ancient Greeks believed that
after dying, a redhead would turn into
a vampire.
2. The blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe was naturally ginger.
3. Hitler ordered a ban on the marriage of redheads in an attempt to
prevent the conception of “deviant
offspring”.
4. Every year Breda, a city in the south
of the Netherlands, hosts a festival in
which thousands of redheads meet to
celebrate their fiery locks.
5. Lilith, the supposed first wife of
Adam, is said to have had red hair.
She was ultimately kicked out of the
Garden of Eden because she refused
to be subordinate to Adam.
I Can’t Title This What I Want 13
by Colin Hawkins
Chants of “Let’s go PV” blare through
the stadium. The student section is packed,
shoulder-to-shoulder, all the way to the
tiptop of the stands. Adrenaline and energy levels are through the roof for the fans
cheering on the boy’s soccer team as the
game comes down to a tight battle with only
minutes left. The referee makes a questionable call that leads to a goal against PVHS,
and the fans, being energetic, lively, and
supportive of their team, immediately begin
to debate the referee’s call. A student jumps
from his seat in disbelief, loudly voicing his
opinion in clean and respectful language towards the official, and after
he was done ranting, returned to his
seat where the parents and rest of the
student section all agreed with the
point he had just made. Moments later, a St. John’s County Officer called such
student out of the stands to where the Officer and Principal of PVHS were waiting.
Confused and unsure of why he was called
down, the student inquired as to why we
was called out to which the Officer and the
Principal replied that he was being disrespectful to the officials along with being too
loud. They told the student to calm down
before allowing him to return to the stands.
The whole talk seemed like somewhat of
a joke to the student. Being too loud at a
sporting event? Who had ever heard of such
a thing? He was simply being a fan, cheering for his fellow students while showing
some school spirit at the same time.
Rewind to Volleyball season. A total of about
fifteen students were cheering on the girls, supporting their friends and watching an entertaining game of volleyball. The same fan from
before was cheering in the student section and
showing his school spirit, before a different St.
John’s County Officer came out from the back
door with a look of pure anger on his face, called
the student out of the stands and into the hallway behind the gym. As soon as the door closed,
the Officer, with fire in his eyes and a longing to
yell at someone, began to verbally rip into the
student about cheering “too loudly” and being
enjoyable experience for those fans who
want to show their support for their team.
The idea of being “too loud” at a sporting
event is absolutely preposterous. The point
of going to sporting events is to cheer on
your team and show support by getting loud,
cheering the team on to victory. It would be
one thing if the students were getting thrown
out for being disrespectful, but in the PVHS
Sharks’ case, students have been only respectful towards the officials and shown
great sportsmanship. Respectful dialogue
with the officials is part of the experience;
have the referees become so sensitive to a little respectful hustling that
they resort to the use of force upon
innocent fans? The only factors
in this equation are high levels of
adrenaline, plus high school spirit,
resulting in hoarse voices.
If a silent section is what the officials want,
then students are going to not want to attend
the sporting events anymore, resulting in less
money being raised. But more importantly,
there will be no one in the stands to cheer on
the team. Even now students are beginning
to turn away from attending sporting events,
unsure of whether or not they will be punished for being “too loud” or showing “too
much support”. The student athletes greatly
appreciate the loud cheers of support coming
from the stands, and rely on them to provide
the will to prevail in tough competitions.
What will happen when students stop attending the sporting events?
“What will happen when
students stop attending the
sporting events?”
an “obnoxious fan.” After the tyrannical rant, the
student was allowed to return to the stands where
he continued to cheer and root on his team.
The sad thing is that a number of PVHS students go through the exact same harassment
simply for cheering on their fellow Sharks. It is
incredibly folly that students are being censored
at sporting events where they are supporting
their peers. That school officials, and even those
“school officials” that don’t actually work at the
school, are resorting to calling a Sheriff’s Deputy when the student section starts to show “too
much support” for their team, or when an individual student decides to get over excited while
supporting his or her peers.
Sporting events are supposed to be a fun and
Breaking
Rank
by Alex Bowden
ors or AP had added weight, the points must then be removed.
While some may wonder what statistics are considered in deWhile class rankings may not affect Bright Futures eligibilitermining class rankings, they are really simple. Class ranks are
ty, weighted GPA does. To be eligible for the highest level of
solely determined by GPA for both weighted class rankings and
Bright Futures (FAS), students must have a weighted 3.5 GPA
unweighted class rankings. In the weighted class rankings, honand a SAT/ACT score of 1290/29 or higher.
ors classes gain an extra .5 and Advanced Place“when a student
Many Florida universities require students
ment classes gain an extra 1 point to the number
transfers from a
fill out a part of their college application
determined by one’s grade in the class. Core and
elective classes are both viewed as classes, meandifferent county or with their high school class ranking. Varying they are equal to each other when the GPA of a
state into a St. Johns ing student compositions at different high
schools reduce the accuracy of measuring
student is calculate by the school for class rankings.
However, when a student transfers from a dif- County school, their class rankings. For example, a student in the
ferent county or state into a St. Johns County existing GPA may not top ten percent of their class at Ribault High
School may not be the same caliber student
school, their existing GPA may not be accurate,
be accurate”,
as someone in the top ten percent at Stanwhich in return could alter class rankings. The
ton College Preparatory School. Colleges mainly consider
administration has to accept the transcript that comes with the stuGPA, standardized test scores and difficulty of course schedules
dents, but has to transfer their current grades into the standard St.
for admission decisions, along with extracurricular activities.
Johns County grading scales, meaning if classes other than hon-
14
Even
Teachers Need to be Taught
by Trevor Rolison
Teachers teach us life skills and how to pass the the weight training teacher/coach at PVHS. When he
class, but they do more then inspire and drive us. But was in high school his offensive line Coach Aylwayl
who inspired the teachers that drive us? In this article was also his Physical Education (P.E.) teacher. Coach
the teachers at Ponte Vedra High School will tell us Conroy says, “ He really taught me to hold my self
their story of inspiration.
to a higher standard and push myself to do my best”
But some impacts can be negative, like what hapSome teachers have a longer impact then others and
pened to Mr.Rolison, the special needs teacher at Pon- that’s exactly what happened with Mrs. Dent, substite Vedra High School (PVHS). His sophomore alge- tute teacher. She loved all of her teachers but espebra one teacher Ms.Mitchell had a saying “Get on the cially her fifth grade teacher from 1945, Ms.Crowe.
Mitchell train or be left at the station,” Mr.Rolison “I loved literature and writing and she was a great
says that she hated him right from the beginning be- English teacher and really helped me become a betcause she taught
ter student,” says
his older brothMrs. Dent “I think
ers, which hapI have always
pened a lot with “...as I got called up I shook her and whispered wanted to be a
his
teachers.
‘In your face’ in her ear.” teacher ever since
According to
I was little. When
Mr.Rolison, he
ever the other
ended up failkid from around
ing her class and when he did she told him, “I would the neighborhood and I would play school I always
never accomplish anything in my life” which moti- wanted to be the teacher.”
vated him so much to prove her wrong. So in the next
Not many people can say there math teacher had
year he completed algebra and at graduated she was a big impact on their life, but they never had “The
on the stage and Mr.Rolison said, “this was probably elder”. When Ms.Gaul was in High School her math
the worst thing I have ever said to a teacher” says teacher Ms.Gormley, also known as “the elder”, “She
Mr.Rolison “as I got called up I shook her and whis- inspired me to be a teacher, because she was so fabpered ‘In your face’ in her ear.”
ulous, and gave me such a good foundation in math
Every athlete knows that probably one of the biggest that she really made me in to a great student,” says
impactsa person can have in your life is your coach Ms.Gaul “She was consistant, smart, dedicated, and
and that’s exactly what happened with Coach Conroy a great role model and constructor.”
Please Support the
Tiburon
460 Davis Park Road
Ponte Vedra, FL 32081
(904) 547-7350
[email protected]
Editor in Chief
Brett Greene
Production Manager
Grace Kellaher
Sports Editor
John Panner
Photographers
Drew Dalton
Josh Daniels
Graphic Design Editor
Reece Dantin
Copy Editors
Emmanuel
Stamatogiannakis
Mary Grace Scully
Page 2 Editor
Tess Reiman
Advertising Manager
Alex Bowden
Associate Editors
Mary Grace Scully
Michael Swain
Ryan Wiele
Matt Norton
Abbey Parker
Advisor
James Johnson
The Tiburon accepts editorial
comments on all relevant issues from students, staff, and
members of the community.
Letters to the editor must be
accompanied by a signature.
The Tiburon reserves the
right to edit letters for length,
clarity, and factual accuracy,
but will not attempt to alter the meaning or intent.
Opinions of The Tiburon
editorials do not necessarily
reflect the views of the Ponte
Vedra High School administration, St. Johns County
Public Schools, or the St.
Johns County School Board.
The advertisments of the
products or services in The
Tiburon do not imply endorsement by either The
Tiburon or the St. Johns
County School District.
The Tiburon is a student
product of the Journalism classes at PVHS.
Play for May
by Alex Bowden
15
Sharks eyeing return to state title game
Photo by Josh Daniels
The Boys baseball team is off to
a 2-3 start this season, with wins
against both St. Augustine and
Baker County. In a recent game
against Baker County, Senior Kenny Donaldson pitched four innings, giving up three hits and two
walks, along with two strikeouts. Junior infielder Hunter Hallstrom
went two for four on offense with
two RBIs and scored two runs as
well. Senior catcher Trevor Hancock and Junior infielder Jack Layrisson also had a multi hit game.
After seniors LHP Jackson Johnson
(Tulane) and infielder Max Miller
(Duke) graduated, the team was left
without two of its offensive and defensive stars. Head coach Tom Stanton responded with “we’re pretty
SENIOR, AARON MANTIA SPRINTS
athletic top to bottom. We have four
around the bases.
to five guys that everybody wished they
had on their staff.” This year’s pitching staff doesn’t consist of one or two guys. Coach Stanton commented that they have eight or nine pitchers to throw. “The staff has a mindset to go
out, throw strikes, and not give up any walks,” Junior right handed pitcher Griffin Berger said.
After a season with double the amount of walks from the 2013 state championship season,
one focus is to reduce the number of walks. “We like to run a lot,” Stanton said, and having
seven stolen bases in two games supports this.
March is a big month for Sharks baseball because they play nine games in eleven days,
including two tournaments. “We prepare for tournaments how we prepare for any other
games,” junior catcher Nathan Rollings said. After spring break, the bulk of district play
takes place. The Sharks have three weeks of two game series with Clay, Menendez and
Palatka High Schools.
It is simply too early in the season to make post season predictions, but the team has long
fostered the saying “play for May” and surely the sharks will give it another shot.
Softball team off to hot start
by Corey Palmer
The Ponte Vedra High School girls softball team got off to a promising start to their
season by beating Flagler Palm Coast 8-4.
The team moved on to score a win at home
against Fletcher, a game highlighted by senior,
Morgan Podany’s out of the park home run at
the top of the fourth inning. After suffering
JUNIOR, CLAUDIA COTTO AT
the plate.
a disappointing loss against Bolles, the girls
softball team moved on to beat Fletcher 11-4
in a game played at Fletcher, creating a current
season record of 4-1. The team then suffered a
devastating loss at Pedro Menendez, losing the
game 13-3. “We are a very close team and even
though that was a disappointing game for us,
we still kept our heads up and knew we would
turn things around in our next game,” said senior, Allie Cantalupo.
This belief in their abilities lead to the Girls
Sharks dominating both Palatka and Ridgeview,
16-1 and 15-3 respectively. A clear standout of
these two games was junior, Maddie Sypniewski, who proved to be a valuable asset to the
team playing third base. The team then moved
on to play a challenging game against Bishop
Snyder and in spite of their valiant effort lost
5-2. However they were quick to bounce back
after the disappointing loss and beat Palatka 7-6
at home, creating a respectable season record
of 7-3.
16
Sprinting to new records
by John Panner
The Sharks track and field team is warming up for what they hope to be a great
season. Under the leadership of new head coach, Zane Guile, the Sharks are
looking to run and jump to new heights. On Feb 12 the team competed at the
Thursday Night Spikes event hosted at Bartram Trail High School. Ke’von
Ahmad, freshman, took first place for the men’s 100 meter dash, with a time
of 10.9 seconds, setting a new school and freshman record. Ahmad also took
first place and set a new freshman record in the men’s long jump. Andrew
Dalton, junior, placed second in the men’s 110 meter hurdles with a time
of 18.34 seconds. Gavin Gresham, junior, placed second in the 1600 meter
run while junior, Andrew Kessler, came in first during the 3200 meter run.
The girl’s performance was headlines by Nicole Greene, senior,
who took first place in the female long jump. Other notable performances include freshmen Catherine Bridgewater and Alexis Rickman placing third and fourth respectively in the 100 meter hurdles.
The North Florida River City Invitational on Feb 21 at Mandarin High
School was headlined by sophomore, Madison Santore’s first place finish
in the girls 3200 meter dash B race, while teammate and fellow sophomore, Abigail Moritz finished three seconds behind her to take second
place. Senior, David Jones, placed third in the men’s pole vault, while
Ahmad took first in the 100 meter dash. Each member of the team will
look to improve before the next meet on Mar 13 at Creekside High School.
Photo by Rick Jones
SENIOR, DAVID JONES soaring over the bar in the men’s
pole vault
The ballin’ boys of spring
by Abby Reimer
The Ponte Vedra Boys Lacrosse team
has always been a dominant team in not
only Northeast Florida, but around the
state as well. Making it to the Final Four
four times in the existence of the school’s
eight years has only become an expectation for the well-rounded team. Although
the team is heavily packed with seniors
who are slated to go on further and play
in college, only adds hype to the 2015 season. Starting with a 8-0 record, there are
only good expectations for more to come.
Key players include senior attack-man
Miles Silva and junior attack-man Quinn
Larson who have dominated the field.
Coming off an easy win of 19-4 against
Bartram hopefully that win will carry on
to another dominant performance against
the IMG Academy which will be played
tonight at Ponte Vedra’s home stadium.
Photo by Josh Daniels
A very confident sophomore attack-man,
Reid Smith, reports “We’re state-bound”. SENIOR, ERIC APPLEGATE winds up
to take a rip
You can’t touch this
by Colin Peaks
The Ponte Vedra High school girls lacrosse set the ball rolling on another ambitious season after their loss to one of
the most talented programs in he country
in Vero Beach High School, in the state finals by the way. This season the girls return
many of the core group of players to their
lineup such as Junior Emma Dotsakis, but
lost major contributors Abby Walker (University of Massachusetts) and Erin Woods
(Bentley University). Despite these losses,
the girls kicked off their season with a win
over Oak Hall and have only lost to Vero
Beach. With blowout wins over district
rivals Creekside and Nease High school,
the ladies maintain a lot of confidence as
they head into districts. This is an amazing lacrosse team with an equally amazing
work ethic. The lady Sharks will definitely be a team to watch for the state title if
they can get over the hump of Vero Beach.
Girls tennis preparing to make a racquet
Photo by Josh Daniels
by Colin Hawkins
The girls tennis team is warming up in hopes for another great
season this year. The beginning of the season has proved a bit of
a speed bump for the Lady Sharks, leaving them 2-7 on the year
so far, but the ladies will be sure to be prepared for the district
tournament at the end of the season. After the loss of some key
starters last year, senior veteran Eliza Green is going to have to
raise the intensity and help push her young team to some hard
fought victories through the course of the year. With the help of
a strong freshman newcomer, Alyssa Hensley, the Lady Sharks
have a deep starting line-up, necessary in order to win matches.
Coming off an impressive season where they were the district
runner-ups, the Lady Sharks look to improve upon this status
and move on deeper into the tournament. Green, having played
line one since she came on the team as a freshman, has a lot to
offer the young Sharks and will look to lead by example and
experience in this upcoming season.
Having only four returning players from last season, this
year’s team is full of many new faces and new talent in the
starting lineup. But new faces could mean less experience in
playing and closing out tough, deciding matches that could
determine the fate of the outing between the two schools. This
experience only comes with playing time and leadership from
a well-seasoned captain, and if it comes to this, then Green fits
the picture perfect match. Leon High School from Tallahassee
came and visited the Lady Sharks in one of the first matches
of the season, and it proved to be a battle. All of the lines were
hotly contested, but Leon was able to pull out six of the total seven matches, leaving Eliza Green the lone victor for the
Sharks. As we get into the middle of the season, the girls must
be working hard in order to be able to perform at their highest
level if they wish to do well at districts.
SENIOR,
17
ELIZA GREEN PREPARES to return a volly.
You’ve been served
...Boys tennis orders you to the court
by Robert Saavedra
The boy’s tennis team is off to a hot start in this years campaign,
suffering only one loss thus far. After the loss of key players
Hampton Callaghan and, former Player of the Year, Hank Hill, the
Sharks are relying on younger talent to step up and make an impact. Led by the dominant play of junior, Ethan Van Voorhis at line
one and the strong play by freshman, Cole Gordon at line three has
the Sharks clicking on all cylinders. The Sharks started the year
with five straight strong whippings against the likes of Creekside,
Bolles, and Bishop Kenny amongst others. The swinging Sharks
now sit at a 5-1 record after suffering a tough loss to a very talented Leon team. This year the boys hope that they can continue the
dominance that Ponte Vedra tennis fans have experienced over the
past few years and make a run towards that coveted state ring. The
Sharks still have some major games at home against the likes of
Bishop Snyder, Fletcher, and others.
Photo by Josh Daniels
JUNIOR, HUNTER LAW WINDS up to hit a
forehand in a tough fought match.
18
by David Jones
Jax Armada sinking the competition
There is a select group in Jacksonville, FL, who are aware of
the birth of a new team and the bringing of a new professional
sport to the town. The concept of the addition of an eleventh
team to the North American Soccer League (NASL), brought
the opportunity to Jacksonville. The North American Soccer
League awarded the 2015 expansion team to Jacksonville at a
meeting in Dallas in July of 2013. Mark Frisch is the owner of
the Armada, founder and CEO of Sunshine Soccer Group, and
also the executive vice president of Beaver Street Fisheries/Sea
Best. Through his dream and push for the team, he gave the
Jacksonville fans the chance to show their support for the team.
But, as the team gears up for its spring season, how many
people really know about the team? Students at Ponte Vedra
High School were given the simple question: What is the Jacksonville Armada? Responses varied, as those who know of the
team were confident saying: “the club soccer team new to Jacksonville”; and those who didn’t had some abstract guesses like:
“Wait is that like the symphony thing?” “Isn’t it like the naval
ships downtown?” and even from one student “Oh! I’ve heard
the name, is that like the Jaguars replacement?” No, no it is not.
As the team grows in popularity after having completed their
first game against MLS team Philadelphia Union, and winning
3-1 for the nearly fourteen thousand fans that were in attendance, the team is making strives to be welcomed into the community, supporting many local businesses and teams. The Ponte
Vedra Boys Soccer team was asked to come down on the field
following the opening game for the team, as well as a few other
local club soccer teams, and the seniors of the team were given
the opportunity to go to a lunch with the players of the Armada
before the next home game. Making such moves displays a few
of the ways the team hopes to be accepted into our community.
The regular season not having started yet, and the matches
played so far only being preseason, the team gears up for their
opening regular season game here at Everbank Field on Apr.
4 against FC Edmonton. They are looking forward to playing
more preseason games at Community First Park at the Baseball
Grounds of Jacksonville in preparation for the opening match.
For those whose interest is growing, the team has the website www.armadafc.com that offers deals on tickets, as well as
the schedule, roster and much more. Tickets for single matches
coming up start at $14 per seat, and by calling 1-844-2-ARMADA the staff will answer all other questions and inquiries. Another option for viewing the matches is group tickets, available
with a 10 seats or more purchase for an individual match, are
currently available for all Armada FC 2015 season home matches. You can save up to 20% compared to single match ticket
pricing by purchasing group tickets.
The new team looks for support and hopes to fit into the community, all the while taking the game of soccer to a whole new
level for Jacksonville. As the teams’ support starts growing, our
city won’t want to miss the new revolution of sporting events in
here fueled by the incredible play of the Jacksonville Armada.
Wrapping up wrestling season one match at a time
Senior night against Nease High School
wrapped up a successful regular season for
boys wrestling. As was expected, senior, Michael Swain ended with an outstanding 24-7
record and was in a great position for the
district tournament as were other major contributors; junior, Tony Giordano, junior Zach
Gregory, and sophomore, Taylor Montroy.
The boys wrestled very well and sent close to
everyone on the team to regionals. There were
Photo by Josh Daniels
by Colin Peaks
three second-placers; junior, Tony Giordano,
sophomore Taylor Montroy, and sophomore
Jack Fox. Senior Michael Swain took third in
a very hard 145 lb weight division. Sophomores, James Stanton and Marshall Frye as
well as junior, Zack Gregory all placed fourth
at the district tournament.
JUNIOR ZACH GREGORY READIES to take
down an opponent.
KEEPING
IT POSITIVE
BRETT GREENE
19
The value of gratitude
(and a first for this column)
This column normally takes a negative
approach. I analyze, I criticize, and I complain. However, because it is March, acceptances have been sent out, and the end is in
sight, I’ve run out of angst. I have nothing
left to whine about. On that somewhat defeated note, I have decided to write about
something positive. At Ponte Vedra High
School, we have many things to be thankful for–sunny skies, shiny cars, and finally
functional urinals, among others–but, in my
mind, our school’s most valuable asset is our
human capital. I’ll dismount my high horse,
step down off the soap box, and say it plainly: teachers of PVHS, you’ve killed it these
past four years.
I think it’s notable that in four
years of writing for the Tiburon,
I’ve never once felt compelled
to whine about a teacher. There’s
simply no justification; I can honestly say that I have not had a bad
teacher at this school. I certainly prefer some
to others. There are some whom I disagree
with, and some whom I exasperate, but ultimately, none I can write off as bad at their
jobs. This is a testament to our late founding
principal’s talent for placing the right people
in the right positions and to the motivating
effect that our young school’s culture has on
our teachers. None of the teachers I’ve had
have been complacent; none rest on their
laurels, confident in their 90+ percent AP
pass rates. The older teachers are constantly watching for curriculum updates or the
latest legislative wrench to be thrown into
our smoothly running machine. The younger teachers experiment with new tests, new
lectures, and new material, and ask students
for feedback, making us feel like we play an
important role in the entire process beyond
that of a knowledge sponge.
Competence, or even excellence, in teaching, however, does not an excellent teacher make. All of my teachers at PVHS have
functioned as role models of some sort, to
me or to other students.
From some, I have learned the value and
efficacy of kindness. These teachers will al-
low their rooms to erupt into conversation
occasionally, confident that they’ll be able
to steer the class back towards the topic at
hand. There are those who never raise their
voices, and are generous with deadlines and
with their own time. Teaching high school
students, and especially seniors, is never
easy, even at a high level, but these teachers
manage to do so without losing their heads
and without taking personal offense to jokes
and quips. They are humble, and, when their
class strays too far and they do have to put
students back in line, the extreme rarity of
their anger makes these admonishments carry much more weight than if they were every-day occurrences.
cient use of the resources that the school offers. They’ve begun using student-made and
presented PowerPoints as review tools for a
year’s worth of material. This integration of
computers and independent learning into the
classroom is just one example of teachers at
PVHS constantly striving to improve.
I haven’t agreed with every teacher I’ve
had 100 percent of the time. There are those
who drive their students to look critically at
both the world around them and the course
material itself. The information they teach in
class helps students to form their own opinions and theses, and the debate-like nature
of classroom discussions, whether formal or
informal, demands that students do. Every
new fact or concept students learn
opens the door to new discussion,
and each discussion drives them
towards a higher level of understanding.
All this time learning has taught
me one thing about the nature of school. It’s
clichéd and overused, but it’s also ignored:
namely, ignore everything someone tells
you about a particular teacher before you go
into a class. Since before my freshman year,
I’ve received countless warnings about one
teacher or another. Other students have told
me that teachers are difficult, unreasonable,
don’t know their subjects, or are simply bad.
Without fail, on each of these occasions, I
have realized later in the year that my preconceived ideas about a teacher were partially or (more often) entirely wrong. I cannot
emphasize this enough. Teachers I have been
told I would hate have ended up as some of
my favorites. Teachers I was told were bad
at their jobs were, without a doubt, both
knowledgeable and effective at relaying that
knowledge. A student’s success in a class depends far more on the work of the student
than that of the teacher. For all I know, the
opposite may be true at other high schools.
Perhaps somewhere, teachers are criticized
because they really do have deficits in their
knowledge or issues with their teaching
styles. Here at Ponte Vedra, however, there
are no bad teachers.
“I’ve run out of angst.”
I’ve had teachers who are sterner as well.
They were as effective as the nice teachers,
and offered another valuable life lesson:
there are rules, and no one is exempt from
them. Stern teachers tend to be older, and
they teach every subject. These are the teachers no one dares to cross, for fear of broken
fingers or wetted pants. The fear factor in
these teachers’ classrooms sharpens students’
focus until there is no room for boredom or
distraction.
The major dichotomy in education these
days is between knowledge and comprehension; what you know, and what you understand. Some teachers have taught me how to
improvise (read: BS) when I have a knowledge deficit. Others have shown me that
sometimes, there is no substitute for doing
the reading.
It’s probably also worth taking a moment
to apologize to some (all) of the teachers I’ve
had. I wasn’t the
easiest student to have in class, but my teachers looked past this to focus on the actual
business at hand. In other words, thank you
for putting up with my crap.
Some teachers are notable for their effi-
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PONTE VEDRA BEACH,
FL
PERMIT NO. 283
Ponte Vedra High School
460 Davis Park Road
Ponte Vedra, FL 32081
T h e T i b u r o n P a t r o n s
$250 - $500
The Parker Family
$100 - $250
The Rumsey Family
$25 - $100
The Kellaher Family
The Stamatogiannakis Family
The Scully Family
The Voytecek Family
The Robinson Family
The Reiman Family
The Russi Family
Become a Tiburon Patron
__ $10 - $25
__ $100 - $250
__ $25 - $50
__ $250 - $500
__ $50 - $75
__ $500 - $1000
__ $75 - $100
Name:__________________ Address:__________________
(Make checks payable to PVHS)
Phone:__________________
Mail to 460 Davis Park Road
Ponte Vedra, FL 32081
904 547 7350
Fax: 904 547 7355