By: Rhonda Chagan Editor In Chief
Friday night was wonderful! Advisers and students celebrated the first year of our school paper by meeting at the Olive Garden on Cypress Gardens Boulevard in Winter Haven, Florida. Delicious dinners and delightful conversation made for an unforgettable evening. The bar is set high for next year’s!
By: Rhonda Chagan Editor In Chief
Friday night was wonderful! Advisers and students celebrated the first year of our school paper by meeting at the Olive Garden on Cypress Gardens Boulevard in Winter Haven, Florida. Delicious dinners and delightful conversation made for an unforgettable evening. The bar is set high for next year’s!
This gallery contains 8 photos.
Stand Your Ground Law Irrelevant to Trayvon Martin Shooting.
By Bobby McDonald
The Trayvon Martin shooting is currently making headlines across the nation. This tragic story has caused the “stand your ground” laws to come under attack from anti-gun zealots in the media, the government, and elsewhere. The media and others are reporting that the stand your ground law must be changed; that it is a “license to kill.” The Pasco police department cites the law as the reason George Zimmerman has not been arrested. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Claims that the Florida law is a “license to kill” are either uninformed opinions or flat out lies. The law reads, “(3) A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with forces, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony. (Florida Statutes, Section 776.012).”
Basically, this law means that while a person is someplace he or she is legally allowed to be, such as a park, grocery store or anywhere other than another person’s private property, and are attacked, then that person is allowed to defend his or her life or the lives of others.
The second part of the law outlines provisions in cases of violent home invasions and carjacking. Since this shooting did not take place in a home or car, it does not apply.
There are currently two conflicting versions of the events in the Martin shooting. Some witnesses report Zimmerman as the initiator of violence while other witnesses report Martin as the attacker. Either way, the Stand Your Ground law does not apply.[This may be why the special prosecutor indicted Zimmerman on April 11. -Ed.]
Let’s examine the two conflicting versions of events put forth by witnesses and see how the law in question pertains to both. If Zimmerman was the attacker, the law provides no protection for him as the law only covers the victim. If Trayvon was the aggressor and was, as some eye witnesses report, straddling Zimmerman while attacking him, Zimmerman had no ability to retreat. Therefore, the law does not apply. What does apply is a completely different law. The Florida statute which is relevant is statute 776.032, which states that a law enforcement agency “may not arrest the person for using force unless it determines that there is probable cause that the force used was unlawful” (Florida Statutes Section 776.032). This Florida statute simply restates the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which forbids arrests without probable cause. The Pasco Police Department is blaming the wrong law! Former Senator Durell Peaden and Representative Dennis Baxley, two lawmakers that helped craft the law, said that it did not apply to the Martin shooting. “There’s nothing in the Florida law that allows him to follow someone with a d*** gun,” said Peaden. Peaden went on to say, “He has no protection under my law.”
The right to defend yourself from an attacker is self-evident. No one needs to explain to me that, if attacked, I can fight to save my life! This is a natural right of all living beings. Would anyone question a dogs’ right to bite his attacker when attacked by another animal? Or should people now be protesting gazelles for kicking the lions trying to eat them? Of course not, no reasonable person would witness an animal, or human, being attacked and then blame them for fighting back. Yet, this is exactly what happens to many victims of violent crime who defend themselves in states which do not have stand your ground provisions. They regularly face imprisonment and civil law suits simply for defending their lives! Do humans have fewer rights than animals? Roughly half of U.S. states have provisions similar to Florida’s stand your ground law. In states which have no stand your ground provision, a person has a “duty to retreat when attacked if able to do so.” This may sound reasonable to some, but let’s take a closer look.
What does, “duty to retreat” really mean? It means that if a burglar breaks down your front door, you have a legal responsibility to run out the back door. If, while in your car, a criminal threatens violence to steal your car, you must give him the keys, even if you are armed, and hope he doesn’t kill you anyway. Does that sound just?
I make no judgment about the Trayvon Martin shooting. I don’t know yet if George Zimmerman should go to jail or not. It has yet to be proven which of them was the initiator of violence. I am waiting for the forensic autopsy report to come out. It should answer at least one question. Was Trayvon on top of Zimmerman when he was shot? The trajectory of a bullet fired up into someone sitting on a persons’ chest will be vastly different from the trajectory of a bullet fired from another position. Why has the media not mentioned that? If the bullet trajectory does not match Zimmerman’s account, and the accounts of witnesses who corroborate his account, then I will be the first to call for his arrest. I do, however, without apology, believe that a person is innocent until proven guilty.
The real question is this, what type of world do you want to live in? Either, a world where the natural right of all persons to defend their lives from those that would do them violence is acknowledged by the law, or a world where victims become criminals for not allowing themselves to be hurt or killed by their assailants? I prefer to live in a world where people are not jailed for defending their lives. A world where laws, like the stand your ground law, focus the moral spotlight where it belongs, not on the victim of, but rather on the initiators of violence. Those calling for the repeal of the stand your ground laws are, presumably out of ignorance of the law, calling for the repeal of people’s natural right to a self-defense. The choice is yours.
Sources.
Kopel: Debunking the ”stand your ground” myth. David Kopel, The Washington Times.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/apr/2/debunking-the-stand-your-ground-myth/
“Stand Your Ground” Authors Say Law Doesn’t Apply To Trayvon Martin Shooter”. NBC Miami. http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Stand-Your-Ground-Authors-Say-Law-Doesnt-Apply-To-Trayvon-Martin-Shooter-143684626.html
Master Bubba
By Rosemary Reynolds, News Editor
His only lessons, conducted by his father, were at the age of ten years old. From his hometown of Bagdad, Florida, he has now proven that he has the potential to don the green jacket of The Masters golf tournament. “Bubba” Watson, featured in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings, is one of the few players who can hit a ball over 350 yards with a top speed of 194 mph. All of these statistics are obtained by one of the very few left-handed players in professional golf.
On April 8, 2012, a very emotional Bubba accepted the legendary green jacket of The Masters. One of the four major tournaments in professional golf, The Masters is held every year at the same location in Augusta, Georgia. Many traditions surround this experience, including a Champions Dinner every Tuesday before each tournament, and an honorary tee shot by past champions on the morning of the first round.
No one, especially Bubba, was expecting the turn-around that occurred at the final hole of the game. Deep in the woods, standing in a thick blanket of pine needles and surrounded by tall pine trees, Bubba not only managed to strike the ball towards the fairway but only ten feet from winning the tournament. It was an honor to witness his outstanding ability by watching him on television on April 8th. Not only was it Easter, it was also my mother’s birthday. What a memorable Masters!
Immediately after winning, Bubba remarked, “I’ve never had a dream go this far, so I can’t really say it’s a dream come true. . . I got in these trees and hit a crazy shot that I saw in my head, and somehow I’m here talking to you with a green jacket on!” Tiger Woods, major golf champion and four-time winner of The Masters, was “intrigued how a guy who has never had a coach could make the ball move any direction he wanted.” Bubba claims that he doesn’t know how it happens; he would only like to “be me and play golf.”
Composed of four PGA golf champions (Rickie Fowler, Ben Crane, Hunter Mahan, and Bubba Watson), the “Golf Boys” band has recently created a popular music video titled “Oh Oh Oh.” It has presently received over 3,560,000 views and can be seen on YouTube at http://youtu.be/PM2NocuEihw. In the video, Bubba holds a striking resemblance to Mork (Robin Williams) of Mork and Mindy, one of my favorite old TV shows. The behind-the-scenes feature for the music video is particularly entertaining and can be found on YouTube at http://youtu.be/m-XasXBt5t8.
Works Cited
“Watson Masterful in Playoff Victory.” Fox Sports. Microsoft, 9 April 2012. Web. 9 April 2012. <http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/Bubba-Watson-wins-Masters-playoff-over-Louis-Oosthuizen-040812>
A Review of The Hunger Games
By Sara Stegman
With reviews already pouring in, The Hunger Games has quickly become a phenomenon that many are comparing to the Twilight Saga. But is it worth going to see?
For those who have not read the books, The Hunger Games is set in a post-apocalyptic future where what’s left of North America has been divided into twelve districts and one capitol. Each year, the districts must send one boy and girl, chosen by a “lottery” selection, to the capitol to participate in an event called the Hunger Games where they are paraded through the city, dressed up and interviewed, and then forced to kill each other on live television. The story itself is about a girl named Katniss who volunteers to take her sister’s place in the games.
As someone who had read the book beforehand, I found the movie an absolute delight since it stuck to the original storyline and brought all the characters to frighteningly real life. However, for someone who has not read the books, the movie might be slightly hard to follow at first.
Overall, the movie sported amazing acting as well as wonderful effects that complimented rather than smothered the movie. There is also plenty of action, and, yes, a love-triangle does start to develop; however, there are also violent scenes that you may not want a young child to see.
A Review of Mirror, Mirror
By Sara Stegman
Mirror, Mirror is a fresh new take on the classic story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs where it is Snow White herself who finds she has to save everyone from the evil queen, with the help of her new friends — the dwarfs, of course.
This is a movie that surprisingly can be enjoyed by the whole family with plenty of humor that both children and adults can enjoy. There are also plenty of recognizable faces in the cast who, as a whole, did a wonderful job at bringing their characters to life on screen.
Save for a few cheesy moments in the film, there’s a wonderful twist where it’s the princess who saves the day. Mirror, Mirror is truly a must see for families or anyone who just enjoys a different way of getting to the happy ending.
By Rosemary Reynolds, News Editor
The Polk State College Fine Arts Program presented an outstanding rendition of William Shakespeare’s classic, The Taming of the Shrew on March 28th through April 1st. Starring in the play were Polk State College students Leisa Englert (Katherine), Chelsea Glass (Bianca), Danny Villnow (Baptista), and Baron Leon (Pertruchio). The performance was directed by Mark Hartfield, whose admirable dedication is evident in the final product.
Beginning a humorous plot for the play is the introduction of two sisters: spiteful Katherine and beautiful Bianca. Their father, Baptista, will not allow suitors to woo Bianca until Katherine has found a husband (who must, in turn, tame her). During the buoyant play, Shakespeare’s illustrious humor can be found woven into the script. Polk State College Fine Arts students, donned in colorful attire, portray excellent characters of the time.
At the Sunday matinee, I only noted two small mistakes with the dialogue. However, I was delighted to find that some of my favorite phrases from the play, Gremio’s “married to hell” and Katherine’s “unabled worms,” were preserved in the Polk State College performance. Taking everything into account, the students did a marvelous job with their first Shakespeare play. I look forward to attending Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park and William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Richard the Third in the Fall 2012 semester. Bravo!
Complete List of Cast and Crew:
Performers
Leisa Englert – Katherine Minola
Chelsea Glass – Bianca Minola
Danny Villnow – Baptista Minola
Baron Leon – Petruchio (suitor of Kate)
Charlie Sigler – Grumio (Petruchio’s servant)
Christopher Todd – Lucentio (suitor of Bianca)
Sam Hunter – Biondello (Lucentio’s second servant)
Michael King – Hortensio (suitor of Bianca)
Austin Thomas – Gremio (suitor of Bianca)
Michael Defelice – Vincentio
Sara Keilty – The Tailor
LaPassion Webster – The Haberdasher
Alec Gomez – Nathanial
Marguerite Berrios – Curta
Devon Maver – The Widow
Bobby McDonald – The Pedant
Madison Dill – Peter, Ensemble
Christa Barber – Ensemble
Tiffant Nystrom – Ensemble
Technical Team
Paul Carbonell – Producer and Set Design Concept
Mark Hartfield – Director
James Sharp – Technical Director and Lighting Concept
Ben Selser – Assistant Technical Director
Nick Judy – Scenic Artist
Sydney Reynolds – Stage Manager
Jessica Glover – Assistant Stage Manager
Phil Spangler – Sound Board Operator
Leah Gardner – Light Board Operator
Leah Bartholomay – Poster Design
Theatrical Production Class:
Carmen Andrade
Miguel Corona
Richard Marceau
Drew Rotolo
Nadine Sampson
Brandi Whitten
Alec Gomez
Leah Gardner
Jessica Glover
Syndney Reynolds
Charlie Sigler
