Volume 65 Issue 2 - Fort Myers High School

New faces turning green!
New teachers and administrators join the Green
Wave family
By Jelise Singh
Who are these people and where did they come from? They
are the new addition to the Green Wave nation. FMHS has
14 new teachers for this school year. The new faculty members
have a wide range of talent. Several were able to take
a few minutes from their busy schedules to share a little of
their backgrounds.
Biology teacher Roxi Bradway attended University of
Nebraska and Arizona State University. Mrs. Bradway was
an Assistance Strength Coach at
both UN and ASU. Mrs. Bradway
was in the Airforce as a Fitness
Program Manager. She designed
the conditioning workouts for her
athletes. Her achievements are
unique and are certain to be the
first of their kind at FMHS.
Another addition to the staff is
Mr. Rod Gadson. He was born
in Fort Myers and is an alumni
of FMHS. After high school, Mr.
Gadson attended Syracuse Uni-
versity on a football scholarship.
His football accomplishments are
amazing and will be highlighted
in a future issue.
Angela Grant, a graduate of “Ole Miss” received her B.A.
in art history and minored in studio art. Mrs. Grant joined
FMHS, because she not only has a daughter in Pre-IB, but
she was thrilled to be a “Greenie.”
The new TV Production teacher, Kelly Metivia, attended
Central Michigan University. She anchored and reported
for NBC2 and ABC7 news stations for over seven years
before joining FMHS. Ms. Metivia coaches the JV cheerleaders
after school.
The new Assistant Principal for Student Affairs, Mr. Stewart,
was a physics and chemistry teacher. Mr. Stewart loves
to play his guitar, golf and fish during his free time.
Mr. Charles Escarra teaches Pre-IB Algebra and SAT
Math. He attended Edison College and the US Coast Guard
Academy. Mr. Escarra is, “enjoying the school spirit,” of
Rod Gadson takes over the
Athletic Director position.
Mrs. Grant shares the art of New Orleans painter,
George Rodrique with her art students.
New Assistant Principal,
Mr. Stewart, is excited
about being a Greenie.
FMHS and he assists the boys cross country team.
Other new teachers include: Dr. Jed Kline, Mr. Mark Drew, Mrs. Anya Pence, Mrs. Stephanie
Kelly, Mrs. Angel Zollars, Mrs. Vivian Santiago, Mr. Bryan Goidosik, Ms. Julie Smith,
and Mrs. Bobbi Watkins.
The new faculty members bring knowledge and talent which they will share with their new
Green Wave team.
Academic Awards
and Honors
Senior Liam Corkell: Star Student of the Month
The first Star Student of the Month Award
went to Tidal Wave News Editor Liam Corkell.
Now, how does one become a Star student?
Each teacher nominates one of their students
that they feel has displayed characteristics
that best represent FMHS. Perseverance, academic
integrity, and overall responsibility are
what teachers search for in students when they
submit a name for a chance to be selected.
All the students that were nominated are examples
of what every student at FMHS should
aspire too, and each is of equal qualification.
So to allow every nominee a fair shot at the
award, a students name is drawn at random
from all the nominees, and this month’s winner
was Liam Corkell.
Liam says, “To be the recipient of this award
is truly an honor. I always strive to achieve
Liam Corkell
the best results from al my endeavors and this
event only serves to motivate me to push forward
with confidence and success.” Liam is
an IB senior, News Editor for the FMHS Tidal
Wave, and a member of the Green Wave Music
Department. Liam says that his true calling
has always been for history. He intends to
go on in life to be a history professor after his
college education is complete.
SPECIAL FEATURE: Affecting Student Health
ACL injuries are a constant threat to young athletes
Three Greenies sidelined by painful knee injury
By Emily Campbell
This year at FMHS many Green Wave athletes
can be seen limping around the halls.
Perhaps the most popular injury is an ACL,
(Anterior cruciate ligament) tear. Greenies
Dylan Difalco, Matt Yance, and Colton
Ely have all experienced this injury while
playing their sport. However, they are all
sure they will be back to 100 percent.
Matt’s injury happened during a
basketball game where he fell on his
knee, and had someone else fall on
his leg. The pain was instant, and the
only thing running through his head
was the thought “Can I play again?”
He had to undergo surgery, and wears
a brace around his knee for the healing
process of six to eight months.
Dylan Difalco tore his ACL playing
football, and similar to Matt the
pain was instant. He also was hoping
throughout the healing process that he
could return to his sport. Unfortunately,
he won’t be recuperated in time for
football this year, but he can be seen
cheering his team on from the sidelines.
Colton Ely had a different story than
his fellow athletes. Like them, he tore
his ACL during a soccer game, but he
did not have surgery. Colton went through a
different process with stem cell research. He
speaks very highly of the process, and suggests
it over surgery. When he felt the pain
near his knee, he said he first reaction was
“I’ll be back playing tomorrow, no big deal.”
As everything played out, he was wrong.
Stem cell research is an upcoming alternative
to surgery. For Colton, the doctor began
with blood. The blood was then placed
with the extracted growth platelets and
added to human growth hormone, which
serves the same purpose of a steroid. The
mixture was injected back into his ACL.
Colton’s doctor has had a 100 percent
success rate, and has also helped his patients
return to the sports they love to play.
One in 3000 people will tear their ACLs
during their lifetime. This statistic would
confirm what Colton said, “My injury
was more of a freak accident. There
was no way I could’ve prevented it.”
The tear occurs when the foot is planted
firmly in the ground, and the knee pivots,
Diagram shows the location of the vulnerable
ACL.
twists, or overextends. When torn, the way
the knee operates adjusts to create pressure
on the meniscus and articular covering
of the femur and tibia. Therefore,
many ACL tears are closely accompanied
by a torn meniscus, like Dylan’s injury.
Minor ACL injuries can go unnoticed at the
site of the tear, but within a few hours, intense
pain and swelling with begin to occur. Even
with a slight tear, the knee will feel unstable,
and frequently give out. The severe tears
have immediate pain, and right when the
tear occurs, a popping sound can be heard.
After the injury, an athlete should have
two goals for recovery. One being to mini-
Job hunting takes persistence
Young workers face tough competition
By: Samantha Hullstrung and Molli Collins
Many high school students feel enormous
stress and tension when the search begins for
their first job. Activities such as academics,
sports, clubs, volunteering, and other extracurricular
activities make it difficult to fit a
part time job into the schedule. Some parents
encourage their children to get jobs to
prepare them for “the real world,” but many
teenagers want to take the initiative and earn
their own spending money.
According to The Nation Magazine, 26.1%
of adolescents from 16 to 19 years old are
jobless and searching; adults in the labor
force are also unemployed due to the economy.
This increases the level of difficulty for
teenagers competing for jobs against more
experienced workers. Recently, the McDonald’s
Corporation held a job fair in Cape Coral.
Over 400 people showed up for 26 available
positions. According to MSNBC, future
job opportunities will also be in jeopardy if
students do not start working in high school.
Summer and holiday jobs are
typically the most convenient
for full time students, however,
many adults are now taking the
jobs that were traditional beginning
jobs for teenagers.
Students often look forward
to working during the winter
break. Most retailers hire additional
help to handle the increase
in holiday shoppers. It
is not too early to start looking
for those jobs! “Competition is
tough, and in today’s economy
it pays to plan ahead,”
advises The Nation Magazine.
Nailing a job interview takes
persistence and enthusiasm.
Resume-Resource.com recommends
showing excitement and
gratitude towards the interview-
Greenies sidelined: Dylan Difalco, football; Colton Ely, soccer;
Matt Yance, basketball.
mize side to side difference, (left leg vs. right leg) in the muscle mass
and strength. The second should be to minimize different motions between
legs, and difficult athletic maneuvers. Recovery is just as important
as the surgery, or healing process. Physical therapy is vital, and the full
recovery takes six to twelve months. ACL injuries are often the kiss of
death for athletes, causing them to miss their season entirely in most cases.
ACL patients should remember that after they have their surgery they
must make every effort to increase their strength and flexibility in the injured
knee. Weakness in the knee can be easily eliminated by strength exercises,
but if ignored, future surgery will be required to fix a stiff knee.
ACL tears are difficult to prevent, and are rare. However, if an ACL tear occurs,
the patient must take action quickly to avoid pain for the rest of their life.
Julia Leal and Lauren Levitt work parttime
at The Polo Store.
ers. Another important step is following
up after the interview, showing commitment
and initiative. It is beneficial to
follow up with a letter of thanks to reassure
the interviewer of qualifications and
interest in the job. Julia Leal, a Junior at
FMHS, obtained her job at The Polo Store
through extreme persistence, “I went in
several times after applying to follow
up.” This method worked for Julia; she
has worked at Polo for six months. When
asked how she felt about her job, Julia replied,
“I love my job!”
School is the number one priority for
most teenagers, but there are also many
relevant reasons to get a job. For example,
teens with unemployed family members
may work to help pay the bills. MSNBC
says students are also trying to earn money
for college. Additionally, parents encourage
their children to obtain jobs as better
preparation for adulthood.
Students can be positively effected by
jobs. Not only will it increase their work
experience for the future, but it will motivate
them to stay in school and attain
the skills they will need to succeed later
in life.
“Vampires Suck”
Vampires Suck is yet another movie from “the parody
guys.” This movie parodies the ever-so-loved and ever-so-hated
Twilight series. Being their tenth parody, it
is clear to see that with each installment, they run out
of good material. And when they run out of good material,
they compensate it with endless stupidity. People
watch these movies for one of two reasons: they’re so
stupid that they’re funny, or the way they parody the
original movie is really clever. However, this movie
“The Expendables”
The Expendables is a rare example of an allstar cast
starring in a lower-than-average film. The movie stars
all of the best action heroes in Hollywood -- Sylvester
Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Bruce Willis, Steve
“Stone Cold” Austin, and Arnold Schwarzenegger --
and features the weakest storyline of the year. With a
lack of a believable plot, the film focuses on a biker
gang that also works for the government. The Expend-
Astronauts will soon
awaken to public
choice tunes
Astronauts’ final playlists
to be chosen by you!
By Amelia Rosen
I grew up dreaming of the enchantment of space travel
and hoping that one day I would be able to experience
it for myself. Sadly, the dreams of children from generations
to come will not be occupied by the same cosmic
ambitions. Space travel may one day be a reality, but
the Space Shuttle Program is coming to an end. Only
two more missions will launch, but everyone has an opportunity
to be a part of them! All who are interested in
fulfilling their astronomical dreams are able to vote and
help decide which wakeup songs will be played for the
astronauts on the final missions.
It may seem odd that rousing music is a top priority
for the shuttle operations, but, in fact, music has been
awakening astronauts since the Apollo missions. During
the early quests, the shuttle teams were serenaded
by colleagues in mission control; they sang popular
songs of the era. From the first missions to the present
launches, the wakeup music has been selected by flight
controllers and crewmembers’ loved ones. The array
of songs is diverse. Every so often, the tunes even include
dialogue from movies and TV shows! Until now,
NASA management has purposefully avoided allowing
outsiders or itself to influence the song choice. They
steered clear of permitting public guidance, because the
sole purpose of the wakeup song is to evoke a sense
of camaraderie between the shuttle members and crew.
They believed that an outside influence would diminish
this sense of brotherhood. After much consideration,
NASA sensed that it was time to alter their wakeup
song principals.
was right in the middle. The “stupid” tactic usually
works, but Vampires Suck wasn’t stupid enough to
be funny, and it definitely wasn’t original enough to
be clever. Fans of these parody movies would say
that this movie is lacking the spontaneous jokes that
the other movies had, and much of the originality.
Final grade : F. If you’re looking for a good Twilight
parody, go on Youtube. You’ll find a lot more
originality.
ables marks the lowest point of all of these actors’
careers, loaded with endless forgettable dialogue and
missing action that could’ve proved useful. It also
proves that Stallone should stick to stunts, and stay
away from directing.
Final grade: D +. If a movie has legendary action
stars, it should have some actual action in it.
Just My Opinion
Because of the management’s newfound musical
mentality, everyone is able to participate in choosing
the wakeup songs for the final two missions! For the
second to last shuttle, STS-133, a list of 40 previously
played songs is available for voting until the date of the
launch, November 1, 2010. All voting will take place
on the NASA website: https://songcontest.nasa.gov/.
The two most selected songs from the assortment will
be used to wake the mission’s astronauts. As for the
final shuttle, STS-134, people are able to submit their
own original songs for public voting through January
10, 2011. The original works will be screened by a
NASA panel and uploaded to the internet for public
voting, which will take place February 8, 2011 through
the STS-134 launch date of February 26, 2011. These
contests grant the Green Wave nation a chance to participate
in a national decision! If all students and faculty
members vote for their favorite tunes or upload their
own tracks for voting, FMHS is sure to influence the
melodies heard on the final two missions. As the Space
Shuttle Program comes to a close, anyone, Greenies
included, who’s dreamt of the magic of space has the
opportunity to alter the course of astronomical history
forever!