BY: ASHLEY GIDDINGS

In a presentation for all juniors last Tuesday, Mr. Weiner announced a new set of incentives for the 2008 Science FCAT.

The plan calls for what Mr. Weiner describes as a “spreading of the wealth,” among Palmetto juniors who pass the test. Weiner says the reason for the new plan is to avoid problems after last year’s incentives only having one grand prize.

“We kept some things from last year, like the gas cards, but we wanted to make sure we’d have more than one winner,” Weiner said.

According to Weiner, the incentives are part of the reason that last years Science FCAT scores were significantly higher than other schools.

“Last years Science FCAT scores were higher than those of any other comprehensive high school in our area. We have great, motivated students but this helped encourage them to do their best,” Weiner said.

BY: ASHLEY GIDDINGS

Seniors Nicole Enos and Charles Fasy arranged Tuesday for a guest speaker to come to Palmetto to discuss the genocide in Darfur.

The presentation, which took place February 19th, included video of the people of Darfur begging for help and gave information on how high school students can get involved.

“I really want to raise awareness about what’s happening in Darfur. I had a fundraiser for the genocide relief efforts on Sunday with over 200 people from our school where we raised over $5,000 dollars. I was surprised at how few people actually knew about Darfur. I thought a guest speaker would help raise awareness and aide,” Enos said.

Marcela Arcos-Holzinger, who saw the Darfur presentation described it as extremely emotionally moving.

“I was very touched by the crude reality presented, as well as empowered to become a part of the movement against the genocide,” Arcos-Holzinger said.

To the students who saw the video, the greatest call to action was the pleas of the people of Darfur.

“The direct pleas and testimonies moved me and every student in there. People were gasping because the reality of it is so sad. Watching that made the plight of Darfur a greater priority in my life,” Arcos-Holzinger said.

BY: ASHLEY GIDDINGS

Assistant principal Clint Bales discovered what he describes as a tar-like black substance in his new office in the 400’s hallway over the weekend. After calling a school maintenance company, he learned that it was asbestos.

“I was cleaning up my new office and when I removed some of the original cabinetry I saw that there was no tile under them and there was a black material instead,” Bales said.

The asbestos found was in the form of a tile adhesive commonly used in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

“The asbestos found was found under the floor. That’s pretty common for old schools,” Bales said.

Despite having placed a blockade with signs reading “Asbestos: Warning” around the office on Monday morning, according to Bales, it is completely safe.

“It’s completely safe now. It happened over the weekend, and we’ve now had all the asbestos removed. We’ve had air-quality control tests performed to ensure it’s okay,” Bales said.

BY: ASHLEY GIDDINGS

The Palmetto Jazz Band “played their hearts out,” according to member Brian Chan, at their annual winter concert, Jazz Night, to an audience of parents, teachers, and students.

The concert, which was held in the Little Theater on January 30, was a huge success according to Jazz Band instructor Paul Smith.

“What I think we captured in the performance was the most inspiring thing about Jazz, and that is the variety in it. We played all sorts of music in different styles,” Smith said.

Chan agreed that concert was a great success.

“The performance was terrific. This is what we love to do, and I think that tonight, everyone here just played from their heart,” Chan said.

According to Smith, the large turnout and participation from the audience motivated the players to do their best.

“That’s what makes us want to get out there and perform. Our goal was to give the audience a performance they would enjoy, while showcasing our talent. I think we achieved that goal,” Smith said. Read the rest of this entry »

BY: PETER BURG and JORDAN SARASON

The first trailer to Cloverfield played last summer right before the beginning of Transformers. Instantly, the J.J. Abrams creation became an Internet phenomenon. Blogs were formed overnight in an attempt to interpret who or what could possibly have the ability to rip the head off the Statue of Liberty and catapult it across New York City. Part of the craze about the trailer stemmed from Abrams, the co-creator of LOST, who has made a living of barraging his viewers with question after question.
After all the anticipation, Cloverfield lives up to the hype and does not disappoint. The movie reveals just enough to keep the viewer wanting more, yet, at the same time fearful of what may be next. Abrams’ suspenseful approach had the audience’s blood pressure levels through the roof.
The entire film is shot through a point-of-view perspective from the character named Hud (T.J. Miller). Hud is best friends with Rob Dawkins (Michael Stahl-David) who is preparing to leave for a new job in Japan. Rob’s brother, Jason (Mike Vogel) and his fiancée Lily (Jessica Lucas) are throwing a going-away party for Rob. Read the rest of this entry »