Volume 63 Issue 10 - Fort Myers High School

FMHS raises over $5500 for Pasta for Pennies
by Christa Chung
Fort Myers High School is once again giving
back to the community. FMHS students
and staff participated in Pasta for Pennies
again this year. Pasta for Pennies is a school
youth program designed by the National
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS),
an organization that supports the research
of blood cancer and helps families whose
members have been diagnosed with such a
cancer. The LLS mission is to cure Leukemia,
Lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and Myeloma,
and improve the quality of life of both patients
suffering from blood cancers and patients’
families. Over $0.75 of every donated dollar
goes directly to research and patient programs.
Leukemia causes more deaths than any other
cancer among children and young adults under
the age of 20. Approximately every five minutes,
someone is diagnosed with blood cancer.
Approximately every ten minutes, someone
dies from a blood cancer. FMHS students
FMHS Interim Dates 2008-2009
Quarter 4
April 29, 2009 -
Interims distributed during 5 th period
May 20, 2009 -
Interims distributed during 5 th period
Amanda Armstrong, Shoshanna Bordes,
Elizabeth Chamberlain, Danielle Chini,
Christa Chung, Liam Corkell, Nicholas Dakos,
Nicole Doyle, Troy Eckenrode, Tyler Franklin,
Armando Grez, Berta Gonzalez,
Keneisha Hawkins, Catherine Head,
Miriam Hernandez, Samantha Hullstrung,
Kelsea Kosko, Julia Leal, Louis Mausser,
Dakendo Michel, Jeffrey Nunnally,
Daniela Patino, Rachel Petrik, Louis Resnick,
Nyasia Smith, Austin Yorski
Tidal Wave Newspaper
Published by
FMHS Journalism Classes.
For more information about
advertising in the
Tidal Wave Newspaper,
please contact
Mrs. Carmen Weigel,
Newspaper Advisor
at 239-334-2167, ext. 159.
Principal, David LaRosa
Athletic/Activities Director, Craig Weigel
2635 Cortez Blvd
Fort Myers, FL 33901
Copyright 2008-2009
Lee County School Board Members:
Jane Kuckel, Chairman
Steven Teuber, Vice Chairman
Robert Chilmonik, Member
Jeanne Dozier, Member
Elinor Scricca, Member
recognize the value of philanthropy and of
making a difference in the lives of others. Fort
Myers High School changes lives every year by
participating in Pasta for Pennies. This has been
a tradition for the Greenwave for many years.
The money is collected daily during each
5th period class by the SGA members.
Student Government then counts every single
penny by hand and records each amount per
class. The students and staff donate money
by class. The 5th period class who raises
the most money per student wins an Olive
Garden pasta party. The second and third
place winners receive a pizza party. All classes
that raise $100+ will get bronze champion
pendants, $200+ receive silver pendants, and
a $300+ receive gold pendants. The champion
pendants are all provided by LLS. Students
compete really hard every year to get the
grand prize and freshman, Jocelyn Harder
says “Pasta for Pennies made me feel involved
with the community and I was proud to be
helping out, but I also really wanted to win.”
This year Fort Myer High School has beat
its total from the past two years, raising an
outstanding total of over $5,500. The winner
this year was Mr. Eichbauer’s 5th period
class with a total of $790.30. Mr. Eichbaur
confidently said, “The kids did well, but we
had no doubt we would win. I am very proud
of them for donating for such a good cause.”
In second place was Mrs.Sowers’ 5th
period class with $654.77. Third place
was Ms. Lookabaugh’s 5th period
class with a total of $402.02. The
Gold Champion winners all raising
over $300 included Mr.Eichbauer,
Mrs. Sowers, Mrs. Lookabaugh,
Mrs. K. Jones, and Mrs. Kirk.
The Silver Champion winners all
raising over $200 included Mrs.
Belger, Mrs. Himes, Mrs. Pinkard,
Accounting students compete in Life Smarts Competition
On February 16, five accounting students
traveled to Tampa to compete in the Life Smarts
Competition. The competition is sponsored by the Department
of Agriculture and Consumer Services. In order for the
FMHS Accounting team to be eligible, the students had to
place in the top 18 in the state based on a three part online
test. The test is based upon personal finance, consumer rights
and responsibilities, technology, health, and environment.
The students started competing at 10:00 a.m. and won the
first match in a tie-breaker by one point. They lost the second
match, won the third match, and placed second overall. Only
first place is eligible to compete at the national competition.
Please congratulate Jason Phillips (team captain),
Mumtu Lalla, Ananya Mahajan, Khusbu Patel,
and Jaclyn Vena for an outstanding achievement.
Left to right: Mumtu Lalla, Mrs. Crystal Shuchart, Khusbu Patel, Ananya Mahajan, Jason Phillips, Jaclyn Vena, and Mr. Charles H. Bronson, Commissioner of the Florida
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
FMHS students
win Lee County
Writing Contest
by Christa Chung
The Lee County English teachers have
sponsored a writing contest for over 30 years
where students participate in writing a variety
of different works. The teachers submit what
they think is a quality writing assignment and
have potential of placing. The students could
choose from three categories: poetry, fiction,
or a personal memoir. Students would then
turn in their completed works to his or her
English teacher. Teachers were allowed to
enter only three works per class. Over 1500
students participate in the contest, however,
there are only 3 awards given out per category
per grade level. The winners and instructors
will be recognized at the Lee County Reading
Festival at Centennial Park on Saturday,
March 21, 2009. The following Fort Myers
High School students were selected as
winners: 9th Grade: The following students
placed first, second, and third in the poetry
category: Berta Gonzales, Tiffany Farina,
and Alex Schwartz. These students won first,
second, and third in the memoir category:
Erica Bartlett, Nicole Reynoldson, and Etienne
Wasson. 10th Grade: The following students
won first, second, and third places in poetry:
Raechel Ellis, Elena Azzara, and Emily Dean.
In the memoir category, Samantha Chestney
won third place. For the fiction category,
first, second, and third places went to Erin
Basinait, Elena Azzara, and Jaclyn Vena. 11th
Grade: Shanda Kumar won second place for
her memoir and Amanda Hobbs also won
second place for fiction. 12th Grade: Austin
Yorski placed third in the fiction category.
Lee County
Spring
Break
April 6-14
by Armando Grez
and Mr. Martin. The Bronze Champion
winners all raising over $100 included Mr.
Ryan, Mr. Walters, Mr. Chow, Mrs. Connors,
Mrs. Lovejoy, and Mr. Rode. Junior, Emily
Kasten says, “Donating money for a good
cause was delightful.” Congratulations to all
of the winning classes and thank you to all the
students and staff who participated in raising
money for this cause.
Congratulations to
the following 9th
grade A/B Honorees
for first semester:
Derek Anderson, Hadassa Bardette,
Jeffrey Bonany, Kierra Boston, Elijah
Budd, Steven Charles, Kenyota Condry,
Phanord Delva, Jerry Dufreine, Nuseyba
Elmahadi, Haley Emerson, Judith Fenelon,
Jessica Fennessey, Jillian Fennessey, Sheyla
Gutierrez, Ty’Isha Henry, Vivian Herrera,
Emily Hubbard, Kerline Jean, Ca’Che
Kelly, Jennifer Martinez, Normande
Mathurin, Sophia Maute, Morgan Murphy,
Erica Nieves, Nadia Nieves, Angela Ortega,
Jalen Outten, Nicole Pombrio, Ursula
Recarte, Jordan Roth, Soloman Sanders,
Kadeja Shaw, Maria Sierra, Justin Stevens,
Kerry Swanson, Jaime Torres, Jonathan
Villalobos, Broderick Williams, David Zink
photo by Lauren Miles
Abby McMahon sings “Life is a Highway” as the
Soundwave opens for Gavin DeGraw at the Edison
Festival Stadium Show on February 21.
Mrs. Tomlinson
wins Golden
Apple Award!
Greenwave tennis begins season strong photo by Nick Dakos
FMHS Boys’ Tennis Team
Fort Myers High School’s spring sports have started and the Greenwave tennis team is no
exception. Last year the boys had a successful season and even finished their regular season
undefeated. The team also won the LCAC cross-over championship, districts, and regionals. They
had the opportunity to go to states in Orlando, Florida, where they competed against numerous
other talented schools and finished fourth in the state. The boys’ tennis team was led to victory
by their coach, Mr. Copeland, who is the yearbook and art teacher at Fort Myers High School.
This year, the boys’ tennis team has a record of 5-1, with their only loss being to rival Barron
Collier. This year’s top seeded players include Michael Wardell, Jimmy Martineau, Shane
Vaughan, David Douglas, and Chilufya Kangwa. “I was impressed by a handful of talented
freshmen this year and can see the team of tomorrow starting to build up,” said Mr. Copeland.
The tennis team practices every day in order to prepare and train for their tough matches. The
boys’ tennis team will face Barron Collier again on April 15 and expect to come out on top
this time! “Barron Collier is good, but they’re definitely beatable,” stated Michael Wardell.
The boys’ Greenwave tennis team hopes to repeat their previous triumph again this year.
Mrs. Jennifer Tomlinson, English Teacher
On Wednesday, March 4, six Lee County
teachers were surprised as they won the
prestigious Golden Apple Teacher Award.
The program is designed to recognize teachers
who exemplify an outstanding performance
in the classroom. Fort Myers High School’s
very own English teacher, Jennifer Tomlinson,
won a Golden Apple this year! The teachers
selected go through a rigorous selection
process that begins in October. The teachers
complete a comprehensive application,
are observed in the classroom, and have a
personal interview by the Golden Apple
Selection Committee. The six Lee County
winners will be recognized at the 22nd
Annual Golden Apple Teacher Recognition
Dinner on Friday, April 3. Congratulations
to Mrs. Tomlinson! We are so proud of you.
Monday, March 23
Boys’ Tennis vs. Bishop Verot, (H), 3:30 p.m.
Winter Sports Banquet, 6 p.m.
March 20, 2009 Volume 63, Issue 10
Mr. Chow plays role in President Obama’s visit to Fort Myers
by Morgan Frink
“We can’t wait and see and hope for the best. I
believe in hope, but I also believe in action,” said
President Barack Obama on Tuesday, February
10, 2009, when he visited the city of Fort Myers.
President Obama arrived in Fort Myers, a
deeply conservative area, with his proposal
of an $838 billion economic stimulus plan.
The citizens of Fort Myers have been
witnessing the dilapidating recession, and
the skyrocketing house foreclosures and
unemployment rates for some time now. The
12 percent foreclosure rate (the highest in the
nation) and the 10 percent unemployment
rate are discouraging figures. Due to the
high percentage of Republicans in southwest
Florida, the President talked at the meeting
with urgency for the passing of the stimulus
package. He addressed the struggles that the
southwest Florida area is going through saying,
“We’re not just talking about faceless numbers,
we’re talking about families. We’re talking
about some of the people in this town hall
meeting today -- your neighbors, your friends.”
Governor of Florida, Charlie Crist, a
supporter of McCain, is one of the “few national
Republican figures” that supports the package.
Jim Humphrey, the Mayor of Fort Myers and
also a Republican believes he knows many
areas where he could start using the money from
the bill. President Obama admits the bill has its
imperfections, but encouraged it to be approved.
On a cheerier note, one of our own FMHS
teachers got to take part in the arrival of the
President to Fort Myers. Chemistry teacher,
FMHS participates in Fort Myers Artfest
by Daniela Patino
Tuesday, March 24
JV and Varsity Softball vs. Mariner, (H), 5 p.m., 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 25
JV and Varsity Baseball vs. Naples, (H), 4:30 p.m., 7 p.m.
Michael Chow received a call prior to President
Obama’s arrival, asking him to drive the van
“that carried the President’s entourage.” When
asked what it was like meeting the president,
Chow said, “The guy is a rock star. He is
approximately nine million feet tall. When
it came time to take my picture with him, he
actually sort of pulled me in close to him.
Because I’m so short and he’s so tall, I couldn’t
really reach my hand around his shoulder,
so I ended up hugging him around his waist.
It was pretty embarrassing and awesome.”
Chow really enjoyed himself, especially
when it came to the driving, saying,
“Driving a car in the presidential motorcade
is ridiculous. Those dudes drive fast. From
the moment we departed the airport to the
moment we arrived at the venue, there was
no stopping…none. Motorcade is the only
way to travel. All traffic signs and signals
become entirely meaningless.” The driving
wasn’t the only aspect to impress him.
Chow was fascinated by the Senators and
Congressmen as they talked with each other,
and about the President. “What was especially
illuminating was to hear their excitement.
They were all gushing about him on both sides
of the aisle,” said Chow. Chow even overheard
an African American Congresswoman
Corrine Brown say, “I’m really proud he’s
half black.” While a white Congressman
commented, “I’m really proud he’s half white.”
The President’s visit to Fort Myers is
definitely going to be remembered here for a
On February 7 and 8, many Fort Myers High
School students participated in the annual Artfest.
The event was held in downtown Fort Myers and
was a great opportunity for students to display their
art work and possibly win an award. There were many
amazing pieces from high schools all over Lee County.
All high school art students were eligible to participate
in this event. Although there were close to 1000 incredible
works of art, only a few won awards. Laura Marin won
first place in the Mixed Media Category and won $400.
“I was surprised that I won because I wasn’t sure a piece that size
would win,” said Laura Marin. Alex Plattner won second place in
the Photography category winning $200, and Blake Montgomery
received third place in the Painting category winning $100.
“My picture was a combination of two black and white
pictures. One that I took at Duke University and the other was of
Robinsville, North Carolina. I entered it because I liked the way the
composition came out and it was one of my larger prints,” said Alex Plattner.
There were also several honorable mentions, Alex Troast, Catherine
Cowart and Kelsey Sherman, who each won $50. Oswald Trippe and
Company was the sponsor of all of these scholarship awards and gave
several thousand dollars worth of awards to Lee County students.
Congratulations to all the students who won awards in the annual Artfest.
Come out and support the Greenwave!
Thursday, March 26
JV and Varsity Softball vs. North Fort Myers, (H), 5 p.m., 7 p.m.
JV and Varsity Baseball vs. North Fort Myers, (H), 4:30 p.m., 7 p.m.
Friday, March 27
Boys’ and Girls’ Track - LCAC Prelims, (at FMHS), 10 a.m.
Saturday, March 28
4th Annual Green Wave Fishing Tournament
photos by Daniela Patino and Morgan Frink
President Obama and Mr. Chow
long time. This was the first step to recovery.
The President brought hope to so many
people this day, but hopefully that’s not all
he brought. Fort Myers needs something
to be done, and like President Obama has
said, he believes in action not just hope.
(Left) Junior
Blake
Montgomery
wins third
place in the
Painting
category
(Above) Senior
Alex Plattner wins
second place in
the Photography
category
(Left) Senior
Laura Marin
wins first place in
the Mixed Media
Category
Top 10 things to do for Spring Break
10. Take a break!
9. Play miniature golf
8. Go to TCBY on waffle cone Wednesday
7. Go bowling
6. Drive to Busch Gardens, get a lemon
frosty, and ride the rides
5. Go to the beach... you live in Florida!
4. Go fishing and catch something
3. Go shopping
2. Go old school and head to Generations
for a day of skating
1. Get a Florida tan

If you won one million dollars, what would you do with it?
photos by Nick Dakos and Louis Mausser
Carlos Colon, Senior Coach Greg Martin Jocelyn Harder, Freshman
“I would put the money in the bank and
save it.”
Teenagers not getting enough sleep
by Morgan Frink
In a typical high school, it is not
uncommon to walk into a class room
and see many sleepy looking students or
students that are already asleep. Managing
a comfortable sleeping position at a school
desk is by no means an easy feat; however
so many teens seem to be pros as it.
Teenagers are so tired in school because
of their poor sleeping schedules and their
early rising time. As most high schools
start at 7:15 a.m. that would mean that
if a student gets up at 6:00 a.m., they
would have to get to sleep by 10:00 p.m.
just to meet the recommended eight
hours. Ask any teen, this is not always
possible. Having seven classes and
homework in a majority if not in all of
them can really eat up someone’s time.
On top of homework, many teens
have after school jobs or they participate
in after school clubs and sports. To
be always on the go, one would think
that GreenW by the 2/5/09 time the 8:15 teen’s PM head Page hits 1the
pillow they would be asleep for the night.
Expires April 30, 2009
One Coupon per Table
“I would retire and give some to the church.” “I would buy a big mansion in
Massachusetts.”
Again this is not always the case. In
adolescence, the circadian rhythm tells the body
to go to sleep at a later time and
to wake up at a later time.
Insomnia is also
a factor in the lack
of sleep that teenagers
get. Insomnia is when
one can’t get to
sleep or has a hard
time staying
asleep. Stress
is the most common reason
someone develops insomnia.
School will no doubt
provide teens with a substantial amount of
stress. Keeping grades up, taking tests, applying
to colleges, these are all things that could keep
someone up at night with worry. Students in
IB especially feel the stress school can bring.
They are most likely so accustomed
to their lack of sleep that it no longer
seems to be a problem to them.
Caffeine may very well be the only thing
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To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to
make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
that keeps their heads up during class. This
could be harmful to their health in the long run
though. With the recommended eight to ten
hours of sleep being out of reach for the vast
majority of high school students, it is both a
blessing and a curse that places like Starbucks
are open 24 hours a day to provide for the
masses of sleepy students. So teens, whenever
possible, take advantage of those early nights,
take care of yourself, and get some sleep!
Jane Pierce, Senior
“I would pay for my Bachelor’s of Fine Arts
and travel all over the world.”
Rahsaan Simon, Freshman
Olivia Rosado, Sophomore
“I would buy a house in Japan.” “I would go on vacation to Hawaii, buy a car,
and do some shopping.”
Phi Delta Y excels at YMCA Youth in Government State Assembly
At the Florida YMCA Youth in Government
State Assembly February 19-21, four
outstanding Fort Myers students were
appointed or elected to presiding officer
positions for 2009-2010. These students will
lead the organization throughout the coming
year. They are: Sullivan Senate President
– Hilary Jessup , Supreme Court Senior Justice
– Efe Cudjoe, Attorney General – Alyssa
Nieves, and Editor in Chief – Jessica Ayers.
In addition, three of the five associate
justices selected to preside at the recent
State Assembly are from Fort Myers High.
These students were chosen to preside on the
Youth Supreme Court based on their superb
abilities as attorneys during the preliminary
rounds of the judicial program. Congratulations
to Rehan Feroz, Alyssa Nieves, and Efe Cudjoe.
The following appointments and awards were
also given to this remarkable group of students.
The Supporting Officer Appointments include:
Katie Armes – Sergeant at Arms, Viktor Mak
– Sullivan Secretary of the Senate, Legislative
Committee Co-Chairs: Tahsin Faruque ,
Associate Justices Efe Cudjoe (left) and Rehan Feroz sit
on the Florida Youth Supreme Court in the State Supreme
court building in Tallahassee.
John Cowart, Toni Harris, and Hilary Jessup.
The following awards were presented to:
Look-Out Award (for most promising attorney)
Naina Sharma – District Court, Supreme
Court Outstanding Civil Brief - Ananya
Mahajan, Alyssa Nieves, Christian Pimentel,
Supreme Court Outstanding Criminal
Brief - Rehan Feroz, and Outstanding
Member of the Cabinet - Emily Hardy.
The following students were selected to
attend the Conference on National Affairs,
the national Youth in Government assembly
in July: John Cowart, Alex Fahnlander,
Hilary Jessup, Toni Harris, and Jessica Ayers.
The FMHS Phi Delta Y chapter of Youth
in Government had the largest representation
Inquiry Skills prepares freshmen for rigors of IB
by Tyler Franklin
Three years ago, FMHS founded a new
requirement for all Pre-IB freshmen. The
focus of this preparatory course is to develop
ethical research and writing skills, to develop
learning strategies, critical-thinking skills,
and problem-solving skills. The goal is
to enhance student performance in both
academic and nonacademic endeavors.
The class originated from a need to develop
strong research skills and academic writing
skills for the IB program. Mrs. Copeland, a
World History teacher and Rho Kappa sponsor,
has taught this class for all three years. She
has been teaching at Fort Myers High for
25 of her 38 years of teaching. Sophomore
Liam Corkell says, “Mrs. Copeland is a
gifted educator and I enjoyed her class.”
In the first quarter of the semester long
class, Mrs. Copeland covers material like team
building, time management, learning styles,
writing assessment, plagiarism, a research
project and Bulfinch’s Mythology. According
to several students, this class does help students
achieve better writing and research skills. “I
at State Assembly with 50 delegates
attending. This student directed club meets
Wednesday evening at FMHS to debate
and prepare legislative bills, discuss legal
cases and create legal briefs. The club gives
students the opportunity to appreciate and
understand the democratic process. For more
information about Youth in Government,
please contact FMHS chapter advisor, Mrs.
Patty Loverock at pattyel@leeschools.net.
Delegate Justin Summerville debates in the Florida
Youth in Government Senate chamber at the State
Capitol.
photos by Michael George
photo by Morgan Frink
Mrs. Copeland working with Freshman Katie Rigot
got pretty good at MLA style, bibliographies
and writing papers,” says freshman Douglas
Woodrow who has already taken this class.
Inquiry Skills really does help prepare
students for the next three years of high school.
“I enjoyed this class and I learned a lot of
important skills that I will need in the future,”
says freshman Emily Luc. Mrs. Copeland says,
“The class seems to be helping the students with
their writing process. This has been validated
by student feedback, parents, and counselors.”
Soloman Sanders, Freshman
“I would buy a big skate park in Fort Myers.”
FSU
TCC
FAMU
INDEPENDENCE
WAY
follow me to
studio green!
NEW!
flex tness center
sweat cardio
sun tanning
play gaming center
hydrate water lling station
splash swimming pool
grill outdoor kitchen and picnic areas
connect internet bar
think study and business center
flix surround sound theatre
suds laundry
beach sand volleyball
eat on-site dining
www.choosemyroom.com
Airik Medinis, Junior
“I would buy a car, go golfing in Hawaii,
and save the rest for college.”
4th Annual Green Wave Fishing
Classic is just around the corner!
The 4th Annual Green Wave Fishing Classic is coming up March 28! The
tournament is a combination red fish and snook catch and release. This
event is held at the Doc Ford’s Restaurant near Fort Myers
Beach. The tournament costs $100 per angler, but the prize
money is over $7,000. When you register for the
tournament, you will receive a tshirt,
hat, coolie cup, meals, captain’s bag,
bottled water, and a great time with friends. There
will also be a high school student award for the biggest snook
and redfish. For more information, please contact Athletic and
Activities Director, Mr. Craig Weigel or Alex Henderson/Alex Levine.
Live life your way!
CAUTION
DEAD
END
WRONG WAY
The signs are clear! Studio Green
is your new home at college this fall!
Take a tour and enter to win a i-2 Segway!*
*