Vol. XCII Issue 2 Oct. 2012 Leon High School 550 E. Tennessee St. Tallahassee, FL 32308 (850) 488-1971 “The leading print and online news source for all things Leon.” Vol. XCIII Issue 6 Feb. 2013 online editorials news sports features go to Marcie Gsteiger Cox’s Process determining Zac Buchholz Meet the number one www.leonhighlife.com opinion on fast food Honors Graduates to ready for his senior students of each class change next year season for breaking news p. 2 p. 5 stories, sports updates p. 4 p. 9 and the latest online blogs Lion statue has unique features Lobby monument possesses authentic lion eyes Olivia Nash Hanna attended Leon with Doug great because High Life News Editor Dawson, a taxidermist. as soon as Sitting in the middle of the Leon Hanna got in touch with him and you walk in High School lobby is the massive, Dawson tracked down the preserved, the door it’s iconic Lion statue. Former Principal marbelized eyes. right there in Margo Hall purchased it during her “They are pretty cool,” Hanna front of you.” last year at Leon in the spring of said. A n o t h e r 2005. When the eyes were put into popular The Lion represents the “strength, the Lion, current Principal Billy lion at the power, confidence and pride” of Leon, Epting was working as an assistant school is the Hall’s successor, Rocky Hanna said. principal. lion which When first installed, the basement “I think it’s important because is pulled under the lobby had to be inspected to if you look at a lot of the animals in on a wagon ensure the beams would support the the wild, and even with people, you at football enormous weight of the 2,000-pound can tell a lot by the intensity of their games. statue. eyes,” Epting said. This lion To the normal observer, a very “You want them to be authentic - much like interesting feature of statue may go and real looking and have some the one in unnoticed. intimidation.” the lobby - is The eyes mounted in the head Before Hall brought the statue to anchored and of the statue are, oddly enough, real Leon, there was a much smaller lion welded on to lion eyes, a unique feature added by statue on the same pedestal in the the wagon. Hanna, who was principal from 2005 lobby. T h e photo courtesy of Rocky Hanna until 2012. It was roped off, but students welding was Former Principal Rocky Hanna poses with the Lion in the lobby. Hanna bought the eyes for $200 would find ways to damage it and n e c e s s a r y with his personal money during the parts of the statue were constantly because of an incident that happened That night, three Lincoln students fall of his first semester at Leon in having to be fixed with paper mache. with the previous lion, one much stole the lion and took it to a party 2005. He also had the statue repainted This consistent problem, more fragile. where it was maimed and burned. the sandy bronze color it is today. therefore, led Hall to purchase a Several years ago, after a football The students were caught and, “It looked really awkward when larger, sturdier lion which would not game, Hanna took the old lion home instead of pressing charges, Hanna you saw the Lion,” Hanna said. “It be as easily damaged. with him instead of returning it to decided that their punishment would just had two concrete holes. I decided “I can’t imagine it not being out Leon. He covered it with a tarp and include purchasing a new Lion and to make it a little more lifelike.” there,” Epting said. “[The Lion] is left it outside of his garage. participating in community service at Leon. Social Media and the Student Body Leon students give their input on popular social media networks Pages 6 and 7 the 2 editorials leon high life @TheLeonHighLife Feb. ’13 www.leonhighlife.com Letters to Making lunch makes sense the Editor Dear Editor, Basketball Homecoming was Marcie Gsteiger-Cox horrible. No one went to the dance. High Life Editorial Editor Hardly anyone participated in the daily dress-up days, either. I feel like all we ever hear about When I got to school on these days is obesity. It is an issue Monday, I was wondering that has gripped our nation’s mind why people were wearing their and pocketbooks. Every time I turn American attire. on the radio there is some story about It was not hyped up well. The how American teens weigh more than days weren’t announced until ever before or how heart disease is Monday, the day we were already becoming the modern day first world supposed to be dressed up. epidemic. But, what has been done to It just wasn’t planned out well stop the growing problem of growing in general. Next year they need to waist lines? step it up, or just not have one at Sure public service announcements all. encouraging young people to go out and exercise and commercials promoting Russell Rauh fad diets are some ways America has been attempting to combat the There are over 950 calories in this double bacon cheeseburger from Wendy’s. That country’s weight problems. But one Dear Editor, is nearly half of the total calories a person should have in their daily diet. of the biggest problems is that the I absolutely despise the “Pasta food we eat these days is overloaded joints where anything you pay for has Here is where the paradox lies; if for Pennies” drive. The name is off with fats, sodium and a myriad of triple the daily fat value a person is you stay on campus for lunch, you are and should be “Pennies for Pasta” other terrible additives. supposed to have. Do not be fooled probably eating unhealthy food, and to properly get across the point. Schools, in my opinion, have by the size, people, small portions do if you go off campus for lunch, you As it stands now, it reads incred- done little to help with these new not necessarily mean fewer calories. are either paying an arm and a leg for ibly poorly and makes it seem that dietary problems facing the United I am well aware that there are a relatively healthy lunch, or you are Leon will exchange raised pasta for States. Within the past 10 years there several healthy places to eat near spending a realistic amount of money pennies. have been several big internal pushes Leon, where students can go for a on food that is going straight into your As this is not the point of the op- from politicians to reform school quick bite. But, as a high school body’s fat storage. It’s a vicious cycle eration, it speaks poorly of Leon’s foods, but the results have done little student, I also know that for most that seems to have no real end. English department. to improve the nutritional value of the of us, spending upwards of $15 to But, I have some good news, too. In addition, as most students do foods offered in the cafeteria. $20 on lunch every day is not only There is a solution. There is a way not listen to the announcements, At Leon, specifically, some of impractical, but improbable. Most of to save money and eat healthy at the there will be some confusion about the lunches offered include Chick- us are living on a very fixed income. same time. Pack your own lunch. how to fit the pasta into the hole fil-a sandwiches, pizza, french fries, I, like so many others, pay for my Since I discovered just how much designed for change. chicken fingers, soda and giant own lunches and I know how difficult money I wasted each week on fat- cookies. Nowhere on the menu do you it can be to give up a week’s worth filled foods, I have begun to bring my Sam Atwater see fresh salads or good fruit. Sure, of junk food lunches in order to have lunch to school with me. Yes, I have there are generic fruit cups that you one day of food I will not feel guilty to wake up five minutes earlier in the can buy and wilted, week-old pieces about eating. morning to ensure that my lunch gets Dear Editor, of lettuce that try to pass as a garden Within the past year, I have been made. Yes, it can be a bit of a burden. I don’t think it’s fair that interns salad. But, as someone who has tried keeping track of just how much But, in a world that is expanding at a are allowed to teach our classes. both of these things in the past, it is money I spend on lunch. So far, I have rapid rate, I have found that I much Students should be taught by no closer to being healthy than it is to spent over $1,000 on my lunches. prefer my homemade peanut butter teachers, not interns. In my second being appetizing. That’s $1,000 I could have spent on sandwich to some generic chain period class our intern teaches the On top of a lack of truly healthy clothes, or gas or even a new car. And, restaurant’s fake chicken strips. whole time. She doesn’t know and eatable foods being offered on while this number may seem high, I Eating healthy does not have to how to teach and is lacking the campus for lunch, many students at guarantee that most of you have spent mean spending more money.