Valrico
29
June 2023
Volume 20, Issue 6
2
Ph: 813-657-2418
CELEBRATING 21 YEARS OF PUBLISHING P OSITIVE COMMUNIT Y NEWS
LIVINGSTONE ACADEMY TAKES STRAWBERRY CREST STUDENTS WIN NATIONAL STEM COMPETITION STUDENTS TO CAPITOL FOR By Lily Belcher SENIOR CIVICS TRIP Ten Strawahead of the naBy Libby Hopkins
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A group of seniors itol courtyard for a from Livingstone tour of the Historic Academy visited Capitol. There they the Florida State learned about the Capitol in Tallahashistory of Florida see on March 23 and how the state during the midst of government first legislative session convened, includfor an up-close look ing why Tallahassee at the inner workwas selected as the ings of state govcapital and the tranernment. “Our stusition into the new dents learned a lot A group of seniors from Livingstone Academy capitol building in about civics during visited the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee. the 1970s. the school year and Next, the students our seniors were very joined the Hillsborough interested in visiting County Day at the capthe capitol,” said Bernadette Pello, CEO and itol festivities in the courtyard, where the co-founder of Livingstone Academy. Gasparilla pirates were handing out beads The group of nine seniors had an early and Cuban sandwiches from a large pirate start, leaving campus at 4 a.m. to make the ship. trip to the capitol. “For the first event of the In the afternoon, the student group visitday, the students had a private tour of the ed the senate chamber gallery, where senHouse of Representatives chamber,” Pello ators were gathered in session. They saw said. “They learned about the history of the the legislative process up close as senators capitol and the murals that adorn the cham- debated bills, and, to the students’ surprise, ber, which showcase Florida through the they were recognized by Senator Danny ages, including the arrival of the conquista- Burgess on the Senate floor, who made an dors to the launching of the space shuttle.” announcement to the entire chamber that While in the chamber, Representative they were in the gallery. “Our students were Susan Valdes from Tampa met with the amazing throughout their visit,” Pello said, students. She congratulated them on their “They asked questions, and the information upcoming graduation and took photos with they knew from their civic class was amazthe group. ing.” On the way into the senate office building, At Livingstone Academy’s recent graduthe students were joined by Hillsborough ation ceremony, the class valedictorian and County Commissioners Michael Owen and class president spoke about the trip to TalJoshua Wostal. “The commissioners, along lahassee. “The valedictorian said the trip to with Gasparilla pirates, Busch Gardens and Tallahassee changed their life,” Pello said. “It many other iconic Tampa Bay businesses, was awesome, and the parents’ feedback we were at the capitol for Hillsborough County got was fantastic as well. We will be fundDay,” Pello said. “The students also met with raising to take our 2024 senior class to the Representative Danny Alvarez from Bran- state capital because of the amazing time don and took photos with him in front of the our seniors had this year.” chamber entrances.” For more information, visit www.livingThe students then headed across the cap- stoneschools.org.
On May 23, Hillsborough County held a public information meeting at the Bloomingdale Regional Public Library for the Lithia Pinecrest Road Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study, The turnout was tremendous with nearly 150 concerned residents, including Florida House Representative of District 69 Danny Alvarez, Hillsborough County Commissioner of District 4 Michael Owen. Full article is on Page 9.
berry Crest High tional competition. School students “All 10 team won the national members played Samsung Solve an important role for Tomorrow in the success of STEM Compethe project, even tition with their though only three design for a destudents were alvice to monitor lowed to go and athlete’s temdo the actual preperatures. With sentation,” said the national Rutledge. recognition, the The three stuMehar Chhabra, Patrick Cseh and Anna Steed repreChargers’ STEM dents that went sented their team’s Human Health Band device at the program will reto the national Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. ceive $100,000. competition were The STEM Patrick Cseh, Anna students came Steed and Mehar up with the idea Chhabra. The anfor the Human nouncement was Health Band in streamed live for the fall during the rest of their football seateam and classson. Every year, mates to watch. high school stuRutledge said the dents hear about watch parties and heat-related inthe congratulatojuries and death. ry text messages Patrick Cseh, Anna Steed, Mehar Chhabra and However, this made the team topic is more per- Christina Rutledge traveled to Washington D.C. for feel encouraged the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. sonal for Strawand supported. berry Crest’s students, as one of their class“One of the best things that came from mates died from heat illness in 2019. that part of the experience was that in the The device is a temperature sensor that days since we have returned home, multican connect with a band to the athlete’s ple students have come to ask how THEY uniform. The data from the sensor will be can be on the Samsung Solve For Tomortransmitted to an app on the coach’s phone row team next year,” said Rutledge. “This to alert the coaches that an athlete is over- contest has inspired so many other young heating. minds to want to be in STEM and to do “They learned project management, something really cool.” teamwork, presenting, speaking, networkFor more information on Samsung’s ing and professionalism skills. This was a Solve for Tomorrow competition or to see major project that required students to Strawberry Crest’s pitch video, visit www. delegate tasks and come together for the samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow. finished project. It really was a special experience as a teacher to watch my students grow in these other capacities,” said their NEW BEALLS FLORIDA ..................PG 3 IB Biology teacher, Christina Rutledge. To enter the competition, the team sub- VALRICO PLANS ................................PG 5 mitted a short, written explanation for 2023 VALEDICTORIANS............. PG 12 their idea. They then put together a prototype, including a working sensor and app, EYE ON BUSINESS..........................PG 25 and made a video pitching their device ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT..........PG 31
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