By Jamari Saint Cyr 
Val is a junior at Apopka High School and a fellow member of The Blue and White newspaper. She was born in New Jersey and moved to Florida at age two. In her free time, she enjoys playing flag football which she is apart of, dance and photography. While recently she hasn’t had too much time to dedicate to photography which is one of her hobbies, a reason which she blames on Mrs. Houvouras, every once and a while she’ll find time to go outside and take photos when she gets the chance. Though she doesn’t like to admit it to herself, throughout the course of her time on the newspaper staff she has felt that she has seen a lot of improvements in her writing skills which she was apprehensive of at the beginning of the year and hopes to continue seeing growth as she continues to be a part of the staff.
You are apart of the DNN and the Blue and white, What has that been like to balance? Similar, completely different?
They don’t really…like ‘clash’ together so it’s like I don’t have a problem doing both this year at least. I feel like it’s next year that it’s going to be a problem but I think newspaper actually helped me with the DNN, like with assignments that I had to do for the DNN and stuff like that.
Since the first two quarters, how have you improved in your skills as a writer from taking Newspaper? Have you seen any improvements in yourself?
I don’t like admitting to myself that I’ve become a better writer *laughs* but I’ve been told that my writing has gotten better so I’m starting to believe that. I just know that I wasn’t as confident with my writing as I am now.
Overall view of the staff and environment of the Blue and white?
I love working with The Blue and White staff and I feel like ever since I’ve been on newspaper I’ve been more alert on what’s going on around me. Before [this], I’ve never really focused on policy or just politics in Apopka High School period, so I feel like it kind of helped me open my eyes basically. I don’t like Jordan though *laughs* Add that!
Do you have any hobbies that you do outside of school?
I like to dance and I’m on the flag football team so those are two extracurricular things that I’m doing right now. And I do have a love for Drama. I was active in the performing arts drama department, I kind of laid off this year but hopefully next year I could get back on it
Do you have anything that you are looking forward to this year?
Flag [football] season. Hopefully, we’re able to win states this year! And I look forward to progressing.
How do you feel knowing senior year is around the corner?
Now that I know that I’m on track to graduate, I’m not as worried as I was before because last year was not my best year. But now that I know that I’m on track and everything I’m not–I’m just ready for Senior year basically to be [over with]. I’m just ready to leave. *laughs*
By doing Newspaper, have you looked at your community through a different light and lenses than before?
So before [the newspaper] I knew stuff that was going on but I didn’t really pay attention to Apopka. But now that I’m on the newspaper staff and that Mrs. Houvoras is making me do these things it’s kind of just like–like I said it’s kind of just…it made me alarmed to what was going on around me. Not just bad things but also the good things.
The average news channel seems to report on very serious headlines nearly what seems like every day, how would you compare the news reported through the B&W to the news industry?
I feel like the news industry is kind of more–well I wouldn’t say ‘truthful’ cause it’s more opinionated than actual truth for the most part– but I feel like it’s a form of reality and we focus on just…I just feel like our newspaper is just something to look at to know what’s going on at Apopka High School not just necessarily focusing on what’s going on [around the world]. Like features, we do focus on what’s going on in the world and we do state facts and everything which is good but I feel like it’s more of [something] where you don’t want to hurt people’s feelings and you want to [try to] stay in the middle, most resources either skew left for skew right