The student-run news site of H. B. Plant High School

PHS News
The student-run news site of H. B. Plant High School

PHS News
The student-run news site of H. B. Plant High School

PHS News
The sun sets over the water in Pass-A-Grille Beach, Florida. Pass-A-Grille is only a 40-minute drive away from Tampa.

Five reasons why Pass-A-Grille is the best beach in the Bay Area

Rowan O'Flanagan, Staffer • March 10, 2021

1. Location  At first glance, the approximately 40-minute drive from Tampa to Pass-A-Grille beach may seem long. However, Pass-A-Grille is certainly close enough for an easy day or sunset trip,...

Studying at her table, junior Pearson Heim reviews her notes for her AP Environmental Science test. Juniors and seniors share their opinions on the AP classes offered at Plant.

Students give their opinions on AP classes

Samantha Macuare, Managing Editor • March 9, 2021

Never know which APs to take? Not to worry, your classmates are here to help! Plant students give their real opinion on the AP classes here at Plant.   AP Economics: “I would definitely recommend...

Ritt Momney, also known as Jack Rutter, has a new song out on listening platforms called “Not Around.” It had a different sound than his earlier music, including his 2019 album “Her and All of My Friends.”

Ritt Momney’s new song is music to my ears

Jessie Larrinaga, Managing Editor • March 1, 2021

On Feb. 5, up and coming musical artist Ritt Momney released his newest single “Not Around.” The song is similar in tone to many of his other songs but has a new vibe with instrumentals that was...

Laying in the sun, pit bull-mix Cali chews a stick. Adopting a puppy can be a great source of laughter and fun.

A new source of smiles: the joys of adopting a puppy

Rowan O'Flanagan, Staffer • February 26, 2021

When my family adopted our new puppy from her foster mom, she was only about ten pounds, with a floppy style of walking, a constant little wrinkle between her eyes and a tendency to abruptly sit...

Showing a preview to the article, the graphic encourages following five tips in order to help reduce environmental impacts. In the last 100 years, the planet has suffered repercussions from rising temperatures and sea levels.

How to easily keep the world clean and green

Izzy Antilla, Feature's Editor • February 23, 2021

1) Using reusable water bottles: Single-use plastic accounts for much of the pollution within landfills as well as within our ocean. To eliminate a big contributor to the problem, simply using a reusable water bottle...

People in eligible groups are trying to receive the Covid-19 vaccine as Florida and other states roll out their distribution plans. Issues with distribution arose because not all of the doses held were able to get to those who fit requirements. State and federal governments have worked to develop new plans.

Florida encounters new issues with vaccine distribution

Jessie Larrinaga, Managing Editor • February 17, 2021

My grandparents received their first dose of the vaccine in early January and scheduled an appointment for their second shot to be given on at the end of January. When I spoke to them about this, I...

The winning cheese pizza: this large, 20” pizza from Eddie & Sam’s. The thinnest crust came out on top.

The Best Cheese Pizza in Tampa

Ava Satterfield, Staff Writer • February 4, 2021

Who makes the best cheese pizza in Tampa? I set out this week to find the answer. In pursuit of the perfect slice, I ordered cheese pizza from three of Tampa’s most popular pizzerias: Eddie & Sam’s...

Picturing noodles flowing out of a bowl, restaurant Pho 813 showcases a pho mural outside Henderson. The restaurant offers a variety of Vietnamese food with a classy-casual atmosphere.

Pho-nomenal

Ava Nelson, Editor-In-Chief • February 3, 2021

A sweet aroma of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves gently floats from a bustling kitchen to the bright, open layout of Pho 813. Sitting down inside Pho 813, the newly opened Vietnamese restaurant on Henderson,...

Throughout the pandemic, 100 million people have contracted COVID-19 in the world. Despite thinking I would never contract it, I have become one of the 100 million.

What it was like having the Coronavirus

Lauren Azevedo, Social Media Manager • February 2, 2021

I woke up on Sunday morning, Jan. 10 and got ready for my COVID test. I walked in, sweats and mask to boot, and received the rapid-testing booth at CVS where they took my temperature, measured any...

The image above demonstrates how teens and young adults are so into social media it's almost like we are locked to them and can’t escape.

What’s so bad about community college?

Jadyn Mize, Staffer • February 1, 2021

 Ever since middle school, I noticed that when the words, “community college” were brought up, there was never a good reaction from my friends or other students, and I always wondered why. Society...

Hether released a new song along with his album on January 15, and it exceeds expectations. He explored a new sound that had a beachy, pop-rock vibe, and it was definitely worth listening to.

Song of the Week: Oidar

Jessie Larrinaga, Managing Editor • January 29, 2021

On January 15, Hether released his latest album, “Sticky Thumb.” Easily one of the best songs on the record, “Oidar” gives off a laid- back beach-day energy.   Castelluzzo rose to fame...

2020 was a notable year for many reasons, among which were the immense and immediate effects of climate change. As a pandemic swept the world, so did wildfires, hurricanes and extreme temperatures, all of which will only worsen unless major actions are taken. The year began with a massive blaze in Australia, which burned an area of land larger than Florida and released as much ash into the atmosphere as a volcanic eruption. One study (hyperlink to https://nhess.copernicus.org/preprints/nhess-2020-69/) reported that climate change caused the conditions responsible for Australia’s wildfires to be 30% more likely, a seemingly small difference which is incredibly concerning considering the damage a single wildfire can cause. Later in the year, the United States was struck by record-breaking wildfires. In California, almost 4.2 million acres were burned, including 1.03 million acres which were destroyed by the August Complex fire, the largest wildfire in the state’s recorded history. Spurred on by record setting blazes also in Colorado and Washington, a total of 10.27 million acres were burned by wildfires across the U.S., another somber historical record (source: Yale Climate Connections). On the other side of the country, a different series of disasters were unfolding. During the six-month long Atlantic hurricane season, 30 named storms formed, 12 of which hit the United States. This too set a historical record, and devasted parts of the gulf coast. To make matters worse, 2020 was also one of the hottest years in recorded history, second only to 2016. Average surface temperatures reached 1.25 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels, despite weather patterns which should have resulted in cooler temperatures. Though it is nearly impossible to definitively attribute any weather event to climate change, rising CO2 levels almost certainly contributed to the disastrous year. According to the UN, global CO2 levels also set a record last year – 410 parts per million and rising rapidly. While coronavirus restrictions around the world did cause a small drop in global emissions, World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas referred to it as “just a tiny blip on the long-term graph.” Any real attempt to stop climate change will require a significantly bigger drop in emissions. Considering the impact climate change is already having on countless lives around the world, that attempt needs to be made as soon as possible. Climate change is a global issue, which requires global action. Many countries have already made pledges to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 in the hopes of possibly avoiding some of the worst impacts of climate change, though it is uncertain whether this target is ambitious enough. Unless there is a massive decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, 2020 will be just the tip of the iceberg of our planet’s climate related troubles. Wildfires, hurricanes, heat waves and other natural disasters will continue to increase in frequency and power, causing untold suffering across the globe. We simply cannot ignore our warming planet anymore. 2021 must be a year of climate action.

2020’s climate change disasters serve as warning for 2021

Rowan O'Flanagan, Staffer • January 27, 2021

2020 was a notable year for many reasons, among which were the immense and immediate effects of climate change. As a pandemic swept the world, so did wildfires, hurricanes and extreme temperatures,...

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