Xpress, the Coolest Section of the St. Petersburg Times, is the home for features, news and views of interest to young readers. Most of the work in Xpress, which appears on Mondays in Floridian, is produced by the Times' X-Team. The team of journalists ages 9-17 from around the Tampa Bay area is selected every year at the end of the school year to serve during the following school term. The current team of 12 was chosen out of 150 applicants. Watch for X-Team application forms in Xpress during the month of May.
Read the reviews by Xpress Film Critic Billy Norris
Getting to know the X-Team
They're raring to track down the stories you'll want to read this school year, and they've selected an eye-opening way to introduce themselves.
By Times Staff Writer
Published September 22, 2003
They are talented, fun and waiting to tell you all about what is going on with young people. They are the 2003-04 X-Team, 14 students from schools around the Tampa Bay area who want to write about - well, you name it. They already have assignments and are eager to bring you the news from their schools and communities. But they won't stop there. They will talk with kids and teachers from other schools and around the area for Xpress.
The team members, who were chosen from more than 130 applicants, each were asked to choose something they wanted to be photographed with. They explain why they made that choice.
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"I'll get the scoop on what's going on, be it good or bad!"
- Slobodan Juric, 18, 12th grade, Gibbs High
"Raising emerald green, fire-eyed frogs, and reading emotionally engaging books are my top priorities."
- Hayley Germack, 14, ninth grade, St. Petersburg High
"I've always had a fascination with fairies and dragons. Mystical creatures are my obsession."
- Bhavana Vangara, 14, ninth grade, Palm Harbor University High
"I'm always at the pool and I'm always swimming, so my goggles are almost an extension of my body."
- Britta Hays, 16, 11th grade, Seminole High
"My all time dream is to write for Rolling Stone magazine one day!"
- Jamie Sherman, 16, 12th grade, Clearwater Central Catholic
" picked a light bulb because it represents the ideas that inspire me to write."
- Meghan Godbout, 15, 10th grade, Seminole High
"My cello is a part of me, and it is through music that I best express myself!"
- Danielle Rossbach, 12, seventh grade, homeschooled, St. Petersburg
"Yu'll be saying my name because I got game."
- Sam Goodman, 11, sixth grade, Berkeley Preparatory, Tampa
"In this day and age, knowledge is power. The more you learn, the more opportunities arise in life, and I think books are truly the greatest weapons in society."
- Xenia Ruiz, 15, 10th grade, Seminole High
"A day without hockey is like a day without life!"
- Stephanie Gurtman, 15, 10th grade, Tampa Preparatory
