News that Stands Out
THE KNIGHT TIMES Official Student Newspaper of Episcopal High School
January 2019
4650 Bissonnet, Bellaire, Texas 77401
Seniors serve at Outreach spots across Houston
www.ehshouston.org
Volume 33, Issue 6
Interim Term Students experience and explore courses in unique two-week session
CARSON SHERMAN Staff Writer During Interim Term, senior Knights are assigned to various sites around Houston to provide community service for a two-week period. The majority work in schools, helping with children from pre-K to teenagers, while others work in care facilities, shelters, and other service agencies. In the school settings, each senior was assigned an age group and classroom, though some switch age groups and classrooms each day to bond with different students. Each day seniors worked at the locations from beginning to ending bells, but many seniors observed that these days flew by due to the service nature of Outreach. The seniors’ mission was to help in any way they could and perfrom any tasks needed. For example, in the classroom, seniors could be found teaching simple addition and subtraction or helping children read, write, or sound out letters. Also, seniors helped with homework assignments when students were having trouble and needed extra guidance. Service is part of the EHS mission. Giving back while having a great time is something that is rewarding and makes a huge impact on the children, homeless, and elderly that benefit from Outreach. Any extra help in the classroom or a food service line was very appreciated, even if it was something simple as to making copies or pouring drinks. Some of the sites served were Yellowstone Academy, Long Fellow Elementary School, and Small Steps. Many seniors hope to go back and visit their service locations and touch base with those they assisted. Bonding with the children and the less fortunate made it very hard to leave, but being given the opportunity to return is something that most seniors will consider. The seniors recognized the value of Outreach - the opportunity to give back.
INSIDE Interim Term Photos highlight IT courses.
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Knight Shift “The Back Page” moves to the inside of the paper.
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Features ........................ 2 Art ................................ 6 Culture ......................... 7 Entertainment .............. 8 Opinion ........................ 9 Sports ........................... 10
One of the Interim Term classes offered this year was the Grafitti Photography class, which traveled to interesting murals around Houston. Students then used these murals to help inspire their own grafitti artwork. Photo courtesy of EHS Community. CHRIS LAHOTI Staff Writer
Interim Term allows students to learn about unique subjects that are not directly covered in class curriculum. The freshmen, sophomores, and juniors spend two weeks discovering subjects of which they may have no prior knowledge, and they are able to find out more about themselves and their interests. Learn more about Interim Term on Features Page 2
Interim Term trips offer enrichment abroad OLIVIA HOPWOOD Staff Writer Aside from learning on campus, this Interim Term, students had the opportunity to participate in enrichment off campus. This year, Episcopal offered four options for travel. Those options were the Close-Up Trip to Washington DC, the Florida Keys Trip, the Spain trip, and the London Chorale/Theater Trip. Each of these offered students the chance to grow in knowledge. The Close-Up Trip to Washington DC gave students a chance to learn information about how the government really functions. This trip took place during the second week of Interim Term and was led by Mr. Kary Kemble and Ms. Shelly Edmonds. Freshman Elizabeth Wheless enjoyed “seeing the House (of Representatives) in action and watching how the members voted on and amended bills.” She also appreciated “learning about political values and how to back up arguments.” During the trip to Spain, students spent ten days exploring the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, and Sevilla. They visited places such as Segrada Familia, the Park Guell, and Las Ramblas. Ms. Philbrick’s favorite thing about the trip was ”The
Sagrada Familia. It was such a powerful experience walking in because there is such a strong feeling of the organic natural world.” Another trip offered was the trip to the Everglades and Florida Keys. From January 14-18, students traversed parts of Florida doing activities such as snorkeling, visiting museums, hiking, and kayaking. Freshman Charlotte Pond “really enjoyed the turtle hospital because [she] learned how to reduce the use of environmentally harmful materials in [her] everyday life.” From snorkeling the Coral Reefs of the Dry Tortugas to exploring Fort Jefferson, students had an amazing experience. The final trip offered was to London, which took place during the first week. On January 5, Chorale and Theater students traveled to Kensington (in Central London) where they performed and spent days learning about the city. The students visited the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Greenwich, and even witnessed the Changing of the Guards. The Chorale sang in Southwark Cathedral, and a theater performance was presented to an enthusiastic crowd of students from a school in Dulwich, England. All in all, the trips provided a fun and
educational experience for students to broaden their knowledge and experience new places.
Top, the EHS Theater and Chorale Programs traveled to London. Bottom, students went to various cities in Spain to learn of the culture. Photos courtesy of Olivia Hopwood and Ms. Kate Philbrick.
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Knights thrive in Interim Term CHRIS LAHOTI Staff Writer If you took a poll of the Freshman Class, most students would likely have no idea what career they want to pursue. However, it starts to become a little worrisome when they get to their junior year and still do not know what they want to do. In that regard, Episcopal has chosen to incorporate a yearly two-week Interim Term when the faculty exposures students to enjoyable and interesting classes that show them the importance of having a strong background in many academic areas. For instance, in the Money! Money! Money! class, students are taught to utilize fundamental math and economic concepts to invest in their future. The Mobile Phone Application Development class gives a
taste of viable computer science careers through coding projects. These are real world skills and jobs that are not normally taught in high school. In addition to the elective classes, students in grades 9, 10, and 11 participate in Grade Level Learning and Community Time. These classes are equally as important as they foster friendships and promote awareness of moral and social issues which will eventually mold characters. As the seniors enter their last semester of high school, they participate in community service. This will hopefully provide the motivation to continue their diligence in college in order to make their impact on society. After all, as Biz Stone said, “when you hand good people possibility, they do great things.”
Mr. Flanagan’s Visions of the Future class enjoys a game of laser tag and imagines the future with innovations in sci-fi and technology. Image courtesy of the EHS community.
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The Knight Times ∙ January 2019
ARSON’S
LOSET with Carson Sherman
Welcome back, everyone! In this issue of Carson’s Closet, I will be talking about spring fashion trends! Spring is approaching, and many trends have come into play! First off, feathers. Feathers have been brought back and recently have been featured in Gucci, Marc Jacobs, and Oscar de la Renta shows. Another trend is wearing tan shades of pants and tops. This trend has been featured in the Dior, Max Mara, and Ferragamo shows. Fish net dresses with a simple under garment slip is a very big trend that should be in the fashion world in the future as well. It has been featured in Dior and JW Anderson. Another trend is wearing gold and yellow everything. Ruched dresses are also very popular attire that can be dressed up or dressed down. The 1980s is also still trendy and will be here for a while. With big logos and broad shoulder jackets, the 80s is making its big debut again in recent fashion weeks. That’s all for this issue!
Oscar de la Renta, feather dress. Photo courtesy of Net-A-Porter.com
Moviemaking teacher Mr. Milani describes his world-wide adventures BAILEY JUNELL Staff Writer Faculty members at Episcopal predictably come from different backgrounds, helping Episcopal High School create an extremely diverse community. One of those teachers is the Moviemaking, Animation, and ETV teacher Mr. Pejman Milani. Mr. Milani has lived all over the world and has worked at Episcopal for 15 years. He was born in Tehran, Iran, and lived there until he was 6 years old. After political tensions made life there difficult, he and his family moved to Houston. When they moved, he knew little to no English but was placed in a first grade class in Jersey Village. He moved all over the country after that and attended schools in Georgia and Florida. He actually never stayed at a school for more than a year un-
til high school when he returned to Texas. Mr. Milani attended Elsik High School in Houston. He then went to the University of Texas and majored in Business and Japanese. After a semester of Business, he ended up changing his major to RadioTelevision-Film. After graduation he moved to Japan and began a job teaching English to students in Tokyo. About a year after living in Japan, he travelled to New Zealand where he experienced the country for about three months. After his experiences in New Zealand, Mr. Milani took his present position at Episcopal. While here he worked toward and received a masters degree in Instructional Technology from the University of Houston.
Left, Mr. Milani bungee jumps in New Zealand. Right, Mr. Milani is seen with Mr. Avera, and an EHS alum during the Interim Term school field trip to Japan. Photos courtesy of Mr. Milani.
The Knight Times ∙ January 2019
Features ∙ Page 3
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Sydney Joe’s Jams
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¡Bienvenido de vuelta! Espero que todos disfrutaron de las vacaciones. Aunque la temporada de vacaciones ha llegado y se ha ido, el evento del Houston del año está casi aquí—¡El Rodeo de Houston! A partir del 25 de febrero, vaqueros, vaqueras, cantes, y bandas de todo el mundo llegarán a Houston listo para entretener por dos semanas. Con conciertos cada noche y jinetes del toro compitiendo por el título, la ciudad apenas puede esperar. Camila Cabello, Santana, y Los Tigres del Norte (quien están realizando en Go Tejano Day) representarán los increíbles artistas latinos. Cardi B, George Strait,
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Music fanatics everywhere are awaiting the release of The Weeknd’s upcoming album Chapter 6 and rising artist SZA’s third studio album. Photos courtesy of target. com and amazon.com.
ELLIOTT JONES Staff Writer
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No better way to kick off 2019 than with some hot hip-hop tracks. That’s why I’m going to give you the inside scoop on my list of the top 3 most anticipated hip-hop/ R&B/rap albums for the new year. My number one on the new release radar is from SZA. She is by far one of the most talented R&B singers in the game. In comparison to Jhene Aiko and Ella Mai, SZA shows a very unique style to her writing and her voice that outshines them both. With CRTL’s top hits “ Love Galore,” “The Weekend,” “Broken Clocks,” and the underrated “Garden (Say It Like Dat),” I look forward to what she brings to the table with this new album. SZA and The Weeknd both made their way to my top 10 artists list ever, so it is
predictable that these would be my top two most anticipated albums for this year. My Dear Melancholy recently captured my feelings over last year with “Call Out My Name” and “Privilege” being my top 5 most listened to in SpotifyWrapped for 2018. The Weeknd claims that Chapter 6 will not be another EP and says that he’s finally inspired enough to make a full album. The current queen of rap, Cardi B, if I dare say, will also be dropping an album later this year. Invasion of Privacy had some major hits in my opinion. At first I didn’t appreciate it, but as I kept hearing it on the radio and at friend gatherings, the album eventually grew on me and slowly worked into a lot of my playlists. Her recently released single earned my attention, and I will be waiting for the dropping of her album patiently with more hits like “Money.”
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SYDNEY HUTCHINS Managing Editor
Zac Brown Band, Zedd, Kings of Leon, Panic! At the Disco, y más están entre los otros artistas. Este es también uno de los años más diversos en términos de género, como artistas pop, rock, y EDM están configurados para realizar. ¡Asegúrese de comprar sus billetes antes de que se venden!
Winter play features ultra-realism OLIVIA HOPWOOD Staff Writer This winter the theater program diligently worked on their captivating version of the play “12 Angry Jurors.” “12 Angry Jurors” is entirely set inside a court’s jurors’ room. At the center of the case being argued is a young boy being tried for the murder of his father. While the jury decides his fate, the audience watches them work through the crime as well as their own personal biases and beliefs. Based on the play “Twelve Angry Men” by Reginald Rose, the play is potrayed in an engaging manner through the excellent work of the cast and crew of the Episcopal
Theater Program. The audience was kept on the edge of their seats as the twelve jurors move from one majority decision to another. Freshman actor Steele Sassnet enjoyed both the production and the rehearsal process. He stated, “During the time we prepared for the play, I had a great time meeting all the other cast members and getting to know them, and since the cast was so small, we all got to bond more with them more than a normal play experience.” Following their strong performance in London over Interim Term, the cast brought the show to Episcopal students and families at the MATCH Theater on January 17-19.
EHS SPEAKS OUT
If you could stop time, what would you do with that power?
MITCHELL GLOTFELTY “Change the PI call”
MCKENNA WHITNEY “Eat unlimited Tiny’s cookies”
DERRICK PERILLO “Take a walk on 610”
CHANDLER ONYEKWELU “Prank people”
COACH LEISZ “Clean up political injustice”
NATALIE KEATING “Collect peoples’ iPhones”
JAMES TAUSSIG “Change all my grades”
ELIZABETH HUNT “Travel around the world in 80 days”
ROBERT MASON “Resume time”
MRS. IRVEN “Read all the books on my nightstand”
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The Knight Times ∙ January 2019
The Knight Times ∙ January 2019
Interim Term ∙ Page 5
Photos courtesy of the Episcopal High School community.
Knight Shift The Page Formerly Known as THE Back Page ∙ Page 6
The Knight Times ∙ January 2019
Knight of the Quill Knight TIMES CROSSWORD 1
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by Alan Bradshaw
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THE Back Page being moved to THE Central Middle Page
This being people’s first time to open the newspaper
Keeping your New Year’s resolutions
Failing with your New Year’s resolutions within the first month
Taking a fun Interim class
Getting your report card back
Seniors and juniors singing Chapel songs
Sophomores and freshmen not singing Chapel songs
UCAL jersey swaps
UCAL referees
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1. Knight lift wgts. here 4. Should _ __ shouldn’t I 5. Knight hit home runs on this field. 8. Not UPC but __ 9. Sushi ingredient 10. ___ Track and Field Complex 11. Scottish explorer John ____ 14. Narrow margin of victory, with “a” 18. Feature of great QBs and pitchers 19. ___ Blu, Dipinto di Blu 20. Knights might hoop here
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1. Sound made by a snake 2. Electro house musician Steve ___ 3. ___ Field House 5. Knights might practice here 6. Bass attachment 7. Hi ___ graphics 11. Dorm supervisors 12. Pendulum path 13. Flightless bird 15. Plastic ___ Band 16. Power Five conference 17. Antlered beast
Life in the Episcobubble
by Preston Witt
Lonely Boy or Mr. Matthews??? Amazing actor Penn Badgely from the hit Netflix Original series You and the classic TV drama Gossip Girl shares a remarkable resemblance to Episcopal’s English teacher Mr. Bob Matthews. Hopefully Mr. Matthews doesn’t fall for any secret gossip. Photos by Bailey Junell and aminoapps.com.
ehsknighttimes A Complete and Utter Lack of Witt PRESTON WITT Staff Writer Good afternoon to my fellow Lack of Witters. I hope that you had a stupendous break and are ready for the new year. You know what they say, “New Year, New
Me!” I could not tell you how many people I’ve had say this to me. Hopefully, all of my Lackers put their words into actions with all their new year’s resolutions they “promised” they would follow. That being said, this month’s edition of LOW will make you think about the new year and the choices you make throughout it. Disfrutar! If you buy Digorno pizza on Amazon and it’s delivered to your house, is it still Digorno? Will Framel finally decide to control delete Lack of Witt? Is it crazy how saying sentences backwards creates backwards sentences saying how crazy it is? What happened to the Back Page? Will I ever run out of Lack of Witt questions ?
The Knight Times ∙ January 2019
Opinion ∙ Page 7
Flaws within Forbes “Richest Women” list overlooks accomplished women LAUREN PORTER Editor-in-Chief When Forbes releases its list for he world’s richest people each year, all of the names in the top ten are male. However, after Jeff and Mackenzie Bezos announced they will be divorcing, many have speculated that Mackenzie Bezos will be the richest-woman-in-the-world and on the list of top ten richest people in the world. The current richest women in the world list is filled with women who have inherited wealth from their parents or late husbands rather than women currently married to some of the richest men in the world, and have used their status to further grow their fortune. In the case of Bezos, her fortune will actually be shrinking due to her divorce, only so why will she only be granted this title once her divorce is finalized? According to Bloomberg, the top six richest women have inherited all of their wealth from parents or late husbands. However, the list would be quite different if it included women such as Melinda Gates and Priscilla Chan, wife of Mark Zuckerberg. So why is this list not representative of the
women with the actual highest amounts of wealth? If the list of world’s richest women only included women who made their fortune themselves, then a list of that nature would be fair in evaluating them based solely on their personal endeavors in the workplace. If inheritance can land a woman on the list of the world’s richest women, then why does marriage not create the same outcome? On Bloomberg’s list of the top 66 richest women, only six were self-made. This list undermines the accomplishments and efforts of women married to some of the world’s richest men in helping them grow their wealth. Many of the women have started businesses or foundations, and some even continue with the career they had before marriage. Mackenzie Bezos has had success in her career as a writer and won an American Book Award for her first novel. Melinda Gates utilized her wealth to start a very successful foundation and be a role model for philanthropy. The success of these women is not featured on the list of world’s richest women, when these women have a net worth much higher than all of the women
on the list. After the divorce, if the assets are split evenly, Mrs. Bezos will have $69 billion, which is much higher than the current woman in first place, Francoise Meyers, who inherited L’Oréal. Overall, it is a list published only for entertainment and informational purposes, but many readers idolize and respect the
women Forbes, Bloomberg, and other media outlets put on the list. Without fair media representation for the women married to some of the richest men, their achievements and accomplishments are not seen as highly valued as those of their husbands, leading them to have to inherit their wealth to gain recognition.
Jeff Bezos and Mckenzie Bezos at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party before news of their divorce was released. Photo courtesy of foxnews.com.
Government shutdown: What does it mean exactly? NICK HELD Staff Writer With all of the media coverage on the government shutdown, it is hard not to be concerned. Many find it confusing, so they choose not to pay attention, but it’s easy to understand if you know exactly what is going on. One of Congress’ jobs is to fund federal programs and agencies. If members can’t agree with the President by a fixed deadline, a shutdown may occur. The initial September 30, 2018 deadline signified that federal funds from the previous year had run out. If Congress and the President are close to an agreement but might miss the deadline, they can pass a continuing resolution, which extends the current/past funding until a new agreement is finalized. Congress usually requires at least one continuing resolution per year. If the continuing resolution expires, a shutdown is usually imminent. In the current shutdown, federal services such as social security, unemployment, Medicare, farm subsidies, veterans ben-
efits, and interests on national debt have not been affected. Less crucial jobs such as active military duty, air traffic controllers, and federal law enforcement agents work without pay while other jobs, including national park employees and national museum workers have been completely shut down for the duration. Even seemingly necessary departments such as the FDA and its food safety inspections and the CDC and its ability to react to health emergencies are affected by the shutdown. Experts claim that it is much more expensive to shut down the government than to run a functional government. Small businesses aren’t getting loans, private companies aren’t going public, and federal courts are running out of money. Retroactive pay to federal employees to compensate them for the duration of the shutdown has been enacted, but the shutdown halts the stream of revenue that federal services would have accumulated. Federal government workers will eventually get back pay when the shutdown ends, but right now they’re not injecting as much money into the economy as they would have, and many are strug-
gling to pay their mortgages, credit card bills, and rent, leading to a -0.1% deduction rate of the GDP for each week of the shutdown. Trump is as insistent as ever on securing more than $5 billion to fund a physical barrier at the Southern border, while Democrats are willing to provide $1.2 billion more than the $1.3 billion they’ve offered up for border security for a total budget of $2.5 billion. Did I mention that this $5.7 billion only covers 200 miles of the border? One must wonder why a physical wall is even necessary.
In my opinion it is a matter of each party’s principles. Trump feels obligated to build the wall because the wall was a major factor in his presidential campaign. If he doesn’t build the wall, it will seem like he said it as a publicity stunt to gain voters. I don’t know if he literally meant building a physical wall or as a symbol for stricter border security. Democrats won’t give in to him because they think it is immoral and ineffective. While this is a brief summary of the shutdown, I encourage you to research it and form an opinion of your own.
The Knight Times Episcopal High School 4650 Bissonnet, Bellaire, TX 77450 713-512-3400
Head of School Ned Smith
Editor-in-Chief Lauren Porter
Associate Head of School Nancy Laufe Eisenberg
Managing Editor Sydney Hutchins
Principal Kim Randolph
Social Media Coordinator Isabel Young
Dean of Arts and Innovation Jay Berckley
Staff Writers Nick Held Olivia Hopwood Elliott Jones Bailey Junell Chris Lahoti Duncan Lamme Carson Sherman Preston Witt Alexa Hendricks
Visual Arts Chair Kate Philbrick Publications Coordinator David Framel Photojournalism Instructor Japheth Storlie
Photographers Lauren Bordelon, Elizabeth Anne Charbonnet, Alex Diaz, Gerard Edwards, Alexandra Herrera, Mary Carol Ray, Amelia Traylor, Teagan Ashworth, Chris Castro Janecki, Julia Toups, Caroline Fertitta, Elliott Jones, Madison Stanke, Spencer Donley, Amber Hatfield, Alexandra Herrera, Sadie Jensen, Chloe Masterson, Isabel Frasier, Elizabeth Anne Charbonnet, Sophia Haugh, Lindsey Little, Amelia Traylor, Lauren Bordelon, Maxine Defossez, Alex Diaz, Gerard Edwards, Amber Hatfield, Trey Hernandez, Beck Hollaway, Sydney Kelso, Sam Lee, Dani Lurie, Sarah Pulaski, Mary Carol Ray, Serena Shannon, Lyda Arnold, Allison Baker, Morgan Garret, Emma White, Maya Basra, Harry Craig, Isabella Fayad, Jamilee Rassy, Gwenyth Rippeto, Lindsay Rorschach, Mimi Wilson
The government shutdown effects federal programs and agencies, leaving certain government workers without pay. Photo courtesy of attorneyalexhernandez.com.
The Knight Times is a product of students in the Episcopal High School Newspaper Program, and staff members are solely responsible for its creation and editorial content. The opinions expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent those of the Episcopal Board of Trustees, administration, faculty, and staff. Published ten times a year, The Knight Times is a non-profit educational tool. The staff encourages the submission of letters, editorials, and story ideas from the community but reserves the right to edit and/or use said articles.
Sports ∙ Page 8
Sports Brief SWIMMING As the new semester begins, there are new opportunities to attend winter season athletic events. On January 24, the swim team competed at Lamar High School against St. John’s and Kinkaid in a tri-meet. If you are interested in viewing one of the swim meets, on February 2, swimmers will be competing in the South Zone located at the Steven Lloyd Ness Natatorium in Alief. Additionally, the SPC meet will be held on February 16 in Fort Worth, Texas, where qualifying swimmers will compete in hope of bringing back the championship title. Updates on the SPC meet will be posted on the EHS webpage as soon as available.
The Knight Times ∙ January 2019
Wrestling looks to improve on 2018 runner-up finish DUNCAN LAMME Staff Writer The wrestling team has had a big month, facing teams such as Klein Forest and Cy Woods in team duals, along with important tournaments such as Prep State individuals and Prep State duals to help prepare them for the upcoming SPC Tournament. The grapplers demonstrated some talent in the Seven Lakes Spartan Invitational Tournament as four athletes placed. For
the varsity Lane McCool earned a third place and Jack Podsednik a sixth, and Quinn Charlton and Beck Howenstine won second and sixth respectively for the junior varsity. The wrestlers also did outstanding in the Willis Wildkat Invitational Tournament early in the month, having three wrestlers place in the top three. Junior James Ogunrin and McCool garnered first place honors, and Podsednik placed third. In the Junior Varsity Tournament, Gregory Ross took out the competition in surgical fashion and placed first.
This year’s Senior wrestlers, Podsednik, Sam Lee, and Duncan Lamme, will return this year to SPC with a goal to claim the first Episcopal High School SPC victory. The team wrestles along with newcomer senior Patrick Bayouth, who is a tough opponent for other teams in the heavyweight class division. Captains Podsednik and McCool will lead the team against the competition. With SPC drawing near, the wrestling team is working hard to better themselves from last year’s runner-up finish and take the championship.
BOYS BASKETBALL Episcopal boys basketball is looking for redemption since a runner-up finish last year against Houston Christian. The Knights have been on a winning streak as of late with a successful trip to Washington D.C. for the Gonzaga DC Classic and key wins against highly-ranked competition such as Barbers Hill, Irving Universal, and Lamar. EHS traveled to Austin earlier this month to face off against St. Stephen’s and St. Andrew’s where they won both games and start undefeated in SPC play. The Knights are looking to return to the number one seed in SPC and bring the championship back to where it belongs. BOYS SOCCER The varsity boys start the new year off with a bang, defeating John Cooper 1-0, thanks to Victor Velasco scoring the winning goal. They went on to play San Antonio Central Catholic, the number 1 ranked team nationwide. Thanks to a powerful offense and a goal scored in the first half by Juan Rodriguez (27), the Knights won 1-0. For their new new year’s resolution, the team would like to win SPC for the fourth time in a row. The JV team begins the second half of their season with standings of 3-2-2. Coach Weinstein has high praise for his team, commending them for their improvements in offensive and defensive organization since the beginning of the season. In the future, the team hopes to increase in-game focus and decision making as they welcome in the new year.
Senior Jack Podsednik triumphs over his Summer Creek opponent at the Seven Lakes Invitational. Photo by Claude Cody.
Recent wins put girls basketball on solid path to SPC SYDNEY HUTCHINS Managing Editor The grind doesn’t stop over Winter Break for the girls varsity basketball team. As the girls practiced tirelessly over the break, the hard work paid off, and the team is now 3-0 in conference games. Right after Christmas the girls jumped back into things with the Aggieland Classic, which sharpened their skills and kept them basketball ready. After traveling to College Station, the girls fought hard and came back to Houston 2-1 at the end of the tournament.
Going into the New Year, they kicked things off traveling to Sweeny and were dealt a tough loss. However, quickly turning things around, the girls beat St. Pius in their first home game of the season 44-13. Two more wins followed against home school teams HHA and CHSA with final scores of 51-28 and 61-43. Ka’Lyn Watson and Gwen Rippeto deserve the spotlight for their outstanding hard work and leadership as underclassmen during this part of the schedule. They also served as leading point scorers and major assets in the wins against these competitive teams. The start of conference play signaled
a revenge game with St. Andrew’s, who beat the Knights in overtime last year. The Knights brought hopes of redemption to Austin and won by eight. The next day the girls tallied their second conference win against St. Stephen’s. Coach Courtney Arnold reflected, “I am really excited with where we are in our season right now after we won our first two conference games on the road in Austin. I’m hopeful that those team wins give us the confidence we need to continue competing for a top seed in the SPC tournament. We are young but it has been fun to see us improve and compete each day to be ready for this time of year!” –
GIRLS SOCCER Despite a long vacation with little practice, the girls soccer team has been back at it with the competition in SPC starting. The team started 2019 with a game vs Chavez, a public school . The game was played before school resumed on the 4th and ended with a 6-1 victory! Right after school began the girls traveled to the John Cooper School in the Woodlands and played spectacularly; the final score was 6-1. The girls team then played HCYA, a homeschool team, on Friday the 10th and finished the game with a score of 4-0. The girls travelled to Austin over MLK weekend and played both St. Stephan’s and St. Andrews over the course of two days. The team has been getting excited for the upcoming SPC tournament and are hoping for a wonderful run this year.
Freshman Caroline Rootes works around her St. Pius opponent during home JV action in Alkek Gym. Photo by Julia Toups.