Vol. 37 Issue 3

Cougar

Connection

Online lives exposed Page 6

Photo by Jenna Moreland

Photo by Samantha Casas

Since the beginning of the fundraiser, few parent volunteers attend SNAP meeting. Page 2

Photo by Tyler Hooks

Harassment on social media promotes students to stand up for one another. Page 4

Photo by Gennesis Gonzalez

Sophomore Danica Deaton juggles band and drill team.

Page 11

Cypress Creek High School • 9815 Grant Road Houston, TX 77070 • Volume 37 • Issue 3 • February 11, 2014

2 NEWS

February 11, 2014

To SNAP or not to SNAP

Senior Night After Prom in danger of cancellation CASAS Current fundraisers for SNAP: Samantha Editor-in-Chief

Senior Night After Prom (SNAP) event holds on to its last hope as the SNAP committee fights to keep it from its first cancellation since its conception more than 20 years ago.

The SNAP committee, replaced every year with the current year’s senior parents, consists of about 13 parent volunteers when they need a minimum of 40 to run fundraisers and chaperone on the night of SNAP. Of the 13 parents, all said they have full-time jobs. One of the biggest problems SNAP President Kim Zapalac said she faces comes from the lack of communication between administration, students and parents.

“We tried unsuccessfully to get the administration involved,” Zapalac said.

“Mr. Alcorn has helped me as much as he can.”

The event will cost $30,000, which would include a venue, transportation for students from prom to the venue, and other hired services like a casino table, hypnotism, sumo-wrestling and many other activities.

Traditionally, the previous year’s committee would leave $5,000 to give the next year’s SNAP a foundation. Last year’s SNAP left $150. As of the meeting held Jan. 22, about nine of the fundraisers collectively raised $3,000.

“Some of us have donated money, I know I’ve donated like $500 to $600 for food and different things in the event,”

Zapalac said. “I think [the previous year] had less money because they had very few volunteers last year. They didn’t make a lot of money in their fundraiser plus their SNAP tickets and venue [at the Main Event] were very expensive.”

According to Zapalac, a return SNAP committee member, said the Yankee Candle fundraiser held in 2010 raised $18,000, with about 120 seniors selling that year. For the same fundraiser this year, seven seniors sold items, raising a few hundred dollars.

“ We

tried unsuccessfully to get the administration involved.

Kim Zapalac SNAP President

”

“[In 2010] we had a huge turnout of orders and Roadhouse Rolls [fundraiser], we sold $8,000 in rolls, [this year] I think I wrote them a check for $115 dollars,” she said. “No one’s promoting.”

Principal Sandy Trujillo agrees lack of communication causes a problem, but suggests the SNAP committee try to find

• Lanyards and T-shirts sold during all lunches on Fridays

• February 22, Silvie dance event, popcorn sold

• Del Pueblo Restaurant Nights every Thursday, put receipt in SNAP bucket

• March 8, brisket sandwhiches sold at debate tournament

• Amazon.com, Go to the Amazon link on the Cy Creek website, percentage of proceeds goes towards SNAP

• Shop at Randalls or Kroger with store card, setup card settings for percentage to go towards SNAP

other means of communication since the school can not legally get involved in outside fundraisers.

“I believe there are a couple of things, the teachers are not getting the information until way late and the fundraisers are not getting on the fundraiser calendar sometimes,” she said. “The reason is we have 85 clubs and organizations on campus, all of the clubs and organizations have to raise money, that doesn’t count our boosters. I’m new in this district so it’s hard for me to know the majority of SNAP historically.”

The SNAP committee unanimously voted to continue with plans and place a deposit for the venue. If the time comes and the needed funds not accrued, the venue keeps the deposit, and next year’s SNAP inherits the remaining funds.

To volunteer, whether a student or parent, give a donation or for questions, contact the SNAP president, Kim Zapalac at (832) 610-0611, or email KZapalac@entertainment.com.

For the full version of the story, go to cchspress.com.

Benchmark scores increase across board Colin MORRIS Online Editor

District progress monitoring scores increased significantly for the 2013 fall semester, with 29 subjects scoring first through fourth in the district.

Academic Achievement Specialist Maggy Watson said the administration introduced a new system, Mastery Check-In/Learning, schoolwide where teachers verify their curriculum matches that of the district’s and other teachers’.

“We’re just doing new stuff, like all the teams on campus are doing Mastery CheckIn which makes sure everything in the curriculum is aligned,” she said.

Algebra II scores jumped from sixth to second place between the spring and fall semester of 2013. Algebra II K teacher Robin Rasco said she felt she always followed the new system even before it was implemented.

“The Mastery Learning stuff I felt like I was already doing it, making sure it fit and was aligned,” she said.

Rasco said many of the test score jumps

can be seen in the on-level classes.

“But the on-level kids are really making the improvements that are visible through the data,” she said. “Their [DPM’s] are all on one level. Now in L-level they may set aside a day to study for the DPM and maybe that’s helping.”

World History scores jumped from 7th to 3rd in the district. World History AP teacher William Lally said the world history department began rewriting tests and narrowing the amount of subjects covered in class.

“The idea behind that is to create more comfort for the test and I’m sure other subjects are doing the same thing,” he said.

“We had to just talk about the necessary subjects.”

For reviewing, as some teachers do before the DPM test gets distributed, the district has simple guidelines.

“They [the district] don’t want you to basically change the numbers and ask the same questions, they don’t mind you reviewing certain concepts,” Rasco said.

“They certainly don’t want you to just teach the exact test questions, which is reasonable.”

Sophomore Ian Sims said studying independently could sometimes prove difficult.

“I usually don’t review because the subject matter can be pretty broad so it’s hard to study on my own,” he said. “And sometimes we don’t even know we have one.”

Lally said he felt students managed to become more familiar with the tests between each one.

“Overall from the first DPM in the midfall to mid-December students just become more comfortable with the material,” he said.

Algebra II teacher Myra Tate said the grades and scores all depend on the students.

“Every year is a different group of kids and some years they’re more motivated and this year is one of those years,” she said.

For the full version of the story, go to cchspress.com.

Fall to Semester DPM Changes Class BIOLOGY WGEO L WHIS USAP ECON ECON AP GOVT GEOM ALG 2

Fall DPM 4th Place 6th Place 7th Place 3rd Place 3rd Place 3rd Place 8th Place 7th Place 6th Place

Semester DPM 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place 1st Place 2nd Place 4th Place 2nd Place 3rd Place 2nd Place

cchspress.com

ADVERTISEMENT

3

4 FEATURE

February 11, 2014

Encounters of the social kind Tyler HOOKS

Entertainment/ Opinion Manager Movies like “Mean Girls” and “Heathers” immortalize tormenting teens but came out prior to the epidemic of cyber bullying. Just as online creates a new way to take on the role of a bystander, a person present but not involved in a situation, it provides a shield that allows someone to either take part or to look the other way.

As the world transcends into a place where everyone shares, posts, comments and contributes, backlash follows.

The social media epidemic, something which will thrive in future generations holds the power to affect users in a positive and negative way. Junior Alec Lintz said when someone witnesses potential wrongdoings online, they should intervene.

“I’ve called the police,” Lintz said. “I think that it’s important to get law enforcement involved if it’s something illegal. Also to seek out an adult and also contact support on websites because they can take things down quickly.”

Even in physical situations, bystanders can bring more harm than good. Especially when it comes to those who Lintz said don’t know how to use their words.

“I was walking down the catwalk and I saw all these people lined up watching a fight,” Lintz said. “I shoved through all of them to avoid giving attention to the fight because fighting is bad. I feel that when people don’t know how to use their words it’s like something is missing.”

In an ideal world, if someone needs help with a bystander near, that person should assist. However, social media makes it easier to look the other way.

“They have the least resistance, it’s the easiest thing to do,” Human Geography

teacher George Heap said. “It’s rare that people generally will stand up against a larger group. If you observe something from a distance, you’re not impaired to do something.”

How someone shares something determines how others will respond to it. Lintz said he thinks ego contributes to some of the harshness seen on a lot of social media today.

“Comments are like journals,”said Lintz. “Someone keeps a journal, but instead of it being something they keep to themselves, they think someone else is looking at it and cares, but they really don’t. It also goes back to ego-comments boost ego.”

As a bystander, junior Lindsey Rau said she feels comments can have an effect on the user and the commenter.

“It could be something that could make or break your day or sometimes it just goes to show what kind of character that person has,” Rau said. “Sometimes the comments can be funny and sometimes they can be rude and sometimes I want to comment and say that’s rude and take that off.”

Online conflicts give people a chance to intervene.

Commenting rises as one of the largest contributors made by online bullying. Comments give people the chance to victimize others without consequence.

“The magnitude of [negative] comments can be hurtful, but if it’s one pestering troll online then it’s something that people should just disregard,” Lintz said. “If someone doesn’t have the ability to say something to your face then it shouldn’t matter.”

Though a virtual bystander has the choice to do something or not, Heap said responsibility still rests on them.

“I think people do it because it gives them a distance, if you’re not involved with them you don’t feel the need

to take action,” Heap said. “In some sense they are still responsible because they perpetuate it. I think the biggest thing is because the responsibility goes much further.”

A bystander can change the outcome of any given situation. People make choices, and those choices can ultimately have an effect on them.

“I think that lots of people live ordinary lives--I think it’s because people are young, ignorant and they’ve never experienced it,” Lintz said. “A bystander is someone that sees someone being victimized or occurring and kind of ignores the happening.”

Illustration by Taylor Trostle

cchspress.com

Human Condition: Narcissism rises in teenagers Each year it spreads.

It grows bigger and stronger, transforming your body and mind. With the help of technology Kristin RUSSELL and our beloved Sports Manager Twitter and Instagram, the madness continues. Only one thing is to blame. Narcissism.

Narcissism is simply a big SAT word for loving yourself to the point where it gets out of hand and completely obnoxious.

Though this seems like a small problem, it leaves a big blemish on the face of society.

Narcissism spreads like acne, and we all know what a big dilemma that poses, but with the rise of social media and “likes” it gets out of hand rapidly. Think about how many followers you have on any social media site of your choice. When someone you do not know, or barely know, follows you or likes the ever-so-popular selfie, it makes you feel good. Almost empowered, and with power comes cockiness. Teenagers crave attention, and people can obtain that simply through social media.

Narcissism actually dates back to Greek Mythology.

A super foxy Greek man named Narcissus rejected Echo, a woman obsessed with her own voice, thus cursed to fall in love with his own reflection. It isn’t your typical John Hughes or Nicholas Sparks love story, but it is one to remember.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder, or NPD, relates to the world of psychology.

Having some narcissistic traits is healthy, but severe traits can cause this disorder.

Ironically, NPD has a direct correlation to insecurity. Some believe if they can disguise what they hate about themselves, then everything is absolutely fine. If only it worked that way.

Our generation can access whatever we want, whenever we want it. This includes smart phones. They made selfies possible, and let’s be honest, it does not take a rocket scientist to take one. Social media impacts our ego and it tends to increase with every like and follower. We post pictures and the narcissism inside of our bodies expects a sea of attention.Though remember that ego constantly builds up. Think about it, when you compose a tweet or upload your latest selfie, who are you doing it for? Yourself, your peers, or the monster behind the mask, known as narcissism.

5 Cougar Connection OPINION

Sam Says: Save SNAP Samantha CASAS Editor-in-Chief

As a concerned senior who plans to attend the Senior Night After Prom event, I took on the responsibility to investigate why the fundraising so far stands

unsuccessful.

During this process, I learned about a side to SNAP people would not know about unless they attended the 7 p.m. meetings on Wednesday nights or communicated with a SNAP representative.

Think of the stress these few adults take on while having full time jobs and other family obligations. Much more goes into planning an event meant for 200 students than people may think, it’s a whole other job on its own. These mothers helping the SNAP fundraiser receive no literal benefit from SNAP. For one fundraiser, out of the 784 seniors attending our school, only seven sold an item, raising a little more than $100, where the same fundraiser p re v i o u s l y brought in about $18,000. The only difference between the previous year and this year was not the fundraiser, but the students who, as a majority, show little to no interest in helping raise money for an event created to keep them safe

and have something to do after prom other than go home.

No one can blame a specific person or group. Although I believe administration could do more, students should try harder to save the last major event of their high school career celebrated as an entity.

Galveston and Lake Conroe will not go anywhere, students can stay at beach houses any other time, but SNAP is a once in a lifetime deal.

I ask all seniors, even those who do not care for SNAP, to try and help spread the word about upcoming fundraisers and participate. If not for themselves, for their fellow graduates, who may not have the money to rent a beach house, or have any other place to go after prom than SNAP. Let’s not let the class of 2014 be the first in over 20 years to not have a successful SNAP.

Illustration by Taylor Trostle

‘The Boy Who Cried Bully’ Staff EDITORIAL

Teachers, parents and society thump the anti-bullying bible to students to the point of exhaustion. As a result, most people cannot aptly define bullying because of their insensitivity to the topic.

It seems the term “bullying” turned into the newest trendy cause, a catchphrase anyone can use to condemn another even at the slightest little comment. Everyone from youth organizations to celebrities and movie directors jumped onto the bandwagon to talk about and “stomp out bullying” as anti-bullying commercials put it.

In the beginning it was an important subject to talk about, and shedding light on it did a good thing for the anti-bullying cause. But as bullying trickled into the mainstream, it lost some of its meaning somewhere along the way.

People began using the “bully” excuse for everything causing a culture

to desensitize to its severity. The actual victims of this physical and emotional abuse cannot be heard above all the noise others who do not know the actual meaning cause in the background. And we all know how “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” ended: the kid gets eaten.

The term bullying needs reevaluation.

An advocacy website for this behavior, stopbullying.gov, defines bullying as unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance.

Public ignorance strips victims of their power to report abusive behavior.

Respecting the severity of this issue and refraining from excessive use of this term shifts the power balance back into victims’ favor.

Practice a simple solution. Be a good person. Be kind, sympathetic, and nice, and as cheesy as it sounds, it makes things a whole lot less complicated.

Vol. 37, No. 3 • 2013-2014 Cypress Creek High School Attn: Journalism Dept.

9815 Grant Road Houston, TX 77070 281-897-4246 Fax: 281-897-4193 EDITORIAL POLICY Cougar Connection is published every six weeks during the school year by the newspaper staff at Cypress Creek High School.

The publication has been established as a designated public forum for students expression and the discussion of issues of concern to its audience. Student editors make all content decisions. The opinions expressed are those of students and do not necessarily reflect the views of the adviser, administration, Cypress Creek High School faculty or CypressFairbanks Independent School District employees.

Editorials represent the majority opinion of the Cougar Connection staff. Letters to the editor are welcome and should be brought to the journalism room, 1446. To be printed, letters must be signed, legible, 300 words or less, and contain the author’s full name. Unsigned letters will not be published. Letters will be edited for minor spelling and grammar mistakes.

Should a letter be too long or contain errors in fact, excessive grammatical errors, or unprotected speech, it will be returned to the author for resubmission.

Cougar Connection, an awardwinning student newspaper, is a member of the Interscholastic League Press Conference, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.

Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service.

Cougar Connection is printed by Tristar Web Graphics of Houston.

ADVERTISING POLICY The staff reserves the right to refuse advertising deemed inappropriate for a high school publication, including products or services that are illegal for minors. In cases involving political advertising, efforts will be made to solicit all points of view.

STAFF

Editor-in-Chief: SAMANTHA CASAS Managing Editor: JENNA MORELAND Online Editor: COLIN MORRIS Business Manager: MYKIAH BROWN

Business Team: ANDREA ANDERSON, AUDREY JONES News Manager: REBEKAH KISH Features Manager: MACI SMITH Entertainment /Opinion Manager: TYLER HOOKS Sports Manager: KRISTIN RUSSELL Photo Editor: VERONIKA SCHIEBLER Design Editor: CARLOS MEDINA Staff Artist: TAYLOR TROSTLE Staff: ADOLFO MUNOZ CALINE FORWARD CHLOE TREJO FRIDA DELGADILLO HALA KHAN JESSICA BOTT VYNNA CHITOLIE Adviser: SAMANTHA BERRY

6 IN-DEPTH

February 11, 2014

Setting fire with shame Online activity exposes students to embarrassment, ridicule Chloe TRE JO Reporter Friday night, a time when friends get together becomes a time when social media thrives. Instantly people share moments, take pictures and

and criticize people’s personal lives on the Internet. Statistics show that more than 25 percent of teenagers experience online bullying. “[Online criticism] is worse online because people don’t think it

tweet about the night’s festivities.

People think sharing information online doesn’t matter, but the result of sharing personal information can lead to embarrassment. Gone are the days of privacy. Every post informally invites strangers into students’ personal lives. An account set to private doesn’t always mean it

means as much as it really does,” freshman Christian Alvarez said.

The Unnamed Account Sophomore Alexis Green sat at the dinner table with her family

stays private. People screenshot private messages, Facebook posts, tweets,

at her aunt’s house when she heard the beep of her phone. One new

Instagram photos and Snapchats. Anything can go viral.

message.

Make it snappy

Green said. “I just responded like ‘What are you talking about, what do

“My friends just texted me like, ‘Have you seen this photo of you.’”

In this generation, privacy on the internet has become a rare

you mean?”

Green’s friends contacted her about an explicit Instagram account

delicacy, leading to the question; does it exist anymore?

Snapchat, a smart-phone application, allows a person to send a picture to someone for a certain amount of time. According to the company, once all parties receive and view “snaps,” the image is deleted

which posted personal photos of underaged girls. The account exposed an intimate photo of a different girl but identified the image as Green.

“I don’t even understand how that picture got out, or who it is,”

from all devices and Snapchat’s servers. The company does not guarantee

she said. “I’ve never and will never send a nude. I just have no idea who

a particular timeframe in which images are deleted.

could have done that, or did that to me.”

Controversies and assumptions exist over the creation of Snapchat,

Another victim of the profile, sophomore Alexandra Zaghbour, said

including the one that the creators developed it as a “safe” way to send

she trusted a photograph of herself to someone, only to find it reappear

explicit pictures. The creators, Evan Spiegel and Robert Murphy, protest

on the Instagram account.

these rumors, but documents in the lawsuit between the creators and a former colleague claiming Snapchat was his idea reveal a different story according to some sources. To read more about this go to https://www. adammclane.com/2013/08/22/why-you-should-delete-snapchat/.

Snapchat seems safe, but hackers accessed the popular app’s

“I am fully aware that I brought this upon myself,” she said. “I’ve just learned and continue to learn from my mistakes.”

The anonymous owners of the account opted for a private setting, but accepted users who gave the account a “shout out” or advertised them to gain more followers. Some of the accepted followers commented

security system and released 4.6 million users’ account information early

on and took screenshots of the girls’ photos which was how news of the

this year. Users can check to see if they were one of the millions affected

account’s existence spread through the school.

“I read most of them [comments] and I was really surprised, and

by visiting http://lookup.gibsonsec.org/lookup.

Whether the snap is set to one second or 10, the opportunity to screenshot presents itself and then share it all over the Internet. Screen shotting is a feature possessed by most smart phones of capturing

mad,” a victim’s friend, sophomore Kassy Vivero said. “It was like no one had a heart.”

Klein High School found itself to be the target of a similar account

whatever is current on the device’s screen and saving the image to the

recently. As reported in local media, the owners of the Instagram account

phone’s memory.

for KHS now face legal actions from victims and their parents for

Both a victim and offender of “screen-shotting,” senior Kevin

creating and posting on the account.

Pedraza said people have screenshot him multiple times before. “[Getting screenshot] is weird at first depending on the picture,” Pedraza said. “Then I figured that it doesn’t really

The account in question

matter.”

Even though he feels screenshots don’t mean much, others do not favor their screenshot–frenzy friends.

“When someone takes a screenshot through Snapchat of my face, I lose trust in that person,” sophomore Efren Silva said.

Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, just a few other forms of social media, give users a chance to share posted content and interact with others.

“It’s just drama honestly,” senior Tyler Fiscella said. “Everyone does it just to follow what other people do, and they just cause drama.“ Even with an account set to private, the information posted is stored in many servers with a potential to be seen by

Our own claim to fame: STUCO’s vine video of the student section

anyone in the world.

“You’re going to have a friend who has you added that [people] can still see everything through them,” senior Caroline Hudson said.

Because of public accessibility, social media outlets became a tool used to expose

reached international fame.

cchspress.com

IN-DEPTH

7

Fatal Attraction: Users interact with unknown Rebekah KISH News Manager *beep beep* the familiar sound of a new follower.

Most of our generation plugs into social media, but

social media site for friendships - new and old.

“I know about half of my followers because I do

do we really know who’s following us? Or even who we

have long-distance friendships with people I grew up with

follow?

and separated at one point,” Oakes said.

Senior Jared Walton said he follows people out of “politeness.”

“There was this one girl,” senior Jared Walton said, “‘Jesus, she’s really attractive’ so I followed her.”

Walton said he follows to make friends, but, junior Alex Bridges doesn’t follow people unless he knows them personally.

“I don’t care to know about people I don’t know,” Bridges said.

Senior Alifya Musa said although she will not meet

He said without social media he would not have stayed in contact with those friends or built friendships with people he does not know. Despite his active online life, Oakes said he does not have any personal experience with catfishing.

“Sometimes I follow people I don’t know because of their looks, but you see their story as well,” Oakes said.

Sophomore Jodie Monk said she keeps her profile on private and does not follow people she doesn’t know.

“It is my personal preference to have it on

an online friend face-to-face, she still talks to people

private,” she said. “I don’t like when people go through

online.

my things who I don’t know.”

“I feel like meeting someone I didn’t know is too risky to expose [myself] to someone I don’t know and don’t know what background they come from,” she said.

“Someone messaged me; I wanted to see if I knew them, but I didn’t, and he was from London then I said bye.”

In the sea of fish online, someone is bound to get hooked. The 2010 movie ‘Catfish’ introduced us to the term ‘catfishing’ and a potentially ugly side of online life. Catfishing is defined as someone who creates a false online identity and interacts with others using this alias.

Catfish or Shark Bait Around 40 million Americans try online dating ac-

The Twitter Machine Junior Gaby Benavides’s Twitter account exists amidst the, according to the Digital Buzz blog, more than 20 million fake accounts parodying famous celebrities, fictional characters, and other persons.

A member on the popular social media site since July 2010, Benavides, at time of publication, hosts 857 followers on Twitter.

“I probably only know like 60 of my followers,” Benavides said.

She thinks users found her from mutual followers who retweeted her. Benavides said she got to know a lot of

cording to AmericasFuture.org, and with that comes both

her followers by talking about common interests but does

success stories but also complicated situations.

not worry about catfishing because she tries not to get too

Senior Emmaleigh Kercsmar created a fake Facebook profile in middle school to get to know a boy in her class.

“There was one guy who I really liked that I had history with, but he’d gotten over me,” she said. “So I made this page to convince him that we were right for each other.”

She said she introduced the person as a new

close with people over the Internet.

“Actually I follow a lot of people I don’t know,” she said. “I guess ‘looks’ makes me want to follow them.”

According to MediaBistro, if Twitter was a country, it would qualify as the 12th most populous in the world.

Given the amount of time and effort spent cultivating an online presence, our online lives are, in a way, our online citizenships. What kind of citizen are you?

Houstonian and they talked about the area and made jokes. She said it never got serious.

“It wasn’t until he expressed his feelings for the catfish that I thought about telling the truth,” Kercsmar said. “So I did.”

She said she texted him and told him she needed to be honest about the account and explained she used the account as a way to get closer to him.

“Of course, nothing that happens in middle school really matters for anything, but it was a big deal at the time,” she said. “I abandoned the page after that.”

Kercsmar said the situation upset the boy and they didn’t talk for months. She said she regrets what it did to the friendship but does not dwell on it.

“I’m about to graduate,” she said. “I’m a different person now than I was six years ago.”

Filters and Followers Instagram boasts 100 million monthly active users.

That’s 50 times the population of Houston - the fourth most populous city in the United States.

With 946 followers, sophomore Chris Oakes uses the

Next big app?

-Cy Woods app for Cy Creek -An app to let you order from restaurants -An app to unlock cars and doors -An app to record TV shows

Secondary Coverage & Layout by Colin Morris

8 OPINION/ ENTERTAINMENT

February 11, 2014

Generation Y: Dissatisfaction guaranteed Traditionally, the passing of about two decades creates a new generation.

The majority of youth reading this article falls into the Generation Z category, the generation born between 1995 and 2010.

Our parents, born between Andrea ANDERSON 1946 and 1984, make up the Business Team Generation X and the Baby Boomers. Raised by their Depression Era parents, who obsessed with economic security and brought up our parents to build practical, secure careers.

As the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s rolled along, the world entered a time of unprecedented economic prosperity.

The majority of our parents did even better than they

expected to. This left them feeling gratified and optimistic.

Therefore, our parents raised us with a sense of optimism and unbounded possibility. Baby Boomers and Generation X parents around the world told their Generation Z children they could be whatever they set their little minds to, instilling a special protagonist identity deep within their psyches.

This left them feeling tremendously hopeful for their careers.

The startling thing about the world is that it turns out to not be that easy of a place and the horrific thing about careers -- they can actually be quite hard. Profitable careers take talent, years of blood, sweat and tears to build.

We want economic prosperity just like our parents did; we just also want to be fulfilled by our career in a way our parents didn’t think about as much.

In many ways, our generation thinks delusionally.

Growing up, many parents educated them about their unusual destiny for something much more special than the rest of Generation Z. Teenagers find themselves just so unusually wonderful and figure their career and life path will naturally stand out amongst the crowd.

While our parents’ expectation included many years of hard work would eventually lead to a great career, our generation considers a great career an obvious given for someone as exceptional as us -- just a matter of time before the world realizes how special they are.

Right now, they are not special. Each and every one of them will fall in the category of just another completely inexperienced young person who doesn’t have all that much to offer yet. They will soon find out they can only become special by working really hard for a long time.

Advocates bring change to mind Illustration by Andrea Anderson

‘Amor Deliria Nervosa’ Caline FORWARD Reporter Imagine living in a world where love raises criminal flags. Where boys and girls cannot attend the same school.

Where people get sent to a prison if they show any signs of amor deliria nervosa (the deadliest sickness of all).

This equals Lena Haloway’s reality. Where Valentines Day stands nonexistent and the government forces citizens to take a procedure at the age of eighteen to block this terrible thing that infects your brain - that makes you unable to think clearly, or make rational decisions about your own well-being.

Learning from a young age that this disease stands as the worst thing that can happen to her, Lena avoids any signs of deliria from ever touching her… but then she meets Alex: an invalid (a person who disagrees with the law) undercover. And then, in a flash, she’s on the run for her life.

While reading this book, the rebellion in the main characters and the tension in the difficult situations they’re put in causes the reader to long for the type of love Alex and Lena share throughout it all. This book also brings out the rebel in the them. Sounds dorky coming from a someone who reads, but it’s the same like if someone were watching this on a movie screen.

As the first book in the series, the novel ends in a major cliffhanger, causing you (okay, me) to throw the book across the room in a dramatic hmph. This innovative novel creates a relatable aura as you read, not by the ways of their life, but by the relationships and realistic emotions in between.

A fantastic read for those who crave rebellion, adventure and love. It is one story you will never forget.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Photo by Caline Forward

It’s hard enough to fit in by average standards, but often many forget to factor in mental illness as well. Due to recent antistigma commercials by the Bring Change to Mind foundation, the masses can no longer ignore the Taylor TROSTLE situation, the fact of negative Reporter assumptions about mental illness.

Easily relatable is the parallel homosexual and atheist arguments faced before by society.

In addition to the nature of the topic itself, mental illness transforms into a difficult sensitive discussion, therefore shrouded in ignorance and lack of acceptance.

Even the most controversial subjects have advocates willing to speak out to inform the public. Senior Caesar Arrieta, chose to discuss his difficulties as a teen with gender identity disorder.

With this controversial and misunderstood condition, Arrieta faces many mixed opinions ranging from approval to complete discrimination and alienation from friends, family and coworkers. However, some people support him in his time of need, showing that in recent years the populace made large progress in terms of tolerance but just not enough.

Predictably, public ignorance brings another level of argument, preconceived notions and self-diagnoses of such mental illnesses, including but not limited to Bipolar Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism and Schizophrenia.

Teens use a mental illness as brag right or crutch, without being diagnosed by a certified doctor or medicated by such. The Bring Change to Mind commercial, cleverly titled “schizo”, highlights these facts and helps many ultimately come to the solid conclusion of advocating, educating and ending the stigma of mental illness.

Please visit www.bringchange2mind.org for more information.

cchspress.com

Cougar Catwalk Tyler HOOKS

Entertainment/ Opinion Manager

street style Let out that inner urban outfitter

and make your day-to-day look iconic. Capture that everyday swag and upload it to Instagram, and add #streetstyle.

Instagrams:

@Fashionablehits @Fashionaddict425 @whatmyboyfriendwore @flyfashiondoll @zennkaisalon @trustyourselflove @oliviazapo

FASHION # ADDICT

Chic kills. Welcome to Fashion Addicts Anonymous, share some of your biggest style weaknesses and those that you’ve experimented with.

ENTERTAINMENT

9

Spreading style through social media

#FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY

It’s time to let out that inner Patrick Demarchelier. Never forget to add the photo credits to that epic picture you shot and the even greater look you chose. Add #fashionphotography and use your keen filter skills to target new followers.

FASHION STUDY

Get an A plus in style this year by rocking some of the latest trends and sharing them with friends and followers. Share your trend smarts with the world when you add #fashionstudy to the look that took time to develop.

This year learn what looks and styles best fit you, and let everyone know about your More ways to share your style on www.cchspress.com inner chic genius.

7050 FM 1960 WEST HOUSTON TEXAS | TX | 77069 281.893.5030 P 281.893.0362 F PAPPASITOS.COM

February 11, 2014

10 ADVERTISEMENTS

Mark your calendar! Cypress Creek High School will have a half day of school on Friday, March 7, 2014, with all students being released at 11:25 AM. **NOTE: Lunch will not be served**Buses will run** Cypress Creek High School has been chosen as the host school for the TFA (Texas Forensic Association)Tournament during the first week of March 2014.

Coach Tatum, Roses are red, Violets are blue, When I grow up, I hope I’m as tall as you!

Love, Mr. Lally

cchspress.com

SPORTS

11

Swimming straight into national competition Hala KHAN Reporter

Juniors Hunter Gildart and Braxton Flowers swam to success in December at the 2013 Winter Junior National Championship in North Carolina.

At the WJNC, swimmers from around the country compete in various swim events in preparation for Olympic trials.

The competition took place on Dec. 1214 at The Greensboro Aquatic Center, in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Gildart said a lot of college swim coaches go to the WJNC meet to watch and recruit new members.

“I think it’s definitely an important meet for swimmers to compete in,” he said.

When Flowers found out he qualified for the meet, he increased his practice schedule, since he received the news only a week before the event.

“I had no idea I was going to go to nationals, but when I found out I was really happy about it,” Flowers said.

Gildart said he already had the qualifying times for the meet, he just needed to prepare for it.

“I was pretty happy and excited for the competition when I found out I could compete,” Gildart said.

Gildart qualified for the 200m individual medley, 200m breaststroke, and the 100m

breaststroke. He also swam the 400m individual medley and 200m freestyle at the time trials.

“When I made the cuts, there were certain time standards that I had to make in order to qualify,” Gildart said.

Flowers swam the 100m backstroke at the meet. “[The results were] not too good, but that’s okay, I didn’t even expect to go,” Braxton said.

Gildart said the results of his swim events were satisfying.

“For me [they weren’t] bad, I did not [make] finals, but there was a bunch of people going stupid fast times, Olympic trial stuff,” Gildart said.

Flowers competed in numerous competitions ever since he began swimming at the age of nine.

“Once I started swimming, that’s the one sport I competed in,” he said.

Flowers said his grandpa got him into swimming at a young age, but he doesn’t intend to keep swimming.

“I want to continue with it into college, but not past that,” he said.

Gildart started competitive swimming at the age of six, and learned how to swim a few years before.

“I’ve almost always loved swimming,” he said. “It started out with me learning

Just keep swimming: Junior Hunter Gildart swims the 200 individual medley as he competes in a swim meet at Langham Creek High School. Photo by Megan Chan

to swim, then I started to like it more and more.”

Gildart said he also participated in Taekwondo at a young age.

“I got black belt, but it was either swimming or Taekwondo,” he said. “So I decided to do swimming,” Gildart competed in dozens of competitions over the years, and received many awards for them.

“I can’t remember how many awards I’ve won, and there are so many competitions

Sophomore juggles band, Silvies Frida DELGADILLO Reporter Students may think they see double during the football halftime show, but in reality they see 15 year-old, sophomore Danica Deaton twice.

Since the age of three, Deaton has danced.

Also, Deaton involves herself at Carol Ehler’s Dance School in Copperfield, TX. “She just really developed a passion for it during the last few years, and she loves being a Silvie,” Deaton’s mother, Tammi Deaton, said.

Her first year on the drill team seemed busier than most having to march right after dancing on the field. Playing in band since sixth grade Deaton also dedicates time

to marching band. “[Danica] became interested in band by watching her older brothers participate in those activities,” Tammi said.

Her mother describes her as a focused, determined and a goal oriented person.

But Deaton’s involvement doesn’t just stop at dancing and playing the flute, she also commits herself to Taekwondo.

“I volunteer after band everyday,” Danica said. “I teach Taekwondo to little kids at Ata Taekwondo Usa.” Having participated in Taekwondo since the age of seven, Danica finally got recognition for her accomplishments. “[Danica] competed for and won the title of World Champion in Taekwondo for

sparring in 2012,” Tammi said.

Deaton’s involvements would have any average person stressed out and on the verge to quit, yet she keeps her calm through it all.

“It does bother her that she’s unable to attend every practice and every event because she doesn’t like to let anyone down,” Tammi said.

Deaton’s participation contributes to her strong, and well-rounded personality.

“She’s very consistent and always there, even if she’s in all of those different things,” Groschke said. “She doesn’t slack here and I don’t think she slacks in band, so she dedicates herself somehow to all her activities.”

that I can’t even count them,” he said.

Gildart plans to continue with swimming well past college.

“I would like to try to make some trial cuts, the ultimate goal is to make it to the Olympics, but thats always unpredictable,” Gildart said.

Gildart said the defining moment in his swim career took place last December.

“The biggest achievement for me, personally, was making the Junior National cuts,” he said.

12 SPORTS

February 11, 2014

Herd dominates court

Lady Cougar basketball teams continue their reputation of being district contenders.

Hand it over: Junior Caitlin Stephenson passes out seat covers to freshman Jada Ward and other members of the varsity team. Photo by Dairyn Salguero

Dribbling fiend: Freshman Tyra Simpson takes the ball down the court while keeping it away from members of the Cy-Fair team. Photo by Veronika Schiebler

Concentrated stare: Sophomore Jessica Munoz watches for the rebound after a member of the Cy-Fair team shoots for a basket. The team lost to the bobcats. Photo by Veronika Schiebler

Moving forward: Senior Ali Dougherty runs with the ball towards the basket after getting a rebound from Fair. Photo by Veronika Schiebler

Fighting off Fair: Freshman Kenli Marcum looks for another player to pass the ball to. Photo by Dairyn Salguero

Getcha head in the game: Junior Grace Williams and freshman Jada Ward lead the team onto the court through a banner.

Photo by Dairyn Salguero

Juking out the competition: Freshman Gail Snyder takes on a member of the Cy-Fair team one on one. Photo by Veronika Schiebler