the
Derrick Williams Sunshine after the storm Page 8
REPORTER Volume 69
Cy-Fair High School
Issue 1
2 weekends, 8 stages 130 bands-A look into ACL Page 15
October 22, 2015
We remember Deputy Goforth Page16
Behind the desk A look into teachers’ personal lives Pages 10 & 11
@cyfairpress
22602 Hempstead Hwy Cypress, TX 77429
www.cyfairreporter.com
INTRO
To Our Readers
We are once again pulled into the crowded halls of Cy-Fair and into the classroom. With this new year, I hope that you will be informed, inspired and entertained with your school newspaper. Let’s remember what makes our school great, that the moments spent here are not moments wasted. This issue will give you a look into a few teachers whose lives were quite unique before making their way to CyFair. You will see students who have lived through violent regimes outside of the U.S., and others who have faced adversities that most do not. I hope you will see that these stories are about people, not just events. As some of us are just beginning our journey at Cy-Fair, others are finishing up this chapter of our lives. Each of us treks a path that is detailed with the things that make our story unique. I hope you will see this parallel displayed in the paper, as we learn of each others’ lives, and our stories. (Que Dawson’s Creek intro)
10. 22. 15
NEWS BRIEFS
Showing off the singers Seniors Alex Slaid and Claire Ginger represent the choir f loat at the homecoming parade.. Journalism photo.
Bibliophiles talk to NASA
Battle of the bakers Seniors Cynthia Garza, I’Mani Burnett, and Anna Leblanc competed in an Alzheimer’s fundraiser on Sept. 22 at the Parson’s House for assisted living.
Book club students joined a live video chat with NASA experts and cast members of “The Martian” for the NASA Distance Learning Network event “So You Want to Be a Martian.” Sophomore Emily Martinez submitted a question via Twitter, “Do NASA astronauts really bring duct tape to space?” Martinez said. She received a response: “Affirmative.” “It’s awesome that we were able to get this opportunity to speak to people all over the nation,” according to a story published in the Cypress Creek Mirror. White Cane Day Freshman Tiffany Tran talks to a fellow student about White Cane day awareness.
Photo courtesy of Kara Palermo
Photo by Madison Murray
SOCIAL MEDIA Of the issue
Julia Ryza Co-Editor in Chief
Emme Enojado Co-Editor in Chief
tweet
John Sanchez Managing Editor
02
10. 22. 15
CULTURE
Return of the bookworm
Say Cheese!:
WELCOME TO THE BOBCAT BIBLIOPHILES EMILY SCHULTE culture editor
Ready to Read: Secretary Noa Kalana
A new group of people have joined in room 8002 and one thing is for sure: they like big books and they cannot lie. Every Wednesday from 2:45-3:15, the Bobcat Bibliophiles embark on journeys to other worlds in between the lines of a book. Their current read is Pitch Green by The Brothers Washburn, a haunting tale of a small town in California where mystery and trouble lurk around every corner. “Books take you on an adventure that you may never be able to experience yourself,” said club president, McKenna Wright, whose favorite book is Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. Sponsored by English teachers Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Pierrotti and Mrs. Stephenson, who are also avid readers, the club hopes to add books to their reading list that teenagers can truly relate to. “I’m a literature geek, I like to read more than anything in the world,” Pierrotti said, who has read the book Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë, numerous times. Pierrotti said the things people get out of books are different for everyone and that there is so much passion in each book that it hits people in one thousand different ways every time. “A book can give you what you need emotionally,” Pierrotti said. In the future, meetings will include book discussion and choosing the next book. Members want to include activities outside of reading that could help the community. “I think it would be really cool to have a book drive that would involve the entire student body,” Wright said.
stands at attention, ready to take down any book ideas provided. Photo Illustration by Nicole Shair
Helping hands, helping hearts CY-FAIR CARES ASSISTS WITH HOSPITALIZED KIDS HANNAH HELGREN business manager
ah Helg y Hann
Photo b
ren
Priya Nair, Cy-Fair Cares Club president, wanted to create a club that works with the Cy-Fair community directly. “[A club that] helps people, kind of a one-on-one kind of situation,” Nair said. On a regular club day, CFC members make cards for kids in hospitals or nursing home residents. “We can just turn music on, have supplies, everyone just talks and makes cards for kids, stuff like that,” Nair said. CFC is open to all students. Sponsor, Jennifer Munro said CFC doesn’t have any criteria on what members can and cannot accomplish.
Although CFC offers volunteer hours, Nair said that service hours are not their motive. “We’re a club that doesn’t center around community hours...it’s not our focus,” Nair said. “It’s about giving back.” When volunteering, members have the chance to give to the community as much as they can put in. “It’s about seeing how much it helps, just that feeling of being able to help others, more than the service hours,” Nair said. Though most of the club time at school involves creativity and crafts, the club encourages members to attend events outside of school. By having relations with Ainsley Courte Assisted Living, in Cypress, gives members plenty of opportunities to volunteer. “Even spending time with them makes a
03
Senior Peyton Tavares takes a break from the recent Urinetown musical. Tavares was head set designer. Photo by: Cody Brown
Lights, Camera, Action
STUDENT MAKES THEATER ALL-STATE TECHNICIAN CODY BROWN life editor
T
he first question of her interview made her smile at how simple it sounded. “Do you know how to use power tools?” For senior Peyton Tavares, this simple question led to monthly trips to Dennison, Texas to help build the set for the All-State Theater production of the musical “Big Fish.” “Driving six hours out to Dennison seems like such a crazy thing to do because it’s such a small town, but working on the set makes the trip worth it,” Tavares said. Tavares was chosen as a technician for the All-State Theater production at the Texas Thespian Convention in November 2014 and was the first Cy-Fair student to be chosen for the distinction. Twenty technicians, two stage managers and 11 directors were chosen out of hundreds of candidates to assist in the production of the bi-annual event. “I found out I was chosen at 1 a.m. on the bus ride home from the convention, and I’m pretty sure I woke up a lot of people with my screaming,” Tavares said. The All-State interview process required Tavares to list her past productions —which include Cy-Fair’s productions of the play “The Hobbit” in 2014 and musicals “Zombie Prom” in 2013 and “Urinetown” in 2015. She was also asked about her ideal position on a set, how involved she was in her theater program, and her favorite part about set building. “Being able to bring the set to life through set construction is my favorite part of tech because the way the set looks can make a show go from just having good acting to being a great overall performance,” Tavares said. When set production for “Big Fish” began in June, specific roles and assignments weren’t given to the members of the 22-man crew because of the limited time to complete the set pieces. The construction process started after Tavares and the other technicians completed a week-long tech camp. “You were building what you could,”
Tavares said. “As soon as I would finish building a platform, someone would hand me a paintbrush and say ‘I need you to paint these fences.’” Tavares found the atmosphere and work ethic of the All-State set to be the most important aspects of her experience. The professionalism she worked with motivated her. “Without working at a professional theater, it’s the most professional set work you will ever get to do in high school,” Tavares said. “You learn to see new art styles and designs you normally wouldn’t encounter as a result of working with the same people on set all the time.” Because of her experience on the set of “Big Fish,” Tavares advises those who want to work as All-State technicians to abandon the idea of taking over projects as a leader. Since there are no assigned leadership positions, technicians need patience in order to work under pressure with new people. “The set crew is a team, and they need to work that way in order to make progress,” Tavares said. Theater director Matt Buchanan was impressed with Tavares’ accomplishment of making All-State. Having taught Tavares since eighth grade in both theater arts and theater tech classes, Buchanan knows her skills as a technician. “[Peyton is] a very well-rounded student,” Buchanan said. “She sought out the opportunity to make All-State using the skills she has learned and I have taught her, and she took it upon herself to accomplish her goal.” Because of Tavares’ experience on the AllState set, Buchanan allowed her to design and lead construction for the set of “Urinetown.” Once the set is completed, it will have cost anywhere from $3,000-$5,000 for materials, according to Buchanan. “When Peyton approaches her projects, she knows what questions to ask and what obstacles the crew will have to overcome and she knows how to tackle them,” Buchanan said. “I can’t think of another student I’d let design the show.”
04
10. 22. 15
ADS
In loving memory of Mrs. Wilson Forever a Bobcat
10. 22. 15
NEWS
05
Signing the dotted line
BOBCAT ATHLETES COMMIT TO COLLEGES AND TO THEIR FUTURES MELODY BERRYHILL reporter
Harvard University
University of Notre Dame
Sport: Football
Q
Cody Chrest,12
Planning to major in: Business Photos by Melody Berryhill
Q A
Q A
Were there any hardships that you went through? Yeah, getting into Harvard was a hard thing because it’s not an easy school to get into. I’m still working on taking the SAT over and over trying to get a good score, studying a lot, and working with tutors.
What’s your legacy? A legacy of being a hard working student athlete.
University of Houston
Brock Wright,11
Angela Harris,12
Sport: Football
Sport: Basketball
Planning to major in: Business administration and law
Planning to major in: Communications
Q Q A
Why did you commit early? I committed early because I always knew that Notre Dame was where I wanted to play. I knew that once I committed I would be done with the recruiting process and be able to focus on playing football.
Q If you could play for any NFL team, who would it be? play for one NFL team, it would be either A IftheI could Texans, because they’re our hometown team,
Q What’s your legacy? know. It’s very hard to leave a legacy here A Iwithdon’tmany great players who come before me. I want to go down as a great leader, because It’s kind of hard like I said, to match up to those people because they’re just great players overall. I want to lead this school to the championship.
Q A
Why do you want to stay close to home?
Q A
What hardships did you go through?
or the Patriots because they’re my favorite team.
Q A
What’s your motivation? I like to win. There’s nothing more that I hate than losing.
Q A
Did you face any hardships or obstacles? I fractured my pelvis freshman year and had to sit out half the season. It was tough but felt really rewarding once I was able to get back to playing again.
Well, to tell you truth one of my team mates convinced me to stay. I really like this school, the people, the culture- and we actually have a pretty good class. Probably the second best class in our conference that we’re going in.
There’s people that’s always going to try to keep you down when you’re fighting for your goal. But, you know what? I’m on the court, I’m getting a free degree and that can’t stop me from doing what I do.
06
10. 22. 15
SPORTS
Volleyball dominates the court LILY ADAM reporter
Varsity volleyball Bobcats are 11-3 , just entering second round of district games. They are just past halfway through the 2015 school season. With 13 players, three of them are college commits. Senior Eliza Piccirillo, will play for the University of Arkansas Fort Smith next year. “Eliza is one of my favorite athletes to watch on the court. She is always so excited and enthusiastic about the game” -Coach Palmer
Q What are you most excited
Senior Amanda Heller will play volleyball at Texas A&M University in the Spring 2016.
Q What are you most excited about being a college athlete?
A I’m excited to get better and play at a higher level and progress in my training.
Q Do you have any fears or reservations?
A
I feel like I’m going to miss my friends when I graduate but I’m ready to be in College Station.
Q Describe the recruiting process.
A
A Being able to continue the sport
The recruiting process wasn’t hard, but you never really knew how interested a coach was in you and there were a lot of rules you have to follow.
Q Describe the recruiting
Q What is your motivation to
about being a college athlete?
I love.
process.
A Extremely tough. It was hard
having to constantly email schools and find out which schools still needed setters.
Q
What is your motivation to keep your grades up and improve on your game?
A I want to be in the top ten percent and if I get good grades, I can get academic scholarships.
Q How is your last high school volleyball season going?
A
keep your grades up and improve on your game?
A I love the sport and I want to
be really good and hopefully play professionally.
Q How is your last high school volleyball season going?
A Our last season is going well and we hope to keep progressing as we get closer to playoffs.
Q What have been some of the struggles you face as a student athlete?
A You have to sacrifice a lot of your
Good, but I am going to miss the girls so much. We have become a family and we are all so close.
social life for your sport which gets harder as you get older, but I love the game so much. I’d actually rather be in the game than anywhere else.
Q What has been your greatest
Q Who has been your greatest
memory made through high school volleyball?
A
Before games are probably my favorite. We all go out to eat together and hang out and it’s just so much fun!
mentor in high school so far?
A
My biggest mentor is probably Lila Palmer (Cy-Fair Volleyball Alumni) because she taught me to work hard and to never complain because I get to play my favorite sport every day.
3 seniors headed to college volleyball
Serving a win
Senior Amanda Heller serves the ball during the Cypress Creek game. They won all three games. Photo by Madison Murray Pose for practice. Seniors Elizabeth Piccirillo and Amanda Heller head to practice. Photo by Lily Adam
Mekenna Merecka will play volleyball next year at the University of South Carolina Upstate. Amanda Heller at Texas A&M University and Eliza Piccirillo at University of Arkansas Fort Smith. “Eliza, Mekenna and Amanda have all been underclassmen on varsity, so now that they are seniors, they are great leaders to the underclassmen. They have been in their shoes,” Jo Beth Palmer, Junior Varsity volleyball coach said.
photo by Emily Schulte
Wyatt KHOU player of week CLAIRE MYNATT sports editor From playing in her front driveway with her dad to playing under the Friday night lights, senior Kyler Wyatt has been playing basketball since she was 6. Wyatt played basketball for the YMCA in elementary school, for Opal Hamilton Middle School and now plays varsity basketball. December of her freshman year she tore her meniscus and was out until the summer. “It was more confidence building than physical therapy,” Wyatt said. Last summer she played on an Amateur Athletic Union team as a guard and is back ready to play her fourth and final season on the varsity girls basketball team. Kyler was also awarded KHOU athlete of the week in August. She got three offers from Loyola University Chicago, Prairie View A&M University and Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. She chose Prairie View A&M University on Sept. 19 while she was visiting for the weekend. “I was on campus, in the locker room and I just knew that this is where I wanted to be,” Wyatt said. Girls basketball assistant coach Ashlaa Zuniga said Wyatt will be a leader this year. “Definitely, we need her to be one. To be successful she needs to step up. She needs to lead not only by words, but by actions,” Zuniga said. According to head coach Ann Roubique, Wyatt influences the team with her positive energy and pure hustle. She leads the team defensively,and has won defensive player for two years straight, and she can set the tone of the game through her hard work. “Kyler has genuine energy and a positive attitude. She really brings the group together,” Roubique said.
SPORTS
10. 22. 15
07
Bobcat football at it again
LEADING THE TEAM TO
VICTORY
Tight End #87
Defensive End #31
How do you feel when you are on the field? “A lot of energy, a lot of hype. You just got to stay focused. Once that play comes, it’s awesome attention from everyone.”
Outside Lineback #30
“Roger Griffin III, he’s a good football player.”
Who do you look up to? “Coach Pustejovsky, Coach Janek. They’re great men and awesome coaches.”
How do you feel when you are on the field?“I guess adrenaline is pumping, so it’s just a higher level of energy and excitement.”
Blake Faecher, 11
Kyle Allison, 11 Who do you look up to?
Holding a district record of 4-1, the Bobcats are ranked 58th in the state of Texas, and 453 in the nation. The Bobcats are ranked number one in Cy-Fair for defense, with 221 yards per game.
EDWARD CATEN reporter
Brock Wright, 11
Chris Perez, 12 Who do you look up to? “Probably Coach Sanders, he enforces everything we have to do, that’s what I get my energy from.”
JULIA RYZA co editor-in-chief
Full Back #32 How do you feel when you are on the field? “(I) Feel excited, how I’m gonna make the next play.”
District Record 4-1
Cypress Creek (W) Cypress Springs (W) Cypress Lakes (W) Cypress Ridge (W) Langham Creek (L)
14-7 56-14 38-0 19-10 49-21
Who do you look up to? “Coach Reese, he’s our coach, and we spend most of our time with him.”
How do you feel when you are on the field? “Not nervous, just thinking about what I’m gonna do on this play, what my instinct tells me.”
CROSS COUNTRY Region meet Oct. 26 at Sam Houston State University State meet Nov. 7at Old Settlers Park, Round Rock By HANNAH WILLINGHAM & EDWARD CATEN
08 LIFE
10. 22. 15
SUNSHINE AFTER THE STORM
SENIOR RECOUNTS HOW HURRICANE KATRINA HAS SHAPED HIS LIFE EMME ENOJADO co editor-in-chief
At seven years old, he heard maintenance men knock on every door of his New Orleans apartment complex. He heard the constant blare of evacuation warnings on the television, accompanied by a visual of a forecaster dramatically pointing toward a hurling mass of storm, with the alarming red in the middle quickly approaching his hometown. He heard his mom tell him to pack up his belongings, that it’s only temporary, that they would return home when it’s all back to normal. They didn’t return; not for good. Senior Derrick Williams is one of the 181,498 New Orleanians who fled Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which tops the charts as #1 for deadliest U.S. hurricane in history, according to The Weather Channel. Ten years later, the storm still rests as an eminent part of his life. “At the age of seven, I wasn’t quite sure on how to take it all in, not realizing my life was changing before my eyes,” Williams said. “I didn’t question a lot of things, like the visits to the Disaster Relief Centers and Red Cross, which I didn’t understand until later.”
While on the run from the hurricane, Williams and his family visited shelters where they received donated blankets, clothing and other necessities. After temporarily residing in Mississippi, they made the trek to Houston. “We were homeless for a while, and stayed with family and friends,” Williams said. “I remember my longest stay, being at a hotel with my mom’s God Brother, ‘Uncle Q’”. The constant moving caused Williams to go to three different elementary schools and two different middle schools in the Cy-Fair School district. This state between turbulence and order disrupted the “normal” and optimal childhood of many of his classmates. “Katrina had taken my childhood away from me- a lot was gone,” Williams said. “I felt like I wasn’t established, like I didn’t really have a home. For many people Katrina led to their lives starting over, but in my situation, my potential prosperity was nearly robbed. “ Despite this setback, supporters such as his mom and grandma made sure that didn’t happen. “My mom put me in Boy Scouts
and soccer, I even played basketball for upward,” Williams said. “I always came home to new books and developed a knack for reading. I remember the first sat book she bought for me when I was in 7th grade. She even encouraged me to join student council in 4th grade and I’ve been in it each grade since then-- now I’m student council class president.” Williams’ mom talks of moving back to New Orleans often, though Williams has no desire to. “I’ve returned to visit several times, but being in New Orleans now makes me sad,” Williams said. “There are still some houses with spray painted with the number of human and animal casualties that occurred in the house from the storm. It’s fun to visit, see my family and get a taste of New Orleans in the French quarter; but my home is in Texas, this is where I grew up and I like it here.” Williams emerged stronger and more adaptable after the faded. “I am blessed to be where I am today,” Williams said. “I am definitely a stronger person because of Hurricane Katrina.”
Derrick Williams proudly proclaims his prosperity in the years following Katrina. Photo by Emme Enojado.
MY FAIR FRESHIE: TIPS AND TRICKS FOR FRIGHTENED FRESHMEN BRI GONZALEZ life editor
Bri Gonzalez, Madi Christian and Alex White. Journalism photo.
Hey there, freshmen. So, you’ve finally made it to the glorious, funfilled world of high school. And it’s just great, right? Riiiiight. Let’s be real. You’re probably figuring out later rather than sooner that high school isn’t as easy as you thought. The school is big. The upperclassmen are bigger and so are the expectations. The homework is being piled on, extracurricular activities are suffocating you and to top it off, the bags under your eyes are almost as heavy as your backpack. You’re swamped, you’re panicked and you have nobody to turn to.
Never fear. Upperclassmen are here. We’ve got your backs, little buds. We’re here to share some tips and tricks to keep that Bobcat fight alive. We firmly believe that determination and perseverance are key elements in making it out of every semester alive (and passing). When we’re struggling to turn that last page or to finish that last problem, it’s important to keep that BFND mentality. We just have to keep fighting, Bobcats. Another daunting undertaking of freshman year is memorizing the building layout. Getting the hang of navigating a new area is always difficult, especially when that area is as monstrously large as Cy-Fair. You received school maps at Freshman Orientation and there are copies of them posted on hallway and classroom walls. Plaques with room numbers can be found marking each hallway. Even so, the school seems to be a labyrinth in which everyone knows where to go, but you. Not to worry, fishy friends, countless school days of sprinting up and down
the corridors will guarantee you’ll gain some sense of direction. You’ll be weaving through back halls and finding shortcuts in no time. Hone those ninja skills, guys. A common freshman folly is being too afraid to ask questions. Take it from us, we’ve all been lost and clueless in a strange place where everyone else seems to get it. If you don’t know something, ask. No one’s going to bite your head off if you don’t remember where the nearest bathroom is located. Nearly everyone around you is ready and more than willing to help. Being a freshman is incredibly stressful and scary, at least at first. However, with a good attitude and this survival guide, you can make freshman year one of the best experiences of your life. Stay on top of your schoolwork and swim in your teen angst a little, but don’t forget to have fun! Put yourself out there. Get involved. Try new things. Kick off the first year of high school right. Madi Christian and Alex White also contributed to this story.
Infographic by Lizzie Faria.
LIFE
10. 22. 15
09
‘NEW PEOPLE, NEW LIFE, JUST NEW EVERYTHING.’
SENIOR EGYPTIAN IMMIGRANT SHARES HIS ESCAPE FROM THE COUNTRY’S VIOLENT POLITICAL UPRISING
Survivorman Senior Filo Rezkalla, nearly half a decade after leaving Egypt, stands on the senior deck between classes. Photo by Melody Berryhill. HANNAH WOODRUM reporter
S
ince 2011, Alexandria, Egypt has been going through a revolution. A feud between Muslims and Christians and people fighting for their honor. For senior Filo Rezkalla, living there was complicated. On Jan. 25, 2011, the lives of many Egyptians changed. Growing up in Egypt most of his life, Rezkalla’s childhood was like any other normal childhood. He had freedom. “I used to do whatever I wanted. I used to have a four wheeler and me and my friends would do whatever we wanted, just go out and play every day till 5 am,” Rezkalla said. But after everything went down, he lost it all. He couldn’t even go out of his house after 8 pm. “It was when I was around 14 when the president of Egypt resigned, and I remember my uncle telling me I shouldn’t be happy because we won’t have a president for a while and all hell is going to break loose,” Rezkalla said. After their former president Hosni Mubarak resigned, there was no protection from the government, which forced the people to defend
Fun Facts
About Filo
themselves from violence. “There was this one time everyone in the jails just got released and we as people had to defend not only us but also our families,” Rezkalla said. But the real problem is the feuding between religions. When the former president was in office, Islam and Christianity was separated between two physical areas. After resigning, a push for integration between the religions began to rise. There were millions fighting for their own dignity, searching for peace through violence. “My dad owned a nightclub and it would be open from midnight to around 5 am and he would always play loud music. There was a Mosque down the street where people would go to pray early in the morning and the people there didn’t like the loud music, even though my dad would turn down the music when they did pray, but we always got threats of lawsuits,” Rezkalla said. “There was one time my family and I were going to church and somebody threw dirty water on us and threatened us that if we didn’t close down the nightclub the next time it would be gasoline.”
-Filo’s favorite ice cream is lime. -Filo considers being handsome to be his only talent. -Filo plans to try out for the soccer team. -Filo is scared of birds.
Eventually it became unsafe for him and his family. Fighting from the streets had a major impact on his family and eventually they decided to pack up and move. “There were always tanks out in the streets. Riots outside my aunt’s apartments of thousands of people walking with flags and people with speaker phones yelling stuff on the back of trucks and the people would shout it back, like a chant. So we decided to pack up and move to the land of opportunities and freedom,’’ Rezkalla said. “We came from where only 30% of the population is successful with their lives so if you work really hard for what you want most likely you will end up where you want to end up.” He came to the U.S. around 2011 when he was around 14. Coming here wasn’t the hard part for him it was mainly starting a new life. “I came straight from Egypt to Houston. It felt different because everything was different for me. New people, new life, just new everything,” Rezkalla said.” I don’t do well with meeting new people because I mostly have a problem with being alone. But I try to go out and meet new people. So far I have great friends for each step of the way.” He left everything back in Egypt his family, friends, and most of his life. “I left all my family behind. My dad doesn’t live with us, he comes and visits every couple of months and stays with us for 4-5 months. Then he leaves to go back to Egypt for his work,” Rezkalla said. “I miss my aunt the most because she was like my second family and I promised her that one day we will reunite and that one day I’ll bring everyone I care about to live with us here. I’m just thankful for how my life has turned out since leaving.” Five years later, Rezkalla has learned four languages including English, Arabic, French, and Spanish. “Back in Egypt I couldn’t pass my own language,” Rezkalla said. Being one of the few Christians at his school back in Egypt, coming here to America he has learned to open up and come out of his shell. “Coming to America has made me smarter, education wise, and I have more friends here than back in Egypt. I feel like I can be myself here and push myself to do better and better each day.”
-Filo owned a Cocker Spaniel when he lived in Egypt. -Filo listens to all music, except country, in both Arabic and English. -Filo’s name is pronounced “Fee-low.”
5
Things you didn’t know about the
EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION 1) 846 people were killed
and more than 6,000 civilians were injured. 673 died due to gunshot wounds, 45 died due to suffocation caused by tear gas. Nine were crushed by security vehicles, and 26 security forces were among the dead. 2) 197 defendants, including former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, have been tried or are currently on trial for their involvement with the killings. However, it is unknown whether or not Mubarak himself gave the order for police forces to shoot rioters. 3) Police brutality towards Egyptian citizens is considered one of the main reasons for the uprising. 4) Over 1,000 demonstrators were arrested within two days of the beginning of the protest movement. By Feb. 1, 2011, the approximate number of demonstrators in Cairo alone was over two million. 5) As a part of efforts to reform Egypt’s constitution, the Mubarak government announced a plan to increases salaries by 15 percent. The government also planned to set aside $850 million to compensate Egyptians for property damages. Source: Huffington Post
10
10. 22. 15
CENTER
Behind the
DESK
THE SECRET LIVES OF TEACHERS
On the courts
PAYE REACHES OUT TO YOUNG ATHLETES Teaching by day, balling by night. Basketball coach and principles of business teacher Lawrence Paye spends most of his weekends in Humble shooting threes with aspiring athletes. Since early 2014, Paye has used his training to change as many lives of children as possible. The Basketball Fundamental Athleticism and Mechanics, also known as “F.A.M.” is a basketball training facility. The F.A.M. takes young athletes from the Humble area and teaches very advanced basketball techniques. “The main thing before we even started making a business, it was all for fun,” Paye said. “Between my practices at University of Houston, we would go pick up the kids down the street. They lived in bad homes. We brought them to University of Houston, so I showed them something they can work towards.” The original F.A.M. started with one child: Shaquille O’Neal’s nephew. “We did a video of him, working him out,” Paye said. “It got like one thousand views from all the kids out there in Humble and around Houston. That’s when it really blew up. It started with him, his friends, and their friends. That video, man, that put us out there.” The Basketball F.A.M.’s training video was BLAKE NALL reporter
uploaded to Youtube in August 2014 and has racked up over 1,000 views from kids in Humble since then. Soon after the workout video went viral, the F.A.M. grew to 50 trainees strong. Not just anyone can work out with the F.A.M. Young athletes have to stay out of trouble, as there are no troublemakers allowed on the court. Justin Jackson, Paye’s colleague from University of Houston founded the F.A.M. with Paye.
“WE BASED EVERYTHING OFF FAMILY, WE TREAT EVERYBODY LIKE FAMILY”
“Justin and I came up the name. It took us a long time to come up with. It had to be something cool, a catchy name. A lot of kids say the word ‘fam’, we used those letters as an acronym,” Paye said. “We based everything off family, we treat everybody like family.” Even with a relatable name and good
intentions, Paye couldn’t seem to whip two of his past pupils into shape. “I didn’t change everyone’s life,” Paye said “There were two kids. Now they’re in trouble. It hurt that they got in trouble, but the ones that I did impact, they could’ve been in trouble, too. You can’t save everyone. It’s hard, that’s why we started the Family. I’m not going to lie. When I was told ‘those two kids are in jail’, that really hurt. I spent a lot of time with them; it cut me deep.” Although Paye admits he can’t save everyone, he does what he can to impact as many kids as he can. Expansion of the business is a thought, but Humble is a great place for the F.A.M. to extend its hand to the kids in bad places. “The F.A.M. has a huge impact. I feel like I’m changing their lives. A lot of them would be in trouble, or be in jail or something. They know, if you get in trouble, you aren’t going to be on the court,” Paye said. “We always treat them like family. They’re like my little brothers and sisters.
Ogwumike sisters practice with F.A.M., Paye on right. Photo courtesy of Lawrence Paye
Great wall, greater music WORLD HISTORY TEACHER TRAVELS ABROAD, SHARING MUSIC TO ALL JOHN SANCHEZ managing editor
With the bustle of the city all around her, she stepped off the plane into the hot Beijing air. She was ready to experience China. In the summer of 2007, world history teacher Lee Ann Lawrence, and the rest of the Houston Symphonic Band were invited to China to
perform three concerts throughout the country. They were invited to promote an open exchange between the countries. “I was surprised by how fast China was modernizing,” Lawrence said. “All of our textbooks are out dated.” The first of the several performances she played was at the Central Conservatory of Music. They performed with the Peoples Liberation Army Band. “They had a lot of humor,” Lawrence said. “They played Stars and Stripes Forever. I thought that was brave to play in a communist country.” Her second performance was on a section of the Great Wall right outside of Beijing. As she climbed all the awkward spaced steps to the top of the wall, she was ready to perform. “I never really get nervous
about performing,” Lawrence said. “Some people get nervous all the time to perform, I usually don’t get nervous.” She thought she would never make it to the top of the wall, but when she got there she was amazed to see the mountains stretching out in miles around her. The band performed a variety of band music, including a piece composed by a Chinese musician. “The audience was very different,” Lawrence said. “Here everyone is quiet during the show, but there everyone talks during it. If they like something they talk about it. If they like the drums they talk about the drums. The more they talk during the show, the more they like it.” They band also played in Xi’An. This was her favorite performance because the city was very traditional. All of the old culture and buildings were still in tact. “The food was really good.” Lawrence said. “The dumplings and miso soup, good stuff.”
10. 22. 15
CENTER
Susan Flukinger Biology The 1987 movie “Tiger’s Tale” wasn’t the only thing .... had two Siberian tigers lived in her house. “It was crazy. They don’t roar, they purr. You can hear them purring in the mornings. In the evening, the guy would come out and feed them 10 pounds of horse meet. I was out of my house for six weeks, but it was fun watching everything.”
Jacquelyn Hornell
Biology & AP Environmental Science Beat two forms of cancer; skin and leukemia. “I’m definitely more aware of my health and how fragile, important, and valuable life is. I go to the doctor yearly and go get checked at M.D Anderson. It just really gives you an appreciation for valuing life and understanding that. Your time on this planet is limited, you know?”
Elissa Batzer
Child Guidance & Practicum in Human Services
Elissa Batzer never expected to be voted festival queen during 1982’s Louisiana state pageant. As the festival queen, Batzer toured the USA, making stops in Wall Street and Washington D.C. to represent Louisiana. “I don’t want people to think it was only about beauty. It’s not. It’s about being professional. I went from being a very shy person to being an extrovert. Now, I’m not afraid to speak to anyone, and that really helped me become a teacher.”
April Young
English III
Back in the early 2000’s, English III teacher April Young was a television reporter in Bryan, Texas. “Every day was different,” Young said. “One day could be a funeral, then next a circus. That’s why I liked it so much. There was always something different.”
Karen Lutz
PACE
In 1989, PACE teacher Karen Lutz was an extra in the episode “Carols Carnival” of the sitcom “Growing Pains”. “It was a long, tedious process,” Lutz said. “We got there at around two in the afternoon and were there until four in the morning. Fourteen hours of walking back and forth. All that for only five minutes of the show.”
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Campbell Climbs the Coast GEOGRAPHY TEACHER HIKES PACIFIC CREST TRAIL SWITCH BRILLO news editor
Call your mom. Tell her you’ll be back in two months. Get a map. Pack your backpack. Grab your friend. Don’t forget your dog too. And start hiking. And hiking. And hiking. And stroll on for another 1,000 miles. This is exactly what Mr. Campbell, a world geography teacher, did in 1996. While working for a map company in Santa Barbara, California, Campbell looked at the maps before him and asked himself, “Why not?” This conclusion led to the 1,000 mile expedition on the Pacific Crest Trail. The Pacific Crest trail (PCT) is a 2,663 mile hiking trail that stretches from Mexico to Canada. Through mountains and wildland, the journey was not easy, but Campbell was no stranger to hiking. “I was probably going hiking 10-15 miles a day on the weekends. I was trying to make it so that during the trip it would be easier,” Campbell said. Although Campbell walked into obscure paths one day and stood face to face with a bear the next, he describes the journey as perfect. “Shorts and a long sleeve shirt every single day and it was fine. There were a couple of days where it rained. I think I got really lucky with that,” Campbell said. When hiking through the PCT, baggage is limited. “That was probably the best thing,” Campbell said. “By cutting out all the things I thought I needed, those things that people think they need, and you realize you only have “X” amount of things, you make do with that. So it was really interesting that I found that I didn’t need as much as I thought. Some people have a bunch of stuff in their backpack but mine was pretty simple and it was kind of fun. It makes you be more creative.” However, something unique the PCT provided was the views. “Oh man,” Campbell said. “I think it was the Russian Wilderness where we went to a supply pickup near a freeway, but then the next 10 miles were almost straight climbing. And when we up got there, barely anyone ever goes to that area, it was just gorgeous.”
Two months and more than 2 million steps later, Campbell reached his goal. “What ended the trip for me was when I went to bed on the side of a lake but in the middle of the night the lake started filling up, so I was swimming when I woke up and the sleeping bag was completely wet and I was like, ‘Well I think I’m done,’” Campbell said. Despite waking up submerged in a lake, Campbell wouldn’t trade the feeling of reaching the end for anything else. “I was elated. I was so happy that I did it. I mean it wasn’t like I was going to climb Mount Everest, It was just a hike. You just go and go and go, and it was fun to accomplish that.” Campbell wouldn’t mind completing the northern part of the trail in the future.
Campbell on Pacif ic Crest Trail, 1996 Photo courtesy to Steven Campbell
‘You just go and go and go, and it was fun to accomplish that’
From all over the U.S, Canada, Mexico, and even Europe, Campbell has been everywhere. But out of all the places he’s been, he says that the PCT has been one of the best experiences he’s had. “I definitely enjoyed going to Europe, but it was fun in the way that it wasn’t to go see the sights that everybody goes to see, like the Eiffel Tower. This was just going to see wilderness.” But that was nearly 10 years ago. Now, with a wife and a toddler, Campbell is in his 13th year of teaching and talks about all the adventures he’s been on. “I was living in Germany and I wasn’t having any luck finding a good job. I was talking to my sister, a principal in the district, and she said, ‘Why don’t you come out here and teach?’ And I said, ‘You know what? I’ll teach geography- talk all about the places I’ve been. And I’m really glad I took her up on the idea, because it’s been awesome.”
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10. 22. 15
LIFE
CHANGING LIVES ONE BLESSING AT A TIME
AT CAMP BLESSING STUDENTS HELP CARE FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN CREATE LIFELONG BONDS SUZY VAZQUEZ opinion editor
When senior Jesse Hastings first signed up to be a counselor at Camp Blessing, the last thing she thought she’d be doing was painting horses. Hastings has helped campers with special needs for five years get over their fear of horseback riding by painting a pony named Circles. A lot of the campers are afraid of big animals but this method has helped kids break through that barrier. Hastings is one of seven students who volunteered at Camp Blessing last summer along with Jessica Ullrich, Julia Wallner, Angela Kelly, Tanner Wells, Bridget Sanchez, and Chase Brockman. Camp Blessing Texas is a Christian centered, special camp for special needs in Magnolia. They welcome kids from the age of seven and older with a primary diagnosis of a physical or intellectual disability for a weeklong experience. Senior Natalie Gay is a student who has attended Camp Blessing as a camper for four years and plans to return next summer. “My counselor was Julia and she was very nice. My favorite part was the swimming and the bible-book because we learned about God and bravery,” Gay said. The couple who started Camp Blessing, Laura and Glen Elder, were inspired by two of their kids who have special needs. “We love camp ministry and we joined up with a couple that loved people with special needs and our love for camp and for God did all the rest,” Laura said. This camp began in 2006 with 17 campers and has grown to 470 campers and over 800 volunteers. “I first learned about Camp Blessing through my church but I wasn’t old enough to volunteer until about five years ago,” Hastings said. “Throughout my years of volunteering at Camp Blessing I have learned how to serve everyone in my life and to love unconditionally. I grew in ways I could’ve never imagined.”
Every counselor is assigned to a camper in order to be able to fully care for their needs and guide them through the week’s activities. The campers all have different disabilities but the counselors work to make sure their camper can participate and have fun despite their special needs. “It was daunting at first because my camper wasn’t able to speak, walk or chew,” said Ullrich, who volunteered for the first time last summer. “I wasn’t sure how I was going to be able to take care of her but I learned along the way and she taught me a lot of sign language.” The counselors stay overnight for six days which includes a day of training and the other five days with the campers. Volunteers participate in activities like archery, swimming, ropes courses and horse painting. There are also theme nights and a traditional dance night. “One of the traditions for dance night that gets the female campers thrilled is when the male counselors pick them up and share a few dances,” Hastings said. “The girls get so excited and it makes them feel great.”Every day the campers and counselors participate in devotions, skits and worship that teach lessons about Christianity. “My camper was actually a student at CyFair and I think that’s why the experience hit so close to home. Everyone has met someone or seen someone with special needs, but hardly anyone realizes how amazing these kids are or how many smiles they can bring to your face,” Wallner said. When the students signed up as volunteers they didn’t know who their camper would be or how the week would affect them. The experiences were different for everybody but many were greatly impacted by their campers. “The campers give you a different view on the world around you and they help you realize how lucky some of us are to have the opportunities we do. I got just as much out of the experience as my camper,” Sanchez said.
A True Blessing Junior Bridget Sanchez and senior Jessica Ullrich pose with camper Hannah Kelley during the week of Camp Blessing. Photo courtesy of Jessica Ullrich.
FUN FACTS ABOUT CAMP BLESSING -CAMP BLESSING IS 72 ACRES LARGE -THERE ARE 9 CABINS FOR THE CAMPERS AND 1 CABIN FOR THEIR PARENTS -IN 2015, CAMP BLESSING HAD 478 CAMPERS AND OVER 700 VOLUNTEERS
For more information, or if you want to volunteer, visit Camp Blessing’s website: http://campblessing.org
CULTURE
10. 22. 15
Welcome to Brookline Asylum TAKE A TRIP INTO THE MADHOUSE NICOLE SHAIR news editor
Welcome to Brookline: where the doctors might have been more disturbed than the patients who live there. Walls full of dark secrets just waiting to be revealed? Check. Interesting band of friends with a somewhat-noble goal? Check. Loose serial killer who should have never been let out of Brookline Asylum? Double check. Asylum, by Madeleine Roux, is a tangled mess of familial lines and dark secrets with average teenager, Dan Crawford, stuck right in the middle of Roux’s twisted novel. With the assistance of a few friends and some, quite strange, visions, Crawford must get to the bottom of a series of killings thought to be crafted by The Sculptor; a serial killer who was let out of Brookline more than 30 years earlier after having, allegedly, “recovered”. As a fan of all things paranormal and a sucker for a good horror novel, I loved this book from cover to cover. Each page gave me chills and the characters were intriguing to follow on their adventure to find the truth behind the ancient mental institute. And while the beginning was bit too slow for my taste, it doesn’t take long for the book to gain the speed
Hometown Italian dining experience
and suspense associated with all renowned, psychological thrillers. What makes the book come to life is the assortment of photos scattered throughout the novel’s chapters. Roux captures the perfect balance between chilling photography and spine-tingling descriptions of Brookline’s aging rooms. The photos are used as a steppingstone to help readers feel as if they’re inside of Brookline’s ancient, grime-covered walls and vacant corridors. Another of Roux’s achievements is the characters of the book. While Crawford is the main character of the book, the side characters, such as eccentric Abby Valdez and their quirky, but lovable pal, Jordan, have far more interesting character developments than the main character himself. Valdez begins the novel as a simple girl in ripped jeans and a button-up shirt accentuated with paint splatters to match her colorful personality. But, after a couple of weeks at Brookline and a few secrets brought into the light and inspected, Valdez starts to become as dark and twisted as the paintings in her sketchbook. Covered in drawings depicting a little girl with hollowed holes for eyes and furious, black scribbles around the edges, there are more than a few signs that the asylum is affecting her more than Crawford himself. Don’t get me wrong. Crawford does have just as disturbing a character arc, but I’ll leave
it to the readers to discover that...confusing surprise. The icing on the metaphorical cake is Roux’s amazing writing skills. Once Crawford and his friends start to explore Brookline, the suspense would build until I was on the edge of my seat, wanting to turn the page, but afraid of what lurks right around the corner. To make the feeling of dread build even more to a crescendo is the use of cliff-hangers at the end of each chapter. This was the perfect hook to make me want to keep reading and see what happens next. I would give this book a solid four and a half stars for its interesting photos, welldeveloped character arcs and amazing writing skills. The book’s overall theme of the dangers of human curiosity and how what’s been buried should not be brought to the surface is a message which can be applied to more than just Crawford’s dilemma. If it weren’t for the somewhat slow start of the book and the generic-sounding title and blurb, this book would have gotten five stars and more but as far as horror stories go, Asylum is one of the most thrilling books I’ve read so far. This book is an awesome read and perfect for those who would rather have a night-in with a bucket of Milky Ways and a spooky book than to brave the trick-or-treaters roaming the streets Halloween night.
On the outside it may look like any of the other plain, beige store fronts in its shopping center, but on the inside Villa Roma transports you to a fine dining experience with its authentic Italian food and decor. When I first walked in to the restaurant, I noticed the surprisingly luxurious setting with champagne colored walls, low overhead lighting, and retro easy listening music. Villa Roma offers two seating choices: in one of their secluded booths or a cloth cover table on the other side of the half wall. This Telge eatery offers a variety of food on their menu: antipasti, pasta, chicken, seafood, steak, and dessert. The prices are reasonable for a fine dining restaurant with the appetizers in the range of $5-$10, the pasta and chicken meals $10-$20, and the seafood and steaks being around $20-$30. Among the choices of appetizers like fried ravioli, escargot bourguignon, and garlic mussels I ordered the fried calamari. After my seafood antipasto, we got a colorful, veggie filled house salad with homemade Italian dressing. Then for my meal I ordered the lasagna al forno and sampled the chicken anais and
Time to get spooky If the cover draws you in, then wait until you get inside the book. Photo by Nicole Shair
Funsagna
The main course looks too good to eat. Photo by
The Chanels
Chanel #2 (Ariana Grande), Chanel Oberlin (Emma Roberts), Chanel #5 (Abigail Breslin) and Chanel #3 (Billie Lourd) Photo by Steve
Kaitlyn Coats
ONE BITE OF VILLA ROMA’S CUISINE AND ITALY WON’T SEEM SO FAR AWAY KAITLYN COATS assistant business manager
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Dietl, Sony Pictures Television
Fried Calamari A great appetizer to
preview the main course Photo by Kaitlyn Coats
shrimp scampi from my parents. The chicken anais is sautéed chicken drenched in pineapple garlic sauce resulting in a warm breaded flavor. The shrimp scampi, which is also an option as an appetizer, is sautéed jumbo shrimp in light garlic brandy sauce. The lasagna al forno is a classic Italian dish with layers of pasta, meat, and cheese sure to satisfy any fan of lasagna. Out of these three entrees my personal favorite was the shrimp scampi. Last but not least, dessert. The menu offers traditional dessert menu items like vanilla ice cream cheesecake, chocolate mousse, and crème brûlée, but also have Italian desserts like tiramisu, spumoni ice cream, and cannoli. I tried the chocolate mousse which was a thick, rich dessert sprinkled with chocolate chips and topped with whipped cream. I liked it, but it was very rich and would not recommend it to everyone. Overall, Villa Roma is a great option for any type of special occasion or just a night out to eat and is well priced compared to other similar restaurants. I rate it 9/10 and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fine dining experience.
A Killer new TV show SCREAM QUEENS HITS SCREEN AND IT’S SCARY GOOD SUZY VAZQUEZ opinion editor
Snarky insults, a killer on the loose and Lea Michele in a neck brace are just a few of the highlights of Ryan Murphy’s new horrorcomedy show Scream Queens. What Murphy described as a mixture of the cult classic Heathers and the beloved horror movie Friday the 13th, Scream Queens meshes the two polar opposite genres in flying colors. The show, which premiered Sept. 22, lived up to all of the rave on Twitter with an all-star cast that includes Emma Roberts, Jamie Lee Curtis, Nick Jonas and more fan favorites. The show’s plot is a sorority, murder mystery that occurred 20 years ago with a killer who likes to dress up in a red devil costume and is getting revenge for the past indiscretion by killing off members of the present day sisters of Kappa Kappa Tao. Emma Roberts was casted as the star of the show and plays Chanel Oberlin who is the president of the sorority. It’s impossible to not love her character despite how horrible she can be because somehow her humor makes up for
all of her malicious being. The sorority has always been known for its exclusiveness but thanks to the new Dean, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kappa must accept all who wish to pledge. This is where the comedy falls into place. First you have Hester who is a death obsessed, freak who likes to call the other sisters ‘mom’ and also has a neck brace. Then you have the candle vlogger who makes videos of her reviews on Yankee candles. Lastly, you have deaf Taylor Swift who was my personal favorite and she was extremely tone deaf yet would not stop singing Swift’s hit singles. The comedy creates a lighter mood to even out the eerie and frightening scenes. The premiere leaves you analyzing all the characters and trying to figure who the killer is because in this series everyone has a motive. The show kicked off to a great start and has fresh writing that television junkies haven’t seen yet so go watch it and tune in on Tuesday at 7 p.m. on Fox.
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10. 22. 15
CULTURE
Game on
POPULAR VIDEO GAMES OF 2015
LIZZIE FARIA online editor
With huge releases in the video game world coming out and as excited as we may be, it’s always good to know what you’re getting yourself into before you play the game. So below is a take on recent and popular games whose release dates range from the months of August to November
Fallout 4
Made/Published by: Bethesda Studios Release Date: Nov. 10, 2015 Console(s): Xbox One, PS4 and PC Synopsis: The wait is over! A new Fallout game is coming! The fifth in the franchise and just like its predecessors, it’ll be an open world game with a camera that switches from 1st to 3rd point of view. The game takes place two hundred years after a war over resources that ended in a nuclear holocaust. Basically about the same time as Fallout 3. The setting is actually in a place that we ourselves can go to; Boston. The player now takes shelter from bomb droppings in Vault 111; a vault that has yet to be opened.
Super Mario Maker Made/Published by: Nintendo Release Date: Sep. 11, 2015 Console(s): Wii U Synopsis: A new Mario game is here and this time, with something a little different, and by that I mean a Mario game where the player can design their own Mario levels however they want. The game gives players a new and fun twist on a classic series. Levels can be shared online for others to play or play your own.
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection Made/Published by: Naughty Dog Release Date: Oct. 9, 2015 Console(s): PS4 Synopsis: Uncharted is back and it’s now remastered in HD for a new generation of consoles. All three games are bundled up into one shiny package as players can relive the uncharted games. Each game has a different adventure with new places to explore and are all unique to each game. Uncharted 2, one of three games available in the bundle follows Nathan Drake, the main protagonist of the games, on a crazy journey to Shangri-La. Drake is thrown back into adventure when old friends show up to ask Drake to break into a museum and steal a lamp. Three months later, Drake is bailed out of jail by his old mentor Sully and Chloe, one of two people responsible for landing Drake in jail. The three then go to Borneo to find Flynn and take back a map of Marco Polo’s lost fleet. Now Drake will have to survive yetis, war criminals, an ancient dagger and a lost temple. Just an average day for Nathan Drake, nothing special.
Art by Bri Gonzalez
Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes Made/Published by: Nintendo Release Date: Oct. 22, 2015 Console(s): 3DS Synopsis: A new legend of Zelda game? That’s right folks! Get ready to jump back into one of Nintendo’s most popular franchises. The game is a remake of the Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords, which originally came out eleven years ago and a remake of that came out in late 2011. The new four swords will be just like the original. A cooperative game play style where the player will be one of three Links, each having a role in solving puzzles and fighting enemies. However, there is a single player mode where the other two Links are AI or doll like companions. Everyone shares health as well, so cooperation is key when playing this game. The art style is said to be based on the original Wind Waker.
Until Dawn
Made/Published by: Super massive Games and published by Sony Entertainment Release Date: Aug. 28, 2015 Console(s): PS4 Synopsis: Until Dawn is a survival horror game with an interactive story. The game centers around a group of teenagers who go up to a cabin for winter break. A very large part of the game is the butterfly affect meaning what you choose to say or do has consequences, or if you’re lucky, a reward. Until Dawn also utilizes the only you decide who makes it out alive and who dies. Be careful: your decision could get someone killed.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Made/Published by: Konami and Kojima Productions Release Date: Sep. 1, 2015 Console(s): Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 and PS4 Synopsis: Taking place after Ground Zeroes, to find out you’re being tracked down by enemy forces is not the first thing you wanna hear after waking up from a nine year coma. Now match that with none of your motor functions working and you have the exact situation Big Boss, or Venom Snake, is having to deal with. Not to mention he lost an arm. Now the leader of a mercenary group called Diamond Dogs, Big Boss faces the challenge of tracking down the men responsible for the destruction of MSF. Along the way, players see some old faces, mainly Ocelot and Quiet, an assassin and sniper with supernatural abilities. Now Big Boss must unearth a plot to rebuild the Metal Gear.
Made/Published by: Scott Cawthon Release Date: Aug. 8, 2015 Console(s): PC and Steam Synopsis: The fourth installment in the franchise and quite possibly the last. The story thus far has you in the place of a security guard at a family pizzeria that’s said to be haunted. The main objective: survive for five nights and last from midnight to six am. But this time, it’s different. The player takes the role of a little boy who seems to be recovering from an injury. An injury that’s been shrouded in mystery from the start. The Bite of ‘87. The objective is still the same, last till six am. The animatronics are much more terrifying than previous games have portrayed them. All though it may be the final game in the series, there are still some questions that have yet to be answered.
IF YOU LIKED...
Legend of Zelda: - Legend of Zelda: Four Swords - Legend of Zelda: A Line to the Past - Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Five Night’s at Freddy’s 4
Five Nights At Freddy’s 4: - Five Nights At Freddy’s 1-3 - Slender - Ib
Until Dawn: - Silent Hill - Resident Evil - Outlast
Super Mario Maker: - Yoshi’s Woolly World - Super Mario 3D World - Splatoon
CULTURE
10. 22. 15
ACL Eats. One of many food trucks scattered around to
replenish concert goers between sets. Photo by Audrey Gray
ACL Capital. People gather to scope out the areas of each concert. Photo by Audrey Gray
2 weekends 8 stages 130 bands
Art Section. Lovers of the arts gather to check out the various treasures. Photo by Audrey Gray
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS CELEBRATES 13th ANNUAL MUSIC FESTIVAL
AUDREY GRAY culture editor
With almost 75,000 people attending each day, Austin City Limits has grown to be one of the most well known music festivals in the country, according to Rolling Stone magazine. It started in 2002 with a small, mainly local attendance. However, due to its success over the years, it has had to expand to two separate weekends since 2012. Both weekends include the same bands, give or take a few. This year’s headliners include Foo Fighters, Drake, The Strokes and The Weeknd. With a wide variety of music, anyone is sure to find a genre they like. They even have a small section of the park blocked off called Austin Kiddie Limits, a small stage where kids 10 and under can get in with a parent and jam to children concerts like School of Rock and Motown Pete. This year also features bands like Hozier, ASAP Rocky and Flosstradamus, but the music isn’t the only thing Austin City Limits has to offer. From food to art, this festival brings all forms of culture to life. On the east edge of the festival sits a long row of food stands called Austin Eats. Every year, about 30 restaurants pack up their supplies, pick favorites from their menu and head to the festival. All the restaurants picked are Austin-originated and the selection offers everything from tacos to ice cream. Across from the food sits a market filled with local artisans. From clothes to jewelry to paintings, this gallery presents an abundance of handmade items that gives the festival an authentic Austin vibe. Every year this music festival takes place the first and second week of October on one of Austin’s oldest tourist attractions, Zilker Park. The park sits at the edge of Austin’s city and at night displays a lit up skyline. Early bird tickets go on sale almost a year in advance and regular sales usually sell out within days, so if you’re looking to go, I suggest you start planning in advance.
Sunsets. Crowds traveling to nighttime attractions the festival has to offer. Photo by Audrey Gray
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OPINION
We Remember Deputy Goforth
SENIOR DEFENDS POLICE OFFICERS JULIA RYZA co editor-in-chief
To be a critic of everything that goes on in this country seems to be a daily part of many American lives. We hold our country in high standards, therefore we aren’t afraid to criticize when things go wrong. A hot topic issue that our media goes great lengths to display for our nation is police misconduct. The reality is that we live in a population of 313 million people, with 670,000 police officers, less than .22 percent of all society. Incidents involving law enforcement related shootings are different situations, with a multitude of variables that we, as a society, will never know because we weren’t there. The comforts of our rights in this country must be acknowledged, and the law enforcement who strive everyday to keep society safe are being attacked in an ignorant, self-righteous plight in the name of “progress.” There are people who believe they have a right to claim open warfare on law enforcement. The media knows how to pry into the minds of those who are angry, to those who need something to lash out their frustrations. (They love showing only a few seconds of video footage of arrests and confrontations
“Stand up for those who give themselves for the better of our society”
Art by Esmeralda Harvey
to make it seem as if every person an officer confronts is completely innocent). Without law enforcement, there would be an extreme lack of safety and order for our society. This is common sense. Deputy Darren Goforth was executed outside of a Cypress area gas station at Telge and West Rd. on Aug 28, for no other presumed reason other than he was in uniform. Our community rallied together, thousands showing their support for Goforth and his family. They brought tributes to the gas station where Goforth was killed, and even hosted a walk starting from Crossbridge Church and West Houston Church of Christ, which finished at the gas station where he was killed. We showed that society can still come together in times of despair and grief. As citizens, we look to our leadership and to our news outlets as a source of truth and facts, yet they have pushed their own agendas on society by radicalizing two separate political ideals that take sides either for or against law enforcement. The issue at hand is that our media and leadership is encouraging separatism constantly, and in a way that is damaging people’s voices to come together to form solutions. This is prevalent when president Obama has lacked on his efforts to support the law enforcement community by neglecting to send representatives to the funerals of murdered officers, while sending representatives to the funerals of citizens killed like Eric Garner and Trayvon Martin. I am not ignoring the fact that there are bad police out there because there are. And it has
10. 22. 15
cost lives. With every job comes those who don’t do the right thing. This does not make our police force an evil entity of society. Looking at the issue of racial tensions, police relations with minorities have changed drastically, especially since the civil rights movement in the 1960’s. What this means is that law enforcement is not the problem, but the attitude that police officers are the bad guys is. In the words of Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman in his book, “On Combat:” They are not the wolves, but the sheepdogs. Most people in our society are peaceful and do not have the capacity to kill with purpose. They are the sheep. Then there are those who have no respect for fellow citizens and will kill with no remorse. They are the wolves. Then you have those with a capacity for violence but a deep love for their fellow citizens. They are the sheepdogs. They are our law enforcement. Stand up for those who give themselves for the better of our society. We cannot allow a government and a controlled media to strip us of our humanity, of our peace and logic. We live in one of the freest societies on this earth, where law and order is the bridge to our guarantee of human rights, where the thin blue line wavers. In the words of Teddy Roosevelt, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood...so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
The Chameleon
JUNIOR REFLECTS ON SELF ACCEPTANCE IN HIGH SCHOOL ESMERALDA HARVEY art director
Art by Esmeralda Harvey
Often when a chameleon is mentioned, the animal comes to mind. That is the case on most occasions. As for me, I think outside of the box. Not only thinking about the animal in general, but its certain traits, how it lives, how it adapts and mostly how it survives. A chameleon uses false appearance, commonly known as camouflage. They change colors to blend into their environment. They do this in order to stay out of a predator’s line of sight. When I think about it, every teen in high school is their own personal chameleon trying to blend in with their surroundings. When I started high school I tried my hardest to blend in, to be just like everyone else. I was usually quiet and shy, never showing anyone my true colors or just not socializing in general. Keeping to yourself all the time is not fun, it’s lonely and I never wanted that. In reality I am not quiet or even remotely shy. In fact I am really open. I was afraid of acting like my normal
self, that people would not like me or accept me. Everyone at one point has been scared or worried when the thought of not fitting in comes to mind, especially in high school. No one is normal. There are so many people in high school and not one person is the same. Sure, you see many sporting the same style or trend. But you never really know what goes on in their heads. A smile may be visible but that person could be anything but happy. You can try but you can’t stay silent forever. With as many kids as there are in our high school. We need to develop some kind of way to socialize with others. My freshman year was full of silence and constant worry about how I should act, what I should say. In reality, I got to the stage where I was tired of hiding and trying to be like everyone else. Eventually, freshman year came to an end and I felt nothing but regret. Sure I passed all my classes with flying colors, but school isn’t just about grades. School also helps build your self-esteem and mold you into a mature and educated adult. With as many kids as we have at Cy-Fair High School we need to develop some kind of way to socialize with each other. My sophomore year I joined the school newspaper staff. In order for me to succeed in
something very important and enjoyable, I had to force myself to finally open up. It was my job as a reporter to find out information and get the latest scoop on everyday games and school related events. Talking to people was practically in the job description. Being in newspaper helped shape me into a more confident and outgoing individual and student. It kills me to see people in my classes or in the halls being in the same predicament I was in. I learned that no one should be afraid to be themselves. People hide because they may have a fear of rejection or are worried about being judged. But their opinions of you shouldn’t matter. It’s what you think of yourself that matters the most. No matter what anyone tells you, don’t be afraid to be yourself. Fear is nothing but a mind game and in order for people to accept you, you need to first accept yourself. In your life you will always run into someone who won’t agree with your ways or accept you for who you are and I say, “so what?” Let them not accept you because they’re the ones who are missing out on not being friends with an amazing person. At the end of the day you will still have those true friends who will stick by your side no matter what and that’s all that matters.
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OPINION
Homecoming exposed
THE REALITY OF HIGH SCHOOL DANCES MADI CHRISTIAN opinion editor
For most of us, homecoming is about which dreamy guy will magically appear at our front door steps that night. The hard question is: who will it be? Who knows! Then he has to ask in a gigantic way! Even more marvelous than a wedding proposal because this is way more important. Now he must ask in front of a huge crowd just so everyone can be jealous for about five minutes or so you can end up being twitter famous for a day on one of those homecoming proposals pages. As for the mums, you must have one bigger than your whole body. It has to have a million, obnoxious trinkets on it so the entire student body can hear those magical bells. Now don’t forget to stop right in the middle of Main Street to take a blurry picture with your best friend. The crowded hallway won’t be mad at all. Us girls have to go find the most expensive dress that we will only ever wear once but it’s ok! We must not reuse dresses because what if someone sees you wearing it for the second time? After getting the dress, we need to buy shoes. Maybe some five-inch heels so we can just seem tall for about 15 minutes and end up taking them off at the dance and walking all over those sanitary floors! Prior to the dance you must eat at an expensive and fancy restaurant. Of course, the
boys who have to pay for their date’s dinners are beyond excited for wasting their own money on a meal that most likely won’t even be finished. Before all the food you have to take pictures. You want to be able to show off your date and dress on Instagram, don’t you? Everyone will be waiting for you specifically to post all 50 pictures of your hair, makeup, shoes, dress and your date. Once you enter the grand Berry Center you get to stand in lines to put your shoes and wallet in a brown paper bag for the night being. Which you’ll be going back to a couple of times during the night. The most exciting part is the big group of sweaty, nasty people all in the middle of the dance floor! The definite goal is to be in the middle with all of the extroverts! Don’t worry, you definitely won’t be trampled on. After the hour of being at homecoming some people end up leaving, but don’t forget the after party! You definitely can’t just go home and take off all your make up, shower, put on your pajamas and binge watch a Netflix TV series. You have to go back out with the exact same group of people and go to a different party because staying at homecoming is just too much! You can’t just party at one location, you have to move around a bit. Now by the time you finally get home it should only be 2 in the morning! Taking off all your makeup is just too much of a hassle at the time of day so you’ll just fall right asleep and dreaming of the dreamy guy you wish took you to homecoming.
Art by Esmeralda Harvey
Function over freedom: DRESS CODE USHERS TEENS INTO ADULTHOOD BRI GONZALEZ life editor
Art by Bri Gonzalez
My morning routine is fairly standard for a high school student. I wake up feeling like the living dead, struggle to drag myself from bed and go through a myriad of trivial, tedious tasks before the final and most time-consuming one: Getting dressed. Theoretically, picking out something to wear shouldn’t be so difficult. Top, bottoms and shoes, zip bam boom, there you go. In actuality, it isn’t that simple. Finding an outfit is a brutal battle between what’s in my closet and what’s permitted to be on my body. At Cy-Fair the motto regarding dress
code is as follows: “Dress for Success!” According to the Student Handbook, success is very picky. Pajamas and loungewear are strictly prohibited, as are most articles of clothing that bare excess skin, such as spaghetti-strap shirts and short shorts. It is stated in the handbook that such regulations are in place to create a distraction free learning environment. Yet, what I find distracting is the constant niggling worry that my shorts will land me in DMC. A.P.s say that our dress code is merely training for the real world, for the day when we students leave the fluorescent lit, poster-covered hallways of high school and venture into gray, coffeescented land of the workplace, navigating mazes of neat cubicles and organizing
paperwork. While it is true that the days of dull offices and early morning commutes aren’t so far away, I don’t see why we must constantly emphasize their increasing proximity. Teens are constantly being nagged to grow up. Adults tell us that now is the time to be preparing for the future, and yes, they’re right. However, getting ready to be an adult shouldn’t mean automatically ceasing to be a child. I don’t want to be a miniature grown-up, uncomfortable and tugging at my collar while I sit in a rigid school desk. In fact, I don’t want to be a grown-up at all right now. I’m a kid and that’s what I’m supposed to be. This is my youth, my time to be free and comfy and wear what I want before I’m stuffed into a pantsuit and sucked into the humdrum life of busy worker bees.
Clothing is an expression of who I am and how I feel. Somedays, I’m running on three hours of sleep and pure willpower because I had so much homework the night before. On those days, rolling into school wearing pajama pants and a hoodie would be a relief to my achy muscles and sore brain. Other days, I’m charged full of energy and feel like dressing up a bit. A perfect occasion to break out the new halter top that my grandmother gave me as a birthday gift. Alas, shoulder blades and spines are woefully inappropriate and unprofessional in a learning environment. Furthermore, I don’t see why the rips in my jeans, or the length of my shorts, or how much shoulder I’m showing should determine my success in school, or for that matter, in life. I always thought
that how far a person goes in the world depends on what’s in their heads and what’s in their hearts, not what’s on their bodies. Apparently, I was sorely mistaken. Apparently, dressing for success means putting aside what I’d like to wear and yanking on what I’m told is appropriate to wear. It seems a little ridiculous to me that a person’s credibility and work ethic can be gauged from whether or not they’re wearing sweatpants. I also find it ridiculous that comfort and individuality can’t exist alongside maturity. Oh wait, my bad. They can, so long as the self-expression stays within the parameters of the Student Handbook. But hey, what do I know? I’m only a child, after all, so of course that means I’ve got no clue about the world. I’ve got no clue, no authority and no right. I don’t even have a walkie-talkie.
OPINION
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Art by Esmeralda Harvey
the REPORTER staff
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Co-Editor in Chief JULIA RYZA Co-Editor in Chief EMME ENOJADO Managing Editor JOHN SANCHEZ Sports Editor CLAIRE MYNATT Opinion Editors MADI CHRISTIAN SUZY VAZQUEZ Culture Editors AUDREY GRAY EMILY SCHULTE News Editor NICOLE SHAIR SWITCH BRILLO Life Editors CODY BROWN BRI GONZALEZ Art Director ESMERALDA HARVEY Business Managers HANNAH HELGREN HANNA WILLINGHAM KAITLYN COATS Public Relations ALEX WHITE Reporters, Artists EDWARD CATEN, LAURYN WALKER, HANNAH WOODRUM, BLAKE NALL, MELODY BERRYHILL, LILY ADAM Online Editor LIZZIE FARIA SWITCH BRILLO
Adviser LILLIAN HARRIS OUR POLICY The Reporter is a Cy-Fair High School student publication. Its purpose is to inform and entertain the student body and faculty, and also to serve as a lab for students enrolled in advanced journalism classes. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the entire Reporter staff, the Cy-Fair High School faculty and staff, the Cy-Fair Independent School District or the school board. The Reporter maintains the right to refuse any goods or services that it deems inappropriate for teenagers. The Reporter is a Quill and Scroll, TAJE, NSPA and JEA member. Cy-Fair High School is located at 22602 Hempstead Highway Cypress, TX 77429. Please contct the journalism classroom at (281) 897-4658 to advertise in this publication or email Lillian.Harris@cfisd.net.
STAFF EDITORIAL
Textbooks take the bottom shelf ONLINE BOOKS BETTER INVESTMENT, EASILY ACCESSIBLE
They were in our libraries, our classrooms, and last year they were even in our homes. Now the question on all of our minds is: where are they now? Well, despite what may be circulating throughout the hallways and up and down Main Street, we still do in fact have a lot of textbooks. The only catch is that most of them are online. There is a lot of complaints and accusations from students going around that the reason for the switch from hardback textbooks to digital textbooks is because the school has spent the money on new televisions. This is incorrect. According to Assistant Principal Mr. Felder, the new TVs were donated to our school and their purpose is to effectively and efficiently communicate with the faculty and the student body. The TVs aren’t the reason the school district decided to get rid of hardback textbooks this year.
Felder also informed us that the reason we don’t have as many hardback textbooks available to us is because the books are often damaged and not returned to their proper locations, and that causes the state to lose millions of dollars each year. The state informed the school district about the money we lose each year and the district made the decision that online textbooks are a better investment.
‘where are they now?’
For all of the people who are still questioning this decision, it’s important to know that the cost isn’t the only reason that our textbooks are online. The books we have weren’t being checked out as often and as
mentioned before the district is fined for every book that is lost or damaged. It’s also beneficial and more practical for us to have them online because our culture and society is more digital and the textbooks are accessible on multiple devices such as phones, laptops, iPods and iPads. Students who don’t have online access still have ways to get their needed information out of the textbooks such as checking one out from the library for a day or by using a classroom copy. Felder also said that the textbooks should only be used as resources and most of our information and knowledge should come from the presentations our teachers give to us. This means if we pay attention in class, the textbooks will be unnecessary. In other words, the school district is doing what is best and we on the Reporter staff agree with this decision.
THERE ARE 19,000 TEXTBOOKS IN CY-FAIR DO WE REALLY NEED THEM?
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PHOTO ESSAY
Cy-Fair’s got TALENT JOHN SANCHEZ managing editor
Clockwise from top left Leap of faith. Senior Noelle Yegge jumps during her dance performance. Photo by Aya Rawashdeh
Act it out. Seniors Chara Tatum and Arrington Level perform a comedy skit. Photo by Sabrina Sommer
Piano man. Senior Brennan Passon plays the piano while singing. Photo by Aya Rawashdeh
Girl power. The girls of YLPA pose before performing their routine. Photo by Aya Rawashdeh Sing us a song. Sophomore Zachary Johns sings a comedic song. Photo by Sabrina
Sommer
Disclaimer: These photos were taken during the dress reharsals for the talent show. The paper went to print prior to the talent show on Nov. 17.
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