The Reporter, Cy-Fair HS, Issue 4, Feb. 10, 2015, Vol. 68 by Lil Harris

Students Athletes Team

AT TAYLOR MCCOWIN LEADS THE LADY BOBC

VARSITY BASKETBALL TEAM TO VICTORY

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Yegge

Meet the Cy-Fair employee who is all clout and no shout.

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reporter

V-Day

Students express letters of love and local couples are put on the spot.

the

Cy-Fair High School

Twitter: @cf_reporter

Tuesday, February 10, 2015 Volume 68, Issue 4

22602 Hempstead Hwy Cypress, TX 77429

Photo by Will Davis.

Instagram: @cf_reporter

letters from Harper Neitzey

Natalie Berry

Shopping: it’s a stress reliever Guilty pressures--that one thing we do all the time, but keep on the down low. Whether it’s never missing an episode of 19 Kids and Counting, always blasting Hilary Duff on your way to school, or watching rom-coms and eating ice cream by yourself on a Friday night. Everyone has them. And mine is Target. I know that going to Target is a common thing that everyone does, but for me it’s different. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or want to procrastinate my homework I find myself walking through the big red doors. With that being said I end up at Target at least two days a week. And I can spend anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours there. On these Target runs I’m never looking for anything specific and if I do end up getting anything, I usually only buy one or two items. I get anything from mugs to thank you notes to boy batman socks. Whatever catches my eye. I never get a cart or basket so if I buy anything I can only buy what I can carry. This way I don’t go overboard. My constant visits to Target are what keep me going throughout the week. I haven’t decided where I want to go to school next fall yet. I’ve gotten accepted into my top two colleges The University of Missouri and Florida State University, now I just have to choose. It’s embarrassing to say but one of the things I looked up when trying to decide between the two was how close I am to the nearest Target. Florida State has a target three miles away from campus and Mizzou has one four miles from campus. So wherever I end up going I don’t have to worry about getting my Target fix.

Will Davis

Saving the world: one required course at a time

Mosin-Nagant: because sometimes people hide behind things

Thanks to the incredible world of Netflix documentaries and my Environmental Science AP class, I’ve come to view the earth in a different light this year. Every action we take has a reaction, a consequence. And it seems to me that humans have been ignoring the consequences of our actions for quite a while now. Earth’s systems are like threads in a woven tapestry. If you pull one thread slightly, the other threads have to adjust and the blanket begins to look misshapen. If you continue to pull the thread, eventually the whole tapestry will unravel. Likewise, putting pressure on Earth’s water or food supply, air quality, natural resources, animals, etc. will affect many of the other systems in a negative way. Humans are polluting the earth at insane rates, genetically modifying every possible crop, cutting down millions of trees a year, pushing species into extinction, and, overall, abusing the earth. The list goes on and on. It seems as if the motives of profit and comfortability will always surpass the love and appreciation of Mother Nature. Change needs to come swift and soon. I believe the catalyst for this change is education. The reason all of these issues are being ignored is because people are ignorant. Personally, I believe that Environmental Science needs to be a required high school course. It’s the high school class in which I’ve gotten the most valuable and applicable knowledge. We can’t continue to abuse the earth the way we have been. After all, every civilization comes to an end eventually when they meet their limits. How soon will we meet our downfall?

I have an affinity with the smell of freshly spent gunpowder, of the somehow therapeutic exercise of calming yourself before each shot and the universal responsibility of owning a firearm. Nothing could address and meet my affinity more than my Mosin-Nagant rifle given to me this past holiday. I have grown up learning shooting from my father, and have owned rifles and shot pistols before, so a gun is nothing astounding to me. However, turning 18 and being able to claim a rifle as your pride and joy is something I have definitely looked forward to since I was young. This rifle is one of 87 million produced by mostly Russia and was used in WWI, WWII and every battle in between. It shoots a bullet big enough to hunt every animal in North America except the polar bear, but being a battle rifle means it was tested in the worst of elements and proven capable of operation beyond great abuse. Mine was made in 1928 and came in a preservative, cosmoline, that required heating the wood stock and boiling the metal parts before a severe scrub and oiling. I took it to the range once it was squeaky clean and after figuring out the Kentucky windage, I was able to shoot accurately out to 100 yards. That was a victory itself that didn’t require taking back a torn down city. I purchased surplus ammo at 440 steel core rounds for $98, which can play hide and seek through a cement wall out to 200 yards. With a gun in hand that I will carry with me for the rest of my life I say to you, “It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, but only 3 to pull a trigger away from a target.”

of the issue

100 students were polled on who they are looking forward to seeing most at this year’s Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

20 VOTED ARIANA GRANDE

VOTED BRAD PAISLEY

6 VOTED OTHER

Grant Harman, 11 “Allen Jackson because he is one of the best country vocalists out there.”

Austin Baker, 11 “Brad Paisley because I think he’s a good singer,. He’s been around since I was young and he has a song with my name in it.”

Brianna Benton, 11 “Jake Owen because my grandpa introduced me to country and I fell in love with it, plus he always puts on a great show.”

60 VOTED

FALLOUT BOY

Tweet us @cf_reporter Senior Jhovanny Ramirez tweeted a picture of senior Joe Nguyen from Mr. Cy-Fair, comparing him to Katy Perry’s Super Bowl performance.

Want your photo or tweet to be in the next issue of The Reporter? Use the hashtag #cffeatures whenever you post. If your entry is chosen, you will be notified by a staff member before the next issue comes out.

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Rebecca East,11 “Fall Out Boy because seeing the rodeo itself is fun and I’ve always listened to them.”

Senior Olivia Garner posts a picture of one of her photos hanging up in a gallery,.

of the issue

02.10.14

RODEO SEASON

INSTAGRAM

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Your editors

“I think it’s good for people, like me, who have to pay out of their pocket, but I’m also worried about the job industry and for those who work in oil companies like Chevron.” -Morgan Anderson, 12

02.10.15

“What goes down will come back up, due to the artificial lowering of gas prices.” -David Yuan, 11

4 questions you were Q: FEB RU afraid to ask about A: AR Y ne 2014 GAS PRICES ws Q: b { A: i WORLD

It truly all boils down to economics 101: supply and demand. The production of oil has nearly doubled over the last six years, leading to an excess amount of the product and not as nearly enough demand for it. In addition, the global economic growth has slowed, leading to a weakened demand.

today in HISTORY

tes

WHO ARE THE “LOSERS”?

Amdal { Karman Life Editor

1920 1935 1940

Major league baseball outlawed pitches that involve tampering with the ball.

The famous cartoon Tom and Jerry, aired on MGM for the first time.

The Pennsylvania Railroad began passenger service with its electric locomotive.

1967

The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, instituting new measures in the event of presidential disability.

1986

North Korea publicly announced for the first time that it had nuclear arms, saying that it needed the weapons as protection against the United States.

Sources:www.news-press.com business-standard.com http://blogs.wsj.com

Oil producing countries and states are at a disadvantage in this price fall. Venezuela, Iran and Russia and other major net energy exporters (countries whose value of exported goods are higher than its value of imported goods) are having a difficult time keeping their economy up. In the United States, Alaska, North Dakota, Louisiana and Texas will face economic challenges, along with smaller oil companies that are already in debt.

SCHOOL

2009 2014 Source: www.on-this-day.com

Australian National University scientists discovered the oldest known star at 13.6 billion years old.

From an international standpoint, the net energy importers (countries whose value of imported goods are higher than its value of exported goods) are winning in this situation. These net energy importers include the United States, Japan, India, China and the majority of Europe.

Q: A:

WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT? The national average is expected to drop 23 percent in 2015 to $2.60 per gallon, according to Energy Information Administration. If that projection holds, it would mean an average savings of 77 cents per gallon throughout the year.

WORLD

FBLA prepares for state competition in March

CVS discontinues tobacco products

Enojado { Emme Culture Editor

In Feb. of 2014, CVS announced their plan to stop selling tobacco products by Oct. 1, and actually implemented the change on Sept. 13, 2014. They initiated the tobacco removal to fortify the fact that they were a health care company. A name change from CVS Caremark to CVS Health and criticism they had previously received for selling tobacco while being a health care company also endorsed the change. To support the campaign, they hosted an event in Bryant Park, New York that included ‘putting out’ large blow-up cigarette, giving people packages made to help them stop smoking and handing out lollipops. Brittaney Scott, a senior, shares her thankfulness for the help CVS gave her by stopping cigarette sales. “I think it’s a good start to killing teen smoking. I think it’s ironic because I’ve been smoking for 2 years and it’s a really bad habit,” said Scott. While Scott sees the decision as a beneficial step forward, health teacher Bonnie Wass-Jones takes the choice as a violation of peoples’ rights. “I don’t think we have to have a company telling us what we can and cannot do,” Jones said. “Me personally, I would never pick up a cigarette and smoke it, but I still think that people have the right to make their own decisions.” Other health care corner stores like Walgreens have not followed the same path, but some people have been speculating that since CVS is such a major chain it could motivate other health care corner stores to follow in suit. CVS received approximately $2 billion each year on tobacco sales alone out of $125 billion of total sales. Tobacco and cigarette sales have been gradually decreasing with the price increasing for decades, so it will not hurt CVS that much to have lost the $2 billion annually, according to bloomberg.com.

Artwork by Emme Enojado.

Future Business Leaders of America placed at the Area 5 district competition on Jan. 31 at Cy-Creek High School. Five members advanced to the state competition, which is held at San Antonio in March. Koustubi Nyshadham placed second in Intro to Technology Concepts, Shreeti Sigdel and Josephine Owolabi in Emerging Business Issue, Sophia Woody in Business Communications and Joshua Huse who competed in Personal Finance. So far this year, the club has assigned committee leaders, distributed T-shirts, and will have a guest speaker who will inform the members about her career as a procurement manager at Shell during their meeting on Feb. 12. Elected Officers include president Shreeti Sigdel, vice president Josephine Owolabi, secretary Sophia Woody and treasurer Kaytlin Turnell. “FBLA is a great opportunity to be involved in an extracurricular club and to establish real world skills,” Sigdel said. “Even if they’re not interested in the business sector, students should definitely consider joining—it’s a great way to learn professionalism while having lots of fun with members from around the nation” FBLA is a nationally recognized organization and the largest business career student organization in the world. Cy-Fair’s FBLA was founded at the beginning of the school year and is a new chapter at the local level. This blossoming club familiarizes students with the professional business environment by learning how to talk and act properly when in “real world” situations. FBLA is sponsored by the business team and Ms. Peddicord. Meetings are held on the second Thursday of every month from 2:45-3:15 in room 1027.

National signing day Amazon announced the release of the Kindle 2.

WHO BENEFITS FROM THIS?

WHY ARE THE PRICES DROPPING?

Emme Enojado Culture Editor

Q: A:

news

On Feb. 4, five seniors signed their national letters of intent to continue their athletic careers in college. Rachel Dozier signed to the University of Mary Hardin Baylor for soccer. Lindsey Perek signed to the University of Texas-Dallas for soccer. Ross Donelly signed to the University of Mississippi for football. James Kohlschmidt and John Gerold both signed to Colorado School of Mines for football.

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Karman Amdal Life Editor

artwork by Karman Amdal

Fly comets. Senior Lindsey Perek with her family and Coach Onhaizer after signing to the University of TexasDallas. Photo Courtesy of Lindsey Perek.

Go Crusaders. Senior Rachel Dozier and family after signing her national letter of intent. Photo by Melissa Reinsch.

02.10.15

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HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS GET READY FOR COLLEGE NOW!

Visit your College Connections Advisor Fridays at your high school or sign up for LSC-CyFair campus tours Tuesdays through Fridays! Save the date Feb. 26 for Enrollment/Financial Aid info session!

For information, call 281.290.3483. LoneStar.edu Three convenient locations! LSC-CyFair

9191 Barker Cypress at West Road

LSC-Fairbanks Center

14955 Northwest Freeway near Beltway 8

LSC-Cypress Center 19710 Clay Road at Fry Road

Open Doors

02.10.15

news

Presidential predictions for the

2016 Election

Eight years ago Barack Obama was sworn into office, and time will, in fact, not tell whether he has done his job or not. Less than two years from now, another American will take the reins. The privatized black booths will be waiting for many to step in and decide on a new future. Some of the current juniors and seniors may even participate in this democratic tradition. Whether it’s left, right, independent or even green, the parties are now preparing to scope out a promising candidate. There is an air of discontent towards the politics of this country among many, and when the taxes come in, or the regulations and laws spark voices of passion and opinion, there are millions to look to for an answer. The political machine doesn’t run on the hands of a few.

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Julia Ryza Sports Editor

DEMOCRATS: Hillary Clinton

As former 67th Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013, Clinton shifted America’s focus to human rights issues, became one of the most traveled secretaries of states and faced outside issues spanning across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Clinton advocated a larger role in increasing diplomatic relations in Iraq, created the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development review which establishes specific objectives for the State Department’s diplomatic missions overseas and called for an increase of women’s rights worldwide, which she regarded as crucial to America’s security interests. Admirers call to attention the importance of her focus on Asia as a new superpower, her advocacy of human rights, and increasing the use of social networking as a means to give voice to those worldwide facing issues within their countries. As for a Democratic nominee for president, her experience as first lady, senator and secretary of state could attract fellow democrats, and her progressive stance on rights, education, foreign policy, and using “smart power” as a strategy for asserting U.S. values. And according to Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight “... she is winning endorsements from all different types of elected officials, a key advantage during the invisible primary” (the period before actual voting when candidates raise money and build a campaign infrastructure). Her polling numbers are far higher right now than they were in 2008. Seven polls taken from December 2013 to January 2014 from ABC/ Washington post, CNN/ORC, and Marist stated that 70 percent of selfidentified democrats supported Clinton.

Jim Webb He’s a former Virginia Senator, former Assistant Secretary of Defense and Secretary of the navy during the Reagan era, writer and combat marine, and he’s one of the best democrats out there to face Hillary Clinton. Jim Webb has turned the heads of many Democratic- leaning voters, often groups of undecided who lean a little left but not completely. This could be a good or bad thing for Webb. To lightly demonstrate some of his views the National Journal states, “he’s one of the few politicians who caters more to the populist grassroots than to elite public opinion. He has angered democrats by expressing skepticism about increased immigration and has been downright critical of affirmative action policies.” Webb is one of the more conservative democrats, advocating the problems of national security and privacy infringement on Americans. He bravely voiced his discourse to President Obama’s recent attempt to install a “longterm economic and security arrangement that far transcends his authority as commander in chief to oversee combat operations against international terrorism,” according the Mother Jones. In the final tenure of his senate term, Webb has expressed disagreement to arm Syrian rebels. Regarding Hillary Clinton’s and Obama’s plans to aid rebels in the fight, Webb claims to “never get involved in a five-sided argument.” Generally, most of his support will come from conservative- leaning democrats and undecided voters, who may turn away from the further left leadership in lieu of the recent circumstances of President Obama’s stagnant presidency. Either way, Webb might be the best competition against Hillary. He has shown the beginnings of a change in course from the usual democratic ways of harboring their core focus on social issues, and more to economic and foreign affairs.

REPUBLICANS: Jeb Bush

With the recent rise of the GOP forming a majority of congress at the Mid-Terms, republicans are stepping to the plate, and a common name has surfaced in the Grand Ole Party. Jeb Bush, the younger brother of former President George W. Bush, has a chance of having a successful race for GOP candidate based on the modern pattern of party principle. If you’re somewhat connected to former presidencies, ran for presidency, or have a familial relation to former presidents, you are likely to be favored. His ideologies are trusted by the conservative party, but his stance on immigration is a little off the wayside of many conservatives. Bush states that he supports immigration reform, but encourages a path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants. He supports common core, which many republicans and Americans do not. He emphasizes the right of school choice, raising accountability standards and supports testing requirements in education. But on social issues, all that needs

Artwork by Amalia Trevino.

to be said about his stance on gay rights, abortion, and gun control is that he is conservative on these issues. For foreign policy, according to Vox, in a recent speech, Bush said the U.S. has “retrenched under Obama.” According to the Miami Herald’s Marc Caputo, he “sounded notes of concerns with nearly every quarter of the world.” Specifically, Bush criticized Obama for issuing a red line against Syria and then not attacking the country when it used chemical weapons, saying, “The iron rule of superpower deterrent is ‘Mean it when you say it.’ And it has been broken by this president.” So far, Bush has proven his chances of success with his connections and ideologies for conservatives and moderates.

Ben Carson

Ben Carson represents a central theme to our country: that no matter where you come from, you can always make a better life for yourself. This man came from inner- city Detroit, faced a troubled youth and poverty, and rose up to become a

Teacher Take

“The next president is going to have to successfully handle the oil crisis, establish reforms in education, racial issues and police reforms” -Kevin Satterfield, Government teacher

professor of neurosurgery, oncology, pediatrics and the director of Pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins medical institutions. Out of the numerous books he has written, “America the Beautiful” shifts focus back to what made our country great. He believes the U.S. can do the same today, amid the flood of what many believe that America is becoming. He doesn’t identify as a politician, but as he officially starts to campaign, he has claimed himself as independent, although he would most likely be nominated as the candidate for the Republican Party. Carson didn’t come from a political background, like most, and has a respect for equality for all on social issues, as seen through his founding of the Carson Scholars fund, which awards academic role models regardless of race, religion, creed and socioeconomic status. He sees problems that both democratic and republicans have created for our country, and how they have increased central power. According to CNN, “Carson further embraces the status as an outsider with no government experience, which he said is a positive with voters.” Carson also views the current political state as stagnant, “I see it as a drawback if you want to continue going down the pathway of government controlling every aspect of our lives,” Carson said. “I don’t see it as a problem at all if somebody wants to re-establish the original intent in this country, which was a nation where the government conformed to the will of the people and not vice versa.” As his footing in public support goes, according to CNN, “He placed second behind Mitt Romney in a CNN/ORC poll released Tuesday asking Republicans about their preferred presidential nominee in 2016. Though his support only reached 10% in the poll, Carson outpaced more high-profile potential presidential contenders like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.”

Student Take

Which political party do you most align yourself with?*

49% said Republican 19% said “Front runners would be Democratic “I see Jeb Bush being our Jeb Bush and Chris Christie for the Republican party and hands down Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party.” -Susan Balke, Government teacher

9% said third-party 23% said “Politics? What?”

president. He has left views and right views and I think moderation is something this country needs. “ -Chase Miller, 12

*Out of a survey of 53 students

06 sports J.T. Barrett Ohio State Photo by Kyle Robertson .

Stiffarm. Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks averts a hit by a Jaguars defensive tackle. Photo by Jeff Siner .

02.10.15

Marcus Mariota Oregon State Photo by Joe Burbank.

College Football The 2014-2015 college football season is now, alas, over. Gone is the irreplaceable combination of controversy, intrigue and excitement that accompanied it. The beginning of 2014 marked the end of an era. The Bowl Championship Series was, after one final huzzah, history. In its place, the College Football Playoff. BCS critics argued for a playoff ever since its inception, and this past season represented the achievement of their vision, if only to an extent. Now, four teams will compete for the title. A selection committee, including school administrators, athletic directors and one former U.S. Secretary of State, was organized to determine which four teams would be in the playoff, based on criteria such as strength of schedule, championships won and head-to-head competition. In week two, Ohio State, with redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett at the helm, lost to an unranked Virginia Tech team at home. Braxton Miller, Ohio State’s starting quarterback and preseason Heisman favorite, had been ruled out for the year after sustaining an injury to his right shoulder prior to week one. Barrett would make progress though, and ended up leading Ohio State to the Big Ten Conference championship game, becoming a Heisman contender in the process before getting injured himself. Florida State began a season-long pattern of hazardously close victories with a nail-biter against Clemson in week four. The following week, they rallied back from a 17-point deficit against North Carolina State. A few weeks later, FSU survived a scare from Notre Dame, as the go-ahead touchdown for the Fighting Irish was nullified by an offensive pass interference call. But the Seminoles weren’t done, and came back from deficit after deficit, grinding out wins against in-state rivals Miami and Florida. Week seven featured what would, in hindsight, be one of the most important games all season. In a match up between two undefeated Big XII teams, TCU squandered a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter at McLane Stadium. Baylor sprung back to life and was able to make the gamewinning field goal as time expired. TCU won out following the game, while Baylor was unable to overcome West Virginia the following week. Since the Big XII lacked a conference championship game, the conference

title was awarded to both Baylor and TCU at the end of conference play, sparking debate as to which of the two should be in the playoffs. Week 15 capped off the regular season with the conference championship games. In the Pac12, Oregon thrashed Arizona 5113, cementing their spot in the playoffs. Likewise, Alabama easily defeated Missouri 42-13 in the SEC championship game. Florida State again survived by the skin of its teeth, holding off Georgia Tech’s capable triple option offense 37-35. The pivotal game of the weekend, however, was the Big Ten Football Championship Game. Wisconsin was slightly favored going into the game, as Ohio State was forced to start its third string quarterback, Cardale Jones. Ohio State shut down Melvin Gordon, one of the nation’s top running backs, and won 59-0. The result put Ohio State ahead of both TCU and Baylor, giving the Buckeyes the final spot in the College Football Playoff. The bowl season saw several remarkable games. In the Bahamas Bowl, Central Michigan pulled off a last-second multiple-lateral touchdown play and scored 34 unanswered points to get within one of Western Kentucky, but failed the two-point conversion, allowing Western Kentucky to hang on for the win. The Alamo Bowl showed Kansas State’s kicker attempting a move straight out of the Premier League with a rabona onside kick. The Cotton Bowl saw one of the biggest comebacks of the season, as Michigan State scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to rally and defeat Baylor 42-41. The semifinal games of the playoff pitted Oregon against Florida State in the Rose Bowl, and Alabama against Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. Oregon, led by Heisman-winner Marcus Mariota, overpowered a turnoverstricken Florida State side, advancing to the final by a score of 59-20. In the Sugar Bowl, Ohio State took down first seed Alabama, making this year’s national title game the first since the 2006 Rose Bowl to not include a team from the Southeastern Conference. The College Football Playoff National Championship was thus contested between Oregon and Ohio State. Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott dominated, and Jones, in only the third start of his college career, helped lead the Buckeyes to a 42-20 victory.

Football Season Run-down Steppe {Ryan Graphics Editor

Think Fast Tom Brady tosses the ball during a game. Photo by Carlos

NFL

Gonzales.

Whether it was the replacement referee issues in 2012, “Spygate” in 2007, or “Bountygate” in 2011, the league seems to have a propensity for scandal. This season was no exception, as the league came under fire back in September for its handling of the Ray Rice domestic violence and Adrian Peterson child abuse incidents. Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, was criticized as having taken action only when public pressure necessitated it. And now, “deflate-gate”: Allegations that the New England Patriots deliberately under-inflated game balls below the level required by league rules. Last May, the Houston Texans selected Jadeveon Clowney with the number one overall pick of the draft. Clowney was expected to be an instant impact player for the Texans, but ended up missing the majority of the season to injury. The Texans still had their moments. Defensive lineman J.J. Watt made a compelling case for the league’s MVP award, notching 20.5 sacks and even three touchdown receptions on offense. In the end, it was instability at quarterback that did Houston in, as the Texans started three different quarterbacks en route to a 9-7 regular season, missing the playoffs. A bit farther north, the Dallas Cowboys made the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Running back DeMarco Murray proved to be valuable to the Cowboys’ offense, with eight consecutive 100-yard rushing games to start the season. Quarterback Tony Romo suffered a back injury versus the Washington Redskins, but ended up only missing

8 million pounds of guacamole are consumed during Super Bowl.

one game of the season. The Cowboys’ Super Bowl hopes came to an end against Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay, as officials overturned a crucial Dez Bryant catch in the waning minutes of the game. Elsewhere in the league, Johnny Manziel, American football’s most polarizing player since Tim Tebow, continued to make headlines despite sitting on the bench behind Brian Hoyer for most of the year at Cleveland. In Washington, Robert Griffin III missed multiple games to injury and was benched in favor of Colt McCoy in week 13 after a lackluster return, though he started again after McCoy suffered an injury of his own. The NFC Championship Game gave viewers one of the most improbable comebacks of the year. In the last four minutes of the fourth quarter, the Seattle Seahawks erased a double-digit deficit, scoring two touchdowns, successfully recovering an onside kick and completing a two-point conversion to take the lead against the Packers. Green Bay was able to respond with a field goal, pushing the game to overtime. Seattle won the coin toss and never looked back, going 87 yards in six plays to cap off one of the largest comebacks in a conference title game ever, winning 28-22. The AFC Championship Game was a bit less exciting, as Tom Brady led the Patriots to a 45-7 shellacking of the Indianapolis Colts. Andrew Luck had one of the worst performances of his career, accounting for zero touchdowns and

two interceptions. But the game is perhaps primarily notable for the accusations that the Patriots may have intentionally deflated game balls to gain an advantage, which New England coach Bill Belichick adamantly denies. The accusations of potential cheating came after 11 of the 12 footballs used by the Patriots in the NFC championship game were found to have been below the required air pressure level of 12.5 pounds per square inch set by the NFL. Thus, the stage for Super Bowl XLIX was set. The result was spectacular. The New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28-24, intercepting Russell Wilson’s ill-conceived goal line pass with less than a minute left on the game clock to seal the victory.

Whose Super Bowl prediction triumphed? “I think the Patriots will win because they’ve been consistent all season, but I don’t want them to win because David Garcia, 9 of the whole deflated football thing.”

“The Seahawks have been down all season. However, after their recent games, they definitely deserve a John Carmona, 12 repeat.”

A 30 -sec. commercial spot during the Super Bowl : $4 million.

02.10.15

G al is the goal Mattinson { Will Business Manager A team full of upper classmen will fill the varsity squad. Double the amount of seniors will be playing for the side this season compared to last. With only one more chance left most of the athletes will have to put it all on the line in order to leave the legacy they wish to achieve. A strict regimen is held by all those involved with the program. There is no letting up and proper behavior is demanded constantly. This display of attitude is required to follow everyone off the field as well. Rather than having no relation between other levels in the soccer program those in varsity are encouraged to go and cheer on the freshman and junior varsity teams. Wearing the same colors and being called bobcats wasn’t enough to build a bond. Having under and upperclassmen in the bleachers watching the games give a sense of responsibility and pride for players. Unlike other sports, there are not hundreds of members making these connections, perhaps more meaningful for the athletes. Another difference compared to other sports at Cy-Fair is that the team can start winning silverware from day one. The team was able to receive its first honor since the 2010 playoff season by winning their opening tournament. “This bodes well for the team and gives me hope for the season,” said captain and senior Stephen Orihel. Orihel is also the only member of the team to play for all four years. His experience at Cy-Fair helps him realize how much time and dedication it takes to succeed. Coach Emilio Chavez helps everyone know what needs to be improved upon to get to the playoffs and beyond. “We need to be able to score, which has been an issue before,” said Orihel. One player cannot accomplish that by himself however. The objective is to get all members from goalkeeper to striker involved. Everyone has to touch the ball to get it in the back of the net. “We are just trying to pass the ball more” said senior Austin Shay, “Getting it in for a cross is a lot more accurate than shooting outside the box”. Soccer is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. The team wants to have as much fanfare around it as any other sport at Cy-Fair. “Playing for the fans is a great feeling,” Shay said. “But winning for them is even better.”

Overall for season :

1-3 -3

BOYS SOCCER LEARNS TEAMWORK AND WINNING BOTH ON AND OFF THE FIELD

District :

0-2

Captains

* * *

sports

Upcoming Games

Stephen Orihel

FEB. 6 CY-LAKES

Tyler Sorrells

FEB.1 0 CY-RANCH

Brandon Anselmi

FEB. 13 CY-FALLS

Seconds of

FAME Sanchez { John Assistant Sports Editor

wATER pOLO pLAYER JUSTIN SPENCE, 12 is your favorite Q What aspect of water polo?

A Ready to kick. Senior Stephen Orihel seconds before he passes the ball. (left) Photo by Will Mattinson.

Run. Senior Tyler Sorrells dribbles during a game against Cy-Ridge. (above)

is you position, and Q What what do you do? am the two-meter defense. I A Ikeep the center occupied so they don’t get the ball and the other team scores. It is probably the most important part.

Photo by Will Mattinson.

Safekeeping. Junior Reece Lance keeps the ball away from a Cy-Ridge player. (below) Photo by Will Mattinson.

The aggressiveness and the physical aspect. It is a lot like football, just adding the pool to it.

and when did you Q How start water polo?

The summer of fifth grade my friend said I should try it. He said that I would like it because I was a competitive swimmer, so I joined. During ninth grade is when I joined the club I am in now: West Houston Water Polo.

did you choose to Q Why go to Penn. State? has a higher education. I also A Itwant to be a starter. It would be a great opportunity to lead a group of athletes.

Photo by John Sanchez.

08 sports

02.10.15 GIRLS BASKETBALL

Ball is life

BASKETBALL PLAYERS SHARE THEIR LOVE OF GAME Harvey {Esmerelda Opinion Reporter Lady Bobcat Varsity Basketball moved up 60 spots in the national ranking and 13 spots in the state rank, according to MaxPrep. They are ranked 10-1 districtwide. Players practice from 6 to 8 every morning for an anticipated winning season. Conditioning and working on fundamentals everyday pushes the players. Once scout reports are read, players set goals in preparation for games “Different strengths and weaknesses are put to the test,” Varsity Coach Ann Roubique said. “During the District run, sometimes the girls get in tough situations and they pull through adversity. They depend on each other to get through.” Some big strengths of the girls’ varsity team are speed and defense. Junior Alissa Dalton has 3.4 defensive blocks and 17.8 points for the season. Similarly, the girls are growing and the team chemistry is coming along throughout the course of the season, according to coach Roubique. “When we deal with certain stresses, most commonly we go to the coaches for words of encouragement,” Said Senior Taylor McCowin “In those times it’s up to the coaches to help

us make it through, by either having group discussions or allowing teammates to step up and give speeches.” Stats are going up for varsity girls in the district run. McCowin scored11.7 in points per game in 1.7 steals, helping to lead her teammates into a district run. McCowin said the district run is going good, even though playing against Cypress Woods was tough. “Playing the sport isn’t just a physical thing, it’s about mentality,” JV Coach Horton said. “Your mind keeps your body at the right state.” Senior Taylor McCowin and junior Angela Harris have led the team statistically, and have been on the varsity team since last year. The girls use verbal leadership, and show it by their actions on and off the court, according to Roubique. “I help lead the team by showing leadership, instructing my teammates, and helping them through the rough times and giving them pep talks,” McCowin said. McCowin said that girls’ varsity has gotten better as an overall team, who depend on each other and have each other’s backs. Each game’s stats continue to increase. “We are still going to show our A-game and make a comeback,” McCowin said.

{ { “Playing the sport isn’t just a physical thing, it’s about mentality.” - Coach Horton

Down the court. Junior Angela Harris dribbles and shoots in a Varsity game against Cy-Falls. Photo by Tony Gaines/ Houston Community Newspapers.

Squaring up in the ring Kazmi { Wafa News Editor

BOBCAT WRESTLERS COMPETE IN CFISD INVITATIONAL

Varsity wrestling member Kirby Gray ranked third best player out of his weight section at the CFISD Invitational Tournament on Jan. 2. Overall, the boys’ varsity team accumulated 69 points, ranking 35th out of the 76 teams attending the tournament. “It was pretty cool to place third,” Gray said. “We train really hard, and it’s rewarding to see it pay off.” At the tournament, junior varsity exceeded everyone’s expectations. “It went really well,” head wrestling Coach Timothy Stockton said. “Especially because we had so many wins from first year wrestlers, which is something that doesn’t happen often.” The teams did not enter the tournament without pre-game jitters. “Our biggest competitors were Klein and Klein Collins,” Alanis Naranjo, a varsity girls’ wrestling member said. “And I think we were pretty scared that we wouldn’t make it to the

second day of the tournament.” Varsity member Hector Cuevas said the team still needed to improve “While we had a lot of wins, I feel like we could have done better. I don’t think we did as well as we anticipated,” Cuevas said. “We really need to work on polishing our technique.” Up to five members on the varsity team won’t be able to participate in near-future events due to injuries. Injuries included Travis Parrott’s ankle injury, and Andrew Valentine’s knee injury. Both injuries occurred during practice. “It’s annoying to not be able to play. I just want to get it over with,” said Valentine. To compensate for the temporary loss of players, the team will have to promote junior varsity members. “We’re lucky that we have a pretty good JV team,” Cuevas said. “I think they have few individuals that will definitely aid us in finishing the season strong.”

HERE Holding. Senior varsity member Carlos Cabrera holds downCAPTION a Cy-Falls wrestler. Photo by Jessica Tan.

02.10.15 Q

What about Cy-Fair are you most proud of? Cy Fair’s school spirit has always been phenomenal. The school spirit is still high now, but it was off the charts in earlier years. All schoolrelated events were packed. For example, there was a particularly exciting football game in 1986 that ended in a very close win at the last second for the Bobcats. Everyone was so thrilled and excited that every single person in the stands on the Cy Fair side went down onto the field. I’m also proud of our faculty and how we look after and care for one another like a family.

Q What is something you don’t like

about Cy Fair? It’s not exactly the school’s choice, but I do not enjoy how many tests we have to give to students. The testing takes away from students’ actual learning time.

Q What is MAPSS? A MAPSS is a management class education children.

behavioral for special

life

What is something you know that most Bobcats would not? Some people have heard that Cy Fair used to have an upstairs, and technically it still does. But the staircase isn’t very studentaccessible now. Some people call it “the secret room”. In years past, the second floor was used for the social studies classrooms until it was closed after a renovation. Now it is just a dark empty room. Also, the Bobcat symbol in front of the cafeteria used to be at the front of the school. It was cut out of the marble floor during a renovation in 1999 and then later was moved to where it is now.

What changes in the students have you noticed throughout the years? A Of course not every kid is disrespectful, but the percentage of disrespect towards teachers has definitely grown over the years. Some kids really seem to not care. I know that deep down they do care and I just need to figure out what will reach them even if they are so disrespectful.

What would you tell a new student coming to Cy-Fair? Right off the bat, day one starts counting toward your grades and your future. Work hard, give 100 percent and be the best that you can. You should be proud and honored to be a Bobcat. Cy-Fair really is the mothership of this district and we take a lot of pride in our traditions.... BFND!

QWhat are some interesting things

that you have witnessed throughout your years working here? When I began here, the gym was located where the library is now and the lunch room was where the 2000 and 4000 halls are. Cy Fair and Jersey Village were the only schools in the district, and the school was half the size it is now. It might be hard to imagine, but we were way more overcrowded than now. I’ve been through three renovations. I watched much of the school be built. Every Friday we used to have pep rallies and a door decorating contest, and I was sad to see that tradition go.

What is one of the craziest trends that you see? The saggy pants trend, which is still going on a bit right now, has always irked me. I don’t want to see your underwear. I also don’t understand why people are stretching out their ears with such huge earrings. Don’t they know they will have to get plastic surgery to reverse that? And all the facial piercings just look so uncomfortable.

Q Are there any obscure

facts about Cy Fair that you can share? Cy-Fair was not built on a concrete foundation. You can crawl under the building( do not try this). Because of this, many animals make their home under the building. The school used to have a horrible rat infestation that attracted stray cats. Some people began to feed the cats to try to keep them around. The cats would feast on rodents and free cat food and have little baby kitties. The school then had less of a rat infestation, but more of a cat infestation. We definitely still have

animal issues now, but no where near previous years. Cy Fair is a very old school and so there are a couple of ghost stories that have been passed around. Most of the stories told actually do have some truth behind them. Some people have sworn that they have actually seen a ghost in the school, but personally, I have seen nothing.

How did you start working at Cy Fair? Before Cy-Fair, I taught in El Paso, Aldine and Spring Branch for 10 years teaching elementary and high school special needs students and hearing-impaired pre-school students. I loved those kids, and I still keep in touch with a few of them today. When my husband and I wanted to move into Cypress, a friend of mine recommended me as a teacher to the Cy-Fair principal of that time, Mr. Watkins. A few days later, I got a call from Cy-Fair about a special education teacher opening.

What has kept you at Cy Fair for 38 years? I love this school and the community. I wake up in the morning in my home and then head off to work at my second home. CyFair truly is my home away from home.

Do you think you’ll ever leave or retire? I had tried retiring in 2001, but I didn’t like it because it was boring and I realized that I really missed my students. I came back to work the next year. Currently, I have decided to wait until my second granddaughter, who is a freshman, graduates before I retire again.

Q&A with Cy-Fair’s own Lane {Gillian Life Reporter

Mrs. Jacque Yegge went to Austin High School in El Paso, Texas. She then got her bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas at El Paso, and she later got her graduate degree at Sam Houston University. Yegge began her teaching career in 1966. This is her 47th year in education and her 38th year teaching at Cy-Fair. At Cy-Fair, she has worked under four

principals as a special education teacher for two years, a general education reading specialist for three years, a counselor for 20 years and the special education MAPSS teacher and department chairman for the past 13 years. Yegge has two sons who have both graduated from Cy-Fair and has six granddaughters, two attend Cy-Fair. Mrs. Yegge is

70 years young and loves working with and helping kids. She loves to read, have fun shopping with her granddaughters and mess with her two dogs. Every Bobcat should try to pay her a visit and thank her for all her work she has done for this school. Photo by Will Davis.

HOW WILL YOU BE SPENDING VALENTINE’S DAY?

{

30% 23% 12% 35%

SAID WITH A DATE SAID WITH FRIENDS SAID WITH FAMILY SAID ALONE

WHAT’S A BETTER VALENTINE’S DAY GIFT?

{

16% 24% 26% 32%

SAID A HEART-FELT LETTER SAID A NICE DINNER SAID AN EXPENSIVE GIFT SAID SOMETHING HOMEMADE

All you need is

*Out of a survey of 100 students

LOVE Davis { William Managing Editor Mattinson { Will Business Manager Jones { Kaylin Copy Editor

Dear Chipotle,

Your one true love,

You are one of my best friends ever and I don’t know where I would be without you. You always know what to say and how to say it. I love how no matter what I can always count on you for anything I need. You have the best humor and you always say what’s on your mind which makes it even better. Thank you so much for being my friend and knowing exactly what to say when I can’t!

Sridhar Changalpet

Love you!

My love for you is endless. I wrote a song for you: Ain’t no mountain high enough Ain’t no valley low enough Ain’t no diet strict enough To keep me from getting to you

Caroline

Hey Will! It’s close to Valentine’s Day! You know what that means? It’ll be a year since we first “met.” That was the day I handed you a handmade Valentine’s Day card as a joke. Who would’ve thought that we’d be dating now? I’m glad we’ve met through, for you make life so much more enjoyable for me. We have been dating since March 17th 2014 and there have been ups and downs during our time together, but I know that my heart will always yearn for you. I know my personality is strange and maybe even bipolar at some pints, but I really appreciate you dealing with me. I love the smile on your face as you laugh and it truly captivates my eyes and it makes me feel like the most special person to ever be in existence. I believe you’re perfect for me. Even if time is not on our side, with college approaching, just know that no matter what we decide to be, you’ll always be the one that’ll be in my heart. - Sazla Hoang

Dear Julia, I barely see you anymore and I nev much I miss talking to you. All t been there. Even though we are no appreciate the small talk that we hallway. I just want to tell you ho part of my life. You gave me stren you are always optimistic. That help kindness, you honesty is what I look on me and I really hope we stay frie matter what we do in the future or time and effort to maintain your pr who I am and you were the first o out in this new place. You know an through middle school and the star go-to person because you listened friends with you has helped me to f me to become a better person and friendship. Always here for you. Yours Que pasa… Manasa

{How well do you know me?{ Taylor & Shea

Mr. & Mrs. Smith Mr. Z Smith and Mrs. Breana Smith have been married for 11 years, since July 31, 2003. They first met in college at Texas A&M University. Their first date was supposed to be to a county fair that ended up no longer being open, so they went to a movie instead. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have one son, an eight-year-old also named Z.

Mr. Smith Algebra Teacher Photo by Whitney Gilmer.

Seniors Taylor Jasek and Shea Pinder started dating over two years ago on Oct. 19, 2012. They first met at a football game their freshman year. Their first date was supposed to be a “not-coming” at Pleasure Pier but Taylor “got sick.” Later that night, Shea came to her house and brought her flowers.

Taylor Shea

ver got the chance to tell you how throughout high school you have ot as close as we used to be, I still have when we are walking in the ow much I appreciate you being a ngth when I knew I was weak, and ps me feel good about myself. Your k up to. You are a positive influence ends forever maybe? I know that no r where we are, I will always make recious friendship. You saw me for one to accept me what I felt so left nd have seen me struggle to fit in rt of freshman. You were always my d and were not judgmental. Being feel welcomed and has also helped d experience such a pure and true

Who’s the better driver? “Me; I drive a big truck.” Who studies harder? “Taylor studies two times more than me.” Who is more creative? “ Me; I have a vivid imagination.” Who dresses better? “Same, we both are fly.”

Photo courtesy of Taylor Jasek.

Who’s the better driver? “Shea; we are both good but I like to speed” Who studies harder? “Definitely me; I don’t think Shea has studied once this year.” Who is more creative? “Shea is definitely an outof-the-box thinker. (He’s weird.)” Who dresses better? “We both dress nice, but leggings and a t-shirt is my go-to outfit, so probably him.” Who wears the pants? “Me of course ;)”

Who wears the pants? “Nobody; we both wear pants ;)”

Mrs. Smith Physics Teacher

Who’s the better driver? “Me.” Who has been in more car accidents? “Mrs. Smith.” Who studies harder? “Mrs. Smith.”

Who’s the better driver? “Mr. Z.” Who has been in more car accidents? “Me.” Who studies harder? “Me.”

Who is smarter? “Me.” Who is more creative? “Me.” Who is more adventurous? “Mrs. Smith.” Who is more likely to be late? “Me.” Who made the first move? “Mrs. Smith.”

Who is smarter? “Mr. Z.” Who is more creative? “Me.” Who is more adventurous? “Mr. Z.” Who is more likely to be late? “Mr. Z.” Who made the first move? “Mr. Z.”

Photos courtesy of Mrs. Breana Smith.

Ben Phillips,

To Snow Leopards,

I’m just going to get straight to the point and tell you “I love you.” Yes, I do. We’re not just friends, or enemies; we are just strangers with memories. Every day, I turn around just to admire your goodness and pure-beating heart.

I love you to the moon and back. We’ve been through thick and thin, and I wouldn’t want to go through it with anyone else. I can’t believe it has been 15 months already; I can’t wait to spend many more with you! Together is my favorite place to be.

Oh snow leopards, how you inspire, how you achieve life and make me aspire. I love you snow leopards and all your features; I love the fact that y’all are beautiful creatures. You make me smile and laugh and giddy with joy, you make me happier than a child playing with a toy. You keep me calm, you keep me sane, you make all my bad feelings drain. I don’t know how you make your beauty show, I guess it’s something only you will know. I hope one day to see your face, so we can both just embrace.

“So one last time, I need to be the one who takes you home, One more time, I promise after that, I’ll hold close…” You are my Once upon a time. You ask why? Because I remember a time I was fast asleep, and you woke me up with your lips on me. Love, Makenzie

Love, Miranda Henderson

Love, Chase Rabel

12 life

02.10.15 STUDENT HOBBY

Fire away WHAT IS FLOW ART? FLOW ART IS THE CREATIVE EXPLORATION OF MOVEMENT USING SKILL-BASED PROPS.

Parker { Valerie Assistant Opinion Editor

Poi

Lauren Elles

She is attracted to all forms of flow art, but her specialty is poi, particularly with fire. Poi is swinging tethered weights through a variety of rhythmical and geometric patterns. Junior Lauren Elles doesn’t even have to think about her movements anymore. Her hands naturally know where to go after countless hours of practice. “I use poi as a creative way to express myself. It’s always been my goal to work up to fire, I started off doing regular poi made of socks then built up. After two years, I finally accomplished my goal,” Elles said. Elles got interested when a friend of her parents came to her house and lit their poi on fire. The grace and sheer happiness on the friend’s face was enough to get Elles started. “It was really cool and unique. I’d never seen anything like it before and watching made me want to do it,” Elles said. Elles warns that some cautions have to be taken when playing with fire. No loose clothing, hair must be totally up in a bun, there must be

Staff

Diction Addition

Ivy Harrington

Burning: Setting a flow art object on fire and carefully spinning and dancing with it.

Poi. Lauren Elles spins away as she practices her moves. All photos by Valerie Parker. another person present (a spotter) just in case something goes wrong and most importantly: don’t get overwhelmed by the fire. “My first burn was at a friend’s house and other people were spinning fire and offered to give me a try. I wasn’t afraid. I flowed like it wasn’t even on fire. Afterwards I felt exhilarated since I spent many hours practicing for that moment,” Elles said. Her favorite moves are the three-beat, the butterfly and flowers. Three-beat is when the hands criss cross over each other while the wrists are relaxed. The “butterfly” is when it gives off an illusion of butterfly wings flapping

up and down. Flowers are moving the poi in perfect circles around the body. Elles practices 3-4 hours a week. Through this hobby she has met many others, especially from the Texas Renaissance Festival. “Meeting others who spin poi is exciting because they can teach me tricks I don’t know so we can learn off each other,” Elles said. To most people, it’s just a stick. But to junior Ivy Harrington, it’s opportunity. Her flow specialty is called staff, a wooden or metal stick that involves the flow artist to dance around and spin in the air. With all the twisting

and complicated hand movements it can be a tricky thing to learn, but when you add fire to the mix, now that’s when things heat up. “I like flowing with fire more because it feels natural and makes me concentrate. I’ve always been attracted to fire, it’s never scared me. When I was younger a bonfire singed my eyebrows off, but the intimidation of burning myself never stops me,” Harrington said. Both ends of the staff are on fire while the person dances around with it, being careful to avoid painful burns. In order for fire staff the material has to be metal or aluminum. Harrington has only been practicing staff for less than a month. But, she was in color guard for two and a half years, which is why she’s easily able to toss and spin like a pro. “To me flow arts are people with heart who enjoy dancing and doing cool things with different kinds of objects, whether it be hula hoops, staff, gloving, poi, flag or anything really. It’s being able to escape your own world, even if just for a little while,” Harrington said.

02.10.15

life

God gained an angel

(Clockwise from top left:) A Captured Moment. Tim and Robin Spring share a moment together. Vigil. Close friends and family gather to honor Tim Spring. Run. The Springs pose before a run. Skiing. As they ski, the Springs give a smile.

ONE YEAR LATER, CLAIRE SPRING RELIVES MOMENTS SHE WILL NEVER FORGET Roa { Caitlin Journalism I Blue, white and red lights covered oblivious to what was going on 50 feet the Spring’s house around 10 p.m. on away from his room. “Dad’s not waking up!” Claire Jan. 20, 2014. Lying on the ground lifeless and shouted once she had reached the cold, Claire Spring saw her dad with opening of his doorway. Grant laughed it off without her mom laying over him with worry in her eyes screaming “TIM, WAKE hesitation not realizing his life would drastically UP. WAKE change UP.” by the Starting next hour. “Life is hard but just from that O n c e moment know things happen for he saw chaos would C l a i r e ’s begin to fill a reason, and people f a c e , the Spring’s are never alone in any though, home. he knew “ A t situation.” this wasn’t that point a joke. I already - Claire Spring Before he knew he knew it had stopped he was on breathing, so I screamed for my kids because his knees giving his dad CPR with his I didn’t want to leave him to get my mom by his side. “Not a day goes by phone and call 911,” Claire’s mom, where I don’t hear or see something Robin Spring said. “I yelled for Grant that makes me think of my dad,” to come help me so somebody could Grant said. Before the police came, Claire ran call 911 and I wouldn’t have to leave him because I was trying to wake into her parent’s closet and got into a him up and make him start breathing fetal position trying to process all her thoughts and remain calm while tears again.” Claire panicked and ran upstairs were streaming down her face. “I remember when the police to go get her older brother Grant, who had his door closed and was got there and I got on my hands and

{ {

knees and begged for them to help,” Claire said. Moments later, paramedics put Tim Spring on a machine trying to pump fluids into his motionless body. Claire remembered this memory very clearly. “I wish I wouldn’t have seen that because it scared me and I didn’t want that to be what I remembered of my dad, but now that memory is forever embedded in my brain,” Claire said. The ambulance sped off once they had Mr. Spring hooked up to the machine and onto the gurney while the rest of the Spring family watched them drive away. Neighbors close to the Spring house flooded the street with curiosity and confusion on why there was so much activity at the pink brick, two-story house. “After the police and ambulance left, my neighbor drove my mom, brother and I to the hospital. The doctors at North Cypress Medical had a set of experts already there that were going to work on my dad’s heart,” Claire said. Tim Spring was in a coma for 15 days before he died on Feb. 4, 2014. “I stayed home from school for about three weeks and didn’t really talk to anyone. I went through a depression stage, but not to the point

Photos courtesy of the Spring family.

where I felt there was no return. After my dad passed away it wasn’t as bad as when he went into cardiac arrest because I already knew he was going to pass, so to me the grieving stage was between the cardiac arrest and his death,” Claire said. The day before Tim Spring’s death Claire’s mom had a get together with the family’s close friends and loved ones to let Tim know it was okay to let go and to not suffer any more. Drew Overby, a close friend of Claire’s, attended this event. “We prayed and there was a candle lit ceremony It was so pretty and it was amazing to know how much people care,” Overby said. The house was full and according to Claire it was an amazing feeling. “Our candle lit [ceremony] was our final goodbye. It was truly amazing and it was something I will never forget,” she said. The day her dad passed, Claire decided she would devote her life to serving God because during the

tough times she prayed and she knew there was someone much greater than her listening to her thoughts and prayers. “I believed my dad had passed away so early because he had finished everything he needed to do on Earth,” Claire said. Claire lost one of the most important people in her life, but she said her faith helped her and still helps her to this day, and without it she wouldn’t be where she’s at today. “Even though it stinks for us, it’s better for him because he’s no longer in pain and because of faith I came to peace with the fact he was gone and everything was going to be okay. God gives battles to his strongest soldiers so have faith in his plans and believe and things will get easier,” Claire said. “Life is hard but just know things happen for a reason, and people are never alone in any situation.” This story was contributed to by Audrey Gray.

14 culture Q: What are

you going to miss the most about Cy-Fair once you graduate?

A: I will miss the cool people I’ve met and the friendships that developed. - Nairobi Alford

Q: What

advice you would give to next year’s senior class? A: I’d tell them to have fun and not to think too much about things. Live your senior year to the fullest with no regrets. –Josephine Owolabi Q: What has been your most favorite part of senior year so far? A: My favorite part of senior year was getting accepted into my dream school in New York. - Olivia Garner

02.10.15

Just do it

{ Kaylin Jones TO-DO LIST: SENIOR EDITION { Copy Editor With senior year coming to a rapid end, there are many things to wrap up before our final year of high school comes to an end. Here is a list

Maddie Pierce Assistant Life Editor

of things to do before finally saying goodbye to high school.

Apply for the colleges you are thinking about attending, and don’t forget to include some safety net schools in case you don’t get accepted to the school of your choice. Take the SAT or ACT until you are happy with your score. The next SAT tests are in March, May and June and the next available ACT tests are in April and June. Registration deadlines are Feb. 13 and Apr. 6 and May 8 and Mar. 13. Apply to scholarships and financial aid like FAFSA and the Texas Grant and Pell Grant and remember to apply to more than one. Decide and accept the school of your choice. Consider the school’s atmosphere and location as well when deciding. Order cap and gown, diploma, and yearbook Take senior pictures to put on your graduation invitations and announcements. Slowly ease your parents into the realization that you are growing up and moving out. If you need a job to pay your way through school, apply now before they become unavailable. Make sure you have all of the necessary credits to graduate or talk to your counselor if you are unsure. Order your announcement cards and envelopes. Don’t forget to send them to all of your family members. The more announcements you send, the more graduation gifts you get. Speak to some advisers from the college you plan on attending and find out what you need to do before starting college. Decide on a major that you might like to pursue, and maybe consider a backup in case the first one doesn’t plan out.

93% Have applied to college

88%

Are ready to leave Cy-Fair

93%

Are going prom

*out of 120 students

Q: What has been your least favorite part of senior year so far? A: My least favorite

moment of senior year was losing in the football playoffs. - Mercedes Santistevan Q: What are you looking forward to in the second semester of senior year? A: Graduating. –Zack Ralph

Plan a graduation party if you are thinking of having one.

Fall Out Boy Review

AMERICAN BEAUTY/AMERICAN PSYCHO Fails { Greg Culture Reporter

Rock fans rejoice! This year Fall Out Boy is set to Headline the Houston Rodeo, hot on the tail of the release of their new album “American Beauty/ American Psycho”. Bringing a whole new batch of songs to the table that showcase the band using everything they’ve learned on previous records while boldly applying new ideas like sampling and electronics, this album is ready made to tear stadiums apart.

Opening with a horn melody sure to catch any hip hop fan’s ears, Stump jumps in like a rapper on the beat in “Irresistible”, confidently singing “yeah you look so Seattle/ but you feel so L.A.” before crescendoing into a gigantic chorus. The album then takes a shift to somewhere between the dance floor and a mosh pit on its title track “American Beauty/ American Psycho” where the guitars and vocals get a bit more distortion- an effect that becomes common throughout the album.

Following are some exceptionally stand-out songs such as: “The Kid’s Aren’t Alright” where we hear Stump take a break from belting to croon a bit. “Uma Thurman” features a guitar sample from the Munster’s’ theme song alongside one of the catchiest hooks on the album (“She wants to dance like Uma Thurman/ Bury me till I confess”). “Novocaine” flaunts a grumbling bass and Wentz’s megalomaniac lyrics (“I am your worst, I am your worst nightmare”). Stump never loses his energy on a track;

2013 Fall Out Boy Concert, Bayou Music Center Photo Credits to Greg Fails however, some songs, such as “Centuries”, plateau by the 2/3 mark. Nonetheless, the album closes in a perfectly experimental fashion with “Twin Skeletons (Hotel in NYC)” where violinlike guitar chirping and creepy lyrics ratchet up the intensity to a surprisingly baroque ending maybe hinting at future things to come.

culture

02.10.15

FOOD REVIEW

Lettuce eat sandwiches

Talk in theory

STAFFER HUNTS FOR BEST HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICH

Neitzey { Harper Co-Editor-in-Chief

{

sb yH

eit

ze y

Jimmy Johns

Which Wich

Potbelly

My first stop was Jimmy John’s. Jimmy John’s is your classic sub place-a higher quality Subway. When you first arrive you notice all the witty posters on the wall saying things like “If you think you have a reservation, you’re in the wrong place.” and “We’d love to see you naked, but state code requires shoes and shirt.” I got in line and ordered a #7 smoked ham club which is an 8-inch 1/4 pound of smoked ham, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo. I got my drink, went and sat at a table and in less than 5 minutes my sandwich was already made. Everything on the sandwich tasted fresh. Jimmy John’s cuts their own deli meat in shop daily, and gets fresh vegetables every day. The best part of the sandwich was the bread; it practically melts in your mouth. The bread is homemade French bread that Jimmy John’s makes fresh daily. You can even buy loaves of it for a dollar. The only downfall of the sandwich was that the meat-to-cheese ratio was equal, I prefer a sandwich with more meat than cheese. Jimmy John’s is the best option for when you want a good, cold sandwich without having to drive anywhere, since they deliver.

My next stop was Which Which. When you arrive at Which Wich the first thing you do is fill out a bag choosing what kind of bread, meat, cheese and other toppings you want. I got a bag two, a Bac-Hammon sandwich. It’s a 7-inch sub filled with sliced ham, Swiss cheese, bacon and mayo. When you order they take your bag and clip it on to a movable line. The workers make the sandwich assembly line style and pass the bag when they’re done with their part. By the time you’ve picked out your chips and filled up your drink, your sandwich is ready. The sandwich was toasted, making the cheese melt and the outside of the bread crunchy. The only bad part was that they toasted the sandwich after they put the mayo on, so then there was hot mayo oozing out of all sides-gross. Despite the oozing mayo, Which Wich is the best option for when you are in a hurry and need to grab lunch when you’re

My last stop was Potbelly. Potbelly is a hip little sandwich shop. Right when you walk in, you see a giant submarine shooting out of the wall, and on the weekends sometimes there is even live music. At Potbelly I got a Skinny Hammie, an eight-inch ham sub with Swiss cheese, lettuce and mayo. The Potbelly’s sandwich was perfectly toasted and the correct amount of mayo--not too much or too little. The best part of Potbelly is that it has more options than just sandwiches. The menu includes soup, salads, chili, smoothies and the greatest sugar cookies in the world. Potbelly is the best option for when you want to sit down, eat and meet someone for lunch.

busy and don’t have a lot of time.

1st Jimmy Johns

Photo credits to Mario Almanza

Maddie Pierce Assistant Life Editor

Cy-Fair 2013 graduates Eric NeQuent, drummer, and Michael Johnston along with 2014 graduate Eddie Rosario, bass player, and juniors Cody NeQuent and Nate Teran won $500 and an equalizer mixing board worth approximately $1000. The five-man band Talk in Theory entered Battle of the Bands, one of the biggest competitions a band can perform in. The band did something that surprised even them. They won. “I didn’t expect to win,” Cody NeQuent, guitarist, said. “These were our first two shows.” The first round of Battle of the Bands was on Nov. 2 where the band had to compete against eight other bands. The crowd’s response decides who goes on to the next round. “I think we had a better chance at the first round,” guitarist Michael Johnston said. The band sold 60 tickets to the first show in the first round. They sold 150 tickets, the maximum amount, in the second round on Dec. 21. The winning band had a choice of five prizes. Talk in Theory chose $500 and an equalizer mixing board worth approximately $1000. The band is currently working in a studio on their first EP, or extended play, which is basically an a mini album. The band is holding off on their shows until the EP, Defenestration, comes out. Talk in Theory expects Defenestration to come out this spring. “We really aren’t expecting much as far as profit or anything like that,” vocalist Nate Teran said. “We’ve just really been trying to get some stuff out so you guys can get a taste of what we’ve been up to. But it is only the beginning and we’re not slowing down after we release the EP. We’re going to be working on our next EP and playing more shows and hope you guys enjoy what we have in store.”

2nd

3rd

Potbelly

Which Wich

LAYERING UP THE COMPETITION

16 culture

02.10.15

A QUOTE FROM THE KING

“I just want to thank everybody who came out to show support. We worked really hard to make it as entertaining as possible.

FAVORITE TALENT

Also thanks to the other contestants for making this a memorable experience. #sorryforthewait. “ -King Blain Blanchard

High School Musical 52% Mini Pep Rally 12%

Slam Poetry 12%

Napoleon Dynamite 24%

*out of a survey of 50 students

Mr. Cy-Fair

FOUR-YEAR VETERAN BLAIN BLANCHARD, TRIUMPHS AS THIS YEAR’S MR. CY-FAIR Top from left: Zach Mendizabal, opening number, Mitchell Laflin, Lee Maddox, Gene Jung, Austin Curley Bottom from left: Thad Milton, Sridhar Changalpet , Matt Godfrey, Joe Ngyuen Crown. (bottom) Blain Blanchard is crowned as the new Mr. Cy-Fair. Photo Credits to Sabrina Sommer, Bri Baiza, Melissa Reinsch and Jessica Tan

Sanchez { John Assistant Sports Editor Two contestants walk on stage, pull out bubble guns and blow bubbles all over the stage. All 29 contestants appear wearing cowboy boots, short shorts and white T-shirts. They begin to line dance to the songs “Cotton Eye Joe” by Rednex, and “Hoedown Throw down” by Miley Cyrus. This was the opening act of Mr. Cy-Fair. This annual male pageant sold out all 800 tickets This year’s theme was southern gentlemen. Senior Blain Blanchard was crowned as the 2015 Mr. Cy-Fair. This was his fourth year to compete. “It’s glorious. I have been competing for four years, and I always think that it would be cool to win. I’m still in shock,” Blanchard said. He thought that all the contestants did a good job. “Everyone had their own talent. If I could break up the trophy and split it I would.” Blanchard said Chase Rabel received first runner up. “I was happy for everyone. I am happy for Blain. It was a cool experience all around,” Rabel said. Senior Thaddeus Milton won last year’s Mr. Cy-Fair as a junior. “Winning was pretty surprising. It was cool because I got to keep the title all year,” Milton said While the contestants went off to prepare for their first completion, emcees Bobcat TV teacher

Kevin Corken and Lindsay Crow introduced the panel of judges: Ashley Teague, Elwin Tejada, Scott Beyer and Elizabeth Martin. Brigade Dance Officers followed with their hip hop routine. The first competition of the night was the sportswear competition. The power went off about 30 seconds during William Mattinson’s act. He was doing a Scottish Caber Toss. Sportswear highlights were Zachary Mendizabal dressed as a matador and Blanchard taking selfies wearing a cheerleading uniform. Joe Nguyen, who came out playing polo riding piggy back on a guy wearing a horse mask, won this competition. Swimwear followed with Jhovanny Ramirez donning a Hawaiian look with a straw hat and a ukulele and Austin Curley who tucked his arms in to his shirt and rode a surf board, making him look like the Soul Surfer. Winner Edward Thibodeaux stole the

show while riding around the stage on a blow up orca whale. The talent portion was next. Some headliners included Will Davis, who performed comedic poetry and Stephen “Matt” Godfrey who battled a song with Sridhar Changalpet (which resulted in them pulling out light sabers and fighting). Tate Walker, who performed a pep rally with Aaron Smith, won this competition. The two included the Drum line in their act and members of the audience threw up the maroon and white streamers. This was the first of many performances by the Drum line. D u r i n g intermission, audience members voted for the contestants. After the intermission it was the formalwear competition. Highlights were Mitch Laflin and Milton. The winner was

Mendizabal. During the contestant interviews in the second act, Brian Finke was asked to choose between letting the members of One Direction or Justin Bieber live. He chose One Direction. Joe Nguyen was asked if he would rather trade places with Barack Obama or LeBron James. “LeBron, because ball is life,” Nguyen said. Mattinson, who won this competition, was asked to choose between giving up his driver’s license or the internet. “I would give up my driver’s license because I’m sure I shouldn’t be legally driving the way I drive,” Mattinson said. While the judges tallied votes, Brigade dancers, officers and seniors each performed followed by Drum line. Alex Hill preformed a tap dance. While the judges still counted votes, emcees scrambled to fill up time and invited the Drum line back on stage for the third time. The energy in the crowd was very tired at this point. Then the emcees started to talk with some playful banter, trying to fill up the time. They brought the Brigade Officers on stage and asked them some questions where we found out that Haleigh Dyer was has been in Brigade for two years and that Kassi Reyna’s favorite subject is English. People from the audience started to walk out because it was now 10 p.m. Finally at about 10:15 p.m. judges announced the winners and the contestants all gathered to take a group picture.

02.10.15

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18 opinion

02.10.15

Let’s talk about ‘IT’

‘I’ma take your grandpa’s style’ Faria { Lizzie News Reporter Cut back to seventh grade science. The room resounded in awkward silence and the occasional giggle as the teacher taught the class about something that scared our 12 and 13-year old minds: sex. No one dared to speak a word for the fear of being kicked out of the room. If someone made an immature comment, they met the same fate. Slowly the teacher came around passing out papers with an obvious image of the male anatomy printed out for us to color and label. Shortly after, another page-this one adorned with a pixelated, black-and-white diagram of the female anatomy-joined its counterpart. Teenage pregnancy and sex were the two things that were taught to us so we could fear them. From the STDs and the AIDS, it felt like the school was trying to hammer into our minds like the line from the movie Mean Girls that the coach said: don’t have sex, because you will get pregnant, and die. Having sex meant getting pregnant and if that ever happened, your life would be ruined and so would your reputation and the only thing that they said that would combat this terrible act, abstinence. A few years later, that same silence hadn’t come back, rather this time the class reeked of boredom while some had flashbacks to what they were subjected to the years prior. However, instead of the child birth video, this was something entirely different: a video all about abstinence and teenage pregnancy. Now, abstinence isn’t a bad thing, It’s just not the only solution out there. And yes, these diseases do exist and can kill you. Yes, teenage pregnancy is a big deal, but after talking to Coach Bonnie Wass-Jones, health class teacher, it’s a different experience than seventh grade, In fact, a more comfortable and easy going one. “It’s one of their favorite units and they build trust with us and ask a lot of questions,” Jones said. However, the awkwardness will always be there no matter how you look at it,Sex but when taught in high school, we’ve grown up and shown a sign of maturity so we can handle it at our age. The class covers things like dating, abuse, anatomy, family dynamics, marriage, contraception’s and STDs. “It’s a very broad topic and we cover a lot of things” Jones said. So it’s not all bad. It can be something we can talk about without squirming in our seats and have that awkward silence filled the room.

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Natalie Berry Editor-in-Chief

I first discovered thrifting during a summer of frugality, the same summer I attempted extreme couponing. There’s something about finding a hidden gem in a sea of trash, something about walking out of a store with five things for $15. My introduction to thrifting came from two sisters in Arizona who shared a YouTube channel. They plundered Goodwills and other small second-hand stores in Arizona and California, showing off their steals in videos. I really admired their finds and how they would incorporate the strangest pieces of clothing into outfits. I’ve always been a fashion-lover and also very money-conscious, so thrifting seemed like the perfect hobby for me. I thrift about three to four times per month, usually going to the two closest Goodwills-Louetta at Grant and Louetta at Highway 249. I also frequent the Family Thrift Center in Willowbrook, the Goodwill in Champions and the abundance of thrift and vintage stores in the Heights. Anytime I go on vacation, I always locate the best local thrift stores and take a look. I’ve found

1. Don’t be afraid to make changes. Not every piece of clothing is going to fit perfectly. After all, it is a thrift store. That doesn’t mean that you have to toss a pair of jeans that fit your waist perfectly, just because they’re too long. The clothing at thrift stores is so inexpensive that paying for alterations is a definite possibility. You could even do it yourself if you know how. I’ve made jean shorts out of children’s jeans before. Now, I’m in the process of hemming two vintage midi skirts from the 1960s and 1970s. The awesome part is that they still had the tags on them and I paid 10 times less for them at Goodwill than they were originally priced at 50 years ago.

FRUGAL FASHIONISTA SHARES HER TIPS FOR FINDING UNIQUE ITEMS IN THRIFT AND VINTAGE STORES

Photo by Shabby Jack Photography.

2. Shop in all sections. When I thrift, I hit the men’s, women’s, children’s, home goods, and books sections. Don’t miss anything. I’ve gotten great flannels from the men’s section, a pair of perfect highwaisted Levi’s jean shorts from the little boys section, a “Cup of Joe” Joe Biden coffee mug from home goods and countless mint-condition 69-cent best-sellers from the bookcases in the back.

4. Wash before you wear. Wash before you wear. Always, always, always wash before you wear. No excuses.

awesome items all over the U.S., from a velvet mini skirt from Jackson Hole, Wyoming to a $2 Zara blazer in a small nursing home thrift store in the Financial District of New York City. Vintage shopping is a bit different from thrift shopping. The prices are usually a lot higher, sometimes ridiculously high. All of the pieces are well-curated and very interesting, though. Everything you pick up is bound to be one-ofa-kind and in good condition. The best areas for vintage clothing in Houston are Montrose and the Heights. My personal recommendation is Retropolis. It’s two stories of clothes from every era with very reasonable prices. At Retropolis, I’ve found a great homemade full-skirted dress from the 50s there for $80 (see photo to the left) and a $65 fully-beaded dress from the 80s that I’m considering wearing for prom. A second runner-up is Replay on 19th, which also has good variety, but the prices tend to be higher. Both shops are located on West 19th Street in The Heights. For first-time thrifters, shopping can be very overwhelming. Below are my top five tips for finding thrifted pieces to be proud of.

3. Don’t look at sizes.

Most everything in a thrift store is pre-worn and has already been washed several times, so it has shrunk. For me, this is perfect because I’m very petite, so things with tags that say medium or large will actually fit me. Also, thrift stores are the perfect place to find oversized sweaters, cardigans, and T-shirts. Lastly, vintage clothing sizes are slightly different. When looking at pants, I can occasionally wear a pair that is up to two sizes larger than my normal size because of the size differences.

5. Have a critical eye.

While it’s important to be as non-judgmental as possible when thrifting, you also have to be realistic. A lot of donated clothes have holes, rips, stains or are in overall poor condition. No matter how much you like a piece of clothing, be honest with yourself. Those stains will most likely not come out. That’s probably why the previous donor gave it away. All photos by Natalie Berry

02.10.15

STAFF

The Reporter

opinion

STAFF EDITORIAL

Editor in Chief Natalie Berry Co-Editor in Chief Harper Neitzey Managing Editor Will Davis Culture Editor Emme Enojado News Editor Wafa Kazmi Copy Editor Kaylin Jones Life Editor Karman Amdal Sports EditorJulia Ryza Opinion Editor Audrey Gray Online Editor Cody Brown Graphics Editor Ryan Steppe Business Manager Will Mattinson Assistant Section Editors Amalia Trevino, John Sanchez, Maddie Pierce, Valerie Parker Reporters , Artists Greg Fails, Lizzie Faria, Gillian Lane, Esmeralda Harvey 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 is located at 22602 Hempstead Highway Cypress, TX 77429. The journalism office can be reached at (281) 897-4658 or Lillian.Harris@cfisd.net.

Artwork by Lizzie Faria.

BEAUTY isn’t a NUMBER “What does your ideal significant other look like to you?” We’ve all heard this question more than once in our lifetimes from those corny truth or dare books, and it’s no surprise that the response, though varied by gender, is as clichéd as the idea of a “perfect soul mate.” For boys, a girl with a large bust, slender figure and blonde hair fits the bill, while a muscular, blue-eyed tall hunk of a man fills every girl’s dreams. We’re held to so many standards that it’s hard to believe we haven’t figured this out yet: “perfection” is relative. Society’s the dream weaver using clothing lines and Adobe Photoshop to set unrealistic expectations for us. When we’re presented with model figures of our respective genders, we aspire to be like them. We aspire to look like them and act like them. And sometimes that leads to unhealthy life changes. We begin starving ourselves for that perfect “zero figure” plastered on the walls outside the Abercrombie and Fitch store, and we spend hours a day haphazardly exercising until our muscles tear just for chest definition. After a while, the desire to achieve the perfect figure becomes an obsession, an addiction. Simply

not eating descends into full-blown anorexia, overexertion leads to fatigue and potential permanent muscle damage, only maybe to lose a few pounds. The sad thing is we mock those addicted with perfection, claiming they’re psycho when they only wanted to be ideal to someone, yet we’ll fall head over heels for a computer-altered photograph. If we know a photo of a model is altered with a computer, why do we gawk over that more than the natural human appearance? Say a less-defined, less than average height man were to have spent three years of his life eating healthy and exercising to better his health, he would be criticized for attempting to follow the advertisements and striving for unrealistic goals. Take Justin Bieber, who appeared in a January Calvin Klein advertisement. The shirtless, muscular pop star was hazed for letting the company use a Photoshop-enhanced photo despite his already defined appearance. The same thing would be said about a curvy woman who did the same to lose weight and adopt a healthier lifestyle, she would be told to stop because she shouldn’t become something she’s not. At the same time, those who are born naturally bigger or naturally smaller are shamed because they don’t try to either lose weight or

gain muscle mass. And the hypocrisy behind our society’s obsession with the perfect aesthetic appearance contributes nothing to solve the problem. We are the masters of our own bodies. We control what goes into it, we control what we do with it. No matter whether we are short or tall, thin or robust, we decided our own definition of beauty. No human is perfect, but to someone we are indeed perfect. The idea of aesthetically perfect beauty is a topic of conflict-and it always will be- but if everyone had the appearance of the models in the magazine the whole idea goes out the window. Beauty will never have a finite, universal definition. We can make the choice of what it means for ourselves, altered or not. The people we see on screens and in ink may leave us a little jealous, but we need to remember that beauty is more than just skin deep. All those models and actresses may be the saddest, or the meanest, or the rudest people, and that’s nothing to be jealous about. What does it matter if the cover of a book is utterly beautiful if the pages inside are tattered and dirty? And if you’re still worrying about looks, take some advice from Roald Dahl - “If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”

20 photo essay The Bake Shoppe

02.10.15

Sweet & Sassy Sugar and spice. Senior Kelly Danford twists and twirls with little divas at her job Sweet & Sassy. Sweet & Sassy is a place where little girls can have the birthday party of their dreams. Danford works birthday parties and styles little girls’ hair, make up and nails. After getting all dressed up they have a dance party and eat cake. “I love how easy-going and laid-back working there is and that I get to work with kids,” Danford said. “It takes a lot of energy but it’s so much fun and the people are really awesome.” Photo courtesy of Kelly Danford Strokes and streamline. Senior Efrain Rovira works as a swim coach at Fleet First teaching people swim techniques and strokes. “I like helping people become better at swimming and teaching them a skill that could save their life,” Rovira said. “The pay is good and I’m always meeting new people so it never gets old.” Photo courtesy by Efrain Rovira

Fleet First

More than minimum wage

Junk happens. Junior Kellie Huffmeister works the cash register at her job at The Bake Shoppe. “I like working there because my boss is really nice. It’s good hours and it’s a pretty easy job,” Huffmeister said. Photo by Audrey Gray Precision. Sophomore Julia Mattingly jumps and flips with kids at her job as a gymnastics coach at K2 Academy. “I teach competitive gymnastics but for little kids,” Mattingly said. “We have set hours so I never have to worry about what times I’m working and everyone there is so close so it’s a really fun job.” Photo by Audrey Gray

K2 Academy