DEC2008

Mix It Up Day p. 10 Creek Volleyball P. 27

Creek Spirit, where is it?

P. 12

2305 East Main, League City, TX 77573

Obama elected The United States President Megan McKisson

Barack Obama has excelled in areas of political and educational nature throughout his 48 years.

Obama was born to Kenyan Barack Sr. and American Ann Dunham on August 4, 1961, in a Hawaiian hospital. His parents separated two years after his birth, and divorced a year later. Obama’s father returned to Kenya, and Obama spent most of his childhood in Hawaii with his mother and grandparents. Obama attended Punahou School in Hawaii from fifth grade until graduation. Despite his moral upbringing, he later admitted that he used marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol in high school.

“It was reflective of the struggles and confusion of a teenage boy,” he said in an interview with the American Society of Magazine Editors.

After high school, Obama attended Columbia University and graduated in 1983. He put law school and politics on hold after college and became a churchbased community organizer, helping to improve living conditions in lowincome, high-crime neighborhoods. His efforts yielded little success, and Obama

realized that in order to radically change conditions like these, it would take more than volunteer work on a local level.

Obama earned his law degree from Harvard in 1991 with magna cum laude honors, becoming the first AfricanAmerican president of the Harvard Law Review. He settled in Chicago soon after and became a practicing civil rights attorney. From 1992 to 2004, Obama also taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School while writing his memoir, Dreams from My Father. The book was published in 1995.

Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1997. During his time as a state legislator, Obama gained support from both Republicans and Democrats alike by renewing and reconstructing health care laws. He also endorsed heightened childcare support. Obama served the Illinois Senate for three terms. After his election to the US Senate in 2004, Obama resigned from his position in the Illinois Senate.

Obama delivered the 2004 keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July of that year. His speech questioned

actions of the B u s h administration and deeply reinforced the United State’s responsibility to support it’s troops. Obama also urged Americans to find ‘unity in diversity’(wikipedia.com).

“There is not a liberal America and a conservativeAmerica; there’s the United States of America,” he said. Obama’s speech promised him a bright future.

Obama was sworn into the U.S. Senate on January 4, 2005. During his time in the Senate, two bills were passed bearing Obama’s name: Lugar— Obama, which increased the Nun—Lugar cooperative threat reduction conception to standard weapons; and the Coburn— Obama Transparency Act, consenting to the creation of USAspending.gov, a web search engine relating to U.S. government spending. Obama also established two bills that have never been signed into law; the Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act, which criminalized dishonest activity in federal election; and the Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007.

Obama announced his 2008 run for U.S. President in front of the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois – the same place that former president Abraham Lincoln gave his renowned “House Divided” speech in 1858. Obama highlighted rapid termination of the Iraq war, increased energy independence, and instated universal healthcare as his top three priorities.

During Obama’s presidential campaign, ABC News disclosed clips of Jeremiah Wright, the pastor of Obama’s church for

discovered that crimes such as weapons, drugs, and assault charges were reported as less severe. Some of the school crimes found in police reports had mysteriously disappeared from the school reports.

In March of 2007, at Mayde

brass knuckles at Bonham Elementary in May 2007, as well as at Madison High in April 2007. The state never received reports of these crimes. Dowling Middle School also failed to report a crime to the state that happened in February

more t h a n t w e n t y y e a r s , preaching racially and politically controversial sermons.

Though Obama primarily defended the preacher, he eventually withdrew his membership from the Trinity United Church of Christ “with some sadness”.

“This is not a decision I come to lightly,” Obama said. “But it’s clear that now that I am a candidate for President, every time something is said in the church, by anyone associated with Trinity (including guest pastors), the remarks will be imputed to me, even if they totally conflict with my longheld views, statements, and principles.”

On June 3, 2008, Obama became the presumptive nominee to run in the general election against Republican senator John McCain.

Obama was elected as the next President of the United States on November 4, 2008. He will begin his four-year term with his presidential inauguration on January 20, 2009.

Photo credit courtesy of MCT Campus

KHOU reports on local area school’s crimes

more serious crimes had been re-labeled to appear less threatening. Students in On November 12, Channel 11 News the Alief, Clear Creek, and Houston reported on numerous Harris County school ISDs were arrested for possession of districts’ negligence in reporting campus brass knuckles. The crime should have crime to the Texas Education Agency. The been coded “prohibited weapon” when violence hidden from the agency has The reporter has requested four years of data from all Region 4 school districts. We have provided the reported to the state. The school districts, also been hidden from parents—those reporter a wealth of information regarding our school reporting practices and have answered all of his however, used the code for “violation of most concerned about their child’s safety. questions. There is one case out of the four years the reporter claims we mis-coded. PEIMS, according student code of conduct.” Galena Park An 11 News Defenders investigation to the definition by the Texas Education Agency, is designed to collect data necessary for the legislature reported a case of drug possession with exposed the deceptive school districts and the Texas Education Agency to perform their legally authorized functions in overseeing public the label of “violation of student code by comparing the 70,000 police reports education. The information we enter into PEIMS refers to an offense by a student and an action taken by of conduct.” At Spring Woods Middle at Harris County schools to the student an administrator. This process is separate from the actions taken by investigators and district attorneys. To School, in Spring Branch ISD, a boy was no avail, we have explained comparing the two would be the same as comparing apples to oranges. discipline records school districts have sexually assaulted by two other students.

Dr. Greg Smith-Superintendent reported to the Texas Education Agency.

The school district labeled this crime, The numbers they found didn’t match up. Creek Elementary, a school in Katy 2007: a student punched two other “violation of student code of conduct.”

Any crime committed by a student ISD, a police report stated, “student hit students, sending both to the hospital.

One explanation for school requires the school district to inform another in the face with a metal lunchbox Reports of school fights have also districts’ actions could be that they the agency so that parents of students breaking a front tooth.” Katy ISD failed been hidden from the state agency. The acted in fear of a bad reputation. in any school district can be aware of to report the crime to the state agency. Crosby ISD reported the 2005-2006 school “Normally, if enough students are expelled what happens on the campus. However, Creekwood Middle School, a year to the state as a fight-free year. However, for serious crimes at a campus, and it the schools have been neglecting their school in Humble ISD, never reported this was not the case. Police reports is reported to the State of Texas, that responsibilities by misreporting campus an aggravated sexual assault on campus provide evidence that 53 fights took place school could be branded a ‘persistently incidents. Channel 11 News reviewed that occurred in April of 2007. In HISD, within the district during that time frame. dangerous school’ per federal law,” Jeremy reports from 21 local school districts and students were arrested for possession of The investigation also found that Rogalski of Channel 11 Defenders wrote.

Jordan Little

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Opinion Hey, Creek!

How do you feel abou t school sports being too serio us?

SENIORS

FRESHMEN

serious, because it’s kind of a “I don’t think school sports can be too rivalry between schools.”

-Cole Scherer

it’s just really competitive.”

“It’s not so serious that it’s a chore, -Andrea Lopez

y because sports are serious to “School sports should be taken seriousl ously people will most likely drop people. And if they aren’t taken seri the only reason people come to out of school. Sports are sometimes school.”

-Kevin Brian Donovan, Jr.

SOPHOMORES

ous “Honestly, I don’t think we take it seri es.” might win our football gam enough. If we were serious, then we -Cody Waggett

use if they aren’t they won’t be “I think athletes should be serious beca any good.”

-Casey Hodgson

“We’re not serious about anything except partying and serious injuries.”

-Eric Janszen

“I think most people don’t really care about sports at our school, so we’re not really serious at all.”

-Katie Smith

“School sports are supposed to be serious. It’s Texas!”

-Michael Iven

“I don’t think they are too serious, that’s not what the main focus is.

There are all kinds of activities that are talked about at our school.”

-Kristen Bryan

Clear Creek High School

2008-2009 HiLife Staff

s r o i n ju

“That’s the way things are supposed to be, to get things done!”

-Chelsie McMillion “A school’s sports shows how well a school can compete with its equals and prove who is better!”

-Craig Hughes “I think there are times to take it serious, but not the way some coaches do.

I used to play sports and there were times when the coaches did push the athletes too far.”

-Jeff Cripe “They do get too much credit and support on the sports team while neglecting the school arts.”

-Brooke Wise

Clear Creek High School Fall Exam Schedule

Principal: Advisor: Executive Editor: Editor-in-Chief: Editors:

Scott Bockart Wynette Jameson Jan O’Neil Cassie Lee Megan McKisson Allie Hinga Amanda Compton Haley Rush Jordan Little Ryan Munthe Advertising Manager: Adam Vencil Oliva Hunyh Video Editor: Ryan Gripon Photo Editors: Hailey Stephens

Melissa Devitt Photographers: Kaitlyn Foote

Shauna Ferrero-Donahue

Kaitlyn Boryk Reporters:

Emily Young Matthew Johnson Amber Arnold Christine Sulkis Kaitlyn Blake Emily Dismukes Shannon O’Neil Alina Gregory Albert Nkansah Christen Valcoviak Tracey Griffith Emily Hunyh Chelsea Huebner Jacob Linderman Will Sheffield Sydney O’Drobinak Sue Ellen van Eps

on the players.”

“I think they put too much pressure -Shauna Ferrero

Email us at: Creekhilife@gmail.com Visit us at: http://my.highschooljournalism.org/tx/leaguecity/cchs/ For advertising rates call: (281) 284-1889 or Fax: (281) 284-1705

Tuesday, January 13 Period 1 7:20 a.m. - 9:23 a.m.

Period 2 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Thursday, January 15 Period 5 7:20 a.m. - 9:23 a.m.

Period 6 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, January 14 Period 3 7:20 a.m. - 9:23 a.m.

Period 4 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Friday, January 16 Period 7 7:20 a.m. - 9:23 a.m.

Period 8 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Dismissal at 11:30

The bell schedule is: 7:20-9:23 9:30-11:30 11:30-12:30 Lunch/announcements 12:30-2:30 tutorials

All students must be off campus or in classrooms at 12:30.

There will be no outside lunch on any of these days so all students must be in the cafeteria or off campus by 11:35 a.m. ******Please remind students: They will need to arrange for their own transpo rtation for Tuesday, Jan. 13, Wednesday, Jan. 14, Thursday, Jan. 15 and Friday, Jan. 16 if they want to leave campus at 11:30 ….busses will not run until 2:30 p.m. on these days.******

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Editorial Guest Editorial: Ryan Munthe

“Is the future of music failing to deliver: New bands aren’t up to par?”

Ryan Munthe

I grew up listening songs like Collective Soul’s “Shine”, Smashing Pumpkins “1979”, and a variety of other 90s music that was played on 94.5 The Buzz.

Most people view music as just a loose habit and pastime, but what happens when you are dedicated to your music? What happens when music is your life, when it helps you think and makes you relax?

What happens when it’s more than just a pastime? I find a more in-depth meaning to music the more I listen to it, and it becomes abundant with emotion and feeling. So, since music is so close to me and holds such deep memories and emotions, it clearly allows me to speak out against something that bugs me. I’m not a music snob, but where has all the music integrity gone?

You may think the only music I listen to is rock. That’s really not true.

I applaud pop bands in history that were full of creativity and old school hip-hop music that tried to sound different. Old school hip-hop such as Run DMC and older pop like The B-52s or Duran Duran are something you won’t see on my music library, but I am a huge fan of what they did. They dared to make something different and stretch the boundaries so that people can have more emotional, interior attachments to the music. People can also constantly dig in deeper to the music when it has more depth and is relatively original.

With the influx of newer albums that are truly shallow such as Nickelback’s “Dark Horse”, Britney Spears’ “Circus”, or Guns N’ Roses “Chinese Democracy”, I can’t help but call the music industry relatively amusing. Not in a nice kind of way though.

Where are the albums like AC/DC’s “Back in Black”, The Beatles’ “Let it Be”, Smashing Pumpkins “Siamese Dream”, or Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon”?

Where are the songs like “Immigrant Song”, “Tricky”, “Sabotage”, “Closing Time”, or other massive hits of their respective decade? And most importantly, where are the bands that represent the decade? Where are the Pink Floyds, the U2s, the Nirvanas?

The only mainstream band that represents our decade would be The Killers, because they try to be better with each album. But still, they are no match compared to some of the musical decades of the past. When 2014 rolls around, what are we going to remember the millennium for musically?

Nickelback and their fifty reiterations of

“Someday”, Buckcherry’s “Sorry”, Soulja Boy’s “Crank That”? It’s something that sounds really poor when you mash it altogether. But, unfortunately, it’s true and shows the decay of modern music.

A lot of this decay can be traced back to the record labels. They are so money-hungry and their only goal is to make a quick dollar. Labels like Interscope, Warner, and Virgin are all too busy looking for the quick one-hit-wonder than to look for the band that could have a social cultural impact. Despite what some music snobs and record label executives say, the masses are still hungry for great music.

Take for example Metallica’s “Death Magnetic”, which has shattered record sales in a digitally ruled era. Imagine the sales of the album if the digital sales were included. Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” has gone platinum and their 2007 tour sold out at every show. Kanye West, one of the best and most creative hip-hop musicians, is a superstar. And now, these bands with integrity and talent are starting to separate from these major-labels, and I applaud these bands that have separated from these labels. The Smashing Pumpkins began this trend of independently released albums in 2001 with “Machina II: The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music”, which was released online for free. Many fans credit this as one of the band’s best albums. In 2007, Radiohead toyed with marketing strategies by releasing “In Rainbows” for as much as fans wanted to pay. In 2008, Nine Inch Nails released a 36-track instrumental album that was launched without any warning or pre-release hype whatsoever.

They then released a more traditional album titled “The Slip” for free on their website. Led by the single “Discipline” which hit #1 on the Modern Rock charts, “The Slip” has had extreme success on the internet as well as on many music websites and sources. The ensuing tour sold out at nearly all dates, proving that it is possible to go on without a record label. Perhaps the biggest stab to the record labels occurred when independently released single “G.L.O.W.” by The Smashing Pumpkins was featured on Guitar Hero World Tour with an animated Billy Corgan as an unlockable character in the game.

So you can say all you want about me being obsessed with music, make fun of me, or call me a music snob but you can’t admit that music is the same as it always has been. When peek-a-boo acts like Soulja Boy and Theory of a Deadman take over the airwaves, there’s a questionable issue going on in the music industry that is quickly becoming unsolvable. That’s why I wish people would support better, more creative and stronger music, but I don’t know if it will happen anymore. That’s also why I support independently signed bands who can make good music. If one of the bands you like is going independent, or even trying to be different, download their albums, or buy it in store. And, please, make sure to pay for it because these people put their lives and emotions into the music and it shouldn’t be free for download. These people don’t have jobs, their job and life is touring and music-imagine if you didn’t get paid for your work. It’s the same for these musicians, so please, support them.

Guest Editorial: Megan McKisson “Does a smile create happiness or fear to the world: Being polite”

Megan McKisson

America is perhaps one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world with cell phones, Internet, and television all so readily accessible.

We have never before been so connected to one another. Your best friend lives in Alaska? No matter, you can still text her all day long. Your mom went on a weeklong business trip and left you to cook? You always have Food Network.

While technology undoubtedly has many positive benefits, it has also destroyed our social skills, converting America into one big high school cafeteria. There’s no need to ever venture outside your comfort zone when your best friends are in your pocket.

Though ideal for preserving long-distance relationships, technology as a whole further encourages American tactlessness. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched a customer go through a grocery checkout line, cell phone glued to her ear, without so much as a nod to the cashier. Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone mid-text? You could be telling them that they’ve won the lottery, but all you’ll receive in reply is a “mmhm” (and maybe if you’re lucky, a “yeah, sure”). How many of your neighbors do you know by name? Do we even remember what the word “neighbor” means?

In my experience as a lifeguard, I daily encounter dozens of technologydistracted patrons. Although a few are more than eager to chat with me, most act as if I rank way under their Blackberry. For every ten ‘have a nice days’ I offer, I’m lucky to receive so much as a backward glance. And the electronic addiction is affecting more

than just young professionals. Teens and gradeschoolers alike are too engrossed in their electronics to take notice of others around them; courtesy and manners are not nearly as important as PS3s and Mario Kart.

Has being so connected to each other actually disconnected us from society as a whole? While we are so engrossed in our iPhones, our Gossip Girl episodes, and our MySpace profiles, we lose sight of what truly matters (just a hint, it’s not your numerous quantities of picture comments).

Rudeness in America is not only accepted, but expected. Wave to someone you don’t know and receive a blank stare. Try holding the door open for a teacher and watch their shocked reaction.

Drop a few “ma’ams” and “sirs” to your parents and revel in the stunned silence.

While most of our mothers have taught us how to be polite, have we actually employed those “please” and “thank yous”? Common manners are no longer the rule, but the exception.

The good news is, we aren’t a lost cause yet. All it takes is one person to say hello to a stranger, to smile for no reason, to let that poor teenager caught mid-road in the turn lane pull in front of

us. Politeness is impossible to ignore – who ever spat in the face of someone who held the door for them? We need to pull our heads out of our electronics and take a good look at the world around us.

That’s why I suggest that Creek embark on a mission of neighborly nature. I dare you to do something nice for a complete stranger. Talk to the girl who sits alone at lunch. Ask someone (genuinely) how their day is going. Help that little old lady who’s having trouble loading groceries into her car. Most importantly, open your circle, destroy the term ‘clique’, and let others in. There are a thousand ways to spread respect in Creek’s community. If every person in this school did one thing – just one – to brighten another’s day, the random acts of kindness would easily number in the thousands.

It’s time we heightened our esteem for others and put our priorities into place.

By passing on just a moment of kindness, we could defy America’s unfeeling standard and create a new social norm. Pulling the plug on our electronic obessesion could be the most dangerous, innovative, healthy thing that America has ever done, and all it takes is one person to start it – you.

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News

Dan Eldon inspires Jordan Little

his journals and of the amount he made.”

New York City is truly the city that After Dan’s death, two books were made never sleeps, as I confirmed with my trip to display his journals to others,The Art of this past summer. My primary destination Life and The Journey is the Destination.

At the gallery Dan’s exhibition was the Candela/Decker gallery. The beautiful gallery is located on 31 Crosby consists of his enchanting journals and photographs. With each Street New York, NY one of Dan’s creations 10013 in the popular Soho there is a story and area. My main goal in emotion that enchants going to the gallery was the viewer. When I to see the work of Dan look at Dan’s art, I see Eldon. Mrs. Jameson, my excitement. The mix journalism and newspaper between adventure and teacher at Creek, was the purpose found in every first to introduce me to one of Dan’s photos is Dan’s work. With the help what I believe captivates of Mrs. Jameson, I planned its viewers. The fact to meet with Lisa Candela, that Dan created such one of the owners of the stunning work at a Candela Decker gallery. young age can inspire Dan Eldon was a younger crowd. a photojournalist in his Most are searching early 20’s that worked Dan Eldon’s own work in one for a purpose for the for Reuters before his of his journals. rest of their life. While death. On July 12, 1993 Dan traveled to Mogadishu to cover a for some that may be their occupation or bombing. He was killed along with his marriage, others aren’t quite sure. Dan two other co-workers by an angry mob. Eldon writes in one of his journal entries In his short life, Dan lived it in the book, The Art of Life, about how with purpose. He pursued his passion difficult beginning to pursue your dreams of photojournalism in his beloved can be, “I want to do great things in my life country of Africa, capturing its beauty and I want this plane to land, so I can start. along with its destruction. Growing up The only problem is where do I start.” The in Nairobi, Kenya, Dan was fascinated fact that even an accomplished artist like by the land around him. After attending Dan struggled in his career can give kids some schooling in the United States, Dan the courage to pursue their own dreams.

Lisa Candela is a Dan-enthusiast. knew that Africa was where he belonged.

In Dan’s life he created a total She has worked along with Kathy Eldon of 17 extraordinary journals. His journals to make the gallery a truly stunning living from his childhood to the year he died are work of art. The gallery includes other beautifully crazy. A mixture of emotions artists’work along with Candela’s own work.

Dan’s exhibition provides a more can be found amidst the mix of trivial and important images. For instance, personal look into his life’s work. While in pictures of superman and girls he liked the gallery, I felt that I had entered a form are intermingled with pictures of children of Africa itself, as if I had engaged in one starving in Somalia. Dan used his love for of Dan’s adventures. The Candela/Decker photography to structure his journals; the gallery is an inspiration for those wishing result was pure art. My dad, Kent Little to live life with art and adventure at its core. was impressed by Dan’s work, “I was really surprised by the amount of detail found in Photos by Jordan Little

Terror attacks in India Allie Hinga

Early on Saturday, November 29, according to the clock in India, Indian officials finally brought an end to a terrorist attack on Mumbai, the nation’s financial capital. The incident had been ongoing for the past 60 hours, leaving about 200 dead and over 300 wounded.

The event has been hailed by some as “India’s 9/11” and has left questions about the effectiveness of India’s security forces and the future of India-Pakistani relations.

The attacks began at about 9:20 p.m. on Wednesday, November 26, when gunmen sprayed the Chhatrapati Shivaji railroad station, moving on to attack 10 sites across the city of Mumbai, including a Jewish center, a tourist restaurant, two hospitals, the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, and the Oberoi Hotel.

The two hotels, both of which are frequented by Western travelers and Indians alike, were the scenes of intense fighting, as gunmen took over the two buildings, taking hostages and killing as they moved. India’s police force struggled to cope with the attack, with the first team to respond consisting of eight members of the Mumbai police force. Military personnel did not arrive at the Taj until about 2 a.m. Poor information about the layout of the hotel and about the enemy, along with poor equipment, coordination, and training on the part of the local police force, hindered Indian forces from taking control of the hotels. The panic dragged on for over 60 hours before the siege was brought to an end as the last of the terrorists fell from the terrace of the Taj Hotel.

Early intelligence indicated that the terrorists were targeting British and American guests, although more recent investigation suggests that the terrorists killed whomever they could, independent of nationality. In all, six Americans were killed in the attacks.

Two of the six Americans who perished were Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife Rivkah, dual American-Israeli citizens who were at the Jewish center,

known as the Chabad center or Nariman House. Their son, Moshe, was rescued by an employee as she fled the building. There were no other survivors at that location.

Authorities have stated that the attack was carried out by ten men, nine of whom were killed. A man, identified as Pakistani Ajmal Amir Kasab, was arrested on suspicions of being the tenth gunman.

A previously unknown Islamist group, Deccan Mujahideen, initially claimed responsibility for the attacks. The group’s name suggests Indian origins, but further information has suggested that the attackers were based in Pakistan. Pakistani Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, said his government was not involved in the attacks.

“If they have evidence, they should share it with us. Our hands are clean,” he said at a news conference in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, according to the Washington Post.

“We have nothing to be ashamed of.”

Pakistan said it would redeploy troops to its Indian border in response to any Indian troop movements, highlighting the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan over the region of Kashmir, which both nations claimed after the 1947 partition of the subcontinent. U.S. intelligence officials have said that evidence has pointed to Islamist militants in Pakistan who have sought to spark a war between the two nations.

On Friday, Pakistan reversed a decision to send its spy chief to India to assist with the ongoing investigations, saying that it would send a lower level official instead. The nation did promise, however, to aid India in identifying and capturing those behind the attacks.

Questions have also emerged about whether the Indian authorities could have prevented the attack, since the nation was warned in 2007 that the country wasn’t well protected and was susceptible to invasion by sea, the means by which the attackers entered Mumbai.

Days after the attack, Indian and worldwide authorities continue to search for answers to bring the orchestrators of this deadly attack to justice.

use the site to communicate outside of CCISD’s Blackboard involvement began the classroom. Boards can be used for in 2006, when the district developed its student-to-student and student-to-teacher new long-term strategic instructional plan, communication. Teachers have the option called the Clear Way Plan. One of the to post announcements for classes, which goals of the plan was to ensure education students can access when they log on to the and learning takes place for students all the time, not just during school hours. The website.

“We want [Blackboard] to become a really good communication tool for all of the people in the district,” Pavish said.

These people include students, teachers, and parents, who will eventually become a part of the Blackboard network.

Blackboard can be accessed at e4.ccisd. net. Students can log on using their school computer username and password, they and will Mrs. O’Neil logs onto her computer as she makes be directed to their school’s her way to Blackboard. page. From there, they can access the pages for each of their classes, district realized that such a plan would school course catalogs, Smaller Learning need to involve the internet, and so they Community information, links to CCISD found Blackboard, which is currently the library databases, and student service only developed and supported interface used for such a purpose. High school information.

teachers were introduced to the program last year, and intermediate schools have just begun working with it. The plan is to have Blackboard available to students at every secondary school in the district.

As it is a relatively new educational tool, different classes implement the program to different degrees. Some teachers lean heavily on the program, while others use it to post occasional instructions.

“A lot of it depends on the faculty and seeing the need for it,” Pavish said.

One Creek student, Kristen Bateman, used the website in her computer science class last year. She was able to access assignments, instructions, and programming codes from the site. She said the program was useful because she could get information on the computer at home.

“You can keep up with assignments and keep on track,” she said about the advantages of the website.

Creek’s goal for Blackboard is that it will help students to be more successful with their own education without being bound to the classroom. In the future, the program may become the key to fulfilling the school’s goal of educating its students in the best way possible.

Photos by Ryan Munthe

CCISD introduces Blackboard to schools Allie Hinga Clear Creek Independent School District strives to assist its students in their educational process as much as possible both inside and outside of the classroom.

In an effort to help students with their classes outside of school hours, the district is beginning to implement the Blackboard program, which will allow students to easily access classroom materials.

Blackboard is an online learning management system that allows teachers to put content online that students can access at any time. Teachers can post copies of assignments or reading passages. In future years, it is possible that students could be doing entire assignments via the website.

Teachers also have the option to set up chat rooms, bulletin boards, and discussion boards and to require their students to post do these as part of assignments. However, it may be some time before Blackboard is so elaborately used.

“There’s a lot of learning how to build those things in the system,” Mary Pavish, the Technology Integration Specialist at Creek, said.

In addition to working on assignments, teachers and students can

News

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Body Worlds 2: A look inside the human body Megan McKisson Body Worlds 2: The 3-Pound Gem is a Houston exhibit that focuses heavily on the many functions of the human brain. Every attraction – from brains to bones to fullsize human beings – is the remnants of real people who, in their lifetime, donated their bodies to science.

These donations all underwent plastination, an innovative process of human preservation created by Gunther von Hagens. One donor’s letter was displayed in the exhibit.

“After seeing the plastination exhibition, I was so impressed with what an artistic and useful purpose [my body could be used for],” wrote the donor, who stated he was “fascinated” by being preserved forever. “When my body and I part, I would like to think that it could go on being useful to other people.”

The exhibit closely explores the activities of the brain. Posters hung

throughout illustrate how our brain develops individual personalities, stores memory, falls in love, and develops through childhood, to name a few.

Throughout the exhibit, there are many intricate models of functions of the human body.

In one attraction, a human’s blood vessels and capillaries have been dyed red to vividly project the amount of blood in our bodies. In another, a set of healthy offwhite lungs is compared to a gray smoker’s lungs and a deep black coal miner’s lungs.

The complete bodies have been posed in some way to further demonstrate the

way our muscles move and work together.

Some of the many shapes and sizes include a teenage skateboarder, a ballet dancer, a soccer player, and a pair of ice skaters. Even in poses of leisure, such as “The Thinker,” it is evident exactly how many different muscles are being used.

Many attractions have been sliced in parts to show how the insides of our bodies work. One attraction shows a woman’s head pulled apart to further illustrate the workings of the inner face.

Another attraction shows a man sliced

into 12 pieces to demonstrate how each individual layer operates.

The exhibit features an extensive attraction on pregnancy. The fetus is shown in several growth periods from a size no bigger than a few centimeters to an almost full-grown baby. A pregnant woman is displayed with a baby inside her uterus, and her visible lung reveals smoking tendencies.

An audio accompaniment is available for additional cost. Each individual attraction contains a number that can be punched into the audio device for detailed explanations, similarities between other attractions, and background information.

Body Worlds 2 is an example of modern technology at it’s finest. Through progressive machinery and enlightened minds, people of today have better understanding of how their own bodies work.

January 8 for both parties. The primaries are similar to caucuses. They are the elections in which candidates are selected.

John McCain and Hillary Clinton were the victors of the New Hampshire primaries.

The Michigan primaries, Nevada caucuses, South Carolina primaries and Florida primaries wrapped up January with the Maine caucuses following shortly in February. Overall, it was difficult to decide a singular victorious candidate from either party. In the Republican party, three of its nominees, John McCain, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney had been successful.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were neck and neck, creating suspense of who would win over the other.

On Super Tuesday, voters from 24 states voted for the candidate they believed would make the best nominee for their party. Obama won more states than Hillary Clinton although the states she won had higher delegate counts. John McCain led in the Republican polls but he hadn’t clinched the nomination.

In February, following Super Tuesday, John McCain was getting close to winning the nomination for presidential candidate

of the Republican Party. Obama was in the lead for the Democratic party with wins in the primaries and caucuses in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, and Maine. Obama had also succeeded in getting delegate pledges.

In March, McCain won the

Hillary in North Carolina and in Indiana.

On June 3rd, Obama had won as the Democratic party’s nomination for their presidential candidate.

The Democratic National Convention came first in Denver, Colorado, August 25th- 28th. The conventions provide each party a chance to come together and rally support for the eventual presidential election. On Thursday night of the Democratic Convention, Obama accepted the position of presidential candidate of the Democratic party.

Republican candidate John McCain accepted his nomination at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis – St. Paul, Minnesota September 1st through 4th.

The anticipated presidential debates came quickly after the conventions, the last one ending on October 7th with only three weeks until Election Day. With Election Day over, many anticipate Inauguration Day, January 20th of next year when Obama and vice president, Joe Biden will become the new leaders of our country.

Photos by Amanda Compton

Photos by Megan Mckisson

Recapping the events of the 2008 election Jordan Little

The race is over. As of November 4, Obama was elected as the future leader of our country. President Bush, a supporter of Republican nominee, John McCain, was courteous to the senator and congratulated his win. On November 11, the Bush family gave the Obama family a tour of the White House. President Bush and Senator Obama discussed issues such as the economic crisis and national security within the Oval Office. The tour’s purpose was to provide the Obama family a start to a smooth transition into the monumental building.

Last year on January 3, Iowa’s caucus had begun. A caucus, according to iowacaucus.org, is “a process of political party members gathering to make policy decisions and to select candidates.” The Iowa caucus is the first caucus to take place in an election. At the Democratic caucus in Iowa, Obama took the lead over Senators Hillary Clinton and John Edwards. Mike Huckabee took victory in the Republican party caucus in Iowa. A Wyoming caucus for the Republican party was soon to follow favored nominee, Mitt Romney.

The New Hampshire primaries began

Republican nomination by winning in the Texas and Ohio primaries. Clinton’s chances of success were brightened with three wins in Ohio, Texas, and Rhode Island. Obama, however, still took the lead regarding delegates. In April, Clinton won Pennsylvania as well, increasing her chances of success. However, Obama beat

Controversial books challenged by schools Katlin Foote When Ronald Dahl wrote his children’s book, James and the Giant Peach, he wasn’t aware that it would be banned from reading to the very audience he wrote it for. Dahl’s classic story was published in 1961 and made into a movie in 1996.

However, Dahl died in 1990, and his book was not discussed as controversial until the very next year, in 1991 by Deep Creek Elementary School in Charlotte Harbor in Florida because it was “not appropriate reading material for young children.” In 1992, the book was challenged because it contains “inappropriate language” and promotes the “use of drugs and alcohol.”

In 1995, in Stafford County, Virginia, the book was removed from classrooms because it “encourages children to disobey their parents and other adults.”

Representatives from Deep Creek refused to give a comment.

On the list of Top 100 Most Challenged Books put together by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, Dahl’s book made

number fifty-six neighboring Stephen King’s Cujo and William Powell’s The Anarchist Cookbook.

Other books on the list include Where’s Waldo?

By Martin Hanford (#88), Carrie by Stephen King (#83), A Light In The Attic by Shel Silverstein (#51), The Outsiders

by S.E. Hinton (#43), To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (#41), A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle (#22), The Color Purple by Alice Walker (#18), The Giver by Lois Lowry (#14), Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (#9), the Harry Potter

series by J.K. Rowling (#7), and number one being Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark by Alvin Schwartz.

These books are banned for a great number of reasons. For instance, Where’s Waldo was banned because of nudity, The Color Purple for sexual and social explicitness, the Harry Potter series for wizardry and magic, and many more.

Most of all, books are banned or challenged to protect the minds of our children from ideas of which they can’t understand just yet by schools, public libraries, and parents. The top three reasons according to The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books, for book banning, are “sexually explicit”, containing “offensive language”, and being “unsuited

to age group.”

Banning a book starts with a complaint and from there will take any different course of actually being banned. It could be placed on a ‘special’ shelf where only a certain grade level may check it out. If the threat against the book is so great, it can even be banned from libraries altogether by county or by state. Cassandra Morris, 12th grade, has this to say on the matter, “Most people banning books look like fools because they’re just protecting people’s feelings.”

And Stephen Webster, 12th grade, agrees to the matter with a slightly different opinion, “Banning books is only a constriction made by the government, which means they have been given too much power.” Webster is only half right here. The power to ban a book is not only given to the government, but also the people. Anyone has the right to comment on a book and try to get it banned for whatever their reasons or do the opposite and try to get these books back on the shelves by rallying and stirring up controversy about their said books.

Photos credit by Mctcampus

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Case Scaglione is the Director of the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra of Los Angeles. He is glorified in this field by having won the YMF/BMI Foundation, Inc./Lionel Newman Study Grant and the YMF/ John and Samantha Williams Conducting Fellowship Grant.

Not only did he win those, but he also received the 2009 James Conlon Conducting prize. Does he sound like someone who graduated from Creek? If you think not, you’re wrong. He graduated in 2001 after founding and conducting the Clear Creek Youth Orchestra. He continued his passion for conducting by going on to study orchestral performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Scaglione then graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Music (B.M.).

Not only did he study in America, but he also completed undergraduate studies for a year at the Trinity College of Music in London.

In spring of 2007, he was an guestconductor conductorforfor invited guest the the St. St. Petersburg Academic Petersburg State State Academic SymSymphony in Russia. phony in Russia.

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In addition to his to two summersatatAspen, Aspen, where two summers he studied with guest teachers James Conlon, Leonard Slatkin, and Patrick Summers, Scaglione was also invited to the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in the summer of 2007 where he worked with Marin Alsop.

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Ryan Schuette is a former student of Clear Creek High School. He graduated in 2003 and has gone on to do great things since graduating.

Due to a scholarship from the Rotary Foundation, Schuette is spending nine months in Africa to learn about how democracy is working there. Schuette’s journey started in in Houston.

Houston,He then thentraveltraveled through ing through D.C., D.C., London, and Nairobi before reaching his final destination in Entebbe, Uganda on August 15.

Schuette has been sharing his many experiences in Uganda through e-mails to his friends and family and an online blog.

According to his e-mails, so far Schuette has tried to be enrolled in the university there. He has also assisted with plans for his Rotary Club’s immunization project.

Schuette toured Mulango Hospital and an HIV/AIDS clinic to see if he could help by securing a grant to fund delivery of needed medical equipment to the facilities.

One of the many places that Shuette has visited is the Genocide Memorial of Kigali.

Schuette described that at the end the tour he took he realized that he was surrounded by bones that had been preserved from the victims of the genocide. He then described that outside, there were over 250,000 bodies buried in concrete and by the pit were walls that showed the names of the thousands that had been killed.

Under each name it showed their age, some of their interests, and

the cause cause of of their their death. death. Schuette Schuette the wrote that that he he found found the the exhibits exhibits wrote informative and and impassioning. impassioning. informative Schuette was was also also in in AfAf Schuette rica to to experience experience the the joys joys and and rica celebrations of of the the African African people people celebrations when the when the first firstAfrican AfricanAmerican Ameriwas elected president of the United can was elected president of the States. He wrote the excitement United States.

Heofwrote of the exof the people werewho hugging citement of thewho people were and shaking offering hugging and hands, shakingand hands, and congratulations afoffering relentlessly congratulations ter the electionafter of relentlessly the president. the election of Before leaving the president. for Uganda, Before leavSchuette coing for Uganfounded an da, Schuette oco-founded rganization organifor the an education zation for f a c ieducalities the of Sierra tion faL e o n eof. cilities The organiSierra Lezation is one.

The orcalled KBI, ganization is o r the Kroo KBI, Bay called I n ithe t i aKroo - tive. Bay The Initiative.

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Theofgoals organization right right now now are are to of the organization renovate to renovatethethe existing existing schools, schools, provide school school supplies supplies and and uniuniprovide forms, and and to to supplement supplement the the salsalforms, ary of of the the under under funded funded teachers. teachers. ary Schuette has has been been sucsuc Schuette cessful so so far far in in his his attempts attempts to to cessful learn and and help help people people in in Africa.

Africa. learn He has has also also helped helped to to found found an an He organization to to help help the the chilchilorganization dren of of Sierra Sierra Leone Leone and and their their dren educational facilities. Schuette will continue to work hard for the rest of his stay in Africa.

Photo Credit: Graphics Factory

Allie Hinga

One Clear Creek High School Graduate, Chris Kirkham, has been working since he left the school to become an accomplished journalist for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, displaying his talents and passion for the field.

Kirkham graduated from Creek in 2002. During his time in high school, he was on the school newspaper staff, was a drum major in the marching band, and was involved in other school clubs, such as National Honor Society. He received his undergraduate degree in journalism in 2005, and completed graduate school in 2006.

During the summer of 2005, Kirkham interned at the New Orleans Times-Picayune, covering the destruction of the city in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Kirkham wrote about damages to the New Orleans suburb of Slidell, which was directly in the path of the storm, and St. Bernard Parish, which received significant damage when the levees broke. The Times-Picayune would go on to receive a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of Katrina.

After his internship expired, Kirkham returned to graduate school, and in 2006, he interned at the Washington Post for six months, during which he wrote a piece on the transformation of the steel industry that made the front page of the paper. Later, he would return to the New Orleans Times-Picayune to work full-time as a reporter. Some of his work has included reporting on the fishing industry and a three day live blog from a shrimp boat during Hurricane Gustav.

Kirkham returned to Texas earlier this year to cover damages to Galveston Island in the wake of Hurricane Ike. He stayed at the San

Luis Hotel, watching the television media crews cover the storm nearby and waiting for the worst of the tempest to blow over so he could begin his coverage of the damage to the island as soon as possible.

Kirkham said that some of the greatest hardships in covering Ike were limited power and cell phone service, which made it a struggle for him to send his stories back to New Orleans. He also had to work around restricted access to the west end of Galveston Island after the storm subsided, although he would never make it to that part of the island.

Currently, Kirkham is back in New Orleans, working on various projects for the TimesPicayune. Currently, he is working on covering the coastal erosion of the Louisiana coastline, including 250 square miles of coast lost when the levees broke during Hurricane Katrina.

Kirkham says he enjoys writing stories about trends and big issues told through real people, “the [ones] that people will remember.” He is currently working on his skills as an online journalist, working with blogs, video, and photography. In the future, he would like to cover international business reporting.

Whatever his ambitions, Kirkham enjoys his current environment very much.

“For now, I’m really happy here in New Orleans,” he said, “It’s really unlike anywhere else.”

Since his high school graduation in 2002, Kirkham has continued to hone his skills as a reporter, working towards becoming one of the best in a fastpaced career that demands intense skill and determination.

F eatures 7 School stress overtakes many students Haley Rush As educational levels excel the

stress level one might acquire can grow increasingly high. Students everywhere are experiencing a considerable amount of stress from school, but with the right organization and tips there will be plenty of time to breathe.

The number one thing to do is manage time wisely. There never seems to be enough time in the day, but with managing your time it life won’t seem to pass you by. It’s important to give plenty of time to work on studies if setting up a schedule for study, breaking up studies into smaller chunks, and other time management skills are essential. Clear Creek High School student Gabriela Ochoa said, “Sure school can be stressful if you make it stressful for yourself.”

Planning out your time can take a huge load off.

Next up is organization. Have a system of organization for note taking, keeping track of assignments, and other important papers.

Keep a calendar or a schedule to help keep track of upcoming assignments.

Being organized will reduce a significant amount of stress.

Creating a good study environment is the key to

better grades and becoming stress free.

Try to eliminate the television during this time or surfing the internet. Also playing classical music has been known to be soothing during study durations. Beds and couches can keep the mind from realizing the task ahead. Sit on a chair and have what is being studied on a hard surface, like a table.

Everybody learns differently and it would truly help if a student knew their specific learning style. It is very important to know whether someone could be a visual, kinesthetic or auditory learner. Then studying can be used around the way someone learns.

Information will also be easier to obtain this way.

Visualizations and imagery are proven stress management techniques. Students can also reduce

Extinction is nearing Sydney O’Drobinak

Every day choices people make affect the world in many different ways.

A major problem the world faces is animal extinction. Extinction has begun to take a devastating turn for the worse in the past five years.

As the human population grows, animal pollution grows with it. Whether in the environment or with the development of infrastructure, wildlife is suffering more and more every day. Scientists estimate that a total of one in four species is threatened with extinction and that the population of one in two is declining. One in three marine mammals face extinction. Around 200 of the about 5,500 known mammal species have been classified as “critically endangered”.

The researchers of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, who came up with these statistics, completed a fiveyear global wildlife review. The study drew on the expertise of 1,700 researchers from 130 different countries.

The findings of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species indicate that the causes of the increasing number of animals becoming extinct are human-based.

“I think it is ridiculous that due to our actions, we are making another living creature extinct. They are suffering because of us,” said Emily Barton, a student at Clear Creek.

Seventy eight percent of marine mammals are now endangered due solely to accidental deaths, like being caught in fishing nets, not meant for

them, or being hit by ships. Forty percent of mammals are threatened because of damages to their habitat. Main factors of endangerment are agricultural expansion, rapid economic development, climate change, and increasing population growth.

Hunting also puts approximately seventeen percent of mammals groups at risk. “If government agencies would set appropriate regulations, animal populations that are in danger will be given a far greater chance at survival. People might actually follow what the rules state,” said Casey Healy, a senior at Clear Creek.

Deforestation is a factor that can easily be reduced. Not only are people ruining animal species’ habitats, but it is also affecting human lives as well.

Particularly in danger and with high threats are primates, tapirs, hippos, bears, pigs, and hogs. Climate change in the Arctic is also endangering the polar bears and harp seals. In general, larger mammals are found to be more threatened than smaller ones. The larger species tend to live in less dense populations, grow more slowly, and have larger home ranges. Some new additions to the Red List also include Indian tarantulas, the Rameshwaram parachute spider, La Palma giant lizard on the Canary Island, and Holdridge’s toad in Costa Rica.

People and the actions they take affect the world. The damage in some cases may be irreversible. The statistics are apparent and are perhaps another telling reminder that a world as a whole needs to take action before it is too late.

school stress and improve test performance by imagining themselves achieving certain goals. Take a few minutes each day and visualize, in detail, what someone would like to happen, whether it’s giving a presentation without getting nervous, acing an exam, or something else that will support your success. Then work hard and make it happen.

Developing optimism is a great way to let stress go. Optimists are people who more easily shrug off failures and multiply successes. They are usually healthier, less stressed, and more successful.

It has been proven that optimists do better in their studies.

Being deprived from sleep can have a huge impact on anyone’s stress level.

If anyone wants their performance

to be up to par they must be well rested.

Research shows that those who are sleep deprived have more trouble learning and remembering, and perform more poorly in many areas. Use time management to fit in a well amount of sleep each night.

With schools getting harder and harder every year with new standardized tests and harder classes students must find a system that works well for them. Freshman at clear creek high School said, “School is especially stressful when you’re a preAP student walking back and forth from campuses.” No matter what the reason might be school stress cannot be something that can be avoided, but it can be managed with these simple steps.

Photo by Amanda Compton

Cheaters get caught Haley Rush

No matter how the desks are arranged, where the teacher stands, or the amount of different test versions handed out, students always find some way to cheat.

Students of today redefine “cheating.”

Many teachers have set up a way to reduce, if not stop, cheating completely with the use of technology.

Students have proven to be quite brilliant in the cheating department, achieving A’s without studying. There are many websites offering custom written papers. Youtube has dozens of videos made by students teaching them how to cheat more efficiently. Students also say that it is easy to put notes into cell phones or calculators. “It is so easy to cheat in school…not that I do it or something,” said Creek freshman James Zarro.

A recent Ohio State graduate said on test days, he would walk into class with three calculators so that in case the teacher wanted to take the calculator up or check it he would still have the test answers. “I think that it depends on the teacher…not that I cheat or

anything,” said Creek student Natalie Paul.

Of course, most schools are still trying to stop cheating the old fashioned way, such as discussing fairness with students and enforcing honor codes, but those systems are not making a big difference.

Since student pledges have not seemed to be the cure, more and more teachers are joining the technology marvel.

Anti-plagiarism software has caught numerous amounts of copied assignments.

Many software companies are giving teachers even more ways to identify cheaters with technology. Turnitin.com and SafeAssign have built up databases over a million books, school papers, articles, and web pages that can be compared against students’ homework.

Many students now turn in their

homework electronically to these websites so the programs can highlight parts that match other sources. Instructors can then easily look at the sites to see if the students’ work is too similar to someone else’s work.

Professors are thankful for these programs.

Now they do not have to spend hours researching papers that seem suspicious, because they can simply click on their computer.

More universities are investing in high quality technology every day.

They know cheaters invest heavily in technology, so they will invest more also.

The University of Central Florida and Penn State are installing test centers. Here, students sit at video monitored desks and complete exams using computers that have been cheat proof, blocking all Internet access. Barbara Christe from Indiana University catches at least three or four students a year with her Web “honey pots.”

She sets up phony web pages that answer her homework assignment questions specifically with out of date or inaccurate information.

The SAT and AP tests are also cracking down on security.

They do

not allow anyone to eat food or have any electronic devices in the room while testing. Penn State’s testing room requires students to turn their hats around to prevent anyone from using notes from under the brim of the hat. Students must also take off heavy jackets that will offer plenty of storage space for notes.

The fact of the matter is students will keep trying to find some way to cheat.

However, with the help of technology, the students who study and deserve their grade will be rewarded, those who cheat will be pointed out. With technology becoming more advanced every day, perhaps eventually all forms of cheating will become extinct for good.

Photo by Amanda Compton

Packing Freshman for college fifteen Sue Ellen Van Eps When moving in with new people such as in a dorm, apartment, or house, people must take precautions by taking household items with them that they don’t ordinarily think about. First-year college students may not think about all the necessary items that they take for granted.

As students surroundings change, the things they need to live also change.

Some students move thousands of miles from their homes and others attend a community college. No matter the place, they should take some essential survival tools. Students who have trouble adjusting to new temperatures may want to bring an electric fan. It is also important to bring a laundry bin or bag. An extra lamp helps for late night studying when a roommate is sleeping. For the nights when a roommate is staying up to study, a sleeping mask and headphones help reduce noise in the room.

An alarm clock is one of the best tools to help college students wake up in the morning. Coffee, soda or caffeinated tea to drink before classes for an extra boost of energy can be useful when there is lack of sleep.

The least thought of items are shower shoes, a first aid kit and power strips. Even though college students really depend on them, many don’t think about these objects. Shower shoes are important because students in dorms sometimes have community showers and want to avoid unsanitary bathroom conditions.

A first aid kit is important because many students do not want to leave their room in the middle of the night because of a minor cut or a scraped knee. A power strip might be the most important tool, as it controls many essential items in a dorm room and apartment. Students may need it for a computer, alarm clock, lamps, and hair tools.

Enjoying the college experience is very important. Using all the essential products will help students live better lives and will also make things easier. Each item has a specific purpose and when put together, they accomplish much more for you. For example, using an alarm to wake up and drinking a caffeinated product will help students be prepared for class.

Students can be relaxed when prepared and ready before arriving at their destination.

Emily Dismukes

One of the biggest fears of graduated seniors at college has nothing to do with professors, exams, or even finances.

It has to do with gaining weight. The dreaded “freshman fifteen” has been terrorizing incoming college students since the eighties. The idea is that college freshmen

are destined to gain fifteen pounds within that first year of school. Most attribute it to the new lifestyle teenagers must adjust to: living alone, partying, and staying up late to study. Stress, another common cause of weight gain, is also a factor.

“I think it’s typical because you’re stressed. I’m not really worried about it because on someone like me, it won’t be that noticeable. Girls are a different story because they’re all self conscious all the time,” Sean Jackson said.

The freshman fifteen is just a myth, and believing in it may actually cause it to come true. Studies have shown that, though first-year college students are likely to gain weight, it’s only about 3 to 10 pounds. That amount isn’t enough to cause health problems, but if someone gained a great amount of weight in a very short time, it could become a problem.

Habits developed in college are likely to remain throughought adult life. That’s why the best thing to do to stay healthy and keep the weight off is to always make sure to eat right and exercise properly.

“I’m worried about the freshman fifteen somewhat because I have an Achilles’ heel for junk food, but I also plan on swimming all through college so it’s not as scary,” Colleen Grady said.

To offset weight gain, avoid eating while studying, watching TV, or stressing out. These distractions can cause a person to overeat without noticing. Try not to skip meals, and eat at regular times everyday to keep metabolism from getting

confused. Watch portion sizes and resist going back for seconds. Balancing meals is the key to healthy eating. A healthy person needs protein, grains, dairy, eggs, fruits, and vegetables multiple times each day. Between-meal and midnight snacking can also add unnecessary calories. During study sessions, stick to healthy things like fruits or vegetables. Keeping these items in their rooms keeps students from being attracted to vending machines filled with sugary snacks and drinks. Sodas and coffee can be replaced with water; and drinking water before and during a meal helps curb overeating. Alcoholic beverages should also be avoided as they usually are packed with calories. To get excercise, students should try to join a gym. Many schools have gyms on campus

that are available students. Students should take time to work out at least 3 to 5 times a week.

If students are careful to eat right, exercise, and keep up with their schoolwork, they can offset the onset of the “freshman fifteen.”

Photo by Hailey Stevens

Best four colleges in the state of Texas 1 - Rice University

Rice University, located in Houston, is a private educational institution.

It has an undergraduate student population of 2,886. The university is ranked 17th

by U.S. News & World Report. The undergraduate division is considered one of the best in the country and the university is also known for being a top research university with a particular strength in the applied sciences. There are eight schools at Rice: Architecture, School of Engineering, School of Humanities, the Shepard School of Music, the Wiess School of Natural Sciences, School of Social Sciences, Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management, and the Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies. The average undergraduate tuition per year is $28,400.

2 - University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas in Austin is a public educational institution and was founded in 1883. It has an undergraduate student population of 36,878. It has also been recognized as being one of the ‘public ivy’ schools and is ranked 44th by U.S. News & World Report. The University of Texas has 16 colleges and schools: Architecture, School of Business, College of Communications, College of Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Graduate Studies, School of Information, the Jackson School of Geosciences, the LBJ School of Public Affairs, College of Liberal Arts, School of Law, College of Natural Sciences, College of Pharmacy, School of Nursing and School of Social Work.

Tuition rates vary depending on the school.

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3 - University of Texas A&M

Texas A&M University at College Station is a public educational institution. It was founded in 1871 and has an undergraduate student population of 37,357. The university is ranked 62nd by U.S. News & World Report. Texas A&M University was the first institute of higher learning to open in the state of Texas. It began as an agricultural and mechanical college but now includes a wide range of disciplines. The university has ten colleges: Agriculture and Life Science, Architecture, Education and Human Development, Geosciences, Liberal Arts, Science, Veterinary Medicine, Government & Public Service, Engineering and Business. Besides being a great school, Texas A&M is very popular among high school students.

4 - Southern Methodist University

Southern Methodist University, is located in University Park, Dallas, and is a private educational institution.

It was founded in 1911 and has an undergraduate student population of 6,208.

Although it is a Methodist university, only twenty-five percent of undergraduates actually claim affiliation with the Methodist church. There are seven schools at Southern Methodist University.

These schools include Humanities and Sciences, Business, Arts, Engineering, Education & Human Development, the Dedman School of Law and the Perkinds School of Theology. The undergraduate tuition is $940 per credit hour per year.

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10 Mix It Up Day

United we stand, divided we fall: Mix it up day Chelsea Huebner

It happens once every year.

Cafeterias all over the nation including the one here at Creek are invaded by organizations that are trying to promote tolerance and encourage students to go outside of their comfort zones and meet someone new, someone that they may not have talked to before because they were different. This event is called Mix It Up Day and it invaded Creek’s cafeteria on November 13, 2008.

Mix It Up takes place every year because, according to a survey on Tolerance.org, 70 percent of students said that the cafeteria was where the social boundaries are most clearly defined. More than half of the students said that classmates at their schools were quick to judge and put people into categories, and 40 percent of students admitted to having rejected someone from their group because they were different.

Mix It Up Day is about crossing boundaries and meeting new people and “bringing down the walls” one student at a time.

That is just what the students at Creek did. During the dance and beat boxing competitions, the students truly came together.

People were crowding around so that they could get a better view and it didn’t matter who they were next to or what table they were sitting at. The walls continued to come down as people who usually don’t get involved in school activities let themselves go and stopped worrying about what others thought. Even the students who were at first going to just sit around and be “too cool” to participate ended up standing on chairs and cheering by the end of the lunch period.

The Clear Creek HiLife staff works hard every year to put on Mix It Up day for the students at Creek. This year’s Mix It Up Day tops

them all. It was well organized and the number of people who actually participated was incredible. As the students entered the lunch room, they took a Jolly Rancher and walked into the cafeteria where they were greeted by other students from their school dressed in bright yellow and aqua Mix It Up shirts.

Students were encouraged to sign up for the dance or beat boxing competition and to sit at the appropriate colored table to meet someone new.

Once everyone was in the cafeteria and signed up, the competitions began. The dance contest took place first, followed by beat boxing. All of the lunches participated, but A lunch was the most involved. The winners for both contests came from this lunch. The winner of the dance contest was Juan Hinojosa who got special permission from his teacher and performed at all three lunches. He was a true crowd pleaser who got everyone pumped up and involved. The winner of the beat boxing contest was Shay Perkins, a last minute entry.

While Mix It Up Day was a success, there were still a few students who chose not to watch the competitions. However, the number of students who chose not to participate this year was very small compared to that of previous years. Even the students who don’t participate are able to benefit from Mix It Up Day, because they can be approached by someone who they usually just see around or

someone new. When asked about his Mix It Up experience, one Creek student said that he just sat where he normally sat and was watching the dance contest when his friend, who was on the Mix It Up staff, walked up with a boy who was a new student at Creek and introduced him. He also said that he doesn’t really go along with Mix It Up Day, but “it was cool to meet someone new.”

Stories like this helped students at Creek “bring down the walls” one step at a time.

On that day the cafeteria looked different: it was a mix where students would see someone generally

stereotyped as a prep standing next to someone who would be thought of as nerdy or emo.

One student, Jessica Douglas, who attended Mix It Up Day last year, said that it was a good idea but “no one really cared enough to do anything” about Mix It Up in 2007.

This year, however, was different.

“It was a great way to combine groups of kids and it was a lot of fun,” Emma Alexander said.

Other students also agreed that Mix It Up Day was a success this year.

“It was a fun way to break up cliques and get everyone together, to do something that each person liked, and we all had a good time and Mix It Up Day is just what we all needed to meet new people,” Corrinne Pena said.

School is known for its stereotypes.

Some

examples at Creek are “the smart kids”, “the druggies,” “the preps,” “the punks and emo kids,” “the theater kids,” ”the Cavaliers,” and the list Some student’s base who they are

found

friends with on these stereotypes without even trying to get to know other people because they are worried about trying to keep up a certain image.

Mix It Up Day in the cafeteria here at Creek has been a success since 2001. Every year at least one person is touched by the efforts put out by the HiLife staff and others who contribute. If one person has

benefited from this event, then it was worthwhile because bringing the walls down happens one person at a time.

Together we stand, divided we fall.

Photos by Amanda Compton and Will Sheffield

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12 Creek Speaks

District sister schools exceed Creek in spirit Megan McKisson The Clear Brook High School gym is crowded with figures of red and black.

Upon entry, the students are greeted by loud rap music and boisterous cheerleaders, each heightening the intensity of emotion in the stands. When the Celebrity officers and cheerleaders take the floor to perform their high-energy routines, the stands erupt with cheers, but the screams are nothing in comparison to the applause Big Will the Wo l v e r i n e receives. It isn’t homecoming, but the seniors still sport lavishly decorated c r o w n s . Students cheer at The noise from their section is deafening as they beat on pots and pans of all kinds, screaming “Sen-iors!

Sen-iors!”

Clear Springs High School has only been open for a little more than a year, but the students are by no means lacking in school spirit. Everyone is celebrating the school’s second “newcoming”, adorned in blue-and-white tee shirts and gigantic mums and garters. Even the teachers have joined in the festivities, donning Chargerblue wigs and football jerseys. Smoke rises as the football team enters to thunderous applause, and they take their seats under a sign that reads, “Got Seniors? We Don’t!”

As the homecoming court is announced,

the student body erupts into cheers for their favorite candidate. The Silverados dance team and cheerleaders finish the pep rally on an upbeat note, performing for their fellow students with enthusiasm.

“Springs is awesome. At the pep rallies, everyone goes insane,” said Charger student Greg Lewis.

“We have a spirit contest each year, and everyone gets in on the fun – freshman, sophomores, junors, even teachers,” said Springs junior Demi Martinez. “I love being a Charger.”

Clear Lake High School has a widely k n o w n reputation of over-thetop school spirit, and at the 2008

a pep rally.

homecoming football game, the students were pumped for a Falcon victory. Emotions ran high as the Falcons lines up against the Wildcats, the school’s biggest rival. Each homecoming court candidate received roaring applause as they walked with their dates onto the field. The crowd cheered as the game began, each section supporting their team. When the Flair drill team and Falcon marching band took the field at halftime, applause could be heard from across the stadium.

The Falcons left the stadium spirited and satisfied, reveling in a homecoming victory.

“Lake has so much school spirit,” said Falcon senior Allison Park. “Before big games, we ‘paint the town’ – McDonalds,

the bank, everything around us. We also have a homecoming parade where the band, Flairs, football players, cheerleaders, and colorguard march down our school’s street and participate in an outdoor pep rally on the football field afterwards. We also put a ton of effort into decorating our school. It’s just so much fun to attend a school that has so much energy.”

“Our spirit definitely definitely helps unify our school,” a g r e e d Lake senior Christine Miller. “The Flairs give the football p l a y e r s treats, the cheerleaders decorate their cars, and student council does ‘team appreciation’ – making goodies for in-season sports every month. It’s awesome h o w e v e r y o n e Cheerleaders pump supports each other.”

The stands of the Carlisle field house were filled to the brim, but hardly with a sea of maroon and white. A few students stood as head cheerleader Cassie Lee took the microphone and encouraged each class to cheer, but the majority remained in their seats. The crowd looked on uninterestedly as the football team entered, offering weak approval. Both the cheerleaders and Cavaliers followed with animated performances, but the students barely seemed to notice. Creek’s pep rally ended ten minutes early, the faces of it’s students glazed with boredom.

“Hardly anyone has school spirit here at Creek,” said senior Skye Moore. “We need to get more pumped as a school.”

“I wish the rest of the student body had half the school spirit

I

do,” said junior Shelby Zobel.

“I don’t like showing school spirit, because no one else does, so I feel stupid when I do,” said sophomore Parker Blair.

Student Council has tried to address Creek’s lack of school spirit by planning a candlelight pep rally, class color wars, and spirit dress-up days, among other things.

“It’s very hard to plan spirited activites because everything we do has to be reviewed and approved before it can be put into action,” said student council vice-president Melissa Devitt.

“We feel like we have so many great ideas, but a lot of them get rejected.”

A playoff game can sometimes increase a school’s sense of pride.

As the football team prepared for playoffs, Creek adorned itself in maroon-andwhite streamers.

The morning of the game, the drumline pumped up the crowd up the student body by playing many old favorites.

Later that day, Creek’s fight song played during each passing period.

Football wasn’t the only successful sport. As the Wildcat state-bound volleyball team pulled out of the parking lot, students cheered in an impromptu pep rally.

Many Creek students suggested ways to enhance Wildcat spirit.

“One day out of the week, we should have a type of ‘recess’,” said senior Alfred Teno. “Have everyone go outside, play music, eat some food. It would be fun.”

“We need to have more pep rallies,” said Kaitlyn Holmes, 12th. “I think the drumline should play more, they’re really good. And students need to stop being so negative.”

Like its three sister schools, Creek excels both academically and athletically. It’s school spirit, however, greatly lags behind.

Teens search for jobs Seniors become lazy Ryan Munthe

As automobiles continue to become ‘trendy’ for teenagers, they are faced with the challenge of obtaining money for these vehicles. Maybe it’s just spending money, or maybe its money to help support their families. Whatever the case, teenagers are becoming increasingly present in today’s workforce. Walk into a Kroger, Target, or Wal-Mart, and chances are there is a teenager behind the desk. With the increased minimum wage, and basic wages fairly high as well, it’s a great time to get a job as a teenager. That is why more and more students are searching for jobs.

Statistics show that this upcoming summer, six out of ten teenagers will look for a job. During the summer, time seems to move slower, and teens want to go places, have fun, and spend money with their friends. Begging parents for money is childish, and teens want to feel independent and spend their own cash, earned through hours of laborious work. With more careers being opened to teens, as well as fun and interesting jobs up for hire, it’s

easy for teens to invest their time in a job.

However, many teens are finding it hard to balance a job with school.

Students in AP courses are required to do loads of homework, lots of studying, and attend tutorials. Other students are involved in extracurricular activities outside of school such as sports, or clubs or position that keeps them at the school afterhours creating tension with management.

It can be hard to balance school, job, family, and socialize, but it’s possible.

Many teens have found a successful way to balance this and still maintain relative sanity. However there is some opposition to the idea of balancing work and school.

Many teachers are unhappy with the fact that work may take away from their ability to completely focus on their classes and complete their schoolwork successfully. This is an issue among students that has plagued many employers, teachers, and students for a long time.

The idea of having a wallet full of money is something teenagers strive for, and now in this day and age, it’s deemed somewhat necessary.

Tracey Griffith Every year many of Creek’s seniors develop “senioritis”: they don’t have as many core classes, they receive extra late arrivals and early releases, and get a little lazy with their classes and work. In a recent survey, seniors discussed whether or not they, too were infected with the syndrome.

“I have senioritis because I have blow off classes, I don’t have PSAT’s , and I get late arrival and early release. It’s a lot easier this year,” said Johnny Cervera.

“I have senioritis because I don’t have as many academic classes,” said Juan Ortiz. “ I have senioritis. I’m only taking one real class,” said Stephen Solis.

Johnny Brummerhop agreed, “This is the easiest year of my life,” he said.

Juniors and sophomores were asked if they thought that they might acquire “senioritis” their last year in high school.

“Of course I’ll have senioritis,” said sophomore Sarah Liveringhouse.

“It will probably be hard to

focus because you have a lot to look forward to,” said junior Jessi Weise.

“I already have senioritis,” said junior Jim Turner.

Some juniors and sophomores did not think that they would ever get senioritis. “ I don’t think I will have it because I want to make sure I have good grades all through high school,” said sophomore Jennifer Magill.

Starting in fall 2010, all students will be required to take four years of both math and science. Students were asked if they thought that this might affect the number of people with senioritis.”

“It will have some effect because students won’t have as many blow off classes and will actually have to work, but that won’t matter to some people,” said Liveringhouse.

“It might, because you won’t have much room in your schedule for blow off classes,” said Mitchell.

Many of Creek’s students currently suffer from senioritis, and many more predict that they will acquire it in the future.

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14 Teen Interest

Classic Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye Jordan Little “Don’t ever tell anybody anything.

If you do, you start missing everybody,” is the advice of Holden Caufield, protagonist and narrator of The Catcher in the Rye,

by J.D. Salinger. When the book begins, Holden is 16-years old and has just been expelled from Pencey Prep due to his bad grades. Holden is not stupid as his in depth critical thinking skills seem to prove, but he doesn’t feel like trying to succeed in prep schools where he is “surrounded by phonies.” Holden provides proof of a phonie, his former teacher, Mr. Haas, who was judgmental of others and their appearances, “He’d be as charming as hell and all. Except if some boy had little old funny-looking parents.” Holden’s tone proves he is critical of his surroundings.

Any psychiatrist of the modern age that knew his circumstances would label Holden as having a major depression issue. The death of Allie, Holden’s younger brother is the main cause of Holden’s depression. When Allie died, Holden became critical of the people around him. Allie was an ideal person, nice, and intelligent and a role model for Holden.

After he died from leukemia, something within Holden died too. Holden is a loving person, as his relationship with his sister proves but he is critical of the world he has been brought up within. In the beginning of the book Holden introduced Jane Gallagher, a friend from his childhood. As we learn more about Jane from Holden’s narration we learn that she was almost like a girlfriend for Holden. Holden admits that

he has trouble understanding girls, but his relationship with Jane is an exception. Jane’s intelligence and love are what make Holden love her so much, proof that Holden s e e s goodness in people through t h e i r character.

The fact that Jane was abused by her step-dad feeds the theme of the novel; people with lousy character triumph over those with good character. Throughout the book Holden makes frantic calls to Jane but never receives a reply.The fact that Holden has lost both meaningful relationships with Allie and Jane makes the book a tragedy.

It is evident that Holden’s family is wealthy due to the fact that he has attended numerous private schools and his family lives in a nice part of New York City. Holden’s main struggle throughout the book is his clash with the upper-class society he has been raised in. He is critical of others who belong to the wealthy class and sees no hope or decent qualities in their character. Holden’s believes that money cannot buy happiness. Holden has learned

from his meaningful relationships that people are what matter, not just any person but a person that you have mutual respect with: the absence of Jane and Allie depresses Holden.

He is stuck in a world that tells him what to do and who to be when he wants no part of it.

Holden has had enough of the “fakeness” of Pencey and its “phonie” inhabitants and decides run away.

Unfortunately for Holden, it is hard to escape from upper-class society when you’ve been born into it as his many adventures throughout the novel prove.

One of the most beautiful in the novel is the one that gives the book its name and its theme. Throughout the book Holden refers to a song he once heard whose lyrics are, “If a body catch a body comin’ through the rye.” Near the middle of the book, Holden makes a statement to his sister that proves his compassion for the innocent, “I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all…Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around – nobody big, I meanexcept me…What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the

cliff…” Holden’s “catching” of the children from the cliff symbolizes his desire to save those kids from the emptiness a life focused around what money and status can bring.

“That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it’s crazy, but that’s the only thing I’d really like to be,” he said. Holden tells another heart wrenching story of a boy who was teased so much he committed suicide by jumping out a window. The boy who was teased was an outcast because he did not have the look that his bully, a jock, had. The boy’s family was so preoccupied with maintaining their to see how he was dealing emotionally.

Holden’s recollection of this experience gives him ethos as a philosopher. He has had enough experience with the desensitization money inflicts on human hearts.

After completing the book I was in agreement with the statement that Catcher in the Rye is esteemed as one of the greatest novels in American literature. The book’s power lies in Holden’s message- that love provides happiness, not money. Holden’s impromptu narrative seems genuine because it is likely that it was never intended for an audience. The sincerity of Holden’s character and his trying experiences are what make the reader able to relate with his character. The truly gifted author is able to, through his work, reach out to a wide range of audiences and cause them to think. J.D. Salinger’s successful novel, The Catcher in the Rye, will continue to impress those who choose to think.

Photo by Hailey Stephens

Metallica has returned with Death Magnetic Ryan Munthe

“I’m madly in anger with you,” lead vocalist James Hetfield sang five years ago in Metallica’s last outing, ‘St. Anger’. They were certainly losing their strut at a very fast pace at that time in 2003. Despite what bias you may have towards ‘St. Anger’, the album was not even close to their ability. In fact, ‘St. Anger’ may be one of the worst albums ever made. After years of making of mainstream rock, the situation was open to make a metal album again, and when they did, they had no clue how to make a true metal album. With a complete absence of guitar solos, the most annoying drum sound ever put to record, and the one of the worst vocal performances of all time, ‘St. Anger’ was the unraveling of a rock legend. 2008 may go down as the year Metallica came back to life. ‘Death Magnetic’ may very well be the album that saves their career.

The first thirty seconds begin with a beating heart before a picked guitar riff comes rushing in, reminding listeners of a time when Metallica knew how to play real thrash metal. After that, the guitars slam and crunch with a classic guitar tone as vocalist James Hetfield comes in at speeding rhythms, the snarl and bark, just like he used to have. The song lurches, and changes along a six-minute pace with new riffs, ferocious drum rhythms, all coming at thrash-metal speed. This is true Metallica, with the tone of their old thrash metal albums like ‘…And Justice for All’ and ‘Master of Puppets’. The long-gone tone of the punishing rhythm riffs and the picked

introductions were something left behind, and something long-overdue. Luckily, Death Magnetic has plently of these older riffs that makes Metallica, Metallica, without sounding old or out-dated. Ever since ‘Load’, Lars Ulrich’s drumming has sounded fake and veryoverproduced. Luckily for ‘Death Magnetic’, the drum sound pounds and thumps with double-bass ferocity and lots of snare, but without that mechanical sound.

Also, every s o n g surpassing the f i v e minute mark, a song that rivals ‘Fade to Black’ in awesome, t h e heaviest track since ‘Blackened’, and the b e s t rendition of ‘The Unforgiven III’ equals a classic Metallica album. All these extravagant rhythms, eight-minute songs, and fast speeds really makes you wonder how these 40-year old rock stars can manage to pull off in concert every night.

And some might criticize Metallica for playing to what the masses want to

hear right now, but this is not a commercial album and not a commercial stunt. The structures are all explosive, with very little restraint seen in albums like the ‘Black Album’ or even the perfectly crafted thrash album, ‘Master of Puppets’. It’s a tough, brutal album that many people will turn away because there’s no song like ‘Enter Sandman’, but any true Metallica fan will worship it’s intense true-to-metal renditions. But in showing less restraint, Metallica has shown a bit of their extreme s i d e .

K i r k Hammett uses a lot of the wah-wah pedal, and there is a lot of times where the riffs d o n ’ t have any relation to the current song. Rick Rubin did a great job of getting the band back to their harsh, visceral sound, but the mixing is atrocious. The audio is so loud and so shallow that it clips severely and loses most of its dynamics. In fact, it’s mastered so atrociously the ‘Guitar Hero World Tour’ version of the album is

mastered a lot better. It’s not mastered as bad as ‘St. Anger’, though, so it could potentially be worse. James Hetfield is also another issue with the album. His guitar sounds great, but his lyrics and vocals are absolutely lost. His voice is really quite high and roars a bit off-tone for a lot of the album. He still has that bite and bark, but it’s more or less a motionless whine for a lot of the album. Another issue is the lyrics; they just don’t have that same gravity that they used to. “What don’t kill ya make ya more strong,” was copied directly out of the CD booklet. The shallowness of the lyrics doesn’t have that same sting of songs like ‘Welcome Home (Sanitarium)’ or ‘The Four Horsemen’.

However-this is the album we’ve been waiting for from Metallica for a very, very long time. This isn’t ‘Master of Puppets’, this is the natural evolution of the thrash metal Metallica that has been bottled up inside of them throughout all the radio years. This is them doing what they want to do and being true to themselves without selling out or doing what the radio wants them to sound like. The best part?

‘Death Magnetic’ has sold over a million copies, 780,000 of them in it’s first week of release. The lead single ‘The Day That Never Comes’ is a constant radio-play and is a common on most Alternative Rock stations across the country. The resulting tour has sold the most tickets Metallica has ever sold for a concert. It’s time to crown Metallica as troopers of rock and metal, because ‘Death Magnetic’ is going to be a timetested classic that deserves all the praise and glory it has given itself and Metallica.

Photo by Warner Brothers

T een Interest ‘Invalid’ is a success Megan McKisson

“The Imaginary Invalid”, a gut-wrenching play performed by Clear Creek High School’s drama department, showcased seventeenth-century satire at it’s finest during its two-weekend run.

Written by Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (stage name Moliere), “Invalid” is rich in sarcasm and mocks medical professionals of the 1600s.

Argan, the show’s wealthy protagonist, is an ‘ailing’ hypochondriac whose airheaded maid, infatuated daughter, and avaricious wife only add to his plight. Angelique, his beautiful but slightly infantile daughter, is positively smitten with the dashing young Cleante. Her father, however, has already arranged for Angelique to wed Thomas Diafoirus, a promising young man enrolled in medical school. While Argan’s fatherly intentions may seem innocent, he in fact desires to marry his daughter off to a doctor so he can receive free medical care. Unbeknownst to Argan, his second wife, Beline, is also scheming.

While she parades her façade of deep love for Argan, she hires a private lawyer to convince Argan of his need to heavily favor Beline in his will. Toinette, Argan’s maid, discovers Beline’s dishonest intentions and formulates a plan to divulge Beline’s true character. When Beline and Angelique unknowingly prove their loyalties, Beline is quickly discarded and Angelique

granted the privilege of choosing her mate.

Each character in the show was perfectly cast. Gino Sandoval, portraying Argan, gives a credible impression of a bumbling paternal invalid, too troubled about matters of his offspring as well as his own ‘deteriorating’ health to see where his true problems lie. Angelique, played

by Sarah Cortez, is a flawlessly bred daughter with just the right touch of first love’s absurdity. Chani Splawn’s image of Toinette is wonderfully developed, with an ideal blend of witty humor and outlandish antics.

However, no character provides comic relief so much as Richard Foland in the role of Beline. Though transgender casting can easily become cliché, Foland gives a refreshing performance as a scheming stepmother.

The play has an easy, natural flow; the cast blends together as if born to do so. Hours of rehearsals are vastly evident throughout the course of the show, and intricate costumes and makeup enhance the production’s authenticity.

Through superb casting, impressive student performances, and overall unification of both cast and crew, the play achieves an outstanding balance that Creek hasn’t seen in years. “Invalid” is a brilliant success, exhibiting the exceptional ability of the CCHS Drama Department.

Photo by Graphicfactory

Backstage with drama Kaityln Foote

Besides the handful of students already involved with the Creek theater department, not many know the immense time and effort continuously put forth by the theatre students and teachers.

With annual parties, activities, and fundraisers, the department does much more than plays and improv shows.

To become an International Thespian, one must earn fifteen theater points. There are many different ways to get points, like earning lead roles in plays or bringing cookies to a production for sale during intermission. The number of points earned depends on the difficuty of the task performed. Points are counted and kept by the Points Clerk, senior Jen Martinez.

“I want to help the newcomers have that joy of becoming a Thespian,” said Martinez.

There are two times a student has the oppurtunity to be initiated into the International Thespian society each year; once at the Theatre Holiday party in December and once at the annual Drama-Proma-Roma.

Drama-Proma-Roma is a dance/ dinner/ceremony – the theatre version of prom. The purpose of the engagement is to celebrate the past year, give out awards, induct new Thespians, and announce the new officers of the Thespian Society. The night ends with a slideshow of pictures put together by the Historian.

Richard Foland, 11th grade, is this year’s historian. “It’s the most amazing department ever,” he said. “If you’re looking for a place to grow and mature, Drama would be the great for you.”

Yearly activities such as voting, Trick-Or-Treat So Kids Can Eat, and the car wash, are kept up to date on the

Theatre Department’s schedule. They are also announced at the Thespian Meetings on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month. Meetings are generally about fifteen minutes long, with the exception of the Drama Kick-Off Luau. The Luau is held at the beginning of each school year to welcome new members to the department.

Meetings are held in the Drama room and start at three o clock after school. Meetings are lead by the Thespian Society officers: President Erica Pen, 12th; Vice President, Kayla Snow, 12th; Secretary, Sarah Cortez, 12th; Historian, Richard Foland; Points Clerk, Jen Martinez; Treasurer, Austin Vollmer; and the Public Relations girls, Jessica Glass and Brittany Ekstrom.

Auditions for the shows put on by the CCHS Theatre Department generally start two to three months before opening night. Every person involved in the productions must have passing grades in all their classes to participate in the show.

There are two options for each show; cast or crew. To be on the cast, one must audition in front of the directors, who, most of the time, are one of the three theatre department teachers, Mrs. Forbes, Mr. Estelle, or Mr. Hewlett. If it isn’t a teacher, then it is a student direct play, such as The Sweepers, written and directed by senior Stephen Webster. The other choice is to be a part of the crew. In crew, one has many different choices of what to do. There are three general areas to be put into. One could be backstage, building the set or helping to find and make props; up in the light booth operating lights and sound; or in the costume shop helping to fit costumes to actors and create a character through use of make-up.

No matter the task they can perform, the theatre department welcomes each student with open arms. “Even if you will think you might not fit in, you will,” said President Erica Pen.

15

‘Twilight’ movie bites

screams from her unnervingly over-paled face. The film also employs poor camera cuts and unsteady scenes. One would Megan McKisson assume such a film as “Twilight” would be able to afford a decent tripod, but the haphazard shots in some scenes would On November 21, 2008, the highly suggest otherwise. The special effects anticipated vampire love story ‘Twilight’ suffer from a tight budget as well, such made its debut. Though hyped to be a “full- as when Edward’s “sparkle” is revealed. blown pop culture phenomenon” (Los The distinct vampire trait could easily be Angeles Times), the film is nothing short of no more than a glorified sweat. Edward’s deeply disappointing, it’s numerous flaws ‘running’ scenes are almost as cheesy as his far outshadowing any redeeming qualities. mile-high man pouf, highly unrealistic and The film ultimately just is based on unbelievable.

Stephenie When shot M e y e r ’ s from waist wildly popular up, Victoria, ‘Twilight’, a Laurent and dark romance James look as with a ghostif they travel story twist. on unseen Upon her skateboards, m o t h e r ’s giving an remarriage, unnervingly A r i z o n a awkward feel. teenager Bella The film Swan finds is also littered herself packing with random for Forks, moments of Washington, to stupidity, such live with her as when Bella father. Dreary leavesArizona Forks becomes holding a considerably small cactus. interesting after She doesn’t let Bella finds go of it until herself drawn to her arrival in the mysterious Forks. Also, Edward Cullen, when Bella is Pattinson and Stewart portray starwho, though in the hospital, i n h u m a n e l y crossed lovers Edward and Bella. broken and beautiful, harbors a bruised, her deep secret – he and his family are vampires. mother completely disregards hospital Propelled by a dangerous attraction, Edward phone rules to text her husband. When and Bella fall into a forbidden love, facing enemy vampires kill Bella’s father’s unanswerable questions of immortality. friend, his corpse is placed on a stretcher, Robert Pattinson portrays the hero of but his feet are left uncovered. Why? Meyer’s books, but with none of Edward’s “Twilight” gives a poor explanation signature grace or eloquence. Pattinson of Meyer’s novel, assuming the viewer is gives Edward’s character a bitter, angry already a fan of the series. James’ game taste, often barking at Bella without reason of tracking, a central part of the plot, is (for example, when Bella trips in the hardly explained. The famous meadow greenhouse, and Edward nearly screams, scene is shortened to a mere walk in the “Can you at least watch where you walk?!”) woods, and the role of the Cullen family Throughout the film, Pattinson’s British is greatly decreased. Edward and Bella’s heritage becomes blatantly obvious, as relationship progresses unrealistically fast, his accent spills into Edward’s dialogue. with murmurs of forever uttered after what Pattinson fails to deliver as the tragic seems like a few short weeks of spastic hero and instead presents viewers with contact. The film also misconstrues facts an inconsistent, mood-ridden teenager. – Eric, a character who appears for no As Meyer’s fragile but quick-witted more than a page in the book, becomes heroine, Bella, Kristen Stewart offers no a member of the ‘Mike and Jessica’ more than a blank stare. Stewart delivers group, receiving considerable screen the majority of her lines completely void time. Jacob Black appears much more in of any emotion (“Vampire.” “I dream of the film than he does in the novel, and being with you forever.” “I had waffles for Bella goes to prom on her own accord. breakfast.” No matter the line, Stewart’s There is one shining ray of hope in the voice inflection doesn’t change.) Stewart’s dastardly disappointing first film, however performance is stale and flavorless, leaving -- a higher-budget sequel. Assuming that the the audience with a repugnant after-taste. movie will attract every Edward-or-Jacob The film suffers from an obviously loving girl in the country, the second film low budget, affecting makeup and should maintain a larger budget, equaling a cinematography most directly. Portraying more accurate script, the absence of garish the blonde vampire goddess Rosalie is a clown makeup, and quality camera shots. natural brunette, whose cheap bottle-blond “Twilight” does Meyer’s darkly dye job erodes a tremendous amount of addictive novel no justice, burdened by a Rosalie’s unearthly beauty. Carlisle, the weak script, pitiable cinematography, and Cullen father figure described as “Zeus’ mildly talented actors. The film is hardly younger, better-looking brother”, looks comparable to the biting success of the less like a dashing young doctor and more books, and nearly destroys Meyer’s carefully like a psychotic circus clown. Both Edward crafted world of vegetarian vampires. and Carlisle suffer from too-pale makeup and noticeable lip color, but not nearly so much as Rosalie, whose fire-engine lipstick Photo by MCTCampus

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Concert Tickets

Girls Love Music! Find out who her favorite band is, and find out if their coming to town.

It may sound complicated, but its really simple.

You can go to a gift shop, and buy a WEBKINZ teddy bear. Its that easy!

4.

Name A Star

Home-Made gift

Juicy, Chanel, Ralph Lauren..

Those are just a few perfumes popular among the ladies.

2.

Guys! The little things matter. A coupon book lets the girl have what she wants when she wants it.

Perfume

3.

Dont get cheap, dinky little necklaces from claires. Go for something a little nicer, something that will last longer and won’t turn her skin green.

Take her out, and spend time with her. movies, an elegant dinner, or even a campfire would make her happy.

5.

Get her something that has sentimental value. A mix tape with songs that remind you of her, or a plate of homemade cookies can show her that you care.

Season!

ur friends for the holidays? fts around the school

10.Posters A new necklace, bracelet, or watch, or earrings (if their ears are pierced).

8.Cologne Guys usually like clothes from American Eagle, Hollister/Abercrombie, PacSun, Zumies, or Aeropostle. For shoes, try Journeys, or FootLocker.

If you can’t think of anything else, just get him a few posters of his favorite band, or of a popular movie.

Jewelry

9.

Ralph Lauren Varieties, LaCoste, Calvin Klien, Axe, and anything else he might like.

7.

Clothing/Shoes

.

Car Things 6 Anything for the X-box, Playstation, or Wii will most likely be on the guys holiday list.

4.

Tickets 3.

Get him something like a new stereo system, decals, or even under car lights.

Video Games

Sporting Goods

1.Money!

Guys like having the latest technical item, such as new DVD’s, CD’s, Mp3 Players, and things like that.

5.

Get him a new longboard, or a new basketball. Any sporting item that you think he might like.

2.

Movie tickets, Sports Tickets, Concert Tickets.. Take your pick.

Technical Items

Although it isn’t from the heart, or thoughtful, it’s what they really want.

18 Around Creek

Time for a pizza party TV blast from the past “secret formulas” here - only dedication to the “old” way of doing things,” A favorite after-school hangout of Giovanniello writes on the shops’ Web many Creek students, local restaurant Pizza page. “I make the dough the same way my King celebrated two years of business on dad has for over 40 years. I still use the Sunday, November 2nd with music, ice same sauce, from the same tomato growers cream, and free pizza. The event featured that my family used before I was born. I use live performances the best ingredients from two Creek I can find to make student bands, Funk your pizza.” Pizza Dose and Kalakaua.

King also declares a “I’m happy I could dedication to quality support Pizza King of product, not just because I’m a regular increasing company customer,” said CJ profit. “The big Bass, lead singer of boys spend more Kalakaua. “Our twoon advertising than year celebration was on their products,” fantastic, a really great said Giovanniello. time,” owner Peter Band members celebrate “I’d rather spend Giovanniello said. money on product with Pizza King owner.

“The bands rocked.” and rely on your Both regular customers and newcomers good word to advertise.” For two years, alike visited the shop’s celebration. “Pizza Pizza King has provided League City King is the best,” said Creek senior Frank with quality pizza at an affordable price.

Stephenson. “The two-year-anniversary “I’ve loved having the opportunity to party was a lot of fun.” “Pizza King’s serve pizza to the young people of League anniversary show was fantastic,” said City,” said Giovanniello. “My pizza is Conrad Shafman, senior. “It featured a the best you’ve ever had – I guarantee it. great performance by the greatest local I can’t wait to have you as a customer.” (and my favorite) band Funk Dose. I love For more information about Pizza King’s the delicious pizza, it’s truly the greatest products, prices, and mission statement, pizza shop in the world.” Pizza King prides visit www.myspace.com/pizzakingtx. itself in making the “best pizza in town”.

“There are no “secret ingredients” or Photo by Megan McKisson

Megan McKisson

Shannon O’Neil There are many shows once loved by teenagers in their youth, but are now shown on TV at inconvenient times. These beloved shows varied from talking babies, to talking aardvarks.

One of the most popular shows in the Nineties was Doug. Doug was a story of a boy around the age of 11 named Doug Funnie. Doug was the first cartoon Nickelodeon created. In the show Doug would frequently fantasize about being the superhero, “Quailman.” Quailman looked exactly like Doug, his costume being a belt on his head and underwear outside of his pants. Doug had three best friends; Skeeter Valentine, Patti Mayonnaise, and his dog Porckchop. Doug would write in his journal and narrate the episode as he wrote. “I liked [Doug] because it was pretty cool and there was a guy with blue skin. His dog was pretty cool, too.” said Alex Hodgson. The show started airing in August of 1991 created by Jim Jinkins and Joe Aaron. It was handed from Nick to Disney around February of 1996. Disney decided to create a new look for the shows and a new story plot. They aged him a year and also gave him a babysitter. However its viewers began to stop watching and Doug came to an end in the summer of 1999.

Rugrats, another popular Nickelodeon program, was a cartoon about four talking babies who were best friends.

In every episode the four friends would embark on an adventure, Tommy Pickles, the bravest of them all, was usually the leader and Chuckie was the coward. Phil and Lil were the twins who would constantly bicker throughout the adventures. Tommy was known to escape the playpen by whipping out his screwdriver stashed in his diaper. Spike, the dog, would occasionally aid them on the journeys, sometimes as

transportation. These journeys weren’t real; they were all in the babies’ minds. A mountain could be a pile of laundry and a planet from space may be an RV, but to the babies’ it was all real. “I liked Rugrats because when I was little it seemed full of adventure.” said Sarah Liveringhouse.

Tommy’s older cousin, Angelica and her doll, Cynthia, constantly bullied the babies, but in most cases, they were able to turn the tables and end up in trouble with her parents. “I liked making fun of Angelica and the funny words the babies made up.” said Daniel Sparks. Rugrats started showing in summer 1991 and stopped in the summer of 2003, becoming the longest cartoon ever shown on Nickelodeon. It was created by Gsapo Csupo and Arlene Klasky. The show had many different spinoffs, movies, new characters, and in 2001, Nickelodeon aged the babies 10 years.

Arthur is a PBS show about an aardvark and his family and friends. His family consisted of his mom, dad, sisters D.W. and Kate, and his dog Pal. His best friend, Buster, was a bunny who was obsessed with aliens. Buster had a fantasy of becoming the Bionic Bunny, and saving the world. The two went to school and were bullied by Binky, the big kid on campus, and hung out with Francine, who was sometimes their friend. Arthur and his friends were in Mr. Ratburn’s class.

Arthur started showing in the summer of 1996 and is still going strong. The television cartoon was made from Marc Brown’s books. Arthur is a show focused on teaching kids morals by presenting them in a fun and entertaining way.

These are just three of the many great shows teens used to watch as children. These shows are reminiscent of childhood and the remind students of the ‘good old days’ when they were younger.

Humanity has arrived Emily Dismukes

Habitat for Humanity International Inc. is a Christian housing ministry that was started in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller. It is a non-profit, volunteer fueled organization that works to provide affordable housing for families in need. It also encourages people from all races and walks of life to come together to support a common goal of helping those who need it. Habitat for Humanity members have given more than 1.5 million people around the world decent shelter where they had none. These homeowners, along with other volunteer workers, put hundreds of hours of labor into building their own homes and the homes of others. Each Habitat homeowner pays a monthly mortgage that goes toward building more houses.

The rest of Habitat for Humanity’s money comes largely from donations, as they make no profit on the homes they build.

Any diverse group of people can start a Habitat affiliate, or chapter, and this year, several students at Clear Creek decided to. One of more than 1,700 in the United States, Creek’s chapter is studentrun and student-led. The members of this group decided that a Habitat for Humanity campus chapter was necessary in order to raise awareness and concern for the poverty issues currently affecting our world and society. They hope to create bonds between

the school and the community to help those in need and to help people understand that no one should discriminate based upon differences in political views, religion, ethnicity, and backgrounds. The chapter also believes that people should be more willing to help each other during difficult times.

“We hope that our chapter will impact our school and local community in the most positive way and it will help others keep their faith in humanity,” chapter president, senior Alex Mazoch, said.

The primary functions of the Clear Creek Habitat for Humanity are these: 1) to educate chapter members, other students, and the local community about the goals and work of Habitat for Humanity; 2) to work on behalf of those in need of decent homes and to put an end to poverty housing and homelessness in our community and the world; 3) to work with homeowners and other Habitat for Humanity chapters and affiliates to build and rehabilitate houses; and 4) to raise funds for the work of Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat for Humanity, being completely non-profit, is always in need of donations of money, time, and materials.

Even if it isn’t possible to volunteer in the actual labor, as little as $10 can be a big help to the organization. $10 can buy a box of nails for a house. $100 can buy a kitchen sink; $2000 will give someone a floor. To make a donation or join the local chapter, contact Alex Mazoch for more information.

A round Creek Careers over colleges Emily Dismukes

Today’s curriculum is becoming more and more focused on college. Even in intermediate school, many students are already looking forward to life after high school. The biggest reason for this is what we’ve been told since we can remember: people with four-year degrees make more money, and they get the better jobs.

“I don’t think [a college degree] is required, but you won’t get very far without one. Jobs will pick the people who went to school longer and specified in that field over someone who didn’t go to college,” junior Jim Turner said.

Studies have consistently proven this theory. The problem with the studies is that they were made before our economy and technology began to change. With so many jobs becoming easier to send abroad, the only professionals with paying jobs in the next ten years may include plumbers, mechanics, electricians, and others who offer services that cannot be done electronically. Also, workers like these often do not have the load of student debt that comes with a four-year college.

Even for those who don’t plan to earn a college degree, the credit requirements of high school are usually set up to prepare them for it. Students might get stuck in a class they will have no need for in their future, simply because the state says they it’s required. Some of these students end up dropping out of high school, something that might not have happened otherwise.

California, for example, experienced an increase in dropout rate since they began to require Algebra 1 for eighth graders.

In Texas, Algebra is typically taken by high school freshman, but is available to seventh and eight graders who have tested into an accelerated math program.

California’s algebra mandate also takes funding away from other programs, such as career and technical training, which are helpful in bringing up graduation rates for poor and minority students. Even if more

funding was available, the mandate states that students won’t be allowed into certain electives until they have passed Algebra 1.

The main obstacle for people who make it through high school with the intention of pursuing higher education is the extensive cost. Financial aid can only go so far, and because of the falling economy and rising tuition costs, the system is failing more each year. With the number of students enrolled in college increasing, average annual costs have doubled to nearly $14,000 for a typical four-year school. In addition to that, the system of financial aid has become increasingly complicated, meaning that less qualifying students are even bothering to apply for help. Since wealthier families have no need for financial aid, nearly 75% of kids from them are earning degrees, while fewer than 30% of the college-qualified teenagers from poorer families are. Of those who do manage to get into college, 8% drop out in their freshman year due to expenses.

Between growing costs and growing requirements, students who have less wealth or lower grades are being pushed to the side and treated like failures.

Our society, like many foreign ones, needs to realize that people without formal secondary education can be just as needed as those with college degrees. We need to understand that everyone deserves the same amount of respect for what they do, regardless of their school diploma.

“I am going to college, and I strongly suggest such actions to all individuals. However, it is not necessarily a requirement to society,” s a i d Stephen Solis.

19

Math does not add up Alina Gregory The United States is not developing the math skills of boys and girls, a new study declares. Girls who succeed in mathematics are mostly either immigrants or daughters of immigrants from countries that value math more highly than the US does.

Although many girls have outstanding talent in mathematics, and could even become math researchers, engineers, and scientists, the US rarely identifies them.

The study asserts that a major reason for this is that America does not value talent in math as it does in other areas.

It discourages boys and girls from doing well in the field. This study will be published in Notices of the American Mathematical Society.

Most studies that consider gender and math skills rely on the results of standardized tests and the SAT. But those tests aren’t intended to gauge the logic and calculation skills needed to solve math problems at high levels. This study is the first that examines data from the hardest math competitions for young people in the world.

The most difficult math competition for high school students is thought to be The International Olympiad, which bean in 1959 in

Romania. Around 500 students from as many as 95 countries compete every year.

Contestants have to solve six incredibly difficult problems in nine hours.

The United States has a six-member team. The members are chosen over years of high-level contests, and are trained during rigorous math camps during the summer.

The US has competed in the Olympiad since 1974.

The first female member of the United States team was in 1998, when Melanie Wood, a 16-yearold cheerleader and newspaper editor from a private school in Indianapolis made the team. She received a silver medal, and missed the gold medal by just one point. Since Wood, two other female high school students, Alison Miller, from New York, and Sherry Gong, whose parents emigrated from China.

Both girls won gold medals.

Comparatively small Bulgaria has sent twenty-one girls to the competition since 1959. “What most of these countries have in common are rigorous national mathematics curricula along with cultures and educational systems that value, encourage and support students who excel in mathematics,” the study said.

“It is acceptable for guys to be good at math because guys are stereotyped as being less intelligent than girls. So if guys are good at math then they are proving people wrong, and this makes it acceptable or cool,” senior calculus student Steven Collins said.

Photo by Amanda Compton

Marching to the beat of her own drum: ROTC Will Sheffield

Sarah Kristiansson is a unique senior dedicated to Creek’s ROTC program.

Kristiansson, a four year veteran with rank of Cadet Lieutenant Colonel, was very e a g e r to discuss ROTC’s m a n y concepts.

S h e

described R.O.T.C. as “…a leadership course where we teach students how to be a good citizen, how to take charge of yourself, and how to lead others.” Kristiansson noted one of the organization’s unfortunate stereotypes.

“We’re not seen.

All the

students ever see is ‘nerds’ in uniform. We compete and never come home without a trophy. People also don’t know about the military ball and what it’s all about. Most of them see us as just recruitment into the army, and that’s just not true. We provide water and books to students and teachers during TAKS testing.

We move tables and we do pretty much everything the school asks us to do. We do a lot around the community, but we’re just not as seen.”

However, Kristiansson does acknowledge a positive trend since principal Scott Bockart’s arrival.

“We’ve been more recognized, like getting on the announcements when we win an award.”

According to Kristiansson, R.O.T.C. “changed” her.

“I broke out of my shell. It was all fun, but as you get up higher, you have more

responsibility. My freshman year, it was just a way to get out of P.E. class. Now, in my senior year, it’s my life. It’s what I do. I love being able to have fun in the competitions and with the cadets every day, [R.O.T.C] teaches time management, it prepares us for life after R.O.T.C, High School and for college.” Kristiansson continued to explain what the annual military ball was about. “It’s a ‘formal evening event’ where all the cadets from all of the schools come together for one night.

The girls wear a formal evening gown and the guys wear their official uniforms.

During the ball, there’s a full three course meal. After that, there’s a dance, not ballroom dancing, but more like prom.”

Kristiansson said that the only downfall to R.O.T.C. is the Physical Training (P.T.), in which they “[do] push ups, sit ups, and run. Running is my least favorite, because I’m not athletic.” Kristiansson remarked that her overall favorite things of the organization were the “camaraderie and friendship…R.O.T.C.’s like a family.”

On a final note, Kristiansson refuted one of the most circulated rumors about R.O.T.C. “We don’t try and get you into the army, that’s not what we’re about. If there’s a question about it, R.O.T.C.’s the best place to go, but we’d never push that onto someone.”

Photo by Kaitlyn Borke

20 Crazy Creek

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21

22 Spotlight Lindsey Carelock Andres Ortiz Jordan Little

Haley Rush

Lauren Gaylor

Brian Boyd

Lindsey Carelock, a junior at Clear Creek, shines as a member of the school’s highly respected Symphonic and Chamber choirs. Membership in any of these groups proves a choir student is successful. She attends Symphonic choir second and sixth period and attends Chamber choir third period. Chamber is CCHS’s version of a show choir. The group won the Madrigal Festival last year, and will be performing there this year as the honor choir.

Symphonic is the top choir at Creek as well as the top choir in the nation. They will be performing at the ACDA national convention.

Carelock holds the position of Junior Representative of the Choir Officers. Her responsibilities as junior representative include planning the Symphonic choir parties and leading the choir.

This past summer at Choir camp, Carelock and the other choir officers performed a skit explaining the class rules for other choir members.

The Choir works extremely hard so that its members can perform their very best. As of now, selected members of the organization, including Carelock, are preparing for the All-State process.

Preparation can be a stressful but rewarding task. Learning and perfecting the songs requires a great deal o f commitment.

Carelock said she feels the most aaccomplishment once she and her choir have succeeded in finishing a song.

“I am working hard to reach my goal of making all-state choir.” Carelock said.

Carelock was close to making the choir last year and is hopeful for her next chance. Selected choir members compete for their position in the All-State choir. In the competition, different regions come together, beginning with district auditions then region auditions, then pre-area where the choir member must be rated as one of the top five singers in their voice parts in order to continue to all-state.

At the homecoming carnival, the Chamber choir performed songs such as “Listen to the Music” and a Ray Charles medley while students purchased funnel cakes sold by the Choir booster club.

The choir’s annual Pop Show is an important event at the close of the school year. At the show, choir students perform solos, small group numbers, and pieces involving the entire choir.

Some of the highlights of being in choir include the trips. Last year, two weeks after her ankle surgery, Carelock went with all of Creek’s choirs to Dallas, where the groups competed in a contest and won. The day after the competition the choirs went to Fiesta Texas.

At their annual UIL competition, the choir performs three pieces of music in front of three judges, then sight-reads and is evaluated on its execution of the piece. After both procedures, judges rate the choir’s overall performance.

A score of straight ones is the highest score a group can achieve, earning that choir the title of sweepstakes, which the choir received last year.

Improving as an artist requires practice in front of an audience. Carelock has gained experience by performing in the morning services at her church, Bay Harbor United Methodist. Carelock loves to sing, and hopes to later pursue a career in Christian music.

Along with having a gift for singing, Carelock gives credit to her choir instructors, the Pullens. “ I thank my choir teachers for all their support, hard work and dedication,” Carelock said. Through her success, it is clear that Carelock’s passion for singing will continue to guide her through her life.

Andres Ortiz is a motivated and wellrounded student who is extremely driven and goal oriented. He has high standards for his future and no road block will stand in his way. Ortiz’s motivation is what sets him apart and makes him a role model for many.

Ortiz has lived in League City his entire life with his parents who have a Puerto Rican heritage. They moved to the United States when during college and both attended The University of Houston. His mother is an assistant principal in HISD and his father works at NASA as a mechanical engineer. His brother, Gabriel graduated from Clear Creek High School in 2006. He is now a junior at Texas State maintaining a 4.0 as a pre med major.

Ortiz has an extreme passion for airplanes. He is currently in the middle of aquiring his pilots license.

“I have always wanted to fly.

My dad has flown since I was in kinder-garden and I will finally get to follow in my father’s footsteps and pursue my true joy,” Ortiz said.

His father also personally owns two two-seater aircrafts. Ortiz frequently flies his father’s airplanes and says his favorite time is when he is in the air. After he acquires his Pilot’s License, he is going to try and achieve an extra certificate that will allow him to fly all different types of aircrafts.

Andres has worked hard throughout high school and is in the top ten percent of his graduating class. He is a member of the National Honor Society and the National Spanish Honor Society. Ortiz has always excelled in school and has gone above and beyond by taking advanced classes.

Recently Ortiz was accepted into A&M College Station.

Not only was he accepted into one of the leading colleges in Texas , he was also admitted into the highly selective engineering program.

“I’m really excited about A&M and becoming an aerospace engineer.” Said Ortiz.

Aerospace Engineers analyze, design, examine, produce, and install the components that make up an aircraft, spacecraft, or any other high-altitude vehicles. The path to becoming an aerospace engineer is said to be difficult, requiring extreme knowledge in physics, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, materials science, statistics, and engineering, but with Ortiz’s passion and motivation he is a sure candidate in achieving this career.

Just when everyone thought Ortiz could achieve no more, he excelled at soccer. Ortiz has been playing the sport for many years and has been a vital teammate to every team he has played on.

He has been playing club soccer for fourteen years playing for many different teams in many different organizations.He plays goalie and has been on Clear Creek High School’s soccer team since he was a freshman.

As a freshman he was on the Junior Varsity squad and has been on the Varsity squad since he was a sophomore.

“My favorite thing about soccer is just playing the game. I have also met most of my best friends through the sport,” Ortiz said.

Andres Ortiz has a passion for many different things, which is the reason he has succeeded throughout his life and will continue to succeed for many years to come.

He will never let anything stop him from becoming the person he wants to become.

Creek students find a variety of ways to keep themselves occupied outside of school.

Some join school clubs, some hold jobs, and others do extraordinary activities. One student, Lauren Gaylor, swims at a professional level and has been working most of her life to perfect her skills in a sport that she hopes, will take her to the Olympics someday.

Gaylor, a junior at Creek, has been swimming for 14 years. Her family is very supportive, including her grandfather, who swam for Italy in past Olympics.

Her father taught her how to swim when she was three years old, joined a recreational team at age four, and was swimming for a club team when she was eight.

Currently, Gaylor is a nationally and internationally ranked swimmer.

Last summer, she attended the Olympic trials in Omaha, and the Olympic training camp in Singapore.

“It was so awesome,” said Gaylor about the camp, “my friend and I got to ride an elephant.”

As this football season has gone on, one name has continually come up. Brian Boyd is a RB/WR/KR for the Wildcat football team..

He has carried the ball for 130 yards on 24 attempts and a touchdown. He’s also caught the ball four times for 87 yards and a touchdown, and he has also returned a kickoff for a touchdown. He is one of only two players in the district to do so.

Boyd is also on the track and field team and last year he was second in district in the 400 m, and was a part of the highly praised 4 X 400m relay team, which finished first in every meet up to regionals where the team placed third.

Boyd is originally from Galveston and spent his first two years of high school at Ball High School, before moving to League City, attending Creek at the beginning of his junior year, where he found football at Creek and started to play cornerback and running back on JV. He continued to improve and eventually got on varsity that season.

During off-season, Coach Warden decided to have him concentrate on being a running back where he showed great promise as an elusive back. He has shown his evasiveness throughout the season but no instance was greater than his first touchdown o f the season against Pasadena Memorial w h e r e he used a spin move to break away from a linebacker and run in for a 15 yard score.

Since Brian is from Galveston, one game that he had marked on his calendar this year was the g a m e against Ball High. He was able to run for 74 yards on 9 attempts and also caught for 76 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown pass in the f o u r t h quarter to put the g a m e a w a y.

Allie Hinga

Gaylor’s best races are the 400 IM, the 1500, and the 200-meter butterfly. The 400 IM is the 400-meter Individual Medley, which incorporates four strokes, butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle, into one race. The 1500 is a one mile freestyle race.

To prepare for her races, Gaylor must dedicate numerous hours to training.

She practices 33 hours a week, six hours a day Monday through Friday, and three hours on Saturdays. During her practice, she works on drills, endurance training, and strength training. Even though swimming requires so much of her time, Gaylor says it is necessary to improve her skills.

“A lot of what swimming is, is dedication, technique, and perseverance,” said Gaylor.

With all the time she dedicates to swimming, Gaylor says it is difficult for her to keep up with her schoolwork.

She works during lunch, advisory, and any free moment she has during the day. If she gets to swim practice early, she will do her work then.

“I do a ton on weekends to get caught up,” said Gaylor, “So I have no life, basically.”

In addition to competing, her team holds a swim-athon every year to raise money for the Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital in Dallas. The hospital takes patients by referral but it offers free treatments, as it is run by donations from organizations like Gaylor’s swim team. Gaylor received a back surgery there when she was in eighth grade, and many of her team members have also received surgery there.

During the swim-athon, team members get people to sponsor them to swim: five dollars for every five minutes of swimming.

Despite all the time and work required to compete at such a high level, Gaylor still has a passion for the sport and for being a part of a team.

“I like how you can always be better and you can always push yourself, but you’re still part of a team,” said Gaylor.

Currently, Gaylor’s plans are to compete in the 2012 London Olympics and to get a scholarship to college. From there, she wants to “continue to learn and continue to get better.” If she continues to work and improve, chances are, the world will hear a great deal about Lauren Gaylor.

Albert Nkansah

Boyd was also affected during hurricane Ike, as his family owns a house in Galveston More importantly, some of his friends and family that lived there received inconceivable damage.

“There are some of [my family] still living with me, so I am in a crowded house right now,” said Boyd.

Some would say that this 160-pound senior could do anything, but he just tries to live a laid back lifestyle. No matter how many athletic achievements he acquires, people will still know him for laughing and dancing.

Blake Wilson

Spotlight

Sydney O’Drobinak

Imagine waking up, walking out your back door, and running onto your own personal playground. Well for Blake Wilson, this playground is a golf course.

Wilson has been hitting golf balls ever since he was three years old. His first experience was on the golf course in his own backyard.

T h i s gave him the visual drive and encouragement to keep playing the game all of these years.

Getting to watch other golfers in his backyard was a privilege he enjoyed every day. His family gives a lot of support to him to achieve his goals. In this sport, he has to have a lot of patience a n d

coordination to be able to conquer the perfect swing, and achieve a low number of strokes.

Wilson has no problem with this.

Most of his achievements began in high school, t h o u g h participated in tournaments young boy. his junior year a tournament score of sixtywhich is very good school. students

even h e m a n y as a During he won with a s e v e n , considered for high M o s t average somewhere in the seventies.

He placed in the top seven in the seven tournaments he competed in.

As a junior, his scoring average was about a seventy-six. While he was on the school team, Creek won six out of eight regular season tournaments. At the end of the year, Wilson led them to win district by forty-one shot, which added another first team all district win for the third year in a row. Having these titles in high school nominated Wilson for player of the year, which he has won for the past two years at Creek.

This past summer, Wilson traveled all the way to North Carolina to compete in the US Kids Teen World Championship. After competing for two long days, Wilson came in fourth out of over four hundred teens.

This was one of his biggest achievements.

“I love to compete, and everything about it is enjoyable. From practicing hard to winning,” said Wilson.

Wilson has big plans for himself after high school. He plans on attending The University of Houston and intends to play golf there.

“I need to work hard on my game this winter and spring to be able to make the team,” saidWilson.

After college he plans to decide on his future and possibly achieve his dream of playing professionally someday.

Blake Wilson is just another teen working hard and trying to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals and dreams for his life. So far, his future in golf looks very promising and is not that far out of reach. He has a true passion for this sport and, with the help of his own personal backyard golf course, friends, and family, it would be hard to give it up. So watch out Tiger Woods, Blake Wilson is on the course.

23

Cy Miessler

Samantha Lera

Alyssa Schaefbauer

Cy Miessler is a junior at Clear Creek High School, playing first chair percussion in the Wind Ensemble band, directed by Dr. John Petersen. During marching season, Miessler can be found on the field, playing the snare drum.

Not only is he part of the drum line, but he is also one of the Drum Captains with Megan Parsons. As a Drum Captain, he is called on to help keep the band and the band’s feet in tempo, lend a hand if any of the drum line needs help, and provide some comic relief to all of the band. Miessler started playing percussion when he was in 6th grade at League City Intermediate School. He made the Symphonic Band in his 7th and 8th grade years. The Symphonic Band at League City Intermediate School is a top band, directed by Doug Eger.

Miessler said that it was not his choice to go into band and that his parents made him start, yet he is glad they did.

For Miessler, the drums had always been intriguing. He enjoys being in band and was appointed one of the Drum Captains in 10th and 11th grade by band directors Dr. John Petersen, Dean Beltram, and John Pearce.

Miessler says his funniest band moment was when he was pantsed in 9th grade by one of his fellow percussion players. But on the serious side, Miessler is one of the most talented percussionists in the state. Miessler and many other percussionists are skilled enough to play more than one instrument.

“Percussion is like 100 different instruments,” said Miessler.

He has participated in Region Band ever since he was in the 7th grade. He made first chair Region Band when he was in 8th grade and continued working on his percussion resume all the way into high school. He quickly made the top band at Creek, the Wind Ensemble, which is made up of the best instrumentalists in the school.

To make Wind Ensemble as a freshman is very impressive, but to Miessler it was another accomplishment to be proud of.

The next year, he practiced hard for Region Band, and went all the way to the Texas State Competition. Region contest is a competition based on student’s individual skills. He made the State band and considered that to be his hardest and g r e a t e s t accomplishment.

Miessler plans to continue playing

There are plenty of sports that people can participate in, but the unique sport that freshman Samantha Lera chose is Competitive diving.

Lera has been diving with the cougar diving team for eight and a half years. She is on the J.O. (Junior Olympics)one team, in the 16-18 age group.Lera is also on the Clear Creek diving team.

“I’m very excited to be a part of the Creek diving team because it’s the first time I will be a part of a school sport and I will get to know new people who participate in the same sport as me,” said Lera.

In past years, Lera has participated in many national events all around the world and has received as many as 120 medals and awards.

Lera enjoys diving very much because it’s very different than other sports and is unique and fun.

Lera started diving when she stopped participating in gymnastics at age seven. After a while, Lera decided to just give diving a shot.

Diving takes dedication and hard work because divers have practices six days a week and two and a half hour work outs each day at the University of Houston Recreational Center.

The summers also go by very fast for Lera because she has to compete in meets and competitions almost every weekend during the summer.

“It’s very time consuming because during the summer, I have to deal with waking up early and driving all the way up to Houston just for practice, and I don’t get to spend time with my friends a lot so I miss out on some of the fun stuff that they do without me,” Lera said.

Even with the early mornings and the long practices, it’s all worth it to Lera because she gains the strength and skills needed to get better at diving.

When Lera has time off from her busy schedule, she enjoys shopping, tanning, and hanging out with friends.

Throughout her high school years, Lera plans to continue on the Creek diving team, “It should be a fun experience,” Lera said.

Lera is always on the platform at practices and meets.

“At first, it was nerve wracking to be about to jump from such great heights, but now its just very normal for me to be up there.” said Lera.

In 2012, Lera hopes to have gained enough skill to participate in the Summer Olympic, but she does not know if she could handle the pressure.

Lera hopes to go to the University of California in Los Angeles where she can participate in diving there and maybe grow up to become a diving Coach for an Olympic team.

Diving is a very large part of Lera’s life and she is trying to achieve all the goals she has set for her future. She is planning to work really hard to get to the gold.

So look out for Lera on television in 2012.

What time do you wake up in the morning and what time do you get to school? What time do you leave school? The average student wakes up about six and gets to school just before the 7:10 bell, but not Alyssa Schaefbauer. She wakes up at about 5:30 to get to school for 5:50 practice and doesn’t leave till after five in the afternoon.

Schaefbauer is an extraordinary student who gives much of her time to her school and helping others. Schaefbauer is on the junior varsity cross-country team in the fall and the junior varsity track team in the spring. Also she is a symphonic flute player in the band, an active member of her church, and the vice president of the Clear Creek chapter of the Best Buddies program. Alexa is Schaefbauer’s buddy through the program and she said that she hopes to spend a lot of time with her through out the week and on weekends. With all of these extra activities Schaefbauer also has to find time to keep up with her demanding class schedule, which includes Pre-AP physics and AP English. Schaefbauer says that this is going to be a tough year to keep up with everything because as a junior, she is embarking on her hardest year of high school.

A normal day for Schaefbauer includes waking up before six and then going to an usually intense workout and visiting with the girls on the cross country team followed by rushing to get ready for school and moving on to classes. Then once the 2:30 bell rings Schaefbauer is either headed to fulfill some of her Best Buddies duties or to marching practice where she stays till about 5:05. Then Schaefbauer finally gets to go home where she will take a break and then either begin her homework or clean up before heading to church. Once she finishes her homework, she is able to go to bed and then wake up the next day to do it all over again. Schaefbauer is also a Girl Scout and meets with her troop occasionally where they are working towards the award equivalent to the Eagle Scout award for boys. Schaefbauer says that she enjoys being in the girl scouts because she gets to hang out with her friends, help the community, and it will look good on her college applications.

Some of Schaefbauer’s hobbies include the ones already mentioned as well as volunteering in Reach, SLT, hiking, and scuba diving. Yes, she is a certified scuba diver who has gone diving in various bodies of water around the area and also California, and off of Wannabe Island near Mexico. She’s certified in Maui and she said that she “loves scuba diving.”

As a member of the Clear Creek Community Church Schaefbauer has made some good friends and enjoys attending. “Going to church is one of my favorite things to do,” Schaefbauer said.

She works with “a little boy named Joseph who is three years old and he is autistic and [she] helps him through the Reach program.” Schaefbauer is on the Student Leadership Team, which is a group of students who set examples for other people in the church, and they lead in prayer and plan church events in the summer. Over the summer Schaefbauer also did a mission trip in Inner City Houston with a group called CSM (Center for Student Missions). They helped the less fortunate by working at the Salvation Army and Meals on Wheels and the Lord of the Streets. As a sixteen year old Junior at Clear Creek High School Schaefbauer is a star among us.

Shannon O’Neil

percussion in college but is not sure where he wants to go to school.

“Cy is a really

talented p e r s o n and fun to b e a r o u n d , ” said D r u m Major Jessica O’Neil.

Though he is an amazing percussion player he is also involved in Clear Creek High School’s theater department and plays in Clear Creek Community Church’s band.

Miessler‘s hero is Buddy Rich.

“He is the best drummer that ever lived, it is a fact, not even an opinion,” said Miessler.

Miessler is a great asset to Clear Creek High School and is very special to the school. He is definitely one of Clear Creek’s spotlights, and that is a fact, not an opinion.

Emily Huynh

Chelsea Huebner

24

Let’s play Dickinson October 17 Galveston defense defeated dominates Creek Ball

Albert Nkansah

Twenty-nine days is how long the Galveston Ball Tornadoes had waited to play a football. Just 29 days before, Ball had beaten their rival Lamarque, in the Battle by the Bay, and it looked like they would have a promising season. However, Hurricane Ike ravished the weekend of September 11-13, and Galveston I s l a n d received the heaviest blow.

The Galveston school district didn’t even begin classes again untill October 4 and the football team was hyped to play.

They entered the stadium with arms linked to the applause of fans from both sides of the field.

However, when both teams took the field, it was the Wildcats who received most of the praise.

C r e e k ’s defense stepped up, giving up only 90 passing yards and shutting out Ball for the first three quarters.

“We knew that they would be playing on high emotions so we just remembered that we also took losses in the surge of the same storm,” said senior defensive back Bobby Bassett The Wildcat offense started off slow by only scoring a field goal in the first half, but when Creek came back from halftime they were able to emerge. Marcus Mata started it off by completing a 42 yard touchdown pass to Jordan Wright. Later, he completed a 69-yard pass to Brian Boyd for another touchdown, which sealed the deal for the Clear Creek Wildcats.

“We came out ready to play an upset team. Focusing a n d

finishing the game was the main goal,” said Bassett.

Winning this game was made even sweeter when it was announced that week 3 games would not count towards the district standings.

This allowed Creek to advance to district with a record of 1-0.

Albert Nkansah

“Defense wins championships,” is a notion that many professional analysts use, and on October 10 both Creek’s and Dickinson’s defenses played at their best.

The game started off fast as both teams scored on field goals to open the game.

But early on, Dickinson received a heavy blow as their starting

quarterback, Brody Trahan, went down with an ACL tear. On the other hand, backup Clay Honeycutt was called in and started well by completing a 63-yard touchdown pass to the wide-open, Josh Honc. However, the defense tightened up, as that would be the one and only touchdown Dickinson would score.

Other than the touchdown pass, Creek only allowed 34 passing yards, forced 4 punts, and blocked a field goal.

“ We

shut down t h e plays that they like so they had to go to more desperate plays,” said senior defensive tackle Dillon Freeman.

Creek’s offense was able to move the ball against Dickinson, but they were just not able to get it into the end zone. The Wildcats went all the way to the oneyard line but were still not able to score a touchdown, and later Marcus Mata threw an interception into the end zone.

When Dickinson scored on another field goal, things were not looking good. Creek was finally able to score a touchdown on a one yard, quarterback sneak by Marcus Mata.

Defense got the ball back and Creek had one last chance to win the ball

g a m e Creek turned the ball over on downs and in the end lost a close game 13-10.

“We should have won, (Creek) played really good,” said Cavalier Shelby Colelli.

Sue Ellen van Eps

The stands were full of roaring fans dressed in maroon.

The Wildcats thought they had this game in the bag. After years of losing their homecoming games, it would be the first time in so many years to proclaim a win for such an important game.

The game began as many football games do but with much more enthusiasm. Creek wanted this win more than anything.

The crowd was loud, the players were prepared, and the cheerleaders and Cavaliers were ready. Clear Springs was not that big of a challenge in everyone’s eyes. The team has no seniors and some of Creek’s finest players are seniors.

The first touchdown was a long run by Nick Menacci. He caught his pass and ran into the end zone to score the Wildcats their first points. Creek scored two more points on a safety. During the fourth down, Coach Warden called a turnover return. This is where Creek went for a first down on their last try, or fourth down. Springs, however, got the ball when Creek failed to get a first down, which concluded a touchdown for the

Chargers.

The Creek football team struggled to keep the ball from their opponents for the rest of the game.

“As a trainer I know their potential and I know how good each and every player can be. I was very disappointed to see that they were losing and when it ended with such a bad score, I knew they would all be angry. I was prepared for their anger,” trainer Salome Lavinge said.

The team’s play during the game did not show their full potential.

Both leading

quarterbacks for theWildcats were lost during this game. Marcus Mata’s very important place on the team might be a reason that the Wildcats lost the game. The Chargers are first-year varsity players. Creek has been a varsity team for many years.

Creek has more experience than Springs.

Creek might have taken the Chargers for granted the week prior to the football game. Just like any other loss, the Wildcats were all very upset. Many fans left early so they wouldn’t have to witness the glory that Springs would later be shouting about. After the fourth quarter, the blue could be seen screaming and yelling for conquering the maroon in their very own homecoming game.

“Learning from their mistakes and their willingness to work hard and also having a positive attitude will help them succeed for the games we have in the future,” trainer Lauren Gillespie s a i d .

25

Beat Lake week ends with loss

Sue Ellen van Eps

Creek victorious over Alvin Believing creates defeating Albert Nkansah

“Believe!” That is the word that was written on the front of all the coaches’ shirts throughout the week. That is what the coaches were asking for from all their players after a disappointing loss to Clear Springs. That is what the Wildcats needed to do in order to have a run at a playoff spot.

In order to keep Creek’s playoff hopes alive, they had to beat the Brazoswood Buccaneers on their homecoming. Both teams were going into this game with a 2-4 overall record and a 1-2 district record, and the loser would be eliminated from the playoff competition. Thus said, the Wildcats had extra motivation to win this game.

“We stayed focused all week and it carried over to the game,” said senior defensive end, Nick Trahan.

That is exactly what happened, as Creek started the game with forced turnovers on each of Brazoswoods’ first three drives. Creek’s offense was firing on all cylinders as well as they were able to score on every drive in the first half and came out to a 27-13 lead at halftime.

Third string quarterback Jarred Garza was able to carry this offense to 500 yards, the most yards this year, and led them to 44 total points, the most scored this year. This really helped the wildcats get put back into the playoff chase.

“We wanted to put people on the field who wanted to win, to us it was a playoff game, a must win,” said senior running back Nick Mencacci.

With the win, Creek was able to go into a three-way tie for the last playoff spot with Springs, and next week’s opponent Alvin.

Sue Ellen van Eps At the start of the Thursday night football game, the Clear Creek Wildcats were ready to show their fans what they were really made of. After some emotional losses, this season really had been an up and down ride for the Wildcats. The game tonight would be the last home game for the Wildcats. With many people in the stands, screams were being heard from all the fans who were ready to see them defeat the Alvin Yellow Jackets.

The game began with a tremendous bang. In the first eight minutes of the game, two touchdowns were already on the scoreboard. Brian Boyd completed the last touchdown of the first quarter. Tommy Henshaw had a forty-five yard kick. At the start of the second quarter the, Wildcats had a 21-0 lead on the Alvin Yellow Jackets. In the first six minutes of the second quarter, the Jackets stung the Wildcats with two touchdowns of their own. Howver, Wildcat Nick Mencacci blocked a Yellow Jacket attempt for a third touchdown. The Jackets quarterback got some hard hits from the defense fighting for the win.

The score at halftime was 21-13.

At the beginning of

the third quarter, C.J. McElroy After churning out some hard yards, Jared Garza passed the ball ten yards to Jordan Wright, but their attempt for a touchdown failed. Mencacci made another marquee play by running fifteen yards for touchdown number four.

After the touchdown, the score was now 28-13, and the Wildcats were determined to stop the Yellow Jackets from adding on to their score. The Wildcats wanted this win under their belts. The Wildcats needed this win to stay alive in the race, and decided it was time to finish the game and send themselves to the playoffs.

The fourth quarter showed that practices leading up to this game had taught this team many things and helped them improve their skills from the beginning of the season.

After a few great defensive plays, the Yellow Jackets were stopped by a tough, stalwart Yellow Jacket defense. After an Alvin punt, the Wildcats took over with just seven minutes left in the last quarter of the game. Nipping at the heels of a playoff birth, Brian Boyd made an excellent sixty-yard pass that secured a Wildcat victory. As the crowd jumped and screamed in excitement, the Wildcats saw their possibilities for play in November coming to fruition.

After adding the extra point, it was up to the defense to end the game in victory. The tough defense, led by James Caldwell and Jared Biard were playing rough and refused any future Yellow Jacket score. In the end, Creek won the game with a tremendous defeat. James Galvan said, “ It felt good to win this game against the Yellow Jackets.

I was glad that the team worked together to accomplish a win once again.”

The Friday night-lights shone brighter than usual. As Creek’s biggest rival, the game versus Clear Lake would be one of the most important of the season. The football players were ready, the coaches were set, and students of both schools were in the stands, wearing their colors with school pride, BEAT LAKE and BEAT CREEK shirts showing among the crowd.The Wildcats were prepared for the game’s action. “ I’m ready for this game. It’s a big rival game. We’re ready to tear them boys apart. This will be something like the Brazoswood game,” said Johnathan Daniels before the game.

The Wildcats began the game with vigor. Zack Duncavage sacked Lake’s quarterback, resulting in a Creek penalty.

Nick Mencacci was blocked out on his next play but instead he gained yards for CreekBy the end of the first quarter, the score was 0-0.

As the second quarter began, Lake scored their first touchdown. Mencacci came in with shifting moves, working hard to complete a touchdown for Creek.

C.J. McElroy had a fantastic run for a touchdown, but was recalled back by the referees as a fumble. Creek was then forced to kick a field goal, leaving the game 3-7.

In the third quarter, Mencacci began by trying to make a touchdown. He ran to the endzone, but a penalty was called.

The Falcons then scored their second touchdown, leaving Lake ahead in the game 3-13. Creek was trying to get back in the game, but their efforts were in vain.

Jared Garza caught the ball for a pass, but unfortunately they did not gain any yards. After stout defensive plays, the next plays became a blur.

Creek forced another fumble but once again a flag was called, and reversed the play.

McElroy gained twenty yards for the Wildcats, but to little avail. The Falcons scored their third touchdown. The score was now 3- 21 in the third quarter, leaving Creek’s chances of a victory small.

Late into the fourth quarter, McElroy gained twenty yards for the Wildcats and gave them their first touchdown, the score being 10-21.

It was a disappointing loss for the maroon-clad spectators in the stands and a great win for the Lake supporters.

The team felt they let down the school because this is the first time in several years that Lake had beat Creek in football.

Even though they lost, The Wildcats still made the playoffs, which was their goal. They went into the playoffs stronger than ever with some tough losses and great wins-this being a tough loss.

26

Sports New pool, team, year

A holiday at the pool Alina Gregory The Clear Creek Varsity Water Polo Team left for the State Water Polo Tournament on Thursday, October 30, to compete against teams from all over Texas. State was held in Austin, Texas at the Texas Swim Center at the University of Texas. The team stayed at The Embassy Suites and rode on a charter bus. They were so dedicated that they didn’t even mind spending their Halloween in Austin.

The boys’ team placed 7th while the girls took 4th. A highlight from the boys’ game was when three of the other team’s players in the game were ejected and instead of it being the usual 6 on 5, it was 6 on 2. Another intense moment was when the starting goalie, Jake Spalding, crashed into a goalpost while trying to make a save. The backup goalie, Dustin Gathright, had to fill in for Spalding.

Fourteen boys and thirteen girls went to state. The boys Senior Co-captains are Michael Braun and Max Bernau. “It was really fun,” Braun said about state. The girls Senior C o captains are Britt Rachner

and

Rebecca Moore.

Bobby Woolweaver made 1st team All-State at the Championship. Peter Silkowski, Britt Rachner, and Emma Alexander all made 2nd team All-State.

Britt Rachner, Emma Alexander, and Traci Williams all scored goals for the girls’ team against Cypress Creek. Bobby Woolweaver scored five goals for the boy’\s’ team and Peter Silkowski scored four against Tomball.

The Girls defeated Langham Creek 10 to 3, but lost to Baytown Sterling 20 to 6 and Cypress Creek 4 to 3. The boys beat Tomball 11 to 10 and Langham Creek in the first round, but lost to Cypress-Fairbanks and Cypress Creek in the quarterfinals.

“It has been an honor to share this field of battle with these ladies,” senior Brittany Chappell said of the State Tournament.

The Varsity teams did not return to League City until one o’clock on Sunday morning.

During the Water Polo season, Clear Creek’s pool was being reconstructed, so the team had to practice at Clear Springs High School. They practiced from 4 P.M. to 6 P.M. every school day and occasionally on the weekends.

Matt Johnson

Creek may do it again and score high in the state of Texas in another sport, Swim Team. “We should do well,” said Meredythe Torrence. “We just have to put the work into it.”

Creek dominated on November 11 at their first swim meet of the year against Baytown Sterling. Almost every event was won. The meet was held here at Creek in the newly remodeled pool. “My favorite part about swimming is our new pool,” said Colleen Grady. Though six months behind in its construction, the pool has made swimmers very happy this year.

“I like the new pool. It’s better than the old pool. It’s a fast pool,” said Torrence.

Hopefully the new pool will help bring in many wins for the 2008-2009 swim team.

“ I hope the year will end and the new year will begin fast.

It has already been a very long year,” said Coach Haltom.

Determination creates drive Christen Valcoviak

The Clear Creek tennis team has come a long way in their competitive play.

In the fall season, the tennis team did an incredible job with a record of 15-4. They only lost to Clear Lake and Cinco Ranch.

The Creek tennis team did various things to prepare them for regionals.

During the fall season, they practiced after school every Monday through Thursday from 2:30 till 4:00, not including class time. They did various drills, and followed training by conditioning.

Outside of school, most of the players participate in USTA (United States Tennis Association). There are three levels of play. A person first starts off in ZAT, then goes to Champ then Super. In order to advance to the next level of play, t h e player has to gain a certain a m o u n t of points.

T h e more someone wins the more points they receive.

The tournaments are usually held on weekends.

The tennis team did very well at Regionals. They finished #5 in Regionals and #22 in the state.

“Regionals went well I was very proud of all the heart the players gave on the court. We had a lot of matches that could have gone either way

and our players gutted it out until the very end,” said assistant tennis Coach Chaysen Cornwell.

Seven girls

and seven boys participated in the Regional competition.

The seven girls were

Jacquelyn Davis, Kelsey Richardson, Maria Lamont, Sammy Siegel, Bianca Quintanilla, Tara Montegue, and Lizzie Nifong. The seven boys were Tyler Roush, Casey Armstrong, Chase Farmer, Hunter Carrithers, Drew Rogas, Patrick Creamer, and Brendan Fang.

The players had memorable moments in the matches.

“Sammy and

The pool has been putting lots of stress on the swim team. It was closed down March 2008 and didn’t open up again until the following September, just one week before Creek’s first meet.

Though most people at Creek swim for fun, competitive swim team is a tough sport many have yet to try.

There are four main strokes in swim team: backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and front crawl (otherwise known as freestyle.)

The Clear Creek Swimming team is ready f o r the year, according to Coach Haltom. With the new improvements to the pool, like wider lanes, a new gutter system, new diving board placement and a cleaner, much more beautiful pool area, swimming will no longer have any flaws at Creek.

Maria had a long match against Cinco Ranch. They had to play tennis in a way they both had never played before. It was really all about who wanted it more. Our girls were willing to stay out there all day if they had to. They would hit the ball as many times as they needed just to get the point.

It was great to watch. Maria didn’t even realize they had won,” Cornwell s a i d .

The tennis team has proven to be successful on the court, and hope to do as well or better in the upcoming spring season.

Their first

tournament is on January 30-31 at Fort Bend. To keep updated with the Clear Creek tennis teams records and stats, visit www.clearcreektennis.com.

Photo By Kaitlyn Boryk

Sports

Volleyball at state Allie Hinga On November 21, the Clear Creek Wildcat volleyball team faced off against the Amarillo Sandies at Texas State University’s Strahan Coliseum in the Class 5A state semifinals.

The Wildcats hoped to round off a great season by winning the school’s second state title in its history, but were stopped short when the Sandies pushed to win one more game than Creek did.

This was Clear Creek’s fifth trip to the state tournament. The last time the team made the trip was in 1995. Creek volleyball has only won the state tournament once in its history in 1968.

On Friday, two-time defending state champion Amarillo made its fifteenth trip to the state tournament, trying to become the first 5A team in history to win three consecutive state titles. The team holds a record five state titles total.

This year, the

Wildcats came into the tournament 41-4, including a win against the Sandies in the quarterfinals of Pearland High School’s Nike Volleyball Classic.

Creek managed to win the first game 25-19, followed by a victory for Amarillo

20-25. Creek pulled ahead after the third game with a score of 25-20. During the fourth game, Madeline G a f f n e y

recorded a kill and a block on back-to-back points to give the Wildcats a 21-20 lead.

However, Amarillo was able to rally for the next four points to win the game 22-25 and bring both teams to two wins apiece.

Though the Wildcats scored the first two points in the decisive game, the Sandies came back quickly to their lead to 8-2. Creek ended Amarillo’s run when Gaffney, Megan Pendergast, and Taylor Smith recorded three kills. The Sandies received another point when libero Hailey Jacobs was called by the net judge for a questionable ball handling error when she made a dive attempt at an errant pass. The Wildcats went on to score three more points, bringing the score to 9-8 when Amarillo would put the rest of the match away with its hitting and blocking for a final score of 15-10.

“Both teams played really well, just [Amarillo] caught a few more breaks than we did,” outside hitter

Photo By Kaitlyn Boryk and Amanda Compton

Boy Athlete of the Month Tyler Eby Alina Gregory Senior athlete, Tyler Eby, has been playing football since he was four years old. He plays in the secondary

at safety, and his favorite team is the Dallas Cowboys. His favorite aspect of football is hitting people, because it is a competitive way to release anger. He has the defense’s only interception this year and it was in the Wildcats’ first game against Pasadena Memorial High School.

Eby likes playing football with all of his best friends, and this is his second year on varsity. He wanted to go to playoffs this year, and the team’s motto is “Believe”.

“I feed off the energy of my teammates. When they get crunk, I get crunk. Especially Coach Cope. He makes me want to run through someone’s soul and make them change religions,” Eby said. He knows he’s not the biggest or strongest person on the team, but he has heart. In preparation for Friday nights, Eby lifts, runs, tackles, runs forties, and goes 110 percent.

Photo By Hailey Stephens

Megan Pendergast said.

Over the five games, Gaffney had eleven kills, Smith took eight, and Amanda Watson and Becky Bekelja had three apiece. Bekelja also managed 47 assists and 7 digs. Pendergast had a match-high 16 kills and 15 digs.

Despite their loss, the Wildcats still had a memorable time at the tournament.

“It was a m a z i n g .

I t was such a great opportunity to be part of a team that went to state,” team manager Reagan McGraw said.

Even without the state title, the Wildcats still made history on November 21, becoming the first team in Region III to win a game at the state tournament since 2003. In the past four years, Kingwood, Deer Park, Houston Memorial, and Cypress-Fairbanks have represented the region at the tournament, and none won any of their semifinal matches.

“The cards didn’t fall right, but we made history at Creek, so that counts for something,” McGraw said.

Team members said that this past season has taught them about dedication and hard work, with all the practice it took them to get this far.

“You have to do things 100 percent all the time to be

Girl Girl Athlete Athlete of of the the Month Month Alexa Alexa Reed Reed Alina Gregory This month’s athlete, senior Alexa Reid, has been playing volleyball for eleven years. She has been on the varsity

successful,” Pendergast s a i d .

While the volleyball season has come to a close for the Clear C r e e k Wildcats, the team is ready to come b a c k strong n e x t season.

E v e n though Pendergast is a senior this year, she has hopes for next year’s team.

“Creek works harder than any volleyball team in the state, so I wouldn’t be surprised to hear we’re back at state next year,” she said. volleyball team at her school for two years and also plays for a club team called AVA 18 UA Performance. Reid likes traveling for volleyball and being with her teammates.

Reid went to state with Creek’s volleyball team on Thursday, November 20 in San Marcos, Texas. The team practices two and a half hours a day, three days a week. “My favorite memory from volleyball this year was when Coach Simonds sang the song ‘Tell Me Why’ by the Backstreet Boys to the seniors,” Reid said.

Reid wants to play volleyball in college, but she is not sure yet where she is going. At first she wanted to go to a college far away, but now she thinks that she would like to stay close to home. She is considering Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Photo By Hailey Stephens

28

Shoots for Two

Albert Nkansah

“District Champions,” “Undefeated,” are words that are associated with Creek’s girls’ basketball team last year. The Lady Wildcats went 23-10 throughout the 2007-2008 season and went an insurmountable 12-0 in district.

Some key players from last year’s championship team are returning, including Kaylin Dugie, Lauren Llanes, Nyah Carter, Chelsea Solonika, Meredith Tippet, and Jasmine Lee. New players, such as Rocky Kilgore and Chermara “Ceecee” Cuffee, will be joining the team this year. Rachel Poe, Callie Parsley, Sydney Foreman and Adrienne Phillips, will all be key players for Creek, as they try to continue the tradition.

“Every person is a key player and is going to have to work hard and contribute to the team,” said senior guard Jasmine Lee. It is going to be a tough road for the lady Wildcats if they are to win a second district title. Key teams in the district have Creek targeted and will definitely be prepared for the Wildcats. Dickinson, last year’s class 4A state runner-up, is one of the “new kids on the block” in the district and they want to shake things up.

Another new team, Clear Springs, is set to cause some trouble in the district as they have many young, talented players.

The season had a very successful start as Creek played at Deer Park. Both teams had a slow start, but once the second quarter started both caught fire, scoring a combined 34 points in the second quarter.

Deer Park took the lead by the end of the third quarter. Led by Chelsea Solonika’s 12 points, Creek was able to prevail 46-42, winning their opening game.

The Lady Wildcats continued a winning trend as they blew out Madison 64-21, and then went on to beat Angleton 54-35. After the 3-0 start, Creek started on a roll to the Texas Invitational.

The girls started out the tournament with a close loss to San Antonio Madison 58-51 and were put in the consolation bracket. Creek was able to bounce back strongly by beating Dobie.

The key to the win against Dobie was the fourth quarter, where the Lady Wildcats outscored the Longhorns by ten and won 48-40. Unfortunately, in the next game against North Crowley, the girls lost 34-45.

The third place game in the consolation bracket would be Creek’s first chance to get a look at one of the newest teams in the district. The Lady Wildcats were able to take the lead and keep it as they outscored Dickinson in three of the four quarters, and took round one in this newly formed rivalry 61-54.

The boys’ basketball team also looks to have a successful season. Key players from last year will be joined by many new players this year as they look to be more competitive in the district races.

“We really need some of our returners like Denzel Benson, Terrance Williams, and Dre Stoker to step up and become leaders,” said Coach Romine.

The team got off to a good start by beating rival Friendswood 59-51. They had a dominant first half and led by ten at halftime and were able to hold on to the lead until the end.

Both teams started the season on the right foot and will hope to have this good streak continue to the rest of the season.

S ports Everbody hits, runs, and scores Christen Valcoviak The Clear Creek Varsity baseball team is vigorously preparing for the upcoming season. The varsity class is double blocked the final period of each day on A day and B day. Each class period the players prepare for the season.

Even when the school day ends the majority of the team stays after school to continue to hone and perfect their skills.

Head Coach, Jim Mallory has been at Clear Creek for 31 years, and he is strenuously preparing the team this season. “[We’re] trying to create a better athlete…the kid’s are working hard in off season,” Mallory said. The baseball players are spending a lot of time in the weight room in an effort to maximize strength and improve athleticism. In addressing the offensive part of the game, Mallory explained that the team is working hard to improve hitting fundamentals. “Coach Youngblood is addressing hitting flaws and we are starting to see results.” he said.

Coach Eddie Youngblood is the new assistant varsity baseball coach, as well as

the freshman football coach. Youngblood has been coaching baseball for 21 years and was originally the head coach for baseball at High Tower in Missouri City.

Coach Youngblood came to Creek because he “was impressed w i t h t h e

baseball tradition and excited about the opportunity to work with Coach Mallory.” He also said, “[it was] a good area for my family to be raised.”

Steve Collins, a senior at Creek, confirmed that the guys are constantly preparing for the season “everyday, by lifting, coming out to the cages, and getting [their] cuts in, [swings].” According to Coach Mallory, the team is doing a good job in preparing for the season.

Will the Wildcats make the playoffs this year? Coach Mallory confidently responded, “[I] always predict we will, but we as coaches can’t play anymore.”

In other words, it’s up to the young men on the Clear Creek baseball team.

“We’re focusing on team unity and work ethic. The whole team is trying to be more dedicated by staying after school and practicing,” said senior Carlos Garcia.

“I’m looking forward to this season so we can redeem ourselves from last year,” Ryan Gunhouse said. According to Collins, the varsity team is “looking good and we’re working a lot harder than we did last year.

We can only improve by what we’re doing.”

Another quality the team holds besides hard work and dedication is a good rapport. According to Chris Morales, the whole team gets along, and he has a good relationship with all of his teammates.

Between the intense in school training and after school practice,varsity is on their way to having a great season this year. They are all practicing hard and want to make it to the playoffs. Between weight training, conditioning and working on hitting fundamentals, the team is well on their way.

On the field, ready to kick it up Sue Ellen van Eps

Soccer is almost back in season here on the fields of Clear Creek High School.

With the start of the season in January, the team is practicing with all they have. In fact practice and teamwork is taking place this year more than ever before. The boys are looking for a winning team for 2009.

The Creek Soccer boys know what makes a real team, unity and understanding. They have brought their skills together to make a fantastic team that looks forward to the new season .

Before the school year began, many players were getting to know each other better and adapting their skills to make the team stronger. Teaching each other has been a new way of learning to become a more unified team.

Striker Pedro Gurgel said, “ We are like a family. All of us love to play soccer and enjoy playing it as well. We play the most popular sport in the world; we practice hard and play during the

roughest weather. All of that bonds us closer together so we can become one.”

This is what makes Creek’s team such a great team. Off the field they are friends and enjoy that time, and on the field they are working hard to complete for one thing. Win. Creek’s soccer team is prepared for the season. They want to show their school that football doesn’t have to be the only popular sport.

Most of the players have learned techniques from their countries a n d brought them here to League City, making for much stronger team.

Ricardo Guerra said , “ Playing in Mexico, I learned a different aspect of the game of soccer. It’s more passionate there. I bring that passion

onto our field. Many of us do that.”

This year the biggest game in their eyes is the Clear Springs game. Many of the Springs players played here at Creek or have played with Creek’s players.

“Playing for Creek has been a great experience for me. I made new friends.

Close bonds. Hopefully we’ll make playoffs this year. Then we’ll make state. Domin’ 08 is what I’ve got to say about our team this year.”

This positive attitude comes from all the players. They all say the same about making playoffs and defeating their biggest opponents. More than ever this team wants to defeat and conquer and make the best of their soccer season.

They want to show off their skills to their school. Show them what they’re made of.

They hope to see a great turn out from their friends and future fans at the games.

by Lisa the crosscountry Track

1600 meter dash,” said Hobaugh.

Sophomore Windy Wike is on varsity and runs the 400-meter dash. This is Wike second year to be on the girl’s varsity track team.

Senior Taylor Smith has been in track all 4 years at creek and throws shot put, and diskette. Her favorite year in track was her sophomore year because she went to state and placed 8th. Smith is also on the varsity volleyball team.

“My goal this year is to make it to state and place at least 3rd, and I am most excited about beating my records from last year,” said Smith.

“My favorite thing about track is the fun practices we have,” said Smith.

This is sophomore Lauren Hillary’s first year to be track. She was in cross-country this year. She will be running the 2-mile.

“My goal this year is to lower my mile time by one minute,” said Hillary “My favorite thing about track is knowing that I am done with my event for the night,” said Hillary.

Track is ready to run to victory Amber Arnold Track has many different events like sprints, diskette, relays, hurdles, pole vault and shot put. There are also the different running events.

Sophomore John Schoellkopf throws shot put and diskette, “ I am most excited about working out this year since I didn’t get to a lot last year,” Schoellkopf said.

Last year Schoellkopf could only participate in track for the first couple of weeks because he dislocated his right shoulder.

He participated in track at Victory Lakes Intermediate in 7th and 8th grade. “ My biggest challenge for me this year is going to be my shoulder I cannot over do it,” Schoellkopf said.

“My goal this y e a r is to throw the shot put at least 6 feet and finish the track season without any injuries,” said Schoellkopf.

The boys track team is lead by Ruben Jordan and the girls’ track team is lead

Bidelspach. They are also country coaches. Cross ends in November. season is from January to April.

Sophomore Dustin Hobaugh runs the 800-meter, 1600-meter and the 3200-meter dash. This is Hobaugh’s second year to be on creek’s track and cross-country

team.

“My goal this year is to make it to the regional meet in t h e 1600 meter and the 3200 meter dash,” said Hobaugh.

“This year I am most e x c i t e d about seeing how much everyone has improved from last year and see how we will match up against the rest of the district,” said Hobaugh.

“My favorite thing about track is running the relays and the

Photo credit by Graphicsfacotry

Spirit Page

Our Queen Bola’s Thank You you,” doesn’t begin to describe just how truly thankful I am to every

“Thank individual at Clear Creek High School. On Friday October 17th at 6:40 p.m. I was crowned Clear Creek High School’s 2008 Homecoming Queen. Not only was it an honor but also a privilege to have my name added to the list of wonderful girls who made Clear Creek history. My gratitude is extended to every faculty member, staff, and student who made something I’ve only seen on T.V. a reality for me. A million thank-yous wouldnt’t be enough so please accept this small note of thanks for all that you do and all that you give. I sincerely appreciate it. I humbly accept the crown. I wear it with honor and pride. And I shall represent Creek with vigor and distinction for many years to come. Go Wildcats!

Your Homecoming Queen,

Bola Kareem

30 This & That

The Great Debate

“Boths Sides Now”- Democrat vs Republican Ryan Munthe

Two-party politics are continuously limiting the scope of American policy.

You hear people complaining about twoparty politics, but have you actually thought about what it implies?

Barack Obama, the new president elect, is a radical candidate who believes uprooting the basic American ideals and changing them to better fit a growing country. John McCain, the Republican candidate in this past election, was a more conservative candidate with strong beliefs about keeping our basic system of governmen1t, repairing it, and finishing the seemingly endless War in Iraq. Right now our country needs a strong leader with a lot of experience who can bring power, strength, and strong stands on issues to the country.

That’s why my personal preference for president would have been John McCain.

Even though I couldn’t vote, I felt that this was my first election. I’m very passionate in my political beliefs, and most people hear them many times throughout the day.

In the past, I was partial to a candidate, but not as opinionated. I have changed people’s beliefs in the Presidential election by staying updated via news sources and other resources.

But with a radical candidate on one side of the election and a conservative candidate on the other, to choose the better man has been very difficult for most people. For example, due to the limitations of two-party politics, I was forced to back a candidate with many policies I agree with and many policies I don’t agree with at all. Barack Obama has very sharp, rigid policies that call for nearly a complete political upheaval. John McCain has very conservative policies that call for minimal change to save the economy and setting a timetable for finishing the War in Iraq. Obama’s plan to pull out the troops immediately could be extremely harmful to the politics and livelihoods of many Middle-Eastern countries as well as our own lives. I do not support the War in Iraq, but I feel that if we were to leave now, we would surely have civil war in the unstable country, resulting in much more bloodshed than we currently have.

McCain also has a stronger policy on cleaning up the economy and

re-routing governmental corruption without damaging our ideals, which Obama seems so insistent to change. Another issue would be the fact of Obama’s inexperience. He’s a very passionate man who wants to change our government for the better, but his actual experience is quite questionable. He’s been in the senate for three years, two of which he spent campaigning. Compare that to John McCain who has dedicated nearly his whole life to serving the public.

Even though I supported him in this past election, I highly disagree with some of McCain’s policies, most notably, his policy on education.

McCain believes in the No Child Left Behind Act and still favors standardized testing while Obama believes in individualized schooling, which would strongly increase our educational system.

Despite their stands on various issues, both of the candidates have ignored a very vital object in our country’s future.

Illegal immigration is creating turmoil in southern states, as tensions continue to increase at the expense of legal immigrants in search of the perfect American lifestyle.

However, these people are taking jobs from legal American citizens, and neither of the candidates is very candid about taking action on this isolated subject.

It’s the glaring defect of twoparty politics that makes our public vote for a candidate with little experience and radical ideas or another candidate who is very conservative, but has questionable ideas. It comes down to nit-picking to choose the better candidate, and in the end, McCain’s strong ideals, his strength as a leader and his experience would have made him the better choice for President of an unstable government in a c o u n t r y begging for national improvem e n t .

Photo by Hailey Stephens

Jordan Little

There is an old joke about how the one topic you never bring up with friends is politics.

I, however, feel that political discussion is necessary, even though our culture shies away from it. One popular theory is to pick a party and vote for that party in every election until death.

For some, voting for a candidate from the party they aren’t accustomed to would be a sin, a belief I strongly disagree with.

My objective is not to single any one out but to prove a point. When making an important decision, critical thinking is required to provide the best results. The phrase, “Everyone’s a critic” claims that people like to form opinions of their surroundings.

People have their likes and dislikes. We prefer one restaurant over another, one movie to another, and even one person to another. The best part of being an American citizens is that we have the right to make personal decisions.

The critical thinking we use to make a personal decision, is necessary to produce a positive effect. If you make a decision by thinking it through, you will most likely benefit from your decision. When you rely only on others’ decisions to make your own, how do you know if the effect will be desirable?

Unfortunately, I was too young to vote in this past election, but I can still give my opinion. I’m an independent thinker, so I have the final say in any decision I make. This means that my decision about who I thought should be pres-

important it is to know the facts and question what seems untruthful.

As for my preferred candidate, I supported Barack Obama because I agreed with his stand on different issues. Obama opposed military use in Iraq and voted for a war-spending bill that would have withdrawn most U.S. troops by March 2008. I agree with his statement that “the invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East.”

Obama opposes same-sex marriage but also opposes a constitutional ban. I think every person deserves the right to the pursuit of happiness. A person’s lifestyle is his or her own choice and we should not prevent them from living their life.

Obama believes education is important in a child’s early years.

I strongly agree with His support for early childhood education.

If a voter’s decision is a personal one made using critical thinking, then the decision is their own.

In our culture it is sometimes popular to put down others’ beliefs. It is important to respect others’ choices and to respect your own.

When all voters choose to abide by that rule, then there will be more diversity in the election.

ident was my own. I also try to make sure that I know the facts. I cannot express how

CCHS congratulates Coach Simonds for being named Head Coach of the 4A/5A East AllStar Team!

Congratulations from the HiLife!

T his & That 31 Worldwide celebrations of Obama’s election Allie Hinga When Barack Obama was elected president of the United States on November 4, 2008, joy over his election was not confined to the United States. People across the globe celebrated America’s new president, claiming that he restored their faith in the country.

Obama supporters around the world said that his victory made them feel more connected to America and made America seem more connected to the rest of the world.

Many supporters cited what they felt was the triumph over racism achieved in the election of America’s first president of African descent. Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, two well-known leaders of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, celebrated Obama’s election along with the rest of the world. Kenya, Obama’s father’s home county, declared a national holiday in honor of his election.

Other Obama supporters expressed praises for his policies, which they hope signal what they believe is a much needed a change in direction for the U.S. “For the first time I feel the phrase ‘I hereby declare that all men are

created equal,’ from the U.S. Declaration of Independence, really came to life for me today,” architect Mamdouh al-Sobaihi from Saudi Arabia told the Post.

Others supported Obama because they saw his election as the end of the Bush administration, with which Republican c a n d i date John McCain was closely associated, according to a BBC poll. Obama supporters in Some saw the election as a return to democratic values and a chance for America to rebuild its image in the eyes of the world, which many claimed had been damaged by President Bush.

Perhaps one of the most seen results of Obama’s election was the worldwide sentiment that it revived the idea of

the “American Dream.” In India, representatives of the Dalits, the country’s lowest caste, said that Obama’s victory was an example for them in their struggle for equal rights. Iranian represent a t i v e s expressed hope that Obama could improve relations between the two countries.

Ryan Schuette, a Clear Creek High School Graduate, was in Africa d u r i n g Kisumu, Kenya the presidential election, and cast his absentee ballot for Barack Obama.

Three days after the election results were announced, he wrote about the continuing celebrations going on around him.

“Americans I meet in Uganda are still hugging, shaking hands, and offering congratulations. It is an incredible time to be abroad, and together we’re offering analysis on events in the transitional government,” he said.

Schuette also mentioned the avid Obama support being shown across the continent.

“Anyone whom you meet in East Africa is likely to support Obama. In Kenya, his father’s country, the president declared a national holiday this week in honor of Obama’s victory. From what I understand, Kenyans are still holding celebrations,” he said.

Despite worldwide celebrations, some people still harbor doubts about the new president-elect. Some Chinese worry about Obama’s position on the issues of Tibet and Taiwan. Some Indians and Egyptians expressed concerns about his views on Pakistan and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Despite any doubts some might have about Obama’s policy, supporters both at home and overseas continue to celebrate what they see as a great victory for America.

Photo credit courtesy of MCT Campus

Leaders who serve Allie Hinga

While any student can join one of Creek’s many clubs, few have the privilege of being accepted into the school’s chapter of National Honor Society. NHS students volunteer as part of an organization committed to making their community a better place.

Clear Creek’s NHS is one chapter of a nationwide organization that values academics, leadership, character, and service. Students in the club are expected to be involved in leadership roles on campus, community service, and maintain high grades.

The group meets once a month to discuss upcoming service projects and other club functions. At the end of each nine weeks, students are expected to turn in a record of their service hours.

Both community service hours and meeting attendance earns students points that will allow them to graduate with honors if they fulfill their obligations. Students who enter at the end of their sophomore year must earn 50 points by the time they graduate, and students who enter at the end of their junior year must earn 35 points.

Students earn one point for each hour of service, and one point for each meeting they attend. The point system helps keep students from joining NHS solely to put it on their college applications without being involved.

“It’s a privilege, not a right, to be part of NHS,” Ms. Joan McNatt, the NHS sponsor, said.

Every year, NHS organizes one major project that every member of the club is expected to work on as part of the group. This year, the organization plans to work with Habitat for Humanity to build a house.

The club also tries to organize other group projects to help students acquire service hours.

In the past, the group has been involved with Wrap the Town Red, Clear Creek Cleanup, and Relay for Life. This year they are planning to help elementary school students who lost everything

in

Hurricane Ike. Members are also expected to be involved in individual community service. These activities must be approved by the club sponsor, Ms. McNatt, and may include volunteering at libraries or animal shelters, as long as the student is not paid and the work benefits the community.

“After seeing all the different places our members have helped out at, I am really proud of their contribution to our community,” Jennifer Wang, a senior member of NHS, said.

Unlike other clubs, students wishing to join NHS must apply for membership.

Application begins during the spring semester, and the earliest a student may be inducted is at the end of their sophomore year.

Prospective students must provide evidence of past community service, and must have at least a 4.0 GPA. They must be involved in some sort of leadership role on campus, and must get a recommendation from another adult proving that they meet the qualifications expected of NHS members.

New members are inducted in the spring.

“At Creek, we have very high expectations for each and every one of our members. First, to be invited in the first place, you must have a strong commitment to learning, as demonstrated by your GPA. Also, you must prove that you are willing to contribute positively to your community. We encourage our members to act civilly and to get out there and help those in need,” Haotian Xu, the NHS president, said.

This year, the Clear Creek chapter of National Honor Society will be working hard to improve both their community and their club. Through their involvement, they hope to leave behind a legacy of service and build a foundation for their future.

“Being in NHS is more than a sticker on your college resume. It’s much more than something to brag to your friends about. And it’s much more than just a “club.” When you are truly involved in National Honor Society, you can see and feel the positive impact you are having on the community, whether directly or indirectly. NHS is the best!” Xu said.

32 Photofinish

Photos by: Amanda Compton, Ms. Othon, and Ms. Jameson