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