HiLife February/March 2011- Issue 5 Volume 87 2305 East Main, League City,TX 77573
In this issue: History of Valentine’s Day Page 9
Rodeo Schedule Page 9
Budget cuts affect CCISD Page 5
Basketball wins district title Page 18
Pink Bow Classic returns to Creek Hannah Brinsko
The junior and senior girls suited up Thursday, February 17 for the first powderpuff football game Creek has hosted in several years. In addition to the football game, the Clear Creek “Swagaliers,” the most swagalicious guys on this side of the creek provided half of the entertainment. The evening started with a pregame dinner provided by Pomodoros. The members of the junior and senior teams, along with the swagaliers and faculty, attended the meal. Mrs. Latulippe, Mr. Bockart, and George McKinnis all spoke while penne pasta and salad was served. The game started off with the JROTC presenting the flags, and Coach Cherry singing the national anthem. The juniors quickly took the lead, with Christi Leonard scoring several touchdowns for her class. Despite their efforts, the seniors were unable to catch up, with the game ending at 48-14. For the halftime show,
fourteen junior and senior guys donned the Cavalier’s traditional hats and skirts to perform under the name the Swagaliers, the most swagalicious guys on this side of the creek. The group performed a dance choreographed by the Cavalier captain Brooke Fontenot and Social Committee president Sloane Schaumberger. “The boys worked very hard on getting their routine ready. It was so much fun to work with them,” said Brook Fontenot, “The end result was hilarious to watch.” The routine included musical clips from “Good Girls Go Bad” by Cobra Starship, “Jump on it” by Sir Mix-A-Lot, “Single Ladies” by Beyonce, “No Matter What” by TI. The routine ended with the worm, and the performers lifting their shirts to reveal the message, “Swagaliers 2011.” The team was led by Social Committee director Connor Johnson, Senior Lieutenants Brandon Stinson and Tom McCullough, first Senior Lieutenant Ross Wagner, and Captain David Zabinski, who were all recognized before the routine began. Prior to the Swaggalier’s performance, Mr. Clear Creek was officially crowned. Contestants for Mr. Clear Creek consisted of three juniors and five seniors. The three juniors were Brandon Martin, Brent Wagner, and Cory Zunker all three of which are on the Clear Creek football team. The senior nominees were Dustin Houbaugh, Tom McCullough, Christos Patelis,
and Nate Taylor. Students voted for Mr. Clear Creek by donating money to their candidate of choice in the days leading up to the Pink Bow Classic. Christos Patelis was crowned Mr. Clear Creek by the senior class president Jordan Stroike and vicepresident Bianca Quintanilla. Christos secured the crown by soliciting $200 more than the other candidates. The elections raised $1000 for the senior class. Other events from the night included the auctioning off of a Pink Bow Classic shirt, Coach Cherry acted as the auctioneer as students and parents in the stands bid on the shirt which was signed by all the senior girls participating on the powderpuff team. The shirt was purchased by the Stanley family for one hundred dollars. The Wildcat drumline also performed during the game, helping to pump up the crowd. Project Graduation sold raffle tickets at the game for a premium parking place. The first winner will be drawn on March 25. The Pink Bow Classic, the game, Mr. Clear Creek election, and the Swagalier performance helped to raise school spirit and funds for the senior class. Students participate in The Pink Bow Classic.
Photos taken by Emily Cruz Photo illustrations by Kaitlyn Blake
Creative Visions opens Orphanage Shannon O’Neil Creative visions has opened up a new orphanage in Cura, a village in Kenya, Africa. Cura Orphanage is a safe home for fifty children who have lost their family due to the AIDS epidemic. These fifty children are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend school, be fed, clothed, and receive love they need. Creative Visions hopes to not only help the children in the orphanage but to help the entire village as well. They rely on donations to maintain their maximum occupancy of 150 children. The Project Coordinator for Cura Orphanage is Evelyn Mungai. Mungai has been working to empower the women in Cura for a long time. She has been the president of the Rotary Club of Nairobi, chairperson of Transparency International in Kenya, and recipient of the honor of Order of the Grand Warrior by Kenya’s President. Mungai is married to Mike Eldon who also is a supporter of the Cura community. Eldon, like his wife, has been a member and president of the Rotary Club of Nairobi and is part of the council of a local Kenya university. There he is the director of an alternative energy company. Another member of the Cura Orphanage team is Hayden Bixby. Growing up in
Kenya, Bixby attended the University of Nairobi and has graduated in the US with a degree in English and Third World studies from Pitzer College. Yassi Somen moved to the United States as a young girl with her family, escaping the revolution in Iran. As a volunteer at the Cura Rotary Home and Primary School, Somen decided to invest her time in the orphanage. Dan Eldon was a photojournalist who was murdered in Somalia in 1992. Eldon was raised in Kenya, Africa and never turned his back on “his” Africa. Eldon was determined to document the famine in Somalia during the 1990s and his photos were seen throughout the world. However, a fateful accident caused the people of Somalia to turn on all non-native persons and stone Eldon and three other journalists to death in the streets. From there Dan became more famous and well known than he could ever imagine. His mother, Kathy, and sister, Amy, published Eldon’s journals that showed Dan’s insight and artistic view on the world. Amy and Kathy formed Creative Visions, to help make the world a better place by funding different charitable acts including Cura Orphanage. Kathy and Amy strive to promote Dan’s philosophy “Safari as a way of Life”.
Amy Eldon began her own journalist career and completed a documentary honoring her brother. Amy was the producer of Global Tribe that was dedicated to making changes across the world. Her mother and she have written numerous books. Amy is the Co-Chair of the Creative Visions Foundation and plays a major role in the operation of Cura Orphanage. Jon Turteltaub, another member of the Cura Orphanage team, is the husband of Amy Eldon. Turteltaub is the director for National Treasure, While You Were Sleeping, Cool Runnings, Phenomenon and many other films including his newest The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Susan O’Neal is another member of the Cura Orphanage Advisory Committee. O’Neal is a humanitarian and strives to make the lives of others in poverty-stricken countries better. Cura Orphanage is dedicated to the improvement of children in the Cura village. With the help of donations from people, the Cura Orphanage team hopes to make their goal of filling their 150 beds.