NOV2006

Page 1

November, 2006

Hi L ife

Vol. 81/Issue 2

2305 East Main League City, Texas 77573

CCISD wins an EMMY for “Get Connected” website Tori Wycoff

Every year EMMY awards are given out on the national level at the Academy Awards. The EMMY Awards recognize excellence within various areas of the television industry. The awards are a symbol of peer recognition from over 12,000 members of the Academy and each member casts a ballot for the category of competition in their field of expertise. Not only are these awards distributed nationally, they are also given out by various chapters of the Academy. In Texas, the Lone Star EMMY Chapter is a part of the National Television Academy that distributes awards based on excellence in the television broadcasting industry. This year, not only did local news stations win various awards, but the Clear Creek Independent School District “Get Connected” website won the Lone Star EMMY for Interactivity. CCISD is the only school district to have received an EMMY in this category as well as the only district to ever win an EMMY. The Office of Public Information produces the “Get Connected” website for CCISD which is a monthly online media program that displays videos that pertain to happenings in and around the district. These videos are displayed as a show that can be downloaded

and watched from any computer. This show was created to inform the community

about programs implemented in the district as well as interesting stories and people. Its mission is to “foster pride and awareness in the successes and accomplishments of CCISD.” In the past year, the “Get Connected” show has aired on public access channels in Nassau Bay and League City. An award-winning staff, that includes the CCISD Director of Public Relations, Karen Permetti, the District Videographer, Joe Perez and the District Webmaster, Melissa Wiland, compiles the website. This endeavor was the brainchild of Ms. Permetti, who developed her idea of spreading the great news of events occurring in CCISD. “Two years ago, Joe Perez and I talked about producing a television show where our community could see all the great stories that occur in Clear Creek ISD,” Permetti said, “and I researched the many school districts that already had something similar in place.” Permetti, along with Perez,

decided on using a magazine format for the outlet so they “ could engage our community and have student involvement.” Soon after, Melissa Wiland, the CCISD webmaster, was added to the staff, and she suggested putting the show online where it would be easy for everyone to watch and access. Together, Wiland and Perez created the “Get Connected” website that won the award. After winning such a prestigious award, Permetti said, “We were so surprised that we won since we were up against the Stossel Report, which promoted John Stossel’s program 20/20 on ABC. I think the entire Office of Public Information was on cloud nine for a solid week! We just couldn’t believe that we had an actual EMMY statue sitting in our office!” The “Get Connected” website is accessible through the CCISD website at www.ccisd.net/GetConnected.

‘07” and the simple statement “seniors” are just some of the writings on campus. The seniors usually make signs and write these sayings in chalk on the cement. For years, this decoration idea has successfully motivated the school and shown school spirit. However, this year, the supposed spirited quotes had become underclassmen jokes. Not only did the words put students down, but they were written disrespectfully on the monuments and benches. Vandalism is the wilfull or malicious destruction of public or private property. That is exactly what happened at Creek. By writing on the monuments, school spirit turned into something else. Cussing the underclassmen and sexually related jokes caused hatred. What should have help excite Creek students, put students down.

The school spirit privileges were abused. School spirit is to help the school come together and motivate the athletes. However, this changed when students were disrespectful. One of the best spirit ideas to decorate the school was ruined with the selfish act. Seniors have always been the leaders of the school, and underclassmen have always followed their example. Senior leadership and experience makes them deserving of their place as top dog. However, when the seniors bring down the underclassmen to feel more important, the underclassmen stop admiring their role models. Creek should be competing with other schools, not each other.

Photo of EMMY award that CCISD won for the “Get Connected” website thanks to Karen Permetti, Joe Perez, and Melissa Wiland. Photo by Fallan Drago.

School spirit goes too far at Homecoming Cassie Lee

For decades, Clear Creek students have expressed their excitement for Homecoming. Each tradition is rich with school spirit and support for the football team. This camraderie among peers and enthusiasm for school pride has always been encouraged, until recent events on campus caused school administration to blow the whistle. Homecoming week is a way to pump up the football team and its fans. Each day is designed to represent a theme and students are allowed to dress up and have fun, while helping to inspire the school. From Hawaiian day to “Go Texan” day, students find creative ways to represent these themes. Dressing like another student on “Twin” day opens up the imagination and becomes a contest to out dress other twins. These themed days offer a way for

every student to get involved, however, no class can match the passion and excitement of the Clear Creek seniors. Being a senior is what makes Homecoming such a huge deal. The game is dedicated to the seniors. They have traditional spirit privileges only allowed for seniors. One privilege for upperclassmen is to wear an all white and silver mum. The flashing ribbons identify the wearer as the eldest and most respected of all classes. Unlike the lowerclassmen, seniors have the privelege to wear a decorated paper crown. This crown symbolizes that the seniors are the rulers of the school. All underclassmen are supposed to honor and give their upmost respect for the leaders of the school. Another way seniors lay down the law is by decorating the campus with sayings to pump up the varsity seniors. “Class of Mix It Up day was a sucess for the fifth year in a row. Read more about the events that took place in the cafeteria on page 5.

Creek’s varsity water polo teams made it to state and did extremely well. Read more on page 14 to find what players received top honors.

Photo by Fallan Drago.

Photo by http://www.clearcreekaquatics.org/

The United States’ population has reached over 300 million people, doubling in the past 100 years. Find out why on page 5. Photo by

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2006-

10/19/xin_481003190920611116198.jpg

Jingle Jam tickets are going fast, but there are still some left. Find out who is playing this year at 104.1 KRBE’s holiday concert on page 12. Photo

by

http://www.104krbe.com/events/special/

jingle_jam_06/jingle_jam.asp

Clear Creek HiLife


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