Vol. XV Issue 2
March, 2012
Cypress Springs High School - 7909 Fry Rd. Cypress, Texas 77433
Boys team dominates in playoffs, finally falls to Travis Cy Springs defeats Alief, Strake Jesuit, Bellaire before falling in fourth round by Dulce Soto Editor-in-Chief Friday night was heartbreaking for the Panther boy's basketball team after being beaten in the third round of the playoffs to Travis 90-58. This was on the heels of an incredible playoff streak. Tuesday, MFeb. 28, the Panthers traded the lead with the Bellaire Cardinals six times in the final period, but a last-second three pointer by senior guard Richard Benedyth sent the game into overtime where the Panthers defeated the Cardinals 87-81. This incredible win was on the heels of last Friday nights victory over Strake Jesuit in a down-to-the-buzzer, nail-biter 68-67. Benedyth scored 30 points in that contest, Cam Langley had
Lead scorer Richard Banedyth is interviewed by High School Hopefuls, a sports website, after his 30-point contribution to the Panther win over Strake Jesuit.
12 and Antio Jackson had 10. Tuesday night was the team's third playoff win. The first came when Cypress Springs defeated Alief Taylor, 7364, Feb. 21 at Coleman Coliseum.
Blood Drive successful
Students, staff line up to give gift of life by Cynthia Arreguin & BreeAngela Hamilton “Give a life to save a life” is how the saying goes. Friday, February 3, students and teachers at Cy-Springs demonstrated their belief in this proverb by donating blood at the HOSA-sponsored blood drive. A blood donation can be effective in several ways. The blood can be broken down into plasma, red blood cells or platelets, or given as whole blood to various types of patients. “I decided to donate blood because I wanted to save lives,” senior Albernequa Walker said. Many students registered to donate blood, some for the first time. “I’ve never donated blood before,”
junior DeCarrio Turner said. “I hope that my donation will go to someone who really needs it.” During donation, which takes about 10 minutes, students were willing to share their experiences. “Giving blood is not as painful as people think,” Turner said. Senior Emilio De Luna added, “The best way to prepare to give blood is to keep your mind off of the pain and focus on the good you’re doing.” Several students also expressed their interest in donating again. “I donated blood during last year’s blood drive and will definitely donate again,” De Luna said. “I hope that my donation saves a life and that I’m able to make a difference.”
Tammy Osman offers a smile with her pint of blood at the latest blood drive held in the multipurpose room.
The Panthers and their fans flood the court after the team upset Strake Jesuit Feb. 24. Screenshot courtesy of highschoolhopefuls.com.
SOPA & PIPA Internet censorship may be closer than we think by BreeAngela Hamilton Reporter Imagine the Internet without your favorite websites. Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, Google, Twitter and Tumblr – gone. Imagine that you’re no longer able to share those funny viral videos with friends and family and that you’re no longer able to keep up with their day-to-day activities. You can’t even finish that research paper that’s due at midnight. Imagine these things; take into account the effect this would have on your life. If proposed laws SOPA and PIPA were to pass, this could very well be your future. Regardless of whether or not you’ve heard of these laws, you’re probably wondering what all of the hoopla is about in the media. The Stop Online Piracy Act and the PROTECT IP Act, affectionately known as SOPA and PIPA, respectively, have become the talk of international news as of late. Both supported by giants in the entertainment industry, such as the Motion Picture Association of America, NBCUniversal, the Recording Industry Association of America and Viacom, the points of SOPA and PIPA are to put an end to online piracy, copyright infringement and the theft of intellectual property, a noble cause. So why are Internet-based companies like Facebook, Google, Twitter and Wikipedia protesting the passage
of these bills? The answer can be summed up in two words: Internet censorship. The problem with these bills is their broad wording. The passage of SOPA and PIPA could lead to the eventual shut down or crippling of the aforementioned Internet-based companies. If passed in their current form, these bills could essentially make alleged copyright infringing websites disappear through the use of IP blocking. Companies could become liable for user content and Internet business could suffer. These proposed laws have even spurred online protests. January 18, 2012, several Internet-based companies “blacked-out” their sites. Google covered its trademark logo with a black banner, while Wikipedia blocked access to its site altogether, providing users with a black page and white text explaining the protest and urging users to contact their government representatives to voice their opposition to SOPA and PIPA. As of now, Congress has yet to pass either bill. According to CBS News, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has stated that a vote on PIPA would be postponed until the issues raised about the bill had been resolved. And as for SOPA, according to The New York Times, Representative Darrell Issa has stated that he has received assurances from Representative Eric Cantor that the bill would not be voted upon until a consensus could be reached.