the
crimsonconnection
cypress woods
volume 1
issue 6
monday, april 6
Striving
but not
thriving
the
crimsonconnection Acting Editors EDITOR-IN-CHIEF abbie mcintosh
MANAGING EDITOR rebecca rudolph
LAYOUT EDITOR delaney vasisko
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR byria hamblin
NEWS/FEATURE EDITOR emma fritz
EDITORIAL EDITOR shannon steele
SPORTS EDITOR colin gay
BUSINESS MANAGER brad wargo
SOCIAL COORDINATOR byria hamblin
editorial policy The Crimson Connection is published seven times a year and distributed free by the Cy Woods Journalism Department. The Editorial Board consists of two editors. The Board determines the stances of editorials, as well as the content of the newsmagazine. Letters or comments are welcome and should be sent to room 1866 at the school address. To be printed by the school newspaper, the letter or comments must be signed and legible. The editors reserve the right to edit letters. The opinion of the staff does not necessarily represent or reflect the opinions of the faculty of this school or this district.
Make your voice heard. The Crimson Connection staff wants to know your questions, concerns, or comments. If you would like to contribute to the next issue of The Crimson Connection, please email us at: abigail.paysse@cfisd.net Cypress Woods High School 13550 Woods Spillane Blvd. Cypress, TX 77429 (281) 213-1913 abigail.paysse@cfisd.net
Dear fellow Wildcats,
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Letter from the editor:
First off, I hope all of you love this issue as much as we do. As always, a lot of hard work and countless hours have gone into making this issue the best it can possibly be. This issue, we underclassmen were left to produce this issue on our own without the help of our beloved seniors and it has been a fun, exciting and challenging experience. I never realized how much our Editor-in-Chiefs had to take care of and if you ask me, I have found a new amount of respect for what not only our Editor-in-Chiefs have done, but what our seniors have begun. I hope this issue does justice to the previous ones that came before it. I really hope you enjoy this issue! Happy reading! Sincerely,
Abbie McIntosh Editor-in-Chief
contents
No time for sleep
New season new you
4
Photo by: Abbie McIntosh
Affairs of the Heart
16
Photo provided by: Ramona Martinez
12 & 13
Photo by: Bryia Hamblin
Limerence Without Love
Photo by:David Gay
17
Covers by: Delaney Vasisko, Abbie McIntosh, Rebecca Ruldolph, Shannon Steele, Emma Fritz
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4.06.14
No Time for Sleep
The psychology of sleep deprivation Busy teens have strange sleep schedules. With hours of homework and extracurricular activities taking up the majority of the opinion day, teens often find it difficult to get enough sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, teens need an average of eight to nine hours of sleep each night, while adults need six to eight hours. Most students, however, do not get nearly this much sleep during the week. “Usually, I go to sleep at 1:30 a.m. and wake up around 5:45,” senior Trent Strahan said. Such sleep times are common for many students, especially those in advanced classes. Students, like sophomore Lily England, blame their lack of sleep on excessive amounts of homework each night. “I feel like some teachers don’t understand that we have other homework and only a few hours after school to do it,” England said. “I have to listen to music just to stay awake long enough to finish my homework.” Too little sleep causes sleep deprivation, which can have serious side effects. “It’s like not changing the oil in your car,” Psychology teacher Jason Porter said. “You can keep putting gas in it and keep going, but if you don’t take care of it, then it will shut your body down.” When used too much, the body builds up immunity to artificial stimulants such as caffeine, which makes them ineffective in fighting sleepiness. “When you drink more and more your body becomes dependent on it,” Porter said. “If it sounds like a type of drug addiction that is because it is.” Some students stay awake throughout the night to finish homework. “I have definitely pulled an all-nighter before,” England said. “I hate it, but I just have so much to do.” The reasons for staying awake long into the night far outweigh the lack of sleep.
editor
shannon
steele
50
%
15
%
of teens are sleep deprived
of teens sleep less than 8.5 hours
“I’m working towards going to college, getting a career and being successful,” junior Sheila Angeles said. “There are nights when I want to quit everything and just fall asleep, but I can’t.” Not to mention those who stay up all night generally hurt rather than help themselves. “With a lack of sleep your judgment is impaired,” Porter said. “If you stay up all night you don’t give yourself an opportunity to process the information. You are better off studying until about an hour before you go to sleep.” Furthermore, studies show that sleep cannot be made up. In other words, sleeping all weekend will not balance lack of sleep during the week.
100,000 car crashes due to sleep deprivation each year
6.8
hours of homework every evening
“It’s like having to eat a balanced meal each day,” Porter said. “The body adjusts to what is a normal level of sleep for you.” No matter what, it is no secret that teens need more sleep than they usually get. To stay healthy, Porter suggests that teens aim to get enough sleep, but losing sleep every once in a while will not hurt too much.
“ 4.06.14
thecrimsonconnection.com
Blame it on turnitin Turnitin.com faces controversy fritz
editor
emma
Turnitin.com is widely used by the English department as a way of uploading student’s papers to be graded and to news check for plagiarism. Although this is easier for teachers, in a Texas Tech study Turnitin was proven to have many problems including false-positives on plagiarism and inconsistent grading. In the Texas Tech study, professors uploaded 200 potentially plagiarized papers and found that many papers were overlooked or appraised as plagiarism, when they were not. These false-positives on student work cause inaccurate information given to the teachers, which then transfers blame onto possibly innocent students. Turnitin.com does not prove or disprove plagiarism, it simply finds similar phrases and deems them false. Some English teachers are aware of the inaccuracy of this website. “It’s not necessarily that the program finds plagiarism per say,” senior English teacher Virginia Flores said. “What it does is find any matches to research or other referenced works.” The unreliability of this website does not halt a teacher’s use of this program because there are still positives to be found within it.
“We primarily use Turnitin.com as a resource for students to submit written work while the system checks the writing for originality,” Flores said. “It allows for electronic grading thus decreasing the amount of papers we have to take home.” While the English department continues using Turnitin.com, students say they have had enough with the program. “It’s a good site, but sometimes its copy write is a bit too specific,” senior Abigail Rodriguez said. “For example, sometimes it will just do character names and book titles as plagiarism which makes things more complicated.” Many students find more issues than just the false-positives of plagiarism with Turnitin.com. “I don’t like it, I tried turning [a paper] in once and it crashed after I typed it all in,” sophomore Kelli Brusen said. “We shouldn’t use it at all, it doesn’t help anything so it’s silly to use.” Despite this controversy, the English department will currently continue to use Turnitin.com as a plagiarism finder.
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I think [Turnitin.com] is good because if you don’t finish something in class you have until midnight to finish it.
[ Kate Wierzbicki,11]
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It is dumb. It says you are plagiarizing when you aren’t. It’s worthless.
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[ Austin Hoeft,9 ] Photo by: Abigail Paysse
Missing Malaysian Plane
Possible answers to the whereabouts of the lost flight For many, the incident of the missing Malaysian flight has no significance or impact. For a few students, curiosity spiked upon its disappearance, and managing started formulating some possible answers. “It was simply just another lost plane,” said junior Chase Reyes. This was not the only logical explanation.
editor
rebecca
rudolph
“It probably turned around and then lost its signal,” said junior Anika Ramchand. As the believers got more into answers, their possibilities became more farfetched. “Aliens turned off the transponder,” junior Carlo Pangilinan said. “So nobody would be able to find them.” This soon turned into a speculation. “There were two men with fake passports aboard,” junior Beatriz Lopez said. “I’m assuming they were involved.” Then into gratefulness for not missing a
loved one. They even resulted in random destruction. “[It was] blown up by a missile,” junior Tristan Sangster said. Think a while for yourself and decide what you believe about the mysterious vanishing of the plane. After all of these opinions, the news’ latest findings have determined that flight 370 went down in the Indian Ocean and all lives were lost.
C W S PR ING NOTEBOO K colingay
sportseditor
Wildcat Baseball
As the school year springs into a new semester, the Wildcat baseball team is preparing for a district fight that will be a tough one. With new seniors taking the reins as leaders, the Wildcats are looking for that prestigious spot in the district playoffs. Thomas Loria, Varsity head coach, thinks that the playing style for this team will have to change this season. “We are going to have to be the total package,” Loria said. “We are going to have to play defense, hit consistently, score runs, and have adequate pitching to where we don’t give up the big inning.” The pitching for this team, according to Loria, needs to step up and be a dominant force that can get them deep into ballgames. “We are going to be able to have to get consistently good outings from our pitching in order for us to stay in ballgames and have a chance to win,” Loria said. “I think that is our biggest deal when it comes to staying
Wildcat Football
The offseason for football players is a quiet time. The players are now preparing for the 2014 fall season. Although the real work will come in the summer and the fall, the mentality for improving their team after their second round loss to Katy last year has never gone away. Trent Faith, head football coach, believes that this team can be as good as last year’s although the presence of this year’s seniors was prevalent to this year’s success. “We feel like we are going to have a good football team,” Faith said. “Every team is different. The chemistry is different, the make-up and the players are different.” The chemistry of a team all depends on the leaders the team has. Faith believes that there are clear leaders for both the offense and defense. “We feel like Nick Hooper is our
competitive and even more than that, actually getting to the district playoffs.” One of those pitchers, junior Reece
change game to game. “At any given moment and at any given time, any one of these guys has the ability to step up,” Loria said. “They either say the right thing or do the right thing and give direction to some of these younger guys that haven’t been through it.” These teams in the district are a lot similar according to Loria. “When you look at the top eight teams in the district we are all made up of the same kind of players,” Loria Seth Oliver hits a home-run during a game. Photo by: Cameron Brooks said. “It is just who is better Clark, is looking for things to improve that night and usually anybody can beat this season. anybody on any given night.” “For this season, I am individually The Wildcats are looking to succeed in working on some little things like this tough district but Clark thinks that pitching mechanics and form so that this team is good enough to do so. it can all tie together when I pitch,” “Every year, we always play to win a Clark said. “I am also practicing getting district championship and nothing less,” mentally prepared for the district games Clark said. “I believe our team this year so that when I play, I can perform at my will absolutely be competing for the best.” number one spot in the district and have The players who step up and lead can a chance at the title.” leader on offense. He is a great leader to improve for the next season. and a heck of a player,” Faith said. “We “I feel like we have to get our offensive also feel like Justyn Johnson will be our line to play better and improve as a leader on football team,” Faith defense. said. “We feel good He is our about our anchor returning positions, defensive all-district line, but we need our noseguard offensive line to be a and he will dominant force.” anchor that Even with things defensive to work on, Johnson front for us.” thinks that this team J u n i o r will be a force to be noseguard reckoned with come Redden lifting to prepare for football next year J u s t y n Brandt district play. Photo by: Colin Gay J o h n s o n “I think we are going to be thinks that the closeness of the team is pretty good,” Johnson said. “We should what is different from previous years. finish at the top. I do not think that there “We are more connected and have is anyone that can stop us.” more chemistry this year,” Johnson said. With a long way to go before the Although the Wildcats made it to the season starts, the Wildcat football team second round of playoffs last season, will not stop working until they achieve Faith still believes that there are things greatness.
“ 04.06.14
thecrimsonconnection.com
action
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the
Threaton the field
Soccer player takes aggression to the next level Coming at you on the field fast and hard, soccer players know no bounds of aggression. For one in particular, this strength and managing resilience has given her a new name, “Mac Truck.” Junior soccer player Gabby Lammie has obtained this nickname from her teammates for her aggression and relentless kicking abilities. “When I was 10, my coach told me that you can tackle in soccer,” Lammie said. “I thought he meant football tackle so I went into the game literally trying to take out each player with any part of my body. From then on, I just became used to taking people out and it made the game more fun for me. It was a way to let out my anger by taking the harder route of breaking through people rather than going around them.” From her old coach to her new coach, Lammie still demonstrates her abilities. “She’s really strong [and] can squat almost 300 pounds,” varsity soccer coach Amy Trocquet said. “She goes through people instead of going around them.” When it comes to confronting an
editor
rebecca
rudolph
opponent, Lammie does not stop her perseverance. “I feel like she just gets into it and doesn’t know her own strength,” Trocquet said. “When she goes through p e o p l e , she’s not doing it maliciously; she is just doing it in the heat of the moment.” In addition to scaring her opponents, Lammie also spreads fear into her teammates. “Everyone is afraid to go against her because she’s so tough,” teammate Jessica Lykins said. Although Lammie is a threat on the field, off of it she is just a normal student. “She does really well in school,” Trocquet said. “She’s a good kid. She’s very sweet and always respectful.” Lammie knows her strengths and weaknesses, but when it comes to the game, nothing
makes her happier. “My nickname has added confidence to my playing because it allows me to not feel weak or scared,” Lammie said. “I feel victorious when I can break through a group of players with the ball and have a shot on the goalie. It reminds me that I may not be the best on our team, but strength can get me to the goal I want when I strive for it.”
Photo by: Rebecca Rudolph
“8 voices
thecrimsonconnection.com
4.06.14
Buying the wow factor
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Are project grades based on merit or money? steele
editor
shannon
The moment a teacher hands out a project rubric, the class falls silent. Some people search fervently for a due date. opinion Others, the number of members allowed in a group. With many projects, the rubric includes spaces for all of the required parts plus a section for going above and beyond. In order to get an A, students usually have to impress the teacher, which means buying more materials. With the amount of money spent on projects, the stress falls not only on the students, but also on the parents. Not to say that no students pay for project supplies. That is certainly not true, but what parents can resist driving all over town for materials for the sake of their children? Parents are here to help, but some students overuse their parents’ time and bank account in exchange for a
good grade. As a Physics I student, I had the pleasure of designing and building a roller coaster that was not only structurally sound, but capable of lifting a marble from the bottom to the top mechanically. When my group received the packet full of information, the project seemed difficult but doable. We made plans for a huge roller coaster with elaborate decorations and the so-called “wow factor” that so many teachers want to see. After designing, we began the actual building phase, and it was probably one of the most difficult weeks of my life. My group spent every night for a week working late just trying to get the thing to work, not to mention decorating it. We took countless trips to Home Depot and Hobby Lobby, and even had to enlist the help of my father’s power tools to get the job done. In the end, we did finish and it did work enough for the presentation, but this came at a price:
the total cost of everything was well over our original budget, and we needed the help of each group member’s parents just to finish on time. The roller coaster project, however, is not just any other project. This type of project is almost designed for students to spend money and get help from parents. On most projects like this, where following directions is the most important criteria, teachers inevitably give better grades to those who appear to have spent more money; the more expensive it is, the better the “wow factor,” and the higher the grade. But these types of assignments teach students not to be economical but frivolous. The mentality that one needs to make a pretty, and thus high-scoring, project essentially teaches that one can buy grades. School projects exist to test a student’s knowledge and skills, not to drain bank accounts.
Counter Cultural connections marlow
reporter
madelynn
I am a very selfcritical person. Probably one of the most self-critical people you will ever meet. I have senior a horrible habit of beating myself up whenever I mess up, even in small ways. I constantly think of ways I can fix what I did or how I can improve my actions in the future so that whatever mistake I made won’t happen again. I am innately a fixer at heart. While my desire to fix broken things in me and around me can be a good motivator to do better sometimes, it ultimately exhausts me at the end of most days and leaves me more stressed than satisfied. I had one of these self-critical moments when I was running the other day, which is a rarity with my schedule and energy level. I hadn’t run in months, so I had to stop and take a break in the middle of a two mile run. As I sat on a
bench to catch my breath, I beat myself up over how I was so weak, how I used to be so much faster, how two miles shouldn’t kill me like that, how I should keep going instead of stopping. And then I thought back to when I was little, before I could run, before I fully knew how to walk. I thought about how when I was taking my first steps and I fell, my parents didn’t get mad at me or yell. They didn’t tell me what a stupid baby I was or that I was a failure at learning to walk. They received me with grace, picked me back up and showed me how to walk again until I could firmly stand on my own two feet and run boldly as a child should. As I thought about this, a peace came over me. It’s so hard for me to have grace for myself when I fall. I want to blame myself and fix things right away. My worries begin to build up until every day I’m just muddling through the anxiety, trying to make some path to peace. But
in the stillness of the moments when my heart can just rest and receive grace for myself, my mind finds the peace it craves. I’ve learned I need to look at myself the way my parents looked at me when I taking my first steps, as just a person still learning how to walk through life, still wobbly on my feet yet brave enough to learn. Falling is inevitable. We all makes mistakes and get hurt. But what matters is not that we fell. It’s not that we stopped and hit a wall in our life. What matters is what we do after the fall and how we move past the wall that hinders us. If we could view our lives through the lens of grace, our load would be a lot lighter to carry and our paths a little brighter. When we stop focusing on our inability to fix every mistake we’ve made, our pasts begin to make us stronger. Each step we take can be bolder when we learn from what’s behind and joyfully press on to what lies ahead.
“ 4.06.14
thecrimsonconnection.com
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GIRL C DE GUY C DE That awkward moment when teacher “mom.” Or when you introduce yourself to someone and they tell you they have been in your third period all year. You honestly just have to do the best to glaze over it. When you mess up and drop the “mom” bomb you have to not even acknowledge it and just slide into the question. The more you focus on it, the more embarrassing it gets. Silence is one of the most awkward times. Whether you have just told a joke, or explained a story, silence when you finish talking is the worst. Everyone sits there and just looks around waiting for someone else to talk. You may have thought you told the best joke of the century, yet no one is laughing. This is definitely one of the hardest situations to overcome for me. I find that beginning to talk about what you did over the weekend, or even something going on at school will draw the attention away from the awkward silence and onto a new topic. The most important thing to remember when you get put in an awkward situation you are not alone. Look around. I bet half the kids you are sitting by have had the same things happen to them.
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Awkward moments probably happen a lot more than we want them to—cracking a joke and no one laughs; drinking some water and it lands on your nono square; walking in late and everyone stares at you. The list is never ending, yet we never really stop and talk about what we would or should do in those ‘awkward’ situations. When you are cracking a joke and no one laughs: you are sitting there with your friends calling everyone to attention to tell your joke. As you start, everyone leans in waiting to hear the punch-line so they can burst out in laughter. As you progress, some of them start to look disinterested, but you continue. Rapidly piecing the rest together you burst out with the punch-line expecting some kind of reaction—nothing. In a situation like this there are a couple of ways to go about getting out of it. The first is always playing the ‘oh, I guess you had to be there’ card. This buffers yourself from the fact that you tell terrible jokes. Second, you could just say ‘I told you it wasn’t funny’ and get more of a sympathetic reaction. That’s when they respond ‘oh no, it was funny, it just took me longer than normal to figure out.’ Another awkward moment would be, when you walk in late and everyone stares at you: after suffering through a doctor’s session testing who knows what your wonderful parents still make you come to school. To make it worse it is not one of those nice times such as in between classes,
instead it is wargo at the ripe time when class is in session. Wobbling business to your class due to doctor violation, you picture all the terrible things that might happen to you when you walk in—your teacher yells, a student makes a mean comment, you pee your pants [if you pee your pants then you may need to go see the doctor again.] You approach the door, it is locked forcing you to knock and draw more attention to yourself. Finally a student comes and opens the door, you walk in and everyone stares. In this type of situation it is best to just avoid eye contact and make a beeline for your desk. Once seated, you can start to look around, if you are by your best friend explain to them quickly as to why you were gone [spare them the details or they will never let it go], and then if anyone else asks just tell them to ask your friend. If you are unlucky enough to not have a best friend in the class then find the nearest questioner or your next closest friend and follow the same process that you would if they were your best friend. I hope the above helped, but being honest here we probably all have just laughed at those examples saying I would never do that. Trust me, they work. They have been tried and tested several times over by me. Best of luck to you all and may you have many more awkward moments.
manager
editor
delaney
You are rushing to get to school, you know you are only layout one tardy away from getting your parking pass revoked and you are overwhelmed with homework. Then the universe decides to add a cherry to the top of the milkshake that is your hectic life. You spill that hot coffee all over the front of your shirt. For a good minute, you have that “oh shoot” moment, but it is time to pull it together and fix it. Using girl code you can turn this flaw into a flawless day. You cannot turn around and change so now you have reached what I like to call the “Tim Gunn” moment, when you just have to make it work. You need to turn that blouse around and throw a jacket on. Honestly no one is going to be able to tell, trust me. So many awkward situations happen to all of us every day. You have to just learn how to turn the situation around on the spot. These things happen. Not just clothing malfunctions, but simple things happen that are just flat out awkward. For example, when you go to ask a question in class and call your
bradley
vasisko
“10people
Q&A
Eyes of Texas
American Literature teacher Ms. Decman
Everyone at one point has dreamed about being a superhero,or has a favorite. Wildcats share their superhero dreams.
kaurianakendall Over the years, many laws have been made, some one hundred years old, some from the past decade, that pertain to old time problems. Most of these laws only apply to rare and unimagined issues, or just don’t make any sense. Here are some examples along with different students’ reactions to them.
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“That makes sense. You probably shouldn’t pop your eye out to pay for your house or car.” Illustration by: Laura Barbe
Cayden Sessions, 11
“
All about superheros
Check out this weird Texan law
It is illegal to sell your own eyeball
4.06.13
Q: What would your superpower be, if you were a superhero?
A: “Telekinesis,” American Literature teacher Ms. Decman said, “I want to punch somebody 50 feet away from me with my mind.”
Q: Would you have a sidekick? A: “No I would not,” senior Shawn Thomas said,“I
can handle myself and I think they would probably slow me down and not help.”
Q: If you were a superhero what would your name be?
A: “Captain Corn,” sophomore Maize Chase
said,” I love food and it’s very original. It would go along with my power, which would be to make any kind of food I wanted appear.”
“04.06.14
thecrimsonconnection.com
people
C Mag is coming!
11“
Do you love The Crimson Connection? Do you love seeing people you know highlighted in a school publication? If you answered yes to any of this questions, then C-Mag is perfect for you! C-Mag will feature over 200 members of the Class of 2014 and what they have established here at The Woods the past four years. Do not miss out on this exciting, memerable, and collective magazine designed by the seniors of The Crimson Connection!
Pre Sale: $2 Regular Sale: $3 Top row from left to right: Kennedie Hicks, Adam Fish, Gail McGehee Middle row from left to right: Anthony Reyes, Derielle Keiser, Samuel Stewart Bottom row from left to right: Madelynn Marlow, Alex Thompson, Katie Todd
Stay Connected Wildcats
www.TheCrimsonConnection.com The Student News Site of Cy Woods
UIL Results
On March 29, 2014, the Cy Woods UIL teams competed in Distict competition and placed first in team results with a score of 410 points. Here are the results of your fellow Wildcats moving onto Regionals on May 3, 2014: Accounting: Mathematics: 1st- Ian Echols 1st- Andrew Liu 2nd- Thomas Lam 3rd- Ian Echols Calculator Applications: Poetry interpretation: rd 3 - Ian Echols 3rd- Cinthia Moncores Computer Applications: Biology: st 1 – Thomas Lam 1st- Nick Ayoub nd Chemistry: 2 - Alan Ngo Computer Science: 1st-Andrew Liu st Science: 1 - Andrew Liu nd 1st- Nick Ayoub 2 - Thomas Lam Feature writing: 2nd- Andrew Liu st 1 - Nikki Carter 3rd- Sam Rodriguez Headline writing: Social Studies: 1st- Nikki Carter 2nd – Ali Taqvi Literary criticism: 3rd- Drishti Wadhwa 1st- Maddie Williamson Spelling and Vocabulary: 1st- Tanvi Solanki
You n New NewfaSsheionabrso ings new trends Spring
by Byria Hamblin
Date Night
School Day
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Chance Bullard, junior
“[My shirt is from] Urban Outfitters. I get a lot of my clothes from there.”
junior
l, thers Zach McNefraom Brooks and Bro “[My bow tie] is epublic.” from] Banana R and [my shirt is
The latest spring trends are here and brighter than ever. Don’t stress any longer about your spring closet. Here are classic seasonal looks for every occasion .
Day at the Beach
The Athletic Look
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Josh Boyd, senior
“[My shirt is from] Nike , [my trunks are from] Pacsun and [my glasse s are from] Raybands.”
“14voices
Q&A
with the Exchange Students wargo
manager
bradley
Prom. It is was many Americans consider to be a rite of passage, a final dance, a final goodbye. Having been around business for as long as everyone can remember, prom has found its way into movies, future dreams and past memories, but as highly regarded as it is, only America participates in such an activity. Talking with any of the foreign exchange students reveals just how different it is outside of America.
Fang Tarntira
Yes, we have a type of prom in Thailand.
Maria Johnsen
I think it’s really big and really interesting. I’ve heard of the tuxes, limos, and the king and queen.”
friends to homecoming, and Sadie Hawkins [sounds] cool, people should do that all the time, not just the guy asking the girl.
Massardi
to mind?
It’s different since we don’t have those kinds of dances. We don’t have dances that are organized with the school because we don’t have this huge relationship with the school.”
prom with a date, dance, and have fun.
I think people dance weird, and that it is just crazy.
Yes I’ve heard of it.
Q Connection When you hear prom, what comes A Vaage Dresses and suits. I know you go to
CHARLENE-SOREN@JOURNEYS HAIRSTUDIOANDSPAJAEGER.COM
Johnsen I went to homecoming and thought that was pretty fun.”
Q Connection Do you want to go to prom? A Massardi Yeah, I feel like I have to, in order to experience America.
Tarntira
Maybe, I mean, I might go with a group of friends.
Johnsen
Denise Branda
Tarntira
Branda
(281)304-4224 (FAX) 281-758-1888
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I think they’re interesting since we don’t have much else in Thailand.”
Well in Italy we think of prom as like the huge American dance at the end of the school year. Prom dresses and I think the guys dress up. It’s also just like the end of the year.
4.06.14
Tarntira
Marialuisa Massardi
Connection Connection Q Aside Q Crimson from prom what do you think of Has your country heard of prom? the other dances? Vaage A Marte Well of course [Norway’s] heard of A Vaage I thought they were fun, I went with prom. We’ve all seen the movies and heard about ‘American’ prom.
thecrimsonconnection.com
Yes, but I think I’ll just go with a group of friends.
Q Connection What kind of dances does your home A
country have?
Vaage
Well we graduate after 13 years, so after our 13th year we become something called Russ [Rue-ss], and we basically party for like two weeks, then you have the Russ prom, which is unlike here where you dress up, there you just show up and party.”
Johnsen
We don’t really do school parties, instead we have what’s called Studenterfest. That is basically where we get like a group of about 20 kids and go from house to house partying, spending 30 minutes to an hour at each house. It’s a lot of fun and doesn’t really end until we just feel like going home.
Massardi
None really, I mean we’ve started to organize or plan to this prom dance but it’s just to imitate America.
15“
“ 4.06.14
people
Do You Wear Your Music? How your music affects who you are pelton
reporter
ashley
“I think there is one incident I’ll always remember where somebody judged me on my looks,” sophomore Yash Chulki said, “I was in a store staff wearing my American Idiot Green Day shirt with bombs on it. Green Day is known for having rebellious rock music, but it’s why I like it. The lady in front of me kept whispering and looking back at me, just because of what I was wearing. She singled me out, and just made me feel different, like I was up to no good. I just don’t think it is right to judge somebody and assume their identity, because of what they’re wearing, or what they listen to. It’s a stereotype and it’s wrong.” At first glance, looking at the way someone dresses, some might say one could automatically tell about their personality and music choice. “I really think there are stereotypes when it comes to music and fashion,” sophomore Sammie Mackey said. “If you listen to punk
rock, people are going to assume you dress in all black, and are kind of moody. If you listen to a bunch of pop like One Direction or Taylor Swift, people are going to assume you dress preppy and are a generally happy person. I listen to 80’s Music, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to dress like that.” Junior Nicole Bazo agrees, and says you can just look at her and automatically tell what she listens to because of the way she dresses. “I would describe my style as bohemian grunge,” Bazo said. “You could totally just look at me and tell what I listen to. I guess I would consider myself as indy because of the way I dress, and the type of music I listen to. You could tell that without even knowing me.” Bazo also thinks that music is a big factor that influences your personality. She thinks that you are who you listen to. “I think it affects your personality as well,” Bazo said. “If you listen to music like Lana Del Rey, you are most likely a hipster, and if you listen to things like Taylor Swift
you are probably more Country.” Chulki thinks that there is not a link between fashion, music and personality, and those are just stereotypes of the past. “I think there is a semi correlation, but it’s not major or anything,” Yash Chulki said. “I pretty much wear anything I want to. You couldn’t just look at me and decide what I listen to. I think that stereotypes with cliques and music were more in the past. Now more people listen to everything and dress really however they want. I feel like we are breaking those lame stereotypes about fashion and I think that’s great. It shouldn’t really matter what you wear or listen to, as long as you and I get along.” As long as people continue to dress and listen to whatever they want, they can break the stereotype rules. People make it so everyone can listen to whatever they want, and dress however they want. Who knows, you might be surprised as to what is on your friend’s iPod. After all, looks can be deceiving.
“
I FEEL LIKE WE ARE BREAKING THOSE LAME STEREOTYPES ABOUT FASHION AND I THINK THAT’S GREAT - YASH CHULKI
Chulki, Bazo, Mackey, Robles and Nguyen posing for a photo to show off their styles. Photo By: Ashley Pelton
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“16 people
thecrimsonconnection.com
Affairs of the Heart
“
04.06.14
Spanish teachers escape Cuba mcintosh
in-chief
abbie
Ninety miles; that is all that separates Cuba from the United States. All that separates chains and freedom; all that separates life and death in some cases. To editor put it into perspective, ninety miles is a little farther than halfway to Austin from Houston. Only ninety miles; yet millions of people are still trapped in one of the world’s most communistic countries. But there are success stories of people coming out on the other side that gives millions hope and inspiration to try and escape themselves. Spanish teachers, Ileana Perez and Ramona Martinez, escaped Cuba in 1987 and 2004, respectively, in search of a new life and personal freedoms that were not given to them. “We [Cubans] do not have freedom of anything,” Perez said. “I came to America looking for freedom of speech and a place where I could live in peace.” Since Perez and Martinez have been alive, they have only known the power of one leader: Fidel Castro. Castro came into power in 1959 and created the first and only communist country in the Western Hemisphere. Castro is portrayed like any other dictator in history: a man who needs to be taken out of power. Perez had a relationship with Castro that not many had. “I worked for the government as a French translator,” Perez said. “I was Castro’s translator and his speeches fired everyone up.” But little by little, Perez started to see that she needed to escape. “When I worked for the government, I did what I had to do,” Perez said. “Even being as close to [Castro] as I was, I realized this was not for me. I had to leave.” Like Perez, Martinez had similar motives for leaving Cuba. “It’s hard to live in a country with no freedoms,” Martinez said. “You cannot say what you want or think because everyone is watching over you.” But unlike Perez, Martinez was in search of more freedoms than just freedom of speech. “I only went to church twice a year, and I remember being so scared the following
From left to right: Martinez, her daugher, her daughter’s godmother, and Martinez’s husband Photo contibuted by: Ramona Martinez
Monday because what if someone saw me entering church?” Martinez said. “I could be reported and kicked out of school.” On top of having no personal freedoms, the Cuban government requires all high school students to go through military training that is almost unheard of in today’s society. “In high school, the government made us believe the United States wanted to attack Cuba so we had to be ready to defend our country,” Martinez said. “Being 13, 14 years old, I had to know how to fire an AK-47 and I had to be able to shoot it and clean it in a certain amount of time. Looking back, it’s insane.” After 30 years, Martinez realized she needed to leave, but her process was made more difficult when her husband went to a medical conference in Chicago and decided to stay. “Because my husband stayed, my family and I were held as prisoners because he ‘deserted’ the country,” Martinez said. With her husband already in the United States, Martinez tried every possible legal way of coming to the United States, without any luck, until one day she received a letter of acceptance for the National Visa Program. “I had to go to the embassy to tell them I was accepted into the program, but they would not let me leave unless I divorced my
husband,” Martinez said. With the goal of reaching the United States in sight, Martinez had to make a difficult decision. “It was a long and hard process, but I divorced my husband,” Martinez said. “It was a fake divorce because in my heart, I knew I was still his wife.” With the divorce being final, Martinez and her daughter left Cuba and reached the United States on November 5, 2004. “My grandparents, mother, step father, and sister all still live in Cuba,” Perez said. “I still have communication with them almost every week.” Both Perez and Martinez have had to create a whole new life for themselves which started with getting a job. “I majored in education and Spanish is my native language so I thought I would become a Spanish teacher,” Perez said. Martinez has gone back to Cuba to visit family and it makes her feel lucky to live in the United States. “I went back in 2010 and it was horrible,” Martinez said. “After living in the U.S., I wonder to myself every day, how did I live there and how do they still live there?” Now both Martinez and Perez have made lives of their own in the U.S. and they could not be more proud. “I am an American citizen,” Perez said. “I am so proud of it!”
“ 4.06.14
thecrimsonconnection.com
people
17“
Limerence Without Love Local post-hardcore band trying to hit the big time gay
reporter
david
Many individuals dream of being part of a band, but many will rarely form one. But, eight students challenged that dream. staff Limerence Without Love is a seven piece Post-Hardcore band created by junior lead singer Armand Celestine and sophomore lead guitarist Trung Nguyen. The band also includes junior vocalist Michael Dow, sophomore rhythm guitarist Jorge Munoz, junior bass guitarist Chandler Green, junior Darrin Wiley on keyboard and sophomore drummer Brian Green. The band started in June 2013 but, came together by chance. “It started pretty much by accident,” Green said. “Trung was already playing guitar and I went and bought a bass randomly. We already knew that Armand could sing and Michael could scream, so it just happened.” After the band came together, picking a band name was at hand. A simple YouTube video changed that. “I was watching a YouTube video about love,” Nguyen said. “One of the words in that video that stood out to me was Limerence. Since most of us have gone through that transition, I thought that it would be a good thing to name our band. It is a good way to connect with people.” Limerence is an uncontrolled state of mind that results from a romantic attraction to another individual combined with an obsessive need to have one’s feelings returned mutually. Limerence Without Love plays a unique genre of music. “We play Post-Hardcore music mixed with a little screamo,” Celestine said. Many other popular bands that play the same type of music influence their style. “Many bands like Of Mice and Men, Issues, Crown the Empire, and Memphis May Fire, influenced us,” Dow said. Since not many people listen to this type of music, the band’s goal is to spread this kind of music to more people around this area. “It is not as popular as pop music,” Dow said. “But, our goal as a band is to broaden the fan base of this type of music.” Through their unique style of music, they will still attempt to reach out to the people who listen to other kinds of music.
“With Armand’s soulful voice, we can get some of the pop crowd into our music,” Nguyen said. Their recent first gig was nerve-racking for the band. “Our first gig was at Casino Night,” Celestine said. “I had a nervous breakdown before we started. I was scared out of my mind. I did not know how the crowd would react to us.” The reaction to the first gig was very positive. “People seemed to like us,” Green said. “But a lot of them were focused on playing poker. We got an overall positive reaction for Casino Night.” After that first gig, more successful shows occurred. “We also played at Tasty Waves with a little acoustic show,” Nguyen said. “They want us to come back in the summer once it gets busier.” N o w , the band is preparing for their biggest gig yet. “We are preparing for Band
Brian Green and Trung Nguyen playing during band practice Photo by: David Gay
Banquet right now,” Celestine said. “Our goal is to connect to people and Band Banquet is the perfect time to do that.” The band has plans to expand out of the school and to go more into the area. “After band banquet,” Green said. “We will actually have the experience to go and do bigger gigs.” Nevertheless, with the band expanding means that they will need more songs to sing in their repertoire. “We have four original songs,” Celestine said. “We need to add music to them and practice them before we perform them for people.” You can find Limerence Without Love on SoundCloud at soundcloud.com/ limerence-without-love
Limerence Without Love Logo Provided by: Darrin Wiley
“ 18media
thecrimsonconnection.com
4.06.14
Oh the things we will meme In the early 2000’s, the internet sensation of memes emerged. The viral graphics have become a mainstream way to share photos layout and ideas through the internet. Evolving from 4chan and reddit websites, or sites where people make links and connect through posts, memes have become a way to share popular cultural norms as well as ideas. Some of the most viral memes like the “Overly Attached Girlfriend” and “The Most Photogenic Man” have surfaced from these websites. “A good meme is made with a funny face or picture and a sarcastic or funny comment,” sophomore Corneisja Harrison said. Memes have become widely shared through most social networking and has now become a marketing resource. With how easy it is to share posts on media now, memes have spread almost like a disease. “The e-card memes with the woman sarcastically saying something is my
editor
delaney
vasisko
Photo provided by: Cory L
favorite,” senior Rainee Zaborowski said. “Bad Luck Brian,” “Success Kid,” and “The Most Photogenic Man” memes are just a few memes that are currently viral. Variations of these memes have been created and shared across the internet. “I occasionally share memes on Pinterest,” Zaborowski said. “Cat memes, e-card memes, and ‘girls be like’ memes have gone the most viral.” Reddit and 4chan are both sites that promote memes. Now sites like Memestache, Memebase, and Quickmeme are some of the sites created to share and form memes. Memes are easily accessible today and found in a wide array of places. Memes include not only humorous graphics, but also pop culture. “Most memes I use I get from Google or Twitter,” Harrison said. “The most common memes are the ones that have a funny celebrity face with a sarcastic remark on it.” Jumping on the meme train, apps have been created to further share the images. Junior Douglas Lamar has an account on Ifunny, and produces memes on his profile. He likes to use the “Actual Advice Mallard” as a template for more memes. “[A good meme] is extremely humorous
Photo provided by:Flickr user Avarty
Photo provided by:Marie Kare
Photo provided by: Flickr user Mr. Eakins
Photo provided by: Vava333
Memes are dominating the internet
“
but not discriminate,” Lamar said. “They’re meant to make jokes.” In a Harvard University study, researchers tracked 499 memes and found 178,801 different versions of those specific memes. Memes c a n emerge and take over the Photo provided by: Flickr user I/VI/VLL social media overnight. “[A meme] has to be funny and not overused,” junior Brandon Zapata said. “The Patrick meme is my favorite because it’s so random, and 90% of the time it’s very funny.” Memes are a growing part in today’s culture. The lightning speed of the photos being spread can connect people through their computer and phone screens across the world. “I often share memes with my friends and they share to others,” Zapata said. The once small hash tag on reddit turned into an internet phenomena. Memes reach a wide variety of people. The viral images are created and recreated daily. With the thousands of memes on the internet, there is a meme that applies to everyone.
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04.06.14
thecrimsonconnection.com
media
Thinking outside the bun
19“
A look into Taco Bell’s new breakfast menu emmafritz
news editor
The most important meal of the day is being introduced by Taco Bell. The fast food chain has a wide variety of breakfast items such as a waffle taco, breakfast burritos, A.M. crunch wraps, and Cinnabon delights. Taco Bell’s new breakfast menu was surprisingly good, as far as fast food breakfast goes. The Cinnabon delights were
Photos by: Abigail Paysse
like a cinnamon roll in donut roll form with a delicious vanilla filling similar to the filling in a Long John donut. The A.M. crunch wrap was by far the best item on the breakfast menu. It has a sauce that adds a nice kick to the eggs, crunchy hash browns, and bacon/ sausage. The crunch wrap is also great for someone on the go; it is easy and fast to eat
in a hurry. Despite these successful items, the waffle taco left much to be desired. It tasted similar to something from the airport or to a McDonald’s McGriddle. The waffle was rubbery and difficult to eat. Overall, Taco Bell’s new breakfast menu is satisfying and worth the try.
#revive212°
thecrimsonconnection.com
colingay
In “Muppets Most Wanted,” The Muppets participate in a world tour and get wrapped up in a European heist with a Kermit the Frog look alike named Constantine and his sidekick, Dominic Badguy, played by Ricky Gervais. James Bobin, the returning director, makes the focus of the movie on the laughs instead of the story. Bobin and Bret McKenzie, who wrote the majority of the songs, were on Flight of the Conchords, a musical-comedy show on HBO. The songs are subtly funny and enjoyable. On the acting side, Tina Fey stands out as Nadya, a Russian prison guard who uses a hysterical Russian accent which makes almost every punchline that much funnier. However, in comparison to the first Muppet movie, it is not as memorable. For example, the songs are not as catchy as the first one which had standouts such as “Man or Muppet.” For a movie that is advertised for kids, “Muppets Most Wanted” is hilarious but does not live up to its expectation as a sequel.
B+
Because the Internet
Sophomore release disapoints davidgay
Donald Glover is a random individual. He is an actor/writer on comedy television shows like Community and 30 Rock and also dabbles in stand-up comedy. But, his hip hop alter ego Childish Gambino, which was made through a Wu-Tang Clan name generator, is really what he is known for. This Indie Rap sensation has gotten mixed reviews from different critics saying that you either love his music or you hate it. His sophomore release “Because the Internet” is one of those pieces of work. This concept album is not for everyone. It seems like it is trying to evoke a type of Kanye artistry that did not really come together like it was supposed to. The album is random and erratic at some points. Most of the time it does not seem like it should go together even though the album is split up into seven individual parts. The splits were not clear throughout the album. The lyrics in the songs are just like the organization of the album, were also random and erratic, but some of the lyrics, while profane, are humorous and filled with numerous pop culture references. Songs including “The Worst Guys” and “Sweatpants” bring back the feeling that he brought with his amazing debut “Camp,” but most of the album is a different sound. Even bringing in some famous friends including Miguel, Macklemore and Chance the Rapper could not save the confusion brought about by this album. There were some good songs, but nevertheless, the whole album was confusing and seemed like it was all a part of his comedy act. You can see Childish Gambino at Free Press Summer Fest here in Houston on May 31-June 1 at Eleanor Tinsley Park.
C
Indie disco shines davidgay
The Electronic Pop genre has been rising throughout the last couple of years. One band has taken this genre by storm and their debut has been gaining praise since it came out in September. Chvrches [pronounced Churches] is a Scottish electronic trio that burst onto the scene with their debut, “The Bones of What You Believe.” Lovers of Ellie Goulding and strong female vocalists will enjoy this strong debut album. Electronic lovers will also love it because of the mainstay of the electronic synthesizer throughout. Tracks like “The Mother We Share” and “Gun,” the two main singles from the album, shine with a poppy electronic sound, strong female vocals and sound radio ready. However, the real highlights of the album are “Under The Tide” and the epic closer “You Caught The Light.” Blending in the male vocals and the genius electronic music behind it, “Under The Tide” is the best song on the album. “You Caught The Light” could have been plucked off a M83 record and it still would have been appropriate. But, even the best album has some underwhelming songs. “Lies” and “By The Throat” are the only two songs that do not come up to par with the other songs on the album vocally or as a whole. Nevertheless, the consistent Indie Disco sound throughout the album would satisfy any lover of electronic music and indie music in general. This is a quality debut filled with catchy choruses and radio ready tracks that people will love. This is one of the best debuts of the year. You can see Chvrches at Free Press Summer Fest here in Houston on May 31-June 1 at Eleanor Tinsley Park.
B+
Divergent: New Kid on the Block
Muppets Most Wanted
“We’re making a Sequel”
The Bones of What You Believe
reviews
Did it diverge from the book? bradwargo
With many by now having seen the movie Divergent the question ‘was it just like the book’ often comes up since it was based off of the bestselling novel by the same name. To answer the question, yes it was. Now of course just like every other book turned into a movie a couple of parts had to be dropped in order for the movie to be within a reasonable length of time. Aside from how well it compared the movie itself was very entertaining and had an overall good story line. However the biggest problem with it however was with how quickly they rushed the development of Tris’ love interest, Tobias. In the book a good portion of Tris’ training keeps hinting at the possibility of their relationship with the rising and falling of their attraction towards each other, yet in the movie it becomes a very quick process of her showing up and then ten minutes later them having a make-out session. It might have been due to the fact that it was already two and a half hours long fast, or because of the fast paced development and non-stop action that their love relationship took a back seat, but it was still a large part of the story that was oddly back seated. However the overall film was good and stayed true to it’s source resulting in what seems to be the next big blockbuster hit.
A
“04.06.14
thecrimsonconnection.com
media
21“
Findthedifferences
Punnies What is your dill, pickle? Do not trust atoms. They make up everything. What is a piece of spaghetti in disguise? An impasta! Why should you not play cards in the jungle? Because there are too many cheatas! Why did the skeleton go to the party by himself? Because he had nobody to go with him!
Search it
From left to right: Melissa Schmitzer, Ryan Chalmers, Bennett Vaughn, Chris England, and Gregory Wyrick Find the answers at thecrimsonconnection.com
BFDT Power of the Red Kitchen Sink Two-Tweleve Rumble Concrete Jungle Wildcat Nation Revive CDUB Wildcat
P O W E R O F T H E R E D C R W R V T L U R T S T Z L K S Z H I D T X B E V W B S G I T W O F L L H T M O Z E F N T D Y B L X D U W T U H V Z U C C W X M S P C W Z R R I F J H K A K V F X E A G B J V Z E E M D D F O L T Y T R R E K T N L D R L E H C J T N N R C E S P R B V X E Y K N P A D U R I X G E T A C D L I W C T H C N G U Z M N U C D Y Q K E I N K G P C D U B Z B R I A G K O N S Y K O Q D H A K V M S K C N P W P Z K F O P M H L Q D Q Y B J
Created by: Puzzlemaker at DiscoveryEducation.com
Life at the Woods
April//May
Monday
Tuesday
District Track Meet @ Cy Ridge Key Club Meeting 6:40 am and 2:40 pm in the Teaching Theater
7
Thursday
Friday
Boys’ District Golf Tournament Cypress Lakes HS Proclaim the Name Meeting 6:30 am in 1664 2
Girls’ District Golf Tournament Cypress Lakes HS FCA Meeting 6:40 am in 1605 every Thursday 3
Baseball Game vs. Langham Creek @ Home Softball Game vs. Cy Springs
HEAT Club Meeting 2:40 in 2409 LIFE Club Meeting 2:40 in 2318
Baseball Game vs. Cy Ranch @ Home Softball Game vs. Cy Ranch 11
A p r i l
Opening Day for the Astros Minute Maid Park
31
Wednesday
April Fools
1
Baseball Game vs. Cy Ranch PTN Meeting Softball Game 6:30 am in 1664 vs. Cy Falls @ Home Girls’ District Golf NHS Meeting Tournament 2:40 in Teaching Cypress Lakes HS 8 Theatre
9
10
4
Baseball Game vs. Cy Creek
Regional Golf Tournament Eagle Pointe Golf Club
Key Club Meeting 6:40 am and 2:40 pm Teaching Theater
State Golf Tournament Morris Williams Golf Course in Austin
14
21
28
Baseball Game vs. Cy Creek @ Home Softball Game vs. Jersey Village
15
Regional Golf Softball Game Tournament Eagle Pointe Golf Club vs. Cy Lakes @ Home PTN Meeting 6:30 am in 1664
Baseball Game PTN Meeting vs. Cy Fair @ Home 22 6:30 am in 1664
State Golf Tournament Morris Williams Golf Course in Austin
29
PTN Meeting 6:30 am in 1664
16
Area Track Meet @ Alief ISD 17
23
HEAT Club Meeting 2:40 in 2409 LIFE Club Meeting 2:40 in 2318
30
24
No School
18
Regional Track Meet @ Humble High School Baseball Game vs. Cy Fair 25
May 1
2
#revive212째
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New This Month April 4
A Haunted House 2 R
May 9
Rainee Zaborowski
and Gabby
and Mr. Boots
Rivers in the Wasteland
Neon Trees
April 15
Pop Psychology
Lil Wayne Tha Carter V
April 22
andCrazyCats and Maxine
and Coco and Fabio
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion
April 9
HAIM House of Blues
April 22
Foster The People
8
May 5
Nick Fritz
R
Noor Ahmad
Neighbors
April 18
Wildcats their
Gracie McIntosh
music
The Winter Solider Not Yet Rated
Arcade Fire
Needtobreathe
shows
movies
Captain America:
Bayou Music Center
April 30
books to read
before you
graduate
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Go Ask Alice by Anonymous The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger The Help by Kathryn Stockett The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee The Fault In Our Stars by John Green The Giving Tree by Shel Silversteen
Time is ticking