The Stang

In the News Entertainment Fine Arts 7-- Spiritual Emphasis Week 12-- To know more

Community 2-- Texans’ fans

comes to an end. Check out the Fine Arts page to find all of the inside details about the impact of this week.

can stand a little prouder now that their team has an 8-1 record.

Feature 8-9-- This month’s feature is about

School 4-- The once creepy wall art, known as

all things orange. That’s right. Your Stang Staff gave the fun facts about Halloween, and Thanksgiving.

the EYE, is officaially gone. Here you can find all the details about why.

Sports

about the new movie, Pitch Perfect, turn to the entertainment page.

13-- Check out this month’s tweets from all over campus. If you have a great tweet to share, let the Stang know.

14-- What’s hot and happening with HCHS

athletics? Find out about all of the new sports coming up. You can also get an inside look at our athletes injuries.

the

Stang

November 2012

Houston Christian High School 2700 W Sam Houston Pkwy N Houston, Texas 77043

Volume12 Edition 2

Obama wins re-election over Romney President Obama’s 332 electoral votes lead to victory and another 4 years in office

by Spencer Traver, Stang Staff

After lengthy months of campaigning, the 2012 Presidential election has finally come to a close. The final results concluded with President Obama clearing the line of 270 electoral votes necessary for a victory over Governor Romney with a total of 332 votes. President Obama also won the popular vote among the people by roughly 3 million votes. Due to the victories of 8 out of 9 battleground (“swing”) states, President Obama was able to defeat Governor Romney proposing a final term of four years in his re-election.

With the addition of 8 swing-state victories, President Obama established his reign of another four years as President of the United States. Though the Electoral College heavily favored the President in the final results, the remaining states proposed an incredibly close election.

Without these battleground states, the electoral vote would have still concluded with a Democratic victory; however, the

race would have been much closer. The final results would have been: Obama (237) to Romney (191).

Instead, the final results ended up being: Obama (332) to Romney (206).

Clearly, the success in 8 out of 9 swing states sealed the deal for President Obama’s re-election campaign.

Ironically, President Obama nearly lost many important swing states such as Ohio (+1.9% = 18 electoral votes) and the controversial Florida (+0.9% = 29 electoral votes). Florida was supposedly leaning towards Romney’s side in the early election polls, yet after a few voting errors and glitches, President Obama was declared the winner. In addition to Ohio and Florida, President Obama was able to capture Virginia, Colorado, Nevada, Iowa, Wisconsin, and New Hampshire.

Governor Romney was able to win over North Carolina’s 15 electoral votes, but it was not enough to win him the election.

Overall, in total of swing-state electoral votes, President Obama claimed victory with 95 electoral votes to Governor Romney’s 15 electoral votes.

Back at Houston Christian, several students immediately posted their opinions on the election results to their social media accounts. For example, senior Jahad Elhajj was quoted saying, “I just pray he’ll make the right ecision…’GObama’.” Junior Imani Daffin was also quoted

as saying, “Already making plans to be in Washington for the next inauguration. Round two boys!” On the contrary, senior Cullen Cosco sounded off on his Facebook account following the announcement of the results saying, “Perhaps in a time of such moral depravity, America deserves this. God may be condemning us like he did Israel when it turned its back on Him; I don’t know. There is, however, one thing I do know for a fact: I have never been so disappointed in America.” Senior Veronica Cecil half-heartedly joked alongside Cullen by saying, “If Romney won, he said he would donate his salary to charity.

Since Obama won, he will donate yours.”

Following his re-election, President Obama now faces several challenging tasks to meet head-on as he has promised he would do in his campaigning.

He faces the issue of fixing a sluggish economy that has struggled during his first term as President, as well as the looming “fiscal cliff”. His Medicare plan, known as “Obamacare,” will also become the law of the land.

President Obama also must deal with tackling the decision as to whether or not to raise the debt ceiling, as well as how to deal with the wars going on in the Middle East. Needless to say, the President has several tasks at hand to deal with during his final four years.

ELECTION MAP BY COUNTY, Red seems to surely outnumber blue in percentage by color, but not by population. President Obama won 332 electoral votes to Romney’s 206, due to several key swing states swinging to the Democratic side. The Republicans retained control of the House of Representatives, while the Democrats retained control of the Senate.

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November 2012

Community

The haps in Houston: November style Houston is a happening place; Sports are picking up and there are movies to see

by Spencer Traver, Stang Staff

NEW ROCKETS, James Harden and Jeremy Lin celebrate as they won their first game as Houston Rockets. James Harden had the first double double of his career with 37 points and 12 assists in the win.

Houston, Texas, is constantly booming with new monthly events, and November is yet another example of the great entertainment here in “H-Town.”

November is a great season for sports fans and entertainment enthusiasts to gather publicly and enjoy events as a community.

For sports fanatics, November brings about great joy through several sports. The Houston Texans will be entering the home stretch of their regular season by playing the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and

Detroit Lions. The Bills and the Jaguars will travel to Houston to play against the Texans while they have the home field advantage, while the Bears and Lions will challenge the Texans in their respective stadiums. However, the Texans are not the only Houston sports team that will bring excitement to the community.

The Houston Rockets will debut their 2012-2013 season in November downtown at the Toyota Center playing teams at home such as the Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, and reigning

world champion Miami Heat. This season, the Rockets will be playing with their newest additions, point guard Jeremy Lin and shooting guard James Harden, who brought great press to New York and Oklahoma City for the Knicks and Thunder last season. Later in February, the Rockets will host the NBA’s 62nd All Star Game at the Toyota Center. Nonetheless, the excitement is abounding in Houston for our home team. Junior Cody Reeter, Rockets season ticket holder, shared his insight by saying, “The Rockets games are fun because the Toyota Center provides a great family-friendly environment, and the team has a ton of young talent this year; it should be really ‘Linsane’!” Hopefully the Rockets will be able to follow in the footsteps of the Texans and not the Astros this season.

Movie fans should be excited for the upcoming plays and movies that will be released soon. Any girls that have followed the Twilight Saga most likely already have plans to attend the midnight premiere of the second part to Breaking Dawn on November 16th. Senior Miranda Rogers is anxious to go with her friends and said that, “I’m most anxious to see Bella as a vampire. I also can’t wait to spend this time with my girl friends.”

Twilight may be too much of a “chick flick” for all the macho men to watch, so

all guys who may be looking for entertainment this November should look forward to seeing “Killing Them Softly,” an action/adventure movie starring Brad Pitt. “Killing Them Softly,” released on November 30th, is based on the plot of an undercover heist of a mob-protected poker game.

For those seeking a November filled with the entertainment of plays and concerts, Houston is the perfect place to be. Disney on Ice will be coming to Reliant Stadium on November 7-9. Country music stars Jason Aldean and guest star Luke Bryan put on a show at the Woodlands Pavillion on October 26. Senior Ben Young was able to attend the Luke Bryan concert at the Houston Rodeo in March and said that, “Luke Bryan is my favorite country singer. I personally like his songs Country Girl (Shake it for me) and Drunk on You.” Lastly, the Texas Renaissance Festival will be in town until November 25th. The senior English classes will be taking a field trip in the beginning of November; however, those seeking medieval fun should stop by the festival.

Sports, music, and entertainment fans should all enjoy this years’ lineup for November events in Houston.

As great as November is expected to be, many should expect Christmas time to be even better.

Top Golf comes to the Houston area on West side Technology and Golfing are combined to make a new sport that might make them both very popular

by Matt Scott, Stang Staff TopGolf is a fun and exciting new activity that is exploding all over the United States. The game is golf based with a mixture of others games such as bowling. There are five different games you can play at TopGolf: the original Top Golf, TopChip, TopPressure, TopShot, TopDrive. All of them have a different objective and different style of play.

The TopGolf facility is more than just a normal driving range. It serves as a great place to hang out with friends.

Colin Waters12 says, “I am overjoyed to hear about the opening of Top Golf. I am looking forward to working on my golf game while hanging out with friends.”

They have personal waiters come to your own personal cubicle to serve drinks and food, and they also have an arcade, for those who are unable of hit a golf ball.

Alex Roys12 said, “I might not be the best golfer, but I am really excited to go to Top Golf. It looks so cool. It seems like a really fun place to go with friends.”

Are you confused on what exactly TopGolf is? Well the best way to sum it up is by saying it is a fancy new type of driving range. In a driving range, the only objective is to hit the ball and practice on your swing. At TopGolf you can do all that while having the choice to pick the five different games.

The first is, TopGolf, and is

intended for any skill level. If you can bowl or play darts, you can play TopGolf.

Score points by hitting balls that are assigned to you using microchip technology.

The closer to the center and the further the distance, the more points you earn.

Second, TopChip can benefit your short game. Hit the correct target and you’ll score points, but hit the wrong target and watch your points disappear.

Third, TopPressure is a game under pressure, and it is a test of accuracy by hitting all 9 sections. Fourth, TopShot is similar to TopChip, this game challenges you to hit the targets at 4 consecutive distances. Determine the level of difficulty by the starting point you choose. Hit the correct target and you’ll score points, but hit the wrong target and say goodbye to those points.

Lastly, TopDrive is for the power hitters who aim at two different targets that are at a distance. Brooks Lehle12 is known as one of the most powerful golfers at the school. Brooks commented on TopGolf by saying, “I am super pumped for it to open. I think I will be able to dominate the TopDrive.”

TopGolf will be opening Fall 2012. The facility is off I-10 and Barker Cypress and can easily be seen from the interstate.

Make sure to stop by and try out one of the new hotspots in Houston. www.arco-kc.com

News

The Austrian skydiver/spacediver breaks records The Red Bull Stratos Space Dive by “Fearless Felix” shocks the US

by Connor Kelley, Stang Staff

FEARLESS FELIX, celebrating his historic achievement after landing. Felix Baumgartner defied physics and survived what was thought to be an impossible feat.

On Sunday, October 14, 2012, the Austrian skydiver, Felix Baumgartner successfully jumped out of his Space Capsule from space 128,100 feet in altitude or about 24 ¼ miles. This moment was a huge step in history and for Space Technology. Baumgartner’s space dive reset four world records, and shattered the sound barrier. The most impressive record was the highest skydive, which replaced the space jump in 1960 from 102,800 feet,

by Air Force (at the time Captain) Joe Kittinger.

The week before the jump was full

of continual problems and frustration due to unfavorable weather conditions and equipment difficulties, but it all fit together perfectly on October 14th. As Baumgartner was breaking the sound barrier, he was at a free fall for four minutes and 20 seconds, at a top speed of 834 miles per hour. Baumgartner fell short of Kittnger’s record of a free fall of four minutes and 36 seconds, however his top speed killed Kittinger’s 614 miles per hour. You would think since Baumgartner jumped higher that he would have a longer free fall, but ironi-

cally his speed was so fast that he was 16 seconds slower than Kittinger.

There are still two more records Baumgartner also achieved on this historic day. He was the first person in history to move faster than the speed of light with just his body, and second, Baumgartner set the record for the highest balloon flight; he ascended to space in a space capsule attached to a giant air balloon.

At the beginning of his jump, Baumgartner was spinning uncontrollably, and this frightened many anxious onlookers in the command center. “When I was spinning [for the] first 10, 20 seconds, I never thought I was going to lose my life, but I was disappointed because I’m going to lose my record. I put seven years of my life into this,” Baumgartner said. But after it was all done, Baumgartner landed on his feet in the New Mexico Desert and “Fearless Felix” went to his knees and threw his hands up in victory and excitement. All his friends, family, and everyone that helped make this happen were there watching as he was ready to land.

This space jump was way more than just some record-breaking stunt; it is a very vital experiment for NASA to improve its blueprints for future space crafts and spacesuits for emergency escapes.

The team’s medical adviser, Jonathan Clark, (Former NASA flight surgeon) stated simply that, “The world needs a hero, and today they got one.”

Texans keep on rollin’

The Texans are 8-1 and show no signs of stopping

by Stephen Consoli, Stang Staff Your Houston Texans just won’t stop. After being 5-0 and losing a Sunday night prime time game against the Green Bay Packers, the Texans have forgot about the hard loss and have never looked back.

Before the Packers game, there were talks about the Texans’ defense being on of the best to ever play the game. Well, the defense might have been listening to the talking a little too much and did not prepare appropriately with the reigning MVP, Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers threw for 338 yards and a ridiculous six touchdown passes against the Texans’ secondary. If there was a lesson learned in this game, the Texans definitely learned it. Bouncing back a week later, the Texans beat the Baltimore Ravens, who knocked them out in the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs last season. Not only did they beat the Ravens, they did it convincingly in a 43-13 blowout. The defense came back to keep the Raven quarterback, Joe Flacco to under 50% completion percentage and under 150 yards passing, just one touchdown and two interceptions

by Glover Quin and Johnathan Joseph.

They also managed to hold all-pro running back, Ray Rice, to 42 yards rushing and 12 yards receiving; JJ Watt continued his dominance as well. JJ has

two nicknames that he goes by most of the time. The team calls him “The Milkman” because “he always delivers” in big situations. Other people have started calling him JJ “Swatt” because he is so good at “swatting” passes at the line of scrimmage. After getting two more batted balls against the Ravens, JJ is now at 10 on the season. The record for a defensive lineman in one season is 13 and JJ is on pace to shatter that record as we are only half way through the regular season. One of his two deflections forced an interception by Johnathan Joseph. Joseph returned the interception for a touchdown as well.

JJ could also be on pace to break the sacks record in a season. His 10.5 sacks are leading the NFL right now and puts him on pace for 21. The record is 22.5, but the way the JJ has been playing, nothing is out of the realm of thinking or doing for JJ Watt. Arian Foster ran the ball 19 times for 98 yards and two touchdowns, while Matt Schaub threw the ball for 256 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. The Texans played the Bills last Sunday and won the game putting their record at 7-1 and tied for second best in the NFL and the best record in the AFC. The score to

the game was 21-9. The main story of the game was the return of former first overall pick for the Texans in the 2006 draft, Mario Williams. Williams left this offseason and signed with the Bills. The contract was the largest in NFL history for a defensive player at five years, 100 million. Mario finished the game with one sack in the Bill’s loss. Matt Schaub played well once again, throwing the ball for 268 yards and two touchdowns.

Arian Foster ran the ball for 111 yards and a touchdown as well.

If the Texans continue to play as well as they are, they could be, just like many people are predicting, Super Bowl Champs and at the very least, contenders especially after their most recent win against the now 7-2 Chicago Bears.

The Stang

3

A year of surprises

There have been several shockers in college football, but one thing is certain.

By Michael Vaughan, Stang Staff The 2012 college football season is past the halfway point, and only one thing remains certain: the Alabama Crimson Tide are very, very good. Apart from their success, there have been many results that simply make you say, “What?” Several of these things are the total absence of defense in the Big 12, Florida’s unsuspected success with a young quarterback, and Kansas State and Notre Dame’s unbeaten records. Several massive games will be played in the next few weeks that should make the National Championship race clearer. The weekend of November 2nd there are two huge games. The first is Alabama against LSU, who most would say is the best chance for anyone to take down the Tide.

Steve Spurrier, Head Coach at South Carolina, recently said, “Alabama, gosh, they look like they could beat a couple of those NFL teams that I’ve watched on Sundays.” While this seems laughable, if you’ve seen them play then you know what he means.

Another huge game this weekend is unbeaten Oregon against USC. The Ducks have possibly the most electrifying team in the nation in terms of athletes, but USC has the potential to shock. The Trojans were ranked 2nd in the preseason rankings, but defensive woes have lost them a few games.

What else is making noise in college football this season? Well, the Heisman Trophy Race certainly hasn’t been very straightforward.

For several weeks, it appeared that Geno Smith of West Virginia was the man, putting up stellar numbers.

However, after failing to produce in multiple games (including a shocking loss to Texas Tech and a beat down from Kansas State), his name has faded from the front. A few games in, Texas A&M’s superstar freshman Johnny Manziel seemed to be a possible candidate, shattering SEC records. He picked up fans quickly along the way, and recent HC grad Chase Burns even said sarcastically, “Johnny is the greatest player to ever touch a football.” After an unproductive game against LSU, he is also falling. The names at the front now are Kansas State QB Collin Klein, Notre Dame LB Manti Te’o, and Alabama QB AJ McCarron. Klein has had an unbelievable year both passing and running the ball, Te’o would be the second defensive player to ever win the award, and McCarron is the bold leader of college football’s best. Lifelong Alabama fan Brooke Jenkins10 thinks the choice is easy, saying, “It should definitely be AJ, he’s the best player of the best team.” All three of these players are leaders of unbeaten squads, so it will be interesting to see who takes the prize.

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School

November 2012

Seniors are recognized for accomplishments on Senior Night A Senior Perspective: Seniors make memories and bond together through awkward games and free time

by Rachel Driver, Editor

Friday, October 26, was Senior Recognition here at HCHS. The night was an event that all the senior volleyball players, football players, cheerleaders, Silver Spurs, and band members will remember. What was the most memorable part of the ceremony? The temperature, it was a cold night, but nonetheless a successful one.

Here are a couple of inside looks into what the night really meant to them. Senior Brooke Fritcher12 says “Overall, Senior Recognition Night was what I was expecting. However, I was a little sadder than I thought I was going to be because it really hit me when I walked across the field that my high school experience at Houston Christian is really coming to an end. It was freezing cold though especially because we were in cheerleading uniforms, so that was a little annoying because I did not get to fully enjoy the night because I was so cold! Also, I was VERY upset that they left out one thing on my sheet that I was really looking forward to hearing them announce... which was: “participating in the Chelby and Steve show with my good friend Chelby!” This is something that I participate in, and it was not included when I walked across the field. Also,

I was a little disappointed that they did not announce what we wanted to major in especially because the cheerleaders were not given the option to write their favorite memory from high school. So, I wish they could have announced our major just to say something else about the cheerleaders. However, even through the freezing cold weather, I enjoyed Senior Recognition Night!” Keith Crawford12 says it was quite the night for him too, “It was exactly what I expected it to be, and it was great.” Courtney Smith12, another senior being recognized Friday night, said, “Senior Recognition was very fun, the game at least! It was very cold and took a while, and I was sad that I wasn’t able to hear the things my friends put since we were on the field and couldn’t hear. I hadn’t been looking forward to this as the most exciting night of my cheer career, but it was a fun thing to take part in and be recognized in! They didn’t mention that my favorite memory was the country accents and live concerts that took place on the away game bus rides.

As you can see, Senior Recognition is a right of passage that every senior enjoys, whether they admit it or not.

SENIORS AND THEIR PARENTS,

were recognized at half time at the football game . Above is new senior Forrest Frank with his parents, Ron and Kerryann Frank, and below is senior Chambers Swiggart with his parents Jason and Paige Swiggart.

SENIOR VOLLEYBALL GIRLS, were also recognized the same evening in the gym before the football game began.

Guess who?

A closer look at one of HC’s awesome teachers

by Rachel Driver, Editor

The eye is...GONE

The scary, and slightly creepy eye is off the wall, so where did it go?

by Rachel Driver, Editor

This faculty member has more to him than you might expect. With a couple of facts about his past, try and guess this HC faculty member. Here’s a hint, he has more than one job and is a man capable of multitasking.

- He can skin a buck.

- He strongly dislikes tattoos.

- He shoots rattlesnakes and collects the skins.

- He has four children, ages 15 to 25. Two boys, two girls.

- He played football and basketball in high school.

- He can practically play every instrument in the band.

- He owns seven pairs of cowboy boots.

- Chicken fried venison is his favorite meal.

- He has a degree in History.

- His father held a public office for over 25 years.

- He really does not like people that lack respect.

- Young ladies using bad language is a huge pet peeve of his.

Everyone knows about the “eye.” It was the big, creepy eye planted right at the end of the hall. Some say it was frightening, some said it was too intense, and some say that they felt the eye was always watching them.

Believe it or not, this creepy landmark everyone came to know is now gone. You may be asking, why did it get removed, and where is it now?

The eye was actually not the original idea of what was going to go in the spot at the end of the hall. For those of you newbies who were not here when the old library was still in place, there used to be no BCSL. Where the BCSL is now, there used to be a hangout spot known as the library. Where the old library doors were, is where the eye was put in place. Here is an interesting fact, the eye was not the first idea of what was going to replace the old doors. The first idea was actually a huge brain. Yes, a brain; a side profile of the inside of a brain with different compartments that involved education, spiritual life, and the arts. Dr.

Livingston was not too fond of that idea and went another direction. The other direction led to the creation of the eye. Dr. Livingston said, “The idea on paper came out quite different than I expected.” The original purpose and overall idea of the eye was so that we could all “see ourselves as leaders.” This fun quote was written in a small font and surrounded the inside of the eye. Dr. Livingston felt that “the message just was not getting across to the students like it was intended.” Little did the student body know, but Dr. Livingston had been giving a lot of thought to the eye, two to three months to be exact. After multiple meetings and concerns about the eye, the decision was made to remove it. Along with many others, Ms. Andrau says she is “happy it is gone, it scared me!”

So what will take the big eye’s place? Dr. Livingston has big plans for what will go on the wall in place of the eye. We do not know all the details yet, but something great will go at the end of that hall. The students will

be involved in recreating the new blank space and putting something fun and meaningful there.

So be looking out for what next great thing will be put up on the walls of Houston Christian.

THE CREEPY EYE,

has offically been removed for reasons described to the left. The eye, a frightening sight for shadows and visitors, has been laid to rest.

Pictures by Kiersten Koenig

Faculty member is Ken Craig; Government & Economics teacher and football coach.

News

New conference provides fresh start Sports teams get the chance to prove their skills in a tough conference

by Matthew Yochum, Stang Staff

A new school year also brought about a new conference as we joined the SPC, also known as the Southwest Preparatory Conference. This fresh start was much needed and the new competition for our sports teams will make us a more prestigious school and push us to be better in athletics.

I know many were not looking forward to this big change; leaving our rivals and records behind.

As we are changing conferences, we are also changing opponents, obviously.

This brings about a lot of controversy because we don’t want to diminish the amount of talent that we are going up against and not give ourselves the best opportunity to get better, but in reality the SPC may not be top to bottom better than Tapps 5A. At the same time though, the SPC has better top teams. Varsity Quarterback Alex Roys had this to say about the SPC, “I’ve enjoyed what this new conference brings to our athletic program and it’s cool to see how we stack up athletically with some of the more prestigious private schools in the southwest.” Being in this conference allows us to compete with other academically prestigious schools.

Now you might think, “Why is this

important?” Well, as we strive for a good reputation, we want to be highly regarded by others. It is very important to be grouped with other schools striving for academic excellence. We look smarter if we are around “smart” schools. Instead of people putting us

in the same grouping as Saint Pius, we now get to say we compete athletically and academically with schools like Kinkaid and Saint John’s, both of which are very well rounded schools.

One thing we are going to miss is the great rivalries we had with schools like Saint Pius and other Tapps 5A schools. But to our advantage, we already have a pretty good rivalry going with Saint John’s and Kinkaid. Freshman center Pete Huggins said, “Even though it’s only been a single season, I already have a passion for beating Saint John’s,

Episcopal, and Kinkaid.” Attitudes like that are what’s going to take us to the next level.

The sport that seems to have benefited most from this disputed move is football. Zach Bowman, who is playing football and basketball this year said, “It’s been cool to be on the football team seeing how much of an impact we can all make as freshman on this up and coming team.” This is one of many freshman guys who have had the opportunity to make the Varsity better, whether that be scout team or directly impacting the team on the game field. Football has seen a lot of change this off-season, but it has all been for the good of the team. Welcoming a new head coach, Max Bowman, and seeing its best recruiting freshman class in years suit up to play, allowed Houston Christian to not only allow this just be a rebuilding year, but also to go for gold (metaphorically speaking)!

This year as we see our first crack at the SPC, try and notice the differences around school and in our athletic programs. It

The Stang

5

Camp Enterprise is new tradition Camp provides opportunity to learn about free enterprise

by Samantha Moore, Stang Staff

Attending Camp Enterprise is a prestigious opportunity offered to two juniors each fall. The camp teaches the students about the free enterprise system in the corporate world. The students participate in Òfun, out-of-thebox team building exercises, interactions with assigned counselor couples that are Rotary Club members, competing in Business Simulation against other teams, and hearing from successful business executives and entrepreneurs on fundamental business tactics and ethics, says Ricky Wolf, 12, last year’s representative.

This year’s camp attendants will be Stephen Hirschbuehler, 11, and Grace Munford, 11. Stephen is looking forward to learning about the workings of the business world. He would like to study business in college and he thought the camp would be a great opportunity to work with many high ranked businessmen. Ricky encourages anyone interested in business, communications, law, the sciences, and engineering. The camp serves as a chance to meet important business executives and start networking for your future at an early stage.

Grace Munford

Steven Hirschbuehler

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November 2012

Fine Arts

SEW: Rooted in God’s love Greg Speck and Dutton joined HC to make SEW an incredible week

Mustang players perform “The Mousetrap”

by Michael Vaughn, Stang Staff

From Monday, October 22nd through Thursday, October 25th, HC students went to chapel everyday for what is called Spiritual Emphasis Week.

The result is a renewed desire to pursue the Lord amongst students, and a fresh start for many with their peers. Students and faculty had the opportunity to hear from Greg Speck, the Youth and Family Communicator at Bethel University in Minnesota, and be led in worship by Dutton, who was at HC for their third consecutive Spiritual Emphasis Week.

The theme for the week was Rooted, which comes from a passage in Ephesians 3. Throughout the week, students experienced God’s love in a new way, and the HC community grew stronger under Christ.

Many students ask, “Who is Greg Speck?

Fall play is major success

Where did this funny, engaging, handsome speaker come from?” Greg grew up in California, and was raised in a non-Christian home. He attended college at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota where he is now on staff. His passion is working with teenagers, and has done that ever since he graduated college. His ministry has included being a Youth Pastor, Youth Specialist for Moody Bible Institute, President of Youth Ministries International, and his current role. He has four children, whom he has dubbed “Speckles,” and has been married 30 years to his wife, Bonnie.

What makes Greg an amazing speaker and minister is that he genuinely cares about the people he serves and speaks to. This is one way that the Lord was able to

use him on our campus so effectively in his time here. When he was not on the stage sharing with our student body, he was constantly meeting with students one on one in the Student Center. Greg’s love he showed towards the HC community won’t quickly be forgotten.

This was a lifechanging week for many students here at HC. On

RAISE HIM AND PRAISE HIM

our last day, Greg challenged us to sustain God’s movement in our hearts, and to continue building each other up as a community. As Greg said, “We should have tough love, be committed to it, and love now.” There is a strong renewal of desire in the hearts of the students, and they now understand what it means to be rooted in God’s love.

The HC Student body worshipped along side one another during Spiritual Emphasis Week (Oct. 2226). Dutton, a Christian band, performed for the school.

by Amanda Brown, Stang Staff

In the fall each year, the drama department chooses a classic production to perform, and this year they decided to do something different than what they have always done in the past. “Stepping away from the usual Shakespeare, the drama department, under the leadership of new teacher, Mr. Bobby Linhart, chose an exciting murder mystery.”

Agatha Christie’s classic is kept timeless by it’s ending that has remained a mystery despite it’s longevity in theatres.

The Mousetrap originally opened in 1952, and the ending was to be kept a secret until the play was withdrawn from theaters; however, the play is still being shown and is known for having the longest initial run of any play in history. Because of this, the play’s ending has been never been publicly addressed, keeping an air of mystery about the performance.

The fun and excited atmosphere around the cast and audience on opening night was fascinating, and by intermission everyone was dying for answers.

Ian Hopper_11 said that he loved The Mousetrap because it was “much different and more interactive than anything we’ve done in the past.” As a fun and interactive part of the play, audience members received a piece of paper listing all the suspects and had to check off who they thought was the culprit. By the end, most people were completely wrong, but those who had guessed correctly had their ballots put into a box and the winner received a free shirt.

When asked, everyone involved said that the cast was one of the best things about this production. “I feel like we're literally a family” says Katherine Gualy11.

“This is one of the closest casts I have ever been a part of.” Being a cast of eight, everyone involved became very close. Collin McGrath10, who played the part of Christopher Wren thoroughly enjoyed the play because he “got to play a schizophrenic and talk in a British accent.”

Spiritual Life

Comedysportz comes to Houston Christian New drama team brings new fun and games to campus

by Samantha Moore, Stang Staff

LAUGH YOUR HEAD OFF

HC students are introducing comedysportz to the school. The performers entertain the audience with an interactive, improvisational experience of comedy.

As a new sports team on campus, the Comedysportz program selected 18 members to represent the school in competitions throughout the year. Comedysportz is a “national organization with leagues in many cities across the U.S.” says Mr. Linhart, the theater teacher and supervisor of Comedysportz.

Comedysportz matches are an event in

which different area high schools compete in improvisational theater. The team competes in multiple matches throughout the year, and the city tournament takes place in May. A student faculty match will also be held later on in the year.

The team’s practices consist of various comedy games organized the help improve the improvisational comedy skill so of

each player. Each game is centered around quick wit or thinking, irony, puns, sarcasm, or funny stories.

Caroline Mitchell’s _10, favorite game is called “What are you doing?” in which you do an action and someone asks, “What are you doing?” The person doing the actions replies with a different action and the person who asked the question must then do the second action said.

Mr. Linhart decided to start the team to “give more performance opportunities to the HC students.” Alex Roys, _12, a member of the team, describes the program as, “a time filled with fun and lots of laughter.” Alex, having never been involved in any part of the theater program in his past three years at HCHS, decided to tryout for the team,

seeing it as his chance to be the “Troy Bolton of Houston Christian.”

He took advantage of the opportunity to try something different during his senior year. The team has been a great addition to Alex’s extra curricular activities.

Caroline Mitchell, _10, joined the team to stretch herself out of her comfort zone and to help improve her improvisational acting skills.

Comedysportz is “extremely fun and a great way to get to know more people,” says Caroline, but it’s also very challenging at times. Caroline describes the hardest part of the games: “You have to stay focused, not laugh, and really think ahead about what you’re acting out.”

FCA is back in action for 2012-2013

The club wants to grow larger and involve more students

by Matt Scott, Stang Staff

back up and it will be a more exciting and eventful year. The FCA organization started last year here at Houston Christian. The year consisted of monthly meetings that consisted of different things. Part of FCA’s interaction is focused on involving athletics, so the leadership team set up a dodgeball tournament, which all proceeds benefited a student that could not afford the yearly FCA summer camp. The FCA RETURNS Fellowship of Christian Athletes returns for a sec- dodgeball tournament was not alone in successond year at HC. With a goal to grow larger and become more involved, it looks to be a successful year. ful activities; FCA also gathers money from the

The Fellowship local communities by group and went out to of Christian Athletes equipping, empowering local restaurants and paid has been impacting and encouraging people for a family’s dinner bill. lives since 1954. FCA to make a difference for The FCA leadership team has been challenging Christ. The FCA mission which includes Houston coaches and athletes on is, “To present to coaches Christian’s huddle coach, the professional, college, and athletes, and all whom Bill Moore. The leaderhigh school, junior high they influence, the chalship team is planning to and youth levels to use lenge and adventure of have some of the same the platform of athletics receiving Jesus Christ as events as last year but to impact the world for Savior and Lord, serving also have a lot more.

Jesus Christ. FCA is the Him in their relationships The mission of FCA at largest Christian sports and in the fellowship of Houston Christian is to organization in the world the church.” grow the involvement and that focuses on serving

FCA is starting activity of the students.

One of the Houston Christian cheerleaders, Blakely Smith12 says, “I love going to FCA meetings because I love the fact that we all gather as a school. Also I love being able to have fun with a group of Christians and also do activates that benefit our community.”

FCA would like to see more students branch out and check out the organization. Some are timid to check out FCA because it seems to only include athletes. This is completely false and FCA is open for ALL students!

One of the members Alex Roys12 says, “FCA is a great way to connect with other Christians while having loads of fun and serving the Lord!”

At Houston Christian, FCA wants to encourage students to come to one of the meetings and get involved with the club. The club wants to the local community and also spread the love and word of Jesus Christ.

The Stang

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Chaplain ‘s Corner

NHS Chaplain, Liz Constantiou12, brings this month’s devotion.

The devotion for November is on Psalm 23:1-4.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

We all go through many hardships and struggles in life, and these are all different for each of us. It is so powerful that God is able to be with all of us always and comfort us both in our times of need and when we feel at peace. We can go through the most stressful or frightening situation, but He will never leave us.

This month, if you are feeling like you are all alone in any situation, just remember that God is with you and that He notices everything. Also, don’t try to turn away from God but instead always rely on Him. The song for this week goes along with the above verses! It is called “You Never Let Go” by Matt Redman

Fine Arts Congrats The following students made the TPSMEA All-State Choir: Katherine Gualy - Ranked 7th Alto in the State Rebecca Glenister -Ranked 10th Alto in the State Ariana Morgan - Ranked 11th Soprano in the State Also, please congratulate Matias Hivnor on his selection to the TMEA Region 27 Orchestra! 30 violinists out of 131 were selected by audition and will participate in the Region Orchestra the weekend before Thanksgiving.

This is quite an honor for Matias!

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Feature

November 2012

Halloween vs Thanksgiving?

Which fall holiday is better than the other?

by Spencer Traver and Gianna Tiedemann Two major holidays happen to occur very closely in the fall. Can you guess what they are? If you guessed Thanksgiving and Halloween, you’re right!

They do happen less than a month apart and are often picked as fall favorites for different reasons. Some like Thanksgiving better because there’s football, tons of food, and friends, while some like Halloween better because of candy, candy, candy, costumes, more candy, and friends.

Maybe Thanksgiving is your favorite, or maybe Halloween is your favorite; maybe it’s both.

You decide. But whatever it is, at least take these few points into consideration.

Goblins, ghosts, and ghouls, oh my! Yep, Halloween has come and gone yet again, just like the quick passing of children eagerly waiting for candy at your front door. There are two awesome things about Halloween that makes it the greatest holiday ever. First and foremost, one of the best parts of Halloween is seeing all the little kids come up to the door in their little Buzz Lightyear, mermaid, and transformer costumes; even teens and parents get to dress up too, which makes it even more fun.

Now, all of these costumes are great, but the best one by-far this year and in past years, is the baby dressed as a pumpkin.

Who doesn’t like babies dressed as pumpkins? Haters...that’s who.

Senior, Kathleen Burt, says that she thinks the babies who are dressed up as pumpkins are cute,

despite the fact that she hates babies. She also said that she loved to dress up and go trick-or-treating when she was little.

Anyway, the second and

final thing that makes Halloween the greatest holiday known to man (besides Christmas of course), is the large amount of candy that each child can possess that will ultimately bring out the inner tasmanian devil in each child and bring parents’ insanity to a whole new level. Almond Joys, Paydays, Heath Bars, and other weird candy bars were not popular candies to give out this Halloween; Snickers were the real deal. Many kids, such as Paige Hobbs, who was dressed up this year, said that this was her favorite part of Halloween because all the candy she got was free.

Overall, Halloween has seemed to be a pretty amazing holiday filled with tons of fun, happiness, and candy, something that Thanksgiving cannot measure up to, despite the large quantity of food on the table.

While some people may

prefer Halloween, the vast majority of students at Houston Christian clearly voiced Thanksgiving as the better holiday of the two.

Halloween offers candy, spooky movies, and costumes, but Thanksgiving is filled with thanks, family, and the most delicious of all foods. How can one not enjoy all of the ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, squash, pumpkin pie, stuffing, and casseroles?

The endless list of possible savory foods to feast on is just the beginning of the list of greatness of this wonderful holiday. The majority of students in the B2 ILT class prefered Thanksgiving over Halloween, not only for the incredible foods Thanksgiving brings, but also for the family atmosphere surrounded by giving thanks.

For example, senior Jordan Zeal shared her personal love for Thanksgiving by saying that, “Thanksgiving is great because it gives me the opportunity to stop and say ‘thank you’ for even the smallest of things on the ‘daybay’. Also, I really love the food, but I mean, who doesn’t?” As we approach this glorious holiday, remember to give thanks for all things. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reminds all believers, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” While the food is incredible, the weather is chilly, and the family is gathered: give thanks!

As it is understood that different people have differing opinions about these two holidays, everyone should enjoy both Halloween and Thanksgiving this fall season. Happy Halloween and Happy Thanksgiving!

Best Decorated Pumpkins of Halloween 2012 1. Wax Dipped Pumpkins 2. Rhinestoned Pumpkins

3. Lace Covered Pumpkins

4. Candy-Corn Pumpkins

5. Chalkboard Paint Pumpkins 6.Chevron Striped Pumpkins

7. Political Pumpkins 8. Character Pumpkins

Students and faculty share what they are thankful for

by Samantha Moore and Amanda Brown, Stang Staff Trenton Telge- school, family, friends Corey the Coffee Dudemom (she’s awesome), toe socks Greg Speck- Jesus Christ saving him, his wife Bonnie, four kids (Speckles), two grandchildren Ms. Andrau- relationship with Lord Jesus Christ Ms. Weaver- community that knows her and loves her well Mr. Mellor- safe working environment, Mrs. Mellor Senor Sam- Family (best thing he has) Chandler Dugan- when Mellor’s Pre-Cal videos are less than ten minutes, The Walking Dead.

Lauren Kattapong- cookies, blue pens, friends, opportunities

in life Thomas Berry- Lauren, cookies, money, cats, trusting relationship with his parents, senior class and upperclassmen, Shelby.

Mr. Davis- Whataburger breakfast burritos.

Andrew Duna- Stuart Cornett

Emma Hennesseysharks, high socks, emotional tweets, grocery shopping, Jennifer Johnson’s hugs, Discipleship class B2, chapstick Sarah Helm- Cold weather, family, and friends Miranda Rogers- My dad, basketball and cats.

Dean- the gospel, Connor Kelley’s jump shot, and Jesus AJ Rand- God’s love Renee Alphonso- Ashley Richards Grant Fisher- My iPhone Jaela- The world Angela Pidala- Ashley Richards Justin Reesor- Chase Harris, cars, youtube, and lightbulbs Dexter Robinson- basketball MJ Hedgepeth- this wonderful school

9. Breastcancer Awarness Pumpkins 10. Monogrammed Pumpkins

Everything Orange

All things pumpkin

Now that the holidays have commenced, It is time for pumpkins.

by Alexa Reinhart, Copy Editor

Fall is finally here and we have been blessed with one of the greatest gifts of fall: pumpkin…pumpkin everything. When Starbucks starts advertising their pumpkin spice latte, that is when the fall season truly starts. From pies, to coffee, to candles, to cupcakes, there is no escaping the wonderful aroma of pumpkin.

But there are also some other ways pumpkin is used during this season, other than the pumpkin desserts found on Pinterest.

Other uses for pumpkins are for skin improvement, arts and crafts, and of course last but not least, in food.

Firstly, a great thing about pumpkin is that it is good for your skin. Since Halloween is over with, you can smear the rind of the pumpkin on your face to rejuvenate your skin. Just kid-

ding, buying the pumpkin peel is a little more sanitary. Nonetheless, the rind of pumpkin is a great mask to make the skin look and feel younger. After eating tons of candy on Halloween, the pumpkin peel will rejuvenate and get rid of those pimples induced by sugar. The peel also gives the skin a natural glow and helps makeup stay on and last longer.

Savannah Head informed me that she “thought pumpkin peel being good for your skin was just a myth, but I understand now that it is not.” Apparently the pumpkin is high in zinc, vitamin A and C, which are great antioxidants that help boost the pumpkin peel’s success. So go out and get a pumpkin peel and look even better this holiday season.

There are also endless amounts of arts and crafts

Best Haunted House in Houston

Haunted houses in the Houston area compete to be the best this time of year.

by Amanda Brown, Stang Staff

This time of year, seasonal activities are the main attraction for Houston. Although we may not have the coldest weather, we do see the change in seasons bring about interesting new things to do. ÊPlaces like ScreamWorld, Phobia and Nightmare on the Bayou all contribute to the fun fall atmosphere brought about by the colder weather.

These haunted houses all opened at the beginning of October, and have closed now that it is November.

Personally, I do not find any fascination in haunted houses.

Two years ago, I visited ScreamWorld and was absolutely terrified. I left after the maze, and didn’t even get to go into the house because I was so scared!

However, some people find this kind of entertainment to be thrilling and perfect during the time of Halloween. Maddy Laster 11, who I went to ScreamWorld, had the time of her life. She said that ScreamWorld was awesome and I can’t wait to go back this year!

Compared to Phobia, however, Scream World is nothing.

Claudia Waters 10 visited Phobia with her friends this year and had an absolute blast. I was so scared that I grabbed onto the person in

front of me. And I didn’t even know them, Claudia says. Phobia is so popular that they even have two encore nights: November 2nd and November 3rd. Phobia has five different attractions: Mind Control, 3D Clown Phobia, ClaustroPhobia, Darke Institute, and Dawn of the Machine. If you really want the full effect, you can get a package deal and see the three scariest attractions at Phobia: Darke World, Fowlers Woods, and Mania.

Another haunted house that is notorious for it’s terrifying location is Nightmare on the Bayou. This location is said to be haunted, which makes this attraction that much more scary. John Clarke 11 went to Nightmare on the Bayou when he was only in middle school and was absolutely terrified. He said, I usually doesn’t get scared often, but I was terrified after Nightmare on the Bayou! By far the scariest haunted house I have ever been to.

Overall, all of these haunted houses are scary in their own different ways. It’s up to you to decide which house is the scariest or the most fun for you and your friends. Maybe you will be a little braver next year.

using a pumpkin. Besides carving a pumpkin, there are many other crafty projects for those chilly fall days. A popular pumpkin project for all of the monogram-crazed girls is a monogrammed pumpkin. The steps are simple: paint a pumpkin whatever color, either free hand initials or use a stencil, and add a cute bow to the stem to top it all off. Blakely Smith, who is a tad bit monogram obsessed, cannot wait to “monogram her pumpkin for fall because everything looks better monogrammed.” Especially around the time of Thanksgiving, a pumpkin painted with the letter of your family’s last name would be a perfect centerpiece on the dinner table. Another pumpkin crafts creating a pot out of a pumpkin.

This craft is a little messier, takes more time, and requires some

The Stang

precision, but it is worth the effort. First, cut a hole with a sixinch diameter around the stem of the pumpkin. Next, scoop out all of the nasty, gooey, insides (including the seeds) and either save the seeds for baking later or throw them away. There are two different ways the pumpkin can be used for flowers: a vase or potted plant. For a vase, put a coffee can, glass vase, or a plastic cup inside of the pumpkin and fill it with ¾ with water and a drop of bleach. For a potted plant, put the potted plant into the pumpkin and make sure that it will not leak into the pumpkin, or it will decay faster.

Lastly, food, food, food.

The easiest way to find recipes can be summed up in one word: Pinterest. Pinterest is the ultimate place to find the traditional pumpkin recipes, and ones that are out of the blue. From pump-

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kin bread, to pumpkin cupcakes, to pumpkin muffins, and all the way to donut holes and pancakes, the recipe choices are endless. Of course the traditional pumpkin pie is great, but with all of the new recipes containing pumpkin popping up, it is the perfect time to whip up a new dessert or entrée for a holiday party or for one of those casual nights in. Senior Alyssa McKinzie, “can spend hours on Pinterest stalking people’s fall dessert boards for new recipes.”

From skincare, to crafts, to recipes, and much more, pumpkin inspired things are definitely a hit this fall.

The Most Fun of All: Costumes

The popular Halloween costumes for 2012.

by Rachel Driver, Editor and Chief

Every year there is a time for sugar highs, spooky decorations, haunted houses, carving of pumpkins, and dressing up: Halloween. This year Halloween fell on Wednesday, October 31. Although every part of Halloween has its perks, we all know getting dressed up is the highlight of the holiday. I hear of hundreds of different costumes that are all the rage during Halloween, but the big question is, what were some of the best costumes teens sported this year? For the answer, I turned to some of Houston Christian’s very own students and asked them what they were for Halloween 2012.

We all know the typical costumes. The “go-to” Halloween costumes this year were ghosts, witches, kittens, princesses, skeletons, firemen, sailors, and of course, angel and devils. These costumes you cannot go wrong with, but in my opinion, you get no brownie points for creativity. To find some quirky and unexpected Halloween costumes, HC students seemed to pull through. Ramsey Al-Azem 12 was Obama. With elections coming up, I thought this was a creative look, and it was definitely a conversation starter. Blakely Smith 12, another Senior, was “a mouse, duhh.” If you do not get the connection, let me explain. A standard mouse costume would normally fall as a “go-to” costume. Blakely was not just any mouse, she was Karen Smith. Karen Smith, a character in the movie Mean Girls, is a dumb blonde that beguiled a backwards “K” on herself. Blakely pulled the costume off well, matching Karen Smith’s outfit to a tee as seen in the movie. Catherine Coolidge 10 dressed up as Luigi from Mario Karts.

What made it so cute? Her little brother was Mario.

Simple costumes can become something special by connecting it to something current, referencing a movie, or getting a partner and making it extra fun. I give major props to those students who went out there and wore something super creative, while staying, as Ramsey AlAzem 12 likes to say, “golden.”

Senior Ramsey Al-Azem

Senior Brooke Fritcher and Blakely Smith

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November 2012

Opinions

Trick-or-treating: how old is too old?

Should kids stop trick-or-treating at a certain age?

By Gianna Tiedemann, Managing Editor

Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat. Of course, if you have ever been trick-or-treating, you know this classic song that would always get you candy when you were five-yearsold, but are teens too old to be singing this song now? Ask any one of your friends, and they’d probably say no, but if you asked any adult, they’d probably say, “You bet you’re too old.” So, the real question is, when should you stop trickor-treating?

Honestly, trick-or-treating is a fun way to hang out on Halloween with your friends, a great way to get tons of free candy, and an excuse to dress up in whatever appropriate outfit you want. This year, there were tons of kids ranging from all ages out on the streets scooping up the candy, including yours truly. In order to find when you should stop trick-or-treating, we must evaluate the different ages of trick-or-treaters and their actions.

Of course, you have the cute babies dressed as pumpkins and ghosts that were riding in carriages being pushed by their parents. This is dumb. Although they are the most adorable things ever in their little pumpkin costumes, babies cannot down a whole Reese’s cup by themselves or nom on a bag of m&m’s; better yet, they can’t even tell the two completely distinct candies apart because they’re babies. They don’t understand that. What’s the point of taking them trick-or-treating if they can’t even eat the candy their given? It’s not like people are going to be handing out baby food. Parent’s who take their babies trick-or-treating are most likely just using their baby as a disguise to get candy for themselves because they know that it would be creepy and weird if they asked for candy.

Then, you have the cute, shy toddlers/ little, teeny kids (probably about two to seven years old) who are most likely

STANG 2012-2013

dressed up as Barbie, princesses, mermaids, Buzz Lightyear, and monsters.

These are the cuties that come up to the door and say “trick-or-treat” so softly that even someone with supersonic hearing would have to wear a hearing aid to hear.

But, despite their inaudibly soft voice, you give them candy anyway because they’re cute and you don’t want to make them cry. These kids are the perfect age to start trick-or-treating.

The third round of kiddos that come by the door are the little kids/tweens that are probably around eight to 12 years old, who are cute, but extremely annoying.

First, they ring the doorbell maybe about four times until their parents finally get them to stop or until someone answers the door with a pot full of candy. They then proceed to scream (at the top of their lungs, no doubt) “TRICK-OR-TREAT” until you can’t possibly hear anymore and are in need of a hearing aid. Shortly after and without fail, they stick their hands in the bowl of candy and grab as many pieces of candy as they can. If you are handing out Starbursts, they may proceed to ask you if they can have the “pink one” or the “red one” or the “insert favorite Starburst flavor here.” Although it’s annoying, these are the kids that should be trick-or-treating; adults, or at least my mom, prepare their candy bowls with the most popular candy among kids so that their bowls will run out fast and they won’t have to get up off the couch to answer the doorbell.

The final round of trick-or-treaters are teenagers. Honestly, trick-or-treating is super gnarly and what not if you’re actually a teenager and are still in high school.

You can dress up as whatever you want and get all the free candy in the world. As teenagers, our goal is to get all the candy we can. Mrs. Oldham can more than agree with that statement. She said, “All

Editor-in-Chief-- Rachel Driver Junior Editor-- Ashley Richards Managing Editor-- Gianna Tiedemann Copy Editor-- Alexa Reinhart Stang Staff Amanda Brown, Stephen Consoli, Connor Kelley, Samantha Moore, Matt Scott, Spencer Traver, Michael Vaughan, Matt Yochum Advisor--Heidi McCurdy

The Stang is published 8 times per year online at www.houstonchristian.org, and is free to the student body, faculty and staff. Advertising is available to businesses, parents and students, but

The Stang reserves the right to refuse advertisement based on appropriateness for HC Students.

For advertising information please contact Heidi McCurdy at 713-580-6044 or email at hmccurdy@houstonchristian.org.

The Stang is a student run newspaper and the views and opinions of The Stang do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the faculty, staff and Board of Houston Christian High School.

Letters to the Editor: Please email your comments to hmccurdy@houstonchristian.org.

The Stang reserves the right to refuse or edit inappropriate content of comments.

Mission Statement: The mission of The Stang is to inform, entertain and encourage the readers by provising insight through school, community and global affairs, in order to raise questions and provide answers.

To obtain the truth, which is the basis of our paper, we will incorporate research from a wide variety of sources. Although we write to entertain, we will balance our humor with real information about the world around us. In all we do, we promise to uphold our Christian values by writing with quality and integrity

teens want is candy. They come in their jeans and a t-shirt with a pillow sack and try to get more candy than everyone else.”

As she went into further explanation, Mrs. Oldham said that if teens were dressed up and had their little pumpkin pail that we all used to use when we were little, she would be more open to giving out candy.

Now, if you are out of high school and are not walking a little child around, you should not be trick-or-treating. That’s weird. As much as you think you’re not going to get weird stares from kids around you, you will.

Mrs. Oldham and Mrs. Bainum, who has created a list of stages with Halloween events to go to that are appropriate

with that stage, both agree that when you are a teen, you should stop trick-ortreating and go do something else instead.

They would probably agree with how Senior, Kathleen Burt, likes to spend her All Hallow’s Eve. “I think trick-or-treating is lame at my age because all the adults hate us, so I prefer to go an appropriate themed party and shove candy down my throat.” On the other hand Nathalie Simoes, loves to trick-or-treat but only up and down her street. Otherwise, she thinks it’s weird at this age to go around the neighborhood.

In conclusion, teens should probably stop trick-or-treating when they’re in high school, but that’s up to you.

What makes Alexa frustrated

Annoying drivers, stubborn people, and Houston weather are among the few things that make me frustrated.

by Alexa Reinhart, Copy Editor

This month, I will be sharing with you all about what makes me frustrated. If you know me, you most likely know that certain things make me frustrated. Although I could probably list a bunch, I will spare you and only list a few.

My frustrations include: drivers that zoom around me because I am driving “too slow,” and then proceed to cut in front of me and drive slower than I was driving, people that think they are right about everything, and the unpredictable Houston weather.

First, I would like to say that I am not someone who has road rage whatsoever.

I do not yell at someone or honk (excessively), but when someone swerves around me just to get in front of me and then drives slow, I do get frustrated. I understand that a lot of drivers will get in front of someone and deliberately drive slow just to make the driver behind them angry, but I am not talking about that situation. I just do not understand why the person who was so annoyed with my driving speed has to cut around me and then proceed to drive slower than I was when they were behind me. I honestly just do not know what they are thinking. It drives me crazy.

Another frustration is when someone is extremely stubborn and thinks that they are right in every situation. I am not saying that this frustrates me because I think that I am right all of the time, because I am definitely not. I just think that there are several times when people do not like to accept that someone else could be right

for once. For example: a new movie premiered last Friday and I am talking to my friend Sophia about how much I want to go see it. Sophia believes that the movie does not come out until this weekend, but I saw a commercial advertising that it has already premiered.

Sophie is so confident that the movie does not premiere until next Friday; even after I prove to her that it has already been out. I know that this is really petty and immature, but everyone has that one insignificant thing that someone does that makes him or her the slightest bit frustrated, and this is that one thing for me.

Lastly, I think this is a frustration that all of us can agree on: Houston weather.

Houston seriously does have some of the most bipolar weather. The random cold fronts are really nice and refreshing, but not when it is unexpected.

Especially when we get used to the cold front for a few days and then walk outside to go to school the next morning in a sweater and it is a blazing hot outside; it just does not make any sense. One moment it could be a beautiful, sunny, cloudless day, and two minutes later, we could be in a flood zone. It is so incredibly frustrating when I am trying to plan out activities and events when I do not know what the weather is going to be like.

All in all, everyone has those small things that frustrate them, and these are just a few things that frustrate me.

Opinions

The Stang

11

Guy Code: What you need to know

The “Guys” discuss topics such as dating, Sperry’s, crying, bubble baths, and more By: Matt Scott, Matt Yochum, and Stephen Consoli, Stang Staff 1. Should a guy always pay for his date?

Matt: Honestly, I would have to say that a guy should always pay for his date. For some reason I have always been willing to spend money on a date. As long as she is not a moocher and just wants me to buy her everything. That will not fly and I will make her start buying me stuff.

Stephen: Oh aren’t you just great. But yeah, I’d have to agree. Even though it is a lot of money most of the time, it is the right thing to do. And if the girl is special to you, then you really shouldn’t even think twice about it. It should be something you want to do.

Yochum: Any guy who wants to impress a girl should at least try and pay for her. Now, there are those (AMAZING) girls who for some reason never want to be paid for, and in that situation you gotta just go with the flow.

2. If questioned by a friend’s girlfriend about his whereabouts...

Matt: Oh straight up lie about it. Not only lie but make up a story and then call your bro and tell him the story, so you guys can be on the same page.

Stephen: I couldn’t agree more. Bros before... well... yeah your bros come first.

Yochum: You should always look out for your boy. So just don’t respond to the question. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.

3. Dating somebody during the holidays...

Matt: Okay this is bittersweet because in the past I have received some pretty sweet gifts. But buying girl’s presents are the worst because they are so picky and it seems like everything they do like is out of price range. ($10-20) Stephen: Dating someone during the holidays is fun for other reasons, but buying gifts, uhh that ain’t me. It’s hard, not to mention the money, but it’s something that comes with it, so it’s a must.

Yochum: During the holidays the girls become 10x more emotional and the expectations as a boyfriend are much higher.

4. Sperrys or Nikes?

Stephen: Hmm, hard choice. Honestly,

for me it’s just whatever mood I’m in. It’s not a question of comfort because both are extremely comfortable. Sperrys are so versatile though, you can wear them rain or shine, nice or casual.

Matt: Well I do love my Nike Airs, but I cannot wear them when I’m getting all dressed up. So when I start looking snazzy, I pull out the Sperrys.

Yochum: Sperrys are always going to look better with the shorts and a polo shirt, but obviously you aren’t going to work out in Sperrys. Nikes are meant to be worn with gym shorts and a shirt.

5. Friend Zone?

Stephen: Friend Zone. Not a fun place. If you’re in the friend zone and that wasn’t your intention, you might have to get outside your comfort zone and take a risk to get out. If that fails, it might get a little weird, but most of the time, it’s worth that risk.

Matt: For those bros who have this problem, speak up and stop being such a little girl. You shouldn’t be in the friend zone for more than a month tops. And bros, if a girl talks about other guys to you, that = friend zone! BUT I think the best girlfriends start with being friends first, so if you like somebody that you are friends with, speak up and take a leap of faith.

YOLO. Yochum: Not going to lie, I have had much trouble with the friend zone. Sometimes you have to work through the friend zone to get a girl also.

6. Bubble bath?

Stephen: Ahh, bubble baths. Only the greatest thing I’ve ever been a part of. Just laying there in the bubbles and hot water, gosh it just gives me the chills right now. I just wanna jump in. Yay yayyy?

Matt: I am more of a shower guy, but I do not mind taking a hot bubble bath every once and awhile.

7. Social Networking?

Stephen: Social Networking is great, if you aren’t a try hard about it. Certain things are no gos. Matt can tell you a little bit about that.

Matt: Selfies, NO. Mirror pics, HECK NO. Well other than those make sure you bros aren’t tweeting more than five times a day. Bros make sure you’re always fully clothed in profile pics. No up close, duck face, or any other pose you think looks cute; only if you are making fun of somebody. If you’re tweeting/updating how much of a good time you’re having, chances are you’re not having a good time.

Yochum: Couldn’t live without it.

8. Crying?

Stephen: If you’re a guy out there and you cry, that’s respect. It’s not a bad thing to let it all out every once in awhile. I just hope it’s not an everyday kinda thing. But hey if you’ve got something that is bothering you that much, I suggest you find your bros and tell them what’s going on. That’s what your friends are for.

Matt: Contrary to popular belief, crying is actually not that bad and its a sign of emotions. There’s nothing wrong with showing some emotion when things get rough or something happens. But there’s a fine line between having emotions and being oddly emotional. Bros make sure you do not get to cross that line of crying over dumb things.

9. Best Friends Ex? Matt: Well things get kinda awkward when your best friend’s ex is your friend because you have to sometimes choose between them. Or if he sees you talking to her things can get very weird. So beware of not crossing that line of bro code and make sure you do not betray your bud.

Stephen: Definitely a sticky situation.

There is also the circumstance where your best friend and his ex have been broken up for a while and you’ve always found her attractive. That’s where things get real.

Advice: Yea, I don’t have the answer yet either.

10. Rich or Comfortable?

Stephen: I think rich is the answer everyone wants to give here, but you can’t go wrong with comfortable. Being rich

comes with tough decisions and temptation. If you know how to live comfortably and sustain your money while being rich, then more power to ya.

Matt: I would rather be comfortable. No question about it.

11. Cooking?

Stephen: Girls that can cook. That’s money. If you think a girl has it all, she doesn’t have it all until she can cook. But hey, if you find one with the whole package, you’ve got it made, literally.

Matt: Cooking is very important when choosing a girl. If your girl can cook, then keep her because she can solve problems with just cooking. I have had some tough personal experiences with girls cooking and those are the ones you want to stay away from.

12. Wingman?

Matt: The most important friend you should have, but make sure you choose the right one because they can either make you or break you. You want one that is brave but not cocky which is hard to find.

But if anything, be a good wingman and always be willing to help a friend out because they are needed.

Stephen: If you need a wingman,ask me.

13. Perfect date for a guy?

Stephen: No judging on this one, alright?

I think the perfect date would be to spend the whole day with a girl, that you really enjoy being with, at a place like Kemah Boardwalk or somewhere fun like that.

There is so much to do that and you can just have have a good time.

Matt: A date where the guy has to do nothing. Nah, I’m joking but it depends, sometimes I would want to go out and do something fun and active. On some dates I would just wanna chill and watch a movie. Any date that is comfortable is a good one.

Fall fashion fosters many new and fun trends By: Gianna Tiedemann, Managing Editor

Fall is the time of year when the leaves turn red, orange, and yellow, and begin to fall off the trees. It’s the perfect time for apple cider, watching football on the couch snuggled up under a blanket, and eating excessive amounts of pumpkin pie from the House of Pies. While fall brings many fun activities and memories, more importantly, it brings about many different fashion choices.

Ladies, if you’ve been on Pinterest lately, you can probably figure it out for yourselves. If you aren’t on Pinterest, or just want to refresh your memory, this is the perfect article for you to read. This year, comfort is key to surviving the fall. Rachel Berry12 said that she has two words to describe comfort this fall, “Boots and scarves, ladies and gentlemen.” Many stores are now displaying oversize sweaters mostly coming in neutral colors, light brown, black, gray, beige, matched with either black or navy jeans, jeggings, or leggings. This outfit can be matched with brightly colored accessories, such as scarves, and brown or black leather boots.

Senior fashionista, Paige Hobbs12, said, “The comfiest fall outfit for me this season is an over-sized sweater, leggings, and boots. It’s cozy and cute!” Denim shirts also go with leggings and boots as well. Tops with a statement collar and usually some sort of extravagant detailing to it, are also in right now. Other colors such as “coral” and “wine” can also be matched with light

colored and dark colored jeggings or jeans. Jeans and jeggings aren’t the only bottoms that are in style this year; bright colored cords (corduroys) are in as well. But, take caution when wearing cords; you do not want to wear a patterned top or a top made of thick material with them.

These outfit picks are the key to looking cute and feeling comfortable this fall.

But maybe you’re wondering what’s in for the nighttime? What if you want something dressier? Well, you’re in luck because they are also a key to looking great during this fall season. For example, you are going to a dinner with some friends and don’t know what to wear and all you have is a black dress and black tights in your closet; you’re extremely frazzled. No fear, black on black is really in this year. Match that little black dress with some black tights (even black sparkly tights are fine if you’re really feeling like making a sassy statement) and you’re set to go. Wait, what about shoes? Ahh yes, shoes.

Well, wearing black shoes with your all black outfit may make you look like you’re heading to a funeral. Instead, try a pair of brightly colored heels or flats to add a pop of color spice to your look. Pair this cute outfit with some bold gold accessories, possibly a scarf as well, and you’re set to go.

Now guys, you are probably lost in this world of women’s fashion, but if you’re wondering what to wear

this fall, you’re also read the right article. One trend that has been popular among many guys recently is bow ties.

It is rare to not see any boys sporting bow ties on a chapel day. Along with bow ties, argyle socks usually are worn to complete the whole look. What used to be socks worn by older men, has been taken over by teenage guys going for the whole “hipster” look. If you do not know what argyle socks are, they are patterned, formal dress socks usually worn to church or with slacks, etc. Some guys even wear them with khaki shorts, Sperry’s, and a polo.

Whether you are participating in this fall fashion trend or not, it is not too late to join in. Senior, John Rasplicka12, has picked up on the trend for this fall season. He’s not hard to spot out of a crowd on chapel days with his bow tie, khaki pants, and nice shirt. Miranda Rogers would describe his style as “Frattilicious.” Miranda has hit the nail on the head with this description of John’s style as well as the trend occurring this fall.

So when you’re out shopping, make sure to check out the many style options that this fall season brings.

If you’re confused on where to go, stores like J. Crew, Anthroplogie, Banana Republic, Urban Outfitters, and even Target all have many different styles to choose from that match the current comfy trend. For more fall fashion, google “fall fashion” and surf the blogs or head to Pinterest for more advice.

12

November 2012

Entertainment

Eat. Drink. Be Healthy.

by Alexa Reinhart, Stang Staff

Despite the lack of chilly weather, fall has officially arrived. Not only does fall bring cold weather, it also brings exciting events, celebrations, fall fashion, holidays, and much more. The most exciting of them all is the season-based drinks at Starbucks. The warm, spiced, and delicious pumpkin spice latte is officially back. But, if you aren’t aware, the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks does contain a high number of calories and a large amount of sugar.

No worries, though because I have a recipe

that cuts the calories in thirds, and tastes better; plus, after a walk through one of the many nature trails in Houston, rewarding yourself with a steaming hot skinny pumpkin spice latte is perfect. So, though fall brings many wonderful things, pumpkin spice lattes and outside activities are some of the best.

If you are like me and love everything and anything pumpkin, than I am sure that you can agree that the day Starbucks starts making the pumpkin spice lattes is exciting. Maybe that is a little extreme, but nonetheless, it is a great day for pumpkin lovers. Recently, though, I have not been feeling the pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks. For some reason, I feel like they do not taste as authentic as they did when I had first tried them. Once I realized this, I found a recipe, from dashingdish.com, an easy one I must add, that I can make at home that not only tastes better, but also cuts the calories in thirds and reduces the sugar down by more than 90 percent. For reference, the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks’s nutrition facts are as follows: Serving size: 12oz. Calories: 300, 100 from fat. 11g fat. 39g Carbohydrate.

0g Fiber. 38g Sugar. 11g Protein. In other words, you can drink one guilt free. The recipe calls for 2 tbs of instant espresso powder (or 2 packets of Starbucks Instant Via Coffee), 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice, ½ tsp of cinnamon, ½ cup of pumpkin puree, ¼ cup of sugar free maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar, 2 cups of vanilla almond milk or skim milk, and 3-5 packets (or to your liking) of Stevia for sweetening.

If you are the rich and creamy coffee drinker, adding only 2 tbs of half and half or a fat free whipped topping would be perfect.

Not only are the ingredients simple and easy to find in grocery stores, the steps are quick and easy too. First, add all of the ingredients into a saucepan and heat over medium heat for about 1-3 minutes. Make sure that you do not bring it to a boil, though. Second, and last, remove from heat and add to a blender on high for 1-2 minutes, until small bubbles form.

Because this recipe actually makes two servings, you can either evenly divide it into two mugs and share with someone, or you can put one serving in the fridge and save it for later. Not only was that an easy

recipe, it is much healthier and natural.

Nutrition Facts per serving (1 ½ cups): 71 calories. 4g fat. 13g Carbohydrate. 3g Fiber. 2g Sugar. 2g Protein.

To add to the theme of pumpkin, a great, light morning snack with your latte is a skinny version of pumpkin bread, which is also the recipe of the month. If you have never tried a “skinny” version of something, then I am sure that you are very skeptical, but I can assure you that the taste is not that different; the biggest difference in taste is the fact that it tastes fresher and more natural because the ingredients are fresh and the final product is not frozen, like Starbuck’s baked goods (sorry for breaking that to all of the Starbucks’s lovers). Anyway, the recipe is as follows…enjoy!

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree 1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour 3/4 cup sugar 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Pitch Perfect is just about perfect ...but that’s my opinion

by Ashley Richards, Stang Staff

After a fairly uneventful summer in the box office, there is finally a funny movie that was just released: Pitch Perfect. This movie I would rate a 10 out of 10; it was hysterical, creative, the characters were awesome, and the music was exceptional.

The main character, Anna Kendrick, plays a quirky, alternative, and artsy girl who goes to college despite her real dream: to move to LA and make music.

Of course while she is there, she has a horrible roommate, meets new friends, and falls in love.

This movie was basically just like a movie version of Glee. The singing was great, the song choices were fantastic, and the acting was perfect. Despite the songs, this movie was not a musical; there was no spontaneous singing, which was refreshing for a movie based on music.

Anna Kendrick, who plays Becca, arrives at Barden University at the beginning of the movie. Meeting her horribly silent and sassy roommate, Kimmy Jin, she searches for a group of friends and somewhere to belong, even though this action was forced by her father (who

doesn’t support in her dream to move to LA). Becca soon joins the Barden Bellas, an all girls a cappella group in attempt to please her father, and as predicted, she ends up bonding with this group of girls.

The Bellas introduce Becca to a group of quirky girls who are completely opposite from her. Fat Amy, played by Rebel Wilson, was one of my favorite characters because she was oblivious and hysterical. Her jokes, dancing, and truly awful singing made her character the best out of the whole movie because she was unpredictable and always made you laugh.

The second best character was definitely Jesse, the cute boy that Becca inevitably ends up dating. He was a great singer, adorable dancer, and just flat out cute. He had a dorky personality that just made you smile and his voice was one of an angel.

The rest of the Bellas are all tied for a close third, because they all had diverse personalities and interacted with each other in such a funny way.

Although all the girls were very different, their singing was shockingly pretty great. The music was fabulous. All of the songs were up to date, fun, and fast.

They chose great songs and it was really amazing how well two songs fit together when the Bellas sang at performances.

But, the Bella’s were not the only group with great music. Songs from the rival, all male group, The Treble Makers were just as good, if not better than the Bellas. But I might be biased, what is better than cute boys singing, right?

Pitch Perfect was the best movie I have seen by far in the past few months. It definitely made me laugh and sing along to all of the great songs. I hope a sequel comes out soon because I cannot wait for more Fat Amy.

BOX OFFICE TOTALS---Weekend of November 11th Source: Rentrak Corp.

Rank 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Gross in millions: Skyfall Wreck-It Ralph Flight Argo Taken 2 Here Comes the Boom Cloud Atlas Pitch Perfect The Man With the Iron Fists Hotel Transylvania

PITCH PERFECT

Weekend $87.8 $33.1 $15.1 $6.7 $4.0 $2.6 $2.5 $2.5 $2.5 $2.4

To Date $90.0 $93.7 $47.8 $85.7 $131.3 $39.1 $22.7 $59.0 $12.7 $140.9

Rebel Wilson stars in the new movie and takes on the acapella competition world by storm.

News What Teacher are You Most Like?

The Stang

13

Monthly Tweets

by Ashley Richards, Stang Staff 1) What is your homework strategy? a. Work, work, work, stress, work, and stress more b. Do what I can and hope I do well! c. Get on pinterest and get distracted by all the DIY animal costumes!

Cathy Doxtater

by Spencer Traver, Stang Staff

2) What is your extracurricular? a. NHS and Student Ambassador b. TRACK and CROSS COUNTRY! WOOHOO! c. Latin club

Providing only the best tweets around campus, Houston, and the world!

Senior Paige Hobbs (@paigeeypoo29) – “I love the cold #pleasestay #winter”

3) What is your dream job? a. Mathematician b. Youth Pastor c. To work with all the fish!

4) What is your favorite class? a. Math! b. Bible! c. LATIN!!!!

Senior Joshua Keith (@Chasing_Goals) – “Sebaceous cysts in anatomy class… #gross”

Joel Davis

5) What is your favorite type of music? a. Rock and Roll! b. Gospel music c. Anything that is from the Finding Nemo soundtrack!

Junior Preston Drake (@PrestonDrake) – “#hchsvolleyball doing work #thetravelingstudentsection”

If you picked...

Mostly A’s you are most like Mrs. Doxtater Mostly B’s you are most like Mr. Davis Mostly C’s you are most like Mrs. Coussens

Junior Cody Reeter (@codyreeter) – “It’s a shame that voters don’t just elect the better looking president and vice president pair... #landslidevictory #RomneyRyan”

Kathleen Coussens

Q

&A

What would you do if you were king or queen?

How do you spend your ILT?

Favorite Drink at the Coffee Bar?

Obama or Romney?

Marry Channing Tatum

Studying..

Iced chai tea latte

Bush

Make Megan Foxx my queen

Sleeping and taking surveys

Strawberry Smoothie

Romney

Drive a Bugatti across the autobahn

Conditioning

Strawberry banana smoothie

Not Obama

Feed all the hungry people

Doing homework

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Don’t Know

Kathleen Burt

Dexter Robinson

Forrest Frank

Gracie Balliet

Meagan Weaver (@MeaganWeaver) – “Grow your roots down into Him + build your lives on Him. Your faith will grow strong + you will overflow with thankfulness. (Col. 2:7)”

Alumni Texas A&M Freshman Jeremy Biar (@jeremybiar) – “Dance with God and He’ll let the right one cut in.”

Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) – “I commit to you that when @PaulRyanVP and I get to Washington, we will bring big change to Washington to get this country on track.”

President Barack Obama (@ BarackObama) – “President Obama: “It’s now up to you to choose the path that we take.” #AmericaForward”

TCU Baseball Coach Jim Schlossnagle (@TCUSchloss) – “Funny to hear people talk about the best team not winning in playoffs. It’s NEVER about the best team, only the team that PLAYS the best!”

14

Sports

November 2012

New season means new sports for many

As we turn off the Friday night lights, we bring out the “rowdy ref” jerseys to get ready

by Matt Yochum, Stang Staff

LAST YEAR’S ROWDY REFS started as a small group of passionate fans who wanted to propel the Mustangs to victory. After a few exciting games, they grew in number to exceed fifty referees one game. They promise to be back even stronger this year.

As the leaves change colors and the weather outside begins to cool down from the hot summers we have here in Houston, the winter sports and their players start to prepare for their seasons. This new season also brings new sports for our enjoyment. Basketball, soccer, and swimming are all what are offered in the winter. This year you can expect to have the opportunity to experience winter sports at

their best as we have a lot of talent on each of these teams.

The big sport that usually is most popular with the student body (basketball) should be better than ever with returning starters Ryan Leiss, Preston Drake, Connor Kelley, and Ashi Peters to run the floor.

Starting Point Guard Preston Drake had this to say about the basketball team, “I think we are going to surprise some peo-

ple this season. No one knows what we’re about in the SPC and I think we’re going to show them what Mustang basketball is all about.” The confidence that the basketball team exudes is for good reason; they are going to make a splash this year in the SPC. They can also expect help from freshman studs Jalen Weber, Justin McCormack, and Braden Kopp. Also, the girls basketball team is looking to go above and beyond this season with more potential than ever with Miranda Rogers in her final season as a basketball star for the Mustangs. Additionally, coming back from a fatal knee injury Jaela DeJean is expected to have as good of a year as ever!

After being asking about her goals for this season Miranda Rogers said, “The goals I have for myself and the team is to win it all because I know we are capable of that.” Hopefully Miranda and the team will accomplish this task; adding another trophy to our trophy case. This could be a special season so do what you can to get involved!

Also apart of the winter season sports; soccer is looking to make a statement this year for the boys and girls. Senior Captain Christi Harrison said, “This year soccer will be exciting with all of new the girls and new people to play and against!”

After coming off of a 9-7-2-season look for

the girl’s soccer team to be electrifying in quest to win it all! This also goes for the boys soccer team who after a losing record last season are refocusing and revamping the program with a new coach, Phil Masters, who has his sights set on nothing but their best!

Finally, the swimming team is looking to try and repeat with the success they had last year finishing 4th in the state on the boys side, and 8th on the girls. It will be interesting to see how they fair without graduated Mustangs Elizabeth Mosvold, Randy Faulk, and Johnny Bravo.

Come out and support your winter teams this season! Every team has a lot to prove in the SPC and you won’t want to miss any of the action.

GOING TO THE RACK, Jaela Dejean rises over her defender. After missing last season, Jaela is back for the Lady Stangs this year.

New Coaches of HC Athletics--some familiar--some new New faces bring spirit to sport teams

by Connor Kelley, Stang Staff

This year we have three HC faculty members who are now coaching athletics for our school. Now they are able to bond with students in and out of school.

Laura HosfordYunker, a HC Spanish teach-

er, is now the Women’s Varsity soccer coach as well. She grew up in Mobile, Alabama with three siblings. She went on to go to school at University of South Alabama, for her undergrad, and Auburn University, for grad school.

Laura Hosford-Yunker played midfield for University of South Alabama during her four years there. Now she has taught Spanish for two years at HC.

Even our own Dean of students, Linc Ashby, is now also coaching athletics

as the Men’s Varsity Basketball Assistant Coach. Dean grew up in Kentucky and this is where he coached and played at the high school level. He brings a lot of good

spirit and hard work ethic to the team that will help the Men’s Basketball team do great this year.

Also, Phil Masters

is a new member to the HC community this year. He is getting off to a busy start being both an English teacher and the new Men’s Varsity coach for the HC soccer team. He grew up in Brentwood, Tennessee with two older sisters. He went to college at Wheaten University in Chicago and played soccer

as a midfield for three years.

After college he taught and coached for a high school in Atlanta for two years before coming to HC. Now he is at HC teaching English and coaching soccer. The players love him because he is young and can interact and relate to them. This will bring a close team bond and should end in good results for the soccer team.

However, we still have new faces in the HC community that will be helping with HC athletics.

Teddy Wheeler is a new Assistant Coach for the Men’s Basketball team that brings a lot of energy and different coaching styles to the team to help the team have a great season with a tem that has a lot of potential. He has coached basketball with one of the top AAU basketball team in Houston, Texas Pro, for about 3 years now. Teddy

also has five children that come to almost all the practices and games with him. His kids age from one-year-old all the way to twelve years old.

These coaches are going to bring a lot of experince and new energy to the school that is going to benifit all the HC sports teams.

News

Bruised and broken--the teams play on An unusual flurry of injuries has crippled HC’s athletes.

by Michael Vaughan, Stang Staff games, but he has made an impact since.

Andrew Sofka also suffered a concussion during the 38-0 win against Fort Worth Country Day, but returned against Kipp. Unfortunately, concussions to Carter Rowland and Mark Spangenberg have kept them both out of football for the rest of the year. In Carter’s case, he has had to stay out of school and be schooled at home for the remainder of the semester.

His teammates and friends at school all miss him and wish him a speedy recovery and return.

FRESHMAN PHILLIP HAYNES CUT UP THE SIDELINE, in a scrimmage against Second Baptist.

Sadly, we lost Phillip to a terrible injury against Kinkaid just a few weeks after.

Unfortunately, since there have been numerous injuries during the first few months of the school year, it requires some serious attention. These injuries started before school even began.

The first major injury occurred on the very first day of full pads football practice during two-a-days. On the first play of practice, Ivan Morris suffered a torn MCL in his knee while making a tackle, putting him out for the rest of the season. Ivan started at safety on defense, but freshman, Tre Buggs, has stepped up in his place.

Fellow safety Keith Crawford said, “We’ve missed Ivan’s hard hits and leadership on D, but Tre has done a great job as a freshman.” This injury hasn’t been the end of it for the football team.

At one point, a total of 18 players

were injured. Michael Vaughan was lost for most of the season because of a broken collarbone against East Bernard, but has made a quick recovery and will most likely be able return for playoffs.

Subject to a torn ACL and MCL, Phillip Haynes was lost for the season during the game against Kinkaid, which required surgery. Against St. John’s,

Chambers Swiggart suffered a partially torn labrum, but was able to return against Kipp Academy. Captain Jordan Watkins said, “We’ve had a lot to overcome, but we’ve been winning despite the injuries.”

Sadly, there have also been several concussions, some worse than others. Ernie Mercado suffered a concussion in a scrimmage that kept him out for two

ON THE THIRD PLAY OF THE SECOND GAME, Michael Vaughan broke his collar bone, shown above. On the positive side, it was a 25 yard gain and picked up a first down.

Football season closes with pride Despite five losses, the team showed how hard work pays off

by Connor Kelley, Stang Staff Coming into this year, the football team was energized and psyched for the first season in the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC). This year’s football team is spread out with a lot of young talent and many experienced seniors. They knew that they were going to have to do all they could to have a good season, and the team was willing to put in the time and effort to have the best season ever.

The HC football team got off to a rocky start, losing multiple games and players in the early part of the season. You would think that a bunch of teenagers would just stop trying and give up, but the football team still kept trying their hardest and putting in extra time to get better. However, all their hard work paid off and they were able to pick it back up and win four games in a row; defeating Fort Worth Trinity Valley, Fort Worth Country Day, Austin St. Andrews, and KIPP Academy.

In doing so, many team and individual records were broken during the season. They were also able to win the first Homecoming game and have a four game winning streak, a first since 2007.

The football team was able to make the SPC playoffs with a 4-5 record on the season. The played Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal in the first round of the playoffs. However, HC was not able to pull out a victory, but they still had a great season overcoming injuries and staying dedicated throughout the season.

The Stang

15

Stang Shorts

by Stephen Consoli

Football The football team ended their season competing in the SPC playoffs in just their first year in the conference.

They played undefeated, All Saints Episcopal in the semi-finals. They finished the season 4-6 (3-3 in SPC) after a 1-10 season a year ago. The program is on the rise and should be contending for an SPC championship next season. Coach Max Bowman is turning the program around extremely fast and all the players are buying into his coaching. Continue to support your football players throughout the year and next season.

Cross Country

At the SPC conference cross country meet this past Saturday the girls’ team placed 12th and the boys’ were 13th as they finished the season with another outstanding performance.

Cameron Duffy had the best individual finish as he placed 29th in the boys race. Also placing well were Meredith O’Neal-49th, Micaela Aikins and Harrison Swiggart-55th, and Robert Quinilty-56th.

The most improved runners this week were Karina Arnold and Ian Hopper.

Volleyball

FOR THESE SENIORS, the tough loss against Episcopal was their last home game ever. It wasn’t the way they would’ve liked to finish at home, but they will never forget the memories they had together, and even managed to put a smile on their faces.

The Volleyball team finished the regular season second and had a very legitimate shot at winning it all, and almost did. They competed in the SPC championship for the first time and finished 4th overall in Division I, after defeating Holland Hall 3-1 Friday and nearly upsetting the eventual runner-up Greenhill that afternoon 2-3. Congratulate your girls on their very successful season.

The Back Page

November 12

The Stang

16

Get to know some of your newest teachers

by Samantha Moore, Stang Staff

Questions?????

1. Where did you previously teach?

2. What class do you teach?

3. What do you like most about Houston Christian?

4. What college did you attend?

5. What do you think of the students at HC?

Travis Maddry 1. Cesar E. Chavez High School 2. Biology, Pre-AP Biology, AP Biology 3. The positive relationships between students and teachers.

4. Texas A&M University 5. The students ask great questions and work hard. ÊI’m proud to serve as their teacher.

Michelle Mikeska 1. I did not teach at a school. I was the College Pastor at First Colony Christian Church 2. 12th grade Bible 3. It is the people that make Houston Christian an amazing place to work.

I have been blown away by the faculty and staff here at Houston Christian. They are committed to excellence and care for the students.

4. Texas A&M - Commerce (undergrad); Houston Baptist University (grad school) 5. I feel like I am still getting to know the students and they are still getting to know me.

However I will say that what I have come to learn about them has been a great encouragement to me. They have the curiosity needed to create a true love of learning and the character required to become a servant leader.

Karen Stuart 1. I taught AP Literature at Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, N.C Before that I taught Humanities at American School in London, UK 2. I now am the Director of Distinguished Scholars Program and also teach English IV (British Literature - the best Literature in the World!)

3. I love the supportive atmosphere here at Houston Christian; the faculty is some of the best with whom I have worked.

4. I completed my undergraduate at UT, my Masters at Salve Regina Univ., Newport, RI, along with study abroad programs in Oxford, England and Rome & Florence, Italy.

5. I have been most impressed with the unity and camaraderie among all the students; they are strong in their beliefs and want to honor God in all they do.

I thank God for bringing me to HC for I am truly blessed to be among the best.

Ken Craig 1. Last year I taught History and Character Development and coached football at Spring Westfield High School.

2. I am teaching United States Government this fall and will be teaching Economics this spring.

3. I like the freedom to teach God’s truth.

4. I went to Angelo State University and Sam Houston State University.

5. I have enjoyed getting to know my students. I greatly appreciate the respect that they show to each other.

Phil Masters 1. North Cobb Christian School (in Kennesaw, GA) 2. American Lit. (Boys Varsity Soccer as well) 3. The people here are great- and I honestly look forward to the lunches here every day!

4. Wheaton College 5. The students here seem very driven and engaged, and are very relational. I’ve really enjoyed the honor of teaching them!

How well do you know November?

1. What U.S. national holiday was first officially celebrated in November of 1789?

• Flag Day • Independence Day • Thanksgiving • Veterans’ Day • Halloween

5. What famous speech was given in November, 1863?

• “I Have a Dream” • Emancipation Proclamation • “Go West, Young Man” • The Gettysburg Address • “Yes Virginia, there IS a Santa Claus”

9. In ancient Rome, what began on November 11th?

• The Winter Olympics • The gladiatorial events • Winter • The week of devotion to Mars • Christmas

2. What is the birthstone for November?

• Diamond • Topaz • Ruby • Sapphire • Emerald

6. The end of what is celebrated in the U.S. every November 11th?

• Daylight Savings Time • World War I • World War II • Autumn • Baseball season

10. Why did the ancient Saxons call November “Blood month”?

• They sacrificed animals to their gods during this month • They believed the earth was undergoing its annual death • They drank blood of their enemies in November • They collected blood to be stored for winter needs • Because more Saxons died in November than any other month

3. Which U.S. president was assassinated in November?

• Lincoln • Garfield • Kennedy • Polk • Grant 4. In the ancient Roman calendar, November was which month?

• First - because “novem” meant “new” • Ninth • Tenth • Eleventh • The Romans didn’t have “November” -it wasn’t a month until 1422

7. What mountain climber reached his peak on November 15th, 1806?

• Admiral Byrd • Sir Edmund Hillary • Zebulon Pike • J. Tuzo Wilson • James Audobon 8. Which two American presidents were born on November 2nd -- seventy years apart?

• Taylor & Tyler • Nixon & Jefferson • Ford & Van Buren • Polk & Harding • Pierce & Carter

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Answers:

Thanksgiving Topaz Kennedy Ninth Gettysburg Address WWI Zebulon Pike Polk & Harding Winter They sacrificed animals to their gods during this month