Kingwood Park TIMES
Day of Service adds family twist at Elm Grove
By Ella Hickman Yearbook Section Editor
At Elm Grove Elementary, a few teachers requested to have family at their school on Day of Service. These teachers had 9th grade students at Kingwood Park who were assigned to volunteer at the campus.
“I requested through our counselor to have Clark here,” said Bonnie Terrell, a math and science teacher at Elm Grove, “I was super excited because I had Clark [Terrell] with me for three years at Creekwood Middle School, where I used to work.”
An annual tradition since 2012, Day of Service helps freshmen contribute to their community. The freshman class was spread amongst 17 locations, which included local schools, the Tiny Homes retreat in Liberty and the Village Learning Center.
Clark Terrell did not attend elementary school at Elm Grove but he said he still enjoyed spending time with his mom who has only been working there one year.
Terrell helped fourth grade students with multiplication and division holiday puzzles.
Along with Terrell, Elm Grove staff member Kara Benton requested for her daughter Raven Benton, a freshman, and son Talon Benton, a senior, to participate in Day of Service at Elm Grove.
“I love when they are here, especially for recess,” Benton said. “I think it’s so good for our kids
because y’all are a lot more fun than teachers so it makes recess more fun.”
Talon Benton volunteered at the food bank for his freshman year at Day of Service. He joined the Elm Grove group this year as a chaperone, hoping to provide a good example to the freshmen volunteering.
“It’s an amazing feeling because
On the Cover
All photos are taken from Day of Service when students were scattered around the Houston area volunteering. Captions go clockwise, starting from the top left.
1. Cole Hamilton, a freshman, plays basketball on the playground with students during recess at Elm Grove Elementary. The freshmen visited elementary schools to help teachers and entertain kids during Day of Service on Nov. 19. Photo by Ella Hickman.
you get to go and serve the community and help out people you know who could definitely use a helping hand,” Benton said. “Teachers are tired and exhausted, and you get to give them a little bit of a break by taking the kids out to play. It’s also always fun to be able to serve somebody who’s not yourself.”
Since 2012, about 4,800 students have served in their community
2. Track coach Cody Cook carries one of the kids on his back as he plays on the playground during Day of Service at Bear Branch Elementary. Cook was a chaperone at Bear Branch during the freshman class’s Day of Service. Photo by Peyton Smithson.
3. Ava Gomez participates in music class at Elm Grove Elementary. She was one of a group of freshmen who participated in Day of Service at elementary schools around
during this event. This year, 500 students were sent out to do community service activities.
“I think it highlights the fact that there’s always something bigger than yourself out there,” Talon Benton said. “There’s always something that you could be doing.”
Humble ISD. Photo by Ella Hickman.
4. Jessica Garnica, a freshman, works on a poster for Elm Grove Elementary during Day of Service on Nov. 19. More than 450 freshmen participated in community service throughout the day. Photo by Ella Hickman.
5. Charlie Crass goes over an assignment with a Bear Branch student during Day of Service on Nov. 19. One or
two students were assigned to classrooms who could use the help. Photo by Peyton Smithson.
6. Kiera Crawford, Ailey Davis and Makayla Curmon play with kids during recess at Bear Branch Elementary on Nov. 19. The high schoolers were a hit during recess time as they played with students and helped entertain them. Photo by Peyton Smithson.
Jacob Dinh works with a group of elementary students at Bear Branch during freshman Day of Service on Nov. 19. Photo by Peyton Smithson.
Turkey Day 5K sets records, transitions to new leaders
By Sydney Ortiz Sports Editor
On the 10th annual L3 Foundation’s Turkey Day 5K, board member Miles Kenny gathered the crowd near the stage at Kingwood’s Town Center. The run had attracted their largest crowd ever with more than 2,000 participants. In addition to thanking everyone for participating and raising money for pediatric cancer research, Kenny made an announcement.
He told the crowd that L3 would be stepping back from running the race starting in 2025 and Addi’s Faith Foundation would be taking over.
raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer research. Bender said their organization was honored to be asked by the Ahrendt family to carry on the Kingwood tradition.
“They said, this will still be Landon’s Turkey Trot, and hearing that was very reassuring,” said senior Wells Kenny, head of marketing and volunteering for the L3 Foundation.
“We really do vow to carry on this tradition they have started,” said Amber Bender, co-founder of Addi’s Faith Foundation. “It’s been a great event, and we’ll just continue to do a lot of the same.”
The annual 5K was started by Jaymi and Scott Ahrendt after their son, Landon, passed away during his battle with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer. Landon passed away at 10 years old in 2014.
The race has been held every Thanksgiving since and the funds from it have allowed the L3 Foundation to donate about $1 million to help fund immunotherapy research. Addi’s Faith Foundation and L3 have worked together in the past to
Pagano helps orchestra reach new heights
By Fallon Head Editor-in-Chief
As he grew up, senior Lucas Pagano watched his sister play the violin, and it inspired him to play music himself. Now, Pagano and his sister bond while playing music together.
“We like to play duets,” Pagano said. “She’s always there. If I need help with lessons, she is a big help for me here in this All-State process and Region process. Anytime I needed a little extra help, I could always go over to her house and she would walk me through it.”
Pagano got 16th in Area for AllState Orchestra for viola, barely missing the cut off for state. He earned the highest award for orchestra in Kingwood Park history.
to submit at the end of October where Pagano played six music excerpts back to back.
This year, the L3 Foundation raised $325,000 that they donated to three different hospital systems.
Even though the L3 Foundation will step away from the race, it will continue working to help raise money to end the battle of pediatric cancer.
Much of that support and work comes from students, like Kenny, who work with the foundation.
Some of the original Turkey Day 5k runners and friends of Landon are in college now. Scott Arhendt is amazed at how the event has resonated with them. Some of them are studying medicine, with a focus on cancers, as they try to help find cures.
“L3 happens because of kids,”
Scott Arhendt said. “And our slogan is ‘Kids helping kids fight cancer.’
One of the things we learned at the beginning was kids do amazing things if you just support them and then, frankly, get out of their way and let them do it.”
“It was a big shock,” Pagano said. “After the audition, I wasn’t very confident that I would make it as high as I did. It wasn’t my best performance. One of the little excerpts they have you play just wasn’t there, so I thought I was out. But knowing that I was 16, even though it wasn’t my favorite playing performance, was really cool.”
Pagano started preparing for this competition near the end of junior year. At the beginning of May of last year, they were given the first set of études – which are practices for specific skills for their instrument – to learn in preparation of the actual pieces that are assigned in September.
Pagano spent many flex hours with orchestra teacher Evan Farmer going through each excerpt and his recordings of them, breaking down every detail and movement to help Pagano prepare.
“I think Lucas gets really hard on himself, which is why he is so good at what he does,” Farmer said. “So some of that is once we kind of break everything down, is building him back up to where he has that full faith in his abilities, to kind of get him back up to everything’s going to be okay.”
They then recorded a video
“You’re never going to get the perfect snapshot of your playing from these auditions, because you’re always going to make a dumb mistake here or there, just from nerves and from exhaustion of playing 15 minutes of music back to back to back to back without, you know, a chance to catch your breath,” Pagano said. “So it’s a very intimidating day. It’s just sitting there and hoping it’s good enough.”
Along with Pagano, sophomore Brock Hirschfield, freshman Eden Rotberg and junior Ian Ferguson were also invited to try out for All-State orchestra. They got the results in November, one month after they submitted the auditions. In addition, the orchestra had 12 students, which included five seniors, qualify to play in the Region orchestra.
“Lucas, as well as just, I think this entire senior group is a really special, special group,” Farmer said. “They really just work so well together. I’m going to really miss all of them. I think that at our first booster club meeting in August, we started talking about graduation and stuff like that, and I was like it’s only August and I’m already crying. It’s just they’re just a special group.”
Senior Lucas Pagano practices during fourth period orchestra class. Photo by Jordan Hutchinson.
Decked out in Kingwood Park gear, senior Elijah Merino sprints out of the start line at the beginning of the Turkey Day 5K. He won the event the past two years. Photo by Maya Ortiz.
Video: Tiny Homes continues impacting lives of veterans by Danielle Nalley
The architecture program visited the Langetree Retreat in Liberty, where all of the Tiny Homes built by Kingwood Park students are located. The project, which creates residences for homeless veterans, continues to build a home each school year.
HOSA targets potential bone marrow donors
By Olivia Brenner Staff Writer
This year, HOSA introduced a new service opportunity for its members. Headed by president David Gonzalez and VP of service Avery Shaver, the school’s HOSA chapter started a committee to raise awareness and increase registration for the National Marrow Donor Program, previously known as Be the Match.
The NMDP, a non-profit that has been working with the larger HOSA program for a number of years now, contributes to peripheral blood stem cell and bone marrow donations for patients in need.
The faith-based club Girls In Grace held a car wash to raise money for cancer. The combined with club members at Kingwood High School to make the fundraiser a success.
Kaitlyn Sitton
Senior Andrew Carson founded the Garden Club last school year. As membership grew, so have Carson’s ideas of ways they can make an impact on campus. Carson recently received a $500 grant for the club to help their ideas become a reality.
Unlike giving blood, donating bone marrow is a much trickier process because donors have to match the recipient much closer, genetically. Consequently, less than 1% of people on the registry are actually able to donate.
The donations go to patients suffering from a number of diseases, from lymphoma to leukemia, and a donation can make the difference between life and death.
“I feel like it’s such an awesome program,” Shaver said. “It saves so many kids’ lives. Through such a simple donation, you’re able to literally change the life of somebody who’s terminally ill, and that’s just incredible.”
On Nov. 24, the NMDP committee held a community service event. They set up a booth at the Kingwood Farmers Market in Town Center and talked to
potential donors about the program. Gonzalez had the idea after attending the Washington Leadership Academy as HOSA Texas state president in September, where he went around the National Mall of Washington, D.C. and asked for registrations and fundraising.
communication skills. You’re making a tangible impact in your community.”
“It’s a mission of mine to expand registration and fundraising because I see statewide that there is a lot of work to be done and a lot of ways that we can contribute more to our communities.”
“I thought it was a really great opportunity, not only to do a public health service, because you go out and you meet individuals,” said Gonzalez. “And that helps your leadership and
- David Gonzalez, senior and state HOSA president
The committee plans to continue having service events like the one at Town Center and continue to grow the committee at Kingwood Park and overall registration in Texas.
Although Texas has the largest chartered association in all of HOSA, it is also the worst per capita for NMDP registration, according to Gonzalez.
Who can become a bone marrow donor?
You can join the NMDP Registry if you’re:
* Between the ages of 18 and 40
* A resident of the United States or one of its territories or freely associated states.
* Able to meet the medical guidelines listed at nmdp.org
“It’s a mission of mine to expand registration and fundraising because I see statewide that there is a lot of work to be done and a lot of ways that we can contribute more to our communities,” Gonzalez said. “I do encourage every single person that feels comfortable donating to register and to become informed about it because it makes a huge impact.”
Senior David Gonzalez speaks to a community member at the Kingwood Farmer’s Market in Town Center about donating bone marrow. Photo by Olivia Brenner.
Video: Girls in Grace hold car wash by Darcy Gordon Claassens
Q&A with Andrew Carson by
Alvarez’s dream becomes Christmas book
By Cameron Minatrea Staff Writer
Miguel Alvarez spent seven years of his life working for one thing. To most students, he’s their calm, funny art teacher, but some students noticed him work on a specific project over time. A month ago however, the project was finally complete, as he published his first book The Village Under the Tree.
It all started when Alvarez viewed the popular play The Nutcracker for the first time and was impressed by the story and overall design of the show. He began to think about how he could create his own story similar to the play.
“It’s one of those things that really didn’t quite make sense at all, but it was really captivating,” Alvarez said. “I just kind of wanted to create something of my own.”
Alvarez graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor’s Degree in art and wanted to pursue a career in the comic industry. He discovered the field was extremely competitive, however, and he couldn’t land a job in the industry. He decided to begin teaching, and work on his own book on the side.
The process of creating it wasn’t so easy though. He wrote and illustrated the entire story himself, which was one reason it took seven years to create. Alvarez struggled with trying to find time for the book, as being a teacher and father of three took up a lot of time.
“The challenging part was finding time to do it,” Alvarez said. “Thankfully, as a teacher, you get the summers and all these vacations off. I used a lot of that time to work on it.”
While Alvarez was following his passion and creating the story, his family watched him create it. He wanted something that one day his kids could eventually read and enjoy, just like the other books they’ve read before.
“It was just the thought of one
day being able to hold a book that I wrote, their own father,” Alvarez said. “I mean, that’s a cool thing to try and accomplish.”
Even with him spending countless hours on his book, he kept his focus on his job as a teacher. At work, he pushed students to their best and encouraged them to try new things. He said he loves to help them fix mistakes and work on improving them.
Senior Abbey Papadimitriou has spent four years in Alvarez’s classroom. She loved the lessons she gained, and she loved watching him create the book over the years.
“I think it’s awesome because
Available online at Barnes & Noble
I’ve seen how hard he’s worked on it,” Papadimitriou said. “I’d see him working on it, and it’s very intricate. He put a lot of effort into it.”
Just as he helped Papadimitriou improve her art skills, she said Alvarez created a classroom culture that encouraged everyone to take chances. Junior Fernanda Fuentes, who has spent two years in Alvarez’s class, said Alvarez has helped her strengthen her passion for cartooning and designing.
“My favorite part about the class is that Mr. Alvarez plays music, and he’s really nice,” Fuentes said. “He always helps me
when I’m struggling on how to do something.”
A year ago, Alvarez reached out to book agents last year in search of publishing his book and made a deal with publisher Riding on Clouds. It’s now available on the Barnes and Noble website, and is available on hardcover and paperback.
When Alvarez finally got his first hard copy of his book last month, he sat and read it aloud to his advanced students – many of whom watched him work on it over the past few years.
Alvarez is just glad his sevenyear project has finally come to a close. He hopes to continue working on books. And through the process of writing, drawing and coloring, Alvarez hopes he has helped inspire his students to find their passion as well.
“It doesn’t come overnight,” Alvarez said. “It’s going to take a lot of work and sacrifice, but if you have an idea or a dream, pursue it.”
Art teacher Miguel Alvarez holds a copy of his book in his classroom after showing it to his students in November. Photo by Tricia Darcy.
New D&D Club finds early popularity
By Marie Wakefield Special Contributor
Imagine preparing to cast a fire spell as you battle a fiendish beast bent on your destruction. Your mind races and your hand tightens around your wizard’s staff as you ponder the option that will give you the best chance of survival.
Now, imagine all this taking place during the D&D Club (Thursday, Flex B) within the walls of Jeri Clay’s science classroom. Clay has never played Dungeons and Dragons, but still agreed to be the sponsor when approached by freshman Patty Weir, who founded the club this year.
“I’m just an adult with a room,” Clay said.
Weir was involved in the D&D club in middle school. When she found out there wasn’t one at Kingwood Park, she decided to change that.
“I saw they didn’t have any [D&D
clubs],” Weir said. “And I thought that there’s definitely a lot of D&D people that are here.”
While there were many students interested, one of the early struggles the club faced was the issue of membership as people dropped out due to other commitments. Seventeen students, however, remained and continue to meet weekly for games and fun.
“I love how goofy we can get,” freshman Charlie Crass said.
Dungeons and Dragons, D&D for short, is an adventure role play game. There is a minimum of three characters and a Dungeon Master. The Dungeon Master is the storyteller that weaves the narrative in which the characters interact with the circumstances the Dungeon Master has set out. For example, the Dungeon Master determines what your quest will be and the background behind it.
“You’re writing a story with other
people,” said Weir, who serves as the Dungeon Master and president of the club.
Dice are also a major component of the games. There are several variations, including a triangleshaped dice and even a dodecahedron shaped dice called D20. D20 is the most important dice in the game, determining circumstances or statistics like how much visibility, strength, speed or intelligence you have, and even the effectiveness of
your attack.
“So basically, your life is a gamble,” Crass said.
The club meets Thursday in room 2403, and people who join don’t need to know how to play.
“Everyone can come here, and if they have experience, they can play, and if they don’t we will teach them,” Weir said. “The club is very fun and we try to do activities as much as possible.”
Dungeons and Dragons Club president Patty Weir explains the course of action during the game.
Photo by Marie Wakefield.
Passion for music unites bandmates
Students form Mirage band in free time and hope to some day play for the school.
By Soleil Cavallo Staff Writer
Aaron Salazar Rivera has had a passion for music ever since he was little. The sophomore taught himself how to play guitar and joined choir just to improve his vocals.
“At the age of 13, I got more into rock and roll and heavy metal, and now it’s what I really want to do like with the guitar and singing,” Salazar Rivera said.
Last year, Salazar Rivera’s art teacher Miguel Alvarez asked him to show him some of his guitar skills. Aaron brought his guitar to Alvarez’s class during flex later that week, and that’s where he met his future bandmate Aaron Kellar.
Kellar, a junior who also plays guitar, and Salazar Rivera realized they had real potential when they played together. They sparked the idea of starting a band. They later posted on their class Snapchat story asking if anyone would like to join.
By the end of last school year, they had a rock band called Mirage with five members.
“It started with Aaron Kellar, he posted on a story saying, ‘We have a band but we need a drummer,’” said percussionist Ethan
Durand, who is a junior. “I play drums, so I was like, ‘Hey I could fill in.’”
Junior Edun Albeit also saw a post asking for people who could play instruments. Albeit plays electric guitar for the band, but he also plays saxophone and the bass guitar.
Madelyn Haynes, a sophomore who sings and plays bass guitar for the band, found herself joining the group when Durand reached
out to her saying they needed another singer.
Although the band practiced a lot over summer break, finding times where they all are able to attend practice during the school year has been more challenging.
“We haven’t been able to get together recently… with school really starting and people having to do stuff for after school activities,” Durand said.
Mirage’s main goal right now is
to get the opportunity to perform at one of the school’s pep rallies.
Even with the struggles of not being able to get together much right now, the band still manages to maintain their friendships, and they prioritize keeping in touch.
“We are all friends,” Salazar Rivera said. “I don’t see them as bandmates, we practice, we jam out, but we also just hangout.”
Meet freshman Rachel Hamilton. She spends part of the episode talking about how she deals with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), also known as brittle bone disease. OI is a genetic disorder that causes bones to break easily.
In the latest episode of Humans of Kingwood Park, host Charlie Crass talks with Kiersten St. Julien about her love for writing, her future plans and more. The senior has been working on a book in her free time and looks forward to continuing to write after high school.
The men’s voices in the choir are critical to performances. Watch this video to find out what drew the singers to choir and why they are so critical to the choir shows throughout the school year.
The Mirage band consists of junior Ethan Durand, junior Aaron Kellar, sophomore Aaron Salazar Rivera, junior Edun Albeit, and sophomore Madelyn Haynes. Photo by Rocco Huerta.
Rocco Huerta
Podcast: Meet Rachel Hamilton by Marie Wakefield
Podcast: Meet Kiersten St. Julien by Charlie Crass
Video: Varsity men’s choir hits the right notes by Soleil Cavallo and Pilar Retamales
Rocco Huerta
2.0
KETTLE CORN CONNECTION
Garza family runs Outlaw Kettle Korn together
Preston Carpenter Staff Writer
It’s 9 on a Saturday morning. The sun is rising over H-E-B on Kingwood Drive, popcorn can be heard popping and the sweet smell spreads through the air. The source of this environment is coming from one place, the Outlaw Kettle Korn stand.
Known as the “Baddest in town,” Outlaw Kettle Korn is a local business created and run by the Garza family. Working at the stand are senior JC Garza and his father Jake Garza, who primarily cook the kettle corn. Sophomore Natalie Garza and her mother Reyna Garza manage the sales. The two siblings spend the majority of their weekends at the stand, working from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“We work on the weekends because it’s more convenient because nobody’s doing anything on a Saturday or Sun day,” JC Garza said.
The history of Outlaw Kettle Korn began with Joe Garza, the father of Jake, who ran the popcorn business Ma & Pa Kettle Korn. Growing up, Jake would help out at the stand occasionally, learning more about the trade. Inspired,
cal assisting. Jake currently works as a medic in the ER at Memorial Hermann in The Woodlands.
“It’s a part of the family. It’s going to be passed on to me and my brother, and we’re going to keep passing it down.”
Jake decided to turn his father’s business into his own thing by creating Outlaw Kettle Korn in the early 2000s. Using a different version of his dad’s recipe, Jake began to sell kettle corn at local festivals and events. Outlaw Kettle Korn began gaining popularity with the community it served to which led to Jake taking his hobby more seriously.
- Natalie Garza, 10, pictured with her dad Jake
Jake’s career in medicine and his kettle corn business have given him a passion for serving people.
“It’s a balance, on one side of it you see sick and injured people, and then the next you see these happy kids with their hands out eating popcorn,” Jake Garza said.
like handle the cash and help the customers because eventually my dad’s not going to be able to do it anymore,” JC Garza said.
Natalie Garza’s experiences while working at Outlaw Kettle Korn has given her a passion for people. When running the front of the stand, Natalie’s interactions with customers have allowed her to develop strong social skills. At the stand, Natalie has met people like a sound tech for Metallica and Pantera, as well as some people who play for a small band. These interactions are what makes working at Outlaw Kettle Korn fun for Natalie.
When he wasn’t running the stand, Jake attended the Texas School of Business where he graduated as the valedictorian with a degree in medi-
Jake Garza has been running Outlaw Kettle Korn for 19 years and has taught his kids about the business. JC Garza began to help around the stand when he was in second grade, doing small things like handing out samples before officially working at the stand when he was in middle school. When he gets older, JC plans on keeping kettle corn in his life and maintaining the family business.
“I’m learning how to do everything,
“It creates a comfortable setting when we connect with people, it makes our day knowing who people are,” Natalie Garza said.
While starting out as a hobby, Outlaw Kettle Korn has become a strong source of connection for the Garzas that continues to bring them closer as a family.
“It’s a part of the family,” said Natalie Garza. “It’s going to be passed on to me and my brother, and we’re going to keep passing it down.”
Jake Garza transfers kettle corn that is ready to be packaged up for customers in the H-E-B parking lot off Kingwood Drive. Garza used to help in his father’s kettle corn stand, and now his kids help him. Photo by Preston Carpenter.
Kiernan McCloskey/CC BY-SA
Girls basketball focuses on toughness
By Zachary Ford Staff Writer
As the Panthers’ season has gotten underway, there is excitement in the air. Coach Andrew Cross is implementing mental toughness into his players this year with the end goal being a District Championship.
With only two returning seniors –Aniah Cross and Asia Martin – who were on varsity last year, they are having to step up and become leaders on this young varsity squad. According to coach Cross, both seniors have stepped into these leadership roles and led by example in games and practices.
“They’re my two best scorers,” coach Cross said. “Two of my best two defenders. So they have a goal. They’ve been on the team when we made the playoffs. And then last year for them to not make the playoffs, it really stung. They come out. They talk in practice. They tell everybody what the goal is, what we’re trying to accomplish. And they just work hard. It’s been a blessing to have both of them.”
Throughout this season, coach Cross is trying to implement an attitude and identity in this team that the girls play hard even when the games are out of reach.
This aspect was apparent during their game against Friendswood. Even how when Friendswood stretched their lead, Cross’s players were still running down the court and trying to save balls as they were going out of bounds.
“That was one of my goals…just trying to build that mental toughness,” coach Cross said. “Trying to get them to commit to that is not always easy. Especially when, like you said, when the game is out of hand, and they may start asking, why are we still playing?
“If the game is out of reach you have to have an identity of playing as hard as you possibly can until the game is over. And I have some girls who do that, and everybody else just kind of follows when you have that leadership by example. So it’s not
necessarily me, but it’s them. So, I can preach it all the time, but you have to have kids that buy into it and actually want to do it.”
Having this attitude is a key factor for the team this season. Aniah Cross, who shows this identity by the way she plays, said she has realized the games are bigger than herself. It’s the team’s success that she plays for.
“Honestly, it really is just keeping a positive mindset throughout the game,” Aniah Cross said. “Knowing that you’re not only playing for yourself but you’re playing for your teammates too. So you can’t always get down on yourself because you have people counting on you.”
That positive mindset has already proven key in the team’s preseason when the Panthers went 10-4. They opened district play Dec. 13.
“I think that we just need to stay positive,” Aniah Cross said. “Even when refs, and teams, and the games aren’t going our way, if we’re just staying positive, and motivating each other, then we can beat any team.”
Senior Anya Henry takes a shot against Aldine MacArthur during a 49-27 victory on Nov. 12. Photo by Zachary Ford.
Senior Asia Martin goes up for a layup in a 49-24 loss to Friendswood on Dec. 3. Photo by Zachary Ford.
Senior Aniah Cross helps direct players on the offensive end of the court against Aldine MacArthur on Nov. 12. Photo by Zachary Ford.
Wrestlers embrace challenging preseason matches
By Zachary Ford Staff Writer
With wrestling season starting, the team has big expectations for this season. After losing State-level senior wrestlers from last season, new leaders are stepping up and being leaders on the team. This team has high expectations and are hoping to be district champions for both boys and girls.
¨[Wrestling’s] just great competition,¨ coach Jeff Knight said. ¨There’s no hiding. I mean, it’s oneon-one. It builds confidence in our athletes, and it teaches self-discipline. We schedule a really tough, preseason schedule before district. We wrestle mostly 6A schools, and also we go to mostly tournaments with 6A schools. So it’s a really tough preseason, but we got to just strive to get better each week.¨
Senior captain Khloe King said that going up against these bigger schools helps properly prepare not only her, but the entire program for district opponents.
“Going against those bigger, more aggressive schools it gives us harder matches before we go against 5A,” King said.
King said she looks forward to the season and hopes to return to State, which she did as a sophomore. There has been increased interest in wrestling with the team having its largest size ever this year with 70 participants.
With so many new faces, senior
Josh Corkern has been eager to lead by example and even notes how the younger, less experienced wrestlers have helped him prepare for his matches.
¨Teaching the new wrestlers helps not only prepare me for my matches but it also helps me focus on the things I need to work on as well,¨ Corkern said. ¨Being a part of such a technical sport where it’s more about technique and knowing how to leverage properly, practice is very important and has a major effect on my performance in matches.
During practice, you practice a couple moves that you want to use in the match and then you just hope it becomes muscle memory during the match.¨
Knight is looking forward to
the season and can’t wait to see all the hard work payoff when district comes on Feb. 1. His advice to his veteran wrestlers and all of his newcomers is the same.
¨Have confidence in yourself,” Knight said. “You put the work in and if you wrestle your best, then success will come.”
captain
Sophomore Maverick Clark attempts to pin his opponent in one of the JV matches against Kingwood High School early in the season. Photo by Tricia Darcy.
Junior Noah Sayre works to pin his opponent in the home match on Dec. 4. Photo by Shawn Chaney.
After pinning one of the Kingwood wrestlers, senior Brylee Sellars smiles at her coaches. Photo by Tricia Darcy.
Talented squad off to strong start
By Heather Horace Staff Writer
The boys varsity basketball team is starting up the season with many changes. After graduating three starters, there’s a void to fill.
One of the key returners is junior Jakendrick Clevenger, who led the team with 3.7 assists per game last year and was named the district’s Newcomer of the Year.
“Me and Brad [Garcia] gotta step up as leaders this year, and we gotta just communicate more,” Clevenger said.
Head coach Jeffrey Hamilton has high hopes for this new group of athletes for the upcoming season.
“I feel like we’re a little more talented than we have been the last few years, but we’re still right now trying to figure out how to play the KPark basketball way that we’ve been playing for the last few years,” Hamilton said. “So we’re kind of going through that process right now. The potential is there, but we’re just not there yet.”
The team finished in third place in the district last year with a 6-4 record (18-16 overall record). They lost in the first round of the playoff to Mt. Pleasant, 46-37.
Hamilton said many things need to be changed for the team to be successful this year.
“We’re going to have to buy into Kingwood Park style defense,” Hamilton said. “ Offensively we have to become more patient and work harder on offense to get a better shot
every time we’re down.”
Jacob VanNostrand, a senior who transferred during the season last year and previously played at Summer Creek High School, will be a key newcomer this year.
“I have a lot of responsibilities on the court this year in terms of defensive assignments and also scoring so I intend to be very active on the team,” VanNostrand said.
After graduating Jayden Henderson, who led the team in points and re-
bounds last year, Hamilton said a number of leaders are emerging on the team, especially Garcia.
“He will be a three year starter for us and a senior,” Hamilton said. “I think just cause he’s been there a lot, he’s a big one for us. We have a lot of guys that kinda contribute to that role but we also have a bunch of new guys too, so we’re still trying to develop who our leaders are.”
VanNostrand said Clevenger and Garcia have
Upcoming home games
Dec. 17 vs. Crosby
Dec. 27 vs. Dawson
Jan. 3 vs. Dayton
Jan. 10 vs. Splendora
Jan. 17 vs. Pasadena
Jan. 24 vs. West Fork
Jan. 31 vs. Porter
Varsity basketball roster
#0 Antonio West (11)
#1 Jakendrick Clevenger (11)
#3 Dane Solomon (11)
#4 Frank Smithers (11)
#5 Bradley Garcia (12)
#10 Jacob VanNostrand (12)
#11 Carson Conner (12)
#12 Collier Smith (12)
#13 Jerald William (12)
#15 Karter Broadnax (10)
#20 Trey Nicholds (10)
#21 Kallen Cosper (12)
#23 Jayden Hansen (11)
#33 Kameron Ceaser (11)
With his new lineup, Hamilton said his main goal for the team this year is to keep improving.
“I think our primary goal is to get better everyday and hopefully make the playoffs, kinda keep our playoff run going,” Hamilton said. “I’m hoping it’s just a good experience for all of our guys.”
helped him adjust to the program.
“I’ve played with Brad since I was 5 or 6 years old, so I have a lot of chemistry and deep rooted connections with him,” VanNostrand said. “We’ve always connected on that next level when it comes to basketball and how we play together. And with JK it took a while for us to learn each other on the court better, but I think we’re getting a lot better and our chemistry’s gotten a lot better and stronger.”
The players have high expectations, with VanNostrand predicting that the Panthers could go undefeated in district play.
“I think honestly we have the potential, and I’ve been saying this for a while, that we can go undefeated and that we could be undefeated district champs,” VanNostrand said. “However, Crosby will be a little bit of a challenge just matchup wise, but I think if we get that chemistry down nobody can stop us.”
Senior Jacob VanNostrand rises above Spring Woods defenders to lay the ball into the hoop. He transferred to Kingwood Park from Summer Creek a year ago. Photo by Zachary Ford.
Junior guard Jakendrick Clevenger picks up his dribble and prepares to lay the ball up against Spring Woods. Photo by Zachary Ford.
WHAT’S HOT?
Winter Break
Time to sleep in and spend some needed time with family.
Kendrick Lamar’s new album
Surprise album brings new hits.
College football playoffs
Time for the final showdowns of the season.
Exemptions
Showing up every day and working hard finally pays off.
Wicked
I’m holding space.
WHAT’S NOT?
Flu season
So many germs and not enough sick days.
Finals
Just more and more tests on the last three days.
Long drives
So much time spent with nothing to do.
Moana 2’s soundtrack
Where’s Lin-Manuel Miranda??
Gen Alpha slang
The brainrot is exhausting.
Teachers should maintain clear boundaries
Teachers’ main concern should not be becoming friends with their students. In movies, you always see teachers and students who maintain almost a parent-child relationship. Although it usually works out great for them, this type of relationship can cause a long list of problems.
By Soleil Cavallo
Although I have multiple teachers who I feel I have built solid relationships with, it’s not a good idea for teachers to make that their top priority. When teachers try too hard to connect with their students, they tend to end up breaking some of the normal ethics for teachers.
A lot of teachers end up getting too comfortable with their kids, and they will start talking about other students to them. No student wants their teachers to be telling
Kingwood Park TIMES
December 2024
Volume 11, Issue 3 Kingwood, Texas 77339
EDITORS
Fallon Head, editor-in-chief
Kaitlyn Sitton, editor-in-chief
Tricia Darcy, visuals editor
Sydney Ortiz, sports editor
STAFF WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS & SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS
Olivia Brenner, Preston Carpenter, Soleil Cavallo, Shawn Chaney, Zachary Ford, Ella Hickman, Heather Horace, Rocco Huerta, Jordan Hutchinson, Michelle Klanke, Rionna Martin, Emily McKithern, Cameron Minatrea, Garrison Moritz, Danielle Nalley, Pilar Retamales, Claire Slaydon, Peyton Smithson, Marie Wakefield.
Adviser: Megan Ortiz
Principal: Wes Solomon
other students their business. Part of being a teacher is being trusting and respectful to your students, so speaking of other students’ personal things is the opposite of what is expected for a teacher.
Another problem that tends to occur is teachers bending or changing the rules for their students. It might feel good to the students who have these types of perks, but in reality it can set them back. Nothing good comes from letting them get away with things that they aren’t going to be able to get away with in their future school life.
In addition, teachers need to stop oversharing. I understand teachers have their own problems. Teachers are human too, but teachers shouldn’t come to school to trauma dump and place their personal worries onto their students. Students already have enough on their plate, so adding more stress can really impact a student. There is a time and place for everything, but school is where students are meant to get an education, not sit around chatting with teachers instead of
doing work.
These problems can lead to less education being spread. Education is very important for kids, especially high school students. This is when kids find out who they are and who they want to be. If teachers are too busy trying to gossip with kids or let the kids slack off when there is work to do, the kids aren’t going to gain the knowledge they need.
Don’t get me wrong, I know plenty of teachers who manage to maintain a good relationship with students while also teaching them what they need to learn. I’m not saying it’s always a bad thing when teachers are close with their students, but it gets to a certain point where it becomes their main goal, and that is far from what they need to be focused on.
In the end, I believe that there are a lot more obstacles that come along with teachers pushing close relationships with their students than there are rewards, and it should never be their primary concern.
KP MEDIA EDITORIAL POLICY
KP Media is the official student-produced media of news and information published/produced by KP Media students. KP Media has been established as designated public forums for student editors to inform and educate their readers as well as for the discussion of issues of concern to their audience. It will not be reviewed or restrained by school officials prior to publication or distribution. Advisers may – and should –coach and discuss content during the writing process.
Because school officials do not engage in prior review, and the content of KP Media is determined by and reflects only the views of the student staff and not school officials or the school itself, its student editorial board and responsible student staff members assume complete legal and financial liability for the content of the publication.
The media will serve the best interest of the students and faculty of Kingwood Park High School, keeping itself free from any commercial obligations distracting from this purpose; this is defined by the media itself.
All writing in the media, other than letters to the editor in the newsmagazine, will be written by students of the journalism program and will not be accepted otherwise.
The media will specialize in and emphasize on informing their readers of school news and unique students of the Kingwood Park High School community.
The media will cover community, state, national, and international news if it is directly relevant to the school community, and includes local angles.
The media will strive to provide coverage to all school organizations and functions.
Any decisions affecting the publications on all levels will be made by the editorial board, the adviser is allowed to give legal advice and his/her opinion, but the final decision rests in the hands of the editorial board.
Only the editorial board may prevent material it judges to be in violation of the media editorial policy, from being printed.
Letters to editor will be printed in the opinion section of the newspaper or on the website. Letters to editor should not exceed 300 words, must be signed and must include writer’s address and phone number for verification. Letters to the editor will be verified by a member of the editorial board to determine the authenticity of the writer.
The school newspaper will be distributed free of charge to all students every 6-8 weeks. The paper is completely financed by advertising revenues and fundraising. The money raised is used to pay for the school media printing costs, supplies and other media expenses.
See the entire staff editorial policy at KPTimes. com.
Soda shop offers unique treat
The soda chain Swig, which went viral this past year for appearing on the popular reality show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, has opened a drive-thru shop in Atascocita.
regular sodas mixed with flavors and creams. For example, the Texas Tab is Dr. Pepper mixed with vanilla and coconut cream.
By Sydney Ortiz
Swig, at 17812 W Lake Houston Parkway, had its grand opening on Nov. 13. With free drink deals in the first three days, it took some cars three hours to get to the front of the line.
The huge menu combined with affordable prices makes the specialty soda shop definitely worth a visit.
Swig has a variety of drinks allowing customers to find something that matches their taste buds. They have 42 soda options on their menu, which does not include revivers, refreshers and hot chocolates. Every drink is customizable as well.
The soda shop’s main draw is their “dirty” sodas, which are
On top of Swig’s long list of dirty soda options, they have a seasonal menu so holiday enthusiasts can enjoy a sweet holiday soda as they wait for the upcoming holidays. A current seasonal favorite is the Reindeer Roca, which consists of root beer, Almond Roca, caramel sauce and vanilla cream
Some of the sodas are better than others. I have tried the Texas Tab, Unlucky Ducky, Cherry Bomb and Hula Girl. My least favorite is probably the Texas Tab, because I was not a fan of the coconut cream. Customers don’t really notice the coconut cream flavor, but they can tell that the drink is a little bit thicker. I would order the drink again, but I definitely get it as a small 16 oz drink, because the flavor can become a little bit too much.
My favorite drink is the Unlucky Ducky, which is made of Sprite, lemonade and strawberry. The drink comes with a gummy
shark on the lid. The flavor is not too syrupy and it tastes refreshing on a hot day. The addition of the little gummy shark is tasty and on theme.
Swig has created creative drink names too, making the experience more enjoyable for all customers.
The Unlucky Ducky has a sister drink called the Shark Attack, consisting of Sprite, lemonade and blue raspberry with a gummy shark on top. The Shark Attack has a blue tint, representing the shark swimming happily in the sea. On the other hand, the pink tint of the Unlucky Ducky represents an unlucky duck who is bleeding out because of the shark.
The only problem with the soda shop is it’s about 20 minutes away from Kingwood Park, making the drive-thru soda shop not convenient for all students, especially those who lack a driver’s license.
Hopefully the home of the “dirty” sodas will create an even closer Swig, so more students and their families can enjoy the refreshing treat.
W hat to know...
Swig
17812 W Lake Houston Parkway Atascocita, Texas 77346
Hours
Mon.-Thurs. 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Menu Options
- Drinks are fully customizable.
- The smallest size is a 12 oz. kids cup, which is as low as $2.15 depending on which flavor is selected. It is a perfect size for those who want to try various flavors. Choose two or three drinks and order all of them in kids cups.
- Even the largest size is 44 oz. and can be as low as about $3.40 depending on which drink you pick and what ingredients are added to it.
- The menu also has pretzel bites and cookies.
Swig is a drive thru soda shop located in Atascocita. Photo by Sydney Ortiz.
‘Wicked’ hits all the right notes
WBy Olivia Brenner
icked, one of the most highly anticipated musical movies ever, was released into theaters on Nov. 22. Based on the musical production that opened on Broadway in 2003, Wicked tells the backstory of many characters from the classic Wizard of Oz, centering around Elphaba, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and Galinda, who becomes Glinda the Good Witch. As one of the most popular and well-known modern Broadway musicals, expectations and anticipation for the movie version were high. As someone who has loved the musical since I was little, I was skeptical yet hopeful that the movie would do it justice. I felt that the movie did just that, blending cinematic and Broadway styles in a way that made the beloved story and characters come to life on screen.
Something that I loved about Wicked is how they took elements from the Broadway musical such as dance style, costume style and subtle symbolism and translated them into the cinema. The musical has very distinct costuming, especially for the students of Shiz and
citizens of Emerald City, and the movie kept and enhanced the style. Wicked is also known for subtle and at times devastating symbolism and foreshadowing found all throughout the show and music.
Once again, the movie kept and enhanced this element, adding things only possible in a movie. Using a strategically placed shot and shadowing, Elphaba’s face during her first spell from the Grimmerie eerily mimics her depiction on a “Wanted” poster from the opening scene. A shot like that would not have been possible in a stage production, but it perfectly fit with the style of the show.
By far, my favorite actor of
“With the beautiful production, meaningful lyrics and a spectacular tracklist, the album features great unheard songs and songs that the community has been wanting for a long time.”
the movie was Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. Playing Elphaba for a movie is vastly different from playing her for the stage, where the audience is farther away and emotions must be much bigger to play to the audience. With a closer audience, Erivo was able to utilize much subtler facial expressions to create a character different from the stage version and yet still distinctly Elphaba. From the first time the audience meets her as a young adult, Elphaba is clearly closed off and distant, with Erivo giving us a beautiful first glimpse into her inner workings during “The Wizard and I.” The comparison of the two dispositions gives the audience a
“Even though some things in the film fall short of some expectations, the pros outweigh the cons. Moana 2 is definitely worth watching,” especially on the big screen.
baseline to which we can compare her interactions with other characters and see how she really feels about them. Overall, Erivo gave a deeply insightful performance. Because of the length of the musical and its translation to screen, Wicked was split into two parts, with the second part releasing on Nov. 21, 2025. Composer Stephen Schwartz and director John M. Chu have confirmed there will be at least two new songs, and I will be very interested to see how they add to the musical. As a fan of the musical for around 10 years now, I thoroughly enjoyed part one and cannot wait for part two.
“The movie was definitely more gory than the first one, so if you have a weak stomach or you don’t like bloody movies I would not recommend watching this movie.”
Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda share the spotlight in the big screen adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked. Photo courtesy of Universal/YouTube.
Moana 2 by Shawn Chaney
Gladiator 2 by Emily McKithern
The Party Never Ends by Juice WRLD by Garrison Moritz
Faith becomes key in alleviating stress, anxiety
Stress is something that can be so little, but can also have a major effect on someone’s health.
By Heather Horace
I’ve had dealt with and overcome many mental challenges due to stress. The beginning of my junior year took a major toll on my mental health. I felt like I was on a tightrope, because suddenly on the third day of my first week of school my dad had a heart attack.
Thankfully, he made a full recov-
ery. But then my mom had major surgery because of her appendix. If I hadn’t pushed for her to go to the hospital, the doctor said it would’ve ruptured.
She is healed now as well. However after all of this, anxiety immediately started to trickle into my mind and everyday activities. This was my hardest year of high school – not because I took 5 AP classes and one OnRamps class or because work was too hard – but because just walking to class was hard for me.
My pulse would race into the 130s and higher. I would feel like my world was ending until I made it to class. The doctors told me I had anxiety, but it was hard to take in since I’ve always had a great life
“Ratty Party” by Claire Slaydon
with no problems or worries until my parents’ recent health issues. I was never insecure, and I’m so thankful to God for that. But fear began to overtake me. I was constantly thinking of what could go wrong with my dad or my parents’ health as a whole. This put a halt to my dreams of going out of state for college. My parents have saved money for me and supported my dreams, and I’m thankful for that. But it got to a point I never even wanted to leave the house, because I felt comfortable being there and knowing my parents were okay.
My dad’s heart attack had me thinking of all the bad things that could’ve happened. I started going to church on Wednesdays more with my youth group. This really
strengthened my faith and took away my stress and anxiety. I knew that Jesus was in control of all outcomes in my life – the good and the bad. This made me stop living in fear.
I’m so thankful that my parents took me to church growing up and always gave me the outlet to feel comfortable to tell them anything. They are my best friends.
I love them so much and I’m so happy with the life I have. Through all of these trials, I have relied on my faith and remember Deuteronomy 31:8, which reminds me I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and I know that the Lord would never leave me nor forsake me.
LAST LOOK
The newest additions to the National Honor Society were inducted on Dec. 9 in the Performing Arts center. During the ceremony, 99 students were inducted. All photos by Fallon Head.
Sophomores Allison Talley, Quinn Rodriguez, and Courtney Scott pose for a picture after the ceremony together.
Sophomore Andrew Glover recites the NHS pledge during the induction ceremony.
Parents cheer as the entire group of NHS members are congratulated at the end of the ceremony.
NHS member Max Raymond welcomes junior John Howk to the induction ceremony.
Sophomores Madi Cooper and Isabella Garcia talk while waiting for the ceremony to start.
Teacher of the Year Dr. Kevin Caizley gives a speech on perseverance and leadership.
Sophomore Logan Van Horn hugs his mom, counselor Jenny Van Horn, after receiving his NHS certificate.