FALL 2016
KIN GWO oD COURIER Magazine of Kingwood High 2701 KINGWOOD DR. KINGWOOD, TX 77339 281.641.6900 volume 8 issue 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS page 4 Mock Election
page 6 Homecoming Dance
page 8 Bad 80’s Dance
page 9 Choir Lock In
page 10 German Club Trip
page 11 New Fillies Director
page 12 Fillies Dance Clinic
page 13 Marching Band Competition
page 14 Peter & The Star Catcher
page 16 On the Roof Again
page 18 Rocketry page 19 Back to school, Seniors, College page 20 Rainbow Drink Reviews
page 21` Escape Room
page 22 Tennis page 23 Cross Country page 24 Football page 26 New Cheer Floor page 27 Games Table of Contents Photo by: Gabe Henderson
2 KHS COURIER
ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK / WWW.SMART-PAY.COM / CHOOSE YOUR COVER
KHS STUDENTS VOTE FOR THEIR FAVORITE CANDIDATE
MOCK
ELECTION Story by Gabe Henderson Photos by Nolan Nowicki & Kristin Laygan
“What a great opportunity for students to express their opinion and give the students who are unable to actually vote a voice” Michael Barnard, Senior
T
he 2016 presidential election is the most unique in recent years, quite possibly in the United States’ 240 years of existence. Although not all students are old enough to vote in the real election, every student at Kingwood High School was given the opportunity to vote for their favorite presidential candidate. “The significance of Kingwood being able to vote gives students a voice to show their opinion,” senior Michael Barnard said. Students were given a choice of voting for one of four candidates: Republican nominee Donald Trump, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson, and Green Party nominee Jill Stein. “I think including Jill Stein and Gary Johnson shows the fact that we are moving towards a more egalitarian voting system,” Barnard said.
Students voting for their favorite candidate
4 KHS COURIER
Al Gonzales, 12 Jordan Lowden, 12
Although most knew Trump and Clinton, few students knew the likes of Johnson or Stein. “Trump and Clinton were promoted heavily as part of our two party system whereas students didn’t know much about the third party candidates,” Barnard said. In the end, Donald Trump won the popular vote among Kingwood High School students spanning from ninth to twelfth grade with 54% of the votes. “I think Trump won because we live in an area where Republicans usually do pretty well,” Barnard said. Overall, the Kingwood High School Mock Presidential Election was labeled a success among students and teachers across the school. “The mock election was unique because it gave students the chance to express their voice,” Barnard said.
Mr. Henry dressed in election attire for the event.
Voting at lunch in full swing
Josh Graves, 12 Ben Bentley, 12
S Story by Brittney Hillier & Photos courtesy of Lindsey Kief
tudents encourage higher attendance at Homecoming Homecoming 2016 took place on October 22nd at the Humble Civic Center. “My favorite part of homecoming was the party bus ride there with all my friends,” sophomore Sara House said. Students were able to purchase tickets in advance for $35 each. This helps to pay for the use of the Civic center and the DJ. “It’s just a school dance and the charge for it was way too expensive,” House said. It was mandatory for students to have their ID’s in order to get into the dance. “The IDs are tricky because some teachers should already know you and it’s hard not to forget them,” senior Chelsea Koach said. “It’s good to make sure the people actually attend KHS, though.” Some students had differing opinions on having to bring IDs.
Addie Trout, Ryane VanMeter, Addisyn Smith, Mya Smith, Taylor LeBlanc, & Grayce Peterson
“They should just put your ID number on the ticket when ou buy it so they know you’re from KHS, or they need to create a sufficient and faster system,” senior Jenny Levengood said. The dance started at 8 and lasted until midnight. “The dance should maybe start an hour earlier; for example, 7-11 because a lot of people don’t stay until the very end and they come a little late anyway, so they are only there for an hour,” Levengood said. Picture taking it always a huge part of homecoming. “My favorite part is taking pictures with my friends,” Levengood said. Overall, some would like to see higher attendance at the homecoming dance. “They should sell cheaper tickets and have a better selection of music, but it was a good time, especially hanging out with my friends afterwards,” sophomore Mason DeSpain said.
Hope Merritt & Preston Meinhardt
Anje Potigieter & Alex Huckabee
2016HOMECOMIN 6 KHS COURIER
&
Q: What’s your least favorite thing about homecoming day? A: Taking pictures before hand. - Mason DeSpain, 10
Q: Did you like the selection of music that was played at this year’s homecoming? A: For the most part, but they should let you request songs. - Jenny Levengood, 12
Q: What could the school do to increase the amount of people that go to homecoming? A: Offer at least two bonus points to any test of a kids choice on a test. - Chelsea Koach, 12
Q: Did you prefer last year’s homecoming over this year’s homecoming? Why? A: Yes, mostly because last year was my first homecoming so I was more excited. - Sara House, 10
Chase Dean & Farris Dees
Avery Borum, Katherine Moreland, Lindsay Kief, Brittney Hillier, Samantha Duffy
MING2016 201620
80’s
Dance Live for the 80’s Story by Stephany Lopez Photos by Megan Solis Kingwood High School students always get excited for the annual 80’s Dance which took place at the Humble Civic Center on September 24th. “I enjoyed all the songs played but my favorite has to be ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey,” senior Samantha Powell said. While this may be many students’ first year attending, for many others this is their fourth and final 80’s Dance. “This is my senior year so I wanted to go to my last 80’s Dance and enjoy it this one last time with all my friends,” senior Addison Patin said. The 80’s Dance has been consistent through the years; however, this year the school has made an addition to the dance. Music videos were played along to the songs which some students found to really add to the overall experience. “The dance had screens with music videos playing at each side of the stage. It was a nice new improvement,” junior Mandi Ferris said. Students enjoy attending the 80’s Dance because they get to dress in 80’s clothes and experience what the time period would have been like. “It is basically like living in the 80’s but not in the 80’s,” senior Arielle Larsen said. Overall the annual 80’s Dance was a success this year. And the students cannot wait to see what next years’ dance will be like.
8 KHS COURIER
Super Smash Bros night
r i o h C n i k c Lo Jones & pez o y Katie Story b y Stephany L b s o t o Ph
ng hoir sa chool C ir annual S h ig wood H t away at the e King Th ced the nigh f riety o n in a va ding and da k-in. d e t a c ip lu choir lo udents partic the night inc The st throughout urnament, To aces, ies activit Smash Bros e ball, relay r g, in r g a Supe frisbee, dod cing, swimm e n t a a d ultim e hunt, ovies. njoy th enger a scav , and scary m ironment. I e meet e o v karaok really fun en great place t e said. “It’s a re and it’s a ay Cancienn ck and phe atmos ple,” senior M than just fun a o e new pe ck-in is mor tudents with ow The lo is a way for s to get to kn . It usic oir games terest in m embers, ch tive in m c d e le e e som an shar er. For family than roup they h t o h c a g ea se-knit ore like feels m of what a clo e e of the becaus med. becaus They are ir r o o h f c m. have being in progra with “I enjoy eople in the reat singing k p c g g o ’s ll in o it z ah P and ama lented senior Hann a t o s all y,” veryda med to them e nts see J they e d u t s e D said. y all th hanks to the d a activit One s dancing. T hool, they ha dance a sc ir enjoy w come to the s to keep the s. o g t ur n o o h s r t o a hired f going t of gre t her play lis the cafeteria nior, said tha rtying a in ju “P was party gar, a nie Ed of the night la e M s ity or.” t enjoy e activ favorit the dance flo ctor Mr. Wat use of e ca it up on the Choir Dir ach year be e n Eve g the lock-in s love it. the in nt attend ch his stude ed watching k u e li how m att said, “I ool to see th t have s Mr. W ause it’s c g and ju e bec e to sin karaok s get up ther oir t nts Ch studen it.” ing eve place for it c x h e it fun w from all the t. Choir is a and a Aside ore than tha for singing ion is m has, it s with a pass t . n rning e ic d s stu to mu Choir and lea me as a n io t a t to dedic really love aid. portan “I just ic is very im ielle Larsen s s r u A m r about ,” senio ember Choir m
Bottom: Abbey Harris, Top (from left to right): Marcelle Chaumon, Esther Hernandez, Keagan Walker, Hannah Forsythe, Oliver Raney, Austin Havis.
Senior Emily Cousins
Sarah Reilly & Allyssa Hebert
GERMAN CLUB’S ANNUAL VISIT GOES WELL
THE
OKTOBER
TRADITION Story by and Photos by Markus Schweiger
“It’s the
To a
K
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genuine
Oktoberfest Celebration.” -Herr Kniess
HS German Club kicked off the year with their annual trip to the Houston Liederkranz to celebrate Oktoberfest. Different from trips such as Schliterbahn and Renfest, Oktoberfest at the Liederkranz holds a special place in the club’s heart. “German Club was invited specifically by the Liederkranz to attend and perform there for Oktoberfest,” Herr Kniess said, “It’s very important that we go every year.” At the Liederkranz, club members were treated to German food, dancing, and even an authentic Polka band from the German state of Bavaria. “It’s the closest you can get to a genuine Oktoberfest celebration,” Kniess said. “They’ve got good food, great music, and you almost feel like you’re in Germany.” Following a few hours of songs and dances, KHS stole the show with the club’s folk dancing team, who performed several of the dance numbers to be used at both
Connor Pulliam, Alex Steinkamp and Christian Applegate.
closest you can get
KHS Geman Club joins the Liederkranz in a conga line.
Houstonfest and the State competition later in the school year. “They performed all of the regular dances we do at the Liederkranz,” senior Christian Applegate said. “But, this year I think they danced very well.” The performance at the Liederkranz is especially important for the folk dancers, since the hall is a supporter of German Club and helps supply the dancers with traditional dirndls and lederhosen, which make up their outfits. “A lot of the people who support us for the state competition also celebrate Oktoberfest at the Liederkranz,” Kniess said, “They all love to come out and see the club perform.” German Club will begin preparation for their first competition at Houstonfest 2016 in the next couple of months. With that, they hope to advance to state for their fifth-straight victory.
Herr Kniess speaks with the founders of the Liederkranz.
Herr Kniess in his usual Oktoberfest KHS German Club folk dancers outfit. move into a flying spin.
NEW
DIRECTOR Story By Britney Hillier & Photo courtesy of Mrs. Lewis
The Kingwood Fillies gained a new director this year. Mrs. Andrea Lewis was not only a fillie here at KHS, but also the colonel of the team. She came from teaching another high school before returning to her Alma Mater as Fillie Director. Q: How has the year been going so far? A: Really well. Everyone is being positive and accepting the change. Q: What has surprised you about the Kingwood Fillies? A: There’s no huge surprise factor because I was once a Fillie, but the talent level is a nice surprise.
Q: What is different about the Kingwood Fillies than the past drill teams you’ve worked with? A: Work ethic. Fillies aren’t afraid to work hard. Q: How long have you been instructing dance? A: Since I was eighteen. Q: What is your main goal for the Fillies this year? A: To encourage promoting school spirit within the organizations going beyond Fillies. Q: What excites you the most for the upcoming competition? A: Everything. I’m excited to work with a large group and prove to ourselves that we are the same as we have always been. Q: How has the football season been going so far? A: Well, different circumstances like rain and being rushed onto the field have been obstacles, but it’s been fun to support the football team. Q: What is different about Fillies now from when you were colonel of the team in high school? A: Skill level. I feel like it is always improving every year. A lot of the traditions are the same and the organization still runs like it did when I was on Fillies.
Fillie
Dance Clinic Fillies in training
Story by Macy Meinhart & Photos by Abby Ferguson
The Fillie Dance Clinic is a unique event that takes place at Kingwood High School where the Fillies come together to teach young dancers technique, choreography, and team building strategies. “The event was such an amazing experience, everything went smoothly as planned,” sophomore Mason Mote said. The Fillies were extremely satisfied with the turn out. “The clinic was incredibly successful, more [people showed up] than I expected,” sophomore Lindsey Kief said. “It’s very cool to see so many kids excited to learn how to dance from us.” The Fillies had a blast hosting the clinic. “My favorite part was getting to teach the kids and having the opportunity to inspire them through something I’m really passionate about,” sophomore Paige Colbert said. Although the event seemed to be running smooth, some FIllies had opinions on what could be different next year. “Having more rotations throughout the day would be nice,” sophomore Katherine Moreland said. Numerous Fillies said they could really tell the kids were enjoying all of the dances, but Fillie officer Gina Beller’s partner seemed to stand out the most. “The [most popular] dance was to Katy Perry’s upbeat and popular song ‘Roar’,” sophomore Maddie Sparks said. “The kids got to put on different kinds of face paint and overall really seemed to be having a blast while performing it.”
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Dance! Dance! Dance!
1.) The trainees following the lead of Colonel Teigan Ahrendt 2.) A young dancer shows off her flexibility with a back bend 3.) The group takes a break to fuel up with a good snack
MARCH ING CO MPETI TION Kingwood Mighty Mustang Military Marching Band
Photos By Elizabeth Andreoli
The Humble ISD Marching Festival took place on Saturday, October 15, at Turner Stadium. Schools from surrounding areas were able to participate. K4MB performed at 10am.
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14 KHS COURIER
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16 KHS COURIER
DR. LANDRY SPENDS 27 HOURS “IN THE ELEMENTS”
ON THE
ROOF AGAIN Story by Gabe Henderson Photos by Ellen Russell, Kristin Laygan, & Hannah Boyd
best
D
r. Landry went up on the roof again on November 3rd to raise money for the Kingwood High School Annual Fund. He climbed up on the roof at 9am Thursday morning and didn’t come down until noon on Friday, spending a grand total of 27 hours on the roof of the school. Throughout his time on the roof, Landry performed a roof-top concert with Old Skewl, did interviews with various student organizations, held meetings with administrators, and much more. Students and parents were able to watch Landry’s every move for the duration of the fundraiser through a live broadcast by Texan Live. When he went up to the roof, Dr. Landry was equipped with a tent, an iPad, a Play Station, a TV, a couch, and other things to keep himself entertained and comfortable.
“The part of going up on the roof is getting to to the . The part is the weather.”
students
talk
worst
-Principal, Dr. Ted Landry However, as donation totals went up, the number of items on the roof decreased. Dr. Landry would have an item taken away from him once a certain goal was reached at some point during the day or night. Dr. Landry, who attends nearly all home football games, was able to watch Thursday night’s game online and even conducted a live interview with Coach Campbell on the roof following the team’s play-off clinching victory. After his interview with Campbell, nearly everything was taken away for the night. Dr. Landry’s goal for the event was $25,000, which would leave him with nothing but a sleeping bag to spend the night with. Dr. Landry came down at the beginning of lunch on Friday, very pleased to have surpassed the goal and to be down from the roof. In total, $35,670 was raised for the KHS Annual Fund.
Class offers opportunities for future engineers
p a e L t n a i G A S H K r Fo r hweige c S s u k by Mar e Photos & xplosiv y b ed an e , y Story jo n e r s
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18 KHS COURIER
-Senior Greg Kelly, with his Generation-II Rocket. -Students set up their rockets. -One of the Generation-II Rockets lifting off.
Back to School New beginnings-Freshman Story by Macy Meinheart The transition from middle school to high school can be challenging and exciting at the same time, having a favorite teacher adds to that excitement. “My favorite teacher is Doctor Reidlinger because he’s an amazing orchestra teacher and has an amazing personality,” freshman Dylan Huyuch said. Freshman Daria Smith feels that FIT was unnecessary and a waste of time, but she enjoys high school more than middle school and doesn’t miss a thing. Smith’s top two favorite teachers are Mr. Durant because he talks about the funniest things in our class, and Mr. Fernandez because he doesn’t mess around. “Other than a specific class the hardest thing in high school is the amount of homework we get in every class,” freshman Justin Butler said. Justin’s favorite teacher is Coach Rod, because of his fundamentals. “The amount of homework surprises me because I thought there would be way more,” freshman Victor Trembley says. Trembley’s favorite class is Biology because it comes easy to him. His two teachers are Mr. Rice and Mr. Dick.
Countdown to graduation- Seniors
Senior year is a time filled with amazing memories, important decisions, and lots of “lasts”. It’s the last first day of school, last school dance, last football game, last year you have with your closest high school friends. With college just around the corner, many Seniors are constantly thinking about where they want to go, who they are going to live with, and what it is going to be like when they get there. Q: What colleges have you applied to? A: “I have applied to Texas Tech, Oklahoma State University, and The University of Oklahoma. Out of the three, I am very interested in attending Oklahoma State University because their campus is extremely pretty.” -Jenny Levengood (12) Q: Are you planning on rushing to be a part of a sorority? A: “Yes, both of my sisters are in a sorority and they love it so I’m sure I will too. It’s a great way to meet new people and make life long friends.” -Ryley Hoffman (12)
Student life
1. Freshman Camryn Gillory 2. Freshman Victor Trembley 3. Freshman Dylan Huynh 4. Freshman Daria Smith 5. Freshman Matt Shaw
Q: What advice would you give to the Juniors about preparing for college and college applications? A: “They should take their ACT’s and SAT’s as soon as they can and should not procrastinate and put them off to the last minute. I would also say the same thing about college applications, send them in as early as possible and make sure you have all the materials that they ask you for.” -Jensy White (12)
Photos By Stephany Lopez
Starbucks
RAINBOW Drinks
“My favorite drink was the orange drink. It was sweet and very refreshing.” -Senior Kaitlyn Jones said.
“The strawberry flavored drink was a little too sweet for me, but I like how it had fresh cut strawberries floating.” -Senior Jessica Innes “My favorite was the orange drink because it had the most flavor to it.” -Senior Megan Gutierrez “The purple drink was by far the worst, it has a horrible after taste, the blue drink lacked flavor, the pink drink was sweet, and also, the green drink tasted exactly like green tea. The orange drink was sweet and creamy, which I think made it the best out of all. Overall, I thought the drinks were ok.” -Senior Lindsey Newton Seniors Jessica Innes, Lindsey Newton, Megan Gutierrez, Katie Jones
20 KHS COURIER
Escape
Artist
Are you an escape Story by Katie Jones & Photos By Stephany Lopez
1. Escape Artist sign that can be seen at entrance 2. Back row: Junior bailey McOwen, Senior Jeff Furgusion, Seniors Emi Hammond, Stephany Lopez, Katie Jones: Bottom Row, Junior Rosie Jimenez 3. The Escape Artist team
Escape Artist is a fun, new escape room located in the front of Kingwood. Participants are locked in a room for an hour with only friends and their mind to solve a variety of challenges that lead the route to escape. “It was different because I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried something new,” junior Rosy Jimenez said. One of the many things that makes Escape Artist so unique is that it is family-owned. The owners have dedicated their business to excellent customer service and providing a welcoming environment to everyone. “Working together to solve puzzles is a fun time and the staff do a great job at facilitating the experience,” senior Jeffrey Ferguson said. Going to Escape Artist is a great alternative to other recreational activities because it is a different kind of experience. For only twenty dollars a person, you can spend an hour solving mysteries, cracking codes, and opening locks to escape the room in this great team-building activity. “It’s totally worth the money! Best experience ever,” senior Arielle Larsen said. The owner hand-crafted all the clues and puzzles in each room himself and you can see the attention in the details. Even after you try the first three rooms, there is still something to look forward to because Escape Artist will be opening fourth and fifth rooms very soon. “The addition of new and more difficult rooms is exciting! I’m really looking forward to going back,” senior Emi Hammond said. Escape Artist is the beginning of a whole new concept; a lot of adventure, stuck in a little room. It is an exciting experience that provides a change in pace from everyday life. “It was the best time I’ve had since Christmas!” junior Bailey McOwen said.
They’re making a racquet
S I N TEN derson be Hen a G y b ws ennis Intervie f KHS T o y s e t r cou Photos
Senior Scotlyn Nowling
Q: What is your favorite thing about tennis? A: Being able to grow together as a team and family. Watching someone fight for their win knowing they are helping the team. Q: What are some factors that contribute to the success of the team? A: The main thing that helps us get to where we are is the support we have of eachother. Hearing your team cheer you on while they are lined up against the fence in the middle of your match really helps you get through the match and gives you the drive to succeed.
Senior Carson Tomz
Q: How does the team bond? Describe your relationship with the team, especially being the captain. A: Our team has an extremely close-knit relationship. We often have team parties at our houses (especially mine). I like to always invite my teammates to hang out outside of school to strengthen our relationship on the tennis court. Q: How do you define your season in terms of success and meeting personal goals? A: This year for KHS Tennis, we were very successful. We haven’t made it this far in quite a while. We made it to regionals but lost a close match in the first round to be eliminated. Although we lost earlier than we would have liked to, we all felt like we gave 100% effort. My personal goals were just to be a factor in our team doing well. Coming into high school, I had never really played tennis. Now, as a senior, being not only the captain, but also a key part of the success of our team makes me feel like I have met my personal goals.
Senior Abby Csengery(right)
Q: How did it feel going undefeated in district play and making it as far as the team did? A: It felt awesome to go undefeated and be able to help my team in a positive way. I was really happy with how our season went because I’ve never been to regionals with my team, so it was a good experience to have senior year. Q: How does the team bond and build relationships outside of practice? A: We have a lot of team parties before the season. Before every single match, we would have a team lunch in one of our coach’s rooms.
KHS Tennis went undefeated in district play, making the regional tournament before being eliminated. Congrats on a fantastic season, tennis!
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Junior Grey Davis
The team poses for a picture with their district title trophyy.
Juniors Blake Finch & Kate Woods
Freshman Dalton Locke
Senior Captain Carson Tomz
The boys team circling up as they do before every match.
Bass
Jacob Swerdloff
Fishing
displaying his 8.2-pound big bass from the tournament in Lake Somerville.
THEY’RE OFF TO A REEL-Y GOOD START
Story by Gabe Henderson & Photos courtesy of Mr. Traylor
1.
Jacob Duane
displaying his catches from the Lake Livingston Tournament
Grant Laws & Davis Laws
showing off their big fish in the Lake Somerville
The Kingwood High School Bass Fishing team is off to its best start in its short-lived history. The fiveyear-old club currently ranks fourth among 28 teams in THSBA’s Houston division as bass fishing quickly becomes one of Texas’ fastest growing sports. “So far we’re having our best year. We’ve always had a few teams compete every year, but as a team we never been ranked very high,” founder and cosponsor Mr. Russell Traylor said. “For one of the smaller programs, we’re having a good year, we’ve had multiple teams have top ten finishes.” Despite a steady growth in members over the last five years, the KHS Bass Fishing Team is continuing its search for new members. “When we started five years ago, we had about 40 kids show interest, however most of them were interested in salt-water fishing so the team didn’t end up being that big,” Traylor said. Luckily for those interested in salt-water fishing, a salt-water division has been added this season, Traylor confirmed. Salt-water tournaments will begin in midNovember. “Currently we have about twenty members, three or four will be participating in our salt-water tournaments, the rest compete in our bass tournaments,” Traylor said. The bass fishing tournaments comprise of hundreds of boats per competition, two competitors per boat along with an adult captain. “For the bass tournaments, the kids need a boat and an adult captain to drive the boat along with the essentials,” Traylor said. “Two competitors fish per boat on lakes such as Somerville, Livingston, Conroe, and Houston.” Traylor emphasized the importance of getting more and more students involved in extra-curricular activities at school. “The main point of our club is to get kids who aren’t involved in anything, involved,” Traylor said. “[The club] help them improve grades and gives the kids a tie to their school.” If you’re interested in joining the fastest growing sport in the state of Texas, contact Mr. Traylor or visit room 2703 on Tuesday’s at lunch.
HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME Story and Photos by Gabe Henderson 1. A group of cheerleaders run onto the field and celebrate after the win. 2. Junior Grant Taylor. 3. Senior Robert Amar. 4. Senior Dawson Trudell & Junior Aaron Finch. 5. Senior Matt Dean. 6. Junior Matt Bailey. 7. Senior Nolan Nowicki. 8. Mustang players running out pre-game.
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Junior Aaron Finch celebrates his one-yard touchdown run. Finch’s touchdown was the only one of the game.
B eat The Creek
On Friday October 21, fans packed Turner Stadium for Kingwood’s annual homecoming football game. This year, the Mustangs defeated Humble ISD foe, Summer Creek, 15-0. “It was a big game, not only for our district standings, but for our morale and emotion,” senior Brandon Sivley said. “It showed us that we can compete with the best in our district and come out victorious.” Homecoming is always an important game for the football team because all eyes are on them. Students, alumni, and parents show up and pack the stands for the showdown. “It was important to bounce back after a tough loss to North Shore, we wanted to make a statement in our homecoming game,” senior Aaron Robinson said. All week, the topic of discussion was Summer Creek’s 5-1 record entering the game and their running back, Myles Wanza. However, the Mustangs ignored the talk and defied the odds to prevail victorious. “They did everything that we prepared for in practice, we had to make some adjustments, but we got those fixed and kept the ball rolling,” Robinson said. After a rocky start to the season, it seems the Mustangs have progressed as a team as the season has gone on. “The win was a good team effort, we were able to execute and play disciplined football,” Sivley said. With a win over the Bulldogs, the Mustangs grabbed sole possession of third place in District 21-6A, where they would eventually finish. “[The win] put us in a better position to succeed in the playoffs,” Sivley said. “We’ve been competing against the kids from Summer Creek since middle school and to pull out a win against them meant a lot to us towards the end of our football career.”
Cheerleaders start the season with some changes to the cheer room.
NEW CHEER FLOOR Story by Katherine Moreland Photos by Katherine Moreland
“I like the
New floor,
O
ver the summer, Kingwood High School underwent numerous renovations to the building. One of the changes was the addition of a new floor in the cheer room, which was added to benefit the cheer squad. “I like the new floor,” sophomore Anna Lazar said. “It is less worn out and helps with my tumbling.” The floor helps the cheerleaders with more than just tumbling and it seems to have garnered a positive reaction. “I have seen an improvement on my jumps because of the new floor,” senior Kendall Fisher said. Although the cheerleaders seem to love it, there are some that believe more could have been
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it is less
worn out and
helps with my tumbling” -Anna Lazar, Sophomore
done when renovating the room. “I’ve really been enjoying it, I wish it was bigger though,” junior Jessica Hillier said. Some cheerleaders are having mixed emotions about the new floor. “The new floor is awesome, but I feel like the money could have been used for something more useful, like new poms,” JV Cheerleader Beverly Painter said. Others are completely indifferent. “I can’t really tell difference from the new floor and the old floor,” senior Mikayla King said. Overall, the cheerleaders are happy with the new floor and excited for the 2016-17 school year.
GAMES PAGE
ENJOY RESPONSIBLY & DON’T DISRUPT CLASS!
KINGWOOD MAGAZINE STAFF Adviser
Michelle Palmer
Principal
Dr. Ted Landry
Editors
Gabe Henderson Anjelica Gutierrez Stephany Lopez Markus Schweiger
Staffers
Brittany Hillier Kaitlyn Jones Lindsay Kief Macy Meinhardt Katherine Moreland Zehra Shah Emily Hubbard Kristin Laygan Sara Sonnier Abby Ferguson Nolan Nowicki
Printer
Thornton Printers The Kingwood Courier is a student produced magazine published by the advanced journalism students at Kignwood High School. The publication is a member of the University Interscholastic League. Letters to the editors are welcomed, but they must be signed to be considered. Any advertisements are paid for by individual businesses within the community. Articles within the issue do not necessarily reflect the views of the Kingwood Courier staff, the student body, or Humble ISD. All material published by the Kingwood Courier is copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without the writer’s consent.
Photos by Emily Hubbard, Kristin Laygan & Sara Sonnier