2305 East Main Street League City, TX 77573
Baseball pg. 23
Camelot pg. 19
Area Band pg. 6
January 2013 Volume 89, Issue 4
CCISD hosts Dan Eldon’s traveling exhibit Safari By Valerie Hellinghausen Editor-in-Chief
On January 10, 2013, Kathy Eldon, founder of Creative Visions, visited Clear Creek High School to talk to students and faculty about her son, photojournalist and artist Dan Eldon. The Clear Creek Independent School District hosted Dan’s traveling pop-up exhibit “Safari” in the weeks following Winter Break. Clear Creek High School, the first to host the exhibit from January 8 through 11, allowed students to view ten of the twelve panels in the library. Classes toured the exhibit throughout the week and watched the presentation put on with the help of Creek’s librarians. Dan Eldon was born in London in 1970, but moved to Kenya with his British father Mike, American mother Kathy, and his younger sister Amy in 1977. Throughout his short life of 22 years, Dan traveled to more than 40 countries, but always considered Africa his home. Early on, Dan was exposed to the aftermath of a coup in Kenya when he followed his mother Kathy on her journalist assignments, and soon began taking photos of his own. “He was annoying, he was messy, he was a chauvinist at times. He was no different or special than any one of you,” Kathy Eldon said to the hundreds of students who came to view the ten panels of Dan’s work in the library throughout the day. Kathy Eldon, long time friend of Mrs. Jameson, Mrs. O’Neil and the HiLife Newspaper donated the exhibit to CCISD for several weeks. Speaking to several classes, Eldon talked to students about Dan’s life and the current work the Creative Visions Foundation is doing to continue Dan’s legacy of charity and creativity. In the library, students asked Eldon about several project ideas to help their surrounding communities or bring aid to other charities. Kathy enthusiastically entertained each student’s thoughts, made several phone calls to Dan’s sister Amy Eldon Turteltaub who also works with Creative Visions in Malibu, California, and urged students to use Creative Visions’ Creative Activist Toolkit which Kathy described as “Harvard Business School 101” and is available
for viewing or purchase on the Creative Visions website www.creativevisions.org. During advisory, Kathy spoke to the senior class in the auditorium about Dan, mission statements, and how to translate ideas into creative action to effect change on a community-wide level. Other classes watched videos about Dan’s life and his mission statement “Safari as a Way of Life” during advisory and were encouraged
throughout his travels back and forth from the United States where he jumped from college to college learning what he needed to know and Africa where he applied this knowledge on his various “safaris” or adventures. In what Dan called a “year on,” he spent several months working for Mademoiselle Magazine in New York City. He later moved onto to warmer climates in California where he began plotting his way back to Africa. His schemes came
Photos by HiLife Staff
to write their own mission statements in response to Dan’s work. At the age of 14, Dan began using his creativity to help others and change the world around him. In his teenage years, Dan launched a fund-raising program for the open-heart surgery to save the life of Atieno, a young Kenyan girl. He later worked to “help others help themselves” by buying and reselling handmade jewelry from a Maasai family. In high school, Dan also raised funds by hosting dances in the “Mkebe” or tin shed in his backyard with the help of his sister Amy or designing colorful t-shirts. During this time, Dan also began to create journals full of satire, collages, photographs, and his own art. “Dan never thought he took great photos, so he would doctor them up with his drawings and designs in his journals,” Eldon said. In 1988, Dan continued to journal
through as he spent that summer traveling from Nairobi, Kenya to Malawi through five African countries. Dan returned to California only to transfer to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he eventually launch Student Transport Aid, a charity Dan established to bring support to a refugee camp in Malawi with the help of 15 friends that collectively represented six different countries. “When they arrived at this refugee camp they discovered all of these people with absolutely nothing, yet they were happy. They were grateful for whatever they had and it shifted everybody’s perception really on life,” Eldon said when describing Dan’s safari. In the summer of 1992, Dan flew back to Kenya from California and took some of the first photos of the Somali famine. His work piqued the interest of international news agency Reuters and Dan became
the youngest photojournalist covering the Somali famine. In Somalia, Dan took some of the first photos displayed in Newsweek and the New York Times to raise awareness of the worsening conditions of the famine and international conflict. Both fascinated and horrified by Somalia, Dan had his fill of Somalia by the summer of 1993, but agreed to stay on to cover the unfolding situation. On July 12, 1993, Dan and other journalists were urgently asked to cover the bombing of what officials believed to be General Aideed’s headquarters. Amidst the confusion and turmoil of the angry mob, Dan and four other journalists were beaten and stoned to death in Mogadishu along with 50 other United States and United Nations soldiers. “He went in with his camera a very happy kid and discovered these scenes of unspeakable horror, of famine, of deprivation, of real tragedy. He took pictures which were among the first to go around the world and they awakened the world,” Eldon said. While Kathy could not visit each school within the district, Dan’s exhibit made its way to the campuses of Clear Lake, Clear Brook, and Clear Springs High School in the following weeks for viewers to explore and be inspired by. For those who could not visit the exhibit and for more information on Dan, Kathy, and the whole Creative Visions team and their projects, go to www.daneldon.org or www. creativevisions.org or www.kathyeldon. com. “Get up! Get up! Get up! Dust yourself off. Go somewhere. Do something. Engage. Be Alive. Make the plan work. If you have a plan for your life, figure out your mission statement and make it work… Look for solutions, not problems. Make things happen. You can’t be creative activists? You already are. You all have a creative spark within you that can be used not only for yourself but for the world around you.”
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Opinion d e r e ff o se r u o c e it r o v fa r u What is yo at Creek?
FRESHMEN really fun and “ROTC, because its .” -Lane Clauet teaches leadership
“Construction tech, because it teaches me valuable tools for the future.” -Matt Kitchens
“Painting, because it allows me to build up my art sk ills.” -Sabrina Shepherd
S ENIORS help se you get to au ec b S L A “P in e a difference kids and mak t h g ri W i -Mad their lives.”
e I love “Trooper School, becaus rte the kids!” -Nina Co z “Yearbook, becaus e I get to make a book that people will remember fore ver.” -Justin Kitchens
SOPHOMORES language.” like learning a new “French, because I -Hayden Gonzalez
“Wrestling, be cause you get a workout and the team is like a family .” -Vicki Meza
“Fashion design, becaus e I love designing clothes.” -Destani Graves
“Child development because of the robotic babies.” -Tristen Webb
JUNIORS e it is a creativ “Art, because an Miller outlet.” -Sw
“Engineering, because that is what I want to be when I grow up.” -Kyle Briliante
“I like debate because I’m good at arguing.” -Justin Miller
“Health Science, becaus e we get to learn at the ho spital.” -Jackie Rivas
prepare “Co-op, because it lets me ghes for my future.” -Sarah Hu
2012-2013
HiLife Staff Principal: Advisor: Proofreader Editor-in-Chief: Design Editor: Management Editor: Features Editor: News Editor: Teen Interest Editor: Sports Editors: Around Creek Editor: Advertising Manager: Photo Editor: Online Editor: Arlen Addison Justin Behrens Mallori Flanagan Hannah Gellman Audree Hall
Scott Bockart Wynette Jameson Jan O’Neil Valerie Hellinghausen Hannah Brinsko Madison Williams Leticia Suarez Madison Williams Kristina Koonce Greg Brotzman Dylan Hill Jenan Taha Jasmine Garza Gabrielle Renwall Monica Jackson
Breanna Jeffcoat Sydney Matthews Molly Johnson Lisa Nhan Lilli Lara Jessica Sieling Shelby Lyles Natalie Steele Rachel Wolfe
Published at Mirror Publishers in Texas City Visit us at: http://clearcreekhighschool.ihigh.com For ad rates call: (281)284-1889 Fax: (281)316-0587
Editorial
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Valerie’s Voice: the high school experiment
By Valerie Hellinghausen Editor-in-Chief
As I start my eighth and final semester of high school, so much of my focus has been directed towards what lies ahead of my high school career. What scholarships do I need to apply for? Where am I going to college? Am I making the right career choices, or will I end up unsuccessful, unemployed, and unfulfilled? However, after reading an article in New York magazine discussing why we never truly leave the high school years behind us, I have started to wonder how much high school has shaped me as a person, and how different or similar my classmates and I will be after leaving Clear Creek. The four-year high school experience, or rather experiment, is different for each individual. In four years we go from braces to prom dresses, car-pools with neighboring parents to driving ourselves, awkward teenagers to legal adults. To add
to the dynamics of this experiment, we throw in hundreds of students we may or may not have spent the past eight years in the public education system with. In this experiment there are no control groups, no set procedures to follow, no list of materials needed and the results are greatly skewed by hormones and our own individual perceptions and biases. I may not be a scientist, but if you mix that many milestones with several hundred hormonal teenagers in one building, I cannot see how these four years would have little to no impact on a person. In retrospect, four years of our life does not amount to much quantifiably speaking. However, considering our time on this Earth is limited, no year, day, or second is insignificant. In the end, I might value some of my adult experiences over a boring day spent in a high school classroom, but I know I have to get through the boring days of high school to get to whatever exciting opportunities lay ahead. With that being said, high school includes some of the most quintessential milestones of the teenage years: prom, homecoming, learning to drive, graduation, and multiple other events that shape us into extraordinary individuals. For me, high school has been a four-
year Technicolor dream on some days, and my worst nightmare on others. High school has given me four unforgettable homecomings that brought more excitement, spirit, and tradition to an IHOP than Halloween and Christmas morning do combined. High school marching band has taught me to love dancing in the stands with my friends like a maniac, cheering ‘til I lose my voice, and sweating more and practicing more for a few performances than should be humanly withstood. High school newspaper has led me to pursue a career in journalism that both excites me and scares me out of my wits. High school has shown me that no matter who teaches the class, I will always like my math classes the least, and enjoy my English classes the most (in spite of a few timed writes and CRQs). I could go on for pages and pages about my personal experiences, but no one wants to read that. The point is, all of this happened during high school and will never happen again anywhere else at any other point in my life. As a senior in high school, I cannot say with confidence whether or not I’ll remember these four years in great detail in the future. I cannot say that as adults we will never truly leave high school behind.
It’s being here now that’s important. There’s no past and there’s no future. Time is a very misleading thing. All there is ever, is the now. We can gain experience from the past, but we can’t relive it; and we can hope for the future, but we don’t know if there is one. -George Harrison
I can, however, say that no matter how I will remember my high school experience, the most important thing to do is to make these four years memorable and exciting in between the studying and truck loads of homework. It does not matter what stage of life I’m in, no amount of time should be taken for granted. Lately, I have received too many phone calls about cancer diagnoses, made too many doctor visits myself, and heard too many recounted stories of recent funerals to say otherwise. Psychologists and science may disagree, saying that the first years of our childhood contribute to the majority of our growth and personality. Religion might say that a higher power predetermined how we will turn out, and high school is just a part of that process. Social constructs might say that we are divided into social cliques and circles that we may or may not expand or leave even after high school. Regardless of what others have said and studied and preached, no matter how high school has treated me thus far, the experience is unlike any other I will undergo in my lifetime, and however these four years unfold, they have the capacity to shape, transform, and mold me into who I am. After graduation, there is no coming back to these hallways and reliving these moments. If I later realize that I took these four years as a time to figure out what I enjoy, what I hate, the types of people I never want to date, and the types of people I want to become, then I would say I spent my time wisely. If that is the case, then coming back to my reunion in some odd number of years will be a post-experimental analysis that shows how I did outside the Petri dish that is high school.
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News
President Obama nominates new administration By Madison Williams Management Editor
January 8, 2013 President Obama hel. January 8, 2013 President Obama held a press conference to announce his nomination of Chuck Hagel as Defense Secretary and John Brennan as CIA director. According to the Washington Times, Obama is expected to make more announcements as he plans to fire many high-level members of his administration. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta have handed in their resignations. NY Daily News also reported that General David Petraeus resigned due to the discovery of his extramarital affair when his mistress Paula Broadwell emailed Jill Kelley, allegedly threatening Kelley to stay away from Petraeus. The CIA is still currently investigating Petraeus’ conduct as they suspect he may have used CIA resources and classified information to further the affair with Broadwell. As Petraeus’s biographer, Broadwell denies that she received any information from Petraeus in the writing of her best-selling book on Petraues, “All In.” The CIA has been led by an acting secretary since last summer. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner as well as Press Secretary Jay Carney are
preparing to leave their positions in the John Brennan is expected to easily Hagel has made offensive statements wake of from Israel criticism to anti-Semitism. O b a m a ’s Hagel even made an anti-gay remark reelection. fourteen years ago that has caused gay Attorney right groups to strongly oppose his General nomination. Eric Holder The decision to install Obama’s is expected nominees without Senate approval to resign under the constitutional provision for soon as making appointments when lawmakers well as EPA are in recess has allowed Obama to Director, ensure his nominations. Republicans L i s a are fuming over Obama’s abuse of the Jackson, recess privilege. w h o Republicans began attacking claims her Obama’s administration choices before resignation they were even officially announced, stems from declaring it unconstitutional and her want to a brazen attempt to diminish the spend more Former U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel, left, a Republican from Nebraska, is nominated to be Secretary role of the Senate to provide their time with of Defense by President Barack Obama at the White House on Monday, January 7, 2013, in consent to the executive branch her family. Washington, DC. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT) on their appointments. It is widely Republicans had attempted to block believed Obama from installing nominees without she is trying to avoid indictment with her be confirmed by Congress. As a 25-year their consent by holding “pro forma” resignation. CIA insider, Brennan is a highly qualified sessions over the holidays. In these sessions, Jack Lew, Chief of Staff, is expected nominee. Obama stated that Brennan members of both chambers gavel in for to leave his position to be appointed as and National Intelligence Director James minutes or even seconds to try to meet the either new Treasury Secretary or enter into Clapper would continue together to fight definition of a recognized Congressional retirement. the al Qaeda organization. meeting. At the press conference, outgoing CIA Obama also announced his highly Congress will continue to oppose Director Leon Panetta stated that Obama criticized nomination of former Nebraska Obama’s nominations specifically Chuck has “weakened [al Qaeda’s] ability to Senator Chuck Hagel for the Defense job. Hagel as the Secretary of Defense. attack this country.”
NASA funds project to investigate life on Mars By Arlen Addison Reporter
The scientific pioneer biologist J. Craig Venter has announced he’s confident there’s life on Mars, and he plans to find it and bring it back to Earth. For as long as mankind has seen Mars, people have wondered if there’s life on our sister planets, and if so what is it like, is it a far more advanced civilization adapted to the hostile world, older and wiser, or is it full of warring creatures on a dying planet. Italian color blind Scientist Giovanni Schiaparelli was the first to create a detailed map of Mars in 1877, most notably mapping what he called canali, long straight groves in the planet, later shown to be optical illusions, and mistranslated into the English word “Canal.” Greatly inspired by these findings, American Business man Percival Lowell funded the creation of an observatory far in the desert in which he could observe and record these “canals.” He published several books and journals on the topic of life on Mars, speculating a dying race had dug to bring much needed water from the
Polar Ice Caps to the Equator. H.G. Well’s popularized the idea of invading Martians with his 1898 novel, War of the Worlds, which caused mass panic and preparations when read aloud in a radio broadcast in 1938 as many listeners believed it was true and prepared for alien invasion. J. Craig Venter isn’t looking for ancient civilizations or belligerent aliens. He is confident he will find microbial life on the red planet. Venter hopes to create a “biological teleporter” which can be sent to Mars, find life, and “send” it back to a secure laboratory in-Earth-Orbit in which the microbial life could be studied. The “teleporter” would be launched to Mars, equipped with on board labs to collected soil samples in an attempt to find microbial life. If the probe can find life, as Venter predicts it will, it will sequence its DNA for its genome code, and then send the code back to the orbiting lab. With the genome code, scientists can reconstruct Martian life in a secure lab. The probe/teleporter will look for both living microbes or signs or organic compounds left over from past life,
hopefully, with small traces of organic matter, which can be sequenced. “People are worried about the Andromeda Strain [The possibility of human susceptibility to an alien disease carried over from another planet.],” Venter said. “We can rebuild the Martians in a P-4 spacesuit lab instead of having them land in the ocean.” Venter isn’t the only biologist considering the idea of reconstructing Martians back “on Earth.” Jonathan Rothberg, founder of Ion Torrent, a
company dedicated to genome sequencing, is working with Harvard and MIT in a NASA-funded project called SET-G, or the “Search for Extraterrestrial Genomes.” Ion Torrent would modify its personal genome machine to send with SET-G. If life can be found and its genome code “read” and then successfully reconstructed on Earth, it would be the first know alien life, no matter how simple, encountered by human beings. This would be a major leap forward in the search for intelligent life outside Earth.
News Pentagon announces historic military decision By Arlen Addison Reporter
The Pentagon has announced a historic decision regarding military women in armed forces. Defense Secretary Chief Leon Panetta has confirmed that the ban on military women serving in front-line combat positions will be lifted. This announcement opens up thousands of positions and potentially even elite commando jobs. The Joint Chiefs of Staff initially suggested the decision, which overturns a Pentagon 1994 Combat Exclusion Policy banning women form serving in smaller combat units. Panetta is giving the military until January 2016 to decide if any special exceptions are to be made in barring women from certain special assignments. Many women are asking that all the jobs to be opened up to both genders and that physical and mental tests be the basis for qualification for a certain position, rather than gender. While the military is considering making exceptions for women in certain special positions, officials say other assignments such as infantry, ground armor, tanks commanders, patrol teams, and howitzer firing squads may be opened to qualifying military women as early as this year. Assignments for special operations forces, such as Navy SEALs and Army Delta Force, may take longer to be opened to women. Leon Panetta ordering Military Chiefs to report back in May with an initial plan. Panetta’s decision expands on the Pentagon’s decision last year to open up 14,500 positions to women, most in the Army. The new decision opens up more than 230,000 front-line jobs, most in the Army and Marines. Previously women have
served in such positions as medics, training, Mary Jennings Hegar, a helicopter pilot, and guards. Women these positions are put was shot down, returned fire, and wounded into situations where combat is necessary. on the ground in Afghanistan, but she was With insurgent fighting the front-line is unable to seek a combat leadership position becoming blurred. because the incident was not officially “I respect and support Secretary recognized by the Defense Department P a n e t t a ’s as a combat decision to experience. lift the ban M a n y on women military serving in officials combat,” and officers s a i d believe that Senator including J o h n women into McCain in previously alla statement. male combat “The fact units would is that put combat American cohesion at w o m e n risk, having are already both men and serving women in in harm’s close-quarters way today for extended all over the periods of world and time. Many in every Charts show the number of women in active duty in the U.S. military military by service and by percent of total; facts about the percent of officers, branch of w o m e n our armed number of dead in Iraq and Afghanistan. MCT 2013 also see the forces. potential in Many have made the ultimate sacrifice, which stereotypes about women could and our nation owes them a deep debt of interfere with combat units. gratitude.” While the draft was discontinued in For women already serving in the 1973 and all wars since have been fought on military, this Pentagon decision is a way a volunteer basis, in the event of a situation for women to have access to advancements in which the draft is revived, the question through ranks. Previously there was remains whether to include women. little opportunity for women in career While women worry about the difficultly advancements. In November 2012 the of men accepting women into previously American Civil Liberties Union filed a all-male positions, the government now federal lawsuit challenging the combat ban faces a new challenge, whether women on behalf of four women. One woman, Maj. should now have to register for draft at the
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age of 18 in the event of an emergency in which the U.S. must call on its citizens in a draft. “The answer to that questions is clearly yes,” said Anne Coughlin, a law professor at the Virginia school of Law. “The legal argument is clear: if it comes to that kind of wrenching emergency here, we have to press young people into service. There is no legal justification for saying that men alone need to shoulder this burden.” Currently, the draft is male-only. In the 1981 US Supreme Court case Rostker v. Goldberg, men argued that the draft was unconstitutional because males were required to register. In their ruling, a majority by the Chief Justices rejected this idea. ‘The court ruled that the Selective Services process is designed to assemble combat-ready people, and right now women are excluded from combat arms [speaking before the current Pentagon decision to allow women in combat positions],” added Coughlin. “Therefore, they can’t participate in the very thing that the draft is for. Hence, it’s appropriate and constitutional to continue to exclude women from the draft.” “My belief is that if we open up combat arms to women, even on a voluntary basis, if there is a draft, we should be able to force women into this positions,” said retired Col. Peter Mansoor. Mansoor is a former U.S. Army brigade commander who served two tours in Iraq and is currently a military history professor at Ohio Sate University. “If women are acceptable to serve in combat, they are acceptable to serve whether they volunteer or not. You can’t have frosting on the cake and not the cake underneath.”
Lance Armstrong admits to drug use in cycling By Jenan Taha Around Creek Editor Lance Armstrong, professional cyclist, 7-time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor, had allegedly used performanceenhancing drugs to help him win the Tour de France bicycle competition. The cycler admitted to the allegations and is willing to give out the names of others in the Tour de France who are using the same illegal drugs. Since then, he has been stripped of his previous awards and must pay back all of the companies who sponsored him. According to CNN, the USADA (U.S. anti-Doping Agency) found Armstrong
guilty of running “the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program,” ever found in the history of sports. Armstrong ‘sincerely’ apologized to the Livestrong Foundation—which he founded for cancer patients—for his actions. Armstrong is not the only cyclist, or in general athlete, to have been found using steroids. Other cyclists have disclosed information about some who are in the same situation as Armstrong, just not as famous. In fact, drug use is not uncommon in professional athletics, especially in the Tour de France. Still, the fact that Armstrong cheated
his way through the race raises the question: who really won the past 7 Tour de France competitions? In an exclusive interview with Oprah, he said he “left it all on the table,” and the audience can decide how to look at it. Armstrong stated, although not blatantly, that he used performance-enhancing steroids in all seven races and has been part of experiments for human growth hormones. He said he believed that only five of the 180 racers were completely clean throughout his ‘cycling days.’ When Armstrong was asked whether he felt like a real winner at the time, he answered yes, and said he did not feel bad for cheating. He began to
tear up when mentioning how apologetic he was. Mostly, Lance answered Oprah’s questions with I don’t know. Cyclist Frankie Andreu, one of Armstrong’s closest friends, was the one to speak out first. He told ABC News that Armstrong has “lied to Larry King…to Oprah.” He claims he’s been lying for almost a decade, through every interview, and to every sponsor. Andreu has also taken a fall for his friend’s actions, receiving insulting e-mails and being called a traitor. Although Armstrong’s cycling days are over, he left a lasting impact on Americans in his strides for cancer and humanitarianism.
6 Around Creek
Creek band sends members to All-Area auditions By Hannah Gellman Reporter
After marching season ends in early November and before competitive concert season begins in the spring, many band members participate in the competition held in the winter, the region band auditions. In July, the Texas Music Educator’s Association, or TMEA, selects three short pieces, called etudes, for each instrument, which the musicians then learn, practice, and perfect for five months before the midDecember auditions. If a band member advances from the first audition, or phase one, which determines potential placement in the All-Region Band, then he or she participates in phase two, the audition that, if selected, would place he or she among the top high school musicians in the All-Area Band. This year, the phase one auditions were held on two different days, with flute, trumpet, and percussion players auditioning on Monday, December 3, and clarinet, French horn, trombone, and alto saxophone players auditioning Thursday, December 6. Phase two and all other instruments’ initial auditions took place on Saturday, December 8. All au-
ditions were held at Alvin High School. a group of talented musicians who barely At the first phase one auditions, the make the cut off for region band, thereClear Creek Band had a good showing, fore not advancing to phase two or playwith seven students earning a place in the ing together at the Region Clinic and ConAll Region Band and cert. It is still considered a advancing to phase high honor as many musitwo. Flute players cians are not even ranked. Bronte Frere, 10th, At the second phase and Nicole Drury, one auditions, Creek had an 9th, trumpet playeven better showing, with ers Dylan Way, twelve students earning 11th, Patrick Seva spot in the region band erance, 11th, and and advancing to the next Trevor Wene, 11th, audition. On French Horn, and percussionAlex Wahl, 12th, Miraj ists Michael SulPatel, 12th, and Hannah kis, 12th, and Trey Gellman, 10th, on clarinet, McMahon, 10th, Jackie Koonce, 12th, Valwere all selected erie Hellinghausen, 12th, among the best Kelsey McMahon, 12th, Photo by Valerie Hellinghausen players of their reJulie Vaughn, 11th, Vincent spective instruments Conder, 10th, Julie Chase, through a blind audition. 10th, Marcus Isnard, 10th, and Jessica Additionally, four students made the Heerboth, 9th, on tuba, Spencer Walker, All District Band. Flautist Alayna Pena- 12th, and on alto saxophone, Grant RosMendez, 12th, percussionist Carter Harvey, si, 10th, were all named among the best 12th, and trumpet players Danny Gunn, high school musicians in their region. 11th, and Alyssa Cannon, 12th, earned a Additionally, trombone player Joel spot in this ensemble. The district band is Mancini, 11th, bass trombonist Jacob
Heymann, 9th, euphonium player Mallori Sherer, 12th, tuba player Jared Castillo, 11th, and bass clarinetist Nawal Aditya, 12th, made district band. This was the best showing Creek has had at the region competition in years, with twenty total students making a region band and five making district. The twenty Clear Creek Band students who made Region band participated in the phase two auditions on December 8 with hopes of advancing to the Area F auditions and potentially earning a spot in the AllState Band. There, nine students earned a spot at the Area auditions: Alex Wahl, Will Henry, Michael Sulkis, Dylan Way, Jackie Koonce, Vincent Conder, Valerie Hellinghausen, Julie Chase, and Jessica Heerboth. At the Area auditions, held January 12, these students auditioned with the best musicians in their Area for the prestigious honor of being named to the All-State Band and performing at the TMEA convention in February. Three Clear Creek Band students earned this accolade. Making AllState for the fourth time, bass trombonist Will Henry, 12th, for the second time, horn player Alex Wahl, 12th, and for the first time, clarinet player Vincent Conder, 10th.
Around Creek
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Drama production prepares for UIL competition By Lisa Nhan Reporter
The show The Women of Troy is a first in many ways. Not only is this production the first of this year, but the only tragedy to be performed in the mix of comedies this year. This show will also be performed for the UIL contest, competing against hundreds of schools in Texas. Mr. Hewlett, director and theater teacher, decided to pick this show because of the uniqueness of the story that can effect the way the audience and hopefully the UIL judges. Since there is only one judge during UIL performances, until the Region level and on, Hewlett wanted to pick a story with characters that the audience could emphasize with in order to make a stronger emotional impact. The winning side often tells war stories, but The Women of
Troy tells the story of war that isn’t always heard, the losing side. Written in a very anti-war tone, Euripides uses this play to question the morals and impact of war and its heroes. The Women of Troy is Greek tragedy written by Euripides and tells the story of the aftermath of the Trojan War as the city of Troy has been left in ruins. The cities weren’t the only thing to be destroyed, but the lives of the survivors have been as well. The Greeks, with the exception of the eight-year prince, have slaughtered all the Trojan men. Only the women survive, who spent their time awaiting the return of the Greek soldiers to be sold into slavery. Among the survivors are queen of Troy, Hecabe played by Carina Moteleone, Helen of Troy played by Mikayla Ford, and Cassandra played by Kara Watson. Ruins
of a temple set the stage for this play as the women of Troy attempt to make sense of a cruel fate that fell upon them. Hewlett describes the situation of these Trojan women as “completely beyond their control and not their fault, but the fault of others.” Casting wise the show was a great choice due to having the “right mix” with an abundance of “very strong women actors…many of them seniors.” Carina Monteleone, 12th, who plays the lead role of Hecabe, agreed with that statement. “I’m glad to be ending it with the people I started it,” Monteleone said. These actors will have to adapt to different types of acting. The show is “very Shakespearean” according to Hewlett. Since this play is very opposite of the com-
edies that have been performed this year, the actors will have to do some adjusting. The emotions will have to be heightened in order to help develop the characters along with different tones of voice. “I’m preparing for changing a lot of old habits.” The role is “challenging in every aspect,” Monteleone said. Being a UIL performance, it comes with a book of rules. The whole performance can only be 40 minutes. The cast and crew will have to take a play that would normally take close to two hours into something that takes less than half the time. The Creek Theater Department will have a free performance on March 22 at 7 p.m., the weekend before the first phase of UIL. Another performance will take place after the show has finished its run in UIL.
They’ve Been Wrong Before entertains audiences By Lisa Nhan Reporter
Clear Creek’s annual winter production made history for the theater department. It was the first time that Creek’s theater department ever performed an original piece written by Creek’s very own Tech and Theater teacher, Mr. Hewlett.
Hewlett wrote the five comedic shorts each of which featured a new comedic form. From slapstick to parodies, They’ve Been Wrong Before… offered a refreshing take on comedy that showed off the cast’s abilities as actors. Going into the show, I was very interested how the format of the five short stories would work. The production crew did
a great job of the transitions made in between each skit. The music played before each short really set the mood and helped each skit smoothly transition into the next. After the lights went out and the curtain closed, it left the audience eagerly awaiting the next story. The first skit and my personal favorite skit was called Art, a parody playing off the world of modern art. There have been many parodies trying to show the comedic aspects of modern art, but I believe that Hewlett and the cast did one of the best jobs I’ve seen. The different viewpoints show through the skit really just made it something unique along with the acting. The actors really took the lines and made them their own. They gave the characters the life that this skit needed to work. Judging off the laughs from the audience, I could tell I wasn’t the only one enjoying this skit. The next skit was called Already Married starring Ashley Haas (11th) and Justin Gibbons (11th) as the only actors. Having been told by Hewlett in advance that this was “cosmic love story”, I was expecting something different but looking back that description really does fit. Honestly, I personally enjoyed this skit the least, but it still held its own. Haas and Gibbons really do work well together. Together they had people laughing in the Fall production, and together they had people laughing in the Winter production. War On Lightning was a comedic view on how American approach their problems. Hiding behind the jokes of the skit
was the truth of how Americans respond to conflict. I have to say that this was tied for my second favorite along with final skit. One of the characters, played by Christian Campbell (10th), was very unexpected and was clever on Hewlett’s part. Due to the large amount of the actors in the show, we didn’t get to hear some of them but their reactions to what was going on were great all the same. The skit Sympathy for the Squirrel was the most unique in terms of format. It was a silent film. As a fan of silent films, it was nice to see this format be brought back. The idea was, again, not what I was expecting, but it was better than what I was expecting. The slapstick performance had the audience laughing the most, in my personal opinion. The acting done by (Insert actor’s name here ) had captured the attention of the audience and kept them laughing. The final skit, called With a Whimper, was a witty adaptation on society’s reaction to the 2012 Mayan prediction of the end of the world. The talking trees in this show made the performance end with big laughs and gave the best way to end the show. I really enjoyed this skit due to the well carried out performance of the actors. Both the humans and the trees in the skit gave the audience something to laugh about. Despite not knowing what to expecting walking into this show, I was pleasantly surprised with the clever jokes and great acting. For Creek’s first performance of an original show, the cast and crew really set a high standard for the next one.
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18 Teen interest
2013 Golden Globes: a night of honor and humor Jenan Taha Around Creek Editor
This year, a new couple hosted —comedians Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. The two started off the night with some playful jokes, and then began announcing the winners for best TV series. Best Comedy Series went to Girls. The Best Television Drama went to Homeland. The Best Miniseries/Movie was awarded to Game Change. Best Actor in a Drama went to Damian Lewis in Homeland. Best Actress in a Drama was Claire Danes who stars in Homeland. Best Actor in a Miniseries or Movie was given to Kevin Costner in Hatfields & McCoys. Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie was awarded to Ed Harris in Game Change. Best Actress in a Miniseries or Movie went to Julianne Moore in Game Change. Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries was Maggie Smith in Downtown Abbey. Special guest Bill Clinton introduced one nominee, Lincoln, and the awards for the best of motion pictures began. Best Drama went to Argo. The Best Musical award was given to Les Miserables. Brave won Best Animated Feature. Best foreign film was awarded to Amour, an Austrian film. Best Actor in a Drama went to Daniel
Ben Affleck, producer Grant Heslov, and George Clooney backstage at the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, January 13, 2013, in Beverly Hills, California. (Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times/MCT)
Day Lewis for his role in Lincoln. Best Actress in a Drama was given to Jessica Chastain for her work in Zero Dark Thirty. Best Actor in a Musical was given to Hugh Jackman who starred in Les Miserables. Best Actress in a Comedy went to Jenni-
fer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook. Best Supporting Actor was awarded to Christoph Waltz in the film Django Unchained. Best Supporting Actress went to Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables. “Thank you for this lovely blunt ob-
ject that I will forevermore use as a weapon against self-doubt “, said an excited and quite flustered Hathaway after receiving a Golden Globe. Ben Affleck won Best Director for his film Argo, and Best Screenplay went to Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained. Mychael Danna, Director of Life of Pi, was awarded the Best Original Movie. Last but not least, Adele won Best Original Song for her song Skyfall in the movie Skyfall. The night was filled with highlights. Jodie Foster gave a moving speech revealing the end of her film career, which brought many in the audience to tears. She also won an exclusive award for her work, the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. Afterwards, as two co-hosts joked on stage, a camera panned into the laughing audience, only to catch the unamused face of Tommy Lee Jones, who could not look more unimpressed. Pohler and Fey continued their jokes. “Ang Lee’s been nominated for Best Director for the Life of Pi, which is what I’m gonna call the six weeks after I take this dress off,” joked Amy as she found it hard to fit into her form-fitting dress before the show.
Most memorable moments of 2012 Jenan Taha Around Creek Editor
• Good Samaritans of Super-storm Sandy: There’s no doubt the devastations of hurricane sandy were enormous, and many organizations rushed to their aid. People from all over the country did anything they could to assist the New Englanders, yet the most inspiring acts came from within the storm victims themselves. Though they didn’t have much, some citizens gave things like free outlets to charge phones, free food and shelter for the homeless and free medical care. One New Jersey Neurologist, Robert Felberg, saved an elderly man from a stroke after the hospital’s power had gone out. • Mars Rover Curiosity Lands on Mars: After years of triumphant goals, NASA, who had previously shut down any new missions into space, landed the latest and most complex rover yet— Curiosity. No other country has matched this level of success, and only Russia has come close. This amazing device has the ability to tell us whether there was or is a possibility of life on the Red Planet. The mission was a long-shot, which made success even sweeter. The rover will now
spend the next two years on Mars, in hopes of gaining a new understanding that could change the human perspective of the universe. • Incredible Olympians Go for Gold: The Olympic Games continue to inspire and astound audiences all over the world with amazing feats by the most remarkable athletes. One special runner, Oscar Pistorius from South Africa, made it to the finals in the 4 by 400 relay and semi-finals in the men’s 400 meter relay. And, not to mention, Pistorius is the first double amputee to ever compete in the Olympics; both of his legs were amputated when he was an infant. Although he didn’t take home any gold medals, this was a great accomplishment for Pistorius. Other triumphant Olympians include Sarah Attar and Wojdan Shaherkhani, the first two women ever allowed to represent Saudi Arabia in the Olympics, and Manteo Mitchell, who broke his leg during his relay race, but continued running and won a silver medal. • Obama Approves of Gay Marriage: For the first time ever in history, the United States president has approved of and legalized gay marriage. President Obama, who previously held opposite views, changed his mind on the issue after talking with his family, who supports it, and by working with openly-gay senators and secretaries, who he said are just as closely knit as his own family. Currently, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Vermont, Massachusetts, Iowa, New Hampshire, Washington and New York,—as well as the District of Columbia—have all legalized same-sex marriages. • Baumgartner’s Skydive from Space: Felix Baumgartner, a self-proclaimed Austrian daredevil, broke four world records in one day by skydiving from space—nearly 24 miles above the earth. He broke the record for fastest free-fall, highest skydive,
and was the first person to move faster than the speed of sound without an aircraft. Since he took off using a whopping 55-story helium balloon, Felix and his team also broke the record for highest balloon flight, at 128,000 feet. After free-falling for four and a half minutes, Felix stuck the landing in Roswell, New Mexico. • A Young Woman Stands Up for the Right of Education: Malala Yousufzai is more than just an ordinary teenager. The young woman, who lives in a small community in Pakistan, has been standing up for women’s rights—mainly education— since she was 11 years old, in a part of the world where women rarely have a voice. Although she was not allowed to go to school, she attended class daily despite constant threats by Taliban officials who conspicuously ran the area. One day when she was coming home from school, an armed assailant shot her twice in the head and neck. She was immediately sent to the hospital, not expected to survive. Miraculously, Malala is alive and well today and has led the way for greater opportunities for young women in her area. “Malala rose to heights few of us can aspire to.” Said a writer for the Express Tribune. • Mother gives the ultimate sacrifice for children: Tornadoes are not uncommon in Indiana, but what Stephanie Decker, a mother from Henryville, Indiana did for her children was unforgettable. During a tornado, she and her children huddled in the basement, waiting for it to pass. As the storm grew violent, Decker covered her children with her body, willing to sacrifice herself. Decker took the hit and saved her 2 kids from a steel beam that fell through their house. It cost Decker both of her legs, but she said she would do anything for the sake of her children. Miraculously, she will be able to walk again using prosthetics, and other than that, is perfectly healthy.
Teen Interest 19
Camelot is a success at Theater Under The Stars Madison Williams
Management Editor Theater Under The Stars (TUTS) has made the timeless tale of Camelot come to life in their musical theater adaptation. This magical musical will run from January 22-Febuary 3, 2012 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Set in time when battles raged over invisible boundaries, chivalry and honor were all but dead, comes a story that follows the love triangle between King Arthur, Queen Guenevere, and the young Sir Lancelot. King Arthur gaines his throne after a chance encounter with a stone and a sword. Arthur is traveling with his cousin to attend a tournament when he passes a town that has a peculiar looking sword sticking out of a stone. Arthur’s cousin had instructed him to go home and grab his own sword to participate in a tournament. Rather than ride back to their home, Arthur thinks to steal the forgotten sword out of the stone and bring it to his cousin. On his first pull, the sword does not budge; on his second pull the sword still remains safely encased in the stone; on his third try, Arthur closes his eyes and the sword slowly slides from its resting place. When he opens his eyes, crowds chant, “All hail the King of England,” surrounded Arthur. To help him with the sudden transition, Arthur is given a mentor, Merlin. Merlin is also a wizard and uses his magic to teach Arthur leadership skills so that he may unite England into one cohesive country. To help bring England together, Arthur is forced into an arranged marriage with
Guenevere, to prevent war with a bordering country. This is where the passionfilled romance of Arthur, Guenevere, and Lancelot begins.
out to be, she is portrayed as an independent woman with a sassy attitude. Instead of falling in love with Lancelot, played by Sean Maclaughlin, the instant she saw him,
Photo courtesy of Bruce Bennett
Robert Petkoff, does a fantastic job portraying Arthur as a selfless King trying to discover what it means to be a leader. His singing is beautiful as he tries to convince Guenevere that there is no better place to live than Camelot. Margaret Loesser Robinson, Guenevere, took a different approach to her character. Instead of playing Guenevere like the lovesick bimbo that history makes her
Robinson finds him to be an arrogant jerk. At times, I could not imagine what could possibly change her mind and make her fall in love with him as she constantly gives him the cold shoulder. I loved this approach to her character, unfortunately when she did fall for Lance it was unbelievable as an audience member to watch. Maclaughlin did an incredible job
of imitating Lancelot’s arrogant ways. I wasn’t expecting Lance’s character to be so arrogant as he is always made out to be the charming knight in literature. That was a nice twist to this timeless tale. During a tournament, Maclaughlin was challenged by three other knights to battle. Maclaughl perfectly captured the arrogance of Lance simply by his fighting stance. He fought so casually, so sure that he could never lose a battle. By far my favorite character was King Pellinore played by Tony Award nominee Tony Sheldon. He provided comic relief at exactly the right moments and his zingy one-liners had audience members of any age chuckling in their seats. Overall, Camelot was too long of production but the torment felt by Arthur, Guenevere, and Lancelot as they figure out what love really means was emotionally impacting. This timeless tale of love and loss will provide entertainment for anyone ready to enter the world of Camelot.
Creek choir student auditions for singing contest Jenan Taha Around Creek Editor
On Saturday January 19th, the Houston Symphony invited families to “a mystical and musical experience.” The Arabian themed concert featured music from Scheherazade and “Aladdin”, which “musically transported audiences to far away places and adventures unknown”. Robert Franz, the Associate Conductor of the Houston Symphony encouraged families to attend the family-oriented concert. “Family concerts are the perfect way to spend a Saturday morning enjoying some of the greatest music ever written,” said Franz. “For me, the idea of getting into my costume and introducing families, and especially kids, to the music that I love is
a thrill. The Houston Symphony is best experienced live, and what better way to open your child’s world than with the sounds and sights of these incredible musicians.” To further encourage families to attend the concerts, the concert experience is enhanced through video screens that provide additional story support, as well as enable them to see the orchestra close up and in action. Also, early before the 10am concert, and late after the 11:30am concert, children are invited to participate in additional fun activities, including an instrument petting zoo, arts and crafts and youth ensemble performances. In addition to our very own Clear
Creek Symphonic Chorale singing music from “AladPhoto courtesy of CCISD
din”, Michael Skarke (a 2013 all-stater) also had a solo debut with the Symphony. Following this performance, Skarke continued to the annual CCISD “ So You Think You Can Sing” competition to represent Clear Creek High School. This American Idol-esque competition takes a contestant from each elementary, middle, and high schools in the district, and one winner will be named in each division (elementary, middle, and high school). The winners in each division will be selected through popularity vote of people in attendance. Everyone was encouraged to come out to Gateway Community Church to support Skarke and give him his or her votes.
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Features
Livestock Show & Rodeo supports the community By Leticia Suarez Features Editor The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is also known as RodeoHouston. It is the world’s largest livestock show and rodeo dedicated to benefiting youth, supporting education, and facilitating better agricultural practices through exhibitions and presentation. Exhibitors will again travel to Houston to compete for a chance at a Houston Championship by entering their horses and livestock at shows entries. This year is expected to surpass the 26,305 entries of 2012. “It should be mentioned that Houstonians themselves find the Rodeo a natural setting to promote the city and its offerings. Thousands invite friends and family from all over the nation to visit and see Houston in its splendor during the wonderful spring weather of Azalea season, and of course, to visit the Rodeo.” Dr. Smith, Professor of Economics at the University of Houston said. Profits from Rodeo Houston are The excess of its revenue over expenses for the furtherance is used for grants and/or funds of scholarships, educational endowments,
agricultural research projects, junior show exhibitors, school art participants, and other youth programs. Since this event started in 1932, it has donated around $330 million and still counting. Currently, more than 2,000 students are on Show scholarships, attending more than 100 different Texas
available in every corner to enjoy. Among the number of activities, there is the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, or, what most call it “The Cutoff.” It lasts only three days, but it’s known for attracting a massive audience. Most of the participants are members only or get in
Photo courtesy of CCISD
colleges and universities. The value of these scholarships is approximately $30 million. Also, the 2013 100.3 KILT Carnival will be open February 21-23, and February 25-March 17. For families, the carnival offers the Kids’ Country exhibits and activities with kid-friendly rides and games for all the little ones. Other rides include La Grande Wheel, which is the Western Hemisphere’s largest portable Ferris wheel, as well as the 1700 foot long Gandola Skyride. Delicious food will also be
my invitation, but it is, of course, open to the public
to watch. There will be a variety of ways into and out of the complex that include Park and Ride lots in certain parts of the city. There will also be taxi cabs, self parking, and METRORail. The general attendance reached its peak in 2011 with 2,262,834, but it won’t be a surprised if it breaks the scale this year. All kinds of entertainment will lead up to the concerts given by well-known sing-
ers and bands. This year’s lineup promises musical acts for every generation, considering the wide range of genres that will be offered. Some of these include Demi Lovato, who will sing on Sunday, March 3; Lady Antebellum on Tuesday, March 5; Bruno Mars on Thursday, March 7; The Band Perry on Saturday, March 9; and Pitbull on Thursday, March 14. They will begin their performances at the end of every night after the last rodeo event. One of the most interesting things available at the rodeo is that it offers excitement even to the foreigners who come to enjoy this event. The Show annually designates a series of International Days to express hospitality to foreign guests. During this time, volunteers staff the International Room to help welcome and inform visitors. Assistance and translation is available to those interested in the livestock auctions. RodeoHouston kicks off 2013 with plenty of activities to entertain the whole city. It will last from February 25 to March 17 and it will be packed with hundreds of opportunities to win championships as well as financial help.
Flipped classroom technique promises change By Justin Behrens Reporter
One of our very own teachers at Clear Creek High School is doing just that. Mrs. Akers, a chemistry teacher has decided to “flip” her classroom for the 2nd Semester. For those who don’t know, a flipped classroom is when you take a direct lecture outside of the class. Using a video tutorial made by the teacher, the students go home and watch a short video about the lesson. While in class, students would do what they would normally do for homework. The advantage is that the teacher is there to help students do work and answer any questions. Mrs. Akers said she is “trying to help students get a much better understanding of chemistry, differentiate instructions, and allow them to be able to learn at their own pace.” The flipped classroom is also very less time consuming, it turns a 45 minute
lecture into a 10 minute video. It allows a lot more learning to take place and lets the teacher be available to talk to students during class. Students who are in this new and improved type of classroom, can say from personal experience that it is a better way to learn than what they were doing previously. By doing the class notes at home, the students feel like they understand the material better. Unlike when you’re at school, there is not as many distractions when you are learning at home. When students are at school, they are easily distracted by sitting next to friends and having to block out other background noises. When Carson Morgan, Michael Steele, and Victor N. were asked about what they like about the new classroom, they said “it’s faster in class, easier to learn, and you are able to do more in class.” The flipped classroom has a lot of great benefits. Since you’re not sitting through a
lecture the whole class period, there is more one on one time with the teacher. Another good thing is that the students are able to learn at their own pace. Sometimes when you’re in class and you don’t understand something, you might be too embarrassed to ask the teacher to go back or explain it again. But with the videos at home, students are able to rewind the video whenever they need to have something repeated. The flipped classroom is also very helpful if you are sick and couldn’t come to school. Usually, whenever a student missed school, he or she didn’t have any idea what was missed in class and would fall behind. Then the teacher would have to make an alternative assignment. But now, if you are absent you can just watch the next video at home and you will be caught up with everyone else. Since the video tutorials are available online for everyone, parents can learn the material and then they are more prepared to help their child. Also, the videos are
titled so if some students aren’t really understanding it, the teacher knows exactly what she needs to help them with. Critics of the flipped classroom, claim that teenagers don’t need to spend more time in front of a computer screen. However, almost every house has got a computer, which makes easy access to learning the material. Even if you don’t have a computer, you can still watch the video tutorials on your smart phone. And even if you don’t have a smart phone or a computer at home, you can still go to the library and watch the videos there. There are plenty of different ways to view the videos. The flipped classroom is a brand new way to learn and master the subject your taking. It allows students to spend more time asking questions with the teacher and practicing the material learned through the video. The flipped classroom is becoming the preferred learning style of the future
Features
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Les Misérables is a hit in theatres on Christmas Day By Jessica Sieling Reporter
People for decades upon decades have been introduced and enlighten by the story of Les Misérables. Starting out as a book, it was originally written by Victor Hugo and published in 1862 in French. Since then, people have experienced the story in the 1998 movie starring Liam Neeson and Geoffery Rush, the stage production which has been performed in 43 countries and over 300 cities, and finally, the new musical movie released in 2012. No matter what form the story takes place in, it describes a beautiful story about a man who has to discover the true meaning of life though different challenges and sorrows that follow him. The tale has taught the same lesson for centuries, fight for what you believe in, believe in your dreams, and love with all of your heart. The most recent adaptation of the story is the new movie that hit theaters on Christmas Day, 2012. It starts off in 1815 post-revolutionary France, precisely 26 years after the start of the French Revolution, with Jean Valjean, known as Prisoner 24601’s, release from a 19year prison sentence after stealing a loaf of bread. It proceeds with him breaking his parole in hopes of changing his life and becoming an honest man, with the persistent Javert trailing after him, set on returning him to prison for his past crimes. From there, it introduces strong characters such as the beautiful Fantine, her young daughter Cossette, the handsome student revolutionary Marius, a strong willed Eponine, and several more who come together to create the phenomenon. The story is truly a tragedy, in fact the English translation on the title actually means “the miserable”, and yet the entirety of it includes so much hope and love in such a
vulnerable way that makes it so desirable to watch. Because of its grander, Les Misérables has been a part of my life for a while now; I’ve read the book, I’ve seen the older
the entire film. The acting was excellent, the costumes were superb, and the casting was impeccable. They actually managed to capture everything that made the story and the musical so wonderful in a nice 157minute film.
In the movie, the lead character Jean Valjean is played by the talented and handsome Hugh Jackman, a Broadway v e t e r a n previously seen in shows such as The Boy From Oz and movies Nominated Best motion picture of the year, “Les Miserables.” (Universal/MCT) like X-Men and Australia. movie, and I even saw the stage production The part has so much depth to it, so much of it last November when the National tour inner conflict that makes it difficult for came to the Hobby Center in Houston. very many to pull off completely, however Needless to say as a die-hard fan, I had Jackman accomplished it with so much very high expectations for the film. taste and style that he added an entire new Usually, when a musical is turned in to level of appeal to the character itself. He a movie, there are always missing aspects: put so much life into the role that gave the scenes that had to be cut due to time, movie a certain energy that was kept up the singing parts that are turned into dialogue, whole way through. and even complete songs changed to flow Along with Jackman, Anne better in the movie. Hathaway, the star of movies such as One However, after watching the film Day and Love and Other Drugs, gave for myself, I realized that the directors, a beautiful performance for her role as writers, cast, and crew made the impossible Fantine that not only proved her talent but happen; they managed to perfectly also her dedication to the film. She had to replicate the movie to be exactly like the transform herself for the role by cutting live stage production. The singing, which her hair very short, for when Fantine sells was recorded live on set as opposed to her hair in the movie, as well as losing 25 recorded in a studio, had so much emotion pounds to make herself look as though she and soul in it that it had me in tears almost were starving. In the end her pure talent is
what made her part so refreshing to watch throughout out the film. Not only was her character’s transformation from an innocent and caring girl to a heartbroken and struggling woman amazing, but her breathtaking performance in the famous song I Dreamed a Dream had most of the audience, including me, crying in their seats. But those two actors aren’t the only ones who swept the crowd off their feet; in fact the majority of the cast gave brilliant performances that left me utterly speechless. Eddie Redmayne’s role as Marius left me in chills as he preformed the heartbreaking song, Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. Samantha Barks, who played my personal favorite character of Eponine not only in the movie but also in the 25th Anniversary Concert on the West End, did not let me down in her acting as well as her beautiful rendition of On My Own. Other cast members include the famous Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen as the innkeeper and his wife, Russell Crowe as the Inspector Javert, Amanda Seyfried as the lovely Cosette, and Aaron Tveit as the revolutionary Enjorals. Les Misérables is a classic that will continue to stay in the hearts of people for years to come, just like it has for years in the past. Its beautiful and inspiring morals leave a lasting impact on any viewer who watches it. So far, the movie has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, and has won three Golden Globes including Best Motion Picture- Musical or Comedy, Best Actor for Hugh Jackman, and Best Supporting Actress for Anne Hathaway. It is truly a fantastic musical that deserves all of the recognition that it has gotten so far and I give it absolutely the highest of reviews.
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Sports
2013 Baseball Hall of Fame throws eighth shut out
Greg Brotzman Sports Editor
Every year the process begins again. Voters from around America decide to vote on which players were the best of the best, the “cream of the crop”, the players that truly defined excellence throughout their career. Every year there is always a debate whether someone will be a “first ballot” hall of famer, a hall of famer at all, or why the player is even on the ballot. This years hall of fame class brought new controversy and new headlines nation wide. This years class was one that seemed to have many “first ballot hall of famers”, but yet their legacy was tainted by accusation of steroid use. At the forefront of this list was Barry Bonds, the all time home run king with 762 home runs who has been the face of steroid use in baseball for years now. Although he has always denied any use of performance enhancing drugs, there has been constant evidence of his use of this drug from the San Francisco (where Bonds spent the majority of his carreer)based company Balco. These accusation have even led to Barry Bonds going to court over the issue. Another famed player who has had his legacy tainted due to steroid use is Roger Clemens. Clemens piled up an impressive resume all throughout his career
racking up 354 wins, 4,672 strikeouts and a career ERA of 3.12, and was never really thought of as a “steroid guy” until evidence on him began to surface at the end of his career. As the evidence began to build on him, he too was brought in front of the Supreme C o u r t over lying about his use of steroids
Photot by Fans cheer on Leones del Escogido, one
in court (although he was eventually of Santo Domingo’s two professional baseball teams. more. Sosa’s aquitted of all charges). To round (Josh Noel/Chicago Tribune/MCT) out the “trio” of convicted steroid users was Sammy Sosa. Sosa was a part reputation may be the most damaged of all of the famed home run race in 1998 with of them considering he was also accused of Mark McGwire where both players tried to using a corked bat during games. Of course all the people on the ballot break Roger Maris’ single season home run were not wrapped in scandals. There was also the famed catcher of the New York Mets, Mike Piazza making his first appearance on the ballot. Piazza’s career was un-comparable to other catchers
Clear Creek basketball team continues history Lety Suarez Features Editor
This year Clear Creek basketball has added to its history. The Varsity Boys have won 8 games this year. The girls have won ten games. Recently, both of the teams played January 11 against Clear Brook. Unfortunately, neither one of them made it through the game with a favorable outcome, and both ended up with a loss. Creek girls had the lead after the first quarter 11-9. Brook then tied the game 34-34 at halftime, and won eventually with a score of 50-45. Britney Branch paced the team with 22 points. “We have been working really hard but we have been going through some obstacles as far as finishing off the games that we should win, but the second round auditions are coming up, and I see the playoffs in our future,” said senior Britney Branch. The boys went through a similar situation leading 20-19 at halftime and 38-36 going into the fourth quarter. The game
record. Although McGwire eventually won Sosa had several amazing seasons including three seasons where he hit 60 home runs or
ended 51-45 with Brook coming out with the win once again. Mitchell Becker and Aaron Patterson each had 11 points. “Well, practice is going great, we are working hard and we play like a family,” said senior Aaron Patterson. They almost were able to pull out another win when they played against Brazoswood on January 15, but ended up losing the game by 10 points. The girls, on the other hand, represented their school by beating Brazoswood that same day with a score of 71-24. The Lady Wildcats are hoping that this win will help with thier mar ch toward a district championship and help them earn respect around the district. Clear Springs and Clear Falls girl’s varsity teams got out to 4-0 starts in District 24-5A, taking the early lead in district for the top two playoff spots. That left Clear Brook, Dickinson, and Clear Creek in a three-way battle for the last two postseason spots, with Clear Lake and Brazoswood needing a late season resurgence to be able to gain one of the last two spots.
in MLB history as Piazza hit over 400 home runs in his career and was almost guaranteed to get a .300 batting average every year. And then there was home town hero Craig Biggio. Biggio seemed to be the most likely to get in out of all the players, considering his sparkling image as a player who “played the game the right way” and amassing over 3,000 hits in his career, all with the same team (only the 9th player to ever do so). As the ballots were turned in and the announcement came, the anticipation began. Would this be the year accused steroid users would finally make it in? Were there any first ballot hall of famers in this class? All these questions were answered on January 9th, when in fact none of these players were admitted to the hall of fame, with Biggio being the closest at 68 percent. Many fans were outraged at the outcome feeling that there were many deserving players who were denied entry and would have to wait another year. Others felt that the voting correctly reflected the play of all these players. Only the words of Biggio can truly sum up the feeling of the players when he said jokingly “I’ll study a little harder this time and hopefully get…in next year”.
Sports
Creek baseball begins 2013 season with a hit Greg Brotzman Sports Editor
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11 returning players will try to help fill the void left by the players who graduated. Something else working in the Wildcats favor is the removal of the Pearland Oilers from the district. Pearland has been a perennial power in baseball for many year and with them leaving the district this only gives the Wildcats more of a chance to compete for the district title. Offense is not a main concern this year. Of the five returning starters all five are
Another year, and another chance for the Clear Creek Wildcats baseball team to make a run at a district championship. Every year it seems that the Wildcats are in a race to try to win another district title. This year’s expectations are no different despite losing many key players from last year’s team that finished second in district, finishing only behind Pearland. The Wildcats are coming off a year in which they exceeded many expectations that had been put on them before the start of the season. Last year, Wildcats were not expected to be a competitive team by many “experts” but ended up with a 19-14 record overall, including a 9-5 record in district play. The Wildcats season ended earlier Photo by Wynette Jameson then many players position players, and and fans had hoped for with the Wildcats all five played a role losing in the fist round of the playoffs to in helping produce runs for the Wildcats Fort Bend Clements. last year. Satchel Mcelroy and Jansen This year the Wildcats face a whole Cosart both finished with some of the top new challenge as they are facing the loss batting averages on last years team, and of many key contributors from last years Dalton Richardson who was one of the team. They Wildcats will have to replace biggest RBI men on the team last year. the valuable presences of Tanner Griggs, Along with all these returning starters, Jake Cosart, and Nick Acala this year. the Wildcats also have an influx of talent One thing the team does have going for coming in from the JV and sophomore them is the return of five starters from last levels. The Wildcats are hoping that this years team, including Satchel McElroy (2nd experience and the talent coming in from team all-district) and Dalton Richardson the lower levels will help them achieve (all-district honorable mention). There are their ultimate goal of not only a district also six other returning players from last title, but a state title as well. years team that played contributing roles in the Wildcats success last year. These
Graphic comparing the regular season stats of Super Bowl quarterbacks Joe Flacco and Colin Kaepernick; includes offense and defense comparisons between the Ravens and 49ers
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