Creek says goodbye to Mrs. O’Neil pg. 8
Varsity baseball pg. 19
Boys Waterpolo pg. 19
Cavaliers perform annual Spring Show “Inspire”
By Anna Scheuring Reporter
On May 6 and 7, the Clear Creek Cavaliers wrapped up their annual Spring Show. The dances and songs revolved around the theme Inspire, and it was an appropriate ending to a successful year for the Cavaliers. Families and students had the chance to walk through a decorated entrance of set-ups designed by the Cavalier Social Committee, all around the central theme of the show Inspire. SoCo members Josie Bivens and Jenna Ridenour described the set up. “We set it up in our houses since our theatre is under construction. I would explain lobby as an intro to the theme of Spring Show,” Bivens said. Ridenour added, “each section is different, so my word was ‘memories’ and so I based my section off of that”. The beginning of the show opened with an introduction of Hunter Kim, Ashley Doran, Alex Gardner, Tanar Yocum, and Justice Alhamoud, members of Clear Creek theatre who entertained the audience throughout the night in between the performances. “Our job was to make sure that the Cavaliers had time to change the set for the dance or change costumes for the dance and make the audience laugh while we are doing it,” Gardner said. “We keep the energy up and support the Cavaliers by making sure everything can
run smoothly, or even if there was a hitch backstage just giving them time to fix it,” Yocum said on their role for Spring Show. The theatre members performed skits in between each dance to entertain the
News” made there way on to the stage to show their talent to the song Enjoy the Ride. Throughout the show, local competitive dance teams were showcased, including the Starlight Studio and Elite
Dance Academy. The audience. The skits were Photo courtesy of Yearbook freshman, sophomore, and practiced and planned prior to show, acting as introductions junior Cavaliers brought excitement to to the song titles that would follow. the show in their dance to River. Captain “We tried to make sure none of it Kelsey Adams flawlessly put one of the was improvised but there were a few most emotional and anticipated dances, the points during the show where we had Cavalier Captain lyrical, to the song Already to compensate for time,” Gardner said. Gone. Many of the dances were dedicated The first dance of the night was a to family members or team members, group performance to the song Inspiration. making the night even more memorable. The future Cavaliers, referred to as “New Other performances came from the Social
Committee, the Officers, and the CCHS Cadettes. Act I ended with a booming performance to Renegade by the Jazz team. Act II began with the hilarious Dad’s Dance to So Fly. Each Cavalier danced with their dads, who were decked out in gangster clothing. The performance brought a laughter-filled auditorium. The Senior Girls Cavaliers and their Senior Boys paired up next, dancing to Sidekicks. The remainder of the show was dedicated to honoring the seniors, and Cavalier Director Marka Wood joined the seniors in a heartfelt dance to Moving On, showing the passing of time and reality of good times ending through their dance. The Spring Show wrapped up with a Senior Lyrical, a slideshow honoring a successful Cavalier season, and the Finale, performed by the entire Cavalier team. The Clear Creek Cheerleading team also performed an exciting and well-executed routine. The show was sold out both nights, and despite the obstacles the Cavaliers had to face with construction related issues, they put on a terrific and memorable show. “It was really good, I think it was our best one yet,” Bivens said. “If you put it in to categories, the most hype dance was SoCo. The saddest dance was the senior lyrical. The final was my favorite dance,” Jenna Ridenour said. “My favorite part of spring show was getting to dance with my best friends. My favorite dance was the finale,” Captain Kelsey Adams said on the show.
Students enjoy Physics with Mr. McGregor’s ducks By Troylon Griffin II Managing Editor
On May 3, the students of teacher Mr. McGregor became witnesses to the hatching of 15 duck eggs. The hatching was the final step in a month long activity in which the students and teacher incubated the eggs of both Mallard and Pekin ducks. The first eggs began to hatch the morning of May 3, and continued to hatch throughout the day, allowing for nearly all of Mr. McGregor’s students to interact with the newborn ducks and watch other ducks break their way out of their egg shell. Following the hatching, students were allowed to purchase the ducks for three dollars to take home and keep as pets. Out of the 25 eggs, 15 hatched, with 13 being Mallard ducks, and the other being Pekin ducks. The ducks were purchased online from farmers in California and was an original activity orchestrated by AP and regular physics teacher Michael McGregor. The activity was not a project for the students, and did not involve any work, with the exception of a worksheet done during the first week of incubation. The incubation coincided with the thermal unit regular physics students were learning at the time, but for the most part the ducks were meant for the students’ own enjoyment and entertainment. McGregor explained that he had two main reasons for
wanting to incubate the ducks in his class. incubation included chickens and geese. “I “One reason is that I want my students didn’t like the mixture because the chickto experience a variety of science or expo- ens hatched three days before the ducks and the sure to a vageese finalriety of scily hatched ence topics, two days so if one of after the those topducks. I had ics happens a variety of to include chickens so a little bit they also of biolhatched ogy, that’s on differawesome,” ent days, McGregor so it was said. “The like every other readay, a new son is that animal was I really like hatching animals, and it was so I ena constant joy seeing distracducks hatch Photo taken by Mrs. Jameson tion to the classroom. I and getting to see that in the classroom is even better.” like that they’re interested but everything The activity was not McGregor’s in moderation, when you have something first incubation. This was the second hatching every day that’s too much distime the teacher had incubated eggs with traction and you can’t get anything done.” McGregor also expressed how he his classroom, having done it his previous year. McGregor noted that this year’s preferred hatching just ducks due to how hatching was much more consistent due ducks tend to be “more intelligent” than to this year’s birds only being ducks. chickens and are more “fun as far as pets “It was a mixture last year,” McGregor go.” McGregor initially wanted to hatch said. Besides ducks, McGregor’s previous only Mallard ducks, which are black and
brown with some yellow for the most part. However, some students, upon being informed that they would be able to take the ducks home, expressed their dissatisfaction with the appearance of the mallards. “Some students were like ‘Hey I don’t want those Mallards, they’re ugly, but I’d love to get some of those cute yellow ducks’ so I said okay then, but just a few,” McGregor said. The pet factor was an important part in McGregor choosing the animals due to how he planned on allowing students to purchase the ducks to take home. Intelligence was also a factor in choosing the species of ducks. “You can really observe the intelligence in this animal,” McGregor said. “You can see how it bonds with creatures, follows you around or eats out of your hand. It’s not just some mindless lizard or snake. That’s a broad generalization but I wanted something that would really exhibit intelligence and forms attraction with other animals, and that’s something you don’t see in reptiles.” McGregor went on to say that the mallards can easily survive on their own once released in the wild, but warned that the Pekins may not be as durable. Nevertheless, both McGregor and his students have been delighted by the experience. Many of his students are enjoying being able to take home a duck to raise.
2
Opinion
What is your favorite memory from your years at Creek? Being a swagalier
I was taped to a chair for my initiation into orchestra. - Austin Jaramillo
row, and then being co-captain senior year. - Drew Huddleston
My first time having a date to the military ball. - Eric gull sandival
winning three
Prom, because it celebrated the end of my senior year. - Courtney brown
The choir trip to new york in 2015. - Barrett Langford
two years in a
district championships in baseball. - Gavin Howe
I love growing up with the people i it would have to be the creek vs dickinson
started school with. Creek feels like a
football game this year. the game was great, but
family. i love how much school pride
the atmosphere was incredible. The band seniors
there is and how encouraging everyone
ran the goal post, and even the dickinson side
is of each other. - Sarah wilson
screamed “Go Seniors!� We did thriller as our
2015-2016
halftime performance and then got to wear
HiLife Staff
halloween costumes. Plus, creek beat dickinson in their own stadium and everyone went crazy! - Nicole Matthys
The comeback win over Friendswood in football. - Manny Reddy Beating Dickinson in Signing songs in ASL. football senior year, - Darin it was the livest game. Mitchell - Ernest Thomas
The homecoming school carnivals. - Andrew Passantino
Principal: Jamey Majewski Advisor: Wynette Jameson Editor-in-Chief: Emily Berthiaume Managing Editor: Troylon Griffin II Design Editor: Hannah Pearson Features Editor: Emily Berthiaume Teen Interest Editor: Alyssa Lobue Sports Editor: Troylon Griffin II Around Creek Editor: Emily Ruthven News Editor: Tiffany Wade Advertising Manager: Issac Villarreal Photo Editor: Evelyn Salinas Hannah Pearson Online Editors: Evelyn Salinas Leo Solis Photographers: Reporters: Alyssa Hutchison Lindsey Loechel Jose Mares Jr. Anna Scheuring Katie Rodriguez Alayna Gover Aleida Solesky Justin Staton Asiel Velasco Kevin Briones
Published at Mirror Publishers in Texas City www.creekhilife.com For ad rates call: (281)284-1889 Fax: (281)316-0587
3
Editorial
Emily’s Editorial: Once a Wildcat...
By Emily Berthiaume Editor-in-Chief As I find myself writing my last editorial for my last issue of the HiLife as Editor-in-Chief, it seems as if this year has flown by. I remember vividly how scared and underprepared I felt going into the first issue; how unequipped and unqualified I felt to lead a classroom and put together a polished product the staff could be proud of every month. I now feel not only capable of these things, but also proficient in them, and I am extremely happy with how far I have come my senior year, both as editorin-chief and a student at Clear Creek High School. With that being said, I have some words of advice and encouragement both to my graduating class and classes to come of things I learned throughout my years as a Wildcat and wished I knew from the start. (I will try my best not to sound like a cliché Tumblr post or Twitter pic or sorority girl “open letter”. Please forgive me if I do.)
Class of 2016, we did it! We are graduating and will soon be parting ways and, as bittersweet as that is, we had a pretty amazing four years here. District championships were won, medals were earned, songs were sung, and plays were performed during our time together, and those are memories we will hold with us as we step into the future. Thank you, Class of 2016, for making my four years at Clear Creek High School the best they could be. You make me truly proud to be a Wildcat. Class of 2017, y’all are up. You only have one senior year, so make the most of it. Go to every football game, even if you sit in the back and talk to your friends and leave at halftime. Support your friends in all they do. Some of my best memories this year have been cheering my friends on at band concerts, theatre productions, art galleries, softball games, and track meets. You are the oldest at the school now; own that. Being a senior gives you the kind of confidence it is hard to have as an underclassmen. That being said, stay kind to everyone. You never know what kind of battles people are fighting. Try your hardest in all you do; this might be the last year you ever do it. Make memories and take pictures, but do not let your memories be of you taking pictures. Live in the moment. If you hate
high school and can not wait to leave, just endure. You can do it. The end is in sight. Underclassmen, try to remember the good aspects of high school. Junior year is hard on everyone; I almost died. Freshmen year is terrifying and exciting and sopho-
church group or a tight-knit circle of people who know you the best. Never betray these people; they are the ones who will stick by you through anything. And when you feel alone, know you are not. Know you are loved, and your life will only get better from this moment on. There are things I regret about high school, moments I look back upon and cringe. There were times (and still are) when Creek absolutely drove me crazy and I hated the way things were done at this school. But my “high school career” (a dumb phrase used to describe a phase in your life that doesn’t matter at all), ended on a good note, and that is what matters. Everyone has times where they feel like they have no friends, or they are not being as successful in school as they like, or they will not be able to make it. But everyone can make it through that. And walking across that stage, I will be surrounded by people I love and who love me, genuine friends, and I will be a proud graduate of Clear Creek High School, a school which, despite its flaws, has given me a place to be educated and prepared for my adult life for the last four years. And so I begin this journey, into the great unknown. Next fall, I will leave my parents, move out of my room, say goodbye to my best friend who I’ve lived five yards from for the last six years, drive away from League City, and head off on my own. And it will be scary. But I am ready.
“I go to seek a great perhaps.” - Francois Rabelais more year is a blur. There will be nights where you’re up until 3 AM doing homework and hate the world, but there will be happy moments, too. Remember that numbers don’t define you as a person. Do not confuse having the highest GPA with being the smartest student. Work hard in your classes, but keep in mind class rank is decided by who has the highest GPA solely, not by who is the smartest or even who works the hardest. Instagram likes and Twitter followers do not correlate to the most popularity or who is liked the most. Take that class you think might be “too hard”; challenges are what makes life memorable. Sign up for extracurriculars you enjoy, not ones you think will make you popular. Find a family of friends, whether it is an activity on campus or a
Anna’s Article: R-E-S-P-E-C-T
By Anna Scheuring Reporter My senior year, I decided to join journalism on a last-minute whim. The decision forced me to become aware of a variety of issues both locally and globally, as I had to write a different news story weekly. One of my first stories written was about the death of Harris County police officer Darren Goforth due to multiple gunshot wounds at a gas station. That was only the first of many stories I would see over the issue of civilian brutality on innocent police officers. The violence of civilians towards police is a growing threat, in correlation with the issue of police brutality towards civilians. Police terror exists. Brutal police officers exist. There is undoubtedly a problem of unnecessary violence at the hands of cops in the field. But there are two sides to every story. The media has constantly highlighted a countless number of stories about cops treating civilians too harshly
or unrightfully killing offenders. The issue fired up in 2015 after a cop shot and killed a 12-year-old boy who was threatening to harm neighbors. Dozens of issues occurred throughout the year dealing with officers’ fatally shooting and injuring people who might not have deserved the punishment, some racially motivated. It is ignorant to deny the fact that there is a problem in the United States with racist cops. While I agree that the issue of abusing the position as a police officer should be made known to the public, there is an enormous unbalance of police offer related reports. The controversial instances cast a shadow over the unreported moments of the policemen and women who constantly honor the position daily. The number of stories exploring the handful of corrupt officers’ has become a representation of the entire police force, and so people have began to connect violence to the group of people who protect our population from the ever so growing number of true villains in the world. The media lacks stories of cops benefiting the community and committing acts of kindness, a daily and unaccounted occurrence. Police officers wake up every day suit up, ready to take a bullet and do whatever is needed, jobs that only a handful of people have the guts to do. Our cops constantly go out of their way to buy groceries, items of clothing, school supplies, and house items when they spot a person in need. These acts of compassion are not reported; therefore the people targeting the police force and label-
ing them as a brutal force are misguided. It seems obvious to say police officers deserve respect, yet people seem to forget. Yes, the racist police officers that abuse their job need to face trial, and there is a need for justice from corrupt police officers. I believe that an issue exists with police officers being held to a different standard, and our voice as a society needs to be heard in order to make a change. However, I am against shooting innocent police officers and adding misguided and disrespectful opinions to a rising pool of people that only wish to make a change by violent and rebellious actions. The people who decide to label the police force as a whole as ruthless are not doing anything to make an actual change other than hiding behind a computer screen and promoting the violence that is unfortunately too prominent in our world today. Being an active member of social media, I also get to see the perspective of the younger population on many social issues. Teenagers almost always get their information from social media and, as a result, they form their opinions around what is “trending” and what the popular opinion is. Due to many recent events of police attacks on seemingly innocent people, teenagers have begun to correlate violence and harsh actions with police officers. The younger population is defining the whole police officer force off of what videos and statements they see on social media, and this is dangerous, as the population is growing older with the idea that all our police force is corrupt and needs to be stopped. It is
creating a generation of people who want to revolt against our protectors in order to make their voices be heard and protect their rights. I do not want to be a part of a disrespectful and rebellious generation that refuses to work alongside our forces. Peaceful protests exist, and they allow a voice to be made known. Information can be spread, but it is important to spread accurate and fact-supported information. I think people look at cops as law enforcers that must be avoided, but at they end of the day they go home to live lives just like everyone else. With that in mind, instead of forming opinions solely on what you see on the Internet, get one-on-one information by talking to a cop and talking about the issues that exist when it comes to police brutality. Legal actions can be taken when a cop participates in malpractice. To say the least, there are ways to respond to the corruptness that exists, ways that do not continue the cycle of violence. High school journalism gave me a worldly awareness that I will forever be grateful for. Though I already knew of the tribulations and conflict in our world, I had the chance to read and write about these ongoing problems through a magnifying glass every day. I can conclude that though there is an immeasurable amount of bad in the world, there are solutions that we as humans are responsible for. We each have a role to play in the face of adversity. Our youth must respond to conflicts not with a harsh attitude, but with respect and light that can speak louder than violence will ever be able to.
4 By Tiffany Wade News Editor As people elevate the amount of energy, water, and other essential resources the modern person uses, the more damage the environment receives, unless energy use is regulated properly. In regards to air pollution, the stereotype of New York being the worst city health-wise is utterly false. It does not even rank in the top 10. The fine particulate matter concentration, which is horrible to a person’s health, is at a relatively healthy 14, as opposed to Beijing’s average of 56. The fact that the Chinese government allows this to happen to the people may be horrible, but unfortunately not too uncommon. The problem reached such a high level in Beijing that the government had to raise a red alert threshold for air pollution warning, marking the second red alert in history. The issue with our environment being increasingly damaged and unhealthy
Editorial Tiffany’s Tips: Pollution Sollution is completely straight forward. A major necessity to being able to live happy and healthy is to have somewhat clean air, but without proper regulations on pollution excretion, we fail to maintain that. People’s life expectancy inevitably decreases and then we are left to figure out what to do next. We have to analyze what precautions we need to make, how to properly execute them, and how long we have to do this until the problem is fixed. While the idea of fixing the problem is nice, it does not always happen. Since I live close to Houston, it is very important to me that the air quality is high; however, that is not the case. As revealed by NASA, Houston is an ideal prototype in that it possesses a combination of the many potential sources that contribute to increased pollution: a growing population already in the millions, an enormous amount of automobile
use, and an abundance of chemical industry and power plants. Periodic impact by storms such as the previous tropical storm Allison, upstream sources like other met-
to much healthier air quality and a higher standard of living for the area. While air pollution is a huge concern, it is not the only one causing people to be wide-eyed and alert. The Great Barrier Reef was expected to diminish within 30-40 years in 1999 and by comparing temperature tolerance of reef-building corals with the projected effects of rising carbon dioxide levels, the oceans would soon grow too warm for corals to bear causing them to begin to having trouble with resilience during storms. The coral bleaching that is occurring affects over 90 percent of the Reef, as reported by CNN. As this may not seem like a great issue to people, after the constant increase of carbon dioxide levels and chemicals within the air, not only will one of the largest ecosystems die off, but so will its organisms. A factor that people do not think about when hearing about this is the economic decline this can result in. The corals of the Reef are almost non-existent, therefore the $3.9 billion from tourism and all of the jobs it provides will decline with it.
“If we’re destroying our trees and destroying our environment and hurting animals and hurting one another and all that stuff, there’s got to be a very powerful energy to fight that.” – Ellen DeGeneres ropolitan areas and additional factors may also contribute to Houston’s pollution. The effect of many people decreasing their excretion of fuel and other contributors to the pollution can lead
Leo’s Lines: The Underdogs win
By Leo Solis Online Editor The soccer team Leicester City being the Barclays Premier League Champions and being the underdogs of the league shows a lot about relegated teams. Being a senior is like a being an underdog, because you were set to go to school for 13 years, and now you do not know what you’re going to do. You could be the quietest kid in the whole school district and still become a multimillionaire. The Leicester City team showed that their dreams were possible. They were underrated and broke through English giants like Chelsea, Liverpool, and the second placers Arsenal. I cat-
egorized them as the high school bullies that told you that you were never going to be successful or ever going to become anything later in life. Leicester City represents the kids or teens that were told that they were never going to become anything. As a senior, I’ve noticed that after all of this is over you can become anything that you want and do what makes you happy. But after high school you don’t have to deal with the jocks or the class clowns that make fun of you and you do not have anything to bring you down but life. You create the path that you want to go on and with determination you will be unstoppable. Leicester City showed that
with over the 10 months of being that does not have a national soccer team. After years of anticipation, this country was waiting for this amazing team to win silverware. This Cinderella story actually happened to the players and people who supported this club since the beginning and I am sure the fans could not be any happier. With the league giants, it shares a message that anything is possible. After their 10 months of being in the league, Leicester City achieved something nobody ever thought possible. After in league, they came out victori- 13 years of school, we are desous, despite being a team that rep- tined to achieve something in life. resents Thailand, a small country
“It was an amazing achievement. We wanted to do something special, but no one could have believed we would do this.” - Claudio Ranieri
News
5
United States sends missile to unidentified Chinese island By Tiffany Wade News Editor
The United States Navy sent a guided missile destroyer on May 10 within 12 miles of a disputed island in the South China Sea where China has built an airstrip, prompting China to scramble fighter jets and dispatch warships to expel the American ship. “USS William P. Lawrence exercised the right of innocent passage while transiting inside 12 nautical miles of Fiery Cross Reef, a high-tide feature that is occupied by China, but also claimed by the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam,” a Pentagon statement said. The statement continued by saying that the operation challenged attempts by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam to restrict navigation rights around the features they claim. Under the Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 12 nautical miles is considered the limit at which a nation’s rule extends off its shores. The Law of Sea defines the innocent passage as a transit in which a ship does not conduct any military, commercial or research activities. The statement from the Pentagon did not notify any of the countries involved about the destroyer’s transit in advance. Chinese vessels then challenged the Lawrence a dozen times by radio, but the Chinese ships did not come as close to the ship as they had during the previous times the U.S. ships went through waters
near disputed islands, including Fiery
international law allows. That is true in the
Locator map of Woody Island where China has placed antiaircraft missiles.
Cross Reef, which is in the Spratly Islands. “This operation demonstrates, as President Obama has stated, that the United States will fly, sail, and operate wherever
South China Sea as in other places around the globe,” the Pentagon statement said. The Chinese government reacted defiantly.
“The unauthorized entry by the United States warship into waters near China’s Nansha Islands (which China calls the Spratlys) was an act of serious provocation,” Senior Col. Yang Yujun, spokesman for China’s Defense Ministry, said in a statement. China dispatched two J-11 fighter jets, a Y-8 warning aircraft and three warships, a guided missile destroyer, a guided missile frigate and a frigate, to the area, Yang said. They promptly identified the U.S. warship and issued warnings to expel it from the area. Furthermore, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman also criticized the U.S. Navy’s move. “The relevant Chinese department took measures of monitoring, tracking and warning in accordance with the law. I have to point out, this action by the U.S. side threatened China’s sovereignty and security interests, endangered the staff and facilities on the reef, and damaged regional peace and stability,” spokesman Lu Kang said. The South China Sea is the subject of several rival territorial claims, with China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam disputing the sovereignty of several island claims and nearby waters. Fiery Cross Reef is also part of the disputed Spratly Islands and in January, China said it had completed building a runway on the island, one of three it has been constructing in the South China Sea with dredged material.
New museum showcases sunken ancient Egyptian cities
By Alayna Glover Reporter
For over 1,000 years, two of Egypt’s greatest cities, Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus, were missing. Now, a new museum in Great Britain will reveal some of their greatest secrets on May 19, 2016. Likely founded in the 7th century BC, Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus acted as major trade hubs between ancient Egypt, Greece and the wider Mediterranean, located as they were at a handy in-
tersection. But circumstances ultimately conspired against them. Several natural phenomenon caused these cities to sink by a maximum of 32 feet below the sea. A naturally rising sea level, subsidence and earthquakes, which ultimately triggered tidal waves, all played a part. The cities were lost until 1996, when French archeologist Frank Goddio discovered the once mighty land. ThonisHeracleion was completely submerged. Fish made their homes among the rubble of mighty temples as hieroglyphs gathered
algae. Gods and kings sat in stasis, powerless as their statues slowly withdrew from the world, one centimeter of sand at a time. Goddio spent years surveying this find, as well as neighboring Canopus, which was rediscovered by a British RAF pilot in 1933 who noticed ruins leading into the waters. “(Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus) were known from Greek mythology, Greek historians and Egyptian decrees, and now we know where they were,” said Aurelia Masson-Berghoff, the museum curator. Masson-Berghoff explains they also learned a lot from the form taken by the religious statues dug up from their watery grave. The statues were mainly of Ptolemaic gods with human features that represented the same qualities Egyptians prescribed to animals. It was not vanity that prompted the Greek’s change in style, but shrewd political maneuvering. The Ptolemies really understood that they needed the support of the local priesthood and population, to legitimize their rule. So to achieve this, they adopted Egyptian beliefs, rituals and iconography. “The Greeks were not exactly into animal-shaped gods nor into animal worship,”
she explained. “The Ptolemies, the GrecoMacedonian rulers of Egypt after Alexander the Great, created a human-shaped version of a very old Egyptian god, the sacred bull Osiris-Apis. In its ‘Greek’ form, he became Serapis, combining the aspects and functions of major Greek gods.” The museum in ‘Sunken Cities’ will show a variety of sculptures depicting these Greco-Macedonian rulers as Egyptian Pharaohs, wearing Egyptian crowns and acting as if they were Egyptian Pharaohs. One of the statues that will be on display was that of a colossal head representing the god Serapis, a Greek human-shaped version of the Egyptian god Osiris-Apis. The largest item on display is a statue of Hapy, ironically the god of flooding. Just over 16-feet tall and weighing 12,000 pounds, the pink granite sculpture dates from the fourth century BC, long before ThonisHeracleion disappeared into the sea. Surprisingly, all of this is just a drop in the bucket. Franck only excavated less than 5% of this site. They left a lot of material on the seabed, leaving us to wonder what other secrets could be lying below the surface.
6
News
7.8 magnitude earthquake hits Ecuador, kills 654 By Tiffany Wade News Editor
and temporary shelters and search dogs were later brought in to help find survivors and bodies. While this helped, it also began to become a challenge in itself.
in bad shape, especially in the mountainous area, because it has been raining recently due to (the) El Niño weather phenomenon.” International aid from Mexico, Spain,
On April 16, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck Ecuador killing at least 654 people and injuring 12,492 more. Along with that, 58 went missing and 26,091 people remain in shelters. The hardest-hit area of the South American nation was the coastal Manabi Province, where there were at least dozens to hundreds of collapsed buildings and about 200 people died. The cities of Manta, Portoviejo and Pedernales, a tourist destination, saw the most devastation, but the damage remained widespread throughout the country. “It was something very ugly. We thought it was the end of the world,” one survivor in Pedernales said. “It started hard, way too hard. We fell. We couldn’t get up. It was too strong. ... If it had fallen the other way, we would have died.” While the victims were happy to be rescued, they had no idea what to do next. People walk among the debris of a collapsed building on April 17, 2016 after an earthquake hit the northern coastal “We are waiting to see what we region of Ecuador. President Correa calls a national emergency after more than 230 were killed and over 1,000 injured in the 7.8-magnitude quake. (Jose Jacome/EFE/Zuma Press/TNS) can do, waiting for what the President tells us,” he said. “There is no work.” “The lack of water and communication Colombia, Chile, Venezuela, Peru and About 10,000 soldiers and 4,600 po- remains a big problem,” Ricardo Peñaher- other countries supported the affected arlice officers were deployed to the neces- rera, of Ecuador’s national emergency man- eas. The United States provided its aid sary areas. Troops set up mobile hospitals agement office, said “Many highways are by sending in a major airlift and the Eu-
ropean Union released €1 million in humanitarian aid to help victims as well. The aftershock resulted in an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 off the coast of Ecuador and no immediate reports of damage or injuries from that quake were make. It continued to shake the South American nation and hit 20 miles west of the coastal city of Muisine. “We’re facing the most difficult phase right now, which is rescuing victims and recovering bodies,” Ricardo Patiño, Defense Minister, said. “We’re removing debris, and we will very likely find more bodies. It’s going to take us years to recover from this.” President Rafael Correa arrived in the city of Portoviejo on the same day the earthquake hit and toured the damaged areas. “I have infinite gratitude to the spirit of the Ecuadorian people, of our firefighters, our soldiers, our policemen and all workers who haven’t slept, haven’t eaten as they work hard to save lives,” he said after arriving. The government was going door to door, conducting initial inspections and looking for survivors and victims. Those who survived are getting by as best they can, putting up tents and collecting basic supplies furnished by the government.
Police officer convicted after shooting unarmed man By Lindsey Loechel Reporter
A white police officer named Michael Slager from North Charleston, South Carolina was charged with murder on May 10 after shooting and killing a black man who fled a routine traffic stop. In the indictment filed May 10, the grand jury accuses Michael Slager, a former North Charleston police officer, of depriving Scott of his rights under color of law. The grand jury said that when Slager shot Scott “without legal justification” in April 2015, he took away his constitutional right “to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a law enforcement officer.” Slager was also charged with obstruction of justice, the grand jury saying that he knowingly misled state investigators by telling them that Scott, who was not armed, was approaching him with a taser. He was
also charged with one count of using a weapon during “a felony crime of violence.” Andrew J. Savage III, an attorney defending the former officer in the state’s murder case, said that his partner would be representing Slager during a hearing on the federal charges but said that since prosecutors have the ability to seek a death sentence for the civil rights charge, he has asked that another firm be appointed in the case. Scott’s death was one of several highprofile incidents last year that fueled a debate regarding the way police use lethal force. Video footage of the shooting, captured by a bystander’s cellphone, was widely seen on cable news and social media. Two videos of the encounter showed how it began with a routine traffic stop. Dashboard camera footage from Slager’s police car showed him telling Scott he pulled him over because of a broken brake light and shortly after, Scott is seen run-
ning away. In another recording, this one taken by a bystander who was walking to work, Scott is seen running across a tree-lined patch of grass as Slager fired multiple shots. According to an affidavit filed in the case, Slager’s bullets hit the fleeing Scott “multiple times in the back.” Slager was indicted last June by a state grand jury on a murder charge, and could face up to life in prison if he is convicted, according to prosecutors. The exact date of his state trial is up in the air, as state prosecutors, who are also working on the delayed trial against the man accused of killing nine black parishioners in a Charleston church, have asked for it to be pushed back. Chris Stewart, an attorney for the Scott family, said he was relieved and excited by the news of the federal indictment, which he called a historic step toward justice in police brutality cases. “Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown,
Eric Garner, all of them, every significant case the Justice Department has investigated and no indictments came down. This is the first time that an indictment has come down in a national case,” Stewart said. “I’m still in a state of shock … I don’t know in the past 20 years out of thousands of allegations of police misconduct how often this has happened, if it ever has. The biggest thing is that the general public must understand is how monumental this is.” Stewart said the indictment has brought further vindication to the Scott family. “They are beyond relived and just, they feel vindicated,” Stewart said. “They can’t bring Walter back, but if Walter can be the reason that the federal government starts taking these cases … if Walter Scott can be that example than his death wasn’t in vain.”
News
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Highway 146 in Seabrook will expand to 12 lanes By Emily Ruthven Around Creek Editor
Thousands of cars, trucks and motorcycles utilize Texas State Highway 146 everyday. The crowded road runs from Livingston to Liberty, where it meets US 90. The highway is very important to the Bay Area as it runs through Bayou Vista, Texas City, Kemah, Seabrook and Pasadena. Texas legislators and Governor Rick Perry have named transportation a “must fix issue” for months now. However, now something is finally coming into effect. The nearly 106 mile long road will undergo an expansion project beginning in 2017 and will take approximately two to three years to complete. The 200 million dollar project serves to expand the highway to a six to twelve lane freeway from Red Bluff Road south through Seabrook. The project will also “add grade separations at major intersections, add access roads in select locations and add express lanes over Clear Creek,” according to seabrooktx. gov. There will also be added bike paths and sidewalks. In addition, a new expressway bridge will be built west of and parallel to the Seabrook Kemah Bridge, according to the Houston Chronicle. Many businesses in Seabrook will be affected by the expansion. In fact, al-
most every business located along Highway 146 will be affected once the road way has been expanded. These businesses include Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pop-
ry of Bay Area Houston Magazine. The current establishment has operated at 1917 on Highway 146 for more than 38 years. The sandwich shop will
Photo courtesy of the city of Seabrook
eye’s, Wells Fargo Bank, Walgren’s Costal Storage, The Waffle House, CVS Pharmacy, Sonic, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Wild West BBQ, Taylor Boats, Suba Dive, Mario’s Flying Pizza, Tookie’s and the Kauferhaus, just to name a few. Some, such as the beloved Neptune Subs, will have to relocate completely. “Neither city officials nor the Texas Department of Transportation have any quick answers” to this dilemma, according to Mary Alys Cher-
be relocating elsewhere in the Seabrook so the locals can still enjoy their famous subs. Neptune Subs daytime manager Pat Knight, to say the least, is not looking forward to the expansion. “I like the old Seabrook. It was really nice and unique,” said Knight. “But I know they gotta do it because traffic is a pain.” In an effort to ease the transition for these businesses, and $800,000 stabilization fund has been set to help businesses move locations, alter buildings or refur-
bish. The fund also gives businesses time to work on redevelopment. In total, the highway expansion is going to eradicate 34.28 acres of land, business owned or not. “I hope that everyone will appreciate this project. [It’s] worth doing,” one Seabrook official said. The highway has acted as an evacuation route in the case of major thunderstorms, tropical storms and hurricanes. Officials hope the expansion will help the evacuation process become much less painful. The additional lanes will result in a reduction in traffic and road congestion. “The city of Seabrook has anxiously awaited the expansion of State Highway 146 for over 20 years and for the past two years Council and staff have worked closely with TxDOT to get this project started due to increased congestion and growth in Seabrook,” Seabrook City Manager Gayle Cook said. The expansion will also improve “corridor capacity, enhance local street circulation, improve pedestrian infrastructure and reduce single occupant vehicle trips along the corridor,” Rick Beverlin said in an interview with the Houston Chronicle. The Texas Department of Transportation is scheduled to hold an open house meeting at Bay Elementary School in Seabrook on May 28, 2016. There, local residents can express their concerns and ask questions on the project’s status.
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Around Creek
Creek’s loss is Lubbock’s gain: Farewell to Mrs. O’Neil By Wynette Jameson Publisher Advisor
Last week, many faculty members were stunned by the following email. “As many of you have heard by now, I am leaving Creek. My husband has accepted a position as Professor of Practicum at Texas Tech so I am off to Lubbock for a new phase of my life. I apologize for not being forthcoming with the information earlier when some of you had approached me. I was waiting for my husband to give notice. And so my job search in Lubbock begins. Thank you all for being such a great part of my 16 years here. I started as an secretary to Assistant Principal to College and Career Lab (Herd’s job), and thanks to Wynette, pursued teaching certification. It’s been a great run. I am beyond sad that I am leaving…but farewell is not goodbye. You all will be missed – oh and, Wreck ‘em Tech! Jan O’Neil - Yearbook Adviser” In my 35 years as an advisor to the Clear Creek HiLife, I have only written for this award-winning publication two other times. The first time was in 1990 when the teaching profession was being much maligned by the media. The HiLife allowed teachers to express their opinions in column form under the heading Faculty Forum. Mine was entitled, This Witch Hunt Burns Me Up. The second time was in December 2006 when a Creek legend and registrar, Pat Dovidio retired. She worked tirelessly for the Wildcats in her tenure here. It took two people to replace her in that position.
This third time is probably the most personal yet. Jan O’Neil is not only one of the best teachers and yearbook advisors
(HUGE) and slipped and slid all over my yard trying to get it in my garage where it remains. We are too old to have a Snap-
Yearbook advior Mrs. O’Neil at the journalism convention in San Antonio
in the universe, she is also my best friend. Whether she is attending to the canine cancer receptionist for me or forcing the ER at the hospital to admit me, she is fierce. I never remember having one bad day when Jan was in it with me. We have seen countless movies, ridden thousands of miles together and laughed at life on a daily basis. There have been too many Lucy and Ethel moments throughout our time together to recount them all. We once took an old timey 36 inch television
chat of it, so you will just have to take our word for it. We took a trip to Malibu to visit Kathy and Amy Eldon in their habitat. We stayed right there in Simba House and took LA by storm. In our teeny rental car we made more U-turns on the Pacific Coast Highway than were legally allowed. At the Malibu Country Mart in the Paparazzi Free Zone, Jan paid $50 for two pieces of chocolate because she didn’t check the price. While on the TMZ Tour we scoped out Hollywood legends while trying to
keep secret the fact that we were staying in the same compound with our friend, Jon Turteltaub, the director of National Treasure. At a fundraiser for our sister school, (Cura Orphanage) at the Burning Torch in Venice Beach, we had to be checked off a list to get in but could not afford anything there. At Creek she has raced me to the restroom in the other D-pod (because we have no facilities in ours). She lost but tripped me when I was trying to go in. Funny-huh? She has clicked the clicker on my car trying to be funny until she locked up the steering wheel and killed my battery. She has slapped countless items out of my hand. She has stolen bananas right out of one hand and candy out of the other while laughing hysterically at her own jokes. When I decided that she needed to be a teacher instead of a career center person, I KNEW that she would be the best teacher ever and she has fulfilled that prophecy. She was generous enough to entrust both daughters to the newspaper program and Shannon became my editor in chief and namesake to one of my rescue dogs who had overcome so much adversity. As a parent, she was nervous about my decision and I told her to stay out of it, Shannon could handle anything and if I needed her help, I would ask Jan the parent and not Jan my friend. Never had to. There are only a handful of people in your life that give you a punch in the gut when they move six million miles away, Jan O’Neil is one of those people to me. I have been sucker punched and will be truly sad next year so if you see me, ask about my best friend and I will let you know how she is. Farewell for now Mrs. Jan O’Neil.
Around Creek
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Clear Creek Choir performs annual Pop Show By Emily Berthiaume Editor-in-Chief
The Clear Creek Choir put on their annual Pop Show on May 21, performing popular songs as a choir and featuring many singers in solo numbers. All choir levels performed songs, and song choices ranged from the combined choir energetic dance number Philadelphia Freedom to the beautiful Chamber Choir a capella rendition of Seven Bridges Road. The show opened with Shut Up and Dance, a fun number that every choir student performed. Symphonic Choir performed upbeat songs, such as Competition Medley, a mash-up of sporty songs that told the story of a team winning a big game. Chamber Choir, the highest level of choir at Creek, performed You Make My Dreams Come True, as well as an emotional tribute to David Bowie with a medley of his most famous songs. One of the most fun numbers was Copacabana, performed by all the men complete with Hawaiian shirts and hilarious dance moves. “Copacabana was definitely one of my favorite numbers,” Chamber member Alec Barosh said. “All the guys really came together during that song and we had so much fun with it. Also it was a crowd favorite and that’s a great feeling.”
Stand-out solos included Jaime Nicholson’s Beautiful, Ace Velasco’s LO-V-E, Megan Eldridge’s Defying Grav-
but you just have to push through.” The ending of the show was another upbeat dance number, Hey Ya. It
Photo courtesy of yearbook
ity, Skyla Sonnenburg’s Set Fire to the Rain, and Kaylee Miller’s Don’t Know Why. “I sang Don’t Know Why by Nora Jones because it’s the same song I sang in 6th grade,” Miller said. “Of course I was nervous, I always am,
was a great ending to a great show that showcased the many talented singers Creek has. The show had to be held at Clear Creek Community Church due to construction and a lack of an auditorium at the school. Although it was not what the
students are accustomed to, it worked out. Using the church was interesting, but not too much different,” Barosh said. “We had a lot of different ways we could use the space and we took advantage of it. Also, it allowed the members of the choir to watch the other performances which was a special experience.” Because Pop Show is the last choir performance of the year, it was also last time many of the seniors would sing on a stage together. “My favorite part of choir is being surrounded by people who share the same passion as you,” Miller said. “We are a family and I’m going to miss it so much next year.” Barosh echoed the sentiment. “Personally, I love the feeling of everyone coming together to make music,” Barosh said. “When we clicked this year we made some really beautiful sounds. When you work hard for months just to get a beautiful sound for one performance and then you accomplish that, you really just feel amazing afterwards.” The ending number is always Where No One Stands Alone, a tradition within the choir in which all alumni come on stage and everyone in choir sings together. It is a beautiful song, and seeing all the choir members, young and old, current students and alumni, singing it together is certainly something special.
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Features
Uber leaves Austin after vote on driver restrictions By Emily Berthiaume Editor-in-Chief
Ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft left the city of Austin after a vote on a proposition which would have allowed the companies to use their own background check systems and driver restrictions failed to pass on May 7. Proposition 1 did not pass by a margin of 56% to 44%, meaning the city will now require fingerprint background checks and other regulations on drivers. As a result, both Uber and Lyft decided to no longer operate in the city as of May 9. Prior to the election, Uber and Lyft both made it clear they did not want to leave Austin, spending a combined eight million dollars in an attempt to convince residents to vote yes on the proposition with everything from mailers to phone calls to text messages. Although leaving Austin is a loss for the company, they believe that fingerprinting relies on out-of-date databases and makes hiring drivers in a timely manner difficult. “Disappointment does not begin to describe how we feel about shutting down operations in Austin,” said an Uber spokesperson in a statement. “We hope the City Council will reconsider their ordinance so we can work together to make the streets of Austin a safer place for everyone.” Lyft feels the same way, citing the difficulty of the new requirements on part-time drivers, which constitute the majority of ride-sharing drivers. “The rules passed by City Council don’t allow true ridesharing to operate. Instead, they make it harder for part-time drivers, the heart of Lyft’s peer-to-peer
model, to get on the road and harder for passengers to get a ride. Because of this, we have to take a stand for a long-term path forward that lets ridesharing continue to grow across the country,” a Lyft spokesperson said in a statement. An estimated 10,000 plus Uber and
stay and I invite them to the table regardless.” The city of Houston has similar driver requirements to Austin, and Uber may leave Houston next over the fingerprinting rule. According to Uber, the company has reduced Houston’s transportation issues, as more people are in fewer cars, as well as re-
As part of the Uber settlement, the company is helping drivers form an association that will meet with Uber management to air grievances, including this driver with both Uber and Lyft stickers at Los Angeles International Airport. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
Lyft drivers were left out of a job when the proposition failed to pass. zTrip, a another ride-sharing company which is active in many U.S. cities, reported they received 300 applications for drivers in one day, more than double the amount they currently have on the road. Austin mayor Steve Adler expressed regret towards the companies’ decision in a tweet, saying, “The people have spoken clearly tonight. Uber & Lyft are welcome to
duced drunk driving. In a statement released by Uber, the service called Houston’s rules “burdensome”, as it is one of now three cities in the United States to require fingerprinting, and claimed there is no evidence this improves safety. Strict rules make it harder for qualified people to become drivers and causes service to be less reliable, Uber said, as over 50% of drivers drive less than 10 hours a week. Houston’s “outdated” and “complex” licensing system,
where prospective drivers must complete ten “time-consuming” and “expensive” steps to gain a license, is leading demand to grow twice as fast as Uber’s ability to supply drivers, according to the statement. “I think the question is whether or not they will demand or impose any conditions on the City of Houston that we simply cannot acquiesce to, especially as it relates to public safety,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “We have not changed the rules. The same rules that Uber is operating under today are the same rules they were operating under when they agreed to come into the city back in 2014. We haven’t changed anything. So if anyone is changing to change the playing field or the rules, it’s Uber, not the City of Houston.” Uber maintains that they do not wish to leave the city, but may be forced to if the rules do not change. “We love Houston and want to find a solution that works for everyone: riders, drivers, and the entire community,” said Sarfraz Maredia, General Manager of Uber Houston. “We remain optimistic that we can work together with the City Council to improve transportation options and public safety.” Mayor Turner lauded the Austin voters who chose to keep strict driver requirements, saying, “I applaud the voters in Austin who stood by their mayor and city council in support of fingerprint background checks for Uber drivers. The City of Houston will not compromise on public safety either. Were an election to be held here, I believe voters would choose the same outcome as Austin.”
Cuba welcomes first cruise ship in nearly 40 years By Lindsey Loechel Reporter
On May 2, the first passengers to cruise from the U.S. to Cuba in nearly 40 years streamed into a crowd cheering the revival of commercial travel on waters that served as a stage for half a century of Cold War hostility.
Many people watching the festive arrival praised a Cuban government decision to drop the longstanding ban on Cubanborn people returning to their homeland by sea. The removal of this ban was a massive step that allowed 16 Cuban-Americans to make the journey from Miami. “This is history,” Mercedes Lopez, a 54-year-old nurse who waited
for hours to see Carnival Cruise Line’s 704-passenger Adonia pull up to Havana’s two-berth cruise terminal said. “We Cubans must unite, all of us. This is a step forward, a little step toward normalization, peace, family unification.” The passengers of the Carnival cruise ship Adonia were welcomed by live music and dancing inside the only state-run cruise terminal in Havana. Outside of the terminal, the local police carved a single lane into the crowd of hundreds of Cubans waiting in Old Havana’s Plaza San Francisco for passengers taking walking tours of the restored colonial center. The group included dozens of security agents and vendors promoting restaurants and souvenir shops, as well as many who were just trying to witness history. Commercial travel across the Florida Straits from the U.S. following the brief window during the late 1970s when President Jimmy Carter allowed U.S. travel to Cuba was virtually impossible until U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban president Raul Castro declared detente on December 17, 2014. Both sides hope it is the first step toward a future in which thousands of ships a year can be allowed to cross the Florida Straits. Cuba is expected to gain millions of dollars in badly needed foreign hard currency if U.S. cruises increases traffic as expected. More than a dozen lines have announced plans to run U.S.-Cuba cruises, and if all actually begin operations, Cuba could earn more than $80 million a year, the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council said in a report.
Before the 1959 Cuban revolution, cruise ships regularly traveled from the U.S. to Cuba, with elegant Caribbean excursions departing from New York and $42 overnight weekend jaunts leaving twice a week from Miami, said California-based cruise ship historian Michael L. Grace. Cruises dwindled in the years leading up to the revolution and ended entirely after Castro overthrew the U.S.-backed government. Cuba cut back on all cruise tourism in 2005 after Fidel Castro blasted cruise ships during a 4½-hour speech on state television. “Floating hotels come, floating restaurants, floating theaters, floating diversions visit countries to leave their trash, their empty cans and papers for a few miserable cents,” Castro said. Today, the Cuban government sees cruises as an easy source of revenue that can bring thousands more American travelers without placing additional demand on the country’s maxed-out food supplies and overbooked hotels. The number of Americans coming by boat has climbed since 2014, including passengers on cruise ships registered in third countries and sailing from other Caribbean ports. Cruise traffic is key to the government’s reengineering of the industrial Port of Havana as a tourist attraction. After decades of treating the more than 500-year-old harbor as a receptacle for industrial waste, the government is moving container traffic to the Port of Mariel west of the city, tearing out abandoned buildings and slowly renovating decrepit warehouses as breweries and museums connected by waterfront promenades.
Features
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Target takes stance on transgender bathroom issue By Lindsey Loechel Reporter
Target CEO Brian Cornell has now spoken publicly about the backlash the company has experienced since releasing a statement declaring that transgender individuals shopping at the superstore can use whichever bathroom corresponds with their gender identity. Among that criticism is an online petition by the American Family Association, a Tupelo, Mississippi based religious nonprofit organization founded by First United Methodist pastor Donald E. Wildman. Thus far, that petition has received 1.2 million signatures. It argues that “Target’s policy is exactly how sexual predators get access to their victims. And with Target publicly boasting that men can enter women’s bathrooms, where do you think predators are going to go?” The petition includes the company’s explanation regarding their reasons for supporting the federal Equality Act. “We believe that everyone — every team member, every guest, and every community — deserves to be protected from discrimination, and treated equally. Consistent with this belief, Target supports the federal Equality Act, which provides protections to LGBT individuals, and opposes action that enables discrimination. In our stores, we demonstrate our commitment to an inclusive experience in many ways. Most relevant for the conversations currently underway, we welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity.”
Cornell, appearing Wednesday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” confirmed the company would not be reversing its policy. He called to mind the civil rights move-
many of Target’s bathrooms have family bathrooms available to customers, and that the company will soon be expanding the option to all retail locations.
ment of the 1960s When was the first time you used the word ‘transgender’? “What’s been by mentioning lost in this story is Target’s past in using African-Amer- the fact that, what we also talked about, is ican models in its advertising when that the vast majority of our stores — acit was socially unpopular to do so. tually over 1,400 of our stores — already “We’ve had a long history of em- have a family restroom,” Cornell said. bracing diversity and inclusion,” Cornell “And we’re committed over the next few said. “A couple of weeks ago, one of our months to make sure every one of our team members sent me a note reminding stores has that option, because we want me that if we went back to the mid-’60s, our guests to be welcomed in our stores.” our company was one of the very first to He concluded by stating that safeuse African American models in their ty remains a top priority for the comadvertising. And back then, you know, pany. The comment seemed to be in it wasn’t well received. We had a lot of direct response to the AFA’s petition, tough feedback, but sitting here today, which claimed that Target’s new policy we know we made the right decision.” poses a danger to wives and daughters. He went on to address the fact that “We took a stance, and we’re go-
ing to continue to embrace our belief of diversity and inclusion, just how important that is to our company, but we’re also going to make sure our focus on safety is unwavering,” Cornell said. In a statement on its website, the AFA claimed one of its members met with Target executives on Wednesday, asking them to create a unisex bathroom “for the trans community and for those who simply like using the bathroom alone.” “Target representatives were gracious and respectful, but sadly, they rejected our offer,” the statement read. The AFA is also asking for a “tax-deductible” donation of $5 to reach those “who have not heard about the boycott” in an attempt to gain two million signatures. The statement contains a claim that one anonymous donor gave the association $50,000. In addition to Target voicing their opinion on the subject, President Obama has spoken out about the Obama administration calling on public school districts nationwide to allow transgender students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity, saying, “I think it’s very important for us not to send signals that anybody is treated differently.” CCISD has voiced their opinion as well, releasing a statement which states that they, “have been successful in balancing the rights of all students without issue and offer restrooms, showers and changing areas for students seeking privacy, regardless of their gender or gender identity.” The statement also says that the ultimate goal of CCISD is to provide a nondiscriminatory and harassment free environment for all of their students.
Creek alumnus awarded $25,000 on Undercover Boss By Troylon Griffin II Managing Editor
As a result of being featured on the popular reality show Undercover Boss, Creek alumni Roberto Sierra’s future has taken a major turn by being awarded nearly $25,000. Sierra graduated from Creek in 2006. During his years at Creek, Roberto showed his ability to work by being part of Creek’s Hilife newspaper staff. Sierra started college initially with the goal to major in Romance Linguistics. However, Sierra found difficulty in college due to a special eye condition. “I am completely blind out of my right eye and partially blind in my left eye,” Sierra said. “I had detached retinas in my eye which caused the vision loss. They were able to save my right eye the first time my retina detached, but were unable to save it the second time which led to the blindness in my right eye.” Doctors saved Sierra’s left eye when the retina detached, but he suffered permanent vision loss due to the retinal detachment. As a result of his condition, he wasn’t allowed to participate in sports or physical education activities and even had to be cautious of some theme park rides. Despite this, Sierra does not feel this affected him too much growing up. “I feel as though it happening at a young age was somewhat of a positive as I never had to adjust to my vision had it happened later on in life.” Sierra said. “My major setback I’ve always dealt with is being able to see things far away or smaller print.”
After discovering an unpleasant eye infection, Sierra found it harder to be successful in school and decided to take time off. Sierra began to work at Kroger, particularly its baking department. After perfecting his skill in cake decorating, Sierra became lead cake decorator and assistant bakery manager, before finally being transferred to Nestle Tollhouse Café as Assistant Manager. He was eventually promoted to Store Manager. It was in late 2015 that Sierra was contacted about appearing on a television show that would turn out to be Undercover Boss. When recalling his initial contacting, Sierra noted that he signed a confidentiality agreement and could only disclose what he was allowed to. “I checked my phone one day after work and saw that I had a missed call and voice mail,” Sierra said. “I was told I was a finalist for a reality show and [asked] if I could email them back with a when it was a good time to talk about it.” After sending his contactor an email, he received a call from the show’s producer. Sierra was told that he would be coaching a contestant that who was competing for a cash prize to open up her own business. “I honestly did not think much of it.” Sierra said. “I didn’t think I would be on TV. About a week passes by and I receive another call telling me I was chosen for the show and they would be filming at our store in five days. I freaked.” Sierra was unaware that the show he was going to be starring in was the reality show Undercover Boss, which was filming
for its seventh season. Sierra recalled that a few of his co-workers did suspect that they were actually be filmed by Undercover Boss, but Sierra didn’t think much of it. Nevertheless, Sierra was quite nervous. “My nerves calmed down as soon as we started filming,” Sierra said. “It began to just feel like a normal day of work.” The contestant Sierra was told he would be coaching was actually Shawnon Bellah, the COO of the Nestle Tollhouse Café. Bellah went undercover to see why there was a decrease in Nestle’s production of products. Sierra taught her how to decorate cookies, he revealed to her his vision problems and how he hoped to get the LASIK surgery that would allow him to wear normal glasses. Sierra also shared his dream to go to pastry school. Sierra was flown to Atlanta days later and was given the bombshell by Bellah that she was working undercover, and that he was on Undercover Boss. “I was definitely shocked, a million thoughts were going through my head.” Sierra said. Beyond being told what show he was actually on, Bellah revealed she was going to give him $25,000 to attend pastry school and pay for his LASIK surgery. Sierra was so shocked and overcome with joy that he burst into tears. “I was extremely thankful for what I was given,” Sierra said. “I had a great sense of pride to be recognized by my company and to know how much they appreciated me.” Sierra of course was required to stay quiet during the months be-
tween filming and the episodes airing. “It killed me to have to keep it a secret for four months from my parents,” Sierra said. “People would ask me about the show and I simply told them I couldn’t reveal anything until it aired. Even when they announced the new season of Undercover Boss at the beginning of December I still couldn’t say anything until they revealed my company would be on it. I woke up one morning, and saw it was finally announced. I was so excited to share with everyone, but still kept what actually happened on the show a secret. I wanted people to experience it as it aired.” Sierra recalled how nervous he was when he realized millions of people would be seeing him on TV. He couldn’t even watch his part of the show when he attended the viewing party. “I hid in the kitchen when my part was on,” Sierra said. “I never expected the response to be as big as it was. I had people contacting me on Facebook and Instagram. I was being stopped at the grocery store, and of course tons of people came to see me at the mall.” Almost five months after the episode has aired, Sierra has not seen a single day without someone mentioning the show at work. Sierra began pastry school in January and has just finished his first semester. He is hoping to have his surgery during summer when he doesn’t have to worry about missing any classes. His first surgery will be cataract removal surgery, and once his eye is completely healed, he will commence his LASIK surgery.
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Teen Interest 16 Captain America: Civil War lives up to expectations By Troylon Griffin II Managing Editor
Captain America: Civil War is a true comic book extravaganza. The film is one that brings together a multitude of superheroes, arguably better than any of the previous Avengers books. With it being the 13th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film easily cements itself in the top five if one is to rank the action packed films. The film takes place one year after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, and two years after the events of the second Captain America film: The Winter Solider. The film has various plotlines, but generally centers around the conflict that rises between characters in the Marvel universe after a proposal is made to regulate superheroes under the United Nations. At the heart of this division is Steve Rogers, otherwise known as Captain America, and Tony Stark a.k.a Iron Man. While Captain America believes that superheroes should be allowed to work on their own, independently, Tony Stark, suffering from guilt over the many lives loss during battles in previous films, thinks it’s absolutely necessary to put both himself and his friends “in check.” The conflict only worsens when the two come to a disagreement over how to deal with the Captain’s recently returned friend-turned-enemy Bucky Barnes, or the Winter Soldier. This issue of how to handle Barnes is given an international touch when the superhero prince of the African nation Wakanda, the Black Panther, arrives to take care of Barnes himself. The conflict escalates to the point in which
the various other characters are forced to take the side of either Stark or Rogers. The film is certainly a well-executed one. For a story that has many characters and storylines to juggle, the writ-
multiple times. The conflict between the two is one that is especially satisfying due to the amazing buildup of tension the two have had since the first Avengers film. Whether the producers of the franchise al-
Anthony Mackie, from left, Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner, Chris Evans, Elizabeth Olson and Sebastian Stan in “Captain America: Civil War.” (Photo courtesy Marvel Studios/TNS)
ers certainly manage to weave it all in without feeling oversaturated. Its massive scale makes the film seem at times like a third Avengers film, something actor Anthony Mackie backed up by saying the film might as well be “Avengers 2.5.” Of course, some of the best elements of the film come from the characters themselves. Steve Rogers and Tony Stark’s conflict and beliefs are powerful in their execution and makes the audience understand both heroes’ sides. It is almost tragic to watch the heroes battle each other after having fought together
ways planned on having the two battle or not, the conflict between the two does not come as a surprise due to how the heroes have been at odds since their first meeting. Many of the supporting characters ultimately steal the spotlight from both Captain America and Iron Man, particularly the introduction of Spiderman and the Black Panther. The two popular heroes do not fail to disappoint their fans as they fight and battle Captain America and his allies in ways never seen before. Chadwick Bosman is outstanding in his portrayal of T’Challa or Black Panther
and Tom Holland may just be the best portrayal of Peter Parker yet, as he swings his way into scenes with more quips and wit than any other Spiderman seen on film. Also helping to steal the show is Paul Rudd as the witty Scott Lang, a.k.a Ant-Man, who, along with Spiderman makes the film all the more enjoyable with his jokes and humor. The film lives up to its subtitle “Civil War” by not only presenting the conflict between the heroes, but even forcing them to fight each other. This is especially seen towards the middle of the film, in which Tony Stark’s team of heroes fight Captain America and his allies in an attempt to turn in Barnes. This scene is one of the many highlights of the film, and certainly one of the most enjoyable parts. Spiderman’s ability to stand out is definitely established in this scene, in which he battles Captain America, The Winter Soldier, Falcon and Ant-Man. The Black Panther’s battle against Hawkeye and Captain America is especially amazing. Ant-Man stands out as well as he battles the heroes in ways many may not have expected. The film’s climax is certainly well constructed, with only its ending feeling rather underwhelming or worth the label of falling short. Overall, Captain America: Civil War is a film that doesn’t fail to disappoint. It certainly gives 2016’s other superhero vs. superhero movie, Batman v. Superman a run for its money and it rightfully deserves its 8.5 on IMDb and 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. While it may not be the best Marvel film, it is certainly the most fun, and one of the best executed.
Beyonce releases controversial Lemonade album By Emily Ruthven Around Creek Editor
The release of pop turned hip hop icon Beyonce’s album, Lemonade, caused the world to become obsessed with her ever evolving sound. Lemonade beat out Meghan Trainor, and even Drake’s Views and took the number one sport on the Billboard 200 upon its release. This is the Queen B’s most aggressive album to date, as its inspiration spurred from the alleged cheating committed by her husband Jay Z on Beyonce. As a response to the crime committed against their marriage, Beyonce recorded the album, complete with anthems of inner strength, feminism and hate towards her husband. It seemed certainly hard to deny that the purpose of this album spurred from Jay Z’s cheating when songs such as Pray You Catch Me echo the lyrics “you can taste the dishonesty” and Hold Up’s “can’t you see there’s no other man above you” and “what a wicked way to treat the girl that loves you.” Other suspicious lyrics include “Something don’t feel right because it ain’t right, especially coming up after midnight / I smell your secrets and I’m not too perfect to ever feel this worthless / How did it come down to this, going through your call list?” also from Hold Up. “Beyoncé’s album ‘Lemonade,’ set off a torrent of rumors about the state of their marriage, because of the singer’s lyrics about a cheating spouse and her angry performance in the accompanying film,” according to Emily Smith of Page Six magazine. Other songs seemingly about Jay Z include Love Drought, All Night,
Daddy Lessons, Sorry and Don’t Hurt Yourself. Actually, most songs of
Not too long after the release of the album, it was theorized that the
Beyonce on stage at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
the album can be interpreted as a response to Jay Z’s unfaithfulness. The album contains a total of thirteen songs. These songs include Pray You Catch Me, Hold Up, Don’t Hurt Yourself, Sorry, 6 inch (featuring The Weeknd), Daddy Lessons, Love Drought, Sandcastles, Forward (featuring James Blake), Freedom (featuring Kendrick Lamar), All Night, Formation, and the Lemonade Film music video.
Jay Z cheating scandal was just a publicity stunt to help boost album sales. It was even theorized that Beyonce and Jay Z collaborated on the album. Some also questioned why Beyonce would release such an album. “Would the most powerful woman in the world actually let the public know that in her house. she’s just a chick who gets cheated on like the rest of you if it
were really true? Does she even really need to be in a dysfunctional, emotionally abusive relationship with any man? Even if he is the most successful musical acts ever,” according to Taige Adderly of 10th Year Seniors magazine. “After all the wild speculation set off by “Lemonade,” the power couple has secretly recorded an album together,” according to Smith of Page Six magazine. Despite the viral spread of these rumors, Jay Z and Beyonce have not addressed the allegations of a collaboration between the two of them on the album. Beyonce seems to consistently attract controversy. The world first got a taste of Lemonade when Beyonce performed Formation during the Half Time show of the 2016 Super Bowl alongside Bruno Mars and Coldplay. Some people were upset with the performance, as they believed it paid homage to those killed or injured by police brutality. Naturally, some defended the Queen B, but some were more skeptical. However, there were plenty who supported Beyonce’s political message. “Some say the song marks a transformation for Beyonce, from more than just an artist who makes hits to an activist who make statements. As a guest performer, Beyonce used the global halftime stage to showcase her political message about racism and police brutality,” according to CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller. Despite the controversy that seems to follow the hip hop star, it is certainly prevalent that her fans will continue to support her and enjoy her music no matter what she produces.
Teen Interest 17 Annual Met Gala benefit held in New York City By Alyssa Lobue Teen Interest Editor
On the first Monday of every May, the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute hosts a New York benefit, called The MetBall, to showcase the Costume Institute’s annual fashion show and to raise money for the fashion department. This year, the black tie event occurred on May 2 and the theme was centered around “Manus x Machine: Fashion through an age of technology.” The theme was chosen to have people explore the differences of clothes made by machine versus by hand. The 2016 theme had limited the varieties of material, so wardrobes were mostly made from NewLife, a yarn made from 100 percent post-consumer plastic bottles. Emma Watson, actress and activist, was one of many to make a statement when she appeared on the red carpet wearing a custom made Calvin Klein dress. The dress was ethically sourced and produced, and was made with NewLife Yarn with organic silk and cotton. “Thank you Calvin Klein & Eco Age for collaborating with me and creating the most amazing gown. I am proud to say it is truly sustainable and represents a connection between myself and all the people in the supply chain who played a role in creating it,” Watson said. “The body of the gown is crafted from three different fabrics, all woven from yarns made from recycled plastic bottles! The zippers on the gown are made from recycled materials and the inner bustier has been crafted from organic cotton. It is my intention to repurpose elements of the gown for future use,” she continued. Pop star Beyoncé seemed to intend to leave people to wonder whether her dress was made to reflect her new album, Lemonade. Many fans seemed to believe her latex and pearl studded dress physically
stated the lyrics, “If it’s what you truly want ... I can wear her skin over mine.
left most of her physically bare, covered with a small amount of sheer fabric.
Emma Watson attends the Metropolitan Museum of Art Met Gala 2016 in New York on Monday, May 2, 2016. (Doug Peters/PA Wire/Zuma Press/TNS)
Her hair over mine. Her hands as gloves.” American actress Claire Danes wowed everyone with a hand-sewn gown made by Zac Posen that was complete with organza and fiber technology to make the sky blue ball-gown glow. The volume of the bottom section of the dress forced Danes and Posen to use alternate travel arrangements for the MetBall. “Zac literally had a bus for me to get here. I’m moving carefully and cautiously. I’m going to throw the after-party under my dress! It’s very spacious,” Danes laughed. Madonna was able to spark some conversation when she arrived wearing black Givenchy with cutouts that
Many felt her attire was not appropriate for a black tie event, but Madonna responded with the reason of equality. “We have fought and continue to fight for civil rights and gay rights around the world. When it comes to women’s rights we are still in the dark ages. My dress at the Met Ball was a political statement as well as a fashion statement,” she said. Many others made grand entrances such as Juno Temple, Lily- Rose Depp, Nicole Kidman, Zayn Malik, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Chloe Mortez, Emma Roberts, and Lorde. Juno Temple arrived wearing an Erdem Gown and was accompanied by the designer of her gown. Lily-Rose Depp experienced
her first Met Gala wearing Chanel halter dress with a delicate shoulder wrap. Zayn Malik and his date Gigi Hadid walked their first red carpet together at this year’s Met Gala. The couple wore a Tommy Hilfiger gown and a sleek tuxedo with metallic arm sleeves. Nicole Kidman arrived with her date, Keith Urban, wearing an Alexander McQueen Silver Moon Hand-Embroidered Chiffon Gown and Cape from the Fall 2016 Collection. “The actress was elegant as she showed off her embellished cape, which featured shimmering beaded moons and stars. Kidman took the look to the next level with an ethereal crown, Fred Leighton crystals and braided updo,” Hollywood Reporter Online said. Kayne West and Kim Kardashian both wore the attire of Balmain, but many were unable to focus when they saw West’s silver-blue contacts that matched his wife’s metallic dress. Chloe Moretz wore a floor length black coach dress with shoes encrusted with Ana Khour crystals. Emma Roberts wore a custom made Tory Burch dress. To make the dress relevant to the 2016 theme, the design team hand cut crystal fabric and heat-sealed them to the gown. “I absolutely love the colors on the dress. I love any kind of crystal or glitter so I was amazed to hear there would be custom Swarovski crystals on my gown— millions of them,” Roberts said. Lorde chose to express a new look when she walked the red carpet wearing a pastel princess- type dress. She also surprised people when she arrived with the accessory of an arm cast. Throughout the event, she had her cast decorated by several stars, such as Taylor Swift, Lily Collins, and even Kayne West. After the gala, Lorde posted a picture of the cast full of sketches and names. “If you want to know who was at the 2016 Met Gala, they’re all on my arm,” Lorde captioned the post.
Tony Award nominations announced for 2016 season By Anna Scheuring Reporter
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, highlight the achievements of Broadway theatre. Tony Awards are the highest honor to receive for theatre in the U.S., equivalent to the Academy Awards for the film industry. The Tonys award a variety of categories, including Best Performances for Leading Actor/Actress in a play, Best Musical, Best Choreography, Best Play, Best Original Score, Best Conductor and Musical Director, and Best Performance by Newcomers, among many others. The winners from each nomination category take home a bronze medallion if they choose to purchase the physical award. Entertainment is provided throughout the broadcast by performances of songs from big Broadway musicals. The 2016 pool of nominees included many new titles and titles that did not surprise many. Broadway’s Waitress, The Crucible, The Color Purple, Spring Awakening, Hamilton, School of Rock, Blackbird, Long Day’s Journey among dozens of other titles are nominees for the 2016 Tonys. Critics are pleased about the diverse pool of nominations. “It’s the diversity that is lovely,” Dani-
elle Brooks, nominee for Best Performance
I’m also a plus-sized girl. That’s a part of
Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette, Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan, Anthony Ramos as John Laurens and Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton in “Hamilton.” (Joan Marcus)
by and Actress in a Featured Role for The Color Purple said. “And I just want to remind the world that diversity really does go past just race. I am so honored to be a part of it and a part of the black community of people that are represented, but for me,
my story. And all the struggle that you went through is worth it at the end of the day when you’re at the stage door and there’s a young, black, thick girl like you standing there crying, saying thank you for showing me I too can be on a stage and don’t have
to change any part of myself,” Brooks said. The nominees met in New York City shortly after nominations were released to speak to the press. The actors and actresses spoke about their moments of finding out they were nominated. “I woke up and watched on NY1. I wake up and watch the Tony nominations every year because I’m a theater nerd, and so this year was especially exciting.” Hamilton’s Jonathon Groff said on finding out he was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical. Broadway hit Hamilton broke the record for the most the Tony nominations ever, wrapping a total of 16 opportunities to win awards in every musical category at the Tonys. Hamilton covers the dramatic, inspirational story of founding father Alexander Hamilton and the other founding fathers during the rise of America. Writer Lin-Manuel Miranda, also known for writing and performing in Broadway musical In the Heights, accepted the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album for Hamilton. Hamilton is expected to take a fair amount of Tonys home. The 70th Tony Awards will be held June 12 at 8pm at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.
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Athletes of the
Month
Riley Williams Riley Williams is a senior player on Creek’s varsity golf team. He received the award for Most Outstanding Player in 2014, 2015, and 2016. He was given the Outstanding Freshman award his freshman year and received the 2016 Wildcat Heart Award for Most Inspirational player.
Sports Creek baseball concludes postseason Troylon Griffin II Managing Editor
Creek’s varsity baseball team concluded its successful season on May 21, 2016, with a season record of 26-8-1. The team made it to the regional quarterfinals, playing against Pearland as their final match. The match against Pearland makes the match the third year in a row that the two had played against each other in the third round of the postseason. Pearland won in 2014, and Creek came back and defeated Pearland the next year. This year, Pearland ultimately came back and defeated Creek with a score of 12 to 5. Both teams were expecting to play against one another again this year, and both expected a challenge in playing each other. Creek’s head coach Brent Kunefke noted that playing a challenging team is what one would expect in the regional quarterfinals. “You’re going to play a good quality team.” Kunefke said. Despite losing, the team had many successful moments. Three of the five hits from the batters were doubles, with the two biggest hits coming from Parker Osburn’s two-RBI double and Austin Adam’s two run single. Jack Kelly earned two hits in the first game, and the Wildcats tied the game twice during the second game. The third inning saw Reed Hamilton help his
Lauren Bentley is a junior. She is a two year captain and has maintained the #1 spot on the varsity golf team since her freshman year. She is a three year Female Golfer of the Year Winner. She placed 2nd out of 90 golfers at this year’s 24-6A District Championship. Lauren advanced with her team to 6A Regional Tournament, where she placed 27th overall.
Courtesy of Austin Adams
timately led the Wildcats with two hits, and Etzel scored a team-high two runs. Osburn connected on a lead-off single, while courtesy runner Adrian Gonzalez scored through his sheer speed. He advanced on an error and scored on two consecutive wild pitches. Creek once again tied in the fifth inning. The season as a whole has been one that Coach Kunefke described as very successful. His reasons for feeling positive about the season came from his team being 24-6A District Champions, the team’s overall record of 26-8-1 and
making it to the regional quarter finals. Kunefke gave what he felt were the major highlights of the season: defeating the second best team in the state, Fort Bend Travis, defeating Lewisville Hebron High School, the seventh best team in the state, and beating Friendswood on a walk off. He went on to say how this year’s season has been more successful that last year due to the players “overachieving because of their hard work.” He highlighted several players on the team who he felt stood out the most due to their accomplishments and skill. These included outfielder Jack Kelly, who he felt played well offensively, Austin Adams, Nick Reny, whom he described as a very good leader and offensive player, pitchers Carter Hubeli and Brandon Bolt, who he felt pitched really well and Landon Etzel, whom Kunefke described as an all-around great baseball player. Overall, Creek’s baseball team has enjoyed the season, and the team will see the graduation of seniors Kelly, Jeremy Wadyka, Brandon Bolt, Jake Bolton, Reny, Brody Erwin, Hubeli, Adams, Jonathan Rodriguez, Walter DeMasi, and Gonzalez. Landon Etzel and manager Gavin Howe, respectively, have signed to attend the University of Houston and Angelina College.
Johnny Manziel faces trial for assault Lindsey Loechel Reporter
Lauren Bentley
team keep up with his two-out hitting. Hamilton smoked the first pitch he saw to the left field wall for a two-RBI double driving in Adams and Landon Etzel, who walked on four pitches. Jack Kelly ul-
san Hawk said in a statement on April 26th that prosecutors “respect the criminal justice process and the decision” by the grand jury. A spokeswoman for Hawk declined to comment further.
by valet disregarded her pleas for help. In an affidavit Crowley said that the two of them eventually drove to where her On April 26th, former Cleveland car was parked in front of a Dallas bar. She Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel said Manziel then got into the driver’s seat was indicted by a grand and began to drive, stopping jury on a misdemeanor when she tried to jump out of charge stemming from a the car, but then dragging her domestic violence comback inside and hitting her. plaint by his ex-girlfriend. She also stated that Manziel The former Texas A&M threatened to kill himself as he star and 2012 Heisman Trodrove her back to Fort Worth, phy winner was accused by where police were called. ex-girlfriend Colleen CrowIn the wake of the alleley of hitting her and threatgations, Manziel’s father said ening to kill her during a night the family had recently made out on January 30. Crowtwo unsuccessful attempts ley said in court documents to get him back into a rehab that Manziel struck her hard clinic. Manziel, who began enough to cause temporary his NFL career with a repuhearing loss in one of her ears. tation for partying and drinkThe indictment accuses ing, spent 73 days last winter Former Texas A&M and Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel Manziel of striking Crowley in a Pennsylvania treatment makes a court appearance at the Frank Crowley Courts Building on May 5, and “forcing [her] into a vehicle 2016 in Dallas. Manziel reported to court Thursday for the first time since a center that specializes in care for and against a vehicle dashboard.” Dallas County grand jury indicted him last month on a misdemeanor domes- alcohol and drug dependency. Manziel faces a charge tic violence charge. Former girlfriend Colleen Crowley has accused him of Manziel was cut by the of misdemeanor assault relat- kidnapping, hitting and threatening to kill her in January. (Vernon Bryant/The Cleveland Browns in March after Dallas Morning News/TNS ed to family violence. If he is two tumultuous seasons marked found guilty, Manziel faces up Crowley has already been granted a by inconsistent play and off-the-field to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine. protective order that requires Manziel to headlines about his partying and drinkManziel is in Los Angeles, but is ex- cut off contact with her for two years, stay ing. His future in the NFL is uncertain, pected to present himself for booking at least 500 feet from her home and place and might be nonexistent without a seconce the case is formally assigned to a of work, and pay $12,000 in legal fees. ond time in rehabilitative treatment that judge and bond is set, according to Hinton. The allegations stem from a night two agents have demanded. The league “He’s got a great attitude,” Robert Hin- out on January 30. Crowley claimed that has also implicated tougher standards reton, an attorney for Manziel, said in regards Manziel accosted her at a Dallas hotel, garding domestic violence cases after reto his client’s behavior. “He’s ready to face a confrontation that eventually contin- vising its policy in August 2014 following it and do what we need to do to defend him.” ued downstairs to the valet station. She the Ray Rice case, which could compliDallas County District Attorney Su- said he forced her into a car and a near- cate any attempt by Manziel to return.
Sports
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Boys water polo finishes off season with ninth in state Troylon Griffin II Managing Editor
Creek’s boys water polo team achieved ninth place at state following the two games they played, one was against South Lake Carol, who ended up coming in second place, and Waco Midway, who came in tenth. The games saw four players make All State Teams: Gibson Fleming, Jordan Castillo, Kinley Foster and Logan Wene. Players Gibson Flemming and Justin Metzinger told of how they personally did not feel they did well in the first game against South Lake Carol in which they were defeated with a score of nine to six. “I’m not sure the guys were fully prepared to take on a team that was in better swim shape,” Kinley Foster said. “The first game was rough. We were playing catch up the whole time and a lot of the team just didn’t seem to be there mentally. Jack Mahon had a couple of good penalty shots and Logan Wene had some good saves but [overall] the team was not playing well together.” Despite their struggles, the team noted that their team was able to come in ninth place when they “blew out” Waco Midway. Metzinger admitted that they knew they’d defeat Waco due to Waco being from the west part of Texas. “West Texas doesn’t really have good teams when it comes to water polo,” Metzinger said.
The game against Waco was one with many highlights, in which every senior scored points. Coach Anne Woolweaver
Foster and his teammates expressed how while they were glad to go to state, they had higher ambitions than ninth
Photo by Courtney Woods
noted how during the game, the players put in many of next year’s team during part of the game. She expressed how it was nice to see them work together. Woolweaver singled out underclassmen Jack Mahon, who “stepped up his game and showed his will and determination to win.” Creek won by a landslide with a score of 17 to 5, granting Creek ninth place at state.
place, the same place the team reached last year at state. “Ninth is not at all what I think me and some of the other guys wanted or deserved,” Foster said. Coach Woolweaver expressed similar sentiments. “I was disappointed that we did not beat South Lake Carroll as I be-
lieve if we had won that, we would have been top 4 at state,” Woolweaver said. The season as a whole has been one that forced the players to work much harder, according to Woolweaver. “We have had more injuries and illnesses this season than any other season and that caused other athletes to play at a higher level and fill the places of the senior athletes.” Woolweaver said. With the season over, Woolweaver and her associates are now working towards the future of the team. “We have lots of returning athletes and if they continue to work and progress we will again be contenders at state next year,” Woolweaver said. As for the seniors’ future, many are looking forward to going to beginning their first year of college in the fall. Gibson Fleming will continue to play water polo for California Baptist. Kinley Foster is looking forward to heading off to Texas A&M to play club and has addressed that he will miss and remember his four years playing water polo, as well as those he played with. Foster gave a few words of inspiration for the future water polo players of next year, as well as newcomers coming in the fall. “Play your heart out,” Foster proclaimed. “Do all that you can, and if you love the sport, play to win and play for fun. Don’t back down from challenges, don’t get complacent and play against people who are better than you because if you do, one day you’ll be better than them.”
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Photofinish