2015 November~December by Clear Creek HiLife

Star Wars: The Force Awakens set to hit theatres pg. 18

Forensic science class does DNA lab pg. 9

Paris attacks pg. 4

Wildcat football ends successful season in playoff loss By Emily Berthiaume Editor-in-Chief The Clear Creek varsity football team ended a record-breaking season of eleven straight victories with a heartbreaking loss to Manvel on November 20 in the second round of the Class 6A Division 2 playoffs. The high scoring game consisted of a back and forth of 18 total touchdowns, and ended with a ﬁnal score of 70-56. Senior quarterback Chase Hildreth had “perhaps the best game of his career” according to the Houston Chronicle, passing for 571 yards and six touchdowns, as well as catching a touchdown from Landon Etzel. “It was deﬁnitely my best game,” Hildreth said. “The homecoming game last year stands out as well, but I think the Manvel game was my best because of how many passing yards I had.” In fact, Hildreth’s 571 yards are the seventh most passing yards by a quarterback in one game in Texas high school football history, according to Hildreth. Brandon Hower, Andy Wiesen, Da’Von Smith, Landon Etzel, and Jaiden Woodson also contributed touchdowns. Etzel had eleven catches for 131 yards and two scores, Wiesen had three catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns, and Smith rushed 17 times for one touchdown. Hower and Smith also went over 100 yards receiv-

ing, according to the Houston Chronicle. Despite an impressive show from the Creek offense, amassing 595 total yards,

“Manvel has ﬁve Division One commits and three Division Two commits on defense and we put up 56 points

Photo by Katie Rodriguez

the Wildcats never lead. Manvel scored early and maintained their lead, never letting Creek come closer than seven points behind. Creek only trailed 2821 at halftime, but Manvel’s impressively powerful offense could not be stopped, responding to every one of Creek’s scores.

against them,” Wiesen said. “I’m proud of what we did.” Manvel defeated Strake Jesuit 7514 in the next round; however, they fell to Katy in the Region III ﬁnal 3517. In the regular season, Manvel only lost to Spring Westﬁeld and Pearland.

This football season was one of the most successful in years for Creek. The Wildcats were 10-0 going into the playoffs, including a victory over high-ranking Dickinson. They easily defeated Fort Bend Travis 63-10 in the ﬁrst round of the playoffs, and eagerly looked towards a tough Manvel team. “We did a good job coming out focused last week, and we stayed that way start to ﬁnish,” Creek head coach Darrell Warden said to the Bay Area Citizen about the FB Travis win before the Manvel game. “That was good to see.” The Wildcat football team had never been 11-0 before, and the Manvel game was only the fourth playoff game in Creek history, making this a milestone season. While senior players are sad the season is over, they are proud of what they accomplished this year and are looking towards the future. “It’s sad that’s it’s over, but we played well,” said linebacker Nik Daniels. “I hope to play in college, but I’m not sure yet where yet.” “The end of the season was sad and emotional but greater things are too come,” said Wiesen. “Football was a big part of my high school career. I won’t remember my 10th grade English class but I will remember scoring touchdowns.” “I have no regrets,” Hildreth said to the Houston Chronicle. “I feel pretty good about my career at Creek.”

Tribute assembly held at Veterans Memorial Stadium By Cody Bassett Reporter In early November, a tribute to America’s veterans was held at Veterans Memorial Stadium at Clear Creek High School. The stands on the home side were ﬁlled with spectators and the students of Creek, eager to view the event. Clear Creek High School, the Clear Creek JROTC instructors, and members of the United States Army carefully coordinated the assembly. Principal Jamey Majewski was one of the biggest supporters. “I think it’s important to instill patriotism and a sense of civics on our campus,” Mr. Majewksi said. “It’s a great way for Clear Creek High School to honor those who have served.” The ceremony opened with Creek choir members singing the National Anthem, which was then followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Texas Pledge. Then, members of the Clear Creek High JROTC presented the colors. Companies Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie formed up on the ﬁeld opposite from the spectators. After formations and respect was paid to the country and military, a brief speech was given about the history

and importance of the United States Army. Creek’s ﬁne arts programs participated in the ceremony as well. The Creek chamber

Clear Creek wind ensemble and symphonic band performed Apollo 11, America the Beautiful, and the Star Spangled Banner.

choir sang a military Photo by Kelsie Sullivan The ceremony was medley comprised concluded with the of the ofﬁcial songs of each branch of the playing of the most well known song military: the Navy, the Army, the Coast in the Army, Taps, by wind ensemble Guard, the Air Force, and the Marines. The trumpets, Dylan Rydl and Riley Healy.

“It was an honor to play in front of people who served my country and to put a smile on their face,” Rydl said. “I will never forget that moment.” The ceremony was a major event for the community of League City. “It was a real honor to be able to go play for the veterans of the League City area and see their smile and hear their stories.” Healy said. “It’s an experience I’ll never forget.” For the grand finale, the Golden Knights, the Army’s parachute team, parachuted from an airplane, drifting through the air, landing safely in the center of the field. “It was very awesome to see the parachuters in action and to see how much everyone cared,” Kaylee Miller, student, said. “The whole crowd was amazed.” After Taps and final respects and gratitude were paid, the Clear Creek High JROTC was dismissed. Clear Creek High School continues to look forward to the next Veterans Day assembly. Principal Majewski plans to have one every year to honor the brave men and women who have served our country. “We absolutely want to do it next year,” said Mr. Majewski. “We are going to try to make it an annual tradition.”

Opinion

What is your favorite part of the holidays? Having family time at the range, all the brothers doing our favorite past time together. - Riley Healy

I love getting to eat good food and giving presents. - Madi Shrum

Christmas because its a happy and greatful holiday. - Alyssa Vitale

Getting a break from the chaos, eating good food, and family time. - Joshua Oh

I love watching my siblings open their presents on Christmas day. - Avery Smith

My sisters and I stay up watching Christmas movies until midnight. - Brianna Young

I love having no school and sleeping. - Jacob Cox

Watching Christmas movies with hot tea after opening presents, while my mom cooks breakfast. - Brandi Isadore

I like drinking egg nog and chilling with the family. - Cole Speed

I love Christmas parades, Christmas trees, and the New Year parades. - Eddie Ashkar My favorite part of the holidays are being stress free from school. - Autumn Da Silva

I like to listen Sleigh Bells at full blast while I drive to school. - Andrew Passantino

The peppermint mochas from Starbucks are my favorite. - Haley Hughes

I love seeing my sister when she comes home from college. - Sarah Faske

Spending time and travelling with family and friends. - Paul Skierski

2015-2016

HiLife Staff Principal: Advisor: Editors-in-Chief: Managing Editor: Design Editor: Features Editor: Teen Interest Editor: Sports Editor: Around Creek Editor: News Editor: Advertising Manager: Photo Editor: Online Editors: Photographers: Paola Argueta Alexsandra Godoy Alyssa Hutchison Jose Mares Jr. Hannah Pearson Katie Rodriguez Aleida Solesky Justin Staton Alexis Tijierina Asiel Velasco

Jamey Majewski Wynette Jameson Emily Berthiaume Kelsie Sullivan Troylon Griffin II Kelsie Sullivan Emily Berthiaume Alyssa Lobue Troylon Griffin II Emily Ruthven Tiffany Wade Issac Villarreal Evelyn Salinas Evelyn Salinas Leo Solis Reporters: Cody Bassett Kyndal Dillehay Madison Hutchins Lindsey Loechel Ava Manuel Anna Scheuring Madeline Williams

Editorial

Emily’s Editorial: Refugees need our help

By Emily Berthiaume Editor-in-Chief 4.3 million Syrians are currently refugees. Half that number are children. More than 12 million people have been affected by the Syrian civil war since its start ﬁve years ago – more than Hurricane Katrina, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and the Indian Ocean tsunami combined. However, some Americans still continue to believe that this crisis is “not our problem”. The infamous picture of three-year-old Alan Kurdi’s lifeless body lying on the sands of a beach in Turkey catapulted the ongoing crisis to world news. He brought a face to the 3,200 Syrian refugees who drowned this year trying to escape Syria through dangerous sea crossings run by smugglers. Because of international law set at the 1951 Refugee Convention, once a refugee reaches a country they have certain rights: they cannot be not to be returned to country of origin if their safety cannot be assured and they cannot to be penalized while entering a country illegally if they request asylum. As a result, thousands of Syrians are risking their lives to attempt to make it to nearby Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. Because 95 per-

cent of the roughly four million refugees reside in these five countries, refugee camps there are extremely crowded and not ideal to permanent living. As a result, several European countries and the United States have offered to resettle a certain number of Syrian refugees within their borders in order to lessen the burden on refugee camps and countries. The civil war in Syria is not a recent occurrence. Its roots are in the 2011 Arab Spring protests, in which several dictators were toppled from power. Bashar al-Assad, the current leader of Syria, has battled the rebellion with extreme violence, including gassing his own people with chemical weapons. Muslim extremist groups like ISIS further complicate the problem. The Syrian people are caught up in the middle, as their homes and ways of life are destroyed in the extremely war-torn country. Many have been forced to leave, and they are classified as refugees. Migrants are people who chose to leave their home country in search for a better life. Refugees are “persons fleeing armed conflict or persecution” according to the UN High Commissioner on Refugees, which is what guarantees them to certain rights and the ability to be resettled by countries like the United States. A refugee cannot be denied asylum because it could have possibly deadly consequences. The crisis was further complicated by the recent terrorist attacks on Paris. ISIS killed 129 innocent civilians through bombings and shootings, and some of the terrorists were disguised as Syrian refugees with Syrian passports, which may have been

how they entered the country. France had a commitment to accept 30,000 refugees, and will continue to uphold this commitment, despite the attacks. However, following the attacks, several U.S. governors announced that they would refuse to resettle refugees in their state due to “security concerns.” The United States resettled 1,500 Syrians in 2015. In September, in light of re-

and welcoming arms to their new, better life. Now, when millions of innocent people are in desperate need for a place to live without constant fear of death, we turn our backs. This is not a political issue. It is not an opportunity for increased approval ratings. It is not a time for racism and prejudice against hundreds of thousands of people because of a few. This is literally a life or death situation. People are dying every day, yet the most important problem right now is the competence of America’s screening process? But perhaps this isn’t our problem. Perhaps America shouldn’t get involved. Perhaps we should let those people ﬁght their own wars, die their own deaths, murder their own people. It’s not us. It’s not our homeland. And that’s where the core of this issue comes in: this is a humanitarian problem. Human lives are human lives. Because someone was born Syrian and another born American does not mean one life matters more than the other. When people are in need and others can help, they should. It’s compassion, it’s instinct, it’s basic human nature. To quote John Green, “We are one species sharing one profoundly interconnected world. All humans are our people. When the oppressed and marginalized die because they are oppressed and marginalized, the powerful are at fault.” We should not let fear-mongering and wide-spread racism inﬂuence what we all somewhere know to be true – that human lives are human lives, and all people are our people. Because we can help we should help and not turn our backs to these innocent people when they are most in need.

“The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world.” - Dr. Paul Farmer cent events, Security of State John Kerry announced that the U.S. would be willing to accept 100,000 refugees in 2017, a huge increase. After the November attacks, governors of 24 states attempted to prevent Syrian refugees from settling in their states. Their reasons range from seemingly concerned to blatantly racist, all citing “public safety”. Texas is one of the worst offenders. Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott’s formally ﬁled a request to block refugees from being resettled in their state, however, it was denied by a District Judge as “largely speculative heresy”. America is not only the land of the free and the home of the brave, it also supposedly a place of equal opportunity where foreigners are greeted with an outstretched torch

Kelsie’s Keepsake: Because of hate

By Kelsie Sullivan Editor-in-Chief If tomorrow never comes, would remember the day your daughter/son was born. Would you remember when your best friend made you laugh so hard you started crying? Would you remember how the leaves change during rotating seasons, or would you remember the day the gunmen killed 130 people in Paris. Would you remember how the American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 were hijacked, and later crashed into the twin towers on September 11, 2001? Terrorism derives from a French word in 1785. The Reign of Terror was a period of violence occurred after the French Revolution marked by a mass execution. Ter-

rorism means to be in fear or frightened by a group or person. In this time of giving and loving, we struggle to identify the broken people in our lives and the evil acts promoted by anger. It is a constant reminder that the terrorism wars will continue. I once played a game called tug-awar, but it’s more like a killing war to me. When kids played Red Rover, they formed two opposing lines and attempt to “break through” the opposing teams line, buts we as people seem to be playing who can keep their guard up the longest. When something goes wrong. Why is it that people say “Praying for League City “or “Praying for our soldiers”? I think if we are going to start praying maybe we should start being grateful for what has not happened. When start praying for the world

and what has already happened. Americans have the right to life, liberty, and the pur-

Republican Leaders, “I made very clear at the time there would be not a religious test. There would be a security test. That is because freedom of religion…freedom of religion is a fundamental constitutional principle; it’s a founding principle of this country.” We , the USA, have people ﬁghting for our safety every single day. They do this so we can be free, but for some they’re taking their last breathe by taking the ultimate sacriﬁce their life for ours. Most of the people in this world are running from the same thing we are. Unlike the people moving into our country, we still have a place to stay and our home to defend. Today, I stand for mercy, truth, hope for a better tomorrow, and the courage to stand for what I believe in even if it means standing alone. The following editorial states my own opinion of how I see the world, and the following conditions we as Americans have to deal with.

“We don’t even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome.” -Isabel Allende suit of happiness. In this life, we are granted the freedom of religion. People have commented that ‘Terrorism is a religion.’ Paul Ryan informs the people of the

News

ISIS affiliated terrorist attacks kill 129 in Paris By Anna Scheuring Reporter On November 13, the world watched in horror as terrorist attacks unfolded in Paris, France. Shootings and bombs detonated by the terrorists caused the death of 129 people. Seven men resumed positions at six different locations around the city of Paris to carry out the terrorist attacks on innocent civilians Friday night. The locations were carefully thought out, and it is clear the attacks were no mere coincidence. The targets included The Bataclan concert hall with an ongoing live concert, the Stade de France during a soccer game, and several restaurants around the city. At 9:20 PM in France, the attacks began as an explosion occurred outside the Stade de France while a soccer game between Germany and France was going on. Seconds later, a second explosion deployed. It was later concluded that suicide bombers set off the explosions. There were four civilian deaths involved in the explosions. The president of France, Francois Hollande, who was attending the game, was safely evacuated from the stadium. At 9:25, masked attackers arrived at two restaurants in Paris’ 10th district and began firing at innocent civilians. Fifteen people were killed at the La Carillon and Le Petit Cambodge restaurant, along with ten more wounded. At the same time, three more terrorists were involved in another shooting in the 11th district at the bar A La Bonne Biere, killing five people and injuring eight. The highest number of deaths at a restaurant occurred at La

Belle Equipe, where nineteen people dining outside were killed and nine were hurt. Begininng at 9:40, three men arrived at the Bataclan to carry out their plan. While the American rock band Eagles of Death Metal performed, the terrorists opened ﬁre. The men shot at people laying on the

Two hours following the slaughtering in the Bataclan, French police entered the concert hall and all three terrorists were killed during the counterassault. The other terrorists activated their suicide belts and were killed. All seven terrorists involved in the barbarous attacks were killed by po-

On the third day of national mourning, the Eiffel Tower was lighted in the national colors after going dark on Nov. 16, 2015 in Paris. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

floor, killing them execution style. The audience members were grouped in the front of the stage and killed. It was also reported that the attackers made a tribute to Syria and Iraq, and shouted “Allah Akbar”, or “God is greater”, before firing. The attack lasted twenty minutes, and eighty-nine lives were taken. At 9:53 PM, a third blast went off outside the Stade de France. The death toll finalized to 129 after all of the attacks, and 352 civilians were wounded.

lice force or suicide belt detonating. More men are believed to be behind the attacks. Police are on a hunt for an eighth suspect named Salah Abdeslam. The mastermind of the attack, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, was killed November 18 by French police in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris. ISIS wasted no time in claiming responsibility for the terrorist acts. The attacks were clearly planned and thought out. ISIS used encrypted communications in order to

avoid surveillance. Some of the terrorists were French civilians. One of the attackers was disguised as “Ahmad Al Mohammad”, a deceased Syrian military troop, and the terrorist was identified as a Syrian refugee. ISIS announced possible motives for the attack being the disdain to the foreign policy of President Francois Hollande in relation to Muslims around the world, or retaliation to the French airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. In the aftermath of the attacks, the country of France quickly responded with force. President Hollande declared France at war, and he began working to intensify France’s bombing campaign in Syria. France is seeking a resolution with the United Nations to fight the war on terrorism. Dozens of investigations began over individuals thought to be involved. The French Air Force also carried out bombing missions over Raqqa. So far, France has conducted 168 raids with 23 captured suspects, and 100 are under house arrest under French authority. On November 17, Russia and France hit Islamist militants in Syria with air strikes. French authorities killed the “ringleader” of the attacks on Paris, Abdelhamid Abaaoud in a raid. Around the world, countries offered support to France. Monumental buildings around the world lit up with blue, white, and red to remember the lives lost in Paris. Social media allowed for millions to show support by changing their profile pictures to sport the Paris flag, and the #prayforparis hashtag was used by thousands. President Obama and Vladmir Putin sent support to President Hollande, along with many other country representatives.

News

Defense department lifts ban on women in combat By Anna Scheuring Reporter A big step concerning women’s rights in the work place was taken as military leaders decided to lift the ban of women in combat roles. After a process beginning in January of 2013, The Pentagon ﬁnally announced on December 3 that women would be allowed to hold open combat jobs. Previously, only about ninety percent of all military jobs were available to women. “Today, the Defense Department is taking another historic step forward by opening up the remaining 10 percent of military positions, including combat roles, to women.” Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said. The request for an amendment to the previous rules of military law has increased as history continues to change. For example, the ﬁrst women to ever complete the Army’s elite Ranger School graduated on August 21, 2015. Captain Kristen Griest and 1st Lieutenant Shaye Haver proudly accepted their Ranger tab along with 94 other male classmates who participated in the infamous course. Griest and Haver were among 20 other women who began the training process prior to graduation. The number dwindled to 8 after the rigorous 12-mile road march through the Fort Benning hill wearing the full weight of combat gear and the 4-day strength and conditioning course. All eight remaining women failed the Crawl Phase twice. Three women, including Griest and

Haver, were allowed to take it for a third time, under the rules of the ‘Day 1 recycle’,

men had to go through a longer training, so they graduated in 4 months as opposed

Capt. Kristen Griest, left, and 1st Lt. Shayne Haver talk after Ranger School graduation at Victory Pond on Aug. 21, 2015 in Columbus, Ga. The two women are the ﬁrst female soldiers to earn and wear the Ranger tab. (Robin Trimarchi/Columbus Ledger-Enquirer/TNS)

“which allows both men and women who excel in some aspects of Ranger School but fall short in something speciﬁc that can be improved,” according to The Washington Post. Griest and Haver and a couple of

to the normal 2 the course usually takes. When Griest and Haver completed the grueling Ranger course and earned their title, they were unable to serve in Ranger and Infantry roles in the U.S.

Army due to the Pentagon’s policies discussing women in combat. They were not allowed to try out for the 75th Ranger Regiment. However, with the new law, all positions will now be opened to them. Griest and Haver somewhat paved the way for theses gender barrier changes. Though many are excited about the shift, many people are responding negatively to the change. People expressed concern stating women won’t be able to do the job. They believe that though the women can pass the training and prerequisites that all must complete in order to enter the job, the main concern lies within the role in front-line combat, and how factors such as chemistry between men and women soldiers or physical boundaries will affect the job. Mr. Carter justiﬁed the concern by acknowledging the obvious physical differences between male and female, but that some women could meet “the most demanding physical requirements, just as some men could”. The stereotype of men as “protectors” exists, and some men believe that women hurt in the front line will emotionally impact men more than a man hurt in combat would. Resistance existed when homosexuals were allowed in the military, but eventually there were no issues. The same result will most likely occur concerning women in combat roles. Women in the front line will are undoubtedly a monumental shift in history. This change will bring out the leadership and strong characteristics women are capable of.

Gunman opens fire in Planned Parenthood facility By Lindsey Loechel Reporter Gunman Robert Lewis Dear took the lives of three when he invaded a Planned Parenthood facility armed with an assaultstyle rifle on November 27. Two of the fatalities were civilians, and one of them was University of Colorado at Colorado Springs police officer Garrett Swasey. At least nine others were injured by the 57-year-old gunman, who was identified by a Colorado Springs police official. Mr. Dear traded gunfire with the police until they were able to persuade him to give up, according to police spokeswoman Lieutenant Catherine Buckley. The five hour standoff began around 11:30 in the morning, and continued until the police convinced Mr. Dear to surrender. Following his arrest, Dear reportedly told authorities “no more baby parts,” which may have been a reference to videos posted during the summer by anti-abortion groups of officials discussing the use of fetal organs for research. The entire shopping area surrounding the clinic was transformed into chaos while

Mr. Dear was inside the building and armed with a semi-automatic riﬂe. Shoppers and employees inside of the shopping center were ordered to stay away from doors and windows as tactical ofﬁcers stood guard with guns in hand. Ambulances lined up on nearby streets, awaiting the large amount

of anticipated casualties and injuries. Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers spoke with reporters at a news conference following the shooting. “The perpetrator is in custody,” he said. “There is a huge crime scene that has to be processed, and we have to determine how many victims there are.”

A gunman opened ﬁre inside a Planned Parenthood facility on Centennial Boulevard in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Friday, Nov. 27, 2015. The gunman was captured alive. (Daniel Owen/Colorado Springs Gazette/ TNS)

Police spokeswoman Lieutenant Buckley said the gunman carried several suspicious items into the clinic with him, and investigators were trying to determine whether or not they were explosives. When searching for possible motives, investigators looked into Dear’s past and discovered that he had a very odd history. An independent art dealer, Dear was born in South Carolina where he lived most of his life until he moved to Colorado in 2014. Mr. Dear spent the majority of his life living in trailers and cabins, and was living in a trailer at the time of the shooting.

Mr. Dear claimed to be a follower of Christ, despite the fact that he committed numerous counts of violence and adultery against his three wives and spoke out hatefully against other people both in person and on the internet. Many of those who knew Mr. Dear personally said that he was a very angry man, and that he could turn into a harmful hazard in a matter of minutes. “He claims to be Christian and is extremely evangelistic, but does not follow the Bible in his actions,” Barbara Micheau, one of Mr. Dear’s former wives said during their divorce proceeding. “He says that as long as he believes he will be saved, he can do whatever he pleases.” She also told NBC News that Dear had targeted a Planned Parenthood clinic in the past by putting glue on its locks, and informed them that he had a violent history. “Turn to Jesus or burn in hell… Wake up sinners u cant save yourself U will die an worms shall eat your ﬂesh, now your soul is going somewhere,” the disturbed Mr. Dear wrote on an internet forum recently. Dear made no secret of his hatred for abortion. He was known to describe the Army of God, a loosely organized group of anti-abortion extremists that has claimed responsibility for a number of killings and bombings, as “heroes”. Dear is also alleged to have made statements against Obama in the past, which lead the United States Secret Service to dispatch agents to investigate him. Dear appeared before a judge on November 30 and was charged with murder in the ﬁrst degree. He was ordered to be held without bond, and could face life in prison or the death penalty for his crimes. The judge further ordered all court documents sealed.

News

State governors refuse to resettle Syrian refugees By Ava Manuel Reporter Governors across the United States have said they will refuse to resettle Syrian refugees in their states in light of the recent terrorist attack in Paris, due to “security concerns”. However, a U.S. District Judge has declined Texas officials’ request for a temporary restraining order that would bar more refugees from settling in Texas, as the state “failed to show by competent evidence that any terrorists actually have infiltrated the refugee program, much less that these particular refugees are terrorists intent on causing harm.” Millions of Syrian citizens have left their country in the past five years as a result of the civil war currently raging across all of Syria. These people most commonly escape to nearby Jordan and Lebanon, but refugee camps there are extremely overcrowded, and, as a result, the United States and several European countries have said they will accept a certain number of refugees each. The recent terrorist attack in Paris has complicated the issue of the refugees, as many governors and other state officials now do not want to resettle them in their state or country due to suspicion that they may be terrorists or members of ISIS. However, U.S. District Judge David Godbey dismissed the statement that “terrorists could have infiltrated the Syrian refugees and could commit acts of terrorism

in Texas as “largely speculative heresy.” The ﬁrst twenty-six states that refused to accept Syrian refugees were Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,

Bentley of Alabama, Greg Abbott of Texas, and Asa Hutchison of Arkansas are the governors of the ﬁrst states to deny the Syrian refugees. Each of these governors said in separate statements that their

Omran Waiweh, 12, looks into his family’s new apartment as he tries to get their attention to help unload the truck of donated furniture and start moving into their new place on Nov. 23, 2015 in Pomona, Calif. (Katie Falkenberg/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Rick Snyder of Michigan, Robert

states would not be allowing the relocation of refugees from Syria until they are fully cleared by the U.S. Department of Security. “Michigan is a welcoming state and we are proud of our rich history of immigration. But our ﬁrst priority is protecting

the safety of our residents,” Snyder said. Georgia Governor Nathan Deal said that Georgia will not accept Syrian refugees “until the federal government and Congress conducts a thorough review of current screening procedures and background checks.” Ultimately, the federal government has the ultimate say in where and how many refugees will be settled. As a result, Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott proposed the State Refugee Security Act, which would require federal officials to notify states 21 days before resettling any families and would prohibit resettlement if they fail to assure governors the refugees do not pose a risk. “The threats to America’s security are difficult to assess,” Abbott said, “That is why Texas and other states are doing even more to ensure that we safeguard the security of our citizens.” Texas has taken in 250 Syrian refugees in the past five years, more than any other state except for California. Two families of six each were settled in Dallas and Houston the week of December 7, with twenty-one more expected to arrive in the same week. “The refugee families on their way here can be resettled without delay,” said Rebecca L. Robertson, legal and policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas. “We are pleased that the court refused to let the state of Texas interfere with humanitarian aid to people fleeing war and violence.”

Majority votes against Prop 1 in Houston election By Emily Berthiaume Editor-in-Chief The proposed Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, also known as Proposition 1 or HERO, failed to pass by a wide margin on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. The proposition gained national attention, drawing opposing comments from the White House and the state’s top ofﬁcials. The conservative opponents of the bill al-

leged it would allow transgender men, who are dressed as women, into women’s bathrooms. This sparked the slogan “No Men In Women’s Bathrooms”, alluding that sexual predators would take advantage of the right. The ordinance actually bans discrimination based on not just gender identity and sexual orientation, but also 13 classes already protected under federal law, including sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, pregnancy,

and genetic information, as well as family, marital, or military status. Businesses that serve the public, private employers, housing, and city contracting all would have been subject to the law and would have faced up to $5,000 in ﬁnes for violations, had the bill passed. However, religious institutions would have been exempt. Houston Mayor Annise Parker openly supported the bill, as it extends an important local recourse for a range of protected classes to respond to discrimination. The Houston City Council passed the law with an 11-6 vote in May, but conservatives quickly launched an effort to force a repeal referendum, which led to more than a year of legal challenges. In July, the Texas Supreme Court ordered the city to either repeal the law or place it on the ballot for the city to decide, and the council opted for the latter with a 12-5 vote. Supporters of the law claim that there is no evidence the so-called “bathroom myth”, the generalization that men will take advantage of the law to molest women, has ever been a problem in places with similar laws. It is already and would have continued to be illegal to do anything in a bathroom except for use the bathroom in Houston. In fact, in June 1972 the Houston City Council made it illegal for anyone to use the opposite sex’s restroom to “cause a disturbance”, which can mean anything other than using the bathroom. “It’s a lie. It’s a lie. It’s a lie. It’s a lie,” Academy Award-winning actress Sally Field implored at a pro-HERO rally. “Not one single case has ever been reported. And believe me, if it had happened, it would have been reported.” Other support came from many huge corporations, including Apple, General

Electric, and Hewlett-Packard. Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders both approved of the law, and even the White House gave their nod of approval. “We’re confident that the citizens of Houston will vote in favor of fairness and equality,” they said in a statement. The main advertising fight proved to be spreading correct knowledge about the law. “I haven’t heard it bans discrimination,” Cory Alters, a Houston citizen, told Buzzfeed News four days before the vote. “Bathrooms are the hot-ticket item — that’s what everybody is talking about,” he said. “I don’t want girls in my bathroom, and girls don’t want guys in their bathroom.” Another Houston resident shared the same view. “The only thing that I have heard is that it allows men who dress up like women to go into the ladies’ room. If a person woke up one day and said, ‘I identify as a woman,’ he could just go into the bathroom to see booty,” he told Buzzfeed News. On Election Day, more than 130,000 city voters cast ballots, more than doubling the pre-election day turn out in Houston’s last open-seat mayor’s race six years ago. The results soon showed that voters had repealed the law 61% to 39%, according to the Harris County Clerk’s Office. “We are disappointed with today’s outcome, but our work to secure nondiscrimination protections for all hard-working Houstonians will continue,” a joint statement from the groups behind the effort, the ACLU of Texas, Equality Texas, NAACP Houston Branch, Texas Freedom Network, Freedom for All Americans, and the Human Rights Campaign, said.

Around Creek

Film acting class prepares short films for festival Troylon Griffin II Managing Editor Throughout the months of November and December, Creek’s film acting department has been working to create original films for the UIL Young Filmmakers Festival. The festival’s deadline for submission is January 14, 2016, when the first festival will begin. The film class’ students have been working on the project since November to ensure they fulfill their artistic cinematic vision. The time limit for the films is seven minutes, including the open and ending credits. While the project is meant to be the semester exam, many are taking the project very seriously for the chance to participate in the film festival. Upon being finished and ready for viewing by December 17, Theatre Department head and film class teacher Bradley Hewlett will choose what he considers to be the two best films worth entering the festival. The films will be entered in the Narrative division of the competition. While the chance of possible entry is done every year, what separates this year from the previous ones is that the film class will be collaborating with the Audio and Video Production class on campus, or as they’re popularly known as, Paws On Productions. The class consists of students who learn strictly the technical side of filmmaking, such as editing, sound effects, camera lighting and more. This contrasts with the Theatre Department’s film class, which focuses more on the skill of acting in front of the camera.

The collaboration is meant to make full utilization of Creek’s ﬁlm related talents. The short ﬁlms will compete against

of the Audio and Video Class, said. Group members included aspiring ﬁlmmakers like Matt McKisson, who

other films made by other entered the competition last Photo by Troylon Griffin II students in the district. year with his comical film They will be judged based on quality, about living inanimate objects that try originality, cinematic storytelling, and to escape from the house they reside in. technical execution. The top five films Those at the meeting were asked will then advance to the State Festival. what they considered were their best The uniquely different groups skills in filmmaking, McKisson’s got together in early November being screenwriting and minor editing. to meet and make plans for how The group decided that they would they will be conducting business. meet back up weeks later and discuss “I wanted this to be very professional story ideas they had come up with. and I didn’t want there to be any awkward Working with members of the Audio meetings,” Ms. Thompson, teacher and Video Class was only optional, as

students can choose to work independently with their own resources. Some simply used the help of the production team by borrowing cameras, like Cole Hutto. Hutto is a notable exception to the story telling side of production, as he is remaking one of his previous films. When the students were assigned to make a silent film, Hutto made his own personal project titled The Room, which detailed the story of a man who is slowly driven insane when he is locked in a room by an ambiguous force. Mr. Hewlett encouraged Hutto to take advantage of the Paws On Production collaboration and produce a higher quality film. “I thought it was the right thing to do,” Hutto said. “I loved my original product but I felt that with the right equipment this would be something I’d look back on and watch until I’m eighty.” Hutto has revising his script and developing his cinematography. Paws On Production’s team will be individually participating as well, only they will be entering films in the documentary division. Overall, the students of both classes are looking forward to making their films and possibly entering the film festival. “I’m really looking forward to seeing what each class has created, ”Kat Henderson, who is in both the film class and Paws on Productions said. “The UIL film festival has only been around two years, so everyone has a fresh perspective.” With the deadline submission being in January, the students are looking forward to entering their artistic visions.

Around Creek

Forensic science class learns DNA fingerprinting By Fizza Gilani Guest Reporter While forensic scientists analyze criminal evidence in the real world, students at Clear Creek High School took the first step right in their own school. Upstairs, in room B219, Mr. Muller led his students through the process of DNA fingerprinting and identification, a method used to identify fingerprints and their classification. “We’re looking for latent prints. Those are prints that aren’t visible to the naked eye,” he explained. Students were taught to use multiple methods to expose fingerprints they imprinted on glass slides, and then classify and record what they saw. The distinctions made in fingerprint analysis help narrow the list of possible owners, and, in the crime world, possible culprits, of the print. Creek’s forensic scientists-in-training used lifting, dusting, and the cyanoacrylate, or the super-glue method, to unmask these “invisible” prints and identify their characteristics. Each method had a differ-

ent process to it, and some, careful in order to ensure Photo by Fizza Gilani like lifting and cyanoacrygood results. Juniors and late, were messy, so students had to be seniors alike worked together to under-

stand how oils on human skin mark and make fingerprints visible, how investigators and CSI units prepare objects that may contain prints so that the evidence stays undisturbed, and how to classify and identify the characteristics in their own prints. In some cases, fingerprints can be the key to cracking a case. Educating students on how that is done in the field is crucial, “because fingerprints are unique to each individual and fingerprints are commonly found at crime scenes,” according to Mr. Muller. The lab helped students to understand how fingerprinting works in the real world. Not only did the young crimefighters have to produce visible prints, but they had to have all the information in their heads as they did it. Fingerprints have different patterns that are classified by the shapes they make on the skin. Students were expected to know the classifications and point out the criteria for belonging to a specific class. Determining whether the pattern was an arch, a loop, or a whorl, and whether it had a bridge, an island, or a bifurcation, was all up to the students.

Choir produces twenty one regional qualifiers Troylon Griffin II Managing Editor Creek’s choir members have been competing in Texas Music Educators Association’s All State Competition since late September. It is an annual competition that students are able to participate in every year. The competition is sponsored by the Texas Music Educators Association and is a way for students to embrace and promote their dedication to their musical knowledge and skills. There are four rounds of auditions in the competition before one can make it to state. These rounds, in order, are district, regionals, pre-area and area, before finally going to state. As of now, Travis Falknor, Iris Garcia, Zach Hoover and Sarah Hart are advancing to area with the hopes of going to state in January. The competition is completely optional and hardly has a connection to Creek’s choir class. The sponsors of the All-State competition encourage music teachers to help students nevertheless, and choir teachers Mr. Park and Stultz are no exception. If one if interested in competing, they first go to the district competition to try out, with the hopes of advancing to regionals. The judges select about twenty to thirty people to advance to regionals. Then after regionals, about fifteen are taken to continue to advance to pre-area and area. Among the singers, there are eight voice parts: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Girl singers tend to be soprano and alto while boys are usually tenor and bass. These voice parts are each

divided into two kinds one higher and the other lower, thus making eight voice parts. At the beginning of the year, choir members who are interested are given all the music they will need for all the rounds of competition. Each audition requires the singer to sing three songs. Some competitors attend camps at colleges during the summer to be more prepared for the auditions, leading to some to be at a disadvantage if

to competing against singers of all levels. “It’s up against all grades. The voice parts are the only category that really divides you so I was going up against seniors and sophomores and juniors.” But it was this kind of challenge that the brothers were looking for in competing in the competition. The two siblings had been in choir since fourth grade and therefore had much experience in singing.

Photo by Asiel Velasco

they didn’t attend such camps. Travis Falkor, along with his brother Brandon Falknor, who qualiﬁed all the way up to pre-area, both felt the competition, having come into their ninth grade school year without any attendance to such camps. “Many were already familiar with the music, while it was brand new to us,” Travis said, noting the intensity of competition due

While they enjoyed the beginner’s choir, the two wanted more of a challenge. The y were more than excited, surprised and happy with how far they got. “I felt amazing I’d made it all the way to pre-area because the voice part I’m in is a bit harder,” Brandon said. “Considering I am a freshman and didn’t go to an All-State camp, so I had to learn

the music in a shorter amount of time than everyone else, I felt awesome to be able to advance that far, and now I’m more familiar with the process so next year I have a better idea of what I need to do to be prepared for this process next year.” Travis, who is still competing and going to area, and has a chance to go to state, expressed similar thoughts. “I was actually both excited and surprised that I made it,” Travis said. “Because tenor 1 is such an unpopular voice part, at district and region auditions, all the tenors were certified so everyone that was there got to advance, and then at pre-area there was the sight reading section which I had never done before, I knew there was a chance I might not make it, so I was just really surprised.” The two have both expressed that the experience has definitely made them better singers and that they are more than ready to compete next year. “Just being around all these singers that could be better than you makes you a better singer and I have no doubt that this has made us better singers.” Brandon said. Other participants in the competition have felt similar ways. Junior Paige Eley, who made it all the way to pre-area, feels this has been an experience that has prepared her well for her final participation in the competition next year as a senior. “It’s been amazing seeing everyone compete and give it their all doing what they love, as well as what I love: singing like we have been for so long.” Eley said.

Features

University of Missouri president officially resigns By Lindsey Loechel Reporter On November 9, Timothy M. Wolfe resigned from his position as president at the University of Missouri due to revolts around the campus regarding racial tensions. The deciding factor for the president’s decision came from the school’s football team, who threatened to refrain from playing until Wolfe resigned. Student and faculty protests went on for months prior to the president’s resignation, the outrage sparked by accounts of racism on the overwhelmingly white campus. In addition to Wolfe’s resignation, the school’s chancellor, R. Bowen Loftin, stepped down from his administrative position. “It is my belief that we stopped listening to each other. We have to respect each other enough to stop yelling at each other and start listening, and quit intimidating each other.” Wolfe said when asked about what led up to his final decision to step down. “I take full responsibility for this frustration, and I take full responsibility for the intaction that has occurred.” The racial division on campus is significantly uneven, with 77% of the population being white and only 7% being black. Charges of persistent racism, particularly complaints of racial epithets hurled at the black student body president, were what sparked the strongest reactions. There were also issues regarding the amount of attention the university payed to the complaints from students and staff. The racial tensions on the campus were

not the only issue that led up to such an inﬂuential change. Anger had been brewing since August when the university said it would stop paying for health insurance for graduate teaching and research assistants. “Tim Wolfe’s resignation was a necessary step toward healing and rec-

that players would not participate in any practices, games, or other sporting events until the ofﬁcial resignation of Mr. Wolfe. Several black team members announced their decision to strike and refrain from playing on popular social media sites. “The athletes of color on the Uni-

Protesters raise their ﬁsts to celebrate Tim Wolfe’s resignation during the Concerned Students 1950 protest on Monday, Nov. 9 2015, in Columbia, Mo. (Michael Cali/San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS)

onciliation on the University of Missouri campus, and I appreciate his decision to do so,” Governor Jay Nixon said. The school’s football team decided

versity of Missouri football team truly believe “Injustice Anywhere is a threat to Justice Everywhere.” We will no longer participate in any football related activities until president Tim Wolfe resigns or

is removed due to his negligence toward marginalized students’ experiences. WE ARE UNITED!!!!!!,” sophomore defensive back Anthony Sherrils said in a tweet. In addition to Sherrils, many of the team’s African-American players, including senior running back and team captain, posted passionate tweets. The team’s coaches and other players, including white members, publicly supported their fellow athletes. “We are aware of the declarations made tonight by many of our student-athletes. We all must come together with leaders from across our campus to tackle our challenging issues and we support our student-athletes right to do so.” the Missouri athletic department said in a statement. In addition to the team’s uniﬁed front, many individuals took extreme measures of protest. Graduate student Jonathan Butler announced that he was going on a hunger strike until Wolfe was removed. Criticisms were made about Wolfe’s nonchalance about the issues. “My behavior seemed like I did not care. That was not my intention. I was caught off guard in the moment. I am asking us to move forward in addressing the racism that exists at our university – and it does exist.” Wolfe said in a statement issued to apologize for his reaction at Missouri’s homecoming parade when the ConcernedStudent1950 group approached his car. ConcernedStudent1950 is a student activist group that has led in the ﬁght to end hostility regarding race across the campus.

World leaders meet in Paris for UN climate talks By Alyssa Lobue Teen Interest Editor On November 30, worldwide leaders and delegates gathered to Paris to start discussing climate change at the 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference, or COP21.

COP stands for Conference of Parties, an annual forum to try to tackle climate change on a global political level. The conference will consist of more than 150 negotiators who will examine and analyze last year’s steps towards this new deal and how continue the process. These diplomats and delegates have the goal of reaching

a new global agreement that will impact every country with new policies to make the human way of life more eco-friendly. “A political moment like this may not come again,” U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. “We have never faced such a test. But neither have we encountered such great opportunity.” The two elected hosts for COP21 were decided as Christina Figueres and Laurent Fabius. Christina Figueres is a Costa Rican diplomat as well as the executive secretary for The United Nations Framework Climate Change Convention. “The Paris UN Climate Conference represents an historic opportunity to put the world on course to meet the climate change challenge,” Fagueres said. “The world needs a new model of growth that is safe, durable and beneﬁcial to all. COP21 seeks to deliver a clear pathway with short and long term milestones, and a system to help us measure and increase progress over time until we get the job done. The Paris Agreement is necessary and urgent. We are counting on everyone’s contribution.” Laurent Fabius is a French Socialist. He is also the Foreign Minister of France and has previously severed as France’s Prime Minister. “Everything must be done to make the Paris conference a success. So we, ministers and negotiators, must show ourselves equal to the challenges and to our responsibilities. Collectively, we must ﬁnd the path to an ambitious compromise. Together, we can build hope.

The week began with a moment of respect dedicated to the Paris victims of the terrorist attacks on November 13. They then proceed to discuss the several possible agreements that would limit global warming to two degrees Celsius. Countries with larger opportunities to be vulnerable seem to have held out for a one and a half degree deal with many observers supporting their reasoning. Important members of society have all commented on the situation such as Pope Francais, who declares the time will never be better for this action. “We are on the brink. We are on the brink of a suicide, to use a strong word, and I am sure that most of those at the COP have this conscience, and want to do something,” he said. Rumors of other mentioned agreements have surfaced such as a suggestion by Environment Minister Greg Hunt for France to concoct a different version of the climate deal. The highly controversial possibility could cause many developing countries to ﬁght back, which caused Hunt to later clarify to reporters his exact meaning. “I was referring not to a separate, new text. We do not have a different version of the agreement in its back pocket. There is no plan B,” Hunt said. When the conference comes to an end, the delegates and diplomats will return to their homes and start the process of determining exactly how their own nations will choose to contribute to the growing cause of global warming and climate change limitation.

Features

Donald Trump plays it safe on Saturday Night Live By Emily Ruthven Around Creek Editor More than 9.3 million viewers tuned in to Saturday Night Live on November 7 to witness Donald Trump host the satirical late night sketch show. This was Saturday Night Live’s biggest audience since a 2013 episode where talk show host Jimmy Fallon hosted and his partner in crime, Justin Timberlake, was featured. The 2016 presidential Republican nominee candidate played it safe in the episode. SNL has had many guest appearances of politicians in past episodes, and most of the time it is because they want to show the public that they can take a joke, which tends to make anyone more appealing. Trump’s Democratic competition, presidential candidate, Hilary Clinton, made an appearance earlier in the season for a sketch in which she was depicted as “Val the Bartender”. In his best efforts to win over the votes of those anti-Trump, he said, “People think I’m controversial, but the truth is, I’m a nice guy. I don’t hold grudges against anybody.” Despite Saturday Night Live’s habit of mocking politicians, the episode fell short of any real satire on Trump. “He bragged in his monologue, he really can take a joke, the jokes

weren’t too hard-hitting,” Daniel D’Addario of TIME magazine said. The most shocking event that occurred on the episode was when Larry David in-

in order to keep from offending voters,” D’Addario said. Trump wanted to create an episode that only lifted him up in the eyes of the public. While his censorship of

terrupted Trump’s certain topics and sketchPhoto courtesy of CBS.com monologue, shoutes kept the episode clean, ing, “You’re a racist! Trump’s a racist!” the show was a dud, according to critics. While Trump jokingly shrugged off the ac“Donald Trump’s Saturday Night cusation, critics are commenting that this Live episode was worse than bad — it was a clearly staged stint, which added no was boring,” Todd VanDerWerff and real value to the episode, despite being the Caroline Farmke of Voxculture.com said. most controversial thing that happened. But despite the negative opinions, the “Going into the episode of Saturday episode received some of the highest ratNight Live he hosted, Donald Trump told ings in years for the NBC show. HowevFox News that he’d vetoed some sketches er, this was due to an overall curiosity of

those who tuned in to view the episode, only to be left disappointed and bored. “The sketches fell dead. The actors seemed checked out. Trump has clearly not been taking comedy classes in between campaign appearances,” VanDerWerff and Farmke said. According to James Poniewozick of the New York Times, the studio audience didn’t give many laughs either. The audience “check[ed] out early, creating an energy-sucking vicious cycle”. Despite the dullness of the episode, Trump was sure to not censor is trademark attitude consisting of arrogance and pride. The episode included “MSNBC Forum Cold Open,” “White House 2018”, “Bad Girls”, “Live Tweeting”, “Hotline Bling Parody”, “Weekend Update: Leslie Jones on Gender Roles”, “Weekend Update: Drunk Uncle on Donald Trump”, “Rock Band”, “Crocker Family Dinner”, and “Toots Intro”, according to IMDb.com. Most of the sketches didn’t feature Trump much, and if they did, it was very brief and uninvolved. “Many of the sketches didn’t touch on politics at all, and in those, Trump was a difﬁdent, uncommitted comic actor,” D’Addario said.

Features

Peaceful protests held in Chicago over police video By Cody Bassett Reporter Thousands of protestors peacefully took to the streets of Chicago in response to a released video of the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by a caucasian police officer. More than a year after the events occurred, the video was released to the public and murder charges were filed against Officer Van Dyke. In contrast to the Ferguson and Baltimore protests where riots and looting took place due to the outrage, the people of Chicago chose a more civil and peaceful way of expressing their displeasure. “No one understands the anger more than us, but if you choose to speak out, we urge you to be peaceful, don’t resort to violence in Laquan’s name. Let his legacy be better than that,” McDonald’s family said. The protestors marched through the streets of downtown in a tense but ultimately violence free manner. The grainy nighttime dashboard camera video that triggered the protests upon its release depicted the young man running, then walking past a few officers in the middle of the street when he was shot. He spun and fell as more bullets struck him. He was shown lying on the ground, trying to move, when he appeared to be shot several more times before an officer ran up and kicked an object away from his body. No officers were shown offering any assistance to Laquan during these events. According to witnesses, Laquan was carrying a three-inch folding knife but never spoken a word to Officer Van

Dyke or any of the other ofﬁcers at the time, nor had he made any menacing or threatening moves toward the ofﬁcers.

“While on the whole last night’s demonstrations were peaceful, a few isolated incidents resulted in ﬁve arrests re-

Protesters form a line and walk holding signs that spell out “Laquan” following the release of a dash-cam video of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald being fatally shot 16 times by Chicago Police ofﬁcer Jason Van Dyke, on Tuesday, Nov. 24 2015, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/TNS)

Laquan was shot 16 times even after stepping slightly away from the officers. The protestors blocked roads and intersections, chanting outside of a police station, wielding banners that cited the names of those killed by police officers. More than a year after the shooting, Officer Jason Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder and the video of the shooting was to be made public by order of the presiding judge. Many of Chicago’s residences were relieved at the peaceful response.

lated to resisting arrest and assaulting police ofﬁcers,” a police spokesman said. Some community leaders wanted to call for more demonstrations and more action. They proposed a Black Friday boycott of the city’s famed shopping district known as the Magniﬁcent Mile. Before the release of the video, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Garry McCarthy, along with other community members and the Chicago police superintendent, said they expected more violent demonstrations and responses and

urged people to avoid being violent. “It’s fine to be passionate, but it is essential that it remain peaceful,” Mayor Manuel said. Officer Van Dyke had been with the police force for 14 years and was the first Chicago police officer in years to be charged with murder in an on duty shooting. Originally, the city did not want to release the video so they could conduct a private investigation of the matter. On Twitter, the NAACP said that it was unacceptable that it took over a year for the video to be released. But Laquan’s family, who had opposed the release of the video, issued a statement through their lawyers calling for calm. The Cook Country state’s attorney, Anita Alverez, acknowledged that she wanted Officer Van Dyke to be charged with murder even before the video was released. Alverez defended herself against suggestions that the investigation had taken too long. She claimed that she had reached a conclusion long before the charges were warranted. Officer Van Dyke has been held with no bail and if convicted, will receive a sentence of 20 years to life. Family members of McDonald thanked those who marched in Chicago demanding justice for the 17-year-old’s death, calling for change “from the top down.” “I think that change is needed. And change needs to start not just from a local level… but I think change needs to start from the top down,” Pastor Marvin Hunt, McDonald’s great-uncle, said. “Because what we’re feeling in Chicago is the real feeling of America in itself and that is injustice toward people of color.”

Features

Overuse of agricultural antibiotics leads to illness By Tiffany Wade News Editor Antibiotic-resistant bacteria that regularly show up in meat was discovered as a significant public health threat according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. “We know our side is not perfect, physicians do bear some responsibility for this and there has not always been a prudent use in our practice, we are doing something on our side to fix this. We also want to make sure the government agencies and agribusiness will look at this as a serious issue as well and get these unnecessary antimicrobials out of the production stream,” pediatrician Dr. Jerome Paulson said. In 2012, most antibiotics in the United States were not sold to help humans. Some 80%, or 32.2 million pounds, of antimicrobial agents were for use with animals, according to the report. Some 60% of those drugs are the same ones that help fight infections in humans. If overexposure to antibiotics creates bacteria that can tolerate those drugs, that means doctors will no longer be able to use them to help treat people, hence this is a public health threat. In practice, farmers are not giving these drugs solely to help sick animals. Most are given in low doses as a precaution or are used to help animals

grow. A 2013 voluntary guidance change from the Food and Drug Administration that is being phased in over three years

pharmaceutical companies to change labels on these drugs to exclude being used as a growth agent. Farmers were previ-

Travelers can tour Fredo Leche, a farm where visitors can milk cows. (Terri Colby/Chicago Tribune/TNS)

was created to curb some of these uses. The guidance encouraged animal

ously able to walk into any feed store and buy the drugs without a prescription, but

now a licensed vet is supposed to oversee their use. However, the pediatricians report includes that the policy changes may not be enough because the lines between disease prevention and growth promotion are not always clear, the current FDA policy may allow drug manufacturers to continue using ambiguous language on labels of antibiotic drugs. Approximately two million Americans get sick with infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria every year and about 23,000 people die from these infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One of the ways people get these infections is through eating contaminated food. While they are not all antibiotic resistant, children four and younger experience some of the highest number of foodborne diseases, according to the CDC. If you ﬁx the overuse of these antibiotics in animals, you reduce the number of people who get sick. “I do see antibiotic-free meat much more available in the marketplace,” Paulson said. Until the problem resides, the co-author of the report, Paulson, said he will continue to encourage parents to buy meat with a label stating there are no antibiotics added. “Maybe as more parents demand this option, the marketplace will help take care of this problem,” Paulson said.

Teen Interest

Made in the A.M. launches One Direction’s hiatus By Alyssa Lobue Teen Interest Editor One Direction recently released their ﬁfth album, Made in the A.M, and performed their last concert of their eight month long tour, On the Road Again, and are now looking towards an extended hiatus where the boys will temporarily part ways for separate work and time to relax. “We are all a bit of a mess,” Liam Payne said. “None of us ever get enough sleep although we’ve got to be grateful for all of their fans screaming for us outside our hotel room. It’s not a split though. Just a break. We aren’t going anywhere.” The last concert was performed in South Yorkshire, England with 13,500 tickets sold, complete with a stageside conga line held by Liam Payne’s father. Made in the A.M. was released on November 13. The album was released as normal, despite the lack of a tour to follow it up. Although the stress seems to have gotten to every member of the band, especially since the departure of former band member Zayn Malik, the boys continue to show love towards their fans and negate false rumors. A popular rumor as to the reason for the hiatus has been a supposed feud between Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, even stating they refused to board a private plane together. One Direction has released statements since then saying that there has been no tension between the four members. “Gonna miss doing shows for a while. It’s the best part of what we do. That’s why we were emotional. Don’t let the papers

or online stuff tell you we aren’t coming back,” member Niall Horan said. “We had a little sit down and we decided we all want-

recluses, and then come back with giant beards. Don’t believe anything you read. We stand strong as a band and as brothers.”

“Made in the A.M.” is One Direction’s ﬁrst album as a foursome. (Photo courtesy Amazon/TNS)

ed a little break. We’re going to have some breathing time and spend that with our families. We’ve had ﬁve years of craziness. Now we need to go away, become mad old

Even though the band will still appear at award events and other music related shows and plan to eventually reunite, each member has released

a statement, thanking those who have supported them throughout the years. “Thank you anyone who has come to watch us live over the past few years. It’s wonderful to be able to play our music live for you. Safe to say, last night was perfection,” One Direction released. Harry Styles released his own personal acknowledgment of gratitude on Twitter. “We have been lucky to work with such an amazing crew throughout the past few years of touring. To all of you, thank you for having us. You’ve been our everything out there, and we love you. Thank you. H,” Styles tweeted. Each member of the band has their own personal plans for the period of time where the band has decided to be apart. Niall Horan plans on launching a solo career and has been writing music for the past two months with Justin Bieber. Louis Tomlinson plans to use the downtime to focus on Briana Jungwirth, an L.A. based stylist who is carrying Tomlinson’s child. Information regarding Tomlinson and Jungwirth’s relationship has been undisclosed ,although since the news of the pregnancy was made public, they have not been seen together. Briana did appear at one of One Direction’s recent shows, where she was spending time with Louis’ mother and sister. Liam Payne plans to spend more time with his family and girlfriend, Sophia Smith, since the tour has restrained his ability to visit. Professionally he plans on writing music and possibly starting a DJ career. Harry Styles has received many offers and plans to accept an offer to sign with Sony.

Star Wars fans eagerly await The Force Awakens By Emily Ruthven Around Creek Editor Thirty eight years ago, the first Star Wars movie was released, creating a worldwide phenomenon to last through the ages. On December 18, the series will continue with the release of a seventh installment, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The new film is in the future from the last film, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Fans will be pleased to know that several returning actors will be reprising their roles that they had 30 years ago. These actors include Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo, Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia and Mark Hamill, who portrayed the iconic Luke Skywalker. “While we do not sit down and describe what he’s been doing for those years, we do discover in the context of the story what the complications have been in his life,” Ford said in an interview about Han Solo with Fox News. Star Wars: The Force Awakens also stars new actors such as Daisy Ridley and John Boyega. “The new, young actors Daisy Ridley and John Boyaga were well cast, well directed and are huge talents. They come off really well in the movie. They carry the movie,” Ford said. Ridley and Boyega had their own opinions about the film as well. “It’s an amazing movie. It works

so well. It pays homage to the old and continues a new story and it’s so powerful. It’s emotional and it is Star Wars,

Abrams will be directing the ﬁlm, with assistance from George Lucas, the director that created the original Star Wars ﬁlms.

Adam Driver in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” (Photo courtesy Lucasﬁlm/TNS)

it’s like so Star Wars,” said Boyega. Ridley commented on the mass amount of people who worked on the ﬁlm. “It was an overwhelming sense of emotions… It’s just incredible though, there have been thousands of people that worked with the ﬁlm,” Ridley said. Critically acclaimed director J.J.

“George Lucas has given The Force Awakens, the highly anticipated next installment in the core Star Wars saga, his stamp of approval,” Ernesto Newman of The ISUMB Preference said. The movie is set around a young heroine named Rey, who is played by Daisy Ridley and a former Storm Trooper named

Finn, who is portrayed by Boyega. Producers of the film have been very secretive about the full plot of the film, leaving fans to speculate tirelessly until the film is released. Despite this, Abrams has told the public that commonly hated character Jar Jar Binks will not be in the film, along with Ewoks. According to RottenTomatoes, 99% of users want to see the movie. In the previous films, the infamous R2D2 was the star droid of the films. For Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a new droid acts as a sort of rebirth of the R2D2, called BB8. The Star Wars series was not released in chronological order. The original Star Wars was released in 1977 and would later be revealed as the fourth movie in the series. In 1980, the next and essentially the fifth movie in the series, Star Wars: The Emperor Strikes Back and in 1983 the final installment of the original trilogy, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, was released. Several years later in 1999, the first episode in the series, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, was released and three years later in 2002, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones was released. The most recent installment of the franchise was the third episode in the series, Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith, which was released in 2005 Star Wars: The Force Awakens is sure to be the major movie event of 2015, and possibly even the decade.

Teen Interest

Justin Bieber makes his comeback with Purpose By Emily Berthiaume Editor-In-Chief Justin Bieber has not had the best last two years. Headline after headline exposed some new scandal or PR nightmare Bieber was involved in, including a confiscated pet monkey in Munich, DUI arrest in Miami Beach, and brothel visit in Rio de Janeiro. However, on his new album, Purpose, Bieber seems intent on apologizing for his past behavior and looking towards a bright, EDM-and-hip-hop-filled future. Several songs on the album, including the career-reinventing Where Are U Now, Sorry, and EDM ballad I’ll Show You, are coproduced by Skrillex, who heavily influenced Bieber’s new style of music, further separating himself from his teen-heartthrob, bubblegum-pop days of past. Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd was also a notable producer on the record. “The album boasts a consistent palette of lush, low-key electro-dance sounds: sun-warped synths, chipmunk accent vocals, rattling trap hi-hats, and loads of bass,” Billboard said of the unique production in its four out of five stars review of the album. Love Yourself, a biting kiss-off track co-written by singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, is a standout of the album and a break from the hip-hop and dance music heavy previous songs. Other highlights include pop collaboration The Feeling featuring up-and-comer Halsey and mega-hits Sorry, What Do You Mean, and Where Are U Now, all of which have

been receiving solid air time on the radio.

ics about the life in the limelight, as Bieber

“Purpose” is Justin Bieber’s second longest album behind “Under the Mistletoe.” (Photo courtesy Amazon/ TNS)

I’ll Show You showcases confessional lyr-

admits, “my life is a movie/and everyone’s

watching” and “don’t forget that I’m human”. No Pressure, a collaboration with Big Sean, continues the theme of remorse: “I’ve made a few mistakes/I’m the only one to blame”, Bieber sings. In stark contrast to his previous albums, there are not many tracks primarily focused on girls or being in love, partially because of Bieber’s highly publicized relationship and later break-up with Selena Gomez. “There are no accounts of Justin saving you from unappreciative boyfriend, your fear of falling of in love, or your low self-esteem, which makes it his least sexiest work to date,” SPIN wrote. However, despite its meaningful themes, Purpose is still a “party record”, mainly due to its EDM centered production, according to Billboard. “Bieber isn’t trying to rock the club; this is psych-up music for the man in the mirror”, Billboard wrote. Children, a semi-movement-forchange anthem and Life is Worth Living, an assuring ballad, are two of the lowest moments on the album, with weak lyrics and boring tunes. Overall, the album has received generally positive reviews from critics who agree that Bieber is moving in the right direction, despite a couple of hiccups along the way. SPIN called the album Bieber’s “best album of his career”, with NME saying there were “plenty of good decisions” made. Everyone agrees that the new Bieber is reinvented and ready to take back his former position at the top of the charts.

Mockingjay Part Two ends Hunger Games series By Emily Ruthven Around Creek Editor It has been four years since Katniss Everdeen first entered the arena as the Girl on Fire. On November 20, the Hunger Games series had its emotional finale with the fourth and final installment of the story of Panem, Mockingjay: Part Two. “I’ve been watching you and you’re watching me. But dear Miss Everdeen, make no mistake, the game is coming to an end,” President Snow said in a scene of the movie. The movie picks up right where it left off in Mockingjay Part One. Katniss Everdeen takes her final fight against President Snow. However, to get into the capital, she and her allies must survive the journey through the streets of the Capital, all rigged with the sadistic traps designed by past Game-Makers. One of the most marketable quotes of the film comes when Finnick Odair comments, “welcome to the 76th Annual Hunger Games.” Ms. Everdeen must finally accept her role as the symbol of the rebellion. Advertisements for the film teased that audiences will be shocked by the ending. Megan Vick of Zap2it.com, a movie critique site, comments that, “The trailer teases that you can’t prepare for the end…” Many critics believe this to be the darkest Hunger Games film yet. Filled with tragedy and sacrifice, Rene Rodriguez of the Miama Herald commented that this installment of the trilogy will, “leave you with a feel-bad high.” The stars of the film play a huge role in its success. Fans will be happy to know that

all of their favorite stars are returning in

Tucci, Natalie Dormer and Jeffrey Wright.

the final One of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2.” (Lionsgate) film. The the most sigcast includes Jennifer Lawrence as Kat- nificant cast members of this film is Philip niss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Seymour Hoffman, who acts as a Head Mellark, Liam Hemsworth as Gale Haw- Game Maker and rebel leader in the film, thorne, and Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair. Plutarch Heavensbee. Hoffman passed Other actors include Elizabeth Banks as away in February of 2014 during the filmEffie Trinket, Woody Harrleson as Haym- ing process of Mockingjay Part One and itch, Willow Shields as Prim, Donald Mockingjay Part Two, which were filmed Sutherland as President Snow and Julianne consecutively. Mockingjay Part Two conMoore as President Coin. Smaller cast tains Hoffman’s last scene before his death. members include Jena Malone, Stanley Hoffman did not have the chance to film

some of last scenes of the movie. To solve this problem, director Francis Lawrence included a scene in which Katniss’ former mentor, Haymitch, reads a letter from Plutarch Heavensbee to Katniss. At some points in the book it is difficult to decide whether Heavensbee is on Katniss’ side. Lawrence, however, paid tribute to Hoffman by making it very clear to the audience that his character supported Katniss. The letter scene made this very evident. “It added an extra layer of emotion to the experience,” Francis Lawrence said. “To be shooting this scene that has this meaning, that’s important for the movie in terms of thematics and ideas, and was a scene that Philip was supposed to do.... And also to end, after such a long time when we’ve been away from home for so long, with the lines, ‘What now?’ ‘We go home.’ It was really just strange and poignant,” Francis Lawrence told Time magazine. Despite the limited screen time Hoffman had, his character helped leave a lasting legacy for Hoffman. Fans will be excited to know that the movie holds true to the novel. “For the most part, Francis Lawrence’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part Two is a remarkably faithful adaptation of the latter half of Collins’s Mockingjay,” Rebecca Hawkes of The Telegraph said. From the first Hunger Games in 2012, Catching Fire in 2013, Mockingjay Part One in 2014 and now finally Mockingjay Part Two in 2015, The Hunger Games series has created a lasting legacy of young adult movies. Everything must come to an end, and The Hunger Games series is no exception.

Sports

Athlete of Creek swim team begins 2015-2016 season the Month: By Troylon Grifﬁn II Managing Editor

Da’von Smith Da’von Smith has played at Creek for four years as a running back for the Varsity football team. After tearing his ACL and not being able to play his entire junior year, Da’von came back for his ﬁnal year and led his team to playoffs, allowing Creek’s football team to go the farthest they’ve gone in history. He noted that “coming back from my injury” was his greatest accomplishment during his time at Creek.

Having played in a series of invitational meets and opponent meets, Creek’s swim team has begun their 2015-2016 swimming and diving season. The team has been competing since October, the first meet being on October 14 against Baytown Sterling. The team proceeded to play Brazoswood and Clear Falls in October and against La Porte, Clements and Dulles in early November. Before and during Thanksgiving Break, the team traveled to Corpus Christi to compete in the TISCA Swimming and Diving Invitational, which took place over the course of Friday, November 20 and Saturday, November 21. The meet involved eleven swimmers and one diver. The team enjoyed success such as Madison Shrum coming in ninth place in one of the diving events, Peyton Roemer coming in ninth place in the girls’ 100 yard butterfly event and second place in the girls 500 yard freestyle event. Although they didn’t reach all the ranks, Coach Anne Woolweaver noted that nearly all the swimmers beat their personal times. During the final week of November, the team participated in a relay meet in which they donated canned goods at Lamar High School, the meet being humorously titled “TEXgiving Relays.” The team enjoyed their success as both the boys and girls teams came in fourth place.

The team’s latest meets have been against North Shore and Westside High School. Both the boys and girls team won against North Shore. Coach Woolweaver noted that this was great because many of the athletes swam events that are not even strongest. Woolweaver has noted that the biggest highlight of the season for her so

Photo courtesy of Yearbook

far is seeing how encouraging all of her returning swimmers are to the rookies. “Seeing our seniors pool side and cheering for the new swimmers, then congratulating them after good swims speaks a lot for the character of our senior class,” Woolweaver said. She highlighted the many outstanding swimmers that have performed well this year. These included Kaeden Trout, a ﬁrst year high school swimmer. “He has worked hard and improved his times in different strokes and I

am looking forward to seeing him swim at district,” Woolweaver said. Woolweaver went on to cite returning male swimmers Dalton Way and Logan Wene who have dropped their times in their events and “keep improving their times every meet”, as well as Peyton Roemer. “We are [also] very excited to have Madison Schrum diving this year as a freshman,” Woolweaver said, highlighting how Schrum medaled in her first big meet of the year. Having shown their skills as impressive swimmers and working to their own individual goals, the team is preparing as much as possible to work towards their team goal: get as many athletes and relays to the regional meet and then the state meet. Last year the team broke three of Creek’s swim records and took the first relay to state for the first time in several years. The team hopes to do even better than before and break even more of Creek’s records, and are encouraged all the way. “I tell them not to worry about the other athletes swimming, let them worry about just themselves,” she says. “Swim your race with no regrets and don’t hold back.” With regionals a long way from now, Woolweaver has expressed that the one way her team is to truly become more successful than they’ve already been is to keep working and believe in themselves and their teammates.

Ronda Rousey suffers ﬁrst ever loss By Lindsey Loechel Reporter

Keondra White Keondra White is the Creek Basketball team’s point guard. Why does she play basketball and what does she like about it? Everything. Her goal this year is to get her team to the playoffs and go as far as they can go. In her free time, when not practicing to get her team to success, she enjoys sleeping and eating.

Ronda Rousey lost to Holly Holm on November 14 after a brutal two round duel that took place at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia. The defeat ended her 12-fight winning streak, and marked the first loss in her entire MMA career. Holly Holm, also known as “The Preacher’s Daughter”, took out the 28-year-old UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion about 59 seconds into the second round. The fight lasted a total of four minutes and three seconds. Ronda Rousey’s first MMA loss may be the cause of the biggest UFC upset in history. The defeat was shocking to many of Rousey’s supporters, as she had demolished her last four opponents in a total time of two minutes and ten seconds. Rousey was undefeated until she was faced with a knockout from Holly Holm. Rousey had won 11 of 12 fights in the first round. She brought home the bronze in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. While fans were disappointed about the loss, Holly Holm was a fair contender for the title of bantamweight champion. Holly is a multiple-time world champion in boxing and defended her title 18 times in three weight classes. Holm is the first person to win championships

in both boxing and mixed martial arts. 34 year old Holly Holm is a worldrenowned boxing expert, whereas Ronda Rousey has a reputation for insane ground ﬁghting or grappling skills. The win could have gone to either ﬁghter, as the matchup

Courtesy of Ronda Rousey’s website

was fairly even in skill level. Many are saying that Rousey lost because she was lacking in boxing skills, but that if the opponents had wound up on the ground then there would have been no way out for Holm. The ﬁght came to a rather dramatic close when Holm landed a brutal kick to Rousey’s neck, following up with a rough punch to the head after Rousey hit the ground unconscious. The referee, Herb Dean, frantically put an end to Holm’s advances as a knockout was called. “Holm made Rousey look like an amateur,” reported Ring Magazine.

Following her downfall, medical personnel immediately crowded around to examine the injured Rousey, and the decision was made to send her to the hospital. “She was transported [to the hospital] because she got knocked out,” UFC President Dana White said when asked about the extent of Rousey’s injuries. “Then her lip was split in half, so they had to sew her lip.” While Rousey moved to 12-1 in her UFC career, Holm shifted up the ladder, gaining both a 10-0 win/loss ratio as well as the title of Women’s Bantamweight Champion. Immediately after the fight, Ronda went into hiding for two weeks to allow her face to heal. “She took some serious mug damage but looks no worse for wear,” reports TMZ. Rousey required plastic surgery to fix her busted lip. The surgery was prompted by her desire to pursue an acting career. Rousey was issued a medical suspension by the UFC for 180 days unless she presents a head CT that reveals no damage. Even with the CT, she cannot fight for at least 60 days and must avoid fighting contact or training for 45 days. However, Ronda assures her fans she will be back. “I just want to thank everyone for their love and support. I appreciate the concerns about my health, but I’m fine…As I had mentioned before, I’m going to take a little bit of time, but I’ll be back,” Rousey posted on Instagram to reassure her fans.

Sports

Basketball legend Kobe Bryant retires after 20 seasons By Anna Scheuring Reporter It is inevitable that all things must come to an end. This was evident on November 29, when basketball player Kobe Bryant announced his plans of retiring from the sport after a 20 year long career. The thirty-seven year old certainly earned his successful title. The Lakers shooting guard has wrapped up dozens of achievements, including the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player Award, a 5-time NBA champion, 17-time NBA All Star Team selection, 2-time NBA Finals MVP, an NBA regular season leader and many other various accomplishments that have placed him in the basketball Hall of Fame. In the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, Bryant received two gold medals. In 2007, ESPN named Bryant the second greatest shooting guard in NBA history, next to Michael Jordan. Bryant began his professional basketball career upon his high school graduation, making history as the sixth person to ever transition from high school to the NBA. Kobe Bryant is still one of the youngest players to be drafted in NBA, as he began his professional career at only 17 years of age. Bryant was included in the 1st round draft, 13th picked, to the Charlotte Hornets, then later traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. In his rookie season, he became the youngest player to ever play in an NBA game at 18 years old. He went on to become the youngest NBA All-Star in National Basketball League history. Bryant’s skills on the court had sportswrit-

ers comparing his talents to legends such as Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. In the 1999-2002 season, Bryant’s tal-

fered a knee injury in a match up against the Memphis Grizzlies, after scoring 21 points, his season high. Bryant was side-

The Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant reacts after missing a shot against the Philadelphia 76ers in the ﬁnal minutes of the fourth quarter at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015. The Sixers won their ﬁrst game of the season, 103-91. (Charles Fox/Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)

ents at guard blossomed. Bryant led his team to ﬁve Championships, and was a main part of the success of the Lakers. In the 2013 season, Bryant signed a two-year contract with the Lakers to continue his career, making him the ﬁrst NBA player to play with the same franchise for twenty years. Injuries began to plague the player and slowed him down. After returning from an Achilles injury, Bryant suf-

lined until the 2014-2015 season began. At the age of 37, the basketball star’s skills have diminished from his prime. Though his skills are not comparable to that of his youth, he is still a successful player. At 36, Bryant became the ﬁrst NBA player to ever score 30 points, have 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a game. Kobe Bryant also became the third all-time leading scorer in the NBA on December 14, surpassing

Michael Jordan’s point record of 39,292. Kobe Bryant continued to break records, but he was again struck by injury on January 21, 2015, suffering a rotator cuff tear to his right shoulder. An emphasis on the player’s talent was evident when the righthand player returned in the game and continued to play, dribbling, passing, and shooting with his left hand. A surgery to repair his right shoulder eliminated him from the 2014-15 season. Entering the 20152016, Bryant was hit with a calf injury that benched him until the ﬁrst season opener. Kobe Bryant continues to play with the Lakers, though their season seems to be on a downhill slope, with only two wins and 12 losses. The player does not deny the harsh opinions of his current playing skills. “I freaking suck” said Bryant on his current season. The aging, injury-plagued player silenced the questioning of all with his announcement of his retirement. An emotional poem love-letter to basketball was released at the end of November, revealing Bryant’s feelings toward his retirement and the game he is leaving behind. “You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream/And I’ll always love you for it/But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer/This season is all I have left to give...My body knows it’s time to say goodbye.” Bryant said in his poem. Bryant will hang up his jersey and retire his number 24, certainly leaving a legacy. For the remainder of the 2015-16 season, Bryant is playing each game as a last, enjoying the moments.

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