Varsity Football has succesfful preseason pg. 16
Apples debuts iPhone 7 pg. 4
Fifth Harmony concert pg. 14
CCISD begins integrating new English curriculum By Troylon Griffin II Editor-in-Chief
As Clear Creek and its relative schools in CCISD start their 2016-17 school year, they face many changes. One of these changes in particular is the beginning of a new method of teaching in English and language arts classes. The most prominent change in the English curriculum is that school semesters will no longer revolve around one book being read or taught to a whole class. Instead, students will be given a variety of books to choose and learn from every semester. This is the district’s first attempt at emphasizing the idea of “choice” in reading classes. Both language arts coordinators and teachers explained that the changes were an attempt to emphasize the idea of personalized learning, and make students more willing to read and have a desire to learn, as well as become better readers. William Eastman, the curriculum coordinator for high school English language and secondary world languages, explained that the change is nothing new and that the idea of making English classes being more personalized in learning has been four years in the making. “About four years ago, the district implemented a new strategic plan, and the first strategy was to focus on personalized learning for students.” Eastman said. Eastman explained the meaning behind personalized learning, saying that the concept was to make learning unique and different for every individual. “Students have all come to us from different backgrounds, and with different skills and strengths and weaknesses,” Eastman said. “We want to treat each one individually and personalize how we meet them with instruction, and ultimately optimize their learning. That strategic plan was [proposed] about four years ago, and the first action step to that strategy was a curriculum that supported student choice.” The idea of personalizing students’ learning and create a more student-driven classroom was supported by research that gave the idea scientific merit. After the process of deciding how to implement this, they decided that students being able to choose from a variety of books was their best option. “What researchers had told us for years now, when it comes to what works best in literary practices, is that a reading life is developed when we can hook a student based on their interests and motivation for reading,” Eastman said. “So choice in the ELA classroom gives students the change to see what connects with them. We don’t want students leaving high school saying ‘Ugh I’m glad I don’t have to ever read an assigned book.’ We want them to leave saying ‘Where’s the next book for me to read?’” The changes extend well beyond high schools, to the point where all levels of
public schools in CCISD are now beginning to enact selective reading in classes, whether it be elementary, intermediate, on-level classes or AP and GT classes. Two of Creek’s English teachers, Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Becker helped develop the idea of personalized learning
them read it was “just not working.” Towards the end of the 2015-16 school year, both he and Mrs. Thompson began to work on a new way of teaching the AP English Language course in a way that students would be given various options to choose from. Fontenot saw it as the best way for
with the other English Helen Becker demonstrates new English curriculum. students to take Photo by Hanna Wingaurd staff at Creek. The two “ownership” explained that the inteof their educagration of student choice was not exactly tion and be more engaged in their learna change in the curriculum itself, but a ing, something he felt had been missing change in how the district approaches it. in his classroom and school as a whole. Becker and Thomp“I think we need to do whatever we can son both spoke on how the curricu- to get students to take ownership of their lum is driven by state standards that education,” Fontenot said. “When people were revised and established in 2009. take ownership of things, they put more Thompson and Becker both sup- effort and passion into it, and that’s what ported Eastman’s statement on how was missing. What I had in my classroom the new system was backed by re- was compliance. They did what I asked but search showing it would work. that’s not enough. If I really want to educate “The research has been going on them, I need more than this ritual complifor years, and what the research ulti- ance. I need to get them to choose to particmately proves is that when students ipate, not just go through the motions of it.” have choice in what they’re reading and Fontenot noted that student engagealso in how they’re assessed, the learn- ment was the driving force behind eving becomes more evident and value.” ery change he made to his classroom. Thompson said. “So if the student has “If I can’t get real engagement, I can’t choice in their reading, they’re more do the deep teaching I want to do and have likely to pick books that interest them.” the deep learning that I want to occur. So Thompson had previously taught the main question that’s been driving all the eleventh grade AP English Language the main changes for my classroom is ‘Will and Composition course with long time this improve student engagement and ownCreek English teacher Mr. Ken Fontenot. ership of their learning?’ and if the answer Coincidentally enough, Fontenot had is yes, we do it, and if not, we don’t do it.” already begun to reorganize how his class Like his contemporaries and cowould be taught to make it more about choice. workers, Fontenot’s choice to go with the Fontenot explained how he realized changes were driven by his own personal early on that the old system of assigning research from reading of brain science, cogone book to an entire class and having nitive science and cognitive psychology.
“I’ve just been reading a lot over the years that supports this direction.” Fontenot said. “Coincidentally, the district was moving in the same direction.” The idea of student choice and personalized learning can already be seen in both Mrs. Thompson and Mr. Fontenot’s classes. Previously, books like Huckleberry Finn and Catch-22 were books that Mr. Fontenot taught his entire class at certain parts of the year, but now they are two of the many options students can choose from during their unit study on novels. Nevertheless, the concept is still in its transitioning phase, and therefore, students will still read at least one book together as a class. This includes the classic dystopian novel 1984 in sophomore English, The Great Gatsby in junior English and Invisible Man in senior English. Mr. Fontenot and Mrs. Thompson have noted that this is a new and experimental way of teaching, and therefore little steps must be taken as the new system is integrated into classrooms. Fontenot explained this was something Mr. Eastman understood in starting the new method and something he was glad about. “I think he’s doing a really great job of acknowledging you can’t do everything overnight,” Fontenot said. “You got to give teachers time to transition and I think he really understands the need for it.” Overall, as this new method of teaching begins to be integrated into English classrooms around the district, many are feeling quite positive about the future of the system and its stance in English classes. Mr. Fontenot feels this is now the best way to teach his students and make them truly interested in reading. “I think this is an inevitable step if we are to get students to take ownership of their learning, which is ultimately my goal.” Fontenot said. Mrs. Thompson expressed similar thoughts in her final words on the subject. “I am optimistic about giving students the freedom, and trusting them enough, to take ownership of their learning,” Thompson said. “I think trusting my kids to take ownership of their learning is my ultimate goal. I want my students to be able to think for themselves and not rely on others, and what better way to help them do that than giving them a choice in what they read? I just hope that from that students will grow into better readers and writers.”
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Opinion
What’s your favorite part of fall and why?
Freshmen “Its cold, so I have more of a reason to stay inside.” -Chloe Crepinsak “I like that you can always hear birds singing almost every morning and how the weather feels somewhat normal.” -Luke Shelly
Seniors
“I like the crunch of leaves under my feet after they fall from the tree.” -Rolly Ojo
“The band competitions are a lot of fun.” -Nicholas Duggar
“I like the fall fashion and the pumpkin spice flavors.” -Madison Fielding
“I can go outside without the sudden urge to go back inside for air conditioning.” -Michelle Bravo
Sophomores “I like the weather and the clothes i get to wear.” -Camryn Smith
“I love the weather when it starts to get cold outside and the leaves start to change color.” -Emma Barnes
“Football season is the best because i get to watch it with my family.” -Lacy Mixom “Football season, scented candles, and the bonds we create with our friends.” - Chandlar Fuller
Juniors “I like Playing in the stands at the football games.” -Jadell Scott
“I like putting halloween decorations in my front yard.” -Amanda Martinez
“Homecoming: like doing your mum and going to the football game with your friends.” -Celeste Sanchez
“The air feels less like hot soup in the fall and its great.” -Morgan Penrod
“What I like about fall is when the air gets cool and when the leaves on the tree turn brown. I don’t know what it is, but it’s something about fall that makes me so excited or super pumped during the day.” -Marvin Moreno
“I like not sweating everytime i walk to class and being able to wear scarves.” -Sidney Plunkett “As a cheerleader I love
football, football season, pep rallies, and Homecoming!” -Claire Crawford
“I love pumpkin patch- “My favorite park of fall es because theyre fun is spending thanksgiving break with my family.” to go to.” -Hunter Hurst -Kiana Alihossini
2016-2017 HiLife Staff Principal: Jamey Majewski Advisor: Wynette Jameson Editor-in-Chief: Emily Ruthven Troylon GriffinII Managing Editor: Issac Villarreal Design Editor: Hannah Pearson Features Editor: Brittney Melanson Sierra Dickey News Editor: Fizza Gilani Teen Interest Editor: Catherine Irvine Sports Editors: Troylon Griffin II Around Creek Editor: Emily Ruthven Advertising Manager: Issac Villerreal Photo Editor: Hannah Pearson Katie Rodriguez Online Editors: Haley Johnson Gabby Martinez Photographers: Reporters: Alyssa Hutchison Joana Mancia Lilo Shelley Minha Siddiqui `
Dakota Wingard Skylar Threadgill Jose Mares Jr. Justin Staton Veronica Brown
Published at Mirror Publishers in Texas City Visit us at: http://clearcreekhighschool.ihigh.com or www.creekhilife.com For ad rates call: (281)284-1889 Fax: (281)316-0587
Editorial
3
Emily’s Editorial: Are we sexist today?
By Emily Ruthven Editor-in-Chief
Although the social status of women has improved over time, sexism is still very evident in today’s modern societies. One of the most subtle yet disturbing forms of modern sexism occurs in the workplace, where women are treated as if they have a lesser value than men. It has been proven that females make significantly less money than men typically earn. On average in the United States, women only make 79 percent of the amount of money men make according to The Simple Truth About Gender Pay Gap. Men tend to hold most of the leadership positions in the work place, such as being a CEO, doctor, lawyer or CFO. While the ratio of men to women in these occupations is steadily increasing, women often still make less money for the same job. Women CFOs on average make approximately 16 percent less than that of what male CFOs make. It was also found that female CEOs’ salaries
tend to only be 85 percent of the amount of male CEOs’ salaries. according to Women Executives Earn Less Than Their Male Counterparts. These sources show just how evident and real the gender pay gap is; it shows how women are not being valued at the same level men are, despite the fact that females are equally capable in their occupations. Sources show that in 1990, adult women were just as likely to earn a bachelor’s degree as men were , and as of 2014, women make up nearly 50 percent of the total students in administration, law and medical graduate programs. Despite women’s strong academic achievements, old customs that view men as the dominant sex remain prevalent in the workplace. These immoral values prevent women from advancing socially, as well as economically. Globally, women are not nearly as present in politics as men are. Women have travelled a long road to get where they are today in the political world. It took nearly 100 years of peaceful protesting for women to gain the right to vote in the U.S through the 19th amendment. Up until that point, women were viewed as unworthy to participate in the decisions that would affect their lives. Women tend to hold significantly less political positions than men do globally. The Inter-Parliamentary Union reported that women currently only hold 20 percent of all the seats in parliament across the globe. On an even more drastic note, there are still countries that don’t allow women to vote. Some of these places include Brunei, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates and Vatican
City. Women’s under-representation in global politics will only further continue the problem of the discrimination of women because females will not be represented in global governments, thus causing males to become more negligible of the civil rights of all women. Society holds women to different standards than they do men. Double Standards are very prevalent today. Women are expected to have fewer partners that men. It is seen as more socially acceptable for men to have more partners then women. When men have intimate relations with several women, they are often complimented and are sometimes viewed as more of a man. However, when a woman does the same, she is labeled as a promiscuous person with little moral values. According to the New York Times, women labeled as promiscuous were negatively viewed by both men and women. There are many other standards that are held to women that aren’t held to men. For one, being messy is not exactly seen as feminine. In slightly older values, the women stayed home and cleaned the house. Those values can still be seen today, only they are more subtle. One of the most prominent forms of double standards comes in the form of assertiveness. For example, when a male is assertive to a group of coworkers, he is commonly seen as driven, committed and as a leader. However when a woman does the same, often times she is seen as controlling, power-hungry and is just overall viewed in a negative light. In addition, women are held to a much
higher beauty standard than men. For women, being thin is seen as a necessity for being successful in life. Being a slim young woman will lead to more job and life opportunities than would appear for a woman who is not considered slender. Further elaborating on that, “media images associate thinness with material success,” according to The New York Times. There is a popular television show entitled Toddlers and Tiaras, which glorifies the world of child pageantry. Girls practice for months and months perfecting their routine. Their mothers purchase outrageously expensive and often revealing dresses and costumes for the girls to wear. The little girls competing on the show often wear heavy amounts of makeup and are “trained to look and act like sexual bait,” according to Nancy Irwin, Psy.D. Girls as young as three months old are presented in front of a panel of judges where they are given a score on how likeable and beautiful they are. They are presented as objects, not people. And worst of all, when the girls don’t win first place, they bawl; they are devastated. These young girls have learned that their value is determined by their beauty and likeability rather than their personality or intelligence. Those who say sexism is dead are ignorant of all of the discriminations women and girls face daily. If sexism is truly dead, why do women consistently make less money than men, are nearly absent in the world of politics, and objectified by society? The belief that men are superior to women still very much exists.
Troylon’s Talks: Legacy of Star Trek
By Troylon Griffin II Editor-in-Chief September 8 marks the 50th anniversary of the Star Trek franchise, one of the longest running science fiction franchises in history. As the series finds itself turning 50 years old, it finds itself still going strong as this year saw the release of the 13thfilm in the franchise, with a sequel being in works, and a new series, Star Trek: Discovery, set to premiere in January 2017. Star Trek was created by screenwriter and producer Gene Roddenberry and was developed in the early sixties. Roddenberry envisioned the series as a western in space, particularly inspired by the classic western show Wagon Train, which centered on a group of people traveling in a wagon, encountering various people and having various adventures. This concept of “Wagon Train to the stars” would develop into the now iconic series that centered on the intergalactic adventures of Captain
James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Starship Enterprise. In the spirit of Wagon Train, the series saw Captain Kirk and his crew encounter various villains and encounters as they explored the final frontier of space “to boldly go where no man has gone before.” Today, many may not realize just how much they owe or should give credit to the Star Trek franchise, whether it be in entertainment, or the real world. It’s very clear that Star Trek broke entire new grounds in science fiction and storytelling when it premiered in 1966. While obviously dated today, the effects were groundbreaking for their time, and the plots and stories were ones that paved the way for many of other science fiction franchises we have today. George Lucas, the creator of Star Trek’s rival series Star Wars has gone on record saying that there would not be a Star Wars had there not been a Star Trek. In a documentary that compares the two series, George Lucas and Gene Roddenberry are both seen praising each other’s series, with George Lucas recalling that Star Trek influenced him while writing Star Wars. Star Trek’s focus on science while also having philosophical themes that explored humanity and the human experience paved the way for a formula now very common in science
fiction. The impact of its presentation of a highly advanced future can clearly be seen in various science fiction media today. One should also consider the ground that Star Trek broke in television as a whole. The original series was one of the
“Inside you is the potential to make yourself better, and that is what it is to be human. To make yourself more than what you are.” -Captain Jean-Luc Piccard first to have a multiracial cast, presenting Asians and African Americans in a positive roles. Whoopi Goldberg, who would go on to star in the spin off series Star Trek: The Next Generation recalled how when she saw African American Nichelle Nichols on Star Trek as Nyota Uhura, she ran to her mother and said, “Mama! There’s a black woman on television and she ain’t no maid!” The series presented a future in which humanity had moved past the ideas of racism and bigotry, and it was this theme that resonated with many fans of the show, including Martin Luther
King Jr, who told Nichelle Nichols that she must stay on the show to continue conveying this theme and inspiring thousands of viewers around the world. Besides its impact in storytelling and social issues, the show has had an impact on our technology as well. The communicators used by characters in Star Trek is what inspired inventor Martin Cooper to develop the cell phone. Yes, a science fiction show is the reason we have the device that some people can’t take their eyes off of. There are many engineers, physicists and doctors who have said that it was characters like Montgomery Scott and Leonard McCoy, and the original Star Trek in general that inspired them to go into their fields. Of course, NASA began to use the cast as a way to further promote the idea of space exploration, and the show itself inspired scientists and young viewers to either further their interests in space exploration or develop such an interest. The series’ futuristic technology brought to many scientists’ attention the ideas of teleportation and nanotechnology as well. Overall, it is hard to say if there’s any other franchise that has impacted both the real world and world of storytelling as much as Star Trek. The series is also one of the longest running franchises in history, not just in science fiction, but in media as a whole, and as the series finds itself with several more movies planned, and a new series set to air in January next year, it’s safe to say the Star Trek franchise will live long and prosper.
4
News
Apple releases long awaited iPhone 7 and iOS 10 By DeAundrea Edwards Reporter
Apple has once again begun the launch of a new version of the iPhone. There was an event held at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, to inform people about the new iPhones on September 7, 2016. The iPhone 7 and 7 plus are water and dust resistant; this means people are able to take both phones up to 1-meterdeep underwater for about 30 minutes. The two new devices maintain the same look as the 2015’s iPhone 6s and 6s plus. These phones even share the same screen sizes. The iPhone 7 has a 4.7-inch screen display with a resolution of 1,334 x 750 pixels. The iPhone 7 plus has a 5.5-inch screen plus a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. Both devices display a wide color gamut and the screens are 22 percent brighter than the iPhone 6s and 6s plus. But people can still notice the differences. Both devices feature a “pristine, mirror-like surface” with a high-gloss finish. According to Apple, the high-gloss finish of the jet black iPhone 7 is achieved through a precision ninestep anodization and polishing process. Its surface is equally as hard as other anodized Apple products, such as the iPhone 6s and 6s plus; however, its high shine may show fine micro-abrasions with use. If customers are concerned about this, Apple suggested they use one of the many cases available to protect an iPhone. Apple has lots of colors coming with the iPhone 7 and plus, adding to the
silver, gold, and rose-gold, people can now choose from a matte black color and a glossy “jet black”, which takes up for the famous space grey color. Apple has taken out the antenna bands from the new iPhones. Instead of being on the bottom or top, they visible on the top and bottom edges. The most noticeable difference is on the iPhone 7 plus. It features dual-cameras on the rear, similar to smartphones like the LG G5. Apple has upgraded the iconic home button. It now features a new version of the touch ID sensor and is now pressuresensitive. It doesn’t actually click anymore, but simulates a vibration like the force touch on mac books. “New feelings and experiences”, are being offered for the new force touch home button. Both iPhones now have stereo speakers, both at the top and bottom of the devices. The stereo speakers are exactly where the headphones jack used to be, the devices no longer have the 3.5mm headphone jack anymore. This means people have to rely on the Earpods that Apple offers for $160, or upgrade to a pair of Bluetooth Earbuds. The only thing bad about the new Apple Earpods is that they cannot be charged and used at the same time. Because there is no headphone jack, Apple has prompted a new improved wireless audio, the result is the W1 wireless chip. Its implemented in the Airpods, which are wireless and has a 5-hour battery life. They aren’t included in the box, so customers have to buy them separate. Apple utilizes their most powerful
processor ever, the A10 Fusion. It’s a 64bit quad-core processor that’s 40 percent faster than the A9, which is from the iPhone 6 and 6s plus. Apple has designed a performance controller to determine which actions make use of highperformance cores and high-efficiency cores. For example, checking one’s email will be powered by the high-efficiency cores, which saves battery life. The processor also improves the new devices graphics, which is 50 percent faster than the A9. The iPhone 7 also comes with 2GB of RAM, and the 7 plus comes with 3GB. The battery life is the best compared to previous iPhones. The Cupertino company says the iPhone 7 lasts 2 more hours than the iPhone 6s, and the 7 plus will add an additional hour over the 6s plus. Apple has improved the camera making it a “spectacular” camera, says the Cupertino company. But people will have to spend a little more money to have the 5.5-inch variant for an even better one. The 7 plus is the first phone with a dualcamera system. The 12-megapixel camera has a 28mm wide-angle lens with a f/1.8 aperture, and a high-speed sensor that’s 60 percent faster than before. The camera features an optical image stabilization, with a 30 percent more efficient energy. The new image signal processor offers twice the throughput of Apple’s previous ISP, Apple even upgraded the True Tone flash, it has four LEDs that has 50 percent more light. A new flicker is also added for acritical lights and brighter images. An interesting fact about the new iPhones is that the camera can detect faces and
bodies and offers a wide color capture. When its take a picture there are 100 billion operations going on in the phone for a span of 25 milliseconds. On the front of the 7 and 7 plus, the selfie camera has jumped to 7 megapixels, that also features a wide color capture and automatic image stabilization. The iPhone 7 plus has the same camera as the 7 but has another 12-megapixel camera next to it, this one’s a 56mmtelephoto lens with an f/2.8 aperture. When taking a picture, a 1x icon will pop up in the camera. Which will be abled to drag from 1x to 10x, this lets you zoom into spectacularlydetailed images for a better crop. This camera uses a 2x optical zoom, which switches to a digital zoom when you move closer to 10x. Apple’s camera engineers are currently working on a new bokeh effect. It adds a blur effect to the backdrop of images for more depth. This feature can turn off or on, and customers can also see a live preview of it before they take a picture. The iPhone 7 and 7 plus were up for pre-order on September 9, and was officially available on September 16. The company had roll out IOS 10 three days before the phones were available. The iPhone 7 starts at $649 and for the first time there is no longer a 16GB storage option. Now, people may choose 128GB, 32GB, and 256GB. But the jet black color only has a 256GB and 128GB internal storage option. The iPhone 7 plus starts at $769 with the same storage options.
project for three years “Millican said. Despite using certificates of obligation for about 10 million in other capital projects, the senior city staff members still recommend the shelter question the voters. On behalf of the city manager Mark Rohr, who was absent during the June 28 meeting, John Baumgartner deputy city manager says, “What better way to find out what the citizens feel about funding an animal shelter than to put it on the ballot and let them decide for themselves”. According to Mayor Pat Hallisey, nobody seems concerned about what residents think about other projects that were being brought forward, such as the renovation of all the buildings on Walker Street, 40 million spent on the sewer plant on the southwest side of town or the downtown project. “We are a representative democracy, which means we get elected to make tough calls”, Hallisey said. “Anytime we don’t want to make a tough call, we say, ‘Let’s put it before voters.’ There’s some courage you have to take up here. This has been put off and put off for so many times”. A capital improvement plan is a
short-range plan, that identifies capital projects, which usually lasts 4 to 10 years. Capital Projects improve or maintain a city asset. An improvement must be a new replacement for an existing facility, construction project, renovation or an expansion project. Rohr argued that there was a distinction between the core infrastructure projects, such as the storm water improvements, 5 Corners realignment, the city’s annual sanitary sewer Monica rehabilitation and the construction on Calder Road, and the animal shelter project. “Including this project, without boosting the revenues to fund it, puts us even further behind with respect to the $22 million dollar a year shortfall in basic infrastructure funding that we have been discussing for months now,” Rohr said. Councilman Dan Becker repeated Rohr’s concerns and reminded a crowd of residents at the council chambers that there will be a tax increase if the city spends money on the shelter project. “There’s no big cigar box we got our money out of”, Becker said. “We will have to impose a tax increase on every citizen in League City, not just you folks
in this room. I like most dogs more than I like most people, but when we look at the numbers and the incremental coasts of what this will cost, the money has to come from somewhere”. Councilman Nick Long says that the project will probably fall back, in need of improvements in water systems and roads. He prefers to put it on a referendum. “I think putting it on the CIP is kicking the can down the road, “Long said. “On the capital improvement program, it’s not like we have a lot of extra space”. Projects, that have already been added to the capital improvement program, are being questioned by Long. He asked would they ever move down the list. “Would it be the water project? Road project?” Long said. “I think it’s fine to put this on the CIP, but it puts it at risk of not getting done this year at all. Putting it on the ballot, I think it will pass and we could get it done sooner”. Because of the rapid growing community, a new animal shelter will be built up to the next 40 years. Fort Worth-based firm Quorum Architects, who serves as shelter designers for municipalities across Texas, recommended the construction of a 19,000-square-foot shelter to handle the growing number of animals the shelter takes in each year. Both council members and residents have described the existing shelter as “deplorable”.
Local animal shelter launches new expansion plan
DeAundrea Edwards Reporter
League City Animal Shelter has added a new 6.5-million-dollar expansion to its capital improvement program. Monica Millican, President of Friends League City Animal Shelter, believes the expansion will increase the number of animal adoptions, volunteers and donations. Millican also said that some volunteers would be disturbed knowing that a shelter with poor conditions may have to sacrifice a healthy dog or cat to make room for other animals. Since the shelter impounds 12 percent of their animals, they are going to cut 10 percent, which means only animals that can’t be treated or rehabilitated will be killed. “We’re not going for all the bells and whistles, “Millican said, “but we are aspiring to be an adequate, no-kill adoption facility”. Just because everyone seems to agree on the new expansion does not mean the project will immediately be accepted. On June 28, the city council voted to add the long-discussed project to the capital improvement program before putting the decision up forth to voters in November’s referendum. This means the project will be paid by revenue bonds or general obligation, which requires voter approval. In recent months, the League City Animals’ Shelter expressed that they were concerned about putting out the issue towards the voters because they were afraid it wouldn’t pass. “It’s not that I don’t trust the public to vote, but if you put something to a referendum and its voted down, then you can’t do something related to the
“We are a representatve democracy, which means we get elected to make tough calls. Anytime we don’t want to make a tough call, we say ‘Let’s put it before voters’.” -Mayor Pat Hallisey
6
Around Creek
Creek band debuts halftime Dark Side of the Rainbow
By Emily Ruthven Editor-in-Chief
The Clear Creek Band program has undergone many changes throughout the last three years, receiving a new director for each. This year however, the band has established a new standard of excellence and a culture of discipline, efficiency and competitiveness among other bands, thanks to the new head band director, Mr. Daniel. Mr. Daniel hopes to “build a more cohesive family atmosphere.” He continued, “I want every kid to feel like they are an active member of the group. We want to improve but also have fun.” The band began working on the first of August, first learning how to march, as well as the music for the show. The band set a high standard for the rest of the season when they accomplished placing the entire opener on the field with music at the conclusion of summer band, a feat that has not been pulled off in years. The band has already “improved so much from last year,” senior Jordan Frere said. This year’s show, entitled The Dark Side of the Rainbow, includes excerpts from The Wizard of Oz’s Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” and Wicked’s Defying Gravity, and consists of three movements: an opener, the ballad, and the closer. The opener is a favorite of many, as it is full of “energy” and “excitement,” according to Assistant Director Mr. Williams. The band’s marching style has been refined from last year to include a straight leg technique. The production also contains various visuals throughout, a woodwind feature, a trombone duet consisting of juniors Jason Keyzer and Jake Hinkel, a saxophone solo by sophomore Joshua Oh, a mellophone solo by senior Cameron Batchel, as well as a baritone solo by senior Josh Herzfeld. “I am really excited for our band to begin competing this season. I think we have a really excellent show and the rest of the band members are really starting to focus in. When we all give one hundred percent, everything looks amazing,” senior Diego Avila said. This year, the band will be competing in various marching competitions such as the CCISD Extravabandza, the Galena Park Marching Competition, UIL and the Area Competition at the Berry Center. “We want to compete at a much higher level than we have in past years,” Jordan Better said.
The class of 2017 is determined to leave a lasting legacy of greatness, transcending all the effort, both musically and physically, that they have invested into this season into current and future Wildcat band members.
major, as he spent last year conducting alongside 2016 seniors Zac Cooper and Jessica Heerboth. Avila commented that last year was “a great experience for me because I was able to learn how to be a leader in this band program from some
“I want to of the best people Photo by Hanna Wingard leave something I know.” He conbehind that didn’t tinued, “our new exist when I joined band in 2014 set of drum majors is super productive.” as a freshman,” Better said. Isadore echoed Avila, as she This year’s leadership, consisting pribelieves the group to be, “condumarily of seniors, is doing just that. Section cive to positive progress among leaders consist of Tori Messmer for flute, the band,” and “open minded.” Emily Ruthven for clarinet, Diego GarA successful group of drum macia for saxophones and low reeds, Sarah jors is often difficult to form, as many Faske for trumpet, Cameron Batchtel for drum majors hold strong opinions mellophone, Jake Hinkel for trombone… and leadership qualities, which can Josh Herzfeld for tuba and baritone, sometimes cause a clash amongst the Nate Judas for drumline and Vanessa Eaton group. This year, however, the drum for pit. Captains include Jordan Frere, Josh majors have all been friends for many Herzfeld, Dylan Rydl and Jacob Machula. years now and know how to cooper“The position of captain appealed ate and appreciate one another’s ideas. to me because it allowed me to have “These are the best four people a significant amount of influence and that could be doing it. Everything has still march,” said Jacob Machula. really worked out for the best,” Better The 2016-2017 drum major team is added. “I am really excited to go into comprised of seniors Diego Avila, Brandi competitions with the other drum maIsadore and Jordan Better, as well as junior jors. I think we share a lot of the same Jason Keyzer. The process of becoming beliefs and goals, which really makes a drum major for this season were much everything run a lot more smoothly.” more rigorous than in years past, resulting Marching rehearsal begins at apin four extremely qualified band members proximately 3:30 every school day, with to lead the ensemble. Three of the four the exception of Monday, in which the also attended SASI, a four-day leadership band rehearses in the Veterans Memocamp designed for incoming drum majors, rial Stadium from 6:00-9:00. In order in order to help them to perfect their conto achieve success this year, the band ducting patterns and create their salute. will need to focus and “treat every reAvila is a returning and head drum hearsal as if it were a performance,”
according to Isadore. “It is imperative that we continue to strive for excellence throughout the entire season.” For many band students, the best thing about marching season is the football games. The band engages in various dances to songs such as Wade in the Water and Dad, traditions during the fourth quarter such as “Hey Band!”, as well as several cadences performed by the drumline and percussion. Wade in the Water has been a band favorite for many years now because it “gets everyone in the band involved and e n e rg i z e d , ” according to senior Hannah Kapfer. “We rehearse so much, so the football games really add the ‘fun’ factor to band,” Kapfer continued. This is true, especially in the fourth quarter of the game or the Wildcats go into overtime. “That is when everything is so hyped up. We tend to play a lot more towards the end of the game to amplify the spirit of the fans, as well as the team,” Herzfeld said. One of the most prominent aspects of band is the family dynamic. Whilst in marching band, students spend copious amounts of early mornings, late nights and countless rehearsals together. “Above all, band is a family. My favorite part of band is the people involved,” Avila said. “We spend at least eight hours a week together, so its hard not to grow closer together.” The band’s marching season extends until the end of the Wildcat varsity football season, so there will be a large amount of time to rehearse and perfect the show. With the recent changes, this season has the possibility to become “our most successful year as a band since my freshman year,” Avila said. The feeling is mutual throughout the program, including the new director. Mr. Daniel is “excited to see what the kids can do at marching competitions, region band auditions, solo and ensemble competition,” as well as concert band UIL in the spring.
Around Creek
7
Fashion Club fundraises with project Mums4Mums By Brittney Melanson Features Editor
In the past few weeks, Mrs. Geise and her advanced fashion design students have been organizing a new fundraiser called Mums4Mums. Mums4Mums is a fundraiser to raise money for Bay Area Turning Point, a facility in the Clear Lake area that helps women and families in need who have suffered from domestic violence. They run a shelter that families can go to for support and advice. The fashion students goal is for 300 students to donate $20 each which would raise $6000 and run the entire shelter throughout the holidays. Bay Area Turning Point opened in 1991 and since then has provided 24,137 shelter days for 226 children and 264 adults, served 96,548 meals and booked 24,244.5 hours of childcare. For every $45 donation they receive, they are able to provide a safe haven for two children and an adult for one night. Former board of directories member, Robert Heselmeyer says, “I cannot ignore the fact that Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault are serious problems in our community. It is painful to think about how lives, primarily women and children, are devastated by those acts of violence. I consider volunteering in various ways and providing financial support to BATP as one of the most meaningful ways I can spend my time and money so that BATP can help the victims who so desperately need it. Serving on the Board of Directors gives me insight into the many ways that BATP supports and advocates for the victims, changing and saving lives in the process.” Bay Area Turning Point also has a resale shop that provides clothes and other necessities, free of charge, for their clients who have left home and are
starting a new life. The resale shop also generates funds that support the clients at the shelter, counseling, and advocacy Aliyah Thomas enjoys being a part of
for no mum, go for a smaller mum, or just spend twenty dollars less on their mum and donate to the Mums4Mums fundraiser. In return for donating twenty
Photo by Brittney Melanson
this fundraiser because, “Mums4Mums is a better and cheaper alternative rather than buying a mum for yourself.” This year students are asked to opt
dollars to Bay Area Turning Point you will receive a maroon shirt that says, “Make an impact, CCHS HOCO” on the front and, “Mums4Mums” on the back. “I think its important for the kids to
understand that there are other things going on besides these little things,” Mrs. Geise says, “There will be kids coming to school who feel bad because their mums aren’t as big or extravagant as others and that’s not the real issue, the real issue is there’s families in need and we’re trying to get them the support they need. Last year Aledia Soleky spent around $200 on a mum she only wore once, “This is a better cause to put my money toward and knowing I helped someone makes it all worth it.” To donate you can find any fashion design student and they’ll have information on it or stop by G117 or any pod secretary and they will have a donation slip where you can pick the size of your shirt and the room number where they can deliver it to. Orders will be taken from now through October 28th, homecoming day. Faith Mathews says, “You spend so much money on a mum that you’re only going to wear for 8 hours then do nothing with it for the rest of your life. Why not spend less money and give back to your community?” Overall, this whole experience has been beneficial to all the girls in fashion club and especially to the woman and families being helped buy this organization.
Pumpkin Patches
League City United Methodist Church- 11am to 7pm Saturdays 12pm to 7:30pm Sundays in October Pasadena Bay Area Junior Forum Fall Market and Pumpkin Patch- 10am to 5pm October 19th
Al Abo Fal Concerts Chance the Rapper- Revention Music Center 10/15 Luke Bryan-Cynthia Woods Pavilian 10/20 Gavin Degraw and Andy Grammar- Revention Music Center 10/26 The Fray and The American Authors- House of Blues 10/28
Haunted Houses
Houston Scream Fest- 8pm to 12am Fridays and Saturdays 8pm to 10:30 pm Thursdays and Sundays in October Phobia Haunted House- 7:30 to 10 Sundays 7:30 to 12 Fridays to Saturdays in October Dungeon of Doom- 6pm to 10pm Fridays, 2pm to 11pm Saturdays, 3pm to 10pm Sundays in October
ll out ll Around Creek
Senior Sunrise- October 7th
End of First 9 Weeks- October 14 Last chance Senior Photos- October 19 Late Arrival- October 26 Homecoming- October 28 @Veteran Memorial Stadium Halloween- October 31
Around Creek 10 Creek Debate begins the road to successful season
By Fizza Gilani Reporter
The Clear Creek Debate team went to Clear Brook High School to compete against twenty-one other schools in multiple debate and individual events on September 4th and 5th. The team brought home both medals and state points, already paving their way to success so early in the season. The tournaments provide a chance for students to show off and improve their public speaking, research and debate skills. Both team and individual events require multiple hours of students’ time, and sacrificing most of their weekend to compete. The team, coached by Brian Darby, had several successes. Seniors Nick Froeschner and Greyson Gilliam made it to octo-finals in the Lincoln-Douglass Debate, receiving two state points each. Public Forum duo Mercedes Jones and Anusha Jiwani broke to quarter-finals in Public Forum Debate, earning them both two state points as well. Juniors Anusha Jiwani, Peyton Linder and Alisha Sood all advanced to semi-finals in their own respective individual events. Scott Lindberg placed 4th in Congressional Debate, and Mercedes Jones got 3rd place Speaker Award, beating out over 100 competitors. Greyson Gilliam, who saw success at the Brook tournament, says that debate makes him a more “well rounded person in various ways”. When asked how he challenges himself, he jokingly
answered, “I win”. While winning does make the team stronger, it is not the only benefit to competition. Junior Brandon Griffin, who does
Each event brings new challenges to the students, and demands many hours of practice and work outside of school hours and tournaments
Photo by Alyssa Hutchison Congressional Debate themselves. While and Extemporaneous debates in general Speaking, says that require more research and quick “Debate has given [him] a confidence to thinking to be done, members who express [his] opinions through speaking compete in speaking and individual that [he] never thought [he’d] enjoy”. events have their work cut out for Students don’t only succeed because them as well. ‘Extempers’, or those of the hard work they put into debate; who participate in Extemporaneous they genuinely enjoy the events. “I Speaking, must stay up to date with love spending my weekends talking current events around the world, to people who enjoy doing the same and be prepared to speak about any thing that I do,” is how senior Niraja of the issues. Other events, which Patel described “tournament life”. center more on the performance part
of Speech and Debate, such as Prose or Humorous Interpretation, require strong memorization skills and stage presence from students. Regardless of the event, students must dress professionally and act accordingly, since part of their score is presentation. Tournaments typically start in the middle of the school day Friday, and run till late Saturday night, and Debate students are expected to complete any work they missed, challenging them with the task of preparing themselves for all their events on top of completing school work. Towards the end of the season, students have the opportunity to compete in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Tournament, and those who qualify can advance to the state and national tournaments. The team has seen success over the years, and they intend this year to be just as great. Last year, the Creek Debate team sent 10 students to the state tournament, and saw three of them advance to the national tournament, an accomplishment that Coach Darby agrees will be difficult to beat. Seven students also competed in the 2015-2016 UIL Speech and Debate competition. This year, the team strives to acquire more qualifications than last year. While the season promises to be challenging, the team is not too worried, as the most difficult team to beat, according to the Coach, is Creek. “We
Around Creek 11
Varsity volleyball enjoys a playoff-bound season Sierra Dickey Features Editor
Creek’s varsity volleyball team have enjoyed a successful 2016-17 season, in which there have only been a minimal amount of losses. In the overall history of Creek’s volleyball team, the team has won ten district championships over the past 16 years and have advanced to playoffs 24 times in the last 25 years. With 26 wins and four losses varsity has already beaten Deer Park, Clear Falls, Kingwood, Katy, Cinco Ranch, Clear Brook and others. This year’s varsity so far seems to be on the same track as the previous year, going for playoffs. Nevertheless, there have been some losses against Oak Ridge, Westlake, Franklin and Allen High School. This year’s team consists of 14 girls. Miranda Phelps, Sarah Adams, Sydney O’Dell and Alyssa Irvine as defensive specialists, Riley Brantley, Allie Garland and Hannah Froeschl as middle blockers, Emma Wagenknecht, Caitlyn Burroway, Melissa McNeil and Jenna Metzinger as outside hitters, Kelsey Childers as a setter, Maddie Flora as a liberio and Hailey Thibodeaux as the varsity manager. The girls’ goal is to be district champs again and make playoffs one more year. “Even though the seniors are gone, we
are still really strong,” Hannah Froeschl says. Senior Maddies Flora also commented on the team’s bonding despite their seniors graduating. “Without the seniors the team has be-
Flora. “Just as long as we have motivation and support.” Caitlyn Burroway says. One thing that keeps them motivated and pumped for the games to come is they have created a saying called “one
come a lot closer and goal #289,” which Photo by Justin Staton helped us as a team” represents how many Maddie Flora and miles that are needMelissa McNeil said. ed to travel from the But it has also caused the team to Clear Creek gymnasium to the state stastrive harder because they “are inconsis- dium. Another method that pumps them tent and sometimes has off games” ac- up are the people that come to the games. cording to Caitlyn Burroway. “But [they] “The support is extremely helphave the potential to become district ful and that doesn’t apply to only champs and reach playoffs” says Maddie volleyball.” Coach Simonds said.
The girls especially love “when the games are close and the win can go either way, it really gets the intensity up and just makes [them] play harder.” The team’s practices have not really changed; it is still every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from seventh period to about 4:00 pm and every Saturday morning. The average practice involves warm ups, target drills that focus on specific skills such as serving, hitting and passing which is then closed with a scrimmage. So far the girls have won many games, but all of them required them to be a team and focus and really give their all. There were many games that were intensely close including Seven Lakes, Dawson, Franklin, Canyon, Deer Park, Kingwood, Katy and Dulles. Even though they haven’t played Friendswood yet, the girls believe that is going to be the hardest and closest game they will play. “They are at the top of the list for competition” Caitlyn Burroway said. When that game does come they will need all the supportment they can get, “it really affects their performance.” Coach Simond said. Without the crowd distracting the other team and supporting varsity their excitement for the game goes down and becomes less focused, which leads to the other team getting points that could have been Creeks. Since then, the team has enjoyed more victories and matches against Clear Springs, Clear Brook, Alvin, Friendswood, Dickinson, Clear Lake and Falls.
12
Features
LinManuel Miranda’s musical In the Heights review By: Hayley Johnson Online editor
The play In The Heights is one that is filled with great performances, catchy lyrics, exhilarating choreography and is very well written. So many emotions from the cast run through the audience, making it a genuine, well-told story. Getting to experience a musical that has a big impact on the Dominican and Puerto Rican American community was absolutely emotional and heartfelt for me. The raw, uncensored lyrics and powerful lines projected by the cast emanated a feel-good and teary-eyed vibe. What was absolutely impressive was Lin-Manuel Miranda and his creativity being put into his heartwarming lyrics and flawless choreography for In the Heights. One character that stood out against any other character was Sonny. His sarcastic, witty ways and outrageous jokes that cause me to laugh hard enough to the point that it left some in the audience in tears. This feelgood performance was brought to Houston for the first time in it’s show history. In the Heights was held at the Hobby Center for Performing Arts in Downtown Houston. Written by Quiara Alegría Hudes and music and choreography done by LinManuel Miranda, the story takes place in modern times over the course of three days in Washington Heights in New York City. The lead role, Usnavi De Le Vega (Anthony Lee Medina), is the owner of his family’s local corner store along with his younger cousin, Sonny (Philippe Arroyo). Next to the store is Rosario’s Car and Limousine
Service run by Kevin Rosario (Danny Bolero) and Camila Rosario (April Ortiz) along with the sarcastic and
and Abuela Claudia (Rayanne Gonzales), the heart of the family. The whole community is one giant family. Nina was
peppy associate, Benny (Blaine Krauss). Next to the store is a hair salon run by Daniela (Isabel Saniago) with her best friend Carla (Alicia Taylor Tomasko). Other important character includes Nina Rosario (Michelle Beth Herman), the daughter of Kevin and Camila Rosario, Unsavi’s secret lover, Vanessa (Chelsea Zeno)
Photo by: Os Galindo
recently away in California, attending Stanford University. It is a welcome home party by everyone in the neighborhood, until things took a dark, and emotional turn as things fly south for each character and as one character leaves an emotional strain on the family and even the audience.
During the play, time is represented clearly as scenes go by. To do this, background performers walk in slow motion, giving the sense that time is passing onto a different part of the day whether it is morning, afternoon, or night. Another amazing aspect of the play is how beautifully written the storyline is. The mixing of English and Spanish vocabulary gives off that Washington Heights Dominican and Puerto Rican American setting. Watching the performance, you feel like you are a part of the family and that you relate to the characters in ways unimaginable. As the show comes to end, the story ends with the celebration of life and family. Audience members are left in tears and with big smiles on their tear-stained faces. A story with new opportunities, family devotion, and heartbreak, In The Heights shows that no matter what you go through, your family will always be there for you and that you should never forget who you are or where you came from, no matter where you go or where you end up.
Features
13
Citizens honor the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks
By: Sierra Dickey Features Editor
The events of 9/11 were catastrophic and unforgettable, as the twin towers were demolished by flight 77 that was hijacked by terrorists. It has been 15 years since that horrific attack against America. Everyone across the nation has paid tribute, gone to countless ceremonies and has built multiple memorials to remember the fallen victims and first responders. Upon the anniversary of 9/11 there were ceremonies held at Ground Zero, a memorial was built in 2011, at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where one of the four planes crashed. During the ceremony at Ground Zero, thousands gathered including presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. The ceremony began with a moment of silence to respect the fallen, which was followed by everyone listening to members of the families call out the names of almost 3,000 victims. For the families “15 years later still only feels like 15 seconds since their friends and family have passed away,” said one of the victims daughters. The ceremony lasted total four hours outside. Unfortunately because of the heat Clinton had to leave 90 minutes into the ceremony because she got overheated. The ceremony held at the Pentagon paid tribute to the 185 victims killed as flight 77 smashed into the western side of the Pentagon. President Obama, who spoke to pay his respects, accompanied the wreath ceremony. Obama’s speech looked
past the diversity of the nation and united the people. “We know that our diversity, our patchwork heritage, is not a weakness. It is still and always will be one of our greatest strengths. The most enduring memorial to those we lost is ensuring the America that we continue to be. That we stay true to ourselves. That we stay true to what’s best in us. That we do not let others divide u s . ” I n Shanksville, Pennsylvania on September 10th the U.S. flag was carried across the field that the flight 93 memorial is located. The ceremony was held to mark the anniversary of flight 93 crashing into the field of Shanksville with 4 hijackers and 40 passengers on board. During the service, bells rang across the nation at 8:46, when the first plane crashed into the North Tower. In Lower Manhattan, New York, there was another memorial involving two giant light towers as a visual tribute to the victims. The “Tribute in Light” art installa-
tion is located south of the World Trade Center. The lights were turned on just after sundown and stayed lit till dawn. The art installation included 88 searchlights that created two giant towers of light. It was first installed six months after the disastrous tourist attack. It is now a yearly tradition on September 11th to honor the t r a g e d y. Also in Lower Manhattan, bells rang six t i m e s throughout the day to establish moments of silence. The first one at 8:46 A.M. when the flight 11 crashed in to the North Tower. The second at 9:03 A.M. when the flight 175 hit the South Tower. The third at 9:37 A.M. when flight 77 impacted the side of the Pentagon. The fourth at 9:59 A.M. when the South Tower collapsed. The fifth when flight 93 crashed into the fields of Shanksville at 10:03. The final bell rang at 10:28 when the North Tower fell. After the main ceremony, held at Ground Zero, was over, the New
It feels like it’s been 15 seconds.” -Paul Acquaviva, father of 9/11 North Tower victim
York City governor Andrew Cuomo joined the Memorial Ride during lunch in Manhattan. The participates included over 450 riders, paying tribute to the first responders who led recovery efforts during and after the events of 9/11. Their strength and courage of the first responders was what saved many people’s lives. Not only were there ceremonies with many people involved there were also solo tributes. One firefighter showed his support and love for all firefighters an policemen that died during the disaster. He decided to stand one minute for all firefighters and policemen that were killed, which would show his devotion and love for his country. In total, there were 343 firefighters and police killed; the man stood 343 minutes, the equivalent to five hours and 43 minutes. 9/11 was a devastating blow to the United States with people experiencing grief and mourn all over the nation. Because of this, many other nations allied with the United States and showed their support in our time of need, including Canada, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Russia. Russia even built a memorial in New Jersey called the “Tear Drop” memorial to remember the events of 9/11. Many people have not recognized the memorial since it was built in 2005, others don’t even know it exists but nether the less it shows the support of many nations.
14
Teen Interest
FifthHarmony performs Catherine Irvine Teen Interest Editor
Fifth Harmony, the recent winners of 2 VMA awards, held a concert at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on September 5th. The concert opened with JoJo and Victoria Monet performing a few of their songs, entertaining and hyping up the crowd before Fifth Harmony arrived. Victoria Monet held a meet and greet with her backup dancers after their opening performance. Fifth Hamony formed in the year 2012 during the second season of The X Factor. About an hour after the concert opened, Fifth Harmony walked on to the stage after the song “Impossible” played, while a video of their early auditions on the X- Factor rolled, making the crowd go crazy. The concert was divided into segments, making the stage different for each one. The segments included themes such as Cloud 9, Fantasy Island, Mystery Island, Paradise Island, F.U.N., and the Encore. Throughout the performance, Fifth Harmony sung their big hits “Work from Home”, “Worth It” and “Miss Moving on,” as well as 16 other songs off their new album, “7/27” which was released earlier this year in May and a few off previous albums Reflection, and Better Together. The crowd was thrilled the entire time, jumping up and down singing along to every song. “It was a fun, collective experience, we were all like one big family,”
Kate Tyler, an audience member, said. When Fifth Harmony played “Brave, Honest, Beautiful”, their guitar player, Ashlee Juno stepped out to the middle of the stage while the other girls gathered around her in a circle and preformed the song as acoustic. The concert was exciting the whole way through and the band never missed a chance to talk to the crowd and ask them questions. “I’m always going to remember it,” Erika Leon, an audience member, said For two of the girls, Ally and Normani, this concert took place in their home state, making the concert even more heartfelt. Normani put on a JJ Watt jersey and danced around, doing some impressive splits for the last part of the concert. Ally sent out a tweet saying she was “so glad to be home.” Dinah added that “Houston was great,” in a tweet sent out after the Monday night concert. The concert lasted a total of 3 hours, closing with Work from home, leaving the audience wanting for more. Fifth Harmony has recently won 2 VMA’s for Best Collaboration (“Work From Home”) and Song of the summer (“All in My Head”). The award winning song, “Work from home, feat. Ty Dolla $ign, was released as a single from the “7/27” album and Hit number one on official trending charts. 2016 has been a huge year of success for this girl band. Fifth Harmony plans to continue their world tour, with concerts left in Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Blink-182 embarks on their biggest tour in history By Hayley Johnson Online Editor Having released their ninth album, California, in early July, pop punk band Blink-182 has embarked on their biggest tour yet. Blink-182 announced their tour immediately after the album’s release. The tour, which is being called the biggest pop punk tour in history, features groups such as All Time Low, The All American Rejects and A Day to Remember. The band posted tour dates just hours after releasing their first new single, Bored to Death. It’s the first Blink-182 tour for new member, Matt Skiba, and the first tour without lead guitarist, Tom DeLonge. The band began tour on July 22nd in San Diego, California at the Viejas Arena. The tour ran through the summer, making a stop in Canada, in states Georgia, Florida and New York along the way, and will arrive at their last stop, Los Angeles, on October 1st at the Forum. These four bands combined make for an extravagant summer tour. This tour is their biggest one since 2009, which featured Panic! At The Disco, Fall Out Boy, Weezer, Taking Back Sunday and The All-American Rejects. Blink’s lead singer Mark hoppus stated his feelings about touring with these bands in an interview with Loudwire. “Travis is really close with all the A Day to Remember guys,” Hoppus
said “I’ve been friends with All Time Low for a number of years and we’ve toured with All-American Rejects a
spoke to Fuse on his thoughts of the tour: “We always tour like this when an album comes out—it’s just been forever
Photo courtesy of the Woodlands Center
whole bunch. They’ve been on a bunch of Blink tours. So really it’s kind of like summer vacation with all of our friends.” Blink’s drummer Travis Barker
since an album came out, hence why there are 16 songs on the record.” Barker said “I was fighting for 28 to be on the album, you know? I feel like you starve people for
so long... We’ve promised album, and [our fans] have gone without, so me, personally, I felt like the more material on the album, the better. The more tour dates, the better. That’s what we do when we’ve put out albums in the past.” Blink’s reputation of fan satisfaction has risen each and every tour, as they continue to keep the trademarks up and running every show. A few examples include the screens showing band photos and some odd, but aesthetically pleasing effects, strobe lights, and incredible speeches that will stick with you till the end. The band makes sure each audience member leaves with a smile on their face and memories to last them a lifetime. Each show is different meant to be different and designed to give off all kinds of vibes during each setlist. The band seemingly never fails to disappoint their fans. The California Tour features 21 of Blink’s hit songs and a 4 song encore to close it out. Along the tour, Blink may bring some unexpected guests onstage to perform with them. It’s one big show when Blink breaks lineup rules and brings tons of other bands on tour with them even if it’s just for one night. This tour is highly recommended by many and attended by thousands. The California Tour is a big success among the pop punk community. This tour is not to be missed.
Sports
15
Athletes Varsity football dominates preseason of the
Month
Chris Herrera Senior Chris Herrera has been playing football since his freshman year. He has played many positions, including defensive end and tight end. He considers his greatest accomplishment to be winning district last year with his team and “making history.” In his free time, Chris enjoys playing basketball and hanging out with friends.
Hannah Froeschl Hannah Froeschl is a senior varsity volleyball player. She plays for the excitement and the team sportsmanship. She considers her greatest accomplishment, in her four years playing at Creek, to be making it “deep into the playoffs” with her team every year since she began freshman year. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, watching Netflix and sleeping.
Troylon Griffin II Editor-In-Cheif
Creek’s varsity football team has enjoyed a very successful preseason. The preseason, which consist of their first three games, contained nothing but victories as the varsity team found themselves defeating South Houston, Channel View and Houston Heights. The team’s first game against South Houston ended in a great score of 41 to 17. The second game, against Channelview High School, had similar results, as Creek greatly outscored Channelview with a score of 34 to 7. The final game of the preseason, against Houston Heights High School concluded with a modest score of 17 to 16. Head football coach Darrel Warden described the season as “overall very successful” since they’ve “come out three and zero” this preseason. “It was a great opportunity for our kids to be able to play at the varsity level,” Warden said. “We had a lot of experienced seniors graduate last year, so we have a lot of people playing different positions on varsity who have never played varsity before. These three games were a great learning experience and a way for us to find ourselves in situations and find our way out of those situations.” Warden said. “Those were all things that we
accomplished and got out of the preseason.” Warden highlighted that the game against Houston Heights, in which the score came out 17 to 16, was the best of the three victories for two reasons.
Photo by Hanna WIngaurd
“They were a good football team so we matched up good against them, and the most important reason is that late in the fourth quarter we were behind but came back up and won, so that showed some maturity in our team, showing not to give up and keep pressing forward and keeping one’s composure. So that game makes for a great learning tool for the rest of the season.” Warden noted that each opponent got more challenging as the preseason went on
but nevertheless, the team was able to learn from each game and ensure a victory. He highlighted players Noah Daniels, Tanner Pugh, Jaiden Woodson, Malik Tezno, Chris Herrera and Nick Petiti as some of the many who have truly stood out this season so far. When asked about the reason behind the team’s success, Warden said how defense has been very good, and that offense has been just as good. He also told how the team’s trainings and workouts ensure they become better players. “As soon as the season was over last year, we started the offseason which consisted of weights, agility and speed training.” Warden said. “Last year we started a little later since we went a couple rounds in the playoffs. We also go into spring training and see how players fit into the scheme of things for next year. Once we go through spring training, we still do weight training, and of course we have summer conditioning camps. Generally, if they come to that they get stronger and faster. If any football players goes to come conditioning camp, they get better as a whole.” As a whole, while Warden is proud of the victories of preseason, he knows the team must continue on training in order to be victorious for the rest of the season.
Collegiate football season commences By Catherine Irvine Teen Interest Editor
sas Razorbacks safety, De ’Andre Coley was ejected from the game due to targeting. Coley was the first player Arkansas has had ejected from a game in two years. The team is scheduled to play Alabama Crimson Tide Sunday night, October 8th. The University of Texas longhorns,
defeat Rice, Oklahoma State, Northwestern State University, and Southern Methodist University. The lowest point differAs of now, the teams in this season’s ence of the final score between Baylor Big 12 conference include Baylor, TCU, and the opposing team is 11 points. In the West Virginia, Kansa State, University of game against Northwestern State UniverTexas, Texas Tech, Kansas, Oklahoma, sity, Baylor won 7-55. The head coach, Jim Oklahoma State, and Iowa Grobe, has continued to lead State. Out of the Big 12, only Baylor through a fierce path 2 teams remain undefeatof victory. They will play their ed, which would be Baylor, next game against Iowa State 4-0, and West Virginia, 3-0. Texas Tech Raiders curSo far, A&M’s football rently holds a majority wins team remains undefeated this with 2-1. Texas Tech Raidseason 4-0. On September ers most recently played 24th, the Aggies played the Louisiana tech and had a fiArkansas Razorbacks at AT&T nal score of 45-59, with the stadium. The final score of the Raiders coming out on top. game was 25-45 with A&M Other teams’ worth menclaiming a seemingly efforttioning this football season less victory. A&M played with include The University of a strong defense and their quarCalifornia, Los Angeles, terback, Trevor Knight manDuke Blue Devils, and the aged to run 2 touchdowns to Oklahoma Sooners. The Uniscore against Arkansas. The versity of California. Los Saturday night game was high- Texas A&M running back Trayveon Williams (5) glides into the end zone on a 33-yard Angeles Bruins has played a touchdown run against Arkansas in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, ly anticipated and aggressively Texas, on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016. (Richard W. Rodriguez/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/ 2-2 season so far. They beat played out by the Aggies. TNS) The University of Nevada, Los “It’s incredible to be a Vegas. and Brigham Young part of the 12th man. There is a unique a team of the Big 12 conference, is cur- University. But they were out played by spirit that exists which goes beyond just rently 2-1. This season they have defeated the Aggies and Stanford University. The football. You truly feel the power of our Notre Dame and UTEP, but lost to Cali- Oklahoma Sooners are currently a part of student body on and off the field,” An- fornia Golden Bears. One of their players, the Big 12 conference. They most recently drew Huddleston, an A&M student said. Kevin Perkins has been suspended from lost to Ohio state, but have a chance to The Arkansas Razorbacks have also the Longhorn’s next game with Okla- make it up, October 1st when they play started their season out by fighting strong homa State cowboys on October 1st, due a tough game against TCU’s defense at with 3-1, scoring over TCU, Louisiana to receiving a DWI on September 23rd. Amon G. Carter Stadium. Duke played Tech,and Texas State and have only been Baylor University is currently unde- against Notre Dame and narrowly won defeated by A&M on the Sunday game. At feated 4-0. Baylor is a football team of the 38-35, coming back in the 4th quarter the A&M vs Razorbacks game, The Arkan- Big 12 Conference. They have managed to with 10 points after not scoring in the 3rd.