New Aquatic Science club pg. 14
Cavalier Spring Show Review pg. 13
Students create lockers for Space Station pg.8
LExI bids farewell to its beloved senior improvisers By Sutton Anderson Reporter
The Creek theatre department ended their year with a bang with the well loved Senior Improv show. On May 6 the Creek auditorium was filled with 250 plus people anticipating the final LExI, League of Extraordinary Improvisers, show of the year. Audience members came in wearing yellow ready for the show. LExI was collecting toiletry items for the My Body and Soul organization to help families in need. They had a photo booth created by LExI member Zoie Ellis, Mady Chidester and Riley Tamblyn that had mini fat heads of the improvisers for the audience to take photos with including a Snapchat geofilter created by riley Tamblyn and director Bradley Hewlett active for anyone in the auditorium. The Improvisers had also decorated the lobby to commemorate the final show of the year. It all started with a welcome from hosts Lillie Meade and Mady Chidester, and an introduction of the players from a voice above as the troupe ran down the isles one by one. “Improv is a supportive nature. It’s an environment where it’s okay to fail, and we all support each other.” Senior and first year troupe member Chidester said. The senior show was also on “wishbone day” or Osteogenesis Imperfecta awareness day, which is why the players and audience members all had some kind of yellow on, to show support. The Final LExI show of the year featured many different styles of games, from short form to long form. As well as a fun singing game called protest song. Protest song was led by guitarist Noel Yanez, as the players, Junior Michelle Demoss, and seniors Quaylon Conley, Arin Preston, and Nick Petitti sang in
protest of silverware. Protest song starts with the first verse then transitions into the chorus and next into the second verse back to the chorus, to the third verse and finally back to the celebratory chorus. LExI’s protest song started with Nick Petitti as he surprised the audience with a stellar singing voice and then was taken over by
go full out in his entrance and exit of the scene. Massey walked in singing a goodbye song to the bar and finished the game spinning junior troupe member, Riley Tamblyn on the bar around the stage. In this particular show the League of Extraordinary Improvisers played a game Creek audiences have never seen before
Photo by Alyssa Hutchison
Michelle Demoss’ catchy chorus that had audience members crying of laughter and singing for the next week. The first Act was filled with short form games. Short form is a type of Improvisation that is based on a staring variable, whether it be an occupation, location or object. Short form is constricted to a time limit in which the scene must confine to. Most audiences have a much easier time keeping up with the short form games. The LExI audience of 2016-17 seems to take pleasure in a short form guessing game called Bartender, where players convey a problem through song for the bartender to guess before they leave the scene. In the four main LExI shows this year, senior, Noah Massey has played the prized role of the guessing Bartender. In his final go around, he made sure to
entitled Rotisserie. In this scene based game, featuring four players, each player has two scene partners. There are four different scenes within this one game. Each scene has a different starting variable such as, a location, a relationship, an occupation and an object. The reason it is called rotisserie is because the players rotate the scenes, the rotation can move left and right, in a circle, or they can flip the rotation where the players in the back come up to the front. “My favorite improv game is Rotisserie. It’s like a mini long form game that allows the players to discover many characters and connections along with relationships in a shorter period of time. It’s also really fun to host.” Mady Chidester said. Act Two of the Senior improv show was filled with a long form with senior
players, Noah Massey, Connor Campbell, Justice Al-Hmoud, Zoie Ellis, Ephrian Zayas and Joe Looper. They also had a special guest performer, Improv teacher Bradley Hewlett play with them. It was a surprise for the seniors in their final show to play with their well loved teacher. A memorable tradition of senior roasting took place during the second Act. In comedy roasting is a way to congratulate a comedian for a good run in the world of laughter. All of the 2016-17 troupe members from all the shows this past year stood in a line on stage and one by one the seniors would sit in the improv throne to take their turn being roasted. The players in the line would step forward and roast the senior till the host dang the coveted bell. When LExI got through all of the seniors the underclassman went and sat in the audience as the seniors got the chance to roast teacher Bradley Hewlett before they finished their final show. To close the show, The League of Extraordinary Improvisers played the crowd favorite game of Battle Drum. One by one the players came up onto the stage in random characters and kill off the player before them. “Improv is about establishing stories and characters, listening and reacting honestly with your fellow improvisers. The phrase ‘yes and’ is something I will always remember,” Chidester said. “I’m going to miss being on troupe a lot but I am so proud of the name LExI has started to make for itself throughout the district.” “I love improv because it is perfectly acceptable, even glorified, to act kooky and undignified,” junior and third year improviser, Riley Tamblyn said. As LExI seniors exit the stage they will pass the trunk of comedy off to the players they will leave behind.
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Opinion What are you planning on doing after high school?
end the “I plan to att ston to study u o H f o y it rs Unive ope to study h I d n a , m lis Journa r Paris. Then, o n o d n o L abroad in York City w e N to e v o I hope to m n r a publicatio fo rk o w d n a er fashion or h it e g in w ie rev ows.” Broadway sh ster -Mady Chide
“I’m going to the University of Houston to study acting. Then, I’ll move to either New York or Los Ange les.” -Zoie Ellis
echanical “I’ll be studying m xas Tech as a engineering at Te . I plan on pre-med degree ic surgeon.” becoming a plast -Maddie Castillo
“I am studying film at the University of North Texas in Denton! I am also planning to intern abroad my sophomore year.” -Lydia Haregot
“I am attending the University of HoustonClear Lake and majoring in Computer Science and Engineer ing.” -Dalton Way
“I’ll be attending Texas A&M and studying character design and animation. I will study abroad in Italy and hopefully end up playing with crayons at Pixar Animation studios.” -Dominic Nguyen
“I’ll be going to th e University of Colo rado to study environme ntal science.” -Colton Matthew s “I’m going to Northwestern State University to play basketball and major in biomedical engineering.” -Lacee Savage
“I’ll be attending UT Arlington to be in UT’s CAP program.” -Jordan Frere
“I’m going to junior college to study mathematics.” -River Aoford “I’m going to UT fo r biology.” -Kiana Alihossini arching “I’m going to be m BC over the with Guardians D uard. Then, summer in colorg an Jacinto.” I’ll be attending S -Piper Hommel
“I am studying gra phic design at the University of Colo rado Boulder. I am also studying abroad in Asia.” -Michael Johnson M in ing Texas A& d n e tt a m a “I on n. I also plan o ti ta S e g lle Co e money for v a s to g in rk wo world.” traveling the y -Abrielle Perr
“I will be attending Texa s A&M and majoring in mechanical engineering. I hope to study abroad during my sophomore year.” -Cameron Bachtel
2016-2017
HiLife Staff
Principal: Jamey Majewski Advisor: Wynette Jameson Editors-in-Chief: Emily Ruthven Troylon Griffin II Managing Editor: Issac Villarreal Photo Editors: Sierra Dickey Hayley Johnson Design Editors: Issac Villarreal Brittney Melanson News Editor: Fizza Gilani Online Editor: Hayley Johnson Features Editor: Emily Ruthven Teen Interest Editor: Catherine Irvine Sports Editor: Troylon Griffin II Around Creek Editor: Emily Ruthven Advertising Manager: Issac Vilarreal
Reporters: Kendall Eley Lilo Shelley Minha Siddiqui DeAundrea Edwards Sutton Anderson Joana Mancia
Photographers: Alyssa Hutchison Jose Mares Jr. Hanna Wingard Veronica Brown
Published at Mirror Publishers in Texas City Visit us at: www.creekhilife.com or http://clearcreekhs.ccisd.net For ad rates call: (281)-284-1889
Editorial
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Emily’s Editorial: Bittersweet goodbye
By Emily Ruthven Editor-in-Chief As the days dwindle down and motivation reaches an all-time low, I know that we are nearing the end. On May 31, my fellow seniors and I will walk across the stage at graduation, shake Dr. Smith’s hand, and then it will all be over. 12 years of traditional schooling, and most importantly, my four wonderful, stressful, dreadful, truly one-of-a-kind years as a wildcat will be no more. It’s time to move onto better things, challenging things, something different. Goodbyes can be scary and painful, but are a necessary part of life. One of the hardest goodbyes I face is to the HiLife staff. From freshman year, newspaper has truly been my family.
Composing a full-length newspaper is no joke, and it is through the stress, sweat, and pride that we have bonded. Narrowing in on my senior year, being co-editor-in-chief with my good buddy Troylon has been anything but ordinary. Whoever the lucky ducks to be editors-inchief next year are, I would advise that you pay special attention to this next part. See, no one tells you what you’re getting into when you get this incredibly stressful position. Leading the HiLife staff and ensuring a good product every time gets exhausting very quickly, not to mention you have no idea what you’re doing. But you learn to figure it out. Google will become your best friend and InDesign your enemy. You’ll eventually have a mental breakdown, (don’t worry that’s completely normal), that will subsequently be solved with Oreos and Netflix. But mainly, you’ll figure out that no matter what you do, something will go wrong, and that’s okay, because you can handle it. The HiLife has bestowed upon me a lesson for which money cannot buy. When things go awry, shut up and figure it out. Solve the problem. Make it happen, because you have to. And I know it sounds odd, but some strange, masochistic part of
you will love the stress. It will become a part of you and when it’s all over, and you’re sitting at your desk finishing the May issue, you’ll be sad. Writing you final editorial will be a lot harder than it should, believe me I know, because it’s your last one, and
with a major in Journalism. I am not so naïve to believe that it will be all sunshine and rainbows in college. There will be several nearly impossible tests, projects, countless all-nighters and a few too many cups of coffee. However, there will also be those football games where I cheer my heart out, blissfully taking part in the famous “Boomer Sooner” chant. And as look over the stadium adorned in crimson and cream, I’ll be a part of something bigger than myself; I’ll finally be home. Class of 2018, get ready. Senior year goes by fast. Senioritis is highly contagious and I guarantee you will catch it. So, please heed my advice and get your college applications submitted and done well before your imminent symptoms begin to show. Apply for all the scholarships you can (your parents will thank you), and really give an effort into your academics at least until the second semester. Grades are locked after that but reader beware: You still have to pass your classes. I know that may seem like a given and a “so what” kind of thing. If you’re not careful, senioritis can jeopardize your class standings, so tread with caution. Well, I think I’ve covered everything. Class of 2017, it’s been great. Wherever you’re headed, make it count. We’ve all got something to offer this world, so I’m not throwing away my shot, and neither should you.
“Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.” -Jamey Majewski part of you doesn’t want it to end. But it will. Senior year is paradoxically a speeding freight train, which, no matter how hard you try, cannot be stopped, or slowed, and simultaneously the world’s slowest snail at the same time, which doesn’t go any faster than half a mile an hour. Bottom line, you can’t change senior year. It will come and go like a force of nature, without regard for what happens to those existing within it. All we can do is hunker down and prepare for the storms ahead. Everyone has their path in life. Mine has lead me to the University of Oklahoma
Troylon’s Talks: This is the... End...?
By Troylon Griffin II Editor-in-Chief The Time has come. It’s hard to believe that I, or we, my Creek senior brothers and sisters, have made it to what most would call the end. I remember when I first came to Creek and began my career as a high schooler and Creek Wildcat, I felt like I had all the time in the world to enjoy my childhood and the last days of freedom, or at least freedom from my responsibilities. But boy, does it feel like time has just flew by and now it’s time, for the end is near and honestly here. This year wraps up four of the greatest years of my life in which I have evolved and expanded my mind and life. I’ve made so many great memories with the people of Creek, including both teachers and students. Even the bad times I have had have and will come to be great memories
that are further representations of the grand life I have lived these past years as a teenager and young adult. I remember wondering how Creek would change me, having come from HISD and I must say, it was for the better. I do not regret anything that this area and this high school has exposed me to, for if it has changed me, it has done so for the better. Have I changed? Of course. I don’t think anyone can say that who they were in high school, or as a senior is the same person they were in eighth grade. I’ve very much been molded, changed, and shaped by those around me, but I’ve still retained my immortal outline and design. I’ve made associations and friendships I am so grateful to have made and I certainly wouldn’t be the same without them. League City, Creek and its students, staff and community have been my glorious muse that has fueled my creativity, goals, life, mind and given me adventures I’m not sure I should talk about in this school friendly editorial. It’s just such a shame that all good things… well, you guys know. The time has come. This the end my beautiful friends. This is the end of childhood, of
laughter and soft lies. The light has dimmed and darkness has now arrived. It’s all over and it’s time for goodbyes. Or is it? My friends, this isn’t truly the end. This is just the beginning my
Our elaborate plans are not ending; they are only getting more elaborate and complex. Adulthood is what we have all, believe it or not, been dreaming for, and for that reason this is in no way a real ending, but more so a beginning. Maybe it’s the end, here today but we will build a new beginning. I may never see some of you again, but who knows? All I know is that I think I should take advantage of this glorious piece of writing and thank you all. I’d like to thank all of you at Creek for enhancing my life and making it interesting, disciplined, tough, even when I didn’t want it to be, but needed it to be, prosperous, educationally enhancing and many more. I’d like to thank the Academy, the faculty, my glorious friends and family and I would even like to thank myself for surviving what at some points seemed like a dark wilderness, but was really me being an overanxious and over worrying little zealot. Thank you all my Creek brothers and sisters. This has been a true brotherhood, a true covenant, a true beautiful love and lie. Until we meet again… maybe at the reunions… or over the summer.
“It’s the end, here today, but I will build a new beginning.” -Jared Leto, 30 Seconds to Mars friends, and we are just getting started. For so long we’ve been in this lost wilderness of pain, and undermined for our problems and called insane children. But now, a new era has come for us to be taken seriously, for us to no longer tolerate our ultimatums. It’s going to hurt to be set free but we have to take a chance and I invite you all to take it with us.
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Editorial
By Issac Villarreal Managing Editor As I begin to write this editorial, I feel myself wishing that there was a way to know that you were in the good old days before you’ve actually left them. Reminiscing over all the ups and downs I’ve experienced in high school brings butterflies to my stomach, and I realize, as much as I want to get out of this place, I don’t really want to get out of this place. No matter how you get there or where you end up, human beings have this miraculous gift to make that place home and that’s exactly what I’ve done at Creek. I love this place and it will always have a place in my heart, along with Chick Fil A and my momma. When I first entered Clear Creek High
Issac’s Intentions: Remembering us
School, I was intimidated by all the new people and the new environment, but I soon came to realize that this place would be my home for the next four years. I didn’t know many people when I came to Creek, but that changed as I began to leave my comfort zone and branch out and become friends with more people. I joined the journalism class my freshman year and I can honestly say it was the best mistake I ever made. You see, I meant to join photojournalism and go up to the yearbook class but ended up going from journalism to Newspaper. I have been in Newspaper every year since. Newspaper has been a class that has helped me grow, learn, accept things about myself
and become comfortable with interacting with the world outside of high school.
It seems like only yesterday that we were skinny little freshmen, trying to figure out where our next class was. As we moved on from being those clueless freshmen, we became sophisticated sophomores who thought they had it all figured out. By the time we reached our junior year, we were confident that we were prepared to take over for the graduating seniors, and we couldn’t wait to “rule the school.” And now here we are, the upperclassmen, the seniors, ready to graduate and move forward in the world. Our rule is almost over, and it’s up to the next class to step into our shoes and take over. Throughout high school, I’ve always tried to make my time count and do as much as I can with my friends before the last drop of sand falls and I can honestly say its been a heck of a time. Congratulations to the Class of 2017, we did it. Wherever we go and whatever we do, may we always be friends when we meet again. Although this is my first editorial, it’s also my last. It’s been good Creek.
“Don’t be dismayed by goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.” -Richard Bach My newspaper teacher Mrs. Jameson is honestly the best teacher I’ve ever had and she’s always believed in me and helped me strive to do better things and discover things that I didn’t even know I was good at. Thanks J, I really do appreciate you.
Hayley’s Hearsay: 982 miles away
By Hayley Johnson Online Editor Never in my life did I think that I would ever have to move away from my hometown or even out of state. I grew up in a small, but beautiful city called Lakeland. Not very many people know what Lakeland is or where it’s located. To give a better image, it’s between Tampa and Orlando. Up until January of last year, I’ve been a Floridian, a proud one at that. My transition into a new state and school was a bit rocky at the beginning, but things are a whole lot better now that we’re in a house of our own and that we’re settled. Growing up in Lakeland, I was accustomed to my surroundings and routine. By routine, I mean school, home, going to Target and shopping at Publix. Let me tell you, Publix is the greatest grocery store to have ever been built. It actually
originated in Lakeland! Coming to Texas, we actually felt bad that it only had stores like H-E-B and Kroger, but we also felt spoiled because we had the greatest store in the entire world and we were limited to those few grocery s t o r e s . There’s more to Lakeland than just Publix and beautiful scenic lakes. We had downtown, which was the epitome of Lakeland. We had unique shops like Evolution Records, and Concord Coffee, the best coffee shop in the world. It was even ranked number one in all of Florida. There’s an abundance of antique stores. The most popular were Lloyds of Lakeland and Dixieland Relics, and the more popular, farmer’s market that occurred every Saturday downtown. Downtown Lakeland was filled with self-starting businesses and friendly locals. It was definitely the place to be. I will never forget the day that my parents told me we were moving. My dad had just got us breakfast from some place and he handed me this Bacon and Egg Bagel sandwich and told me to sit down.
Thinking back, I realized my parents were trying to keep me calm with food before delivering me bad news. I sat down on our brown faux leather loveseat, facing
what was best for us. We were moving from home. From a house I grew up in most of my childhood, a beautiful city I lived in all my life, and worse, leaving family behind. I was completely distraught and angry. I was angry at my parents for telling me this, but I was mostly angry towards my dad for getting this job. It felt like what I was feeling didn’t matter to them. However, moving wasn’t so terrible as I made it out to be. I’ve actually been given wonderful opportunities since I started here at Creek. I got to become the Online Editor for the newspaper, participate in the V.A.S.E competition for art, have my stories published in the paper for everyone to read, but I also got a chance to really grow and learn more about myself through the year. It’s not just me who’s grown. My mom has for sure. My mom never really spoke to or made friends with the people in our neighborhood, but ever since we’ve been settled into ours here, she’s been able to find her place here. Even though my family and I have been through multiple ups and downs in the past year, we were able to persist and continue with a positive outlook on our new life. My mom was right, moving here was going to be for the best for us. I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.
“I think it’s important to look at the world as a bigger place than just the bubble that we live in. It’s so easy to get caught up in the things of a trivial nature.” -Pete Wentz my parents who were sitting on the edge of their chairs. They were positioned the way a psychologist would be as they listen intensely to your problems. My dad’s expression was almost apprehensive, yet sympathetic. My mom’s was a bit overwhelmed and sad. My dad spoke up, eventually telling me that he had found a new job. I was immensely confused and worried. He had worked as a Fabrications Manager at a construction company for 21 years and has always been great at what he did, but now he would be an Operations Manager for a whole new company in a whole new state. Why now? I couldn’t comprehend it. I didn’t really care about
Editorial
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Kendall’s Keepsakes: Stigmatic life
By Kendall Eley Reporter Tales of asylums and incomprehensible treatment methods have made psychopharmacology a taboo subject that causes many people to shy away from pharmacological treatment for mental illnesses. Psychopharmacology, essentially, is using prescribed medications to provide treatment for mentally ill patients when therapy by itself doesn’t fully ease symptoms. Television shows and dramatic movies, such as Split, Silver Linings Playbook and Limitless all stigmatize the use of medications for severe mental illnesses by painting them as dangerous and ineffective, or even making the conditions worse with their initial or
extended use. However, in reality, it’s very rare that people with prescribed medications have any adverse effects relating to their mental illnesses. Even in the most severe cases, medications provide more relief than not on the people who take them. For example, in Silver Linings Playbook, the main character, Pat, is a character who has Bipolar Disorder and takes the medication Seroquel, a mood stabilizer, for his treatment. He frequently changes his relationship with the medication, sometimes discontinuing his treatment when he begins to feel better, only to fall back whenever his mental health declines again. Of course, these movies provide a dramatic contrast to real-world applications, but Pat’s character is actually inspired by the author’s own battle with mental illness, and the director’s son, who was also diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.
Eventually, his son’s and Pat’s conditions eventually improved with the use of a stable medication supply, both with the use of combined therapy and pharmacological help. There is a fair amount of controversy
people that may not need it for monetary gain. People who’ve experienced problems with medication and have improved solely by cognitive behavioral therapy have a hard time supporting the use of pharmaceuticals, even though, doctors usually encourage medicine along with talk therapy, because most individuals benefit most from the assistance of both. I digress, my senior editorial could have focused on many different things, like my high school career or plans for the future, but personally, I feel like those topics can only be discussed if the situation warrants it. With one-in-four people having a mental disorder each year, and growing numbers each year, psychopharmacology has a growing range of people to reach out to for psychopharmaceutical treatment, fighting against the stigma of pharmaceuticals is of high priority to make sure that the most people get the best treatment for them, without the fear of being pressed into a corner and being called ‘insane.’
“Medicine heals doubts as well as diseases.” -Karl Marx surrounding the use of pharmacological medications on mentally ill patients, like a miscommunication of a psychiatrist’s overwillingness to prescribe medications for
Fizza’s Fast Talks: Still fighting, USA
By Fizza Gilani News Editor In a world that is becoming increasingly sensitive and opinionated, it has become really difficult to express an opinion without being attacked for it. Whether it’s a political belief, a favorite genre of music or a societal view, it seems impossible to stand up for something if you’re not in the majority. We think our voices don’t matter because we’re high schoolers, and we don’t speak out because most adults don’t take us seriously. But staying silent isn’t an option. We, as members of society, as human beings, have a responsibility to speak out, to represent and to bring about change. It’s on our shoulders. Even with this responsibility, there’s a lack of awareness and urgency. No one feels the passion to change something in
society anymore. People are content to watch it happen and complain about the fact that someone let it. The truth is, the world is going to need every one of us if we want to make it the utopia we like to think it is. It’s changing rapidly, situations that were never problematic before are suddenly becoming crises, but we as the human race are remaining stagnant. We’re not adapting and taking action like we should be doing, and that’s a problem. There is no growth in negligence. We let ourselves believe that a small action won’t make a difference so that we don’t have to feel guilty about not doing anything. In reality, what we’re doing is allowing progress to cease. When it comes to the big issues, everyone has an opinion. But a lot of claims don’t have a legitimate foundation. That’s why we can’t just walk out and start screaming our opinions. It starts with education. We have to know the issue, we have to understand why something is wrong and how we can set it right. Isn’t that the whole point of education? We have to start with the basics. It
won’t change in a moment. Change that endures, change that matters takes time. I found my voice in debate when I realized the world didn’t revolve around the small town of League City, or even the
and they concern all of us. We’re choosing to be ignorant by not doing anything about it. Going to a few rallies isn’t going to solve the problem, but it’s a change from letting ignorance reside among us. That’s where change starts. When we make an active, conscious effort to be different, to be better, to care more today than we did yesterday, that’s when we’ll start to see a change. We’ve had it so good we’ve forgotten that many of the freedoms we have are privileges, not rights. Disagreeing with the government, walking out in whatever we wish to wear; those are privileges. Not everyone has them, which is why we had to fight for them. Which means we have to continue fighting for them. It sounds ridiculous to us that these aren’t rights, but that’s the point. Wake up, realize that you have so much more mobility than others. And do something with it. You can do what so many other people can’t; that’s a blessing. It’s a privilege. So many people in the United States are ignorant to the potential impact they could have. They have an opinion, and they want something to change, but they don’t take action. Don’t assume America is free; people worked to make that happen. Thank the founding fathers, the presidents, the activists. And join them.
“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” -George Bernard Shaw United States. There’s a global community out there, unbarred by borders or political beliefs, fighting for rights, even today. It woke me up, and drove me to find out exactly what was going on that I didn’t know about. And you won’t believe the issues and debates that are out there. It’s baffling, just how much is wrong with the world right now. Not just the big ones, like poverty and bullying, but some of the lesstalked about issues, like hazing and the lack of organ donors. These are real issues,
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News
Houston joins in hosting annual March for Science By Fizza Gilani News Editor
More than 500 communities across the planet joined together in a walk for science on April 22, 2017. The ‘March for Science’ is an annual walk to “highlight the valuable public service role science plays in society and policy and demonstrate the deep public support for science.” It started as a proposal in a conversation on Reddit, but now it is a global movement to convey just how important the progress of science is to the human race. The march claims to be an “explicitly…political movement,” whose objective is to “[hold] political leaders in politics and science accountable.” Since the inauguration of President Donald Trump, many demonstrators have used the march to send a clear message to the current administration on how the people feel about the lack of support for science in the government. Recently, President Trump pitched “slash[ing] budgets for programs including the Environmental Protection Agency and NASA.” According to Huffington Post, “[Trump] wants to cut $900 million to the Department of Energy’s Office of Science,” and has “called climate change a ‘hoax.’ Outraged by the president’s approach to science, many protestors joined the march in eager support for their cause and held signs to specifically address the president and his administration. Joni Wright, a graduate student at the University
of Florida, said that she was motivated by access to electronic global information.” the administration’s actions to come out Another speaker, Patrice O. Yarbough, to the march. who represented “Science is the Association really important, for Women in and the current Science and administration participated in is making the Houston decisions that march, shared are counter to why she was climate change, participating. genetically “I am marching m o d i f i e d because I food and want kids to vaccinations.” understand the M a n y role that science consider the plays in their administration’s daily lives, casual dismissal in medicine, of science to be the economy, a serious threat technology and to the field how it will help and the planet. them discover the One of the truth,” she said. speakers in Wa s h i n g t o n , Houston was D.C., science one of the 500 Photo by Ann Simanton educator and popular TV cities around the world to personality, Bill Nye, said, host the march. Demonstrators started at “Today we have…[many great] lawmakers Sam Houston Park in downtown Houston -- not just here but around the world and walked to City Hall. More than – deliberately ignoring and actively 14,000 people attended, many of them suppressing science. Their inclination is scientists and other supporters of science, misguided and in no one’s best interest.” He such as researchers with NASA and Rice continued with a broader, clear message. University. Scientist Adam Johnson, who “Our lives are in every way improved by participated in the march, recalled why he having clean water, reliable electricity and
came out to walk. “For me, it’s about saying we value science, its responsible use, and funding is critical. But it’s also to let people know that I don’t support the antiscience dialogue that I’m hearing now.” Marchers had many reasons to participate, each one pushing them to take action against what they saw as “ignorance.” Support for science was not the only message the Houston march was spreading, however. Awareness about misinformation and political activism in regards to science were also at the forefront of issues addressed at the march. Andreas Tolias, a neuroscientist at Baylor College of Medicine, spoke to the Houston Chronicle about how “science and technology have made information and data more accessible than ever before. But the same [advancements] have also made it far easier to spread misinformation, and…the crowd …[should] remain politically active and vigilant in the effort to advance scientific findings.” Houston’s population is a very diverse one, and it showed at the march. A lead organizer of the march, Madison Logan, said, “We have heard from stay-at-home moms, neuroscientists, science teachers, employees of the local energy industry…it’s been a really interesting blend of people.” Despite the challenges the march faces with gathering support and reaching their goals, it is clear that people across the globe understand and support the sciences and recognize their impact on humankind.
Features
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Houston continues to be the most diverse city in US By Troylon Griffin II Editor-in-Chief
A recent study has shown that Houston, Texas, the most populous city in Texas and the fourth most populous city in the United States, continues to be the most diverse city in America. The initial study came in 2012, when a study conducted by Rice University showed that Houston surpassed Los Angeles and New York as the most ethnically diverse metropolitan area in the country. The report was done by the university’s Kinder Institute of Urban Research and the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas, and drew census data from 1990, 2000 and 2010. Sylvester Turner, the mayor of Houston, sent out a tweet in July of 2016 reasserting that Houston was the most diverse city in America. Shortly afterwards, the fact-checking website PolitiFact looked into Turner’s claims, and found the statement to still be true. A significant factor in the increase in Houston’s diversity is the increase in the percentage of Latinos in the region. Those of Latino descent initially made up only one fifth of the population in 1990, but were shown to now comprise one third of the population in 2010.
Those of Anglo-Saxon descent initially comprised a majority of Houston’s population, with many white families coming to Houston during the oil bonanza
Michael Emerson, a co-director of the Kinder Institute noted that this shift in immigration, as well as a decrease in segregation between ethnic groups,
Photo courtesy of WikiCommons
during the mid-twentieth century, in an attempt to become wealthy. At the same time, many Vietnamese refugees arrived in the 1970’s, as well as Latinos arriving due to cheap housing and employment opportunities.
helped contribute to the Houston’s large diversity. As many minority groups continue to become apart of the Houston population, demographic experts estimate that Houston is what many U.S. cities will
look like in the coming decades. Writer David Brooks, writing for the New York Times, proclaimed Houston to be a vision of what a “more diverse, dynamic and immigrant-friendly United States might look like.” “Houston has very light zoning regulations, and as a result it has affordable housing and a culture that welcomes immigrants,” Brooks said. “this has made it incredibly diverse, with 145 languages spoken in the city’s homes, and incredibly dynamic- the fastest growing big city in America recently.” Kevin Williamson, of the National Review, notes that besides Houston’s cheap housing, the city offers an array of jobs, ranging from blue-collar industrial work to high finance. “And while the city’s economy has diversified over the years, much of its prosperity remains rooted in a single industry: energy.” Williamson said. As Houston’s populations continue to grow and prosper, the city continues to become a representation of what the U.S. shall look like by 2050.
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Features
Creek students create lockers for NASA space station By Catherine Irvine Teen Interest Editor
Students in Mr. William Gibbs’ machine shop one and machine shop two class have designed and built several lockers that will be used by astronauts in the International Space Station. The students went through the building process by designing blueprints, wielding, and assembling the lockers. NASA will use the lockers for storage of personal items, electronics, lab experiments and food. Some of the lockers are also heated and air conditioned. “Keep in mind everything in the space station floats and so you have to keep it secure so the entire walls of the space station are lined with racks that hold these lockers,” William Gibbs, machine shop teacher said. The students were asked through NASA, to build 150 all flight mid deck single stowage lockers. Approximately 50 lockers have been completed and assembled this year. During the summer, there will be an intern program with NASA available that will put together an additional 30 lockers before next school year. NASA has already received 20 of the lockers at Johnson Space Center. Three of the lockers built by students that were sent to NASA have recently been sent up to the space station. One of the lockers was sent during April and the other two have gone
up earlier in May month. The original time line for the completion of the project was five years, but it may be finished sooner. On April 18, the teachers and students that took part in building the lockers, either by drawing blueprints or machining
something else like this, It’s definitely a life changer for a high school student to get to work alongside NASA engineers,” Kaeden Trout, senior said. Similar to the locker project, the metal shop students designed and sent a
prototype of a table to NASA parts were able to write their signatures on one of the storage Photo by Hayley Johnson that six astronauts in the International Space Station lockers that will soon be going into space. The signing took place dined around for Thanksgiving dinner during school and inside the metal shop. of 2016. The students are linked with “It’s pretty cool having NASA use NASA by a program called High Schools our work. I don’t think I’ll ever have United with NASA to Create Hardware, or
HUNCH. The HUNCH program greatly benefits NASA and its staff as well as the students who participate. NASA is provided with cost-efficient hardware and designs and the students who take part in this program are able to experience the craft under the guidance of Gibbs and are simultaneously being introduced into possible career fields. HUNCH was originally founded by Stacey Hale, who, at the time had a son in the class at Creek. “It’s neat to watch them work and watch them build the lockers that we had a part of working on. And Carlos was very helpful in letting us watch what he does, and I got to build one of the lockers too,” said Ryan Fanders, senior. At Creek, four NASA employees with expertise currently work in the metal shop daily to build and design projects with the students. Mr. Gibbs is the last original teacher in the HUNCH program. Creek was one of the first schools out of three to be included in the HUNCH program, joining approximately 15 years ago. Creek is now joined by over 85 schools in the United States and Canada, including Clear Springs and Clear Lake High School, and more than 136 teachers are enlisted in the program. “It’s pretty cool [the work being used by NASA]. It’s pretty accomplishing once you get the finished product,” Tyler Ward, senior said.
Features
9
Olympic swimmer and medalist Adolph Kiefer dies Lilo Shelley Reporter
Adolph Kiefer, a 1936 Olympic swimming gold medalist who was America ‘oldest living Olympic champion has passed by a heart attack, at 98 years old on May, 5 He died at his home in Wadsworth, Illinois, about 50 miles north of Chicago, according to his grandson Robin Kiefer. He was hospitalized for pneumonia in recent months and also had neuropathy in his legs and hands having him confined to a wheelchair, but persistent on swimming daily, because he could stand in the water. At the 1936 Berlin Games Kiefer won the gold medal for the 100-meter backstroke. His record-breaking career began when he was 16 years old, a student in high school. He was the first person to break the oneminute mark in the 100-yard backstroke in the world, that stood record for 20 years. Months later he was the youngest member of the US Olympic team. “No one who saw today’s race could honestly deny that he had witnessed the greatest back – stroker that has ever swum,” wrote New York Times correspondent Albion Ross, who was covering the Berlin Games. “There probably are a dozen athletes of all sorts who are in a class of themselves where they need fear no competition and are beyond comparison with rivals. To this exclusive, almost supernaturally gifted company Kiefer belongs.” Kiefer put a hold on his career and
joined the Navy’s swimming division his sailor peers backstroke and changes to the programs, saving
physical fitness and in 1944. He trained on his superior made remarkable swimming training thousands of lives
pool equipment under his self-named company. He developed the first nylon swimsuits, a commercial line of floating kickboards, the PVC rescue tube that is now commonly used by lifeguards. His company was widely recognized and Kiefer
Photo courtesy of WikiCommons
towards the end of World War II. It was later taught as a lifesaving technique by the American Red Cross. “Kiefer soon realized that several highranking officers didn’t even know how to swim, and the Navy was actually losing more lives to drowning than bullets,” a biography on his company’s website states. After the war, the famed swimmer became innovator and longtime businessman. Kiefer invented and began manufacturing swimwear, swim gear and
served as CEO from the company’s founding until he retired in 2011. According the U.S. Olympic Committee, Kiefer broke 23 records in all, also with every backstroke record. But his grandson Robin Kiefer says, the swimmer considered his greatest achievement to be his work with the U.S Navy during the World War II. It was a time when many sailors were drowning after shipwrecks, and Kiefer helped develop a curriculum for teaching sailors to swim, as well
as the “victory backstroke,” which is credited for saving thousands of lives. “His contributions as a teacher and innovator helped save countless lives and changed the sport of swimming for the better. His passion for the sport and safety was unmatched and his presence will be missed,” the committee said. Kiefer was involved into the inaugural class of International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1965. He was Presidents Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition for three presidents. H i s wife Joyce passed before him, of cancer in 2015. They were married for 73 years. He made way by their four children, Dale, Cathy, Jack, and Gail; 14 grandchildren and 16 greatgrandchildren. Kiefer wished to be cremated and his ashes scattered on a rock formation in Colorado according to Robin Kiefer. “There will never be another like Adolph Kiefer,” said Bruce Wigo, president of the International Swimming Hall of Fame. “Not only was he a great swimmer and businessman, but he was a great human being, husband and father whose memory will live on as a model and inspiration for future generations of swimmers and non-swimmers alike.”
12 Around Creek Creek construction set to finish next school year By Catherine Irvine Teen Interest Editor
Construction at Clear Creek from the 2013 bond is scheduled to be completed in early August. The bond was meant to update and construct new district facilities. Creek was originally given a total 28 million dollars from the fund. After further research 34 million dollars for renovations and the construction of new buildings was given out of the 304-million-dollar bond. Other schools such as Lake, Brook, Falls, Springs, twelve elementary schools, and Seabrook Intermediate also received funds. At the beginning of the school year, 23 out of 40 planned projects had been completed last summer. Throughout the 2016- 2017 school year, the majority of projects were completed. Over the past few months, several more projects have been completed. The bond funded a new CTE building that was completed next to the E-100’s, as well as a new HST building. The new buildings have allowed Creek to host the
district’s first dental program classes. In the cafeteria, the kitchens were renovated and glass walls were put up along the lunch lines. The theater auditorium carpet was
“The new rooms gave us a new and better environment to learn the disciplines of engineering.
Photo by David Drake
replaced with wooden floors near the bottom of the stage. The electrical and sound systems were also updated. Construction also included a third gym and new flooring in Carlisle. Near Carlisle is a new weight room, and wrestling room.
The set up and greater space allows us to work on projects with more ease than in the past rooms,” Maddie McGinnis, sophomore, said. During the construction, crews are currently working on building covered walkways to connect to the HST building like the ones in the courtyard. The new area will also be turned into a paved courtyard with planted trees. On the side of the walkways will be the girls’ locker rooms. The construction faced a few set backs when connecting the new buildings to the original ones. Contractors from when Creek was originally built in 1956 had different standards than those today. This causes delays when demolishing walls or placing piping. “Everything else for the most part has been completed. By completed I mean that we’re in it and we’re using it. This summer
we’re going to have a lot of projects to finish up things. They’ll be doing cosmetics that don’t interrupt anything, and other things that need to be fixed,” David Drake, associate principal said. The CTE rooms flooring and other cosmetics is scheduled to be completed over the summer. The girls softball, volleyball, and basketball locker rooms will be finished by the start of the school year. ROTC classes will also receive a new classroom. In the fine arts department, the theater program will receive a renovated black box room. When school gets out, more construction will begin in the fine arts practice rooms outside the band hall. The foundation of the rooms has been damaged by the roots of the oak trees outside. The majority of the changes and renovations left to complete are the flooring in the CTE building and beautification of rooms. The completion of construction will lead to the opening of more parking space for students. In the front of the school, the area by the tennis courts will be cleared and opened up. The areas near the CTE building will also have parking. The parking lot in front of Carlisle will also be available. The ending of construction will prevent the overcrowding of student drivers and means more students will be able to receive permits to park their cars on campus for the next school year.
Around Creek 13
Cavaliers end season with annual Spring Show By Sutton Anderson Reporter
The Cavaliers rounded out of their 2016-17 season with their annual Spring Show, entitled Come Together, complete with many different dance styles from their classic cavalier drill team to lyrical dance solos. Come Together took place on the evenings of April 28 and 29 at 7 pm, in the Clear Springs auditorium, due to the ongoing construction in the Creek auditorium. There were two acts, consisting of dancing, singing and comedy from Creek’s dance and theatre departments. Come Together not only featured the Cavaliers and LExI members, but also showcased local dance studios, such as the Jill Rauscher School of Dance and Elite Dance Academy. The show started off with a large dance number entitled Come Together, featuring all of the Cavaliers. The dancers were dressed in eye-catching black and gold sequins. This crowd pleaser was followed by the first year Cavalier’s or “New News” for short, in a jazz number entitled Ride of your Life. Spring show is the first showcase for the “New News” with the Cavaliers, so it was big deal for the incoming dancers. To keep the show moving, the Cavaliers asked the Creek improv troupe, LExI to help host the show with funny skits that were to be placed in between dances. Junior Riley Tamblyn and seniors Ephrain Zayas, Nick Petitti, Joe Looper and Quaylon
Conley hosted the performance with witty commentary and improvisation. The LExI improvisers received many laughs from the audience as they announced the next acts within the show; Nick Petitti even did the iconic Dirty Dancing lift with
place, front and center, to perform her rendition of The Climb by Miley Cyrus. Though she may say it wasn’t her best performance on Friday night, “Emma is incredibly strong and inspiring, her song truly related the the challenges she
Photo by Sierra Dickey
Quaylon Conley; Petitti lifted Conley flat into the air above his head. The Cavaliers featured a variation of talents within the dance team, including their singers. They featured four different girls including junior Cavalier, Umana. Umana hopped out on crutches to center stage with a knee brace to sing, as she had just returned from the hospital due to a knee injury directly before the show. Minutes after arriving, she took her
was facing in the moment.” LExI host, Riley Tamblyn said. Cavalier Captain Marlee Whittington performed the only solo of the night, Landslide, a very meaningful piece as she ends her Cavalier career. It was a sentimental piece that had many audience members crying before the curtain closed. Her emotion was pure as she executed the choreography. The Cavaliers surprised the audience with a tap number at the end
of act one. Tap is not the usual style of dance that the Cavaliers perform, but they hit every beat with clarity. In Act 2, the Cavaliers danced the annual the Mother-daughter dance. It was a huge crowd pleaser entitled My Boyfriends Back. There were joyous laughs filling the auditorium as the moms tried their best to keep up with the stars of the show. The moms were dressed in JJ Watt uniforms as they danced their hearts out with their little girls. Towards the end of Act Two, the Cavaliers honored their seniors with multiple senior dances; senior hip hop, senior lyrical, as well as a senior boy and girl dance. Senior hip hop was a fascinating number, the song mashup was fun and had everyone smiling. Senior lyrical, Born Ready was very meaningful for both the girls and the audience as their goodbye was displayed though dance. Their exquisite performance was a true testament of the girl’s dedication. The Senior boy and girl dance was a hilarious lifeguard themed number that excited everyone. The senior Cavaliers were able to get Luke Hults, Demi Dada, Adam Moore, Malik Tezeno, Donavon Johnson, and Clayton Johnson to participate. “The best part of Cavaliers is knowing that I’ll always have 50 plus best friends. We really are a family and being able to do what we love, [dance] with the people we love is truly what makes Cavaliers a home,” junior and third year Cavalier, Emma Umana said. Since the 2016-17 Cavalier season has ended , the 2017-18 Cavaliers are already hard at work for the upcoming football season.
14 Around Creek
Dolphin awareness club set to begin in fall of 2017 By Troylon Griffin II Editor-in-Chief
Aquatic science and anatomy teacher Mary Slazer has begun a new long term project with her students: creating a new environmental awareness club for Creek’s students. The purpose of the club’s creation is to spread awareness about dolphins and other marine animals that are slowly dying off due to human interference such has hunting and poaching. They wish to “raise awareness” that the slaughter and captivity trade of dolphins is indeed going on. The creation of the club came about after Slazer showed the film The Cove to her students, in an effort to expose them to the illegal dolphin poaching going on around the world. The film covers the secret dolphin hunting going on in Japan that has been leading to many eating dolphins that are marketed as whale. Upon finishing the film, Slazer’s students were inspired by what they watched, and after much discussion, Slazer and her students decided to form a club whose goal would be to spread awareness about dolphin hunting and
help contribute to larger organizations working to save wildlife or the ocean. Slazer credited her student Erin Lange with being the reason the club began. “[She] came to me on the same day
her aquatic science teachers work on ways to gain a following for the club. Students gathered together to come up with creative posters and slogans to begin putting around the school to convince people to join and
Photo by Troylon Griffin II
that I came to the class with the same proposal.” Slazer said. “So she really is the leader spear heading this and I think she will do a fantastic job because of her sincere desire to help and make a difference.” Slazer immediately had her students get to work on fulfilling their vision, having all
come to the first meeting. Students Sydney Albro, Madelyn Chesson and Alexis Cortez worked together to gain the club’s prominence on social media. Albro began by making a twitter account for the club called Save_R_ Oceans, while Chesson and Cortez worked to gain followers for the club. Chesson
also helped design t-shirts for the club. One student, Raven Schall even began to look into creating T-shirts for the club. “[He] talked to his parents about selling some T-shirts from their business that are really cool looking.” Slazer said. “They are designed to educate people about the practice of shark-finning that is devastating our shark populations just to make a soup.” Slazer and her students have been looking for anyone who will be interested and willing to be dedicated to the club. “We feel that if more people worldwide actually knew what was going on in our oceans, there would be more public pressure on law makers to stop and prevent it by creating and enforcing laws that govern the whaling and captive cetacean industry,” Slazer said. “A goal right now would just be to get a good sized group together to get everything organized and then start raising funds to donate to this cause.” Due to the club’s late inception, it will not be until next year that the club truly has its first approved meeting. “We were told we needed to wait until the next school year in order to launch our club,” Slazer said. “We decided that we want to be ready by homecoming carnival with a booth and items such as T-shirts, hats, bracelets, etcetera to sell.” Overall the students are quite excited about the project and only have positive feelings about the club.
Creek’s all women’s choir travels to Dickinson UIL By Kendall Eley Reporter
The Creek Choir took Bel Canto, the first all-freshman women’s choir in Creek’s history, to UIL under the non-varsity division, where they received sweepstakes for their performances in concert and sight reading. The choral UIL competition consists of a concert performance of three songs chosen by the director and a piece of music that they’ve never seen before to test how well each respective choir can sight read. The highest ratings that a choir can receive from each of the three judges in both concert and sight reading are ones, also known as a superior rating. For their concert, held at Dickinson United Methodist Church on April 4, Bel Canto’s three concert songs were entitled Jazz-Man (from Friday Afternoons), composed by Benjamin Britten, a unison piece, Rocking Carol, composed by C.M. Shearer, and Who Has Seen the Wind, composed by Lon Beery. During their concert performance, the panel of three judges took notes and provided criticism as well as compliments on their performances. Judy Boyter, a retired teacher from Cy-Fair High School said that Bel Canto had a “vibrant, focused tone…[with] excellent stage presence… [as well as] good diction and clarity of text.” Brenda Varvountis, the head choir director at South Houston High School said that they “...worked well as an ensemble” and had a “...lovely, musical performance.”
Their final judge, Grace Littlefield the former Cy-Springs Choir director, made the final comments on their concert by saying that “your hard work is evident... keep singing [and] congrats.” It was later discovered that each judge rewarded them with superior ratings, earning Bel Canto sweepstakes for their first year Right after their concert performance, Bel Canto went straight to the sight reading room, where another panel of three judges evaluated their sight reading. Dennis Boytar, a retired choir director who taught in Klein ISD said that Bel Canto’s singing was “sensitive… Unusual for a sight reading exercise,” which tends to get rather monotone, since the choirs are being judged almost solely on performing pitches and rhythms correctly. John Hemmingway, a retired choir director and author of multiple “sight reading method” books, said that they possessed a “beautiful tone…[and] good balance between all of the sections,” which is difficult to do when each voice part is focused on pitches and rhythms. Despite the setbacks of a power outage and being kept in the church from 10am to five pm, Bel Canto remained focused even after their performance, which also spoke well for their etiquette, which would have been incredibly poor without firm discipline. James Park, the head choir director, said that the new choir was formed “... because of [the] growing freshmen classes.” He further explained that “there is value in [just a] freshmen class… for singers, since they all learn [from
one source] at the same pace and no... girl is placed above or below another.” Park’s response to the girl’s success was one that has been commonplace for Creek Choir, since the line of success in the program dates back to the Pullen era, “... They [have] consistently [worked] hard and
set high goals…We’re proud not because they got straight ones and...a trophy... we’re proud of them because they set high goals… and... met their potential, and in doing so...performed artistically [and]... the high scores...took care of themselves.”
Entertainment 15
Brendon Urie takes lead in Broadway’s Kinky Boots By Hayley Johnson Online Editor
excited to be joining Kinky Boots on Adinah Alexander, Eugene Barry-Hill, Broadway -- that’s wild. Plus, you guys Stephen Berger and Damien Brett to get to see me in those high heels now.” name a few. The Tony-winning musical Panic! At The Disco front man Brendon In addition to Donnelly, Urie and has added notable names to the cast in the Urie has given up his pop punk mic for a Ghee, the current cast of Kinky Boots past, with Wayne Brady and Todrick Hall pair of flashy red boots to play the lead role of Charlie Price in the Broadway hit Kinky Boots, from at the Al Hirschfeld Theater from May 26 through August sixth. Kinky Boots is based on the 2005 British movie starring Joel Edgerton and Chiwetel Ejiofor, and eventually debuted on Broadway in 2013. The musical is produced by singer/songwriter Cyndi Lauper. Lauper penned the music and the lyrics, while Broadway vet Harvey Fierstein wrote the novel. The production won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. Urie, who is the fifth person to land the role, will play Price, the protagonist who inherits his father’s failing shoe factory and partners with a drag queen named Lola (played by J. Harrison Ghee) to produce a line of highheeled boots that help save the company. This gig marks Urie’s first major acting role, though Panic! At The Disco’s music and live shows have always been imbued with plenty of theatricality. In a features Taylor Louderman each getting a stint as Photo courtesy of WikiCommons video posted to Twitter, Urie expressed as Lauren, Daniel Stewart Lola, the role for which his delight on joining the musical’s cast. Sherman, Shannon O’Boyle, Marcus Billy Porter won a 2013 Tony Award. “This has been on my bucket list for the Neville, Sean Patrick Doyle, Kevin Smith Stark Sands played Charlie in the longest time and it really is a dream come Kirkwood, Fred Odgaard, Kyle Post, Eric show’s original cast opposite Porter. true,” Urie said “I’m just so incredibly LaJuan Summers, Hernando Umana, Urie is preparing to adjust to an eight-
shows-a-week schedule and is furiously listening to the cast album. Before he landed the Broadway gig, Urie was invited to see the show about two and a half years ago. Urie stated in an interview with nytimes.com. “At the finale, the acceptance, the understanding, the compassion that you feel are overwhelming. There was a fire in my chest, I wanted to stand up screaming. Afterward, I met with [the producer] Hal Luftig, and he asked me if I was interested. I said: ‘In any capacity you want to use me on Broadway, I’m ready to jump in. I will help build sets, I will usher at the door— whatever I can do to be part of this family.” Urie is just one member in the latest wave of musicians jumping to Broadway, including Sara Bareilles in Waitress, Josh Groban in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Sting in The Last Ship and Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong in American Idiot. The Tony-winning musical has added notable names to the cast in the past, with Wayne Brady and Todrick Hall each getting a stint as Lola, the role for which Billy Porter won a 2013 Tony Award. Stark Sands played Charlie in the show’s original cast opposite Porter. As of May 16 there have already been signs of progress when Urie posted a photo of him getting his red high heels fitted for the upcoming show., then going into a photoshoot in his character’s costume to promote the show.
Paramore releases pop inspired album After Laughter Hayley Johnson Online Editor
Paramore has ditched the serrated guitar-driven angst and the teenage heartbreak awkwardness, taking a dive head-first into a big swimming pool full of old school 80’s pop bangers. Hayley Williams might have hinted at the band’s new direction on their 2013 self-titled album Paramore, but After Laughter comes over like the zealous, fist-pumping soundtrack to a long-lost John Hughes coming-of-age film. Paramore has seemed to dissociate themselves from fellow bands such as My Chemical Romance, but grew into the glossy like of Haim, especially when the sassy handclaps and hairflicks of the track Forgiveness kicks in. The nods to their punk past are few and far between, coming through only ska-inflected bounce on Caught in The Middle, which brings to mind of early No Doubt, and the moody, marauding No Friends on which Hayley takes a time-out and lets one of the members holler grumpily to set the track’s mood. On the album, York focuses his inspirations on the styles of 1980s rock and pop, conjuring a slicked-back take on groups like Talking Heads, Paul Simon and the Bangles. The decade represented
something of an idyll—a time of neon colors and easy rhythms with feel-good fables like The Goonies. Instead of going to war with Williams’ words, the music acts as a gleaming counterpoint, a nostalgic lifeline from one friend to another. On Forgiveness, Williams doesn’t offer any, but the song’s lilting guitars hint at the possibility of a reprieve in the future; Pool finds Williams drowning in a wave while the tracks jangling sparkle pulls her above the surface. Music meets message more directly on album highlight track Grudges, where Williams details her reunion with drummer Zac Farro. “Are you recounting all my faults and are you racking your brain just to find them all,” she sings, peeling apart the fissures of friendship. “Could it be that I’ve changed— or did you?” At this point, someone yells “woo!”—or maybe “whew!”—and the whole band tumbles into the chorus. When the zipped-up hooks falter, though, Williams can seem ungainly, especially for someone approaching 30. Fake Happy and Caught in the Middle come off like the basic complaints of a high schooler, and the overemotional 26 feels indulgent, a teary twinkle that wouldn’t feel out-of-place in a Disney cartoon. Much more intriguing are the album’s final three songs, where
Paramore deal with their past and their role role as modern day idols in surprising ways. Though After Laughter generally sees Williams exploring softer nuances of her voice, Idle Worship has her seething and spitting as she rejects the heroism that’s so often projected on her: “You’re wasting all your faith on me.” The song turns Biblical notions of false idolatry, along with radical fear and vulnerability, into a hook built to be sing by thousands of wide-eyed, hairdyed followers. Meanwhile, No Friend is the weirdest thing to ever show up on a Paramore album. It essentially tells the story of Paramore in a language that’s honest, dense and referential, culminating
into lines that seem to suggest the band’s craven core: “So let’s make one point crystal clear,” Weiss explains, “You see a flood-lit form, I see a T-Shirt design/ I’m no savior of yours and you’re no friend of mine.” The fact that Weiss’ voice is mixed low enough to be largely unintelligible tempers the song’s startling truth, and feels like something of a cop-out. The album ends with Tell me How. It’s sleek, modern and grown up. Williams’ hurt here is well-worn, it’s the hurt of regret, of mistakes, of the unending task to continue on. Paramore is not all-powerful, and they’re no longer trying to be.
16 Announcements
Entertainment 17
Kid Ink album proves disappointing to music fans By Minha Siddiqui Reporter
American Hip-hop artist Brian Todd Collins, or, more commonly known as “Kid Ink”, released his second extended play titled 7 Series on May 5, 2017. The extended play was released in the midst of major fan anticipation for a new album. Unfortunately, it is arguably his most dreadful piece. Ink’s substandard play disappointed plenty of fans with its appalling lyrics and mediocre beats. The song Supersoaka, which starts off the album, puts out a negative vibe. Supersoaka has some very irrelevant lyrics regarding the substantial standards which the fans were hoping for. The album seems to take different routes; from his past stories involving the struggle of money, to the luxurious and glorious life he is living today. The song which describes his writing and rapping style would be F with U featuring Ty Dolla $ign. The soothing beat beneath the lyrics matches Ink’s actual style, which is calm, relaxing and jocular. Ink manages to confuse listeners with the dramatic changes in lyrics and beats within seconds. In his song Bad Lil Vibe the main plot of the song changes briskly. It starts of very repetitive, but later turns into a huge mess. The beginning talks
about taking this girl to his “luxurious” house, but then he starts talking about certain French characteristics. The only satisfactory song from the entire extended play is Lottery. It has
job. The rhythm of vocals fit perfectly The music actually the artists. 2 Chainz song better for Ink in
Photo courtesy of WikiCommons
a nice soft soothing beat which is mostly what fans expected from him. It stays on topic throughout the whole song and keeps a nice rhythm. This song received one million views in the first 24 hours on SoundCloud and Spotify. Swish, which features 2 Chainz, was the ending song. It did an adequate
the song and the in their positions. matched vocals of seems to make the every way possible.
Mochi also gives off his ‘old vibe’. This song represents who Kid Ink really is and what his rapping style is like. The song is vaguely what the fans were hoping for. The lyrics, music and the singing/rapping style is similar to his previous works. It converses about his previous life and his friends in the
“hood” during his very rough times. Ink always finds a way to mention his previous life, but in this extended play, this is the only song which fulfills the purpose. In his song Sweet Chin Music Ink references wrestling a lot. The song basically only talks about wrestling. The phrase “Sweet Chin Music” refers to a very powerful wrestling move which was performed by WWE wrestler Shawn Michaels, which is more commonly known as “HBK”. Ink also mention Dwayne Johnson, or “The Rock” in one of his lyrics saying, “Know you see the Rock like I’m wrestlin’ Sweet chin music you feel that?” Ink metaphorically talks about his level of ‘flexing’ to the aforesaid wrestling reference and comparisons to former wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Kid Ink is known mostly because of his singles and not his actual albums or extended plays. The single which bought Ink’s popularity was “Main Chick” which features Chris Brown (an American rapper). Kid Ink did not seem to please any of his fans with his extended play. There are a lot more things that could have made this EP better. Unfortunately, we have to deal with what we have been granted with. Hopefully next album or his next track pleases all of the fans.
Announcements
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20 PHOTOFINISH