Catching Fire pg.13
Grease Msuical pg. 6
Majewski chosen as new principal at Clear Creek By Lisa Nhan Managing Editor Returning to Clear Creek after three years as principal at Bayside Intermediate, Mr. Jamey Majewski will be replacing Mr. Scott Bockart as principal at Clear Creek. Mr. Bockart was promoted to Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education in late October. Only a day after the news was released, Mr. Majewski submitted his application. “It was an easy decision. I’ve been here before…it didn’t take long for me to put my name in the hat,” said Majewski. After submitting his application, Majewski was interviewed by a committee. One of the members of the committee was Mr. Bockart. Finalists were selected for a personal interview with Dr. Greg Smith. The news was released in a Board Meeting on November 18 after Dr. Smith gave his official recommendation based on the interview process. Returning to Creek comes with a familiar comfort, as familiar faces in the staff welcome back Majewski. In addition, Majewski looks forward to participating in student events, such as graduation and sport games. “I really love going to student activities whether it’s football or improv, whatever it may be,” said Majewski.
Photograph courtsey of around 700 students compared When he was here before, Hi-Life Staff it was one of the traits that to the around 2,000-student endeared him to the staff. population at Creek. In addition, Instead of having a formal Majewski’s support staff is much larger introduction to the staff and students, than before, a completely new dynamic. Majewski decided to take a visible One of Bockart’s responsibilities approach. He is slowly introducing as Assistant Superintendent is to help himself to the campus by visiting Majewski transition into the position as classrooms, waiting in the hallway, and head principal. Together, they plan to interacting with students. continue the goals of Clear Creek. “I plan to do it gradually through the “My expectation is that we keep the year,” said Majewski. students the center of what we do. I want The transition from Bayside our kids to be college and career ready,” Intermediate to Clear Creek High School said Majewski. comes with some challenges such as the Majewski originally joined Clear size of staff and students. Bayside has Creek ISD as World Geography teacher at
Creek in 2001. After working as a teacher for two years while working on his Master’s degree, Majewski was promoted to the role of Assistant Principal. As Assistant Principal, Majewski was the head of the rebuild for Clear Creek’s new campus. It took a total of three years for the process to finish, and Majewski lead project from start to finish. He was then promoted for a second time after five years to take on the role as Associate Principal at Creek. With roles such as creating the master schedule for the whole school, Majewski faced new responsibilities in leadership. Mr. Majewski left the role after a year and a half of the job for a Human Resources job in the Clear Creek ISD ESC building. After only a year and a half at this position, he accepted the opportunity to be the first principal of Bayside Intermediate in 2010. As the first principal of a new school, Majewski had the unique experience of being able to build his own team for the new campus. He acted as principal at Bayside for three years. Bayside Intermediate has begun the search to look for a new principal and will hopefully have on by the time Winter Break ends. Clear Creek looks forward to having Mr. Majewski back on campus and seeing him take on this new role.
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Opinion ion it d a tr y il m fa e it r o v fa r u o y What is for the holidays?
FRESHMEN rinky the fire, d b g n li d d u “C hing oa and watc e c o c t o h g in h vies like “T holiday mo terty h g u a D adison -M .” h c n Gri
“Watching Chr istmas movies and going to partie s as a family.” -Victoria Messm er
S ENIORS sitowmobile and “Riding the sn bonfire.” ting around the lds ey -Timmy R no
“My grand parents and I bake a lot of coo kies.” -Shane Law son
ristmas tress, “Decorating the Ch comes tobecause our family ildreth gether.” -Jarrett H
“Seeing my presents under the Christr mas tree and seeing my dad come hom .” istan han from Afg - Mustafa Ibn-Zakariya
Christmas ut down a c to g in o “G mily fun.” we have fa se u a c e b e tre ely -Naomi Ne
SOPHOMORES “ Going to ea t at Guido’s on C hristmas Eve.” -Landon Etz el
get exttle sisters ngs li y m g in ri “Watch cause it b Santa, be e ic R cited for -Luke me joy.”
te eat““Staying up la ws and ing marshmello esent at opening one pr ia Thomas midnight.” - N
“Hearing Bing Crosby play when we wake up to open Christmas.” -Ashley Duran
2013-2014
HiLife Staff Principal: Advisor: Executive Editor: Editor-in-Chief: Design Editor: Managing Editor: Features Editor: News Editor: Teen Interest Editor: Sports Editor: Around Creek Editors: Advertising Managers: Photo Editor: Online Editors:
JUNIORS ht to past midnig l te la p u g “Stayin p beautifu nts and po rcia open prese -Johana Ga fireworks.” “We go on skiing trips every year to Colorado.” -Brandon Hunt
“My grandma makes Guatemalan tamales every Christmas and we eat all together as a family.” -Jessika Deleon “I love hidin g the famous Christmas pickle in the tree.” -K risten Martin
“In my family, my favorite traditipon is ba king with my mommy.” -Gin a Sereni
Scott Bockart Wynette Jameson Jan O’Neil Arlen Addison Jasmine Garza Audree Hall Lisa Nhan Jenan Taha Arlen Addison Jessica Sieling Lili Lara Lisa Nhan Elena Rodriguez Jasmine Garza Elena Rodriguez Mallori Flanagan Monica Jackson Sydney Mathews
Emily Berthiaume Makenzie Jackson Viri De Los Santos Allison Casey Heeldre Mancia Carolina Sarria Deja Harrell Emily Ruthven Natalie Steele Published at Mirror Publishers in Texas City Email us at: creekhilife@gmail.com Visit us at: http://clearcreekhighschool.ihigh.com For ad rates call: (281)284-1889 Fax: (281)332-9079
Editorial
Arlen’s
Jasmine’s Journal
By: Jasmine Garza Editor-in-Chief There’s something about the holiday season that seems to get people to have a more generous spirit. People give a little more, and people receive a little more. Why does it have to be the holidays that make us this way? Ten months go by and people keep their usual selfish mentality that what they have is theirs and no one else’s. Suddenly, as soon as November comes around with Thanksgiving, people become “thankful” for what they have and begin to give to the less fortunate. That homeless person they have been avoiding for almost a full year, finally gets recognition with a few coins, or if they are lucky, a dollar; thereby making both the homeless person and the giver feel like a million dollars. It’s sad that our society has come to the point where in our heads we believe that those who seek help do nothing to deserve it. For me, the holidays always bring back those memories of family and friends, and remind me of the important things in life. I am just as guilty as being one of those people who forgets the meaningful things in life sometimes. I go by on what seems to be a predetermined schedule every day. I wake up, go to school, come home, and I repeat the next day, while in the midst, forgetting the little things that mean the most. I seem to forget the
meaning of family, because as they say, your family members are the only people that will support you no matter what. With that mentality in my head, why should I bother in trying to appreciate them to my full capacity? During these last couple of months, I appreciate my family with a different perspective. I have had three family members taken away from me in a blink of an eye, around this time over a period of two years. I regret the lack of time I spent with my cousins and uncle. The memories I have of them replay over and over in my head. At times it is hard to fathom, that they are indeed gone. My appreciation for my family has since then been greater than ever before. It woke me up to realize that reality is harsh, and at some point your time on this earth does indeed, end. Losing someone is tough, especially during the holidays. It’s supposed to be the time where you are supposed to spend time with your family, and gather to reminisce on the good times and memories. With the deaths of my family members and my Dad’s voice in the back of my head saying, “Be thankful for what you have, and never be greedy with your money,” I have grown this passion for helping anyone in need. I appreciate the life I live, because I have seen people who truly have nothing, smile at anything. I get jealous at times of the people who appreciate life with a child-like mentality. The people who have absolutely nothing in their name, but still have a desire to help. They are truly my inspiration. I help not for recognition, or praise, but for the feeling that hits me every time I help, that feeling that I just made someone’s whole day with a smile and gift. Not a gift I give because of a guilty conscience, but a feeling of warmth and appreciation from someone I might never see again.
“You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Anthropology
By Arlen Addison Editor-in-Chief As I was returning home from Houston a few days ago, I passed under a bridge with the words “REMüV “hate!”” painted in large, red letters above. I wondered what must have happened to the painter that they felt inclined to go through the trouble to climb down onto the side of a bridge, above dense car traffic to paint these words. The painter must have experienced some occurrence involving hate that was so strong that they were willing to risk criminal prosecution, and even their life, to paint these words for all to see. After pondering the reasoning for painting the words, I began to think instead of the meaning of the words. I thought about hate and how prevalent it is in our history. I thought of all the countless waves of pain and suffering caused by this simple emotion. Seeing the message on the bridge made me think about hate, just how trivial and preventable most examples of hate are. Several examples of pointless violence and hatred that came to mind. Protestants and Catholics, Israelis and Palestinians, Sunni and Shi’a, Muslims and Hindus, all religions and ethnic groups that preach peace and loving before hatred and violence, yet throughout history have had a hard time following their own teachings. In the nearly 500 years since Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to church doors, Protestants and Catholics have engaged in countless wars, conflicts, massacres, and religious “cleansings”, the remnants of which still echo through out England and Northern Ireland. The ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians over disputed territory, having resulted in over 3,000 rockets, mortar,
and missile launches into civilian territory, including schools, hospitals, and residential homes, in the past 2 years alone. The sectarian violence between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims of recent years have resulted in almost daily bombings between the communities, peaking during times of holy celebration. The religious tension between Muslims and Hindus has resulted in India and Pakistan having one of the most strained relations in the world. These examples of religious and ethnic hatred and violence are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the pointlessness and fatality of hatred. From the ancient emperors and warlords to modern terrorist and bloggers, mankind’s history is tainted foul with the stench of hatred. While the pure pain and suffering that hatred has caused is enough means for us to “REMüV “hate!”” the cost to human progress is staggering. Think of the wondrous things that mankind might have achieved of we had not wasted our history pointlessly killing each other. Think of those would-be creators of civilizations lost to violence and hatred, all the wonders of mankinds destroyed by war, everything that could have been if only mankind had learned to work as one. The cost of the entire Apollo program, from Kennedy’s “We choose to go to the Moon” speech to touchdown of the final Apollo mission crew, is $109 billion in today’s dollars. While that sounds like an enormous amount of money, the current cost of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq total is almost $1.5 trillion, with an additional $11.3 million cost to taxpayers every hour. Try to imagine the marvels of science, engineering and medicine that could be achieved with $1.5 trillion. It is estimated that to end world hunger, for everyone, everywhere, it would cost a mere $30 billion. With $1.5 trillion mankind could end world hunger, set up human settlements on Mars and the Moon, and still have money left over. Yet instead we have spent $1.5 trillion on a war caused by, fueled by, and prolonged by hatred. As I continued to broad over my hatred of hatred, it finally dawned on my why those words were painted on the bridge. Before seeing them, how much attention had I taken away from the drudgery of my normal routine to ponder the ramifications of hatred? The message made me think and all change begins with an idea.
“The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.” -Carl Sagan, The Pale Blue Dot
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News
Deadly typhoon sweeps through the Philippines By Jenan Taha Features Editor Residents of the Philippines are struggling to find relief after the upsurge of the devastating Haiyan Typhoon, the strongest tropical cyclone to ever make landfall. An estimated 2,500 people perished in the coastal city of Tacloban alone, and the UN estimates another 11 million have been affected. Hardly any tropical storms in history can compare to Haiyan. Hurricane Katrina, which killed over 1,800 people, made landfall at 140 mph. The deadly 1900 Galveston storm reached speeds of 145 mph. The Haiyan typhoon was whirling at 195 mph when it made landfall, making it the strongest tropical cyclone to ever hit land. The storm began to form November 3rd, and gained strength as it moved past Micronesia and Palau. On November 6, the storm approached the Filipino coast, and between the evening of November 7 and the morning of November 8th, the storm made landfall in Guiuan, in the eastern part of the Samar province. Storm surges in many places rose 15 to 19 feet high. Nearly every family on or near the coast lost one or more family members.
The powerful surge ripped children from their parents’ arms, and swept whole families away. One woman lost 11 of her family members, including her two-yearold son. The major cause of damage was not the typhoon, but the subsequent storm surges, which were so powerful that they washed massive ships ashore into the coastal cities. The most devastated areas include the provinces of Samar and Leyte, and the city of Tacloban. “Tacloban is totally destroyed. Some people are losing their minds from hunger or from losing their families,” Andrew Pomeda, a Filipino high school teacher, said. Citizens are struggling to find food, and many are turning to violence. Countless stores have been pillaged, and many are afraid of being killed by looters for food or supplies. Eight people were crushed when looters stormed a government building for rice. Inmates in the Tacloban jail threatened to break out if they were not given food, and it would be easy for them to do so, because the walls of the jail were badly damaged by water. The jail ran out of supplies, and the warden of the jail could not find transportation to get
to a relief center. Five days after the storm, aid slowly reached into the most destitute cities. The geography and limited amount of open roads and airports hindered help from coming any sooner. In Tacloban, the sick, homeless, and hungry are packed into the makeshift clinic at the DZR Airport. There is no medicine or supplies, and the clinic is quickly running out of water. Many children and elderly residents became dehydrated and died from further illness. The Philippines was not the only country affected by the typhoon. The storm also tore through Vietnam, where over 14 people died. In China, 8 people drowned and several more died from other causes. The total death toll in the Philippines is constantly growing. As of Wednesday, December 4, the official death toll was 5,719, and 1,779 people are missing. Impassable roads and a shortage of trucks impeded rescue efforts, and make it harder for officials to fully assess the damage. “In a situation like this, nothing is fast enough,” said Interior Secretary Mar Roxas. “The need is massive, the need is immediate, and you can’t reach everyone.” Several countries are rushing to
aid the devastated area. The U.S. has spent $20 million on aid, and has deployed 300 military personnel. The U.K. and China have sent care packages worth millions of dollars. The surrounding Asian countries, Australia, and Canada have also donated millions to the aid of the Philippines, in hopes that the country will be restored as fast as possible. In the Houston area, many people linked to the Philippines put in their best efforts to support the areas in need. One group of Filipino friends and family created an event to raise money for the cause, called Re(Fresh) 2K13. The festival was held at Walter Hall Park and included concerts and fundraising events. All proceeds from the occasion were sent to aid the victims of Haiyan through League City churches. Aid is slowly trickling through the Philippines, one helicopter at a time. Still, the people of the Philippines continue to have hope. One helicopter commander recalls the several “thank you” notes made of rocks or seaweed that he has seen from an aerial view after dropping off supplies.
News Nelson Mandela passes away at age of 95 By Arlen Addison Editor-in-Chief Former South African President and Peace Activist Nelson Mandela passed away December 5, at his home in Johannesburg. Mandela had been in and out of the hospital for the past few months suffering from a lung infection. He was 95 years old. Mandela was born July 18, 1918 in the small village of Qunu in Western South Africa. Born Rolihlahla Mandela, while attending a Christian missionary school, Mandela was given the name “Nelson”. Throughout his life, Mandela studied law at various colleges and universities across the world. Mandela got politically involved at a young age, helping found the youth branch of the African National Congress, opposing colonialism and the apartheid government. As the ANC and anti-apartheid movement gained momentum, Mandela also rose to prominence in the ANC. Mandela was arrested numerous times between the years of 1952 to 1962 in which he was the prominent in the ANC. In 9962 he finally received a life sentence. He served 27 years hard labor before finally being released in 1990, with civil strife and unrest raging. Mandela was eventually able negotiate an end to the apartheid government with then President F. W. de Klerk, allowing for the first multiracial election in 1994 where he was elected South Africa’s first black President. During his time as President, Mandela
In 2004, at the age of 85, Mandela finally announced that due to failing heath, he would be “retiring form retirement”. He would largely stay out of the public eye for the last 10 years of his life, instead mostly staying at his home in Johannesburg and only visiting with close friends and family. O n December 5, South African President Jacob Zuma announced that Nelson Mandela passed away in his home, surrounded by family. A tenday period of mourning was observed Portriat of the late leader. throughout the Mandela Courtesy of MCT Campus country. worked A memorial tirelessly in service was held five days later on retirement at activism and philanthropy. continued to dismantle apartheid-era policies. After his term ended in 1994,
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December 10, at Johannesburg’s FNB Soccer Stadium. In addition to the over 90,000 attendees, more than 91 heads of state paid their respects, as well ten retired presidents. Other notable attendees included the Irish singer, Bono, American Journalist, Anderson Cooper, and BritishIranian journalist, Christiane Amanpuor, among others. President Obama was among those who spoke. “After this great liberator is laid to rest, and when we have returned to our cities and villages and rejoined our daily routines, let us search for his strength. Let us search for his largeness of spirit somewhere inside of ourselves. And when the night grows dark, when injustice weighs heavy on our hearts, when our best-laid plans seem beyond our reach, let us think of Madiba and the words that brought him comfort within the four walls of his cell: ‘It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.’” Following the memorial service, Mandela’s body was laid in state at the Union Building, in South Africa’s administrative capitol, Pretoria, for a threeday viewing. Tens-of-thousands paid their respects to the passed leader. Mandela’s body was finally laid to rest in his home village of Qunu December 15. While millions around the world mourn the passing of the esteemed leader, Mandela’s legacy of freedom, tolerance, and good will shall live on in the generations to come.
Apple unveils its latest tablet, the new iPad Air By Emily Ruthven Reporter “Thinnovation” was the slogan for Apple’s MacBook Air. Apple bragged that the laptop was so skinny it could fit in a manila envelope. Now, six years later, Apple has done it again, but now with the iPad. Apple is calling it the iPad Air. With new features such as a 24% overall volume decrease, a 9.7 inch display, and a new and improved retina display. Even with all of these advancements, this new iPad weighs in at only one pound and has a width of 7.5 millimeters, a dramatic improvement from its predecessor. The iPad air also has two times faster wifi, and 2 antennas. The question on consumer’s minds is whether it’s worth buying or not. Technology critic, Patrick Goss, has some thoughts on this new product. “The iPad air is much, much more than
just a name change- the reduction in size and weight of the device improve it on a fundamental level.” Goss said. “It’s hard to put into words how much Apple has improved the iPad, offering a stunning level of detail and power with a build quality that’s unrivalled.” Goss said of Apple’s improvement. A critic from CNET praised the new iPad for it’s extended battery life, the sharper, front-facing camera, and also commented on the vibrant Retina Display. However, the critic was disappointed to the absence of the Touch ID Finger Print scanner that was installed into the iPhone 5S. “Functionally, the iPad Air is nearly identical to last year’s model, offering only faster performance and better video chatting. But factor in design aesthetics, and the iPad Air is on another planet. It’s
the best full-sized consumer tablet on the market.” says CNET critic, Tim Stevens, of the new iPad. Stevens gave the new tablet an overall rating of four and a half stars, while the average user rating was only three stars, according to CNET’s database. The iPad has been scoring overall higher ratings than most of it’s competitor’s. For example, CNET critics gave the Google Nexus 7 a rating of four stars, the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX a rating of four stars, the Google Nexus 10 a rating of four stars and the Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ received a rating of only three and a half stars. Many iPad users have consistently requested a larger screen from apple. While the new iPad Air does have a larger screen than the models that preceded it, the iPad Air isn’t the biggest screen out there. The Microsoft Surface 2 has 10.6 inches, compared to the 9.7 inch Apple Screen.
Brad Molen of Engadget applauded Apple for making dramatic changes to the new iPad. “The iPad’s design hasn’t changed much over the years.” said Molen. “At any rate, if you thought the iPad was due for a major revamp, the iPad Air should come as a breath of fresh air.” Molen was also impressed with the battery life of the new tablet. The iPad Air has an overall thirteen hours and forty five minute battery life, ranking it at the top of the charts compared to other tablets. For example, the HP SlateBoolx2 only had a six hour and thirty five minute battery life. In conclusion, Molen said, “ The iPad Air is the best iPad we’ve reviewed. In addition, it’s also the most comfortable ten inch tablet we’ve ever tested. Not every manufacturer can produce a thin and light device without also making it feel cheap or flimsy, but Apple nailed it.”
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Around Creek
Fall Exam Schedule Tuesday, Dec17th Period 1: Exam 7:20 - 9:15 Period 2: Review 9:21 - 1-:23 Period 3: Review 10:29 - 11:30 LUNCH 11:30 - 12:30 Study Hall 12:30- 2:30
Wednesday, Dec 18th Period 2: Exam 7:20 - 9:15 Period 3: Attendance 9:21 - 9:29 Period 4: Exam 9:35 - 11:30 LUNCH 11:30 - 12:30 Study Hall 12:30 - 2:30
Thursday, Dec. 19th Period 2: Exam 7:20 - 9:15 Period 3: Attendance 9:21 - 9:29 Period 4: Exam 9:35 - 11:30 LUNCH 11:30 - 12:30 Study Hall 12:30 - 2:30
Friday, Dec. 20th Period 3: Exam 7:20 - 9:22 Period 7: Exam 9:28 - 11:30
Enjoy your Winter Break Wildcats!
Hiatus is broken with Grease musical By Lisa Nhan Managing Editor Following a three-year hiatus in musical productions, Clear Creek’s Theatre and Choir Department joined together to bring the magic 1950’s of Grease to Creek. After this performance I was in a case of Grease fever where I sang all of the songs for days on end much to the dismay of my friends and family. The whole cast and crew did a great job of putting life into the show that left a lasting impression. Ryan Sieling’s, 12th, portrayal of Danny Zuko was led by his strong voice and partnered with the talented Jenny Barosh, 12th. Barosh truly is gifted with a beautiful voice that fit the role of Sandy very well. Another accomplished singer on cast was Gina Sereni,12th, as Marty. Her performance of Freddy, My Love was one of my favorites in the show. Sereni has a beautiful voice that helped carry the performance. Kenickie, played by Justin she
Gibbons, 12th, truly helped bring the Greaser boys to life. Having seen Gibbons in previous school productions, I have never been more impressed with his skills as an actor and now musical performer. His
Photograph courtsey of Hilife Staff
counterpart o f Tierney Conley, 12th, as Betty Rizzo performed in perfectly sync with his character. Both actors gave their characters great depth powered with strong vocals. London Strickland, 10th, as Patty Simcox was one of the best casting choices I’ve seen in a school production. Strickland became Simox the moment she
walked on stage. There was no doubt that Strickland was the one to play that role. Drew McCord, 12th, who played the Greaser Roger, did a fantastic job of providing comic relief throughout the whole performance. From his public display of his pantsing to his solo of Mooning, McCord’s play stick humor was definitely a highlight of the show as evidence from the laughs in the audience. Another crowd favorite was Joel Mancini, 12th as Teen Angel. Mancini, dressed in a white suit, got one of the loudest applauses from the audience all night. His solo of Beauty School Dropout certainly gave the girls in the crowd something to cheer about. The House Chorus gave the whole performance a new depth. Their interaction in the aisle added an added element of excitement. After seeing this performance, I am very eager to see what the Theatre and Choir departments will work together on next. They’ve certainly proved that Clear Creek can put on a successful musical performance.
Creek debate team success at Bay City would go on to win the tournament. A mishap occurred in semifinals, as Timmerman and Ellis began their On Friday, December 6th, the Clear Creek debate against a team from Clear Brook, debate team left early to compete at Bay City only to have it stopped mid-round, as High School, which is almost two hours they had apparently been assigned the away. This marked the only tournament the wrong opponents. The correct opponents team has stayed overnight, unless they get from Bellaire were upset by the error. permission to compete at Churchill High The whole team left the tournament School, in San Antonio, in late January. early, forfeiting the round. They could Bay City combines debate and theater, and not be reached for further comment. Creek sent Ellis and Morrison to the result was a bundle of extra, unique events like Auditioning, Storytelling, and finals in International Extemp, and Group Improvisation. And to top it off, the Timmerman and Claire Berlinger, junior, tournament was themed around the school’s to finals, the former of which won the upcoming production of the play Chicago. event. In Prose, Berlinger reached finals Creek performed well, winning Public in the senior division, and Morrison Forum debate and Domestic Extemp. reached finals in the novice division. In Poetry, Chelse Tillman, senior, In Public Forum, or PF, the four teams that broke out of prelims were Neerja reached finals in the senior division, and Patel and Arbera Bedini, both freshmen, Christopher Herrera, freshman, reached Sahar Jiwani and Meagan Puckett, both finals in the novice division. Tillman sophomores, Christina Morrison and also reached finals in Storytelling, one Alexis Gabbard, also sophomores, and of Bay City’s unique events. Timmerman Lucca Timmerman and Logan Ellis, a also reached finals in Senior Impromptu. Going further into Bay City’s unique senior and a junior, respectively, who events, the school hosted a multitude
By Brendan Hudspeth Reporter
of team and duo interp events. Creek sent four teams to compete in these, named Team 1, Team 2, Team 3, and Group 4. Creek saw success in one of the team events, Readers Theatre. Readers Theatre is a team event, and Creek sent Team 1 and Team 2, the latter of which reaching finals, placing second only to the Concordia High School team of Controlling Interest. Although the Creek team couldn’t replicate their success from South Houston, where they placed second overall out of twenty-eight schools, they retained their success in PF and Extemp, which carried the team. Bay City is a different tournament, in the fact that is heavily reliant on interp events. This meant that Creek’s debate success alone wasn’t enough to carry the team. Creek’s next tournament will be the following week, on Friday the 13th, at a closer location: Clear Brook. Brook’s schedule will be a little different than most tournaments this year, straying from the typical model of having debate preliminaries on Friday, then doing elimination rounds and interp events on Saturday. Brook will instead hold all events’ preliminary rounds on Friday.
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Around Creek
Ashlyn Pederson crowned Miss League City Teen as, Page Parkes, Visible Changes, Oakley, Academy, DeWinter, Great Day Houston, Rony Richa, JCPenny, and the Gap.
By Emily Ruthven Reporter Clear Creek junior, Ashlyn Pederson, won the title, Miss League City Teen on September 19th. Pederson advanced to the Miss Texas Teen Pageant. The Miss Texas Teen Pageant is a three-day event. On the first day, all 180 contestants greet each other and learn the rules and plans for the pageant. On the second day, the Preliminary Competition begins. Contestants had three sessions; Evening Gown, swimwear, and interview. In interview, the judges ask about the contestant’s self, past, present, future, and morals. After the judges select the top 15 contestants, the third and final day begins. There are only two competitions this day, swimwear and evening gown. Next are the awards. There are four places and Mrs. Congeniality, and Most Photogenic. This pageant took place on November 29th, 30th, and December 1st. “I’m excited, but a bit nervous for the Miss Texas Teen pageant, because all of the girls are so beautiful, and everyone has their own incredible qualities,” said Pederson. Ashlyn Pederson is also a teen model and former dancer. She has been modeling since the age fifteen. Pederson has had a multitude of modeling opportunities, such
January 2014
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dance have assisted her in pageants. Pederson believes that being a well“I’ve never done something quite like rounded individual will contribute to a pageant, but I feel that my competitive her success in the upcoming pageant. “The pageant isn’t just about beauty, but about being a humble, intelligent, wellrounded person. With all of the clubs and academic associations, I’ve learned that personality trumps beauty. This concept will really help me in my interview portion of the pageant,” said Pederson. When asked what she hopes to get out of the upcoming pageant, Pederson said, “ I hope this pageant builds my confidence, self-esteem, courage, speaking skills, and overall personality. I also hope that participating in this pageant will push me to be the best person I can be.” Pederson believes that even though she takes part in modeling and pageantry that does not mean that beauty is everything to her. “Just because I participate in pageants and modeling doesn’t mean that the Pederson has also been Photograph courtsey of dance and modeling experience superficial life style affects me. I believe Ashlyn Pederson dancing since age three. The had helped shape me into that everyone has different qualities, which nationally ranked dancer’s pageant material,” said Pederson. make him or her unique and beautiful. experience includes attending the Rockett Pederson is also in the Clear Creek Beauty is something that cannot be Intensive Program in New York, earning Band, National Honor Society, DECA, defined because beauty is subjective.” a scholarship to dance on Broadway Fashion Design, and is currently a Unfortunately, Pederson did not for the summer of 2011, attending the Superintendent Scholar. Pederson has win the Miss Texas Teen Pageant, but Elite Dance Academy and participating also been nominated for the National Clear Creek High is certainly proud as a Creek Cavalier in 2012. Pederson Legion award. Out of school, Ashlyn of her achievements and efforts. is most experienced in modern and jazz Pederson runs an online fashion dance styles. Pederson feels that her business, has a makeup tutorial account extensive background in modeling and on Youtube, and is a published poet.
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Wednesday
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Martin Luther King, Jr’s Day
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Girls Basketball Away @ Brazoswood Freshman @ 4pm JV @ 5:30pm Varsity @ 7pm
Wrestling George Ranch Invitational
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Wrestling Dual Meet @ 5pm
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Girl’s Basketball Home vs Falls Freshman @ 10am JV @ 11:30am Varsity @ 1pm
New Year’s Day
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Wrestling Cy-Fair
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New Year’s Eve
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Wrestling Cy-Fair Invitational @ Berry
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Dickinson Senior Night @ 6pm
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Girls Basketball Home vs Dickinson Freshman @ 4pm JV @ 5:30 pm Varsity @ 7pm
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Wrestling George Ranch Invitational
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Girls Basketball Home vs Springs Freshman @ 4pm JV @ 5:30pm Varsity @ 7pm 25
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Girls Basketball Away @ Falls Freshman @ 4pm JV @ 5:30 pm Varsity @ 7pm
Girls Basketball Home vs Lake Wrestling Dual Meet Freshamn @ 4pm 4pm @ Klein ColJV @ 5:30pm lins High School Varsity @ 7pm 28
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School 23
Girls Basketball Away @ Dickinson 10am Freshman 11:30am JV Away 1pm Varsity
Teacher Night @ 4pm Girls Basketball Home vs Brook Freshman @ 4pm JV @ 5:30pm Varsity @ 7pm
Wrestling Quad Meet 4pm @ 7 Lakes High
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Saturday
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District Wrestling Championship @ Houston Westside
10
Teen Interest
British comedy About Time impresses audiences By Jessica Sieling Teen Interest Editor It’s the time of year again when the weather is getting cold and all I want to do is curl up with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and watch romantic comedies for hours. So naturally, when I first saw the trailer for the movie About Time, I was pretty excited. A romantic comedy starring Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, The Time Traveler’s Wife) and written and directed by Richard Curtis, the man who created Love Actually. It seemed way too good to be true. When the movie finally hit theaters in the United States on November 1st, I was definitely first in line to see the film. The movie starts with a nice intro voice-over scene by the leading man, Tim, played by the adorable Irish actor, Domhnall Gleeson. Harry Potter fans most likely recognize him as Bill Weasley, seen in the last two Harry Potter films, but he has also been in films such as Never Let Me Go and Sensation. The movie’s main story line begins fairly quickly, when Tim’s dad, played by the famous British actor Bill Nighty (Wild Targets, Love Actually), explains to his son that the men in their family are capable of traveling back in time. Unsurprisingly, Tim has trouble believing it until he finds himself in his upstairs cupboard, at the party that he attended the night before. After that, the
movie spirals into many awkward yet funny moments with Tim crushing on his sister’s friend, Charlotte, played by Margot Robbie. Despite the help of time travel, doesn’t
Other popular British actors seen in the film include Lindsay Duncan, playing Tim’s nice but slightly unconventional mom, Richard Cordery, who played Tim’s quiet and
work out too well for him. Mary (Rachel McAdams, left) and Tim not-so-bright uncle, and Soon, Tim finds himself (Domhnall Gleeson) star in “About Tom Hollander, who played Time.” (Courtesy Murray Close/MCT) in London meeting the girl Tim’s hilarious, perpetually of his dreams, Mary (Rachel angry roommate, Harry. McAdams) and uses his secret ability to Overall the movie was completely get her to fall in love with him. The film delightful. The actors perfectly portrayed after that is a series of crazy moments their characters and made the movie ranging from awkward family encounters truly believable interesting to watch. to endearing Mary and Tim scenes to Although some critics have argued in depressing and heartfelt scenes featuring reviews that the character development Tim’s crazy sister, Kit-Kat (Lydia Wilson). happened too fast, I disagree completly.
In fact, the short scene in which the audience sees the couple’s life and relationship develop though screenshot moment from a train station is one of my favorite parts and most memorable moments in the whole movie. The story is set up to where the audience sees Tim’s little world as a whole, with Mary and Tim growing their family and Tim’s relationship with his dad expanding. Honestly, I could go see this movie over and over again. The screenplay was well developed, the music was perfectly incorporated, and the cinematography was enticing. The soundtrack included music from The Cure, Amy Winehouse, and Nick Cave and each song fit extremely well with the different moods of the movie. Throughout the film was hilarious and had part of the crowd in tears from laughing so hard, but it also had sad parts that literally had me crying in my seat. It is slightly anti-climatic, but that’s what makes the film so amazing. It doesn’t rely on crazy action scenes, or dramatic horror parts, but rather focuses on pure emotion felt by the characters that resonated with the whole audience. I would most definitely recommend this movie to anybody who enjoys British romantic comedies with incredible storylines, hints of time travel, and Rachel McAdams.
Barbara Park, author of Junie B. Jones, dies at 66 By Emilly Berthiame Reporter Barbara Park, author of the popular children’s series Junie B. Jones, died on November 16th at the age of 66 after a long term battle with ovarian cancer. She lived in Scottsdale, Arizona with her husband and two sons. Park was born in Mount Holly, New Jersey, and remembered herself as a troublemaker who “knew well the path to the principal’s office”. She planned to be a teacher, and majored in education at the University of Alabama, but one experience as a student teacher in a seventh grade classroom changed her mind. She then decided to write funny books for children, as she had two young sons at home. The first Junie B. Jones book, Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus, was published in 1992. “Within the first four sentences, I discovered I had a character who hated
her middle name,” she told the trade magazine Publishers Weekly last year. “By the second page, I knew she was a wild child, who — big surprise — had not yet mastered the Queen’s English. And when I finally finished the book, I thought maybe I could write one or two more. I was a little low with my expectations, apparently.” Junie B. stayed in kindergarten for 14 books and almost a decade before she moved up to first grade in Junie B., First Grader (at last!). Her English was never proper but rather more of that a child, with words like “bestest”, “funnest”, “runned”, and “thinked” popped up all-too frequently. Some parents and teachers were concerned with Junie B.’s unique diction, and a few of the books have appeared on the American Library Association’s list of “challenged” books. However, the Junie B. Jones series was extremely successful, with 30 books published and more than 55 million copies sold.
The opening line of every book, “My name is Junie B. Jones. The B stands for Beatrice. Except I don’t like Beatrice. I just like B and that’s all,” is easily recognizable to a broad range of ages. Her hilarious misadventures, Park’s spot-on six-year-old voice, and the easy reading level lead to a series with a book in almost every single elementary classroom. “I don’t have a problem being 6 years old in my head,” Park once said during an interview with barnesandnoble.com. “It’s almost embarrassing; if I’m talking to librarians or teachers who know my books and they say, `How do you do this?’ It’s not a stretch. I find that when I’m struggling to think of how a 6-year-old would feel about something, I just have to go right down to the common denominator, find the simplest way that you can look at an object or a problem, and not muck it up with all of the stuff that adults do and over-analyze,” she said. Park cited J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye as a literary influence and said Judy Blume inspired her to write funny children’s stories.
Park has also written picture books, novels for middle school students and even a Hallmark greeting card with an “insulting” birthday message about getting old. She was a frequent winner of Children’s Choice Awards, and never did write a book for adults. “I’m not actually sure I’m grown-up enough for grownup books,” she once explained. In the most recent Junie B. Jones book, Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten (and Other Thankful Stuff), which came out in August 2012, Junie B. was still six years old and in first grade. She never grew up, and will be the same old Junie B. readers all know and love, forever. Park’s contributions to the world of children’s literature are as innumerable as they are valuable, and she will surely be missed. “For 20 years I’ve gotten to laugh my way through my work,” Park once said. “For me, that’s a dream job.”
Teen Interest 11
The Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire, hits theatres By Emily Ruthven Reporter The second installment of the popular book series to movie adaptation series, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, is pulling in record-breaking numbers. The young adult fiction had the best gross ever on Thanksgiving Day, grossing nearly fifteen million dollars. Catching Fire also was ranked the fourth all time movie with the highest opening weekend, behind The Avengers, Iron Man Three and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two. Worldwide, the movie earned a global total of five hundred seventy three million dollars and counting. Catching Fire is set in a totalitarian society, Panem, in which there are twelve districts and a capitol. The districts are divided by their resources. All of the districts resources are sent to the Capitol. The citizens of the capitol live in extreme lavish and luxury, while the citizens of the districts starve and struggle to survive. Every year, the Capitol hosts an event called “The Hunger Games”. In this event, one young male and female, ages 12-18, from every district are reaped to fight the other district’s contestants to the death, all for the Capitol’s entertainment. The plot picks up where the last film left. After winning the 74th Hunger Games, District Twelve tributes Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are required to go on a Victory Tour only after a short return home. Upon returning back home from the tour, the 75th Hunger Games is announced
making the third Quarter Quell. Every 25 screen chapter, the poor girl from District really, but this franchise does have an amazing years the Capital makes a special rule to 12 continues to fulfill her destiny as an fan base. I am really happy the Johanna Games called a Quarter Quell. The rule inspiration and a rebel fighter. She is but one scenes get great laughs. I think she’s one of the standouts in terms of new characters, and I am really proud of her scenes.” However, some people were not impressed with Catching Fire’s cinematic quality. Susan Wloszcyna said, “Yet ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire suffers from the same ‘something old, something borrowed’ disease that is the enemy of originality in too many Hollywood efforts of late. It is difficult to enjoy a film when you are checking off all the sources it references—‘Lost’ and ‘Survivor’ from television, Star Wars (what is with the Stormtrooper ripoffs?) and “The Running Man” from movies, and Roman and Greek myths.” But amongst the few negative Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson, change for this Quarter left) and Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer female, but she’s the perfect comments, there were many compliments Quell requires all the Lawrence) in “The Hunger Games: antidote to the surplus of to the movie. Mark Hughes of Forbes tributes will be reaped from Catching Fire.” (Courtesy Murray male superheroes out there.” Magazine complemented Lawrence Close/MCT) the pool of victors, meaning Jennifer Lawrence is on her presentation of feminism. that Katniss is guaranteed now an Academy Award “Of course, Jennifer Lawrence becoming a spot back in the Games. The movie winner and famed actress. The Hunger one of the most popular stars in film today follows Katniss as she struggles to go back Games: Catching Fire is packed with helps quite a bit, too. The series demonstrated into the Game to protect those she loves. many other Hollywood stars such as the power of female characters and female The blockbuster is also scoring Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, audiences at the box office, and Lawrence’s amazingly good reviews with critics. Elizabeth Banks, Willow Shields, Lenny down-to-earth personality and frankness in Catching Fire got an impressive eighty Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, Sam Claflin, real life — including her Oscar acceptance nine percent on Rotten Tomatoes and Jenna Malone and Woody Harrelson. speech and subsequent interviews — won an eight out of ten stars on IMDb. Many attribute the major improvement the hearts of the public,” said Hughes. Movie critic, Susan Wloszczyna and success of Catching Fire to the new Director Francis Lawrence plans to applauded actress Jennifer Lawrence for the director, Francis Lawrence. The previous have The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, complex role of Katniss Everdeen and how Hunger Games film, directed by Gary Ross, the third installment of the Hunger Games Lawrence expresses feminism very well. received only seven out of ten stars on IMDb. trilogy, be presented in two parts. Part one “Of course, the one truly fresh When asked about the success of the will be released on November 21th, 2014 invention—and the one that matters film, Lawrence said, “The numbers are and Mockingjay: Part Two will be released most—is Katniss herself. With each on- a bit crazy. Sort of hard to comprehend November 20th, 2015.
First Youtube Music Awards surprises audience By Jenan Taha Features Editor The first ever YouTube Music Awards was held live from Pier 36 in Manhattan, New York on Sunday, November 3rd. Presented by Reggie Watts and Jason Schwartzman, the event was a spontaneous and frenzied plethora of real life and Internet stars mingling together in the first occasion of its kind. The whole show was completely unscripted and run by the participation of the audience. Performances included Lady Gaga, MIA, and Eminem. A new and possibly revolutionary idea—the live video—was created at the awards. Bands such as Arcade Fire performed live music videos on stage. The music “videos” included dramatic projections, various props, and costumed actors to make it seem as if the audience was watching a video clip. One of the most realistic “videos” of the night was Arcade Fire’s Afterlife. The stage was covered with several tall trees, imitating a forest. Actress Greta Gerwig starred as the main character, and energetically danced through the forest as Arcade Fire sang in the background. She even went into the crowd along with younger choreographed dancers and made the audience roar. From the point of view of the camera, it was hard to tell that the “video” was actually live. Other live “videos” included Lady Gaga’s Dope, which she very passionately
Forbes performed in a trucker hat and no makeup. representing the most creative video, silences quieted the stage, agreed that “despite Canadian group Walk Off The Earth went to Destorm’s See Me Standing. Magazine performed their Brief History of Music. Although the awards were a little its shortcomings, it was not boring.” The awards included some of the disorganized, and several awkward weirdest moments of live streaming.Actress Rashida Jones handed the two hosts a pair of real babies, which the hosts awkwardly held as they tried to present the winners. Avicii and Lena Dunham collaborated in their music “video”, and the audience was given the power to determine where the story would go next. The audience chose a gory end, so the two lovers in the “video” bloodily committed fake suicide on stage. The awards, resembling the trademark rectangular red play button, were revealed in creative ways. Lindsey Stirling and Pentatonix’s cover of Radioactive won the Response Of The Year Award, which was revealed after the two hosts ripped through five cakes to find it. Other awards were “lost” on stage and the hosts had to hunt for them. Eminem won Artist Of The Year, and Video Of The Year went to Girls’ Generation’s song I Got A Boy. “Being part of the nominees was an award in itself, but to win, speechless,” Tiffany, of Girls’ Generation, said. Other awards included YouTube Phenomenon, representing significant trends of the year, which went to Taylor Swift’s I Knew You Were Trouble. YouTube Breakthrough, representing the biggest growth in views and subscribers, went to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Innovation of the Year,
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Features
UK’s Bastille releases hit new album: Bad Blood By Brendan Hudspeth Reporter Having topped the UK singles chart with its hit single Pompeii, Bastille now seems to be growing, and fast. The British group led by lead singer/songwriter Dan Smith released its first major studio album, Bad Blood, on March 4th, 2013. Now, the singles from it are giving the band its first real sense of international fame. It wasn’t always easy, though. Their first single, Overjoyed, failed to chart in the UK, and failed commercially due to a lack of promotion. The second, the album’s namesake Bad Blood, reached #90, but remained only for a week. Bastille’s success finally came with its fourth single, the now international hit Pompeii, topping charts in Ireland, Scotland, and Billboard’s Alt. Rock chart. Bad Blood as an album makes great use of Smith’s vocal range, showcasing his abilities to sing softly in Overjoyed, his upbeat chanting in Things We Lost in the Fire, and his emotions in Flaws. Smith’s vocal range is amplified by the band’s use of non-traditional sounds and instruments, including keyboards, percussion, and acoustic guitars. In Pompeii, there are numerous harmonies among band members to amplify Smith’s chorus, and in Oblivion, a violin can be heard to add to the song’s depressed sense of emotion. Focusing on the apocalypse, the album utilizes many allusions to Greek history and the Bible. Music videos follow Dan through the streets of Los Angeles as he flees the city in Pompeii, and his kidnapping by thugs in
Laura Palmer as he tries to shoot a video. Not all songs on the track stay true to this motif, so it’s not a fully themed
which could say something about the young group’s future. Critics of the album will be quick to point out the often-simple lyrics,
Photo courtesy of Go Moxie
album like the late My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade. Two singles, Bad Blood and Flaws focus on Dan’s past struggles and flaws, respectively. Like Flaws, These Streets shares the central message of accepting one’s flaws,
claiming that the album lacks sophistication. With some tracks, this is obviously intentional, like in the chant-esque Things We Lost in the Fire, but the point still stands. Smith’s lyrics get simple, and at times repetitive. Even in Flaws, as he acknowledges his
own shortcomings, there is repetition of the same lyrics multiple times, with the only change in sound on the track coming from his backup and heavier bass lines. “There’s nothing inherently wrong with this too-many-feelings, heart-on-your-sleeve approach; it’s just that, played out over the course of an entire album (or on the airwaves, over the course of several years), the whole thing starts to feel a bit contrived,” said Consequence of Sound critic Katherine Flynn. Bastille has already tasted success with Bad Blood, and has since announced the release of an extended cut version, titled All This Bad Blood. The extended version features 13 new songs, bringing the total from the album up to 25. One of the most highly anticipated tracks from this version is the single, Of the Night. It’s a mash-up of two popular 90s dance tracks, Italian band Corona’s The Rhythm of the Night and German group Snap!’s Rhythm Is a Dancer. The extended version, and specifically Of the Night use a heavier blend of synthpop than the original album’s tracks. All said, Bastille is a great band, with lots of potential for improvement. The fact that they’ve already acknowledged their imperfections with songs like Flaws and These Streets is reason for optimism in listeners and critics alike going forward. The wait until November 25th, the release date for All This Bad Blood couldn’t come fast enough for fans, and many more are out there, waiting to see this band develop into something truly great.
15-year-old Texas teen’s diary to become a book By Emily Berthiaume Reporter A 15-year-old girl from Brownsville, Texas took her struggle to become popular in her new school from a personal diary to a $300K two-book and movie deal. The book, titled Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek, is Maya Van Wagenen’s story of moving to Brownsville in eighth grade and her quest to become one of the most popular girls in school. She used a unique tactic – following advice from a 1950s etiquette book called “Betty Cornell’s Teen-age Popularity Guide”, and recorded every step in her journal. The advice from the etiquette book may seem outdated, but Van Wagenen followed every step – even the ones
that seemed ridiculous. She wore white gloves and girdles, learned how to properly squeeze pimples and shave her legs, and even ate grapefruit and wheat toast every day for breakfast. “The most important lessons conveyed were timeless ones like being open and honest, and kind. She found that each social clique was distrustful of the others, and that all of the kids bore similar insecurities. She was able to find common ground and feel for the first time like she belonged,” according to Deadline.com. Cornell is now a mother of three and former model, and she said was thrilled at the new interest in her book, according to the New York Post. “I thought I would never hear about the book again,’’ she admitted, courtesy of the New York Post.
When asked if girls today can still relate to her book, she replied, “Some of it, but not all, because so many things have changed.’’ Dan Lazar, an agent for Writers House, set up Popular… for auction, and Dutton Children’s Books, a branch of Penguin Group, will publish the memoir of Van Wagenen’s road to popularity with a six-figure, two-book deal. The book is set to be released in April. This sudden demand for her personal story was “heady stuff” for Van Wagenen, according to Deadline.com. As Van Wagenen said in a recent press release, “I have always loved to read and dreamed about seeing my books on the shelves of a library and in the hands of other people.” After the book deal was signed, Lazar engaged Lucy Stille to take the manuscript to Hollywood, and Macosko Krieger became a possible producer. Krieger was the long-
time assistant to Steven Spielberg, and this is the first time she will be a full producer on a major project, according to Deadline. This movie deal with Dreamworks is a huge deal, and, at fifteen, Van Wagenen is now the youngest non-actor to make a feature deal at Dreamworks. Amy B. Harris, executive producer for “The Carrie Diaries”, will write the script. Van Wagenen now lives in rural Georgia, and she still shares a room with her younger brother, according to People. Not much is known about the budding author besides the fact that she is a “lover of British television, books, birds and chocolate,” from her Twitter profile. Certainly she will have much success in the future, and will probably never have to worry about being popular again.
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Features
SNL criticized for lack of racial diversity in cast By Emily Ruthven Reporter The late night sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live, has received racial criticism for the lack of an African American actress on their cast. On November 2, Kerry Washington, a successful, African American actress, was used as many African American celebrities. In the opening sketch, Washington played First Lady, Michelle Obama, with her husband, President Obama, played by Jay Pharaoh. Washington had to exit the stage several times to change into costumes for celebrities such as Beyonce and Oprah Winfrey. While this constant costume changing added sense of comedy, it also proved a point: SNL needs an African American actress. “The producers at “Saturday Night Live” would like to apologize to Kerry Washington for the number of black women she will be asked to play tonight. We made these requests
both because Ms. Washington is an actress of considerable range and talent and also because “SNL” does not currently have a black woman in the cast. As for the latter reason, we agree that this is not an ideal situation and look forward to rectifying it in the near future … unless of course, we fall in love with another white guy first,” said the SNL cast and crew in a press release. Previously, Saturday Night Live had used Kenan Thompson, one of two African American actor on the cast, to play several famousAfricanAmericans, male and female. Reporter for The Feminist, Syreeta, chose a rather accusing headline, “That one time SNL pretended to care about diversity. When asked why there has been a lack of African American actresses, Thompson replied, “It’s just a tough part of business. Like in auditions, they just never find ones that are ready.”
Saturday Night Live has also been accused of encouraging racial stereotypes via sketches. Soryaya Nadia McDonald of the Washington Post said, “SNL has no idea how to write about black women without referencing the same, tired tropes the follow us through media.” One sketch performed during this episosde only started more fire for the producers of SNL because the skit only increased racial stereo types. The sketch included a mock of the viral Internet video, “What does the Fox Say”. The sketch starred Jay Pharoah, as the cheating boyfriend and Kerry Washington as the jealous girlfriend. This year’s cast includes six new cast members, all of which who are white. Beck Bennet, John Milhiser, Kyle Mooney, Mike O’ Brien, Noel Wells, and Brooks Wheelan make up the new members for the 2013-2014 cast. The fact that this is “a
rebuilding year” as Tina Fey mentioned in her monologue, does not help the fact that the Saturday Night Live producers chose six, white new cast members. However, some people are more frustrated with the fact that people are worrying more about the ethnicity of the cast members that the actual quality of the comedy. A reporter from the Los Angeles Times said, “What so often gets lost in these conversations is that demands for diversity and broader representation are not demands for humor to be less subversive or more politically correct. Instead, it would be nice to see a richer range of humor than that produced by the predominantly white men who write for, act on and produce Saturday Night Live.”
Theatre Under The Stars presents Elf--The Musical By Jessica Sieling Teen-Interest Editor Elf- The Musical made its way to Theatre Under the Stars’s stage for the holiday season, bringing the story of Buddy the Elf and his adventure finding his father in The Big Apple. As a huge fan of the 2003 movie that the musical is based on, naturally I was pretty excited to see the show, which ran from December 6-22 at the Hobby Center’s Sarofim Hall. The show had many talented performers, and overall told an enjoyable Christmas story that warmed the hearts of many. The preformance started with a hilarious introduction from Santa Claus himself, played by William Hartery, giving the standard nophones-during-the-show speech. The speech led straight into the starting number, Christmastown, in which Santa explained his frustration with the elves do to their constant singing and smiling. Late in the song, Buddy the Elf was introduced as the happiest “elf” of them all and the main character for the show. In all honestly, Buddy is a hard character to play, mostly because no one can compare to the comedic genius that is Will Ferrell, who played Buddy in the movie, but also because the role takes much energy and talent. But the musical Buddy, played by Tommy J. Dose, did a really great job as the
Elf. He made the role exciting, and kept the energy of the character and musical up the entire show. His performance of the song World’s Greatest Dad which
Mckenna Marmolejo become Michelle, Buddy’s long lost half sister, and Cynthia Ferrer performs as Emily, Buddy’s stepmother.
Due to my complete Photo by Bruce Bennet showed his longing to attachment to the meet his father, had many characters in the movie, it of the audience members was hard to except the new ones at first. loving him from the very beginning. After the intro in the North Pole, In order to enjoy the show, I had to stop the characters one by one fall into place looking at the show as a musical version as Buddy makes his way to New York of the movie, because it isn’t. The plot after discovering that he is human. Mark is different, the characters’ attitudes are Jacoby is introduced as Buddy’s too- different, and most importantly, the spirit busy-for-family father, Walter Hobbs, of the musical is different.
For example, Buddy’s love interest, Jovie, got more of a backstory and it was interesting to see things play out for Buddy and her. Played by Jessica Rush, she made her role funny and fun to watch, especially why singing the amusing song, Never Fall In Love (With an Elf). The show was fun to see. The mother-daughter bonding scenes between Michelle and Emily were a nice change in pace, and although personally I would have liked to see more Buddy and Walter moments, the musical was kept entertaining with small musical numbers such as Nobody Cares About Santa. All of the actors were talented and believable in their roles and the music was fairly well written for it being a musical about an elf. All in all, the musical didn’t really compare to the movie; the storyline wasn’t as well developed and the characters lacked some substance. But the musical did accomplish its main goal: to entertain audiences with a lovely Christmas story about the importance of family. And when it comes down to it, that’s what’s important. Upcoming TUTS productions include the record-breaking musical We Will Rock You, coming in January featuring music from the British rock group, Queen, as well as The Wizard of Oz which will be on stage in March.
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Sports
Football season ends at Creek on bittersweet note By Lilli Lara Sports Editor After five years, Clear Creek finally defeats Clear Springs in the Battle of 518. A close game of 63-62, gave the Wildcats (9-1, 6-0) an undefeated District 24-5A championship. This brought Clear Creek, Clear Springs, Clear Falls, Dickinson, and Clear Brook to playoffs, while Clear Lake sits in the stands. Clear Lake needed to beat Dickinson by nine points Thursday to make their spot in playoffs, but because of missing on a would-be touchdown in the final seconds of the game, they gained only three points in the win. This put Clear Lake out and Dickinson on the road to glory. “Creek made a play and we’re in. You could call me a Wildcat today,” said Dickinson running back Krysten Hammon, 12.. Clear Springs (6-4, 3-3) is top seed in Division I with Clear Falls runner-up, and Clear Creek is top seed for Division II. The Wildcats meets Bush on November 16th at 1 p.m. and the Chargers face Fort Bend Austin at 6 p.m. Clear Springs gained the ball first in overtime, converting a fourth-and-short before Zach Cripps, 12, eventually caught Devin Milburn, 11, for the 7-yard score and 62-55 lead. Following with another play, Hildreth made a connecting pass to Davon Smith right before he was hit in the backfield, and the sophomore receiver ran 25 yards down the sidelines making the touchdown. Offense then returned to the field, while most of the play was flowing to the right, Jarret Hildreth, 12, then looked back left. Landon Etzel, 12, starting on the right side of the formation,
Photographs courtsey of Hi-Life Staff broke free to the left and with 21 straight points leaving everyone behind to tie the game. But for the game-winner. that tie only took up 23 seconds when a “We really didn’t have a whole lot big kickoff return led to a short touchdown to lost. We wanted this game really bad run for the Wildcats. and we felt like – at the time – that was Creek then recovered the best opportunity for us to win it,” Said an onside kick, leadi Clear Creek head coach Darrell Warden. ng to Hildreth finding Etzel for a 42Clear Springs down 20 points made it a yard score putting them back in the lead game in a wild, back-and-forth second half. 55-41. Clear Springs refused to give up Combining the teams for 85 points after and kept putting up a fight. Cripps threw a halftime, including the 28 in the open 3:17 of connecting pass to Jared Singleton making a the third quarter. C.J. Green, 12, then took a 75- touchdown with 8:46 left to pull the Chargers yard touchdown run that put the Wildcats up within a score. Springs senior quarterback 41-20 in the third, but the Chargers responded then brought the score to a tie, lining up
as a tight end catching a Matt Guidry, 11, pass for the touchdown with 2:14 left in the game, sending it to overtime. Clear Creek was staring a second overtime in the face, but instead of going for the tie, the Wildcats went for the win and they got it. Jarrett Hildreth found a wide-open Landon Etzel in the end zone; converting by two-point try and giving Clear Creek the one point lead (63-62) and win at Veterans Memorial Stadium. “All the work that we put in and we’ve been thinking about this game. We went after it and we did it. We finished,” Jarrett Hildreth said. Both teams still proceed to Playoffs starting Saturday, November 16th, and the Wildcats are ready to take the trophy home. Walking into playoffs and walking right on out while all teams in CCISD, besides Clear Lake and Clear Brook, didn’t make it past the first game. Clear Creek played Fort Bend Bush losing 47-28, Clear Falls played Fort Bend Hightower lost 31-24, Clear Springs played Fort Bend Austin lost 65-14, and Dickinson played Fort Bend Elkins losing 40-27. Being the last game for our CCISD seniors, as tears run down their face, they hope better for our upcoming seniors next year as they played a magnificent year. “They have strong promise. I know they worked hard for us, so hopefully our underclassman will work hard for our upcoming seniors, ” said Kurtis Lester, outside linebacker ,12.
Sports Eighth wonder of the world demolished By Elena Rodriguez Around Creek Editor Since the Astrodome opened in 1965, it has been Houston’s very own “Eighth Wonder of the World,” but when the future of the nearly 50-year-old stadium was in the hands of the citizens of Houston and surrounding Houston area the $217 million bond was rejected. The Dome, which has been used as a storage unit since 2009, would cost an estimate of nearly $30 million to tear down. However, if voting had fallen in favor of keeping the stadium, the $217 million bond would have been used to renovate the building into a newer venue that would have taken two and a half years to complete. “I fully expect it to go over budget,” said Houston native Celene Chasen told the Houston Chronicle. Regardless of the cost issues, Chasen said that she voted to save the Dome. The cost of renovation would total $217 million, but as County Budget Chief Bill tells the Houston Chronicle, the cost may go down if the new building had managed to qualify for funds and historical tax credits. If the new Dome had received those cost savings the total of the renovation would have been cut down to a total of $190 million, saving the city $27 million.
Issues surrounding the renovation of the Dome included the cost and the tax increase for Houston residencies. An average $200,000 home’s annual tax would have increased by almost $8 per year. “I think we spend too much that we don’t have on things that don’t have value to us,” said Stephanie Cochran resident of Houston for ten years, according to the Houston Chronicle. “We have to move on.” Regardless of the fate of the stadium, Dome fans gathered at the “yard sale” and auction hosted by Reliant Park’s general manager Mark Miller. The plan for the event accounted for 2,000 people, but when the lines began to form Saturday morning, the turnout was nearly four times the expected amount. Proceeds from the yard sale and auction totaled $810,491. Merchandise sold included lockers, Astroturf, stadium seats, and miscellaneous items. A total of $569,807 was made on the purchase of stadium seats alone and proceeds on items from the auction topped at $146,191. The highest item sold was a single gate turnstile purchased by Dave Warwick for $4,100. For 50 years the stadium has hosted an array of indoor and outdoor events. Baseball games, from the Oilers to the Astros, football games, from high school to the professionals,
the Livestock Show and Rodeo, and hosting Hurricane Katrina victims in August of 2005 are some of the memories from the Dome. “My fondest memory of the Astrodome was going to watch the Houston Hurricanes when I was in elementary,” said secretary at Clear Creek, Lisa Watkins. “I think people are worried about the taxes, but sometimes newer isn’t always better. They should just redo everything, not tear it down,” said Watkins. Regardless of the outcome, the Astrodome will always be a part of Houston’s history. November 5 became D-day for the 50-yearold Houston relic, but at the end of voting season votes tallied in favor of destroying the Dome. The four towers of Reliant stadium were to be torn down regardless of the outcome, but when the towers were finally destroyed, the destruction of the “Eighth Wonder of the World” became a reality. The referendum that would take place of the Dome is to be a 350,000 square foot exhibition that would be placed where the Dome seats are now. A 400,000 square foot addition and “green space” would also be added to the outside of what is the Dome today. This and many more additions would create “The New Dome Experience.”
Possible NFL draft picks for the Texans Smith, and Clowney is very appealing to fans. As for Reed, it would all but confirm the rumors of him switching inside to
former teammate. This is while the other three By Brenden Hudspeth chose Joeckel by a close margin. Matthews Reporter has received much praise for his quick footwork, pass blocking skills, As of Week 13 of the 2013 and intelligence on the field. NFL season, the Houston Texans However, even with all of are poised to pick first overall in the this upside, the Texans might not 2014 NFL Draft, starting on May 8th, go OT in May, as they drafted 2014. While the current season has two last year; Brennan Williams been more or less of a loss, Texans and David Quessenberry. fans are currently turning their Unfortunately, both were attention to top college prospects. placed on injured reserve in When drafting, teams typically preseason. One could imagine take a player who will fill a that the team would like to hole on their team. At 2-10, the give them their shot first. Texans have multiple holes to fill, Finally, there’s Teddy Andre Carter (96) of the New England Patriots forces quarterback although which one takes precedence Case Keenum (7) of the Houston Texans into throwing an incom- Bridgewater. The Louisville QB has is still up debate. Debate over if the plete pass on fourth-and-long in the second half of the Patriots’ 34- built his draft stock on his great decisionthe team should draft a QB to replace making, arm accuracy, and outstanding the maligned Matt Schaub, or if do ILB with Brian Cushing. This would pocket presence. He might not be as mobile they trust Case Keenum for one more year. relieve Reed of his pass-rushing duties as RG3 or Cam Newton, but he can move Or, do they draft a solid OT to replace the and allow him to focus on stopping the around in the pocket and scramble when underperforming Derek Newton, A popular run and covering the middle of the field. needed to avoid pressure, which is crucial third option is to draft a DE and assemble a As far as positions of need are concerned, if the Texans take him and are unable to monster pass rush with JJ Watt and Whitney Jake Matthews would fill the hole at RT. shore up their line. A QB’s accuracy is Mercilus. With a hold on the first pick, all of Although Matthews is an LT for Texas always helpful, but Bridgewater’s decisionthese options are available without restriction. A&M, he played RT before Luke Joeckel making sets him apart from the rest of his The top players at each position needed graduated and was drafted last season by class. If the Texans aren’t comfortable with to fill are QB Teddy Bridgewater from the Jacksonville Jaguars. In an anonymous Case Keenum going into next year, fans Louisville, OT Jake Matthews from Texas interview with five NFL executives before the could easily see Teddy coming to Houston. A&M, and DE Jadeveon Clowney from 2013 season, two preferred Matthews to his South Carolina. Any of the three would be a good choice for the Texans, but following the general consensus amongst fans, head coach Gary Kubiak will not be returning for the 2014 season. Whoever would then hypothetically step into that role will also have an impact on who the team drafts. Picking Jadeveon Clowney goes against the typical draft strategy of picking players to fill the holes on the roster. While it’s not necessarily a position of need, as the team already has a serviceable DE tandem in JJ Watt and Antonio Smith, Clowney would most likely switch to being an OLB, replacing Brooks Reed. Having a pass rush of Watt, Mercilus,
15 Athletes of the Month
Brittany Wingate 12 “I feel honored and grateful I have the ability to play,” Signed with Southeastern Louisiana University
Tyquon Jordon 11 “Should be a good sucessful season, I really believe that my team mates and I are going to come together and take over the court.”
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