Ford vs Kavanaugh
Astros lose Playoffs
Twenty One Pilots
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Creek’s LExI successfully debuts their 14th season By Shelby Donnow Reporter
Many things in life can make us laugh, but nothing like Clear Creek’s League of Extraordinary Improvisers. The League of Extraordinary Improvisers is a group of hilarious students from Clear Creek led by Mr. Hewlett who never fails to make their audience laugh. Most commonly known as LExI, the improv group can make the toughest people crack when it comes to being entertaining by easily captivating their audience with their humor and improv skills. The League of Extraordinary Improvisers team includes 19 improvers, two hosts, three game coordinators and 14 players. This year, the hosts are seniors, Sutton Anderson and Molly Akin. The game coordinators are James Haas, junior, Silas Massey, sophomore and Dalton Volkmer, junior. The Players are Fatinah Al-Hmoud, junior, Emma Barnes, senior, Alex Hammack, senior, Yadir Hannon, junior, Angela Jardina, junior, Mark Kostjuhin, senior, Bryce Strickland, senior, Hunter Taylor, senior, Rebecca Trumble, senior, Corynne Baccigalopi, junior, Dillain Daggy, junior, Adonai Haregot, senior, Alex Harrington, sophomore and Maddie Vansco, senior. These students work diligently to better their improv skills in hopes of putting on the best comedic and entertainment show they can. “I am the happiest when I am performing. I like how I am never going to know what is going to happen,” Corynne Baccigalopi, junior at Clear Creek, said. Although most of the humor comes naturally to those in the troop, they practice every day in their class period along with a dress rehearsal before every show to make sure they are as prepared as can be. In their daily class period, the improv troop enjoys
playing games like scene based games, where the players are given an occupation or location, guessing games, where the players are given specific quirks and another one of the players must guess that given quirk, to better their improv skills.
They also enjoy playing a game called Poet’s Corner, where the improvisers are given a topic
and one of the other players must host a poetry slam and has the other players poeticize about a given topic. They are taught that improv should always revolve around CROW: characters, relationships, objective and where. The CROW method
Photo courtesy of Jessica Rucksthh
helps the troop stay on track while performing.
They are also taught to never say “no” to anyone’s ideas while improving since those ideas may lead to a good turn in events in the show. A simple “yes and..” suffices to keep the ball rolling. The improv group takes their art very seriously and continuously works to improve their skills. “I like being in improve because it is a fun place to make new friends. It is a very comfortable environment where you can always be yourself. Also, there is a really great teacher for improve. Mr. Hewlett is really great!” Yadir Hannon, junior at Clear Creek, said. The League of Extraordinary Improvisers is a great addition to the school and the theatre department. They love to make their audience laugh and will do anything to entertain them. They work very hard to keep the school happy and entertained. You can see this group perform at the next Black Box Show on November 9th, the LExI’s next improv show in December and the Cavalier Spring Show on May 4th. The group cannot wait to make everyone in the audience laugh again. Clear Creek is very proud to have them as a part of the school.
PALs students organize annual Homecoming carnival By Morgan Severson Assistant Editor
The PALs program at Creek has set the tradition of sponsoring the homecoming carnival. At the carnival, students from all grade levels can enjoy a 45-minute lunch of fun, food and festivities. “We love being a part of the carnival! It is one of our favorite days of the year. Everyone has so much school spirit and each organization does such a great job with the food and providing entertaining booths! My favorite part, besides the food and all of the other awesome booths, is seeing how much fun the students get to have. Knowing that Ms. Watson, the PALs and I organized something that all of the students get excited for is a really cool feeling,” Ms. Watson and Ms. Bryan, the PALs sponsors, said. The PALs program and all the students from clubs and electives at Creek work hard to put on a carnival for all the students and staff to enjoy. The day of homecoming is a day of joy and school spirit in preparation for the game Friday night. “My favorite homecoming booth [from past carnivals,] is probably the polaroid pictures just because I really like polaroids. I plan on going to obviously the PALs booth, because I’m a PAL, and I really
love the idea that we had of key chains. Setting up for the homecoming carnivals is seeing everyone come together and set up for this one big day everyone is looking forward to. After the game, I am probably going to iHop because that is the tradition,” Erika Leon, senior and PALs two, said. Some of the food booths include Chickfil-a, run by the PTSA, the Raising Cane’s booth, run by the girls’ soccer program, the cake pop booth, run by Rho Kappa and the Smoothie King booth, run by volleyball. Boys’ soccer will have nachos and the FFA booster club will have fries and chili cheese fries. The all-time favorite food at the carnival is the deep-fried Oreos from the Creek choir along with their mini stage set up that features Creek choir students that preform acapella music for the carnival. All of the delicious food and more is sure to satisfy every student. “My favorite homecoming booth is the ones that sell cupcakes and cookies and stuff like that. I plan on going to all the booths because I want to support my school and I just want to have fun. After the homecoming game, I am probably going to go eat and go to a party,” Maddy Holmes, sophomore, said. Some of the entertainment booths include a three-pointer contest, sponsored by Creek’s basketball program, a corn hole game by National Honor Society and Creek’s football
program, destroying a car booth, where students can take a sledgehammer to a car’s windshield. Also, JROTC is having a soda pop ring toss where students can win a liter of soda while FFA is having a take a selfie with a goat booth. Many more booths with games and activities will keep students captivated. “My favorite homecoming booth is anything that supports fine arts, like orchestra and languages like Spanish and also JROTC. I’m in a few honor societies so I plan on going to their booths to support them and represent a few of them. It’s going to be a really long but fun day,” Amanda Gumban, junior, said. Another popular booth at the carnival is the pie throwing booth, sponsored by ACADEC. At the booth students get a cahnce to throw pie at some of the staff at Creek. This booth is by far more popular than any others and entertains teachers and students alike. “My favorite booth is getting my hair sprayed different colors but also the pie throwing booths. I want to throw pies at the teachers who forget to but in my grades. I am excited for homecoming because of all the exciting event going on. I went to the store recently to get stuff for all the dress up days so I can show my school spirit,” Paige Severson, freshman, said. Along with all the mums and garters students will be wearing, there will be
many booths that sell spirit wear. The Spanish Honor Society will be selling sombreros decorated by the members, the debate students made headbands to sell and art students will be selling T-shirts as well as giving henna tattoos. DECA students will be providing a face paint booth, the Robotics students will be spray painting students’ hair and Mu Alpha Theta will be braiding hair, so there are many ways students can wear their school spirit. The theme for the homecoming football game, against Clear Falls, is “light up the Knights.” Students are expected to wear glow in the dark and neon spirit wear to “light up the Knights.” The Cat Corner is selling glow in the dark T-shirts for 15 dollars. Also, the Cavaliers will be selling glow sticks at their booth for the game as well. Homecoming is an exciting time of year for all Creek students and staff. The anticipation is high as the day approaches. Thanks to the hard work of all the student groups at Creek, the students can put on a carnival for everyone to take delight in.
Homecoming carnival booth map is located on page 16.
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Opinion
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO AT THE HOMECOMING CARNIVAL? “CHECKING O UT DIFFERENT BOOT HS AND FINDING OU T WHAT SCHOOL CLU BS AND ORGANZIATIO NS ARE ALL ABOUT.” - YVONNE ME NDOZA (11TH)
I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO EXPERIENCING ALL OF THE EVENTS And BOOTHS! ALSO THROWING CUPCAKES AT DARBY!” -ZOE SMITH (11TH)
“ART CLUB IS HAVING A BOOTH WITH HENNA, T-SHIRTS AND POSTERS THAT I’M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO.” -ANGELINA YOON (11TH) “I THINK SEEING EVERYONE’S MUMS AND OVERALLS BECAUSE I LIKE LOOKING AT THEM, PLUS HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS.” -TATI PORTILLO (12TH)
“I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO EXPERIENCING SOME KIND OF HIGH SCHOOL EVENT FOR THE FIRST TIME AND GETTING TO FEEL THE ATMOSPHERE.” -SARA JANA (9TH)
“There are 2 things. 1, I’m looking forward to the e is food, and the second on hlooking forward to watc ing people take awkward mum photos in the courtyard.” -coach beck (teacher)
“TO SPEND MY LAST ITH HOMECOMING W DS, MY CLOSEST FRIEN EATHAVING FUN AND D.” ING LOTS OF FOO ORTHY -WILLIAM NORSW (12TH) D ORWAR F G N I OK E“I’M LO REOS B E O D E I MAK TO FR ED TO E N I E ESCAUS OR WR F T H G I MY WE TLING.” 9TH) LOSH ( N A D R JO
“I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING OUT THERE WITH ALL THE KIDS AND STAFF AND VISITING THE BOOTHS WHILE EATING A LOT OF GOOD FOOD.” -MR. MAJEWSKI (PRINCIPAL)
“I AM EXCITED FOR THE FRIED OREOS BECAUSE THEY REMIND ME OF THE HOUSTON RODEO.” -LILY SAENZ (11TH)
“I’M LO OKING WARD FORAND B TO THE FOO EA D ER! I L UTIFUL WEA OVE G T HETTIN BE OU G TO TSIDE DURIN SCHO G O L!” -MEGA N THO (TEACH MPSON ER)
“I’M LO OKING WARD TO WE FORARI MY MU M AT T NG HE CARN IVAL.” -NATA LIE CO X (11T H)
G FOR“I’M LOOKIN E E XPERIWARD TO TH AVE WITH ENCE I’LL H ...AND OF MY FRIENDS E FOOD.” COURSE, TH RAULAU -HANNAH G (10TH)
2018-2019
HiLife Staff
Principal: Jamey Majewski Advisor: Wynette Jameson Editors-in-Chief: Maddie Moore Sierra Dickey Assistant Editor: Morgan Severson Managing Editor: Brittney Melanson News Editor: Leah Burnam Online Editor: Lilo Shelley Features Editor: Arrington Linder Entertainment Editor: Shelby Donnow Sports Editor: Anabella Cooper Around Creek Editor: Briana Harris Advertising Manager: Brittney Melanson Photo-editor: Danielle Dunavant Reporters:
Kadyn Chatman Nicole Alvarenga Jose Rodriguez Grant Coburn Caleb Rathbone Kaila Alvarenga Dillon Gathright Cameron Heise Kadee Loyd Mariyah Thomas
Photographers:
Fabiola Figueroa Bella- Jace Moreno Ryan Castillo Riley Healy Chloe Tankink Abby Wells Carson Faulkner Sammantha Torch Cece Huff Erik Soto
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Editorial
3
Maddie’s Messages: Cults vs religion
By Madeleine Moore Editor- in- Chief Scientology, defined as the study of knowledge and considered the most controversial religion in the world, according to the official website is, a religion that offers a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of one’s true spiritual nature. Despite calling itself a 21st century religion, I believe The Church of Scientology is a cult. The idea of Scientology was born in 1950, when science fiction and fantasy novelist L. Ron Hubbard published a “branch of self-help psychology” by the name of Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. According to the official website for Dianetics, it is the original mental health phenomenon that inspired the entire self-help movement. As of 2018, 22 million copies of the book have been sold in 50 different languages, in over 160 different countries. The book stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for 26 consecutive weeks, and Hubbard’s work gained many followers. Eventually, these followers began traveling to Phoenix, Arizona to attend Hubbard’s lectures about Scientology. In February of 1954, L Rob. Hubbard, along
By Sierra Dickey Editor-in-Chief Being loyal to a political party has been a tradition since the beginning of our government, from the times of Federalists and Democratic Republicans to our current situation, Republicans versus Democrats. Recently it seems people have become less affiliated with political parties and have gone more toward their own ideologies, voting for the candidate who they agree with more. While Republicans are said to be more conservative and Democrats more liberal, around the time of President Reagan it was reversed. Characterizing Republicans as conservative and Democrats as liberals may be true at the moment, but the statement in general is
with a group of Los Angeles Scientologists, formed the first Church of Scientology. The church, despite claiming it is a haven where people can go to learn about living a better life as humans, has done more harm in its lifetime than good since its integration into society. World famous actress and ex-scientologist, Leah Remini, has been taking strides toward exposing the Church of Scientology’s lies since she took her leave in 2013. Remini, despite being threatened by supporters of the church and considered a suppressive person, or enemy of the church, has continued to tell her story as well as others’. According to Remini, the church forcibly carries out unwanted abortions for women in the Sea Org, continuously harasses ex-scientologists, and ensures that families are torn apart. If someone is declared a suppressive person to the church, they will do everything in their power to ensure that life after leaving the church is the opposite of a haven, hell. Family of the suppressive person are no longer allowed to contact them, as one of the beliefs of the church is that members are loyal to the church before their own family. This is prominent in families that raise their kids as Scientologists, such as Remini’s family. When Remini left the church, she was no longer allowed contact with her parents, as they would be declared suppressive people as well. Not only are they willing to hurt people, Scientologists are notorious liars. On the church’s official website, which has been updated as of 2018, the Church of Scientology
welcomes over 4.4 million new people each year. However, the church has not accounted for the official population of the church since 2006, when they claimed there were over 10 million members of the church internationally. If the population of the church increased approximately 4.4 million every year since 2006,
technically false. As such, many people do not like to be known as either Republican or Democrat, for someone is never 100 percent either of these parties. So, the choice of being blindly loyal to a singular party, when you do not completely and whole-heartedly agree to everything with the party you are affiliated with, is insensible. Blindly following a specific party is not only insensible, it also is detrimental to our government and to society. Political parties themselves are very impactful within our government, whether we have a Democratic president or a Republican one, but who votes for them? The people of the United States obviously. Because we the people control who is and who is not president or other government officials, strictly voting for a candidate just because they are affiliated with a certain party is closed-minded. Because of the choice to remain loyal to party and to vote for that said candidate, future consequences may occur like unfulfilled campaign promises. Seen within the Trump campaign, he pledged he would fulfill Republican goals, however, now in office, he has deviated from his platform
and has alienated many members of both parties. If this continues, he may eventually even isolate himself from the people and lead American the way he believes it should be led. Closed-mindedness when it comes to politics is something that should not exist, not
Not only does the church harass and spy on ex-members and suffer no consequences from doing so, they are also tax-exempt. Churches and religious organizations in the United States are free from paying taxes because they would not be able to stay open without them since most of the money received by churches go back into serving the community and to ensure that the separation of church and state is maintained. The Church of Scientology had a more difficult time becoming tax exempt than other religions, as they were not willing to share what they put their money into with the IRS. Being a 21st century religion that is rumored to worship a “galactic overlord” by the name of Xenu, rather than a deity, stalk ex-members of the church, and believe that humans evolved from clams, the IRS rightfully denied the church its tax exemption, up until October of 1993. If an organization is receiving a tax exemption, it should only be because they cannot stay afloat otherwise. However, the Church of Scientology is supported by several famous names, such as Tom Cruise, Kirstie Alley, Elisabeth Moss and John Travolta, meaning the church would be able to stay open, even without the support of the IRS. Although Scientology is considered a religion, meaning it should receive tax exemptions anyway, there is never any news about the church giving back to the community. The entire point of ensuring religious organizations are tax exempt is to optimize how much they can give back to the community, but the church of Scientology is clearly not using their profit for good. Because the Church of Scientology does not give back to the community, they tear families apart and suppress, harm and stalk those who chose to leave the church, it should not be considered a religion, nor should it receive the tax exemption the IRS grants them.
“Even though Scientology sees itself as the authority on ethics and responsibility, obsuring the truth is built in its core.” -Leah Remini there would be approximately 62.8 million Scientologists in our world today. However, if there really are that many Scientologists in our world, why do we not hear about them more in the news? According to Tony Ortego, writer for The Village Voice, who calculated an approximate number based off of government surveys, as of 2011 there were actually only 25,000 active Scientologists in the US alone, and the number is decreasing every year. The initial “10 million” active members the church claimed they had included any person who had interacted with the church in any way, even if they were not officially a Scientologist.
Sierra Shares: Political effectiveness
politics. Being open and informed allows for the probability of national success to rise, which is the opposite of being blindly loyal to a political party. That is why we, as society, must start to raise our younger generations to not only be more involved in politics, but also to be openminded towards it as well. Younger generations are seen to be more liberal, whereas the older generations are seen to be more conservative. The most questionable thing is, the older generation experienced periods of extreme change and influential movements such as the Suffrage Movement, Martin Luther King and psychedelic drugs that all promoted open-mindedness, so why did so many of their offspring become closed- minded? The past has shown that being loyal to a party has not always worked. However, if the welfare of the country is in interest then no matter what candidate is connected to whatever party, the one that benefits the welfare of the country the most should win, party affiliation should not matter. The change from closedmindedness within politics needs to be extinguished and the flame to open-mindedness needs to be lit. By raising the younger generations to be more open and understanding the government will become more informed and less biased, creating more fair elections. Society is changing socially, economically and by the way we gather information, so why can we not change politically for the better as well?
“Loyalty is a fine quality, but in excess it fills political graveyards.” -Neil Kinnock knowing the other side and its goals can lead to a regrettable decision. The opposite, openmindedness, is essential in government affairs, knowing both sides and then choosing the best one that is the most beneficial for today’s society is the ideal way to be involved in
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Core Values
Responsibility is the ability to act independently and make decisions without authorization and completing the task given. Kingston Griffin, a worker at the school store, shows responsibility by always being eager to lend a hand whenever needed. According to Mrs. Mosely, school store teacher, “He takes on all financial responsibilities for the school store, which includes counting money for deposits and working closely with the bookkeeper to balance accounts”
Trustworthiness is the ability for others to rely on someone to be honest and truthful. Alejandra Tijerina, a junior in Ms. Zerpa’s Spanish 4 class, shows trustworthiness by finishing her work and coming to class prepared. According to Ms. Zerpa, she is responsible, respectful, and cares about her classmates.
Kingston Griffin Respect is using good manners, practicing tolerance, being considerate of the feelings of others and not hurting anyone. Maria Buendia, swimmer, is an excellent example a student who shows respect. She shows respect towards her coach every day, simply by saying “good morning.” “Swimming is a long season that stretches from September through February and even on days we swim 5000 plus yards, she is on time and does her best every day,” according to Coach Halfred
Maria Buendia Fairness is the act to justly treat or behave towards someone without discrimination or favoritism. Riley Brantly, player on the girls’ varsity volleyball team, is a great representation of such characteristics. According to Coach Simons, Brantly works very hard and treats all her teammates well, she is willing to help anyway she can. To achieve these goals, Brantly focuses on school and puts it as her first priority.
Riley Brantly
Alejandra Tijerina
Responsibility Respect Fairness Trustworthiness Citizenship Caring
Citizenship is the characteristic of an individual who chooses to be a member of society. Luke Herdrich, ACADEC student in Mr. Darrow’s class, shows citizenship by making connections to current events and encouraging the class to be politically active. According to Mr. Darrow, “He is responsible in the terms of citizenship. There have been several occasions that he’s talked to me about voting and elected officials, which has given me the push I needed to register and vote.”
Luke Hendrich Caring is the quality of being a friendly, generous, and considerate. According to Mr. Hewlett, Jimmy Haas, theatre student, shows this trait by ensuring that his fellow students have positive experiences while working on shows. “It’s about keeping watch throughout the show, because something always goes wrong. I’m responsible for making sure everything works out in the end.”
Jimmy Haas
News
5
Controversial sexual assault case results in uproar
By: Leah Burnam News Editor
The hearing about Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s sexual assault case against Brett Kavanaugh recently took place with United States senators overseeing and questioning the defendant, the accused and plaintiff, the accuser. Dr. Ford and Kavanaugh presented their testimony on the knowledge and recollection of the assault on September 27. The hearing lasted several hours and made political and ethical history for those involved in the #MeToo movement. Dr. Ford recently came forward in a letter to the ranking member, Senator Dianne Feinstein, in July accusing Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when the two were both in high school. She explained that when she was younger she would spend most of her summers at the Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Dr. Ford said she met many kids and families from different areas there, one of them being Kavanaugh. One evening that summer she attended a party in which Kavanaugh was also present, stating he was already “visibly drunk” once he arrived at the party. According to Dr. Ford, when she went upstairs during the party to use the restroom, Kavanaugh and his friend, Mark Judge, forced her into a room where the assault took place. Dr. Ford said that there was a moment when Kavanaugh and Judge were laughing, not paying attention, that she was able to run away and lock herself in the bathroom across the room they had pushed her into. “I tried to yell for help. When I did, Brett put his hand over my mouth to stop me from yelling. This is what terrified me the most, and has had the most lasting impact on my life. It was hard for me to breathe, and I thought that Brett was accidentally going to kill me,” Dr. Ford, in her opening statement, said. Dr. Ford and her husband, Russel Ford, attended a couple’s therapy session back in May 2012, where the details of her assault arose. The couple had fought over having a second front door during their “long” and “extensive” remodel of their home. This is when Dr. Ford explained her reasoning for wanting a second front door and the topic of her assault came to be. “I recall saying that the boy who assaulted me could someday be on the U.S. Supreme Court, and spoke a bit about his background at an elitist all-
boys school in Bethesda, Maryland. My husband recalls that I named my attacker as Brett Kavanaugh,” Dr. Ford, said. When Dr. Ford discovered in July that Kavanaugh was on the short-list of Supreme Court nominees, she felt it was her “civic duty” to tell the memory of her assault. She went on to call her congressional representative and told the receptionist that someone on the list had attacked her, along with sending a tip into The Washing-
Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, jumped in to ask questions and/or kindly state their agreeance or opposition with Dr. Ford. “Dr. Ford, I can only speak as one of 21 senators here, but I thank you very much for your testimony, more importantly, for your bravery coming out, and trying to answer our questions as best you could remember. Thank you very much,” Senator Charles E. Grassley, the chairman of the council, whilst ending Dr. Ford’s hearing, said.
ton Post. Dr. Ford evenOnce a short break Photo courtesy of Flickr tually met with Congress had been taken, Kavanawoman Anna Eshoo’s staff and discussed ugh and other senators soon made their the 1980 assault. A letter recounting the as- opening statements. Grassley began by sault was later sent to Senator Feinstein’s restating information from Dr. Ford’s office on July 30 and a reply was sent hearing and started to swear Kavanaugh back on August 31 stating the information in under oath. Kavanaugh then explained of the assault would be kept confidential. how Dr. Ford’s allegations against him After opening statements were made have changed himself and his family at the recent hearing, Rachel Mitchell, “The day after the allegation appeared, a member of counsel, went on to ask Dr. I told this committee that I wanted a hearFord a few questions regarding evidence, ing as soon as possible to clear my name. such as the letter and polygraph test she I demanded a hearing for the very next recently took from the time of the assault. day. Unfortunately, it took the committee She asked questions regarding the de- 10 days to get to this hearing. In those 10 tails of the night of the supposed assault long days, as was predictable, and as I preand if there was any chance Dr. Ford had dicted, my family and my name have been been on any kind of medication and hap- totally and permanently destroyed by vipened to mistake the person who assaulted cious and false additional accusations. The her for Kavanaugh. Senators such as Ted 10-day delay has been harmful to me and Cruz, John Kennedy, Mazie K. Hirono, my family, to the Supreme Court and to
the country,” Kavanaugh said. Kavanaugh explained his childhood background along with his side of the story regarding the assault, saying how he has no memory of being at a gathering with Dr. Ford and the other witnesses mentioned, as he kept thorough calendars from his youth. He explained that he created lasting female friendships from high school and sexual assault was not in his character. “Brett was an advocate for young women like me. He encouraged me to take on more responsibility and to feel confident in my role. In fact, during the 2004 Republican National Convention, Brett gave me the opportunity to help with the preparation and review of the president’s remarks, something I never would have had the chance to do if he had not included me. And he didn’t just include me in the work. He made sure I was at Madison Square Garden to watch the president’s speech, instead of back at the hotel, watching it on TV,” Sarah Day, Oval Office operations worker, said. Many watching the hearing live were upset with the fact that Kavanaugh was not treated the same as Dr. Ford, in the sense that she had to answer any and all questions. Whereas, some senators stepped in for Kavanaugh saying they should just move on to the next question if he was not going to answer. Mitchell began questioning by asking for background information on the relationships Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford share. Senator Booker discussed with Kavanaugh about his thoughts on the LGBTQ+ community. Senator Harris also went on to question Kavanaugh’s connections to the Mueller investigation, in which Kavanaugh chose not to answer. Even Senator Richard J. Durbin, the Assistant Democratic Leader, started grilling Kavanaugh over his opening statement, saying how it was “impassionate” and the hearing should wait until “the FBI completes its investigation of the charges made by Dr. Ford and others.” Although many senators had things to discuss, unlike Dr. Ford’s hearing, Kavanaugh’s ended quite abruptly with Grassley only saying thank you at the very end of Senator Kennedy’s questioning. With both hearings completed, many U.S. citizens have taken sides. Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination was discussed for days, in order to determine whether or not he can keep it. After much discussion, on October 6, Kavanaugh was sworn in as the next Supreme Court judge. This has left many distraught, hoping Kavanaugh will soon be impeached, but also some ecstatic, wanting his new spot as a Supreme Court judge, to stay.
#MeToo movement supports victims of Cosby case By Caleb Rathbone Reporter
Famous actor and comedian Bill Cosby, once known as “America’s father,” was recently convicted of sexual assault at the Montgomery County Courthouse. Andrea Constand, a victim of Cosby’s heinous acts, stepped up in court and testified against Cosby for his actions. After several days, Cosby was finally sentenced to three to ten years in prison with no bail being posted on September 25. The conviction of Cosby is another step in the new rising era of women’s empowerment and shows that powerful men cannot do whatever they please and get away with it. Bill Cosby started his comedy career as a stand-up comedian at the Hungry I in San Francisco. His comedic career was kick started when he starred in the TV show I Spy before he eventually getting his
own sitcom, The Bill Cosby Show. It consisted of two seasons and ran from 1969 to 1971. Cosby’s popularity swelled even more with the release of his acclaimed TV show, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, an animated TV show that followed a group of kids growing up in an urban neighborhood. He then went to star in many different movies and television shows as his career began to diversify and he continued to grow in wealth and power. However, his career came crumbling down around the mid 2010’s when women began coming forward with information that Cosby had sexually assaulted them. These accusations took Cosby to court in 2015, but to the disapproval of many women, he was let off due to a mistrial. Cosby was brought to court once again in 2017 after Constand came forward with her heartbreaking story. She stated that Cosby had given her three blue pills that impaired her vision and
caused her to slip in and out of consciousness. According to her, he then began to assault her while she was incapacitated and could not resist or attempt to stop him. This was kept a secret for decades, until Constand eventually came out and told her story. The bravery of Constand to come forward about her sexual assault led to the conviction of Cosby on September 25. It has been stated by many women that Cosby had been known to take drugs and drink alcohol with women before intercourse, and had even been known to give women a medication called Quaalude. A Quaalude is a sedative that slows brain functions and the central nervous system, putting the user into a state of deep relaxation and lethargy. However, Cosby claims that it was all completely consensual and that the women agreed to take them. Cosby’s actions were first brought to the spotlight when dozens of women be-
gan accusing him of sexual assault; they were rallied by the #MeToo movement on social media. It brought women who were victims of sexual assault together and pushed them to stop the victimization of others. Before Cosby, the movement helped the women assaulted by Harvey Weinstein, film director, to speak up against him and to convict and imprison for his crimes. Weinstein would become the first of many powerful men who would be exposed and brought to justice for their heinous crimes. Bill Cosby’s sentencing and imprisonment serves as a beacon of hope for women in similar situations such as Constand. It shows that they do not have to hide in the shadows any longer and can fight the men who have abused them and thought they could get away with it. With Cosby arrested, it could be expected that there will be a lot more men that will be exposed for any mistreatment they done towards women.
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News
116th annual Noble Peace Prize awards presented
By Kadee Loyd Reporter
The 2018 Nobel Prize winners have now been announced. The announcements began with Medicine or Physiology on Monday, October 1 and ended with the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences on Monday, October 8. The Physics prize was awarded on Tuesday, October 2, the Chemistry prize on Wednesday, October 3 and the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, October 5. The Medicine or Physiology prize was given to James Allison from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas in Austin and Tasuku Honjo from Kyoto University in Japan. They have been working on similar cancer treatments that involve using the body’s immune system to attack cancer. With their new checkpoint inhibitor drugs, which are designed to “turnoff” the checkpoint proteins on T cells so that the immune cells can attack other cells in the body, the scientists have been able to quickly help patients who had run out of options. Allison found a checkpoint protein called CTLA-4 and Honjo found one called PD-1. Both scientists developed drugs to disable the specific protein they discovered, meaning that although their ideas were similar, they use different methods of allowing the immune system to fight cancerous cells. Before, treatment was a long journey of surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal treatments and radiation. The idea of this treatment had previously been deemed fundamentally impossible by other scientists. “These two pathways are very different. That’s good. They’re non-redun-
dant. If patients don’t have the desired outcome from one, we can use the other one. It speaks to the multiple different molecular brakes that exist to keep this powerful set of cells and organs that we call the immune system under control,” Dr. Jedd Wolchok, cancer specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, said. The only downside to their drugs is that they are expensive, at around $100-thousand a year, and they only treat a limited number of cancers. The Nobel Prize in Physics went to Arthur Ashkin from America, Gérard Mourou from France and Donna Strickland from Canada. Ashkin, who works at Bell Laboratories in New Jersey, won half the prize for his “optical tweezers,” which allows scientists to grab atoms, viruses and bacteria in laser beams. Strickland, a professor from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, and Mourou, scientist from the École Polytechnique in Palaiseau, a town near Paris, each received a quarter of the prize for their help in creating “chirp pulse amplification,” which is short, intense laser beams used in millions of laser eye surgeries. Two of the Physics Prize winners are particularly special. At 96, Ashkin is the oldest Nobel Prize recipient in history, and Strickland is the third woman to be honored in the physics category, as well as the first honored since Maria Goeppert Mayer, who received the prize in 1963, meaning Strickland is the first in 55 years. “It’s true that a woman hasn’t been given the Nobel Prize since then, but I think things are better for women than they have been. We should never lose the fact that we are moving forward. We are al-
ways marching forward,” Strickland said. The Chemistry prize went to Frances H. Arnold and George P. Smith from America and Sir Gregory P. Winter from the UK. Winter, from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Smith, professor at the University of Missouri, shared half the prize for their work of developing new proteins with bacteriophage through a method called phage display. This method has been used to make new medications, including some that produced anti-bodies to fight auto-immune diseases and cancer. Arnold, a chemical engineer at the California Institute of Technology, received the other half of the prize for directing the evolution of enzymes. These enzymes have been used to make chemical manufacturing more environmentally friendly and create more renewable fuels. She is the fifth woman in history to receive the Chemistry prize. Arnold has faith that the award will be given to many more women in the future. “As long as we encourage everyone — it doesn’t matter the color, gender; everyone who wants to do science, we encourage them to do it — we are going to see Nobel Prizes coming from all these different groups. Women will be very successful,” Arnold said. The Nobel Peace Prize was given to Denis Mukwege, a physician from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nadia Murad, a member of the Yazidi in Iraq, for their “efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict.” Mukwege works at the Panzi Hospital and has treated over 50,000 victims of sexual violence in his area. He has treated over 2,000 of these patients just this year alone, which suggests a rise in this vio-
episode. The pay raise brought the five-actor’s salary up to 250 thousand dollars per episode, making 4.5 million dollars each for the 18-episode third season. All of the stars have more than doubled their salary since the beginning of the show in 2016. The raise has impacted the actors’ lives, especially Metz, who is famously known to have said she had 81 cents in her bank account when she first booked the show. Today, equal pay is something that women are starting to fight for in their jobs. Actresses have struggled in the past to keep up with the amount of money the male actors were making. However, recently TV shows and Hollywood movies have started to increase their salaries for women, and equaling them to the men in order to get the women they want on their cast organization. Actresses such as Ellen Pompeo, Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Schumer and Emma Stone have spoken out to the industries and have questioned the “sexist wage practices.” Women are speaking out about their experiences in the movie and TV industries and continue to get shut down in the equal pay section.
When Theron starred in the movie The Huntsman: Winter’s War with Chris Hemsworth, she found out that their salaries did not match. She simply went to the producers and asked if her salary could match Hemsworth’s and they said yes. She believes, “that [women] just need to put [their] foot down.” “This is a good time for us to bring this to a place of fairness, and girls need to know that being a feminist is a good thing. It doesn’t mean that you hate men. It means equal rights. If you’re doing the same job, you should be compensated and treated in the same way,” Charlize Theron said. Mark Wahlberg was in a situation where he made 1.5 million dollars during his re-shoots for All the Money in the World, when his co-star, Michelle Williams made less than one-thousand dollars. Wahlberg ended up donating the 1.5 million dollars to the Time’s Up Movement due to the reactions from people on the internet. Similar to This Is Us, the Stranger Things’ cast also revised their contracts and pay amounts before the third season premieres. The “B tier” cast, which consists of
lence. He is dedicated to defending these victims and helping to end the violence. Murad is a victim of war crimes. While being held captive by the Islamic State in 2014, she was repeatedly raped, abused and threatened, and her mother was killed by her assaulters. Since her tragic experience, Murad has spoken about what she went through and works to inspire and help women who went through similar situations. She vowed to give all of her proceeds from the award to her organization that helps sex crime survivors. The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences was given to William D. Nordaus from Yale University and Paul M. Romer from the Stern School of Business in New York City for their work in climate change and technology and how those affect economic growth. The Nobel Prize for literature will not be announced this year, as it was postponed due to a sexual harassment scandal. Jean-Claude Arnault, husband of Katarina Frostenson, who is a member of the Swedish Academy, the organization who chooses the recipient of this award, was accused of harassing 18 women in November of 2017. Some of the incidents allegedly occurred at properties owned by the academy. This situation caused conflict and resignations within the group, which prevented them from completing their duty this year. The academy plans to present the award in 2019. The 2018 award ceremony will take place on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred B. Nobel’s death. The awards for Physiology or Medicine, Physics, Chemistry and Economic Sciences are scheduled to be presented at the Stockholm Concert Hall, and the Nobel Peace Prize is to be awarded in Oslo, Norway.
Equal pay discussion moves to television forefront By Anabella Cooper Sports Editor
The show This Is Us has received countless awards and nominations from the Emmy’s, People’s Choice Awards, the Golden Globes and MTV Awards. The hit drama series is showing great success with its first two seasons on NBC. The negotiating of the contracts has been a popular move by actors and actresses due to the unequal pay between men and women. Just before the third season premiere, the actors got the chance to negotiate their contracts, which concluded in major pay raises. All of the main cast, Milo Ventimiglia (Jack), Mandy Moore (Rebecca), Sterling K. Brown (Randall), Chrissy Metz (Kate) and Justin Hartley (Kevin) earned equal pay after the show’s success with the first two seasons. Originally each member earned different amounts, Ventimiglia earned 115 thousand dollars and Moore earned 85 thousand dollars per episode, those two being the highest based on their established lead roles, following Brown earning 75 thousand dollars and Hartley and Metz at 40 thousand dollars per
the young stars, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin and Noah Schnapp, will go from earning 30 thousand dollars per episode in the first two seasons to 250 thousand dollars per episode for the third season. However, Millie Bobby Brown, being the same age, earns up to one-hundred thousand dollars more than her fellow young co-star’s due to her popular role in the show. The adult cast, Winona Ryder and Davis Harbour, made 80 to 100 thousand dollars per episode for the first two seasons and have jumped to 350 thousand dollars per episode for the third season. Renegotiating contracts after the first few seasons of a series is a popular move done by corporations to allow the show to grow in popularity as well as the stars. If the show turns out to be a success, the cast will receive a bonus in their paycheck and the opportunity to negotiate their pay contract. This is giving female actors the chance of stepping up to the male actors and receiving the same amount of pay for the same work. Being so popular, This Is Us has prompted other shows to have the courage to speak out about their pay wages.
Around Creek Science Olympiad
Debate Club
Science Olympiad is an educational club that integrates hard work, knowledge and friendly competiveness to improve the skills of individuals. In the club, the team as a whole will study 24 different STEM categories, those that take part in the club will be assigned two to three out of the 24. Once the STEM categories are assigned, the club immediately begins as there is little to no breathing room when it comes to slacking in the club. There are however, two different teams, an A team and a B team. One for the more competitive and persistent individuals in the club and for those who take a more casual approach. The club will also receive personal help provided by other teachers in the science field. According to Sanjana Shah, the President of Science Olympiad, it is a great club that will help you prepare for any STEM related career in the future as it gives individuals a crucial experience of the knowledge and skills required for a career in STEM. The physical hours of the club are not very demanding either, as the club typically meet son Wednesdays after school for only 10-20 minutes. For the most part, it is just individual studying that is required for the club. Individuals will have until February to study and prepare for their assigned STEM categories. Sunny Wang, Vice President of Science Olympiad, claimed that they hope to find people who are willing to make Creek a solid competitor at their upcoming Galveston meet as they want to prosper to state this year. If wanting to join Science Olympiad, pick up an application in Mrs.Suskavcevic’s room in B216 and turn in as soon as possible.
Debate Club is an education based club that focuses on honing the skills of individuals. In the debate club, they formally discuss topics through argumentation tactics that individuals gain through participating in the club. There are many individual benefits of joining debate club as the majority of the curriculum taught is applicable after high school as well. When it comes to the communication aspect of the club, they avidly practice giving speeches and fellow club members assist in refining them. Although speeches will be critiqued, it is not in a harmful domineer. The Debate Club wants individuals to prosper through the club and improve their speech skills. The culture in the Debate Club is competitive, but also supportive and a great group to be involved in. The physical hours of the club involve attending weekly club practices in which you learn the basic structures of giving speeches, doing extensive research on monthly topics and learning how to deliver speeches. There are many different types of debates to do, from partner debates to giving memorized speeches and acting out skits! There are tournaments every couple of weeks that members get to attend, and leave after 4 period on Friday to eat out at restaurants! Individuals who engage in the club must attend 3 tournaments during second nine weeks and two tournaments during third nine weeks. Overall Debate Club can be a key organization when it comes to helping individuals greatly improve their argumentation skills and speaking skills, while also having the opportunity to meet interesting people. To join the Debate Club talk to either President of Debate, Club Jack Callahan, or talk to Mr. Darby in D122.
Club Stories by Jose Rodriguez
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National English Honor Society
National English Honor Society is an organization that aims to build a community of students with high achievements in language arts and encourage interest in reading and writing. The goal of NEHS is to serve society by fostering literacy. NEHS increases student’s personal growth through service and leadership opportunities, allowing for the creation of a non-classroom environment that allows for language arts appreciation and exploration. Being a part of English Honor Society allows students to be involved culturally and academically enriching experiences. Individuals that are a part of NEHS receive opportunities for services hours and leadership positions, distinction on college applications, publication opportunities, a means to link with other NEHS students from the area and potential scholarships. The National English Honor Society is establishing a great society though the club. According to Anna Alves, President of the club, she wants an atmosphere in which NEHS students are encouraged through other students to strive to read more books and increase their knowledge when it comes to literature. To join the club, individuals would have to meet the requirements being an A or B in all English classes and at least a 3.5 GPA. Participants of the club will also have to go to mandatory meetings that are establish through the NEHS remind. To apply for the club, pick up a form from Ms. Jez’s room, fill out the credentials, and turn it as soon as possible.
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featured
Washington Post journalist mutilated and murdered By Grant Coburn Reporter
The right to free speech is a right guaranteed to American citizens by the constitution. However, not all countries grant their citizens the ability to criticize their government freely. Such is the case in Saudi Arabia, where a Washington Post reporter by the name of Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered by the Saudi government because he had been a harsh critic to their government’s ways. On October 2, Khashoggi entered a Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey to receive a form to prepare for his wedding, although he never exited the building. The first reports of his disappearance were reported by his fiancé and his friends. By the next day, the Saudi government had confirmed that Khashoggi was missing, but that they had no involvement in the disappearance and Khashoggi had left the consulate. Meanwhile, the Turkish government reported that Khashoggi remained inside of the consulate, conflicting with the report of the Saudi government. The president of Turkey has said the journalist was the victim of a carefully planned "political murder" by Saudi intelligence officers and other officials according to BBC. On October 6, Turkish officials investigated the consulate and reported that they determined that Khashoggi has been killed in the consulate and his body had been moved elsewhere. A few days later the Saudis continued to deny involvement. A news report from BBC released on Oc-
tober 25, that the murder of Khashoggi was premeditated, meaning that it was planned by the suspects ahead of time. “I assure you that the reports that suggest that Jamal Khashoggi went missing in the consulate in Istanbul or that the Kingdom’s authorities have de-
ties to Crown Prince Mohammed himself. The video recordings also showed a decoy Khashoggi, another man who looked and wore the exact same clothes as Khashoggi as well as a fake beard, but was not Khashoggi. After that, Saudi Arabia finally conceded, saying that Khashoggi was in
Photo courtesy of Fickr
tained him or killed him are absolutely false and baseless,” Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Ambassador to the United States and Prince of Saudi Arabia, said. The Turkish government released video clips and audio recordings which corroborated their interpretation of the events. The audio recording revealed that Khashoggi had been tortured before his death and the video recording showed that the people committing the crimes had
fact murdered by consulate, but that they played no part in it. President Donald Trump weighed in on the situation saying that he is very upset that the Saudis committed the murder. Trump also stated that economic sanctions could potentially be used against the Saudis. “They had a very bad original concept, it was carried out poorly and the cover-up was the worst in the history of cover-ups. Whoever thought of that idea, I think is in big trouble. And they should be in big trouble,”
President Trump, about the murder, said. Trump further reminded that economic sanctions against the Saudis could threaten the economic stability of the United States even more than it would threaten the Saudis. Some United State politicians, such as Senator Lindsey Graham, rushed to condemn the Saudi government. “This guy is a wrecking ball, he had this guy murdered in a consulate in Turkey, and to expect me to ignore it, I feel used and abused,” Graham said. Graham also called for sanctions against Saudi Arabia as a whole. In his condemnation of Saudi Arabia’s potential involvement in the murders, Graham mentioned Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, essentially threatening the Saudi monarchy. Many other major United States senators have called for disciplinary actions against Saudi Arabia. Some politicians requested that the Saudi ambassador be removed from America. However, the executive branch is likely to take disciplinary action since Saudi Arabia has been proven one hundred percent guilty. Australia has already taken disciplinary action against the Saudis by rescinding their representation to the Future Investment Initiative event that is taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Other countries, such as France, Germany and the United Kingdom, have continued to challenge Saudi Arabia, but they have not taken any serious action against them. The death of a journalist does not go unnoticed in this type of situation. Because of Khashoggi’s murder, millions of journalists are upset at the Saudia Arabian government and how they treat their people. However, the mistreatment and abuse of journalists is not something new, it has been seen throughout decades, but that needs to change.
Sports
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Astros’ failed attempt to hold the World Series title By Grant Coburn Reporter
American League, is a best of five games, three and advancing to the World Series. while both Championship Series and the The American League Wildcard game World Series will be a best of seven games. ended in less dramatic fashion as the New The National League Divisional, York Yankees, the heavy favorites to win, After winning the 2017 World Series, the Houston Astros had a chance to defend played between the Dodgers and the Atlan- defeated the Oakland Athletics seven to their title as World Champions last month ta Braves, ended with the Dodgers winning two. The Yankees then advanced to play because they, along with nine other teams, competed in the 2018 Major League Baseball playoffs. Unfortunately, the Astros lost their chance to repeat their World Series title due to their defeat against the Boston Red Sox. This past season, the Astros won 103 games, second in both their league and in the MLB as a whole. The only team who won more games than the Astros were the Red Sox, who won 108 games. Despite this, the Red Sox are not the favorite to win the World series, according to USA Today. “Houston is peaking at the right time, winning 21 of 27 to close out the regular season. This team thrives in high-pressure situations, evidenced by last year’s Game 7 wins in the ALCS and World Series,” Jesse Yomtov, a sports analyst for USA Today, said. The National League Wildcard, played between the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago Cubs, ended in historic fashion, becoming one of the longest played games in Cubs history, lasting four hours and 55 minutes over the span of two the Red Sox in the days. The Rockies, the underdog in the three games to one. The Dodgers Photo courtesy of Flickr American League one game series, won two to one, mean- went on to face the Milwaukee ing that the Rockies advanced to the Na- Brewers, who defeated the Rockies three Divisional Series. The Yankees and the tional League Divisional series against games to none, in the National Champi- Red Sox are historical rivals, with post the Milwaukee Brewers. The other Na- onship series. The seven-game series the season games often ending in altercations tional League Divisional Series included Dodgers and Brewers faced off in was one between both the two teams. However, the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles for the ages, as all seven games were played. the Red Sox eventually bested the YanDodgers. All Divisional Series, regardless The Dodgers eventually hung on, winning kees, winning the series in six games. The other American League Divisionof the teams belonging in the National or the National Championship Series four to
al series was played by the Houston Astros and the Cleveland Indians. The Astros defeated the Indians three games to none. This is the first time the Indians have been swept since the 1956 World Series. The Astros, who promptly celebrated their victory with champagne and cigars, immediately geared up to play the Red Sox, who eventually beat the Astros in five games. So, after the Red Sox triumphed over the Astros, Boston will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. While the Red Sox have history and tradition on their side, Los Angeles has experience. Last year, the Dodgers lost to the Astros is seven games in the World Series. They will attempt to redeem themselves in this East Coat versus West Coast showdown. The wide variety of teams that were considered as contenders shows just how competitive and talent-filled this year’s playoffs were. Surely, for baseball fans, this post season will be a delight. Even if the defending champion Astros do not repeat, the games will be a pleasure to watch due to the sheer entertainment that derives from the intense competition of the sport. Baseball may not be considered America’s sport anymore, but it sure isn’t leaving the spotlight without a fight.
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Entertainment
Logic successfully releases Young Sinatra album
By Nicole Alvarenga Reporter
Over the past couple of years, Logic has risen up as a rapper with two No. 1 albums released on the Billboard 200. Logic released a new album called Young Sinatra on September 28, prior to his latest mixtape, Bobby Tarantino II, that was released in March. Logic’s music has immense emotional meaning to it and some of the lyrics in his songs makes the audience who are listening emotional as well. “I was inspired by the young Sinatra himself into making this album, the songs that were created during this have a lot of meaning and go out to most people into making them feel something too,” Logic, in an interview with Rap Up, said. Logic’s album cover was created by his art director Sam Pratt, who had personally hand drawn it to make it a similar image of the singer, Frank Sinatra’s mugshot back in 1938. “For young Sinatra’s return, we decided to make a look alike of his mugshot back in 1983, to make it look like Logic was Frank Sinatra during that time. I think a lot of fans will like the cover because it kind of brings them back to the old days,” Sam Pratt, in a tweet, said. In the new album Logic released, he talks about going from poverty to wealth, while working on his music career he comes to figure out his biracial identity with the world and talks about why he should deserve a lot more respect than what he is getting, in and outside of hip-hop. The word “boombap” used by Logic, comes from a different form of hip-hop back in the later 1980’s and 90’s. The creation of the word comes from
early on artist T La Rock’s song back in The Young Sinatra IV album has 13 1984, It’s Yours. The ‘boom’ phrase is the songs on it and has a background stokick of the drum, and the ‘bap’ phrase ry to each song. An example of this lyrcomes from the snare. Boom-bap is a type ical meaning is his chorus from Thank
of style where drums are Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons You, “Thank you, highly used and listened to, for letting me speak and often distorted or exaggerated while my mind, and putting it all on the line, used in different types of songs, different through the sunshine and the rain, through music genres or the artists that use them. the good times and the pain, and never
staying the same.” Logic and Lucy Rose worked on this together which talked about staying by someone’s side and never leaving them when times get rough. The album features singer, Hailee Steinfeld, rapper, Ghost face Killa, Ryan Tedder, Jaden Smith and Lucy Rose. The song Last Call on the album is 10 minutes and 46 seconds long, which is about drugs and trying to keep his life together, as well as domestic violence and trying to keep up with his grades in school when he was younger. Logic has released a variety of different mixtapes for his upcoming new songs since 2016. His first mixtape he dropped was back in 2010 called Young, Broke and Infamous from his first album My Testimony. Logic has then released 3 more mixtapes over the past couple of years in his music career. A variety of Logic’s songs, albums and mixtapes were featured on the Billboard Hot 100, such as his album Everybody, released in 2017, along with one of his really emotional songs 1-800-273-8255, the Suicide Prevention Hotline and his sixth mixtape Bobby Tarantino II, which was a 2016 sequel to his mixtape. “When I had started to create my first mixtape, I realize how much I put into my music, all the hours I spend in the studio, all of the lyrics I come up with, all the tears I have cried reading some of the lyrics, it is all just really powerful in a way.” Logic, said.
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Entertainment 13
First Man praised for reality of space expedition By Leah Burnam News Editor
its opening weekend. Although Variety scenes that uncovered another side to Armsaid the movie would open with a $20+ strong’s life, one the public never really got million opening weekend and the film a chance to see. Towards the end of the film First Man recently premiered at the later reached the low end of its predicted when Armstrong lands on the moon, the box office bringing many in to see it. The range, critics are still calling it a beautifully camera pans to him dropping something he movie features many well-known actors and actresses such as Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke and Kyle Chandler. The movie, which was released on October 12, centers around Neil Armstrong, played by Gosling, and NASA’s mission to send a man on the moon. Although the movie is based on the New York Times bestselling author James R. Hansen’s book, First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong, many have discredited the film as being anti-American, specifically for not showing a scene of the planting of the American flag on the moon. However, Armstrong’s two sons have already expressed much love and gratitude towards the film that is based upon their father’s life. “This is a film that focuses on what you don’t know about Neil Armstrong. It’s a film that focuses on things you didn’t see or may not remember about Neil’s journey to the moon. The filmmakers spent years doing extensive research to get at the man behind the myth, to get at the story behind the story. It’s a movie that gives you unique insight into the Armstrong family and fallen American Heroes like Elliot See Press photo courtesy of First Man had brought with him on the and Ed White. It’s a very personal mov- done biopic that explores official websote flight, his daughters braceie about our dad’s journey, seen through the depths of spaceflight. The film was directed by Damien Cha- let that spells out her name, Karen. Karen his eyes,” Mark and Eric Armstrong said. The movie received a rating of 88 zelle, who has previously won an Oscar for was diagnosed with a form of brain cancer percent from Rotten Tomatoes’ critics, directing La La Land, which Gosling also when she was very young and died at the a 62 percent audience score and earning starred in. Chazelle, along with the writer, age of three, seven years prior to his misnearly $9 million at the box office since Josh Singer, showed many heart-rendering sion. Based on the film, Armstrong seemed
to take the death of his daughter worse than his wife. The interesting part about the scene is that no one knows if Armstrong actually dropped his daughter’s bracelet on the moon. The astronauts on the flight, Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin, were allowed to keep a personal preference kit (PPK) detailing the belongings they had brought with them on the mission. “Hansen asked Armstrong for his PPK manifest and he said he lost it, which was very unlike Neil, who was a pack rat,” Singer said. The acting and scenes were captured beautifully, however, one part in the movie strays from the truth a bit when Armstrong (Gosling) learns that he will command Apollo 11 and that if the mission goes as planned, he will go down in history as the first man on the moon. Apollo astronauts were actually notified of their crew and titles years before the flight actually took place, whereas, in the movie it seems to only occur within a few weeks leading up to the mission. Each flight also relied heavily on the previous mission and if it was successful or not. Landing on the moon was not expected for Apollo 11 rather than Apollo 12, 13, or even 14. However, thanks to the successful mission of Apollo 8, NASA was able to fly to the moon much sooner than they had intended. First Man will go down in the books as being a groundbreaking film and many are expecting it to be nominated for an Oscar in 2019. Some scenes are not the full truth, which is why many have chosen not to see the movie. But nevertheless, the film has received excellent feedback from reviewers and walks people through Armstrong’s life leading up to one of the greatest events in human history.
By Dillon Gathright Reporter
under fire for prioritizing the completion of the game instead of focusing on helping and paying the large number of employees they laid off in late September. Unless the unnamed employee succeeds with his lawsuit against the company, it is unlikely that Telltale will give them severance and benefits since they are in a state of bankruptcy. As for their other titles and abandoned games, it is unlikely that they will ever be completed unless another company comes in and picks up where Telltale left off. If they are eventually developed, they will most likely not have that feeling and style seen throughout every Telltale-produced game. “I would hope this means that you will first pay your entire team their severance, and then proceed to finish the final episodes. I would be fine waiting however long it took to ensure we first treated those who worked so hard with the humanity and respect they deserve,” Cory Barlog, director of the famous God of War game, said.
Bankruptcy strikes against Telltale Game company
The story-driven game studio Telltale Games recently fired 275 employees after a long period of poor management and improper use of funds. The former employees were laid off without warning and were not given any type of severance package. Telltale also stated that they planned to cancel all future releases, including the upcoming Stranger Things game and the second season of The Wolf Among Us. At the current point in time, it is unknown if the final season of The Walking Dead will be completely finished, though Telltale released a statement saying that many backers were willing to support the company to complete the project. “It’s been an incredibly difficult year for Telltale as we worked to set the company on a new course. Unfortunately, we ran out of time trying to get there. We released some of our best content this year and re-
ceived a tremendous amount of positive feedback, but ultimately, that did not translate to sales. With a heavy heart, we watch our friends leave today to spread our brand of storytelling across the games industry,” Pete Hawley, CEO of Telltale Games, said. Though it is unfortunate that so many amazing titles will be forgotten, many former employees of Telltale are suddenly being faced with life changing events such as a lack of health insurance and no job to help them pay rent in the Bay Area in California. As a result of this, an unnamed employee recently filed a class action law suit against Telltale Games. This law suit states that Telltale violated state and federal acts since they did not give the employees 60 days’ notice that they were going to be laid off. Many employees have followed and supported the law suit, stating that they wish to all be paid their full wages, 401k contributions, and a fair severance package. The current state of the law suit is unknown, though support for it
is growing online due to news articles and the communities of Telltale’s creations. In recent news, owner of Skybound Games, Robert Kirkman, stated that he is willing to help try to finish Telltale’s The Walking Dead game. Kirkman is well known for the creation of the original Walking Dead comics, which lead to the creation of the famous television show. It is unknown whether or not Skybound will bring in former employees of Telltale or if they will complete the project entirely on their own. Some fear that with a new company signing on, the final two episodes will not have the same feel and style of the older parts. "We’re SO happy to announce that we’ve reached a deal with @telltalegames that will allow Skybound to continue #TheWalkingDead: The Final Season! Let’s wrap up Clem’s story right! More details to come soon,” Robert Kirkman, owner of Skybound games, tweeted. Even with this good news regarding The Walking Dead, Telltale has been
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Entertainment
Twenty One Pilots thrive as Trench album released By: Arrington Linder Features Editor
Recently, Twenty One Pilots released their new album, Trench, which has hit number two on Billboard 200. Twenty One Pilots is best known for their hit songs Stressed Out, which peaked at number two, and Ride, which peaked at number five. Trench features songs such as Jumpsuit, Nico and the Niners and Levitate. Twenty One Pilots consists of Tyler Joseph, lead vocals, and Josh Dun, drummer. The album includes the songs Jumpsuit, Levitate, Morph, My Blood, Chlorine, Smithereens, Neon Gravestones, The Hype, Nico and the Niners, Cut My Lip, Bandito, Pet Cheetah, Legend and Leave the City. Jumpsuit, Nico and the Niners, Levitate and My Blood were all released in advance, respectively. The album was announced on July 11 along with two songs, Jumpsuit and Nico and the Niners, released on October 5. In the beginning, Jumpsuit has a slow beat but as the song continues, the tempo increases until Joseph’s voice starts to escalate in volume and the drums intensify. Nico and the Niners has a similar tone as Jumpsuit, but instead of an increase in intensity at the end, Joseph begins to rap. The third song released was Levitate, although it is the second track on the album. Just like in Nico and the Niners, Levitate involves rapping, however, most of the song is rapping, not just one verse. The ending of the first song, Jumpsuit, leads directly into Levitate. In Jumpsuit, Joseph sings, “My jumpsuit takes so high,” which many fans have speculated is a reference to him “levitating.” The third song featured on the album is
titled Morph, which is fast paced and has an indie-like composition. The song starts off with Joseph rapping and leads into the chorus. Most of the song is made up of Joseph rapping, but the chorus is what includes the
drums become denser and the tempo increases. The music video to My Blood was released along with the album. The video shows two young brothers throughout their life and on Halloween, the brother de-
indie-style elements. The picted to be tougher gets Photo courtesy of Flickr lyrics to Morph mention into a fight and the othchanging into someone else er brother protects him. and the idea of what happens after death. The seventh track on the album is My Blood is not only the fourth song Neon Gravestones. This song brings topics on the album, but it is also the fourth and such as suicide and mental illness to light. final song to be released prior to the al- Neon Gravestones is overall an eerie song, bum’s debut. The beat of the song starts with the drums being played lightly in the off slow, but as the song progresses, the background. Near the end of the song, Jo-
seph speaks out about fighting the stigma and “glorifying one’s life, not their death.” All albums tell a story, this one especially. Dema is a fictional city that is referenced to in many of the Trench songs and music videos. The music videos of Jumpsuit, Nico and the Niners and Levitate are all a part of the story. In Jumpsuit, Joseph can be seen trying to escape the people of Dema. Dun is not introduced into the videos until Nico and the Niners¸ the second video in the story. In this video, Joseph is packing and running away from the people of Dema, once again. About halfway through the video, Joseph is cornered by people in masks and one is later revealed as Dun. They then finish out the rest of the song together. In the third and final video, Levitate, Joseph and Dun put on a performance for the others at camp. Most of this video does not involve a story, except for the last clip of Joseph being dragged away. “I think the community in which a live show is set, or a fan base, kind of feels like that [aid]- that place is a good place to be, especially when it’s safe and accepting, which I think that our fans are pretty incredible at creating a safe and accepting space for people to enjoy the art that we’re making. I’m really proud of them, and look up to them in that way,” Joseph said. Overall, this album is a mix of old and new styles of Twenty One Pilots. Many fans are excited about the release of Trench and are excited to hear and see more. Most likely, another album will not be released for another two or three years but it will be worth the wait.
Announcements Hoco Schedule -8:00am- Mom’s Breakfast
Congratulations to Eric Doyle, Creek grad, for recieving the position to command the 20182019 airshow!
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Hoco dress up days: Monday- Safari/Tourist Day Tuesday- Wesrern Wear Wednesday- Role Models Thursday- Throwback Friday- Creek Out
-Homecoming Carnival at lunches -1:30pm- Pep Rally -6:30pm- Pregame Ceremonies -7:00pm- Game against Falls
Show school spirit by wearing your light up gear against the knights at the game!
Homecoming queen voting on November 1st! Congratulations to Orchestra for 23 students making Region orchestra
Join the new Sueno Latino club! If interested talk to Mrs. Zerpa
16 homecoming map NO CASH OR CHECKS AT ANY BOOTH, ONLY TICKETS ACCEPTED!