The Stang

February 2012

Volume11 Edition 5

the

Stang

Houston Christian High School 2700 W Sam Houston Pkwy N Houston, Texas 77043

Former First Lady speaks at Multi-Cultural Day

Former First Lady Barbara Bush speaks on leadership and the importance of cultural diversity

by Natalie Galerne, Stang Staff

Last month, Houston Christian was honored to have elected speaker Barbara Bush along with many ambassadors, consulates, and representatives here at school for a day.

The Former First Lady gave an inspiring speech that encouraged every young audience member to continue on their journeys set by Christ. “Every student here works so hard and achieves so many great things, but never forget, young ladies and gentlemen, to have fun along the way. That is really so important.” Mrs. Bush pressed the importance of a joyful heart, even while facing hard times, and that every student here at HCHS has so much in store for them, and a cheerful, gracious heart makes every day even more worth living.

Senor Sam Mendizibal,

In the News

Dr. Daniel T.C. Liao of Taiwan had only good things to say as well: “I saw so much wonderful activity here today, and it’s amazing to see 500 outstanding students all participating and learning more and more about our world and its languages and cultures.”

After the assembly, the consulates, students, and the faculty were all treated to a fantastic multicultural feast in the Metro Gym. Parent volunteers spent a lot of GRAND-MOTHERLY LOVE Senior Pace sits by his grandmother Mrs. Barbara time preparing the many tasty Andrews Bush, our honored speaker, before chapel foods. Food from every part of the begins. world imaginable was available for sampling, and the feast allowed a fun social break from the routine of school as well.

Be sure to thank the parents and faculty that were involved in the assembly if you haven’t done so already. This was definitely a treat head of the foreign language that will remain a highlight of this department, spent many hours academic school year. communicating with consulates and secret service in order to have a perfect assembly. Among the different ambassadors were the Consul General of Guatemala, Dr. Daniel T.C. Liao of Taiwan, Miguel Fernandez of Spain, and the Consulate of China. All of the representatives were very impressed FESTIVAL FUN Above, with our school, and thought the JP Hennessey learns how to play with spinning student body was very respectful toy at the festival after and hospitable, and the faculty was the Multi-Cultural day assembly. Left, the Mandarin warm and welcoming. class members, Cameron

Jose Barillas of Guatemala Duffy and Allison Smith, show off their skills by describes his experience as reciting a Bible verse in “wonderful.” In fact, he’s never Mandarin during the assembly. seen anything like it. “The school here is wonderful. I’ve been here for several years, and I haven’t seen anything like it so far. I was very impressed.”

9

3 The Costa Concordia struck a reef on January 13, 2012, but that was only the beginning for its Captain ,Francesco Shettino. Check it out on page 3.

Read into Houston’s favorite football team, the Houston Texans, and their almost-made-it-to-superbowl journey on pg. 9.

20 Who could forget those infamous superbowl commercials? If you did, have no fear, we have the best 10 on page 20.

2And the Grammy goes to...

COMMUNITY

February 12

A deeper look into the event that honors musical history

by Rachel Driver, Stang Staff

mances. Just to give you a little interesting tidbit of history about the Grammys, the Grammy’s well-known trophy is actually a “gramophone.” Though the actual design of the trophy has had its minor changes over the years, the jist of it has remained the same.

Something not many people know is that the awards given to the winners immediately after they WINNER. Adele was one of the many winners at the 2012 Grammy’s including record and album of the year. have been announced are not the real trophies.

The Grammy awards are to the In fact, they are fake ones that are re-used music industry what the Emmy Awards are every year. The real trophies come later for television, and what the Tony Awards with the winner’s name, category, and etc. are for Broadway shows. The Grammys engraved on it. have been around for quite some time with This year the Grammy Awards their very first event held on May 4, 1959. were viewed on several channels (ABC, The Grammys are and (hope- NBC, and CBS) and included a tribute to fully) always will be all about the music. the late Whitney Houston*to see the winEach year the Grammys are held to honor ners for this year check out the Grammy the major musical performers and perfor- Awards website at www.grammy.com

The law is SOPA-thetic Government pushes for Internet censorship

by Kendall Maddox Stang Staff

Think you know your Grammy’s?

Take this quiz!

1) Which former first lady won a Grammy?

a) Hilary Clinton

b) Jackie Kennedy

c) Lady Bird Johnson

d) Barbara Bush 2) How many stage crew does it take to put on the Grammys?

a) 400

b) 1000

c) 5000

d) 4000 3) How many categories were in the first Grammy Awards?

a) 18

b) 20

c) 12

d) 28 4) Which one of these artists won Artist of the Year two years in a row?

a) Adele

b) Aretha Franklin

c) Frank Sinatra

d) Michael Buble 5) U2 has won the most Grammy Awards, how many have they won?

a) 20

b) 22

c) 19

d) 15 answers: 1) a 2) c 3) d 4) c 5) b

Imagine the Internet with no Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, Google, or Youtube. The recent “Stop Online Piracy Act” has been a major topic of debate across the nation in the past few months.

Often referred to as SOPA, it is a U.S. bill created to allow U.S. law enforcement agents to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods. This bill would grant the government power to censor the Internet.

Many Americans felt threatened by SOPA and began nationwide protests. Wikipedia shut down its website for a whole day for what they called a “blackout” – a blank black web page that was illustrating what Wikipedia would look like if SOPA went into effect.

In response to the recent shutdown of famous file-sharing website MegaUpload, the Internet group known as Anonymous launched a series of online attacks to protest the government censorship. The group crashed 14 websites on January 19th: justice.gov, universalmusic.com, riaa.org, mpaa. org, copyright.gov, hadopi.fr, wmg. com, usdoj.gov, bmi.com, fbi.gov, Antipiracy.be/nl/, ChrisDodd.com, Vivendi.

fr, and Whitehouse.gov. The group of hackers that crashed the websites remain unidentified, although several arrests on suspects have been made.

Fortunately, the SOPA bill has been tabled, with the possibility of reintroduction as part of another bill or another name. For now the bill is dead, but it will soon be held in committee for re-write.

CENSORED. Google was one of the many websites that the government would like to censor. Imagine how life could be without Google!

The WORST dressed at the Grammy’s a painful look into the past of fashion Donts 2011

Rihanna Katy Perry Adam Levine Nicki Minaj Amber Riley Nicole Kidman Ricky Martin 2010 Britney Spears Adam Lambert Rihanna Ciara Nicole Kidman 2009 Paula Abdul Paris Hilton M.I.A. Gwyneth Paltrow

NEWS

The Titanic of the 21 Century sinks again The story of “Captain Coward” and a sinking ship, the Costa Concordia

by Paige Adams, Co-Editor in Chief

When walking onto a cruise ship, many people and especially young children cannot help but think about a famous ship that sunk many years ago. Named the “unsinkable ship,” the Titanic has been the subject of movies and traveling museum exhibits because of the survivors’ tales of the crash and all the claims that it was unsinkable.

So maybe the crash of the Costa Concordia, an Italian cruise ship, will be famous like the Titanic.

The Costa Concordia and the Titanic have definite similarities: they both hit something very hard underwater, had tons of tourists and crew on board, and had many losses from the crash. But a major difference between these two crashes is the leadership of their captains. According to the movie, the captain of the Titanic stood on the side of his ship and went down with it, which is what captains

UNDER THE SEA. The Costa Concordia cruise liner toppled over just like the Titanic, leaving many dead, injured, and missing.

are supposed to do when their ship starts sinking. But the captain of the Costa Concordia ignored this, and gained international fame and ridicule because of it.

On January 13, 2012, the Costa Concordia was sailing off the coast of the Island of Giglio, near Italy, during the cruise ship’s first gala meal of the voyage. Now the first problem comes about: the captain took the ship off course. But during this first gala meal, the ship suddenly shuddered then listed back and forth.

What everyone, including the captain (who was NOT driving the boat), did not know was that the massive 290 meter long, 35.5 meter wide, and 114, 500 ton Costa Concordia had hit a reef and created a 50 meter long hole in the hull of the boat. This violent listing and crash created a ship-wide blackout. Now the second problem: the ship has no electricity, and now there is chaos from everyone on the ship.

After the blackout, there wasn’t an evacuation ordered by the captain for 40 minutes. By the pictures that were taken of the ship, the lifeboats were very hard to access because the ship was literally on its side.

Now the third problem: with access to only half the life boats (if able to lower them) the people have no way to get off the boat

to safety even though the ship had not fully sunk, but the shore line to Giglio was 40 m away from the ship.

Thankfully some of these lifeboats could be deployed, but one of the people on these lifeboats was the Captain, Francesco Shettino.

The Captain’s call with the coast guard at the time of the crash has been published on many major news websites showing how the captain got his well-known nickname “Captain Coward.” Instead of going down with his ship, he got in a lifeboat with other members of his crew and totally disregarded orders to get back on the ship and check for survivors.

After the crash, the Costa Concordia never sank into the ocean.

It can be seen lying on its left side near the island of Giglio, but still people are reported missing and dead.

Captain Francesco Shettino is being charged under German law for: suspicion of negligent bodily harm, abandonment, endangering shipping, failure to assist persons in danger, and has been placed under house arrest. Among all these other charges, the captain is also accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning his ship.

Recently it has been reported that up to 32 people could be dead, with 15 still missing. But divers have declared they are ending the search in the cruise ship because the conditions underwater are deemed too dangerous for divers.

Newt Gingrich--one of 3 left running Controversies don’t contribute to candidate’s staying power

by Jason Comis, Stang Staff Making the headlines as one of the leading GOP candidates for the upcoming Presidential election, Newt Gingrich comes with experience and his fair share of controversies. Gingrich’s major credentials include serving as Speaker of the House in 1995, becoming Time magazine’s “Man of the Year,” and ending 40 years of majority control by the Democrats. Gingrich has a very strong stance on religion, vowing to bring America back to its Christian roots. Environmental protection is also another aspect of government Gingrich wants to improve. Gingrich wants to change the Environmental protection agency to the “Environmental Solutions Agency” and is proposing a Flex Fuel mandate for all vehicles.

While he is definitely qualified to become our nation’s Commander in Chief, there have been some instances where controversies have caused some doubt as to whether or not Gingrich can stay out of trouble. In 1997, Gingrich was disciplined by the House of Representatives due to an ethics violation. More recently, his second wife claimed that he wanted an open relationship publicly ousted Gingrich. Predictably, Gingrich denied these claims saying that he did not want an open relationship with his wife. The love life of Newt Gingrich has been a giant roller coaster of different controversies starting with his first wife who was his high school geometry teacher. After 18 years of marriage, Gingrich filed for divorce from his wife after beginning an affair with Marianne Ginther. Overall, Gingrich has been married three times and has two daughters from his first marriage.

The Stang

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College Corner

By Brian Trieglaff, Stang Editor in Chief BAYLOR •

Located in Waco

•

School colors- green and gold

•

Mascot- Baylor Bear

•

Football games and basketball games are big attractions

•

Robert Griffin III won Heisman Football Trophy

•

Won Alamo Bowl

•

Went 32-0 for all sports during a period of time this year

•

3,500 freshman accepted each year

•

15,000 total enrollment

•

90% of students receive scholarship money

•

Big 12 conference

•

Tuition: $28,720 a year

•

Total Cost: $46,902 a year

SIC ‘EM.

This year, Robert Griffin III became the FIRST Baylor Bear to win the Heisman Award. If you want awesome, award-winning football, head to Baylor!

GINGRICH Newt Gringrich has been in the running for a while.

Will he be able to succeed despite the controversies?

4February is not just for Valentine’ s Day SCHOOL

February 12

This student’s personal adventure into new cultures

by Gianna Tiedemann, Stang Staff

Sunday

should always be celebrated individually.”

In past years, Black History Month has had a theme. In 2007, the theme was “From Slavery to Freedom: Africans to Americans.” In 2010, the theme was “The History of Black Economic Empowerment.” This year, the theme will focus on Black Women in American Culture and Society.

To find out more about Black History Month, ask Mr. Carson, or go look up information on the Internet. You can also test your knowledge below.

Trivia Questions:

1.This Republican was the first black person elected to the U.S. Senate. Who was he and what state did he represent?

2. This Civil War soldier was the first African-American to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

3. In 1976, this West Point grad becomes the first African-American to command the 82nd Airborne Division. He was also the first African American in the U.S. Army to achieve the rank of Four Star General.

4. What was the name of the first slave ship built in the English colonies?

5. What African American male developed the theory of the talent tenth.

6. Who was the first black astronaut to walk in space?

7. Who was the first president to invite an African-American man to the White House?

8. Who was the first African American Supreme court justice?

9. How did Jackie Robinson do in his first major league game?

10. Why did Rosa Parks refuse to move from her seat in the white section of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama?

11. When and where did Martin Luther King, Jr. make his “I Have a Dream” speech?

12. How did the 24th Amendment advance the cause of civil rights?

13. For what crime did Malcolm X go to prison?

14. How many times did Jesse Jackson run for the U.S. Presidency?

15. What year was Martin Luther King Day first observed as a federal holiday?

16. Who was the first black woman senator?

FEBRUARY

Monday

13 12 Softball Girls D-Groups

Tuesday

14

Valentines Day! Baseball

Wednesday

NHS GO Meeting

15

Thursday

16

Baseball NHS Chapter Meeting

Missions Emphasis Week

School Holiday Softball 20 21 19 Softball game Girl’s LAX

26 Soccer Banquet Baseball

27

Softball Men’s and Girl’s LAX

28 Chapel

1. Hiram Revels from Mississippi 2. Sgt. William H. Carney, 54th Massachusetts Infantry 3. Major General Roscoe Robinson (U.S. Army). General Daniel “Chappie” James was the first African-American to attain the rank of Four Star General in the U.S. Air Force.

4. The Desire 5. W.E.B DuBois 6. Bernard Harris, Jr. 7. Theodore Roosevelt 8. Thurgood Marshall 9. 0 hits in 3 at bats 10. fatigue and principle 11. Washington D.C., August 28, 1963 12. Poll tax made illegal 13. Burglary 14. two times 15. 1986 16. Carol Moseley Braun

What is February? Sure, it’s the month of chocolate, roses, love, and frilly lace lovey-dovey greeting cards that make you want to vomit if you’re single. More importantly it’s Black History Month.

Black History Month first began as “Negro History Week,” which took place during the second week of February, and was created by Carter G. Woodson, the second African American after W.E.B. Du Bois, to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard University. After receiving his doctorate, Woodson made a trip that would later affect his interests in life. In 1915, Woodson travelled to Chicago to take part in a three-week celebration of the 50th anniversary to end slavery. Because of this, Woodson became inspired to study black history all year long, and also created the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. After proposing the idea of “Negro History Week” in 1926, the week was then promoted to Black History Month in 1976 on its 50th anniversary.

Some Americans debate whether Black History Month is really necessary.

Some, like actor Morgan Freeman, say “Black history is American history,” and that devoting a whole entire month to it is “ridiculous.” Some, like Mr. Eddie Carson, firmly support Black History Month. He says that “Black History Month should be champion for the fact that no race throughout world history has had to succumb to forced migration and degradation like that of blacks.” He then goes on to say, “Thus, this is why the history of Black people must and

Friday

Community Service Day Softball Baseball

Saturday

LAX18 17 Men’s Softball

Baseball Swimming-State!

24 Baseball 25 22 Baseball 23 Baseball Men’s LAX

Softball 2 29 Musical Performance 7p 1 Basketball- TAPPS Baseball

Track Musical Performance 7p

Classic Men’s LAX

3

Lacrosse Baseball Track State Basketball Musical 2&7p

NEWS

The Stang

Building comes together in spite of rain Construction starts on campus for new building byGianna Tiedemann, Stang Staff

As you may or may not know (and if you don’t know, get out from under that rock once in a while), there is a ton of construction occurring in preparation for the new Student Center that will arrive in August.

If you take a good look at the east side of campus, you may think that there really isn’t a lot of building taking place, but according to the Director of Facilities, Mr. Joe Bock, a lot has happened since they broke ground in January. So far, construction workers have done all of the underground plumbing for the building and are continuing to move forward on things we should be able to actually see.

During the week of February 6-10, construction workers had planned to start pouring the cement to form the foundation. This would have been completed earlier, but there is one set back: the continuous rain that Houston has been receiving since the first week of February. Although there has been enormous amounts of rain, the construction is still continuing right on schedule, and is supposed to be finished at some point in August.

As for further construction, the vision is to have the foundation completely laid out by the end of February and to make more headway during spring break. The plan is to remove parts of the roofs of adjacent buildings, and demo the McNair gym hallway in order to prepare for more plumbing.

Keep an eye out for more information on the new Student Centersafety first around the construction area. Never walk in NEW PLANS--Stang staff members Michael Dunn and Alexa Reinhart unpermitted areas, and if you’re unsure hold up the photos of the design plans for the new student center, of those areas, check with Dean. as they stand in front of the construction site.

Dance cancelled due to lack of participation Students are shocked and disappointed by lack of interest in dance

by Ashley Richards, Stang Staff

From a Winter Formal to a Sadie Hawkin’s dance, all the way to Glow with the Flow, students at HC have always been excited about the winter dance.

The most recent winter dance theme wasn’t as much of a hit, or so it seemed by the lack of ticket sales.

The Black and White Dance was officially cancelled on January 19, 2012, two days before it was supposed to happen.

Ian Hopper, who is a sophomore on student council this year expresses his opinion about the cancelled dance, “I felt like it was a hard thing for the Junior Student Council to hear because they are the ones who organized this dance. I don’t believe that the cancellation of the dance should be blamed on them, but more on the uninterested students, because the Junior STUCO would have put on a great event.”

Junior Erin Doll seems to agree with Ian by saying, “I blame the student body. We need to be more enthusiastic about dances.” Whether the dance was cancelled for unenthusiastic students or an uninteresting theme we will never really be sure.

Freshman Bailey Fritcher blames neither of those things, “I just wished the dance would have been on another weekend. I would have gone, but I was busy. January is a busy month for everyone and I think the weekend the dance was planned on was just plain inconvenient.”

Since there will be no black and white dance this year, we should hope for a better outcome next year. For those students who were planning on purchasing their tickets at the door--beware. Next year, plan ahead and don’t wait until the last minute.

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A day in a life of Drew Peters

By Michael Fertitta, Co Business Manager Who is Drew Peters? That is the same thing I asked myself when I decided to do a “day in the life” article about him, but since I know him well, I knew that he would not be a boring fellow, and I don’t think I was wrong.

Drew Peters turns out to be possibly the tallest student at HC, and a starter on the basketball team. Drew says he has one of the hardest days out of any high school student.

He wakes up every morning around 4:00 am to practice his hoops and hops. Drew says he hasn’t missed a shot in his lone early HC practice years, except one time when he sneezed.

When Drew is done with his early lone practices, he goes to class like every other student and is well-behaved. His favorite class he says is statistics with Mrs.Saikali. He enjoys the class because he says, “It is a great class that just flows,” and he gets to play the occasional intellectual word game with Matt Cavazos.

Once he is done being a diligent student, he goes to another round of basketball practices where he claims it is a common sight to see him dunk over sophomore Preston Drake.

When Drew gets home, he likes to spend his time playing Pokémon and telling his level 100 Charzard all his secrets. When he is done with his Pokémon, he like to antagonize the neighborhood dogs till they chase him because, “I like the thrill of the run.” However he has stopped the daily occurrence as it got out of hand when one of the dogs chased him into a wall and broke his toes.

This is the reason he has had a cast around his foot.

Finally Drew ends his day by walking out to his silver Dodge Charger and seeing it being broken into. Drew says it’s a common occurrence to walk out to his car and see it being broken into. He says the crooks always steal his laptop, so he now buys them in bulk at his local Costco.

Is a day in the life of Drew hard? If you think so, go tell him your respect for his survival every day has increased. If you don’t think his daily life is hard, well then go correct him on what he is doing. Happy camping y’all.

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FINE ARTS

February 12

Choir sweetens the ears of Carrabba’s guests Where else would you find the choir on Superbowl Sunday

by Gianna Tiedemann, Stang Staff

Every year on one Sunday in February, two things occur. Can you guess what they are?

Yes, the Superbowl is one of them, but there is also one other thing. The Choir hosts their annual Superbowl Sunday event at Carrabba’s.

It’s a required event for all choir members where they either choose to sing or to serve families and friends that attend the event.

Some, like senior Beth Powell, chose to sing. Not only has Beth participated in the annual event for all four years, but she actually has a tradition of her own: singing with her best friend Leigh Cummings. “I was so excited to sing a duet with Leigh! It’s a tradition for us every year, and it’s always a great time,” says Beth.

CHICKEN BRYAN--Just one of the many fabulous

dishes that you can eat while listening to the choir.

Beth and Leigh did not know what they would be singing, so it was a surprise. They usually just choose something they know. Some, like junior Erin Doll and freshman Elizabeth Dalbello, choose to serve.

Erin Doll has sung in past years, but she is excited to serve this year because, “It’s a great way to support choir and it’s fun to serve my family and friends.”

On the other hand, this will be Elizabeth’s first time to participate at Carrabba’s.

She has chosen to serve this year and is “curious to see how it all works out,” and she thinks “it will be fun to work with all [her] friends.”

Many choir members look back on the past Carrabba’s event and remember fond memories.

Sophomore Morgan Kanaly looks back on last year’s event and distinctly remembers Mr. Kelley and Mr. and Mrs. Mellor singing the Veggie Tales theme song to her. “It was very funny and I will always remember that moment,” Morgan said.

So, whether you’re singing, serving, or being sang to by crowds of teachers, it seemed to be a pretty awesome event. This year, the event occurred on February 5 at the Carrabba’s on the Katy Freeway, was well attended and if you missed it—too bad, you will have to wait until next year.

Joseph to be performed on HBU stage Mustang Players remind us “any dream will do” in this year’s techni-colored show

By Natalie Galerne, Stang Staff

Brendan spent Wednesday through Saturday in San Antonio after earning a spot in the ATSSB All State Band.

This is the group that 9,000 students auditioned for, but only 250 made.

Brendan had to audition once he arrived for a chair in either the top band (Symphonic) or the second band (Concert). He would have been happy to make last chair in the band, not really know-

ing the competition level.

However, he made the Symphonic Band, 10th Chair.

Mrs. Redmon, pictured above with Brendan, is “so so proud of him!” The concert took place at Lila Cockrell Theater, with band director Col. Timothy Foley, former director of the “President’s Own” Marine Band. What a huge honor for Brendan.

TPSMEA Finalists Shine Bright All State finalists compete in clinic

by Natalie Galerne, Stang Staff

by Natalie Galerne, Stang Staff This spring, the weather is not the only thing that’s heating up.

While many of the student body head to sports practice after school or home to do homework, the cast of this year’s musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, heads straight to the blackbox theatre to begin warm ups.

Unlike many of the school’s previous productions such as Thoroughly Modern Millie and Tommy Tune award winning Fiddler on the Roof, Joseph is a production that mainly involves intricate dance numbers and lots of singing.

Student choreographers, Haylee Hoelscher12 Morgan Kanaly10 , , and Erin Doll11 assist Ms. Brittony Peters in preparing, rehearsing, and re-teaching the numbers over and over until a star quality is achieved.

The result is, of course, a stunning

Fine Arts Congrats- Band and More!

production that still has a month before opening night. In the meantime, cast members spend hours rehearsing every day until every number becomes second nature. In fact, the cast spends SO much time dancing, stretching, and toning that the result is not only an impressive show, but also very sore muscles.

H a n n a h Gustafson10 who dances tirelessly in the chorus says, “I was sore for a whole week. It’s such a workout!” Yep, that’s right- performers have got to stay fit and on their toes too.

The cast, crew, and directors are greatly anticipating the night when the Tommy Tunes judges will be present in the audience. Every year, the Mustang Players receive nominations in almost every category possible of musical theatre. Last year, the cast of Fiddler was nominated for best actor,

TPSMEA WINNERS Rebecca Glenister, James Whitcomb, and Katherine Gualy

best actress, best direction, lighting design, costume, and for the first time, the cast won a Tommy Tune for Best Choreography.

Hopefully, the hard work of the entire Joseph cast will pay off. Remember to applaud enthusiastically when you come.

The show opens on March 1st at HBU’s massive Dunham Theatre,

and will run for a whole weekend, which gives everyone a chance to come see the show. Perfect for a fun date, family, or friends’ night out, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will transport you to a world filled with many colors. Tickets are on sale now, so go to the school website’s Fine Arts page for more ticket details.

The students who participated in the TPSMEA All State Clinics and Concerts this past weekend in San Marcos did an outstanding job. Working hard in rehearsals 7 - 8 hours each day prepared them for amazing concerts on Saturday evening.

Brendan Ehrenstrom was selected for a trumpet solo, Katherine Gualy read a poem for one of the choir pieces, and Matias Hivnor (freshman) placed as 2nd chair in the French horn section.

Other participants included Rebecca Glenister and James Whitcomb (choir), Tim Cleary (band) and Chris Mosser (orchestra). Chris told the Orchestra afterwards that they should never complain about a piece being too long until they’ve performed a piece with over 500 measures. All of these students are to be commended for their hard work and beautiful performances.

FINE ARTS

Just dancin’ around the school

Silver Spurs, DOXA Dance Co., and Dance repertoire classes keep busy for the spring

by Natalie Galerne, Stang Staff

As spring approaches, the Silver Spurs, DOXA Dance Company, and Dance repertoire classes are busy rehearsing for many events that are taking place this semester.

On February 2, the Silver Spurs put on a magnificent performance of the pieces they will be performing for their competitions that will take place during the following two weekends. Included in the performance were numbers that the team has been perfecting since November.

Spur Officers Hannah Rae, Kiersten Koenig, Caroline Taylor, and Michelle Chaney had three pieces prepared that stunned the audience according to the thunderous applause. Among them was an Officer Jazz, Officer Contemporary, and Officer Prop piece in which the girls danced with props to give the number a theatrical flair. As a whole, the Silver Spurs impressed the audience with team jazz,

pom, and novelty dances.

The Spurs will, without a doubt, according to this humble reporter, come home from Competition a distinguished drill team that has set the bar high for other high school spirit squads.

The dance repertoire classes are hard at work, as well. “The classes are just about to start the hip hop unit,” says Ms. Brittony Peters. “In addition to that, classes will be preparing for their annual spring Dance concert in April.” Every year, Ms. Peters’ dance classes put on a showcase to show off everything t h e y ’ v e l e a r n e d throughout the year.

“Everyone has so much fun at this time of year,” says the talented dance

instructor. “It’s such a busy time for us, but there’s so much going on that it can’t help be exciting!”

DOXA Dance Company has a lot on their plate as well. This team is for dancers that have had quite a bit of prior instruction in genres like ballet and modern. DOXA takes all of B3 to rehearse and create wonderful pieces that require strength and proper technique. In

fact, auditions will be here before you know it; so if you’re interested in auditioning for DOXA, keep in mind that the tryout date is set for May 17 for an hour and a half after school.

Auditions for Silver Spurs will be on May 11th and 12th, with the tryout clinic occurring on May 10. Write down these dates now, so that you have plenty of time to prepare.

The Stang

7

Dance Shout Outs!

Silver Spurs give a fantastic showcase

by Natalie Galerne, Stang Staff Thank you to those of you that were able to make it to the Silver Spur Showcase last Thursday. The girls and Ms Peters loved seeing your smiling faces in the audience. Their competition this past weekend in Austin was a huge success as well, as the girls received the following awards: Sweepstakes Award- HCHS Silver Spur Dance Officers Best in Class Honors- HCHS Silver Spur Dance Officers Super Sweepstakes- HCHS Silver Spurs High Point Honors in Team Novelty, Team Pom, and Team Jazz Choreography Award for Team Novelty Best in Class Honors- HCHS Silver Spurs

SILVER SPURS--The 2011-2012 Silver Spurs have at the helm this year officers Hannah Rae, Kiersten Koenig, Caroline Taylor and Michelle Chaney.

Please congratulate the girls if you see them or have them in your class. We’ll keep you posted on how they do in their upcoming competitions.

Those artsy folks

by Michael Fertitta and Natalie Galerne, Stang Staff

DJ Ogilvy: The Next Skrillex of HC HCHS Student wows his fans with intense dubstep.

by Michael Dunn, Stang Staff

MIX-MASTER--Ross Burgan, AKA DJ Ogilvy, spends most of his free time pursuing his career in dubstep music. Tell all of your friends and spread the word so others can hear his awesome music.

For most seniors, this year is a time of decisions and reflection; however, for student, Ross Burgan, his senior year has become one of opportunity. Under the stage name DJ Ogilvy, Ross has been blessed with

the opportunity to fulfill a dream he nearly gave up, and it is an opportunity he fully intends on cashing in.

From an early age, Ross was enamored with music; he said, “I would always listen to music of all types. I was especially

drawn to country as a child, ironically. But seeing as my singing voice was limited at best…I felt as if there was no future for me in music.”

However, all of that changed in the middle of his freshman year when he was introduced to the new genre of music known as “Dubstep.” He then began to spend countless hours in his room making his own music, and in doing so he discovered, “This is what I was born to do.”

As he started to become enamored with creating music; he soon became able to hone in on his craft. This practice soon began to pay big dividends as several record labels began to recruit his services for their corporation; however, in the end he knew in his art, that “Bazooka Records was the best fit for me.” Although it is still undecided whether

or not he will sign with them during college, he is assured that whatever decision he makes will benefit him greatly in the long run. “It is just nice knowing I have options,” he claims.

Yet with every passing day he seems to believe music shall be his fate, and he knows with hard work and time, he will be able to reach the pinnacle of the music business and accomplish his goals.

“Hopefully one day I will be able to collaborate with some of my favorite artists— Skrillex, Deadmau5, etc.— but I know it won’t happen overnight.”

But until that day comes, Ross knows his priorities are in check. “I will never forget my family and friends; they are who I am trying to make proud, it’s about more than just me.”

Please congratulate the following students on their accomplishments for sculpture shown at the Livestock Show & Rodeo High School Art Competition on Friday, January 20th:

Senior, Ava Finstuen, 2nd Place Ribbon for her oil clay sculpture, Title: Peace of Mind Senior, Randy Faulk, 3rd Place Ribbon for his earthenware clay sculpture, Title: Swampy the Gator Both can be viewed in the glass case near Dr. Livingston’s office beginning this week.

This Saturday two of the Visual art students attended the Visual Art Scholastic Event at Elsik High School.

The competition included a Student Interview and an Artwork Evaluation.

The two students that attended were Grace Morris and Morgan Sparrow.

Both students rated a IV, the highest they could rate in the scoring range.

Grace received a perfect score and Morgan received an almost perfect score. They both received Gold Medals for their artwork.

8 Blue Bell: A Texas Tradition February 12

FEATURE

The Lone Star State’s most recognizable brand

by Michael Vaughn, Stang Staff

One of the Lone Star State’s most recognizable brands has become part of its history.

In 1907, The Brenham Creamery Company was founded in Brenham, Texas, purchasing excess dairy from local farmers and selling butter. Four years later, they began producing very small quantities of ice cream.

The company was renamed Blue Bell Creameries in 1930 after a wildflower that is native to Texas. Taking a focus on ice cream, Blue Bell has continued to expand and grow in popularity through the 20th century.

Today, Blue Bell is the second highest selling ice cream brand, and its flagship flavor, “Homemade Vanilla,” is the nation’s highest selling flavor of ice cream.

Blue Bell sells directly to only twenty states in the U.S., and its success is remarkable considering its small market penetration. Today, Blue Bell produces and sells over 250 different frozen products each year.

They are known for their large variety of sixty-six different ice cream flavors, twenty of which are sold year round. The other forty-six are sold, seasonally, and include favorites such as Peppermint, Birthday Cake, and Strawberry Cheesecake.

This Texas tradition has spread throughout the Southern United States, but certainly keeps its stronghold in the small town of Brenham, where people can tour the original factory and sample flavors for free.

Only in Texas: as it should be

by Brian Triglaff, Editor

There is a reason why Texas is called the “Lone Star State.” Maybe it is because of the variety of places and tourist sites Texas contains. From the Alamo to Buc-ee’s, there is no other state like Texas that has the places and restaurants that we have.

There are so many unique places, restaurants, pubs, gas stations, and many more that no other state in America has except for Texas.

The world renowned Landry’s is based in Houston, and is a company created by Mr. Tilman Fertitta, father of senior Michael Fertitta. Landry’s owns a variety of restaurants from Mexican food, Cadillac bar, to fine steaks at their new purchase, Morton’s Steakhouse. Landry’s also owns the wonderful amusement parks, Kemah Boardwalk and Pleasure Pier, located in Galveston.

In addition to Landry’s owning many restaurants and public places, they also own various hotels, one of which is located in Las Vegas, NV: The Golden Nugget. The Golden Nugget is located in downtown Las Vegas on Freemont Street where many actors and performers perform various acts for the guests’ entertainment. It provides excellent rooming and restaurants for its guests, such as the delicious Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse.

Next on the list of awesome things that are only in Texas is the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo that takes place every year at Reliant Stadium for one

month. Cowboys and cowgirls perform various rodeo games from Barrel Racing to Bull Riding. In addition to the older cowboys and cowgirls getting to perform, there is the famous performance known as Muttin’ Bustin,’ where little boys and girls get to ride a baby sheep and usually hold on by the sheep’s hair. The crowd goes crazy as they watch these little children act like the adults and ride the sheep with a passion.

Not only does the crowd get to watch these awesome rodeo games and performances, after the rodeo games are through, a famous singer performs a concert for the audience. This year, the most well-known performers coming are Luke Bryan, Alan Jackson, Kid Rock, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Zac Brown Band, and Eli Young Band.

The cherry on top of the rodeo is definitely the carnival that takes place every day from early afternoon to midnight. The carnival contains all sorts of rides, games, and even interesting foods such as potato chips on a stick. The rides and games provide the biggest attraction though, including various games from balloon popping to ping pong ball toss. All in all, the rodeo in Houston is definitely the place to be in Texas when it is here. It is guaranteed that you will have a blast if you decide to go.

Another wellknown place in Texas is the largest and most clean gas station in Texas: Buc-ee’s!

Buc-ee’s is known for its variety of sweets and selections of beef jerky, and also

for its very clean bathrooms.

The closest ones to Houston are in Cypress and Pearland.

Buc-ee’s is most famous for its beef jerky, which is made fresh every day, from original to teriyaki, and its very diverse selection of clothing items. Buc-ee’s sells T-shirts, Polo shirts, boxers, sweatpants, and many more clothing items that we all wear every day. If you are traveling to another city in Texas, Buc-ee’s has to be a place on your list to stop.

Finally, Texas is one of the few states that has a professional sports team in every sport. From arena football to hockey, Texas hosts professional games for Texans to go and watch almost every day. Just because the teams might not be playing so well right now, like the Houston Astros, it still provides entertainment and amusement.

The greatest Texas sports games to go and watch is when the Houston Texans are playing at Reliant Stadium. Crazy and wild Texan fans go wild at the site of their great football team. Some people might not know this, but Texas tailgates at Texan’s games were voted the #1 tailgate spot in the NFL. If you live in Texas and you haven’t been to a game, you are missing out on a very fun experience, one that you will never forget.

Overall, Texas is definitely a very unique state that has a variety of places to go to and events to attend. If you live in Texas, these are some of the unique places and special events that only Texas has.

It’s not just a gas station, it’s Buc-ee’s This gas station is winning the hearts of Texans everywhere

by Paige Adams, Co-Editor Let’s take a journey: imagine a bus full of kids on a field trip through Texas. Everyone is tired, bored, cramped, and ready to jump out of the seat.

Some are sleeping in contorted ways that no one thought was possible (that can’t be comfortable), and some are singing at the top of their lungs like their front row at a rock concert. The roads through Texas are usually barren; as far as the eye can see there is farmland and the occasional cow or tractor. But suddenly, the bus passengers turn quiet and all at once an uproar begins: BUC-EE’S they cry. Soon there are cheers and pleads to go to Buc-ee’s like death is imminent without a 20 minute trip there. It’s just a bus stop though right? Wrong, its Bucee’s. Possibly the best bus stop the world has encountered, and Texas gets to be its proud host. So along with all the other reasons why Texas is better than any other place in the US, the fact that it has Buc-ee’s furthers that notion even more.

It would be hard to find someone that lives in Texas that has not been to Buc-ee’s, and nearly impossible to find anyone that has never heard of it.

In one quote from a Buc-ee’s die hard on Buc-ee’s official website blog, it pretty much sums up how great Buc-ee’s is: “The Heavens parted and we heard angels sing…And on the eighth day, God created Buc-ee’s – He saw that is was good.” This kind of praise is not unusual in Texas. Essentially Bucee’s is a chain gas station, just like many others in every part of the US. But what makes Buc-ee’s different is all the amenities that come with it. Of course there is the infamous and happy, buck-toothed beaver mascot. It’s cute, and it stands apart from the rolling hills and farmlands one usually sees during a long road trip through Texas. Buc-ee’s is known for its sparkly clean restrooms, which attract every person on the road. Gas stations are usually known for bathrooms that are just nasty, but we do not need to go into detail about that one.

Although Buc-ee’s is only found in Texas, local and world news stations have done features on its local stores. So far, Bucee’s has won over almost every person that walks through its doors.

The Lone Star State

The TEXANS--the best name the hometown NFL team we all should LOVE

by Stephen Consoli, Stang Staff

Schlitterbahn- A true Texas event

by Stephen Consoli, Stang Staff

Texas has many tourist attractions scattered all across the state. Many of which are amusement parks. Texas is host to three of the fourteen Six Flags amusement parks in North America. These include Six Flags Over Texas (Arlington), Six Flags Hurricane Harbor (Arlington), and Six Flags Fiesta Texas (San Antonio). Though these are some of the most popular amusement parks in North America, Texas has some of its very own parks to compete. Schlitterbahn, one of the best water parks in America, is a major attraction during the hot seasons of the year.

Texas Family Magazine ranks Schlitterbahn the #1 kid friendly destination in Texas.

Schlitterbahn takes pride in their outstanding customer service and was very honored when they heard that all three of their parks were recognized with this title. They put families and safety first, and they do not have to sacrifice any fun in the process. In fact, Schlitterbahn is considered a bet-

All images from Google images.

The Real Rodeo

by Kendal Maddox, Stang Staff

The Houston Texans lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the Division Round of the NFL Playoffs this year in 2012. Although the team lost, they are saying Houston has much to look forward to about the 2012-2013 season.

The Monday after the loss to the Ravens, many Texans were interviewed about their view on the season and what is to come. Veteran Quarterback, Jake Delhomme, was signed this season as a result of season ending injuries to starting quarterback, Matt Schaub, and back up, Matt Leinart.

Delhomme came into the league in 1997 and also led the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl against Tom Brady and his Patriots. Delhomme said of the Texans organization and his probably retirement, “For me, to come to a place like this where everybody’s on the same page and to see the way these guys work, it’s been great. If I’ve left this game, I’ve left it on a high note.”

Starting Cornerback and first year Texan, Johnathan Joseph said, “That’s our first trip there in the playoffs as a Texan and we’re looking forward to going there many years to come.”

The Texans’ players are committed to working harder than they’ve ever worked before to be better than they were this year. The veterans on the team have said in many situations that they have never been in a locker room like this that is so together and on the same page and all have the same goals in mind. The Texans have gone from being Houston’s joke football team, to Houston’s prized sports team and have gained the respect from the rest of the country. The Texans have the desire to be the best and the whole team has not only the playoffs in mind anymore, they have their eyes set on the Super Bowl.

Texas Water fun

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The Stang

The history of the rodeo goes back to the early 1800s when cowboys and vaqueros tested their roping and riding skills against each other. In 1872, the first rodeo competition was held in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Rodeo competitions began emerging all across the United States in the late 1800s. Historical figures such as Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill were pioneers in the so-called “Wild West Shows” and rodeos. The shows included many events such as bull riding, calf roping, team roping, saddle and bareback bronco riding, steer wrestling, and barrel racing. Over the course of the past century, rodeo competitions have been especially popular in the Lone Star State.

Houston, Texas, is now home to the world’s largest livestock show and rodeo.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo features a championship rodeo action, livestock competitions, concerts, a carnival, pig racing, barbeque, shopping, sales and livestock auctions. However, Houston is not Texas’ only famous rodeo. The Southwest Exposition Livestock Show and Rodeo in Fort Worth is famous for being the oldest continual running livestock show and rodeo in the world. San Antonio and Austin also have annual rodeos, as well as many smaller towns.

Rodeo is an enormous part of Texas history and culture. It keeps the cowboy traditions from centuries ago alive today. Texans should be proud of their southern heritage and never forget the ways of the past.

Strange Texas Laws

by Jason Comis, Stang Staff

One must acknowledge a supreme being before being able to hold public office.

The Bluebonnet is the official song of the state flower.

It is illegal to sell one’s eye.

A program has been created in the state that attempts to control the weather.

ter park in whole than Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, a water park in Arlington, Texas. Texas maintains three of the four Schlitterbahns in the United States, the other one being in Kansas City. Schlitterbahn originated in Texas and, therefore, will always be a Texas attraction.

Schlitterbahn is a great water park full of fun and it has one of the greatest customer services around. It is a highly recommended attraction when visiting Texas. It is a water park that must be visited during the summer.

Schlitterbahn only adds to Texas’ many attractions across the state and makes the company of amusement parks in the Lone Star State that much greater. It’s great to be a Texan.

When two trains meet each other at a railroad crossing, each shall come to a full stop, and neither shall proceed until the other has gone.

It is illegal for one to shoot a buffalo from the second story of a hotel.

It is illegal to milk another person’s cow.

A recently passed anti-crime law requires criminals to give their victims 24 hours notice, either orally or in writing, and to explain the nature of the crime to be committed.

Homosexual behavior is a misdemeanor offense.

The entire Encyclopedia Britannica is banned in Texas because it contains a formula for making beer at home.

Governor Perry rules

by Kandis Harding, Stang Staff

Rick Perry, entered the race for the Republican presidential nomination this past August. However, after a short period of time Perry “cheerfully threatened the head of the Federal Reserve with personal harm,” and in a televised debate, he forgot his own reform proposal.

Finishing fifth in the Iowa caucuses, he said he would consider dropping out of the race, but then realized he wanted to stay.

On January 19, Governor Rick Perry said, “I know when it’s time to make a strategic retreat,” referring to Sam Houston, whose strategic retreat drew the Mexicans north in 1836.

Governor Perry took the position of

Lieutenant Governor of Texas in December of 2000.

When governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States, Rick Perry was given the opportunity to be fully elected to gubernatorial terms in 2002, 2006, and 2010.

Perry has now become the longest continuously serving current U.S. governor and the second longest serving current U.S. governor.

Even though Governor Rick Perry has resigned from the presidential election, he still will remain as our governor of Texas.

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February 12

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The Stang

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February 12

OPINION

What Grinds My Gears

by Jason Comis, Stang Staff

Complaining about bad drivers is probably the third most common topic of every rage filled rant, right behind airline food and women. But some types of bad drivers are beaten to death as talking subjects such as--people who drive too slow, people who talk on their cell phones, tailgaters, and people who forget to turn off their blinkers.

There are some drivers who abide by the written laws, but reject the laws of common sense.

One notorious offender of this is the driver that is in denial that they drive slowly. A normal slow driver is tremendously obvious to point out while on the road.

However, there are some that are

in denial of the speed they choose to go on the freeway. When attempting to pass this type of driver, expect for the slow speed of the driver you have passed up to increase drastically until they successfully pass you for virtually no reason. Once in their original position, the other driver will return to their original slow speed.

First thing I want to clear up is that a bad driver does not have to necessarily be moving in order to be a bad driver. In fact the driver that makes me the angriest is the driver that is not moving. Hazard lights are meant to indicate a hazard such as a vehicle stopped in or near moving traffic, a disabled vehicle, a vehicle moving substantially slower than the flow of traffic such as a truck climbing a steep grade, or the presence of stopped or slow traffic ahead on a high speed road. However, many people see hazard lights as a park anywhere, do anything, go anywhere pass. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen people park their car in front of JC Penney’s at the mall and

block all kinds of traffic. But we aren’t allowed to get mad, right, you know because his hazard lights are on. Especially in places where there are limited parking, there is always that one guy that double parks, but leaves his hazard lights on. Don’t worry guys, he will be back to clear that space up, so let’s all just wait in line. Which brings me to my next topic…

People that camp parking spots.

These people have secretly pre-ordered these parking spots via money order or debit card. Since that spot is apparently owned by said driver, it is permissible for this person to camp slanted so that no one else can pass them up and perform a parking space robbery. So, of course you’re stuck behind this person honking and screaming, while the family about to leave the parking spot loads up their never ending groceries or builds the extravagant baby seat. The most annoying part of this ordeal is when the guy in front of you camping the spot, turns around and is like,” Can you believe THESE guys?”

Tattoos or Not?

10 Year old gets tattoo by approval of mother

by Kandis Harding, Stang Staff

There are many people around the world that get tattoos.

Tattoos come in many varieties, colors, designs, and sizes.

Although some find them very attractive and others find them very unattractive, can any age get them?

A mother from Georgia said “she couldn’t tell her ten year old son no when he asked to get a tattoo honoring his brother who had been killed by a teenage driver two years prior.” For the love of his brother you would think that maybe it would be OK for someone to get a tattoo in remembrance of a loved one, but a ten-year-old?

“Authorities called the mother’s action illegal, arresting and charging her with misdemeanor cruelty and being a party to a crime, according to ABC News.” The mother claims that she did not know about the law, which the police showed her shortly afterwards.

In 2010 a law was set out that claimed, “It shall be unlawful for any person to tattoo the body of any person under the age of 18, except for a physician or osteopath.”

Although the mother had good reasons behind giving her son a tattoo at such a young age, authorities and others claim that this was a wrong move and jail was the immediate response the mother had to face.

Overall, some people may agree that it depends what the tattoo is or says as to whether you should get one or not.

In my opinion, tattoos are not attractive, because as you age, unfortunately so does your tattoo. It becomes saggy and not what you got when you were perhaps eighteen years old. However, many believe that tattoos are very attractive and are what they want at a young age. I guess only time will tell.

Mother and son showing off their tattoos together. http://www.opposingviews.com

http://www.googleimages.com

True leadership inspires trust

by Brian Trieglaff, Stang Editor-in-Chief

Over the next few months, I will be writing this column describing the leadership qualities of a famous leader and/or commander of United States forces. This month, General Ulysses S. Grant will be the topic of discussion.

General Ulysses S. Grant showed great leadership traits during the time of his command of the Armies of the Potomac. During battle, he was all business and demanded perfection and obedience from his men. He was a strict general that demanded the soldiers do what was asked. While his men were not fighting the war, he would enjoy socializing with them. This is how he established such great relationships with his men. He would joke around with them and learn about their past and be a “social friend.” This type of behavior helps to develop the trust of your peers. This leadership trait always shows up in good leaders. You must have the trust of your peers and soldiers before you can do anything. General Ulysses S. Grant was great at doing this and that is why he was so successful. His men followed his command and TRUSTED him.

Throughout his life, Grant showed his ability to be patient and tenacious, which basically meant he was unwilling to give up. For example, there was a time when the Union was bombarding rebel forces, forts, hills, and enemy positions. Every 24 hours, General Grant would send six thousand mortar shells upon them. The Union casualties were more than nine thousand. After the first five hours, Grant could have said, “This is stupid. We aren’t making any progress. Let’s go home!”

But instead, he stayed patient and poised and focused on the task at hand.

In addition to being patient, Grant showed that he was determined. No matter what the circumstances were, he was going to come out of that battle with a victory. Even if he was the only man still alive, he would fight until he breathed his last breath. He was confident and in a way sort of cocky, in that he knew he was going to win. Being confident and positive is “half of the battle.”

Grant was great at always being confident and determined that he would win.

Grant showed great leadership throughout his life by being calm and poised, being determined, and most all by taking action. Overall, the most important trait Grant had was the trust of his men. Without trust, he could not have gone anywhere in battle or war. Also, he cared about his men.

He would go back for one wounded man, even if he knew he was going to die. Grant always loved his men and cared about them no matter what they were like or what their condition was. “Grant [was] a moral leader who [had] time for even a wounded enemy.”-Jeff O. Leary

VS http://www.googleimages.com

Ulysses S. Grant

OPINION

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The Stang

He said/She said

Rachel & Michael address Pet Peeves about the opposite gender By: Rachel Driver and Michael Fertitta, Stang Staff RED: So Michael, I have this friend (he’s a nice guy) and he managed to get himself into quite a problem the other day. You see, he was really great friends with this girl, they had been close buddies for a while now and well, something happened. I warned him time and time again that this would not be a good decision, but this girl got the best of him. They kissed, Michael!

It’s pretty bad. Their friendship has taken a bad turn, and things are just getting worse. Even though I’m sure you have absolutely zero experience in this matter, they guy needs some help. I just don’t think he understands. YOU CANNOT BE FRIENDS AND BE REALLY “CLOSE.” It just doesn’t work that way. So I guess my question is… how do you feel about being “close friends” with a girl?

MCF: Okay Rachel, three things: One, calm down. Two, I don’t care.

Three, I’m going to help anyway cause I’ve got nothing better to do.

Alright Rachel, there isn’t anything wrong with friends getting a little “close” as long as they are on the same page. If both friends know that they are just friends, then everything’s good, but if one starts to see the other as more than a friend, then you’ve got a problem.

Because, well, no matter how you look at it, it won’t end well unless the other gives in and sees the other as more than a friend also.

RED: Michael Fertitta, don’t be so sassy with me please! How could you say that there’s NOTHING WRONG with being “close” with a friend. Everyone knows that 99.99% of the time it turns out terribly. Sure, sure, sure, sure... every girl can say that they are “on the same page” but in all honesty... we’re NOT. Unless we truly don’t care about the guy, and have a cold heart, we end falling for them. It’s human nature.

Once you pass that friendship line, there’s no going back Michael!

Once the line is crossed, it just becomes a HOT MESS. The truth is that if everything is well and no one has developed more feelings for the other, well then, someone is lying.

MCF: Okay first, don’t call me sassy because I don’t know what that means, and Rachel it may be 99.99% likely to fail, but that means it has a .01% chance to succeed! That .01 all falls if they are on the same page.

And by the way, when you said “every girl can say that they are “on the same page,” in all honesty... they’re NOT” and “we end up falling for them.” This proves that it is always the girl’s fault as usual because you can’t say what you are thinking, unless it’s about y’all complaining about someone. Rachel it’s not all bad if you fall for the guy if he has somewhat mutual feelings for you--even a little bit, cause then y’all can just be “closer friends.”

And Rachel, there is no going back.

Y’all just need to be rational about it. But if you’re looking for a friend just to get close with, then you’re probably looking for a HOT MESS. But chances are someone is lying about their feelings, and 99.99% of the time it’s the girl.

RED: Just to let you know, sassy means “impertinent; insolent, saucy.” And I have no problem admitting that usually it’s the girl that falls for the guy. Because it’s true...

BUT just because we fall for the guy doesn’t mean we ruined everything.

It is practically human nature for us to fall for a boy that we’ve been really close to... and guys are guilty also. Though y’all aren’t as likely to fall for a close friend, it still happens! In fact Michael, here is a story from a fella that did just that; the boy fell for his best (girl) friend.

“She is the girl of my dreams, but I don’t want to screw things up here. I wanna know how she feels because I really like her, but I am convinced, like 100% from my point of view, that she only likes me as a friend.

Should I bring it up and find out how she truly feels? What should I do? She is my absolute best friend and I don’t wanna screw things up.”

SEE! It happens Michael, you and your gender are just as guilty! Admit it...

MCF: Saucy? That doesn’t even make sense, but we will talk about that next month. Thank you for admitting that it is always the girl

Are Reality Shows Real?

that falls for the guy, and I never said y’all ruin everything, It just gets ruined when y’all get a lil’crazy, and yes, maybe human nature does play a factor. Guys may fall for the girl too, but we are more rational about it; if it doesn’t happen, then it doesn’t happen. Girls, however, will act like it’s the end of the world and will blow up facebook and Twitter with posts like, “You don’t know what you’re missing,” and “I should have known better,” and millions more like that--true story. Rachel, as for your story, okay maybe that was one instance, but it seems like he was blowing things way out of proportion. But I think I said earlier that he is the .01%, so someone like him was going to turn up eventually; look at every other failed relationship of “close friends,” and it will be the girl’s fault.

and I do not want to hurt your feelings, but what our readers don’t know is that it is so hard to write an article with you. I can’t even comprehend what you’re trying to say half the time!! I do know you have great thoughts though! Oh and don’t try and tell me I’m stupid and can’t read. LOVE YOU. MCF: Well Rachel, I don’t know if you noticed, but you just proved my point. Here we are just two friends talking and here you are saying how you “love me to pieces.” Ask Brian, our editor in chief. He knows what I’m talking about; even some of the girls do, like Alexa or Natalie.

Rachel, just do me this favor, read this article in 1-4 years and your mind might be ready to let this article enlighten you. The reason you don’t understand is because you’re reading at a High School junior level and I’m writing at a philosopher’s level.

girl dares to ask him if he wants to hang out, y’all freak out! Y’all immediately think we are secretly in love and assume that we are having dreams about what our life could be like. Suddenly, everything we say, every move we make is hinting towards our secret loveyduvy thoughts toward y’all. All girls would appreciate it if you would tell your gender to chill out, and stop over thinking everything. I know what you are trying to say, if your point is that 99.99% of the time girls start to develop feelings for their guy friend. Once again, I agree.

In case you didn’t know this Michael, girls are like 100X more mature than guys. Given that you’re older than me and all, you are very close to my maturity level--not quite there, but close. So you and your philosopher level of writing and reasoning are not as big of an accomplishment as it may seem.

Oh, and Michael when I say that I love you to pieces, try not to over think it. And just so you know, next time I say hello or see you in class, I am not secretly wishing we were taking long walks on the beach together holding hands and planning out our future together as a couple.

RED: Come on Michael, you know I tell the truth always! I’m offended that you’re so surprised. But do not mix up my words. I said that, “It RED: Oh Michael, you might have is usually the girl’s fault,” but not just brought up another BIG issue. always... gotta get it right buddy. Guys are so weird sometimes! So I’m shocked I’m saying this, but I say a guy and a girl are FRIENDS, if think we have found something we the guy gives the girl a hug or texts both agree is correct. Girls can get her first, or asks her to hang out, he crazy. We are emotional people, is just doing it in a “friendly” way some more so than others obviously, and the girls cannot dare to think MCF: I have nothing left to say but still. I am happy to be able to that he might be flirting a little. But Rachel. say this, but I really am NOT for the if the girl texts the boy first, if the whole updating status’ and blowing girl gives the boy a hug, or if the RED: Alright, Michael. up twitter just to quote a few love songs, vent about the current loves in your life, and the problems y’all are having.

Actually, I kind of hate it. It’s usually depressing, hateful, and odd. What I am trying to say is... you’re right: SOME (NOT ALL) girls do act like it is the end Editors-in-Chief--Brian Trieglaff and Paige Adams of the world publicly, and it Business Managers-- Ashely Richards and Michael Fertitta can be very crazy. Though half the time, if a girl is Stang Staff having a venting session Jason Comis, Stephen Consoli, Rachel Driver, with the world about some boy leading her on, or Michael Dunn, Natalie Galerne, Kandis Harding, Preston Lyle, something of that nature, Kendall Maddox, Alexa Reinhart, Gianna Tiedemann, Michael Vaughan that guy probably deserves it. But that’s not the point Advisor I’m trying to make.

Michael, you know I just Heidi McCurdy love you to pieces, and love writing our articles together The Stang is published 8 times per year online at www.houstonchristian.org, and is free to the student body, faculty and staff. Advertising is available

by Kandis Harding, Stang Staff

The Bachelor, one of the most popular reality TV shows, has made some people believe they have been “suckered into a reality TV Ponzi scheme.” The word “rigged” was used multiple times on different blogs. The Apple co-founder, Steve Wozinak, was one of the “Dancing with the Stars,” who said on one of his statements on Facebook, “The producers play games to get viewers and don’t disclose the (voting) numbers. If they disclosed the numbers, it would be less of a game, but still suspect. If tomorrow, they claim I’m in the bottom two dance teams, including viewer votes, I believe that’s an outright lie.” After getting in the bottom two he sincerely apologized for questioning the show. Even after much controversy, some believe reality shows are fake.

But the question stands, “Do viewers care if their shows have been artificially enhanced?”

Some people out there just want to be entertained whether the show is fake or not. The Hollywood Reporter, Ray Richmond, blogged in one his posts, that he was trying to take reality television and switch it over to partially scripted television. Even after much debate over whether reality shows are real or not, some people have come to the decision to just be entertained and ignore the fact that it could all be fake.

In watching many reality shows, I have found that some of my favorite reality shows are Laguna Beach and The Hills starring Lauren Conrad. On the very last episode of The Hills, the producers gave a hint as to whether their show was real or fake. They ended with a screen of Hollywood being pulled away off the scene. As much as this shows that The Hills and Laguna Beach could possibly be fake, it will always stay a favorite to me. On the other hand, some reality shows I watch are my true favorites and whether or not if they are real or fake, I still will watch and continue to enjoy the fake reality or the real fakeness. You decide.

STANG 2011-2012

to businesses, parents and students, but The Stang reserves the right to refuse advertisement based on appropriateness for HCHS Students. For advertising information please contact Heidi McCurdy at 713-580-6044 or email at hmccurdy@houstonchristianhs.org.

The Stang is a student run newspaper and the views and opinions of The Stang do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the faculty, staff and Board of Houston Christian High School.

Letters to the Editor: To respond to The Stang, please email your comments to hmccurdy@houstonchristianhs.org. The Stang reserves the right to refuse or edit inappropriate content of comments.

Mission Statement: The mission of The Stang is to inform, entertain and encourage the readers by provising insight through school, community and global affairs, in order to raise questions and provide answers. To obtain the truth, which is the basis of our paper, we will incorporate research from a wide variety of sources. Although we write to entertain, we will balance our humor with real information about the world around us.

In all we do, we promise to uphold our Christian values by writing with quality and integrity

16

February 12

SPORTS

Who tattled on Joe Flacco?

vs Manning Shines as Giants Win New York wins second Championship in four years

by Michael Dunn, Stang Staff

As the Giants saw Tom Brady’s final pass of the 2011-2012 NFL season fall harmlessly to the Indianapolis turf--capping another tremendous Super Bowl between the Patriots and Giants—the team realized their tumultuous season had brought them to the pinnacle of the NFL, they had become world champions.

The Giants were one of the hottest teams in the league, and

However, one would be remiss to ignore the undeniable accomplishments of this Giants’ squad—a team many had written off when their record fell to 7-7 and their playoff chances looked slim—into turning in some of the best examples of mental toughness in recent memory.

Game after game, these Giants were left dead to rights due to the deficits they were faced with; however, those

The Ravens quarterback was ratted out for riding.

by Preston Lyle, Stang Staff After defeating the Texans in the playoff game, Joe Flacco was not greeted by appreciation or praise, but instead was complained to by his fans and coach. The reason Joe was so ridiculed instead of praised is because he attempted to ride a skateboard.

As a worried neighbor and a die-hard Ravens fan, Flacco’s neighbor called General Manager Ozzie Newsome in order to make sure that Flacco would stop being so reckless with his body since, “we have a Super Bowl to win.” This did not go well with the General Manager, who told Flacco to take it easy until the season is over.

This might seem like a funny story, but is a serious issue that modern day quarterback players face every day.

The issue is that the team and its fans dictate what activities the young or old quarterbacks do. This can take a huge mental toll on the life of a quarterback, since they are not allowed to do all the things that a grown man should be able to do.

In this specific incident, Flacco was a good sport about it.

When interviewed, Flacco laughed off

the incident, saying, “I’d never been on a skateboard in my life, so I was literally riding it about 10 feet down my driveway just to see if I could stand on it and stay upright.” What seemed like a harmless joy ride to a quarterback, meant so much more for a concerned fan.

The Ravens season came to an end shortly thereafter, but not as a result of Flacco’s stunts. The Baltimore team was taken down by the New England Patriots, after the Ravens endured a dropped gamewinning touchdown and a missed gametying field goal in the final seconds, which ended their run for the 2011-2012 season.

Bros, Care to Lax?

Lacrosse practicing for the home opener on the 24th.

by Preston Lyle, Stang Staff

ELI MANNING, who has been overshadowed by his older brother Peyton for

most of his career, holds up his second Lombardi Trophy in four years. Eli may now get the credit he deserves and his critics are now saying he is better than Peyton, who has only won one Super Bowl in his career. without question the most important source of their revitalization came in the form of a player known as the “Awe Shucks Assassin”: Eli Manning.

In early August, Giants quarterback Eli Manning made a statement that surprised many in the football know-how; he took it upon himself to christen his entrance to the upper-echelon of NFL quarterbacks.

When asked if he considered himself among the elite quarterbacks in the NFL, he calmly responded, “Yeah, I definitely think I am.”

The statement took many off-guard, and many members in the media wrote him off as delusional; however, the question is no longer whether or not Manning is among the league’s best signal-callers. The true question is whether or not his ascension to the top has indeed made him the greatest quarterback with the last name Manning.

In a season in which brother Peyton was sidelined with a variety of major neck surgeries, younger Eli took the opportunity to stand out and shine, which makes the comparison relevant.

Both sides are extremely compelling: Peyton is the only player in NFL history to boast four Most Valuable Player awards (to Eli’s zero), yet perhaps the most important record is held by Eli, who has won two Lombardi Trophies.

challenges only brought this team together and helped them become unwavering in the face of adversity.

This fortitude was seen when the Giants made their 8th game winning drive of the season at the end of their duel against the Patriots, showing that the second act of this classic matchup would indeed have the same result—forcing the Patriots to relive their surreal upset at the hands of the Giants four years ago in 2008, a game that ended the Patriots path to perfection.

However, the rosters have changed greatly since that game, and one of the most notable additions is that of Jason Pierre-Paul, the son of Haitian immigrants who has transformed from an undefined player with an abundance of potential, into one of the most dominant players in the league. His length, speed, size, and athleticism propelled him into Defensive Player of the Year consideration, and have been the source of the revitalization of the once dormant Giants’ defensive-line.

Super Bowl 46 will go down as one of the greatest NFL games of our lifetime; however, what is fascinating is the sources of the greatness: a struggling 9-7 Giants team, a back-up defensive lineman, and a quarterback that had never even been considered (until now) the best quarterback in his family.

AVOIDING THE DEFENDER, Bucky Desa-

dier looks to put the team ahead. Bucky will be a key part of the potent offensive attack of the Mustangs this year.

As the second semester begins, Lacrosse players start to put other sports behind them and pick up their spoons. This season will be the Lacrosse boy’s second year in Division one and they are hoping to surpass their last

season loss in the Semi Finals. This season will be a testament to the hard work and ability of this team due to the huge loss of seniors this past season.

As the boys look to the challenging upcoming season, they are anxious to see what their true capabilities are. It is important to them to distinguish themselves as their own team, because it is the first year after a loss of many graduating seniors. This means that the boys will have to go through a more grueling schedule than ever before.

Malachy Lyons-Letts says, “Our schedule starts out hard and gets harder from there on.” Even though this might sound like a bad thing, it will force the team to rise above the skill of last year.

In order for the team to reach the goals it has set out for the season, their coach and players have agreed to pick up the tempo of practice, in order to be better competitors. Senior Captain Bucky Desadier says that there is now a lot more focus on running and lifting than there has been in previous years.

This along with key returning players will help the team to exceed that shadow.

As we anticipate the start of Lacrosse season we can be sure that the Lacrosse boys are working hard, insuring us an exciting new season.

***Sports Highlights of the Week***

Junior Ladies basketball player, Miranda Rogers hit six three-pointers in their big-win Friday night against Beaumont Kelly. Rogers now holds the singleseason and career school records for three-pointers.

Senior pitcher Mitchell Traver started off his senior campaign on the right foot with 4 no-hit innings,striking out seven batters using a fastball that consistently hit around 92-94 mph! All of this was done in front of professional scouts representing all 30 major league baseball teams.

SPORTS

The Stang

Swinging for the title--State

Mustang baseball team hungry for rings

by Alexa Reinhart, Stang Staff With baseball season being just around the corner, the players are gearing up and getting ready for a great season. Because of the success of last year, and the amount of returning players, this season is likely to be filled with many wins.

Senior Jonathan Bravo explains how the team is preparing for the season with “tough morning workouts. Many guys are working out in the morning everyday, working out after school, and going to the late night practices. We are also reading a book as a team about team unity and performing your personal best at all times.” Team bonding and trust is important for success for this team.

New player Matt Cavazos is also excited for this season. He is most excited “to become better friends with the other guys and to travel to Arizona and to all the other tournaments.” The tournament to Arizona during spring break is an anticipated trip for everyone.

The team is looking forward to the important district games, especially against rival school St. Thomas. Senior Mitchell Traver is looking forward “to hopefully getting

17 Stang Shorts Swim Update

LED BY A STACKED SENIOR CLASS, the 2012 Mustang

The weekend of February 17th and 18th the swim team will compete in the State meet, hoping to bring home the gold.

baseball team looks to do something that hasn’t been done here since 2008--win a state championship.

that state title. We have a talented team that can get the job done for sure. Win or lose, we are going to leave it all on the field.” The team has a saying that they enforce everyday: today + today + today = Our season. My career.

Come out to Baseball USA to support the Mustang Baseball team this season. Their season opener is on February 10.

Q

&A

Who’s your valentine?

Bucky D and Ryan Leiss

Favorite Valentine’s sweet?

Favorite inspirational movie?

Coach Carter

BMW or Porsche?

BMW

Garrett Fales12

HC swim team won the Boys Meet which makes them Houston City Champions. The Boys & Girls Combined Score won the meet making HC Private School Swimming & Diving City Champs!

Shown above Ricky Wolfe.

Basketball Update Ryan Leiss

The Ringer

BMW

Bucky D

Glory Road

Porsche

Garrett Fales

Remember the Titans

BMW

Bucky Desadier12

Ryan Leiss11

Brooks Lehle11

As the regular season ends, the men’s basketball team tied the school record for wins in a season and gave HCHS a lot to be proud of this year. The team’s playoff seeding came down to a heated rematch at St. Pius. If the Stangs won the game they would win the district, but if they lost it would come down to a three way tie for the division title that would be decided by point differential. The game was back and forth from the beginning of the first through the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, the Mustangs did not win the game and the tiebreak did not come out in their favor either. The standings ended with St. Pius in first, St. Thomas in second, and HCHS in third by a mere total of 6 points. The Mustangs will be playing in Dallas on Saturday, February 18 against the 3rd best team in Texas and 11th in the nation, Prestonwood Christian High School.

18

February 12

ENTERTAINMENT

American Idol: Most memorable auditions

by Rachel Driver, Stang Staff

This year on American Idol the judges are once again, Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler and the host, as always, is Ryan Seacrest. These judges have had quite the experience during auditions; to say there is a diverse group of performers auditioning is an understatement.

American Idol’s ratings are also decreasing. Big time. Every year the show’s ratings go down since Simon Cowell left. From 2011 to 2012 the show’s ratings have decreased by at least 30%. Despite the crumbling reviews, the show is still funny, and entertaining. Though I have not been a devoted fan to the series, I took the time to watch the recent 2012 auditions.

These auditions were crazy; some crazy good, and some just crazy. These are the most memorable auditions to date. From the best to the worst, they are all here.

In this list, there are for sure some winners. My top three are Shelby

AUDITIONS BEGAN WITH Heejun Han,

a viewer favorite. Han shocked the judges by his surprisngly melodious voice when he sang “How am I supposed to live without you” by Michael Bolton.

Tweten, Phillip Phillips Jr., and either Ashley Robles or Jairon Jackson. The winners for the worst audition are Magic Cyclops, Mawuena Kodjo, and Joshua Chavis. The one to watch has to be the Wolf, Wolf Hamlin. I’m excited to see the winner on this season of American Idol.

Ali Shields (liked) Ashley Robles (loved) Aubree Dieckmeyer (liked) Jane Carrey (liked) Jayrah Gibson (loved) Jennifer Diley (hated) Kyle Crews (loved) Wolf Hamlin (liked) Eben Christian Franckewitz (loved) Hallie Day (loved) Heejun Han (so odd I loved him) Patty Novacek & Samantha Novacek (so odd I kinda hated it) Reed Grimm (so odd I loved him) Shane Bruce (didn’t care for) Travis Orlando (liked) Amy Brumfield (liked) David Leathers, Jr (loved) Gabi Carrubba (loved) Jessica Whitely (I’m sorry I hated it) Joshua Chavis (hated) Lauren Mink (loved) Mawuena Kodjo (so odd I HATED it, poor guy) Phillip Phillips Jr. (loved) Schyler Dixon & Colton Dixon (loved her & loved him) Shannon Magrane (loved) Shaun Kraisman (liked) Alanna Snare (hated) Angie Zeiderman (hated) Curtis Gray (liked) Haley Smith (loved) Jairon Jackson (loved) Jenni Schick (loved) Magic Cyclops (my gosh I hated that, painful) Shelby Tweten (“beautiful!” loved it) Tealana Hedgespath (ya no)

Mardi Gras 2012: No Regretz

by Alexa Reinhart, Stang Staff

Mardi Gras is an exciting celebration that originated in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Fortunately, Houstonians can celebrate Mardi Gras just around the corner in Galveston. This year, the Mardi Gras season in Galveston will run from the tenth of February through the twenty-first.

There will be live performances from Hot Chelle Rae, Josh Abbott Band, Nakia, and Fred Andrews & Honeybrowne. Besides the endless amounts of beads that

are thrown out from floats and balconies, there are other traditions that you can participate in.

Most people wear the traditional colors of green, purple, and gold.

These colors are carried out through the beads, food, floats, and almost everything else.

Another way to get in the Mardi Gras spirit is to buy a king cake for a party, or just to enjoy. The king cake has a small baby inside of the cake and whoever gets the piece with the baby has to provide the king cake for the next party while enjoying the good luck for the new year.

Although king cakes are usually served the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras, it is still a tradition that many

participate in during Mardi Gras. If you plan to host a party, do not forget about the shrimp, gumbo, and other Cajun dishes.

If you are lucky enough to head down to Galveston one of the weekends, it is a must to attend one of the many parades.

This is where the beads and other trinkets are thrown. There is tons of music, food, dancing, and just people having a good time. It is truly an event that everyone should participate in at least once.

E! News

by Gianna Tiedemann, Stang Staff Heidi and Seal…What?

If fans of top model Heidi Klum thought her marriage to singer, Seal, would never come to end, well, they thought wrong. After six long years of blissful marriage, the couple has decided to split.

The couple’s sudden split leaves many fans with one question: why? According to TMZ, Klum broke it off because of how her husband’s alleged anger issues were negatively affecting her children. Other sources say that this divorce had been coming on for a long time due to distance issues caused by their extremely separate careers. Although Klum has made her final decision to divorce Seal, the couple has been seen still wearing their wedding rings. Overall, the couple has decided to end their marriage on a happy note and will continue their lives separately. justjared. buzznet.com

Demi Moore--What had she been smoking?

After an emergency call to 911 due to convulsions on January 23, suspicions were high that Demi Moore had been smoking something.

From the 911 call, it was said that Moore and been smoking something along the lines of incense.

After examining her, Dr. David Baron had stated that it was not unreasonable for the substance the celebrity had been smoking was Salvia, which is in the drug family. You may be wondering, where’s Ashton Kutcher in all this? Well, after he was notified about the accident, he flew from Brazil, where he was working on a photo shoot, to L.A. just two days after she was hospitalized. According to sources close to Kutcher and People Magazine, “Ashton is deeply concerned for Demi.” Whether the two have seen each other since his arrival and her hospitalization is still unknown.

ENTERTAINMENT

Fertitta’s Foods

With a city full of restaurants, sometimes it may be overwhelming.

That’s where I come in.

by Michael Fertitta, Business Manager

This month on Fertitta’s FoodsTM we are doing a review over the restaurant known as RA sushi. Now I know this may be my second sushi restaurant, but this one is a bit different from the others, because you get a different experience depending on the time you decide to go.

A little background on RA; RA is owned by the Benihana Company, the same company that owns Benihana among other Japanese c u i s i n e restaurants.

Another thing to note is that sometimes the RA restaurants may be hard to spot, since from my observations of the ones in Houston, none of them are located on the first floor. They always seem to be on the 2nd floor of a complex, such as the one close by at City Centre.

The lay out of the interior of RA is pretty simple; there are two dining areas and a bar area that are separated from each other with a small wall.

The interior is also very modernthemed, unlike other Japanese

restaurants that are decorated with traditional Japanese culture items such as samurai warrior suits, samurai swords, etc. RA, however, does still keep some Japanese art up such as koi fish artwork because really, koi fish are pretty cool.

Now the reason RA is different depending when you go is really cut between lunch

and dinner. The lunch crowd is pretty modest, nothing too over the top. It makes sense to go there since their menu is pretty good and cheaper at lunch.

Dinner, however, is a whole different scene. Dinner is very loud and crowded, mainly due to the very big bar scene that seems to start around 6pm, that progressively becomes packed shoulder to shoulder. I have only tried to eat dinner at RA

once, because the noise level from lunch to dinner increases a fair amount to the point that if you just go for dinner, then it may become hard to talk to the person you’re sitting across from.

Now to the main part of the show--the food. The food at RA sushi, like the name says, is mainly sushi. At first, the menu can be difficult, mainly because they have two menus but they don’t really tell you.

The first menu they hand you is the traditional bright colored menu that is laminated; the other is a square sheet of paper that most restaurants use for their kid menus. So while most people are looking at the laminated menu that only has selected items, the people who really enjoy a large selection of sushi should look at the square sheet of paper.

The sushi itself though is really good, their trademark item however is the “RAkin Roll.” You get five pieces of sushi and each are topped with a piece of shrimp.

RA has a vast array of sushi, and if you would like to see what else RA has to offer, then visit them at City Centre.

Sushi Sushi

The Stang

Tutti Frutti

Tutti Frutti Yogurt Shop may not be as popular as Swirll or Berripop, but it has all of the same qualities of those yogurt shops and many more fun flavors. You can choose any of their flavors from cookies and cream, pistachio, peanut butter, chocolate, vanilla, original yogurt, pomegranate, mango, cake batter, or many more.

Tutti Frutti offers 47 flavors that vary from fruity to rich and creamy, while Berripop only offers 11 strictly fruity flavors. You self serve your yogurt into color coded cups depending on size, and after you choose from flavors such as fresh fruit to crushed candy bars, you weigh your cup and pay, when you are then given a very brightly colored spoon. Not only is the yogurt appealing, but the décor is very bright and it creates a fun environment. There are interesting shaped chairs or bar where you can eat your yogurt. There are many Tutti Frutti locations around Houston. There is one on FM 1960, Fry Road off the Katy Freeway, and on Voss Road. Go into your local Tutti Frutti and see how you like it.

Valentine Wishes From The Newpaper Staff ge Pai n py ria To: B : Hap m ! o u r o F y ve ay!

I lo ne’s D i ent Val

tt Sco n t t a To: M Stephe : ..

From oes on.. g Life ou(; y love

To: Andy From: Kandy ...Sup...

To: Channing Tatum To: C onnor Ke lley From: Alexa From: As hley Youz a hottie We need to talk.... you’re To: Gianna From: Paige If you were a new hamburger at Mc. Donald’s, you would be called Mc Gorgeous!

To: Paige From: Gianna You make my heart go mmmmmm fairies<3

To: Mjichael F. From: Rachel Love you to pieces ;)

19

the best!

THE BACK PAGE

February 12

The Stang

Top 10 Super Bowl Commercials of 2012

20

by Michael Dunn and Kendall Maddox, Stang Staff

Honda- “Matthew Broderick’s Day Off” This humorous nostalgic remake of the classic comedy Ferris Buehler’s Day Off features the star from the original, Matthew Broderick. Although one must have seen the movie to understand the references, it is without question the most memorable.

Audi – “Killing Time” In this comedic parody of the recent vampire craze sweeping the nation, the new LED Audi headlights now have the power to vaporize vampires out of thin air.

Dorito’s – “Baby Slingshot” This commercial was a hit for its charming humor. The unquestionably adorable was sent for a ride in a slingshot propelled by his grandmother in order to retrieve the tasty Doritos.

Chevy – “Apocalypse Proof” Chevy believes that they have found a solution to the inevitable apocalypse looming at the end of 2012: buy Chevy trucks. Ford’s will be left in the dust.

M & M’s –“Sexy and I Know It” This commercial effectively promoted the brown-shelled M & M in addition to a humorous red M&M dancing with the accompaniment of LMFAO’s hit song “I’m Sexy and I Know It.”

Sketchers – “Dog Race” In this commercial, a French bulldog laces up his sketchers in order to win the big race. As he reaches the finish, he does the moonwalk across the line, blowing away the greyhound competition.

Bridgestone – “Power Basketball” This commercial was laden with top caliber athletes as well as humor. NFL Hall of Famer Troy Aikman displayed his newfound ability to manipulate the flight of any throw through the use of a football with Bridgestone technology; however, fellow Hall of Famer Deion Sanders simply watched helplessly as a bystanding defender.

Volkswagen – “The Dog Strikes Back” This commercial features an overweight dog that wants nothing more than to be able to fit out of his doggy door. After countless hours of getting into shape and strict dieting, the dog’s wish came true as he jumps through the doggy door and chases the Volkswagen down the street.

“Here We Go” In this commercial, a smart owner trains his dog to retrieve his drinks from the refrigerator. Ironically, his name is “We Go,” that way when people call him, they say “Here We Go.”

Chevy – “Happy Graduate” This commercial was particularly relatable

by Houston Christian seniors, whom as they begin anticipating graduation also begin anticipating what gifts they may receive. Hopefully, their gift acceptance will go better than that of the young man in this commercial, for his exuberance would be short lived in realizing the amazing yellow Camaro in fact was not his.