Dec. 2013 Odyssey

ODYSSEY Summer Creek High School

Issue 04, Vol. 5 s December 2013

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14000 Weckford Blvd., Houston, TX 77044

NEWS

Changes made to reduce class sizes Several changes were made to create smaller and more manageable class sizes.

YAZMIN LOPEZ STAFF REPORTER

Due to the oversized classrooms, new staff members were added to create smaller and more manageable class sizes.

“We wanted to reduce class sizes,” said Gold House counselor Jana Murray. “We were allowed to hire four new teachers because more students enrolled than we expected.”

Two of the new teachers were added to the social studies department to teach World Geography.

“I just started my career,” said Neal Howard. “I’m constantly learning too but it’s been an adventure so far.”

Howard was one of the new hires, along with Devin Gallagher. Gallagher, who was a substitute teacher for two years, was happy to get the job as a teacher.

“I used to live in San Marcos in Austin,” said Gallagher. “I had to pack my house and move over here. I was really happy. It was a long time coming for this job.”

New teachers were added, and it even impacted teachers like Hayley Hueske, who had been teaching World Geography for five years. She had to switch to U.S. His-

Photo by Sarah Smithson

Social studies teacher Hayley Hueske gives a lecture to her U.S. History class two weeks ago. With five years of teaching World Geography, Hueske was switched to U.S. History during the middle of the semester because of new hires and many changes to the master schedule in the social studies and math departments.

tory for the first time.

“I was nervous,” said Hueske. “I have been teaching geography for five years now and to start teaching a new subject with a new set of kids made me nervous.

“It’s been easier for me to teach the subject but it’s been harder to teach two different subjects at the same time.”

The social studies department was not the only department that made changes.

The math department had to change some of their classes too.

Algebra teachers Brian McLemore,

Frankline Owino and Jordan Kirby had to also switch subjects and adjust to new sets of classes midway through the semester.

Currently teaching Algebra 2, McLemore started the year teaching Pre-Calculus Pre AP and Pre AP Algebra 2. Owino taught Algebra 2 and was changed to Pre AP Algebra 2, while Kirby was changed to Algebra 1.

“One of the hardest things was the organization of the project that big,” said Murray “We tried to change the schedules with the least amount of distraction as possible.”

Food drive once again finds success The annual food drive raised money and food items for those throughout the community who were in need over Thanksgiving.

count food,” said Mourning.

The students individually counted all of the food items and kept track of the food collected from each classroom. They used the numbers to find which department and class won the competition.

SEAN PERRY “The kids really ran the show,” said Mourning. “We just supervised.”

STAFF REPORTER Culinary Arts teacher Daniella Jenkins’ fourth period class won for the most This year’s food drive, which ran from Nov. 5-Nov. 20, helped raise more than food donated. The Special Education de$1,000 and brought in more than 4,000 partment ended up winning the department competition with food items for those in 24 boxes of food. Swimneed during Thanks“It teaches students ming coach and cogiving. service learning. Do teacher John Dissinger The food and money raised went to families good for others, school collected seven boxes as well and combined in the community, inis the center of the them with the Special cluding those at Sumcommunity. We reach Ed department. mer Creek and its beyond those fences that Engineering and feeder schools.

Architecture teacher Spearheaded by Teen surround the school.”

Leadership teacher - Teen Leadership teacher Richard Maglievaz also Ricky Mourning, stuRicky Mourning helped out substantially with the food drive by dents went from class assigning his students a “Canned Arto class and collected donations. chitecture Project.” The students used “It started with fourth period, but it quickly took all classes to collect and between 200-300 cans per class period to

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DECEMBER 2013

build various objects.

The group whose project got chosen as the best project was awarded bonus points.

“This was a way to promote kids bringing cans into the classrooms, as well as give them a competition to show off their talents,” said Maglievaz. “It gave them the challenge to design it.”

Between the five classes participating in the project, they built a Milennium Falcon, Turner Stadium, the Eiffel Tower, a “hang loose” hand signal and the Summer Creek sign.

“It teaches them creativity, design,” Maglievaz said. “They are taking an idea and turning it into a tangible object, an actual applicable item that they build.”

The food drive was successful and showed students the importance of helping others.

“It teaches students service learning,” said Mourning. “Do good for others.

School is the center of the community.

We reach beyond those fences that surround the school.”

STUCO members bond with other local Student Councils at D7 Convention Student Council’s District 7 Fall Convention took place on Nov. 13 at Klein High School. This year, Summer Creek’s Student Council is the district treasurer, so they were partially in charge of running the event.

“Ultimately the point of D7 is to keep Student Councils in the area connected, “ Student Council President Ryan Zepeda, ‘15, said. “It’s also gives us a chance to foster our leadership skills, gain new ideas, and to have fun while building relationships with other schools’ Student Councils.”

This year at D7 all of the councils donated socks for Veterans, made holiday cards for the Texas Children’s Hospital, listened to a guest speaker and discussed service projects.

“I loved the guest speaker Tyson Dever,” Student Council officer Mariah Becerra, ‘14, said. “He was motivational and his message was relatable and honest.”

After the convention, the 30 students in attendance met up with other councils at Deerbrook Mall for lunch and more fun before returning to school.

“It’s fun to build new relationships with other councils,” Zepeda said. “My favorite part is seeing so many kids from across the Houston area coming together for a good cause to better both themselves and their school. It went really well.”

School tries to double last year’s total in collection of bicycle’s for local youth The faculty and student body have come together once again for the annual Bicycle Drive. Each year the school helps out the feeder schools by donating bikes to future Bulldogs during the holiday season.

“We’ve had two families donate bicycles this year,” Marcia Sinitiere, the Principal’s Secretary, said. “[In addition] we’ve had many from clubs and organizations.”

The goal is 100 bikes to beat last year’s accomplishment of 50. The drive officially ends today, but donations will be taken as late as the early part of next week in order to have time to drop them off to the schools in need.

“At a lot of the elementaries, the kids live too close to take the bus so they walk,” Sinitiere said.

“We thought it’d be nice for them to have bikes as opposed to walking.”

Journalism students win awards at national convention in Boston With a video created last semester as part of a newspaper and SCHStoday.com project, Madison Terrier, ‘14, and Lisseth Lopez, ‘13, won second in the nation in Multimedia Feature Story of the Year.

Terrier was on hand with 10 classmates to pick up the honor. Lopez is currently a freshman at the University of Texas.

In addition, the students competed in on-site competitions about 5,500 other high school journalism students in Boston. Jazmyn Griffin, ‘14, received an excellence rating in review writing and Michelle Garcia, ‘14, received an excellence rating in news writing. Terrier received an honorable mention in feature writing.

It was the second year in a row that journalism students attended the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention, which will be held in Washington, D.C., next November.

NEWS

Edwards leaves to pursue ministry Associate principal Paul Edwards left in November to begin moving his family to Washington state.

Club on campus has students building projects for future competitions and events.

MADISON TERRIER CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The moment Paul Edwards’ plane touched down in Houston he didn’t feel at home. The mission trip he had just completed in Seattle was still weighing on his heart and he had the peculiar feeling of being a visitor in his own city.

“At that moment I knew we would leave,” former associate principal Paul Edwards said.

“I didn’t know when or how, but I knew that we would.”

Edwards’ last day as the associate principal was Nov. 22. Acting on his belief in God’s calling for his ministry, Edwards, along with his wife and five children, are relocating to Everett, Wash., to begin their new lives.

“From a human perspective this move looks like a huge gamble,” he said. “But I know this is the right thing to do.”

During the summer, Edwards and his wife Amanda were presented with the opportunity to travel to the northwest with their church’s mission group. The couple was able to reach out to the homeless and assist with vacation bible school.

“We talked to a group of meth addicted women at a safe house,” Edwards said. “I found myself staring at the group of women my three adopted children came from, many of them had children who had been taken out of their care and given to CPS. “I always wondered what I would say to their mother if I saw her. You think you would be angry and hurt, but instead I felt pity and love.

I told them about our family and they began attending the church we were working with.”

After his experiences on the mission trip, Edwards decided to start applying for jobs in the area. He then scheduled a trip just to visit, to make sure this was what God was calling him to do.

“I had applied for a job in central administration at Everett Public Schools, and they happened to call me in for an interview the same week I had scheduled my visit. Then they offered me the job. As a person of faith I couldn’t doubt it. I didn’t orchestrate any of this,” Edwards said.

The biggest thing Edwards said he would miss is the people at SCHS. “When we told the staff, there was this moment of silence, a humble tone-type feeling,” Principal Thyrun Hurst said. “We are happy because he is actually getting the chance to do the things God has led him to do. We are excited because he is excited, but we are sad because we are losing a great administrator at SCHS.” Hurst described Edwards as his “backbone” last year when learning the ropes of

Robotics Club building for competitions ESAU GARCIA STAFF REPORTER

Photo by Shaianne Rubin

Edwards takes a photo with his secretary, Irma Hernadez, at his going away party hosted by the administrative staff on his final day Nov. 22. Edwards was celebrated with gifts and cake alongside teachers and staff members. Hernandez will also be leaving her position at Summer Creek before the end of the semester. Hernandez will be moving to the administrative building to work with former principal Trey Kraemer. Edwards is being replaced by former Gold House principal Diaka Carter, who joined the staff from Humble High School at the start of the school year.

high school administration and said his work with professional development and academics were what he would miss the most about Edwards.

“Mr. Edwards is a doer,” Hurst said. “He just gets the job done, you don’t have to tell him anything. We worked really well together and had a great relationship.”

Another who worked well with Edwards was math teacher Allison Ford. Ford said he came and observed her at her request and gave her feedback on how to be a better teacher. He also mentored her in her position as math department manager.

“I was sad (when told of his leaving),” said Ford. “But I also feel a peace about it. As a Christian I could understand obeying God’s calling. I’m thankful he went into so much detail about why he was leaving, it really helped.”

With Edwards’ absence on the administration team, Diaka Carter has moved into his office and taken over duties as the associate principal. Carter was transferred from Humble High School at the beginning of the year and worked alongside Edwards as an associate.

Hurst said the team is looking to hire a new assistant principal to help with some of the duties left behind from Edwards. Until they find a replacement, social studies ALT Brett Crawford has moved into the interim role as a house principal. He is currently in the Gold House, where Carter had previously been assigned.

Edwards said he is still excited to see what great things are in store for the bulldogs.

“I want people to understand my reason for leaving is not dissatisfaction,” said Edwards.

“The only reason I would walk away from something as great as Summer Creek High School is because of a calling for something so much greater.”

Hernandez follows Edwards out door, moves to new job MIA WEAVER SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR

It is a bittersweet moment for many staff members to watch secretary Irma Hernandez move to a job in the administration building.

“I’m going to miss Summer Creek, and I wish the staff nothing but the best,” said Hernandez, whose last day is today.

Hernandez started working at SCHS in 2009 when the school first opened. During that time she was the secretary to associate principal Julie Heffner and Paul Edwards.

“I took care of the associate principal’s schedule, and I worked with substitutes, students, staff and parents,” Hernandez said.

She says that she’ll miss the students and the friends she’s made here a lot.

“Her warm heart and tender smile, is what I’ll miss most about her,” said career and college coordinator Jonese Goree, who has been on staff all five years with Hernandez. “It was natural for me to walk down the hallway and say, “‘Hi, Irma.’”

Hernandez will now be the secretary to assistant superintendent Trey Kraemer, who was principal at SCHS for three years. She said she excited about the position and she looks forward to the new adventure.

“Even though leaving will be hard, I will forever be bulldog,” Hernandez said.

Formed last year by principal Thyrun Hurst, Robotics Club is a group of students who build and design robots for competitions against other schools. Each student has a unique role when dealing with the robot.

“We ask each other who wants to work on the robot and who wants to work on the marketing,” club member Victoria DeMarr, ‘14, said. “Others might work on the booth while another group works on the presentation of the designs.”

Their last competition in B.E.S.T. (Boosting Engineering Science Technology) was held on Oct. 26 at Sam Houston State University.

“The Robotics Club received most creative design for their robot called P.E.T.E.R. 2.0, which is able to lift and move aside various things with it’s architecture,” Engineering and Architecture teacher Richard Maglievaz said.

“We now hope that we are able to enter F.I.R.S.T. Competition sometime in spring, do well on that, and enter into more competitions in the years ahead.”

Both Hurst and Maglievaz are committed to helping and supporting the students. They stay later hours and instruct them on their designing.

“One of the biggest challenges for the club is time management since every student is involved in another school organization,” DeMarr said. “You need to make sure you stay on task and keep working, reassuring yourself you can do it when tough times come.”

Many of the students within the club plan on being involved in engineering for the future and see this as an opportunity to gain and learn from this experience.

“Since I want to be involved with engineering in the future and I’m involved with the programming, I feel like this will help and prepare me for college while at the same time having a fun time,” Will Turner, ‘15, said.

Right now there are about 15 club members. They want to see the numbers grow at future club events.

“You don’t have to know about robotics, if you’re interested and dedicated you will have a great time. You don’t have to be a genius to join,” Turner said.

DECEMBER 2013

3

FEATURES

Mota takes on big responsibility, copes with diabetes

Personal experiences lead senior to desire a career in the medical field.

MICHELLE GARCIA STAFF REPORTER

When senior Ana Mota was just 16, she was at the doctor’s office explaining her symptoms of feeling uncontrollable fatigue, dehydrated and constantly sleeping. Coincidentally as she spoke, she passed out at the doctor’s office and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

“I was scared and mad at the world,” Mota said. “I felt like it was going to stop me from being normal and that it would be a burden for the rest of my life.”

The scariest moment in all of it, fortunately happened in an office where she was the safest. “(The doctors) were able to treat me right away,” Mota said. “My sugar was really high.

If I hadn’t been there that day, I might have not woken up. I would have gone into a coma.”

Samuel Mota, Ana’s father who also has diabetes, was at work when he found out the news.

“I was really scared,” Samuel Mota said, “especially because she was very far from where I worked so I couldn’t get to her fast enough.”

When Mota was first diagnosed she had to

Photo by Michelle Garcia

Before lunch, Ana Mota, ‘14, goes to the nurse’s office to check her sugar and inject an amount of insulin. Mota does all of these procedures on her own and carries her kit with her every day. Her kit contains an insulin pen, a syringe cap and a glucometer.

stay in the hospital for a week. While there, doctors counted her carbohydrates, checked her sugar and insulin and made sure she was aware of her new diet.

“In the beginning it was really hard,” Mota said. “My body was still adjusting to the insulin. Every time I would get emotional, my sugar would drop or rise. Now I have learned to control whether it rises or drops.”

Every morning before eating breakfast, Mota checks her sugar and takes two shots of insulin. At lunch, she checks her sugar

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and takes one shot of insulin. At dinner, she checks her sugar and takes two more shots of insulin.

The support of her family was one thing that helped her get through the process.

“I definitely got a lot of help from my family,” Mota said. “It was really hard and is something that I am going to live with for the rest of my life. When I was emotional they would tell me everything was fine.”

According to Mota, her family did not treat her any differently after hearing the news.

“They really admired me,” Mota said.

“They admired me because I was diagnosed at such a young age and was able to control it so well. It runs in my family and I have had family members on their deathbeds.”

Mota’s grandfather died of diabetes even before she was born. Her aunt, on her father’s side, is currently suffering the effects of not treating her diabetes. According to Mota, her aunt has lost a lot of weight and her eyesight is going away slowly.

This year is Mota’s first year being in the Career & Technology Education (CATE) program. Mota hopes to have a career in the medical field studying Endocrinology and help others with diabetes.

“I feel I would be able to relate to my patients,” Mota said, “not only with their emotional struggles but with their physical struggles.”

Mota wears a bracelet that contains her full name, emergency number and her diagnosis on it. If she is in a situation or unconscious, someone would know her medical history.

According to Samuel Mota, Ana has become very strong since she was diagnosed.

“In a way it’s like she left her childhood and took on the responsibilities of an adult,” he said. “She takes care of all her injections, all of her appointments are scheduled by her, and all her medicine is ordered by her. Not everyone is able to do that at her age.”

FEATURES

Cheer captain leaves for college Sooner than later.

Kimberlyn Taylor, ‘14, looks to follow the family path to the University of Oklahoma and reunite with her sister.

JORDAN MOBLEY STAFF REPORTER

Cheer captain Kim Taylor, ‘14, already feels like a Sooner.

This year, she and her family visited the University of Oklahoma seven times and are already planning more trips. Taylor always had aspirations of attending OU since she was a little girl. Trying to follow in the footsteps of her father Otis Taylor and sister, Kayla, ‘12, she’s finally making her dreams a reality.

“I’ve always known since my dad played football at OU,” Taylor said. “My final decision was when I was accepted a month ago.”

Taylor’s father played football at OU and now her older sister cheers at the college.

Taylor plans to follow in her sister’s footsteps and tryout for the cheer team.

The Taylor sisters have been on high school and competitive teams together for many years. Now, the duo wants to reunite on the Sooner cheer squad. The next step for Taylor is getting through the tryouts at OU. Anyone accepted into OU can try out for the team. Taylor will attend her first try out while

Compliments of Taylor family

Kim reunites with her sister, Kayla Taylor, ‘12, after watching the Sooners take on Baylor in Waco. still a senior in high school. If she makes the first cut, she will be called back for final tryouts in April. Taylor hopes to get that call.

“I’m most excited about being with my sister,” Taylor said.

Taylor said she isn’t too worried about not

making the team because she knows how difficult it is just being a freshman in college. She’s learned from her sister that whatever she does in college, it is important not to get behind in her school work. Even if she doesn’t make the team, Taylor doesn’t plan to attend college anywhere else.

“I’m always proud of Kim in whatever she does,” her mom Linda Taylor said. “If she doesn’t make it, it will only give her more determination to work harder to make it for next year.”

Her friends look forward to following whatever is ahead for her.

“I think she’s done a really great job as captain here,” varsity cheerleader Lauren McMiller, ‘15, said, “She’s fair and assertive but nice at the same time. She just has a really universal personality, so she’ll be able to adjust to any situation.”

Taylor said she feels like she has a pretty good chance at making the OU team because of her experience in high school. Not only was she able to cheer, it made her a better person and learn to value people’s opinions more.

As much as she wants to move to OU, Taylor said it will be difficult to say goodbye to her friends in high school.

“The thing will I miss most when I leave for college are the Summer Creek football games and just being with my girls,” Taylor said.

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DECEMBER 2013

5

FEATURE

don’t reach past names When in doubt, Similarities Many more than 2,400 students filling classrooms, there are bound to be some common names. The keep it simple students are quite unique despite the Carlos Martinez

REGINE MURRAY STAFF REPORTER

In my name there is an unflattering apostrophe: Re’Gine. There is no point in the apostrophe in my name with the capital G. I choose to ignore them both. Each time i write my name i simply use “Regine”. But there it is on all my legal documents. Its hard to completely escape.

It wasnt until recently, I asked my mother why she made the apostrophe and capital in my name, her reason is that, “When I was in her stomach I was special and unique,” and that is why my name is spelt that way. I know, but, in my opinion it’s sweet but in my opinion, apostrophes are quite superfluous and ghetto.

Of course, it could be worse. She could’ve named me “La-a” and made me pronounce it “La-dash-a” When I get to be a parent, I won’t put my kids through the name drama. They will not have to ask “What’s the point of the apostrophe?” or, “Why don’t you capitalize the G and put the apostrophe in your name?” A simple Michelle would’ve fit, like Michelle Obama the first lady, a normal name. She became successful with a regular name.

Age

16

Carlos Martinez

18

Grade

Sophomore Houston

Junior

Born

Mexico

One Fear

Heights

Going outside and not coming back

Wish list

“I don’t really know what I’d do.”

Sky dive

Favorite hobby Working on cars and trucks

“I like band a lot and I play the trombone.”

Favorite food Spaghetti

Italian

Favorite music

Country

Rap

After graduation College (undecided)

Nubia Rodriguez

“I want to go to Baylor University and then become a doctor.”

Age

17

16

Nubia Macias

Grade

Senior

Junior

Born Houston Houston

One fear Losing family suddenly

Disappointing parents

Wish list

Travel somewhere foreign

Sky dive

Reading and painting

Dancing

Favorite hobby

What’s in a name?

What does your name mean and where did it come from?

Monica Wojciechowshi, ‘16 “I don’t know what it means, but it is Polish and very common there.”

Unique fact: It takes Wojciechowshi about 10 seconds to spell her name.

Nathan Magliochetti, ‘16

“My name comes from Sicily. I didn’t know how to spell it until first grade.”

6

Unique fact: It takes Magliochetti about 8 seconds to spell his name.

DECEMBER 2013

Favorite food Italian

Italian

Favorite music

R&B and rap

Classical

After graduation

Lone Star then transfer to Sam Houston State University

University of Texas

Garcia ranks No. 1 for most common last name on campus Brown: 23 Garcia: 27 Gonzalez: 24 Hernandez: 23 Jackson: 14 Jones: 25 Johnson 20 Martinez: 24 Nguyen: 13 Perez: 16 Ramirez: 24 Rodriguez: 22 Smith: 17

“My last name is too common. I know three people with the same last name; and I would change it to Botello, my mom’s maiden name.”

-Jonathan Gonzalez, ‘14

“I’m sure there’s a lot of people with the same last name. It’s a popular name, but I love my last name and I wouldn’t change it.”

-Emerald Brown, ‘14

“I would totally change my name because it’s super common. My original name is Schmidt, from Germany.”

-Shelby Smith, ‘14

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7

2013 Farewell to

As December comes to a close, so does the end of 2013. The year was full of creating new record, and holding old ones. Various programs established success for themselves and the school. Take a closer look at the list of “good things” that happened in each month of 2013.

YEAR IN

January sBraylon Walker, ‘15, wins the SCHS Talent show with a song he wrote performed on his ukulele. sKambria Trevino, ‘13, wins the state PTA Reflections art competitions. sSavannah Le, ‘15, wins a silver key at the Scholastic Art competition (pictured right).

February: sBoys basketball team finishes their season in the playoffs. sGirls basketball team finishes their season in the playoffs. sBoys swim team finishes fifth in the State swim meet. sMichael Hernandez, ‘14, makes the All-State Band on contrabassoon for the third-consecutive year. sDakota Allen, ‘14, places second at the State wrestling meet.

Meet: Connor Black

Black took second place at the state golf tournament Q: How long have you played golf?

A: I’ve played golf for 13 years. I would have played for 14 years, but I took a year off of playing when we lived in Norway.

Q: How did you get started playing?

A: My parents bought me a set of golf clubs when I was 4 years old. I’ve played ever since.

Q: What awards or titles have you won?

A: I won the Western Junior when I was 15. I won 1st Team Rolex All American when I turned 16. I won 2nd Team Rolex All American last year. I won honorable mention in All American this year. I won the US Kid’s Golf World Championship when I was 12. I’ve won other things, but those are the highlights of my golf career.

Q: At the district and state competitions for golf last year, how did you place?

A: I won the district competition by 15 strokes. I finished 2nd in Regionals and then finished 2nd at State.

Q: The moment you knew that you were advancing to the state competition, how did you feel?

A: I felt good to be getting back because I hadn’t played high school golf since my freshman year.

I’d made it in and I was excited to play alongside other high school players and my friends. I was proud to represent a new school.

Q: What are your goals for this year’s competition?

A: I would like to win the district, regional, and state tournaments in my final year. Instead of finishing second this year, I’d like to get my game up. I want to finish off high school strong. Golf is taking me to college. Depending on how into it I am in college, it could definitely take me into profession.

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DECEMBER 2013

March sStarlettes win Grand Champion at their competition in Cypress with scores of 95 and above on all team dances. sSavannah Le, ‘15, wins best in show at the Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show. sConnor Black, ‘14, wins first place at the district golf tournament, and the boys golf team also takes first.

April sConnor Black wins second place at the two-day state golf tournament. sStudent Council wins sweepstakes at state convention. sThe theater department competed in the One-Act Play Area competition on April 13. sA total of 16 awards were won at the Journalism ILPC Contest including, three first place awards in the state. The Journalism Department took first in Computer Art, In-Depth News/Feature Package, and Newspaper Sports Feature.

May

sAdrian Hobley, ‘14, Aaron Sharp, ‘14, Aaron George, ‘13, and Jared Benford, ‘13, win first place in state in the 4x200 relay. sSydney Washington, ‘14, Freddie Hubbard, ‘13, Xavier Lightner, ‘13, and Aaron Sharp win first place in state in the 4x400 relay. sAaron Sharp wins first place in the 200 meter dash. sBoys track team takes first place at state meet. sBoys baseball season ends in the playoffs. sMadison Terrier, ‘14, competes in the UIL Academic State Meet in both News and Feature Writing.

REVIEW

Meet: Michael Hernandez

Playing with a group of people that have the same passion as him makes the hard work worthwhile for Michael Hernandez, ‘14.

“It’s like a social network of people within music,” Hernandez said about the state convention that takes place in San Antonio.

As a freshman he made a goal for himself to make the All-State band all four years in high school.

“Knowing I made it my freshman year, which is the hardest, made me really happy.

It’s also really nerveracking (every year) right before results not knowing if you will complete your goal,” Hernandez said.

Auditioning on the Contrabassoon, Hernandez has made the All-State band three consecutive years in a row, with his fourth opportunity in December.

“As we understood the process more each year and the competitiveness we realized the prestige and honor of becoming an All-state musician,” mother Elsa Hernandez said. “We were pleasantly surprised and became more convinced of his talent.”

The process for making the band begins in July with the release of the audition material and ends in February with the state clinic for the select members that make it.

“It takes an insane amount of hard work and luck. Per instrument they only take a certain amount of people,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez has been competing with kids all across the state on his instrument for only five spots.

Elsa Hernandez said Michael puts in one to two hours of practice a day as soon as the audition music is released, but struggles to juggle all of his activities. Along with band, he participates in tennis, National Honors Society, Student Council, Eagle Scouts, and is a class officer.

She also said she wished that successes in music were as recognized as those in sports.

“Going to state for music, academics, or sports is a huge accomplishment and should be recognized equally,” she said.“We are very proud of Michael, we know how hard he works and can’t wait to see what he does in the future.”

Meet: Dakota Allen

Summer Months sKim Taylor, ‘14, wins All-American at cheer camp. sMackenzie Harper, ‘16, wins All-American Mascot and Best All-Around Mascot at cheer camp. sJenna Duvall, ’14, Madison Terrier, ‘14, and Jazmyn Griffin, ‘14, are selected to participate in the Houston Chronicle Journalism Camp.

September sChoir All-Region auditions took place in September. Joseph Guy, ‘15, Christian Hughes, ‘15, Ernesto Santamaria, ‘17, and Hayley Wallis, ‘15, made the All-Region mixed choir and moved on to the pre-area round. Jonathan Ramirez, ‘15, and D’Anthony Reed, ‘14, made the region Men’s Choir, and Mea Estrada, ‘15, Merrin Lamb, ‘16, Katherine Wei, ‘14, and Cambria White, ‘16, made the Women’s Choir.

October sAustin Ramirez, ‘15, wins ninth place in the FFA cutting competition. sErik Ortiz, ‘14, wins Reserve Champion in the FFA cutting competition. sTravis Haden, ‘15, wins Grand Champion in the FFA welding competition. sFFA takes Reserve Champion School in FFA competition sweepstakes. sNew National Honors Society Members are inducted in the annual ceremony. sVolleyball season ends in the playoffs. sSeniors participate in the Humble Intercontinental Rotary Contest and win all four places. Warren Dangerfield wins first and $1,000 in scholarship money, Christina Olali wins second and $750, Payton Attard and Peyton Donnell tie for third winning $500 each, and Michael Hernandez wins Honorable Mention and $250. sJosh Broussard, ‘15, Courtney Nguyen, ‘17, and Patience Ojionuka, ‘16, make the All-Region Orchestra.

November sJake Bootz, ‘14, competes at the state cross country meet. sFootball season ends in the second round of the playoffs. sMadison Terrier, ‘14, and Lisseth Lopez, ‘13, win second in the nation for Multi-Media Story of the Year. sROTC took second place in the obstacle course with team members Anthony Robinson, ‘14, Carlos Anderson, ‘14, Zachary Bridges, ‘14, Ruben Perez, ‘14, and Steven Bahnsen, ‘17. The Female Physical Training team, consisting of Natalie Rudy, ‘16, Alma Suarez, ‘15, Cecilia Espinoza, ‘15, and Briana Schump, ‘17, placed third. Schump, Espinoza, Suarez, and Brenda Arroyo, ‘15, also won third place in female color guard. John Kantas, ‘15, Jared Marunowski, ‘16, Eddie Watts, ‘16, Perez, and William Harris, ‘16 won second place in Orienteering.

Dakota Allen, ‘14, took second place at the state wrestling tournament last February. Allen joined wrestling after his football coach suggested it as a way to help him get stronger. Allen said that the two sports were very different because of the team and individual aspects. “In wrestling all eyes are on you,” Allen said. “Football is more of a team sport. You can perform amazing but the team can still lose. With wrestling, if you don’t win there’s no one to blame but yourself. Allen is excited about the upcoming wrestling season and said he didn’t like being called the “runner-up” at state. “I definitely have some unfinished business this year,” he said.

December sChoir students Joseph Guy, ‘15, and Christian Hughes, ‘15, qualify for the All-Area Choir competition. sBand members DECEMBER 2013

9

SPORTS

Veterans fall short of goal

1

DANIELLE MILLER SPORTS EDITOR

1. Shedrick Taylor, ‘15, and A.J. Jeffery, ‘14, hug after the disappointing loss in the second round of the playoffs.

The game was Jeffery’s last high school football game. He was the team’s second-leading receiver, finishing the season with 659 receiving yards. Photo by Dominique Thomas.

2. Cheerleader Jessica Carmon, ‘14, hugs her friend after the clock ran out in the 33-27 loss to Magnolia West in the second round of the playoffs.

The Bulldogs were eliminated in the second round in 2012 as well. Photo

by Dominique Thomas.

3. Michael Peterson, ‘14, and Timothy Linear, ‘14, stand on the sidelines as coach Brian Ford prepares to talk to them after the second-round playoff loss to Magnolia West. Peterson and Linear were part of a senior class with goals of reaching the State title game.

Photo by Dominique Thomas.

2

4. Jordan Braden, ‘14, is dragged down by a Magolia West defender after a catch. Braden finished the game with 16 carries for 72 yards. He had a school-record 896 rushing yards for the season. His career totals of 1,586 yards and 27 touchdowns also top the charts for the Bulldogs.

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DECEMBER 2013

4

With such high expectations on the cold misty Friday of Nov. 22, the top-ranked football team fell in the second round of playoffs against Magnolia West, 33-27.

Despite being ahead at halftime by two touchdowns, the football team watched Magnolia West rattle off 21 unanswered points for the victory.

“It was definitely a disappointing finish because we had such high expectations of making it to the State finals,” coach Brian Ford said. “Ultimately, it was a successful season going 11-1 and being the district and bidistrict champions.”

This year the team was mostly made up of seniors which gave them an advantage over many teams in respect to leadership and experience. Offensively, the team had nine seniors and defensively seven seniors that made up the team this year.

“Our strength was definitely our experience but along with that we made a lot of mistakes,” Ford said. “We were strong offensively and defensively but we just found ways to shoot ourselves in the foot.”

After ending the season 11-1, Ford encouraged them to learn from the experience they all went through together.

“I told the guys I was proud of how they took it,” Ford said. “You’ve got to be a man and learn in life from your failures and your successes and have to make the best of it and take it.”

SPORTS

Season Statistics Wrap-up RUSHING Jordan Braden, ’14 De’Unte Chatman, ’15 Aaron Sharp, ’14

896 yards 745 yards 379 yards

PASSING Aaron Sharp, ’14 Isaiah Bean, ’16

154 completions 3 completions

2,449 yards 14 yards

RECEIVING Torrey Johnson, ’14 AJ Jeffery, ’14 Corrian Ballard, ’15

997 yards 659 yards 177 yards

KICKER

Photo by Dominique Thomas

Aaron Sharp, ‘14, puts his helmet back on after taking it off after the time went off the clock. The Kansas State commit finished his high school career with 9,254 career passing yards and threw 92 touchdown passes. His most prolific season was in 2012 when he passed for 3,067 yards.

received 46 passes received 50 passes received 15 passes

Juan Castellanos, ’15

3-of-4 field goals

PUNTING Juan Castellanos, ’15 AJ Jeffery, ’14

15 punts 9 punts

426 yards 269 yards

KICK RETURNS Torrey Johnson, ’14 AJ Jeffery, ’14 Jesse Reese, ’14

11 returns 7 returns 8 returns

277 yards 125 yards 117 yards

PUNT RETURNS Photo by Shaianne Rubin

De’Unte Chatman, ’15, breaks through tackles at the football game against Magnolia West where the football teams fell in the second half after being up two touch downs.

AJ Jeffery, ’14 Jordan Braden, ’14 Jesse Reese, ’14

5 returns 12 returns 3 returns

107 yards 69 yards 58 yards

TOUCHDOWNS Jordan Braden, ’14 De’Unte Chatman, ’15 Torrey Johnson. ’14

17 touchdowns 16 touchdowns 9 touchdowns

TOTAL TACKLES Dakota Allen, ’14 Wallace Jackson, ’14 AJ Bailey, ’14

97.5 tackles 60 tackles 52 tackles

INTERCEPTIONS Photo by Dominique Thomas

Deshaun McNeil,’14, catches a pass from quarterback Aaron Sharp, ‘14, during the last playoff game against Magnolia West on Nov. 22 at Woodforest National Bank Stadium in The Woodlands. McNeil had one catch for 16 yards in the loss.

Photo by Shaianne Rubin

Receiver Torrey Johnson, ‘14, shakes a defender off his leg and continues for a gain against Magnolia West in the second round of the playoffs. Johnson ended his high school career with 2,432 career receiving yards - a school record. He was a favorite target for quarterback Aaron Sharp, ‘14, the last four years.

Gary Graives, ’14 Dakota Allen, ’14 Amiri Jones, ’15

5 interceptions 2 interceptions 2 interceptions

DECEMBER 2013

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SPORTS

Records on wall serve as constant reminder of goals Competition in the pool comes from swimmers always trying to better the top times.

GERSON VILCHIS STAFF REPORTER

Seen looming on the wall in the natatorium, the pool record board serves as a reminder to continue working harder and surpass the highest bar set. The swim team uses records to set goals, mark accomplishments and even hold bragging rights amongst one another. As classes come and go, some records will remain unbroken for years to come, while others will be shattered by up and coming swimmers.

“I was really happy,” Catalina Endo, ‘15, said of the moment she found out her name was going on the wall. “It was two records that I broke. Now I work harder everyday.”

Swimmers find out soon after a race if they broke a pool record. It is then that their name is put up along with the time and their school. The board is filled with records mostly from Bulldog swimmers with the exception of a few. The records held by opponents are constantly eyed by the team as they find it irritating to have another school hold a spot on the board.

“I think when they see those other records up there they know we can do this,” coach John Dissinger said. “It just puts a

Photo by Victoria Valentine

Showcasing both school records and pool records, the board hanging over the pool in the natatorium lists the fastest times in each race and relay. It serves as a reminder to swimmers to continue pushing themselves to improve.

little more fire in the belly that lets them want it a little bit more.”

During practice, swimmers are constantly timed to see their standing.

Whether it’s turning better or entering the pool quicker, every small thing could shave off a fraction of a second. This precious time could lead to a victory or better yet, a broken record. Whether it’s the pool, the area or regional competitions, a close eye is kept on the records among all swimmers.

“You practice the hardest out of everybody, so when it comes to racing you take

everything you’ve learned and put it all out there,” Jarvus Pennington, ‘14, said.

Recently, Pennington broke two records at the Houston 4-A Championships. He broke records in both the 50 and 100, with a time of 21.69 seconds and 48.29 seconds. This is a milestone for the senior swimmer, who helped the team to a second place overall finish.

“We broke a lot of records early but now that we are in year five and we’ve had a lot of success, those records are tough”, Dissinger said. “If they’re going to be taken down, it’ll be because of hard work.”

Mouser has big plans for freshman year wrestling Freshman wrestler seeks to reach the state tournament.

KATHERINE HOLMES STAFF REPORTER

Freshman Dillon Mouser started wrestling when he was 9 years old at the Elite Wrestling Academy with Coach Derrick Waldroup, a former Olympic medalist in Greco-style wrestling.

“Derrick is like a second dad to me,” Mouser said. “I’ve learned a lot from him.”

Mouser has even gone to multiple State tournaments, bringing home both first and second place in his weight class.

Practice has been critical. In addition to twice a week practices at school, he practices at the club everyday.

His devotion to wrestling has also helped teach him lessons that go past the wrestling mat.

“This sport is a part of my life, it’s helped me keep a good attitude and understand the need for respecting authority,” Mouser said.

Dillon has had a lot of support from his family as well.

“I’m proud of Dillon’s calm, hard-working attitude,” said Dillon’s mother, Kim Mouser, a former SCHS AVID teacher. “He works diligently and quietly, without complaining.”

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DECEMBER 2013

Photo by Shaianne Rubin

Tryouts were held just last week for varsity wrestling and freshman Dillon Mouser hopes to make an impact after years of club wrestling. Mouser said his sights set on an undefeated season, a State title and eventually a scholarship to wrestle in the storied program at the University of Iowa.

His favorite wrestling moves are the “double leg”, which is when one takes their opponent down to the mat by swiping their legs out from under them; and the ‘lateral drop,’ which is when one locks their opponent in their arms and flips them over the side of their body to have them pinned on the ground.

Dillon wants to attend college at the University of Iowa.

“It’s really, really hard to get in as a wrestler though, but that’s probably my dream college

for wrestling,” Mouser said.

His past experience in the sport also sets him apart from other wrestlers.

“Dillon is the coolest freshman in wrestling,” fellow teammate Gage Attard, ’16, said.

“He’s really good. I think the fact that he has so much experience really helps him on the team.”

Mouser hopes to go undefeated this season and possibly even win State.

“My style of wrestling is definitely different from everyone else on the team,” Mouser said. “I’m really calm and focused.”

OFF THE COURT

Success should bring more recognition Making it to the postseason is a great honor for not only you but also your high school and the team. For many teams this is very hard to do.

The more our teams achieve this feat, however, the less recognition the sport seems DANIELLE MILLER to receive.

SPORTS EDITOR Last spring, the track team won the 4-A State Championship, and few knew of the great accomplishment that had just taken place. The first State title in school history was met with very little talk or celebration.

During wrestling season last year, the Bulldogs sent a school record of nine wrestlers to State. Out of those nine wrestlers the highest places were Kierra Moore, ’14, (fourth place) and Dakota Allen, ‘14, (second place). The team placed No. 11 out of 77 teams.

No pep rally was held to honor the achievements that these students had earned for the school nor was anything done to recognize their success.

This year, Jake Bootz, ’14, got third at regionals and continued to go on to State in cross country where he finished No. 73. Even with the pep rallies we have had, there was nothing else mentioned about any sports besides the football team.

My sophomore year the swim team went to State; and when they left, they were greeted by many people who were wishing them luck before their big meet which created an atmosphere for them that is not created today for sports at this school. Pep rallies were focused on all sports and there was much more involvement to congratulate teams then there is today at the school.

The school needs to do more to honor each athlete for their successes, whether that may just be an announcement over the PA or a pep rally to honor everyone who has reached a certain level in their sport.

Without a little praise, kids may not try as hard to reach high levels.

Everyone in the school - and community - should know about these big accomplishments.

SPORTS

Friendship through h Juniors Paul Thomas and Tyler Howard met on the court but their friendship extends far beyond it.

ps

REGINE MURRAY STAFF REPORTER

Juniors Paul Thomas and Tyler Howard have been friends since the fourth grade when they met each other through basketball. Despite Thomas having a 15-inch height advantage, the two are best friends.

“I’ve learned a lot of moves from Tyler, and I’ve learned a lot about his background,” said Thomas.

“He’s from Nacogdoches and I’m from the suburbs so he knows about country life and trail rides.”

From day one, the 6-foot-8 power forward 5-foot-5 guard became friends.

In 2005, Howard moved to Houston and had no friends yet. He had already played basketball in Nacogdoches and so his mom signed him back up in Houston.

“Tyler needed an outlet, and basketball was just right,” his mom Sherri Howard said. “He was short, but he was good.”

Seven years after meeting, Howard and Thomas are key members of a varsity squad with big goals.

“It’s easier to coach them because of the chemistry they have. They have a good, positive relationship,” said coach Ricky Mourning. “They feed off each other on the court. Their freshmen years we brought both of them up to varsity for playoffs. That was a great experience for them.”

Last year as sophomores on varsity, they ended the season winning 17 games and losing 13. This year they’re off to a great start winning their first two games.

“It’s really easy to give Paul the ball,” Howard said.

“It takes a lot of pressure off of me, and it’s easy because he’s 6-8.”

Howard and Thomas spend a tremendous amount

Photo by Dominique Thomas

Forward Paul Thomas towers over his best friend and point guard Tyler Howard on the basketball court.

of time together: everyday after school, on the weekends, and during their AAU season playing for the Houston Hoops.

“Tyler is a laid back guy,” Thomas said. “He thinks he’s always right, and he always has a plan. He’s pretty goofy, he’s good at NBA 2K, but I’m better. He’s pretty clever too.”

Howard and Thomas don’t just share their love of basketball, but the goofy personalities and love for music brings them even closer.

“People wouldn’t know that before Paul and I go anywhere he changes his outfit 20 times,” said Howard.

Howard and Thomas both hope to play basketball at Division I schools. Regardless of where one ends up, they expect to remain each others’ biggest fans.

“I think our friendship will last beyond high school because it’s more than just basketball we relate to,” said Thomas. “He’s like my brother.”

Photo by Shaianne Rubin

Paul Thomas, ‘15, takes a break on the bench as he talks to his friend Tyler Howard, ‘15, as the team opens up district competition.

Young brings calm demeanor to team CONNOR BLACK STAFF REPORTER

Although now a confident shooting guard for the Bulldogs, Sha’Donnaver Young, ‘15, wasn’t always the talented, outgoing girl seen on the basketball court.

“She is a shy kid,” her mom Felcicer Young said.

“When she was younger she would stutter, and because she stuttered she wouldn’t speak often. She’s just now starting to vocalize.”

Young, known as Sugar by her peers, has grown out of her speech problems and is now one of the best players in the district. She earned the “Newcomer of the Year” award in the district last season.

“She is very quick, really aggressive, and this year she is focused on constantly improving,” coach Angela McDonald said. “She’s not afraid of hard work.”

Being one of the best returners on the team, Young has had the obligation to take on a newfound role of leadership, a role previously held by seven seniors last season.

“She is more of a leader this year,” said McDonald.

Young has plans to play in college.

“I’m just trying to work hard, playing AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) and trying to get seen to where a college will make it official,” Young said. “I don’t plan on going to the WNBA. Once I go to college I want to own my own business, my own gym… maybe host some big tournaments.”

Her parent’s are in full support of those dreams.

“We are out of town all the time for AAU ball. That’s where all our money goes,” said her mom. who is on the SCHS staff. “It would be a great opportunity [for her to play in college], because it’s a full scholarship… If that’s what she wants, I’m her biggest fan.”

In the end, it actually might be the skills her mother taught her that might just get Young where she wants to be.

“I like to keep things calm, cool and collected on the court,” Young said. “Just smile - that’s something my mom taught me.”

Sha’Donnaver Young, ‘15, glides down the court during a fast break. Speed is a big part of Young’s game.

DECEMBER 2013

13

OPINION

Edwards’ absence a time to reflect STAFF EDITORIAL Just weeks after associate principal Paul Edwards finished his time at Summer Creek to work in ministry in the state of Washington, we recognize the impact he left behind.

As head of academics, he personally reviewed curriculum with teachers in order to address the flaws and problems they face when teaching. He encouraged students to be successful by enforcing the “Time on Task” program, even when it became annoying. He pushed better participation and attention in classes, with hope that every student would get credit for graduation

through their grades and attendance.

At some point during the day, he could be seen corralling students in the hallway with a megaphone and his “Officer of Corrections” tie. His loud speeches, including his “Pants on the ground, pants on the ground...” chant entertained while getting his point across. He made enforcing the dress code more than humorous. His personable demeanor made him approachable, and his understanding helped both teachers and students work through everyday problems.

Edwards leaves behind a legacy for always catering to others. His constant support of academics and extracurriculars will be remembered - how he attended

Edwards leaves behind a legacy for always catering to others.

almost every JROTC event, attended volleyball games and always cheered on the student body. He will take with him his family of seven, whose story captured the hearts of the community about the way he adopted three brothers to parent alongside his own two children.

Edwards will have a lasting impact on Summer Creek and the people who surrounded him. He was a leader who took the “Attitude is Everything” motto to heart. His attitude set a precedent for the leadership - an attitude of respect, encouragement and pride.

Although Edwards is leaving the Summer Creek campus, he will be know as a memorable part of the family and will always remain a Bulldog.

Photo by Shaianne Rubin

Paul Edwards and registrar Nancy Young cut Edwards’ cake at his going away party. Edwards entertained the faculty members in attendance with memories and laughs of his time at Summer Creek. His last day was Nov. 22.

EDITOR’S CORNER

Academic successes should be encouraged, celebrated MADISON TERRIER CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Five years ago, the name Summer Creek meant nothing to our opponents. Whether in sports, fine arts, or academic competitions, we were holistically unheard of.

The days of explaining Summer Creek as “that school down the Beltway,” or as “the new one in Humble ISD” are gone. We are no longer defined by our infancy or our location, but rather the great things we have done to establish ourselves amongst others.

As good things are being shared in each class, I am often reminded of how many outstanding things are being done to bring recognition to our school, yet how little representation academic successes and participation see on campus. That needs to change.

As a family and school we need to figure out how to better celebrate the individuals and groups that continue to provide a good reputation.

The largest program that goes unnoticed is the program that the idea

of school was founded on: academics. Teachers and administrators only mention report card grades with the topic of sports or fine arts ineligibility, not about those who are doing well.

One way to increase the emphasis on academics here is to put more of an emphasis on UIL Academics.

UIL Academics has been in existence at our school since it opened, yet few students even know what it is or that they have an option to join. The program allows students to compete in the subject of their choosing like math, number sense, reading and poetry, ready writing, calculator tests, science and journalism. It gives teens the opportunity to pick their best subject and test their knowledge and skills against other members in our district. In every event, places are awarded and the top three students can advance to Area then State.

At my previous school, it was considered an honor to be a part of one of the school’s academic UIL teams. The process included auditioning for the team and then choosing alternates for

the event. There was a teacher sponsor for each subject event and the teams met at least once a week to practice.

In last year’s competition, I competed along with around 30 other kids from Summer Creek. Our small journalism team of six had never even been to a practice meet but we won the district title.

Many of the teams had multiple coaches and even team academic shirts to identify themselves. We went to the meet with no idea what to expect and won.

Most students didn’t even know that they had an option to be a part of our team.

UIL Academics is only one example of academic participants that are largely unknown. Simply the students that consistently achieve high scores on their report cards go unnoticed. In the past, A and B Honor Roll students would receive pieces of candy in recognition of their work. But even that small reward has disappeared. The only academic recognition seen on campus is the house posters with the honor roll students’ names listed.

With a large population of students taking advanced courses such as Dual Credit

and Advanced Placement, it’s surprising the students who have passed their AP test or Dual Credit courses are never recognized. Their participation in those classes reflect positively on the school as a whole.

A simple solution to this neglect would be an end of the year awards banquet.

Almost every sport and fine arts program has a banquet for their students, and so should UIL and advanced academic programs. Teachers could pick a few students who have achieved academic success in their classrooms to present with an award. The students that passed their AP test could be recognized along with Dual Credit students.

The idea that schoolwork is the most important part of school is getting lost.

Recognizing those who are excellent in their studies will not only refocus our attention on what truly matters, it may encourage others to pick up the pace as well. Everyone likes the feeling of being appreciated and who better to appreciate than those who are fulfilling Summer Creek’s good reputation.

What was your most fun and successful shopping experience?

“I went to Kate Spade and bought three phone cases and a wallet for under $100.”

- Sarah Smithson, ‘15, whose favorite store is Kate Spade

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DECEMBER 2013

“When I ordered stuff from Popular Demand and got a big order.”

- Sean Thomas, ‘16, whose favorite store is Popular Demand

“I went to Target and got this big popcorn thing, clothes and lots and lots of stuff.”

- Jacob Faircloth, ‘17, whose favorite store is Popular Demand

‘When I went shopping and bought five pairs of yoga pants. I love them.”

- Sam Gonzales, ‘14, whose favorite stores are eBay and Forever 21

“I saved up a lot of money and just totally emptied Forever 21.”

-Autumn Linde, ‘17, whose favorite store is Forever 21

“When I went to Hollister and they had a bunch of discounts.”

-Caleb Lilies, ‘17, whose favorite store is Hollister

OPINION

Pledges must return to daily routine GERSON VILCHIS STAFF REPORTER

Pledges should be brought back into the daily school environment immediately.

It has been reduced to something that is one once or twice a week. In elementary school it was a daily routine.

Even in middle school we would stand up to recite both our national and state pledges daily.

However, it is rarely heard; and when it is, many refuse to stand and pay respect to the greatest nation on earth.

The announcements that usually accompany the pledges also seem to lack consistency as well as seem unorganized and poorly delivered.

When the school opened, the pledges were done daily.

They were then changed to Mondays and Wednesdays last year. Now, it’s hard to pinpoint any schedule.

It only takes a few minutes to recite both pledges, which is not too much to ask for from a seven-hour school day.

Because of its sporadic appearances, during this time some students remain sitting while others stand and

talk. Regardless of your feelings about it, some of us we use that time to put heart into reciting the pledge. We show our love and loyalty to our country by proudly standing and reminding ourselves of American principles, which are loyalty, honor and freedom. They are principles well suited for your everyday life.

After the pledges, we normally have one minute of silence. Lately, it’s been a few seconds which hasn’t allowed us time for anything. Some of us pray for our friends and family in the Armed Forces. Some of us pray for strength through tough times, others for hope in a seemingly chaotic world. Yet when a handful of us enter a prayer during the “moment” of silence it’s cut off abruptly for further announcements.

This time is precious to us who need it so it shouldn’t be stripped because of time management. A small one minute of reflection or prayer could not do anything more than benefit a person. These few minutes each day gives us all time to reflect. It is something many of us could use in our hectic and busy lives.

Catching Fire exceeds high expectations MACKENZIE HARPER A&E EDITOR

After a year of build up and anticipation, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire hardly disappointed.

The film’s box office on opening weekend made about $135 million which broke the November movie record, and it remains the No. 1 movie in the world.

The movie begins with Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) preparing for a two-week trip to all the districts of Panem known as the Victory Tour with her fellow Hunger Games victor and “lover” Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson).

However, on tour she starts some unexpected uprisings which automatically gives the president of Panem the idea to put past victors back into the arena for the 75th Hunger Games. That means Katniss and Peeta will return to the arena to face more deadly tributes and obstacles.

In my opinion, director Francis Lawrence stuck very well to the book. Sure, you can’t keep everything; but I love the fact that he kept many critical parts. Something else I appreciated was that he took direct quotes from the book which made me gain more respect for him.

Jennifer Lawrence is a flawless Katniss. Mr. Lawrence really focused on her character development from the first film to this one. She is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and it really showed how broken she is just from the games. As an actress, she can really

(Courtesy Murray Close/MCT)

Jennifer Lawrence does a flawless job portraying Katniss Everdeen in Catching Fire, which was released Nov. 22. show emotion and Katniss is an emotional character to portray.

In the series, Finnick Odair is the hunkiest, most attractive character. I was initially worried when Sam Claflin was first cast in that role. Those doubts ended when I saw him transform into a perfect Finnick on screen.

I haven’t ever really been a huge fan of the character of Johanna Mason, the fierce fighter from District 7; but the way Jena Malone portrayed her made me get a little more comfortable with the character.

In conclusion, Catching Fire was the movie of the year.

It had everything a movie fan could ask for. It was more true to the book than the first film, and a movie that is a must-see this season.

ODYSSEY STAFF www.SCHStoday.com

Co-Editors-in-Chief: Madison Terrier Jenna Duvall SCHStoday.com Editor: Jazmyn Griffin Photo Editor: Shaianne Rubin Sports Editor: Danielle Miller A&E Editor: Mackenzie Harper General Staff: Michelle Garcia Jordan Mobley Victoria Valentine Sean Perry Katherine Holmes Gerson Vilchis Connor Black Yazmin Lopez Regine Murray Esau Garcia Special Contributors: Valeria Moreno Mia Weaver Dominique Thomas Shaianne Rubin Adviser: Megan Ortiz Principal: Thyrun Hurst Summer Creek High School 14000 Weckford Blvd., Houston, TX 77044 281.641.5400 December 2013 Issue 4, Vol. 5 The Odyssey serves as a public forum for Summer Creek High School and is distributed free to all students and staff.

Students should feel comfortable asking questions in all classes SEAN PERRY STAFF REPORTER

“Don’t be afraid to ask questions” is one of the common phrases told to us throughout the years.

As a kid, I had a hard time following this. Even in elementary school I remember often biting my tongue whenever I had a question, because I thought it was stupid or I would get teased because of it. Fortunately, I managed to get over this fear as I got older; and I also realized how important feeling comfortable asking questions in class really is.

It used to seem like all teachers encouraged questions from students and were completely understanding and

willing to answer them. But as time went on, it wasn’t the judgment of my classmates I wanted to avoid, it was my teachers.

I cannot count the number of times where I or someone else has asked a question during class and received an eye-roll and an angry “go to tutorials” in return. I have also seen students been singled-out and given a blatantly condescending lecture in front of the whole class. It is one thing to call out a kid for asking a silly question to try to be funny or waste class time, but it’s another thing entirely to belittle a student who truly doesn’t understand the material and is simply trying to learn.

The problem with responding to questions aggres-

sively or disdainfully is that it creates an environment where students don’t feel comfortable and thus they become afraid to ever ask anything for fear of humiliation.

If the whole class is afraid to ask questions, it’s impossible for teachers to really gauge how well the students are grasping the material. Treating students as if they’re stupid whenever they don’t understand something simply serves to make the student resent the teacher and the class, which isn’t beneficial to anyone.

Every classroom should be an open environment where students can get the help they need and feel supported when they ask for it. Not everyone learns at the same pace, and we all could use a little help once in a while.

15

DECEMBER 2013

rediscover faith Many of us have put our faith in jobs, investments, the government or people – all with disappointing results. There’s a better solution. I invite you to discover again, or for the first time, the only one you can really trust – the God of the Bible – through Jesus Christ. Come visit us at Summer Creek Baptist Church.

Paul Lyle, Pastor

Meeting at Lakeshore Elementary Join us Sundays – 9:30 Bible Study, 10:45 Worship

summercreekbc.org

Open doors • College at your convenience!

Online, flex, day, evening, and weekend classes • Affordable tuition, master teachers, small classes • University transfer courses, 1-year and 2-year career programs • Continuing Education and Workforce Training • Dual Credit & Early College for high school students

• Four-year degree partnerships with UH-D:

BBA/General Business, Bachelor’s in Teaching

(ages 3–5) • Daytime childcare at manin campus main

• ALL—Academy for Lifelong Learning

(LSC-EMCID Center and LSC-Atascocita Center, ages 50+)

281-312-1600

LoneStar.edu/Kingwood

20000 Kingwood Dr, W of US Hwy 59 Affirmative Action/EEO College