The Regit- May 2011

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School  tops  list  of  urban  high  schools

BY  CADE  BUNDRICK  STAFF  WRITER D UHFHQW UH-­ A IWHU VHDUFK VWXG\ E\

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News

Brief

Odyssey of the Mind

The  Odyssey  of  the  Mind  promotes  students  to  use  their  creativity  to  solve  prob-­ lems  that  range  from  building  mechanical  devices  to  presenting  their  own  inter-­ pretation  of  literary  classics.  This  year,  seven  students,  Parker  Blome,  Taylor  Cannon,  Kyle  Guillemette,  Tracy  Mockler,  Samantha  Pollicove,  and  Mason  Story  constructed  a  structure  made  of  balsa  that  was  require  to  hold  a  considerable  amount  of  weight.  They  competed  with  other  thousands  of  teams  from  through-­ out  the  United  States  and  from  about  25  other  countries  that  participated  in  the  program.  The  Tigers  placed  third  in  the  entire  state  of  Texas.

SBISD Employee of the Month

HOSA  director  Judy  Holton  was  surprised  by  Dr.  Klussman  and  was  named  SBISD  employee  of  the  month  for  May.  â€œJudy  is  an  amazing  person  and  I  am  so  excited  to  have  her  recognized  in  this  way,â€?  Principal  Lance  Stallworth  said.

ja compnay progran winc awards 3rd  Place  awards  went  to: $OOL %L[OHU 93 RI 0DUNHWLQJ 2I¿FHU RI WKH <HDU 0H-­ JDQ 3HWHUVRQ 93 RI )LQDQFH 2I¿FHU RI WKH <HDU 2nd  Place  awards  went  to: $EUDKDP -LPHQH] 93 RI 3XEOLF 5HODWLRQV 2I¿FHU RI WKH <HDU :LOOLDP 6FKXEHUW 93 RI +XPDQ 5HVRXUFHV 2I¿FHU RI WKH <HDU /DNUHVKLD *DGLVRQ <3 RI 3URGXFWLRQ 2I¿FHU RI WKH <HDU 1st  Place  awards  went  to:  Theresa  To  -­  Top  Salesperson  of  the  Year,  WINC  -­  Best  Annual  Company  Report

2011-2012 Class Officers Class  of  2012 President  Ali  Alvarez,  Vice  President  Samantha  Pollicove,  Secretary  Kelsey  Ca-­ david,  and  Treasurer  Katie  Redd Class  of  2013 President  Hope  Vasquez,  Vice  President  Birttany  Toy,  Secretary  Odalis  Garcia,  and  Treasurer  Rena  Dang Class  of  2014 PresidentIsaiah  Rodriguez,  Vice  President  Max  Rombado,   and  Treasurer  Boa-­ Tran  Ma &RQJUDWXODWLRQV WR WKH 6WXGHQW &RXQFLO 2I¿FHUV President  Tracy  Mockler,  Vice  President  Samantha  Pollicove,  Secretary  Boa-­ Tran  Ma,  and  Treasurer  Katie  Redd

Senior  supports  MS-­  150 . Gonzalez  donates  full  amount  to  Multiple  Sclerosis

that  I  would  munch  on,  and  bread  for  my  carbs.â€? STAFF  WRITER   Gonzalez  admitted  to       After  three  months  only  doing  the  bike  ride  of  training,  senior  Ivan  to  conquer  it.  However,  Gonzalez  decided  to  any  excess  amount  of  support  and  compete  in  money  raised  by  his  the  MS-­150  bike  ride.  ¿YH 00$ 0L[HG 0DU-­   â€œIn  order  to  train  myself,  tial  Arts)  was  not  kept.  I  exercised    â€œWith  the  with  ankle,  $3,000  that  forearm,  and  I  raised  from  even  vest  the  MS-­150,  I  w e i g h t s , â€?  had  decided  G o n z a l e z  to  donate  the  said.  â€œI  would  full  amount  to  even  run  the  cause  be-­ and  swim  cause  those  with  the  fore-­ people  need  it  arm  weights  more  than  I  do,â€?  as  well.â€? Gonzalez  said.     The  event    There  are  o c c u r r e d  medals  for  most  from  April  c o n t e s t a n t s  16th  -­  April  who  compete  17th.   The  in  the  mara-­ bike  ride  is  thon.  However,  c o m p o s e d  not  every  com-­ of  a  total  of  petitor  receives  182  miles  an  award.  which  is  ³7KH ÂżUVW KXQ-­ split  into  two  dred  winners  days  of  work.  receive  medals,    â€œTheir  are  and  there  are  two  main  ON  THE  ROAD  AGAIN:  Senior  Ivan  Gonzalez  silver,  bronze  g r u e s o m e  raises  money  to  sponsor  Multiple  Sclerosis.  and  gold  med-­ parts  about  DOV IRU WKH ÂżUVW the  marathon,â€?  Gonza-­ breaks  to  rehydrate  them-­ three,â€?  Gonzalez  said.  lez  said.  â€œThe  12  hours  selves,  all  but  one  that  is. “I  on  the  other  hand  and  56  minutes  it  took    â€œYou  can  get  breaks,  but  received  a  pat  on  the  and  also,  having  to  load  my  main  goal  was  just  to  back  from  the  head  up  on  carbs  while  riding.â€? ÂżQLVK WKH UDFH ´ *RQ]D-­ sponsor  of  British  Pe-­   The  MS-­150  began  in  lez  said.  â€œSo  what  I  did  WUROHXP %3 DQG WKHQ Houston.  Bikers  went  was  stick  these  little  pro-­ he  shook  my  hand  and  as  far  as  LaGrange  the  tein  bars  in  my  pockets  took  a  photo  with  me.â€? By  CHELSEA  RODRIGEZ

ÂżUVW GD\ DQG WKHQ FRP-­ pleted  the  second  leg  to   Austin  on  Saturday.     â€œI  started  at  Bear  Creek,  but  unlike  the  triathlon-­ ÂżW SHRSOH JHWWLQJ WR WKH ÂżUVW FLW\ ZDV D VWUXJJOH for  me,â€?  said  Gonzalez.   Most  bikers  take  pitstop Â

CONTINUED:  GOLDEN  RIBBON ...done  so  much  to  work  in  that  area  that  most  of  that  credit  falls  on  the  science  depart-­ ment.  Julie  Hummel  and  Ann  Brown  have  done  a  wonderful  job  with  their  science  students.â€?  Although  this  does  show  Spring  Woods  as  a  top  school,  it  is  a  bit  out  of  propor-­ tion  when  it  comes  to  the  overall  scores.  The  list  of  schools  that  were  compared  for  all  of  the  schools  in  the  greater  Houston  area  contrasts  public  schools,  private  schools  and  magnet  schools.  While  magnet  schools  are  still  public  schools,  magnet  schools  have  the  ability  to  control  who  does  and  does  not  go  to  their  school,  giv-­ ing  them  top  pick  of  the  best  academic  students  in  Houston.  This,  then,  makes  the  overall  scores Â

in  favor  of  the  magnet  schools  rather  than  the  p u b l i c  schools.    â€œI  r e a l l y  d o n ’ t  t h i n k  t h a t  it’s  fair  we  are  b e i n g  c o m -­ pared  to   schools  t h a t   h a v e  s u c h  c o n t r o l  o v e r  w h o  their  stu-­ d e n t s  a r e , â€?  M c C o -­ nn  said.  â€œI  think  each  school  needs  to  be  judged  on  where  they  stand  individually  and  how  they  perform.â€?  When  com-­

paring  both  magnet  and  public  schools,  it  is  hard  to  judge  these  schools  based  on  per-­ formance  alone.  â€œI  think  that  magnet  s c h o o l s  tend  to  be  self-­selec-­ tive  and  the  list  should  be  looked  at  with  a  great  deal  of  caution,â€?  Stallworth  said.  â€œIt’s  like  com-­ paring  the  top  varsity  basketball  players  in  the  city  and  then  comparing  that  to  everybody  else.  So  no  it’s  not  quite  fair,  but  that  should  not  disparage  the  work  that  they  do.â€?

2010 Â REGIT Â STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Kelley Kim BUSINESS MANAGER: Julie Bang STAFF WRITERS: Alexander Reyes, Chelsea Rodriguez, Dayana Iza, Jack Rodgers, Jason Shannon, Jessica Jones, JJ Gonzalez, Niko Corbin, Sam Lopez, Cade Bundrick Samantha Solis Advisor: Pam Karter

  The  Regit  is  published  monthly  by  the  newspaper  staff  as  a  public  forum  for  the  student  community.   The  staff  reserves  the  right  to  choose  the  content  of  stories.  Final  decisions  involving  all  written  and  pictorial  content  shall  be  made  by  the  staff  and  advisor.   The  Regit  will  strive  to  present  news  in  a  fair,  impartial,  accurate  and  truthful  way.   Editorials  represent  only  the  staff  writer’s  view.   Letters  to  the  editor  are  welcomed  from Â

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Crooker  â€œaccelerates  his  lifeâ€? 2007  grad  honored  by  Clinton Former  student  serves  on  the  USS  Reagan

  â€œIt  is  safe  to  say  that  By  JESSICA  JONES ended  up  requesting  ored  by  the  former  presi-­ anyone  who  serves  in  200,000  of  the  clips  for  dent,  Dinh  has  a  lot  to  be   the  military  faces  risks     STAFF  WRITER nation-­wide  distribution  proud  of.  As  her  group's  that  those  of  us  in  the  in  their  clinics  as  a  part  medical  clips  help  curb  After  her  graduation    Spring  Woods  has  civilian  world  do  not,â€?  of  their  Prevention  of  the  spread  of  HIV/AIDS  in  2008,  former  student  had  its  many  talented  Heiser  said. Mother  to  Child  Trans-­ in  Swaziland,  she  can  and  intellectual  students    Back  at  home  Crooker  Cindy  Dinh  went  on  to  do  great  things.  She  graduate  from  its  doors.  has  his  wife  and  two  was  accepted  into  the  Many  make  it  further  than  twins. others,  just  like  former    â€œI  see  his  family  on  a  prestigious  Rice  Uni-­ student  Kelly  Crooker. regular  basis  and  I  have  versity's  programs  of    Crooker,  a  petty  the  pleasure  of  watching  Sociology,  Policy  Stud-­ rd RIÂżFHU  class  in  the  his  twin  sons  ies,  and  Global  Health  Navy,  is  on  board  the  now  that  they  and  was  the  Harry  USS  Reagan  which  are  living  S.  Truman  scholar  in  currently  sits  off  the  in  Houston  2010.  Most  recently,  coast  of  Japan  to  help  while  Crooker  she  was  honored  at  a  relief  victims  from  the  is  deployed  conference  held  at  the  natural  disaster  that  hit  on  the  USS  Clinton  Global  Initiative  the  country. R o n a l d  University.  This  meeting    His  assignment  is  R e a g a n , â€?  brought  undergraduate  and  graduate  students  to  make  sure  that  the  Heiser  said. generators  on  board    Crooker  together  to  discuss  work  properly  at  all  does  a  lot  of  pressing  global  issues  times.  traveling  due  and  to  celebrate  the   A  2005  graduate,  to  his  job,  but  young,  brilliant  minds  Crooker  attended  it  is  all  worth  of  America.  Dinh  was  a  Houston  Community  it  due  to  his  part  of  a  team  that  cre-­ A  MEETING  WITH  A  FORMER  PRESIDENT:  Dinh,  College  right  after  high  e v e r y d a y  ated  a  medical  device  school.  learning  in  that.  After  developing  pictured  next  to  Clinton  on  the  far  right,  is  recognized   â€œI  don’t  think  my  son  the  nuclear  a  prototype,  student  for  her  global  initiative  in  front  of  the  entire  conference.   had  any  intention  of  program  that  interns  were  sent  to  being  what  he  is  today.  gives  him  the  four  African  countries  mission  of  HIV/AIDS.   now  say  that  she  has  im-­ He  just  went  to  HCC  to  o p p o r t u n i t y  to  demonstrate  the  At  the  conference,  after   pacted  global  health  as  a  get  his  basics  and  see  to  advance  in  product's  uses.  Swazi-­ meeting  and  being  hon-­ young  American.  land's  Ministry  of  Health  where  life  took  him,â€?   the  service. Kelly’s  mom,  Christy   â€œDeciding  to  Crooker  said.  serve  is  such  TOP  SCHOLARSHIPS    While  attending  HCC,  an  important  Crooker  was  told  about  decision  and  Emily Groce: Clemson University- $36,000 ($9,000 per year) the  Coast  Guard  and  those  who  Silverio Ramirez: George Washington University SAVING  A  LIFE:  Kelly  Crooker  gets  Navy,  but  ultimately  put  on  any  decided  to  go  for  the  blood  drawn  during  a  drive  conducted  u n i f o r m  Presidential Academic Scholar: $15,000 Navy.  for  the  Armed  Services  Blood  Program. s h o u l d  University and Alumni Award: $25,000   He  signed  with  them  be  given  Houston Endowment Jessie Jones Scholar: $16,000 (spread over four years, so in  2006,  and  did  not  respect  for  4K a year) JHW WR ÂżQLVK KLV +&& the  service. WKH VDFULÂżFHV WKH\ PDNH David Alvarado: University of Houston-$26,000 education.  The  risk  of  being  on  and  the  risks  they  take  Speech and Debate: $750 (various local/state competitions)  Current  teacher  John  the  USS  Reagan  is  not  in  serving  our  country,â€?  Samantha Fuller: University of Houston – $46,000 Heiser  has  been  a  minimal.  Due  to  the  Heiser  said. family  friend  of  the  natural  disaster  that  hit   No  matter  where  life  Samantha Solis: Housotn Baptist University - $42, 000 ($10,500 per year) Crookers  and  has  known  Japan,  the  USS  Ronald  takes  you,  always  take  Tracy Garcia: Houston Baptist University- $72,000 (scholarship) and $5,500 Crooker  since  he  was  in  Reagan  is  in  danger  of  full  advantage  of  the  Ă€QDQFLDO DLG elementary  school. being  struck  by  mother  opportunities  given,  just  Tori Kimmel: A&M- $10,000 per year and $1,000 for Freshman year from    â€œI  am   very  proud  of  the  nature.  Regardless  of  like  former  SWHS  tiger  A&M career  path  that  he  has  natural  risks,  the  fact  Crooker  did  . Juan Castilla: University of Texas at Austin- $15,000 covered already taken  in  the  military,  as  I  of  serving  the  country  Misty Bruno: Johnson and Wales- $32,000 ($8,000 each year) am  of  all  former  students  is  already  something  Dayana Iza: The American Musical and Dramatic Academy-$16,500 who  make  the  decision  dangerous. By  DAYANA  IZA STAFF  WRITER

to  serve,â€?  Heiser  said.    When  entered  into  the  Navy,  Crooker  began  his  two  year  training  in  nuclear  power.  After  completing  the  program,  he  was  given  the  job  and  now  is  in  charge  of  overlooking  the  generators.  Though  he  is  settled  with  the  job,  he  continues  to  advance  in Â

Dinh receives recognition after product goes national

Students  make  campus  feel  like  spring

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Generous  life  skills  students  bring  beauty  to  school

By  JESSICA  JONES STAFF WRITER     Throughout  the  year,  three  new  gardens  have  popped  up  around  the  school  seemingly  by  magic.  Truth  is,  it's  not  magic,  it's  the  hard  work  done  by  the  life  skills  students.  As  they  learned  about  the  earth  and  plants  in  class,  one  of  their  teachers,  Mat-­ thew  Boane,  decided  that  they  could  learn  the  most  about  the  environ-­ ment  by  getting  their  hands  dirty  out  in  an  ac-­ tual  garden.

“The  life  skills  staff  in-­ spired  me  to  do  this  project  because  they  are  actually  avid  garden-­ ers  themselves,â€?  Boane  said.    After  bringing  beauty  to  three  different  areas  around  the  school,  in-­ FOXGLQJ WKH ÂżQH DUWV KDOO and  both  sides  of  the  auditorium,  the  students  are  making  a  garden  of  their  own  outside  of  their  classroom.  To-­ mato  plants  are  their  main  crop,  but  they  also  KDYH FDUURWV DQG Ă€RZ-­ ers.  Teacher  Cathy  Mor-­ ris  has  been  helping  the  kids  as  they  create  life.

CARRYING  A  BIG  LOAD:  Living  Earth  Technolo-­   gies  dropped  off  a  large  amount  of  soil  out  by  the  track  that  the  students  then  had  to  move  to  the  garden  location.

LENDING  THEIR  HANDS:  After  the  grueling  task  of  transporting  the  pile,  the  students’  hard  work  paid  off  as  they  began  to  dig  and  plant  their  gardens.

“We  are  practicing  this  year  to  make  a  truck  gar-­ den.  This  is  all  an  experi-­ ment  to  teach  the  kids  how  to  care  for  a  garden.  Our  goal  in  the  future  is  to  be  able  to  actually  sell  the  crops,â€?  Morris  said.   This  will  require  a  lot  of  upkeep,  but  the  kids  have  really  taken  to  the  hard  work  of  gardening.  They  are  grateful  for  the  donations  they  received  that  made  this  project  possible.  Living  Earth  Technologies,  right  off  Tanner,  contributed  a  truck  full  of  soil  that  was  dumped  in  the  parking  lot.  The  students  had  to   transport  all  the  dirt  to  designated  areas,  which  was  the  hard  part  of  the  process.  Morris  recalls Â

the  quick  change  of  atti-­ tude  that  occurred  when  the  truck  left  and  a  big  pile  of  soil  remained.     â€œWhen  the  dump  truck  came,  they  were  so  excited.  But  then,  when  they  had  to  move  LW WR WKH ÂżQH DUWV KDOO the  thrill  quickly  went  away,â€?  Morris  said.     After  receiving  the  soil  that  would  give  their  gardens  life,  the  students  continued  to  accept  donations  to  plant.  Many  teach-­ ers  donated  seedlings  and  Lowe's  generously  gave  the  class  plants  at  a  reduced  price.  They  couldn't  be  happier  with  the  kindness  of  others  when  it  came  to  this  project.

   â€œThe  best  part  of  the  gardening  was  when  ZH SODQWHG Ă€RZHUV ´ OLIH skills  student  Cassidy  Howton  said.  â€œMy  favor-­ ites  are  the  red  tulips!â€?   After  a  year  of  service,  including  participation  in  Feed  The  Children  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  and  a  Galves-­ ton  clean-­up  project  at  the  end,  the  life  skills  class  has  learned  a  lot  about  hard  work  and  the  rewarding  feeling  that  accompanies  it.  As  their  gardens  begin  to  develop,  the  students  will  watch  as  their  ef-­

forts  come  to  life.  Along  with  all  his  classmates,  student  Jacob  Fabian  is  looking  forward  to  har-­ vesting  the  crop.   â€œTomatoes  are  tasty,  so  when  they  come,  we're  gonna  eat  'em!,â€?  Fabian  said.      These  students  sure-­ ly  deserve  to  taste  their  success.  After  all  their  hard  work,  the  entire  school  gets  to  enjoy  the  beautiful  gardens  the  lifeksills  students  have  created.  Their  teachers  are  very  proud  of  them  as  the  goals  of  the  proj-­ ect  comes  to  life.

WORKING  HARD  FOR  THE  ENVIRONMENT:  Student  Cassidy  Howton  begins  the  process  of  transfering  the  dirt,  carefully  placing  each  scoop  in  the  wheelbarrell.

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Ladies take home experiences of new “world� German students, Niewendick and Zeppenfeld, share information on year in America

Q&A

cause  I'm  friends  with  the  girls  in  my  soccer  team.

Were  there  any  issues  BY  SAM  LOPEZ ZLWK ¿WWLQJ LQ IRU \RX"  STAFF WRITER It  wasn't  really  hard  for  PH WR ¿W LQ EHFDXVH QR-­ Walking  into  school  with  body  treated  me  different. no  clue  of  who  you'll  meet,  how  people  will  treat  you,  or  what  you  What  do  you  think  will  may  be  introduced  to  be  the  most  memorable  can  be  somewhat  inti-­ experience  or  detail  madating  for  anyone,  but  try  doing  that  in  a  you'll  remember  completely  different  most?  country.  For  foreign  ex-­ I  guess  my  soc-­ changed  students,  Lisa  Zeppenfeld  and  Laura  cer  games  and  Niewendick,  their  expe-­ my  choir  con-­ riences  differed.  With  certs  and  my  the  new  customs  and  styles  of  talking,  the  two  trips  with  my  girls  eventually  became  host  family  are  used  to  the  American  the  most  memo-­ ways  of  living  and  they  will  now  go  to  their  home  rable  experiences.  towns  in  Germany  with  a  bucket  full  of  memo-­ Do  you  think  ries  and  new  friends  to  keep  in  touch  with. you'll  come  back  again?  Q&A: Lisa YES!  I  will.  Maybe  What  sports  and  extra  I  will  take  my  fam-­ curricular  activities  ily  someday  to  show  have  you  participat-­ them  everything.  ed  in  while  at  Spring  But  I'm  sure  I'll  come  Woods?  back.  Maybe  even  I'm  playing  soccer  and  move  to  America. made  the  JV  Team!  I'm  also  in  Choir  and  just  What  things  have  went  to  UIL,  how  exciting. you  learned  here  in  America  that  you  can  Were  people  accepting  take  back  home  to  of  you  in  your  class-­ Germany?  es?  Also,  have  you  I  have  learned  lots  of  made  good  friends  things,  especially  liv-­ here?  I  had  no  problems  ing  without  my  par-­ and  most  of  my  class-­ ents  made  me  re-­ mates  didn't  even  notice  ally  independent.  I  also  that  I'm  not  American.  learned  that  you  should  I  made  some  friends  be  more  spontane-­ in  every  class  and  be-­

ous  and  do  fun  stuff. Would  you  say  that  your  experiences  here  i n  America  have  s o m e h o w  c h a n g e d  you?  Yes,  they  h a v e  changed  me  a  lot.  N o w  that  I Â

ferent?  The  weather  in  Germa-­ ny  is  like  the  total  oppo-­ site.  We  have  a  really  long  and  cold  winter  and  it  snows  about  three  months  in  Germany  and  we  have  a  l o t Â

o f  r a i n  a n d  h a r d l y  h a v e  p e r a -­ in  the Â

k n o w  h o w  m u c h  tem-­ d i ff e r -­ t u r e s  ent  life  can  9 0 ' s .   b e ,  I  try  to  Q&A: d o  e v e r y -­ Laura thing  I  want  and  W h a t  I  also  appreciate  s p o r t s  m y  family  in  and  extra  G e r m a -­ c u r r i c u -­ ny  more.  I  lar  activi-­ t h i n k  ties  have  I've  grown  up  a  you  participated  lot  since  I'm  here. in  while  at  Spring  Woods  and  which  one  Is  the  weather  any  dif-­ was  your  favorite? Â

Hill constructs family tree . 2OG GRFXPHQWV OHDG WR LQWHUHVWLQJ ÀQGV

BY  ALEXANDER  SANCHEZ their  ancestral  blueprint.  STAFF  WRITER Most  of  the  family's  his-­

 Trying  to  trace  down  your  ancestors  and  putting  together  the  ultimate  family  tree  is  no  easy  task,  but  it  is  subsequently  a  very  rewarding  experience.  We  have  all  at  one  point  in  our  lives  wondered  from  where  and  who  ex-­ actly  we  came  from,  but  most  of  us  give  up  at  the  thought  of  working  on  such  a  tedious  project  and  do  not  even  attempt  to  start.   Luckily,  junior  Thomas  Hill  has  offered  to  share  his  experience  in  constructing  a  seven  foot  family  tree,  rang-­ ing  from  Scottish  Baron  Fitzrobert  from  the  early  1000s,  and  tracing  his  ancestry's  migration  across  Europe  and  at  long  last  to  America,  ending  the  tree  with  his  current  family.  â€œBesides  the  fact  that  family  is  the  most  important  thing  in  our  lives,  it  is  interesting  to  learn  how  we  came  to  be  where  we  are  now,â€?  Hill  said.  The  Hill  family  was  lucky  in  that  they  did  not  have  to  start  from  scratch  to  begin  pulling  together  the  pieces  for Â

tory  was  recovered  from  old  documents  and  sto-­ ries  passed  on  through  generations.  It  was  Eu-­ nice  Nelson,  Hill's  grand-­ mother  (better  known  as  Mamaw),  that  began  to  organize  the  documents  and  put  together  what  ZRXOG EHFRPH WKH ¿UVW

ROOTING Â THE Â TREE: Â

Thomas  Hill  reviews  his  ancestry.   steps  toward  the  colos-­ sal  family  tree.   â€œWhen  we  used  to  visit  Mamaw  in  the  summer,  there*  was  re-­ ally  nothing  to  do  but  lis-­

ten  to  old  stories  that  she  was  told  as  a  child,â€?  Hill  said.  â€œAfter  she  passed  away,  we  decided  to  write  down  her  stories  and  gather  up  her  col-­ lection  of  documents  to  start  our  family  tree.â€?  Most  people  nowadays  don't  have  the  time  to  do  any  research  on  their  ancestors.  Oth-­ HUV VLPSO\ GR QRW ÂżQG any  interest  in  look-­ ing  back  at  their  fam-­ ily's  past,  and  probably  couldn't  tell  you  who  their  great  grandparents  were.  For  Hill,  there  comes  a  sort  of  pride  to  the  whole  experience.  â€œCall  me  senti-­ mental,  but  it's  for  the  legacy  of  my  descen-­ dants,â€?  Hill  said.  When  research-­ ing  a  family's  past,  there  is  always  something  extremely  or  at  least  moderately  interesting  that  one  discovers  in  the  process.  For  the  Hill  family,  there  were  sev-­ eral  of  those  instances,  including:  the  signing  of  both  the  Magna  Carta  and  Declaration  of  In-­ dependence,  participa-­ tion  in  each  of  the  United  States'  wars,  and  even  discovering  some  rela-­ tives  tied  to  a  Native  American  tribe.  â€œJust  by  looking Â

at  me,  you  would  think  that  I  was  only  of  Scottish  descent,â€?  Hill  said.  Who  would  have  guessed  that  I  have  Spanish  and  Na-­ tive  American  blood  in  me  as  well?â€?  Over  the  centu-­ ries,  stories  have  been  passed  on  through  gen-­ erations,  such  as  the  one  of  Civil  War  sharp-­ shooter  Lafaette  Jones,  who  literally  walked  across  Texas  carrying  a  ¿IW\ SRXQG VDFN RI Ă€RXU for  his  family  to  eat  with.  Although  this  story  was  only  passed  on  verbally,  Mrs.  Hill  explains  the  im-­ portance  of  document-­ ing  and  writing  down  information  that  can  be  saved  for  future  ages.  â€œI  cannot  stress  enough  how  important  it  is  to  write  down  infor-­ mation,â€?  Mrs.  Hill  said.  â€œNowadays  we  rely  too  heavily  on  technology,  and  if  we  were  to  lose  all  of  our  information  in  some  malfunction,  there'd  be  no  way  of  re-­ covering  it.â€?  Leaving  behind  something  for  future  generations  can  mean  a  lot.  It  gives  us  a  chance  to  let  our  stories  contin-­ ue  being  told  long  after  we  have  gone,  and  also  documents  how  life  was  for  us  during  our  time. Â

I  participated  in  Ten-­ nis,  Theatre  and  the  FNHS.  My  favorite  was  Tennis,  because  it  was  fun  to  learn  a  new  sport  and  partici-­ pate  in  tournaments. Were  people  accept-­ ing  of  you  in  your  classes  or  do  you  think  they  had  certain  expectations  of  you?  In  general,  everybody  in  my  classes  were  re-­ ally  nice  from  the  be-­ ginning.  I  don't  think  they  had  any  expecta-­ tions,  but  they  were  re-­ ally  interested  in  where  I  was  from,  what  was  different,  and  what  I  liked  better. Have  you  made  good  friends  here?  I  made  some  really  great  friends  here  and  I  invited  them  to  stay  at  my  house  if  they  ever  happen  to  come  to  Ger-­ many  . Was  it  hard  for  you  WR ÂżW LQ DW ÂżUVW"   It  was  really  hard  for  the  ¿UVW IHZ ZHHNV EHFDXVH I  missed  my  friends,  my  family,  and  my  home.  I  also  met  new  people  every  day  and  didn't  know  who  would  be-­ come  my  new  friends.  I  knew  I  would  get  home-­ sick  in  the  beginning  even  before  I  got  here, Â

so  I  was  prepared  and  it  got  better  pretty  quick. 'R \RX IHHO FRQ¿GHQW about  your  experience  here?  I  can  honestly  say  that  my  time  in  America  was  the  most  exciting  time  of  my  life,  so  far.  I  got  to  experience  a  completely  different  culture,   live  with  an  amazing  host  family  for  a  year,  and  made  some  friends  for  life.  I  would  do  it  again  if  I  had  the  chance. What  do  you  think  will  be  the  most  memora-­ ble  experience  or  detail  you'll  remember  most? I  don't  think  I  can  decide  on  one...  I'm  really  going  to  remember  and  miss  the  American  high  school  life.  It's  so  different  with  all  the  school  spirit,  competitions,  and  it's  so  much  more  important  than  in  Germany.  Also,  everything  my  host  fam-­ ily  and  my  friends  have  done  for  me,  I'll  never  forget  them.  I  think  my  favorite  memory  was  the  Houston  rodeo,  where  I  just  saw  so  many  things  I  have  never  seen  before. Do  you  think  you'll  come  back  again?  I  want  to  come  back  as  soon  as  possible  to  visit  everybody  I  think  I'm  go-­ ing  to  miss  it  a  lot!

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Words  of  Encouragement  Wilson  advises  seniors  to  make  their  destiny

$IWHU EHLQJ LQ WKH HGXFDWLRQ ÂżHOG IRU WHQ years,  economics  teacher,  Christa  Wilson  has  seen  many  faces  in  and  outside  the  classroom.  Although  she  meets  new  faces,  not  once  has  she  stopped  striving  to  make  an  impact  on  a  student’s  life.  At  the  end  of  every  year,  Wilson  shows  a  slideshow  to  her  students.  Being  a  senior  teacher,  the  slideshow  advises  her  students  to  persevere  and  strive  for  success.  Â

Mrs.  Wilson’s  Advice  to  Her  Students:  1)  Be  nice 2)  Be  a  hard  worker 3)  Be  humble 4)  Always  have  a  plan 5)  Don’t  burn  bridges 6)  Try  not  to  be  judgmental,  you  never  know 7)  Have  fun!  Smile!  Laugh!  8)  Be  positive 9)  Be  able  to  accept  â€œnoâ€?  for  an  answer 10)  Play  the  game 11)  Protect  your  credit 12)  Don’t  blame  others 13)  Have  respect 14)  Don’t  lie 15)  Have  integrity 16)  Have  faith 17)  NEVER  NEVER  NEVER  give  up 18)  (Winston  Churchill)

“I am going to go to Vietnam, find a summer job, and hang out with my friends at the pool!�

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Niko  VS.  Comedy  Sportz  Team  Corbin  and  Team  Frazier  face  off  in  a  match  to  the  death

By  NIKO  CORBIN STAFF  WRITER

some  of  the  games.    Being  that  I  am  well  versed  in  the  comedy  of  greats  like  Dave  Chappelle,  Bill  Murray,  and  Adam  Sandler,  I  found  that  being  funny  translates  well  from  one  club  to  another.  With  my  newfound  knowledge  of  the  sport,  my  idol’s Â

excitement.  I  knew  it  was  time  to  start.  It  was  time  to  face  Mark’s  team  in  a  comedy  battle  to  the  death.   The  games  began  suddenly.  I  was  surrounded  quickly  by  a  Ă€XUU\ RI ODXJKWHU 0DUN and  his  team  seemed  to  be  on  their  game.  My  team  was  ready,  strong  and Â

practiced  this  game.  Then  I  heard  it,  the    There  comes  a  point  in  chant  of  my  name  every  man’s  life  when  he  coming  from  my  fans  must  embark  on  an  epic  (mainly  JJ).  So  I  jumped  quest.  Frodo  delivered  in  and  unleashed  my  the  ring  to  Mordor,  Luke  jokes  upon  the  world,  destroyed  the  Deathstar,  and  the  world  returned  and  Woody  found  his  the  favor  by  laughing.  friends  a  new  home.  My  We  thought  that  victory  quest  is  a   little  less  epic,  was  in  hand,  but  the  but  my  challenge  audience  had  not  is  as  great  as  any  chosen  the  winner.  of  these  great  The  ref-­-­who  I’m  men’s  were.  I  will  sure  was  bribed-­-­ set  out  to  achieve  chose  Mark  and  his  my  goal  to  team  the  victors.  become  known    Though  I  was  for  being  funny  defeated,  I  held  at  this  school.  I  my  head  up  high  will  train  tirelessly  and  started  to  both  by  myself  walk  off  stage.  As  and  with  the  I  left  people  were  Comedy  Sportz  c o m p l e m e n t i n g  team,  and  in  the  me.  Mark  and  the  end,  I  will  go  up  rest  of  the  team  against  arguably  were  saying  how  the  funniest  dude  good  of  a  job  I  at  our  school,  did,  and  even  Mrs.  Mark  Frazier.  Hibbert  contributed  Will  I  conquer  to  the  verbal  my  foe?  Will  accolades.  Though  my  quest  be  as  this  loss  brings  my  epic?  Will  people  Niko  VS  record  actually  think  STARE  DOWN:  Seniors  Mark  Frazier  and  Niko  Corbin  size  each  to  a  whopping  0  I’m  funny?  Only  other  up  for  a  match  that  could  change  the  world  of  comedy  forever. and  three,  I  would  time,  and  this  consider  this  a  article  will  tell.  moral  victory.  I  held  7KH ÂżUVW WKLQJ , OHDUQHG teachings  and  my— willing  to  do  anything  to  my  own  with  one  of  the  was  that  there  was  no  I  sometimes  less  than  win.  We  narrowly  escaped  funniest  dudes  around,  in  Comedy  Sportz.  It  was  good—humor,  I  felt  GHIHDW LQ WKH ÂżUVW URXQG and  went  the  distance.  not  done  by  one  mere  that  I  would  be  ready.  as  fellow  debater  and  I’m  glad  I  chose  to  do  man,  but  rather  several  Then  again,  I  have  comedian  Leslie  Cavasos  Comedy  Sportz  last.  men  (and  women).  The  been  wrong  before. was  able  to  take  Mark  out.  It  was  one  of  the  most  challenge  had  been  set    My  date  with  destiny  The  team  and  I  were  not  fun  times  I’ve  had  doing  forth.  Mark  and  I  chose  was  on  a  day  that  most  as  fortunate  the  second  this.  With  this  being  my  teams,  then  we  went  quests  seemed  to  come  time  around.  Mark  and  the  ¿QDO 1LNR 96 , ZRXOG head  to  head  in  a  real  to  a  head,  Monday.  others  out-­funnied  us.  The  like  to  say  thank  you  match,  and  the  audience  Normally  I  try  not  to  get  VFRUH KHDGLQJ LQWR WKH ÂżQDO to  the  teams  that  put  chose  the  winners.  I  had  super  nervous  before  I  round  was  seven  to  zero. up  with  me  and  let  me  one  week  to  prepare  have  my  competitions,    The  whistle  blew  and  it  train  with  them.  I  hope  for  this  epic  battle.  My  but  hearing  the  roar  of  was  time  to  start  being  I  entertained  you  all  training  consisted  of  the  crowd,  my  stomach  IXQQ\ $W ÂżUVW , KHVLWDWHG enough  to  not  think  that  the  team  teaching  me  VWDUWHG WR Ă€LS ZLWK to  jump  in.  I  had  never  I’m  bad  at  all  sports.

Love writing? Love photography? Got Photoshop skills? Enjoy talking to people? Do you have what it takes? If so, then join the 20112012 REGIT Newspaper staff! Come by and speak to Mrs. Karter in rm. 237.

“I am planning on going to Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska, rehearsing and performing in Houston’s Center Stage’s “The Wiz�, attending debate camp, visiting my family in Mexico, and hopefuly going on a mission trip!�

“I am planning to go on an a road trip with my friends to visit colleges.�

“I am going to work my butt off so I can get the money to go to Puerto Rico. I am aslo going to prepare for debate next year, so I can be ready for the first tournament.�

“I am going on a road trip to California and Louisiana! When I come back to Houston, hopefully I will find a summer job, then I am off to Texas A&M Univeristy Corpus Christi.�

College Tips

Guidelines for success while meeting university challenges

+DYH D XQGHUVWDQGLQJ DERXW \RX ¿QDQ-­ cial situation-­ Beware of how exactly you are going to be paying for school. Know how much money you will have on a day to day basis.

5) Get packing-­ Don’t wait til the last minute. Only pack the essen-­ tials, don’t over pack with every-­ thing in your room. Chances are you will be in a lot smaller room than you’re used to.

7) Two weeks notice-­ Let your sum-­ mer job employer know when your last day will be. Give them time to look for a replacement. 4) Required reading-­ Get a list of the reading for your classes. You don’t want to start school behind your class mates. es eg e l l o hil e t c os So w nsur M r-­ s. o e cto ation cal t o e d niz ysi t th mu a ph alth. i s e im t Vi 2) uire it ge eat h q t r re ur a in g yo u’re yo

-­ e th egis d r n es tte d to oic A h s-­ ere r c se off ou ins. s y g la n c atio ure l be r s o fo t er ien e ho st or s. B sc i eg an sse ore f R m 3) sh r cla be e e r o r f r f e te e th ar

1) Contact/get to know your room-­ mate-­ Build a relationship with the person you will be spending the year with. Decide who will be bringing what.

Kelsey Radabaugh

Grant Bridges

Seleh Serrano

Q: Was being a top student your goal since freshmen year? Yes, it’s actually been my goal since I was in 6th grade. Q: How long did it take you to decide on the school you will be attending? Where will you be going? I will be attending Texas A&M University. It didn’t really take me long to decide. I love the campus and they have a great chemistry program. Q: What other organizations were you a part of in high school? How did they interfere with your VFKRRO ZRUN" +RZ GLG WKH\ EHQHÀW \RX" I played on the volleyball team for four years of high school. I had to stay up late to make up for lost time due to games or practices, but the experiences helped me learn time manage-­ ment. Q: What was your favorite memory of high school? My favorite memory is probably my 10th grade homecoming. I had a really fun time that night and I’ll never forget it. Q: What do you plan on majoring in? What are your career plans once you graduate? I plan on majoring in chemistry. After I gradu-­ ate from college, I’ll probably work in the oil industry or maybe I’ll be a teacher.

Q: Was being a top student your goal since freshmen year? Very much so. I can’t stress how important that it was to work as hard my freshmen year as all my other years in order to graduate at the top. Q: How long did it take you to decide on the school you will be attending? Where will you be going? A&M had always been a school of interest for me. Once I decided to go into aerospace engineering, I knew it was the school I wanted to attend. Q: What other organizations were you a part of in high school? How did they interfere with your VFKRRO ZRUN" +RZ GLG WKH\ EHQHÀW \RX" I was very involved in the band program for all four years. I learned a great deal about leader-­ ship and working hard for a goal through the program, and in addition how to manage my time between school and work. Q: What was your favorite memory of high school? Being the head drum major in the band was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had. Q: What do you plan on majoring in? What are your career plans once you graduate? I plan on majoring in aero engineering working for an airline company like Boeing.

Q: Was being a top student your goal since freshmen year? Yes, I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of achieving it. Q: How long did it take you to decide on the school you will be attending? Where will you be going? , GLGQ¶W UHDOO\ KDYH D VSHFL¿F VFKRRO XQWLO VHQLRU year. After a summer camp at Texas Tech, I decided that was where I wanted to go. Q: What other organizations were you a part of in high school? How did they interfere with your VFKRRO ZRUN" +RZ GLG WKH\ EHQHÀW \RX" I was involved in tennis, NHS, French National Honor Society, and volunteering at West-­ wood Elementary. It was hard to balance my schedule sometimes, but I got to meet a lot of people. Q: What was your favorite memory of high school? I loved being involved with French and all of activities we did. We have we have grown to EH OLNH D IDPLO\ ,¶YH PHW SHRSOH , GH¿QLWHO\ want to keep in touch with after high school. Q: What do you plan on majoring in? What are your career plans once you graduate? I plan on majoring in education. I would like to be an elementary billingual teacher and maybe write a book someday.

Tori Kimmel

Kelley Kim

Cameron Blome

Q: Was being a top student your goal since freshmen year? It’s hard to remember freshmen year, but I knew for sure I wanted to make straight A’s... comparing myself to my classmates really kept me from burning out or getting discouraged. Q: How long did it take you to decide on the school you will be attending? Where will you be going? I didn’t decide until I got all my decisions in March. Deciding which school to go turned out to be pretty simple, because I had two top choices and I was accepted into one and wait OLVWHG RQ WKH RWKHU 6R ,¶P RI¿FLDOO\ D SDUW RI WKH Aggie class of 2015! Q: What other organizations were you a part of in high school? How did they interfere with your VFKRRO ZRUN" +RZ GLG WKH\ EHQHÀW \RX" I’ve been involved primarily with my church, debate, Humanitarian Society, and NHS. It taught me to manage my time or else suffer the consequences of procrastination. Q: What was your favorite memory of high school? I’ll always remember the trip to Harvard for Debate. The competition was exhausting, and we got so little sleep that I was able to run on ¿YH KRXUV RI VOHHS IRU WKH QH[W ZHHNV Q: What do you plan on majoring in? What are your career plans once you graduate? I’ll go in as a biology major, but I might change it to microbiology or molecular and cell biology later on.

Q: Was being a top student your goal since freshmen year? Absolutely. You have to start early because every grade counts. The competition is what makes your grades worth it. Q: How long did it take you to decide on the school you will be attending? Where will you be going? I’m currently on the waiting list for Rice, and accepted McComb’s business school in UT Austin. However, I really want to try and trans-­ fer out my sophomore year to an out of state institution-­-­Columbia is my dream school-­-­and I plan to study more than anything next year. Q: What other organizations were you a part of in high school? How did they interfere with your VFKRRO ZRUN" +RZ GLG WKH\ EHQHÀW \RX" I was heavily involved in Debate which took all of my weekends, but it was very, very well worth it. I was also involved in Newspaper, NHS, Senior Women, Orchestra, and Tennis. None of these got in each other’s way because I managed my time well. Q: What was your favorite memory of high school? 'H¿QLWHO\ P\ WULS WR +DUYDUG¶V GHEDWH WRXUQD-­ ment this past February. Q: What do you plan on majoring in? What are your career plans once you graduate? I’m down as a prospective business major, but that isn’t where my passion lies. I’m changing my major to English and possibly a minor in philosophy.

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Q: Was being a top student your goal since freshmen year? Yes. My parents always taught me to work as hard as I possibly could and to not waste any of my talent. I became dedicated to my school work and made it my goal to maintain straight A’s. Sadly, I didn’t achieve my goal, but I was very close. Q: How long did it take you to decide on the school you will be attending? Where will you be going? I am going to the University of Texas in Austin. I have been a longhorn fan since I was young and have been planning to go there my whole life. Q: What other organizations were you a part of in high school? How did they interfere with your VFKRRO ZRUN" +RZ GLG WKH\ EHQHÀW \RX" I played basketball, baseball, and football. I spent a lot of time practicing instead of study-­ ing but it helped me learn to manage my time Q: What was your favorite memory of high school? Basketball season my senior year was really IXQ ,W ZDV P\ ¿UVW \HDU RQ YDUVLW\ , KDG D ORW of friends on the team and everybody seemed to like each other. The atmosphere was loud and energetic. It was nice to actually play in front of a large crowd! Q: What do you plan on majoring in? What are your career plans once you graduate? Chemical engineering. I plan on making a lot of money at a large corporation.

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1.  Accomplished  art  students  pose  with  their  pieced-­together  tiger  and  principal  Rick  Rivera. 2.  The  completed  spirit  project  designed  by  the  Art  I  classes.  It  now  hangs  in  the  10th/11th  grade  RIÂżFH 3.  Art  teacher,  Crystal  Fiocchi,  is  very  proud  of  Scholastic  Silver  Key  winner  Elizabeth  Gomez  and  Scholastic  Gold  Key  winner  Walter  Mata,  honored  at  the  Board  of  Trustees  meeting. 4.  Sophomore  Candace  Edgley  and  seniors  David  Alvarado  &  Scott  Glezen  act  together  as  a  dys-­ functional  family  in  theater’s  production  of  And  the  5DLQ &DPH WR 0D\ÂżHOG 5.  In  the  show,  senior  Mark  Frazier  plays  Nathan  :LOOLDPV WKH ÂżUVW EODFN PDQ WR EH DFFHSWHG LQWR D state  university. 6.  Senior  Scott  Glezen,  playing  Carl  Murphey,  FORVHV WKH SOD\ ZLWK D UHĂ€HFWLRQ RI KLV OLIH LQ 0D\-­ ÂżHOG 0LVVLVVLSSL 7.  Orchestra  proudly  stands  for  a  group  photo  after  receiving  a  superior  rating  at  Lone  Star  Showcase  of  Music  held  in  San  Antonio. 8.  After  UIL,  varsity  choir  was  congradulated  for  recieving  straight  1s  at  competition. 9.  Senior  Matt  Nesloney  recieved  an  award  for  making  All-­State  mixed  choir.  He  was  the  only  choir  member  from  our  school  to  accomplish  this. 10.  Yearbook  students  Kendall  Hudson,  Stepha-­ nie  Martinez,  and  Luis  Soto  sell  their  hard  work. 11.  Teacher  of  the  year  Matthew  McConn  gives  an  inspirational  speech  to  the  NHS  inductees  and  their  guests. 12.  The  new  members  proudly  pose  behind  the  ¿YHV FDQGOHV UHSUHVHQWLQJ VFKRODUVKLS VHUYLFH leadership,  character,  and  citizenship. 13.  1+6 RIÂżFHUV SDVVHG RQ WKH WRUFK WR incoming  students. 14.  Seniors  Kelsey  Radabaugh  and  Genesis  Pe-­ rales  saved  lives  at  the  spring  blood  drive. 15.  Photography  classes  pose  together  after  a  ¿HOG WULS WR WKH 0HQLO &ROOHFWLRQ DQG )RWRIHVW 16.  The  junior  team  smiles  together  despite  loos-­ ing  the  Powderpuff  game. 17.  The  glory  belongs  to  the  senior  team  as  they  celebrated  a  27-­0  victory  in  the  Powderpuff  game.

New  Summer  Movies  for  2011

Cade’s  Picks

May  6th,  2011  For  those  of  you  NOT  in  the  loop,  super  hero  movies  are  sweeping  the  near  future  and  it  is  going  to  be  totally,  one-­ hundred  percent,  good  old-­fashion  AWESOME.  Thor  is  topping  the  list  this  summer,  among  others,  as  the  continuing  string  of  Marvel  super  hero  movies  for  super  heros  that  will  all  be  featured  in  The  Avengers  movie  of  summer  2012.  In  my  professional  opinion,  Thor  just  might  be  the  best  super  hero  Ă€LFN RI WKH VXPPHU Why  is  this,  exactly?  With  an  outstanding  cast  of  academy  award  winners  and  nominees,  a  distinguished  director  and  a  solid  cast  of  writers,  this  movie  may  just  blow  away  other  blockbusters  of  the  summer  such  as  Captain  America:  The  First  Avenger  and  Green  Lantern.  All  in  all,  this  movie  has  potential  to  not  only  win  an  award,  but  also  be  one  of  the  best  super  hero  movies  of  all  time.

 May  26th,  2011          What  can  I  say?  Every  time  a  cast  of  comedy  and  action  movie  actors  come  together  to  make  a  ridiculous  action-­comedy  for  kids,  I  am  there.  This  summer,  Kung  Fu  Panda  2  will  be  no  exception.  The  trailer  for  this  movie  presents  a  plot  line  that  is  usually  seen  in  children’s  movies,  with  limited  twists  to  ensure  an  entertaining  NLGÂśV ÂżOP SDFNHG ZLWK laughs  and  fun.  Keep  in  mind,  however  that  this  is  a  movie  aimed  for  young  children.  Although  entertaining,  I  recommend  seeing  this  one  with  a  younger  sibling.  It  will  compare  WR WKH ÂżUVW .XQJ )X Panda  in  the  sense  that  most  sequels  do,  if  you  ORYHG WKH ÂżUVW RQH \RX may  not  like  this  one.  However,  this  movie  may  be  able  to  top  the  last  because  of  an  addition  to  the  cast,  Gary  Oldman.  However,  the  likelihood  of  this  addition  making  the  entire  movie  better  seems  quite  low.

June  3rd,  2011  Powerhouse  superheros  the  X-­Men  are  returning  for  a...prequel?  That’s  right,  a  prequel.  And  while  this  prequel  completely  violates  the  idea  of  what  the  original  story  line  is  for  the  comic  books,  I  do  honor  and  respect  it  and  I  will  give  it  a  chance  at  being  a  decent  movie.  Having  such  a  large  group  of  iconic  heros,  X-­Men:  First  Class  seemed  GLIÂżFXOW WR SXOO RII EXW after  watching  the  trailer,  I  retain  my  hope.  This  movie  features  young  and  rising  actors,  such  as  Skins  star  Nicholas  Hoult,  and  a  star  in  the  new  movie  Battle:  LA,  Lucas  Till.  Just  by  seeing  the  early  stages  of  development,  the  movie  seems  to  have  a  decent  following  and  great  special  effects.  Combined  with  great  actors  such  as  Michael  Fassbender  and  James  McAvoy,  this  could  be  picture  perfect  for  super  hero  movies.  7KLV PRYLH ZLOO GHÂżQLWHO\ be  worth  watching.

July  1st,  2011   Movie  goers  already  know  what  to  expect  when  they  hear  the  name  Michael  Bay.  Predictably  this  will  be  nothing  but  bad  acting  and  explosions,  and  we  will  love  every  second  of  it!  Transformers  is  about  giant  transforming  URERWV ¿JKWLQJ HDFK other  for  the  sake  of  the  human  race.  That  is  all  you  need  to  know.  The  trailer  offered  little  information  of  an  actual  story,  but  what  excites  me  most  is  what  appears  to  be   a  pterodactyl  transformer,  which  means  Dinobots!  This  movie  offers  little  in  the  ways  of  story,  but  offers  a  lot  in  the  way  of  action.  The  only  reason  ZH ZLOO JR VHH WKLV ¿OP is  to  be  entertained,  and  that  is  exactly  what  you  will  get.  If  you  want  good  acting  and  character  development,  go  see  a  Daniel  Day  Lewis  movie,  but  if  you  want  explosions  and  high-­ octane  action,  go  see  DQ\ 0LFKDHO %D\ ¿OP

July  15th,  2011 7KLV LV WKH ÂżQDO WDOH RI WKH ER\ ZL]DUG ZKR ÂżUVW captured  our  hearts  in  ERWK ERRN DQG ÂżOP +DUU\ Potter,  teenage  wizard,  VHWV RII RQ WKH ÂżQDO OHJ of  his  epic  journey  to  destroy  the  evil  wizard  Voldemort,  who’s  hell  bent  on  trying  to  destroy  the  world.  This  is  setting  up  to  be  a  pretty  intense  movie.  From  what  I  hear,  there  is  a  lot  of  HSLF ZL]DUG ÂżJKWV LQ WKH book,  which  will  translate  IDQWDVWLFO\ RQ ÂżOP :KHQ this  movie  comes  out,  , DP JRLQJ WR EH ÂżUVW in  line.  The  ending  of  the  last  movie  sent  chills  down  my  spine  in  anticipation.  From  ZKDW ,ÂśP WROG WKH ÂżOP series  differs  a  lot  from  the  text,  so  I  can’t  wait  to  see  what  happens.   Hang  on  for  one  of  the  best  conclusions  to  a  movie  saga  since  The  Lord  of  The  Rings.  Many  fans  may  be  sad  to  see  Harry  and  his  friends  go,  but  I  for  one  am  excited  to  see  how  they  will  make  their  exit.

Niko’s  Picks

June  17th,  2011   Hal  Jordan,  Air  Force  ¿JKWHU SLORW ÂżQGV DQ DOLHQ power  ring  that  turns  anything  he  can  imagine  into  reality.  With  a  story  like  the  Green  Lantern’s,  it’s  no  surprise  that  he  KDV ÂżQDOO\ PDGH LW WR WKH ELJ VFUHHQ $W ÂżUVW this  movie  looked  like  another  cheesy,  campy  super  hero  movie.  Then  the   four  minute  footage  was  released  DQG UHYHDOHG WKH ÂżOP to  be  an  outer  space  epic.   Green  Lantern  looks  to  match  not  only  Avatar’s  visual  affects  toe  to  toe,  but  The  Dark  Knight’s  action  as  well.  The  clips  that  I’ve  seen  of  this  movie  show  a  lot  of  potential  to  be  a  great  super-­hero  movie.  With  such  high  standards  set  by  The  Dark  Knight,  it’s  hard  to  release  comic-­ ERRN EDVHG ÂżOPV EXW this  one  looks  to  be  promising  for  those  who  are  fans  of  the  comics.  People  who  are  not  IDQV ZLOO ÂżQG WKLV ÂżOP equaly  as  entertaining.

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By  CADE  BUNDRICK STAFF  WRITER    Sweat.  Heat.  Thirst.  Art.  Music.  Summerfest.  Few  words  can  describe  what  it  is  truly  like  to  experience  new,  unheard  of  music  when  it  is  live  and  in  your  face.  Houston’s  annual  Free  Press  Summerfest  began  three  years  ago  and  is  growing  with  every  show  that  is  held.  The  event  is  a  two-­day  long  experience  of  both  independent  and  major  label  music  from  the  local  and  national  scene.  The  event,  organized  by  the  local  Free  Press  Houston  newspaper,  recognizes  and  promotes  bands  from  across  the  country  and  the  world.  In  past  years,  the  festival  has  featured  such  acts  as  The  Flaming  Lips,  Girl  Talk,  Of  Montreal,  Slim  Thug  and  hundreds  more.    The  experience  that  Summerfest  offers  is  unlike  any  other.  For  such  a  cheap  and  reasonable  price,  and  such  great  bands,  it  would  be  wrong  to  pass  up  this  event.  Attending  this  festival  ensures  the  discovery  of  new  music  and  new  friends. Â

The  people  involved  in  Summerfest  are  devoted  to  making  the  community Â

2011 Main Stage Lineup 8&&;&3 t $65 $01: t 8&&/ #*( #0* t #&*365 t :&"4":&3 4)"30/ +0/&4 5)& %"1 ,*/(4 $)30.&0 t ; 30 t 50#"$$0 t #6/ # t +6/*03 #308/ t 5)& #-"$, %")-*" .63%&3 #-"$, +0& -&8*4 5)& )0/&:#&"34 +"40/ *4#&-- 5)& 6/*5 )":&4 $"3--t 5) 1-"/&5 t /&0/ */%*"/

IN  YOUR  FACE:  Local  rapper  B  L  A  C  K  I  E  likes  to  perform  in  the  crowd. a  better  place  and  creating  an  event  that  every  Houstonian  can  look  forward  to.  Not  only  does  this  festival  support  such  great  causes  as  local  music  and  local  business,  but  it  also  forces  people  to  get  out  of  their  niche  and  socialize  with  some Â

THE  BULLY’S  CHOICE by  JASON  SHANNON Comic

amazing  people.  Since  the  country  and  created  last  year,  the  festival  more  recognition  for  has  added  more  stages,  unheard  of  bands. Â

more  bands  and  more  endorsement.     Since  its  beginning,  the  festival  has  grown  at  an  enormous  rate,  causing  its  popularity  to  also  grow.  Summerfest  has  impacted  the  musical  community  by  exposing  independent  and  major  label  artists  from  across Â

The  festival  has  been  able  to  bring  together  people  and  businesses  located  in  the  Houston  area  and  solidify  a  unity  within  the  community.  Thanks  to  the  festival’s  growing  size,  there  is  an  increasing  number  of  vendors,  bands,  and  attendees.  Last  year’s Â

festival  totaled  around  30,000  audience  members,  making  it,  RIÂżFLDOO\ WKH ELJJHVW music  festival  in  Houston  for  2010.    For  those  of  you  music  lovers  out  there  who  can  appreciate  a  good  show,  going  to  Summerfest  is  like  appreciating  thirty  good  shows  per  day  for  the  price  of  one.  Not  to  mention,  free  food  and  drinks  all  around.  The  festival  sits  on  the  edge  of  downtown  in  Houston’s  Eleanor  Tinsley  Park  on  the  Buffalo  Bayou.  The  atmosphere  of  the  park Â

and  the  Houston  skyline  creates  an  experience  that  you  just  can  not  get  at  other  venues  such  as  South  By  South  West  or  Austin  City  Limits.  This  festival  sits  you  in  two  massive  natural  amphitheaters  and  blasts  you  with  enough  crazy  music  to  keep  you  FRPIRUWDEOH IRU WKH ¿UVW weekend  of  summer  break.  The  festival  takes  place  on  June  4th  and  5th  from  11AM  until  10PM  and  is  the  perfect  party  to  kick  off  your  summer  break.

Key  to  success  overlooked

.

Problem,  solution  for  high  school  and  beyond

By  KELLEY  KIM EDITOR-­IN-­CHIEF  Growing  up  with  my  own  t i g e r  m o m ,  I ’ v e  b e e n  c o n -­ ditioned  t o  always  reach  for  perfection—not  for  the  image  or  reputation,  but  for  self-­satisfaction.  The  Eastern  work  ethic  that  has  been  drilled  into  my  brain  has  pulled  me  a  long  way—all  A’s  throughout  high  VFKRRO UHÂżQHG VNLOOV LQ multiple  instruments  and  languages,  a  successful  debate  career,  and  a  ¿YH SDJH UHVXPH , ZDV always  told  that  where  there’s  a  will,  there’s  a  way,  but  when  I  look  around  Spring  Woods,  it  seems  as  if  the  student  body  lacks  a  will  to  begin  with.  Don’t  get  me  wrong—there  are  a  select  few  who  desire  to  learn  the  unknown, Â

but  the  intellectual  curiosity  and  student  initiative,  in  general,  seems  to  be  dead.    The  Organization  for  Economic  Co-­operation  and  Development’s  Programme  for  International  Student  Assessment  (PISA)  report,  which  compares  the  knowledge  and  skills  of  15-­year-­olds  in  70  countries  around  the  world,  ranked  the  United  States  14th  for  reading  skills,  17th  for  science  and  a  below-­average  25th  for  mathematics  in  2010.  I  personally  believe  it’s  the  students‘  duty  to  take  the  initiative  to  get  a  good  education  and  be  actively  involved;Íž  however,  it  has  to  be  ¿[HG IURP WKH FRUH RI WKH problem—our  attitudes.   7KH ÂżUVW V\PSWRP RI our  epidemic  of  laziness  is  our  rampant  lack  of  activity.  It  startles  me  that  hardly  anyone  wants  to  establish,  much  less  JHW LQYROYHG ZLWK H[WUD curricular  activities  that  colleges  swoon  over,  such  as  Academic Â

Decathlon,  Model  United  Nations,  a  variety  of  honor  societies,  and  more.  Our  service  clubs  are  hanging  by  a  thread  and  it’s  primarily  because  of  a  lack  of Â

dream.  If  there  isn’t  a  club  that  matches  your  interests,  start  your  own.  Don’t  let  the  thought  of  impossibility  stop  you  from  being  well  rounded,  because  it  certainly Â

has  become  entirely  acceptable  instead  of  shooting  for  the  A.       So  what’s  the  solution?  It’s  actually  very  simple:  listen  to  your  teacher,  do  your  work,  and  don’t Â

“Don’t  let  the  thought  of  impossibility  stop  you  from  being  well-­rounded,  because  it  certainly  doesn’t  hurt  to  try.â€? interest  to  get  involved  LQ WKH ÂżUVW SODFH   The  cure  to  this  laziness  is  to  spread  your  wings  and  try  out  other  activities,  but  don’t  let  them  be  just  UHVXPH ÂżOOHUV 'RQÂśW centralize  all  of  your  attention  on  one  thing;Íž  focus  and  dedication  are  impressive  qualities,  but  having  initiative  and  diversity  to  couple  them  is  even  better.  Also,  the  key  to  being  prepared  for  post-­high  school  life  is  to  have  an  idea  as  to  what  the  future  will  look  like  and  join  activities  that  can  help  build  this Â

doesn’t  hurt  to  try.      The  second  symptom  is  our  lack  of  intellectual  curiosity.  Granted,  there  are  a  few  out  there  who  yearn  for  the  newest  information,  but  for  the  majority,  our  eyes  are  set  so  low  that  just  achieving  bare  minimum  seems  to  be  perfectly  okay.  Too  many  times  have  I  seen  my  peers  be  glad  that  they  barely  passed  or  not  even  do  any  work  in  class  simply  because  they  â€œjust  don’t  feel  like  it.â€?  Laziness  has  become  such  a  common  lifestyle  at  our  school  that  simply  passing  a  class Â

forget  what  you’re  aiming  for.  I  know,  doing  work  might  sound  like  a  terrifying  idea,  but  what  will  be  lost?  The  newest  TV  episode  of  Glee  might  seem  more  enticing  than  calculus,  AP  FKHPLVWU\ DQG GHÂżQLWHO\ Shakespeare’s  â€œHamlet,â€?  but  trust  me,  it’s  possible  to  keep  a  balance  of  interests.  You  don’t  have  to  lock  yourself  in  a  room  and  play  a  piano  piece  until  it  is  perfect  or  even  be  drowned  in  the  pages  of  your  WH[WERRNV WR EH GULYHQ As  a  student,  success  comes  with  a  price, Â

and  I  strongly  suggest  that  underclassmen  give  education  a  bigger  chance  than  what  many  students  are  giving  it  credit  for.  0DNH D IHZ VDFULÂżFHV Personally,  I  found  fun  in  the  eventual  feeling  of  accomplishment  and  recognition,  which  is  well  worth  my  initial  input  because  I  know  how  it  feels  and  I  know  that  it  will  be  there,  waiting  for  me  at  the  end.     In  today’s  world,  each  graduating  class  is  having  to  face  higher  standards  each  year  to  be  able  to  compete  for  a  job  and  make  a  decent  living.  This  is  why  I  am  outlining  the  problems  of  our  student  body  and  what  I  believe  can  be  improved  for  our  academic  culture  in  order  to  save  the  future  generation  from  kicking  themselves  in  regret.  Have  a  plan,  take  a  chance,  and  give  it  all  you  got  while  you’re  here-­-­you’ll  be  glad  that  you  did.

Money  up  for  grabs Student  Council  plummets By  SILVERIO  RAMIREZ GUEST  WRITER     In  an  effort  to  H[SUHVV just  how  s t r o n g  of  an  i m p a c t  the  eco-­ n o m i c  downturn  has  had  on  American  culture,  comedian  Stephen  Colbert  tweeted  that  the  U.S  dollar  is  so  bad,  Ke$ha  is  spelling  her  name  with  the  euro  sign.  Similarly,  most  people  have  had  their  own  reactions  to  the  current  economic  situation.  It  wasn’t  until  a  few  months  DJR WKDW , H[SHULHQFHG P\ ÂżUVW UHDO FRQĂ€LFW with  money—paying  for  FROOHJH ,Q P\ LQÂżQLWH wisdom,  I  had  fallen  in  love  with  the  third  most  H[SHQVLYH XQLYHUVLW\ in  the  country  in  2010.  Before  I  knew  it,  my  total  cost  of  attendance  by  the  time  I  graduate  could  purchase  a  small  island.  To  my  surprise  though,  scholarships  have  lowered  my  cost  of  attendance  from  a  small  fortune  to  only  paying  housing.  This  begs  the  questions,  where  does  free  money  come  from,  and  how  do  I  get?   There  are  literally  millions  upon  millions  of  dollars  out  there  waiting  to  be  handed  away.  More  importantly,  millions  upon  millions  of  dollars  that  you  don’t  have  to  pay  back!  You  can  get  money  from  simply  taking  a  picture  of  your  favorite  shoes  or  from  writing  an  essay  about Â

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Ease  of  scholarship  opportunities  explained the  political  struggles  in  3DOHVWLQH )RU H[DPSOH The  American  Fire-­ Sprinkler  Association  Scholarship  gives  you  $3,000  for  writing  about  ¿UH VSULQNOHU DFWLYDWLRQ Do  you  play  the  bag  pipe?  Go  to  Carnegie  Mellon  University  and  you  will  get  offered  $7,000!  There  are  entire  websites  dedicated  solely  to  matching  you  up  with  scholarships.  If  you  have  never  been  to  Fastweb  or  Zinch,  you  are  missing  out  on  weekly  emails  of  scholarships  you  may  qualify  for.  What  more  could  we  want?  All  \RX KDYH WR GR LV ÂżOO RXW D SURÂżOH DQG IUHH money  opportunities  will  be  handed  to  you  on  a  silver  platter.     For  one,  your  family’s  ¿QDQFLDO VLWXDWLRQ LV analyzed  in  FAFSA  DQG &66 SURÂżOHV everyone  has  to  submit  to  universities—forms  that  often  times  greatly  LQĂ€XHQFH WKH DPRXQW of  money  universities  award.  Moreover,  being  in  certain  organizations  and  activities  that  colleges  know  take  skill  and  dedication  can  make  up  for  not  getting  straight  A’s  all  the  time.  It’s  important  to  realize  that  colleges  don’t  necessarily  want  someone  who  is  in  every  club,  but  rather  a  VWXGHQW ZKR LV H[WUHPHO\ gifted  at  a  certain  activity.  Universities  will  not  give  as  much  money  to  someone  who  is  mediocre  at  a  lot  of  things,  but  rather  they  will  fund  students  who  are  talented  at  one Â

thing.  Minh  A.  Luong,  an  assistant  professor  in  the  Ethics,  Politics,  and  Economics  program  at  Yale  University’s  Center  for  International  and  Area  Studies  puts  it  this  way;Íž  â€œcollege  admission  directors  are  relying  less  on  grade  point  averages  and  standardized  test  scoresâ€?.  Did  you  know  that  in  1988  Harvard  University  rejected  over  50%  of  its  applicants  with  perfect  scholastic  Aptitude  Tests  and  80%  who  were  valedictorians?  Dean  of  Admissions  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  put  it  best  when  he  said  â€œwe  realized  one  of  the  better  predicators  of  success  is  the  ability  to  dedicate  oneself  to  a  task  and  do  it  well.â€?     In  short,  the  easiest  way  to  get  scholarships  is  by  working  on  your  grades.  If  you  keep  up  with  your  work  from  day  one  of  freshman  year,  day  one  of  senior  year  all  \RX KDYH WR GR LV ÂżOO LQ D number  on  an  application  and  money  will  come  to  you.  However,  you  don’t  have  to  be  what  has  become  known  as  the  â€œperfectâ€?  student  for  one  to  get  money.  There  are  plenty  of  non-­ academic,  non-­need  based  scholarships  that  basically  hand  out  cash  for  easy  requirements.  Not  to  mention  that  if  you  focus  your  high  school  career  on  selecting  an  activity  not  on  what  you  think  looks  good  on  a  resume,  but  rather  something  you  need  to  develop  as  a  person  and  FDQ GR H[FHSWLRQDO LQ FDQ ÂżOO LQ DFDGHPLF JDSV

By  CHELSEA  RODRIGUEZ

STAFF Â WRITER

   At  the  p e a k  of  my  f r e s h -­ m a n  year,  I  thought  it  would  be  cool  to  do  something  special  for  my  school.  For  me,  that  meant  giving  something  back.  I  ran  for  president  of  Student Â

STUDENT  council;Íž  an  RUJDQL]DWLRQ VSHFLÂżFDOO\ run  by  students,  for  the  rest  of  the  student  body  ZLWK DQ DXWKRULW\ ÂżJXUH WR help  guide  them  on  the  right  track.       During  my  sophomore  election,  I  lost  my  presidency  to  another  member,  which  I  was  ¿QH ZLWK EHFDXVH LQ return,  I  became  vice  president.  When  taking  on  such  a  major  role  in  an  organization,  time  management  is  very Â

enough  people  ran  for  DQ RIÂżFH DQG WKRVH who  did  automatically  got  their  positions  they  ZDQWHG 7KDWÂśV ÂżQH however,  what  becomes  problematic  here  is  a  lack  of  responsibility.  If  a  student  has  the  status  of  being  something,  such  as  president,  they  should  be  meeting  the  standards  by  committing  themselves  to  strict  attendance,  not  just  as  much  as  they  have  time  for  in  their  own  schedule. Â

“The  group  is  titled,  STUDENT  council;Íž  an  organization  spe-­ FLÂżFDOO\ UXQ E\ VWXGHQWV IRU WKH UHVW RI WKH VWXGHQW ERG\ ZLWK DQ DXWKRULW\ ÂżJXUH WR KHOS JXLGH WKHP RQ WKH ULJKW WUDFN ´ Council  (Stu-­co)  for  the  class  of  2011  and  kept  my  status  up  to  date  for  two  un-­consecutive  years.  By  my  sophomore  year,  I  dropped  to  vice-­ president,  but  was  still  active  in  the  club.  Now  it  has  come  down  to  this:  it’s  my  senior  year  and  I  DP QR ORQJHU DQ RIÂżFHU for  Student  Council,  but  I’ve  kept  close  with  a  lot  of  the  underclassman  in  the  organization  and  I’ve  realized  that  there  isn’t  a  lot  going  on  anymore.        This  isn’t  my  â€œdon’t-­do-­ it-­passâ€?  to  those  who  are  thinking  about  joining.  That’s  what  this  school  needs  â€“  more  people  in  the  organization  because  from  what  I  hear,  it’s  approaching  a  downfall.  A  lot  of  people  FRXOG SRLQW WKH ÂżQJHU at  coordinator  Melissa  Schmitz,  but  it’s  not  her  fault  that  people  do  not  attend  meetings  or  care  to  join.  The  group  is  titled, Â

important  for  either  position.  But  due  to  a  lack  of  attendance  at  our  Stu-­co  meetings,  I  was  convinced  that  our  president  did  not  deserve  the  position.  Now  that  I’m  graduating,  I’m  noticing  some  of  the  junior  and  VRSKRPRUH RIÂżFHUV WKDW FXUUHQWO\ KROG RIÂżFH WKDW attend  meetings  rarely  are  up  for  re-­election  again.  This  shows  how  the  organization  is  coming  up-­short.  While  discussing  this  matter  with  underclassmen,  I  was  informed  about  the  elections  this  year.  Some  say  they  rallied  up  their  friends  to  help  them  advertise  and  get  their  name  out  there.  Then,  I  was  told  by  others  that  all  they  did  was  appoint  themselves  as:  president,  vice  president,  treasurer  or  historian.  If  this  ever  occurs,  it  usually  means  that  not Â

   Likewise  over  the  past  four  years,  Student  Council  has  become  an  unknown  club,  and  that  isn’t  what  it  was  created  for.  The  organization  was  created  to  â€œallow  students  to  become  leaders  within  the  school  and  community,â€?  coordinator  Schmitz  said.  Which  means  these  underclassmen  need  to  step  it  up  and  reset  the  bar  for  themselves  and  the  organization.  With  that  being  said  and  new  elections   on  the  rise,  I  truly  hope  for  the  best  for  this  organization  in  the  years  to  come.  It  has  been  an  honor  for  me  to  be  a  part  of  the  group  for  the  past  three  years,  and  I  would  like  to  wish  the  XSFRPLQJ RIÂżFHUV JRRG luck.  Just  remember  to  be  persistent  in  all  that  you  want  to  accomplish.

By  JJ  GONZALEZ COLUMNIST

Tigers  throw  weight  to  state 7KUHH MXQLRUV WDNH SRGLXP DW UHJLRQDOV

.

New  teams  make    playoffs

S i n c e  R o c k e t s  are  not  in  the  p l a y o f f s  again,  I  can  make  my  picks  to  see  who  will  make  be  in  the  Finals.  The  playoffs  have  shown  that  the  lower  seeds  in  the  western  conference  mean  business  having  kept  every  game  a  thriller.  The  Eastern  &RQIHUHQFH IRU WKH ÂżUVW time  in  forever  looks  somewhat  proportional.  Obviously  only  one  from  each  side  will  be  entering  WKH ÂżQDOV 0\ SLFNV are  the  Oklahoma  City  Thunder  and  Chicago  Bulls.    With  Kendrick  Perkins  in  the  line-­up,  the  7KXQGHU ÂżQLVKHG XS the  season  13-­4.  They  ¿QDOO\ D VWURQJ PDQ in  the  low  post  and  both  Kevin  Durant  and  Russell  Westbrook  have  been  given  much  more  space  to  do  what  they  want  with  the  ball.  After  a  sweep  against  the  Denver  Nuggets,  a  team  who  coming  in  looked  like  a  real  contender  even  without  Carmelo  Anthony,  why  should  they  be  given  doubts  in  their  abilities.  And  another  team  out  of  the  east  who  may  take  it  all  LV WKH 'DOODV 0DYHULFNV They’re  dominance  over  Kobe  Bryant  and  the  Lakers  was  unbelievable  to  watch.   Not  since  the  â€˜97-­ ’98  season,  have  the  Bulls  looked  this  good.  Derrick  Rose  is  the  most  dominant  player  in  the  NBA,  having  ZRQ WKH 093 DQG LV leading  his  team  to  becoming  Champions.  The  speed  and  mobility  he  possesses  are  unparalleled.  Being  a  Bulls’  star,  he  is  often  compared  to  great  0LFKDHO -RUGDQ DQG DW age  22  there’s  no  telling  how  much  greater  he  will  become.  All  the  Bulls  are  missing  right  now  is  another  offensive  weapon.  If  forward  Carlos  Boozer  can  get  out  of  his  funk  back  to  dominance  under  the  paint,  the  problem  will  be  solved.    Lastly,  I  want  to  take  the  time  to  mention  that  ZKDW WKH 0LDPL +HDW GLG to  get  where  they  are  LVQÂśW WKH ÂżUVW WLPH DQ\RQH has  done  it.  If  you  look  back,  even  to  the  80’s  there  were  teams  full  of  superstars.  The  Lakers  ZLWK 0DJLF -RKQVRQ .DUHHP $EGXO -DEEDU DQG -DPHV :RUWK\ LV MXVW one  out  of  the  many  who  have  done  this.  Even  the  Celtics  did  it  a  few  years  ago.  The  only  difference  is  that  the  media  over  hyped  all  of  this  and  it  led  to  us  hating  that  two  of  the  strongest  DQG ÂżHUFHVW SOD\HUV LQ WKH OHDJXH ZHUH MRLQLQJ forces.

By  JJ  GONZALEZ  AND  SAMANTHA  SOLIS STAFF  WRITERS

,Q D \HDU ZKHUH WKH VSRUWV DW VFKRRO KDYH EHHQ OHVV WKDQ VWHOODU DQG SDLQIXO WR ZDWFK WKH WUDFN DQG ¿HOG WHDP KDV EHHQ VDYHG WKH EHVW IRU ODVW 7ZR MXQLRUV WUDYHOHG WR WKH VWDWH PHHW LQ $XVWLQ DQG FDPH KRPH ZLWK DZDUGV ,Q WKH JLUOV ¿HOG HYHQWV MXQLRU /DXUHQ 'DQLHOV ZHQW ELJ DQG UHFHLYHG EURQ]H PHGDOV LQ ERWK VKRW SXW DQG GLVFXV WKURZLQJ œ ´ LQ VKRW SXW DQG œ ´ LQ GLVFXV -XQLRU 5RPDQ 5RGULJXH] SODFHG ¿IWK LQ WKH WZR HYHQWV WKURZLQJ IHHW LQ VKRW SXW DQG œ ´ LQ GLVFXV 7KHUH ZHUH VHYHQ SOD\HUV ZKR PDGH LW WR UHJLRQDOV $VLGH IURP /DXUHQ DQG 5RPDQ MXQLRU ,VLDK 0RQWH] WRRN EURQ]H LQ discus  at  regionals.  Next  year  all  three  are  aiming  to  up  themselves  by  going  to  state  and  bringing  home  a  bigger  prize.

LAUREN  DANIELS What  is  your  round  sport  for  me.  average  throw  in  My  coach’s  motto  is  both  events? “Eat.  Sleep.  Throw.â€?  It’s  like  the  story  of  In  shot  put,  it’s  in  my  life!  Throwing  the  45ish  range.  And  requires  plenty  as  far  as  discus,  its  of  training  if  you  more  in  the  140ish  want  to  be  range.  It  changes  successful,  from  day  to  day. so  I’m  w i l l i n g  What  has  been  your  to  do  drive  in  getting  whatever  it  takes. better  and  how  much  have  you  Between  the  two  improved  since  the  events,  which  beginning  of  the  one  do  you  season? prefer  and    why? Besides  being  naturally  extremely  competitive,  with  the  support  of  my  O h  coach  and  dad,  gosh,  that’s  it  drives  me  a  tough  one.  to  be  my  Both  are  tons  of  fun,  b e s t  but  if  I  absolutely  a n d  had  to  choose  p e r fo r m  one,  I’d  probably  my  best.  I  don’t  have  to  go  with  know  what  I’d  do  discus.  The  without  those  guys.  funny  thing  is  So  far  the  season  I’m  actually  has  turned  out  to  be  better  at  shot  a  great  one  not  only  put.  Shot  for  me,  but  the  track  put  basically  comes  ERH Ă IPH XIEQ EW E naturally  with  me  whole.  I  have  added  where  as  discus  takes  tons  of  distance  a  lot  of  hard  work  to  my  throw  this  and  determination.  season. That’s  why  I  love  it.  What  can  I  say?  I  How  much  time  like  a  challenge.  do  you  have  to  put  into  making  your  throw  better? Throwing  is  pretty  much  my  life  and  basically  is  a  year-

Ruth Giraldo What  do  you  think  about  when  running?

“Running the curve fast, and picking up my knees.�

Briana Bonner What’s  the  biggest  challenge  you’ve  faced  in  having  to  rely  on  three  other  people?

“Making sure I don’t drop the stick when they’re passing it because I’m second leg.�

ROMAN RODRIGUEZ What’s  your  beginning  of  the  current  average  season? throw  in  both  events? My drive is being the best I can be 59ft in shot put. to get to state, and 160ft in the discus. hopefully medal over there or win state. In the discus 15 feet. In shot 5 feet. How  much  time  do  you  have  to  put  into  making  your  throw  better? A lot, but I make sure I work hard in the weight room, and also in the throwing ring. I put many hours day in and day out bettering my throw. Between  the  two  events,  which  one  do  you  prefer  and  why?

W h a t  h a s  been  your  drive  in  getting  better  and  how  much  have  you  improved  since  the Â

Shot put, because I believe it’s the more aggressive event. You can’t just expect to go in the ring and throw far. You’ve got to get pumped up and psyched to throw far. You have to be a in the circle somehow, someway. It takes a lot of effort to get that heavy ball out there.

Imani Webster In  what  grade  did  you  start  running  competitively?

“I started my 7th grade year at Spring Oaks middle school.�

Isaiah Montez How  much  time  do  you  have  to  put  in  to  making  your  throw  better?

“5 or maybe 6 days of working harder and getting better.�

A who-to-look-for guide for Spring Woods’ 2011-2012 season as picked by the coaches

With the 2010-­11 school year coming to an end and the class of 2011 leaving, many varsity teams are losing their best players, creating a need for an-­ other leader to step up. The students shown here are the athletes who are expected to step up as selected by their respective coaches. Note: Some coaches declined to comment, so their sport does not have a player listed here.

The American Musical and Dramatic Academy Dayana Iza

Angelina College

Lakresia Gadison

Austin Community College

Houston

Gino Caprille

Michael Acosta David Alvarado Sebastian Arras Julie Bang Rachael Bradley Theresa Dao Cristyan Elias Fabian Flores Sam Fuller Scott Glezen Ivan Gonzalez Dominique Guzman Judy Jaramillo Brittney Jenkins Mohamad Kachmar Harold Lai Gustavo Lucio Daniel Jesus Mago Rodriguez Santa Maria Hitcher Walter Mata Ronnie Mekela Claudia Miranda Loan Nguyen Eduardo Rodriguez Veronica Rojas Cammie Serres Ana Sevilla Michael Tran

Baylor

Juan Castilla Mollie Musgrove Vivian Perez

Blinn

Dallas Hansford Morgann Holmes Cody Matecki Dwight McCrimmom Jason Shannon Kennedy Simpson Keith Smith Deniss Valero Nelson Walton

Brigham Young

Juliette Call

Clemson

Emily Groce

Drexel

Victoria Kimmel

George Washington

Silverio Ramirez

Houston Community College (cont.)

Houston Baptist Falaq Gaither Tracy Garcia Jessie Roman Victor Sanchez Samantha Solis Jeffrey Suarez Sarah Young

Houston Community College Valerie Acevedo Eldy Aguilar Vanessa Aguilar Chelsea Alarcon Gabriella Aderete Ernest Alexander Javier Andino Monica Apolinar Karla Arvizu Luis Ayala Ingrid Barahona Daniel Barrientos Ivan Batres Kate Benavides Canda Blanco Jessica Blanco Brittany Boutarfa Courtney Boutarfa Jazmin Cabrera Eslie Casteneda Ashley Cervantes Johana Cespedes Ivett Chavez Irving Cobix Emerson Cortez Alexis De Leon Zoraida Dumit Gerardo Echeverria Cinthia Elias Noorein Farooqui Rodrigo Galicia Rigo Gallegos Carlos Garcia JJ Gonzalez Cyndie Guardado Robert Hamm RaLynn Haynes Cristel Hernandez Heather Hernandez Jarett Hernandez Melanie Jagdeo Allison Jubert Lauren Laguna Sharona Le Blanc Priscilla Limon Eva Lopez Gabriela Lopez

Dunia Martinez Evelyn Martinez Jorge Martinez Heather McFeaters Elizabeth Melgoza Taylor Melville Vicky Mena Marta Mendez Zachary Metzler Sandra Molina Sarahi Mondragon Diana Navarrete Ramirez Lisbeth Navarro-­ Najera Evelia Nestor Susan Nguyen Juan Nieto Nikki Ozan Alejandro Perez April Perez Priscilla Phillips Yaneth Pineda Miranda Pozos Selena Puente Beatriz Quiroz Angela Raymundo Vanessa Razo Christopher Resendez Karen Rivas Desiree Robinson Carmelo Robles Cynthia Rodriguez Emmanuel Rodriguez Neri Salgado Javier Sillero Cecilia Silva Amanda Simmons Lizbeth Torres Adrian Trujillo Jose Vasquez Rosa Vasquez Jose Velasquez Mark Walters Nancy Zamorano

Louisiana State

Allison Bixler Josselyn Conde Emma Russell

Lubbock Christian

Keila Ramon Kimberly Rodriguez

Military Luis Duran Cesar Guajardo Juan Hernandez Blake Jeffries Sam Lash Augustine Lopez Deadrean Martin Rafael Sauceda David Unrath

Navarro College Joshua Jones

Stephen F. Austin

Sam Houston

Miguel Flores Ana Garcia Citali Juarez Ana Lopez Juarez Ayman Mohammed Tahra Sanchez Stephanie Silva Adriana Zuniga

Chani Blair Sylvia Fernandez Mystique Hammett Mauricio Leon Cendy Martinez Rodrigo Rico

Southwestern Oklahoma

Texas Arlington

Misael Garcia Abraham Jiminez

Texas Dallas Alejandra Martinez

Texas San Antonio

Alyssa Colorado Tyler Eggerman Josue Lemus Van Anh Pham

Texas Tech Ross Krueger Jose Razo Selah Serrano

Texas Woman’s Stephanie Suarez Leah Walker

Catherine Willis

Mark Frazier

Houston-­ Dowtown

Robert Arnold Ruth Cepeda Meshara Crofton Janette Cruz Agustin Duran Reyna Flores Melissa Franco Michael Martinez Toby Otorubio Farzaana Phillip Estefania Ramon Renoj Carolina Rodriguez Karen Rubio Jose Sanchez Whitney Simmons Christopher Smith Green

Texas Eduardo Angel Cameron Blome Justin Guillot Selvin Monroy Megan Peterson Nicholas Ruff Bryan Sapon

St. John’s Oklahoma Christian

Alex Richardson Tampa

Kaitlyn Whitten

Max Gerall

Texas A&M

Johnson & Wales Misty Bruno Lamar

Jason Lainez Joel Lopez

Prairie View A&M

Jasmin Calderon Tony Dinh Brian Gray-­Sparks Lesley Laynes Demetrick Nichols Estenfania Razo Jasmin Rocha

Rice Kelley Kim

Grant Bridges Viviana Hernandez Amanda Mueller Matt Nesloney Kelsey Radabaugh Beverly Socop

Lone Star

Jazmin Araujo Omar Ardon Ana Caceres Jessica Carrillo Gelnda Coxic Ricardo Cuevas Elizabeth Garcia Kelly Garcia Leticia Garcia Alejendra Hernandez Jeanne Ho Sebastian Laguna Huy Le Carlos Lopez Maritza Lopez Susan Martinez Colby Raymond Stephanie Rivera Caitlin Rochow Hector Tapia Acosta Jesus Torres

Texas A&M Courpus Christi

Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design

Ashley Favor

Texas A&M Kingsville

Abraham Rosales Joselyn Sandoval

Jeffrey Solis

Texas State

San Jacinto College

Kelton Axtell

Niko Corbin Amanda Firenza Chelsea Rodriguez

Tyler College

Fabian Moffett

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