October Issue 2010

Page 1

Two  seniors  get  Band  students  chosen  down  to  business for  summer  tour

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GEAR  UP  offers  students  opportunity Â

By  JULIE  BANG BUSINESS  MANAGER

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arly  exposure  to  the  business  world  at  a  young  age  helps  pave  the  way  for  a  better  future.  This  summer,  seniors  Adrian  Trujillo  and  Alejandra  Escobar  were  chosen  to  represent  the  Southwest,  in  a  national  competition  held  at  Columbia   University  in  New  York  City.   Escobar  and  Trujillo  experienced  working  in  a  â€œreal  lifeâ€?  company.  As  Chief  Financial  2IÂżFHU &)2 (VFREDU managed  a  real  company  and  Trujillo  worked  in  WKH ÂżQDQFH GHSDUWPHQW   â€œI  was  excited  to  play  a  role  as  the  CFO  because  it  had  to  do  a  lot  with  my  future,â€?  Escobar  said.  â€œThe  experience  was  priceless.â€?   Both  got  to  enjoy  New  York  City  subways,  foods  and  housing,  but  the  best  thing  of  all  was  that  this  was  an  all  expenses  paid  trip!  While  enjoying  this  experience  for  one  last  time,  the  top  ranked  students  across  the Â

.

Both  enter  into  realm  of  elite  marching

country  were  able  to  New  York  skyline  aboard  By  JJ  GONZALEZ compete  for  the  national  the  Harbor  Cruise.  STAFF  WRITER title,  and  the  ultimate    â€œWe  are  all  proud  of  prize  was  a  share  of  stock  Adrian  and  Alejandra  his  summer  from  a  major  corporation. for  making  it  this  far   when  most  kids    The  winners  of  this  DORQJ ZLWK ÂżYH RWKHU were  sitting  on  competition  will  be  GEAR  UP  participants,â€?  WKH FRXFK Ă€LSSLQJ announced  at  the  Youth  GEAR  UP  Coordinator  through  channels,  senior  $ERXW %XVLQHVV <$% Regina  Davis  said.  national  banquet  on  the    Escobar  and  Trujillo  tubist  Shane  Montoya  and  junior  mellophonist  Lili  Villatoro  were  chosen  to  tour  this  summer  with  Drum  Corps  Inter-­ national.  Out  of  the  8000  who  tried  out,  fewer  than  4000  made  it.   â€œDCI  is  Marching  Music’s  Major  League,â€?  Villatoro  said.  â€œA  drum  corps  is  a  professional  marching  band  where  the  level  of  intensity  and  dedication  is  far  greater  than  that  of  a  high  school  or  college  marching  band.â€?   Villatoro,  who’s  original  instrument  is  a  woodwind  instrument  called  a  THE  FINAL  DAY:  GEAR  UP  students  exit  the  dorm  clarinet,  spent  the  sum-­ at  the  University  of  Houston  and  head  back  home  mer  learning  how  to  after  two  weeks  of  activities. play  a  brass  instrument  called  the  mellophone.  Ă€RRU RI WKH 1HZ <RUN could  not  have  done  this    â€œGoing  to  try  out  on  Stock  Exchange  this  alone.  They  both  thank  an  instrument  that  I  November.  The  students  YAB  and  GEAR  UP,  who  GLGQÂśW SOD\ ZDV GLIÂżFXOW ´ will  have  the  opportunity  recommended  the  two  Villatoro  said,  â€œbut  if  to  network  with  senior  VWXGHQWV DORQJ ZLWK ÂżYH they  see  that  you  are  level  executives,  others  to  Betty  Tallas... determined  and  have  dedication,  then  they  participate  in  private  golf  will  actually  teach  you.â€? Continued  on  page  2 lessons,  and  enjoy  the Â

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  The  students  were  gone  for  two  and  a  half  months  without  a  break.  During  this  time,  they  practiced  everyday  and  were  constantly  on Â

MAN  IN  UNIFORM:  Mon-­ toya  travels  on  the  road  with  the  corps  Forte.  the  road.  On  average,  practices  would  last  for  up  to  12  hours  followed  by  sleep  at  10  pm  and  starting  over  at  7  am.   â€œThe  hardest  part  of  this  was  pushing  through  the  summer.  Everyday  brought  a  new  challenge,â€?  Montoya  said.    â€œWaking  up,  getting  up  and  repeating  the  same  process  was Â

a  challenge.  The  people  around  me  were  always pushing  me  to  keep  going  and  I’m  so  glad  they  did.â€?   Besides  the  experience  and  what  they’ve  added  to  their  college  resume,  Montoya  looks to  majoring  in  music in  college.    â€œApart  from  the  over  2000  hours  of  practice  and  life  long  lessons,â€?  Montoya  said,  â€œI  got  an  experience  and  a  summer  that  I  will  remember  for  the  rest  of  my  life.â€?   With  these  experiences  comes  encouragement  to  tell  others  of  the  band  to  try  out.  Since  the  student’s  return,  the  band  has  become  more  focused  and  determined  to  be  better.  â€œThe  stu-­ dent’s  see them  and DUH LQĂ€X enced  by  t h e m , â€?  a s s i s t a n t  director  Jeff  M u n g e r  said.  â€œKids  want  to  be  like  them  and  be  able to  join  a  corps  for  a s u m m e r  t o o . â€?

McConn  returns  from  A frica . English  teacher  shares  his  experience  from  his  Tanzanian  adventure

By  KELLEY  KIM EDITOR-­IN-­CHIEF

R Â

e n o w n e d  author  Ernest  Hemingway  is  known  for  his  distinctive  style  of  writing  that  generally  encompasses  different  scenes  of  the  world.  One  particular  Spring  Woods  High  School  teacher  decided  to  retrace  Hemingway’s  footsteps  in  a  journey  through  Africa.  A  grant  funded  by  the  Fund  for  Teachers  program  gave  English  III  AP  teacher  Matthew  McConn  an  opportunity  to  share  his  story.   â€œNot  only  did  I  get  a  better  perspective  on  how  Hemingway Â

got  inspired,  but  I  also  obtained  a  better  understanding  of  his  work  overall,â€?  McConn  said.  â€œIt  made  me  see  just  how  conditioned  we  are  to  social  class  here  in  America.â€?   McConn  and  his  wife  visited  the  northern  area  of  Tanzania  near  the  Serengeti  Plains.  In  addition,  he  went  on  a  thrilling  safari  that  left  him  in  awe.  Aside  from  encountering  numerous  wild  animals  throughout  the  trip,  McConn  also  visited  a  village  of  the  Maasai  people,  a  native  ethnic  group  near  Kenya.    â€œThe  people  I  met  don’t  have  TV’s  to  tell  them  that  they’re  poor  or  what  the  rest  of  the  world  LV OLNH 7KH\ ÂżQG WKHLU

students  interact  on  the  blog  and  read  about  his  trip  and  the  thematic  issues  that  follow.  The  key  point  McConn  wants  students  to  know  is  that  Hemingway’s  intention  in  his  writings  was  not  to  portray  a  destination  that  is  too  far  to  reach,  but  rather  expand  the  reader’s  knowledge  of  places  other  than  home.    â€œThe  most  interesting  part  of  the  entire  trip  was  the  people,â€?  McConn  said.  â€œSure,  there  were  lions,  which  was  really  LQWHUHVWLQJ WR VHH DW ÂżUVW but  then  you  see  them  so  often,  you  lose  the  A  HELPING  HAND:  McConn  interacts  with  children  from  the  Massai  tribe  in  wow  factor.  However,  their  classroom  environment. I  never  stopped  being  happiness  internally,  human  life  after  the  trip  a  blog  that  documents  enamored  by  the  people  ZKLFK PDGH PH ÂżQG D was  over,â€?  McConn  said.   his  entire  one-­week  trip.  and  by  the  culture.â€? new  appreciation  for   McConn  is  working  on  He  plans  to  have  his Â

continued from page 1: TWO SENIORS GET DOWN TO BUSINESS ...the Academy of Finance Coordinator. In order to get recruits, Tallas approached the 'DYLV WR ¿QG VHYHQ students who had interest in business. The camp sought ambitious students with a desire to excel in all aspects of their lives, and promote racial and gender diversity by recruiting students from all socioeconomic EDFNJURXQGV 7KH ¿YH other students who were chosen were Gustavo Lucio, Jorge Martinez, Karen Rubio, Victor Sanchez, and Yesinia Vidal, who all had the potential and met the requirements

to be enrolled in the YAB camp held at University of Houston. YAB camp allowed them to take a sneak peak of the outside world by being exposed WR ¿QDQFLDO WHUPLQRORJ\ and learning how to research and analyze public companies. The students were also able to engage in a competition and gain a better understanding of the business world. During the program, the students formed teams and were advised by area professionals who served as business consultants. Each individual group engaged

in the competition by performing mock mergers and acquisitions. 7KLV EHQH¿WHG PDQ\ students as they were challenged to think through their decisions, and all seven agreed this camp motivated them to ZRUN LQ WKH EXVLQHVV ¿HOG “I am proud of myself that I did not slack off this summer. Instead I learned something valuable,” Lucio said.

Top: Jason Shannon, Alexander Sanchez-­Reyes, Samantha Solis, Jessica Jones, Niko Corbin, JJ Gonzalez Bottom: Jack Rodgers, Chelsea Rodriguez, Dayana Iza, Sam Lopez, Julie Bang, Kelley Kim

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Where are they now? 2006 graduate puts what she learned to work back home

By SAMANTHA SOLIS STAFF WRITER Every year Spring Woods sends hundreds of seniors off into the world at the end of May with high expectations that they will achieve greatness in our community. All of them leave with the knowledge of how to survive whatever is thrown at them, and with talents that will help shape their future. One such alumn, Tanya Needham, graduated from Spring Woods in 2006. She then took the next step in her life and attended the University of Houston-­Central Campus. She graduated this past May, class of 2010, with a degree in Special Education. After graduation, she was offered the job to be a teacher’s assistant at Spring Woods. “I knew I wanted to be a teacher, but when I was offered the opportunity to come to Spring Woods, I was excited,” Needham said. How often are you given the chance to come back to the place where you became the person you are? Could you imagine, your coworkers being the people who once gave you homework, or made you go up to the board in front of the entire class to workout a problem just because you were talking? This is something she has

come to realize isn’t really that big of a deal. “It’s funny cause you get to see how much fun it is behind the scenes. It’s a lot more fun to be a teacher than a student,” Needham VDLG 2QH RI WKH EHQH¿WV

for everything. I will be able to look at the school in a whole new way,” Needham said. Some of her favorite classes while here at Spring Woods were HOSA, journalism, and biology. But

CAP AND GOWN: Tanya Needham graduated from the University of Hous-­ ton with a degree in Special Education. about coming to teach at your old high school is getting to relive all the traditions that take place throughout the year. Homecoming, Tiger fest, pep rallies are all things she looks forward to seeing again. “I’m really excited to be here

choosing a favorite WHDFKHU ZDV GLI¿FXOW “I can’t really pick my favorite. I enjoyed all of them,” Needham said. She is enjoying taking what she has learned from her years as a student to help create future graduates.

2010 REGIT 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, Julie Bang, Kelley Kim, Niko Corbin, Sam Lopez, 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

Save the date class of 2011. Senior pictures are October 27th, 28th, and 29th Underclassmen mark your calendars too. Pictures will be on October 24th and 25th.

any Regit reader. Letters will be checked for grammar, accuracy, punctuation. To join the Regit staff, contact one of the grade level counselors. ADVERTISING: The Regit retains the right to reject advertisement not in the best interest of its audience. Advertising space may be purchased by calling the journalism department at (713) 251-­3239. Advertisement may be faxed to the Regit at (713) 365-­4474.

Yearbooks on sale for $60 until December 15th. Come to room 237 for order forms. Purchase online with a credit card at www.jostensyearbooks.com

Senior Ad order forms also available in room 237.

New  Tiger  Faculty Denise  Healy

Katy  Cuddihee

Teaches  English  1  to  9th  graders. ,Q KLJK VFKRRO VKH ZDV LQ WKH VSHHFK and  debate  team.  Attended  Freed  Hardener  College  in  Tennessee  and  got  bachelors  degree. Worked  at  three  different  schools;Íž  Northbrook  Middle,  Spring  Forest  Middle,  and  now  Spring  Woods  High. Both  of  her  kids  graduated  from  Spring  Woods  and  she  also  worked  with  lots  of  our  staff  members  in  the  past. Likes:  To  read  and  write. Likes  about  teaching Âł, ORYH VHHLQJ D OLJKW EXOE FRPH RQ IRU WKH VWXGHQWV ´ Likes  about  SW:  â€œThe  atmosphere,  teachers  are  very  open  and  supportive  WR WKH VWXGHQWV ´ Spare  time:  read,  travel  with  family,  and  cook.

Choir  director. From  Minnesota. Been  in  Texas  for  10  years.  Taught  at  four  different  schools.  Went  to  Nazareth  College  and  got  her  Masters  at  UH. Likes:  to  watch  people  perform,  seeing  people  do  things  that  they  take  pride  in,  and  when  you  pull  up  in  an  intersection  and  the  person  next  to  you  in  the  drivers  seat  is  singing  and  they  get  really  into  it. Dislikes: FDWV PHDQ SHRSOH WUDI¿F MDPV DQG the  cold. Likes  about  teaching ³, OLNH LW ZKHQ VWXGHQWV ¿QDOO\ JHW WKLQJV DQG WKHUHœ WKDW ³$K KD´ PRPHQW ´ Likes  about  SW ³, ORYH WHDFKLQJ DW 6SULQJ Woods!  There  is  a  really  good  sense  of  community.  Everyone  is  very  respectful.  And  WKH VLQJHUV DUH YHU\ WDOHQWHG ´ Spare  time:  works  out-­  belongs  to  a  gym,  book  club,  cook-­  often  hosts  dinner  parties.

³, KRSH P\ VWXGHQWV EHFRPH OLIH ORQJ UHDGHUV DQG OHDUQHUV ´

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What  do  we  do  to  keep  our  planet  in  good  condition?  Some  of  us  could  list  simple  things,  but  many  would Â

have  nothing  to  say.  Recycling  is  one  of  the  three  R’s  of  waste  management,  along  with  reuse  and Â

reduce  and  it  is  also  the  most  common  way  of  contributing  our  effort  to  our  planet.  Why  should  we  do  it?  Here  is  why.  Â

The  amount  of  trash  that  the  United  States  produces  has  tripled  in  the  past  50  years.  At  that  rate,  we  will  be  producing  nearly  a  billion  tons  of  trash  a  year  by  2060. Â

Each  of  us  uses  approximately  one  100-­foot-­tall  Douglas  tree  in  paper  and  wood  SURGXFWV SHU \HDU ,I ZH GR not  recycle,  we  would  lose   850  million   more  trees  a  year. Â

/DQGÂżOOV DUH UXQQLQJ RXW RI room  for  waste,  and  some  states  are  running  out  of  VSDFH IRU ODQGÂżOOV ,I ZH GR not  recycle  more  we  will  soon  be  surrounded  by  our  own  waste.  How  nasty  can  that  be? Â

Our  oceans  are  also  effected  by  this  because  there  are  already  ODUJH Ă€RDWV RI WUDVK LQ WKHP Most  of  the  trash  is  plastic  which  does  not  break  down  and  it  harms  our  water  species.

,I ZH DOO UHF\FOH ZH would  be  minimizing  the  IDFWV PHQWLRQHG ,I RXU school  had  a  program  to  recycle,  many  of  us  would  actually  do  it  because  we  would Â

Teaches  Algebra  1  and  Geometry. Mother  of  two  kids  and  has  a  dog.  This  \HDU LV KHU ÂżUVW UHDO WHDFKLQJ MRE 6KH ZDV D ORQJ WHUP VXE IRU ,3& SK\VLFV DQG ÂłSODWR´ DW RWKHU VFKRROV Âł0DWK ZDVQÂśW P\ EHVW VXEMHFW LQ KLJK VFKRRO , QHYHU GUHDPHG ,ÂśG EH WHDFKLQJ DQG , GHÂżQLWHO\ ZDV QRW WKH VPDUWHVW VWXGHQW EXW , WULHG ´ Goal  is  for  nobody  to  fail.  Likes:  to  read  Russian  poetry,  watch  3URMHFW 5XQZD\ DQG XVLQJ ELJ ZRUGV Dislikes:  smoke,  and  anything  bad. Likes  about  teaching:  â€œWhen  a  student  VD\V Âł2K JHW LW ´ Likes  about  SW:  â€œThe  staff  is  very  nice,  DQG , OLNH DOO P\ VWXGHQWV ´ Spare  time:  Lifts  weights,  YMCA,  trains. Âł, KRSH WR HQOLJKWHQ P\ VWXGHQWV EHFDXVH LWÂśV ERULQJ WR MXVW WHDFK RQH WKLQJ SDUW RI D WHDFKHUV MRE LV WR KHOS VWXGHQWV IHHO FRQÂżGHQW ´

*Stay tuned: each issue the Regit will highlight more new SWHS teachers.

By  DAYANA  IZA 67$)) :5,7(5

Â

Diane  Hudson

recycle  worksheets,  failing  tests,  and  anything  we  do  not  want  in  our  binder.  Memorial  High  School  actually  has  a  very  well  developed  recycling  program  which Â

has  recycled  an  average  of  400  bottles  per  week  withing  a  93  day  period.  ,I RXU VFKRRO WRRN RQ a  similar  program,  my  God,  would  we  be  contributing  to  our  planet.

7KH 5HJLW &RPLFV The Regit has a new face in comics this year. The Bully’s Choice (drawn by Jason Shannon) features a variety of unique and comical characters. The main character “Punk” is a thirteen year old boy who is only three feet high. Because of his size he gets picked on by a variety of bullies, including an eight foot lout called “Sajerko”. Despite his enormous stature and menacing look, Sajerko lacks in brains what he has in size and is often outwitted by his victim: Punk. Whenever Punk is confronted by these delinquents, he responds with sarcastic remarks and other humerous forms of escape. The comic includes the daily life of Punk and his friends DQG WKH ULGLFXORXV VLWXDWLRQV WKH\ ¿QG WKHPVHOYHV LQ 7+( %8//<·6 &+2,&( %< -$621 6+$1121

Q&A

with  the  exchange  students of  2011

Laura  Niewendick

Lisa  Zeppenfeld

What  program  or  organization  sponsored  your  trip?

What  program  or  organization  sponsored  your  trip?

What  country  are  you  originally  from?  Germany

ERDT Â Share

How  long  have  you  been  in  the  United  States?  About  four  weeks  now

What’s  your  favorite  part  about  Spring  Woods? Â

Umm...  everything!  I  really  like  the  school  spirit  that  we  don’t  have  in  Germany.

:KDWÂśV WKH PRVW GLIÂżFXOW SDUW DERXW EHLQJ LQ $PHULFD" The  language  problem,  but  I’m  getting  used  to  it.

+RZ GRHV $PHULFD FRPSDUH WR *HUPDQ\" Big,  very  big!

Who  is  your  host  family? Â

It’s  a  family  living  here  in  the  neighborhood,  they  are  really  nice.

What  country  are  you  originally  from?  I’m  originally  from  Germany.

The  organization  in  Germany  is  called  â€œInto  SchĂźler-­ austausch.â€?

What’s  your  favorite  part  about  Spring  Woods? Â

I  like  the  different  classes  like  choir,  soccer,  photography,  and  psychology.  I  also  like  the  teachers;͞  they  are  very  nice.

:KDWÂśV WKH PRVW GLIÂżFXOW SDUW DERXW EHLQJ DZD\ IURP KRPH" Â

, KDYH QR SUREOHPV LQ WKH 86$ 2I FRXUVH LWœV D OLWWOH ELW GLI¿FXOW WR PLVV P\ family  and  friends  in  Germany,  but  I  have  a  great  family  here  in  Houston.

+RZ GRHV $PHULFD FRPSDUH WR *HUPDQ\"

I  live  in  a  small  village  in  Germany,  so  it’s  really  exciting  to  see  how  big  Hous-­ ton  is.  The  stores  are  bigger  and  you  have  a  lot  of  different  stuff  to  buy.  In  Germany  it’s  colder  than  in  Texas.  I  love  it!

$QG ZKDW DUH WKHLU QDPHV"

My  host  mom’s  name  is  Phillis  and  my  little  sister  is  called  Trinity.

By  JESSICA  JONES STAFF  WRITER  It  seems  as  if  the  whole  world  is  a-tweeting  as  Twitter  becomes  more  SUHYDOHQW LQ WRGD\¡V society.  This  social  networking  site  allows  users  to  post  what  WKH\¡UH GRLQJ DQG VHH what  their  friends  are  up  to  as  well.  It  can  be  compared  to  a  newsfeed  on  Facebook,  minus  everything  but  WKH VWDWXVHV ,W¡V VR easy  to  sign  up  and  start  posting  that  300,000  people  are  joining  everyday.   Many  students  at  SWHS,  as  well  as  teachers,  have  Twitters.  One  of  them  is  the  resident  AP  Biology  instructor,  Adrianne  Stone  (@swhAPbio).   â€œI  use  it  to  send  out  reminders  EHFDXVH LW¡V D ORW more  convenient  for  students  to  check  their  phones  getting  a  text  message  from  Twitter  than  their  emails,â€?  she  said.   This  rings  true  as  more  and  more  teachers  realize  what  a  resource  Twitter  can  be  when  it  comes Â

to  communicating  with  students.   â€œI  do  know  that  is  it  changing  the  educational  world.  A  lot  of  educators  have  Twitters  right  now  and  they  use  it  to  share  resources,â€?  Stone  said.   The   site  has  only  been  around  for  four  years,  but  it  has  exploded  with  a  whooping  750  tweets  per  second.  Twitter  is  very  simple  and  it  appeals  to  users  by  RÓ˝HULQJ D TXLFN ZD\ WR let  their  followers  know  ZKDW WKH\¡UH GRLQJ LQ 140  characters  or  less.   Although  the  site  has  160  million  registered  users,  millions  more  use  the  website  to  simply  read  tweets  posted  by  others  and  celebrity  ӞJXUHV )RXQGHU Biz  Stone  (@biz)  has  seen  this  trend.  ´7KHUH¡V D lot  more  people  actually  using  it  as  a  consumption  tool,  something  to  get  information,  than  they  are  actually  tweeting,â€?  he  said.  Everyone  from  Justin  Bieber  to  Barack  Obama  tweet  and  people  want  to  get Â

on  Twitter  just  to  see  what  their  favorite  celebrities  are  saying.   Another  feature  on  the  site,  called  @ replying,  lets  users  tweet  back  and  forth  at  each  other.  By  placing  an  @  sign  in  front  of  the  SHUVRQ¡V XVHUQDPH LW

Who  is  your  host  family? Â

I  live  with  a  great  family.  My  host  mom’s  name  is  Amand  Mares  and  she  has  a  son  named  Grayson,  he  is  8  years  old.  I  love  them!

creates  a  link  to  their  SURÓžOH DQG VKRZV XS in  their  @reply  feed.  This  is  how  users  can  communicate,  but  for  the  most  part,  people  just  send  out  one  Tweet  at  a  time.   As  Twitter  continues  to  gain Â

more  users  and  SXEOLFLW\ D TXHVWLRQ arises.  Is  this  just  a  phase  or  will  Twitter  truly  impact  the  world?   â€œI  think  Twitter  will  be  around  for  a  while,â€?  Stone  said,  ´EXW , GRQ¡W NQRZ LI LW¡V SHUPDQHQW Âľ

 It  seems  she  is  right  as  Twitter  becomes  more  and  more  of  a  household  QDPH 'XH WR LW¡V simplicity  and  visually  appealing  graphics,  the  website  LV GHӞQLWHO\ WKH KRW trend  of  the  moment.

6

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7. 1.

Scott:Maine

6..

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4..

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Tiger Legend

9..

1. Senior, Ashley Favor: Colorado “Colorado is the most beautiful state I’ve ever traveled to so far, and I can easily see myself living there.” 2. Junior, Carolina Gomez: D.C. “What made me want to go check out the memorial was that I just saw walls. It was pretty interesting how all those people were in-­ volved in the Vietnam War.” 3. Senior, Ivan Gonzalez: Barcelona, Spain “Going to Spain was quite intense, but I enjoyed being around new people, different people. The atmostphere was more than I expect-­ ed.” 4. Sophomore, Jack Rodgers: Europe “London-­Amsterdam-­Innsbruck-­Venice-­Rome-­Florence-­Lutzern-­Paris!” 5. Senior, Kelley Kim: South Korea “It was a totally different environment than Houston, and it just felt good to be back there. I felt at home in a way.” 6. Senior, Ricky Elias: Guatemala “I went to Guatemala to visit my family. I enjoyed being in the place where a part of my cultre is expressed.” 7. Senior, Scott Glezen: Maine “Going to Maine was a lot of fun. I went boating and camping while spending time with friends and family.” 8. Sophomore, Jasmine Salmeron: Ecuador “I visited my family in Ecuador and we got to different rivers that are there.” 9. English teacher, Matthew McConn: Tanzania, Africa “I traveled to Africa because of Hemmingway. I had always wanted to go after reading his literature. It was life changing.”

Tardy policy de-­ serves second look Teachers decide on reasonable changes Dude, is that AP? How can you live with yourself...

you guys are tools. I think Snooki would make a cute traffic cone. Cher’s had her face lifted so many times, she’s on the 80th floor. o’ real.

You are so dumb...f

I need some lip balm for my crusty crusts.

By ALEX SANCHEZ-­REYES in more than a few in-­

STAFF WRITER

According to the new and already altered tardy policy this year, students with an unexcused tardy in any class, are required to attend a 15 minute lunch detention in room 267B. Those who fail to show up to lunch detention, or receive two or more tardies will have to attend Monday afternoon detention from three to ¿YH , EHOLHYH WKDW WKH changes have improved the policy by making it easier for students to follow and teachers to handle. This summer, 12th grade assistant principal Lynn Austin and a committee of teachers decided to improve last year’s tardy policy, which apparently was confusing for both teachers and students. From what I experienced last school year, I would GH¿QLWHO\ VD\ WKDW WKH former policy was indeed confusing with the need for some polishing. Students last year were not sure when to attend their detentions, and in some cases, did not show up at all which resulted

school suspensions. The new and improved policy is rather straightforward and should be simple enough to follow. Initially, I was not in favor with the new policy. Before several adjustments were made, students had to attend

I believe that teachers VKRXOG EH PRUH ÀH[LEOH and understanding when it comes to these type of tardies. I understand that we have a seven minute time period to get to class, but having to walk to the lockers and across campus through congested hallways

“Changes have improved the policy by making it easier for students to follow and teachers to handle.” lunch detention on the same day that they were tardy, and it became confusing for those with tardies after lunch. The only problem that I still have with this, is that it only takes one tardy to receive detention. On occasion, there are students who arrive to class just seconds after the late bell, and still receive lunch detention. I have already seen this happen a few times this year, and

tends to slow things down a bit for many students. In addition, the policy requires parents WR EH QRWL¿HG IRU WKHLU child’s tardy. Though unnecessary, I suppose SDUHQWDO QRWL¿FDWLRQ could serve as motivation for students to arrive to class on time. I know that LW ZRXOG GH¿QLWHO\ ZRUN for me.

2010-2011 Tardy Policy: Unexcused Tardy: 15 min. lunch detention Where: 267B 2+ Tardies: Monday afternoon detention and ISS Parental 1RWLÀFDWLRQ Parents of those with Monday afternoon detention and ISS will be

called

Legality vs. Morality

Why the mosque-­erade is more than just a fuss over a blue print

By KELLEY KIM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF America: The Land of the Free. Our nation’s founding fathers taught us to embrace countless ethnicities, religious denominations, languages and faces. But my question is: If we are such a free and desirable nation that is proud of our constitutional roots, why do some Americans continually question their inherent rights to religious freedom? About two months ago, the Park51 project— or the “Ground Zero M o s q u e ” — b e c a m e a heated topic. The building would replace an old, abandoned Burlington Coat Factory in lower Manhattan. The controversy? The proposed site for the Islamic community center is about two blocks away from (in other words, “too close to”) Ground Zero—the hallowed site of where America’s prized Twin Towers used to stand

prior to the 9/11 attacks. Now, the question we face as Americans today: Is it right? Or is it about what is right? :KHQ , ¿UVW KHDUG about this issue, I had the same reaction as everyone else—how insensitive for that man to build a mosque near such hallowed ground. It would remind so many Americans about how those Muslim extremists crashed into the proud twin towers and covered all of lower Manhattan in tangible despair. However, even though it may be too soon to even consider putting a giant welcome mat over a ten-­mile radius from Ground Zero, we should not let the remnants of our hearts spoil atop of our ground and contradict what we believe in as Americans. %HIRUH , VROLGL¿HG P\ opposition, I had to be able to back it up. In the process, I actually found hidden truths behind the façade created by popular media. As political commentator

and comedian Jon Stewart interviewed New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Bloomberg stated how the plan had already been set since December of 2009 and the center of worship has been in operation since last summer. Quite frankly, the only reason I believe this is such a heated issue is because of the upcoming midterm elections. But the bigger issue we are blinded from yet face today is not about the ethics of the building’s placement or even the building itself—it’s our identity. In my eyes, we’re losing our face in this world as a nation. The ugly side of America is emerging from the dark corners over temporary issues such as Park51 that is all spurred by the malicious media sources. Hateful opinions that clearly display signs of bigotry are literally making my jaw drop in disbelief that someone could do or say such things. Clear signs of this “Islamaphobia” can be seen in

controversies such as the priest in Gainsville, Florida who planned to burn several copies of the Quran on the 9th anniversary of 9/11 and those who followed through. Because of narrow-­minded ten-­ dencies like this, I’m becoming more inclined

to be in full support of the center’s construction. Sure, I’m opposed to the moral idea of it, but we also must not forget who we are— Americans who believe in the Constitution. It is incredibly hypocritical to simultaneously exercise one’s right to

WKH ¿UVW DPHQGPHQW by demanding the government to prevent another group from exercising it, too. In addition to the land being private property owned by private people, how can we restrict another American’s rights? It may be an insensitive move for Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf to place something that reminds us of the terror attacks ten years ago, but I think it’s even more insensitive to ignore both the Constitution and the Imam’s intentions. Rauf has stated time and time again that he wants to build this community center to show our community that not all Muslims are extremists or warmongers. This is not a victory for anyone, and if anything, pushing the issue away only makes matters worse internationally. Sure, many Americans believe it should not be built out of sensitivity, but if he and his wife have the right to, who is to stop him?

Theater  begins  new  season

.

Opening  weekend  of  Big  River  dazzles  audiences

By  JESSICA  JONES STAFF  WRITER     As  a  new  year  of  theater  begins,  Thespian  Troupe  127  opens  the  season  with  their  rendition  of  Big  River:  The  Adventures  of  Huckleberry  Finn.  The  musical,  based  on  the  novel  by  Mark  Twain,  tells  of  Huck  and  his  friend,  a  runaway  slave  named  Jim  and  their  trip  up  the  Mississippi  River.    Playing  the  role  of  Jim,  senior  Mark  Frazier  continues  to  shine  on  the  stage.  As  he  looks  forward  to  another  great  year,  he  feels  like  he  shares  a  slight  bond  with  his  character.   â€œI  feel  like  I  can  relate  to  Jim  because  sometimes  people  still  use  race Â

LET  THE  LIGHT  SHINE:  The  cast  of  Big  River  illuminates  the  stage. as  a  means  of  judging  people,â€?  he  said.  Opening  night  came  fast,  so  the  cast  buckled  down  and  got  focused  during  rehearsal.  A  timeline  was  created  to  map  out  what  had Â

to  be  covered  at  each  rehearsal  and  the  thespians  stayed  late  to  get  it  done.  Director  Terry  Hibbert  noticed  the  work  ethic  of  her  students.   â€œWe  have  an  amazing  group  of  actors  this Â

season,  very  energetic  and  talented,â€?  she  said.  â€œWe’ve  had  great  turn-­ outs  for  everything  so  far  and  we’ve  seen  a  lot  of  dedication.â€?   Not  only  did  the  troupe  work  toward  perfecting Â

.

By  DAYANA  IZA STAFF  WRITER

and  heads  of  course  make  us  twist  in  our  chairs,  but  always  makes  us  look  at  our  neighbor  and  say  â€œBEAST!â€?   The  movie  itself  offers  nothing  unique,  but  the  cast  is  what  makes  it... different!  It  was  the  great  action  heroes  of  the  80’s  that  drove  millions  of  Americans  to  theaters  and  purchase  a  ticket,  though  many  of  us  just  went  to  see  the  hot  babes  LQ WKH ÂżOP 6WDOORQH may  be  in  his  sixth  decade,  but  he  is  still  as  amazing  as  in  â€œRocky.â€?

Courtesy  of  Movie-­Area.net

 â€œThe  Expendablesâ€?  is  another  action  movie  ¿OOHG ZLWK VWXQWV JXQV bombs,  intense  violence,  and  of  course,  hot  guys! 7KH ÂżOP KDV LW DOO and  may  I  say  there  is  even  more  for  women.  Sylvester  Stallone,  Jason  Statham,  Terry  Crews,  Jet  Li,  Dolph  Laundren,  Randy  Couture,  Steve  Austin,  and  Bruce  Willis  all  in  a  single  movie!  Amazing!  Insane Â

muscles  and  pretty  faces  just  makes  us  not  take  our  eyes  off  the  screen!  While  our  boyfriends  are  so  into  the  action  packed  movie,  we  just  stare  at  the  super  stars  on  screen  and  wonder  why  on  earth  they  are  so  cute!    The  movie  itself  does  not  have  the  best  storyline,  but  it  does  a  swell  job  of  keeping  us  entertained.  The  action  explodes  throughout  the  whole  movie,  so  much  so  that  the  movie  can  be  called  a  single  action  scene.  The  breaking  of  bones Â

By  NIKO  CORBIN STAFF  WRITER   Waiting  in  the  dark  cold  theater,  I  could  feel  my  eyes  begin  to  water.  These  were  tears  of  happiness,  for  this  is  a  heart  warming  story  of  ¿YH PHQ RQ D PLVVLRQ WR destroy  a  vicious  dictator.  7KH WHDUV EHJDQ WR Ă€RZ DV , JRW D ÂżUVW JOLPSVH of  Sly  Stallone  and  Dolph  Lundgren  together  DJDLQ IRU WKH ÂżUVW WLPH since  â€œRocky  IVâ€?.  Then  I  remembered  that  I  was  in  a  guy  movie  and  couldn’t  cry  for  fear  of Â

losing  my  last  man  card.   I  sat  and  watched  for  WKH ÂżUVW WLPH LQ D ORQJ time  a  true  action  movie.  $ Ă€LFN ZLWK VR PXFK testosterone  that  it  made  me  seem  manly.  This  ¿OP LV PRUH WKDQ MXVW Adonis  like  men  blowing  things  up.  This  is  a  movie  about  one  man’s  search  (Stallone)  for  the  redemption  of  his  soul.   Amongst  all  of  this  action,  â€œThe  Expendablesâ€?  has  something  not  every  movie  has,  and  thats  good  acting.  Even  with Â

only  a  few  brief  moments  on  the  screen,  Academy  Award  nominee  Micky  Rourke  with  his  role  as  Tool,  a  retired  member  of  the  team  steals  the  show.  His  role  is  pivotal  and  deep,  as  he  helps  6WDOORQH ÂżQG KLV ZD\   This  is  more  than  just  another  run  of  the  mill  action  movie,  with  massive  explosions,  bulky  men  and  hot  women.  This  is  a  truly  good  movie... that  just  happens  to  have  explosions,  lots  of  them.        Â

ÂżQLVK 7KH ELJ RSHQLQJ number,   â€œDo  You  Want  to  Go  to  Heavenâ€?,  shows  the  entire  town  of  St.  Petersburg  telling  Huck  to  shape  up  if  he  wants  to  go  to  heaven.  This  song  sets  the  stage  for  the  rest  of  the  show,  as  the  story  begins  to  unfold.   The  events  that  follow  weave  a  magical  story  of  pranks,  close  calls,  hard  times,  and  discovering  who  you  really  are.  The  season  opener  brings  high  hopes  for  the  theater  department.  â€œI  really  think  we  are  going  to  see  an  excellent  year  of  theater,â€?  Hibbert  said.  â€œWe  want  everyone  to  come  out  and  see  our  shows  because  we’re  very  proud  of  our  thespians.â€?

Big River

One  girl,  one  boy,  same  movie Opposite  sexes  review  â€œThe  Ex-­ pendables,â€?  give  4  thumbs  up

the  show  for  the  community,  they  also  prepared  the  production  to  be  adjudicated  for  State  festival.  Only  two  schools  in  all  of  Texas  will  be  chosen,  so  the  FRPSHWLWLRQ LV ÂżHUFH Hibbert  and  co-­director  Anne  Yancey  picked  the  show  that  they  felt  gave  them  the  best  shot.   â€œWe  thought  it  would  be  the  perfect  show  to  highlight  our  students  talents.  By  doing  this  show,  we  are  also  bringing  a  very  important  American  classic  to  life,â€?  Hibbert  said.  The  combination  of  unique,  hilarious  characters  and  the  charm  of  the  southern  setting,  Big  River  will  captivate  audiences  from  start  to Â

Performance  Dates:

Ticket  Prices:

Septemebr  24th  @  7:30 September  25th  @  2:30  &  7:30 September  26th  @  7:30 October  1st  @  7:30 October  2nd  @  2:30  &  7:30

Adults-­$10.00 Children  -­  $5.00 Students  -­  $5.00 Employees-­  $8.00

What  happened  to  good  TV?

.

New  television  shows  lack  luster  of  oldies

By  NIKO  CORBIN STAFF  WRITER   This  epidemic  of  bad  TV  is  spreading  faster  than  the  Swine  Flu.  You  can’t  even  watch  cartoons  anymore  without  losing  brain  cells.   Having  watched   countless  hours  of  television,  I  feel  that  I’m  VRUW RI DQ DÂżFLRQDGR That  being  said,  I  can  tell  a  bad  show  when  I  see  it.  Shows  like  the  â€œReal  Worldâ€?  don’t  really  show  reality.  They  just  show  a Â

bunch  of  dumb  people  drinking  excessively.  The  only  thing  wrose  than  reality  TV  might  be  the  new  wave  of  cartoons.   â€œDragonball  Zâ€?  and  â€œThundercatsâ€?  were  the  pinnacles  of  story  driven  cartoons.  When  we  were  kids,  we  sat  on  the  edge  of  our  seats  waiting  to  see  if  the  hero  would  prevail.  With  new  cartoons  like  â€œFanboy  and  Chum  Chumâ€?,  we  can’t  even  tell  if  there  is  a  hero.   The  way  I  see  it,  TV  changes  with  the  masses  and  unless  we Â

stop  watching  these  shows  now,  good  TV  will  be  lost  forever.   What  has  happened  to  TV?  The  answer... we  did.  We  are  both  the  problem  and  the  solution.  Rather  than  watching  smat  satirical  comedies,  we  would  rather  watch  Snooki  get  drunk  and  party.  We  can  still  save  TV  by  ignoring  the  â€œJersey  Shoreâ€?  and  have  everyone  watch  the  â€œDaily  Showâ€?.  With  every  good  show  that  springs  up,  I  feel   there’s  hope  for  TV. Â

Must  see  TV! 1.  It's  Always  Sunny  in  Philadel-­ phia:  This  is  how  you  make  political        commentary  funny. 2.  The  Daily  Show:  Just  a  smart  and   funny  news  show.  3.  Modern  Family:  They’re  like  your   family,  but  funnier. 4.  Wipeout:  Need  I  say  more?  5.  Dexter:  Great  show...if  you’re  into  serial  killers  who  kill  serial  kill-­ ers.

Texans rise  above  all  in  AFC  South

Leslie Laynes

By  JJ  GONZALEZ COLUMNIST

  Hey  everyone.  I  will  talk  about  the  2-­1  Texans  but  ¿UVW OHW V WDON DERXW WKH more  important  team.  $V PDQ\ RI \RX NQRZ the  NFL  season  has  begun  and  Super  Bowl  ;/9 LV DW -HUU\ -RQHV VWDGLXP WKLV \HDU <HV , love  the  the  Dallas  Cow-­ boys  they  demolished  the  Texans  this  weekend  giving  me  hope  again.     Growing  up  in  a  town  where  criticism  is  heavy  on  quarterback  Tony  5RPR , ZRXOG KDYH WR completely  agree  with  how  terrible  he  is.  Being  inconsistent  for  the  past  WKUHH \HDUV 5RPR KDV single  handedly  caused  the  heartache  of  fans  by  allowing  them  to  see  the  offense  do  nothing  but  score  on  occasional  ¿HOG JRDOV %XW WKHUH DUH times  where  Romo  mans  up  and  shines  as  one  of  the  best  in  the  league.   The  defense  is  young  and  arguably  the  most  talented.  Besides  the  score  on  the  fumble  against  the  Washington  5HGVNLQV LQ ZHHN RQH the  defense  allowed  only  six  points.  This  creates  FRQĂ€LFW EHFDXVH ORV-­ ing  close  games  can-­ not  happen  if  the  Cow-­ boys  hope  to  make  it  deep  into  the  playoffs.    The  biggest  surprise  so  far  this  NFL  season  has  come  here  in  Houston  where  running  back  Ari-­ an  Foster  ran  on  33  car-­ ries  for  a  whopping  231  yards  and  three  touch-­ downs  averaging  seven  yards  per  carry  in  week  one.  The  once  shortly  beloved  Steve  Slaton  is  now  just  a  back  up  who  is  now  their  kick-­off  re-­ turner.  With  Arian  Fos-­ ter  having  both  speed  DQG SRZHU KH ZLOO EH the  every  down  back.    My  wish  is  to  see  a  Texas  showdown  in  the  Super  Bowl.  If  the   Cowboys  can  maintain  the  the  focus  they  had  DJDLQVW WKH 7H[DQV WKHQ it  could  happen.  With  WKDW EHLQJ VDLG , ZLOO EH GULYHQ WR VD\ WKURXJK the  ecstasy  of  seeing  WKH 7H[DQV ZLQQLQJ WKDW they  might  just  win  it  all.  My  prediction  is  the  Houston  Texans  losing  to  the  Dallas  Cowboys  .

V-ball allstars: Coach REbovich

Kelsey Radabaugh

Laura Cazares

Abbey Raymond

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