October 2012Volume 89, Issue 2

2305 East Main StreetLeague City, TX 77573

Invisible Children continues Kony 2012 campaignBy Valerie HellinghausenEditor-in-Chief

On November 17, 2012, the Invisible Children foundation plans to lead a massive march on the White House to continue their mission to raise global awareness about the war being waged in Sudan led by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and to arrest their leader Joseph Kony.

Invisible Children launched their latest documentary “MOVE” on October 7, urging viewers to support and attend the march on November 17. The thirty-one minute film offers viewers information about Invisible Children’s history as well an update on the war that inspired their cause, their company, and most importantly Kony 2012. Kony 2012 is a year-long experiment to gain the attention of civilians and world leaders alike to arrest Joseph Kony.

Invisible Children has been fighting to stop Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army from abducting children and forcing them to serve as child soldiers. Invisible children has been committed to fighting crimes against humanity for nine years, including 14 tours and ten documentaries. According to updated information in “MOVE,” the LRA has been committing acts of genocide for 26 years and has displaced over 470,000 people in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and currently Sudan. Alongside these statistics outlined in the video, Invisible Children’s CEO Ben Keesey stated that the LRA is at

one of its weakest point in history with approximately 200 to 300 active soldiers.

“If you just report the facts and the statistics of a war, people can’t relate, so

they turn it off. They don’t watch it,” Invisible Children’s Creative Director Jason Russell said in “MOVE.”

In order to avoid being turned off and having their cause forgotten, Russell and other Invisible Children supporters have continued their efforts to stop the war by confronting this situation on a civilian level in both active war zones and recovering communities. To save

lives and encourage current LRA soldiers to return home, an Early Warning Radio Network has been established and extended to warn civilians of potential

attacks by the LRA. Fliers along with radio broadcasts have also been posted throughout various areas to urge soldiers to return to their homes.

Despite their efforts, Invisible Children is still calling on U.S. citizens and people from around the globe to support their cause before the Kony 2012 experiment “expires” on December 31. In order for what Invisible Children has called the peak of their experiment to

work, specific numbers of attendees and global leaders are needed for the march in Washington D.C. on November 17. Invisible Children has explained that this global summit serves to communicate between civilians and leaders what is needed and what needs to be done in order to stop the LRA.

“We are fighting for a world where genocide and crimes against humanity cannot happen. The experiment is not over. We all have to make a decision. Either we lead or we follow, but eventually everyone will have to move,” Russell said in “MOVE.”

To join their movement, go to www.invisiblechildren.com/kony to learn more about Invisible Children, “MOVE,” and the march on November 17. Those wishing to attend on November 17 can do so online. There is no fee for signing up to attend or age requirement, however those 18 and under will need parental consent, and those 14 and under will need parental consent and to register with an adult in order to attend. The march will surround the White House and the ten city blocks surrounding it. In order to do this, however, Invisible Children asks that attendees and supporters email world leaders from the African Union, the European Congo, the United Nations, the International Crime Court, the United States of America, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic. Leaders can be directly contacted from the Invisible Children website to invite them to this event and to tell them why their support is needed.

Photos courtesy of Invisible Children

HOMECOMINGoct 22-oct26, 2012

and homecoming dance october 27 7:00-11:00 pm, sponsered by jrotc

DRESS UP DAYSmonday- Rodeo Daytuesday- Outdoorsman DayWednesday- Mad Scientist Daythursday- Superhero Dayfriday- Creek Out

SPECIAL EVENTSWednesday- PARADE AND CANDLELIGHT PEP RALLY

thursday- VOTE FOR HOMECOMING QUEENfriday- CARNIVAL DURING LUNCH, PEP RALLY,

CROWING OF QUEEN @ 6:00 CREEK VS BROOK @ 7:00

2 OpinionWhat is one thing you are looking

forward to about Homecoming?

2012-2013

Principal: Scott Bockart Advisor: Wynette Jameson Executive Editor: Jan O’Neil Editor-in-Chief: Valerie Hellinghausen Design Editor: Hannah Brinsko Management Editor: Madison Williams Features Editor: Leticia Suarez News Editor: Arlen Addison Teen Interest Editor: Kristina Koonce Sports Editors: Greg Brotzman Dylan Hill Around Creek Editors: Rachel Duncavage Audree Hall Advertising Managers: Bailey Clelland Evelyn Shanks Photo Editors: Gabrielle Renwall Sierra Kemper

Published at Mirror Publishers in Texas CityEmail us at: creekhilife@gmail.com

Visit us at: http://clearcreekhighschool.ihigh.comFor ad rates call: (281)284-1889 Fax: (281)332-9079

HiLife Staff

Leilani BorenMallori Flanagan

Jasmine GarzaHannah GellmanMonica Jackson

Breanna JeffcoatMolly Johnson

Lilli LaraShelby Lyles

Sydney MatthewsLisa Nhan

Allison RaderJessica SielingNatalie Steele

Jenan TahaRachel Wolfe

“I’m looking forward to something

totally new that I didn’t have at my old school in Panama.”-Sophia Freedmann

FRESHMEN SENIORS

SOPHOMORES

JUNIORS

I am looking forward to

asking the girl I like to

dance.” -AJ Robare

“I’m looking forward to senior hip hop, which any senior Cavalier would say.”-Clarissa Garza

“Superhero Day is going to be the best part of

Homecoming.”-Marco Hernandez

I’m looking forward to Sarah Kaplan’s fake moustache booth at the carnival.”-Kristin Berthiaome

“I’m looking forward to making mums! It’s my favorite part of Homecoming!”- Marley Foster

I’m looking ward to decorat-

ing for the dance with ROTC.”

-Kassidy Dees

“i”m looking forward to either the

pep rally or seeing who is on the

Homecoming Court.” - Santana

Day

“I really want to see

the game because I

know people on both

sides.”

-Xavier Ferrall

“I love the dress up days! When else can I wear a ridiculous outfit to school?” -Faith Blanchard

“I’m looking forwrd to play-ing in the band because low brass is the best.” -Tori Gellman

“I’m really looking forward to the pep rally because I’m finally senior!” -Blaire McBurney“I can’t wait to have a big white and silver mum! I’ve been waiting four years for it!”

-Miranda Sandlin

“I am looking forward to per-

forming with the Cadettes.”

-Randi Simmins

“I’m excited for the carnival.” -Lisa Hart

“I’m looking forward to the

Chamber Choir singing!” -Gina

Serini

“I always look forward to the dance because it is so fun!” -Cristina Graham

“I’m excited because

Homecoming is on my

birthday.”

-Sierra Boudreaux

“I’m looking forward to watching Creek WIN the game!”-Kelly Clark

3EditorialValerie’s Voice

Hannah’sHullaballoo

By Valerie HellinghausenEditor-in-Chief

By Hannah BrinskoDesign Editor

It’s best to leap into something you know you

love. You might change your mind later, but that is the

privilege of youth.-Charles Kuralt

Now that the school year is in full swing and assignments, projects, and extra curricular activities have eaten up all of my time, the bell curve that comes with this time of year is reaching a plateau. For me, band practices seem to drag on for hours, homework is a never-ending mountain I am forced to climb, and sleep is an unimaginable luxury. However, I feel that if I continue to reach the top of this bell curve and place a limit on my potential, by the time I reach the bottom I will not have reached all my goals, and not left everything I have to give in these next few weeks.

I have been in band and played the clarinet since sixth grade, and as my senior season of marching band comes to a close in just a few more rehearsals, I have started thinking about one private clarinet lesson in particular. My private lessons teacher has taught me for almost seven years now, and after observing her daughter’s dance clinic, she related one very intriguing piece of advice to me that she had heard. She told me to remember that it is a privilege to do what I love, and if I am not doing what I do because I love it, then I should seriously ask myself why I am here. This small observation made me start rethinking my attitude this entire season and how I treat playing the clarinet. For many, it has been a countdown of practices, drill reps, and even performances, and I unfortunately have felt that way at times, despite being in one of the top leadership positions in the band.

In band, we always talk about how we cannot afford to have a bell-curved season, and how, in order to be competitive, we have to continue to raise the bar instead of falling back into old habits. This year, our goal as a band leadership team is to make it to the Area round of the State Marching Competition. We have all the information, the drill is all learned, and we have had the music since August, yet I find myself in search of motivation, despite experiencing last season where we made finals for the first time in ten years, and knowing how it feels to finally receive some pay off after a season of hard work and two previous seasons of complete letdowns. In order to achieve our goals, it requires that we all

work harder than we ever have before to be better than we have even been. The problem is, while we are all fully capable of achieving our goals, it now lies in our hands to treat every rehearsal as a privilege like my private lesson teacher said. If we are unable to take anything positive away from our rehearsals, then it becomes harder to keep going out on the practice field.

I wish I could attribute this lack of motivation to something greater than stress, but in the past few months, I have allowed band to be something I am obligated to do, not something I choose to do because I love performing, marching,

and being surrounded with what I consider to be one of the greatest groups of people on this campus. Every time I pull out my clarinet, it is because I have to practice, not because I want to go to Area in marching band, not because I could not dream of anything more exciting than making All-State Region Band. This absolute lack of enjoyment has translated into so much frustration, as I try to make music out of everything I play but fail to because I do not immerse myself in the music or feel much

of anything when I play except the relief that I finally found time to practice.

While it is unfortunate that I have felt this way and so have many of my peers in their various activities and areas of

interest, it is a realization that has helped me approach what little time I have in band, in newspaper, and in all the things I enjoy about high school in a new light. As a result, I have made that small piece of advice the mantra for the rest of the season, and maybe even senior year. In order to make any of the past three months I have spent on burning pavement worth it, I am going to have to start seeing my practices, performances, and all the time in between that I spend with the band as a privilege, as something I chose to do every year throughout middle school and high school, and was never forced to do by any means.

In a few weeks, I will have no clue what to do with the time I usually spend on the practice field with the band. In a few weeks, despite the number of trophies, plaques, or captions we won or missed, I will never have the chance to perform with the same group of people again. In a few weeks, my final high school marching season and one-fourth of my senior year will be over. While for some this will be the time to break out the tissues and cry about how much we are going to miss band, for others it will be a relief, but for me I think I want to make it about achieving the goals we set in August, enjoying the successes of an incredible marching season, and being able say that is has been an absolute privilege to be a part of one of the top-performing ensembles at Clear Creek and to be a part of such a dynamic group of people that have changed me over the past seven years.

November 6, 1994. The handful of seniors born on or before that day are eligible to vote in the upcoming presidential election. This date leaves the majority of high school students unable to vote until the 2016 election four years from now. However, students’ inability to vote should not deter students from getting involved in the political process. The current political climate at Creek is one of apathy, and one might even argue ignorance. There seems to be growing attitude of, “Why should I care? I’m not an adult/ it doesn’t really affect me.” This simply is not the case.

The election matters. It matters a lot. Election buzz words that get tossed around on debates and commercials like “Medicaid,” “deficit,” and “energy dependence” may not seem very relevant to the daily life of a student, but fast forward four years. The man that is elected in November will be the same man that is in office when you enter college and are applying for student aid and seeing how much debt you will acquire to get a college education. The same man will be in office when you start looking for a job, working part time at the Kemah Boardwalk or Starbucks for $7.25 an hour.

The man that is elected will play a big factor in whether you can stay on your parents’ healthcare until you are 26 or until you turn 18 or graduate from college. So even if you could care less about immigration, gun rights, and social security, there are still pivotal issues in this election that will undeniably have a major impact in your life in the coming years.

If you feel strongly about the election, do not be discouraged if you cannot vote.

There are plenty of other ways to support the candidate of your preference. You can simply passively show your support for a candidate by liking them on Facebook, wearing a political shirt to school, or slapping a campaign sticker on your car’s bumper. Or, if you are passionate about a candidate, you can volunteer to make phone calls for their campaign with other local citizens, or host a debate watch party. Overall, youth is not an excuse for not participating in the democratic process.

In addition to political apathy, another large problem at Creek is political ignorance. While a recent poll of 128 students conducted by the newspaper staff showed that 97 percent of students were able to correctly label a picture of Barack Obama when showed his picture, only 63 percent of students could not label Vice President Joe Biden’s picture. The mixture of incorrect answers received on the survey

were simultaneously humorous and depressing, with students labeling Biden as other famous old white guys including former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

It is easy to keep up with current events and politics. While students may not have the time to watch an entire news program every night in between extra-curricular activities and homework or read the paper in the morning before heading to school, there are many other ways students can keep up to date. Channel One news (www.channelone.com) puts out a short fifteen minute news program daily, specifically designed for

students. Websites such as The Week (www.theweek.com) several different periodicals to let readers quickly learn about both sides of an issue. Finally, The Huffington Post has a special section (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/2012-our-election) that is filled with editorials written by high school students around the country following the election.

Our school is facing many of the same challenges that other schools across the country are facing, student apathy and ignorance in the midst of a critical election. However, with a bit of effort, students can play an active role in the democratic process, even if they are not eligible to vote.

Young people should be at the forefront

of global change and innovation.

Empowered, they can be key agents for development and

peace. If, however, they are

left on society’s margins, all of us will be

impoverished. Let us ensure that all young

people have every opportunity to

participate fully in the lives of their societies.

-Kofi Annan

News4The Endeavor makes its final flight to Los Angeles

In 1987 the United States congress authorized construction of the Endeavour Space Shuttle (the fifth shuttle orbiter) to replace the Challenger. The Challenger was lost in the STS-51-L launch accident in 1986. Endeavour’s final launch was in Florida, as they headed to California for display. On the way, while being piggyback on atop a m o d i f i e d Boeing 747 jumbo jet, the Endea-vour took a stop in H o u s t o n , Texas at E l l i n g -ton Field for public view. The shuttle is now re-tired, due to the ending of NASA’s 3 0 - y e a r s h u t t l e program in July 2011.

The Endeavour Shuttle was built from spares, be-cause they did not want to refit the Enter-prise or accept a Rockwell International proposal to build two shuttles for the price of one. The shuttle is 75 tons and stretches 122 feet in length, measures 78 feet from wingtip to wingtip and is more than five stories tall standing straight up. This shut-tle got its name from the British HMS En-deavour (1764), which is the ship that took

Captain James Cook on his first voyage of discovery. The name also honored Endea-vour, the command Module of Apollo 15, which was also named after Cook’s ship. Being delivered by Rockwell International Space Transportation Systems Division in May 1991, Endeavour first launched a year later on STS-49. Despite construction cost-ing US $2.2 billion, Rockwell International

had made no profit on Endeavour. In 1992, Endeavour’s first launch, the

shuttle captured and redeployed the strand-ed INTELSAT VI communications satel-lite. This launch lasted nine days from May

7 to May 16. Months after the first launch, the first female African-American astro-naut, Mae Jemison, was brought into space on the STS-47 mission. Before she became an astronaut she was working for Kennedy Space Center in Florida doing launch sup-port activities in 1987. Mrs. Jemison left NASA in March 1993.

A year later in 1993, the Endeavour

m a d e i t s f i r s t m i s -

sion to the Hubble Space Telescope. En-deavour was taken from service for eight months in 1997, for a retrofit and new air-lock installation. In December of 1998, the shuttle delivered the Unity Module to the Zarya module of the International Space Station. Endeavour flew its last mission, STS-134, to the International Space Sta-tion in May 2011, but the last mission of all what when Atlantis rolled to its home port, NASA Kennedy Space Center in July 2011.

Starting December of 2003, Endeav-our had its last Orbiter Major Modifica-tion period that did not end until Octo-ber 6, 2005. The Endeavour has spent 20 years, going on missions and orbits for NASA. On July 31, 1987 Endeavour won its first contract award. It has traveled a total distance of 122,833,151 miles, spent

296 days in space, deployed three satel-lites, and went on twenty-five missions. For its fairly large size, this shuttle carried 154 crewmembers.

The Endeavour had its last flight on September 19, 2012 that lasted three days, while it traveled to Los Angeles, California to be displayed in the Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion, open-

ing October 30, 2012. On Septem-ber 21, 2012 when the E n d e a v o u r landed in Cal-ifornia, Dan-iela Derd-erian brought her son Mi-chael and her daughter An-gela to see. She agrees with the re-tirement as quoted, “It’s a piece of his-tory. It’s the closing of an era. I remem-ber when the C o l u m b i a e x p l o d e d . This is like the end of an era of man traveling in space, espe-cially with

Neil Armstrong just dying.” Its twenty years of hard work have paid off with its 4, 617 orbits, and is now a retired orbiter of the NASA Space Shuttle Program. As of September 21, the shuttle is in perma-nent display in California, along with the Discovery, Enterprise, and Atlantis. After the Discovery was retired, only Atlantis had been left for removal from the shuttle program. Soon after Atlantis had been shut down is when the NASA’s longest running space-flight program came to an end.

On May 29, 2011, Charles Bolden, an astronaut who participated in four of the missions, stated “We could conceiv-ably put a human on the surface of Mars in 2030, the president has told up he wants us to rendezvous with and put astronauts in the vicinity of an asteroid in 2025.” The space shuttle program has come to an end, the last space shuttle to grace the skies is put to rest, and a memory is left in all our hearts, while a new era is planning to be opened.

The space shuttle Endeavour lands at LAX Friday, September 21, 2012, in Los Angeles, California. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

By Lilli LaraReporter

5News 5Texas voting laws changed under Voting Right Act

Here in Texas, a picture ID has always been required in order to vote during presi-dential elections. Recently, however, a Federal District court in Washington, D.C, vetoed this law arguing that it denied the opportunity to vote to the minority who did not own any form of photographic identi-fication.

The state’s voter-identification law, known as Senate Bill 14, says it is manda-tory to have one of five forms of ID, in-cluding a driver’s license or a United States passport. If neither of these is possible, the person is required to get an election identi-fication certificate, which only available at a Department of Public Safety with proper documentation. Without the necessary pa-perwork, people would have to pay a $22 fee. This was seen as a problem because many counties in Texas lacked a D.P.S of-fice, and such a trip would be formidable to the poor who could not afford it. The three-judge district court ruled that this law will have retrogressive effect, and that it estab-lishes racial minorities in Texas. The law was passed last year by the Obama Admin-istration using the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a law designed to protect the voting rights of minorities, but was subject to approval by federal officials as the V.R.A required. Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry argued that the simple purpose of this law was to prevent voter fraud, and to impede

any attempts to interfere with the Demo-cratic Process.

“Chalk up another victory for fraud. Today, federal judges subverted the will of the people of Texas, and undermined our effort to ensure fair and accurate elec-tions,” Perry said to the judges.

“The court’s decision today and the de-cision earlier this week on the Texas redis-tricting plans not only reaffirm - but help protect - the vital role the Voting Rights Act plays in our society to ensure that ev-ery American has the right to vote and to have that vote counted,” U.S. attorney gen-eral Eric H. Holder Jr. responded.

The evidence showed the judges that the cost of compliance would affect the poor the most, which included a high per-centage of African Americans and Hispan-ics, making the law likely to elude the Mi-nority Voting Rights. The 24th amendment to the Constitution, Section 1, states “The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, and shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.” The courts believe that denying the opportunity to anybody would be seen as discrimination, therefore violating the Constitution.

Texas has spent an average of $2 mil-lion dollars trying to defend its voter ID law, and it is redrawing of political bound-

Dennis Brunn and Jill Murray of the Unitarian Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania cheer a speaker while holding a sign during a voter ID rally September 13, 2012 in Philadelphia, Penn-

sylvania. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court held a hearing on Pennsylvania’s state Supreme Court justices on whether a law requiring photo identification from each voter should take effect for the

Nov. 6 presidential election. (William Thomas Cain/MCT)

By Leticia SuarezFeatures Editor

aries. In both appeal cases, federal judges sided against the state. Texas will appeal

again, in hopes of being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Around Creek6The annual Culture Shapers art contest

will take place this fall—beginning No-vember 10th—and the judges are looking for original and inspiring works created by high school students. Artists from all over east Texas enter Culture Shapers each year for a chance to win over $20,000 in cash prizes. The entry fee is $20. The contest in-cludes six categories—drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and electronic media.

Culture Shapers began as a small art program by the Culture Shapers Church in north Houston. After the Columbine school shooting, which took the lives of 15 students and teachers, and was one of the most tragic massacres in U.S. history, the members of the church decided to begin a community project that would highlight the good of the students in the community.

Through Culture Shapers, students showcase their talent and compete for

awards. “It started out really small and now it’s huge,” said Mrs. Lienhart, an AP art teacher at Clear Creek. Now the con-test also includes the performing arts, like choir.

Students from counties of Galveston, Harris, Waller, Liberty, Chambers, Brazo-ria, Fort Bend or Montgomery can enter the contest with a fee of $20. All participants receive a Culture Shapers T-shirt. First place winners receive $5,000, second place receives $2,500, third place $1,500, fourth 1,000, and fifth place receives $500. Sixth through tenth place receive $250. Although there are 10 winners from each of the six categories, the competition is tough. Thou-sands of students enter each year, ranging from art novices to art experts. The judges look for creativity, originality, accuracy and talent. Despite the stiff competition, Creek has had its share of winners. Last year, Zac Spears and Andrew Stephens both won in the sculpture category, winning first and third, respectively.

In order to qualify for Culture Shapers,

participants must sign up online at least two to three weeks prior to the contest to enter their piece into the correct category. The judges will narrow down the winning piec-es in each category to ten per group. Each of those ten pieces in the six categories will receive a score from 1 to 50, 50 being the highest. This score will determine what place, first through tenth, the artist will be given. The piece must be less than one year old, and must be completely created by the student. It may not be traced using a pro-jector or other device. If a photo is used as a reference, it must only be a reference and not copied entirely. All references must be attached to the back of the art piece, and all works must be original. No images from the internet are allowed or the artist could face disqualification. Profane concepts or words incorporated into the art piece are prohibited. Students should be respectful of the contest and not ruin their chance at a prestigious prize.

Since the competition takes place over a span of six months, the entry dates for

Culture Shapers vary. November 10, from 10 am to 4 pm, is the entry day for mixed media and drawings. Electronic media and photography can be entered on February 16, from 10 am to 4 pm. April 13, from 10 am to 4 pm is when paintings and sculp-tures may be entered. These dates only ap-ply to those who choose to drop their piece off at Culture Shapers Church. Otherwise, students must enter online, which includes different entry dates than the dates shown here.

The top ten places in the contest will be posted the week after judging, on the Cul-ture Shapers website. Winners of Culture Shapers will be notified by email, and will be invited to an awards ceremony. Culture Shapers is a challenging competition for all levels of artistry, but there are no losses, only victories.

“The competition is tough, but the re-sults are worth it,” Mrs. Lienhart said.

For more information about Culture Shapers, go to http://www.cultureshapers.com.

By Jenan TahaReporter

Annual Culture Shapers competition gives Houston students opportunity to show off art

Events in November

1 2 3

4 6 7

1412

109

18

11 17

25

242320

30

ThansgivingDay Parade @

Houston

All Time Low @ House of

Blue

Taking Back Sunday @House of

Blues

Mayday Pa-rade & The

Maine @ Warehouse

Waka Flocka Flame @ Ware-

house Live

Dr. Dog @ Warehouse

Live

Lunch with an Astronaut @ NASA Space

Center

Renaissance Festival in Todd Mis-

sion, Texas

Begin-ner Clog-

ging Class @ Friendswood

Lunch with an Astronaut

@ NASA

Farmerís Mar-ket @ Clear Lake Shores

Open Mic Night @ Cof-

fee Oasis

Christmas Bazar @

Mary Queen Catholic Church

Zoo Lights @ the Houston

Zoo

Festival of Lights @

Moody Gar-dens

Kemah Ghost Tour @ Ke-

mah

Houston Color Street Painting @

City Hall

iWalk for Animals @

Houston

Events in November1 2 3

4 5 6 87

141312

109

19 18

11 171615

29282726 25

2423222120

30

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Thans-giving

Day Parade @ Houston

All Time Low @ House of Blue

Taking Back Sun-day @House of

Blues

Mayday Parade & The Maine @ Warehouse Live

Waka Flocka Flame @

Warehouse Live

Dr. Dog @ Warehouse Live

Lunch with an Astronaut @ NASA Space

Center

Renaissance Festival in Todd Mission, Texas

Beginner Clogging Class @

Friendswood

Lunch with an Astronaut @

NASA

Farmer’s Market @ Clear Lake

Shores

Open Mic Night @ Coffee Oasis

Christmas Bazaar @ Mary Queen Catholic Church

Zoo Lights @ the Houston Zoo

Festival of Lights @ Moody Gardens

Kemah Ghost Tour @ Kemah

Houston Color Street Painting

@ City Hall

Walk for Animals @

Houston

7Around Creek

The League of Extraordinary Improvisers takes the stage for first Improv Show of the yearBy Lisa NhanReporter

On the night of September 22, 2012, the League of Extraordinary Improvisers opened their first Improv Show of the year

The show kicked off with game, “The World’s Worst” with all the players on stage and Alexis Chudleigh (12th) as the host.

Chudleigh said, “I was introducing all the games and pumping up the crowd.”

Many games were featured such as “Director” where players made, “Forest Gump 2” where Justin Gibbons (11th) fell off the stage headfirst twice. The crowd fa-

vorite, Party Quirks, was a hit that f e a t u r e d the Improv t r o o p e r s p l a y i n g Paris Hilton and Captain Jack Spar-row. Other game made by the troop i n c l u d e d Interroga-tion Room which features a Good

Cop and Bad Cop,

it’s goal is to obtain a confession from the guesser.

The game’s coordinator, the person behind all of the planning, Ashley Haas (11th) was happy with the end result.

“It went really well and the audience seemed to enjoy it,” said Haas.

Not only was this the first show of the year, but a first onstage Improv experience for most of the troop.

“The new players are the beginning of a foundation,” Forbes said.

In order to prepare these new troopers, many games are played to explain the rules of Improv, which are critical for the show to work. The number one rule that all actors must follow is that the answer is always “yes.” The word no is never to be said in Improv; this allows for actors to build off each other and their surrounding,

“It was my first time…I didn’t know how I was going to pull this off but it was a lot of fun,” Christian Campbell (10th) said.

Campbell called this first show a learn-ing experience, and he was able to get to build a stronger bond with fellow Improv Troopers.

Mrs. Forbes said that the show was not just a show but a learning experi-ence for the actors for the upcoming Fall production, “Those Learned Ladies.”

“It’s huge challenge in a fast amount of time. It teaches actors to trust their instincts and fellow actors,” said Forbes.

She hopes that the actors will be able to learn from this experience and apply it to “Those Learned Ladies, ” and other future productions.

Photo by Laura Spiegle

Three times a year the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Blood Bank truck makes its way to Creek, allowing students to donate blood to cancer patients. This year, the Blood Bank truck made its first stop at school on Friday October 5, 2012, where a large number of upperclassmen chose to donate blood.

“It made me feel good to give blood. It’s cool to know that soon my blood is going to be pumping through someone’s veins helping keep them alive,” said senior Amie Geistman.

The MD Anderson Cancer Center reports that it requires 600 units of platelets and 200 units of red blood cells each day. Cancer patients may need blood for a variety of reasons. A patient may need donated blood after having an organ transplant or because chemotherapy has diminished platelet levels.

Clear Creek hosts MD Anderson blood driveBy Hannah BrinksoDesign Editor

Students that want to donate blood at Creek must be at least 17 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds, be in good health, and have a picture

I.D. Students were asked to register to donate blood with the school during their lunch or during class time. During advisory on October 4,

students were shown a presentation about the importance of donating blood with information on how to register to be a part

of the blood drive.The day of the blood

drive, students in Health Science Technology II volunteered their time to

work at the blood drive. Students shuffled in and out of the MD Anderson Blood Bank trucks parked in the horseshoe from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The process of giving blood took about an hour for each student, depending on the number of students donating blood each class period. Students who did not know their blood type had to be tested for their blood time before donating blood After the donation, students were given a snack to help boost their energy level.

“Not giving blood would have hurt my consciense more than the need hurt my skin,” said senior Vijay Dharmaraj.

It is safe to donate blood every eight weeks. Because of this, Creek typically hosts three blood drives each school year: one in the fall, one in the winter, and one in the spring. The next school blood drive will be held shortly after winter break. Students can participate three times a year during the year and help save three lives each time they donate blood.

Photo by Breanna Jeffcoat

Around Creek8By Leticia Suarez Features Editor

Creek’s spirit heightened for Beat Lake week

One of the events the Clear Creek Wildcats look forward to the most at the beginning of the school year is spirit week. During this period of time, the students dress accordingly to match the theme of the day to show spirit and support for the upcoming football game.

Last year, during “Beat Lake” week, Creek had tacky neon day, nerd day, camouflage day, color war day, and creek out day. This year, the school had Twin dress-up day on Monday, where students matched with one, or many, of their friends. Some were humorous, some where perky, but all of them were equally exceptional. On Tuesday, it was Tacky dress-up day, where craziness filled the hallways with color and brightness. There were multicolored tutus, glittery headbands, flashy shoes, neon shirts, vibrant pants, loud shorts, vivid jackets, and even combinations of all of the above. The next day, on Classy Wednesday, things calmed down a little. Girls showed off their stylish dresses when combined with the guy’s elegant suits created a fashion catwalk in every classroom. The Color War separated everyone by grade on Thursday. Freshmen wore white, sophomores wore gray, juniors wore maroon, and the seniors wore neon and black. And finally, on

Friday, it was Creek out day. Most of the school wore spirit shirts and others made their own outfits. “The spirit week was really fun, because I a c t u a l l y participated and went all out in the last three d r e s s - u p days, and so did my friends. I feel like it was a great start for my senior year,” said senior M i r i a m Pagan.

T h a t same Friday, during the Pep-rally, there was even more school spirit. It

started with the choir group singing the National Anthem, leading to the introduction of the current sports teams and their accomplishments. Cheers filled the court as the Cavaliers officers danced with the Cheerleaders, as well as laughter as the Football guys kicked a falcon piñata and shredded it to pieces. Like every year, the grade levels challenged each other by screaming to the top of their lungs to see which one was louder. The senior class took it home as they chanted “seniors,” repeatedly over the rest of the crowd.

“I wish we had a pep-rally every Friday,” said

junior Jaycee Meloy, “There was a lot of enthusiasm and happiness and plenty of school spirit! We got to see the choir kids sing, listen to the band kids play, watch the cheerleaders dance, and it was just overwhelming in a fun way. The screams got so loud with every performance that I think I was slightly deaf for a few minutes after it was over. Can’t wait for the next one.”

The Homecoming game is still yet to come, and Creek will be expecting the same kind of spirit during the “Beat Brook” Pep-rally. The students will have a chance to dress up during that week as well, but this time with even more exciting themes including Rodeo day, Outdoorsmen day, mad Mad Scientist day, Superhero day, and as always, Creek Out day.

Photo by Mallori Flanagan

Preview: Clear Creek Drama’s Those Learned LadiesAs fall approaches, Clear Creek’s

annual Fall theater also begins. This year’s show is called Those Learned Ladies, and it is filled with comedic showcases of Creek’s talent.

Those Learned Ladies is set in Georgia during the pre-Civil War era. When it was originally written by Moliere it was set in France, but Mrs. Forbes wanted to try something new.

“It’s just for fun really,” Forbes said.In order to accommodate the Southern

Touch, most of the characters’ names with the exception of the lead, Henriette, were changed. Despite the name changes, it is still the same story.

Henriette and Clifford are madly in love. The two young lovers wish to spend the rest of their lives together, but before they can live happily ever after they face a challenge, Henriette’s family. While her father and uncle are happy to welcome Clifford into the family, Henriette’s mother, Patricia, wants a different happily ever after. Patricia wants Henriette to marry Trisstin who claims to be a scholar and

By Lisa Nhan Reporter

poet. Henriette’s sister, mother, and aunt have fallen for the educated charms as these ladies fancy themselves to be “learned.” Their pretentious claim of education and culture fit perfectly with Trisstin’s mediocracy. Henriette and Clifford must find a way to wed before Trisstin ruins their dreams.

Along with the Southern changes, Mrs. Forbes has added a dance sequence of a classic waltz in a ballroom scene.

“We haven’t had a dance sequence in five years…it will be something new for all of the actors,” Forbes said.

This show’s cast and crew feature talents from all the grade levels. Leads for the show include Ashley Haas (11th) as Henriette, Christian Campbell (10th) as Clifford, Justin Gibbons (11th) as Trisstin, Rachel Petitti (12th) as Patricia, and Kara Watson (12th) as Beatrice. Sarah Timmons is stage manger in this production.

As the show coomes together, actors are struggling to find ways to get into character and perfect a Southern accent for the show.

“I’m trying to become my character that’s different for anything I’ve ever really had, along with an accent,” Haas said. The

show challenges her skills as an actress.Accents are not the only thing that

has this cast worried. Memorization of lines is a big part of what actors have to do. Many of the actors are concerned that they will forget a line on stage, a horrifying experience for anyone. Forbes, however, is not worried about the lines. She believes her students will make this show work.

“I think that the show will go really well. We’re making a work of art that comes together into this one performance,” Forbes said.

The production will premiere its

first show on November 1 in the Clear Creek auditorium. More showings will be performed on November 2, 3, 8, and 10. Tickets sold at the door will be $5 for students and senior citizens and $8 for adults.

9Around CreekClear Creek goes all out for Beat Lake week

QUEEN?Who will be your

HOMECOMING COURTPresenting the 2012-2013

Jessica Ransom- 9th

Lauren Winfield- 10th

Kylie Smith- 11th

QUEEN?Who will be your

HOMECOMING COURTPresenting the 2012-2013

Carly Carsey

Salina Hernandez

Christina WhittenAmie Geistman

Casey Dervay

12 Teen Interest Teen interestHotel Transylvania fails to leave audience with mem-orable comedy experience for the holiday season

Movies are made to entertain which it did not.

I was not expecting the kind of humor used in “Borat” or Saturday Night Live. I walked into the theater knowing that it was be a child friendly film, but the humor was

subpar. Perhaps it was my higher expectations for the writers that lead to my dis-

appointment.

By Lisa NhanReporter

It is that time of the year again. The box offices are filling up with the thrillers that entice the Halloween spirit. Movies made to scare such as “House at the End of The Street” are popu-lar but the movie at the top of the box office is “Hotel Tran-s y l v a n i a ” which raked in $42.5 million it’s o p e n i n g weekend.

“ H o t e l Transylva-nia” is about a five-stake resort where the scariest m o n s t e r s , such as Fran-kenstein and werewolves, can escape the horrible h u m a n s who have hunted them for years. Dracula, the owner of the hotel, invites his closest friends to celebrate his “teen-age” daughter’s, Mavis, 118th birthday. The celebration takes a turning point when the first human to ever come to Transylva-nia, Jonathan, comes in and steals the heart of Mavis.

When I first took a look at the cast and crew I was torn. Adam Sandler as Dracula was starring with Andy Samberg as Jona-than. Anyone who has ever seen That’s My Boy shares my discomfort in seeing these two star together again. Keeping my mind open, when I saw that Peter Baynham and Robert Smigel had written the script, my hopes for the movie soared. Baynham has written many hilarious scripts such as “Bo-rat” and “Bruno” but those movies are far from the PG rating of Hotel Transylvania. Smigel had worked on Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

These two men know how to be funny, but their rated R humor is far different from a PG movie. As far as animation experience goes, the director Genndy Tartakousky had a great repertoire. Tartakousky has worked on some of my favorite cartoons such as

Powerpuff Girls and Dex-ter’s Laboratory. I was interested to see how this movie would turn out. Both the cast and crew had much potential. I was hoping to see it be taken advantage of. My hopes were crushed.Hotel Transylvania just did not reach the potential it could have.

I will admit, there were times that I laughed. The movie took a stab at “Twi-light” which was fairly clever but Pop Cul-ture references only go so far. The rather sassy shrunken heads made me laugh once or twice. The writers only wrote to accom-modate their main audience, children. In a way, I understand. When you get kids wanting to go to these movies, you get their family to come in as well which can easily double or triple the ticket sales, but mov-ies should not be made to bring in money.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation

Reelview’s James Beradinelli put it best when he described the humor in the movie as, “the level of comedy is disap-pointingly bland, with jokes one can ac-knowledge as being mildly clever but little that provokes more than a good natured

grin.” It is enough to amuse the

little kids in the theater but I wanted more. This crew was filled with so much potential of making a great children’s animation but they only did a decent job, which is why I walked out of that theater happy to leave the movie be-hind.

As far as the plot goes, it was decent. Again, I wanted there to be more conflict with a human inside of a monster hotel. There should be scream-ing and fights but no. Dracula comes to accept Jonathan, a reminder of the people who killed his wife, way too soon. The problem was played down to make it seem like it was not something to be con-cerned about. The plot lost so much because of it.

The point Michael O’Sullivan from the Washing-ton Post made sums the plot up, “Friction… not a whole lot of drama, suspense or ten-sion.”

The lack of humor and conflict in the movie just left me feeling like Sony only re-leased this to catch the money

that comes with the Halloween spirit and not to tell a real genuine story.

Teen interest 13Emmy awards a night of laughs and victory

The 64th annual Emmy Awards debuted on Sunday, September 23, 2012. The night was full of awards, defeats and even a few pranks. Host Jimmy Kimmel started off the show with a comical clip star-ring Kathy Bates and Zooey Deschanel. While the girls were prepping themselves in the bathroom, they found a sobbing Jimmy Kimmel, who said he overloaded on Botox. “You look beautiful,” the girls reassured him. “You look like a Real Housewife.”

Then Kimmel delivered a quick monologue, cracked a few jokes, and even asked Tracy Morgan, from 30 Rock, to lie down on the stage and stay still. Then he told every-one in the crowd to tweet that ‘Tracy Morgan just fainted at the Emmys’, and to ‘turn on the television and look’. The messages went viral, and for a few minutes, the Emmys gained a few thousand view-ers. Everyone in the audience, at home or at the ceremony, had a good laugh afterwards.

Finally, it was time to an-nounce the awards. Celebrity hosts like Ricky Gervais and Tina Fey revealed the winners. Beginning with comedy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus won Best Lead Actress in a Comedy, for her role in Veep. Jon Cryer, from Two and a Half Men, won Best Lead Actor in a Com-

edy. Modern Family won two awards, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Ac-tress in a Comedy, owing their win to Eric Stonestreet and Julie Bowen, respectively.

Modern Family also won Best Comedy Se-ries. Best Director went to Steven Levitan, the director of Modern Family. Best Com-

edy Writing went to Louis CK in Louie. Louis also won Best Live Writing at the Beacon Theater.

Then came the Drama category. Home-

land won Best Drama Series, and Best Writing went to Alex Gansa, Homeland’s author. Homeland also won Best Lead Ac-

tor and Lead Actress, the awards going to Damian Lewis and Claire Danes, respec-tively. Aaron Paul won Best Supporting Actor, for his role in Breaking Bad. Best

Supporting Actress went to Mag-gie Smith, for her role in Down-town Abbey. Tim Van Patten’s Boardwalk Empire won Best Di-rection.

Next was the Mini-series/Movie category. Best Lead Actor and Best Supporting Actor went to Kevin Costner and Tom Be-renger for their roles in Hatfields & McCoys. Game Change won Best Mini-series/Movie, Best Writing (Danny Strong), and Best Directing (Jay Roach). Julianne Moore also won the award for Best Lead Actress for her role in Game Change. American Horror Story’s Jessica Lange won Best Supporting Actress in a TV mini-series.

Last but not least was the Va-riety Specials. Best Host of a Va-riety Series went to Tom Bergeron of Dancing with the Stars. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart won Best Variety Series for the tenth consecutive year. Best Di-recting went to Glenn Weiss for his work in the 65th annual Tony Awards. Some winners were predictable,

and others came as a surprise. As the show closed, everyone in the crowd exhibited expressions of victory in

that they received a nomination for these prestigious awards.

By Jenan TahaReporter

“The Amazing Race’s” Jerry Bruckheimer, Executive Producer; Elise Doganieri, Executive Producer; Jonathan Littman, Execu-tive Producer; Bertram van Munster, Executive Producer; backstage at the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, September 23, 2012, at Nokia Theatre, L.A. Live, in Los Angeles, California. (Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times/MCT)

Teen Interest14

FeaturesFeatures16The origins of donkeys and elephants in politicsBy Madison WilliamsManagement Editor

TUTS’ Legally Blonde: the Musical excites audiencesBy Bailey Clelland Co-Ad Manager

symbol was in the 1870s when Thomas Nast, a famous political cartoonist, had his cartoon p u b l i s h e d in Harper’s Weekly.

Nast used the donkey to show the alleged D e m o c r a t i c uneasiness felt over a possible third term of presidency for Ulysses S. Grant. Within this issue of Harper’s Weekly, Nast also helped to associate the elephant with the Republican Party.

The elephant had been previously connected to Republicans in cartoons that had appeared in 1860 and 1872. Nast’s cartoon in 1874 solidified the elephant as the Republican’s universal party symbol. The cartoon, “The Third Term Panic,” depicted the alarm Americans felt over

President Ulysses S. Grant campaigning for a third term in office. Animals labeled as reform and Caesar ran away from a donkey wearing a lion’s skin, while the elephant, labeled “ The Republican Vote,” ran into a pit of inflation.

By 1880 the donkey and elephant were

well established as the mascot for the Democratic and Republican parties. The Democrats have never officially adopted the donkey as their party symbol, but the donkey is still used in various publications. However, the republicans did officially adopt the elephant as their symbol and use the symbol widely.

“Donkeys and Elephants: Animal Symbols and Political Cartoons” features 40 political cartoons, most of which were published in Missouri newspapers. Featured cartoon artists include, Harold Talburt from the Washington Daily News; Daniel Fitzpatrick from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Tom Engelhardt from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; and Lee Judge from the Kansas City Star.

The exhibit will focus on how the cartoons use animals

to represent political issues. In most political cartoons a bear is used to represent Russia, a dove for peace, and

a vulture or hawk for war. “Donkeys and Elephants: Animal

Symbols and Political Cartoons” will be open through November 30 in honor of the upcoming presidential elections.

According to Mizzou Weekly, the State Historical Society of Missouri in Ellis Library will host an exhibit showcasing various political cartoons that date from 1912 to 2010.

The cartoons stereotype Democrats as socialists vying for more federal government involvement, while Republicans are stereotyped as being governed by money and wanting to eliminate government provided social services from the United States.

As elections approach, images of the Republican elephant and Democratic donkey are scattered throughout the media. These animals are closely associated with each party and are used as universally defining symbols.

The Democratic donkey first appeared during Andrew Jackson’s campaign for presidency in 1828. His populist campaign slogan, “Let the people rule,” caused his opponents to label him a donkey. According to kintera.org, Jackson adopted the name and used it to his own advantage by including the donkey in his campaign posters. During Jackson’s presidency, the donkey remained a symbol of his stubbornness.

The first time the donkey was widely accepted as the Democratic Party’s

Director Michael Tapley, a Humphrey’s School of Music alum, directed the student production The Who’s Tommy. Tapley’s career at TUTS started in 1973 when he appeared in Kismet. Over the years, he has contributed to a multitude of productions. Charles

Swan, also a Humphrey’s alum, took the part of Associate Director

for this production. Swan has appeared in many productions as well such as The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Who’s Tommy and Scrooge. Musical production was handled by Luke Kirkwood who assisted in VOTE! A New Musical and The Who’s Tommy.

Legally Blonde The Musical is a theatrical and vocal masterpiece. The singing was simply superb and the acting was much more advanced than many would expect of high school students. Megan McGuff was a fabulous and stylish Elle Woods, and definitely played the part well. Her songs Legally Blonde and What You Want could not have been closer to vocal perfection. My favorite song from the show was Whipped Into Shape sung by Samantha McHenry (Brooke Wyndam). All in all, Legally Blonde was practically flawless, the cast and crew put on a fantastic show.

Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) and Humphreys School of Musical Theatre (HSMT) have dyed Houston blonde September 14-16 with the 40th anniversary of Legally Blonde: The Musical. Legally Blonde follows the life of Delta Nu sorority girl Elle Woods. Elle’s uppity boyfriend dumps her for someone more

“serious” and a determined Elle follows him all the way to Harvard Law School in hopes to rekindle their love and show him how serious she can be. On her way to becoming a “serious” lawyer, Elle finds that being true to herself is more stylish than pretending to be someone she is not.

Legally Blonde: The Musical stars high school students from the surrounding Houston area. Delta Nu sorority girl Elle Woods is played by senior Megan

McGuff from Glenda Dawson High School and Warner Huntington III, Elle’s uppity ex, is played by George Ranch High School junior Sean Hardin. Sean also starred in 13 The Musical and The Who’s Tommy. Warner’s new, serious girlfriend and fellow law student, Vivienne Kensington is played by Bethany Eggleston, a Cypress Woods High School junior. Elle’s potential love interest and first friend at Harvard, Emmett Forrest, is played by Klein Oak High School senior Ryne Nardecchia. Friendswood High School junior, Samantha McHenry, plays exercise goddess Brooke Wyndam who is on trial for the murder of her husband. Joel Sandel, a TUTS veteran takes the role of the “pompous and manipulative” Professor Callahan. Joel also starred in My Fair Lady, 1776, and Into the Woods.

Legally Blonde: The Musical would not have been possible without the perfect bend and snap routine made possible by choreographer Shay Rodgers. Rodgers is a native Houstonian who is in her 25th year at TUTS. She has held almost every position in the theatre from performer to Manager of Education.

300 dpi Hector Casanova illustration of the Democrat donkey and Republican el-ephant on a seesaw with the plank breaking in the middle. The Kansas City Star 2012

Photo courtesy of TUTS

Features 17Owl City rocks House of Blues with latest album By Arlen AddisonEditor

By Lisa NhanReporter

Disney and Pixar film studios make up a large portion of a teenager’s childhood. Now Disney is re-releasing a whole set of newly converted and improved movies. The whole movie business is taken back with the boom of re-releases.

Finding Nemo 3D, which swam into theaters on September 14, 2012, came in second place at $17.5 million in the weekend box office. Resident Evil: Retribution beat the re-release in about $3.6 million. The appeal of re-released films is that it takes a relatively low budget to remake, w h i c h allows for more profit.

T h e rush of re-release is criticized by critics such as Marshall Fine, from the Huffington Post, for being a scheme.

“The 3D gives the images a little more depth but they already had heft and weight. The 3D is a money-making gimmick,

nothing more,” said Fine.Critics aren’t the only one who weren’t

impressed by Disney’s attempt.“It was nice to see it on the big screen,

but it felt a like the same movie as before. There wasn’t much of a difference,” said Meagan Puckett (9th) on seeing the film in theaters once again.

The beginning of all these re-releases began in September 2011 when Lion King came back to big screen in order to promote its new DVD re-release. Instead

of just promoting those sales, Lion King became the number one movie in the box office for two weeks. Overall in domestic sales, Disney gained over $94 million. The movie was a huge unexpected success. Disney soon announced a list of movies fans could expect to be b e c o m i n g back into theaters, such as Beauty and the Beast, F i n d i n g N e m o ,

Monsters, Inc., and the Little Mermaid. Hollywood has found a gold mine by re-releasing old favorites in 3D.

Many film studios followed suit, seeing a chance to gain some profit of their own. The Phantom Menace was

The electronica one-man-band, Owl City, returned to Houston to rock the House of Blues September 19th during the first leg of the The Midsummer Station tour in correspondence with the release of the band’s fourth album of the same name.

The House of Blues made for the perfect setting for the performance, from the wooden constructs of the The Midsummer Station’s cover art built on the back of the stage to the dark hall with glowing lights all created a calming feeling with would ultimately be shattered by the appearance of the band’s sole member, Adam Young, and the enthusiasm of the crowd which would follow.

The intro act, Matthew Koma, was a fresh mix of rock with a hint of electronica. The crowd was left energized and impatient after the intro act left the stage; cheering as every member of the setup crew took to the stage, preparing instruments and equipment, in the hope one of them might be Adam Young. The cheers only increased as the colored lights flared into existence and Owl City’s various touring members mounted the stage. The energy of the crowd was left to simmer and overflow as the touring members told hold on their instruments and began to play a prolonged instrumental intro of the first track of The Midsummer Station

album, Dreams and Disasters, but Young was still absent from the stage.

Just as it seemed the fans were about prove they were not mere lukewarm

spectators, but rather true followers of Young by taking to the stage, finding him, and dragging him to his post, Young took to mic and like the last piece of a puzzle completed the song and brought forth a

released February 10, 2012 and made about $44 million in domestic sales. George Lucas then revealed that Episodes II and III are to be released in the Fall of 2013 and will have three more Star War films to follow. James Cameron had Titanic re-released in April of this year, which gave the Titanic about $57 million more in their overall domestic sale.

Universal is planning the release of the cult favorite, Jurassic Park. Warner’s Brother has released news of a new Dial

M for Murder. Jeff Baker, Executive VP of Warner’s

Theatrical Catalogue, said on the Dial M for Murder news, “This is not a conversion from 2D to 3D, but an original work.” Baker believes that these works are going to show how 3D can enhance the movie going experience. He also hinted that the House of Wax will be the next one in the works.

KRT STAND ALONE US NEWS PHOTO SLUGGED: DISNEY KRT PHOTOGRAPH BY JOE BURBANK/ORLANDO SENTINEL (MIAMI

OUT) (November 16) LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL -- Children wave to Crush, the animated sea turtle from the Disney/Pixar feature film

“Finding Nemo,” during the grand opening of “Turtle Talk With Crush” attraction at the Living Seas pavillion at EPCOT at Disney World, in

Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on Tuesday, November 16, 2004. The attrac-tion features breakthrough technology that gives visitors the chance to engage in live, unrehearsed conversations with the animated sea turtle.

(nk) 2004

level of passion previously unknown by the crowd. The crowd mirrored the lyrics of the song and did “Not Slow Down,”

Young has had changed immensely in his three years of fame from the self-described shy and socially awkward boy from a small Minnesota town, in 2009, when Young gained fame with his hit song Fireflies, during performances he swayed the crowd while hiding behind electronic e q u i p m e n t , however during his The Midsummer Station concert

Young jumped on to the stage, playing as if he were a rock star, very different from his 2009 debut.

After Dreams and Disaster Young continued

to showcase the songs of The Midsummer Station, straying his roots of soft and calming music of his first album Ocean Eyes, in his new features Young presented a energizing hybrid of electronic and

rock, present in song such as I’m Coming After You and Speed of Love, while still remembering his roots in songs like Embers, Silhouette, and Metropolis.

The organization of the song list followed the list of The Midsummer Station album list, beginning with the energetic song, freshest songs in which every person in the crowd attempted to out-sing all those near themselves, followed by Good Time, which was given an interesting twist with another vocalists to substitute Carly Rae Jaspen, followed the songs closest to his original features, and concluded with the calming song at the end of album list. After finishing the list from The Midsummer Station Young handed the duty of lead vocalist to crowd for Fireflies in which they sung the original hit in cordial harmony. The remainder of the performance was a collection of songs from Owl City’s previous albums and recording such as Umbrella Beach and Take to the Skies, however leaving out such hits as Vanilla Twilight and Alligator Skies.

In short the concert was immensely enjoyable for any level of fan, but in general was more enjoyable for those who were familiar with Young’s work, however that did not stop apparent fathers, brothers, or dates of avid fans from letting lose and just having a good time.

Adam Young, of Owl City, has a new record that debuted on June 14, 2011. Young uses a concrete storm shelter in his basement of

his Owatonna, Minnesota home as a recording studio. Here, Young stands for this portrait in the lobby of the iconic Louis H. Sullivan National Farmers Bank Building, May 31, 2011. (Richard Sennott/

Minneapolis Star Tribune/MCT)

Disney’s Finding Nemo returns to the theaters in 3D

Sports18By Greg BrotzmanSports Editor

Athletes of the Month

As the season winds down for the MLB no quote rings more true then the one said by Pedro Martinez, “Winning a Cy Young or MVP is something every player desires, but going to the playoffs and feeling that rush of the postseason is something that every player keeps playing for, to try to reach that feeling one more time.” This season the playoff race provided many close races, many of which came down to the last day of the regular season.

The first huge headline of this postseason came before the season even started when MLB announced that there would be another Wild Card team added to the playoff picture. This extra Wild Card spot will allow two teams that have the best record to face off against each other in a one game playoff, after the season is over. This will determine which team will advance to the division series round of the playoffs.

Another huge headline is the sudden resurgence of the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East. For years the division has been dominated by the 2 powerhouse teams, the

Yankees and the Red sox, and recently, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Orioles always seemed to get off to a great start but fade to the bottom of the pack just as fast as they started. But this year things changed and the Orioles have continued their success from the start of the season and used it to catapult themselves to the top of the standings. The Orioles haven’t backed down when faced with series against the Yankees and Rays, even producing a winning record against these teams. New

young stars, Adam Jones, Matt Weiters, and Manny Machado, have lead the team in many major categories, such as batting average, home runs, and runs scored.

Another team that has currently surprised many people is the Oakland Athletics. This team has gained some notoriety as of late because of the release of the movie Monyeball. Which has drawn

some fans to the team and has given the team fame despite their current lack of success in recent seasons. The A’s have gotten significant contributions from many players that had been written off on their old teams and were viewed as “washed up” or just as decent fill in players. The A’s have also managed to win despite a pitching staff that is filled up with mainly rookies like Jerrod Parker and A.J. Griffin. Parker and Griffen have proved their worth by performing well above

expectations and leading the A’s to the top of the Wild Card standings.

In the National League the race is highlighted by two teams who made the playoffs last year making a late run at the Wild Card this year. On August 27th the Milwaukee Brewers were 7 games below .500 and 10.5 games away from even reaching a Wild Card spot. But since that time the Brewers have played their

best baseball of the entire season, winning 15 of their last 19 games, improving their record to 77-72 and pulling within 2.5 games of a Wild Card spot, trailing . The Brewers have been lead by the performance of reigning MVP Ryan Braun and the upstart performances of players like Carlos Gomez and Aramis Ramirez.

Another team making a run at the last wild card spot is the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies were another team that many people wrote off when at the trading deadline they traded away two players, Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence, that many people viewed as the centerpiece of their organization. Ever since star pitcher Roy Halladay returned from a groin injury in mid-august the Phillies have been playing the same baseball that gave them a 100 win season last year.

When the season finally wrapped up and the standings became final the runs of the Orioles and A’s continued as the Orioles became the benefit of the new 2nd wild card team rule, and the A’s came back from a deficit in the standings that was as high as 13 games on June 30th to win the AL West over the Rangers. The Orioles would win the wild-card play in game against the Rangers 5-1 to keep their magical season going. In the NL The Cardinals were able to hold off vigorous runs by the Brewers, Phillies, and even the Los Angeles Dodgers to reach the one game wild-card play in game against the Braves that they would win (with a disputed infield fly rule) 6-3, and finally set up the bracket to reach the world series.

Photo by Breanna Jeffcoat

Jarrett Hildreth has gotten off to a record setting start for the Wildcat football team this year. Jarrett started off the year with no varsity experience and having to pick up an offense that only returned two starters from last year’s team. Hildreth started off the year with a dazzling performance against Fort Bend Ridge Point by throwing for 332 yards and one touchdown. Jarrett followed up his strong opening performance with another strong performance against Kingwood in which he threw for a school record of 373 yards and two more touchdowns. Then against the best defense the Wildcats had faced so far, Deer Park, Hildreth was able to throw for 217 yards an 3 touchdowns. Hildreth followed this up with with two games against Baytown Steerling and Clear Lake in which he threw for 249 and 308 yards and three touchdowns a piece. After five games Jarrett was second in the state in passing yards trailing only Kyle Poeske of Boerne Champion high school by 57 yards. But after another remarkable performance against Clear Falls in which Hildreth threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns to help keep the Wildcats undefeated.

Photo by Breanna JeffcoatEmma Robertson’s success and

dedication to running has developed over time. She first started running back in 7th grade, simply to please her parents. Her dad, a triathlon runner, and her mom, a marathon runner, left a pretty difficult path for her to follow.

“My dad is an inspirational athlete to me, because of all his accomplishments, and because of all the reasons that he competes. I would hope that I’m as good as a role model as he is. My mom and I are both very competitive, so we never compete against each other. We choose different distances.”

The pressure, however, pushed her past failure, and although her first year in cross-country was disastrous, it all led to the rebirth of the amazing runner that she is today.

She runs six days a week, including Saturdays and morning practices before school. Unfortunately, during her third district race, she injured her ankle, affecting her training routine.

“It was really hard to drop out of a race, because I knew that I was injured,” she said. “But it could have turned out worse.”

She is now healthy and has competed in the Liberty Cross-country race on Saturday, October 6. Despite her fears, she took second place in her individual race and helped her varsity team win second place as well, taking home a golden trophy.

Bracket for the 2012 MLB playoffs; includes explanation of the new format that includes two additional wild card teams. MCT 2012

MLB Starts their “Race for October”

Sports 19Cross Country sets their sights on State meetBy Leticia SuarezFeatures Editor

Under the hot sun on Friday, September 14, the Clear Creek High School Cross Country team competed against several schools, including Clear Springs, Clear Brook, and Fort Bend. Due to previous rainfall, the course was covered with mud and puddles, slowing many down as they fought not to fall. Medals were given to the top twenty in Varsity and JV, as well as to the top ten in an open race held later on that same day. Despite the high temperatures and penetrating heat, the boys managed to earn a total of three medals, as well as bragging rights over the defeated schools.

The runners are already used to extreme weather conditions. The races usually start at 9:00am and end at around 11:00am. At this time of the day, the temperatures are at its peak, threatening the runners with dehydration and exhaustion. However, this does not stop them from crossing the finish line as strong as possible.

“The last meet was really tough, It started out with one of our girls passing out and people getting ill left and right!

I was scared, but still determined and I did it!” senior Megan Thibodeaux said

The team went to Clear Lake on August 31, Alvin on September 7, Clear

Brook on September 14, Santa Fe on September 21, stayed at Clear Creek on September 28, went to Liberty on October 6, will go to Clear Springs this October 12, and finally, for the beginning of the end, they will be expected to represent our school at the District Race, on October 26, at Walter Hall Park.

With the best yet to come, practice has elevated to a whole new level, with intensive training in the morning as well as after school for the Track

and Field Class. Coach Sanders, the coach for the Cross Country girls,

has faith that her experiences and achievements as a runner will lead the team to, hopefully, the top charts of their league. “I think it’s great to watch my girls reach their goals and watch them become successful.” Sanders said

With the former seniors having left

for college last season, the young, yet experienced new members, carry the weight of the team on their shoulders as they lead the Wildcats pack. Emma

Robertson, the top timed girl, with a two mile time of 12:34 minutes, is currently a sophomore and hopes to accomplish many of her athletic dreams during her early high school years.

“The start to the new season has been astonishing!” Robertson said. “Everyone on the team has individual goals they wish to achieve and we are determined to reach them this season! As we train, we are all pushing each other to the maximum, knowing it will pay off when we step up to the starting line. The team continues to run harder each mile, and we are all confident that the work we put in at practice now will lead us to shattering results later.”

The cross-country Wildcats hope to make

it far this season. With a couple of races more to go, the pressure continues to increase. Rivalries and confrontations will soon make the headlines as foes clash and fight for victory. If the team continues to succeed as it has so far, the chances to make it to State will become more of a reality.

Photo by Jasmine Garza

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