Stangthe

May 2013 Houston Christian High School 2700 W Sam Houston Pkwy N Houston, Texas 77043 Volume12 Edition 8

In the News

Houston Christian held another successful prom on Friday, April 26, at the House of Blues.

Prom has come and gone

Community

School Fine Arts

Feature

EDITORIAL

Sports

10-11-- Check out the editorial page to read everythihng from car accidents to the situation in Korea to Alexa’s final “What makes Alexa...” You won’t want to miss these awesome reads!

2--3-- Cheer tryouts conclude and Graduation gets closer as the school year ends. Learn more on page 2.

8-9-- This months feature page is all about the Seniors. Head to page 8-9 to see the freshman to senior transformations.

14-15--It’s SPC playoff time once again! Head over to the sports page to hear all about Lacrosse playoffs and more.

12-13-- Check out this month’s tweets from all over campus. If you have a great tweet to share, let the Stang know.

6-7-- Go to page 6 and see what’s happening on campus with all the fine arts groups.

4-5-- The Annual Boston Marathon turns to chaos and sends runners running for their lives and you can read all about it on the community page.

Entertainment

Some say that “Prom is a night when nice guys might not finish last.When friends might completely surprise you. When the person you where at in high school, could change in an instant. Maybe you find what you’re lookin’ for.Or maybe you just find, yourself. It’s true one night can bring us all together but it’s more than that. ‘Cause when it ends, it’s really just the beginning.” Others say that “Prom’s like the Olympics of high school. You wait four years, three people have a good time, and everybody else gets to live on with shattered dreams.” Everyone has different perspectives and different views on how Prom night should go. All of the planning and the organizing that goes into just one night may seem a bit extreme, but some would say it is totally necessary. For Seniors, it is the last major event before graduation. For Juniors, it is the last major event before the summer. This year Houston Christian had their prom in the heart of downtown Houston, at The House of Blues. The House of Blues provided a fun and upbeat atmosphere. The only issue with The House of Blues was that the room seemed to be a little on the small side. With tables, a buffet line, and a dance floor, there was not much room to move around. Paige Hobbs12 says that, “there was so much anticipation and planning into the prom weekend that there was no way one couldn’t be excited! The House of Blues was a cool idea for a venue, but I wish they would have booked a larger room.” Although everyone was in tight quarters, this did not put much of a damper on the night. Photos were being taken,

songs were being belted, the music was loud, and the students at Houston Christian were always dancing and having fun. Emma Hennessey11 had a great time at Prom and said it was a lot of fun

“seeing everyone dressed up so cute and dancing.” The highlight of Emmas night was “busting out some moves with Rachel Driver :)” The guys looked very handsome in their tuxes and the girls looked stunning in their dresses. Even the HCHS faculty that made an appearance were looking quite lovely. Mrs. Andrau looked fantastic on Friday night at the House of Blues as she danced the night away with some of fellow Seniors.

Although everyone looked pretty great on Prom night, there were two people specifically that seemed to have an extra “glow” about them. Prom King went to Senior, Jacob Farris, and

Prom Queen went to Senior, Nathalie Simoes. Nathalie and Jacob are very involved in Houston Christian. They are both tremendous athletes and have major roles in the Fine Arts/Music department. Everyone was very excited for them as they took the floor as King and Queen for the first and last time. It was a very special moment!

Although the nice dresses, fancy flowers, rented tux, and limousines always seem to come along with Prom, the thing that really makes prom night so special is the people that you share it with. Whether it be a group of your closest girl friends, a bunch of the guys, your high school sweetheart, or just a good friend, you are guaranteed to have a good night if

you let loose, take a bunch of photos, and spend at least half the night on the dance floor. Another Prom has come and gone, but for those Juniors and Sophomores, there is always next year! Pictures (right to left to center)1) Senior Group Photo2) Senior guys and Drew Hendricks pre-prom3) J.P. Hennessy and Emma Hennessy riding to prom4) Alexa Reinhart, Alyssa McKinzie, and Madison Sheehy sharing a laugh.5) Paige Hobbs, Rachel Driver, and Leslie Lamoreaux at prom.6) Prom King, Jacob Farris, and Queen, Nathalie Simoes share a dance.

by: Rachel Driver, Editor in Chief

Cheer tryouts are successfully completed CommunityMay 20132

Each year, a three-day process takes place in order to determine the next year’s Junior Varsity and Varsity cheerleading squad. These tryouts consist of learning a dance and cheer on the first day, performing at a “mock” tryout on Friday, and an actual tryout on Saturday. This process is mixed with fun, excitement, and stress for each of the thirty girls involved. This year, the 2012-2013 Varsity captain and co-captain created and taught the dance and cheer. The first hour of the clinic consisted of co-captain Erin Elizabeth Doll12 teaching the group of prospective cheerleaders the dance that she choreographed on her own. After mastering the ten, eight-count routine, the group moved on to the learning the cheer, taught by Co-captain Rachel Driver12. After many attempts to learn the cheer, the majority of the candidates could complete the cheer skillfully. The first day of clinic was exhausting for the girls, and for many, the night didn’t end at the close of clinic. Girls went home or to their private coaches to practice and perfect the new material for mock tryouts the next day. On Friday night, each girl went through the tryout process in front of an open audience filled with parents, students, and faculty. Three “judges,” seniors Shelby Corder, Rachel Driver, and Courtney Smith, filled out score sheets and gave each girl helpful

2013-2014 Cheer teams are selected. by Samantha Moore, Stang Staff

comments and suggestions on how to improve her skills for the real tryout the next morning. Amy Mack10 encouraged incoming freshman not to freak out about this part of the tryouts. She believes “mock tryouts are very helpful and do a great job of getting your nerves out.” Ashlyn Boone10 describes mock tryouts as, “judgment city,” as the girls face the fear of tumbling, spiriting and cheering in front of her peers. On Saturday morning, each girl had thirty minutes to warm up tumbling and practice the cheer and dance a few times before tryouts begin. At 10:00 A.M., the 30 girls were ushered into the dance room to anxiously await their turn to enter the gym and perform. Slowly, over the next 3 hours, each girl went through the process and was then escorted to the cheer room to wait for others to finish. At 1:00 P.M., varsity coach Ms. Mary Duke, announced that there would be no call backs, and the girls were free to leave. Results of the tryouts were then posted on the Houston Christian Cheer Facebook page thirty minutes after the girls were released. Each participant in the tryout process worked incredibly hard, and both the Varsity and Junior Varsity squads are filled with incredible talent for the 2013-2014 school year. Lauren Lewellen11 said she thinks “that the team is going to better than ever!” Congratulations to the 26 new members of the cheer program.

Varsity:Emma Hennessy- Captain

Ashley Richards- Co-CaptainLauren Lewellen- Chaplain

Janie Bailliet Jennifer JohnsonMorgan Malouf Samantha MooreBailey Fritcher

Amy MackRenee Alphonso

Ashlyn Boone- Social DirectorClaudia Waters

Lauren KattapongRebekah RobertsonMarissa Grabowski

Sarah Zepeda

Junior Varsity:Gracie BailletKyler BeatonMaria Rios

SK StephensonPriscilla CruzLexi EdwardsKelsey LehayneBrooke Phillips

Griffin SimpsonSara Wray

It is that time of year again: the end of the school year. The days are rapidly passing by and soon, on May 31, 2013, the senior class will walk across the stage of First Baptist Church to receive their diploma, marking the end of their high school careers.

The 2012-2013 school year has been a “mile-marker” year for the seniors. Back in late August, this unique class had been introduced to the theme of making this year a mile marker year by head male chaplain Mike Maddry. Mike shared with the students, “I want this year to be a mile marker year for you. As said in the famous song ‘Come Thou Fount’, I pray that you would raise your ‘Ebenezer’, or stone of help, this year as it was told in 1 Samuel 7.” In the ensuing chapel service, Mike passed out mile marker rocks to some of the students that had experienced mile-marker moments at senior retreat and camp mustang. The irony behind Mike’s message for the year is substantial because this year has been full of mile-marker moments. Some of the seniors have participated in spectacular theatrical performances, successful competitive sports, and diverse travels. Some seniors (along with other students) went to places such as New York, Italy, and Spain this year with different programs. However, the true mile-marker for the seniors will be the moment they officially have graduated from high school.

Seniors finally reach the end of the road

The senior class prepares for their graduation ceremony.

by Spencer Traver, Stang Staff

The Stang is proudly supported by...

Captain: Emma HennesseyCo Captain: Ashley Richards

Chaplain: Lauren LewellenSocial Director: Ashlyn Boone

For this year’s commencement service, the seniors will be represented by Mr. Eddie Carson who teaches in the history department. Senior Wes Rutherford edified Mr. Carson by saying, “I have had the privilege of being in his class this year for AP European History. I know he loves our class and I am excited to hear him represent our class in the graduation ceremony.” Mr. Carson shared the same excitement in a group email to the senior class sent in April. Here is an excerpt of Mr. Carson’s message to the class of 2013: “I would like to thank you for selecting me as your commencement reflection speaker. I am very excited and honored. I am here to serve you. And though I do not know all of you on a personal level, I have grown to find this class to be a good representation of what is great about HC. You have by far been my favorite class. I wish I could have taught more of you.” The senior class and all who attend the commencement service are in for a treat.

The senior class has represented the school well this past year, and seeks to enjoy a night of celebration with its fellow classmates, teachers, families, and friends. Come out to First Baptist Church on May 31, 2013, to help send off our graduates to the colleges of their choice and ring in a new class of seniors. Congratulations to the class of 2013.

International Festival was a Huge Successby Amanda Brown, Stang StaffHC Worked hard to put together the 2013 International Festival.

The StangNews 3

Every year, the school puts on a wonderful International Festival full of food, music and culture. This year, Señor Sam, Mrs. Doxtater, Ms. Chang, Señora Malouf and the rest of the Diversity Club put together a marvelous day that entertained the entire school and many guests. The ceremony started off with the song “Waka Waka” by Shakira, followed by an outstanding performance by the drumline, who set a cheerful and upbeat tone for the ceremony. Next, a group of students carried in flags from different countries and placed them on the stage while the drumline finished their number. Closely following the drumline performance, juniors Kevin Chin, Cameron Duffy and Drew Hendricks took the stage with an amazing Chinese yo-yo trick that wowed the audience, while other students danced in a Chinese dragon costume. Kevin Chin said “my favorite part would be when Cameron launched the yoyo from the back of the chapel to Drew. We took a huge risk right there, and thankfully, Cameron’s throw was good, and Drew’s catch, splendid. In terms of practice, we practice about two hours after school with a little extra practice here and there. ” Next to take the stage was the Step Team, who performed a synchronized number that they had previously learned for the People of Color Conference. Cristi Keeter11 favorite part of the performance was “being able to perform with all the people on the step team. We had so much fun performing at the People of Color Conference and it was cool to work with everyone again.” Senior Nina Farmer also performed a traditional Spanish dance with a flowy skirt and tap shoes that got the crowd clapping and excited. To close out the special introduction to the ceremony, a group of young Chinese girls performed. The audience

loved their performance so much they gave the girls a standing ovation. As the introduction came to a close, the audience became excited to hear from the speaker, Harris County Treasurer and University of Houston graduate Orlando Sanchez. He spoke of his childhood in Cuba, his passion and stories about baseball, and his experiences in the U.S. Air Force, and most importantly his campaign for political office. Through his stories, he challenged the audience to take risks, because taking a risk and failing is better than never knowing if you could have succeeded. After he said his concluding thoughts the festival closed with the Lord’s Prayer in Latin, recited by Latin 1 students. Once the ceremony came to a close, everyone made their way over to the gym where multiple stations were covered with food and information about a variety of different countries. Students and teachers were able to go from booth to booth learning about the cultures of the food they were eating. A Mariachi band played for the students while they gathered their food, and juniors Grace Munford and Carson Taff performed the Mexican Hat Dance for everyone in the gym. Grace Munford said that she thoroughly enjoyed working with Carson. “Carson was easy to work with and picked up the dance quickly, which made it really fun when we got to perform.” Their hard work paid off and everyone stopped to watch them while they performed a flawless Mexican Hat Dance. Overall, this year’s International Day Festival was definitely one to remember. Many people put in the hard work necessary to make this day fantastic, and their hard work shined through. International Day is an important day that brings to light the importance of embracing other cultures.

Morgan Kanaly1. University of Texas2. A 3-week Musical Theater camp with UT and Texas State3. I got accepted after I sent in an audition tape and it’s what I want to do in college4. Other theater people5. Meeting new people!

Malik Bradley1. Many places around the country (Vegas, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, etc.) because of basketball. 2. I am planning to be in a national basketball tournament. 3. Because of a very big basketball tournament where my team could be announced the best 9th grade basketball team in the country. 4. My friends, but from this school just Justin McCormack 5. I am most excited to play the sport I love and just God giving me the ability to play this wonderful game. 6. My father who is also the coach of my team.

Imani Daffin1. Turkey!2. We plan to travel by boat, balloon, and foot to many cool places around Turkey.3. I am going there because I think that this will be an amazing life changing experience.4. 2013 HC Global Trekkers of the future...(;5. I am most excited for getting to learn Turkish customs with the local people and seeing beautiful sites, going to jaw-dropping beaches, and eating interesting food.6. The one and only Dr. Livingston.

Hannah Gustafson1. Costa Rica2. We are going to evangelize, hold sports camps for the kids, and do service projects in the community.

What are students doing this summer? Students and Faculty travel to all different places for summer vacations.

Hannah Gustafson Continued... 3. As a mission trip!4. The 11th graders at Kingsland Baptist Church.5. To go to Costa Rica and be able to serve in their community!!!! I have never been there, so it will be awesome to experience the culture while serving the community!6. My Church

Lisa Porter1. Florida Keys2. Swim and kayak and, oh yeah, GET MARRIED!3. To become Mrs. Lisa Wiebe :)4. My fiancé Shane!5. To have our friends and family all together to celebrate! YAY!6. We both did, and that’s where we will begin our married life together! (Come visit!)

Elizabeth DalBello1. Colorado2. Climb some mountains!3. The Passport to Lead trip!4. My friends from school:)5. Climbing a mountain!6. Colonel Wilson!

Nathalie Simoes1. I’m going to Turkey with the Globe Trek2. We will ride a hot air balloon, travel along the coast in a boat, visit many beaches, and stop and shop at Istanbul4. Other HCHS students and Michael Vaughan5. Most excited for the boat ride along the coast because it’ll be beautiful along the water and it’ll be the perfect bonding time (:6. Dr. Livingston chose the spot

Mike & Libba Maddry1. Going to Turkey, Florida Keys, Possibly Taos, NM2. Explore, See Lisa Porter get married, Mountain Bike3. Fun!, Fun!, R&R4. My Sweet Wife Libba, Dillon the Dog, Maybe sons Taylor, Travis5. Being with My Sweet Wife Libba on another adventure!6. Invited, It’s the Rockies!

Questions:1. Where are you going?

2. What do you plan to do there? 3. Why are you going there?

4. Who are you going there with?5. What are you most excited for?

6. Who chose this location/vacation spot?

On April 19, 2013, two Cambridge scholars visited to discuss apologetics with a lucky few HC students. The junior class was especially fortunate to sit in on this conference because of the direct link to current class work: apologetics. The seminar was held in the Bush Center and Dr. Peter Williams and Dr. Dirk Jongkind discussed the reliability and historical accuracy of the Bible, specifically the New Testament. They also spent some time answering questions from the audience. They started by discussing the reasons that the New Testament is reliable. Junior, Jennifer Johnson, said that “one reason that was specifically compelling was the one that regarded how names were written in the New Testament. It was something we had never heard in class and I found it really compelling.” If this does not make sense here is a clarification: The Bible clarifies who people specifically if they have a common name. John the Baptist, Jesus from Nazareth, etc.. If a name was common, this name was made more specific to show that the name was not simply made up, but it had a direct link to a specific person. Although this may not seem like a sound reason, the most popular names during the time of the New Testament were not even known until recently. This shows that the New Testament had to have been written during the time that it was stated, due to the knowledge of name popularity. However, the seminar was not limited to just discussing the Bible’s reliabilty. The two guest speakers took time to answer faith based questions from the students sitting in the audience. They helped clarify questions regarding morals, God’s power, and Christians binding to the literal words in the Bible. Junior, Lauren Lewellen, sat in on the seminar with her discipleship class. She stated, “it was nice to have common faith based questions answered by someone different than our teachers, or even someone from America. I loved hearing a fresh perspective from someone from another nation. Plus, their accents were fabulous.” This seminar taught many students about apologetics and it gave the freshman and sophomores a chance to see what is to come in Apologetics next year. Overall, the two Cambridge scholars provided a fresh outlook for all students and provided information that is applicable to Bible class, but is also helpful to know.

British Scholars inform about the Bible

Cambridge scholars speak on the Bible’s Reliability,

by Ashley Richards, Junior Editor

Ariana Morgan completes her final test for her bio-diesel project in Mr. Kelley’s Environmental Systems class. She created the bio-diesel fuel in class, and had to run it through a diesel engine for 15 minutes. “Success is in the smile of this amazing HC student,” said Mr. Kelley.

City Centre stores have fun secrets

by Gianna Tiedemann, Managing Editor

Boston Marathon turns to chaosCommunityMay 20134

by Ashley Richards, Junior Editor

Participants and bystanders run for their lives near the finish line

Everyone knows that City Centre has great food, shopping, and activities; however, not every knows what makes each of these stores fabulous. Every store has a unique twist that the everyday shopper may not know, but here is a list of all the special things each store can offer you. Kendra Scott: This store is not only brand new to City Centre, and the fashion scene, but they are also the hottest place to host a party (Hint! Hint! Senior girls, this is a great graduation party idea!) These fabulous events are called Color Parties. At Kendra’s Color Parties, guests are invited to customize whatever

item (earrings, rings, and necklaces) they want at the guests desired colors. Kendra Scott carries all sorts of gifts ranging from all sorts of prices to make Kendra Scott a great gift for any occasion. Anthropologie: Anthro (for short) may have super cute clothes, but what people may not know about Anthro is that the accessory section is the most abundant section in the store. Under tables, in cabinets, and hidden in the store are tons of accessories that you have to look for to find (if you don’t believe me, go look!) There are always bags, headbands, shoes, and necklaces in random corners of the

store. Even if you are just going into Anthropologie for a new dress, consider taking a look at all of the accessories that they have scattered, you never know what you will find! Free People: Free People just so happens to have the best customer service, surprisingly. If you go in, just ask one of the many girls walking around to help you pick out an outfit. Although you make think that their outfits are a little too hipster, they somehow have a sixth sense about what sweater will layer perfectly with that adorable dress. The girls that work in Free People can answer just about any question regarding what

All of the stores in City Centre are special, but they also have hidden specialties that you may not know about.

On Monday, April 15th 2013, the 116th Boston Marathon took place in Boston, Massachusetts. The 26.2 mile race starts on Main Street in Hopkinton, MA, and ends on Boylston Street right near the John Hancock Tower in Copley Square. The race day started at 9:00 AM and race conditions were somewhat ideal, but all had changed and quickly took a turn for the worse just a short four hours and eight minutes later. As runners were keeping track of their split times and were close to finishing the race, they had no idea what would await them at the finish line. Usually, after the race is over, participants and Boston residents gather together for an awards ceremony and a seemingly

spectacular post-race party. However, that was not the case this time. At four hours and eight minutes, as some runners were just about to cross the finish line, two bombs went off and brought the race to a complete halt. With three dead and over 150 injured, this normally fun day turned into complete chaos. Race day officials and the Boston police rushed to the scene in order to locate the injured and bring them to paramedics. These officials and officers were also sent out along the race path to lead them to another route. In addition to officials, spectators and even other runners were helping the injured get out of the mini war-zone and into safety. One of those spectators was Carlos Arredondo.

Arredondo was attending the race to honor his son who was killed in Iraq and the death of his other son, which happened not to long ago. After the bombing, he rushed toward the victims and found one who had both of his legs blown off. Arredondo quickly got help from officials who worked with him to get the victim to safety by bringing in a wheelchair. His true heroism was shown when he pinched one of the victim’s arteries in his leg to keep him from bleeding out. Although there is a picture of this action, it will not be shown due to its graphic nature. Arredondo is only one of the spectators who put their lives on the line to help others. While all this was happening and the

media was releasing more information to the public, many of us here at Houston Christian began to worry about one of our very own who was participating in his third Boston Marathon: Mr. Edward Carson. If you come to school around the FAB block time, you can see him running around the school, training for different races. Well, all that training seems to have paid off because he ran the Boston Marathon in three hours and fourteen minutes, although according to Carson, this “was not his best time.” By the time the explosives had detonated, Carson was already at the airport and was ready to board his flight back to Houston. After he heard of the accident, Carson was interviewed by KHOU channel eleven news and

channel two news and gave his thoughts on the accident. The next day, his students and fellow faculty were glad to know that he was safe and okay. In the days following the incident, outraged and confused Americans longed to know who would commit such a crime. On Friday, April 18th, America got its answer. Two young brothers from Chechnya, a region of Russia, were identified as suspects of the crime. In a late night police chase the night before, Tamerlan Tsarnev (26), the older brother of Dzhokar Tsarnev (19), was shot, run over by his brother, and killed. Dzhokar Tsarnev, who is currently still at large, was considered armed and dangerous. The suspect’s whereabouts led to the citywide lockdown

of Boston and Watertown, a small town just north of Boston, and Dzhokar Tsarnev, the younger suspect, was caught while hiding in a boat in Watertown, Massachusetts. The suspect is now hospitalized and in severe condition with a throat injury. Although he cannot speak, the younger Tsarnev is able to write down information. Overall, the bombings at the Boston Marathon have lead Americans to come together and pray for the victims of the accident. Even the New York Yankees showed their support and love for their long-term rival, the Boston Red Sox. Please continue to pray for the victims as America waits for more information about the suspects and their motives.

matches and what looks flattering (as long as you don’t mind spending a couple extra dollars on a new party dress). Next time you head out on a shopping spree either for yourself, or a gift from someone special take into consideration what stores are the best for what you are looking for. Good luck, and happy shopping.

The StangCommunity 5North Korea starts something they will not be able to finishNorth Korea is threatening the United States with ballistic nuclear missiles.

by Matt Ypchum, Stang Staff North Korea has been issuing near-daily threats against the United States and South Korea. In one of the boldest warnings, North Korea said it could carry out deadly strikes against the United States. Many doubt that they could hit the United States with a missile, with or without a nuclear bomb in it. Some of its missiles could, however, hit South Korea or Japan, where there are many American forces. Every time they threaten the United States they also mentioned how they would be provoked to attack the United States if they

ever shot on or in anyway “antagonized.” The United States led the successful push for sanctions at the United Nations to punish North Korea for its nuclear test in February. The North Koreans feel the need to talk politically during the times when there are joint United States-South Korea military exercises going on, which they view as a threat. One of those exercises is going on now. In the past, United States administrations and South Korean governments have been able to simmer down the almost world changing decisions that

the North Koreans have often made by offering concessions, in the form of much-needed aid, and in return have made the North Koreans promise their nuclear studies and manufacturing of nuclear missiles, be stopped. Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, has kept to those promises after receiving aid. Supposedly, North Korea is seeking aid again and other concessions, while some suggest that it merely wants to be recognized as a nuclear state, like Pakistan. The North genuinely fears an attack by the United States or

South Korea and views the warnings as restriction. Highlighting a perceived threat from abroad is also a favorite tool the North Korean government uses to ensure internal unity in an impoverished country that has experienced enormous hardship, including devastating famine and continuing pervasive hunger. College Professor Gawon Yoon, thinks “the U.S. should recognize North Korea and President Obama should visit that country. When North Korea becomes richer, peace will prevail in the Korean peninsular and that part of the world.”

North Korea has gone through three nuclear tests since 2006. It is believed that North Korea is capable of at least making basic nuclear devices. Sophomore Kyle Fronckiewicz10, thinks that, “North Korea has a sizable arsenal of short and medium range missiles, and is developing longer range missiles”. Hopefully the current administration in office can do what it needs to do to keep our country safe and out of harms way. Also, Dennis Rodman, a retired NBA basketball player recently visited North Korea with

hope of being able to help start making the gap between the United States and North Korea, in terms of trying to work together, smaller. Senior Ashton Binkley12 said, “this was kind of weird given that the North Koreans don’t like us and the fact that Dennis Rodman is the guy who’s trying to help out the American government is just random.” After coming back from North Korea, Dennis Rodman supposedly had the perfect way to work things out between the two counties and that was, just going and talking to the guy.”

It is on the rise. It started from the bottom and now it is here: Texas A&M-Galveston. Original-ly a school for those inter-ested in Marine Biology, it is now very popular for its transfer options to Texas A&M for those who can-not quite cut the mustard for this prestigious Texas state school. Texas A&M is a relatively hard school to get into, but if you love the tradition of the school and many of its other great attributes (Heismanziel anyone?), there is still hope for you to be a part of it all if you did not make the cut. Texas A&M Galveston is one of those gleaming beacons of hope, and many students are taking advan-tage of it, including eight of our very own. Texas A&M Galveston’s student population is expected

to double within the next four years, due to so many students taking advantage of this great opportunity provided by a solid Texas school. Nearly half of the students that attend Texas A&M Galveston transfer to Texas A&M-College Station (Main Campus). A full year at Texas A&M Galveston and a minimum of a 2.5 GPA will grant you an automatic transfer to Texas A&M’s general studies. From there, if you meet the requirements, you can transfer into the major of your choice. If you are able to stay on top of your work and make good grades while at Texas A&M Galveston, you will be just like any other stu-dent at Texas A&M within a year. This is truly a great opportunity that is often looked over. The few that

capitalize on this hidden gem are really glad they did it. Seniors Stephen Consoli and Matt Yochum are two of the seniors going to A&M Galveston to take advantage of the transfer system. They had this to say about it, “We are really excited about going to A&M Galveston next year. It is right on, debatably, the most beauti-ful beach in the continental U.S. But really, it provides a great opportunity for us to transfer to a great school we initially did not think about going to. We are ex-cited to take advantage of it!” Well you heard it here first. Do it before it be-comes cool. Use the Texas A&M transfer system to your advantage. Gig ‘Em Aggies.

Texas A&M Galveston is on the riseA new entryway to Texas A&M College Station is availableby Ryan Hooker, Stang Staff

The stabbing frenzy occurred at Lone Star Community College at the Cy-Fair campus. The accused stabber is a deaf college student that attended Lone Star. He at-tacked 14 victims with an exacto knife and even one victim had pieces of blade in him. Dylan Andrew Quick, 20, used a razor utility knife to stab and cut fellow students at Lone Star College Tuesday, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Jared Klasen, son of HC Registrar Mrs.Karen Klasen, was getting out of his car when students were franti-cally running out of the building. He said, “It was like a video game, you could see blood and hear the screams.” The handle to a razor-type knife was found in a backpack that Quick was car-rying when he was arrested, the sheriff’s office said in a statement. Quick told police he has “had fantasies of stabbing people to death” since he was 8 years old. He also indi-cated he had been planning the attack for “some time.” The stabbing suspect is going to be facing three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was ordered held on $100,000 bond on each charge. A judge read in court, “The defendant gave a video-taped confession, admitting he stabbed complainants multiple times with an exacto knife because of his fantasy to kill people.” Quick did not appear in court overnight because he is considered a mental health patient, according to a local news station. Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute said, “all patients transported there after the attack were treated and were in good condition.” North Cypress Hospital spokes-woman said, “the six victims that were brought there have all be treated and released.”

Community college stabbing horrifies studentsLone Star Community College suffers mass stabbing by studentby Matt Scott, Stang Staff

Doxa, Dance I and II, Silver Spurs, and Drum Line perform for friends and family at this year’s dance concert.

Dance Concert wows the crowdFine ArtsMay 20136

Four seniors share, and juniors receive their red shirts in this year’s Red Shirt ceremony.

Seniors pass down the torch

by Samantha Moore, Stang Staff

On April 17th and 18th, the Doxa Dance Company, Dance I and II classes, Silver Spurs, and the Drum Line showcased their skills in the annual spring dance concert. From hip hop to modern dance, the recital previewed all kinds of dance from each group. The Doxa Dance company performed three dances. Solos by Morgan Kanaly, Christina Farmer, Caroline Taylor, Jessica Fronckiewicz, and Hannah Rae wowed the crowd. Each dancer had a hand in choreographing her dance, and they did an incredible job. Jessica Fronckiewicz9 said, “my favorite part was after all of the rehearsals and practices to see our work pay off and come together in the end. It was really cool to step back after the concert and see everything that the dance department had accomplished.” Doxa has performed in

a competition at the I.S.A.S. Festival as well as performing at fine arts concerts and special chapel services throughout the year. The group is full of incredibly talented, young dancers who dedicate a large amount of time to the company.

Each Dance I class performed a hip hop number. Throughout the year, the dance classes have learned many skills that they were able to show off in their performance. Renee Alphonso10 says dance class is “so much fun and [they] really gain a better appreciation for dancers!” This semester has been spent preparing for the spring concert, and the performance was a complete success.

The Drum Line performed their “personal favorite,” as well as a creative new song played by stomping, clapping, and using their bodies as drums. The crowd cheered the team on, in awe of their intense

skill level. Drum line director, Mr. Sweger, encourages the group to find new, fun ways to perform, and this song was definitely a crowd pleaser.

The Dance II class performed a more difficult, modern dance. Having taken Dance I during the 2011-2012 school year, each member of this class developed a love for dance and chose to further their dance skills in the next level of Ms. Peters elective class. Their performance was spectacular.

Ms. Peters did an incredible job in organizing this concert, and everyone who attended enjoyed the wonderful performances. Each group pushed themselves to new levels with their dances, and their performances were incredible. Congratulations on a job well done to each dancer or drumline member who performed; the show was spectacular.

DANCERS Leslie Lamoreaux and Mor-gan Kanaly pose together after a suc-cessful dance concert. Morgan danced for Doxa and Leslie for Dance II.

by Connor Kelley, Stang Staff

The annual Red Shirt ceremony and Senior Chapel had many changes this year. From the way the shirts were passed, to the messages of the speakers, this annual ceremony was different and it addressed every student. The class of 2014 has now taken their place as the leaders on campus through the red shirt ceremony and the other classes have words of wisdom from the graduating class of 2013. The changes started with the way the shirts were passed out. Instead of Mrs. Andrau and Dean handing out the red shirts on stage to the upcoming seniors, the juniors were presented their red shirts

by the current seniors in front of the whole school on the floor in front of the stage. This was a symbol of the seniors passing the torch down to the juniors to lead Houston Christian, by literally passing their shirts down. Junior John O’Carroll says, “it gave us a better connection to the meaning of the ceremony by receiving it from our fellow senior classmates.” As the juniors transition to seniors next year, a great deal of responsibility follows. All eyes are on their every move and underclassmen are following in their footsteps. This increase in responsibility has made junior, Ashi Peters, excited. He says,

“I am ready to give some underclassmen advice about life and school. I am going to show them how to do good in school, handle sports and class work, get closer to God, and become a good leader.” This is the feeling that most of the junior class has because junior, Madison Sheehy, said, “I cannot wait to be a senior. We get to do so much with all the younger students and not to mention we get to wear college sweatshirts and our fabulous new red polos.” The most important part of the ceremony belongs in the hands of the senior class, since it is their chapel.The senior class of 2013 had four representatives to speak to each of the younger classes. The senior speakers were Taylor Porchey, Jessie Skinn, Kyle Garmin, and Spencer Traver. Each one of these graduating seniors talked to an individual class about what their leadership role should be. For the freshmen, Taylor Porchey had the opportunity to talk to them about what they might expect moving forward into their sophomore year and further. She started with a joke that you first must know how to spell sophomore, “there is a “O” in the middle of it,” she said. Taylor went on to say that the group of freshmen is a special class and that she has enjoyed being part of their freshman year while being at fish camp and a d-group leader. She added that they shouldn’t be afraid to throw themselves out there and that it is good to have a mentor to help you throughout highshool. . Jessie Talked to the current sophomores about finding a mentor, and the importance that being mentored has on spiritual growth and leadership. Kyle talked to the juniors about what being a leader means and how to successfully lead the entire school. Spencer talked to the seniors and discussed what was important

in their senior journey: forgiveness. Spencer talked about the importance that forgiving and forgetting has on leading the school. All of the seniors left their intended classes with some food for thought, as they passed down their leadership torch to the current juniors. Although this ceremony and chapel may seem like a silly tradition, it is a way that the entire junior class can realize that they are the new leaders, before their actual senior year. The Red Shirt Ceremony and Senior Chapel shows the juniors that the watchful eye of the underclassmen starts this now, and they should not wait to lead until their senior year.

THE HENNESSEY KIDS pose for a picture after the ceremony. There was a resounding “aww” when JP passed his shirt off to Emma.

FOR THE FIRST TIME junior Ryan Hooker puts on his new senior red shirt. “I am really ready to be a senior,” said Ryan.

Fine Arts travels to the Big Apple

Chaplain’s Corner: New ChaplainsGetting to know your new chaplains, Ian Hopper and Amanda Brock.by Michael Vaughan, Stang Staff

by Ashley Richards, Stang StaffHC Band, Choir, and Orchestra compete in NYC.

The StangSpiritual Life 7

Every Mustang student goes to see the choir, orchestra, and band at least once before they graduate. There is no secret that the musical talent at HC is overwhelming; and finally the choir, band, and orchestra get a chance to compete and show off their talents, while still enjoying all of the famous tourist attractions that New York has to offer. Choir, Band, and Orchestra all competed at the World Strides Heritage Festival at Riverside Church. All three groups had fabulous success in this competition: Orchestra won second place in their division which earned them a Silver Award, Band won first place and a Gold Award in their division, but Choir came home with first place and a Gold Award as well as the only bid to the Festival of Gold given in their division for all three

categories (Choir, Band, and Orchestra). Junior Choir member, Caroline Taylor, said this about her favorite part of the New York trip, “The competition was so fun. It was such a beautiful chapel that we got to preform in, and it was really rewarding. I loved getting to do all the touristy things that NY has to offer though.” All three groups came home with prestigious awards, and some travel experience under their belts. Perhaps no school trip would be the same if it did not include fun activities. What would a trip to New York be without visiting Central Park? The Fine Arts students got to see Rockefeller Center, the 911 Memorial, China Town, Little Italy, and Soho. Junior, Katherine Gualy said, “My favorite part was seeing Phantom

MV: Why did you want to be Chaplain?

Ian Hopper: There are few things that I enjoy more than a challenge. I also have a deep desire to challenge others. I want the students of HCHS to be able to share in a sense of challenge toward Jesus in the upcoming year. I want to be able to show how following Christ is not a boring chore but, rather, an exciting, challenging, and fulfilling adventure race to glorify God.

Amanda Brock: I want to be Chaplain because I love Christ and want to share His love with others.

MV: What are you most excited for about senior year? (can be anything)

IH: Very excited about my younger brother coming to HC. I’m used to being the younger at the school but it will be fun to have a younger sibling here.

AB: I am excited for off-campus lunch and finishing up all my sports with my teams next year.

MV: Who has been your biggest influence in high school?

IH: This is a very hard question. There have been so many people that have had a great Influence on me throughout my years in high school. Just to name a few:

Eric (my older brother), Anthony Farfan (d-group leader), Mike Maddry, and many teachers and friends.

AB:Throughout the pasted 3 years I have been blessed by many mentors who have poured selflessly into me and my walk with Christ. Some of them are Saona Jackson, Lisa Porter, Mike Maddry, Coach Bill Moore, Coach Joe Rodden, Mr. Jim Kelley, Mrs. Pam McClendon, Colonel Wilson, Michael Vaughan, Senor Sam, and many others from my church, Second Baptist. I’ve also had the privilege of being influenced by Becca Langston, Hayley Short, Haylee H, Elizabeth Mosvold, Katherine Quandt, and Courtney Smith.

MV: What are you doing this summer?

IH: I will be going to Turkey with Globe trek and many friends. I’ll probably sleep some...and eat.

AB:This summer is going to be action packed for me, I am going to Beach Retreat with Second Baptist church, Global Trek to Turkey with the school, running and choreographing at multiple dance camps, visiting Nicaragua with the Bible department on a mission trip, working on staff as a camp counselor, working out with DST, playing basketball, and possibly be going the Leadership trip to Colorado for the third year in a row.

MV: What is something most people don’t know about you?

IH: Many people do not know that I enjoy mountain biking greatly. I have found mountain biking to be possibly one of the most fun activities I’ve ever been able to regularly participate in.

AB: I can lick my elbow.

by Amanda Brown, Stang Staff This year, Houston Christian is offering numerous trips for the students and teachers. Each trip is extremely different from one another and are each intriguing in their own way. If you are interested in taking a fun, exotic trip this summer, then you should check out the fun trips planned for the upcoming year. The first trip planned for this summer is the Globe Trek to Turkey. Each student going on this trip is specially selected by one of his or her teachers and recommended to Dr. Livingston. Drew Hendricks11 is attending this wonderful trip and is “so excited”. He says “I can’t wait to hang out with my friends and also to make new friends. This is going to be an experience I will never forget.”

Another trip this summer is the yearly Project 20/20 mission trip. This year, Mr. Rodden, Mr. Davis, Mr. Maddry, Señora Laura and a group of students will travel to Granada, Nicaragua to build orphanages and teach these children how to play sports. Junior Amanda Brock will be attending this trip and is most excited for “grow closer to everyone going on the trip while growing closer to God.”

If you are more of an outdoorsy person, then you will love the Colorado Wilderness Trip that Colonel Wilson leads each summer. Students going on this trip will backpack the challenging Rockies and peak a fourteener. Last year, the group went to the RedCloud Camp and backpacked in the Colorado wilderness for four days. After they got back to the camp, they climbed a 14,000 foot mountain near the area. The mountain was called Uncompahgre, which is the sixth highest mountain in Colorado. Junior Tim Cleary went on this trip last summer and says “my favorite part was climbing Uncompahgre because I love to climb mountains, but I also like to challenge myself.” However if you can’t attend any of these vacations this summer, there are many opportunities in the upcoming school year. The first trip of the new school year will be to Turkey and Greece led by Mr. Shepherd. Students will travel to the ancient sites of the seven churches of Revelation, see the famous cathedral of Holy Wisdom, Topkapi Palace, and other Istanbul destinations, stand in the cave where John wrote Revelation and get hands-on with the archaeology of the region. The next trip is one to the Galapagos Island led by Mr. Kelley and Señora Laura. Students will explore the wildlife on Baltra Island (one of the Galapagos Islands), snorkel around Pinnacle Rock, see the one-time salt mining operation on Santiago Island, observe Sea Lions, visit Cerro Dragon and view land iguanas and giant tortoises. The last trip of the 2014 school year will be to London, England. Students will visit Windsor Castle, Tower of London, Caterbury and Oxford, experience the Changing of the Guard, Westminster Abbey, London Museums, a West End Musical and shopping on High Street, Harrod’s and Selfridges. A variety of fun and special trips are coming up this summer and next school year, so be sure to get involved if you can.

of the Opera performed on Broadway. There was so much talent on that stage it was truly awe inspiring.” But, their fun didn’t stop there. The students got to go on a dinner cruise and they did a little shopping around Times Square. This three day trip proved that a quick trip shouldn’t stop you from seeing that all New York has to offer, it certainly did not stop this group from seeing all of New York’s famous sites, and more. The Fine Arts students all got to experience a fabulous trip while showing around 20 schools from across the nation what Houston Christian Fine Arts is all about. Not only did they have good luck on stage, but also they had fun running around the busy streets of NYC. Great job Choir, Band, and Orchestra.

Travel Opportunities

FeatureMay 20138

Ramsey Al-Azem Courtney Baggett Rachael Barnett Emma Barr Joshua Baudin

Ryan Bennett Heather Bergeron Ashton Binkley Amanda Blanchard Kathleen Burt

David Buzali Veronica Cecil Tyler Colville Stephen Consoli Ashley Consolvo

Liz Constantinou Maddy Copello Shelby Corder Cullen Cosco Keith Crawford

Chelsea Damon Madison DeLuca Jack Detiveaux Derek Divine Brian Dice

Brendan Ehrenstrom Christopher Evans Christina Farmer Jacob Farris Katherine Flores

Adam Dole Erin Elizabeth Doll Nicholas Dotson Simon Doucet Rachel Driver

Brooke Fritcher Natalie Galerne Kyle Garmen Karina Giron Meg Goode

The Senior Class of

Christina HarrisonAndrew HardingDavid HansenThomas HanhausenBrian Hall

2013

Win HollandPaige HobbsRachel HenryJohn Patrick HennesseySarah Helm

The StangSeniors Past and Present 9

Matt Hook Jenna Huntsman Kiersten Koenig Leslie Lamoreaux Brooks Lehle

Ryan Leiss Amie Leitko Emma Loo Alyssa McKinzie Robert McPherson

Ernest Mercado Nicholas Moll Ariana Morgan Ivan Morris Patrick Mulvey

Carl-Felix Mundt Christopher Nguyen Sage Nguyen Angela Pidala Taylor Porchey

Hannah Rae Nicholas Rasa John Rasplicka Alexa Reinhart Miranda Rogers

Joyce Shaheen Sam Shutts Nathalie Simoes Jessie Skinn Blakely Smith

Alex Roys Clara Russell Wesley Rutherford Matt Scott Emily Seligmann

Courtney Smith Andrew Sofka Karl Stuewer Chambers Swiggart Gianna Tiedemann

Colin WatersJordan VivianMichael VaughanGavin VanderhiderKarmen Valenzuela

Frederick WolfeEsther-Sarah WilmontMolly WelchRobert WebreJordan Watkins

Charles ZenkerJordan ZealBenjamin YoungMatt YochumVictoria Wyman

By Alexa Reinhart, Copy Editor

EditorialMay 201310

Things Alexa wishes she would have known

What Alexa would tell her younger self

STANG 2012-2013

The Stang is published 8 times per year online at www.houstonchristian.org, and is free to the student body, faculty and staff. Advertising is available to businesses, parents and students, but

The Stang reserves the right to refuse advertisement based on appropriateness for HC Students. For advertising information please contact Heidi McCurdy at 713-580-6044 or email at hmccurdy@houstonchristian.org.

The Stang is a student run newspaper and the views and opinions of

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

Letters to the Editor:Please email your comments to hmccurdy@houstonchristian.org.

The Stang reserves the right to refuse or edit inappropriate content of comments.

Mission Statement:The mission of The Stang is to inform, entertain and encourage the readers by provising insight

through school, community and global affairs, in order to raise questions and provide answers. To obtain the truth, which is the basis of our paper, we will incorporate research from a wide

variety of sources. Although we write to entertain, we will balance our humor with real information about the world around us. In all we do, we promise to uphold our Christian

values by writing with quality and integrity

Editor-in-Chief-- Rachel DriverJunior Editor-- Ashley Richards

Managing Editor-- Gianna TiedemannCopy Editor-- Alexa Reinhart

Stang StaffAmanda Brown, Stephen Consoli, Connor Kelley, Samantha Moore, Matt Scott, Spencer Traver,

Michael Vaughan, Matt YochumAdvisor--Heidi McCurdy

“It’s not my fault!”After a rear-ending incident, are you truly at fault?By Gianna Tiedemann, Managing Editor

New Exemption policy in forceWhat do you think about exemptions?By Ryan Hooker, Stang Staff

Usually this article is called “what makes Alexa happy,” but for my very last article, I will be informing everyone about what I wish I knew before or what I would tell my younger self. Of course there are many things I wish I would have known, but I will share the most relatable ones.

I wish someone had told me to take a deep breath and stop worrying about the little things. I am sure my friends told me to chill out and relax every once in awhile, but it did not really sink in. I worried way to much about every little grade in each class, how I would do this and that, and about petty things. I am naturally a worry-some person, but I know that it would have been beneficial for me to take a deep breath and slow down and enjoy the ride, which leads into my next point. High school is over before you know it. I know everyone says this way too often, but there is so much truth in it. It does not feel at all like I am about to graduate in one month, but I am. If I would have known how fast high school would have gone by, I definitely would have spent more time enjoying it. So this is me telling you to take advantage of hanging out with your best friends, going to school activities (football games, musicals, dance concerts, etc...), and so much more because before you know it, you will leave all of your friends and more than likely, you will not keep in touch with most of them. So, stay focused on school and don’t blow it off, but make time to fun and be with your friends to build relationships with people, because you will never have this time back, which also leads to my next point of building relationships. This year, I have become close to so many people that I never thought

that I would be good friends with, and it will happen to all of you too. But, I would have told myself to put myself out there earlier and befriend people that I wouldn’t usually hang out or be friends with because you learn so much about yourself, other people, and you get to be in community and surround yourself with different types of people. During your senior year, your class will most likely come together and the petty drama will stop (as much as you let it that is), and you will all be more friendly with one another, but by that time its a little too late; you missed out on three years of friendship with these people and now you are about to embark on a new stage of life, and you will leave all these people back home and they will be known as your “high school friends.” I know this sounds harsh, but it is very true, besides your best friends because (hopefully) y’all will keep in touch. I am talking about the people who you talk to in your classes, but don’t necessarily hang out with outside of school, but they are still your friends. Basically, befriend others now because by senior year it is already too late. This is one of my regrets of my four years, and I sincerely wish someone would have told me before. Among many other things, these are all things that I really wish I would have known before senior year, when I am already starting to check out of school and I am looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life. So I leave you with these words: take a deep breath, strengthen relationships, and make new ones because before you know it, (seriously senior year will come in a flash whether you are ready or not) your last year of high school will be upon you and you too will be reflecting on things you wish you would have done.

knew that the person driving the car in front of him was clearly at fault, but this person did not stop even though he/she knew it was their fault. You may be wondering why I am telling you this. Well, it’s because, and I’m sure many or at least some of you (I’m hoping) can relate to this. Even though it was not really my fault that I hit him, BY LAW, it is my fault. Now what sense does that make? People cannot automatically assume that because you hit them from behind, it is your fault. Now, if you were not paying attention or something like that, then I understand how it could be your fault. Yet, if you were paying atten-tion (like me) and were not doing any-thing that would have caused an accident in the first place, then I do not think you should be guilty and be defined as the one at fault. It’s frustrating, right? Personally, I think that officials, such as policemen, should evaluate each person’s story that was involved in the accident and then point fingers. If the one person who created the whole accident left the scene, then I think one person should just take it upon himself or herself to be at fault, unless one of the people involved got the driver’s license number of the one who caused the accident. Then again, it could be tricky this way, but I think it may make a lot of people less angry, especially those who were not really at fault, like me. I do not know how many acci-dents, if any, that you have gotten into, but if you have ever been in this situation then I am sure that you understand my frus-tration. There has got to be some sort of change to this law because justice should always prevail. The end.“It’s not y fault!” After a rear-ending incident, are you truly at fault?

It is that bittersweet time of the year again. Summer break is right around the corner, but the dreaded second semester finals also come along with that. But at least we have the option to exempt them…right? Sorry y’all, but that is not the case this year. Only seniors can exempt finals. But they do not exactly have it made either, they must have a minimum of a 90 average in every quarter in the class to be able to exempt. Throw senioritis into the mix and this task seems nearly impossible. While the argument of not being able to exempt finals in college, and this being a college preparatory school is valid, I still do not think it is fair to not have the option to exempt. I even thought the old exemption rules were pretty harsh, but these new ones are worse. I believe that taking exemptions away completely from underclassman was very unjust. Junior Taylor Newhouse agrees and has a positive outlook on the situation, “I don’t really like the new exemption rules, I feel like if you worked hard enough to make good grades in a class you should be able to exempt whether you are a senior or not. But I’m going to be a senior next year so I’ll be fine!”

Though I’ve never been able to exempt a final due to some uhh...issues, I would still like it to be available. We are not asking for no finals at all (but hey, we will take it if need be), but just some leniency in the current exemption status. If we can’t exempt our core course finals, then what about our elective finals? With two less finals to study for, it could really relieve some of the pressure put on us during this week of monotonous, non-stop studying. Studying diligently for seven, most likely 100+ question tests, covering five months of material is no simple task. So help us out here HC, bring back the ever much loved and missed exemptions!

For you drivers out there, how many of you have gotten into an ac-cident? Whether you’ve been rear-ended, done the rear-ending, T-boned, or just straight up crashed into, you’ve probably been in some sort of fender-bender or accident, like me. I’ve been told before that if you hit someone from behind, then you are the person who is at fault, even if it actually was not your fault. So my story, and my complaint, begins. Up until this point, I’ve been a pretty good driver, not counting the time I accidentally lightly tapped the wall of my garage, and have not gotten into many accidents or the like. Last Satur-day, I ventured out and went down to the Memorial City Mall area and turned onto Bunker Hill. Right where Bunker Hill meets Gaylord there are two lanes going toward the mall. In the left lane, a driver can either turn left (making sure to yield to oncoming traffic) without an unpro-tected left turn or go straight. In the right lane, a driver can go straight or obviously turn right. I was mistakenly in the left lane trying to go left and was waiting behind three cars, one of which was turning left. Everyone hates that person who turns left when everyone else needs to go straight, so like most people, I got tired of waiting and decided to try to go into the right lane. To cut my story short, the car in front of me maneuvered into the right lane just as I did, when unexpectedly, the car in front of both of us cut into the right lane, causing the guy in front of me to stop short, thus causing me to stop short and rear-end him. “Great,” I thought. The old man who was driving the car in front of me kept telling me that he was “so sorry” for stopping so quickly and was actually really nice. He claimed that it was his fault, but we both

The StangEditorial 11

By Rachel Driver, Editor In Chief

42 takes you back in time to baseball history legendsA closer look into how Jackie Robinson made his name in the world of baseball

Stephen ‘s Sports ReportTexans draft recapBy Stephen Consoli, Stang Staff

The movie 42 was more than just another film to hit the big screen, and this article is more than just an opinionated movie review to go in the newspaper. The movie 42 was an inspiring film that tells the “life story of Jackie Robinson and his history-making signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers under the guidance of team executive Branch Rickey.” Although movies that showcase an event of the past can sometimes be classified as “boring” or “long-winded,” I can assure you that when the credits begin to roll and the lights come up, you will be sad it is over. When I saw the movie I did not necessarily know much about the history and impact Jackie Robinson made in the sport of baseball. I knew the basics, such as his number was 42, he was the first African American in the major leagues, and that his name is ICONIC in baseball. Knowing these key facts, or not knowing anything at all about Jackie Robinson, the movie is extremely entertaining and easy to keep up with. Therefore, there is absolutely nothing that would prevent you all from seeing 42. After seeing 42 for myself, I was inspired to go to the computer and learn more about “the” Jackie Robinson. After searching the web, I came to find that all of the information set in the movie was completely and 100% true. According to the movie, and the official website of Jackie Robinson, Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia in

1919 to a family of sharecroppers. His mother, Mallie Robinson, single-handedly raised Jackie and her four other children. They were the only black family on their block, and the prejudice they encountered only strengthened their bond. From this humble beginning, he would grow the first baseball player to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier that segregated the sport for more than 50 years. Although the movie did not spend much time on the childhood of Jackie Robinson, all of the major events showcased in the movie did have some correlations to his childhood and what made him the man he was. The movie particularly focuses on the events that took place from when Jackie Robinson played for the Negro Baseball League with the Kansas City Monarchs to the moment he first donned a Brooklyn Dodger’s uniform. Jackie Robinson was the man that broke the color barrier in baseball, the nation’s preeminent sport, by courageously challenging the deeply rooted custom of racial segregation in both the North and the South. The movie 42 does an outstanding job of giving the audience to go back to a huge moment in history. The movie 42 somehow had the ability to tug on every emotion a human has. Within the two hour span the movie was playing, I laughed, I cried, I was sad, I was scared, I was worried, I was all over the place. I had chills throughout the whole thing. The dialogue within the movie was amazing. There were so many memorable quotes spread throughout.

One quote that gave me the chills was when Ben Chapman, manager for the Philadelphia Phillies, was harassing Robinson and said “Why don’tcha look in a mirror? This is a white man’s game!” Another amazing quote said by Branch Rickey, “Jackie Robinson. A black man in white baseball.” or “Your enemy will be out in force. But you cannot meet him on his own low ground.” A memorable quote from Jackie Robinson himself was, “I’m not goin’ anywhere! I’m right here!” and “You give me a uniform, you give me a number on my back, I’ll give you the guts.” I could go on and on with outstanding quotes, but I would rather you go and see the movie! So, go see the movie! Jackie Robinson’s baseball jersey number was 42. If you are any kind of a baseball fan, you might notice that the number 42 is not on anyone’s back. Jackie Robinson’s jersey number 42 was so significant that on April 15, 1997, it was

retired throughout Major League Baseball in tribute to Robinson, and the impact he left on the sport. On every April 15 and 16 Major League Baseball observes Jackie Robinson Day at any games played. Every player on the field wears Robinson’s retired jersey number “42.” Jackie Robinson is still very relevant in today’s world. With major motion picture films like 42, and the Jackie Robinson Foundation which provides college scholarships and study grants to students of color in need, Jackie Robinson’s impact on the world is still very present and alive. All in all, for a director to tackle a challenge such as creating a film to pay tribute (and entertain an audience) to a man who altered the racist rules and regulations in the game of baseball, is not an easy task. Director Brian Helgeland did an amazing job creating a motion picture event that captured the true story of Jackie Robinson.

Well, the draft is finally over and we can stop stressing out about who we think the Texans should and shouldn’t draft. All we can do now is evaluate who we did draft and talk about how they will fit in and affect the outcome of next season. With a total of nine picks in the 2013 draft, the Texans hit every positional need on the depth chart besides inside linebacker. With Brian Cushing coming back, Daryl Sharpton starting the year healthy, the resigning of Tim Dobbins, and the possible move of Brooks Reed to inside, picking an ILB in this year’s draft was not a necessity. The Texans had a decent draft, and this is what it looked like:

The Texans began the draft by filling the gaping hole that has been haunting them for years: finding a real second receiver to take pressure off of All-Pro receiver Andre Johnson. Deandre “Nuke” Hopkins, out of Clemson University, was selected with the 27th pick overall to be the remedy to this continuous situation that the Texans seem to find themselves in year after year. Nuke was originally recruited to Clemson as a defensive back, holding South Carolina state records for season and career interceptions as a high school standout. During his first year at Clemson, his coaches had an epiphone and realized Hopkins could be an even better wide receiver. As a sophomore, Nuke showed that he could play as a number two receiver, yielding way to superstar freshman, Sammy Watkins. He was still able to be a great second option logging 72 catches for 978 yards

and five touchdowns. This past year, as a junior, Hopkins was able to take over as the number one receiver due to Watkins having injuries and off the field issues. He emerged as one of the best receivers in the nation and had outstanding numbers in his final year at Clemson. He recorded 82 catches, 1405 yards, and a ridiculous 18 touchdowns. He also showed he can take over a game, as he did against LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Hopkins was virtually unstoppable in that game where he had 13 catches for 191 yards and two scores. By the end of his junior campaign, Nuke was being talked about as having some of the best hands in the country. With his incredible set of hands combined with terrific speed and strength, being a very physical receiver who likes to go up and get the ball in the air, Nuke should become exactly what the Texans have been looking for.

With the Texans second pick in the draft at number 57, Rick Smith (Texans General Manager) went the hard hitting safety from South Carolina, DJ Swearinger. With the addition of Ed Reed (almost inevitable Hall of Famer) this offseason, the safety position was not a necessity, but with Swearinger still on the table in the second round, the value was too high to pass up. Swearinger is a great run stopper from the safety position and loves to put his head in their and get dirty with the big boys. If Reed takes Swearinger under his wing and teaches him how to become a great center fielder, he has potential to be one of the best young safeties in the league. The only thing he will need to do then is learn how to cope with all of Roger Goodell’s safety

rules. In the third round, the Texans

then had two picks, 89 and 95. Brennan Williams, offensive tackle from North Carolina, was taken with the first of the two. He could potentially beat out Derrick Newton for the right tackle position if Newton continues to play the way he did last season. With the 95th pick, the Texans selected Sam Montgomery out of LSU. Montgomery is a physical defensive end that has potential to play some outside linebacker as well. He may not have the size to play DE in the Texans 3-4 defense, but he plays with a high motor and has great enthusiasm for the game. Montgomery brings physicality and has no fear of who he is matched up against. Regardless of where he plays this season, he will have a positive impact on the field.

With no fifth round selection, Houston wanted to hit with their sole fourth rounder. Trevardo Williams, defensive end/outside linebacker from UConn, was taken with the 124th. He shows great speed and had solid predraft workouts. One of Williams’ weaknesses could be getting caught inside on pass rushes. His sheer speed allows him to get to the passer in many situations, but his lack of pass rushing moves could be a hindrance to his NFL success. Athletic offensive tackles may mean trouble for Williams. If Montgomery and Williams prove to be successful outside linebackers, they could allow Brooks Reed to make the switch to inside. The two also make up for the loss of Connor Barwin in free agency.

The sixth round held a slew of picks for the Texans. With the first of four picks in the sixth, Houston took David

Queensberry, offensive tackle, San Jose State. Queensberry has potential and could at least have a ceiling of a starter in the NFL. He was probably an insurance pick in case Brennan Williams does not hold up to be who he was drafted to be. The second pick was used on Jacksonville State wide receiver, Alan Bonner. Bonner has good speed and catches the ball well. He could be the number three receiver on the the depth chart if he manages to beat out Keshawn Martin and Lestar Jean, but I would expect him to have a limited role this season. Look for him to have an impact in the return game though. Defensive tackle from Bowling Green, Chris Jones, was taken three picks after Bonner. A DT is a position of need for the 3-4 defense of the Texans. Jones will see the field this season, but do not expect a big immediate impact this season. He is not the biggest defensive tackle, but plays quick and has the ability to eat up space in the trenches. Last, but not least, Ryan Griffin was taken with the Texans last pick in the draft. Griffin is a big blocking tight end that can catch the ball as well. He has decent speed and could be a valuable pick down the road because of his size. Griffin could be used in the same capacity as former Texan, James Casey.

Overall, I would consider the Texans’ 2013 draft a success. There are immediate impact players and for the rest, the potential is there. The Texans did what they could to improve where they needed it, and the future looks bright this season. It should be a very exciting season for Texans fans. #BullsOnParade #SuperBowlOrBust

Spring Breakers confusesby Ashley Richards, Junior Editor

By Matt Yochum, Stang Staff

10 celebrities with educational backgrounds

Previous Disney stars take a different route in Hollywood as they grow older

by Spencer Traver, Stang Staff

Monthly Tweets

Providing only the best tweets around campus, Houston, and the world!

EntertainmentMay 201312

See if you’re surprised by anyone on this list of very popular celebrities

Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, and Vanessa Hudgens: all Disney stars

who started as sweet characters beloved by their young fans. However, their

careers took a totally different turn after the release of Spring Breakers. Was

making this movie a bold choice, or just a giant mistake?

There were many factors that led Spring Breakers to be a terrible failure; however, the worst was the casting; for example, there is no way any director could change Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens from High School Musical) into Candy, a strange, lastname-less freak. Her character turned out to be the most heartless character out of all that were cast, but, this may be better understood if the plot was made a little clearer.

The movie starts with confusing shots of the four friends (Candy, Britt, Cotty, and Faith) running around their college campus as one of the very few students still left on their campus. They are desperately trying to obtain enough money to take their spring break trip to Florida, so they grab some guns and a ski mask (items in which every college girl keeps with her) and they rob a chicken shack: sounds logical, right? Of course! Once they rob the restaurant they head on down to Florida where they engage in so much illegal activity it would make your head spin; then, they get arrested and bailed out by James Franco’s character, Alien. Alien leads them to all sorts of parties and he recruits them to help in his profession as a criminal. Literally his job

is to be a criminal. Selena Gomez, Faith, is the first to decide that maybe this spring break isn’t what she signed up for. She is followed by Cotty (played by Rachel Korine) once she gets shot in the arm. The movie ends with James Franco, Ashley Benson, and Vanessa Hudgens going on a shooting rampage. The end. Although the plot may sound a tiny bit intriguing, the movie itself is a train wreck. The only components are vulgar language, word choice, and behavior. It was awful. There is a reason that it Spring Breakers has been removed from most theaters: it is terrible. If you are looking for a cool movie to see with your friends, stay away from this flick.

Students● Senior Ramsey Al-

Azem (@ramseyy29) – “Freebirds>chipotle #BattleOfTheBurritos”

● Senior Kelsey DeBerry (@kelseyunicorn) – “I’m not sure I will ever comprehend how good God is #campmustang #blessed”

● Senior Spencer Traver (@spencertraver7) – “Thankful for the opportunities to serve and relax at Camp Mustang and Senior Retreat. Ready for senior year! #HereWeGo #HeReigns”

● Senior Cullen Cosco (@cullen_cosco) – “Making the year’s first chapel service look like Easter Sunday. #TFM @totalfratmove @johnrasplicka”

●

● Senior Tayler Hedgepeth (@taylerjhane) – “Don’t say this enough, but so thankful for everything I have in life. #itcouldbedifferent #thankfultweet”

● Junior Savannah Head (@SavannahSHead) - “When school is hard I find myself complaining. I need to remember that education is a privilege & millions won’t even receive one. #blessed”

● Junior Cody Reeter (@codyreeter) - “The volleyball fan base at Houston Christian has got to be the best in the nation.. Bleed blue #gamechangers”

● Junior Preston Drake (@PrestonDrake) - “@cullen_cosco for president!!!!”

● Junior Brandon Warner (@AhoyBrando) - “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus #themeverse #freedom #truth”

● Senior Madison DeLuca (@madsdeluca) - “Mercy, not revenge. #spiritualemphasisweek”

● Senior Michael Vaughan (@mjvaughan89) - “The Lord is doing things at Houston Christian High School, and I’m blessed to be at this place.”

1. Natalie PortmanActressNatalie Portman was born on June 9, 1981 in Jerusalem, Israel to a Jewish family. She is an only child, and has a father who works as a doctor and a mother who is an artist (she is also Natalie’s agent). She left Israel for Washington, D.C., when she was still very young. Harvard University2. Brad PittActorBrad Pitt was born on December 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He was raised in Springfield, Missouri. His mom’s name is Jane Etta Hillhouse and his dad’s name is William Pitt. His dad worked in management at a trucking firm in Springfield. He has a younger brother (Douglas Pitt) and sister (Julie Neal Pitt). University of Missouri3. Ashton KutcherActorChristopher Ashton Kutcher was born on February 7, 1978 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He has a fraternal twin brother, Michael, and a sister, Tausha. He grew up in rural Homestead, Iowa and graduated from Clear Creek-Amana High School in Tiffin, Iowa. In 1997, Kutcher was a biochemical engineering student at the University of Iowa and was discovered by a local talent scout.

University of Iowa4. Rachel McAdamsActressShe was born on November 17, 1978, in London. As a teenager, Rachel realized her love for acting and at the age of 13 started performing in Shakespearean productions.

In college, she graduated with honors from York University with a BFA degree. York University5. Adam SandlerActorAdam Sandler was born on September 9, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York, to Judy and Stanley Sandler. At 17, he took his first step towards becoming a stand-up comedian when he spontaneously took the stage at a Boston comedy club. He found he was a natural comic. He nurtured his talent while at New York University. New York University6. Sandra BullockActressIn 1964, Sandra Bullock was born in a Virginia suburb of Washington, DC, to a voice teacher and a German opera singer. She grew up on the road with her parents and younger sister. She often performed in the children’s chorus of whatever production her mother was in. That singing talent later came in handy for her role as an aspiring country singer in The Thing Called Love. East Carolina University7. MadonnaSingerThe remarkable, hyper-ambitious Material Girl who never stops re-inventing herself, Madonna has sold over 300 million records and CDs to adoring fans worldwide. Her film career, however, is another story. Her performances have consistently drawn scathing or laughable reviews from film critics, and the films have usually had tepid.

University of Michigan

8. Jake GyllenhaalActorJacob “Jake” Gyllenhaal was born in Los Angeles, California, on December 19, 1980 to director Stephen Gyllenhaal and producer/screenwriter Naomi Foner and is the brother of actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, who played his sister in Donnie Darko. His father is of partial Swedish heritage and his mother is of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage.

Columbia University9. Oprah WinfreySelf-improvement specialist, talk show hostBorn Orpah Gail Winfrey in Kosciusko, Mississippi, United States. Orpah was born to mother, former maid Vernita Lee, and father, war veteran Vermon Winfrey. Oprah Gail Winfrey was the richest African American of the 20th century, however Orpah Gail Winfrey wasn’t born into a rich, or even middle class, family.

Tennessee State University10. Tom HanksActorBorn in California, Tom Hanks grew up in what he calls a “fractured” family. His parents were pioneers in the development of marriage dissolution law in that state, and Tom moved around a lot, living with a succession of step-families. No problems, no abuse, no alcoholism - just a confused childhood.

California State University

by Alexa Reinhart, Copy Editor

Eat, drink, and be HealthyCool, healthy, summer treats

The StangNews 13

For my last nutrition article ever (awww), I will not be going on and on about information that no one probably cares about except for me. Instead, this article is something that everyone can relate to, well almost everyone: sweet, cool, healthy summer treats. Of course ice cream, snow cones, slushies’, and others are all popular desserts that will satisfy a sweet tooth and cool you off. But, these are not the healthiest desserts around. So, I am going to offer up some healthier alternatives to snack on this summer. The first option is popsicles. Popsicles are a very popular summer treat, but most people eat the ones that are loaded with processed sugar and artificial flavoring. The best way to enjoy popsicles is to make them yourself. This may sound complicated at first, but the process is extremely simple. The only catch is that you have to have a Popsicle tray, which you can find at target, Walmart, etc. Next, decide what type of fruits you like. I personally love mangos, so I would make a mango Popsicle. The process is simple, but it cannot be done without a food processor, blender, or something of the sort. First, remove the skin of the mango and dice up the mangos into small chunks. Next, place them into your blender and puree until it is smooth. Lastly, pour the mangos into your Popsicle tray, freeze overnight and boom: perfectly delicious, healthy, and all natural summer treat. This process can be done with any fruit like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc. But, since mangos are a fruit with a strong taste and one mango is fairly large, I would suggest mixing the smaller fruits like strawberries, blueberries, and

raspberries together. If you want to make a “fancier” Popsicle (with more ingredients and more advanced), I suggest looking up some recipes because what I stated above is just a simple way of making a single fruit Popsicle. Another healthy summer dessert is sorbet. Most people think sorbet is gross just because they have never tried it and because they only eat ice cream. However, to many people’s surprise, sorbet is a great sweet treat. Matt Yochum is one of those people. His favorite sorbet recipe is pineapple sorbet. Once again, it is really easy to make, but does require an ice cream maker. First you will need six cups of fresh pineapple (cut in chunks), one ripe banana, lime juice (just a hint), one half of a cup of sugar (less is better though), and three to four tablespoons of Cointreau. This recipe also calls for a blender. First, put the pineapple, banana, sugar, and lime juice in a blender and blend it until it is smooth. Add the sugar in slowly to make sure that you do not add more that is actually needed because fruits already have natural sweetness. Next, strain the mixture in a large bowl and freeze for three to four hours. Lastly, stir in the Cointreau and process it according to what the directions on the ice cream maker says. This does require an ice cream maker, but buying one is so worth it and can make an abundance of treats throughout the whole summer. Whether you are a popsicle person, sorbet person, or neither, there are many healthy alternatives to the typical savory summer sweets.

Wheelhouse Album controversialby Stephen Consoli, Stang Staff

Brad Paisley releases his newest album and goes on tour this summer

Brad Paisley’s new album, Wheelhouse, was released on April 9, 2013. He begins his new tour on May 9, 2013. The tour is called the “Beat This Summer Tour” named after the second single he released before Wheelhouse was unveiled. Along with Brad and his band, Lee Brice and Chris Young will be touring with him as well. Brad’s first single released was called “Southern Comfort Zone.” It is a song that he wrote about his love for the South and no matter what he does or where he goes, it will always bring him home to where he is comfortable. He enjoys traveling and seeing other places because he knows that in the end it will always make him realize what he really loves: living in the South. “ Beat This Summer,” the second single released, is a catchy song with great lyrics. Paisley elaborates about spending the summer with his special someone, and it being unfortunate that he will never have a better summer than the one he is “currently” experiencing. Just like all of Brad Paisley’s albums, he has a number of comical songs that really draw you in and make you want to keep listening. Not only are they funny, but they are catchy and you will want to sing along. Just a couple of these would be: “Harvey Bodine,” “Karate,” and “Get Even.” One twist Brad threw into his new album was a song with LL Cool J. It is called “Accidental Racist,” and it seems a little controversial to some. Brad talks about how he loves where he lives, but not all the decisions that his country has made over the years. He apologizes and wishes to start over with the African Americans. LL Cool J chimes in later in the song with his own “rap” and essentially, says the same thing to Brad. It is a good song, with great motives and meaning. “Accidental Racist” has even aired on 97.9 since the release of the song. Overall, Brad has produced, yet another, great album. It includes his usual dose of comical and heartfelt songs, and they appeal to just about anyone. His insight on real life situations is also something that Brad is great at portraying in his songs. They pull you in and keep you wanting more. “Wheelhouse” is definitely an album worth investing in and the “Beat This Summer Tour” (coming to Houston on July 28) should be awesome.

song had a beautiful sound when the two sang it to one another. “Tennessee” gives a little background on where the couple grew up, lived, and want to reside in for the rest of their lives. Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors had a unique way of writing songs that correlated with their views and backgrounds. Needtobreathe highlighted the night by performing some of their classics and new songs that they are working on. While prom was next door, many HC students made their way to the House of Blues to experience this night. John O’Carroll11 enjoyed the performance saying, “I heard prom was good, but Needtobreathe was great. I’m so glad I got to see them in concert.” Likewise, AJ Rand10 said, “I have been waiting to see Needtobreathe for months. It was an enjoyable night with my friends.” One of AJ’s friends, Grant Dixon10, said, “I was stuck with AJ and John, but Bear Reinhart from Needtobreathe saved the night. I would recommend Needtobreathe to anyone. Their vocals and sound are so smooth and their talent exceeds that of many other bands.” The highlight of the concert seemingly was when the band performed their #1 song on Spotify, “Something Beautiful”. Cell phones lit up the room and the band rocked the night away.

The House of Blues had a hit night from Needtobreathe and Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors. Drew Holcomb is scheduled to return in the fall, and hopefully Needtobreathe will be back again soon for another sellout concert.

Needtobreathe rocks House of BluesHouston fills House of Blues for a sell out by Spencer Traver, Stang Staff

Meg Goode

Kyle Garman

Hannah Rae

What will you miss most about HC?

What college are you attending?

What are you most excited about for

college?

Freshman year track team trip to California:

great beaches, fun teammates, and an

unforgettable victory

in the girls 4x4.

United States Military Academy

at West Point

Going to South Africa

with the Globe Trek program!

Texas A&M University

Watching Karina Giron unknowingly paint her face.

Texas Christian University

Brendan Ehrenstrom

Acting for the first time in my

life.

The University of Tulsa

QA&

My underclass-men friends, teammates,

D-group girls, and sister.

Ms Brittony Peters!

The relationships and friendships I

have formed with the people in the Houston Christian

Community.

My friends that I’ve made over the

course of four years

What’s your favorite memory at HCHS?

New challenges, new opportunities, new uniform. Also I am excited about

rappelling out of he-licopters and getting

up really early.

Meeting new people and

serving God in a brand new community.

FREEDOM!

Meeting new people and get-ting to experi-

ence all sorts of new things

On Friday, April 26, the House of Blues was filled with people from all over the city of ouston to see Needtobreathe live in concert. Needtobreathe, an American rock band with a Christian emphasis, performed after Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors opened on Friday night. Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors have seen recent success in the past year. In February, the singer/songwriter crew released their newest album titled “Good Light”, which peaked at #86 on the U.S. charts. Being popularly classified as folk music, the band topped out at #5 on the charts for that specific genre of music in America. Upon hearing the new album, the crowd seemingly enjoyed “Fire and Dynamite” and “Tennessee” the most. “Fire and Dynamite”, an up-tempo love song, had a classic yet flirtatious sound to it. When travelling, Drew plays alongside his wife, Ellie, so this

NBA Playoffs have Finally Arrivedby Connor Kelley, Stang Staff

The times are changing in the NBA, the future of the NBA is here

SportsMay 201314

Spring SPC Playoffs How the ‘Stangs have fared in our first SPC Spring Seasonby Micheal Vaughan, Stang Staff

With the NBA 2012-2013 season coming to a conclusion, the start of the NBA Playoffs is about to begin. The East and West first through eighth seeds are set and those teams are working hard to get their strongest to win the NBA Championship, while the rest of the NBA is waiting to rebuild next season with the NBA Draft. This NBA season has been upside down all year, with teams that usually dominate team every year, finding themselves near the bottom of the playoffs. There are also new teams that are usually not even contenders that are making teams scared with their young talent. For example, in Los Angeles, the L.A. Clippers are usually getting ready for the draft at this time of year because they don’t make the playoffs often and are behind the huge shadow of the big names for the L.A. Lakers. However, the L.A. Lakers barely

squeezed into the eighth spot, as the up and coming L.A. Clippers took over the West but slowed down towards the end of the season and reached the fourth seed for the playoffs. Senior, Ryan Leiss says, “this NBA season is crazy. There are new teams in the playoffs and good teams just fighting to barely make it in.” In the West the seeds are as follows: Oklahoma City Thunder (1), San Antonio Spurs (2), Denver Nuggets (3), Los Angeles Clippers (4), Memphis Grizzlies (5), Golden State Warriors (6),Los Angeles Lakers (7), and Houston Rockets (8). Coach Crandall says, “the Thunder are going to dominate the playoffs after losing to the Heat in last years finals. Teams like Golden State and Denver pushed the common teams, such as Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz, out of the playoffs. This gives new life to the playoffs and these teams have more motivation from there “time

to shine” moments. Like Golden State Warriors’ guard, Stephen Curry who set the NBA season record for most threes in a single season, which was previously held by future Hall of Famer Ray Allen. The Houston Rockets used to be a NBA Playoffs regular, but they have been in a struggle for five years and are finally back with the star starting backcourt of Jeremy Lin, Chandler Parsons, and James Harden. All three of these teams of a lot of role players that get their jobs done with perfection to give their teams a better chance to keep winning. HC Alumni, Chase Burn says, “the Houston Rockets are raw with James Harden and are going to be hard to stop.” In the East the seeds are as follows: Miami Heat (1), New York Knicks (2), Indiana Pacers (3), Brooklyn Nets (4), Chicago Bulls (5), Atlanta Hawks (6), Boston Celtics (7), and Milwaukee Bucks (8). The East is not

as shaken up as the West is this year, however, some teams are not going to get, or are getting, homecourt advantage for the first round that they are not used to. The biggest change is the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics. The Brooklyn Nets moved away from New Jersey and have moved up the standings with a star packed starting line up. The Boston Celtics are lower in the standings than they are used to, just like their Western Conference rivals L.A. Lakers. Although there are not many changes but there still are some surprises such as the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks. Both of these teams lost their big superstars, Joe Johnson (Hawks) and Derrick Rose (Bulls), that contributed a lot to their teams and many people doubted their ability to succeed without them. But they still came out and dominated teams with their hard work while sticking together and following the game plan.

The Mustangs are quickly showing, in many ways, that we belong in the Southwest Preparatory Conference. This spring, the lacrosse and baseball teams have chalked up several great SPC wins, and the Track and Field team had some serious contenders and winners for the SPC title. The weekend of April 12-13, the lacrosse team traveled to St. Stephen’s Episcopal in Austin for the first of the spring’s SPC Championships. Without stud attack man Brooks Lehle12, the Mustangs have dropped a few games, but still competed at a very high level. Brooks said, “I didn’t plan on missing most of my senior year due to a concussion, but I will hopefully make it back for the state tournament.” Sadly, he just was able to take the field. In the first round of the tournament, the Mustangs faced the Greenhill School out of Addison, Texas. Shorthanded and stiff from the bus, the team jumped to an early lead, but let Greenhill creep back in late in the game. The game was close, but the Mustangs pulled it out in a 9-8 victory. That evening, they played the Episcopal School of Dallas. E.S.D. is a strong contender every year, and the Mustangs hadn’t seen them since the Super Regionals in 2011 when we took a tough 16-5 loss.

This year’s E.S.D. team featured players that are committed to NCAA Division I lacrosse teams. Though they had already played a game that day and E.S.D. had not, the Mustangs jumped out to a 4-3 lead at halftime, surprising E.S.D. with stiff defense and a few goals early on. Amidst many questionable referee calls, the second half turned in favor of the Eagles as they began to hit shots from all around the field. The Mustangs dropped this one 12-6. The 3rd place game featured a rematch with South Division rival St. John’s. St. John’s lost their first game of the weekend to St. Marks the night before to make it to this game. This was one of the toughest games of the year for the HC team as they went down 8-4. It was their third game in a 20-hour span and the fatigue caught up with them. On May 3-4, the Track and Field team competed at Episcopal for the SPC Championship. The girls team placed 7th, while boys placed 8th. The team also set four new school records and two champions were Jaela DeJean-long jump and Amie Leitko-discus. Last but not least, Maddie Davis broke a twenty-five year standimg record with a score of 66; winning the SPC by 14 strokes . The boys golf team finished 6th, while the girls finished 4th.

Lacrosse battles into the playoffsMustang Lacrosse makes it to state playoffs once againby Matt Scott, Stang Staff The 2013 lacrosse season is now officially over after the lacrosse team traveled to Austin to compete in the Super Regionals. The team had some big shoes to fill after the 2012 season where they made it to the state semi-finals. With the graduation of the entire defense; the Mustangs knew they had to step up if they wanted to go where they went the previous year. Ivan Morris, Senior Captain, came into the season recovering from a major knee injury. On top of that, in the middle of the season top scorer, Brooks Lehle(the other Senior Captain), suffered from a concussion which eventually left him out for the rest of the season. Through the countless injuries and banged up players the Houston Christian lacrosse team battled their way into the playoffs by defeating Kingwood in the first round. The young

and crippled team found a way to make it to the state playoffs once again.

On Saturday, April 27th the Mustangs went face to face with the notorious St. Marks Lions; the all boy school from Dallas. The Lions could be considered one of the most elite teams in the state with almost every year making it to the finals. In the previous 2012 season the Mustangs were knocked off by St. Marks with high hopes of making it to the championship game. This year the Mustangs were against them again and eager to get revenge.

Unfortunately, the Mustangs came up short and lost, but they were pleased with what they had accomplished this year. Brooks Lehle closed with saying, “We had a good year and I am going to miss all of the guys.”

Congratulations to the softball team who became Division 2 Champs this past weekend at the SPC Championships.

Rugby makes a name for itself at HCby Rachel Driver, Editor

StangShorts

HC’s new club ends their first season with major injuries

Aussie Wins the Masters for first timeby Michael Vaughan, Stang Staff

Adam Scott becomes first Australian to win Masters

The StangNews 15

by Stephen Consoli, Stang Staff

Tennis

Track and Field

To play, and win, at Augusta National in April is every golfer’s wildest dream. Last year on Easter Sunday, this dream came true for America’s most liked golfer, Bubba Watson. The world watched the final playoff round as Bubba put himself in a seemingly impossible situation, and hooked the ball out of the trees and onto the green in one of the best shots the game has ever seen. This year, there was just as much drama, though it wasn’t all on the final day. There were many firsts in this year’s tournament. Controversially, this was the first year in the tournament’s 79-year history that women were admitted to the tournament as patrons. Before last year’s tournament, there was controversy when Chairman Billy Payne declined to answer why Augusta National did not extend membership to women. Subsequently, Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore were offered membership in August 2012. This year’s tournament also featured the youngest player in the tournament’s history, 14-year-old Tianlang Guan of China. As mentioned, Adam Scott also became the first Australian to win the fabled contest. Many tuned into The Masters for the first time in a few years because of someone who finally made their return: Tiger Woods. Tiger came into the tournament playing some of his best golf ever. “Seeing how he played in the weeks prior, I really thought he was going to win it all,” said Alex Roys12. He had a decent start, and finished at fifth overall. But, it was a dramatic turn of events in the second round that changed Tiger’s week. Tiger hit

a shot off the flag of a hole and the ball rolled into the water. Following procedure, Tiger was to drop the ball “as near as possible to the previous spot.” When Tiger dropped the ball, he dropped it a clear two to three yards from his last divot. Rules officials began reviewing this drop, and Tiger tweeted the next day saying, “I was unaware at that time I had violated any rules. I didn’t know I had taken an incorrect drop prior to signing my scorecard.” Facing a possible disqualification, the media went crazy. Consequently, Tiger faced only a two-stroke penalty that moved him to tied for 19th place going into the second round. There were many ups and downs of exciting golf on the final day at Augusta. Bernhard Langher started the day off hot and seemed to be making a surge for the lead, before falling out of contention. Another Aussie, Jason Day, made several incredible and crucial shots to give himself a chance. But in the end it came down to the consistent play and putting from Angel Cabrera and Adam Scott. On 18, Adam

Scott drained an impressive birdie putt which many thought gave him the win. However, the Argentine Cabrera answered with a chip 3 yards from the hole and a birdie putt. After both players shot for par on the first hole of the playoff, it was Adam Scott who made a birdie on the second playoff hole. The Aussie could hardly put it into words when he put the green jacket on, saying, “It’s amazing that it’s my destiny to be the first Australian to win. It’s incredible.”

According to “The Rugby Blog,” rugby is a free-flowing game that features a combination of strength, speed, and strategy to move a ball into an opponent’s territory. Rugby is a full-contact sport, although players wear little-or no protective gear. Rugby evolved from football (i.e. soccer) and is often called the ‘game played in heaven’.” The game of rugby is played with seven players for each team. The scoring system relates to football in which five points are made for a “try,” which is similar to a touchdown in football, and two points for a “conversion,” which is similar to penalties and drop goals in soccer. There are also many more rules and regulations that come along with the game of rugby. Our very own rugby team has recently just finished their season. Stewart Morris, a sophomore, is the reason the rugby program exists. Here is what Stewart has to say: “Yes, I did start the Rugby club. I did so because my dad started the rugby team at Rice University and he got me into it at a very young age. It has become an obsession so to speak, and before I came here, I played club in Katy for a long time. This is now my 10th year playing rugby and I’m hoping I will get the privilege to play in college. We are very blessed with our coaches, whom are seasoned players as well and play for HARC (Houston Area

Rugby Club), which is a local growing club in this area. The coaches are young, know a lot about the game, and can relate to us. Unfortunately, I do not believe the school backed us up or contributed very much to the starting of the club. I was basically on my own on everything, with support from my dad. Part of the problem is that Rugby is not a varsity sport. Meaning the school does not pay or really help with it. I struggled to try to change it and make it a school sport so they could help, but it did not happen. What we really need to make this a successful program is support from the school. The thing is, HC is behind when it comes to this program, most schools in Houston have rugby programs; especially the ones that we play in most of our sports (i.e. Strake, St. Thomas, St. Pius, Stratford, Memorial, Westside, Dallas Jesuit, etc.) and many clubs all over the state.

With injuries, we did have bad luck. I was the first. I dislocated my right knee after an illegal hit. It was a crazy thing because that is my first injury in 10 years of playing to get a major injury. Also, Matthew Dupree with his ankle. He broke 2 bones in his ankle and dislocated it. It was a freak accident. Another player tripped and fell on his ankle and when he tried to get up it gave way. After he got hurt it just was terrible. I knew after that it would be very hard on the club. It was disheartening

to see it. The thing about rugby is that it has a bad reputation. People do not know much about it, so they make fun of it and trash it or get scared of it. Most people do not know that rugby has only 10% of the injuries football has. It is very rare when people get major injuries in the sport. The hardest thing about growing the club is to get people to try it. Whoever I bring on the field and tries it, loves it! But if you do not try, then you just don’t know. I do not know what next year’s season will look like. I am struggling to get people to try and join the team. Everyone just has this thing in their head that they will get seriously injured or made fun of if they play. So the team consists of my closest friends. We love it, but it won’t grow if no one will give it a chance.” Rugby seems to be a great, fun sport. Houston Christian could always use more clubs, and more sports. Rugby would be a great addition to our athletics. So, if you are a guy looking for a fun way to keep in shape, and another reason to spend time on the field, try out Rugby. This sport is only going to get more popular, so get ready for next season, and give it a try. For the rest of the HC community, go and support your fellow Stangs that work hard out there on the Rugby team. Go RUGBY, and good luck next year!

Christian Clark went 2-0 without drop-ping a set this past weekend at line 2 singles. Christian Clark clinched the de-ciding match for 5th place overall after a comeback win from Christopher Nguyen and Joshua Loo(It was the second come-back by line 2 doubles after loosing the first set). Chris Evans Secured the 1st win of the match defeating his opponent 6-2 6-3. With these lines winning we clinched 5th place over Episcopal 3-2.

On the Ladies side, Cassie Cater had wins over Oakridge and St.Stephens with a comeback win after loosing the first against Oakridge. Isabella Jaeggi also had a comeback win against Oakridge after loosing the first set, she fought and won the seconds and third. Houston Christian defeated St.Stephens with Jee Seo and Joyce Shaheen winning the de-ciding match after Cassie Cater and Hope Johnson won their lines in straight sets.

Congratulations to the track team as they had an outstanding SPC meet as the girls team scored 41 points and placed 7th, while boys scored 36.5 points and were 8th. SPC champions were Jaela DeJean-long jump and Amie Leitko-discus, 2nd place medals went to Jaela in the high jump and Amie in the shot put, while Ja-cob Farris was 3rd in the 300m hurdles. The team also set four new school re-cords: Ernie Mercado-long jump, Jacob Farris-300 hurdles, Matias Hivnor-1600m run, and Micaela Aikins, Courtney King, Karina Arnold, & Emily Kaestner-4 x 800m relay, and they tied two school re-cords: Jaela DeJean and Landon Malouf both in the high jump.

GolfThe golf team competed in the SPC Championship with the Girls Team plac-ing 4th in state and were the low team from the Houston area; the boys placed 6th out of 18 Teams from Texas and Okla-homa. Madeline Davis won her sixth straight tournament for the year and broke the all-time SPC record that has stood for 25 years with her final round of 66 to win the SPC by 14 strokes. Other team mem-bers contributing to the fourth place fin-ish were Grace Craven, Heather Bergeron and Emily Calkins. The Boys team posted a HC team best score the second day with a score of 309; the low medalists for the team were Spen-cer Winn and Robert Quinilty with scores of 78 and 76. The others boys contribut-ing to the low score were David Buzali, Forrest Frank and Rex Wallace who also played very well for the Stangs. Congrats to both teams for their outstanding year representing HC!

Girl Code & Guy CodeGirl CodeHow to have a GREAT senior year

1. Attend social events (Grad parties, birthday get togethers, hangouts, etc.)AR: This is probably one of the best advice pieces that I have for rising seniors. Your time in high school is short, but your senior year is definitely the shortest and before you know it, you won’t see most of your grade. That may be harsh, but it’s true. So enjoy the rest of the time you have with your friends because it is really short. Graduation parties will come out of nowhere and will be every week...literally. So, go to them! Be social. Hang out with new people. GT: I agree. I’ve gotten the chance to become friends with a lot of new people this year and I have thoroughly enjoyed that. Stay close with the people you’re friends with, but don’t be afraid to branch out. Also, definitely go to grad parties and social events, they’re fun and it’s kind of like a last chance at a get-together before you graduate.

2. Apply to college EARLY.GT: I CANNOT stress this enough. Juniors especially, when Mrs. Pearson and Mr. Chaves tell you to create your naviance accounts and begin writing your essays in the summer, do not think they are kidding. By the time your senior year begins, you will be piled with homework, tests, extra ACTs and SATs, and everything else that comes with school, but on top of all of that, you’ll be applying to colleges. Trust us, you’re not going to want to write an essay for a college app on top of an essay

that’s due for your english class the next day. So, start writing your essays in the summer, begin applying to colleges early so you can have your applications in by the early action date. It’ll save you a ton of stress. Sidenote: communicate with Mrs. Pearson and Mr. Chaves FREQUENTLY.AR: This is a MUST. And something that I definitely regret. Even though the deadline for most schools isn’t until November or December to turn in applications, do them way earlier than that. I did mine in October, but I still wish I would have done them in September because it is a very stressful time to say the least.

3. Don’t fail.AR: There is a reason I didn’t say “do not procrastinate” or “pass everything” because let’s be real, it’s not going to happen and procrastination will get even worse this year, which is pretty normal, so just embrace it. I mean, don’t fail your tests, and don’t turn in major work late, but occationally you have to give yourself a little break. But, do not get into a hole that you cannot get out of by failing a semester or even a quarter. Whether we (or you) believe it or not, your senior grades still matter. GT: Seriously, Alexa said it perfectly. Your senior year grades do matter. Think about it, if you fail your classes, you’re not going to graduate with your class.

4. Enjoy it to the fullest.GT: Upperclassmen will always tell you, senior year goes by SO fast. Well, listen up because its true. This senior year has practically flown by and the seniors are getting ready to graduate in a month. It may take absolutely FOREVER to get to your senior year, but once it comes. Enjoy it. Hang out with people, do the things you enjoy, and create new memories, because before you know it, you’ll be walking across the stage, shaking Dr. Council’s hand, and leaving high school. Anything else, Alexa?AR: Yeah I agree with all of that. I would just say to take full advantage of senior year because you will never get this time back and before you know it, you (like Gianna and I will be very shortly) will have to start making “adult” decisions and stepping out into the real world.

by Gianna Tiedemann and Alexa Reinhart, Managing & Copy Editors

Guy Codeby Stephen Consoli, Matt Scott, Ryan Hooker, Stang Staff

Ryan Hooker joins the crew for the last guy code of the year..but they still ramble

May 201316

Stephen: With our last edition of guy code, Matt and I were thinking we would take this one to another level. Kinda, go out big, ya know? So we decided to talk about some juicy topics... And have a special guest, Ryan Hooker, to talk with us. It’s hard to believe it’s actually here, but we are seniors and we have about a month of high school left. With that said, there are things that need to be said before we bounce and start our next chapter of life.

Matt: Well, I have been looking forward to this time for all of my high school years, and now that it is here, it feels different than I thought it would. The feeling is bittersweet because as much as I want to move on to the next chapter of my life, it’s weird thinking about how everything is going to change. It’s nice to know that we don’t have to deal with the high school drama mamas that like to talk to about others because their life is too dull.

Big Hook: Throughout my three high school years, I have learned many valuable lessons about the ladies, just like these seasoned senior womanizers. Sadly, I still have another whole year to deal with some of the psycho-drama that comes along dealing with certain females. Well, the only thing you can do is try to stay out of the drama at all costs. While this is nearly impossible, avoiding it as best as you can will be to the best of your benefit. Don’t fall into their traps and games because this is exactly what they want. Some high school girls feed on drama for their survival. Don’t provide them with any and maybe we can solve some of these problems before they start.

Stephen: If this is the way we are going out, I guess I gotta give it my all. I completely agree with everything you guys just said. Unfortunately, drama with girls is unavoidable drama. Because we are at such a small school, nothing goes unnoticed or unsaid. Because of this, you have to be very careful with your actions and words. Not only does every word you say or everything you do get out, it can also get completely twisted, thus completely changing the entire story. This is a very unfortunate aspect of high school, but you learn to deal with it. Learning to deal with it efficiently though, is the way to go. Ryan, you’re right though. The only real way to get rid of these drama-feeding, self-absorbed chicas... is to not feed them any drama at all.

Matt: Stephen you are speaking the truth about how words can get twisted. Not only words seem to get twisted, but also innocent actions. Some of the female population have their own ways to interpret actions and words to make it seem like they are always right. So in other words, be careful with your actions and words, because they can easily be turned against you. In closing thoughts, senior year goes by so quick--quicker than you could imagine. I would always hear from past seniors about how fast the last year in high school goes by, but I didn’t believe them until now. So with that, you do not want to look back and see the time you wasted with people. Rather enjoy the time you have here, because you will never get it back.

Big Hook: Y’all hit the nail on the head with that one. Things get very twisted in the HC rumor mill. Many girls will fabricate stories and exaggerate immensely so

they can get the pity of anyone who will listen to them. So be very careful who you get close to, because if she snaps, be prepared to feel her and most likely their nosey, immature friend’s wrath. It’s can be ugly...real ugly.

Stephen: Just to add a little bit to what Matt said, senior year flies by. I’ll just give three tips on how to go about your high school years. Matt, you made a great point there at the end, and that would be my first tip: Don’t spend your time with a small group of people your whole high school life. Put yourself out there and get to know everyone. There are probably people that, for whatever reason, you may have judged before you ever got to know them. This is something that I did, and I know a ton of other seniors did. As a class, we have sort of tried to branch out and get to know people that we didn’t really talk to our first three years. This has been eye-opening and a great experience for me and others as well.

Secondly, I’d say, stay away from drama as much as possible. Anyone who knows me will tell you, this is something that I had trouble doing. Looking back on it though, it’s definitely something I wish I was better at.

Thirdly, work hard and don’t slack off. Make the grades you need to make and listen to your parents. As hard as that is and as ridiculous as they can sound sometimes, they know what they are talking about. Well, this is the last Guy Code that we will have the pleasure of writing for you guys, we hope y’all enjoyed reading them. As stupid as we sounded in so many of them, hopefully we could make you laugh a little and have fun reading the Newspaper.

The Stangthe BackPage 17STANG STAFF Closing Remarks

From your Editor:DEAR ASH! I love you very much. I am so excited that you are going to be Editor- in-Chief next year. Although Newspaper won’t be the same without me :) I know it is in good hands with you leading. Just remember to be patient with the slacking stang staff members. Be harsh when need be, and have fun whenever you can! You are such a wonderful young girl! I am going to miss my wingman very very much! Come visit me at TCU?

DEAR STANG STAFF! Although some of you made my job tiring, stressful, frustrating, exhausting, over-whelming, and at times VERY difficult, I LOVE y’all! I have had the privilege of working with some of you for two years, and some just one. I would not trade ONE second of the time we spent together! For you Seniors, it’s been good, I will miss y’all.

DEAR MRS. McCURDY! Thank you for giving me this opportunity! I appreciate all you have done for me! I will miss you GREATLY next year, but I will be back to visit! LOVE YOU! xoxo, Rachel

Rachel, I am so glad I got to work with you these past two years in both Newspaper and in Cheer. I am so glad that you decided to go to TCU because you won’t be far away! You are amazing and you have done the best job as Editor this year and I will miss you so much next year. You are a great friend! Love you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO glad I got to know you and I hope that you visit me a lot! You are the bestest Rachel Driver! Xxooxoxoxoxo!!!!!! Newspaper Staff 2012-2013, It’s been real fun working with all of you! All of you seniors, I hope college is amazing! Thanks for making this year super fun and keeping it exciting in here. Newspaper Staff 2013-2014, I cannot wait to work with all of you next year. It will be so much fun being a team next year and I hope we have a fun crazy class like we always do. Cannot wait to start next year with all of you! Especially, Samantha Moore and Amanda Brown! I think we are going to make a great team! Hope everyone has a great summer and see you all in the fall! Ashley Richards

Amanda Brown:

Dear Gianna, I am so glad we have gotten to spend time together in newspaper and during lacrosse this past year! I will miss you so much next year and I hope you have an awesome time at TCU! Come visit us all the time!!

Gianna Tiedemann: BROWNIEPANTS! Awww look at you, growing up and being a senior and the new managing editor and what not! So cute. Anyways, I’m so excited for you to become the new managing editor for next year! You’re gonna do great! Basically, all you have to do is manage the Ads for the newspaper, so don’t sweat it. You’re going to have so much fun your senior year, and I cannot wait to come back and visit you. From lax games, to lax practice, to newspaper buds, we’ve made so many memories and I love you lots. P.S. Go Frogs. Newspaper Kiddos, Hi friends! What a fun year this has been in newspaper. My favorite memory was probably watching Matt Yochum get all of his articles in on time! Gosh, Matt you were really good at that. Anyways, I’m so blessed to have had the op-portunity to work with y’all and get to know y’all! Thanks for making this year great! Love all of you! Go FROGS.

Dear newspaper class, You all have given me a class to look forward to and given me a lot of laughs this year. Thanks! Connor Kelley:

Michael Vaughan: Dear Ryan Hooker, you are #Beautiful

To the Newspaper Class of 2013-2014, Here are a couple of tips to help you go about your year in Newspaper: 1) Deadlines are suggestions. 2) If you do not want to write an article, erase it from the board (without telling anyone). 3) When deciding who your partner is for spreads, choose wisely (I recommend the vets). 4) The couch in the back is your friend. It will not bite. I encourage weekly visits, at the very least. 5) And last, but definitely not least, have fun. Peace, Stevey Consoli

Ryan Hooker:

Dear Mrs. McCurdy, Thank you for your patience with me and some of the other select few males in the class. <3 This is the only class I actu-ally enjoyed coming to every other day.

Newspaper Class of 2013-14, Congratulations on outnumbering Video Tech for the first year! I am excited for each of you as you take over The Stang for next school year. I know each of you will enjoy writing different articles and getting to go talk to random students for your quotes. You have three great editors to lead you next year (Ashley, Amanda, and Samantha) and of course, the wonderful McCurdy-birdy. Take care of the nest for us!Spencer Traver P.S. (to Mrs. McCurdy) - Thank you for your patience, time, and love this year. Secretly, this was a favorite class for many of us and you were a favorite teacher of ours. We love you!

Newspaper Class of 2013-2014: Well I first would like to say I am not the weakest link in this Newspaper team... Matt Yochum is. This was my first year in Newspaper and I loved it. I wish I had done gotten on the team sooner-- maybe I wouldn’t be so bad at making spreads. This is one class that I always enjoyed going to and I will miss you all next year—specially you Mrs. McCurdy, nobody gets mad at me like you do. <3Matt Scott

Peace love and happiness, see you on the other side. Dear Mrs. McCurdy. Well, there’s a lot I could say. But I won’t. Goodbye. ahhhhh syke... I love you so much. Hopefully we can chill in our free time. You a cool cat, stay true to yourself and do what you do. Stay classy my friend. Until we meet again, your friend, your follower, your future everything, Strokum Matt Yochum

To all my Staff--Through all the unmet deadlines, the too short articles, the trash left in my room, the ignored pleas while you have on headphones, the misspelled words and the incessant excuses--I really will miss this class. You have produced some quality papers and have usually--made me laugh. Thanks and much love :)Mrs. Mc

Dear newspaper class, It’s been real, guys. See y’all later...Matt and Stephen...see you in Galvy ;) Dear Mrs. McCurdy, Thanks for all the laughs and fun times throughout the past two years...I know you’ll miss our hard working group this year. lolol You’re the best xoxox Alexa

Dear Stephen and Matt, I’ve had so much fun forcing Matt to work on spreads and begging Stephen to drop his articles. Shoutout to both of you for always keeping News-paper fun and full of laughter. Have fun at the rising A&M Galveston! Dear the other lovely seniors, I love you all! This year has been so much fun and next year won’t be the same without each of you! Good luck in college! Y’all are awesome! Dear Newspaper Staff 2013-2014, I’m so excited for the upcoming year and to be your junior editor. Losing all our seniors is made a little bit easier by knowing we have so many awe-some new students coming in! It’s going to be a great year!Samantha Moore