THE CYPRESS SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL

VOICE

CYPRESS SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL

Adviser - Julianne Wood

Editor-in-Cheif - Eileen Salazar

Managing Editor - Denise Cervantes

Reporters - Stephanie Arce

Cynthia ArreguinBrittany BaisleyTrevia BrownCaci Clark

Damien ClaudioBreeAngela Hamilton

Sade JohnsonAnnvie Nguyen

Zeneida RamirezBrittany Stevenson

Juan TellezJasmine Vasquez

Troy Youman

VOICETHE

2

CONTENTSOpinion

Editoral .................................. 4

Home Life vs. School Life .... 4

How to Walk in the Hallways ................................................. 10

Head to Head ....................... 10

FeaturesPrincipal Fanning .................. 5

New Staff .............................. 6

Homecoming and Spirit Week .................................................. 7

Pep Rallies ............................. 8

Luis Olivares ......................... 8

Pink Panther: The Play .......... 9

College Night ......................... 9

Fashion Fall Trends. ......................... 13

ReviewsNevermore by James Patterson .............................................. 12

Kiss by Carly Rae Jepsen .... 12

Sinister ................................. 12

SportsFootball ................................ 11

Volleyball ............................. 11

Cross Country ...................... 11

4

As a new school year began so did the “new rules.” No electron-ics ever during school hours. No food or drinks in class including water. No slides and the one that shocked us all school IDs. Now, this may not seem like a big deal to the freshmen or sophomores, but for the upperclassmen, we were blindsided. Who would have thought that this new principal would just start changing things right off the bat? Atfirst,thestudentbodywasbeyondupsetandhesitanttoabide by the new rules, but after rationally thinking the realization that these “new rules” were old rules being enforced and they were meant to better the school. No electronics in class is a great thing. It means you actually have to pay attention in class; the more you pay attention, the better your grades are. No food in class means no crumbs which means no more roaches or ants. No drinks in class mean you won’t have to go to the bathroom constantly. Having to wear school IDs isn’t as bad as students are making it seem.Itmayclashwithyouroutfit,butthatgivesyoutheopportunityto get creative and make some unique lanyards. School IDs also help keep the school environment safe; it allows the faculty to identify stu-dents easily so if there is an intruder. He or she would be spotted ime-diately. Whether you like these new rules or not, they are here to stay. Insteadofbeingdefiant,simplyfollowthemandmakeyourschoollifea whole lot easier.

It is usually believed that school should be a student’s top priority, but thiscanbecomedifficultwhenthestressesofahomelifebegintointerfere.It can become very hard for a student to stay focused in school when they have to worry about personal problems at home that may involve siblings, parents, or having to work long hours to help support their family. Having a harsh home life could mean many things. It may not just be havingadifficultrelationshipwithaparentoranotherrelative;thestresscouldbe coming from having to help your family. A student may have to get a job and work long hours, taking away time for studying or extracurricular activi-ties. Statistics have proven that students involved in their school make higher grades as opposed to the students that are not involved in anything. Home life can be very distracting, causing students to de-prioritize their school work. Manystudentscanfindawaytobalancetheirhomeandschoollives,butforsomeitcanbecomeveryoverwhelming,and,attimes,toodifficult.Sodifficult,thatitmaycauseastudenttogiveuponschoolcompletely.Ev-eryoneisdifferent,andeveryonereactstothingsdifferently.Adifficulthomelife may be the drive for some to striving in school, but for others it may be the reason for failing in school. There may be multiple ways to address a student’s harsh home life; most of the time he/she lose the self-motivation to seek help, or feel that help is unnecessary. Some may argue that a school should not get too involved in a student’s personal life, but if a teacher or administrator notices a shift in a stu-dent’s behavior, it wouldn’t do harm to acknowledge the behavior change. Some teachers may brush off an unfocused or overly-tired student in their classroom, but these signs can’t be ignored. Some students may feel attacked if they are directly approached by a teacher, especially if approached during class. A teacher may set up an ap-pointment for the student to see their guidance counselor instead of making a direct approach. Many students may deny the help, or deny that there is a problem at all. When this happens, school administrators can make the initiative of contact-inghome,andtrytofindtherootoftheproblemsoastudentcanregaintheirfocus in school. Life itself is overwhelming, but schools are meant to provide an environ-ment where a student can succeed in their studies. Teachers shouldn’t hesi-tate to address a student if they notice something is off. After all, it is a teach-er’s responsibility to help his or her students in anyway.

EDITORIAL

HOME LIFE VS. SCHOOL LIFE

By Eileen Salazar

By Denise Cervantes

5

As we wave goodbye to the last school year and Mrs. Weiman, we wave hello to a new kind of school with a new man in town. Travis Fanning is the new principal of Cy-Springs High. He brings with him a positive attitude and new ideas for our school, especially more school spirit, and a safer environment. These are just a couple of goals he wishes to accomplish. Keeping things fun and with a strong moti-vation, Fanning plans to change the face of Cy-Springs.“I decided to come to Cy- Springs for several reasons,” Principal Travis Fanning said. “One of the reasons is because I wanted to become a principal of a 5A high school. I looked out here [Cy-Fair], and I was told there was an opening, so I interviewed. And then they told me they had a school for me [Cy- Springs], and it was potentially one of the most challeng-ing high schools. But I like a challenge.” When the school year began, stu-dents learned of the new rule changes. They began to rebel and compare Princi-pal Fanning to Joe Clark from the movie Lean on Me. “I thought it was hilarious when I heard I was being referred as Joe Clark,” Fanning said. “I laughed and shared it with all my family. But it isn’t bad at all because Joe Clark came in and turned Eastside High around and made it a school that is nationally known now, I think that the same thing will happen here with the faculty and staff we have and the students we have that people will soon identify and recognize Cy- Springs as one of the best school in Texas.” In an effort to get students and teachers more involved, Principal Fanning has held a school parade, given out free tickets to school sports events, and teach-er bonding events. “I really want students and faculty to take pride in the school,.” Principal Tra-vis Fanning said. “I want students to help shape the reputation of the school. I think for whatever reason this school has this perceived reputation but when people get in and get to meet the kids, they get to discover that what is happening here is better than what other schools in the district are offering. Being a panther on the prowl really means something in this school.”

Principal Fanning

1) Mr. Fanning loves his Jordans, Gucci and animal skinned dress shoes in a size 13!

2) His zodiac sign is the Leo, which is known to be “dominating and demanding.”

3) When asked if he has any piercings or tattoos, Mr. Fanning hesi-tantlypleadedthefifth.

4) Failure is one thing that Mr. Fanning is most afraid of.5) Mr.FanningwouldratherlickaflooratFoodTownthaneata

cockroach.

DID YOU KNOW?

By Eileen Salazar & Damien Claudio

6

NEW STAFFBy Zenieda Ramirez

Cypress Springs High School began the 2012-2013 schools year with changes throughout the school. Restrooms were repainted, rules were enforced,Mrs.Weiman retired and Travis Fanning became the new Principal. In all a new principal, a new associate principal, Leroy Morales,a new director of instruction, Heather Bergman, new assiatants principals, Marshall Caplan and Collette Vallot, and new teachers were added. WhenwalkingintotheAssistantPrincipal’sofficemanyofthesenewstaffmemberscanbefound.Mr.Maddox,Mr. Smith, and Mrs.Cahee are the only AP’s continuing from the 2011-2012 school year. While students enjoy having new AP’s, it’s a change they must adjust to. Seniors had dealt with the same Assis-tant Principal’s since their freshman year. “It’sweirdtowalkinthatofficeandnotseetheoldAP’s.”seniorZahraNajmisaid. Not only have the Assistant Principals changed, but so have the counselors. Mrs. Sharon Bey is the new head counselor. Among new counselors are Mrs. Wanda Brown, Mr. Torrenzo Moore, and Mrs. Anna Hill. “I like the counselors. I feel like because they are just starting here they have a fresh view of people including myself since I’m a freshman.” freshman Ashley Jenkins said. “I also feel like they are trying to get to know their students better.” In addition to new counselors and Assistant Principals, there are many new teachers among the Cypress Springs staff. As new teachers they are not familiar to Cypress Springs previous reputation that Mr. Fanning is trying to change for the better. Cypress Springs has had a reputation as a rowdy school, but with the help of fresh faces this school’s reputation can be changed. “I used to work here a couple years ago.” Calculus teacher Mr. Jorge Dejesus said in class one day. “The changes are good.” The new additions to Cypress Springs’ faculty were welcomed with open arms. As the new administrators con-tinuetheirfirstyear,wehopeit’sagreatone.

7

HOMECOMING WEEK A wave of themed spirit days, pep ral-liesandschoolpriderecentlyfloodedthroughour halls and classrooms. From Batman to Urkel, thehallsofCypressSpringswerefilledwithstudents in outrageous attire, all due to spirit week. Super hero day, Nerd Day, Twin Day, Decade Day, and of course, Spirit Day, were all included within this week of school spirit, meant to raise spirit for this year’s homecoming game. “I enjoyed Nerd Day the most,” Senior Bianca Alberio said. “It was hilarious to see ev-eryone dressed up all dorky.” Even though most of the students enjoyed spirit week, a few felt as though the themes were overrated. “I think we should change the themes out every year.” junior Emmanuel Usan said. “They’re always the same, and it gets a little boring.” With almost everyone dressing up for Spirit week, even the principal, it is clear school spirit is slowly growing at Cypress Springs. “The spirit at our school is slowly increas-ing,” Usen said. “More people are attending the games and wearing our school colors.’ In summary, spirit week turned out to be a success. “I really like spirit week,” sophomore Dailyah Harrison said. “It was a lot of fun and way bet-ter than last year.” After spirit week, the homecoming gamedayfinallyarrived.October5,2012marked the day of the much- anticipated homecoming football game. Although our team was beaten by the Cypress Woods High School Wildcats, students still managed to en-joy themselves. “With this being my last year in high school, I was really excited to get a chance to play during one of the most important games of the season,” senior Dila Rosemond said. “Even though we didn’t win, I wouldn’t have traded the experience for anything.” Current and former students were excited to cheer on the varsity football team as they played against Cypress Woods High School. The stands were full of students, laugh-ing, shouting and motivating the varsity football team. “Myfirsthomecominggamewasawe-some,” freshmen Samia Qureshi said. “I loved all of the energy from the other students. I had so much fun.” And what’s a homecoming game without a homecoming dance? The next day on October 6, 2012 Cypress Springs High School hosted this year’s homecoming dance in the commons. Students enjoyed the decorations and the music the DJ played this year. There wasevencrowdsurfing.Theexcitementwasout this world. For Cypress Springs High School, the tradition of homecoming has come and gone for another year. While the student body is sad to see it go, they managed to make the most of homecoming while it lasted.

By BreeAngela Hamilton, Sade Johnson, & Trevia Brown

8

PEP RALLIES Panthers, you know what you’ve got to do; you’ve got to rock with the red and roll with the blue! This is one of the many familiar cheers that Cy-Springs cheerlead-ers use to pump up the crowd. After lacking in spirit for years, Cy-Springs’s new principal, Travis Fanning is working to bring the spirit back into the hallways. Organizations participate in many activities throughout the year in an effort to spread Panther pride. From cheerlead-ers and the drill team to the band and the drumline, these groups lead the school dur-ing pep rallies, parades and sporting events. “The drumlime makes the games,” senior Damien Claudio said. “They pump up the crowd and get everyone live.” Something new that started this school year was the parade during the school day. It was lead by our principal, Travis Fanning, followed by our mascots, band, cheerleader and Panteras. The parade moved throughout the whole school pumping up everyone for the Cy-press Springs vs. Cypress Falls varsity football game. “The parade was something new,” senior Alondra Garcia said. “It was fun to watch and I loved how our principal was the one leading the parade.” Like every year, we brought back the pep rallies for our varsity football team. As usual, we had the Panteras do a hip hop performance, the cheerleaders cheer and our band plays the music. However, this year’s homecoming pep rally was different from the previous. We had Luis Olivares, who placed 5th in Tae Kwon Do at the Olympics, kicked an apple off of Leroy Morales’, our associate principal, head. We then had the cheerleaders and our varsity football players compete in a dance off, old school vs. new school. “Our homecoming pep rally was hi-larious and more fun than in previous years,” junior Jonique Mitchell said. “The Tae Kwon Do event was suspenseful. I was afraid that Luis was going to kick Mr. Morales in the head.” The school year has barely started and the students are looking forward to more pep rallies and parades.

As a high school student, you would think your main goal to accomplish is to graduate. Well, not for Luis Olivares. Luis is currently an eleventh grade student who participates in ROTC just like any regular student. Although he is only in high school, he has made a huge accomplishment in his life. Luis participated in the London2012SummerOlympicsinTaeKwonDo,andplacedfifthouteightcon-testants. Luis started Tae Kwon Do at six after being bullied because of a speech impairment. Olivares put in all the work and practice he could to be able to de-fend himself. For Luis, all it took was to try and give more effort to win every single event, such as winning nationals. Olivares is now a third degree black belt, and a four-year gold medalist. Luis had won nationals and the gold medal; all that was left was to tryout for a spot in the Olympics. Doing an outstanding job, Luis earned his spot and was off to London. “IrememberonMarch24th,atastatecompetitioninDallas,Ifinallygottomeet my role model, Steven Lopez, a two time Olympic gold medalist.” Olivares said. “I met other Olympians, as well, like Bolt, Diana Lopez and a few basketball players. Representing Team USA was a major part in the time Luis spent in London. “It felt like a dream come true to represent my family, my friends, my school, and our country.” Olivares said. Tae Kwon Do teaches students a way of life. Though, Luis knows a lot about the sport, he continues to learn more about it while being a part of the Olympics. “IhavetostayfocusedandpayattentiontothewayIfightifIwanttoim-prove.” Olivares said. Not only has Luis learned different techniques of the Olympic style and studiednewrules,butithasalsotaughthimtobemoreconfidenttowinthematch. Before walking into a ring, Luis likes to say to himself, “Don’t think…feel. When you walk into the ring, don’t think about the technique, just feel it through-out your body.”

LUIS OLIVARES

By Cynthia Arreguin

By Jasmine Vazquez

9

COLLEGE NIGHT Selecting the right major and col-lege is easier said than done. How do you make a decision that will ultimately affect your future when there are so many op-tions to choose from? In an effort to simplify this process, the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District hosts an annual event at the Berry Center known as College and Career Night. The event, in its eighteenth year, featured over 90 universities, junior and community colleges and technical and specialty schools. Hundreds of Cy-Fair stu-dents and their parents attended in hopes of learning more about majors, admission requirements,andfinancialaidopportuni-ties. “I would like to pursue higher edu-cation after high school, but I’m not sure if I’m ready yet,” senior Tyrill Celestine said. “College night was very useful because I was able to learn more about my favorite schools and even discover some others.” Cy-Springs students and students from other area high schools attended the event. Many received information about programs for potential career paths. “The representatives were very help-ful,” junior Alexandrea Foster said. “They gave me a good idea of what to expect from their institutions in terms of their pre-medical programs and internships.” Judging from the amount of stu-dents that showed up to College and Career Night, the affair was a success. “I would recommend attending col-lege night to other students who are inter-ested in furthering their education,” Foster said.

PINK PANTHER: It’s that time of year again Cy-Springs. The theater club has put together a new production for us, and this time it’s The Pink Panther Strikes Again. The plot is mainly focused on a detective by the name of Inspector Clouseau, and his arch nemesis (who used to be the main detective before Clouseau) by the name of Dreyfus who wants him dead. Even though the actors have faced a few obstacles, (such as a bat in the theater) production has gone surprisingly well. With a double cast, (meaning there will be four performances of the play in total) they have all been working hard to give their audience an incredible show, and nothing less. If you’re assuming that you’re the only one who didn’t know a Pink Panther play even existed, don’t worry; neither did the actors. However, by the way it has been described, it seems pretty humorous. Even a bat had to get in on all of the action during rehearsal. “I didn’t know it even existed.” Junior Reese Morgan said. “However, as I read the story I fell for it. It was funny and idiotic but serious at the same time…also I enjoyed sharing the stage with a bat.” The characters of the Pink Panther might be even funnier or quirkier than the actual play itself, with their names being things such as Dreyfus (played by Morgan) and Inspector Clouseau. (Played by sophomore Andrew Harlan) “The characters are all hilarious, even Dreyfus, my arch nemesis, has a few good laughs in the play.” Sophomore Andrew Harlan said. With opening night being only a few weeks away on October 25th, the ac-tors’ adrenaline is kicking in pretty high, causing them to feel mixed emotions on what opening night will soon bring. “I’m very excited and anxious for opening night, because judging by the re-hearsals;it’sgoingtobeprettyhilarious,andIreallyenjoyperformingthefirstnightbecausethat’swhenyougettoseetheaudience’sreactionforthefirsttime.”Junior Pablo Rivera said. With everything from an interesting plot, quirky characters, and a hilarious cast, it’s seeming that everyone should save the date this month, and be sure to get front row seats, because the Pink Panther is going to be a play you do not want to miss.

THE PLAY

By BreeAngela Hamilton

By Caci Clark

10

HEAD TO HEAD:TEEN PREGNACY

When it comes to teen preg-nancy, I believe that if the teenager is capable of taking care of their child and being the mother that they need to be, they should be allowed to have their child. Teens that have kids early are mostly still in school, graduating and taking responsibility of their child. Further, most teens don’t need their parents like majority of other teens do be-cause most schools have daycares and nursery for the teens to still at-tend school without dropping out of school. Some schools provide jobs so they can support their child and not befinanciallydisabled.Moststoptheir lives to be dedicated to their child and to try to get everything to-gether. Most teen parents have got-ten their priorities together to take care of their kid. I don’t think it’s a bad idea to be a teen parent, as long as you are taking the responsi-bility for your actions.

In my opinion, shows such as “16 and Pregnant “ and “Teen Mom” show some of the daily struggles and effects of teen pregnancy such as decrease in school performance, dysfunctional family issues,andfinancialissues.Asateeninhighschool, taking care of a child is a big re-sponsibility mostly because teenage moms can sometimes be overly emotional and constantly stressed out by the responsibili-ties of a mother like waking up late nights, changing diapers, hiring baby sitters and buying baby food. Teenage pregnancy has been a big problem throughout the years and still is. Young mothers in high school some-times drop out because the burden of a child is too much to handle for them at such a young age. I think that taking care of a child is not a good choice if you are currently in high school because you are probably risking your education and fu-ture career. A teen mother will have to pass up some opportunities like going out with friends and any other daily habits that may affect the baby’s environment. I think that there are more cons than there are pros when it comes to teen pregnancy because a teenager is trying to adjust to a more grown up and responsible lifestyle, and she looses a lot of freedom from her typical teenage lifestyle.

By Troy Youman

HOW TO WALK INTHE HALLWAYS

School isn’t easy. As high school students, we face multiple obstacles daily. By far the most dangerous would be commut-inginbetweenclasses.WhenIfirstwalkedintoCy-Springsforregistration,itwasempty.Ithoughtthatthehallwayswereadecentsize-nottoobig,nottoosmall.Afterthefirstdayatschool,Ichangedmymind.Thebellrang,andamyriadofstudentsflushedintothehallslikeathousandpigeonsfightingforafrenchfry.Sometimes,itismorelikefightingthroughacrowdthangettingtoclass.Peoplewalktooslow,cuteachotheroff,andpusheachother,amongothertrafficviolations.Ilongforthedaywhensig-nal lights and lane markers are added to the hallways and students must attach rear view mirrors to their heads. Students spend an average of 30 minutes a day walking to and from class. You would think that they know how to get to class and socialize without bogging down and annoying everyone else. Hallway etiquette has remained unwritten until today.Please do all to prevent yourself from being the perpetrator in the following predicaments: 1)People stand in the middle of the hallway. This isn’t troublesome if it’s one or two people. It is when they invite fourteen of their friends. It’s worse when they do it at an intersection.Whilesocializing,somemakesuretousegrandiosegesturesandflingtheirarmseverywhere.Imagineapterodactylpreparingtofly.Thisway,theyaccidentallyandunnecessarilywhackpeople. 2)People walk on the left side Americans drive on the right side. It makes sense that people tend to walk on the right side also. Maybe you’re a true rebel and want to slightly annoy everyone by forcing them to step aside as you pass. However, walking on the correct side will in-crease your speed two-fold. Sometimes, the target class or bathroom is on the left side, and that’s forgivable. But when the class-room is at the end of the hall, just stay on the correct side. 3)People walk at a pace of 3 cm a minute. Whenpeoplearepayingattention,keepingupwiththetrafficflowisaninnatematter.Unfortunately,noteveryonepaysattention. Usually these offenders are texting or talking to a friend, oblivious to everyone trying to go around them. Pushing them to the side is frowned upon, so try politely asking them to move or walk faster. If you want to avoid contact, walk around; this can be easier said than done. 4)Some make sudden movements. I am genuinely concerned for safety with this problem. When attempting to pass a large group, I have a commonly-used tactic I call “The Human Shield.” If there is someone else heading the same direction, I like to follow them closely. He will carve a path through, unaware of the person behind him depending on him to get past the mob. Now, if the leader were to suddenly stop or turn around, he would smash right into the follower. Then both exchange awkward an “excuse me” and leave with pain-ful faces.

By Annvie Ngyuen

By Trevia Brown

11

FOOTBALL Over the years, Cy-Springs’s varsity foot-ball team hasn’t been known as the ideal football team. Recently a few changes have been made; new coaches were hired in an effort to try and redeem the team from last year’s season. In the last seconds of the Cy-Springs versus Cy-Lakes, the varsity players rejoiced on the field after receiving their first win since the 2010-2011 season. “After we won, it felt as though a weight had been lifted off of our shoulders,” junior Julian McClure said. “Though we won, it was also a bur-den because now we will be expected to win more.” The coaches system has aided the team, making them more successful. The team members have gotten a new attitude, become closer, and have been more responsible. “The coaches have really brought us closer as a team,” senior Jevonte Potter said. “They have taught us discipline and have encouraged us to play our best until the last second.” The new coaches have not only helped the team physically, but emotionally as well. “Our coaches have given us new morals and expectations,” McClure said. “I like that they don’t show favoritism. Overall, the football team has dramatically transformed from last year. “This season has been different because we played with more passion and became a family,” senior Sjad’on Britton said. The team members feel that they still have a lot to improve upon. “We can get stronger, faster, and more ma-ture,” sophomore Brian Harden said. “We also need to become more familiar with our assignments. In hopes of making Cy-Springs proud, the team has worked hard and come a long way.

VOLLEYBALL Hard work and dedication are characteristics that you need to be on the Cy Springs Volleyball team. As the sea-son comes to an end, all the senior come together and express the best part about the season. “How we play in practice is how we play in the game,” senior Danielle Del-gado said. “That’s how we come together and play better and better. I will miss everyone next year; it seems like it was yesterday when I was a sophomore on the varsity team. And now I am about to graduate.” The Cy-Fair District is one of the biggest districts in the state. Therefore, we have one of the top teams in state for vol-leyball teams such as Cy-Woods, Cy-Fair, and Cy-Falls. For high school volleyball there are two games per week, because we go through every school twice. Cy-Springs become not only skilled prepared but also mentally prepared. “What our team does to set up be-foreagameisfirstplayenergeticmusictoget pumped.” junior Ashlee Hajovsky said. “After set up the gym for the game, and then have team meetings to know what to do and how to win.” Each practice they work and hard and determined to become a better player, and it pays off in every game. “Each game gets better and better, we are raising the bar, we win together and we lose together,” junior Coya Booker said.

CROSSCOUNTRY Cross Country is a sport unique to competitive high school athletic programs. Running requires a lot of endurance and is a big deal for cross country members. While some student joined cross country to just run, others joined to prepare themselves for other things. “I joined cross country because I want to be better conditioned when running long distance,” junior Marly Smith said. “ It’s also a great sport to keep you healthy.” Others, such as, Grethel Couch agrees. “I joined cross country because I always loved running long distance,” Couch said. “When I joined it five years ago, I couldn’t stop, I loved it.” Like many sports being healthy and exercising is part of succeeding and attaining personal goals. “I put in a lot of miles and hill training the week before,” senior Jonah Gonzales said. “I want to be able to beat my best time from last year and do well in district.” Some students even said that their bond with their teammates is like a family. “I love my team,” Gonzales said. “It wouldn’t be the same without them.” Practicing every morning at 5 A.M. runners strive for improvement. “I think this season has been good,” Couch said. “You can see improvement in everyone.” Some even change their diet to stay prepared for a good run. “I train for a big meet by working my absolute hardest during practice,” Smith said. “I eat healthy foods and prepare myself mentally to do my best.” Cy-Springs has many hard-working and persevering young individuals. They change their diets and exercise daily to become the best cross country runners they could possibly be. The effort they put forth and the way they push themselves will help them reach their goals, not only in this sport but later on in life.

By Brittany Baisley

By Brittany Stevenson

By Sade Johnson

12

REVIEWS Nevermore by James Patterson was released this past August. It is the eighth and last installment to James Patterson’s Maximum Ride, young adult sci-encefictionbookseries.The series revolves around six children, also known as the Flock. The children were genetically altered in a laboratory, known as the School. The experiments held in the School caused the Flock to become two percent avian, or bird like. From therethestoryfollowsthechildren’sjourneyandtheirdesiretofindoutwhotheyreally are. In Nevermore, the Flock is faced with the task of saving the world, a task thattheyhavehadsincethebeginningoftheseries,buthastonowfinallybefulfilled. The book started out well, the original Flock members rejoin, but from there the book just seemed to go downhill. It almost seemed like James Patterson was rushing through the book. The decisions Patterson had the characters make seemedtobeveryoutofplace,andtherewasnorealplot.Atfirstitseemedlikeit may lead up something, but it felt very clustered and un-organized. The well known love triangle of characters Max, Fang, and Dylan was too predictable. It was obvious from the beginning that who would end up with whom. The love trianglemayhavebeenagoodideaatfirst,butitwasbroughtintoolateintotheseries, and where it didn’t make sense. Since it is the last book of the series, there wasn’t much room for character development, but Patterson does bring back a few characters from past books. Bringing back these old characters was completely unnecessary. The past char-acters did well in past books, but their return didn’t serve any real purpose. There were also a lot of unanswered questions. The book doesn’t end with just one epilogue, but two. I strongly believe that the book should have ended withthefirstepilogue.Bothepilogueswereveryvague,butthefirstleftmemuchmoresatisfiedthanthesecond.Thesecondseemedlikeitwasthrownintothebook last minute. The whole series was meant to lead up to this point, but it was very disap-pointing. Everything felt too rushed, and the storyline was very repetitive. It felt like Nevermore was a summary of all the past books. The series itself was amazing and I feel it will always hold a special place for many readers, but the end of Maximum Ridewasnotfulfillingorsatisfyinginanyway.

NEVERMORE BY JAMES PATTERSON

SINISTER Producer of Paranormal Ac-tivity and the writer/director of The Exorcism of Emily Rose had a fright-ening new thriller in theatres Octo-ber 12, 2012. Ethan Hawke plays the lead role Ellison, a true-crime novelist who likes to write about mass mur-derers discovers a previous family was murdered in his new home. Thefootagehefindswhileuncov-ering the true facts of the murded family leads him to a supernatural path that puts him and his family in great danger. Rottontomatoes.com rates Sinister 7.5 out of 10. Dailyrecord.co.uk said “Beginning with an ee-rie, almost hypnotic scene showing a family being hanged from a tree, it’s a disquieting, nerve-jangling shocker that burrows under your skinlikeaflesh-eatingparasite.Most disconcerting of all is an atonal score that sounds like Satan clearing his throat.” Sinister was an interesting movie. It’s kind of slow at the beginning but got better. Sinister has very graphic scenes, but it is a must see.

KISS:CARELY RAE

JEPSEN

The new and rising pop singer Carley Rae Jepson came out with her firstalbum“Kiss”.Sheshowsoffherspunky and young attitude in all her songs. This album expressed the feel-ing of getting dumped, but also get-ting over it with a new lover. Each song shows a different side of her, and that’s what makes it unique. The top songs are “Call Me Maybe”, “Turn me Up”, “Good Time ft. Owl City”, “Drive”, and “Hurt so Bad”. All of the songs are great and the album is only $13.99. This Album is rated 4 out of 5 stars. The best album out!

By Denise Cervantes

By Septhanie Arce

By Brittany Baisley

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FALL TRENDSBy Caci Clark

Every school year calls for new beginnings, and along with it, come new trends. This school year is no different with new clothing trends such as colored skinny jeans, peplum tops, scarves, and the southwestern style just to name a few. Burgundy and pastels are also a very hot colors right now, so everyone bring on the layers. Once very popular in the whole “jerking” era, colored skinny jeans have made a comeback once again. Stores like Old Navy for example, have already hopped on board with the trend—making it their main focus in their ad- campaigns. A few hot colors that have been circulating around are vibrant reds, blues, warm yellows, bur-gundy and even pastels. The thing about the colored jeans howev-er; is that they go with almost everything just as normal jeans would. The only difference is that they bring a little more kick than ordinary blue jeans. “I love colored skinny jeans because they’re so versatile, and I’m a huge fan of vibrant colors.” junior Abena Pokua said. Secondly, there’s the classy peplum top. No, even though the name of them might sound strange, the top itself is anything but. Near the bottom of the shirt, it puffs out in a sophisticated fashion. Theyaddjusttherightamountofclasstoanyoutfitandevenasimple body-con skirt if that’s what you decide to pair it with. The peplum is perfect for dinner, a date, or even a party. You can go for a formal look, or a semi-casual one. Of course for fall, layering is a necessity. There’s so many more clothing options when there’s layering involved. Everything is possi-ble when it comes to the chilly days and nights: tanks under button downs, tights under skirts, and of course, plenty of boots. “I like when I get to whip out my boots, or a couple of those sweater dresses,” junior Keiauna Jones said. “I also love the colors…mostly orange.” Finally, there’s the most essential fall staple: scarves. A good scarf will help you keep warm for the fall months. Just like the col-ored skinny jeans, they add just the right amount of pop to an ordi-naryoutfit. “I’m so excited to wear my scarves because they give your wardrobe some fun.” junior Moriah Palmer said. Fallisfinallyhere,soit’stimetoputtheshorts,tanktops,andflipflopsbackinthecloset;andembracethelongsleeves,scarves,and colored skinnies. This is Texas after all, so everyone enjoy the chill while you can.

All pictures courtsey of lookbook.nu