Conducting differ-ent events such as the St. Jude’s

Fund raiser, talent show auditions and officer elections, Student Coun-cil has been busy plan-ning for a better tomor-row.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has helped children all over the nation with cancer treatment. It is an unbi-ased research hospital that does not deny treat-ment to patients in need, regardless of their eco-nomic status.

“It feels nice to raise money for kids who have cancer because they’re the ones that can’t pay for their operations,” Student Council Repre-sentative Yae Jee Hong said. “So the money helps families that don’t have enough resourc-es.”

Student Council mem-bers sent 25 letters to people with a form that they were able to fill out if they wished to do-nate. Friends and fam-ily were able to raise $30,000 last year and this year they hope to

increase the amount. They will get the results of the fund raiser in a couple of months.

“I have been a part of Student Council since freshman year, and I re-ally enjoy being able to participate in all of the events,” junior Mariam Khan said.

The Student Council has also been working towards setting up for the annual talent show, including helping with auditions that took place on April 9 - 10.

“It’s really fun to run the show because we get to see the acts before-hand,” 2011-2012 Stu-dent Body President Ka-tie McArthur said.

Officer elections were held on April 5 for fresh-men and sophomores,

and April 10 for the ju-niors.

“I wanted to run for Student Council be-cause I love helping out in our school and mak-ing it a better place,” future senior secretary Rachel Moore said.

Candidates delivered short speeches tell-ing students why they should vote for them which were broadcasted to the school. Students were able to vote for all of the officers for their class, including presi-dent, vice president, treasurer and secretary. The entire student body voted for members for the executive board.

“I’m really excited to be the new president,” fu-ture Student Body Presi-dent Jennifer Taylor said.

“ “ Council raises money; elections take place

hJ1AnvilApril 2012 www.memorialanvil.com Volume 50 / Issue 7

Smart-phone app used as cyber-bullying medium

The Korean artificial in-telligence program called “SimSimi” has gained widespread use as an en-tertainment application on smart-phones. Originally meant for leisurely conver-sation, the app has become a medium for cyber-bul-lying and torment in many high schools across the country. “I first heard about it when a couple of my friends found it as a release to get their feelings out,” senior Joe Quintania said. “Then they realized that it was hurting other kids, but they still continued.” Students simply type in the names of their friends, press send, and read whatever another student has typed in as the “definition” of those names for every-one who uses the app. The original purpose was to al-low users to simulate a real conversation with a robot and teach it new concepts so that it can grow as it’s used, but the most popular method has simply be-

By Ayesha KhanReporter

come a “name search,” much like the website Urban Dictionary. “It doesn’t filter anything, so anything that’s said is going to stay there,” an anonymous user said. The application has been banned in several coun-tries, including Thailand, and is constantly being up-dated to include disclaimers that warn of legal prose-cution and criminal penalties for bullying. Responses from the robot can be reported, and will be removed if reported by more than two users. However, the ro-bot can be taught the same thing multiple times. “People write these things because they can’t be bullies in per-son,” sophomore Da-her Herro said. There have been re-ports of depressed and even suicidal high school stu-dents across the nation that are victims of cyber-bul-lying, and SimSimi is their newest source of torment. But some students do not believe that a smart-phone application can reach such concerning heights at this school.

“In Memorial we have a bunch of phases – like a game that’s really ‘big’ and everyone uses – and I feel like SimSimi was a big deal for two weeks and now I don’t even hear about it,” an anonymous student said. When interviewed about the issue, many students chose not to reveal their identities. No more than two or three students in a class raised their hands when asked if they had even heard of SimSimi. “I think a lot of times, if you give kids an outlet to say

mean things when no one’s go-ing to find out, they obviously want to use it,” junior Audrey Vinall said. Even though talk of the ap-plication has died down, it is still available for free in the Apple App store and is still be-ing used as a tool for torment.

There have been calls to discontinue the app, but many feel it’s not enough. “I’m sure there are people who have been really af-fected by it, but there are still sites like Twitter and Facebook, and kids are going to cyber-bully no mat-ter what medium they use,” Vinall said.

People write these things because they can’t be bullies in person.

By Konstantina AngelidesReporter

DOA: Convincingly playing his role, senior Scott Bradshaw lies “dead” as his mother and junior Jennifer Taylor cry out in shock and disbelief. The “Shattered Dreams” program was designed to warn students of the dangers of drunk driv-ing. “Laying on the hood of the car acting dead, listening to everyone scream-ing and my Mom running to me put me in a weird place, but it impacted me knowing that I would never want to be in that situation in real life,” Bradshaw said. Photo by Timothy Davis. SEE SHATTERED DREAMS PAGE 23

SHATTERED DREAMS

-Sophomore Daher Herro

2012-2013 Student Council Officers

President - Jennifer TaylorVice President - Ryan Baumgartner

Treasurer - Tug WhiteRecording Secretary - Warren McMahan

Corresponding Secretary - Patrick ChristieHistorian - Meredith Hughes

Historian - Mary Beth SchatzmanParliamentarian - Griffin Doyle

Publicity Chair - Lawrencia NkadiStandards Chair - Sarah Lanford

J1h Anvil April 2012Ads 2

Thank your lucky STAAR tests?Students weigh-in on effectiveness of TAKS vs. STAAR testing

On March 26 and March 27, the freshman class took the ELA STAAR,

which was designed to be more rigorous and chal-lenging than the previ-ous TAKS.

The State of Texas de-cided in 2009 that the TAKS (Texas Assess-ment of Knowledge and Skills) was outdated and needed some revamping. They decided to create an entirely new set of stan-dardized tests that will test students over mate-rial learned throughout one entire school year. The STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) tests, which will cost $90 million to administer yearly, will cover all core subjects from grades 3 to 11. However, the biggest

difference between the TAKS and the STAAR tests will be seen in the high school level tests.

“It’s better than tak-ing the TAKS because it is harder and it can help

us,” freshman Richard Reese said.

Under the TAKS sys-tem, students have to pass four exit-level tests, which do not count to-wards their course grade. Starting with the class of 2015, students will be required to pass twelve EOC (end-of-course) ex-ams in order to earn their high school diploma.

“I don’t like how it af-fects graduation. It’s supposed to affect the grade point average at some point,” English teacher Christine Long said. “I don’t think I like that.”

Starting next year, the EOC exams will count

for fifteen percent of stu-dents’ final grade and it will also be used to de-termine class rank. Stu-dents will be allowed to retake the tests as many times as they need to until they pass, but their initial score on the EOC exams will still be used for class rank.

“The transition could be smoother. I would have liked it if the state

had released more sam-ple test questions for us to use,” Long said.

Though the STAAR will be based on the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowl-edge and Skills), as the TAKS test was, 60-65 percent of the STAAR will now measure stu-dents’ college and career readiness.

“I think they’ve got the right idea,” freshman

Pierce Beyer said, “but if they’re going to make a harder test, they should make it the right way.”

Most of the curriculum that teachers are used to teaching has to be taught in a different or-der to ensure all the stu-dents learn everything they need to know when STAAR testing begins.

“It’s like we have to learn so much in so little

time.” Reese said.Each test will be timed

with no extra time after the allotted four hours to finish, unlike the TAKS where it was not timed and students could take as much time as they needed. However, this will not really affect too many students since most of them finish with-in three hours.

“I think four hours is plenty of time to take the test,” Beyer said.

The ninth graders will take the remainder of the STAAR tests the sec-ond week of May. The STAAR tests will cover Algebra I, Geometry, Bi-ology and World Geog-raphy. With the previous ELA reading and writing STAAR tests, the fresh-men will have taken a to-tal of five STAAR tests by the end of the semester.

“The STAAR test will definitely help us in the long run,” freshman Lau-ren Natkin said. “TAKS was too easy; it’s good that the STAAR test is more difficult so that we can be better prepared.”

J1 hAnvilApril 2012 News 3

Given the opportunity to com-pete with other schools from across the district, students in band, choir, and orches-tra participated in the Texas UIL competition. The band wraps up their competition today while choir members performed on April 10 and 13. Students competed at district, regional, then state levels and have been practicing con-stantly to nail their pieces. “The band rehearses every Monday for two hours and then each section stays a dif-ferent day for around one and a half hours,” freshman Ryan McArthur said. “The majority of the students have individu-al lessons on their own time.” The band, choir, and or-chestra students had to pre-pare several songs for the UIL judges in their groups led by their instructor.

“The process is kind of long and full of a lot of learning and practicing,” sophomore Camille De Los Santos said. “We prepare three songs, six if you are singing with two choirs, and we learn them, practice them, and sharpen

them for performance ma-terial. The second thing we have to prepare is our sight reading skills, which is simply sharpening our skills on that again.”

Though practicing for com-petition can be brutal, when the students reached UIL, a feeling of pride took over as they entered the auditorium to perform for the judges.

“The competition is pretty relaxed because we are play-ing in a big group,” sopho-more Justin Lee said.

Different UIL pieces were assembled and rehearsed by the band, orchestra, and choir to impress the judges when they performed.

“We play marches and songs with multiple move-ments,” sophomore Vitoria Moreno-Costa said. “My fa-vorite this year is the Korean folk song.”

The contest was not only challenging, but also a great way for students to express themselves while doing some-thing they love.

“UIL is a good way to com-pete, it shows how good you are, and it’s fun,” sophomore choir member Elizabeth Gentry said.

UIL is a two part compe-tition where the parts are rated on a 1-5 scale with 1 be-ing the highest and 5 being the lowest score. Of the five choir groups, the Combined Bel Canto Treble Choir and Meistersinger Women per-formed the most outstanding with an average score of a one for their rehearsed music and a one for their sight-reading piece while the Meistersing-ers received an average score of one for their rehearsed mu-sic and a two for their sight-reading. The Meistersingers Mixed Choir also received a plaque for their performance and the combined Varsity Women’s Choirs received the highest possible score and earned a UIL Sweepstakes Trophy For the Second year in a row. Men’s Choir and Belle Chanson Treble Choir both received an average score of two for both their rehearsed and their sight-reading pieces while A Cappella Mixed Choir received a score of two for their rehearsed music and a three for their sight-reading.

“I am so proud of all the choir members and all that we have accomplished this year,” Gentry said.

Band, choir, orchestra head to UILStudents compete in annual district held competition

By Samar JavedReporter

By Sarah Salas Anastasia Vaudagna

Reporters

““It’s better than taking the TAKS...

ROCK THE BOWS: Practicing with dedication, senior Ajita Sen and freshman Justin Dang prepare for the annual UIL concert. In the past, this has been known as one of the biggest competitions for the orchestra. Photo by Shanzeh Ahmed.

BLOWING THE COMPETITION AWAY: Rehearsing for the upcoming UIL comeptition, freshman Cole Bendy performs with perfection for the band. Photo by Hanna Landis

Need Photo

Anastasia Vaudagna

-Richard Reese

J1h Anvil April 2012Ads 4

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always room for im-provement.”

Being a Markette has impacted many girls, and motivates them to try out for an officer position.

Between competition, Spring Show and car washes, the Markettes have become a group of extended friends rather than just a dance team.

“From the beginning when I signed up for Pre-Markettes, I didn’t know anything, like what an eight count was,” sopho-more Haley Dickinson said. “Looking back, I’ve developed the skills and ability to become part of the team, and I’m thank-ful for the opportunities that Markettes has given me.”

Although the final cur-tain has been drawn for the Spring Show, many Markettes are keeping their toes pointed and routines crisp as they prepare for officer try-outs, which take place April 23-27.

Hours of preparation go into the 15 minute try-out that will determine the Markette officers for next year. A notebook is required that answers questions and recom-mends new ideas.

“I’ve worked on the notebook almost every-day,” sophomore Kaitlyn Shanks said. “I work on it more than my home-work, usually until I fall asleep.”

Practicing dance rou-tines is also important, and each dancer seems to find a different way to prepare.

“I’ve been practicing technique every night, like doing pirouettes in my family’s kitchen,” ju-nior Emily Snyder said.

Open to current Mar-kettes who are sopho-mores and juniors, the tryout is based on as-pects such as technique and leadership abilities.

The two types of offi-cer positions available are dance and social of-ficers. Dance officers act as the heads of the team

By Laura ElizondoReporter

Celebrating 50 years of Markettes, this year’s Markette Spring Show’s theme was “Fifty and Fabulous.” The show was performed on April 13 and 14.

With hard work and dedication, the Mar-kettes have been prac-ticing to make the Spring Show great. They began practicing in mid February each day during seventh period and often after school.

“The fact that the competition went on earlier is giving the girls more time to practice,’’ Markette director April Graham said.

This show featured an alumni dance by some former Markettes and footage from past direc-tors talking about their experience at Memorial High School. In addi-

tion, the seniors pre-formed a special tribute at the end of the show.

‘‘I’ve been wanting to perform an alumni dance, and I’m very glad that this year I get to perform and come back to Memorial,’’ alum Lindsey Bowen said.

The excitement of the senior Markettes, who were dancing their last Spring Show, made the night particularly spe-cial.

‘‘The dances were all really great, and I had the privilege of cho-reographing the senior dance with one of my good friends, Lissette Ochoa,” senior Kristie Lee said. ‘‘Not everyone knows that even with the amount of commit-ment put into the spring show, it’s still worth it because honestly I love dancing more than I worry about the stress of working long hours

to make a dance look great.’’

The show consisted of 23 different dance numbers, so the girls had a chance to per-form many different styles of dance. One of the dances featured Markettes performing with their dads. Others were pom dances, hip-hop, ballet and even a Michael Jackson dance performed by the alum-ni.

Although it was the final performance for Seniors, the show was the first chance for the Minikettes to get on stage and dance togeth-er.

‘‘I was more excited than nervous because this was my first Spring Show as a Minikette,” junior Oyinda Odewale said. “I loved to perform and especially loved the dances, and my family and friends really en-joyed the show.’’

Confident Markettes head to tryouts Dancing to the finish Fifty and Fabulous

Memorial Markettes celebrate 50 years

Top singers to perform in Pop ShowAdvanced choir members in Soundwaves excited to share their music

Throats are dry, hands sweating. Students line up in the room shaking

in anticipation with but-terflies fluttering in their stomachs. They are get-ting ready to audition for the chance to be in the

advanced choir group, Soundwaves.

“I was kind of nervous because I didn’t want to mess up,” sophomore Erin Roberts said, “but when I went into the au-dition, I wasn’t as ner-vous as I thought I would be because Mr. Johnson and Ms. Prontka were there, and I already knew them.”

Soundwaves, formally called Madjazz, gives students the option of joining a selective group of advanced singers. In-terested singers audi-tioned for Choir Director Lawrence Johnson, as well as Orchestra Direc-tor Danielle Prontka. Students must select a song to present before the directors and also be prepared to answer any questions about their dedication and commit-ment.

“I sang the iCarly theme song and then I was asked to sing an-

other song with a differ-ent personality by Mr. Johnson, so I sang Hal-lelujah,” junior Abraham Blanco said.

Members of Sound-waves are given the op-portunity to sing differ-ent genres of songs. This new experience allows for vigorous competition and the opportunity to sing in upcoming events, such as the Pop Show.

“I wanted to sing fun, pop songs instead of the classical songs we sing in regular choir,” Roberts said.

However, being in Soundwaves is not an easy decision. Students must partake in hour-long rehearsals at least once a week.

“The practices are good and really help us get our harmonies and rhythms together,” sophomore Allison Tinsley said.

Due to the numerous practices and rehears-als, other extracurricular

activities, such as sports, often create conflicts. However, in the end, stu-dents choose to pursue both interests.

“Last year, Mr. John-son asked me to audi-tion,” Blanco said. “I thought I wouldn’t have enough time because of football, but I ended up going for it.”

Despite the stress of such a significant time commitment, students in Soundwaves enjoy the experience of being able to spend time with oth-ers who have a similar passion.

“My favorite part [of being in Soundwaves] would have to be build-ing relationships with all the talented people I get to sing with,” Tins-ley said. “Everyone has their own uniqueness to bring. I feel like I’ve al-ways had a passion for music and Soundwaves has just helped me share that passion.”

J1 hAnvilApril 2012 News 5

By Emily NeylandReporter

and lead in teaching the dances. The social offi-cers are in charge of ac-tivities outside of school, such as organizing com-munity service events and working on team spirit.

Evaluated by a panel of judges, those trying out for dance officer perform a solo dance, whereas those trying out for so-cial officer explain a pre-sentation board of ideas, beliefs and personality.

“The judges are so stoic, they’re terrifying,” junior Katie Bloomfield said. “They’re supposed to be a stone wall so you don’t know your chances.”

Following the dance, each girl is interviewed thoroughly about aspects such as their character, grades and weekend ac-tivities.

“The interview is the scariest part,” junior Elisabeth Lyles said. “I’m being judged and those 15 minutes will impact my whole senior year.”

Despite their nerves, many girls seem confi-dent about their upcom-ing tryout, because of their dance history and current Markettes officer positions.

“I’ve been dancing for at least nine years, which is a reassurance,” soph-omore Kendall Troup said. “That gives me the foundation, but there’s

CurrentMembers

SophomoresGeorgia BatesHolden BrownTristen PattonErin Roberts

Allison Tinsley

JuniorsAbraham Blanco

Adrianna CastillejaLisa Ellis

Santiago Shietekat

SeniorsYezan Hadidi

Angela CarrollJacob LeBlanc

Kirstie LeeReagan Porter

Patricia PhillipsNiko SchillaciMaryssa Maize

By Yae Jee HongReporter

SEASONS OF LOVE: During a practice for Soundwaves, junior Lisa Ellis, senior Maryssa Mays and sophomores Erin Roberts and Tristen Patton prepare a piece for the Pop Show. Photo by Tiffani Smith.

A COMPLETE CREATION: Minutes before the tryout notebooks are turned in, sopho-more Juliana Lewis flips through the masterpieces that her friends put together. Photo by Kelly Abshire.

KISS GOODBYE: In the finale of the Markette Spring Show, all the dancers gather on stage and blow kisses to the audience. Photo by Emily Wright

Varsity girls’ soccer falls in third roundTeam ends their winning streak in the third round of play

By Rachel WeingeistReporter

The girls ended their season in the 5A Re-

gional Quarter Finals with a heart breaking 1-2 loss against Seven Lakes. Nonetheless, the team beat Westside 7-0 and Cy-Fair 5-4. On Monday, April 2nd, the girls played Westside at Tully Stadium. “We were expecting a competitive game but to come out on top,” senior Demeris Burritt said. On Thursday, April 5th, Varsity played Cy-Fair, a long awaited and an-ticipated game that was

sure to be intense. Dur-ing the game, both teams traded goals back and forth until it was all tied up. It was not until the last five minutes when the Mustangs scored the wining goal. “It brought tears of joy to my eyes,” senior Em-ily Donnan said, “but we knew we had to stay fo-cused.” The third and final game was a battle against Seven Lakes. This was an especially unusual game. This was the third year in a row the var-sity team has met Seven Lakes in the third round

of playoffs. Seven Lakes has won every time. “Seven Lakes has al-ways been a rival for us,” junior Alex Seekely said. For many of the se-niors on the team, their soccer career will not be ending any time soon. There are five senior girls on the team who are going to play soccer in college. Audrey Brook plans to attend Baylor, Emily Donnan - Trinity, Rachel Owens - Stephen F. Austin, Rebecca Dunn - Washington and Lee and Kendall Fitzpatrick - Missouri Science and Technology.

All of the girls are dedi-cated athletes and plan on continuing to focus on soccer for the next four years. Determined, the girls plan to practice and pre-pare for next year. “I plan to run and go to soccer camp in the summer to keep up my skills, endurance and fit-ness,” sophomore Mag-gie Sherwood said. “I hope all the return-ers stay in shape dur-ing the summer,” Coach Lindley Amarantos said. “They need to be ready to work when they get back.”

KICKING AND SCREAMING: With a look of concentration, junior Kaeli Rives passes the ball up field out of reach from a Westside player. The Varsity soccer team dominated their Westside opponent, 7-0. Photo by Ty McGowen.

Girls’ water polo looking to go all the way to stateBoys finish season strong in Alvin; girls continue on road to state finals

Memorial rugby season pushes forward Players enjoy season, continue playing with high spirits

By Lyndon SullyReporter

The rugby team has had a rough but re-

warding season for many of its players and fans. A few minor setbacks, in-cluding a talk about the team being cut and los-ing support over a train-ing field issue, raised some concern for mem-bers and supporters. During a district ad-ministrative meeting on April 2, the members continued talks on how the field should be used and discussed alterna-tives and compromises. Many voiced their opin-ions. “We don’t believe it is right to eliminate the rugby club because rugby is a sport for everyone of

all athletic levels,” soph-omore Adam Khalifa said. “It gives people who can’t find their niche in the high school sports society a place.” The problem over the field usage originated with a conflict of train-ing schedules between the lacrosse, soccer and rugby teams. Soccer and lacrosse had paid their rental fees for the field, while the rugby team did not. Also, the team failed to file the proper paper-work, meaning the UIL sports had priority. “I was angry at first when I heard of the meet-ing,” sophomore Captain Daher Herro said. “I was really happy when I was told we could all play on the field again because we all love the sport.”

The situation was dif-fused shortly after the meeting ended with a consensus allowing the rugby team to stay and continue practice. De-spite the minor distrac-tion from the admin-istrative meeting, the rugby team has had a productive season. “It has been a fun and very interesting season with a few wins here and there,” freshman Full-back Nathan Blanco said. The rugby team prac-tices three days a week at 5pm and is among the eight teams in Houston to actively participate in competitive games against each other, with the games being played each weekend. “I joined this year be-cause I believed it would

be fun and challenging,” freshman Hooker and Lock Aiden Sully said. “I wasn’t disappointed with what I found.” Despite the various

defeats, like the game against Saint Thomas where they lost 3-44, the team made a counter when they won against Strake Jesuit’s team,

smashing them 25-0. The team is scheduled to play tomorrow against Westside High School at Westside High to finish the season.

J1h Anvil April 2012Sports 6

By Dawit MollaDaniel LeeReporters

The boys’ team had a disappointing

performance at a tournament in Alvin and a loss against rival Stratford last week looming in their heads.Although the boys didn’t have the best of seasons, they are still very thankful of Coach Jason Mauss. “He is very enthusiastic and into the sport,” sophomore Andrew Wheeler said. ”His intense practices help us win.” The practices might not be particularly fun for the players, but they produce results. “No matter how many push-ups Coach Mauss

makes us do during practice, he is making each and every one of us a better person in and out of the water,” freshman Giorgio Koutani said. The boys will miss the playoffs this year, which is disappointing for some players. “It was a pretty good season, except for some games that we lost, especially our rivalry game against Stratford,” senior Alex Park said. The girls’ water polo team is looking to end a spectacular season with a state championship. “ We have a good team, we’re strong, and I think we can go pretty far if we keep on focusing and working hard,” senior Shelby Shelton said. The girls are looking

to improve from a fifth place outing in regionals last year and are determined to make it to the State Playoffs. Beating rival Stratford 12-0 last week will propel the Mustangs to a much higher ranking, which will lead to a matchup with a lower ranked team. The win helps them greatly on their road to the playoffs. Getting there is a goal for the team this year, but that isn’t all. “It was a little bit different last year because a lot of Stratford’s players were seniors, so they left; and now we have an awesome team that is ready to dominate at regionals,” sophomore Kelly Denkler said.

SPLASHING TO VICTORY: Giving some words of encouragement, Coach Jason Mauss directs sophomore Helen Hammon during the championship match of their tournament against Jersey Village. The Lady Mus-tangs water polo team won 8-5, crowning them champions of the tournament . Photo By Hannah Hayes.

I GOT IT: Reaching for the ball, junior Wade Burchett and sophomore Michael Limbaugh practice a line out . The boys’ rugby team competed against other Texas teams at a tournament in College Station and will finish out their season against Westside. Photo by Elissa Kissner.

For the first time in recent memory, the

Mustangs varsity base-ball team is fighting hard for a playoff spot. The team defeated The Woodlands 8-3 on Sat-urday giving them a re-cord of 18-6 so far, but the 7-5 district record has all but eliminated them from earning their eighth consecutive dis-trict championship. Despite hard work and determination, getting to a state champion-ship run will prove more

challenging than in past seasons.

“Every year our team goal is to win the dis-trict and try to make it to state in playoffs,” junior Walker Pennington said.

Still, the Mustangs, led by head coach Jer-emy York and assistant coach Brian Jasek, have accomplished a lot this spring.

They have beaten many great teams in and out of the district. The team will be sending six play-ers to play at the col-legiate level: Boomer White has signed with Texas Christian Univer-sity, Beau Rathjen will play at Rice University,

Ben Carl and Drew Tol-son have committed to Baylor University, and Brock Davidson is go-ing to the United States Military Academy.

“I’m looking forward to playing college baseball because it has always been a dream of mine to play at the next level,” senior Drew Tolson said. “Another reason is be-cause I will get to play with my friend Ben Carl who I have been playing with for a long time.”

“I think we have the tal-ent and ability to make it to State,” junior Patrick Christie said. “We just have to work hard and do all the little things

right to make it there.”On Tuesday, Katy

broke the Mustangs’ winning streak, having previously defeated Katy Taylor and The Wood-lands.

“We have struggled a bit offensively so far, but we’ll get back on track soon,” junior Kacy Cle-mens said.

With three sophomores and four juniors in the line-up, this has proven to be a rebuilding year.

“It’s a real honor play-ing under such a great group of seniors. They are great leaders, and I know they will benefit me as an underclassman in the coming years,”

sophomore Will Sikora said.

The team will close the regular season out

at home against Seven Lakes on April 20 and at Strake Jesuit on April 27.

Tennis roars through spring season with focus on individual play

After finishing the fall as the state runners-up in 5A team tennis, the girls’ and boys’ ten-nis team transitioned to the spring season. “It’s been a great sea-son so far,” sophomore Nousha Nowamooz said. “My sister and I have improved so much in our doubles game. This spring we will hopefully win the tough matches against the good teams to advance to state.” The varsity team has matches and tourna-ments once every two weeks. Players have been practicing all year long. Practice times include seventh period every school day with some

additional time after school. During practice the players work on a va-riety of things, mainly fo-cusing on what they need to improve on to prepare for upcoming matches. “To practice a match, I work hard at every practice,” sophomore James Whitehead said. “I also get a good night’s rest the day before and eat Wheaties, break-fast of champions.” An important match for the team is Districts. The Varsity team is the only team in the District that has two players advanc-ing to the Regional Ten-nis Tournament in every event. From the Varsity girls’ team, the District fi-nalists are Lauren Bend-er for singles and Nava and Nousha Nowamooz

for doubles. From the Varsity boys’ team, the District finalists are Ciro Lampasas for singles and Grant Riechmann and Willie Jou for doubles. Lastly, in mixed dou-bles, the District finalists are District champions Stefan Lemire and de-fending State Cham-pion Katie Davis. The Mustangs went to the Regional Tennis Tour-nament April 17 and 18. “Regional was the toughest tournament,” Nowamooz said. “Sev-en Lakes was my big-gest competition.” The players hope to improve as the spring season continues. The results of the Kemah tournament place two Mustangs in the top spots. Lampasas was

the boys’ finalist for singles and Bender fin-ished sixth in girls’ team singles. In boys’ doubles Riechmann and Jou won against Thomas Pecor and Christian Vieira. Also in mixed doubles, Davis and Lemire fin-ished in third place. “I am working really hard my senior year to do my personal best,” Varsity captain Lauren Bender said. “I really want to finish strong.” The Sub-varsity team also saw the same strong finish in District. For the boys’ sub-varsity team, Neik Khansari is District champion for singles and Danny Jimenz and Haluki Nakayama are District finalists for dou-bles. For the girls’ team, Anna Nguyen is District

champion for singles and Paulina Lanzagorta and

Margo Cordova are Dis-trict finalists for doubles.

Boys and girls track teams sprint towards Regionals

During the rigorous spring season, the track team managed to have many athletes qualify for the district relays this year. Training hard and pre-paring for the district re-lays and finals really paid off for the track season.

“It’s been great; the team as a whole works very hard each after-noon, striving to do our best, and with that we have made a lot of im-provements,” senior An-gela Ried said.

Up to three or four ath-letes on the Varsity and JV teams can qualify.

“We qualified in a lot of events for the JV and Varsity Teams because

our competition scores continue to drop as we work harder and harder during practices,” junior Amber Johnson said.

With district relays just finishing, there will be some tough competition among the 5A schools for Regionals.

“For the girls’ varsity team, we continue to train and work extreme-ly hard. We are prepared to set new records and to beat the Katy schools and Cinco Ranch,” Ried said.

JV and Varisty just finished their season with District Relays on April 12. District Finals will determine which athletes on both Junior Varisty and Varsity will qualify for regionals.

“We have Texas Re-

gionals coming up for the athletes who quali-fied, so they are training hard for this event, and we hope to do well dur-ing Regionals and make a placement for our school,” junior Anastasia

Zavitsanos said. Over all, the girls’ track

team has had a positive season. Multiple accom-plishments have been made, letting the team continue further on into the season.

“There are many strong sprinters in the different 5A school teams, but we were always taught to run through the finish line, and push ourselves to do our very best, which is a good motiva-tor to achieve our best in this season for track,” Zavitsanos said.

Alongside the girls, the Varsity boys’ track has managed to get through a great season and has met many goals this year, including making it to Regionals also.

“For the guys, it has been going well,” senior Amir Ibraham said.

“We managed to win the Bay Shore Olympics at LaPort High School. Many of our individuals on the team got into dis-trict. The 4 x 4 placed in

the top three, the 1600M run (the mile) made a placement, and also our field events like high jump made a placement too.”

With Regionals right around the corner, the boys’ varsity and JV teams are preparing to beat the competition.

“For varsity we are ner-vous about Cinco Ranch, Seven Lakes, and Mor-ton Ranch high schools. They have really good sprinters, so we are for sure up to a competition. For distance runners I would say Katy and Katy Taylor will be our biggest worry because they have a good team for the long distance events. Overall, I feel like we will place in Regionals,” Ibraham said.

RACING TO REGIONALS: With her sights set toward Regionals, junior Mara Heitkamp hurdles her way to finish in the top three at the district meet. “Our team has worked so hard to make it to Regionals, and I hope that I can represent Memorial as best as I can,” Heitkamp said. Photo by Katelyn Wallace.

SERVE IT UP: With her game face on, junior Katie Davis perfects her serve in practice on a sweltering spring afternoon. Last year, she made MHS proud by returning home from state with the mixed doubles championship title in hand. “When I step onto the court, I feel like the real Katie Davis; I’m so at home. It’s great,” Davis said. Photo By Stephanie Hillin.

J1 hAnvilApril 2012 Sports 7

NO-NO: In a 10-0 win over Morton Ranch, senior Jack Cordova throws a no hitter. This is Cordova’s second year on Varsity. Photo by McKenna O’Donnell.

By Kelly VasekReporter

By Hayward HildrethReporter

Season of growth, challengesBy Nick PohlCallie Phillips Maddie Jones

Reporters

Varsity baseball falls short of eighth straight district title

J1h Anvil April 2012Sports 8

Thirteen hard working students determined to make the cheer squad gave it their best try in front of a gym full of their peers. The tryouts were held during first period on March 9. Freshmen, sophomores and juniors then voted on next year’s team.

Some of the candidates prepared for tryouts on their own, while others hired personal trainers to help perfect a routine or tumbling.

“I worked out during the week and went to Dana,” junior Brooke Bradshaw said. “She is a private coach at the Pride of Texas.”

Motivation to win the tryouts is what drove these cheerleaders. For a few it’s always been a dream to tumble and cheer for their school. For others, it’s a way they can represent their school.

“Ever since I was little, I wanted to be a cheerleader,” junior Allyson Poujol said, “I also thought it was a good way to get involved and a way I could represent my high school.”

The girls know each other from school, as well as outside cheer practices and classes.

“My fellow team-mates and I are pretty close. We all have been cheering for three or more years and have become acquainted with each other through that,” junior Patricia Rotan said. “I’m sure we will be even closer by next year!”

Every summer the team attends cheer camp to prepare for the busy year planned ahead.

“There is a cheer camp which is a lot of fun,” junior Casey Klein said. “I hope to get a great bond with all of the girls and guys.”

Preparations have not started, but each girl is looking forward to working together

and putting their all into cheers and routines. Next year’s pep rally themes have not been confirmed yet, but Neon and Nerd day are most

likely going to stay. The cheer girls and boys are

looking forward to a great year full of school spirit and plenty of Mustang victories.

“I was so excited to make the team!” Klein said. “It made me feel like all my hard work had finally paid off!”

Student body votes for next year’s cheerleaders Cheering towards V-I-C-T-O-R-Y

By Halina Haider Stephanie Rocha

Reporters

Meet the 2012 - 2013 Cheerleaders:

Patricia Rotan Favorite Store:

Forever 21Favorite Hobby:

Photography Favorite Restaurant:

Kaneyama

Lizzie RussoFavorite Movie: The Notebook

Favorite Restaurant: Escalante’s

Favorite Store:Urban Outfitters

Leslie LugrinFavorite Store:

Saks Fifth AvenueFavorite Movie: The Notebook

Favorite Restaurant: Pei Wei

Maggie PipkinFavorite Song:

“Fighter” by Christina AguleraFavorite Store:

Lulu Lemon Favorite Movie:

Bridesmaids

Allyson PoujolFavorite Show:

RevengeFavorite Restaurant:

Yard House Favorite Hobby:

Photography

Brooke BradshawFavorite Store:

Forever 21Favorite Movie: This Means WarFavorite Show:

“Friends”

Katherine CokinosFavorite Restaurant:

The Melting PotFavorite Store: Anthropologie

Favorite Hobby: Shopping

Casey KleinFavorite Song:

“Oklahoma Girl” by Eli Young BandFavorite Movie:

Billy MadisonFavorite Show:

Glee

Ethan PattFavorite Song:

“We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel

Favorite Show: Modern Family

Favorite Restaurant: Ginza Japanese

Tyler SaleFavorite Movie: The Water Boy

Favorite Hobby:Racing

Favorite Show: That 70’s Show

Carina WolkFavorite Show:

New GirlFavorite Hobby:

BakingFavorite Store:

Francesca’s

FLYIN’ HIGH! Junior Katherine Cokinos sticks her toetouch at the 2012-2013 Varsity cheer tryouts. Cokinos went on to make the 2012-13 squad. Photo by Kate Hickey.

J1 hAnvilApril 2012 Ads 9

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2012 MUSTANG HEART AWARD WINNERS

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The crowded stands, the nervous competi-tors and the noisy auto-mobiles are the perfect ingredients for firing up freshman Maddison Ray. Since age 11, Ray has competed in drag racing competitions.

“My grandpa started, and then my dad start-ed, so it was kind of a family thing,” Ray said.

Ray explained that she competes using junior cars which travel 80 mph down a straight track,

also known as a drag strip, for 1/8 of a mile.

Drag racing involves two specially prepared automobiles competing at the same time to see who crosses the finish line first. An electronic timing system is used to determine the winner.

“Getting to go down the track is a big rush,” Ray said.

To prepare for com-petitions, Ray helps her dad clean and fix anything that went wrong with the car in the last competition. “Racing has taught Mad-dison more responsib-

lity,” Thomas Ray said. “She has to help work on the car, get tools, and it is her responsibility to load and unload the car from her trailer.”

Throughout her ca-reer, Ray has won sev-eral first and second place trophies; as well as “Rookie of the Year.”

Although Ray is com-peting in a dominantly male sport, she doesn’t let the boys stop her from reaching the finish line. “I love being able to make the guys think that I am not good, and then beat them,” Ray said.

Ray’s father proves to

be her inspiration and most dedicated fan.

“I enjoy watching her after she races, smil-ing and proud of her-self when she does well, and trying to improve when she does bad.” Ray said. “The most en-joyable thing about her racing is that she is do-ing something that she and I, enjoy together.”

Ray competes about once a month, and the season begins in March and contin-ues through October.

Make sure to watch out for Ray’s red hair on the tracks.

Biker chick: sophomore cyclist competes in races

Tires crunching on gravel, sand flying into her

face, and sweat drip-ping down her back, sophomore Lucy Brown pushes herself to finish her mountain bike race ahead of her opponent.

“I love the inten-sity of racing,” sopho-more Brown said.

Brown knew what she was doing. Though she lagged behind, she waited for the sand pit at the last mile to take the lead. As the ground changed beneath her rubber treads, she ped-aled more and more quickly with every pass-ing second. Her oppo-nent, not knowing the plan, saw that the race

was over. Brown was once again victorious.

“That race was defi-nitely my most memo-rable one,” Brown said. “I couldn’t believe I pulled out that sprint finish and got first. The best was that every-one was cheering for me at the finish line.”

Brown races competi-tively for Team Bicycle Sport Shop, and she participates in the Texas Mountain Bike Series.

“My brother biked at camp one summer and loved it, so my parents looked it up on the Inter-net and found that series of races,” Brown said.

Since then the Brown family has shifted gears and the whole family is now involved with pre-paring for and com-peting in these races.

“The races are all over Texas, but mostly in the Hill Country,” sophomore Brown said. “My favorites are the ones in Austin.”

These courses con-sist of twenty miles of hills and dirt road, but Brown doesn’t let the stress get to her. “When I got older, I got busy with Markettes and school work, so now it is just for fun,” Brown said. Though she has a pas-sion for these intense races, it causes her to miss out on fun activities. “I hate missing out on time with my friends,” sophomore Brown says, “but I am so glad the season has started back up again. I love coming through the finish line after the last mile and feeling accomplished.”

Most sportsmen feel nervous before a big tournament, however nerves did not appear to affect freshman Darius Zacharakis, as he placed first in the North America Fencing Cup. Zacharakis is also currently ranked fourth in the nation in his age group.

“Fencing wasn’t as easy as it seems,” Zacharakis said. “It involves hard work and dedication for a long period of time.”

Zacharakis, who has been fencing for five years, practices daily with his coach at Alliance

Fencing Academy. “I practice two to three

hours on the weekdays except for Tuesdays, and three to six hours on Saturday,” Zacharakis said.

Zacharakis’ workouts consist of basic cardio exercises running, high heels, high knees, and side jumps.

He then completes various stretches working each part of body top to bottom, footwork, different combinations of advances, retreats, lunges, double lunges, jump advances, jump lunges, squats, then blade work.

“It’s important to develop your muscles in the certain areas that

are required for fencing, such as forearms, wrists, hands, core, legs. It’s also very important to stay fit, so you don’t run out of energy during a tournament. During tournament, I usually have lots of energy bars and water, bananas are good because, you lose a lot of potassium. Later on in the tournament once I get to the top eight, I eat some sugar and other things for quick energy, and Gatorade” Zacharakis said.

“I enjoy the adrenaline rushing through me, I enjoy the action, and the fact that someone is attacking you with a not too kind mannerism makes me do well. Plus

the winning. I enjoy winning.” So far this year, Zacharakis has kept a perfect record, winning three tournaments of the Super Youth Circuit and getting first place at the North American Cup. “I got lucky this time I guess,” Zacharakis said. “Since the rule of circuit states players get to keep their winning scores and drop their losses.” With his perfect record, Zacharakis will compete in the North American Circuit as the top seed in April. “I trained very hard for this tournament, and now I am looking forward to getting good results.”

J1h Anvil April 2012Sports 10

En Guarde: student fourth best fencer in country

COME ON!: After scoring last point, freshman Darius Zacharakis roars in victory. Zacharakis’ win at North American Fencing Cup Tournament, moved him to fourth in the nation. Photo courtesy of Leonie Karkovista

Where the other half plays

By David Jung Shane NamReporters

By Katie DuncanReporter

By McCall MontzReporter

READY, SET, PEDAL: Speeding down the Texas Hill Country, sophomore Lucy Brown smiles as she concentrates on winning her race after passing her competitors. This race at Lance Armstrong’s ranch kept Brown as Texas State Champion for her category. Photo courtesy of Lucy Brown.

DRAGGED TO THE FINISH LINE: Accelerating down the track, fresh-man Maddison Ray pushes herself to the finish line at the Lonestar Raceway. The Ironman Trophy Race proved to be an exhilarating experience for Ray. Photo courtesy of Thomas Ray.

Speed Racer: freshman girl competes in ‘male’ sport

Pitch by pitch, softball improves in district standings

The varsity softball team is in full swing in the District 19-5A playoff race, currently ranked third in the district with a record of 4-3.

Currently, Katy is in first place, and Mayde Creek is second. “Everyone in our district is competitive and every

game is tough,” Varsity Coach Stephanie Mosely said. Even without any easy games in front of them, the Varsity team keeps up the hard work. “Our district race is coming down to the wire and every game is a big game for us,” Mosely said.

Finishing out the season, varsity is

performing at a high level as they advance through district games.

The 2012 team has improved since last year, when they inished with one win and eleven losses.

“We’ve been doing pretty well this year,” sophomore Brenna Black said. “We’re all working harder to make playoffs this year and

we’re working together better.”

After being defeated by Mayde Creek on April 3, and Cinco Ranch on April 5, the varsity girls made a come back against Katy Taylor, winning 3-1.

The season ended on April 17 with a game against Seven Lakes.

Having previously defeated Seven Lakes 11-3, the girls were confident about the last game.

“If we stay focused and hit well, I think we can beat them,” sophomore Brenna Black said. Softball season includes hard work and lots of sweat, but the pain pays off in the games. “I love the home games, because you get to listen to your own music, pick your own walk on song, and you’re more acquainted with the area,” sophomore Ashley Pilcher said.

Senior Jennie Kieval, a

four-year letter-winner, enjoys the tournaments the most because the team gets to miss school. Kieval, Varsity’s third basemen, has already signed to play with Sam Houston State. The JV team has a 2-3 district record and a 5-7 record overall going into this week’s games. “The best part of the season is working with the athletes,” junior varsity Coach Mikel Ellison said.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Nothing like a quick warm up for sophomore Ashley Pilcher before going out on the field to play against Katy Taylor. Varsity beat Taylor 3-1. Photo by Briana Hernandez.

Varsity continues to compete as the season comes to an end

J1 hAnvilApril 2012 Sports 11

Varsity lacrosse looking good for playoffsVarsity competes with Houston area teams for spot in playoffs

The boys’ JV and Varsity teams pulled out an

impressive, hard fought win against Langham Creek on March 22. Both teams also suffered losses against Strake Jesuit and Episcopal last month. The highlight of the JV boys’ season was a six game win streak in the middle of the season.

“We have beat some tough teams this year, which gives us hope for games to come,” Will Davidson said.

Lacrosse has been gaining popularity as young athletes leave baseball and other traditional sports to try something new. In the Spring Branch area, boys and girls can join lacrosse clubs starting in late elementary school

Many of these players continue playing through their middle school years, hoping to make their high school team.

The MHS lacrosse program is composed of these experienced players, as well as beginners.

Even though lacrosse is not an official school sport, the school hosts girls’ and boys’ JV and Varsity teams. The

Varsity boys have had a season full of ups and downs with a current record of 8-6.

“This year’s season has

been great so far, but it’s not over yet,” Varsity goalie Phil Mathis said. “I hope we can make it further than we have in

past years.” There is no lack of skill

on the Varsity team, and there are even multiple freshman playing on the

Varsity level. “It’s amazing being on

Varsity as a freshman because I am getting such a high level of play so early in high school,” Mathis said.

The JV boys’ team has had an outstanding year so far and shows no signs of slowing down.

“We have a 7-5 record so far and are among the best teams in the city,” Pete Vaughan said.

Lacrosse also has many perks off the field, according to Vaughan.

Meanwhile, the varsity girls have had an average season so far with a record of 2-2.

“We have had a decent season so far, but we look to improve our record later on in the season,” sophomore McKenna O’Donnell said.

The varsity girl’s team made it to state in the 2002 season and hope to make it there again. They were also regional quarter finalists in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010. The girls are trying hard to make it further in the season than they have in the past few years.IN YOUR FACE: A Varsity middy faces off against a Kingwood opponent. The Mustangs pulled out a hard fought win with a score of 6-4. Photo

by Kiersten Underhill.

By Jack NiniReporter

By Lucy BrownReporter

SAAAFFFFEEEE!: In the April 9 match-up against Morton Ranch, Griffin Gilbert slides into homeplate for a run. Photo by Lindsay Adams.

Senioritis really starts to kick in when all the students begin to throw

parties to celebrate their final year together. At times it seems like a competition to see which senior can have the best venue, food and band;

but at the end of the day, it is just about having a blast together one last time before everyone spreads out.

“I think grad parties are

so important to seniors because it celebrates all the good times we have had together as a class and all the work we’ve put into school over the last four years,” senior Reagan Shivitz said. After going through a treacherous junior year and the tedious task of filling out college appli-cations, these p a r t i e s are just what the seniors need. It takes their mind off of hearing back from their dream college or even the thought of hav-ing to leave everything they know and starting over. At one recent grad par-ty, 11 senior girls had the very well-known Josh Abbott Band come play at the Firehouse Saloon. “My grad party was so fun,” senior Laura Lee Cale said. “We all got to dance and sing to the songs we know so well and just enjoy the last moments we have with our best friends.” Having the Josh Ab-

bott Band play at this grad party was a big deal, considering it doesn’t happen often and most people love their music. And who can turn down two-stepping to a coun-try band? “It took a lot to prepare for our party because we had to design invitations and t-shirts, book the saloon, and pull off get-ting Josh Abbott there,” senior Chandler O’Brien said. The preparation for these extravagant grad parties is a big job and can sometimes be quite expensive. Details from the guest list to invitations are crucial and must be giv-en the utmost attention. However, the seniors always seem to find the outcome is well worth the effort. “When we were plan-ning the party, we had to make sure that we had a certain list to only let the people that were invited in,” senior Rea-

gan Shivitz said. “If we didn’t, I’m sure tons of people would have shown up to see Josh Ab-bott, uninvited.” Each of the 11 girls that threw the party received yellow roses and Kend-all Oelfke’s father gave a speech about how proud the parents were of the girls’ accom-plishments. All in all, being a se-nior comes with a lot of apprehension of the coming future. Although they are looking forward to their new-coming freedom, the feeling of leaving home for the first time can still be scary. These parties help the seniors get their mind off that and celebrate their four successful years as Mustangs. “Our party turned out to be a total success and there weren’t any prob-lems,” O’Brien said, “It was one of the best nights of senior year and I know it will be one of our favorite memories.”

AYE, AYE, CAPTAIN! Sailors move past basketball season, focus on cheering baseball all the way to state

ONE LAST PARTY

Everybody has seen the Sailors at all the Varsity basketball games, yelling at the other teams and dancing the Cotton Eyed Joe during time outs, all while dressed in their best nautical attire. But what’s next for the boys now that basketball sea-son is over? “Baseball season is go-ing strong,” sophomore Jake Derrick said. “I’m definitely looking for-ward to yelling at the other teams and going all the way to the State Championship.” The baseball games are longer and slower paced, but that doesn’t mean that the chanting and cheering is going to stop. For junior Patrick Christie, the biggest dif-ference during baseball season is that instead of doing the yelling, he will be on the field. “I love yelling at the other teams, but it’s also

fun to be a player and hear the Sailors yelling at the umpires,” Christie said. “I definitely think that it gets into the other teams’ heads and messes with them a little.” For the seniors that are Sailors, baseball season is their last op-portunity to go out with bang. Since the season is longer with nearly twice as many games as bas-ketball season, there is more of an opportunity to make an impact. “I feel like we’re doing our part as students by supporting the team,” senior Stephen Gillaspie said. “A lot of those play-ers were Sailors during basketball season, so it’s important to support them the same way they supported the basketball players.” There’s a lot of compe-tition among the Sailors to be the funniest, and according to junior Brett Strake, there’s a clear tie between senior Captains

Austin Pipkin and Clayton Eddy. “Clayton is definitely a great captain because he’s a great dancer and he’s always really enthu-siastic,” Strake said. “But at the same time it’s hard not to like the way Austin gains the support of the crowd and the way he gets really into it.” With another year nearly gone, the Sailors are looking toward next year and another round of great leadership. “Next year’s captains will be Tyler McClos-key, Walker Anderson, Walker Pennington, and Kacy Clemens,” Pipkin said. “They’re all dedi-cated at every game, re-ally enthusiastic, and not to mention great danc-ers.” “Next year is going to be really great,” sophomore Ben Graber said. “I’m looking forward to an-other year of other teams complaining that we’re too obnoxious.”

By Adair OdomReporter

Seniors celebrate the ends of their high school careers with unique graduation parties

HEY, LOOK HERE: Seniors Austin Pipkin and Kyle Cokinos intimidate the opponents and keep the student section lively. The Sailors entertained fans and distracted opponents at varsity basketball games. Photo by Macy Livingston.

LET’S SWING: Seniors Laura Lee Cale and Bryce Brock dance together to their favorite Josh Abbott Band song, “She’s Like Texas”. All the juniors and seniors danced the night away and celebrated the girls. Photo courtesy of Laura Lee Cale.

J1h Anvil April 2012Feature 12

By Kate DukesReporter

Take a Step Back in T imePast fashion trends are making an impact on today’s fashion scene

The more things change the more they stay the same. From high-waisted jeans to ankle length skirts, the hallways have seen it all, sometimes more than once. Many current fashion trends that fill the school today are similar to those that were popular decades ago, but of course some major fashion shifts have occurred. Since 1961, when the school

opened, fashion has evolved from girls clad in knee length skirts and dresses, to a more relaxed look. “I think over time everything has be-come more casual,” sophomore Evan Rauch said. “Everyone seems to dress more for comfort.” Current major fashions trends in-clude flowy tops, scarves, and the ever popular lululemon yoga pants. “Platforms are everywhere,” junior Ellie Hopper said. “And everything seems to have become more relaxed; we try to stretch the dress code a little

more.” Within the past few decades, fashion has changed drastically, yet certain fads reappear every so often. The bo-hemian look is prominent with high school students today. “I like that high waisted shorts and skirts are back in style,” freshman Katie Frazier said. “What you never thought you’d wear is making a comeback.” Clothing that was popular only ten years ago is resurfacing. “Colored skinny jeans are my favor-ite article of clothing that’s come back

in style recently,” senior Alexia Karpen said.

Whether it is here or on the runway, fashion trends always seem to be on the move. With all the twists and turns of the fashion world, some wonder whether all trends are destined to go out of style. “I think fashion is always going to change, but keep coming back,” Hop-per said. “I don’t think anything is go-ing to always be in style forever.”

Sometimes, thoug

60’s “Scarves are really comfy, and keep you warm but are still cute.” ~Cameron Shepard, 9

80’s 90’s“These types of glasses are really cool and retro looking which is different and fun.” ~Evan Rauch, 10

“Flannels are fashionable and comfortable.”

~Courtney O’Donnell, 11.

1969 1973

19971989

“Styles like bell bot-toms really show the cycle of fash-ion, and they’re artsy!” ~McKennaO’Donnell, 10

70’s

J1 hAnvilApril 2012 Feature 13April 2012

By Abby BolinCaroline Funderburk

Reporters

J1h Anvil April 2012 Ads 14

World Affairs Council earns recognition

Several Geography students proudly display their new certificates honoring them for recieving Diplomat Status from the World Affairs Council. The students recieved the award after attending at least three of the interactive World Affairs events. At the events the students met world leaders and authors, and were able to question and discuss international topics. These are truly globally competent citizens. From Left to Right: freshmen Blake Berry, Lauren Deutser, Joanna Yang, Malina Ma-harana, Rebecca Grekin, Anuj Kadakia, Brian Lin, Michelle Nugyun and Miranda Ruzinsky.

What your rideEllie Hopper, 11“I keep a great variety of amusements in my car so that I’m ready to party at all times. Also, when the apocalypse happens, I’ll be able to sur-vive out of my car for months.”the weirdest thing in her car:“I left an old yogurt on my back seat, and now I’m basically harvesting a mold colony in a paper bag.”

“Keeping my car clean makes it more appealing for people to ride in, and when it’s dirty it makes me feel unorga-nized.”

-Cheyanne Hughes, 11

“It doesn’t really bother me when my truck isn’t perfectly clean. You never know when you might need some-thing, so why clean it up?”

-Ty McGowen, 11

?Ryan Massey, 11“Things get put in my car for special occasions and they just sort of build up over weeks and weeks. I never feel the need to take them out because I always have entertainment.”the weirdest thing in her car:“I have a wrestling mask in there that was a gift from my sister’s boyfriend.”

Maggie Sherwood, 10“Everything slowly was placed into my car, and I just began to get used to it.”

the weirdest thing in her car:“My friends and I decided that my stuffed giraffe deserved to go for a car ride. After that, it just kinda didn’t leave.”

Clean vs. Messy

inhidesBy Alex Seekely

J1 hAnvilApril 2012 Feature 15

“Students should be focused on their grades and get involved. Far too many students are stressed that they do not know where they want to go to school or what they would like to do as a career. Relax! Enjoy high school while you can.”~ Lindsay Holloman, Senior Class Counselor

It’s what freshmen ignore, sophomores forget, juniors stress about, and seniors can’t wait for. Even as a freshman, thinking about college can be helpful so that no one is overwhelmed when senior year comes around.

Freshman: Get Involved Sophomore: Investigate

Junior: Test Senior: Decide

FACULTY

J1h Anvil April 2012Feature 16

“I don’t really feel like having a ton of extracurricular activities is that important. If it is, then later I’ll get involved with more stuff.” ~ Paul Bushong, 9

“I was already a part of the lacrosse team when I first came into high school. I am a part of FLUFFs and MMOB, which will later show how I can contribute to the community.” ~ Sarah Gregory, 9

“Before I took the SAT, I had a private tutor every Sat-urday for two hours. It really wasn’t that bad if you just calm down and prepare yourself.”~ Ryan Massey, 11

“Taking SAT/ACT prep classes do not teach you any new material, but they do help because they teach you HOW to take the test.” ~Woody Hillyer, 11

“Sometimes when I’m bored I’ll go on the computer and look up different colleges depending on if they are close to home or not.”~ Sarah Stubbs, 10

“It’s helpful in the long-run to investigate differ-ent college options so that you know if you need to strive for better grades.”~ Michael Limbaugh, 10

“I chose UT because of the people that are attending the school. I’m also familiar with the campus from going to games.”~Michael Cisarik, 12

“I knew right away that Syracuse was the right place for me because it felt like home. I knew I could see myself there and that it would be the best choice for me.”~ Ajita Sen, 12

The classic film, Titanic, written and directed by James Cameron, combines romance and drama, and it returned to theatres April 4 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the R.M.S. Titanic’s voy-age across the Atlantic Ocean. The film, which was produced by 20th Century Fox and Paramount Studios, cost over $200 million to produce, mak-ing it the most expensive film in Hollywood histo-ry. During the movie, Brock Lovett (Bill Paxton) and his treasure hunting crew search the Titanic in hope of finding “the Heart of the Ocean,” a very valuable necklace. Instead , they discover a drawing of a young woman, Rose DeWitt Bukater

(Kate Winslet), wearing the jewel. Rose is called over to the site, and ends up sharing her tragic love story. She tells them about the poor yet passionate boy, Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio), who not

only fell in love with Rose, but also “saved her in every way a person could be saved”.

By Pamela LiouNicky Wang

Reporters

Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy left its fans hungry for more. Based on the first book, the movie hit theaters March 23. Although some viewers were left with a headache from the shakiness of the camera, director Gary Ross captured the dystopian setting of the tyrannical districts with excellency. Some details inevitably could not be included, but The Hunger Games movie successfully demonstrated the book as best as could be. Fans are anxiously awaiting the next on-screen installment of the second book of the trilogy, Catching Fire, coming to theaters on Nov. 22, 2013.

Remakes, book series captivate millions worldwideKristen Stewart, star of the Twilight films, is now starring in her new movie Snow White and the Huntsman, a twisted ver-sion of Disney’s Snow White, which will hit theatres June 1. In this tale, the Evil Queen (Charlize Theron) sends the hunts-man (Chris Hemsworth) as an assassin to kill Snow White. Unable to do so, he winds up becoming her instructor, shap-ing her into a warrior so that she may bring an end to Queen Ravenna’s rule. Critics seem split on whether or not Stewart was right for the role of Snow White. Some say actress Lilly Collins of Mirror Mirror would have been a better option for the part, while others believe Stewart will portray Snow White well.

Snow White and the HuntsmanWith Twilight’s success, vampires quickly became one of the hottest topics of dramas and movies. Another vampire movie, will be in theaters on May 11. Dark Shadows tells the story of Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp), the master of Collinwood Manor, who is turned into a vampire and imprisoned by a witch named Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). 200 years later, Collins awakes and returns to his manor. He finds the remnants of the Collins family living there, and joins their family, whether they like it or not. This is not a common vampire movie with a scary theme; it is possible that this movie may turn out to be a comedy.

Titanic

The Hunger Games

Dark Shadows

CollegE: Advice for all agesBy Brianna Lanclos

Reporter

Box office bursts into Spring

Oh the Places You’ll Go ...in Houston

For the... For the...For the...AthleteArtist Girlie-Girl

Entertaining spots for everyone to explore around H-Town

Although Houston isn’t necessarily known for being off- beat, there are still unique parts. For instance, the Beer Can House, created by John Milko-visch, is considered a quirky Houston landmark. Milkovisch began his artis-tic venture in 1968 by enveloping the house in flattened beer cans. Addi-tionally, cans dangle from the roof, adding a festive touch to his master-piece. After Milkovisch and his wife, Mary, passed away, the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art obtained the House and continues to restore it. If this sounds intriguing, then bring $2.00 for admission and check out the house, which is located on 222 Malone Street, for yourself on Saturdays and Sundays from 12-5 pm.

Do you ever get sick of staying at home on the weekends? Are you tired of being cooped up indoors? Then try exploring Memorial Park, which offers something for nearly every athletic type. Recreation options include golf, tennis, volleyball, biking and running. To further embrace the outdoors, grab a group of friends to enjoy a picnic, or bring your dog along. “I love to run in Memorial Park because it’s a nice change in scenery, and the people around me keep me going,” junior Rachel Moore said. The park’s prox-imity to the Memorial area also lures students to the recreation site, which is located at 6501 Memorial Drive.

Over 300 strands of boutiques line the streets in Rice Village, creating the per-fect atmosphere to roam the shops on a sunny afternoon. Any of your fashion needs can be meet while browsing the stores from a cute top to tennis shoes. While shopping, you can stop for a pick me up at places like Starbucks, Jamba Juice, and the Chocolate Bar. If you are really hungry, then head on over to get a bite at some tasty cafes, such as Ruggles, Hungry’s, or the Black Walnut. For the most part, the stores are open on the following days: Mon-day 11am- 5pm; Tue-Fri 10 am-6pm; Sat 11am-6pm; Sun closed. To arrive at Rice Village, take US-59 and exit Kirby south.

By Lindsey Taylor

J1 hAnvilApril 2012 17Feature

Cars honking, the aroma of hot pretzels, bright lights and busy people fill the streets of New York day and night. Newspaper, Yearbook and Broadcast students also filled the streets of New York on March 28 and toured the different sites of the city over a span of four days.

“Chinatown was fun, and it was interesting to see what would happen,” senior Adam Mrlik said.

Students packed in many stops during the trip, including Broadway shows, the Apollo Theater and the Empire State Building.

“My favorite was shopping,” junior Avery Birdwell said.

The students also visited the 9/11 World Trade Center Memorial.

“The New York Trip is one of those trips that brings realism to our roots in America,” Principal William Lakin said. “What a historical perspective you get when you see how many

people live and work so close together and all the different languages and people who make up our society.”

The students also visited the Sports Illustrated headquarters, where they learned about the day-to-day operations of a magazine and what it meant for them to be on a deadline every week.

“The photo editor did a slideshow of photos they’ve done for the last 40 years. Some of the sports photos were gruesome...but it was really cool,” senior Melanie Martin said. “The building was very tall, but the offices were much smaller than I thought they would be.”

The orchestra also went on a trip to participate in a music event.

By bus and plane, musicians traveled to Winter Park, Colo. on April 5 for their annual spring trip. At Middle Park Senior High School, the orchestra students played in a music festival and then in the following days, enjoyed their time skiing and hanging out

in their condos.“It was funny seeing

my friends falling down in the snow,” freshman Irene Oh said.

The travelers skied two days out of the four they were there. Some of the students were first-timers, while others were advanced skiers returning to the slopes. Students with past experience also had the option of snowboarding. Beginners were required to take skiing lessons. Some caught on faster than others.

“I fell three times, but I got back up anyway,” junior Elina Lee said.

Students had to prepare dinner themselves. On the first day, they went to Safeway, a grocery store, to purchase food. In just 20 minutes, students had to come up with items they would use while cooking for the trip. People had different ways of coming up with their meals.

“My group couldn’t cook, so we took food from other people,” sophomore Evan Oh said.

The students stayed

at Fraser Crossing, a condominium that was across the street from the ski park. In addition to being so close to the ski site, the condo also had an outdoor hot tub, which many students visited.

“My friend freaked out because she thought she had broken the hot tub, but overall, we all enjoyed relaxing our sore bodies,” freshman Sarah Park said.

During the first night of the trip, the group performed the following pieces in front of judges:

“Keltic Feast” by Richard Meyer, “Sunayama” by Keiko Yamada and “What Dreams May Come” and “Dream of Darkness” by Erik Morales. The following night, the group traveled to an awards ceremony. There they received a superior performance trophy, best in class trophy, and grand champion trophy.

“Sure, I’m proud that we were awarded a superior rating and the grand champion trophy,” Orchestra Director Bingiee Shiu said. “But it

makes me even more proud to watch our musicians leave school before 4 a.m., fly up to Denver, ride a bus for two hours, unpack and play a concert. It takes a special kind of person to pull that off and our group did it amazingly!”

The trip was a unique experience which students will remember for years to come.

“Getting closer to your roommates and just hanging out with your friends the whole time was great,” sophomore David Seoh said.

From the big apple to the snowy slopes

By Sally Heo Jennifer Park

Reporters

Students Celebrate April Fools Though April showers bring May flowers, the beginning of April, especially April 1, tends to bring pranks. April Fools’ Day falls on the first of April each year, and is routinely celebrated in various ways.

April Fools’ Day means different things to different students. “I believe that April Fools’ Day represents and epitomizes the evils of mankind in an unnatural concentration of a single day, largely made possible by the forces of Hermes and Quasars,”sophomore Justin Lee said.

Other students have more lighthearted views regarding the holiday’s purpose.

“April Fools’ to me is a day where people have fun and when peoples true colors show!” freshman Alba Cornel said.

to break up with him. Then I told my friend that I broke up with him and lost feelings for him,” junior Lisa Jun said. “I think it’s so fun to prank people on April Fools’ Day.”

While most students know what April Fools’ commemorates, few actually understand the history behind it. The current thinking is that it began around 1582 in France with the reform of the calendar under Charles IX. The Gregorian Calendar was intoduced, and New Year’s Day was moved from March 26.

People who were late to switch to the New Calendar were mocked, and since then April 1 has evolved into a holiday where friends prank each other.

The fun holiday with its interesting way to celebrate is a good chance to have a good laugh with your friends.

Some pranks are relatively simple but still pack a funny punch.

“Last year, I wrapped my friend’s house with toilet paper while he was at football practice,” freshman Shay Williams

said.Other pranks are more

elaborate and require more planning to execute and pull off.

“For April Fools’ Day, I pranked my boyfriend. [I told him] that I was going

J1h Anvil April 2012Feature 18

“My parents pranked me by telling me they were expecting a baby. I believed them for about four seconds.”

~Jay Thompson, 12

“ I’ve done this prank for all four years of high school. I go to the teacher and ask if I can go to the nurse, and as soon as I get the pass to the nurse I collapse. But this year in sci-

ence when I fake collapsed the teacher ran out and I couldn’t stop her. The teacher talked to 911 and Mr. Parker. And I got detention.”

~Sazan Ibraham, 12

Students show their funny bones on the day of pranks

By Ariana DaheshPamela Liou

Reporters

Journalists, musicians travel to different parts of the country.

SNOW STYLE: Freshman Matthew Marion skids to a stop at the bottom of the slope. Photo courtesy of Bingiee Shiu.

Photo by: Inri Diaz

Inspired by nature and art, freshman Rebecca Grekin

makes jewelry from common recyclable or biodegradable materials. From her newest item, shoelace hair ties, to her most popular item, safe-ty pin bracelets, Grekin offers a variety of prod-ucts made from items that usually would have been thrown away.

“I’ve always been Earth conscious, and wanted to make a positive im-pact on the Earth, so I’ve been inspired to use the least amount of prod-ucts as possible,” Grekin said. “I always just had it in me to go green.”

From Europe to Chile, Grekin’s ideas come from the jewelry and tra-ditions that she sees.

“I thought, ‘Hey, I could make this cooler!’ And ‘What could I use to make this more green?’ ” Grekin said.

When she’s not getting inspiration from other cultures, she simply looks at her leftovers from previous jewelry.

“I get most of my in-

spiration from my world travels, but sometimes I notice I have leftovers from some jewelry, and I think about what I could do so I wouldn’t have to trash them.”

Grekin started her business when her mom gave her some beads as a Christmas gift.

“I’m really persistent,” Grekin said. “The first

couple of items I made were messed up and not pretty. I kept try-ing. When I first made a pretty bracelet, I loved it, and I knew I would keep making more jewelry.” Rebecca’s devotion for her business drives her to spend a lot of time on her little trinkets.

“Every two months I usually get inspiration

for a new product, and I spend around five to ten hours each week, mak-ing up to 20-30 items per month, just out of my love for making jewelry.”

Besides being a dili-gently working teen-ager, Rebecca plays Just Dance on the Wii, listens to music, bikes and plays the violin.

“Just like people who

play sports find time, I find time to do other things.”

However, her jewelry is more than just a fun hobby. Rebecca decided to distribute her items in stores.

“The hardest part was getting people to take me seriously because I am so young,” Grekin said.

Her biggest achieve-

ment was getting the first store to sell her jew-elry.

“I felt wonderful and happy because finally my ‘business’ felt like something that could actually happen instead of a ‘childish’ dream,” Grekin said.

Currently, Grekin is distributing her prod-ucts to Hiphop Lollipop in West University, Sil-ver and Beads at Bush Intercontinental Air-port, and Lojas das Biju-terias Lindas, located in Brazil. She also sells her jewelry at re-becca.webs.com and has big plans for the future. What she hopes to earn from these small items is larger than just personal profit.

“I plan to use my money for Harvard Law School to study environmental law, and a Nissan Leaf since my parents said I had to buy a car on my own. If I have leftover money, I would travel the world for inspira-tion” Grekin said.

Grekin hopes to contin-ue her business beyond high school.

“Apart from being a lawyer, I plan to have a store as a side business,” Grekin said.

While most of MHS was away for Spring Break, 19 students stayed home to welcome foreign ex-change students in the 16th annual Student and Teacher exchange program hosted by Me-morial High School and Werner Heisenberg Gymnasium in Garch-ing, Germany. On Mar. 15, 20 German students and two teachers arrived and met their host fami-lies for the first time.

Despite the excite-ment, the first order of business on arrival day was catching up on sleep. The time difference be-tween the countries is seven hours and jet lag was the first obstacle the exchange students had to overcome.

“After three days it was fine, but I was really tired at first,” German exchange student Ersel Parigi said.

Among the exchange students personal to do

lists? “I really want to eat a

Twinkie,” exchange stu-dent Lorenze Groll said.Other students, how-

ever, simply wanted get to know Houston.

“I want to see all the cool spots in Houston,” Bernhard Wittmann said. “Also I want to do football training!”

Although much was planned for the students in the way of entertain-ment, the students first got to experience an av-erage American school by shadowing their host around MHS, as they sat through classes and met new people. At home, students of the small-er Werner Heisenberg School of Garching, a city close to Munich, do not switch classrooms; instead, the teachers do.

“It is very different. The school is so big and there is lots of move-ment,” German ex-change student Michi Wagner said.

Between a trip to the Houston Zoo, Houston

Livestock Show and Ro-deo, a tour of the Rice University campus, a visit to NASA Space Cen-ter, sporting events, and a trip to San Antonio and Austin, the Germans got to enjoy many activities with their host students.

“On school nights, they didn’t have any home-work like I did but I still made time to do stuff with them,“ senior Lau-ren Ammerman said. “We watched movies to-gether and just hung out and talked.”

Keeping a sense of fam-ily was also important. Students integrated themselves into the daily lives of their hosts. For some students, it was a brief experience of the siblings they didn’t have.

“It’s really nice,” ex-change student Lorenz Groll said. “My [host] family offers me so much. They are so polite and don’t leave me out at all.”

Senior Elaine Wilker-son and Lorenze, her exchange student, spent

their second day togeth-er having a large fam-ily dinner and getting to know each other.

Though the exchange students left April 4, this is not the end of the exchange program.

In June the MHS hosts will travel to Germany, where they will play the role of guests. There they will further their German studies and im-merse themselves in the German culture and lan-

guage. “I am so excited to be

able to go!” sophomore Sarah Edmonds said. “I’m looking forward to the German cuisine and the great times we’re sure to have!”

Jewelry business goes green for green Step aside Cartier, Tiffany & Co... here comes upstart Rebecca Grekin

By Maria SantibanezReporter

By TIffany Hu Edwin Park

Reporters

JUMPING FOR JOY: At Sky High Sports, German exchange students and their MHS hosts spent two hours jumping on the trampolines into the foam pit and playing dodgeball. It was one of the most popular events of the trip. Photo by Maria Santibanez.

Wilkommen zum Amerika, Deutschland!

GOING GREEN: Sitting in the comfort of her living room, freshman Rebecca Grekin puts the finishing touches on one of her bracelets. Grekin sells jewelry made from recycled products to friends and shops around town. Photo by Katie Mae Kennedy.

J1 hAnvilApril 2012 Feature 19

Exchange students experience America with help from host families

Moving Forward, Looking BackBy Maria SantibanezReporter

It’s in those gritty hours of the early morning when sleep proves it-self simply too elusive that I reflect. I wonder, question and explore all the thoughts that run through my mind. Late at night I realize that months have come and gone in a flurry of move-ment. College and gradu-ation loom on the hori-zon I want nothing more than to dig my heels into the dirt and slow down. I want to go back to my last birthday with my mom, where I wished on every candle and star in the sky that we could be a happy family, and ac-tually believe it. I want to stay up late, inspect-ing baseball cards with my dad, and pointing out “our” star. The one we named Winnie because of my favorite TV show. I want to crawl up in my

old bed and go back to that night many years ago when my grandmother stayed up to stroke my hair until I fell asleep, after she banished the monsters from my room. I want to go back to silly nights with my sisters, where we would prom-ise to fight the evils of housekeepers and chores together. Most of all, I want to go back to when I felt that I had a family. But I can’t, because sometimes I feel like I never truly did. At six, it stings to come to the slow realization that your parents might leave you. I remember that it took a while to set in. I would still look out the window every time a car came in the drive-way, waiting for it to be them. I held tight on a promise that my parents never intended to fulfill, believing in it even as it was broken a hundred times over, each day. My dad ran away and my mom passed away. My grandparents knew, of course, that they were never coming back. Sometimes they teased me, jeering, “Who are you waiting for?” and

sometimes they pitied me, my grandmother shaking her head sadly whenever I would press against a window. Look-ing back, I only wish I had moved on faster. Maybe if I hadn’t so brashly exclaimed my belief in my parents or confessed how much I missed them, things would be different. If I had just started off on the right foot and for-gotten, my grandmother could have felt like I was actually her kid. It must have hurt her to be cast aside by the children of two deadbeats she had opened her home to. She wanted us to be thank-ful, and all we could show was ingratitude. I still remember the slivers of bitter jealousy that sank in when my grandmother told us we could not address her in the same manner as her kids. Instead, I called her “mama,” but it didn’t seem like anything other than a meaningless word. I felt like nothing was ever good enough for my grandmother. I could struggle to balance two jobs, school and family and still be accused of

being selfish, ungrate-ful and uncaring. All the while, eagerly waiting the day when she would finally recognize me. When I would be slotted in with her older chil-dren and placed within a trusted part of her heart. Despite my attempts, I could never make her understand that getting my nails done had noth-ing to do with looks and everything to do with spending time with her. I finally tried talking her, letting her know how badly I wanted to feel like a family. But I had waited too long to talk to open my heart, and my mama laughed at my con-fession and I moved out. Now, at 18, striding towards the freedom most teen’s dream of, I’m scared. College is mere months away, and I am expected to find the strength to say goodbye to everything and head to a new city alone. I can only hope that if I walk across the stage at Coleman colis-seum, the woman I most love will be watching, proving that maybe, just maybe, there is a sliver of a chance for healing.

Sticks & StonesBy Julia CantuReporter

We grew up saying the phrase “sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me” and attempted to apply it to our daily lives. The problem with this phrase is that it is incorrect. No matter your age, gender, or race, what other people say to you or about you can hurt. The truth is, words

can destroy a person. For some people, hearing enough negative things about themselves can send them into a downward spiral of self-consciousness and self-hatred. It seems crazy that something as simple as a choice of words can be so harmful... at least that’s what I thought before it happened to me.

My first experience with verbal bullying was in fourth grade when a boy in my class made it his duty to remind me that I was fat and ugly on a daily basis. That year was the beginning of my battle with low self-esteem. I used to stand in front of my mirror, stare at my stomach and thighs, and cry. I wanted so badly to look like the other girls at school with their long skinny legs and flat stomachs. I spent years compar-ing myself to others until it became a sickness.

Last year, I attended a private Christian high school, and for the first semester everything went perfectly. I made the volleyball team and be-came best friends with the “popular” girls. I was finally like the girls I had spent my life compar-ing myself to. I felt invincible. After Christmas, everything changed for me. The girls who called themselves my “best friends” just a month earlier ditched me. I became the target of their nasty ru-mors. When I would pass them in the halls, they would giggle amongst each other and avoid eye contact with me. Since I was no longer part of their group, I had nowhere to sit during lunch. I spent my lunch period by myself either in the girl’s locker room or under the hallway stairs.

One day during lunch, I went to one of my classes to get some extra tutoring. While the teacher was out using the rest room, a group of boys threw food in my face and said, “No one wants you here. You should just leave because everyone hates you.”

Believe me, I tried to shake it off. I tried to tell my-self that it was their problem and that I shouldn’t care what others think. But I couldn’t. I believed every word they said about me. I felt completely rejected and worthless. There were some days that I felt so bad I stayed home from school. My parents tried their best to help and encourage me, but no matter how many times they promised me things would get better, I felt hopeless. I stopped attempting to make new friends and excluded everyone from my daily life. After school every-day, I would lock myself in my bathroom, sit on the floor, and cry. What started out as low self-esteem, eventually turned into self-hatred. There were times when I wanted to give up just to make it all stop. It seemed like there was no other option.

I relied on self-harm regularly to deal with my pain. No one knew about it or even sus-pected it. It was somewhat of a secret life I had.

That summer, I opened up to my parents about the severity of what I was going through and told them I needed help. They put me in coun-seling and after a tough year, I feel like myself again, only stronger. Some days are still a chal-lenge to get through and my self-esteem will al-ways be a struggle, but I’ve overcome the darkest part of my life. I’m not ashamed or embarrassed of anything I went through or felt; I’m proud.

Last year, I didn’t know anyone who had experi-enced what I was going through, which made me embarrassed to ask for help. I’m telling my story to prove to those who are feeling hopeless that it will get better, and you are not alone. I challenge every-one to think before you speak and be kind to oth-ers because everyone is fighting their own battle.

AnvilJ1 hApril 2012Editorials 20

If you ask any student what their favorite class is, they would probably say lunch. It’s our time to relax , have a break from teachers and classes, and our chance to catch up with friends. But when lunch is reduced to only 35 minutes, we barely have time to get to the

cafeteria, sit down and eat before the bell rings, whisking us back to note-taking and lec-tures. Our lunches are shorter than our classes, meaning we sit through seven classes with ONE break, which is shorter than any other class. Is this really fair? Our brains barely have time to recover from the first half of the day, so how can we be expected to focus on conics and short stories when our brains are still thinking of Spanish conjunctions and kinetics?

Memorial High School traditionally organizes fundraisers for each grade level that contrib-ute to that grade’s senior prom. Thousands of dollars are earned and saved through garage sales, plant sales, and the infamous Junior Bash. Prom lasts for one night, and can cost up to $40,000. That’s full tuition for a year at an Ivy League university. How many vil-lages in third world countries could be fed for that amount of money? How many scholar-

ships or workshops in poor areas could be funded for educational purposes? It is morally wrong to put so much time, effort, and especially money into an event that is meaningless in the grand scheme of a person’s life, when there are children the same age who don’t enjoy basic needs or rights. The best night of your high school life is not even a dream for children all over the world, and that is something students should put their effort into.

Adair Odom

Konstantina Angelides

Kate Dukes

As our generation progresses, people have become more and more obsessed with how they look, fixing everything with plastic surgery. Facelifts, Botox injections, breast enlargements

and liposuction, are just a few of the most common procedures. Plastic surgery has gotten out of hand. People should not go through so much pain to make themselves “look better” when in

actuality, the majority of the time they look worse after their procedure. We should be comfort-able in our own skin and should not need to worry about our butt being higher when we are 60. Everyone should stop trying to make themselves look younger and accept what they look like.

Our thoughts in 60 seconds or less

And the Magic Word is?Get your el-bows off the table.

Open the car door for a lady.

Quit interrupt-ing your friends.

These once common courtesies are now quickly being forgotten, and these few simple customs are the least of our generation’s problems. Teens nowadays view these traditional manners as old-school and a thing of the past. As our world evolves and becomes more and more depen-dent on technology, our etiquette is tak-ing a turn for the worse. Texting has replaced one on one conversation. Man-ners have degraded over the decades and our generation needs to learn how to be respectful.

Millions of girls born in the 90’s’ grew up sing-ing “Oops I Did It Again” by their one and only celebrity role model Britney Spears. By 2007, she was sporting a new look. Bald. With countless other examples of role models gone wrong, this generation’s influences set the bar extremely low.

According to the ex-ample they set, cussing is normal, and drink-ing is socially accept-ed regardless of age.

It’s hard to point a fin-ger at just a few celebri-ties too, because almost everyone who makes an appearance on our flat

screens sets a horrible example. According to University of Iowa’s Chil-dren’s hospital, children are exposed to about 14,000 sexual jokes each year from televi-sion. Reality TV shows emphasize unimport-ant drama that pollutes brains with ideas that are definitely not okay.

In addition, teens

growing lack of respect is shown through their excessive spending hab-its. Parents hard-earned cash is spent like it has the flu and teens don’t want to catch it. Without thinking, people will go to a movie, go get dinner, and then go get fro-yo, and the list doesn’t end there. According to Rand Youth Poll, each year teens control $457.9 bil-lion of consumer spend-ing. Teens need to stop and think. If this was my

own money, would I be spending it this easily? They don’t understand the back-breaking ef-fort it take to make this needed cash and it’s time for them to get a clue.

This selfish and rude behavior is apparent almost everywhere: in stores when people run into each other in line, on the road when some-

one is cut off while trying to exit the freeway, even in restaurants when a customer become frus-trated with waiters who are just trying their best.

Forgetting the golden rule, people in this gen-eration are starting to think only of themselves. According to the Pub-lic Agenda’s survey on Americans growing lack of respect, 46 percent say that bad service was the main reason they left a specific store. Along with

this, 62 percent com-mented that just viewing disrespectful behavior bothers them a lot. This problem is getting out of hand. Generosity has retired and selfishness has applied for the job, but are we really going to hire him for the job?

Many teens would op-pose to this view of their fast approaching man-

ner meltdown, but they need to have a reality check. Though they say that they always respect their par-ents, this is most likely because their parents just don’t want to put forth the effort to set them straight. The individuals that argue with this are not clearly see-ing the effects of these degrading customs because it applies to millions of people. Though their vision is cloudy now, teens will soon wake up when they apply for their first job not knowing how to carry on a nor-mal conversation.

Manners are not out-dated. They are not old-fashioned or a thing of the past. Manners are what will keep this gen-eration’s respect for one another at a level we are comfortable with.

People need to stop thinking about them-selves and focus on others. Parents need to buckle down and teach this generation the importance of act-ing socially acceptable, before it is too late.

Never Grow Up

With spring in the air, I find my family busy as ever, pushing towards summer. But this time, it’s different, because as I’m rushing towards some well-deserved time off, I am haunted by one looming date: May 18th, the day my brother graduates from

high school. It signifies the end of weekly Voss Yogurt dates, the end of family dinners, the end of our Pat Green duets on the way to church, the end of an era. As he happily marks the days off his calendar, I am sitting back and wishing I had another year (or at least another sibling).

Recently, I sat at my younger cousin’s base-ball game, watching the team that my brother is helping to coach, and I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic when I saw the second baseman wearing sunglasses, the same way my broth-er always had. I remember being the proud little sister, toting pom-poms and a cherry snow cone, following him anywhere he would go. In my mind, he could do nothing wrong.

To this day, much of that still holds true. I’m not saying we don’t argue, because we do. A lot. We fight over stupid things like who gets to record what TV show or if it’s fair that I steal all his Polo T-shirts, but at the end of the day, we laugh it off and move on.

When I was younger, I always looked forward to my brother going to college. In my eight-year-old eyes, it would bring me out of his shadow and into the spotlight that I had always craved. Now I real-ize how much I am going to miss the security and comfort of having a big brother just down the hall, instead of the 1,072 miles that are going to sepa-rate us for my remaining two high school years.

When he got his letter from Washington and Lee in December, I was torn between wanting to carry pom-poms and follow him like I had at his little league baseball games or feeling com-pletely and totally deserted. The selfish part of me couldn’t imagine why he would chose to be so far from home, but the rational part of me un-derstood that it was the perfect school for him and that it was my job to support him, even if he didn’t choose to be in Austin like I’d hoped.

I think of all the times my parents told me that I’d miss him one day and that he’s such a great brother. I think of the times that he and his friends would let me join in and play with them, even when they didn’t want to. I think of how I always had to get my way, even if it meant sacrificing his wants and needs. I can’t take those things back now, but I can warn all of you not to take advantage of what you have. Everyone always says that “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone” and I can attest that it’s true. I never imagined just how much it would affect me when he wasn’t right there with me through the tough times or even the little funny moments. I promise you that it’s not worth it to yell and fight when your older sibling makes you mad, because one day, you’ll be in my posi-tion, wishing for just one more stupid argument.

As Blake gets ready to walk across the stage on that approaching day in May, I know that I’m going to be losing a lot in the next few months. However, I am also incredibly grateful to have a brother like him, who’s more than just a brother, but also one of my closest friends. For the next month, instead of sulking and trying to convince my parents to take us to Hawaii for just “one more trip,” I’m going to focus on enjoying the lit-tle things: his witty comments at the dinner table, hearing his country music blaring from across the house, and even when he eats all the food in the house. Come August, instead of hoping for him to transfer to Texas, I’m going to concentrate on rooting him on from home, and occasionally visiting him at college to see how he’s moving on to bigger and better things. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but I have a feeling that a few forced phone calls and visits home will help.

J1 hAnvilApril 2012 Editorials 21

Advisor: Todd McCardleTHE ANVIL

Memorial High School 935 Echo Lane

Houston, TX 77024713-251-2500

Principal: William Lakin

The ANVIL is published monthly by Memorial High School Publications and uses high school-appropriate advertising to offset costs. The ANVIL is a nonpartisan newspaper. The Editorial Board writes an unsigned editorial which represents the opinion of the entire staff. Spring Branch Independent School District and MHS cannot discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex or handicap in its educational, career and technology education programs, services or activities as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1973. The ANVIL is copyright 2011-2012 by MHS publications, all rights reserved. No portion may be reproduced by any means without written consent from MHS Publications. Subscriptions are available for $25 per year. The ANVIL is printed by USA Printing and is designed by students using Apple Macintosh computers, Adobe InDesign CS4, Adobe Photoshop CS4. The ANVIL is a member of the Interscholastic League Press Conference, the Columbia Scholastic Press League and the Texas High School Press Association. The ANVIL welcomes letters to the Editor. Please enclose your full name (which we withhold upon request) and the telephone number. We reserve the right to edit all letters. Please bring letters to room R-204 or to the address on the left.

J1: Julia Cantu, Ariana Dahesh, Kate Dukes, Laura Elizondo, Halinda Haider, Sally Heo, Hayward Hildreth, Tiffany Hu, Maddie Jones, David Jung, Brianna Lanclos, Daniel Lee, Pamela Liou, Dawit Molla, Emily Neyland, Adair Odom, Edwin Park, Jen Park, Stephanie Rocha, Maria Santibanez, Shane Nam, Siying Wang, Rachel Weingeist, Konstance An-gelides, Abby Bolin, Lucy Brown, Caroline Funderburk, Inri Diaz, Katie Duncan, Yae Jee Hong, Samar Javed, Ayesha Khan, McCall Montz, Jack Nini, Sarah Salas, Lyndon Sully, Kelly Vasek, Anastasia Vaudagna, Lukas Vebeliunas

By Adair Odom Reporter

By Katie Duncan Reporter

Inri Diaz

That Hits the Spot

from the kitchen of Kelsey Long Peanut Butter Cupcakes• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour• 3/4 tablespoon baking powder• 1/2 teaspoon salt• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda• 6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened • 1 1/3 cups sugar• 2/3 cup Peter Pan Creamy Honey Roasted Pea nut Butter• 3 large eggs• 1/2 cup sour cream• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla, and pea-nut butter until fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add in thirds to the sugar mixture. Stir in the sour cream gently. Divide evenly into lined cupcake tins and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-25 mins. Allow to cool before icing.

My Famous Cream Cheese Icing• 2 sticks salted butter, softened• 1 lb cream cheese • 1 teaspoon vanilla• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract• 3-5 cups sifted confectioners sugar

Cream butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until fluffy (about 30 seconds). Slowly add in the powdered sugar 1/3 cup at a time until your frosting reaches your desired consistency and taste.

Whether you are a chocolate lover, a pastry enthusiast, or a candy addict, odds are, you like desserts; here is a guide to help you have your cake and eat it too.

Sweet Tooth

Sweet

Between rich, one-bite brownies, beauti-fully colored, individually sized cake balls, and tiny but intensely flavored French macar-ons, bite-sized treats are all the rage right now. And Petite Sweets on West Alabama has them all. Whatever you order, this beautifully deco-rated sweet boutique never fails to satisfy.

This upper-Kirby restaurant serves up warm, fresh-ly fried beignets topped with sweet powdered sug-ar and flavorful coffee that will have you thinking you’re at Café Du Monde, soaking up the sights of New Orleans. Whether you like your French do-nuts in crispy strips or fluffy squares, this eatery is the perfect place to indulge your beignet cravings.

The Chocolate Bar, located in Rice Village, is the chocolate-lover’s paradise. From sweet and salty chocolate-dipped potato chips, to refresh-ing chocolate-covered strawberries, this adorable shop will fulfill your wildest chocolate dreams.

“I love to see the dif-ferent ways bakers get creative with the foods they make.”- Junior Kiki Schwarz

“Dessert is by far my favorite meal of the day.” - Junior Tyler Moehlman

Want to learn how to bake? Try one of these hands-on classes around town. What: Wilton Cake Decorating Basics

Where: Michaels (Katy Freeway)

When: Monday, May 7 6:30-8:30 PM

What: Mastering Macarons

Where: Sur La Table (City Center)

When: Friday, April 27 11:30 AM

What: Pies and Tarts

Where: Rice Epicurean (Fountainview)

When: Tuesday, April 24 9:00 PM

By: Callie PhillipsAnvil Reporter

J1h Anvil April 2012Feature 22

Petite Sweets Crescent City Beignets The Chocolate Bar

J1 hAnvilApril 2012 Photo Essay 2312 PHOTO ESSAY THE ANVIL NOVEMBERj

SHATTERED DR

EAMS driver” who was responsible for the deaths of Scott Bradshaw, Brooks Taylor and Max Yanke, as well as the injuries of Meredith Miller and Phillip Carameros. Vogel visited the Hedwig Villages jail and participated in a trial where he was “sentenced” to 60 years in prison, while other participants spent the night at Ben Taub Hospital and experienced real-life death fi rst hand. “I saw a bunch of other inmates, people that were actually being sentenced for stuff and going to jail, and I was just there for a mock traial,” Vogel said. “I hope that the student body learns that when they go out, they will be safe and not drink and drive because there are bigger impacts than what they planned for,” Madison Stewart said.

The “Shattered Dreams” program is used to educate the stu-dent body on the dangers of drinking and driving. 35 juniors and seniors played roles in a simulated drunk driving acci-dent. Senior Matt Vogel portrayed the role of the “drunk

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J1h Anvil April 2012Ads 24