paladinThe

Volume VIII Issue 6 May 2013

What’s Inside3 - 78 & 910 - 1516 & 1718 - 22

FeaturesEd - OpFeaturesSportsFeatures

more

even more

The PaladinCo-Editors in Chief:

Madison Ray * Rachael WasaffStaffers:

Samantha Morrow * Shelby GregoryJulienna Law * Tristan Jones * William Moessinger

Cody Harbour * Kassidy Smith *Tyler Wright Anna Rech

Sponsor: Donna BrawnerPublisher: Dr. Mark Murrell

The Paladin is the official newspaper of The Woodlands College Park High School.

Editorials represent the opinions of the writers and not necessarily those the staff, school or the district.

The Conroe Independent School District is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in employment matters, in its admissions policies, or by excluding from participation in, denying access to, or denying the benefits of district services, academic and/or vocational and technology programs, or activities as required by Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation

Act of 1973, as amended, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

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A Frenzy of Tweets & Posts: The Social Network Craze Social networking is an all-pervasive part of life today. It is a common occurrence in the hallways to see almost everyone walking by, completely absorbed in their phone. But it’s not just the phones that are the cause, although smart phones these days, with all their apps and cameras and other func-tions, are indeed part of it. The cause of today’s fixation upon glowing computer and phone screens? Social networking. Websites like Twitter or Facebook, where people can inter-act with others through pictures, messages or even the ever-confusing tag system, have undoubtedly brought a new inter connectivity and ability to reach friends. Now, it is incredibly easy to reach old friends, make new ones, and communicate. Social networking is even allowing for scientific, social and educational advances. A study by researchers at the University of Tokyo, published in 2010, suggests that Twitter can, in fact, be used to predict earthquakes. Google, while not a social network, (unless con-sidering Orkut and Gmail) accurately predicted the spread of swine flu in Mexico in 2009 earlier than the earliest CDC reports. Closer to home, several College Park clubs and orga-nizations offer tutoring services and quick Q&A sessions via Facebook that allow kids to video chat with their teacher or IM club officers. Tumblr, a rapidly growing blogging site, en-compasses sweeping movements that can--and are--chang-ing the world; knowledge of charity events spread through “signal boosts,” or reblogs that serve only to pass on the mes-sage. YouTube, despite having a distressingly large amount of “funny cat videos” (as a matter of fact, that was YouTube’s top search in 2011), has allowed for important videos to trav-el around the globe in the blink of an eye. “Social medias have also spurred a lot of online communities that have greatly improved real life,” said Sophomore Molly Harras said, “including the Nerdfighter society helping to de-crease ‘worldsuck’ and Indigogo helping many kick starters and charities get off the ground.” “I have been able to reengage with old college friends and high school buddies, which is really great,” Assistant Principal David Perkins added. The catch is that with this massive amount of information and emotion being traded back and forth comes the massive potential for damage. As many high schoolers in a high-tech high school where kids are on their phones near 24/7 know, even a deeply personal relationship conflict can turn into a conflagration when social networking is added into the mix. For example, without naming names, a few months ago, a College Park couple had their issues plastered all over Twitter

when there was some doubt over the boy’s cheating on his girlfriend, and someone made a tweet about it. Several dif-ferent sources recall the same incident despite being in com-pletely different classes, social circles, and grades, all because they heard about it through Twitter or the gossip mill. And re-ally, social media is, for all its benefits, a high-tech version of a gossip mill, albeit one that runs on circuitry and keyboards rather than word of mouth and passed notes. “I think people are a lot braver when it’s just them and a keyboard,” Perkins said. “They say a lot of things that they wouldn’t otherwise say face-to-face.” This is where the well-worn issues come in--harassment, bullying and what are known as “flamewars,” arguments over stupid comments on, say, a YouTube video. “The worst social media messes I’ve seen involve feels [overwhelming emotions]. That said, those messes can get really crazy and destroy many lives,” Harras, who has a Tum-blr and spends a fair amount of time on YouTube, said. Tumblr has roughly 77.5 billion new posts every day posted on over 102 million separate blogs. As of October 4, 2012, Facebook had 100,000 million users. Twitter has over 500 million users and generates over 340 million tweets every day. Good or bad, these statistics are making a huge impact in today’s world and will continue to do so - for how long, no one knows. They have the great potential for good or evil, and as such will have to be closely observed.

Anna Rech

Chem Club I wanted to start this article with some sort of corny chemistry joke, but all the good ones argon. So in-stead, I decided to start it with this: “Chem Club is an amazing experi-ence that allows us to share our pas-sion for science with others,” Junior Carly Stuart-Micocci said. The Chemistry Club (aka Chem Club because saying Chemistry takes way too long), is a club dedicated to the science of, well, chemistry. Every year they spend time testing and trying out new experiments, like making ice cream from liquid nitrogen. I tried some of that ice cream. It was the greatest ice cream ever. All it needed was a little chocolate syrup, some sprinkles and a little whipped cream and BAM. Perfecto. The Chem Club does not just stay after school conducting experiment after experiment. They put on a show for the Wilkerson Elementary School kids called “Chem Magic Show.” “It’s a series of chemistry demon-strations designed to build interest in science by showing off how exciting chemistry can be,” President Sana Sa-boowala said. This year, the show was set up so that the kids broke up into groups and went through stations. There was a station where they could eat some-

thing, the next they saw pennies turn from silver to gold, and then another one where a lit match was extinguished and then re-lit simply by putting it back in a bottle. Afterward, the kids gathered around the stage for a light show spectacular filled with fire and glowing chemicals. The first display consisted of different col-ored fire. Blue, green, magenta and even clear flames filled the stage. The lights dimmed down and the stage lit up with crazy neon colors when the next group brought in something very similar to glow sticks. Then the big finale, known as “Whoosh Bottle”, came on and swept everything else away. Long story short, it is this in-tense explosion of fire. “It feels really good because you are with kids who are the future” Junior Nikhi Sivagnanakumar said. “You see yourself in them and you’re showing them that chemistry is like magic. You share the love of the subject and you can see it in them when they experi-ence the show.” So although the school year is com-ing to a close, check out the Chem Club. If you do not go to the next meeting May 22 in Mrs. Delong’s room, then keep it in mind for next year.

Shelby Gregory

12.011 35.453

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Imagine waking up every morning with a sense of dread about the day ahead. You get up; drag yourself out of bed; and desperately pour a cup of coffee to get through the next few hours. Then, as you get ready, you think of how many things you have to do and how much you hate doing them. Finally, you manage to get out the door and drive to the place that will leave you exhausted and emotionally drained by the end of the day. For many high school students, this may seem like a typi-cal school day morning. However, it is also the same kind of situation that over 80 percent of American workers who hate their jobs said they find themselves in. Every year, employees remain stuck in careers for which they lack passion and excitement. And to make matters worse, many people give up entirely on looking for new ca-reers. They feel as if it is too late to make a career change without putting themselves or their family in financial trou-ble. And unfortunately, they may be right. That is why it is vi-tally important to chose your career correctly the first time. For people like Gary Vaynerchuk, life is much better. Vayner-chuk, a multi-millionaire entrepreneur, is someone who suc-cessfully created a career doing what he loves. At the age of 36, Vaynerchuk has already written two best-selling books, has spoken at massive conferences like TED, invested in ex-tremely successful companies like Twitter, and has founded

a social media marketing company that brings in millions ev-ery year. It caters to clients like PepsiCo, Campbell Soup and the New York Jets. Vaynerchuk’s entrepreneurship career began at the age of eight, when he spent the summer managing seven lemon-ade stands. By 10, he was making thousands of dollars by selling baseball cards. And in high school, he began work-ing at his father’s wine store. Years later, while he attended college, he would take over management of that store and turn it into the multi-million dollar wine superstore that still operates today in Springfield, NJ, and online. In all, he has built a following of more than one million fans. The key to his success, as he puts it, is working hard (or “hustle” as he calls it) and having a passion that no one else can match. In all of his talks and interviews, the central theme is always the same: make what you love work for you. No matter what it takes, make sure that your passion is the center of your career. And that is a lesson that all high school students, getting ready to go to college, need to hear. As students, we some-times get caught up in the six-figure salaries that careers in law or medicine bring, but what we really need to focus on is doing something that will make getting up in the morning easier. Money will not do that. The fact is, if you do what you love, your work will not feel like work at all.

Entrepreneur Inspires Others to Follow DreamsStephen Perkins

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The Place Beyond the Pines is an artsy crime drama that in-volves Ryan Gosling playing a stuntman in some scenes and driving really fast vehicles while escaping law enforcement in others. And no, it is not called Drive. Besides some obviously striking similarities between the two movies, they are not the same. They both fall under the crime genre but explore different themes. If movie fans have not seen Drive, there is a simple remedy for that…go see Drive. Now. But enough about Drive, this review is meant for The Place Beyond the Pines. The movie begins with Luke (Ryan Gos-ling), a motorcycle stuntman with a tattoo of a bloody knife on his face that symbolizes, among other things, a lifetime of poor decisions. He discovers a former lover (Romina, played by Eva Mendes) has given birth to his son. His attempt to rec-oncile with his new found family is disrupted when he finds out another man is part of the picture. To win Romina’s trust, he attempts to support the family financially by going on a bank robbing spree. I cannot talk about the plot too much without giving it away; just know that the movie takes a dramatic twist after the first hour, and has a narrative structure that is so unconventional it is daring. It dives into issues concerning family, corruption and fate. To say I liked it would actually be an oversimplifica-tion. The movie is divided into three distinct parts, and while the first and third are good, the second is not. The storyline feels jarringly out of place, and honestly confused me as to why it was even necessary. By the time the final act starts,

The Place Beyond the Pines explores themes including paternal relations.

The Place Beyond the Pines: A Surprisingly Daring Indie Crime Drama

Poster for The Place Beyond the Pines captures the movie’s haunting mood.

William moessingerthe narrative structure smoothes out and the audience is able to adjust. The acting is mostly very good, except for Bradley Cooper, who is prominently featured in the movie’s second part. He plays a wide-eyed rookie cop caught in the middle of a police scandal, and just does not possess the same confidence as Gosling and Mednes. This is another reason the second part falls short. Earlier I labeled the film as “artsy”, and that is unfair. But even though it is not necessarily an art house film, it is far from being a typical action blockbuster. The opening scene is a several-minute-long shot that religiously follows Gosling’s back as he makes his way through the carnival he works at. These kinds of long shots and beautiful cinematography give the film a sense of strange beauty. The movie is something of an epic, and consequently has an epic sound track to accom-pany it. Mike Patton (the former singer for Faith No More) lends grand choir and orchestral pieces to the sound track. In one scene Luke waits at a stoplight, with the green light shining on his face. With The Great Gatsby coming out soon, it makes one wonder if the green light is supposed to symbol-ize the same thing F. Scott Fitzgerald wanted it to symbolize in

his novel about the American Dream. The Place Beyond the Pines boldly goes where few movies do, and it is memorable for its risks. Sometimes these risks pay off, and sometimes they do not, but overall it is a well-acted, well-crafted and memorable staple to the crime genre.

In 1981, a new experimen-tal breed of horror film was released for the public eye under the name, The Evil Dead. It was a dark, grue-some and bloody movie that no one had seen be-fore. In fact, it was so dis-turbing, that when it was originally finished in 1979, distribution companies refused to touch it until two years later. The film involved a group of col-

lege kids spending a weekend at an abandoned cabin in the woods, only to unlock ancient Cantarian demons that pos-sess people and “swallow their souls.” The only way to kill them is to brutally mutilate them before they do the same to you. The Evil Dead was, at the time, a severe love/hate movie, but is now considered among the extreme horror clas-sics, launching star Bruce Campbell into cult fame and even spawning two sequels: Evil Dead 2 in 1987 and Army Of Dark-ness in 1992. Both films received universal praise among moviegoers and critics alike. With classic horror films such as Halloween, Fri-day The 13th and Nightmare On Elm Street getting recent remakes and other classics getting prequels or reboots, such as The Thing and Alien, it was only a matter of time before The Evil Dead franchise saw the light of Hollywood again. And thus, 32 years later, a remake of The Evil Dead has finally been brought to the cinema. As a long time fan of The Evil Dead films, viewing this remake was inevitable. However, I was morbidly disappointed in October 2011 by The Thing prequel, and I was afraid lightning would strike twice. Either way, I had to see The Evil Dead. After the awesomely hideous intro, audiences meet the five main characters. Instead of just five random kids going up to a cabin to do…I don’t know, stuff, from the 1981 film, fans actually get a reason this time for why the characters are visit-ing the cabin. The main heroine, Mia, is sobering up from an

opiate addiction after an overdose, and because her mental state is less-that-perfect, her friends try to help her recover at a childhood happy spot – the cabin she used to visit as a kid. That idea is original and fresh, something of which most remakes should take note. Most horror remakes nowadays either stray too far from their source material (2007 version of Halloween, 2008 The Day The Earth Stood Still), or they stick way too close to the original and nearly copy it scene-for-scene, with no additions to the plot, thus making it an entirely pointless film (1998 version of Psycho, 2006 version of The Fog). A true remake should keep the original plot and story elements while bringing in new ideas and interesting plot points, and from this standpoint, The Evil Dead remake is spot on. One thing that this film stays true to is the bloodshed. Simply put, this movie is gory; very, very, very, gory, much like the 1981 film and its sequels. Blood flies left and right and not only do audience members get one scene involving a charac-ter getting their hand chopped off, but two. While the 1981 film was a major gorefest, this movie completely overshad-ows it in oozy red blood. And while the violence does look very realistic, one major problem I experienced with this film was the lighting. This film was literally too dark for me to see at times. Maybe it was the lighting in my theater, but there were moments where I had to squint my eyes, and still all I could see were vague shapes in the shadows. Another prob-lem this film suffers from is its pacing. The pacing in this film feels rushed, as if I accidently pressed the ‘fast-forward’ but-ton on the remote. It felt like several scenes were missing and that the film was originally much longer, but the producers cut it to precisely fit the 90 minute mark. Overall, it does not hold a candle to any of the films from the original franchise, but that is an extremely difficult task to achieve. For what it is, Evil Dead is a unique and fresh take on the horror genre and is probably the best horror remake of the last 10 years. Despite its flaws, it has good acting, lots of bloodshed, chilling atmosphere and the touch of the 1981 film with a punch of the modern day horror feel. It was not perfect, but more horror remakes need to pay attention to this film.

ReviewTyler Wright

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Iron Man 3The Great Gatsby

Despicable Me 2

Catching Fire

Ender’s Game

Top 5 Most Anticipated Movies

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The days of wondering about that mystery boy are over thanks to the disturbingly enticing app Lulu. According to Cosmopolitan, Lulu is “Sex and the City marries Facebook.” Lulu is an app designed by girls, for girls to rate and re-view guys. There are a variety of “cute” hashtags for a guy’s best and worst qualities, including #EpicSmile, #Manscaped, #Can’tBuildIkeaFurniture and #BabyDaddy that girls can as-sign a dude. When rating a boy’s attributes, the girl can grade from the perspective of a relative, friend, hook-up, ex-girlfriend, crush or “together” (current girlfriend). There is a humorous, streamlined quiz used to rate a boy’s attributes such as appearance, humor, manners, ambition, first kiss and commitment Additional categories also exist. The App Store description states that “Lulu is the first-ever app for reading and writing reviews of guys, sharing tips and having fun with a girlfriend. It is by girls, for girls, with fea-tures and content females know they need. Everything one does on Lulu is totally private and anonymous. And it is strict-ly girls-only – meaning no boys allowed. That means a partici-pant can be brutally honest without worrying it will end up on someone’s Facebook wall or in your crush’s hands.” While most girls see this app as funny, cute and harmless, it is a violation of the guys’ right to privacy. Lulu uses girls’ Face-book friends lists, so they have no control over their auto-matically generated profile. Sure, some guys will tell girls that they are flattered about what they see posted about them, but Lulu makes it extremely easy for a vindictive ex-girlfriend to trash a relatively innocent guy, and there is nothing he can do to curb it. This app has the potential to boost the morale of some boys, but it can easily get out of hand.

For those that have seen the movie, The Social Network, Lulu is reminiscent of the opening scenes when a drunken Mark Zuckerberg creates a game that allows boys at Harvard to choose the hotter girl out of two student photos. The fe-male students were outraged, and rightfully so. Ladies, I am sure you can think of a time when a guy said something rude or inappropriate about your appearance. It is not okay when guys objectify girls; so therefore, it is not okay for girls to do the same to guys through this app. As said best by Zucker-berg’s furious ex-girlfriend, Erica Albright, “The Internet’s not written in pencil, Mark, it’s written in ink.” The same applies to Lulu.

The Truth About LuluRachael Wasaff

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Lulu Slogan: “The smart girl’s app for private reviews and recommendations of guys.” Men of all ages should be scared of the new app, “Lulu”, created by Alexandra Chong. The social network for dating allows girls to anonymously rate and recommend guys in cat-egories like appearance, commitment and ambition. “It’s like a restaurant review for boys,” Freshman Lily Roth said. Men are evaluated on their worst and best qualities with hashtags from “#GreatHair” to “#FriendZone”. Chong created the network so women can find exactly what they want, or want to avoid, in a guy. Designed to help other girls find the right man, the network has become a way for ex-girlfriends to get their revenge. “I went home and cried for hours,” Sophomore Luis Nieto said humorously. “Lulu is a monster.” Many people find the app bordering on harassment. “Literally, all it does is lower your self-esteem,” Sophomore Kyle Bordovsky said. Lulu classifies and categorizes stereotypical male traits. Women are restricted to a selection of answers, so no one can get too mean. While there are many double standards in modern society, women are just as guilty as men when it comes to gender discrimination. “Lulu is stupid and degrading,” Junior Annie Crea said. “It’s an invasion of privacy.” By publicly shaming men without their consent, the app is getting some bad feedback from organizations against bully-ing. However, men are able to see their ratings online and can remove themselves from the database. “Everyone secretly likes it,” Sophomore Taylor Kinney said. “It intrigues people because they like to read what other peo-ple think about them.” Admit it, when a girl is interested in someone, the first thing she is going to do is look at the lucky man’s Facebook or Twit-ter. With Lulu, girls do not have to scroll through boring pic-tures and can get to the good stuff. Another app is rumored to appear in the near future which rates women rather than men. “It’s gonna get ugly,” Sophomore Christin Chavers said.

Female Chauvinism

LULU App Gets Mixed Reviews

Diedre Worth

*Lifeguard- $8.25/hour*Swim coaches-$8.50/hour*Aater safety instructors-$10.25/hour*Aquatic Recreation Specialist- $13/hour (April thru Mid-July)*Summer Camp positions-$9.50/hour (must be 18 or older) *Pool Pass Recreation Aide-$7.25/hour

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Breaking out of the fashion mold in The Woodlands can be difficult, but some students have a natural instinct to go against the status quo. “People are going to have something to say about you no matter what,” Freshman Lisa Benson said. “We live in a town where people judge you really hard, so you just have to go for it and stop caring.” Benson has a point. Everybody is going to have an opinion about the clothes one wears, the activities one participates in or the people one hangs out with. People like Benson are examples of teenagers that break away from the stereotypical Woodlands “dress code” of yoga pants, Uggs and sequin backpacks. For example, walking down the hallway can lead to an overdose of Vera Bradley patterns. Obviously, the easiest thing one can do is to go along with the styles everyone else wears. Nobody wants their peers judging them. However, rather than following the herd, students can allow fashion to be an outlet for self ex-pression. Fashion is an easy way for students to express their personalities because there is no specific definition of what it is. Fashion opens up so many doors and allows anyone to be different, expressing themselves in anyway that they want. Fashion and psychology are actually related, in a twisted sort of way. The way one dresses tells a lot about their per-sonality. Seeing a girl in an oversized flannel and leggings will trigger one’s mind to imagine a person playing the bass in an indie garage band. A student dressed in a preppy style automatically says, “this person is smart and never gets into trouble.” Wearing red can show that somebody wants to portray

Clothes Show More Than Just Fashion

Annika Crabtree

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themselves in a fiery and passionate way. Keeping every item of clothing ever owned shows that someone has a problem with letting go of the past. Covering oneself from head-to-toe in brand name logos usually means that person feels the need to broadcast their wealth to society. Even the music one listens to can reflect the way a person might dress. Popular music, as well as popular style, is ever-changing and can change in the snap of a finger. “Music definitely influences my style choice,” Benson said. “My style is always changing, and I also have a very diverse taste in music.” Although many people think fashion is just about having the latest and greatest piece of clothing, it is much more. When getting dressed everyday, there is a reason driving the choices made. Studies show that clothing really influences an individ-ual’s traits and characteristics. Whether it be to express indi-viduality, impress a cute guy or just to feel more confident, the sense of style one has is expressed through accessories, clothing, and grooming. It is a direct reflection of who a per-son is and what is important to them.

What goes around comes around, and fash-ion is no exception. The 1980’s are mak-ing a comeback. Many trends of the 80’s should stay in their neon fashion graves, but like most things, there are pieces

worthy os 2013. Designer jeans were all the rage in the

80’s. Calvin Klein, Jordache and Glo-ria Vanderbilt were the jeans to own

30 years ago. From skin-tight to high-waisted, dark washed to

dis- tressed, the 80’s endured it all. The “mom jeans” of the decade will hope-fully never return, but it is too late for the skinnies. Advertised as “fitting like the skin of a grape” in a Gloria Vanderbilt commercial, denim was far less forgiving than 2010’s cre-

ation of the jegging. Denim then was a stiff, non-malleable material that needed a shoe-horn to be put on. Although consumers have advanced from unmerciful fabrics, women still

beg for designer labels. It is hard to tell which fad was big-ger, oversized sweaters matched with leggings or tight t-shirts paired with yoga pants. The Flash Dance look was wildly popular: big, off-the-shoulder tops with a tight pant. In the 80’s, girls may have masked their figures with baggy sweat-ers, but they still managed to look fashion-ably feminine by keeping up with celebrity trendsetters. One of the most daring fads of the 80’s were shoulder pads. They broadened a woman’s shoulders to create a perfect hour-glass figure. However, the padding was so thick that even linebackers could have taken a hit in them. The 80’s were totally rad, but it is time for de-signers to forget about Back to the Future and live in 2013 with new styles and trends for fu-ture generations to make fun of.

80’s Fashion Making a ComebackKassidy Smith

NicoChergotis

MarcHebert

WestonTalley

Representing: BasketballTalent: Singing/Playing a songWhat do you do to prepare yourself for this event?: “Two hours of meditation everyday after school.”

Representing: Leo ClubTalent: DancingWhat all do you have to do as a Mr. Cav contender?: “Have dashing good looks and be in it to win it!”

Representing: Cheer & Student CouncilTalent: Stunting & TumblingHow much extra time do you have to spend fro this event?: “I practice an hour after school every day.”

DanielKline

ChrisSchultz

JiajieChen

Representing: NEHSTalent: Rapping and DancingWhy do you want to be Mr. Cavalier?: “Why wouldn’t I?”

Representing: HockeyTalent: SingingWhy do you want to be Mr. Cavalier?: “If I win i would cherish the honor of being in the prestigious group that has won it in previous years.”

Representing: Chem ClubTalent: MagicWhat all do you have to do as a Mr. Cav contender?: “Practice dancing, create a talemt, work hard, and show personality!”

M r . Caval iermeet the

contenders !

BobbyMauro

ElliotDewlen

KelseyFarris

AnTran

JiawenJiang

Deion Galindo

JeremyBeadle

Representing: TheaterTalent: SingingWhy he wants to be Mr. Cavalier: “It is a prestigious title that few have been blessed with the honor and I want to one of them!”

Representing: NHSTalent: Lip SyncingWhat all do you have to do as a Mr. Cav contender?: “Sell my body, mind, and soul for the sole purpose of entertaining people.”

Representing: ChoirTalent: Singing & DancingWhy do you want to be Mr. Cavalier?: “I want to be someone who gives a performance that many will remem-ber.”

Representing: OrchestraTalent: ViolinWhy did you agree to be a Mr. Cav contender?: “It’s my senior year and I didn’t want to regret it if I said no.”

Representing: SwimmingTalent: Synchronized SwimmingHow much extra time do you have to spend for this event?: “I spend about three hours a week.”

Representing: InteractTalent: DancingWhat all do you have to do as a Mr. Cav contender?: “Be on your best behavior, answer questions, perform talent...be fabulous.”

Representing: HOSATalent: Kung FuWhat all do you have to do as a Mr. Cav contender?: “Dance my butt off.”

For seniors, this location may sound familiar. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion holds students' attention for most of their high school career because they take the final steps of their high school career on this stage. This outdoor ampitheatre not only holds graduations, but the majority of its entertainment comes from musical per-formances. The Pavilion is a non-profit organization that is governed by a volunteer board of directors. Jerry MacDon-ald is currently the head president and CEO of The Pavilion. The Pavilion was created with many ideas in mind, but the overall mission was to create opportunities for the perform-ing and visual arts, to provide education in the arts and to entertain audiences. George Mitchell and his wife, Cynthia Woods Mitchell, dreamed of a first-class center for the performing arts. Mr. Mitchell was the former chairman of Mitchell Energy and Development Corporation and founder of The Woodlands. Their dream came true in 1990 when The Pavilion opened with a star-studded weekend gala. Today, The Pavilion holds about 75 performances from March to November, with musical genres ranging from coun-try to rock to classical. Some past performances from touring artists included Elton John, Tina Turn, Cher, Rod Stewart and Clint Black. Commercial attractions are promoted by Live Nation and performing arts by The Pavilion's own manage-ment organization. Live Nation and the CEO work together in scheduling Live Nation bands to The Pavilion. “Something interesting people might not know is we have hosted more than 9.2 million guests since the opening in 1990,” Marketing and PR Manager Courtney Galle said. “This year will be our 25th season.” Hurricane Ike seriously damaged The Pavilion including roof and structural damage, resulting in a $9 million renovation. They saved and reused the seats, added 2,000 reserved seats and a canopy to cover the 6,500 reserved seating area. Originally, there were 2,800 covered seats including the 224

box seats and 1,900 uncovered seats. The lawn allows seating for about 10,000 people, total-ing 16,500 available seats in the venue. The lawn was an unique idea of Mrs. Mitchell’s after she attended a ballet in Austin. She saw different people sitting on the lawn playing and mothers caring for their children and dogs. She loved the idea of not only the elite class attending a ballet, but everyone else too. She shared this idea with her husband who then included the lawn so that everyone could enjoy themselves. Sometimes lawn seats are not sold, but this is primarily the artist's choice. “Most artists like to perform to a more intimate crowd, so that could be the reason,” Galle said. Galle also commented about the uniqueness of The Pavilion compared to other venues. In addition to being a nonprofit organization, they not only host loud, racous concerts, but also the Houston Ballet, Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera each year. Education is another major aspect; The Pavilion holds several educational outreach programs, like the annual Children's Festival. Also, each year The Pavil-ion awards scholarships to high school seniors planning to major in fine arts. Three sculptures are located around The Woodlands. One was a tribute to Mrs. Mitchell given by her husband which displays her love of providing knowledge of the fine arts through reading to children. Another was a tribute to Mr. Mitchell. The sculpture is of him with his two grandsons on a bench. The last sculpture was in dedication of the “Cynthia Woods Mitchell Smokedance Garden.” It was celebrated on April 29, 2010, after a Houston Symphony concert and but-terflies were released in celebration. There are many different factors that make The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion unique and important to The Wood-lands. Many websites have voted The Pavilion in the top 10 ampitheatres in the United States and the world.

Behind the Scenes of the Place Bringing Music to The Woodlands

Madison Ray

The stands are packed. The score is tied and the atmosphere is tense. Everyone is out of their seats cheering on the team. This is what people experience at a College Park football or basketball game. However, this is not what people experience when they go to other sporting events. The crowds are thin and sometimes nonexistent, except a parent or two. This is a situation that occurs every year. There is always more hype over the football and basketball team than any other sport or activity on campus. The other sports get little recognition, which is disappointing for the athletes who work hard to be successful.

The athletes in less popular sports become so used to the lack of fan support that it does not surprise or bother them. Some people just do not like watching certain sports. That is fair and understandable, but many people do not show up to these events because most everyone else is not going to these events. It is a group-think thing. When the basketball team was on a winning streak, every-body was screaming, “CP NATION.” But is it CP Nation when people exclude other sports by not supporting their ef-forts? No, it is not. When other sports have winning seasons, people need to notice the teams’ success and show up to cheer them on.

After being burned out from a long school year, most stu-dents take it easy over the summer. However, about a one-quarter of American teenagers have a summer job. A summer job seems unappealing to many students be-cause they could go to camp or spend time with friends. A job can do both. Summer jobs are not usually difficult and many students find summer jobs enjoyable. “Having a summer job is a really good way to meet new people and make money when school’s out,” Senior Taylor Shepard said. “I have something to do with my days and then have plenty of money to spend when I am not work-ing.” A great thing about most summer jobs is that students can make a difference in someone’s life. Whether working at a day care, a supermarket, a pool or a golf course, they can make a positive influence on someone’s life. “It is very beneficial to know that I have societal value, and that I am not just another Destin vacationer holding hands with my friends at sunset while wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt jumping in the air at the count of three so we are all in sync on a photograph,” Junior Keith Fox said. A summer job is a great way to stay out of trouble. Stu-dents may be tempted to do things they are not supposed to since they have more free time on their hands. A job can teach teenagers how to work hard. Teenagers can earn money instead of asking for money from their parents. It shows that teenagers’ hard work paid off. Summer jobs can also help a student’s academic resume. Colleges like to see that students have worked hard even on their summer break. When colleges choose between stu-

dents, the one with work experience will stand out because they know that he or she has worked hard and battled with adversity. Also, colleges will see this beneficial to them be-cause it will be easier to find prospective students for on campus jobs. “Having a job before college looks good on college applica-tions or scholarships regarding leadership and responsibil-ity,” Shepard said. Summer heat is an issue some students have with work-ing over the summer. They could consider becoming a life-guard. They can beat the heat by sitting in the shade and in the pool. A job indoors as a host or a hostess is also a great option. If a student has problems with the heat, a job work-ing on a golf course would not be the best idea because they would work in extremely hot temperatures. “I have gotten used to the heat with football practices and speed camp being so hot,” Fox said. “Then I think of other people in the golf industry who have taken a lot of heat like Tiger Woods.” “If Tiger Woods can do it, I know I can do it,” he continued. Working over the summer can take time out of a student’s summer, and it is not for everybody. Some students cannot handle working. “I feel that it’s good for some kids and not for others,” Government teacher Gary Bartlett said. “It’s a great learn-ing experience, and it will teach students responsibility and hard work.” “On the other hand, I feel that some students need the summer to recharge,” he continued.

CP Nation not for Every SportBrandon Lee

Teens Beat the Heat With Summer Jobs

Jordan Little

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With a loss to A&M Con-solidated Saturday, the Lady Cavaliers lost their bid for a playoff berth. Unfor-tunately, they also experienced previ-ous losses to Bryan and The Woodlands. The Cavs were in the hunt until this past week. They experienced a big win late in the season against Conroe, scor-ing 23 runs to the Tiger’s, 1. Until The Woodlands game, they were 5-5 and stood a chance to make the top four. This veteran team of mostly upper-classmen pushed their way through close games and tough opponents to come out with an 11-13 record. Many of the games that varsity played they lost by only two to three points. The younger players made a major differ-ence in the season. Shortstop Nikki Giles, Second Basemen Julie French and Pitcher Peyton Hutchens stepped up from being freshman and sophomores to become major assets to the team’s success. “We are definitely proud of all of our wins,” Junior Aubrey Hanson said. “There were many games that were close, but unfortunately, those do not show on our record.” This is Hanson’s first year at CP and

she has already shown herself to be a versatile player with the ability to play whatever Head Coach Matthew Quick throws at her. The overall team chem-istry, according to Hanson, is something that helped the Cavs during the game. “We all pick each other up to do our best,” Hanson said. The team had high hopes to go to play-offs. However, they came short of this goal. With one-half the players seniors, the rest of the team did not want to let them down. “Obviously, we planned on finishing the season with a bang,” Hanson said. “Playoffs are so close, and that was our goal from the beginning.” The girls have pushed through chal-lenges of confidence and finding their rhythm, but the last three district chal-lenges was the game changers for these girls. After a loss to The Woodlands, the next game against Bryan was the next most important game of the season. With only three hits and one error, the efforts were not good enough to push through against Bryan’s varsity. Once the team lost to the Vikings, the loss to A&M sadly dashed their hopes. This year did not end how the team wanted and the Cavalier softball team will have to wait another year to go to playoffs.

Softball Hopes Dashed;Girls Drop Last Three Games

Sam Morrow

Pitcher Peyton Hutchens winds up for the pitch. Softball pitchers throw underhanded and have a longer windup.

Sophomore Nikki Giles gets a hit and runs to first base.

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Junior Aubrey Hanson moves in to catch the ball. She joined the Lady Cavs from another school and has shown great versatility.

Throughout the district season, the baseball team has had their ups and downs. Close games that resulted in losses; new players still finding their varsity rhythm and talented opponents all proved to be challenges that this team has had to work to overcome. With the end of the district sea-son approaching and play-offs just around the corner, the pres-sure is intense for this team to earn a playoff spot. With the second round of district coming to a close, the Cavs have come full swing with reaching their full po-tential. This round, the team improved their win record and gainws momentum as they did it. The only losses that they have had this round came within two points of being a win. This streaky team has struggled, but they are still improving every practice and every game. However, the April 12 game provided the biggest momentum boost that this varsity team needed. The Cavaliers beat the Highlanders, 3-2, who were undefeated in district and seemed to be unstoppable “This season started off a little slow for us,” Sophomore Noah Vaughan said. “But as it has gone on, we have really grown close and become more of a family that can take on big challenges such as The Woodlands and do some dam-age.” Vaughan stepped up on the varsity team to be-come one of the Cavs most consistent play-ers. He has brought a certain attitude to the team that encourages his team-mates to forget about whatever mis-takes they have made and move on before the next play begins.

“No matter what, in the game of baseball you have to learn to ‘flush it’,” Vaughan said, “because this sport sets us up to fail.” According to Head Coach Jason Washburn, the difference that this team made when good things started happening

to them allowed the team to learn to build on whatever good things came their way. There is still the road block of

getting out of their own heads’ and playing their game. “A sign of a mature team is how they are going to re-

bound after an emotional game,” Coach Washburn said.

At first, the Cavs did just that with the win against La Porte. Unfortunately, the Cavs then lost to Lufkin, 2-4. As the district season wraps up, the coaches still believe that even with this team being inconsis-

tent from game-to-game, their playoff chanc-es are still high.

“Once the district season begins, you forget about preseason; and once it

is time for playoffs start, you forget about district,” Washburn said.

“We are still in a good position for playoffs if we can hold on to a playoff seed.”“We still have not played our best baseball yet and at this point anything could happen.” Tonight at 7 p.m. the Cavaliers will take on their final oppo-nent, Bryan, and this game will seal their fate for playoffs.

Playoffs: Baseball’s Next Challenge

Sam Morrow

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Opening with The Office theme song, the beachy 90’s pavement style pop outfit The Help Desk shook the founda-tion of a local Conroe suburban house on a Saturday night. The energy pulsing through the audience radiated with an al-most tangible vibe, much like the early Flaming Lips. Far from the outskirts of ordinary, creative ambition exploded making even their performance of the national anthem passionate, exciting and larger than life. “I’ve seen concerts where people are just sedentary,” The Help Desk’s bassist Sophomore Cale Cuellar. “I don’t want to promote that. I want to make the kind of music that makes people move.” They have definitely achieved this. Considering that music is essentially dying due to the deterioration of popular culture, and the fact that College Park is heavily sports oriented, the rise of Houston/The Woodlands’ underground music scene and its effects on the immediate population of College Park is enticing, unexpected and underestimated. Similar to The Help Desk, other groups and solo projects such as Whales and Kill the Intellectuals are diving into this diverse music scene with a common purpose; to express themselves and be acknowledged as musicians with integrity. After the show, the bands sat back sharing thoughts on mu-sic, popular culture, the independent scene and how they became inspired to make music. One of the most profound aspects of this music scene is the collaboration and coopera-tion. “My favorite thing [about The Help Desk] is just being able to let everything out through music and having the band be cool with my odd spasms of dancing and freaking out on the guitar, and they respond just saying, ‘yeah, let’s make some music around that’,” Sophomore Jimmy Bent, frontman of The Help Desk said. “It makes me feel like I have found a place to stay...I don’t want to be a frontman that says, ‘Here I am and these are the people backing me up.’ This is a group effort and I want to back them up.” The common denominator of inspiration to the local scene’s bands like The Help Desk is the precedent set by Arcade Fire, one of the most successful breakthroughs in the alternative independent scene in terms of quality. While these musicians by no means strive to imitate Arcade Fire’s sound precisely, the idea that they had the same passion and goal is enough to move the heart of the underground scene. “It’s hard to describe the Help Desk’s sound because it’s so drastically different from what I listen to,” Cuellar said. “One

Underground Music SceneEntices Fans with Diversity

Dallas Green of City and Coulour is an influential figure in the modern under-ground music scene.

Angela Grace Foster

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of the most inspiring bands for me is Arcade Fire because they’re where I’m from with ‘The Neighborhoods’ and all... just knowing that they lived in a house near where I’m living shows that I can do the same thing.” Many will utilize the term, “hipster”, misinterpreting or poking fun at the cause. However, the underground scene conducted here in The Woodlands area is just a fraction of the music movement occurring across the country and even the world. “The first time I heard the term ‘hipster’ was in sociology,” Former CP student Anthony Patten of Whales said. “I was thinking, ‘what’s a hipster?’ I didn’t know what it was. Like I dress comfy, sure.” The term creates a fair amount of controversy among many in the scene as Bent pointed out candidly, “One thing I would like to bring up is people talking about mainstream ‘indie-hipster bands.’ I think people generally have a negative view of people who ‘make it.’ The epitome of this is The Black Keys. They used to do garage rock and now they’re a fully orchestrated band.” The point of the shared view among the local scene is that judgment should always be made solely on the content of the music. In the end, this movement is here to stay.

Who wouldn’t enjoy jumping around for hours? For just $20 for an all-day pass, anyone from the age 6 and up can enjoy this bounc-ing room of fun. With 16,000 feet of indoor flooring full of trampolines to jump on, the fun doesn’t stop here. Dodge ball nights hap-pen every Tuesday and gives teens a chance to meet new people.

Horseback Riding in South

Padre IslandImagine riding along the water’s edge, hair blowing in the wind and a sunset in the dis-tance. In South Padre Island, for $75 per per-son, the experience is worth while. Although sunset times change, keeping posted on the schedule changes is ideal. This is a good way to clear one’s mind by riding along freely or bonding with family with a group package. If someone is not a pro horseback rider, it is not a problem; every group has a professional trail boss.

Seven Places in Texas to Visit

Zip Lining over Lake Travis With over 5 zip lines ranging from 250 feet to over 2,800 feet over Lake Travis, this is an op-portunity of a lifetime. One can enjoy views from high cliffs, 20 stories high, prior to jumping off and zipping through over 2,500 feet of line. If that wasn’t fun enough, there is the chance to zip line at night with glow sticks and head lamps.

Zero Gravity Thrill Theme Park in Dallas This amusement park contains a skycoaster, a freefall, a bungee cord, a roller coaster called “skyscraper”, and the Texas Blast Off. The sky-coaster sends one through the air at 60 mph, and the free fall lets one fall into a net from 130 feet in the air. For $119 per person, the unlimited fun is worth it.

Texas Surf Meuseum

In Corpus ChristiInterested in surfing and hanging loose? This non-formal museum shows the surf history of Texas and displays many different surf boards. If one is feeling random and spontaneous, Texas Surf Museum is the place to go. With great merchandise to go with the experience, the trip is fun and exciting. Also gives one a chance to learn something new.

Burger’s Lake in Fort Worth This lake contains two sandy beaches for sun-ning, and lots of shade trees (for those with more sensitive skin). With over 300 picnic tables and 185 grills, it is the perfect place for family fun. It has a 20 foot slide and six diving boards. With all this fun comes safety too, as there are trained lifeguards always present for assistance.

Mirror Maze in San AntonioTaking it back to the circus days, mirror mazes are very tricky things to get out of. With reflections in every direction, distorting the body and vision, what more could one ask for? Open from 10 A.M. to 10 P.M., teens and families can enjoy the crazy and dizzying maze.

Spring Loaded Trampoline in New Braunfels

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Frida Garcia

One of the unavoidable encounters the everyday high school student face is that of Public Displays of Affection, oth-erwise known as PDA. The modern high school is filled with these disgusting acts; and unfortunate-ly, no matter how much resistance the faculty puts up, it is always met with even more kissing. “Kissing”, to put it lightly, could be described as two octopi being shot, tentacles first, at each other, eventually hitting and making all kinds of grotesque sounds. “I don’t really care who watches us and who doesn’t,” an anonymous source and a known offender said. “It’s my business whether or not I want to kiss my girlfriend.” Observers who disagree with PDA use the same arguments against the perpe-trators. “If it’s their business, then why do they choose to do it in front of anyone who walks by?” another anonymous source asked (along with pretty much anyone who ever went to high school). These types of questions and more have been asked by most school popu-lations. Though these questions have been consistently asked, the eyes, ears, nose and brain of modern science is un-able to give answers, but not the lips. They are kissing people. In high school hallways. In front of every innocent bystander. This, unfortunately, is what modern society has been reduced to. People publicly nuzzling throats and locking lips. “I used to be uncomfortable with it, but now I feel just fine,” the anonymous girlfriend/victim of the first anonymous source said. At this point in time, there does not seem to be an end to the madness, and there probably will not be for a very long time (unless genocide is an op-tion). In the meantime, teachers could begin taking photos of these students to send to their parents. No doubt, they will see how much of an embarrassment their offspring have become which will trig-ger more disciplinary actions.

Stud

ents

vs.

Hor

mon

esDrew clark

Teenagers show strong public displays of affection that go beyond holding hands and are not school appropiate, distracting other students and affect-ing their academic performance.

20 Ed/Op

Public displays of affection, or PDA, infest high schools on a daily basis. From the dirty stairwell to the crowded hallways, PDA is found everywhere, even the smelly cafeteria. Excessive PDA is banned from schools, and the faculty and administrators deal with it daily. It seems like couples these days feel that it is imperative to show the world how much they love each other. Most people would not mind it if it was as simple as a kiss on the cheek or simply holding hands, but some students take PDA to a level that should not be seen in public, much less on school property. “I am okay with a kiss every now and then,” Freshman Nia Hollis said. “I am also okay with holding hands, but making out in the hallways, I just really don’t want to see it.” PDA got old a long time ago. It is not just gross, it is also of-fensive to others because of the absolute lack of respect for society. Walking down the hallway and being forced to watch people exchange saliva is not everyone’s idea of a good day. Couples see it as a way to show their love--as deep as love

cen be when students are this young--while others just see it as something that should be kept private, where it bothers no one. “It’s very disrespectful,” Freshman Antonella Parolini said. “We’re here to learn, and I don’t want to be walking down the hallway seeing couples eating each other’s faces off. I’m already annoyed as it is.” It reaches the point where some just want to either walk be-tween them (if they can possibly unglue the couple from one another), or spray them down with a water bottle. If it were allowed, a simple solution for PDA would be to hose students down with freezing water, but because it is not, teachers should continue to write the proper referrals for such couples. Also, awareness speeches should be shared at the beginning of the year for all students. Banning improp-er PDA from school would create a more student-friendly environment, with more students focusing on their studies instead of on their significant other.

Students Study Different Types of Chemistry in the Hallways

Although relationships such as Gabriella’s and Troy’s seem sweet and romantic, many people find kissing a form of PDA and do not enjoy seeing it.

paola martinez parente

21

Ed/Op

Doctor Who: A BBC television favorite since the 1960s, the show features a 1000-year-old alien from the planet Gallifrey who travels through time and space collecting companions to aid him in his endeavors. “When I was a little girl my mother introduced me to Doc-tor Who,” Sophomore Paris Jaynes said. “I haven’t stopped watching it since. It's honestly one of the best shows ever.” A main component in Doctor Who’s success is the fact that The Doctor can look different, without changing the way he views the world. He goes through a process called “regen-eration” to avoid death. A blast of regeneration energy, and boom: he’s got a new face. This gives the BBC the chance to adjust to problems like actors aging or quitting, thus keeping the series alive for decades. Many British citizens, as well as Americans, just cannot get enough of this show. Over 110 million fans and count-ing are quickly becoming 'Whovians'. Each Doctor has his own catchphrase, or signature movement, and never leaves the T.A.R.D.I.S. (his time machine) without his Sonic Screw-driver or his Psychic Paper. Fangirls and fanboys worldwide are hooked, anticipating each new episode. However, these ‘Whovians’ have never been more excited than they are for the special 50th anniversary episode, featur-ing many of the previous regenerations of the Doctor. “I'm really excited about the 50th anni-versary,” Sophomore Elizabeth Batton said, “Mostly because David Tennant is in it. He is my favorite Doctor.” The 50th anniversary is supposed to be a spectacular event for fans. David Tenant, the tenth Doctor, and Billie Piper, Rose Tyler, will return to join the duo of Matt Smith, the eleventh Doctor, and Jenna-Louise Coleman, Clara Oswin Oswald, to do battle with the Zygons, a shape-shifting old-school monster from the episode, “Terror of the Zygons” in 1975, one of Tenant’s favorites. John Hurt will also be starring in the anniversary edi-tion. Filming began in London's Trafalgar Square. For fans, however, news of what is going to happen is solidly under wraps.22

Dr. Who Celebrates 50 Years

David Spradlin

British Television Show Grabbed Attention of American Viewers

1. Bow ties are ..?2. What medical anomaly does The Doctor have?3. Which famous artist does The Doctor and Amy visit?4. What can the Sonic Screwdriver not do?

5. Captain Jack is a member of what organization?

Answers: 1. Cool, 2. Two Hearts, 3. Van Gogh, 4. Open Wooden Doors, 5. TORCHWOODAre You a Whovian?When Christopher Eccleston, the ninth Doctor, was in the first series of the show’s revival in 2005.