January Issue 300dpi

8/13/2019 January Issue 300dpi

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Happy New Year’s, Rangers!

Volume II Issue 4


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Index Volume 2 ● Issue 4Editor’s Desk

Perspectives

News

PUBLICATION POLICY

The Round Up, a feature magazine pub-

lished by the students in Clements High

School’s Magazine Journalism class, is a

designated forum for student expression.

The Round Up is distributed to its readers

and the student body at no cost.

PRINTING AND DISTRIBUTION SER-

VICESThe Round Up is printed eight times a year

in October, November, December, January,

February, March, April and May. All Round

Up is archived-and available at http://ranger-

wire.wordpress.com.

Idealistic mindset: Emote Everything...p. 4

Chance to be rebellious - teens

should follow heart... p. 4

CHS Announces Spring Musical... p. 5

DECA shows its best... p. 5

Lifestyles

Commonly used New Year’s resolutions...p. 6

bastille transcends musical standards...p. 6

Photojournalism students learn skills,turn them into art... p. 7

What is a dream? ... p. 8

Into it or over it? ... p. 8

School rules should be consistent... p. 9

Cursive: A waste of time for students...p. 10

Cursive: A Faster, Engaging, Better Wayto Write... p. 11

Sports

Predictions for Vince Lombardi... p. 1

Jonathan Marlatt swims with highhopes... p. 12

Softball tournament honoring ZachGrafe... p. 13

Megan Hoang competes for USS swimteam... p. 13

Features

Senior grateful for last four years... p12

Senior’s journey into fiture... p. 12

Cosy winter fashion... p. 15

Simple gifts of giving... p. 13

Survival Guide: SAT Edition... p. 16

Voices

What would make your day? ... p. 18

What is your New Years Resolution? ..19

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4


4/20

From the Editors’ desks

By SAMANTHA JREIJ

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Lately, within the confines of a disturbed

and underappreciated society, the mindset

that those who are better off do not have the

right, nor should they have the audacity to

complain about their lives has spread infa-

mously into the actions of teenagers. When in

all reality, rules that apply to the underprivi-

leged should apply to all, as we are all human

beings with emotions, and each and every

single one of us deserves to feel sorrow, loss,

unhappiness, sadness, and hopefully, joy.

Eleanor Roosevelt, a great wom-

an, once said, “No one can make you

feel inferior without your consent.”

So, I ask, why should anyone deny themselves

the basic human privilege of feeling sad about

something simply because someone is worse

off than them? Why should kids put a cork

on their feelings and subdue their emotions

simply because the children in Africa do not

have enough water or food? Their problems

are undoubtedly worse than ours, but does

that mean that we do not deserve to be upset?

My opinion lies in the primary belief that

the moment- no, the second we stop emot-

ing- for whatever reason- we become empty,

meaningless shells of our previous selves.

We should feel everything we feel the sec-

ond we feel it, and we should do so in com-

plete disregard to the circumstances of the

world. What does it mean to be a human

Idealistic mindset: Emote Everything

being without raw , uncut, unedited emotion,

without selfish bursts of sobbing and tears

for something stupid and seemingly mean-

ingless in hindsight? This is what it means

to be young, what it means to be a person.

I want teenage girls to cry over heartbreak

and teenage boys to get angry about a lost foot-

“Love every minute ofit, every second of

its irrelevance.” ball game without feeling guilty, because

ery emotion subdued is another emotion l

another moment of childhood gone fore

Bask in the meaningless anger and

mentary hurt, because soon your probl

will become so much more serious t

the foolishness of high school, so m

more tremendous and truly life chang

Love every minute of it,

ery second of its irreleva

Chance to be rebellious- teens should follow hear

By YASMEEN YAHYA

Co-Editor-in-Chief

I am considered the black sheep of myfamily in more ways than one. One of the

most important ways is that I want to get my

bachelor’s degree in communications. It is

important to realize that my family consists

of engineers, doctors, and bankers. Knowing

this, you can presume that my major choice

does not exactly make certain extended

family members jump for joy.

Family members have urged me on

numerous occasions with the question “But

have you considered electrical engineering?”

The answer is no.

Fortunately, I have been blessed with

parents who encourage me to pursue my

talents. In fact, my mother’s personal mantra

is Pablo Picasso’s quote, “Everything you

can imagine is real.” So, thanks mom and

dad. However, I know that my situation is

dissimilar to many Clements students.

Clements holds so many talented students

within its paint-chipped walls. I am reminded

of this every time I attend, for example,

Retrospective. And as we go through every

day of our senior year, not-so-patiently

anticipating graduation day, we ask each

other the same question, “what are you going

to major in?” The art student says biology. The thespian

says civil engineering.

“Why?” I ask. The answer is usually some

variation of “My parents want me to,” or,

“My family would not pay for my college

tuition if I majored in [insert fine arts major

here].”

Some parents simply do not see the talent

that their child has. Or if they do realize it,

they want their child to put that talent on the

backburner to pursue a field that does not

even interest them.

I completely understand the fact that par

and other family members want what is b

They want us to be successful and to hav

good life. They know that choosing to m

in fine arts or a liberal arts major will lea

a limited the job market.

Despite these facts, I believe that if you

passionate about something and you sh

potential to be great it, you should pursu

Talk with your parents. Show them that

have thought out your decision thoroug

Keep in mind that they will treat you like

adult if you act like one.

If it is possible, find a way to comprom

Your parents are worried about you finda job. So with this in mind, majoring in

history, for example, is probably not the

way to go. In this instance, you could dou

major in business and art. Or go to grad

school and get your master’s degree in

history. Just try to find an undergrad

major that does not limit the job market

much, and find other ways to pursue y

talents.

Always remember that your family lo

you very much and that they only want w

is best for you.4


5/20

NEWSCAN YOU SPELL THAT?

CHS ANNOUNCES SPRING MUSICAL

DECA SHOWS ITS BESTBy JOSEPH VASQUEZ

Reporter Here at Clements, people like to besomewhere they belong, such as in a

club. Clubs like FFA and the Model UN help

students fit in, and they help students get into

a good college. One club that gets a lot of

love from Clements is DECA, which also

happens to be Clements largest club.

DECA is a club that teaches students about

business and marketing while having fun

at the same time. It prepares future leaders

and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing,

financing, hospitality, and management in

Clements and other high schools aroundthe globe. DECA also follows students to

college in there college division which is in

about 200 colleges and universities around

the world.

“DECA really is fun and I am glad to be

a part of it along with my friends.” said

Salomon Deleliah about being in DECA with

his friends this year.

He thinks that DECA will be great have on

his transcript when applying to colleges.

“DECA is the club to join this year. I

decided to join when my friend had told me

By PATRICIA ANNE MANZINARES

News Editor

The 25th Annual Spelling Bee is set for

January 29, 30, February 1, and 3 at 7 p.m. in

the auditorium. And no, it is not a real spelling

bee. Every year the theatre department

performs a musical and this year’s musical is

about a spelling bee and the lives of students

in a high school. As the course of the musical

progresses, the audience learns more about

the students’ lives and the issues they need

to face.

“It is a contemporary musical that opened

on Broadway in 2005 so, a lot of issues are

really relative to what we see today,” said

Paul Shaffer, theatre teacher.

One of characters in the musical is Coney

Bear who does not consider himself a smart

person, because he has ADHD and when he

is on stage, he goes into a trance as he spells

the word. Then, there is also Barfee, who is

not very attractive and has a habit where he

spells with his foot, which he calls a “Magic

foot.”

“I saw this musical, and it made me think

that theatre students can do it, because it was

something they can relate to,” said Shaffer.

The theatre department is looking forw

to this musical with high hopes of a succ

“I feel like it’s going to be good. We h

a ton of talented individuals in theatre. T

are hard working and dedicated and I can

wait for the show because I am sure

going to be amazing,” said Kerric Thomp

senior.

The theatre cast will also be competing

the Tommy Tune award along with ove

schools in the Houston area. Shaffer is hop

that CHS will get nominated. They prep

for the musical for one and a half months

Tickets will be available during the w

of the show and are only 5 dollars during

lunches. At the door tickets are ten do

for students and 12 dollars for adults.

profits go for building all sets, includ

lighting and supplies, for shows that the

will be performing.

about how much fun he was having in it while

learning at asked what made him decide to

join DECA.

During the school year DECA will go

on field trips to see teams like the Houston

Dynamo and Houston Rockets play during

school hours. The students who go on these

trips really enjoy being able to watch the

game with their friends.

“I think anyone who has not yet joined,

should. It is a great club to be in so that you

can hang with friends while doing something

good for yourself at the same time.”

Deleliah.

He really believes that everyone sho

join and be able to enjoy themselves w

improving their chances to get into a be

college.

Since Clements has over 300 student

DECA, it is the largest DECA school

the state of Texas. This proves how m

students love being in DECA. DECA ove

has about 190,000 members in around 3,

schools around the world. 5


6/20

Lifestyles

By SAMEEN SIDDIQUI

Reporter Every year, people mark the birth of a

new year to hope that their dreams come

true. Each year, people write down their

New Year’s resolutions and vow that they

will keep them throughout the year. Many

people hope to achieve many of the same

things, The top 20 New Year’s resolutions

are:

1.Losing weight

2. Eating healthier

3.Smiling all the time

4.To make a difference in the world

5.Traveling more often6.Living more green

7.Volunteering and helping others more

often

8.Stopping bad habits (smoking, drinking,

drugs, biting nails, noisy eating etc.)

9.Enjoying life to the fullest

10.Falling in love with a special person11.Organizing everything (room, binders

etc.)

12.Spending more time with friends and

family

13.Getting a new look (hair style, clothes

etc.)

14.Saving money for more important things

(college, emergencies, etc.)

15.Being nicer to people (lending a helping

hand, being friendly, etc.)

16.Managing stress (not procrastinating,

taking a break once in awhile, etc.)

17.Having more tolerance for others18.Running a marathon

19.Doing extreme activities (bungee

jumping, sky diving, etc.)

20.To learn something new and exciting

The trick is to make a promise and keep it.

Commonly used New Year’s resolution

By MEGHAN BEYTEBIERE

Copy Editor

As Friedrich Nietzsche said, “Without

music, life would be a mistake.”

I full heartedly agree, putting more stock in

music and its healing powers than anything

else. With this passion for music, however,

comes quite the critical attitude towards the

typical sound.

I assumed quickly and harshly, as I often

do with music, that BΔSTILLE would be

the average band coming out these days. I

expected an overload of love songs andelectronic beats. However, much to the

contrary, BΔSTILLE provides listeners with

a unique blend of instruments and songs.

This mix is labeled under both alternative

and rock, showing elements of each genre

in their songs. Though, a single genre may

be more prominently displayed, all songs

contain a range of instruments and lyrics

that avoid clichés and are based off personal

experiences.

BΔSTILLE’s first full album, Bad Blood,

was released in March 2013. The band also

has a remixed album, two EPs, and an EPfrom the London iTunes Festival of 2012.

They also have a number of songs that are as

of now unrecorded to an album, EP, or single,

as many artists do. These tracks can be easily

found on YouTube, and are well worth the

time it takes to search for them.

The highest charting song in the United

States and the song they released fourth was

the single Pompeii. With the release of this

song, the band reached number two on the

U.K. charts and a similarly ranked position

in the U.S.

Keeping with their roots, the boriginates from London, England. T

were formed in 2010 and started with

members, but have now broken down

four. With members Dan Smith (lead voc

keyboard, percussion, producer), Chris W

(back vocals, keyboard, percussion, ba

Kyle Simmons (bass, keyboards, acou

guitar, backing vocals), and Will Farquar

(drums, backing vocals) the band origin

received moderate success in the U.K.

The reason this band has become a favo

of mine as well as many others is h

relatable their lyrics are. They do not sinto the territory of being so far above t

listeners with “celebrity problems.” W

they write about is honest and true.

empathy in the lyrics both draws peopl

and takes them aback at how true it al

Combining this distinctive quality with t

apparent instrumental talents, BΔSTIL

makes for a rare and engaging listen.

This band’s unique sound will fa

listeners of artists and bands such as Ima

B∆STILLE transcends musical standard

Dragons.

R e s o l u t i o n s

√ s m i l e m o r e

√ t r a v e l a l o t

√ l o s e w e i g h t

6


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8/20

Wh a t i s a d r e a m ?


9/20


10/20

10

By MEGHAN BEYTEBIERE

Copy Editor

For the few and the proud who continue

the practice, they will surely be greeted with

looks that question if their handwriting is

cuneiform. Cursive, the quickly dying art

of joined letters, is becoming so uncommon

that learning it can be proven unnecessary.

A contributing factor to the abating use

of cursive is the difficulty it takes to master

those perfectly curved and connected letters.I am sure my hand still feels cramped from

learning it during Kindergarten through third

grade. While the subject is kept exclusively

in third grade for most of today’s students,

learning cursive takes time away from oth-

er subjects such as math and reading. The

latter courses will help students down the

line far more than the calligraphy which

Also, just add in the fact that most students

forget what they learned after the year is over,

and cursive’s modern day uses can be seen.

A year long course that is devoted solely to

Cursive wastes time for students

PERSPECTIVES

relearning to write an alphabet that students

already know in a more aesthetically pleasing

way is not a valuable use of time for students.

For all of its beautiful loops and curves, cur-

sive is really kept around for one sole reason:

nostalgia. Your parents had to learn it, their

parents had to learn it, and almost every gener-

ation before this one learned to write in cursive

rather than print. This vexing tradition carries

on because it does. People get so wrapped

up in the tradition of the letters and how it

was the writing America was founded with.

It is true that learning it has lessened

through the years, confining the art to third

grade. However, the practice is still taught

with the intentions of beautiful writing and

the hidden motive of remembering irrelevant

penmanship. Protests such as children be-

ing unable to read the Declaration of Inde-

pendence in a few years are brought up by

many. With all of our modern resources

however, why is such a tradition necessary?

Today, with laptops, computers, and smart-

phones present everywhere in school, s

things as handwriting are becoming

important. Cursive for the sake of n

ness used to be a valid point, but now ev

paper turned in is typed in specific form

With the exception of a few workshe

handwriting is not needed nearly as mu

Furthermore, the argument of reading

sive often comes up as well, but it too

be easily refuted. With the exception

a few documents, where do we read

sive? Books are written in print, advert

ments are in print, what you are read

now is in print. Cursive and its lack of p

ence in our lives is rendering itself usel

So, with the exception of a few

natures that will have to be sign

cursive’s purpose has been lessen

It takes away time from other imp

tant school work for something v

few will remember. Print, overall, i

more useful form of penmanship to p

up rather than the ancient art of curs

Please print


11/20

By YASMEEN YAHYA

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Some might think the hardest part of the

SAT is the math, while others might argue

that it is the reading sections. However,

many swear that it is the part where test-tak-

ers have to copy certain sentences in cursive.

Cursive, wwhat? How do you do that?

Ah, the dreaded curse of cursive. Have peo-

ple really forgotten what cursive looks like?

The definition of cursive, according to Wikipe-

dia is: “Cursive, also known as script, joined-up

writing, joint writing, running writing, or hand-

writing is any style of penmanship in which the

symbols of the language are written in a con-

joined and/or flowing manner, generally for the

purpose of making writing faster. However, not

all cursive copybooks join all letters. Formal

cursive is generally joined, but casual cursive is

a combination of joins and pen lifts. In the Per-

sian, Arabic, Latin, and Cyrillic alphabets, many

or all letters in a word are connected, sometimes

making a word one single complex stroke.

Cursive: faster, engaging, better way to writ

PERSPECTIVES

It is a fact that most students today

print. They are taught to write in cur-

sive around the third grade. Yet after that,

teachers do not require students to write in

cursive. So why do most students print?

When asked, students at CHS gave many

reasons. They said it was too fancy, it was

old-fashioned, that no one ever did it (the

old “I don’t want to do anything that isn’t

cool excuse), and some just did not have

an answer. They just print “because.”

Actually, most surveys now

show that the majority of Ameri-

cans print instead of using cursive.

Psychology Today states that cursive is

a faster way to write and is more likely

to engage students by providing a bet-

ter sense of personal style and ownership.

Other scientists say that cursive writ-

ing helps better develop hand/eye coor-

dination, and improves brain function

in children. Academic experts say it

is a necessary back-up skill to technol-

ogy, can boost academic achievement,

aids students with learning disabili

The digital world is here and is not g

away. People are more and more mov

away from writing of any kind towards typ

A 2012 Pew report found the volume of

messages among teens rose from 50 a day

average in 2009 to 60 a day on average

years later. That was four years ago, so

average number of texts probably exceed

a day. In addition, many teachers now req

written assignments to be turned in onl

However, one factor has not been conered. Cursive is beautiful when done corr

ly. Teaching the hand and fingers to con

the ebb and flow of letters which conjoi

like a dance. The personality of the w

comes through in cursive where there is v

little personality in printing. More im

tantly, without learning cursive, Americ

will not be able to read the original Decl

tion of Independence in just a few short ye

How sad would that be?

K eep cur sive


12/20

By PATRICIA ANNE MANZINARES

News Editor

Allison Seitz is a busy girl. She is part of

STUCO, National Honor Society, French Na-

tional Honor Society and National Art Honor

Society, and even though she admits that all

those honor classes take up a lot of time,

she still enjoys being a part of everything.

Seitz said in order to balance extracurricular

activities and academics, “Do not take up a

whole lot of AP classes unless you can handle it

because it can be hard to balance both of them.”

Her goal is to get into UT and then go

to a medical school and take medicine.

“In order to achieve this goal I would work

hard in college for pre-med,” said Seitz.

She hopes to get accepted into good col-

leges, preferably her top three universi-

ties which are the University of Texas,

Notre Dame, and Northwestern. She ad-

mits that she has already started her col-

lege applications and even submitted them.

“I am looking forward to going to a great

Senior Grateful for last Four Yearuniversity and looking back into high school

and say that I enjoyed my four years ofhigh school here in Clements,” said Seitz.

She is proud of how she has matured through-

out the four years, because she was a very

different person when she was a freshm

“I expected Clements to be a really h

school, but I am glad I went here, becau

helped me become a better student,” she s

She enjoys art the most and admits

art is a big part of her life. Seitz sta

her dedication for art when she was

middle school and ever since has ta

art classes and entered art competiti

Seitz was also voted ho

coming queen this y

“I honestly did not think I was

ing to win but, I am honored

people voted for me,” she s

The people that she is most thankful

are her family and friends. Her most fav

ite part throughout her four years in h

school is the EOC week because the

perclassmen get to relax for nine d

Her advice for future seniors is, “Do

let seniority affect you at the start of

nior year and finish college applicati

before having the fun of senior ye

KELSEE AVERYReporter

Aditya Jain may seem to most people as a typ-

ical high school senior, but he is far from it.

He is the President of Mu Alpha Theta and

German National Honor Society. He is also the

co-president of Academic Challenge, and the

vice president of Junior Engineering and Tech-

nical Society. Beyond that, Jain is involved

in Academic Speech Team, Science National

Honor Society, and National Honor Society.

With all of his extra-curricular activi-

ties, Jain still considers himself an in-

trovert, even though all he does in-volves interacting with different people.

“I think overall I am an introvert be-

cause I stay in my head a lot, even when I

am acting more like an extrovert and be-

ing talkative, open etc. I’m never able

to fully express myself and my personal-

ity, only bits and pieces of it,” said Jain.

While trying to manage schoolwork and

everything else he does, he states that peo-

ple think he does not get enough sleep,

considering that most high school students

S e n i o r j o u r n i e s i n t o f u t u r etrying to balance clubs and AP courseswould not in the first place. Also, mak-

ing friends with people that are more con-

cerned about their class rank rather than

keeping their friendships is a little risky.

As a senior, he has had to look into the

future. When it comes to a future career,

he is not 100 per cent sure of anything, ex-

cept for the fact that he wants to do somthing enjoyable; which could explain

reasoning behind his applying to 13 d

ferent schools. Among Jain’s top two c

lege choices are Harvard or the Mas

chusetts Institute of Technology (MI

Jain thinks that Clements is a great sch

academically, and it may be hard to ke

up with schoolwork, which is why he h

role models to look up to in times of str

or when he felt the need of someone els

opinion. One of his main role models, L

Shen graduated from Clements last ye

When describing her, he explained that swas highly intelligent but did not care abo

classification, because she was pursuing h

own interests. This kind of role model set

standard for the kind of person he wants to

Although Jain does not quite know wh

college he wants to attend, or what job

wants to have in the future, many can s

that whatever he does, he will be reme

bered for his values, his genuine personal

and his achievements. So simply put, A

itya Jain is not a typical high school seni

Features

12


13/20

Learn simple gifts of givingBy KASEY VOLLMERING

Ads Editor

All around the world people are helping

people. It is a way we show we care about

what is going on in others’ lives, not just our

own. The simplest things in life can bring

so much joy to the people around us. There

are so many ways to give back to the com-

munity and others. All over Sugar Land

alone are many different organizationsand programs that are just to help others.

There is an unlimited amount of opportuni-

ties to give back. It is hard to understand how

much you can impact another human’s life.

We go around living normally and not even

knowing that we can change someone’s life.

“There is not a better feeling then know-

ing you changed someone life. Just a

small thing can make a big dent in some-

one else’s life,” Fatima Moton, senior.

Volunteering is a great way to help out.

When volunteering, people learn new

skills and knowledge that could not have

been learned on their own. It helps us de-

velop and grow as human beings. It al-

ways helps other gain a new perspective.

Students at CHS verify this belief.

“I think volunteering is important because it

is good to give to others that do not have what

you have and I enjoy seeing their reactions

to my service,” said Essence Weeks, senior.

Volunteering can help change the perspec-

tive on the world and on the people aro

us. Seeing people who are worse off an

giving up hope can change a person and g

life a whole new meaning. Volunteerin

needed everywhere and everyone can h

“It is important to help people who can

help themselves,” said Mandy Johnson, sen

The simplest of tasks can change so

one’s life and even give them hope for a

ter day. Not only are you helping someelse feel good when volunteering, but it

helps boost your own self-esteem. Help

others makes people feel good about th

and shows how much they are truly need

“Give people the best you h

and the best will come to you,”

Cameron Marshall, sophom

People do not realize the impact t

make when helping someone else.

reward of knowing that someone els

better off because of something they

It’s a great feeling.

gling next to a warm fire and sip-

ping hot cocoa—it calls for being

cozy. Many people, like Joy, love to

dress comfortably. Sweaters are per-

fect for achieving this comfy look.

They come in a variety of styles

and colors for every personality.

To accessorize during the win-

ter, scarves and beanies are great.

Scarves can add the perfect pop of

color in any outfit and keep warmon those chilly days, and when feel-

ing lazy to choose an outfit, adding

a scarf to a plain shirt will instantly

make the outfit look more pulled to-

gether and planned. Beanies are also

a stylish and warm accessorie. Bean-

ies come in a variety of style. From

ones that look like animals, with big

ears, to big beanies that cover up a bad

hair day, they are a great accessory to

By SANGEETHA PUTHIGAI

Voices Editor

Fashion is a way to express personal-

ity and individuality. This winter season,

there is a style to suit everyone’s person-

ality. Some like the layered, casual look.

“I like big comfy sweaters,”said Joy Capellan, sophomore.

Winter cold weather calls for snug-

add to any outfit and to bring out personality.

Some people have a difficult time transfer-

ring from their summer wardrobe to their win-

ter wardrobe, so to bring summer outfits into

the winter wardrobe, tights are an essential.

Recently, tights under shorts have been a

in-style. It is the perfect way to bring sum

mer clothes the winter wardrobe. Tigh

can also be thrown under a summer dress

skirt to bring out a more feminine, yet st

warm, winter outfit. Many summer tops d

not protect from the windy, cold weather winter, so thick cardigans are a perfect wa

to help make use of summer clothin

“My favorite part about wi

ter is wearing big baggy sweate

with yoga pants and furry boots

said Emily Burrows, sophomor

Burrows’ style calls for furry boo

Furry boots provide warmth and ad

style to any outfit. In winter weathe

every style of boots is accepted. Boo

come in a variety of designs to e

press individuality. Combat boots an

knee high boots have recently been istyle, especially with long socks. Wh

Cosy winter fashions rule

thrown over skinny jeans or tight

boots help pull an outfit togethe

Fashion is an amazing way to e

press emotion. As Alexander M

Queen said, “It’s a new era in fas

ion – there are no rules. It’s all abo

the individual and personal style

So, this winter, dress wi

style and express charism

1


14/20

14

Megan Hoang competes for USA swim team

Jonathan Marlatt swims with high hopeBy SAMEEN SIDDIQUI

Reporter

Jonathan Marlatt, senior, is a part of

the Rangers swim team. He has been in

swimming for most of his life and is the third

fastest breaststroker in Clements history.

“I have been on a summer swim league since

I was 4 years old back in 1999. I have only

done summer leagues all of my life and then

high school. I never did any club swimming,”said Marlatt.

While he watched the 2008 Beijing

Olympics, he saw how Michael Phelps won

eight gold medals and it inspired Marlatt to

join swim for at least a year. After a year, his

parents then encouraged him further to keep

swimming.

“I chose swimming because I was a good

summer league swimmer and I was not

that great in all the other sports as I am in

swimming,” said Marlatt.

He believes that there are many

By CHANDNI THAKKAR

Ads Editor

Junior Megan Hoang, is a phenomenal

swimmer with high goals and ambitions.

She is set on two things: swimming even

after high school and achieving her goals.

aspects of this sport that are challenging. For

example, the swim team has to practice for

about two and a half hours every day after

school and three hours on Saturday.

“The intense training drains all the energy

out of you and many teammates go through

joint pains, such as, in the shoulder and

knee,” said Marlatt.

His advice for people who are considering

joining swim next year is to understand that it

takes a lot of dedication and hard work.

“My most memorable moment would have

to be in Austin Texas at the state swim meet,”

said Marlatt.

Out of many achievements, Marlatt believes

his greatest ones would be when he had to

state in the medley relay and being able to

be the third fastest breaststroker ever in

Clements.

To prepare for swim meets, Marlatt likes to

stretch and focus on upcoming events.

With his hopes high for the team this year, he

has also had a good high school experien

He has had lots of fun in swim and m

many new friends along the way. Thro

dedication of not only swim, but also

studies, Marlatt believes that this year

good one so far. He is eager to see what

store for him, yet to come.

Photo by Noor Mallick

Photo by Noor Mallick

SPORTS

Swimming is

Megan’s passion.

She swims for

both the Clements

team and the USS

team, outside of

school. The USS

is a year round

swimming program

of the United States

which Megan also

dedicates her time

towards.She dedicates

many hours to

swimming, about

eighteen to twenty

hours every week.

Not only does she

swim for the program, but she also helps to

coach the younger generation.

“I love seeing the talent that is to come,”

Hoang said.

Megan has been swimming for eight to

nine years, and she began when she was only

eight years old. A friend was the one w

introduced her to the sport. She has built

love and talent for swimming since then.

“I love all the relationships I have m

over the years and all the positive effects

tools both physically and mentally,” Ho

said.

She has met some of her best friends thro

swimming. They were all easily able to b

over their love and passion for the sp

There are many strokes in swimming s

as the butterfly or backstroke, but Hoan

favorite is the I.M. which is a combinatioall the strokes. She would like to make s

again on the high school level and then m

on to nationals. On a larger scale, she wo

eventually like to represent the United St

internationally. Hoang also hopes to recei

scholarship to Cal Berkley.

With all this time dedicated towa

swimming, grades in AP classes could b

challenge, yet Megan does not give up.

“I hope to complete and achieve my g

of being the best swimmer I can be

one day representing the United St

internationally,” Hoang said.


15/20

1

Softball tournament honors Zach Grafe

By HAANIYA DAWOODALLY

Reporter

The Clements faculty is as important as

the students, Each teacher is unique and has

a special place in Clements. The Clements

family will always remembers one teacher

who made a difference in students’ lives,

Coach Zach Grafe. Grafe was a coach at

Clements for eight years, training girls for

softball and basketball, and as a world history

teacher. He was diagnosed with leukemia in

2000 yet still stayed to coach. After taking

three separate leaves for treatment during his

coaching, he passed away on December 29,

2006.

“He was the most amazing man, who made

sure everyone knew how important they were.

He was a great coach and a true mentor,” said

Angela Espinosa, former student of Grafe’s

and current English I teacher.

In honor of his battle with leukemia,Clements hosts the 6th Annual Zach Grafe

Softball Tournament on Saturday January

11, 2014 in the CHS field. Student teams

from Ridge Point, Dulles, Dawson Pearland,

Hallettsville, and Clements play two games

against each other and then an Alumni game

begins between the current Clements softball

players and the Clements alumni (players

who have graduated from CHS, both those

who played for Grafe, and those who h

played since he passed away). Every y

all the proceeds earned from the game

donated to the Zach Grafe Fund, a coll

fund set up for Grafe’s three kids, Ri

Reagan, and Zachary and also supportsfamily with their daily life.

“Unfortunately, last year our tournam

was rained out. It was also my first yea

Clements.

This tournament not only helps Gra

kids, but keeps his memory alive by play

the sport he loved. The first tournement

held than a month after Coach Grafe lost

battle with cancer.

Sports editor predicts Vince Lombardi trophy winnerBy RABAB ZEHRA

Sports Editor

The most anticipated game in the nation, the

Super Bowl, is right around the corner. Super

Bowl XLVIII will be held February 2

at MetLife Stadium to determine the 2013

season champions. Contenders play for the

Vince Lombardi trophy. Most experts agree

that the most likely teams to play each other

are believed to be the 49ers and Chiefs.

Teams such as the Oakland Raiders,

Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers,

and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are out of the

picture for the Lombardi. Five teams from

the AFC that have a chance at competing

in the playoffs include: Denver Broncos,

Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals, New

England Patriots, and the Kansas City Chiefs.

On the opposing side, for the NFC, five

teams that are likely to make it to playoffs

are: Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers,

Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, and the

Detroit Lions. Out of these ten teams only

two are going to make it to the Super Bowl

and only one will be crowned champion. The

ultimate question is who will claim the Super

Bowl XLVIII title. The most favored AFC Championship

game could be a battle between the Chiefs

and the Broncos. For NFC it will be a fight

with the 49ers and the Seahawks. Alex

Smith, quarterback of Kansas City, came

in this season from the 49ers. It will be a

highly awkward but spectacular showdown

if those two teams compete with each other

for the trophy. Kaepernick, who was made

the starting QB in the middle of the season,

when Smith suffered from a concussion,

was a rookie who made it to the Super Bowl

last year. Although the 49ers lost againstRavens, Kaepernick showed his poten

and what he can do on the field. His arm

his greatest strength alongside his abilit

move fast, which will be a strong wea

against opposing teams. Russell Wi

of the Seahawks has great statistics so

including 17 touchdowns and approxima

2,132 yards just this season. And lastly t

is no question of the capabilities of Pey

Manning of the Denver Broncos. These

quarterbacks are no doubt strong assets

only to their teams but to the NFL.

Super Bowl XLVIII is in favor of the Chwho had a clean record of 9-0 in the 2

season. Coming back from his embarras

2012 season, Alex Smith has made g

achievements and victories in his debut

Chief. Last year was the Harbaugh Bowl,

this year it seems likely that Jim Harba

will make reappear in the Super Bowl wi

Smith catch phrase.

It is only a short few weeks until the play

begin, and all anyone can talk about is

Super Bowl. No matter who the competi

are, it is guaranteed to be a great game.


16/20

By JOSEPH VASQUEZ

Reporter

The SAT’s are one of the most important

exams of any high school student’s life and

many students prepare for it a year or two

in advance just to make sure they get thehighest score possible. If students plan on

going to the college they want then they

have to not only get a high GPA but also

they need to do well on your SAT’s. Many

seniors have been worrying about this

Survival Guide: SAT Edition

major exam

for years and

now it is their

turn to take it

on.

“I usually

go around

and buy any book I see that

looks like it

can help me

prepare and be

ready for the SAT exam.” said Harish.

He has been reading SAT prep books

since the beginning of his sophomore year.

“I believe that when I take the exam I will

be ready for anything that happens.” said

Harish Gupte when asked if he thinks hewill be prepared when taking the SAT.

Many students like Gupte have been pre-

paring as early as sophomore year to be sure

their score is high enough to get them into the

college of their choice. This shows how im-

portant this exam is those students who want

to increase their chances of getting into col-

leges like the University of Texas or LSU.“This exam will make or

break you depending

on how you choose to

prepare for it be-

fore hand.” saidTyler Grimsby

who will be tak-

ing this exam very seriously by making

he will be ready when time comes to tak

He wants to make sure that this one ex

will not prevent him from getting a

gree and having a bright future. Grim

takes one hour out of his day to studyfuture tests like the SAT’s.

Many students think that only their G

is the only thing that matters when

leges decide whether or not to let them

or not. Those students might be surpr

to see that one exam can completely r

everything they have worked toward

the last four years. Students should

tempt to be properly prepared for the t

“I am the only one of my friends that is

ting ready to take such an important exam

think I might even be the only one who i

ready worrying about because no one els

taking it seriously like me.” said Lucky

chelino. He worries that he may be the o

one of his friends that will actually do w

on the test and get into the college that

friends and he all want to go to.

These students will be prepared w

the time comes so that they do not hav

worry about getting a low score on the m

important test of their life. It is alw

good to be prepared for something majo

students know that their future is at ha


17/20


18/20

“Good music and quality time with my

friends.”

Josh Goodman, senior.

“Money.”

Rahil Laliani, sophmore.

“Hanging out with friends.”

Sahil Shan, freshman.

“Mangos.”

Ida Amogawin, senior.

“A thousand puppes runing around the

school giving people named Soham

Dhar hundred dollar bills.”

Soham Dhar, freshman.

“If somebody brought me Starbucks.”

Melissa Rodriguez, junior.

“If I suddenly became number one in

my class.”

Rosanne Hu, junior.

What would make your day

“Narpam.”

Jacob Ruiz, junior.

“Eggplants that are free.”

James Massey, sophmore

Voices

18


19/20

“To stop cursing.”

Isabela figueredo, sophamore.

“To be a better all around person to my

family, friends and peers.”

Daniel Gonzales, junior.

“Eat more food.”

Matthias Wong, freshman.

“Stop procrastination.”

Andi Liang, junior.

“To not lie bytelling myself I’ll do it

tomorrow.”

Gerardo Canedo, sophamore.

“Get accepted into the AM fashion

show.”

Vivian Tran, junior.

“Study more and get more sleep.

Blake Jameson, freshman.

What’s your new year’s resolution

“To be nice.”

Andrea Akuna, senior.

“To have longer hair.”

Chris Cinquemani, junior.

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