PAGE
RAM
December 2013 █ Vol. 30 Issue 2
Mayde Creek High School
19202 Groschke Rd. █ Houston, TX 77084 █ 281-237-3842
Sticks
and Pg. 10
Stones
Putting an end to bullying.
Willy Wonka
That’s a Wrap! Behind
the Scenes
Pg. 5
Blast from
the Past
The Texas Renaissance
Festival
Pg. 13
2
RAMPAGE-DECEMBER 2013
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contents
CO-EDITORS IN CHIEF
Ramsey Minto
Vaclav Cafourek
ADVERTISING &
LAYOUT
Alex Castillo
FEATURES EDITIOR
Sarah Kent
SPORTS EDITOR
Connor Bubb
STAFF
Julie Araica
Alex Armbruster
Stephanie Perez
Misty Cabrera
Justin Golden
Stacey Mason
Tyler Patterson
Stephanie Perez
Hannah Struczewski
featured
06
05
07
10
13
14
16
PHOTOGRAPHY
Daniela Fernandez
Luisana Guevara
Kiana Mills
Grant Pifer
Amy Reyes
Rosi Reyes
Obamacare
Willie Wonka
Volunteering
Bullying
RenFest
Wrestling Coach
Spirit Week
Gallery
ADVISER
Sheryl Stephenson
PRINT
aPrintis Inc.
GENERAL INQUIRIES
Mayde Creek High School
19202 Groschke Rd.
Houston, TX 77084
281-237-3842
regular
Kudos04
Personality Profile08
Ramblings09
Do It Yourself12
Cover photo by Grant Pifer
Scan this QR code to your smart
The Rampage is an official publication of
MCHS. Editorials represent the opinion
of the writer, but not necessarily of KISD
administration or faculty. The Rampage
is a member of the Interscholastic
League of Press Conference (ILPC), the
Texas Association of Journalism Education (TAJE), the Journalism Education Association (JEA), the Columbia Scholastic
Press Association (CSPA), the Texas High
School Press Association (THSPA), and
the National Scholastic Press Association
(NSPA). It has received tops in Texas for
writing and photography, a gold crown
for in-depth reporting, a first class rating,
and is a medalist with first place ratings.
It is the policy of KISD not to discriminate on the basis of sex, disability, race,
religion, color, age, or national origin
and its educational programs, activites,
and employment practices.
phone to view this magazine online!
3
4
RAMPAGE-DECEMBER 2013
SCHOOL NEWS
Change your fate with Debate
As freshman Claudia Ribera
reaches the podium, she takes
out her notes and lays them
flat on the top. Before she
can even put her hand
down, she notices they are
clammy and sweaty, just like
always. Ribera raises her head
and tells herself, “Make them
raise their eyebrows. Surprise
them.”
Ribera looks down at her
notes, and suddenly, she’s not
nervous anymore. She realizes her
notes make good points, and that
debate can fun if you let it be. As
Ribera lifts her head, she can only
help but think that this is going to
be a good tournament. “I’ve got
this,” Ribera thinks as she smiles
sweetly at the judges.
“Debate helps you with your
communication skills. It helps
you write better, and it helps you
expand your vocabulary,” says
Ribera.
Many students at Mayde
Creek are involved in an array
of extracurricular activities, but
how many students are actually
interested in being associated
with the Debate team? Many
students at the Creek don’t even
know that their school has a
Debate team. Those who do may
think that they don’t want to
By Stacey Mason
Staff
be involved in something that requires
school work, but what they don’t know
is that it all benefits them in the long
run.
“It’s a great intellectual
activity,” said speech teacher
and Debate coach Gregory
McGee. “I was in Debate
when I was in high school and
I liked it. It teaches you to
speak for yourself,” he says.
Debaters get to
compete in a variety of events
and tournaments, most of
which include field trips. While
at these tournaments, debaters
are able to discuss various types of
matters and come to resolutions on
different topics.
“Debate helps you write better
and expand your vocabulary,” says
Ribera.
For any student who enjoys
public speaking and is looking for more
opportunities to get their opinions out
there, Debate may be just the activity
for them. Most students who are shy
at first towards it are the ones who
end up liking
it the most.
So don’t be
too shy to join.
Use Debate as an
oppurtunity to get
your opinion out in
the open!
Kudos
The Mayde Creek Rams varsity golfers traveled to Sealy the weekend of October 5-6 to play in the Taylor Fall Classic golf
tournament held at River Ridge. Senior Danny Thames turned in a consistent 86-86 scorecard and Junior Tyler Gravett shot
98-89 to round out the Rams scoring.
Senior Ram Rider Chloe Bening competed at the USDF Regional Championship and at the National Equitation finals on
her Quarter Horse.
Junior Yilin Zhao and Senior Nicholas Diaz both made Region Honor orchestra. Their concert was November 23rd at 4pm
at Seven Lakes High School.
#12 Senior Quarterback Jacob Griese was nominated for the Touchdown Club of Houston’s Football Scholar Athlete of the
Year. He won a $500 scholarship. He was one of only 25 nominees from the entire Greater Houston Area.
The Ram Band competed in the Lamar CISD Invitational on October 5 in Rosenberg. The band earned Superior ratings in
marching, music, general effect, individual marching and percussion.
Mayde Creek’s Girls Wrestling competed against Cy Ridge. Senior Ramsey Minto won by decision over Dayra Acosta.
The Cross Country teams competed at the Strake Jesuit Invitational on October 12. The Varsity squad was led by Junior
Olivia Johnston, who placed 16th out of a field of 88 runners.
SCHOOL NEWS
By Stephanie Perez
Staff
Anyone can be a part
of the entire theater process,
either cast or crew. All you
need is to sign up for Theater
Company, an organization
open to any student who wants
to be part of the performing
arts community. Students don’t
need to be in a theater class to
be part of Theater Company.
Many students not only participated, but help set up the
production Charlie and The
Chocolate Factory.
“It’s like having a second
family. It’s full of people I
know and trust. I can go to
them for anything, no matter
what. It’s also like having a
second home. My Pizza Hut
online account has the PAC
as my primary address,” said
RAMPAGE-DECEMBER 2013
senior Michael Bowman.
Theater Company brings
many students together and
makes them part of something
bigger than just being a Mayde
Creek High School Student. Of
course it is a lot of work, but in
that work come those amazing
precious moments students
will always remember. And
when they do, they will sometimes bring tears of love, laughter, and desire.
“My best memory is
Senior Circle. This is my fourth
year here so the techs that
started as freshman are leaving
this year and they’re like my
babies. They’re my babies and
they’re all leaving me. During
Senior Circle we talked about
what theater meant to each
and every one of us. It was a
time for sharing and looking
back on how much we meant
to each other,” said technical
director Mrs. Reed.
Sadly, not all of the
rehearsals were full of sugar.
The crew did have some sour
candy. In the very short time
frame they were working with,
there was no room for mistakes
or malfunctions. Any malfunction so close to opening could
bring the curtains down.
“The hardest part of
putting on Willy Wonka was
the fact that we only had five
and a half weeks to do the
whole set. Then when we were
cutting down the width of
the two-by-four gates for the
Wonka Factory, the table saw
stopped working. We believe
we popped or burned a fuse or
something happened with the
motor in general,” said senior
Alex Galan.
The thing about any
production is that the director
can change anything he/she
wants. Whether the change is
big, small, two weeks before
5
opening night, or two days it
doesn’t matter. The constant
changes never end. Then again,
it’s all ‘show biz.’
“We actually took out an
entire scene three days before
the show. Anyone who has
seen the movie or read the
book knows of Willy Wonka’s
magic elevator. We tried to pull
it off, but in the end it was too
hard logistically and didn’t
help the story at all,” said
senior Matthew Ubias.
However, despite the tight
time schedule and malfunctions, the cast and crew pulled
through for opening night
and all the way until closing.
Overall, the cast and crew
worked together like the family
they are and put on a series
of shows to the best of their
ability, bringing us into the
magical journey of Wonka’s
factory and all the sweets and
sours that came with it.
6
WORLD NEWS
RAMPAGE-DECEMBER 2013
Printing taken to the next level
By Tyler Patterson
Staff
New technologies continue to be a commodity in
modern society. Printing is no
exception. It has evolved for
decades and has now transformed into a new form of
machinery our world has not
seen before - 3D printing.
3D printing incorporates
both technology and science to
create a printed product in the
form of a three-dimensional
object.
“A 3D printer allows you
to easily construct physical 3D
representations and models of
almost any object, something
just an average printer simulates,” said freshman Sean
Shamgar.
Having a printer that
prints designs into three dimensional objects also provides
for a hands-on experience of
ideas or projects that are being
presented to an audience.
“It allows your audience
to have a more in-depth idea
of what you’re trying to show
them,” said Shamgar.
Owning a 3D printer is a
luxury, but buyers have to go
through some practical training
first to learn how to properly
By Vaclav Cafourek
Co-Editor In Chief
For the last few years, the
Affordable Care Act has been a
controversial, much-discussed,
and much fought-over piece of
legislation. It has been the basis
for many national debates, and
has served to further entrench
both conservatives and liberals
on opposite sides of the political spectrum, far away from
the land of compromise. Most
recently, it led to the government shutdown in October
when the two sides could not
reach an agreement.
Yet many in our nation
remain uncertain of what
the Affordable Care Act, or
“Obamacare,” as it is commonly called, actually requires.
The Affordable Care Act,
use it.
“It’s harder to use than a
regular printer because there
are more complicated steps
to print what you want,” said
freshman Hannah Perez.
Upgrading from two dimensional to three dimensional
printing also requires maintenance that wouldn’t be needed
for a regular printer.
“You have to reinstall the
plastic string every day and
recalibrate the printer ever
two to three months,” said
Shamgar.
Once a person learns how
to correctly use a 3D printer,
models can be used to showcase an object instead of just
showing images of an idea on a
piece of paper.
“You could have models
to physically see your whole
image at once, at all angles,
without the need for multiple
images,” said senior Katelyn
Petersen.
One idea that is being
experimented with right now is
3D printed organs. These new
objects would be constructed
by printing a patient’s own
living cells layer by layer, using
computer-guided technology
to create 3D printed organs
that would function as a real
bodily organ. This would be
a huge breakthrough in the
medical industry.
“Overall it would provide
our society with a new technological/health advance by
altering the material used in
3D printing to meet human
needs,” said junior Nabil Khan.
Creating this new medical
phenomenon will be a gigantic challenge, but once these
3D-printed organs are created
and proven effective, it will
eliminate our reliance on a
limited amount of organs
donated for transplants.
“It eliminates the need
for organ donors because you
can print the exact organ the
patient needs,” said Petersen.
Having easy access to
organs is a massive plus, but
having 3D-printed organs
leaves some people leery of the
health risks.
“I would be quite skeptical
because I don’t believe that in
today’s society it would be considered safe,” said Khan.
3D printing will continue
to be a technological innovation in our current and future
societies. New ideas will be
introduced and new theories
will be proposed. The question
is… How far are we willing to
take 3D printing?
How would you
feel to have a 3D
printed organ in
your body?
“As long as
the organ
functions
correctly,
I’m perfectly
fine with it.”
- Neal
Morgan (9)
“It wouldn’t
work
properly.
You’re
putting a
fake organ
in your body.”
- Issac
Bhuiyan (10)
“I would be
scared,. I hope
it’s tested
before being
put in my
body.”
- Guy
Ngassa (10)
The Affordable Care Act - Is it?
formally known as the Patient
Protection and Affordable
Care Act, was signed into law
on March 23, 2010. The stated
goals of the law have been to
raise the quality of healthcare
insurance while making it
more affordable, to decrease
the number of uninsured citizens, and to require insurance
companies to give applicants
equal rates, even with pre-existing conditions.
As with many laws, the
ACA’s mandates were not
immediately implemented, but
rather scheduled to be phased
in, with most provisions enacted by the beginning of 2014,
and all provisions supposed to
be enacted by 2020. The law’s
actual major provisions are:
•
Businesses with 50 or more
employees are required to
offer full-time employees
healthcare insurance, or face
penalties.
•
Medicare payment system
is reformed, and reimbursements are changed
from “free-for-service” to
bundled payments
•
Medicaid eligibility is
broadened to allow for
families and individuals
with incomes up to 138% of
federal poverty level
•
Insurers are prohibited
from denying coverage
based on pre-existing conditions
•
Minimum health insurance policy standards are
established
Right now, these
“minimum standards” are
what is causing the most
trouble. While people were
promised that they could keep
their current health care plans,
many are finding the policies
they had do not meet the new
minimum standards and are
having to buy new, more expensive coverage.
Although by no means is
this a complete overview of
the law and its consequences,
which would be hard to fit
in to a single article, it will
hopefully provide enough
of the basics to make readers
reasonably informed on what
the ACA actually constitutes.
Students are encouraged to go
out and learn more.
RAMPAGE-DECEMBER 2013
FEATURES
By Hannah Struczewski
Staff
The end of the semester
gets a lot of students riled up
because they’re all excited for
the upcoming Christmas break.
Finally being able to relax after
working hard day after day is
something to look forward to,
right? Well, sadly, before you
can get to the relaxation part
you have to go through two
weeks of constant studying
and reviewing for the exams
that you must face the week
before school releases for the
long break. For some students
exams are quick, easy, and
overall a piece of cake, but for
others who struggle academically, exams are the worst
part of the school year. But no
matter which type of student
you are, we all know you just
want to get these nasty exams
over and done with.
Nerves: Different people
have different times when
they get nervous and one of
those big times is during very
important tests that could
potentially decide if they move
up a grade or stay where they
7
Dead Week is Coming!
are for another year. Yeah, it’s
pretty intense, right?
“I’m not nervous right
now, but when the exams get
closer I will be because they are
just so stressful,” said sophomore Marie Maier.
Many students are very
relaxed throughout the year,
always doing their work and
making sure to get it in on time
in an attempt to keep their
grades up in the A to B marks,
but when the time for exams
approach, some students start
to get a little more stressed
and the relaxed environment
they have grown accustomed
to disintegrates into thin air.
They start stressing more and
a lot of students start to think
of the negatives instead of the
positives. Thinking about what
will happen if they don’t pass,
how low their grades may get
if they don’t do well on the test
and so on and so forth.
But instead of thinking
about all of those bad things,
it may be better to try to think
positively. Think about how
good you’re going to do or how
well prepared you are for this
big test. If you think like this,
then the stress levels that have
skyrocketed since you started
reviewing decrease a little and
you won’t be as nervous.
Another big problem for
many students is time. They
have two hours to complete the
test. For some students this is
plenty of time and they have
no trouble with it at all, but
there are some students who
struggle to complete it in this
amount of time. Not because
they don’t know the material,
but simply because they go
slowly at their own pace and
sometimes that can put some
time restraints on them.
For students at the other
end, who have no trouble finishing in the time period they
are given, finishing too early
might not be the best or most
fun thing either.
“I think we should be
able to leave when we personally have completed the
test because just sitting there
with absolutely nothing to
do is maddening and drives
me insane,” said sophomore
Emma Sharber.
When they have completed the exam students are not
allowed to leave the classroom
or do anything at all until
everybody else in the testing
room is done, and even then
sometimes the teacher doesn’t
allow talking or reading. They
make the students just sit there
and wait until the two hour
time period is over and they
are released.
Exams: They aren’t the
most fun thing to take, but
after they’re all over and everything is done, it’s almost as if
every student is being rewarded for their effort with a nice,
long break over the winter
holiday. Through the nerves,
the maddening waiting period
for those who finish earlier and
the stress that makes you want
to explode, the teachers and
everyone else are always here
to help you through this tough
time whenever needed.
Community Service:
Where to Get it. How to Get it
By Alex Castillo
Ads Manager/Layout Editor
Tis the season to be giving.
Volunteering is not only about
earning a cord at graduation.
Volunteering is mostly done
because people want to make
their community a better place.
People volunteer not to gain
recognition, but to do something worthwhile for the better
of all. Sometimes it is hard to
gain any hours at all, but that’s
why there are a few tips on
where students can find organizations to donate time to.
Students should try
looking for events at school
because there are always
events going on. Thanksgiving,
for example, is the time for
being grateful. The school
may support a food drive for
homeless students. Many
teachers may sponsor it and
give extra credit and many of
the sponsors would gladly sign
off and give community service
hours.
Students can join the
school Key Club. Key Club is
all about helping the community, and classes are not needed
to gain any hours; it’s an after
school club, so students should
decide carefully if they can
meet that expectation.
This year, Destination
Imagination is held after
school on Fridays. This is a
volunteer-led organization that
inspires leaders. As the months
roll on, students can look for
opportunities plastered on
the walls around the school.
Sometimes that’s the best way
to get things done, if students
open their eyes.
They can also join an
interesting class. ROTC would
be a great way to earn some
community service. People
love to see young, headstrong people in a uniform.
However, a uniform may not
be for everyone and joining
the class requires wearing it
every Thursday. If students are
willing, though, on average,
a cadet will earn 50 hours of
community service a year
and the community service
opportunities are broad. ROTC
members on average earn more
than three thousand hours
total, including a diversity of
events.
If something outside of
school is desired, students can
consider a food bank. A lot of
people love to give, and Mayde
Creek supports food banks in
their own ways. Students can
call the local food bank and ask
what their needs are.
Animal shelters are also
a great way of earning hours.
Animal lovers are great at
working here. They clean
doggy cages, walk doggies and
give a hand around the office.
Earning volunteer hours
doesn’t have to be a drag. Call
nursing homes and hospitals,
check with counselors and ask
them if they have any ideas.
No matter what the hours
are, a helping hand is always
welcome.
On Colder Shores
Overlooking the Baltic Sea
and neighboring the border of
Denmark is Southern Sweden,
home of the foreign exchange
student Alicia Von Bodungen
Thelin. Southern Sweden is
the most densely populated
area of the country, housing
13 percent of the country’s
population. It is predominantly agricultural, covered
in lush, green hillsides with
numerous lakes and rivers that
flow through the fifth largest
country of Europe.
The cities are nestled along
the shoreline and consist of
a modest population, unlike
the hustle and bustle that is
Stockholm. The urban area has
cosmopolitan charm, but the
main attraction is the beautiful
countryside. It has everything - hills, forest, and sea;
which is why it is so hard to
By Daniela Fernandez
Staff
imagine that one would want
to leave Sweden to come to the
lack-luster culture of America.
But Thelin simply wanted
to immerse herself within a
culture that is foreign to her.
“I wanted to come to
America to experience high
school here. My host family
was randomly chosen and I
ended up coming to Houston,”
Thelin said.
However, this is not
Thelin’s first American experience. She visited the country
at 10 years old and this is her
third trip here. The well-traveled Swede has also been to
Italy, Greece and Germany.
“America and Sweden
are very different. The main
difference is the transportation.
In America, having a car is very
important to take you places.
But in Sweden everything is
1
2
3
What does
it take to be
captain?
How do you
motivate
your team
before
a game,
match, or
tournament?
By Julie Araica
Staff
fairly close enough that it is
usually within walking distance. Most people ride buses
or ride bikes to get to where
they want,” Thelin said.
The Swedish lifestyle is
very slow paced in contrast to
the faster pace of America. The
education system is also very
different.
“In Sweden, our school
schedules are different every
day. There also aren’t that
many opportunities to take
different classes and there are
no school sports,” Thelin said.
Thelin seems eager to get
to attend school in America,
and attending Mayde Creek
offers her a new, rich experience.
“So far I think that Mayde
Creek is very cool, I really like
all the different sports that you
can take,” Thelin said.
Thelin is a junior taking a
variety of different courses and
would really like to join some
of the sports here at Mayde
Creek. All-around, she likes
many things about the country.
“I love America! My favorite things are the language,
how outgoing all the people
are, and all the new things and
experiences here,” Thelin said.
Although none of her
family lives in America, Thelin
identifies with the culture quite
well and has truly embraced it
thus far. Overall, she really is
just a typical teenage girl from
colder shores.
Captains of the Creek
Ramsey Minto
Wrestling Captain
How do you
handle the
pressure
of being a
captain?
PROFILES
Photo by Luisana Guevara
8
RAMPAGE-DECEMBER 2013
At first I was a little
bit nervous when my
coach told me that I
was going to be head
captain. I handle the
pressure because I feel
like my team really
respects me.
You have to be a
leader and you have
to know what to do
in certain situations if
people don’t listen to
you. You also have to
be firm enough to tell
people what to do, and
know when to be mean
or nice.
I motivate my team
by reminding them that
they’ve worked too hard
and sacrificed too much
to not give it their all
during a match.
By Rosi Reyes
Staff
Christian Pallotta
Tennis Captain
Timothy (TK) Oyedele
Football Captain
There’s no pressure. I’m used to it.
Trying to be a leader to
my teammates.
I handle the pressure by staying calm
and helping the team as
best as I can.
It’s a whole lot on
your back. You have to
be a leader on and off
the field. You have to set
the example. It’s a lot on
your shoulders. I don’t
really mind carrying all
that weight.
It takes leadership,
being a coach on the
court, a leader by
example.
It takes leadership
skills, determination,
and cooperation with
the team to help the
team achieve its goal.
You’re supposed to
have a sense of leadership. Your teammates,
coaches, and the people
at school have to see
that whenever you walk
around, you are the
boss.
By giving them
confidence, pumping
them up, and telling
them that they are
going to win. During
the matches I also give
tips and encouragement
throughout the match.
I sometimes give
a huge motivational
speech to my offensive
line to make sure my
team has that physical
and mental toughness
which is necessary for
any team we face.
Rudy Knight
Basketball Captain
By telling them “We
can do it,” and “Play
hard, Play strong, Stay
focused.”
RAMPAGE-DECEMBER 2013
EDITORIAL
Should miniumum wage be
raised?
Yes
Who would you like to switch
bodies with and what would
you do if you could?
RAMBLINGS
Many Americans currently work for minimum wage
around the country. In the current economy, many people
are struggling to find employment and must accept jobs
with lower pay. While minimum wage can sustain a citizen,
many are barely scraping by to pay their basic daily expenses. From purchasing food to paying utility bills, minimum
wage is proving to be less and less sufficient and, therefore,
should be raised.
While it may be seen that minimum wage can cover
the basic living costs of an individual, it is much too low to
provide all of the funds needed to care for a family. Even
a family of two struggles to get by on the current $7.25
minimum wage.
Although people can cut spending, it is still very
difficult to cover expenses for daily living. Schools require
supplies, work requires proper attire and grooming, children
need feeding, the list goes on and on. Many people who
work for minimum wage may not live at the poverty line,
but they are certainly close to it. Minimum wage workers
may range from the lower class to the lower middle class, if
they are fortunate.
Minimum wage also minimizes opportunity. For
example, a student may not be able to take a dual credit class
or take an AP exam because they lack the funds to pay for it.
While schools do provide scholarships to allow the students
the opportunity to take the class or test, there are still many
students who do not make the cut because the school cannot
provide scholarships.
Additionally, although it may be said that those who
work for minimum wage are employed in entry level,
part-time jobs and can work their way up, minimum wage
workers often are not able to make their way up the workchain. This is due to their lack of education required for a
higher-level position. Many minimum wage workers are
unable to pursue a higher education as they can barely
muster enough funds to take care of themsleves and/or their
families much less pay tuition and fees for college classes.
Workers have already attempted to take arms against
minimum wage in the Fast Food Strike earlier this year,
but the bar has yet to be raised. Hardworking citizens are
still barely keeping themselves and their families above the
poverty line. If this is to be remedied, there is only one true
solution: to raise minimum wage. It may be a few dollars, it
may even be one dollar, but a change needs to be made.
No
The minimum wage should not be increased by the
federal government for three reasons: the current minimum
wage is sufficiently high; raising it would have negative effects on consumers; and any meaningful increase in wage
would not be economically sound at the moment, while any
small increase in wage would have no real effect at all.
Minimum wage is a provision included in the Fair Labor Standards Act, making it federal law that employees be
paid no less than a certain minimum amount of money per
hour, in an attempt to make sure workers are properly compensated for their work and not swindled by employers. The
current federal minimum wage is $7.25. Is this enough to live
off comfortably? The truth for many, especially in states outside Texas where living prices are higher, is no. Then why
not raise the federal minimum wage? Simply because most of
those who support such an action forget that most jobs that
actually pay minimum wage are entry-level, part-time jobs.
According to workforce.com, more than half of fast food industry employees are between the ages of 16 and 25. These
are kids who are still going to school, many living with their
parents or in dorms. Although it sounds harsh, there is no
immediate need to raise their current salaries, because it’s not
vital. In the end, even people working full time under minimum wage would be able to get by, although not comfortably. But poverty won’t be solved by simply raising wages,
and it could actually worsen.
The second reason that raising the minimum wage would
not be wise at the moment is that such a raise would likely
lead to an increase in prices for a lot of goods and services.
Since employers would be required to pay some of their employees a bit more, they would likely raise their prices to compensate for the lost earnings. This would possibly translate to
more expensive milk and bread at your local Wal-Mart, or the
more-than-a-dollar ‘dollar menu’ at your go-to McDonald’s.
Finally, the reason minimum wage shouldn’t be increased right now is because any wage increase significant
enough to actually have a tangible positive impact for minimum wage employees would be too high to safely move
to now, and anything less would not help, and therefore be
unnecessary. Either way, wage raises might lead to inflation
or less confidence in the markets and businesses, things to
be avoided in times when the global economy is so volatile
and investors so fickle. In the future, wage raises might make
sense, but right now, it is better not to disturb the balance.
Arian Foster, because I’ve
always wanted to play football and I would break every
record possible.
Ms. Dawson
Angelina Jolie, so I
would be married to
Brad Pitt and act tough
like her in the movie
Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
Grant Mitchell, 9
9
Naruto just so I can fight
bad guys and have
blonde hair like him.
John Castro, 10
Chumnoeur Savath, 11
Lady Gaga, just because
I want to see how crazy
and messed up she is in
her head. And I would listen to the album ARTPOP
and try on her meat dress.
Kelsey Davis, 12
Oprah Winfrey so I can
put money from her
bank account to mine.
10
RAMPAGE-DECEMBER 2013
Sticks and Stones:
Bringing Bullying To An End
Not Another Statistic
No one can see internal pain
in another human being. There
is not a single soul on this earth
who can immediately distinguish a suffering soul above all
others, that’s why it is good to
understand a few things about
helping victims. Victims do not
have flashing signs above their
heads with an arrow pointing towards them. Sometimes
victims can materialize faster
than light. A simple comment
can hurt them along with a look,
a knowing smirk, and anything
else they feel has hurt them.
There are many ways to
distinguish a victim of bullying
including incidences of self-inflicted pain or a withdrawal from
society and friends. Sometimes
even the way they dress can be
a subtle hint that something has
changed.
Victims need a way to
relieve their pain. When a person
is hurt badly and cannot think
of anything else but of how they
are being emotionally drained,
they want to consider options
to making it stop. One of those
options is numbing themselves
so that they can release the
turmoil that stirs within them,
even if it is for a fraction of a
second. There are ways to numb
pain; it has been done with
alcohol and drugs that can leave
larger scars than what have
already been created. If others
who have been clearly steering
away from them suddenly take a
turn for the worse, it is time to be
concerned.
Other ways to numb the
pain of being emotionally
drained is through self-inflicted
wounds. Victims want a break
from the emotional hurt. They
want to focus on something else
that occupies their mind so they
hurt themselves. They may not
do it openly and broadcast it
to the world, but they may start
wearing clothing that covers
certain parts of their body so that
none could be the wiser. It is cold
outside, they might claim.
Photo By Luisana Guevara
By Alex Castillo
Ads Manager/Layout Editor
Clothing can represent
many things. If a person who
normally wears bright, cheery
clothes suddenly resembles a
drab hermit crab that is afraid of
the sun, it is definitely time to be
concerned. Friends should try
not to let them drown in their
sorrows but offer them a hand
to climb out of the tiny shell
because sooner or later they start
having self-esteem problems.
Victims start feeling like nobody
loves them and that nobody
would notice the difference
whether they walked in the
hallways or not. Sometimes they
avoid any type of contact. The
trauma unfolds at every touch
and leaves them vulnerable.
They feel like they are weird and
are paranoid because they expect
to be hit again and again.
Supporters should try not
to let victims suffocate. There are
many different signs, often subtle
ones, but important nonetheless.
They need someone to be outspoken and show them that they
are important. Sympathize with
them, and help lead them away
from danger by getting an adult
involved. Because in the end,
nobody wants to be a statistic.
“Never be
bullied into
silence. Never
allow yourself
to be made a
victim.”
-Tim Field
“Not all forms of abuse leave bruises.” -Danielle Steel
Permanent Decision, Temporary Problem
By Ramsey Minto
Co-Editor In Chief
Snide comments crept into
his mind as he approached his
locker. He refused to look up,
keeping his head and eyes low.
He knew people were staring.
He knew that they were laughing. Fear curled itself around his
stomach, clutched his heart, and
made his blood turn to ice. As
he turned his combination into
his locker, he felt someone grab
the hood on his jacket. Before he
could react, he was pulled to the
floor and felt something hit his
rib cage, shooting pain all up his
body. Three boys stood around
him, each one snarling like rabid
animals in his eyes, slurs spilling
from their lips like venom, onlookers watching, laughing even.
The friend whom he thought he
trusted enough to tell that he was
gay was one of the onlookers.
He searched his eyes for help,
searched for sympathy, but alas,
he found none. As sophomore
Carl Sanders* recalls this memory
of his sixth grade year, his eyes
glisten with tears.
“I felt like I had nowhere
to go. When I came out to my
parents, they shunned me due to
religious beliefs. The only friend
I trusted enough to tell ended
up telling other people and kids
*Names have been changed to protect student anonymity
started making fun of me. The
world in general has become
more accepting of homosexuality, but kids, especially middle
schoolers, can be so cruel. I honestly felt like nobody would care
if I was gone. Like, if anything,
everyone would be happy,” says
Sanders.
Many students who have
been in situations where they are
bullied feel this way, and many
get to the point where they contemplate suicide. When kids have
to face bullying on a daily basis,
they find it hard to approach
anyone for help out of fear of
being rejected.
“I felt empty, like there was
nothing to live for, and like everyone hated me. I feel like all I really
needed was support, but every
decision I made had a negative
backlash. I didn’t have anyone
there that would tell me it was
going to be ok. I should have utilized the school counselors, but I
was scared that they would push
me away too,” says Sanders.
Sanders was pushed to the
point of an attempted suicide, but
was rushed to the hospital when
his parents found him in the bathroom near death. Looking back
on it, Sanders is relieved that he
didn’t succeed in his attempt.
“I felt like the only way to
escape the fear, the cruelty, and
the anxiety was to end it all. But
I’m relieved that I didn’t succeed.
It was a very dark time in my life,
but it somehow brought me and
my family closer. Coming into
high school, I made so many new
friends, and I’ve met all of these
people that I wouldn’t have if
I would’ve succeeded with my
suicide attempt,” says Sanders.
While
Sanders
didn’t
succeed, bullying has pushed
many teenagers to successful
suicide. Suicide rates among
teens are at an all-time high, with
it being the third leading cause
of death among 15-24 year olds.
Many kids who commit suicide
are under the impression that no
one will care when they are gone,
but in reality, it affects everyone.
Several students from Cardiff
Junior High suffered deeply when
a classmate committed suicide on
May 17, 2009.
“It’s one of the hardest things
I’ve ever gone through ,and it will
probably remain the hardest,”
says senior Shannon Carr.
Anyone involved with a
suicide, regardless of who you
were to the person, feels guilty.
“The first thing that went
through my mind was that there
must have been a way to prevent
it. I could have done something
to help him, I could have been
a better friend. It doesn’t matter
who you were to the person, you
always feel guilty,” says Carr.
Carr was one of the few
people who were very close to the
student, yet she still describes the
prominent feeling as guilt.
“The reason that I felt guilty,
regardless of the fact that he was
one of my close friends, was that
I felt like I could have been there
for him more than I was. I had no
idea that he was contemplating it.
When I found out he was dead, it
was a shock, and that made me
RAMPAGE-DECEMBER 2013
feel guilty,” says Carr.
Suicide is a permanent decision for a temporary problem.
If you or someone you know is
being bullied, contact an adult
or an officer immediately to take
care of the situation. If you or
someone you know is contemplating suicide, do not be afraid
to reach out to a trusted adult.
Katy ISD even has a Crisis
Hotline available to students 24/7.
Students can call or text about
any problems they are experiencing. The numbers are right on the
backs of their IDs so they have
them handy at all times.
100% of those who attempted to commit suicide by jumping
from the Golden Gate Bridge but
survived admitted that halfway
down, they realized that their
problems could easily be fixed
and that dying was not worth it.
11
Hot Line Numbers
Katy Connect
281-234-2326 or
text “TEEN” to 78247
Houston Crisis Hotline
713-HOTLINE
Spanish Crisis Hotline
713-526-8088
Teenlink
713-529-TEEN
National Hopeline
1-800-SUICIDE
Trevor Project
1-866-488-7386
Suicide Hotline
800-784-2433
SPEAK UP
866-773-2587
“If there are no heroes to save you, then you be the hero.” - Denpa Kyosh
How To Be A Hero
Some people simply turn
their heads away, even when they
know someone needs their help.
Students are harassed and assaulted every day, even at school,
but they stop themselves from
getting help out of fear, panic, or
even just not wanting to upset the
status quo. However, bullying
can leave serious, both visible and
undetectable, scars on a person
who doesn’t receive help.
“Personally, I believe that
kids bully because they lack
control in their life or surroundings. Some kids turn to harming
themselves, while others try to
change their surrounding and
try to get the upper hand,” said
Bobby Michaels.*
When a student is bullied
they are often in a vulnerable
state. A bully is able to take advantage of this exposed student,
harassing and harming them in
order to control the student to feel
a sense of power.
Preventing bullying from
beginning or carrying on can
take some difficult work, but can
be accomplished in a number of
ways. Michaels recalls a personal
experience where he stopped a
bully by staying one step ahead
of them.
“When a student bullies,”
explained Michaels, “They have
command over the situation. In
some cases, not all, but some,
not letting them gain control and
trying to stay ahead can help
throw a student’s aggressor off of
them.”
Helping yourself is very important when it comes to bullying, but a student cannot forget
that others are there to help.
Many victims are often too scared
or nervous to ask for help. Some
people fear that nothing can be
done or that they simply should
not mess up what is considered
the norm.
“Never allow bullying to
continue if you can try to stop it,”
said Michaels. “Bullying is one
of the major reasons why suicide
rates amongst adolescents are on
the rise.”
A student can rely on several
people to help them, one of many
being an administrator. However,
many people feel uncomfortable
with seeking help from such authority. If a person needs help
they should not force themselves
into anything uncomfortable.
Talking to a favorite teacher,
trusted adult, a school counselor,
or even a close friend is always
helpful.
“If you have friends there to
give you support it helps make
the harassment slightly easier to
By Alex Armbruster
Staff
handle,” said Michaels.
Not receiving help for bullying can lead to many issues down
the line. Just because the physical scars heal does not mean the
emotional ones do. Victims feel
traumatized, ashamed, or worthless. There is no reason to sit still
and let oneself or others suffer.
Bullying is a serious issue that
affects the people around us every
day. The crucial things to remember are to not be afraid to ask for
help or to give it.
Bullying is an issue where no
one can simply stand by. Taking
a stand, telling a friend, or just
being there for someone to lean on
are all ways to help bullying come
to an end.
Photo By Luisana Guevara
ENTERTAINMENT
Off the chain
Smithing is an ancient art
that has been passed down for
hundreds of generations. As
mankind has moved further
into the age of technology,
many older forms of smithing
have been abandoned. One
of these forms is chainmail
smithing. Armor has been
absent from the modern world
for quite some time. However,
chainmail smithing has found a
form that is taking a new place
in the modern world through
the work of different artists.
Viewing smithing at the
Renaissance Festival, Junior
Kevin Flores became inspired
to create works of art in chainmail smithing. From creating
some of his own tools to modifying others for his purposes,
he works to make new, innovative designs in each bracelet
that he makes.
“After watching smithing
at the Renaissance Festival, I
wanted to find a way to use
smithing to create something
By Luisana Guevara
Staff
myself. I decided to make
bracelets and learned how
to make different kinds of
bracelets by reading about
different types of chainmail,”
said Flores.
Learning how to manipulate different metals to make
bracelets was no easy task.
Flores worked through different trials and errors in order
to improve his final products.
After a few tries, he began
to make bracelets that fit the
image that he had created in
his mind.
“I start the process by
choosing the metal I want to
work with - copper, brass,
stainless steel, etc. Then once
I have the metal in wire form,
I take out a spinning rod that
I made and spin the rod into
a tight coil. After all of it is
done, I decide on different
designs - Persian, half Persian,
Byzantium, spinning circlets
or a regular four-in-one chain.
I then spend my time making
the ringlets into
the design.After
I find the desired
length, I finish
it with a bracket
or just close the
bracelet,” said
Flores.
The process of
creating the bracelets is no easy task.
Therefore, Flores
does not make the
bracelets for just
anyone. He puts a Art of Smithing: Junior Kevin Flores shows off one of
lot of thought and the bracelets he made using a technique he learned after
time into each and observing it at the Renaissance Festival
every bracelets that
Photo by Luisana Guevara
he makes. Each
that no one else can give. His
bracelet is personal and one of
intentions are placed in every
a kind.
small detail, from the type of
“I give them to my friends
metal used to the number of
for special occasions. I don’t
ringlets. Each bracelet tells a
think I’d sell them. It’s a long
story without words. Whether
process to make a beautiful
it is a story of friendship or
design,” said Flores.
of celebration, Flores is the
Having a special purpose
author with each design that he
for making each bracelet,
makes.
Flores is able to create a gift
35%
What is our Favorite
Holiday Pie?
30%
8%
By Amy Reyes
Staff/Photographer
34%
What is our Favorite
Holiday Dish?
24%
25%
%
34
6%
By Sarah Kent
Features Editor
thanksgiving Foods
19%
20%
16%
15%
%
30
10%
7%
5%
21
%
12
RAMPAGE-DECEMBER 2013
0%
Casseroles
Ham
Stuffing Turkey
Mashed
Potatoes
ENTERTAINMENT
By Misty Cabrera
Staff
Every year a historical
event comes to Plantersville,
greeting us with open arms.
Everyone has been excited
since opening day. The Texas
Renaissance Festival has
become well known even to
students who have not gone.
Junior Sarah Stapelton is one of
the students who has experienced the festival’s historical
times.
“The Renaissance Festival
is about the golden times
and how simple it was,” said
Stapelton. “The first time I went
there I was amazed. It was like
stepping into another world
from the modern to older
times.”
Students are particularly
looking forward to one event
that most enjoy. Jousting is the
most popular event people love
to talk about.
“I definitely liked the
jousting tournament, because
By Julie Araica
Staff
Within our increasingly
digitized society, the emergence
of new technology is practically periodic; especially with
the upcoming holiday season.
Everyone has been struck by
a blunt case of FOMO (Fear of
Missing Out), especially the
gaming community. Everyone
wants the latest options for
enjoying the optimal gaming
experience.
The announcement of
the Xbox One and PS4 shook
the gaming community into
a frenzy, and now with the
release of these consoles right
around the corner, it comes
down to one question-Xbox
One or PS4?
The debate stirs up several
different responses from the
broad spectrum of gamers:
the fanboys, the core gamers,
the hardcore gamers, the pro
gamers, the newbies, the retro
gamers (who are in no way interested in what either console
has to offer), and the casual
gamers (who have probably
found themselves admiring
respective aspects of each
RAMPAGE-DECEMBER 2013
The Renaissance Festival
it’s just cool how they ride the
horses and how action-packed
it is,” said freshman Ryan Bell.
The crowd cheers and the
employees know that they are
doing a good job. The feeling
of being in another world is a
thrill to the ears of the crowd.
Yet, jousting is not the only
thing the workers need to
worry about. History teacher
Michael Latta has seen how
employees interact with other
people.
“The employees have to
demonstrate their specific skills
such as becoming a knight.
Back then the Renaissance
Festival had real knights and
now if anyone wanted to
become one they would need
to go through some training,”
said Latta.
While employees create the
atmosphere, the food entices
the stomachs in hunger. The
festival is divided into regions
with food such as Polish,
German and French with regional beverages to match. The
stomach will surely be pleased.
Great things are always
happening in each corner of
the festival. People are happy
experiencing what life was
like during the renaissance.
Each section of the grounds
has its own special attraction,
such as the Fire Whip show
and the hawk bird dance, and
with people dashing everywhere, the grounds can get
full. Although the sections are
packed, sophomore Erin Evans
still has fun.
“I would recommend
students try new foods no
matter how scary they look and
talk to strangers because you
learn something new. Kind of
the opposite of what people tell
you to do,” said Evans.
Surprises surely do roam
around the festival, but so do
The Future of Gaming
console).
But overall, what do people
look forward to more and why?
Sophomore Anthony Inscore
has sworn his allegiance to
Xbox One.
“I look forward to Xbox
One because Microsoft has
been doing better than Sony
moneywise and Xbox games are
way better than Sony games. I
personally think that the Halo
and the Bungie franchise are
some of the best franchises of all
time. They’ve made the most
money with the best fan bases
and most of the time when
people talk about playing Xbox,
they talk about playing Halo,”
said Inscore.
Inscore seems pretty loyal
to his Xbox roots, but sophomore Tahj Steen is strictly PS4.
“Let’s just look at the
facts,” said Steen. “The PS4
is a lot cheaper, there haven’t
been any reverse policies; also
we have much better looking
exclusives, a faster running
processing unit, and the highest
friends list there is, which is
2,000 friends.”
These new features sound
rather appealing to any casual
gamer who is just looking to
play a good and a diverse spectrum of games. But what new
titles on these consoles have
people flocking to pre-order?
“I look forward to the
new Kinect games, because
the Kinect is supposed to be a
lot better with improved new
features. Definitely the new
Halo games, the new Left 4
Dead, and the improved new
multi-player aspects,” said
Inscore.
Steen lists many specific
titles to look forward to on the
PS4.
“I look forward to Call of
Duty Ghosts, Assassin’s Creed
4: Black Flag, and Kingdom
Hearts 3 which is expected to
be released spring 2014. I look
forward to these particular titles
because I’ve always been a fan
of the Call of Duty series and
I’ve been leaning back and forth
between first person shooters
and casual games, but I’ve got
to have Call of Duty in my life.
As far as PS4 exclusives are
13
the jubilant memories at the
end of the day. With so many
thrills, students and teachers
who have gone still remember
when they first stepped foot
on the festival grounds. Time
with family does not have to
happen only on holidays, but
can happen also on days like a
festival.
“The most memorable
thing I remember going to the
Renaissance Festival is going
with my grandmother before
she died,” said Bell.
So many things happen
and through many experiences
many things are learned, so
everyone should experience the
Renaissance Festival at some
point.
“Definitely go. Everyone
should experience the
Renaissance Festival at least
once, and if they are a fan of
history, then they should go
multiple times,” said Mr. Latta
concerned, I look forward to
Infamous: Second Son, Drive
Club, Knack and the new
Minecraft PS4 edition which is
also coming to PS3,” said Steen.
With all the new and exciting titles coming to the Xbox
One and PS4, one would think
that this is a step in the right direction for Microsoft and Sony,
but is it?
“Honestly I think that Xbox
One will be a drawback for
Microsoft at first because everyone thinks that it’s going to
be really bad. But for Sony it’ll
be an improvement for a little
while until people realize it’s
basically the same thing as PS3,
and then they’ll be disappointed
with it,” said Inscore.
Ironically, Inscore admitted
that the Xbox One was a drawback for Microsoft, but Steen
felt that both consoles were an
improvement.
“I feel that the PS4 and
Xbox One are both definitely
an improvement because of the
better graphics and technology. I’d definitely get one of
these next gen consoles. They’ll
certainly be worth the buy,”
said Steen.
SPORTS
RAMPAGE-DECEMBER 2013
14
Interview with New Head Wrestling
Coach Daniel Black
By Ramsey Minto
Co-Editor In Chief
Q: Coach Black, How do you like working at Mayde Creek?
A: I enjoy working at Mayde
Creek. Everyone I’ve met has been
friendly, hardworking and helpful.
Q: Coach Black, What are your
wrestling credentials?
A: I’ve wrestled since I was
5 years old. I was a 4 time district
champ for my high school. I
was a 4-time regional placer and
4-time state qualifier for fork-style
wrestling. I was a 4-time Freestyle
and Greco-Roman state champion
for the state of Texas and a twostate champion of North Carolina. I
was a two-time US-Texas National
Team member, which I am also a
member of. In college I was a true
freshman; meaning I was on varsity
as a freshman for my college team.
I was a starter at 165 pounds. I was
a 3-time conference runner up and
Coach Black leads Junior Chris Batista through a pin. Coach Black has been implementing a lot of new techniques this school
the 2003 conference champion. I
year.
Photo by Amy Reyes
was a 3-time college All-American,
meaning I placed top 6 in the
nation. I took 4th my freshman year; I took 3rd my junior year and took 4th my senior year. I wrestled all over the place trying to make
the world team or the Olympic team. I was one of the assistant coaches at South Point High School in North Carolina where we won the
State Championship for 2 years in a row. After coaching at South Point, I became the assistant coach for Belmont Abbey College where I
helped create 4 All-Americans. I moved back to Texas in 2007 where I become a high school teacher and coach at the school we shall not
name [Morton Ranch], where I helped create several state placers, state champions, All-Americans and national champions.
Q: What does it take to be a wrestler?
A: Anyone can be a wrestler. The question should be what does it take to be a successful wrestler? The answer is to be coachable,
go to every practice, be willing to make sacrifices, have an ardent desire to improve, have the ability to think under fire, be willing to
study just as hard, if not harder, than before coming out to wrestling.
Q: Coach Black, what makes wrestling different from other sports?
A: What makes wrestling different from other UIL sports is that it is a unique individual combat sport. Unlike most individual sports, wrestling is unique in the fact that you are face to face with an opponent who is not willing to let you do anything. Who is
trained to take you down, to put your body into painful situations, stop you from moving and is willing to sacrifice their body to do
so. There are other UIL sports that are similar, like track, cross country, golf and tennis. In those sports, like wrestling, the team score
is compiled from individual results, but wrestling is the only sport where you are in combat against another individual with intense
physical contact and with all eyes focused on you and you alone. It is often said that there is nowhere to hide on a wrestling mat.
Q:
How do you expect your wrestlers to act and behave?
A: Mayde Creek Wrestlers are a direct reflection of wrestling and of me. I expect wrestlers to act and behave above and
beyond what is expected of a normal student - following all rules set by their teachers and the school, participating enthusiastically
in all classes, making appropriate choices, making appropriate personal sacrifices for the good of school, recognizing that student
participation in athletics is a privilege, setting challenging and realistic goals in the classroom and in the wrestling room, developing
a winning attitude, maintaining high academic standards, and being committed to skill development in the classroom and in the
wrestling room.
Q:
Is there anything you would like to say to the school?
A: Yes, The wrestling team’s mission is to provide exciting competition and to let each combatant prove their skill in the arena.
We will leave our sweat, blood and hearts on the mat. All we ask is that you please come and watch our Rams whenever you can,
particularly home duels. Our success walks hand in hand with your involvement. Come give us a crowd and we will wrestle for the
pride of our school.
RAMPAGE-DECEMBER 2013
SPORTS
By Alex Armbruster
Staff
Music flows through the
parking lot and the drum beat resounds through the area. After
school on a hot day, the Mayde
Creek Mighty Ram Band marches
away, perfecting their show and
perfecting their drill.
During the summer, starting
in early August, the marching band
practices 7 hours a day. Under the
hot sun, the band learns to march
flawlessly across a football field
and to play their instruments to
show true ram pride. Being in the
band takes plenty of commitment
and time.
“You have to want to work
hard and be able to play your
instrument to the best of your
Mighty Ram Band
ability,” said Junior Jasmine Zenn.
The band spends marching
season training for several contests
and competitions. These include
the Lamar Invitational, the Katy
Marching Festival, and the UIL
Marching competition. The marching season felt longer than ever this
year, with rain delays and tiring
practices, but the band was successful considering it was full of so
many young members. But while
these contests came to an end, the
band continued to cheer on the
football team at each of their games.
Zenn said, “Our main job in
the stands at the games is to distract
the other team, sometimes compete
with the other band, but most im-
portantly keep the energy high in
the audience.”
The students in the band all
joined for different reasons, but
came together as a family over the
marching season. The organization
spends the year coming together.
During the summer the students
all spend a night bonding at the
Mighty Ram Band lock in. Before
each contest, each section of the
band groups up and sings through
their music, making sure they all
can rely on each other to get their
sounds across to the judges waiting
in the stadium for them.
“I joined band because I
always loved music and wanted
to know how to make music for
15
myself. I just love making music
and band is the perfect outlet,” said
Zenn.
While the marching season
for the band this year was a long
difficult haul, the members of the
Mighty Ram Band have big plans
for the years to come. Next year
the band has a chance to attend the
Area Finals after the UIL competition. The members hope to bring to
the band hall brand new traditions,
awards and memories.
Zenn explained, “We are
going to work even harder, teach
our freshmen very well so everyone
has amazing marching skills, and
generally rebuild the chemistry in
our band as a whole.”
The Lost Hope: Houston Texans
By Connor Bubb
Staff
The Houston Texans started
the year rough with an 8 game
losing streak, dropping their record
to a surprising 2-8. This isn’t the
way they planned or wanted to
start. After a shocking season
last year where they started 11-1,
they have dropped 12 of their last
16 games since the last at New
England on December 10 of 2012.
There has been a lot of scrutiny about the quarterback play
and play calling, but we all know it
takes a team to win and lose games.
Matt Schuab holds the record for
the most consecutive pick 6’s in
NFL history with 5 straight games.
Schuab hasn’t been looking like his
old self, where in 2009 he led the
league in passing yards with 4,770,
396 completions, 298 yards per
game and 583 passing attempts,
while finishing fifth in touchdowns
with 29, compiling a quarterback
rating of 98.6.
The coach, Gary Kubiak, is
also getting criticism because of
the playcalling. Many fans also
want Kubiak out and are worried
about winning with him calling the
plays. Many people have said that
his playcalling is so predictable to
where the defense will know what
is coming next and get to the ball
carrier or receiver very quickly.
In the performance against the
Chiefs, the only undefeated team
standing, Case Keenum, a quarterback out of the University of
Houston, went 15-25 with 271 yards
with average passing yards per
attempt of 10.8. Keenum also posted
the franchise’s best first start for a
quarterback with a rating of 110.6.
Keenum was named the starter
against the Colts with a healthy
backup, Matt Schuab. Keenum
came out of the gates throwing
connecting with Andre Johnson
for 3 touchdowns and 350 passing
yards. Keenum has already put a
record in the record books posting
the highest quarterback rating and
passing yards per attempt a person’s first two career starts.
The Texans need to watch
some film on the previous two
seasons and get back to quality
football like they did the past two
years and end the season on a good
note and prepare for next year
*Stats current as of November 11, 2013*
HOMECOMING 2013
Photo by Rosi Reyes
Photo by Rosi Reyes
Photo by Larenz Russell
SPIRIT DAYS
“Be a Hero”
“Two for Tuesday”
“Save the Beard”
“Be a Good Sport”
“Show Some Class”
Photo by David Rivera
HOMECOMING COURT
Queen Briana Donis
Angelique Harville
Ramsey Minto
Kiarra Rodgers
Jessyca Ross
DANCE THEME - Enchanted Forest
Photo by Megan Meyer
Photo by Kirby Moynihan
Photo by David Rivera
King Ryan Thompson
Brian Joya
Rudolfo Knight
Marcus Muniz
Jose Olvera
OPPONENT - Strake Jesuit
Photo by Sean Li
Photo by Amanda Martinez