ODYSSEY

Summer Creek High School

14000 Weckford Blvd., Houston, TX 77044 Issue 04, Vol. 5 s March 2013

A day in the life of students

and staff members vary as
the numerous components that
make the clock run tick towards
the final bell at 2:45 p.m.
See pages 6-9
 2 THE ODYSSEY MARCH 2013
Library misuse leads to new
regulations for students
After enduring a large crowd of students
during lunch periods, including some who
didnt intend to work on school work,
access to the library now requires a daily
pass. According to librarian Donna Smal-
ley, this new pass system is being used to
combat problems that have been occurring
in the library.
Were doing this system because of
library misuse - misuse of the comput-
ers, eating and leaving trash under the
computers, in the cafe, on the floor and to
make room for students who need to work
on class assignments, said Smalley.
To acquire the pass, students can come
in after school the day before they need
the pass, before school or during passing
periods.
Smalley said there are certain instances
where students can get in without a pass.
In a conversation, if they say they need
to [complete an assignment], theyll be
able to do that after a short interview with
the librarians, Smalley said.
- Alex Pelham
Senior snags record deal in
local competition
2010 Talent Show winner Brandon
Johnson, 13, competed in the For The
Love of Music competition at Kingwood
High School sponsored by the Just About
Kids (JAK) organization. He won first in
the high school vocal division and he will
receive a recording contract from Sugarhill
Studios.
Im still on the verge of going to college, ments, Atascocita Village Mobile Home
said Johnson. But if [my music career]
goes higher, Ill go from there.
Johnson plans to attend the University
of Houston to major in business and minor
in music. However, if he pursues his music
career, he plans to sing inspirational pop.
We need that type of music that will
inspire people because there are a lot of
people today that need a lot of help, said
Johnson.
He performed, I Look To You by Whitney
Houston which was the same song he sang
at the 2013 Talent Show as a tribute to
Jason Mouton, 12, Abner Pivreal, 12, and
Jordan Barnett, 13, all former students
who passed away.
I felt so excited, said Johnson. I never
tried out for something as big as that, so
Im very blessed.
- Krysten Barnes
NEWS
Photo by Lisseth Lopez
Former principal Trey Kraemer led the question and answer
portion of the community meeting.
District stops plans to rezone
District revokes plans to change the
boundaries between Summer Creek
and Humble after hearing opinions
from impacted community members.
MADISON TERRIER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
After listening to community input and
further deliberation, the proposal made
at the beginning of January to change the
boundaries for Summer Creek and Humble
High School was called off.
The previous proposition was to rezone
12 neighborhoods located off Beltway 8 in
Audubon including: Audubon Park, Audu-
bon Condominiums, Colony Mobile Home
Park, Eastex Oaks, El Dorado Mobile Home
Park, Park at Stone Creek Apartments,
Rocking R Ranch, Smith Road Area, Water-
chase Apartments, Atascocita Pines Apart-
Park, and Classic Pines Estates.
The district released a statement via Hum-
Peer tutors make long-lasting friendships
Students take an elective space in their
day to tutor other students.
MICHELLE GARCIA
STAFF REPORTER
As students walk past the Life Skills
classrooms to reach their art or journal-
ism classes, they cant help but notice the
faces of excited students ready to learn.
The Life Skills students are lined up
along the hallway patiently waiting for
their peer tutors.
I chose peer tutoring as a course be-
cause I wanted to get to know the chil-
dren, Nidhi Patel, 14, said. I wanted
to help them feel accepted and interact
with people. It is something worth being
proud of. Their smile is contagious, along
Algebra II teacher Shawn Havranek took his turn speaking out against the proposed boundary change at the community meeting
held on Jan. 31. The majority of the meeting was devoted to a question and answer session as the 70 people in attendance spoke
their concerns with the district proposal.
ble ISD Insider to those signed up for no-
tifications on Feb. 6, that this change was
no longer being presented to the board on
Feb. 12.
Humble ISD Assistant Superintendent
Trey Kraemer was a presenter during the
community meeting. In the press release,
he said, The community input meeting is
an important step in the decision-making
process regarding boundaries because dis-
trict leaders value feedback from parents
and teachers. We considered that feedback
and determined that changes should not be
made to high school attendance boundar-
ies.
District officials said the original intent of
this proposal was to better utilize Humble
High School, which has a current enroll-
ment of about 1,400 despite the school be-
ing capable of housing 2,200. The change
would have affected the current eighth
grade students by requiring them to attend
Humble instead of Summer Creek High
School.
with their happiness.
The class is a full year and peer tutors
assist students in the classroom. Accord-
ing to LaQuietta Harden, Applied Skills
teacher, if a student has a problem they
tend to listen to their peers rather than
their teachers.
Having a peer tutor helps the students
have a sense of belonging, Harden said.
It helps them feel as if peers from the
outside can come and help them.
Taylor Moreno, 14, had art last year and
saw the classes. She thought it would be
interesting.
The best memory is getting to know
them, Moreno said. I am learning about
their lives outside of school.
However, there can be some challenges
when working with the students.
Photo by Lisseth Lopez
About 70 parents, teachers and students
from both Humble and Summer Creek
were present at the meeting that became
quite heated during the question and an-
swer session.
Humble High School sits at 62 percentile
of low socioeconomic students, the high-
est such percentile of the five high schools
in the district. Parents at the meeting were
voicing their concerns that the neighbor-
hood being re-added to their student pop-
ulation would again increase the numbers
of students on free and reduced lunch and
that the education process would be slowed
to accommodate the new challenges pre-
sented with re-introducing this group of
students.
Even Summer Creek Algebra II teacher
Shawn Havranek had concerns about the
change. He spoke out at the meeting and
said, I feel the proposal could deliver a
tremendous blow to the culture and di-
versity of our school. Our schools a great
school, we dont need a change.
The biggest challenge is trying to help
them, Patel said. When they dont get it,
they get frustrated.
The peer tutors helped with the baking
they had for Christmas. Other clubs such
as Key Club and Best Buddies are in-
volved in helping the Life Skills students
around holidays.
There are currently eight students en-
rolled a semester. Harden says that for
many students, it is something they can
put on their college applications because
it would count as volunteering.
The smiles on the kids faces reiterates
the bond we Bulldogs have at Summer
Creek, Raneen Abdelghani, 14, said.
No matter who you are, you are impor-
tant.

FFA returns successful from Humble livestock show, rodeo
FFA students attended the Humble
Livestock Show and Rodeo in February
and returned home with many honors
for their hard work.
MACKENZIE HARPER
STAFF REPORTER
As AJ Forster, 13, intensely wrestled a
bull at the Humble Rodeo, he didnt know
what was about to happen to himself.
One, he would receive an award for being
one of the best students in Humble ISD.
Two, the bull he was wrestling would step
on his eye leaving a tomato-red scar and
raging pain.
When he received the award, a photo
was snapped of Forster with a smile on
his face, a bloody eye and a facial expres-
sion showing mixed emotions of excite-
ment and agony.
Being the strong and supporting stu-
dent he is, he continued to compete and
help out with the events despite his in-
jury. According to FFA sponsor David
Laird, Forsters injury was the highlight
of the past seven rodeos Laird has par-
ticipated in.
I was taking down the bull; and when
I was down, his foot came down and put
pressure on my eye, Forster said. Ev-
erybody went silent. They had to call an
ambulance to come and get me.
The Humble Livestock Show and Ro-
deo was on Feb. 8 and 9 and was held at
the Humble Civic Center. Laird took 50
students and they participated in both
events.
Devin Brinsfield, 16, participated for
the first time and raised a pig named
Rossikay. Brinsfield showed the pig at the
livestock show and helped out with the
events.
Kelsey Cannon, 16, is also a first timer
and raised a goat named Mater. Cannon
showed Mater and helped smaller chil-
dren show chickens. Throughout the day,
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NEWS THE ODYSSEY MARCH 2013 3
Results
Daisie Mulkey 5th Overall**
Colton Cannon: 3rd Class
Photo by Allie Stanfield
Cody Cannon: 3rd Class, 11th Overall
Madison Cruz, 13, and Austin Waller, 15, showed students
from Humble ISD around the Livestock Show and Rodeo. Kelsey Cannon: 1st Class, 12th Overall
Kristi Broering: 7th Class
Austin Waller: 2nd Class, 9th Overall**
Alex Bigger: 3rd Class 14th Overall
Kendall White: 1st Class, 5th Overall**
Devin Brinsfield: 5th Class
Austin Ramirez: 8th Class
Erik Ortiz: 8th Class
Photo by Allie Stanfield
Breanna Haden, 13, and Cody Cannon, 14, both placed in
AJ Forster, 13, took an injury to the eye while taking down a AJ Forster: 9th Class
bull. The eye remained bruised for an entire week.
showings and received pink ribbons for their efforts. Travis Haden: 8th Overall**
Breanna Haden: 4th Overall**
Cannon posted pictures on Instagram of such as milk judging and floral judging.
Mater to show her followers. Brinsfield For the livestock show, students who Kylee Newberry: 10th Overall**
posted pictures on Facebook and updat- raised animals exhibited their project Billy Co: 16th Class
ed her status to say, Come support me they have been raising all year, Laird Sarah Baumgartner: 7th overall**
and my show. said. For the rodeo, we had calf scram-
The most challenging part about the blers and chute doggers.
livestock show is time management, All of the Humble ISD FFA branches ***Animals were auctioned.
Cannon said. You have so many things were there along with their sponsors
to do. But I learned from this experience and booster clubs. All of the schools
that hard work pays off. were judged in every event and the top but best thing.
FFA students raise animals to show 10 winners in every species won either a Nine FFA students also planned to par-
them at the livestock show. The purpose ribbon, a banner or a belt buckle. ticipate in the Houston Livestock Show
of showing an animal is to present to the For the students who made the auction, and Rodeo. Unlike the Humble Livestock
judges how well groomed, taken care of, they had to say goodbye to their ani- Show and Rodeo, this event has about
and well trained the animals are. mal. Someone who was willing to buy it 5,000 FFA students from all over the state
The animals students typically show are would process it. For some FFA students participating in the event.
lambs, goats, pigs, chickens, turkeys, rab- this was very hard and brought a few to Four students will be showing their ani-
bits and cattle. tears. mals, while the other five will be in the
There were many honors received at The hardest part for me was know- calf scramble at the rodeo.
the livestock show from eighth place to ing the whole time I would eventually I just wanted them to try, Laird said.
fourth place. have to let my animal go, Brinsfield said. This whole thing is about life-experi-
Students who did not raise animals had I got so attached to her. Letting go of ence, not winning.
many choices for events to pick from something you love can be the hardest,
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 4 THE ODYSSEY MARCH 2013
Ukulelists share their love of music with the school
Students find their passion when
they begin playing the Ukulele.
ASADA SAMIN
STAFF REPORTER
Ukulelists Braylon Walker, 15, Patience
Ojionuka, 16, and Brandi Duenez, 13,
all share a love for playing music with
the ukulele. On some days as they walk
through the hallways, ukulele in hand,
they can be heard passing by playing mu-
sic, leaving a catchy tune stuck in your
head.
Walker, who won the talent show with
his ukulele, started playing two months
ago with a bunch of friends. Also being a
guitar player, Walker thought it would be
cool to play the ukulele which looks like
a miniature version of the more popular
instrument.
I just picked it up, Walker said. I
would see them
do one thing and I
would do the same.
Ojionuka, who
started playing only
one month ago when
she got her ukulele
for Christmas, devel- Patience Ojionuka
oped her love for the
instrument at a young age.
I remember when I was little, Lilo
from Lilo and Stitch would always play
her ukulele, and I thought it was really
pretty, Ojionuka said. Then I recently
became a fan of Adventure Time, in
which the theme song is ukulele based.
Ojionuka would also see Walker stroll-
ing through the hallways strumming
tunes on the ukulele he borrowed from
his friends. She figured if he could do it
then she could do it too.
Dueez, who purchased her ukulele
Katharine makes her Wei to a Chinese modeling career
FEATURES
Braylon Walker, 15, won the talent show playing original songs on his ukulele. The ukulele has
gained popularity around the school with a number of students teaching themselves how to play it.
from ebay, started playing about two
years ago. She too is a self-taught ukulel-
ist and enjoys singing
as well. Her main in-
fluences include art-
ists like Never Shout
Never and Jack John-
son.
The ukulele is easy
and simple, and it
Brandi Dueez
goes with my vocal
range, Dueez said.
I have a really weird vocal range. One
Junior gets scouted by a modeling
agency on a visit to China.
JAZMYN GRIFFIN
STAFF REPORTER
Walking down a street in her parents
home country of China at age 14, junior
Katharine Wei was enjoying her summer
vacation to visit relatives. As she and her
family strolled past a large building, a man
approached asking if Wei would like to be
a model, giving her an opportunity most
girls only dream of.
I got to model clothes, Katharine Wei
said. I modeled a homecoming dress and
in another I wore a really long shirt. They
made me hold a poodle and put my hair in
pigtails.
Slim and standing at 5-foot-10, Wei is
what most would consider model material.
A friend of Weis, Melissa Patel, 14, showed
no sign of surprise when she was told of
Photo by Susanna Summers
moment I sound really good and the next
its like Whoa, whats going on? to school because it really brings people
Dueez plays her ukulele at least three
times a week, and for her its a great way
to relax in times of frustration and to ex-
press herself when she is happy. Some of
her favorite songs to play include songs
from Adventure Time and SpongeBob,
and songs like I Will Follow You Into
the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie and
Quiet by Lights.
Walker taught himself how to play
songs like The A Team by Ed Sheeran
Katherines mini-modeling career.
Well, I wasnt shocked because she is
really tall and pretty, Patel said. She has
model written all over her.
At photo shoots, which often took from
early in the morning until late at night, Wei
got hair and makeup done, walked on set
and was then instructed how to pose.
They made it a fun and friendly environ-
ment, Wei said. If youre American, they
fawn over you; they love American people
and fashion.
The Wei family frequently visits China to
see their relatives, and now Weis 26-year-
old sister Natalie lives there doing Global
Communications for Google.
People, space, culture, government --
everything is so different here, Natalie
said. Its good to embrace other different
cultures and experience life outside of your
comfort zone. Its a great growing experi-
ence where you can learn a lot about your-
self and overcome new challenges.
and Im Yours by Jason Mraz, as well as
songs that he wrote himself. His favorite
song to play is a song he wrote called
Silly Dreams.
Its a really lively and calming song,
and it makes me calm whenever I get
rattled up, Walker said. I play it a lot.
Ojionuka, who is also a self-taught uku-
lelist, brings her ukulele to school almost
every day.
A lot of times my friends like to sing
along and its really nice when people are
encouraging you to do what you like to
do, Ojionuka said.
Walker also enjoys playing for the plea-
sure of his friends, who are always asking
him to keep playing.
I bring my ukulele to school because
it makes the people around me happy
apparently, Walker said. When I play it
makes me feel away from all the stress.
All the ukulelists put in lots of time
with their instruments as they teach
themselves to play new tunes. The music
they play helps them to relax and express
themselves in a way that is easily shared
with the people they know.
When I play, it feels amazing, Due-
ez said. Its like the way you feel when
you watch movies, those times when the
music is just right and it makes you feel a
certain way. I enjoy bringing my ukulele
together.
From writing his own music, Walker
learned first-hand the key to being a
good composer.
If you make music, have a good back-
ground story for it; and if you dont, then
I dont know because thats how the best
songs are made, Walker said.
The Weis said the most striking differ-
ences between the U.S. and China include:
Mandarin Chinese as the dominant lan-
guage, less freedom of speech and press
and lower air quality. It is also common for
people to be scouted for modeling while
walking down one of the many crowded
Chinese streets.
I know quite a few of my American
friends who model or have modeled in
China, Wei said.
While Wei does not plan on pursu-
ing a career as a model after high school,
she would take the opportunity if it came
again. The experiences she had modeling
in China changed her mindset and boosted
her self-confidence, something she said all
girls need.
Love yourself the way you are, Wei said.
As long as youre confident, people will
see you as a confident person. Modeling
opened my eyes to that.
 THE ODYSSEY MARCH 2013 5

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 6 THE ODYSSEY MARCH 2013 A DAY IN THE LIFE

Bash performs The

the daily
obstacles in her Cafeteria
job as head
child nutrition Manager
manager. by Tayler Banes

Kathy Bash leads team building activities with the food service staff before preparing to serve three lunches for the students. Bashs work day begins at 5:15 as the staff prepares for break-
fast, then lunch. Bash is responsible for filing all of the paperwork that goes along with food orders and preparation, as well as supervise the kitchen staff members. Photo by Tayler Banes.

4:15 a.m.: The alarm goes off, Kathy Bash, the head
child nutrition manager awakes for a busy day ahead of
her.
5:15 a.m.: Bashs champagne colored car is one of the
first to arrive. She unlocks the door and illuminates the
cafeteria. An eerie feeling is in the air as she sleepily
walks over to her office behind the serving lines and be-
gins her morning routine.
7:07 a.m.: She runs into the different smells of eggs,
french toast and biscuits being made by the 24 ladies and
one man with help from loud motorized machines.
7:22 a.m.: Bash begins ordering groceries on the com-
puter. The pressure is on all of the cafeteria staff and es-
pecially Bash to make enough lunches for 1,400 students
within four hours.
8:03: Bash gets up for another run through of the
cooking stations. Ladies are hastily scurrying around
the kitchen as the clock counts down for the first lunch.
9:55 a.m.: The safety meeting is about to begin ladies!
yells Bash. Meet in the smaller wing of the cafeteria.
The ladies quickly shove the last of the meals into the
oven in order to make it to the meeting.
Everyone happily chatters before Bash begins the meet-
ing.
Since Ive been good with money these past months,
smiles Bash. We are getting cushioned mats at all the ca-
shiers registers.
Booming applause and cheers break out from the la-
dies. Bash then stresses the importance of proper lift-
ing in order to prevent injuries. Lastly, Bash introduces
a new trust activity in which the ladies will participate.
You have to partner up and one will close their eyes
while they are walking with their other partner giving
directions to them on where to walk, says Bash.
One by one they venture out, relying on their partner
to guide them as they fill up Main Street with Bash di-
recting the ladies.
10:30 a.m.: Lunchtime for the ladies has just begun with
them getting first dibs on the food.
Where is my king ranch casserole? asks Bash to the
ladies.
The dish is one of her favorites from the kitchen. It is
not ready so she settles for baked chicken and mashed
potatoes. Anxiety is felt between Bash and the ladies to
get the casserole ready in time.
11:10 a.m.: Food is hastily getting serving ready and
metal gates are sliding upward to reveal the food as A
lunch gets closer.
11:28 a.m.: A lunch begins and Bash helps a new ca-
shier hand out food and give students change back. She
is like a hawk making sure everything runs smoothly by
quickly walking by each of the 14 lunch lines. Food is
constantly being restocked into the serving lines faster
than it can leave. Hungry students get satisfied as food
reaches their plate. This continues as B and C lunch
make their way through. By the end, 1,400 students are
fed, but the job isnt done for the day.
1:00 p.m.: Now that the ladies are done cleaning and
washing they are allowed to go home, but that time
doesnt come for Bash until 2 p.m. as she is busy printing
reports and filing paperwork.
When the work day is over and the cash and bellies of
students have been taken care of, Bash is able to leave.
She knows the next alarm will be coming early again on
the next school day, and she can only hope it goes as
smoothly.

Charlotte Buchal deals ond period - English.

with being a foreign
The Foreign exchange student
Exchange on a daily basis.
Student Charlotte Buchal, 14, saunters into
by Krislyn Domingue Room 2315 for chemistry and settles in
behind the glossy black table top of a
desk.
Only two hours ago she was stumbling
out of bed amidst the darkness of early
daybreak. Only two hours ago she was
primping and prepping for the day.
Buchal has been following the same
monotonous routine day-in and day-out
since August, trying to craft a foreign
place into a home. Though she is separat-
ed from her home by miles of both land
and sea, she is German and that fact is
never more than a roll of a tongue away.
Charlotte Buchal, 14, sits with Reny Galvan, 14, at lunch. While her friends eat, Buchal just sits and . .
visits. The foreign exchange student is used to her German schooling in which the students didnt eat Im ready to go home, interjects Am-
lunch. Photo by Rikki Hurt
ber Arrambul, 14, during Buchals sec-
Mhm, murmurs Buchal in agreement,
referring to the home she shares with her
host mother.
Leaning against the back of the chair
with her arm propped up, she glances
around the room. Buchal has a little less
than six hours before she can go to her
temporary home. She has a little less
than four months before she can really
go home.
The conversation shifts to TAKS prep
and a light-hearted wave of seriousness
settles in over the room.
Its in about three weeks, announces
English teacher Stephanie Harrell.
Arrambul turns to Buchal with a bit of
a Texas drawl, Did yall take tests like
that?
Buchal responds with a shake of her
head. Im from Germany. Its not the
same, she answers with a chuckle.
Buchal stands in front of Teresa Aran-
das dance room, shifting weight from
 A DAY IN THE LIFE THE ODYSSEY MARCH 2013 7

Allyn Sloan experiences the silence of an ISS classrom and the sounds of
an outdoor football practice as his day consists of jumping back and forth
from his position as teacher to coach.

The
Photos by Paris Dowd

Coach
and
Teacher
by Regine Murray

Sloan juggles his time as an ISS teacher and assistant football coach.
In-School Suspension teacher Allyn Sloan starts his day off by calling roll. With a small
list of names, they answer here quickly. All nine of them are in ISS. Sloan then takes lunch
count. Most of the kids say no to the cold turkey sandwich.
Then its silence.
The only sounds are from the shuffling of papers, typing on the keyboard, and the lightly
tapping feet on the floor of some of the beyond bored kids.
I get very few visitors, nothing ever really goes on here, I look at my playbooks for football
a lot, but other than that Im just sitting here, said Sloan, an assistant football coach.
Sloan decorates the walls with t-shirts from Texas A&M, the University of Houston, post-
ers of football teams he likes, and iPod posters with the playlist of daily duties and rules
for the class.
Its third period and no one has said anything since the beginning of first,
Put up your phone, Sloan says.
Wake up, he says again to a different student.
Although the class is lifeless, Sloan is very attentive.
One thing that I dont like is the attitudes, he says. People come in here mad at me with
an attitude, but I didnt put you in here. Its not my fault you have ISS.
Fourth period arrives and the dozing off students are awakened by Sloans husky voice.
Give me your phone, he tells the girl who was already warned.
Finally Sloans favorite period arrives: fifth. Time for football.
He drops off the ISS students in Sgt. Donny OBryants class and heads out to the field.
With almost 30 players in attendance, he starts their warm ups. They soon start Perfect
20s - a drill of running as fast as you can. If just one person does it wrong by stopping before
the cone or slowing down, the whole team runs again and again until they get a perfect 20
in a row.
Shut up and just do it, Sloan yells at the complaining athletes. Over again, over again,
down two.
They keep going until they get a perfect 20.
We are going to find ways to challenge you, find ways to push you. You cant just give up you
gotta find a way to compete, Sloan says as he lets the boys go.
As sixth period ends, he leaves the athletic period and goes back to his ISS students. Once
again, there is silence.
Seventh period hes back to his screaming at athletes pushing them to work harder, and that
ends Sloans day.

one foot to the other. She stands tall and
slim, crossing her legs from time to time,
alone until Daijah Hutchinson, 15, ap-
proaches her.
Others soon follow.
Whos your friend? Im your friend,
says Dequann Ruffin, 13, answering his
own question.
Buchal and Ruffin are both enrolled in
dance class together. However, at home
in Germany Buchal has a stringent class
selection with few fun classes. There is
no dance option. In Germany, Buchal has
seven to eight classes a day, classes that
range from history, a variety of sciences,
three languages other than German, mu-
sic, art, geography, sport (gym), and
math (combination of algebra and ge-
ometry). Because of the considerable dif-
ferences in American and German cur-
riculum, Buchal will have to repeat 11th
grade when she returns. Its the price she
pays for her fun times here in the states.
Ruffin and Buchal go back and forth
play fighting much like brother and sis-
ter, until they decide to make up by per-
forming their secret handshake. Buchal
clasps Ruffins left hand and they pull into
each other, ending with a snap.
Ive been practicing, Buchal says to
Ruffin with a grin.
. asks.
Buchal arrives early to her fourth pe-
riod where she is taught the history of the
United States from an individual much
like herself. She indulges in conversation
with teacher Dirk Bunck in her native
tongue. Bunck migrated from Belgium
and is able to speak a little German be-
cause of the similarities in language.
The lights go out and WWII Test Re-
view goes up.
We traded with the...that the Germans
had..., Bunck lectures.
Buchal looks up and smiles a soft grin at
the mention of her nationality.
. by a sometimes rocky stream of internet.
The chatter of the lunch room flows
in and out of Buchals ears. She glances
to her left and there is Reny Galvan, 14,
chomping on a chicken sandwich. In
front of Buchal there is a foot of brown,
faux wooden table top that is clear.
They do not eat lunch in Germany.
. stares at Rivas.
Are you the Queen? Jake Bootz, 14,
She nods her head, I am the Queen,
she jokes. Queen Charlotte.
Bootz and Buchal converse through-
out their sixth period theater class. They
discuss their shoes and declare their feet
twins. They discuss her easy-going tem-
perament.
Charlotte, do you ever get mad?,
Bootz asks.
I do, Charlotte nods, at my little sis-
ter.
Buchals sister is 12 and the pair video
chat via Skype. Along with their parents,
they stay connected across land and sea
....
Buchal sits in Fashion Marketing with
her seat facing outward, legs crossed - left
over right. There is a guest speaker - Mar-
ilyn Ruiz Rivas, owner of the dress shop
Marlo and Mandys. Buchal sits with the
crown of her head tilted to the left and
Are you understanding? Rivas asks
Buchal.
Buchal nods, Yes.
I have a friend in Germany, too, Rivas
adds.
....
There goes that bell.
Buchal shuffles and gathers her binder
and trench coat and maneuvers towards
the door. Down-down she goes until
she reaches the bottom of the stairs and
long-stride long-stride until she reaches
her bus.
Buchal has 20 to 30 minutes before
she is home; and American enough as
she may seem, she is never all of the way
there.
 8 THE ODYSSEY
The
English
Teacher by Madison Rice
On the track and in the
classroom, Matthew Frost
balances his athletes and students.
Matthew Frost dons his usual Friday attire: a black SC
insignia windbreaker, neon green and black running shoes,
teal and black stopwatch, clenched fists and tired eyes.
Coach, we dont know what to do, because of the wrestling
tournament, one athlete tells him. They blocked off the
athletics area and wont let anyone back there.
A different obstacle, a different day. As the seconds pass by,
his weary face tells a story.
A story of a teacher. A story of a coach.
Todays story is not a far cry from the last, as he tells each
athlete what to do. Obstacle avoided, if only for a little while.
Frost makes his way toward his other world, outside of the
maroon and gold walls. The doors open, and the rush of cold
crisp air overtakes his body.
Birds chirping. The smell of trekked dirt and mud.
Frost steadily approaches the four boys and six girls in cross
country. Burying his hands into his pockets as the wind
blows through his windbreaker, he starts and yells time.
17. 18. 19. 20.
He is barely heard over the howling wind. The sun begins
to break through the clouds. He unconsciously stands in a
stretching pose, feet apart. His sense of focus is passed over
by his hurried fingers, as they fumble across the cold clear
keys.
I am going to text Coach Ervin to escort you through,
The Secretary
House secretary gets through
the many tasks of the day.
Story by Jenna Duvall
Busy doesnt even describe Laura Buchheits desk
Amongst the piles of sweep slips, Carbon secretary
Laura Buchheit locates and answers her phone. Its a call
from her 20-year-old son Thomas, a computer and elec-
trical engineering student at University of Houston.
Can I call you back? Were a little busy.
Busy means swamped with tardy students, assigning
parking passes and keeping track of the multitude of stu-
dents needing to see counselor Sharon Garcia or house
principal Eddie Palomarez.
The tasks of the day are endless, and its a constant ef-
fort to finish the things at hand. She flips the page on her
daily exotic destination calendar, a gift from Palomarez.
On this day, its Bermuda with blue waves, white sandy
beaches and rays of sunshine.
I can never get in trouble for daydreaming because I
have this calendar.
Shuffling through files, Buchheit pulls out two textbook
request forms: Physics, Biology, World History, English.
A DAY IN THE LIFE
Matthew Frost discusses vocabulary words with his AP
English 3 class during second period.
Photos by Paris Dowd
he says to the runners reassuringly. Frosts facial expression
shifts as he looks down and refreshes his messages.
No text yet.
Lets go regulate and make sure they are not being ha-
rassed by the wrestlers, Frost says.
Stopping for a moment, he shakes off his mud coated jeans.
Keys floundering in hand, he twists the door lock open. The
smell of sweat engulfs him. Frost barely writhes through the
bodies consuming the area as he breathes fresh air.
Adorning his door is a giant pink heart with Coach Frost.
He enters his classroom with students filing behind.
Kimberly McFarland, English 3 teacher, walks into the
room wearing a grin.
I had a student write a narrative from the perspective of
Luke Skywalker, she says, handing Frost the essay. He begins
to read it, both face and eyes smiling. He addresses an email
to McFarland:
Best. Essay. Ever.
Star Wars is my favorite movie, he says, laughing. I prob-
ably know more about it than I should.
Ring.
The students soon begin to file back in. He waits patiently
at his chair, twiddling his thumbs. Frost comments, with a
large grin and complete sincerity.
Please make a note, he says. I tell the same stupid jokes
Laura Buchheit tends to a tardy student.
Photo by Lisseth Lopez
The list of books is a light load in comparison to the
stack of requests she receives on other days.
It wont take three carts to bring back these books
today, girls, Buchheit says to second period aides, Bri
Garcia, 13, and Sharnae Sykes, 13.
Hidden in the back hallway near the art rooms, metal
racks of books collect dust in the book room. Logging in,
Buchheit sends her aids to look for books to be checked
out. Returning to the computer with textbooks in hand,
they talk about the usual things with her - boys, clothes
and everyday activities.
Buchheit studied psychology; and after two years, she
left to start a family with her high school sweetheart
while also making a career for herself.
Frost discusses with Coach Sheldon Ervin about what he
should say to his athletes in seventh period. The students
had been leaving the shot puts and discus out on the field.
every single period.
Ring.
The students shuffle backpacks in tow, out of room 1208
for the day. The humming of the air conditioning takes
prominence in the once hectic class, a major contrast from
just a few seconds ago. The silence is refreshing.
Frost begins todays unlikely and unpredictable journey
towards the track, with a group of about 30 girls trailing
behind.
Immediately the atmosphere changes. The smell of mint
and sweat overwhelm completely. Frost slips out of the hall-
way for only a minute to change.
Emerging back into the sea of bodies as he makes his way
towards the double doors leading outside, outside of the
chaos.
It becomes his release from the constraining walls of the
classroom. A light breeze makes its way swiftly through
his t-shirt. Walking hands by side, his feet carry him to the
asphalt track.
Everybody, he chants pacing back and forth.
Everybody, they chant back, without second thought.
Todays obstacles and story seem familiar.
His story of a teacher. His story of a coach.
I love being around young people, Buchheit said.
Some days I feel like I missed my calling to work with
young people. Im honored that students come to me
with their problems and look to me for advice.
Throughout the day, her desk is a popular area during
passing periods for both upper and lower classmen,
almost always including her daughter, Katie, 13.
My desk is the hangout spot. Its always a party here. I
think that I have six additional children of my own; all
of Katies friends. They call me Mom, Buchheit says after
hugging Tiana Matthews, 13.
The day continues in motion, each bell signaling a new
rush of students to get ID badges, sweep passes, or the
occasional razor and shaving cream combination for the
peach fuzz on unkempt faces.
The constant repeating of, Pay or consequence?
rolls off her tongue until seventh period gets underway.
Though shes been working all day, there are still so many
things left to do: run concessions at the Friday night soc-
cer game, finish filing sweep passes, and rushing home
just to come back to school.
The last bus changes bring Palomarez from his office
and he observes the vacation spot on the calendar.
Oh, Bermuda. Id like to be there today, he says.
So would I. Bermuda. Looks like a nice spot, but I cant
wait to see Mondays destination, Buchheit says.
 A DAY IN THE LIFE MARCH 2013 9

The
Maintenance
Man
Story by Madison Terrier
Photos by Lisseth Lopez

Kerry Smith checks his e-mail for work orders. Notebook in hand, Smith writes a task down for future reference.
Smith has been the maintenance man since Smith makes sure to write down everything he notices that
the building first opened in 2009. needs to be worked on throughout the day so he doesnt forget.

Kerry Smith makes sure school functions properly

for the 2,200 students and staff at the school.
With a quick pace and his tiny notepad full of work orders, Kerry Smith begins his and pushing his way through the student population that seems oblivious
day at 6 a.m. His cart laden with three boxes of screws, hammers, a drill, yardsticks, and to the man who keeps the place running. He hurries to the other side of
anything else needed to keep a school of 2,200 running, he makes his the school, needing to check his e-mail for anything requiring his
way to his first assignments, hoping to finish his tasks before the Friday immediate attention. Finally he makes it back to Room 1046, a door
bell signifies the start of the weekend. that reads Equipment Storage. Its home base: Smiths office. His
Good morning, office is tiny with sticky notes covering the surface of everything and
Smitty. tools everywhere. A framed picture of his smiling family members
Howre you doing See video sits on the top tier of his desk. The cart he pulls around on work
today, Smitty? of Smith at orders fills the rest of the space. A six pack of bottled Diet Cokes rest
Same thing, differ- SCHStoday.com on the floor.
ent day, he replies. The bell rings. Students make their way to first period, but Smith
The day begins the has been hard at work for almost two hours now.
same as usual, with the hum of the If no new work orders arrive needing immediate attention, Smith finds
generator and crispness of the morn- something that needs to be done. He grabs a handful of screws and an
ing air. His keys whiz as he unlocks orange screwdriver and checks every single plastic covering on the thermo-
the door and lets them go, snapping stats across the entire school. The wear and tear of students scraping their
back onto the pulley on his work belt. backpacks against the wall and bumping them causes the cases to come off;
On Main Street, Smith tightens the screw to the thermostat that gets damaged In the very back of the school, where and if isnt fixed, it can cause damage to the thermostat.
by the wear and tear of students bumping their backpacks against the wall. As the chief mechanic, there isnt much
Smith finds small tasks like this to do throughout the day. that Smith doesnt do. By lunch, he has
already turned on the gym lights for
most have never travelled, a machine yard contains the wrestling tournament participants,
a door reading Fire Control Room. Smith checks changed light bulbs, adjusted door posts,
the room, the alarms, and the big machines in it. replaced ceiling tiles, rescued a balloon
Read out says its fine, he comments. stuck to the ceiling and dispatched a
And then hes off to the next thing. critter that did not belong on campus.
Three hundred and seven steps later, back inside, A day in the life of Smith is one full
down Main Street, through the athletic hall, and of hard work and craftsmanships, with
up a steep ladder, lies another door with more big long walks and the knowledge that at
machines: the air conditioners, the water pipes, the any time of the day something may need
place that cools and heats the water for the school. fixing.
I check them every day, he said. You never Smith walks through the upstairs boiler room to get to the roof over athletics When Im on my way to a task, Im
know when something can go wrong. hallway for a routine check. On the roof Smith has found many objects such as constantly looking at doors and lights
He exits the room where everything is gray, this shoes, tennis balls and phone cases. to see if anything needs to be changed,
door leads him even higher. As buses drop off kids he said.
and cars pull around the circle drive, Smith stands on the roof. He collects a tennis ball He finishes up his assignments for the day a little early and gets off of his
and phone case with a quizzical look and chuckles to himself as he wonders how they feet with a bottle of Diet Coke.
ended up there. When he isnt walking the halls of the school, he volunteers at Tour 18
Before he can even begin attending to his newly assigned tasks, he must first make Golf Course, works in his woodshop in his garage, spends time with his
sure everything is running properly, a task that brings him ever closer to the end of his new dog, Marley, and plans for a day in his life when he can buy a small
work day at 2:30 p.m. travel trailer and tour the Texas National Parks.
Back in the main hall, he makes his way around students. Side-stepping, dodging,
 10 THE ODYSSEY MARCH 2013
Jenna Folk, 16, runs with the ball while Lindsey Carranza, 15, waits for a chance to go for the ball. The girls lost to MacArthur HS on Jan. 18.
Girls adjust to new coach, new standards
New head coach Dirk Bunch brings
fundamental changes to program
with goal of district champions.
DANIELLE MILLER
STAFF REPORTER
The girls soccer team was sur-
prised last year when they heard
coach Aaron Leth was leaving
the school. Though the team wor-
ried about the change, they came
to like and understand new head
coach Dirk Bunck.
We arent doing too hot if you
look at our record, but the players
individually have progressed and
weve come a long way to where
we can hold our own in districts,
Bunck said.
The girls soccer team is 2-7
with big rivals in the district be-
ing Stratford and Kingwood Park.
Bunck coached for four years at
Smith builds bonds as he takes reins of program
Coach Ryan Smith motivates
athletes both on and off the
soccer field.
YAZMIN LOPEZ
STAFF REPORTER
After Patrick Luna left Summer
Creek last year, Ryan Smith took
over the job as the coach for the
boys soccer team.
As the head coach, I need to be
the leader of the boys, Smith said.
Not only teaching them the game
but also the way of life.
Smith previously coached four
years at Goose Creek Memorial as
the head coach of the girls pro-
gram. The boys received and wel-
comed Smith as a member to the
team.
At first it was awkward, Juan
Castellanos, 15, said, but then
we started bonding as a team. We
spend more time with him than
with our parents. Hes like a father
figure to the team.
Kingwood High School and hopes
he can implement some of the
techniques and discipline he used
there.
It took a couple of months to
get used to his way of coach-
ing, Lindsey Carranza, 15, said.
Coach Leth was more laid back
and Coach Bunck is more serious
and wants us to work harder than
we did last year.
This year, most of the girls are
taking on new positions and new
roles on the team that they have
not played previously.
Coach Bunck has changed the
starting positions and when he
came he wanted to change the
girls mindsets and their way of
winning, Emily Freemen, 13,
said. He knows what it takes to
win and holds us to a higher stan-
dard.
Photo by Jerrick Jerrels
Coach Ryan Smith takes time before the game
to talk to the boys. Losing against Huntsville on
Jan. 21, the boys hope to have a great season
and continue to do their best.
Smiths main intention is to teach
the young boys discipline and also
to teach them how to be role mod-
els in society and in the game of
soccer.
SPORTS
Photo by Wayne Barloco
This year the teams goal is im-
prove upon last years fourth place
finish in districts and go further in
the playoffs than they were able to
last year.
As a team we have been pro-
gressing throughout the year,
Katie Buchheit, 13, said. We have
learned to play more defensively
rather than how we used to play
offensively.
As the team progresses in dis-
trict play, it has already overcome
having some players quit and oth-
ers suffer injuries. The remaining
players have their heads high and
are ready to compete and make a
difference.
All of the girls are willing to learn
and are good hearted and good
kids, Bunck said. They are will-
ing to make any changes necessary
to be a good and successful team.
They give everything in the games
and practices, Smith said. Since
our concept for soccer is a team
game, its important for every posi-
tion to contribute as a unit, because
we cant win as individuals.
Leaving their effort and dedica-
tion and the passion for the sport
in every game, the boys started off
districts with a record of 0-6 and a
1-14 record overall.
I'm new to this school, and I'm
very proud to be able to play soccer
for this district, Julio Tovalin, 13,
said. Also to be coached by a great
coach like Smith.
As for Smith, his goal for the team
is to win districts. As the soccer
team continues their season, he said
winning districts and taking them
to the playoffs is their primary goal.
If the boys know for a fact that
they play their hardest, they should
keep their head up something will
come in the future, Smith said.
Photo by Susanna Summers
Dakota Allen,14, works to get a pin against his opponent during the Regional meet that was
held at Summer Creek. Allen went on to State and took home the second place medal.
Wrestling team makes history
Wrestling team makes school history had an overall successful year.
For Dakota Allen, 14, the state
in medals brought back home from competition was especially
recent state meet. memorable as he won the high-
JAZMYN GRIFFIN est rank of the school coming in
STAFF REPORTER second place.
Sending a school record of It was exciting but at the same
nine wrestlers - three girls and time nerve-racking, Allen said.
six boys - the wrestling team The team bonded and we be-
had high hopes for competing came closer. Were getting bet-
at State in the new ter as a wrestling
4A division. team.
It means that STATE RESULTS The team got
were advancing and support from the
Dakota Allen, 14 -
getting so much student body in
Second place
further, Jalexis Jack- addition to some
Kierra Moore, 14 -
son, 14, said. Its a unexpected spec-
Fourth place
big accomplishment tators at the state
Wallace Jackson, 14 -
for Summer Creek. Fourth place competition.
During the three- Jalexis Jackson, 14 - It was memo-
day competition, Sixth place rable seeing my
Dakota Allen, 14, OTHER QUALIFIERS: mom there, Jack-
was the highest fin- Chris Anderson, 13, son said. She
isher for the boys as Antuonne Hooper, 14, recently had two
he took second in Dale Battle, 13, Destiny major surgeries
his weight class. Ki- Wilbert, 15, and Jeremiah so I didnt expect
erra Moore, 14, was Price, 14. her to come.
the girls top finisher
with fourth place.
Advancing with
more people than
The boys placed 11th out of 77 theyve ever had, the team has
teams. progressed from the beginning
Winning the titles of district of the season and made the
champions, second in regionals, school and their coach proud.
and 11th at the state competi- Im really proud of everyone
tion, Howard believes theyve who competed, Howard said.
Boys, girls golf rack up tournament wins
TAYLER BANES they could have won the tourna-
STAFF REPORTER ment, Tarver said.
A week later at Woodforest
With recent strong outings in Golf Course, the boys claimed
tournaments, the varsity boys first place as a team even though
and girls teams are optimistic the tournament was cut short
as the District Championship due to severe weather condi-
nears. tions.
Connor Black, 14, shot a 68 at The varsity girls golf team
Evergreen Golf Course on Feb. placed second as a team at
4 to win the individual title. His Woodforest Golf Course shoot-
outing helped the team - com- ing a combined score of 375 on
prised of Ben Carr, 13, Tanner Feb. 25. The team members in-
Wilburn, 13, and Lucas Heas- cluded Meaghan Williams, 13,
ley, 13 - take third place. Tayler Banes, 13, Kelsey Fitz-
The guys were definitely ex- patrick, 13, Alexis Robinson,
cited to get third, but they know 15, and Holly Newton, 15.

Track star deals with career-altering injury
After tearing her ACL,
Galloway had to face the
injury and the impact it
would have on her track
career and future.
KATHERINE HOLMES
STAFF REPORTER
Gjenine Galloway, 15, was
doing so well, gracefully moving
over every hurdle, that even the
coaches complimented her. Then
suddenly, it seemed as if her
knee collapsed under her and
she crumpled to the ground - the
moment of perfection falling with
her. You wouldnt have thought she
was truly hurt until she started to
get up, a look of horror crossing
her face.
Id never felt so much pain in
my leg before - I could hear a
popping sound. I thought for
sure Id broken it or something,
Galloway said of the moment she
tore her ACL (anterior cruciate
ligament) while doing hurdle
drills on Jan. 23. I started yelling
for the coaches and they kept
telling me to relax; then the trainer
Brian Raine came out and started
messing with my leg. He couldnt
tell if Id torn anything so they
gave me a giant brace to wear for
the night, and my mom made an
8 a.m. doctors appointment the
next day to get an MRI.
Two days later, Galloways mom
got the devastating call.
I had been praying and then
when the call came I broke down
and started crying, Gjenines
mother Lady Grace Howard
said. Poor Gjenine came limping
into the room on her crutches
asking me, a grown woman, what
was wrong; and I had to tell her
the news.
It wasnt what Galloway wanted
to hear.
She told me Id have to have
surgery, Galloway said, because
Id torn the ACL in my right knee.
I started crying too. I was so sad.
I figured Id have to sit out for a
couple of weeks, but now itll take
me at least six months to get back
on my feet.
Galloway instantly began physical
therapy, going both before and
after school to regain strength and
feeling in her right thigh so she
could flex it.
Tearing your ACL is caused by
pivoting while trying to stop at
the same time, changing direction
or getting hit in the front of the
knee - all of which, while having
planted feet, Raine said. Some of
SPORTS THE ODYSSEY MARCH 2013 11
ACL injury encourages
Lyle to work harder
By Katherine Holmes
Kendahl Lyle, 16, is another
athlete who has pulled out of
sports with both a torn ACL and
torn meniscus. His injury took
place during eighth grade.
I was playing defense on the
football field and my leg turned
and I felt a rip in my knee, Lyle
said. It was this really sharp
pain every time I tried to move
my leg. About a week afterwards
I went to the doctor and they
told me I couldnt play sports
until I had surgery.
Lyle found out that he would
have to wait an additional time
period for his surgery, because
his doctors did not want to inter-
rupt his growing by drilling into
his growth plate.
He has been out of sports for
Photo by Katherine Holmes almost a year now, working to
Trainer Sara Hansen assists Gjenine Galloway in taking the Game Ready off that cools her leg. This practice is one of many parts of the physical therapy that keep his knee strong so that he
Galloway will participate in after tearing her ACL. doesnt injure it even more.
The orthopedic doctor told me
just to stay careful, because if I
the worst injuries we see are torn always been independent - even at repaired.
hurt it even more my injury could
ACLs, among other things. 4 years old. When I would lay out The operation went great, said
become irreparable, Lyle said.
A torn ACL is a very common her clothes, Id come into her room Galloway, who returned to the
Lyle has spent his time work-
but serious injury. According to and shed be wearing something training room just days after the
ing with different clubs and
the American Orthopedic Society that she picked out instead. She surgery.
organizations such as Student
for Sports Medicine, it is estimated will start over mentally and heal Despite the hard work in the
Council, Key Club and band -
that 150,000 ACL injuries occur physically. She is going to beat training room, there are many
playing in the stands instead of
in the United States every year. this. As a mother you know your other non-sports related hardships
on the field.
Depending on the severity of the children and I know my baby. that go along with this injury
The biggest hardship has
injury, recovery time after surgery While Gallloway is optimistic which can slow Galloway down.
been watching everyone else
usually lasts from six to 12 months. now, she wasnt always that way. Its really hard to go up and
play sports and become better
Its going to be challenging, She went through a grieving down stairs, Galloway said. I
[athletes], while I cant play
Howard said. I went online to process as her mother called have to rely on my boyfriend
the sports I love to play, Lyle
do some research on the injury it, like anyone else with such to do a lot for me; he carries my
said. I no longer take sports for
and I didnt realize a life-altering backpack and lunch all the time.
how often people
think theyve just
This will be my injury would.
At first I was so
Im constantly on my crutches, but
its getting easier.
granted. Ive missed a lot of prac-
tice time since Ive been out for
so long; and if I ever want to play
hurt their knees -
not realizing theres
testimony, itll mad that I couldnt
run anymore,
People have been so supportive.
When everyone first found
again in high school, Ill have to
work extra hard. But I know one
a super sensitive Galloway said. out about my injury, I got so
ligament in there. be how I reach I was just like, many phone calls and Facebook
day Ill play sports again.
Its so easy just to Whats the point? messages, and some of my friends
trip over something out to people. But I soon realized even surprised me at my house.
and tear your ACL I needed to go Galloway is still trying to stay
to shreds. -Gjenine Galloway, 15 back to school and close to her teammates. hers too, and she told me to be
Howard also hurt keep my grades up Ill still go to the home meets thankful because so many people
her knee when she was in high and focus on healing. Ive heard and support my team, even though have it worse than just a torn
school and said she may have torn some inspirational speeches by I cant participate, Galloway said. ACL, and shes right.
her ACL too. She never sought people who have suffered the same People can take my spot now, Galloway has big plans once she
treatment, however, and now years [injury] as me. but next year Ill be there to get it is able to get back on the track -
later she suffers from knee pain Now, Im thinking, Its going back. No one can truly replace me and even beyond that.
from time to time. to be OK. Just like my mom told yet. But Ill be sad at the meets, If people have questions on
I think having bad knees me this is going to be a story Ill because Ill be watching other whether or not they have the
runs in the family. Gjenines tell people once I gain my strength people do what I love. correct form in a sporting event,
grandmother has had two knee back. This will be my testimony, Galloway is working to keep her they should always ask their
replacements, Howard said. itll be how I reach out to people. head held high. coach, Galloway said. Thats
Galloway is now missing at least She spent the last five weeks I talked to my friend (Chester) what I want to do - I want to be
an entire season of track, but she going through what Raine called Semien (15) and (basketball) a coach so I can prevent these
has faith she will fully recover. pre-hab, which is extra work coach Tricia Mize, who both have injuries and teach athletes just
When we first found out, in before surgery so that recovery is torn their ACLs; and they told me like me. Im going to keep getting
her mind, life was over, Howard a lot easier. they felt just like I do but that the better, and Ill be back on my feet
said. But over the course of her On Feb. 28, Galloway underwent rehab helps a lot, Galloway said. and hopefully running in less
recovery shes matured. Shes surgery to have her torn ACL Mrs. (Chioma) Ukabam tore than six months.
 12 THE ODYSSEY MARCH 2013 SPORTS

Seniors run ends with first-round loss

Seven seniors saw their final season come
to a close on a one-point loss to Beaumont
Central in the playoffs.
KRISLYN DOMINGUE
AND SHAIANNE RUBIN
STAFF REPORTERS

The varsity girls basketball team finished

its season with a 39-38 loss to Beaumont
Central in the first round of the 4A playoffs.
Photo by Meredith Mann The Bulldogs led by one with 13 seconds left
Varsity swimmers Justus Pennington, 13, Catalina Endo, 15, Matthew Kraemer, 15, and Caleb del Real, 15, pose after they each in the game, but a final run by Beaumont
won medals at districts. All four swimmers advanced to Regionals and State. Central ended Summer Creeks chances

Boys team cracks Top 5 at State to advance.

The swim team has record finish at state
meet in boys 200 free relay. The state meet
wraps up a successful season.
MADISON RICE
CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
After placing ninth overall at State last
year, the boys varsity swim team moved
to an impressive fifth-place finish Feb. 23.
Going into the meet, I felt pretty good,
Jonathan del Real, 15, said. I was excited
and had high expectations for the meet. I
was ready to do what I had to do.
The varsity swim team sent six boys and
one girl to State. The boys placed fifth in
the 200 free relay and eighth in the 400
free relay. Jonathan del Real, 15, placed
fifth in both the 50 and 100 free. Justus
Pennington, 13, placed eighth in both
the 200 and 500 free.
Matthew Kraemer, 15, placed 15th in
the 200 free and 16th in the 500 free.
Nick Rudy, 15, placed 11th in the 100
breast. Caleb del Real, 15, placed 13th in
the 500 free. Catalina Endo, 15, finished
11th in the girls 500 free.
With the boys 113 points they finished
behind district rival Kingwood Park.
Individually, they improved all their
places, coach John Dissinger said. They
have all done a really good job this year.
We should be pleased.
Wrapping up their season, the boys
team placed second in the District meet
and were runner-ups in Region. The boys
broke a Region record in the 400 free re-
lay.
The girls team came in second at Dis-
tricts and fourth at Regions. State quali-
fiers Jonathan del Real and Endo were
each awarded the District Swimmer of
the Year awards for boys and girls, re-
spectively. Jonathan del Real was award-
ed Region Swimmer of the Year as well.
At the end of the day, I look at all we
have accomplished this year, Dissinger
said. Overall we did very well. We
should hopefully learn from this years
meet, look forward, strive to do better
and learn from our experiences.
It was an emotional end for a team that
boasted seven seniors.
[This loss] means a whole lot to me
especially since Ive been playing since
Summer Creek opened, said Katelynn
Johnson, 13. I just wanted to take this
ride as far as I could, and it means a whole
lot to me since Im a senior.
Beaumont Central and Summer Creek
traded the lead throughout the entire
game. Summer Creek put much of its focus
defensively on containing Centrals senior Photo by Wayne Barloco
guard Malena Washington while Central Katelynn Johnson, 13, goes for a layup in a game against
focused on stopping Johnson. Humble High School. Johnson is one of seven seniors on the
They basically ran the same plan (as team this year.
us), McDonald said. They boxed up on for Summer Creek.
her [Johnson] and we boxed up on their The girls took away more than just
number one. basketball skills from their season with
Although the 2012-13 season is over for coach Angela McDonald. Her lessons
the girls, the seniors said they hope their didnt always have as much to do with the
younger teammates will be able to take game as they did with helping guide the
the program deeper into postseason in girls in the future.
the near future. I tell all of my athletes that commit to
I love them all and we all played hard, my training for four years that I will instill
said Johnson. I told the young ones that in them the characteristics they need to be
they still have time to come back to this successful in whatever they want to do in
same place. I just loved playing basketball life, McDonald said.

Boys fall short in playoffs

after placing third in district
With a young team, the boys surpassed
many expectations by reaching the first
round of the playoffs before falling to Ozen.
KEATON MCMANAMY
STAFF REPORTER
The boys basketball team fell to Ozen
Beaumont on Feb. 19 capping off their
season with a 12-5 record. For the sec-
ond season in a row, the boys reached the
playoffs - a considerable feat this season
considering it returned only three varsity
players from the previous season.
I think this season was a success and
we proved a lot of people wrong, Paul
Thomas, 15, said. A lot of people didnt
expect us to make playoffs.
The boys ended the season third in the
Photo by Lisseth Lopez district and fell to Ozen, 57-48.
Jocquese Wardsworth, 14, attempts to defend the ball from a Crosby player in the final home game of the boys
basketball season.
We did a great job of scoring against a
good team, but we just couldnt rebound
and they got a lot of turnovers on us,
Dominique Sauls, 13, said.
The team will be graduating three se-
niors this year including Sauls, JaMarcus
Vaughn and Brent Butler.
Darius Reed is the only junior who
started and he has to step up next year,
coach Ricky Mourning said. Im going
to depend on the juniors. Senior leader-
ship for them starts after spring break.
The team has high hopes for next year
and will focus on improving as a team.
We got a taste this year and they say
that once you get a taste you want more,
Thomas said. State is our goal and get-
ting stronger and more mature, just bet-
ter overall.

Signing to colleges become big goal for players
Teammates motivated to
improve in playoffs now that
Triplett has signed to South-
western.
MICHELLE GARCIA
STAFF REPORTER
Much like the school motto, at-
titude really is everything. This is
exactly what the new and improved
softball team has going for them.
The screws are a lot more tight-
ened as far as discipline goes, Var-
sity Softball Coach Lindsay Cathey
said. This year we are fighters to
the finish, our attitude is much bet-
ter as a whole.
According to Cathey, some top
goals the team has are to improve
every day, play to the end and reach
the playoffs.
We are working on committing
less errors and playing the entire
seven innings, Cathey said. If you
do commit an error, you have to be
able to recover.
With better performances, come
new opportunities. First baseman
Hailey Triplett, 13, has already
signed a national letter of intent
with Southwestern.
Catcher Rebecca Achee, 14, hopes
to play in college as well. Scouts
from LSU and Alabama have
Baseball players work to earn another trip to playoffs
Team members lean on one
another to better themsleves for
the season.
VICTORIA VALENTINE
STAFF REPORTER
Varsity boys baseball has plans to
go far this season with a new season
underway.
Our ultimate goal is to win dis-
trict championships; and to do that,
we are just going to have to work
harder than everyone else, coach
Paul Hinson said. In our previous
Kelly Free, 13, hits the softball and runs to first place. The softball team plans to better their season
and are motivated knowing a teammate has signed a scholarship to play in college.
watched Achee play.
I am interested Alabama, Achee
said. I like their softball team and
their campuses.
Triplett, the team captain, was
interested in playing for either Sch-
reiner University or Southwestern.
I signed with Southwestern be-
cause it s close to home, Triplett
said. Not only do they offer good
athletics but they have really high
seasons it went well, but I think we
could have taken it more seriously
and we could have been more ma-
ture about it; but weve grown up a
lot since last year.
The players have been working
hard to achieve their goal of reach-
ing the playoffs.
I think I played well last season,
but I continued to work hard so I
can improve myself for this season,
Joseph Spinks, 14, said.
The team is relying on key players
SPORTS
Photo by Shaianne Rubin
standards for academics. I was ex-
tremely excited.
Triplett was at home with her par-
ents when she got a phone call from
Southwestern.
My parents were very excited as
well, Triplett said, maybe even
more than me. They also like that it
is close to home.
Having a team member who has
already signed with a college may
like Torrey Johnson, 14, who is the
leadoff hitter, Even Perez, 13, who
is key on defense, and Spinks, who
pitches and provides a power bat for
the team.
Another key player would be
Ashton Flint, Hinson said of the
senior. Hes our vocal leader, hes
the one to tell everyone what to do,
you know like shut up or sit down.
He is just an overall good leader.
New players were added to the
team in the offseason and have
THE ODYSSEY MARCH 2013
inspire others to work even harder.
It boosts their morale, Cathey
said. It makes achieving a scholar-
ship reality. If one of the players is
awarded a scholarship, they then
will think, If she can do it, I can
do it.
Many teammates are happy for
Tripletts success, including her
coach.
I think it is awesome Cathey said.
If thats what a kid wants, I have to
do everything I can to get them
there. I am super excited for her,
not only athletically but academi-
cally. Southwestern is an amazing
school. Shell probably be my boss
someday.
Cathey is able to contact the scouts
and talk to them on a weekly basis.
She contacts them by email, text
message or by phone.
A player gets noticed most by
their attitude when they make an
error, Triplett said. They watch
how you react to it.
Triplett has some of her own ad-
vice for players who would like to
achieve their goal and play in col-
lege.
School is for everyone, Triplett
said. Dont give up If you really ranked top five in the state.
want to play, you can go to whatever
school you want.
made immediate impacts, includ-
ing Matthew Buenrostro, 14.
George Gonzalez, 14, said that
Buenrostro plays well at shortstop
and has helped out with defense.
The boys have high hopes as the
season continues.
This season I want to help take
my team past the first round in
playoffs and to do that I have to get
my guys on the team to do better in
class so that way we can be ready on
the field and off, Johnson said.
13
Boys jump out
to fast start; girls
getting stronger
All three relays for the boys track
team are ranked among the top
five in 4A.
KATHERINE HOLMES
STAFF REPORTER
Track is now in season and
coaches Matt Frost and Shelton
Ervin are helping to lead the
teams to victory, despite a few
hiccups along the way.
Our first practice meet showed
we have a little bit of work to do,
but I think where we are now is
a lot better than where we were
this time last year, Frost said.
The teams attend practice ev-
eryday after school, constantly
working on form and staying in
shape for the meets. The athletes
separate into groups that will
help them with their specific
event.
The relay team is our strong
point, Ervin said. All three re-
lay teams are ranked top five in
the state in 4A. Greg Hogan is
With the boys strong finish
last year, they hope to keep their
record times and ranks.
The point we are at right now
is scary, Ervin said. We have
won every meet thus far. Our
average is 160 points collective-
ly. Everyone knows their role
and will continue to one goal of
domination.
The girls team has no problem
filling spots for running events,
but outside of the actual track is
where problems arise.
We lost a lot in terms of field
events last year, so thats going
to be tricky to figure out where
well get that back, but we have
time to figure that out, Frost
said.
 14 THE ODYSSEY MARCH 2013
Deborah Boone collects trash during C lunch. The custodial staff brings the trash cans to the students while they are eating so the students dont have to get up, and to ensure there is no trash
left behind after lunches.
Janitors deserve more respect from students
ASADA SAMIN
STAFF REPORTER
Every day the custodians get to school
before the students and leave after every-
one else is long gone.
Throughout the day custodians are con-
stantly working.
During lunch there are custodians roll-
ing trash cans around so that we, the stu-
dents, can throw away our trash without
having to get out of our seats. In return,
there are many kids who treat the custo-
dians with nothing but disrespect and ter-
rible attitudes.
The custodians walk by and nicely ask
students to throw our trash in the trash
cans. They dont give the students the at-
THUMBS UP
Spring break is almost here!
Cooler weather.
Prom. Special night of senior year.
Teachers who push you. It helps you be
better in life.
Award shows. Seeing all of our favorite
stars looking their best.
Harlem Shake. Its fun and very catchy.
Taco Tuesday in the cafeteria. Who
doesnt like a good taco?
What part of spring break are you most looking forward to?
Hanging out with my friends, no I get to see Jake Owen for free at the
school, and hopefully going out of Rodeo, and I have an extra ticket.
town to San Antonio.
- Aaron Perales, 13
OPINION
titude that they often receive. ways throwing bits of trash on the floor or
Many kids just flat out ignore the custo- stumbling over something without pick-
dians even though those kids were obvi- ing it up and throwing it into a nearby
ously waiting for the trash cans to come trash can. They figure that the custodians
rolling their way so they wouldnt have to will pick it up because they wrongly as-
get up and walk five feet to a can them- sume thats what theyre there for.
selves. Fortunately there are some students who
Too many times Ive seen students get care and have respect for the adults who
up when the bell rings to go back to class are there to make something convenient
and leave their trays stacked with trash on for them. They also respect that there are
the table without even a second thought to trash cans throughout the hallways for a
pick it up and throw it away themselves. specific reason.
Instead of the students thanking the cus- It bothers me personally to see how
todians like they should, the custodians much disrespect students can to show to
are thanking the students for throwing an adult and feel perfectly fine with it. I
their trash away. would like to see students start thanking
Its not just a lunch issue. Students are al- the custodians instead of ignoring them.
THUMBS DOWN
Talking or giggling during tests. Were try-
ing to work.
AP tests. Not ready for them.
Not being able to use phones during pass-
ing periods.
Bad hair day. Dont you just love those?
Long Lines. Everyone hates them.
Parking Passes. Having to pay $20 to park.
Texas weather, is it spring or winter?
Going to the beach because its a place Painting my nails because Ill have
where you can let your ambitions go more time over the break.
-Katie Andrews, 14 and have fun. - Victoria Carr, 16
- Kimmett Jones, 13
Students need
more practice
with life situations
ALEX PELHAM
SECTION EDITOR
The whole point of school is to prepare
students for life after basic education, yet it
doesnt seem to be happening.
Sure, we can learn the aspects of the career
fields that interest us such as the medical
field. But we only learn the information that
will get us to college to further study our se-
lected career field.
Students dont learn lessons that will bene-
Photo by Jackie Martinez fit them regardless of the career path theyve
chosen. Not many students have actually
learned to balance a checkbook, file taxes or
any similar basic skills.
Of course it seems expected that the stu-
dents parents should teach their kids these
life lessons. There are several cases, however,
where parents are either out of the picture
or unable to assist their child. Therefore its
only natural that the student should rely on
school to help them understand and develop
better life skills. Unfortunately high schools
dont seem to teach these skills. The closest
you can get to learning to change a tire is be-
ing in auto tech class for a year.
This lack of education starts in elementary
school. Nowadays students arent taught
how to properly type or even how to write or
read cursive. How can students complete ba-
sic requirements like sign legal papers with-
out learning how to produce a signature?
High school is a time where students are
making the final transition to adulthood. I
believe that the curriculum should accom-
modate them by teaching at least the core
basics on how to survive. This could in-
clude lessons on how to produce a resume,
perhaps taught in English classes and how
to file taxes, a skill taught in mathematics or
economics. Some may argue that companies
such as H&R Block and certain web sites can
either provide assistance or offer hints on
these tasks. However, I think that it would
benefit an individual more if they learn to
do it themselves; they could save money
and develop essential life skills. After all, its
pointless to prepare for a career if you cant
even manage the tasks your parents have to
deal with.
Spending time with my friends. Relax, traveling, spending some good
- Dylan Levitt, 14 money and having some good fun.
- Gold House Principal Reggie Spivey

Pass/Fail gives students unfair advantage
Pass/fail is a system in which students
can abstain from getting an actual grade
and receive just an indicator of whether
the student passed a class or failed it. The
district says
the purpose
behind this is
to encourage
more students
to participate
in upper level
courses and
to pursue spe-
cific interests
in a four-year Keaton McManamy
strand of
courses for which there is no honors des-
ignation. However, when its applied to
an on-level class it drastically changes
the playing field of GPA and rank; and
the program needs to be gone.
In an AP/honors class, the scale for
GPA is based on a 6.0 scale, therefore
a 100 in an AP/Honors class will give a
Disorders should not define or restrict who you are
I remember it like it just happened.
At the age of 3, I would destroy other
peoples Lego towers at preschool. I
wouldnt get a lollipop at the end of
dance class.
I would pull
down all
the lights at
the church
Christmas
musical.
My par-
ents didnt
know what Mackenzie Harper
to do. I
made weird sounds and movements that
I couldnt control. I didnt act like a nor-
mal kid. What our family didnt know
was that I had Tourettes Syndrome and
mild autistic tendencies.
Tourettes Syndrome (TS) is a nuero-
logical disorder in which the average
person is born with too many chemicals
in their brain. Thus, it tells their body
to do things they cant control such as
repetitive eye blinking, grunting and
shoulder shrugs. These are called tics.
Stress and anxiety can cause my tics
to be elevated. I also have mild autisic
tendencies. I take medication and see a
doctor every six weeks.
In my preschool years I started having
these tics. My parents wanted to help me
so they took me to doctors and pediatri-
cians but they did not have a solution to
my peculiar behavior. Two years later,
my mom remembered a distant cousin
had TS. My mom quickly started taking
me to a psychiatrist. He started doing
OPINION
straight 6.0. As a grade decreases, so does
the points to be averaged. In an on-level
or average elective class, the scale has 5.0
being the highest possible numerical rep-
resentation to be averaged in. Thus every
on-level class hurts a students cumula-
tive GPA if their GPA is above 5.0.
By allowing students to take an on-
level class pass/fail so their GPA doesnt
drop takes away from the hard work re-
quired to achieve a high rank. Students
are able to manipulate the system in-
stead of working hard. By using the pass/
fail method, students dont need to work
their hardest on all seven classes; they
can just focus on a few classes.
This system goes against everything
that rank and GPA should be based upon.
Students who work the hardest deserve
the reward for their hard work and this
translates into a higher rank and more
scholarships for college. A students abil-
ity to manipulate the system is a great in-
dicator of their smarts, but rank is a pure
tests on me and giving me gross tasting
pills.
After the tests were done he said if
the tics continued for a year then yes,
I would be diagnosed. If not, it would
have just been a phase. Unfortunately,
they continued for a year.
After a while, I started getting severely
bullied at school by peers
and teachers. Students
would call me names and Im not the type
hit me. My second grade of person who
teacher punished me for
keeps my disorder
my tics just because they
got on her nerves. It was a secret. I believe
very hard to concentrate in telling everyone
in school because of my you know.
tics. No one seemed to
care. Eventually, I moved
to a new school where it
seemed like the bullying would stop. But
by fourth grade my homeroom teacher
would mock me, threaten me, embarrass
me and make me cry. The students were
even worse to the point where I had to
be put in another class. The new teacher
treated me much better, but the students
were the same.
My fifth grade year was probably one
of my best years even though students
still bullied me. I was not prepared for
what was about to come in my first year
of middle school. This was by far the
worst school year I have ever had. Even
though I had few teachers, friends and
an assistant principal who cared for me,
most of my peers and teachers bullied
me. Even the principal didnt under-
stand me and punished me for things I
THE ODYSSEY MARCH 2013 15
ODYSSEY
mathematical formula and should be cal-
culated so. All great grades should equal a
great rank, not a decent one because other
STAFF
students showed how apt they are at play- www.SCHStoday.com
ing the game.
The only way to level the playing field Co-Editors-in-Chief:
and ensure a fair system - aside from sim- Madison Rice
ply getting rid of the whole program - is Madison Terrier
to give every student the same knowledge.
The school needs to sit every student Photo Editor:
down in an assembly or mandatory coun- Lisseth Lopez
selor meetings and explain this option to Section Editors:
everyone. Though this idea is far less pref-
Jenna Duvall
erable to simply ridding the school of this
ridiculous program, it would allow every Alex Pelham
student an equal opportunity. General Staff:
Pass/fail needs to be gone. It doesnt Krislyn Domingue
reward those who work hard or even
courage students to work hard in the first Jazmyn Griffin
place. It promotes the idea of manipulat- Tayler Banes
ing classes and the whole institution of Brianca Berry
GPA and rank by telling students that
Michelle Garcia
they simply dont need to try in certain
classes. Starr Jauregui
Keaton McManamy
Danielle Miller
Jordan Mobley
Alexis Robinson
Victoria Valentine
couldnt help. This was the year I was Yazmin Lopez
diagnosed with autistic tendencies. Katherine Holmes
By the summer, my parents had me
Asada Samin
transferred to Woodcreek Middle
School, where things were much better Mackenzie Harper
for me. I became one of the school Gerson Vilchis
mascots and became involved in theater
and journalism. I am now a fresh-
man, and this will be my Special contributors:
third year as a school Susanna Summers
mascot and my second in Jackie Martinez
journalism. I love being
Rikki Hurt
at my school and feel very
Paris Dowd
safe here. There are good
people here who are good Shaianne Rubin
friends. My teachers and
peers were much more
supportive and didnt Adviser:
bully me. Megan Ortiz
Im not the type of per- Principal:
son who keeps my disorder a secret. I
believe in telling everyone you know. I Thyrun Hurst
believe if you are being bullied or know
a bully, you should tell someone you
Summer Creek High School
trust. They will help you.
Trust me. Its not worth the trouble. 14000 Weckford Blvd.
I dont let my disorder get into my
pursuit of life. Im thankful to God
Houston, TX 77044
for all Hes done for me. Hes given me 281.641.5400
great parents, close friends, teachers
and so many others who have helped March 2013
me get to where I am today. Even Issue 4, Vol. 4
though Im disabled Im still successful.
I love God. I love my family. I love my
friends. I love school. I love life. The Odyssey serves as a public forum for Summer Creek High
School and is distributed free to all students and staff.
I have Tourettes and Autism, but
Cover designed by Lisseth Lopez
Tourettes and Autism dont have me.
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