Volume 3 Issue 5

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Index

Volume 3 Issue 4

News
Lights, camera, goal...pg.5
Cultures intermingle at IFEST celebration...pg.5
ROTC works arduously for state....
pg. 6
News In Brief...pg.6

Features
Playstation Now revealed...pg. 11
Yoga benefits the body...pg.11
Chang sets sights high...pg.12
Noorani juggles activities...pg.12
Celebrating Irish heritage...pg.13
Practicing the unordinary....pg.13

Lifestyles
Boho chic and healthy living: all the
rage....pg. 7
TV debuts both new and familiar...
pg.7
Books released in 2015...pg. 8
Indulge in the sweet taste of Ireland...
pg. 9
Movies arriving in the new year...pg.9
How to become a spring royal....pg.
10
Who will win the Hunger Games...
pg. 10

Perspectives
Spring break varies...pg.16
People crave one break...pg.17

Reporter speaks social media and

sports....pg. 14
Tennis star Hu swingsto top 100...pg. 15
Student Athlete Saa serves his accomplishments ...pg.15
Voices
What is your favorite season?...pg.18
Humans of Clements: Have you ever
experienced karma?...pg. 19

Sports
Clements soccer hopes to repeat...pg. 14
Publication Policy
The Round Up, a feature magazine published by the students in Clements High
Schools Magazine Journalism class, is a
designated forum for student expression.
The Round Up is distibuted to its readers
and the student body at no cost.

Your ad
could
go
here!

From the Editors desk

New York exists in colossal, aesthetic mess

By SAMANTHA JREIJ
Co-Editor-in-Chief
I never knew I would find my heart
in New York.
I have never been to a place that
feels. I have never been in a place
that has a heartbeat like this city does.
This city makes me feel alive. This

city makes me feel as alive as millions

of others have felt before me.
This city is more than just a place.
It is a colossal mess of small stores
that merge their obscenely different
personalities as their borders cross
one another. It is a crowd of colorful
and dull people, all going somewhere,
somewhere close, always a few
blocks away. It is a chaotic array
of buildings that seem like they are
sitting precariously in their spots,
buildings that will topple any second.
It is an attitude and a unique sleekness.
It is greater than we can comprehend.
There is so much in New York. The
utter concept of simplicity doesnt
quite seem to exist. Henry David

Thoreau surely would be mortified by

just how much there is in New York.
Everything is always moving and the
crowd never abates. Nothing fits,
and yet it is all forced to be squished
together into one giant collage of a
city.
Maybe Im reaching, and maybe
Im not making much sense, but
maybe life is like that. Maybe life is
like a giant collection of objects and
emotions that were forced together,
and as chaotic as that looks, when we
all step back and look at it, it is sort of
beautiful. It is a kind of beauty that
nobody ever thought could exist, a
kind of beauty that could only ever be
completely unplanned and chaotic.

Tea provides unexpected health benefits

BY LAURYN MERRIETT
Co Editor in Chief
Tea is widely used in many different
cultures for many different things. I for
one, love tea and what I am about to
share with you is some things of which I
was unaware. For all you tea lovers, here
are some more things to adore about one
of the worlds favorite drinks.
1) Green tea is helpful in interfering
with the growth of breast, lung, stomach,
and pancreatic cancer. It also can prevent
the clogging of arteries, burn fat, and
reduce the risk of neurological disorders.
2) Black tea, though it has the highest
caffeine content, can protect the lungs
from damage caused by cigarette smoke
and also can reduce risk of stroke.
3) White tea has the most potent
anticancer properties compared to other
teas. It is uncured and unfermented, so

it is really nice if you want something a

bit lighter.
4) Oolong teas antioxidants can lower
cholesterol and is claimed to also help
with weight loss.
5) Chamomile tea, widely known as
being a very calming tea, also helps
prevent loss of vision as well as nerve
and kidney damage. It can also stunt the
growth of cancer cells.
6) Hibiscus tea when consumed three
times a day can lower blood pressure.
It is also good for treating colds and
lowering cholesterol.
7) Rooibos tea has cancer-fighting
properties and is also a good remedy for
insomnia and digestion.
8) Instant tea is very popular and most
easily available, but it may contain very
little actual tea and is mostly just sugar
and artificial sweeteners. During the

process to make instant tea, 90 percent of

the antioxidants that make tea so healthy
is lost. If you would like to benefit
from the qualities listed above, I would
recommend loose tea.
Especially with this being the new year
and everyone promising to be healthier,
hopefully, these facts will help you keep
resolutions in a fun and tasty way.

NEWS
Lights, camera, goal!
By PATRICIA ANNE MANZINARES
Voices Editor
For the past 20 years, requests have been
made to put lights on the soccer field.
Finally, it has been approved for lights on
the field near the track and the bleachers.
Compared to other Fort Bend ISD
schools, Clements is the only school
in the Fort Bend area that does not
have home for soccer and track.
Last year Clements varsity
soccer
won
State
recognition
and the lights are well deserved.
It has been nine years since I came
to work for Clements. My son has been
playing for the soccer team for four
years, and for as long as I can remember,
even before he came to play for the
team, a lot of parents had already been
asking to put lights on the soccer field,
said Lorri Hubert, assistant principal.
The both JV and Varsity soccer team
do not have a home field and have to

use Kempner stadium for practices and

competition. Many people therefore
believe it is a good decision that
they put lights in the soccer field.
In my opinion, adding lights for
the soccer field will allow both teams
to be able to play games at night
and also allow anyone to play on
the fields. Brandon Nguyen, junior.
The benefits of putting up lights
in the soccer field is that freshmen
and sophomores that are not yet
eligible to drive can just stay and
practice in the Clements soccer field.
It will affect the soccer teams, because
they play at night, said Nash Cole, senior.
Also, putting up lights in the soccer field
is for the greater benefit of the students
for their safety during times of practices.
Last year, there was an incident where
two teams refused to come to Kempner
stadium because of the worry that some
students have about getting injured.

But at Clements we have custodians who

can manage the field by taking good care
and watching over the field, said Hubert.
Another benefit for the soccer field
to have lights installed is that it is a
good impression for other competitive
teams from other schools if they come
and practice or play on Clements
grounds. Players say Kempner stadium
compared to Clements is not as good,
because it feels different to be able
to play on the teams home field.

Photo Courtesy of Jaime Rodriguez

Cultures intermingle at IFEST celebration

Photo Courtesy of Jaime Rodriguez

By SANGEETHA PUTHIGAI
Voices Editor
The Clements International Festival
is scheduled to be on Thursday, April
17th. The International Club is currently
deciding on this years theme for the
annual event.
We are deciding on a theme,
restaurants, and decorations for this
5 years international festival.

Look forward to tasty food from around

the world, cultural performances by both
professional performers, and Clements
students, extra credit opportunities, and
our annual fashion show. Hopefully
after all our hard work, this years IFEST
will be a success, said Grant Lu, junior.
The International Club at Clements
helps define the student body at a more
precise level by displaying cultures
of students from all around the globe.
They do so by hosting IFEST. During
IFEST, students demonstrate culturally
based performances and attendees are
offered food from around the globe.
Today, society is filled with a unique
set of people with different stories
and traditions from everywhere in
the world. One of the most culturally

diverse schools in the nation, Clements,

through International Club, strives
to promote a better understanding
of these differences, and promote
respect for each cultures traditions.
Diversity adds to society by making
available different viewpoints and
perspectives from around the world.
It helps us recognize each others
differences and similarities. IFEST strives
to help people appreciate the differences
between the diverse cultures of the world
while at the same time making them
seem a little less foreign, said Grant Lu.
The International Club invites
everyone to attend this years
celebration, which planners promise
to be bigger and better than ever.
photo by Jaime Rodriguez

ROTC works arduously for state

By LISA NINAN
Ads Editor
ROTC will be going to State in a
few weeks to compete from March
27-28th at Texas A&M University in
College Station. There will be around
38 students from Clements who will be
competing in the Navy Junior Reserve
Officers Training Corps program for
several different drills and regulatory
procedures.
Were looking to do better than last
year and last year there were 58 Navy
JROTCs in the State and only 16 qualify
for State each year so we were 1 of those
16 teams, and last year we ended up
12th in the State. We definitely want to

Photo Courtesy of Leah Fontenot

improve on that and become part of the

Top 10 this year, said Captain Marlin
Anthony, ROTC sponsor.
Captain Anthony and Chief Jason
Gorsuch helped to give details on the
competition and different programs
taking place. Some of them include:
1) Armed drill competitions where
cadets will march around with their fake
rifles called a precision drill where every
single step is outlined for them already,
and every single school does the exact
same routine so they have some criteria
to judge from. There is also an armed
exhibition portion where cadets get to
do a creative routine on their own with
a set time limit and the judges look for
creativity from different schools to see
which ones are the best.
2) Unarmed drill competitions where
there is a regulation drill- where will
march around and do a few precision
procedures and an unarmed exhibition
portion- an independent section, where
they create their own routine and the
judges to determine how good their
routine is.
3) Athletics competition is basically

the PT portion where our cadets will

compete in push-ups, sit-ups, and a
shuttle relay that normally goes from 4
males to 4 females and they take the top
cadets for that.
4) Academics competition where the top
cadets take a 50-100 question test based
on their knowledge from their freshman
to their senior year, and usually our
Clements students do pretty well on that.
The first thing the cadets do when they
get there for competition is a personal
inspection where every cadet has to
stand in their uniform answer questions
about their basic knowledge, as well as
be inspected for their complete uniform
will be looked over from how high their
ribbons are on their pockets to their
haircut, facial hair, and for females.
I was happy for my cadets because I
knew that thats what they strive for all
year and those are the guys that put in the
work and myself and Captain make sure
they stay on task and this is a cadet-run
program, so whatever they accomplish
here is on them, said Chief Gorsuch.
Being able to advance to State was
definitely exciting for the ROTC team.

News In Brief
News and Brief
At the Jersey Village programming
competition our advanced team placed
1st and novice teams placed 2nd and 3rd.
The following students also placed
individually:
Kevin Chen 1st
Stephen Zheng 2nd
Alex Chen 3rd
Swim teams won District titles over
the weekend and two pool and three
school records broken. Jonathan Drewes
broke 16-year-old pool record in the 50
free, and set school record in the 100
free. Jonathan earned District MVP.
boys 200 free relay consisting of Alex
Nork, Colin Crow, Colin Walton, and
Jonathan Drewes also set pool record.
Academic Decathlon Team won
the regional championship again
this year. If you know any team
members, please congratulate them -

Henry Burgess 3rd place

overall score, 1st place in
language and literature and 1st
place in economics
Albert Han 2nd place overall
score, 1st place in music, 1st
place in science, 1st place for
interview (perfect score!) and
3rd place in math
John Hattan 2nd place in
economics
Andi Liang 1st place overall
score, 1st place in language
and literature, 1st place in art,
1st place in speech, 2nd place in
music, 2nd place in science, 2nd
place in economics, 3rd place in
math
Galen Lytle 3rd place in
language and literature
Anish Rao 1st place in
economics, 1st place for

interview (perfect score!),

2nd place in math, 2nd place in
speech
Anna Wang 3rd place in music
CTVs very own Niko Trusko is in the
running for a place as winner of State
UIL documentary film. Good luck!
CHS is now offering FREE studentled tutorials in core classes on
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:35 to
3:15 in the Upstairs Library. There are
flyers hanging at school for students
that need help to sign up for tutorials
or students can go see Mrs. Howell
in room 2511 for more information.
The link to the college and career
readiness center here at CHS is http://
chsccrcenter.weebly.com/ccr-centercalendar.html In order for students
to attend the college visits they must
register for the event, registration
closes at noon the day before the6visit.

LIFESTYLES
Boho chic and healthy living: all the rage
By HAANIYA DAWOODALLY
Copy Editor
It is time to hang up those coats,
fold and put away the big scarves,
and box up the Uggs. Seasons are
changing, and just in case the winter
blues are still hanging around, cheer
up. With spring comes new trends.
When it comes to fashion and style,
the 1970s are back this season bringing back the large scale prints and bold
colors. However, today there is a balance between the 70s influence and the
modern day style. Another inspiration
for spring is bohemian. With soft colors and flowery print, bohemian is a relaxed way to dress. Finally, denim worn
right can look more formal instead of the
way it is being underestimated today.
In terms of decorating and interior design, Feng Shui is a way to rearrange
everything in a way of harmonizing the
people around. Originating from Chinese Astronomy, the main purpose of it is

to find the perfect place of an object and

fulfill its purpose of why it was created.
Spring is time of hope, rebirth, and renewal. Pop music can be a great asset in

Photo Courtesy of Jaime Rodriguez

setting the atmosphere of spring. Spring

is a time to be positive so try listening to
feel good songs to keep the mood friendly.
With Spring Break coming up, now is
a good time to start working on a healthy
body. So many apps have been released
to help people achieve their goals. For
example, Calorie Counter by MyFitnessPal helps by entering daily meal
consumption and exercises. It then tells
you how much to eat and how long to
exercise to help reach a weight goal in
a certain amount of days. Another app
to help motivate is Zombies, Run! What
this app does is that when running, it
makes the runner seem like a part of a
zombie invasion and are running to survive. It not only makes running fun, but
it can motivate others to get in shape.
Spring 2015 brings many new
trends along with sunshine and
warm weather. So let go of thought
of snow and get with the program.

Tv debuts both new and familiar

1. Sunday, March 1st- Once Upon
a Time, The Last Man on Earth, and
Secrets and Lies
2. Monday, March 2nd- The Following
3.Tuesday, March 3rd- Marvels
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Hells
Kitchen
4. Wednesday, March 4th- CSI: Cyber and Broadchurch
5.Thursday, March 5th- American
Crime and Dig
6.Friday, March 6th-Unbreakable
Kimmy Schmidt
7.Monday, March 9th-Bates Motel
and The Returned
8.Wednesday, March 17th- One Big

Happy and Undateable

9.Thursday, March 26th- Bones
10.Sunday, March 29th- Call the
Midwife and Mr. Selfridge
11.Tuesday, March 31st, Weird
Loners and Younger
12.Saturday, April 4th -Outlander
13.Sunday, Apr. 5- A.D. and Odyssey
14.Thursday, Apr. 9- Louie
15.Friday, Apr. 10- Cedrics Barber Battle
16.Sunday, Apr. 12-Game of
Thrones, Silicon Valley, and Veep
17.Saturday, Apr. 18- Orphan
Black
18.Sunday,Apr. 26- Penny Dreadful

Books released in 2015

By LISA NINAN
Ads Editor
For all the book lovers, there are many
options to look forward to this year.
From action packed thrillers to romantic tragedies, it is all coming up in the
upcoming year. Here is a sneak peak
for top 5 cant-wait books for 2015.
1) Winter (The Lunar Chronicles, #4)
by Marissa Meyer- This book is part of
a series that follows a life of Queen Levanas stepdaughter. Winter decided to
never use her lunar gift, so she has not
used her Lunar glamour since she was
twelve. But when a lunar chooses not
to use their gift, it slowly starts to drive
them crazy, so Winter is afflicted with
bad hallucinations, and as the book goes
on, her mental state starts to slowly deteriorate (Release Date November 2015).
2)End of Days (Penryn & the End of
Days #3) by Susan Ee-The final book
in Penryn and the End of Days series
is about 17-Year-old Penryn Young, her

schizophrenic mother, and 7-year-old

sister Paige struggle to survive in their
destroyed city, with the threat of street
gangs and angels. The book ends with
Penryn seeing Raffe fly away. She slowly
starts to thaw out and feels proud of being
a human (Release Date May 12, 2015).
3)The Heir (The Selection #4) by Kiera Cass-Twenty years ago, America
Singer entered the Selection and won
Prince Maxons heart. Now the time
has come for Princess Eadlyn to hold a
Selection of her own. Eadlyn does not
expect her Selection to be anything like
her parents fairy-tale love story. But
as the competition begins, she may discover that finding her own happily ever
after is not as impossible as she always
thought (Release Date May 5, 2015).
With a new year starting soon, it is
the perfect time to check out these
fun-filled books, and hopefully, ev-

eryone can look forward for a sequel.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

(175 degrees C). In a large bowl, mix
together the cookie crumbs, confectioners sugar and 1/3 cup cocoa. Add melt

utes; set aside. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine cream
cheese, white sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa and
flour. Beat at medium speed until well
blended and smooth. Add eggs one
at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in the sour cream and
Irish cream liqueur; mixing on low
speed. Pour filling over baked crust.
Step 3: Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Reduce oven
temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees
C), and continue baking for 60 minutes.
Step 4: With a knife, loosen cake from
rim of pan. Let cool, and then remove the
rim of pan. Chill before serving. If your
cake cracks, a helpful tip is to dampen a
spatula and smooth the top, then sprinkle with some chocolate wafer crumbs.
Now you have made your simple
and perfect dessert for St. Patricks
Day and can serve it to everyone
you know to celebrate the holiday!

Indulge in the sweet taste of Ireland

By LISA NINAN
Ads Editor
St. Patricks Day is coming and what
better way to celebrate than making
the perfect dessert. Here is an easy
recipe on how to make Irish cream
chocolate cheesecake for your friends
and family. This recipe is good for
about 12 people.
This was based
on a recipe found on allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup butter
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur
8
Directions:

ed butter and stir until well mixed. Pat

into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form
pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 min-

Movies arriving in the new year

By JAIDA SWANSON
Reporter
A
new year equals new movies. Even though there will be many,
here are just a few of the movies that will be debuting this year.
Insurgent: This is the sequel to Divergent. If you loved the first movie then
you will probably love the second one
even more. Beatrice Prior has to continue her fight against her society and
in the meantime figure out more about
who she is. Its expected release date
is March 20, 2015. It is not yet rated.
Mockingjay Part 2: Hunger Games
fans will have to wait exactly a year
for the end of Mockingjay. It comes
out November 20, 2014. The outcome of Katniss and the rebellion is
365 days away. It is not yet rated.
Minions: Everyones favorite little
minions from Despicable Me finally
have their own spotlight. It tells the story
of how they came to be the way they are
and how they served their evil masters.
This movie comes out July 10, 2015.
Pitch Perfect 2: The Bellas are back for
the second installment of the comedy and
musical that is Pitch perfect. Fat Amy and

Beca are in their senior year at college.

Movie will be released March 15, 2015.
Hotel Transylvania 2: Dracula and
his daughter are returning to theaters
for a sequel. The plot is unknown but

it does come out September 25, 2015.

Ted 2: The second installment of
the comical bear created by Seth McFarlane is back for a sequel. This
film is not yet rated but will be arriving in theaters June 26, 2015.
Pan: In this movie, we get to find
out the true story of Peter Pan and his
adventures in Neverland. This movie will be about his journey in the fun
yet dangerous place and how he finds
his destiny. The film is not yet rated and will come out June 26, 2015.
Tommorowland: Movie with George
Clooney and Britt Robinson who explore Tommorowland, a place between
space and time. This movie is science
fiction, and comes out May 22, 2015.
Cinderella: We have yet another installment of this classic. The father dies and
the princess is left to her cruel stepmother. She is invited to the ball but she cannot go. The fairy godmother helps her.
This movie comes out March 13, 2015.
With all these exciting movies coming out, not to mention much more,
how is hard not to be excited for 2015.

How to become a spring royal

By JAIDA SWANSON
Reporter
Spring is a season where everything is fresh and new. Nature is starting to come back from the cold and
barren winter. Spring is best known
for its flowers. Wearing flowers in a
crown has been popular for centuries.
It is not necessary to spend a lot of
money to order one. Making them is
simple. Here is how to make a flower
crown and be the queen or king of spring.
Materials Needed:
Fake flowers and leaves
Grapevine wire
Florist Tape
Scissors
Directions:
Measure the grapevine wire around
the head so that it is the perfect
length then tape the ends together.

Photo Courtesy of Jaime Rodriguez

Pick out an assortment of flowers and leaves, varying in size and
color that look appealing around
the wire. This will be the template.
Cut the flower stems to two inches so that the stems will not
poke out but can still be taped.

Using the floral tape, tape the stems of the

selected flowers to the grapevine wire,
following the template from step two.
Check for any extra spaces to add flowers
and/or leaves and wear the flower crown.
Now the flower crown can be worn
anywhere.

Who will win the Hunger Games?

By EVELYN LAZARIS
Lifestyles Editor
Twelve famous celebrities are put into
the arena. Who will be the last ones
standing? You decided. 270 Clements
students were asked in a random survey to
choose one boy and girl celebrity whom
they thought would come out on top in
the Hunger Games. Here are the results:

10

Features
Playstation Now revealed
By WILL HERNANDEZ
Reporter
On July 2nd, 2012, Sony completed
their acquisition of Gaikai, a cloud-based
streaming service. Gamers immediately
started speculation on the $380 million
purchase made by the company that owns
the PlayStation brand. Many saw it as
future-proofing, that Sony has caught
on to the digital trend, and it taking it by
the horns.
With PlayStation Now, you can stream
any available PS3 game to your PS3,
PS4, PS Vita, PlayStation TV, Bravia
Televisions, and Samsung Televisions,
among others. PlayStation 3 exclusives
such as The Last of Us, God of War:
Ascension, and Beyond: Two Souls
(Starring Ellen Page) were shown to
hype up the service, which was originally
announced to have a BlockBuster-esque

renting model.
Shortly after its reveal, PlayStation
Now went into beta on PS3, and after
months of testing by consumers and
games journalists, the general consensus
was lukewarm. Most agreed that it was
a nice concept, but its rental rates were
too expensive, and it had blatant latency
issues. Latency is the lag you experience from clicking the buttons on your
controller, to actually seeing the effects
of it happen on-screen. A game where
pinpoint accuracy is an afterthought, like
God of War, was better received than
a platformer like Puppeteer, where one
wrong move means death.
After almost a year of testing, Sony is
currently marketing PS Now to PS4 owners who never had a chance to play PS3s
biggest games. Over 200 PS3 games are
now available to play on the PS4 via PS

Now, but its biggest change is the way

you access them. Sony listened to the
hundreds of complaints of the prices to
rent the games. Now, instead of paying
$30 to spend 90 days with a game, you
can subscribe to the service for $44.99
for three-months, and play any of the
200+ games at the pace you like.
Problems beyond money constraints
still leave people skeptical of the service.
PlayStation Now has a lot of question
marks, but Sony seems to be listening,

By SAMEEN SIDDIQUI
News Editor
When people ponder about yoga, they
probably imagine random poses that
do not actually benefit the human body.
On the contrary, yoga is a beneficial
exercise that helps with stress related
problems and much more.
Dispelling myths about yoga must begin at the beginning. It dates back to the
fifth century Indian tradition that helped
to relieve the mind and body spirit.
Even though it requires an abundance
of patience, the poses help to stretch
out all tight muscles that are the building blocks to feeling less stiff and tired
during the course of each day.
Many people believe that yoga does
not help improve muscle tone, but this
is not the case. Certain styles, such as
power yoga, can become very physical
with poses like upward dog, downward
dog and plank pose. It is also useful for

those that are in need of a better posture.

The different poses that are used in yoga
build up strong core muscles that make
people sit up straight. Another way
that it helps to relax the mind and body
is that certain styles of yoga help people

Bikram and Jivamukti. Some types of

yoga may be easy, but Bikram yoga is
very arduous. It is when people do a
variety of poses in a sauna-like room,
and it is mainly used for losing weight
and building stamina. At first, Bikram
may seem like a worthless task that is
too difficult and impossible, but with the
proper motivation, it can help anyone
tremendously. Jivamukti is an invigorating type of yoga that includes five
different types of tenets such as, Shastra, Bhakti, Ahimsa, Nada, and Dhyana
that each has their own style. This type
of yoga is used all over the world and is
very beneficial to the soul as well.
Yoga is a practice for both the mental
and physical health.
Unlike many peoples thoughts about
the practice, yoga is quite physically
arduous, and anybody who is interested in the practice can start with little
difficulty.
11

and the consumer is accepting.

Yoga benefits the body

Photo Courtesy of Jaime Rodriguez

to maintain a consistent breathing pattern. It also lowers blood pressure and
helps people to have a slow heart rate.
Having a slow heart rate is beneficial for
people with high blood pressure, heart
disease or people who have had a stroke
in their life.
There are many types of yoga such as

Chang sets sights high

By ZAHRA KHERAJ
Perspectives Editor
Michelle Chang has her sights set.
As member of PALS, debate, National
Honor Society, Interact, and Students for
Christ, Chang has stayed busy to make
the most out of high school by giving
back to others as well as excelling in her
own interests.
Academics and extracurricular activities can make it hard to maintain a social
life, but Chang succeeds in balancing it
all.
Im the type of person that if Im
really passionate about something, Ill
make time for it no matter what, I try to
space out everything Im doing and plan
ahead of time, said Chang.
She devotes much of her time to
giving back to the community through
PALS and volunteer work.
Just to be a part of PALS is something that I am honestly grateful for,

said Chang.
Through the organization, she works
with special needs children as well as
elementary school students.
Playing games and seeing a smile on
their faces is one of the most rewarding
feelings in the world, said Chang.
The term Work hard, play hard
applies to her. Whenever things get difficult, she keeps her head held high and
pushes through.
The hardest part of high school was
managing my time well, but I stay
motivated by concentrating on my goals
and thinking about my parents, I hope to
one day give them all the finer things in
life, said Chang.
Chang also has advice to give to underclassmen.
Take classes and clubs that you actually have interest in. Dont do it because
it looks good on college apps, also, stay
humble and stay motivated because high

school will be much more enjoyable that

way. Stay concentrated in the beginning to the end and know that whatever
struggle youre going through, you will
get through it, said Chang,
After her memorable four years in
high school, Chang plans on majoring in
chemical engineering at UT Austin. She
may be leaving the city, but Chang plans
to continue giving back to the community as well as make her and others happy.

Photo Courtesy of Jaime Rodriguez

Noorani juggles activities

By ZAHRA KHERAJ
Perspectives Editors
Alishan Noorani could be a circus star,
considering his juggling talents. Noorani stays active in his community both in
and out of school as a member of Red
Cross, debate, Science NHS, and NHS.
He is also an intern at Houston Methodist Research Institute at the Nano and
Regenerative medicine labs, researching ways to prevent breast cancer from

Photo Courtesy of Jaime Rodriguez

12

spreading to metastasis sites.

Being involved in so much can make
it difficult to keep up.
With all the clubs, extracurricular
activities, AP classes, and leadership
outside of school, its hard to manage
my time and still do well, said Noorani.
Staying motivated is rough, but necessary.
I try to stay self-motivated because
working hard this handful of years will
bring me a life of ease and happiness
after college, said Noorani.
Nooranis dedication has helped him
become who he is over these past four
years.
Ive gone from being shy and quiet
to more outgoing and open, Ive come
to learn that grades dont define you as
much as what you do. What truly defines
a person in my opinion is what they do
when nobody is watching because that is
their true self, said Noorani.
Noorani shows his true self through
his actions.

Whenever I can, I love helping those

who are in need of it, said Noorani.
Noorani spends a lot of his free time
volunteering, especially at his religious
center.
Aside from school and volunteering,
Noorani plays the guitar and basketball
as well in his free time.
My most passionate hobby is napping. Some people may argue its not a
hobby, but napping is what I do in my
free time, and I believe a hobby is characterized as what someone does for fun
in their free time, said Noorani.
Noorani has a bright future ahead of
him. While having an internship at the
Research Institute, biomedicine is just a
passion of his in the fight against cancer.
He hopes to go to either Rice or Columbia University to pursue his career
focus.
I hope to get a job in the computer
science field in Houston, said Noorani.
Noorani is sure to succeed as he continues to pursue his interests.

Celebrating Irish heritage

Photo Courtesy of Jaime Rodriguez

By MEGHAN BEYTEBIERE
Managing Editor
Every March 17, most peoples
clothes take a turn in the same direction.
Green, green, and more green adorn
those who have a distinct fear of being
pinched on this day. St. Patricks Day is
celebrated throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as the United
States, Canada, Argentina, Australia,
and New Zealand where it was brought
by Irish settlers. The unusual traditions of the day all come from Irelands
foremost saint and the rich history of the
country.

The main reason for the annual holiday is to celebrate the life of Saint Patrick on the day of his death. It was the
life and teachings of Saint Patrick that
created many original traditions. The
most prominent tradition, wearing green
and shamrocks, comes from an unexpected origin. While green has been
recognized as Irelands traditional color
from as early as the 1640s, it was for a
while blue that dominated the days color scheme. The Order of Saint Patrick
adopted the color blue to represent their
organization in 1783, thus associating
the Saint with the color and the holiday.
However, in the 1790s Irish nationalism
became associated with the color green
and as Irelands patron saint, Saint Patrick also was given the color. The origin
of the shamrock as a representation of
the holiday came from Saint Patricks
religious teachings, as he taught the
pagans of Ireland about the Holy Trinity
of the Christian faith through the threeleafed shamrock. The other traditions
that take place on this holiday often are
different from country to country.
Ireland uses the day to showcase the

countrys heritage through a five day

festival that over 600,000 people attend.
Among the smaller parades in Ireland is
the town of Dripsey in Cork. The parade
only lasts about one hundred yards and
is walked between the towns two pubs.
Argentina as well hosts large festivals,
but neither the Irish community nor
the Catholic Church are involved in
the planning. Surprisingly one of the
longest running parades on St. Patricks
Day occurs in Montreal, Canada. Great
Britain presents their Irish Guard with
shamrocks flown in from Ireland, as
well as hosting horse racing, parades,
and other festive events. The United
States carries out the day with much
green, shamrocks, parades, and the tradition of pinching those who do not join
in the festivities. Even the International
Space Station has contributed to the
celebrations in the past by playing music
on traditional Irish instruments while
floating around in orbit.
So, with the traditional origins of St.
Patricks Day in mind, the holiday has
adapted over the centuries to be the fun

continue making music and have been

featured in Clements Idol.
Evelyn Lazaris, junior, has been
practicing Irish dancing for 13 years and
continues to improve today.
Irish dancing is trebling my feet as

while maintaining impeccable posture

and staying with the music. The key is
being powerful but graceful at the same
time, said Lazaris when asked what
Irish dancing exactly is.
Janet Chen, sophomore, practices and
performs traditional Chinese dancing
and has been for the past 11 years. Chen
also practices contemporary, ballet, and
modern dances. She practices every
week for about 4 hours on Sunday and
tries to fit in practice throughout the
week.
Competition season is really motivating when you see the end product
and being able to be rewarded for all the
hard practices you put in, said Chen.
Clements is filled with students practicing unique talents and trying to be

and excitements filled celebration

Practicing the unordinary

By HAANIYA DAWOODALLY
Copy Editor
The amount of talent present in CHS
is always astoundingly high for a variety
of subjects from academics to fine arts
to athletics. However, some people in
Clements practice an activity that is
quite unique. In this story are two highlighted students whose talent is practiced
through dancing and singing but not in
the most typical way.
Lane Glasscock, senior, plays guitar
for his band Odditis. Started 2 years
ago, Odditis writes and plays Indie, soft
and hard, and consists of two other band
members.
Id love to play during college but the
chances are slim, said Lane Glasscock,
guitarist, when asked if he would continue it later. The band will still however

Photo Courtesy of Jaime Rodriguez

fast as possible without missing a beat
and keeping my legs turned out and
pointed until arches start cramping all

best they can.

13

SPORTS
Clements Soccer hopes to repeat
By SANTIAGO DIAZ-ARAUZO
Sports Editor
State Champs. Those two words spread
like fire in April 2014. Now, they want
to repeat. This team looks to conquer
the regular season after finishing their
first matchup vs. Kempner, claiming
victory with a 3-1 lead. They then played
Hightower, winning 2-0 and demolished
Austin, 7-0. After a 3-2 loss to Elsik,
key matchups look to take place in
March, on the 6th when they play Alief
Elsik, one of the new three 6-A schools
coming up in all sports. Alief Hastings
and Taylor also come up to challenge
district contention while we lose two
schools, Elkins and Bush, to 5-A.
Each school in the FBISD district
will play Varsity twice and the top two
teams of the district go to battle in the

state playoffs. Clements took the title

after a magnificent, Cinderella run while
claiming key victories against Cy-Lakes
and the championship opponent, Coppell.
This years team lost many seniors,
but is considered strong and powerful.
March games start off with a battle
against Travis on the 3rd at Kempner
and then on the 6th against Elsik, a key
matchup. The district season is lastly

By WILL HERNANDEZ
Reporter
Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson
is now 10-0 against Super Bowl-Winning
QBs, despite not playing a snap against
the opposing offense. Kobe Bryant is
also deemed as clutch, even though
his last field goal make in the last five
seconds of a game was three years ago.
These are narratives that get passed
around by word-of-mouth, and quickly
spiral out of control. In the year 2015,
media applications like Vine, Twitter,
and YouTube are not helping the case.
Just last week, I overheard some
friends saying that Kobe is So clutch,
and how I would always give him
the ball in crunch-time. I could have
easily intervened, but chose to let the
conversation continue, out of intrigue.
Not only did they not give reasons, but
no one else in the discussion questioned
it. These are the kind of descriptions
you read on Twitter every day, and when

you try to correct someone, that person

Tweets back a logical fallacy, completely
missing the point. Its hard to blame
them sometimes, because years of ESPN
showing Tony Romos game-ending
interceptions (despite leading the league
in game-winning drives since 2006) has
completely warped peoples minds to the
point of no return.
To make things worse, ESPNs social
media accounts have taken their madeup narratives to reach millions in the
matter of seconds now. Leading up
to the Packers and Seahawks NFC
Championship Game, NFL on ESPN
tweeted the meaningless stat of Russell
Wilson being 9-0 against SB-Winning
QBs a countless number of times.
Football is a team sport, so win/loss
records are therefore a team stat, and in
no way indicate how good a quarterback
is.
Take a look at 2015s NFC
Championship Game. Wilson threw four
interceptions, but his team still pulled out

summed up at Mercer and the 23rd

against Alief Taylor, the last matchup.
Ultimately, this years team seems
promising and is willing to exceed
in all levels to achieve a level of
glory. Clements hopes to repeat and
potentially make another run. These
key matchups in March can makeor-break the season, but many look
towards these matches as preparation,

Photo
Courtesy
of Jaime
Rodriguez
Photo
Courtesy
of Lorri
Hubert

Reporter speaks social media and sports

Photo Courtesy of Blog.IQ

the victory. Now Wilson is 10-0 against
SB-Winning QBs, yet he played one of
the worst games of his career. It is silly
that this has to be explained to be people,
but the media picks a narrative, and runs
with it.
When it comes to athletes and sports,
it is smart to take a step back and look
upon the headlines and narratives created
by media outlets and fans, and question
them. Many continue to speak lies
and next time someone tries to tell you
that Kobe Bryant is clutch, tell them to
Google his crunch-time stats.

Tennis Star Hu swings to top 100

By EVELYN LAZARIS
Lifestyles Editor
Rosanne Hu is not just any other tennis
player. She is passionate about her sport
and knows exactly what she wants.
Hu started playing tennis ten years ago
with lots of encouragement from her dad
and has been striving ever since. Her

Photo Courtesy of Jaime Rodriguez

biggest tennis accomplishment was when

she made the top one hundred in Texas.
Not only does she maintain her drive in
such a physically demanding sport, but
she is also in the right mindset. Hu knows
exactly how to set her goals to become
the best player she can possibly be.
Whatever I feel the need to improve
at, I work to change, said Hu.
Hu has set goals for her future as
well. She hopes to get to state this
year and plans on continuing tennis
in college. In order to achieve these
goals, Hu typically practices her
game for eight hours every week.
While Hu spends so much time focusing on
her tennis skills, she also manages school
work with practice and tournaments. Her
biggest challenge was having to choose
between doing debate or playing tennis,
both of which she shares a love for. Hu
does not have a problem maintaining
her academics with her tennis life.
I do not really think about the

balancing part, just prioritizing. I just

go to tennis practice and then come
home and do homework, said Hu.
Although Hu has achieved many
accomplishments
in
the
sport,
she has one regret as an athlete.
I regret not really focusing on the sport
until much later in my life, said Hu.
Her biggest inspiration is Roger
Federer, a Swiss professional tennis
player who is currently ranked number
two in the world. He is largely regarded
as the greatest tennis player of all
time. Her motivation, however, is what
really keeps her going at the sport.
I would say my love for the sport
is my biggest motivation, said Hu.
Rosanne Hu, a talented tennis player,
works hard toward her goals and has
fun doing it. President of Habitat for
Humanity, she leads with power and
strength. An exceptional person and a
fantastic leader, She puts everything into
her game and gets the results she wants.

Student-Athlete Saa serves his accomplishments

By ZAHRA KHERAJ
Perspectives Editor
Martin Saa has a definite advantage
when it comes to tennis. A senior on
varsity tennis, Saa is an all-around
player who has played singles, doubles,
and is currently playing mixed doubles.
Saa has always had a strong tennis
foundation. Saa, a successful student,
and a strong person looks up to his two
older brothers. His two older brothers
played on the same team, and now he is
continuing the legacy. Continuing the
legacy, he hopes to be as successful as his
brothers. My family, especially my dad,
sparked my interest in tennis, said Saa.
Saa has been playing for the past seven
years, dedicating two hours of almost each
day of the week to practice. A very tedious
sport, he handles both school, social and
athletic life at once. A student-athlete
knows this is one of the heaviest issues
to handle along with other situations.
While it is a big time commitment, Saa
has found a balance between the sport
and his social as well as academic life.

Its all about time management; I have

learned to build my schedule around the
time I take out to practice, said Saa.
All the practice has definitely paid
off. Saa has won multiple medals
through tournaments, including District
Champion and Team District Champions.
Ive worked hard, but my
family
and
friends
keep
my
motivation
strong,
said
Saa.
Saa has had another major influence
throughout his past four years.
Coach Furlow has provided me with
an opportunity to practice with such a
great time, and he is always there for
moral support. I really admire all he does
and I am extremely thankful, said Saa.
Spending four years on a team
not
only
strengthens
athletic
ability, but strengthens friendships.
Ive gotten to meet and become close
to so many great people, said Saa.
Each game means something
to a dedicated player such as Saa.
I take pride in each match I play, said Saa.
Saa has learned what it takes to

succeed from his many years of playing.

Playing all his life, he has learned to do
many things while focusing on tennis.
Its important to have fun, but
you really do have to try your best,
that means you have to practice
hard and play hard, said Saa.
Saa has and will continue in his last few
months to contribute to the team by always
bringing his best effort to the tennis courts.

Photo Courtesy of Jaime Rodriguez

Perspectives
Spring Break varies

By ALY BOBO
Ads Editor
Spring Break is the
one week that everyone
looks forward to. It
comes at a time when it
is needed most, the middle of second semester.
But unlike Christmas
break and even Thanksgiving, Spring Break
hardly ever falls on the
same week for everyone,
everywhere. And that is
okay.
This year, FBISDs
spring break is one week
earlier than normal, and
people are beginning
to complain already.
Even in the Houston
area different districts
experience Spring Break
at dissimilar times.
Sometimes it becomes
frustrating that friends
or family from another
district cannot travel
together, but it is important to realize just how
many problems there
would be if everyone,
not just in Texas, enjoyed their Spring Break
vacation at the same
time.
The decisions made
about when Spring
Break should fall are

done so to prevent many catastrophes

and annoyances that might happen. This
week just might be one of the most
traveled weeks in the United States, and
imagine if everyone attempted to take a
trip at the same time. The airports would
be complete chaos and the relaxing trop-

ical destinations would be overcrowded.

Not to mention the amount of college
spring breakers that would find themselves all at the same beach at the same
time. Utter chaos.
Another benefit to Spring Break at
different times is the economic value.

People have
more choices
for the inexpensive hotels and
beach houses
when everyone
in American is
not fighting for
them. Also places like Mexico,
other beaches,
and all Spring
Break destinations have the
ability to make
money for most
of March instead
of just one week.
Everyone
values that one
week out of the
year without the
dreaded reunion
of a family
holiday. People
appreciate that
one week out of
the year just to
have fun. Although it might
be nice for family and friends in
different states to
spend it together,
one can imagine
the chaos that
would ensue.
Spring Break
is at different
times to limit the
traffic on the roads and at the airport, to
prevent crowding in noted spring destinations, and to benefit society and industries economically.
Spring Break is placed at different
times for multiple reasons that have advantages for everyone.

Perspectives

People crave one break

By JAIDA SWANSON
Reporter
Spring Break is one of the most fun and
one of the most anticipated school breaks
of the year. It is known for being full of
partying, friends, and all about having a
great time. Spring Break is March 9th
through March 13th for some people.
Others might be before and some might
be later. The problem, however, is that
Spring Break at different schools are not
the same week. This year, the FBISD
calendar changed Spring Break to one
week earlier than usual. This presents
some problems.
For example, people have many friends
from all different places and schools.

These people tend to plan extensively

for Spring Break. If the week is not the
same, people would not be able to spend
time with one another because they are
already in school. For many, this provides an obstacle, because they barely see
the person as is. The outcome is plans
get ruined due to the fact that Spring
Break is at a different time.
In addition, people travel during Spring
Break. When Spring Break is only one
uniform week for everyone, airlines and
companies can prepare for that specific
week for everyone to go. It is easier and
safer to plan accordingly for one week
instead of scrambling for a whole month
for Spring Break. This allows the places

to organize their shipments, fly dates,

and provide variety for each individuals
Spring Break trip.
All in all, Spring break is always
incredibly fun and great to spend with
friends. It is probably the part most people look forward to. FBISD should not
have changed the dates of Spring Break.
Taking away the best part of spring break
by making the dates of the week different
is ruining it. Peoples plans and ideas are
being shattered by the change of whether
or not to have Spring Break at the same
time. It also makes the lives of people
working in the Spring Break hotspots a
lot harder when Spring break is spread
out.

Voices

What is your favorite season?

Summer because we have a break from

school and I travel a lot,
Lauren Leider, sophomore.

My favorite season is summer because I

get to hang out with friends and not have
to worry about school,
David Silveira, senior.

My favorite season is fall because I love

when the leaves change colors and you get
to wear cute sweaters and boots!
Zionan Browne, sophomore.

Winter because all the leaves have fallen,

Zoheb Khawaja, freshman.

My favorite season would be summer.

I like it because its a break from school
and gives me the chance to travel, go on
adventures, and go to music festivals or
concerts,
Cynthia Horgan, senior.

Winter because its dark and cold like my

soul,
Kaylie Chromcak, sophomore.

Humans of Clements

Have you ever experienced karma?

One time, I called my friend ugly and then

probably as karma failed my test,
Lance Aguilar, junior.

I once broke a car toy that belonged to my

brother and because of that I got grounded,
Victor Onuorah, freshmen.

We can make different connections through different experiences that have different meanings like dodging a car and immediately seeing a butterfly.That butterfly can mean it saved your
life or mean nothing at all but to me that butterfly means that
something good will come around,
Danny Gonzalez, senior.

In loving memory of
Cynthia Porter, loving
teacher, friend, mother,
and grandmother.

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11/11/14 3:45 PM