March2013

paladinVolume VIII Issue 5 March 2013T

he

Kristen Hanlin

Junior Alan

Birdsong and

Sophomore

Scott Saxon

head to state

for bowling.

What’s Inside...3

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12 15

7 - 8

Too many pills

Dogs Are the Bomb!

Rodeo!

Community Pageants

Clubs!

Gangham Style to Harlem Shake?

Ed - Op

Sports!-

Shelby GregoryShelby Gregory

The PaladinCo-Editors in Chief:

Madison Ray * Rachael WasaffStaffers:

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

Cody Harbour * Kassidy Smith *Tyler Wright Anna Rech

Sponsor: Donna BrawnerPublisher: Dr. Mark Murrell

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

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

The Conroe Independent School District is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in employment matters, in its admissions policies, or by excluding from participation

in, denying access to, or denying the benefits of district services, academic and/or vocational and technology programs, or activities as required by Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the

First Amendment of the United States Constitution, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

I used to have chronic migraines, and I tried a migraine medi-cation called Maxalt. When that caused painful side effects worse than the migraines, I went back to my neurologist, who offered three choices, each with a dizzying list of side effects longer than even sounded safe. The one he sug-gested I try first? A powerful antidepres-sant that would greatly alter my mood and sleep patterns and did not sound like the kind of thing to be lightly prescribed. Made nervous by the consequences, I never filled the prescription and instead set about changing my lifestyle. I have been migraine free for four months with-out having to worry about possible conse-quences of the medicine. This story is one that has no doubt been repeated in doctor’s offices all over the world. Though some are in need of powerful medicines for actual conditions, overprescription is a huge problem that can end in addiction or death. Overprescription is a vast machine fueled by two things: greed of some doctors for benefits granted by pharmaceutical companies; and careless prescriptions. It starts with the drug companies, who essentially bribe doctors with “perks.” Take, for example, a pharmaceutical company called Tap, which, according to Melody Petersen’s book Our Daily Meds, “gave frequent prescribers Lupron television sets and VCRs for their offices and tickets to Broadway’s Phan-tom of the Opera.” In return, Tap “expected doctors receiv-ing gifts to return the favor by writing more prescriptions.” This greasing of the gears encourages doctors to keep writing prescriptions, which leads to money-in-fluenced – and therefore inaccurate – prescriptions as well as sheer carelessness. It is all about the mon-ey, never mind the consequences for the patients. On a daily basis, prescription pills are estimated to kill 270 Americans, more than twice as many as in automo-bile accidents. Taken according to doctors’ instructions, they kill more Americans than either diabetes or Alzheim-er’s. Over 97 thousand Americans a year, dead, because of medicines prescribed by doctors and taken correctly. In Southern California alone, a Los Angeles Times exami-nation of board records and county coroner’s files from 2005 to 2011 found that at least 30 patents died of drug overdoses or related causes while their doctors were con-currently under investigation for reckless prescribing. With this trend, unethical doctors are nothing more than drug dealers in lab coats. One example of this phenomenon is Richard Fee, a promising premed student who was loved by teachers and friends alike. But to do well on his tests,

he did the “normal thing” to cram: went to a locally known “drug dispenser” doctor and easily faked an ADHD survey and interview. He came away with an Adderall prescrip-tion, the beginning of his troubles. Fee told his concerned father once. “The doctor wouldn’t give me anything that’s bad for me. I’m not buying it on a street corner.” Fee ended up committing suicide after becoming addicted to Adderall as a re- sult of careless and overeager prescriptions. Overprescription is a plague worse than

the diseases that these medicines are prescribed for in the first place. So many doctors and patients have fallen victim to

this epidemic of greed and recklessness. The night-mare killers of the old days have been vastly reduced. Why, then, has

this latest disease out-break not been handled?

The government must crack down on this vicious cycle. Even ordinary people can

figure out alternative strategies to manage their health problems. Doctor’s orders? Better think again.

Doctor’s Orders? Think AgainAnna Rech

Most people do not con-sider the preparation that ensues so that the Super Bowl can happen, but Cor-poral John J. McPhillips, Jr., has firsthand experience. He and his bomb dog, Fire, swept the entire arena to confirm that there were no explo-sives inside. Clearing the arena of Super Bowl XLVII is just one of the many extraordinary jobs that Corporal McPhillips and Fire have worked. Fire is a Belgian Malinois from Holland. This breed of dog has a strong working character and is protective of its owner. Breeders and trainers must be aware of the type of person-ality each dog has. When a breeder is selecting a dog, they search for one with an alpha personality, meaning a puppy must be extremely possessive of its toys and virtually fearless to be chosen. These dogs are also considered to be police officers. They receive the same benefits as their two-legged counterparts. If they are injured or killed on the job, it is con-sidered the same as harming or killing a human officer. Fire possessed all the qualities required to make a great explosives dog, and was sent to Virginia Beach for training. Once in Virginia, the company, Cobra Canine, educated the young dog in the ways of her new career. Basic training lasts about one week; that is all the time dogs need to learn all the different explosives’ smells. Dogs smell bombs like they smell everything else. The smell hits their odor receptors and then travels to a part of their brain that identifies different smells. Fire, and all other service dogs, have about 40 times more odor receptors than humans do, according to Professor Lawrence Meyers of Auburn University. Corporal McPhillips calls their training period the “stew fac-tor.” This means that the dog starts out learning the smells.

The explosives are easily hidden, and as their train-ing progresses, the explo-sives are stowed away in an increasingly stealthy man-ner, making it more and more challenging for the

dog to locate the hide. Since Fire is from Holland, Corporal McPhillips uses Dutch commands. At the beginning of their hunt, Corporal says “blijven” and Fire will not move a muscle until her next or-der, “Zoeken” is given. When the second direction is given, Fire shoots off and vigorously hunts down the hide. She will poke her nose underneath tables, in cabinets, and on top of desks. As soon as she finds the explosives, she sits down, very still, next to them. Fire cannot come in close contact with the bombs. Any false move, and the sensitive explosives will go off. After she signals her find, Corporal McPhillips tosses a tennis ball to her that she snatches out of the air. This is the best reward Fire could imagine. Fire is a professional and highly-trained canine. She is the only dog that can put two Super Bowls, Houston NBA All Star Games, and also working for two presidents on her resume.

Kassidy Smith

PlayingWith

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Houston The weeks that are favored by many Houstonians, and thou-sands of Texans each year has to be when the Houston Live-stock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) begins. Fans anxiously wait for it each year. The food, music, shopping and livestock have people flocking to Houston, not just once, but sometimes twice. With a record-breaking Rodeo Houston attendance of 1,283,419 last year, this year’s total beat even that with 1,308,288 in attendance. Big name country western singers like Luke Bryan alone attracted 75,242 people while Blake Shelton fell four seats fewer. They were top second and third top performances for the year and in history of the stock show. On Go Tejano Day, 75,305 attended the show with headliner Los Invasores De Nuevo Leo Aferrado. However, George Strait’s concert, overall, capped the show with over 80,020 fans. Extra seating was provided on the floor because there was no rodeo that night. The rodeo is such a big deal that Reliant Stadium is the only stadium that was built for both football and the rodeo. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) is the largest livestock show and rodeo in the world. Its goal is to present educational practice for agriculture, for supporting education and for benefiting youth. HLSR has given over $330 million to educational programs for youth since its inception in 1932. “I have been going to the rodeo for as long as I can remem-ber, probably 18 years now,” Senior Stephanie Hughes said. “The overall atmosphere and events that go on at the rodeo have me coming back every year.” As society has changed, trail rides have become an outdat-ed way that cowboys took their cattle to markets or headed

west in search of a dream. However, trail rides have not completely become a thing of the past. Today, more than 3,000 men, women and children pack up and head out on a modern trail ride to the HLSR in memory of the Old

West. The first trail ride was in 1952 when four men headed out from Brenham, gathering the attention of more men. The following year 80 men headed out to the rodeo. This year, trail riders arrived from different locations around the Hous-ton area Feb. 22. Not only is the trail ride a draw for the rodeo, but the per-formances bring people back several nights during the week. One memorable show this year was the final Sunday perfor-mance. George Straits’ “Cowboy Rides Away Tour” was the only concert show which the Randy Rogers Band and Martina McBride opened. Strait has a long history at the rodeo. He first appeared in 1983 when the rodeo was in the Astrodome. Ironically, he was not even supposed to perform because he was a substitute for a performance that night. He quickly be-came a Houston favorite. Strait was the last person to per-form in the Astrodome, and was the first to perform at Reli-ant Stadium. Strait says that after completion of his tour, he will continue to record music and play at select shows. “I remember the day we flew him in as a replacement act an hour before his performance,” Operating officer of the HLSR Leroy Shafer said. “He took the stage and quickly stole the hearts of our Rodeo fans.” “George has been here for all of the show’s major mile-stones since that first performance in 1983,” he continued. “We are extremely excited that he is going to close our 2013 Show with this special concert.” Another thing brings people coming back to the rodeo each year is the food. Three booths of different venders selling de-licious food including BBQ, seafood, burritos and a lot more. However, if that is not filling or taste buds are not satisfied yet, the unimaginable variety of different fried foods should do the trick. There are so many favorites that have many rodeo-goers looking forward to each year, but it is not just about coming up with crazy things to fry or put on a stick. Taste counts too. The winners for different food contests for 2013 were for best breakfast food, Stubby’s Cinnamon Rolls; best food-on-a-stick, Berryhill’s shrimp diablo; most creative food, red velvet frosty bites, and best fried food, Fletcher’s Corny Dogs Whether it is the carnival, livestock, food or performers, the rodeo is a time that can be spent having fun while learning and raising money for the future of education. 5

2013

Madison Ray

1. Luke Bryan-392. Bruno Mars-293. Zac Brown Band-28 4. Jason Aldean-245. George Strait-20

Top Five Rodeo

*Survey done out of 330 votes

Performers

Not all pageants are solely based on beauty. Junior Jahn-

avi Muppaneni has recently won the prestigious title

of Miss Teen Woodlands International, a pageant based on community service and global con-cern rather than just looks.

“My platform is to assist those that have sac-rificed so much for our country on the battle-

field; I strive to do help

them through volunterring at the Veteran’s

A s s o c i a t i o n ,” Muppaneni said.

Muppaneni is an active member of the College Park com-munity, as she is involved in DECA (district VP), JSA (state cabinet debate agent), debate (president and assistant coach at Knox Junior High), and IGA (Initiate Global Activism). A ser-vice project that she feels strongly about is veteran’s affairs. Muppaneni’s hobbies include community service, theater, and photography. She chose to take part in the Miss Teen Woodlands International because of her commitment to ser-vice to the community and more exposure to public speaking. The Miss Teen International pageants are comprised of four areas that contestants must compete in. In the Evening Gown, Fitness Wear, and Fun Fashion Wear categories, 20% of the points are individually awarded in each of these cat-egories. The fourth category, the interview, comprises the re-maining 40% of the contestant’s score. Each contestant has a specific platform or issue that they wish to address. Muppaneni learned about the pageant by word of mouth, and was instantly interested in the community involvement aspect of it. She wishes to someday go into International Re-lations as a career. The next step for Muppaneni is the Miss Teen Texas International Pageant, which takes place April 12-14. Vote for her online at www.missteentexasinternational.com.

Not Just Looks But HeartRachael Wasaff

Learning leadership skills, experiencing helping others and finding opportunities to volunteer defines what Leo Clubs nationwide make it their duty to impart to their members. At College Park, the Leo Club is known for their passion for serving others and wanting to do more than just be another club at school. Leo Club’s mission is to provide the worldwide youth with an opportunity for development and contribution, individu-ally and collectively, as responsible members of the local, national, and international community. They want to make an impact on others through the multiple services that they provide throughout the school year. Emily Luomala, histori-an, has shown her passion through the selfless acts that she performs through Leo. “I love helping others,” Luomala said. “And Leo provides so

many opportunities to do so.” Some of Leo’s major events are the mock baby shower where donations of baby supplies are given to the Montgom-ery County Women’s Shelter; the Haunted Trails in the fall for children, tutoring at Knox twice a week, Invisible Children in October, various fall festivals for elementary schools and the school favorite, Mr. Cavalier. “To be in Leo, you need commitment and a true passion for helping the community and those around you,” Luomala said. “It is not something just to put on your resume.” Leo takes true dedication to want to help others. It is a club where students can take pride in knowing that they have helped someone in need whether it is from a junior high stu-dent or woman from the shelter. By lending a helping hand to others, the club truly shows what it means to be a Cavalier.

Sam MorrowD

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ECA contests have been a place where future busi-ness leaders or entrepreneurs can go and compete for scholarships and to test their knowledge of the business world. This program has been around since 1946 preparing students for college, their future jobs and what they can contribute to the work force. The programs teaches values in innovation, integrity and teamwork. At College Park, it allows students to travel and to compete with their fellow classmates and to expand their knowledge and to present their ideas on what it is that they would like to do with their lives. This year 17 students advanced to DECA state CDC in Cor-pus Christi. Within that group of students was Stephen Per-kins, Lindsey Smith, Rebecca Romero, Jahnavi Muppaneni, Kasthuri Nair and Jimena Gamboa. At state, the teams par-ticipated in four days of competition that included staying up to perfect their ideas, making sure their papers were spotless and presenting all their hard work in front of the judges. Hundreds of students statewide travelled to Cor-pus to display projects that they worked on for months.

Only one or two groups in each category advanced to the international competition in California. Aanchal Mitra, vice president of media, was one of those lucky few that ad-vanced. Her group included Gamboa and Robert Clark. “DECA state CDC was absolutely a life changing experi-ence,” Mitra said. “I made friends, learned new things and qualified for internationals.” To Mitra and to anyone else who competes in DECA, it is more than a high school activity. One can learn about the business world and earn scholarships, and it could make it an impact when applying to colleges. “DECA has definitely opened many doors for my future,” Mitra said. The following team members advanced to internationals: Kenny Young, Hudson Attar, Kristoffer Nelson, Muppaneni, Nair, Anna Cunningham and Chelsea Oladovich. Smith and Romero were selected for the Thrive Academy. Perkins was elected as the new 2013-2014 Texas state sergeant-at-arms. He was also the 2012 Texas State President.

From Corpus Christi to California,Deca to Compete Internationally

Leo Offers Chance to Lend Helping HandSam Morrow

1: Leo Club members pose with their collected baby shower goods.2: Members and officers pose for a “fierce” group shot

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&Check Mate... Chess is a game of skill and strategy. One mess up and the game can go ei-ther way. “Chess is a beautiful and gruesome game,”Junior Omar Elfeky said. “You can either lose miserably or win glori-ously.” The game of chess is full of compli-cated maneuvers, and in this game pa-tience is a virtue. One must be able to see into the future and predict multiple plays and their consequences. One can really get lost in the game of chess. “I find it an escape from the daily pressures of school,” Freshman John Sodemann said. Players have to fully focus on the game to know what play to make next. This gives their minds the opportunity to shake off the stresses of the day, take a

deep breath, and just relax. But there’s more to chess. “The chess club was created for the main purpose of allowing participants to learn and have fun playing,” Presi-dent Victor Zabala said. The club is all about having fun. “It’s a strategic game,” Sponsor Joseph Clements said. “It’s a game where you have to think logically and long term.” So, not only is the game fun and a great escape from the stresses of the day, but it is also stretches the player’s mind. It teaches participants patience and the ability to think on their feet in-stead of acting on impulse. So, check out the Chess Club. They meet every Thursday right after school in Mr. Clement’s classroom. Check and Mate.

Shelby Gregory

“We must remember that intelligence is not enough, intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.” This is from a paper written by Martin Luther King on the purpose of education. As teachers we are here not only to help you achieve academically but also to help you develop your character. If we can do some small things here and there to positively impact your character development then we should embrace it wholeheartedly. This is part of the purpose of CPHS. It is our attempt to hopefully help you analyze your life and think about your choices and then ultimately make better choices. We all need to spend time in self reflection and decide how we can make a difference in ourselves, our families and our community. With all things, we get of this opportunity (CPHS), what we put into it. Take the time and think about the topic. Listen to what we have to say and pay attention. Contribute to the discussion. In your editorial you stated that the goal of advisory time was to spend time completing homework and taking tests but let us all be honest. Advisory time is rarely spent in productive pursuits. As you admitted students end the activity “complaining and giving up on the lessons to text or listen to music.” Stop complaining. Take the time to participate. Yes, some lessons will still be “cheesy” but there will be some nuggets of wisdom in there. It is your job to find these nuggets and cultivate them. Go to your next CPHS lesson with the right attitude and you just might see some positive rewards or consequences in the long term if not the short term. If after giving CPHS a real chance, you still find it “counter-productive” and “cheesy,” then do more than whine and complain. Complaining does little more than foster a negative attitude. Take action. Get together with student council and other student groups and come up with topics and lessons that are more productive and relevant to your life. I am confident that Ms. LeBlanc and Ms. Hall would be ecstatic to see

students take a more active role in the development of CPHS. I am happy to volunteer my students and student organization to come up with a lesson to be taught. Yes, I can hear them groan even now. I suspect that after reading this, everyone will assume I am an ardent supporter and fan of CPHS. Actually that is not necessarily the case but I chose to embrace the situation and attempt to do the best I can with it each week. If something I say can make a difference in the life of Ashley, Tommy, Kelly, Debra or any of my students then I am willing to put aside 15 to 20 minutes of time once a week to help that happen. Try it!

Doctor Prescribes CPHSDr. Frances Wood

CPHS

Editorial/Opinion

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

Harlem ShakeAnother Reason to Dance Weird

Check Out These Videos Made by CP Students

College campuses are filming their own Harlem Shake videos. Baylor Univer-sity filmed their video dancing around Judge Baylor statue.

Harlem Shake is a 30 second video of random dancing that can be filled with any type of props or costumes.

The new trend among teen cults is to get together with a group of friends and make a ridiculous video of themselves maniacally dancing. The dance started in the city of Harlem, New York, where it is taken seriously as a part of their com-munity. Teenagers took the idea, used it, abused it and sent it spiraling to the ground. “It's offensive to Harlem's culture,” Junior Sophia Wunch said. “It's just another excuse to act like an idiot for 30 sec-onds.” Maybe uploading a video of you and your friends makes you feel a bit more popular in this unloving world. As fun as it is for the people doing it, to the rest of us, it is unoriginal and, frankly, annoying. "It is the downfall for our society," Junior Shade Winfrey said. Some may ask why it has become cool to air jump to dumb dance music and exploit it via social media sites. A dire need for attention has influenced the young minds of this genera-tion, causing them to seek attention online. Just like anything else, teens have created a competition out of who can get the most views on their 'shake' video. “It has become redundant and a cliché,” Sophomore Dylan Williams said. Many sport teams and other organized activities have hopped on the bandwagon, creating a video themselves. Spotting the trend, ad agencies are now climbing on board and using the Harlem shake for commercials. Companies like Pepsi and Red Bull are now attempting to out-do one anoth-ers' videos. "It was funny at first, but everyone is doing it now and it's gone down the drain," Freshman Annika Crabtree said. "Go 'Harlem Shake' off a cliff."

Deidre Worth

Animation Class Swimming and Diving

Ed/Op

Out of all the brilliant and mindblowing moments to come from College Park sports history, very few have come from the softball team. In CP history, despite three girls getting multiple scholarships including one to Texas Tech, College Park has yet to have a winning season in softball, with their best season so far being the 7-12-1 record from last year. And frankly, despite some excellent players, this season did not start off as planned and it seemed this season would be another blunder. This season has its good moments, such as the shocking and hilarious 17-1 win over Magnolia, and its bad moments, including the most recent 9-2 loss against The Woodlands. But before March 11, the season was not look-ing so hot, until a miracle happened. It was a warm night as the varsity Cavs walked off the bus and onto the Conroe field as the examined the colossal play-ers in the distance. Conroe, at the time, had a 7-5 winning season, over shining the CP record of 4-7-1. In the past, Con-roe softball had gone to playoffs 22 times and have had two state wins, while College Park has done neither. But a quitter is worse than a loser as some say, and so the game had to be played. Soon, the game began and College Park was first to bat. The Conroe pitcher was massive, at least 6’3, making the game intimidating. The hulking pitcher lunged the ball at the CP batter, and it was a successful hit to first base. The second Cavalier girl lined up to bat, and she hit the ball too. Suddenly within a single minute, College Park had already

put a point on the board without even realizing it. This was just the first inning. The second inning began and an ginormous Tiger batter, even bigger than the pitcher, came up to bat, but CP sopho-more pitcher Peyton Hutchins made sure she would not go anywhere. Strike one, strike two, and the massive batter from Conroe was out, and CP was back up to bat and where the intensity truly began. Every CP girl that came up to bat ended up eventually getting back to home base as the Tigers scrambled to get back to their place. Cavalier after Cavalier after Cavalier scored point after point after point. In just a single inning, the navy and silver scored a whopping nine points, which set the score at 10-0 at just the third inning. The tears could be seen on some of the girls faces from both sides, some in happiness and some in defeat. But the game was not even halfway over. Conroe needed to step up their game if they wanted to catch up, but they never could. Con-roe only scored six points in the game, where as College Park scored an additional nine more points, finalizing the score of an almost unheard of 19-6 win. This win sent the Cava-liers on a role, as varsity went on a four game winning streak which was only broken by the 9-2 loss over The Woodlands. Varsity softball currently sits at a 9-8-1 record, making it their best season so far in school history. After a great effort at their last The Woodlands game, they play Oak Ridge again March 28 and Conroe, April 4.

Tyler Wright

Softball Faces Challenging Season

Determination is the key to success. If not everyone on a team has it that team will not be successful. However, in the case of the Cavalier varsity baseball team every player has to the will to win and the drive to want to be better and defeat all who stand in their way. This young team of 19 has started off the season that way with a few bumps in the road, but with a bright future ahead of them. Head coach Jason Washburn likes what he sees in his athletes and believes that they are in a good place on the road to district. “The games are going well, but we are still trying to get bet-ter,” Coach Washburn said. “We do not want to be our best yet, because we do not want to peak this early in the season.” When there are as many newcomers as there are on this team, it takes time to bond with each other and to find the exact playing chemistry. It also takes time for a coach to see who plays best where and with which people around them. Nothing happens overnight, but according to Coach Wash-burn each players is doing exactly what is asked of him. Things might be harder for the new juniors and sophomores as this is their first year to be on varsity and they are not use to all the add ons that come along with the territory. For ex-ample, in any varsity sport ,stepping up from junior varsity to varsity, one could experience a speed change as the biggest difference. “The new guys are starting to pick up the fast speed game, but they still need some improvement,” Washburn said.

There are many elements that go into the game that not everyone gets a chance to see. Each athlete works extremely hard for their spot and each one wants to keep it. “Baseball is such a streaky game and you can never commit to the line-up because one guy could be on the week and the other could be tired and run down,” Coach Washburn said. Junior Robby Henderson is of the newcomers on the team. He has worked his way up the chain to earn himself a catcher spot. “I play catcher which is important because I am involved in almost every play which increases the pressure,” Henderson said. The team has bonded during the good times and the bad and has stayed together as one unit. At the start of district varsity went through their ups and downs after facing the Oak Ridge War Eagles and were defeated, 3-4. However, in the next game, the team showed Conroe that they were there to fight from the start. They won 12-0. March 19 the Cavaliers met their cross town rivals, The Woodlands High School. The game started out with large crowds and both were ready to slug this eight year rivalry. The Highlanders are undefeated in district and the varsity knew that they had a challenge in front of them. The varsity players tried their best to get their heads in the game. However, the Highlander pulled ahead and the Cavs lost 1-11. Tonight the Cavs make the journey to Lufkin to attempt to pull out another win. Lufkin has lost all their district games and the Cavaliers are predicted to win.

Austin Bell # 15David Ellingson # 5Eric Felchak # 7William Ferderer # 11Nate Fisbeck # 14Justin Heinrich # 4Robby Henderson # 10Jayden Holden # 27Jacob Krzemien # 17Ryder Lucas # 3

Tyler Mortenson # 25Jacob Mardick # 16 Dakota Parsons # 1Montana Parsons # 13Beau Ridgeway # 12Jeff Sitarski # 8Noah Vaughan # 21Tyler Vaughan # 2Connor Weaverling # 22

Cavalier Baseball Varsity 2013

Sam Morrow

Baseball Pushing through District as Young Team Faces Seasoned Teams

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The first thing that comes to many peoples’ minds when they think of bowling is a probably a scene from The Big Leb-owski with a band of three misfits lazily smoking and swear-ing at each other. That may be true for some bowling teams, but looking at the CP bowling club’s undefeated record it is hard to imagine it is true for them. While all College Park clubs vary in sponsor participation, this club is more self-managed than most. Ms. Kristen M. Hanlin, the club’s sponsor, says that the club is mostly headed by students and their parents. “Alan Birdsong’s dad is one of the guys that does some coaching…Will Vetter’s dad was a coach…I think it’s because there are some core bowlers that are very serious about it. They bowl in leagues, not just for the school, but weekend leagues and junior leagues, and they’re very serious about it,” Hanlin said. The club was around for several years before disbanding. Last year students elected a sponsor, formed the club and have been making a name for themselves ever since. While the club’s undefeated streak indicates a high level of inten-sity, they keep a very friendly image. The website states its mission is to “encourage positive social interactions where members can spend time together enjoying the game of bowling regardless of skill level.”

William Moessinger

A member of the bowling team takes his last chance to earn a strike before finishing his round.

The bowling club meets at the AMF Woodlands Lanes 4:00 - 5:30 pm every Monday. They won district and advanced to regional.

“I always marveled at watching every-one get together,” Hanlin said. “I do not know how these students know each other or interact with each other on cam-pus, but watching them come together you would think they live on the same block. They get along so well and are very friendly with each other.” Besides the occasional video and teach-ing of technique, the bowlers just drill for consistency “A typical practice is just learning where to throw the ball in cer-tain spots, so when we play in a game we are able to do it on a constant basis,” Ju-nior Kevin Rizzo said. The season is over, but anyone who likes bowling or meeting new people should go out and join. “Our key to success is that we just stick together and we all are able to bowl well,” Rizzo said.

BOWLINGUndefeated District Champs

Track

William Moessinger

This year has seen countless medals and personal records obtained by College Park track athletes as they prepare for the last meets of the season. While the team is on track to do well, track is mostly an indi-vidual sport. “It’s hard to describe goals in track because goals are set for each individual runner to improve upon last year’s suc-cess,” Head track coach Mi-chael Gibson said. “All of the goals are individualistic in nature, but we as a team are striving to improve upon what we did last year.” One could look at the ac-complishments of the team or individuals and find plenty to marvel at. At the Bayshore Olympics meet, the team earned first place, beating the rest of the schools by a landslide. Sophomore Connor

Meaux earned a personal re-cord and a gold medal in the mile against unusually strong winds. Senior Desmond Flem-ing got second place in the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.5 seconds. Senior Kyle Nunez won the 110 hurdles with a time of 14.94 seconds. The list goes on. What really counts, however, is how the team deals with grade-A competition, and they proved they can hold their own against The Woodlands, Conroe and Kingwood. At the True Team Meet where every one who competes scores, Col-lege Park came out third place. The accomplishments of the track team stack too high to in-clude in one article, and with a strong roster of seniors and freshmen alike, the team has a bright future. The next meet will be at Rice University.

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Sophomore Patrick McCabe competes for the Junior Varsity team.

Sheridan Conklin and Morgan Lee wait for their event.