W.P.

Clements high school January 2013 Volume 1 Issue 4

Business teacher, Alecia Husseys son, Parker brings in his first new year and CHS 30th.

Which is more important, Privacy or Security?

Y PP HA W NE ! AR YE
Discover more about the 2012-13 Teacher of the Year

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01-31-13

INDEX
Clements Idol sure to shine with talented contestants 4 Eno Usanga crowned Teacher of the Year for dedication, passion 5 Security increases across America, privacy threatened 6 Security cameras offer safety in Sugar Land 7 Hard work pavesroad to great achievements (Isabel Prado) 8

THE ROUND UP STAFF

NEWS

PERSPECTIVES

FEATURES

Devika Singh Yasmeen Yahya Rebecca Plunkett Faroha Khan Brittney Schafer Zainab Dhanani Rabab Zehra Lauryn Merriett Delna Barbiero Kasey Vollmering Chandni Thakar Samantha Jreij Sahar Baig Olivia Hixon Laiba Khan Zahra Kheraj Patricia Manzinares Jennifer Mathew Bianca Navia Amanda Thomas CARTOONIST Megan Bourassa SPONSOR Linda Carroll

Volume 1Edition 4 W.P. Clements H.S.

Determination leads to rootin tootin life (Sami Mo8 hammed) Torn Tuxedos rise to fame 9 The top New Years Reso10 lutions Calling all readers: lifechanging books to enjoy in 2013 11 Watch out Apple: new gadgets set to come out 11 Soccer season kicked off, Rangers ready 12

LIFESTYLES

SPORTS

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Clements Idol sure to shine with talented contestants

Top CHS talent will take the stage on Friday, Feb. 8 as the 9th Annual Clements Idol takes place. Singers, musicians, actors and dancers will vie for the title of most talented and be crowned that night. This is the only Clements talent show that takes place all year and autidions were open to anyone. Judges chose ten to compete. Its a lot of fun to watch, and people should come that night, said Brittany Stegent, CTV producer. This years ten contestants are, in alphabetical order: Lizzie Aguirre, Ida Amogawin, Christiana Austin, AJ Gonzales, Morgan Lincoln, Alex Macrohon, Emma Millard, Taahira ONeal, Victoria Stockman, Henry Sun, Anthony Ward, and Alikhan Virani. Emcees for the event will be senior CTV producers and representatives from many of the schools clubs will be guest presenters. Fashioned after American Idol, the CHS event differs in that hopefuls other than singers can compete. It is also different in the fact that the audience, rather than a panel of judjes, has the voting power. The audience casts their votes that night and the winner is crowned at the end of the evening. Contestants often get into the competition by making Facebook pages, emailing, and getting friends and family to attend in order to garner the most votes. Every year its always good and we have a large audience that participates by voting. The talent is varied, said Mason Williams, CTV producer. Clements Idol started as a fund raiser 10 years ago, to buy needed equipment to run a television show three days a week. CTV has now progressed to a 10 minute daily show. Funds from the talent show still go to buy broadcast equipment. Ticket prices are $5 at the door for everyone and the show will start at 7 p.m.

NEWS

Eno Usanga crowned Teacher of the Year for dedication, passion

By SAHAR BAIG Copy Editor There is no doubt about the fact that teaching is one of the hardest jobs a person can have. Being a teacher calls for a very select set of skills, which include wisdom, and devotion. Teachers study for years to earn their degrees. Even after having met all of these qualications, it takes most teachers years to hone their crafts and become truly exceptional at their occupation. Teaching requires an immense amount of time and the teachers at Clements put in countless hours of work to ensure their students futures. Every year, one teacher is recognized for his or her outstanding skill and passion. This year, that teacher is Eno Usanga. How long have I been teaching? Too long, said Usanga. This is my fth year at Clements. I did two at Marshall. Usanga teaches Life Skills in the Special Education Department. He has eight students of varying grade levels. The Life Skills class is selfcontained, meaning that those eight students stay in the Special Education hallway all day and they are taught to do things that many of us take for granted. If I can teach my kids to open a soda bottle when they couldnt before, that keeps me doing what Im doing, he said. If I leave school with a smile on my face, that motivates me. He says that he earned a Bachelors Degree in writing, and expected to pursue that career path. He rst started teaching when he was in search of a job, and became a substitute teacher. He loved teaching, especially Special Ed. Eventually, Usanga decided to become a teacher full-time. I didnt have any idea Id be doing what Im doing, he said. Its been a blast. Its very challenging, but also very rewarding. This is his rst time being nominated for Teacher of the Year. He said that he is excited that his colleagues voted for him. Im excited, but mainly because my colleagues are the ones who voted me into this spot. My colleagues are the ones who thought I deserved to be Teacher of the Year. Usanga said that he is motivated by the fact that he makes a positive impact on his kids, no matter how small. He believes that many small changes can add up to something big. I look forward to the next day, to making a change. Anyone can talk all day long about how much they love the kids, but you have to actually show [it], he said. Im here countless days. I go to a lot of games and events at this school. When Usanga does have spare time, he uses it to write, do yoga and Zumba, take pictures, and go to the gym. He says that his job can get very stressful, but he uses love, patience and time to be a good teacher. Take it one day at a time.I always tell my colleagues, you cant do it all in one day. He describes his teaching style as goofy, funny and visual with hand movements to make it easier to grasp the material. He also tries to push his students, and challenges them regardless of their disabilities. At the same time, he keeps in mind that each and every student has unique qualities, and some may need more time than others to grasp a concept. Usangas advice to new teachers would be to seek help from more experienced teachers, and always ask as many questions of them as necessary. He also suggests creating small, realistic goals in order to avoid disappointment if bigger goals are not reached quickly. Usanga doesnt know when he will stop teaching. I take it one year at a time. I dont know how long Im going to be here. Usanga believes that there is never a dull day at his job, and as long as he enjoys what he does, he will continue teaching. I do what I do because I love what I do. I love it so much.

Te a c h e r o f th e Ye a r : E n o Usanga

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Hard work paves road to great achievements

has achieved several of her goals already. My greatest achievement would be receiving the National Hispanic Merit Scholar award for my PSAT score., she said. As a senior, being surrounded by the best is not always easy. Clements has made Prado a better person and a very competitive student herself. For an individual, strengths and weaknesses are very common. My weakness is being a perfectionist, but I gured out that being a perfectionist will only destroy my time management, which is my strength, Prado said, Prado learned to enjoy school because it made it much easier to survive four years of Clements knowing that she likes to be in school, learning. Prado said, I like the diversity here. You can just see it in the people you pass in the hallways. Seeing different ethnicities, races, and religions in this tolerant atmosphere is the perfect place to gain an education. She said the nicest thing that she has done is getting involved in all her clubs. She loves to volunteer and is proud of the community service opportunities that she receives.

FEATURES

By PATRICIA MANZINARES Reporter Isabel Prado has been a part of the varsity tennis team for four years. She is also a member of the student council. Her compassion and dedication are genuine, and she

Prado also said that helping out at school or in the community has shaped her character. Sometimes, people have inspirations, people who inspire them to be condent and support them in every step of the way. Prado said her inspirations are her parents. My parents inspire me, and they have always supported me and pushed me to do better. However, the fact that I know they are always proud of me has also given me condence, said Prado. One of the most memorable experiences that I had was going to student council state in spring 2012. We had amazing speakers and we heard inspirational stories and we were able to plan for the upcoming year. I love student council and this organization gives me something to be passionate about, said Prado. This senior has very few regrets about graduating, but she admits one thing. I will miss the friends that I have made and the people that I have met. Being at Clements is being surrounded by people who are someday going to change the world. Surrounding myself with the people with such great potential has helped me become a better person.

Determination leads to rootin tootin life

By ZAHRA KHERAJ Reporter Ranger Life is a program at CHS that focuses on graduation and transition for the students involved in it, but also helps them develop abilities that will help them throughout daily life. Students learn things from ofce to academic skills that can benet them later on. Sami Mohammed is an active student in Ranger Life. His favorite subject is science, and he also excels in math. While he does well in academic subjects, he is most involved in Adapted P.E and has been playing for the Dream League. Hes been with the Dream League since its inception, said Mohammeds mother. I believe this will be his fourth year.He loves being on the eld and putting on the uniform. He likes hitting the ball a lot. Asides from the Dream League, Mohammed enjoys going to the park in his free time. He also loves to play the piano and listen to music on his iPad. His favorite is reggae, said Eno Usanga, his teacher. He loves to surf the Internet. A true Southerner, Mohammed also loves all things country. I like the rodeo, said Mohammed, the horses, the rides, the cowboys dressing up. Mohammed also really enjoys coming to school every day and being able to see his friends. Usanga has been his teacher for four years, this being his fth. I love teaching Sami, said Usanga. He inspires me just like my other students. I love the fact that I can be a positive impact and inuence on his life. I love that I get the opportunity to be a role model for him. In Ranger Life, Mohammed spends time in his classes learning skills to help him gain independence. Academically, he focuses on math-related life skills such as knowing how much change to expect after paying for something, or skills related to social studies involving being able to know how to go to places independently. Students that are a part of Ranger Life stay involved in it until they are twenty-two years old, when they graduate from Clements. There is a positive change in the students over time in how they respond and act in everyday life. As Samis teacher, I motivate and redirect him to do thing self-initiated, said Usanga. I try and use less prompts

when hes asked to complete tasks. Ranger Life is lled with students that excel in the things they love and they all have hidden talents. As Mohammed continues the program, he also continues to learn about himself and carries on doing the things he loves such as playing in Dream League or playing piano.

Torn Tuxedos rise to fame

By DELFINA BARBIERO Voices Editor A unique group of students have joined together outside of school, not to study but to create music. The Torn Tuxedos are a band of four friends with different tastes and different approaches to music. These unite to make a unique blend of many different types of music. The Torn Tuxedos now have their own Facebook page and music on iTunes. The band consists of Jared Mathis who plays the drums and sings, Trevor Martin who plays the guitar, Sean Hardin, the lead vocalist and Nathaniel Kinsey who plays the ukulele, rhythm guitar and shares the bass with Hardin. The band members met at Sugar Land Baptist Church and always have been musicians and close friends. All of them having experience in music and knowing how to play multiple instruments, they formed a band in November 2011. Kinsey shared the details of how the band writes music. Every member in Torn Tuxedos has his own opinion of what he likes and dislikes about being in a band. While most members prefer to perform live, Kinsey nds comfort in writing. When songwriting, the band starts with one idea and branches off to many others until they nd the perfect sound that exhibits all of their talent. The song is usually written acoustically but as soon as we play it, ideas start forming and we all go to different directions, but we work it out to make our music one-of-a-kind, said Kinsey. Kinsey, a junior at CHS,he loves to compose. The music is fun, and writing is the most memorable and likeable. Performing is second, Kinsey said. Although they have their differences, they combine all of them for a unique sound like no other. The bands main goal is to separate themselves from other genres. Every song is a surprise with a different sound and their goal is to try to please everyone. Their rst song in their EP, which will be out this December, leans more toward the rock genre, while one of their favorites is slower until the chorus hits and adds a twist to the song. The band even made a rap song, which is popular with their fan base. The group hopes that their one-of-a-kind style is exciting and relatable to everyone. Every Wednesday and Sunday the band plays for their church and often performs at school sponsored events. The Torn Tuxedos even played for a popular pizzeria in Houston. Each of their unique musical tastes and constant theme of young love is relatable. Each gig the band participates in gives them more exposure and increases their fan base. For more information on the group, look it up on Facebook or ITunes.

Lifestyles Top New Years Resolutions

By KASEY VOLLMERING Ads Editor

1. SAVE MONEY: Pick one thing you 2. SPEND MORE FAMILY TIME:

spend money on all the time and only do it half as much. Go to Starbucks less often! Pick a day of the week and make it family night. 3. VOLUNTEER: There are tons of different opportunities to volunteer- whether going out and planting trees or even helping your parents by volunteering to do the dishes. 4. GET HEALTHY: losing weight does not only mean getting a size down in your clothes but getting healthy as well. Studies show that having a work out or diet buddy will help with keeping up with a new regimen. 5. GET MORE SLEEP: Teens require lots of this. Try going to bed at least one hour earlier. Youll be surprised at the difference!

2013

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Watch out Apple: new gadgets to be released

By LAIBA KHAN Reporter As the New Year rolls by, with it, new gadgets continue to be released. As the world changes and becomes more technologically advanced, more innovative gadgets are being made everyday to help people throughout their everyday lives. One new gadget, though still in the development stage, is the flexible phone. The phone is the same as any other phone except that its entire screen can actually bend. The bending is limited though in that it is not able to be bent into shapes. One prototype that has been released is the Nokia Kinetic Device. With that device, one can zoom in and out of a picture just by bending the screen from the sides. Samsung is also working on a flexible Smartphone. The Samsung version is to be much more flexible though and it is to be much thinner than the Nokia version. A problem that often arises while using a phone is how quickly the battery runs out. A phone can quickly its entire battery and the phone will no longer work, which can prove inconvenient if something important comes along. A new gadget that can solve that problem is the TSir tech universal wrist band. The wrist band can be put on just like a watch, but what is special about it is that it is a charger. The wristband can be charged ahead of time, and then phones can be plugged straight into the wristband in order to be charged. It is portable, easy to use, and very useful to those who always need their phone. Another new gadget is one that can be useful to everyone. It is a device that has everything. It includes a camera, a phone, a tablet, and a laptop and they all connect to each other. The camera attaches to the back of the laptop. The phone on the other hand goes inside the laptop and serves as its memory. Lastly, the tablet serves as the keyboard. When the laptop is opened, the tablet can be slipped in to the slot where a keyboard in a normal laptop would be. All the devices that go into the laptop can still be used separately, if needed, making this gadget useful to those who use all kinds of technology every day. With this device, one would not have to buy many separate products and waste a lot of money, and instead could just buy this one device. This device would also be more portable and take up less space in any carrier.

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Perspectives Security increases across

By Aqsa Munira REPORTER With Sugar Land ofcials considering placing 200 surveillance cameras at all entrances as a crime-ghting tool, there are lots of people voicing their concerns about how this could easily develop into an invasion of privacy. These cameras are LPCs, otherwise known as License Placed Cameras, and have already been installed in major cities, such as Houston, Dallas and Austin. Unlike those cities, Sugar Land has a signicantly lower crime rate compared to the state of Texas itself, which makes it rather questionable as to why the local government would want to put so much money on these cameras. According to the Houston Chronicle, The rst group is estimated to cost $1.3 million for 80 cameras at 17 intersections and a second group of 125 cameras at 22 intersections for $1.6 million. They violate their (data destruction) policy; keep a massive database of the local travels of citizens. They feed that into the local fusion center, which feeds that to the federal government. Now the movements of Sugar Land residents are available to all manner of agencies, said Jim Harper, director of Policy Studies in CATO Institute in Washington DC. There has already been a town hall meeting on this subject, where this new plan has gotten mixed reviews by the citizens. Some say that it could be used to profile people by looking at their license plate and just build a case around them, due to their ethnicity or beliefs. It

city,our privacy threatened

is a power that could be used in the wrong hands and could hurt many people. License plate readers, like all technology, can make mistakes, so sometimes the numbers are wrong, the readers are wrong. We also worry about the privacy implications and who has access to the information; what its used for; how long it is stored and generally how its used, said

technology improves, and criminals who use technology get smarter, too. The safety of the people also involves the privacy of the people. It is the security which people cannot get just with regulations and surveillance cameras. Video surveillance of any kind can violate privacy. It is a double edged sword, in that even though it helps and protects the people, it encloses them, making them feel imprisoned in the comfort of their own community. Without privacy, the people would be living dystopian lives- with the government knowing everything about them and instead of diversity a n d culture, there would be a lack of distinction in life. Some

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Dotty Griffith of ACLU Texas. Others see it in a more positive light that it will help keep the crime rate low, and will help in times of dire situations, such as kidnapping. And then there is the question of just how far can safety of the people go before it starts to interfere with their rights of privacy. It may start out small, but in this new age of technology it is easier to get a persons private information,. And there are government regulations on that, and extra security measures that people go through just to make sure that their information is safe. But laws change and

might even say that the over-regulation might lead to a Big Brother is Watching mentality. There is no harm in preventive measures, but there is harm when the boundary between safety and privacy is crossed. There is value in these LPCs, but the government and the citizens should be aware of the limit of safety when using these tools of protection and ensure that they are used with good intentions The safety of the community should not jeopardize a persons privacy, nor should the need of privacy overrule the safety of the community. There needs to be a balance both inside and outside the home.

By SAMANTHA JREIJ Copy Editor Over the years, the national crime rate has increased. In 2010, there were 71,517 incidents of aggravated assault, 228,597 counts of burglary, and a total of 1,064,477 criminal acts, and since then the numbers have only gone up. This crime rate has increased especially in the local communites. In Sugar Land, according to the Neighborhood Scout website, the city is safer than 31 per cent of the other cities in the United States. This may be surprising to those few who remember when Sugar Land was lovingly called The Bubble. However, those days are long gone. Sugar Land is confronting the same problems that other suburban areas are facing. This begs the question, why? Why are we unable to stop such burglary, assault, and theft? One reason is that people are afraid of having their privacy taken away from them. Yet when faced with the choice of having crimes committed and criminals getting away with it or having a few judiciously placed cameras in the neighborhood, the choice should be clear. Safety comes first. Criminals are not usually stupid. They know to cover their tracks and hide from the law, but there are ways to catch them, especially if new technology is used. The cameras offer a simple solution to a growing problem. One of the best ways to ensure a safe environment and stop crime is to maximize any and all aspects of security. For this reason, Sugar Land officials are considering placing 200 surveillance cameras at all entrances and exits. These cameras are called LPCs, or in other words, License Placed Cameras. Major cities such as Houston, Dallas, and Austin have already utilized the assistance of the devices, and the outcome has been successful.

Security cameras offer safety in Sugar Land

So if these cities are good enough for maximum protection by way of these new security cameras, why not Sugar Land? In addition, Sugar Land already has eight of these cameras, most of them located in police vehicles, but some are stationary. No one has complained about them until plans were announced to add 130 more in high traffic areas. In an interview with KTRK television, Sugar Land Police Chief Douglas Brinkley said, If we can put out additional license plate recognition cameras in the city, it would really help us thwart crime in the area right now. Now the ACLU has gotten into the act, saying it is an invasion of privacy. This is easily refutable. Robbery, assault, and other major crimes are the real invasions of citizens rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which is what these cameras are meant to protect. In addition, if citizens are not doing anything wrong, then why would they worry? Furthermore, why would anyone want criminals to get away with crimes that the cameras would prevent? There are those that say the cameras overstep the boundaries of privacy and invade personal space. However, cameras will only be put in appropriate places and will only capture and react to suspicious activity. Good citizens should not be worried. However, if someone is breaking the law and the camera catches them, then that benefits the entire community. The private sector has incorporated the use of cameras for many years. Hardly any stores in the United States do not have security cameras watching customers at all times. Yet the ACLU does not protest this. Customers accept

and expect to have cameras watching. These cameras actually benefit the buying public. If stores lose inventory due to theft, then the cost will be passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices. No one wants that. It is exactly the same with the new security cameras for Sugar Land. If more crime occurs within the city, there will be a need for added police, and then that cost will be passed on to the taxpayers. No one has to feel as if they are being spied on, because no one is being spied on- the cameras will only be monitored to check vehicle violations via license plates. Only criminals should be concerned. Law abiding citizens should not protest the maximization of security, but encourage it. The proposed cameras are not as invasive as most surveillance cameras. They do not scan faces, but instead record license plates. What natural born right does this violate? None. Lastly, this is the age of Big Brother. Everywhere people travel, there are cameras lurking around every corner. People have accepted surveillance procedures at airports, government buildings, sports arenas, and just about every public place. Not only that, but most people have cameras on their persons at all times in the form of a cell phone. The world has gone viral and it is okay.

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SPORTS
Soccer season kicks off with practice Rangers ready to prove abilities
By DEVIKA SINGH Co-Editor-in-Chief As January begins, Rangers kick off a brand new season of soccer with a fresh start and a bracing attitude. Players are already on the eld shufing the ball between their feet while they dribble with their latest game plans and improved strategies. Apparently, this sport not only demands prociency, but time, determination and sweat. The players have set very high expectations for themselves and they always want to go farther than they went the year before, said Robert Boagni, girls varsity coach. Last year we went to the regional semis because of a healthy and solid team. Although the players strive to fulll each others and their own expectations, balancing soccer, academics and other extra-curricular activities into a 24-hour schedule can prove to be more than demanding. But the athletes have shown that it is still possible to nd a medium between various aspects of student life. Its tough to balance school and soccer because soccer takes a lot of time with practice and games. Its all about managing free time, said Julie Miller, senior. Despite the shufe between soccer and other activities, the players have learned how to utilize the skills they learn on the eld in their lives. With games and practices piling up, Things in soccer I can incorporate are commitment and accountability. I have to be committed to the team and other things in my life like school and family, said Sally Dilick, senior. In soccer, I have to hold myself accountable for my work effort. Like last year, the team wants to go farther than the year before and the players and coaches have a fresh viewpoint with new and improved tactics. We try to tailor schemes and practices mentally and physically to specic teams, Boagni said. One formula does not always work for each and every team. While the teams work on altering their game plans for every school they play against, they will not yet disclose all their secrets. As they have revealed that every new season brings fresh blueprints, they do want to leave some surprise for the fans. What is our game plan for this year? That is classied. But we will go the season undefeated, said Alexis Ramirez, senior. Dont be surprised to see our team win State. We have tanks in our arsenal. As every athlete would know, the team is nothing without its fans, who in this case, are the Rangers and their parents.

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