All the small things

Ebone' McCall, Entertainment Editor
April 5, 2012
Filed under Voice

One of my most cherished dreams was to have the opportunity to travel overseas and explore other cultures in Europe. The vision became a reality over this past summer. As I arrived back in the Houston airport from a 16-day European journey, it seemed as if the vacation would mark the beginning of a memo...

A bitter change for the worst

Gabrielle Deckelman, staff writer
April 5, 2012
Filed under Voice

And this was the beginning, to the ending of forever: a few blunt text messages in the middle of the school day, two unplanned phone conversations and a long, tear-filled car ride home. The words slipped out of his mouth, bitter and wet, just like the news he was about to tell me. My heart began to r...

Satire: STAAR testing brings valuable results

Trevor Nichols, staff writer
April 4, 2012
Filed under Voice

Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors gathered for the four hour STAAR test on March 26 and 27. Experts agree that the STAAR is an extremely valuable diagnostic tool, and much more useful than the old TAKS test. “The STAAR is just so much more sophisticated than the TAKS,” educational analyst Stu...

Band of Brothers disbanded by South Korean expedition

Jesse Sparks, Voice Editor
February 9, 2012
Filed under Voice

The Lesson Loss, a simple, little four letter word, has touched everyone’s life in one way or another, whether it be the loss of a loved one, the end of a friendship, or the end of a relationship. No one is exempt. This lesson took me years to learn. The Lecture I remember the words my brother spo...

Standing on my SOPA box: Why anti-piracy laws sink to Davy Jones’ Locker

Trevor Nichols, staff writer
February 8, 2012
Filed under Voice

The Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, was introduced last October by Republican Representative Lamar S. Smith of the 21st district of Texas. If passed, it will allow judges to issue court orders that ban United States internet providers from allowing access to websites deemed unacceptable due to unautho...

Nine week grading period stimulates debate in district

February 8, 2012
Filed under Voice

Students have all experienced the stress associated with the end of a grading period. Teachers rushing through last minute lectures, three or four tests in one day and of course all night cram sessions for students are all to be expected as teachers submit final test grades. Given that the short turn around for ...

Band program decrescendos

Ebone' McCall, Entertainment Editor
December 9, 2011
Filed under Voice

There are many struggles and hardships incorporated into high school, but students are always driven by the hopes of an incredible senior year. So far, this year has had some positive aspects, but it has not met my expectations. These downfalls vary for most, but the upperclassmen of the 2011-2012 Cougar...

Poverty Cartoon

Molly Wade, Staff Writer
December 9, 2011
Filed under Video, Voice

Staring into death’s eyes

Taral Patel, News Editor
December 9, 2011
Filed under Voice

His inhumanely thin, tree-branch legs spoke of the countless paths he had traveled. The dark patches of weathered skin ran down from the stubble on his face to the tattoo of a Nigerian flag. His knobby, worn hands had deeply etched scars from a lifetime of handling heavy loads—physical and emotion...

Parking lot rage sparks chaos

Madeline Brisson, Staff Writer
December 9, 2011
Filed under Voice

 The final bell rings and all of a sudden, it is every man for himself. Everyone throws on their backpack, whips out their keys, and all of the good manners that their parents brought them up with are history. Do not pretend that you do not know what I am talking about. 2,500 students. 3 roads out....

Satire: Student body discovers poverty, proposes solutions

Trevor Nichols, staff writer
December 9, 2011
Filed under Voice

Last Monday, students were astounded to see a poor man walking past Cinco Ranch Boulevard after school. The man was holding a cardboard sign and begging passerby for money near the high school and La Centerra. At 7:00, the man left the area, though incredulous crowds remained for some time. “I always...

Steps in right direction

Jesse Sparks, Voice Editor
November 3, 2011
Filed under Voice

Below are quoted segments from Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” and accounts of my own struggles under the burdens of my father’s expectations on my route towards self-exploration. This poem closely mirrors my own feelings of indecision and worry over my future as I forge my own path, independent...