My First College Visit

My First College Visit

By Waverly Spratt 

As someone who is not fond of math, I never expected to have an epiphany in the midst of my calculus class. While discussing the mundane topic of functions, my calc teacher made a statement that was meant to simply pertain to math: "nothing is constant. The only constant is change itself." Even though he was referring to functions, I started thinking about how this, in fact, applies to life. Maybe I should have focused on functions based on my quiz grade. However, I could not help the affect that this sentence had on me. 

As a senior, I will be facing a constant influx of changes. As exciting as these changes will be, I'll admit that I'm a little bit nervous - not so much about being on my own, but about choosing the right college for me. It's a big decision. Thankfully, I was able to take a visit to a school I am considering, the University of Calgary (in Calgary, AB, Canada). I was born and raised in Calgary, but left when I was only 11 years old; thus, it was the perfect time to rediscover the city and to garner information about the school.

The University of Calgary's campus was a lot larger than I expected. Thankfully, however, I had my brother - a student at the university - to show me around. I was extremely impressed by the on-campus amenities: there is a gorgeous, state of the art gym (Calgary has previously hosted the Winter Olympics, so the gym remains a profound training facility for athletes). the food court offers a wide variety of cuisines that appeal to the diverse student population. There's even a student gastropub directly on campus - an uncommon feature for most universities. My favorite amenity, however, is the library: a sleek, modern building that seems to serve as the centerpiece of the campus. It's the perfect place to study.

My brother showing me around campus.

The library, my favorite building.

After my brother's tour, I had the opportunity to check out the University of Calgary's dance department, as I am interested in being a dance major. During this tour, I was able to see the rehearsal studios and talk to current / prospective dance students. It was awesome to hear about the dance program straight from the dancers themselves; I even learned some valuable tips for the audition process. 

One view of the magnificent skyline.

In addition to exploring the University of Calgary's campus, I had the opportunity to explore the city of Calgary itself. After this bout of exploration, I can honestly say that Calgary is one of the prettiest cities I have ever been to. There are plenty of trendy neighborhoods, delicious restaurants, exciting events throughout the year, and stunning displays of art on every block; however, Calgary's most appealing quality, in my opinion, is its skyline. A short hike reveals its beauty: a river lined with bright green foliage meanders in front of the glimmering buildings, and on a clear day, you can see the Rocky Mountains stand stoically behind the buildings. I don't think I could ever grow tired of this view.

A pedestrian bridge known as the Peace Bridge. 

My trip to Calgary was a huge success. Seeing the campus for myself and discovering plenty of new information helped ease my nerves about the momentous decision I will have to make in a few months. I hope to visit the campuses of other universities fairly soon.

9/11: Woodlands Prep Remembers.

Even after 13 years, the effect of the 9/11 terrorist attacks remains heavy in our hearts. The magnitude of the tragedy reverberated not only across the United States, but across the world. Here are some of the ways in which we were perturbed on the day the world stopped spinning, plus an overview of what happened:

13^th Anniversary of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

By Deen Osman

Edited by Waverly Spratt

Photo by Gabriel Sanchez 

Thirteen years ago, on September 11, 2001, tragedy struck on the east coast of the United States. This day, now referred to as 9/11, is the worst terrorist attack on US soil, and has devastated many lives across the nation. The terrorist group known as al-Qaeda is responsible for the attacks on 9/11. Before the attack, Al-Qaeda militants hijacked four American airplanes - two of which crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City, one crashed into the Pentagon in Washington D.C, and one crashed in a rural area of Pennsylvania. Since then, several memorials have been built around the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the crash site of the flight that crashed in Pennsylvania. One of the memorials around the site where the Twin Towers once stood is known as the Freedom Tower. The Freedom Tower, which has become the new World Trade Center, is a skyscraper that stands 1,776 feet in the air. This height is not random: the Freedom Tower is 1,776 feet tall because, in 1776, the 13 colonies won its independence from British rule, making the United States its own country and nation. Another memorial around the site of fallen Twin Towers are the two waterfalls that signify where the Twin Towers once stood. Next to the waterfalls is the 9/11 museums. Moreover, the Pentagon Memorial has benches that represent the innocent lives lost during this catastrophe. The benches facing the Pentagon are dedicated to those who passed in the plane crash, while the benches facing away from the Pentagon are dedicated to those who passed in the Twin Towers. Finally, the memorial in Pennsylvania, which consists of two water fountains, is meant to honor those died in the plane crash. These memorials are important reminders of this tragic and surreal day. We must never forget 9/11. 

Video by Claudia Jimenez. 

First Volleyball and Football Games of the Season

First Volleyball and Football Games of the Season

By Claudia Jimenez

            BUMP! SET! SPIKE! The Woodlands Prep girls’ volleyball team is ready for the 2014-15 season! This year, there are 19 very talented girls on the team: Claudia Jimenez, Onome Amudo, Sara Dechant, Ariel Daisy, Liliana Valdivia, Hailey Gaige, Cathryn Saninno, Camryn Sosa, Tanielle Joseph, Nakashu Ghuman, Estefania Tizon, Obie Amudo, Casey Gaige, Denise Jaidar, Elaine Pauli, Layneth Iovino, Caelan Elsborg, Mimi Olayeye, and Casey Gaige. All these girls are pumped and motivated for the season to begin. Their first game was on Tuesday, August 26, where they played against Frassati. Unfortunately, our Lady Wolverines lost; however, it was a very close game and the girls played very well. This week the girls have a home game on Tuesday, September against their rivalry, Calvary! They played four out of five games and won the first two, lost the third game and won the last! We had many aces’ from Sara, Hailey, Cathryn, Ariel, and Camryn, as well as kills from Sara, Hailey, and Camryn. Coach Holburt had a few words about the season: “I’m excited to be here with the team, I believe we have a lot of talent, and I’m looking forward to the season to bring the talent all together.”

            DOWN! SET! HUT! This is the second year that the Woodlands Prep has a flag football team and their first game was on Thursday, August 28, 2014. The boys team includes: Spencer Dobrik (the quarterback), Nicholas Schaps, Brandon Gale, Nik Hammond, Josef Carnahan, Rodrigo Lopez, Declan Gunn, Eyitee Olayeye, and Dilichi Ogbutor. During this game, Josef caught an interception and ran it back for a touchdown Then, Spencer ran in the touchdown. Their final score was a close 12-7. Dilichi is the only freshmen on the team and he feels very welcomed; even though he is the youngest, he feels as though he’s one of the older kids. Their next game is Friday, September 12, 2014.

Let’s go Wolverines!!

Labor Day, Texas Style

No more easing back in: the ebb and flow of school and homework is back in full swing! But fear not; this upcoming weekend is Labor Day weekend, so it's the perfect time to recharge after these busy first two weeks of school. Here are some fun suggestions for what to do this Labor Day weekend, courtesy of Savannah Biggert:

Things to do for Labor Day weekend 2014 

Current Event: The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

By Waverly Spratt

Casually scroll through the feed of any social media outlet. Aside from the constant inundation of "selfies" and "Throwback Thursday's", What do you come across? Chances are, you will encounter a video - or several videos - of people dumping buckets of ice water onto their heads. But what is the meaning behind this new fad? Well, just in case you have been living off the grid for the past month, I am happy to inform you that what you are seeing is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: The charitable phenomenon that is taking the world by storm.

Bill Gates partaking in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

The premise of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is simple: If someone nominates you, then within 24 hours, you must either dump a bucket of ice water onto your head or donate $100 to the ALS Association (to be used towards ALS research). Then, after you have completed one or both portion(s) of the challenge, you nominate three more people to do the same. At first, this challenge drew a large following of skeptics and critics. There was speculation as to how anything charitable could come out of dumping ice onto yourself, especially when it seems as though more people are opting to take the chillier way out of the challenge.  However, thanks to the popularity of the challenge, the ALS Association has raised a total of $79.9 million so far. This is $77.6 million more than the amount raised at this time last year. The challenge has proved successful due to several factors, such as its rampant presence on social media outlets and the chain reaction of nominating others to take the challenge. The awareness being raised is subsequently raising money, as many people are choosing to donate as well as choosing to get drenched. Plus, the involvement of celebrities (everyone from Bill Gates, pictured above, to Jennifer Lopez) has garnered some big bucks for the ALS Association. ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease), is a horrendous condition that deeply affects the central nervous system. In the past, ALS Research has been radically underfunded, so this huge spike in donations has been a wonderful feat.

To donate or to learn more about ALS and the work being done to combat it, visit www.alsa.org.   Source: http://time.com/3173833/als-ice-bucket-challenge-fundraising-total/

Current Event: Celebrities Stand Up Against Cancer

Celebrities Stand up Against Cancer

By Claudia Jimenez
Edited by Waverly Spratt

On September 5^th, 2014, the Stand Up To Cancer telethon will commence. Stand up to cancer is a charity designed to raise money over televised a event as well as online. The telethon lasts an hour and in that hour you are invited to call in to donate money towards funds to find a cure for cancer. In past years, Stand Up to Cancer has pledged more than $260 million in part due to the influence of multiple celebrities. This year, big names such as Jennifer Aniston, Jon Hamm, Halle Berry, Reese Witherspoon, Pierce Brosnan, Rob Lowe, Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Eric Stonestreet, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kiefer Sutherland will be taking part in the event. Celebrities have always helped in donating to the cause as well as talking to some of the viewers that have called in, but this year they’ll be connecting more with viewers by phone and on Facebook from a "digital lounge", hosted by Katie Couric. This has been dubbed “We’re Calling You”, a segment in which donors call in to donate as well as interact more with the celebrities involved with the telethon. Reaching out to donors via social media outlets is a relatively new concept for this charity, but it is expected to increase the amount of donations due to the popularity of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The Stand Up to Cancer special will also include performances by Jennifer Hudson, Ariana Grande, The Who, Common and Lupe Fiasco and Dave Matthews. Another big and exciting new change that will occur this year for the first time is the addition of a Canadian co-broadcast, which will raise funds that will benefit research and awareness programs in Canada. If you’re interested in participating in the "We're Calling You" you can sign up at werecallingyou.org.

Sources: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/jennifer-aniston-jon-hamm-sign-on-for-stand-up-to-cancer/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/jennifer-aniston-jon-hamm-halle-berry-to-stand-up-to-cancer-1.2741447

Woodlands Prep Tour