Beat the Heat CHS

By Jordan Bickham Staff Writer The summer season ends with the start of school, but with temperatures soaring in the hundreds, summer seems endless, even when the vacation is over. As a freshman spending his last few weeks of summer marching under the sun, Matthew Thomas could not have anticipated how intense outdoor activities can be in Texas. “We practice four days a week, about three hours a day, and it is almost always outside,” Thomas said.  “I try to drink water outside of band.  You know, drink a cup of water instead of a can of coke, keeping your body cool and hydrated all the time.” But sometimes, water is just not enough. “During…

Brutal heat burns enjoyability of summer

Ben Cowlishaw Staff Writer We seem close yet still so far from relief from the record breaking summer we are still facing. We were just a handful of days away from breaking the all-time record for consecutive 100 degree-plus high temperatures, and a record breaking drought is still unfolding as we face some of the lowest rainfall totals we have ever seen. While in Texas you learn quickly to embrace the summer heat, this summer was a bit much for almost everyone. “Most afternoons, it was too hot to go outside. Even walking to a car could be brutal, especially when you got in and the interior was too hot to touch,” junior Matt Augustine said….

No place for crying in professional sports, Hair says

Thomas Hair Staff Writer Since the dawn of athletic competition, sports have been about asserting your dominance over an opponent. To do this, athletes must have an iron will, a mental toughness and a drive to endure pain and keep going. The upper echelon of athletes is molded from these characteristics. However, in today’s society, the role of the professional athlete has transformed into something resembling a celebrity. The salaries of American athletes are reaching higher and higher into the millions and, as a result, modern sports may be becoming soft. Sports are losing athletes with the very qualities that make athletic competitions such as spectacle to behold: the intense desire to win, the selfless…

Lakers, Heat, Celtics make up early NBA favorites

By Peter Sblendorio Sports Editor This Tuesday, the NBA season kicks off with three of the sport’s biggest contenders taking the floor. Here is a look at why the Lakers, Heat, and Celtics all have a strong chance to be the last team standing this summer. Lakers: The Lakers are the defending champs two years running. They boast unmatched size in the frontcourt, with two 7-footers in Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol clogging the paint and a 6-10 forward in Lamar Odom coming off the bench. They also have unmatched postseason experience on their roster, and their head coach, Phil Jackson, is looking for title number 12. Not to mention that the Lakers have the…

Truly a Texas girl

By Rebecca Fowler Staff Writer Everything’s bigger in Texas, and we are proud of it. Not only do we sport the world’s largest cowboy boots (found in San Antonio), but we also have the most pride and the biggest hearts… to name just a few of the reasons the state holds a special place in my heart. I love Texas. Everything from the flat land revealing the sky from horizon to horizon to our Southern slang. I love the stereotypes which come along with living here, as comical as they may be. Instead of offending me, it makes me proud to be a Texan when someone comments on my accent or asks if I own…