Finding Music

Liza Didyk

Sitting in my car, I couldn't help but feel sadness as the silence overwhelmed the hum of the engine. I needed music.

The months of listening to the radio have not saved me from my insanity. Electronic beats, lyrics to "party, party, yeah" and the endless commercials took away all the joy I once had from driving. I chose a destination where I was vaguely sure that had music: the public library.

I was immediately surprised by how many different types of music were available, and all for free. I chose a Spoon album Transference, an alternative rock favorite of mine, and a Sleigh Bells album, taking the two CDs home with me without paying a dollar. I couldn't believe it. I spent years paying for music from iTunes and wasted hours hunting down the cheapest bargains. They were all there, right in my library and five minutes from my house.

Sometimes the finest of treasures are in unconventional places.

ACL

It was October, and October meant one thing and one thing only to me: Austin City Limits. Unfortunately, I hadn't been quick enough in procuring passes, so while everyone was driving up to Austin, posting Instagram pictures of the crowds and the stages, I was stuck at home, trying - and failing - to distract myself.

So instead, I settled for the next best thing. YouTube was live-streaming select concerts on the website, and, as it turned out, one of those concerts was that of my favorite band in the world. So I clicked on it and watched.

It wasn't the same. There was no screaming crowd next to me, jumping to the beat of the music. There was no one, nothing around me except for a glowing computer screen. But it was good enough.

I watched concerts all weekend long, one after the other.

Next year I'm planning on going, on being one of those people in the crowd that I'd seen in all the videos I watched that weekend. But even if, somehow, things don't work and I'm stuck at home once again, I know that there's another way I can be there.

8 Years in Ink

Ever since I received my hard-bound journal as a gift from my piano teacher after my first (not to mention nerve-wracking) recital, I've plotted my life out on pages and pages of my diary. It isn't limited to just one book, but each entry, whether short or long, adds up to many volumes - each a chapter of my life, tales of my daily adventures.

The medium of writing has changed throughout the years, from ugly, scrawled pencil handwriting in Elementary school to colorful markers in Middle school to pen in early high school. It has showed how my character has shaped in writing; reading through earlier entries, I shake my head at both my bad grammar and immature thoughts.

My diary gives me private space to organize my thoughts. It was always there for me when I wanted to rant. When my words ran dry, I filled the empty pages with drawings. It was through these books where I grew my dreams to the point. I would write about everything, from when boys liked me, when my nightmares screamed, when I found a new favorite song. My diary gives me something to look back - to think about my actions that day, and where things went wrong, I'll correct. Divulging fears, confessing moods, I would write about anything and everything that crossed my mind. Something about writing gave me a rush - that my life was saved within pages of journaling.

Texans lose in a shocking manner

As a Houstonian, my heart still aches after witnessing the Texan's crushing loss a week ago against the New England Patriots. The Texans, still in the lead for the number one seed in the AFC with a 12-2 record, were completely embarrassed by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and his team.Tom Brady, the star quarterback for the Patriots, tore apart the Texan's defense and revealed why he is considered the elite quarterback that Texan's QB Matt Schaub is not.

I had been looking forward to the game ever since the first release of the 2012-2013 NFL schedule. The only two teams I ever followed were the Texans and the Patriots, and they were going to face each other late into the season. Ever since I first started watching football, my favorite team had always been the Patriots, mainly because I was completely devoted to Tom Brady. I loved his perfect underdog story: picked in the 6th round of the 2000 NFL draft, thought to be a full-time backup, but worked hard and when his chance came, he led his team to three Super Bowl victories. The first jersey I bought was a Tom Brady jersey and the first team I ever used on Madden was the Patriots.

The day of the game was filled with excitement from both Patriots and Texans fans alike. Patriots fans were looking forward to proving that they were the best team in the AFC. Texans fans hoped to cement the fact that they were the best team in the NFL by defeating an elite team like the Patriots.

Laurence Zhang

Writer

Bellaire High School, TPP

Houston, Texas

It's No High School Musical

"OMG I cannot wait until we're in High School Laila, it's going to be so much fun!"
 I clearly remember how excited and anxious I felt that day. With my eighth grade graduation approaching, plus the fact I considered myself top of the middle school 'food chain', I felt both unstoppable and mighty cool. Speaking of High School dreams and goals with my best friend in the library that day, my mind went wild with fictional thoughts and wishful thinking. As my excitement arose, my high pitched voice amplified, to the point where classmates' heads shot up from behind their books giving me "chill out" looks from every corner of the room.
My librarian, however, overheard my conversation with Laila, and decided to step in.
"What makes you think High School is going to be as wonderful as you perceive it to be?" she questioned me bluntly as usual, eyebrow raised and arms crossed.
I replied to her with confidence. "Have you seen the movies and TV shows?"
Apparently she didn't. And apparently I didn't watch the right movies, because now that I'm a senior, I can say with pure confidence that High School, to me, was no High School Musical.
Exams. Stress. Homework. Stress. Outside school activities. Stress. Juggling both school and work life. Stress. Catch up on PLL episodes. Stress.
I don't recall Troy and Gabriela doing homework, nor studying, nor taking a pre-calculus exam.
Although High School had its sweet moments, it surely wasn't a walk in the park- or a dance in the cafeteria.

Lara Hattab
Writer
Bellaire High School TPP
Houston, Texas

I Dreamed I was a Ballerina

For years, I looked up to the older girls in my dance studio. I longed for the day when I would be be able to dance on my toes and have my own pink satin shoes with ribbons. When I was eleven, my class was finally starting point and I bought my first pair of pointe shoes. I spent hours sewing on the ribbons and elastic, and weeks breaking them in. I would only be dancing thirty minuets on the bar and my feet would be begging me to stop. Taking them off was a great relief and my feet would be red and swollen. It wasn't just the pain either, it was frustrating not being strong enough to do what I wanted.  Every time I would think "Why am I doing this to myself?", I would remember that little girl who looked up to the "big girls" and dreamed of being a ballerina. Over the years, I got stronger, I was never the best girl in my class and there was always an older girl in the studio I looked up too. For years it was Kayley, she could do things I couldn't on flat shoes, she was clearly the best in the studio. The way she danced was so effortless, but she was also home schooled so she could dance more. She danced every single day, and every one knew she was going to be a professional dancer, she joined the San Francisco ballet company when she was seventeen. 

I realized at the beginning of the year with school and after-school eMotion practices, I don't have time to take ballet class anymore. I miss it and I'm disappointed that I didn't go as far as I wanted. I know the little girl would be proud that I achieved my dream, I became a ballerina. I always looked forward to the feeling I would get buying my first pair of pointe shoes, but I never thought for a second what hanging up my last pair would feel like.

Paris Proposal - Katie Martin

The summer of 2010 marked my first trip to Paris. My grandmother had kindly offered to take my older sister Molly and I to all the sites and hip boutiques the beautiful city had to offer. Every restaurant had the most amazing food, and I even tried escargots or snails after my grandmother insisted it was a vital part in a France trip. The many cathedrals had intricate stained glass windows that brought in color to each church. Since I am afraid of heights, I was not looking forward to seeing the Eiffel Tower, unlike Molly and my grandmother, however it turned out to be the highlight of my trip.
We went at the perfect time when the sun was just beginning to go down and a sunset appeared. While waiting in line to enter the glass-walled elevators, I became very anxious, but luckily we were packed in and I was not able to see us rising to the mid-section. At the mid-section we had to load another smaller elevator to go to the very top, the part I had to be persuaded into doing. I closed my eyes the whole trip up and to my surprise, it was not nearly as scary as I had believed it would be on top. The hot hair on the ground had been replaced by cold wind due to the high altitude.
As my sister and I were looking out at the vast city, a man got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. She cried and everyone clapped at the man's romanticism. In this moment, I understood the true intrigue of Paris. It is the perfect place to find love and made me so excited to be proposed to in another unique way. Paris truly is the city of love.

Then I Met Ed

    I was so through with mainstream music.
    I had just listened to the "hit new single" of a highly famed pop star. I did not understand how someone who in my opinion lacked both talent and passion was so successful in an industry that truly amazing musicians struggled to make a living in. I felt like the musicians of today were becoming more and more manufactured, pumped out of their factory-like records labels as though they were cheap clothing from an overseas sweatshop. I needed to do some serious soul searching. Not within my own soul, but for musicians that had soul. I needed someone who carried with in themselves the passion, dedication and actual talent that their predecessors held so dearly.
    And then I met Ed. As in Ed Sheeren, my musical savior. He came highly recommended from a friend of mine, who after hearing of my musical crisis thought that he was ever needed antidote. The first song I heard by him was entitled "Give Me Love". And in love I was. I went on to listen to his song " You Need Me, I Don't Need Me", which wasn't exactly PG, but wasn't unnecessarily obscene.
And so began my infatuation with Ed Sheeren. Of course, at some point I will have to find at least one other musician to put on my playlist, but for now, Ed will do.

Victoria's Personal Column

“You couldn’t have just played soccer or volleyball?” My mother was horrified about this new hobby that I had decided to pick up at school. Mental images of WWE matches and bodies soaring through the air blazed through her head like a wild fire and seemed to make her sick to the stomach. She conjured up the most ridiculous and farfetched scenarios possible to characterize the sport. What if I got injured or paralyzed for life?

Freshman year. As I was sitting at my locker, a huge, grinning African-American man came marching towards me. He introduced himself as Mr. Mason, an administrator for the school, but more importantly, the assistant coach of the boys wrestling team. He wanted to start a girl’s team at the school, so he was recruiting freshman girls for the job. I did not even give myself time to think before I made the decision. I wrestle. When Mr. Mason walked away I said those two words in my head over and over again. It was starting to sound less frightening and more electrifying.

I had never experienced the type of pain and exhaustion I felt on the first few practice days. Running four miles without rest, doing push-ups until our arms fell off, drilling wrestling moves repetitively until they came to us like second nature. The coaches were on a mission to make us tough and wouldn’t relent until we were mean, lean wrestling machines. “He’s not your teammate, he’s not your friend, he is your opponent.” During practice, my teammates and I would beat each other to little pulps. Bruises, aching body parts, it was all worth it to feel your hand raised by the referee at the end of a match, signifying your triumph over your opponent.

Coach Durning, the head coach, was a native Pennsylvanian, where wrestling is more than life or death. That man was the toughest being I had ever encountered. He bequeathed me with a new necessity to win. Every match, every tournament, every opponent was my enemy, and I had to either crush them or allow them to crush me.

 For only having participated in the sport for such a short amount of time, I performed exceedingly well. During the summer, when wrestlers change from folkstyle wrestling to freestyle wrestling, I won a medal in every tournament I participated. My most significant accomplishment was winning the district championships over a girl who had beaten me earlier in the year.

Wrestling was more than just a hobby or a sport, it was a lifestyle. My friends and family could not begin to comprehend why on earth I would chose such a barbaric sport, but I found it beautiful and exhilarating. Constantly trying to stay in shape, keep my weight down and polish my skills made me a stronger, more disciplined person. More than the medals, the true achievement was proving to myself that I am not weak, because if I could survive wrestling, I can survive anything.

Sleeping

I feel really bad, seriously. It keeps on asking for me, begging me to join it in peaceful harmony. But I can't. I don't have time to spend hours on end doing nothing. I won't even remember what I did in the morning. That is no way to live.

My bed is my biggest seducer. It is loyal, patient and understanding. The soft pillows hold my head while it dreams and my tears when I cry. Its soft blanket shrouds me in warmth and protects me from the winter cold. My bed is my knight in shining armor that won't run away from me anytime soon. 

There is an evil dragon that serves as a formidable enemy: homework. Homework is a never-ending tunnel of sadness and problems. It is always demanding, never understanding and always looming over my head like a huge shadow. With just a small amount, it is able to chain me back from happiness. 

This is my daily quest- I will slay all of the math problems; I will write the essay; I will conquer the science lab. This is all for you, my sweet bed.

Palestine, observer state

On Friday, November 29, the General Assembly of the United Nations met in the UN headquarters in New York to vote on a proposition with far-reaching implications in the Middle East. By a tally of 138-9, the General Assembly voted to upgrade the status of the Palestinian Authority to non-member observer state.
The background of the conflict has its roots in the founding of the Israeli state in 1949. The state was given specific borders per a UN mandate, but after neighboring Arab states declared, and lost, wars to Israel, the state's modern borders were set. Since then, through a series of conflicts, the Palestinian National Authority was founded in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. After a 2006 split in the Authority, the West Bank has been ruled by a moderate Fatah party, while the Gaza Strip has been ruled by a more radical, more militant Hamas party.
The primary solution proposed by the international community is a two-state solution, where Palestine and Israel would exist side-by-side. I believe this is the best solution. The two-state could have been founded much earlier though, had political pressures not conspired against it. After the Six Day and Yom Kippur Wars, it was impossible for either side to back down. As a result, the peace process has been stalled repeatedly. In the years in between, Israel began building settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, despite international protests and illegality. In fact, in response to the UN vote, current Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu green-lighted the building of 3000 new settlements that would cut the West Bank in two. It seems to me that Netanyahu does not want peace. Every European country and even the United States has pressured Israel to abandon the settlements, but Netanyahu remains defiant. It is unfortunate that it is an election year in Israel, forcing his Likud Party further to the ultra-nationalist right. However, Palestine can now pursue membership in the International Criminal Court, which might bring Israeli war criminals to justice and halt the encroachment on Palestinian territory.
The way nations voted in the UN also tells a tale about Israel in the global community. Among the European and American countries that usually support Israel, only Canada, the United States and the Czech Republic voted with Israel. Stalwart Israeli supporter Germany abstained, while France voted for Palestine.
It is increasingly obvious that world public opinion has turned against Israel and its continued violation of the basic human rights of Palestinians. The State of Israel must allow the two state solution and peace process to succeed, and it can begin by halting the continued development projects in the West Bank.

Channel Orange

Frank Ocean has earned some much deserved publicity after receiving 6 Grammy nominations. All the nominations are related to his debut studio album Channel Orange.  It was released digitally on July 10th on iTunes and sold 130,000 copies the first week. It was released after his controversial statement on tumbler where he said he once loved a guy. This created a new buzz around Hollywood and the music industry. The album itself is a 17 song journey that varies genres from R&B to Electro. The album starts off with a pleasing intro beat that is easy on the ears like most of the album. The rhythmic beats of the album is soothing compared to the fast paced music of other artists.The songs are slow and chill. It is encouraged to listen to the songs in order because they connect together. The album is highlighted by the songs Bad Religion, Pyramids, and the hit Thinkin Bout You. Thinkin Bout You was the hit single of the album and is nominated for Record of the Year. It is a slow jam about his troubles dealing with a girl he likes. Pyramids is the 10 minute song that tells a story of a stripper and how blacks have been downgraded again to work for the man. Bad Religion is the most emotional song of the album, all the songs are emotional, that shows his struggle with his sexuality. The song describes a man pleading with a taxi cab driver for someone to talk to. This album is a must bu. Make sure you have lots of time to listen to it because it is important to listen to the whole album at once to get all the meaning of the songs.

Living in the moment

A lot of students have the perception that they must do whatever they can now and work hard to be able to achieve whatever goals that they want to achieve in the future. This includes being able to attend whatever college they want or to obtain their ideal profession. But to achieve, students spend years of their life solely dedicated to school in their attempts to follow their goals in the stereotypical path of success. This is comprised of going to a good high school, doing well, then going to a good college, and doing well, and from there attempting to get a good and well-paying job that they enjoy.

While this path is successful for some, for others it isn’t as successful as they would have liked. Yet we see that there are always those outliers that don’t follow the stereotypical path to success, and succeed nonetheless. An example that I always use to justify my perspective is my cousin Charlie. Charlie was born in Houston and attended Episcopal High School. However Charlie wasn’t the most intelligent kid class, he wasn’t the most athletic kid in his class, but he lived in the moment and enjoyed life. And so when it was his time to go to college, his desire to go to California took him to the small Loyola Marymount University for his Bachelors. Next he was able to pick up his Masters at Columbia University after being accepted due to a very successful interview.  It was from there that Charlie was able to open a charming multimillion dollar accessories store that began in Houston, and is now spread across the entire United States.

The point behind this is that Charlie was able to be successful while not following the stereotypical road to success, but most importantly, he lived in the moment.

Lincoln is a new biopic film that depicts the last months of Lincoln's presidency. The well-directed movie's focus on one specific instance avoided the broad-focus attempt suffered by other biographical films.The film in general had quite a stellar cast. Tommy Lee Jones' portrayal of Representative Thaddeus Stevens and the eponymous title role played by Daniel Day-Lewis were well done. For a serious film about one of the worst conflicts in American history, the film never took itself too seriously and took off some light moments for humor. The humor did not take away at all from the film and may have in fact added to the film's complexity.\
Lincoln's perception of "honest, reserved Abe" was challenged in his angry moments, yelling "I am the President of the United States clothed with immense power. You will procure me these votes [to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery]" and slapping his son Robert Todd Lincoln for wanting to join the Union Army.
In all, Lincoln is much more of a layered movie than of just one man, ranked as one of our greatest presidents, and his struggle to preserve the Union during the Civil War. The behind the scenes, personal view of Lincoln makes it a film I'd recommend to anyone.
-Nicolas Aldape, Staff writer

Zip Lining

I remember clearly the first time I ever went zip lining. We were in Austin, Texas for my brother's soccer tournament, and one of the soccer moms had signed the whole team up for zip lining. I did not truly understand what we were doing when we got there. I had never heard of zip lining at the time, and for some reason, I did not ask my Dad to elaborate on what we were doing.

When we got to the site, I quickly understood what we were doing, and I was terrified. Zipping across a shallow lake with only a harness to keep you from falling to your death? Uh, no thank you. I could not even get on a roller coaster without being reduced to tears. My Dad knew I was scared of heights, so why in the world would he bring me to the one place where all my biggest fears were?

The "scouts" quickly taught us some safety procedures and what not. I kept my exterior cool and collected, but inside, I was plotting my escape in to the woods. Finally we got to the first line. I watched  as everyone went before me one by one, making it to the other side in one piece. Still, that was not enough to keep me complacent. Soon it was my turn. I looked over the edge of the fort-like structure we were standing on, it was pretty high. I looked out across the lake, and it was beautiful.

I looked back up to the other side of the line. I put my fears aside and leaped. Zipping across the lake was the most exhilarating thing I'd ever done. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it was absolutely amazing. I loved the feeling. It was like I was flying through the wind. I will never forget that moment and have been lucky enough to experience it several times throughout my short life, and would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Crystal Castles (III)

Crystal Castles. Maybe you've heard of them... an electronic band featuring vocalist Alice Glass and producer Ethan Kath that sometimes sounds more like noise than music. But, unexpectedly, they have produced captivating work album after album, creating a fan base that reaches far beyond Canada, their country of origin.

"(III)," their third album, follows up an energetic, powerful sophomore album with an interesting new take on their band's underlying message, that the world is a disturbing, difficult place, but also that the pain and sorrow that comes with being in it may be beautiful.

The album reveals a more mature, more focused duo that hovers between a dream state and a shattering reality in singles like "Plague" and "Wrath of God." Crystal Castles' signature beat also comes through in "Affection," a song that gives listeners a glimpse into the ghostly, obscured world of Glass and Kath.

"(III)" fades in and out, angst-filled and reflective of Glass' statement that "it feels like the world is a dystopia where victims don't get justice and corruption prevails."

A Youth Group

A Youth Group

Not many people know what their friends do outside of school besides sports or family. However, almost all of the Jewish teens at Bellaire High School participate in a youth group known as BBYO. BBYO is a non-profit international Jewish youth group that educates teens on leadership lessons and Jewish values in a fun way. Currently, I am residing as the Vice-President of BBYO for Texas ( excluding Dallas). This current month I have been working with a committee of other teens to create our Regional Convention. Our Region is made up of over 700 teens residing from Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.We are currently the third largest region in the international order which is made up of over 50,000 teenagers. From all over the world, this youth group that helps lead teens to a better life connects us. Although my time is almost up in BBYO, I want to spend my last couple of years having the time of my life. I would like to plan the best Regional Convention my region has ever seen. It is sad to say that not many people know how big the organization of BBYO is. Whenever my friends ask what are you doing, I tell them I’m at my youth group, but they never understand the full extent of what I’m doing. From community service to standing up for Israel, I am always doing something that is changing the world around me. BBYO is another life for me, one outside of school where I can change the world in the way I see it.