Blog 7

Summertime for me usually means sleeping in until noon, eating as much as my stomach can fit and more and binge-watching TV shows on Netflix until my head hurts. But not this summer - this summer I have a job. 

I'm working at a small real estate company as an intern, which means I'll spend each day from 9 to 5 entering data in a computer and filing papers, maybe even fetching coffee for my boss. Not exactly exciting stuff, but it's a job. 

My first day is next Monday, and I have to say, I'm a little nervous about going, not because I think the work I'll be doing is difficult or anything, but because I don't know anyone there (except for my boss, with whom I've only had one conversation). I'm going to be that awkward new girl in an office full of older people who have all been working together for a while. 

Yeah, I know that I'll get to know everyone and it'll be okay after the first few days, but I'm still really nervous about that first day on the job. But hey, maybe it won't be as bad I'm thinking it will be. Here's hoping for the best.

Blog 8 - Stephen Proler

For the last blog of the school year, I decided to write about what I will be doing over Summer. I recently got a job at a Law Firm where I will be filling in as a ParaLegal and Law assistant. My hours are from 9 to 5:30 for the first four days, and 9 to 12 on Fridays. Yay casual Fridays! I'll be making good pay and it will lead me to opportunities to meet new people and learn new skills. Everyone asks me because I am working at a Law Firm what I want to do when I grow up, but honestly I have no idea. Why should I be rushed to answer a question that some in their late 40's still don't know. Besides the suits and clients, I have my own desk and a view. The most rewarding thing about my job is that I get to experience what others my age don't. I get to go out in the world early. See what its like to be an adult, work in the corporate environment. Hopefully next year, my blog will be my own critique on my Summer. How fun it was and how rewarding everything was.

Blog 8- Extra Credit Victoria Petty

The Day After College Graduation 

The first inhale of sweet, moist, Washington, DC summer morn titillates my senses.  I smile slowly before stirring at all, enjoying each incremental moment of the curling of my lips.  I am so proud, so thankful, so fortunate, and so happy.  The warm sun begs me to lift my eyelids and into focus comes the bursting, brightly colored fanfare of the florals showered upon me by my friends and family.  Lying beside it the colors of honor bestowed upon all of us who went the distance to strive for excellence in all learning and scholarship.  “Thank you,” I humbly utter to so many and i chill runs through me that seems to make my aura emanate a glow.  

I rise and inhale, stretch, exhale and glance towards my alarm’s daily scheduling holograph. “Merci’.  Close, and please prepare la cafe’.  With a full day planned of fun, photos, and cheer, and an early flight out the next morning, I grab my climate controlled running gear and head out to get energized for the future.  At the table by the door, I see the crisp, textured box of business cards and break out in a grin. Unable to hold it in, I mutter another thank you, this time I glow more fully, for--as Howard alumni--we measure how well we build upon our educational opportunities by how much resulting empowerment there is for all.

BLog 7

Blog 7

Sweet Paris: Foodie Blogger style

Tucked in a side street of Rice Village, Sweet Paris Creperie offers customers a variety of savory and sweet crepes. The place is roomy, with more than 25 tables available throughout the restaurant, plus outdoor seating. Furnished with cutesy, modern décor, ranging from wire-accented crystal chandeliers to brilliant turquoise walls, the restaurant is a quaint French-inspired sidewalk café.

Their menu offers eight options for savory crepes, including some from different cuisines like the Mexican “Chicken Enchilada” and the Italian “Chicken Carbonara,” and each dish coming with a light side salad. In all the dishes, the crepes, which are made to order, are light and fluffy, with flavorful meat or vegetables stuffed inside. Prices range from about seven to nine dollars, which may seem a bit pricey for a crepe, but considering the portion size and the quality, it’s definitely worth it.

As for sweet crepes, Sweet Paris lists several choices on their menu, such as the classic Nutella crepe as well as less traditional recipes like Apple Cinnamon Crème Brûlée and Dulce de Leche. Prices for sweet options are slightly less expensive than the savory ones, ranging from five to eight dollars.

Overall, Sweet Paris Creperie is an excellent restaurant with a quaint ambiance and environment with many options to suit all tastes.

BLOG 7 Victoria Petty

What happened to a time when Memorial Day was about honoring our veterans? How did we regress to Memorial Day being just a summer kickoff and socially acceptable time to begin donning light-colored clothing? This year, I think I have seen more pictures of white outfits and beach vacations than mentions of our veterans.

In the age of social media, we have become very artificial. Instagram is the opportunity to show off your "food porn," "artsy" surroundings, and expensive possessions. Twitter is the perfect avenue to update others on your fabulous life. Facebook the place to brag about your recent college acceptance or any other milestone.

Even getting asked to prom, an intimate moment in every high schoolers' life, is now accompanied by a photographing friend who will immediately post the coveted shot on any and all forms of social media. Of course, these prom pictures will always get at least 100 likes, because how could you not like somebody's prom proposal picture?

This comical series of events are now commonplace, showing how all we care about is the verification that we are beautiful or artistic. But my question is should we view these changes as evolution of social norm or certain doom for the intellectual? 

Fashion 

Editorial Staff 2013-2014

UPDATED May 30 @ 8:51 am.

The editorial staff of 2013-2014 is as follows:

Editor-in-Chief Paper

Cari Bonilla
Ridge Liu

Elaine Shen

Copy Editor – paper and online

Manlin Yao

Editor-in-Chief Online

Nathan Hiransomboon

Molly Oretsky (sports)

Manlin Yao

News

Michelle Huang

Tonya Chen
Claire Fisher

Features

Sachi Kamble

Jennifer Wang

Entertainment

Maddie Callen

Alison Elberger

Centerpiece

Jason Weilee

Nicolas Aldape

Profiles

Sophie Daily

Sports

Laurence Zhang

Zean Liao

Sports manager and senior staff writer
Leslie Cundiff

Communications manager and senior staff writer

Daniela Carlock

Photography Editors

Anna Ngo

Alex Luckey
assistant editor - Jasmin Vasquez

Visuals Editor
Anna Ngo

Business Managers

Jackie Wertheimer

Anthea Wilson

BLOG 7 - AMANDA TAYLOR

Houston’s hot spot Rice Village has an abundance of appealing restaurants to offer, but shoppers should definitely stop by one in particular. Instanbul Grill and Deli is a small authentically Turkish restaurant located right off of Rice Boulevard. Hidden away from the more crowded attractions, this restaurant has a traditional feel to it.

Upon first entering, customers will see that the deli is family owned. The cooks, waiters and hostesses all speak to each other in a native tongue, and paintings hang displaying their proud Turkish culture.  Separated into appetizers, sandwiches, entrees, desserts and specialty beverages, the extensive menu may take a while to look over, especially for a first timer. Several unfamiliar Turkish words grace the menu, but luckily a brief description is provided on each item.

The best thing about Instanbul Grill and Deli - everything is perfectly Turkish. No hamburgers or chicken fingers are in sight. This is a strictly kebab, gyro and pile environment. Because the restaurant prides itself on the gyros, I ordered one. The Doner Kebab, which turns out to be a gyro, was delicious. The lamb was cooked perfectly, smoked with Turkish spices. The pita bread was light and the vegetables were grilled to perfection.

Instanbul Grill and Deli may be hard to spot, but once it is, the restaurant is irresistible. A true Turkish experience coupled with a cultural change up. Put this restaurant on the list of recommendations.

Blog 7

This photo shows office workers helping out in the attendance office. It has a setting that shows what they are doing and there is a small-large balance.

Two friends practice playing guitar together. Their expressions show they are enjoying the music. 

A student government member checks a freshman's ID so she can vote for student government. The important part of the photo is the volunteer checking to make sure all voting goes smoothly. 

Blog 7

The school is a buzz with excitement for the summer. Two weeks left of school and we are all looking forward to those sweet three months of relaxation. Many preparations are being made and most of all the seniors know where they are going to college. Plans for housing, joining sororities/fraternities, and class enrollment are being made. Many final senior events are happening as well such as prom, senior surveys, and the senior breakfast coming up during finals week. All of our eldest students look to the future with a smile as they say their last goodbyes. For the ones of us who are staying well we look to another year at Bellaire High School where we will miss our graduating friends. The summer holds lots of opportunities for volunteering, working, and applying for internships. Of course it also provides time for all os us to kick back and enjoy the golden sun and bright water of our pools and the company of our family and friends. One week remains of studying and then one final week of testing and the last school bell of the year 2012-2013 will ring. AP and IB testing is over which allows students in AP classes to finally relax and stop worrying. The newspaper will come out with one more issue which will be the senior issue which will talk about tips for the future, colleges that will be attended by the class of 2013, and funny stories that happened throughout their time at Bellaire. This is a sweet issue that will provide a good memory after graduation. For the class reunion these will all be laid out as well as the yearbooks. This becomes a nostalgic time of the year as everyone spends their last days together with the people they have grown up with. It is also a time filled with panic and excitement.

Blog 7

Summer time means lots of time for baking!  It is one of my favorite things to do when I have free time outside of school.  Today, I made Cinnamon Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies that I thought turned out really well!  I also really enjoy looking at baking blogs to find recipes that I might enjoy cooking in the future.  My favorite baking blogs are Sally’s Baking Addiction, Flick of the Whisk, and Bake Your Day.  Sally has a recipe for Cake Batter Chocolate Chip cookies that I am really looking forward to trying.

My best friend’s sister now has a job at a bake shop in Bellaire, MargieBeth’s Bake Shop.  It is a start-up bakery that opened in Bellaire around Thanksgiving.  As part of her job, she has learned to bake biscottis and scones as well as continued baking standards like brownies and lemon bars.  I am excited to visit her with my friends as soon as school is out!

               

Memorial Day coming up is also a great excuse to bake and eat baked goods.  Pinterest has plenty of recipes for patriotic red, white, and blue treats.  Red, white, and blue popsicles will be perfect to eat by the pool now that it’s warming up!

Laure Cundiff

Three Penny Press

Staff Writer

Additional Blog (Blog 8)

"Israel says 'no proof' its troops shot Mohamed al-Dura" appears as one of the top stories on BBC News. This, to me, is quite strange since a dispute over one supposedly dead Palestinian child would make headlines when over the past several decades, thousands of women, men and children have been killed. Why did this child make the headline of a story? 
A picture of a young boy, Mohammed al-Dura with his father, Jamal al-Dura under fire in Gaza was shown around the world in 2002. Scenes of the child being shot, under the arm of his father, became one of the most prominent photographs of the second Palestinian uprising. "France 2 has stood by the report and sued a French media activist, Philippe Karsenty, for defamation after he said the film was bogus. A French appeals court will rule on that case on Wednesday," BBC reports. 
Initially, Israel apologized the shooting but soon after, Israel became doubtful about France 2's publication of the events. Israelis reported that the child could have been shot by the Palestinians. 
The image symbolized opposition to the Israeli military occupation, which obviously tarnished Israeli's reputation. Thirteen years later, this image is still being disputed over. Is the reputation of Israel really that significant? 
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated "It is important to focus on this incident - which has slandered Israel's reputation." 
Jamal al-Dura contrarily said "The Israelis are lying and trying to cover the truth." Both sides have interpreted the situation quite differently and similarly, both sides will never come to accept each others' version. 
If an image resurfaced more than a decade later because of Israel's doubts and concerns about its reputation, then where is Israel's legitimacy?  



Sara Nabhan
Writer
Bellaire High School

Blog 7

Tumblr, a website that has become increasingly popular among young adults, is about to become a part of another well-known internet service, Yahoo. Yahoo has agreed to buy Tumblr for $1.1bn in cash.

Tumblr combines blogging with social networking as users are able to connect through postings of pictures, "reblogging," "tagging," and commenting, and currently hosts over 100 million users. The growth of Tumblr has led to many companies and agencies' use of the website as a facet for advertisements.

As a once avid Tumblr blogger, I enjoyed and respected Tumblr's independence and ad-free environment. However, recently the website has become a forum for people to sell products and advertise companies.

Now that Tumblr will be integrated into Yahoo services, Tumblr users question to future prosperity of the website. Will Yahoo help bring more users to increase traffic or will Yahoo cause its downfall? Yahoo has been eclipsed by Google, Facebook, and Twitter, so can it really increase Tumblr's popularity?

News Corporation bought MySpace but sold it for a fraction of the price paid. As of now, Tumblr users can only await the future of the blogging forum where they spend much of their precious time.


Manlin Yao
Staff Editor

Blog 7

The countdown to June 9th begins. 

College acceptances. Completed AP Exams. Yearbooks. Prom. After all of these major events, seniors anticipate the last final event: graduation. After four years of hard work and dedication, seniors are set to begin the next chapter of their lives. While some may be attending the college of their dreams, others plan on pursuing other goals, like enlisting in the army or volunteering abroad. Whichever path, each senior will accomplish something magnificent. 

Although course material has been covered and lethargy is kicking in, students are still maintaining their focus.    The option of getting to socialize with friends during class is great, too. Memories have been created and all that we have learned is innumerable, but we will take all of our experiences with us and that will help us grow. The first year of college might not be easy and the obstacles may be harder than expected, but we all came from the same place, and we are destined for success. Once a cardinal, always a cardinal. 

We will be representing our college mascots, but all that we have learned from Bellaire has already shaped us into the person we are today. No one can take that away. 

We can only move forward with good and leave the bad behind. We owe it all to our wonderful family and friends, teachers and staff. 

And with that, we will be the graduating class of 2013. 

Sara Nabhan

Writer

Bellaire High School

Blog 7

With prom just around the corner, seniors girls can not contain their excitement. Senior girls are posting last minute decisions on prom dresses and picking up their newly tailored dresses. However, there are a few girls making the last minute decision to go or being asked last minute who do not have dresses prepared and may be on a budget.

There are many options. Houston Premium Outlets in Cypress, TX is approximately 30 minutes from Houston. This outlet mall contains many options for gowns like a BCBG outlet.This outlet mall will allow for discounted prices on still in style gowns. For those able to make a trip to San Marcus, the San Marcus Premium Outlet Mall has top-notch designers at a discount. Included at this outlet mall a Francesca's outlet, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th outlet, and an Armani Exchange outlet. Other than outlet malls, Dillards in the galleria offers stylish dresses at a low price.

Although prom is two days away, there is still time for those needing a dress last minute! With many options in busy city full of clothing stores and boutiques, any girl can find the perfect dress for her senior prom at a discounted price.

Katie Martin
Entertainment Editor
Three Penny Press

Blog 7

Testing. A very relevant topic, as most of us have just finished AP testing. The different variations of testing brings endless acronyms: ACT, SAT, PSAT, ISEE. It's ridiculous how so much of our life depends on and consists of answering questions, chosen from a large pool that adults from another generation compile. The questions they brainstorm are supposed to adequately measure our skills that we've sharpened in our years of learning. The numbers that dictate our life depends on the small bubbles we fill out on a scantron; much of our stress comes from pressure from our grades. Are students losing interest in something that can be potentially "their calling" because they are forced to go through the same dull process of memorizing facts and regurgitating them on paper? Does understanding a subject have any value in a place where it is more time-efficient just to memorize material?

Although the modern testing system can be criticized, there is no other adequate method that can measure how well a student can learn and process material. Until then, we will just have to bear with a system that relies too heavily on mechanical learning and sometimes even the luck of the draw.

News Editor
Michelle Huang

Blog 7

William Ball and band perform at Bellaire's Annual Earth Day Festival.

I took this photo at earth day because it showed the atmosphere of the festival very well. The band looked very laid back and comfortable, while still having fun.

The annual Bellaire Earth Day Festival takes place in the courtyard, transformed by art posters of nature.

I took this photo because it showed how well the courtyard was decorated for earth day.

Gabriel Byrd participates in the Annual Bellaire Earth Day by completing quizzes on earth conservation information.

I took this photo because it was a very good example of a different way that some students interact at Earth Day.

Kirkland Schuessler

Blog 7

The up and coming Houston Rockets gave the Oklahoma Thunder all they could handle by taking the series to 6 games. The Rockets lost the first three games but due to a major injury for the Thunder, Russell Westbrook had to have surgery. Due to the shift in the momentum, the Rockets lead by James Harden were able to to win the next two games. James Harden was traded from Oklahoma City at the beginning of the year. Harden lead the young upstart Rockets all year. Another player traded to the Rockets this year, Francisco Garcia from Sacramento,  helped out the Rockets with bench scoring and energy. The Rockets were not expected to make the playoffs at the beginning of the year but surprised the league with an up-tempo offense. To improve for the next year the Rockets need to add another scoring option to go along with Harden and Parsons. This will probably be addressed in Free Agency with lots of cap space available. Possibly Josh Smith or Chris Paul could be added. The defense needs to be improved in Kevin Mchale's second year. The future is bright for the Houston Rockets.

BLOG 7

BLOG 7

At Bellaire High school, a group of girls performed their cultural dance at Holika as they competed for cash prize.   

I took this photo because the green and yellow semicircles gave a unique contrast against the red background. Also, it showed symmetry for each pair of girls as they leaned in opposite directions.  

Keila shows off her colorful nail art after class.   

This color of her nails (green and white) pops out against the color of her pale skin. Therefore, the focus of the picture is her nails which was the purpose of the story. Also, the hand in front of her face shows an unique personality that corresponds with her nail art. 

A group of students design a poster for Earth Day in the courtyard. 

This photo depicts teamwork as they all work really hard on the poster. Not only does it show teamwork but it also shows their positive attitude towards Earth Day as they raise awareness. 

Blog 7

1. Emma Bryce
Bryce continues to write about issues concerning wildlife and the environment. She often discusses the impacts that human actions towards these two areas have on the world as a whole. Her style is to-the-point and precise. She makes sure to get good interviews with the right people and focuses her stories on what they have to say.

2. Jerome Solomon
Solomon has been covering the Houston Rockets as they faced the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. His writing style is more personal, and offers more commentary and wit than Bryce's. I feel makes readers respond more to what he writes. His writing doesn't feel empty nor generic. Now that the Rockets season is over, Solomon will focus more on the Houston Texans and how they are preparing for the new season.

Laurence Zhang
Writer, TPP