Through group appearances at athletic banquets, intensive training after school and during the summer, and the most recent teacher-athlete tournament Taylor has worked to start a successful program with attention and focus around the school.

“Hopefully it brings more respect to the game,” Taylor said. “So many of the fellow athletes think tennis is just an easy game and hopefully when they see the tournament, they see the quality is higher than others take it as.”

After being highlighted by the recent tournament, the program has recieved many compliments on the introduction of this type of event.

“The students enjoyed it a lot,” Taylor said. “They got to see the teachers in a different aspect and likewise with teachers.”

After coming to the courts every day after school in the blistering heat, the team of Katherine Shu and David Kropp were playing for first place against Leiutenant Colonel and Teresa Sanchez. Although Kropp and Shu came out victorious, all who participated in the tournament thoroughly enjoyed their time and have already asked when the next event will occur.

“It was really fun to see all the teachers out being competitive and experiencing what we do,” first place winner Shu said.

While the tournament proved very succesful for its purpose of raising spirit and attention towards the tennis program, Taylor has thought and considered several changes for next year’s event.  Along with changing partners every year, Taylor plans to gain more publicity for the event in advance and opening the tournament to all students and teachers, not just tennis students.

“It was a great way to get teachers involved in what we are doing out on the tennis courts,” team captain Justin Glenney said.

“I don’t get a summer,” junior Rachel Flinn said. “I have vacations with family and lots of work . I also want to get a job and I have to take my siblings places.”

Not only are summer jobs more prevalent, but overbooking is generally becoming widespread for teenagers today. With summer does come a relaxed outlook for school and grades – for some.

“I’m taking summer school. A lot of people are,” Flinn said. “I don’t want to take Economics or Government during the year. I might as well get them out of the way. Even though summer school isn’t exactly how I wanted to spend my vacation.”

For those not partaking in any kind of academia during the summer months, other things can eat up valuable slacking-off time; things like family trips, voluntary or not.

“I’m going to South Padre this summer,” junior Vanessa Craige said. “And band. There is always band.”

Band, theatre, football – there are all kinds of student activities that transcend the school year and go over into the summer. This is usually to prepare for the upcoming school year, regardless of the organization.

“I know we’ll have a lot of work to do this summer,” freshman and Wildcat Theatre Publicity Manager Kaitlynn Ramirez said. “I’m looking forward to bonding with the other officers, though.”

And, of course, summer jobs never stopped existing, either.

“I have to work,” junior Melanie Morgan said. “I need the money and I have to pay for a steer. That’s pretty much my summer.”

With summer being planned out to the detail, it can be easy to forget the idea behind summer – to get a break from school and expand your horizons, whether that be through work or leisure.

“I can’t wait to watch old movies on Netflix,” junior Rebecca Flinn said.

It’s the little things.

It can seem easier than ever to get stressed out or panicked, especially for those students looking at colleges. Many students’ summers will be full of applications and essays, all for that elusive university. With any luck, it will be something less than all-encompassing.

“I want to work this summer,” freshman Katy Parmer said. “Not like a job or anything, but with the theatre or maybe something community. I don’t want to just sit around.”

Summer should be relaxing in theory, but that won’t always be the case. TMHS students are spending their summers however they will – even if it’s easy to wax nostalgic for the days of lazy summers.

And of course, there is always help for those students with the opposite problem.

As the year progressed, so did the girls in dance ability, leadership, and sisterhood. Tryouts to be a part of the first official officer line for the following 2012/2013 school year were nerve racking, according to current officers, but rewarding.

The officer positions were filled with Captain Rachel Stephenson and Lieutenant Maddie Gray who lead 2012/13 team of 41 girls by themselves with the help of Nail. “Sometimes it was challenging because it was just us two,” Stephenson said. “We get along great though, and we both really enjoyed having that leadership position.”

Football season, pep rallies, contests, and spring show all flew by in an instant, and before the team knew it officer tryouts were upon them again. A total of seven girls, a mixture of future seniors and juniors took the opportunity of leadership. After the incredible stressful tryout process, five officers were chosen for the 2013/2014 school year.

Captain Rachel Stephenson, Co-Captain Maddie Gray, Lieutenant Avery Morris, Lieutenant Mia Benavides, and Lieutenant Claire Stowell were awarded the honor they had long hoped for.

“The tryout process was really scary,” said Stowell, the only junior of the officer line. “It’s really cool to be an officer though, whenever I have a bad day at practice I remind myself that I have an officer title, which I had to work really hard for, so I can keep pushing through.”

“It was the second time I tried out,” said Benavides. “it was still scary but I knew what was coming. Being an officer now is pretty rewarding.”

The new officers have called themselves the “sister club” since the beginning of Silver Stars, and now all three of them have achieved a milestone in their extra curricular activity.

“I am so excited to watch the girls grow with the team this year,” said Morris.

It is perhaps for this reason that earlier this week, Yahoo decided to buy out the conglomeration of ideas that comprises Tumblr for a whopping $1.1 billion, despite the fact that Tumblr’s revenue last year was a mere $15 million.

“Yahoo bought tumblr with the impression that it’s hip and in and the next big social media.  But it’s not hip the way they need it to be.  If they think they’ll just see a bunch of hipsters drinking coffee then Yahoo is in for a big surprise,” Junior Marina Hanlon said.

So Tumblr was not purchased for its high profitability, but rather for the users themselves, and the high marketability of its projected age group.

It’s no small secret that much of Tumblr is home to the younger generation and its population is growing rapidly. In this way, Tumblr is something of a fountain of youth for Yahoo, a company that’s grasping desperately to regain its relevance in today’s world.

However, Yahoo’s quick purchase of Tumblr sent sirens of alarm blaring through the community. Many users began protesting the transfer of power as soon as word hit the mainstream. Petitions began in protest of the acquisition, and posts with thousands of notes began circulating the website poking fun of what Tumblr would become once Yahoo got ahold of it.

“Tumblr as a whole tends to exaggerate stuff like this. They’re going to overreact until everything is proven to be fine,” Junior Donna Litton said. “Personally I am a little wary, because I don’t want Tumblr to be changed so much that it’s unenjoyable, but if it stays the same or changes in a good way, then more power to Yahoo.”

“I think they are voicing their concern in the only way they know in order to be heard,” Junior Elizabeth Woods said. “The tumblr community is severely attached to the website for emotional support and release, which reasons their reactions.”

Social networking sites constantly undergo changes—sometimes major ones pertaining to layout and occasionally function. Many times when a big change is implemented, its users initially protest violently in response. However, the responses eventually subside as users get used to the layout.

“Change is not always an easy thing to put past users but it is necessary for the evolution and continuation of the site,” Woods said.

Most users worry that with the shift in ownership will come a restriction of content, a change in layout, or an overabundance of advertisements popping up left and right.

“I guess I just really don’t want it to be commercialized,” Litton said. “I want Tumblr to still feel like a community where we can express ourselves and not feel like we’re always being sold to or seen as customers.”

Unfortunately, as Tumblr expands and new changes are implemented, advertisements are bound to become a commonality, or at least seen more often than most would like.

While David Karp will still remain the company’s chief executive and all changes will not proceed without his a-okay, the incorporation of more ads is most likely an inevitability.

Many users said they would not mind the consolidation of advertisements were they to blend smoothly into the original layout of tumblr.

“They should make the ads look like other posts, so if I don’t want to look at it, I can keep scrolling,” Junior Roxanna Taylor said.

“I don’t think they’ll be able to bring in ads without the experience being tampered with,” Hanlon said. “We’ll have to get used to it I suppose, but that was the beauty of tumblr.  There was nothing to distract from the art and talent.  With ads, it’ll take away from that beauty.”

Recently, Tumblr took its first step towards a form of sponsored advertising that appears sporadically as one scrolls through their dashboard.

“The sponsored ads irritate me,” Sophomore Daniel Kincer said. “Most ad companies will use your browser history to facilitate ads to match your interests. Tumblr ads are not capable of catering in that way and I see advertisements for things I disapprove of.”

“I would love to see RedBubble ads and ThinkGeek ads and just ads promoting websites that would actually benefit the users of Tumblr,” Hanlon said. “I don’t need to lose 20 pounds in 2 days, I need my Jayne hat for my Firefly Cosplay,”

Kincer added that he wouldn’t mind advertisements that pertain to things he enjoys as well.

“Ads involving art events, major musical performances, new television shows, things of the entertainment nature, would be nice to see,” Kincer said. “Not McDonalds ‘Shamrock Shake’ ads.”

Eventually, users will have to come to terms with Yahoo’s new reign over Tumblr and whatever changes they decide to implement.

“It’s going to be different, and members of Tumblr tend to see differences—even small ones—immediately,” Litton said. “It’s definitely going to be something that will take some swallowing of pride and getting used to.”

As summer approaches, the hallways begin to buzz with excitement from students who feel summer cannot come soon enough. Most students already have plans for part of the summer, but sooner or later every student will face those summer days where there is just nothing to do.

Some students are planning to go on an annual trip to visit family or friends.

“I’m probably going camping with my family,” junior Clay Jacobs said. “Then we’re driving to Wisconsin because I used to live up there and we have family still there.”

Other students have already fully scheduled their summer out.

“I have some StuCo stuff like planning homecoming to do,” junior Carson Cotrino said. “Then I’m going to be a church camp counselor. I also have the One Direction concert and going to Costa Rica for three weeks.”

Some days, between all the plans, there is just nothing to do, leaving students searching for something fun.

“Those kids should go to FASST camp, the strength and training camp at TMHS during the summer, in the morning or night,” Jacobs said. “The could also find friends and let their imagination take them.

If going to the school is not part of a student’s plan of fun, they can always find something else to do.

“When I get bored I like to go to the beach, the drive in, or have a picnic with friends,” freshman Michelle Bozic said. “On really hot days kids should invite a bunch of friends over and have a movie marathon. That always makes a boring day more fun.”

Whether students are able to find something to do outside of their house or not, they should not just sit around their house.

“You definitely shouldn’t sit around, so I like to go work out or read,” junior Binh Vo said. “Well juniors should get ready for senior year and start applying for college. If they really have nothing to do students can start working on their essay, which they can find online.”

No matter what grade you are in, there is always something you can find to do. Whether you decide to find an idea from Pintrest or rely on a friend to come up with something, do not let those boring summer day get you down.

The most common classes that students tend to take during summer are BIM, Health, Speech and PE.

All students from Freshman to Seniors are able to take these classes in order to earn their credits.

“The only reason I’m taking summer school is because I’m missing required credits,” Junior Daniel Cartwright said.

Like Cartwright most students wanted to take other classes that are not technically required to graduate. That’s when Summer School comes into play.

“Most kids take summer school because they are involved in extracurricular activities and they just don’t have time to take certain classes,” TMHS councillor  Mrs. Forsyth said.

Some important info to know about summer school goes as follows:

The summer school courses will be held at Tomball High School.  There will NOT be transportation provided. There will be 2 sessions of summer school. The 1st session begins on June 11- June 28 and the 2nd one is on July 8- July 25. The hours are from 7:30 AM- 12:30 PM. The price for TMHS students is $150 and $300 for other students who are not apart of the TISD district.

In order to receive credit  for summer school a student must be in attendance 13 of the 14 days each session. Another thing to know is that 2 tardies equal one absence and if a student arrives past 8 they are counted absent for the day.

“I wanted to have early release next year.  I also missed out on certain classes this year because I wanted to do Medical Terminology in the summer, that way I can be more involved with HOSA next year,”  Junior Amanda Coursey said.

Many Seniors are taking summer school so they can incorporate more time into their busy schedule.

“I really want to get my stuff done early so I can have more free time. I can probably even start working next year thanks to summer school,” Junior Elizabeth Machuca said.

If a student needs more information about summer school and wants some specific questions answered, they can always stop by at lunch in The Counselor’s Corner and they will be more than willing to help out and answer any questions you may have .

Independence, outside education, and naturally money are only some of the reasons someone might want to pursue a part-time or full-time job in the summer months.

“I want independence,” junior Karley Pecosky. “And I want money.”

Juniors who can drive are often at a disadvantage when it comes to employment, but younger students certainly aren’t out of options.

“I had a job last year,” sophomore Brandon Bulls said. “I was a lifeguard. Now I work at Marco’s Pizza. It’s not that far from my house.”

For many students, it’s something of a necessity.

“I want freedom,” junior Denise Prater said. “That’s really the only thing that motivates me to get a job. I need money for a car, and I need a car for freedom.”

Some students even seek out employment for their own enjoyment.

“I love working out,” Pecosky said. “I work at Lifetime Fitness, and not only do I love working out, I also love kids. It’s a great deal.”

When pursuing a job, it’s tempting to hold out for a job that suits your skills and interests than to just grab the first one again. On the other hand, jobs are snatched up pretty quickly.

“Me and my friends applied to Marco’s before it was open,” Bulls said. “That’s when they were hiring.”

Many jobs open to teenagers are pretty rudimentary – definitely entry level. It’s not a bad trade, especially for someone young who’ll have to give up the majority of their hours once school starts up again. Some jobs that open up are happy surprises.

“I work at Lakewood Montessori,” junior Macarena Herranz said. A Montessori is a daycare – a type of early-onset higher education. “I worked last summer. Now I  get to work with kids, which is really nice.”

It takes a certain kind of person to sacrifice their summer in the name of experience and money.

“I wouldn’t recommend working in the summer to anyone not willing to take it seriously,” Bulls said. “No one likes that guy who’s just there for the money and doesn’t really care.”

A summer job requires a work ethic and can be very rewarding, but for some students, there will be other summers to jump into the working world.

“I have my whole life to work,” freshman Katy Parmer said. “I don’t need to start now.”

It is an important goal to NHS to serve the community and school in the best manner possible. This was illustrated through the NHS hosted teacher breakfast on May 3rd. The NHS students arranged a large breakfast available to all staff members and teachers, with a spectrum ranging from fruits and yogurts to donuts and kolaches.

NHS member Zach Wagner volunteered at the recent TISD bond election. “It felt good to give back to the community”, said Wagner.

The board of officers are in the process of developing service projects for the upcoming school year, and are planning to stay active during the summer months. Corresponding Secretary Claire Cregg plans on keeping members informed of volunteer opportunities throughout the summer.

“The future of NHS is in the hands of the members and the leadership, we have to strive to make everything we want to accomplish happen”, said NHS Vice President Stevan Nguyen.

It is NHS’s goal to stay as active and productive in the community as possible. The reputation that this chapter of Tomball Memorial’s National Honors Society instills will be an example that the future NHS chapters follow.

“We began this chapter in a way that will make our school stand out and that people will look up to”, said NHS President Melissa Gomez.

“It’s just over,” junior Katie Moran said. “We’ve [AP students] prepared for this exam all year, but now that it’s over- it’s kind of anti-climatic. It’s just done, and now we just have to wait for the results in a few months.”

Despite the anticlimax, many students are extremely grateful for the opportunities the school provided.

“I’m glad I did it, especially since it’s a big boost for college,” junior Gloria Lavaverde said. “But it was a big stress and now, it’s like I can’t focus.”

The end of year laziness is more often than not inevitable in students, but as many students have found out firsthand that testing exhaustion only makes it worse.

“It’s like I’ve been locked out of my brain, “Lavaverde said. “It’s just so hard to muster up the energy to actually work.”

However, a select few students find themselves pretty relaxed after the exams, regardless of how they feel they did.

Test preparation held a large factor on the confidence of students before, after and during the exam.

“I knew I’d do alright on the multiple choice and on the DBQ,” Lam Nguyen said. “But the other two, I figured it’d be a fifty-fifty chance on if I knew the other two essay questions. I didn’t know, so I just drew a dinosaur.”

Many students felt as if they were at least moderately prepared for their exams and said that despite the first time jitters of exams, they felt pretty solid.

“It [English Language and Composition] was a pretty difficult test,” junior Daniel Sim said. “But whenever I would get stuck on an essay, I would look down and see Ms. Rousseau’s pen, and I remembered how well prepared for the exam I really was. I calmed down a lot and focused much better.”

Needing to gain approval from Mrs. Houston, a group of juniors have taken part in the long process of starting a club. From filling out paperwork to finding a sponsor and recruiting members, it hasn’t been an easy task but it’s finally almost complete.

Anyone that wants to join may; the only requirement as of right now is that any member of the club takes part in volunteer activities s and a certain amount of hours within the club.

Officer positions will be open for people to apply for after approval, all open ones being vice president, secretary, treasurer, historian, parliamentarian, and reporter. There will also be committee chairs consisting of community service chair, spirit chair, and environment chair.

There will be two co-sponsors; Coach Eckerman and Mr. Craft. The dates for meetings will be decided upon after approval from Mrs. Houston. Officers will be required to attend every meeting.

This club will be a great way not only to gain community service hours for job and college applications, but also a great way to make a difference in Tomball. From volunteering at local charities to participating in service projects, there is no limit to the difference that can be made.

The club may become official as soon as next week but there is a chance it could be later. All fingers crossed that Mrs. Houston approves all of the paperwork.

For more information or to obtain a permission slip contact one of the following people: Michelle Nguyen, Tori Pantalion, Mr. Craft. Or Coach Eckerman