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Lady Mavericks head to state

On Friday, Nov 12, 2021, The Manvel Lady Mavericks volleyball team defeated College Station High School, in the regional final to clinch a state tournament berth for the first time in the program’s history. 

During their historic playoff run the Lady Mavs have knocked off Port Neches Grove, Fort Bend Hightower, Barbers Hill, Hendrickson and, most recently, the College Station Cougars.

In a post game interview with VYPE Magazine, Head Coach Susan Kennedy stated, “I think the kids have started to believe and buy in.”

After a rough start to the season, the Lady Mavs proved resilient. They have not lost since. They are on a 22 game win streak and are red hot at the right time. 

“When I look at the preseason we were very volatile. It felt like one game we were amazing and the next we were dead. It really wasn’t until the first time we played Friendswood in district when we fought with them and beat them and it really kind of changed,” Kennedy said to VYPE. 

The team is rich with Junior and underclassmen starters, giving hope for continued success for the rest of this year and into coming years. 

The Lady Mavs will play Lovejoy on Friday at 11AM in Garland for a chance to play in the state championship game on Saturday. 

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HOSA, Theatre team up to celebrate Halloween

On Thursday, October 28, 2021 Manvel High School will be hosting its annual Trunk-or-Treat event in the band parking lot by the softball field.

Trunk-or-Treat promotes community involvement by giving children of the Manvel community a safe place to trick or treat while allowing students an opportunity to give back. 

“It’s a chance for us as Manvel High School to give back and do something positive for our community,” Mr. Marcos Barajas said.

Manvel’s HOSA club and the Theatre program will team up to provide candy, photobooths, a haunted house, and a movie played during the event. 

“It’s important for our clubs to get positive exposure and allow our kids to have a positive impact on the community,” Barajas said.

The event will start at 6PM and end at 8PM. All students and families are welcome to come out and celebrate with Manvel High School in a safe and positive environment. 

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Movie Review: Luca

The 2021 motion picture Luca was written by Jesse Andrews, Simon Stephenson, and Enrico Casarosa who also directed the film. It’s the story of two young sea monster boys who trade their tails for legs so they can experience a human lifestyle up on the surface in a fishing city of Italy. Luca, our main character, lives a peaceful life in the sea with his parents and grandmother, performing his daily chores and tending to the fishes. But his eyes always wander up, he longs to know the world that lies on the surface. Then a chance encounter with Alberto, another sea monster boy, leads to a fast friendship and a change of Lucas’ daily life.. He’s the complete opposite of Luca, where Luca is anxious and unsure, Alberto takes unexpected risks and he faces challenges with stride. From Alberto, Luca gains the courage to venture out into the human world against his overbearing parents’ wishes. But he is forced to venture even farther when risk of him being sent away arises, now he must blend in with a town of humans and even worse : sea monster hunters.

Although a children’s movie, it still finds a way to resonate with other audiences. A major theme being trying to find one’s own path in life and breaking out of the mold that has been set, a struggle many can relate to as they try to find their place in the world. The conflict is trying to win the Portorosso race but the bigger picture is fighting for what you want. This balance of complex ideas hidden behind a simple plot is what makes Luca so good, great for kids and adults alike.

Another memorable thing is the animation in the movie. Pixar is known for its attention to detail and it’s no different here. Much of the story takes place in the ocean or contains water in the scene,  but water is a tricky subject to capture, if not careful it can look monotone and ruin the scenes completely. Fortunately Luca does not have this problem, they have a way to bring life to all the water shown on screen and very little times will you see it be 2- dimensional and still. The splashing, vibrant colors, and overall incorporation of water in scenes sets a lively mood for the visuals, something that can very easily influence the story.

Personally I felt it was a well written story with a great ending. To me it really conveyed the growth a person can have and what we see at first glance is not always right. Before watching the movie I saw many people talking about it, but now I understand why. The only thing I didn’t like was the way the characters’ struggles and worries were not addressed in a more direct manner, but on the other hand I can understand why it was done this way. It’s a children’s movie and it must be kept simple enough for them to understand.

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Manvel Hosts Annual Blood Drive

Manvel High School recently held their annual Blood Drive, in association with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, to help promote donations of blood for patients in need.

Students must go through a multi-step process, in order to qualify to donate blood. This process includes a basic questionnaire, asking various demographic questions, and on site physical to ensure the health of all donors. The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Centers motto, “commit for life,” truly signifies what the event is all about, a partnership between the community and the blood center to help people in need today and in the future. 

It’s for a good cause and my one blood donation can save two to three people,” senior Breanna Fowler said.

With students and teachers like Fowler, rallying together to donate blood, the blood center will be able to obtain its goal of saving patients’ lives. 

For more information about The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, you can find them on social media, @commitforlife, on all major platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. You can also visit their website (www.giveblood.org) for more information about donating and even scheduling an appointment to donate. 

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Manvel Homecoming 2021

Manvel High School will host the annual Homecoming Parade Wednesday, September 9, 2021 at 5:30 pm beginning in the front of the high school. Immediately after the parade, food trucks, a community pep rally, and the burning of the M will take place.

Reach out to Mrs. Jasmine Boddie with questions.

Tuesday – Twin Day

Wednesday – Celebrity Day

Thursday – Decade Day

Friday – Mav Pride

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Adjusting to AVL

Most seniors want to experience their final year at the fullest since it is a closing chapter of their lives, but because of this pandemic many people have been torn between the choice of experiencing that excitement of being a senior or simply sitting out because of the fear of the virus. Many seniors this year have decided to experience their final year by going to school, following all of the precautions to maintain themselves and others safely out of harm’s way. Many other seniors have decided to pass on the excitement of experiencing their final year of high school in fear of catching the virus and putting the lives of their family members at risk. Alvin Virtual Learning has led to many seniors, myself included, feeling overwhelmed but content. 

It was hard at first, honestly. I was very confused as to how everything was going to work out, I kept asking myself if this was even worth it because of how difficult everything was. We already experienced being in online classes back in March, why was this much harder? I kept reminding myself that I had to be patient with myself as well as my teachers, we were all struggling together with this new transition and method of school. After a few days of online classes I started to finally get used to waking up early in the morning and logging into my laptop to start school. It still is kind of difficult, having to juggle between my schoolwork and having to deal with things happening at home, but I feel like I have this all figured out. I actually prefer this way of doing my classes because it gives more flexibility to my schedule. I am now finishing my assignments and homework earlier than when I was physically going to school. I find myself also having more free time in the evenings which I use to spend with my family, which I struggled to do since I was always spending most of my time doing homework.

Despite the benefits that being a virtual learner has brought me, there were some downsides to it. One of the downsides is not being able to see my friends, and I will admit being in my room all day does get very lonely. There are moments I think about going back to campus because I miss my friends so much, but I reflect upon that decision and conclude that I can always communicate with them via social media. I personally think that it is not worth the risk going back to school just to see my friends while we are still in a pandemic. Another downside of being a virtual learner is that it is hard to prioritize work since not all classes are synchronous so I sometimes find myself struggling with deciding which assignment I should do first or if I should finish it all in one day or work on it throughout the week. I deal with this problem by writing all of the deadlines to my assignments on a planner and writing a to-do list to see what I should prioritize, though. 

Not everyone is doing virtual learning, some people have decided to go back to school for various reasons. Whatever your reason may be, it is important to make the choice on whether being in virtual learning or going to school physically is better by yourself. With your best interest and the best interest of others in mind, of course.

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Manvel cruise past Sharpstown with 76-0 win

By: Joey Allender

Thursday night the Manvel Mavericks squared off against the Sharpstown Apollos in the district opener for both teams. 

The Mavs came into the matchup 2-0 with wins over Clear Lake and Crosby. The Apollos, however, came in with a record of 0-1 with a loss versus Wheatley. 

Manvel dominated from the get go, their offense led by Senior quarterback Tucker Yarbrough was firing on all cylinders with 5 touchdown passes. Yarbrough was accurate and precise all night although he always sees room for improvement. 

“We made mistakes that we need to clean up next week for Marshall,” says Yarbrough.

The Mavs displayed a nice balanced rushing attack to go along with their passing game. Senior running back Donovan Eaglin led the way for the Mavs with a touchdown to go along with a couple of long, physical runs. 

“We got better and worked hard as a team,” said Eaglin, “We’re just focused on Marshall next week.”

The Maverick Defense looked really solid as well, garnering home a defensive touchdown to go along with 3 turnovers. Manvel faces Marshall next week for a long awaited rematch at Hall Stadium.

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Manvel Dominates Clear Lake

By: Joey Allender

Friday, August 30, the Manvel Mavericks won their season opener against the Clear Lake Falcons 34-6, in dominant fashion. 

After both teams were slow to get started, the Mavs offense finally got it rolling, with Senior Quarterback Tucker Yarbrough at the helm. Yarbrough looked precise all night, throwing for over 300 yards and four TD’s in his debut. Another bright spot from the Mavericks was their defense. 

The Mavs defense looked very disciplined and were flying towards the ball all night, forcing four turnovers including two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. 

The whole team played with the trademarked Manvel speed and physicality.

Coach Kevin Hall entering his second year, it would not be a shock if the Mavs make a deep run in the playoffs come November.

There may be a trip back to the bright lights of AT&T stadium to compete for a State championship come November.

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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Their faces hung all across the gallery as individuals moved from one portrait to another. Every piece tells a story about a young child who has faced great difficulties in their life. As viewers observed the murals, there was a slight buzz in the air. A feeling of love and appreciation filled the atmosphere and it was directed towards those children depicted on the canvas.

The Memory Project, founded in 2004, is a charitable nonprofit organization that invites art teachers, art students, and solo artists to help cultivate global kindness by creating portraits of children around the world who have faced substantial challenges, such as violence, war, extreme poverty, neglect, and loss of parents. This year, the MHS National Art Honor Society participated and made it their job to create these portraits to help the children feel valued and important, as well as to provide a special childhood memory in the future.

“In Rakhine Myanmar, a developing country, children face challenges that are caused by poor conditions there, such as having to live in refugee camps or nearly experiencing genocide,” President of the NAHS Victoria Vu said. “The Memory project focuses on creating lively portraits as special gifts for these children.”

Each year the program partners up with different charities around the world to help create a portrait for every child and their story. In some cases, this portrait may be the only thing that children will physically have to remind them of their childhood.

“I decided to participate because it reminded me of my cousins and mother from the Philippines who lack record of their childhood,” Senior Chamille Diaz said. “[Instead] the memory of their childhood is spread by word of mouth. Hearing about this opportunity reminded me of family, and it made me glad to know that I would be contributing to a part of a child’s life that they would cherish forever.”

NAHS’ purpose is to service the community through art, and the project was ideal in fulfilling that as the Memory Project is meant to help these children know that many people care about their well being.

“I really wanted to make an impact because the global refugee crisis is a major pressing issues,” Senior Alexis Cross said. “I felt helping the children have a portrait of themselves would allow them to have something to cherish forever since many of the kids don’t have personal items or photos of themselves they own.”

The Memory Project is a great way for the art community to help give back to those that have been given an unfortunate situation. Ben Schumaker, the founder of the Memory Project, created it so that kids can have a sense of their heritage. For some children, this is the first image they have seen themselves, and for most it is one of their most sentimental possessions. Because they know that somewhere out there, there is an artist who made that portrait just for them.“   

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Not Your Trophy

Heart pounding as fear of what could happen ran through my head. Being chased by this man  put a toll on my body. The trees I have admired for years, where I was raised, are now my hiding spots, but I cant stop for long. He will eventually bring death to me. His bullets are faster than me, but his aim is off by a mile. I know my time is coming though.  My long legs give me an advantage but I am not built for running I use my tusks to move aside the brush but as I do he hits me right in the back of my knee. I’m half awake when he is sawing away at my tusks. Poachers killed close to all of my family when I was a child. I fall asleep dreaming about my family and what happened to them, every snap, every cry. He has killed many like me he will kill many more.

The definition of endangered means seriously at risk of being extinct, There are now 41,415 species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and 16,306 of them are endangered species threatened with extinction. This includes both endangered animals and endangered plants. There is a distinction between threatened, endangered, and extinct. threatened species are any species which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Extinct (of a species, family, or other larger group) having no living members.

Sea otters, Giraffes, and the Woolly Mammoth all have something in common. They were all endangered at one point in time. The Southern Sea Otter is making a slow recovery from being hunted massively in the 18th and 19th century for what seems to be its fur. It made a good winter boot thick and water repellent. Sea Otters are native to the coasts of the Northern and Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Giraffes are going through a silent extinction as the growth of the human population has limited the amount of room for the giraffes to roam. Poachers hunt giraffes for their hides and meat. Giraffe tails are highly prized by many African cultures. The desire for good-luck bracelets, and fly whisks led people to kill the giraffe for its tail alone.

A new study of the Woolly Mammoth suggests they might have been wiped out after the last Ice Age. There’s evidence that humans hunted Mammoths for their fur, meat, and tusks. The Woolly Mammoth went extinct in 1650 b.c.

Animals have been going through this for years. They are being hunted to the brink of extinction, until a law is put out stating “don’t kill these animals” with a list well over a thousand species. This is a vicious cycle that will continue until the end of time. Humans naturally have “a too much gene” meaning we always do too much with anything, like we take way too many pictures of the same thing, or we mess up our lives by doing too much. Too much of anything is  bad, no matter what we think. We need to stop, not just with killing animals but with everything in our lives. We need to slow down and admire the things we enjoy. The first step towards that is to not kill exotic animals.

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Painting the Wild West

Cows grazing on endless fields of emerald and cowboys riding across the orange dust of their ranches; western inspired scenes imprinted on the canvas of young artists the weeks worth of hard dedication making way to the fruit of happy satisfaction of seeing their artworks on display. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is one of the largest rodeos in the world and while you are chowing down on your fried Oreos and turkey legs our art students participated in another activity dealing with their artistic abilities.

Rodeo art is more than simply drawing men in cowboy boots or cows on a field. It is an art competition with many school levels, high school being very highly competitive because of the types of prices.

“It works with [the] Houston Livestock and Rodeo show, it’s called the school art competition,” art teacher Victoria Satterwhite said. “There [are] different levels, there is an elementary school level, junior high level, and high school level. The high school level is highly competitive because there is lots of scholarship money as well as cash prizes for pieces that go to auction.”

There are many prizes ranging on how well the artwork does, this all depends on if the artwork places in the auction.
“First prize, if they grand champion, means anything from 40,000 to 60,000 dollars in cash,” Satterwhite said. “But the lower pieces that aren’t the grand champions usually make between two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half dollars per piece in the auction. [For] the scholarship any senior that gets into the show, gets an application.”
If you have an art class, artworks created can be submitted through your art teachers, but if you do not have an art class and wish to participate in this competition there are alternative ways to join.
“If you do not have an art teacher then you can just come talk to us and we can work on you coming after school to work on it.” Satterwhite said.

 

 

 

2020 UIL District Realignment

Earlier this morning, the UIL or University Interscholastic League, released the updated sports and academic competitive districts for the upcoming 2020 and 2021 calendars. Earlier last month, it was announced that the Manvel Mavericks would be moving up from 5A division two to 5A division one.

Manvel will be competing in district 10 which now consists of the following,

Manvel, Angleton, Hightower, Kempner, Milby, Wisdom, Katy Paetow, Richmond Foster and Rosenberg Terry.

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