T h e B r y a n H i g h S c h o o l

NORSEMAN
Volume 46, Number 3 March 2017
www.BryanHighNorseman.com
3450 Campus Drive Bryan, TX 77802
bhsnorseman@gmail.com

Schools take issue with new state accountability system

Danica Mendes The system is flawed, student success across all ar- grade or have a simplistic way

SEE MORE
Co-editor Buban said. There are some eas. of rating system, Buban said.
The state of Texas rolled blue ribbon schools that have BHS needs to spend time Educators and a lot of public

ONLINE out a new A-F grading system

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letic training department.
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this year to assess individual
schools and districts based on
standardized testing results.
The complex system of sub-
population indicators, catego-
ries, and other data gathered
on a state level is reduced to a
simple letter grade. Educators
argue that when presented to
the public as a stand alone as-
sessment, is not an accurate
representation of student or
school success.
Its unfair to most of the
schools in the state of Texas,
principal Lane Buban said.
The state has taken a simplis-
tic form of grading and applied
it to something that is more
complicated than what it leads
people to believe. You cant
simplify a students success.
You cant simplify what an in-
dividual student is capable of
by giving the school a letter
grade.
With the changes the state is
making to the grading system,
communities are receiving
mixed signals about the suc-
cess and progress of schools.
received some Ds. Looking at
our own school, we met stan-
dard the past three years in a
row and weve earned five dis-
tinctions out of seven that the
state gives high schools, but
the new system makes it look
like we arent doing what we
need to.
Despite the method the state
uses to assess schools, Buban
and Bryan High continue to
work to help students succeed.
Bryan High implemented the
use of an advisory period this
year is to allow for more direct
instructions depending on stu-
dent needs.
Bryan High still needs to
improve on what were doing,
Buban said. The advisory pe-
riod is not a perfect system, but
it does provide the school with
an opportunity to affect some
positive changes with students
who are struggling.
Bryan High aims to educate
students on a broad spectrum,
not just on five tests given by
the state. Buban sees the com-
plexities of student learning
and would like to recognize
looking at ways we can assess
student success in multiple
ways, Buban said. There
needs to be some way we can
have students show success
in different areas or aptitudes
that require a broader testing
platform for students. Theres
got to be a
way that we
can show
that stu-
dents have
capabilities
in fine arts
and music.
Those are
areas where
we can do
better at
providing a way to show stu-
dent success.
With the Bryan ISD Board
of Trustees passing a resolu-
tion calling on the state legisla-
ture to repeal the A-F grading
system, they have joined with
districts across the state in ex-
pressing their dissatisfaction
with the system.
Public schools dont want
to be given a simplistic letter
schools feel like students are
diverse and that they have a
diverse way of showing ap-
titude or success. There are
many ways schools and stu-
dents can show success other
than standardized testing. Im
not saying that we dont need
standard-
ized testing
because we
do need to
be held ac-
countable,
but I think
it can be
better.
No mat-
ter what
the circum-
stances may be Buban is com-
mitted to making sure BHS is
successful.
I dont know if standardized
testing is going away, Buban
said. It is what it is and we will
do the best we can with what-
ever were given, and I will find
a way for this campus to be
successful no matter what sys-
tem were under.

Follow Us Do you feel

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/ the state Yes, its flawed
because if you are Yes, it is flawed.
BryanISDBryanHighNorseman
requirements for going to give kids a
standardized test,
One test shouldnt
determine your
Twitter
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man career field they
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 News - Page 3

Into the theatre

Fine arts department unites to create musical production
Lucy Raleigh Woods, cast members were the cast and you feel like youre watching, making notes and chorus, and the crew, all creat-
Co-editor able to experience new roles a family. observing. ing and working hard to create
The curtain rises as all the and develop into their charac- Less seasoned actors found The on stage cast members this show.
hours of work, tears, and ters on stage that challenged the same kind of connection arent the only ones who feel Whether they are seasoned
nerves culminate in this single them in new ways. which helped them through the the pressure of opening night. performers or new to the stage,
moment. The Narrator begins My sophomore year I was in difficulties that came with pro- The stage managers and crew Justice saw how all of the cast
the story: Once upon a time In the Heights, and compara- ducing something so dynam- carry the show by working out members showcased their tal-
in a far off kingdom, and the tively this musical was a lot ic. Sophomore Kayla Callen all the details like blocking, ent and shined on stage.
stage comes to life transport- harder, senior Rebecah Flores played Cinderella and though lighting, and cues. If I look back and see the
ing the audience into the fairy said. The role was a lot more she is in choir, not theater, she I had to make sure that ev- different performers like An-
tale world. Fine arts students rigorous and I feel like I had to enjoyed her role. erything was running smoothly dres Reyna as the Mystery Man
involved with choir, band, and put forth a lot more effort to I had never done anything and that we were on schedule, and how big he became and
theatre labored for months cre- learn my lines the songs. I feel like the musical before, Kayla Ale said. I also had to make Atiana Davis as Bakers Wife,
ating their own version of the like the character I played in said. It was the most incred- sure that everyone was happy theyve just nailed comedic
Tony Award-winning musical Into the Woods, the Witch, as ible experience in high school because it was also my respon- timing, Justice said. Luke
Into the Woods. opposed to Abuela Claudia in Ive had so far. We built really sibility: to make sure that no- Wallis and Witt Herman, just
The fine arts teachers were In the Heights was a lot more strong relationships, and I feel body was freaking out. fed off of each other so well,
careful in their selection of the dynamic. like we could apply everything From the wings, members but even seasoned performers
musical, taking student talent While some cast members happening in our lives to the of the show have been able to like Caleb and Rebecah really
into account in hopes of show- experienced new roles for the show and vice versa. see the ways others have grown applied themselves because its
casing what the students are first time in this musical, other Whether students were from their experiences with the a hard musical and they made
capable of producing. members got the chance to play members of the choir, the stage show. it look easy.
Into the Woods is a unique a role they have coveted for crew, or the orchestra, they ex- I enjoyed just watching ev- Because of its rigor and col-
musical, choir director Alex years. perienced the impact of work- erybody grow, Ale said. How lective effort, members of
Medlock said. There are not a The Baker has always been a ing on something bigger than individuals started in the be- the musical production show
lot of musicals that feature fe- role Ive wanted to play, senior themselves.. ginning and some people who, growth and improvement both
males, but Into the Woods does Caleb Duane said. My older Being able to see it all come as actors, were babies, and then on stage and off.
that and has a lot of strong fe- brother flew down from New together, the entire process they kind of blossomed into Theres something about
male roles. Weve got a lot of York to see me perform and the was rewarding, junior clari- having so much fun on stage the musicals that forces you out
strong female actresses, so that Baker has always been one of net player Martin Hay said. and doing great work. Seeing of your comfort zone, Medlock
was the major contributing fac- his dream roles. Being a part of the musical at that growth was really fun. said. It causes kids to grow
tor to picking Into every stage makes Not only were some of the over a short period of time and
the Woods. performances so cast members experiencing do things they didnt think they
With the film re- much more special, something new, but some of could do. Theyre a part of this
lease of Into the because you see the the directors were learning new process that is so much bigger
Woods gaining process and then things as well. than one person, and I think
popularity, produc- you get to show the It was bigger than anything thats what attracts kids to mu-
ing the show posed final product to the I had ever done, theatre teach- sicals.
creative difficulties, world. er Jacob Justice said. At times Though the final production
but also allowed the Even though the on it felt bigger than what we re- is a rewarding experience for
fine arts department stage performance alized, but we decided to go for all involved, it is the friend-
to put their own spin of the cast members it and showcase the talent we ships and learning experiences
on the popular show. Junior Luke Wallis and senior Witt Herman get laughs is important for the have. gained along the way stay with
It was a lot of from the audience during their Into the Woods scene. making of the show, While the final product can the members for the rest of
fun, Medlock said. photo by: BCSshots there is equal impor- be rewarding, the collaborative their lives.
A lot of the kids saw tance and learning effort and the improvement We started with this impos-
the movie that came out a year Playing a dream role isnt the experience found in stage man- and growth of students along sible task and then somehow,
ago, so there was a connection only positive of being a part of aging. the way is what Justice believes magically, it happens and gets
there. The story itself is cool in something like the musical as it I had to interact with the makes the show special. put together, Medlock said.
how they weave together all of allowed cast members to make adults more, senior stage At the heart of it, I dont re- Kids are doing things they
these different characters and new memories and friendships. manager Ale Reyes said. I had ally like to focus on the big pro- never thought was even pos-
they all meet in the woods. It Its overwhelming, but its to keep up with everybodys duction, Justice said. I like sible, so the relationships that
has a clever script and has ee- rewarding, Caleb said. I think attendance and what scenes to focus on the performer, and are built during musical and
rie, spooky music thats fun to the coolest part about perform- needed to be blocked. Its a lot teaching them to be an artist the growth that is seen as per-
play and sing. ing in the school musical is the less of going on stage and try- and create. We had 40 differ- formers is really what its all
With the choice of Into the relationships you make with ing new things, but more of ent artists between the cast, the about.
Page 4 - Service
Students work with Down Syndrome Association
to host sweetheart dance for teenagers in community
Reagan Brown
Staff writer
Through the International
Baccalaureate program of-
fered at Bryan High, students
are required to do a CAS proj-
ect which includes compo-
nents of community, action,
and service. These projects
push students to investigate,
prepare, take action, reflect,
and demonstrate. Although
the IB program heavily fo-
cuses on academics, it also
stresses the importance of
creating well-rounded stu-
dents who contribute to their
community. Juniors Keaton
Hare, Lucy Raleigh, and Ike
Taylor worked with the local
Down Syndrome Association
to host a sweetheart dance
for Valentines Day to pro-
vide an opportunity for these
students while also learning
about the process of hosting
the event.
The CAS project facilitates
a way for students help the
community by requiring them
to communicate and interact
with others.
The CAS project provides
students with a chance to
feel empowered and accom-
plished, CAS co-coordina-
tor Lisa Prejean said. Since
the IB students choose their
own projects, they are often
more passionate about the
outcome. In addition, the
completion of the CAS proj-
ect shows the community
that high school students care
about the world and want to
have a role in making a differ-
ence.
The project gave the stu-
dents a structure to create
their project and help their
community.
I got the idea for the proj-
ect from never seeing any of children who have Down and enjoy ourselves, Keaton and time.
the kids in life skills classes Syndrome, the night helped said. The most rewarding I learned that it is really
at school dances, Keaton reinforce some of the things part of the night was simply difficult to work with other
hanging out with the other people, Lucy said. Getting
kids at the dance and get- all the answers we needed,
ting to know them. booking the gym, and making
Despite Lucy and Keatons sure that everything was in
expectations for the event place took a lot of work.
fell short, the overall experi- Though the organization
ence was still positive. of the event was difficult at
There were less kids in at- times, the girls managed to
tendance than we hoped overcome all the obstacles
would be there, but the kids and believe they had a suc-
who came had fun, Lucy cessful night.
said. I think the attendance Once we were there and
we had was better because kids starting showing up, it
all the kids that came were a was super fun, Lucy said.
tight knit group and enjoyed Getting everything there
the night. ahead of time, figuring out
said. I wanted them to have she already knew on a much The girls learned that put- what time to have the dance,
a place where they felt wel- larger scale. ting on an event, no matter booking the gym, and getting
comed. I gained the realization the size, can be a difficult en- decorations was difficult part
Keaton also had a more that we are all the same and deavor and requires a lot of of the process.
personal reason for wanting we just want to be accepted preparation, communication,
to host this
event as a way CAS Outcomes
to provide a Learning outcome Descriptor
new oppor-
tunity to an- Identify own strengths and develop areas for Students are able to see themselves as individuals with various abili-
other portion growth. ties and skills, of which some are more developed than others.
of the com-
munity. Demonstrate that challenges have been A new challenge may be an unfamiliar experience or an extension
Its some- undertaken, developing new skills in the of an existing one. The newly acquired or developed skills may be
thing I really process. shown through new experiences or through increased expertise in an
established area.
care about
because my Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS Students can articulate the stages from conceiving an idea to execut-
cousin, whos experience. ing a plan for individual or collaborative CAS experiences. Students
like a sister to may show their knowledge and awareness by building on a previous
me, has Down experience or by launching a new idea or process.
Syndrome,
Keaton said. Show commitment to, and perseverance in, Students demonstrate regular involvement and active engagement in
The dance CAS experience. CAS.
also seemed
Demonstrate the skills and recognize the Students are able to identify, demonstrate and critically discuss the
like a fun idea
benefits of working collaboratively. benefits and challenges of collaboration gained through CAS experi-
in general and ences.
a chance to
hang out with Demonstrate engagement with issues of Students are able to identify and demonstrate their understanding of
other kids. global significance. global issues, make responsible decisions and take appropriate action
Though in response to the issue either locally, nationally, or internationally.
Keaton has
experience Recognize and consider the ethics of choices Students show awareness of the consequences of choices and actions
working with and actions. in planning and carrying out CAS experiences.
 Student Spotlight - Page 5

Accounting class opens school store, spreads spirit

Mackenzie Johnson creation of the school store but only the ac-
Staff writer counting II class is responsible for it. These
The accounting class opened a school store students advocated to groups around the com-
February 1 in hopes of learning practical busi- munity to help gather items for the store. Their
ness experience to enhance learning while also future plans are to start a Business Profession-
providing a service to the school. als of America chapter and make the store a club
When students can apply what theyre are project.
learning in the classroom to real life experienc- Our seed capital came from a grant from the
es. Viking Corner has supplies and school mer- Bryan ISD Education Foundation, Kerr said.
chandise available for purchase before school, Future product purchases will come from store
and is located in the bookroom across from the profits.
attendance office. It gives them context, ac- The accounting II students believe it will be a
counting teacher Linda Kerr said. learning and success because the store is different and some-
that way things start to fall into place. thing that Bryan High has never seen before.
Many students have been involved with the Its a fast and easy way to purchase needed
supplies during the day such
as pencils and erasers and
What would you like to see the even ear buds. accounting
II student Kayle Solis said.
school store sell in the future? There are a lot of school
supplies ranging from me-
chanical pens, paper, erasers,
post it notes and notecards
available in the store. We are
I would like for the school also selling forms of electron-
store to sell nap passes, so ics such as chargers, earbuds
everyone could take a nap and portable chargers.
when they needed to.
Zamarylia Norman, 12
Since the store opened, Kerr has already seen
the impact it is having on a school as a whole.
I see BHS coming together as a community,
Kerr said. Other classes have come forward
and offered to create items to sell in the store. A
math teacher has offered to design and 3D print
items to sell.
With multiple groups coming together to help
the Viking Corner become successful, people are
able to notice what it means to be a Viking.
The life skills classes have offered their ser-
vices wherever we may need them to help. This
is what amazes me about Bryan High School,
Kerr said. Its the school store, not just the
business class store. People want to be involved
and are taking pride in the fact that we have a
student-run business.
The sense of school pride is prevalent in the
school store as teachers and students alike see it
as a great way to provide a service to the school
while also providing a place to get hands-on ex-
perience in a real life situation.
In addition to offering a place to buy things,
Kerr said. I feel that the sense of school pride
and school community is the biggest thing to
come from this new endeavor.

I wish the school store sold

fruit snacks.
Cade Sandel, 12

I would like the school

store to sell snacks, like
chips and non-diet drinks.
Elizabeth Oliverez, 12
Page 6 - Campus Life

App encourages students to focus on school,

not phone through local rewards and discounts
Payton McKeehan
Staff writer
Phone apps have recently entered a new market
that is aimed to help students pay attention instead
of adding to the distractions that plague high school
and college students. Pocket Points is an app that
utilizes location services at Bryan High while lock-
ing a students phone to prevent usage. In exchange,
the app rewards users with points to be used toward
free or discounted items at online or local business-
es.
Sophomore Benjamin Denena is at the top of the
Bryan High leader board with 426 points and has
experienced can benefit student learning the app of-
fers.
Ive used Pocket Points around town, Ben said.
I got some brownies from Hungry Howies and the
app has also helped me stay off my phone and pay
more attention during class.
Students arent the only ones who benefit from the
Pocket Points app, Bryan High teachers and faculty
are fans of the new tool as well.
Ive used these pocket points around town, Eng-
lish teacher Rebecca Daley said. Coach Ruiz, Ms.
Ask, and a handful of other teachers got together
and used our pocket points to go to Painting with a
Twist.
The discounts are nice, but teachers see the true
value of the app in the way it can impact student
learning.
I tell my students to put their phones away,
Daley said. I have a motto, its Hit play, and put it
away for whenever theyre allowed to have their cell
phones out and listen to music. Theyre welcome to
keep them locked and out of sight, which is not in
their hands and not in their lap, Pocket Points helps
with that.
When students choose to stay off their phones,
they develop good habits that will continue in college
and throughout life careers. Teachers have seen how
effective it can be with college students and hope the
same will happen with high school students.
A buddy of mine and his study group of other
nursing students at A&M would spend about 4 or 5
hours a day on campus studying together and they
would keep the app, English teacher Roy Klein
said. During study times they would accumulate
the points and at the end of the semester, around
finals, they would go get food 2 or 3 times a week
and all of them would eat lunch together for free,
because they had so many points.
Some students prioritize socializing over learning
and earning free things which may be why some stu-
dents choose not to use the app.
Students wouldnt use the app because theyre on
Instagram on their phone or Snapchat, Ben said.
But I think its a great way to earn free stuff.
Teachers agree that for many students, the benefit
of using the app outweighs the negatives aspects.
It seems that perhaps the younger students use
it less because they really dont have as much pur-
chasing power as the older students, Klein said.
They typically dont have jobs cars. Several of the
discounts are buy one get one free, and if they dont
have the money to buy one, they cant get one free.
Klein thinks more high school students might uti-
lize the app if the point options included more teen
friendly items.
I would love to see Jumping World offer some-
thing because they seem to be very novel ideas right
now, Klein said. Id like to see more entertainment
offers. The movie theaters, the jumping places, more
restaurants. Id like to see some of those that are a
little more like a Dairy Queen or a Taco Cabana or
Chick-Fil-A offer in there because kids spend a ton
of time at those places.
In another effort to encourage students to use the
Pocket Points app, Daley suggests the school as a
whole get involved.
If the school itself did an incentive program I
think it would get more students involved, Daley
said. Whoever the leader of the week, or the month
is at school could earn some kind of reward at school
on top of the points awarded by the app.

Art Awards
Left: Taylor Williams, Haden Bayer, Nayely
Cortes, Elsbeth Ray, Phoebe Hancock (advanc-
ing to state), Caroline Laffon, Emily Phariss,
Hannah Broussard.
BHS hosted the Visual Art Scholastic Event Regional
& Area (VASE) competition.
The following students earned awards as regional
winners: CC Cruz, Keonna Foster, Ireland Gore, Grace
Hendrix, Avery Van Cleave, Luz Alvarado-Herrera, Em-
ily Phariss, Nayely Cortes Salazar, Haden Bayer, Tay-
lor Williams, Phoebe Hancock, Elsbeth Ray, Hannah
Broussard, Caroline Lafon, Ashley Konderla, Elizabeth
Lafon, Jessica Campos, Destynie Ashford, Kylah Clarey,
Brenda Flores-Hernandez, Alyssa Gilman (2 pieces),
Stephanie Leon, Blanca Luna, Jacklyn Martinez, Rachel
Nelson, Leonardo Ramirez, Richard Chanchez, Taylor
Southern, Grace Wall.

Right: Grace Hendrix, Lezlie Williams, Area winners, advancing to State - Avery Van Cleave
Avery Van Cleave (advancing to state), & Phoebe Hancock.
Marissa Widdison

Building on the future
Architectural design students advance to state level competition
Gail Finch
Staff writer
Sophomore Jose Torres and senior
Russell Oplinger competed in the
SkillsUSA architecture competition
held in Beaumont.
Jose placed 1st in the architectural
drafting project while Russell earned
2nd in the same event to advance to
state.
Russell also earned 1st place in
computer aided drafting event, ad-
vancing to state in it as well. State
will be held in Corpus Christi on April
6-10.
The architectural drafting project
required students to first lay-out a
build for the foundation of a home,
then move up to the first floor plan
where they had to build the walk-
ing structure, and then complete the
project by constructing the roof shape
and surrounding site plan.
Out of all the schools who compet-
ed, Bryan High is the only school that
had plan projects advance to state.
Drafting requires precise lines and
exact measurements in order to make
sure everything is structurally sound.
The foundation was difficult be-
cause I had to align everything per-
fectly, Jose said. It would mess up
everything else if it was just a little bit
off.
With the state competition in their
sites, both boys plan to make the
most of the time they have to enhance
their projects and add any elements
that could help them earn top marks
at the next level.
For state, I plan to make the house
a little better as far as the structure
goes and add as much detail as I can,
Jose said. Im going to do what they
commented on in the last competi-
tion to be prepared for state. Its im-
portant to take the advice they give
me and use it to improve my project.
Jose believes that having a passion
for architecture is a great asset in this
contest and helps pave the way for his
future career.
I want to be an architect one day, they find interesting with the right something that will become a home
Jose said. I like the concept of build- materials.
ing houses for other people and mak-
ing it how they want it built.
Architecture teacher
Lance White is in his first
year of teaching at Bryan
High, but does have expe-
rience in the field as a con-
tractor.
Everyday both students
learned a little bit more as
they created their plans,
White said. Russell al-
ready knew a lot, but Jose
grew a lot each day just
plugging away at creating
the architecture plans and
learning why we do what
we do on the plans.
Though White has ex-
perience in contracting,
he recognizes that there
are others in the field who
could help the boys with
more specialized portions
of their design plans.
Im planning to bring in
some architects that will
help them, White said.
Theyll come and critique
the student plans because I
can only take them to a cer-
tain level.
Russell will also compete
in computer aided drafting
at the state level. This event
utilizes a program to for-
mulate models for architec-
tural design giving students
more of a feel for what it is
like to produce plans in the
real world.
The project itself wasnt John Heritage - Automotive Service Technol- Reanna Garcia and Kadejah Murphy Salon
difficult, Russell said.
The difficult part was the
amount of stuff I had to do
to complete the project.
Industry level electives
allow for students to ex-
plore their interests and be
able to go into something
Career & Technology - Page 7
for a family to live in one day, Rus-
I enjoy architecture because of the sell said. I enjoy working on all the
fact that it allows architects to design minute details.
The following students earned recognition at Miguel Castillo - Automotive Technology Quiz
the SkillsUSA and FCCLA competition: Bowl Team - 3rd place*
Culinary Weston Weathers - Automotive Tool
Keilah Noriega - Culinary Mystery Basket - 4th Identification Contest - 2nd place*
place*
Photography
Education Steven Gonzalez - Photo Contest - 1st place*
Jessica Rosalia Ramos - Recycle in Redesign - Taylor Garcia - Photo Contest - 2nd place*
The Beginning of a Recycled Classroom* Kaylee Olsen - Photo Contest - 3rd place*
Audio/Video Dylan Anderson- Action Skills - 4th place*
Mason Haggerty - Short Film Project*
Shelby Williams - Photography Project - Best
Speech in Show Portrait*
Mark Hawkins - Prepared Speech - Bronze - Samantha Hedstrom - Photography Project -
state runner-up Best in Show Digital*
Caleb Duane - Extemporaneous Speech - Taylor Garcia - Photography Project*
Bronze - state runner-up Steven Gonzalez - Photography Project*
Alexis Martines - Photography Project*
Advertising Kaylee Olsen - Photography Project*
Tobias Davis - Advertising Design Project - Caleb Duane - Photography Project*
Best In Show* Mary Carroll - Photography Project*
Sonia Rios - Photography Project*
Janlyn Gallego - Advertising Design Project* Jennifer Lopez - Photography Project*
Zachary Escobar - Advertising Design Project* Nathan Carpio - Photography Project*
Osvaldo Davila - Photography Project*
Architectural Design Lina Rice - Photography Project*
Jose Torres - Architectural Drafting Contest - Cat Badillo - Photography Project*
1st place* Witt Herman - Photography Project*
Russell Oplinger - Architectural Drafting Con- Dylan Anderson- Photography Project*
test - 2nd place* Mary Grace Velez - Photography Project*
Russell Oplinger - Computer Aided Drafting - Cosmetology
1st place* Hands-on skills: Jennifer Villalobos - 3D-Nail
Art Skills - 1st place*
Automotive Technology Kadejah Murphy - Cosmetology Hair Skills -
Joseph Gonzales - Automotive Service Tech- 3rd place*
nology Contest - 1st place*
Jason Goin - Automotive Service Technology Ruby Ruiz and Abigail Whisenant Salon proj-
Contest - 3rd place* ect*
ogy Contest - 4th place* project*
Jennifer Villalobos Salon Project*
Josue Salazar - Diesel Equipment Service Brooke Weaver Fantasy*
Technology Contest - 1st place* Kadejah Murphy Braiding*
Michael Mata Hernandez - Diesel Equipment Taylor Ballom Braiding*
Service Technology Contest - 4th place*
*denotes students who are advancing to state
Josue Salazar, Jason Goin, Joseph Gonzales,
Roland John Heritage, William Robinson,
Page 8 - Sports
Knocking out the competition
Senior follows in fathers footsteps to pursue MMA career
Hannah Broussard
Staff writer
I walk into the ring. I feel numb. I cant hear the
crowd. Every sense is focused on my coach and my
opponent. The bell rings and we both head to the
center of the mat as the crowd awaits the victor.
Senior Jackie Perry explains that he experiences
this each time he competes in a mixed martial arts
match.
The desire to participate in MMA started at a
young age after Jackies father Carl Perry became
involved with the sport.
When I was 10 years old, I was at a baseball game
in the dugout, and my dad walked up to me with a
cast on his arm, Jackie said. He hurt it at his new
job at Martial Arts and Fitness and told me I should
try it out.
Mr. Perry fought at a professional level and has
continued to influence Jackie throughout his ca-
reer.
During my career, Ive had many highlights,
Mr. Perry said. I had the opportunity to compete
in King of the Cage, Strikeforce, Bellator, and oth-
ers. My highest accomplishment was winning my
two Professional Championships.
Jackie was introduced to a variety of martial arts
sports and at first, he tried them for fun due to his
fathers recommendation, but slowly he began to
follow his dads footsteps and these hobbies trans-
formed into his passion.
MMA is my favorite because karate isnt physical
enough for me and boxing is too repetitive, Jackie
said. Even though theyre fun, theyre just not me.
I like to be crafty with MMA.
Having a professional MMA fighter as a father
and a coach has helped Jackie through his journey
as a fighter.
My dads success has affected me positively by
knowing that I can look up to a professional MMA
fighter as a father, not just a professional fighter
that I dont know and just watch on TV, Jackie
said. Whenever he coaches me, we have a father
and son bond instead of the normal bond you would
have with a coach.
Though Jackies dads success has been a positive
influence on his own career, there have also been
moments where it made things difficult for Jackie,
who uses it to motivate him even more.
Having a champion professional MMA fighter as
a father has put a lot of pressure on me to live up to
his hype, Jackie said. I have the pressure on my
back of being the coachs son and people expecting
me to become a professional and champion just like
him.
External pressure isnt the only obstacle Jackie
has encountered as a fighter, as he has also dealt
with injuries throughout high school.
The biggest obstacle Ive come across are knee
injuries, Jackie said. Ive torn my ACL twice. The
first time during a football game my sopho-
more year, and the second time train-
ing for a fight just under a year
ago.
One ACL surgery is
enough to cause strain in
a fighters life, but Jackie
went through two sur-
geries. The time he
spent recovering kept
him from training.
The second time
I tore my ACL, I tore
more than I did the
first time, so the re-
covery time was six
months instead of the
four months that we had
expected, Jackie said.
Due to that, I wasnt able to
play my senior year of football
because by the time I was cleared,
we were already in the playoffs.
When thinking of all the people looking
up to him, Jackie decided to keep going despite his
setbacks.
The way Im looked up to at the gym has moti-
vated me to keep going after being injured, Jackie
said. Young and adult fighters alike look up to me
not only as a coachs son but as a very good pound-
for-pound fighter.
The majority of people at the gym know Jackie,
and when anyone needs help, hes always there to
lend a hand.
When Jackie is in the gym, he is always kind to
everyone, junior teammate Spencer Pierce said.
When someone isnt doing what theyre supposed
to do, he puts them in line and gets them back into
practice. Everyone comes to him for advice and
training techniques and he is always happy to help
them out.
Mr. Perry can testify to this fact from accounts he
has witnessed at his own gym.
Jackie is definitely a person that the others in
the gym look up to, Mr. Perry said. They all talk
about how good he is, and want to train with him.
Jackie is a good leader and role model both in and
out of the gym.
Other athletes at the gym watch Jackie and strive
to improve to the level he has been able to reach.
Jackie is a great athlete and phenomenal techni-
cal fighter, Spencer said. I wouldnt want to train
with anybody else because he helps me
train harder and be better.
Jackie has used his person-
al experiences to teach box-
ing, adult kick boxing, and
MMA.
I like teaching be-
cause I can share my
fighting knowledge
with other fighters,
Jackie said. I like
teaching the older
classes best because
they have a better
chance of becoming
fighters, and knowing
that theyve won with
the knowledge that Ive
shared with them as their
coach is a really good feel-
ing.
Now that Jackie has recov-
ered from his second ACL injury, he
plans to make a comeback and has already
started training.
I lift weights and do kick boxing, Jackie said.
Im slowly building my strength back up and will
be ready to be back at it again soon.
Jackie believes that with diligence and determi-
nation, he will soon be back on track toward a ca-
reer as a professional MMA fighter.
If I can make it as a pro, then Ill probably go
down the road of professional fighting, Jackie said.
Otherwise, if I dont make it to professionals, Ill
probably just use it as a trade. Being able to defend
yourself in the world is important, and I could al-
ways be a coach with my dad at the gym.
Mr. Perry thinks that Jackie has what it takes to
be successful and that soon he wont just be seeing
him fighting at Team Unleashed gym, hell be seeing
him in the professional ring.
Jackie is a complete fighter, Mr. Perry said. He
has tremendous athletic ability. He can strike with
the best of them and is comfortable with ground
game. He has all the skills to be a champion.
 Sports - Page 9

Carrying the weight of world on her shoulders

Junior keeps positive attitude, strong work ethic to lead by example
Madi Little
Staff writer
While most high school sports are
characterized by the cheering fans or
screeching whistles, sports like power-
lifting are often overshadowed. Pow-
erlifting is a unique sport in which
athletes compete in weightlifting
competitions in the squat, bench, and
deadlift. Junior Shelbie Walker is an
example of a student athlete demon-
strating her potential in the realm of
powerlifting.
Shelbie began powerlifting during
her sophomore year when coaches
and friends felt she would be success-
ful in the sport.
I thought of trying powerlifting
in eighth grade because my middle
school coach thought I would do well
in it. However, I didnt participate
when I first started high school, Shel-
bie said. My dad finally let me do it
sophomore year, and other friends
helped push me into it.
Shelbie stands out as a powerlifter
because she has a desire to work hard
and put in the time needed to excel.
Shelbie leads by example and al-
ways lends a helping hand whenever
she sees someone who needs it, ju-
nior teammate Kaywin McCall said.
She shows the younger members on
our team how to work hard and never
complains.
While powerlifting can often be dif-
ficult and straining, Shelbie maintains extracurricular activities. set new goals.
a positive attitude in order to keep her I think one of the most difficult Some of my personal goals for
teammates motivated to reach their parts of powerlifting is balancing it powerlifting have been to hit certain
goals. with school and athletic training, weight maxes in my squat and dead-
Shelbie has gotten stronger and Shelbie said. There is so much conflict lift, Shelbie said. One of my goals
more confident since last year, Kay- with timing and scheduling. I handle it was 300 lbs on squat, which Ive at-
win said. Shes setting personal re- by working on my time management tempted but havent gotten yet, but
cords and has been a light on the team skills and sacrificing some things Im on my way to reaching that goal.
through her example and positive at- for others. Junior Shelbie Walker waits for the judges signal Shelbie will
titude. P o w e r l i f t - before attempting the deadlift event. further her
Not only does Shelbie strive to be ing is worth accomplish-
successful herself, but she expresses the sacrifice ments by at-
an attitude that shows she cares about because it tending the
her teammates success. helps me as regional pow-
Shelbies teammates look up to an athlete erlifting meet
her because she is the model of what and as a for the sec-
a teammate should be, coach Robert person. ond year in
Jesurun said. She takes more satis- Shelbie March.
faction in the success of others than has shown I have per-
her own. what hard formed well
Shelbie illustrated her talent by at- work can for myself and
tending the regional powerlifting meet accomplish for my team,
last year as a newcomer to the sport as she con- Shelbie said.
and has also qualified for this years tinues to improve as the season goes I have placed in the top three at every
meet. on. meet this season, and Im going to be
When I competed at the regional Powerlifting has taught me to heading to regionals on March 3.
powerlifting meet, it was intense, persevere and push through things, While Shelbie may come across as
Shelbie said. It surprised me that I as well as facing conflict head first, a strong and intimidating athlete, she
made it my first year in powerlifting Shelbie said. I have improved a lot as never fails to bring her contagious
because I figured there would be a lot an athlete because I have already hit smile and enthusiasm to every prac-
more girls in my weight class since goals that I set for myself at the begin- tice and meet.
powerlifting is about bulking up and ning of the year, and Im starting to hit Coaching Shelbie is wonderful. She
having muscle. my potential. always has a hug and a smile, Jesurun
In addition to balancing the intensi- Shelbie has proven to be successful said. Shes a great leader on the team,
ty of competition, Shelbie has learned in the sport by consistently reaching and Im excited knowing she has an-
to balance her academics and other her weight maxes and working hard to other year to compete.

Sports Brief
The Viking girls swim team placed 2nd
at the district meet just 6 points behind
1st place with 105 points.
Junior Julia Cook won both the 50 and
100-yard freestyle events.
Freshmen Abby Surley and KLee
Rudd, and juniors Cat Darnell and Cook
won both the 200 medley relay and the
200 freestyle relay.
Surley placed 1st in the 100-break-
stroke and Rudd placed 3rd in the
Junior Julia Cook
100-backstroke.
At the regional event Cook took 1st
in both the 50 and 100 freestyle events
again.
The girls relay team took first in the
200 medley and the 200 freestyle relay.
Surley took 2nd in the 100 breaststroke
to advance to state.
At the state meet, Cook won the state
title in the 50-yard freestyle for the third
year in a row with a time of 22.32.
She took her second consecutive title
in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of
48.44, both times posted as state records.
The girls team finished 6th overall at
the state meet and took home the silver
medal in the 200 medley relay with a
time of 1:47.92.
The girls also won the bronze medal
in the 200 freestyle relay with a time of
1:38.46.
Freshman Abby Surley finished 1st in
the consolation final for girls 100 breast-
stroke 1:06.63.
Page 10 - Sports

Junior soccer player proves endurance is key on, off field

Anna Beth Mayerhoff
Staff writer
Athletes connect to their sports at a
deep level as they spend hours honing
their skills and making sacrifices for
their craft. Soccer players must main-
tain a level of endurance not required
in many other sports and junior Erin
Nugent has used those lessons in en-
durance in all areas of her life. Erin
has spent the past thirteen years play-
ing soccer both in league and with the
school.
My favorite memory is from fresh-
man year when we went to playoffs,
Erin said. On the bus we were all
singing and it was a pretty day so it
felt nice out. All the girls on the team
were just excited that we made it to
playoffs that year.
In order to stay at her best, Erin has
made sacrifices to continue playing
soccer at the level and intensity that
she does.
Ive had to give up grades, sleep,
nutrition, friend time, and this week-
end I had to sacrifice a lot of home-
work, Erin said. Water and sleep are
the two most important things to stay telling people where they need to be, both.
at my best, but even those suffer at and communicating whats best and She is really helpful when it comes
times. what needs to happen, junior team- to academics, because I have a lot of
Though Erin makes in so many dif- mate Jada Moody said. She has really classes with her, Jada said. Shes
ferent parts of good patience when it always looking out for a lot of the
her life, Erin still comes to mistakes, and students and even if a teacher didnt
excels in other she tries to build up the explain something well and she un-
ways. confidence in the team derstands, shell try to help everyone
Shes a great by encouraging us. She get caught up.
leader, girls knows soccer. As an athlete, Erin has continued
soccer coach Erins work ethic to mature and grow into her role as a
Chris Gibson doesnt stop on the field. leader on the team.
said. She is al- She does a great job When she started off, she was re-
most like my in the classroom, Gib- ally quiet, Gibson said. She would
second assistant son said. She leads by say some things, but just let the lead-
coach on the example in time man- ers lead. Now she knows its her time
field, making agement and making to lead.
sure people are sure her priorities are Through soccer, Erin has been able
in the right place, straight by always mak- to make new connections and posi-
doing their jobs, Junior Erin Nugent maneuvers the ing sure she gets her tive experiences with many different
motivating, en- ball down the field, toward the goal. work done, gets to prac- people.
couraging, and tice, and gets to her off- My favorite thing about soccer is
working hard. She knows what works the-field activities. She always is on being able to work with so many girls
and what doesnt. top of everything and never gets over- from different backgrounds, Erin
Teammates also take note of Erins whelmed by it. said. We all have fun together and
leadership skills, both on and off the Erins teammates see the work she that translates to the field. It shows
field. puts in for both soccer and academics when everyone is working hard and
On the field, shes really good at and appreciate the help she offers for working together.

Attitude, work ethic help sophomore score leadership position

Jennyfer Tucker
Associate editor
Sweat drips down his face. Adrenaline pumps
through his body as he sprints up and down the
field. A game plan runs quickly through his mind
as he decides his next move before an opponent at-
tempts to steal the ball. Once he feels hes in the
right position to go for it, he kicks the ball, and
GOAL! Sophomore Frank Rodriguez has earned his
team another point.
Frank has been on the varsity soccer team since
his freshman year playing center attacking mid-
fielder. Though Frank is younger than most of
his other teammates, it hasnt affected the way he
plays, because his abilities and love of the game has
earned him his spot.
Leadership can come from any age, soccer
coach Tommie Allmon said. Franks ability places
him in a position to take on the role of a leader. Be-
ing a sophomore does not hinder him.
With the hard work and dedication that Frank
puts into soccer, his work ethic outside of the sport
has allowed him to influence the teams work ethic
as a whole.
Players look up to Frank as a leader because he
is not distracted with things that most teenagers Ive not only seen Frank grow as a player for
do out of school, sophomore teammate Isaac Diaz the past year, Isaac said. Ive seen him grow as
said. He always puts school a player for eleven. Each year his
before soccer and manages ability to open up the game and
to pass with high grades to create game changing moments
play. improves more and more.
With all of the great at- Balancing school, playing for a club
tributes that Frank has, he league, and a school league, may
was chosen by his Houston become difficult, they all come to-
Texan club coaches, to play gether and make Frank the player
in Spain with other people that he is today.
who share the same passion He has become stronger as he
as him. ages, Allmon said. His soccer
My team raised money to senses have grown as he plays more
go and my family came with as a Viking and as he plays outside
me, Frank said. I played of school.
against some of the best Franks success on the field is aided
young players around the by his natural abilities and skills,
world and I got to see where but ultimately it his character and
Sophomore Frank Rodriguez works the
I matched up. mind-set that set him up for suc-
ball past the defender to gain position.
Playing soccer since he cess.
was four has made Frank He is always positive and works
improve over the years, and makes him stand out hard, Allmon said. He is not a selfish player, he
to other teammates he has played with since the plays for the team, and he is always in attendance
beginning. at practice and games. He wants to be a Viking.
 Sports - Page 11

Taking it to the mat

Wrestler matures through program, helps team earn district title
Kaywin McCall and my endurance has in- Caden said. The mornings time in four years that we took losing two seniors this year,
Staff writer creased, Caden said. My are hard, I got to wake up ear- home the district title as a so were going to pick up right
As the time ticks off the leadership skills have im- ly and go workout really hard, team. It was really cool to help where we left off next year.
clock, a wrestler learns what proved a lot since I have been and theres some days when I bring back the title for Coach Caden plans to go to Texas
they are truly capable of. The in a position to encourage oth- have no motivation to get out Zito. All of us have been work- A&M next year and be a mem-
first five minutes of the match ers when they were faltering of bed that early, but despite ing really hard this season to ber of the Corp of Cadets. The
takes everything a that its always some- win, its exciting to see every- Corp at A&M defines leader-
wrestler has, but thing I look forward thing weve been working for ship and pushes members
all of the weari- to. The guys are great pay off. past their limits mentally
ness fades away and super fun to hang Caden serves as a leader on and physically. Caden has
when they are out with. the team and has helped this the makeup from wrestling to
down and have to When an athlete falls years team overcome peoples push through tough times and
push through the in love with a sport, mind-set on a young team. will continue to demonstrate
final minute to many of them view It was really awesome to leadership in college.
make sure their one of the worst parts win districts this year. Zito Wrestling has built my
hand is raised as the last game or the said. Everyone thought that leadership skills, Caden said.
at the end of the last match. The end this was going to be a rebuild- Ill be able to better guide
match. Wrestling of an era for an ath- ing year since we graduated a my fellow fish next year and
is an immensely letes life and having handful of seniors. We proved help them improve. Later on
demanding sport Senior Caden Scott goes low on his opponent to gain to move forward and that it wasnt a rebuilding in college the experiences Ive
the advantage.
and senior Caden continuing to use the year, but that it was actually gained in wrestling will make
Scott has spent skills they learned in another stair step from where me a more effective leader in
the past four years condition- in runs or when they wanted the sport they fell in love with. we left off last year. Were only the corps.
ing and preparing for each fi- to eat a lot before weigh ins. The most dif-
nal minute. He is the senior team cap- ficult part about Sports Brief
Caden started his high tain this season and has been wrestling is not get-
school career playing football an integral part of holding the ting to wrestle any- Wrestling team dominates season
his freshman year, but did not team together. more, Caden said.
The wrestling team advanced every varsity boy and girl entered at dis-
feel fulfilled. He discovered He has been a great leader I wrestled at my last
trict to the regional tournament. The boys varsity won the team title with
the wrestling team toward the throughout the season. se- district tournament,
236 Points.
end of his freshman year, and nior wrestler Teya Villapando and I did pretty
The following wrestlers earned medals: Gold: Larry Duron (120), Caden
really became involved in it said. He leads warm ups and good. Im sad that I DeJesus (126), David Frazier (145),and Jamarcus Thomas (170); Silver:
his sophomore year. hes very encouraging to the dont get to wrestle Andres Gonzalez (113), Dustine Korzynski (138), Caden Scott (152), Kairo
Hes really grown up for younger wrestlers. anymore after this Turrubiartes (160)Monyell Nutall (182), and Dequinnce Hill (195); Bronze:
the three years hes been with Younger wrestlers look up year. Im not good Spencer Pierce (132); 4th: Kevin Duron (285).
me. wrestling coach Michael to Caden as he pushes them to enough to go to col- Three girls competed in the district tournament and all 3 placed and
Zito said. He dabbled at wres- work on technique and endur- lege and wrestle, so qualified for regionals: Teya Villalpando (128) took Silver, Makia English
tling a little his freshman year, ance. its hard not being (148) took Bronze, Mikayla Hodnett (138) took 4th.
but he never really showed Caden is very technical and able to compete on
up until the end, so hes re- shows the younger kids what that level anymore. At the regional meet the boys team held the 2nd place spot out of
ally only been here since his to do, Zito said. He likes to The wrestling 61 teams until the last match of the night when R.L. Turner High School
sophomore year. He came out have fun with the younger team advanced all surpassed them by 2 points. Individually the team had 15 wrestlers in the
of football, he was a smaller wrestlers, but he also lays fifteen wrestlers to tournament and placed 12 with 8 advancing to the state tournament.
guy so he didnt really get a lot down the rules and expecta- regionals after win- Silver: Teya Villalpando* (128), JaMarcus Thomas* (170), 182 Monyell
of playing time in football, but tions. He is a big reason on ning the district Nutall* (182); Bronze: Larry Duron* (120), David Frazier* (145), Makia
he has taken to wrestling and why we won districts this championship. English* (148); 4th Place: Caden DeJesus* (126), Caden Scott* (152); 6th
my senior leader. year. The district meet Place: Andres Gonzalez (113), Spencer Pierce (132), Dustine Korzynski
(138), Dequinnce Hill (195). *Advanced to State
He has grown mentally and Sports give many students a is my favorite mem-
physically through wrestling reason to get up and come to ory of wrestling. Ca-
At the state tournament JaMarcus Thomas (170) and Monyell Nutall
while improving his craft. school while providing an en- den said. Its hard
(182) brought home 5th place medals.
Wrestling has tested him and vironment of support and fun. knowing that was
has made him a better person. Wrestling has been what I my last district meet,
Ive gotten a lot stronger looked forward to every day, but it was the first
Page 12 - In-Depth
Sophia Stone
Staff writer
Too many times students
arent taught about uncomfort-
able topics until after they have
already been exposed to the
situation and find themselves
struggling to figure things out
on their own. In these situ-
ations, students frequently
blame themselves and flounder
under the pressure of a reality
they dont really understand.
In the best of situations,
students find their way back
from the dark with the help
of friends, family, or religion.
Though most students prefer
avoiding the situation all to-
gether, some are able to gain
strength and share their trials
with others to help someone
else.
The names have been
changed in the following two
stories, but it is the hope of the
students involved that others
can benefit from the struggles
they have experienced.
LOGANS STORY
Logan was at a friends house
when first introduced to por-
nography.
When I was in elementary
school, I was hanging out at
one of my friends house and
she showed me what she found
on her brothers computer,
Logan said. At a young age we
circumstances that happened,
I would hope that others would
be more guarded of what kids
see, Logan said. I would hope
that they acknowledge that kids
are going to be curious so oth-
ers have to be careful. What
someone thinks is only affect-
ing themselves could really be
affecting other people.
Logan said that guilt can con-
trol a persons life and believes
God helped her let go of her
guilt.
Jesus provided me a way to
escape my guilt, Logan said.
He has provided a way through
for everyone by dying on the
cross and coming back to life.
He is capable of conquering
were introduced to something
your guilt, and wants you to al-
that was very harmful to our
low him to take that from you.
minds and personalities.
Though this experience kept
PARKERS STORY
Logan away from pornography,
For years I struggled with
the guilt of it remained and cre-
drinking, Parker said. I had
ated a series a struggles for the
my first drink in the 8th grade
next few years until a chance
on a dare. It was just a beer
encounter changed her per-
from my friends fridge and we
spective.
thought it was gross, but we
I was at a convenience store
would sneak
with my aunt and this lady just
one out every
started talking to us about per-
now and then
sonal issues, Logan said. I
because we
looked at her and said theres
thought it was
no condemnation in the name
cool.
of Jesus Christ, and she looked
Parker start-
back and said well, if that
ed going to
works for you, thats good, but
parties in high
that doesnt work for me. In
school, mostly
that moment I realized that I
drinking beer
needed to put what I said to my
with the oc-
own life and acknowledge the
casional bottle
truth there.
of whiskey or
Logan decided at a youth
rum if some-
camp to share her story and
one could get
give her guilt to God.
their hands on
When you have guilt, it just
it.
follows you around and sits on
It got to the point where we
your heart, Logan said. I re-
would drink every weekend and
ally felt like Satan was piling it
even during the week some-
on me, and I didnt know what
times, Parker said. We told
to do until I allowed God to take
ourselves we were just having
the guilt away from me.
fun, but looking back on it, Im
Logan said she hopes people
not sure any of us were in con-
will be more careful about what
trol any more.
is available for children to see
At the time Parker didnt re-
on the internet and hopes that
alize how the drinking was im-
sharing this story will help ac-
pacting school or his family. In
complish that.
the moment, everything just
If I could change any of the
seemed to happen, but it never
crossed his mind that the alco-
hol might be, at least partially,
to blame.
The more I drank, the more
my grades dropped, Parker
said. The more I drank, the
more distant I became from
my parents. I thought I hid
the drinking pretty well, but
one day my dad confronted me
about it, and I got really angry.
For Parker, it was a difficult
moment that started the path
back to who he really was.
I said a lot of hateful things
to my dad and ran out of the
house, Parker said. It was the
first time I thought I might have
a problem.
Parker tried to talk to some of
his friends, but they blew off his
concerns and suggested they go
drink instead.
What parents say about
friends is true, Parker said.
Your friends are important and
they can help build you up or
tear you down. Sometimes they
dont have your best interest at
heart and sometimes they will
just use you.
Other people in Parkers life
were trying to get through to
him and as he entered his se-
nior year, some of his teachers
still saw the potential he had.
Teachers would try to talk
to me to see how I was doing,
but I kept shutting them down,
Parker said. At the time, I felt
like it was none of their busi-
ness and that they were just be-
ing nosy. It wasnt until later my
senior year that I realized many
of them truly cared and wanted
to help.
Parker started drinking just
to have a good time and contin-
ued drinking to drown out the
idea of graduation and college.
He didnt want to deal with that
responsibility or take ownership
of his lack of effort throughout
high school, but with a semes-
ter to go, he received a wake-up
call.
Everything changed for me
one night in December of my
senior year, Parker said. One
of my good friends who lived in
Austin was involved in a wreck.
We werent sure if she was go-
ing to make it or not, and alco-
hol was to blame.
Parkers friend had not been
drinking, but the guy driving
the car who hit her had been.
The man blood alcohol level
was 0.12 but he walked away
from the wreck with barely a
scratch, leaving Parkers friend
to recover in the hospital.
I was more angry than I had
ever been in my
life, Parker said.
I felt physically ill
because I realized
that couldve been
me behind that
wheel. I had driv-
en countless times
after drinking and
I knew I shouldnt
have.
The girl did
recover and was
released from the
hospital a few
days later, but
Parker had a long
road ahead of him
too. He wanted to get his life to-
gether; he wanted to change.
I didnt really know where to
start, Parker said. So I swal-
lowed my pride and talked to
my parents. I gave them more
details, but they already knew
most of it anyway. Parents usu-
ally do.
Parker still had a couple of
months left of his senior year,
and he made it his goal to make
the most of that time.
After the night of the wreck
I never drank again, Parker
said. I lost a lot of people I
thought were my friends be-
cause of that, but I wasnt really
sad about it. I knew there was a
limited amount of time left be-
fore graduation, and I wanted
to change.
Instead of skating by like he
had done most of high school,
Parker started actively working
to improve his grades and make
friends with people on a deeper
level than the next six pack of
beer would take them.
I ended up graduating and
going to a junior college, Park-
er said. I still dont drink and I
am still friends with the people
I met the last semester of my se-
nior year.
Parker wants students to
know that there is always a way
out of whatever trouble they
find themselves and that there
are people there to help.
Its never too late to turn
things around, Parker said.
Most parents arent trying to
just be nosy, they really do want
whats best for their kids and
the friends you have should
too. Students would also be sur-
prised how much their teachers
really do care about them.
Even though Parker felt like
he was alone sometimes, he
said he realizes that was just an-
other hook alcohol used to keep
him under its control.
Never think you are alone,
Parker said. No matter how
much you feel like you are the
only person going through
something, there are people
around that understand. You
just have to have the courage
to find them or listen to them if
they are already there.
Whether its the result of deci-
sions a student has made or the
decisions of others, both Logan
and Parker stress the impor-
tance of talking to someone and
knowing that you dont have to
go through problems are alone.
Just because outside factors en-
ter a students life doesnt mean
they have to be controlled by
those factors.
When keeping secrets creates monsters
Lucy Raleigh
Co-editor
When I started middle school, everything was
new and crazy.
I wasnt too worried about school, after all, I
had just left the fifth grade and none of my class-
es were difficult.
It wasnt until the end of seventh grade that I
began experiencing feelings of depression.
For some reason that I could never wrap my
head around it, I had this vague feeling that I
wasnt worth something, or that I could ever be.
Of course, at thirteen, I wasnt fully aware of
what I was feeling.
Instead of talking to my parents or my friends
about what I was feeling, I began reading things
on the internet.
As a stubborn tween, I wasnt into looking up
ways to help me deal with what I was feeling.
Instead of trying to figure out how to feel bet-
ter, I decided to wallow in my sadness and bottle
things up.
All of these feelings stewed over the summer,
and didnt boil over until the next year, in eighth
grade.
By this point, I wasnt satisfied with turning to
the internet to deal with my feelingsor rather
my depression wasnt satisfied.
I had heard about self harm, especially cut-
ting ones wrists. At first, I was turned away by
the idea, since I remembered some of my friends
talking about how it was sad, bad, and a whole
bunch of other words that didnt seem too great
to a thirteen year old.
But the more I thought about it, the more I
would look toward the pair of scissors I kept on
my desk in my bedroom.
Eventually, I gave in to what I refer to as the
monster under my bedthe depression.
The first time I hurt myself for what I thought
would be the last, was only the first taste I gave
the monster under my bed.
For months (and what felt like years) I kept
feeding it, moving on from scissors to razor
blades, covering it up with my shirtsleeves,
ashamed.
I was ashamed of what I was doing to myself
and how I was hiding it from my friends and my
family.
I was ashamed of the fact that I couldnt, for
some reason, say anything to anyone.
It felt as though nothing could separate me
from the monster, not even an encounter with
my best friend. Not even her kind, concerned
words could keep me from feeding this thing.
Of course, it took a huge slap in the face to real-
ize that what I was doing was only the beginning
of a possible downward spiral into something
that is still at the back of my mind today.
It wasnt until one day, in first period, that my
counselor called me down to her office.
When I heard my name, my blood ran cold and
I knew instantly what was happening.
I was afraid.
I was, oddly, furious.
My mind was racing, and I remember think-
ing: how could I let this happen? How could I,
someone who had been so careful for months not
to tell a soul what I was doing, let this ugly mon-
ster rear its head to the world? Had I forgotten to
wear long sleeves one day? Did I get warm and
roll up my sleeves, or even be so daring to take
my jacket off?
None of my questions mattered when I walked
into the counselors office. I sat down, and she
looked at me with pity, a look that I have never
been fond of.
I cant remember exactly what she said, but I
remember her telling me that it was her job to tell
my parents.
I broke into a cold, stinging sweat at the mere
thought of sharing this secret with my parents,
but it was inevitable.
She asked if I wanted to speak to my mother on
the phone, and I could barely shake my head to
say no.
The worst part of this, the thing that will stick
with me like a stain on my heart for the rest of my
life, was hearing my mothers confusion and pain
over the phone.
All I could do was sit in the chair across from
the counselors desk and cry silently, paralyzed
and listening to my mothers heart break.
I dont think I can ever let that moment go,
and I dont think my mother can either. I worried
about the way that moment
would tarnish our relationship,
the way she would look at me
from then on.
Of course, being my moth-
erand a good one at thatshe
didnt see my fault in the mat-
ter, and only wanted to help me
to be happy again.
Though its still difficult
for me to tell my mother, my
friends, or my teachers when
I feel new baby monsters un-
der my bed, I have a desire to
now. I know I need to, and that
I want to. I know that they can
help me finds ways to get rid
of these monsters before they
grow.
Despite these attempts, some
monsters stay. Some monsters
stay and grow, sitting curled
up under the corner of my bed.
In-Depth - Page 13
Sometimes they never come out, but being there
is enough.
I always think about my depression.
Sometimes, I think about hurting myself again
and I feel the skin of my wrists tingle, more times
than I would like to.
One thing, one monster that is always lurk-
ing somewhere under my bed, is the thought of
what it would be like to call it quits. These end-
all thoughts step in to convince me that I cant
succeed, or that I am not a good or likeable per-
son, or that I have nothing to offer anyone in this
world.
In my head, I know Im wrong. I know I have
a purpose and that I have something to offer, but
sometimes the things I know in my head dont
feel like enough.
With years of living with these thoughts, I have
found ways to push them away, ways to stay dis-
tracted.
I am content with distractions.
I am content with the small ways they allow
me to feel happy, whether the distraction lasts an
hour or a year.
I am content with the way I handle things, but
most of all, I am grateful for whoever tipped me
off to the counselor in eighth grade.
Without that terrifying confrontation, I dont
know where I would be now.
I am grateful for that mystery person, and I am
grateful for my distractions.
One of these days, I hope to be grateful for
finding a way to live without distractions or mon-
sters, but until then I just have to keep reminding
myself that there are people who care about me
and people who are willing to help.
Illustration by: Gail Finch
Page 14 - Opinions

Whole new world

Student perspectives broadened by foreign travel, cultural experiences
Im not a big support-
er of school structure,
but the idea of travel-
ing to Spain, Europe,
or even Japan to learn
Megan Krenek makes me want to crack
Staff Writer open a textbook.
Some people dream of trav- Students learn about
eling the world, while others these places in books, but liv-
are content with staying where ing and seeing them would
they are. provide an entirely new level
As a person who has trav- of education and perspective.
eled to a different country, I Think of the people they can
can say I am one who dreams meet and the languages they
to continue traveling the will be exposed to. I wouldnt
world. The feeling of not being get tired of being somewhere
stuck in one place while seeing other than the United States,
new customs, traditions, and and things would always stay
cultures makes it worth spend- new and fresh.
ing money on a plane ticket. I While studying abroad is
would love the opportunity to something I think everyone
study abroad and think any should experience, there are
student who has the chance to some people who wont ap-
should take advantage of it. preciate going to a different
country or wont appreciate it;
those people who dont go to
class or dont care about their
grades. There is no point in
sending someone on a once-
in-a-lifetime experience only
to slack off when someone
who earned it and wants to be
there could have gone.
If I got the opportunity to
study abroad, I would look for
unique places that wouldnt
be swamped with tourists.
Places like coffee shops, librar-
ies, or somewhere quiet would
be ideal, and I would spend
most of my time there. Then I
would see the parts that usu-
ally wouldnt if I spent most of
the time in the popular places.
Toward the end of my trip, I
would go visit the tourist spots.
Theres something about
seeing the true parts of a coun-
try instead of seeing the parts they come back, they have a
everyone already knows and new mind-set of how things
hears about that makes the are and they pay attention
trip that much more memo- more to the little things.
rable. Studying abroad can be one
They will always have time of the best things in a persons
to travel there again and see life.
those tourist parts if thats
what they even want to do.
Of course when theyre in a
different country study-
ing abroad, theyll have
a specific curriculum
and specific activities
to do, but in between
those activities, theres
little nooks and crannies
of the world that arent in
the news or magazines.
Studying abroad can
change the way people see the
world. They get more exercise
and appreciate the things sur-
rounding them more. When

Common courtesy key in customer service from consumers, workers

Jennyfer Tucker
Associate Editor
Keeping a smile on your face, main-
taining a positive attitude at all times,
and meeting the needs of many differ-
ent people are all duties someone must
juggle while having a job in customer
service.
Since Ive been old enough to have a
job, I have worked in the fast food in-
dustry. Anyone who works at a restau-
rant or with fast food knows how cus-
tomers can be. Whether they are nice,
decent, or just plain rude.
For the most part, if people are rude
at food environments, it is usually be-
cause they didnt get what they asked
for or they were not happy with their
experience. Its their food and they
want to get exactly what they paid for,
which is understandable, but its how
they handle it that can be a problem.
Some may assume that people only act
out like that at places where common
mistakes are made. Since Ive started
a new job in a more professional en-
vironment, I get more rude customers
now than I did working in the food in-
dustry, which really surprised me.
I used to think that the environ-
ment was what affected peoples
behavior in public. In office
jobs, many people think
that customers wont
yell and use profanity
because there are more
professional people
around compared to the
type of people working at a
fast food restaurant.
Jobs like a bank teller are pro-
fessional, yet I have found that it is one
of the hardest jobs when it comes to
dealing with a customer.
With this type of setting, I thought
Oh, this will be easy, I wont have to
deal with any rude customers. I was
wrong. Just because a bank is sup-
posed to be a professional environ-
ment doesnt mean that the customer
has to stay professional. Instead, it
means that I do because that is my job.
Dealing with other peoples money can
be a touchy business because people
have worked hard to earn it and thats
part of the reason why customers may
be so testy.
Everyone should treat others with
respect no matter the profession. The
golden rule is a good guideline to go
by. If people would remember that the
person providing them with a service is
just like them, things would be better
for everyone.
Customers would have better expe-
riences wherever they go if they were
courteous and patient, allowing the
worker to do their job and not
feel rushed or confronted.
Respect goes a long way
no matter if it is at Mc-
Donalds or Wells Far-
go.
Its beneficial to treat
everyone with respect.
Someone who is provid-
ing a service is doing their
best. Yes, sometimes the worker
can be the one being rude, but cut
them a little slack. You never know
what they are going through or what
a previous customer may have said.
Kindness works both ways and can
help turn someones day around.

Dance pass test
Skills, physical movements, competition qualifies dancers as athletes
Hannah
Broussard
Staff Writer
Its nine oclock at night and Im at
the studio bending and contorting my
body beyond its limit as sweat drips
down my face. Twenty-plus hours of
my week are spent twirling on pointe
shoes and leaping in jazz shoes, re-
sulting in bruised toenails, blistered
feet, and bloody toes. I compete at
cutthroat competitions with some
of the most proficient athletes of all
time and come home with sore mus-
cles and aching bones. I am a dancer,
and I go through the same hardships
as any other athlete, yet I am told
that dance is not a sport. This ideol-
ogy that dance isnt a sport is a fallacy
that our society must quickly be made
aware of.
Sport is defined as an athletic
activity requiring skill or physical
prowess and often of a competitive
nature.
Starting with the first part to that
definition: Skill. In order to complete
a proper single pirouette, or in non
dancer terms: one turn, the dancer
must hold their leg in a poss posi-
tion, spot, keep their shoulders down,
hold their rib cage in, hold their arms
in first position, point their toes, rise
to releve, turn out their working leg,
keep their supporting leg straight,
and end clean all the while smiling
and making it look effortless. Just
listening to the list of instructions
to maintain proper technique on
one beginner move sounds difficult,
and after analyzing it in depth one
can see that it obviously takes skill
to complete. This is one of the many
moves that dancers do, and there are
several more that all require different
technical procedures that the dancer
must analyze. Whenever they put all
of their moves together to complete a
dance, it takes even more skill from
them.
Next, the second part of the defi-
nition: Physical Prowess. The usual
warm-up of a dancer taking a ballet
class is a 45 minute long barr rou-
tine. This routine involves various
combinations of eight different ballet
exercises, starting with plis and end-
ing with grand battments. A typical
jazz or contemporary warm-up starts
with the dancer completing a cardio
workout to prepare muscles for danc-
ing. After this workout there is an in-
tense stretching session followed by
going across the floor com-
pleting technique exer-
cises. Dance requires use
of every muscle rather
than just a few, making
it an extremely physi-
cally-demanding sport.
Finally, the third part
of the definition of a
sport: Competitive na-
ture. Dancers travel all
around the world to com-
pete. Preparation for a com-
petition includes attending
practices every single day, typi-
cally lasting three to four hours
and ending late at night;
learning chore-
ography for a
dance in one
day and practic-
ing that dance
months before
competition; and
getting yelled at by
the director as she cleans
the dance until it is abso-
lutely perfect. Once at a dance
competition, dancers are assigned
a time in which they will go on stage
to compete. When that time comes,
they go on stage and perform what
they have prepared for months in
front of judges, an audience, and
the rest of the competitors that
they are up against. If the dancer
messes up, thats it; they only have
one chance. The judges determine
Opinions - Page 15
which dance was the best that day looked like. To please the audience,
and whoever is announced as the the dancers must disguise their pain
winner will receive the big trophy in order to please the crowd. Due to
and sometimes a cash prize. Dance is the fact that dancers make their art/
an extremely competitive sport, and sport look so effortless, the audience
dancers are in it to win it and nothing is led to believe that it indeed is easy,
less. when in reality that couldnt be fur-
Many people argue that dance isnt ther from the truth.
a sport because it is seen as more of If after being educated on what goes
an art. Although it is, in fact, true that on behind the scenes in the life of a
dance is an art, its a special form of dancer the ideology that dance isnt
art that also doubles as a sport. Dance a sport is still existent, I recommend
is a sport that is designed to entertain trying the sport out. Its easy to watch
an audience. Even though dancers a dancer tomb pas de boure glissa-
feel like an elephant stepped on their d assembl across the stage, but do-
toes while theyre under the ing it and even comprehending what
bright lights dancing on it means is a completely different
the tip of their toes with story. Dance requires skill, physical
little to no padding pro- prowess, and a competitive nature,
tecting them, an audi- all while the dancer is to be grace-
ence wouldnt enjoy ful and elegant, making it not only a
watching someone sport but the ultimate sport.
dancing if their face
Top 5 Reasons
Dance is a Sport
1. Dancers Compete - One of the number one reasons
people enjoy watching sports is the competitive nature
of the event and the passion involved.
2. Dancers Stretch - Its vitally important for all
dancers to stretch before practice and perfor-
mances to ensure flexibility and safety.
3. Dancers Gain Muscle - Even though dancers dont
usually lift a lot of weights, they do gain muscle through
crunches, push-ups, and leg exercises.
4. Dancers have Stamina - Dancers may not run up and
down a court or a field, but performing at the same level
for 4-5 minutes at a time requires work and stamina.
5. Dance is Difficult - Dance isnt something just anyone
can do. It takes effort, training, dedication, and passion.
Page 16 - Opinions

Get up, get active, get healthy

Making positive decisions, following through can change a life
the Twinkies. It could become addicted to working come successful? Motivation --50 push-ups a day
have been a destructive out, and many say I work too is crucial. Try finding a work- --50 sit-ups a day
comment, but I used it hard, but the thought of some- out buddy, to hold each other --50 air squats a day
for motivation instead. one working harder than me accountable throughout yalls The key of starting is to be
I wanted to prove the doesnt sit too well. journey. consistent. Dont throw your-
Kaywin McCall person wrong. I started Im usually at Crossfit at What should you eat? Eat- self into a workout routine and
being very conscious 5am at least four times a ing healthy is crucial in be- expect to keep going at it. Go
Staff writer
about what I put into week, powerlifting practice coming healthy. Eating a at it like an incline; start small
One of the most difficult my body. I started run- after school, then I go home balanced meal is extremely and then start implementing
things to do is starting some- ning (more like walking), I and run off the stress of the important! You need to eat other things into your routine.
thing new. One can over think started eating healthy (when day. Im currently in the best vegetables, fruits, proteins, That is how I started trans-
it, and talk themselves out of I thought about it), I started shape of my life. I ran a half dairy, and whole grains at forming my life. I then pro-
it. Starting a new sport, new doing push-ups, squats and marathon in December, my every meal. Going to work- ceeded to add more reps and
class, new way of thinking, sit-ups. I did anything I could maxes are going up on all of out, and then coming home change modifications.
self improvements, eating do to lose weight. It wasnt my lifts, strict pull-ups are as and eating pizza and drinking There are three keys to suc-
healthy, starting to workout... easy, there were days when I easy as push-ups, my nutri- soda will completely ruin your cess that are critical in becom-
whatever it might be, gaining wanted to give up and thought tion is on point, and Im lov- workout. Nutrition will test to ing more fit: Work hard, work
motivation is difficult, espe- that it just wasnt worth it, but ing life and everything it has see if you are truly committed smart, and work consistently.
cially when one doubts how then I remembered the sole to offer. to becoming the best you. All three of these must be to-
far theyll go, how much they reason why I started. Getting up and getting ac- What workouts will you gether to see the best results.
can do, and how they will do I lost thirty pounds in mid- tive is the most difficult part start doing? Are you going to Starting is the difficult part.
it. Sometimes those doubters dle school and became self about the whole journey. It start walking/running, are So once you start, dont give
arent outsiders, but the per- conscious about me looking all starts with a motivation, a you going start implementing up. If you give up, youll have
son attempting to make the like a little stick, so I started plan, and a means to succeed. weights into your workout? to re-start. Believe in yourself
change. One might doubt the lifting weights and lifting has If anyone is wanting to start Make sure to have proper and trust the process. Re-
progress that will be made, helped immensely with every a new journey of health, here form when lifting. Are you go- sults dont happen overnight,
and that stops them from part of my life. I gained twenty- are some important things to ing to start doing body weight it takes time to see progress,
starting. One of the most dif- five pounds of muscle, I found consider and to think about exercises? but if youre working hard
ficult things for me to do was an outlet for a stressful day, I that are critical to become After asking yourself these and watching your nutrition
to start taking care of my body found an amazing gym with successful. questions, here are some good - it will come. Be prepared
- physically and mentally. immense opportunities, and Why are you starting? Why movements to start doing that for others to notice your hard
When starting a new I lost my self-image problem. now? Whos motivating you? can be easily integrated into work.
healthy lifestyle, its impor- I wont lie and say that I have What are your plans to be- your day:
tant to focus on yourself and
how you want to improve,
while ignoring what others
say or the doubts that might
Four tips for making healthy changes
creep in. Susie Millers quote, 1. Start with realistic expectations - Dont pressure yourself to lose weight too
No matter how slow you go, quickly or adhere to a program you are incapable of sticking with.
youre lapping everyone on
the couch, exemplifies start-
ing a healthy life. 2. Find your motivation - Make goals, set rewards, figure out what can drive you
In sixth grade, I was the to make healthy, and responsible decisions.
little chubby kid who ate
my feelings and didnt re- 3. Dont be tempted - Stay away from unhealthy foods. Keep them out of
ally care what others had
your house and dont go out to eat at places where you know you will
to say about me. It
all changed one day want the least healthy thing on the menu.
when someone
told me, Dang 4. Snacks are okay - Losing weight and getting healthy is not about
Kaywin, you starving yourself. Snacking through the day is good, and frequently
need to lay-off
encouraged, if you pick the right kind of snacks.
 Opinions - Page 17

Cookie criminal
Identity theft harms taste buds, creates mass confusion
delicious sugar cookie healthy. They are designed comes obvious how superior just plain sugar to chocolate,
as the base, the oat- to be sweet and delicious, the it is to the detestable oatmeal depending on how commit-
meal raisin cookie has price being that the consumer raisin. Whether the chocolate ted to chocolate a person is.
mashed up oats at its is aware that There are thousands
core. Luscious, smooth what they of varieties, but all of
Shannon Keyser chocolate chips are re- are eating is them still contain the
Staff Writer placed by dried grapes. not good for wonderfulness that
What happens when you Why would any person them. Often- is chocolate chips.
combine two of the most de- favor this imposter when the times, the The choco-
licious substances on Earth, chocolate chip cookie is clear- better tast- late chip cookie has
chocolate chips and cookie ly superior? ing the food, been not only an
dough, into one amazing Yet, somehow, this fraud, the worse it is American tradition,
food? The answer: you get a this fake, this charlatan, has nutritiously. but a worldwide one.
chocolate chip cookie! This gained a foothold in the des- When people Since their creation
classic treat has always sur- sert world to the point where try to make in the 1930s during
passed others of its kind in people put oatmeal raisin a dessert the Great Depres-
popularity, including sugar cookies and chocolate chip healthy, it sion, they have been
cookies, white chocolate mac- cookies on the same plate! goes against celebrated and con-
adamia nut cookies, and even First of all, oatmeal raisins the natural sumed by many hap-
the famous snickerdoodle. Of are completely out of choco- order. In the py people. The choc-
course, every cookie wants to late chips league. Secondly, end, you still olate chip cookie is
be like this star. Because of they look so similar that many have a food oftentimes what peo-
that, a devious substitute has times Ive picked up a cookie that is un- ple first think about
emerged, tricking people into and bitten into it only to expe- healthy and when they hear the
eating it as it masquerades as rience bitter disappointment doesnt taste word cookie, and
a chocolate chip cookie. Yes, I at best and utter revulsion at as good as one for the oatmeal rai-
am talking about none other worst. This should not be. In that is still sin to make even an
than the evil oatmeal raisin fact, chocolate chip cookies unhealthy attempt to step in is
cookie. shouldnt even be competing but tastes horrifying and liter-
The oatmeal raisin cookie with the lower-class oatmeal wonderful. ally disgusting. To
has lived in the shadow of raisin. Why? Logically, if allow these classics
the chocolate chip cookie for The oatmeal raisin cookie is you are going to be taken over by
many years and has made ev- a product of people attempt- to be unhealthy, get the stuff chips are gooey and melting a lump of oats and dried fruit
ery attempt to convert choco- ing to make desserts healthy. that tastes better. Never do or they are cool and crisp, is an infringement upon the
late chip cookie lovers across Desserts are not meant to be things halfway. the chocolatey goodness is chocolate chips domain. Join
the globe. Instead of a sweet, healthy. In fact, desserts are Now, upon taking a look at never diminished. The cook- the protest against the crimi-
practically made to be un- chocolate chip cookies, it be- ie around it can range from nals of the dessert world!
Chocolate chip cookies are a staple of any good cookbook. Here is a recipe to try...or if you arent up for the challenge
that is mixing a few ingredients...theres always the slice and bake kind that you can either stick in the oven or eat
straight out of the tube.
INGREDIENTS INSTRUCTIONS incorporated - 10-15 on a cookie sheet. Bake
8 tablespoons of salted 1. Preheat the oven to seconds. for 9-11 minutes until
butter 350 degrees. Microwave 3. Add the flour, bak- the cookies look puffy
cup white sugar the butter for about 40 ing soda, and salt. Mix and dry and just barely
cup packed light brown seconds to soften it. It until crumbles form. Use golden.
sugar shouldn't be hot - but it your hands to press the 5. Let them cool on the
1 teaspoon vanilla should be almost entirely crumbles together into a pan for a good 30 min-
1 egg in liquid form. dough. It should form one utes. They will sink down
1 cups all purpose flour 2. Using a stand mixer or large ball that is easy to and turn into these dense,
teaspoon baking soda electric beaters, beat the handle. Add the chocolate buttery, soft cookies that
teaspoon salt butter with the sugars chips and incorporate are the best in all the
cup chocolate chips until creamy. Add the with your hands. land. These should stay
vanilla and the egg; beat 4. Roll the dough into soft for many days if kept
on low speed until just 12 large balls and place in an airtight container.
Page 18 - Opinions

All work, no pay

Coaches score big payouts for player performance
versity, administrators, and the ath-
letes.
Giving these athletes fair payment
will give them the opportunity to
earn a stable income during their col-
Madi Little lege years. On top of practices, player
Staff writer meetings, interviews, and
actual games, these
players have no way
Whether its the star of the little to balance these
league team or the kid picking flowers activities and
in the outfield, its a rite of passage for having the abil-
American children to test the waters ity for even a
of sports. The obsession with sports part time job.
doesnt end in grade school, but in- Even though
stead continues even after teams be- these athletes
come more selective at a collegiate are receiv-
level. As little league athletes transi- ing money for
tion to weekend fans, the popularity tuition, travel ex-
of sports in universities has continued penses, and books,
to increase and coaches have started they arent receiv-
making millions of dollars based on ing money for the
the revenue generated by the players necessities of everyday life. Pay-
on the field. Coaches are over privi- ment for their role in the sport would
leged and excessively paid for their be beneficial for the athletes as it
players performance in numerous would eliminate the stress of financial
college sports while the athletes are instability.
strictly sanctioned by the NCAA. Paying college athletes will also
This issue has lead to complications reduce the amount of illegal actions
between the athletes, head coaches, taking place such as stealing, earn-
and the administration of the univer- ing money from side organizations,
sity itself. Paying college athletes will or violating the extensive list of NCAA
allow for less legal infractions, enable rules. Players often times feel pres-
the athletes to earn a steady income, sured by other athletes that are com-
and balance the pay between the uni- mitting these crimes to earn a basic
living themselves.
The volume of
Do you think college athletes these crimes will
dramatically de-
should be paid to play? cline if all players
are accommo-
dated with a given
No 92% amount of money.
Another
reason paying
athletes will be
greatly beneficial
is that a many
Yes 8% of these athletes
come from unsta-
ble backgrounds in
*100 students surveyed which their fami-
lies cannot afford to pay for essential
living expenses. If the university is
only paying for their scholarship and
textbooks, these players are unable to
fully excel in their life outside of being
on the court or field. In addition, the
NCAA must take in regard that not
all of the athletes playing in col-
lege are
considered star
athletes. These athletes are the ones
that are not compensated with all the
extra economic benefits the so called
stars are receiving.
People do not take into account
the fact that major universities are
misappropriating funds because of a
few star players selling the tickets for
every game. On countless occasions,
these funds are going to the university
itself, or the coaches and staff. All of
these athletes are being used for their
merchandise, their name, and their
substantial impact they make on the
university.
While the university is making the
money, the athletes are dealing with
trying to make a dependable income
while enjoying their college career.
Seeing their coaches and administra-
tors being paid and excessive amount
could also cause extreme tension be-
tween athletes and coaches. These
situations create instability for the
sports program and an overall nega-
tive environment for players and staff
members.
Many people will argue that there
are disadvantages that arise when
deciding how the payment will work
between the sports offered in college.
People argue that if payment is given
college sports like basketball and foot-
ball, you must also pay ath-
letes participating in sports
including water polo, bowl-
ing, and equestrian. Oth-
ers may argue that college
overall should be about
education and earn-
ing your degree, not
about attempting to
be the star athlete
on the field and
make money do-
ing so. These ac-
commodations
are enough for a
student athlete to
receive while attend-
ing the university for their
college career. While many universi-
ties have the ability to pay these ath-
letes, some small-scale colleges sim-
ply dont have the money to pay them.
Paying college athletes will reduce
the amount of legal infractions, al-
lows for the athletes to earn a steady
income during their college years,
and balance the pay between the uni-
versity, the administrators, and the
athletes.
The primary reason payment
should be given to these athletes is
that without the revenue, reputation,
and actions made by these players,
the university wouldnt be able to
have all of its traditions. If colleges
and universities establish a system
where paying athletes is developed,
it is more likely that future athletes
will set their goals to become more
successful during their college years.
Altogether it is not fair that the head
coach and staff are flourishing with
millions of dollars and the players
arent making a penny.
I Opinions - Page 19

Staying in stitches
Humor best medicine for mental health, outlook on life
Jokes are common --Why was the mole of oxygen friends are boring. Humor, though different
ways to make people molecules excited when he Humor is also the easiest for each person, can be the
laugh and they come walked out of the singles bar? way to relieve stress. Less great equalizer. Laughter can
in multiple categories He got Avogadros number! stress and more laughter bring people together in a
depending on peoples positive way and can
Reagan Brown interests or mood at a It is insane for peo- help connect people
Staff writer given moment. They ple to brag about hav- through difficult mo-
can be about anything ing no sense of hu- ments.
The most important key to including animals, mor. I strongly believe Whether its laughing
life is to see things in a posi- plants, or science and though that no one should go in the face of a stress-
tive perspective. Keeping a knock-knock jokes and satire about their day without ful situation, cracking
positive perspective is made can be fun, puns are my fa- laughing at least once. a joke in an awkward
easier when people add hu- vorite. They are the best kind Theres humor worth moment, or hearing a
mor to their lives. of jokes because they are like looking for in every as- funny story, humor is
The important aspects of puzzles pieces that have to be pect of life. beneficial in every as-
humor are mental health connected to be understood When you get a Laffy pect.
and attitude. Its important - simple wordplay for the Taffy theres always a Though there is a
to be able to see things in a masses. joke in the back of the wrap- leads to a more optimistic at- time to be serious, people
humorous way and not take per: How does a man on titude. need to smile more, laugh
all the negative situations Some of my favorite the moon get his hair cut? Laughter enhances the en- more, and learn how to take a
so seriously. Not only is hu- chemistry puns: ---eclipse it. ergy released to your brain joke because taking things too
mor important, but it is good --What is the undertakers fa- The milk cartons at school and the body. Laughter re- seriously all the time wont
for physical and emotional vorite element? have jokes on the back of leases happy chemicals that take anyone far.
health. Barium them, but theyre mostly cow boost the immune system Start telling a joke a day
Making people laugh is my --What is the show cesium related: What did the mother and relaxes muscles. Not and see how it changes your
favorite way of spreading joy and iodine love watching to- cow say to her son? ---its pas- only does it improve energy, attitude. A more optimistic
to other people. I enjoy mak- gether? ture bedtime. humor helps with toning abs attitude can lead to a better
ing people laugh because I CSI Every company should start and is a form of cardio by first impression. In life there
feel that making someone --Did you hear oxygen went putting jokes on their packag- contracting those muscles will be challenges and fright-
smile is best thing someone on a date with potassium? ing to spread joy to people. through laughter. It is the ening situations, but that can
can do. It went OK Without a sense of humor best natural antidote to any easily be resolved with humor
My goal for every day is --Anyone know any jokes people often feel like their re- stressful illness proving the to turn that negative into a
to make someone smile or about sodium? lationships with their friends, age old saying: Laughter is positive.
at least brighten their day. Na families, and boyfriends/girl- the best medicine.

What did the duck say Why did the police

to the avocado? want to catch the train
Whats your favorite joke? Guac Guac
Kaitlyn Montgomery, 12
robber so badly?
He had a loco motive
Georgia Van Hyfte, 11

I would tell you Whats a ducks

a joke about pizza, favorite snack?
but its too cheesy. A Quacker
Ashley Konderla, 12 Sam Smith, 11
Page 20 - Opinion

Gen Y is this happening

Box offices full of remakes, old ideas create rut on screen
The older
generation
asks this
generation
many good
Gail Finch q u e s t i o n s ,
Staff writer like: Why
are you
teenagers so lazy? and Why is this generation of
music so self-centered?. One of the most impor-
tant questions is: Have you seen the original?.
This is in reference to movies, of course. Over the
past decade or so there have been a fair amount
of remakes and adaptations of films. Their main
source of material? Movies from the 80s and 90s.
Hollywood seems to have run out of original
ideas, and this isnt indicated by the remakes. There
are also sequels and spin-offs of old series, as well
as the lack of any original story plots which all seem
intensely formulaic. However, the movies that get
the most flack are remakes because theyre taking
an original idea and revamping it for an audience
that they have never seen it, when in reality, its
the people who grew up with those movies that are
watching them.
Adults who grew up in the 80s, or at least had
a taste of what it feels like to have lived in an era
where neon polygons were an accepted thing to
wear on ones body, know how unique of a time it
was for movies. Saturday morning cartoons were
being made into movies, movies were being made
into Saturday morning cartoons, like the 1987
movie Robocop being made into an animated se-
ries for children a year after the movies initial re-
lease. Many cartoons even had a driving force of toy
branding at the wheel with totally tubular commer-
cial jingles. One of the titles that has been in the
recent onslaught of remakes is none other than the
great 1984 classic, Ghostbusters.
When the groovy 80s synth plays and the icon-
ic line Who ya gonna call? rings out, audiences
know theyre in for a good time. That is, unless they
saw the recent 2016 version of Ghostbusters. Boast-
ing an all female main cast, the newest edition to
the Ghostbusters franchise didnt quite sit well with
fans of the original. Why improve on something
thats already critically acclaimed to begin with?
Same goes for the 2014 version of the Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles movie directed by Michael
Bay; it just doesnt have the same early 90s bad
graphics vibe to it that everyone seems to accept
and love. The cartoonish radioactive turtles who
were trained in martial arts got a semi-realistic up-
grade that makes me feel uncomfortable when the
female lead comes into play. Actually, their new
look makes me uncomfortable in general. Moral of
the story, leave the 80s and 90s alone; let them be.
As the new wave Disney live action remakes go,
theyre either hit or miss. Movies like Maleficent
captivated audiences with the different perspective
on the Sleeping Beauty story, but then there was
the Cinderella live action remake, which fell flat in
many ways. As much as I love the original animated
classic, I dont think it needed a fresh coat of 2015
CGI animation. With the new Beauty and the Beast
live action movie coming out soon, Im hoping its at
least decent enough to make me not want to watch
the original on repeat to cleanse my palette.
Whether we like it or not, Hollywood is going to
push out as many remakes as they can make money
off of. The nostalgia business is booming in the re-
cent decade, so new ideas arent a priority. I hope
that in the future, movies will progress not with just
fancy technology, but with new ideas and narratives
that give life to an industry filled with magic.
With the nostalgia business going strong, things
from the 80s and 90s are coming back into the
mainstream full force. Nintendo pushed out a lot of
their old properties to bring in their audience, new
and old, with the 2016 release of the NES (Nintendo
Entertainment System) Classic chock full of classic
8-bit games that everyone can enjoy. 90s sodas like
Surge and Crystal Pepsi made a comeback in the
past two years. The entertainment business is try-
ing to get their slice of the nostalgia pie now that the
last three decades have made such a comeback.

Quit milking it
Coddled youth never gain independence, learn self-reliance
Many fears in the world cause some
superstitious parents to over protect
their children. Independence is gained
at a young age but, being over-nur-
Payton McKeehan tured or coddled, can cause some kids
Staff Writer to lack in that characteristic. Parents
may think that smothering their child
is the best thing they could do but, it benefit both the parent and the child to
let each other have some breathing room. Coddling leads to no self-reliance, and
never learning from ones own mistakes.
Coddled children have been known to be spoiled and expect everyone else in
the world to wait on them hand-and-foot. However, the world is not always such
a sweet place, leaving people who were coddled from a young age particularly
unprepared for reality. The person becomes dependent on the parent and wont
completely search for their own life after everything has been handed to them and
they havent had to do things for themselves.
Of course, a parent wants to pick up and comfort their crying baby, but some-
times theyve just got to let it cry in its cradle and learn to self-soothe. Without
learning this, the child will get older and will learn to cry to get what they want.
Like a child demanding a toy from the store, and in an effort to calm the scream-
ing demon some would waste away their paycheck and hand over the reigns to a 5
year old just to get them to be quiet. This is where the parents need to take charge
and not praise the kid for screaming because that is exactly what they will learn to
do. At school, if a child gets a bad grade, they have learned that throwing a fit or
having mommy call the teacher will get them what they want. Unfortunately, that
is not how it works in the real world.
At an even older age, teenagers face many types of problems and opportunities
to make mistakes. Humans are taught to self-correct when they make mistakes,
but there can be no real correction until a mistake is actually made. With parents
leaving no breathing room for small mistakes the child will never learn from any
faults they may make.
A little parental guidance is helpful, but people shouldnt rely on their parents
opinions to make their own choices. People need to learn to be independent and
think for themselves. It benefits everyone in the end because they will be able to
self-soothe and be strong enough to handle difficulties on their own.
It is a delicate balance of supporting a child and allowing them to be their own
person. Failure is not an inherently bad thing, and can be a positive thing with the
right kind of support.
 Opinion - Page 21

Finding worth through reflection, prioritization of self

attributes. Self-worth The health risk of having low success, and with each new It is an everyday process for
is how a person feels self-worth is greater than any success, another confidence a person to start to gain that
about themselves and disease. building block is put into value within themselves.
the feeling of pride Self-worth is how one de- place. Although it may be a strug-
Mackenzie
they have. If a person fines themselves forcing oth- Success builds self-confi- gle for someone to have self-
Johnson has a low self esteem ers to see them as they see dence with each new achieve- worth, the end result is more
Staff Writer this could affect their themselves. ment. Confident people per- confidence and success that
The dictionary defines self- life and the simple Confidence is the key to ceive themselves as able to can be more beneficial than
worth as the sense of ones tasks they do everyday. success, or can say the first achieve those things they set anything else.
own value or worth as a per- Self-worth is valued as im- step to success. If a person out to do and this perception As teenagers we grow up
son. portant because it is crucial has confidence, they have creates reality in their lives. believing that the only way to
However, there are many to be happy and productive won half the battle. If someone looks at them- have self-worth is through the
ways for a person to value in ones everyday life. If ones The people who have con- selves in a different way than ranks of your own social stan-
themselves and assess their self-worth lowers, it doesnt fidence at work, school, and they are used to doing then it dards.
worth as a human being, and just impact the way people in their daily life always ap- can change their life and help However, this accusation
some of these are more psy- perceive negative events of pear on top of world. Every- their confidence level to rise is false. The only way some-
chologically beneficial than themselves, but it can have thing seems to go right for along their self-worth. one can achieve self-worth
others. great effects on their health. these people and they always There are many ways to in- is through their personal
Self-worth is frequent- Self-worth plays a signifi- seem to present themselves as crease ones self-worth. How- achievements and the every-
ly based on our feelings of cant role in shaping a per- calm, collected and successful ever, there isnt one specific day process that goes along
worth in terms of our skills, son. If someone were to have in everything they do. remedy that a person can do with teenagers to be confi-
achievements, status, finan- no self-worth it could cause This confidence ultimate- to make themselves feel as dent, and to have self-worth.
cial resources, or physical them to become mentally ill. ly creates opportunities for though they have more value.

Taking care of business like a family

Some people aspire to climb the cor-
porate ladder, to retire by 35 with a
bank account full of money from savvy
investments and shrewd business deals,
but others would find that type of life
devoid of meaning.
Incentivizing education usually only
leaves a bad taste in a teachers mouth
as they dont see success defined by a
students performance on a single test.
Its not that educators are better people
than CEOs, its just that they are driven
by different things.
Somehow CEOs and corporate Amer-
ica believe they can run schools better
than educators, but the truth is, they
simply throw false analogies at people
as they attempt to convince them about
the merits of a business-like school.
Instead, education should more
closely mirrors a family unit. The role of
the teacher is more akin to a parent than
a businessman as they work to coach,
counsel, and instruct while being people
who care, nurture, and show generosity.
The product for schools is unclear.
There is a frenzy over different account-
ability factors including test scores and
school performance, but most teachers
dont even begin to consider those two
factors when looking at their prod-
ucts.
Students are not items to be put on
a shelf and used in the most efficient
NORSEMAN
manner. They are individuals with their Staff writers
own skills, hopes, and dreams. Finding Gail Finch
teachers who can tap into those things Adviser Payton McKeehan http://www.
and reach each students on an indi- Rebecca Dominy Hannah Broussard bryanhighnorseman.com
vidual level demonstrates how far the Reagan Brown
education process is from a business. Co-editors
Mackenzie Johnson http://www.twitter.com/
Education cant be about churning out Danica Mendes
Shannon Keyser bhsnorseman
a product. Lucy Raleigh
Megan Krenek
Teachers do not pick and choose the
raw materials that walk into their class- Madison Little http://www.facebook.com/
Associate editor
rooms. Each student brings their own Anna Beth Mayerhoff
Jennyfer Tucker BryanISDBryanHigh-
set of problems and talents, yet each Kaywin McCall
Norseman
student is given an opportunity to over- Sophia Stone
come these challenges and become their
own person.
At a state and national level, there The opinions expressed are those of the writers and are not reflective of the
must be people in charge that under- administrators, faculty or staff of Bryan Independent School District.
stand these factors or America will nev- Submissions to the editor are welcomed, but must be signed and should not
er see a jump in student advancement. exceed 300 words. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions in the
Allowing people with no educational ex-
interest of clarity and length or to not print a letter at all. Letters containing
perience to write the legislation for edu-
cation is dangerous and it is vital that
obscene or libelous material will not be considered.
people have experience in education Bryan Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race,
before making sweeping regulations. religion, color, national origin, sex, or handicap in providing education services.
--The Norseman Staff
Page 22 - Entertainment

Time travel with twist

NBCs Timeless captivates viewers through history, drama
Sophia Stone
Staff writer
What if the Hindenburg
never blew up? What if Wil-
liam Travis famous Victory
Or Death letter never got out
of the Alamo? What if Neil
Armstrong never walked on
the moon? NBCs new hit dra-
ma, Timeless, takes viewers to
these time periods to see what
would change had these key
events in American history
never occurred.
The story follows the his-
torian Lucy Preston (Abigail
Spencer), who is accompa-
nied by a soldier, Wyatt Logan
(Matt Lanter), and a brainiac
pilot, Rufus Carlin (Malcolm
Barrett). In each episode, the about history and is loving
three take a journey through
time in order to preserve
history from the presumed
villain, Garcia Flynn (Go-
ran Vinji) who stole a time tough times, but also has
machine to destroy America.
However, Flynn claims to be
the good guy by saying that
he is just trying to prevent an
even bigger evil, Rittenhouse,
that is so embedded in the
United States government
that the only way to get rid
of it is to get rid of America
as well. All that the audience
knows about Rittenhouse is
that if someone gets in their
way, they will be killed.
Lucy, Wyatt, and Rufus
have their own relatable char-
acteristics. Lucy is passionate
and caring towards her family
and friends. Wyatt takes his West, and toying with a possi- each episode keeps history
dark past and not only uses ble relationship between Lucy fairly accurate but by the end,
it as fuel to get him through and Wyatt. history is unrecognizable be-
The writers could probably cause of things that changed
learned to fight for when the characters go
what he wants while back in time. Each event
learning that its okay that changes in history
to have fun and laugh. alters something in the
Rufus is the cautious present day. The catch is
one that at first didnt that anyone or anything
think about the harm in the time machine itself
his time machine isnt affected by these his-
could cause, but later torical changes. They still
learns to think about remember history the
how his actions hurt way it originally was.
himself and others. Timeless is on NBC
Even though history can make the whole show a two on Monday nights at 10 pm,
be dark, Timeless manages hour movie if they took out and has everything a good
to lighten the mood with Ru- the historical drama because show needs: action, funny
fus introducing himself to it has such a simple plot, but moments, mystery, and love,
various historical figures as the historical aspect is my fa- making Timeless my new fa-
Denzel Washington or Kanye vorite part. The beginning of vorite show.

Edge of teen angst

Movie captures adolescent attitudes through comedy, drama
Danica Mendes
Co-editor
We live in an era where a majority
of young adults think that the world
owes them something. Teens have
used methods of expressing them-
selves over time from passing notes in
class, to Myspace, to Facebook, Twit-
ter, and Tumblr, but teen angst re-
mains mostly the same as time passes.
The new teen dramedy film, The
Edge of Seventeen, is a funny, quirky,
and perceptive look at Nadine Frank-
lins (Hailee Steinfeld) life during her
junior year of high school. The Edge of
Seventeen is one the funniest coming-
of-age teen dramedy films I have seen ever, its not so easy on her either after
in a long time.
The film begins with Nadine walk-
ing into school, through the halls, and
arriving at Mr. Bruners class, the jerk
teacher, where she announces her in-
tention to kill herself. He then inter-
rupts her by reading his own suicide
note filled with complaints about stu-
dents, including Nadine. Nadine is an other teen movies, there isnt a villain brings to the film makes it relatable to
unpopular, smart, awkward, and fun- in this movie, like Mean Girls Regina how teens feel today. Haley Lu Rich-
ny girl who from a young age has been George. I was excited to see this movie ardson does a fantastic job playing the
bullied for being different. before it came out role of Krista thats
Nadines father, who she is very because I love quirky not only betraying
close with, dies, and watching him die teen dramedies, like the protagonist, but
begins the spiral of her life into four The Perks of Being changing the char-
years of misery, high school, sending a Wallflower, Juno, acter throughout the
her into depression and social anxiety. The Breakfast Club, film. Hailee and Hal-
Her older brother, Darian (Blake Jen- Superbad, and Ten ey both play strong
ner), is the polar opposite of Nadine; Things I Hate About roles of in the film
he is the all-star sport hero, popular, You. and did a great job
and handsome. This movie is dif- working together.
Her mom, Mona (Kyra Sedgwick), ferent because its The message
has never understood her daughter es- not the typical, for- of the film is that
pecially after her fathers death. How- mulated film that everything gets bet-
audiences see every ter in the long run.
losing her husband. year. Its relatable in It might take a while,
When Nadine catches her best the sense that Nadine but life will eventu-
friend, Krista (Haley Richardson), and is a high schooler battling with herself. ally iron out. Though this movie con-
her brother together she loses it. Krista Hailee Steinfeld does an amazing tains a lot of profanity it was overall a
has been Nadines best friend and only job of portraying Nadines teen angst great teen film that I think everyone
friend since she can remember. It is that she deals with throughout the should see at least once, especially if
the ultimate betrayal that confirms the whole film. you like dramedies like I do.
teen angst of high schoolers. Unlike The sarcastic dry humor that Nadine
 Entertainment - Page 23

Series brings Glee to viewers though song

Lucy Raleigh Fame-obsessed central character Ra- Rachel and Kurt hold a special place talented. Every single time I hear Ra-
Co-editior chel Berry (played by Lea Michelle) in my heart. From Kurts challenges as chel belt a Barbra Streisand ballad
Linoleum floor tiles, walls of lockers, does anything she can to earn solos in the only out kid at school and endur- chills run up and down my spine, and
crowded hallways, clique after clique the club, whether it be at the expense ing relentless harassment from peers, every time Mercedes sings any song
after clique At the thought of these of the rest of the group or simply to get to Rachels struggle to maintain the my whole body fills with joy and is
things, the typical high school tends to herself in the spotlight. spotlight and prove herself a star, the covered by goose bumps.
comes to mind. Of course not all high More often than not I hear people two characters never fail to make my Not only are the actors extremely
schools are the same, especially not talk about how Rachel is their least fa- heart feel warm and fuzzy with every talented, the writing is intelligent and
when the students and staff spontane- vorite character, and I can understand solo, heartfelt duet, or obstacle that hilarious. Characters like Brittany
ously break into song at any given op- why. comes their way. S. Pierce (Heather Morris) and Sue
portunity. She is extremely needy and whiny, In 2015, Glee finally saw its finale, Sylvester (Jane Lynch) have some of
One particular high school that fits but she is probably the most driven of leaving me and so many other fans the best and wittiest jokes out of the
this description is the one and only all of the characters in the show. For temporarily without purpose. whole show, ranging from Brittanys
McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio, all of the years I have been watching I wasnt too sure how I was going to unexpected puns to Sues attacks on
also known as the home of the show the show, I have seen myself in many go on without tuning in to my favorite glee club director Will Schuesters
choir group or glee club New Direc- different aspects of her, and I highly show and staying up late on a school (Matthew Morrison) wavy and over-
tions. Though McKinley is the fictional admire her desire to succeed and be night once a week, but given that my gelled hair.
home of a fictional show choir, the sto- the best. family and I were so obsessed with Out of all of the reasons for loving
ry of a group of outcasts finding com- Of course, I have to give credit to the the show, we had all of the seasons on the show as much as I do, I think that
mon ground and friendship through characters constantly struggling to get DVD safe at home, and I knew I would the spirit and attitude of family and
show tunes is all the more real to me. out from behind Rachels shadow like be okay. friendship that the shows takes on is
In May 2009 when Foxs Glee first Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer) and Mer- Nowadays, all six seasons of Glee the most inspiring.
aired, I was starstruck. Of course, cedes Jones (Amber Riley). are on Netflix and readily available I may not be talented enough to be a
at eight years old, I had no real con- Both members of the club are just to binge-watch at any given moment part of my schools glee club, let alone
cept of what high school was like, and as, if not more, talented than Rachel, (and I am proud to say that I have be a star soloist, but I know that I can
thanks to Glee, all of my expectations they often struggle to get their chance taken advantage of that opportunity take the inspiration gained from the
became unrealistic. at the spotlight. Through every well- more times than I can count). show to form strong friendships and
Though I was unable to fully un- earned ballad or occasional duet, People ask me why I am obsessed make the most of my high school ex-
derstand the high school themes of Mercedes and Kurt each have their with Glee and I typically start off with perience.
cliques, relationships, and fierce so- moments of stardom, sharing the the simple answer: its the best show Whether or not you are living the
cial hierarchy the first time I watched limelight with Rachel. ever. Of course, this is highly debat- high school experience at the moment,
the show, by the time I finished all I think that if faced with the ques- able (for some people), but I continue there are many things that Glee holds
six seasons for quite possibly the tion of who my favorite Glee character my argument with solid in store for viewers of all ages. From
eighth time, I found the charac- was, I would, to this day, never be evidence. show tunes to teen and adult drama to
ters more relatable than ever able to answer that question. The music is amazing life lessons, Foxs Glee remains time-
before. There are some that I cant and all of the actors less in its messages, no matter how
really defend or say that I like, are so sometimes-dated the soundtrack
but characters like can be.
Page 24 - Campus Life
Computer science teacher uses industry experience in classroom
Megan Krenek
Staff writer
People who transition from an out-
side industry into the classroom can
sometimes find it difficult, but com-
puter science teacher Terry McDonell
has found a way to use his previous ex-
perience to help him in his own class-
room.
McDonell went to Oklahoma State
University earning a degree in me-
chanical engineering.
I was responsible for the construc-
tion of the topside facilities, the off-
shore hookup and final commissioning
of the offshore platforms, McDonell
said. I was involved in three major
projects and each were in the range of
a million dollars.
McDonell worked with three differ-
ent oil companies, Exxon Mobil, Con-
oco Oil, and Maersk Oil over a thirty
year time span.
During the onshore construction
there could be as many as one thou-
sand people working, McDonell said.
I learned that you must be prepared
for diversity, different ways of think-
ing, and things that we might take for
granted and not even think about.
Traveling across the globe for work
allowed McDonell to experience
different cultures and live in plac-
es he may never have had the op-
portunity to visit otherwise.
My family and I enjoyed the
South of England the most because
we had young girls that
were in school there,
McDonell said. Though
I would say Scotland is
about the prettiest place
Ive lived in. The rolling
hills and mountainous
areas which are virtually
been untouched, and the
ocean on either side be-
cause it is a small country make it pic-
turesque.
After traveling across the United
States, Scotland, Indonesia, Russia
and other countries McDonell has put
down roots in Bryan.
The world wide economy slowed
down and the price of oil went down
reducing the number of people work-
ing in that field, McDonell said. So
I moved from the oil field to the class-
room and I want to give back to stu-
dents now. When I worked in the oil
business, I worked with boy scouts
and I would like to continue giving
back.
McDonell transitioned from the oil
field to the classroom smoothly as he
sees students as the future.
The diversity of the students and
their capability and intelligence has
made teaching interesting, McDonell
said. When students are willing
to study and enjoy the class, it
makes all the effort worth it.
Experience in another field
has given McDonell tools to use
in connecting with students.
My previous job experience
helped me learn to deal with dif-
ferent people, especially young
engineers, McDonell said.
Working in oil has helped me
to manage, guide, and direct
them.
McDonell appreciates his time
in the oil industry and hopes to
use the things he learned to help
his students.
Working in the oil industry gave
me an opportunity to speak and learn
from diversity, McDonell said. I
worked with a diverse group of people
from different countries which has
helped me at Bryan High.

As demonstrated through
the stories on page 12-13,
many students need assis-
tance dealing with guilt, al-
cohol abuse, depression or
any number of other issues.
As a staff, our hope is to
provide local resources that
are available to students in a
single location.
Al-Anon Family Groups 4001 East 29th Street, Suite
- Students needing help with
substance abuse can contact
this group at 1-888-425-
2666.
Brazos Valley Coun- vides counseling, life skill
cil on Alcohol and Sub-
stance Abuse (BVCASA)
provides help with preven-
tion, treatment, and recov-
ery locally.
They offer screen-
ings, outpatient
treatment for both
adults and youth,
while also working on
prevention.
To contact BVCASA you
can email them at
info@bvcasa.org or
call their main of-
fice at 979-823-
5300. Their main
office is located at
Teen Help
90 in Bryan.
Twin City Mission
Youth & Family Services
- STAR Program - pro-
groups, and prevention ser-
vices to kids and their fami-
lies.
Contact them at 979-260-
7336 or by going by their
office at 3806 Old College
Road in Bryan.
MHMR Mental
Health/Crisis Services -
Includes crisis services, in-
dividual, group, and family
counseling, and many other
services.
Contact them at 1-888-
522-8262. They are located
at 804 South Texas Avenue
in Bryan.
Texas A&M University
Counseling and Assess-
ment Clinic can be con-
tacted by calling 979-595-
1770.
School counselors are
great resources and can pro-
vide assistance on who may
be able to help the most.
Students T-Z and IB:
Justin Estes, Room 2104
justin.estes@bryanisd.org
Students A-D:
Corine Van, Room 6151
corine.van@bryanisd.org
Student E-I:
Nikki Surley, Room 5180
nikki.surley@bryanisd.org
Students J-M:
Sondra Junek, Room 3101
sondra.junek@bryanisd.org
Students N-S:
TaShauna Green, Room
2201
tashauna.green@bryanisd.org
Freshmen A-L:
Kay Leifeste, Room 3101
kay.leifeste@bryanisd.org
Freshmen M-Z:
Tiffany Giffen, Room 3201
tiffany.giffen@bryanisd.org
If you feel like another
person is in immediate dan-
ger and may harm them-
selves, please contact emer-
gency services immediately.
In this case calling 911,
the police department, or
fire department would be an
appropriate course of action
and could save a life.
Page 2 - Around Campus/News

Around Campus
News & events at Bryan High School

Yearbook Orders
Dont forget to order your
yearbook before April 12.
Students can bring pay-
ments to 6160 or go online
to order at http://smart-
pus for graduation deliv-
eries March 22-23. Make
sure you stop by the tables
in the cafeteria during
lunch to pick up your cap
and gowns and invita-
host the Spring blood
drive Thurs-Fri., April 27-
28 in Gym 3.
Contact Laura King
through Hammond Oliver
for any questions you may

Into the Woods

pay.com.
Yearbooks are $65 and
checks can be made pay-
able to BHS Yearbook. The
price will go up to $75 on
March 31.
For any questions,
please contact Rebecca
Dominy in room 6160
or by email at rebecca.
dominy@bryanisd.org or
phone at 979-209-2580.
Balfour Pick-up
Balfour will be on cam-
tions.
ArtFest
Bryan High will host the
district ArtFest on Satur-
day, April 8 from 10am -
2pm in the Silver Cafeteria.
Students are encour-
aged to stop by and view
all the amazing artwork
being created across the
district.
Blood Drive
Hammond Oliver will
have.
Prom
Mark your calendars
and start shopping for
the perfect dress, Prom is
scheduled for Sat., May 13.
Tickets can be pur-
chased in the Silver Caf-
eteria leading up to the
event.
If you have any ques-
tions, please contact Col-
leen Holmes in room
5240.

Hands free
College Station enforces new law prohibiting cell phone use while driving
Shannon Keyser
Staff writer
Since crashes caused by
texting and driving are in-
creasing, cities and states are
taking action to prevent these
disasters from taking place.
On November 9, College Sta-
tion enacted a new law that
makes it illegal to use hand-
held electronic devices while
driving, excluding times when
the driver is stopped at a stop-
light or is in an emergency
situation.
Im not on my phone as
much in College Station be-
cause I dont want to get
pulled over, senior Katy
Cargo said. Normally I dont
text and drive. I just change a
song, but I cant do that either.
I dont want to get pulled over
and get a ticket for something
stupid.
While implementing the law
may have been challenging,
some drivers see its enforce-
ment as the more difficult
part.
I dont know that we can re-
ally regulate people that well,
teacher Sarah Patterson said,
but I can understand the de-
sire to make our roads safer.
Unfortunately, texting while
driving accidents are com-
mon. In 2014 alone, more
than 431,000 people in the
US were injured in distracted
driving accidents.
I actually saw someone get
in a texting and driving ac-
cident, junior Braden Beall
said. People are addicted to
their phones, and thats all
they worry about.
Though this law should, in
theory, help reduce texting
and driving, many believe the
reality may be different.
I dont think the law is go-
ing to save any more lives
because people will try to be
sneaky, Katy said. Instead of
being out in the open, theyll
try to hide their phones.
In a technology-driven
world, it can be difficult for
people to ignore noti-
fications and alerts
while driving.
Many people
know the dan-
gers of driving
while using
devices, some
people decide
to take the risk
and use it anyway.
This is especially a
problem for teenagers
and young adults.
Students are very used to
being connected with their
peers at all points, Patterson
said. They dont necessarily
have the impulse control to
wait a few minutes and then what many adolescents be-
tell their peers what they saw lieve, they are not indestruc-
or thought of later. tible.
Texas is one of the four There has been legislation
states that has not imple- presented at various times to
mented a texting while driv- the Texas legislature about
ing ban for people over creating a ban, but it has been
eighteen. How- shot down each time. Despite
ever, there is a this, there is a growing pres-
ban for driv- sure and expectation for Texas
ers under to take action.
the age of I dont think Bryan itself
eighteen will enact the law against tex-
using cell ting while driving because I
phones at think the state of Texas will,
all, which Katy said. Thats why I think
many teens they havent done anything
dangerously about it yet.
ignore. Whether the city or state
Most stu- makes the first move, there is
dents dont follow the no cell a push nationally to outlaw the
phone use law for drivers un- use of mobile devices while
der eighteen, junior Bradley driving. With the amount of
Ervin said. Its important to pressure, some sort of action
not let yourself be distracted is bound to occur.
while driving because, despite