T h e

B r y a n

H i g h

S c h o o l

NORSEMAN

Volume 43, Number 2 December 2013

www.BryanHighNoresman.com

SEE MORE
ONLINE
Breaking News
The News category of The
Norseman is the best way to
stay up-to-date with the news
& information at Bryan High.

FEATURES
Basketball star shines
with positivity, serves as
an inspiration for others
Staff writer Robert Morgan
profiles basketball player Jordan Lopez-Rhodes to take a
closer look at her positive role
on the team.

Sports

To
stay
up-to-date
with
the latest sports scores for
Bryan High School athletic programs, be sure to visit
bryanhighnorseman.com/sports.

Entertainment
Gravity pulls moviegoers
to theaters
Assistant editor Regina Flores
recommends audiences rent
Gravity when it is released on
DVD early next year.

Opinion
Roadhouse seems more
like Rudehouse
Staff writer Gabby Martinez
gives her review of a local eatery.

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IN-BRIEF

3450 Campus Drive Bryan, TX 77802

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Organization gives students safe haven, support

Maurissa Ramirez
Assistant editor
Every Thursday after school, journalism teacher Rebecca Dominy meets with
a group of students in room 6160. They
dont work on the newspaper or edit the
yearbook, but instead meet for a weekly
devotional. The group, Cord of 3, began last year when several students approached Dominy and expressed an interest in participating in an after-school Bible
study.
The group derived their name from the
verse Ephesians 4:12 which says Though
one may be overpowered, two can defend
themselves. A cord of 3 strands is not
quickly broken.
We chose the name Cord of 3 for our
group because it mirrors what we wanted
the group to be, Dominy said. It is our
hope that the group supports each other,
and then meets in His name to create a
special unbreakable bond.
The groups direction has been studentdriven and evolved along the way.
I really wasnt sure what it would be at
first, Dominy said. I wanted it to meet
the needs of students and not be some
hard or rigid set of study.
With that idea, the group morphed over
time from discussing seven verses a week
chosen by a student or Dominy to the current plan of going through a Max Lucado
book, chapter by chapter.

Although the weekly focus is always on by my friends while studying Gods word.
studying some part of the Bible, meetings The group has adopted See You at the
are also very important to group members Pole this year, a nationally recognized
as it serves as an environment conducive event. Students met at the flagpole in front
to sharing struggles, emotions and every- Silver campus to pray and recite verses as
day life.
a public demonstration of their faith and
Cord of 3
their desire for
is welcoming,
God to protect
very loving and
the
students
a
supportive
and teachers at
environment
BHS. The group
of great people
plans to conwho have comtinue See You
mon
interat the Pole to
ests,
junior
next year and
Andy Ramirez
increase
the
said. Getting
number of stuto build a perdents in attensonal relation- Cord of 3 members meet with other students
dance.
ship with oth- at the flag pole to pray for the school and their
We had a reers who have classmates during See You at the Pole.
ally good turnbeen through
out at See You
the same hardships of life that I have is my at the pole, junior Robert Morgan said.
one of my favorite parts, and getting the We had a lot of leadership show up, along
groups love and support, and mainly hav- with others. It was really interesting to just
ing a safe place to worship and get to know get a different demographic than the Cord
God is great.
of 3 group. Speaking at See You at the
When the group first started, about ten Pole was really interesting to me and it
students attended on a regular basis. The really helped me prepare for a leadership
number has increased to over 25 students role, maybe in the church if thats what is
this year and continues to grow.
in Gods plan for me. It was also really nice
Cord of 3 has helped me become stron- to just come together and worship God.
ger in my faith, senior Elizabeth Adcock Cord of 3 is open to all students and
said. Its also a lot of fun to be surrounded meets on Thur. from 4-5 in room 6160.

Feast of Carols stays true to roots,

adds extra flare for 30th anniversary
Robert Morgan
Staff writer
With the holidays rapidly approaching,
organizations are preparing for their annual traditions and festivities. The choir
department is gearing up for their 30th
year of Feast of Carols, a dinner and
Christmas concert all centered around a
Renaissance theme which will take place
on December 12, 13, and 14.
Choir directors Alex Medlock and Rob
Urbanek have kept some aspects of the
traditional performance of Feast while
bringing their own element to the production.
Were making [this year] more of an

experience rather than just coming to

a choir concert, Urbanek said. Weve
made subtle changes throughout the
years like menu changes, song selections,
and flow of the evening.
On top of expanding the experience,
Medlock said that the choir is experimenting with different musical and production styles that are new to Feast.
Were adding a more elaborate lighting experience, Medlock said. Were
exploring new genres of music that have
not been experienced in the past years of
Feast of Carols.
Although Medlock and Urbanek are
adding new aspects to Feast, they know

that the traditions are what makes Feast

memorable year after year.
Its not like weve changed everything,
but rather weve improved everything
that can be improved, Urbanek said.
In an attempt to replicate England
during the Renaissance, choir members
dress up in costumes appropriate for the
times and speak in British accents while
serving the guests. This makes Feast
an enjoyable experience for guests and
members of choir alike.
The whole experience is memorable,
senior Jessica Dill said. Being able to
dress up in costumes and sing in front
...continued on page 2

Page 2 - Around Campus/Features

Around Campus
News & events at Bryan High School

Fall Semester Finals

All finals will take place
the last week of school
from Dec. 18-20.
For a detailed schedule,
please see page 12 of The
Norseman.
Wrestling Tourney
The 17th annual Doc
Hess wrestling tournament will take place on
Sat. Dec. 21 at Bryan High
School.
Spring Semester
Dont forget to come
back to school in January
for the second semester.
Classes will resume on
Thursday, January 9.

SAT Testing
The next opportunity
for taking the SAT test is
Sat. Jan. 25.
Bryan High is one of the
testing option locations.
The deadline to register
is Fri. Dec. 27. Late registration can be done online
or on the phone by Jan.
24.

and casual pictures, there

is a $15 sitting fee.
If seniors do not take
pictures with the shcool
photographer they will
not be featured in the
yearbook.
Sign-up sheets will be
available in all English IV
classes and in room 6160
with Mrs. Dominy.

Senior Pictures
The last opportunity for
seniors to take senior pictures will in January.
For students only interested in taking a yearbook
picture there is no charge.
If students are interested
in taking cap and gown,

Sadie Hawkins
Girls, start thinking
about that special boy
youve always wanted to
ask out.
Sadie Hawkins is scheduled for Sat. Feb. 1 from
8:00 pm - 11:45 pm.

Students quack up

Choir production anniversary

...continued from page 1
of everyone is really fun.
Going out into the audience and interacting with guests during the dinner portion of Feast is an aspect of the performance that junior Addie Henry looks forward to every year.
When you interact with [the guests], you can see that [they] are enjoying
something that you produced, Henry said.
For new choir members, Feast is a performance that many have looked forward to. Freshman Grayson McGee has been in the audience for many years
watching family members perform and is excited to finally be apart of the experience.
Im looking forward to being in it for the first time instead of watching it,
McGee said. Were doing a lot of really cool songs, so Im excited to see how they
come together with all the choirs.
At the end of every performance of Feast, former choir members join the current choir and sing Silent Night, which many students and alumni say is an
emotional and memorable moment of the performance.
The best part is when you look out into the audience and see that theyre
amazed by that song and that one person actually has tears in their eyes because
[the song] is that beautiful, junior Cristina Thomas said.
Every year, new elements are added to Feast which keeps the show interesting
and enjoyable for choir and audience members alike. The environment, the song
selection, and the emotional attachment to the experience help make the performance something unique year after year.
[Feast] reminds me of the beauty of Christmas, Henry said.

Teacher uses wit, background to keep class focused

Andrea Mendes
Managing editor
A riveting sense of humor, impressive demonstrations, and interactive lessons on the laws of physics
are what you can expect in an everyday class with
physics teacher Robert Richards, but what students
dont expect is Richards unique background and interests.
Richards, who grew up in a military-based family,
traveled a lot as a child and spent extended periods
with his grandparents.
I was born in Pittsburg, but Ive lived in a lot of
places because my dad was in the military, Richards
said. It was interesting because for a portion of my
life, my father was [either] off in college, training, or
fighting in Vietnam.
Despite being continually exposed to the military
at a young age, Richards disagreed with the training
techniques and the lifestyle it brought.
I knew it wasnt the life for me, Richards said.
When we lived in West Point I saw a lot of the hazing
that cadets went through and you couldnt make me
do that, nor could you pay me to do that.
Early on, Richards developed a laid back attitude
and forged his own beliefs and although at times they
clashed with his strict upbringing, his father respected his opinions.
I rebelled a lot against my father, Richards said.
If I thought one of his rules was stupid, I would do
what I wanted and take my punishment [for it]. I
know Im a lot like him, but he wont admit it.
Richards resolute character would lead him
through high school and into college at Auburn University as he chased his high school sweetheart and
now wife, art teacher Renee Richards, but it would

be the work of Ronald Reagan that would lead him to

one of his many passions: ducks.
[Reagan] cut off just about all monies for everything when I was getting ready to go to graduate
school, Richards said. So all money was dried up for
research except for three animals; I went with ducks
because I had no interest in deer, and turkeys were a
little less attractive.
Richards duck research would pick up from Alabama, taking him to various beautiful places on the
coast and would eventually land him at Texas A&M.
Texas A&M had a good grant system from rich
ranchers who were giving money to the University to
fund duck research, Richards said, and the worlds
leading duck researcher.
Richards passion for research would continue to
play a large role in his life, even as he made the transition to teaching. Richards enjoyed teaching IPC for
numerous years, as it encompassed biology, physics,
and chemistry and allowed him to remain current in
all areas. It also gave him the opportunity to inspire
students at a young age.
I really wanted to start with teaching 9th graders,
Richards said. Research has proven at that age is
when you can really turn students lives around and
have a lasting effect in getting them interested in the
sciences and college in general.
Richards success with IPC would not go unnoticed
and he would eventually be asked to take over the
Physics program. Teaching AP, IB and Pre-AP classes
provided the opportunity to work with older kids and
make the program more rigorous, and for Richards,
would be a fun challenge and change.
Hes really good at juggling both AP, IB and Preap and keeping the three separate, junior Miana Soto

said. IB Physics is more of a challenge for me and I

do have to go after school a lot. He really tries to get
us to figure things out on our own and not rely on him
for everything.
Marrying his laid back attitude with this teaching
skills, Richards uses his sense of humor to approach
students on a personal level.
One Wednesday Mr. Richards randomly played
that commercial with the camel walking around asking hey what day is it, Soto said. He played that
for us and the camel goes Hump Day, and everyone
laughed.
Richards pairs his lessons with light-hearted jokes
throughout the class period to keep students listening
and laughing.
When we were studying torque, Mr. Richards
made jokes about how it sounded like twerk and how
we should all get our twerk on, Soto said.
Apart from his devotion to research and teaching,
Richards enjoys studying his familys genealogy and
has traced his lineage back to the 1600s.
Were actually planning a trip to look at one possible person in our lineage to find more about him,
Richards said. We have conflicting stories as to who
he was so well be digging through a lot of church records and figuring the story out.
Although his lineage fails to boast any nobles, Richards hopes to pass down what hes learned about his
familys story for many years to come.
Its funny because everyone was pretty poor,
Richards said. Its really important for me to do this
being that Im the last man in my line so Im trying to
figure this out to leave to my children to pass on in our
family so we know where we came from.

Features - Page 3

Hammond-Oliver provides head start

for students interested in medical professions
Regina Flores
Assitant editor
Do you know what you want to do when you grow
up? Do you want to get a head start on your future
now, but dont know how? If youre interested in the
medical field, youre in luck. Since the early 1990s,
Hammond-Oliver has broadened students visions for
life beyond high school by allowing students to get a
jump start on their medical careers by taking healthscience related courses and gaining hands-on experience early on.
As part of a response to the workforce commission
that said our future needs in this community would focus on health-care workers, Bryan ISD used that as an
opportunity to expand a program and have the vision
for Hammond-Oliver as it is today, Hammond-Oliver
dean Judy Hughson said.
Todays vision for Hammond-Oliver is alive and
growing as students from Bryan High and Rudder
gather to learn more about the human body, animals,
and health science. Learning something unique every year, each grade level has the opportunity to gain
knowledge on material that would normally be offered at the college level, allowing them to build a firm
foundation on material that they will be learning later
on. Freshmen start off by getting a solid background,
learning about child development, different medical
heroes, medical terminology, and becoming CPR and
AED certified.
Were learning about medical terms and different
people and just the basics of how everything started,
like people who found immunizations, freshman
Danica Mendes said. Its more challenging because
its more of the medical field. Its pointing you in that

direction, and at the end of the year Im going to be

CPR certified.
Sophomores at Hammond-Oliver get more handson experience as they practice with blood-pressure
cuffs, thermometers, stethoscopes, and add first-aid
certifications to their resumes.
Junior year, students begin getting involved with the
community as they choose a location at which to job
shadow for a week during their last month of school.
Im learning a lot about the human body, how
were built, and how different types of bacteria and
things can harm us, junior Garrett Rathjen said.
[Hammond-Oliver] is a fun place to learn. I like the
teachers, and its more active [because] we get to learn
about what were going to do when we get out in the
community and actually start working with people [instead of] just sitting in a classroom.
Senior year in Hammond-Oliver is when students
are able to put their skills into practice. Not only do
seniors earn college credit for a medical terminology
class, but seniors have the option to earn a pharmacytech certification, veterinary medicine certification,
CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) certification, or going on internships. Pharmacy-tech students are taught
the discipline of pharmacy operations, learning about
over 200 types of drugs and their uses as they prepare
to go out and work in pharmacies. By the end of the
year, students have the opportunity to earn their pharmacy-tech certification.
Its a pretty intense course, pharmacy-tech teacher
Anne Ballard said. Once they graduate and theyre 18,
they can take a PTCB (Pharmacy Technician Certification Board) exam, and then they can become licensed
as a certified pharmacy tech earning anywhere from

$10-20 an hour.
The vet tech program enables Hammond-Oliver seniors to earn a veterinary assistant certification.

If they can get 300 hours in theyll take a state
board exam, vet tech teacher Sue Elliott said. We
[also] have some trips set up; were going out to swine
center to watch some pigs being born, and then were
going to watch equine surgery out at the Texas equine
hospital.
The CNA program is useful for students who are
more interested in nursing and it consists of 100
hours; 60 have to be in the classroom and 40 have to
be clinical.
They have their classroom and lab practice component here at Hammond Oliver, and then they do
their clinical component at Lamp Stand which is a
long-term care center here in town, CNA teacher Erin
Wright said. Once they complete all of that, theyre
eligible to take the state certification test which requires them to perform hands on skills in front of an
examiner and also take a test.
Whether students know exactly which career they
want to pursue or are still uncertain, interning is a
great option for everyone as students can practice
working in their future careers or just learn more
about interesting ones. Students spend two half-days
a week shadowing a community mentor and learning
about a field that theyre interested in, whether thats
nursing, medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, etc.
I believe that students should be involved because
involvement broadens ones vision for life beyond high
school, Hughson said. An integrated curriculum,
which we have here at Hammond-Oliver, ties learning
together.

Teacher uses real world experience

to create healthy learning environment
Erin Garcia
Staff writer
Hammond-Oliver, a high school for
studies on human sciences located on
blue campus, holds many opportunities for students, and CNA (certified
nurse assistant) and intern teacher
Erin Wright believes the school is extremely beneficial.
Hammond-Oliver gives students the
opportunity to discover if a health career is a good fit for them while gaining
hands-on career training and earning
dual credit, Wright said. Students are
well prepared to enter college, and they
can be ready for a job in high demand
such as Nurse Assistants, Pharmacy
Technicians or Veterinary Medical Assistants as soon as they graduate.
Wright has taught at HammondOliver since it opened in 1993, but has
also worked in other medical positions

before.
I also worked as a Nurse Educator
at the University of Illinois College of
Medicine, mainly with patients with
diabetes, and in staff development and
education at Saint Francis Medical
Center and Carle Foundation Hospital, Wright said. My first teaching position was as a CPR instructor in 1982.
Besides teaching, Wright also has a
background in the medical field.
I am a Registered Nurse and a Certified Diabetes Educator, Wright said.
I have worked in medical and cardiovascular care, oncology, orthopedics,
and endocrinology as well as in medical education and administration.
Wright is one of the sponsors of the
Health Occupations Students of America or HOSA, a student club open to
anyone interested in a medically related career.

HOSA helps students develop leadership skills, [as well as] interact with
other students who have similar interests, compete [at] regional, state and
national levels, participate in service
activities that enhance health and wellness, and earn scholarships, all while
having lots of fun, Wright said.
Wright has a passion for teaching
and loves working with students who
have similar interests.
I love teaching, Wright said. I really enjoy the students, my colleagues,
and having a job that keeps teaching
me new things. I enjoy helping students discover their passion for the
healthcare field.
Wright holds high standards for current Hammond-Oliver students and is
proud of those who have already graduated.
I hope to see happy, successful, car-

ing professionals working to help patients and their community, Wright

said. Its wonderful to see HammondOliver graduates now mentoring current students. Our graduates make me
proud and happy every day.
Students such as Hammond-Oliver
senior Regina Flores speak very highly
of Wright and believe her skills outside
of teaching are very beneficial to them.
Ms. Wright is an awesome teacher
because she has experience in teaching
as well as in the medical field, Flores
said. She is very knowledgeable. Shes
worked in several different fields of
medicine, so shes a very well-rounded
teacher. She knows a lot about everything she teaches us, and always has
cool stories to back up her lessons. It
really helps us learn.

Page 4 - Clubs & Organizations

Hairs the problem

Basketball player overcomes self-interest

Gabby Martinez
Staff writer
Dedication: the quality of being committed to a
task or purpose. For senior Arthur Vivero his purpose is clear and his commitment to basketball is an
understatement. The rush of the crowd, the suspense
of the buzzer, and the pressure to win; that is what
fuels him to not only be his best, but to consistently
improve.
Basketball has helped Arthur athletically and mentally as well.
Basketball has taught me that no matter what
youre up against, if you work hard and fear nothing,
you can be prepared for everything, Arthur said.
Arthurs family has recognized his talent since he
was young, and has watched a young committed child
grow into a talented athlete.
My older cousins always played [basketball] and

didnt let me join in, Arthur said. That motivated

me more, and little by little I got better. Eventually,
they didnt want to play without me.
Those types of situations never slowed him down
and, to Arthur, they were just more motivation to
improve. Although Arthur remained focused at some
point, his beliefs clashed with school policy. During
his freshman year his long hair went against the basketball teams dress code, and although he had a love
for the sport, he was reluctant to cut it. Unfortunately, this resulted in him not playing his freshman year.
I felt like my hard work and dedication meant
more than some hair policy, if they choose what you
looked like over how hard you worked on the court
then I wasnt in the right place, Arthur said. I had
to make a choice, so I played until they kicked me
out
With time, the urge to play became unbearable, so

Arthur gave in and cut his hair. Wasting no time, he

went to work and led the varsity team his sophomore
year.
Arthur isnt just our friend, but a leader, teammate Quaylon Newton said. Everyone on the team
respects his attitude and his dedication the sport.
His dedication to the game has made Arthur a leader on the court.
Hes one of our key players, hes always giving
nothing but his all assistant coach Jonathan Hines
said. Hes always on the court first, making his times
during practice and giving us those key points during
games.
To Arthur, the greatest accomplishment is yet to
come.
My greatest accomplishment will be when we win
the district championship this year and hang that
banner in the gym, Arthur said.

Basketball star shines with positivity,

serves as an inspiration for others
Robert Morgan
Staff writer
Running up and down the court,
sweat dripping down her face, the clock
ticking down second by second. The intensity of playing basketball has motivated junior Jordan Lopez-Rhodes to be
the best that she can be on and off the
court.
Ive been playing basketball since I
was four and it has been my rock, Jordan said. The game just comes naturally [to me].
With basketball as such an influential
part of her life, Jordan said her coach
has to constantly remind her that everyone has to get back up again once they
fall.
Because Im so hard on myself, my
coach just tells me if I make a mistake to
let it go, Jordan says. She says relax,
just be confident in yourself.
The positive reminders that Jordan
receives from her coach inspire her to be
an inspiration for others. One way Jordan does this is by coaching little kids in
the community.
Im a volunteer coach at the College
Station League for girls volleyball and
at the Lincoln Center for basketball,
Jordan said.
Although coaching and working with
kids has helped Jordan develop her
leadership skills, she says the most rewarding thing about the process is seeing the kids develop their skills.
I like teaching somebody what I

know and then seeing them grow, Jordan said.

Along with being active in the community, being heavily involved on campus
is a way that Jordan is able to expand
her leadership qualities. One group that
Jordan has joined this year is the Remix
dance group in which she practices her
leadership skills.
Sometimes, you just have to take the
initiative and say, this is what were going to do, Jordan said.
By being active in these two organizations, Jordan says that her people skills
have evolved far beyond what she ever
thought they could. Jordan is grateful
for these skills and says that they will
help her throughout her life.
[Being involved] challenges how well
you collaborate with others, Jordan
said.
This collaboration came into play recently in her life. Jordan was featured
on an episode of Quiero Mis Quinces
on MTV Tres that aired on October 22,
2012 which documented Jordan and
her family preparing for her quinceera
two summers ago.
I actually didnt even know I was
signed up for it, Jordan said. My mom
said, well, Im going to sign her up.
What are the chances? And it wasnt
until we got the email that said, Hey,
Jordan, were about to call you and interview you for the cast [that I knew she
signed me up].
Jordan found out that being followed

by a camera crew for a majority of the dance, the lights cut off so they were like
day was not as glamorous as it seems.
oh, we might have to do it again, but
If you had to go to the bathroom, you thankfully we didnt.
had to take
Throughout all the
off your mistress, Jordan never
crophone
lost her positive attiand
do
tude. However, Jordan
all of this
is experiencing a similar
[stuff] just
predicament with decidto go pee
ing what to do after high
for like 30
school.
seconds,
Hopefully Ill get a
Jordan
scholarship to go to a
said. They
college for basketball,
were kind
Jordan said. After that,
of annoyI have to decide if I want
ing, but it
to go to physical therwas kind of
apy school or medical
cool.
school.
Towards
Although she has an
the
end,
idea of what field she
the
prowants to go into, Jorcess
was
dan says that in regards
especially
to her profession, she is
stressful
uncertain.
for Jordan
I dont know what I
because of
want to become, Jorthe perfecdan said. I just like evJunior Jordan Lopez-Rhodes moves
tion
that
erything about the huunder a Woodlands defender to make
the producman body.
a two-point shot in the paint during last
ers needed.
No matter what she
years match-up.
The day
goes through, Jordan
before my
knows that she has to
quince, they had to change up the song remain positive.
mix, so we had to work around that the Its very important to me to be that
night before, Jordan said. And then positive light, Jordan said.
the day of [my quince] when we did the

Clubs & Organizations - Page 5

Novel idea

Month-long writing project yields novel for teens

Jesse Baxter
Assistant editor
There are so many books in the world and new ones
are being created every day. In our modern society
anyone can be an author. All that is needed is an idea.
However, have you ever stopped to think about what
actually goes into writing a book?
Junior Natalie Fisher has faced that task head on
and last fall she and junior Maddie Hines co-wrote a
book, Tempting Fates, as part of the National Novel
Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) program.
[NaNoWriMo] is in November and you are supposed to write a certain amount of words per day until you get to 50,000 words by the end of the month,
which is the minimum amount of words for your writing to be considered a novel, Natalie said. Once you
finish you get a little certificate.
Planning and order are needed when writing a book
and are even more important when the book is being
co-written.
[Maddie and I] had English together so we sat next
to each other when we had free time and talked about
it, and then we just wrote it, Natalie said.
Having to write about 1,500-2,000 number of
words a day helps keep participating authors on track
to accomplish their goal. Natalie said that this helped

her develop useful skills such as time management.

Because of where they were doing the book and
what they wanted to do it for, they had to write regardless of how they felt that day, teacher, and Natalies father Bill Fisher said.
Organization and time management are important
when writing in this competition, helping the author
finish on time.
What I found most interesting about the book was
the fact that she co-wrote it, so there had to be two
people working together, Fisher said. It takes a lot
of work to be able to come to an agreement about
what its going to be about.
Once November is over and the rough draft is finished the process is not over yet as the first draft has
to be edited and refined.
When you first write it you are just trying to get
it all out, and then editing it means youre trying to
make it all make sense, which is harder, Natalie said.
Tempting Fates is about the Greek myth of the
Fates with a modern twist which adds originality to
the work.
A group of deceased teenagers called The Fates
help Death see over events in time, making sure
everything happens when it is supposed to, Natalie
said. When events fall out of place and peoples fates

begin to change, it is up to the Fates to return order by

fixing the problem.
The main character is Jaden, a teenager who commits suicide and becomes a new Fate. He follows Zoe,
a girl who threatens the world and everyones fate.
[Jaden] tries to solve the problems surrounding
Zoe, Natalie said. Jaden struggles to determine if
fate is predetermined and if the future is set in stone
or able to change.
Through writing Tempting Fates, Natalie has seen
how much effort it takes to write a book.
[I now have] more respect when reading other
peoples books and how long it takes to write them,
Natalie said.
Since she started writing in middle school, Natalies
writing has improved, and that is clearly shown in
Tempting Fates.
I think that the things she writes about have gotten to be more complex, and shes dealt with them in
more depth. Fisher said.
Writing Tempting Fates has given Natalie insight
into the writing process and she has advice for any
aspiring writers.
Dont stop writing, Natalie said. The more you
write the better you get.

No-sleep November

Student sacrifices free time, rest for annual novel-writing competition

Alanis King
Assistant editor
I think its just amazing how you can create something when there was previously nothing, and you can
make people feel things that they wouldnt otherwise
feel through written word.
That is the reasoning behind junior Madison Hines
passion for writing novels, and National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), an annual competition for
novelists of all skill levels, allows her to pursue that
passion in a way like never before. Madison has been
competing in NaNoWriMo for several years and has
met a significant amount of success in doing so.
I discovered [the competition] because I was looking for writing contests to do to win money or scholarships, Madison said. I stumbled across NaNoWriMo about three years ago, and Ive won three times
so far.
NaNoWriMo, which requires writers to compose
an average of 1,667 words per day and a minimum
of 50,000 total words during the month of November, rewards each writer with five printed copies of
their novels manuscript so long as the minimum
word count is reached within the course of the month.
Madison said that its difficult to prioritize and balance time during the month, but she makes time to
write in regardless of her schedule order to not fall
behind in word count.
I write throughout the day a lot, so if I think of
something Ill jot it down in a notebook, Madison

said. Even if I only write 100 words, thats 100 words

I didnt have [before].
Making time to write also requires Madison to have
to make other sacrifices such as free time in order
to keep on track with her novels word count, and
Madisons friend, junior Mary Kate Walker, said that
though NaNoWriMo is frustrating for Madison, she
gets excited for the competition every year.
[Madison] always talks about how she cant do this
or she cant do that because shes at home trying to
meet her word quota for the day, Walker said.
During her three years of participating in the competition, Madison has explored three very different
topics with this years novel focusing around eating
disorders.
One year I wrote about time travel, last year I wrote
about fates and how you can mold [your fate] to where
you want it to be and how it doesnt have to be set in
stone, and the first year that I won, I wrote sort of a
murder/abortion-type deal, Madison said.
A huge benefit of NaNoWriMo is the layout of the
competition, as it opens new doors for authors and
requires them to take a new approach when writing
novels.
The main focus of NaNoWriMo is quantity over
quality, which sounds weird, but it lets you write in a
way that you havent before, Madison said. You turn
off that internal editor inside of you and you just let it
flow; you just let the creativity come out.
The format of NaNoWriMo not only helps Madison

to express her creativity without limits, but also allows her to get past mental stumbling blocks that authors typically experience while writing.
[When I write] normally, I cant seem to get past
that youre not doing it well enough, its not going to
work, nobodys ever going to want to read it [mindset], Madison said. But with NaNoWriMo, there are
thousands of other people going through the same
thing that I am, and [Ive learned that] its easier to
edit when theres actually something on the page than
it is to edit a blank page.
Madisons current writing endeavors are building a
basis for her future, and she said that writing is certainly something shes interested in pursuing for the
rest of her life.
Ive been looking at lots of different colleges and
universities that have a major in creative writing,
Madison said. Even though you cant necessarily use
[a creative-writing degree] in a real-life job, you can
get jobs with agents and publishers and editors with a
writing degree like that.
NaNoWriMo takes a significant amount of time
and makes for a stressful month for all participants,
and while Madison aspires to one day have her name
printed across posters in windows of bookstores, presumably the most important question is: how does
one balance school, homework, extracurriculars, and
writing a full novel in the course of one month?
I get zero sleep, Madison said.

Page 6 - Christmas 2013

Christmas 2013 - Page 7

Music strikes Christmas

Deck the halls with
spirit during holiday season boughs of discourse

Dear Santa,
Once again all I want for Christmas is Rafael Nadal. I also would love to get any of the
members from One Direction, especially Harry
Styles or Liam Payne, any of the members of
5 Seconds of Summer especially Ashton Irvin
or Michael Clifford. Also I would love to move
to England for the rest of my life. I want
Ed Sheeran to personally come get me and
take me to England. Also I want some normal
girl things such as nail polish, sims expansion
packs, Doc Martens, black clothing, Matty
Healy, socks and some oatmeal with a hint of
cinnamon.
Thanks,
Alexis

Emily Nash
Editor
With Christmas just around the
corner, classic Christmas movies
are beginning to pop on television, families are putting colorful
lights up around the house, and,
best of all, that beloved Christmas
music is playing everywhere we
go.
Some snort at Christmas music, some might even put their
hands over their ears and scream
in agony every time they hear it,
but if youre anything like me and
really tend to get into the Christmas spirit, you began listening to
those songs back in November.
My favorite Christmas songs
have to be those by the classic
crooners. The Christmas Song
by Nat King Cole, White Christmas by Bing Crosby, and Have
Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Frank Sinatra all give
me the warm winter chills. The
soft, slow melodies remind me
of Christmases from my childhood when I would listen to these
songs with my family in a warm
living room and drink hot cocoa around the Christmas tree,
and their voices are so smooth;
its the perfect music to listen to
when youre relaxing close to a
fire place.
Little Saint Nick by the Beach
Boys is high on my Christmas
songs list as well. The band sang
the song so well in harmony, and
the catchy beat makes me want to
dance in my living room with my
favorite people. The same feelings
are associated with the classic
Rockin Around the Christmas
Tree by Brenda Lee and A Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives
that plays over and over again on
the radio. Some may get sick of
these songs, but since theyre so

familiar and I know almost every

word, how can I keep from singing along every time I hear them
in my car on the radio?
Of course, I cant leave out every song from the movie A Charlie
Brown Christmas. I look forward
to watching it on television every
year, and nothing gets me into
the Christmas spirit like the piano
songs O Tannenbaum, Christmas is Coming, The Christmas
Song, and Hark, The Herald
Angels Sing sung by Charlie
Brown and all his friends around
the skimpy little Christmas tree.
A Charlie Brown Christmas is definitely a childhood favorite since
Ive watched it with my dad every
year since I was kid, and I hope to
continue the tradition for many
more Christmases to come.
On the more modern side, Sufjan Stevens album Songs for
Christmas and She & Hims album A Very She & Him Christmas are good to listen to if youre
sick of the ones played on the radio. Both bands did new versions
of the classics, however Sufjan
Stevens has a more electronic
and eccentric vibe that doesnt
even sound very Christmasy at
all, with very original versions of
Do You See What I See, Good
King Wenceslas and Joy to the
World. She & Him do have the
Christmas feel with Zooey Deschannels soft, smooth voice
singing classics like Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,
Rockin Around The Christmas
Tree, and Baby, Its Cold Outside.
So, even if youre usually not
into Christmas music, give it a try
this year. Maybe youll come to
find that its just what you need to
really get you into the Christmas
spirit.

Alanis King
Assistant editor
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Its December 1st and Im
about to fa-la-la-fall off a cliff
as a last resort to escape the
Christmas music thats playing in every public place I
walk into.
Dont get me wrong, Im no
Mr. Scrooge. I love Christmas
and the holiday season, but
the music begins about when
the decoration sales do: way
too early. Sure, its all probably a big marketing tool anyway - an attempt to use music
to get customers to bring out
their wallets and purchase
more and more Christmas
decorations - but it certainly
has an adverse effect on me.
The largest culprit of overplaying Christmas music is
undoubtedly FM radio stations, as mainstream music
is replaced with Jingle Bells
and Santa Claus is Coming to
Town. That, in turn, means
that nearly every local store,
restaurant, and gathering
place imaginable is streaming
an excess of holiday tunes,
discouraging people like me
from even leaving the house
during the month of December.
We dont wear Halloween
costumes for the entire month
of October, and we dont overeat all through November
(at least, not in the spirit of
Thanksgiving), so why should
we play Christmas music as
soon as the month of December rolls around? It tends to
drag the holiday out over the
course of the whole month,
and it distracts from the actual day that we celebrate. I

dont know about you, but

by the time December 25th
gets here, Im so Christmasd
out that Im ready to pack everything up before the day is
over.
Think about it: relatives
typically come to visit for the
holidays, right? Well, if the
Christmas holiday lasted as
long as commercial America
makes it, wed all get pretty
sick of our relatives. The
same goes for Christmas music - its like that annoying
cousin you cant ever manage
to escape, except the music is
in town for an extended stay.
Theres a simple solution to
this dilemma, however: a radio station for all of the avid
Christmas celebrators, the
hardcore people who begin
celebrating Christmas at the
same time as the commercial holiday begins it. Nonstop Christmas music can be
played and people can listen
to it as much as their hearts
desire, so long as the music
stays far, far away from all
of the mainstream radio stations.
Maybe an entire month of
Christmas music wouldnt
feel so cheesy if I didnt live in
Texas, where the winters are
the mildest of mild and snow
falls about as often as Halleys comet comes into view,
but frankly, I wont be able
to test that theory anytime
soon and Im not quite sure
my feelings would change
even in the midst of a winter
wonderland. A month of anything, especially the same jolly Christmas tunes on repeat,
is just a bit too long for me.

Page 8 - Opinions

Tumblr: the land of wonder

Users fear changes with Yahoo acquisition

Tumblr, a place of wonder and self expression.
This social media site lets people express their
emotions without having to type a thing in status form. The beauty of it is that most people are
wrapped up with Facebook and other social media
sites and dont necessarily enjoy blogging, so you
dont have to worry about judgement from your
peers regarding the things on your Tumblr page.
Tumblr is a haven for those people who need
somewhere to express themselves without scrutiny from peers. It allows people to talk about their
feelings, whether it be sadness or excitedment.
Tumblr is like a coloring book filled with blank
pages; you get to choose the picture to color and
the way it is colored. Its a social media account
that everyone should give a chance because you
never know what you will see - whether it be a life
altering photo, or a good laugh - regardless youre
ever bored.
On the site, users can vent out all the bad and
good emotions, sharing pictures from any tags

they look up and what pops up on their newsfeed

from the people you follow.
A couple of months ago, however if you listened
closely, you could almost hear the cries of every
hipster in the world as Yahoo bought out Tumblr.
Yahoo has tried to calm down the current users
and tell them that it will be independently operated as a separate business by saying that there
will not be any changes coming to the social media
site.
Back in 2005 Yahoo purchased another
picture sharing website called Flickr, and
now the site is similar to a ghost town,
pretty much uninhabited. Yahoo is known
to ruin websites and users are scared of the
future of Tumblr.
Hipsters have their hopes set high that
Yahoo will not interfere with how Tumblr is run and what they can and cannot
reblog.
Many Tumblr fans have started peti-

tions, which have been blogged and reblogged

countless times, hoping it would send a message
to people considering change within the site.
Everyone is anxiously waiting to see whether or
not Tumblr will suffer the same fate. So far, Yahoo seems to have kept their word, but Tumblrites
will just have to wait and see if Yahoo keeps their
promise not to interfere with how the website is
managed.
As long as Yahoo doesnt interfere, users will
continue to enjoy all Tumblr
has to offer.
If you dont have Tumblr
account yet, I recommend getting one - its a great way to
procrastinate doing that English essay.

Mikey Wolff, 10

Technology drains life of teens

Students must find way to recharge, reconnect socially

2% battery.
Your head shoots up from your little
bright screen. You jump to your feet,
knock your chair over, leap over the
couch, run across the state, over the
lava, swim across the Atlantic Ocean,
fight off members of a drug cartel,
make it past a Pterodactyl without being eaten alive, run straight through
WWII safe from the falling bombs,
sneak past zombies in an apocalypse,
climb over Mt. Everest and finally you
reach it -- the cherished charger that
will give life to your beautiful, beloved
cell phone.
A lot of us would probably be more
upset about killing our phones battery in a public place without a charger than we would be if ran over a cat.
In fact, when our phone dies, a piece
of our soul dies as soon as that bright
little screen suddenly goes black.
But now I cant tweet.
But I was texting my boyfriend.
What do I do without my phone?
How did teenagers become so dependent on their cell phones? Only a
few years ago, cell phones could only
make phone calls and send text messages, but when smartphones came
out and became affordable, it was like

we entered a whole new world.

Why are we so caught up with our
phones and other forms of technology anyway? Why are we so fascinated with social media networks to the
point where were constantly rotating
from Twitter to Instagram to Vine to
Tumblr or any other site? Are games
like Candy Crush, Flow, and Fun Run
really the preferred way to pass time?
Is it totally necessary to text your boyfriend, girlfriend, or best friend 24/7?
If we were forced to go an entire
week without our cell phones, chaos
would occur. Lets add laptops, iPads,
and any form of the internet as well.
Everyone would freak out: What do
we do now? Teenagers everywhere
would go crazy, rocking themselves
in the corner of their bedroom, ripping their hair out, staring blankly at
walls, cutting their legs off and eating
their own flesh. Active bloggers would
be forced to actually go outside and
experience that thing called sunlight.
The cell phone thats attached to ones
hand would be replaced by a, whats
it called? A book? Actually calling our
friends house to ask them to hang out
like we did when we were in elementary school? But talking on the phone

is so awkward, how did we manage

to do it before? Even worse, we cant
even keep up with everyones totally
interesting lives on Twitter or even
tweet about our own extraordinary
lives.
Of course the advance in technology definitely has its benefits, but for
teenagers, are we really better off now
than teenagers were before we entered a world that relies on electronics? Think about movies with young
people 20-30 years ago when they
didnt have the technology we have
now. Didnt it seem like they had a
ton of fun driving around with their
friends, going to the mall, or going
to the movies and actually socializing
without being on their cell phones the
entire time?
I
admit,
Im caught up
in the whole
technology
fad as well; I
spend an infinite amount
of time on my
laptop blogging
away,
I constantly

have my phone attached to hand, and

I panic a little bit when I have to go
somewhere for an extended amount
of time without WiFi.
While I am probably addicted to
technology like most every other
teenager in the United States, I still
think its incredibly important to step
away from these gadgets every now
and then and actually live. Do we really want to look back on our teenage
years thirty years from now and tell
our kids that we spent most of our
time talking to each other on social
networks and having our eyes glued to
a bright screen? Or would we rather
tell our kids about the books we read,
the movies we watched, the music we
listened to, the adventures we went
on alone late at night, and the funny
jokes we shared with our friends?
So turn off your phones when
youre out with your friends, set
your laptop down when youre
bored at your house and go outside, take a breath of fresh air, and
appreciate what this world has to
offer.

Emily Nash, 12

Opinions - Page 9

Choices become complex, outcomes produce repercussions

Do I want grilled cheese or Chef Boyardee? regularly, depending on how much effort I deShould I play outside or watch the next epi- cided to put in that day. I didnt even take time
sode of Powerpuff Girls? Do I want pigtails or to consider that colleges would one day see the
a giant bow in my hair? What were once time grades I was making and put no thought into the
consuming decisions that filled my eight-year- greater picture.
old brain became futile as I grew up. One thing Somewhere between the end of my sophomore
never changed; my decisions were impulsive and year and the summer going into junior year I had
pleasing for that time.
the biggest wake up call. Looking over my tran Gradually,
script and realthe choices we
izing that college
What I know now is invaluable, the
are faced with
sooner than
choices I make are a direct reflection of was
become
more
later shook me
difficult, so why
to my core and
who I am and they should always
is it that we
back to reality.
represent me in the best manner.
havent changeThe college of my
dour approach
choice wasnt goto them? Youve heard your counselors, parents, ing to accept the student I was, but maybe they
and teachers stress that what we do now could would accept who I knew I could be.
affect us for the rest of our lives, but how often Ever since then Ive been working my
have you actually listened to what they say? For butt off just to, make up for the time
most of us brushing them off is easier than tak- I wasted. Its frustrating to see that
ing the incentive and doing what were supposed my grades junior and senior year are
to.
substantially higher than those of my
My freshman and sophomore years of high freshman and sophomore year, a clear
school were spent stuffing my homework into indication of my previous lack of effort.
my backpack and not giving much thought to If I could go back Id slap myself for all
my grades. Instead of making positive choices the times I blew off working hard for
and working to the best of my abilities to achieve something of lesser importance.
goals, I decided to slack off. My grades fluctuated I know Im not the only one faced

Holiday cheer turns to jeer

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care, the popcorn is strung
and draped on the tree, and the sweet
melodies of Bing Crosby are playing
through the house...but its July 1 and
others are wondering whats going on.
Though we love Christmas and
all that it entails, it seems to start
ealier and earlier each year. Christmas music begins to play on the radio months before the holiday, stores
put out their Christmas merchandise
immediately after Halloween, and
houses are laden in lawn ornaments
and Christmas lights as soon as their
Thanksgiving decorations come down.
Many people dont like Christmas
music at all, and even those who do
would say that by the time Christmas
comes around the music becomes stale
and obnoxious. Christmas music is appropriate in moderation, like sweets;
its enjoyable during the week of Christmas, but too much will make you sick.
While stores might have a nice Christmasy vibe, the amount of products can
be overwhelming. They put out Christmas merchandise too early, like Hobby
Lobby, where you can buy a Christmas

tree and ornaments in the middle of

summer.
Because there is too much Christmas
in every store in town, you would think
that the workers would have a merry attitude, however this is usually not the
case. Often times they seem annoyed
and act like the Scrooge, but can you
can really blame them when they are
surrounded by Christmas everything
for 8 months out of the year?
Workers are probably especially
grumpy because they have to work on
Thanksgiving for Black Friday. Traditionally, stores open up the day after
Thanksgiving, however this year stores
opened starting at 6 pm on Thanksgiving. They cant enjoy one holiday due to
the next holiday coming up. Its sad that
families have to plan around the Black
Friday sales in order to cut the turkey.
With all that being said, enjoy your
Christmas now that were only two
weeks away from it. Put up those
decorations and listen to some happy
Christmas tunes. Soon, Christmas will
be packed up and stored away - at least
for a month or two.
- The Norseman Staff

with choices; many of us, like myself, dont realize how the decisions we make now will affect us
later. Yes were still kids in high school, but not
children. The days where we arent left responsible for our actions are gone, and in its place is
a world full of decisions. High school sets the basis for what you know and who you are in your
early adult life, giving you the preparation to get
into and get through college. What I know now is
invaluable, the choices I make are a direct reflection of who I am and they should always represent me in the best manner.
While Im not advocating that you obsess
over the next thing you eat, song you listen to,
or pair of jeans you buy, I urge that when faced
with choices that could alter the course of your
life, that you take a moment and think before
you act. Whether youve spent your entire life,
high school career, or just today
making bad choices, each and
every one of us has the ability to
do better. The great thing about
life is that tomorrow is a new
day, a chance to do better than
the day before.

Andrea Mendes, 12

NORSEMAN
Adviser
Rebecca Dominy
Editor
Emily Nash
Managing Editor
Andrea Mendes
Photography Editor
Justin Sanders

Assistant Editors
Jesse Baxter
Regina Flores
Alanis King
Maurissa Ramirez
Staff writers
Erin Garcia
Gabby Martinez
Robert Morgan
Mikey Wolff

http://www.
bryanhighnorseman.com
http://www.twitter.com/
bhsnorseman
http://www.facebook.com/
BryanISDBryanHighNorseman

The opinions expressed are those of the writers and are not reflective of the
administrators, faculty or staff of Bryan Independent School District.
Submissions to the editor are welcomed, but must be signed and should not
exceed 300 words. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions in the
interest of clarity and length or to not print a letter at all. Letters containing
obscene or libelous material will not be considered.
Bryan Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race,
religion, color, national origin, sex or handicap in providing education services.

Page 10 - Entertainment

Drake takes over

Somewhere between psychotic and iconic

Justin Sanders
Photography editor
After storming the charts with his
flawless Take Care album, Drake sat
back and made millions, but his success
did not stop there. He continued the
late nights in the studio, laying down
sick beats and
rhymes which
are prevalent
throughout his
new
album,
Nothing was
the Same.
The
first
time I listened
to the album
I was disappointed.
It
seemed
like
every song was
a slightly different version
of the prior
song on the album, however,
when I began
to actually listen to the songs, they grew
on me and quickly became stuck in my
head.
Tuscan Leather is the opening track
to the CD, and while I have no idea
where the name came from, the song is

addictive because it uses essentially the

same beat throughout. It has no chorus and no repetitive nature to it, just
Drizzy flowing on a beat for a full 7 minutes.
Furthest Thing describes how
Drake has changed from being just a
y o u n g
boy on a
TV show
to the rap
scenes
biggest
a r t i s t
and how
he is the
furthest
t h i n g
from perfect and is
constantly scheming
on
the down
low about
what is to
come.
Started from the Bottom is next, and
while it has been released for about a
year, it has found its home in the album
and completes the story of how Drake
came from nothing to his crew being at
the top.

Wu-Tang Forever and Own It are

essentially complements of each other.
In Own It, Drake reveals his feelings
to an unknown girl and tells her that she
can have everything that he worked for.
Own It is followed by Worst Behavior which reveals to everyone, in case
they couldnt tell, that Drake is not the
same nerdy handicap kid on Degrassi;
he has grown into the image of hip hop.
From Time slows down with a
simple beat and is more for the ladies.
Drake once agains reveals his soft side
and attempts to show that he is ready
for a real relationship so that he isnt 70
and alone.
Hold On, Were Going Home is a
song I dont even want to discuss due to
the radio ruining the song by playing it
every 5 minutes.
From Connect to the end of the album ranks among the best songs Drake
has ever recorded. Connect shows
how he still is with the same people and
still reps Toronto as his town. He also
mentions how girls can twist things for
their advantage.
The Language is about his vast
amount of money, how he can do anything with it, and how he will never understand people who are jealous of him.
305 To My City continues the theme
and shows more of his come up. It also

mentions the unknown girl again who

seems to appear in just about every
song on the album.
Too Much reveals how Drake
doesnt think about his decisions. He
just goes with the flow and continues
YOLO from H.Y.F.R in Take Care.
Pound Cake/ Paris Mortin Music 2
is, hands down, the best song on the album. Drake and Jay-Z destroy the song
and make it the most entertaining and
clever song on the album. It glorifies
their vast amounts of money and how
cash rules everything around them.
No one can stop the powerhouse they
created on this track.
Come Thru brings back the unknown girl and tells her to come over
because they have things to do. He
mentions how its hard to focus on
anything with so many things going on
around him. He is apparently always
looking out for this girl and patiently
waiting for her.
All Me wraps up the album, and
rightfully so. I believe this album is as
real as we will ever see Drake. Everything he has accomplished has come
from his efforts, and while there may
be those who disagree, my opinion of
Drake places him with the title of The
Greatest Rapper Alive.

Hit show casts spell on viewers with third season

Maurissa Ramirez
Assistant editor
Haunted houses, insane asylums, and witches are common things in the TV show
American Horror Story. For
the past three seasons, American Horror Story has not been
for the fainthearted. Since
the start of season one, I was
hooked; I enjoy horror movies
and have been avidly watching
ever since.
Each season stands alone,
meaning that a new plot and
new set of characters are created with a few of the repeated
actors cast in different roles.
Not only does the plot change
each season, but the level at
which actors Jessica Lange,
Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson
and Lily Rabe perform elevates. They take their roles to

a whole new level each season

and adapt to their new persona well.
Season one began with the
Murder House which seems
to trap and murder those who
live there. It began with a dysfunctional family moving from
a big city to a modest neighborhood in Southern California. The Harmons seem to
experience all kinds of supernatural events, however they
purchase the house knowing
that a couple who owned it
before them was murdered in
it. Personally, I enjoyed this
season after the first couple of
episodes. The shear amount of
gore and horror that was featured in this season was scary,
but I loved it.
Season two, Asylum was
a huge change from Mur-

der House and began with a

couple exploring an old abandoned insane asylum, which
was the home to over 1,000
deaths. This season goes back
in time to the 1950s where
alien activity, demon possession, a sadist nun, and an evil
doctor who once worked for
the Nazis were a few things
that were experienced in the
asylum. Sister Jude, played
by AHS alumni Jessica Lange,
who was the main character
throughout this season, was
someone I would never want
to come into contact with; her
punishments and the karma
she experienced were shocking
to say the least. The demonic
possession of Lily Rabes character, Sister Mary Unis, was
intense and honestly gave me
nightmares for a week.

This year, titled Coven, was

the the season I was the most
excited for. Characters from
season 1 were making a comeback, including Taissa Farmiga, who plays Zoe and played
Violet Harmon in season one,
and Jamie Brewer, who plays
Nan the clairvoyant witch are
to play teenage descendants of
Salem Witches. Also, a whole
new cast was brought in along
with alumni of the show. Jessica Lange portrays Fiona
Goode, the supreme witch
who heads the coven and is the
most powerful witch alive. Her
daughter, Cordelia Foxx, is the
head of the witch school that
Queenie, Nan, Zoe, and movie
star Madison Montgomery attend.
The first episode starts off
with Zoe discovering that

shes a witch, and her parents

shipping her off to a boarding
school for witches to learn to
control their powers. Upon arriving at the school, Madison,
Nan, and Queenie greeted her
with hazing.
Madison
Montgomery,
played by Emma Roberts, is a
great edition to the cast, who
is personally my favorite. The
cast is impeccable and Im excited to see whats to come in
the next episodes. Ive heard
rumors of witch hunters and
a war that is about to spark
among the witches.
So far, I have more than enjoyed the season, and am ready
to watch a new episode every
Wednesday. If I were you, Id
definitely give American Horror Story a try. You wont be
disappointed.

Entertainment - Page 11

Second Hunger Games movie catches fire at box office

Erin Garcia
Staff writer
Few movies out there truly capture
my attention the entire time. Its extremely difficult for me to get pulled
into a film, but there is one very special exception.
Recently, I watched The Hunger
Games: Catching Fire, and let me
just start off by saying that it blew my
mind. Although I wasnt first in line
the day it was released, I made sure
to grab a seat as soon as I could. I
watched it in the IMAX theater, which
I strongly recommend. It made the
movie ten times more thrilling since it
was played on such a large screen.
In the film, audiences get into the
life of one of the main characters, Katniss Everdeen, played by one of my
personal favorite actresses, Jennifer
Lawrence. I absolutely love the emotion she puts into her character and
her personality seems to be down to
earth.
After winning the 74th Hunger
Games alongside another vital char-

acter, Peeta Mellark, played by Josh

Hutcherson, life isnt all rainbows and
butterflies. The two are instructed to
go on a Victors Tour, where they
pay a visit to all of the districts. President Snow, the
man in charge,
pays a serious
visit to Katniss
just before they
leave. He warns
her that if she
doesnt convince
the country and
himself of her
and Peetas love,
their loved ones
will be in danger.
During some
of their first
stops on the
tour, people in
the crowd whistle a familiar tune and
make the three finger salute, sparking uprisings throughout the districts.
Later one evening, President Snow

announces the countrys third Quarter Quell, a different version of the

Hunger Games that has a special provision where all tributes are selected
from the existing victors. Katniss and

Peeta, who volunteers himself for

their mentor Haymitch, return to the
Games once again.
The movie ends dramatically with

a quick and intense look into Katniss

eyes. I really liked that it ended that
way; it kept me questioning everything that happened and what is yet
to come and made me want to return
for more. Throughout the entire movie, I was on the edge of
my seat. The intensity was on a
completely different level and
I loved every bit of it. The actors and actresses played their
characters flawlessly. So much
emotion was put into it and
the special effects were amazing.
If you havent already
watched the film, I strongly
suggest you drop everything
now and get to the nearest theater, although, you might want
to watch the first movie or read
the books before, only so you
know whats going on.
Enjoy the film my fellow Hunger
Gamers, and may the odds be ever in
your favor.

Doctor Who celebrates 50 years of adventure,

fans anticipate upcoming system

Jesse Baxter
Assistant editor
50 years. 50 years of heroes, monsters, sinister
plots, and of course, the Doctor and his Tardis. 50
years ago, a crazy idea was conceived that has continued and evolved. 50 years of Doctor Who.
For those who dont know,
Doctor Who is a show about
an alien, specifically a Time
Lord, from Gallifrey called
the Doctor who can go almost anywhere in time and
space with his spaceship,
the Tardis. Usually, the Doctor takes a companion with
him who shares in his travels and helps when danger
inevitably appears. When
the Doctor is mortally injured he can regenerate,
which makes him become a new person, although he
retains the same basic morals and memory of his past
regenerations.The basic premise of the show allows
it to have unlimited possibilities since there are few
restrictions, making each episode unique. In addition
to this, the regeneration process and new companions
allows for new actors or actresses to become a lead
character without complicating the story, keeping the
show fresh as the leads change every few years.
Doctor Who was created in 1963. Little did the cre-

ators know that it would become the longest running

science fiction show in the world with nearly 800 episodes. Although it went off the air in 1989 with an
additional movie in 1996, the show was continued in
2005. There have been seven seasons since the revival and its popularity has continued to increase.
On
November 23,
the Day of
the Doctor
episode premiered
for
the 50th anniversary of
Doctor Who.
The plot concerned
the
Time
War,
which was a
war between
the Time Lords and their nemesiss, the Daleks, a
species created to exterminate the universe of everything that wasnt a Dalek. It follows the struggle of the
eighth regeneration of the Doctor as he obtains the
Moment, a weapon so powerful it could completely
annihilate Time Lords and Daleks. He is helped by the
tenth and eleventh regenerations of the Doctor, who
are pulled into their own past.
Overall, I enjoyed the special, despite the few minor
setbacks. One of the major things that bugged me was

how the episode changed something that was previously established. Although the show had good plot
devices to explain the change, it was still annoying
since it was explicitly stated that this event was unchangeable. Another minor issue was that I thought
Billie Piper should have had a bigger role in the episode. She was the first companion in the revival but
got a pretty small role in the 50th anniversary episode.
This being said, all the episodes flaws were minor
and my observations are nitpicky. Overall, the 50th
anniversary episode was great and showed how far
the series has come from its small origin. The acting
was spectacular as Matt Smith, David Tennant, and
John Hurt played the three doctors and blended well
with each other. Billie Piper played Bad Wolf, and
Jenna Louise Coleman played Clara Oswald, the Doctors current companion, played their roles excellently
and meshed well with the Doctors. In short, the acting
was fantastic. The computer generated images were
brilliant and quite well done for the 50th anniversary
episode. However, I think that the writing was the
best part as it was witty and funny but serious at the
right times, just like whovians have come to expect
from current writers.
On the whole, the 50th anniversary episode was a
special occasion. The plot changes set a new direction
for the story, which is ever evolving. If you are ever
wondering what to watch, give Doctor Who a try; you
just might like it.

Page 12 - End of Semester Information

Semester Exam Schedule

Wednesday, December 18

Thursday, December 19

1st Period 8:15-9:00 45 min

2nd Period 9:05-9:50 45 min
3rd Period 9:55-10:40 45 min

6th Exam
5th Exam
4th Exam

8:15-9:40 85 min
9:45-11:10 85 min
11:15-12:40 85 min

4th Period

10:45-12:40 85 min

Lunch

12:40-1:15

A Lunch
B Lunch
C Lunch
D Lunch

10:40-11:10
11:10-11:40
11:40-12:10
12:10-12:40

30 min
30 min
30 min
30 min

5th Period
6th Period
7th Exam

12:45-1:25
1:30-2:10
2:15-3:40

40 min
40 min
85 min

35 min

Friday, December 20
3rd Exam
2nd Exam
1st Exam

8:15-9:40 85 min
9:45-11:10 85 min
11:15-12:40 85 min

Lunch

12:40-1:15

Other Information

Exempt students must stay in their

testing room.
All students who have finished their
exams are dismissed at 12:40, if
they have a way off campus Thursday and Friday.
All students unable to elave campus,
must report to the Large Auditorium at 1:25.

35 min

Christmas Games

In the spirit of Christmas, the Norseman staff

would like to reward readers. Be one of the first
5 students to report to room 6160 at 3:40 on
Monday, Dec. 16 with all three puzzles solved
correctly and win a free Chick-fil-a sandwich.
(Dominys students are not eligible to win)

Sudoku

Use only the letters in Merry Christmas

to find a word for each definition.