T h e

B r y a n

H i g h

S c h o o l

NORSEMAN

Volume 46, Number 2 December 2016

www.BryanHighNorseman.com

3450 Campus Drive Bryan, TX 77802

bhsnorseman@gmail.com

Patchwork pride

SEE MORE Principals mother constructs quilt to capture Viking spirit

Mendes
with demonstrates the type of ety as a whole.
I dont care what organization
ONLINE Danica
Co-editor
community Mr. Buban works
Its the biggest honor Ive theyre in or what grade theyre

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
Other features and news stories
can be found online. Upcoming
stories include articles on literary and the schools response to
concussions through the athletic training department.

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

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What it means to be a Viking cant be summed up with

a single word or item, but instead is made up of many parts
to create the whole. Each activity, club, sport, and individual student comes together
to make Bryan High a unique
place where students are at the
center. The idea that the sum
is greater than the parts can
be seen in the quilt principal
Lane Bubans mother Sharon
Buban created for the school.
The quilt is made of t-shirts
from various groups around
the school and will be hung in
the Silver Cafeteria area as a
reminder of the collective spirit of the Vikings.
Quilting is something my
mother does as her pastime,
Mr. Buban said. She enjoys quilting, and when I approached her about the quilt
for BHS, she thought it was a
great idea. When she started
on it, it meant a lot because of
the simple fact that my mom
was involved.
Faculty members frequently
describe Mr. Buban as a man
with a heart for education and
students, and he saw this project as another way he could
help make Bryan High a great
place to be through a piece of
art.
Having something that
combined the different activities students are involved

to create at BHS, career tech ever received, Mrs. Buban in, I just want every student
teacher Jessica McNeal said. said. I have had a lot of nice to be proud of the school they
The quilt is a beautiful repre- things happen to me in educa- attend and do their very best
sentation of what it means to tion. Education opens the door and to shine for Bryan High
be a Viking.
to whatever you want to do in School.
Students also see the quilt life. Its the ticket to society.
Education is not merely
as something that can create
Students are involved with something Mr. Buban and his
unity and represent the Viking different activities around mother participate in, it is a
spirit for years to come.
campus that create separate part of who they are as indiHaving a quilt made
viduals. Mr. Buban is a
by Mr. Bubans mom
fourth-generation eduis really cool because
cator, behind his great
it brings students tograndfather, grandmothgether, senior Alyssa
er, father, and mother.
De Moya said. It shows
To me, the imporhow Vikings are a famtance of education has to
ily and how we stick todo with relationships and
gether.
giving back, Mr. Buban
Mr. Buban hopes
said. Helping society by
the quilt will serve as a
working to put students
reminder of how each
into the world that are
student is part of somewell educated and good
thing bigger than themcitizens capable of giving
selves.
back in some capacity is
The quilt is a good
what makes this job imrepresentation of Bryan
portant.
High School itself, Mr.
The quilt has not only
Buban said. It has spebrought students and orLane Buban accepts the quilt on behalf of BHS
cial meaning to me be- Principal
ganizations together, but
from his mother, Sharon Buban. Mrs. Buban created the
cause my mother made quilt from club and organization t-shirts.
it has brought Mr. Buban
it and its like I had a
and his parents closer
hand in making the
to education and Bryan
quilt. My family is not only giv- groups, but its important for High.
ing back to education, but to students to remember that
My husband and I are so
Bryan High School.
they are all Vikings and that happy that Lane is at Bryan
The quilt, which took about they all represent the same High School and I feel like
four months to complete, was school.
theres a connection between
a labor of love for Mrs. Buban
I see the pride in the stu- the four of us me, my husband,
since she sees the work her son dents at BHS, Mrs. Buban Lane, and Bryan High School,
does at Bryan High as impor- said This quilt will add to Mrs. Buban said. I love them
tant to the betterment of soci- the pride for all the students. all.

Page 2 - Around Campus/News

Around Campus
News & events at Bryan High School

Senior Pictures
Seniors who did not take
a picture during the summer, should have signed
up through their English
class to take pictures on
either Tuesday, Dec. 13 or
Wednesday, Dec. 14.
Pictures will be in room
6158 (across from the
cooking classes) on blue
campus.
There is no charge for a
yearbook-only shot, and
seniors will be able to see
their picture before purchasing.
If students are interested
in doing a full sitting, they
should bring $15 at the
time of their pictures. This

will allow them to take the

yearbook, cap and gown,
and casual pictures. They
can also bring multiple
outfits to change into.
For any questions, please
contact Rebecca Dominy
in room 6160 or by email
at rebecca.dominy@bryanisd.org or phone at 979209-2580.
Senior Ads
Information about senior
ads for the yearbook will be
mailed home to all seniors
when school resumes after
Christmas break.
For questions, contact
Rebecca Dominy. Information can also be picked-up

in room 6160 after the start

of the spring semester.
Spring Semester
School will resume for
students on Monday, January 9.
All students will report to
their first period class for
their first semester class
before switching classes
if they have a schedule
change.

Veterans Day

Color Guard
The color guard will perform their winter show
at Rudder Auditorium at
Rudder High School on
Saturday, Dec. 17 at 7:00
pm.

Auto tech program cranks up rigor, preparation

Shannon Keyser
Staff writer
The automotive technology program
earned certification from the National
Automotive Technician Education
Foundation (NATEF) which gave them
a distinction shared by only 60 other
schools in Texas.
We had to meet all the industry
standards and adjust our curriculum,
auto tech teacher Nathan McCann
said. We had to really bring them
up to the NATEF standards that have
been set including all of the tools and
equipment in the shop.
The process for gaining accreditation was much more complicated and
intricate than it might sound.
First, we had to evaluate our curriculum, rewrite it, and have meetings
with advisory committees to look over
the curriculum, McCann said. They
told us what they liked and didnt like,
and then we made all the changes.
Then we had to submit that curriculum
to the NATEF office in Virginia, have
them approve it, and then bring up
the standards for our tools and equipment, which cost about $300,000.

With the certification, the students shops, McCann said. Theyre actualhave the advantage of carrying on ly getting real world experience here in
what they learned to other schools if high school, and as soon as they walk
out of here, theyll be able to do the exthey have to move.
The certification is also nationally act same thing out in the field.
accredited, McCann said. If a student leaves from this program and
their family moves across the United States, everything they did right
here, assuming that schools NATEF
certified, advances right into the next
school.
The certification inspires students
to learn efficiently in the program,
while also learning real-world skills
to enhance their future.
Auto technology students check the oil for a truck
Mr. McCann teaches safety, which during class as they inspect the vehicle.
is a big deal here, junior Miguel Castillo said. I want to be a mechanic,
With 63% of jobs not requiring a
and the program makes me want to bachelors degree, programs like auto
work harder and harder.
tech provide students with opportuniThe auto tech program helps stu- ties to be successful.
dents get a head-start in their career
Education nowadays has changed
by giving them experience they will with so many career tech fields going
use in the future.
in that dont require a full bachelors
The car lifts, the alignment ma- degree, but a lot of them are not getchine, everything we have is identical ting filled due to improper training,
to the equipment theyll be operating McCann said. Auto technicians, weldin the car dealerships and automotive ers, and machinists are some examples

that can make up to over $100,000 a

year in salaries. Its a very untapped
market where we need more people
going into the industry.
There are many different opportunities that are available through the
auto tech program and students are
taught skills they need to pursue a
career.
The course gives me options
in many fields that I can go into after high school immediately, sophomore Odilon Gomez said. Theres
a lot of options available like diesel
mechanics, regular mechanics, or
airplane mechanics.
The program provides options
for careers outside of the typical retail and food industries that most students default to if they do not pursue a
college degree.
We learn a lot in class including
how to change oil, which can help me
save money later in life, junior Hagen
Aguilar said. I also plan to go to college and get my engineering degree
which will help me get a good job and
not work at a fast food restaurant like
everyone else.

News - Page 3

High school meets standard, questions reliability of standardized testing

Sophia Stone
Staff writer
For the past three years, Bryan
High School has received five out of
the seven STAAR distinctions including: reading and ELA, math, science,
and social studies indicators, as well
as post secondary readiness. The two
distinctions the school is still working
to achieve are student progress and
closing the achievement gap.
One thing weve done to improve
in English classes is implement the
readers writers workshop, associate principal Megan Jones said. We
visited a lot of schools that have seen
success in those two areas in the progress and closing the achievement gap,
and thats kind of the model they follow.
This gives students more choice in
what they read and allows them to
conference with their teachers and
help in their reading and writing
skills.
Students write more and read
more, Jones said. It ups student
literacy and thats what we hope will
improve across all areas, even though
it looks like an English focus, students
read a lot on the math test and the
history test, so we hope thats going to
help.
Each distinction encompasses a variety of aspects of the tested course
which provides indicators to the progress the school and students are making.
With the reading and ELA indicators, the state looks at greater than

expected growth including advanced

academic achievement, Jones said.
When students get to post secondary
readiness, the state looks at graduation rates. The graduation plans
for students include if a school has
more students on minimum or distinguished plans as well as other indicators.
Bryan High met the standard
for STAAR again this year and
is doing well compared to other
schools in the state of Texas.
In the 40 comparison schools,
those are state wide, were right
on par with them, Jones said
Some areas we scored towards
the top, some towards the middle, some towards the bottom so
were doing what we need to. We
just want to be at the top on all
those and then obviously wed
like to earn those two other distinctions because you want seven
instead of just five.
Jones believes that students
just need to taste success in order
to have the desire to become successful.
When kids experience a little
bit of success, I think they want a little
bit more, Jones said. We have to get
that first feather in their cap because
they know how that feels. Students
want to be better, so if we can kind of
get their foot in the door, then it just
becomes a snowball effect because
nobody wants to be mediocre. Students want to do better and be better.
Jones thinks that standardized test-

Do you think
standardized testing
is the best way to
judge student
achievement?

ing is important to see where a school

stands, but doesnt think its a good
way to assess each student in the
school.
I think it would be great if we did
take a test in each area but I dont
think it needs to be four hours, Jones
said. I think it could be just something that kids take in an hour or a

class period and that would be sufficient. It could even be done maybe
two or three times a year instead of
the one stop shop.
Jones sees a lot of the stress that
standardized testing puts on students
and remembers how different it was
when she was in school.
I know that we need to know what
students know, but there has to be a

Standardized testing
is not a good way to
judge students
because students
shouldnt be tested
on just one day. They
should be assessed
over the entire year to
determine their
success.
Que Henderson, 11

better way to gauge that because its

just a lot of pressure, Jones said I
dont remember it being like that
when I was in school. I was a TAAS
kid and I remember one day we went
to the gym, we threw our bags on the
floor, sat down, took a test, and went
back to class. There really wasnt any
discussion about it, it was just kind of
a different day and then we went
about our business.
Sophomore
Abby
Terry
knows firsthand what it feels like
to get stressed out about an upcoming exam.
I have very bad test anxiety.
Abby said. Whenever I have a
test it is usually not my best performance and so being forced to
have STAAR count for so many
things, adds pressure on me that
I put on myself. I know need to
make a really good grade on this
test and I need to do well on this.
I feel that pressure which causes
me to freak out and go completely blank.
However, Abbys anxiety did
not just manifest mentally as
she faced extreme physical obstacles each time she took an exam.
I used to almost have asthma attacks every time Id take a test, Abby
said. Afterwards, Id turn it in and
then theres just this sense of worry.
Im finally able to get a little bit of my
breath back because, during the test
Im practically holding my breath because Im so nervous on it.

You cant judge a

student by one test.
Everyone is different
and a test doesnt cover
all the material.
Aaron Nemec, 11

Page 4 - Service

Walk for Water

Senior creates project to raise awareness, money for Guatemalans

Hannah Broussard
Staff writer
A young boy crawls out of
bed before dawn, puts his
bare feet on the rocky ground,
and starts his treacherous 2.3
mile journey to get clean water. As he fumbles through
the darkness, his body begins
to ache and beads of sweat
form on his brow. When he finally reaches his destination,
he fills a large jug with water
and then takes the same, long
journey back, but this time
with jug in hand. There are
adults and children in Guatemala that are suffering and
dying from diseases every day
due to drinking contaminated
water because the process to
get clean water is so strenuous.
Senior Cassie Soto experienced some of this
first hand and created the Walk for
Water campaign
where
participants could walk
four laps around
the track and donate some loose
change to make a
difference in the
lives of Guatemalans hundreds of
miles away.
I went on a medical mission trip to Guatemala last
spring break and I got to see
all of the people who were in
need and had certain diseases
or health problems because
of the lack of clean water,
Cassie said. We had been
telling them to drink more
water and that would solve
a lot of their problems, but
the real problem is that they
didnt have the water to drink
and thats what inspired me to
organize Walk For Water.

Cassie returned home inspired and moved by the

people of Guatemala. After
witnessing first hand people
who had difficulty getting water, an essential in life, Cassie
came up with the idea to organize Walk For Water, an event
that raised $3,000 to buy a
cistern to be built in Guatemala.
The goal was to raise
$2,000 to build the cistern
in Guatemala, Cassie said.
Also, I wanted to help the
people of my community
learn more about how much
of a blessing they have every
day just by having clean water
in the faucet always available
to them.
In order to help the people
of the community become
educated on how to conserve

water, Cassie got businesses

involved. Bryan Utilities,
an organization from Texas
A&M called Wine to Water,
and Xylem, a water conservation company, all came to

the event and set up booths to

share what they do in order to
conserve water.
We had a couple booths set
up and people went to each
booth before
they
started
their walk to
learn
more
about
water
conservation, Cassie
said. When
participants
finished with
those booths,
they
picked
up a jug of water and walked
at least four
times around the track.
As the participants carried
the water around the track,
they experienced some of
the hardships Guatemalans
go through every day. Going
through the same experience
helped them relate to the people in need and understand
the severity of the problem.
We had to carry the water
for a long way, senior Mackenzie Jones said. The fact
that they
carry
it
every day
like that
h e l p s
us
realize what
they
go
through
and have
a
better
sense of
understanding
how difficult it is for them to
have clean water.
Originally Cassie had organized this walk to allow others in the community to learn,
but in the end Cassie ended

up learning more than she

could ever imagine while also
growing as a person.
The project taught me to
not take the water and all the

on her, a small accident occurred, putting even more on

her plate.
My little sister fell down
the hill and broke her arm,

blessings that I have for

granted, Cassie said. It was
also a learning experience because it pulled me out of my
comfort zone. I grew as a person because the event taught
me to not be so nervous about
certain things.
The process of preparing for
the walk consisted of multiple
phone calls, meetings, and
interviews. This interaction
with adults was something
that Cassie was not used to
and challenged her character.
I had to go to HEB to talk
to the lady, fill out forms to
get donations for the popsicles that we got, and do a lot
of over the phone interviews
with newspapers and radio
stations. That was nerve racking, Cassie said. Im a social
person with people I know or
who are my age, but I have a
difficult time talking to adults,
so being in charge of something like the organization of
Walk For Water gave me a lot
of anxiety because I had to
talk to so many people.
On top of the responsibility
Cassie originally had placed

so my mom had to leave

to go to the clinic to get her
splint, Cassie said. My mom
was gone for more than half
the event, so I had to direct
everything by myself.
Although Cassie faced minor setbacks, she overcame
them, and the Walk for Water was a success. Cassie and
the others that were in attendance left the walk with a
changed mind-set.
The event went really
well, senior Annie Lafon
said. There were a lot more
people than I was expecting, which was impressive. I
learned that I shouldnt take
the simple things in life for
granted because not everyone
has easy access to water.
Overall, Cassie thought the
turnout for Walk For Water
was great and believes she
made the impact that she had
hoped to make. She touched
the lives of many people in
the Bryan/College Station
area and she will improve the
lives of many in Guatemala.

Student Spotlight - Page 5

South Korean foreign exchange student experiences cultural differences

Jennyfer Tucker
Associate editor
Packing, saying good-bye to their family, being the new kid at school, living in a whole different country for an entire school year, staying with
a host family, and not knowing what to expect are
things foreign exchange students experience while
being apart of the program. Junior Daleyeong traveled halfway around the world from South Korea to
attend an American school and experience life in a
new culture.
With the help from Rainas teacher in South Korea she learned more about the foreign exchange
program and wanted to be involved.
I found out about the exchange program through
the internet and my teacher said I could join, Raina
said. I started to wonder more about it, researched
it, applied to the program, and they accepted me.
Since Raina has been in the U.S she has had to adjust to a whole new routine. This includes her sleep
schedule, when she eats, and the time she studies
finding things are much slower paced here than at
home.
We go to school at 8:00 am and stay there until
9:00 pm in South Korea, Raina said. Its very different from here and after school ends we have to go

to another academy until 11:00pm. We then go back

home, and study until 2:00am and go to sleep, before we wake up at 7:00am and start another day.
South Korean schools are set up differently than
American
schools
grouping students
by age throughout
the program.
In South Korea,
everyone who is the
same age, is in the
same class, Raina
said. And we dont
move to other classes like here.
Being involved in
something like the
foreign
exchange
program
comes
with special requirements that the students must abide by. Some of these restrictions
pose difficulties for the exchange students and can
make their stay a little more difficult.
I actually want to drive, Raina said. I cant do
anything if I cant drive. If I want to go somewhere

South Korea and the United States

Cultural Differences
Food - Though rice is a staple food in
South Korea, both hamburgers and pizza
have gained ground in the kitchens of
Korean families.
School - Unlike the accommodating
American education system, students in
South Korean schools typically wake up
early in the morning and finish school late
in the evening before heading to afterhours private schools.
College - The majority of Koreans consider college degrees a basic requirement
unlike Americans, though the percentage
of American students who enjoy college is
much higher than Korean students.
Military - All South Korean males age 1835 are required to serve in the military for
between 21-24 months.
Names - Unlike in America, Koreans dont

usually call each other by first names unless they are peers. Koreans usually use
titles to refer to people who they are not
familiar with and are taught from a young
age to be respectful of their elders.
Service - In South Korea, most services
are performed the same day and no labor
charges are levied. Tipping is also uncommon in South Korea, unlike America.
Size - Korea is a small country and travel
isnt something many Koreans spend time
doing unlike Americans, and especially
Texans, who easily spend hours in the car
on a single weekend trip.
Work days - On average Koreans work
14% more than Americans equating for an
extra six workweeks per year. Many work
six day weeks and more than 10 hours per
day.

alone or travel by myself, but I cant if I cannot

drive.
Coming from a South Korea to the United States
includes seeing people of different ethnicities and
people throughout the
country, which is something that Raina isnt
used to.
There are many different cultures and races,
and I was surprised about
that, Raina said. There
really are only Asians in
South Korea.
Raina has explored,
learned, and enjoyed her
time in the U.S and finds
it valuable to have experienced because she has
been able to experience
and explore new cultures.
This trip has been beneficial, because most of the
things are different with another country, Raina
said. We can experience more and know more
about that country.

If you could study abroad

anywhere, where would you go?
I would go to Ireland to get more in touch
with my culture.
Bradley Ervin, 11

I would go to Italy because most of my

family is from there and its really pretty.
Rachel Agnello, 12

I would go to France, because its pretty

and I like French toast.
Teanika Rodgers, 12

Page 6 - Campus Life

Ice cream on screen

Students record commercial for Blue Bell

Lucy Raleigh
Co-editor
As a Texan, sitting around a bowl
of Blue Bell ice cream is nothing
short of normal. Whether it be enjoying a sweet bowl of the Great Divide, or sobbing into a half-gallon
tub of Cookie Two-Step, Blue Bell
is as much a Texas symbol as bluebonnets, armadillos, or cowboys.
Two seniors, Caleb Duane and
Kassie Gough, earned the opportunity to be a part of the Blue Bell
revival after the listeria outbreak
damaged their public image. Both
students enjoyed the experience as
it combined one of their favorite
foods with one of
their favorite
hobbies.
The commercial
was
a lot of fun,
Kassie said. A
bunch of people
were there for
just us. The crew

was there to make sure everything

was perfect, and I felt really important.
Though the commercial was a
unique and enjoyable experience,
it still posed new challenges for the
actors.
The commercial was overwhelming because going into the audition,
Kassie and I were just like ordinary
people, Caleb said. At the shoot
there were thirty tech people while
Kassie and I were the only talent,
and they were all over us making
sure we were comfortable.
By experiencing a different method of acting, Caleb and Kassie have

What is your favorite

local commercial?

gained more knowledge and expanded their talents.

Acting for TV is different because when youre acting on-stage,
you dont really have to do anything
with your face, Kassie said. Acting
for TV is a lot more difficult because
theres less movement and everything focuses on the face.
The pacing of the commercial
posed the largest challenge as it differed from the style both Caleb and
Kassie are used to in theater.
We didnt really do a lot of acting
for the camera in the commercial,
but in theater youre going and going and you dont stop, Caleb said.
With film and stuff like that its go
and stop, go and stop, and you do
the same thing forty times. We did a
20-second scene for four hours, the
same thing over and over, just walking down the road, over and over.
Kassie and Caleb arent the only
ones who recognize the knowledge
they gained, but their added experience is noticed by their advisor.
On-stage acting has
helped them with the
commercial,
theater
teacher Jacob Justice
said. I think that because they have the experience of acting in front
of a live audience, which
requires a lot of effort and
energy, they were able to
excel in the roles for the
commercial.

I like the commercial

from Atkinson Toyota
where the kids say
nice price and its
really awkward.
Keaton Hare, 11

I like the Villa Maria

Vet commercial
because its wasnt
very convincing.
Isaiah Taylor, 10

I like the Grand

Station commercial
because I love Grand
Station.
Mikayla Moore, 11

I love to hate the

Climate Doctor
commercial because
its hard to stop a
Trane.
Melinda Mack, Faculty

Whats your favorite flavor of Blue Bell ice cream?

My favorite flavor of Blue
Bell is Cookies and Cream
because I like the Oreos in
the ice cream.
Jackie Perry, 12

I like Homemade Vanilla

Blue Bell ice cream
because it reminds me of
my grandma.
Dylan Anderson, 12

My favorite flavor of Blue

Bell ice cream is cookie
dough because I love the
doughy texture.
Dominic Wyatt, 12

Fairy tale wedding

Teacher Spotlight - Page 7

Art teacher proposal, wedding inspired by fictional interests

Gail Finch
Staff writer
Creativity is in every aspect
of life, whether we want to admit it or not. Art teacher Samantha Bennett understands
that concept well by taking
creativity and making a living with it, while also incorporating it into her everyday
life. Whether it be a doodle
on a random piece of paper or
her entire wedding, creativity
plays an important role in her
life.
In the spirit of Pokemon
and the love for his soon-tobe wife, Bennetts husband
Kris Karli proposed to her
in the nerdiest way possible,
carefully constructing and coordinating an elaborate proposal in the name of love.
All of a sudden, there were
high school kids in my classroom saying their names over
and over again like Travis,
Travis!, Bennett said. I
didnt even blink
and asked Oh,
youre talking like
a Pokemon? and
then they kept piling in and blocked
off the exits.
Once the exits
were blocked off,
her husband-to-be
recreated Pokemon
trainer Ash Ketchums hat turning
sequence,
threw
Pokeballs at her,
and ordered one of
her friends to attack her.
He threw a
little Great Ball, it
bounced around a little bit,
Bennett said. He asked again
and they gave the same response, my other good friend

Jennifer was then prompted

to use scratch on me, so she
just kind of waved her hands
at me. He comes out, turns
his hat around again, gets
down on one knee, pulls out
a Master Ball, and inside the
Master Ball is a ring that was
part ruby part, diamond and
has the blue and green gemstones for the health in the experience, and thats when he
asked me to marry him.
They planned their own
wedding
which
allowed
them to express themselves
in a creative way that involved the wedding party and
guests.
We had Harry Potter
themed outfits for our wedding, I had a Hufflepuff tutor
inspired gown with the crinoline and couldnt walk through
doors because the hoops were
so big, and my husband had
a floor length, velvet, black,
Slytherin coat with a green la-

pel and the black velvet. Our

bridesmaids and groomsmen
were able to express themselves at our wedding, which

was very important to us too.

Unlike traditional weddings, there was no set dress
code and everyone was able to
show their personality.
This was the basis of
the newlyweds relationship.
We didnt want to
say You are wearing a
purple dress and pink
shoes and thats what
you get, Bennett said.
We wanted everybody
to get into it
and
bring
their own creativity to the
wedding.
Creativity isnt just a
part of Bennetts
personal life as
she has made
a career out of
helping others find their own
creative paths.
I went to college to teach
English, but in my free time I
am an artist, Bennett said. I
go to various conventions and

other things and I sell my art.

While she does sell her art
on the side and has a degree
in English, Bennett went on
to teach art and technology in
Crockett and eventually end-

ed up at Bryan High.
My husband was in his
interview with Crockett ISD
and I went with him to keep

him company and he

talked about me, Bennett said. Then they
dragged me into the office and they asked me
if I would like to teach art
and technology. They offered
me a job right then and there,
so I got both of those certifications that year and fell in love
with teaching art.
Experiencing the creativity
in everything and
allowing
students
to express
t h e m selves in
their own
unique
way
is
s o m e thing that
Bennett
wants to
instill in her students.
When I was in college, I
would draw pictures in the
margins of my notes and I remembered the answer to the
question in my notes because

of the picture I drew there,

Bennett said. Art has always
helped me express things. Becoming better at expressing
things and
teaching
students
to become
better
at
expressing
things in a
visual manner is wonderful and
makes life
easier.
Other than
drawing on
her notes,
Bennett
learned from a young age that
she could sell her creativity
to all who wanted it, earning
money off of her pieces at
conventions and things of the
like.
One thing that has been interesting for me is as when I
was growing up my mom was
a florist, Bennett said. She
made jewelry and just about
anything she could sell. She
didnt have very good health
so she couldnt have a regular
job, so I learned at a young
age to survive off of being creative.
Despite the money that
comes with being a teacher,
Bennett still sells her art to
people at conventions and
other events .
Selling my art is not as
important to my survival as
it was for my mom because I
have a regular job, Bennett
said. Theres just something
about being able to buy a pizza
off of money from something
that you created just warms
your soul.

Page 8 - Student Spotlight

Social media initiative rocks

Facebook group looks to spread positivity in community

Madison Little
to spend quality time together.
Staff writer
I think it really helps to bring families together
Society is full of cruelty and negativity, something through a creative outlet, senior Elizabeth Olivarez
as simple as a rock could change the way people said. Its cool to
perceive themselves, others, and the world around make a game out
them. Inspiration can be found in places of little of searching for the
importance and can dramatically affect a persons rocks.
outlook on life. Around the Brazos Valley, a
group of people are using rocks to spread a
message of positivity and generosity towards
one another.
I saw the story on the news, history
teacher Tim Bailey said. I saw that people
were hiding the rocks for people to find and
trying to get families together to do something that is fun, while passing on an inspirational message or art to someone.
Hiding and finding decorated rocks has
given community members a chance to connect with each other by posting about their
Teachers Tim Bailey and Tara Bailey
found a rock outside of Walgreens.
experiences on social media.
We did not go around purposefully looking for the rocks, but I have noticed on a Seniors Elizabeth Olivarez and Eden
Instead of just
Facebook group that others do go on rock Garcia find rocks in downtown Bryan. painting a new rock,
hunts, French teacher Tara Bailey said. We
some people place the
just happened to find ours. I believe it is a great way rocks they find in other parts of town so others can
to spread love and positivity and also get to know see the message they saw and the purpose of the
your community.
project can continue to make a domino effect to
Painting rocks is not only a way to get the commu- others.
nity involved, but it is also a fun activity for families
Rather than making a new rock, we took the

one we found and placed it by St. Joseph Hospital, sophomore Estelle DeSilva said. It can always
make somebodys day and its funny walking around
and seeing the rocks spread around town.
This project has emphasized that monetary
value doesnt put a price on positivity and
happiness.
It doesnt cost anything, Mr. Bailey said.
It is neat to find a rock no one else has found
yet.
Designing a rock for others has allowed
people to feel engaged in an activity that may
help someone around them and have a big impact with little effort.
We have already painted rocks twice since
finding ours and plan to paint more, Mrs.
Bailey said. I think the group is trying to
spread positivity and well wishes through inspirational notes to brighten someones day.
Families are using this project as a way to
teach their children about spreading positive
thoughts and feelings to others.
I think it is a great message to spread, Mrs.
Bailey said. We were excited to find it so we could
show our daughter, and she was happy to paint her
own rock to spread the love. The rocks have a chain
effect and any extra positivity in your day can go a
long way.
For more information Facebook users can visit
Bryan College Station Rocks and join the group.

Get involved - Information to get participants started

Information from the Bryan College
Station ROCKS facebook page and
administrator Jennifer Portillo.
Purpose: Spread happiness, love
and inspiration through the simple
gesture of painting rocks and hiding them for people to find.
This is a local art movement
meant to inspire creativity in all
ages and bring families back together.
Heres how it works:
Get some rocks and some painting supplies (paint, sharpies, etc)
then get creative. We would love
if you referenced Bryan College
Station Rocks! Either by writing or

putting a label on the back of the

rock that says:
Please share your finding on
Facebook! Bryan College Station
Rocks!
It helps to seal your finished masterpiece before hiding it to protect
your art from wear and the elements.
Now the fun part! Hide your
rock for someone to find.
Example: at the front door of a local business, at a gas pump etc. Try
hiding your rocks at night so that
people dont see you place them.
They are supposed to be a pleasant
surprise.
We would love it if you posted pic-

tures of your painted rocks before

you hide them, but you can participate anonymously if you prefer.
If you find an art rock, take a picture and, if you want, share it with
all of us on the Facebook group
Bryan College station Rocks!.
We would love to hear where you
found it. Then, either keep the rock
or re-hide it for someone else to
find. Many rocks have been found
over and over again.
What matters is that you HAVE
FUN!
The goal is to get lots of people all
across our county painting so that
there are lots of rocks to find out
there!

Please keep your artwork PG

rated as kids love to look for and
find the hidden rocks
Remember to be respectful of
private property and businesses.
Please dont take other peoples
or businesses landscape rocks to
paint.
Do not hide on, in or near ATM
card readers.

Student Spotlight - Page 9

Rugged race

Student pushes limits mentally, physically during cycling challenge

Reagan Brown
Staff writer
For thirty days she was isolated from the outside
world, only able to see long dirt roads and forgotten trails through the Continental Divide. The race
stretched on for 2,768.4 miles as she faced dehydration, starvation, lightning storms, and isolation.
Junior Lina put her body and mind through the
toughest experience she ever faced when she competed in the Tour Divide with her dad, which is an
ultra-cycling challenge through the Great Divide
Mountain Range, the worlds longest off-pavement
cycling route starting in Alberta,Canada and ending
in Antelope Wells, New Mexico.
My biggest challenge was staying positive because if youre not youll
probably drop, Lina said.
Staying positive is really

team and it is even better when the person is family.

a two person bike, Lina said. My dad being there
motivated me because hes done it before. He had
worth of bonding in one month. Since we were 8

tears because of hunger and tiredness, but its made

not going to matter within the next couple of days.
Because she had a strong mentality, Lina was able

more of a safety blanket.

One of Linas goals was to prove to the world that
a young woman can accomplish anything just like
any man could. She also wanted to prove that age
doesnt have limits when it comes to accomplishing
the unthinkable.

her and her dad faced along the way.

Mentally, New Mexico was the hardest state be-

Lina wanted to participate in the race because she

saw how much time and dedication it took. Being
isolated was harder for Lina and her dad to keep
track of the days because they were so focused on

but learned that no matter

Lina said. Last summer there was one other sixteen

year old participating. Knowing that there
was someone
else my age
out there was
another motivator for me.
ish but he did,

important to stay positive.

After competing in the race,
she grew wiser from her
past experiences and her
outlook on life completely
changed.
-

prove myself.
Riding a
bike comes as
easily to Lina
as walking, but

ity is bad for you and positivity is key to life.

Along the way, Lina

ically, Wyoming was the hardest because the mountains were really steep and there were millions of

why she started.

My favorite memory would either be starting the
-

Starting the race Linas emotions were running

Junior Lina Rice bikes down a dirt road during the Tour Divide
Race from Alberta, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico.
photo by: Linda Guerrette

back into her normal daily life.

days, Lina said. Coming back to reality was shockreally wanted to continue. We crashed to what we

challenges, some more expected than others.

Lina went into the race knowing she had the support of her friends and family back home. Before
leaving for the race, she was reminded that people
had faith that she would survive the grueling challenge ahead.
All of these people were writing on my dads

pretty close to it, Lina said. Towards the end of

the race in the northern half of New Mexico, there
was a really bad storm approaching. We were in
the eye of the storm and we couldnt ride because
the mud was too thick so we were walking and it
instantly started panicking and we took safety measures.
Though New Mexico was scary for Lina and her
father, she learned to stay calm in times of any catastrophe and that with time things will get better.

The Great Divide can be overwhelming but Lina

had her dad by her side every day encouraging her
and giving daily advice to push through each day.
my life and those are the moments that keep me

and encouraged myself to keep succeeding.

pushed away all of her negative thoughts. This was
more than just a race for her. The Great Divide had
such an impact on Lina that she now wants to continue doing it in her future.
said. The race mattered to me and it will matter
more of a priority so thats one of my main focuses.

Page 10 - Student Spotlight

Sophia Stone
Staff writer
When most people move schools,
they are nervous about what type
-

Ashton has helped me have more

Ashton Edwards when she

Ashton hopes that shes able to use

-

selves and dont worry

about what other people

day she placed her name on the ballot.

We dont want anyone to have bad

and how other students

some of the best years of my peers
-

Megan Krenek
Staff writer

Most of
-

Whether
rally, foot-

downloaded software on the computer. I made a

others enjoy.
-

close to her, she enjoys what she does and shes

All the worlds a stage

Student Spotlight - Page 11

Theatre program performs play, playwright attends

Danica Mendes
occurred surrounding the left a great impact to be stand- said. [Jacob] made revisions tivated by the responsibility
Co-editor
Rosenberg case in New York ing amongst the thousands of to make more action in the that came with Ethel. She was
The lights blind senior Ca- in 1953 when Serrano was people mourning over the in- play, to make it more appro- so strong and I was drawn to
leb Duane as he takes the a teenager. The Rosenbergs justice of this execution.
priate for youth, and I wanted that.
stage. He feels the familiar were executed for conspiracy
Serrano was thrilled to to see what a new concept of
The students who perrush of adrenaline as a hush of espionage.
hear from Justice and have theater 40 years later looked formed the play were touched
falls over the audience. Caleb
It was a case that was the opportunity to see a new like.
by the plays context and hope
is used to performing to both happening all around me, g e n e r a t i o n
their work touches
crowds large and small, but and it wasnt just the head- of students
others and conveys
this time its different. This lines, Serrano said. It was perform her
a message each
time he is performing for the a case that was happening play.
time they take the
shows creator. This time he all around the world, people
I
was
stage.
portrays a character with the across the whole planet were very excited
Theater is
writer, who originally brought trying to save the Rosenbergs when Justice
just another methis true story to stage, sitting for over two years including c o n t a c t e d
dium for telling stoin the audience.
the most famous painter, Pab- me because
ries, Ale said. Out
Theatre teacher Jacob Jus- lo Picasso, who did portraits high school
of all of them, its
tice chose The Story of Ethel and sketches as a part of this students are
the medium that is
and Julius Rosenberg as the movement to save the Rosen- the future,
most willing to tell
fall show and contacted the bergs. I was very aware of it as Serrano said.
the more guilty,
playwright, Nina Serrano for a teenager.
Its a way,
controversial stoconfirmation to make a few
Serrano was present in the as a writer, Junior Tyler Wilson portrays one of the agents arresting senior Caleb
ries.
Duanes character during the play.
photo by: Steven Gonzalez
changes to the script. While street the night the Rosen- of propelling
The experitalking with her she expressed bergs were executed, as rallies our
work
ence was just as
interest in flying in from Cali- took place and people count- into the future, and also makTheatre is more than just special for Serrano as it was
fornia to see the play and ed down to the execution.
ing it something very organic standing on a stage and pre- for the students and she enwork with the students.
They began counting down in the lives of the students. tending to be another person. joyed seeing new life in her
The show is about taking a from 10 to 9 and when they To perform a play, you have Actors must become the char- play.
journey into the life of Ethel got to 8 the police turned off to get so intimate with each acter they are portraying, and
I left here reborn and reand Julius Rosenberg, Jus- the loud speakers and the character and its not like communicate to the public newed, Serrano said. Even
tice said. The play is about people would repeat to each reading a history book where who that character really is.
though it was the night [of
injustice and
you memorize
I found it difficult playing the] fateful election I left
reminding
the name and Julius, Caleb said. Captur- with a lot of optimism to see
society, as a
date of a per- ing the characters human- young, passionate, and intelwhole, that
son. You have ity while also portraying his ligent students like these.
people dont
to explore the strong and older attributes
Justice said that he was
have to settle
soul of that per- during his court case was dif- both honored and humbled
for what is
son.
ficult. Its hard to have emo- that Serrano came to Bryan
decided or
Though the tion and show weak moments High to be a part of the prosaid to be
play had been of the character while keeping cess.
true by the
sitting in a fil- his persona and strength.
Its not typical that a high
government
ing
cabinet
Knowing that this play is school gets to premiere a new
and those in
for over 40 based off of true events and version of a show, Justice
power and
years, Justice being able to understand said, and its even more rare
that we cant Senior Kaylee Gough plays a newsie calling the days headline for the
reworked sec- where a character comes from that a playwright comes and
paper.
photo by: Steven Gonzalez
just assume
tions of the play and how emotionally driven spends time with the students
that they alto help students this play is not only moti- and this whole experience is a
ways get it right. In this play, other how many seconds connect more to the process.
vates the theater students, but once in a lifetime opportunity
we see that the ends dont jus- there were until the last secIt was impossible for me to helps bring the play to life.
for these guys to really get to
tify the means.
ond of their execution, Ser- think that this [performance]
I got to play someone that workshop a show. This expeThe play was written in rano said. I was about 17 would happen and I that I was real, senior Ale Reyes rience has been thrilling for
the 70s about incidents that years old at the time, and that would not see it, Serrano said. I think I was really mo- me as well.

Page 12 - Letters to Santa

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Letters to Santa - Page 13

Dear Santa,
All I want for Ch
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for the Texans to g
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Dear Santa,
This Christmas, I want highlights
for my popping cheekbones.
Alex Padilla

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Page 14 - Sports

Annual golf tournament held to honor former players

It was an emotional
moment as a team, senior
golfer James Florian said.
Especially since we have had
two players suffer from cancer
before succumbing to it. With
that in mind, it was a tournament in memory of them, and
thats how we treated it.
Garrett Maliska
John Harden Hicks

Tragedy often brings
Payton McKeehan
people together as it did when
Staff writer
John passed and the remaining team The golf team hosted the first annu- mates united and play for him and his
al Maliska/Hicks Memorial Boys Var- memory.
sity Tournament this year at the Texas Although I wasnt part of the team
A&M golf course. The tournament is in the tournament, I was there for
named after former Viking players support and community, James said.
Garrett Maliska, who passed away in We definitely came together and or2011 from Glioblastoma Cancer, and ganized things to make sure that all of
John Harden Hicks II, who passed the small signs on everything were in
away last November from Glioblas- place.
toma Brain Cancer.
Many schools from across Texas
The boys team finished third overall participated in the Maliska/Hicks
in the tournament with a team score golf tournament in support of the
of 660 and appreciated the opportu- team with money going to support the
nity to play in such an event.

scholarship funds established in their

honor.
We had a great turnout for this
event, golf coach Timothy Pepper
said. Teams from all over the Houston, Austin, and Bryan/College Station areas participated. I hope the
tournament will continue to grow in
the future.
The cancer never interfered with
Johns desire to play golf or dampened
his spirits.
John played golf even though he
suffered with cancer, but he didnt
let that interfere with how much he
played or what he did, James said.
The only time it really affected him
was whenever he was not physically
able to do anything.
The tournament served as a way to
heal for the team as they played to
honor Garrett and John.
The only thing that made the tournament different was the fact that
we were doing it for our fallen team-

mates, James said. We played to the

best of our ability and we played to
have fun as they wouldve wanted us
to do.
Though remaining teammates want
to have a positive outlook on the tournament, they still notice the heartbreaking truth of the death of John.
The meaning behind the tournament and the fact that John didnt get
to play his senior year made the event
special, senior golfer Nick Reynolds
said. Its difficult to watch anyone
struggle with cancer let alone a kid.
Im glad we have this event.
Both Garrett and John loved golf
just as much as their teammates and
the team has learned valuable life lessons through the experiences the team
has gone through together.
I realize theres a bigger meaning
than just like having a bad day or playing back, Nick said. Theres a bigger
meaning to everything and golf is just
a sport.

Seniors lead team through perseverance, determination

Mackenzie Johnson
Staff writer
Basketball is the definition of a team
sport. Five players on the court must
interact in a seamless fashion to effectively protect their own goal and
score points in their opponents. Injuries and setbacks can ruin a season
and cripple a team, but they can also
be used to strengthen bonds and push
the team to come together even more.

The girls varsity basketball team is

focused this season, and the players
and coaches are looking to win district
and go deep into the playoffs. Basketball coaches look to veterans each year
to lead the team, and senior Teanikia
Rodgers fits that role.
Teanikia has improved tremendously in her three and a half years at
Bryan High, varsity girls basketball
coach Beth Jesurun said. Our goal
is always to win district and make the
playoffs, and her leadership will make
a big difference this year.
Each player must fill a role on the
team to be successful and work as a
group to win.
Teanikias role on the team is to be
a leader at point guard, Jesurun said.
She needs to have a steady presence
on the court, distribute the ball, and
make free throws. She is very vocal
and does a good job communicating
to her teammates.
Senior teammate NeNe Newton
suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and PCL,
blowing out her entire knee the sum-

mer after her freshman year and

missed the majority of the season her
sophomore year. The team also looks
to her as a leader on the team when
it comes to perseverance and determination which has been seen through
her recovery.
NeNes injury depleted our depth
at point guard and put her a year behind, Jesurun said. Most of the time,
ACL injuries take over a year to get
back at full speed.
Not only did NeNes injury affect
her physical capabilities, but also her
confidence and mental toughness.
NeNe needs to take time to regain
confidence in her knee that she had
prior to her injury, Jesurun said.
NeNe worked mentally and physically to overcome her injury. The injury
has helped her mature; she doesnt
take playing for granted.
Her desire to get back on the court
stemmed from her attending therapy
and overcoming the year long setback.
I overcame my injury by going to

therapy and really focusing on getting

back on the court, Nene said. It was
very frustrating to come back because
of my injury.
Her recovery inspired her teammates to know that once you hit the
bottom or an obstacle gets in the way,
there is always a way to overcome.
Watching NeNe come back from
basketball taught me that if you ever
get knocked down by life theres always a way to overcome it, Teanikia
said. Her injury was a major setback
for her because she loves basketball so
much, but that caused her to be out for
a whole season. Now shes back and
Ive seen so much improvement from
her.
The injury has rejuvenated NeNe
and helped her focus on the season
ahead as she trains each day to grow
as a player both physically and mentally on court.
Although things get hard, you have
to keep pushing. Theres some days
you dont want to get up and go, NeNe
said. You play how you practice.

Sports - Page 15

Ball is life

Junior leads basketball team to success as veteran player

Kaywin McCall
Staff writer
Walking into the gym on a cold Tuesday night, theres a basketball pounding the floor and a crowd roaring at
the game theyre watching. The Bryan
High varsity boys basketball team is
led by 62, 180 pounds of pure toughness, junior Zach Nutall who averaged
18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists last
season as a sophomore, and is constantly improving his averages and the
teams success.
Zach has played basketball since he
was four and hes currently playing
with Texas Pro which is an invite only
Adidas organized team based out of
Houston. Hes had the opportunity to
play in front of hundreds of basketball
coaches throughout the United States,
including traveling to South Carolina,
Las Vegas and New York. As he looks
to his future and basketball, he relies
heavily on the people who have helped
him reach success including his dad
and coaches.
Ive put in countless hours talking to
my coach to find out what I need to do
to be a leader on this team, Zach said.
I usually watch film with my dad and
watch specific players to see how they
play. I also work on my game with some
of my personal trainers, Coach Jones,
and Coach Heinz.
Zachs consistent work ethic has
shown throughout his time at Bryan
High, earning him a spot on varsity as a
freshman, which has given him the experience to lead the team.
As a freshman the expectation was
to see him play hard, get after it, and
be coachable, varsity boys basketball
coach Chris Jones said. He did that
really well as a freshman and had the
opportunity to learn. Then last year as
a sophomore he came in and we asked
him to spot shoot the ball for us. We
asked him to shoot open shots and put
it on the floor, and he did. This past
off-season he has added scoring off the
dribble to his game, he has improved
a lot and added the necessary pieces

year-by-year.
Not only is his hard work noticed by
the coaches, but it has also rubbed off
on other players on the team.
Zach has grown over the past couple
of years in his work ethic, senior teammate Ross McGregor said. Ive seen
him work harder and harder as each
day comes. He expects a lot of the team
and helps show this with his work ethic.
Not only does Zach hold himself and
his team accountable on the court, but
he knows what is necessary inside of
the classroom.
My goals for myself are to lead the
team off the court with my grades and
on the court by working hard during
practice. Zach said. I want to be a
leader in every aspect I can.
He has worked on his basketball
game by adding new aspects to his
game, making him more of a threat to
opposing teams.
Wed really like to see Zach score
at a more efficient rate off of the floor,
to make open jump shots and to put it
on the floor and get to the basket and
score some, Jones said. Wed like to
see him draw fouls in situations and be
more aggressive rebounding the ball.
The basketball coaches give Zach a
lot of responsibility in leading the team
as the player with the most experience.
Zach is the most veteran guy on the
team, Jones said Hes just a junior but
hes been on varsity for three years, so
hes the most experienced guy on our
roster right now. We expect him to lead
by example because hes been here, hes
played on the district championship
team, and on two playoff teams, so hes
been around and knows what is expected of him. We expect him to do the right
things, and to be a leader.
Being a role model to the younger
guys, Zach helps them with their game
and helps hold them accountable on
and off of the court.
Zach has many qualities that make
him a great leader, a few being his skill
and how vocal he is, Ross said. He

is also very vocal and calls people out

when someone is not working hard or
does something wrong. We, as a team,
hold each other accountable in the
classroom and on the court, and he
does his part above and beyond in every aspect.
If the team can continue to put
in the time and effort, Zach believes they will see a lot of success as a result.
My goal as a team is to be
district champions, Zach
said. And get a deep
run in the playoffs and
have the opportunity
to play at state.
The team is constantly working to
improve and will
keep working in
order to go far in
the playoffs.
We have a lot
of guys improving who are fired
up to have the opportunity to get
better.
Jones
said. Were going to throw it all
together and get
after it everyday.
Zach plans on
taking
advantage
of his hard work and
continue on playing at
the next level. He has
been recruited by standout programs throughout
the state.
I plan on playing in
college. Ive had some
great recruits come and
watch me and talk to me
over the phone, including
Texas A&M, Texas State, University of Incarnate Word, and the University of North Texas, Zach said. Ive
learned that the game of basketball can
take you far if you work hard and make
you a better man.

Junior Zach Nutall nails a three pointer from

outside the arch.
photo by: Caleb Duane

Page 16 - Feature

Founding fathers shouldnt be forgotten with currency changes

Shannon Keyser
Staff writer
While many features differ from
country to country, there are a few
things that every country has in common. One of those is currency. Despite all of the flaws and problems
that money can cause, it is necessary
to keep a country running smoothly.
Since money is such an instrumental part of a well-functioning nation,
it would make sense that the country
would want their currency to portray
something important to them. One of
the most common forms of doing this
is putting a historically important person on their money. This is the reason
why Andrew Jackson, one of the most
controversial presidents ever, is being
moved to the back of the $20 bill. The
civil rights activist Harriet Tubman
will replace Jackson on the front of the
bill.
While this might seem like a good
thing, I cant help but feel that Harriet Tubman is not the best choice for
the front of the $20 bill. Though she
was historically important, it feels like
this choice was made out of a thirst for
political correctness instead of her actual actions. What do I mean by this?
To start with women were considered
for the $20 bill, dismissing half of the
eligible population for the position.
Then they chose Harriet Tubman, an
African American woman. While there
is nothing fundamentally wrong with
choosing her, I get the impression that
she was chosen simply because of her
race and gender and less because of her
actions and contributions to the US,
which were significant.
I am not saying that
H a r -

riet Tubman is not important. She was

one of the biggest leaders in the Underground Railroad and served as a
Union spy during the Civil War. However, I feel like in peoples haste to find
certain kinds of historical figures, they
overlook others.
So if I dont think that Harriet Tubman should be on the $20 bill, then
who should be on the bill? My solution
is James Madison. This important historical figure has almost been forgotten
in the shadows of history. Chances are
the majority of people dont know what
he did, but they should. Without him,
the United States may not have been
able to become the successful world
power it is today.
James Madison was a founding father of the United States and was the
author of the Constitution and Bill of
Rights. Though the Constitution did
have some flaws fixed by the Bill of
Rights and other amendments, it has
actually worked. Perhaps it is hard to
appreciate the difficulty of creating
laws for a country until it must be done.
Keep in mind that he had to come up
with the concept of branches of government and figure out how to distribute
the power so no one group would be in
total control. Though there were other
democracies before the United States,
the US is arguably the oldest, most
powerful form
of democracy.
Madison
also
had to think of
every possible
scenario
that
could hap-

pen and develop a balanced solution to all

of them. The fact that
Madison was able to
create the Constitution and it go through
only 27 amendments
throughout the nations entire history is
impressive to say the
least.
Secondly, he was the
fourth president of the
United States. Being
elected president is
not an easy thing, both
in gaining and serving the position. However, when Madison
was president, Britain
tried to take America
back over again, resulting in the War of 1812.
This war is sometimes
skimmed over and left
in the shadows of the
Revolutionary
War,
Civil War, and World
Wars, but it is important none-the-less. If
Madison had not led
us to victory, we would
have become part of
Great Britain again,
changing our
history dramatically. No
war is easy to
fight. Like in all other wars,
decisions must be made that
will often result in sacrifices,
but as Commander-in-Chief,
Madison was able to lead this
fledgling nation to victory
against a country with one of
the strongest militaries in the
world.
Finally, as touched
on earlier, not many people
know much about James Madison.
Compared with some of the other
founding fathers and presidents, he
has been somewhat lost in the midst
of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams, just to name a
few. What better way to honor and give

Who do you think should

be on the $20 bill?
I would put James Meredith
on the $20 bill because of his
role in the integration of Ole
Miss. He is the epitome of the
ideal American.
Chad Cryer, Faculty

I think Harriet Tubman would

be a good person to put on the
$20 because she helped with the
underground railroad and saved
so many.
Nyashia Drones, 9

Martin Luther King Jr. would

be a good candidate for the $20
bill because hes an inspirational
person for all races.
DeShaun Maxey, 11

publicity to a person than placing him

on currency? In elementary school, I
remember how we learned who was
on our currency and why they were on
there. It wasnt until late elementary
school that I realized that it was James
Madison who wrote the Constitution.
If we put him on our currency, people
will learn more about him and thus
more about American history that has
been overlooked.
Though Harriet Tubman may be a
good person to someday put on our
currency, we should also remember
the overlooked founders of our nation.
Even though we dont have enough
currency to put everyone influential,
James Madison has proven he is qualified to be on the $20 bill.

Viral trends infect internet

Opinions - Page 17

Memes provide humor outlet, connect people through global in-jokes

Suicide Squad have existed for
quite some time within the infamous Batman story line, and
have been rebooted in the subpar 2016 remake that has been
eaten up by viewers and fans,
Lucy Raleigh
regurgitated through overdone
Co-editor Halloween costumes and badly
done renditions of the Joker.
The Internet is truly a complex
Unlike most remakes, the 21st
and glorious place. At its best, it
century
appropriation of memes
can be an outlet for creativity and
isnt
all
that
bad. As someone who
communication, but at its worst it
has
grown
up
with the Internet as
can be a bottomless abyss of terror
a
constant
in
everyday
life, I have
and confusion.
seen
memes
go
through
various
Unless someone has been livevolutionary
phases,
shape-shifting under a rock without wifi for
the past few years, they are aware ing daily.
From the humble beginnings of
of what I like to call the Golden
my
meme education on the I Can
Quartet of the Internet: Twitter,
Haz
Cheezburger? website full of
Tumblr, Instagram, and Facebook.
animals
in compromising positions
All of these apps or websites have
and
with
hilarious facial exprescommonalities, like their general
sions
surrounded
by witty jokes
accessibility,
user-friendliness,
and instant messaging abilities.
Though these qualities are
all essential to the apps success, there is one item present on all of these social media platforms that they owe
much of their credit to, an
item that is often taken for
granted and somewhat misunderstood: the meme.
The meme has been
around for quite some time
and was even kicked around
before the Internet. The term
meme was coined in 1976
by Richard Dawkins in his book, in black-lined white text, to my
The Selfish Gene, in an effort to days spent looking for Rare Pepe
explain how ideas and cultures get pictures to send to my friends, I
have seen just about every meme
shuffled around between people.
The actual definition of a meme to grace the Internet with its presis an idea, behavior, or style that ence.
Of course, not all memes come
spreads from person to person
from
simple pet photos or bad
within a culture. In the 21st centudrawings
of frogs. Many memes
ry, nothing can exist without being
are
created
from funny screen
recreated in a skewed, distorted
caps
taken
from
childhood televiversion that is subsequently soaked
sion
shows
like
Arthur
and Scooby
up by the sponge that is the millenDoo,
such
as
the
iconic
Arthur fist
nial generation, like DC Comics
meme
and
the
fact
that
someone
Suicide Squad. The characters of

pointed out that Scooby Doos full

name was, in fact, Scoobert Doobert.
As someone whos not too into
remakes (except for the 2016
Ghostbusters), I love seeing my favorite childhood TV shows brought
back to life by the beauty of Internet memes.
Like any other platform for self
expression and entertainment,
there is a dark side to memes. Deep
in the chasms of the internet where
nobody goes, there are what is said
to be dead memes; memes so
hackneyed and overused that everyone on the Internet has collectively buried them under mounds
of html code and old files so that
no one ever sees them again.
These long dead memes are often at the backs of many minds,
but never reappear on computer
screens. Since its viral debut, the Charlie bit my
finger video has snuck
into the meme graveyard,
along with other dead
memes like Triumphant
Baby and Bad Luck Brian.
Though this seems
kind of sad to all memesympathizers, it is truly
for the best that these
memes are laid to rest as
the Internet continues to
spew new memes daily.
All-in-all, memes
are the epitome of all internet jokes and have the ability
to make any person with wifi let
out a light-hearted giggle here and
there, especially if they enjoy joking about their own existential life
crisis or detrimental laziness.
No matter the emotions, babies covered in peanut butter, and
confused cartoon sea creatures
dressed as cavemen, or dramatic
facial expressions of Olympic athletes should lift moods and bring
smiles to faces.

Whats your
favorite meme?
I like the me, an
intellectual meme
because its funny, kind
of stupid, and relatable.
Anna Beth Mayerhoff, 10

I like the Barney meme

because Barney is my
favorite show.
Mark Hawkins, 11

I like the ferret meme

about music, because
music is a big part of
my life.
Kendall Owen, 10

I like the Arthur

memes. They are
relatable because I want
to fight everyone, but
I dont because then I
couldnt exempt finals.
Yesenia Salazar, 12

The Kermit the frog

memes are my favorite
because they make me
laugh.
Jasmine Wooten, 12

Page 18 - Opinions

Stretched thin

Yoga helps enhance, body, mind, soul through relaxation techniques

tice, I am now able to
easily touch passed my
toes. The increase in
flexibility has helped
me warm-up better for
Kaywin McCall activities and release
Staff writer tension in my muscles
after a strenuous workout. People might not
There are many misconceptions about yoga and many be flexible now, but they will
people dont do it, or are see results and their body will
quickly opposed to trying a thank them for it.
I dont have good enough
yoga class, because theyre not
flexible enough, dont have balance: Nobody has natugood enough balance, are rally good balance; its a conbad at meditating, or are al- stant battle with gravity. I
ready physically fit. However, used to fall over whenever I
people dont understand the first started. After having two
practice of yoga is a process. concussions, I could not stand
Its not about the final des- on one foot without shaktination, but the transitions ing, and if Id close my eyes,
and the journey along the way I would practically fall over
that make yoga a key compo- instantly. Yoga practice has
helped me find my center of
nent in becoming more fit.
Im not flexible enough: gravity and gain confidence,
When I first started doing which has shown benefits in
yoga earlier this summer, I basketball and my day to day
could not touch my toes. My activities.
Im bad at meditating:
hips and hamstrings were so
tight that I couldnt hinge over It takes a while to learn how
to even get my hands passed to meditate properly. Its unmy knees. Working hard and comfortable at first, but once
consistently on my yoga prac- someone learns how to shut

the world out during their

practice, life becomes less
stressful, along with providing a different perspective on
trials. This has helped me find
calmness, and look at situations with a clear perspective.
Im a runner/athlete and
I dont need yoga to stay fit:
People dont have to do yoga
in order to stay fit, but it provides many benefits that complement the workouts they
are already doing. Yoga builds
flexibility, reinforces strength
athletes already have, and
builds muscles in places that
are lacking. Yoga also builds
core strength which is essential in building a stable midsection and it improves mental toughness. It also helps
prevent injuries and helps
people recover quicker from
them. In March, I overworked
my back during power lifting,
resulting in steroid injections,
epidurals, and muscle relaxers in order to remove the inflammation from the lumbar
facet joint in my lower back.
The combination of constant
working out and inflexibility

caused my back to get so bad,

I had to stop doing Crossfit for
four months, and could not
workout anything lower body
without screeching in pain.
After I did everything medically available to me, I still
had an achy back, and thats
when I tried yoga. Within two
weeks of yoga practice, I was
able to do Crossfit again. I was
squatting light, I could run, I
could do everything I used to
do (minus dead lift) but at a
lighter weight and pain free,
which was a huge accomplishment.
I didnt realize how much of
an affect yoga would have on
me physically and mentally.
One of yogas top priorities
is to help participants concentrate on breathing and the
body, which helps relieve an
anxious mind. Yoga poses release stress in the body which
in return, relieves stress in
the mind. Yoga is the perfect
combination of relaxation,
meditation and exercise that
it has proven to be helpful for
mental health, and can even
reduce depression. Yoga also

How to do yoga in four easy to follow moves

Meditation is a key component
of yoga and is meant to help
people concentrate on their
breathing and relax.

Warrior 1 - This position is a

full-body pose to help increase
balance. It is also great for legs,
glutes, hips, core muscles, chest,
shoulders, and arms.

Pigeon Stretch - This position is

perfect for tight hips because it
stretches the hip flexors and hip
rotators.

provides a way to lower blood

pressure, heart rate, and improve respiration. I can personally account to this. Last
year I struggled with anger
and depression, but yoga has
helped me find peace within
myself and my surroundings.
My yoga instructor always
says, Nobody can take your
peace away because nobody
can take your breath away.
Ive installed that in my life
and it has helped me in difficult situations.
Yoga has provided me an
outlet for dealing with stress
and anxiety. I think one of the
most important skills I have
learned is how to breathe
and how to find peace with
my breath when faced with a
stressful situation. My yoga
mat also provides a place
where I can calm down and
release negative thoughts and
reinforce the idea that I can
only control my reactions.
There are many benefits
from taking yoga classes, but
dont take my word for it. Give
it a try and see how it can improve your life.

Headstand - This position

helps participants increase
blood flow to the scalp and
flushes detoxins from the
body while working core
msucles.

Opinions - Page 19

Seniors no longer ready to leave high school

as graduation looms, end of semester approaches
Jennyfer Tucker
Associate editor
The first day of school this year, all of
the seniors posted their last first day
of high school on every social media. Since freshman year, the thought
that echoed through their heads each
morning was: Im so ready to graduate. Senioritis began setting in around
the first semester of junior year, but
things are changing fast. As the end of
the first semester looms, Im starting to
question why I wanted to graduate so
badly.
I get it, it would be nice to wake up
around eight in the morning instead

of six in the morning, and not have to

go to school every day for eight hours,
listen to teachers lecture all day, and
get paper after paper to finish and turn
in by the next day. Those thoughts are
normal, but those are only the negative
aspects of high school. We only pick
out the negative things about school
and use that as our excuse to why we
want to graduate so bad.
We cant forget that once we graduate, there wont be anymore Friday
Night Lights, no more Key Club, Cord
of 3, or Student Council meetings.
There wont be late nights when we
come home as a Viking with our teammates from a game or meet. Once we
graduate, were leaving behind all of
the things and people that sculpted us
into who we are now and the things we
looked forward to for school.
While not all of us will go to college,

Communication key to conflict resolution

Society in general should always
have a thirst for knowledge and information and a hope to make themselves better each day.
The recent election should teach us
several important lessons, the most
important being the need to communicate and talk to each other when
there is a disagreement.
Conflicts are not resolved by participants plugging their ears and refusing to listen to the other side.
Conflicts are not resolved by petty
subtweeting and user blockage.
Conflicts are not resolved by participants yelling at each other or calling
them names.
Instead, problems are solved by cooperation between opposing groups
and wanting to know what their side
of the story is.
If someone wants to make peace,
they should talk to their opponents
instead of their friends and explore
things from a new perspective.
Maturity is finding a compromise
in a conflict instead of being stubborn
and only thinking that a single opinion matters.

How someone handles conflict

shows their true personality.
No matter what the argument or
disagreement is about, communication is the key to reconciliation.
In the end, the majority of people
want the same thing, but they just
may see the path to get there differently.
If people are looking for the same
thing, then they need to be open to
other peoples ideas even if they are
different from their own.
We must work together to find the
common ground that unites us instead of focusing on what divides us.
Compromise somehow became
a dirty word over the last few decades and has polarized the masses
to a point that things have come to a
grinding halt in many respects.
Memes and jokes throughout
Thanksgiving focused on avoiding
certain topics to not cause conflict,
but instead of walking on egg shells
through Christmas, make an effort to
understand and respect each other.
--The Norseman Staff

once we step off that stage and move

our tassels to the other side, we are on
our own. Some of us say were ready
while the rest of us stay up late and contemplate the next step. The thought of
adulthood sounds pleasing and exciting for most seniors and makes them
think about getting a house, a car, and
doing whatever they want, but I dont
think any of us realize how fast its really coming.
Teachers will not cut slack for students in college. Teachers in high
school, want us to succeed and push
us to our limits, because they know the
potential in each student. Seniors are
so used to having someone tell them to
do their work, that if they were on their
own, I doubt the work would be done.
Are seniors ready to pay for everything
they want and need? Are seniors ready
for new friendships and letting old

ones go? Are seniors ready to leave the

place theyve been in for four years for
180 days? Im not sure I am. Of course
they can say yes, but at that graduation
ceremony when everyone is all together, listening to the emotional speeches
that bring tears, hugging people who
mentored each of us, and receiving
our diploma from Mr. Buban, we may
change our minds. Dont tell me you
wouldnt want to relive our senior year.
We need to stop rushing everything
and wishing for it, lets embrace this
last year we have together.
Its an important lesson to learn now,
to not wish life away as we wait for the
next chapter of life to start. We must
learn to live in the moment, to enjoy
where we are right now. We must focus
on the positive instead of the negative
and appreciate each and every moment.

NORSEMAN
Adviser
Rebecca Dominy
Co-editor
Danica Mendes
Lucy Raleigh
Associate editor
Jennyfer Tucker

Staff writers
Gail Finch
Payton McKeehan
Hannah Broussard
Reagan Brown
Mackenzie Johnson
Shannon Keyser
Megan Krenek
Madison Little
Kaywin McCall
Sophia Stone

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 20 - Opinions

American Idiots revived

Green Day returns to roots with Revolution Radio

Gail Finch
Staff writer
Starting in 1987 and hailing from Anaheim, California, the punk rock band Green Day has influenced the minds of teenagers for three decades.
Over the years of international success with young
and old demographics, the plethora of songs cover a
range of topics from punk-rock love songs to political statements that resonate with not only the band
members, but their audience.
Growing up, I listened to a lot of Green Days music. Their critically acclaimed 2004 album American Idiot was basically the sound track to my life
even if I didnt understand all of the lyrics until recently. Later on in life the earlier albums such as
Insomniac and Dookie made their ways onto my
play list, having a taste of every era of the punk rock
band at my fingertips.
I was a bit skeptical of their new album, Revolution Radio, since the past three, Uno!, Dos!, and
Tr! (the last title alluding to drummer Tr Cool)
didnt really resonate with me as much as some of
the other albums did.
It seemed almost as if they didnt put a lot of effort into making the lyrics as compelling as I once
knew them to be. In earlier albums, songs consisted
of alternate meanings and things alluding to the

lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong, and his life. An

example would be Wake Me Up When September
Ends from American Idiot, in which Armstrong
sings beautifully painful lyrics about his father who
died when he was only ten-years-old.
Their new album has more of an American Idiot
vibe to it which is what I was
looking for. It made me almost
nostalgic listening to the new
music that they put out after
the three duds that they pulled
in 2010. It has more of the
rough sound and heavily political lyrics like their first few
albums.
The song Bang Bang, goes
into the mind of a mass shooter
and details their thought process as a narcissistic jumbled
mess. The title song Revolution Radio also follows that
pattern and goes into the mass
media and how there are too
many conflicting stories in the media pertaining to
one event.
Comparatively, Revolution Radio doesnt really
come close to the bands previous successes, but

I think this album is more with the era in which

its been written and the cynical feelings of Billie
Joe Armstrong, now 44 years old with two kids, in
mind.
Its more for the new and incoming audience
of teenagers who need something to rage about,
something that the other albums
could do, but resonate with the
older audience that grew up
with it. Despite this, the album
adds to the already large arsenal of songs by Green Day that
made the American punk rock
scene prominent.
As with many bands, I
would love to see Green Day in
concert. Ive wanted to see them
in concert since I was a little
girl jamming out to them in
my bedroom. With the new album comes a tour, so hopefully
Ill be able to nab some tickets
before March and see my punk
rock heroes in the flesh.
Revolution Radio, along with many of its predecessors full rebellion riddled lyrical masterpieces,
can and will be enjoyed for generations to come.

From house to home

Fixer Upper features family friendly fun

Sophia Stone
Staff writer
Are you ready to see your Fixer Upper? star of the HGTV series, Fixer
Upper, Joanna Gaines says before revealing to her clients something that
will change their lives forever- their
dream home. Joanna and her husband, Chip Gaines, carefully select
the worst houses in the best neighborhoods of Waco, and surrounding
areas to transform them into their clients desires. The show is an adventure
filled with style, family, and fun.
Each house starts as a run down
shack with problems along the way.
However, within a matter of weeks,
Chip and Joanna are able to completely transform the house into a home.
There are certain things each episode

has to contain in order to be complete;

Chip annoying and joking with Joanna, a kitchen island, french doors, and
at least one wall knocked completely
out. Viewers also get to see the adorable Gaines children who make an appearance to bring Joanna dinner while
she finishes decorating the house.
Despite the house being the worst
one on the block, the Gaines always
work together to make it great. Chip
is in charge of demo day when they
clean up the house and yard to get
ready for the redesigning. Joanna is
the queen of interior design and always comes up with a brilliant idea for
each family.
Chip and Joanna didnt stop with
the production of the show. They have
turned Waco into a tourist stop in the

state of Texas with Magnolia Silos. Magnolia has

a shop, a bakery, and a big
lawn with games and food
trucks, making it fit for
any family road trip There
are a bunch of people who cant drive
through Waco without stopping. The
Gaines also released a book, The Magnolia Story, about how they got started
and their experience on Fixer Upper.
Many people have tried to figure out
how a couple of small town folks in
Waco can create a show that has been
such a hit. People have made jokes
about the Gaines family because of
their exaggerated slang and poor language, but Chip and Joanna dont let
this bring them down and they actually
laugh about it. This has strengthened

them and their show because nothing

can tear them down.
Out of all the amazing shows on
HGTV, Fixer Upper is easily my favorite because of the fun and wholesome
people featured as well as the incredible house designs. Chip and Joanna
are authentic, relatable, and likable. I
would recommend this show to anyone whether they like home building
shows or not, because its so much
more than that. Its a good look at a
happy family that includes a little humor. Are you brave enough to take on
a Fixer Upper?

Entertainment - Page 21

Get in Formation

Beyonce fans experience concert of a lifetime, connect to artist

Madi Little
Staff writer
I witnessed first hand Beyoncs
ground-breaking Lemonade concert
in Houston. I was more than ready
to Get in Formation by the time the
concert started. When she sang her
first lyrics, I felt more empowered
than ever. Beyoncs legendary box
began to spin and within seconds,
lights were in a frenzy giving the audience a hypnotic high. She stepped
out the front of the box, and I felt as if
someone was placing cinder blocks on
my chest. Her face was overshadowed
by her iconic black hat, and her beehive began forming around her.
Her concert lasted nearly three
hours, and there was never a dull
moment. Beyonc captured the audience by preaching feminism between

songs and stressed ideas and feelings

of self-empowerment. She reminded
people that women Run the World,
and no one will ever take that away.
Her energetic attitude encouraged
the audience to dance as if no one
was watching and find peace within
themselves. This concert was special
because Beyonc performed in her
hometown and she emphasized to her
fans, through her song Daddy Lessons, that no matter how famous she
may be, her roots belong in Texas.
One thing that made Beyoncs concert stand out from others was the
atmosphere. Everyone in the crowd
was going crazy over Queen B and was
constantly waiting for her next move.
Anticipation was rose within me as
soon as she finished a song. Her concert ended with her well-known song

entitled Halo. This song defines Beyonc for obvious reasons. Her voice
is in fact angelic, and embodies a feeling of a perfect relationship. Her
old music brought back memories
of me jamming in the car at a young
age along with her other memorable
songs such as Single Ladies.
I admire Beyonc in many ways
other than singing. Her ability to uplift the spirits of others and spread
self-worth during her concerts while
also entertaining people through her
angel-like vocals and stylized dance
moves sets her apart from other popular artist in the entertainment industry.
Beyoncs personal relationship
with her fans during the concert made
me cry. She illustrates the importance
of her family during the concert by

emphasizing how much of an impact

her daughter, Blue Ivy, has had on her
life. I aspire to not only dance like her,
but maintain her powerful outlook on
life. I am Crazy in Love with how
she uses her haters as fuel for her immense success.
I could go on for a lifetime about
how Beyoncs songs and testimonies affect her fans around the world.
Beyonc inspires me to face my challenges with confidence and understand the power within myself. Her
concert was incomparable to any
concert I have ever been to, and my
heart longed for it to last All Night.
So Beyonc Giselle Knowles-Carter if
you are reading this, I am in a Love
Drought and need you to come back
and grace me with your presence.

How I met my favorite show

Character relationships create quality sitcom focused on friendship

Reagan Brown
Staff writer
She has to spend her summers in North Carolina. She
needs to be athletic but preferably play tennis. Once a
day she has to take the challenge of crossword puzzles.
She has to play some type of
instrument and her favorite
singer has to be Otis. Her
favorite book has to be Love
in the Time of Cholera. She
has to love old classic movies but most importantly her
favorite food has to be lasagna. And once were ready
for kids the limit is two; a girl
and a boy.
For most people that list
may seem ridiculous, but for
How I Met Your Mothers,
Ted Mosby, each expectation has to be met in order
to qualify a woman to be his
wife. The show spends nine

seasons with Ted telling his

two children exactly how he
met their mother.
Josh Radnor portrays the
27-year-old architect, Ted
Mosby. Over the years, he
became the epitome of a
lovesick dreamer who thinks
fairy tales do come true, despite the realities of the real
world. He is smart, witty and
has a drive to succeed, but
cant seem to find success in
love. Out of all the characters, hes the only one who
knows what he wants in life.
His struggles with relationships make me root for him
and hate him at the same
time as he pursues women
who fill none of the characteristics he really wants in a
wife.
Teds roommate Marshall
Eriksen, played by Jason Segal, is the role model for the

group of friends because of

his ability to make smart decisions professionally and in
his relationships. His commitment to his wife Lily,
played by Alyson Hannigan,
contrasts Teds inability to
find true love and the actions
of their womanizing friend,
Barney Stinson.
Neil Patrick Harris plays
Barney and does a great job
creating a character viewers love to hate as he treats
women as if its a game, loves
everything about himself,and
is obsessed with money. Barney constantly forces Ted
into awkward and crazy situation because he attempts to
make each moment Legenwait for it- dary
The fifth member of the
group is Robin Scherbatsky,
played by Cobie Smulder.
Ted spends part of the series

believing she is the woman

of his dreams and is the attractive tomboy in the group.
Even though Ted and Robin
have a history, she always
gives advice and wants the
best for him. Robin is a journalist and her job is her main
priority. She knows that she
wants to pursue a journalistic career and travel the
world, but she doesnt like
to plan anything, which contrasts with Teds vision of the
world.
The entirety of the show
follows these five friends on
countless
misadventures.
From Halloween parties
on the roof to road trips to
Minnesota, the group creates memories and relationships that will last a lifetime.
Throughout the show, Ted
experiences many failed relationships and tough break-

ups, but his friends are always there for him the help
pick up the pieces.
The writers of the show do
a great job portraying their
idea of love and how friendship should be, creating
characters who interact in a
genuine way with fights, arguments, and wagers, but ultimately always forgive and
stand by each other.
Though some seasons
werent necessary and started to drag, for the most part
it kept me engaged to find
out who Teds wife was.
Honestly, I was disappointed in how the show
ended. Even with the disappointing ending, the show is
still one of my favorites and
I recommend curling up with
a blanket over Christmas and
watching it on Netflix.

Page 22 - Entertainment

Series blacklists the competition, sets bar for crime shows

Mackenzie Johnson
Staff writer
Crime shows are on the
rise. The show The Blacklist is
NBCs series about a brilliant
criminal mastermind who for
mysterious reasons begins to
help the FBI apprehend serious criminals, is one of the big
hits in 2016
The Blacklist is both utterly shameless and, in a way,
genuinely sophisticated. The
main character, Raymond
Red Reddington played
by James Spader manipulates, kills, flatters, scares,
flirts, and jokes to get what
he wants and earn the trust
and affection of a young FBI
agent, Elizabeth Keen played
by Megan Boone. Keen plays

an intriguing role in the show

and helps set up Reddingtons role as a criminal. In
the early episodes, writers
heavily hint that Keen is Reddingtons biological daughter.
Every conversation they have
had about why he insists on
working with her is carefully
constructed so the dialogues
will fit and when the audience
finds out he is her father.
Keens mysterious past is
forced down the audience
throats. The show repeats references to her troubled childhood, absent criminal dad,
and a burn mark she likes to
rub when faced with difficult
situations. Her seemingly
idyllic home life appears to
consist of her husband, who

turns out to be a spy working for her father, repeating the word family to her
as if teaching her how to pronounce it.
The shows creator Jon
Bokenkamp wrote the first
two episodes for The Blacklist and is credited as an
executive producer for the
series. He is also known for
his writings of the film The
Call in 2013. Spader has always been an interesting actor, and does well in twisted
shows. The ex-government
agent, Reddington, who
disappeared off the grid
years earlier and peddles
classified information to terrorists around the world. One
day he appears out of the blue

and turns himself into the

FBI in hopes of Keen being
the agent working his case. As
Spader absorbs the script and
steals every scene, loving the

The Blacklist is an intriguing show. The audience cant

take their eyes off of Spader,
and the writers have thrown
in a couple of other interesting twists. Its likely
that The Blacklist
will at least approach the crimeshow-of-the-week
that doesnt kill
many viewers brain
cells too much.
The show suggests
there are other
things to keep
viewers interested
along the way. Bepower he has, more than the yond just sitting there eating
FBI thinks he has, the audi- popcorn and relaxing in the
ence isnt sure what his mo- delicious way that Spader
tives are.
takes on this role.

Classic western makes quality movie night rental

Hannah Broussard
Staff writer
From gunfighters squarely facing each other on a
dusty street and cowboy gangs terrorizing the town,
to gambling halls and theaters with a gilt-edged Victorian glamour, and a vigilante lawman finding his true
love, the movie Tombstone
has it all. Tombstone, which
was released in 1993, is an old
monumental western, with
many modern touches, that
is set in Tombstone, Arizona,
the boom town and site of the
legendary O.K. Corral.
When Wyatt Earp arrives in
Tombstone from Dodge City,
he is bearing the weight of
having killed people in the line of duty. Upon reaching Tombstone, he hopes to start a business and
eventually retire peacefully. His plans change when
a cowboy gang comes into town, similar to ones he is
famous for eliminating. Wyatt is expected to suit up
and protect his town, but it takes a lot of prodding
before he eventually pins on a marshals badge and
pursues the cowboy gang that is taking over. Wyatt
was like a wolf among sheep, only the wolf was not
awakened until later in the movie when he is drawn
into fighting the cowboy gang; a conflict he didnt
want to face.

Throughout Tombstone, Wyatt is a great man who

shows constant leadership. Due to the character
traits he displayed, he is a man whom Id come to
for advice and help in times of trouble. He always
takes matters into his own hands and showed this
when he lead a band of
marshals and friends to
fight and ultimately take
down the cowboys. This
man has faced every conflict you can think of, and
its the way that he handles
these conflicts that makes
him the leader he is. He
remains cool, calm and
collected, and gets the job
done.
Throughout the film,
Doc Holliday is portrayed as a perspiring wreck who
is drinking himself to death but does bring forth a
number of heroic deeds. Doc is my favorite character
because the determination he displays is inspiring.
Twice during the film he collapses from liver failure
and coughs up blood, yet he is still willing to take on
any challenge that comes his way. He was an outlaw
who was good friends with the Earp brothers and
fought alongside them as a loyal friend, who eventually dies of tuberculosis. Holliday is played by Val
Kilmer, who did an exquisite job in the execution of
his character. His charisma catches most fans eyes

and is what pulls me in. His voice is soothing and

exciting and leaves me wanting more.
Tombstone contains guns, fighting, and tough-talk
for the guys, but also has a romantic side to ensure
that the ladies do not get left out. Wyatts love interest throughout the movie is named Josephine, and
their love is anything but predictable. The director
leaves the audience in suspense as the two characters show signs of love for each other but do not give
any exact answers. At the end of the movie, after the
gun smoke clears, Wyatt realizes how he feels about
Josephine after she had already left Tombstone to
escape the danger of the gang and all the fighting.
After this reveal of emotions, Wyatt rides into the
sunset on his horse to find the woman of his dreams
and eventually marry her. This is one of my favorite
aspects of the movie because it teaches me to follow
my heart and never give up on my dreams no matter
the circumstances.
Tombstone is full of talented actors, beautiful settings, and is overall a tough-talking but soft-hearted
tale that is entertaining in a sprawling, old-fashioned
manner. This movie is much admired-even by nonwestern fans because it is unlike all other westerns.
It will forever remain one of my all-time favorite
movies due to its uniqueness. There has never been
a movie like this classic western and as much as other producers may try to reproduce something better,
they will never be able to beat the individuality of the
movie Tombstone.

Entertainment - Page 23

Video bloggers inspire, provide guidance for beauty, style

Payton McKeehan
Staff writer
YouTube is used world-wide to upload and watch videos to entertain
whatever quirky interest internet users may be into. I find amusement in
the beauty and fashion
channels like many other
young girls. These YouTube bloggers are just average girls who have more
experience with things
when it comes to beauty
tips. The videos serve as
a guiding tool for beginners, like myself, who
didnt really have anyone
to teach them the basics of
beauty.
Many beauty vloggers do both fashion and
makeup videos which help viewers
become inspired to build their own
wardrobe. Meljoy is my favorite. Her
personality is outgoing which makes
the viewers feel comfortable. Melody,
also known as Meljoy, has the safest style for people who are afraid to

branch out very far. Meljoy also makes

other random videos just to be silly
and connect more with her audience
by expressing her inner style. Though
her style is more safe, she still takes
risks in fashion which I admire about

her making her style my favorite.

The Canadian-Filipino blogger
Koleen Diaz, known on YouTube as
the beauty fashion blogger koleendiaz
goes for a more urban glam look. Her
typical outfit consists of 2-piece sets or
bomber jackets topped off with some

funky high heels. Tight-fitted dresses

and some popular sports teams baseball jersey and/or cap are the jest of
her shopping haul videos. Koleendiaz
inspires a little braver crowd with her
bold wardrobe pieces while keeping
in tune with street-style.
False lashes, sparkly eye
shadow, and a pretty
plump pout are a must in
her makeup videos. Most
of her videos are glam tutorials since shes all glam
all day, every day, which
relates to the people with
the similar attitude.

Blogger duo Tothe9s
draws in a very brave
crowd, bringing minimal
and high fashion together
found in local thrift shops.
The term Tothe9s means someone is dressed fancy or at their best
which is why Cassie and Ricci chose
Tothe9s as their YouTube name. The
two friends focus on fashion videos,
revolving around look-books and
shopping hauls with the occasional

Q&A. Their style, specifically Ricci,

transforms traditional mens style into
womens, including baggy shirts and
vintage mens clothing. The duo often
takes on a street style highly inspired
by the 90s and the fashion the era entails.
Without these videos, my life would
truly be more dull. My style might have
never escaped the Aeropostale graphic
tees, long jean shorts and random ugly
headbands. I truly thank these videos
for guiding me to blossom from that
awful phase that can be tricky to grow
out of correctly. After helping me escape that tragic fashion disaster, these
YouTube videos continue to inspire
me to expand my horizons and try new
things.
If for some reason these videos dont
interest you, there are millions of other channels on YouTube that probably
will, and all you have to do is search.
Hopefully you find something you love
leaving you more excited and inspired
to take your own spin off videos and
apply them to yourself and your daily
life.

British comedy series finds success state side, leaves audience laughing
Megan Krenek
Staff writer
From Jim putting office supplies in jello as a prank
for Dwight, to Angela and her cats, The Office is one
of my favorite shows on TV. With comedic characters like Michael Scott, Dwight Schrute, and Kelly
Kapoor viewers, are sure to laugh at least once. The
Office has many great comebacks and great relationships. They definitely stepped out of their comfort
zone of American TV when making this show.
The Office is based around the employees at
Dunder-Mifflin Paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The whole show is set like a mock reality
show with a camera crew following everything that
happens inside the office and warehouse.
The show was based on the British version, aired in
2001, and only ran for 12 episodes over 2 seasons.
The American show has been much more popular
with 201 episodes in 9 seasons.
The series is cringingly awkward, but thats what
makes it unique and funny. The sarcastic things
main character Michael says and the things he does
and says and does to Toby who is from H.R. is what
makes the show worth watching.
The Office has been a source for many memes on

the Internet. Things like I understand nothing or

I am dead inside are pasted onto a screenshot of
one of the characters with a funny face, creating a
meme that we can all relate to. Most of them are of
Michael or Jim, and they never cease to make me
laugh.
The cast of The Office is filled with a variety of
personalities and
races. Kelly Kapoor
(played by Mindy
Kaling) who ends
up obsessed with
Ryan, is the chatterbox character, always talking about
gossip and boys like
a teenager. Shes
one of my favorites,
among others, just
because she brings
a whole other level
of drama to the show.
Jim has crush on Pam but shes engaged to a
warehouse worker named Roy who messes up their
relationship and loses Pam to Jim. The episode

where they kissed was one of my favorites, since I

shipped them from the very beginning. I think I died
a little inside when Pam rejected Jim the first time.
She couldnt deny her feelings for long, because they
eventually got together and even had children. It
took all of the strength in me not to skip ahead just
to see if it was true after I googled whether or not
they get together.

I binge watched that show
for ages, watching The Office in
any room of my house. I think
I temporarily disowned my
mother when she watched it
and said the she didnt like it. I
was over reacting of course but I
could not see how she didnt like
the show.

I hear all the time about the
show in school and every time
its mentioned I just want to go
home and binge watch it again,
just to relive those moments. I recommend watching The Office next time you are searching Netflix
for something to watch while avoiding your homework.

Page 24 - Campus Life

Semester Exam Schedule

Monday, December 19

Tuesday, December 20

Other Information

1st Period
2nd Period
3rd Period

8:15-9:06
51 min
9:12-10:03 51 min
10:09-11:00 51 min

6th Exam
5th Exam
4th Exam

8:15-9:40
9:46-11:11
11:17-12:42

85 min
85 min
85 min

Exempt students must stay in their

testing room. Office aides will stay in
assigned offices.

4th Period

11:00-12:30 90 min

Lunch

12:42-1:15

33 min

A Lunch
B Lunch
C Lunch

11:00-11:30 30 min
11:30-12:00 30 min
12:00-12:30 30 min

Wednesday, December 21

Tuesday and Wednesday, all students who have finished their exams
are dismissed at 12:42, if they have a
way off campus.

5th Period
6th Period
7th Exam

12:36-1:27
1:33-2:24
2:30-3:57

51 min
51 min
87 min

3rd Exam
2nd Exam
1st Exam

8:15-9:40
9:46-11:11
11:17-12:42

85 min
85 min
85 min

Lunch

12:42-1:15

33 min

Students unable to leave will follow

their regular schedule for the afternoon and attend those classes. Students will not be permitted to roam
the campus.

Merry Christmas
from the
Norseman staff

My favorite present was a

bike because I didnt know
how to ride one and my
friends had one too.
Andrea Hammond, 9

My favorite present was

my first Kindle Fire because it was new and hip.
Jaden Ellzey, 9

When I was 6, I got a pink

Barbie Corvette. I loved it
because I was riding in style.
Michelle Rios, Faculty

My future favorite
Christmas present is a
1967 blue Camero because
its my dream car.
Abigail Terry, 10

My favorite present was

my bike because I could
ride around on it.
Trey Marshall, 10