The Catamount - March 2022 Vol. 10 No. 5

C

College Station High School

BA N N E D

4002 Victoria Ave. College Station, Texas 77845

Vol. 10 No. 5

Friday, March 25, 2022

the CATAMOUNT

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Skills USA teams head to state with multiple wins from district

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Fostering pets brings mutual affection into home

Photo illustration by Elisabeth Stewart

Surge of new legislation regulates free speech, humanities curriculum in Texas classrooms

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Calla Duffield Editor-in-Chief

Aspiring photographers preserve memories

INDEX News Opinions People Sports Entertainment Etc.

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The Texas legislature approved sweeping changes to social studies and English classrooms in the fall, and throughout the state, community efforts to control what’s taught in public schools and what books can be offered in school libraries have led public schools to grapple with free speech in a completely new context. Educators in College Station ISD have weighed in on the local impact of these state legislative requirements and community reactions.

Senate Bill 3 approved in Texas in September eliminated the following from the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for the social studies curriculum in grades K-12: history of Native Americans, the writings about and of founding mothers and other persons such as George Washington and Sally Hemings, and historical documents related to the civic accomplishments of marginalized people, including women’s suffrage, civil rights, white supremacy and slavery.

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However, Bobbi Rodriguez, the Social Studies Coordinator for CSISD, explained that the bill should not be interpreted as preventing teachers from instructing on the subjects, but rather serves to remove requirements that can cause teachers to feel pressured to rush through the extensive curriculum.

“All of the social studies courses, especially history courses, have ten million things to cover, and it’s very difficult to cover them in any reasonable amount of time. So, what you end up doing in a class is you just cover the surface level, you don’t get any depth,” Rodriguez said. “They didn’t want to tie the hands of the standards by saying all of these specific details are going to get put in.”

U.S. government teacher and social studies department chair Jessica Kouba said that the new bill hasn’t affected the way she teaches.

In addition, the bill requires that a teacher who chooses to discuss current events or controversial policy or social affairs must “explore [the] topic from diverse and contending perspectives without giving deference to any one perspec-

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Parents, educators protest state-wide challenges to diverse literature continued from page 1 -tive,” according to the document.

This led to some unanticipated effects. In May, news organizations reported that Gina Peddy, an administrator in the Carroll ISD in Southlake, suggested during a training session that if teachers’ classroom libraries contain books about the Holocaust, they should also provide an opposing perspective, and teachers wondered what could possibly be an opposing perspective on certain historical events.

In her government classes, Kouba said that she always tries “to discuss civic topics from both sides, without political bias.”

“I do think there is potential for teachers to feel worried about class discussions and avoid certain topics,” she added.

This avoidance is known as the “chilling effect,” according to Sandra Braman, a professor of communications at Texas A&M University. It entails self-censorship caused by a “frightening” environment and can pervade any space where people feel free speech may be consequential.

CSHS librarian Tina SanAngelo is among many Texas school librarians who have found that book challenges statewide and from Texas Governor Greg Abbott about “clearly pornographic images” in curations, as well as the recent book inquiry from Representative Matt Krause of Fort Worth about inappropriate content in public school libraries, create a complicated and confusing challenge.

Regardless, SanAngelo said that books are added to the CSHS library based on what is appropriate for students.

“I looked at Krause’s list of approximately 850 titles, and we have a very small number of books in our library on that list. The district’s policy is that a book may not be “pervasively vulgar” and in my opinion the books that we do have [are not],” SanAngelo said. “A society that suppresses certain ideas isn’t healthy.”

Like the specificities cut from the required social studies curriculum, many books that have come under fire relate to race and minorities, although some parents claim that qualms stem from graphic violence in the novels.

SanAngelo shared her opinion about school libraries carrying “Mein Kampf,” a book by German dicator and Nazi party leader Adolf Hitler (which the school doesn’t carry).

“It’s important to know what crazy looks like [and] recognize it,” she said. “You can’t just pretend like there wasn’t evil. Even though it’s disturbing, recognize it for what it is.”

SanAngelo recalled her experience as an English teacher instructing Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” a historical novel set amid slavery in the Southern United States.

“This is a very difficult book to read because the N-word is used frequently,” she said. “Mark Twain captures a time period that we need to know about. We can’t

deny these things happened. I had African American students in my classroom, and I could see their pain when the word was used; consequently, I didn’t allow it to be said out loud. The experience still makes me cry.”

Although Texas is seeing an uptick in local requests to remove titles mostly dealing with racism and sexuality from schools, there are currently no statewide book bans.

English teacher and CSHS parent Teresa Laffin pointed to Ray Bradbury’s novel “Fahrenheit 451” as a prime example of the risks of banning even one text.

In the book, citizens extensively eliminated books that upset certain groups of people, “until the most straightforward solution was just to get rid of all of the books so that no one would be upset by any of them,” Laffin said.

“I don’t think that that exactly is going to happen, but I do think that it’s disingenuous to think that if your kid has a phone that can access the internet that you’re going to accomplish a whole lot by preventing certain books from being available in the library,” she said.

Senior and avid reader Grayson Brock said that he doesn’t “see why the governor should be making rules [censoring books in schools],” but that the library should make those decisions.

“It is uncomfortable to think about people who have little to no experience in education taking a stance on an issue like this in order to create political capital,” Laffin said. “The idea that a parent or a group of parents would make a decision on behalf of all of the kids at a school makes me uncomfortable. Because whether I’m in the majority or minority, I don’t think that other parents should make choices for my child.”

In response to statewide disputes between parents and schools, CSISD is employing text-complexity worksheets to “formalize the process that has been in place for a long time in College Station ISD,” according to English Language Arts Coordinator Aaron Hogan.

“It’s always a parent’s right to ask about the text that students are reading,” Hogan said. “When those questions come up, we want to be able to explain what [text] we chose and why, and what our educational goal is with that particular text, and be able to hear and understand the concern that a parent has.”

Since he has been the ELA Coordinator, Hogan said he hasn’t fielded any parent inquiries about texts in CSISD. As for the future of Texas legislation pertaining to Social Studies and English, Braman expects legal challenges to text disputes.Whether or not the social studies law and the removal of books from school libraries meet the strict scrutiny test remains to be seen.

Rodriguez is on a committee for the Texas Education Agency to revise all social studies standards for the 202526 school year.

“There will be a draft released potentially in June, but that will undergo several more revisions after that, so it’ll be another year until we know for sure,” she said. “I think

Top Five Most Banned Books of 2020 1. “George” by Alex Gino Banned because of LGBTQIA+ content, including a transgender child whose “sexuality was not appropriate at elementary levels”

2. “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You” by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds Banned because of claims that the book contains “selective storytelling incidents”

3. “All American Boys” by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely Banned for profanity, drug use, alcoholism and for discussing “too much of a sensitive matter right now”

4. “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson Banned for containing a particular political viepoint, being “biased against male students,” and its inclusion of rape and profanity

5. “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie Banned for profanity and sexual references Source: American Library Association there’s a potential for some fairly significant change in response to some of these more recent efforts by scholars to talk about painting a more clear picture of history.”

While SanAngelo said that she tries not to “worry about the state of Texas, the right and the left” when making decisions for the library, Rodriguez expressed that political agendas are impacting conversations about education.

If coordinators aren’t vigilant about supporting teachers, the chilling effect could have a stronger influence on classroom discussions, she said.

“Politics are politics. These issues are part of a culture war. It goes back to the 80’s,” Rodriguez said. “Although social studies is a new target, we don’t have to be afraid.

The law does not prevent good teaching and learning.”•

For more on media censorship, read the latest issue of AMCHS’s Roar Newspaper at https://issuu.com/the.roar.newspaper

News

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Friday, March 25, 2022

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Changes due to COVID-19 become clear with two-year anniversary Katherine Gulde Senior Editor Two years ago this month we all experienced the impact of COVID-19 as schools closed and life as we know halted. As a society we have changed so much since then. From relationships to religion, COVID-19 has either added traumatic experiences to our life or transformed us for the better.

Junior Madison Wiederstein had a revelation in her religious beliefs and a complete conversion because of her time in lock-down.

“When COVID-19 happened, I had to reevaluate my beliefs. Like most people, I’d heard that Jesus died on the cross, but didn’t actually know the gospel,” Wiederstein said. “[Jesus] used the pandemic to show me how powerless I am and how desperately we need the Savior.”

COVID-19 also reminded many of their own mortality and the possibility of losing a loved one.

“I learned that the people I need in my life come when needed and when God [sets] a time and place for them,” junior Ashlyn McCulley said. “I learned that I can’t take everyone on my life journey, and although I am a huge people person and extroverted to the fullest extent, some people are supposed to move in and out of my life. That has to be the hardest lesson I learned, and I’m still trying to learn it.”

Similarly, many students were impacted when the virus infected loved ones, like senior Sage Scarmardo,

whose relationship with her sister took an unexpected turn when she went to the hospital in August for pneumonia as a result of COVID. “I think it affected our friendship as sisters because when she went to the hospital, it made me take a step back and realize things I take for granted,” Scarmardo said. “It has made us closer as sisters and twins, and that’s another reason why we are going off to college together because we are so close, and we have that bond that not many people can say they have.”

[covid-19] made me take a step back and realize things i take for granted -Sage Scarmardo senior Technological advancements, not only in school, have been held in the forefront of student’s minds.

“COVID-19, I think, has reinforced the idea that we are living in a society now that will be largely driven by the technology savvy younger generation,” English

teacher Suzy Richards said. “The main problem I see with that for young people is limited attention spans and a focus on the superficialities of media, particularly social media. Every material object we possess comes from the earth, yet we, as a society, are largely disengaged from nature. We need to rekindle that connection; our mental health would benefit as well.”

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the mental health needs of American citizens ages 12-17 has spiked tremendously since March 2020.

“I think most teens at our school fell into a state of grayness. We have such an amazing community and connection pride that is within our school, and to have that taken away was hard,” McCulley said.

COVID-19 also had political effects, straining families and friends because of the politicization of masks and science.

“It causes a lot of [tension] because whether you do want to wear a mask or you don’t, it kind of has taken both friendships and classmates apart,” Scarmardo said. “If someone has a difference, they may not agree with it, but they should at least respect it.”

COVID-19 has had a huge impact on many lives for the last two years, but for some life has changed for the better.

“Everything before feels so different,” McCulley said. “I’ve grown so much that I don’t want to go back before COVID-19.”•

COVID-19 MAJOR EVENTS April 3, 2020

Source: cdc.gov

March 11, 2020

March 15, 2020

March 17, 2020

July 23, 2020

The World Health Organization delcares COVID-19 a pandemic.

U.S. states begin to shut down to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

First human trial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine begins at the Kaiser Permanente research facility in Seattle, Washington.

CDC announces new mask wearing guidelines and recommends that all people wear a mask outside of the home.

CDC releases resources for school administrators, parents, guardians, and caregivers for safe school opening.

Dec. 11, 2020

June 1, 2021

Nov. 29, 2021

Dec. 21, 2021

feb. 25, 2022

The FDA issues an Emergency Use Authorization for the first COVID-19 vaccine- Pfizer BioNTech.

The Delta variant, first identified in India in late 2020, becomes the dominant variant in the United States.

CDC recommends those who received a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine receive a booster shot six months after vaccination.

CDC data suggests omicron variant is the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States.

CDC advises that healthy people living in communities with low to medium COVID-19 levels do not need to mask indoors.

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SkillsUSA teams excel in district competitions, head to state Joi Speck Staff Reporter After months of practice, the SkillsUSA teams emerged victorious from their district competition Feb. 10-12 in Beaumont with six gold medals, two silver, one bronze, 10 blue ribbons and a trip to Corpus Christi to compete for state.

SkillsUSA consists of various competitions available to students from middle to high school, with advisors serving as their mentors. One such advisor is AVP and photography teacher Stephen Green, who has coached two of the teams progressing on to state.

“We’ve got a lot of talented students, and I can’t wait to see what they do at state,” Green said.

Trained by Green himself, juniors Dat Ha and Joseph Chunga-Pizzaro’s combined efforts resulted in their scoring first place in the Digital Cinema Production competition.

Their contest gives them 12 hours to make a one to three minute short film incorporating their given prompt and prop.

“Filmmaking is a great outlet for me to express myself,” Ha said. “I aspire to be in the film industry in the future, and this [competition] has instilled some confidence towards that path.”

Another competition rooted deeply in group collaboration is TeamWorks, consisting of seniors Landon Downs, Isaac Truss and Turner Clarke and sophomore Thomas Coufal, placing first at district. Advised by construction science teacher James Dawson, the team is provided with blueprints giving them a layout of what to build, afterwards relying on each other to carry out their specific roles for the final product.

“Through consistency and beginning to carve out specific roles for each other as we prepare for state, we have started to gel really well together,” Downs said.

Coached by computer teacher

Kimberly Muñoz in graphic design, junior Palmer Barrum earned his gold medal in Advertising Design. His competition was split into a creative portion (designing an ad based off of a prompt) and a mechanical one (recreating ads).

“Learning Photoshop and Illustrator is no easy feat, so the two years I’ve had to learn them helped immensely with the SkillsUSA competition,” Barrum said.

Also winning gold—and involving the craft of shaping wood among other materials—are Dawson’s teams of Carpentry (senior Ryan Johnson) and Cabinetmaking (senior Hayden Clarke). Carpentry requires making blueprints a reality with various materials and tools, while Cabinet making requires construction and assembly of a cabinet or other piece of furniture derived from similar resources.

“I’ve been building cabinets and furniture since I was nine, [and] work as a cabinet maker outside of school,” Clarke said. “The hardest aspect of cabinetmaking to master is [incorporating] really small trim [since] it has such fine detail.”

Another team scoring first was computer teacher Patrick Powell’s 3D Visualization & Animation with juniors Ashley Silvey and Liam O’Brien.

Using a 3D animation program, they were tasked with making an animated short while displaying their production skills and storyboarding as well.

A second team advised by Powell and scoring silver at district is Game Development with junior Dylan Micek and senior Logan Harrison. In a span of two months, they had to work as a team to create a game plus two videos detailing the development.

“I’m the lead designer for the game and do a good bit of management of the team, [which is] quite a commanding role that never feels natural but will definitely come in handy [in the future],” Micek said.

Advised by Green and placing

▲Juniors Ty Cameron, Dat Ha, Joseph Chunga-Pizarro and senior Wyatt Galbreath celebrate their win at the district competition. They will compete at the state competition March 31 to April 3. PHOTO PROVIDED BY STEPHEN GREEN second is TV Production with junior Ty Cameron and senior Sam Moder. With four hours to gather footage from a prompted location and four more to edit that footage, they are required to create a promotional video/ ad of that particular place.

“Tenacity and patience go handin-hand here, but if things aren’t working out—as it usually goes—you have to just put your head down and work through it,” Cameron said.

Muñoz also advised two other teams advancing to state: Computer Programming (third place) with senior Shawn Gao and Related Technical Math (second place) with senior Jonathan Liu. Computer programming requires one to develop a working computer program and demonstrate extensive knowledge on the topic. In Related Technical Math, one completes a written test to solve math problems covering a broad expanse of mathematical content and variety.

“I chose it because I like math, [especially] the problem solving aspect of it,” Liu said. •

BLUE RIBBON WINNERS CONSTRUCTION events: Entertainment Table:

Wine Rack :

Ryan Johnson

Jeffery Truss

Pool Table: Jack Costenbader

China Cabinet: Turner Clarke

Team Animation Short Film Job Exhibit: Lauren Malone, Chloe Espinosa, Ashley Silvey, Juliet Rivera

Solo Animation Short Film Job Exhibit: Liam O’Brien

Animation 3D Technical Renders (Solo): Blake Dubec

Game Design 3D Technical Render Team: Evan Betteas, Gracie Grimes, Beck Leftwich

Video Production Job Exhibit (Solo): Sam Moder

Video Production Job Exhibit (Team): Rand Boivie, Jonah Elabd, Dominic Motekaitis, William Latham, Jaxson Guy

The Catamount

Friday, March 25, 2022

THE CAT’S EYE VIEW

staff editorial

Social studies bill falls short when teaching about minorities, women Race and gender: between Texas Social Studies required curriculum omissions and what parents are challenging in school reading material, these hot topics seem to be the link.

This isn’t a coincidence.

The state is making a definitive statement on the age-old question of what knowledge is most worthwhile by choosing to exclude “historical documents related to the civic accomplishments of marginalized populations” from the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. Yes, the new regulations aren’t a ban on teaching these topics, but by redacting them from the required content, the message is that these topics are not as important.

This is harmful not only to the students of color, who as of the 2019-20 school year accounted for 73% of the Texas public school student population, but also to every student who won’t be required to have a comprehensive view of the diverse American stage.

The reasoning behind these changes to curriculum--that having fewer specificity would allow educators more freedom in their cramped teaching timelines--is concerning for several reasons. For one, omitting these subjects says that the history of minorities and women is dispensable in learning. Even if many schools will continue to teach non-required material, one never knows if certain districts may choose otherwise.

We deserve change. Texas has a precedent of businessmen, not education experts, filling the role of Texas Education Commissioner. These figures push education towards a ground it should never be on--a political one.

Hopefully, a future education bill will not only release classrooms from political grounds, but aim to make inclusivity in teaching the official standard to reflect the diverse population of our school systems.•

2021-2022 Newspaper Staff

Opinions

Book banning eliminates unique stories According to the American Library Association, “Book banning is a form of censorship that occurs when private individuals, government officials or organizations remove books from libraries, school reading lists or bookstore shelves because they object to their content, ideas or themes.”

While some people challenge books hoping to protect children, this often backfires. Sybil Durand, an assistant professor of English at Arizona State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Science, said that “banning a book from a library or curriculum implies that some ideas and experiences are valuable or worthy of discussion and others are not.”

When a book gets banned or challenged, it’s usually regional, due to the belief of that one com-

Amari Rutherford

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munity. For example, “1984”and “To Kill A Mockingbird” are commonly challenged in other schools in the southern United States, but we read them at CSHS. In my freshman year, I did a banned book assignment about “Ordinary People” by Judith Guest, which contained themes of body and mind duality and mental health. This book was challenged in many schools because it contains obscene language.

Since its publication in 1962, “A Wrinkle in Time’’ by Madeleine L’Engle, a fantasy book about moral responsibility and the power of love, especially family love, has become one of the most frequently banned or challenged books. In 1985, it was challenged by a parents’ group at Polk City Elementary School in Florida.

These banned books inspire readers to think in a new light. Most books have a story to tell, a sole purpose for it to be written. If the books encourage discussions, then a positive intent has been met.•

View of the Pride: should students have first amendment rights in school?

YES

NO

“They’re called rights for a reason. We have a right to those freedoms and thus everyone should have access to them.”

-James DiMarco, sophomore

“Why do you need [First Amendment] rights if you’re here to learn?”

-Truman Rigby, freshman

“We should be protected even in school.

We are still citizens and should have the rights citizens have.”

-Anna Lee, junior

“Students’ rights should be limited to maintain order school; however, there should be fewer restrictions on what we can talk about.”

-Riley Pendelton, senior

The Catamount Newspaper

Editor-in-Chief

Calla Duffield

Managing Editor

Elisabeth Stewart

Senior Editor

Katherine Gulde

School, 4002 Victoria Ave., College Station, Texas, 77845. The opinions expressed are those of the writers and are

News Editor

Sophie Harkins

not reflective of the administrators, faculty or staff of the College Station Independent School District.

Opinions Editor

Rhyan Kalke

Features Editor

Allana Frost

Assistant Editors

Briceida Bellon, Emily Ko, Amari Rutherford

Staff Reporters

Emily Borham, Lauren Byerly, Cheyenne Clark, Dean Crick, Rylan Dalton, Sonya Lin, Sadie Rigby, Joi Speck

Cartoonist

Zoe Taylor

Faculty Adviser

Courtney Wellmann

Assistant Adviser

Natalie Golden

The newspaper is produced by the Advanced Journalism: Newspaper Production class at College Station High

Submissions to the editors 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. The Editorial Board consists of all staff.

The newspaper is a member of the Interscholastic League Press Conference (ILPC) and a winner of their Bronze Star award in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021, as well as their Silver Star Award in 2017, 2018 and 2020.

College Station ISD does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex or handicap in providing education services. Monica James, Director of Human Resources, 1812 Welsh, College Station, Texas 77840 (979-764-5412) has been designated to coordinate compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements of Title IX. Molley Perry, Director of Special Services, 1812 Welsh, Suite 120, College Station, Texas 77840 (979-7645433) has been designated to coordinate compliance with the nondiscrimination. requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

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Opinions

Friday, March 25, 2022

The Catamount

Wordle game enhances opportunities to connect Wordle is a fun, interactive game that tests guessing abilities and vocabulary. Well, so it seems. Between the vowels and consonants, Wordle also elicits many emotions for me. When I can’t guess the word, I’m disappointed.

When the word Lauren is incredibly Byerly bizarre, I’m confused and irritated. When the word gets spoiled, I feel anger. The repeats of letters and double letters also pose a challenge. This game is incredibly irritating, but also addictive.

Before the 8:15 bell even rings, I’m hearing students talking about Wordle. My friend plays in the morning when I get to school, asks for help or shares just how bizarre the word is. I look the other way when he is showing his phone, and try not to listen when he is explaining the letters the word does or doesn’t have. In my second period, my table group shares what they got for the word, how many tries it took, or what their streak is. It’s hard not to avoid spoilers because I’m sitting right next to them. My mom told me to just do it on the way to school to avoid spoilers.

Some of the most irritating times are when I run out of tries, but the word is something I have never heard of.

Did you know that the word “trove” was an actual word? I sure didn’t. How many five letter words can there possibly be? I follow the patterns of best letters to guess, but still no luck. It usually takes me until the 4th or 5th try to guess the word. This game is pushing my mind past its limits and has me questioning whether or not some words are actually real words.

Additionally, Wordle is a habitual, daily activity I have grown accustomed to playing.

The “need to know” aspect of this game has me addicted. I wonder if other people have gotten the word or wonder if someone will just give it away.

I know I’m not the only one, too. In about half of my classes I hear talk of the game, especially in one class where the teacher had to say we couldn’t talk about today’s word until tomorrow.

While Wordle can be infuriating, I still like the game.

I get to test out my guessing skills, and I get to share a personal connection with my mom that none of my other siblings have with her. The “have you guessed the word?” and “do you want a hint?” that we share hold a special place for me. We don’t have all these one-on-one connections. Most of them are shared between us and my other siblings like TV shows, movies, songs, or games, but my mom and I do have Wordle.•

Wordle is a habitual, daily activity I have grown accustomed to playing

? QUESTION

issue

OF THE ??

Do you prefer playing sports, watching sports, both or neither?

Playing 24.18%

watching 16.47%

Graphics by Allana Frost, Calla Duffield

both 44.43%

neither 14.92% 583 people polled

HUMANS of CSHS

Sanjana Madhav senior

“I like that there’s a lot of different traditions in Indian culture, and the food is so good.

I recommend samosas. It’s a fluffy fried pastry, almost like croissant rolls, but better. It’s deep fried with potatoes inside.”

“During rainy weather, my mom and I get samosas and chai and go eat and spill all the tea.

Get it? Because we’re drinking tea?”

Check out our Instagram to learn more about the Humans of CSHS @cshscatamountnewspaper

COUGAR UNVEILED by Zoe Taylor

Friday, March 25, 2022

The Catamount

Anxiety disorders cause stress, worry among students You miss a day of school and you need to ask your teacher about a quiz you missed. It’s advocate now, so there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to speak to your teacher, but when you try to stand up, the room suddenly feels hotter and Rhyan Kalke you feel lightheaded. Now you feel like you’re going to cry, and it’s hard to breathe. You forgot everything you were supposed to say.

That’s the everyday reality of some students diagnosed with anxiety disorders. Debilitating. The effects of anxiety in schools is a common problem that’s generally overlooked by most parents and teachers. Considering that an estimated 31.9% of teens have been diagnosed with some sort of anxiety disorder, according to Evolve Treatment Center, it’s a serious problem that plagues today’s teens. And for 8.3% of those, anxiety severely impairs everyday life, but that percentage doesn’t even include teens who are undiagnosed.

Teachers continuously force students into presenting things at the front of the class, answering questions they didn’t volunteer for and putting them into groups for projects.

By doing this, they’re forcing some students into doing things they’re completely uncomfortable with, and this can cause further damage to a teen’s mental and emotional state, sometimes without even realizing it.

It’s labeled as helping, when in reality, it does the opposite.

We’re told to take initiative, but taking initiative causes a mix of frustration and tears, and then we get chastised for not going out of our comfort zone or accomplishing what we were supposed to.

People may believe the only way to learn and grow is to put ourselves out of our comfort zone, but that shouldn’t apply to teens with anxiety. Schools and teachers can begin to fix this problem by not using the threat of grades to force students into presentations and public speaking.

Being able to work with people you don’t know, public speaking and giving presentations are all life skills that kids need to learn, but at our own pace. Nobody that has anxiety is choosing to have anxiety. Forcing teens into doing things like this doesn’t teach them life skills, but only breaks them down more.

It’s required for teachers to teach things like public speaking, so how do we make a compromise? Students and teachers can start with communication. Communication between parents of students with social anxiety and their students’ teachers would be a step in the right direction, and by starting with this maybe we can also start to make school a more comfortable place for students with anxiety.•

Open campus lunch would provide breathing time during day For lunch, I sit with two other girls and no one else.

About five minutes before the end of lunch, an Sadie Rigby AP with a spray bottle squirts the table we’re still sitting at and wipes her mop within a few inches of my tray. I’m not done, and I only sat down 10 minutes ago because of the absurdly long lunch lines.

Lunch can be frustrating because we have to contain 500 students to a single cafeteria. To make it more chaotic, lunches split the school into four populations, and the administrators herd us in and out of the cafeteria for two hours.

College Station High School has to perform these backbends because they have boxed themselves in with the policies of advocate and closed-school lunch in the cafeteria. I’m not saying it’d be so easy to get rid of these policies, but of the three high schools I’ve attended, College Station is by far the most restrictive in administration and schedule.

I propose a simpler solution: what

if we had an hour for lunch, for the entire school, and the cafeteria was n o t the mandatory seating place? We could go outside, or eat in our cars, or go for a nice walk.

Being at school all day can be overwhelming, and it doesn’t help that students Art by Allana Frost are often shuffled to-and-fro like lifeless factory workers.

I for one would greatly appreciate the chance to take a nice breather during the day, without feeling I am always being monitored. I had open-campus lunch at my last schools, and the entire school was released for an hour. Students who wanted to go out to eat would line up in the parking lot waiting to funnel out in their cars. My friends and I ate outside when the weather permitted, or in a nice quiet hall during the winter. I enjoyed my time with my friends, finished homework and I could truly unwind outside and in seclusion.

Every time I daydream about this reality, I hear arguments that an open

lunch would go up in flames. Some think that students won’t be able to get back to school because of the traffic jam that often occurs during finals. Some think students driving around will cause many accidents. Some think that students will see a gleaming window of freedom and realize life trapped in a cement box to learn something even their parents are unfamiliar with is seriously depressing, and think they will speed away towards an appointment with doom and never come back.

But guess what? There are already consequences for skipping class. Students complete many processes to make sure they are qualified to drive so accidents are minimized. And if students see that they will be late to class if they’re not parked five minutes before the bell rings, then they will park five minutes before the bell rings or face the consequences of truancy.

Giving a student an hour to be responsible for their choices is not a new idea. If open campus lunches were truly so unmanageable, then why do so many other high schools implement them? •

Opinions

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Voices What are you looking

How does your horoscope forward to after the fit your personality?

“Based on my “A Sasquatch birthday,to I’m a Licostume scare bra. I am a friendly children.” person, Sam W, as well as concerned to maintain balance and justice.”

Jena Obeidat, freshman “A tiger because it’s fierce and free in the wild.

“I’m an Aquarius.

It describes who think it’s perfect.

II am.”

I’m creative, and I Meghan Miles, think I have a fun personality. I like my sign.”

Ava Perkins, “An E-boy. I’ll sophomore wear chains, rings, a striped shirt with a long-sleeved black shirt “I don’t believe underneath.” that astronomy Arden Duffield, can dictate your junior personality traits.

I think that everyone is unique.”

“The scariest Hailey Hudson, thing I can think junior of: a responsible adult.”

Bre Wallen, senior “I’m an Aquarius and it fits me because it takes me a long time to “Tigger, trust andbecause open up my group of You to someone. friends decided won’t know I’m I was high-key upset unless Itoo tell energetic.” you.”

PeytonBernal, Smith, Paula senior junior “I know I’m a Leo but I don’t believe in that stuff, I think it’s a bunch of nonsense.”

Gregg Frashure, Economics Teacher

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Experiencing cultural stigma leads staffer to speak up for mental health The first time I walked into Ms. Delilah’s room, a secret was weighing on my chest.

The name “Ms. Delilah” doesn’t belong to any one of my teachers, nor does it belong to the next-door neighbor I’ll awkBriceida Bellon wardly wave to. “Ms. Delilah,” all four syllables, belongs to the therapist I saw for several months during my freshman year of high school.

There’s a certain shame that goes hand in hand with admitting you need help. When the erratic gasps for breath, distancing from daily conversations with friends, the scramble for the sharpest object in the room were given the name “anxiety,” I suddenly felt like a burden to my family.

Eventually, I learned to accept it as another part of myself, just like how we all eventually accept any personality trait. But what if others can not or do not accept themselves?

My parents, to say the least, were horrified when they found out about my habit of cutting. An innocent ride in my dad’s silver Ford F-150 led to my biggest secret at the time spilling from my quivering lips.

After two weeks of persuasion, I sat in the same passenger’s seat of the F-150, on my way to my first therapy session, and slowly but surely, my mental

health began improving. A couple of months flew by with days spent in Ms. Delilah’s stale office, and soon enough, I was finally deemed “okay” according to my mom’s standards. And then the visits stopped.

I implore you to initiate these difficult conversations and spread awareness Statistics demonstrate an already low percentage, to be exact, of 31% of minority groups lacking accessibility to health care, according to Psychiatry.org. While worries such as costs per session and access to linguistically trained mental health professionals often limit Hispanics and African-Americans from seeking help, culture remains the largest obstacle preventing the normalcy of mental health in these communities. Take this from someone living with two proud Peruvian parents.

While therapy did stabilize some of my anxiety symptoms, Ms. Delilah, in one of our last sessions, told me she was seeing “little to no changes” in my behavior. That’s when she suggested adding a small dosage of

Prozac to the equation, so we drove in my dad’s F-150 to Walgreens to pick up the prescription.

However, the 15 minute drive to Walgreens proved to be futile. I never took a single dose. Why? The orange prescription bottle on our kitchen counter was terrifying in the eyes of my mother.

Analyzing the situation now, I definitely should have persisted, pleading with my mom to understand where Ms. Delilah was coming from. However, instead of regretting past actions, I’m choosing to question.

What does having a mental illness in my household mean? And more importantly, how can we as a community begin the process of destigmatizing mental illness?

How can admitting you need help be freeing rather than a burden?

As someone who comes from a Hispanic household, I’m well aware of the stigma surrounding mental health permeating my community, especially among the older generations. “You’re a strong girl,” Dad will say, but mental illness does not make you any weaker of a person. “We have Peruvian blood running in our veins,” Mom might refute, although mental illness does not discriminate. But this is why it is so important to speak up. Whether it be in the comfort of your home or in whatever car your father drives, I implore you to initiate these difficult conversations and spread awareness, if not for yourself, then for others in our community.•

Discovering bullet journaling provides calming outlet for worrying, stress For as long as I can remember, I’ve always known myself as someone who’s a constant worrier, has a habit Emily Ko of overthinking things, doesn’t always make the best decisions, but always strives to be her best possible self.

Because of this, I’m constantly under stress. I worry about how I can be a good daughter in every way possible to my family, what I can do to keep up with the increasing amount of homework or how I can maintain my relationships with my friends. I’m also someone who’s likely to de-stress by sleeping in on weekends and doing nothing all day.

My mind is like a heavy rock, weighing me down with constant worries and fears. Though I’m aware of the heavy burden, I try to clear it out and relax on

my weekend because I know that sooner or later, I’ll have to face the immense burden that lies ahead of me, filled with academic, social and personal problems.

However, that was before I discovered that bullet journaling could be an effective way to cope with stress. Naturally, I had my doubts about it at first.

I was the type of girl who didn’t have flawless handwriting, or had the skills to do perfect calligraphy. So when I sat down at my desk at exactly 11:00 p.m. with my newly bought bullet journal and pens, I didn’t expect to get so absorbed in the process. The next thing I knew, when I looked up at the clock, it was already 3 a.m.

A time period that had felt like a blink of an eye had turned out to be four hours of sitting and journaling in my room, filled with the sound of my favorite songs. That’s what bullet journaling is. To me, it’s an activity that will take my mind off of everything and make it

seem like only a minute has passed, making me not only more organized and mentally refreshed, but also physically too.

Soon, the idea of jotting down anything that I wanted on a page in a neat orderly and appealing way became my idea of a perfect weekend.

Bullet journaling has not only helped me discover myself, but it’s also helped me clear my mental and emotional state, overall eliminating my tendency to always stress over the tiniest things. Bullet journaling isn’t just for girls who have neat and flawless handwriting and calligraphy; it’s an activity that I believe can be a hobby for

everyone, no matter the gender or age. It allows us to find our inner selves and who we truly are in the midst of our cell phones and social media, and to discover our genuine selves that we hide from others in order to maintain our popularity and social status.

Take it from a girl who once was afraid of others finding out her true self and what others think of her, and who never even once thought that she would take up bullet journaling as a hobby. My past and present self are two separate people, but thanks to bullet journaling, I can say without one single regret that I would choose my present self any day.•

Art by Elisabeth Stewart

Friday, March 25, 2022

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Pet Parents Fostering pets evokes nurturing spirit, provides companionship Sadie Rigby Staff Reporter The basic definition of fostering animals, according to Petfinder, is agreeing “to take a homeless dog into your home and give him or her love, care, and attention, either for a predetermined period of time or until the dog is adopted.” But the word ‘dog’ can be replaced with any other homeless pet in need of habilitation or rehabilitation. Unfortunately, there are many animals out there that need a new home, and fostering can be the bright spot in their situation. Fostering entails many responsibilities for the families who participate, but the reward can be fulfilling.

“Personally, I’ve learned so much from these animals,” senior Penelope Morris said. “I think that cats are so amazing. I think they’re so cool, and they’re such intelligent creatures, and I just enjoy their company so much.”

Morris’ family mainly fosters kittens, most of whom come from cat colonies (a pack of wild feral cats living with each other) in Bryan and College Station.

One particular colony in Bryan roams mainly around a single person’s backyard and the land beyond their property. They have been able to monitor their populations and send kittens or cats in need of help to the BCS Spay and Neuter organization. That’s when the company then contacts foster families, like Morris’, to nurture, socialize and provide for the homeless animals in need.

“Getting to know this little creature who’s just figuring out their life and helping them through that. It’s just like a little mini parenting relay,” Morris said.

“Some animals need socialization so a completely silent home won’t teach them the social skills they need,” according to the Aggieland Humane Society.

“Mother cats and dogs usually just need somewhere quiet and warm for the first few weeks to take care of their babies. In my opinion, almost any kind of family or person can foster an animal if they are willing to give their time, space, and love.”

To this respect, fostering is a little bit like raising a child. Foster families teach these animals how to behave and interact with other living beings. Fostering teaches the fosters valuable skills of dedication and care.

“I wake up early, to get the dogs outside, and if they don’t get along with our dogs, we have to separate the dogs,” junior Hailey Hudson said. “And if we are fostering multiple puppies from the same litter, then we have

▲Neo, a mutt, lays on Penelope Morris’ family couch. Neo is another pet fostered by Morris. PHOTO BY SADIE RIGBY

Fostering Organizations

▲Senior Penelope Morris holds their foster kitten Ham. An American shorthair, Ham was adopted from a local cat colony. PHOTO BY SADIE RIGBY to make sure they don’t like to play around, make sure they actually go to the bathroom, that way we can get to where we need to be.”

But most fosters would agree that these sacrifices are worth it, and they are even sad to see their temporary friends go.

“It’s so hard,” Hudson said. “We fostered these three dogs. They were so sweet, and they came to us when they were six, so all they did was cuddle and sleep.

And it was so hard when they got adopted. It’s really hard to know that that’s going to be the last time you’re going to see them.”

Hudson’s family fosters through an organization called Make a Stand, which fosters only Pitbulls. These dogs are mainly puppies who got dumped on the side of the road for being the runt of the litter. Their purpose was to become competitors for illegal dog fighting rings, but they do not have the physique and are abandoned.

Through her fostering efforts, these puppies are given a second chance that they would not have gotten

Long Way Home • https://longwayhomeadoptables.org/ • 979-977-7111 Aggieland Humane Society • https://aggielandhumane. org/foster-care/ • (979)775-5755 • info@aggielandhumane.org BCS Spay and Neuter • https://bcsspayday.wixsite. com/mysite • (979) 393-0043 (fax) • BCSSpayDay@gmail.com Graphics by Briceida Bellon otherwise. This is one of the reasons fostering can be a beneficial process to everyone involved. Families learn the skills of raising someone defenseless and the charity of helping those with less, and the animal will receive the resources they need to rehabilitate for adoption.•

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The Catamount

Who Runs The World?

People

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New clubs celebrate ‘Girl Bosses,’ women in STEM to empower members beyond Women’s History Month Allana Frost and Briceida Bellon Entertainment Editor and Assistant Editor In March when wildflowers in Texas begin blooming in vibrant colors and the shivers of winter are soothed in the sun, we celebrate women across the world and through time for the ways they brighten society with their creations and dispel the cold by bringing light to new discoveries.

Working diligently in our own school, women as students, teachers and leaders are striving to make an impact. In her position as a social studies teacher, Ali Kenney is “working to educate all the different ways that women can influence the whole world.”

“Now we can focus on talking about the women in NASA, the women in the White House, the women of color, the women in politics and the women in minorities and all of them making a difference,” Kenney said.

“I may have a traditional role, but I feel like no matter where we are, we can make a difference with our influence.”

Within the newly founded Girlboss club and Women in STEM club, teachers like Kenney are collaborating with students to create an environment at CSHS where female students can unite and empower one another.

Girlboss Club

Art by Calla Duffield

After talking at Sweet Eugene’s, seniors Emma Deegear and Sarah Del Rio and junior Camila Del Rio came up with the idea to leave a legacy and start a club before graduating high school. The trio said that since they knew a lot of female teachers and friends who inspire them, they decided to bring them all together and

create a club that cultivates appreciation and confidence for the women of the school.

“The main goal of the club is to have a community of people, girls and guys, to empower girls to be more independent and more confident by showing them how to get there and having that [encouragement],” Sarah Del Rio said.

The club, though focused on girl bosses, extends its community and influence to both men and women.

“We also want to inform people about [girls’] great accomplishments, and the boys are there to learn more about and support other girls and [women] in big positions and social issues,” Camila Del Rio said.

After just their first meeting during Black History month, the club exploded. Over 20 students, male and female, joined in to celebrate women of color throughout history and support the girl bosses of the school.

“It’s cool that it started off as an idea and that at our first meeting we had a lot of people there. It’s cool seeing everything come to life and people supporting us,” Deegear said.

The influence of the club has already started taking effect. Senior Zoe Moore spoke at the club during their Black History month meeting, channeling her momentum to teach how women in all roles can be a force for good.

“My mission in empowering women is to promote women’s sense of self worth and their right to influence social change for themselves and others,” Moore said.

Though the Girlboss club is only just beginning, it is taking its first steps on a journey to promoting and enriching the women of this school to become leaders in society. The next meeting is on April 1 in room 3111 from 7:45-8:15 a.m.

Catherine the Great (1729-1796)

Prussian-born Queen, Russia’s longest-ruling female leader

“Power without a nation’s confidence is nothing.”

▲Sophomore and Women in STEM Club member Sashi Kulatilaka uses a buret to do a titration for chemistry. PHOTO BY BRICEIDA BELLON

Women In STEM Club Female students are taking their futures into their own hands. When sophomore Siri Parachuri turned in her course request form amidst the start of a global pandemic, she took a risk enrolling in Computer Science I and entering into the field of STEM. Seeing the handful of girls in class, Parachuri turned in a club request form for a year later.

“My main goal for the [Women in STEM lub] is to raise awareness and support women in STEM,” Parachuri said. “Along with those two main principles, I hope the club becomes a place for girls to explore STEM

Ada Lovelace (1815-1852)

English mathematician, first computer programmer

“That brain of mine is something more than merely mortal; as time will show.”

and connect with other girls who share similar goals and interests.”

The club’s meetings typically consist of lectures from female college professors or well-established women in STEM willing to share their unique experiences and achievements. Members will fundraise and spread awareness on humanitarian issues impacting women, such as the gender gap in STEM and wages. The club also provides students like sophomore engineering student Anika Tahsin the opportunity to connect with other girls interested in pursuing careers in STEM. “I think that girls don’t pursue STEM because we are told it’s not meant for us,” Tahsin said. “Even if we attempt to, [being a woman in STEM] can be intimidating, especially since [STEM careers] are so male-dominated.”

Witnessing women in their lives challenge gender norms and acquire leadership positions in STEM can be inspirational, according to students like Tahsin and Parachuri. A prime example is the club’s main sponsor, computer science teacher Kimberly Munoz, who learned the fundamentals of Java from a textbook six years ago.

Now as a teacher at CSHS, Munoz remains a mentor for girls like Parachuri who said Munoz “encouraged [her] to apply [her] interest in STEM through extracurriculars.”

“I think bringing awareness to the fact that even if I’m not a college professor or a programmer from the industry, I’m still a woman who is teaching a STEM course in computer science,” Munoz said. “I hope that seeing a woman figure in that position will entice [everyone] and let them know that it’s okay to [enroll in Computer Science] because I’m going to nurture everyone who comes into my classroom.”

Female figures like Munoz and the Women in STEM

▲Seniors Simran Ghosh (right) and Ellie Hagen (left) write letters of appreciation to women in their lives for International Women’s Day on March 8. Ghosh wrote to her friend, senior and GirlbossClub Co-Founder Emma Deegar “for being an incredible example of what it means to be an empowered woman,” she said. PHOTO BY ALLANA FROST club are just one of the few ways CSHS is cultivating a supportive and uplifting environment for girls. With the figures of the past to learn from, the role models to look up to and two new clubs that support women, the girls of CSHS have more opportunities to spark their legacy of expressions, contributions and discoveries.

“Overall I think that we are just as important as

Yayoi Kusama (1929-present)

everybody else,” Kenney said. “We have to speak a little louder and fight a little harder, but I think that [our sisters in the past have fought to make] it easier for us in 2022, and I think it is our job to make it even easier in future generations.” The club will meet on March 30 in the LGI from 4-5 p.m to hear a from a med student. •

Amanda Gorman (1998-present)

Japanese contemporary artist known for her infinity installations

Youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, first National Youth Poet Laureate

“I wanted to start a revolution, using art to build the sort of society I... envisioned.”

“There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

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Sky Searchers Astro-enthusiasts dive into history, divinatory practices In astrology, you often hear phrases like “tarot” or “Sagittarius.” If you’re confused, you are like 1 in 5 people. A select few students actually study astrology and tarot cards as a hobby. Whether it started as a quarantine hobby, or maybe it’s been a hobby even before lock down, these students have created an interest in astrology.

“I got into it as a result of some games and shows that incorporated such symbolism,” junior Jeremy Voiles said.

“My main focus is tarot and the rare bit of astrology. ‘The Magetan’ series is a big component of that. I was drawn in by the desire to feel more prepared for the future, college and the stress that is compounded onto that. All these combined led me towards such fortune telling methods more.”

Other students connected with the practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I got into astrology as a fourth grader and would often look at things about my sun sign; however, I quickly fell out of touch with it. Fast forward to 2020 and the global pandemic hits and we’re all stuck at home bored during the quarantine, so I decided to get back into astrology,” sophomore Lena Abdelwahed said.

Although astrology is a very broad concept, zodiac signs seem to be the most popular aspect, as they are said to determine your personality. “[Astrology] originated thousands of centuries ago, beginning with the Babylonians,” Abdelwahed said. “The Babylonians invented the Zodiac and the practice of attributing meaning to the movement of the planets as conveyors of divine will. Then the Greeks took it and

made it into the horoscopes that we know and love today.”

According to Phsychnewsdaily.com, women are 37% more likely to believe in astrology than men, while 16% of teens believe in astrology. Astrology was the most popular in the 19th century while spiritualism was gaining popularity.

Some believe that the planets can affect one’s mood. According to Capetownnet.com, certain planets being in retrograde--when they appear to move

There’s a decent amount of gray area in astrology -Lena Abdelwahed Sophomore backwards--can affect the way people feel based on their astrological chart.

Students have found that astrology can help them connect in relationships.

“My partner and I joke about our star signs being highly compatible, and we joke that ‘it was destiny’ and all that.

I also find it enjoyable to find friends via [Astrology], as it can be a common interest. It also gives me comfort in the future, which is another pull to it,” Voiles said.

For others, astrology can open conversations.

“I definitely love getting to explain [astrology] to new friends and let them ask me questions about it. In that way I guess it’s bonding,” Abdelwahed said.

Some challenges also exist in learning.

“The hardest thing about learning astrology is learning the star signs and where they begin and end throughout the year,” sophomore Ryan Marsh said.

Astrology and astronomy may sound similar, but they contradict each other.

Astrology focuses on how the positions, motions and properties of the planets in the solar system affect us. On the other hand however, astronomy focuses on the universe and the contents outside of it.

“They are different. And they always will be,” Abdelwahed said. “Astronomy equals facts; astrology equals theory.”

Abdelwahed said she does not agree with people who base their opinions about a person based on their placement.

“There’s a decent amount of gray area in astrology, so not everything is going to perfectly align with someone’s actual personality,” she said.

According to Voiles, star signs don’t scratch the surface of the world of pseudoscience, defined as a collection of beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific method. It includes reading tarot cards and even fortune telling.

“I’ve always found some comfort in the idea of fate and predestined things”, Voiles said. “‘Misfortune and Fortune come in cycles’ and all that stuff. I enjoy the idea of being able to prepare for problems or expect good things, and Tarot in general is a fun distraction from the stress and chaos of life.”

Students were even able to find themselves through astrology.

“Astrology has somewhat helped me bond with myself,” Abdelwahed said. “I love looking at my chart and seeing what more it can mean so I somewhat get to realize a lot of things about myself.”•

Get In Sync April 22

Lyrids Meteor Shower

April 30

Partial Solar Eclipse

May 6, 7

Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower

May 16

Total Lunar Eclipse

Art by Calla Duffield

Cheyenne Clark and Rylan Dalton Staff Reporters

Source: Seasky.org

Friday, March 25, 2022

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Kickin’ it

Martial arts enforce fortitude, create meaningful memories Lauren Byerly Staff Reporter Martial arts are a fun and meaningful part of many students’ lives. The lessons learned, friendships and memories made are an important part of the martial arts community.

“My favorite moment has to be sparring.

It’s the purest expression of taekwondo when you’re forced into a knock down drag out fight and you just have to keep trying to break past blocks to score points,” junior and taekwondo student Shashan Fernando said.

Taekwondo provides many more fun memories for students.

“There’s this guy that could do fire with the bow staff. So on each end of the long stick, he had fire on the end of them, and he just did a bunch of cool tricks with them,” freshman and taekwondo student Giovanna Castellani said.

Isabella Toth, a freshman and former taekwondo student, said that in her class, they did competitions like jumping over a padded block, to see who could jump the highest. But some memories are made with the friends the martial artists have made.

“One time I was sparring this one guy, when I was kicking for his head, he brought my leg, flipped me over, and then I landed weird and my finger got fractured,” freshman and former taekwondo student Sami Mahapatra said. “And so then I kicked him on the padding like over his chest, then he fell over and hurt his elbow. We were really good friends, but it was just a lot of competitiveness.”

Taekwondo brings people together, and Fernando said that “there’s a camaraderie that you really aren’t going to get anywhere else.”

“I’ve been there for five, six years now and we’ve just developed a community of

friends,” junior and taekwondo student Jeffrey Wylie said.

In between the friendships and fun, valuable lessons are also learned.

“Discipline, discipline, discipline. It’s the name of the game,” Fernando said. “You’ll find the word on half a dozen posters all over the dojo, staring at you when you get lazy in training or when you start hitting too hard. I literally cannot emphasize enough how pervasive the concept of discipline is in taekwondo.

It runs through the whole art,” he said.

Toth notes that in taekwondo, students are taught to not engage in a fight. If any, they should try to disengage and get away and only if they have to, should they engage in the fight.

Senior Maria Mahecha teaches a self-defense class at Windy Sport and Fitness. She said that one of the best things she can teach her students is discipline.

“Discipline is knowing what your emotions are and how to control them. Or how to communicate your emotions with other people in a way that’s safe and healthy instead of just lashing out or keeping it bottled up,” she said.

Fernando agrees with the importance of these skills.

“It’s important to note that discipline is when we choose to express our training is drilled into us from day one, and misuse of what we learn is a severe violation,” Fernando said. “The distinction is between learning how to fight and learning how to defend ourselves.”

Ultimately, taekwondo has impacted the students both physically and personally.

“It [has] changed me. I think it [has] changed everyone,” Wylie said.•

[Taekwondo has] changed me. I think it [has] changed everyone

-Jeffrey Wylie Junior

▲Senior Maria Mahecha trains with a punching bag at Windy Sports and Fitness on March 15. Mahecha teaches martial arts as a self-defense. PHOTO BY EMILY KO

Where to go for martial arts classes Brazos Valley Mixed Martial Arts Offers jiu-jitsu, wrestling, taekwondo and martial arts Website: www.bvmma.com Windy Sport and Fitness Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Teen and Youth Website: www.localgymsandfitness.com Palmisano’s Martial Arts Offers Taekwondo Website: www.atapma.com Graphics by Katherine Gulde

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CSHS graduates epitomize Cougar qualities in career trajectories

photo provided by Pearlstein

Arianna Pearlstein Class of 2019

JiatAO Liang

Arianna Pearlstein, who goes to Leiden University in The Hague, the Netherlands, is in her last year of college, and majors in political science with a specialization in international relations and organizations.

To any seniors graduating this year, would you say that what college that you go to matters?

“Not in the sense that you need to go to the stereotypical good schools like Harvard, MIT or Duke. It just needs to be a school that you enjoy the environment in, and it’s good in the subjects that you’re interested in, because you need it for future jobs and for getting your degrees.”

What advice would you give?

“I think the biggest thing is that kindness never hurts and that it’s always a good thing to spread to others.”•

Jiatao Liang graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a Chemical Biology Degree and is currently attending Harvard in the graduate program in chemistry and chemical biology.

Are you content with yourself right now or are you wanting to achieve more?

“I’m a researcher, so I’m always trying to discover more about my subject and understand the world better. I think it’s a mentality you need to have to be a researcher.”

How do you persevere through difficulties?

“I tend to just take it day by day, especially if experiments don’t work and don’t do the things you expect. I just come back tomorrow, retry or try something else.”•

Lauren Spohn

photo provided by Spohn

Class of 2016

photo provided by Liang

Compiled by Emily Ko and Sonya Lin Assistant Editor and Staff Reporter

Lauren Spohn graduated from Harvard University in May of 2020. She majored in English literature with a double minor in history and a practical in philosophy and was selected as a Rhodes Scholar to study at University of Oxford. She’s currently working at a start-up venture capital, along with some writing projects on the side, before she begins her Ph.D. at Oxford.

How beneficial was high school to your college experience?

“Being a CSHS Cougar made me into the kind of person who could succeed in college, through teaching me how to be goal oriented, how to be a good writer, how to think critically in the STEM field and how to work together on a team with people who are different from me to achieve a common goal.

“Would you say that what college that you go to matters?

The college that you go to certainly matters, but it matters less than the kind of person that you become in college.”•

Brandon Joseph

photo provided by Joseph

Class of 2015

Class of 2019

Brandon Joseph, who started college at Northwestern University in Evanson, Illinois, recently transferred to the University of Notre Dame, where he majors in sociology and plays football for the Fighting Irish football team.

Are there any habits that you developed in high school that you kept with you throughout your college experience?

“Probably work ethic. Coach Huff and Coach Jones, who were my coaches when I was at CSHS, developed a hard working, put your head down and just grind mentality, which was why I was able to make the most out of my opportunities.”

How has your experience been so far as a college student?

“Being a college student, and especially a college athlete, time management is crucial to having a successful college career because you have the opportunity to have the best time of your life, and then you also have to know that sometimes you can’t do this, and it becomes a big balance.”•

Sayuni Dharmasena Class of 2020 Dharmasena is a sophomore at John Hopkins University majoring in biomedical engineering and minoring in women, gender and sexuality studies.

Would you say that rank and GPA matters as much as everyone thinks it does?

“Absolutely not, people worry way too much about your class rank, as long as you’re doing good in school the most important thing is passion, and outside experiences. I missed out on things that I should have been able to do just because I was way too concerned about my grades.”•

Joseph Ntaimo Class of 2019 Ntaimo is a junior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology majoring in mechanical engineering with a focus in musical robotics.

Have you noticed any major differences between college and high school life?

“The major differences in college arethings like having new roommates, having a new space and having to focus on your well-being. You have to take care of your well-being pretty explicitly in college.”•

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Scouts exhibit Cougar qualities through outdoor excursions Rhyan Kalke Opinions Editor Focused on building life skills, promoting good morals and character building, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are one of the most rewarding extracurriculars for many students but often one of the least acknowledged. These students build their leadership skills through scout program activities and projects.

“There are a lot of [students] in high school that are in scouts, way more than you would expect,” said Social Studies teacher Elizabeth Poprik, who has been a troop leader for 14 years. “There are a lot of benefits to it, there’s a lot of things that [students] get out of it.”

Scouting is organized into groups by age.

“The reason why I joined was because they were offering candy, and as a five-year-old I wanted it,” junior Emily Borham said.

In Girl Scouts, Daisies are grades K-1, Brownies are grades 2-3, Juniors are grades 4-5, Cadettes are grades 6-8, Seniors are grades 9-10 and Ambassadors are grades 11-12.

“As you get older it becomes more of an individual thing,” Borham said.

Similar to Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts are organized by age. Participants start out as Cub Scouts and then transition into Boy Scouts.

Throughout scouting, students gain a broader understanding of the world around them and gain experiences they wouldn’t have through other programs.

“I represented the United States at the World Scout Jamboree in 2019,” senior Mark Johnson said.

“While some of the activities there were fun, the most rewarding part was meeting people from all over the world and learning about their cultures. It really changes your view of how the world works, and makes you realize how grateful we should be that we live in a better situation than a large majority of people. Even though everyone has extremely different situations,

we were all able to interact and have fun, because underneath our external problems, we were all the same.”

To build leadership qualities that will be beneficial throughout their lives, scouts go on adventures and do activities to better themselves in physical, emotional, academic and sometimes spiritual categories.

“Earlier in scouting, it’s all about learning how to better yourself in general, teaching you skills and traits to help better your academics, athletics, character, and religion if you’re religious,” Johnson said.

“Later in Boy Scouts it becomes more about learning about the adult world and preparing you for it, as well as teaching the outdoor skills required to go on the outdoor trips we do. However, every troop is different.

Some troops focus more on life skills, and others, like mine, focus more on outdoor skills.”

In addition to building skills, scouts do benefit the communities they serve in. The top award that can be earned in Girl Scouts is the Gold Award and the highest award that can be earned in Boy Scouts is the Eagle Scout Award. Both of these require a scout to plan and perform their own service project.

“When you start your Gold Award you have to plan it, because it’s a service project and you have to think about sustainability,” Borham said. “It’s really fun seeing all the work we’ve done, even if it just leads up to a pin. I wish people knew how much the Girl Scouts can help people.”

Troops of Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts help the communities they live in, and the experiences scouts gain while they’re part of a troop are experiences that will last forever.

“Not only did I learn a lot of valuable traits in scouts, especially with leadership, but the physical experiences were rewarding,” Johnson said. “I’ve never found a feeling that compares to the one you get after climbing a mountain and looking down on the trail you spent days hiking on, knowing you put the work in and didn’t give up.”•

▲Rowan Poprik belays Reese Carona while she climbs in Mineral Wells State Park on March 5.

CSMS student Amanda Rudolf is second belay while Kathryn Keyser from Bryan High looks on.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ELIZABETH POPRIK

Highest Awards in scouting Girl Scouts Gold Award

Boy Scouts Eagle Scout Award

Girl Scouts have to complete two Senior or Ambassador journeys or complete one Senior or Ambassador journey and are required to have earned a Girl Scout Silver Award.

Boy scouts need to have been active in their troop for at least six months as a Life Scout, actively shown dedication to the Scout Oath, have earned 21 merit badges and plan/carry out a Eagle Service Project.

▲Local Girl Scout troop prepares to canoe on Lake Bryan during Summer of 2019. This troop is led by social studies teacher Elizabeth Poprik who said it was a bonding opportunity. PHOTO PROVIDED BY ELIZABETH POPRIK

16

Sports

The Catamount

RAISING THE BAR

Friday, March 25, 2022

Gymnastics team members cultivate family atmosphere Sophie Harkins News Editor A girl runs across the spring floor, performing the tumbling pass she has been perfecting for weeks.

Across the gym, another girl is on the uneven bars, successfully sticking her dismount. Behind her, a girl is practicing her back handsprings on the balance beam, remembering all the critiques and pointers her coaches have given to her as she prepares herself to flip back.

Gymnasts, including senior captain Grace Wolfe and senior Cadence Mouton, enjoy the challenges of thier sport.

“Being team captain is very exciting,” Wolfe said.

“I love the responsibilities that come along with it as well as making decisions that benefit the team.”

Wolfe has been in gymnastics since she was four years old, but that dosen’t mean there havent been chalenges along the way.

“Once [mental blocks] get in your head, it is really hard to get [them] back out,” Wolfe said. “To overcome this, I usually let my nerves take over and let my body go on autopilot. This has always worked and has been very beneficial for me.”

Brazos Valley Gymnastics Coach Lexa Newsted has been coaching gymnastics since she was 18 years old. This year, she is the head coach for the CSHS gymnastics team as well as a club team.

“There is no difference in my style of coaching; however, there is a difference between club gymnastics and high school. The difference

comes during the competitions and coaching at a meet,” Newsted said.

“High school gymnastics is electric and high energy, very similar to a college gymnastics vibe. The girls are supportive of everyone, but most especially their own teammates.”

Newsted coaches and works alongside Wolfe.

one supports each other.”

With her 18 years of experience, Mouton has become a talented gymnast and cheerleader, signing with Blinn College to further her skills competitively.

“Everyone should do [gymnastics],” Mouton said. “It is so much fun and a great way to experience and achieve new things.”

The CSHS team competed at district in Round Rock on Thursday, March 8, The girls won second place as a team, and Tiernan O’Brien placed fifth on Floor Exercise for the boys. Individually, Mouton won the All Around as well as first on uneven bars and beam, second on floor and third on vault.

Freshman Hope Mueller finished second on uneven bars and fifth on floor, and Wolfe placed fifth on un▲Grace Wolfe even bars, while Raven Newton finbeam routine ished sixth on floor. •

[gymnastics IS] so much fun and a great way to experience and achieve new things -cadence mouton senior gymnast “Having Grace Wolfe as team captain has been so important to this team. Her leadership style is to lead with her actions and trust her team to work as hard as she does” Newsted said. “She holds herself to a higher standard in training. Grace is a positive force for CSHS gymnastics and her dedication to the team and it’s success has been very appreciated.”

Newsted also coaches Mouton.

“Cadence is the biggest fan of the CSHS gymnastics team,” Newsted said. “She genuinely loves the sport and her team, and she brings energy and a competitive edge like no other. She is so tough and focused and brings her heart into this team.”

Mouton has been in gymnastics since she was 18 months old.

“I love being on the gymnastics team,” Mouton said. “It is like a family and team aspect where every-

does an arabesque in a amid a compulsory meet.

She serves as a team captain. PHOTO PROVIDED BY GRACE WOLFE

Five Beginner Gymnastics Moves Forward roll: a simple forward tumble where one’s whole body is rotated along the surface of the floor Cast: a semi-plank bar position with one’s back slightly rounded and the stomach pulled in Back handspring: a key exercise involving a backward flip into a handstand position, and then a forward flip back to the original standing position Split leap: a combination of splits and a forward leap Splits: splitting your legs sideways or front-and-back such that the whole lower body, including the legs and rear end, is in contact with the ground Source: Master Class

Friday, March 25, 2022

The Catamount

Sports

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Tennis, drama duo fosters companionship, encouragement Elisabeth Stewart and Emily Borham Managing Editor and Staff Reporter Whether in the bright spotlight of the stage or the hot sun of the tennis court, seniors Junior Carreon and Karis Medlock shine as a team. They most recently appeared as the Cat and the Hat and Mayzie La Bird in “Seussical,” but this duo’s debut was on the tennis court.

“If we are ever playing a [tennis] match or performing, I know he’s going to give his best effort, and he knows the same for me,” Medlock said. “We know each other, we try our best and we can just laugh off the mistakes rather than ponder them.”

The pair grew up together attending Forest Ridge Elementary School and started playing tennis through the club at College Station Middle School. When transitioning to high school, they decided to continue tennis.

“I did cross country in middle school, and while it was fun, I heard high school was pretty rigorous, so I didn’t want to continue that, but I still wanted to stay active,” Medlock said.

Carreon, the current team co-captain, continued playing tennis in high school with his mother’s encouragement.

“I’m competitive and aggressive, so having a non-contact sport, in the beginning, was hard,” he said.

“The team aspect helped me like the sport more, being able to cheer on my teammates.”

For their senior year, he and Medlock wanted to “go out [playing] doubles together.”

“With the other person, in between every single point, whether it was good or bad, we high five and say, ‘It’s ok, you got it,’ so it’s nice to have that encouragement throughout the entire match,” Carreon said.

Without a teammate’s encouragement, Carreon said, “it’s a lot easier to get into your own head if you mess up a shot.”

i feel like we are the same people on and off the court -junior carreon senior “Tennis is a mind game,” he said. “As soon as you get in your head, you’ll start overthinking every shot. It’s all about muscle memory and staying in your zone.”

Teammate and co-captain Kennedy Sharp said that Carreon and Medlock’s personalities allow them to “just feed off of each other” on the court.

“They’re both such funny people, so they don’t get upset at each other, which helps them have good chemistry when they’re playing,”

Six fundamentals strokes of tennis Serve

Forehand Volley

The player starts every point in a match with the serve, which is the only stroke that a player has complete control over.

The player strikes the ball while standing close to the front of the court, before the ball hits the ground.

Forehand Groundstroke

Backhand Volley

The player performs this shot from the baseline, with the racket held in his dominant hand.

The player hits the ball before it touches the ground, with the back of his hand moving toward his opponent in the same manner as the backhand groundstroke.

Backhand Groundstroke The player’s arm crosses his body to swing at the ball, with the back of his palm moving toward his opponent.

Source: Pat Cash Tennis Academy

Overhead Smash The player contacts the ball with the racquet above his head in a serve-like motion.

PHOTO BY ELISABETH STEWART

Sharp said.

The duo attributes their shared sense of humor to experience playing comedic roles in theater.

“I feel like we are the same people on and off the court,” Medlock said. “Being in theater and tennis together has brought us closer because we spend all of our time together.”

Win or lose, Carreon said, the duo is “out there to have fun.” “[Having a good relationship] helps because you know [your partner’s] weaknesses and strengths,” Carreon said. “You know if they’re having a good day, if they’re having a bad day and how to bring them out of their bad-match-depression. No matter what happens on the court, we are still friends.”•

18

Entertainment

The Catamount

Show Stoppers

Friday, March 25, 2022

Dynamic new movie releases re-energize the film industry Cyrano Calla Duffield Editor-in-Chief Based on French playwright Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play, “Cyrano,” directed by Joe Wright, meshes Shakespearean romantic comedy with tragedy in a musical-style two-hourlong movie. But does it work?

In the opening, we soon meet Haley Bennet as Roxanne: she’s an independent yet carefree (and penniless) woman who values wit. Preparing for an outing to the theater with De Guiche, a powerful aristocrat pursuing her affections, she discusses monetary troubles with her maid. To its credit, the movie’s conflict is set up fairly quickly. But the opening song, “Someone to Say,” is painfully bland.

Roxanne claims she’s “nobody’s pet, no one’s wife, no one’s woman,”

while her entire role in the play is dependent upon suitors.

The music doesn’t improve much by the time she arrives at the theater.

While I appreciated the charm of the set, costumes and makeup, it was so whimsical it bordered on ridiculous.

Dancing sheep in tutus followed by a duel yields the first somber moment in the movie. Cyrano, played by Peter Dinklage, disrupts the play in a startling American accent, clashing with the softer British dialect employed thus far. A skilled swordsman, he bests a guard sent onto the stage by De Guiche to challenge Cyrano’s interruption. Stabbing him through the chest, Cyrano gently guides the fighter to the floor and he dies.

Throughout the movie, the death scenes are beautifully crafted. This affected my enjoyment of the media overall: as the play progresses into a tragedy and De Guiche sends Cyrano

The Batman Cheyenne Clark Staff Reporter On Sunday I went to Cinemark to see the new Batman movie starring Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Andy Serkis and Jeffrey Wright. The release date of the DC movie was March 4th, it is PG-13 and it has a rating of 85% on Rotten Tomatoes.

I was hesitant about the movie with it being three hours and Pattinson starring as Batman, but I have to say he did the nostalgic superhero justice. He acted along with Kravitz (Catwoman) and both actors added a significant amount of mystery to their roles and had undeniable on screen chemistry.

I am more of a Marvel than a DC fan, but the movie opened my eyes to the other side. The movie had amazing car chases, fight scenes, murder scenes, on the edge of your seat scenes, eye covering scenes, funny scenes and emotional scenes.

There were moments in the movie

to battle, the songs become eloquent and tastefully humorous. One soldier laments in “Wherever I Fall”: I have a girl; I think I love her. I should have told her, instead, I told her mother.”

And of course, the movie wouldn’t be a story without love complications.

Christian De Neuvillette catches Roxanne’s eye at the theater, but he cannot capture her heart without Cyrano’s help. Roxanne doesn’t discover that Cyrano wrote Christian’s love poems until a flash-forward three years at the end of the movie. But of course, by then it’s too late.

For the first hour, the silly musical-style movie was nothing exciting.

The songs were repetitive and lyrically dull. A night-balcony scene marks the turning point into poetic music, and after, tragedy. If you can make it to the second hour, the stunning cinematography and Cyrano’s hubris make a touching ending.•

where I thought I knew who The Rat and The Riddler were but when they were revealed I found myself in a state of shock because I was miles off of who they actually were. I will not spoil who the characters are, but I will say that if you watch the movie, you will not know who The Riddler is until they are revealed at the end.

I truly felt as if I was watching on the sidelines in the actual movie; the way the action movie was directed left me wanting more of it. Even though the movie is longer than other DC movies, it will draw you in when you see “The Batman” from the first scene.

The movie did involve a lot of cussing, so it would not be a movie I would bring my baby sister to, but it is a movie that I would watch with family or friends.

The movie has a 4.5 star rating, but I would give it five stars. Normally I am not the type to give a movie such a high rating, but this movie goes down in the books. If you are wanting to see the movie I highly recommend you do, you will not regret it.•

Art by Allana Frost

West Side Story Rylan Dalton Staff Reporter “West Side Story” is a timeless tale based on the classic Shakespeare play “Romeo and Juliet.” The Broadway stage version first opened in September of 1957, and the original movie came out in 1961. Steven Speilberg recently adapted the film, which came out in theaters Dec. 10, 2021.

This movie is exactly what I needed at the time. With my love for theater, mixed with my love for Steven Speilberg and movies in general, made me more than excited for this movie to grace our theaters. I went with two of my closest friends, who also have a deep love for theater, which made the experience even better. When the movie was over, I cried the whole way home. I felt many feelings, but mostly joy. Being with my friends, watching a movie about a musical I’ve always loved: I couldn’t have

been happier.

“West Side Story” is now out on Disney plus and HBO Max, and it has been nominated for seven Oscars, including best picture and best supporting actress for Ariana Debose, who plays Anita. In 1961, Rita Moreno, who played Anita, got the best supporting actress Oscar for her role, so for Ariana Debose to get a nomination in the same category for the same role is groundbreaking.

Some may say this adaptation will never be as good as the original, and that might be true, but why compare two movies that are incomparable?

While it may be the same story, it is two different directors and two different visions. “West Side Story” was way ahead of its time in 1961, as it was extremely relevant in that time, but some may argue that it is more relevant now than ever. Everyone should see this movie, musical fan or not.•

Friday, March 25, 2022

Shutterbugs

The Catamount

Entertainment

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Aspiring photographers set sight on future from behind lens Amari Rutherford Staff Reporter

▲ Sophomores Anna Mckernan, Natalie Richards, Kamryn Amann, Lorelai Harrison, Hailey Lewis and senior Isabelle Wong take pictures at a football game for yearbook. PHOTO

BY JUNIOR NESSA LARSON

Junior Danielle House takes pictures with friends at a Christmas photoshoot at The Light Room in downtown Bryan on Nov. 26, 2021. PHOTO PROVIDED BY DANIELLE HOUSE

▲

Larson was hired as a photographer for her cousin’s wedding, and took football photos for the CSHS yearbook this past fall.

With photo shoots at birthday parties, wed“What’s great about being part of photogdings, football games and sports events, photography is that you can go right on the sidelines of raphy is an act of creating, preserving new and old football games, so that’s fun and I really like to memories and finding beauty in the world around capture moments and things that are really beauus. tiful to me and show them to other people.”

Junior Danielle House, who took the commerSophomore Celeste Tomberlin takes a differcial photography class her sophomore year, said ent approach when it comes to photography: inshe had always been interested in photography, stead of using a traditional camera, she uses film, but had never taken a class to learn techniques. a more traditional form.

“I mainly decided to pursue photography be“With film I can just capture the moment, but cause I was introduced to websites and Instagram then I don’t see it for a really long time,” Tomberaccounts of photographers that were beautiful lin said. “So when the developed photos come in and exciting,” House said. “I wanted the mail it’s like a big present and I can look to learn how to create art like that at all of the photos. I usually take them myself, so I joined the class when with my friends when I’m on I saw that it was an option for my trips.” sophomore year.”

Many of these students Junior Ashlyn McCulley, who want to continue photograhas an Instagram page dedicated phy in some form after they to photography, said that she graduate high school. was introduced to the craft “I want to major from movies she watched. in film and media and “I love the behind the hopefully get a job scenes building of sets and in fashion or nature lighting and stunts and photography, or become movie magic that sometimes a director of photography for Art by gets forgotten,” she said. a movie industry,” McCulley said.

Allana Frost McCulley reflects on her passion for While some people want to pursue photography. photography as a career, others forsee it as a cre“I love that photography is creating someative hobby. thing that sets a mood and visually painting a pic“I would love to continue after high school if I ture of anything whether that be graduation, marcan,” House said. “I’ll set up a small website and I riage, fashion, architecture, media, nature and so will always be interested if some friends or clients much more,” she said. “Photography never has a ask for a shoot. I don’t know if it will be a huge limit.” focus of mine career-wise, but I could see it being While McCulley got her inspiration from a great future hobby.” watching movies, junior Nessa Larson and sophoUltimately, these aspiring photographers more Will Gerdes were introduced to photography show that with a drive, a vision and a lens, anyone through the yearbook class. can pave a path to creativity and success in pho“I started wanting to learn how to do photogtography. raphy because since freshman year I really want“I think if you are good at what you do, you ed to be part of the yearbook committee,” Larson don’t need much to capture the perfect [picture],” said. “[From there] I joined the photography class.

House said. “I wish someone would have told me I wanted to do photography because it’s really fun to get crazy. I realized that stretching my limits and I feel like I have grown to be really skilled at beyond the normal photography skills has imit.” proved my pics in so many ways.”•

• • • • • •

Planning for a Picture-Perfect Photoshoot 5D Cannon 105-35mm lens Tripod Extra batteries SD cards Large camera

•

Bag for extra equipment (and snacks) A model to pose for pics

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Etc.

Friday, March 25, 2022

The Catamount

WHEN IN ROME

Modern sporting events maintain excitement of ancient games Dean Crick Staff Reporter

Sports have changed since ancient times, but the basic need for excitement and reputation still remains.

The original Olympics was a religious festival held at the city of Olympia in honor of Zeus that took place over the course of five days, half of which were spent in religious activities, according to “These Were The Greeks” by Andrew George Paul Lang and Hugh Desmond Amos. The games involved the whole of the Greek world, but women were not allowed to participate in or even watch the games.

Sports such as chariot racing often ended with serious injuries or deaths.

Other events such as horse races, javelin throwing and the 200 meter sprint had less of a risk of death.

The official reward for a winning athlete of an event was an olive wreath.

This surprised some foreigners, including a Persian soldier in Xerxes’ army named Tritantaichmes, who according to Herodotus, exclaimed to his commander, “Good grief, Mardonios, what kind of men did you lead us here to fight, who compete not for money but for excellence alone?” “[The cities] could show their prestige and their prowess and their supe-

riority over the others,” sophomore and history student Alan Poprik said. “It showed that they were better than the other states without killing each other.”

The Greeks were succeeded by the Romans, who had their own favorite sports, as described by John Badcock and Graham Tingay in “These Were The Romans.” Ancient Rome’s most famous athletes, the gladiators, were “to be burnt by fire, to be chained, to be beaten, to die by the sword.” A gladiator’s purpose was simply to kill all of the other gladiators.

The more brutal the kill, the more popular the gladiator, and the more likely that he would of survive and win his freedom.

The gladiator fights took place in festivals called munera. A munera was a full day event and began with a procession of the gladiators in the arena and inspection of their weapons, while the rest of the morning was devoted to events involving animals and the afternoon was devoted to the human fights.

Although these fights were to the death, a defeated gladiator could appeal to the munera’s president (usually the emperor) for mercy. The president typically obeyed the crowd, who would usually demand death for a weak fighter and mercy for a brave one.

Most gladiators were minor criminals, prisoners of war, slaves and free

Romans who had no job or money. The winner of the fight won riches and fame. If he could win enough battles, he would be given a wooden sword that symbolized his freedom.

“Many of [the gladiators] didn’t have a choice,” senior and history student Srikrishna Darbha said. “But [for] those that chose, it was a sort of a high risk, high reward p r o f e s sion, plus there’s some glory in winning.”

T h e gladiators were kept in poor conditions.

They were locked up so they would not escape and deprive the crowd of their entertainment, and were beaten if they showed cowardice. These conditions led to the slave rebellion of Sparticus in 71 BC.

“[Gladiator fights] were the only entertainment available in the Roman Empire during that time,” Darbha said. “They do appeal to the sort of violent tendencies we all have inside ourselves.”•

Art by Elisabeth Stewart

How have olympic sports changed Through time?

Pentathlon

Boxing

Javelin Throwing

Equestrian

Then:

Included running (the diaulos and dolichos), jumping and discus throw

Boxers wrapped leather straps around their hands to strengthen their punch

The Greeks competed to the sound of calming flute music

Horse and chariot races took place in the Hippodrome, a wide, flat arena

Now:

Includes fencing, shooting, swimming, riding and running

Boxers wear protective gloves to avoid injuries

Javelins no longer have a leather support strap

Includes dressage, eventing and jumping Source: Olympics.com