The Catamount - May 2022 - Vol. 10 No. 6 by Cougar Media

College Station High School

Vol. 10 No. 6

4002 Victoria Ave. College Station, Texas 77845

Friday, May 13, 2022

PLANTING THE

SEEDS OF CHANGE

the CATAMOUNT

10 Culinary students compete in Taste of Aggieland

13 Track teams win area meet, qualify for region

Environmental clubs celebrate Earth Day, promote energy conservation on campus

Milkshake joints serve up sweet, cool drinks

INDEX

News Opinions Senior Issue People Sports Entertainment Etc.

Calla Duffield and Joi Speck Editor-in-Chief and Staff Reporter

2-4 5-8 Insert 9-10 11-13 14-15 16

Educating the next generation of activists is no small undertaking: across multiple classes and clubs, teachers and students further various interests to connect with the earth. Senior Leah Tolan started the Gardening and Outdoors (GO) Club to spread “appreciation for where we live,” she said. We have taken for granted the “natural beauty that

mother nature gives,” Tolan said. “Nobody really uses the recycling unless it’s [convenient]. We use water like crazy, and waste it like crazy. We should really appreciate where we live.” Senior and Energy and Environment Committee Co-Head Skylar Ford oversees the school’s recycling program run by Student Council. “[The recycling program] has been really effective,” she said. “We get six large bins of paper and ten bags of plastic and aluminum weekly. I do think that the teachers utilize it more than the students though.”

continued on page 2 Photo by Elisabeth Stewart

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@cshscatamountnewspaper

Friday, May 13, 2022 2 News The Catamount Research indicates need to control rising temperatures, protect biodiversity

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The Language of Flowers In the Victorian Era, sending someone flowers was more than a nice gesture, but also a way to communicate messages that could not be spoken aloud. Each type of flower has a different meaning: Black-Eyed Susan

▲Senior Haley Birdwell draws a moth mural on the sidewalk in celebration of Earth Day on Friday, April 22. Birdwell also participates in the Outdoor Gardening Club. PHOTO BY ELISABETH STEWART Biology teacher Vanita Vance said her “family’s been recycling for years.” Her excitement about taking care of the environment comes from the vast amount of Earth’s mysteries that have yet to be cataloged, she said. According to a study by the Public Library of Science’s Biology academic journal, scientists have estimated that 86 percent of all species on land and 91 percent of those in the seas are not yet known to humans. “I was reading an article that said there [are] somewhere between five and 30 million insect species that we haven’t even discovered yet,” environmental systems teacher and GO Club sponsor Garrett Grant said. We may be unable to enjoy new discoveries without paying attention to individual impact and “the road our impact is leading us down,” something that the GO Club seeks to raise awareness of, he said. “There’s a lot of stuff that we do on a daily basis that could be helping the environment or could be harming it,” he said. Things like “throwing away stuff that could’ve been recycled,” and excessively using gasoline are harmful, Vance said. According to the World Resources Institute, we waste 1.3 billion tons of food worldwide each year. This includes 45 trillion gallons of water, only 24 percent

of all water used for agriculture. The dilemma of water waste versus necessary consumption is difficult to solve, especially when “plants and animals are how we’re going to sustain a population that is growing at a rapid rate,” floral and horticulture teacher Jordyn Getz said. But recently, our priorities haven’t exemplified this equality. As one 2019 The Guardian headline claimed, the “rampant deforestation of Amazon” is “driven by global greed for meat.” “There’s only 36 percent of the world’s rainforests left since palm oil farms and ranching started slashing and burning,” Grant said. According to Tolan, the desire for instant gratification plays a large role. “We want things right here, right now,” she said. “[We’re] destroying that forest that could long term help us.” Vance said that plants photosynthesise by consuming carbon dioxide that could otherwise harm the atmosphere. “When you cut down large areas of forest, like say, the Amazon, you’re reducing the number of trees that can sequester a lot of the carbon out of the atmosphere, and so, the more land you clear of trees and natural plant life, the less carbon we’re actually able to take

Symbol of justice

Blue Cornflower

Wealth and good fortune

Zinnia

Thoughts of friends, affection

Poppy

A symbol of consolation

Forget-Me-Not

Calla Lily

Symbol of magnificent beauty

“Don’t forget me”

Purple Hyacinth

Symbol of sorrow

Daisy

Loyalty and “I’ll never tell”

Source: Almanac.com; Graphics inspired by the Dumbarton Oaks Library and Archives Graphics by Elisabeth Stewart out of the atmosphere,” she said. “As we’re adding more, we need to balance it out, and unfortunately the balance going in is much higher than going out.” Climate research indicates that we’ve reached the point of no return for rising temperatures. Returning to equilibrium may take tens of thousands of years, Grant said. “We have a way of life that has been established over a very long period of time, and as we have learned more about these issues, and we have to make all

these changes, people just aren’t willing to do that,” he said. “A lot of it is that these impacts that we talk about you don’t always see in the world around you.” But within classes like floral design, horticulture and environmental systems, and proactive clubs, Grant said that “there is [hope]” to turn the tides of global warming. “I believe in this next generation,” he said. “There are more people with their hearts in the right place.”•

The Catamount

Friday, May 13, 2022

News

Teens of various age groups, diverse beliefs converse about religion Katherine Gulde and Sonya Lin Senior Editor and Staff Reporter Freshmen David Paull and Swarali Akella, sophomore Jumana Alani and junior Maddie Wiederstein come together to discuss religion and religious practices from their respective religions: Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and Chrisitanity.

How do you practice your faith/religion, when, where and how often? Freshman Akella Swarali, Hinduism: I go to the temple for festivals and celebrations to be grateful and to remind myself that there is a world outside of me and to just give thanks. Junior Madison Wiederstein, Christianity: I try to pray all throughout my day, but I do have a set time to read my Bible and pray everyday. I go to church two times a week and have Bible studies. Sophomore Jumana Alani, Islam: I practice my faith like most people do, praying, reading the Quran, participating in Ramadan and other holidays. Freshman David Paull, Judaism: I pray every Saturday and since there aren’t a lot of synagogues here in College Station, we drive down to Houston.

Why is your faith or religion importan?

Paull: It answers the question that people have of why things happen. Science can explain a lot of how or what happens, but when people ask the moral questions of why does this happen, why am I here and what is my purpose, spirituality helps to answer that. Swarali: It gives me a set of values and helps me understand how I’m supposed to navigate different scenarios, what the higher purpose is and what my end goal is. Alani: My faith is important to me because it guides me throughout life. Besides just explaining the question of why we are here, it helps center me. My faith also helps teach me how to be a good person and positively impact others around me. Overall, it gives my life meaning and is a role model for me as a human being.

How have your parents or other family members impacted your faith? Alani: They were the introduction to [Islam]. Without my parents I probably woundn’t have found my way to Islam or have found it as easily. I don’t think that because my parents are Muslim, I’m Muslim. It helps because I sort of got to experience it first hand. Swarali: Whenever I spoke my first words, they were from a holy chant my parents were singing to have good energy around me. [Hinduism] was never imposed upon me, which I feel like was a good thing. My parents have definitely helped me bridge the gap between square one to where I am now by giving me a good guide and

resources. Telling me that I should figure out my own way around [my beliefs] rather than following somebody else’s words because everyone’s spiritual journey is different. Paull: My father’s really influential. Being Jewish at 13, you have a Bar Mitzvah or a Bat Mitzvah depending on your gender. At age seven I was able to do my own prayer alone on the Bima. He was always really strict about teaching us everything. He’s made us study since we were able to speak. All my siblings and I had to go through this long process of learning to do everything for your Torah Portion, which is a lot harder than it sounds. My parents have taught me everything I know about being Jewish. Wiederstein: I actually grew up in an environment where atheism was pushed on me. So I wouldn’t say that my parents had an effect on me being a Christian. There were definitely some interesting conversations that took place when I became a Christian.

How have friends impacted your faith?

Wiederstein: I’d say probably people who have a big influence on my faith are friends from my church and people who’ve been Christians for longer than I have or are older than me. We call that being discipled by people who are more advanced. Getting to talk to them asking questions is really nice and seeing them live out their faith is really helpful and inspiring for me to do the same. Swarali: I’ve been really fortunate to grow up in a really rich community. There’s lots of South Asians in our community. I went to the temple every Sunday for a long time before my dance lessons got moved to Sunday. Going there made me realize that I wasn’t the only one practicing a faith. So whenever friends or acquaintances came up to ask me about my faith, I would be really comfortable answering them. My best friend is a Muslim. Having friends with different faiths helps you understand different perspectives and teaches you how to respect other religions.

Have you ever been treated unfairly because of your religion? Wiederstein: I feel like people have a lot of assumptions about Christians or will make judgments before actually talking or listening to the person, so I would say that I have been treated unfairly, but not in a way that is like really anything bad, just people making judgments about my beliefs before talking to me about it. Alani: I a pretty unique experience. I have been lucky to never really receive any harsh discrimination against my religon or race.

In your opinion what is the most important ritual of your religion? Alani: For us the most valued thing is praying because that is the time that you are talking to God, and it’s just you and him, and the way you get closer to God, so it’s

very highly valued in our faith. Swarali: The main ritual besides praying could be the act of lighting a lamp in the evening. This signifies light taking away darkness. The light symbolizes divine knowledge, which eliminates the dark, ignorance, hypocrisy and foolishness. Another would be the daily study of the Gita, our holy book, which is a simple yet effective rital that we Hindus do.

What is something you don’t agree with in your religion? Paull: Yes, in the Torah if you’re being very orthodox, it says that a man should not lie with another man, and I’m not so sure that I as strictly believe that as they do and especially with more modern movements, I don’t necessarily think that’s wrong. The literal translation is that a man should not lie with a man as he lies with a woman, but at the same time I believe people should have a freedom of expression. Wiederstein: The Bible is important to read in context and interpret it well because it’s easy to interpret it incorrectly. I believe that it is the word of God and it is without error, so I wouldn’t say that there is anything in the Bible that I disagree with. There are certain parts of religion that are not biblical that I would disagree with. I believe that the Bible is perfect and if I don’t like something about it, then I am the one who needs to change, not the Bible.

What do you want people to know about your faith?

Swarali: I had an interesting discovery of what the Caste system really is. You see so many articles about Castebased violence all over the world. Given that religion is a personal thing, and that the Hindus who exploited the system in the first place got their roots from the Gita, it is important to understand that every [person’s] Caste is dependent on the type of work they do and the type of personality they have. Say that you’re an engineer and you have degrees from MIT and Harvard. You’re really smart but you have a really lazy mindset. Given that there are four levels of the Caste system, you can end up being on the lowest part of the totem pole because you have a really bad mindset and you have evil intentions. Your knowledge or your wealth or your social status really has no bearing on where you are, such as individual things. I think this is really important to know because we believe that we are helpless victims of our past actions and we are the architects of our future. We’re able to determine how we end up. Whether you are born in a poor family, an abusive household, or a happy and prosperous family, you eventually decide your own fate.•

News

Friday, May 13, 2022

The Catamount

GSA club provides safe environment for LGBTQ+ students Briceida Bellon Assistant Editor

Over the span of four months into 2022, over 240 anti-LGBTQ+ laws have been filed, with a half of them targeting transgender people, according to CBC news. With Texas House Bill 25 going into effect this year, recent bills have “deeply affected” LGBTQ+ students at school, according to English Teacher and GSA advisor Suzy Richards. However, the Gay-Straight Allaince (GSA) club is making an effort to combat these laws and provide a safe space for the LGBTQ+ population at CSHS. “I think its very important to have a club like GSA because many times gay or trans students feel alienated from their families, and its a way for them to feel more comfortable at school,” GSA president Hannah Haliburtion said. Organized by Haliburton, GSA meetings typically consist of pronoun-conscious introductions and collaborative activities. However, once a year, the GSA club takes a more active role at school by organizing the Day of Silence protest, a 24-hour protest of silence symbolically representing the silencing of LGBTQ+ students and bullying they face. This year’s event occured on April 22. “Day of Silence is simply a way to acknowledge the harmful impacts of bullying against the LGBTQ+ population,” GSA advisor Virginia Babcock said. “For example, the [rate] of suicide in LGBTQ+ youth is very alarming, and [people] should recognize that bullying contributes to these negative feelings that LGBTQ youth have. The purpose of Day of Silence is to bring awareness to this.” Haliburton created a slideshow that was pushed out to faculty days before the protest, with information about Day of Silence and David’s law, a legislature requiring school districts to include cyberbullying in their district bullying policies and notify a child’s parents they are a victim of bullying. During advocate, students were given the opportunity to sign up to participate in Day Of Silence. “I participated in the Day of Silence because I am bisexual and was eager to stand up for my community,” junior and Day of Silence participant Angelina Lopez said. “Although I was enlightened on who was homphobic in my classes, I enjoyed participating because my friends did so I felt like it brought us closer together.” Beyond hateful comments in school, the recent an-

ti-LGBTQ+ laws that have been passed have “definitely been impacting [the LGBTQ+ community],” according to Richards. For example, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an order demanding state welfare officials to launch child abuse investigations against parents of transgender kids who have recieved gender-affirming care. “I’ve heard students talking about [the order] who are grappling with their identity and they are worried about their families being called in to Child Protective services,” Richards said. “I think it’s disgraceful, and I think it’s being done for strictly a political point. The people who are pushing this type of legislation are disregarding the social and mental well being of these students and their families.” Although groups like GSA have made strides to protest these laws, Richards believes more action is “necessary.” “I think [LGBTQ+ acceptance] can be improved by more participation in the club and not viewing it as strictly a club for queer or transgender,” Richards said. “Maybe [students are] not familiar or are friends with anyone who is gay or trangender, so they feel kind of uncomfortable coming to the club, but I think it would help to have more allies in the straight

[These laws are] disgraceful and i think it’s being done for strictly a political point -suzy Richards gsa advisor

▲About 150 Cougars participated in the Day of Silence and wore a variation of the sticker pictured above, with faculty wearing “Vocal Supporter” stickers. PHOTO BY BRICEIDA BELLON

Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills Texas House Bill 25: Requires school athletes to play on sports team corresponding to the sex listed on their birth certificate Gov. Abbott’s Child Abuse Investigations Order: Gov. Abbott’s letter to Texas state health agencies announcing that delivering gender-affirming medical treatments to transgender youths “constitutes child abuse” under state law “Don’t Say Gay”: Florida’s recent bill censoring LGBTQ+ discussion in schools

Ways to Support Joining GSA: GSA (Gay-Straight alliance) is a student-led club aimed to create a safe, welcoming, and accepting school environment for all youth, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Participating Day of Silence: Day of Silence is GLSEN’s annual day of action to spread awareness about the effects of the bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning students Sources: AP news, GLSEN, Mrs. Richards

Friday, May 13, 2022

The Catamount

THE CAT’S EYE VIEW

staff editorial

New grading system should promote challenging courses, exploration When the Counseling Office released the last round of course request “pink sheets” in early April, students rustled through their course options. Some looked for interesting electives, others scanned the pages for “5.0s.” This fall, the CSISD School Board appointed the Academic Achievement and Class Rank Committee to revise the current GPA system to better “[honor] students’ unique interests” and encourage academic exploration. The new CSISD policies, as well as student decisions about their coursework, should take the pressure off a number and return the focus to learning. In the long term, CSISD should shift its grading policies to reward student excellence while relieving student stress. As featured in the New York Times, psychologists who study adolescent resilience believe that the pressure to achieve is “one of the biggest threats to the well-being of today’s teenagers.” For this reason, many students stack their course load with advanced courses to impress future employers or colleges, but create a false sense of the classes they enjoy. A three-tiered grading system would encourage students to take electives based on interests without the fear of sinking their GPAs. In the short term, we can each take control of our own education by balancing challenging courses with enjoyable electives. The Princeton Review reports that the transcript is the most important document in college applications because it indicates that students challenged themselves. However, universities also reward students who show dedication to electives like AVP, yearbook or Career and Technical Education courses. Those courses offer more than just potential 5.0s, but also the chance to develop passions and skills. In the end, our district’s policies and personal goals should align with acquiring skills and interests that will carry us far past our schedule next fall.•

2021-2022 Newspaper Staff

Opinions

Paris trip leaves lasting impressions for staffer During the first week of April, I had the opportunity to take a four-day trip to Paris with my mom and my best friend. This trip was a gift to me and my mom, since I am turning 16 this year, my mom is turning 50. I planned for and then bought all the ‘France-worthy’ outfits so I wouldn’t stick out as an ‘American tourist.’ I googled the history of all the different sights we would see, such as the Catacombs, the Arc de Triomphe and of course the Eiffel Tower. I even bought two berets that would match every one of my outfits. When we finally landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport, it was snowing! As a Texas girl, seeing the snow was equally as exciting as being in Paris, until we drove into the city. The intricate limestone buildings stood out to me right away. The smell of fresh bread from a nearby bakery mixed with the smell of smoke from a French cigarette made the atmosphere feel almost like a movie set.

Sophie Harkins

Each morning, I woke up to the sight of a bowl of fresh berries and a basket of croissants, with the sound of “Our Last Summer” from Mamma Mia playing in the background. These song lyrics helped inspire our plans for the trip, with lyrics such as “walks along the Seine” and “morning croissants.” Walking along the streets was surreal. One street would have a fresh market, with stands of berries, bread and cheese. The next would be total luxury with Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Chanel stores. One street corner in particular had a gelato store, with a harp player down the street. So naturally, we bought chocolate gelato and listened to the most beautiful music. While many people know Paris for the Eiffel Tower, I will remember it for the smell of fresh croissants, the swing dancing competition near the park, the taste of rich chocolate gelato, the painter outside of the Notre-Dame Cathedral and dancing in the lobby of the Le Meurice hotel wearing sweatpants and a Bucees T-shirt, earning the title of “Dancing Queen” from an amused waiter.•

View of the Pride:

Should students’ grades determine success?

YES

“Yes, if [students] grades reflect their learning style.” -Swarali Akella, freshman

“No. Success is not determined by academic status.” -Jenna Matous, sophomore

“Yes, because it reflects your work ethic and how much time and dedication you put into [your] education.” -Quentin Mathieu, junior

“No. I believe determination and resilience are much more effective than grades or intelligence.” -Leah Tolan, 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.

6 Opinions The Catamount Philosophy book pushes staffer to widen reading genres I was at Barnes & Noble for no particular reason when I walked by the philosophy section and recognized one of the books there titled “Meditations”. “Meditations” was written by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius while fighting the “barbarians” who were Dean Crick threatening the empire at the time. He never intended the book to be published, he was just writing it to try to come to terms with life. I knew nothing of this at the time. I had forgotten the author’s name until just then. I did know that I had read a brief passage from it in some other book about ancient Rome. But I bought the book anyway. The “Meditations” is not very ordered in its advice, which is mainly about death. The book is Art by written plainly and much like a guide, and most of it was stuff I already knew, but occasionally there would be some interesting viewpoint or quotable passages: “The best revenge is not to be like your enemy,” or “men are born for the sake of each other, so either teach or tolerate.” The main point I learned, though, was the captivating world of philosophy. It did not take me long to find another philosopher to read, and for Christmas I received “The Last Days Of Socrates,” a series of four dialogues (Euthyphro, Apology, Crito and Phaedo) written by Plato chronicling the execution of his teacher, Socrates. I found this book much more

interesting than the “Meditations.” In “Euthyphro”, Socrates and Euthyphro are waiting outside the court house discussing the nature of what is considered right,. In the “Apology” Socrates defends his position in court. In “Crito” Socrates explains why he should not try to escape. Finally, in “Phaedo” Socrates discusses what happens to the soul after death as he awaits execution and Plato also introduces his idea of the world of forms. Finishing “The Last Days Of Socrates” in turn pushed me find another philosopher to read, and at my dad’s suggestion, I began reading “The Plague” by Albert Camus. “The Plague” elaborates on Camus’s idea of the absurd presented in “The Stranger” (which I have yet to read). The absurd is the idea that the universe has no Rhyan Kalke meaning or moral laws to it. In the book, a plague strikes the town of Oran. The people of the town either ignore the plague, try to fight it, or try to escape the town. Camus thought that the most noble quest in life was to fight against death and suffering, which is represented by the anti-plague people. In Camus’ eyes, doing anything else (such as trying to escape from Oran) would be surrendering to the absurd. There are still many philosophers I have yet to read, and there is still a lot I have to know about philosophy, but reading about philosophy has given me a different world view, which is something that everyone could use.•

? QUESTION

issue

OF THE ?? What are your plans for the summer?

Travel 44.8% Graphics by Rhyan Kalke

work 30.9%

stay home 24.3% 634 people polled

Friday, May 13, 2022

HUMANS of CSHS

jonah speck sophomore

“I was raised in Rockport. I’ve grown up in a family of artists, which has granted me skills in recognizing good design and awareness of my surroundings. I think CSHS provides a lot of opportunities that are harder to find in other schools.” “I’ve never been pushed to learn as much as I have here. My passions include utilizing technology to create new things like programs, 3D models and video games.”

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

COUGAR UNVEILED by Zoe Taylor

Friday, May 13, 2022

The Catamount

Fear of failure encourages indifference to negative emotions When parents or my peers ask me what I want to do with my life, I usually say “I’m not sure” or “I haven’t thought about it.” In reality, I think about it constantly. I think about college, and eventually, what my career will Rylan Dalton be. Some people might think it’s a great thing to know what you want to do, but to me, it’s terrifying. The thought of failure creeps into my mind every day. I see videos of people on the internet who are hoping to go into the theaters I am, and I find myself constantly comparing myself to them and underestimating my talent because I think they are better than me. I then have no chance of pursuing the career I want to pursue, and because I’ve always known what I wanted to do with my life, this makes it even scarier because I can’t see myself doing anything else. I have spent my life having big ambitions for myself and my future. I have big dreams and high expectations for myself to reach the goals I want to reach. The biggest thing holding me back is fear: fear of putting myself out there, fear of rejec-

tion and overall fear of judgment. I constantly have to remind myself that nobody is perfect and there are a million people who want to do the same thing I want to do, and just because they are talented doesn’t mean it lessens my chances of being successful. Without the negatives and the fear of the theatre industry, I always know that I do it because I love it. It’s not about if I get a lead or not; it’s about whether I’m putting 110% of my effort into my craft. It’s about waking up every day, being excited about rehearsal after Art by Rhyan Kalke school and bringing good energy to a show or a preview. The second I start feeling negative and unmotivated about theatre, I will remind myself that negative feelings don’t only affect me; they affect the people around me just as much. Even though thinking about doing this as a career scares me to death, I know that if it is meant to be, it will be, and everything happens for a reason.•

Love for outdoors, plants shows itself through gardening S p r i n g is my favorite time of the year, when every little morsel of life flourishes Katherine Gulde and revives itself in a neon green wonder that captivates an audience incapable of such transformation. As a gardener, I till, weed and care for little beauties such as these and have the super awesome ability to bring home-grown carrots to lunch. Gardening has taught me many things: patience, care, effort and has also inspired in me the possibility of Art pursuing a biology major in college. I embarked on my gardening pilgrimage after lock-down when I was bored. I had always loved the outdoors and the mystery of the wild, so I started my mini garden and planted watermelon and pumpkins. Watermelon takes a long time to grow and needs lots of water and plenty of sunlight, but other than these consistent needs, they are fairly simple to grow and by the fall of 2020, my family and I devoured the yummiest, juiciest and pinkest watermelon in Texas, but I’m not biased. My pumpkins, devastatingly, did not

make it. It’s quite heartbreaking to pull out pumpkin vines that are torn apart and brown from Squash Bugs all alone. I definitely shed a few tears. Regardless, my love for plants and nourishment of life was strong, and I insisted to my dad that I needed to build a proper garden. Tirith and Lorein were built this Fall. Yes, I name my garden beds, and yes those names are from The Lord of The Rings, (if you know, you know.) This fall I planted a much by Rhyan Kalke bigger garden consisting of carrots, broccoli, spinach, lettuce and snapdragons. These plants are the kind that I can harvest more frequently, which was exciting! The plants held up through many freezes, harsh winds, rain and even one tornado watch. I’m proud to say that I harvested many times this spring from that produce, and it was so delicious! Last week I began my 2022 summer garden. I am planting watermelon again, attempting zucchini and squash, as well as the same snapdragon plant, zinnias and strawberries! I am very excited to see how they turn out.

As I mentioned earlier, I absolutely love the outdoors, and often when I’m feeling low I go outside and just sit in my backyard and breathe in the rich, dewy, oak-like comfort that lives by my home near the woods. It reminds me of “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I am “Mistress Mary Quite Contrary,” and the garden is my medicine. I love nature, its remedies and everything to do with plants and their behavior, and the science that goes into these zany creations that God plopped down here with us. Gardening has proved to make people more peaceful and content with their lives. Energizing one’s attention on direct tasks and inner workings of a garden can reduce negative thoughts and make one live in the moment, according to Agrilife at Texas A&M. Also, the frequent sun exposure and exercise of working a garden can lead to physical health benefits, not to mention the organic whole foods that are produced allows for a balanced diet and a feeling of pride! Overall, gardening is good for the soul! A simple hobby has transformed my life into number one, a potential profession, and number two, a more positive and romanticized experience.•

Opinions

Voices What are you looking

What song are you listening to forward on repeattoandafter why?the “‘Horse With No “A Sasquatch Name’ by America costume scareme because to it gets children.” in a relaxed mood.” Sam W, Zhao, Edward freshman

“‘Self Care’ by “A tiger because Mac Miller. It it’s fierce and makes me want to free in the wild. cry while listening It describes who to it because it’s I am.” so good. The beat Meghan Miles, makes me happy.” Avery Psencik, sophomore “An I’ll “‘AllE-boy. Fool’ by wear chains, KANKAN. The rings, a striped singer’s vocal shirt with a longrange is super sleeved black impressive and I shirt underneath.” like the peace of Arden Duffield, the song.” junior Nathaniel Laffin, junior “‘Free Samples’ “The scariest by SABA. The thing can only think albumI not of: a responsible exemplifies what adult.” he went through Bre Wallen, in poverty, but the senior good things that came of it.” Favor Ezeanuna, junior “Tigger, because “I’m listening my group ofby to ‘Dreams’ friends decided Fleetwood Mac I was high-key too because the song energetic.” gives me good Paula Bernal, memories.” junior Gracie Grimes, senior

“I’m listening to ‘Buy Dirt’ by Jordan Davis and Luke Bryan because I like how sweet the message is.” Melissa Cu, Math Teacher

Opinions

Friday, May 13, 2022

The Catamount

Mathematical equations serve as model for staffer’s perseverance I’ve never been a “math person,” but I learned how to admire the sloping curves of a function as it soars across the graph, and to persevere until I find success at the end of every equation. By my middle school’s standards, I was a poor math student. I didn’t know my multiplication tables, and long division made me sob at the kitchen table. If my mom looks closely, she can still see where my frustrated, heavy-handed writing engraved equations into the wood. No matter how many times my math-brained dad explained the lesson to me, I didn’t understand. Unsatisfied with anything less than mastery, I registered for Kumon, a structured program to help K-12 students improve their critical thinking and math skills. Every Monday and Wednesday night, I sat in the silent Kumon classroom with my peers, rubbing eraser marks into pages and pages of math problems. I started at Level A and worked my way through 2,000 pages of math until I reached Level K, when I learned to graph rational functions. Rational functions are defined by a fractional func-

tion with polynomials in the numerator and denominator. Based on the degree of its variables, a rational function can approach a horizontal, vertical or slant asymptote, but will never make contact with the asymptote.

Elisabeth Stewart

Art by Rhyan Kalke When I encountered rational functions again in sophomore year Pre-Calculus, I was a more confident math student, thanks to the hours I spent at Kumon. One late night, I sat with my legs crossed on my bed-

room carpet, telling myself I couldn’t go to sleep until I finished the homework assignment. Maybe it was the dim lighting in my room, the caffeine still rushing through my brain or simply sleepy delirium, but I suddenly felt an intense appreciation for the functions in front of me. How must it feel to labor on to infinity, but never reach the asymptote? During a time in my life when I felt pressured to be perfect and keep working no matter the costs, I saw the rational functions as the perfect mathematical model for my perfectionism. You will never be perfect, so many have told me. That’s true. Nor will the graph ever touch those asymptotes, but still she infinitely reaches towards them, because that is her nature, defined by the very laws of her mathematical existence. By my nature, by the mathematical laws of Elisabeth, I will never be able to stop stretching toward infinity. I wasn’t a “math person,” so I became one, first for the sake of my grades, but later because I enjoyed persevering. There was never another option but to put my heart into everything, to try my absolute best, to draw closer to perfection with each tiny square on the graphing paper. For me, there is no other path except to infinity.•

Constantly obsessing over grades affects students emotional, mental health As the school year nears its end, there’s more pressure than ever for students to perform well on their upcomJoi Speck ing assessments. This phenomenon is 100% normal: students are supposed to try their hardest, display all they’ve learned over the course of the year and prove successful by passing their tests. However, while being committed to one’s studies is a good thing, some inadvertently redefine the meaning of “success’’ to mean earning exclusively top scores in every subject. By living life constantly submerged in the stress of academic perfection, one can miss out on various fun high school experiences and the goofiness of their teen years. From a young age we’re asked what

job we’d like and what mark we’ll make on society in the future. One doesn’t think much of these questions in youth, but upon entering high school they be-

pave our own roads in life. Hence, some students go to extreme lengths–such as neglecting food, sleep, friends and family–in order to claim what our society

All in all, we should enjoy our last few, precious years of childhood while they last come much more real. Unhealthy obsessions with grades often develop in high school since it’s the last few years of our school career before we assume the responsibilities of adulthood. No longer are our sights confined within the safe promise of having to just beat another “new level” of school, but we are faced with the much larger, more intimidating obstacle of having to

deems as “success” (high rank, income, reputation, etc) and make their mark on the world. Thinking ahead isn’t necessarily a bad practice, but trying to craft the perfect future for oneself at the expense of their mental health is. We keep on chasing this ingrained idea of success- making it into the perfect college to get the perfect degrees for

the perfect job that has the perfect income for the perfect retirement. In the end, by the time the status of “total contentment’’ has been reached, one is often too old to do the things they could’ve done in their younger years. While we can always pave the path to our ideal future, we can never retrace our footsteps from the past. All in all, we should enjoy our last few, precious years of childhood while they last. High school is brimming with interesting people, activities and opportunities. Focusing solely on academics for the future can cause one to lose sight of the fun high school has to offer in the present. While maintaining good grades is important, the pursuit of earning them shouldn’t interfere with our mental and emotional health. We shouldn’t sell our souls to academics—we’re worth far more than our report cards.•

Friday, May 13, 2022

The Catamount

People

A Year in Pictures

Yearbook staffers form new friendships, gain creative skills

▲Senior

Shelby Garner positons herself on the sidelines of a pep rally to take pictures for spreads. Garner is a senior team leader on staff. PHOTO PROVIDED BY MADELINE RENARD

Rylan Dalton Staff Reporter Most people see the smiling faces in front of the camera, posing for a yearbook photo or a senior graduation picture, but many don’t see the people behind the camera, working hard to take and edit photos and plan the pages of the yearbook. “Yearbook has become such a fun part of my life. I’ve learned so much and made so many friends from my time in Yearbook and I’m so grateful for that,” senior Kennedy Sharp said. Sharp is the Editor-in-Chief of the Yearbook staff and has been on staff since her sophomore year. “My favorite thing about my position as Editor-in-Chief is getting to supervise such an awesome project. I love how I can really see things go from start to finish. I

love being involved in the whole process of the yearbook,” Sharp said. Senior Paige Pryor, the design editor, was also recommended for yearbook her sophomore year. “Kennedy and I both got a letter at the beginning of sophomore year asking if we were interested in joining the staff,” she said. We did not really know what to expect, so we decided to give it a try!” Sharp and Pryor have been friends throughout high school, and Yearbook gave them brand new friendships, while strengthening their already close bond. “One of my favorite things about Yearbook is the people,” Pryor said. “I have grown so close with each member of the staff. As a staff, we have built a foundational trust and friendship in each other. We spend at least two hours a day together which has allowed us to grow

close as a staff.” Sharp has also had the experience of meeting new people through Yearbook “I’ve gained a lot of amazing friends through Yearbook and also become more comfortable talking to people I don’t know, which will help me make new friends in college,” Sharp said. Sophomore Lorelei Harrison is a new addition to the staff. “I would say my favorite thing about the Yearbook has been the experience it’s provided me with. I get to go to games a lot more than I did last year and being on the field at pep rallies is fun,” she said. “It’s also taught me really valuable skills when it comes to working with others which I have enjoyed learning.” Harrison was also approached by her English teacher to join. “Since I love writing, I saw it as an opportunity to expand on those skills, as well as others,” Harrison said. Yearboo adviser Krystle Lopez started her passion for Yearbook when she was a sophomore in high school. “I joined the yearbook and the following year I became Editor-in-Chief,” Lopez said. “I think [Yearbook] allows you to tell the story of the school. When I joined the yearbook in high school, I had zero school spirit. However, I learned my first year about the yearbook being able to tell real stories and how they affected students.” While Yearbook is fun and full of friendship, it’s also a commitment. “Yearbook is definitely a big time commitment. Because the yearbook is such a lengthy project, we have deadlines throughout the year,” Pryor said. “To get everything done in time for each deadline, we have to work diligently,” Pryor said. Sharp has even more of a time commitment being Editor-in-Chief. “As a staff reporter it was obviously less of a time commitment then now as

Editor-in-Chief. The main time commitment outside of school is going to events to take pictures, which is something I enjoy so it doesn’t feel like a burden at all,” Sharp said. Despite the work and long days, staff members feel the experience is worth it. “Being on the yearbook staff has blessed me in so many ways. I have strengthened existing friendships and made new ones as well,” Pryor said. “The staff is just a close group of friends working together for one common goal: to make a great yearbook for our classmates and our school.”•

yearbook staff positions Yearbook Adviser: oversees students and trains them for their position on yearbook

Editor-in-Chief oversees the whole production process and checks final spreads

Copy Editor checks copy for all of the spreads

Design Editor checks first versions of spreads with pictures and design elements

Team Leaders directs a team of staff reporters and creates spreads

People

Friday, May 13, 2022

The Catamount

Cooking COnnoisseurs

Aspiring chefs develop essential culinary, workplace skills Elisabeth Stewart Managing Editor As steam rose from a pot of mashed potatoes and pork loin sizzled on the griddle, four CSHS culinary students rushed around the kitchen at the Taste of Aggieland competition on Tuesday, April 12. Seniors Haley Birdwell and Kenzie Zunker and juniors Damian Eimann and Gracie Ward saw the competition as an opportunity to showcase their culinary skills to an audience. “My favorite thing is watching them love what they do and knowing that they can be successful and do something that’s beautiful,” culinary instructor Kayla Poe said. CSHS and opponent Bryan High both walked away with $1,000 to fund school kitchen equipment. Poe said that the team spent two weeks practicing and preparing the menu: herb-crusted pork loin, truffle mashed potatoes, arugula salad with a lemon vinaigrette and mushroom cream sauce. “They developed their own menu, and they tested the recipes,” Poe said. “I just coached them on things like plating techniques. As advanced kids, it was their job to do that on their own.” Eimann said that the team spent a few days developing each part of the dish—including two full days testing mashed potatoes and several changes in the sauce’s ingredients. “We tried to figure out the balance of acidity,” he said. “‘What works well with the arugula? What works well with pork?’ We can’t just throw white wine vinegar in there and expect it to work well. We have to think about how a dish works together not just by itself, but as a whole, because you’re eating the dish not in parts, but together.” Each team member had a specific role and “worked in unison” to help each other, Eimann said. “It helped that each of us had a different job to do so that we had somebody working on each thing,” Zunker said. “Whenever somebody would finish and other people weren’t done, they would go help them. I think not being selfish with our time allowed us to work well.” At the event, the students interacted with local business owners, including a chef at Cotton Culinary who specializes in emergency food services to feed victims of natural disasters.

“I had six different restaurant owners and chefs come up to me and say, ‘we’re looking for qualified help,’” Poe said. “They told me, ‘We need everybody from hostesses, waitresses, kitchen help, dishwashers--we need your students. We need students with good work ethic.’” The Culinary Arts program includes Introduction to Culinary Arts, Advanced Culinary Arts, and Practicum in Culinary Arts. Poe focuses on teaching basic culinary skills, before giving students “more of an opportunity for individual expression” as they advance. “It’s a career pathway,” Poe said. “Their purpose is not to create their own menu; their purpose is to learn those basic culinary skills that have been around for many years and are expected of a culinarian.” On a typical day in class, students put on their culinary coats and hats, wash their hands and start the day’s recipe. At the end of class, students clean to prepare for the next section of culinary students. “Everybody has what we call a side job to keep the kitchen clean and organized, so that rotates every week,” Poe said. “It might be floors. It might be sinks. It might be stoves. It might be sanitation. My goal is to establish those procedures early on, so I don’t have to say a whole lot. That’s my goal-to get them self inspired, self-motivated to do what they need to do.” In addition, all culinary students earn national recognition as ServSafe Managers, which “gives them a good advantage in gaining employment and moving up,” Poe said. In January, Poe offered students an opportunity to work as servers at a wedding. “That was a good indication of what the food service or wedding industry is going to be like,” Birdwell said. “We tried to keep a level of professionalism because we were getting paid very nicely.” This spring, culinary students catered prom, made 600 desserts for a CSISD Education Foundation event and planned catered lunches for teachers. “Our goal is to develop good human beings, to develop good workers and to give kids a sense of belonging--a sense that they can have a skill, they can leave high school and get a job and there are people who are wanting them to come work right now,” Poe said.•

▲Junior Damian Eimann stirs a pot of mushroom cream sauce at the Taste of Aggieland competition on Tuesday, April 12. PHOTO BY ELISABETH STEWART

straight out the kitchen Scan the QR code to try culinary’s Taste of Aggieland recipe

Art by Emily Ko

Friday, May 13, 2022

The Catamount

Sports

Senior softball player influences team by setting example Sophie Harkins News Editor The pitcher of the opposing team prepares to pitch once more, with the batter stepping up to the plate. The pitcher prepares to throw, releasing her arm back and throws the ball straight for the batter. Focusing on the ball as it comes nearer, the batter starts to swing her bat towards the ball. It is met with a loud crack, and a soaring ball goes right over the fence. It’s a homerun, putting the Cougars in the lead. This batter is senior Camryn Mata, who has been playing softball since she was five. “[Softball] definitely allows me to learn how to work as a team with multiple people at a time,” Mata said. “Being a student athlete has also taught me how to manage my time and be efficient on and off the field.” Mata plays center field for the Cougars. “Center field is sort of the backbone of the outfield,” Mata said. “In center I have the ability to cover lots of ground while also being able to back up my other outfielders.” She plays with her close friend, senior right fielder Libby Gunter. “Camryn has influenced the team in a positive way

because she always works hard and sets an example for everyone on the team,” Gunter said. Gunter appreciates the effort that Mata puts out on the field during games and practices. “Camryn is always talking and communicating with the other outfielders and encouraging the infielders,” Gunter said. Under the influence of Coach Vinnie Carreon, Mata has improved greatly. “Camryn is the type of player every coach wants on their team. She works hard and is a great teammate,” Carreon said. “This year, Camryn played center field for our team and was an incredible asset to our team. She played errorless in center field this year and made several very athletic plays. At the plate, Cam was a top 4 hitter for us statistically. She hit .333 this year and tied for the team lead with 21 RBI’s.” As a senior, Mata has had a major influence on the team. “Her positive attitude and work ethic are great examples for our team,” Carreon said. “She is always willing to help our less experienced players and has taken a big leadership role with the group. Her ability to come up with a big hit in an important spot has been huge for us.” This year, Mata has appreciated the teamwork that has taken place this season. “My teammates are extremely encouraging and always hold me accountable,” Mata said. “They make every day fun and are always there for me when I need them.” Mata reflects on what she loves about playing softball. “I love getting to compete with my teammates and being able to make lifelong friendships with people,” Mata said. With the year coming to an end, Carreon notices Mata’s improvements this year. “Camryn has improved this year the most on the offensive side of the game,” Carreon said. “She owns her at-bats and is extremely confident with runners in scoring position. That makes my job easy. I always feel good if Cam is up to bat, and we need a run scored.” After 13 years of playing softball, both school and league, Mata reflects on how it has changed her life. “This year especially, my team has shown me what true dedication can accomplish, and that is something I can carry with me for the rest of my life,” she said.

Camryn is the type of player every coach wants on thEir team -vinCent carreon softball COACH

▲Senior Camryn Mata prepares to catch a ball on March 25 against Rudder. Cougars won the game 3-1. PHOTO PROVIDED BY CAMRYN MATA

2022 SOFTBALL STATISTICS #Games

Sage Scarmardo Carli Griffin Kyla Clark Summer Scarmardo Bryce Clendenin Camryn Mata Reese Dalton Isabella DeLeon Kaitlyn Goggin Libby Gunter Mia Ramirez Brenna Pruitt Heaven Serna Kelsey Strohmeyer

26 3 7 26 26 24 25 25 24 10 23 18 16 20

Plate Appearance 90 2 2 90 84 73 80 48 59 14 63 38 48 29

At-Bats 68 2 2 73 68 66 77 41 51 14 59 38 43 23

Avg. .529 .500 .500 .425 .368 .333 .312 .244 .235 .214 .188 .184 .183 .087

•

Sports

Friday, May 13, 2022

The Catamount

Senior baseball player shows leadership through season p

u er

k bla

d bin

Sadie Rigby Staff Reporter This year’s baseball team has gone through its highs and lows, but through it all they stick together in the name of the game. “Play as one,” senior Blake Binderup said. “That’s the baseball team’s motto for this year. Coach Chris Litton had all the seniors get together and decide what’s the one thing we want to ride or die with this year. We decided to play for each other.” Teamwork is evident as all players gather together and practice to hone their skills and techniques almost everyday. Practice has paid off, as Binderup will be playing at Texas A&M next year. He said A&M was the right fit for him and would give him the opportunity to stay close to home. “A&M offered me a scholarship when I was a sophomore,” Binderup said. “I was talking to a few other schools, but I ended up accepting the one from A&M because I wanted to

PHOTO BY SADIE RIGBY

Aidan DeLeon 11 Mikey Elko 27 Kale Jones 8 Rylan Deming 25 Blake Jones 26 Tyler Abdalla 16 Major Coronado 19 Wilson Stapp 4 Kason Cawley 8

At-Bats 10 83 15 68 78 26 28 13 2

come everyday and give it your all -Blake Binderup Senior Similarly, the team has demonstrated the same level of work and dedication and enjoys practicing and the growth that comes from competing. “These guys work extremely hard,” Litton said. “We show up three mornings a week at 6:30 and work out with Coach Brock. So, the level of commitment in this group with this program is second to none in our district and in the state of Texas.” The team’s overall attitude is one of te-

nacity and growth. What makes them successful though is that the young men of the baseball team are determined to keep striving. “We’ve had our ups and downs this year,” Litton said. “And just trying to find who we are as a team helps us to be successful. What I’m seeing now versus earlier in the season is that we’ve embraced our struggles and that there will be failures.” The team works together consistently and with a good attitude in order for their game to thrive. “We have guys that are stepping up and filling roles they were not in. So, the perseverance through the hard times and the struggles has been fun to watch with this group,” Litton said. “The fact that they’re out here still working very hard and not feeling sorry for themselves is going to set the table for us to do really really good this year.” Binderup emphasizes the importance of working consistently to achieve something. “It’s every day,” Binderup said. “On some teams (not ours) you have guys who don’t show up everyday. And if they’re not showing up, then there’s always someone better than them, someone that’s going to work and try and do better. Just try and come everyday and give it your all. In the end, you don’t want to think there was more you could have done. You want to be able to say, ‘I did everything I could.’ Live life with no regrets.”

2022 BASEBALL STATS

batting #Games

be close to my family. I wanted my family to be able to come and watch my games.” Binderup has been working hard as a baseball player since freshman year because he loves the sport and has been playing his whole life. “Binderup leads the team through his work ethic,” Litton said. “He shows up, he smiles, he enjoys the game. He loves the game, his passion breathes into our program.”

Avg. 0.10 0.33 0.20 0.32 0.26 0.23 0.12 0.08 0.00

#Games

Danny Virgl 15 Max Childress 16 Holden Hering 8 Hector Ostiguin 17 Ryland Urbanczyk 27 Cade Corcoran 5 Blake Binderup 27 Dalton Carnes 27

At-Bats 30 44 15 14 70 11 73 84

Avg. 0.13 0.14 0.07 0.00 0.29 0.09 0.43 0.30

•

pitching BattersFaced

#Pitched

Rylan Deming

145

Amar Tsengeg

117

416

Max Childress

310

Holden Hering

108

366

Hector Ostiguin

Ryland Urbanczyk

165

617

Blake Binderup

188

786

170

Luke Steward

Friday, May 13, 2022

The Catamount

Sports

Track athlete sprints through senior year with work ethic, sacrifice Emily Ko Assistant Editor

▲Senior Caden Brown runs on the track during practice on Monday, May 2. Brown advanced onto the Regional Championships with a time of 3:27.02 in the 4x400m relay in the Area meet. PHOTO BY EMILY KO

From what started as only a small interest in middle school, the sport of track has now developed into a passion for senior and varsity track athlete Caden Brown. Brown has been competing in various categories of track and field for six years, and now runs in the 4x4 relay and in the 400 meter sprint for the varsity track team. “Getting up and putting in the work and the hours to accomplish what I want can be hard, but you’ve gotta do what you gotta do to be the best,” Brown said. Though suffering from an injury while playing football in his sophomore year, Brown was able to make a comeback through work ethic, leadership and dedication. He has also shown commitment and effort, while also serving as a role model to his teammates. “[Caden’s] work ethic is always very good. He’s always a hard worker, never backs down, and he’s always on task,” boys head track and field coach Eddie Hancock said. “He shows great grit, and

he’s a very spirited person.” Brown’s hard work and grit also appeals to his teammate senior Munzir Sherif. His qualities of a role model have helped to motivate Sherif to work harder. “Caden is a tough contender to keep up with because of the amount of consistency he puts in when he practices, and because he always gives it his all behind closed doors,” Sherif said. “He motivates me because I treat him as a rival as we continue to grow together.” Apart from work ethic, Brown has also shown leadership to the team. “We just constantly push ourselves more and more, making sure we’re all [doing what we can to improve],” Brown said. Brown’s leadership qualities have also been noticed by Hancock. “During his time here on track, he’s really been the leader of the group,” Hancock said. “He leads by example and always runs his best at practice or at meets.” To Brown’s teammate Sherif, he is also thought highly of not only because of his work ethic and leadership, but also because of his abilities that make him a great leader.

“Caden is special because of his ability to control the environment we’re in and how he makes sure everyone is on task,” Sherif said. “He’s always showing his leadership skills wherever we are.” Along with work ethic and leadership, sacrifice has also been critical in achieveing success to Brown. “As a person and as an athlete, I think I’ve learned a lot about what sacrifice means through my years of playing track,” Brown said. “Someday, you’re going to realize that you might be one and alone, but [you’ll also realize] that it’s a team sport and that you build brotherhood with the people you run with, so in the end, it’s all a part of learning what it means to be a part of something bigger than yourself.” Brown plans on attending Sam Houston University and pursuing a career as a game warden. “It’s been pretty amazing to go on this journey and be a part of this school and Cougar Athletics,” Brown said. “It’s been crazy during these past few years, but I’m looking forward to what’s ahead of me.”•

Senior athlete achieves new heights in triple jumping event Allana Frost Entertainment Editor A track team captain for three years and a school record breaker, senior Claire Spiller has represented the school for not only her events in triple jump, long jump and the 4x4 relay, but the entire track team. She broke the school record last year with a 39 foot triple jump, her most recent meet on April 20 with 37 feet 10 inches triple jump and she is pushing this season to break it once again. But of course Spiller did not begin her career in track with broken records. Her path began at tryouts in eighth grade, when she discovered a love for jumping the limits. “I tried a lot of events just for fun, and I really liked triple jump,” Spiller said. “I was super nervous, but the track team has always been a family to me.” Jumping into a new sport may not have been easy, but Spiller found friends to both celebrate and challenge her. Seasoned long jumper senior Ashonti Idlebird has trained beside Spiller since middle school, and they have been with each other through their highs and lows. “It’s really good to have someone jumping with you for a long time because you know how each other works,” Idlebird said. “We help each other on the way, and even though we’re competing against each other we still have each other’s backs and we’re al-

ways happy for each other whenever we do [well].” Many others on the team look to Spiller for guidance. Sprinter junior Elnita Green has known Spiller since her freshman year, and right from their first meeting the young jumper and captain made an impression on her. “Right off the bat you knew she was a leader,” Green said. “Claire carries herself like [one]. She is the heartbeat of the track team. One day she can be a [captain] of the whole team, and then the next moment she is doing triple jump and long jump by herself and she’s in her zone. She is her own being.” Through the years, as Spiller has progressed both as an athlete and as a person, she has found herself on the track and jumping in the sand. “I feel like I’ve definitely fallen in love with the sport more over the years, and I’m even going to college for track,” Spiller said. “Being in high school and being with the team made me realize that I want to continue the sport.” Spiller said that she just recently committed to jump at Coastal Carolina University. She wishes to go into sports management and be in the sports industry. With all of her devotion to her team and her sports, Spiller is beginning to jump past her past personal records this season and into a successful career in both competing and managing sports after graduation.•

▲Senior Claire Spiller jumps during her track practice on Monday, April 18. PHOTO BY ALLANA FROST

Entertainment

Shake It Up

Friday, May 13, 2022

The Catamount

Cold, flavorful milkshakes chill rising summer temperatures Chill Sonya Lin Staff Reporter

Grub features their Worms and Dirt milkshake, a blend of oreos topped with cookie crumbs and gummies. PHOTO BY ELISABETH STEWART ▲

▲

Chill features their Coffee Toffee Crunch milkshake. This drink is topped with whipped cream, a caramel drizzle and toffee bits. PHOTO BY SONYA LIN

Grub

Sadie Rigby Staff Reporter On a dark and clear Saturday evening, I ventured out to obtain the ambrosia of Grub milkshakes, or what I hoped would be ambrosia, because I’d never actually been to the Grub Burger Bar on University Drive in College Station. I adventured with two other brave souls and we ordered Nutella, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Worms and Dirt milkshakes. I was the one who ordered the Mint Chocolate Chip because that shake and ice cream has always been a lifelong favorite, but I hate to say it, this particular milkshake didn’t live up to it’s potential. Chopped-up Andes are in the shake, like little mints, but because they had been frozen, the chips were bland and an annoyance because I would try to drink the shake but chew or choke on them. I also tried my friend’s shake because I wanted to give my loving audience the best review possible; I am not a mooch. The Worms

April has arrived marking the beginning of a seven-month journey of searing Texas weather. During these months, unless we are sheltered under the protection of air conditioning, we are guaranteed to be drenched in sweat and slowly losing ourselves to the humidity. Of course, everything has its ups and downs. From April to November, the heat makes it the perfect time to enjoy a milkshake. This week I had the chance to go to Chill Milkand Dirt was the best by far because the oreos made a beautiful blend of thick and smooth, crunchy and cold. The gummy worms added a childlike happiness, and I enjoyed playing with them before sending them to their death. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. They were a little slow, but if only to prepare the best possible shake. However, I am confident if you go before 10 p.m. all service will be on-par and they did put different colored straws in each shake, which brought great joy to my friends and me. I paid $5.95 for one milkshake, but may I suggest an order of small fries, because if you dip their delicious fries in with your milkshake, you will have a beautiful combination of sweet and savory flavors. As for the atmosphere I definitely recommend Grub as a great place to go with a group of friends because you can talk and laugh loud, but at the same time, it doesn’t feel like you’re shouting over anybody. Overall, I would rate Grub at a 6.8 out of 10, and highly suggest taking your friends there if you’re looking for somewhere fun to talk and something good to eat.•

shake and Waffle Bar at 1800 Texas Ave S in College Station. I had done some research ahead of time so my expectations were pretty high. It is claimed by USA Today to be the number one milkshake in Texas. Going in, I was greeted by a waitress with a friendly smile. Their menus are hung on the wall for everyone to see. They didn’t have a huge variety of drinks and food to choose from, but I decided to order the Caramel Toffee Crunch. My sister on the other hand ordered the Cookie Monster. I wasn’t too fond of my Caramel Toffee Crunch. I loved my first sip, but af-

Corner of Time Lauren Byerly Staff Reporter

Milkshakes are a wonderful, cold drink for all ages to enjoy. However, finding the perfect one is a difficult task. I went to Corner of Time, an antiques shop in downtown Bryan, that sells a variety of items such as records, books, candles, clothes and other cool trinkets. The building itself was a really chill place. Located on a street corner, hence the name, the store includes a few tables and a bar with stools. Corner of Time has two menus, one for gourmet milkshakes and one for other drinks. The drinks they offered were milkshakes, floats, sodas, sundaes, smoothies, malts or coffee. On the gourmet milkshake menu, no nutritional facts or ingredients were listed. At the milkshake bar, I or-

ter a while I noticed that it was a bit too sweet. On the good side, the drink had a lot of Heath toffee and chocolate mixed in, adding an extra crunch to the drink. My sister’s drink on the other hand tasted amazing. While we consumed our shakes, we played a classic game of Uno. This was my first time trying a milkshake in College Station, and I was not disappointed. Even though I’m not sure if Chill Milkshake lives up to its name as the number one milkshake in Texas, I’ll definitely be back the next time I am craving a milkshake or wanting a place to chill.•

dered a Brownie Cake Shake from the gourmet menu. The gourmet menu included pre-made recipes of drinks, but customers can also make an original milkshake. A gourmet milkshake costs $4.75, which does seem a little pricey, and an original milkshake costs $4.25. Only one size is available and employees took approximately five minutes to prepare my mother’s Snickers Shake. The milkshake itself tasted good, but there wasn’t anything special about it. The brownie wasn’t fully blended and often caught in the thin straw. I had to switch to using a spoon instead. The owner told me that they have been making the milkshakes how they’ve always been made. It was a cool place, and I would love to go again, but maybe just to shop and enjoy a soda.•

Friday, May 13, 2022

Face the the Music Music Face

The Catamount

Entertainment

Musicians find the value of melodies in both performance, life Lauren Byerly Staff Reporter Exposed to music throughout their lives, many CSHS students participate in music-based courses. “My mom is a choir director at the middle school level, and music has always been a part of my life with the things that I do in high school. It just made sense to take as many music classes as possible,” choir student Elliot Lewis said. Lewis participates in varsity band, varsity choir and is a choir aide. However, taking multiple classes is not unusual for students. “Honestly, I’m just really indecisive, and I really liked both,” said Sama Deeb, a senior who is a violinist and trumpet player. “It was really easy in the beginning because it was [either middle or elementary school and] it wasn’t hard to do both.” That being said, music can be time consuming for these students, even though it’s a passion. Drum major and clarinet player senior Skylar Ford said that during marching season, a lot of time is spent rehearsing outside of the school day. Senior drum major and euphonium player Jack Montgomery agrees. “I definitely say that marching season requires a lot of your time because you have rehearsals before school, during school and sometimes after school,” he said. “[Friday evenings] you have a football game every single night. This year, if you didn’t have a football game, you were having a rehearsal because it was a free night.” But all of the time spent learning and rehearsing music has helped students to be more appreciative of music in general. “I think being in band it helps me appreciate music more. I really enjoy listening to classical music and band pieces, but even just listening to my everyday pop music taste, [I can appreciate music more. I just listen to it a little bit differently,” Ford said.

In addition to gaining a deeper appreciation for music, these classes have created a chance for friendships to develop. “Music has introduced to me some of my best friends and some of the best opportunities that I’ve ever had access to, and that’s really shaped the person I’ve become today,” cellist and sophomore Hannah Jeong said. Music also provides different perceptions of what music truly is. “I think music mimics human expression. Music isn’t just instruments; it can be found in our voices. When we give speeches, we don’t want to be monotone, right? We want to be expressive. So, those expressions are part of the principles of music,” pianist and junior Sanni Saari said. Band director Jon Seale said that music based classes can help students learn more than just their instrument. “They hopefully learn that their preparation, commitment and attitude is so vitally important every single day that we get to be together in rehearsals. This class also teaches them how to be accountable to each other, how to encourage each other and how to lead others in our classes,” Seale said. Orchestra director Jason Hooper said music in high school provides improvement for students. “Music, like all of the humanities when taught correctly, provides a platform for introspection. In the early years, students progress and learn how to control the sounds that they make on their instruments, they learn about who they are. As students learn about themselves, many can’t help [but] wonder who they could be. We tend to see this transformation in the high school years, and music students look for and take on every opportunity that they can find to improve themselves, and grow,” Hooper said. The music program at CSHS has tremendously helped in achieving these feats, according to students. “I think people don’t really know how good they have it here with the Fine Arts Program in Texas,” Deeb said. •

Music mimics human expression. [it] Isn’t just instruments; it can be found in our voices.

-Sanni Saari junior

Photo provided by Sama Deeb

Graphic by Allana Frost

Soul Songs

Musicians share music preferences

Sama Deeb

Elliot Lewis

Song: “RUN2U”

Song: “My Ship”

Artist: STAYC

Artist: Johnny Hartman

Skylar Ford

Jack Montgomery

Song: “Peace”

Song: “Coconut Champagne”

Artist Taylor Swift

Artist Silk Sonic

Hannah Jeong

Sanni Saari

Song: “Love”

Song: “West Coast”

Artist: DEAN

Artist: Lana Del Rey

Etc.

Friday, May 13, 2022

The Catamount

PLANNING THE PERFECT

According to Junior Class President and Prom Committee Chair Alayna Wolfe, a “bougie red carpet” will be the icing on the cake in a “classy, white, gold [and] black” colored Met Gala-themed prom. Junior and Prom Committee Member Calista Hernandez said “the theme is not really true to ‘Met Gala’, it’s more about that celebrity [feel].” The elaborately decorated Hildebrand Equine Complex will set the scene for a flashy night out for juniors and seniors and dates on April 30.

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Student organizations collaborate, decorate glamorous prom

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Theater member and junior Jeremy Lerma and junior Calista Hernandez assemble the red carpet. Meant to ressemble the Met Gala’s, the red carpet allows students to walk down the red carpet like celebrities do at the annual Met Gala. “[Setting up prom] was a very fun experience,” Lerma said. “I was there with other volunteers and we helped to set up the red carpet, as well as set up lights throughout the area.” s throughout the area.”

Junior and Student Council member Cedric Gonzalez hangs lights meant to replicate the Met Gala’s flashy vibe. “Alayna Wolf allowed me and Calista to take the reign on prom and come up with the concept and the decor. It was so much fun to see the vision come to life,” Gonzalez said. “I appreciated the trust that Alayna and Mr. Brady [put] in me and my friends to make prom as magical and Met Gala as possible.”

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STUCO

THEATER

CULINARY ▲Sophomore and DASH Committee Head Jadyn Deverna removes chocolate cupcakes from the cooler prepared by the culinary class. The desserts were enjoyed by prom attendeees. “Culinary does all our food. We provide snack foods, and culinary does the cookies and [other] snacks,” Student Council advisor Jonathan Brady said. “We want to use school organizations as much as we can. It’s a win-win for everybody.”

Photos compiled by Calla Duffield