Catamount
the
Vol. 3 No. 1 Friday, Sept. 26, 2014
College Station High School
Senior Jake Georgiades and the Cougars begin district play tonight. See more on page 12. ●
4002 Victoria Ave. College Station, Texas 77845
Process of learning to drive poses challenges, requires responsibility by Brianna Aguilar and Rachel Grant News Editor and Senior Editor Licensed to drive—it’s a term that signifies the start of freedom and the undertaking of responsibility. While reaching this milestone may not be easy, it is a rite of passage essential to entering adulthood. Driver’s Ed allows teens to begin this memorable journey. “This is a course that [begins] a lifetime skill. Compare this to other things you purchase, which don’t last as long and don’t get you to a job, or to college. This is something that is worth the $380,” DPS instructor Romona Cook said.
continued on page 3
Index News
pages 2-4
Opinions
pages 5-7
People
pages 8-11
Sports
pages 12-13
Entertainment
pages 14-16
Junior Rohen Sukkawala poses with a boy from the Dominican Republic that he met during his summer mission trip there. See story on page 8 ●
A bird peeks out through its cage at the New England Wildlife Center, where senior Keaton Schrank had an internship. See story on page 10 ●
2 News ● The Catamount
Friday, Sept. 26, 2014
Cougar News Seniors recognized by National Merit Program for PSAT scores Three seniors, Jiatao Liang, David Rambo and Kelly Zhang, were named semifinalists in the 60th-annual National Merit Scholar Program and are now submitted into a group of approximately 16,000 semifinalists nationwide who are competing for 7,600 National Merit Scholarships that add up to a total of approximately $33 million. About 90 percent of the semifinalists are predicted to be named finalists and of those, about half will win a National Merit Scholarship and obtain the prestigious National Merit Scholar title. Three other students, Jose Emanuel Quiros, Alexander Sanchez, and Samantha Villalobos, were honored by the National Hispanic Program. To be eligible for this recognition, students must have taken the PSAT/NMSQT during their junior year, be of at least one-quarter Hispanic/ Latino descent, attain the minimum PSAT/NMSQT score (181 this year) and achieve a GPA of 3.0 or higher by the end of junior year. ●
Student journalists earn all-state accolades from UIL Senior and newspaper entertainment editor Fiona Cohen and junior and managing editor Lisa Liu have been selected for the UIL All-State Journalism Staff. In order to become a member of this elite group, students must accumulate points over the year based on their achievements at UIL journalism competition and other writing and publication contests, both statewide and nationwide. This is the first time members of The Catamount have qualified for this honor. ●
Video game development team takes prize at national contest
▲Seniors Aidan Parsi and Courtney Sumlin perform a pivotal scene as characters John Proctor and Abigail Williams in the adapted play, The Crucible, on Sept. 4. Next up for theatre is the comedy Noises Off opening in November. Photo by Rachel Grant●
CA Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 8-5 Friday 8-12
Award Winning CSHS Culinary Program Available for catering, private parties, and special events For more information contact Catherine Parsi M. Ed. phone: 979-694-5800 email: cparsi@csisd.org
The SkillsUSA team of senior Samantha Villalobos, sophomores Pablo Villalobos and Kelvin Wang and junior Tyler Johnson won the 2014 National Champion in Interactive Application & Video Game Development at the annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference and Championships in Kansas City this summer. The team’s game “Batventure” tells the story of an albino bat that has been abandoned by its family and must find its way through a cave, jungle and city on its own. The free game can be downloaded from the Google play store. Each team member received more than $11,000 in scholarships, software and prizes. ●
Craig G. Anderson D.D.S. Family & Cosmetic Dentistry 1615 Barak Lane Bryan, Texas 77802 979.846.1813
There’s No Place Like Homecoming Join us for a fun night in the Emerald City! Saturday, October 18, 2014 8 p.m. - midnight @ Archery Room TAMU Rec Center Presale Tickets - $8/individual $15/couple At the door - $10 each
Friday, Sept.. 26, 2014
The Catamount
● News 3
Prospective drivers face difficulties in earning licenses
“We all need to think
job and try to always give our best while of
driving
on this job.”
as a
-Romona Cook, DPS official
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STAYING SAFE:
Keep these stats in mind when you’re on the road.
{
This driving course is taught by certified DPS officials and offers an online learning system, which consists of modules of online driving information and frequent tests. It also provides one-on-one driving time with the DPS teachers around the city. Although the course may be costly, there are many benefits that accompany it. “It was worth it because you got to drive with [someone] who worked in the DPS and could tell you exactly what the people at the DPS look for,” junior Grace Donovan said. “So, I think if you’re looking at it in that perspective, you save money in the long run by paying more money up front.” However, even with all the benefits, there are some complications with the program, such as the simulator. “There was no point to it, I believe,” Donovan said. “It didn’t benefit me at all because there was no sense of movement, and the equipment was outdated and falling apart.” Although the simulator may seem to not benefit the students at the moment, the excercise knowledge for drivers essential for real-time driving. “A lot of people think [the simulator] is supposed to teach them the skill [of driving. I’s not the skill—it’s the knowledge and information that it is presenting [which allows the driver to] take it from there and apply it in the vehicle,” Cook said. Overall, program effectively prepares the future driver for driving test. “It helped that when I went in, I had something [to do] every single day, and it was a routine thing. It’s a great opportunity and definitely worth taking at school,” Donovan said. Beyond the course, other difficulties arise. Senior Jaylen Hinckley faced some at the DPS office—not only missing papers, but the lack of communication on the
DPS staff’s part. “For my permit, we stood in line for an hour and then were informed that we had to come back later and stand in line all over again. There was nothing saying that I needed both parents to prove where I lived, so I had to go back,” Hinckley said. Junior Lauren Steines took the test in Bryan, where she passed on the first try despite experiencing anxiety about it. “It basically ruined my whole birthday,” Steines said. “I was nervous the whole day because I didn’t want to mess up. It was so scary, but then I ended up doing really well on the test and I had nothing to be scared about. Once you start doing it, it’s not scary.” After obtaining a license, students must then pay attention to safety issues, especially pertaining to driving on campus. Principal Mike Martindale emphasizes the importance of driving safely. “Slow down. That’s the biggest [issue],” Martindale said. “I think everyone is doing a wonderful job. Everyone just needs to slow down a little bit because there are so many more cars. In addition to that, there’s a lot of foot traffic [from students] trying to get to their cars or walking home.” Parking lot attendant Brad Rogers thinks that the best way to handle driving in the parking lot is to be aware and drive slow. “Some students don’t understand that this parking lot is full of kids, and if they’re going too fast, they could hit them very easily,” Rogers said. Cook’s beliefs in regard to driving safely are of the same nature. “My advice is to stay alert to all that is happening in our driving environment,” Cook said. “We all need to think of driving as a job and try to always give our best while on it.” ●
If you’re driving at 55 mph and take your eyes off the road for 5 seconds to text, you travel the length of a football field in that time.
Teens who text while driving spend approximately 10% of their driving time outside of their lane.
{
continued from page 1
77% of young adults are very or somewhat
confident
that they can text safely while driving.
Source: textinganddrivingsafely.com
Friday, Sept. 26, 2014
4 News ● The Catamount
First graduating class creates new traditions
520 University Drive East College Station
traditions bring unity to the seniors and bring us all closer together.” Jj Handy, senior hear and make sure they line up with regulation.” The first schoolwide event will be Senior Day on Oct. 15. During PSAT testing, seniors will travel to Huntsville to spend
Supports the
Cougars
Cougar PrideYearbook
It’s easy to spot a Harley’s man
“I hope our
the day together at Carolina Creek Camp. The experience will include ropes courses and a dodgeball tournament. As the year progresses and more ideas begin to surface, seniors can and will vote on issues. “Some thing’s we’ll do a senior wide vote for, such as the cap and gown style,” assistant principal Tiffany Parkerson said. Beyond traditions and celebrations, as the very first senior class of College Station High School, it is up to the seniors to establish a long lasting legacy to be remembered by future generations. Even more than that, their status as the first graduating class is a rare honor, a chance given only to few seniors in special circumstances like ours. “I’m extremely blessed,” Morris said. “It’s an opportunity like no other; it’s something almost unheard of.” As a senior class they are truly lucky to share this with each other, to experience the story of our first senior class as its being written every day. So, as the sun sets on this very important new year, it heralds a new chapter in the school’s history, a hidden path, ready to be explored by the first graduating class.●
On sale now!
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for the year’s lowest prices
Senior Ads deadline Oct. 15
»» you need to know
What
Reed Arena on the campus of Texas A&M University
where
4:00 p,m. Friday, May 29, 2015
when
»»
The Cougar Class of 2015
»»
As the sun rises on the first senior class, and they return for the last time, they give way to an undiscovered path, one filled with friendships, hard work, excellence and a united class. As sophomores they opened College Station High School in August 2012, they walked these halls together, and now they prepare for their last year here. “I hope our traditions bring unity to the seniors and bring us all closer together,” senior class president JJ Handy said. Although the year has only just begun, the class has already prepared projects, fundraisers and traditions to be introduced. Though some traditions have already come to pass, like the Senior Sunrise breakfast, many more are on the way. For the Senior Supper, the Traditions Council and Student Council are currently discussing a plan for the event, Student Council advisor, Caleb Phillips said. The members of student council have used their roles not only to accommodate rules and procedures, but to listen to se-
nior class input to shape the traditions. t “My role is the medium, kind of a middle man,” said Sam Morris, Student body President, “to take the opinions I
»»
by Derek Witzenman Staff Reporter
what
Friday, Sept. 26, 2014
The Catamount
THE CAT’S EYE VIEW
Senior year brings realization of independence
staff editorial Lack of cafeteria hygiene prompts mistreatment of administration While students are enjoying their lunches in the cafeteria, it is difficult to ignore the principals pushing trash cans from table to table. “Why do they do this?” one might wonder. The answer: because students cannot get up and throw their trash away. School staff should not have to push trash cans around to each individual cluster of people in order for students to throw away their trash. Prior to this new system, trash was left scattered throughout the cafeteria at the end of lunches. Plastic bags and Styrofoam trays lay dispersed amongst the tables. The cafeteria and custodial staff was unnecessarily forced to pick up litter from each table. Not only is it sad that students cannot get up and throw their own trash away, but also that the ones who humble themselves to collect students’ trash for them are the school’s very own principals. Lazy cafeteria practices by the students spark curiosity regarding the treatment of our custodial staff. Are students respecting their school and the people who work tirelessly to keep it clean and functioning? Students must be considerate and make sure not to litter or vandalize the school in any way. Keeping the campus clean is not only beneficial for the custodians, teaching and administration staff, but it also teaches kids how to be good citizens by taking responsibility for their actions. Highschool students should be expected to throw their own trash away after lunch. It is not the job of teachers and principals to roll trash cans to students. The custodians also deserve to be respected by kids cleaning up after themselves. ● 2014-2015 Newspaper Staff Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Executive Editor Senior Editor Opinions Editor Entertainment Editor Features Editor News Editor Staff Reporters Graphic Artist Cartoonist Faculty Adviser Assistant Adviser
Megan Paradowski Lisa Liu Julie Potrykus Rachel Grant Kayla Kurmaskie Fiona Cohen Lily Parsi Brianna Aguilar AJ Jones, Amelia Kurk, Clarissa Parulian, Courtney Sumlin and Derek Witzenman Becky Nam David Rambo Courtney Wellmann Teresa Laffin
● Opinions 5
Brianna Aguilar “You’re going to have to make your own choices, buy your own things, and be independent.” Independent. Independent. Independent. This is what goes through my head and is repeated in my classes, at my house, from my teachers, and most of all from my parents, ever more increasingly as I enter my senior year. I need to learn how to cook, clean, budget, get a job that will help with the educational finance burden and amidst the decisions that will guide my career path in years to come, find out who I am in this world of 7 billion people. 10 months until college. 10 months until I’m on my own. Basically, 10 months to figure out my life for the next 4 years. Last year, like any other junior all I could think about was leaving for college, where freedom is finally grasped. A place where I can choose whether to eat Chick-
Fil-A every day, where I don’t have to do the dishes every night, or be told what to do. But as the harsh reality of the real world began to set in, college didn’t seem as dreamlike. I realized I won’t be able to ask my parents for extra money when I need it, ask my dad to look over my paper or just have them there for some guidance and advice. I’ll be all on my own and making my own decisions each day, states away from home. Yet as I started to fear the idea of college, I realized just how prepared I am, no matter how menacing college life and the real world may be. These past couple weeks I recognized the constant guiding hands of my parents, teachers, church leaders and all the important people in my life who have shaped me to be able to do all the things I’m scared of when college comes and I am gracious for their example and sacrifice. Although I am going to miss taking my brother to church every morning, having an after-school snack at Chick-Fil-A with my sisiter, eating my mom’s delicious home cooked meals, my teacher’s patience with me after a relentless amount of questions about a subject, and a supportive school, I can say that although I am not fully prepared for the change, I am starting to see I have been prepared for college and being an adult long before I realized. ● Art by Becky Nam
View of the Pride: Should trash cans be brought to the students during lunch?
YES
“It means I don’t have to get up and walk to one. It’s laziness to the extreme.” - Kaitlyn Terzian, 12 “It allows the principals to talk to the students and form bonds with them.” - Mitchell Bradford, 11
“I think we should get up and throw away our own trash. We should be expected to take care of ourselves.” -Ariel Palmisano, 12 “Principals are here to help us, not be our slaves.” -Matthew Ramirez, 11
NO
The newspaper is produced by the Advanced Journalism: Newspaper Production class at College Station High School, 4002 Victoria Ave., College Station, Texas, 77845. The opinions expressed are those of the writers and are not reflective of the administrators, faculty or staff of the College Station Independent School District. 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), the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA). College Station ISD does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex or handicap in providing education services. Glynn Walker, 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. Catherine George, Director of Special Services, 1812 Welsh, Suite 120, College Station, Texas 77840 (979-764-5433) has been designated to coordinate compliance with the nondiscrimination. requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
6 Opinions ● The Catamount
Friday, Sept. 26, 2014
Summer brings personal change for shy staffer
Fiona Cohen As much as I changed throughout the scholastic year, the majority of my growth and maturation from junior year occurred during a span of less than three weeks over the summer. Ten of these days were spent at design camp in California. Three were spent in Austin at Texas 4-H Congress. One week was spent in Seguin at Texas Bluebonnet Girls State. For these 20 unforgettable days, I was surrounded entirely by strangers. I was received by these new people with open arms, a blank slate of a personality that they helped me to illustrate. It’s strange to think that I was most myself around people I had never met, that I was more comfortable in a foreign environment than around people I was close to. My fellow campers at each of these locations had no expectations of who I was supposed to be, and this in itself was shockingly liberating. There’s this cliché image of people coming back from summer vacations transformed. It’s in the way a girl walks. The way she parts her hair a little differently or points her chin up a bit more or looks people in the face without any intention of looking away. It’s one of the more beautiful parts of growing up, having these alterations recognized by the peers who thought they knew that girl from last year.
When I arrived at school for orientation I wanted so desperately for others to see me the way that my friends from IDEO and Girls State and 4-H Congress had seen me. And when instead I was perceived as the same timid and awkward person I had been since middle school, a shadow I have never quite shaken, I was devastated. I was confronted with the harsh reality that my existence in College Station High School would be forever marked by the person I used to be, the person I was striving every day to leave behind. It’s these seemingly insignificant actions that can degrade a person’s newfound confidence. It’s being interrupted mid-sentence; being the person your friends still forget to invite; being the person that isn’t someone else’s first pick. We demoralize one another into feeling like the younger versions of ourselves we have long since outgrown through these often unintentional blows. It’s like having your feelings stepped on by a giant in steel-toed boots. It’s like being thirteen all over again. It’s a strange thing, this phenomenon of degradation, because we teenagers collectively deny one another the healthy, fulfilling process of adaptation. We are intended to change, now especially. Growth is natural. And yet we as high school students expect static behavior from one another. I have a daily practice of checking my mirror to ensure that the person looking back at me is not the same one that was there the day before. After this summer, I try to be this mirror of change for the people around me, try not to assume quite as much, try to be more forgiving and more expectant of the growth around me. While this may not be a reciprocated process, it is the way I would hope others would help me to see myself.●
QUESTION of the ISSUE: How many times did you take the driving test?
FINISH
67%
OVERHEARD What are you most looking forward to in your senior year?
“I’m looking forward to having that diploma in my hand.” Selvadina Cajic, senior
“Establishing a legacy as the first graduating class that entails success in every aspect of our day-to-day lives.” Sam Morris, senior
“To perform with the Strutters for the last time.” Abby Hagen, senior
“I’m looking forward to finals week because we don’t have to come.” Mason Kaase, senior
DAILY GRIND
1 time 2 times
26% 3 times
6% 4 or more
1%
495 students surveyed
“A Yearly Epidemic”
By: David Rambo
The Catamount
Friday, Sept. 26, 2014
Following older sister restricts independence
Lisa Liu Ten inches. That’s how much hair I cut off the weekend before this school year started. For someone who’s kept her hair long since sixth grade, a difference of eleven inches is astronomical. Keeping my hair long let me hide behind it, and I only trimmed it at the end of every summer when being labeled That Girl with the Really Long Hair seemed imminent. In finally cutting it, I found freedom. But—this is not an editorial about freedom, or even haircuts at all. You’ve probably guessed this already. Clue number one: the headline. Clue number two: I flat-out stated that I “found freedom,” which is a boring statement that would obviously never make it into an actual editorial about freedom. As if. So anyway, why isn’t this editorial
about my life-changing haircut, despite it favors, hate asking for rides. And when all being prime editorial material? I’ll tell you evidence suggests that my high school cawhy. It’s because my older sister Michelle reer has depended on my sister’s choices, I beat me to the punch two years ago. hate that too. Even joining newspaper was She, too, used to flirt with earning the a choice that I learned about through her. title of That Girl with the Really Long Hair, How would I have fared without someone up until her junior year when she chopped testing the waters, giving me advice while I it off for a chin-grazing bob (I wasn’t brave followed from a safe distance behind? enough for anything that risky), donated it Well, I don’t know, and I never will. (I didn’t, because I forgot to tell my But high school’s halfway over, and I’d hairdresser I wanted to), and rather not waste any more time imitating then wrote an editorial for someone else and feeling guilty about it. her school newspaper about All I can do now is work on making it (one that moved her some of my own choices, indepennewspaper adviser dent of the preapproved list of to tears). Things Michelle’s Done. This definiteI’ve never really trusted my ly isn’t an isolated judgment enough to decide what to incident. I’ve aldo on my own, and the few extracurart ways followed in my riculars that I’ve undertaken outside by Becky Nam sister’s footsteps, involving myof the list, I’ve consulted with my self with many of the same extracurriculars sister about. But she’s at her college now, and classes. But, something’s bothered me which Google Maps tells me is some 1,700 for a while; namely, it’s the suspicion that miles away, and I think it’s time to both start I’ve been making choices solely because taking my own risks and forgive myself for she once did. not doing so earlier. I don’t like being too dependent on Looks like I lied earlier. This was totalpeople—I hate group projects, hate owing ly an editorial about freedom.●
● Opinions 7
Voices What is the worst haircut or style you’ve ever had? “I had a mohawk that was cut off centered.” Chance Augsburgel, sophomore
“This is the only haircut I’ve had, so it’s probably the worst.”
Jiatao Liang, senior
“I had a Dora the Explorer haircut.” C’ara Ostiguin, freshman
Historical legacy occurs in social recognition
Julie Potrykus Sometimes I wonder what life would be like in a different decade. At times I were I was alive during the 20s- but then I remember the patriarchial struggles for women’s rights. Other times I wish I was alive during the 40s and 50s- but the 40s weren’t the best time for Japanese Americans like myself. Sometimes I wish I were alive during the 70s- though free love wasn’t accepted for everyone. History is tattered with stories of the oppressed, but society has made strides to rectify those errors. Women can vote, public faculties are no longer racially segregated, and civil union is legalized in 19 states. Society has evolved so much to accept these changes, yet society can do so much more to fix its problems. It is a problem that most cosmetic companies only sell limited shades of foundation for dark-skinned consumers despite multiple advertisements to find the perfect shade for everyone. Of those limited shades, most aren’t darker than a caramel or an espresso. The lack variety for darker skinned consumers demonstrates the white-
washing of beauty standards. It is a problem that my family’s friends would always compliment how I looked or dressed when I saw them. My ability to wear liquid eyeliner overshadows my school awards or any of my other talent sets. It is a problem when we categorize LGBT relationships as “gay couples” instead of two people in a relationship. You know that gay couple on Modern Family or Glee whose only distinguishing characteristic is their sexual orientation. It is a problem that I spent years apologizing after I said something because I thought my opinions were unimportant. I couldn’t post a Facebook status over 100 characters in middle school without ending it with “sorry for the rant.” It is a problem that these are everyday struggles that get overlooked. The first step to improvement is to recognize the problem. Someone realized that it wasn’t right to have racially segregated bathrooms and worked to fix it. Looking back that seems like such an obvious inequality, but when was the last time you realized that public bathrooms are gender segregated? We as a society have become so accustomed to certain facts that we overlook the big issues behind those facts. The only way we as a society can make a difference is to recognize there is a problem. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like to make an influence on the pivotal movements of history, but we are still making history. This is the legacy we will leave. ●
“A mullet; curls in the back, business everywhere else.” Jonathan Brady, English teacher
“I had hair up to my ears and straight across bangs.”
Elizabeth Kellstedt, freshman
“A slicked back Draco Malfoy look.”
Ryan Welch, junior
8
Student Life
The Catamount
On a Mission
Friday, Sept. 26, 2014
The Catamount
Missionary becomes dental, medical assistant This past summer, junior Rohen Sukkawala went to the Dominican Republic for one week with the Hispaniola Medical Charity. Both Sukkawala’s parents and his 12-year-old brother have been on the mission before, but it was Sukkawala’s first time to go. “They usually have it in November when I can’t miss school,” he said, “but this time it was in the summer.” The organization is run by Bert Hart. Sukkawala’s mom works with Hart at the local hospitals as an anesthesiologist. Sukkawala’s dad, Dr. Ketan Arun Sukkawala, is a dentist. The mission group consisted of two ear, nose and throat surgeons, two anesthesiologists, two nurses, one dentist and four kids. They departed on a plane that flew first to Miami and then to Puerto Plata, which is one of the eight provinces of the Dominican Republic. Hart’s aunt is the current governor of Puerto Plata. “If you go to a hospital here, there are all these regulations,” Sukkawala said, “but there the surgeons
are wearing flip flops.” In four days, the surgeons removed 50 kids’ tonsils and performed three sinusitis surgeries. Sukkawala went with his father to the schools of the local villages. “The schools were like a little jail cell,” he said. “They were just concrete things with bars in the front.” When the kids came into the school, Sukkawala and his father would write down their name and age. They would then give them a toothbrush and put some fluoride on their teeth. Dr. Sukkawala would check them, and if they needed a tooth taken out, he would take them into a corner and remove it. “They’ve never seen the dentist, and they don’t know what a toothbrush is,” Sukkawala said of the kids there. “We saw about 250 of them.” For two days Sukkawala worked at the local hospital with the surgeons, where he stayed in the operating room all day. “I got to scrub in a few times and suture up wounds,” he said.
He also started IV’s and intubated patients. “Everything here is completely different than what we had there,” Sukkawala said, referring to the quality of life in the Dominican Republic. In the Puerto Plata there is no running water. The mission group stayed in a hotel, but they were only there for a short time at night. They left the hotel at six or seven in the morning and returned at seven or eight at night. The Dominican people speak Spanish, and Sukkawala used the Spanish he learned at school to communicate. “My favorite part of the trip was going to the villages and talking to the kids,” Sukkawala said. Sukkawala plans on pursuing a medical or dental career in the future, and he hopes to return to the Dominican Republic with Hispaniola Medical Charity in June, he said. Story by Megan Paradowski Editor-in-Chief Photos provided by Rohen Sukkawala
9
Volunteer educates Ugandan villagers
Senior spreads gospel, grows in faith “That was just where I happened to find my calling,” senior Kelsey Wentling said, “in the Dominican Republic.” In the summer of 2013, Wentling visited the Dominican Republic for the first time on a youth ministry trip. This summer she returned with Grace Bible Church again for a completely new experience. Wentling spent ten days in June at a camp location near Jarabacoa, serving as a counselor among other members of her youth group. “I wasn’t sure I wanted to go on the trip,” Wentling said, “especially this year. I thought going back would be hard because I knew it would be different.” Having already once had an unforgettable time at the camp, she feared that coming back with expectations would influence her upcoming experience. “I went [the first time] not really sure what to expect and ended up seeing God move powerfully in people, and I’d never
Student Life
experienced that before. It just sort of blew my mind, seeing these kids either coming to Christ the first time or just rededicating their lives to Him. And it was sort of a camp high,” Wentling said. She described her first trip as “life-changing.” To return, she confessed, was daunting but equally fulfilling. “I just felt a real peace about it. I knew I was supposed to be there, even though I wasn’t sure why I was supposed to go again,” she explained. At the camp, Wentling spent extended amounts of time with local children, all of whom spoke Spanish fluently (a language Wentling herself is unfamiliar with). Through translators, she spent evenings and “small talk times” talking to a cabin full of campers and sharing the
Gospel with them. These discussions and large-scale game activities allowed Wentling and other members of her youth group to bond with the campers they had the opportunity to work with. “It was more just getting to know the kids and love on the kids this year, not as much as a role model but more as a friend,” Wentling said. Not only did Wentling help the children she was working with to learn about God, but she also grew in her own faith. “The biggest thing for me this year was learning that my God in College Station is the same in the DR,” Wentling said. “It was just really eye-opening to me to realize that even though it’s a third world country, and they don’t have as many things as we do, and they live life very differently than we do, we are so much the same in that they still have the same loving God and His grace is just as sufficient for them as it is for us.” Two years later, Wentling has experienced enormous change in herself in the Dominican Republic and formed substantial spiritual ties to the site of her mission trips. The impact of these combined 20 days has been strong enough to help guide Wentling’s choices as college approaches and she begins making major life decisions. “On the plane over, I was just thinking about what I want to do with my life and that’s when it became clear to me that it wasn’t my life to do something with. It was the life that God gave me,” Wentling said. “That’s something that He’s been teaching me since I went to the DR.” Story by Fiona Cohen Entertainment Editor Photos provided by Kelsey Wentling
Over the summer, most students are relaxing and refreshing after a school year filled with hard work. Senior Tessa Johnson, however, headed to Africa to help others. “I wanted to go and do something productive instead of lying around at home,” Johnson said. Johnson traveled to Uganda with Healing Faith, a program she heard about at her church. She stayed in a small house near a village in Jinja, Uganda. Throughout the weeks that Johnson was in Jinja, the missionaries had work days when they would educate the villagers about malaria, a parasitic disease that involves high fevers, shaking chills, flu like
symptoms and anemia. Johnson and the group would walk around the village showing the villagers ways to prevent Malaria. In addition to this education, they had play days in which the missionaries could go into the village and talk to the villagers or play with the children. “I wish I would have talked to the villagers more. I was being shy,” Johnson said. The missionaries also got to see tourist attractions in Uganda and truly experience all that the country had to offer. While Johnson was in Uganda, she experienced a lot of cultural shock. “We take things for granted here,” she said. People in Uganda do not have simple amenities such as good clothing and plumbing. “Something that really got to me was that they were just still happy and so content,” she explained. Johnson spent her summer helping others and gaining knowledge about the foreign culture. “It’s one of those things where I’m glad I experienced it,” she said. Story by AJ Jones Staff Reporter Photos provided by Tessa Johnson
10 People ● The Catamount
Friday, Sept. 26, 2014
Future zoologist interns with New England Wildlife Center by Courtney Sumlin Staff Reporter For senior Keaton Schrank, this kind of experience was far from out of the ordinary this summer. While most people in her class were tanning by the pool or gobbling down Pizookies, Shrank was quickly becoming a vital asset at the New England Wild Life Center where she interned. For six weeks, she participated in doing everything from fixing the wire in coyote cages to splinting exotic baby birds legs. Schrank learned all the tricks of this eccentric trade. The knowledge she procured during this internship will become a necessary component for her. “This is the direction I want to take my life, the wildlife side of it,” Schrank said. Schrank hopes to one day be involved full time in a center like New Englands, or maybe start her own.
But how did she come to be so passionate about these unique organizations? “When I was in 7th grade we went to Alaska during the spring and visited a wildlife refuge, and that’s when I decided this, saving endangered animals, is what I want to do with my life,” Schrank said. That trip, especially the whales, remarked a reminiscent Schrank, gave her a new found passion and thirst for understanding of the plight of wildlife. She channeled this drive into researching ways to get involved through the internet and was happily surprised to find more than a few that she was interested in. “I applied to seven internships at different centers and ended up getting this one,” Schrank said. “This one” was the opportunity to work at The New England Wild Life center, located in Boston, Massachusetts. Schrank lived with a host family she had never met, in a city she had never even visited.
Although her mother wasn’t thrilled with the idea, Schrank’s responsibility and passion for this special opportunity made it near to impossible for her to deny it from her. While this thrust into unknown territory would be daunting for most, Schrank had always loved the northeast, and considers herself a yankee at heart. “Boston grew to be by far my favorite U.S city,” Schrank said. The friendly, multicultural, liberal people of Boston taught her much more than animal care. “They taught me so much about everything from Colombian culture to speaking Italian to how to go about tube-feeding an angry raccoon,” Schrank said. Schrank described the time she spent there as memories that will last her a lifetime and the people as catalysts to her growth in not only wildlife preservation, but as a human being. ●
Keaton Schrank interactes with animals by feeding them with a siringe and prepping them for exams. Photos provided by Schrank.
Friday, Sept. 26, 2014
Cus t odia ns o n Fi l e : School employees describe working for school Photos and story by Lily Parsi and Amelia Kurk Features Editor and Staff Reporter
LILLIA PORTILLO
Lilia Portilla is new to the school, but she is meeting people all the time and spreading her kindness as she goes. “I’m just now getting to know people,” she said. “I tell them my name and that if they need anything, I’m here.” Like many other custodians, Portillo’s favorite part is being around the students all day, she said. “I think I enjoy being around the kids the most and seeing their smiles,” Portillo said. Also agreeing with other custodians, Portillo explains the hardest part of her job as a custodian is when kids do not help out as much as they can. “Pick up after yourselves,” she said. “Try not put your gum under your desk. We clean that yearly. We take all the gum from under the desks, and at
the end of the year, it’s very hard to clean.” Portillo knows everyone will not help, but she appreciates the ones h do—the ones who make her job all the more enjoyable and pleasant. “I see a lot of kids picking up their chairs or their stools and putting them on top of the tables. Things like that are what make our job easier,”she said.●
MARICELA VARGAS derstaffed, and the responsibilities each custodian must possess. “Sometimes we don’t have enough people to clean the whole building,” she said. “For example, we only have 10 people on staff. Two work in the morning and eight in the afternoon, and one of those eight people work in the field house. That leaves two to three custodians assigned to clean every room.” Overall, Vargas is happy to be here and to help students in any way she can.●
MAE CRAIN
ORMAEZELL TAYLOR Ormaezell Taylor has been a proud member of the custodial staff since July of 2013. Taylor is impressed by how responsible the students are and how careful they are with the building. “They’re not the messy type since they’re older,” she said. “It’s not hard to clean up after them. We just have to pick up small stuff.” Taylor is not only happy with the students, but the teachers, as well. “I know all the teachers by name in the hallways that I clean,” she said. “I enjoy coming to work every day to see those friendly faces.” Although Taylor sees pleasant and familiar faces every day, she also notices things that students could do better. “What they could do is pick up their
With a warm smile and larger-thanlife personality, Maricela Vargas has been a custodian for around 30 years, and she now holds the position as head custodian. This job consists of not only keeping the school clean, but also recording all the resources the school uses, such as toilet paper and paper towels, so the administration knows where all the items are going. While head custodian entails a lot of tedious work, Vargas enjoys working for this school, she said. “[This school] is very large but easy to keep clean,” she said. Vargas mentioned what students could do to make her job easier. “Don’t throw papers on the floor,” she said. “Sometimes we don’t have enough people to clean up all of the little pieces of paper off the ground.” With the growing population of students every year, Vargas says the biggest problem she faces is being un-
The Catamount ● People 11
own water bottles, pencils, erasers and glue sticks,” she said. “If we find things that students dropped on the floor, we just have to throw them away.” For the most part, though, Taylor takes pleasure in the environment at CSHS. “I love this high school,” she said. “This school is peaceful.” ●
Meet Mae Crain. You’ve probably noticed her in the cafeteria—she’s the one with the big smile. What she loves the most about her job at CSHS is interacting with the students. “I’m a people person,” she said. “I live off smiles and love and laughs. That makes my day.” Crain appreciates all the ways students help out and make her job easier, but she also realizes that not everyone is as willing to help as others. “The hardest part is probably when students don’t respect what they have here, because this is such a lovely, wonderful, beautiful school,” she said. In her shift from 11:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., she’s seen it all. And she’s earned the right to make a few pointers on how students can change their perspectives. “Be a little more responsible and
think first. Think, when I get up from this table, someone is going to have to sit back down here, so why not pick up my crumbs?” she said. Overall, Crain thoroughly enjoys her job. “I can see those faces and they are always smiling, they are always polite, they are always mannerly, and they are always respectful. And that’s a lovely thing to know that people respect you,”she said. ●
12 Sports
The Catamount
Friday, Sept. 26, 2014
Tackling uncharted territory
Football team takes on new challenge against district opponents compiled by Alex Miller, sports editor
College Station Cougars
Record: 2-1 Last Game: Elgin, W 51-34 Next Game: @ Willis Key Players: QB Cole Whittlesey, WR Jeremiah Booker, LB Desmond Payton, DE Randy Cessna The Cougars are in their first season with a district schedule, and the expectations are high. “We’re just going to take it one game at a time,” quarterback Cole Whittlesey said. “We have to keep working hard, our goal is to win every game.” Along with playing a district schedule, it will be the first time the team can play for a postseason berth. “They’re seeking a signature mark.” head coach Steve Huff said. “We have to play as hard as we can every game, and let the chips fall as they may.”
A&M Consolidated Tigers Record: 0-3 Last Game: @ Fort Bend Elkins, L 37-44 (2OT) Next Game: @ Huntsville Plays CSHS: Oct. 24 at A&M Consolidated Key Players: QB Mason Hickson, WR Derrick Dick
The Tigers came into the season as one of the highest-ranked teams in the state. Their non-district schedule proved tough as the Tigers played well but came up short in all three games. Their versatile offense lethal. Expect the Tigers to be one of the toughest teams on the schedule this season.
Bryan Vikings
Record: 1-1 Last Game: Conroe, W 35-29 Next Game: @ Livingston Plays CSHS: Oct. 31 at CSHS, Senior Night Key Players: QB BJ Ross, RB KeeKee Johnson The Vikings come in with one of their best teams in a few years. Their last scheduled game against Temple was rained out, so they will only play nine games this season as the game will not be made up. Expect the Vikings to push the top teams to the limit and fight for a district title.
Caney Creek Panthers Record: 1-2 Last Game: Houston Waltrip, W 50-16 Next Game: @ Rudder Plays CSHS: Nov. 7 at Conroe ISD Stadium Key Players: RB Chris Coffer, QB William Martinez
The Panthers come off a brutal season last year but have renewed hope. The Panthers return their leading rusher on offense. A momentum-gaining win against Waltrip will help them move into district play and compete for a playoff spot.
Huntsville Hornets
Record: 3-0 Last Game: Magnolia West, W 30-24 Next Game: A&M Consolidated Plays CSHS: Oct. 17 at CSHS, Homecoming Key Players: OT Ronnie Major, RB Morrie Evans The Hornets have gone through non-district undefeated and are ready for more. OT Ronnie Major, who is committed to Texas, leads the way for the talented running back Evans. The Hornets are another team who will challenge the top teams and fight for a playoff spot.
Livingston Lions
Record: 1-2 Last Game: @ Silsbee, L 13-27 Next Game: @ Bryan Plays CSHS: Oct. 10 at Livingston Key Players: QB Kurt Wilson, RB David Caddie With new head coach Brian Broussard leading the way for the Lions, they are looking to begin improving. Aater a rough year last year, the Lions look to have another bumpy road in store again.
Rudder Rangers
Record: 1-2 Last Game: @ Cedar Creek, W 48-20 Next Game: @ Caney Creek Plays CSHS: Oct. 3 at CSHS Key Players: LB Spencer Choka, RB Jamal Collins The Rangers are also led by a new head coach in Will Compton. The Rangers are better than ever and are coming off their first win after losing 13 in a row. Expect the Rangers to have their best team yet.
Willis Wildkats
Record: 3-0 Last Game: @ Houston Chavez, W 21-13 Next Game: CSHS Plays CSHS: TONIGHT @ Willis Key Players: RB John Lewis, LB Corbin Marett The Wildkats have big holes to fill but also return several key players. The Wildkats have started the year with two solid wins and should push to be a contender for a top district spot.
Friday, Sept. 26, 2014
Let the Games Begin
Fall teams excel in competitions by Megan Paradowski and Clarissa Parulian Editor-in-Chief and Staff Reporter
The Catamount
● People 13
▼Junior Leah Lewis pushes through the
race on Oct. 30. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to go to state. We’re working really hard every day and trying our best. Building a new team with all the four grades together is nice.” The girls cross country coach, Josh Munson, looks forward for this season. “With all the girls coming back, our expectations are always going to be to put ourselves in a position to win a district championship and to qualify for a state meet. The girls have been working really hard this year. We’ve got about 50 days until state, so we still have time to do some more work.” Photo provided by Robert Orzabal ●
▲Varsity running back Quinterrian White runs the ball into the
end zone on Sept. 5. The Cougars beat Waco 48-17. “[The team] is actually progressing now, and we want to see if what we’ve been working for pays off,” White said. He has high hopes for this season. “One goal would be respect, and two would be to become a household name and show everyone what we have,” he said. Photo by Courtney Wellmann ●
▼Senior Hogan Daughters runs at the Hewitt Kiwanis Midway Invitational on Sept. 5. Daughters looks forward to every moment of this cross country season. “I want to take everything in and enjoy it all before I leave high school,” he said. He placed 18th in the race. The varsity team had six runners in the top 20. Photo provided by Shelly Daughters ●
▼Sophomore
Anastasia Nekrashevych focuses on the ball on Sept. 15. She has been playing tennis since 8th grade. “I like to keep improving, and my goal is to make it to regionals in the individual season.” The team’s coach, Ed Stricker is hopeful for the new tennis season. Our ultimate goal is to get to regionals. It’s all new, because we’re moving up into a new classification, so we’re going to hit a lot of new schools, but if you can get to regionals, anything can happen.” Photo by Clarissa Parulian ●
▲Sophomore Lydia Wagner sets up a hitter at the game against Bryan
on Sept. 12. The team won 3-0 in games. “We’ve overcome so many challenges and injuries already this season, and it’s made us all a lot closer and more appreciative of our health,” Wagner said. “I think the season is going really well so far because of our awesome fans.” Photo by Megan Paradowski ●
14 Entertainment ● The Catamount
Friday, Sept. 26, 2014
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Picture Perfect
Friday, Sept. 26 2014
1.
The Catamount
● Entertainment 15
2.
Senior photographers develop talent through portrait shots by Julie Potrykus, Executive Editor
Everything focuses behind the camera lens with a shutter snap capturing every instant. These moments are immortalized on social media as students share highlights of high school. BC Photography, a Facebook page, hosts hundreds of photos from events compiled by the promising photographers, seniors Bailey Payne and Chase Zamulinski. Each occasion captured is picture perfect due to the efforts of these budding photographers on BC Photography. “What we are offering is a chance for us to get more experience as photographers,” Payne said. “We want people to have good pictures, and we want to provide it to them. We are always looking at ways to better ourselves and make people happy through our photography.” To provide BC Photography with timely photos, these photographers decide which photographer will attend each event, but for larger events, both will photo-
“We want people to have
good pictures and we want to provide it to them.
1. Photo of local musical artist by Bailey Payne 2. Photo of cheerleaders by Chase Zamulinski 3. Photo of Kathleen Finch in “Guys and Dolls” by Chase Zamulinski 4. Photo of Madison Cashion by Bailey Payne
”
Bailey Paine, senior graph the event and compete for the best shots of the experience. The pair debate photography style from raw versus JPEG files to filling the frame versus portraits. This constant disagreement adds a lively dynamic as the two decide whose version captures the moment better. “We are like rivals,” Zamulinski said. “We are at each other’s throats, but we have fun with it. [Payne] gives good competition for the both of us.” Before Payne and Zamulinski were concerned over competition or composition, Zamulinski chased his cat with a flash light and camera like a “little action national geographic photographer.” “[When] I look at the pictures I took years ago, I didn’t understand what I was doing,” Zamulinski said. “Now I really understand what makes what in a picture and what makes it powerful.” After developing their skills in media classes, these talented individuals emanate power in their photography from the towering force of the football team to the facial contortions of the drama groups. A large base of their photography features school events and functions. They are now expanding their photography to include performances from a local band during First Friday, senior portraits and other excitement outside of school. “That’s what really set me to do photography: capturing those memories I might forget, but I have that one little frozen moment in time to help remember,” Zamulinski said. “Freezing moments in time [helps me] remember something forever. Photography can help me do that.” ●
3. 4.
The Catamount ● Etc
Friday, Sept. 26, 2014
Lather, Rinse, Repeat
Students express themselves through unique hairstyles By Kayla Kurmaskie and Lisa Liu Opinions Editor and Managing Editor Most have seen her around school before--she’s hard to miss. Her hair is waist-length and coal black, except for the left side of her head, where it’s blond and cropped to about two inches long. Not to mention the ends of her hair are dyed varying shades of electric blue and turquoise. But while people might notice her hair, senior Kierstin Fallon doesn’t notice it herself. “Sometimes, I forget that I even have the side of my head shaved, or my hair colored. It feels so natural,” Fallon said. “People will stare, and I’ll be like, ‘Why are they looking at me?’” Sophomore Samuel Moore is another student who styles his hair unusually. He has also experienced some judgment from his peers due to his shoulder length hair. Though he realizes many people draw inaccurate conclusions about his lifestyle, he remains sure of his grooming decisions. “If I were too concerned about what people thought,” Moore said, “I wouldn’t have grown it out.” Moore is able to sport his long hair because school policy merely states that hairstyles should be “simple, clean, and arranged not to cover the eyes.” This, of course, leaves room for interpretation and some truly unique styles. However, some have still encountered hair-related restriction. Sophomore Chris Greening, at the demand
of his basketball coach, shaved his afro at the beginning of his freshman year. After he quit the team, Greening once again had the freedom to let his ‘fro grow, a choice which has elicited many reactions around campus. “Most think it’s awesome,” Greening said, “[but] occasionally there are one or two that say it’s just for attention.” And it’s not just students who express themselves through their hair. It’s teachers, too. Physics teacher Shawna Mizer’s cut is a little more traditional, but the color is a startling burgundy. “[I think it says] that I’m fun, and a little bit nonconformist,” Mizer said. “Most people like it. My students say, ‘Oh, I love your hair.’ Grown-ups say, ‘Oh, I love your hair,’ after they ask, ‘Is your hair purple?’” Just for reference, though, it’s not purple. It’s maroon. Mizer has been dyeing her hair for ten years, and she maintains both the color and the style herself because it’s cheaper and she’s capable of doing so. Usually, she keeps it burgundy during the school year and opts for colors like teal and pink during the summer. Junior Emma Ward, also an avid hair-dyer, has rocked colors from both ends of the spectrum since the sixth grade, when she first dyed her hair on an impulse. In those five years she has observed many benefits to doing so. Currently, her locks are a vibrant red color. “You don’t have to dress up,” Ward said. “Your hair is always dressed up for you.” Not only does hair act as an ever-present accessory, it can even lead to self-discovery, as it did for Moore. “It helped me realize,” Moore said, “I don’t need to be anything I don’t want to be.”●
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Photo by Lisa LIu
1. Senior Kierstin Fallon 2. Physics teacher Shawna Mizer 3. Junior Emma Ward 4. Sophomore Chris Greening 5. Sophomore Samuel Moore
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