Vol 22, Issue 3

THE ROAR NEWS

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1801 HARVEY MITCHELL PKWY. S., COLLEGE STATION, TX 77840 | FRIDAY, DEC. 16, 2016 | VOL. 22 NO. 3 | THEROARNEWS.COM

Students, staff counter false views of Consol haley mitchell & drew howerton managing editor & section editor My kid is years away from attending school but you'll never be able to convince me it’s in my best interest to drive past schools miles closer to my house to make a percentage look better for your cause.

People work hard and sacrifice for years to live in the more desirable areas and have their kids go to the best and safest schools. It's pretty messed up that no matter how hard you work and plan, the school district actively tries to take that away from some.

If CSISD is truly a data driven organization, why are they acting in opposition to the data, except to scam the TEA's ratings? This is a common scam that district administrators all across the state are doing to boost their TEA ratings instead of actually addressing the problem of low SES [socioeconomic status] student performance.

The above are comments from a thread in TexAgs addressing parents’ concerns with the rezoning College Station is set to undergo in the Fall of 2017. *** On an early morning in late October, senior Mackenzie Rosario’s fifteen Snapchat friends were treated to a video of a live mouse crawling along a school staircase posted to her story.

“I’m going along my day, trying to think of all the homework I have to do in the morning that I didn’t do the night before, and I saw the mouse,” Rosario said. “I was kind of like, ‘Is that real?’ I didn’t know what to do. So I left it there and I didn’t tell anybody.”

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news pages 2-5 opinions pages 6-8 feature pages 9-15, 20 sports pages 16 & 17 reviews pages 18 & 19

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“perception” continued on page 3

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brief | the roar

UPCOMING

2 | in

DEC 16 DEC 16 DEC 19 DEC 20 DEC 21 JAN 5 JAN 21

NEWS

friday, dec. 16, 2016

Tiny Tim Caroling Finals: 6th, 7th 8th Finals: 3rd, 2nd, 1st Finals: 5th, 4th Early Release Winter Break Begins Spring Semester Begins SAT Testing

IN THE

Nine Tigers tapped for 2016 Academic All State Football Teams

Multiple players were selected for the Academic All state Football Team. Coaches nominate prospective students, and nominations are considered based on their GPA, class rank, and SAT/ACT score. The students recieved points based on each criterion, and in addition to academic accomplishments need to be on good standing with the team and be of good moral character. Seniors Jason Jasperson, Jared DeFriend and Avrie Hodges made the First Team. Additionally, seniors Burl Carraway and Will Sullivan both qualified for the Second Team. Seniors Grant Johnson, JR Matlock, Jonathon Sylvester and Tony Williams all made honorable mentions.

Consolidated Wrestling takes first place at New Waverly Duals

Consol won all four wrestling matches at New Waverly Duals. The first match up, agianst Humble Kingwood, ended 35-30, Consol then best Willis 61 to 6, New Waverly 54 to 24 and the last match against Hunstville ended 48 to 30. Some of the top wrestlers include Zamaia Marshall, who placed fourth at state last year, who in a close ‘re-match’ beat last years third place finisher at state.

Athletes sign to colleges in volleyball, baseball and other sports

PHOTO BY HALEY MITCHELL Senior Landon Hux pratices his pitches before the Tiger Baseball team’s first ever charity, costume game. Proceeds and donation from the game went to the Beau Means Business Foundation, a local non-profit dedicated to raising awareness and helping families of thoses with cystic fibrosis.

Multiple varsity athletes signed with colleges to further their athletic and academic careers. Senior Madison Welch will be attending University of Mary Hardin Baylor and senior Autumn Foust will be attending Cedarville University; both currently play volleyball for Consol. Additionally, senior Rachel Bernardo, a cross country runner, signed with Texas A&M, senior Allison Zamora signed with Kansas-Wesleyan University to play softball, senior Burl Carraway signed with Dallas Baptist University to play baseball, senior Austin Fowler signed to play with Paris Junior college and senior Aerial Starks signed to play basketball for the University of Massachusetts.

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the roar | news | 3

friday, dec. 16, 2016

Diversity, high maintenance costs create unsubstantiated viewpoint of less desireable school “perception” cont. from page 1 Mice are not an unusual occurrence in older school buildings in the district, as well as problems like leaky ceilings and faulty air conditioning units. Junior Jake Harris believes that it is these problems, as well as demographics, that contribute to the idea that Consol is a poor or “ghetto” school.

“I think people call it that because it’s not as nice of a building,” Harris said. “The poorer parts of town go to Consol, so that might contribute to why some people call it the ghetto school.”

Former re-zoning commissioner Geralyn Nolan hopes that changing boundary lines will solve this problem.

“We do have one high school with much lower SES [socioeconomic status] than the other school, but the rezoning fixes that,” Nolan said. “At least they’ll start out pretty darn equal,” Some students, like Rosario, wonder if district funds are being split appropriately between Consol and College Station High School, whose construction was budgeted to be $82,510,945 in the 2009 bond package.

“I feel like the money that they used for their school they could have used less money. They don’t need a wall of windows.

They could have put it here,” Rosario said. “[In] some classrooms the ceilings are leaking. They should know that the AC doesn’t work half the time, and that whenever it rains really badly, it leaks.”

CSISD’s executive director of facilities Jon Hall works hard to acknowledge the problems posed by schools, especially older ones.

“We know we have to pump some money into those. That’s all part of the deferred maintenance that we talk about with the community. We know we’re gonna have to spruce those up. Throw ‘em a little love.

Consolidated High School has been one of those, too, even since before I walked in the door in 2007,” Hall said. “We already had money set aside to start pouring some love back into that school.”

Deferred maintenance has become a large issue for the College Station Independent School District, which released plans in the last year for a third intermediate, middle and eventually high school to accommodate for rapidly increasing enrollment numbers.

Pecan Trail Intermediate school will open in the fall 2017 in order to alleviate

growth in the district, but other projects vations of a school. have yet to be initiated. In the meantime, keeping CSISD’s current facilities in good PUMPING A LITTLE LOVE BACK IN shape has been the district’s first priority.

Contrary to popular belief, Consol is “I feel like our guys really do a pretty an expensive school. good job, but you know, we’re under“We did a big huge roof renovation in staffed,” Hall said. “That’s one of the chal- 2010 that was probably about 70% of the lenges. All things considered we stretch our whole roof. In 2014 we did both the baseresources out and do a pretty good job. We ball field and the softball field. They used run lean and mean.” to be just mush pits. We totally redid both Even so, managing and maintaining of those fields and they’re really nice now,” the different schools while growing the dis- Hall said. “and beyond all of that stuff, we trict has not been easy. just got a bunch of other miscellaneous stuff “We are definitely going through grow- that people don’t even see. Water heaters, ing pains, and trying to figure out how to chillers and these rooftop air conditioning navigate all of this, and it’s not easy,” Nolan units that we’ll have in over the Christmas said. “People move here because they love break, a lot of stuff like that. In addition our school district. We didn’t just happen to all of these we’ve also picked up furnito become a good school district, it’s taken ture, fixtures and equipment and all kinds a lot of work of odds and a lot of and ends, sacrifice.” technolog y B e upgrades. cause of the Those big large influx screens in of students, the main College Staentry and tion High computers, School was just gobs opened in and gobs of 2012 to accomputers. commodate We’re tapfor CSISD’s ping on the growth. door of 26 junior H a v i n g million doljake harris graduated lars worth its first class of love we’ve of seniors in pumped in 2015, CSHS there since has already I’ve been reached its academic capacity. around.”

“There’s been a lot of pushing and pullAnd despite what some students being on capacities, but that’s the big game. lieve, the administration is always trying to Consol has a little room to grow by about stay ahead of the curve. four or five hundred students. College Sta“They’re very aware of things so like tion High School, not as much as far as our district, our administration, they do classrooms,” Hall said. “With new build- have their ears open and they do listen,” ings it’s a pure numbers game with how Nolan said. “There’s a group of people in many kids you got coming in. How many our district who are always looking ahead kids you gotta put in classrooms, that’s and thinking ‘what can we do to help these what it turns into. For maintenance, it’s re- kids next’? They’re looking not just at acaally different in that you gotta funnel the demics, but social and emotional learning money to the older more tired schools that and that’s huge in our district right now. need it the most.”

They’re ahead of the curve, talking about Because no plans exist to significantly things that are hard to talk about.” expand Consol’s facilities save for the posIn fact, over the winter break Consol sibility of portable buildings, Consol’s main will be receiving several new rooftop air source of funding comes from the deferred conditioning units. maintenance section of bond packages, “When the Christmas break comes money designated for expansions or reno- around, we’re gonna have all of those units

“I think people call it that because it’s not as nice of a building. The poorer parts of town go to Consol, so that might contribute to the idea that Consol is a poor or “ghetto” school.”

all ordered and in, and when y’all go home for the break and have your Christmas celebration, we’re going to be scrambling out here doing all these units and getting them replaced,” Hall said. “We’ll probably never stop pumping money in there. It’s just like the air conditioning units, that’s been the real challenge. We know we’ve had some water leaks that have been kind of a challenge, we’ve been working on those. I’m just about to write a purchase order for close to thirty thousand dollars for some more roof replacement and roof repair. So it really never ends.”

OLD, NOT OBSOLETE Many students, including Rosario and junior Jake Harris, prefer their current school to a newer alternative despite what parents may wish for their children.

“I feel like there’s more tradition here just because it’s been around longer,” Harris said. “I like Consol better than CSHS, just cause it feels different. Not so artificial.”

Harris, who transferred to Consol for the Agricultural Mechanics courses, also feels that comparing the two schools is invalid.

“I think, as a whole, you can’t really differentiate between the students because there’s so many of us. There’s always going to be certain types of people at both schools,” Harris said. “I mean from the outside looking in, you could say that this is more ghetto just because it’s an older building and the location of it, but really you have to go to both schools to determine that.”

Nolan stresses that the age of a school has does not correlate to its quality of education.

“What’s inside the school building and the support and how you feel when you walk in that school is all that matters,” Nolan said. “I was sad last year about Southwood Valley Elementary not having some of the stuff that other elementaries had, but I realized every time I walk in that building I feel welcomed, and my kids feel loved, and that’s all that matters.”

Rosario agrees, saying that the feeling she gets from her school is all that matters.

“I don’t see [Consol] becoming ghetto.

Just because your school is newer doesn’t mean our school is ghetto just because we don’t have a wall of windows,” Rosario said.

“All my sisters have gone here, I’m familiar with this place to begin with. This place feels more like home.”

4 | news | the roar

friday, dec. 16, 2016

INVISIBLE ILLNESSes theroarnews.com @theroarnews

Hidden illnesses cause pain, impact daily life emily caldwell & rachel swartz | staff reporter & assistant editor While aching and irritated joints are symptoms the elderly usually experience, freshman Kevlie Haas can feel their pain, and she’s only fourteen years old.

“I have a lot of diagnoses,” Haas said. “Some of them include insomnia, Hyper IgE syndrome, which makes my joints hurt all the time, and really bad [abdominal] migraines. I deal with a lot of daily stomach pain and joint pain and barely get any sleep at night.”

Haas’ symptoms started presenting themselves when she entered the fifth grade.

“I’m kind of a weird case; not many people have what I have,” Haas said. “We just see as I go along.”

Despite her painful symptoms, Haas remains physically active as a member of both the Consol soccer team and a competitive club team outside of school.

“The most difficult part of dealing with [my illnesses] is playing soccer and having to move,” Haas said. “It already feels like knives stabbing me when I walk. [Soccer] is extremely painful, but it’s the only place where I can let loose.”

Students who suffer from these types of illnesses face a number of obstacles.

“I’m not not getting the amount of sleep I should be,” Haas said. “I have had a stomach ulcer, so I haven’t been able to keep a meal down in probably about five weeks. I’ve been having to do soup and light stuff.”

Due to the strain caused by her various illnesses, Haas has experienced both immense emotional and physical impacts.

“I try to stay at a high standard with schoolwork and it’s kind of hard to stay mentally strong,” Haas said. “Physically, my body is basically deteriorating.”

For senior Eric Harris, his

depression made school take a backseat.

“I was like, ‘I’m not really concerned about school anyway right now,’” Harris said.

Harris first knew he had depression a little over a year ago, towards the beginning of his junior year.

“My friends and family had a lot of concern,” Harris said. “I kept it mostly to myself, but people worried. It made me see them differently.”

When people would try to comfort him, Harris often found he couldn’t respond in the way

Haas said.

Senior Rebecca Curry decided that telling her teachers about her anxiety would only limit her more in the classroom.

“There are nights when I’m supposed to do my homework, and I don’t,” Curry said. “I’ll be in class and I’ll get a test grade back and instead of taking notes that day, I’ll end up drawing. Sometimes I’ll pull into myself and not really talk to people.”

Curry constantly reminds herself to be optimistic despite the negative consequences her anxiety brings.

“Whenever people talk about things like anxiety, they usually talk about the negative effects,” Curry said. “I think it’s made me more expressive and creative and more empathetic because it’s constantly reminding me to be conscious of the things around me and to be compassionate and caring.”

All three students cope with their illnesses differently, but not because their illnesses are distinctive; Haas, Harris, and Curry are individuals who deal with divergent situations in varying ways.

“A lot of people don’t really understand why I respond to things the way I respond to things,” Curry said. “Dealing with it on its own is not too difficult because I have outlets and things to work with, but the hard part is whenever people or society say to be a certain way.”

Above all else, the maintenance of a positive outlook is vital to dealing with an invisible illness.

“Happiness is not objective, it’s subjective,” Harris said. “You have to be able to find it.”

“When you are depressed, you are limited because you tend to see everything in a very negative light.”

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“Rational thought is out the door,” Harris said. “If someone’s dealing with it, you can’t expect to hold an argument. All you can do is show people that you’re there and that you care.”

Harris considers himself better off now than he was then, but the effects of his previous mindset are still fresh.

“When you are depressed, you are limited because you tend to see everything in a very negative light,” Harris said. “Back then [when I suffered more severely], emotionally, it was hard to trust people.”

Both Harris and Haas chose to not reveal their illnesses to their teachers until later on in the school year.

“My teachers now know because it got to a point this year where I had to [say something],”

the roar | news | 5

friday, dec. 16, 2016

School Resource Officer reflects on role of law enforcement in community, school vi burgess | editor-in-chief

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Even though Officer Jose Alaniz won’t be at Consol beginning next year, he’ll still be a resource to the community.

All CSISD School Resource Officers will be reassigned to patrol beginning in the 2017-2018 school year due to increased need for police officers on the streets as College Station grows. CSISD will most likely enter into a contract with the Brazos County Sheriffs as a replacement.

“It’s not something that we wanted to do,” Police Lieutenant Steve Brock said. “It’s something that we feel like we had to do.”

Though Alaniz is “good on the streets”, he still wishes he could stay at Consol.

“I’m actually saddened by leaving,” Alaniz said. “I didn’t think I was going to like it when I came here, because who wants to work around a bunch of teenagers, you know? And it’s not a job every officer wants to do. When this position opened in 2014, I was the only officer in the whole police department who put in to work at Consol.”

Though Alaniz first came partly because it provided a more regular schedule in which he didn’t have to work every other weekend, but also like all other faculty and staff, he wanted to make a difference.

“When I was on the street, I was almost used to taking someone to jail every day. But I got tired of taking people to jail every day, and I was like ‘Hey, where can I go to maybe get to these people before they get to jail?’” Alaniz said. “So when this position opened, I was like, ‘Maybe I can jump into some of these kids’ lives and try to route them on the right course, the right path, so it doesn’t lead them to jail.’”

As the SRO, Alaniz is at Consol partially to provide a different view of law enforcement than the perception that many students who encounter the police on the weekends have.

“They realize when they get a chance to meet me and interact with me and get to know me as their SRO, that I’m nothing like a few of the bad cops that they come across on the TV and news and newspapers,” Alaniz said. “At the same time, while we have to carry out our functions as far as making sure no one breaks the law, they’re able to see that he’s pretty cool guy, he’s here to do his job and at the same time build those relationships.”

Alaniz has touched many lives during his time at Consol.

“He approached me because after a situation, I was really worked up and he talked to me; he’s really understanding, he just helped me through it,” senior Braden Goodwin said. “He [has] a positive attitude, and he’s more about the kids. He’s about reinforcement, but he isn’t one of those people you feel like you can’t talk to because they’re rude or they’re judgemental. He’s just a people person that

you feel comfortable around.”

Assistant Principal and former SRO Keke Johnson agrees that Alaniz has been a natural fit at Consol.

“He has gone above and beyond in his role as School Resource Officer and it’s something he’s really taken and run with because he just enjoys what he does,” Johnson said. “He makes it a point to really get to know students and interact with them. He’s a great resource for us as staff, so I’m going to be sad to see him go.”

Like Johnson, volleyball coach and social studies teacher Autumn Lance, who has worked closely with Alaniz, feels that he has been integral to Consol.

“I think just his presence is really humbling for the kids. It keeps it as one, a big deterrent to see a police officer around, but two, Officer Alaniz has a really good rapport with a lot of kids,” Lance said.

“I think losing that, losing him specifically, is going to potentially kind of affect some of these kids who he’s kind of a mentor to, more than just on the justice side, so I think it’s really important that he has been here for us.”

Alaniz, according to Lance, was also a resource for the teachers, especially those with struggling students.

“He was somebody I could always speak with about [students struggling with judicial issues],” Lance said. “[He kept] an open door; he helped me a lot with the kids that I had or the kids that I was concerned with. He was very open.”

Alaniz sees the loss of a three-year relationship with the local police department, versus the county police department, as the biggest drawback for the students.

“My only worry is that you’ve got the Brazos County Sheriff ’s department coming in, and they’re great people, but they don’t really deal with anything within our city limits,” Alaniz said.

“We’re going to have one department interacting with our students during the day and then after school hours and on the weekends, we’ll be back to CSPD interacting with the students, [whereas] I’ve been able to interact with them during the school day, after school hours, on the weekends, and it just makes work that much easier.”

Even with a new SRO next year and a new department, Alaniz is still glad about the years he’s spent at Consol. “[The students have] made me kind of remember why I joined law enforcement. It wasn’t to take people to jail or not to fight bad people, it was to serve, to protect, to see the good in people, to help people become better people,” Alaniz said.

“It’s made me believe in the younger generation in America today because for a little bit, as a police officer, you tend to see the bad in everybody. I once thought our nation was going to be in bad hands for the future, but I realized our community, our city, our nation — it’s going to be in good hands.”

6 | opinions | the roar

friday, dec. 16, 2016

Desire for change fuels self-dissatisfaction

viewpoint:

it’s greek to me

katerina kountakis section editor

Ancient Greek history sparks familial pride

I know he means business when his some people believe that Greek myths are eyes start to get twice their size. outdated tales, they are part of my everyday My dad proceeds to move to the edge life and because of that, they help me shape of his seat, and his face lights up with pride the way my mind thinks and taught me the and excitement as he begins to recite the importance of culture. Greek mythology story of Leonidas for about the hundredth and history are some of the most influentime. He likes acting out the scenes, so tial ways I’ve learned the understanding of when he gets to the part of Leonidas lead- the world and community. It is a way for ing 300 men to fight against the much me to think how to live my life. larger army of the Persians, his voice gets For example, in the Battle of Thermodeeper and he has his arm sticking straight pylae, Leonidas was faced with a decision: out like he is the brave Leonidas himself. to let the Persians take over Sparta or to die *** trying to stop them. He chose to lead an Ever since I could remember, my dad army to fight against the Persians for his has told me stories of my heritage and country, knowing he would never see his Greek history. The tales of Odysseus, The- family again. He made the selfless choice seus, Alexander the Great, Hercules, and rather than the easier choice of surrenderof course, Leonidas, were practically my ing. Leonidas taught me that even though bedtime stories bea choice might be fore they were ever the easiest, that an assignment for doesn’t make it the school. After he right one. I learned finished any story, to never be a cowmy dad would sit ard while facing up straight, look the hardships of life me dead in the and to follow my eyes, and say, “Be heart like Leonidas proud of where you did. came from. You Over the years, have Greek blood the legends and stosection editor running through ries became a part your veins, Kateriof who I am and katerina kountakis na—nothing can encouraged me to stand against you.” be the best possible My mom, sister and I joke about my version of myself. I wanted to be as strong dad being Odysseus because anywhere we as Hercules, wise as Athena, brave as Leongo, we get lost, but no matter how far we idas, but, most importantly, I want to be as are, my dad always leads us back home. altruistic as my dad. To me, being Greek Because of this, I became obsessed with is all those values and more. I admire my learning about Greek history and mythol- heritage because even with all the hardogy. I wanted to know anything and every- ships Greeks have experienced throughout thing about where I came from. So when history, they were still able to evolve and my mom took me to the bookstore, I went influence the world. So when I start to see up to the clerk with my pigtails and Power- my dad’s eyes grow twice their size, I am Puff Girls shirt and asked where The Iliad reminded of where I came from—and I am and other Greek books were. Of course, I proud. couldn’t comprehend what I was reading Katerina is a section editor at The Roar. when I was five years old, but with the help Interested in Greek history? Contact her at the. of my parents, I learned the stories and roar.kountakis@gmail.com. grew to love them later on. Even though

“My dad would sit up straight, look me dead in the eyes, and say, ‘Be proud of where you came from. You have Greek blood running through your veins, Katerina.”

As a society, we are obsessed with the I am a very analytical person. And I idea of change. want to understand myself, and underPresident Obama promised to bring stand how I feel and why I feel the way change to America in 2008. And 2016 I do. And if I had my wish I could easily has been a whirlwind of change, with sort all the problems and ideals into little constant shouts from all directions about boxes, and be able to check everything off unprecedented actions. Change seems to my list. In my head I figured out where I be timed like clockwork and has the abil- was on my chart: My levels of ambition, ity to occur and swiftly change the tide of procrastination, worthiness, confidence, society forever. and all of the other traits that created my I put a lot of pressure on myself to placement. I weighed my prospects with change. Every day, every week, every others, trying to figure out where I stood New Year, I try to create a new me. Big and what I needed to do to better myself, life events—Birthdays, new schools, new whether that be in reaction to other peojobs, my Bat-Mitzvah—were supposed to ple, events or my own uncertainties about somehow drasmyself. tically change Each time I me overnight tried to change I for the better. would wake up frusI am supposed trated when I didn’t to exercise, eat feel like a different better, and not person. I was not procrastinate as more comfortable much. in front of crowds, This past I was not more efsummer was ficient at getting supposed to be work done, I didn’t a summer of suddenly work out, executive editor change. I was I didn’t eat better, rachel lamb headed back to or get a better sleep my old summer schedule. camp as a counIt took me a selor. I was ready for a new role at the long time to realize that this mindset of camp, new people, and new responsibil- a quick change, and easy classification ity. I was in a completely new situation, was a lie. Not that change is a bad thing— and was ready to capitalize on the oppor- change is necessary. Yet pushing myself tunity to change. I would be in the posi- into a new situation was not going to cretion to actually be able to help the kids I ate a new person, since the same person was leading, work hard to plan activities, always shows up. A lot of changes are eat better, exercise more,and not procras- much smaller, and are not immediately tinate on work I needed to do. All while noticeable. When did I get the guts to lead surrounded by some of my closest friends a camp-wide activity? Sing and dance in who I could rely on. front of the entire camp? Or even wave at I wanted to change, and perhaps friends when I recognized them in public, more, I wanted a quick fix that could instead of avoiding personal interactions? change me for the better, get rid of the At some point I have to learn that I do not parts of myself I did not like and create need a drastic change to be content with a new version of myself. The version that myself. Yet at the same time balancing was hardworking, funny, and friendly. the importance of pushing myself to try And to get me to the place that everyone new things and to embrace change. around me seemed to have reached, the Rachel is an executive editor at The Roar. idea of being at peace with my good and Want to discuss personal improvement? Conbad sides. tact her at the.roar.lamb@gmail.com.

“Every day, every week, every New Year I try to create a new me. Birthdays, new schools, new jobs, my Bat-Mitzvah were supposed to somehow drastically change me. ”

viewpoint:

rachel lamb executive editor

new year, new me

the roar | opinions | 7

friday, dec. 16, 2016

table for

one

vi burgess editor-in-chief

Solitary meals in foreign country provide senior with realistic taste of independence There’s an art to eating alone.

It usually starts out with a wearily-pensive face as I enter the restaurant— the face that lets everyone in there know that I’m incredibly cultured and completely pretentious, alright with mulling over Nietzsche and Kant as I enjoy my food solo.

All of that melts away as soon as the waiter comes up. Eating alone? Expecting anyone? Are you okay?

And there isn’t much to do except nod and keep asking in response to each question, Table for one, please, while pretending not to notice that I’m turning beet red and melting into the floor all at the same time. But once I get past the awkward questions of the waiter and the stares of other customers, it’s just me.

Sitting at a table. By myself.

I mean, I was 4,828 miles away from home; what else could I have done? Holed up in my room and watched Netflix and eaten Goldfish because I was just too scared and tired to go out again?

In a way, eating alone in a foreign country (the UK) for four days straight was the loneliest thing I’ve ever done. It didn’t sound daunting at first when I found out I’d be on my own for a few days; I was worried about losing my train ticket or accidently filling out the requisite immigration paperwork wrong, but I got through all of the logistics without my parents without any issues.

And I was all fine and dandy with the whole independence thing until I realized, post-collapsing-on-hotelbed, that I would have to go out and find a) a restaurant and b) something to order.

Every single night was a trial, knowing that I had to go out in public to go find something to eat. I dragged my feet, almost literally, putting my shoes on and lock-

ing the door behind me as slowly as possible, purposefully wandering up and down and up and down the high street over and over again in search of a place that wasn’t too crowded and wasn’t in an any way upscale, my stomach in knots from hunger and anxiety.

Food has always been a communal experience for me; even when I eat alone in College Station, I’m usually

“It was the first time that I’ve wanted to be invisible, that I’ve wanted to be ignored.” editor-in-chief vi burgess

doing something along the lines of checking social media, reading the news or doing something that involves me not just sitting with my thoughts when I’m not ready to confront them quite yet. But I was stuck without internet or data and I didn’t have the foresight to bring a book with me, so there I was, distraction-free.

I’ve always craved independence, too. Being able to go where I want to and do what I want to do when I want to has always sounded like one of the best things about adulthood. But as soon as I was completely free, there was nothing I wanted to do more than turn around and walk out of each restaurant each night as soon as I

saw people glance up at me. It was the first time that I’ve wanted to be invisible, that I’ve wanted to be ignored.

I sat down in a restaurant the final night I was there, stewing over the fact that the waiter placed me facing the rest of the customers instead of the window; it was a cruel irony, in my mind, because every time I looked up, I was the only one left sitting alone.

But waiting for my food by myself, three nights in, was different. I wasn’t worrying about what I had to get right at my university interviews anymore, so I didn’t have much else to do except reflect on what was actually happening (as I ate a burger with a knife and fork).

Eating alone didn’t make me lonelier than I already was, missing all of my friends and family; it just served as a reminder. And around about six meals in, I realized that I could do it; I’d never had good enough chunks of time to ponder without getting distracted, and I was kind of scared of that. But it was okay and the world didn’t end.

I was fine being alone.

I was still lonely, don’t get me wrong, but I was fine eating by myself, facing the world. It started ceasing to matter however they looked at me. There’s a certain value in taking a step back, once in a while, and knowing that you don’t always have to be fully engaged in everything around you to make the most of your life. And sure, I’m lucky for right now in that I pretty much always have a place to eat and people to eat with, but that’s going to change soon enough (obligatory graduating senior reference).

Who knows, though — I may start venturing out by myself, distraction-less, content to just live inside my head for a few hours at a time. It’s usually not a bad place to be.

8 | viewpoints | the roar

The protest scene in College Station, Texas was relatively nonexistent until a former student of Texas A&M invited Richard Spencer to speak at the local University. Spencer, who is a leader in the alt-right movement, is a notorious white supremacist. Locals and students of the fifth largest university in America did not respond to him coming positively.

friday, dec. 16, 2016

RICHARD SPENCER PROTEST Who is richard spencer?

Declared the Karl Marx of the Alt-Right Movement, Richard Bertrand Spencer is an American white nationalist and neo-nazi, known for promoting white supremacist views. Spencer advocates for a white homeland for a “dispossessed white race” and calls for “peaceful ethnic cleansing.” Spencer has repeatedly quoted from Nazi propaganda and spoken critically of the Jewish people, even crying at a rally, “Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory!” with the Nazi salute.

Why the uproar?

Spencer, though not invited by Texas A&M itself, was brought by a former student who lives in the area. The “alt-right” movement generally favors racist and white-supremacist beliefs. Representatives for the university said they denounced Spencer, calling the event “reprehensible,” but could not cancel the event. On Tuesday December 6th, thousands of students took to the streets to protest the event and outcry Spencer’s bigoted, hateful message.

senior

sean kluver “It was pretty invigorating and exciting, I enjoyed it a lot. Plus, I was able to make my feelings known.

The alt-right is just a cover name for white supremacy. They are neo-nazis and everyone should oppose them vehmently.

What can we take away from this protest?

Spencer has responded to the protest in an interview with “Nightline,” saying that he helped to trigger the world. “I think it’s good to trigger people a little bit. When you get triggered it means that you’re shocked, you thought something that you haven’t thought before.” His Twitter was reinstated on December 12th. On the other hand, the University’s response to Spencer coming was a unity concert featuring speakers like Trevor Knight, A&M’s starting quarterback and Max Glauben, a Holocaust survivor. Many students from Consol attended both the concert and the unity event, and felt that the protest brought thousands of people together against hate and showed solidarity for people of all ethnic backgrounds.

The Roar 2016-2017 Staff

senior

sean gunn “I don’t see the ‘alt-right’ beliefs as something that needs to be supported and allowed. I was very glad to see other students there believing in their ideals and going to support them.”

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Executive Editor Senior Editor Online Editor Opinions Editor Section Editors Assistant Editor Staff Reporters Faculty Adviser Assistant Adviser

Vi Burgess Haley Mitchell Rachel Lamb Jennifer Zhan Josh Weimer June Jeong Yanichka Ariunbold Maya Girimaji Drew Howerton Katerina Kountakis Rachel Swartz Emily Caldwell Sueji Han Michael Williams Chauncey Lindner

The Roar Editorial Board Vi Burgess • Haley Mitchell • June Jeong

The Roar is produced by the Advanced Journalism class at A&M Consolidated High School, 1801 Harvey Mitchell Parkway S., College Station, Texas, 77840. 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 the editor-in-chief, managing editor and opinions editor.

The Roar is a member of the Interscholastic League Press Conference (ILPC), the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA).The Roar is a winner of the CSPA Gold Crown, the 1997, 1998, 2000-2016 ILPC Award of Distinguished Merit, the CSPA Gold Medal Award, the NSPA All-American distinction and 2005, 2014,2016 ILPC Bronze Star and 2007-2013 and 2015 Silver Star.

College Station Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex or handicap in providing education services. Monica Jones, Director of Human Resources, 1812Welsh, College Station,Texas 77840 (979-764-5412) has been designated to coordinate compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements of Title IX. Molley Perry, Executive 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.

friday, dec. 16, 2016

ice ice BaBy

the roar | snapshots | 9

Figure skater competes nationally, balances school, friendships, athletic career june jeong | opinions editor Enchanted by the figure skaters dancing across the ice, eight-year-old Anna Mortari knew she wanted to glide in their path. Now, as a freshman at Consol, she’s competing all over the country.

“I convinced my mom to start signing me up for classes because I really liked it and [the skaters] looked so cool on the ice rink,” Mortari said. “And I was like, ‘Please Mom, I really want to do this!’”

Over the past six months, Mortari’s coach, Candice Morris, has learned that Mortari’s ability to “takes instructions well” is a major reason for her success.

“She puts it to use and then when it comes to crunch time at test sessions or competitions, she puts it all together,” Morris said.

Mortari’s friend and fellow ice skater, freshman Annette Shim, has a similar admiration for both Mortari’s natural talent and deep tenacity.

“Whenever I’m on the ice, she’s always on the ice practicing her spins, jumps, and working on triple jumps, stuff like that,” Shim said.

Though her time to practice is inhibited by her rigorous academic schedule, she does her best to time manage both school work and skating effectively.

“This year, I tried to take some more difficult classes like AP Human Geography, Algebra II [Pre-AP], and I’m doing pretty well with all of the work,” Mortari said. “It is kind of a struggle though, if you kind of put your time into the stuff you know you need to do.”

Mortari has learned that the most significant trait to have in order to be a successful skater is endurance despite obstacles.

“Like now I’m doing my triple jumps, which [are] so cool when you land them and do them perfectly, but there are days when you fall every time you do it,” Mortari said.

“It’s really frustrating but you have [to have the] patience to deal with it.”

Eventually, Mortari dreams of becoming a skating coach someday.

“I think it’s super fun and I volunteer at the rink also, for the basic skills classes,” Mortari said. “And then when I’m older, I would really like to coach.”

For now, Mortari heads to the ice rink nearly every morning at 6 a.m., dedicating 18 hours a week, for the fulfillment she gets when she skates.

“Even if it’s a bad practice, you landed this jump, or you fell on it but you did it clean, or we’re starting a new program, and it’s all very rewarding,” Mortari said. “It’s like a continuous reward box—it’s really nice.”

Above: Mortari looks to the audience and prepares to perform an axel. PHOTO BY HALEY MITCHELL

Above: Ending her routine, Mortari strikes a pose at the annual Christmas Showcase. PHOTO BY HALEY MITCHELL

10 | student

life | the roar

PHOTO BY HALEY MITCHELL

friday, dec.

PHOTO BY HALEY MITCHELL

BIG STARTS

BIG STEPS

Freshmen Coleman Maxwell and Deacon Makuta lead the charge in the Homecoming chariot race.

Senior Layton Dimery goes for a layup in the first home game of the season.

BIG WINS Seniors Lydia Garcia and Robert Franklin celebrate their victory as the 2016 Homecoming King and Queen.

PHOTO BY HALEY MITCHELL

IT’S B A BIG

The Roar invites y some of our favo the school year— ove

the roar | student life | 11

16, 2016

PHOTO BY HALEY MITCHELL

PHOTO BY DREW HOWERTON

BIG DEALS

BIG MOMENTS

Seniors Oceane Parker and Sean Kluver raise their signs at the BTHOhate protest.

Sophomores Natalia Huitron and Baylee Snook cheer with their class to win the spirit stick at the CSHS pep rally.

BEEN G YEAR

you to remember orite moments of —and it’s only half ver.

BIG PLANS Senior Rachel Bernardo signs to run cross country for Texas A&M University.

PHOTO BY VI BURGESS

12 | feature| the roar

friday, dec. 16, 2016

behind the scenes Tiger Theatre set design, technical crew sparkles in production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ rachel lamb | executive editor Behind every great theatre performance, there’s an even greater technical crew.

“Acting is easy in some ways, but being backstage is where real theatre happens,” theatre teacher and the director of “A Christmas Carol” Randy Williamson said. “It’s where the real fun is because you get to build stuff and create things. The actors get all the fame and such, but it is backstage who does all the hard work.”

Williamson originally decided to put on “A Christmas Carol” this past summer.

“This is not something that we just throw together in a few weeks,” junior, head costumer and ‘Tiny Tim’ Charlotte Brumbelow said. “We work for months, we devote multiple hours after school every day in order to try and build a production that we are proud of, and I think every single one of us tried our best to bring our very best to rehearsal every day for that purpose.”

The numerous technical theatre roles, which encompasses all the backstage jobs that create the production, cover a wide variety of talents and professions.

“There are the stage managers, who basically run the show and they make sure all the people know where they are going to be, where all the sets are, and when the queues happen,” Williamson said. “There are the light people who design the lights so we have different colors and moments, and the sound people who figure out what type of music to play and what kind of

sound effects we need. Then the makeup designers decide on the makeup, the costumers decide on clothes, and there are people who build the sets.”

Tiger Theatre’s latest production, “A Christmas Carol,” is set in 1930s America, rather than in the 1840s when the book is set.

“We chose 1930s to make it more approachable

“Acting is easy in some ways, but being backstage is where real theatre happens.” theatre director randy williamson

to the audience,” Williamson said. “The audience can really understand the storyline and it is more familiar; you put it back in the Dickens times, 1840s, people have a hard time grasping it.”

Technical theatre heavily impacts characterization and helps to establish the Depression era time period.

“All of tech works together to give it the creepy overall look,” senior, student director and ‘Scrooge’ Grace Manuel said. “It’s also going to stick with the 1930s Depressions era, so all the tech people are working together to do the aesthetic parts of the show.”

Senior Kayla Kubelka, who is in charge of set design, sees the technical side of theatre as central to

connecting the audience with the production.

“If we didn’t have all the scenes or the differences of lighting, they wouldn’t really understand where they were at or the mood that’s supposed to be set,” Kubelka said. “I think it’s important because it really just draws people into the actual imagination of the play.”

The costumes and set design help establish the central ideas behind the show.

“In the show we’re playing a lot with colors, like the character’s personalities are reflected in the colors they wear,” Brumbelow said. “Scrooge’s outfits are very, very dark, while the clothing, for example, of the ghost of Christmas present, is very bright and very festive.”

Like Brumbelow, Kubelka sees the set as a crucial way to convey the production’s mood.

“Mr. Williamson and I, we really wanted something dark and creepy so we have the bed in the shape of a coffin, and we will have big pillars that go up and curtains around it for him,” Kubelka said. “[Scrooge’s] office is lifted and Bob Cratchet’s office is really tiny and small. There’s just a lot of dark stuff until the end, then we get light colors when he likes Christmas again.”

Instead of acting, technical theatre provides an opportunity for students to still be an important part of theatre productions.

“I feel like people are scared to come into theatre because they think ‘Oh, I don’t act and I get stage fright,’” Kubelka said. “I don’t act and I get stage fright, but I came in and I really found a place in technical theatre.”

the roar | feature | 13

friday, dec. 16, 2016

Kicking it Sophomore Ritika Annapareddy practices a punching technique .

Black belt learns self-defense, confidence in martial arts josh weimer | online editor

Annapareddy performs a technical position during practice.

Annapareddy perfects her punching technique.

PHOTOS BY JOSH WEIMER

Sophomore Ritika Annapareddy may be able to break boards in half, but she would never punch you in the face.

“Whenever I tell people that I do Taekwondo, they always ask me if I can beat people up,” Annapareddy said. “I mean, I can, but the purpose of Taekwondo is to defend yourself, not to beat other people up.”

Annapareddy started Taekwondo after observing her older brother, Ankur.

“My brother also did Taekwondo.

I watched him since I was a baby,” Annapareddy said.

“When I was in the third grade, I decided it would be fun to try.”

Now, after seven years of constant practice, Annapareddy has earned a third degree black belt. Her instructor, Master Michael Pak, stresses that the achievement isn’t just focused on the ability to fight others.

“At my school, a black belt is not someone who can beat up other people, or who is stronger than other people. A Black Belt is someone who strives to be the best that they can be, and then once they reach that help

other people to become better,” Pak said. “A black belt is someone who exemplifies respect, courtesy, honesty, and integrity, all of the tenets of Taekwondo.”

Pak believes Annapareddy is a prime example of someone who has become engrained with these values.

“One of the things that she has demonstrated that really is an embodiment of Taekwondo, is her re-

“Unfortunately, we have a stereotype in martial arts that this is a boy activity, which is completely false.

This is an activity for everybody,” Pak said. “In fact, the girls actually should do this more because national statistics show that girls will be more likely to be attacked than boys.”

Taekwondo has taught Annapareddy more than self-defense.

“For me personally, it taught me s elf-conf idence,” Annapareddy said.

“It’s really helped me in speaking to other people, since I was shy.”

Despite its intense nature, Annapareddy sees Taekwondo as a form of relaxation.

“It’s a great stress reliever for me,” Annapareddy said. “Whenever I go to do Taekwondo I don’t have to worry about school, friends, or any drama. It’s a great way for me to clear my mind.”

Annapareddy also hopes to teach others, and help them progress to a higher skill level. “[Currently], I’m training to be an instructor. I’m thinking of making it a part time job,” Annapareddy said. “There’s a program called ‘Tiny Tigers’ which is for two to four year olds, and the low rank class for white, orange, and yellow belts.”

“Unfortunately, we have a stereotype in martial arts that this is a boy activity, which is completely false.” sophomore ritika annapareddy

spect for people. She really does respect people. She is one of the few students I have that will never leave the school until she says goodbye to me,” Pak said. “You can tell people what integrity is, what respect is but until they actually practice it becomes really hard to grasp. That’s one of the things she has done over the years and continues to do at this time. She’s very kind, one of the nicest people I’ve met.”

Pak also states that Taekwondo shouldn’t be viewed as a male only activity.

14 | feature | the roar

friday, dec. 16, 2016

the good word Muslim students push to remove stigma surrounding Islam, work to promote unity jennifer zhan | senior editor This past spring, a neighbor asked junior and Muslim Student Association president Shayan Rajan why his mother didn’t wear the hijab.

“I explained to him that it’s a personal choice. But it occurred to me that a lot of people just don’t know what Islam really stands for,” Rajan said. “That conversation helped contribute to the idea to create a Muslim Student Association.”

At MSA meetings, members discuss community service projects as well as current events and issues. The club hopes that its existence will help combat the common perception that Islam is an oppressive or even hateful religion.

“You know, your friends might joke about things, and to a certain point, it’s okay, but there’s a line where things just aren’t okay, and are flat out racist,” Rajan said. “So [the purpose of the MSA is] to establish that line and bring us out more into the community so the community understands us.”

And while some of the other members have never heard those stereotypes directly, they said they are aware that many people associate Islam with hate and terrorism without being vocal about it.

“We just want to clear that image, to show that Muslims don’t have anything to do with violence,” junior and member Arwa Lakhani said. “We love to do service, we love to do stuff with the community, and we’re all about good deeds.”

Still, when Rajan first proposed the club, Lakhani admitted there was some concern.

“What if people take it in a wrong way, you know?” Lakhani said. “We were unsure about it, but [Rajan] struggled a lot to help us see that it would be good for our image,

for Muslims as a whole.”

After finding enough members to create the organization, the next challenge was finding a sponsor.

“There are no Muslim staff on cam- collabopus, and [they] would have been our first rate with choice,” senior and member Nooran Riaz Consol’s other religious organizasaid. “So we found someone who’s not tions, such as Interfaith.

“I feel like some people have the view Muslim but is open-minded. And that’s all that we’re kind of separating ourselves we needed.”

They found that tolerance in English from other religions and other races. And teacher and current MSA sponsor DeAnn I want them to know that [MSA] is for evAalbers. Although she agreed immediately, eryone,” Lakhani said. “I want other people Aalbers said she was a little surprised when to see our perspective of Muslims.”

Of course, in addition to making othshe was initially apers more comfortable proached. with Muslims, the MSA “The very first also seeks to create a safe thing I said was, ‘You place where Muslims know I’m not Musthemselves can be comlim, right?’ But as fortable. long as they’re okay “In a community as with it, I’m okay large as school, it’s good with it,” Aalbers said. to have people who are “They understand senior like-minded. You know that I don’t necessarthey believe in the same ily understand the things you do and you religion or the culcan find comfort in ture, because it’s not them when life gets hecsomething I’ve been tic, ” Riaz said.

“I love when I get to see all exposed to a whole lot, so they’re very accommodating. I have questions, and they the other Muslims together, all the hijabis explain. We’ve had some really good con- together. It’s like, ‘Hey, I’m not the only one.’” versations already.”

Rajan said the best part of MSA so far Rajan said he hopes to incorporate has been offering Muslims an opportunity non-Muslims into the organization.

“When we talk about things, we’re able gather together and be who they are. After to speak clearly and freely, but at the same November’s presidential election, for extime, it would also be cool to gain other ample, around 15 to 20 Muslims came to perspectives on whatever topics we dis- discuss the implications of the result without backlash. cuss,” Rajan said.

Aalbers said that she is working closeAt the same time, he added, visitors ly with the president and co-president to could gain more openness to society by experiencing another religious and cultural lay a foundation for the club.

“I think we’re all learning. They’re viewpoint. In the future, MSA hopes to figuring out what they need, things like

“We’re not here to destroy you. We’re here to live.” nooran riaz

fundraisers, and I’m working out what I need to do to help. But we’ve had some great discussions so far,” Aalbers said.

“It seems to be getting off to a great start.”

Club members also hope to see the club become a part of something larger.

“MSA is not just a thing that’s happening in Consol. All over America there are MSAs. Almost every college has an MSA now, and it’s going to high schools,” Riaz said. “Consol was just kind of late on joining the bandwagon. There’s a statewide competition called the Muslim Inter-Scholastic Tournament, where all the MSAs meet and compete with each other, that we’re planning on doing this year. The point is, it’s bigger than just our school.”

The members hope that Consol’s MSA will follow that pattern of growth.

“I would like people to at least be able to recognize the name MSA, to know that there’s a group of Muslims on campus who aren’t terrorists, who aren’t a part of ISIS, who aren’t what they think they are,” Riaz said.

Simply put, she wishes that others could see Muslims as people, too.

“We’re not here to destroy you. We’re here to live. Just because our religion is different doesn’t mean we hate you, doesn’t mean we want to kill you. Islam teaches us to love everyone, and that’s what we do,” Riaz said. “I hope people will see our organization and realize that we embody what Islam teaches us, which is peace.”

The Muslim Student Association meets every other Wednesday in room 2156.

sUN'S OUT friday, dec. 16, 2016

the roar | feature | 15

GUNS OUT

Former football player turns to powerlifting, wrestling, healthy lifestyle after injury

yanichka ariunbold | section editor Senior Sinathy Kao doesn’t bother looking at the weather forecast.

“In the mornings when I wake up, before I even know what it feels like outside, my knee will ache so I can tell how the weather is going to be for that day,” Kao said.

“Sometimes I get the feeling, like I think it’s going to rain, and it rains.”

Kao tore his ACL and meniscus during a football game against Willis last year, marking the start of a months-long journey to recovery.

“I could not walk after the surgery [on my knee]. I was on crutches—I had to learn how to bend my knee again, since I was not able to bend it at all,” Kao said. “I had to lay down in bed, and a machine would move my knee for me so I could get my range of motion back.”

Initially, Kao was overwhelmed by the prospect of “starting completely over” with his work in fitness thus far.

“I was like, ‘Okay, anything and everything that I could have possibly worked for is now crushed because I’m going to have to start over,’” Kao said. “But I looked up famous athletes that have broken through their injuries and

gotten back into their sports, and I was like, ‘If they can do it, I can do it.’”

With this resolute mindset, Kao focused on recovering as quickly as possible.

“I asked my doctor when the fastest recovery time for me was, and he told me that I should be up and running in about six months,” Kao said. “And I was like, ‘Is it possible to hit 4 months and start jogging again?’”

Kao eventually accomplished his goal—within four and a half months, he was running each morning and from there on “could only get better.”

“I would do rehab everyday, even when I wasn’t at the physical therapy center, and at home, I would work,” Kao said. “I slowly built off of that.”

Another facet of his recovery was his heightened focus on healthy eating, which was further influenced by his need to shed some pounds to stay “comfortably” within his weight class for powerlifting and wrestling, both sports he joined this year in lieu of football.

“At the beginning of this year, I weighed 222 pounds, and if I wanted to do powerlifting and or wrestling, I was going to have to drop to 197 pounds from 222,” Kao said.

“And I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll try to get down there by December,’ but within a month’s time, I was already at 198.”

In fact, Kao initially joined the wrestling team to encourage his parents to adopt the same healthy lifestyle he has practiced for the past couple months.

“All of a sudden, my dad was all for me joining wrestling, so I said, ‘If I start wrestling, y’all need to start being healthy and stick to a healthy diet,’” Kao said. “And they’ve stuck to it, so I’ll stick to [wrestling]. At first, I thought I wouldn’t like wrestling, but I enjoy doing it, so I’m going to keep going.”

Moreover, head powerlifting coach Tara Moore emphasizes Kao’s leadership abilities along with his dedicated work ethic.

“Kao will teach form and technique, and he helps others--motivates others,” Coach Moore said. “Having him in the classroom, he’s not just focused on himself but the teammates around him. Simply, he has an overall great attitude.”

Fellow powerlifter and senior Allie Wenzel agrees.

“A phrase he uses a lot is ‘What’s stopping you?’ If you’re really tired, and you just put some weights on the bar, he asks you, ‘What’s stopping you from putting another ten pounds on? Or another 25 pounds on?’” Wenzel said. “And before you know it, you’re doing more than you thought you could.”

the roar | sports | 16

friday, dec. 16, 2016

Girls’ golf works together to improve, reach success katerina kountakis | section editor

UP TO PAR

PHOTO OF TATUM JOHNSTON BY KATERINA KOUNTAKIS

As a golfer, an athlete has to have good foresight.

Junior Tatum Johnston stresses that though the team may not be the best score wise, they all work hard and come together.

“We all come to practice and we have great friendships on the team,” Johnston said. “Our coach and his wife are great; we are like one strong unit.”

In this powerful unit, there are three girls who are consistently the team’s leaders and represent the team’s returning letter winners.

Senior Amanda Jackson, junior Allie Vollentine, and Johnston all started playing golf their freshman year. According to Terral, each girl works very hard and has vastly improved over the years, while maintaining a role on the team.

As the only senior on the team, Jackson is the leader who brings everyone together.

“I definitely try to lift everyone up,” Jackson said. “I like to be friends with everyone on the team. So if two people don’t know each other, I bring them together.”

Jackson is like the big sister to the team.

With a couple of years of experience under her belt, Jackson is a great influence on the girls.

“Amanda is the ‘mama duck’ because she’s the only senior and she takes care of everyone,” Vollentine said. “She’s definitely a leader and she can really pinpoint what is wrong with someone’s swing and will help [them] out.”

Jackson is also known for being a genuinely kind person.

“Everyone loves being around her,” Johnston said. “She’s happy all the time and she’s willing to do anything for you. I have never seen her be mean to anyone and I think she’s a people person.”

Golf is a game known for its calmness and seriousness. However, Vollentine likes to bend the rules.

“I try not to be too serious about the golf game,” Vollentine said. “I like to make everyone laugh and when someone is having a bad day, I try to bring them up. I motivate the team by being really energetic. I am out there saying, ‘Hey let’s pick it up and have a good attitude.”

Every time the team hears a scream on the course during practice, they know its Vollentine.

“Allie is the most determined on our team,” Johnston said. “Whenever we are doing putting drills or something like that, and if she is having trouble, she will scream and you can hear her.

She would say, ‘I am not quitting ‘til I get it.’ She

is like that in everything she does.”

Vollentine has the determination that the team looks up to in practice and on the course.

“She really encourages everyone,” Jackson said. “She is so loud and if anyone does something good, she is just screaming. Or if we do something good in practice, we’ll run and chest bump each other. She’s just super encouraging.

If anyone is done in practice, she’d make sure they are happy.”

Johnston practices constantly and tries to keep a positive mind set.

“During the school year, I just practice with the team, but during the summer I literally practice every day,” Johnston said. “I think I definitely improved the most over the summer. I think if you have a positive attitude then it kind of spreads through everybody at practice. That’s definitely not easy and I am definitely not the best at it, but I think it is important.”

Johnston is known for encouraging her teammates and making sure everyone is alright.

“Tatum uplifts everyone like no tomorrow.

She is super supportive, even if you’re having a bad day, she would say, ‘It’s okay, you’ll do well,’” Jackson said. “She makes the team a lot more fun. If I have a bad day, she’ll encourage me and tell me it’s okay.”

In order to reach one of her goals of shooting lower than 90, Johnston works every day to improve and become better each swing.

“She’s a role model to me and the team because she works so hard,” Vollentine said. “If you want someone to look up to on the golf team, it should be Tatum because she works hard every single time she is on the course.”

Golf has greatly impacted Johnston, Vollentine, and Jackson’s lives.

“Golf is a really awesome game. When people look down on it, they should think twice about that because it takes so much effort,” Vollentine said. “Unlike volleyball or basketball where you can get super good in two years, golf is a lifelong sport and it takes a long time to perfect it.”

Even though golf takes commitment and requires hard work, the girls see golf as a game that has brought them all together.

“I am really happy I play golf, and that I stuck with it all four years,” Jackson said. “I didn’t think I would play golf and it is like the biggest blessing I have ever been given, because I learned so much about golf and myself. I can play golf for the rest of my life and it is such a good tool. The whole team is amazing, especially Allie and Tatum. I am going to miss them next year.”

the roar | sports | 17

friday, dec.16. 2016

Senior Mattie Lightfoot prepares to move her flag.

Sophomore Colton Rich wears a mask as he dances with Sophomore Chloe Merkel

Winter Guard members contemplate significance of perseverance and cooperation on team sueji han | staff reporter

Sophomore Athalie Schooler lowers her flag steadily.

PHOTOS BY VI BURGESS

WINTER IS

COMING

In Winter Guard captain and junior Makenna Greenawalt’s eyes, Winter Guard’s performances are more than merely waving flags--they’re stories.

“We pick a topic [for our performance] and express it through emotions and our visual effects,” said Greenawalt.

“We use equipment like flags, rifles, and other stuff.”

After marching season, they perform in different competitions across the state.

“We compete in this circuit called TCGC which is Texas Color Guard Circuit and is all indoor,” Greenawalt said. “We do it once a month in the second semester until April and you compete against other teams.”

In order to successfully perform, many components are required.

“They judge skill, emotions and character throughout the guard,” Greenawalt said. “They also judge design of the show, and wholeness in general.”

To get ready for competition season, they need to practice for numerous hours.

“We practice three days a week after school for at least two hours,” Greenawalt said. “Some [members] will take their stuff home and practice on their own so they’ll do better and on competition weeks we also practice on Fridays.”

Members learn how to use multiple tools in order to make their show more creative.

“Most of our flags and sabers are used as a visual,” Greenawalt said. “Everything we do has a visual effect to show meaning in the stories.”

As a group they need to work together to effectively tell the story, so seniors like Anna Reddy, who joined Winter Guard in eighth grade, work to share their experiences with new members.

“Since I have been here for so long, I’m able to help the new people understand what [Winter Guard] is all about,” Reddy said. “We understand how a show comes together to become a performance.”

As captain, Greenawalt strives to make sure “everyone is involved with everything and is connected.”

“You have to have skill, be able to spin, and gain respect from all of the members,” Greenawalt said. “You have to get onto them, but still be able to be friends with them at the same time.”

As competition season gets closer, Reddy is determined to have a successful season.

“I just want to have a good season,” Reddy said. “I just want to go out [to competition] and do the best we can.”

Winter Guard has changed its members school experience.

“It has helped me personally and brought my high school career and life together,” Greenwalt said. “ I don’t know what I would do without it; they are my people.”

18 | reviews | the roar

friday, dec. 16, 2016

CHEF TAI’S MOBILE BISTRO

katerina kountakis & june jeong section editor & opinions editor

The fancy Located on Lamar Street on A&M’s campus, Chef Tai’s is a delicious take on Mexican-Asian food at a reasonable price. Because the truck is located on main campus, the wait time may vary, but the food is definitely worth the wait since the food is so unique and delicious. We ordered the Japanese Chicken Teriyaki, which included a rice bowl filled with vegetables. All of this cost $10, including a drink. Benches under some trees create a nice atmosphere that is perfect for a sunny day. The good customer service made our experience all the more satisfying.

FUSION PERU

maya girimaji & jennifer zhan section editor & senior editor

TRUCKING ALONG The Roar reviewed various food trucks in the College Station area.

The hybrid

MICKEY’S SLIDERS

rachel lamb executive editor

The classic The Mickey’s Sliders food truck is a great place to grab a delicious meal. The food truck has a limited menu compared to the restaurant, but it still had a few diverse option to choose from. I ordered the Willie Nelson, which had a beef patty, smoked bacon, black truffle pepper mayo, cheese, onion rings, and BBQ sauce. It cost around $5. While the food was great, it was at an inconvenient location for anyone other than students at A&M who did not need to park, and was not a nice atmosphere to sit and eat.

Fusion Peru can be found in the Chevron parking lot across from Hullabaloo Dorms. While this may seem like a strange location, the area’s very open because it’s in the middle of Northgate. Fusion Peru is family-owned and operated. When we visited, we were served by the father and son of the business. Because of the food truck’s popularity, both were constantly occupied in the kitchen.

We ordered salchipapas, a common Latin American street food, the Machu Picchu burger, and chicken tacos.

Thanks to the efficiency of the two in the kitchen, however, we received our food in around five minutes.

Nearly every item on the menu is under $10. But we were given generous portions of rich Peruvian food, which managed to be very flavorful without being overly heavy or greasy.

All in all, Fusion Peru is just as good as any Latin American restaurant in town. The food truck will provide you with authentic and delicious food, while taking less of your money and time.

the roar | review | 19

friday, dec. 16, 2016

THE ROAR REVIEWS:

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS jennifer zhan | senior editor Coming into our very first game of Dungeons & Dragons was daunting to say the least. We were each given basic background information on our character’s ability, a sheet for tracking experience and health and several multi-sided dice. But after about 15 minutes, we’d picked up on the surprisingly simple concepts of D&D and could discard the handy cheat sheets that our Dungeon Master (DM) had provided.

In the game, you represent a character. In addition to having different backstories and personalities, everyone has different capabilities. For the sake of simplicity, we played with some template characters from online. There was a wizard in our party who had exceptionally strong spells. When we needed to kill a goblin, we could rely on him to attack from a long distance or send a freezing spell to buy us time. I was

a dwarf—extremely strong thanks to my background as a soldier. I was responsible for carrying members who didn’t have dark vision when we traveled through caves. Meanwhile, Maya, a human member of the clergy, drew on divine power to heal others, so we made good use of that ability during battle.

At first, we kept finding ourselves asking our DM to tell us who should use what attack, where we should go, and what was too dangerous. But the DM is only there to guide the story. If we wanted to see if a forest was dangerous, we should get one of the members of the company with high wisdom to perform a perception check on the area, or we should head for a completely different area, forcing the story to move elsewhere.The players are in control.

There’s a bit of luck in the game to keep the game from becoming just another choose-your-own-adventure story. Every action a character attempts to make

is related to a certain die. The dice mean that your plans don’t always succeed. A good DM will also try and force you to improvise. For example, we decided to enter a goblin lair by taking out the guard with a flame spell. Unfortunately, the noise and light from the attack set an entire army chasing us through a forest.

Before, it was hard to understand why people played D&D for say, eight consecutive hours. But after playing for two hours, it felt like we had only touched the surface. We all felt a little invested in our small company and our goals.

All in all, the game is what you want it to be.

There’s no pieces to move around on a board, no cards, no defined strategies to follow. The DM will guide you through the rules and stats, but the game takes place in your imagination.

20 | etcetera | the roar

friday, dec. 16, 2016

HOT WHEELS Car enthusiast pursues hobby, journeys towards future profession haley mitchell managing editor Senior Will Sullivan doesn’t need MTV—he can pimp his own ride.

“I’ve always had a passion for cars. It’s definitely what I’ve been for as long as I could even go in the shop. If I wasn’t walking, I was crawling in the shop,” Sullivan said. “My grandfather restores cars with me and we’ve always had classic cars. We restore them and sell them and keep them. It’s just a lot of fun to do.”

Sullivan is well known on campus for his mechanical expertise and for his own car, a 1980 Jeep CJ-5.

“It’s very out there. Everything about it is loud. From the paint to the speakers to the exhaust, it’s definitely not meant to be unobtrusive,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan found the Jeep in Louisiana underneath a barn collapsed by Hurricane Katrina and was impressed with its condition.

“I only had to go through the engine and drivetrain once, I didn’t have to replace hardly anything on that, and then the suspension was all there, and the only thing I really had to completely redo was the interior and the brake lines,” Sullivan said. “[The Jeep] was built right after the Vietnam era. AMC did a really good job designing that car for war.”

Sullivan attributes his success to his time in Consol’s Agricultural Mechanics classes.

“I definitely think I’m learning more about the process and the fine tuning of what I’ve done before high school,” Sullivan said.

“I’ve learned how to do electrical, I’ve learned how to do welding, I’ve learned how to get down a real process of how to take apart something and build it.”

John Templeton, Sullivan’s Agricultural Mechanics teacher of two years, is also impressed with his will to learn.

“He’s done nothing but improve.

When he came in here last year, he

knew little to nothing. He’s just taken like a sponge and soaked up everything that we’ve taught him and practices it and grows on it,” Templeton said. “He’s still got a lot of room to grow, but he’s trying every chance he gets.”

Sullivan also spends a good deal of time at car shows simply for the learning experience.

“I like walking around, talking to people.

I really connect with people who’ve done the stuff themselves and not sent it out to go be done somewhere else. In doing that, I learn a lot about how to do some things different,” Sullivan said. “Really, the process of showing is not just sitting there in front of your car; it’s engaging with people, telling what you know and learning from them and sharing your experiences.”

Sullivan is frequently one of the youngest people there.

“It’s an older art. Mechanics is kind of a fifties-through-eighties thing,” Sullivan said.

“Now everything is so darn complicated you have to have a computer en-

gineering degree to mess with it. That’s why I specialize in antiques.”

Sullivan and his grandfather have several different show cars including an MGTF, a 1956 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud I and a number of other trucks and sports cars. His interactions with others at car shows have come in handy as he works on his next project.

“I’m building a 1929 Ford Model A hot rod right now, and that’s completely from the ground up, I have to redo everything because all the stuff is almost a hundred years old, I can’t use it,” Sullivan said. “I’m putting in a Jaguar rear end, a brand new front suspension from a Mustang, fancy stuff. So I want to know. I go out to these people and I learn how they did it. So that I can apply their ideas to what I do and not go in blind.”

Sullivan is also working on a tractor restoration and a barbecue pit trailer for his Agricultural Mechanics class, where his enthusiasm is noticed by all.

“He’s a role model. His work ethic and everything is contagious to the other kids. He wants others around him to be as successful as him,” Templeton said. “That really helps out and makes teaching a lot easier.”

Sullivan’s work ethic has paid off in the three cars he has fully restored by himself and the 27 other builds he has assisted on.

“I work. I don’t go out with friends all that much. I don’t have a social life outside of football and whatnot. I spend at least 95 percent of my income on car stuff,” Sullivan said.

Still, he finds the rewards of his hobby to be the best part of the whole process.

“I mean, I hate to compare it to Frankenstein’s monster, but it’s essentially a feeling that you finally created something,” Sullivan said. “You build it all up, and then the moment you turn on the engine for the first time, it’s like nothing else. You just see all your work finally come to life.”

PHOTO BY HALEY MITCHELL