Vol. 21 No. 1

the

Roar

1801 Harvey Mitchell Pkwy. S., College Station, Texas 77840

Friday, Sept. 25, 2015

Vol. 21 No. 1

the right to

BARE ARMS

Administration, students disagree on dress code purpose, effect on student behavior yanichka ariunbold & vi burgess staff reporter & executive editor Principal Gwen Elder stands outside the library each morning promptly at 8 a.m. She doesn’t let anyone get by without a smile, a friendly greeting or the ominous, “Excuse me, can you come over here?”

“I used to always ask ‘Why did I call you over here?’ [and they would say], ‘Because of my shorts’ [and I would reply], ‘How’d you guess?’,” Elder said. “The people that I dress code now say, ‘I have jeans in my backpack.’”

Elder estimates that around eight to ten students are sent to the office to change each day.

“It’s gotten better since the first day of school,” Elder said.

inthisissue

news pages 2-3

opinions pages 4-5

viewpoints page 6

“It varies, and it’s typically not our upperclassmen because they understand our rules and expectations. Occasionally, I may have one or two.”

Administrators report the student’s name to the secretaries in the front office. If students do not report to the office, they are called from class.

“If they flat-out can’t bring anything or have anything and we don’t have anything to give them, then they spend the day in In School Suspension,” assistant principal Omar Espitia said.

“They’re not really in trouble per se, but they’re there because they can’t be in the regular student body.”

Students spend time away from class changing into other clothes or seeking clothes from the office to change into. But is dress code more important than education?

snapshots page 7

“dress code” continued on page 3

people pages 10-12

sports pages 13-14

entertainment page 15

2 | news | the roar

friday, sept. 25, 2015

UPCOMING EVENTS

New classes offer more than class lectures, prepare students for future what are called TEKS, which are tor and AP music theory teacher ert Houchins said. josh weimer UPCOMING the guidelines for what you must Keith Lathrom said. “It was exLathrom thinks that while assistant online editor September

28: College Night at Brazos Center: 5 PM 29: Picture Day 30: Homecoming voting: King & Queen

October 2: Pink Out 9: Black out Bryan 14: PSAT; Senior Skate; Homecoming Carnival 16: We Bleed Maroon Day 17: Homecoming at 7 PM in the cafeteria 23: AMCHS v. CSHS football game 30: Hero Day

As the population and diversity of Consol grows, so does the demand for new classes. And while the subjects of astronomy, AP music theory, and sculpting may not sound like they have a lot in common, there are more similarities than meet the eye.

Creating a new class isn’t easy. First, teachers must get the required paperwork from the front office, consisting of the name of the class and material being covered. Then, the paperwork must be approved by multiple committees before finally, if the paperwork is accepted, a new class is born.

“I really wanted to do it my first year of teaching but I didn’t know how to do it, like how to file the paperwork, and going through this meeting and that committee,” Chemistry and Astronomy teacher Samuel Childers said.

Even though a class might make it through the required paperwork to be accepted, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.

“The state of Texas has

the

learn, but those get covered re- tremely hard; I think it’s one of gardless,” Childers said. “So real- the hardest classes offered here at ly it was just I have my textbook Consol. Although I haven’t taken from A&M as far as a guide, and every class here, it was one of the really it’s just the first year, kind of hardest classes at my high school.” going from where I think logical But if students are willing to starting points would be.” tough out the difficulties, LathThe material for classes isn’t rom believes it’s worth the sacrialways defice. cided by “[AP the teachM u s i c “If something in class ers and T h e o ry] discussions sparks us to T E K S , is an exgo a different direction, though. tremely then that’s where we are Many times difficult going to go.” inspiration class at astronomy teacher Samuel Childers can come first, but I from the think that unexpected. once you get about three quarters “If something in class discus- of the way in to it, and you realize sions sparks us to go a different how much you learned, it’s very direction, then that’s where we are rewarding,” Lathrom said. going to go. And I have to plan acWhile these new classes cordingly,” Childers said. seem like they are for very niche Challenges arise in these new groups of students, the impact of classes for not only teachers, but the classes goes beyond just the for the students as well. students in them.

“This class is hard. It’s an AP “[Art II Sculpting] allows class. Music theory just by itself is students who aren’t in art to see a difficult concept to understand. different sculptures and a differI took this class when I was in ent type of art they wouldn’t norhigh school, and it was by far my mally see,” AP Art History, Art I, favorite class I took,” choir direc- and Art II Sculpting teacher Rob-

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his class in high school is beneficial to students now, he hopes to impact students’ lives even more in the future.

“If you take this class you’re going to have more knowledge and it will make you a better musician and a better performer,” Lathrom said. “You’ll know more about music, and so that way it can really benefit the community performing groups.”

And Childers also hopes his students will continue with astronomy beyond high school. “[Astronomy] is something you can really do as a hobby for your entire life. I’m hoping that it inspires those people to do this for the rest of their lives and see what’s up there and maybe it might inspire them to become professional astronomers,” Childers said.

And with all new classes, the teachers truly have a passion for their subject.

“This is exciting stuff to me,” Childers said. “There’s always something up there, even if it’s just a little point of light there’s something about that, and that really excites me.”

3 | news | the roar

friday, sept. 25, 2015

Dress code built upon different perspectives, creates conflict with administration “dress code” cont. from page 1 SLEEVES OVER SCHOOL

The official handbook states that “clothing should cover the body and should fit in a manner as to promote the modesty of the individual.”

“Well, modesty is a very subjective term, so I’m not sure how they have planned to enforce that,” junior Oceane Parker said. “You can wear something skin tight and not get dress coded, but you wear something that just shows a little sliver of your shoulder and oh man, go change.”

That particular wording in the handbook sparked a similar reaction in junior Joshua Brooks, who believes that girls are dress coded for “normal” clothes. “‘Promote the modesty of individuals’... that’s like saying, ‘All of you have to take the same test, but some of you have to wear handicaps to promote the modesty of some other people’s intelligence,’” Brooks said. “And so in the case of dress code, it’s girls. I don’t think a guy would get dress coded for something guys would typically wear, honestly.”

Despite popular student opinion, Espitia believes that the dress code doesn’t completely discriminate against any one group.

However, in cross country, the girls are asked to wear shirts when within a mile of campus while the boys are not required to wear anything other than shorts.

“I believe that there’s a need for men to be modest. I know that girls on the campus feel like they’re singled out, but we expect men to be modest as well. Nobody wants to see you without your shirt on,” Espitia said.

“Women’s fashion does leave more opportunities for modesty to be in question. But that’s not something I dictate, that’s women’s fashion.”

However, Elder tends to believe that modesty is merely a way to enforce the policy of ‘no distractions.’

“Whether you have the short shorts or a low cut shirt or whatever it may be, we really don’t want it to take away from learning,” Elder said. “Instead of focusing on learning, you’re focusing on whatever it may be that’s not covered.”

The policy of no distractions is built

ROBOTIC R E G S TI

on the assumption that clothing will distract others from learning, regardless of the fact that the student being dress coded often misses class time.

“If you have the internal sense of self-control, you can control yourself around clothing. It’s not gonna mess with you whenever somebody wears a tank top,” Brooks said. “Shoulders, as tempting as they are, are not distracting.”

Female students, who are dress coded for exposed shoulders more frequently, are also more commonly pulled from class to change, which sparks outrage in junior Isabel Garcia.

“I don’t really understand why there’s a reason to censor the body, because it’s just a body; it’s just anatomy,” Garcia said. “Guys are seen as nonsexual beings, but girls are viewed as sexual objects. I don’t understand that because we’re literally developing adolescents.”

DRESS FOR SUCCESS

Clothing traditionally has been one of the few ways people have been able to express themselves. However, the dress code restricts the choices students can make for the majority of each day, five days a week, thirty six weeks a year.

“Once we get to this age, people should dress better, more responsibly,” freshman David Columbus said. “But that should be a personal thing, not something the school needs to swoop in and teach kids about.”

Many students opt for comfort over fashion, or what the administrators consider to be “nice dress.” Parker, who often wears Nike shorts or leggings and long shirts, is one such student.

“Obviously, if I were defined by the clothes I wear, well, I should probably go drop out of school and be a hobo,” Parker said.

“But I think that for a lot of people, it’s really important to define who they are [through clothing].”

Elder would prefer that students define themselves with less casual dress.

“I’m one [who says] if you go around looking slouchy, you are probably going to produce slouchy work,” Elder said. “But that’s not the case for all because there are some brilliant people that perform really well in comfortable clothes.”

The primary example of commonly

worn comfortable clothes is leggings. However, with the invention of skin-tight, stretchy jeans, the distinction is minimal.

“What does [“pants”] constitute, depending on the person’s size and the material?” Espitia said. “The way the district defines it is if they have pockets, then they’re okay.

They can be pretty much be skin tight jeans, but as long as they have pockets on them, we let them be.”

Although popular student opinion tends to be against the dress code, some of the students who are dress coded believe it to be a reasonable institution.

“They’re just being fair. I understand it, but it’s just not me, you know,” sophomore William Curtis said. “When I sag, they automatically think I’m a bad boy. I dress to impress.”

CONSTRAINED FREEDOM

Economics teacher Jason Pratt believes the dress code allows an enormous amount of freedom, even within its constraints.

“There was a fantastic girl a couple of years ago that used to wear straight up seventies garb, because she liked the way it looked.

That was being expressive. There’s so many kids that want to dress a certain way because they’re expressing themselves,” Pratt said. “If you’re truly being an individual, then be an individual. It’s a very rare thing to see kids that are actually unique. You’re just looking like everybody else.”

Regardless of the amount of choice students have in expressing themselves, the dress code is omnipresent in American secondary education.

“Honestly, in this day and age, it’s more in place as a staple of society,” Brooks said.

“Not a good staple, but a common trope of high school, if you will.”

Each year, Consol students continue to complain, and each year, the Consol dress code is changed. But Pratt is fed up with the whining.

“I’m annoyed at the dress code conversation because we can be so unique in what we wear now. It’s always like, ‘How far is far enough?’ Kids are like, ‘I want to be more unique,’” Pratt said. “You’re already super unique in what you can wear. You’re already super unique in what you can do.”

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4 | viewpoints | the roar

friday, sept. 25, 2015

can’t hear the Inquiry into hearing aid fosters reflection, self acceptance

yanichka ariunbold staff reporter

What sparked my recently renewed interest in the science behind my hearing aid started out as a pretty ordinary scene. Someone walked up to me at school and asked what happened to my left ear-- if that’s what you can call the endearingly small bundle of cartilage (as endearing as small bundles of cartilage can get) that somewhat resembles an ear if you turn your head a certain way.

With a familiar flourish of indifference, I replied robotically, “Oh, I was born like that.”

Although this unintentionally vague response is usually enough to dispel further inquiries, this particular student was almost aggressively inquisitive, asking, “What kind of surgeries did you have? How’d they put the implant for the hearing aid here? What’s the implant made of? What kind of hearing aid is it? How does it transmit sound? What is the meaning of life?” Okay, maybe not the last question, but it struck me that to me the others were just as unanswerable. I felt like Chutney from “Legally Blonde,” when Elle viciously cross-examines her in court about perm maintenance. (Don’t pretend like you haven’t watched Legally Blonde. We all know the truth.)

That incident was a wake up call. I realized I was embarrassingly uneducated about this important part of me that, despite what I often like to think, does impact my life to a certain degree. For example, lacking

sound depth is a kind of annoying because if you call my name, chances are I will look every other direction before I see you, just like I won’t know where my phone is ringing unless it’s on my person. It’s also always a little awkward to inconspicuously swivel my head to a friend who’s talking to me on my deaf side, especially if they’re trying to

nal, undergo surgery to get an implant for the BAHA, known in the medical world as the Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid. The doctors had apparently fused titanium with the bone in my skull right above the ear to make the implant where the BAHA would process sound through bone conduction instead of traditional air conduction.

Since this discovery, I haven’t minded the whirring of the machine as much. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still an annoying sound, but the fact that I’m hearing it through vibrations in my skull strikes me as incomprehensibly amazing.

So I guess being deaf on one side certainly is a classic “is your glass half empty or half full” type deal; however, maybe it doesn’t matter. Maybe you don’t need labels because the amount in your glass won’t change either way and maybe you should just be content you got options in the first place. After all, there are no discrepancies concerning what to call a glass that’s completely empty.

If you want to be technical, I suppose I am half-deaf. But it’s not like I’m hearing only 50% of what I’m supposed to. It’s always been 100% to me. It’s the medium through which I hear that varies, whether it’s through my right ear, the indescribably strange vibrations I feel when I put my left ear up to a speaker, the bones in my skull via the miraculous hearing aid I so unfairly underappreciated or even the ringing from my left ear I only seem to hear in the dead of the night, so gentle and imperceptible I feel

“If you want to be technical, I suppose I am half-deaf.

But it’s not like I’m hearing only 50% of what I’m supposed to.” whisper some life-or-death secret to me-- I can tell you right now that never ends well.

But on the plus side, if I’m on the right side (which actually is my right side), I can sleep through any kind of noise, like my neighbors’ yappy dogs, or the volcanic snores of certain nasally congested persons (not saying any names). And all I have to do is rest my head on the pillow a certain way.

My quest for self-discovery began with hours scouring the Internet for scientific journals and uncomfortable emails to my doctor whom I hadn’t talked to in about eight years. I didn’t have much to go on except the mysterious name my parents called my hearing aid- The Baha. But as I sifted through online articles, I learned that people like me, without a functioning ear ca-

like I’m imagining it. And maybe I am, but it lulls me to sleep nonetheless.

Yanichka is a staff reporter for the Roar.

Want to share a similar story? Contact her at the.roar.ariunbold@gmail.com

WHAT IS

BAHA?

The BONE-ANCHORED HEARING AID is a type of hearing aid based on bone conduction.

The majority of the conventional hearing aids transmit sound through the medium of air conduction.

the roar | viewpoints| 5

friday, sept. 25 , 2015

Experience as camp counselor becomes outlet for internal growth

vi burgess executive editor “MISS VI! FIX IT! FIX IT!” the counselor, Miss Natalie, screamed as she sprinted across the room. “IT’S ON FIRE!” “Uh, okay,” I replied, meandering slowly through the waist-high swamp of five year olds covered in Go-Gurt and Goldfish crumbs. I pushed open the microwave, and there it was--the Chick-fil-a sandwich still in the bag that had flames all over it oh my God. I stood there numbly—what was I supposed to do, stick my hand in the microwave, into the fire, to save some bratty kid’s lunch?

The flames grew higher and higher, and Miss Natalie, who was supposed to be the responsible one supervising me, a 16-year-old-counselor-in-training-who-forgot-about-thefire-extinguisher, was long gone.

I just burst into laughter, the hysterical, snorting kind of hilarity that just won’t stop forcing itself out. The kids

had moved to stand behind me like a gaggle of geese, and of course, being kindergarteners, started giggling too. Let’s be real: fire is freaking awesome if you’re not going to get in trouble for it later.

After the fire burned itself out (it only took around a minute), I retrieved the bag, dusted off the ashes, and discovered the sandwich wasn’t actually burned, just a little ashy. No big deal, right, since kids eat dirt anyway? I shuffled it onto a plate, warmed it up again since apparently burning a bag doesn’t actually heat up a sandwich, and plopped it down on the brown butcher paper in front of the kid. I mean, it was still edible. Probably.

The main theme of working at a summer camp is pretty much “eh, it’s probably fine anyway”. For seven hours each day, working was more like dealing with this problem or that problem or whatever really needed to get fixed right then. Most of it wasn’t that major or time-consuming; usually, all I had to do was take a kid to the bathroom or fill up their water bottle before they went outside.

But then you have children like “The Demon Child”, as we called one terrifying five year old. In the week that I taught him, he peed on another kid, adorned the white walls with brown-paint-handprints, made us change his underwear, and stuffed his stuffed turtle down his pants and ran around yelling “It’s attached to me!”

I loved it (not him. I despised him).

Well, not the stuffed turtle either. But I loved how they couldn’t tell the difference between shower handles and handbag hangers, how they pushed insistently on my back when I walked too slowly in front of them, how they wiggled away

while I rubbed sunscreen in messy globs on their noses.

Those ten energetic kids made me understand that in order for them to listen, I had to be like them; you can try being a rational adult with children but it’s just not going to work.

Far from being forced to revert to childhood, I was allowed to be a kid again, from coloring sheets to Red Rover to watching The Hunchback of Notre Dame (even though I did have to yell at them to sit back down in your chair right now if you do it again you’re going to time out).

They had no inhibitions, none of the little social taboos we’re all taught to avoid; in their ignorance, they were more free than any of us could ever be. For us, it’s not easy to hug and touch other people, not natural to ask for what we want, not accepted to express ourselves beyond what’s “normal”, and that’s just the way growing up works.

What we lose all too soon is our fleeting childhood innocence, when days are filled with catching crickets and playing with dolls, when we’re not scrambling to finish chemistry labs and timed writings and history projects. Soon enough, we’re all going to be consumed in a machine of college and jobs and all the adult stuff; life becomes less for us, but more for the next day, the next year, the next lifetime--that we don’t have anyway. As we grow up, we lose our time to live, and we seem to do that blindly with a bland indifference.

So when I had blue watercolor paint running down my legs, dirt on my fingers and my shoelaces tied together, I was completely happy.

Vi is the executive editor at The Roar. Do you want to talk about summer experiences? Contact her at the.roar.burgess@ gmail.com.

Mother’s college letters provide bridge between mother and daugther

olivia garrett entertainment editor I’ve always thought of myself as different from the rest of my family. I’m the skinny one, the quiet one, the nerdy one.

The one who likes books better than other people. I’m not the socialite or the athlete.

When the opportunity to attend a sporting event or social function arises, I’d rather stay home. And I’ve had several political discussions over the dinner table that were uncomfortable to say the least. I pride myself on being different. I don’t believe something simply because my parents do and I am more than a matching face in a family portrait.

Yet recently, I’ve come to the difficult I felt as though I was reading someconclusion that I’m surprisingly similar to thing that I had written, not because her one specific member of my family. I didn’t experiences mirror mine, but because our have one of those oft mentioned epiphanies thought processes were shockingly similar. ending with “Oh, no! I’m turning into my I’ve always known that I inherited my mom’s mother!” you see all the time on television. stubbornness, but I was unaware we had Instead, I realized that much else in common. perhaps my mother Somehow, alI felt as though I was read- though was once just like me. our opinions ing something that I had and outlooks are difI didn’t change, and written, not because her ferent, they are fueled neither did she, at least not all at once. She experiences mirror mine, by similar motivations evolved, matured over but because our thought and reside in heads the years. processes were shocking- that share more than When my mom just physical features. ly similar. was leaving college I can’t explain the exand entering adult life, tent of the sameness I she wrote letters to her siblings regularly. felt as I read my mother’s letters other than My aunt saved these letters and recently to say that I recognized something in her brought them back out. Reading these let- words. I know that my sisters didn’t feel ters was illuminating. I watched through the the same because their response to the letlens of twenty years as my mom lived out ters fell along the lines of “That sounds like scenarios that I’d previously only known as Mom,” not “That sounds like me.” stories. But it was the prose of the letters that If a person is who they are because of surprised me. their experiences, like a jumbled collage

‘‘

of every triumph and heartbreak, then my similarity to my mother makes no logical sense. Our lives have been different in almost every way — in time period, family dynamic, location, and economic opportunity. Following this rule, we often have differing opinions. Yet, underneath a thought is the thought process, and my mother and I have similar characteristics and tendencies.

So, I must believe that the essence of a person is rooted in something deeper, linking generations.

Next year, I’ll move away from home.

As cheesy as it sounds, I’ll be starting the rest of my life. I wonder how I’ll evolve- whether I’ll even recognize the idealistic youth that I am today. Though she might have the work ethic of a Puritan and the stubbornness of a mule, I know that I would be lucky to end up like my mom.

Olivia is the entertainment editor at The Roar. Want to discuss familial relationships with her? Email her at the.roar.ogarrett@ gmail.com.

6 | viewpoints | the roar

friday, sept. 25, 2015

OPPOSING

Should US gun Should US gun control control laws fffffff f laws change? k c change?

43.48%

yes, be more flexible 49.28%

yes, be stricter

7.24%

no, stay the same sample size: 70 students

Firearms in America w

full metal facts

STUDENT VIEWS

On August 26th, 2015, four instances of gun violence brought the United States to an average of more than one mass shooting per day.

The right to bear arms is protected by the Second Amendment to the Constitution; however, there has been widespread debate concerning how far the protection should extend.

Texas is one of the least-restricted states in terms of gun control.

Citizens do not need to register firearms or have a permit to purchase a gun. No permit is necessary for the open carry of rifles and shotguns.

Supporters of stricter gun control have formed groups such as the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and say that guns enable the rising number of shootings and suicides in the country.

However, advocates from the National Rifle Association and other groups claim that guns are used for self defense over 2 million times a year. That statistic has been hotly contested, but a 2013 study says that 48% of gun owners have guns in the interest of their own protection, while 32% keep guns for hunting purposes.

In the United States, gun legislature is a hotly debated topic. However, since both parties are unwilling to compromise, it does not seem like the issue will be resolved in the near future.

Sources: shootingtracker.com, washingtonpost.com, nraila.org, people-press.org

The Roar 2015-2016 Staff Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Executive Editor Senior Editor Online & Photography Editor Assistant Online Editor News Editor Features Editor Opinions Editor Entertainment Editor Staff Reporters Faculty Adviser Assistant Adviser

Annie Zhang Stephanie Palazzolo Vi Burgess Rachel Lamb Haley Mitchell Josh Weimer Darcey Rydl Maya Girimaji Jennifer Zhan Olivia Garrett Yanichka Ariunbold June Jeong Michael Williams Chauncey Lindner

The Roar Editorial Board Annie Zhang • Stephanie Palazzolo • Jennifer Zhan

pro gun control

sophomore

ABIGAIL MEDINA "I believe that if the people really have their minds set on going on a mass shooting or something terrible like that, they would still be able to obtain the weapons illegally.”

"A lot of people make the argument that guns don’t kill people, people kill people.

And they’re right, but gun control laws are for people to make it safer to handle guns. "

anti-gun control

sophomore

JACKSON DERBES

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, 2000-2015 ILPC Award of Distinguished Merit, the CSPA Gold Medal Award, the NSPA All-American distinction and 2005 & 2014 ILPC Bronze Star and 2007-2013 & 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. 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.

7 | snapshots | the roar

friday, sept. 25, 2015

got 99 problems

BUT A AIN’T ONE Senior finds passion sewing prom dress, painting silk scarves olivia garrett entertainment editor Few teenagers would consider wearing a Halloween costume to prom as normal, or even sane, behavior; however, when the outfit in question is a ballgown designed and sewed by hand, like senior Maria Sottile’s, this wardrobe choice seems a little less odd. “[Maria] is very eccentric, but in a good way. She likes to do her own thing and doesn’t care what anybody else thinks,” junior Océane Parker said.

Sottile, whose completed projects include a prom ball gown, a homecoming dress, and a Gatsby-themed dress, first began sewing in sixth grade, when she made her a Halloween costume with the help of her grandma.

“My mom was getting annoyed because Halloween costumes are so expensive and you only wear them once, and so she suggested that I talk to my grandma, and find a pattern and make a Halloween costume with that,” Sottile said.

Contrary to popular belief, Sottile feels that sewing your own clothes isn’t that complicated of a task.

“You just put [the fabric] on the sewing machine, press the pedal, and run the fabric through the machine,” Sottile said.

According to Sottile’s friends, her artistic feats, which include not only sewing, but also painting silk scarves, are more impressive than she admits.

“She’s super creative and you’ll just find out that she has this talent,” Parker said, “I didn’t even know she could paint until like a year ago, and she’s really good at it. She has all these little talents and quirks that make her super awesome and unique.”

Sottile’s scarves, which she hopes to sell, are as unique as she is.

“I made one that I used to take out my anger about something,” Sottile said, “I just started painting a lava flow and dead trees, and that helped, so I got happier and I painted flowers.”

Together, Sottile and Parker created an Instagram account, @mar_silk, to showcase her work.

“I wanted to publicize for her and at least get people that we know aware of her stuff, because it’s kind of odd to go up to someone and be like ‘Hey I make scarves, just remember and buy from me’,” Parker said.

The Instagram account, though fairly new, has attracted the attention of professionals from various places around the globe.

“We’ve gotten likes from people from New York and Mumbai who are interior designers and little clothing store owners and they like her stuff,” Parker said.

As a supportive friend, Parker hopes that Sottile’s business will take off.

“I think that she can make a lot of money from [her work] because there’s a huge market on like sites like Etsy that want hipster hand-painted silk scarves,” Parker said, “I think they’re gorgeous.”

Despite her artistic talents, Sottile plans on pursuing a more scientific career choice.

“I’m going to major in engineering,” Sottile said, “that’s all I have planned for now.”

However, Sottile hopes that she will able to pursue both passions in college without too much stress or financial strain.

“I haven’t decided if I want to double major or minor in art,” Maria said, “I think being a fashion designer would be pretty cool.”

Sottile models her Gatsby-themed

Maria Sottile twirls in the ball gown she sewed for her Junior prom.

Sottile and her first hand-painted scarf.

8 | sports | the roar

MEET THE BAND senior Rebekah Walker

friday, sep

in the shadows

of a GIANT

Organizations prepare for football season despite lack of recognition darcey rydl | news editor It’s Friday night, a quarter to seven, and the audience is starting to fill in the stands as the football team is stretching.

Meanwhile, the cheerleaders are hauling supplies to the field.

The band warms up, blasting music through the hallways, and the trainers and film crew set up their equipment.

All of August had been dedicated to this one moment, and though each organization prepared differently, the end result is the same – supporting the football team.

floutist

senior Kyubin Shim

drum line

senior Jared Cathey

tubist senior Nicolas Farmer

horn player

“As drum majors, we have to work as a team to make sure everything is coinciding,” se- nior and head drum major Fallon Wenck said. “My job [as head drum major] is to bring everyone together on the field and off the field; [I] make sure everyone is working as a full unit.”

However, unlike the cheerleaders, the drum majors would appreciate if the band was recognized more for their work.

“We spend hundreds of hours over the fall,” senior Simon Kapler said. “We put in about the maximum number of hours UIL will allow us each week over the entire fall semester. We start before school even starts, a month before any other students arrive on campus, and yet the only time we are recognized is if we don’t do something.”

Marching practices start the first week of August and during the school year, the band practices seven to eight hours a week. Unlike most organizations associated with football, the band rehearses at 6:30 in the morning instead of after school.

“People don’t understand how much work we actually put into our performance,” junior Graham Waller said. “They think we can go out and learn the show in a week. They think, ‘Oh, they’re just walking in circles and straight lines.’ In reality, it’s not that way at all.”

Aside from marching at half time, the band also competes at consecutive competitions in the month of October.

“In addition to waking up super early like 5 a.m. or ear-

lier, and then going to practice and going to school at lot of people stay after school and do private lessons, region, and pass offs,” Wenck said. “And then contests are all day [which means more] early mornings and late nights.”

In addition to practicing marching drill, the band also practices their music which they dedicate their band class to. “[Band is] an extension of the music; everyone loves to hear the music. It really pumps up the players and gets the crowd involved,” Kapler said.

Even with the lack of acknowledgment, football games would not be the same without the band.

“Football [players] wouldn’t be able to feed off of our energy,” Waller said. “People don’t realize how much we contribute to the morale of the students.”

The band continues to acknowledge the importance of its work on the field and works hard to meet its own expectations.

“By having fun ourselves, we are contributing to the overall experience,” Wenck said.

Despite the limited acknowledgment the band receives from the public, the pride within the band is more satisfying.

“When band members see the drum majors hyped up, they are encouraged to be excited about what [they] are doing,” Waller said. “[The members] are more eager to cheer on the football team.”

the roar | sports | 9

t. 25, 2015

“Our job [overall] is to get everybody excited about watching the game,” senior and captain Kayla Brock said.

Without the cheerleaders’ contribution to the football events, senior Ashley Bolton concedes there would still be a football game, but the atmosphere would be different.

“A lot of the stuff we do is behind-the-scene work,” Bolton said. “It is hard to appreciate something that most people don’t know about.”

The cheerleaders have to dedicate every day of August to prepare for football season.

“Our whole month of August is completely consumed,” Bolton said. “We can’t do everything when school starts. We plan ahead a lot.”

Not only do they practice their cheers and stunts, but they also spend many hours making game day signs to put in the hallways.

“One week, we were up here for eight hours a day painting signs,” Bolton said. “It takes time.”

Besides setting up football games, the cheerleaders are in charge of arranging the pep rallies.

“The pep rallies are completely planned by us,” Bolton said. “Throughout the week, in academic success, Kayla and I are with Ms. Key (the cheer coach) planning what is going on [in the pep rally].”

Before the pep rally begins, the cheerleaders are dismissed from classes a few hours before everyone else in order to organize people and activities.

“We leave class early to go set up the mats, make sure the schedule for the pep rally is right, and then go change,” Brock said. “[Then we] make sure everyone knows where they are going, make sure the football team is there, make sure the band [and drumline] is on the same page, and that Pratt’s on the same page.”

Once Friday night approaches, the cheerleaders have many things to do before they can start rehearsing.

“We do all the technical things behind the stage,” senior Lyndi Hall said. “You learn over time how to get better at it.”

Instead of providing entertainment during football games, the film crew ensures practices and games run as smoothly as possible with few mistakes. “[The coaches] can’t see everything,” Hall said. “We make sure plays get done better and positions are spot on, so they know exactly what to do.”

Not only does the film crew benefit the coaches and assist the team, it allows the players to directly find their own mistakes.

“Coaches see mistakes all the time, but the players don’t see,” Hall said. “So without what we do, the players wouldn’t be able to fully understand what the coaches are

“We eat, and then we have to come back to the locker room to get megaphones and poms and water and signs.

Then [we] go out to the field and set all that stuff up,” Brock said. “We practice the Alma Mater routine [that] we do for pre-game and practice tumbling and jumping. Then the game starts.”

The part that the audience witnesses the cheerleaders doing—cheering and stunts— isn’t the toughest part of their job.

“Once the game starts, it’s a piece of cake,” Brock said.

“The hardest part is hauling everything from our locker room all the way to the field.”

Despite all the time and hard work, Brock and Bolton agree it is worth the effort.

“We are so passionate about it,” Bolton said. “We are not a priority, but we do what we do—not for the praise of the people, but for school spirit.”

However, Brock admits what would make the experience even better is more involvement and enthusiasm from the student section.

“I would feel appreciated if they appreciate school spirit and represent the school,” Brock said. “It is nice to have a support system behind any athletic event. It helps the team to know there are a lot of people supporting them.”

Whether the student section decides to get involved or not, the cheerleaders are not discouraged.

“Win or lose, no matter what the score is, we are still there,” Brock said.

saying.”

They film all the varsity practices and football games and the home games for the freshmen and JV games, and they also work during the school day.

“During 4th and 5th we make sure everything is charged and [any] extra footage is deleted off the cameras,” Hall said. “When practice starts, we get there right after school and we set up and film the practice.”

Although the crew tries to eliminate as many mistakes as possible, not all practices are run without technical difficulties.

“After practice, we stay for however long we need,” Hall said. “Sometimes there are technical problems where it takes hours to fix, especially after football games. This last game I didn’t get home until one [A.M.].”

Even if the crew is not saved a center stage spot during half time, the job they accomplish is enough to satisfy their hard work.

“We get recognized in our own little way,” Hall said. “I don’t mind if the school doesn’t know [about] what we do because it helps the team, and that’s what I do it for.”

MEET THE SQUAD

junior Jenna Grey

cheerleader

senior Jill Cope

cheerleader

seniors Taylor Derr & Kenedi Krueger

cheerleader To read more about the trainers, scan the QR code below.

10 | people | the roar

a bridge to the past

friday, sept. 25, 2015

stephanie palazzolo| managing editor

Student discovers challenges, salvages, restores battered instrument Bass notes thumping in the background and the colorful lights of the speaker illuminating his face, senior Alex Cantrell tinkers with the innards of his “deadmau5” speakers. He’s surrounded by keyboards and screens, wires and buttons. In his free time, he builds miniature computers.

But in a couple hours, he’ll be adjusting wooden pegs, not wiring, and attaching violin strings, not lightbulbs.

“It’s two sides of the same coin,” orchestra teacher Jane McCormick said. “[It’s] pretty funny, with Alex being so skilled with the ‘techno’ side of things that he’s gotten into something so organic as a violin.”

A seven-year violist, Cantrell discovered a battered $12 violin in a Colorado thrift shop while hiking with his friends through Mount Antero. “[The thrift shop] had a few instruments; there was also this violin with one or two strings, no bridge and overall just beaten up,” Cantrell said. “I was just going to have to add a bridge and some new pegs and strings, but looking into it, I actually saw previously attempted repairs that were done with Elmer’s glue. I realized that it was going to be a lot bigger project.”

Cantrell couldn’t infer much about the origin of the violin, which is modeled after those created by 17th century craftsman Antonio Stradivarius, but he discovered a few clues from the construction of the instrument itself.

“I get the feeling it used to be a couple thousand dollars before all of this happened to it,” Cantrell said. “But there are some indications that it was actually a cheaper instrument.

There are these certain pegs that are made to align with the top of the violin, and they’re normally made like that for mass production so people who aren’t craftsmen can line them up properly and just glue it on.”

The violin’s mangled state was the main reason Cantrell struggled with identifying the violin.

“To begin with, the seams were broken open,” Cantrell said. “The [seam on the] top of the ribs is made with a special type of glue called Hide Glue that allows it to open up [during] any kind of fluctuation of weather, humidity or heat. The entire instrument is supposed to vibrate as one, but with that open seam, you don’t have the vibration going through all of the instrument properly.”

Cantrell soon discovered even more issues with the instrument.

“A good chunk of one of the sides of the top part of the violin had fallen off and been shoddily repaired, like, Elmer’s Glue repaired,” Cantrell said. “It was obvious that it was going to break off if I even tapped it.

-senior Alex Cantrell There was also three or four major cracks in the other parts of the top of the violin, [and I] also had to reset all the pegs.”

After speaking with local repair technician Josh Thorn of Thorn Music Center and Googling for hours, Cantrell began to order the supplies he would need for the repairs, such as very small spruce chips called “cleats.”

“You need to cross the grains of the violin wood in order to make it hold better,” Cantrell said. “You can buy cleats themselves or get pieces from really old violins [shave] them down [to] a millimeter thick [and] just stick them on there.”

And then the real work began. “[I used one cleat] for small cracks, two to three for larger cracks,” Cantrell said. “I also had to deal with a big crack [that] we had to let that dry for 24 hours. You have to make sure it’s all closed because if you dry it while it’s open, it’s going to be left open.”

In addition, Cantrell had to replace the soundpost, a small dowel within the violin that provides structure and transfers sound between the two plates.

“You stick the soundpost with this very sharp tool, put

I actually saw previously attempted repairs that were done with Elmer’s glue.

I realized that it was going to be a lot bigger project.

chin rest

finger board

it in and pull until the tool comes out,” Cantrell said. “Then you use the other end of the tool and push the soundpost further in until it stays. It’s all actually done with the top of the violin on.”

However, the most delicate work is done on the bridge of the violin, a thin support that’s used to hold up the strings.

“Bridges are actually one of the most tedious parts of violin-making because you have to fit the feet perfectly with the top of the violin,” Cantrell said. “They start out flat, so you have to do a mixture of carving and sanding down the feet the fit the [curved] violin perfectly. Then you have to thin the bridge as well. [With] less wood, and therefore, more weight [from the strings], it’s going to have better sound quality since the bridge won’t absorb as many of the vibrations.”

The actual manual labor, not including time for ordering and shipping supplies, took about a week and $200. However, violin repairs often run even higher than that.

“Every instrument is different and has a different starting place,” Thorn said. “From what I’ve seen, I would estimate that a physical restoration would have been somewhere between $300 - 500. A full restoration would run probably $750 - 900.”

After finishing his current restoration, Cantrell plans to try building a violin from scratch, which could cost up into the thousands and would be much more difficult.

“First you have to come up with a design that’s standard, and not only do you have to have the right shape, but you have to have the right depth,” McCormick said. “If you’re talking about an artisan instrument, they’ve actually even tuned the top and back plates to get a certain pitch.”

Even after three years of tech classes, Cantrell finds that building violins have a much different set of problems than repairing computers.

“This is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this, [but] I’m getting more into the ideas behind the violin making,” Cantrell said. “Obviously, I play, [but] you don’t think about it that much while playing it. Go and tinker with a violin—it’s actually pretty difficult.”

parts of a violin

bridge pegs

scroll

friday, sept. 25, 2015

the A u c o

the elders

the Lelands

FAMILY TIES

inS

11| people | the roar

Faculty parents, students talk pros and cons of family at school something, she can usually do it at school.”

However, probably the best thing There’s the occasional hello in the hallway about being in the same building is getor the obvious attempt at avoidance. Some days ting to see each other every day. it’s the tortuously long walk as they make their “On any given day, [Burl] comes by to see way to deliver bad news. And for the luckier me. Even if [he] doesn’t stop, or give me a hug or ones, it’s the mad sprint down the hallway as say hi, just seeing him in the hallway is a bright a woman dressed as an old lady chases them, spot [in my day],” English teacher Freda Carscreaming “Come back, young man! I want to raway said. “I think it’s neat to know the people give you a kiss!” Many of these are daily experi- he knows. I [also] like that I know his teachers ences for students who have teachers as parents. really well. That’s a relationship I get to have For many students, it would be their worst that most parents don’t.” nightmare to have Despite the their mom or dad perks, there is some “It’s an added pressure teach at their school. pressure with beYet, several teenagers of trying to be perfect.” ing a teacher’s child. managed to embrace “[My sons] may not and even enjoy the - principal Gwen Elder always feel that they have fact that their parent is the opportunity to make just a short walk away. some of the typical teen“I feel great about it. I especially like having ager mistakes,” principal Gwen Elder said. “It’s just the food in the fridge, and it’s also nice having an added pressure of trying to be perfect, and we a contact in the school,” junior Burl Carraway all know there’s no such thing as a perfect person.” said. “Having a mom that works here does In addition to the pressure, each son/daughter help because [my teachers] know the name had to learn how to cope with their well-known and they know who to talk to if they need to.” last name that followed them around each year.

Along with having a highly accessible stock of “I’ve had teachers kiss up because they knew food, each son/daughter could easily list off sev- I was Mrs. Elder’s son,” senior Derrick Elder eral other perks of having his or her parent here. said. “It’s not exactly how I would want, but I “She would drop off some homework for just deal with it. Also, [some of my friends] ask me if I was going to be gone. That was real- me to speak to her, and it’s annoying. They have ly nice,” junior Celeste Aucoin said. “She could a voice of their own and they can go ask her.” put papers in their boxes. If I’m not able to do Having the parent and the

child in one building has definitely been a learning experience for both.

“I have a better perspective. I can see from both the parent’s perspective and the teacher’s perspective,” Freda Carraway said. “I still want to challenge my students, though. I will not ask [my] students to do anything that I wouldn’t want my children to do.”

But even with all the embarrassing moments and the pressure to always be perfect, they couldn’t be more proud of each other.

“It’s nice to hear people talking about her,” Aucoin said.

“I hear mostly good things [and] I feel really proud.”

PHOTOS BY MAYA GIRIMAJI

the Carraways

maya girimaji I features editor

12 | people | the roar

friday, sept. 25, 2015

MO’ BRAINS,

MO’ PROBLEMS

Competitive environment creates stress, unhealthy habits in students rachel lamb | senior editor Only 8% of high school students get the recommended amount of sleep for adolescents.

“On average, I get six to seven hours of sleep, except for nights when I have labs which go really late,” sophomore Parth Sarin said. “On those nights it’s probably much less, like three.”

Meanwhile, other students try to maintain sleep schedules, forcing them to sacrifice other activities.

“I prioritize sleep over homework most of the time, so I don’t lose a lot of [sleep] doing homework, it just doesn’t get done,” junior Kelly Krenek said.

“There is physically not enough time in a day to do all of my homework and get enough sleep.”

With college acceptance rates at an all-time low, the competition and work needed for acceptance into top notch colleges is increasing.

“Well, I have sacrificed a lot; I really don’t have any free time between school and tennis,” junior Andrew Pham said. “So I guess you could say I have sacrificed my sanity sometimes.”

Yet, the biggest difference is the change in the atmosphere of school that the added competition creates.

“I know it’s not good to compare yourself to other people, but you really can’t really help it,” Krenek said. “Even if you’re not consciously making an effort to find out how someone did on whatever assignment, you almost always have a feel for it. Then you’re comparing yourself and you [think] they did better than me on this assignment but I did better than them on this assignment, so it’ll even out. It never ends.”

For some, however, the competition comes from within.

“I pride myself on my grades, and I just wouldn’t have a good purpose in life if I [didn’t] get good grades,” Pham said.

Other students agree, recognizing the intense atmosphere grades create.

“I would definitely feel embarrassed if i didn’t

get good grades, [from] social pressure,” junior Alexis Kuppersmith said.

Also, the end goal of college causes the attitude towards individual grades to become more and more extreme.

“Junior year, I felt a need to try to care about every point,” senior Pancho Mackin-Plankey said.

“This year, I still care about my grades, but the difference between an A minus and a B plus is not as significant as it was last year.”

The pressure forms stress among students striving for top grades.

“I think a lot of [the pressure] comes from within themselves — I don’t know if it’s from the parents or from the school — but they are trained to compete to be better all of their lives,” Advanced Placement Physics teacher Michelle Jedlicka said. “Some of it comes from knowing you have to be in the top ten [percent] in order to get [automatically accepted] into college, and it makes it that much harder for student to feel like they are being successful.”

Some students believe that part owf the stress comes from a disconnect between teachers and students.

“I think most teachers think, ‘Oh, I’m only giving my student 20 minutes of homework a night,’” Krenek said. “But what they don’t realize is that a 20 minute assignment actually takes an hour, and you have five classes that are doing this.”

The amount of work forces students to make choices between school and other activities. “[I sacrificed] any sort of life outside of school because the only reason you can do well in AP classes and do extracurriculars is by living and breathing school,” Krenek said. “If colleges didn’t matter, I would definitely quit some clubs that I feel like are doing nothing but helping me get into college.”

Students often have trouble balancing the challenges of school with other less stressful extracurricular activities.

“I think all students need to have something every day or every week that they do just because they enjoy it and for no other reason,” Jedlicka said. “I

think that gets squeezed out, and I think if you talk to people in most corporations now, they talk about work-life balance and I think that is something that our students need to think about.”

While students feel overwhelmed by, they would not sacrifice Advanced Placement classes to make their course load lighter.

“There are definitely aspects to [AP] classes where I feel like in the long term, I will benefit from doing the work, like in English, the books that we read and analyze make an impact in how we see the world,” Krenek said.

While they enjoy the classes, they still see a lack of purpose in the standardized Advanced Placement tests.

“The homework is designed to help you do well on the AP test,” Krenek said. “That is important, but after you’ve tested out or completed the AP test and gone to college and moved on it’s not going to matter anymore, and you have spent hours getting ready for this test that doesn’t even matter that much.”

Students see in their school experience the same problems that occur with Advanced Placement tests.

“School doesn’t even measure [intelligence] well,” Pham said. “First of all, there is a difference between getting good grades and being intelligent. I know plenty of kids who are super intelligent who don’t try or it doesn’t really measure their intelligence in a way they want to.”

The constant pressure of school forms an endless cycle for students, taking away the overall idea of education.

“I think the way [school] is done there is that there is no room for error. There is so much homework and it takes so long that you can’t mess up at all or you won’t finish anything and you will make bad grades,” Krenek said. “The point of learning is to make mistakes, then figure out that you made a mistake, and then learn from it, and correct it. But you actually don’t have time to do that, and I think what puts so much pressure on students is that they don’t have time to mess up.”

friday, sept. 25, 2015

challenge accepted

13 | sports | the roar

Soccer organization offers athletes opportunities for growth times I go from school soccer and then that night I have to go to club soccer, but it’s also really fun because I can tell I’ve defiJunior Emily Caldwell is per- lenge soccer branch in Houston.

“I have to bring six bags to nitely improved playing on two fect.

“You have three games a school, and we usually leave teams,” Curry said. “You get to exweek, and you have one day on straight from school to Houston perience different styles of soccer the weekend to do all your home- and we have to do our homework play, which is interesting because work, so you better get it done,” on the way,” Fox said. “The work- it helps you as a better player beCaldwell said. “As soon as you get load gets very heavy, so you have come a better player.”

The players feel the benefits home you need to do your home- to be good with time manageare rewarding in the long run. work and prepare for soccer, go to ment.”

“The coolest thing is that soccer, come back, go to sleep.”

Sophomore Nicole Vaughn This kind of time manage- plays with Fox on the Houston Challenge gets a lot of colleges to look at you even if you’re not tryment has taken Caldwell years to team. ing to go into soccer,” hone.

Vaughn said. “They’ll “I’ve played with At some points I’d skip dinner on recognize you doing all Challenge since 4th grade,” Caldwell said. accident, not even thinking about it those activities at once your time man“Freshmen year I had a because I was at soccer and I came and agement/responsibility really hard time balancstraight home, had to take a shower and it honestly sets you ing school soccer, all the schoolwork I had, and and go straight to schoolwork and apart.”

Additionally, years club. I was kind of trying go to bed at like one o’clock like of soccer develop helpto stay afloat. Sophomore year I joined Spanish when I had a late practice. ful skills in the girls’ lives apart from soccer.

Club and I kind of joined “In competitive Interact, I kind of didn’t.” sophomore soccer we rely more Caldwell also takes Nicole Vaughn like on physical ability,” multiple AP classes, pilCurry said. “I feel like ing hefty sums of homein High School soccer we’re relywork on top of her rigorous soc“I’ve definitely gotten really cer schedule. good at doing my homework, like ing on passing and stuff.”

Despite the definite distinc“At some points I’d skip din- reading, in the car.” Vaughn said. ner on accident, not even think- “Sometimes we’ll get done with tion between the atmospheres of ing about it because I was at soc- school soccer at five, get dressed club and school soccer, the girls cer and I came straight home, had in the car, and drive straight to think it’s important to remember that they’re still on a team. to take a shower and go straight to Houston.”

“The most important thing schoolwork and go to bed at like For Becca Curry, who plays one o’clock like when I had a late with Caldwell on the Challenge to do when you’re on a team is to practice,” Caldwell said.

Aggieland team, the workload just remember to work as a team,” For sophomore Sydney Fox, pales in comparison to the ben- Vaughn said. “Just because you’re playing on a club and coaches are managing time takes a different efits. strategy, as she is part of the Chal“It’s hard. It’s difficult. Some- looking at you doesn’t mean that

“

Challenge Soccer Club is the elite soccer club for girls in the Houston area and South Texas and is nationally recognized.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY EMILY CALDWELL

june jeong & haley mitchell staff reporter & online and photography editor

it’s just about you. You can’t look good if everyone else on your team is doing badly.”

However, college attention isn’t the only benefit soccer club offers.

“I’m really glad I decided to do soccer. It’s given me such good friends over the years. I’ve formed all these amazing friendships and people I know I can trust my life with some of them.

And just people I know that will always be there for me,” Caldwell said fondly. “I think that’s probably the best I could ever get out of something.”

14 | sports | the roar

friday, sept. 25, 2015

Cross-country team starts new season, adjusts to different coach jennifer zhan | opinions editor 6:15 A.M. Before the school buses leave the bus barn, before drumline starts to march on the field, before the school buses depart, a small group of girls makes their way down to the track. The sun hasn’t risen, but the cross country girls team has.

“You really have to be dedicated to run cross country; the average person isn’t going to want to run 4.5 miles a day,” girls cross country head coach Sharolyn Wilson said.

“It’s truly a sport that requires passion, dedication and diligence.”

Although Wilson is new to Consol this year, she said the girls have worked hard for her, are dedicated and have done whatever’s asked of them. She said she hasn’t felt any awkwardness and feels right at home.

“I knew Wilson had coached the middle school team, and I had confidence in her ability,” senior captain Valerie Rodriguez said. “I trusted her, and that’s what a coach needs –for [the captains] to step up and trust her so the rest of the team can follow.”

Sophomore Abbye Vessell said her coach’s procedures freshman year shaped her idea of what cross country was, making it

strange to transition to a new coach this year.

“Really you just have to keep an open mind,” Vessell said. “While some things are going to be different, it’s still going to be about getting better at running.”

But after a few months of summer practice, Wilson earned her team’s respect.

“I can tell she really wants every single one of us to succeed and get better,” junior Bailey Radcliffe said. “She really cares a lot about all of us individually.”

However, Wilson added that it’s important to remember that cross country is a team-based sport.

“Ultimately, it’s nice to have individuals do well at District or Region or State, but we want our whole team to be successful,” Wilson said. “Our whole team represents Consol so we want team championships, district championships, regional championships, state championships… we want to do it as a team.”

Radcliffe added that a supportive team, perhaps even more than self-discipline, motivates her to get up early in the morning and go to practice.

“Actually, the morning practices are probably the hardest part because you’re not

really competing so it’s hard to push yourself,” Vessell said. “But you have to run as hard as you can, every single practice, no matter how tired you are.”

Coleman said it helps to know that the teammates around you are going through the same process. Wilson agrees.

“It’s part of my job to help them build strong relationships,” Wilson said. “Yes, I facilitate workouts, but I also am in charge of bringing the team together.”

The girls have team dinners and make an effort to encourage everyone. Like most sports, the team is divided into “big sisters” and “little sisters.”

“The big sisters can give advice since we’ve been in the program longer,” Rodriguez said. “It doesn’t even have to do with running; it can be about schoolwork. If they just need someone to talk to, their big sister is there.”

Vessel added that when you’re like a family, you can’t just leave after one hard day.

“In the mornings, everyone is tired, and things aren’t the easiest,” sophomore Taylor Coleman said. “But we just make each other laugh, and that kind of makes it all bearable.”

UPCOMING MEETS Sept. 26: Texas A&M Invitational Oct. 3: Round Rock McNeil State Preview meet Oct. TBD: District 18 5A championship Oct. 26: Region III Championship Nov. 7: 5A State Meet

off to the races PHOTO BY VI BURGESS

the roar | entertainment | 15

‘ S T E R

josh weimer assistant online editor While many people were left shocked after Blue Bell left stores, I was relatively unaffected, and thus was eager to try the Blue Bunny ice cream.

The novelty item consisted of vanilla ice cream, a cookie and a coating of chocolate. The ice cream was a generic vanilla, but it was good enough for my standards.

The cookie, a small chocolate chip cookie that was quite difficult to consume, froze solid underneath the ice cream. The chocolate coating brought the cookie and ice cream together in a way I quite enjoyed. I would rate Blue Bunny 7/10 and would recommend to a friend.

HE

vanilla bean

HE

friday, sept. 25, 2015

maya girimaji features editor Taking a break from Blue Bell was one of the hardest things I had to do in my life. And maybe I’m just biased, but Breyers ice cream will never ever be as delicious as Blue Bell. Breyers has a flaky texture that isn’t very smooth, and the sugar was overpowering and left a disturbing aftertaste that sat on your tongue for at least a good ten minutes (unless you rinsed your mouth out with water).

It was anything but comforting and forced me to decide to never eat ice cream until all of Blue Bell came back. But, if you’re not a picky eater, then Breyers isn’t a terrible backup plan if there is ever a crisis like this again.

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P OO

Blue Bell may be back, but The Roar taste tested several contenders from other brands just in case another crisis like this happens again.

yanichka ariunbold staff reporter Since I eat a whole variety of ice cream on a daily basis, I honestly didn’t think that Blue Bell’s recall would affect me too much.

I was wrong.

There was nothing I wanted more than a big ol’ tub of chocolate Blue Bell ice cream to weep into while doing SAT practice tests this summer (yeah, my summer was pretty exciting…), but instead, I was forced to seek comfort in other ice cream brands, like Haagen Dazs, which, despite proving to be a pretty spectacular substitute, lacked that soft, comforting consistency that Blue Bell always has.

I love Haagen Dazs and its uber rich, high quality content, but home is where the heart is.

And Blue Bell’s home, y’all.

vanilla chocolate

chip funwich

olivia garrett entertainment editor Though not quite as good as Blue Bell, Ben and Jerry’s was decent. In my experience, ice cream is rarely bad thing (unless it’s supposed to be healthy or something - then it’s just weird…), so I came forward, spoon optimistically held in hand, despite my ingrained loyalty to Blue Bell.

Having been on countless tours of the Blue Bell factory, I know exactly what a good scoop of ice cream looks and tastes like, and Ben and Jerry’s made the cut. If I were to find one flaw with Ben and Jerry’s, it would be that Walmart didn’t have vanilla as a flavor selection. Frankly, I find that downright un-American. However, I do not know if this was the fault of Ben and Jerry’s or Walmart, so I’m hesitant to point fingers.

vanilla ice cream

chocolate fudge brownie

16 | etcetera | the roar

step it up

friday, sept. 25, 2015

Students cultivate passion for zumba, train to become instructors annie zhang | editor-in-chief Junior Janisah Saripada needed a change in her life–a change from schoolwork, stress and social needs–so she turned to Zumba.

“I feel so much better after [the workout],” Saripada said.

“Like, if I just took a test and I’m feeling so stressed, I go to Zumba because it’s my way of releasing and it doesn’t even feel like a workout.”

But Zumba, an upbeat style of dancing that allows for personal twists, may intimidate beginners with its confident and bold moves.

“When I first started, I always positioned myself at the very back where no one [could] see me because I felt so uncomfortable,” Saripada said. “But after taking more classes, I started to loosen up and became more confident about myself.”

This confidence later grew into a desire to become a Zumba instructor herself.

“To me, Zumba has made me a better person. It has made

me more confident and feel better about my body,” Saripada said. “I [want] to tell them my story; I would tell them how I began as the meek person who always stood at the back to the person who succeeded to lose 45 pounds and gain confidence.”

Junior Carmen Malavé, who began taking Zumba classes two years ago, believes that the key to self-confidence in Zumba is realizing that Zumba is a fun and personal experience.

“One day, I was just like, ‘You know what? No one’s really looking at [me]. They’re only looking at themselves in the mirror,’” Malavé said. “No one’s worried about anyone else.”

Both Malavé and Saripada agree that the key to becoming a good Zumba instructor is interaction with the audience.

“You must engage with them because half of your success as an instructor will depend on how you interact with your clients. Something as simple as learning their names or even some eye contact can really get you far,” Saripada said. “In order for your clients to give 50%, you

need to give 300%. If you aren’t expending an unbelievable amount of energy, your clients wouldn’t either.”

Of course, all results stem from a solid work ethic from the client themselves.

“In Zumba, you learn early on that if you don’t put work into it, you’re not going to see results. I started applying this not only to my workouts, but also to my work ethic in school and social life,” Saripada said.

And indeed, Zumba has seeped into many other aspects of Saripada and Malavé’s lives.

“Sometimes, when I’m at my house dancing with my brother and I hear a song, I’ll start automatically doing the moves, and then realize I recognize the song from [Zumba] class,” Malavé said.

The combination of pop culture, dance and exercise, as well as the fact that each session burns between 600 - 800 calories, has made Zumba a big trend worldwide.

“Zumba is crafted to benefit you, regardless of your current age, activity level, and fitness. It’s

a program you can start even if you aren’t a good dancer or consider yourself as a true beginner because the steps aren’t hard,” Saripada said.

Malavé and Saripada have each introduced several friends to Zumba and have long been helping out their fellow dancers to prepare for when they become Zumba instructors..

“I’ve been told that when I go to classes, I’m always smiling and being motivating. I make people feel comfortable because I just tell them how to move and have fun,” Malavé said. “I got one of my best friends to be involved in Zumba, and now she goes with me quite consistently.”

As for those who have been considering joining Zumba, Saripada has a few words of encouragement: “If you don’t get it right away, don’t worry because no one is there to judge. We were all new at one point. Follow Shia Labeouf ’s word of advice, and ‘Just Do It!”’ Photos of Janisah Saripada and Carmen Malavé by Yanichka Ariunbold.

Carmen and Janisah’s

ZUMBA PLAYLISTS junior Carmen Malavé

Here It Is Worth It Hood Go Crazy Mediocre Uptown Funk Bailando Ching A Ling Metela Sacala Man Down Five Hours

Piensas (De La Verdad) Push Stuck on a Feeling Plakito 6 AM Make it Burn Dem Limbo Back It Up Let’s Get Loud Paris

junior Janisah Saripada