Vol. 27 Issue 3

The Roar News

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1801 HARVEY MITCHELL PKWY. S., COLLEGE STATION, TX 77840 | FRIDAY, DEC. 17, 2021 | VOL. 27 NO. 3 | THEROARNEWS.COM

growing pains Increase in school violence leads to discussions about student's safety claire grace franklin & emmeline duhon editor in chief & feature editor

As students return to school after the COVID-19 lockdown and distance learning, school districts across the United States are encountering abnormally high rates of disruptive behavior. CSISD is no exception, and the A&M Consolidated High School administration is seeking solutions. Principal Gwen Elder thinks overcrowding is part of the problem.

“We have 200 more kids than last year,” principal Gwen Elder said. “Even if you look at last year, we probably only served between 1400-1500 kids on campus.”

inthisissue

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Director of Student Services, Chrissy Hester, also connects the turnaround in student numbers to recent nationwide school violence.

“Now, they're all back,” Hester said. “The hallways are crowded when you're passing, lunch is crowded, and those things are frustrating to people.”

With 200 additional students returning from virtual learning, the freshman class joined campus with overwhelming numbers, says safety team member and history teacher Janson Soltis.

opinions pages 5-6

feature page 7-11, 16

“There [are] lots of complaints about the freshmen,” Soltis. “Last time these guys had a normal year, they were sixth-graders.”

Elder echoed Soltis' comments, recognizing the disruption COVID caused on the current freshmen class' education and maturity.

“Some of our ninth graders haven't been in a school setting since seventh grade due to COVID,” Elder said. “Some of them haven't had the opportunity to mature. There's a growth that occurs between eighth and ninth grade.”

“safety” continued on page 3 sports page 14

reviews pages 14-15

UPCOMING

Dec. 17 Dec. 24 Dec. 25 Jan. 5 Jan. 17 Feb. 7 Feb. 17

NEWS friday, dec. 17, 2021

2 | in brief | the roar

End of Semester Christmas Eve Christmas Day Back to School MLK Jr. Day/No School Welcome to the Jungle End of 4th Six Weeks

IN THE

Three orchestra students make All-State Orchestra

Seniors Sabrina Hu, Jeremy No, and freshman Christina Yum made the all-state philharmonic orchestra. More than 70,000 students in Texas audition, but only the top 2.6 percent of the students become All-State musicians. These three students will perform with the All-State Orchestra on Saturday, Febuary 12, 2022, at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio.

A-Side Acappella competes at Acatex Vocal Festival

Consol’s vocal ensemble group competed at the Acatex Vocal Festival from Deember 3-5.

A-Side was also named the Wildcard Finalist, meaning A-Side won the random draw to advance to finals. They didn’t place, but won an Outstanding Moment award for their song “Fever.”

Debate competes at Jersey Village, new state qualifications

Seniors Sabrina Hu, Jeremy No, and freshman Christina Yum were acknowledged at their winter concert for placing in state on December 7.

PHOTO BY EMILY CHEN

Five members of the debate team competed at the Jersey Village Speech and Debate Tournament on December 11. Sophomore Andrew Li and Freshman Karina Ji quarter-finaled. Ji is now fully qualified for the TFA State Tournament in March, bringing the total number of statequalified students to seven. Li and Ji will join juniors Claire Wang and Melinda Li on the national debate circuit in the spring.

Choir students earn all-region accolades, 8 make All-State

The swim team won against the Katy Tigers on October 14. The boys team defeated Katy 148-106, while the girls won with a score of 158-85.

PHOTO BY MEDHA SARIN

The Roar welcomes our new staff reporters: junior Dorothy Marvin, sophomores Evelyn Hairell, Atticus Johnson, and freshmen Elena Alaniz, Debkonya Banerjee, Alex Gentry, Aliza Jacob, Dhriti Kolar!

The Roar News

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GRAND STATION ENTERTAINMENT

21 choir students earned all-region accolades at the Texas Music Educators Association Region 8 auditions. Of these 21 performers, eight were given the opportunity to become a member of the Texas All-State Choir, and will compete in the area round: seniors Emma Barrow, Leanne Ji, Silas Merrell, Carson Seiber, Toni West, and juniors Ashton Jasperson, Samantha Kaspar and Owen Troy.

MONDAY-FRIDAY WHEN SCHOOL IS OUT

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Administration recognize, address maturity gap between freshmen, upperclassmen “safety” continued from page 1 FAILED CONNECTIONS

Without the structure of regular seventh and eighth grade years, many students have not had opportunities to learn how to appropriately deal with aggression.

“That’s when you look at our statistics: most of our issues are not with our upperclassmen,” Elder said. “Most of our issues are with our freshmen, and then some of our sophomores, but mainly freshman level.”

In response to the past two years, schools across the district are actively trying to administer plans that will hopefully close gaps in maturity that were created due to lack of face-to-face learning.

“I think we lost [the ability to connect] over whatever period of time we were shut down,” Elder said. “We’re trying to go back and make sure we have those positive connections.”

Elder wanted to use other

educators’ experiences as a learning tool for the staff, and thus selected Michele Borba’s book “Thrivers” as a book study.

“A lot of things that [Borba] shared in her research is similar to what we are experiencing within CSISD,” Elder said.

Hester believes the book study will help the school to combat school violence. By educating staff with national-level information, they can be better equipped to read and handle altercations on campus.

“She’s got decades of research that we hope to learn from and help us manage the fights,” Hester said.

PANDEMIC RELIF

As for fights happening at school, many are believed to have stemmed from months of home instability.

“Some families still had structures during the pandemic and some didn’t,” Hester said. “Some kids were unsupervised at home. I think they got into some bad habits, and freedom made them resist our rules more than normal.”

To

combat rising tensions and stress in the classroom, teachers are continuing to implement restorative practices that were introduced pre-pandemic.

“We’ve been talking about social-emotional learning to see the impacts on mental health from being isolated for two years,” Elder said.

According to College Station Municipal Court Judge Ed Spillane in an interview with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia, there has been an increase in crime among the general public which has affected schools.

“I think [community crime] funnels down,” Elder said. “When you look at the criminal behavior in the Bryan/College Station area, whether it’s robberies, killings, or whatever it may be, you’re going to see when you compare two years before, you can see an increase in those violent behaviors. And I think that that just kind of falls down.”

With the increase in violence, teachers and administration work harder to promote a safe learning environment for their student body.

“How do we make sure our campus community is safe, supported, and in providing a stable, healthy environment for the people that we are serving?”’ Elder said.

RESPONSE

As for the faculty level, teachers are being taught appropriate ways to manage levels of violence they may face, Hester says.

“We are training all the schools K-12 on bringing people in to talk to this to the faculty, and teach them different ways to communicate in different ways to stop in kind of, mediate a classroom situation, and work more proactively before the fight broke out,” Hester said.

The administration from the schools, as well as CSISD Central Office, are implementing a safety team to assist in decreasing physical violence in schools.

“[The first meeting] was a bunch of other teachers like me who see things that make them frustrated in the hallways and things that we think could

be better,” Soltis said. “There are people from all over the school that see different things, and have had questions in the past of why is this behavior occurring?

Why does it continue to occur? What are some steps that we can take in order to attempt to ensure that it doesn’t happen again?”

The safety team is more than just principals, and it allows teachers to keep their students safe.

“We’ve got four assistant principals, they can’t be everywhere and do their job,” Soltis said. “We can’t have counselors everywhere [monitoring students] and doing their job.”

The administration is working hand in hand with the safety team to expand its role.

“We are working on getting the safety team to work in tandem with the department heads because they spread a lot of the information from Mrs. Elder to the other teachers,” Soltis said.

SOLUTIONS

To improve student relationships between peers and teachers, the administrators are using more avenues to keep students safe.

“Instead of fighting, the student can have a conversation with a trusted adult, they can go to a counselor, they can reach out to admin, or they can send a Schoology message,” Elder said.

In addition, the district has an online self-reporting system, P3, where students can anonymously send in concerns. The system allows for issues to be addressed at all hours.

“There may be something that happens at night when they’re at home,” Johnson said. “But if they use that P3 reporting system, it comes to us immediately. So we can respond to whatever it is.”

The main purpose of every training, extra reinforcement, and 24hour service is to keep student safety as first priority.

“If you come to school and you don’t feel safe, you’re not going to learn,” Hester said.

4 | news | the roar

Weight of insecurity

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Teens reflect on influences school, social media have on body images emmeline duhon & ellie hague feature editor & opinions editor For many students today, it feels like the eyes of the world are constantly on them. Pressure exists to be perfect and fit the “standard”. Students like senior Adeline Pfeifer are at the front and center because her involvement in extracurriculars has led her to face many body image issues.

“The majority of my body issues started around freshman year,” senior Adeline Pfeiffer said. “I’m cheering and powerlifting in my sport.”

Senior Angela Harry has struggled with personal image in the past. Although she has recovered, she still feels symptoms occasionally.

“It’s always a Russian roulette of how I’m gonna feel,” Harry said. “Sometimes I look in the mirror and [I’m] like, ‘dang, I don’t look too good,’ there’s always something you want to change about yourself.”

Visual sports such as cheerleading and band often lead to additional image problems.

“Sometimes you think everyone’s eyes are on you and everyone’s looking,” senior Freddie Behmer said. “You want to be the best you can be, [and] obviously when you’re not, it’s frustrating.

Physical image is very important in value.”

Behmer was born pigeon-breasted, which means one of the bones in his chest sticks out. He often wears sweaters and jackets to hide his chest.

“It’s not that big of a deal because people don’t notice it,” said Behmer. “And when they do, it’s not a big deal.”

Alongside Harry, Pfeiffer also struggled throughout her life critiquing her image.

“It was always a goal of mine to lose weight, but I never really thought it was an issue until probably like mid-sophomore [year],” Pfeiffer said.

As with many mental health issues today, societal pressure fuels eating disorders.

“I think social media is a big factor,” Pfeiffer said. “But also just wanting to be able to be lighter, be better in my sport.”

In Pfeiffer’s case, the biggest triggers were

comparison as well as the public demands of her sport.

“I definitely had a lot of problems, like looking at myself in my cheer uniform, and just thinking, ‘I don’t look like everyone else on the cheer team,” Pfeiffer said.

To combat the negative feelings

surrounding body issues, Pfeiffer keeps a particular thought in mind.

“If you do things that you enjoy, you’re gonna like your life way better,” Pfeiffer said. “It really doesn’t matter what size you are.”

Behmer uses simple facts to his advantage to pull away stress towards appearance.

“Nobody really cares,” Behmer said.

“People are vain and too worried about themselves to worry about you.”

When dealing with a loved one or friend who struggles with body image, some find the topic hard to approach.

“I think the best thing you can do is listen,” Pfeiffer said. “Giving advice can sometimes be hard, because you might say the wrong thing.”

Harry says that isolation is a common issue in people with body image issues.

“I wished someone was able to reach out to me and help me, but no one did,” Harry said. “If you know someone is having mental problems, or body image issues, reach out to them. Tell them that you’re there and help them.”

Although sports was initially a trigger for Pfeiffer’s body image issues, sports actually helped her in her healing process.

“I absolutely love working out,” Pfeiffer said. “But I’ve gotten to the point where it’s not to lose weight. I can work out to be stronger.”

Many people who experience body image issues also experience other mental health issues.

“Mental health wise, I know sometimes I feel like there’s these moments where I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, am I eating too much?’” Harry said.

“When I had an eating disorder, I would count calories. and I was very underweight.”

Harry often expresses her negative feelings through art and drawing.

“When I feel bad, I just think of the happy things or the other things in my life,” Harry said.

“I [may] think I’m ugly, but also, I have all these people who support me and love me regardless.

So am I really ugly?”

Pfeiffer encourages others to seek help if struggling with body image issues, and that things really do get better.

“If you’re not talking about it, you’re not healing it,” Pfeiffer said. “The more that you change yourself, you’re not going to like who you are.”

If you need to talk to a counselor, make an appointment via the counseling QR codes

friday, dec. 17, 2021

the roar | opinions | 5

So. Much. Blood.

One of my younger sisters heard my screams of pain from the other room and ran to help me hop through the house to the front door. Buckets of blood were gushing out of my foot after I unfortunately cut open a spot between my toes. Along with my mom, Jaylan was there for me every wobbly step of the way.

The blood made her very woozy, but she stayed by my side as much as she could. I left for the emergency room and ended up with three in between my toes.

Little did I know, while I was crying in the ER, Jaylan cleaned up all the massive puddles of blood I left on our carpet and even outside on our sidewalk, despite nearly fainting at the sight of it.

No one ordered her to do these things, but she did them.

I hadn’t eaten in over nine hours once I got back home from getting stitches.

My other sister, Carlise, not even aware of this, demanded that I sit down while she made me a plate of food and brought me a soda.

She asked me if I needed anything every five minutes, and I could tell she was feeling major sympathy pains just by looking at the boot on my foot. She proceeded to pay close attention to her every move, as to not step on my wounded foot.

In my almost fourteen years of being an oldest sister, I had always realized that us three are best friends, but on this day I realized that it’s even more than that.

No one will ever be as close to me as these two girls are. The moment I was in pain, they automatically came to my rescue and put all others aside. My one injury caused a close-to-fainting Jaylan to touch blood and an otherwise distracted, oblivious Carlise to focus on me and my needs.

It’s fun to taunt and torture siblings, but eventually, these might be the people you end up miles and miles away from, but you still want to see more than anyone in the world. These are the people you wish you had spent that one

night with, rather than kicking them out of your room.

There is a language that we designed just for each other. The tears streaming down my sister’s face during a conversation about who will get my room when I head to college, rather than being eager to take over the space. The countless Facetime calls when we had to spend two weeks simply in different rooms while quarantined. The loss of a concept of time when we play games together that no one else would understand. The millions of “JINX! You owe me a soda.”’s after we enter each other’s minds and say the same thing at the same time.

These are the only people that will remain a constant in my life. My parents are in a whole other generation, and lasting friendships aren’t ever promised.

My sisters will love me unconditionally more than anyone else.

Jaylan, Carlise, and I share parents, a childhood home, tons of memories, and even about 50 percent of their DNA. I take for granted how lucky I am that I got siblings. They have basically lived my life with me, they understand me and know me better than anyone else.

People often tell me that it looks like someone copied and pasted my face onto my sisters’ faces, and, as weird as that is to think about, I believe that’s so beautiful.

These two girls are a version of me, physically, and mentally since we’ve lived the same home life, and it’s incredible that they are the only two humans who fall into that category.

It might be cliche, but a sibling bond is unlike any other.

So, to the only ones who have heard my real singing voice, seen all my disastrous hair days, danced to High School Musical songs with me at 2 a.m., wrote me a birthday card every year, received all my ugly selfies, and stolen my clothes: thank you for being my people.

Also, thank you for dealing with my extremely bloody foot during one of my not-so-proudest moments.

friends by choice student recognizes the importance of close relationships with sisters myla cathey news editor

back to your roots staffer acknowledges privilege, learns to value education ellie hague opinions editor After every meal, my dad always asks me and my brother “Did you get enough to eat?” I never really thought about the true meaning behind those words until I was older, when I could finally understand the history and memories which those words carry.

I think the first time I actually realized that my parents’ childhoods had been significantly different from my own was when my dad’s sister came to visit. There was an old poster from a conference at which my dad was a speaker. My aunt noticed the poster in the corner of the room, lying there forgotten, waiting to be thrown away. “Who would have ever thought,” she said, “that one day your dad would be on a poster with a PHD.” Prior to that moment, there had existed no world where my dad didn’t have a doctorate. It was like a shortsighted person putting on glasses for the first time. Suddenly, every little blur and faded edge came into full focus, and I saw the world for what it truly was.

Both of my parents are first generation college students. My dad initially went away to college on a basketball scholarship, but came home after a semester under pressure from his parents, transferring to a different university closer to home where he could commute to school and live at home to work on the family dairy farm. My mom applied for every scholarship she was eligible for and took what classes she could at the local community college. On paper, looking at first generation students, these financial concerns are the obvious struggles of which you think, but some of the most difficult hurdles first generation students face can’t be written in words. I will never truly understand what it was like for my dad, listening to the phone calls from his parents as an 18 year old kid, begging him to return to the farm. I will never truly understand how alienated from her family my mom felt as she

took every a d v an c e d class and extracurricular imaginable, never really fitting in with a family that didn’t value education.

I, on the other hand, am expected to go to college, to get an education and good grades. Growing up in a college town with two parents both working in higher education, college wasn’t just something talked about in high school, it was talked about my whole life - where I was applying, what I would major in, what occupation I wanted to go into. It can be a lot of pressure, including pressure I put on myself, and I can sometimes get caught up in the whirlwind of things. I can catch myself hating school, hating band, hating the schedule of it all.

But then I look back at my roots, at where my parents came from, and I am thankful for all that is expected of me. I am thankful for not just the things that I may occasionally hate, but also the things I never even have to think about. I don’t have to ever worry about money for food, clothing, or rent. I have two parents, happily married, with a group of friends and family who love and support me.

I could sit here and write about all of the opportunities I was awarded academically through my school, or by the mere exposure of numerous amounts of knowledge and resources by living so close to a college, but the truth is, the greatest opportunity I’ve been awarded is not only the access and resources to obtain an education, but to truly understand the value behind a college degree, and be a part of such a loving family and community that encourages and understands the worth of a college education. My challenge now is to take advantage of these opportunities and never forget that the privileges I have been afforded have not been as easily accessible to others, so that I do not take their value for granted.

6 | viewpoints | the roar

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Should winter formal be canceled?

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 editorin-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, 2015, and 2018 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, 1812 Welsh, 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.

The Roar 2020-2021 Staff Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Executive Editor Opinions Editor Feature Editor Entertainment Editor Sports Editor News Editor Section Editor Comic Artist Faculty Adviser Assistant Adviser

Claire Grace Franklin Medha Sarin Piper Hitchcock Ellie Hague Emmeline Duhon Allison Segers Ian Curtis Myla Cathey Emily Chen Mo Rye Michael Williams Chauncey Lindner

The Roar Editorial Board Claire Grace Franklin • Ellie Hague Medha Sarin

The Winter Formal dance, formally the Sadie Hawkins dance, was a semi-formal, girls-ask guys dance that would usually occur during the month of January. This time honored tradition this year has, unfortunately, been canceled. According to a student council representative, the administration has chosen to not hold the Winter Formal dance this year because “they want to put their resources towards other activities for the student body that will benefit their well being.” Although the student council has not officially decided on an alternative plan to the dance, there will likely be a replacement event with food and other activities, just not a formal dance.

However, the Winter Formal is an enjoyable, time honored tradition and should not be canceled.

For most, dances are not just about the dancing. It’s an excuse to wear a dress, eat dinner at a fancy restaurant, and take photos you can post on Instagram with your friends. The impact of being able to dance, scream, and let loose provides students with a positive outlet to express their emotions amid the stress of tests and homework.

School dances also serve as a reward system for good behavior, since, as school policy has dictated in the past, students are not allowed to attend if they have any outstanding fines or have had a certain amount of days of in-school suspension.

This often motivates students to behave better to be able to have the privilege of attending the dance.

The majority of funds raised by the student council is procured from the student body and from the student council members (via club dues).

This means that most of the money that goes to pay for school dances is money from the student body, not the administration or district. All year, the student council balances budgets, creates planning committees and fundraises for the opportunity to put on enjoyable activities for the student body. Although dances are typically chaperoned and approved by school staff members, the large majority of the work and funding is shouldered by the students.

Additionally, the Winter Formal and the

“The administration should talk to the student body before canceling Winter Formal” -junior Zody Bennett

homecoming dance last year were canceled due to the pandemic. This means to many students, they will not have a Winter Formal for two years in a row. Dances are infrequent events. To seniors especially, this can be one of their last chances to make a forever memory of high school. And one of those chances is being taken from them. After a year full of cancellations, rescheduling and missed events because of the pandemic, students no longer feel like they belong to the school. But a Winter Formal dance can unite a student body.

Dances can be cumbersome to host.

Teachers have to chaperone, janitors have to clean up afterwards, and student council members must decorate the venue. But any event the school chooses to put on will require the effort on the part of the school. Let students enjoy the Winter Formal they asked for, the Winter Formal they missed out on last year, the Winter Formal of fun and excitement.

“I think it is good the school is not hosting the winter formal because of the rise in the new omniocron virus” -senior Katherine Hughes

the roar | snapshots | 7

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snapshots Student photographers share their art, explain inspiration PHOTOS BY ANDREAS BRANNSTROM “I like taking pictures of football because I used to play it, and the action shots you get are definitely a hundred times better than whatever a film or video will get you,” Kocmoud said.

“I like this photo because it reminds me of my trips with my dad,” Brannstrom said. “Also, [the photo took place in] one of my favorite cities in the world.”

PHOTOS BY DANNY HALLOWELL

PHOTOS BY DANY KOCMOUD

myla cathey & emily chen news editor & section editor

“It’s my favorite because it was an accident,” Hallowell said. “I was taking some film photos in downtown Orlando, and I developed these photos in my room. It was a double exposure, and it turned out super symmetrical and very geometric. I was like ‘Wow, that’s beautiful.’”

8 | centerspread | the roar

Administrators reflect on bond election, anticipate renovations

the roar | centerspread | 9

THE UNBREAKABLE The Roar breaks down 2021 bond

medha sarin & ellie hague managing editor & opinions editor

BOND

Three of four CSISD bond propositions board members, campus and non-voting district addressing building repairs, new facilities, administrators, and teachers. Currently, members equipment and technology were approved at of the board of directors have begun meeting, and the Nov. 2 election. Planning has begun for the will meet with school administrators, to determine implementation of these renovations, which will specific purchases. take place during the next three summers.

“Now that the bond has passed, we are really Proposition A provides for building focusing on all of the small details,” fine arts repairs, a barn for agriculture classes, and director Eric Eaks said. “We’re now working on safety enhancements. Proposition B is personal specific pricing from all of the vendors. We’re technology devices, C is natatorium repairs, and working on timelines for production, for shipping, D is renovations to the high school sound systems, for installation, all of those things.” and Consol’s fieldhouse and pressbox. Propositions In addition to renovations and other A, B, and C passed; proposition D failed. improvements, the bond money will be used to The separation of items was due to a 2019 state purchase more technology and improve the WiFi. law requiring personal technology, natatoriums, “If [a teacher] has 20 devices in the class, and stadiums with a capacity greater than 1000 to be that doesn’t do a whole lot of good. She needs 25 voted on individually. devices, she needs a Superintendent Mike device for every kid, “ “I certainly hope that when the Martindale says this school board member may have contributed Kimberly McAdams renovations are done, you will be to Proposition D not said. “It’s making sure more excited to be in your school. ” being approved. we have sets of devices school board member “I think that that can be used as change has impacted often as possible by KIMBERLY MCADAMS passing rates a great as many teachers as deal,” Martindale said. possible.”

“Maybe somebody According to the is like, ‘I really don’t want to do that fieldhouse, National Center on Safe and Supportive Learning but I really want the renovations inside the main Environments, schools with nicer facilities and building.’ Well, they probably would have voted for safer school environments show improved test the whole thing because they prefer more of it than scores and graduation rates. they disliked.”

“I certainly hope that when the renovations are The bond will not affect the tax rate. Of the done that you will be able to walk in and be more 117 bond propositions that were offered statewide, excited to be in your school and [be] proud of your 45.9% passed. Seven of the 31 athletic bonds passed. school,” McAdams said. “I think it will continue to “I’m disappointed the fourth one didn’t pass,” make it a better learning environment, we need to school board member Kimberly McAdams said. “It give you a good space to go to school.” definitely follows state trends. Still, they tried to put Martindale says he is grateful for the bond and it in perspective. Compared to the rest of the state, anticipates future improvements for the district. we actually did quite well.”

“I am very appreciative because our community From March to June 2019, a committee has always been supportive of our schools,” met to discuss and prioritize school and district Martindale said. “We always want to work to do needs identified by administrators, helping better and reflect on what happened to us on determine the allocation of the bond funds. The Proposition D, so that even maybe we can build committee consisted of community and school upon what we did this time and have more success.”

friday, dec. 17, 2021

Want more information about the bond?

Visit https://www. csisd.org/about_csisd/ bond_archives/2021_ bond_information

10 | feature | the roar

friday, dec. 17, 2021

santa’s helpers Students work, foster Christmas cheer at local theme park piper hitchcock & emily chen executive editor & staff reporter When wanting to enjoy the Christmas spirit with friends and family, most people go out to see Christmas lights, start a snowball fight, or go to visit Santa in the mall. In College Station however, all of that can be enjoyed at one place: Santa’s Wonderland.

In recent years, Santa’s Wonderland has transitioned from a local attraction to a park recognized on a national level. When the park opens its gates in mid-November, people wait up to six hours in their cars anticipatedly for the chance to ride a sleigh down Snow Hill or sit around a campfire with Santa.

What most visitors do not consider the labor force it takes to run the park. Preparation for the park opening starts quite early: in October.

“When you apply, you have to go to Santa’s Wonderland University, which is one week of online coursework with videos, questions, and quizzes,” senior Maison Morgan said. “The quizzes were guidelines of what you say to customers, what you do in your position, where you park, and where all the exits are.”

After completing and passing the online coursework, participants are officially hired by Santa’s Wonderland. The next step involves specializing in the area they will work in.

“I’m a part of Santa’s Crew, so I go around the park and basically pick up trash and take drinks to places,” junior Jaxson Green said.

In addition to Santa’s Crew, there are numerous positions where employees are assigned duties.

“You can work with food, which is most of the jobs,” Morgan said. “You can work at the ice skating rink, with the animals, drive the carriage, or you can be an elf.”

Although these positions may sound like a dream part-time job to any outsider, there are unappealing factors behind the scenes.

“Having to clean and wipe down every nook and cranny after a long, hectic shift is insanely tedious,” junior Gwynne Crosby said. “I wish people knew that it’s harder than it looks. Most people think working at a theme park would be the easiest thing in the world, but the shifts are long and it’s pretty tiring.”

The park appeals largely to children, which brings problems of its own for the workers.

“There’s a lot of arguing with small kids,” Morgan said. “I love giving these experiences to kids, except for ones that talk badly to me. If you work in a department where you’re involved with people, you’re going to argue with children, and children are never wrong.”

However, despite these unattractive qualities, the workers agree that the experiences they gain from the park override the tedious tasks that come with the job. “[My favorite part about working there] is definitely the environment around me,” Crosby said.

“My family has never been extremely dedicated to Christmas, so it’s nice to be around cheerful people who share my love for it. I also get new experiences with cooking and the pride of working for a nationally recognized theme park.”

The employees also receive benefits, such as five free tickets for the season, and a lot of freedom during their breaks, Green says.

“I get to walk around and explore the park,” Green said. “But when it gets busy, you’ll be constantly doing something.”

Another benefit of the park is the fun atmosphere created by the employees, which are mostly college and high school students, Morgan says.

“They employ a lot of teenagers, so I’m working with a bunch of people who are my age,” Morgan said. “It’s different when your boss is the same age as you. You feel more comfortable around them, and they’re usually more understanding.”

Crosby has also noticed the advantage of having younger employees in the working environment.

“I think the age demographic plays a big part of the job for sure,” Crosby said. “It’s easy to talk to people and make friends. The work definitely goes a lot faster when you’re having fun.”

But out of all the workers’ thrilling activities, the benefits received throughout the winter season, and the close friendships that develop between co-workers, the largest takeaway from the park is the renewed Christmas spirit in each one of the employees, Morgan says.

“Here at Santa’s Wonderland, we enrich, preserve, and prosper the Christmas spirit,” Morgan said.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY: HANNAH TREIDER

friday, dec. 17, 2021

buy of the tiger

the roar | feature | 11

School store staff develop business practices while earning course credit medha sarin & allison segers managing editor & entertainment editor At lunchtime when kids sit to eat, four girls get down to business.

Junior Sutton Hohensee handles customer service.

Senior Aliza Maknojia does shirt designs and manages marketing and social media.

Seniors Alina Maknojia and Raisa Prasla work hand in hand to catalog sales and inventory.

Together, this dynamic quartet organizes the sale of everything from food to clothes to merchandise in the school store, the Tiger Cage.

The Cage is part of the Project Based Research class taught by Peter Martin, although he leaves things up to the store staff.

“My job is to be the overseer of [the staff and] allow them to have the creativity and flexibility to run the business [and] to come up with ideas,” Martin said.

Part of the students’ responsibility in the store is to get everything stocked before the anual opening.

“We had to get [the store] revamped since it was closed the past year and a half, “ Alina Maknojia said. “People have to figure out about it again because not many people [know about it].”

On top of fixing up the store, the students

Photo by Allison Segers

have had to learn new skills such as how to ring up and cash out orders.

“We had to count everything that was already here and throw out things in the freezer,” Prasla said. “We also had to learn how to look everything up and how to work the cash register.”

Along with the general skills they needed to learn, each student was assigned a job to ensure that the store ran smoothly and efficiently.

“I like to handle the finances,” Alina Maknojia said. “At the end of the day, I make sure all of our sales match up with a common chart, [and] who supplies products.”

Prasla’s job is more design oriented versus finance and inventory.

“I basically put in the orders for the shirts,” Prasla said. “Once we decide on a shirt that we like, I talk to CC Creations to get the price and work everything out with purchasing. I deal with inventories or counsel, and make sure everything’s up to date when we’re finished.”

The store is open during all lunch periods from Tuesday to Thursday, leaving Monday for brainstorming sessions.

“We have weekly meetings on Mondays where we’re introducing new products, what their ideas are [for] pricing strategies, marketing strategies and making sure that we’re all on the same page and heading in the right direction,” Martin said.

For example, one of their new ideas for this school year is driving a food-filled trolley through the lunchroom, bringing the products directly to the customers.

“We do a delivery around the cafeteria called Tiger Trolley every Tuesday [and] Thursday,” Hohensee said. “That’s a big hit because people [don’t have to leave] their seats to come see us.”

Regarding food products, the Tiger Cage had to comply with health restrictions, as they battled a very real competitor: the school cafeteria itself.

“There were some restrictions because we can’t sell unhealthy items, so we’re very limited on snacks, “Aliza Maknojia said. “We’ve been selling [LaCroix], but [we] included more flavors for a

cheaper price [than the cafeteria].”

Having overseen two staff of workers in his three years as the Tiger Cage supervisor, Martin finds that every group brings something unique to the store.

“This group has never been involved in the school store, so they bring in fresh ideas, new perspectives and a different energy,” Martin said.

“They’ve really gone above and beyond, like trying to find ways to reach students during their lunch periods.”

Aliza Maknojia says it’s challenging to run the store due to its location by the gym hallway.

“I feel like we’re hidden,” Aliza Maknojia said.

“I just wish people would acknowledge us, to see we’re here.”

Regardless, the Tiger Cage provides students a taste of running a business without any of the stakes.

“If you’re a student that has some sort of interest in it and is a real go-getter, somebody that’s not afraid to take risks or try things, it’s a great opportunity to learn without having any skin in the game,” Martin said. “You don’t have an investment in it, it’s just you get the ability to try in a controlled environment.” great opportunity to learn without having any skin in the game,” Martin said. “You don’t have an investment in it, it’s just you get the ability to try in a controlled environment.”

Photo by Medha Sarin

12 | sports | the roar

friday, dec. 17, 2021

the good fight

Martial arts, boxing offers valuable skills including self defense, confidence piper hitchcock & ian curtis executive editor & sports editor

The stereotypical depiction of a fighting sport involves battered fighters with bloody noses, busted ears, and broken bones.

However, contrary to popular belief, sports such as boxing, MMA, and judo are open to anyone and provide a host of benefits including everything from community to selfconfidence.

“The first couple times that you try [boxing], you feel like an idiot, you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing,” senior Faith Wenck said. “But the more that you push your own limit, the better you get, the more confident you are, and the more intimidating you become.

Senior Ja’den Johnson had a similar experience when starting his journey in MMA, but reflects that pushing through the discomfort has given him advantages.

“The sport definitely takes time to get used to when you first start out, but consistency even through the failures makes you better,” Johnson said. “The confidence and happiness I’ve built there has made my life easier. I’m more of an outgoing person and

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: JA’DEN JOHNSON

believe in myself more than previously.”

Another advantage of performing high adrenaline sports is that you never get bored, junior Sydney Perez says.

“It’s interesting to learn a new technique that I haven’t done before,” Perez said. “Then I get to try and implement [those techniques] in fighting practice times during the class. As long as I can still learn something with the sport, I think I’ll enjoy it. Because then I always have something to possibly look forward to the next day.”

Despite the benefits, fighting sports continue to face controversy over the lessons they stimulate in their participants and supporters.

“The sport is a hundred percent violent, but I don’t believe it’s encouraging violence since the fights are in a controlled area,” Johnson said. “They are designed to entertain the audience more than incite violence among them.”

Just because a sport is violent does not mean it is focused solely on attacking your opponent, Perez says.

“It’s a self defense sport, not an offensive sport,” Perez said. “I am very defensive, which is what the sport is about for me. I defend what [my opponent] is going for

[and] make sure I’m not threatened.”

Although these athletes have gained confidence thanks to their sports, they still experience struggle and hardship.

“I tend to doubt myself because I don’t want to take a risky move,” Wenck said. “The harder I work, the harder I train, the more confidence comes with it. So it teeters from time to time. But [self-doubt] is still something that every athlete struggles with and whatever sport that they do.”

Wenck maintains that anyone can become a fighter, regardless of whether or not they think they fit the mold.

“[People think] that you have to look a certain way, or be a certain way to be a boxer,” Wenck said. “Boxing isn’t as scary as most people think it is. You [don’t] have to be a certain build to be a boxer [and] you don’t have to hit hard all the time.

For these fighters, their sports each provide them a freedom that keeps them coming back for more

“I’m not tied down,” Perez said. “I can learn what I want. I can just go to the practices.

I can have fun. If I want to, I could stop whenever I want. But I choose not to because I really love it.”

the roar | sports | 13

friday, dec. 17, 2021

keeping up with the collins Father-son duo bond over baseball, unique relationship as coach, athlete ian curtis sports editor It’s hard to find a stronger bond than one between a father and a son, and the bond between a coach and a player comes with similar feelings.

What do you get when you combine the two? Frustration at times, but mostly an excellent player in senior Kyle Collins, an excellent coach in Chris Collins and an even stronger connection and passion for their shared sport.

“They both eat, sleep and breathe baseball,” senior Hunter Bond said. “Kyle is playing the sport he loves and Coach Collins is coaching the sport that he loves. It builds a special bond between the two. They’re really a good example of what a high school coach and a high school player should look like.”

It may seem like being the coach’s son comes with plenty of perks. At times it does, but the position brings Kyle more work.

“It’s not as easy as it sounds,” Chris Collins said. “People are always gonna criticize you because you’re the coach’s kid. I never wanted him to play [just] because he was my kid. [Kyle] made sure he was good enough so nobody would say that, [but] people are always going to criticize.”

Over time, coach Collins has found a perfect balance between the roles of coach and parent.

“Once the game starts, coach Collins is really just a spectator,” Bond said. “He’s helped [Kyle] throughout all the week, but then once the game time comes, he turns him loose to [other coaches] and coach Collins is just being a dad.”

Having a coach as his dad has given Kyle a

wealth of knowledge about baseball and more.

“I’m not paying for lessons,” Kyle said.

“My lessons are right down the hallway from

Kyle Collins (right) , in his baseball uniform, stands next to his father and coach, Christopher Collins (left), on the baseball diamond.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: KYLE COLLINS

me. I can go talk to my dad, and he can tell me everything I ever need to know about the sport of baseball and can coach me on anything [in] life.”

Kyle’s knowledge has come from more than just his father.

“He’s been able to be influenced by every coaching staff I’ve been on since he started playing,” Chris Collins said. “He has had so many mentors and guys who have been able to give him instruction and good advice over the years. He is a good mix of every coach he has ever dealt with.”

Most people see a certain side of the elder Collins; but Kyle knows that there is far more to his father than what is seen on the sidelines.

“He’s a caring man,” Kyle said. “He always comes across as a coach. People see that. It’s not always a good thing for them to see him angry, but he’s a loving man [and] he’ll always have your back with anything.”

It’s easy to mistakenly think that Kyle’s passion for baseball was decided by his dad.

In reality, it’s all Kyle.

“He told me a long time ago, ‘if you have to push me to make it I’m not going to make it. I have to want it badly enough to do it on my own,’” Chris Collins said. “I’m extremely proud of that. He’s become very self-driven. It takes a lot of dedication to do it the right way, [especially] having to do it on his own.”

Both father and son love their sport, love each other, and are happy with what they each have achieved together.

“It takes a lot at the parent level [and] the player level to provide the [right] atmosphere,” Chris Collins said. “I’m proud that I provided the atmosphere for my son to succeed. He wanted it and loved the game enough and tried hard enough to succeed.”

14 | comics | the roar

friday, dec. 17 2021

the roar | reviews | 15

friday, dec. 17, 2021

ho ho huh? myla cathey | news editor

the

roa r

A romantic comedy with background themes of Christmas spirit, “Love Actually” is a heartwarming film that intertwines the love stories of many different people who, at first, are seemingly unrelated. While the beginning was rather confusing, the storylines were pretty quickly cleared up, and I experienced that cool moment of connecting all the characters to one another. However, how they all come together in the end is unpredictable, which gives the movie some more excitement that many other basic Christmas movies lack. A downside of the film, though, is the fact that the movie is rated R, so there are some inappropriate scenes that make the film not family-friendly. Despite this, the characters were all loveable, and I was definitely practicing my English accent after the movie was over. The concept of the film is incredibly interesting. It touches on almost every possible type of love story in a comedic, yet tear jerking, way. The feelings it causes are comparable to both a typical Hallmark holiday movie and a funny Christmas movie like Elf. This is why the film is a holiday movie. Sure, Christmas is not the forefront of the movie’s purpose, and it could be watched around Valentine’s Day as well, but, as the movie says itself, “Christmas is the time to be with the people you love,” so Christmas is love, actually.

revi e

s w s: c e i v o ontrove rsial christmas m

mike williams | faculty adviser Yes, “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie. It’s a Christmas movie with guns and explosions and cursing. And despite its action movie bonafides, “Die Hard” revolves fully around the more traditional Christmas themes of family, hope and redemption.

Let me explain. The only reason New York City cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) travels to Los Angeles is to reunite with his wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) - holy cow, his wife’s name is HOLLY. We only think about that poisonous shrub during the Christmas season. I think I’ve settled my case but I’ll go on. Throughout the film McClane’s main concern is making sure his wife remains safe from the violent heist ringleader Hans Gruber (a glorious Alan Rickman) and Gruber’s attempts to rob Nakatomi Corporation. It is his love for Holly that allows this “regular guy” to take on the horde of hostage takers, checking them off the magic marker list on his arm one by one (a bit like Santa, minus the killing). The importance of family is further emphasized through McClane’s relationship with L.A. beat cop Sgt. Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson), without whom McClane might have succumbed to despair after getting his feet shredded by broken glass. The director (John McTiernan) emphasizes the Christmas setting through the use of presents, one of which takes the spotlight in the film’s climax, and music (listen for the jingle bells, much as you would on Christmas Eve). We are constantly reminded that it is Christmastime by the cast; even Hans proclaims “it’s Christmas, Theo, it’s the time of miracles. So be of good cheer.” As for redemption, without spoiling the ending, Sgt. Powell’s ability to overcome an earlier tragedy in his career is sure to leave viewers touched. “Die Hard” is the action movie by which all other action flicks should be compared. But the gunplay and widespread property destruction only serve as a backdrop to its true theme: one of peace and goodwill to all (except terrorists - even Santa would agree with that).

16 | etc. | the roar

friday, dec. 17, 2021

Donate Time • Brazos Valley Food Bank (volunteer) • Habitat for Humanity • Simple favors Read to children Go grocery shopping for someone Spend time at a retirement home

Donate Items • Salvation Army (Adopt an Angel) • Donation boxes (clothes) • Brazos Valley Food Bank (food)

under the tree

Locations, organizations to donate to for the holidays myla cathey | news editor

Donate Money Helpful Sites

• United Way • Salvation Army (Red Kettle Donations) • Make-A-Wish Foundation

wish.org unitedway.org bvfb.org habitat.org salvationarmyusa.org donations.charityclothingpickup.com