Vol 22, Issue 6

THE ROAR NEWS

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1801 HARVEY MITCHELL PKWY. S., COLLEGE STATION, TX 77840 | FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2017 | VOL. 22 NO. 6 | THEROARNEWS.COM

BEYOND FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Football coaches discuss sacrifices, success in careers drew howerton & katerina kountakis | section editors

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Even though all the coaches believe their reward is making connections with players, a coaching career is filled with sacrifices.

“Being away from your family is the hardest part about being a coach, because the coaching staff tends to be an addition to your family, you are with them more than your actual family,” outgoing varsity coach Corey Scott said.

“I got a divorce. I was away from home so much and from my family that the ex-wife couldn’t handle the dynamics of me being gone for so long.”

Furthermore, coaches have to make career sacrifices. First-year coaches sign a probationary contract that states that the school board can let go of a coach anytime for any reason that the school board deems fit in interest of bettering the district. However, most coaches are on a dual contract.

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When outgoing varsity football coach Joseph Jackson got a call at 3 a.m., he didn’t expect it to be a plea for help from a former player.

“He had gotten in a car with another guy and they had left from Northgate and the guy got a DUI. And so he called me and was like, ‘Hey, can you please come get me?’” Jackson said. “I could tell that he was intoxicated. I went and got him, took him home, and made sure he was safe and good.”

For Jackson, this experience taught him that having a close relationship with his students and players is a priority.

“There’s a purpose with the job that we have, and for someone to have played for me four years ago and feel comfortable enough to call me at a time where they are in deep trouble is kind of rewarding,” Jackson said. “That’s really what it all boils down to; it’s the relationships.”

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brief | the roar

UPCOMING

2 | in

MAY 16 MAY 17 MAY 19 MAY 23 MAY 24 MAY 25 MAY 25 MAY 26

NEWS

friday, may 12, 2017

Spikefest Education Foundation Scholarships Senior Walk 2nd, 5th, & 7th Period Finals 1st, 6th, & 3rd Period Finals 8th Period Final Graduation Practice Graduation

IN THE

The Roar attends journalism conference, takes home multiple awards

PHOTO BY DREW HOWERTON

On April 23, senior Vi Burgess was selected as Newspaper Editor of the Year at the Interscholastic League Press Conference. Several journalism students including Josh Weimer, Rachel Lamb, Yanichka Ariunbold, Drew Howerton, Jennifer Zhan, Haley Mitchell, Emily Caldwell, Katerina Kountakis, Maya Girimaji, June Jeong, and Vi Burgess won individual awards for the printed newspaper and the online website. Additionally, The Roar recieved the Silver Star Award, which distinguishes the Roar as the top 10% of high school newspapers in the state.

Tiger UIL Academics sends 7 students to state competition

7 students from A&M Consolidated competed at the UIL State meet held in Austin on April 21 and 22. Senior Kay Watson won the gold medal for Ready Writing. Sophomore Olivia Conway took 10th in Literary Criticism, while Selena Li was awarded 20th in Mathematics. The Current Issues Team won their fifth consecutive State Team Championship, with senior Benjamin Lamb taking 3rd, freshman Nico Macri taking 4th, sophomore Shiva Saravanan taking 9th, and sophomore Aabid Razvi taking 18th. Sophomore Shiva Saravanan ranked 2nd in Spelling and Vocabulary. Combined, these competitors won five gold, one silver, one bronze, and one 4th place medal.

5K race to be held to support Consol freshman cross country runner

A 5K Race will be held on May 20. Proceeds from the race will be donated to freshman Elizabeth Schiller, a varsity cross country runner who spent 6 weeks in a coma earlier this year due to Type B flu, pnuemonia, and an MSRA blood infection. Registration ends on May 19 and costs $20 for those under 21 and $25 for those over 21.

Junior Kaiden Williams plays the drums at this year’s Consolapalooza, A&M Consolidated’s annual talent show. The music showcase is organized by the Pride and Patriotism committee of Student Council.

FFA Agriculture Mechanics team places ninth at state

On May 5, junior Zach Jett and seniors Hunter Scott and William Sullivan competed in the State FFA Agriculture Mechanics Contest held in Huntsville, Texas. The team placed 9th overall out of the 30 teams that participated.

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the roar | news | 3

friday, may 12, 2017

Coaches remark on careers in football, turnover, working and bonding with players “coaches” cont. from page 1 “[A dual contract is] basically a coaching contract and a teacher’s contract in one. If I mess up on one side, I can’t keep my other job,” Scott said. “So if I get in trouble on the football field and they say, ‘Coach, you can’t coach anymore,’ then I lose my teaching job as well because they are together.”

Despite its implications, outgoing defense coordinator Dale Williams believes the contract is 100 percent fair.

“I think as long as due process is followed, as long as we are all treated the same and fairly, doesn’t matter what profession we are in,” Williams said. “I think everything is justifiable but as long as due process is followed, that is the key.”

Next year some coaches are leaving because incoming head coach Lee Fedora is replacing former head football coach David Raffield, although others like Scott are leaving for their own personal reasons.

“I am from Houston and I have been trying to move back there. Prior to making this decision, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was loyal to Coach Raffield, so I was wondering whether to stay here or do I want to pursue other options,” Scott said. “I prayed about it, and two days later Coach Raffield came back and said he was resigning. I was like, ‘That’s my calling, I’m leaving.’”

Yet, while some coaches leave due to personal needs, sometimes the reason for a coach’s resignation is out of their hands.

“So we have a new coach coming in, but he’s got different stipulations, different rules, and maybe you want to work for him, maybe you don’t. So most of us are getting demoted from our

football standpoint, so like for me, I have friends here, I have people that I care about that are in my personal life,” Jackson said. “And I have a house here that I bought.

Well now, I have to sell my house.

Do I want to sell my house? No. Am I taking a financial hit by selling my house? Yes. But all that happens because of things that are out of your control.”

However, coaches accept these complications when they take the job.

“It’s just something that goes into the job. I thought when I got the job, ‘Hey, you’re going to work at a school, there are going to be

“One thing I always emphasize is that it isn’t about [what happens] on the field, on the court, on the track, it’s about getting these kids ready for the real world.” head coach LEE FEDORA

great kids,’ but there might be a day in the middle of April where it’s like, ‘Hey, you’re not going to be here anymore,’” Jackson said.

“You just kind of have to pack up and move on. I think everyone knows that going in.”

So when Fedora became the new head coach, he followed the three things he believes will make him successful.

“You have to get a great staff around you, hire the right people, and make sure everybody’s on the same page to push the players to do right. The second thing is you have to get the players to work hard and do those things. Not in any order, but [the third thing is] you always have to have a great coach’s wife,” Fedora said. “Honestly, the number of kids in my 18 years of being a head coach, I probably coached over a thousand kids, and I probably spend

more time with those kids instead of my own kids.”

Because of the time Fedora invests in football, his relationships with his players are lasting.

“The neatest thing is [right] after I won state championships or had a certain amount of wins, the guys that played for me [texted me] saying, ‘Congratulations, Coach,’ Fedora said. “If you can change one kid’s life, if a kid is sitting on a fence post and is falling the wrong way and you can get him going the right direction, you’re a successful coach.”

To Williams, a coach’s greatest reward is knowing the extent to which they positively influenced a player’s life.

“Being invited to someone’s wedding, being invited to someone’s graduation, being invited to someone’s college graduation, it’s fun because that means you have built a relationship with those people,” Williams said.

“Those are positive things for us as coaches. I think we have no control over most things, but having a positive impact on young people is hopefully something we have the most control over.”

Fedora also believes that making an impact to improve a player’s education is extremely important.

“One thing kids are seeing here is, if you are not taking care of your grades, not only do you get punished by being no past no play, but you’ll get extra conditioning out there,” Fedora said.

“We are teaching you that academics is a number one priority because you got to get your degree, and you need to go to college and get your education.”

To Scott, coaches should strive to better students’ lives and believe all educators should have the same goal.

“If you are a teacher, I hope you are trying to make students better. I want to make kids productive citizens in our society,”

Scott said. “That’s my thing. I have always been like that so a teacher should be the same way—they go hand in hand.”

Like Scott, Williams believes in the importance of preparing youth for the real world.

“We should teach them how to be good people, how to handle discipline, how to be accountable, and don’t point fingers if you don’t get your way,” Williams said. “That’s what we should be about. Growing young people from either boy or girl to man or woman.”

Being head coach and the CSISD athletic director means

ing the head coach and showing my players that I’m not going to be lazy on them. The pressure I feel, it’s not like testing in school; it’s tough on them if the kids don’t pass,” Fedora said. “There are not a thousand people sitting in the classroom watching to see if the kid passes, like they are in the stands. If the kids are not winning, then the first person they are going to say is the head coach isn’t doing his job.”

Not only does Fedora plan on doing his job, he plans on making sure it is known that his players show character when on the field.

“We are going to play fast. We are going to play hard. We are going play physical, but we are going to play with a lot of class,” Fedora said.

“I want everybody across the state to defensive coordinator know when they play us, DALE WILLIAMS they are going to have a challenge but they that Fedora is in charge of the en- are going to play against a very tire athletic program for boys and classy group.” girls in junior high through high Despite football being the school, which means the respon- main attraction of high school sibility of growing young people athletics, Fedora wants to see imfalls to him. provement in all sports and aca“It is my job to evaluate the demics. coaches, hire the right coaches, “I’m excited about being here to get the effort out of the kids, and it’s about getting the whole but making sure the kids are do- staff together,” Fedora said. “We ing [well] in the classroom-that are going to try to be successful in is the most important thing,” Fe- everything we do from academdora said. “One thing I always ics to the athletic arena, to being emphasize is that it isn’t about a good head coach, to being good [what happens] on the field, on assistant coaches and good teachthe court, on the track, it’s about ers in the classroom. That’s our getting these kids ready for the goal.” real world.”

Even though Fedora has a lot of responsibilities as head coach, he feels that coaches of all levels of experience face pressure.

“I think the pressure is al ways there. When I was an assistant, I felt the pressure of impress-

“I think we have no control over most things, but having a positive impact on young people is hopefully something we have the most control over.”

4 | news | the roar

friday, may 12, 2017

BPA contests provide students with skills, experience for business-related careers rachel lamb executive editor After trading jeans for slacks and skirts, BPA students are ready to take on the job market after high school.

“Business Professionals of America focuses on business related skills, but it also has a lot more than that, so there are a whole bunch of different categories and areas you can compete in,” senior Shelly Zhou said. “There’s even medical and computer skills and stuff. So even though its business professionals, there are a wide variety of skills involved.”

BPA includes a wide variety of events that students compete in, allowing students to choose events that align with their interests.

“I do a multiple choice test with questions on business law in the workplace, so it’s ethics and things like that,” junior Romina Lasagna said. “Other people have a pretend interview, and that’s how they’re graded, on how well they can do interviews. It has a little bit of everything, there is math, computer, and general multiple choice.”

With many different individual and team events, BPA requires

students to work together and learn many new skills.

“In those team events they have to prepare some kind of presentation, but then they have to answer questions,” programming teacher and BPA sponsor Dianne Rister said. “That’s the key. Can you think on your feet? Can you answer the questions? It’s very broad.”

Zhou has seen how the events she has competed in have taught her skills that apply to other facets of her life.

“I think there are a lot of skills that are valuable that I learned,” Zhou said. “There is a lot of presentation stuff, so we have that experience of presenting in front of judges and working in the team.”

Rister and fellow BPA sponsors business teacher Terri Casto and accounting teacher Kathy Fisher hope BPA enables students to think critically.

“I hope they learn leadership skills,and learn how to think on their feet,” Rister said. “[I hope they learn to] come up with ideas on their own and not just regurgitate things, you know become critical thinkers.”

For Lasagna, BPA was helpful for deciding a future career path.

“I’ve also known that I’ve

wanted to go into law, but going into business law really helped me,” Lasagna said. “Now I’m really looking its specifically going into business law, rather than just criminal defense or something like that.”

While BPA prepares students for the world of business professionals, it extends beyond that, teaching students skills that will apply to many career paths.

“At first I was hesitant [to join] because I am not going to go into the business field so I didn’t think it would apply to me, but it turned out to be a lot of fun,” Zhou said.

“There are a lot of skills I can apply to anything, not just business.”

Students compete at the regional, state and national level.

This year five students, including Lasagna, will be traveling to Orlando, Fla., to compete at nationals. “[Through BPA] I feel a lot more confident; it’s a very comforting environment and I feel that everything is very helpful,” Lasagna said. “I will definitely continue to participate next year, and some colleges let you continue in college. I would love to continue participating because it’s a family environment.”

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JUST KEEP ROLLING

the roar | feature | 5

Students bike despite potential traffic hazards jennifer zhan | senior editor The first time junior Peter Liu was hit by a car, his bike tire caught the bumper and ripped part of it off. The second time, he didn’t see the oncoming vehicle and nearly fell on the street.

“Biking is more dangerous [than driving] because people can’t really see you all the time,” Liu said. “You have to be observant when you’re biking so that you won’t get hit.”

Liu is one of several Consol students who prefer to travel by bicycle. Junior Julian Wang, who has been involved in three car accidents while biking, explained that bikers accept potential risks in exchange for gaining a sense of self reliance.

“It’s easier to bike. I don’t have to make someone else drive me around,” Wang said.

“And we’re in a city where everything is close enough for you to bike yourself there.”

Wang and Liu, like most student bikers, don’t have their driver’s licenses and dislike asking parents or friends every time they need a ride. But benefits extend beyond simply having a way to get to and from school, said senior Mattie Lightfoot.

“It’s more economically friendly. I’m not putting gasoline into the environment every day to get to school,” Lightfoot said.

“And I feel like I don’t have to go to the gym and run a couple times a week because every day I’m doing a little bit of exercise.”

Sophomore Mitchell Kuppersmith said that his bike rides are typically six mile round trips.

“It’s a fun way to exercise, and it’s efficient,” Kuppersmith

said. “Running is also nice, bikes are really fast in comparison.”

But he said road conditions can sometimes slow riders down.

“When roads are always on construction, it makes it a lot harder to get to destinations. If we could have more actual places to bike, that would be really helpful,” Kuppersmith said.

Junior Jackson Lacey shares the sentiment.

“As it stands, you have to either go on roads, which is risky, or you have to go on very minimally developed ones,” Lacey

bikers who are crossing and have the right of way. That’s what happened to me [when I got hit],” Liu said.

And despite city laws against cellphone use, Wang said many drivers stop and get distracted at intersections. “[Drivers] need to look both ways before crossing the street,” Wang said. “When you first start biking, you also need to be alert and make sure that drivers can see you.”

In addition to being aware of vehicles, bikers must also adapt to the natural environment.

“If it’s raining really hard, I don’t bike, but if it’s light, I actually do go out because I kind of like how it feels to bike in the rain. It gets your bike really nasty and dirty but I still like it,” Lacey said.

“And if it’s hot, you can’t really do anything about it, you just sweat.

It’s still fun.”

Wang said he thinks everyone could benefit from traveling outdoors.

“You get to enjoy nature,” Wang said. “[Drivers] are probably too busy looking ahead to just appreciate the simple things — the blue sky, grass, the sun.”

Indeed, the students agree that they have gained much more than a form of transportation through biking.

“I go biking with my friends a lot as recreation. We’ll meet on the weekend and bike around on trails for several hours,” Lacey said. “We don’t really go anywhere — we just kind of enjoy the ride rather than the destination.”

“I wish there was more driver education about bikes and where they’re allowed to be. I’ve had people tell me that bikes aren’t made for the road, even when there’s a designated bike lane.” senior MATTIE LIGHTFOOT

said. “I think the city should definitely add more bike lanes.”

According to Liu, wheels can get caught in narrow parts of sidewalks, making it easy for riders to accidentally fall into the street. But safety isn’t guaranteed even when there are large sections of the road designated for bikers.

“It can be dangerous when a car is parked inside the bike lanes and you have to swerve into the road,” Lightfoot said. “I wish there was more driver education about bikes and where they’re allowed to be. I’ve had people tell me that bikes aren’t made for the road, even when there’s a designated bike lane.”

Liu said that many drivers don’t look out for bikes on the road.

“A lot of times, cars start turning without checking for

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6 | viewpoints | the roar

friday, may 12, 2017

SHOULD TEXAS REQUIRE STUDENTS TO TAKE CERTAIN COURSES TO GRADUATE? To graduate on time, high school students must fulfill the the Texas Education Agency’s requirements of one credit of fine arts and one credit of physical education, as well as two foreign language credits. Because of these requirements, students must plan their schedules to ensure that they fulfill the mandatory credits.

The state should abolish course requirements because they prevent students from both taking classes that they need and classes they want to take.

Because students must fit required credits into their schedules in addition to core classes, that leaves only two open slots for electives, assuming that students come to high school with no credits from middle school. This means sacrificing a class in order to finish a credit, and it can bar students from entering specialized programs.

For example, Telecommunications and Networking, is a second-level technology class that is also a block class. If a student wishes to take a block class, this leaves them only one elective slot to either complete a credit or take another elective class that interests them. This forces students to choose between classes that prepare them for a career and a half semester of physical education, which can set them back in a career pathway that interests them.

Failing to meet these requirements means that students must either attend credit recovery classes or participate in summer programs, neither of which are viable solutions. For example, online health is a bit antithetical in nature to a physical education credit, and although it requires a certain amount of hours playing bowling and tennis in the summer, it becomes more of a chore than an actual physical activity. Instead, initiatives should be put in place to encourage physical activity outside of school, something many students already do. While summer school is a more viable option, classes are more limited and usually only offered as on-level classes, meaning that a student wishing to get AP Government out of the way to make room for a required credit must instead take on-level.

Because of the obstacle-like nature of course requirements, and because the alternatives are not viable for students, the Texas Education Agency should consider abolishing required credits like finearts, physical education and foreign language because despite their intended goal of making students well-rounded, they only succeed in preventing students from taking classes that actually interest them.

At most high schools across the United States, students are required to take certain elective courses in order to graduate. Many believe that requiring elective classes reveals the skill sets of some students that might not be obvious in their other classes, while others argue that requirements can be a waste of time and are rarely beneficial.

“No, it all depends on what students want to study, because for example, if you’re not going into fine arts then what’s the point of taking fine arts courses if you don’t like it and don’t even have an interest in it? I don’t think it should be mandatory.” freshman alejandra moreno

“Yes, I think it should, but the [system itself]can also be improved. Like for my speech credit, I took a class but I didn’t really need it. But regardless of whether or not [certain courses] are required, the question is beside the point.” senior kevin sanchez

The Roar 2016-2017 Staff Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Executive Editor Senior Editor Online Editor Opinions Editor Section Editors Assistant Editors Staff Reporter Faculty Adviser Assistant Adviser

Vi Burgess Haley Mitchell Rachel Lamb Jennifer Zhan Josh Weimer June Jeong Yanichka Ariunbold Maya Girimaji Drew Howerton Katerina Kountakis Olivia Conway Sam de Figueiredo Sueji Han Becca Keefer Emily Caldwell Michael Williams Chauncey Lindner

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

The Roar is produced by the Advanced Journalism class at A&M Consolidated High School, 1801 Harvey Mitchell Parkway S., College Station, Texas, 77840. The opinions expressed are those of the writers and are not reflective of the administrators, faculty or staff of the College Station Independent School District.

Submissions to the editors are welcomed but must be signed and should not exceed 300 words. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions in the interest of clarity and length or to not print a letter at all. Letters containing obscene or libelous material will not be considered. The Editorial Board consists of the editor-in-chief, managing editor and opinions editor.

The Roar is a member of the Interscholastic League Press Conference (ILPC), the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA). The Roar is a winner of the CSPA Gold Crown, the 1997, 1998, 2000-2016 ILPC Award of Distinguished Merit, the CSPA Gold Medal Award, the NSPA All-American distinction and 2005, 2014, 2016 ILPC Bronze Star and 2007-2013 , 2015 and 2017 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 | feature | 7

friday, may 12, 2017

reading.

it’s lit.

PHOTO OF ALY FAIRBANKS BY YANICHKA ARIUNBOLD

Teen Literature Society offers inclusive space to discuss underrated book genre olivia conway | assistant editor The members of the Teen Literature Society never judge a book by its cover.

The Teen Literature Society is a club for students who love to read but are looking for something more laid-back and lighthearted than the analytical discussions found in English classes.

“English classes usually don’t get you into books because it’s usually [books] that you have to read, not necessarily [books] you enjoy, so I just wanted to find other people that had the same interests,” senior, and founder of the Teen Literature Society, Aly Fairbanks said.

The small size of the group, usually around five to ten students, allows for closer and more in depth discussions to make the most out of their monthly meetings.

“I [like Teen Literature Society because] it’s not a huge club like STUCO where you have to know [most people]” freshman Anna Mortari said. “It’s more intimate.”

Mortari originally joined the club because of a love of reading and a desire to balance the analytical approach to reading of English classes with the pure enjoyment of literature.

“I still wanted to read during high school and [Teen Literature Society] really gave me the push that I needed,” Mortari said.

So far this year, the Teen Literature Society has focused mainly on the science-fiction and fantasy genres

with books by Danielle Paige, Ann Aguirre, C.C. Hunter, and Erika Johansen.

The club also gives members the opportunity to meet the authors of the books they read and have meaningful conversations with them about their books.

“Authors are really willing, especially if they’re contacted by students,” librarian and faculty advisor Denise Gary said. “If I had contacted [them] we might have had to pay for [them] to come, but since it came from a student who was enthusiastic, they came right over.”

Besides meeting with authors and discussing popular young adult novels, the Teen Literature Society also holds book giveaways. At each meeting, members have the opportunity to win signed copies of books or other items sent by the authors.

“Last time it was for ‘Dorothy Must Die’, I gave away the three set book that was signed, so that was pretty fun,” Fairbanks said. “I make sure everyone can get something.”

As the leader of the club, Fairbanks generates a list of questions for each book the society reads, but discussions are much more relaxed than in a classroom setting.

“Sometimes I like to start with a topic question like ‘Do you like to read the book first or watch the movie?’ and then it just goes from there,” Fairbanks said. “We’ll go off topic a lot but it’s definitely worth it.”

While meetings start as calm discussions, the small group size and strongly opinionated members can eventually lead to heated debates of characters and plot.

“The people in Teen Literature Society, including me, are super opinionated, so we say whatever is on our mind, like ‘that character was so stupid when they did that, they should have done this,’” Mortari said.

Besides the Teen Advisory Board, which is a group of students who offer book recommendations and help choose books for the library, the Teen Literature Society is the only student-led book related club at Consol.

“I knew I could do book clubs but I felt like it would be more fun if [the students] took charge and took the lead, so I was excited that [Aly] was willing to do that,” Gary said.

Since the Teen Literature Society is a reading group, members are expected to complete the reading on their own, which is not always an easy feat for high school students considering the reading intensive homework assigned regularly in some classes.

“I’ve been having to read a lot of books for English, [but I also] want to read my own books, so usually I have to take [the time] out of my sleep, but it’s still definitely worth it,” Fairbanks said. “It’s just the matter of finding the time.”

Not only does the Teen Literature Society provide an opportunity for discovering and enjoying new books, it also has a positive impact on a student’s performance in English classes.

“A lot of kids who read for pleasure are more apt to get more into a book in English,” Gary said. “Don’t get me wrong, I love English and I love that it teaches us to look deeper into the books, but a lot of people just like to read for fun and that has its place as well.”

A STION E U F O Q

8 | student

life | the roar

FAITH

friday, may

the roar | student life | 9

12, 2017

Students reflect on need for consideration of religious minorities in schools maya girimaji & june jeong | section editor & opinions editor When a friend grabbed her hand and forced her to pray at an organization dinner, senior Jennifer Johnson* was wrought with the feeling of betraying her own religion.

“It felt so awkward, and I didn’t want to be in that situation. But I didn’t want to cause a scene, so I was like ‘I guess I’ll just be forced to do this,’” Johnson said. “[It was uncomfortable] especially because there’s already a really Christian environment, and there’s always a prayer circle.”

While Johnson recognizes that prayer as an organization may feel reasonable for some, the activity to her is inappropriate for “making [her] feel part of a religion when she’s not.”

“It’s awkward when they’re praying and you’re not praying to that god,” Johnson said. “It just makes you really uncomfortable in that your religion isn’t considered [the right one].”

The lack of inclusivity within certain clubs, Johnson argues, causes students of a minority religion to feel offended or pressured to participate.

“I think the school should allow them to pray but on their own time, not with everyone,” Johnson said.

“You actually don’t know if that person is another religion, if they feel offended by it or uncomfortable.”

Like Johnson, junior Samuel Cook believes that school organizations should be sensitive about when religion is appropriate.

“You can teach about religion but you shouldn’t teach about what to believe in or what is right because there’s a bunch of different people that have different beliefs,” Cook said. “You should draw the line between teaching about what it is and teaching about the beliefs and what they should believe.”

As a soccer player, however, Cook feels that prayer as a group unites his teammates in achieving a common goal.

“We always say a prayer before a game,” Cook said.

“I think it’s good that everybody is praying about the

THE SUPREME COURT ON RELIGION

same thing and just trying to be safe and do well in the game.”

Ultimately, Cook sees praying before a concert or a game as a tradition, but a voluntary one.

“Don’t force people,” Cook said. “If you’re one of those organizations that prays before an event [and] somebody doesn’t participate, then just say, ‘If you don’t feel comfortable about the situation then you don’t have to do it.’ Don’t force them into it.”

Counselor Kelli MacAfee concurs that religions should not be forced or pressured on other students within school in any situation.

“Students should be allowed to practice their religion in school without impeding the learning of other students,” MacAfee said. “There needs to be a black and white rule with pushing a religion on another student.

If something like that is going on, you need to tell a responsible adult and we should know about it.”

Thus, it is the role of the administration, MacAfee believes, to clearly outline and communicate what is permissible regarding religious presence in school. “[Religious clubs] have to have an adult sponsor and that can be hard for some groups but that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be allowed to discuss their own topics,” MacAfee said. “If one religious-based club is allowed, then they should all be allowed.”

Above all, MacAfee believes that schools should provide a safe space for students to practice their religion as long as it doesn’t impair others’ well-being.

“I think religion has a big place in a lot of people’s lives and school is also something big in a lot of people’s lives,” MacAfee said. “They spend a lot of time here so the two can intertwine.”

Generally, Johnson feels that the administration and teachers have done well in keeping personal religious stances and their roles as educators from intertwining excessively “I think it’s a good thing because they don’t seem biased at all,” Johnson said. “Teachers who are religious

ENGLE V. VITALE school-sponsored prayer is not protected by the 1st Amendment

a law must have a secular purpose and effect

LEMON V. KURTZMAN

and know that a student doesn’t share their religion [expressing their views] just makes the students feel awkward.”

On other hand, her first-hand experiences with organizations within school have deterred her from joining religious clubs.

“Say you have a [religious] group, you should invite [friends], but if they’re not comfortable going, you shouldn’t force them to go because it’s just going to make them feel uncomfortable,” Johnson said.

Her feelings of discomfort regarding religion stem from encounters with people who have openly expressed disdain for her religious identity.

“On Women’s Hijab Day, I was protesting with a group of my friends and in [my club], this girl said, ‘If you protest, nothing’s going to happen and nobody cares,’” Johnson said. “I’m outing myself, and it takes a lot to wear this. [Them] saying that hurt a lot.”

Like Johnson, students of a minority religion generally refrain from sharing their religious views, wary of negative reactions.

“Whenever people ask me what my religion is, especially in [my organization], since there are a lot of conservatives there, people look at you differently,” Johnson said. “‘Oh, you’re that, I didn’t know.’ They tend to be more careful around me [because of my religious views].”

For students of a minority religion who face similar circumstances, Johnson strongly encourages speaking out instead of silently dealing with discomfort.

“They’re nice people, they just don’t [understand],” Johnson said. “And maybe if a person is too afraid, the leaders of the group should be more open and consider them.” *Names changed to protect student privacy

COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY V. AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION religious symbols are allowed if preference to one religion isn’t shown

10 | snapshots | the roar

friday, may 12, 2017

Thiccc Britches Punk band finds creative outlet, camaraderie through musical performance becca keefer | assistant editor Sophomores Willie Allen, Patrick Quinn, Reece Cargill and junior Kaiden Williams aren’t too thiccc for their britches.

“Me and Kaiden both grew up in the music scene and I think because of that I’ve always had somewhat of an interest but it wasn’t until a couple years ago that knew ‘this is what I want to do’,” Allen said.

For sophomore and band member Patrick Quinn, it was his curiosity that led him to music. Quinn found music because of his desire to create.

“It was just kind of the idea of creating my own thing and putting it out there, you know, for people, that’s kind of what interested me,” Quinn said.

The group have been friends since middle school, but it wasn’t until earlier this year that Allen and sophomore Reece Cargill had the idea to start Thiccc Britches.

“We’ve wanted to start a band

for the longest time,” junior Kaiden Williams said.

“We just never have actually gotten to do it until now.”

The band has written three songs together and according to all four members, their lyrical inspiration stems from their relationship statuses.

“One of the names we considered for the band was ‘Girl Problems’ because that was what we wrote songs about,” Allen said.

The band doesn’t usually sit down and write songs together. Instead, they bring their own ideas to the group and build on them.

“Most of the time what it is is like one person will come up with something and they’ll bring the lyrics and everybody else will kinda be like ‘oh, you could do this with this part,’’ Quinn said.

The band considers themselves to fall into the punk genre.

“There’s small stuff everyday that it just kind of annoys you, kinda makes you a little angry, give you a little bit of teen angst, you know.” Allen said. “And playing punk is a really good, it makes that all bubble up and you get it out of

your system, so like after you’re done playing you’re just like ‘phew’.”

Quinn and Allen enjoy taking their guitars and playing for money on the sidewalks in Downtown Bryan.

“All four of us brought guitars one time and it was just a mess. I think we made like a dollar each,” Allen said.

Although they are serious about their future and staying together, Thiccc Britches never expected to book a real gig.

“I really thought that it was just like bs, jammin, but none of us expected to get Consolapalooza at all,” Allen said.

The band enjoys making music together, but they are friends before bandmates.

“We’re just really good friends. I consider them brothers, honestly,” Allen said.

PHOTOS BY DREW HOWERTON

the roar | feature | 11

friday, may 12, 2017

Working during high school proves demanding, gives students career preparation emily caldwell & sam de figueiredo | staff reporter & assistant editor

FEDERAL WORK RULES

Even though he is only a sophomore, Nate Reeder already considers himself the bouncer at Fuego.

“Over the weekend I deal with a lot of drunks, so I get cursed out a lot,” Reeder said. “A lot of people develop a hatred to me.”

It’s no secret that working as a high school student creates numerous challenges. After senior Paige Alvarez got a job at Wings N’ More almost three years ago, her afternoons and weekends were very quickly consumed by her work schedule.

“On school days, I work after school from like 4 to 9 p.m, or 4 to 10 p.m., just depending on what shift I get,” Alvarez said. “When it’s the weekend, sometimes I’ll work a double which means I’ll work from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., straight through.”

Alvarez soon got used to her friends hanging out without her.

“Sometimes if I wanted to go to a soccer game or go do something with friends I usually couldn’t because of work,” Alvarez said. “That’s one thing that sucked about it.”

Balancing work, school, and free time is not easy for sophomore Madeline Altendorf. She stresses that organization an absolute must.

“I have to maintain my time and get ahead in school,” Altendorf said. “If I don’t, I won’t be able to work on the weekends.”

Altendorf ’s boss prioritizes her success by ensuring that she has time to take care of her other responsibilities.

“My manager and co-workers are really understanding. They make sure I’m not too stressed out,” Altendorf said. “I’m really glad I work where I work.”

Nate Reeder can relate: his workplace has strong leadership as well.

“My boss lets me work my own schedule,” Reeder said. “I usually just text my boss if I need to go to something important because he understands that I still have to be a teen and live life.”

However, Reeder willingly sacrifices extracurriculars for the prospect of a promising future.

“I’m paying for college with this job,” Reeder said.

“This job allows me to save for school and be ready for it.”

Alvarez also understands the importance of having a job in order to prepare for the future.

“For me, I want to be a nurse, and at work I can get hands-on with people,” Alvarez said. “I like just dealing with people, even the not-so-nice ones, so it helps.”

Although they have to deal with some challenging customers, the students still enjoy developing unique relationships with the people they meet.

“A guy from Africa that went to A&M came almost every day, so [the employees] got to know him,” Reeder said. “The day he was leaving, we got him a Fuego t-shirt and cap.”

Despite looking tired from time to time, Reeder ensures that he never takes his customers for granted.

“I try to do little things to make sure [the customers] are happy,” Reeder said. “ I just think about my family and how I would treat them, and that’s how I treat other customers.”

14-15 years old

WORK IT

16-17 years old

22.3%

-can only work in retail, food service and lifeguarding -18 hours or less per week when in school

-unlimited hours -only nonhazardous jobs

18 years old

-unlimited hours -not barred from hazardous jobs

of high school students worked in 2014

FROM BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

12 | sports | the roar

TENNIS:

SEASON RECAPS GIRLS &

friday, may 12, 2017

what happened in sports this year in the words of coaches:

“In the fall, we made it to state for the 3rd year in a row and in the spring, for the first 2 or 3 tournaments overall as a team championship. “In district we took 11 spots, we won first in boys doubles, 1st and 2nd in girls doubles, 1st and 2nd in mixed doubles, 2nd in girls singles for the 16 spots for regionals Consol took 11. Regionals we won the boys doubles, mixed doubles and the girls doubles.”

“We have had a pretty successful season and we are rebuilding because we had a lot of seniors last year, and so we are young and want to rebuild our team and have been focusing on teamwork.”

“We have had some outstanding results at the beginning of the year, we try to do the best we can so as far as the boys we got 3rd in district (we had predicted for 5th) but we just kind of overachieved and had some really good things happen.”

FOOTBALL:

BASEBALL:

“The varsity team went 9-3 which is a really good year.” Defense was better, which hasn’t been normally like that, the last 7-8 years has had a good offense team.

“It was not very good we ended up 7-16 making us 6th place in district.”

“We could have done better and had many missed opportunities and didn’t try to the best of our abilities.”

GIRLS & BOYS SOCCER: “We were the area finalist by district champions and varsity finished at 11-6-4.” In the state semifinals we played Leander rouse and lost 3-0.” We faced many challenges earlier on in the year, we had a very difficult schedule to start with but one of the first times that our team has ever gone undefeated at district “17-5-2 we ended up first place in district for the 3rd year and playoffs we got to the regional quarterfinals which is the 3rd round.” “We exceeded the expectation of the other coaches in the district just because we had just graduated our entire backline and our starting keeper, we did a pretty decent job in our defense.”

BOYS TRACK:

GIRLS & BOYS BASKETBALL:

sueji han | assistant editor PHOTOS BY THE ROAR STAFF

“We missed out on the playoff and started off pretty slow making 5th as a tragic event occurred, we battled it out though in the second half 3-9.” “The team came around and we had a starting freshman point guard, throwing the young ones out quickly to learn and had no time to figure out.”

“22-13 and went to the quarter semifinals for state which is good.” playing together was the biggest improvement and not as an individual but as a team.”

the roar | sports | 13

GE

friday, may 12, 2017

N I T T

I T R E V GO

PHOTO OF MAKENNA CALLIHAM BY JENNIFER ZHAN

Pole vaulters describe struggles of sport, personal development through competition josh weimer | online editor

looks to some people, but it’s a lot of fun and definitely unique,” Calliham said.

Brock also expressed her personal struggle of having Sophomore Makenna Calliham started pole vaulta smaller stature than her teammates. ing as a joke.

“Individually it’s harder for me because I’m shorter “I [wasn’t] really expecting to take something out of than everyone else, so I can’t go as high as the others,” it,” Calliham said. “Once I started getting into it, and I Brock said. saw I was progressWhile all exing, I ended up fallperienced athletes ing in love with the now, many vaulters sport. Now, here I am experienced fears as in high school, on beginners. varsity, and it’s a lot “At times it can of fun.” sophomore be scary, but I’ve The team’s pernever had any acbailey brock formance however, cidents of falling is no joke. This year back on the track most of the members or breaking the pole, ” Calliham said.

“If you’re scared of are vaulting ten to eleven feet, and consistently placing heights it can be a little frightening.” at meets.

Despite competing individually, Brock feels that the “We’ve all been doing pretty good,” sophomore Bailey Brock said. “We’ve all set personal records this year.” team aspect of pole vaulting is also important.

“It makes you a better person knowing that you’re Calliham says her dancing background has come in working by yourself but all of the people you’re compethandy due to the core strength she developed from it.

“It’s a really hard sport, probably harder than it ing with support you,” Brock said.

“It makes you a better person knowing that you’re working by yourself but all of the people you’re competing with support you.”

TIGER RELAYS: MISSY HORN............................11 ft 6in MAKENNA CALLIHAM..............10 ft 6in *JANELLE THOMAS .................10 ft 6in *BAILEY BROCK.............................10 ft

*denotes personal record

14 | reviews | the roar

friday, may 12, 2017

chauncey lindner | assistant adviser Austin music lovers who have grown tired of whiny singer-songwriters and dad-hating emo rock have a fun, funky alternative—Cilantro Boombox. A long-running favorite in the Austin live music scene, Cilantro Boombox is an eight-man funkrock-Latin-reggae-dance band that features bass, saxophone, guitar, trombone, alto sax, trumpet, drums, and additional percussion, all of which is punctuated by the energetic vocals of Christopher “Zumbi” Richards.

On April 22nd, The Roar’s staff saw Cilantro Boombox in concert on the Central Market stage, where they performed as part of a weekend-long music festival. The band’s catchy beats and funky brass section had us literally dancing all night long.

Between songs, the band exchanged friendly banter with the crowd and encouraged

everyone to find their way on to the dance floor.

After the show, we bought C.B’s recent album, Shine, and we listened to it throughout the rest of the weekend in our van.

The highlight of the set was “Livin’ In A Box,” which ends on the repeated refrain “We came here to party, so put your phone away.” If any band could convince people to silence their phones for the evening, it’s Cilantro Boombox. We were so wrapped in the music, dancing, energy, and fun that we didn’t even take post concert selfies.

Cilantro Boombox will play shows on May 26th at the Mohawk, June 27th at Long Center, and July 2nd at ABGB, all in Austin. They frequently add shows, which they announce via Facebook and Twitter. Although it doesn’t appear that Cilantro Boombox has plans to visit College Station in the near future, we enthusiastically recommend traveling to Austin for a fun, energetic, and unique listening experience.

WE CAME HERE TO PARTY THE ROAR REVIEWS: CILANTRO BOOMBOX

friday, may 12, 2017

THE ROAR REVIEWS:

BUBBLE TEA

maya girimaji | section editor

Sweet Horse There’s something magical about walking into the small joint that’s tucked away on Texas Avenue.

It “smells like hipster” not only because of the quality of the bubble tea but because of the uniqueness of the place. Sweet Horse is a cute, humble tea room with random signs plastered on all of the walls and soft lights hanging from the ceiling. It has designated areas for chilling with friends, playing board games, and an elevated table with chalk boards to mark your visit. But the tea is really what it boasts.

Flavors range from jasmine to taro to strawberry (for the less adventurous)- it has something for everybody. I, personally, am not a big fan of the texture of boba so I chose the pop boda. We tried the taro, strawberry, and chocolate milk tea and we all absolutely loved it. But, if you’re not a tea person and still want to hang with the cool hipsters, Sweet Horse also serves ice cream rolls (also tasty and an experience of its own) and slushes.

Overall, the drinks are refreshing, the staff is incredibly friendly, the price is fair and the atmosphere is inviting and comforting. It’s the perfect place to unwind after a long week.

PHOTOS BY MAYA GIRIMAJI

kung Fu Tea It’s hard to miss this spot with its gigantic fiery red sign. This new tea place is in the same vicinity as Barnes and Noble which is the perfect location because you can grab a drink then sit down at the bookstore to read.

Since Kung Fu Tea opened up about a month ago, the room is still getting some final touches. Unlike Sweet Horse, though, Kung Fu Tea is less of a “sit down and hang for an hour” and more of a “grab your drink and go”.

Even though it falls short in creating a welcoming atmosphere, their drinks make up for it. They have something for any mood — chai milk, espressos, lychee punch, yogurt lemonade, passionfruit slush, taro milk tea — the list goes on and on. We’re not a very adventurous staff so we stuck with the classic taro milk tea, coffee milk tea, and strawberry lemonade tea.

Their bubble drinks had a lot more boba in them than most places, which is a plus if you like boba.

Between the decent atmosphere, delicious drinks and relatively fair price, it’s probably only worth it if you plan on spending the next hour reading or studying at Barnes and Noble.

the roar | reviews | 15

16 | etcetera | the roar

SARA'S SOUND

friday, may 12, 2017

Freshman composes music, hopes to break into production industry with original EDM releases yanichka ariunbold section editor

Freshman Sara Shankar is student by day, singer-songwriter-DJ by night.

“It’s hard to explain to people that I’m not just a singer, that I produce music, too. A lot of the DMs or messages I get when I post my music on social media are ‘What app do you use to make your background music?’”

Shankar said. “A lot of people just don’t expect me to be a producer or DJ.” Shankar didn’t start out her music career by releasing her two completely self-produced singles—“Wherever You Go” and “Faker”—on Spotify. She first ventured into the

songwriting business before going into music production.

“I wrote songs for other people and sold them on Soundexchange, but I was kind of tired of not getting credit,” Shankar said. “It was something I really loved and was passionate about so I just wanted to take full control over and make my songs sound the way I wanted them.”

However, the process of bringing her songs to life was more difficult than Shankar anticipated.

“I first started thinking, ‘Oh yeah, it’s good enough just to have some noise in the back.’ I thought it would be just musical, but I had to learn all this technical stuff, too,” Shankar said. “But to sound professional, it’s actually 75% technical—engineering, working with frequencies, and shaping things how you wanted them. I had to look up how to do everything one by one, for each software.”

In Shankar’s opinion, the best part of creating music is seeing her progress from one song to the next.

“I actually had an EP ready to release, but I realized I could do so much better technical-wise because looking at the potential my song had and the amount I was giving, I was letting little flaws go, like a little fuzz right there that can be fixed,” Shankar said. “Now I aim for perfection, which doesn’t happen, but that’s what anybody should aim for.

I really value progress— you can always improve at making music.”

Furthermore, Shankar has benefited from overwhelming support from her family.

“Initially, [my family] was unsure if producing music

was what she was really going to put effort into, but when we saw she was investing a lot of time and producing good stuff—like we’d hear her music sometimes when she’d be composing—we supported her,” senior and Sara’s brother Sujay Shankar said. “We were like, This is what you want to do, that’s great. Now, we’ll see what we can do for you and help you reach out to opportunities elsewhere.’”

Sara Shankar draws inspiration from everything ranging from country to classical, but what she enjoys producing the most is electronic dance music, or EDM. “A great voice is a good thing to have, but EDM producers like the Chainsmokers, for example, are making music in a way that you don’t have to have the best voice to be up there, really,” Sara Shankar said. “What played on the radio was more acoustic when I was little, but now almost all the top hits are heavily electronic or are influenced by EDM. It’s a genre that’s growing.”

As much as she admires the EDM industry, Sara Shankar stresses the underrepresentation of women in music production as a whole.

“My sister has always told me about how there are always gender gaps in the computer science field which she works in, but I see it too in what I work in,” Sara Shankar said. “I’ve never watched a tutorial with a girl teaching, and I’ve never even worked with a female DJ or producer or engineer either. Actually, less than 2% of sound engineers are girls.”

By organizing music-making workshops for local youth, Sara Shankar is doing her part to curb the gender divide.

“I’m trying to take participation up a step by teaching people in my community about how to use Garageband so that maybe some of them will get excited about it and want to keep doing it,” Sara Shankar said. “It’s not just something that’s limited to music; you can apply it to sound engineering, or even virtual reality, since it’s three-dimensional sound.”

Though Sara Shankar has struggled with being open about her music in the past, she now finds freely pursuing her passion rewarding.

“People kind of expected me to be like my siblings.

I mean, my siblings didn’t do anything like this, and, before I guess I was just trying to fill their shoes,” Sara Shankar said. “But then I just kind of got tired of pretending to be someone I wasn’t, I don’t want to just take courses or do things because it looks good on college applications. I love what I’m doing, and I’m going to keep doing it.”

PHOTO BY YANICHKA ARIUNBOLD, ALBUM PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SARA SHANKAR