Vol 22, Issue 2

THE ROAR NEWS

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1801 HARVEY MITCHELL PKWY. S., COLLEGE STATION, TX 77840 | FRIDAY, OCT. 28, 2016 | VOL. 22 NO. 2 | THEROARNEWS.COM

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Student social media use sparks unofficial teacher policies, discussion, new student responsibilities

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wasn’t good,” Vessel said. “You don’t need to make it personal, just make it about the school game.”

Not all students agree with Vessel; junior Phuc Ha maintains an active presence on Twitter during Cougar Love Week and Consol Hate Week, in which Consol and College Station High School students participate in flame wars. He thinks that social media doesn’t always have a large impact. “[My friends] all like it, they laugh, they just come up to me and say ‘Funny tweet last night’ or something,” Ha said. “It’s not like an important part of our conversations, it’s just a little side thing.”

Because the tweets are usually directed at CSHS, social media can create rancor amongst students in College Station.

“I don’t think it’s created new tensions that weren’t already there,” Ha said. “Some of the tweets they respond to aren’t even offensive, they’re just jokes, and they just come too serious.”

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When a Twitter war started between students at Consol and another school following the Lady Tigers’ soccer playoff game, head coach Stuart Keogh immediately stopped the girls’ soccer bus. “[I] said ‘Hey, this isn’t what we believe in, this isn’t how we act. It’s great that we won, let’s handle it with class and move forward onto our next game,’” Keogh said. “Our soccer players are expected to use social media responsibly and positively. We don’t promote negativity about anybody or any other school.”

As such, both women’s and men’s soccer teams have a strict social media policy, which includes not tweeting at all about other schools.

“We actually haven’t had to [punish somebody] yet, but if somebody were to break the rule, we’d do what are called three hundred repeats, a type of sprint. It’s one of those for every character in the tweet that is negative

about somebody,” Keogh said. “So it would be a pretty long process if they wrote something very long.”

The process is further complicated by the ambiguity of students’ rights and teachers’ responsibility.

“Free speech is a tricky topic because just because you have the right to say something doesn’t mean you should,” Keogh said. “While free speech is important, one of our goals in our program is to teach people how to be responsible adults so when they leave, they represent themselves, their families and their school well and that, to me, is super important.”

Under Keogh’s direction, soccer player and junior Abbye Vessel thinks that sometimes, Consol students’ social media can discredit the school.

“It just kind of reflects that if we can’t win, we’ll just insult them. I remember last year someone did Dirty Dancing, and they photoshopped it and that was funny, but unacceptable is like this year, someone said something along the lines of ‘We’re going to beat Consol,’ but someone responded with ‘At least…’ then followed to say something really personal about them and that

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vi burgess & june jeong editor-in-chief & opinions editor

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UPCOMING

2 | in

OCT 28-30 NOV 4 NOV 5 NOV 5 NOV 23-25 DEC 3

Tiger Theater: James & The Giant Peach Football vs. Rudder Tiger Theater: Hamlet Bob Stallings Swim Invitational Thanksgiving Break SAT Testing

NEWS

friday, oct. 28, 2016

IN THE

Consol choir, orchestra send 21 students to pre-area, regionals

On Saturday, September 24, seniors Jason Jasperson, Nour Hilal, Marissa McShane, Kylee Shipp and Kasha Wann along with junior Madeo Suarsama and sophomore Grace Moore qualified for Pre-Area in the Regional choir competition. Additionally, seniors Dana Choe, Vi Burgess and Sujay Shankar as well as juniors Hannah Chang, Jennifer Zhan, Jackson Lacey, Melissa Yang, Cassie He and Luke Henderson and sophomores Michelle Wu, Shiva Saravanan, Aimee Deng and Arthur Erickson in addition to freshman Eric Gan qualified for the Regional orchestra on October 7.

Engineering students place first, second in Bark & Build competition

At the annual local festival Weiner Fest, four teams of Consol students competed to build doghouses shaped like rural farmhouses. The first place team was composed of juniors Curtis Franklin, Michael Townsend and Zach Ruiz; juniors Michael Fink, Trey Rink and Thomas Cassler made the second team.

Final rezoning districts for 2017-2018 school year released

During the October 11 special workshop, the CSISD Board of Trustees approved the redistricting recommendations presented at the September School Board meeting complete with revisions to the Nantucket neighborhood’s zoning and extensions to the grandfathering clause to the high school class of 2020.

Tiger Forensics earns state qualifications, junior wins Top Speaker PHOTO BY HALEY MITCHELL Senior and wide receiver Burl Carraway leaps for a first down during Consol’s Homecoming game on October 7 against Temple. The Tigers hold a season record of 5-3 and a district record of 3-2.

At the Klein Oak Speech and Debate Tournament on the weekend of October 22, junior Elizabeth Palazzolo and the team of juniors Parth Sarin and Caroline Coopersmith qualified for the TFA State Debate Competition. Senior Benjamin Lamb, sophomore Aabid Razvi and junior Delphine Leoue Ngoko Djomo have previously qualifed for TFA State.

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Faculty, students discuss responsibilities, boundaries of student social media use “speech” cont. from page 1 Like many Consol students, Ha has friends at CSHS. “When I started [poking fun at them] on Instagram, a bunch of people from the other school commented, and they were like ‘This is actually pretty funny; even though we go to CSHS, we’re not that offended,’” Ha said. “When it moved to Twitter, people [started to] get more involved and people started flinging mud at each other.”

Once the tweets became more insulting, the school and its organizations became more concerned; Ha, a member of Student Council, was asked to be careful with his words on social media. “[Student Body President] Nour [Hilal] was telling us that we can tweet and stuff, just don’t be thugs, and don’t go too far with it,” Ha said. “I don’t really think about Student Council when I tweet, but I kind of have it in the back of my mind, like don’t cross the line, which I mean I wouldn’t have done anyways.”

Keogh, as the leader of a school organization, feels that this line should be determined through a sense of moral obligation.

“Success is how well we interact with people, how we treat our teachers, how we treat our friends, how we treat each other,” Keogh said. “That’s more important [than scores or records], and part of that is being responsible about how we talk about people.”

Because there is no legal precedent, teachers currently face a gray area in regulating students’ social media.

“You have the power to say whatever you want and that’s your right, but I think

if it reflects badly on the school, [though] they can’t make them take it down, they should confront [the student] and try to make them do the right thing,” Vessel said. “But [the teachers shouldn’t say], ‘If you don’t take this down, you’re going to be kicked off the team,’ or something like that.”

OUT OF MORALITY

Sophomore Andrew Zhang faced a difficult situation when he tweeted about his chemistry teacher, Jill Faith.

“Basically, she didn’t enter a lab grade, so my grade was not where I wanted it to be,” Zhang said. “So I went on Twitter, and it was in all purposes meant to be a joke.”

When several students told Faith about the tweet, she approached Zhang.

“I was extremely sad and hurt that my name was put out there and that with my name it said that ‘I hate you,’” Faith said. “I work really hard to have a great relationship with all of my students and it honestly hurt my feelings because I know that he was doing it in the heat of the moment, but it was very offensive to me.”

Faith believes that students should be more careful because the permanent nature of social media means there can be long-term consequences.

“He acknowledged that he’d done it, he assured me that he didn’t mean it offensively, but anytime you write something like that, it can be taken offensively,” Faith said. “When you take [your anger] out there, that screenshot, even though it was deleted, it will never go away.”

Furthermore, Faith notes that because individuals represent not only themselves, they should recognize that

their actions affect other parts of their life.

“I am not just Jill Faith, a human. I am Jill Faith, a teacher at A&M Consolidated High School, I am Jill Faith, a mother of two boys, I am Jill Faith, the wife of James Faith,” Faith said. “So yes, Andrew is a student of A&M Consolidated High School, and whether he likes it or not, he is tied to that. It was just one line, but I think we represent a lot more than we realize.”

As social media has become increasingly present in students’ lives, Faith feels that it is the adults’ responsibility to help guide teenagers in the right direction.

“I think that it is the teachers’ and administration’s jobs to help guide our students in academic and in social, emotional growth,” Faith said. “I don’t think that sometimes fourteen to eighteen-year-olds realize what they’re putting out there, so sometimes as an adult, we need to say, ‘Hey, this is not okay,’ because later on in life, when they’re adults, they will realize that.”

Zhang concurs that there’s an undefined area between free speech and responsibility.

“Just as a person in general, you should have the ability to express yourself in certain situations, but even though you have the ability to express yourself in any way you want to, you’re putting it out on the internet, so anyone has the ability to form an opinion about you based on [that],” Zhang said. “I don’t think they have the right to make you [take it down], especially because it’s a personal account, but out of morality, it should be done.”

Like Zhang, assistant principal Omar

Espitia is conscious of the importance of maintaining a healthy online presence.

“A good rule of thumb is anything that you wouldn’t put on paper, you shouldn’t put on social media,” Espitia said. “I think a student has a lot of ability to go ahead and discuss matters and issues that pertain to the school. When you start making threats or start to be derogatory, you probably shouldn’t be putting it out there.”

Though students, teachers and administrators agree that a line exists between good fun and insults and threats, the line isn’t always interpreted the same way.

“I’ve seen some really, really hatefilled tweets, and we don’t need to reflect hate. People put things on social media out of anger and frustration, and then they wake up the next day and they’re not angry anymore, but the tweet is still there for everyone to read,” Faith said. “So I think that there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed, period. I think that the line is different based on the different situations, but if you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, I don’t think you need to put it out there on social media.”

Faith and Ha agree that hate is too far to be permissible; however, what qualifies as insulting is a different matter.

“If you’re sending sending death threats to people on Twitter or harassing them, like calling them out on personal information or spreading it online where everyone can see it, you’re going too far,” Ha said. “As long as you don’t cross that line, what’s the point of trying to stop them from tweeting their funny stuff?”

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friday, oct. 28, 2016

Teachers, students reflect on new format of Economics, Government courses rachel lamb | executive editor

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Starting this school year, Honors and AP Government and Economic students are no longer taking each class as a semester course, but instead switch daily between classes.

“Both of us were a little bit frustrated for only having kids half a year,” economics teacher Jason Pratt said. “Even though we have kids the same amount of days [as we did before], I get to have kids for economic thought for the whole year, and Rodriguez gets to have kids think of government for a whole year.”

Rodriguez and Pratt originally pushed for this change to benefit AP students.

“For government, the biggest challenge of course is for students who used to finish in December and then had to wait all the way until the spring to take the [AP] test,” government teacher Bobbi Rodriguez said.

“Then for economics students, because the material is so new and they have to sign up for AP exams the second week of January, there was this big challenge that students really had a hard time figuring out whether or not they wanted to take the exam.”

Because of the new schedule, students have more opportunities to see and learn about real life applications of government and economics.

“I like it because when tax season comes up, I have all my kids during tax season, and that’s what I want because I make them all go and do their taxes,” Pratt said. “Well, when I have kids just in the fall, I can’t do that with them. And Rodriguez can now do the whole political process, so she has the election and the inauguration.”

The new system provides a more realistic collegiate experience than offered before. ““These students in Honors and AP are going to college,” Pratt said. “One of those challenges that we’ve talked a lot about with former students in college [is how students] have to get used to doing things every other day, you have to balance your homework and be able to figure things out without a teacher reminding you.”

Many students echo the sentiment that the new schedule prepares them for their futures, adding it helps eliminate immediate stress in their schedule.

“I do like the switch; you don’t have the same class every single day, day after day,” senior Kay Watson said.

“I don’t feel the need to rush and read things every single moment of my life. I’m more relaxed. We have more time between classes to read the material.”

Yet some students have found the change more difficult.

“It’s relaxing because nothing is due the next day, but it’s overwhelming because it’s a lot of stuff to keep track of becuase if it’s Tuesday, I never know what I did 4 days ago last Thursday,” senior Shelby Stratton said.

“They are both lecture style classes and it’s a lot of information to absorb. I’m learning more, but it’s a little bit more difficult because I’m trying to keep up with two classes at the same time.”

Pratt and Rodriguez have tried to adjust their classes to help students transition into the new schedule.

“It’s definitely required a look at how can I make the best use of seeing [students] only every other day, and how I can find ways to keep connected with students,” Rodriguez said. “[We are] finding ways to work in more review at the beginning of each class period, which helps account for this idea that students didn’t just hear from me yesterday, and helps them to recap to make sure that we’re ready to get going the next day.”

But unlike in other classes, Pratt and Rodriguez try to coordinate their schedules to ease the stress on students.

“The other good thing is we can now consider when I give a test, versus if she gives a test or I’m hard on [the students] and she’s hard on [the students],” Pratt said. “So for AP Econ, next week is my tough week and she knows that, so she’s going to take things easy on [the students].

The week after that is their tough week and I’m easy on [the students]. And I think that’s good for the kids.”

While it can feel like more work, Pratt and Rodriguez reiterate that the students are receiving the same amount of work as years before.

“I think there is this tendency to feel like you’re getting twice the amount of work, Rodriguez said. “Realistically speaking, Mr. Pratt and I literally took our calendars from the previous year and we just divided them by the number of days. So for example, instead of having one chapter due every week or so, [last year] you’d have two chapters due every week. That’s just the reality of the way the class works.”

Rodriguez and Pratt both agree that they have to work together to best benefit the students.

“Kids think we are really different. We teach differently but when it comes down to how we think and how we talk, we get along totally great,” Pratt said. “For some people, [my class] is tough on them because they are like ‘I need concrete, Pratt’, and some people want more random and sporadic and that’s just not Rodriguez, so I think it balances us really, really well.”

Both teachers think that by the end of the year the benefits of the new system will be clear.

“Mr. Pratt and I feel confident in the benefits [of the change] in terms of instructionally, your ability to understand the concepts over a longer period of time, and the benefits in terms of preparation,” Rodriguez said. “When [the students] get to college next year, it’s not going to be new to figure out how to balance courses and go back and 900 forth between two different ideas.”

PHOTO BY RACHEL LAMB

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friday, oct. 28, 2016

Insensitive jokes of gorilla’s death spurs righteous anger, disappointmentin-

viewpoint:

call me maybe?

jennifer zhan senior editor

Flip-phone veteran reflects on expansion, development of mobile technology “in-

“Yeah, it sucks that we live so far away from each other. Let’s definitely keep in touch. Here, add your number!”

My new acquaintance holds her phone out casually, waiting for me to type in the contact information that will surely be the gateway to a beautiful new long-distance friendship. I fidget a little.

“Sorry...I can’t. I, uh, I have a flip phone.”

“Oh. But like, flip phones can still text and call, right?”

“It costs me like 10 cents per text or minute of a call.”

“Ah.” “Um. I… I have an email?”

Throughout my middle school years, being sans iPhone seemed like one of the defining tragedies of my life. While I was limited to communicating online through chain emails and Gmail chat, all my friends were off laughing at the latest iFunny post and hitting each other up on Kik. Clearly, I was missing out on some high quality social interactions. I felt that owning any type of mobile device would be a blessing.

Unfortunately, once I got my flip phone, I realized that comparing it to my friends’ phones was like comparing cafeteria food to gourmet food. I thought 50 texts would be more than enough for an entire month, and was shocked to reach my capacity in two days. Most of my friends only used the call function with their parents.

And the only app my feeble little phone could support without crashing was the demo for Uno. Eventually, I accepted that I wouldn’t be a central figure on the middle school social scene. When group text inside jokes came up during conversations, I laughed along with everyone else until the moment passed. It was a kind of sore spot, still, but I managed well enough.

I noticed the change on my first day of high school.

By 5th period alone, I’d been asked to pull out my device to sign up for a Remind 101, create a Sophia account, join two class Edmodos, and fill out a Google Docs survey.

“We know your generation’s on the phone all the time anyway,” one of my teachers said. “Might as well just accept it and use it to our benefit.”

Consol, of course, has plenty of accommodations for anyone who doesn’t have a portable device during the day.

Over the years, I’ve shared phones during Quizlet Lives, used the teacher’s laptop to take Socrative quizzes, and foregone class apps for bootleg computer versions.

But having a flip phone meant I was in a gray area. It’d be fine if I just didn’t have a phone; instead, I had to awkwardly explain why — even though I had one — I couldn’t join constantly active group chats, could almost never download apps, and needed to borrow someone else’s phone to use Google.

The thing is, a flip phone works fine for the original purpose I got it. I was able to call my parents when I needed them to pick me up, and they were able to call me.

But what’s changed since middle school is that phones aren’t just for minor communication anymore. Before, having internet access at home was enough. Now, people have access to the web in their pockets or hands at all times. We’ve made technology into something we use to learn, to work, and to find information. It’s become so integrated in people’s lives that they hardly remember that just a few years ago phones were items associated mainly with popularity rather than necessity.

To the concerned readers, I did actually make a step up from the flip phone over the summer. My new phone is decidedly flat and un-flippable, but in practice I’m still not able to do many things. My parents have promised that by the time I graduate high school, I can make that long-awaited upgrade to the type of phone that I’ve been dreaming about for so long.

But with the way that technology’s going, I wouldn’t be surprised if by then, there was something smarter than even the smart phone.

Jennifer is a senior editor at The Roar. Behind in the newest technology? Contact her at the.roar.zhan@gmail.com.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend activists and innocent bystanders herded me your ears: into it by a stampede of overcommitted I come to bury Harambe, not to meme makers and 4channers.. but... praise him.

Greviously hath Harambe anIt was a grievous fault: swered it: Five months ago, a toddler fell into ...Why? a gorilla’s zoo enclosure in Cincinnati.

I’m honestly looking for some real After watching their massive silverback insight on why Harambe jokes have been display increasingly aggressive behavior dragged out this long. Or why they were towards the child, zoo officials killed Ha- ever funny in the first place. rambe with a single shot. The echoes of A gorilla was shot, y’all. In a decision the action are heard still today, though that took ten minutes to reach, extremenot through testimonies of the inhumane ly qualified zoo officials chose to kill off treatment of zoo animals or touching their aggressive Silverback rather than let meditations on how awful it must have their aggressive Silverback kill a child. been for a mother to watch her child be I’m not saying I agree or disagree dragged around by a four hundred pound with that decision, but I am disagreeing animal for ten minutes. with the tasteless way that the internet I’m mostly bringing this up because and its millions of users have handled the I feel like we need aftermath. to be reminded that H u this started somemor plays where.

Harambe a huge role didn’t just pop up in this as on our computer well.

We screens and Insta all laugh feeds one morning. at differThe evil that ent things. managing editor has been done lives I, for one, after him: am conhaley mitchell I was under the vinced that illusion that Cincinfat raccoon nati and its evil connotations was very, videos are the epitome of Internet humor. very far away, until Texas A&M Students But the death of a critically endanstarted a Harambe club (that, upon a gered zoo animal? Haha? search through A&M’s student activities So let it be with Harambe: directory, seems to no longer exist?). The For this year’s Homecoming Carniclub now strives to seek justice for zoo an- val, the sophomore contingent of STUCO imals, but let’s be honest—it’s safe to infer chose to create a Harambe-themed charthat it was not started with intentions so iot, gorilla-suited chariot-puller and “RIP pure. Rarely are Harambe-related matters HARAMBE” sign-bearing charioteer and taken seriously. all.

Harambe lives on in the internet colI envy those who were unable to bear lective consciousness that spits out stupid witness. jokes that you didn’t even know were funSo as funny as a dead gorilla is, I still ny, and most of us didn’t even think were fail to see the apparent hilarity. Please enfunny until our friends started laughing lighten me. at them and we just joined along. HaramHaley is a managing editor at the be’s big ole honking bandwagon is over- Roar. Care to share Harambe memes? Concrowded with half-hearted animal rights tact her at the.roar.mitchell@gmail.com.

“I’m honestly looking for some real insight on why Harambe jokes have been dragged out this long.”

viewpoint:

haley mitchell managing editor

no monkey business

6 | viewpoints | the roar

ONLY ROOM FOR TWO PARTIES?

ARTWORK BY JUNE JEONG

The 2016 U.S. Presidential Election’s major party candidates are the least popular presidential candidates of all time. Clinton is widely viewed by Republicans as untrustworthy, and an embodiment of corruption, while Trump is seen as bigoted and inexperienced. Understandably, the unfavorability of the major candidates has led many voters to consider the Independent candidates instead, but should they?

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

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

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

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

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

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

College Station Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex or handicap in providing education services. Monica Jones, Director of Human Resources, 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.

friday, oct. 28, 2016

the roar’s consensus In this presidential election, many voters have come to think of choosing between “Crooked Hillary” and “Dumb Don” as picking between the lesser of two evils; however, in November, two more substantially less circulated names will be on the ballot with their own bids for the Oval Office.

Jill Stein, representing the Green party, boasts the most votes ever received by a woman candidate for President in the United States as well as an arrest warrant for trespassing and mischief. While the Green Party is generally socially and economically similar to the Democrats, they differ in their strong emphasis on environmentalism.

Gary Johnson, representing the Libertarian Party for the second time since 2012, has attracted a large number of defecting Republicans, as his policies most closely emphasize a less extensive role for the government.

But while alternate options may exist, third parties simply lack the foothold to gain the kind of momentum that attracts voters. Because of this, the Green and Libertarian parties have no representatives in Congress and their attempts at major change are often futile.

We believe that now more than ever it has become urgently necessary for voters to support the candidate who they believe will best run the country, regardless of whether they agree that Clinton should make her emails public or that Trump should release his tax returns, or any of the major gaffes on both sides. For the first time in over 70 years, the Dallas Morning News, a traditionally conservative newspaper, is endorsing a Democrat. When Trump supporters learned their candidate would win in an all male election, #RepealThe19th became a trending topic on Twitter and Facebook for days. The controversy surrounding this election is too important and hitting too close to home for the public and us as the future of America to vote independent when there is so much at stake.

the roar | snapshots | 7

friday, oct. 28, 2016

Junior Anica Winn puts her horse, CJ, through a drill in Dick Freeman Arena.

Competitive horseback riders share zeal for sport katerina kountakis | section editor

Senior Mckean Matson praises her horse, Sundance, during a break in practice.

Dogs may be man’s best friend, but there is no closer bond than the bond between a girl and her horse. Junior Anica Winn has always had a love for horses ever since her grandparents took her out to ride them.

“Once I got my own horse in seventh grade, I started riding all the time,” Winn said.

“I started riding competitively when I got a younger horse and joined the 4-H Equestrian Drill Team. We compete at different rodeos and 4-H competitions.”

Equestrian sports are more than just sitting on a horse, riding around in an arena.

There is an endless list of styles and competitions the riders have the opportunity to do, including show jumping, barrel racing, horsemanship, and showmanship.

“It takes a lot of time, dedication, and patience to ride,” junior Hailey Norris said.

“I started doing Mountain Drill Team and putting all my focus and that was what really refined my skill and made me become an actually horseman.”

In horseback riding competitions, the riders use a different horse for each competition they are in.

“I have three horses. Two of them are quarter horses, so they are slow big horses.

The other one is an appendix, which is more of a racing horse,” senior Mckean Matson said.

“The type of horse does not matter really, it is more of the horse’s personality, if they are lazy.”

Because riding takes so much time and

experience, balancing school and practice becomes difficult.

“I try to ride five times a week for at least two and a half hours,” Matson said. “When I don’t have work, I ride after school until dinner then do homework and finally go to bed.”

Horseback riding is not only physically challenging but also emotionally challenging.

One of the hardest parts is trying to stay calm.

“Whenever you have been working on something like pivots and you have the spins down then your horse only does half a spin for some reason, you are so angry and you don’t know what is going on, “ Norris said. “But if you get mad, the horse will get anxious and you will ruin everything.”

Even though practice every day makes perfect, mistakes can still happen. Anytime Winn makes a mistake, she takes full responsibility and tries to fix the problem.

“A lot of people blame it on the horse.

They don’t want to feel guilty for the loss and will say ‘well my horse didn’t do this’ but really it is always the rider,” Winn said. “There is something the rider could have done differently that could have helped the horse or prepared the horse for that competition.”

Some people ride to relieve their stress.

But to Norris, riding is not as relaxing as people might think, and likes the adrenaline and freedom horses can provide.

“When you are working on something and you kind of have to take a break from working, you can just run a lap really quick,” Norris said. “It is fun, fast, and it feels like you are flying and that is what I love.”

Junior Hailey Norris takes her dad’s horse, Kansas, out for a ride.

PHOTOS BY KATERINA KOUNTAKIS

life | the roar

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S by candi IOR

SE N

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S OP H

8 | student

students felt UNSATISFIED by the candidates of this election

95 said they were

10.08%

NONE/OTHER

34.88%

for CLINTON

16.28%

for JOHNSON

41.03%

as REPUBLICAN

33.66%

as DEMOCRAT

10.74% for STEIN

20.02%

for TRUMP

9.48% 7.58% as LIBERTARIAN

as GREEN

8.25%

as OTHER

yanichka ariunbold | s

For junior Jonathan Hutchis Trump supporter has proven to b personal attacks and the loss of fri “All the people I met that wo in this school, they’re quiet. They Even me, saying this on here, I’m going to be attacked, most likely,” see it all the time. That’s why ever Trump more than Hillary gets shu and that’s why they don’t talk.”

Hutchison initially began sup to the presidential candidate’s sw ricane Hermine’s damage in Flori and September.

“I have family in Florida, and out goods and supplies out there f about to get hit. I haven’t seen any anything like that,” Hutchison said ly’s out there. And that’s when they him too, because we actually had h To Hutchison, Trump’s outsid ent honesty are part of his appea are tired of politicians—Republic alike—“who lie to get what they wa “As we can tell from the way rude. He doesn’t care what people t that’s how it should be,” Hutchiso Trump’s probably not saying the what he views on everything, becau he’s outspoken because he’s not a go out and say, ‘This is what I’ve act just what I say I have seen.’”

the roar | student life| 9

. 28, 2016

POWER

TO THE

PEOPLE Students discuss support of controversial candidates

section editor

ison, being a public be synonymous with iendships. ould vote for Trump y don’t talk about it. m scared because I’m y,” Hutchison said. “I ryone here who likes ut down immediately,

pporting Trump due wift response to Hurrida this past August

d Trump actually sent for people who were ny other candidate do id. “I mean, my famiey decided to support help for once.” der status and apparal to Americans who cans and Democrats want.” y he talks, [Trump] is think about him, and son said. “Of course, e complete truth on ause no one does. But politician, so he can ctually seen. This isn’t

Hutchison reiterates that the media, which he believes can be often biased and left-wing, overwhelmingly depicts Trump out of context, especially regarding his stance on immigrants. “[The media] always portrays him as racist and stuff like that, but he employs thousands and thousands of people of every single race,” Hutchison said. “I mean, truthfully, we are a country built on illegals, and Texas would’ve never been Texas if it weren’t for illegals, but we’re now a full country, and we need control.”

Furthermore, according to Hutchison, Trump’s move towards strengthening national defense would “ensure” the United States’ safety from foreign powers.

“We’ve always tried to be a self-sufficient country, and that’s what we should be, because we’re a superpower, and we have to be able to help ourselves before helping other countries,” Hutchison said. “We need someone that won’t back down to other people because if you back down, then someone’s going to try to stomp on us, which leaves the terrorist groups attacking us, and it’s not a good thing.”

However, whatever the outcome of the election will be, Hutchison has faith the government will curb any majorly radical policies the next president may attempt to enforce.

“It’s like what they said for Obama and Romney, it’s like trying to choose a lesser evil,” Hutchison said.

“But no matter who gets picked, unless [the president] tries to issue a ton of executive orders, we have Congress.”

Please note: this interview was conducted before Trump’s “locker room-banter” comments were released to the public.

josh weimer | online editor yes’.

Junior Delphine Leoue Ngoko Djomo says ‘Hill

“What I support about Hillary overall is that she has a lot of experience. As a first lady, she was one of the most involved first ladies to ever be in office,” Leoue Ngoko Djomo said. “Also, she was the senator of New York and the Secretary of State. I think she has really great experience from all three of those endeavours, and she’ll be able to combine that and be really active in the White House.”

The current election cycle has been filled with chaos and drama, or as Leoue Ngoko Djomo would call it, “a tabloid election cycle” .

“Every week there’s a new scandal that we have to talk about, whether it’s from Trump’s side, Gary Johnson’s, Jill Stein’s, or Hillary Clinton’s,” Leoue Ngoko Djomo said. “It’s kind of like celebrity gossip.”

When Hillary Clinton faced Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic primaries, the nation watched on, knowing the nomination would be a historic one. For Leoue Ngoko Djomo, this was her first introduction to politics.

“I liked the fact that we could have the first woman president or the first black president,” Leoue Ngoko Djomo said. “I was really excited about that.”

For Leoue Ngoko Djomo, those primaries are the reason she got involved in politics.

“My mom is interested in politics, so I would always watch it, and we would discuss it. I was like 7 and I couldn’t really speak intelligently about the matter, but I was really interested in it.” Leoue Ngoko Djomo said.

“Now, ever since I joined debate, I’m hardcore into pol-

itics and policy.”

Leoue Ngoko Djomo originally supported Senator Bernie Sanders, and chose to remain loyal to the Democratic party after his loss in the primaries. However, she is not without her skepticism of the Democratic nominee.

“There are some shady things following [Clinton] around, especially with the emails that were released. It shows that you need a public and a private image when you’re in the government,” Leoue Ngoko Djomo said.

“I wish she was a little more open and honest.”

Ultimately though, Leoue Ngoko Djomo believes Clinton is a candidate worthy of trust and respect.

“The media truly over-sensationalizes Hillary Clinton’s scandals and her seeming untrustworthiness.

If you look objectively at her actions, subtracting her email scandal, which was kind of shady, she acts normally, just not in the way that is typically broadcasted,” Leoue Ngoko Djomo said. “There’s a lot of buzz surrounding Hillary’s scandals, but if you look past the hype, she’s as sensible and human as anyone else. She isn’t doing anything that merits being called untrustworthy at the rate that she is.”

Leoue Ngoko Djomo also firmly believes that Republican candidate Donald Trump is unfit for presidency due to, among many other things, his views on sexual assault. “[Trump’s] supporters think that there are bigger problems facing our society. It’s not because we have other problems that we can’t address the problem of rape and sexual assault,” Leoue Ngoko Djomo said.

“Someone who is supposed to lead our country is going to endorse sexual assault, and it being normalized, [which] is not OK and is an issue that should be focused on and be concerning.”

10 | feature | the roar

friday, oct. 28, 2016

model of excellence Amateur animator finds creative outlet, possible career option maya rios | staff reporter

above: a model created by Mitchell Kuppersmith.

GRAPHIC PROVIDED BY MITCHELL KUPPERSMITH

How It's made modeling:

developing a 3D representation of an object.

rigging:

creating the joints and skeleton of the model.

animating:

the proccess of making a model move.

Sophomore Mitchell Kuppersmith can give objects life.

“I learn how to work polygons and how to manipulate them and how to bring a bit of life to them, make them characters, make them move, make them feel alive,” Mitchell Kuppersmith said. “Whenever you’re in chemistry or math, you’re learning more objective kind of things, whereas in animation, you’re learning somewhat of a balance of subjective and objective learning.”

According to his sister, senior Lexi Kuppersmith, “[Mitchell’s] interest into animation is an offshoot of his interest in computers.”

“He has a unique voice and I think he reacts in a very interesting ways to the things he sees in everyday life,” Lexi Kuppersmith said. “He’s always been a storyteller for sure; he’s always been interested in telling stories, whether it’s through writing or animation.”

Mitchell Kuppersmith’s experience with the animation programs can be seen in his Animation I class.

“I’d say his ability far exceeds everybody else’s in the [Animation I] class,” animation teacher Shannon Jones said. “From what I see so far, from his passion and his raw talent and ability, I think he’s got a lot of potential in the program and I think he will be a contender with the Animation II kids.”

Mitchell Kuppersmith’s projects showcase his creativity and interesting concepts.

“Our Animation I kids are learning the basics of modeling like taking a square cube and making it into anything else,” Jones said. “And his was a nice combination of a chicken and a duck holding a spear. He’s got a lot of creativity [from] where his mind goes to what he can do with [his ideas]. He doesn’t seem so constrained with his concepts.”

Mitchell Kuppersmith’s parents have been supportive of his passion for animation and proud of his accomplishments so far, even though he has

complishing new levels of expertise.

“I am pretty much an amateur animator. I follow a lot of online stories and I like to specialize in mostly in the animating and modeling department,” Mitchell Kuppersmith said. “I find texturing a bit more difficult and riggings are kind of like ‘You will do this and you will do that,’ so there’s a lot less creativity in rigging.”

Mitchell Kuppersmith finds that animation is like creating characters in a story without words to explain.

“I’d say that animation is more advanced in creating a character than writing because in writing you have to convey what the character looks like and how they act which you describe through words, like ‘Maya happily walked around,’ or ‘Mitchell bounced around quietly,” Mitchell Kuppersmith said.

“In animation you can’t really say that, you have to give the characters movements, and control their movements to emphasize their qualities in order to convey emotion.”

Although Jones has not seen Mitchell Kuppersmith’s full potential so early in the year, she believes he has a lot of promise in the animation world.

“I think should he nurture his abilities more and continue down this path, he has a promising career in animation,” Jones said. “At the moment, I’ve only seen what he could do modeling-wise, so he could potentially be a fabulous animator, fabulous rigger, all of those expertises exist in the animation world.”

“From what I see so far, from his passion and his raw talent and ability, I think he’s got a lot of potential in the program and I think he will be a contender with the Animation II kids.” animation teacher shannon jones

not had formal animation training.

“They’re amazed by how much he’s been able to teach himself and how he’s so good at it,” Lexi Kuppersmith said. “He’s taught himself to use 3D animation software as well as other animation and graphic design programs.”

Thinking back to where his passion started, even Mitchell Kuppersmith laughs at where he began.

“This is going to sound really, really pathetic, but I was 13 and I was watching South Park and I thought ‘I wonder if I can do that?’ Then I made my own version of South Park and it was really bad, but it started me on animation,” Mitchell Kuppersmith said.

Mitchell Kuppersmith continues his passion in animation progressing each day from where he began and ac-

friday, oct. 28, 2016

MOVING ON UP

the roar | feature | 11

Homeschoolers discuss transition to public school, challenges of new environment maya girimaji section editor It’s 10 a.m., and junior Kylee Markowsky is just waking up to start school.

“I would do school and then at 12 [my mom] would make me another hot meal,” Markowsky said. “I would then change my scenery and go outside and do school. It was on my computer and in books and I would work until I decided I was done for the day.”

Students who are homeschooled start and finish at different ages. For some students, homeschooling is the only form of education they know while others take a break from public school before returning a few years later.

“I was homeschooled from December in fourth grade to the last month of school in sixth grade. The teachers were a little bit harsh and [gave] a lot of homework. It caused a lot of stress,” senior Alexis Girouard said. “[My mom] thought it would be best for me to do [an] online homeschooling program and get all of my work done faster without the stress of having the teachers want stuff done by a certain time.”

Senior John Paul Whiteacre, who was home schooled up until high school, was a part of a program that was mainly parent taught.

Markowsky, on the other hand (who was homeschooled during 8th grade), got her education through an online program,

an approach to homeschooling that is increasingly becoming more popular. “[The program] would send you a video and you had to watch it and read textbooks. There were always fact checks at the end of each lesson just to make sure you understood it,” Markowsky said.

“Then, they had interactive activities that they asked you to do to understand further. It was more [of] reading and answering questions.”

public school, not only because of their social personalities, but because it offered them more opportunities to dabble their interests.

“One of the big reasons [for moving to public school] was for the technology classes and with home school you can only do so much,” Whiteacre said. “With the career classes here, a lot more is opened up to you.”

This move to public school was a dif-

“You decide what side you’re going to be on. And for me going back to public school, I didn’t have a side, so it was hard for me to make new friends.” senior alexis girouard

But even with their diverse approaches for homeschooling, they all agree on one thing: that homeschool is definitely more lenient and relaxed.

“The days are more your own. You can work on setting your own time frame.

You can get most of the school done in a couple hours,” senior John Paul Whiteacre said. “It was fairly lax and felt kind of nice to not have any set deadlines.”

Even with these many benefits, though, they all decided to transfer to

ficult transition for most of these students.

“It was little disorienting because I remembered [some kids] from elementary. It was kind of scary. Last time I had only one teacher for the whole year, but now I have different teachers for all of my classes,” Girouard said. “During the years [I was out of public school], a lot of kids change. They learn about cussing and racism. You decide what side you’re going to be on. And for me going back to public school, I didn’t have a side, so it was hard

for me to make new friends.”

Despite their struggles during thetransition, these students don’t regret their decision of being homeschooled. Whiteacre gained tricks for self-motivation and the ability to be flexible with change.

Markowsky learned how to stay focused on her work without getting distracted or procrastinating. All prefer public school over homeschooling.

“I definitely learn better in public school because I am not a focused person.

Sitting in front of a computer with school on one screen and all of the internet on the other screen was too tempting for me,” Markowsky said. “I missed the teacherstudent interaction [because] if you needed help you had to teach yourself.”

For Girouard, the most important benefit from being homeschooled was learning about society in a public school and how it works.

“It’s taught me the difference between kids who are public schooled and kids who are not. Kids in public school learn all about the social constructs of society and school,” Girouard said. “But when you’re home schooled, you don’t have the popular kids, the kids who are smarter than you, or people who are different than you.

[During my time in home school], I was able to figure out that you don’t have to be a part of one just because society tells you to be a part of one [group].”

3.4%

of the U.S. population is homeschooled FROM U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

PHOTO FROM SHUTTERSTOCK

12 | people | the roar

friday, oct. 28, 2016

Full House

21 14

11

Students reflect on responsibility of having multiple younger siblings At school, senior Jason Jasperson may be recognized as one of Consol’s varsity linebackers, but to his siblings, he’s the tickle monster.

“I still play Barbies with my little sister, I still fight in epic Nerf battles around the house, I still kiss bruises and boo boos, I still hold hands with my little brother when we are in public, I still hug and kiss the little kids goodnight,” Jasperson said.

Jasperson, who has seven siblings, is one of several Consol students who live as an example for their many younger family members.

Freshman Niki Naumann, one of four of senior Lacey Naumann’s siblings, said that as the younger sibling she often does look to her older sister as an example. “[Lacey] has gone through more than I have. She’s more mature,” Niki Naumann said. “Just any type of situation, I can ask her questions about it and she’ll help me out.”

Lacey Naumann said that she thinks it’s important to use her years of experience to help her siblings.

“Any time they’re having problems with people, [I help them] work that out. Especially [with Niki,] since she’s just a freshman this year,” Lacey Naumann said. “[I help] her get integrated, make friends, understand how school works and stuff like that.”

Senior Leiah Hickson said she often reflects on her close relationship with her older sister when interacting with her eight younger siblings.

“She’s the closest to me. We used to fight a lot because I’d steal her stuff,

and everything like that. But since we got older and she moved out, it made me appreciate her more,” Hickson said.

“Now my [youngest] brother is two, and I’m going to be moving out soon.

I want him to remember me being a good sister and a good example.”

Understandably, the responsibility to be a living role model sometimes feels overwhelming.

“When I’m at home, I want a break

have on their life.”

Lacey Naumann agrees that seeing her siblings grow up is extremely rewarding.

“I remember when [my youngest brother] was born, and now he’s in fourth grade, and I get to cheer him on whenever he has his football games and stuff like that,” Lacey Naumann said. “It’s just really cool watching them achieve their goals. I love it.”

She said her experience has helped shape her views on parenting.

“It is a lot of work.

I used to not want to be a parent,” Lacey Naumann said. “But I think having younger siblings has made me more prepared. [And based on how] much I’ve enjoyed seeing my siblings grow up, I think having my own kid would be awesome.”

While both require great responsibility and strong foundations with family members, being a parent and being a sibling have different dynamics.

“With a sibling you can talk to them more, you understand them a little better, because you’re a lot closer in age obviously,” Lacey Naumann said.

Jasperson said this has made his relationship with his siblings invaluable.

“We do pretty much everything together, including hanging out on weekends. We are all very close, and my brothers are some of my best friends,” Jasperson said. “When it comes down to it, my family is one of the greatest blessings in my life, and I would never give them up for anything.”

23 19

from school, I want to sit down, I want to read, or sleep,” Lacey Naumann said.

“But you gotta remember that they’re people too. Sometimes they really need their older sibling. And helping them is more important than having your own time, sometimes.”

Despite the sacrifices that must be made, there are many positives to having so many family members.

“It has never been a problem to let my little siblings tag along [when I’m with my friends], and in some ways I like that because it allows my friends to embrace my family,” Jasperson said.

Admittedly, the endless energy of children isn’t for everyone.

“People get annoyed by [their] craziness and chaos, but [those] emotions excite me,” Jasperson said. “I have fun acting silly and being playful with kids because of the influence I might

21

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“I still play Barbies with my little sister, I still fight in epic Nerf battles around the house, I still kiss bruises and boo boos.” senior jason jasperson

9

Lacey

drew howerton & jennifer zhan | section editor and senior editor

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Jason

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the roar | sports | 13

friday, oct. 28, 2016

Boys’ cross country team fosters connection to past and present, upholds traditions emily caldwell | staff reporter Traditions run wild on the cross country team.

Senior and team captain Matthew Arthur enjoys all of the traditions his team practices, but the ties are his favorite.

“A lot of these traditions started with Coach Waters, and one of them is the ties. We wear ties the day before the race or if we have a race that day,” Arthur said.

The team also values the captain’s bucket hat, another unique tradition.

“Four years ago, my freshman year, we were digging around in the old team closet and we found this old bucket hat from a cross country meet that we hosted who-knows-how-long-ago,” Arthur said.

“Every year, the senior team captain gets that hat, and at the end of the season, he signs it and gives it to the team captain for the next year and they get to wear it.”

Arthur, as a devoted member of the team since his freshman year and proud captain, wears the bucket hat every meet.

“My first thought was that there were a couple of [traditions] that were kind of weird, but eventually they became the norm,” junior Clayton Stuart said.

“They became cool and fun.”

Stuart has been running for Consol since his freshman year. After seeing his teammates and captains lead

by example, he found it much easier to get used to the “weirdness”.

“The captains in the past have a really good history of making sure people are committed to excellence and leading the team well,” Stuart said. “I guess because we do [the traditions] as a team, it makes it that much more fun.”

Out of all the traditions, though, team dinners play a crucial role in the development of the team’s cohesiveness. Freshman Coleman Maxwell says team

found out that was a big tradition.”

While these traditions undoubtedly help the team bond, the emphasis on running and competing as team, not as individuals, is never overlooked.

“Cross country is actually one of the purest team sports you can have because you take seven guys and you score the top five and you want to have the lowest score possible,” Arthur said. “So, if anybody has a bad day, it’s up to the next guy to step up and take over.”

Stuart reiterates the importance of the team aspect in running cross country. “[It plays] a really big role because running by yourself sucks, anybody can tell you that.

Running can suck, but having people around you that love it and that are willing to push you really makes up a lot for it,” Stuart said.

Regardless, the traditions serve as an integral part of the team and of running men’s cross country at Consol. Arthur doesn’t plan on letting them fade away anytime soon. He looks to continue the importance and legacy of the traditions even after he has graduated by teaching the next team captain everything he needs to know to keep the traditions going.

“I think it’s important to include new traditions, you know, try to make your mark, something that lasts,” Arthur said. “But also, I think it’s cool to have longstanding traditions that connect you back to those teams years and years and years ago.”

“Running can suck, but having people around you that love it and that are willing to push you really makes up a lot for it.” junior clayton stuart

dinners are his favorite tradition because of their importance to the team as a whole.

“Every Friday we have a team dinner at one of our team member’s houses,” Maxwell said. “[The team leaders] said dinner and I was like ‘Okay, awesome, we’re celebrating,’ but then we did it every Friday so I

One Hillof a Sport PHOTO BY EMILY CALDWELL

14 | sports | the roar

friday, oct. 28, 2016

SERVING UP CHAMPIONSHIPS

Volleyball player discusses tournaments, spikes sports stereotype

sueji han staff reporter Junior Nathan Michalk just served his way to victory at the 2016 Junior Beach Tour championship.

This past summer, Michalk and his partner, Brody Miller, competed against 33 other male teams playing in the 16U division.

“I attended the Junior Beach Tour for USA Volleyball’s National Championship in Milwaukee,” Michalk said. “I wasn’t expecting to win, but I guess whenever you win a national championship, your perspective changes.”

Michalk first became interested in volleyball at the age of eight by watching his sister.

“I started playing club when I was 12 and I’m 16 now, it’s been about four years that I have had time to practice and train,” Michalk said. “I started sand [volleyball] when I was 14, so I’ve only played about two or three years

PHOTO BY: SUEJI HAN

and to think that I have come this far to be the National Champion with my partner, it’s weird to think about it, you don’t think about yourself on this level.”

For Michalk, winning helped affirm his passion for volleyball.

“After I won the national championship, I felt accomplished,” Michalk said. “I was able to prove to the people that were mean to me.”

When Michalk started playing volleyball, other students made fun of him, especially because volleyball is often considered a girls’ sport.

“I feel that it’s more of a stereotype [that volleyball is a girls’ sport in] Texas because all across Brazil and other countries across the world, it’s mainly a guys’ sport,” Michalk said. “It’s so much more prominent than even in other states.”

Despite the local perception of volleyball as a girl’s sport, Michalk has found various opportunities to practice.

“I play for a club volleyball team in Austin called Austin Juniors Volleyball; I try out there ev-

ery year to play,” Michalk said. “I also started practicing with Consol varsity volleyball team after school and I participated in sand volleyball tournaments as much as I can through other organizations like Project Serve, Austin Juniors and Junior Beach Tour.”

Michalk hopes to continue playing in the future.

“I really want to stay in Texas for college but there’s no college in Texas [that]offers men’s volleyball yet in NCAA level,” Michalk said.

“I want to try as a professional, and I really want to go to the Olympics, but I would have to work in order to accomplish that.”

After all the hard work, Michalk still always looks forward to playing volleyball. “[Volleyball] adds more joy and passion into what I do. It’s something that I’m able to look forward to whenever I have a lot of school work,” Michalk said. “I just love the sport so much, I’m not [even] sure how to describe it.”

beach volleyball

indoor volleyball

two players no special positions winner of two out of three matches wins

six players larger court consists of three sets played to 25

the roar | review |15

friday, oct. 28, 2016

maized and corn-fused The Texas A&M Agromony society’s annual Aggie Corn Maze can be found at 2641 F&B Road and is open until November 4th.

Tickets are $7. Open 11AM-5PM.

vi burgess & haley mitchell | editor-in-chief & managing editor With all the traffic that accumulates on Texas Avenue during the school year, it’s easy to forget that College Station, in essence, is still a fairly rural town, and the A&M Agronomy Society is here to help us remember that kernel of truth.

Located between Agronomy Road and FM 2818 on the edge of town, the Agronomy Society’s corn maze seems small at first when you drive up because it’s really just a field of corn plants and some assorted booths and tractors. However, after we parked our car next to the humongous farm trucks, we realized that the corn is (shocker) probably around six feet tall and and the maze itself is definitely large enough to get lost in.

For a group rate, six of us stalked through the maze on a mission and emerged victorious and with several cute fall photos a mere ten minutes later. Aerial shots reveal that the

the united states produces 40% of the world’s corn

40%

maze is cut into winding paths and, of course, a giant “ATM” that don’t promise many mazelike surprises; however, after several wrong turns and dead ends, we found that there is plenty of variety to keep the common maizesolver on their toes.

After the initial satisfaction of solving the maze, we wandered over to the many picturesque tractors, hay bales, pumpkins sitting in a field (doesn’t qualify as a pumpkin patch) to explore the other agriculture-related attractions. We could tell that the Agronomy Society really tried to make their attraction family-friendly; there were a lot of good kids’ activities that we may or may not have taken advantage of (aka picking cotton).

As far as fall activities go, this corn maze should be among the pumpkin patches and haunted houses already on the list. The experience was an a-maize-ing one.

corn will always have an even number of rows on each cob

corn can be produced in black, bluish-gray, purple, green, red, white and the common yellow

16 | etcetera | the roar

friday, oct.

28, 2016 friday, oct.

28, 2016

to bee or not to bee?

Teachers practice insect care, advocate for bees’ survival haley mitchell & rachel swartz | managing editor & staff reporter Basic Medical Practice frames, and these frames are teacher Doctor Michelle Au- coated in wax. The bees will coin and assistant softball coach make their honeycomb on the Kristen Spinn have discovered a wax. Honey is then drawn out new way to get buzzed. of the comb and the queen lays “For me, beekeeping has her eggs in the little cells. Soon, been a learning process. It’s kind the new bees hatch. They also of a new hobby. I started it in the have cells in which they place summer of 2013,” Aucoin said. “I their nectar and pollen as a food like it because there’s a lot of sci- source. ence involved and I’m a science “When they gather enough person.” nectar, they seal it over and it’s Aucoin, who is a licensed honey. They’re constantly exveterinarian and has been teach- tracting the water from [the ing Basic Medical Practice for cells], which I think is pretty seven years, took up her bee- amazing,” Aucoin said. “How keeping hobby when her first do they know that nectar is not daughter departed for college. ready to be capped off yet? Every Spinn, however, took an alterna- single cell, little comb of honey, tive approach. everyPractice single one of them is idenabove: Basic Medical teacher Doctor “My dad used to Michelle be a real tical. ” Aucoin takes out her bee screen?? beekeeper and I saw how he It can be difficult to handle worked his beehives,” Spinn said. the bees sometimes, especially “The hierarchy of the beehive since there is always the possibilwas interesting as far as the way ity of getting stung. that the queen runs and the bees “I always wear a bee suit,” who keep the hive clean.”

Aucoin said. “Unfortunately, Spinn owns her own ob- not everybody does, but I would servation beehive, which allows recommend anybody working her to watch the bees through [with bees] to wear the veil. You the glass and take note of their can stand a certain amount of working abilities. stings on your arms, but if you’re “My favorite part is to watch stung on your facial area, it can the progress of [the bees] as be extremely threatening.” they fill up the wax,” Spinn said.

Getting stung every season “They also have a really cool is habitual for all beekeepers. buzzing sound and you can take “There’s this stigma that the parts off of the beehive and bees are automatically going to listen to them.” sting you and that’s what makes Spinn’s beehive is a compact you afraid of them,” Spinn said. colony, rather than an open and “Once you get to be around large-scale Langstroth hive. them, they get to know your “If it wasn’t an observa- scent and are less likely to sting tion beehive, there would be a you.” lot more that I could do. There’s Even though there is the not that many options in store daunting experience of being since it’s a smaller containment,” stung by bees, there are plenty of Spinn said. enjoyable sides to beekeeping.

The Langstroth hives have “Being able to watch [the

bees] and how [their hive] becomes more populous is the most fascinating part,” Spinn said. “At first, there aren’t as many bees, but as the queen is able to function and produce eggs, eventually they hatch and more bees are added to the hive.”

Sadly, bees have been disappearing at an alarming rate.

There is no one specific reason as to why they’re becoming extinct.

“A lot of people are concerned about insecticides,” Aucoin said. “But that’s not the only problem; you have varroa mites.”

Varroa mites are small external parasites that not only attack the adults, but their larvae as well. They suck the blood from the bees, shortening their lifespan.

“My hive does have the mites,” said Aucoin. “I don’t think you can have a bee hive that doesn’t have them. I haven’t figured out what to exactly do.”

Spinn believes that many individuals don’t necessarily think that bees affect us personally, but they largely impact us since they produce a majority of our food supply.

“It’s a crisis,” Spinn said. “[Bees] are used to pollinating and if they can’t pollinate then they have a severe issue as to how nature works.”

According to Aucoin, veterinarians are now developing a certain prescription to help treat the bees for their parasites. This new treatment may draw more veterinarians into beekeeping.

“More and more people are becoming aware of [beekeeping] and truly investing in it. Public awareness has helped.”

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PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MIKE AUCOIN