Vol. 18 No. 2

the

Roar

A&M Consolidated High School

Catch up with the scouts on page 14 Friday, Nov. 2, 2012

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

Vol. 18 No. 2

casting

the ballot

by dana branham, managing editor

Being involved with politics means more than watching the news. It means more than scrolling through tweets about the presidential debate. It means more than half-heartedly stepping into the voting booth. Being involved doesn’t require being eighteen or even registered to vote—but it does require staying informed. For most high school students, voting in a presidential election is a far-off future. For others, however, their first chance to make their voice heard is just around the corner. In either case, students must learn to be active members of the community and represent our generation.

In the 2008 election, 11% of the total voters were

tolook

first-time voters, between 18 and 24 years of age—such a percentage may seem small, but in actuality, it can have a bigger effect than might be expected. Honors and AP government teacher Jessica Kouba explained this difference, urging students to understand the power that their votes (and, likewise, the harm that their lack of votes) can have.

“The politicians aren’t going to listen to the concerns of young people if they feel like young people aren’t voting and aren’t going to kick them out of office,” Kouba said. “So, if [students] want legislation and maybe even college grants that benefit them, they’re going to have to go out and vote.”

Viewpoints Snapshots Student Life

pages 2-5 People

pages 6-10 Health & Rec page 11 Sports

2012

continued on page 3 PHOTO BY DEVIN DAKOTA

where News

Before students vote, on-level and honors government teacher Bobby Slovak said that students should truly become informed: “Evening news is not good enough,” he said.

“I always tell my students when they register to vote that registering is the easy part,” Slovak said.

“The hard part is learning who to vote for and being informed—that takes an effort.”

pages 14-17 page 18 pages 19-21

pages 12-13 Entertainment/Etc. pages 22-24

nthis ssue

The boys of fall discuss the road to tonight's final district game.

PAGE 21

Devon Harris and a few of his friends enjoy parkour.

PAGE 24

n the news

2 | news | the roar

Robotics team wins big, advances to state competition

Tiger Band wins sweepstakes, advances to area competition

The A&M Consolidated Robotics team, led by president Wanda Lipps and vice president Sarah Ann Porter, captured first place in engineering/marketing and second place in robot performance at the Southeast Texas BEST Robotics Competition on October 13.

With this victory, the team advances to the state competition on November 9-10 at the University of Texas, where they will compete against 60 other teams hailing from Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

The A&M Consolidated Tiger Band, led by drum majors Patrick Lenz, Mei Tan, and Jamarcus Ransom, received the highest possible rating at the UIL Region 8 marching contest on October 20. With this score, the band advanced to the area competition on October 27. The band also won third place at the Blinn Marching Festival on October 13.

Interact Club to host charity race

14 A&M Consolidated choir students auditioned and were selected for the Region 8 Choir on September 29. The selected musicians will travel to Baylor University to perform at the regional concert on November 10.

The A&M Consolidated Interact Club will host Consol’s first annual Club Charity Race on November 10 in the interest of schoolwide club unity. Clubs will create teams to participate in obstacle courses and academic challenges. The race is open to any clubs who are interested in participating and will require an entrance fee. The proceeds from the event will go to a charity of the winning club’s choice.

34 musicians selected for AllRegion Orchestra

34 A&M Consolidated orchestra students were selected for the Region 8 Orchestra after auditions on October 20. The musicians will travel to Baylor University to perform at the regional concert on December 8.

14 choir students honored in AllRegion Choir

friday, nov. 2, 2012

A qu ck view Seniors Katie Byrne and Safavian Terrell take to the ice on October 17, Senior Skate Day. The day is an annual tradition on which seniors get to take a field trip while the rest of the student body takes tests.

PHOTO BY RACHEL KAGLE

Com ng up Nov. 2:

Football game vs. Conroe at Moorhead, 7pm

Prestigious magazine includes Consol on list of top schools

Nov. 2:

Tiger Theatre’s presentation of Twentieth Century

Newsweek magazine ranked A&M Consolidated High School number 495 of the top 1,001 schools on its list entitled “America’s Best High Schools 2012.” The rankings take into account graduation rate, college matriculation rate, AP tests per student, average SAT scores, AP test scores and AP classes offered.

Nov. 7:

Buddy Walk, Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater, 11:30 am

Nov. 10:

Interact’s Club Charity Race, 10 am

Nov. 14:

GSA profit share at Chick-fil-A (on Texas Ave.), 5pm

Nov. 16:

Tiger Animation dodgeball tournament, 7:30pm

opens, 7pm

Nov. 21-23: Thanksgiving break Nov. 22:

Turkey Trot at Scott and White, 8am

Dec. 1:

Invisible Children benefit concert

Arm yourself and your loved ones.

Get your flu and meningitis shots at College Station’s newest entertainment activity! Visit us online for details, parties, & daily classes. www.paintingwithatwist.com/college-station www.facebook.com/collegestation.pwat Visit: 1643 Texas Avenue South Call: 979.485.9838

2322 Texas Ave S (979) 696 - 5908 Open daily 8am - 11pm 1751 Rock Prairie Road (979) 764 - 1805 Open Daily 8am - 10 pm www.walgreens.com

the roar | news | 3

friday, nov. 2, 2012

Upcoming election provokes political participation from students continued 2012 “election” from page 1

INVOLVED STUDENTS

Though senior Makell Garlick will not be able to vote in the upcoming election, she makes a point to stay involved in the election process by participating in telephone-campaigning. Beginning as a project in her government class, Garlick became involved with a process called “phone-banking” for Mitt Romney’s campaign, where she makes calls to swing states (in which neither candidate has a strong lead) and surveys anyone who decides to pick up the phone.

“Some people were really nice, some people didn’t really want to talk to me, but this one guy even wanted to volunteer to do more,” Garlick said.

While many seniors are required to campaign in some capacity for their government classes, senior Tim Nixon participated in a similar campaigning process out of his own interest.

“I became involved in telephone-campaigning through a man in my church who is a very big Romney advocate,” Nixon said. “I heard about how it was a great way to connect with undecided voters, so I decided to try it out.”

Senior Luke Lawrence, however, will enjoy his newly acquired right to vote in the upcoming election. To Lawrence, voting will mean more than marking a name on his ballot.

“I feel that I’m representing a certain age group,” Lawrence said.

“It’s not just a responsibility for me, but for every educated person in America.”

Though Garlick and Nixon represent a portion of young people who do show an interest in political affairs, many students do not.

“Today, with all the emphasis on social media, I’m afraid that [politics] takes a back seat, and that’s unfortunate,” Slovak said.

However, young people aren’t the only ones who allow politics to take a back seat. In presidential elections, only 50 to 60 percent of eligible voters turn out to vote-local governments see even fewer voters, with voter turnouts of only 10%. “[We’re] becoming more aware, especially because as seniors we are required to take government and economics,” Garlick said. “As seniors we’re becoming increasingly aware of the election and wanting to vote.”

Nixon agreed, and said that he believes his peer group is becoming more involved in politics--specifically, this upcoming election.

“I think people my age are starting to realize that politics is not only for our parents,” Nixon said. “They realize that this election affects their future.”

WHY IT MATTERS

To students who are not politically involved, Nixon urged a greater interest in what is essentially, the future of our generation.

“You can only rely on your parents for so long,” Nixon said.

“Now is the time to gain your own understanding of politics and form decisions to elect the right president.”

Kouba agreed that today’s political issues pave the way for future generations, asking students to think of how many ways gov-

ernment affects daily life.

“The first thing we do on the first day of class is talk about how government affects you every single day--it’s hard to think of something that government doesn’t affect,” Kouba said. “You need to care about [today’s] issues because school, college, water, electricity—all that’s affected by the government. It affects you every day.”

For students who cannot vote, Garlick raised an important point.

“Eventually non-voters will be able to vote. So, eventually they’ll be able to speak their mind and have a say in politics, and if they don’t have any affiliation with government and politics and don’t really know what’s going on, they won’t be able to be prepared and fully say what they need to say.”

ELECTION 2012

In particular, the upcoming election will have a profound impact on the generation of young people today.

“I think this is a really big election, just because it could go either way and there’s so much good that each candidate has to offer,” Garlick said. “Our country could really thrive and become better, simpler, and more sound [through] this election.”

Because of the issues prevalent in the country today, Lawrence said he finds this particular election especially important. “[The election is] important because personally, while I’m not really big into the economy--I don’t have a job or anything--I do worry about job growth in the future and our foreign affairs,” Lawrence said.

Slovak pointed out that no matter what grade you happen to

BARACK OBAMA

GET ACTIVE

Getting politically active may seem like a daunting task, but opportunities to be informed and involved are everywhere.

“First of all, research,” Garlick said. “Become familiar with issues and topics that interest you. You can find volunteer opportunities like phone-banking, block-rocking, [making] signs, or just [donating] money towards a campaign.”

Kouba sums up an easy start for students of voting age getting involved in the current election: “If you’re eighteen, then look at the issues and vote.”

Voting age or not, student voices matter.

MITT ROMNEY

Energy—wants to reduce America’s reliance on foreign oil and make the US more energy-independent.

Energy—wants to give states main control of onshore energy development, and set up a new plan for offshore development, which he claims would add three million new jobs.

Education—taken steps to make college education more affordable by establishing a college tax credit that can be worth up to $10,000 for four years of college.

Education—wants to help students have a choice for their public school education—decreasing the advantage that “good” elementary and high schools have over “bad” ones.

Equal rights—supports gay marriage, works to help women receive equal pay and has enacted policies promoting the employment of the disabled.

Source: barackobama.com

fall into this year, this election will be the only election you’ll see in high school. Therefore, now is a good time to learn about and begin to understand the issues and circumstances the nation faces. “[The presidential election] doesn’t happen very often, and it’s something we should be interested in because it doesn’t happen very often,” Slovak said. “People need to be alert—they say ‘eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,’ and that’s not just about fighting battles and wars. It’s about keeping aware of what’s going on.”

Nixon concurs.

“Who we elect now will affect our lives in the future,” Nixon said. “[Whoever is] elected November 6th will be our president when we are looking for jobs during our senior year of college, so it is extremely important that we take deep consideration in who we want as a president.”

Values—Romney supports traditional marriage and stem cell research, and is pro-life.

THE DYNAMIC DUO: CANDIDATES

Source: mittromney.com

HOW TO:

become politically ACTIVE in five easy steps!

1

Start by watching and reading the news—stick to mainly objective news sources, like C-Span or Associated Press. (Fox News and CNN have pretty heavy biases, where info will be skewed in the favor of one party.)

2

Check out candidates’ websites for their stances—the ones for this election are Barack Obama (Democrat), Mitt Romney (Republican), Gary Johnson (Libertarian), and Jill Stein (Green Party).

3

Once you’re feeling pumped up and full of opinions, decide who to vote for or talk to adults in your life about their political views—maybe you can convince them to consider your view when voting.

4

Whether you can vote or not, get involved. Try a phonebanking service to help the campaign of your preferred candidate, or donate money to the campaign. If those aren’t your style, stay active in local government by trying a volunteer program through the City of College Station—teen court and other internships are ones to try.

5

Most importantly, ask questions and be vigilant. If you won’t be voting in this election, you’ll need to be readily informed for the next one.

If you are voting, take advantage of your new right to express your opinion and vote!

4 | news | the roar

friday, nov. 2, 2012

Partnership of club, chicken company transcends national controversy devin dakota senior editor The Chick-fil-A on Texas Avenue will host a profit share for the Gay Straight Alliance of Consol on Wednesday, November 14.

“At the beginning of the year I noticed Chick-fil-A was supporting a lot of CSISD events,” GSA sponsor Bart Taylor said. “[Due to the] hate group events [over the summer] we wanted to know if the school district still wanted to associate themselves with Chickfil-A.” Taylor inquired to Dr. Colson through the PAC committee, and he responded saying as long as local companies are supporting local education, the district is not going to stand behind the politics of anything.

“Chick-fil-A had supported Robotics for many years, so I emailed the person in charge of profit shares and asked them if they’d be interested in doing a profit share for the Gay Straight Alliance to see if they’d support them as well, and they said sure,” Taylor said. “It helped us realize that local companies do have their own choices and decisions.”

While Taylor maintained optimistic through the whole process, other club members were doubtful.

“We were kind of skeptical about it,” GSA Secretary senior Lauren Hodges said. “We all expected them to say no.”

GSA had no intention of tak-

ing severe action had the restaurant said no.

“There was nothing we [could have done]. It’s a private organization, so [it would be in] their power to do so, and GSA completely respects that,” GSA President senior Shankara Anand said. “It would have been the same response as when they voiced it on a national level. They have the right to make any statement they want, but people also have the right to react.”

Issues over the summer have created some debate within the GLBT community over whether Chick-fil-A hosting the profit share is acceptable or not.

“Before we [committed to this], we contacted all the LGBT organizations [we knew] in town, to get their opinions and support about the issue. Most people wanted to make sure that the students were well informed about how Chick-fil-A still spends their money and that they still support those different hate groups,” Taylor said. “But I think our statement came through that local companies do want to support local education and that’s our bottom line.”

The profit share creates an opportunity for the LGBT community to show their support.

“A whole bunch of people who support the LGBT cause have stopped eating at Chick-fil-A because they didn’t like their [opposition to the LGBT] cause,” Anand said. “They are all going to come in and support us.”

However, an increased

amount of support does not negate the controversy that the GSA generates for the community.

“My first concern was the students’ safety,” Taylor said. “I [thought], ‘Are my students going to be safe at a profit share?’”

Texas A&M is ranked the number one school in Texas against the LGBT community.

“We do have people that are very tolerant and accepting of the LGBT community,” Taylor said.

“More people support us than most people believe.”

Chick-fil-A’s support of their cause surprised the GSA and gave insight into different levels of the institution.

“The biggest thing [we’ve noticed] is this difference between the local institution and the national institution,” Anand said. “What [was] in the news [took] its toll on people who believe otherwise, but the local Chick-fil-A has been extremely supportive and we’re so grateful for their help. It shows that not all Chick-fil-A chains reflect the opinions of the national institution.”

The GSA expects this first profit share to be a success.

“I’m hoping it will be very successful. We’re trying to get as much word out about it as possible,” Hodges said. “I’m really hoping that we’ll get on the local news or something cool like that.”

The money raised during the profit share will help fund the GSA and its activities.

“As a smaller club, we don’t

the chick-fil-a conflict July 16: In an interview with a religious publication, Chickfil-A president Dan Cathy says “[we] are inviting God’s judgment upon our nation” by letting gays marry. There is an immediate uproar from the LGBT community and its supporters when they discover that Chick-fil-A has donated to anti-gay hate groups.

July 20: The Muppets sever ties with the restaurant, and the mayor of Boston says that Chick-fil-A is not welcome in his city. There is an immediate uproar from supporters of traditional marriage as well as fans of the restaurant.

August 1: Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee declares this day “Chick-fil-A Day.” The restaurant rakes in record profits from the crowds of traditional marriage supporters who flocked to the store, despite boycotts by supporters of same-sex marriage.

September 18: In an internal memo, Chick-fil-A agrees to cease donating to groups that oppose same-sex marriage, affirming that the company ““will treat every person equally, regardless of sexual orientation.”

have a lot of money or a budget to begin with,” Anand said. “We wanted to find a way to start expanding, and a profit share was a great way to do that.”

The profits will go towards events that the GSA will manage in the future.

“The primary funds are going to go to supporting the supplies for The National Day of Silence,” Taylor said.

The club also plans to make t-shirts available to everyone at

school.

“Ideally we’d like to hand out t-shirts for free [to anyone that wants them],” Hodges said.

The GSA looks forward to the profit share and realizes the impact it will have.

“Our goal is not to create controversy,” Anand said. “[Everyone] involved is more than excited to be a part of this because it shows that this local organization wants to support us, and we’re so grateful for that.”

the roar | news | 5

friday, nov. 2, 2012

Library encourages learning, provides sanctuary for reading, research anne finch

assistant editor

Consol’s hub of information, the school library, boasts not only a collection of over eighteen thousand books but also a variety of entertainment and research materials, meant to appeal to a variety of students with different needs and interests.

These interests are encouraged by a variety of staff and student aides working both part and full time in Consol’s library.

First-year library aide Stephanie Webb noted tht she has a surprising amount of interaction with students.

“You get to interact with students more than you think,” Webb said. “There are certain people that come to the library that are regulars and you kind of get to know them and talk with them, get to know a little bit more about how they are and what they like and they’re really friendly, so I’ve gotten to know quite a few students.”

Webb, a graduate student at A&M in the process of procuring a Master’s Degree, applied at Consol this year to gain experience interacting with students as preparation for a future career as a guidance counselor. She admitted that observing students and their interactions is her favorite part of the job.

“Y’all are just really entertaining to watch,” Webb said. “You have funny personalities. You like things that are popular in high school. It’s fun to watch.

I’m getting my Masters in Counseling, so I love watching people. It’s one of my favorite things.”

Head librarian Pam Slough, who has prior experience as a teacher as well as a librarian, also cited working with students as one of her favorite aspects of her job, as

well as the more technological aspect of working in the library.

“I love teaching,” Slough said.

“It doesn’t matter whether I’m in the classroom or the library, but the challenge is very different in a classroom versus in a library. I like them both…but I really enjoy the challenge of providing the materials that are needed, and identifying where we have needs and trying to fill them. I really enjoy technology so I really enjoy the online resource and helping the students with that. I like being able to work with the students in the school. I think that’s pretty cool.”

Slough, who has been a Consol librarian for four years, is also in her second year as Consol’s only librarian, due to budget cuts this year coinciding with the opening of the new high school, CHS. “When we had two librarians, my desk was [in the library] and I was pretty much on the floor for the whole time,” Slough said. “I was at my desk working some, but I was much more accessible.

There was more time and when students were doing research projects in classes there was more time I could spend out on the floor with them. There’s less time now, which I’m not fond of. We’ve tried to make it as efficient as possible so I can spend as much time as I can but not as much as I used to.”

The increased efficiency with which Slough tries to handle the library and lower staffing includes Oakwood and Cypress Grove Intermediate Schools` librarian Sue McDowell, who works at Consol’s library after school twice a week.

McDowell stated that the main difference between her job at the intermediate and high schools is an

increased focus on research instead of recreational reading at Consol. “[I prefer helping students with] learning to love to read because that’s my strength,” McDowell said. “Mrs. Slough is a much better research librarian than I am. My strength is getting people to like to learn to read.”

McDowell said her favorite part of working in libraries is the focus they put on enjoying reading in all forms.

“You get so much from reading,” McDowell said. “It can get you excited for other life experiences. The more students read, the easier it is to take the ACTs, the SATs. It prepares you for life.

You have to learn to read. So the better reader you are, the more successful you are because reading and math are the basis for everything.”

Senior J.D. Marx shares a love of reading, although his was a different take. He applied for a position as student librarian to spend more time in the library, he said.

“People say it’s strange, but I like to read a lot, to the point where I don’t pay attention in class sometimes,” Marx said.

“I really like a bunch of authors here, and the librarians are nice too, so I thought it might be a good class, a relaxing class.”

Webb, agreed, saying she enjoyed the environment and student presence in Consol’s library.“I like the environment,” Webb said. It’s really calm, the job is really flexible, it’s really cool getting to work with the students because [I applied at Consol] so I would get to work with them.

I didn’t know I was going to be a library assistant, but I actually get to see them and work with them. They keep the days entertaining, I’ll say that. I like it here.”

What’s your favorite book in Consol’s Library?

Senior J.D. Marx’s pick: Cell by Stephen King “It’s a post-apocalypse book where cell phones emit a program erasing the human mind.

Librarian Sye McDowell’s pick: Divergent by Veronica Roth “It’s about a futuristic society where you’re born into these five classes. It’s just utterly fascinating.”

Librarian Pam Slough’s pick: The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R Tolken “I’m not sure I can pick one. I like fantasy a lot. I also like mystery.”

compiled by Anne Finch

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Contact us at the.roar@ymail.com or stop by Room 2147 Our next issue comes out December 14, so don’t wait!

6 | viewpoints | the roar

friday, nov. 2 2012

Determination to keep cool limits individualism

The Roar 2012-2013 Staff Editor-in-Chief: Laura Everett

Managing Editor: Dana Branham Senior Editor: Devin Dakota Executive Editor: Rachel Kagle Photography Editor: Janet Ni Opinions Editor: Isabel Drukker Features Editor: Michelle Liu Sports Editor: Nicole Farrell News Editor: Shilpa Saravanan Assistant Editor: Anne Finch Staff Reporter: Eva Araujo Faculty Adviser: Michael Williams Assistant Adviser: Teresa Laffin

The Roar Editorial BoardBoard The Roar Editorial Laura Everett, Editor-in-Chief

Dana Branham, Managing Editor Isabel Drukker, Opinions Editor

The Advanced Journalism class is at A&M Consolidated High School, 1801 Harvey Mitchell Parkway South, 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, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 ILPC Award of Distinguished Merit, the CSPA Gold Medal Award, the NSPA All-American distinction and 2005 ILPC Bronze Star and 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 Silver Star.

College Station Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex or handicap in providing education services. Glynn Walker, Director of Human Resources, 1812 Welsh, College Station, Texas 77840 (979-764-5412) has been designated to coordinate compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements of Title IX. Catherine George, Director of Special Services, 1812 Welsh, Suite 120, College Station, Texas 77840 (979-764-5433) has been designated to coordinate compliance with the nondiscrimination. requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Political ignorance limits power We should be bothered by the fact that we’re labeled

as the apathetic generation. With the

immense amount of information that is accessible to students about the election (as well as politics in general), why aren’t we more involved in the issues that affect our future?

Simply put, most students in high school just don’t care about politics. But when you sit by complacently and don’t care about what issues are affecting the present, you’re allowing your future to be chosen for you. While many students in high school are not of voting age, being truly involved in political affairs is not simply marking a name on a ballot. Students and adults alike must strive to actively learn about the issues that affect our country, form opinions, and act on those opinions─whether that be through voting or otherwise. After all, government is inescapable─it controls or affects nearly every aspect of our lives.

With its huge influence, it is the responsibility of the citizens, young and not-so-young, to be aware of the issues that affect government. Voting is a right and a responsibility for those who have the ability to vote, but the responsibility doesn’t simply begin on one’s eighteenth birthday. Like its policies or not, we owe it to our government to be informed and aware long before we find ourselves in the voting booth.

So get started. Read, listen, or watch about the issues that our country is currently facing. Read up on the candidates who, with your input, could soon lead the country. And finally, take your voting rights seriously─your ballot is your voice and your voice has great power.

CONTACT

people don’t need mass corporations to dictate their choice of music, literature, film, or even mode of transportation (“hipster” bicycles, anyone?). Letting go of what one loves isabel drukker because it has become popular shows the complete opposiit shows the prioritization of looking cool to followers opinions editor te; above being happy with one’s self. That’s not cool. That’s not even healthy. That’s not even the individualism that “hipster” culture was at first promoting, which I think, is a much more worthy example to follow than extreme tea As I rifled through the scratched and faded CD cases in drinking.

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If you would like for your opinions to be read, contact the editorial board by sending your letter to the editor. Review our policy for letters before submitting.

E-MAIL the.roar@ymail.com

the roar | viewpoints | 7

friday, nov. 2, 2012

Knowledge of out-of-date script remains useful michelle liu features editor

Between the ages of eight and twelve, I took piano lessons, except they weren’t so much piano lessons as they were handwriting lessons. My teacher would write notes and critiques for me in a purple notebook, and every time, I would watch patiently as she neatly jotted down row after row of my musical stumbles in her flowing, graceful handwriting, the cursive swooping and slanting heavily to the right.

At home, I would try to imitate that cursive, holding the pen exactly as she did, scrawling out my clumsy Artw ork

by J imitations on countless sheets of oy C ope lined paper.

Skip a few years. It’s Wednesday, October 17, 2012, and sophomores and juniors are penned into classrooms, twiddling thumbs and tapping pencils as they wait for their PSAT tests. Bubble in your name, your address, your birthday, so on and so forth. Wait.

What’s this? Copy the above certification statement...in cursive? That thing we learned in third grade and then promptly forgot? Having kept up the cursive since those piano lessons, I laugh a little as I finish copying, watching those around me work with futile efforts. They try to connect the bottoms of their print letters, hunched over their desks, painstakingly drawing each connecting curve. Copying the statement takes the class about seven minutes. It only takes me thirty seconds. Asides from escaping the misfortunate majority during the PSAT, writing in cursive offers a myriad of benefits. As schools across the nation remove the instruction of cursive from their curriculums, they’re only deluding themselves. Maybe most standardized tests don’t test han-

dwriting, and technology seems to reduce the amount we need to handwrite. However, penmanship still proves itself a worthy subject. (A note: Texas is one of the few states that still requires handwriting instruction.) Learning to write in cursive does more than enable us to read old letters or escape a few standardized tests (relatively) unscathed.

At young ages, children who learn how to write in cursive differentiate their letters better, discerning b from d and p from q (especially helpful for those with dyslexia and the like), and they make greater connections from letters to the words themselves. Learning cursive generally means learning to write faster and improving muscle coordination. Studies show that increasing time spent on handwriting instruction also increases reading fluency, and, of course, when we write things down, we remember them in a way that we wouldn’t if we typed them instead.

And what about history? From the Declaration of Independence to our grandmothers’ recipe cards and letters, our inability to process cursive reflects badly on our respect for the past—it’s sad to think that, somehow, cursive will become one of those curiosities useful only to anthropologists and historians, unreadable (and unwritable) to most of us.

Mostly, though, when we don’t learn cursive in schools, we lose the beauty of it. The aesthetics of cursive are very much human in contrast to the stark mechanical feel of a typed letter, imbibing our words with a (sometimes, slightly wobbly) warm touch, the swirls and swoops of our handwriting embracing what we have to say.

Because, honestly, who takes chicken scratch seriously?

Michelle is Features Editor for The Roar. For handwriting tips, email her at the.roar.liu@gmail.com, and don’t forget to dot the i.

sketchy.

by merritt nolte-roth

rants&raves

{

If you were in a zombie apocalypse, what would your game plan be?

{

“I would escape by climbing into a tree and disguising myself as a zombie and then using tear gas so that the zombies wouldn’t smell that I’m human.”

-Marley Hayes, freshman “Dig a hole and just live there.”

-Levi Sap, sophomore

“I would escape to a small town in Texas, find an abandoned house, set up a circle of treadmills around it and turn them on.”

-Matt Tipton, junior “Find a portal to Narnia.”

- Riley Simms, senior

“Election Season” Have you had anything stolen at school?

Yes 45%

462 students surveyed

No 55%

“Go home and get my wife’s giant SUV, all the gas cans and water jugs I could muster, weapons naturally, and instead of just waiting somewhere, be a moving target.”

-Mr.Lindner, English teacher

8 | viewpoints | the roar

Inability to stop procrastination causes problems

anne finch assistant editor It’s 4 AM, and I am simultaneously browsing my favorite social networking site, contemplating alternate universes, watching my new television obsession on Netflix, and reading fanfiction online.

What you (or my teachers or my parents) might find more relevant is what I’m not doing: writing my English homework, writing my college essays, writing this editorial. Basically, I am making excellent progress in the way of stocking up on Avengers quotes and reasons to cry over fictional characters (and also driving myself nuts with completely pointless sleep deprivation) but am in danger of yet again succumbing to that really loud yet oddly seductive voice in my brain going “HOMEWORK? PSSSH. I LAUGH IN THE FACE OF HOMEWORK. ON TO THE NEXT EPISODE!” Oh, don’t look at me like that. I know you can hear the voice too. And whether or not yours takes the form of some

{an account {

friday, nov. 2, 2012

random personification of the idea of procrastination or possibly something more specific (mine looks and sounds like my good friend Claire), the evil demon that is procrastination affects us all. Or at least I’m assuming it affects us all. If you’re one of the immune, I want your secret.

No. Seriously. If you have never been affected by procrastination, I both hate you (because WHY AREN’T YOU ME I HAVE SO MUCH HOMEWORK I’M NOT DOING RIGHT NOW GET OUT OF HERE) and am in awe of you because you have to be some sort of god. You obviously know something I don’t. Which, admittedly, isn’t hard.

I’d like to say that this editorial is a reflection of those past (and current) academic misdeeds and that you as well may share in this occasional dangerous habit. I’d also like to say that as I continue my final and most important year of high school (writing that was really gross, just so you know) I’m planning on overcoming this debilitating habit and I will rise above it with these handy tips that I am about to share with you.

Nope. That’s not happening.

There’s no Aesop here besides the

obvious one, which is, of course, don’t procrastinate. If you want to get something done, do it. Sitting at your computer looking at pictures of cats wearing scarves or laying on your bed staring at the wall isn’t going to result in your essays getting written, or your homework being done, even give you an increased appreciation for kittehs and flowery wallpaper.

(I got distracted while writing this so I took a moment to stare at my own wallpaper. It’s nice.)

For all that high school may be dependably terrible, it is preparing you for experiences that will prepare you for real life where not getting your work done is going to be completely and utterly unacceptable for reasons beyond a less-than-satisfactory grade. No matter how cute those cats are.

These are the things I won’t tell you. Or myself. Because I’m almost done with season 2 of Breaking Bad, and writing this thing can wait.

Here’s to assuming you might be reading this while you’re procrastinating as well. Anne Finch is an assistant editor for The Roar. If you would like a procrastination buddy, email her at the.roar.finch@gmail.com.

speak out Discussion Board Each issue, students can submit responses to The Roar’s Speak Out forum. These questions will be posted on Facebook.

Question: How do you feel about our generation being labeled as “apathetic” toward politics?

Bethany Pierce, junior I feel like our generation is pretty indifferent, but not necessarily because we don’t care. I’m fed up with politics because of all the drama that goes on. I care about the decisions that will affect our country, but I feel like all that ever happens in politics now are useless arguments.

Samantha Hernandez, senior I don’t think our generation is apathetic toward politics. I think we just learned to think for ourselves instead of going along with what our parents believe.

Pablo Leon, sophomore I feel as though it’s due to the extreme polarization of both political parties that’s come about recently. It’s getting to the point where any political conversation leads to yelling and frustration, so some people have just begun associating politics with pointless arguing.

Add your opinion and see more responses: Friend Roar Newspaper on Facebook.

from afar

Staff member shares experiences while away at semester school by leah crisman, entertainment editor Last spring I decided to drop off the face of Texas by applying to a semester school (i.e. everyone attends either fall or spring semester before returning to their original school for the remainder of the year) in Maine for eleventh graders called Chewonki. I applied last February to attend the following spring, but after some soul-searching over all that I would miss at Consol, I settled on this semester, fall of 2012.

I told very few people (I still don’t know exactly why; shyness perhaps?), but to those I did tell, their response was almost always the same: why? Why would you leave everything and everyone for some tiny, granola-style boarding school on the coast of Maine? My reasoning for attending was simple: why not? I love Consol and consider it my high school home more than any other school. But, much like my real home, Consol was completely within my comfort zone. I’m glad to be here in Maine because Chewonki not only is giving me a wealth of new experiences, but it also shows me how much I took for granted my teachers, friends and community at Consol.

Adjusting to life at Chewonki has been a change for me that is hard to understate. Like most eleventh graders, I live with and depend on my parents. Missing a school book or an article of clothing? Call Mom. Need money for the lunch account or a ride after school? Call Dad. It was a bit of a shock, therefore, to transition to living semiautonomously in a wood-stove-heated cabin with seven roommates who hail from every corner of the United States. I have come to love Mallory, Rachel, Gretchen, Katie, Claire, Hannah and Maggie like sisters, but it was at first a little strange to learn everyone else’s idiosyncrasies and to have them learn yours.

Being away from home and Consol has also made me rethink what school is all about. At home, I’m reasonably sure I’m not the only person who has their eyes glued to the clock by the time seventh period rolls around. Like most other sane high school students, I am practically jogging from the room when the bell at 3:45 rings. Well, the school day at Chewonki almost never ends at four o’clock. In fact, it never truly ends. For one thing, the teachers are constantly around: helping us with homework during study hours, eating breakfast, lunch and dinner with us in the dining hall, checking the cabins in for the night promptly (and once in while not so promptly) at ten o’clock, accompanying us on camping trips and occasionally stepping in as pseudo-parents. For another thing, school encompasses something larger than hour-long classes. The lines between academics and outside life are frequently blurred. If this sounds like a living hell, don’t be misled. Some of my best moments here have been some of my most educational as well. Apple picking on a Saturday morning with everyone is school. Brushing down a horse at the adjoining farm as a morning chore is school. Playing a non-lethal version of the Hunger Games in the woods at night as a P.E. activity is school. Wandering around in a salt marsh during a field trip is school. In my head I have started repeating this phrase on a poster in the science room: EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED TO EVERYTHING ELSE. Life, in a strikingly inescapable way I’ve found, is school.

I don’t want to attempt to return this January as a different person.

I doubt I could if I tried. Instead, I aim to keep just a couple things in mind for my last three semesters at Consol: never underestimate the value putting down your homework for a couple minutes to learn an obscure and interesting skill; cell phones are overrated; recycling is the activity of champions; and everything, bar nothing, is connected to everything else.

the roar | viewpoints | 9

friday, nov. 2 2012

Lost students, hallways evoke regret, bitterness nicole farrell sports editor It’s approximately two months later, and my heart still hasn’t recovered.

When school started, all was well. I never passed where you once stood, waiting for me, so your absence did not initially register.

I loved walking with you. When I walked alone through the narrowness of our school’s nooks and crannies, I could only think of you.

I thought of the comfort you offered, the shelter from judging eyes and angry stares.

You were an alternate pathway, an opportunity to journey in my own thoughts for a few more minutes. I could be myself around you and skip awkward conversations. You were the way to happiness, fellowship, and relaxation. I knew I could depend on you.

No matter what, you were waiting with open doors after advocate. Once I saw you, I was free.

Music would reverberate off your bones, providing a background and a beat to

bare of the bloody maroon which I could step and dance inside. With lockers that held valuable each sung word, I grew books and tidbits that recloser to you. There reflected actual people. ally was a light at the Lockers were shifend of your tunnel. ted, hallways cut off Farewell, second by rooms used for hallway to the cafeteunknown purposes, and ria. a walkway with a greI feel as if no one at view slashed off the else misses you. Am inner face of our schoI the only one still ol. stumbling into your I’m unsettled by cutoff space? the changes. I left for You have a nice summer and been replaced, came back to an unand I am grieArtwork by Merritt Nolte-Roth explored territory. ving with you.

I wander Where darkthe less crowded flecked linoleum hallways, bumping into fewer underclassonce cleanly lined the men elbows, and I miss that hallway. I refloor, mops and brooms and maybe a microwave supposedly fill a con- ally do.

I really want to just fling that door open cealed closet or lounge. Every time I walk to the heart and soul of our school, the cafe- and tear through to the cafeteria. Maybe rich, fur coats lie within, waiting to transteria, I feel the pang of your absence.

And you were only the beginning. With port me to a magical land.

And these changes are only the beyou went the mini hallway at the front of the school, where you could look down and see ginning. I already feel like a seasoned high tiny people a floor below enter our humble school student, swapping stories with my house of education. The white walls by the fellow elders about the ‘olden days’ at AMC. library also share a haunting tale, stripped Back when we had more hallways and

everyone had white IDs. And didn’t need street signs to navigate. I mean, Success Highway literally doesn’t lead to anything. It’s a hallway that runs behind other hallways.

If we keep going at this rate, they’re going to tear down entire walls and we’ll all be gathered in one giant, communal classroom, struggling to hear our separate teachers yelling out lessons as they all hit their Smartboards angrily in unison.

I think it’s time for Operation Take Back Our Hallways. At least before things get worse.

Who’s with me?

Let’s do it for the kids. Let’s do it for nostalgia. Let’s do it for the time when we had to rely on our own street smarts to find our way around, when freshman weren’t (as) easy targets with neon orange IDs, and when multiple hallways offered a variety of route options.

It’s time to take action.

Or we could just blame the Cougars.

They’re the ones with the fancy High School Musical cafeteria.

Nicole is Sports Editor for The Roar.

Do you think Consol should have stuck to the status quo? Let her know at the.roar.farrell@gmail.com.

Musical artist talented, insightful despite negative publicity shilpa saravanan news editor Kanye West is not one to shy away from the spotlight.

He recently made news for a seemingly small action— deleting his Twitter account. Interestingly, the account continues to gain followers.

Why? Kanye’s influence. Kanye says the most random things, but sometimes those things have a world of meaning behind them. He’s offensive, but his crassness has a reason. Take the Taylor Swift incident at the 2009 VMAs. What Kanye did wasn’t right. But his assertion that “Single Ladies” should have won—which, really, considering its phenomenon status, is true—exposed a preference for good-girl artists like Taylor Swift in the music industry or even an underlying racism.

And that’s Kanye West for you. He tells it like it is, all the time; always the unpleasant truth. He never says it in any sort of politically correct fashion, but he always says what others are too afraid to say.

Looking beyond such overblown incidents such as the “George Bush hates black people” comment (which— again—although horribly phrased and delivered in a very unpolished manner, spoke to the hearts of many people disappointed with the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina), Kanye’s music provides us with an even deeper glimpse into his complex viewpoints on racism, power, religion and the like.

You don’t even have to dig very deeply to find social at the end. And most recently, “No Church In the Wild,” a collaboration with Jay-Z and Frank Ocean, delves commentary. Kanye’s 2009 single, “Power,” is into theology and explores answers to one of the (like the majority of his work) incredibly ultimate questions: what’s a god to a nonbelieself-centered, focusing on how great ver, or simply one who indulges in decadence Kanye is. But in presenting himself and excess? as a king, Kanye also explores Now, as much as I respect Kanye’s the downsides of his fame and work, I can’t ask anyone to emulate the effects it’s had on himself, him. His misbehavior borders on the which leads him to the more ridiculous sometimes. But that he general chorus: “No one man carries himself in such a manner and should have all that power.” is still called “the thinking man’s Take a moment to realize that rapper” is significant. However, this very sentiment promp“thinking man’s rapper” should not ted the French Revolution. only apply to Kanye. Some rap is That’s how profound it is.

And you don’t often get that what it’s stereotyped to be; some isn’t, just like any other genre of in popular music. music. There are plenty of rapFurther in Kanye’s repers out there for the thinking man pertoire, there lie more opinior woman. You can start with Ye. onated, potentially controversial Then go forth and find the rest. songs. “Addiction” is another case Shilpa is News Editor for of Kanye telling it like it is, rather The Roar. Tell her your opinion poignantly,“Why everything that’s on whether or not Kanye is the supposed to be bad make me feel best rapper of all time (OF ALL so good?” “Who Will Survive in TIME!) and she’ll let you finish at America” is a flat-out rant, a tirathe.roar.saravanan@gmail.com. de against the America that Kanye wants and the current reality. He Artw ork b lists everything wrong with Amey Me rritt rica today, but all with love for the Nolt e-Ro mother country, as he makes clear th

{opposing viewpoints} 10 | viewpoints | the roar

YES

friday, nov. 2, 2012

Should laws about jaywalking be less enforced?

NO

by Isabel Drukker, opinions editor

I’m terrible at driving. Considering this is a high school newspaper, you might be too. You probably are. No offense.

Keeping this in mind though, I, and maybe you as well, understand the Perks of Being a Jaywalker. Besides the thrill of it all, it’s more efficient, and as long as pedestrians and drivers are careful, it’s safe too.

For example, one could say that jaywalkers keep drivers aware.

At the risk of running someone over, a driver could toy with the idea of putting away a cell phone and instead focus on wherever he or she is actually going.

Same goes for annoying pedestrians who cartwheel all over the place and think they own the roads. No one does, it’s called sharing, kids, respect it. For this reason, everyone should look both ways before putting his or her foot on the accelerator or taking another step. Not only is it polite and socially applauded but it can also save someone’s life. Karma at its finest.

However, for the drivers who do believe that they were given metal machines by divine right and that pedestrians are meant to bow down to them or else become “points”, they should consider their negative effect on society. It’s better for the community as a whole if we could promote walker friendly streets. It’d better for people without cars, better for people who need to walk for exercise, and better for the local environment.

The number of times my friends and I have battled dehydration because we can’t get our lazy selves off the couch and to the kitchen proves how badly we need to promote walking. Or basic survival skills, one of which, I’m fairly certain, is walking. Doing so where there aren’t crossroads isn’t a big deal, so long as people use common sense.

Example: if a desirable street for crossing is currently in control by a tank moving 90 mph, a citizen wearing a sandal on one foot and a cast on the other, should probably wait a little before proceeding to his or her destination. I don’t have to stretch my faith in humanity a bit to say that at least 95% of you would make the same decision.

It’s not rocket science, people. If it were, we wouldn’t have to worry about streets in the first place.

student responses.

Do you think jaywalking should be a misdemeanor?

81%

There I was, cruising down Southwest Parkway, completely abiding by every traffic law. I was on my way to school, with only three minutes before I was late.

Suddenly, two college students appear out of nowhere and begin crossing the street. Not a quick, steady pace either as to be mindful of the cars, but a leisurely stroll as if they had nowhere in the world to be.

To make it worse, they didn’t even acknowledge me and completely ignored the old fashioned, “look both ways” rule. All I could do was slam on my breaks and yell out to myself, “YOU KNOW I CAN HIT YOU?!”

The Texas Law states that “a pedestrian shall yield the right-ofway to a vehicle on the highway if crossing a roadway at a place other than in a marked crosswalk or in an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.” Jaywalking citations in College Station each cost $180, more than some traffic tickets.

However, in all honesty, people without enough common sense to look both ways and without respect for vehicles going 50 miles per hour in their direction deserve to be ticketed. Generally, people walking are not even in a hurry, so why do they feel the need to ignore the crosswalk and pedestrian laws?

As most of us at school enter the driving world, we are faced with the responsibility of our own lives more and more often. Each one of us has come in contact with an irresponsible jaywalker at least once.

Let us keep that in mind the next time we must cross a busy roadway. Remember the cars heading your direction usually have a more important place to be than you do.

Jaywalking is illegal, and for good reason. It puts the safety of both the jaywalker and driver at risk. Why would you sacrifice your safety and $180 to stroll across a busy street?

So, factoring in the safety issues, it becomes obvious that jaywalking is unsafe, immature and stupid.

However, if you decide to wander onto the busy street, make sure you STAY OUT OF MY WAY.

The Roar surveyed 81 students to learn their opinions on jaywalking.

“

[Jaywalking is] dangerous for both the idiot jaywalking and people driving.

People are going to be killed.

”

Angelique Gratton, senior

19%

Yes

“ No

by Devin Dakota, senior editor

Jaywalking [shouldn’t] be illegal in certain areas because it is inconvenient for most people.

”

Rebekah Scholz, senior

Should jaywalking be more monitored in big cities than it is in small communities?

No 29%

No Yes 66% 71%

How often does jaywalking affect and/ or interrupt you?

6% Everyday

11% Often

32% Never

51%

Sometimes

the roar | snapshots | 11

friday, nov. 2, 2012

gearing up

by laura everett editor-in-chief

Upperclassmen at Consol are no strangers to the battle of finding a good parking spot amongst the rows of massive gasguzzling trucks, expensive glistening sports cars, dented “old bangers” that have been passed from sibling to sibling, and the assortment of cars graffitied with window paint. Within the next few months, however, one of these parking spaces will house a newly-restored, half-century-old, roofless Jeep, standing just three feet wide and roughly four and a half feet tall with the windshield folded down.

After buying the 1950 Jeep off of Craigslist for $800 during the spring of his freshman year, senior Sam Crenshaw has devoted many hours and close to $6,000 to restoring this World War II inspired vehicle.

“Every single bolt, I put into

Senior works to restore vehicle, furthers knowledge

that thing,” Crenshaw said. “Really, it’s just taking something apart, trying to figure it out, and then trying to put it back together.”

Unlike many other kids who embark on such projects, Crenshaw has virtually rebuilt this vehicle on his own, although he attributes help and support to his friends and parents.

“My dad helps me a little bit, but he doesn’t know anything either,” Crenshaw said. “He just told me what different tool names are and just lets me go.”

Crenshaw does, however, credit his dad with teaching him how to weld, a skill which has become invaluable during this extensive project, and with exposing him to war movies as a kid, which later served as inspiration for the entire project.

Staying true to this inspiration, Crenshaw has invested in ordering parts to fit the Jeep’s origin. Along with installing thousands of dollars worth of parts,

Senior Sam Crenshaw unbolts the transmission bracket from the frame in preparation for sandblasting. In the past few years, he has cleaned, replaced, and bought new parts for his vehicle-in-the-making. PHOTO BY DEVIN DAKOTA

BACKGROUND PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARK EVERETT

Senior Sam Crenshaw uses a torch to remove a rusted bolt. He said that he enjoys using the tool because “fire is fun.” PHOTO BY DEVIN DAKOTA

Crenshaw has rebuilt the engine and transmission and sandblasted and painted the vehicle.

“I’m doing everything as original as possible, unless it is inefficient or unsafe,” Crenshaw said.

While the Jeep will remain air-bag-less, some of these minor adjustments include installing seat belts, turn signals and taillights, as well as exchanging a generator for an alternator so that the battery will recharge during drives.

“It will be safe to drive, if you know how to drive it,” Crenshaw said. “They have been known to flip over during a Uturn going less than ten miles per hour.”

While Crenshaw might never take this car on the highway, he does plan to have a final product in a few months, in time to take his roughly four and a half foot “baby” to college with him.

Crenshaw has no intention of making restoration projects of this magnitude a regular hobby, as it is “way too frustrating, time-consuming and expensive,”

he said.

While the restoration proved to last years longer than anticipated, Crenshaw has no regrets, he said.

“It has been worth it,” Crenshaw said. “I’ve learned so much from it. It is definitely one of those big building moments in [my] life.”

Senior Sam Crenshaw removes the transmission cover for cleaning. Crenshaw started working on the car about two and a half years ago. PHOTO BY DEVIN DAKOTA

12 | student

life | the roar

friday, nov. 2, 20

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This powerful organization is called head, heart, hands, and health. “[The four H’s] are pretty much wha other people and putting work into it,” s “You always learn that when you put so you’re going to get something good out Service is clearly valued in 4-H; it is Senior Alexis Roach passionately Guatemala, where 4-H joined forces w Minga 2011, a project of togetherness unique blend of agricultural lessons and Wi-Fi installation, printers and computer “We taught some of the kids and agriculture. [We] had the younger childr about the parts of plants,” Roach said. it―it’s impactful, it’s simple enough, an The group was partnered with the opportunity to view their greenhouses providing a richer variety of fruits and v tomatoes.

“That community service project how gifted we are here,” Roach said.

4-H is obviously an organization community service. Leadership is also every member. Becoming an officer of describes the increasing responsibilities a levels, which include community servic organization for state competitions.

Mentoring younger members is also aspect. Heart and head meet hands whe as Roach teach less experienced memb namely how to make it in the show rings “If I help someone, they are going someone,” Roach said, “I want that chai 4-H has an impact even beyond ani Campbell is involved in 4-H Exchange over the course of three years, teaming t from different states. The program con others for a view of their home state, then summer. The third year is a planned join Committees plan financially and s advance, ensuring the visiting group s described how close the two groups be explained the “unitedness” of Exchange “We were all crying when we had realized we would probably never see t two weeks of our lives we had spent tog Campbell explained how traveling are experiences from 4-H she appreciate financial aspect is also valued, as Campb

the roar | student

day, nov. 2, 2012

WHAT TO PACK

nization is truly special when it brings kids together in a wide variety of activities ranging from nutrition to livestock showing to photography to canning, and those kids into leadership-oriented individuals who te about community service and inspiring the younger

ation is called 4-H, with the H’s standing for lth. tty much what I base my life around, helping ork into it,” sophomore Kayla Wallace said. en you put something good into something, ing good out of it too.” d in 4-H; it is the “heart” of the organization. passionately described her experience in ned forces with Student Council in Project togetherness and teamwork, involving a l lessons and technological updates such as and computers. he kids and the mothers about sustainable ounger children [and] we taught them songs Roach said. “They had so much fun with le enough, and they understood it.” red with the Borlaug Institute and had the greenhouses in the highland mountains, of fruits and vegetables like cantaloupe and

vice project broadened my perspective on oach said. organization centered on even more than ership is also an integral part of 4-H for an officer of a club is an honor, and Roach ponsibilities at the country, district and state community service plans, program agendas ate competitions. er members is also a key part of the eart and head meet hands when livestock h teach less experienced members the tricks w to make it in the show rings. hey are going to want to go out and help want that chain reaction.” n beyond animals and shows. Junior Kayce -H Exchange, a club that offers three trips ars, teaming together two groups of students program consists of one group hosting the me state, then switching places the following planned joint trip to Washington, D.C. ncially and structured trips are planned in ting group sees the best sights. Campbell wo groups became during visits. Campbell of Exchange. when we had to leave,” Campbell said. “We y never see these people again, and yet the had spent together, we were so close.” ow traveling and “coming out of your box” she appreciates. The responsibility from the ed, as Campbell mentioned budget planning

life | 13

for Exchange and savings for college.

Roach too weighed in on that important aspect.

“Money [earned from shows or contests] goes into my scholarship and college fund account that I’ve had going on for a while,” Roach said.

According to Roach, the money she has accumulated will pay for her first two years of college at least, and she is applying for other scholarships to help even further.

This aid is undoubtedly something all families can appreciate.

Because families are so key in 4-H, each member’s success is contingent on the support and assistance from their own families.

“It’s a family activity for every family in 4-H,” Campbell said.

“The kids will get animals that the whole family has to participate in getting them ready for show, raising them, feeding them. You’re never alone in your project.”

Both Wallace and Roach joined with the influence of their mothers, and Campbell followed the footsteps of her older brother.

Junior Chad Ruesink shows pigs in the program, and adds that his work is very much a family job.

“In the pig project, both of my parents are out there helping us clean the pig pen, washing pigs, walking pigs, weighing pigs, feeding pigs, all sorts of fun stuff like that,” Ruesink explains. “That’s what our Sundays are, during pig season.”

Ruesink described how pigs have been in his family for years, his grandfather providing pigs from his farm and his father helping him at home.

“It’s what my family has done,” Ruesink said. “We showed rabbits one year; they’re too soft and cuddly.”

Wallace expands on the family and friend aspect, mentioning the bond between adults and kids.

“4-H is very much family oriented. Parents and adult leaders are involved, so you get to know friends and also their parents,” Wallace said.

The continuous impact of family and older mentors is what keeps 4-H running so effectively.

“See[ing] the younger 4-Hers grasp the fact that ‘Oh, we’re not just doing this because our parents are making us,’ but because we’re making an impact on our community, the people, the ecosystem, animals [is most rewarding],” Roach said. “They figure out that it’s not just for their benefit because they have to keep record books or something like that, but it’s for everyone’s benefit.”

The knowledge and practical experience in the areas of public speaking, responsibility, community service, and leadership are just the basics for any serious 4-H member. The expertise in a variety of areas, such as livestock, nutrition, or baking are just added bonuses.

“For 4-H as a whole, we’re committed to using our hands, heart, health, and head to bettering our community and country and world,” Campbell said. “We have a pledge about it. It’s about using all you’ve got to better yourself and the community.”

for a 4-H show 1 2 3 5

4

6 7 1. hay bag – fill it with hay for your animal!

2. goat feed – can’t have hungry goats!

3. clippers – for a nicely trimmed goat.

4. show stick – for correcting the goat’s gait.

5. shampoo & conditioner – smells delish!

6. wash bucket – essentially, a small bathtub.

7. halter – to control unruly goats in the showroom.

list courtesy of Alexis Roach; supplies courtesy of Tractor Supply Co.

14 | people | the roar

friday, nov. 2, 2012

SCOUT’S

HONOR

Scouts offer fresh experiences for any age by michelle liu, features editor Freshman Elyssa Stebbins doesn’t just sell cookies.

As a Girl Scout, Stebbins insists that the members of the value-driven organization do much more than peddle the iconic boxes of sweets, despite what casual observers think.

“We actually get to go out and do some of the things that people don’t normally do. We help out in our community, and we do outdoor activities; we go camping and fishing, which most teenage girls don’t do. We don’t [just] sit and talk about cookies,” Stebbins said.

Having started Girl Scouts in kindergarten, Stebbins maintains that, as a Scout, her role in the community is to help anyone who needs assistance. Her troop has volunteered at various community events and charities, including Worldfest, the Brazos Valley Food Bank, Meals on Wheels and Christmas at the Park.

Stebbins feels that being a Girl Scout has also allowed her to develop greater leadership skills.

“I never was

really good at talking in front of people, or leading a group, but the past summers I’ve been working at day camps, and I’ve been leading groups of younger girls,” Stebbins said. “It’s helped me to be able to talk to people and be able to help lead a group or help show them how to do things.”

Stebbins’ sentiments are shared by her brother, junior Travis Stebbins, who has been involved in Boy Scouts since first grade. “[I’ve learned] how to direct people, delegate tasks, manage time, and [I’ve learned] the process you have to take to do service projects,” Travis Stebbins said.

“Once you grow up and look back, you realize how important those skills are.”

For the Stebbins family, involvement in Scouting has become a bit of a family tradition, with Elyssa following after her mother and sister, and Travis his father and uncle.

However, not all successful Scouts start at young ages. Senior Zach Hill, who became involved in Boy Scouts two and a half years ago, is on the brink of becoming an Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable. Hill finds that being a Scout has enabled him to mature. “[At] every rank advancement, you kind of see what you’ve learned over the course

Badges that merit attention CLIMBING

“I had to climb really tall rock structures, and then rappel down them (like 200ft overhangs).”

— junior Pearson McCreary

PERSONAL MANAGEMENT “You can see the benefits of learning financial principles as they’re applied.”

— senior Zach Hill PHOTO PROVIDED BY PEARSON MCCREARY

of that rank, how you’ve evolved,” Hill said.

Like Hill, junior Pearson McCreary acknowledges that he’s learned quite a bit as a Boy Scout, from cooking and camping skills to project planning and physical fitness. McCreary credits merit badges, which Scouts earn through meeting certain requirements, for the gaining of these skills. “[Merit badges] act as kind of a window into a career or skill,” McCreary said. “There are tons of them on every imaginable subject.”

Participation as a Scout also broadens experiences, providing various opportunities for outdoor activities such as fishing, canoeing and rock climbing.

For junior Resa Gates, Venturing, which Gates likens to “Boy Scouts coed,” allows for greater engagement in these activities than Girl Scouts does, as the Venturing program is part of Boy Scouts of America.

“Girl Scouts is very limited,” Gates said. “There’s so many more restrictions—[for example], you can’t go to a shooting range, [but in Venturing] you can.”

Above all, many find being a Scout an ultimately rewarding experience.

“Boy Scouts retains its outdoor ideals, skills and ideas, but it applies these to greater intangible values like leadership, teamwork and moral character,” McCreary said.

OUTDOOR PAT C H E S

“I love camping, fishing and archery.”

— freshman Elyssa Stebbins

MOTOR BOATNING

“It was one of the first ones I got, and I got to drive a motor boat at like 60 miles per hour in the ocean.”

— junior Travis Stebbins

SCUBA DIVING

“It was actually really cool to be able to breathe underwater.”

— junior Resa Gates

the roar | people | 15

friday, nov. 2, 2012

MARVELOUS MENTORS

PHOTO OF SENIOR MEGAN MCGINNIS BY JANET NI

Students take on roles as teachers in community

by Janet Ni, photography editor

Senior Megan McGinnis has always loved horses. At the age of eight, her parents enrolled her in horseback riding lessons, thinking she was just in a phase, but McGinnis never really grew out of this particular interest. Years passed by as she continued to explore her passion, until she recently discovered something that would further enhance it: teaching. “[Teaching has] shown me the other side of [horseback riding],” McGinnis said. “It’s helped me become better as a horseback rider because I see the problems my instructor tells me.”

“There’s something about getting to communicate something that I love so much with somebody younger. Seeing them grow in their love for it is so satisfying.”

SENIOR MAGGIE ELLISON

McGinnis began teaching Western-style horseback riding at Life in Stride Riding Academy the summer after her sophomore year. She had been doing extra chores as a job beforehand, but her teacher had too many students and asked McGinnis to take a class, she said.

McGinnis teaches the basics of horseback riding and more to her students.

“I not only teach them how to ride [but also] how to saddle up and the basics of caring for a horse,” she said.

Junior Blake Steines also teaches basics to beginners, but instead, he’s in the water while doing so.

Steines has been swimming since the age of five.

“My parents said I was a natural swimmer,” Steines said. “I went to a private lesson once and that was all I needed to start swimming.”

He began as a swim teacher aid at the age of thirteen and started teaching his own class this past summer at

Thomas Pool and Adamson Lagoon, he said.

Steines had to take an eight hour course in order to become an aid and another thirty hour course in the spring in order to become a certified teacher.

His duties include writing a class plan, teaching the kids the exit skills they need to pass each level, taking attendance, writing a course record and talking to the parents to make sure they are satisfied with their children’s success, he said.

Steines commented on what teaching swimming has taught him in return.

“When I used to think of swimming when I was a kid, all I would think of was the swim meets I would go to and people who swim competitively, but now I can definitely see that there is a safety aspect,” Steines said.

Steines enjoys his job partially because of the environment.

“I love being in the water,” Steines said. “That would beat any job where I’m sitting down or not being active.”

Senior Maggie Ellison also has a love for what she teaches. She began leaping and twirling about at the age of two, and she started assisting dance classes at Suzanne’s School of Dance seven years later.

On top of teaching at Suzanne’s, Ellison has also taught dance at theater musicals.

“My first experience actually teaching dance was for the [theater] musical, [Cinderella],” Ellison said.

Lately, though, Ellison has found it difficult to find time for teaching.

“I don’t teach on a regular basis [at Suzanne’s] anymore,” Ellison said. “For the past two years, schoolwise I haven’t had the time to commit [to teach a class each week].”

Nevertheless, Ellison has found the teaching experience quite rewarding.

“There’s something about getting to communicate something that I love so much with somebody younger.

Seeing them grow in their love for it is so satisfying,” Ellison said. “[I feel like] I’ve accomplished so much because I’ve taught someone something that they didn’t understand before.”

Though she does not regularly teach at the moment, Ellison continues to go to Suzanne’s to take her own dance classes twice a week and hopes to teach dance classes during college.

On the other side of town, senior Ben Guzman coaches

at Brazos Valley Gymnastics.

One of Guzman’s main influences for teaching was his childhood coach.

“When I was six, my coach made gymnastics a whole bunch of fun and I wanted to be just like him when I grew up,” Guzman said.

He currently teaches on Mondays through Thursdays for about four to six hours each day.

“I [practically] live at the gym,” Guzman said.

Guzman describes his job as teaching the basics, keeping gymnastics fun, and figuring out what the kids want to learn.

Guzman believes teaching has made an impact on him. “[Teaching has] made me keep an open mind. [It’s taught me to not] only listen to one coach,” Guzman said. “If somebody else has something to say, [I try to] listen to them and put effort forth to fix whatever [I] have wrong.”

Teaching has also affected the way McGinnis views others.

“People complain about teachers a lot, and it has made me a lot more understanding towards them because I know it’s such a hard job,” McGinnis said.

“...a girl in my class threw up on me.” -junior Blake Steines

One time while I was teaching...

“...a little girl went to the bathroom in the corner instead of asking to leave!

When I asked her why, she said she didn’t want to disturb class.” -senior Maggie Ellison

a zeal for spiel

16 | people | the roar

friday, nov. 2, 2012

PHOTO OF JUNIOR LIZ BURLEY BY ANNE FINCH

isabel drukker opinions editor Walking into debate and oral interpretation teacher Mr. Rodriguez’s portable, you may find students talking to walls. You may find Mr. Rodriguez himself wearing a judge’s robe as two students debate their way through a mock trial. At almost any time, you will find students yelling openly at each other about any topic of interest, from Common Sense, to the less relevant League of Legends. Regardless of the oddities in this portable though, it cannot be mistaken, students participating in debate and oral interpretation mean serious business.

“Last year, we went to state,”

junior Captain of the Speakers Lucas Cadle said. “A few of us went to nationals, which is a really big deal in the debate community.”

This organization has had relatively few members when its awards are considered. For example, the “Sweepstakes” award, given out at tournaments, ranks teams by granting them points for each individual award and then announcing the top three. Consol’s team won three sweepstakes awards last semester alone.

“We are a very successful organization that is not well known on this campus,” Rodriguez said.

“Debate and speech is not just glasses and a bunch of nerds doing things. I think people have a bad impression of that word. I want to

into the loop: terminology Forensics – Speech and debate (not the one with the dead bodies).

NFL – Not the football league, but the National Forensic League, the national association of speech and debate.

Flow Pad- Another term for a legal pad used by debaters or congressional debaters.

Breaking – Refers to a student who reaches the next round of competition.

Source: Roy Rodriguez

Speech, debate team develop speaking skills, compete at various levels kind of change that.”

The type of public speaking Rodriguez teaches ultimately breaks into three different categories: debate, public speaking, and oral interpretation.

Rodriguez says that for the creative and theatrical; oral interpretation offers a chance for students to perform dramatic or humorous pieces, while public speaking and debate focus on the more political and argumentative side that people expect from “debate kids.”

“I like debate because I like arguing with people, and I like politics and I like current events and this combines all three,” sophomore extemporaneous speaker, Alex Coopersmith said.

“Plus, I get to wear a suit.”

However, few expect the close relationship between debate related events and theatre.

“I think WIT is actually very similar to some of the Oral Interpretation groups,” WIT member and debate student J.D. Rockwell said. “For instance, some of the types of oral interp involve improvising and take the same set of skills to think on your feet and portray whatever it is that you’re talking about in an entertaining way.”

Sophomore Karna

Venkatraj found that the debate program at Consol worth staying for when he had the option of attending the new high school.

“I stayed for oral interp,” Venkatraj said. “It was always something I wanted to do.”

Venkatraj hopes to incorporate his debate skills in a career after high school. However, even students who are unsure of what they hope to do later in life may benefit from taking a public speaking related class.

“Just the ability to stand your ground is a really good quality to have because it teaches you how to back up everything you say, and you’ll never be that person who says something and doesn’t actually believe in it,” Rockwell said. “Debate teaches you to Juniors Patricia Zhang and Shankar Srinivasan show respect in San Antonio on October 19. Consol’s team took home two sweepstakes awards at the Reagan tournament there. PHOTO BY ANNE FINCH

question any statement that is ever made.”

As intense as the tournaments can get, students still find ways to enjoy their many out-of-town trips. Senior Jeff Kettle can only describe the trips as “swagalishish” as he goes through his last year of participating as a member of Consol’s oral interpretation group.

“The people are great all around, we’re all happy here,” Kettle said. “I do have people here that I love. Rodriguez is just a great teacher.”

Rodriguez himself comments that on the trips, students feel more than welcome to bring out their extreme side, whether it occurs as a result of the team’s triumphs or the lack of sleep depending on the student.

“It’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in my life,” Cadle said.

the roar | people

friday, nov. 2, 2012

| 17

Family business teaches morals, importance of togetherness eva araujo

assistant editor

Students share their dreams for family businesses: Lauren Hodges: “I would definitely be okay with my parents owning Apple or Google. Being a billionaire doesn’t sound too bad.”

Brianna Hildebrand: “I totally wish my dad owned a restaurant so that I could celebrate my love for food all the time!”

Kensey Boykin: “I love the

shop they own. I honestly wouldn’t like anything different. They’ve spent their life working toward Taste Of The Tropics, and to wish for them to have done something different almost seems wrong to me.

It’s their passion, so that’s what makes it so special to me.” compiled by Eva Araujo

If you’ve ever taken a stroll down any part of Aggieland, you can’t help but notice the streets dotted with locally owned shops and restaurants. Perhaps you’re a faithful customer, maybe even dreamed of owning your own one day.

Ever wonder how it feels to be a part of this multiplying maroon market?

Working within a family business while being a close family member isn’t as easy a ride as it sounds. Senior Kensey Boykin knows how it feels to mix family and work together, being employed at her family’s very own Taste of The Tropics.

Boykin feels a lot of pressure working for her family because of the high expectations, but nevertheless could never feel more at home.

“When I am by myself and manager of the shift it is kind of scary; even though my whole family works together it still can be a bit nerve racking,” Boykin said. “I was practically born there, though, so it kind of comes naturally. It’s still a lot of fun because at least I know if I do something wrong, I’m not going to be fired off the bat. My dad will just help me work things out.”

Boykin feels like it is her responsibility to carry on the family business and make her family proud.

“I would never drop the business because my dad has never had a day off in his entire life so I would never just let go,” Boykin said. “ My brother and I are planning to split the business and both be the owners. I definitely do want to keep it in the family. I would feel like I were betraying my dad if I let go of it.

Like Boykin, junior James Tipton also wishes to follow in his father’s footsteps, and hopefully become a great business man like his father and grandfather.

“There’s a good chance in my current course that I will inherit his companies and follow that same pattern,” Tipton said. “I want to continue it just as my father did when his father past down his car dealership to him.”

However, some like senior Lauren Hodges have their own plans in mind.

Hodges wishes the best luck to her

father and his businesses, Copy Corner and Double Dave’s, but believes that she might be made for something else.

“At one point, I was interested in business too, but I’ve realized that it really isn’t for me,” Hodges said. “Starting a company like my dad did would be an amazing experience, but I need a good idea first.”

Deciding whether or not to remain in the family business is not the only problem faced, however. Hodges feels that even though having a family business is wonderful, it doesn’t have to define your life.

“People see it as a big deal when really, it’s not! My dad has a job just like yours does,” Hodges said. “While it can get a little old having people joke around about free pizza and copies, overall I’m really proud of what my dad has accomplished and proud to be his daughter.”

Owning a local business does, however, bring about unique personal experiences that might have not occurred, otherwise.

Junior Brianna Hildebrand shares an interesting perk of being a part of her father’s car dealership.

“It was cool because I’ve been driving cars since I was little,” Hildebrand said. “My dad would always b r i n g home new cars, which [was] cool. I also did get

my car from him which was really nice.”

Most families with a business have a hard time finding room in their schedule to spend time at home. However, Tipton says it is almost the exact opposite at his house.

“My dad does talk business to us all the time, but we don’t mind because since he is his own boss he can pick his hours and spend more time with us,” Tipton said. “We see him a lot more than most people would see their working fathers.”

Junior Andrew Humphries enjoys spending time with his father at work, helping him with whatever needs to be done at his family’s flower shop, Petal Patch.

“Sometimes on Valentine’s day, or any holiday really, I would come work with him in the flower shop which was nice,” Humphries said. “Once I started driving he began asking me to help him deliver flowers, and it made my car smell like water and flowers, but it was cool.”

Boykin shares the knowledge she has gained from working with the family business.

“I realize my family has a very different lifestyle,” Boykin said. “ Although sometimes it’s difficult and reflects on the family, it’s always more important to prioritize your care for your family than the worries of the shop.”

Junior Kensey Boykin hands a smoothie to a customer as she works at her parents’ business. Boykin hopes to split the family business with her brother in the future. PHOTO BY EVA ARAUJO

18 | health

& rec | the roar

friday, nov. 2, 2012

● by shilpa saravanan, news editor ●

Marathoning proves more psychological than physical, runners say weating and straining, swimming coach Ryan Goodwyn pushes his body to its near limit every single day in preparation for one of the toughest tests of human endurance and determination: the marathon.

● Before beginning marathon training, make sure you can run for at least 30 minutes without stopping. ● Keep your diet healthy—this will help you when running longer distances. ● Train on easy routes when you start. Don’t do too much too quickly, or you could hurt yourself.

“I like the challenge,” Goodwyn said. “I’m able to see how I’m going to react to the pressure, how much I can test myself.”

Goodwyn runs the grueling 26.2-mile races not because he enjoys punishing himself (as some people believe longdistance runners do) but because he wants to maintain a constantly high level of fitness through training for them.

“If someone were to call me up on any random day and say, ‘hey, let’s go run a marathon,’ I want to have the ability to go out and do that,” Goodwyn said.

Because his goal is so broad, Goodwyn’s training routine is not necessarily marathon-specific. He simply works out on a very regular basis, and occasionally focuses a bit on speed work prior to a marathon.

His occasional running buddy, Foods 101 teacher Erin Stutts, has a different method to accommodate her schedule.

She runs three times a week, then goes for one long run over the weekend.

Senior Brooke Cohen recently ran to benefit the MakeA-Wish Foundation in a massive Chicago marathon. Over 25,000 people participated in the race—many, like Cohen, ran for charities.

“Big cities are always fun,” Cohen said. “The crowds and all the buildings distract you from what you’re putting your body through.”

Cohen’s dad has been running marathons since his late 30s, so she has been exposed to them for a while. Her first foray into long-distance races was in her sophomore year, when she ran her first half marathon. The next year, she ran her first marathon: the United States Marine Corps marathon in Washington, D.C. Goodwyn and Stutts also participated in the Marine Corps marathon.

“That was such an incredible environment,” Goodwyn said. “The route took us around D.C. monuments, and there were cheering servicemen out there in the crowd. It was very motivational.”

Big city environments aren’t the only motivational ones for Goodwyn. Though Bryan-College Station is decidedly small compared to the nation’s capital, he says that seeing people he knows and hearing them call out his name “genuinely—they weren’t just reading it off [his] tag” helped him finish.

Cohen believes that psychological factors trump actual physical fitness in a marathon.

“Anybody can do it,” Cohen said. “It’s about determination and not giving up.”

Other tests of endurance, though not so long as a marathon, require these same qualities. Sophomore Aaron Ross has been running various triathlons, 5Ks, and 10Ks with his family from an early age. He usually goes up to Colorado to run.

“These aren’t as hard as marathons, but they’re still work,” Ross said. “They can still be tough.”

All four runners encourage everyone, regardless of their level of fitness, to set themselves a goal—to run a marathon, 10K, half marathon, or a 5K—whatever challenges them.

“There’s something so fulfilling about achieving a goal,” Stutts said. “You don’t have to be fast. Anything’s better than sitting and doing nothing.”

The Turkey Trot 5K race is later this November, and the second annual Bryan-College Station marathon is in December—both are good opportunities for goal-setters.

“You’ve only got this one body, and you owe it to yourself to take care of it,” Goodwyn said.

● Enter your first race. A 5K or 10K fun run would be a good choice. ● Once you’re comfortable with a 10K, consider entering a half marathon. ● Commit to a marathon only after you’re comfortable with a half marathon. ● Set up regular training sessions—26.2 miles is a long haul! ● Prepare yourself mentally.

Marathons are a test of will. ● Run your marathon!

Adapted from: http://www.wikihow.com/Run-a-Marathon

Foods 101 teacher Erin Stutts runs past the Lincoln Monument in the 2011 Marine Corps marathon. Stutts has run four marathons and is training for her fifth marathon. PHOTO PROVIDED BY ERIN STUTTS

steps toward the

friday,nov. 2, 2012

the roar | sports|19

gold

Cross country runner seeks Olympic future rachel kagle

Senior Gus Roman participates in the Polish Pickle Run in Bredmond, Texas on June 23. Roman received first place in this race. PHOTO PROVIDED BY GUS ROMAN

boys cross country

executive editor

He steps up to the starting line, braces himself, and waits. Masses of people surround him, but he focuses on the run before him. Due to its physical demands and solitary nature, not everyone can succeed in cross country running.

However, for senior Gus Roman, long distance running has been a large part of his life for quite a while.

“I started [running] in seventh grade,” Roman said. “In P.E. we had run the mile and [my coach] told me to join cross country.”

Despite a lack of prior experience running, he was immediately successful and by his freshman year, he was already running half marathons. Today, he maintains his spot on Consol’s varsity team as our top runner with plans to succeed at region.

“Now that we are in a new district, we face people we know will rank at state,” Roman said.

“It’s tough competition.”

Last week, the Tigers competed at district, finishing in fourth place, just three points below Conroe Oak Ridge. However, as an individual, Roman advanced to regions with third place overall.

The region meet will take place on Nov. 3 at Vandergriff Park in Arlington, Texas.

Roman also participates in long runs outside of Tiger cross country, participating in 5k runs and half marathons.

Last year, Roman excelled in his running outside of school and recently obtained his best time in a 5k run at 15 minutes and 42 seconds.

He believes that overall, his experiences have taught him that running is enjoyable.

“The best part is feeling like I’m going to die after a 20 mile long run,” Roman said.

While a 20 mile run is the longest he has gone so far, Roman has no plans of stopping.

“I want to run in college then hopefully get sponsored by someone and keep it up,” Roman said. “Olympics 2020 is the goal!”

Roman plans on going to the Olympic trials in 2016 to get an idea of what he will face in 2020.

“I want to go to the 2020 Olympics,” he said. “I want to run the marathon for that.”

In preparation, Roman plans to continue his running in local 5ks, half marathons, marathons, and of course Tiger cross country!

Tiger cross country has had a pretty large effect on his life. It has allowed him to make friends, realize that running is fun, and train for his bright future.

“Stay doing what you’re doing,” Roman said. “As long as you keep going, you’ll get better.”

TOP RUNNERS AND TIMES FROM DISTRICT

UPCOMING

Varsity 5K:

Junior Varsity 5K:

Catch Gus Roman at Region

Gus Roman -15:42

Conner White - 19:30

on Nov. 3 in Arlington Texas

Garrett Shomaker - 16:25

Zach Kluver - 20:52

at 9:10 a.m.

Ben Creasy - 16:45

Jackson McGraw - 21:30

Kyle Bohne - 17:14

Freshmen 3200m:

Cisco Hurtado - 17:16 Leland Shane - 17:42

Garrett Peters - 12:17 David Hildebrandt - 12:24

Freshman David Hildebrandt: “My team helps me every day to push on when I don’t want to.”

20 | sports | the roar

friday, nov. 2, 2012

a new starting line PHOTO PROVIDED BY JERRY HOUSE

New coach, race distances emphasize team unity, catalyze success janet ni

photography editor

In the mornings, they can be spotted running on streets before most of the city groggily rolls out of bed. Some passersby might dismiss them as another group of joggers, but little do they know what a tight-knit group Consol’s girl’s varsity cross country team has become.

“We’re really close,” junior Hillary House said. “Having good friendships with these people really motivated me to continue running.”

The team’s close bond made saying goodbye to last year’s senior members difficult.

This year, varsity team members include House, senior Karis Jochen, junior Meredith Spillane, senior Anna Dement, junior Harmoni Whittenton, freshman Jenna Leland and junior Montana Caler.

Another major change this year is that Shawn Schroeder has been introduced as the new head coach, along with Stewart Keogh as the assistant coach.

Schroeder’s passion for cross country began long before he started coaching.

“I really like cross country because it is a sport of heart and toughness,” Schroeder said. “I just love the sport.”

Moreover, the team’s varsity race distance has also changed from two miles to a 5K. “We’re doing a lot more long distance tempo running on the track and we have to hit certain times to get improvements,” Caler said. “It’s pretty intense.”

Despite the difficulty in increasing mileage, House believes the coaches have been encouraging and helpful. “[The coaches] are really good motivators,” House said.

“Their biggest [idea] is believing in yourself. If you believe in

Top JV Runners: Ladavia White Amanda Herrera Valerie Rodriguez

girls cross country

yourself you can do it; it’s all in your head.”

House finds the mental aspect of cross country more demanding than the physical part.

“Anyone can run or walk four miles, but it’s getting up, making yourself do it, and having a positive attitude that I think is the hardest thing,” House said.

Although mustering up the willpower to train can be a challenge, Caler thinks the team bond eases the difficulty.

“I think it makes it much more exciting and fun and easier to wake up in the morning and see everyone,” Caler said.

It appears that Schroeder also shares the team’s positive spirit.

“The girls always keep life interesting. They are a fun hard working group that I am proud to coach,” Schroeder said. “They really like to be around each other and that makes coaching much easier.”

District Results:

Varsity advancing to Regionals November 3rd

The team gathers to pray before the varsity race on August 31st.

Encouragement is an important part of the team dynamic. PHOTO PROVIDED BY JERRY HOUSE

about Assistant Coach Stewart Keogh In addition to assisting with girls cross country, Keogh is the head coach of girls soccer.

His favorite part of coaching cross country: “I like being around the kids. It’s a great way to start the morning.”

the roar | sports| 21

friday, nov. 2, 2012

PHOTO OF JOSCH MOTLEY BY DEVIN DAKOTA

RUSHING TOWARDS VICTORY

Football team adapts to new district, succeeds through struggle laura everett & dana branham

editor-in-chief & managing editor

For much of the student body, “fall semester” is synonymous with “time for Tiger football.” The stars of this season are the talented, confident boys of fall. While the football team’s exterior image shows only confidence, they have been pushed outside their comfort zone by the challenges of a new conference.

“I think there might have been a little nervousness, playing some of the Houston schools,” head coach David Raffield said. “But, we’ve had some success so I think they’ve overcome any of that.”

Due to the highly competitive level of the new district, the team felt that the student body lacked confidence in their ability to compete against such high skill.

“Coming from last year, we lost a lot of talent, so some people thought we were just going to get killed every game,” kicker senior Dillon Moore said. “Inside the team we were pretty confident, so it feels good to prove everybody wrong and play really well.”

As the football team had been playing the same set of teams since their freshman year, the new conference allowed for a fresh set of teams, providing some variety that most players haven’t seen.

“It’s a different feeling from freshman year to junior year playing the same teams over and over again and then

you finally get to play new teams,” wide receiver senior Xavier Jones said. “It’s a new experience.”

One success of the season was the win against Lake Travis.

“Lake Travis was a big win for us,” senior Kohl Anderson said. “We knew going in that we could beat them, because we’ve seen our talent. That’s one thing about our football team that’s really good; we’re confident in each other and we know we can do big things. [That game] got all the fans believing in us too.”

The team faces a potential rematch against Lake Travis in the playoffs. Anderson said he is confident that now that the Tigers have beat them once, they could beat them again.

Another outstanding win for the Tigers this season was at the Crosstown Showdown, where they dominated the game, making it their eighth consecutive win against Bryan High.

In spite of the euphoric win, the crowd fell silent as senior quarterback Jaylan Cheshire lay injured on the field, thinking, “Why me? Why now? Why is this happening?” he said.

The crowd held their breath for what seemed to be an eternity while Cheshire was removed from the stadium by a stretcher. Later, it was discovered that Cheshire suffered a spiral fracture and a broken fibula. He hopes to return to the field in time for the playoffs.

“We were in shock,” Anderson said. “Jaylan’s a great player and obviously a really important player to the team.

We had already had Weston get hurt at the beginning of the season, so we were kind of like, ‘oh, not again!’”

Although the team went into half time with their heads down, reassurance was quickly offered by Coach Raffield’s pep talk and quarterback senior Weston Garner’s ability to play despite an ACL injury dating back to a pre-season scrimmage, Anderson said.

“We were all sad about it, but we had to keep playing for [Jaylan],” Jones said. “When one person goes down, the whole team can’t drag their heads, so we just have to lift up our spirits and keep playing.”

Their great success can be accounted for not only by the vast skill on the field, but also by the sense of camaraderie present between the teammates, offensive coach Brian Cope said.

“The kids really are a team, and they really believe in each other,” Cope said. “The offensive kids are there cheering the defensive kids on, and the defensive kids are cheering for the offensive kids. It is a true team in every sense.”

To most of the school, the football players are simply fast, strong, determined athletes. While this is true, the team’s academic success is not to be overlooked, Cope said.

“We didn’t have a single varsity football player fail [a class],” Cope said, “which shows the effort that it takes because they’re not just football players. They’re students as well, and I think that’s a testament to how hard they’ve worked.”

Junior Varsity & Freshmen

football

Junior Varsity Record: District: 2-3 Overall: 2-6

Varsity Overall Record: District: 4-1 Overall: 7-2

Freshman Record: District: 4-1

Upcoming Games: Nov. 2 vs. Conroe in Moorehead at 7:30 p.m.

Senior Bear Zitterich:

“Who we play doesn’t matter. We’ve worked harder than every other team, so we’ve already won.”

22 | entertainment | the roar

music

what we’re about:

roarin’

First-time listeners evaluate newest albums

Halcyon

Dreams Deferred

Ellie Goulding

Skyzoo

Reviewed by Eva Araujo

Reviewed by Nicole Farrell Skyzoo’s not scared of anything, a fact that’s apparent in his Oct 2nd released album, A Dream Deferred.

He’s not afraid of showing off his knowledge of the literary world with his titular nod to Langston Hughes’ poem, he’s not afraid to take listeners back to the past with his retro beats, and he’s certainly not afraid to wear his emotions on his NYCsoaked sleeve. Each track is not only musically captivating with interesting use of synth-induced piano and brass back beats, but is spun with autobiographical elements.

Favorites include the reflective lead single “Jansport Strings, the gritty reminiscence that is “Pockets Full”, and the challenging “How to Make It Through Hysteria.”

He spits out lyrics, but with specific purpose. With an album like this, Skyzoo deserves to break out of his current underground status and into the popular daylight.

Ellie Goulding mixes things up a bit with her new album, Halcyon, released October 9. Ellie whips up an album deep with emotion, yet infused with electronic beats pumping through every measure.

Halcyon definitely matures in sound. Ellie’s previous knockout album, Lights, which correlates to its album cover, is much more cheerful and fun in comparison to the darker, black and white album cover which holds Halcyon. The album starts with Ellie showing off incredible vocal talent in “Don’t Say a Word,” setting the tone for the whole album with hard, intense drums and soothing synths. The best song by far on the album is “Anything Could Happen.” The catchy melodic rhythms might replay in your head for the remainder of the day, but because the song is so good it ends up not being such a bad thing. The only discouraging aspect about the album is that many of the songs sound similar, but that may be attributed to Ellie’s voice being distinct and unchanging. In the end, Halcyon is a great album worthy enough to add to anyone’s music library.

The Afterman: Ascension Coheed and Cambria

Reviewed by Shilpa Saravanan

The latest release by New York prog-metal group Coheed and Cambria, The Afterman: Ascension, is daunting to those unfamiliar with Coheed’s comic-book storyline, which all of its albums follow; they may find the song titles rather wordy. Thankfully, the songs themselves are not at all as unapproachable as their titles. Though Coheed’s music is far from typical, I connected to it immediately—perhaps because the lyrics cover such universal topics as love and betrayal, but not in the blatantly obvious manner of many songs out there currently. The album opener, “The Hollow,” is a short, haunting melody that’s immediately followed and contrasted by the seven-minute “Key Entity Extraction I: Domino the Destitute.” “The Afterman” combines the haunting qualities of the opener with the storytelling of the seven-minute epic and this makes for a standout track with ethereal, slightly creepy vocals. Overall, The Afterman: Ascension meshes together neatly; the band figured out the right mix of familiarity and weirdness, making it friendly and entertaining to new listeners.

Glad All Over The Wallflowers

Reviewed by Michelle Liu The Wallflower’s new album, Glad All Over, leaves the listener glad...when it’s all over. Their first album in seven years, Glad All Over doesn’t make a smashing impression. It starts with Hospital for Sinners, which seems promising with its catchy hook, and though it gets a bit tedious (the repetitive riffs, for example), it redeems itself with its dark allure. But soon, Glad All Over delves into the mundane.

The lyrics in Misfits and Lovers aren’t memorable. “It’s a Dream” slips a little too easily into Love Is a Country, and a muddle of Jakob Dylan’s scratchy voice and distractingly annoyingcountry influences then envelops the whole album. Little gems peek out here and there, however–the lead single Reboot the Mission, featuring The Clash’s Mick Jones, stands out. Good for background music, Glad All Over is really quite a wallflower in general.

upcoming albums

friday, nov. 2, 2012

Take Me Home One Direction Nov 12

Red

Taylor Swift

Reviewed by Anne Finch

That’s right. Everybody’s favorite breakup songwriter

(sorry, Adele) is back, this time with more heartbreak, more maturity and more…dubstep? TSwizzle certainly hasn’t given up on writing about breakups; her latest album centers mainly on her ‘red’ feelings about her latest ‘mystery’ celebrity exboyfriend (Jake Gylenhaal, with whom she is never ever getting back together…like, ever).

She’s managed to create an interesting balance between musical genres; her more upbeat songs swerve between fun country songs like “Stay Stay Stay,” and harder, more rockoriented tunes like the pleasantly dubsteppy “I Knew You Were Trouble.” My personal favorite is the “Last Time,” a haunting falling-out-of-love song featuring Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody.

Although it’s certainly not perfect—any musical maturity disappears in the insidiously catchy “22” —Red is fun, catchy, and an impressive addition to Taylor Swift’s discography.

Born to Die: Paradise Edition Lana Del Ray Nov 13

¡Dos! Green Day Nov 13

Girl on Fire Alicia Keys Nov 27

@ CONSOL

friday, nov. 2, 2012

HELEN REESE’S PUMPKIN CUPCAKES

s

ingredients

1 1/3 cups flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/3 cup salted butter, room temperature 1 cup light brown sugar. firmly packed 1 large egg 1/3 cup, plus 1 tablespoon whole milk 2/3 cup pumpkin

maddie gaines

“My boyfriend and I wanted something fun to do, so we decided to carve pumpkins, even though it is kind of cliche. I carved it like that because I wanted to do something different, and I saw the little pumpkins and wanted to incorporate them.”

zach norwood “It was my first time to carve a pumpkin, it was pretty nasty. I play baseball, so I wanted to incorporate that somehow.

Everything went fine, except when the dog stole the top of my pumpkin.”

THANKSGIVING BRE

A K to do list

cream cheese frosting Wednesday Thursday 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature 6 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature 4 cups confectioners sugar (add more to taste) 2 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.In an large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until creamy.

2.In a separate bowl, sift the confectioners sugar.

3. Add the confectioners sugar to the butter mixture on low speed until it begins to incorporate.

4. Add the vanilla extract, and beat at medium to high speed until fully incorporated.

COMPILED BY THE ROAR STAFF

CARVING halloweenUPspirit

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 2. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners 3. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and baking soda into a medium bowl.

4. In an large bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy, and then gradually add in the brown sugar and mix well.

5. Beat in egg until well blended 6. Add the milk to the butter mixture and blend well. Then add the flour mixture and beat until smooth.

7. Add the pumpkin and mix until smooth.

8. Pour the batter into the lined cupcake pan, distributing the batter equally.

9. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate, and bake for 17 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

10.Place the pan on a wire rack, and cool completely before frosting.

the roar | @consol | 23

•Sip on a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks.

•Watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special with your family.

•Catch up on some much needed sleep.

•See our very own Eugene Ryoo march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

•Cheer on your favorite team during the football game.

•Eat pumpkin pie.

Friday

•Get lost with friends in the hay maze.

•Camp out at your favorite store on Black Friday.

•Decorate for the upcoming holidays.

24 | etcetera | the roar

friday, nov. 2 2012

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flippin’ out Parkour helps demonstrate art of movement

by rachel kagle, executive editor No, that isn’t Spiderman you may have seen scaling walls and jumping from buildings.

Instead, it’s probably seniors Boyce Unger, Devon Harris and junior Donathan Ratcliffe practicing parkour.

Dangerous jumps and outrageous stunts compose only the outward appearance of parkour.

According to Ratcliffe, there is a lot more to being a traceur, a practicioner of parkour, than doing tricks.

“Parkour isn’t about the biggest jumps or the most cool looking things,” Ratcliffe said. “It’s about learning who you are and how far you can push your body.”

He also describes parkour as a philosophical practice.

“It’s a method for life,” Ratcliffe said. “[Parkour is] living by certain principles and morals.”

The three traceurs began parkour toward the beginning of high school. For both Unger and Harris, it came naturally as they had gymnastics backgrounds.

“I was a gymnast for several years up until high school when I needed to quit gymnastics to do band,” Unger said. “I needed a good way to express myself and get rid of some pent up energy and I chose parkour.”

Unger explained that it was not an instantaneous understanding. Instead, it was a

slow progression to mastering the art of parkour.

“It started off in stages,” Unger said. “First, it was [figuring out] what buildings we could climb on top of, then it became [seeing] how far we could jump, so we’d go to Wolf Pen and just jump across that huge ditch. Then it was how high we could jump, how many things we could jump over, could we do flips, and then it all kind of morphed into one.”

Once they passed the first stages in learning the practice of parkour, neither Unger or Ratcliffe have encountered many injuries, they said. At most, they have faced scrapes and other minor abrasions.

Now, you can find the team of traceurs practicing at either Wolf Pen or A&M and they are ready to accept new members to help with their latest project.

“Right now, we actually have a promotional team and we’re trying to get sponsored so we can wear apparel for a company and we can just advertise for them,” Unger said. “We are working on a promo video to get more people interested and if we get enough people in the group we actually have a sponsor lined up who would be willing to go for us.”

Overall, Unger, Harris, and Ratcliffe enjoy being traceurs.

Ratcliffe expressed his love for the philosophical side. Unger, however, said he does it for the women.

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1. Senior Devon Harris performs a speed-vault. Harris really developed a passion for parkour during his freshman year.

PHOTO BY RACHEL KAGLE 2. Senior Boyce Unger enacts a tic-tac against the wall. Unger said that at the point of impact on the wall, it is then called a tac. PHOTO BY RACHEL KAGLE 3. Senior Boyce Unger executes a wall flip. Unger began practicing parkour because of his background in gymnastics. PHOTO BY RACHEL KAGLE

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