Vol. 24, Issue 1

THE ROAR NEWS

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1801 HARVEY MITCHELL PKWY. S., COLLEGE STATION, TX 77840 | FRIDAY, OCT. 12, 2018 | VOL. 24 NO. 1 | THEROARNEWS.COM

Drug testing policy addresses district concerns, affects student body olivia conway managing editor

This year, a percentage of the students who are involved in extracurriculars or pay for parking spaces will be randomly selected to submit urine samples. In July, the school board approved a new policy of random drug testing that will potentially affect any student who is a member of a school-sponsored club or wishes to pay for a campus parking spot. The new policy went into effect on October 1 and will test for alcohol and a wide variety of drugs including marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, and Xanax. The results of the tests will be kept confidential between a certified drug testing laboratory and school administrators, except in the event of a positive test, in which case the parents of the student will also be contacted.

This policy, while not the first of its kind, was initially proposed last spring when athletic personnel approached the administrators with a suggestion for dealing with the issue of drugs in the school district. The administration then

brought the idea to the school board, which discussed and later voted to approve the policy after receiving support from district faculty and the general public.

“I don’t know if they particularly perceived that there was drug use on school grounds; I don’t know of any particular allegations or situations related to that,” school board president Jeff Harris said. “[The proposal was] more or less from an overall health and safety standpoint for the students--[the administrators and personnel] were concerned that [drugs] were an issue [that] was affecting the students and their pursuits in the schools.”

According to district officials, promoting the health and safety of students is at the heart of this new policy.

“We want to help create a culture of [positive] decision making and positive choices,” Harris said. “[We want] to help increase [students’] chances for success in all aspects of their lives.”

Senior Menna Khattab, who supports the district’s decision, recognizes that this policy is designed to protect the students

both from engaging in unsafe activities and reflecting poorly on the school.

“If we go to a competition and there are people who are participating in UIL activities, they are representing our school so I feel like it's necessary [to make sure they are drug free],” Khattab said.

Both to insure that the drug tests are legally sound and to emphasize the focus on school safety and student wellbeing, the policy is not meant to be punitive even if a student tests positive for drugs or alcohol. Instead of being removed from their activities, students are only banned from competition and travel for a set number of days. The probationary period grows longer with subsequent infractions, but students are still able to attend practices with the rest of their peers.

Head football coach Lee Fedora supports this aspect of the policy since he believes that allowing students to still interact with their team members or peers in an academically or athletically rigorous setting could potentially have a rehabilitory effect on students who may be caught with drugs.

“drug testing” continued on page 3

inthisissue

news pages 2-4

feature page 5

viewpoints page 6

feature pages 7-11

sports pages 12-13

reviews pages 14-15

brief | the roar

UPCOMING

2 | in

OCT. 12 OCT. 12 OCT. 13 OCT. 14 OCT. 15 OCT. 31 NOV. 1-3 NOV. 14

NEWS

friday, oct. 12 , 2018

Homecoming Game vs. Lamar Tiger Tennis vs. Deer Park Homecoming Dance Student Council Car Wash HOSA Blood Drive Tennis State Tournment Game of Tiaras Tiger Volleyball vs. College Station

IN THE

District recognizes students’ academic excellence

Seniors Isabella Garza, Selena Li, Aabid Razvi, Shiva Saravanan, Roger Wang, and Andrew Zhang were named National Merit Semifinalists, placing them in the top one percent of scorers in Texas. Saravanan earned a perfect score. All six students are eligible to apply for the National Merit scholarships awarded in May. The National Commended Scholars are Hanna Alvard, Dilnoor Bains, Olivia Conway, Sam de Figueiredo, Aimee Deng, Ellie Garrett, Sarah Kassam, Avha Mohanty, Jessica Peng, Meredith Poling, Noah Smith, Eric Zhang, and Jennifer Zhou. The National Hispanic scholars are Nicholas Aparicio, Ethan Avila, Noah Smith, Isabella Garza, Ethan Martinez, and Emmanuel Preciado.

Cross country teams excel at College Park invitational

The A&M Consolidated junior varsity boys cross country team earned first out of all of the 5A teams at an invitational hosted by College Park. The top five junior varsity runners were Ricky Avila, who placed 16th, Seth Goble, who placed 27th, Sean Zhang, who placed 30th, Alex Price, who placed 32nd, and Brandon Top, who placed 40th. The varsity girls team placed 6th overall and the varsity boys team placed second out of the 5A teams competing.

Bengal Belles co-captains Madison Stubbs and Maggie Ealy along with senior lieutenant Naomy Diaz perform at the Blackout Bryan pep-rally on September 7. PHOTO BY ALEX ROEDER

Consol principal named Region 6 Principal of the Year

On Aug. 22, the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) recognized principal Gwen Elder as the Region 6 Principal of the Year, allowing her to apply for TASSP State Principal of the Year.

Consol defeats Bryan at first home football game

On Sept. 7, the Tiger football team won 20-0 against Bryan High at the 31st annual Crosstown Showdown. Senior quarterback Caden Fedora completed 15 of 26 passes for 191 yards with two touchdowns. Senior running back Steven Ray finished with 53 rushing yards on 13 carries and four catches for 49 yards. The Tigers take on Lamar tonight at 7:30.

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A&M Consolidated varsity football team walks across the field at the 31st Crosstown Showdown game against Bryan High. PHOTO BY CATE STEEL.

the roar | news | 3

friday, oct. 12, 2018

New random drug testing policy sparks conversation among students, faculty “drug testing” cont. from page 1

“If the kid failed a [drug] test that means they need to be around their people up at the school and not off on the streets,” Fedora said. “I was glad that was one thing they put in effect--the [students] can still practice and I think that’s the right way to handle it.”

PRIMARY GOALS In regard to legality, the policy cannot be punitive since its primary goal was stated as helping to prevent drug use and protect student health. According to social studies teacher Bobbi Rodriguez, the district and the school’s intention is to support and counsel students who may be involved in drugs, rather than enact heavy punishments in response to their behavior.

“If you happen to have gotten high two weekends ago but you are perfectly under all of your own faculties when you come to school and you do all of your school work just fine and you just happen to get this random drug screen, I don’t know if you have done anything disciplinarily wrong,” Rodriguez said.

“We might want to engage in some counseling [or] make sure that we encourage you to get involved in other activities, [but] this isn’t really about trying to punish kids.”

Besides simply discouraging students from engaging in illegal behavior, this policy is designed to decrease the power of peer pressure on impressionable students. The school board’s idea was to provide students with a credible reason to refuse offered drugs.

Since the effects of failing a drug test are immediate and visible--being unable to attend competitions or games--students are more likely to understand and respect another student’s decision to decline do drugs. In fact, the policy even includes a provision that allows parents to voluntarily enter their children into the drug testing lottery, thus providing them with a tangible reason to not partake in

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drug use.

“A student who could potentially be subject to the testing has an easy out because they can say ‘no I can’t I could be tested’ which is a legitimate and credible response as opposed to the person having to try and make up something on the spot [and] justify it,” Harris said.

Fedora also sees the policy as a promising method of countering the social pressure that introduces students to drugs.

“If the [student is] out in the evening somewhere and there are people around them doing things that they shouldn’t be around [then] they know to stay away from that stuff because if they ever got involved with that it could get them in trouble,” Fedora said. “It’s something to help keep kids aware of how to act and how to respond.”

DOUBTS AND UNCERTAINTIES However, senior Willie Allen does not agree with the school board’s attribution of drug culture to peer pressure.

“If you give into [peer pressure] I feel like in the back of your mind you kind of wanted to do it in the first place,” Allen said. “If you’re dead set [on not doing drugs] then you’re not going to do it just because other people are telling you to, but if there’s a doubt in your head then you’re probably going to fold.”

Doubt is a common theme surrounding this policy. While Harris states that school board members and faculty are hopeful that randomly drug testing the student body will reduce drug use in the district, he acknowledges that it may take months and several rounds of testing before there is enough data to assess the effectiveness of the policy. In prior cases of other schools and other drug testing programs, evidence conflicts as to whether or not these policies are significantly effective at reducing drug use in schools. In a study directed by the National Center for Education Evaluation, data revealed

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that students in schools with drug testing programs reported being just as open to experimenting with drugs as their counterparts at schools without drug testing programs. Therefore, the question of whether or not this policy will be a success cannot be answered until it has been in place for some time. However, Rodriguez maintains that a significant decrease in drug culture is not the only measure of the policy’s success.

“I think the school’s philosophy is if it helps one kid then we might consider that to be a success,” Rodriguez said. “I think it’s a question of is this a policy that we think is worth it for the benefits it could bring to some students [and] my personal opinion is yes.”

In Fedora’s experience, random drug testing policies have proven to be far more successful than the scientific data indicates.

“I think [these policies] help a lot because I know in my last school when we had the drug test policy go in, we didn’t have any kids failing drug [tests] anymore,” Fedora said. “They knew that [the tests] were a reason to definitely stay away from [drugs] and it gave them a way to walk away from it.”

In regard to the potential success of the policy, both Khattab and Allen think that the lack of strict punishment, which is in accordance with both the school’s philosophy and laws surrounding drug testing, may impede the policy’s effectiveness in reducing participation in drug culture.

“I feel like there is supposed to be a stricter punishment than [preventing students from competing] because drugs are illegal,” Khattab said. “Competitions, in my opinion, are not extremely important so I feel like we do need stricter punishment like maybe ISS.” Allen agrees that the effectiveness of the policy may be weakened unless the offending students receive stricter consequences from the school.

“I don’t think [the policy is] actually

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going to do much because they’re not going to be getting in trouble with the school,” Allen said. “They’re just going to keep doing it.”

Another worry about the policy is the possibility of a false positive, either as a result of a mistake in the testing process or as a result of a student taking legal medications that contain chemical components similar to those in illegal substances. Some prescription stimulant medications for ADHD would register as a positive test for amphetamines, but the school board has included protocol to address this problem. If a student tests positive for a drug that is related to a prescribed medication then they can follow the medical appeals process in order to clear their positive test result. A similar procedure is in place in the event of a false positive for reasons that are not medically related.

LOOKING FORWARD Again, according to Harris, it is still not clear if this policy will be successful in benefiting the student body by reducing drug culture and dissuading students from experimenting with illegal substances. At this time, he admits that all the district officials and faculty can do is hope that either the tests will reveal that there was never a problem in the first place or that they will provide the first step in a larger process of educating students and preventing further drug use.

Harris remains confident that this policy will at least provide a good measure for understanding the magnitude of drug use in district schools, but he concedes that it is not necessarily meant to be a permanent fixture in the educational environment.

“My hope is that we won’t have a single positive test and that we [will] look at them in a year or two and ask ourselves what this was all about,” Harris said. “But hopefully if there is an issue out there that needs to be addressed, this will be one of the pieces that helps get things back on the right track.”

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4 | news | the roar

friday, oct. 12, 2018

S

YSTEM WAP

Learning management system implemented in CSISD schools

allen zhang | online editor Schoology, a learning management program which allows students to check their grades, communicate with teachers, and check up on assignments has been implemented district-wide for the 2018-2019 school year.

“We looked at several programs before we selected schoology. We had different people come in and present, and then [we] analyzed and compared,” chief academic officer Penny Tramel said. “Schoology was by-far one of the [most] user friendly and definitely one of the most robust [of the programs].”

While still new, Schoology is meant to fit in with what the students need throughout the school day and even at home.

“Schoology is better because it is one platform for everything I need,” sophomore Bill Wang said. “With Schoology, I don’t need to download multiple apps to be able to see all of my teacher’s updates.”

With Schoology, teachers now have improved methods to post their notes and materials online and answer student questions regarding homework and assignments.

“We love the interactive system for feedback. When your teachers give you an assignment, they can actually give you feedback on that assignment in Schoology,” Tramel said. “[It’s going to] improve the quality of success for kids.”

The newly implemented softwares seems similar to of what students have used in the past, but in a improved fashion.

“Having been an avid user of Edmodo and Remind, [Schoology] is definitely a step in the right direction,” sophomore Lars Deutz said. “Schoology has everything centered in one place.”

Schoology has only

been used for a couple weeks, but has seen significant reviews.

Compared to other softwares, Schoology seems to be leading the discussion regarding management software.

“I think [the implementation of Schoology is] a good decision because I like Schoology and truly think it might actually work,” Wang said. “[Schoology] has saved [me] so much time and effort.”

In addition to consolidating messages, class materials, and the ability to contact teachers in one site, Schoology also provides students with direct access to content taught in class.

“Schoology has been nice because I can see the powerpoints teachers use when I miss a day.It was overwhelming at first, but Schoology helped me through the stress,” Deutz said. “[It’s] a huge help when you miss some days of school or even if you want a refresher of the content.”

Since the software is fairly new, administrators are attempting to ease the transition to Schoology through informational videos and presentations that instruct students on topics from accessing their accounts to joining specific groups.

“I believe Consol is doing a fine job teaching about Schoology with announcements during Success,” Deutz said. “Although I do have trouble at times, most of the time, it seems really simple to use.”

The district acquired $234,750 in funds for the software, so commitment is clear, even though the first year is a work-in-progress.

“This is our first year with Schoology [in CSISD] but students and teachers are using it often,” Tramel said. “I don’t foresee it go[ing] away until something better comes along.”

Schoology Stats According to its website, Schoology has more than 20 million users worldwide, with over 60 thousand schools using the system. ______________ Schoology was founded by four Washington University college students in 2009. ______________ CSISD is using $234,750 in funding for Schoology software.

the roar | opinions | 5

friday, oct. 12, 2018

in hot water

allen zhang online editor

Struggle to resolve conflict sparks epiphany Standing in line at a local Starbucks, I noticed a shadow from the edge of my eye. A young man wearing jeans and a T-Shirt, who looked to be in his thirties, had just entered from my left. He skipped past the line and inserted himself in front of the lady who was in front of me. All of the sudden, the lady, who had been peacefully and patiently waiting in line, snapped her head towards the young man and started interrogating him.

The conversation between the two started with the lady demanding to know why he had advanced to the front of the line.

As both of their voices increased in volume, I began to catch a short phrase of “I have to get somewhere” which was immediately countered by “You could’ve asked first”. A few minutes later, their now-turned “shouting-match” seemed to catch the attention of everyone at the Starbucks. They argued back and forth a couple more minutes before the lady glanced in my direction as if she wanted me to back her.

I stared back in confusion.

She bombarded me with statements of “He just skipped to the front”, “We have to wait in line and he doesn’t”, and “It’s just not fair” before finally hitting me with the question: Is he right to skip to the front of the line?

The man, who had just gone through an intense argument with the lady, seemed disgusted and proceeded to explain that he didn’t have much time, pretending I hadn’t just heard their extremely loud fight.

Then it hit me.

They wanted me to decide whether or not the man deserved to skip to the front of the line because he was running low on time.

I looked around and realized that the whole café had gone silent, with all eyes on me.

I stayed speechless for a little longer before the lady in front of me started to press me for answers as if I alone was the Supreme Court, deciding on a serious issue that the rest of the U.S depended upon. I tried to

explain that the man was wrong to have ignored the line and that if he was running low on time, he should’ve asked the people in the line if they were OK with him being in front of them and that there didn’t need to be a fuss about it.

After explaining my viewpoint, I was extremely proud of myself for resolving such a petty conflict. However, that cheerful spirit was short-lived after I observed that all eyes were still on me. The lady, who now appeared furious, once again tossed the question at me: Is he right to skip to the front of the line?

Dumbfounded, I discovered that I only pointed out mistakes that the man had made without actually answering to the lady regarding whether the man should be allowed to keep his stolen spot in line. It was at that moment that I truly understood the depth of the woman’s question.

If I chose to allow the man to stay, the lady would consider me unfair. If I chose to ask the man to go back to the end of the line, then he wouldn’t have enough time to get his drink. I couldn’t satisfy both of them at once.

The woman was forcing me to pick a side, resulting in only one person being satisfied and leaving the other one angered.

In the end, I decided that the man should be allowed to stay because of his time limitations, but I also made him apologize to the whole line. However, I still received many dark glances from the lady who didn’t get her way.

Looking back towards that day, I’m actually fairly grateful (obviously not completely) to that lady for teaching me such an important life lesson: You can’t satisfy everyone.

Not much would’ve changed if I agreed with the woman that day because I would’ve just ended up receiving the hatred from the man.

Next time, maybe I’ll just pass on coffee.

Want to talk about the difficulty of resolving conflicts ? Contact Allen at the.roar. allenzhang@gmail.com.

Anger fills the air as mobs of people chant their outrage. Children and the elderly alike join forces to voice their resentment towards the prejudiced institutions that murdered another one of their own. I want nothing more than to blend into the crowd, to unite with the community and express my outrage.

I don’t.

My light skin and innocent face pierce through the veil of the dark night sky, as if I’m wearing a neon sign around my neck proclaiming the fact that I will never truly understand the systemic oppression that the crowds have faced. I fidget my fingers and shift my hair to cover my face. I want to condemn my race for allowing another corrupt individual to murder a black child in cold blood.

I don’t.

The raging packed crowd makes the protest seem so real in comparison to the tweets that flood my timeline.

The protest is foreign to me; my mind races, deciding how to move, what to say, when to say it. I long for the reassurance and protection my cracked phone screen brings. I imagine myself bursting my comfort bubble, joining the teens around me in challenging the racism poisoning our everyday life. I want to live up to my self-proclaimed activist title.

I don’t.

I hold my head in shame as a fiery man stands on top of a battered car, telling horrific stories of white cops shooting and assaulting innocent black civilians. I feel partly to blame. Neon sticky note prayers and teddy bears surround candle-lit school portraits of the unarmed black boy. I breathe in thick

sam de figueiredo

editor-in-chief

air as his friends and family uncontrollably weep. A lone tear streams down my face. I want to comfort the victims surrounding me and show empathy.

I don’t.

My lungs constrict and I choke back sobs. My jacket collar becomes hot and itchy and a lump fills my throat. I frantically push through the crowd, trying to ignore the stares. Poor white girl. What does she have to cry about? I can imagine the thoughts of the others, but I keep running. How can our society, my society, reduce this killing to a hashtag? Tears fall freely now. My lungs burn as I weave through the tangled crowd, sprinting further, further, further…

Suddenly, my arm jerks back. I whip my head around to see what has stopped me. A black girl, about my age, grips my wrist. We are strikingly different; she has black hair, mine is brown; she is short, I am tall.

But somehow, it’s like looking in a mirror: tear-stained cheeks, shortness of breath, running nose. With one look, she understands. She pulls me into a warm hug. I think of her forced to prove herself to teachers and peers, something my privilege prevented me from ever having to face. Now that she is in front of me, face-to-face, guilt swirls inside me more than before, and I want to retreat to my old ways… To run, to hide, to stay quiet.

I don’t.

Want to talk about how to reconcile your identity with your beliefs? Contact Sam at the.roar.defigueiredo@gmail.

breaking the silence Activist overcomes shame, finds voice

6 | viewpoints | the roar

friday, oct. 12, 2018

Is the New Drug Testing Policy Fair?

CSISD’s new random drug testing policy has created controversy in the halls of AMCHS. Some believe it will create a safer, drug-free environment within the school while others stand in firm opposition-- including students who have formed an organized protest against the policy due to its invasion of privacy. Either way, the question still remains: will this policy create a better school environment at Consol?

the roar’s consensus

On Oct. 1, CSISD’s new drug testing policy went into effect. Under it, students who participate in extracurricular activities or park on campus are subject to random urine tests for substances like marijuana, cocaine, opiates, and alcohol, among others. The district enacted the policy with hope to improve student health and safety, provide information for parents, act as a deterrent, and provide an excuse to avoid peer pressure to use illegal substances. It has sparked a hotly contested debate over student privacy and how far schools should go to create a drug-free environment.

The new policy is ineffective and unnecessarily invasive.

Studies funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and other organizations have found little to no decrease in drug use as a result of similar testing programs. The district is pouring energy and resources into a policy that has not been definitively shown to be even slightly effective.

The administration says that the policy is in part to serve as a deterrent from drug use. However, the same characteristics of the adolescent brain that gravitate toward drug use in the first place-- lack of consideration for long-term consequences and an inclination toward risk-taking-- mean the concept of a deterrent is all but useless.

The policy is also in violation of the principle of proba-

ble cause. The only reason the administration is able to perform random drug tests is that they are legally able to say it’s a choice, since the testing program only applies to optional activities. However, it certainly violates the spirit if not the letter of the law by creating an environment in which students can be tested without any reason to believe they are using illegal substances.

This contributes to a “guilty until proven innocent” atmosphere of suspicion and distrust between students and faculty.The implementation of random drug testing sends the message to students that they are under scrutiny and not to be trusted. That message undermines a positive school climate, which is much more conclusively successful in preventing drug use in schools.

The district’s new drug testing policy, aside from the fact that it does not achieve its goal, simply makes students feel like objects of suspicion from the staff. It does nothing but harm for the school climate. While it may be effective in one or two cases, the overall costs outweigh the benefits. If the district is really concerned with the physical and emotional well-being of students, it should stop treating them like criminals.

“I think it’s too lenient on drug users. The policy is only a 15 day suspension, and it adds 15 days every time. It should be more strict because it doesn’t really discourage people from using drugs as much as it should.”

“Yes [it is fair].. I’ve heard that some people know it’s going to start happening, so they’re not doing what they used to do anymore, and it’s making school a better environment for everyone.” sophomore liberty nolte

sophomore georgia carrino

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

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

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

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

The Roar 2018-2019 Staff Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Senior Executive Editor Online Editor Opinions Editors

Sam de Figueiredo Olivia Conway

Alex Roeder Allen Zhang Ruby Perry-Mize Elise Sawyer Staff Reporter Saanya Patel Faculty Adviser Michael Williams Assistant Adviser Chauncey Lindner The Roar Editorial Board Sam de Figueiredo• Olivia Conway Elise Sawyer • Ruby Perry-Mize

the roar | snapshots | 7

friday, oct. 12, 2018

d

e c d o l u r f a t t h i o g i l ns e Teachers inspire students with elaborate classrooms

elise sawyer | co-opinions editor

Biology and astronomy teacher Samuel Childers has the entire span of geologic history on his wall.

“I try to make something new or rearrange stuff every year,” Childers said. “Over the summer, I took all of geologic deep time and I constructed a file and printed it out, and I also got where all the major mass extinctions occurred on it. I think it’s kind of cool.”

Childers, whose classroom is filled with everything from a PEZ dispenser collection to a Risk: Middle Earth Edition board, believes it is important to have a classroom that is enjoyable to teach in.

“This is my space. I live in this space from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. pretty much every day and I don’t want to be in a room I don’t like,” Childers said. “All the things are here because they can be used in either my

Astronomy or Biology classes, [but] if it’s not functional for that, it’s aesthetically pleasing to me.”

Similarly, Irma Escobedo believes it is impotant to have a classroom filled with decorations, art, and displays relevant to the subject she teaches, Spanish.

“You don’t want a boring-looking class,” Escobedo said. “Here, you can walk in and just say ‘Oh, this is a Spanish class.’ I have Spanish words-- ‘magnifico’, ‘bravo’, ‘increíble’-- and then I have grammar posters, and then I also have art, since we have to make a connection with art [in Spanish class]-- you know, all kinds of [Spanish language-related] things.”

English I and IV teacher Nicole Thompson, whose classroom has bright colors, bookshelves, and an abundance of motivational quotes, also prioritizes a positive classroom environment is important for students.

“I think that if you can make it feel more like a home, like a place that you’re welcome,

students are more encouraged to be in a classroom,” Thompson said.“There are a lot of times where I remember sitting in a classroom and [wanting] to give up. Then I had this one teacher, and she had a bulletin board full of little fun sayings and quotes. I would look over there and get some positive feelings back, and that’s kind of why I [decorated my classroom with quotes]. I remember that was my favorite year in school, [and] I think that probably had to do with what she decorated with.”

Overall though, Escobedo believes the most important part of the classroom isn’t the decorations.

“What’s missing is my students,” Escobedo said. “I can have a beautiful classroom, but without them, there’s no learning that’s going to take place. They are the ones that contribute [the most] to this classroom. Whether it’s decorated or not, they’re the ones who I am here for.”

Childers’ room has student chemistry projects hanging from the ceiling as well as colorful portraits of galaxies along the walls. He says that random people wander into his class just to look around.

Thomp so inspirat n’s room has ional qu se otation veral posters s an ha wall. Th nging on a ga d ompso llery ns to put t hings u aid she likes p studen ts think that make her positive ly.

riety has a va m o o r g o’s Escobed decorations han l ys a of cultur e ceiling. She sa e th th ing from s them to make e d she inclu cheery. m classroo

8 | student

friday, oct. 12, 2018

life | the roar

the roar | student life | 9

BREAKDOWN

current standings O’Rourke Activist and first-time voter reacts to new responsibility Senior Lucy Harper said midterm elections have shown her just how gullible her peers are.

“People are dumb and believe whatever they see on the internet,” Harper said. “They’ll see something about a politician getting speeding ticket when they were young and say ‘I’m not voting for that person.”

Harper says most high schoolers rely on their parents or shallow internet research to form their political views.

“It definitely is easier to believe what my parents say and just agree with it,” Harper said. “But I do feel responsible now that I am able to vote to have my own opinions and research things outside of my parents perspective.

I’ve been doing that more.”

While she would usually brush off any opposition to her parents views, Harper’s researching has helped her to see other students’ perspectives and form well-rounded opinions of her own.

“I realized I couldn’t negate what those people were saying when I didn’t even know what I was talking about.”

Harper said.

Harper said Twitter and Instagram posts by people her age or younger has partially shaped her political views.

“Even people who can’t vote can have influence on those who can vote by posting on social media,” Harper said. “I’ve had an opinion on things influenced mostly by my friends or parents, then I see another perspective on social media or the internet and it changes my entire opinion on the issue.”

But when it comes to the Texas Senate midterm election, she says her own life experiences have made the

Cruz

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PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCY HARPER

sam de figueiredo editor-in-chief

46%

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greatest impact on her stances on political hot topics.

“I care about women’s rights and healthcare because I know people who have gotten pregnant at this age.

Some have chosen to have the baby and some have not,” Harper said. “Either way, their lives have been impacted so much by it and it’s important they had the chance to make that decision.”

Because Texas is a border state, Harper said immigration is one of the most important policy points to her.

“On our church prayer list, a woman requested a prayer for a student whose single mother was in a detention center.” Harper said. “There is someone my age living in the fear that she won’t have her mom anymore. I can’t imagine my mom getting deported.”

Harper said witnessing first-hand the seriousness of these social issues inspired her to join her church on a trip to meet with Texas House of Representatives John Ramey.

“Before, I felt like my representatives were so disconnected from me and it didn’t really matter who I voted for,” Harper said. “But when I talked to him, it was powerful because he was talking to me as adults and we were having a regular conversation.”

Interacting with Ramey first-hand taught Harper the importance of voter participation.

“It’s kind of frustrating if people are eligible to vote but they don’t when it’s obvious they have an opinion,” Harper said. “Even if it’s not the same as mine, their opinion is important.”

But not everybody values voting as much as she does.

“I’ve been asking people if they’re registered to vote at work, and most of them say ‘No, that’s stupid,’” Harper said. “A lot of people are interested in voting but they think it’s hard or time-consuming, but it’s really just filling out a form on the internet.”

*according to a poll by Public Policy Polling

to register...

It is required to • be a United States Citizen • be 17 years 10 months old • not be serving part of a felony • and have 30-day residency Voter registration forms are available at the Brazos County Registrar’s Office.

IMMIGRATION Beto says he wants to reform Texas immigration laws to “legalize the status of millions of immigrants already in our country and ensure a fair path to citizenship for those inspired by the opportunity and ideals that we present to the rest of the world.”

WOMEN’S HEALTH According to Beto’s campaign, he wants to ensure “that a woman’s right to choose is not compromised by limited access to safe and legal abortion services

PHOTO COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES

Forms of acceptable ID include a driver’s license, a passport, a military ID, free voter ID, or concealed carry license.

election day is

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAMPHILPOTT or family planning help.”

GUN SAFETY Beto plans to expand gun safety laws to require background checks for all gun sales and support federal research on gun violence.

EDUCATION Beto’s campaign wants to increase funding for scholarships like the Pell Grant scholarship in hopes to make college more affordable.

VOTE

to vote...

It is required to • be registered • be 18 years old • and bring a photo ID.

BETO

Tuesday, Nov. 6.

IMMIGRATION Cruz wants to continue to make efforts to reform the legal immigration system and secure the border with stricter laws.

WOMEN’S HEALTH Cruz has shown to be pro-life, proposing acts like the Pain-Capable Unborn Protection Act to limit late-term abortions.

CRUZ

GUN SAFETY Cruz strongly supports the Second Amendment and is strongly against laws altering or restricting current gun laws.

EDUCATION Cruz says education should be handled at the state or local level, and says he’s against nation-wide efforts to reform the education system.

10 | feature | the roar

PHOTO BY ELISE SAWYER

breaking the ice

friday, oct. 12, 2018

Students reflect on community, fulfillment found in local ice skating program elise sawyer & saanya patel opinions editor & staff reporter For two hours each week, ice skaters of all ages and talent ranges band together with one goal in mindto put on a show. The Theatre on Ice program involves teams of skaters at a wide range of ages and skill levels putting together large-scale storytelling routines to compete with.

“Normally, figure skating is an individual sport,” sophomore Kallie Williams, who has done Theatre on Ice for several years, said. “But with Theatre on Ice, it’s a bunch of people on the ice doing different things. We have to make a story with our bodies, not just music.”

One type of Theatre on Ice competition is the Choreographic Exercise, where teams wear all black and develop a routine based on a theme or topic.

“This past year [the choreographic exercise theme] was ‘the meaning of life’,” freshman Evie Conway, who is currently doing Theatre on Ice for the second year, said. “Everybody did meaningful songs about living life and what the meaning of life [is] to them. Our song was about rising up even if you were getting knocked down. We would fall on the ice on purpose, struggle, and get back up.”

A more elaborate production is done as well.

“The second routine is called the free skate,” Theatre on Ice coach Megan Jonasson said. “The [basic rule of] free skate is- anything goes. Last year, [our routine was called] ‘Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend’,

and [was about] a heist. The freeskate is whatever [you want] and as creative as you can be.”

Putting these two acts together requires dedication and many practice sessions from every member of the team.

“The first few weeks of practice we just work on skating skills, and getting the kids to skate together,” Jonasson said. “Last year we had a six year old and a 33 year old man, and we’re trying to get them all to be able to move across the ice the same. [The skaters also learn] new things that they maybe have never done before because they are individual skaters learning to skate with other people. Then we start building [a freeskate routine].Whatever strikes us is kind of what we go with [as well as] what fits our kids, because the team changes every year- it needs to be relevant for all ages. We start building programs, and whatever skills they can do is what we put in. Then about January we start on the choreographic exercise, and because we have set guidelines for that program, a lot of it is teaching. This year it’s going to be a cultural dance, and [the skaters need to learn] how to do [cultural dances] on the ground.”

Both Conway and Williams do theatre-related activities in school as well, although Williams notes there is a difference.

“In regular theatre, it is more acting than dancing,” Williams said. “In theatre, you have people learning lines. Whereas on ice everything is scripted, but there is not any talking. We are talking with our bodies, and

they are talking with their mouth[s].”

Conway has obtained valuable teamwork skills from Theatre on Ice. “I’ve learned how important it is to trust your teammates,” Conway said. “You have to be able to communicate so you don’t drop anyone, and communicate so you don’t run into anyone. I’ve learned how important it is to trust and be there for each other.”

Williams has found new friends throughout this program.

“With team activities like Theatre on Ice, you really get to know the people on your team,” Williams said. “You know how they skate. You know how their skating affects your skating. You have different chemistries with different people and you all work as one unit instead of as a person.”

Jonasson believes the teamwork between the skaters is integral to the program.

“There’s so much teamwork between kids that are higher level and kids that are lower level,” Jonasson said. “The higher levels have to push less and they have to be more patient, and kids that are not as high level have to push harder to bring up their skills. [The skaters are] learning from each other that they’re stronger together and what they’re creating they can’t create alone. They’re able to create these really dynamic programs because of the age ranges and the level ranges and that’s what makes it so beautiful whenever it all comes together.”

the roar | feature | 11

friday, oct. 12, 2018

sponsoring dreams Clubs rely on sponsorship money to accomplish goals alex roeder | executive editor

$3,000 a year from the UIL budget, but this number isn’t sufficient to cover all costs.

Consol clubs know that when it comes to fundrais“We spend a lot of money on trips, traveling and ing, bake sales and car washes often don’t cut it. transportation and we need to have money to be able to The impact of sponsorships is evident throughout spend it,” Macri said.

Consol, including on the back of school t-shirts, which But most donations cover only one trip or event, CC Creations helps to design and produce. Graphic de- which limits the amount of possible projects for that orsign teacher and Student Council advisor Shannon Es- ganization throughout the year. Many clubs aim to expitia says Student Council relies on sponsorship money pand their funding to accomplish bigger goals. for its projects, including our spirit shirts, throughout “[Larger sponsors] are really the hope [for] this the year. year,” Espitia said. “Student Council is really working “We’re a public school,” Espitia said. “We get fund- on that so that we can put [our money] towards other ing for curriculum, not for outside projects that increase things within the school for the student body.” student morale and success. It’s [these projects] that we

Even though sponsors are few in number, clubs have to get sponlike Tiger Robotsors for.” ics are grateful for The process the funding sponof getting a sponsors provide. sor is relatively “We really try straightforward. to stay true to the Clubs typically promise of recoghave a written junior nizing our spon‘sponsor contract’ sors and putting NICOLAS MACRI that states the them out wherevreason clubs need er we can,” Macri money, which is said. then sent out to local companies. If the company supBut the businesses aren’t in it for the money. If anyports the goals of the club and their proposed projects, thing, they just want to see their money being used in a they will send a check. positive way.

Caldwell Country general manager Zach Hester “We have a completely separate budget for advertisdecided to donate to Student Council and CSISD Edu- ing. That’s not why we do it,” Hester said. “We support cation Foundation after seeing the positive effect that what we believe in.” a grant from Education Foundation had on his son’s CC Creations says that, as a sponsor, they should learning experience. be as helpful as possible so students can achieve their “It was a really fantastic educational experience for ambitions. Marketing Coordinator Sarah Schlabach him, and for the rest of his class,” Hester said. “I really hopes that their sponsorship provides brighter futures liked the programs that Education Foundation had to for Consol students. support the school district and the school teachers, as “Even though you’re of high school age, you’re of well as the kids.” extreme importance to the community,” Schlabach said.

However, most clubs at Consol need outside fund- “We hope that in our investment in your education, you ing simply to operate. Tiger Robotics’ vice president ju- somehow, at some point in your lifetime, turn around nior Nico Macri says that the club receives about $1,500- and put it right back into our community.”

“We spend a lot of money on trips, traveling and transportation and we need to have money to be able to spend it.”

friday, oct. 12, 2018

12 | sports | the roar

h me run-ovation C AU T I O N C AU T I O N

C AU T I O N C AU T I O N

C AU T I O N C AU T I O N

C AU T I O N C AU T I O N

UTION A C N O I T U C AC AU T I O N C AU T I O N

C AU T I O N

C AU T I O N C AU T I O N

District plans to renovate school baseball field after safety concerns sam de figueiredo editor-in-chief The Consol baseball field is getting a much needed face- hopefully prevent an accidental injury from occuring.

“I think people used to think the field was old and dangerlift. The stadium’s bleachers were torn down at the beginning ous, but the new construction will definitely make our reputaof the summer and are just now getting renovated. Daniel tion better,” Pugh said.

Pugh said the quality of the stadium discouraged fans from The baseball field rencoming to support the ovations were supposed to baseball team. be completed sooner, but “The bleachers were the construction company super old,” Pugh said. “It’s had to delay the renovasomething that’ll hopefultions to complete other ly bring more people out.” projects on football fields, senior In addition to improvsince football is in season. ing fan turnout, Pugh said DANIEL PUGH However long the renhe hopes the new bleachovations may be taking, ers will make the stadium Pugh said that he thinks a safer place. they will be worth the wait.

“They were definitely

“Since I see the baseball field all of the time, the new a health hazard,” Pugh said. stands will be exciting, ” Pugh said.

“It’s an improvement to The previous stands, which were old and wooden, could’ve something I see every day. posed a threat to fans, especially because the first step was two feet off of the ground.

The new stands will be up to date on safety codes and will

C AU T I O N

LAST SEASON’S STATS 12-16-1 record

“The renovation is something that’ll hopfully bring more people out to our games.”

7-6 district

friday, oct. 12, 2018

the roar | sports | 13

dr

m n e w m o o d r g y n la n i iv

e

Pebble Creek basketball court holds fond memories, provides break from stresses olivia conway | managing editor While the Pebble Creek Elementary School playground is teeming with elementary school children during the day, at night it is populated with high school students who are drawn to the school by nostalgia, a sense of community, and a love of basketball. On several nights during the week, groups of teenagers congregate under the bright lights of the basketball court to relieve tension and enjoy each other’s company.

“We usually tell each other when we’re coming up here and then we all just come up and play,” senior Jordan Gray said. “I usually just come up here and clear my mind and we just have fun--that’s what I do whenever I want to get away from everything.”

Gray is not alone in this opinion. Senior Mack Callaway, who plays basketball with Gray and others at Pebble Creek, also speaks to the therapeutic qualities of the activity. “[Playing basketball is] usually what I do when I’m stressed,” Callaway said. “[Pebble Creek] is a place that we can all go and meet up and have fun.”

The Pebble Creek Elementary School basketball court also holds sentimental memories for both Gray and Callaway since it is a place that they have been coming to since childhood. Many of the people who return during the week to play casual games of basketball also attended elementary school at Pebble Creek, which adds an element of nostalgic fondness and childhood reminiscence to the activity.

“It’s just a place that we’ve always gone since we were in like eighth grade,” Callaway said. “Our moms would drive us up there, but now we go up there by ourselves.”

In addition to providing a backdrop for personal growth from childhood to adolescence, the Pebble Creek basketball court serves other purposes and needs.

For senior Raven Barrera, who plays basketball both at Pebble Creek and on Consol’s team, games at Pebble Creek provide a more relaxed outlet compared to the pressure of playing on the school team.

“Pebble Creek is for fun and basketball [at school] is serious [so] we take it seriously,” Barrera said. “We can play around over there, but we can’t really play around here.”

Gray, who also plays on Consol’s varsity basketball team, agrees that the two opportunities to play basketball are both enjoyable, but quite different in terms of stress and responsibility.

“It’s more fun [at Pebble Creek] actually because we just mess around all the time-we’re just all friends and it’s not like super competitive and we just do whatever we want,” Gray said. “I have fun in both, it’s just different types of fun--it’s more structured at school.”

Callaway also attests to the freeing power of playing basketball in a more relaxed environment. For him, basketball at Pebble Creek provides an enjoyable reprieve from the regulations of an organized sport.

“Playing basketball here is a lot more controlled and up there you can just go and play and have fun,” Callaway said.

While enjoyment seems to be at the heart of this activity, it also provides an opportunity for strengthening and maintaining friendships outside of the often hectic school environment.

“We just go and have fun with our friends,” Barrera said. “It’s just like our group of friends all goes over there and we just grow closer with each other.”

14 | reviews | the roar

friday oct. 12, 2018

L STEN CAREFULLY the roar reviews: podcasts elise sawyer | co-opinions editor My relationship with podcasts is about average compared to people I know--I don’t constantly listen to them like my parents, but I do listen to them more regularly than some of my friends, who have almost no clue what a podcast is. The types of podcasts I listen to typically involve either people attempting to solve mind puzzles in competitions, people discussing books and movies, or half-hour long informational speeches about utterly random things; however, I never really jumped on board to the idea of listening to popular current events-related podcasts until this year. Recently, I have been listening to the New York Times’ “The Daily” on an almost daily basis (because, despite the title, The Daily only publishes podcasts on weekdays).

The podcast covers one current event each day and explains it in easy-to-understand descriptions that are helpful for those who do not have a strong background in national or world politics, and makes sure to show every side of a debate.The podcasts are about half an hour long, which is a good length to listen to on my way to school (with recent lengths ranging from 20-35 minutes) and have been incredibly beneficial not only for my debate classes but also for understanding the workings of today’s society in a more comprehensible manner. I would recommend this podcast not just to people in debate or government-related classes but for anyone interested in learning more about the world.

The Daily

T

olivia conway | managing editor I have been a casual fan of podcasts for several years, but I could never find one that held my interest for more than a few episodes until I discovered Revisionist History. Revisionist History is narrated by Malcolm Gladwell and focuses on concepts that are often overlooked or misunderstood. For example, there are episodes on the prevalence of concussions in football, the evolution of McDonald’s french fries, and the philosophy of golf courses and tax exemptions. As a supporter of knowledge and learning, I was immediately captivated

by Gladwell’s talent for weaving thought provoking stories out of ideas that initially seem insignificant. His stories are riveting--presenting facts and history that I had never known that made my understanding of human life and behavior more complete. Since I have been listening to Revisionist History, the history I learn in school and through reading holds more meaning. This podcast serves as a reminder that the actions of the past still affect the present and potentially the future as well. It is with wonder and intrigue that I listen to each new episode, and I have not been disappointed yet.

In addition, Revisionist History has taught me the importance of understanding the numerous sides of a problem before forming a definitive opinion.

Too often, I rush into arguments eager to defend my ideas only to have the discrepancies in my reasoning quickly and mercilessly stripped away. After listening to a few episodes of Revisionist History, I realized that if I wanted to be a well-informed member of the populace, I would have to learn more than just the surface level of an issue. Revisionist History taught me to search relentlessly for a deeper understanding instead of falling back on easy, incomplete answers.

I am a better person, citizen, and student because of Revisionist History.

friday, oct. 12, 2018

the roar reviews:

r e a c m e c i

the roar | reviews | 15

heidi fahrenwald journalism student

As a lover of dessert, I’ve tried many ice cream shops here in College Station. Last week, I ventured to Freezing Cow, an ice cream chain known for its unconventional technique of “rolling” the ice cream to make a frozen spiral.

I was excited to see the variety of flavors and combinations that I could choose from. The selection of toppings and mixins had every fruit and candy under the sun. But it wasn’t as satisfying to pick a flavor when I didn’t have the options visible in tubs ready to be scooped. Looking around as they made the ice cream, I found the atmosphere pleasant and interesting. The checkered floor and orange furniture brought a retro vibe to the place, maintained with upbeat music and soft lighting. The main event, the ice cream, was better than I expected--fresh, creamy, and just sweet enough. I liked how the mix-ins were finely chopped into the final product, which brought out the flavor of the candy I chose. But while the taste was on point, the texture was a bit too weird for me to want to go again. The rolls of ice cream didn’t melt fast enough and clumped together oddly as I ate them. Call me old-fashioned, but I’d rather have a scoop of Bluebell.

emmeline duhon journalism student The sweet smell of ice cream welcomes you at the door of SubZero as liquid nitrogen flows softly along the floor and countertops. After doing some research, I learned that SubZero uses liquid nitrogen to freeze their ice cream at a low temperature of -321 degrees. I decided to order the Birthday Cake Capacitor Sensation, a cake batter and fudge ice cream with cookie dough and sprinkles. The ice cream was one of the best I’ve tasted. The liquid nitrogen provided a rich creaminess that I couldn’t buy in a store. Watching the ice cream being made was an experience all in its own. The ingredients were put into a bowl, then the liquid nitrogen sprayed loudly through a tube above, freezing the ice cream in seconds. As a person with nut allergies, I found it extremely comforting that the ice cream was made on the spot, and therefore free of allergens. Price-wise, the ice cream is affordable: about $8 for a large-sized cup with two mix ins. The quality, atmosphere and experience made me want to have many more SubZero experiences in the near future.

16 | etc | the roar

together forever

friday, oct. 12, 2018

Lifelong best friends reflect on relationship, recall fond memories of time together ruby perry-mize | co-opinions editor When a skinny outsider from Seattle, Washington appeared at South Knoll Elementary in the fifth grade, future principal Gwen Elder had no idea she had just met a lifelong friend.

That’s not to say she didn’t notice future career-prep teacher Nelda Gilbert. Elder says College Station was a small community at the time, and the arrival of any stranger caused a stir.

“When you started in kindergarten, you stayed with the same people until you graduated,” Elder explained. “You knew families, you knew parents, and she stood out. Because everybody else had been together for the last four or five years.”

Despite Gilbert’s initial inability to fit in, both girls formed a close group of four best friends after becoming involved in school sports.

“As the years progressed, we would catch ourselves sitting more with each other,” Gilbert said. “We started doing things more together. We just bonded and connected; all four of us did.”

The group proved to be a stable, valuable friendship for the girls, Gilbert says.

“You get to where you realize either you’re in a group that’s going to be beneficial, or you’re in a group that’s not,” Gilbert said. “You keep [other relationships] as a friendship, and then you have your good friends and best friends that are doing the same thing you are.”

Gilbert’s mother was cautious about letting her daughter go out with her friends, but Gilbert wasn’t going to let that stop her from going to a football game one Friday night.

“Every time I asked to go somewhere, it was always, ‘let me think about it. If you ask me again I’m going to tell you no,’” Gilbert said. “By the time she says yes, they have already left. This time, to beat around that, I asked my daddy to take me.”

The four wanted to go to both AMCHS’s and Bryan High’s games, as was usual at the time, so Gilbert asked for the car, saying they were going to get food.

She ended up driving her friends back through the rain.

“She didn’t have her license,” Elder added. “And she was driving like she didn’t have her license.”

The result was that when the car reached a bend in he road, they skidded around it practically on two wheels, Elder says.

“The other two people in the car were like, ‘Aahhhhh!

Ahhhh! What happened?!?’” Gilbert said. “They got scared.

And [Elder] starts laughing! She was just laughing in our deathly experience.”

One Sunday evening, the friends were at a park in Bryan when there was an accident. Gilbert immediately ran to try to help, even though she had no real ability to.

“We called her Red Cross,” Elder said. “Because if someone had an accident, she was going to come to the scene to provide some aid. That’s just her nature: aiding other people.”

When a former basketball coach approached Gilbert years later about coaching a team, she quit her job and commuted to Denton for a summer to finish her certification.

“I was taking my final in August, when the principal of the middle school called me and said ‘hey, are you coming to work?’” Gilbert recalled. “And I said, ‘yes, my final’s today, but I’ll be there on Monday.”

While Gilbert tends to operate last-minute, Elder prefers to plan ahead, Gilbert says.

“If the interview was in two months, she had already had everything done within a week of finding out she was gonna apply for a job,” Gilbert said.”

Elder says that Gilbert, on the other hand, is prone to improvisation.

Especially when it comes to what she says.

“Sometimes she’ll say something [where it’s] like, “Okay, I cannot believe you let that come out of your mouth,’” Elder said.

“That’s what makes her so unique and fun to be around.”

Gilbert’s lack of a filter has deeper benefits than amusement, however. It makes her very trustworthy, Elder says.

“She means what she says, and she says what she means,” Elder said. “She’s genuine, and I know when she says she has my back, she has my back, my front, my side.”

Gilbert says that openness and loyalty is crucial to the bond between the four best friends.

“If you’re really best friends, you learn to accept what their path is, and just be that listening ear, and never pass judgement on them,” she said. “That has really held us all together.”

Unconditional love and forgiveness are also key components, Elder says.

“I always tell my own two children: you may have some acquaintances, but you probably only have a handful of friends,” Elder said. “If you have done something to spite that person, a true friend may be mad, but they’re not going to let that spoil the friendship.”

If it’s a matter of acquaintance versus friend, Gilbert is definitely one of Elder’s friends.

“She’s been in my life more than half the time I’ve been on this Earth,” Elder said. “I can’t imagine my life without her, because I consider her one of my sisters.”

Gilbert feels much the same way toward Elder.

“I know that if anything is going on in my life that I’m having struggles with, she’s going to be the one to pray for me,” Gilbert said. “I just couldn’t imagine it without her. All four of [us] have unique characteristics that keep us together, and we’ll be like that until we die.”