Vol. 25, Issue 3

The Roar News

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1801 HARVEY MITCHELL PKWY. S., COLLEGE STATION, TX 77840 | Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019 | VOL. 25 NO. 2 | THEROARNEWS.COM

Product of the Environment

Students explain how living in College Station has influenced their college choices

emmeline duhon & allison segers feature editor & entertainment editor

College Station is home for many people, from students at Texas A&M to almost 120,000 year-round residents. For many people who grew up here, A&M is where they will attend college and receive further education. For others, that might not be the case. While College Station provides a beneficial environment for both living and education, many feel that growing up here and later attending college is simply too much.

Senior Katie Jo Lingo recently applied to Texas A&M and got accepted. Lingo has been a resident of College Station for 8 years of her life, and at the beginning of her college search had doubts about attending A&M. “When I first lived here, I decided I wasn’t going to A&M,” Lingo said. “I wanted to move as far away as I could. I wanted to go to school

inthisissue

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in California. Around sophomore year, I was like, ‘There’s no way I want to be at A&M.’” Eventually, the A&M fever caught up to Lingo, and to live here and attend A&M came with its fair share of benefits.

“I have siblings, and I wanted to be here to watch them grow up and be with my family,” said Lingo.

Despite her initial misgivings, Lingo has now come to the realization that A&M is the place for her. Her decision came from wanting personal freedom, Lingo says.

“At first I was rebelling against it, because of the family connections,” Lingo said. “I didn’t want it to be someone else’s decision, but it ended up being my own.”

College Station has also been home to junior Ella Maxwell for most of her life. For her, living here has marked A&M as somewhere she does not want to be.

opinions pages 5-6

“I would say that living here has taken A&M away as one of my options,” Maxwell said. “I want to do something different, something I'm not necessarily familiar with.”

For Maxwell, family connections are not in play for her decision. Coming from a family free of A&M graduates, the pressure is low.

“Both of my parents and my grandparents went to Duke; I’m not trying to go there because of my major,” Maxwell said. “But I’m definitely considering [Duke] as an option for whatever college I’m planning on going to.”

Sophomore Joey Jacobs’ dad is a professor of Mechanical Engineering at the university. As a professor’s kid, he has long watched and interpreted the actions of the students, and gained a general idea of what the university offers.

“I’ve seen their labs and some of the classroom interactions, and I just like the

“A&M” continued on page 3 feature page 7, 10-11, 16

sports page 12-13

reviews pages 14-15

brief | the roar

UPCOMING

2 | in

Dec. 20

Wrestling Dual @Lubbock

Dec. 20-Jan. 5 Jan. 6-7

Christmas Break Staff Development (no school)

Jan. 7

Girls basketball @home

Jan. 8

First day of 4th 6 weeks

Jan. 20

MLK holiday (no school)

Jan. 21

NEWS thursday, dec. 19, 2019

Last day to change a course

IN THE

Band and guard provide donations for community

At the Showcase of Bands on November 27, in coordination with the College Station High School band and guard, the Tiger band collected 197 pounds of food and $200 in donations. Brazos Valley Food Bank was able to provide 1,084 meals for the community with these efforts.

Girls basketball teams place in tournament

On November 16 Lady Tiger basketball teams competed in the Navasota Classic. The freshman team recieved first place while the JV team finished third.

Football moms perform a dance at the pep rally before playoffs. PHOTO BY ALEX ROEDER

The Roar News

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theroarnews.com

Sophomore Junior Pham plays the clarinet at the band Christmas concert. PHOTO

BY ALEX ROEDER

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thursday, dec. 19, 2019

Students reflect on benefits, drawbacks of choosing A&M over other universities “A&M” cont. from page 1

general environment,” Jacobs said. “I would go to A&M after school in elementary, and my dad would be working at the lab or something, and I would be with him. So I would kind of get to see what was going on at a university.”

ADVANTAGES Being the kid of a professor also comes with its own advantages. Jacobs found his true calling through the hands-on experience he gets with his dad’s position.

“I think it was more over the summer, because I spent a lot of time in their engineering building,” Jacobs said. “Just seeing all the professors and students working together is really cool, and I think that kind of helped make that decision.”

With the continuous amount of exposure to the campus, Jacobs’ enthusiasm towards college has long been at high levels. To some extent, this caused the pressure of college to dissipate.

“If anything, it makes me excited,” Jacobs said. “It’s a good busy, they’re always going to classes. There is an excitement, and a buzz in the air.”

As for many professors’ kids, the experience builds on top of itself as they mature. For Jacobs, he has recently begun to process how much there is to the field he hopes to enter.

“Once I started understanding what was going on, I started to realize how cool all the engines were and everything,” Jacobs said.

If the decision does come down to A&M, from what he had witnessed, Jacobs is more than confident that the university provides the best possible education for its students.

“The professors here are very educated,” Jacobs said. “They have professors from A&M and

MIT and all the top schools for engineering. So I think I’d have a good support group of professors that could help me if I ever have academic troubles.”

CAREERS For Lingo, a factor that proved to be helpful in her decision was her career choice, Nutrition. A&M has many advantages for people hoping to enter that field.

“The sense of community here is great, there’s this whole Aggie network, once you leave and go out in the workforce.” Lingo said.

“There’s a lot of opportunities, I think that’s a good benefit for what I want to do.”

Jacobs, who has always been interested in the mechanical field, finds it extremely beneficial to have a portal into the university and get an idea of what the field is about.

“I’ve always been interested in how things work, and building stuff in general,” Jacobs said.

“The mechanical field, it’s a lot of hands-on experience that I have found interesting.”

As for Maxwell’s career, searching for another school is the best choice. Choosing the best place for her perspective major is important, she says.

“Currently, I’m looking into architecture for my future career,” Maxwell said. “I want a school that has a good program.”

STRONG SUITS To sophomore Andrew Mays, A&M’s strong suits are based primarily in agriculture, which makes it a tough competitor to

other universities.

“The agricultural teachings make A&M stand out from others,” Mays said. “They focus more on depth.”

PERCEPTION Some of College Station’s residents have a good perception of A&M, but don’t necessarily plan to attend. Mays has a good idea of where he wants to receive further education. While it might not be A&M, he still keeps it in high regards.

“I think that A&M is a good school, it teaches good things, like agriculture,” Mays said.

“It’s a strong school according to the academics.”

While Mays wants to get his degree in Italy, his birth country, he still holds A&M in his potential plans.

“A&M is not my first choice, but I would be open to considering it.” Mays said. “I personally want to return to Europe and use my country’s education system.”

Lingo believes that from the outside looking in, A&M often gets a bad reputation. However, those such as Lingo are confident it is the best place to attend.

“Texas A&M is a really good place for people to get their degree,” Lingo said. “Sometimes it’s viewed as a party school, but it’s really a big family, and it’s a really good place to be.”

All in all, Jacobs believes Texas A&M has a great environment that stands out among the rest.

“I think it’s a great school, the people there and the

professors are very supportive,” Jacobs said. “I feel like the students too are good to each other as well.”

A general fear among College Station residents is repeating history. After high school many tend to fall into the same patterns, and stay within the same circle.

“I’m a little nervous just because I don’t want it to be a second high school,” Lingo said.

“I know people who have had that problem, and they don’t get out of their high school bubbles. I’m going to keep my close friends, but I know I’m going to branch out. I need to meet up with new people.”

NEW BEGINNINGS As a child of not one, but two professors, Maxwell is also concerned with getting away from the familiar. From her experiences with A&M, and her parents’ advice, she believes that compared to other schools, there might be a better fit for her than A&M. “I don’t want to go to A&M, I take a class at A&M right now, Spanish,” Maxwell said.

“I can’t say I have had the best experience.”

Even though Maxwell does have connections to the university through her parents, they are not pushing that she attend.

“My parents actually don’t want me to go to A&M,” Maxwell said. “They wanted me to go out and do something different. I think they realize that A&M isn’t a good fit for me and my brother, and we would be better off somewhere else.”

For some, the choice surrounding A&M is almost made for them--living in College Station is sometimes viewed as an automatic admission. However, Lingo did not make the decision under that pressure.

“My parents would support me wherever I went,” Lingo said.

“It’s nice to be able to have that connection with my family.”

4| feature | the roar

thursday, dec. 19, 2019

sugar and spice New clubs promote gender equality, students learn important life lessons, skills elise sawyer | opinions editor Despite the seemingly opposite names of the two school organizations, “Girl Up” and “Arts in Manliness” are more similar than they seem.

Both organizations were founded and began hosting regular meetings this year.

Both are also open to any student who wants to come: “Girl Up” is named after the United Nations project that it originated from, while A.I.M. got its name from a podcast (Art of Manliness). This podcast, along with the ‘Anchor’ club and a student skill-building organization he used to run, inspired assistant principal Jason Pratt to create A.I.M. “I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time,” Pratt said. “As a principal, it’s hard [to organize meetings]-- we are very busy people,” Pratt said. “I have more time this year, and I figured I’d better get going. We didn’t get started until about a couple weeks ago, but once that happened, I think the kids really enjoyed it.”

While A.I.M.’s initial intention was aimed towards skill and character building, the association of ‘Girl Up’ clubs is primarily focused on activism and fundraising; they fundraise both for empowerment in the school— such as for a current project to increase the availability of sanitary products in campus bathrooms— as well as empowerment across the world through enabling womens’ education and rights.

“Girl Up is, by nature, part of the United Nations— there’s hundreds of clubs across the United States that are registered,” Girl Up president junior Celine Choi said. “A lot of Girl Up is focused on funding for causes that the United Nations works on. Whenever [a group] earns money, that money can directly be made into, like, sending a bike to a girl in a developing country so she can go to school.

Our money comes in a tangible way to better someone’s life.”

In addition to fundraising, Girl Up meets to discuss feminism-related issues.

Choi believes this created an obstacle when

she tried to found the club, although she eventually found a sponsor (CTE teacher Kimberly Decker) and established the group.

“I would say that [because] we live in Texas, although College Station is more liberal, a lot of people have the belief that feminism is no longer about supporting equality,” Choi said. “I was just pitching the idea to people, and they would laugh or argue against it.

Although that was discouraging, there was also overwhelming support.”

While Girl Up has student leadership, A.I.M. is run by several teachers who teach club members various skills that help prepare them for the future. Each meeting focuses on a new topic, accompanied by breakfast tacos and character-building throughout.

“Largely, we follow something called ‘ACTS’-- our four things,” Pratt said. “The A stands for adventure. A manly man is adventurous. We are willing to take risks and try new things. The C part is [that] we are courteous. When people like us, we are more impactful in the world. T is trustworthiness. If I say I’m going to learn how to do that sport, or do that job, a manly man follows through. And S is skills— men learn skills.”

The skills focused on each meeting, taught by various teachers or guests, range from bear-fighting methods to information for future careers.

“We talk about how to be a man and stuff,” sophomore Ruben Henderson said. “How you’re supposed to shake a man’s hand [or] tie a tie to look presentable-- we interact with what [Pratt] tells us and [the meetings] help our knowledge.”

Henderson is appreciative of the organization’s lessons.

“It helps you in the future,” Henderson said. “You’re tackling challenges, making sure you look and speak good for a job. I think it’s important for young boys our age. It can change them around. They have the support of other men at this school, and you can use those skills to provide.”

Meetings in Girl Up typically include group discussion and debate on topics relating to feminism as well as intersecting movements.

“We have discussions about any big issues in feminism,” Choi said. “We discuss and share our perspectives. I think that is important because a lot of the time, we, as students, do not feel like our voices matter or hold very much weight.”

Pratt is attempting to expand the focus of A.I.M. through implementing weekly assignments and, similarly to Girl Up, incorporating discussion into the A.I.M. meetings over topics such as philosophy.

Pratt is thankful for the organization’s growth and enthusiasm of its members to expand the group’s focus.

“I just want to pour positive manhood into these guys,” Pratt said. “I’m not a father, so I consider all the boys in this building my kids.

I enjoy teaching [them]— I don’t get to teach now— but I also want them to really learn positivity and positive man attributes.”

Girl Up also attempts to spread positivity throughout the school through projects such as placing inspirational notes in the campus hallways.

“Part of Girl Up is about empowerment, and so we wanted to do anything: [the notes] could seem insignificant, but for someone who is having a bad day, it could mean something to them,” Choi said. “A couple weeks ago, we made posters of our ‘girl hero’ and put that on social media. I think the importance of that is to say that there are women who inspire us in our lives. It’s just about uplifting [people].”

Girl Up and A.I.M. may have differing names and focuses, but both organizations hope to help uplift the school and gain new members as the year progresses.

“Boy, girl, young man, young woman, I think these skills are good for everybody,” Pratt said. “We might run out of tacos, but we’d love anybody to come.”

A.I.M. meets in the lecture hall every other Wednesday at 7:55 (and has handout assignments on the off weeks). Girl Up meets every Thursday in room 2172 from 4:00 to 4:30.

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thursday, dec. 19, 2019

duhon home sweet emmeline feature editor homeschool

sophomore recounts move to public school

My mom once told me that teaching other people’s kids isn’t nearly as hard as teaching your own kids-- and, wow, did she have a point.

As an easily frustrated kid, homeschooling was not the answer to my problems. Until third grade, my mom, who was a former teacher, would teach me at the kitchen table.

I was homeschooled due to reasons I had no control over. For years, the idea of public school was tossed around in my household, but never actually considered. To me, the idea was great, and as a young child I always wanted to go to school.

One morning in the middle of May, my mom came to me with the idea of school. I was at first scared, but soon came to the realization that what I was about to embark was exciting. The summer before my third grade year consisted of beach trips and late nights, but school was always fresh on my mind.

Soon the month of August arrived, and shopping, planning and a couple of school visits preoccupied my life. I remember I had a countdown until school started, and it’s hard to believe that was the same kid I am now.

On the eve of the first day, I picked out what I was planning to wear and got ready for bed. It took at least an hour or two to gather the strength to fall asleep. And the next thing I knew, it was the first Monday of school-- and I was thrilled.

I got ready and dashed to the kitchen to eat breakfast, then, grabbing my backpack and lunchbag, I headed out the door. In the car I could barely conceal my excitement. We arrived at the school and everything changed.

There were so many people here, and I didn’t know any of them.

I had never been in a group of people this big. We finally arrived at my classroom. My teacher greeted me with a warm welcome as she showed me the classroom and guided me towards the table I would sit at.

Feeling a little better, I took a seat and waited for the other students to arrive. At last, a girl came and sat down at my table in the seat right in front of me. We exchanged polite smiles. Little did I realize that this girl would become my best friend.

When the day was over, I had learned a few things: firstly, school was fun, and I was going to like it. Second, it was very different from homeschooling. I had to wake up a full hour earlier, I was surrounded by people all day, and most of all, I was at work nearly all day.

I think the biggest struggle among students who have made this transition is simply getting into the routine. It’s not at all easy to start in a later grade, and be behind on such a drastic level. You are also forced to make new friends and get used to interacting with many people.

Despite all these difficulties, it is all worth it. Through public schooling I have grown so much, not only as a person, but as a student and learner. I definitely would not be in the place I am right now without the help of teachers, and the friends I have made along the way.

Want to talk about your school experiences? Contact Emmeline at the.roar.duhon@gmail.com

I couldn’t believe what I had just heard.

Before I could even process it, tears started to burn my eyes. No, I told myself. Don’t cry in front of them. You’ll look weak. You can’t look weak.

I grabbed my backpack and rushed out of the room before they could see a single tear fall. I sped down the hallway, being sure to keep my head down, making sure no one knew I was upset.

“No, you have to be strong. It doesn’t matter what people say about you.”

But it did. His words hit somewhere deep in my heart and made a place to stay, forever a reminder of my insecurities that I tried so hard to keep hidden away. They were buried deep but with one crack they rose to the surface.

Why would he think that? Why would he say that about me? Was it my clothes, were they too revealing? Was it my body, did I show it off too much without meaning to? I couldn’t think straight. My mind was clouded with fears of what other people thought. Did they agree? Or did nobody know? Did people see me differently?

His words repeated over and over in my head like a song on an infinite loop. Is this what purgatory feels like? Reliving all the moments and thoughts that have made my life awful?

He didn’t even know me, and he just assumed those things about me. I’ve had my fair share of people making assumptions about me, but it was never this. It was never something that made me feel insecure about who I was. And yet for some reason the hurtful words of a person I barely knew tore down all the walls I’d built.

I told myself that maybe it was a joke, maybe I’m blowing it out of proportion. But even if that’s true, that doesn’t change how it made me feel. The damage was already done, whether he meant it or not.

My self confidence had taken a huge blow and I wasn’t recovering well. I purposely brought a textbook to school so I could clutch it to my body like a shield in hopes of averting people’s attention away from myself.

Blending in seemed like the best way to go, but it didn’t make me feel any better.

I felt like all eyes were on me. Whatever I did would be overanalyzed and then scrutinized by the people who were in on the secret.

I could feel the paranoia eating me alive. Were people talking about me behind my back? Were they making cruel jokes at my expense? I couldn’t stand not knowing.

Who said it? Who put a target on my back without even knowing it?

As I if the paranoia wasn’t bad enough, my stress had also started to kick into high gear. The inability to control my social problems led me to start wanting to control everything else around me and make sure that everything was perfect.

I needed to be on time everywhere I went. I was constantly checking HAC and cramming for classes that I usually never worried about. I needed to be in control of something, and if it wasn’t my reputation then it would have to be everything else.

I started to become more irritable and impatient. More withdrawn from social settings. I didn’t want to say something that gave people the wrong idea about me, so I just started to snap. I pushed my friends away when they were the only people willing to help me. And I’m sorry I let myself get that way. You were only trying to help.

I started to doubt myself and the things and people around me. All the good things that were happening to me started to warp into things that were too good to be true. He could never like me. There is no way I can pass this test.

It took a long time to make myself start to feel better about who I was and about what my image was. But I can never really get rid of the way he made me feel.

He never said it to my face, but his words traveled fast. I want to believe that he didn’t really feel that way. I want to believe that other people could see that’s not me.

I’ll never know. I will just have to learn to move on and forget about the things people say. I am confident in who I am, because the only person who knows that person is me, and I love who I see.

Want to talk about the impact of words?

Contact Madison at the.roar.stanfield@ gmail.com

at a loss for words

student contemplates impact of insults on her life

madison stanfield social media editor

6 | viewpoints | the roar

thursday, dec. 19, 2019

is it fair to impeach Donald Trump?

On December 13, 2019, the House Judiciary Committee approved two impeachment articles against President Donald Trump, the latest development in the impeachment procedures initiated on September “Nancy Pelosi is very biased. I think that Trump is a 24, 2019 by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. If the majority of the House of great president and should stay for 2020.”

Representatives supports at least one article in a vote (that, at the time of this editorial’s submission on Tuesday, has not happened yet), then Trump -freshman Clayton Ely will be the fourth US President to be impeached. This presents many questions. What exactly did he do? What does impeachment mean for him and for us? And, as President Trump faces potential impeachment trials: is this current impeachment procedure fair?

First, some clarification: “impeachment” refers to Congress accusing a government official of crimes, and does not equal “removal from office”. In “I think we need a good check in our democracy— the impeachment process, the House basically initiates these procedures, even if he’s not guilty, he still needs to go through investigates into the claims and reports on findings, creates articles of the process. [But the House] should take it slowly— impeachment (accusations), and then debates and votes over those articles (the step currently happening). If the articles are approved, President I support impeachment, I don’t support how they’re Trump is impeached and will face a trial in the Senate (in which, if two thirds drafting two articles in one night.” of the Senate decides that he is guilty, he will be removed from office).

-junior Srikar Satish President Trump faces two accusations in the article. The first is for abuse of power, based on a transcript suggesting that he tried to coerce the president of Ukraine (Volodymyr Zelensky) into investigating the family of former Vice President Joseph Biden (a Democrat running for president in 2020). Although that charge has been more widespread in the media, with debates on the transcript’s reliability, the second article, accusing Trump of obstructing Congress, is just as important. This is a result of Trump’s refusal to participate and comply with investigations carried out in the procedures (through directing others to defy subpoenas, which are requests for records)-- and although we don’t know if he has done this to an impeachable degree (he, again, hasn’t been impeached yet), Trump is no proponent of these investigations. In fact, on Tuesday, he claimed that the due process of impeachment was more oppressive to him than the Salem Witch Trials were to women (keep in mind that impeachment trials typically don’t entail throwing government officials into water and executing them if they float to the top).

At the moment, President Trump is likely to be impeached. Only a majority of the House needs to agree with impeachment, and even moderate Democrat and Independent representatives that responded to a New York Times survey seem to overwhelmingly support the articles The Roar is produced by the Advanced Journalism class at A&M Consolidated High School, 1801 Harvey Mitchell Parkway (although the response from our district representative, Bill Flores, suggests S., College Station, Texas, 77840. The opinions expressed are he plans to vote against it as he claims the impeachment process itself is a those of the writers and are not reflective of the administrators, The Roar News sham). faculty or staff of the College Station Independent School District.

However, it is highly unlikely that Trump will be removed from office.

Submissions to the editors are welcomed but must be signed Two thirds of the current Senate, acting as a jury, would need to vote in and should not exceed 300 words. The editor reserves the favor of it. And, no matter what the potential impeachment trial proves or right to edit submissions in the interest of clarity and length or to not print a letter at all. Letters containing obscene or libelous disproves about the Ukraine phone call, senators have already promised to material will not be considered. The Editorial Board consists of work in ‘total coordination’ with the White House. Senator Mitch McConnell, the editor-in-chief, managing editor and opinions editor. a Republican leader who has a large influence on the potential trial’s The Roar 2019-2020 Staff The Roar is a member of the Interscholastic League Press setup (and who has been privately meeting with White House officials Conference (ILPC), the National Scholastic Press Association Editor-in-Chief Alex Roeder (NSPA) and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA). to plan it), even said on television that there would be “no chance” that Managing Editor Ruby Perry-Mize The Roar is a winner of the CSPA Gold Crown, the 1997, 1998, Executive Editor Allen Zhang Trump would be removed from office. He has already determined the 2000-2016 ILPC Award of Distinguished Merit, the CSPA Gold Senior Editor Claire Grace Franklin outcome of a trial that hasn’t happened and is not even guaranteed to Medal Award, the NSPA All-American distinction and 2005, Online Editor Saanya Patel 2014,2016 ILPC Bronze Star and 2007-2013, 2015, and 2018 Opinions Editor Elise Sawyer happen yet.

Silver Star.

Feature Editor Emmeline Duhon Should Donald J. Trump be removed from office? We don’t knowEntertainment Editor Allison Segers College Station Independent School District does not - we have not held a trial that examines witnesses, evidence, and Sports Editor Piper Hitchcock discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, Social Media Editor Madison Stanfield sex or handicap in providing education services. Monica arguments for and against his removal in a fair manner. However, the Staff Reporters Heidi Fahrenwald Jones, Director of Human Resources, 1812 Welsh, College Senate, a part of our government that is bound by the constitution to Kara Garza Station, Texas 77840 (979-764-5412) has been designated to hold this trial in this manner if necessary, does not plan to either. Even if Faculty Adviser Michael Williams coordinate compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements Assistant Adviser Chauncey Lindner of Title IX. Molley Perry, Executive Director of Special Services, the House votes against impeachment— which, if more representatives 1812 Welsh, Suite 120, College Station, Texas 77840 (979-764share opinions similar to Flores’, could happen— then knowing that The Roar Editorial Board 5433) has been designated to coordinate compliance with our Legislative and Executive branches of government are against the the nondiscrimination requirements of Section 504 of the Alex Roeder • Elise Sawyer • Rehabilitation Act. concept of a check-and-balance system is honestly worse.

Ruby Perry-Mize

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thursday, dec. 19, 2019

powerhouse of the school Robotics club works on new competition, provides opportunities for all students kara garza | staff reporter For many, the mention of robotics club brings the image of a few engineers crouched over the metal body of a soon to be robot. Consol’s Robotics Club, however, incorporates many different unique factors including marketing, graphic design, presentations.

“Our robotics club is so much more than just robotics,” president, senior Nicolas Macri, said. “In fact, 85% of it is what we call marketing. In my opinion, it provides a whole lot of opportunity for people of all walks of life to get involved.”

The team markets the robot created, which is programmed to perform a series of tasks that vary based off of the theme announced each year. In addition to the robot, students create their own ‘company’ to advertise and sell the robot they’ve developed. The theme of each competition is known as the ‘game’.

“This year the game is called Off the Grid,” Macri said. “It’s all about restoring power to a damaged electrical grid. Every year we come up with a company theme that encapsulates everything we do for the competition. We try to make our theme unique and recognizable, [and] really iconic.”

With the company theme decided upon, the next step in the marketing process is to

create a color scheme and design logos and other graphic elements. From hexagonal panels to the name of the robot, Adeno (the product of the mitochondria), the team incorporates the theme at every turn.

“The actual robot itself contributes a really low percentage of the overall score of the competition,” robotics secretary, Senior Anna Mortari, said. “Most of [the scoring] is in marketing. So we have our presentation [team]--they present and sell the robot. We have our booth that advertises. And then we have our spirit [points] which [are awarded by] cheering on other robots during the actual competition.”

The competition is known as the The BEST Competition. BEST stands for Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology.

There are two parts to the competition, Hub and State. Hub determines which teams will advance to state and be deemed the winner of the BEST competition.

“Hub is the work and state is the reward,” Macri said. “At Hub we have to qualify to advance to state so Hub is sort of like the big judgement. All the judges evaluate 6 weeks of our work. It’s a high energy day, because all of us leaders [are] either presenting or they’re running the booth or they’re driving the robot, or they’re leading spirit.”

After a successful Hub competition, where

Juniors Kaiji Cabrera and Aimee Li pose in front of their Robotics project.

the team got perfect marks on their booth section, the team is working on last minute touch-ups before their final competition at state.

“We’re repairing a lot of our spirit equipment that was broken or damaged at Hub,” robotics member, senior Gabriella Romano, said. “We got feedback on our robot, our presentation and our notebook. Robot [team] is mostly fine tuning and [making] general repairs, touch ups and stuff.”

The BEST competition attracts robotic fanatics from all over. Therefore, standing out can be a struggle for any team when faced with teams from all different backgrounds.

“A lot of the teams that we compete with are specialized,” Mortari said. “So they have a class for [robotics]. Or they’ll have they’ll have [adult help with the] robot and such. We’re at a disadvantage in terms of the fact that were a club and we only get so much [funding] in terms of competition.”

As their competition season comes to an end, the members are enjoying the calm before the storm, says Macri. Next semester new leaders will be elected in the bittersweet goodbye to the senior leaders. “[The club] means a lot to me personally,” Macri said. “it really makes me happy to see something that we’ve worked on together [succeed].”

Juniors Nicolas Macri and Teresa Ji celebrate their victory at the BEST Competiton with the Robotics club.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY AIMEE LI

8 | student

life | the roar

#throwbackthursday

Staff reviews fashion fads, pop culture, major news events from the past deacde

POP CULTURE

2010

Apple releases the first IPad

2015

the roar | student life| 9

thursday, dec. 19, 2019

alex roeder, ruby perry-mize & madison stanfield editor-in-chief, managing editor, & social media editor

2011

2012

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows part 2

2016

Gangnam Style

NEWS

2010 Deepwater horizon oil spill

2017

2013

2012

FASHION

2010 Shutter shades and hair feathers

Sandy Hook shooting

2015

Black Lives Matter movement emerges

2016

2016

2013

Chevron and side bangs

2017

2016 presidential election & Brexit

Simone Biles wins 5 Olympic gold medals Star Wars The Force Awakens

2018

The Astros win the World Series

2019 Shaun White wins his 3rd Olympic gold medal in the mens halfpipe Joker is released

Velvet and chokers

Same-sex marraige legalized

2017

Tiny sunglasses and athleisure

2018

Hurricane Harvey & MeToo Movement

George H.W. Bush buried in College Station

2019

Impeachment Inquiry begins

2018

Sherpa and mom jeans

2019

Filas and hair scarves

10 | feature | the roar

thursday, dec. 19, 2019

Peace like a River Sophomore Miah Howard and family reflect on her recovey from SMA Syndrome ruby perry-mize & madison stanfield managing editor & social media editor In March of 2017, Sophomore Miah Howard was a happy, healthy, and active seventh-grader.

Weeks later, she was suffering from chronic pain, the inability to eat, and acid reflux. In April, she was diagnosed with SMAS, a condition where an artery compresses the small intestine and interferes with digestion, resulting in malnourishment.

At first, Miah Howard thought her illness was much less severe than it was.

“I was like, ‘Oh, I might just have a bug, and I’ll get over it,’” Howard said. “But it got worse. I was like, ‘Yeah, I need to go to the doctor because something’s wrong.’”

For Miah Howard’s family, the shock of such a serious diagnosis was only worsened by the suddenness of her illness, says her mother, Chris Howard.

“Your children’s health can really out of nowhere decline, and you aren’t ready for it,” Chris Howard said. “As healthy as Miah looks today, that was exactly what she looked like when it started.”

Howard attempted multiple times to get her weight up without using a feeding tube, but finally had to have the operation after it became clear that her condition was only worsening.

“When she came into the hospital, she was what you’d expect [of] a malnourished refugee,” Chris Howard said. “She did have such an amazing recovery and we really do believe that the Lord ultimately healed her.”

The experience was emotionally exhausting despite the solace she found in her faith, Miah Howard says.

“The emotion I felt the most was just loneliness,” Miah Howard said. “I had so many people praying for me, but I just, there’s no denying that feeling of pure loneliness.”

Miah Howard does recognize the role her friends and family played in supporting each other, she says. However, they were unable to balance out the isolation she felt.

“I had people there for me,” Miah Howard said. “I just didn’t see like how it was going to help me. I just felt like no one knew what I was really experiencing.”

The exception was Miah Howard’s brother, she says. He had suffered from irritable bowel syndrome

at about the same age she was when her health problems emerged.

“My brother was so supportive because he knew what I was going through,” Miah Howard said. “He was a good example of someone who got through.”

Miah Howard continues to appreciate the prayer and love she received from her church community, she says.

“My pastor was like, ‘The Lord is telling me that someone is having acid reflux in here, and we just want to pray for you’,” Miah Howard said. “Within one or two days, my acid reflux was gone.’”

Miah Howard believes her sudden improvement was a result of her weight increasing enough to provide a cushion between the artery and the intestine, relieving the pressure on her digestive system. Looking back on her experience, she sees it as a positive force in her life.

“No matter how crazy it sounds, I would never take it back,” Miah Howard said. “I learned I can deal with challenges. And even if I’m scared to face it, I might as well try.”

Not only did the illness make her braver, Miah Howard says, it made her more self-assured as well.

“I was pretty shy in sixth grade and seventh grade,” Miah Howard said. “But after I had [SMAS], my self esteem [went] up because I realized I can face challenges and [be] confident in myself too.”

Miah Howard turned this confidence toward lifting up those around her, she says. She considers SMAS a window into the kinds of trouble others might be going through.

“I want to be supportive to other people,” Howard said. “I want to help people here. Maybe they’re gone through something similar or just going through tough times as well.”

Chris Howard believes Miah Howard’s stronger faith and compassion enable her to use her story to give others hope.

“She knows what it’s like to go through an illness that you don’t know when or if you’re going to get better,” Chris Howard said. “She’s bold to share her story and reach out to people.”

The journey has given her a direction for her future, Miah Howard says, even influencing the careers she’s interested in.

“Moving forward, I’m thinking about the medical field,” Miah Howard said. “All I want to do is help people [and] let them know that there’s someone out there that loves them.”

top: Sophomore Miah Howard bottom: Sophomore Miah Howard and her mother, Chris Howard PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MIAH HOWARD

the roar | news | 11

thursday, dec. 19, 2019

GRANTING SUCCESS Teachers explain the importance of grants, discuss their applications outside of her classroom was not an option, limiting what they could do.

“We only have so many hours in the day at school, [and] what’s missing is the ability to assign homework on aspects of newspaper and yearbook that involves design, using software that typically students will not have on their own computers,” Carraway said.

For physics teacher Michelle Jedlika,

saanya patel | online editor

In November, the drumline paraded through the hallways as the annual Grant Parade took place. The parade is put on by the CSISD Education Foundation for the teacher grant program, which gives teachers an opportunity to apply for money if they want to implement a project or program in their classroom.

The foundation’s director, Teresa Benden, believes the grants allow students to expand their educational limits and explore beyond the curriculum. “[The grants] make kids get inspired to learn and to do some exciting things in the classroom,” CSISD Education Foundation Director Benden said.

Once teachers have applied, the Teresa Benden Board of Directors reviews each of the applications and decide which plans get a grant.

“We like to see how this is going to reach the grant to purchase Sphero robots, robots the student and how it is going to motivate that can be programmed to calculate different variables in mechanics, allows students,” Benden said.

English teacher and yearbook advisor her to incorporate new technology into Freda Carraway says she applied for a grant her classroom and show students the to purchase Surface Pros with an Adobe Suite interconnectivity of different skills.

“I think that a lot of students kind of missed due to journalism students’ needs, as working

“

the idea that in almost any profession that you have, you’re going to be working on the computer,” Jedlika said.

Benden believes the purpose of the grant is to help students gain knowledge through innovative learning experience.

“I really feel like we get to bring in some exciting programs and projects that the kids wouldn’t normally get to experience,” Benden said.

The grants give students the ability to enjoy learning, Benden says, which was the goal of health science teacher Kimberly Decker when applying for flexible seating in her classroom.

“With traditional seating, I [still had] students trying to sit in a flexible way,” Decker said. “So I had students that were underneath the tables, students that would lay on the floor. I thought, if [they’re] doing this anyway, why don’t I try to provide them a place where they might feel more comfortable?”

Benden finds that allowing teachers to introduce new ways for students to feel more comfortable in their learning environment is a key way to educate students.

“Our mission is to enrich teaching, inspire learning, and to recognize the successes of our teachers and students,” Benden said.

Our mission is to enrich teaching, inspire learning, and to recognize the successes of our teachers and students,”

above: Teachers Ryan Cote and Michelle Jedlicka recieve their grant. “It’s to show that computer programming can be pulled into other things,” Jedlicka said.

above: Teachers Kimberley Decker and VizMary Mitchell accept their check. “I really like it because it gives us flexibility,” Decker said.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CSISD EDUCATION FOUNDATION

above: Teachers Michael Williams and Freda Carraway shake hands with an Education Foundation member. “[This grant] increases accessibility for students,” Carraway said.

12 | sports | the roar

thursday, dec.19, 2019

Head in the Game new blood, senior leadership push basketball team to new heights piper hitchcock | sports editor New faces joined the Tiger basketball team as they kicked off their season, including an entirely new coaching staff. However, the players have confronted the challenges head on and are off to a great start.

“We’re learning that we have to go get back into rhythm and try to go as fast as we can,” varsity senior Bryce Smith said. “It’s been difficult for some people, but it’s also been a lot of fun learning a whole new system-it’s making us better players.”

Junior varsity sophomore Giancarlo Iero has a similarly positive outlook on the Tiger’s season. To prepare for the season, the team is working hard in practice to absorb the new style of play, Iero says. “[The new coaches have made] a different offense and defense with a more aggressive playing style, [which is] more uptempo,” Iero said.

Varsity junior PJ Tisch has also noticed changes through the program initiated by the new coaches and their techniques.

“There’s a lot more yelling at individuals, but not in a bad way,” Tisch said. “The coaches see the potential we have and don’t want it to go to waste, so they’re brutally honest.”

On top of learning the coaches new system, the players had to push through the adversity of playing 6A teams before district.

“We get some more experience [playing 6A teams] and it gives us a new mindset,” Bryce Smith said. “For instance, what happens and what has to be done on offense and defense, and that every little thing matters-we have to take care of business.”

However, Tisch takes a different perspective when up against 6A teams.

“I don’t see the teams as any different; they’re high school kids just playing basketball,” Tisch said.

“If anything, I look forward to playing them because I know it will be a challenge and the atmosphere is super energetic.”

Aiding their competition are the senior warriors, says head coach Andrew Daily. This year’s varsity team is extremely senior-oriented, currently holding ten players graduating this coming spring.

“I think [the seniors] are like another set of coaches,” Tisch said. “They take leadership and make sure we’re playing the best we can because it’s their last year of high school basketball, so they want to leave on a positive note.”

Bryce Smith agrees that the seniors take the initiative

to fill a leadership role on the team and provide direction to reaching the year’s goal of making it to state.

“We don’t necessarily lead by talking, or by what we’re saying-- but what we do as a people and how we help the team move forward,” Bryce Smith said.

Daily acknowledges Bryce Smith as a great example of this leadership on and off the court.

“Everybody knows that Bryce is a great leader and a great person,” Daily said. “He leads by example, and he’s a really good basketball player, too. Everybody knows it runs through Bryce -- he has a plan, he has a purpose, and I think that’s been a good thing [for the team].”

Teammates also hold great respect for him, having been on varsity since freshman year. They feel impacted

by Bryce’s skill and influence, varsity junior Jayden Smith said.

“Bryce is blonde, white, and sexy-- those are his exact words,” Jayden Smith said. “He inspires us to better ourselves and motivates us to be better people on and off the court.”

Bryce creates deep relationships with his teammates that transition to the court, Tisch says.

“I think [Bryce] makes me a better player,” Tisch said.

“He keeps me focused and gives me confidence. When I’m having a rough shooting night or get mad at myself for making a mistake, he just tells me to forget it, keep shooting, and keep hustling.”

With this senior lead and enthusiasm seen in the players through learning a new form of basketball, the team is looking at a good season, Daily says.

“Our goal for our year is to go further than any teams ever going to Consol with this being our centennial year,” Daily said. “The guys break it out of practice every day talking about state, so we’ve got to make that talk a reality.”

Iero agrees the Tigers have what it takes to go far this season. He said the team leans on each other creating long-lasting chemistry. “[A winning team is] a team that plays selfless, together, and has great chemistry because that leads to wins. [That chemistry helps] you play smoother and trust each other,” Iero said.

Tisch also recognizes chemistry as a team strength.

He understands the necessity of close bonds with teammates and coaches, which transition to the wins court.

“We could be [a winning team], we have the talent and the personalities to get there,” Tisch said. “We have new people, new coaching staff, and new game styles, so we’re kind of in a learning period. We have a lot of potential and the season is just starting.”

thursday, dec. 19, 2019

hit me with your best shot

the roar | sports | 13

First class coached by Wendy Hines anticipates promise of senior season, improvement heidi fahrenwald & claire grace franklin senior editor & staff reporter The varsity girls’ basketball team is stirring up excitement for a promising new season. The team is hoping to make it to the district playoffs this year, which they missed last season due to a game they lost by a single shot.

“We are nine and two right now,” coach Wendy Hines said. “This is the best start we’ve had since I took over.”

The fast start can probably be attributed to the hard work the team put into their preseason.

“Preseason is a lot harder, and it’s getting us prepared and making sure we’re conditioned right [and] making sure our mind is right, and make sure we know all the plays,” senior Raven Gooden said. “So when we’re in season, we work on perfecting it and getting everything right.”

The team has had issues in the past with getting enough players and building strong enough competition, Hines says. This year, the pieces have finally come together.

“We’ve been trying to build the numbers,” Hines said. “It’s been a little bare the last couple

years, and this year’s just it’s finally coming around to put a lot of time into and to get some of the younger kids involved. The numbers are good now, so we need to keep that rolling.”

Hines emphasizes that the strongest

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other on the court and off the court,” Gooden said. “We’ve got to be able to communicate well with each other.”

This year is also the final season for five senior starters. The girls have created a strong connection with each other as they have been playing with each other since middle school.

“I think the season bond as a team has grown a lot stronger,” Gooden said. “Because through all the other seasons that we’ve been through together, it’s really made us focused and ready for our last year.”

The players use their teammates as a crutch in hard times and use their reliability on each other to build a stronger family connection.

“I tell my girls all the time that it’s more than just about basketball, you know, it’s life,” Hines said. “We all have our ups or downs, our sadness, you know, family stuff. But in the end, we’re together, you know, we’re family.”

The year is dependent on the seniors and the new freshman and the stamina of the players Hines said.

“Some of my seniors actually were babies when I first took over,” Hines said. “It’s gonna be good to see what they can do this year.”

We all have our ups and downs, our sadness. But in the end, we’re together; we’re family.” coach Wendy Hines

aspect of the team is their defense. One of their goals is to improve the offense by focusing on reading and understanding each other through both verbal and physical cues.

“We just have to be able to talk to each

left: Sophomore Sarah Hathorn drives the ball across the court. middle: Coach Wendy Hines gives plays during a timeout. right: Junior Brooke Roverson name shoots the ball.

PHOTOS BY NYAH CARTER

14 | the roar | reviews

thursday, dec. 19, 2019

MARSHMALLOW WORLD the roar reviews: seasonal drinks from Starbucks I’m not a big Starbucks

saanya patel | online editor fan. In fact I’m very picky when it comes to coffee, but in the spirit of the holidays, I tried a seasonal holiday drink from Starbucks. I decided to drink what I was told is a “holiday classic”, a peppermint mocha frappuccino. When I took a sip all I could taste was sweet chocolate, and the aftertaste was peppermint. I honestly enjoyed it because I love chocolate and that is what the drink tasted like. Overall Starbucks’ peppermint mocha frappuccino is a good dessert for when a chocolate fix is needed.

This

year

emmeline duhon | feature editor Starbucks added

PHOTO BY SAANYA PATEL

a new item to their list of seasonal drinks, the Irish Cream Cold Brew. The drink is made of Starbucks’ Cold Brew coffee, with Irish cream, vanilla foam, and a small bit of cocoa. When I initially read the description of the drink, I thought it sounded disgusting, and when I took the first sip, well, I was right. I’m not usually one to turn down coffee, it’s a primary part of my life, but this was different. I feel like the drink was too many different tastes, and all together was confusing and gross. I think that with a simpler recipe it would have been better, and I might have enjoyed it.

thursday, dec. 19, 2019

the roar | reviews | 15

Winter Wonderland the roar reviews: holiday activities

madison stanfield | staff reporter

As someone who has lived in Bryan-College Station for her entire life, I was surprised when I realised I had never gone to Christmas in the Park. It’s a really fun thing to do with your family and friends. They have lots of things for everybody to do, like a petting zoo, a snow slide and pictures with Santa. They also offer free cookies and hot chocolate so you can keep warm. There are live performances from groups like the Lil’ & Elite Wranglers and the Aggieland Mariachi band to keep you entertained while taking a break from looking at the lights. It also can serve as a good place to take cute seasonal photos. Overall it was a super fun time and I would highly recommend it if you want something fun to do during the holiday season.

claire grace franklin | senior editor Santa’s Wonderland is an amazing spot for families and friends to experience Christmas spirit. The park holds fun and interest for any age. The food varies between certain parts of the parks. My favorite snack is the kettle corn popcorn next to the hayride, which is the most popular part of Santa’s Wonderland. It takes you through mesmerizing lights that encapsulate the essence of a Texas Christmas.

The park hosts many musicians who are constantly spreading Christmas cheer. I personally enjoyed the band in front of the store. It was an interactive space where people could meet others. I would fully recommend going to Santa’s Wonderland for bundles of fun!

16 | etc. | the roar

thursday , dec. 19 , 2019

a day in the life Seniors get a taste of cheerleading life, begin new tradition

claire grace franklin & allen zhang senior editor & executive editor Students have a cookie-cutter image of what a cheerleader is: a peppy, athletic girl with lots of friends and a big bow in her hair. But this year’s Cheerleader for a Day offered an opportunity for people who never imagined themselves in that role to become a cheerleader.

“Our captain and I talked about the possibility of doing a senior cheer squad,” Schlather said. “She thought it was a great idea.

So we ran with it.”

Originally, Schlather’s senior Cheerleader for a Day was only a wild idea. However, she believes that experimentation is the key to success.

“It was just kind of a ‘let’s try this and see if it works’ moment,” Schlather said. “I tell my cheerleaders all the time that I’m not afraid to fail. If we bomb it, it’s okay, we won’t do it again.

But if it’s not, it could be something that would be fun. So it just kind of took on a life of its own.”

Since it was a sudden idea, Schlather didn’t expect many to show. However, the turnout was rather surprising.

“Originally, we put out a list that had about 18 spots, thinking it was going to be more than enough,” Schlather said. “We ended up with 34 people signed up.”

Overall, principal Gwen Elder says that having more students participate is a good thing both the individual and the school.

“She’s helping to enhance school spirit,” Elder said. “At the same time, the more kids [that are] involved, the more connected and productive they feel.”

This event provided students who wouldn’t normally participate the chance to be apart a school spirit-filled organization, Elder says.

“It was a neat opportunity for kids who aren’t able to commit to a full year of cheer or aren’t that interested,” Schlather said. “[It gave them] the chance to be on the sidelines cheering for their team.”

Elder acknowledges that this might be a nerve-racking step for many to take, but she thinks that students should at least be given the opportunity to participate.

“I think if we don’t provide those opportunities for our kids to take risks, we aren’t doing a good job of preparing them,” Elder said. “That’s what school is all about.”

Traditionally, most cheerleaders are girls. However, the senior cheer day gave boys the opportunity to join in, Schlather says.

“The guys did a great job,” Schlather said.

“They learned the drumline and the routines and did a really good job.”

For senior Matt Williams, the day was a life-changing experience. It gave him the opportunity to really understand the activity of cheerleading, he says

“I liked it a lot,” Williams said. “It just gives people the chance to experience things they otherwise wouldn’t experience.”

Although it was fun to participate, Williams put in many hours of hard work towards practicing, he says. Out of the three different practices, he had to learn a series of moves to be fully prepared for the performance.

“It’s really stressful when you get out there because there’s a lot you have to remember,” Williams said. “And if you mess up, everyone notices because everything is so uniform”

Overall, both Elder and Schla ther consider the day to be a success. They both want to change it into an annual event after a couple of improvements.

“Moving forward, if there’s something that we plan, we can already have it on the calendar,” Elder said. “So for those students who were unable to participate, I think maybe they can make some adjustments on our end.”

At the same time, the activity provided the student body with an opportunity to see what cheerleading actually does. Elder says that while it might seem challenging to join, hard work is all that is needed to overcome it.

“As far as cheerleaders or whatever stereotype is out there for a cheerleader, I think we were able to break down that barrier,” Elder said. “If you want to participate, just show up with a good attitude and a willingness to learn routines and dances.”

PHOTOS BY CLAIRE GRACE FRANKLIN