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1801 HARVEY MITCHELL PKWY. S., COLLEGE STATION, TX 77840 | FRIDAY, Feb. 26, 2021 | VOL. 26 NO. 4 | THEROARNEWS.COM
100 years of celebrities
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bridging the gap
AVID program aids student success in high school, prepares participants for college medha sarin & myla cathey section editors With college admission policies fluctuating, grades becoming increasingly more important than test scores, and many colleges transitioning to virtual learning, it’s never been harder to aim for post-high school education. Fortunately, there’s a program that teaches just that. AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, is an international organization that guides students through their schooling and prepares them for what comes after, teaching everything from organization and learning strategies to college and scholarship research. “It’s to help students close [the] opportunity and educational gap,” ninth grade AVID teacher Katie Hager said. Students must complete an application process to join AVID. Although they can’t apply once they’ve hit 11th grade, there are a variety of ways to enter the program before then. “Some students are recommended for AVID by teachers, counselors, [or] administrators, and [for] some students, their friends might be in it, so they apply to be in it as a fun elective class that will help them,” Hager said. “It depends on what school they went to or if their parents were like, ‘Hey, I think this would be good for you.’” AVID serves a community which has traditionally been left behind, 10th-
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12th grade AVID teacher and campus coordinator Grace Stanford says. “In our community, it’s going to be predominantly students that are low SES [socioeconomic status] and students of color,” Stanford said. “Many of these students will be the first generation to go to college, or to seek beyond high school. It has not always been easy to find the path to college admissions if you weren’t somebody who had the guidance of a counselor or a parent who had done it.” For example, junior Precious Ahaneku will be the first in her family to pursue college in the United States. “[Without AVID], I would probably not know anything much about college,” Ahaneku said. “My family’s foreign, so they didn’t go to college here, [and] they don’t really know the routes or all that stuff to take. But AVID is helping me take all those steps.” In some cases, underrepresented students have the potential to be successful in school, but go unnoticed and therefore don’t receive the guidance they need, Stanford feels. “If you’re that quiet kid who sits in the back and does just enough that you don’t cause problems, you can get three or four years before a teacher really talks to you,” Stanford said. “Well, you might have already missed being tracked. You might not have been identified as GT. You might not have been pushed into the enrichment program because you never spoke.” According to senior Na’lyiah Rooks,
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AVID is also supportive when it comes to expenses regarding college, because AVID helps pay for AP exams, SAT testing, ACT testing, and college waivers. “It’s really a great thing, especially for the minorities of Consol,” Rooks said. “I feel like it benefits them because, when you come from a place that’s unrepresented, AVID really helps you get your ideas out and helps you out with your goals.” SYSTEMS AND CULTURE Years nine and 10 of AVID are about navigating school. AVID teaches a variety of skills to help students in their other classes and in the community-- from writing, reading, and annotating strategies to service projects and team-building activities, as well as some college research. “Teaching freshmen is just helping them figure out how to work through the high school expectations, setting the high expectations for them to meet,” Hager said. Junior year is when focus beyond high school greatly increases, with class activities like building college spreadsheets, self-identifying discussions that can help for college essays, and applying for scholarships. “They have a dream school or reach school, a solid good fit, a fallback and probably Blinn, a two year. That’s our five college plan,” Stanford said. “We’re already looking at the deadlines for when applications are due.”
“avid” continued on page 3 sports page 12-13
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brief | the roar
UPCOMING
2 | in
March 13 Choir Solo and Esemble March 15-19 Spring Break March 30 ACT @ Consol April 2 No School April 4 Easter April 9 End of 5th six weeks
NEWS friday, feb. 26, 2021
IN THE
Six seniors recognized as National Merit Finalists
As of February 2021, six seniors, David Chang, Celine Choi, Claire McAdams, Ruby Perry-Mize, Elise Sawyer, and Bill Wang were announced as National Merit Finalists.
Consol swim team attends regional meet, places third
The Consol swim team placed third at the regional meet, and five swimmers earned spots at the state meet. The state meet this year is limited to the regional winners and eight call-ups in each event. Senior Kaitlyn Owens earned two gold medals and was named the event’s top swimmer.; Junior Susannah Smith earned two golds; sophomore Claire Riley earned one gold and freshman Samantha Poole earned one gold at the meet. Sophomore Addy Kieschinick threw the ball back into the game at the Varsity game earlier this season. Lady Tigers won agains Katy Pateow on January 19th. PHOTO BY MEDHA SARIN
Bengal Belles sweep the floor at February competition
The Consol Bengal Belles competed February 6 and completely swept the floor by achieving First Place Grand Champion. The team won Best in Category Champion in Pom, Jazz and Hip Hop. Junior Jordan Reynolds won First Place Overall Soloist in Lyrical. The Belles’ next competition is the Spring Showcase later this semester.
Orchestra shows State level sucess at UIL Solo & Enemble
Senior Malik Ross committed to University of Mary Hardin Baylor for football on Feburary 3rd. He gave speech about not giving up on your dreams at the signing. PHOTO BY: CLAIRE GRACE FRANKLIN
Orchestra students recently performed at UIL Solo & Ensemble. Nine students earned excellent ratings, twenty earned superior ratings, and ten of the superior ratings qualified for Texas State Solo & Ensemble. The students who received superior ratings were seniors, Vaughn Krinhop, Henning Schade; juniors, Hayoung Lee, Sabrina Hu; sophomores, Deyu Li, Divya Srinivasa, Samuel Bayeh, Nicholas Beasley; and freshmen, Lea Hilty, and Emily Chen. Ten students who received superior ratings qualified for state; Seniors, Ella Maxwell, Sophia Wu, Madhu Kannan; juniors Jeremey No, Laurel Brumbelow, Sabrina Hu; sophomores Kyler Larsen, Nathen Parulian, and freshman: Kaylie Sze and Sammy Shankar,
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Students, teachers discuss preparation for college, post high school opportunities “AVID” continued from page 1 In order to have a certified AVID program, schools must ensure their program meets requirements that fall under categories such as Systems and Culture. Systems is about ensuring students have guidance and support. “We have to be developing a system of college-going culture and a career culture, like the programs in current technology where you can get certifications,” Stanford said. “Are we helping kids identify those and then take the correct sequence?” Culture is about helping students recognize that they can “believe in potential beyond a high school diploma, if they want it”, Stanford says. “It’s not college or die, it is opportunities or die,” Stanford said. “It’s that you have all of the opportunities to choose from that you wish to have, and then you decide from all those open doors which one you’ll go through.” TUTORIALS On Tuesdays and Thursdays, AVID has tutorials where students fill out forms stating which questions they want to review so they can solve them with their peers. “We get into groups, and each person presents a problem that they had, that they couldn’t figure out, whether math or English, and then the group just helps them figure out their problem,” junior Seleste Malone said. In addition, Texas A&M university students apply as tutors for the AVID program. Tutor Camryn Riggins finds that tutorials are different in a classroom environment like AVID compared to one-on-one instruction. “When you’re tutoring in a group, there has to be someone who’s the leader and can still take on the teacher role, even if they’re not actually teaching the subject,” Riggins said. “There’s more of a dynamic that’s similar to the classroom, but still small enough to where everyone can communicate their ideas and everyone can be heard.” Tutor Jordan Rogers appreciates the engagement AVID students have in tutorials and their college-going mindset. “Usually, every kid in AVID [seems] to have a really good chance of getting into college or being able to go to college, so for them, they’ll see the importance of learning by that point,” Rogers said, “It’s really nice watching them learn [and] watching them want to ask questions instead of trying to pull it out of them.” UNDERSTANDING COLLEGE For many students, AVID provides the information about college that they wouldn’t have
had otherwise. “Without AVID, I wouldn’t be prepared to go to college, or I probably wouldn’t even go because neither one of my parents went to college,” Rooks said. “I don’t have that background understanding or that background information on it. AVID has really prepared me on writing essays for scholarships, preparing my applications, signing up for FAFSA and stuff that I wouldn’t do if I wasn’t in AVID.” Sophomore Kendall Mason mentions the lack of information her other classes provide regarding grades and future careers. “I’ve learned a lot about GPA and scholarships and deciding what school is going to be best for me,” Mason said. “I feel like if I wasn’t in it, I wouldn’t know as much, just because it’s not something talked about in regular classes. It’s helping you get ahead of the game.” AVID not only helps students stay on track with college applications, but it makes sure they get applications in quickly to ensure a smooth, stress-free transition to college. “Before, I wasn’t the most organized person, especially with time management, and Mrs. Stanford has really stayed on top of us on that,” Rooks said. “I’m glad that I am in AVID because I applied early to Prairie View and I got my status.” Rogers feels AVID can give that extra push to help students pursue their collegiate goals. “Really, [for] anybody who wants to go to college or who really cares about learning, or maybe people who need to be inspired to learn more, this is one of those classes that does it in a positive way, and not like, ‘Hey, hurry up, snap out of it’,” Rogers said. “To me, it’s a huge encouragement and a huge advantage to be in a class like this.” Despite AVID’s guidance, Stanford says her 10th graders in particular have faced intelligence-based ostracism due to their enrollment in the organization. “Many of my students have been ‘othered’ in some way,” Stanford said. “‘[My students ask] why are people asking me why I’m in these classes? Why’re people questioning
my intelligence? Why would people think I’m not college material? I don’t understand.’” However, within AVID’s doors is a very welcoming atmosphere. Rooks says AVID has shown her how diverse the world is, and she hopes this will help break stereotypes of the “typical AVID student”. “If you walk through an AVID class during any period of the day, you’re going to see different kinds of students,” Rooks said. “You see student athletes, you see people who are really studious, you see people who are kind of laid back about their grades, and I think that’s the good thing about it.” Rogers is hopeful and excited to watch the futures of AVID students unfold, Rogers says. “I’m really looking forward to seeing how these students turn out,” Rogers said. “It’ll be really cool to see which students get to go to which colleges, and was that the one they wanted to go to, or if they got the scholarship or things like that. I think it’d be really cool to see the other end of it, because I haven’t quite seen that yet.”
College Starts Here
4 | news | the roar
friday, feb. 25, 2021
elise sawyer and allen zhang opinions editor and executive editor
In response to the pandemic, College Board is making permanent changes to the SAT. Here’s an explanation of what’s different, why, and how to prepare.
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Register for the SAT and find dates and d eadlines at collegeboard.org .
Fee waivers are available at the counseling office for those who qualify.
For studying help , go to khanacademy.org
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friday, feb. 26, 2021
HARSHEST CRITIC Judges influence experience in debate, inspire confidence
I felt myself drifting out of consciousness, barely able to stand or think anymore. The timer flashed with 4 minutes left. What else was I allen zhang supposed to say? Around me, my teammates avoided eye executive editor contact, hoping to defuse the awkward and uncomfortable situation. That first practice—give a 7-minute speech—ended in me rambling for what felt like lifetimes. “Umm...well, it could have been worse. But it also could have been a lot better…” My coach fumbled for something nice to say before launching into a stream of critiques: “Your facial expressions need work. Show some more purpose and confidence in them!” My first speech—one that I’ve put hours of research and practice in and was proud of—was torn apart from all directions, shattering my confidence. In pursuit of self-preservation, I shut out the criticism and feedback. The courage I hoped to find from debate was immediately replaced with my biggest fear—scrutiny. That humiliation followed me from speech to speech: after each round, I’d quickly glance at the ballot before shoving it into the depths of my backpack. I had built a wall from the occasional compliment or trophy I received, a shiny facade of false confidence to shield out the critiques. And it was that facade that joined me, my black G2 pen, and a faded yellow legal pad as I set out a year later to prepare for my first speech of the season. I was eager for the plastic foot-tall trophy sitting on the stage, the showering of “That was amazing!” after my speech on intellectual rights in China, an area that I
If you lived 100 years ago, you would’ve been able to walk out into the city streets and see the Milky Way galaxy in the night sky. You would’ve been able to see the stars that stretched across the horizon and would’ve felt the natural light emitting from them. Now, that is impossible. You can walk out into the city streets and see nothing but the vast darkness, save for a few dimly lit stars. The only kind of light you would feel is the artificial lights created by light pollution. More than 80 percent of the world’s population lives under light-polluted skies. Light pollution is a wide-scale global issue that has become so blatantly obvious when viewed from outer space. Although light pollution isn’t as toxic as air pollution, it is now among almost all of the world. The larger cities are more affected, such as Singapore, New York, Shanghai, and Los Angeles. In these cities, the bright light is visible from over 50 miles away, and 99.5 percent of all stars that people can see are completely invisible without optical aid. Other than blocking our view of the stars, light pollution harms underwater ecosystems, causes birds to migrate in the wrong season, and decreases melatonin production in humans. Without normal melatonin production, sleep cycles get disrupted, cancer chances get increased, and people’s internal clock system becomes problematic. Some people are trying to minimize this problem, but many are unaware
the roar | opinions | 5 had extensively researched. As I confidently reached for my ballot, I really thought I had it all: amazing content, solid vocal variation, and good eye contact. “Your gestures were too low.” “ You forgot to raise your eyebrows. You lost substructure in your second point.” The words were a slap, and tears of embarrassment threatened to surface. It had hit me hard: these were the comments I had been hearing for months but did not want to believe. My denial of shortcomings to preserve confidence was hindering my growth as a speaker. I failed to take to heart the criticisms of my peers, coach, and judges; rather, I chose to listen to what made me feel good, not become better. That night, I went home. Staring at the trophies in my room, I realized a deeper, more personal flaw: my immaturity. With each speech, I just wanted a small pat on the back, coach and peers telling me that I did a good job. And that became my setback, a desire for comfort that shielded me from the treacherous road of growth. But those trophies or compliments didn’t help me get better; they were simply a showcase of where I already was. So I made myself a small promise: at the next tournament, I will read the entire ballot—the good and the bad. Since then, 36 more tournaments have passed. And…yeah, there were a lot of critiques. But it was somewhere in those 36 tournaments that I realized I no longer felt fear nor anxiety of elimination. Instead, there was a hunger to read the ballots, to scan for comments and tips that would help me improve. I wanted to know what these coaches had written, because even though I am proud of how far I’ve come since that first disastrous speech I gave three years ago, I know there’s still more ahead. That road has definitely been tumultuous. It’s been filled with some of the most devastating comments about what I had thought were my greatest strengths. But it’s a road that has also been filled with a sense of pride, as I look back to see how far I’ve grown as a debater—and a person, paved with stepping stones of critiques that have led me to where I am today.
Want to discuss handiling criticism? Email Allen at the.roar.allenzhang@gmail.com
SEEING THE LIGHT
of this pollution. Light pollution has intensified in the past century, increasing 6 percent each year. Without immediate action, this issue will only get worse. Light pollution emily chen can be solved with easy solutions: section editor light bulbs can be replaced with LED ones and outdoor lights can be moved to point down. Decoration lights can be reduced and motion sensors could be used. Even simply turning off the unnecessary indoor lights can help reduce the issue. By reducing light pollution, we can save energy and also improve human health. Want to talk about ways to reduce light pollution in your own life? Email Emily at the.roar.emilychen@gmail.com
Light pollution problem affects daily life
6 | viewpoints | the roar
friday, feb. 26, 2021
Should vaccine distribution be managed by state or federal governments?
After a harrowing 2020, President Biden entered his first term with some hefty promises to keep-among them, the goal to administer 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine within his first 100 days in office. He has already signed a number of executive orders designed to keep supply lines open, utilize National Guard troops to help distribute the vaccine, and insure states don’t have to worry about keeping costs down. However, some states are falling behind, which raises the question, should vaccine distribution be managed entirely at the federal level? It makes sense for much of the logistical legwork to be delegated to the states. The federal government is, because of its sheer size, a more cumbersome, less efficient organization. However, implementing a set of national guidelines that are consistent and clear could go a long way toward making vaccine distribution more streamlined. One of the differences between states, for example, is how many doses are being withheld for second shots. The Moderna vaccine must be administered twice to be fully effective, so some states are conserving doses to be used the second time around--thus slowing the rollout. Others have followed the advice of a growing number of medical experts who believe the objective should be injecting as many people as possible as quickly as possible, however partially. The federal government should take a clear stance and standardize which path the states should take. This would reduce confusion and speed up the process. Another common source of inefficiency is figuring out what to do with extra shots. In cases where a priority group doesn’t fully use the doses available for them, there should be clear procedures for administering the surplus vaccines. States shouldn’t have to figure out on the fly how to keep their extras from going to waste. For the federal government to decide what
the procedure should be would provide much-needed guidance to the states. Interestingly, one of the most successful states in vaccine distribution so far has been West Virginia, which opted out of the federal pharmacy distribution system. Instead of the federal government directly partnering with retail pharmacies to distribute the vaccine in their stores, the state organized a network of pharmacies which distribute vaccines to their communities. This increased efficiency by sidestepping the bureaucratic complications of a federally administered system, while simultaneously increasing trust on the part of citizens, since the providers were already known in the community. This is an example of how delegating specific logistical practices to the states can improve vaccine distribution. State governments, managing a smaller area with more knowledge of its infrastructure, are better equipped to handle the logistical dirty work of the vaccine rollout. However, measures should be implemented to standardize distribution procedures enough to create consistency nationwide. This is the kind of crisis we need the might of the federal government to tackle. If there was ever a time for us to swallow our knee-jerk distaste for federal regulation, it’s now.
“Federal. It’s been proven that many of the states downplay the virus.” -junior Andrew Mays
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The Roar 2020-2021 Staff Alex Roeder Ruby Perry-Mize Allen Zhang Claire Grace Franklin Saanya Patel Elise Sawyer Emmeline Duhon Allison Segers Piper Hitchcock Ellie Hague Medha Sarin Ian Curtis Myla Cathey Emily Chen Alexia Carnes Staff Reporter Ja’den Johnson Faculty Adviser Michael Williams Assistant Adviser Chauncey Lindner
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Executive Editor Senior Editor Online Editor Opinions Editor Feature Editor Entertainment Editor Sports Editor Section Editors
The Roar Editorial Board Alex Roeder • Elise Sawyer Ruby Perry-Mize
“I wouldn’t take [the vaccine] because I wouldn’t die from COVID, and some origins of the tests for the vaccines are sketchy.” -senior Zane Krinhop
The Roar is produced by the Advanced Journalism class at A&M Consolidated High School, 1801 Harvey Mitchell Parkway S., College Station, Texas, 77840. The opinions expressed are those of the writers and are not reflective of the administrators, faculty or staff of the College Station Independent School District. Submissions to the editors are welcomed but must be signed and should not exceed 300 words. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions in the interest of clarity and length or to not print a letter at all. Letters containing obscene or libelous material will not be considered. The Editorial Board consists of the editor-in-chief, managing editor and opinions editor. The Roar is a member of the Interscholastic League Press Conference (ILPC), the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA). The Roar is a winner of the CSPA Gold Crown, the 1997, 1998, 2000-2016 ILPC Award of Distinguished Merit, the CSPA Gold Medal Award, the NSPA All-American distinction and 2005, 2014,2016 ILPC Bronze Star and 2007-2013, 2015, and 2018 Silver Star. College Station Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex or handicap in providing education services. Monica Jones, Director of Human Resources, 1812 Welsh, College Station, Texas 77840 (979-764-5412) has been designated to coordinate compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements of Title IX. Molley Perry, Executive Director of Special Services, 1812 Welsh, Suite 120, College Station, Texas 77840 (979-764-5433) has been designated to coordinate compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
friday, feb. 26, 2021
picture per fect
the roar | snapshots | 7
Pop-up selfie museum provides creative outlet for students during pandemic ruby perry-mize & ja’den johnson managing editor & staff reporter
above: Sophomore Holden McBerty poses with her childhood best friend. PHOTO BY HOLDEN MCBERTY
above: freshmen Paris Pavlas and friend with sprinkle donuts. PHOTO BY PARIS PAVLAS
In many of Texas’ larger cities, selfie museums, or spaces designed to provide social media-worthy backdrops for photos, have been hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. But in Century Square, a more temporary model has come into the picture. Owner Ashley Seigert hopes that Instaland, her pop-up selfie museum, will provide some amusement for College Station’s pandemic-weary residents. “Everybody’s taking pictures right now; everybody’s taking Instagram photos,” Seigert said. “They need fun stuff because they’re stuck at home, and they’re tired of taking the same pictures.” One person taking advantage of the new opportunity is sophomore Holden McBerty, who went to Instaland in January. “I of course got pictures for Instagram,” McBerty said. “There’s just so many bloopers behind it. And it’s just a really fun time.” This carefree experience is possible because of the precautions Instaland has taken to make the space relatively safe during the pandemic, Seigert says. “We had the benefit of knowing before we ever ventured into this concept that we were up against COVID,” Seigert said. “So we only sell 10 tickets per time slot. We have music going and a countdown timer, and you just take as many pictures together as you want in that time.” As of right now, Instaland’s
sets lack props to lessen COVID transmission, but the business is still finding ways to spice up the experience for customers. “They [had] a bring-your-dog day,” McBerty said. “I’m going to bring my dog that I trained to be a therapy dog.” Even on an ordinary day, Instaland customers use the space to its full potential, Seigert says. “Everybody that comes into this space utilizes it in a different form or fashion,” Seigert said. “There’s no way to do it wrong. What we do is just bringing joy.” Though Seigert sees the selfies her customers take as a source of happiness, some criticize “selfie culture” as narcissistic. McBerty considers these objections unfair. “Society’s standards [have] been really harsh,” McBerty said. “And I feel like any chance that we can get to feel better about ourselves, it’s just a selfconfidence booster.” McBerty also believes that critics of selfie culture misunderstand the motivations behind selfies. “People just need to accept that everyone on Instagram, they’re constantly trying to feel good about themselves,” McBerty said. “That’s why they’re taking these pictures. It’s like a diary.” To visit Instaland, go to instalandbcs.com and purchase a ticket online.
below: Holden McBerty in front of instaland’s signature “cloud background”. PHOTO BY HOLDEN MCBERTY
right: Holden McBerty with her dog Millie at instaland. PHOTO BY HOLDEN MCBERTY
8 | centerspread | the roar
the roar | centerspread| 9
friday, feb. 26, 2021
centennial red carpet
piper hitchcock & medha sarin sports editor & section editor
Staff reveals famous movie industry alumni
He legally changed his name from Glenn to Eagle after a friend told him that his nose looked like the beak of an eagle. He worked his way up from homelessness in the streets of Houston
Eagle Pennell Class of 1970
He is an independent filmmaker who’s movie “Whole Shootin’ Match” inspired Sundance Institution.
His most famous film is “The Last Night of the Alamo.”
“I’ve made a ton of mistakes. My saving grace is I believe in what I’ve done.” -Pennell, 1995
Her biggest role was in Central City Opera as Julie in Showboat, whilst her highlighting roles have been as Gretel in “Hansel and Gretel,” as well as the Beggar Woman in “Sweeny Todd.”
He played Matt Short in sitcom Life in Pieces, and Don Keefer in HBO series The Newsroom.
Thomas Sadoski Class of 1994
She is a champion in contemporary repertoire, and has even received two grants; the Richard E. Gold Career Grant from Central City Opera, and the Jacobson Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation.
Emily Pulley Class of 1984 She ceated the role of Lysia in the opera “Lysistrata” in her Houston Grand Opera, then reprised the role for the New York City Opera.
Brianna Hildebrand Class of 2014
Her most famous roles were as Elodie Davis in Netflix series Trinkets, and a Negasonic Teenage Warhead in the films Deadpool and Deadpool 2.
He made his Broadway debut as Mary-Louise Parker’s husband in the production of “Reckless.”
His film debut was as the character Chris in the 2000’s movie “Loser.”
INFORMATION PROVIDED BY: The A&M Consolidated Centennial Committee: Randy Bond, Brad Corrier, Marc Parrish, Shelly Peters, Julie Schultz, Katy Scott, Heather Simmen and Kelly Waguespack
Has been married to Amanda Seyfried for five years and have two children together, Thomas and Nina.
She received her first guitar at the age of twelve, and since then has been writing her own songs.
She first appeared in the web series “Annie Undocumented”, which won the honor of Best Web Series at the 2014 New York TV Festival. She represents the LGBTQ+ community and has been dating film producer Jonneke Grisham since 2016.
She is a two-time Grammy winning mezzo soprano, and has also been recognized by The New York Times as a “luminous standout.”
Her parents are professors of Russian at Texas A&M University, and Sasha attended the rival school, University of Texas.
Sasha Cooke Class of 2000 Cooke is recently a classicly trained pianist, who often assits the orchestra during their rehersals, and believes it has tremendously improved her ability to recognize harmonies and shifts
10 | feature | the roar
HOW-TO HYPE
friday, feb. 26, 2021
Student videographers create promotional videos for student organizations
said I get to be a movie star!’” junior Nathan Smith allison segers & ian curtis he picks the music before he actually makes said. “It’s really fun when the people that entertainement editor & section editor you’re working with want to be in the video the movie. So he knows what to put in at what
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that sports are highly regarded at Consol. From games, to practices, to pep rallies, signs of athletic programs’ popularity are evident everywhere, and they are a favorite part of the high school experience for many students. But it’s the work of another group that has truly taken teams’ spirit to the next level: AVP. Armed with cameras, music, and a Hollywood-esque sense of cinematography, the program has put the skills of several sports on full display in a series of hype videos shown to the student body and posted on the club’s social media accounts. The original idea for the hype videos’ spawned out of an observation AVP teacher and Consol alum Taylor Gade made upon his return to his alma mater. “When I came back [to Consol] as a teacher I felt that just the student body had kind of a cultural identity crisis,” Gade said. “I really wanted to find a way to bring some pride and tradition back to Consol’s students and especially those teams.” As for the reaction of the athletes themselves, positive is an understatement. “The Bengal Belles were really excited to be in their video. They were like, ‘Oh my gosh,
and want to make the video good.” The benefits of the videos are not exclusive to the subjects, however. AVP students themselves value the experience for several reasons, some of which might be surprising to those not affiliated with the program. “[I enjoy] getting to work with different people outside of AVP and working with other groups, ” senior Sarah Hillal said. “It’s so cool to work with basketball, football, and all the different teams. [I enjoy] seeing what they do.” The secret to the program’s success? Like so many other groups, it’s bonding. “The people are really fun to be around,” Smith said. “The best part of AVP in my mind is just being around those people. That’s what makes everything fun. If I had [purely] super talented guys it’d [still] be fun, but what really sets it apart for me is the people.” The actual production of each video begins in a place that one might not expect: music. According to Smith, the club decides on what is heard before beginning to think about what is seen on the screen. “It’s like ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. [Director] James Gunn, he’s come out and
spots,” Smith said. “It makes our lives easier if we know the music first. Because if we just [filmed] a video and then added the music, it wouldn’t match up as well. And I think a big draw to our videos is how [they] line up really well with the music.” If any members of athletic programs that have not been featured in a hype video as of yet are wondering how to make that happen. “First step: Tell your coach,” Gade said. “Say, ‘coach you need to go talk to Mr. Gade’ because if you send a student down [here I’m] not going to listen. I want to see the coaches because it is an investment. I need to know that the coach is going to come down and talk to me and give me some kind of input on it, and ideally say thank you when it’s all said and done.” All the work pays off however as the AVP team works to make videos that are worth while. “Hype videos [are] really good for the teams because it serves as motivation and it helps generates the direction [they are going].” Gade said. “They’re special and unique to that season and it’s specific to the kids and that club or whatever special thing it is that year.”
if you’re looking for some hype, check out their youtube channel,
AMCHS AVP top left: AVP program poses on the football field after livestreaming the game. bottom left: Students film the introduction for their news reel. above: Student videographer captures senior Eric Goodman running drills. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY NATHAN SMITH
for updates and inquires, follow their instagram,
@amchsavp
friday, feb. 26, 2021
say hello to xello
the roar | feature | 11
Xello allows for easier registration, high school planning amidst COVID-19 alex roeder & emily chen editor in chief & section editor The switch to half-virtual-half in person learning as well as a need to alleviate some stress from the counselors prompted a change in the system students use to register for classes. Starting this year, CSISD will use Xello instead of the traditional paper-and-pen process. When picking a platform, district technology administrator Kevin Ross says there aren’t many to choose from, and they all essentially do the same thing. The difference with Xello is the ease of navigation on the interface. After interviewing a few companies, the district settled on Xello as a winner. “We felt that this would be probably the best system for our district, for kids to be able to log on from their phones, from laptops, or at school, to help guide them on making decisions for their four year plan,” Ross said. Because the district had previously done scheduling completely on paper, the sudden switch to electronic registration was something of a shock, testing coordinator Aimee Parsons says. “If you are a student who didn’t start in College Station ISD, [like] you moved from Bryan, or you went to Brazos Christian, those courses didn’t pull into Xello at the beginning,” Parsons said. “We’ve had to work with our people at Xello to do that, and occasionally, something will not count for the right kind of credit, so we had to figure that out.” Despite these difficulties, Ross says that CSISD will continue to use Xello for the foreseeable future. “It’s really hard by the time you train students, teachers, counselors, and the community, and then you switch to something else, then you have to start over,” Ross said. “So I feel pretty confident that we’re going to give this a few years.”
Freshman CJ Zapalac was impressed with Xello’s ease of use. With the virtual system, students no longer have to handle gathering signatures for their courses-- a step that makes the process much less informal, he says. “If you’re signing up for a lot of advanced courses, registration can be sort of intimidating,” Zapalac said. “Aside from some mind-changes on my part, I felt that Xello made the process pretty easy.” For the counselors, Xello has spared them many hours of hand-transcribing schedules, eliminating the most time-consuming step of the scheduling process. “[In the past] we would have spent [registra-
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want to go to Houston and work in the Ship Channel, then that was kind of pointless.” To help with this, Xello includes a matchmaker test that counselors are encouraging students to take. The test matches students with career paths for the kids who don’t have their future planned out, Parsons says. “You can explore colleges, you can do personality testing, and it matches colleges to you; it really is beneficial and completely free,” Parsons said. “You’ve wasted no time if you do it, especially if you don’t have an idea what you want to do when you grow up, where you’re going to college, or what you’re going to major in.” By tracking students’ interests with the virtual platform, the district is able to keep students accountable to what they put in their four-year plan-- something that wasn’t feasible with the old system. “[In] the old days when I was in high school, you could take Ag and you could take Culinary and then you could take welding and just kind of bounce around,” Ross said. “The state wants us to streamline all of that. So we’re hoping Xello will help us do that.” In the future, the district hopes to use Xello to its full capacity, with all its features and components, Ross says. “I think that’s going to be really exciting because they have components for sending electronic college applications,” Ross said. “We’re hoping there’s a lot more electronic efficient stuff we can do outside of the four year plan within Xello.” Convenience for students and teachers makes Xello a great addition to the school’s software, Zapalac says. “Having all of our information in one place like that-- it’s really nice,” Zapalac said. “If I wanted to edit my four-year plan, change my requests, start my college search, I can just go to that one site. I’m really glad they made the switch.”
If you’re signing up for a lot of advanced courses, registration can be sort of intimidating. I felt that Xello made the process pretty easy” freshman CJ ZAPALAC
tion time] meeting with students and then still had to sit down and enter everything into files,” Parsons said. “We would just close our doors and just type and enter courses.” In addition, Xello allows counselors to track student’s interests and push them into tracks, like journalism or health science. This, in turn, helps the district know what sort of classes it needs to offer, as well as any staffing needs it doesn’t have filled. Alternatively, it lets the administration know if any of the existing programs are dying out. “The bottom line is, if there’s no student interest [in a certain program], none of that matters,” Ross said. “I could build the greatest maritime Ship Channel program on Earth. But if kids don’t
12 | sports | the roar
friday, feb. 26, 2021
bond-ed to both worlds Student balances preparation for college baseball and military training claire grace and alexia carnes senior editor & staff reporter
said. “Not a lot of people can say that, ‘I’m going to serve after this.’ And I’m excited to travel with the baseball team. They play really good schools, like Training for the military while simultaneously playLSU. And so I’m just really excited about the overall ing collegiate level baseball is a rare experience, school.” but Hunter Bond is a West Point commit who will In order to be accepted into West Point, play for the Black Knights while preparing to serve Bond had to take more initiative with being inhis country. volved in school, leading him to join multiple Bond has been in contact with West Point and organizations in Consol and the community. communicated with people who were close to “I’ve been a leader in my community. I’m him to make his final decision regarding his comthe leader of the Young Men’s Service League,” mitment. Hunter Bond said. “And so I’ve been [learning] “We were talking back and forth a lot,” skills and taking hard classes to prepare for West Hunter Bond said. “It was a lot of communication. Point.” Because you know, it’s a big decision. And so I West Point would bring many challenges was talking a lot with my coaches, my friends, and for Bond. my family. And I ultimately came up with a deci “West Point is a hard school,” Bond said. sion to commit there.” “So academics will be really tough. And so it’s not Bond’s outstanding skill led him to be like baseball is the front of my mind. It definitely will seen by scouts during his sophomore year which be academics. And then also, the fact that there’s a resulted in his being recruited by West Point. military side too I’ll have to, you know, balance out “Hunter was recruited as a junior because drills with the military side, along with baseball and he’s good enough to be,” Lennerton said. “Division academics.” 1 schools typically recruit pitchers in their sopho Bond has shown qualities that will carry more and junior years. It’s an arms race. Schools over to baseball in college. don’t have time to wait until players are seniors.” “He’s super patient,” junior and twin sister Junior Ziyan Ali says Hunter Bond continBrooke Bond said. “So I think that helps him a lot ues to persist despite already being committed to with baseball because it’s like a slow sport and he West Point. doesn’t get frustrated. So I think that’s really helped “I don’t think he expected anything,” Ali him progress as a player. He sticks out for what he said. “And when he got it, [it was] awesome, but he believes in, he doesn’t go with the crowd. he’s a just kept working. He didn’t let it get to his head or he’s a leader.” anything like that.” Even though he has been accepted and Attending a military academy, playing committed to West Point he still has more to do baseball, then enlisting in the military will give him before graduation. To attend West Point applicants new experiences, Bond says, including opportuni- have to actively be in contact with government ties outside of the campus. officials. “I’m excited for the experience,” Bond “It’s a year long to do interviews with sen-
PHOTO BY EVIE MILLER
ators and congressmen,” Hunter Bond said. “So that’s a little stressful, but I’m glad to have a plan and I know what I’m supposed to do. Being military bound is an important commitment for her brother, junior twin sister Brooke Bond said. “He has a lot of pressure on him with baseball and grades,” Brooke Bond said. “Since it’s the Army’s it’s a big deal, so he for sure has a pressure on him. And he also wants to make [the] school look good.” Despite being excited to play baseball at West Point, he is aware that playing professionally may not be a feasible opportunity after college due to his commitment to the military. “Not a lot of people go to the MLB draft after West Point,” Hunter Bond said. “There’s been a couple. But I’m really excited to serve my country. It really doesn’t bother me playing baseball and serving.” His perseverance has led him to play at the college level, and is going to benefit him in moving his life to the military academy. “Hunter and I are best friends and I’m super proud of him,” Brooke Bond said. “We’ve talked about it a lot, and he’s nervous that he’s going to lose contact with a lot of people, but he knows in the long run, it’s going to be worth it. I’ve always known he’s a good kid, but [being enlisted] makes him feel that way too, and I think it’s super cool that he’s going to serve his country some day.” Hunter Bond is taking on the opportunity and sees his future in the military as an honor. “I’m honored that I had the chance to play at the collegiate level and I’m very thankful for all my friends and family that helped me along the way.”
friday, feb. 26, 2021
flippin’ out
the roar | sports | 13
Gymnasts strive to overcome challenges of a small team, face funding issues piper hitchcock & saanya patel sports editor & online editor The Tiger gymnastics team is alive and thriving with new members and representation this year, including sophomore athletes Amaris Sanchez and Jesslyn Becerra, and junior Garret Cryer. Both College Station high schools are coenrolled. They compete and practice under one gym, where they work to improve their specific skill sets. “We enjoy being involved with CSHS because it grows our team,” Cryer said. “We work out with them because we’re around the same skill level and we grew up in the same [program]. The gymnastics team isn’t like other sports because we’ll all support each other, [even from separate schools].” A major reason for the co-enrollment is because both school’s gymnastics teams are underfunded and cannot afford to compete individually. This lack of funding creates many setbacks for the team, including struggles with equipment. “With more funding we can get newer leotards for competition since they are ten years old,” Becerra said. “Our gym is at least 15 years old, as well as some of our equipment, so it makes sense that there are a few danger spots because the floor is concrete. It’s also become very crowded with limited space. But we do the best we can with every given situation.” Funding difficulties have also made it
Interested in joining gymnastics? Contact: Garrett Cryer on Insta @garrett_57
difficult for interested students to join the team because the members have to pay each month to rent out the practice gym, Cryer says. “The problem is when you get to high school, there’s a lot of kids who weren’t introduced to gymnastics, so they lose physical conditioning, and don’t learn teamwork,” Cryer said. “If the school were to provide funding for gymnastics, then that would bring kids in and give them a place to be and an identity. But at two hundred dollars a month it’s basically impossible for people to join.” The cost may not be the only drawback to joining a sport like gymnastics. There are also many risks involved in relying solely on skill and muscle memory not to land on your head, Sanchez says. “Overcoming mental blocks is very challenging, especially if you’re not in the right mental state,” sophomore Sanchez said. “You could get a mental block by failing on a skill and being scared to get back up and do it again. [Gymnastics is] challenging but it’s always a relief when you prove yourself wrong of what you think you can’t do.” Cryer agrees there are many dangers present for gymnasts; however, he finds the most fear builds before doing a skill for the first time. “Gymnastics is [a risky sport], we fly in the air and then land on our feet. When you’re doing a skill for the first
time, you feel shaky because you’re really scared,” Cryer said. “Once you do it a certain amount of times, you get used to it until it’s not so scary anymore. You can do it over and over again and don’t have a problem with it.” Becerra believes while overcoming the fear of injury is a necessary part of one’s progression as a gymnast, motivation through team encouragement also plays a vital part in an athletes life. “Encouragement improves our performance because when you’re getting cheered on to do your best, it makes you want to achieve success,” Becerra said. “Even if you mess up, it’s nice to know someone is always proud of you.” The strong bond shared within the team helps the gymnasts gain the motivation needed to continue improving. “Without encouragement there is no motivation for the sport,” Sanchez said. “Encouragement helps [us because] no motivation can cause a lot of problems with liking and [continuing] the sport.” Cryer recognizes the importance of motivation in an individual based sport, and looks within himself to find it. “Individual sports rely upon initiative and self motivation,” Cryer said. “You’ve got to be self driven in order to be successful. But that’s the strength of a person, the initiative. And there are days in which it would be easy to sit down, but that’s when discipline kicks in and you carry through.”
PHOTOS BY: Claire Grace Franklin & Piper Hitchcock
14 | reviews | the roar
friday, feb. 26, 2021
welcome to the real world the roar reviews: reality tv ellie hague l section editor Who knew that a show about people who work on charter yachts could be so entertaining? Apparently Bravo. “Below Deck” began in 2013, featuring Captain Lee Rosbach and his crew of deck hands, stewardesses, and the all important chef. When you mix entitled rich charter guests with an overdramatic crew, drama is sure to ensure. Most reality shows tend to have a layer of fakeness to them, but “Below Deck’s” drama has a feeling of authenticity. One of the most likeable parts of “Below Deck” is the editing and pacing of the show. There is little filler, but has a nice balance between drama and showing the daily lives of the crew and the charter guests. The cast also has just the right mix of villians and heros; there are people who you love, and people who you love to hate. “Below Deck” and “Below Deck Mediterranean” also feature breathtaking scenery - from beaches to castles, these beautiful backgrounds serve as a backdrop to the copious amounts of drama that ensues on this fantastic reality television series.
ruby perry-mize l managing editor During isolation, while other people were baking bread and learning candlemaking, or whatever, where was I? That’s right. On the couch, in a backwards baseball cap, eating straight from a sleeve of Ritz crackers and watching reality TV. In this purest state of my being, I received a well-rounded education in trashy media: “America’s Next Top Model”, “Selling Sunset”, “Vanderpump Rules”, and the ancient classic, “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”. The crowning glory of my reality pantheon, however, is “RuPaul’s Drag Race”. If you haven’t heard of it, allow me to clarify: “America’s Next Top Model”, but all the competitors are drag queens, the host is a drag queen, and the clothes are so much better it’s not even fair to compare the two. RuPaul outshines Tyra Banks as a host in every capacity, from charisma to sheer delicious narcissism. The competitors show incredible creativity and resourcefulness with each challenge, creating dramatically gorgeous outfits out of dollar store purchases, curtains, and even fresh fruit. The interpersonal drama is every bit as juicy as any other reality TV show, but never depressing. And every episode, without exception, has a completely over-the-top lip sync battle. Any reality show can keep you occupied. “RuPaul’s Drag Race” can keep you going.
alex roeder l editor-in-chief I’m a simple girl. I like clothes, I like food, and like any other teenager, I like a healthy dose of observable drama. Well, bachelor in paradise gave me a hefty supply. I try to keep a safe distance from Bachelor Nation (because it’s somewhat intimidating, but also because you never know how much truth is in these shows), but I liked the idea of Bachelor in Paradise because the structure allowed for what seemed like more genuine connections between the cast. The main difference between this version and a regular season of the Bachelor (besides the location) is that there are multiple guys AND multiple girls, letting people actually choose and feel out who they vibe with, only spending time with people they want to build a relationship with. But no worries, the audience still got a shocking number of awkward confrontations, ugly cries, and rejections. With the show being shot on a beautiful beach in Mexico, there is lots of beautiful scenery to admire, and a good amount of half-naked guys (and girls) to divert your attention. Overall, if you’re looking for a drama-filled, cheesy romance show to help you escape from life, Bachelor in Paradise is a solid choice.
friday, feb. 26, 2021
d
nut debate the roar reviews: donut places saanya patel l online editor The element of Krispy Kreme’s donuts that stands out the most is the exceptionally smooth appearance of the donut’s exterior. It looks very dense and firm but when you eat the donut it is surprisingly very airy and fluffy. It’s also a very tasty donut, not overwhelmingly sweet but not bland either, a happy medium. If you like your donuts fluffy and not too sweet then Krispy Kreme is definitely a great place to go.
ian curtis l section editor The best way to describe Dunkin’s donuts is well-proportioned. Simple glaze, perfectly round shape, and not very messy. It’s just your plain old fashioned donut. I had some icing and filling with mine and it was very good, if you’re into that sort of thing on your donuts. If you want a gluttonous, misshapen, oozy mess of fried dough and pure sugar, head somewhere else. But if you’re looking for a nice, easy-to-eat-but-still-incredibly-tasty snack, Dunkin’ Donuts has you covered.
medha sarin l section editor Although the size of their pastries are overwhelming, Shipley’s cream fillings are second-to-none. Their batter tastes decent, and while it does have an aftertaste, it’s not as bad as Krispy Kreme’s or Dunkin’s. Unfortunately, Shipley’s is not as readily available as the latter restaurants, as it closes at 1 pm, often selling out of my favorite flavors by noon. It really comes down to whether you like your doughnuts soft and oozy with goodness like Shipley’s or firm in your hands and mess-free like Krispy Kreme or Dunkin’.
the roar | reviews | 15
flyin’ high again
the roar | etc. | 16
friday, feb. 26, 2021
Students share experiences on becoming pilots ellie hague & emmeline duhon | section editor & feature editor Most 16 year olds long for the freedom that having a driver’s license represents, but for senior Barry Creighton and junior Ronnie Smith, the blue skies held more promise than the open roads. Creigton has always dreamed of obtaining his private pilot’s license, he says, which would allow him to fly most small airplanes. He is now enrolled in flight school to finally achieve his dream. “I just woke up one day and said ‘Hey, I like airplanes,’” Creighton said. “That’s just kind of stuck around. I’ve always liked airplanes [for] as long as I can remember.” Smith is also working on his license by flying planes with his father. “My dad is an experienced pilot, and he’s been flying for probably over 30, 40 years,” Smith said. “I’ve just always grown up around aviation.” Although Creighton is able to fly certain planes solo with written permission, he is attending Brazos Valley Flight School at Easterwood Airport to gain his official private pilot’s license. “To get your [license you need] at least 40 hours of flying time,” Creighton said. “You need to pass a written ground school exam, an oral exam and then pass a checkride with an Federal Aviation Administration examiner, [where] you show them different types of maneuvers.” Similar to getting a driver’s license, there is both coursework, known as ground school which provides information about flying airplanes either in the classroom or online, and actual operation required to get a pilot’s license, where future pilots fly with a licensed instructor. “[In ground school] you learn about aircraft systems, the engine fuel tanks, the instrument panels; how it all works. There is [also] learning how to speak over the radios, learning weather and different types of weather services and learning how to read sectional charts,” Creighton said. “Flight training on the other hand, is when you get an instructor, go up in an airplane, and apply all the information you have learned in your ground school.” Although it may seem more daunting than driving a car, Smith argues that in a lot of ways it’s actually easier. “A lot of people freak out at the thought of flying an airplane,” Smith said. “If you’re under the right training, it’s safer than [driving], because you don’t have any traffic. You know where everyone is at all times.” Learning how to take off and land the plane were the most difficult parts for Creighton to learn. “Flying an airplane is one of the most humbling experiences of my life. It’s not natural whatsoever,” Creighton said. “[It] was really hard for me to learn to trust the airplane and just let it do its thing on landing, instead of pulling up too early.” Creighton mainly plans to use his license for recreational purposes, but hopes that it will also help him with future career goals. “ I want to be able to [fly] in college, and be able to [fly people] as a gift for my family in the future,” Creighton said. “I want to be an aerospace engineer. I don’t know how much usefulness a pilot’s license would bring, but I would have an understanding of how an airplane works, not just the knowledge of how it works. I’m keeping the door open to be a professional pilot, but so far I just plan on doing it for fun and just pursue a passion of mine.” For many, a private pilot’s license can be a stepping stone in pursuing
flying as a career, although Smith primarily wants his license for recreational purposes as well. “There’s a high demand for [commercial pilots],” Smith said. “Even before the pandemic, there was already an increase in the demand for commercial pilots. But with coronavirus, now more than ever, it’s a career path that’s stable.” One of Creighton’s favorite parts of learning to fly is how the aviation community bridges the gap between ages. “[Some] people get their license right when they turn seventeen, and you have people who get their license when they are in their 60’s.” Creighton said. “That’s one of the things I love about aviation is it reaches that age gap, you have people starting out when they’re 16 and still in high school. You don’t really find that in sports or any [other] extracurricular activities.”
photo (left): senior barry creigton learning to fly photo (right): aerial view of College Station