Vol. 21 No. 2

the

Roar

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

Friday, Oct. 30, 2015

Vol. 21 No. 2

in f ive

one

Sexual assault prevalent within society, too often unaddressed annie zhang & stephanie palazzolo

editor-in-chief & managing editor

*Senior Chloe Jackson was only ten years old when her 15-yearold cousin told her that he wanted to “play a game.”

A few minutes later, she became one of the almost 18 million American women who are victims of rape.

“He was my idol,” Jackson said. “I was just like, ‘Well, he probably knows better than me. He’s smarter than me, he’s older, of course he knows what’s better for me.’ I was very impressionable at the time, [and] you just don’t even think about it being wrong when it’s someone that close to you.”

Although she didn’t realize that she had been raped until freshman year, Jackson started seeing a psychiatrist for depression in the sixth grade. Despite the therapy, she found her life falling apart as she entered high school, and only then started to understand exactly what had happened to her.

“I had physical stress [freshman year] because I was waking up really early, mental stress because of homework everyday and emotional

inthisissue

news pages 2-4

opinions page 5

viewpoints page 6

stress. I just reached that threshold of ‘I can’t do this anymore,’” Jackson said. “I lost it. I went into this really bad spiral of depression and anxiety. I eventually took a bottle of pills to school one day and told a teacher I was going to take them if I didn’t get help.”

After the incident, Jackson couldn’t find comfort in her parents, who were called by the school authorities, or in the psychiatric hospital she was admitted to.

“My mom just comes in and is like, ‘What do you want? I don’t know what you want!’ I said, ‘Take me to a hospital,’” Jackson said.

“They couldn’t find a psychiatric hospital to send me to that had a bed open, so I waited for 16 hours in the emergency room. Finally they had one, but the hospital was really bad .”

Four days later, Jackson came back to school, where everything seemed to be fine again until January.

“All of a sudden, it just hit again, and I couldn’t keep it together,” Jackson said. “I swallowed a bottle of mouthwash, which had alcohol in it, and took a bunch of pills I could find at home, [but they weren’t] the type of pills that kill you; [they] just made me vomit.”

snapshots page 7

“sexual assault” continued on page 3 people pages 10-12

sports pages 13-14

entertainment page 15

2 | news | the roar

friday, oct. 30, 2015

Spoken-word poetry club provides opportunity for creativity, free expression june jeong | staff reporter

UPCOMING EVENTS

A poet waits on the wings of the stage, anxiously wringing his hands. He waits for the snaps to die down, and steps in front of his fans.

“I think [slam poetry] is very interesting because it lies in a middle ground, between Western dress day; writing in a traditional sense 6. Western dress@up day;up

and performing,” club sponsor AMCHS Livingston AMCHS @ Livingston and English teacher Chauncey Scarlet Letter play Lindner said.

6-8. Scarlet Letter Play The club officially began Cross Country state at Consol last year when Madmeet 7. Cross Country State Meet ison Mae Parker, the head of Early Release Mic Check, a poetry organiza11. Early Release tion based in Bryan, contacted Tennis state because the group was tournament 11-12. Tennis State Tournament Lindner looking for ways to get more inHOSA blood drive volved with people around the 20. HOSA blood drive BCS community.

World Fest “One of the groups that 20-21. World Fest they thought would be interThanksgiving holiday begins but weren’t reaching was 25. Thanksgiving Holiday begins ested the high school age students,” Lindner said. “Primarily, Mic Check’s events happen at a place in Bryan called Revolution’s.

WIT vs.

FIT 4. WIT vs. FIT And while it is kind of an all SAT; wrestling ages place, it is also technically tournament 5. SAT; Wrestling Tournament a bar. So it just didn’t have very

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many high school age students whose parents were comfortable with them attending there.”

To attract high-schoolers to the poetry scene, Parker constructed a plan.

“As we worked it out, [Parker] and some of her colleagues inside Mic Check, arranged to come here on alternating weeks and give miniature workshops.”

One of the members of the club, senior Christi Koufteros, recalls when she first attended a Mic Check workshop.

“My friend, Brenna Briles, wanted me to go to a meeting.

We were in Chemistry one day, and I really didn’t want to go but I said I would because she was going,” Koufteros said.

“Later though, it ended up that I kept going.”

Koufteros’ initial reluctance quickly evaporated once she personally experienced a positive change in herself through the club.

“Listening and hearing people’s stories from different points of views and understanding other people’s lives is eye-opening,” Koufteros said.

“Like, ‘oh, I didn’t know that could make someone feel that way.’ You get exposed to new stuff.”

Most teenagers who enjoy listening to slam poetry, like Koufteros, appreciate it because the majority of the subject matter is relatable particularly to young adults.

“The subject matter is usually really exigent [...] in the lives of younger people. Slam poets tend to be younger poets, and the crowd tends to be a younger crowd,” Lindner said.

“So issues of race politics, gender equality, even anger about student loans, just the things that are on the minds of relatively young people tend to pop up in performance poetry.”

Additionally, poetry often serves as an outlet for writers and performers to liberate their fears and secrets in a beneficial and healthy way.

“It’s definitely a release, a way to write about things that hurt you in a healthy way,” Koufteros said. “You can be direct about it without having it be overly direct about it.”

Parker concurs that poetry is closely connected to self-recovery and growth.

“If I could put what poetry means to me in a few words, I would say it’s about healing and relationships,” Parker said.

“A lot of people think that poetry is an isolating art form, in a sense that writing, more often than not, takes place by yourself. But the art of spoken word opens up so many more doors to be communicative and spaces for healing alongside people.”

Lindner notes that during this journey of healing, many young writers often doubt their work and fear disapproval.

“I think that the most important thing to remember [as a young poet] goes hand-in-hand as [with] what I see as most people’s biggest barrier: and that is that your writing is never perfect and it is never done,” Lindner said. “I think that people are afraid to read their writing because they don’t think it’s perfect yet and it’s not good enough. But it’s never done. The best pieces of writing always get revised.”

the roar | news | 3

friday, oct. 30, 2015

Victim struggles with mental, emotional effects, lack of understanding towards issue DEPRESSION & COUNSELING

Nonetheless, her parents sent her to the psychiatrist again, who recommended a better hospital this time. “[The hospital] kind of helped, but at the same time, it didn’t,” Jackson said. “You see kids in worse situation than yourself, so you start feeling bad about yourself.”

When she returned to school a few weeks later, Jackson fell behind in her schoolwork, which added to her stress and anxiety.

“They put me on a lot of medication, so I just kind of dissociated from myself,” Jackson said. “One day in history class, I took some scissors and just went at my arm for some reason -- that’s, like, not something that [I] do regularly; that wasn’t me. But it happened, and of course they had to send me back. That last time, I just had enough.”

Jackson finally revealed to her parents that she had been sexually assaulted by her cousin. She recalled that she “couldn’t even be in the room when [her psychiatrist] told [her] parents.”

However, she was now faced with a more difficult question: to press charges or not? “[My assailant] was, like, the cousin who was supposed to take over the family farm, and my grandpa wrote a paper in a farmer’s magazine about how great he was,” Jackson said. “So everyone was going to side with my cousin, not [with] me about it. Who’s going to believe the youngest one rather than the well-respected one?”

In the end, Jackson decided to not pursue charges.

“It’s that threshold of, ‘Am I going to screw everything — everything else — up in my life?’” Jackson said. “It wouldn’t help [my cousin’s] family because they’re poor, and he’s the breadwinner for his family. I know that if I would have pursued action, [my family] would have dissipated completely.”

Jackson’s decision isn’t uncommon — 63% of all rape cases are never reported to the authorities — and her story is just one of millions. According to a poll conducted by the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence, one out of five women is a victim of rape or attempted rape.

“The numbers fluctuate, [depending] on whether the victims report or not,” Jasmine Rodriguez, the Victim’s Advocate from the College Station Police Department, said.

“One year, we could have victims report, report, report, and then the next year, it can be like, ‘No one’s reporting, what’s going on?’”

Last year, College Station had 34 reported cases of sexual assault and 15 cases of child sexual assaults. But for many survivors of sexual assault — both those who choose to report and those who don’t — rape often becomes the root of other problems, such as depression, anxiety and low selfesteem. “[I felt] worthless,” Jackson said. “I didn’t like the way I looked; I was uncomfortable with my body, just uncomfortable with everything about myself. I didn’t like who I acted as, I didn’t like anything about myself.

I’m still not really comfortable with my body, and I guess if you analyze it, you could connect the dots that way.”

D o c t o r s prescribed her medication for her depression, and at one point, Jackson was visiting therapists three times a week.

“I’m still on medication to this day; I take eight or nine pills a night. It’s just a long process,” Jackson said. “I wouldn’t say I’m in ‘remission,’ but once you’re diagnosed with major depression or generalized anxiety disorder, it’s not like it’s something you can get rid of. You’ll always have it, [but] it’s just [that] sometimes it’s worse than other times.”

At the end of freshman year, Jackson found herself ranked far below her expectations in her grade, as she struggled to balance her schoolwork and mental health.

“Imagine where I could have been if that wouldn’t have happened, if I wouldn’t have missed almost a month and a half of school?”

Jackson said. “That’s the part that kind of haunts me -- I could have been something so much better than what I am now, not directly because of [the sexual assault], but because I missed school because of it.”

sexual assault HOTLINE: national HOTLINE: 1.800.656.HOPE local HOTLINE: 1.979.731.1000

Still, Consol and its counselors seek to serve as a primary advocate for victims and to act as an intermediary between student and teachers.

“We make sure that school doesn’t interfere with what they’re experiencing or going through,” counselor Paul Hord said.

“School takes the last priority because their priority is their care. We try to find them resources outside of school -- the biggest one right now is SARC.” The Sexual Assault Resource Center, or SARC, is a local non-profit organization that provides free and confidential counseling for sexual assault victims and anyone else affected.

With a 24/7 hotline and on-call advocates who provide comfort for victims, SARC also offers free educational programs and training to academic, civic, professional, and community organizations.

“There is no time frame for healing from a sexually violent act; therefore, we see clients ages 13 and up who may have been assaulted as a child, in a marriage or a dating relationship -- any point in time,” SARC’s program director Tracey Calanog said.

Even when legal action doesn’t pan out, SARC and the counseling it offers can help victims return to some semblance of a normal life.

“That’s the best way to go, that healing path, because if you think about it, you have the criminal justice system and you have your mental health path,” Rodriguez said. “If [a person’s] case is dismissed or doesn’t go through, they can still have that healing path, and that’s what counts, their mental health.”

And for Jackson, help in the form of counseling and therapy allowed her to recover from her mental trauma.

“I probably wouldn’t be where I am today if I wouldn’t have told anybody. If your situation is giving enough that you can actually get help, go get help,” Jackson said.

“You can’t live with it forever; something’s

“Imagine where I could have been if that wouldn’t have happened.”

going to explode at some point. [You] need to be able to get it out before [it] gets to that point.”

Another obstacle victims of sexual assault face in getting the help they need is overcoming the societal stigma surrounding sexual assault.

“When I went into that downward spiral, my dad was the one who was, like, ‘Why would you do this to the family?’”

Jackson said. “Even after I told them, there’s still always that sense that in some way, it’s the victim’s fault. It’s a popular culture

thing, like, ‘Oh, she was wearing something distracting,’ but when you’re ten years old, that doesn’t really line up correctly with that logic. But somehow it’s my fault.”

And it is exactly this fear of societallyimposed guilt that illustrates why less than 40% of all rape cases are ever reported.

“Women are afraid to report, because they’re afraid to be told that they ruined the man’s life, when in reality, the man ruined her life,” senior Jane Reed*, a friend whom Jackson turned to for additional support, said. “It sticks with you like nothing else: a rapist can be released from prison, but a girl that is raped can never have that experience not happen to her. Trauma does not go away after time. It stays with you.”

This perspective of guilt was further declared when earlier this year, Rolling Stone published a controversial article about a college student who claimed she was raped at a fraternity. The report was later proved by authorities and other media sources to have been fabricated by the source.

“I think it’s disgusting that people would do that. I don’t know what this girl’s end game was, but to think that she would make up something so traumatic that actually affects one in five women — a very upsetting statistic — is very gross,” Reed said. “There’s really no excuse for doing something like that when it’s not true, and you have no idea what the trauma another person’s going through feels like.”

“sexual assault” cont. on page 4

All services provided are free & confidential... counseling for survivors and their families

accompaniment to court or law enforcement

the SARC

w accompaniment by a

victim’s advocate to medical facilities

SOURCE: SARCBV.ORG

“sexual assault” cont. from page 1

4 | news | the roar

friday, oct. 30, 2015

Sexual assault victim begins recovery, advocates for greater awareness, empathy “sexual assault” cont. from page 3 Despite that prevalent ideology, Rodriguez has emphasized that the violation of the survivor’s body “isn’t their fault,” and SARC has pledged to “help in any way [they] can.”

“Sexual assault and violence, in general, is never okay. If you, or someone you love, has been hurt by a violent act, we will be there to support and listen to you,” Calanog said. “You never have to go through anything alone.”

Jackson found most of this additional support through her friends, including Reed and senior Fred Smith*.

“I was more angry than anything on her behalf, because she is someone I care about and I know she had her trust and bodily autonomy violated in such a horrible way,” Smith said. “People weren’t listening to her; her family, to this day, hasn’t done anything about it. It’s a really sad situation.”

PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS

That such a close friend had been raped revealed the pervasiveness of the “rape culture” to both Smith and Reed.

“After I found out that she’d been actually raped, [the issue of rape] was more serious; it wasn’t as abstract. Like, she’s the one in five women who’s a part of this,” Reed said. “It’s a real thing that’s actually happening; it’s a real thing to be afraid of. It needs to be addressed, that girls at such a young age

— twelve or thirteen — are getting abused like this.”

The problem, Jackson suggests, “lies with [our] abstinence-only education.”

“We don’t teach consent, we just teach, ‘Never have sex.’ The rates of pregnancies and STDs are higher that way, and there’s just a general lack of education about what’s okay with sex and what’s not okay,” Jackson said.

Rodriguez agrees that the key to changes in our societal beliefs is awareness and education.

“It’s easy to blame the victim, to [say that] well, she shouldn’t have drunk so much. If the victim cannot make that choice because she’s wasted or something like that, [then] that other person should have the moral value to say, ‘Well, she’s passed out; I’m not going to do that,’” Rodriguez said.

“It’s individual choice, it’s self-control.”

Consol too has considered covering the topic of consent, but so far, nothing has been finalized.

“It’s hard to do at a school setting because it’s so taboo. There are some things students need to be aware of [with] the law, but beyond that, the biggest one is consent,” Hord said. “It’s actually something that we’ve discussed as a school, but then we’re trying to figure out how and when to do that. The topic needs to be, somehow, covered with the 1800 students.”

Another aspect of the problem is the

abundance of “rape jokes,” especially within the high school demography.

“We need to stop trivializing sexual assault and start actually teaching people that it’s a really bad thing to do, and that it sticks with people forever,” Reed said. “The most important thing that we can do is speak out against it — if you hear somebody saying something like that, be like, ‘That’s not funny. If you think that rape is funny, you’re a horrible person.’ Just make sure people know that rape is not something you should talk about lightly, because it’s not a light subject.”

Though Jackson acknowledges that “we can’t change a culture overnight,” she believes that “the microaggressions that provide this background for rape” can be eliminated.

“It’s all sorts of little things. If you’re teaching a boy that it’s [a girl’s] fault that he’s distracted, then you’re teaching him that it’s okay to take advantage of her because she’s dressed with parts of her body showing,” Jackson said. “I could understand if someone showed up to school in a thong and a bra, like, that’s distracting. But [society’s] willing to take her out of school for a whole day because it might distract a boy.”

SEVEN YEARS LATER

Jackson attributes her ability to so clearly and calmly reflect on what happened to her seven years ago to the help and support she received from her friends, teachers, psychiatrist and her own self.

“A lot of people, when they’re going through puberty and growing up, they get a sense of self. And since I had to overcome so much more in that same period that everybody else was going through, I feel like I came out on top,” Jackson said. “I know who I am, I know what I like to do, I know what I want to do in my life, and I know I can do it. I feel really strongly about who I am now.”

Certainly, Jackson’s past will continue to live within her, but with several leadership positions and a strong GPA, Jackson has indeed found herself again.

“If you’re just looking at me from the outside, you wouldn’t know what’s happened to me,” Jackson said. “I’m not trying to be cocky, but I’m where I am right now, [and] I feel good knowing that I’ve gotten to this point.”

Today, Jackson has become an advocate for sexual assault victims, particularly for the LGBTQ, who are often targeted because of their sexual orientation.

“Being an ally in that way and making myself available to talk about those things helps the situation for other people,” Jackson said. “I’m not scared of people knowing. If it can help someone out, if it can help even save a life, if [it can] prevent one really bad instance, then it’s worth it.” *Name has been changed to protect the identity of the source.

SEXUAL ASSAULT RESOURCE HOTLINE:

1.800.656.HOPE

the roar | viewpoints| 5

friday, oct. 30, 2015

Fangirl experiences growth through concerts, connection to music

maya girimaji features editor Imagine this. Complete darkness. The only sound in the building is continuous screaming. The feeling of anticipation is thick in the air as adrenaline rushes. And then it happens. Their voice fills the air and cheers erupt from the crowd. The moment every person in the room has been waiting for is finally here and the stage lights turn on and there they are. With one bang of the drum, the first song of the night starts playing.

For each person, music has its own meaning. For some, it’s just something to dance to, while for others it’s relatable and personal. Starting from a young age, music has been huge part of my life. I’ve never once sat in silence and always have my headphones jammed in my ears.

But these songs tell stories that I apply to my life and inspire me to never give up. It’s more than just words and catchy beats strewn together. The people that sit down with a guitar and write their story on a piece of paper mean something to me. They’ve made a difference in my life and

getting the opportunity to see them live is something I gladly take every single chance I get.

Go ahead and label me as a crazy fangirl and maybe I am. But, it’s hard to understand the mind of a fangirl. Yes, we do stay up late promoting, voting, and tweeting. And manage to tie everything back to our favorite artist. But we aren’t overly emotional teenage girls. Most fangirls aren’t even open about their “obsession” because it’s way more than just an obsession. It’s become a part of us that we will remember forever.

Now imagine that same scene from the beginning of this story. A concert, right? For the “normal” human being, a concert is a time for them to hear live music and have bragging rights. It’s the complete opposite for a fangirl. A concert is a rare moment but when it happens we hold on to every single second of it. It’s a chance for us to forget about the world and our problems. We feel safe and at home because we’re surrounded by people who feel the exact same way as us. They also look at the stage with teary eyes as their hearts swell with joy. They also jump up and down and sing and scream until their voice is gone and at the end of the night they sound like Mickey Mouse.

They feel overwhelmed with bliss when their favorite song is played; the song that made them feel that they were not alone. They gaze lovingly at the individual that held their hand and guided them through the dark when no one else would. All because of one song, one album, one person.

This one moment that only lasts for a few hours is the moment that they’ve spent years dreaming about and is their definition of a safe haven.

And when it’s all over and the lights shut off once more

and all we have left is a memory and shaky pictures, we’ll spend the next few days reliving that night. Maybe we’ll even shed a few tears when we realize that the person we owe everything to is gone. We’ll feel joy and ecstasy yet saddened that it’s over. We’ll have to face the real world again and will have to think about the unfinished homework and the essay that’s due on Monday. But in that moment we felt alive and free from the pressures of being a teenager.

Many years from now, when our children have children, We’ll turn on the radio and hear that one song. And everything will come flooding back. The recollections of the late nights listening to music and the memories of screaming and running around the house when we get the notification that our favorite artist followed us on twitter.

The recollections of staying up until midnight to buy an album and spending the next few weeks listening only to that album. We’ll get home and find the dusty box in the attic that’s labeled “Best Memories.” Inside will be old photographs from the concert and worn out posters that used to cover every single inch of our walls. We’ll find our collection of CD’s that we’ve preserved so well. And we’ll find the newspaper clipping of the date when our favorite artist died and we’ll feel thankful. Thankful for the friends we’ve made and the beautiful memories we’ve created. We’ll be thankful for the smiles and the tears all because of one person. And we’ll close our eyes and imagine complete darkness and that feeling of anticipation we once felt many years ago.

Maya is the features editor for The Roar. Want to discuss music with Maya? Share your opinion to the.roar.girimaji@ gmail.com.

Past failures in school lead to better understanding of how to learn josh weimer assistant online editor As a kid, school was quite easy for me.

Even though I didn’t learn much, I enjoyed recess and the welcoming atmosphere.

School was so much more carefree then. It was a happy place that made me feel secure.

Middle school was almost the same as elementary. Even though I was enrolled in geometry and “advanced” English, the material never posed any challenge. Sure, I had homework to do and essays to write, but there was one key thing that I never had to do: study.

Throughout my time in school, I was advised to study, but never needed to.

Classes like history and science came easily to me, and just listening in class was

enough for me to get an A on any assignment. I never took the teachers seriously when they said “It will be harder next year.

There will be so much homework next year.

You will have to study next year.” It was never true. Every year, elementary to middle school, I was promised with difficulty, but never faced a challenge. So naturally when eighth grade was drawing to a close, I heard the familiar and inspiring words of my teachers, telling me that next year would would be different. I just blew them off; after all, that’s what they said every year, right?

Then high school happened.

I like to think of freshman year as my rude awakening.

I wasn’t expecting expecting much. Honors, Pre-AP... those words didn’t mean anything to me. I had never struggled in school, so these classes couldn’t be too hard, right?

Pre-AP English I was the first time I failed an assignment, ever. This was a wake

up call for me. What had happened? I wasn’t stupid, or was I? It didn’t matter to me that the majority of the class failed, or that it was probably my fault for not reading the rubric; I was devastated by the fact that I had gotten a failing grade.

ARTWORK BY ERIKA SALZMAN On the first biology test I got a B, and I suddenly felt like my grades were slipping,

as if I was destined for failure. I had never needed to exercise any effort for school before, and now I was suddenly struggling.

I didn’t realize at the time, but I needed to study. None of the time I spent at AMCMS “preparing for high school” mattered because I didn’t know how to learn.

My easy days of middle school had only lulled me into a false sense of security and laziness. And while I did learn the material, I didn’t learn to work hard or to accept the fact that if I continued this way I was going to failing an assignment or five.

I do appreciate these failures and struggles I have felt so far in high school, and the challenges I faced academically.

Without them, I don’t think I would know how to study, to work hard, or to learn at the same ability I can today.

Josh is the assistant online editor for The Roar. Have you experienced failures in school? Share your opinion to the.roar. weimer@gmail.com

6 | viewpoints | the roar

friday, oct. 30, 2015

IS CULTURAL APPROPRIATION REAL? cul·tur·al ap·pro·pri·a·tion (n.)- the social concept that views the use of elements of another culture, such as clothing, as negative w

?

sophomore

JOSHUA PROCHASKA

w senior

MARY STEINER

the roar’s consensus “I think it’s okay to wear clothes from different cultures. Through wearing their attire, you learn about their culture in general, so that should be okay to do.”

freshman

SELENA LI

Tomorrow’s Halloween, and that means candy, jack-o-lanterns and costumes.

The latter has been a topic of debate in the past few years, though, as celebrity scandals, such as Julianne Hough’s blackface, have demonstrated the devastating consequences of cultural appropriation. However, most people don’t have paparazzi following their every move, so dressing up as an “Indian” or “Japanese geisha” can seem like a good idea for the average Halloween-goer.

But it’s not. Cultural appropriation, even by everyday people, is one of the most subtly insidious forms of racism; it plants the idea in people’s minds that entire cultures are nothing more than a few insulting cliches — the sexy geisha, the intoxicated Mexican, the bomb-strapped Arab.

Education is the key to appreciating cultures instead of demeaning them. For example, participating in a traditional ceremony while in that country is not cultural appropriation; sticking a bindi on your forehead and playing Bollywood music everywhere you go, on the other hand, is. Countries and societies are so much more diverse and multi-faceted than a racist three-word description, and it is possible to respectfully represent a culture if you understand its traditions and values.

You can always take off a costume, but cultures can never throw off the thousands of years of oppression and stereotypes that still haunt them today.

The Roar 2015-2016 Staff “I mean, don’t people have the right to wear what they want? If you see someone wearing something that represents your culture, like... at least they’re noticing your culture.”

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Executive Editor Senior Editor Online & Photography Editor Assistant Online Editor News Editor Features Editor Opinions Editor Entertainment Editor Staff Reporters Faculty Adviser Assistant Adviser

Annie Zhang Stephanie Palazzolo Vi Burgess Rachel Lamb Haley Mitchell Josh Weimer Darcey Rydl Maya Girimaji Jennifer Zhan Olivia Garrett Yanichka Ariunbold June Jeong Michael Williams Chauncey Lindner

The Roar Editorial Board Annie Zhang • Stephanie Palazzolo • Jennifer Zhan

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, 2000-2014 ILPC Award of Distinguished Merit, the CSPA Gold Medal Award, the NSPA All-American distinction and 2005 & 2014 ILPC Bronze Star and 2007-2013 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. GlynnWalker, Director of Human Resources, 1812Welsh, College Station,Texas 77840 (979-764-5412) has been designated to coordinate compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements of Title IX. Catherine George, Director of Special Services, 1812 Welsh, Suite 120, College Station, Texas 77840 (979-764-5433) has been designated to coordinate compliance with the nondiscrimination. requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

“If you’re wearing it as like a Halloween costume, that’s not okay. That’s rude and kind of making fun of that culture. If you’re doing it just to appreciate that culture, though, that’s fine.”

junior

CARLOS ESPINA

“If I saw someone in a generic Hispanic outfit, I wouldn’t care. There’s nothing wrong with it unless you make it wrong. To me it’s not really a problem.”

the roar | snapshots | 7

friday, oct. 30, 2015

brush it off Zhou cites local artists like Barbara German as her inspiration.

German’s studio is in the same building as the Purple Turtle.

A painting by Colton Rich.

Students find stress relief painting at local art studio yanichka ariunbold staff reporter Ask junior Shelly Zhou what she does on most nights, and with a weary smile, she’ll probably give a simple, one-word response: “Homework.” Taking six AP classes, Zhou is swamped with a college-level workload, day in, day out. On Tuesday afternoons, however, Zhou unwinds and makes a trip to downtown Bryan to Purple Turtle Art Studio, where she has been taking art classes since she was five.

“My sister had already been doing art at Purple Turtle when I was in kindergarten, so I just joined her,” Zhou said. “I just really liked it, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Le Hale, her instructor of 11 years, cites Zhou as a gifted, model student with a unique artistic view and exemplary concentration skills.

“Some children are just more into [art], more focused,” Hale said. “Shelly’s one of the more focused kids.”

For an hour and half every week, Zhou indulges in a much-needed break from all the tests, the quizzes, and textbook readings that comprise the “constant stress of school.”

“Just getting to paint once a week is just a nice break from [everything],” Zhou said. “It’s really relaxing, and I guess you could say, therapeutic — it’s really stress-relieving.

Freshman Colton Rich also has attended classes at Purple Turtle since he was in kindergarten, going every summer to attend the intensive, week-long art camp offered at the studio. “[Colton] has been coming for a very long time,” Hale said. “This summer, he was like an apprentice. He came and helped me, and then in in the afternoons, when we had our advanced class, he came as just a student and worked.”

Seeking a positive outlet, Rich often fuels his frustration into his artwork, which is primarily dominated by cool colors.

“If something bad happens, I’ll go and draw something,” Rich said. “You can take out your anger [with art].”

Both Zhou’s and Rich’s artwork may vary from landscape to abstract to still life, but one overarching aspect remains prominent in their art: acrylic paint. “[With], say, watercolor, if you mess up, it’s harder to fix it because it’s harder to paint over watercolor. The one thing that’s really good about acrylic [painting] is that if you mess up and you let it dry, you can completely paint over it,” Zhou said. “It’s also why it takes me such a long time to finish paintings a lot of times because I have to repaint over a bunch of things and change them.”

Because Zhou’s older sister is now attending Princeton University, Zhou delights in having a new companion with

whom to take classes-- her 5 year old brother, Jack.

“It’s really cool seeing [Jack] start,” Zhou said. “It reminds me of what it was like when I first started painting. Even though it’s like him painting and not me, it helps me see how far I’ve come.”

Rich argues that doing art for so long has lent insight into his perception of different people and ideas.

“Say you tell two people to paint a picture of something that makes them happy. One might paint something as materialistic as money, the other maybe it is simply a portrait of their mom,” Rich said. “In a way, these two pieces are similar because they both make people happy, or there might be a much deeper reason to it.

Art, for me, is just a way to express your personal emotions.”

Zhou, despite her years of experience, believes that anyone can create art with enough practice.

“I think it’s really interesting to see how I’ve evolved because the first painting I ever did with her, I painted a dragon-fly, but when I brought it home, everyone thought it was an ice cream cone,” Zhou laughed. “So just remember that when you start, even if the first thing you do looks really ugly, if you keep going at it, you’ll definitely improve.”

PHOTOS BY YANICHKA ARIUNBOLD

Colton Rich holds a portrait he did in charcoal, which he cites as one of his favorite pieces.

8 | news | the roar

friday, oct. 30

THE NAME’S BOND,

SCHOOL BOND

College Station growth leads to upcoming bond election vi burgess executive editor Due to a need for funds to build new schools and renovate existing schools, CSISD has called a bond election for November 3, 2015. The bond is valued at $135.9 million and will fund a third intermediate school, third middle school, tenth elementary school, renovations to current intermediate and middle school campuses, buses, technology and land acquisition.

“Between 2004-2015, we increased our elementary schools from five to nine,” superintendent Dr. Clark Ealy said. “In that same time, we still only have two intermediate schools, and we still have only two middle schools.”

The district anticipates that the school district will be over capacity in the middle and intermediate schools by 2017.

“We’ve been able to add classroom wings to Oakwood and to Cypress Grove and AMCMS; we’ve added portable buildings to Oakwood and AMCMS,” Ealy said, “[However], we haven’t done anything to increase the size of the cafeterias or the libraries or to widen the hallways, which are just tight as can be there.”

In order to fund these projects, the school district sells bonds, which will increase property taxes within College Station.

“Some people will not want to vote to raise their taxes because they are not seeing a direct benefit for their own children,” Ealy said. “Now, we would argue that to an extent that when we have an educated citizenry, an educated community here, it benefits everybody, whether you have kids in school or you’re just a general resident of this community.”

The projected increase will most likely be between $0.06 and $0.10. Currently, the property tax per $100 of property valuation is $1.36.

“We’re definitely looking at how conservative we can be for our taxpayers and still meet the needs that our current schools have and [the needs of] those folks who are coming to our community

to join us,” Ealy said.

For the past two decades, voters have passed the bond election with a strong majority that hovers around 70%. According to Ealy, the last contentious issue was the funding of the CSMS Natatorium in the 1990’s.

“I have heard through legend that there was a referendum in the early nineties when we built the natatorium next to College Station Middle School; that was a separate issue, and it was very close. I’ve heard it passed by one vote, I’ve heard it passed by ten votes,” Ealy said. “[But] for the most part, these educational facilities have generally been met with a lot of positive results from our community.”

The eight projects that the bonds will fund were decided by the “Planning for Growth” committee, which comprises community members, district administrators, teachers and school board members.

“We did, as a committee, look at some other things that did not make the bond. One of the committee members said, ‘Well, you know what would be great is if we had an indoor facility that would have a sports court where we could have volleyball courts in there, and we could bring in these tournaments,’” Ealy said. “We did a little bit of design work, we did a little bit of cost estimation work, and when we got to the end, as we prioritized our needs, this fell way at the bottom.”

Because the school pays off the debt over a series of years, the total debt, including this year’s proposed bond, would be $379,289,785. Both Ealy and school board president Dr. Valerie Jochen emphasize the benefit that the additional funds will do for students.

“The school board and the community want to be sure that we have a strong education not only for you all who are in school but also for the people who are coming behind you,” Jochen said. “We can do that by being sure that we have space so that those that are teaching you can have the ability to teach so well.”

the roar | news | 9

0, 2015

Renovations & Buses Technology

$5.23 million

Land Acquisition $5.8 million

$5.6 million

Intermediate School #3

Deferred Maintenance

$38.38 million

$5.2 million

What are school bond elections?

A special election deciding whether or not to raise taxes in order to renovate and construct school facilities

Elementary School #10 $24.22 million

Middle School #3 $51.73 million

What are bonds?

Investors buy bonds from the government to fund projects and are paid back later, sometimes with interest.

IMAGE PROVIDED BY MITCHELL & MORGAN, VLK ARCHITECTS

10 | people | the roar

friday, oct. 30, 2015

UPHOLD the

Maroon Men energize crowd, team through entertaining mindset, antics jennifer zhan | opinions editor New football players are eager for their chance to shine on the green turf. New cheerleaders practice their routine, confident after weeks and weeks of practice. The band members practice with rehearsed synchronization. When the stadium lights turn on, everyone seems ready. But new Maroon Men have never even touched a spirit flag before.

“Our first practice was our first game,” freshman Jack Chivvis said. “They tell you what you need to do and you just have to get the hang of things.”

The Maroon Men’s responsibilities include setting up the tiger head tunnel for the football team to run through and running the spirit flags down the field whenever Consol scores. But senior Karlo Capareda says the Maroon Men do a lot more than that.

“We bring hype to the games and get people excited and on their feet,” Capareda said. “It helps the football team out to have people supporting and cheering for them.”

For example, senior Allen Lambert recalled how during one game, the Maroon Men literally

supported the football team by holding up a rapidly deflating tiger head tunnel as the players ran through.

“The worst part is probably all the cardio. But at least lots of cardio means lots of points, which means winning,” senior Karlo Capareda said. “I’m willing to risk doing exercise — it can be very dangerous — in support of our football team.”

All jokes aside, charging down the field with flags whenever a point is scored proves harder than it might seem.

“You’re going fast, it’s windy, there’s a lot of resistance,” sophomore Zach Jett said.

“The flag needs to stick straight up, but your hips are swaying side to side.”

Even though the Maroon Men might joke that they charge across the field with bedsheets on poles, the spirit flags are undoubtedly sacred.

“Unless we score, we do not touch the flags.

There’s a stigma that if you touch the flags, the point that’s about to happen is not gonna happen,” Jett explained. “If we don’t make the point, we’ll always yell [at each other,] ‘You touched the flags! What’s wrong with you?’”

Despite the lighthearted teasing, the relationship

between the Maroon Men is incredibly strong.

“I think of the Maroon Men as a brotherhood slash team… I hate them all but I love them all at the same time,” Lambert said.

Capareda adds that games are a great time to bond, because he doesn’t get to see all of the members regularly.

“We sing random songs, we chug milk when we score, we have rap battles, we dance on the field,” Jett said. “You can be goofy, and no one makes fun of you for it. We all know we’re there to hang out and have a good time.”

There are other perks as well; Maroon Men watch the game for free right from the field, and get free rides and meals for away games.

“It’s not a huge time commitment either,” Lambert said. “I’d say [it’s] about four to five hours on most Friday nights. And you don’t necessarily have to go to every game either, as long as about nine Maroon Men go.”

Lambert said he’s often recognized in the hallway as ‘that one guy who runs flags.’

“I’m really proud when I answer that I am,” Lambert said. “It’s a place of honor.”

friday, oct. 30, 2015

Hans Going Solo

the roar | people | 11

Sophomore pursues passion, leaves athletics for career technology class haley mitchell online & photography editor This year, sophomore Hans Sapo will be watching football games from behind a camera instead of behind the line of scrimmage.

“The coaches liked me and some people said I was good. I didn’t really think I was good; I was just doing it for fun, and I told myself [that] the minute it stops being fun, I’d just drop it,” Sapo said. “After I quit football, I really got into tech stuff, and that’s why I went to AVP [Audio Video Production].”

Sapo joined Consol’s media tech program this year, a block class that teaches filmmaking and photography, although the choice to join wasn’t easy.

“I took DIMM and PIT, because [they] focus on different kinds of tech,” Sapo said. “I feel like you can be a little more creative in AV than you can in tech.

If I’m not being creative, it bothers me, so I’m constantly creating stuff, and I feel like AV gave me that platform.”

Digital Interactive Multimedia

(DIMM) is the prerequisite to AVP that teaches the basics of visual arts, while Principles of Information Technology (PIT), prepares students for computer maintenance and game design classes. Through DIMM and AVP, Sapo has found friends who share similar passions.

“They’re just as creative as I am, which is good, because I don’t want to be the only energetic person in the class; that’s boring,” Sapo said. “It’s fun that I actually have people that want to do something.”

Sapo and his friend, junior Jack Hall, are members of the seventeen-student Tech One class.

“I met Hans last year, and we got to be friends because he’s nice; every time I saw him, we’d greet each other,” junior Jack Hall said. “I was talking to him one day, and he was talking about football, and I was like, ‘Hey, you should do media

tech.’ He ended up doing it.”

Sapo’s positivity is widely noticed and appreciated.

“Hans never has a bad attitude. He’s always friendly and respectful to his peers and to myself,” Media Tech teacher Jay Robinson said. “We’re only halfway through the second six weeks at this point, so we haven’t really had the chance to assess everyone’s ability, but he’s one of the hopefuls.”

S a p o has already proved himself to be quick learner.

“I moved here from Congo in 2008.

When I first came here, I had to learn English and stuff. It wasn’t hard; it was just weird. Right now, I speak English, French and Lingala, [but] I don’t speak French as fluently anymore,” Sapo said. “Since I’ve lived here for six years, I’ve gotten more

“I’m constantly creating stuff, and I feel like AV gave me that platform.

sophomore Hans Sapo

used to English than the other languages.”

It’s this drive to succeed that has made an impression on Robenson.

“I’m very happy he’s a sophomore in AVP and I hope that he has the desire and ability to advance the ranks through advanced AVP and practicum,” Robinson said. “It would be great to have him all three years in the program.”

Though Sapo loves AVP, he doesn’t regret his time under the stadium lights.

“Just because everyone loves football in Texas, I did get some negative reactions [when I quit],” Sapo said. “But overall, most of the guys I met at football are still some of my best friends.”

Even if it meant quitting football, Sapo is satisfied that he’s following his dreams and looks forward to learning more about Media Tech.

“The minute I walk in the classroom, I just start thinking about different things I could do, different videos I could make,” Sapo said. “I might consider it as a career, but I don’t know yet. It seems like a fun job.”

PHOTO BY HALEY MITCHELL

12 | people | the roar

friday, oct. 30, 2015

Language clubs encourage interest in cultures, welcoming communities

french

olivia garrett entertainment editor If the prominence of the Eiffel tower in movies and television is any indication, the French language and culture has fascinated generations of Americans. Among these admirers are the members of Consol’s French Club.

“In the United States and other English-speaking countries, we tend to focus on English because it’s the lingua franca of the world,” French Club president Alena KangLandsberg said, “but before English, French was the lingua franca.”

Because French is spoken on every inhabited continent, the club covers diverse peoples and subjects, using the influence of the language to link a variety of discussions.

“I really like the fact that we don’t just focus on France, we cover the entire francophone world,” club

darcey rydl news editor

you are able to communicate because maybe a Spanish speaker does not know anything at all.”

The unique thing about Spanish Club is that Spanish is spoken throughout the entire meeting.

“I like that we get to practice Spanish and get to hear it,” president Lexi Kuppersmith said. “Most of my classes this year are in English, so it is one of the few places I still get to practice Spanish.”

The club’s main objective is to send people to the Pan American Student Forum, an annual competition where members show off their languages in categories including grammar, reading, and listening comprehension through tests and art competitions, and prepare and provide ways for more members to compete.

“Pan American Student Forum is the most exciting thing [we do], but we [are] hoping to have more fundraisers and activities this year,” Kuppersmith said. “We only have

facts about the theme.”

The club hopes to evolve, transitioning into a more activity-oriented club, while still placing an emphasis on discussion.

“A lot of times what happens is we’ll have some discussion about France or francophone culture and then, we’ll kind of run out of things to talk about,” Kang-Landsberg said.

“We always talk about stuff, but it would be nice to have something to do at the same time.”

Among the activities that French Club already does throughout the year, such as making crepes at the Homecoming Carnival, is Christmas caroling with student council’s Tiny Tim. While fundraising for charity, “the club sings their carols in French,” Landry says.

An added benefit for French students is the club’s camaraderie.

“The club is made up of all of the students in the French class together and from all levels,” Landry said, “so

a limited number we can take to competition, so if we can generate enough funds through fundraising [towards] another trip, or being able to take more people [to] the competition, that would be great.”

In order to prepare for competition, Kuppersmith has provided a variety of opportunities for members to practice their Spanish grammar and vocabulary.

“The fun stuff and game stuff we have never done before,” Escobedo said. “The president this year was playing Kahoot, [and] she had a game last week that [she] was very involved with and it was fun for everybody.”

Another activity the club would do more of if they had more members is service projects.

“We raised funds for painting homes before,” Escobedo said. “We have gotten relaxed on it and perhaps that is because the club has gotten small, but maybe this year, [since] it has gotten bigger, we will be able to

there’s older people mentoring the younger people.”

Interestingly, the club hopes to expand to covering more serious and relevant topics, such as current events.

“Since there’s so many crises going on in the world, especially in Francophone regions, such as the Syrian refugee crisis, that’s something that I think we could discuss or even maybe try and do something about in French Club,” Kang-Landsberg said.

Likewise, recognition of the importance of cultural understanding and foreign languages is prevalent among the members of the club.

“It’s great for students to realize that there’s a whole world out there and it’s important to show that you really care about others by trying to learn their language.” Landry said.

“Just expecting that the entire world speaks English is not a very realistic thing.”

do that.”

Besides practicing for competition and raising money, the club celebrates cultural activities such as Dia de los Muertos and Cinco de Mayo.

“I like the fact that the students gather and just have a good old time,” Escobedo said. “Sometimes we eat popcorn, candy, Mexican cookies, coke floats, and a lot of people stay afterwards and they just mingle and talk.”

Contrary to popular beliefs, Kuppersmith says some clarification is needed to reassure the people that they do not have to currently be in a Spanish class to become a member or participate in competitions.

“We do have some who are not taking any Spanish [classes or] they’ve taken it one or two years [and] they’re there to refresh,” Escobedo said. “You don’t have to [know Spanish], but if you want to learn, [this] is a good place to learn just to get exposed to it.”

spanish

Members of Spanish Club are not surprised when President Lexi Kuppersmith calls the meeting to order in another language. “[Learning languages is] very important,” Spanish club sponsor Irma Escobedo said. “We live in a global society, [so] it is good to know various languages, not just two, not just one. It is good to know many, many languages.”

Although Escobedo stresses the importance of learning a variety of languages, students in Spanish Club have an opportunity to learn about a language that is especially relevant in our culture. “[In Texas], since we have so many Hispanics in our area, it is good to know Spanish to be able to communicate,” Escobedo said. “Even if you know a little bit, if you work at a restaurant like McDonald’s, at least

sponsor Maria Landry said. “There are people in North Africa who speak French, in the Caribbean, even in South America, in French Guinea, and North America, also, in Canada.”

In a similar way, French Club is open to every student at the school, not just those who take a French class.

“We’re not speaking in French in French club, and I think that outside of the French classes, not a lot of people know about the club,” KangLandsberg said. “People outside of French classes can enjoy it too.”

A typical French Club meeting involves a group discussion about francophone culture and food that fits the week’s theme.

“We generally have like bread and nutella and possibly if it fits with the theme, some other food, but we’ll discuss a theme possibly regions or maybe this year art and music,” Kang-Landsberg said. “And the club leaders will have an assortment of

the roar | sports | 13

friday, oct. 30, 2015

YOUNG BLOOD

Underclassmen volleyball players adapt to varsity environment

rachel lamb | senior editor

PHOTO OF EMILY EDWARDS

BY JUNE JEONG &JOSH WEIMER

THE ROAR ONLINE

theroarnews.com @theroarnews

Playing on varsity is the crowning moment in many volleyball players’ high school careers, but almost half of Consol’s current varsity team earned this achievement as underclassmen.

“What is unique this year is that we are a really new team; we have basically one returning starter and a couple kids who were on varsity last year,” volleyball coach Jennifer Kazmierski said. “A lot of girls that we have this year are brand new to varsity.

The coaches and players have to work hard to adapt to the high level of playing required for the varsity team.

“The biggest adjustment is having a new group with not a lot of varsity experience,” Kazmierski said. “It’s taken a lot of work to get them mentally and physically ready to go compete against a great district.”

The players had to quickly prepare to be able to step into a varsity roll.

“It’s kind of hard because most of us don’t have the experience that the other teams do,” senior Robin Ealy said.

“But we mesh really well, so that’s helpful.”

The friendly attitude of senior members has helped many younger players fit in with the team.

“It’s easy because all of them are welcoming to us; they don’t care what grade we are in,” freshman Skyler Nowach said. “We are all friends, so we have their support.”

Yet, even with the hospitable at-

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mosphere, for many it has been an adjustment playing high school volleyball, especially varsity.

“We are playing with 18 year olds — and we are 14 — so it’s more difficult,” Nowach said. “They’re a little bit intimidating because they are really tall.”

Even though the team is young, it has managed to hold their own against tough competition.

“I think that the dynamic of this team is a team that is small, but mighty,” Kazmierski said. “We’re not very big, so when we step on the floor against some really big teams, especially some of the 6A teams we play, I think that we are underestimated. A lot of the teams we play are really, really tough.”

Senior Haley Slocum, who has been on varsity since her freshman year, has become a valuable member of the team, helping the team unify.

“Slocum is probably our biggest leader on and off the court,” Kazmierski said. “She’s definitely a college level player, not only skill wise, but she’s super positive, you never see her without a smile on her face and working her hardest.”

Kazmierski hopes to help the program reach its full potential. “[I want] to build a program that competes for state every year,” Kazmierski said. “A program that wins district, that continues to be able to do that every year throughout the cycles of kids that go through.”

And with the unique talents of ev-

ery player combined, Kazmierski believes this goal is obtainable.

“They are a great group of girls and they have big hearts,” Kazmierski said.

“So it’s been a lot of fun to be around them because they’re super sweet and super kind.”

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14 | sports | the roar

friday, oct. 30, 2015

my brother’s Tony Williams

KEEPER

Brothers bond over shared passion for football, love of competition maya girimaji | features editor When it comes to siblings, they can either be best friends or worst enemies.

With Tony and Trevor Williams, it could’ve gone either way, especially since they’re both on the varsity football team, where competition is at its highest.

Yet, these brothers do everything together — hunting, fishing, playing video games and most of all, playing football. Along with sharing similar interests, both brothers have

Trevor William s

indistinguishable charming and Playing together since the age easygoing personalities. of five and six, Tony and Trevor have “They’ve been raised to be very almost dedicated their entire lives respectful,” head football coach David to football, setting high goals for Raffield said. “They’re easy to talk to themselves from a very young age. and work very well together.”

“I felt like I was on top of the Raffield world when I has had many made varsity,” brothers play sophomore for him, and T r e v o r some have Williams gone head said. “I finally to head with accomplished each other the goal I’ve to the point been trying where it gets really hard to personal. But reach.” head coach David Raffield he knows that T o n y no matter how Williams competitive Tony and Trevor are, they added that both wanted this goal since wouldn’t do anything at the expense of elementary school and that it was a the other. huge relief when they both made it “I get to be a role model and their sophomore years. a mentor to [Trevor],” junior Tony Playing on the varsity team has Williams said. “He wants people to resulted in long hours dedicated know him as him and not as my little to practicing but has also created brother, and that helps me constantly a stronger bond between the two set the bar higher so he can excel as brothers. well.”

“Since I know things about Trevor

“They’re both vicious competitors and take pride in doing the right thing.”

that other players don’t know about, it allows us to push certain aspects,” Tony Williams said. “He tells me everything and I use that to motivate him.”

The brothers go on to explain how they hope to play football with each other in college and perhaps even in the NFL like Payton and Eli Manning, especially after devoting so much time to the sport.

“It doesn’t have to be at those standards, but I just want to keep playing with him,” Tony Williams said.

“If it does end up going all the way to the NFL, then I’d be really grateful.”

Trevor adds that it would be the ultimate goal to play after college and is thankful to be able to share this journey with his older brother.

And Raffield has no doubt that there is a bright future for both Tony and Trevor.

“They’re both vicious competitors and take pride in doing the right thing,” Raffield said. “Both are strong people and will be successful in whatever they want to do in life because they’re tremendous football players.”

PHOTOS BY MAYA GIRIMAJI

the roar | entertainment | 15

friday, oct. 30, 2015

THE ENGINE annie zhang | editor-in-chief Wicked Woods, the haunted house organized by Texas A&M’s Kappa Sigma, hid behind the fraternity’s house next to Easterwood Airport. It certainly lived up to the last part of its name: the majority of the course lay within the woods. But wicked?

Not really.

My friends pushed me to front of the line, so I was expecting to be the first person to greet every two-headed monster or clown. Maybe I didn’t scream as loudly, because too many times, the ghost around

The Roar visited College Station’s very own haunted house — Kappa Sigma’s Wicked Woods.

For a $10 entry fee and 15 minutes of frights, we weren’t disappointed.

the corner and I would stare at each other for a moment before I hurried on and it remembered to yell at me. The girl from The Ring, though, was the highlight of the night: it certainly reminded me of how out-of-shape I was (read: would never survive a horror movie).

Considering Wicked Woods is a college student endeavor, it was put together very nicely. Want that quick and easy Halloween experience? Wicked Woods has it.

I N TO T H E W O O D S

THE BOXCAR stephanie palazzolo | managing editor I love watching horror movies… that is, until it’s midnight and I find out that the lamp in my room looks suspiciously like Slenderman. So it wasn’t a surprise when I found myself shivering at the entrance of Wicked Woods, totally regretting my decision to take on the haunted house.

The experience ended up as a good balance of scary and cheesy; although I did find myself involuntarily shrieking (and knocking over other staffers as I sprinted away from chainsaw-wielding murderers), several corny moments made sure that I didn’t have a heart attack by the end of the haunted house. However, a couple attractions were so unrealistic that I found myself cracking up in the middle of the haunted house, ruining the

mood and gaining a few dirty looks from the actors dressed up as monsters.

In addition, I’d recommend going with a smaller group, as sometimes the screams of people in front of me alerted me to scary surprises before I got to them. Also, definitely do not decide to wear your chunky platform heels because you might find yourself running more than once or twice.

The $10 price is a little pricey for the value, but all the proceeds go to charity, and you can get $2 off by bringing two canned goods. So grab a friend and the remnants of your courage and head down to Wicked Woods for a good scare or two.

THE CABOOSE haley mitchell & vi burgess | online & photography editor & executive editor Being in the back of the group was a totally different experience from the front. The jump scares, while abundant, were probably only half as effective as they’d be if we weren’t in the back. While everyone else was screaming like Maya at a 1D concert, we were casually greeting the tour guides and clowns that popped up to admire their work.

The tour didn’t seem to be made for cabooses like us--only at the end, when (spoiler) chainsaw murderers greet you with a “Howdy!” before REVVING THEIR CHAINSAWS AND RUNNING AT YOU did we feel like we were truly

getting the full “haunted house” experience.

The constant use of strobes, while strenuous on the eyes, was really effective — often times you couldn’t see the baddies coming at you until they were right at your side, and the more you panicked, the louder they chuckled at your terror.

Filled with clowns, creepy grandmas, beefy werewolves and that poor, skinny kid chained to a wall and so much more, the Wicked Woods was well worth the sweaty hand-holding and sandy shoes.

16 | etcetera | the roar

a cut above

friday, oct. 30, 2015

CATE cooking class teaches nutrition, independence, healthy lifestyle josh weimer assistant online editor Hungry students passing by the CATE hallway may be attracted to the smells of freshly baked goods coming from Foods 101, but the class is about a lot more than just cooking. Foods 101, Intro to Culinary, and fashion design teacher Kayla Poe hopes that her students will have a better understanding of not just how to cook, but how their nutrition and cooking can improve their lives.

“Everyone loves to eat, but learning how to [cook] for yourself is really cool,” Poe said.

Many students in the Foods 101 class began cooking with their family at a young age. Poe also developed her culinary interest as a small child.

“One of the first books I ever checked out of a library was a cookbook,” Poe said. “I thought it meant if I brought a cook book home I could cook.

So my mom wasn’t very happy with me, she told me never to check out a cookbook again because I stayed on her until I got to make peanut butter cookies.”

By the time she was in the sixth grade, Poe had developed an interest in both cooking and teaching.

“Teaching is kind of something that you are, inside of you, and I have a real passion,” Poe said. “I really believe in what we teach.”

The Foods 101 class begins with a unit on nutrition. Students then study individual culinary subjects, such as baking. Lastly, students learn about safety and sanitation, foodborne illnesses, how to keep the kitchen clean, as well as how to keep food safe to eat in a combination of lectures and hands on labs.

“She showed us videos of night blindness, vitamin deficiency, and I realized that we are more privileged with all of the food we have here,” sophomore Brianna Valadez said.

But with great food supply comes great responsibility, and Poe hopes that students will gain a better understanding for how to stay healthy.

“How to eat healthy and how to make good choices are so important and I think that we just eat and we don’t think about the results and con-

sequences of that,” Poe said. “And so my goal is to help them have a little more appreciation for what we have.”

While Poe values the importance of the class, she hopes for it to be fun as well. Many students also agree that it is a very enjoyable class. “[My favorite part was] getting to cook the food and eat in class,” senior Kennon Williams said. “That was awesome.”

Williams also discovered a newfound appreciation for cooking, and no longer thinks of it as a simple task.

“Before I didn’t think of cooking as an art, I just thought of it as cooking for food,” Williams said.

“But it taught me the art side of it and showed me the techniques and different things I never knew before.”

Poe also hopes that the skills students learn in Foods 101 will help students after high school.

“I hope that what I teach them helps them to be a better employee,” Poe said. “More than that I want to teach to make better decisions and to eat healthy, and to understand that what they eat, and how they cook it, can make a huge difference in their lives, and how they feel every day and how healthy they stay for the rest of their lives.”

Students definitely agree that Foods 101 has increased their knowledge of nutrition.

“The first whole half of the semester is about nutrition, you don’t get to cook until you’ve learned all of the nutritional facts and different health things,” Williams said. “It definitely informed me of that and made me more aware of what’s out there and how to eat more healthily.”

All in all, there’s a lot to be gained by taking Foods 101.

“How to make better decisions, how to be a good consumer, how to buy things, how to use their resources,” Poe said. “And I think any area that we teach, whether it’s in foods, or whether it’s in fashion design…We are teaching kids skills that will help them to not only be a good employee one day, but just a better person.”

A student separates pasta dough into noodles through a pasta cutter.

“Everyone loves to eat, but learning how to cook for yourself is really cool.”

Kayla Poe, Foods 101 Teacher

Fettuccini alfredo, the students’ creation of the day, is displayed.

Teacher Kayla Poe constructs a salad with tomatoes, beans, corn, cilantro, avocado and lime.

PHOTOS BY JOSH WEIMER