Vol. 21 No. 6

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

Friday, May 13, 2016

Vol. 21 No. 6

who goes where?

CSISD to open new schools, undergo rezoning rachel lamb | senior editor Last November, voters in College Station approved a $135.9 million bond package which, along with other projects, would enable CSISD to open a new intermediate school in the 2017-2018 school year and later, a new middle school and elementary school as well.

“Our school district is one of the fastest growing school districts in the state of Texas and because of that, we are outgrowing some of our schools, specifically the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades,” school board president Valerie Jochen said. “Because we will now have three intermediate schools, we will have to redistribute the students in the school district who attend those three schools.”

Recently, CSISD held two open forums to hear community opinions on the new attendance zones that would go into effect for the 2017-2018 school year.

“The rezoning process is complex,” parent Lisa Halperin said. “First of all, you have to understand that everyone goes in with an agenda and the people who serve on the school board do their very best to make sure they try to represent the citizens they were elected to represent as well as they can.”

A boundary adjustment committee of 39 community volunteers was formed to suggest new attendance zones for grades 5-12 based on parameters formed upon community input. The parameters

inthisissue

news pages 2-6 opinions page 7

that the school board has decided on are to zone the schools for a comparable composition of students, and to consider travel distances to the greatest extent possible, but not at the expense of comparability.

The committee will also keep in mind other concerns including zoning the schools for growth, maximizing the capacity of existing campuses, being mindful of high school enrollments and ensuring that splitting middle schools into high schools does not disadvantage students from a particular middle school. The suggestions will be announced in August.

“We had a demographic study where someone came in and made projections on what they think the continual growth will be for the school district,” Jochen said. “We want to be sure that both high schools continue to be the great places that they are now.”

A main reason for the redistricting process is the population growth of CSISD and to ensure that “we have room for growth in the school district,” but another concern is comparability between schools.

“For the College Station School District, we think [it is] very important that all of our schools have comparable composition,” Jochen said. “That means that all schools in our school district have similar [socioeconomic] make-ups of kids whether be rich kids, poor kids, medium kids.”

“rezoning” continued on page 3

viewpoints page 8

snapshots page 9

people pages 10-14

sports pages 15-17

entertainment pages 18-19

2 | news | the roar

friday, may 13, 2016

Programming class teaches beyond basic computer skills, sparks artistry

UPCOMING EVENTS

Mark your calendar for the following events. We don’t want you to miss out on the end of the year activites!

May

13.

WIT v. FIT

17.

Senior Salute Awards;

18.

19.

Senior Sunset; Choir “Showtime” Spike Fest

20.

Film Fest

21.

25.

26.

27.

5K Color Fun Run @ Wolf Pen Creek, 9 am Finals (1st , 2nd , 3rd) Finals (6th, 7th, 8th); Senior Picnic Finals (5th); Graduation @ Reed Arena, 7pm

drew howerton assistant editor Spanish. French. German.

These are just a few of the languages students can pick from in their academic career.

But what about Java, C++, or Python?

While programming languages may not be languages in the traditional sense, programming classes are teaching students to think differently about language.

“When I first started teaching here, our language was Pascal,” programming teacher Diane Rister said. “After that, it changed to C++, and now it’s in Java, and what drives that is the curriculum for the AP test.”

But beneath the surface, much of students’ time is spent planning the many jobs the program has.

“I usually begins with conceptualizing the mechanics of it, and the required things it must do behind the scenes,” junior Ben Belov said. “Then it’s usually debugging, debugging, and more debugging.”

And beyond writing code, programming students employ reasoning skills that aid them in performing a task.

“We just do programming,” junior

Trent Spears said. “But that involves a lot of subprocesses such as identifying the problem, then splitting the problem into smaller problems that can be solved easier.”

“[Programming] involves a lot of subprocesses such as identifying the problem, then splitting the problem into smaller problems that can be solved easier.” junior

TRENT SPEARS Rister hopes that besides programming skills, students will leave her class with “a better sense of logically thinking about things”.

“A student who is a good math student is usually a good programmer,” Rister said. “But you really need to be logical.”

Along with logical reasoning, Rister says that programming promotes creative problem solving.

“The students know enough tools that they can use different tools and different concepts to solve the same problems,” Rister said. “I might have five students and all five of them have worked on [their pro-

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gram] and done it differently.”

First and foremost, though, Rister says she loves to see students excel.

“I have many people who walk in the door that have never programmed before,” Rister said. “I’ve taught them something, and in programming that’s real easy.”

However, some feel like the class may live in the shadow of bigger technology programs.

“I do sometimes feel that programming is slightly overshadowed,” Belov said. “But I believe that tech and programming really go hand in hand.”

Rister says that information technology students often want to continue along that career path, which can leave programming out of the picture.

“Pretty soon you’re running out of room for this elective,” Rister said.

But Rister also acknowledges that programming can add to experiences gained in technology classes.

“It’s a great addition. If you know the hardware, and on top of that the software,” Rister said. “Those are two great skills to have in the technology field today.”

Rister hopes that a current shift in attitude will encourage students to join the programming classes.

“The emphasis now out in the nation is to have more and more programmers,” Rister said. “That’s the whole purpose.”

the roar | news | 3

friday, may 13, 2016

Parents, school board, community members express concern for rezoning equality “rezoning” cont. from page 1 Jochen wants to create the best outcome for CSISD as a whole.

“One of the things I feel very strongly about is that the students and the parents understand that we are trying to get the best education for all 13,000 students,” Jochen said.

COMMUNITY SENTIMENT

In 2010, CSISD adjusted attendance zones for the addition of Greens Prairie Elementary School and College Station High School.

“One of the things that we have to be cognizant of [now] that the school district has grown much more rapidly than we anticipated that it was going to,” Jochen said. “Six years ago when we divided the old school district...we divided it up so that the high school students would either attend A&M Consolidated or College Station High School; we didn’t anticipate it growing as much as it did.”

During the redistricting process in 2010, there was also concern over the effect of the new attendance zones on the distribution of low-socioeconomic students among the elementary students.

Now a similar concern is being raised among some high school parents.

“Research shows that if you put a person with low socioeconomic status at a school where they are surrounded with other people of low socioeconomic status, they don’t do as well then if they are placed at a school that is a higher [socioeconomic] school,” Halperin said.

“For that reason, you want to have the schools as close economically as you can.”

THE ROAR ONLINE

COMPARABILITY

Not maintaining socioeconomic comparability between the schools is a large issue among many community members.

“I think the socioeconomic balance is probably the most important [issue],” parent and secretary to special services at AMCHS Amy McGuffey said. “[Socioeconomic standings] affect things over the long term. I think it affects real estate, it affects faculty and staffing, it affects how well the needs of the students are met.”

All three Title 1 elementary schools in CSISD—College Hills, South Knoll and Southwood Valley—flow into AMCHS. Because A&M Consolidated Middle School was 41.9% economically disadvantaged in the 2014-2015 school year according to the Texas Education Agency, and College Station Middle School was 21.8% economically disadvantaged, there is concern over the effect on the economic comparability between the high schools.

“Comparable really has to include the socioeconomic status because if you pull up the numbers for the two high schools they are not equal,” Halperin said.

“They’ve got a problem there and there was a real estate agent who even spoke at the open forum that I went to at the school

board offices who said, ‘You got a problem, because there is an impression that there is a difference [between the high schools].”

Many community members fear that this perception could lead to harmful effects in the future.

“If the disparity grew and then there was this idea that ‘Oh, I don’t want to live in that area and then my kid will go to that school’ then it causes a school to not be successful over time,” McGuffey said. “I think that’s harmful for the community, and for the whole community to grow.”

Yet students and staff across the district stress that the impression that one high school is better than the other is false.

“One school is newer than the other high school. As far as the educational experience and the quality of the graduates, I think both of them are outstanding,” Jochen said. “We can go back and look at how many National Merit Finalists we have, we can look at how many people have been acknowledged for athletic talents, or choir or band. The only thing we can say is that College Station High School is newer.”

One of the things that we have to be cognizant of [now] that the school district has grown much more rapidly than we anticipated that it was going to.

Valerie Jochen school board president

OTHER CONCERNS

Other important issues surrounding the decisions about new attendance zones that have been expressed include community concerns about new

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attendance zones decreasing property values when zoned to the perceived worse school, school population and driving distance.

“Of course all the issues are important; if it was a simple thing it would have already been decided and no big deal,” McGuffey said. “So the bigger issue wouldn’t be my own personal interest, but what is the greatest need in our community so that both schools would be strong.”

Halperin feels while some people “are going to not necessarily have to go to the closest school,” CSISD will follow the “tradition of not just putting people to the closest school, but of trying to make the schools comparable.”

“The question is what is the best thing for the majority of students. For the majority of students, we want to say there is no difference in sending your kids to this school, from one elementary school to a different one, they should get the same high quality education, and we want the same thing from the high school,” Halperin said. “We want to prepare students the best they can to be the best people and best citizens. And the question is, how do you accomplish that?”

The people involved in the process of deciding attendance zones work as volunteers and look at a multitude of issues to decide on the best solution.

“It is a very complex process, and it’s thankless because no matter what you do people will yell and say, ‘You don’t care about us, you don’t care about the children,’” Halperin said. “And that’s not true. The people who do this really want to do the best thing for the kids.”

4 | news

feature | the roar

haley mitchell & jennifer zhan online & photography editor & opinions editor

friday, may 13, 2016

Veteran and

When junior Allie Wenzel was eight years old, she developed a completely rational fear of her father’s decapitation.

“You would hear on the news that enemy soldiers were decapitating U.S. commanding officers,” Wenzel said. “Whenever they didn’t name who it was, that always made me really worried because you didn’t know if it was your dad or even your dad’s best friend. You didn’t want it to be anyone from that company.”

military families reflect on impact of service

As a child of two veterans, she grew up with one parent present and the other fighting overseas.

“I did always wonder, ‘Why’s he leaving again?

Didn’t he just get back?’” Wenzel said. “He didn’t get to be around a lot when I was a kid.”

BALANCE

Many military families must deal with the challenges of balancing family life with one or more members gone. When senior Ananda George’s aunt and uncle were deployed, they left two young children behind. “[My cousins] had to live with us for three months while their parents were gone.

It’s a really difficult situation to be in sometimes,” George said.

“From my aunt’s point

of view, having to be ripped away from her kids for a while, it’s heartbreaking. Before she left for the military, she started crying and it kind of hurts you. Sometimes even three months can feel like a long time.”

Biology teacher and military wife Glenda Schneider stresses the importance of having a support system to depend on.

“We always had an Air Force family wherever we went.

I had people I could put down as emergency contacts with the school or who could babysit if I needed to,” Schneider said. “You learn to rely a lot on your nuclear family, because your friends may not always move with you.”

Schneider said that constantly having to move brings families cohesiveness and maturity that might not otherwise have been present.

Still, a closer bond doesn’t lessen the emotional impact of deployment.

“Every time [my aunt and uncle] go away on tours, I get super scared,” George said. “I wouldn’t know what to say to [my cousins] if anything happened to them.”

Communicating with active members of the military can entail anything from expensive international phone calls to frequently freezing video chats to postcards without return addresses.

“It was exhausting. A lot of times, I’d be left alone to deal with everything. It seemed like he’d leave and something would break— the car, the washing machine, things like that. Or we’d move, our household goods would arrive and he’d have to leave for six weeks the next day,” Schneider said. “It put a lot more responsibility on me to do things that he would have helped with.”

SACRIFICE

CATE teacher and Air Force veteran Melanie Pollard says that soldiers are aware of the consequences, both to their families and to themselves, when they join.

“Sometimes things happen that we don’t necessarily agree with, but I believe that when you take that oath and say that you are going to commit to the armed forces, that is what you need to do,” Pollard said. “You’re giving yourself to the government.”

Unfortunately, George says, many people criticize soldiers because they don’t agree with American involvement in wars.

“I do see the effect in [my mom]. She doesn’t like to use her military discount because she’s kind of afraid of what people are going to say,” George said.

Wenzel says it’s disheartening when people openly scorn a profession she considers so honorable.

“It’s okay for someone to believe that a war isn’t our business. In America, you’re entitled to your opinion and that’s awesome,” Wenzel said. “But that does not give anyone the right to disrespect a soldier because a soldier isn’t singlehandedly winning the war or fighting the war. They are part of a team that’s serving their country, and if their country’s telling them to do [something you disagree with], then maybe you should take that up with the country and not the soldier.”

“military families” continued on page 5

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friday, may 13, 2016

“military families” continued from page 4 Senior Elyssa Stebbins, who spent her childhood on a military base in Japan, wishes critics would attempt to comprehend the sacrifices of returning troops.

“I have family friends that have been stationed [overseas],” Stebbins said. “They come back, and they’re not the same people anymore.”

HONOR However, veterans believe that what is gained from their service is worth any struggles.

“I learned how to work with various different peoples, from different colors, races and religious beliefs. We’re all different but we all wear the same uniform,” school resource officer and Army veteran Joe Alaniz said. “Because the guy who’s different than you, you may be the one saving his life.

And you’re different from that other guy [who] may be the one you need to save your life.”

Whether they joined the military to find a direction, saw it as an alternative to college or simply wanted to serve, most veterans agree that their service taught them to appreciate the freedoms enjoyed in the United States.

“I learned to love life and also to love my country. Not every country has the freedom that we have,” Alaniz said.

“I appreciate and respect those that came before us to serve and give their lives, and now that I’m a veteran, I appreciate and respect those young ones [who] continue to give us the freedom that we have now.”

Wenzel said being raised by military parents has influenced her beliefs as well.

“Some people are very pacifist; they don’t like fighting and stuff, but coming from a military family you know that that’s sometimes necessary,” Wenzel said. “I guess you’re kinda raised like that. Sometimes not fighting isn’t always an option, sometimes you gotta fight.”

However, she emphasizes that military upbringings are not as harsh as others might imagine.

“They’re not my sergeant, they’re not my commanding officer. And they don’t treat me like they are either,” Wenzel said. “I’m not part of their unit; I am their child.”

Being related to people who fight on behalf of others makes George proud.

“Even though they’re going to fight and may not be in the best situations all the time, knowing that they’re out there doing this for other people really makes me feel so blessed,” George said.

On the other hand, Schneider, whose husband served largely during the Cold War, says she sometimes struggled to come to terms with the combative decisions of the government.

“I’ve often had that discussion with my husband, you know, ‘Why does the United States seem to always be protecting everyone else?’” Schneider said. “He explained to me that if we don’t protect everyone else, who would? Protecting them protects us in the same way.”

Now, Schneider says she doesn’t take her freedoms for granted. She believes that everyone should do some sort of service to pay back for the freedoms that have been bestowed on them, an idea seconded by Alaniz.

“I think we owe [American citizens]—it’s our responsibility to give back to, if not our nation, at least our community,” Alaniz said. “Selfless service. To leave it better than we found it.”

“Sometimes even three months can feel like a long time.” senior ANANDA GEORGE

“I always did wonder, ‘Why’s he leaving again? Didn’t he just get back?’” junior ALLIE WENZEL

POSTCARDS PROVIDED BY ALLIE WENZEL

friday, may 13, 2016

6 | news | the roar

Middle school, high school teachers discuss transition to high school English stephanie palazzolo & maya rios | managing editor & assistant editor

“If we could just get that level of responsibility down before we get done with middle school, then learning new things and higher expectations would just be a part of, ‘It’s my responsibility to do this’ as opposed to ‘Why are they doing this to us?’” freshman English teacher

Becky Slovak

High school is the land of movie stereotypes — bullies slamming kids into lockers, pop quizzes every day, freshmen being sent up to the third floor on the first day of school.

Although most of these clichés may be false, many students find the stereotype of a difficult transition from 8th grade to freshman year to be a frightening reality.

“There is a huge leap because in reality what we expect out of a high schooler is very different from what we expect out of middle schoolers,” freshman English teacher Becky Slovak said. “Middle schoolers we still tend to think of as younger kids, and high schoolers we tend to think of as older kids — and you make the leap from one thing to the other in three months.”

Because of its subjectivity and different styles of teaching, English is often reported as the subject that new freshmen struggle the most with.

“In eighth grade, overall, school was very relaxing. I barely put any effort or time into my work, yet, my grades were still decent,” freshman Selena Li said. “Particularly in [freshman] English, [though,] the grading became much tougher than in the past. I became more stressed and tired because I knew the grades on every essay, project, and test would contribute to my GPA, and there would very rarely be any ‘free 100’s,’ if any at all.”

Students and teachers alike report that the gap between the two grades is also exacerbated by a lack of communication.

“We don’t really communicate much with the high school teachers, and I think that we want that to change,” 8th grade English teacher Tracy Smith said. “I think they’re frustrated with the quality level that they’re getting, and I’d like to be able to help my 8th graders get ready. By the end of the year, you care about them a lot. I don’t want [school] to be a struggle for them.”

And Smith isn’t the only one looking to make a change.

Administrators and teachers at both the middle school and the high school have enacted programs and techniques in order to ease the move between grades.

“It’s a district initiative that we are doing Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop for all English Language Arts classes,” 8th grade English teacher Beth Stromberg said. “Whether [you’re teaching] regulars or advanced classes, you’ve got people with various skill levels of every skill at any given moment, so what [the program] does is that it lets you work on everybody’s individual level.”

As part of the Reader’s and Writer’s program, students are given a wider variety of novels to pick from and also can choose their ending products — those who struggle with public speaking are allowed to write essays, while others who are a little more outgoing can make Prezi’s or recordings.

“There’s just a lot of choice that goes along with it, and a big part of it is just to get students engaged,” Smith said. “With that, it opens the doors for teachers to branch out and challenge them beyond the TEKS, [or Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills]. It’s really the first year we’ve had a serious push for implementation.”

In addition, Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop restructures the typical class. Instead of teaching for the entire period, instructors now only lecture for 10-15 minutes and then spend the rest of class helping students apply the lesson to their essays and projects.

“The teacher is right there, able to instruct so that you don’t end up writing a whole paper and come in the next day to find out you did it all wrong,” Stromberg said. “[There’s] more in realtime instead of that delayed conference where it’s already done and you’re thinking, ‘geez, I already spent three hours on this and it’s all wrong.’”

To aid those who fall behind before high school, the middle school

has started to implement the Team program, which has already existed at Consol for two years — a closeknit group of students who receive additional help from teachers.

“The kids [in Team] know that they’re not going to slip through the cracks with us because we do have smaller numbers,” Stromberg said.

Another integral goal of the Team program is to give the students a sense of community and support in a new setting.

“At this point of the year, they take care of each other, and they view each other as almost family,” Stromberg said. “Especially going into the new semester and seeing friends already there — that’s a secure feeling [for a lot of kids], knowing that they’re going to have [Team kids] they know well.”

The Team and Reader’s and Writer’s program also will encourage responsibility and motivation among students, a trait that incoming students sometimes lack, according to freshmen teachers.

“If we could just get that level of responsibility down before we get done with middle school,” Slovak said, “then learning new things and higher expectations would just be part of, ‘It’s my responsibility to do this,’ as opposed to ‘Why are they doing this to us?’”

However, despite the new techniques and tricks the teachers are applying to their classroom, they still believe that the most important motive that will keep students working is a love of learning. “[Sometimes you have] that lesson — and sometimes you never know when it’s going to be — that sparks almost everyone in the room,” Smith said. “And they get excited. And when you give them the activity and say, “ok, go,” and you just see it. There’s just this vibe and electricity in the room. And that’s the best part.”

PHOTO BY KATERINA KOUNTAKIS

the roar | opinions | 7

friday, may 13, 2016

DON’T TELL ME I’M OVARY-ACTING

that time of the month ARTWORK BY JUNE JEONG

Stigma surrounding menstruation induces unnecessary shame, humiliation

maya girimaji features editor

Periods. Menstruation. Living hell. Whatever you want to call it. If you’re a girl, you’re probably having war flashbacks of your days of extreme pain. If you’re a guy, then you’re probably about to stop reading this article. But don’t... ...because it’s people like you who are the reason why period shaming exists, the reason why girls are ashamed to buy pads or tampons in public because now everybody knows it’s “that time of the month” for them.

You’re the reason why girls have to shove a tampon up their sleeve and can’t carry it freely in their hand while running to the bathroom because they’ve suddenly gotten a gift from Mother Nature.

You’re the reason why I feel awkward writing this article because it’s “looked down upon” and “unla-

dylike” and just downright disgusting to talk about periods.

It’s heartbreaking that even girls are disgusted by periods because of the amount of shaming society puts on this subject. I know girls who hate talking about menstruation even though they experience it every single month. It’s as natural as sweating or having to go to the restroom after eating a heavy meal.

Nobody is ashamed to talk about those things, so why do we have to be ashamed to talk about periods?

“It’s heartbreaking that even girls are disgusted by periods because of the amount of shaming society puts on this subject.”

And the jokes that people make about periods needs to stop now. These jokes are as dumb as jokes about farting. “Oh. I know why she’s in a bad mood.

It’s her time of the month.” or “Don’t mind her. Her hormones are probably all over the place because she has her period.” I never hear people joking about headaches or vomiting which, by the way, are as natural as periods, so why do period jokes exist?

It’s just rude. Periods are not a laughing matter.

It’s painful, uncomfortable and time-consuming. It’s true that girls do become a hormonal mess when they have their periods, but they don’t have any control over that, and we find it annoying just as much as you do. That doesn’t mean you can joke about it. If people who actually experience it don’t joke about it, then you have absolutely no right to make “witty” comments about it.

In many places around the world, women are forced into solitude because their uterus is shedding its lining. They aren’t allowed to interact with others or touch anything because they might contaminate it. They’re not even allowed to have meals at the table with their family because they’re unclean, because watch out! They might accidentally shed on the food.

So listen up, ladies. You are awesome and you have to deal with this excruciating pain and torture every single month for five to seven days, so don’t be ashamed of it. Know that you are incredibly strong and deserve all the chocolate. You deserve to cry while watching puppy videos. Or not. Just do not encourage period shaming. If your friend is in pain, offer her Advil. Don’t whisper the word “period” just because it might make the ignorant people around you uncomfortable. Hand her a tampon in front of everybody. All the shame and stigma attached to this needs to stop. Period.

Maya is the feature editor for The Roar. Want to discuss your experiences with period-shaming? Share your opinion to the.roar.girimaji@gmail.com

8 | viewpoints | the roar

friday, may 13, 2016

The upcoming Supreme Court decision on the Fisher v. U.T. case could potentially change the American college admissions process forever.

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consol’s verdict “It honestly isn’t right for people [who] have good grades and the other qualifications to get into a college to not be able to get in because of Affirmative Action. I understand the other perspective, and it is nice. But if this person has good grades and the qualifications to get in to a college, but their spot is given to a minority who doesn’t have those same qualifications, that’s obviously unfair.”

“I think Affirmative Action is great. I do have a lot of family members who do have a lot of problems with things like being employed or having teachers that just take them as lost causes. I feel that it is important, and that [Fisher] is making a lot of commotion over nothing. She could have been beat out by another white person, she might not have had everything UT wanted. “

FISHER U.T. freshman garrett golla

The Roar 2015-2016 Staff Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Executive Editor Senior Editor Online & Photography Editor Assistant Online Editor News Editor Features Editor Opinions Editor Entertainment Editor Assistant Editors

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

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

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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, 2004, 2016 ILPC Bronze Star and 20072015 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 ofTitle 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.

THE CASE FOR AFFIRMATIVE ACTION the roar’s consensus

Abigail Fisher applied to the University of Texas in 2008 and alleges that she was denied admission and discriminated against because she was white.

The university claims her grades and other activities did not meet their admission standards. She sued the university, arguing that affirmative action—which seeks to equalize the playing field for minorities who pursue higher education— violated her rights under the Equal Protection Clause.

The first Fisher v. University of Texas case concluded that the Fifth Circuit court did not hold the university to the burden of strict scrutiny established under Grutter v. Bollinger and Regents of the Univ. of California v. Bakke, meaning that the university has not demonstrated that its policy is necessary to make the campus sufficiently diverse.

The case was thus sent back to the Fifth Circuit, which—after applying strict scrutiny—again ruled in favor of U.T. Fisher then filed a petition for certiorari, and the Supreme Court announced that it would hear another challenge to U.T.’s admission policy.

U.T.’s goal is very clear: it wants to achieve student body diversity without setting a quota system by following the model set by Grutter v. Bollinger. Currently, U.T. is required to accept all students in the top 7% of their graduating class. Fisher says that because of this, the student body population is already diverse, and other applicants (who do not qualify for admission under Top Seven) should not have race factored into their admissions process.

Indeed, as HB 588 stated, many regions of the state and school districts in Texas are still predominantly composed of people from a single racial or ethnic group. Because of the persistence of this segregation, admitting the top 7 percent of all high schools would provide a diverse population and ensure that a large, well-qualified pool of minority students was admitted to U.T. However, to entirely take away affirmative action would prove to be detrimental both to the environment and student body at U.T. That our universities are at the top-tier levels that they are now—that is, consisting of exceptional students who will eventually serve as driving forces within their field and contribute to the overall well-being of society—inherently relies on the inclusion of students of all socioeconomic status and backgrounds and allow for maximum interaction of different ideas and environments, for it is only when we understand the diversity of our society and its implications that the nature of any university can be satisfied. Rather, that would potentially lead to the subconscious factoring of race in the admissions process, thus further blurring the lines surrounding affirmative action.

Perhaps Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the lone dissenter in the original Fisher v.

U.T. case, states it best: “those that candidly disclose their consideration of race [are] preferable to those that conceal it.”

the roar | snapshots | 9

friday, may 13, 2016

hit me with your

best shot

Urban photographers utilize unique environments, explore new photo sharing platform

Hailed as the “Anti-Instagram”, Joel Flory’s alternative “Visual Supply Company” app is quickly becoming the go-to photo-sharing space. VSCO drew millions of downloads within a week of its creation and has captured the hearts of photographers both professional and amateur alike with its film emulating photo editing software. But VSCO is about and for people and human expression, not just photography, according to sophomore Adrian Flores. “VSCO is actuallly pretty cool because they do many things to inform the users about different people, places and things taking place in our world,” Flores said.

sophomore Adrian Flores @aflo1214 “Photography for me is about being expressive and creative.

I just try to use what I have and attempt to make it my own in the pictures. Cool photos aren’t always about a super place. It can just be a picture of your friend with a plain background and some cool lights and it’ll turn out great.”

senior Kyra Gates @kyrathesloth “My photos are always my mood. If I’m having a good day it’ll be like light, cheery shot, but if I’m having a bad one it’ll be dark and scary. Tons of my photo ideas came from me and Eric [Ross] (pictured right) just brainstorming stuff. He likes photos being taken of him and I like taking photos of people.”

junior Sean Gunn @haidaraven “I really liked this shot because the entire building has the hole structure, except this front window.

It dips into the structure of the building behind the glass and from the inside you can still look out onto the street. One of the things I like to convey in my photography is a sense of presence. So that might be taking a photo from an eye level angle, putting myself in my photos like a hand or my feet, et cetera.”

10 | special

feature | the roar

friday, may 1

#FLASHBACKFRID 1920: Three smaller school

districts, Union Hill, Welborn, and Shirock, band together to launch a new school that is located on Texas A&M University campus, creating the A&M Consolidated School District.

The town of College Station did not incorporate until 1938.

1940: Due t

held the prev Consolidated ties are move campus and o the current lo solidated Mi years later, L for black stud

IGINALES R O E H T L BELL BENGA

1966:

On January 21, Lincoln School burns down. A few days later, all Lincoln Students are moved to A&M Consolidated and the town is fully integrated.

1971 YEARBOOK (LEFT): “Girls Ath-

FLIRTING CIRCA1960

letic Supporters: Our purpose is to give our girls the support they so desperately need. G.A.S. is similar to the Pep Squad except members are boys dedicated to the principle that it is more fun to watch girls than boys.

the roar | special feature| 11

3, 2016

compiled by olivia garrett entertainment editor

ONSOL’S C ,” Y P P A R “S C SCOT FIRST MA

NOTABLE ALUMNI Match the alumni to their photo!

1. Competitive USA hammer-thrower Chris Cralle 2. Texas horticulture expert Neil Sperry 3. Actress Briana Hildebrand 4. Opera singer Emily Pulley 5. Filmmaker Eagle Pennell 6. Golfer Casey Grice

to a bond election vious year, the A&M d High School facilied off of Texas A&M onto Holik Street, at ocation of A&M Coniddle School. Two incoln High School dents opens.

A

B

C

D

E

F

1959: One old school tradition that has fallen out of favor is the annual bonfire. The student body would gather before important football games to build and then burn large bonfires.

1960:

Over the years, A&M Consolidated has had many makeovers and facelifts. One change made was an experimental floorplan that Consol once utilized where the classrooms opened up to the hallways without walls.

1. E 2. D 3. C 4. B 5. A 6. F

DAY

College Station is the 15th fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States according to the Census Bureau. As the city, and subsequently A&M Consolidated High School, looks toward the future, The Roar presents a glimpse at the past. This page displays significant events and snapshots, following the school from its inception in 1920 to the present day.

12 | people | the roar

friday, may 13, 2016

Student trains seeing-eye dogs, helps them adapt to social environments josh weimer | assistant online editor Senior Chyann Norwood knows the value of a good set of eyes.

As a part of the national organization “Guide Dogs for the Blind,” Norwood trains seeing-eye dogs. The organization is dedicated to providing visually impaired citizens with guide dogs.

“We have two campuses, one in California, and one in Oregon,” Norwood said. “That is where the dogs are bred, and that is where they go back for their formal training.”

Norwood performs “basic training”, and teaches service dogs the fundamental skills to becoming guide dogs.

“I teach [them] to sit, stay, and when it is OK to eat, to bark, and socialize,” Norwood said. “I will take them out in the public and get them used to

other people and other animals.”

Along with socialization, Norwood brings service animals to school, where they attend classes with her and adjust to being around people.

“No dog eating the homework or barking; if you had not seen that dog laying there you would never know it was in this class room.” teacher MOINICA BOZEMAN “They were just perfectly behaved and it was a good experience,” Algebra II and AB Calculus teacher Monica Bozeman said. “No dog eating the

LEFT: A dog Chyann Norwood trained meets a horse.

BELOW: Chyann Norwood with a dog from the Guide Dogs for the Blind organization PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CHYANN NORWOOD

homework or barking, if you had not seen that dog laying there you would never know it was in this class room.”

Norwood learned of the program when attending a convention with the A&M Consolidated FFA chapter. Now she has raised multiple animals.

“I work with all animals; we do golden retrievers and labs mainly,” Norwood said. “I’m on my third dog.”

After nearly 18 months, dogs are returned to the campus where they continue with more advanced training. “[They are taught] how to cross streets and how to wear the big harnesses that are needed to assist the blind person,” Norwood said. “They [are also taught] things like how to carry food, how to put on shoes and all the further training.”

MAN’S BEST FRIEND

friday, may 13, 2016

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

the roar | people | 13

Student missionaries appreciate, reflect on opportunities for selfless service june jeong | assistant editor A bus driver Lacey Naumann met on a mission trip in Honduras last spring break changed her views on what it means to be happy.

“His wife had died and he has three kids that he’s raising by himself,” Naumann said. “He doesn’t see them much because he’s driving people around all the time. It amazes me how he’s always happy even though we could tell that his situation wasn’t always the greatest.”

Naumann was first introduced to the prospects of a mission trip when her church informed attendees to talk to the pastor if they were interested.

“We had monthly meetings to learn more about where we were going to,” Naumann said.

Similarly, junior Jackson McGuffey has had experiences with mission work, in both Greece and the Dominican Republic.

“You just write a letter and tell people why you’re going and you just send it out to family and friends,” McGuffey said.

Senior Jacob Harp, who went on a mission trip to Costa Rica, gathered his funds through his church’s Mission Dinners.

“They get food and our choir sings for them as entertainment, plus there’s a silent auction and they can donate,”

Harp said. “We [also] have a garage sale every January.”

Once the short-term missionaries get there, they take part in a variety of activities.

“The very first day we went to an orphanage with probably around 40 kids,” Naumann said. “We just spent the day playing but the main part of that was just to show them some love.”

McGuffey, on the other hand, had an eye-opening experience while serving sandwiches in Athens to refugees and the homeless.

“One thing that stuck out was when there was a homeless guy [we] gave a sandwich to, and said “God loves you.”

And he was like “You’re right. He really does,’” McGuffey said.

The moment touched McGuffey tremendously.

“I was just thinking, “wow, [he had almost] nothing and he still believes that God loves [him] in the midst of poverty,”” McGuffey said.

Naumann had a similar revelation while talking to two passionate teenagers she met when at one of the Honduran churches.

“They were so happy,” Naumann said. “And that just kind of amazed me because you see so many kids here who take everything we have for granted.”

people who do not experience the privileges students here do.

“It’s an opportunity to help people who need it. We have so many things here that we take for granted,” Harp said. “It’s really important for us to give back however we can.”

There are unfortunately a number of obstacles that come along with these developments.

“Language barriers were difficult.” Naumann said.

“And it was hard emotionally, seeing how people live because a lot of people there have [so little]. Their houses are made out of cardboard and curtains.”

Fortunately, seeing the lives impacted is a major payoff for this price.

“On the Dominican Republic trip, we went to a camp and [ran it],” McGuffey said. “There’s a little campfire at the end and people said, ‘this actually changed my life.’”

Nauuman has important words of advice for fellow students who want to go on missions themselves.

“Don’t go in with a selfish mindset. People are often like ‘this is going to be a life changing experience for me,’” Naumann said. “And while it [may] give you personal growth, I think people should realize that. It’s not about yourself.”

Harp sees this awareness as an opportunity to help

Greece

Jackson McGuffey

Dominican Republic Honduras

Lacey Naumann

Jackson McGuffey

14 | people | the roar

friday, may 13, 2016

AP Psychology provides mental insight, becomes year-long course yanichka ariunbold assistant editor A compulsive liar for a college roommate.

A ghost in the CATE hallway downstairs.

A mosh pit at a Metallica concert.

Lindsay Zahn can make anyone and anything relate to her AP Psychology class.

“I’ve always held onto the little moments and people I’ve met,” Zahn said. “It makes teaching [psychology] that much more fun.”

A psychology teacher of 13 years, Zahn is known for approaching her subject with plenty of enthusiasm, humor and passion for the well-being of others.

“Everything about psychology is relevant—the sleep and stress units especially. I really feel like y’all do start trying to get more sleep after we talk about it, even though

d e h c y ps up

your work load doesn’t allow that most of the time,” Zahn said. “And then of course, when you’re feeling a stress-response in the body, hopefully y’all can self-reflect and stop.”

Many AP Psychology students attribute their deeper understanding of the course material to Zahn’s knack for making lectures interesting.

“Mrs. Zahn is very funny—she knows a lot, and she includes her daily experiences into the class so that it’s easier to understand,” junior Eva Barnhardt said. “So, other than it being just theoretical, she introduces examples and makes sure you know what’s happening.”

The class has allowed Barnhardt to engage in discussions with her parents, who are both psychologists.

“I didn’t think it was very cool until I started taking psychology and was like, ‘Wow, this is actually very, very interesting,’—just the kind of words they use and the general knowledge they have,” Barnhardt said. “It’s nice because whenever I was little, I would ask questions, but I wouldn’t be able to say anything back to them. But now that I actually know some psychology, we can have a conversation instead of just them telling me things.”

Yet the course poses a challenge through its substantial reading load.

“You have to read a module a night, and whenever you don’t have time for that, you end up reading 5 modules before the test, and that’s really stressful. That’s what happens, every time,” junior Isabela Cruz-Vespa said, laughing.

“It’s all really rushed.”

According to Zahn, AP Psychology’s quick pace is in part due to its current status as a semester-long course.

“The timing [is] really hard. We have to cover the entire textbook from the second week of January to the first week of May, so, there’s no slowing down, there’s no movies,” Zahn said. “There are days where I feel like I don’t even tell [my students] something that’s so important because we have only three days to cover the entire unit.”

However, thanks to Zahn’s initiative, next school year, AP Psychology will become a year-long course for the first time since it was offered at Consol.

“When I went to my conference last year, my mentor AP Psychology teacher told me that you can actually code the class to where it’s an honors credit in the fall and an AP credit in the spring,” Zahn said. “So I [wrote] a proposal that went through two different committees and then the school board.”

Zahn hopes the change will make the class viable for any student who wishes to take it.

“I want anybody in this school to get to try an AP course before they graduate, especially if they’re thinking that college is something they want to do,” Zahn said.

“But for some students, the reading load right now is a challenge because when they leave here, they might be taking care of siblings when they go home, or they might be working until one in the morning. So I just really wanted to have more time for anyone to be successful in my class.”

Senior Marcela Garcia believes that psychology is essential for work in the medical field, as she aspires to be a doctor.

“I definitely want to take another psychology class when I’m in college, and I know it’s part of the MCAT if you’re planning on going to medical school,” Garcia said. “So, [psychology] is good to know because as a doctor, you would be able to better understand and connect to whomever you’re treating.”

Like Garcia, Cruz-Vespa hopes to continue with psychology in college.

“I’ve been thinking about getting a minor in psychology and a major in music,” Cruz-Vespa said. “I’m hoping that I can mix the two and research how music affects the brain.”

But regardless of post-graduation plans, Barnhardt stresses the value of the class.

“Take [AP Psychology]. It’s not like any other class you’ve ever taken,” Barnhardt said. “In high school, especially when you’re finding out who you are, it’s nice to give your thoughts different names so you’re not just like, ‘I’m such a weirdo.’ You actually realize that everyone has these thoughts, that this is how it progresses—that’s it’s actually going to work out.”

friday, may 13, 2016

baby got track

the roar | sports | 15

Participation on track team encourages dedicated mindset, work ethic

PHOTO OF VICTOR HUFF BY VI BURGESS

maya girimaji features editor On Fridays, varsity track and field athletes can be found launching themselves over a pole, leaping over a hurdle before sprinting to the next one or throwing a heavy spherical object as far as possible. Or they can be found waiting for their next event in the hot stands. “[I practice] about two hours every day, six days a week, 12 hours a week,” sophomore Clayton Stuart said. “I try to stay off of sugar, try to keep it pretty lowfat- Just healthy in general.”

A normal practice starts either in the mornings at 6:30 or after school. Guys in track spend their mornings either running long distance around Texas A&M or speed work on the track at school.

For girls, Mondays are their hard days. Tuesdays are more relaxed while Wednesdays are used to focus on their specific event(s). Thursdays are days when they can do whatever they want and Fridays are meet days. These athletes also try to follow a strict diet during the season.

“I have to take care of my body,” senior Alexis Oaks said.

“If I don’t, then I’m going to get hurt.”

Junior Avery Michalk, who has joined this semester, finds it especially difficult to catch up to the others who have been at this sport for a long time and has put in many hours to become a better thrower. “[Discus] takes a lot of footwork, and you have to really work on getting the release down. I’ve had to spend so much time mak-

ing up because I just started this year,” Michalk said. “It’d take so much more technique than you’d think. It’s not just chunking it.”

Track and field is more than just running faster than the person next to you or jumping farther than your opponent.

“It’s not as easy as it seems.

Some people may think that all you’re doing is running but it’s really hard when you’re training,” Oaks said. “You really have to work hard to get to where you want to be. You can’t get first place just from natural speed.”

”You have to really work hard to get to where you want to be.

You can’t get first just from natural speed.” senior ALEXIS OAKS

Along with physically draining the athletes, it takes a lot of mental and emotional strength to compete and train.

“You have to be competitive,” Stuart said. “You just have to go into it with a certain mind set.”

And all of this hard work pays off at the meets.

Recently, many Consol athletes qualified for Texas Relays, an annual track and field competition held in Austin, Texas, known for being the second largest track meet in the United States. Senior athletes like Oaks have competed in Texas Relays all four years.

“It’s a really big meet down at UT and very historic. There’s high school athletes, collegiate, professional athletes and some international teams. I remember there being some teams from Japan,” Stuart said. It’s just a big, fun meet.”

Stuart, who ran the sprint medley relay and the distance medley relay, got 6th and 16th place, respectively.

“One of the best feelings is after I finish [running at a meet] and I go up to my coach and ask him what he thinks of my race,” sophomore Levi Alexander said.

Along with the success and awards, track and field athletes have learned to become more patient and responsible and improved their work ethic.

They have also learned that it’s important to have confidence in themselves and their training.

“I just try to have a positive mindset [and] really just work my hardest at every single workout and get the most out of it,” Michalk said.

“I know there’s a stereotype with throwers that they have to be big girls, but you don’t have to be.

You just have to be strong; those are the best throwers.”

All these top athletes believe that track and field is a sport that anybody can compete in.

“It’s not just a bunch of weirdos running around in circles,” Stuart said. “It’s a very dynamic sport, and there’s all different kinds of events. It’s for everybody.”

16 | sports| the roar

friday, may 13, 2016

Students glean patience, life balance through coaching children’s sports vi burgess executive editor Junior and gymnastics coach Madison Schultz is surrounded by screaming children, and she’s smiling. “[When] I introduced my name, somehow they thought it was ‘Mom,’ so now instead of calling me ‘Coach Maddy,’ it’s ‘Coach Mom,’ or just ‘Mom,’” Schultz said. “They haven’t fully gotten the name down.”

Schultz coaches gymnastics for elementary schoolers twice a week after school. Though she began as a gymnast and describes herself as more of a cheerleader, she’d “rather be helping kids” instead of being out on the mats herself.

“My favorite aspect about coaching is definitely watching the kids have fun,” Schultz said. “[But] since the kids are so young, their minds are still going crazy, so they’re always jumping around or doing something they’re probably not supposed to be doing.”

Junior and soccer coach Kenji Blum also finds corralling the children the most difficult aspect of coaching.

“Basically, you just can’t have a lot

of them standing around. They all have to be moving around at all times,” Blum said. “I try to give at least twenty minutes at the end just so they can scrimmage, so they enjoy their time and enjoy being at practice and like you more, so then they’ll listen to you more.”

Senior and soccer coach Tyler Kuo employs a different strategy to get children to pay attention.

“I showed them something that takes more time to learn, or something they probably couldn’t do yet to get their attention, like shooting from sixty yards [away],” Kuo said. “They paid attention because they wanted to know how to do that.”

For Schultz, as well as Blum and Kuo, coaching is also a time for learning.

“I’m not a big fan of kids, so I learned that you have to have patience with kids, and act as if you’re talking to an adult, or another teenager, and treat them like they’d want to be treated instead of babying them,” Schultz said.

Kuo’s time as a coach has not only taught him to work with kids, but also to balance the responsibilities of a job.

“You can’t always give in to what the kids want and not do anything. You can’t

always listen to the parents because they may be too demanding or unrealistic, and then if you always do everything you want, not that many people enjoy what you’re doing,” Kuo said. “Once you learn how to find that balance, you know that you’ve succeeded.”

Blum’s experience with coaching children through his little brother’s team has allowed him to develop his own perspective on coaching.

“Kids should take away from each practice that they’ve had the opportunity to go out, play a sport and learn how to get better,” Blum said. “That’s an opportunity most kids don’t get in other areas. So they should be able to take advantage of these opportunities that they have to go to a coach, to learn, to have fun and to be with their friends.”

Blum underlines that recreational soccer isn’t about the 7-3 record that the team has enjoyed under his coaching, but rather participating and having a good time.

“With little kids’ soccer, there is a better team, but that doesn’t really matter,” Blum said. “It’s all how the kids are feeling that day. Because you know, they’re like, kids.”

(Above) Schultz assists a child with a handstand.

PHOTOS BY VI BURGESS

the roar | sports | 17

friday, may 13, 2016

Participation in boxing fosters diligence annie zhang | editor-in-chief

Junior Guerin Tran enjoys regularly punching people, and knocking them out is even better. As a boxer, he’d say he’s probably quite good at it, too.

“Punching stuff...it’s fun. But boxing is definitely a little dangerous, because you’re learning how to knock someone out every single day,” Tran said.

Tran was first introduced to the sport by his sister’s boyfriend, a competitive boxer, who then began to take him to the gym.

“I was asking him for months to teach me how to box, so he came over with mitts one day and we just started [boxing],” Tran said.

For Tran, who previously had considered himself “not interested in sports, and never liked football or basketball,” boxing provided something different and more unique than the familiar sports.

“I got into combat sports, partly for self-defense, but also just to be able to say that I’m a boxer, and people will say, ‘Wow. That guy could probably beat me up,’” Tran said.

Although still an amateur, Tran trains with coaches and other competi-

tive boxers and plans to eventually enter such competitions himself.

“I’m not the best—I just started in January—but it’s a learning curve: you learn you get better every single day,” Tran said.

Tran practices at the Longoria Boxing Club in Bryan, working out for about three hours a day.

“I go there around 5:30 in the afternoon and I start with jump-roping, and after that, I do footwork training,” Tran said. “It’s a lot about footwork more than punching because punches are great, but if you have bad footwork, you’re not gonna get anywhere; you’re just cement in the ground.”

While these few months have mostly been focused on the basics of boxing, Tran’s found that boxing offers much more than just self-defense.

“It’s taught me motivation and dedication, just getting up and doing something instead of eating on the couch and being overweight,” Tran said.

As for those interested in boxing, Tran has a small piece of advice: “Just don’t use it on the streets or get too overconfident.”

D A E D M E ‘ K

C O N K

“It’s a learning curve: you learn and you get better every single day.” junior GUERIN TRAN

ARTWORK BY ERIKA SALZMAN

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Pete’sAutoCareCenter 2501 E 29th St, Bryan, TX 77802 979-774-1192

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THE ROAR? take the semester-long journalism class and apply for staff! for more information, email the.roar@gmail.com

18 | the roar | entertainment

friday, may 13, 2016

The Roar reviews Escape Room BCS, faces challenges that foster communication Escape Rooms BCS presents various physical adventure games where players are locked in a room and have to solve puzzles and figure out clues in order to escape.

Though tech-savvy participants might hope to rely on Google, the internet cannot help. Escape Rooms BCS’s puzzles are original and the answers can’t be found on any screen.

Armed with only wit, the Roar staff took on the challenge and attempted to escape the “Breakout!” room in under an hour. This specific room, one of three offered, opened recently and is a prison-breakout scenario.

The staff banded together to race against the clock. The game was entertaining and exciting, and when completed, left us with feelings of accomplishment.

As we triumphantly unlocked

and “escaped” the room, an employee was only a few steps away, coming to let us out. We literally finished the puzzle with seconds to spare.

Though we didn’t escape the room in record time, according to ERBCS’s data, only 37.6% of participants have escaped “Breakout!” before the 60 minutes ran out.

For the first ten minutes of the challenge, the staff struggled to comunicate as each individual participant was too busy frantically looking for clues to work together.

Later, as we began to make some progress, we focused on working in an organized manner.

Eventually, we began to communicate our ideas and we found that by working together, we were better able to accomplish the task.

Despite having made slow progress in the beginning, as the

hour went on, the momentum gained from small successes allowed us to move more quickly.

Unsuprisingly, time passed far too quickly. By the end of the challenge, the staff emerged energized and better able to work efficiently together.

The challenge helped improve our communication and cooperation as a staff, and could easily do the same for any team or organization.

With three different rooms, and more opening soon, ERBCS offers the oppurtunity for players to come back again and again, without facing the exact same puzzle twice.

All and all, ERBCS left the Roar feeling energized and content.

BREAKOUT

friday, may 13, 2016

the roar | entertainment | 19

the roar reviews:

FARMERS‘ MARKETS PHOTO BY DARCEY RYDL & ARTWORK BY ERIKA SALZMAN

south brazos county darcey rydl | news editor

haley mitchell | online & photography editor Located on one of Downtown Bryan’s accessible yet cozy backstreets, this farmers’ market was bustling even after a heavy morning rainstorm with both vendors and organic-enthused shoppers alike. Stalls offered every aspect of holistic produce available—some with baby tomato plants ready for you to take home and put in your own back yard, others with baked goods, jarred jellies and, of course, fresh vegetables and fruits that had probably been picked the day before. One man even had a photo album of his (handsome) chickens, so customers could see where their eggs came from. Everything about this farmers market contributes to its vibrant, friendly and overall earthy atmosphere. I’ll gladly go back.

brazos valley

I saw the tents first. I spotted them as soon as I crossed Highway 6 bypass onto Rock Prairie, in between the new Starbucks and the Valero gas station. I looked to my right and a long line of them formed in the Scott and White parking lot. Then, I knew exactly where to go.

The Farmer’s Market on Scott and White Drive is open every Friday from 12pm to 5:30pm. This allowed for a quick and easy stop on my way home from school (it’s on the way to my house). The roads within the Scott and White parking lot were the only obstacle getting to the tents because they were swervy and confusing; it’d be easy to end up going the wrong way on a road. Thankfully, there was a car in front of me going to the same place so I ended up following it. Once I arrived in the parking lot, there were plenty of parking spaces to choose from at a comfortable distance from the tents. From where I parked, the first tent I approached contained vegetables, fruit, potatoes, and some jam.

This was the only tent that met my expectation of what a “typical” Farmer’s Market has: fruits and vegetables.

There were seven tents total: fruits/ vegetables, homemade dog treats, honey, jams, vegetable plants, herbs,

and a bakery. Although the selection was not much, all the items were fresh and homemade.

The best part about this Farmer’s Market, though, was the people. All of them were super friendly and talkative. I would say, “I’m from the Roar newspaper at Consol” and more than half of them had a story for me about when their children also went to Consol or were on the Roar staff many years ago. From there, they asked me about my future plans. I told them.

Then, they would announce their children’s successes and so on. The first owner I talked with even gave me a free plum! I also met a Consol alumna from last year who I knew but was unaware of her having a booth at the Farmer’s Market.

As I said earlier, this may not be the best Farmer’s Market for a wide selection of food choices, but I would definitely check it out because the choices they do have won’t disappoint.

The prices are reasonable for the quality received. Most importantly, I would encourage anyone to just walk around and talk to the people. Some of them have awesome stories to share. This was not my first time going to this Farmer’s Market and definitely will not be my last.

20 | etcetera | the roar

friday, may 13, 2016

all the world’s

a stage

Theater class unifies students, serves as emotional outlet katerina kountakis | assistant editor For many, a stage is a place where they might feel nervous or self-conscious. But for the theater students, a stage is a place where they can truly be themselves.

“I used to be very shy. I didn’t really talk to many people,” junior Courtney Skains said.

“Theater helped me to branch out and get out of myself.”

According to senior Dalton Kupferer, theater is a great way to meet new people and be around people who share the same passion.

“My favorite thing about theater is being around people you know you can be yourself with,” Kupferer said. “Theater brings us together where we don’t have to worry about being judged, and it gives us a common goal of the show we are putting on.”

Performing in front of a large crowd can be nerve-racking at times, but actors like Skains says that the fear dissipates over time.

“The opinions of people don’t dictate my value, and if I do something wrong, they won’t notice it,” Skains said. “They don’t indicate if I am having an ‘oops’ moment. Taking time to yourself beforehand can help calm down your nerves.”

The theater class has a gathering before the show called “Traditions” to help get everyone pumped up and loosened up. All the actors gather around, making noise and being themselves one more time before they go on stage.

“I get a little bit of jitters, but I find that the moment I go on stage it kind of melts away and I become comfortable with what I am do-

ing and comfortable with myself and the work I put into the show,” Kupferer said. “Traditions help me get in tune with the show and get me in the zone.”

The students enjoy playing all the different characters because they can be who they want to be. But sometimes putting themselves into the character’s shoes can be difficult.

“In Peter Pan, I was a Lost Boy, and I am pretty feminine, so it was hard making myself look like a little boy,” junior Hannah Hildebrandt said. “If I was doing something girly, my director would call me out on it. I had to watch how boys walk and act.”

To the actors, theater is more than just reading a script and acting a part. Students like Kupferer believe that life lessons can be learned through the characters the students play.

“In ‘The Scarlet Letter,’ I was playing a character that was angry all the time and it got him nowhere,” Kupferer said. “It helped me realize that when it comes to being angry, reaction is key. If something happens to me or if someone does something to me that I don’t like then I have to calm down and not automatically stew on it.”

Despite the actors’ differences and characters, they consider each other family. They spend hours rehearsing and dedicating their time to making the performance perfect.

“It’s more of the people in theater that really makes it great, because it is a lot of fun,” Hildebrandt said. “We hang out outside of school, we have fun activities and everyone is really close. We love each other a lot.”

YEAR IN PICTURES

Sophomore Charlotte Brumbelow and junior Courtney Skains take bows in theater’s fall play, The Scarlet Letter. PHOTO BY HALEY MITCHELL

Spanish teacher Linda Bendiksen poses a question to challenger and junior Kayla Kubelka during the fall WIT vs. FIT show. PHOTO BY HALEY MITCHELL