The Roar Vol. 28 Issue 3

HeA

Early graduates discuss decision to finish senior year at end of fall semester

myla cathey & masie johnson editor-in-chief & section editor

As the fall semester comes to a close, students prepare for finals and decompress before the spring semester. While most seniors are busy accumulating college acceptance letters and planning for their last semester of high school, some expedite the typical winter routine and jump straight into the rest of their adult life.

Rather than graduating in the spring with the rest of their classmates, these seniors opt to graduate at the end of the fall semester in order to enter college early or

take a semester off. For senior Karly Risner, this was the clear choice, yet one that would require an independent approach when completing college applications.

“Most people don't register for college admission in the fall—[they] do it in the summer,” Risner said. “Doing it in the fall instead, it'd be on my own.”

The early graduation process also requires gathering credits in a condensed time frame—credits that one would normally complete in the customary eight semesters of high school. This process starts as early as middle school.

Dec 14-16 Fall Final Exams/Early Release

Dec 25 Christmas Day

Jan 3 Basketball vs. College Station

Jan 4 First Day of Second Semester

Jan 6 Girls Soccer vs. Seven Lakes

Jan 12 Boys Soccer vs. Fort Bend Clements

Jan 16 School Holiday

Feb 14 Valentine’s Day

INNEWSTHE

A-Side finishes 3rd place in a cappella competition

A-Side competed in a two-round a cappella competition in Rockwall, Texas on Dec. 3. They placed 3rd place out of 13 high school and college groups. Junior Aiden Ross was awarded best soloist.

Head football coach resigns, replacement to be named

Head football coach and campus athletic coordinator Lee Fedora announced his resignation on Dec 2. Fedora was 57-17 in his six seasons at Consol. His teams made the playoffs all six years. Before arriving at Consol, Fedora won a pair of state championships at Navasota. CSISD superintendent Mike Martindale has said that a new football coach will be named early in the spring semester.

Band and orchestra place in All-Region

Senior Nathan Taylor qualified for All-Region Orchestra. In band, seniors Sarah Kakwan and Emily Reid earned spots as flutes. Sophomore Maya Gentry earned a spot as an oboe. Senior Lexi Findley, junior Madison Jackson and freshman Elyse Keister placed in clarinet. Sophomore Ben Moran placed as a saxophone player. Taylor, as well as junior Kendall McKinney and Chloe Wingfield, joined as trumpet players. Junior Luis Vasquez and sophomore Isaac Schmeichel joined as trombone players. Junior Parker Moratzka and freshman Cade Shannon earned spots as euphonium players, and senior Thomas Crosthwait made percussion.

A-Side poses with their 3rd place trophy from their Rockwall competition. PHOTO PROVIDED BY A-SIDE.

Tiger Football lost to Lamar Fulshear 5038 on Nov 18. PHOTO BY EVY HAIRELL.

Graduating early brings new challenges, opportunities for seniors

“I had to take two classes in the summer,’’ senior Abigail Mckinney said. “I also took high school credits in middle school, so that was helpful.”

School counselors play a big part in ensuring that the students are on-track to early graduation. Senior Daniel Sill says that his counselor, Jamie Boyd, was his main advisor throughout his high school career.

“Mrs. Boyd has been really helpful in getting all my credits ready, and [she] told me what I need to take in order to graduate early,” Sill said. “It’s been really easy.”

Early graduation has become more common in the past three years, as Boyd is currently helping about a dozen students on the path this year. She meets with the earlygraduates and organizes their class schedules, which vary in workload for each individual depending on what credits still need to be acquired.

“We do credit checks and then we map out a plan, [like] whether or not [they] need night school or summer school, ‘’ Boyd said. “Then we go from there, stick to the plan,

and make sure everything goes accordingly.”

MOVING ON, MOVING OUT

Graduating high school and undertaking the responsibilities of adulthood is a struggle already, but doing it months before everyone else adds to that difficulty. However, it does provide benefits, like offering teenagers more time to transition to adulthood.

“It gives you a few more months to realize, ‘Oh, I’m out of high school,’” Risner said. “What do I want to do? [Where am I ] going to live?”

Although they are moving on from high school, early graduates are encouraged to return for spring activities and can still attend graduation.

“I will definitely miss seeing my friends, but I still will come back [for] Prom and walk the stage and everything,” McKinney said.

Risner, a three-year varsity softball player, was initially concerned about missing out on her final year of school softball, but the team was accommodating.

“Last year wasn’t my senior year, but I got to have a senior

night,” Risner said. “I felt like [that] really concluded that part of my life.”

LIFE PLANS

The early graduation process starts at different places for everyone—not all paths look the same. In December of his junior year, Sill committed to playing Division I football at Texas Tech and will start spring training in January 2023.

“[I’m graduating] early because [Texas Tech] wants me out there working now,” Sill said. “[It] was not my original idea—they were the one that started me on the path.”

McKinney starts classes at Texas A&M after the new year, majoring in Agricultural Leadership. For schools like A&M, applicants who graduate high school early have an increased likelihood of getting accepted.

“I could have applied for

the fall and then not gotten in, so it was hard to make that decision,” McKinney said. “August 1st is when I applied, so I had to take that risk.”

Risner is enrolled in classes at Blinn, with plans to attend A&M in the fall and major in meteorology.

“People will wonder why you’re doing it,” Risner said. “But if you know why you’re doing it and know that it will benefit you, it doesn’t have to be XYZ. It can look totally different.”

Sill advises others considering early graduation to make sure it is the right path for them before making a final decision.

“Be ready to live on your own,” Sill said. “Don’t just graduate early because you want to. Have a plan afterwards, because after high school you start being independent.”

out and about

Citywide volunteering event connects students with community

may sarin & evy hairell managing editor & section editor

For the first ever “Consol Cares” event, students signed up to volunteer for different organizations around College Station. Over 250 students volunteered across a variety of different nonprofits and service institutions. The Nov. 16 event was created by “Thrivers”, a group of students and principal Gwen Elder who create ways to support the school.

“When the idea of giving back or service came up, [senior] Dillan Slocum mentioned that at her old school, they did a ‘give-back’ day,” head cheer coach Jodi Schlather said. “The idea grew from there and they reached [out to] local nonprofit organizations and schools to see how they could help.”

The participating organizations were three elementary schools, two church pantries, Crestview Nursing Home, Bridges Homeless Shelter, Scotty’s House, Ronald McDonald House, and on campus.

Thrivers member and senior Jackson Bobbitt says making sure the event ran smoothly was challenging.

“There [were] a lot of logistical pieces involved—coordinating with different nonprofit organizations, transportation, as well as being able to provide enough volunteer opportunities for our students,” Bobbitt said. “Countless hours were put into the planning process to make sure students and faculty had a fun and successful day.”

At Scotty’s House, sophomore Josefina Medina-Perez and others were split into teams.

“The group I went with did yard work,” Medina-Perez said. “They had two of us making the mulch on the playground and filling up any holes. Once we finished with that, they just had us running around picking up trash, setting up stepping stones, clearing paths and sweeping.”

Other students went to either Creek View, Pebble Creek or South Knoll Elementary School. Senior Caden Pachla’s activities with a Creek View kindergarten class have inspired him to keep working with elementary schoolers.

“We helped the kids make turkey headbands, and then did stations with them,” Pachla said. “We had lunch, then we came back and did a short reflection. I am actually going to apply to be a Kids Klub counselor because of [Consol Cares].”

According to Bobbitt, there’s a high possibility the event will happen next year, but a date and time hasn’t been decided.

BY SYDNEI BANKS, CADEN PACHLA, CAMPBELL GATTIS

Top left: Seniors Sydnei Banks (front) and Isa Bergeron-Prejean (behind, left) give piggyback rides, play tag and race with Pebble Creek students during their recess.

Bottom left: Sophomore Evie Nolan and seniors Hailey Greer and Caden Pachla pose with Ms. Edward’s Pebble Creek kindergarten class.

Center: Students gathered in the auditorium before splitting up on buses to their volunteering sites.

Top right: Seniors Maddison Beltran (left) and Avery Carnes (right) hammer in the Scotty’s House stepping stone path.

Bottom right: Sophomores Markiria Calhoun, Kimora Love and De’ Shyria Miles paint rocks for the stone path.

CONSOL WOULD LIKE TO THANK: The AMCHS Thrivers Group, Jodi Schlater, Lindsay Zahn, Tara Moore, Grace Stanford, Katie Hager, Eden Michaels, Michelle Jedlicka, Jill Faith, Kelli Macafee, Jamie Boyd, Nelda Gilbert, Marva Bailey, Aiesha Bowers, Kristen Bowman and Amiee Parsons,Janson Soltis, Elizabeth Cunha, Daniel Marshall, Andrew Daily, Robert Myatt, Shawn Witherwax

PROVIDED

PHOTOS BY ELENA ALANIZ

On Nov. 20, FIFA World Cup host Qatar opened the tournament with a 2-0 loss to Ecuador. Four days prior, far away from the flashing lights and media frenzy of the largest sporting event on Earth, Nepal—the 175th ranked men’s national team—defeated Pakistan 1-0 in a friendly between two nations that have given more to the World Cup effort than most fans will ever know.

What the Qataris bid in cash to land the World Cup, the Nepalese and other South Asian migrant workers paid in blood. A workforce of over two million migrants has been building stadiums, luxury hotels, roads and other amenities from scratch since Qatar was awarded the World Cup in 2010. Reports of slavery, dangerous and unsanitary work conditions and preventable deaths have emerged from the country since. Death totals are unreported and hotly contested between the Qatari government and international observers.

What can be confirmed as fact are the stances of the Qatari government on other issues. Women must obtain permission from male guardians to marry, work in many government jobs, travel abroad until a certain age, study abroad and act as a child’s primary guardian, among other limitations. Homosexuality is illegal in the country and is punishable by fines and imprisonment.

Multiple fans and media at the tournament have been harassed and detained for sporting rainbow flags, accessories and attire at games—which Qatar claimed would be allowed before the tournament started. Qatar has made strides toward equality in recent years, but to suggest that their policies are simply a difference in culture rather than human rights violations is laughable.

These issues have resulted in high-profile protests and boycotts across the globe. Fans and clubs in Europe lobbied for teams like Germany to boycott the competition, while cities like Paris refused to broadcast the games. Uniform supplier Hummel unveiled “toned down” jerseys for Denmark, saying that, while they support the Danish team, they “do not wish to be visible during a tournament that has cost thousands of people their lives.”

While well-intentioned, these measures at best do little more than make people feel nice about themselves and at worst take away a platform that is used for positive change. For the latest example of the latter, see the Iranian national team’s refusal to sing their national anthem in the wake of recent protests against their government’s inhumane treatment of women—something that resulted in threats of torture and imprisonment against players’ families.

The World Cup is an event with an incredible international reach, and is the perfect opportunity to bring global attention to problems like those in Iran. Taking eyes off of the tournament through boycotts out of some moral obligation hardly hits FIFA and Qatar in their wallets—which is what they really care about—and just devalues actions like that of the Iranian team.

Let’s not forget that the previous World Cup was held in Russia in 2018, another country with blatant human rights violations. That decision drew much less controversy than this year’s event. Yes, it’s true that FIFA has banned Russia from international competition since their invasion of Ukraine. But when countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran can make it into the World Cup and even North Korea is eligible (the latter made their last World Cup appearance in 2010 and attempted to qualify for the 2022 edition), two questions arise: Where is the line drawn? And who gets to draw it?

Should countries that tolerate and embrace human rights violations themselves be tolerated for the sake of unity and sport? Or should someone get to make the decision on what actions are too far for the international community to accept? If so, who holds that power?

It’s fair to criticize Qatar. It’s fair to criticize FIFA; an organization as corrupt as them likely deserves it. It’s fair to say countries like Qatar and Russia shouldn’t get to host the tournament, but should be allowed to play. But anyone screaming about what’s happening in Qatar while turning a blind eye to the sins of other countries for the sake of the beautiful game needs to take a long look in the mirror before they play the role of moral authority.

The moment you log onto any entertainment streaming platform, be it Apple TV, Netflix, or HBO Max, you find hundreds, if not thousands, of TV series, movies, documentaries, etc., with so many genres to choose from. But sometimes—despite all this media—there’s nothing to watch. Surely all media is not appealing to everyone, but is some of it even worth watching or is it just a hit-ormiss concept? The endless scrolling of trying to find something good to watch amidst a content drought—or is it just the overwhelming feeling of having to choose one thing to watch out of a thousand?

Content is consumed fast. Significantly faster than it can be produced. A show released today could probably be binged in a whole day. This leads to streaming platforms constantly producing new series and movies. Added to this demand, the intense competition of maintaining a loyal viewer base forces streaming services to focus on quantity rather than quality so as to provide the subscribers with more to choose from.

While it is good to have so many options, it is important to understand that quality over quantity is more important. There is always something worthwhile to watch, but when it is hidden in between so many more titles that are so-so or sometimes downright bad, viewers have no choice but to hunt for content that is worth their time.

The plethora of titles can no longer fool anyone into mindlessly scrolling for eternity. With access to multiple entertainment platforms, it is the value of the content or lack thereof that plays a huge role in the desirability of having these subscriptions. And recently, more platforms have realized that having quality means going beyond the just “Top Ten Today” or “Trending Now” titles. Platforms might slowly move towards the notion that sometimes less is more, and focus on housing titles that are meaningful.

Producing worthwhile media in a

limited way has allowed for streaming platforms to instead fill their libraries with high quality content, even though it might result in relatively low amounts of consumption—I say relative because the available titles still run in the thousands. One such strategy includes a weekly episode release as seen on Netflix, Hulu and other platforms as opposed to releasing the entire show at once. This still manages to entice viewers to stay, as every time an episode is released, it forces them to return to the platform and hopefully view more than just their chosen show. After all, there are only a few hours dedicated to entertainment consumption in a day, which if made worthwhile, can convince viewers to stay.

Despite all this, these platforms have revolutionized content-viewing with their ability to sell media directly to consumers, replacing traditional means of entertainment consumption like broadcast services or even theaters. Being able to stream anything, anywhere and for however long they choose to, gives the audience more control, essentially creating a win-win situation for both the platforms and its subscribers. But since people consume an estimated three hours of TV time everyday, it is important to raise a question: In what ways is the content we consume truly worthwhile and meaningful to us and not just a waste of time?

dhriti kolar online editor

senior comments on World Cup controversy, hypocrisy

a tarnished cup

ian curtis executive editor

staffer reflects on poor streaming service choices

media frenzy

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 editorin-chief, managing editor and opinions editor.

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Should the Pledge of Allegience be recited in schools?

For decades, every school morning has been the same. A late bell rings out, followed by the same string of words that students are supposed to recite in the name of patriotism: the Pledge of Allegiance. We believe that the pledge is an unnecessary ritual that has no place in our schools.

The daftness of the Pledge of Allegiance is best comprehended by simply describing it: On a daily basis, the government asks children— some of whom are not citizens—to verbally swear loyalty to the country.

It’s true that students are only asked to say the pledge rather than legally being forced to stand and recite it. The Supreme Court has been very clear on that front. But that does not make it any less , as asking children to pledge themselves to the flag is still unreasonable.

The pledge dates back to the year 1892 and was tweaked over the years, arriving at its current arrangement in 1954 with the addition of “under God”, which—despite being an obvious religious reference—is allowed because the pledge is voluntary. But just because that addition isn’t technically a violation of the First Amendment doesn’t make it a non-issue. It implies that the government’s preference is for students to adhere to some form of monotheism. We are more than

a nation of monotheists.

And yes, the original version did include the line, “with liberty and justice for all.” Liberty and justice for all? In 1892? Half of the country couldn’t vote, and countless cases of discrimination have occurred over the past 130 years. It can be argued that “liberty and justice for all” doesn’t even apply to our country today, given the litany of civil rights abuses still seen across the nation.

The alternative idea is that students are pledging themselves to the idea of the country: the concept of liberty and justice for all rather than its execution. But even if that’s the literal meaning, that’s not how it appears.

Imagine the headlines if some country in Africa or Asia did something similar to the Pledge of Allegiance to their schools. Many of us would be critical of the idea that another country was asking their children to pledge loyalty to their nation on a daily basis.

The truth is, we are no different. Decades of fanatical patriotism have resulted in traditions like the Pledge that we’re only willing to accept because that’s how it’s always been. It’s time to wake up and finally get the Pledge of Allegiance out of our schools.

— Junior Amy Chae

“It should be played out of respect for everyone who fought in the war for the United States.”

— Senior Holden McBerty

“I think it should be played in schools for those that want to salute our country, but [standing] shouldn’t be required.”

house of clubs

New organizations cater to diverse student body

marvin & debkonya banerjee social media editor & online editor

MODEL UN:

“It’s such an amazing experience and you get to improve on so many different skills,” junior Lovelle Hall said. “The school and students would benefit from being able to talk about controversial issues in a civilized environment.”

AI/ML CLUB:

”My favorite part about machine learning is that the possibilities are limitless,” sophomore Devkumar Banerjee said. “You can try to predict stock market prices, generate art, teach a machine to recognize different people. Machine Learning has something for everyone.”

GRAFFITI:

“We thought it would be a good way for students to get involved because we realized some of these kids weren’t involved in anything,” graffiti club sponsor Eden Michaels said. “It would be a positive way for them to have some involvement in school with something that they’re interested in.”

BANERJEE

dottie

PHOTOS BY DOTTIE MARVIN & DEBKONYA

Sophomores Nic Castillo, Devkumar Banerjee and Sam Seyer work on computers during AI/ML club.

all things

The events of the holiday season

dhriti kolar & evy hairell online editor & section editor

PHOTOS BY EVY HAIRELL

PHOTO BY EVY HAIRELL

PHOTOS BY DHRITI KOLAR

Mitten tree in

the cafeteria open until

A holiday tree aptly named “Chemistree”, by chemistry teacher John Tollett. Students were able to make their own ornaments to decorate the tree.

clinically tested

Health science students gain experience at local healthcare facilities

kolar | online editor

One floor of the Baylor Scott & White hospital is dedicated to people who just got out of surgery. They need help bathing, walking, and in other areas of their life. Students such as senior Valeria Gallego often are the ones to support these patients.

Different departments of the hospital demand different tasks from handling medication efficiently to administering CPR the right way. But for health science students these varying, unpredictable scenarios are just part of their daily routine.

The Emergency Medical Technician class does rotations in intensive care units, ambulance shifts, emergency rooms, cardiac labs, and telemetry.

“[Students] will get certified as ECG technicians, which is cardiac monitoring, and as phlebotomy technicians—people that draw blood samples,” Health Science Theory and EMT teacher Kimberley Decker said. “They won’t be certified as emergency medical technicians, but they will still get a lot of the same experience at the hospital and at patient care.”

The Certified Clinical Medical Assistance practicum gives students an opportunity to work directly in patient care, and involves different tasks from managing and scheduling appointments to helping patients post-surgery.

“If you go to the doctor’s office or the hospital, the [medical assistants help] administer medications, [take] vital signs [and] your history [and] lead you back before the doctor comes in,” Decker said.

Another practicum offered is the Pharmacy Technician course taught by Sara Willis. Students in this course volunteer at pharmacies

and learn to store, handle, prepare, and dispense prescriptions and medications.

“Everything from drug interactions to knowing the different brand names and generic names, [pharmacy technicians] have to memorize 200 drugs,” Willis said. “They have to learn pharmacy calculations, insurance protocols, [how] to interpret prescriptions and [how to] verify dosages. It’s a lot of laws and regulations.”

The internships are at hospitals or pharmacies twice a week and are typically six weeks long.

“We require it because it doesn’t make sense to send someone out to take a test for a job that they don’t even really know that they want to do,” Willis said. “It’s a lot of work to get certified and, if they go out to the pharmacies and don’t like it, then there’s no point, [so] it gives them that real world experience.”

Along with the internships, the practicum classes also have modules that students work through before they appear for their certification exams.

“They are hireable in hospitals—on the medical assisting side as an ECG tech or [in] telemetry,” Decker said. “It’s a very marketable skill [that] they can get a job [with] when they graduate.”

Once certified they can take up jobs as certified clinical medical assistants, pharmacy technicians, or ECG technicians depending on their certification.

“Oftentimes, these internships turn into job offers because then [employers know the student [and] what they know,” Willis said. “They come in already knowing all the policies and procedures of that facility, so it works out really well.”

For those who prefer a less patientoriented path, pharmacy tech tends to be their chosen course, while students who choose EMT or CCMA work

with patients more often. Senior and EMT student Breanna Woytek would rather work directly with patients.

“I’m definitely an adrenaline junkie,” Woytek said. “I like to be put into pressure, [and] I want to save people and make sure that they’re okay.”

The type of environment also plays a large part in the choice of practicums. EMT shifts can be hectic and busy, while the other practicums involve calmer environments.

“Through CCMA, you get that patient contact that you would also get as an EMT without all the stress,” Gallego said. “It’s a more calm environment, and you get to interact with doctors [and people], in the healthcare setting.”

Aspiring medical professional Gallego considers the CCMA course as a way to gain exposure and insight into the medical world.

“[You] surround yourself with people that you can network with forever,” Gallego said. “I’m a people person. I really like the idea of being able to help people. I really value intelligence, learning, and education. And so through being in the healthcare field, I can apply my knowledge.”

Being a part of these programs itself demonstrates huge commitment and also allows students to make better decisions on where and what they want to be in the medical world.

“Because of shadowing, I get to see where exactly I will be and [that] climbing up the hierarchy is an achievement,” Woytek said. “It makes me feel productive [as well as] excited for the future [and that] I made the right choice to go into the medical field.”

dhriti

IT

hack your brain

program competes in computer security competition

may sarin & debkonya banerjee managing editor & online editor

The clock is ticking. Approaching hour seven of eight, senior Esteban Gonzales is stuck on creating a secondary data route as a backup connection to a router. His team has already accepted defeat, doubting they can successfully create the route and move onto the next step.

Then, Gonzales lets out a celebratory yell. He’s figured it out. Rejuvenated, his team moves on, finishing with an extra 40 points.

Students from Consol’s Practicum in IT class compete from their own computers with others across the nation in the CyberPatriot competition. The mission? Given the materials of a malfunctioning

shouldn’t. You delete that user’s access, you change their permissions, boom, you get points. Or you do something bad, and then it makes an error sound and takes away points. The more flags you get, the more points you get, the higher you place.”

The different operating systems—Windows, Linux, CISCO—are delegated among the team members. Each is responsible for solving certain issues or creating things related to that system.

“There’s a Windows portion of it—like a regular computer—and that’s securing and protecting that,” Howard said. “Then there are servers, which are things that share resources. They are, in my class, the thing that kind of runs the network. So there’s a server operating system, and you have to fix that as well.”

While Windows is well-known, other systems are more difficult—yet no less important—portions of the challenge to complete.

“[Linux is] what basically runs the Internet and everything in the background.” Howard said. “[The] way networks work, there’s usually a brain behind that network. For this particular case, they’re using CISCO equipment, and they get to set up and create a CISCO network in a virtual environment.”

In addition, the CyberPatriot competition has other quiz material, like “forensic questions”, which can be an exciting test.

I’m the teacher, I can just help them,” Howard said. “I can help by pointing them in the correct direction. We basically do that during class.”

The multitude of skills that go into the computer clean up—stamina, teamwork and specialized knowledge—create a tough but fun experience that, for Kissee, can make the eight-hour time limit fly by.

“It is very, very competitive,” Kissee said. “It’s really engaging, though, because it’s constant problem solving. It’s a really long time, but the time goes by really quickly because you’re just constantly trying to work out this problem that you have.”

The CyberPatriot competition is just one small part of a wide field. Kissee’s entrance into IT began with his dad and school career and technology

computer, they have up to eight hours to fix all bugs and clean up digital garbage. Collecting points in the shortest time possible, each team is then ranked against others for the next round.

So far, IT students have gotten their feet wet in two practice rounds. The first scored round, at the state level, starts today.

“Basically, the last two [rounds] have been like, ‘This is a professional computer for a corporation,’” senior Marigrace Ivie said. “It shouldn’t have anything that you would have on a home computer, so you go through that, delete them, and basically just take care of any vulnerabilities.”

The IT kids accrue points by finding different errors in a “capture the flag”-style game but with less tackling and more hacking. Well, preventing hacking, actually.

“For this, the flag is something that’s bad on the computer,” IT teacher Michael Howard said. “So you have a user that has really, really high level access that

“Sometimes they’re really vague and sometimes they do suck, but a lot of times, there’ll be actual good riddles and problem solving questions,” senior Johnathan Kissee said. “It’ll be a file that you’ve never noticed, or some little small thing that you missed. Once you find it, you get really excited, and then you get to see your score counter go up.”

Howard coached the CyberPatriot team before teaching at Consol, so he’s been an asset in guiding the team while also running the IT program.

“There are actually ways that you can get approved coaches that can help the teams, but since

tours.

“[My dad] started off in the IT department, so I would hear about his stuff at work,” Kissee said. “When we would do the CATE tours over here, I was like, ‘Okay, this is exactly what I want to do.’ I like it because it’s constantly changing. It’s not stagnated. You just constantly learn as you work.

Ivie was inspired by the silver screen.

“It’s actually funny,” Ivie said. “I chose IT because when I was younger, I was watching Criminal Minds. I saw [Penelope] Garcia and I was like, ‘I want to be her.’ Since I was eight, I have been in IT because I wanted to be like Garcia, and I fell in love with it.”

As for Gonzales, the power of computers to communicate drew him to the field.

“I was always interested in IT, always thought it was a super cool thing,” Gonzales said. “I find it fascinating [that] computers can talk to each other from across the world. I was like, ‘I want to look into this. I like all this stuff and I want to make a profession out of it.”

PHOTOS BY DEBKONYA BANERJEE

Sophomore Devkumar Banerjee and senior Grayson Heyman prepare for the cybersecurity contest.

Michael Howard teaches Practicum in IT.

Senior Brooks Dodgen, sophomore Devkumar Banerjee, senior Nathan Taylor work on an assignment.

pride & elegance

Students performing Indian classical dance share its significance

emily chen and elena alaniz opinions editor and section editor

When people picture dance in the United States, they’re usually seeing ballerinas, B-boys and girls, or country and western dancers. Although these dances are the most common in the United States, many dancers perform styles “out of the norm.”

Senior Divya Srinivasa and sophomore Shirin Gohil practice a dance from eastern India called Odissi, one of nine forms of Indian classical dance.

“We have different types of dances, but they’re all based on Hindu traditions, our stories [and] our spiritual beliefs,” Srinivasa said. “What makes Odissi so different from other ones is it’s a lot of body movements. We do a lot of torso [movements]. It’s very sensual [and] it’s about the beauty of your body.”

For Odissi, there is a certain stage makeup requirement: a ring of flowers around a bun, thick arched eyebrows, a bold liner, and lots of blush and lipstick.

“When you’re on stage–and it’s usually a pretty decently big stage–the effect of the makeup is a lot less and so that’s where we do a lot of exaggerated [looks],” Srinivasa said.

One of the most fundamental parts of dancing is expression. The dancers may be

doing the same choreography, but everyone has a different way of showing their emotions.

“No one has the same expressions when it comes to dance,” Srinivasa said.

heritage,” Srinivasa said. “I feel like I’m really proud [of] being Indian and also being American and balancing the two. Dance has helped me stay connected to [the] language and our traditions.”

For those who do not share the culture, understanding the story and the tradition behind folk dances is challenging and could lead to misconceptions.

“I think the portrayal in both Western media and Indian media about classical dance is kind of skewed and commercialized,” Gohil said. “People’s understanding of it is a little bit different, or they struggle to perceive how it’s different [from] Bollywood dancing or even hip hop.”

False perceptions of folk dance initially made Gohil insecure, but that changed over time.

“I felt [the dance] was so rare and uncommon that people would struggle to understand or connect to it and I didn’t want people to see me in a very skewed light,” Gohil said. “But that’s definitely changed as I’ve grown older because my involvement in dance has become [greater], so it’s a bigger part of my life.”

“So I feel like the way I’m able to express myself is taking the dances and putting my own take on them.”

Srinivasa started Indian classical dance at the age of six after her mother enrolled her in lessons.

“She wanted me to learn dance to keep connected with my culture because it’s very interconnected with Indian culture and my

However, sporting a unique dance style is empowering to folk dancers as they get to share their culture. Their insecurities have strengthened them, and representing their heritage has become a symbol of pride.

“It broadens people’s idea of what dance can look like,” Srinivasa said. “It’s just nice if you show people that dance means different things to different people everywhere.”

Sophomore Shirin Gohil (top two) and senior Divya Srinivasa (middle and bottom two) perform Odissi dance.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY DIVYA SRINIVASA AND SHIRIN GOHIL

a new commitment

Seniors discuss recruiting process, decision to compete in college

ian curtis & atticus johnson executive editor & section editor

Few journeys in sports are as stressful— or as exciting—as the college recruiting process. Campus visits, photoshoots, social media graphics, scholarship offers and more opportunities all combine to create a dizzying ride for each recruit. But the path to college athletics is different for every individual athlete.

For some, like senior Taylor Smith, the opportunity to ride equestrian at the collegiate level has been a long-term goal.

“It’s been my dream since I was seven when I started riding horses,” Smith said. “I knew I wanted to go into college for it, [and] ever since, that’s what I’ve worked for.”

For senior Lesley Munoz, who committed to play volleyball at UT-Dallas, it is a natural continuation of a passion and escape she has enjoyed for the past four years.

“At the end of the day, I could just forget everything and go play volleyball,” Munoz said. “It was nice to have that family.”

Once Smith signed with Baylor University, she knew she’d made the right decision.

“I know that’s where I’m supposed to be,” Smith said. “As soon as I committed, I had so many people text me and say they’re excited for me to be in Waco. I know I’m

going to have a great community of people supporting me and wanting me there.”

Senior Ella Goodwin is staying home to play soccer at Texas A&M and is looking forward to continuing a family legacy.

“I’m excited to be an Aggie,” Goodwin said. “My parents were both Aggies. I’ve

that was to reduce the stress of the recruiting process.

“I just wanted to make the decision and be done,” Smith said. “You don’t want to be the person who can’t make up their mind. If you commit late, you may not get as much scholarship money as somebody who committed earlier. And [some coaches] may not like a person who commits and then decommits repeatedly. It’s a scary time.”

Munoz says that, while the recruiting process may seem intimidating, it’s an achievable goal for many athletes.

“I think a lot of people who want to play at the college level think it’s difficult or that they may not be able to find a college that would want them,” Munoz said. “It’s not easy, but it’s not as hard as it seems. If you just do the right things like setting up a profile on a recruiting website, or just sending out the first emails to colleges you’re interested in, it’ll become a lot easier.”

grown up an Aggie. It’s a great SEC program, but [family] is part of it.”

Munoz hopes to attend veterinary school at Texas A&M after her time at UT-Dallas, which played a role in her decision to sign with the Comets.

“[A&M] vet school is hard to get into,” Munoz said. “Finding a school that had good academic achievements and a good academic side was important.”

UT-Dallas is a NCAA Division III institution, meaning that they do not offer athletic scholarships, but they provide other advantages that a Division I institution would not.

“It’s less of a time commitment,” Munoz said. “You have more time to focus on the school side of it. Yes, they don’t provide athletic scholarships, but that’s because they’re more academic focused. It’s another way of them stressing academics.”

Smith committed to Baylor relatively early, in the fall of her junior year. She says

And when it comes to making that final choice, Goodwin stresses the importance of considering all factors given that the decision may affect the rest of an athlete’s life.

“All aspects matter,” Goodwin said. “The decision you make affects you as a person, academically and athletically. It may seem hard now, but it definitely pays off in the future.”

Smith signs with Baylor for equestrian, continuing the sport she’s played since she was seven.

With her parents and fellow Aggies by her side, Goodwin commits to Texas A&M for soccer.

PHOTOS BY IAN CURTIS

PHOTO PROVIDED BY LESLEY MUNOZ

Munoz on a visit to UT-Dallas, where she’ll play volleyball before returning home to pursue vet studies at A&M.

foreign flavor

the roar reviews: cultural foods

emily chen | opinions editor

Though the picture may not look the most appealing, true fans’ mouths will water at the sight. Just like the picture, H-E-B sushi is much more than it seems. Their wide range of flavors and the exquisite tastes of Japanese culture is enough to surpass any grocery store expectation and make all first-timers fall in love. The rolls taste fresh, despite being on display for a few hours, and their prices are perfect for broke students. This time, I tried the Salmon Avocado Roll, and it didn’t disappoint. For anyone who doesn’t like raw fish, H-E-B has other options for fake or cooked meat. So yes, H-E-B isn’t your typical Japanese restaurant, but it certainly is a cheaper alternative. A delicious alternative.

I am an avid fan of Shiraz Shish Kabobs. I had first tried it at my friend’s house when we decided to get takeout and immediately fell in love. Shiraz is a Persian-style restaurant whose specialty dishes are kabobs. The vibe when you walk in is amazing. The first thing you notice when you walk in the door is the big fountain in the middle of the restaurant. It is not too loud and gives a nice and unique feel to the small dining area. The employees were also incredibly kind with very bright smiles. The menu features a variety of meats and veggies with a side of saffron rice and two pieces of naan. I ordered the beef shish kabob. The beef was seasoned very well, and the meat itself was juicy and tender. The rice and naan were also very delicious, and it is even better if you eat both with your main choice of meat. Although I did not get it this time around, Shiraz’s hummus is amazing as well—a staple appetizer in my opinion. I would definitely recommend Shiraz to anyone seeking out Persian food.

elena alaniz | section editor

Salmon Avocado H-E-B Sushi - H-E-B Sushi Bar

Beef Shish Kabob - Shiraz

PHOTO BY EMILY CHEN

PHOTO BY ELENA ALANIZ

PHOTOBY

“ChristmasEvie”

styles of the season

Students create outfits, explore world of fashion design

Sewing machines border the classroom. Creativity brims from open minds like water from a faucet. Scissors snip, measuring tapes are out, and fabrics and wrapping paper are being sewed and molded into outfits and accessories.

Fashion Design is a class that sometimes goes unnoticed by the student body, but is a rewarding program that teaches its students both creativity and lifelong skills.

Sophomore Lorelai Kelly entered her high school career set on developing her design skills.

“I started Fashion Design this year because you can’t take it your freshman year,” Kelly said. “There is a Fashion Design II [typically] only people who are really into fashion design take. I plan on taking that next year.”

Junior Kage Wilks, a Fashion Design II student, recently created a pair of jeans and a jacket for his class. The class allows him to make his own affordable clothing.

“I enjoy creating, having the idea of something, [then] being able to make and actually wear it,” Wilks said. “You can make things that normally would cost $100.”

Some students like sophomore Maleni Villarreal have plans to cultivate their own style with lessons learned in fashion design.

“My favorite thing I’ve done this year is probably designing my own outfit,” Villarreal said. “I just want to make my own clothes.”

dottie marvin & aliza jacob social media editor & section editor

Fashion design also requires a lot of creativity, which Kelly finds in many places. Her ideas come from different forms of media, characters, and historical figures and time periods.

“I like to take inspiration from books or movies,” Kelly said, “I love how they layer the skirts and the big coats. I love medieval clothing and the Renaissance because of the bustiers and certain themes or art style.”

Villarreal took an interest in expressing herself through clothes as a child, and it has since stuck with her.

“I’ve always liked to design things ever since I was little,” Villarreal said, “I’ve been pretty passionate about fashion.”

On the contrary, Wilks became invested in fashion more recently, after being influenced by social media.

“I have a sewing machine at home, and I’d see TikToks with people making

stuff,” Wilks said. “That’s actually where I started with sewing.”

The skills learned as part of the program can be used outside of class. Kelly believes that what she has learned in fashion design so far can assist her in a possible career.

“It’s definitely a possibility to make my own business or brands on the side,” Kelly said. “I originally wanted to make my own clothing because I find it really cool and sustainable. I’m actually using a zipper pouch we made for holding all my makeup.”

Fashion design has many fun aspects, but Villarreal finds that it takes dedicated work and can be difficult at times.

“The most challenging part is probably just coming to accept [that] if something’s bad, then you have to redo it,” Villarreal said.

For Wilks, the hardest part lies in external factors, like the setbacks to living in a smaller city.

“A College Station thing [that makes fashion design challenging is] just getting all the fabrics and stuff,” Wilks said.

The practicality of understanding measurements and designs goes beyond the grade these students may get in the class.

“In the future, it is practical for you to know how to measure yourself properly for buying clothes,” Kelly said. “If you have a garment you need to tailor, you know how to do it.”

A student-made wrapping paper dress , “Midnight Snow”, for the Project Holiday competition.

Lillie Faltysek sews a pair of pajama pants for a fashion design project.

EVY HAIRELL

PHOTO BY: EVY HAIRELL

PHOTO BY MYLA CATHEY