T h e

B r y a n

H i g h

S c h o o l

NORSEMAN

Volume 44, Number 2 December 2014

www.BryanHighNoresman.com

IN-BRIEF

3450 Campus Drive Bryan, TX 77802

bhsnorseman@gmail.com

Trainers exercise detection,

prevention of concussions

SEE MORE Robert Morgan

ONLINE Co-editor

BREAKING NEWS

The News category of The

Norseman is the best way to
stay up-to-date with the news
& information at Bryan High.

FEATURES
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can be found online. All old stories can also be revisited on the
web site including student and
faculty spotlights as well as organization articles.

SPORTS
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up-to-date
with
the latest sports scores for
Bryan High School athletic programs, be sure to visit
bryanhighnorseman.com/sports.

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Under the blinding lights of Friday

nights and a roaring crowd that pushes
players to get the next rst down even
when theyre at their wits end, the sound
of helmets cracking resounds underneath bone-crushing tackles. This is an
exciting aspect of the game that thrills
fans, but the players sometimes struggle
to stand after the dogpile disperses.
Athletes think about their techniques,
strategies, and execution of plays, but
many do not think about the chances of
getting injured in the heat of the game.
Students who play contact sports are
at risk of getting a concussion: a temporary brain injury that occurs when the
head or upper-body is shaken violently.
Concussions cause problems with concentration, memory, balance, and coordination, which makes this injury highly
problematic for high school students.
Twelve to thirteen years ago, concussions werent considered a major injury
nationally, athletic trainer Josh Woodall said. If someone had an impact that
could have caused a concussion, then the
person was held aside and monitored. If
their symptoms improved in 15-30 minutes, it was determined that they didnt
have a concussion and they were allowed
to go back out on the eld.
For the past 13 years, Woodall has
worked on the eld to help students who
are injured. Since his rst day on the job,
there have been major improvements to
how concussions are initially handled
during a game.
We viewed concussions a lot differently than we do now, Woodall said.
Theres been a lot of research and scientic evidence to show that, even if symptoms dont resolve in that short amount

of time, theres still an underlying

injury to the brain and needs to be
treated appropriately.
Due to the advancements in evidence regarding concussions, the
state of Texas has taken measures
to ensure that athletes are effectively cared for before they continue
playing.
Several years ago, a law was
passed that mandates that any student who suffers from a concussion
must go through a return-to-play
process before theyre allowed to go
back to contact activities, Woodall said.
At Bryan High, weve had a return-toplay policy for the last 10 years or more,
so it didnt change much for us. However, that law put everyone in the state on
an even playing eld.
Students that have experienced concussions and undergone the return-toplay process understand the severity of
concussions and are taking precautions
to help prevent another from occurring.
The return-to-play process wasnt
too hard, it was just long, junior football player Garrett Dohnalik said. Now,
Im leaning more with my shoulder pads
than with my helmet when I tackle to
help prevent concussions.
With the constant research that is
conducted regarding concussions and
rapid changes in technology, concussion
detection signicantly changes over the
course of several playing seasons. These
changes push the school district to observe the accuracy of their equipment to
make sure they do not become obsolete.
From a preventative standpoint, we
make sure that all of our equipment is
the best thats on the market and that
theyre always kept up-to-date, Woodall said. That helps to prevent not only

concussions, but any injury.

Paired with the technology, the athletic department takes several measures
to keep track of their students progress
and make sure that they are cared for accordingly.
We try to keep baselines testing on
le for all of our athletes that participate
in high-risk sports, Woodall said. Our
test measures not only what their concussion symptoms are like on a normal
day, but they help us look at someone
who we suspect may have a concussion
by diagnosing whether or not they may
have a negative effect and ensure that
they have healed from that concussion
and returned to their baseline levels before we get them back out in contact activities again.
Football, soccer, and basketball have
some of the highest concussion rates on
campus. These sports are popular not
only at the high school level, but professionally as well, and the trainers in the
district are able to meet with several
professional-level trainers to learn about
different methods used to prevent and
detect concussions.
We go to professional conferences every year and Ive had the privilege of
...continued on page 5

Page 2 - Around Campus/Spotlight

Around Campus
News & events at Bryan High School

Viking Theatre
Qualies for National
Thespian Competition
Members of the Viking
Theatre traveled to Dallas for the State Thespian
Convention in November.
Seven students qualied
for the National competition that which will take
place in June in Lincoln,
Nebraska.
Solo Monologue - senior
Sara Brittain; Duet Scene freshman Emily Kapchinski and senior Cristina Tomas; Group Scene - junior
Matt Waskom, sophomore
Caleb Duane, and junior
Haven Pottinger; Solo
Musical Theatre - senior

Kathryn Svatek.
Svatek was showcased
as a top 24 State Performer on the last day of the
conference.
Early Dismissal
Dont forget that classes
release early on Dec. 18
and 19.
Students will be allowed
to leave campus early on
Thursday and Friday after
their nal test, but must
stay until the bell.
Any student who does
not have a ride off campus
after nals will be expected to follow their schedule
for the remainder of the
day.

Color Guard Student

Earns
Performance
Spot For Summer
Senior Kellie Overton
has ofcially earned a performing spot with the Santa Clara Vanguard for this
summer.
Photography Student
Places at Contest
Viking photography junior Kaylee Valencia received 3rd place out of 73
entries for a self-portrait
in the Association of Texas
Photography Instructors
fall contest.
(See page 5 to view the
picture)

Student Section Goals

Through the looking glass

Teacher uses photography to introduce students

to wonderland of creativity, success outside classroom walls
Madison Hines
Staff writer
A lot more than an image can be captured through the lens of a camera. A
glimpse of human interaction can be
frozen, a memory can be saved. A photographer is taught to pay attention
to detail, to step away from a scene to
catch the bigger picture, and how beauty is found in unexpected places. Photography teacher John Burrows teaches students not only how to search for
these hidden meanings, but also how
to nd their own passion and spirit
through learning. Because he struggled
with school, Burrows goal is to make
learning relatable and interactive for
his students so that education isnt as
intimidating.
In the rst grade, there was a student teacher who paid a lot of attention
to my inability to read, Burrows said.
This made me want to help students
the way I was helped.

Burrows teaching style, while unorthodox, reaches students on a different level. Junior Bridget Craig,
one of Burrows photography II
students, nds it more interesting than a regular lecture classroom dynamic.
His classroom is hands on,
Craig said. You get to do more
eld work. Its more useful and
applicable.
The photography
world is saturated
with new photographers and has grown
excessively hard to
break into. Burrows
pushes his students
to pursue professional photography if that
is what they are passionate about.
They have to nd their style and
be comfortable with it, Burrows said.

They have to be condent and put

themselves out there. They cant be

afraid to hear the word no.

The main goal of Burrows
journey through teaching is to
show people that education is attainable. He struggled through
school, but he made it through and
became successful and is determined
to make sure his students have equally

successful educational careers.

I want kids to know that school
doesnt all have to be the same,
Burrows said. I want them to see
the creative side too.
His method of teaching has
has proven to be successful. Senior
Erica Constancio, a photography
III student, didnt even consider
pursuing education further until
this year.
I didnt even realize that I
wanted to go to college until I actually got involved with photography, Constancio said. [The class]
made me a better student.
While Burrows realizes it isnt easy
to make it in the art world, he has faith
in his students; however, he ultimately
wants them to succeed by being themselves.
[My students] shouldnt try to mold
themselves to what everybody else is
...continued on page 5

Book fair promotes literacy, reading through community

Jesse Baxter
Co-editor
Bryan High hosted a book fair at
Barnes and Noble on October 8th in
order to raise funds for the English
department and to promote literacy
in the community.
We were able to earn $296
through the book fair, English
teacher Annette Kirk said. With
free shipping and the educator discount, we increased our savings on
our purchases by another $80. People were very happy to support us
because it didnt cost them anything
extra, everyone likes to support literacy.
Other organizations helped out
with the book fair, contributing volunteers to the event to show school
spirit.
We had a display of photographs
taken by Mr. Burrows students; and
Ms. Cross brought some of her theater students who read childrens
stories in character, Kirk said. Mr.
Morales brought out Vikingoteo, a
Latin mixed dance group, and they
were awesome.
One of the main goals of the book
fair was to promote literacy by help-

ing people get books and promoting

reading.
Because we live in the Information Age, todays workplace requires
a high degree of literacy. Even
manufacturing jobs are high tech
and require higher degrees of literacy, Kirk said. Change happens
so quickly now that people without
literacy skills are not able to keep up
with the changing job market.
The book fair is not an isolated
event, English classes are promoting literacy through events throughout the year.
The English I students read extensively about illiteracy and a-literacy, Kirk said. Two professors
from Texas A&M who specialize in
the study of illiteracy and a-literacy
spoke to our freshmen and then the
students wrote an essay about what
characterizes a literate person.
The school also promotes literacy
through programs and policies designed to promote reading.
Bryan offers classes like READ
180 to help students reach their potential as readers, Kirk said. Our
library, of course, constantly promotes reading with book giveaways,

special collections, and even the addition of e-books.

The school library supports literacy through a variety of ways other
than housing books.
We make sure that all of the students feel welcome to come in, we
have displays set up showcasing
certain books, whether it be the new
ones or the teens top ten, Librarian
Lamanda Jatzlan said. We show
interest in students and what they
are reading, and we try to nd books
that would be a good t for them, to
encourage that.
In addition, the ebooks the library
offers help reach more people and
make books more accessible to the
community.
Its something we are really excited about and we are trying to get the
word out with that, Jatzlan said.
Students are allowed to check out
one book at a time and you have it
for seven days, then it will recheck
itself back in, but you can always recheck it if you were not nished.
Literacy is not important only in
English or history, many other elds
and areas require it in order for students to perform, such as math.

Literacy - Page 3

Everything nowadays with EOC

is moving towards real life application problems, so in order to be able
to solve those problems students
have to be able to read and understand what the problem is asking
so they know what the answer is,
math teacher coach Rice said.
People need literacy outside of
school as well, it is not simply for
academics as there are many real
world situations that require it.
By far literacy is more important
than it ever has been in the past, especially when it comes to the mass
media we have, history teacher
Chad Cryer said. Having to be able
to check sources with so many political parties out there, so many agencies that would seek to manipulate
information.
The book fair was a good step to
promoting literacy according to
Kirk, and many hope to continue the
event annually.
Id love for BHS to host a book
fair every year, Kirk said. The way
Barnes and Noble does the book
fairs in store makes it a great way to
showcase our students talent too,
so it can be a lot fun.

Barnes and Noble Book Fair

Theatre teacher Katie Cross reads to children

at the book fair to promote literacy.

Latin dance group Vikingoteo performs at

Barnes and Noble during the book fair.

Theatre students dress up as famous characters and read to children during story time.

Page 4 - Clubs & Organizations

Living a Better Story

Project encourages students to write their own future, help community

Mariah Guerrero
Staff writer
Twenty-four students participated
in Living a Better Story, a service project aimed at helping people understand their importance in the process
of helping the community they live in.
The project ran from October 6 to
November 3 and included members
from the Texas A&M Aggie Blossoms, Bryan High Key Club, and many
other students. Together they raised
$839.02, which will be donated to different organizations around the community.
Living a Better Story (LABS) was
created by Mack Strange, a pastor
from Summitt, Tennessee. One Sunday he told the attendants to use some
of their own money on something that
they strongly believe in and change
it for the better. Times have changed
since LABS started, and has instead
shifted its focus on high school students to get them to have an active part
in serving their community. Strange
believes that each life has a story and
hopes this project helps students nd
their way.
Some of these students feel good
about their stories, Strange said.
Some of them do not. Some feel that
because of their family origin, family

history, geographic location, and community culture [that] their stories are
already written.
Although LABS is about helping the
community, it is also about showing
students that they can change their
story for the better through one life
at a time. One day at her after school
job at Subway, senior Regan Deville
noticed a homeless man
that was always walking around outside the
building.
He came in one day
and he asked a customer if he would buy him
dinner, Deville said. I
jumped in and offered
[to pay] instead.
Although Devilles original plan was
to create dog toys and sell them at local veterinary clinics and dog pounds
to donate to the deforestation prevention and animal cruelty awareness,
this unexpected experience gave her
a better understanding of what LABS
means. Giving back doesnt have to be
about a complicated process, it can be
a simple gesture and result in opening
minds, hearts, and hands to others in
need.
A lot of people think that if
they arent expected to have a

Founder Mack Strange speaks to Key Club members about why he

started Living a Better Story and what the project hopes to accomplish for both the participants and the recipients.

good future then they should just give

up, Deville said. [LABS] provides
people with the motivation to change
what is expected of them. We need to
work together to make the world a better place instead of tearing each other
down.
Sophomores Lexi Durbin, Bridget
Vilas, and Connor Campbell focused

realized they were capable of impacting others in a big way.

Even though Im a high school
kid I learned that its simple to raise
money for a good cause, Durbin said.
You dont need a lot of money to raise
money for others. A lot of people think
you have to have money to donate
money.
Sophomore Ashley Konderla enjoyed working on the
project because it gave her
the opportunity to see other
students reach out to help
even though they were not
members of Key Club.
I liked that people
recognized what we were
doing was for a cause and then that
encouraged them to buy things to
help, Konderla said. It was nice to
know that people actually care.
Next spring, Key Club plans to do
LABS again and involve student athletes, Shy-annes, color guard members, and band students so that more
people in need will be reached and
more stories will be written.
I am hoping more students will
get involved and know its not as time
consuming as it sounds, Konderla
said. Whenever youre nished with
the project you feel like you have
accomplished something that was
meaningful.
Student involvement allowed for the
message of LABS to shine through as
different projects raised money and
awareness for issues within the community while also helping the participants understand that they have the
power to change the world.
My message is, your story is not already written, Strange said. Each
day you have a new page, a new opportunity to write a better story for
your life. As we see each day this way,
we can write a story we feel great
about, a story we can embrace because it has the meaning and purpose
we desire.

Each day you have a new page, a

new opportunity to write a better
story for your life.
--Mack Strange, LABS founder
on hunger in the Brazos Valley for
their LABS project. For four days,
these students sold baked goods and
raised $105. They donated this money
to an employee at Bryan High who
purchases food for students to take
home.
It felt good to change something in
my community, Durbin said. Some
kids dont have food at home and
thats a big problem.
Although the task initially sounded
daunting to many students, they soon

Students break up in small groups to

discuss project ideas for the Living a Better
Story project.

Features - Page 5

Vikings forge hammer, create symbol of pride

Andy Ramirez
Associate editor
The fabled hammer of Norse
mythology was said to have
been forged in the heart of a
dying star and, while that may
not be the case for the Bryan
High hammer, its story is just
as unique.
The hammer was made
from a piece of steel that was
found in the eld house when
Coach Rogers came to Bryan
High, assistant football coach
Kurt Galey said. We do not
know how old it is, but we think
is has been here since Bryan
High has been a high school.
Just as Thors hammer
was said to be stronger than
any normal piece of metal, it
seemed that this piece of steel
was just as tough as the Viking
spirit and it took the heart of
Viking students to make the
hammer.
It was hard to cut because
we couldnt cut through it with
a plasma cutter that can nor-

ATPI
3rd place
contest
winner

photo by:
junior Kaylee Valencia
To view the full color
image submitted to ATPI
please visit http://www.
bhsvikingstudio.com/
Then click on Student
Portfolios --> Senior 2016
--> Kaylee

mally cut through a 5 inch steel

plate, so we had to use a grinder
over two or three weeks, senior
Chris Head, who helped make
the hammer, said. A grinder
can usually last about three
weeks, but we had to switch
the stone out ve times to
grind through the metal.
Once the hammer was
shaped and the general form
completed, the phrase Whosoever holds this hammer, if
he be worthy, shall possess
the power of Thor was inscribed onto the side of the
hammer.
I hope the hammer serves
the team as a symbol to be
worthy as an athlete, but
more importantly, as a person and student at BHS,
coach Robert Jesurun said.
It is a symbol of strength and
power, but only on the condition of being worthy.
While students may not
have the ability to y, summon
lightning, or gain superhuman

strength, this hammer does

have an impact on the mindset
of athletes and students.
The hammer is our symbol,

The Vikings also use the

hammer as a representation of
the unwavering spirit of Bryan
High, rallying together behind

photo by: bhs viking studio

senior KeeKee Johnson said.

We touch it before we go out
to the game. It helps make us
work harder, play harder, and
go out there and perform for
the school and community.

the idea of what it means to be

a Viking.
Thor makes everyone come
together,
senior
Sterling
Whitely said. We all rally together because we are a fam-

ily. We are like brothers on the

eld.
While the hammer has been
used mostly by the football
team, other clubs and activities are welcome to use it for
their events.
The hammer has
been embraced by the football team, but I hope that
other sports, clubs and activities will choose to include
it in their events as well,
Jesurun said. I envision the
hammer being used at any
and all BHS activities.
While Vikings performed well this year, that
power didnt come from the
hammer, it comes from the
undying Viking pride that is
shared by all BHS students.
I hope this will be a
tradition that will carry on for
many years to come, Galey
said. So that when students
graduate from Bryan High,
they will be proud to be a Viking.

Photo teacher Concussions

continued from page 2...
doing, Burrows said. I want them to
know its okay to be exactly who they
are. Be quirky, be funny, be quiet, be
whatever it is and they will nd their
place.
Burrows follows his own advice and
says he enjoys his job more because of
it.
Ive found that in teaching, being
who I am makes me better at what I
do, Burrows said. I realized that Im
going to teach the way that I am and
the kids will achieve more because of
it.
And, according to his students, Burrows message has gotten through and
changed how they view themselves.
[Burrows] has taught me that I cant
be a sellout, Craig said. I am only going to be able to be myself. If I try to
anything else, its not going to work. I
have to be 100% myself, 100% of the
time.

continued from page 1...

working with college and university
athletic trainers and professional athletic trainers in various sports, Woodall said. That has really helped us
because it gives us somebody else to
bounce ideas off of or discuss different
protocols and approaches to recovery.
Athletic trainers know the intensity
of concussions and, although no two
concussions are the same, those who
are responsible for diagnosis and rehabilitation work together to help raise
awareness about this injury and follow
similar protocols.
When we talk about concussions,
theres a common misconception that
concussions can all be handled the
same way, but thats just not true,
Woodall said. We have to constantly
work together to determine the appropriate way to manage concussions
across the board and within those specic groups.

Page 6 - Sports

Testing the waters

Senior makes splash as career continues at D1 school

Robert Morgan
ments. You try not to mess up your practice regi- ing, but Harrison enjoys the challenges that it poses
Co-editor
men, but you have to put schoolwork as a priority. and looks forward to his daily routine.
Stepping up to the block prepping to swim his leg
Looking beyond his time at Bryan High, HarriI get up, make my food, and go to the pool. After
in the relay, senior Harrison Jones puts on his gog- son has decided to pursue swimming in college. He I get done swimming, I shower and head to school,
gles and gets in the zone to dive in the pool as soon signed with Louisiana State University earlier this Harrison said. I go through the school day and
as his teammate reaches the wall. Splashes from semester with hopes of having a successful post- then go back to practice. I swim and swim and swim
swimmers, whistles form coaches, cheers from fans, secondary career.
and then go home and rest. My routine is beneand buzzers surround him, but these distractions
I decided to swim for LSU because of the coach- cial because it helps keeps structure throughout my
dont phase him as he dives into the pool and earns ing staff, academics, and the team atmosphere that day.
yet another personal record.
LSU has, Harrison said. I want to go on with
Those who swim with Harrison and get to work
I like the challenge swimming brings, Harrison swimming after college, but I dont know yet, I have with him everyday see the techniques that he uses
said. Theres a serenity and peace to it that you to see what my experience is with swimming at the and build off their experiences to better themselves
have in the water.
collegiate level.
individually, as well as the team as a whole.
For the past nine and a half years, Harrison has
While recruiting Harrison, the LSU swimming
As an individual, Harrison pushes me to do betswam for both the school swim team and the club department saw the potential that Harrison has. ter, junior Marco Gutierrez said. I enjoy watching
swim team. Combining these two programs, Har- Both Harrison and the department will work to- him swim because he does every little thing correct.
rison has developed into one of the top swimmers gether to further both of their success.
He swims with good integrity and sets a good exin the state.
Harrison was a key pick up for us, LSU swim ample for the other swimmers to succeed.
Club swimming set up my entire basis for swim- coach Dave Geyer said. With his past few seasons
For those looking into competing in collegiate
ming my technique,
of swimming and pro- level sports, Harrison offers advice from his experispeed, and endurance,
gression, Harrison has ence in selecting a college and nding the drive to
Harrison said. Swima very bright future in compete.
ming for the school has
the sport and we look
[Those who want to play sports in college] need
helped me see all the sides
forward to working to pick a team that you t in well with and can see
of the swim world and it
with him.
yourself at for four years, Harrisons said. Dont
has helped me develop as
Swimming day in give up on your goals. Even though it will be hard,
a swimmer to compete in
and day out can get tir- its worth it in the end.
these events.
Harrison has become a
successful swimmer, both
Senior Harrison Jones swims the 200 Buttery
earning the state title and
during a USA meet in Dallas.
competing at Junior Nationals, which pushed him
into more competitive environments to show him a
different perspective in competition.
Its different competing in club events than competing at school events because there are a lot of fast
people, Harrison said. You realize that you may
be the fastest in your area, but then you go and see
the skills that other swimmers have. Its cool to see
the competition and get feedback from your peers
and coaches.
Swimming is a sport that takes a lot of responsibility and is a major time commitment for students.
Harrison has experienced the struggle of trying
to balance schoolwork and his sport, but has also
learned valuable lessons through these trials.
I think swimming helps with schoolwork because
you realize that you have to manage your time,
Harrison said. You learn that, as soon as a teacher
Senior Harrison Jones signs his letter of intent to swim for Louisiana State University while surgives an assignment, you need to start working on
rounded by family and BHS staff members to celebrate the occasion.
it. You have to balance it by doing it in little incre-

Signing Day

Sports - Page 7

Theres no I in team

Cross country member impacts team unity

Valeria Arriaga
Staff Writer
After crossing the nish line to earn rst place
at the Nacogdoches meet, freshman cross country
member Samantha Hernandez ran half the race
again. JV member sophomore Brooke Weaver suffered from a hip injury and was struggling to nish
the race. Samantha went back and nished the race
again, stride-by-stride, with Weaver.
During the District meet, Weaver was again struggling with her hip. This time she was joined not only
by Samantha, but by the entire team. Samanthas
selessness pushed Weaver to nish with her best
time of the season, but she had an even greater impact on the team as a whole, with each member nishing with their fastest time.
Her leadership skills are the biggest contributions
she [gives], cross country coach Jeanette Muncie said. She helps make the team more of a team.
She also likes interacting with her teammates. Shes
always trying to bring them together, and is very
positive and supportive. Samantha never likes to see
another teammate struggle, so shes always putting
herself aside to help other teammates.
Samanthas consideration for her teammate demonstrated to the rest of the team that every individual
member should not work independently, but rather
work with each other and never leave anyone behind.
I think it shows great character and leadership
[that she went to help Brooke], Samanthas father
Ray Hernandez said. Cross country is considered an

individual sport, and I think Sain everyones performance, and

mantha showed everyone that
she does it to see the team progits a team sport. We didnt even
ress.
know about her [going back to
Getting better and helping
run with Brooke the rst time]
everyone else get better is the
until Mr. Smith told me about
most encouraging thing, Sait.
mantha said. When people are
Weaver sees that what Samanstruggling and I can be there to
tha did wasnt to make a name
help them out, Im proud [to be
for herself, but more because
the one that] helped them to get
she genuinely cares for the team
better.
and recovery isnt a time to sit
Samanthas stamina and
around, but rather to get back
ability to keep pushing on is the
up and get better sooner.
fuel for the rest of the team. She
I felt good [when she came
ghts to get better and doesnt
to run with me], like someone
let failure catch up to her.
cared and thought about me,
She doesnt like to lose,
Weaver said. Since Ive known
she doesnt like to fail, and its
her, shes never bragged and
evident in everything that she
shes always been there to push Freshman Samantha Hernandez push- does, Muncie said. If shes
all of us to be better.
es to complete her race and achieve a working that hard, were going
As a freshman on varsity, Sato push ourselves harder.
new personal best.
mantha has accomplished an
Samanthas humility has
impressive amount of goals and
proven her honesty to the sport
that makes the coach excited for the seasons to come. and team and her consideration is a pulling force for
Shes done amazing things as a freshman, like be- the team to keep working.
ing 40 seconds away from qualifying for regionals,
When I asked Samantha why she didnt tell us
Muncie said. Knowing that shes competing on the [about helping Brooke], she said she didnt think she
same level as kids that are ranked in the state lets us had done anything special, Mr. Hernandez said. I
know that theres plenty of good stuff to come.
think that shows what kind of person she is.
Samanthas work spreads to make improvements

Student wrestler proves skill, determination through involvement

Andrew Buck
Staff writer
As two men stare at each other across
the mat, each contemplating how to
best defeat the other, the crowd that has
formed waits in anticipation. A whistle
is blown and they dive at each other. Junior Kaleb Jenkins slams his opponent
to the ground, subduing him with a pin.
Jenkins utilizes the advantage he has
over his competition because of his involvement in both wrestling and karate
to beat his competitors in unique and
unexpected forms.
Ive noticed that when Im in karate Im more of an aggressive person.
The stances and exibility also come in
handy for wrestling.
The primary aspect found in wrestling, but not in many other sports, is
the self-reliance needed to ght one-onone.

Wrestlings a lot more individual

than other sports, said Jenkins. I have
to work on my offense or my defense.
Its really interesting, I have to think I
got this guys leg, what do I do with it?,
Oh, I got off the ground, which way am
I gonna bring him? You have to be able
to react and think Hes about to throw
me, am I gonna ip or am I gonna stick
it up?
Wrestling coach Michael Zito acknowledges the special abilities Kaleb
offers given his diverse background as a
competitive ghter.
He came to wrestling last year with a
martial arts background and those skills
transfer back and forth to wrestling and
martial arts, said Zito. He started off
with a good feel for his abilities and positioning. Since then he has progressed
into wrestling where he understands
now how it applies to take downs, pins,

and different wrestling moves. He has

matured a lot in the last year.
Zito has inuenced Kaleb through his
knowledge of both wrestling and teaching anatomy and forensic science.
I feel like when he teaches stuff it
makes sense, said Jenkins. He wrestled when he was younger, but Im pretty sure the science helps out with how
the motion works.
Zito has seen Kaleb transform
throughout the year into an upstanding
ghter by pushing through initial apathy to discover his true appreciation for
the sport.
Last year it was just something to do,
but now Ive denitely seen a change in
him, Zito said. He really has a passion
for the karate and the MMA, so it was
denitely something he had a grasp on,
but last year I dont think he really made
the connection. This year hes really

made the connection and everythings

starting to click and make more sense to
him.
Even though someone with as much
dedication as Kaleb is met with acclamation from his coaches, there is still a
long way to go.
Oh, I know that I need a lot of practice, Kaleb said. I usually win because
of my cardio, but I know I need to get
some of my technique stuff down because Ive only been wrestling for a
year.
Kaleb plans to continue in both
sports, and after graduation may attend
a Christian university.
Im in my fourth year of karate, and
I will get my black belt at the end of this
year in May, Kaleb said. If I do go to
college, I may think about joining the
wrestling team.

Page 8 - Sports

Hole in D-1

Seniors earns place on UTSA golf team, signs letter of intent

Danica Mendes
Staff writer
The crowd falls silent as
he steps up to the tee. His
club slices through the air
with a resounding thud as
it connects with the ball,
sending it sailing down the
fairway and onto the green.
Senior Dylan Godfrey then
makes his way to the ball to
secure another par and stay
on track to nish among the
top competitors.
Over the past 18 years,
Dylan has been working
on his golf game. The hard
work and dedeciation recently paid off as Dylan
signed to play golf for the
University of Texas San Antonio.
It felt great to sign with
UTSA, Dylan said. Its
been something Ive wanted to do since I was a kid. It
was a dream to sign with a
division one college.
Golf has played a role in
Dylans life as long as he
can remember with his dad
and grandfather both having a long history with the
sport. Dylans twin brother,
Zach Godfrey, also plays for
Bryan High and provides
an in-house competitive
edge that has pushed both
brothers to play to their
best abilities.
Playing against Dylan has
helped me a lot, Zach said.
I hate losing, so Dylan
pushes me to do better and
keep the competition going.
Golf has not only provided years of competition between the two brothers, but
a way for the two brothers

to connect and deepen their he scores his best, his accu- ness to put in the work and thoughtfully.
relationship.
racy off the tee and in hit- the consistent production
So many high school
Golf has brought us ting greens in regulation that has come as a result players get caught up in
closer, Zach said. We play stand out.
are the things that make how far they hit the ball,
golf everyday and were alNewhouse said Dylan him a great player.
and Dylan went through
ways together during and hasnt fallen to the presCoach Newhouse has some of that, Newhouse
outside of golf. Whenever sures and distractions that seen Dylan improve over said. He will not likely
we play [together], we can high school can provide, the past few years through sacrice accuracy for extra
talk about things and have but instead has capitalized his hard work and dedica- distance unless that is what
a great time.
on his assets to succeed.
tion.
the layout of the hole dicPlaying golf is a part of the
Dylans greatest benets
One area [he has im- tates.
Godfrey family and some- have been his desire to play proved in] is his emotional
It is through these
thing Dylan has focused on at the college level, New- control, Newhouse said. strengths that Newhouse
throughout his life.
house said. His willing- He can be a ery guy, and believes the 2014-2015 golf
Playing golf comes natuthat used to lead to tri- team will nd success.
rally, Dylan said. Ive alple bogeys that would
I expect Dylan to conways had a passion for it.
ruin his score. He has tinue to work hard, lower
Its hard. Its
gradually learned to his average, and lead this
challenging,
shake off bad shots, put senior laden team to their
but I like the
it behind him, and limit best season ever, Newchallenge
the damage.
house said. [His] consisgolf
proOther than how he has tent scoring and consistent
vides.
matured emotionally on high nishes in tournaOver the
the course, Newhouse ments throughout his capast
35
also said Dylan man- reer at BHS [should help
years of Neages the course more make that happen].
whouses
career
at
Bryan High,
Dylan is the
9th best one
year average
golfer with a score
of 76.9. His strong
suit has been his
consistency where
he ranks second
over the same time
period with a 77.4
career average.
His ability to
get up and down
around the greens
has been a real key
to his success, golf
coach Ronald Newhouse said. That
is one reason he
rarely ever shoots Senior Dylan Godfrey signs his letter of intent to play golf for the University of Texas San Antonio
while surrounded by family and BHS staff members to celebrate the occasion.
a high score. When

Signing Day

Sports - Page 9

Page
Page 810- Fight
- Technology
Hunger

Integrating
Technology
Technology has become an
integral part of education and
teachers must equip students
with the tools to succeed in their
future careers.
Each subject must assess the
best way to integrate technology
to promote learning and understanding.
Norseman staff members took
an in-depth look at technology
usage across campus and how
different teachers utilized it to
increase student learning.

Technology - Page 11

History
History may not seem like a subject where technology is
frequently utilized, but in the classroom technology is an
integral part of US history teacher Chad Cryer and World
Geography teacher Kelly Adams learning environments.
In Adams classes, the students arent just conned to
the typical worksheets and ll-in-the-blank notes, but frequently use iPads in the classroom to go over information.
The iPads allow students to access lots of information,
and they allow us to do a lot of multimedia type stuff that
keeps the kids interested, Adams said. Some of the different apps that they can use furthers their learning outside in
the classroom.
Adams doesnt enjoy solely lecturing the students and so
he uses the iPads to keep the students active in the lesson
and class.
When Im the one using the technology in a Powerpoint,
were limited to whatever I put up there, Adams said.
When we pull out the iPads, [the students] become more

Science
To most people, science is more associated with technology. In order for the
school to keep up with growing scientific technology in the science community
and in the classroom, physics teacher
Robert Richards uses up-to-date methods in his classroom to make things
both interactive and easier for the students.
In Richards class, the students use
generators, which are computer simulators to clear up their data and reduce
the level of difculty in physics.
The students nd the generators
to be very useful, Richards said. The
generators are helpful and give precise
data, while also taking care of a lot of
things that human error can make bad
data for.
In modern times, students are more
accustomed to the use of technology,
and using the generators helps bring

technology usage into the classroom in

the proper way.
The use of technology is growing,
its not getting smaller. Richards said.
[The students] use their cell phones for
stuff and thats no different from doing
this. They can get better at it now for
when they get to college.
In addition to the generators, Mr.
Richards frequently uses the new Nspire
calculators in class.
These allow the students to type in
words, and you can actually get set labs
that come with instructions already on
there which reduces paper costs, Richards said. They can do the labs right
there on the calculator and they get
graphs on there too. They can be sent to
my computer as well. The calculators allow the students to, in real time, change
their data and see whats happening just
by clicking things. Its just more userfriendly [than the old calculators].

interested in learning. We dont expect every student to be

interested in everything we learn, but hopefully they can
nd something theyre interested in and learn further in
that.
In Cryers classroom, not all the learning is inside the
classroom walls. Cryer has a class blog where students can
interact with one another and share different viewpoints.
You get to see the students opinions, Cryer said. On
the blog, [everyone] can read each and every individual
opinion on there. The other thing is, whenever students
write and realize that its going to be published, they write
with better quality.
Cryer often makes references to his blog in class, which
helps the students with class work and class discussions.
Depending upon the subject that were studying, we tend
to ask [and discuss] a debatable topic within the unit, so
generally we use the blog once a week, sometimes multiple
times a week, Cryer said. The blog helps tremendously,
especially when it comes to class discussions.

Art
Students have always used tools, stencils, paper,
paint and other media to create pieces of art, but
technology is increasingly becoming a part of that
process. Technology is being used in art classrooms
as a way for teachers to increase learning as well as
a way for students to create new pieces.
We currently use a document camera, art
teacher Jennifer Easterling said. We are able to
video what we are doing for a piece of art, so we
can demonstrate and then project it on to a large
screen so all students are able to view it at once.
Through grants or awards teachers have also
been able to acquire technology to use in the classroom. Students are able to use equipment like
iPads to make the artistic process easier and more
streamlined.
I won a grant for a set of iPads a couple of years
ago, so my classes are able to use them to reference images and look those up or to help draw and
combine images to create art, Easterling said. It
makes things quite a bit faster.
After creating a piece most students would like
to display their work for others to see, but because
of the media used in some pieces that can be difcult. Teachers have began to use digital portfolios

the history, science, and english articles were written by staff writer Lucy Raleigh
the foreign language, art, and math articles were written by staff writer Jennyfer Tucker

English
In most English classrooms, learning
usually happens through note-taking and
bookwork, but in Lisa Prejeans English
classroom, the students are doing quite a
bit of their working with laptops from the
schools COW (Computer on Wheels).
I use them on a daily basis, Prejean
said. It allows students to work on things
in class and in google docs so they can
share assignments with me. This allows me
to give them timely feedback electronically
on something theyre working on, and they
can access it from home.
The COW isnt the only important piece
of technology utilized in Prejeans room as
students are required to submit all essays
to Turnitin.
Turnitin checks for plagiarism so that I

to display student work in a form that can be taken

anywhere.
I have students create digital portfolios through
iMovie, art teacher Kim Marshall said. They use
digital cameras, take pictures of their artwork, embed music, and make videos using voice overs in
the creation of their a digital portfolios.
These portfolios benet students as not purely a
means of preserving their work, but also a way to
showcase it colleges and employers.
I think its a good way for them to access their
art from anywhere and show someone instead of
having to have the works of art physically in front
of them, Easterling said. Students can use their
portfolios when trying to earn a scholarship and its
something I can easily access so I can go back and
look at the portfolios.
The most important part of the portfolio is the
fact that they are able to see their progression over
a time period and acknowledge how far they have
come as art students.
It gives them an idea of how they have progressed from the beginning to the end of the school
year and theyre able to talk about their artwork,
what they did, what they may improve, and what
their favorite project was.

dont have to spend time trying to go check

students papers, Prejean said. Before I
had Turnitin.com, I had to use the knowledge I had about students writing styles
and I would know if [their work] didnt
sound like something they would normally
write.
Turnitin.com isnt just a great tool for
Prejean, but for the students; as it allows
the students to see similar work after the
work has been submitted.
I let the kids see the report, I allow them
to look at their matches before their nal
submission so they can go in and see where
their problem areas are, Prejean said. It
gives them a chance to go back and look at
their own writing and evaluate how well
they incorporated quotes, and its helpful
for when they get to college.

Math
Though the means of teaching mathematics have transferred from chalkboards, to white boards, to overheads and
projectors the platform the problems are written on does
not add value to students lives. Applying advancements in
technology so students gain understanding through function is the true purpose behind the technological push.
The technology being used in the classroom ranges from
calculators and interactive whiteboards to online notes
and students cell phones. Some teachers record their notes
either through video les or scanned images to help students ll in the gaps when they miss information.
I have many students in extracurricular [activities] that

Foreign Language
Students are required to take at least two years of a
foreign language to graduate on the recommended plan.
Students may struggle with acquiring a second language in high school and many teachers have started
using websites that include speaking, listening, writing,
and reading to help students practice using the language
and impact learning in a positive way.
Duolingo is a program that we use once a week,
Spanish teacher Alex Morales said. Every teacher gets
the COWs (Computers on Wheels) and we usually do 50
points a week. The program is a lot like Rosetta Stone,
but its free and weve seen a huge difference with the
students using Duolingo because we enjoy doing it.
Spanish teacher Allison Robertson also takes advantage of the internet in assisting her students with language acquisition.
I use edmodo as a way for students to turn in work
and take opinion polls, Robertson said. When students

are gone, math teacher Matthew Rice said. The notes

give them a chance to get it without being in class.
The technology in these math classrooms, such as the
calculators and smart boards, not only make things quicker, but help extend the thinking of the students even farther than before.
Calculators make things faster, but students have to
know how to use it and thats one of the biggest things that
I try to teach, Rice said. They have to understand how to
do the problem, Rice said. The calculator is the tool that
helps them through the process, but they must rst understand the mechanics behind it.

interact with the programs, they interact with the material and create something thats new or original and then
are able to share it immediately with an authentic audience, which is better than showing static media thats not
interactive.
Not only websites utilized in foreign language classrooms, but other forms of technology are also used like
smartboards, laptops, and ip cameras.
I do commercials, Morales said. They use their
phones to lm themselves teaching commands in Spanish and then they can email it to me or bring it in to show
the class and make a full production with iMovie.
Teachers have always worked to nd a way to engage students, technology has only made that process simpler as
it pushes students to think for themselves and create and
understand on a new level.
Theyre forced to learn information and apply it right
away while making a lot of small choices which add up to
really revealing what they understand, Robertson said.

Page 12 - Entertainment

Hatching success

Restaurant offers delicious menu, comfortable environment for customers

Robert Morgan
Co-editor
Southern comfort, mouth-watering
food, and perfect beyond belief sweet
tea. These arent just items that are
depicted in Southern-centric movies
and songs, theyre actual characteristics found at the wonderful, scrumptious Chick-Fil-A fast food chain.
50 years ago, the founder of ChickFil-A, Truett Cathy, invented the best
thing since sliced bread the chicken
sandwich. This revolutionized the
food industry and, specically, the
fast food sector. The chicken sandwich has the wonderful qualities of a
hamburger, but having chicken rather
than beef gives it a unique quality and
taste that can not be topped. Three
years after the invention of this delicious sandwich, Cathy opened the
rst Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Atlanta,
Georgia. With the birth of a new fast
food chain came the birth of an identity for a boy who was born in 1997.
As a 17-year-old boy who is lazy and
does not want to put in any effort to-

wards anything, especially cooking,

Ive tasted my fair share of fast food
institutions and Chick-Fil-A is by far
the best one Ive experienced. The
warm, juicy chicken sandwich, crisp
and salty wafe fries, and a large,
thirst-quenching sweet tea leaves me
feeling like Im in heaven. From the
rst intoxicating bite to the last heartbreaking crunch, I know that Im going to be full for the next couple of
hours. Not only is their food lling,
its also the best comfort food there
is. I cant think of any food not even
chocolate that can leave me feeling
as satised as Chick-Fil-A can, even
on my worst days.
Its not just their lunch foods
though, their breakfast items start my
day off with a hug in my stomach that
lasts for much longer than the average
bowl of cereal or oatmeal. My breakfast of choice is the chicken biscuit
which is quite possibly the best item
on their menu a fruit cup, and orange juice. Whenever you plan on eating at Chick-Fil-A is a good time and

their specialties surpass their competitors because they leave their customers feeling happy and full.
As for the environment of the restaurant, Chick-Fil-A offers a family
friendly atmosphere while still being
a cool place to hang out. On our campus, students go to Chick-Fil-A frequently after classes to grab a bite to
eat and build community with each
other through the conversations that
take place at this institution. Ive gone
into Chick-Fil-A countless times to
have a heart-to-heart with a friend,
talk about major life plans, watch
dumb Youtube videos, and laugh until
my rib cage hurts. Ive been able to do
these things because I feel comfortable in Chick-Fil-A. The restaurant
feels like home and Im never put out
of my comfort zone, as memories have
been made and friendships have been
built because the design and execution
of the southern comfort environment
create an atmosphere of friendliness
and tranquility. The environment that
a restaurant has is just as crucial as

the taste of their food and Chick-Fil-A

is spot on with their performance as a
restaurant.
Although Chick-Fil-A has many
perfect qualities associated with it, it
doesnt come without fault. Some of
their menu items, like their awkward
chicken salad sandwiches, disgustingly
slimy grilled nuggets, and horrid chicken strips, fall short of the expectations
that are set forth by Chick-Fil-A. These
thoughts are subjective, but there is a
higher standard that is set by me for
judging food quality and these items fall
short of the glory that is Chick-Fil-A.
Despite these mishaps in calculation, I still believe that Chick-Fil-A is
a gift from God that should be cherished as such. The wonderful food
and fantastic environment that this
institution gives everyone something
to look forward to. If you are looking
for a tasty place to eat with Southerncomfort hospitality that will make you
feel like youre at home and will leave
you feeling full and happy, then look
no further than Chick-Fil-A.

Heroes of Olympus series dies out with last book

Mariah Guerrero
Staff writer
Books: culturally dened as the object which civilizations have stored volumes of information, but
thats not all theyre used for. Some permeate your
imagination and creativity, some provide knowledge and skill, and then some are John Green books
(all John Green emotions put to side), Though in
contrast there are Rick Riordan books.
Sarcasm, diversity, bold, and outstanding creativity have shaped Riordans current occupation as
not only troll of the decade, but an author of many
incredible books. In the last 10 years Riordan has
kept fans hooked on his most recognized book series, Percy Jackson and The Olympians. With the
directly associated Heroes of Olympus series, the
recognition of his books about Greek Mythology
continue; However the journey ended in October
when the last addition to Heroes of Olympus was
published, The Blood of Olympus.
Most writers vary in their fashion of writing over
time, but Riordan has stayed consistent with the
way he writes his books. Although the chapters have
changed to names and the perspective are different,

you can still tell that the words are his even if you
dont look at the cover of the book. Using appropriate language, by putting he cursed instead of putting an actual curse word, Riordan has made every
book he has written for reader friendly for everyone
from children to young adults.
In The Blood of Olympus, Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Hazel, Frank, and Leo of the Argo II have
made progress in their many quests, but still seem
no closer to defeating Gaea (The deity of Earth itself). The giants have risen and theyre stronger than
ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes
on August 1 when Gaea plans to have two demigods
sacriced in Athens. She needs their blood - the
blood of Olympus - in order to awaken. Camp Jupiters Roman legion is almost within striking distance of Camp Half Blood and though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use
as a secret weapon, Reyna, Nico, and Hedge know
that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island,
where it might be able to stop a war between the two
camps. The Athena Parthenos will go to Camp Half
Blood; the Argo II will go to Athens. The gods, still
suffering from multiple personality disorder, are

useless and as dangerous as it is to head to Athens,

they have no other option. They have sacriced too
much already. If Gaea wakes, its game over.
Despite being the shortest book of The Heroes of
Olympus series (at 516 pages), The Blood of Olympus is lled with much more information than The
House of Hades (597 pages), The Mark of Athena
(608 pages), The Son of Neptune (560 pages), and
The Lost Hero (592 pages). Riordan has done a fantastic job lling pages after pages with details in the
shortest amount of time and space.
The last installment of Heroes of Olympus has
fantastic writing and great imagery. Some parts of
Riordans book are a bit disappointing, Riordan
leaves The Blood of Olympus with an unnished
and unsatisfying ending. Giant hunks of ying metal in the air, our favorite characters are spared, and
monsters are annihilated and sent to Tartarus, but
at the end of the book, there needs to be more.
Despite some of the faults in the last book, Riordan has done an excellent job in ending The Heroes
of Olympus series. Now, if youll please excuse me, I
have the rst series to re-read for the fourth time.

Entertainment - Page 13

Album tries too hard, disgusts listeners

Florida Georgia Lines new release proves duo Nickelback of country music
Andrew Buck,
Staff writer
It may seem premature to declare
the worst album of 2014 while theres
still a few days left in the year, but this
year I make an exception for Florida
Georgia Lines Anything Goes. Florida Georgia Line is a country duo from
Nashville that specializes in a newer
breed of country music. Coined in
2013 by Jody Rosen as Bro-country,
this frankenstein of a genre is the
sour mixture of hip-hop, pop, rock,
and whatevers left of country music
as each of the contending genres stir
together a repulsive witches pot of terribleness.
The rst track, Anything Goes is
an exposition into just how much of
a disappointment this album ends
up being. Two seconds into the song,
youre immediately smacked in the
face with the classic over-inected
modern country twang of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley. aaaaaaaaalabama-on the boombox, ba-ee-by /
bought t gedda lil boondock craeezae! -music- li-yall betta tern this
one up!
After turning it down, I continued
to drudge through some pretty heavy
stuff. Admittedly, the rst track caught
my attention. Its densely mixed sun-

shine spirit is certainly something that

can be appealing to a newer country
fan, but after twelve songs, fteen on
the deluxe edition, of generally the
same formula of some untting baseball stadium 808 claps leading into
either a cheesy banjo arpeggio, an
electric guitar volume swell, or either
a D or G chord played back to back
leading into some saucy cornball vocalists inections of an impenetrable
southern magnitude, the sunshine
spirit can wear out on even the most
spirited dip-chewin, boot-wearin,
loud-hollerin, yankee-cursing panhandler the nation has ever wished to
be ceded from. The entire album has a
muddled compressed sound wherein
every instrument is leveled on an indiscernible plane of meaninglessness,
serving only as backing for the vocals.
And even then, the vocals serve little
purpose as they stand.
The content of this album is solely
dependent on the vocal melodies of
the frontmen, as pop music usually
is, but do not confuse this with the
airbrush clarity of a professional popsinger. The twangy presentation is vocally similar to forcing a square block
through a round hole. While the delivery is on key and the song pushes
through, there is still some damage

left behind. The duo manages to overimpose this smacky, nasally mutated
southern rasp to a deafening overbearance upon any other redeeming
quality the music may have in the instrumentation, successfully defacing
an otherwise standard musical composition with some drunken wailers
pickup truck and whatever happened
last Friday night.
Its difcult to tell whether this album is an outlandish defect in the
inconsistent spectrum of the evolution of country music. Despite the
fact that the duo appear to be genuine
southerners who truly believe in what
theyre producing, the reception from
country music critics has not been as
appreciable. The magazine Saving
Country Music gave a one-word review, and it was not positive. Country
Perspective gave the album a whopping 0 out of 10, hoping that soon
America will nally give up on Florida Georgia Line and give them the
Nickelback treatment because Florida
Georgia Line is truly the Nickelback
of country music. This statement is
nothing short of the complete truth, as
the producer for Anything Goes is the
same man that has close ties to Nickelback, producing several of their albums since their formation in college.

It seems that the worst reviews come

from actual country music critics and
the positive appraisal comes from
casual country music listeners. Bamboy1775 wrote an appreciative testimony on iTunes, crediting the band
with producing the best music out
there right now. They are the best duo
(possibly) ever to put together music
and most of you dont see that! They
keep, year-in and year-out, pumping
out musical gold for us country music fans, and there should be nothing
to complain about! Of course, many
people claim that it is not country,
but stop and think about it, this is a
new era, with new music styles. The
old days of Willie, Waylon, and Cash
to name a few are long gone, and these
guys are the modern day version of
those great legends. Long story short,
if you dont like it, get over it, dont listen to it, whatever.
There is little to no redeeming quality, no movement or direction, no discernible reason to come back and relisten, and nothing remarkable about
this gloried coaster of a CD. After
careful consideration through several
forced listenings, Sprite, Saltines, and
a couple Ibuprofens, I have declared a
nal rating: 0 out of 10.

Artist appeals to masses by crossing genre boundaries

Jennyfer Tucker
Staff writer
Most people have heard the song Stay With Me
by Sam Smith on the radio. We may even sing along
with it as it plays, but dont you ever wonder why
its so popular? Why is it such a hit? Or why Sam
Smith is one of the number one pop artists in the
U.S.?
Smiths debut started when his album Disclosure
came out. The single Latch began to play on radio
stations and people fell in love with the beat and the
sound of Smiths voice.
It seems like Smith has more than one voice as he
has a wide vocal range. Its hard to believe that its
even coming out of a single man.
Many dedicate Sams songs to their loved ones,
not only because of how beautiful his music is, but
because of the lyrics. The lyrics have a strong mean-

ing to listeners because his songs frequently focus

on emotion. There can also be songs that hold personal meaning for individuals.
Not all of his songs are lovey dovey, there are
some songs about money and the real world; thats
one of the things I rst noticed when listening to
his music. He sings about things that relate to real
feelings and people.
My personal favorite song by Sam Smith is Money on My Mind because the song is about someone
who writes music for a living and is taken advantage of for it.
Smith sings about how he doesnt write music for
the money, he does it for his love of music. Thats
something personal to me because it shows that
some artists do care for what they do and it isnt for
fame.
There are also many other reasons to love Sam

Smiths music. Not only does he have an amazing

vocal sound, but so does his gospel choir.
Many people are not aware of the fact that he
participates in a gospel choir, but the choir sings
in the background in some of his songs. The choir
frequently either sings the chorus with him or are
featured in a portion of different songs.
If youre looking for something to listen to while
mad, sad, angry, happy, or excited, then I recommend listening to Sam Smith. His music crosses
genre boundaries and appeals to many different
groups of people.
There is just something so different about his music, which is why so many people seem to love it.
People cant make a difference by copying the
world, and Sam Smith is doing the completely opposite of that by blazing his own path.

Page 14 - Entertainment

Animated classic captures childhood

through characters, cinematic wonder
Lucy Raleigh
Staff writer
When someone asks about classic movies, most people think about
the milestone movies for each movie
genre. Bela Lugosi lms for those horror-geeks, the typical 80s high school
movies for some nostalgic middleaged woman (and current teenage
girls), and, of course, Charlie Chaplin for all the hipsters and lm buffs.
Any way you slice it, there are some
undeniable classics. The movies-lesswatched can often times be the best
movies, especially when created and
directed by genius Hayao Miyazaki.
One of my absolute all-time favorites from Miyazaki has to be the perfect and magical animated lm: My
Neighbor Totoro, more commonly
known as Totoro.
To say that Totoro is a perfect lm
is no overstatement. From its childish and joyous feel to its touching
moments, Totoro is the perfect family
movie. If you are home alone and feel
like watching something totally heartwrenching but equally jubilant, this is
the movie for you.
The story takes place in Japan in
1958, where sisters Mei and Satsuki

move with their father to an old house

in the countryside to be close to their
mother who is in the hospital recovering from a serious illness. While exploring their new home, Satsuki and
Mei discover that the house is inhabited by little dust-mite like creatures
called susuwatari, which are little
house spirits that are seen moving
from light places to dark. The two girls
soon meet the large forest spirit called
Totoro, and go on a series of adventures with Totoro in the giant forest
that is basically their backyard.
The best scene from My Neighbor
Totoro has to be the mystifying and
magical appearance of the Cat Bus on
a rainy night where the girls are waiting with Totoro for their fathers bus
to come home from work. Everything
about this scene just makes my heart
smile from the little leaf atop Totoros head to protect from the rain,
to the little Mei sleeping on Satsukis
shoulders. To offer more protection,
Satsuki offers her umbrella to the
enormous Totoro, and he is delighted
by the sound of the raindrops plopping onto the umbrella and shelter.
Not soon after, the giant, bus-shaped
cat glides up to the stop, and Totoro

boards. The Cat Bus rides

away with huge, glowing grin,
and the fathers bus arrives.
Ever since watching this lm
for the rst time when I was
ve, I loved the talent of Elle
and Dakota Fanning. The two
women who voiced the sisters, Satsuki (Dakota) and Mei
(Elle), at the ages of 11 and 7 in
the English dubbed version of
the Studio Ghibli lm in 2005.
Their vocal performance is
one of my favorite parts of the
lm, and I couldnt have been
happier with any other casting
choice. Even though its only a
cartoon, they delivered the characters
and couldnt have made it more enjoyable for the audience.
My Neighbor Totoro is not Miyazakis only masterpiece; other movies
like Castle In the Sky, Spirited Away,
and Howls Moving Castle, have captured audiences since Miyazaki rst
started. All of his movies have a certain feel to them, from a nostalgic to
fun. Even if the plotline of the movie is
depressing, he always manages to get
the audience to feel hope for the characters. His movies are all about adven-

ture and nding out who the characters are and where they belong. From
the amazing artwork of each frame to
the amazing soundtracks, which are
composed by Joe Hisaishi, any Miyazaki movie is a true work of art.
If you are looking for something to
put on while babysitting small children or you just need something to
watch, this movie is denitely at the
top of my list. You dont have to be a
little kid to love the classic cinematic
masterpiece My Neighbor Totoro, you
just have to embrace the theme of the
movie and keep a child-like spirit.

Viking students shine during Christmas pageant performance

Robert Morgan
Co-editor
Coming on the heels of a successful showing at the
Texas Thespian convention, Viking Theatre scored
big again with the success of The Best Christmas
Pageant Ever, performed on December 5 and 6 in
the Blue Auditorium.
The play details the Bradley family and how Grace,
the mother, is producing that years Christmas pageant at their church. Everything is destined to go
wrong as the local troublemakers, the Herdman
kids, decide that they are going to be in the play. The
Herdmans terrorize the other children during practice and everyone in the church believes this show
will be a disaster, but everyone comes together in
the end and performs the best Christmas pageant
the church has seen.
This popular show offers lots of comic relief,
such as when Gladys, played by sophomore Kaylee

Gough, pretends to be the Black Knight and scares

the children when she is supposed to be playing the
Angel who tells Mary that her son is Jesus. The show
is jam packed with funny lines and chaotic scenes,
but it ultimately offers the true story of Christmas
and the importance of unity within a community.
Senior Sara Brittain and junior Haven Pottinger
did a fantastic job portraying the parents and their
dynamics onstage were hilarious. Sara also did a
phenomenal job of delivering the Christian morals that her character holds, which was exemplied when everyone told her to turn her back on the
Herdmans. She refused, as she said Jesus is available to everyone and no one should be given up on.
Each actor who played a Herdman child found
their inner delinquent and truly became their character. Throughout the play, I had to remind myself
that they were not actually siblings and that this
show was just that a play. Each actor did a great

job of pulling the audience in and making them believe that havoc was unfolding.
Another aspect of this show that was great to experience was seeing students from each elementary
and middle school campus in Bryan ISD in the production. BISD makes an effort to bring everyone in
the district together and this show unied students
and families from all over Bryan. I could tell from
the audience that these children looked up to the
high school students in the play and were enjoying
every minute of the performance. Hopefully, the
unity will spread into other departments in Bryan
ISD and take the Be the One motto to the next level.
Viking Theatre has done remarkable things this
year and I expect greater things to come. Be sure
to check out their next event, the Crosstown Showdown Improv Throwdown on December 13 at 7 pm
at A&M Consolidated High School.

National unity dwindles, complaints become norm

legiance? Why cant
a growing number
of Americans differentiate between the
Declaration of InAndy Ramirez dependence and the
Associate editor Constitution? What
ever happened to
On September 12th, 1814, the
the sense of national
British Navy initiated a siege pride and unity amongst the
of Fort McHenry against a American people? It seems
smaller and less equipped that today a sense of apathy,
American force. The siege indifference, and discontent
lasted for three days, but the permeates the country. It is
American force managed to disheartening to see so many
hold the fort against all odds. people turn against the virWaving above the fort was tues of our nation, especially
the ag of the United States given the realities of our modof America, inspiring Fran- ern world.
cis Scott Key to write The
When we look around the
Star Spangled Banner. That world today, it seems that
same ag would be raised chaos and danger exist everyon the summit of Mount Su- where. There are those in the
ribachi on Iwo Jima on Feb- world who live on the ideals
ruary 23, 1945, and would be of hatred and evil, who seek
pulled from the wreckage of to prey upon the innocent and
the twin towers on September the weak. The United States,
11, 2001. However, today that occupying its prominent
Star Spangled Banner burns global status as a superpowboth at home and abroad.
er, is at times forced to take
Why is it that many people a stand against those evils in
refuse to say the Pledge of Al- order to ensure the freedoms

of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, not only

for the citizens of the United
States, but for the denizens
of the world. That is what
our nation stands for, and
will continue to stand for as
we push further into the uncertain future of this world.
Yet, an increasing number
of American citizens seem to
have lost sight of these ideals.
We have become so complacent and self satised, because our country guarantees
our rights and liberties, we
sometimes forget that isnt
the case in all parts of the
world, and it becomes easy
to complain about comparatively trivial things. Our sense
of national pride, unity, and
direction, is dwindling away
because more Americans are
unable to grasp the realities of
our world. Yes, we may have
problems as a country, and it
is good thing to be critical of
the government, because we
are blessed enough to live in
a country that affords us the
right to express ourselves and

speak out against our government. Doing so is actually good, because the power
comes from the people, and it
is comforting to know that we
have a voice in our country.
However, it seems that the
trend today has expanded beyond healthy expression into
pointless complaining. One
of my teachers once told me
that every time I criticize an
argument, I have to provide
a solution to the problem, or
Im doing nothing more than
exacerbating the problem
without coming any closer to
solving it. It seems that many
Americans today are more
willing to complain than actually try to come up with solutions themselves.
Even though there are some
things that people have a
right to be upset about, those
emotions should be used to
productive ends, rather than
manifesting themselves into
a hatred of this country. I
cant count the times Ive
seen American ags being
own upside down (a symbol

Opinion - Page 15

of national distress), people

not standing for the pledges,
or students being unable to
recount the basic republican
ideals of our nation. Maybe
what we need to do is take
pride in our national heritage, and honor our legacy as
American people. We must
never forget that the freedoms
we enjoy are only secured by
the lifeblood and sacrice of
men and women across the
world, ghting to defend our
liberty against those who seek
to take it from us. We should
not blindly follow our country
or our government, but we
should at least give the proper
respect due to our nation and
the ideas that it stands for. So
next time someone doesnt
stand for the pledge, or take
their hat off for the national
anthem, remember to have,
if anything, some semblance
of respect for the country in
which you live.
God bless the world, God
bless Chick-l-A, and God
bless America.

Dress code meant to prepare, not hinder expression

Jennyfer Tucker
Staff writer
SAC, suspension, phone calls home,
having to change clothes, referrals,
and many more things are consequences of the two words we all hate
to hear: dress code.
Three years ago, the school board
enacted a new dress code for students within the district. Girls tops
must have sleeves, jeans, dresses, and
skirts must reach the top of the knee,
with no rips or holes. Boys, must be
clean shaven with shirts tucked in,
and pants pulled all the way to their

waistband, with a belt. People need to

have a natural hair color, no costumed
contacts, house shoes, or loose jewelry. Doesnt sound like too much, does
it? But trust me, it is a big deal.
Getting in trouble for dress code can
lead to other things. Many students
found to be out of compliance with
the dress code get an attitude with
the teacher, walk out of class, or even
throw a t and cause a big scene.
Students argue that they should be
able to dress how they want, and be
able to express themselves, but does
wearing clothes in a provocative manner express your personality in the
best way? Or are students bringing
out their inner attention seeker?
For young ladies that complain
about what they cant wear, the dress
code is watching out for their best

interests. If someone were to wear a

spaghetti strap blouse with shorts to
work as a lawyer it wouldnt be appropriate work attire, but to the beach is
appropriate. Students have to think
about the circumstances and make
sure its in the appropriate environment. These lessons are to benet
your future success.
For the males argument on dress
code, if they are going to sag, they
might as well not wear any pants.
Sagging is inappropriate for any professional environment. Many people
complain about why they have to tuck
their shirts in and why they have to
wear a belt, but the image created by
this is far more professional.
The dress code implemented by the
school is attempting to prepare us
for the business world. Most people

I know want to make big money and

spend big, but dressing like a clown or
like youre going to a party will not cut
it in the professional world. The jobs
that pay the best money will not allow
it. Right now school is our job and we
should treat it as such.
Even though, many of the trends
that are in right now are inappropriate
for school, students can still nd cute
outts that are school appropriate if
they work a little harder. The fact is
they have to follow rules, and will continue to do so in the real world.
If students cant nd a way to express themselves within the standards
set forth by dresscode, maybe their
identity needs to be a little stronger
and not dened so much by articles of
clothing they wear.

Page 16 - Opinion

Esports challenge traditional arenas of competition

Jesse Baxter
Co-editor
Cheers erupt from the stadium as the
two teams face off, each knowing the
only way to claim the championship
is by going through the other. Fifteen
seconds later one team is dead while
the other team pushes on.
A new type of 21st century sport has
emerged - esports. Esports are video
games where a competitive scene has
emerged and people compete just as
in physical sports. Esports encompass
games of all types such as League of
Legends, Dota 2, Super Smash Brothers, Starcraft 2, Counter Strike, and
Hearthstone, all with passionate fan
bases.
With the rise in popularity of these
events, tournaments have emerged
which engross thousands in professional level competition. Usually the

prize pools are enough for a team or

individual to survive. However last
summer the International 4, a Dota 2
tournament, had a total prize pool of
$10.9 million with rst place received
half of the pool, and other teams at the
main event earning a portion of it depending on where they placed.
What amazed me about this was that
the hosting company, Valve (which
also owns the game), only contributed
1.6 million, while the Dota 2 community provided the rest through a donation system built into the game. The
community as a whole allowed the
tournament to have the largest prize
pool of its kind, showing how popular
these games have become.
This can seem insane, around a
$5 million dollar rst prize for simply winning a few dozen matches in
a computer game, and there is validity in that perception. The concept of
winning money for playing a video
game can seem strange, or even crazy.
However, if you look at other physical
sports, many players are paid millions

for simply being on the team, sometimes without ever stepping foot on the
eld.
While I dont necessarily agree with
having such high salaries or prize
pools, if someone can earn millions for
playing a physical sport, I see no reason why prize pools cant be that high
for virtual sports.
While there are obvious differences
between physical sports and esports, at
heart they have the same ideas behind
them. Both are competitive in nature
and have a goal to see what team or who
is the best at a game or activity. Also
while there are strict rules in physical
sports, they can be broken purposefully or accidentally, but in esports,
since everything is digital everything is
fair as no one can break the computers rules (at least in competitive play
which is over a Local Area Network).
Both are mainly for entertainment and
also bring people together to support a
common team or player.
While they both bring people together, one main difference between

Sisters for life

Relationships that touch the soul last for life

the home in our hearts
theyll call theirs for an
innite amount of time.
Its scary yet beautiful
how people just sort
Erin Garcia of, well - appear in
Staff writer our lives. Its frightening because you dont
What Ive come to learn about
know who will walk out
life is that the most important of the door marked Exit, and
things arent things - theyre beautiful because of those who
people. So tell me, isnt it last passed the door marked
amazing how relationships in Enter.
life just happen? How some
As I take a second to look
relationships can fall at in an at my current relationships,
instant, or how others will rise there is a very special one that
to the highest peaks with time. immediately comes to mind.
How some will burn bright The one with a person who
with a spark of forever, or are was hardly ever a stranger or
put out quickly like a weak re. a friend, but instantly a sister
Or how when we rst meet like no other.
someone, we have no idea the
Growing up, I constantly
meaning theyll have to us, and found myself wishing. Wish-

ing for things like a good grade

on a test, or a new materialistic
item I probably didnt need, or
even for more serious things
in life, like a better tomorrow.
When I look back though,
a wish that I never stopped
wanting was for someone to
be there for me, to have and to
hold on to a relationship where
the grips of my own two hands
were not alone. Though as
time passed, my wish seemed
hopelessly lost in the wind.
That is until I met a girl that
was hardly ever a stranger,
but instantly a sibling. The girl
who I will forever more call my
sister.
I rst met my sister when
she was hired awhile after me
at our workplace. As I always
try my best to do, I struck

esports and physical sports is how

healthy they can be. Esports professional players have to practice a lot,
just like in regular sports, leading to
lots of physically inactive time. This
can also lead to health issues such as
carpal tunnel syndrome, repeated
stress injuries, or even mental breakdowns. However, this being said, many
of the same issues arise with physical
sports, such as repeated stress injuries
like tennis elbow, and mental issues
also frequently arise. Overall, I feel
that both have health issues associated
with them, but at least with normal
sports players get exercise.
Esports is a growing eld in todays
society and, like it or not, is a part of
our culture. Both esports and physical sports have their own place with a
passionate fanbase supporting them.
While I personally disagree with having sports players earn million dollar
salaries or prize pools, there are many
other wastes of money in the world
that have less positive aspects.

conversation - though Im not

quite sure how it started, and
before I knew it our relationship grew. The formation of
our sisterly bond will always be
amazing to me. How effortlessly it happened and how strong
the weaving of our hearts have
tied. To know that I will never
walk alone, no matter the path
I choose to take in life. To know
that there is at least one person
keeping me safe when I choose
to be wild. To know that there
will always be a hand holding
onto mine when I feel like letting go. She is my big sister
and I cant think any less of
her. I couldnt be more grateful
for us meeting. To think that
if either one of us had done a
single thing differently, or if we
hadnt been hired at the same
place, that our lives would never have crossed one another. I
dont know where Id be had
she not been brought into my
life, but I do know that the fu-

ture no longer scares me because shell always be a part of

it.
Its as if Im talking to the
same person as myself, because our similarities continue
to shine through, as if us growing this close was meant to
happen and that its blessed
us both in different ways. The
way time works and the moments when just the right
people come along is a beautiful blessing. To be surprised
with something or someone
you were needing in your life is
quite the gift, and this gift I will
forever have as a keepsake.
My sister is perfectly imperfect in every way. She blesses
and guides me in more ways
than one, and her pure heart
will always be coated in gold.
I know that I will always hold
onto her and that she will always hold onto me. After all,
the best things in life arent
things, theyre people like her.

Opinions - Page 17

Sibling Emptinester

Learning to deal with older siblings absence highlights importance of relationship

and getting all of the
attention. She didnt
fully understand why I
needed so much attention and why she wasnt
Danica Mendes much of it.
It got to the point
Staff writer
where one day I was
asleep in my crib and her
From ghting to loving, making memories to making each devious mind lead her into my
other cry, the love/hate rela- room where she proceeded
tionship amongst siblings is a to bite my big toe. I cried so
much, and I hardly ever cried
powerful thing.
I have a older sister named as a baby. My parents ran into
Andrea and we werent as the room trying to get my sisclose as I wouldve liked to be, ters teeth off from around my
mainly because of the three toe. Eventually, she let go,
year age gap between us. She but I almost lost my toe that
used to despise me whenev- night.
Eventually, she got used to
er she was three and I was a
me and ended up actually liknewborn.
She was always jealous of ing me to the point where I
me because I was a newborn was her little baby. She would

carry me everywhere and I

would laugh and smile like
every other newborn.
We carried on happily until she went to middle school
and her attitude completely
changed. She became snobby
and mean and she would always think that I was annoying because I would try to go
into her room to play.
We would always get into
ghts about the same things,
though they were always
small ghts that we would get
over by the end of the day. It
was the same thing for years
until my freshman year and
her senior year of high school.
We started having a real
bond that Ive never expected to happen. We practically
did everything together, we

Focus on family, friends this season

As Black Friday creeps deeper into
Thanksgiving every year, guests around
the dinner table become more sparse as
they rush to beat the crowds or clock in
to work their shifts.
This attitude is seen at Christmas as
people have become more interested
in gifts and possessions rather than
spending time with their loved ones.
The materialistic spirit of the holidays has invaded our homes and overtaken the true meaning of this season.
Instead of being thankful and cherishing the few moments we get with our
families, we are more concerned with
getting an iPhone 6+ with a hundred
dollar discount.
People and humanity in general
should be more focused on spreading
peace and joy to all rather than being
selsh and focusing on merchandise
that could never, and will never, replace the role that loved ones play in
our lives.
Even abstaining from religious views
in regards to holidays, we are caught

up in the world around us our jobs,

money, drama and dont emphasize
the importance of relationships.
This time of year should be a reminder to never take family and friends for
granted as each moment is precious.
We should focus on nding common
ground with others instead of ghting
over the last discounted pair of annel
pajamas.
Though peace on earth may never be
truly obtainable, you should never give
up hope and always keep striving to
make each day better.
As this year comes to a close, dont
focus on next years resolutions yet, instead focus on the few days of this year
you have left to make a difference and
spend time with those you care about
the most.
Ask yourself how can I Be the One
for someone this holiday season. How
can I make a difference in someones
life by donating time, money, or food to
someone in need?
- The Norseman Staff

went to school, hung out with

friends, stayed after school for
meetings, and went home together.
We still had little disagreements, but nothing like how
it used to be. Having a bond
like that was great until realizing that she was leaving for
college after the school year
was over. It was a tough year
knowing that I was soon to be
an only child. However, instead of dwelling over the fact
that she would be leaving, we
decided to make the best of it.
The thought of being an
only child now makes me upset because I miss my sister.
I miss the bonding, pointless
ghting, going to school together everyday, seeing her
around the house, and talking

to her.
Everyone talks about an
only child adjusting to a new
sibling, but I would argue that
its even more difcult for a
younger sibling to adjust to
being an only child after years
of bonding. Andrea and I
hardly talk anymore because
shes either at work or class
and Im in school.
I wish Andrea and I had
taken advantage of all the
years we had together to create a better relationship, but
what matters is the relationship we have right now.
I encourage others who
have siblings to be a little
nicer and get to know them a
little more because time ies
and living in regret makes for
a bitter life.

NORSEMAN
Adviser
Rebecca Dominy
Co-editor
Jesse Baxter
Robert Morgan
Associate Editor
Andy Ramirez

Staff writers
Val Arriaga
Andrew Buck
Erin Garcia
Mariah Guerrero
Madison Hines
Danica Mendes
Lucy Raleigh
Jennyfer Tucker

http://www.
bryanhighnorseman.com
http://www.twitter.com/
bhsnorseman
http://www.facebook.com/
BryanISDBryanHighNorseman

The opinions expressed are those of the writers and are not reective of the
administrators, faculty or staff of Bryan Independent School District.
Submissions to the editor 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.
Bryan Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race,
religion, color, national origin, sex or handicap in providing education services.

Page 18 - Santa Letters

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Sin
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Santa Letters

Dear Santa,
I have been a very
good boy this
year. I didnt do an
ything bad or
say anything mean
to anyone, so I
think I deserve a re
ally good present.

I want Billy May

s to come back
to life and promote
Happy Burger.
That way, everyon
e would love it.
Please and thank y
ou,
Pablo

Dear Santa,
I would like new Vans,
the
concert tickets for all
peartists that I love, es
on,
cially Bring Me The Horiz
pThe Weekend, and Pure Ha
.
piness, and more hoodies
Sincerely,
Hannah

Dear Santa,
I would like to
get accepted to
college.
Sincerely,
Zoe

Santa Letters - Page 19

Dear Santa,
All I want for
Christmas is a
grapefruit.
Ricardo

so
a,
Dear Sant at year it has be en
e
s
What a gr till a couple of thing
are s
ter such
t
e
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e
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y
that could ited to, straps for m ,
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r my car
o
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ts said
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that.
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like for s and
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pto
ly
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Sincere el
Ang
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t plea ommy
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e
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ll! C
rin
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Th
sh y
i
w
I
.
world

Dear S
anta
Stop w
atchin ,
g me.
I mean
it.
Julian

Dear
Santa
,
I have
b
e
e
n a r
this y
eal
ear. I
l
eft co ly good kid
last y
ea
okies f
so Ill r and you
or yo
u
ate al
be sur
l
Chris
e to l
tmas.
eave s of them,
ome t
Yo
if you
his
got m u would be
e a wh
the be
ter n
o
amed
st
after le puppy s
tion I
h
e
ve bee
me. Di
d I me ln rea
nlly go
od?
See yo
u Soo
n
Andra ,
ya

Dear Sa
nta,
This Ch
ristmas,
for the
most ne I ask only
ces
I want C
hick-fil-A sary of items.
wiches
chicken
to rain
sandfrom th
for 7,00
e sky a
0 d
nd
I can giv ogs to run to
e them
me so
all hugs.
Thanks,
Robert

y
ant m lean
nta,
w
a
I
S
,
r
Dea Christmas cook and c
This nal elf to e should
am
erso
own p The elfs n to be able
.
s
s
for me zzle. He ha vorite food f
o
i
fa
be Sw e all of my lso like all
n
a
k
to ma ly! I would nd expansio
t
a
perfec s 4 games
m
the Si
packs! ove,
ntha
L
Sama

Page 20 - End of Semester Information

Semester Exam Schedule

Wednesday, December 17
8:15-9:00
9:05-9:50
9:55-10:40

4th Period

10:45-12:40 85 min

A Lunch
B Lunch
C Lunch
D Lunch

10:40-11:10
11:10-11:40
11:40-12:10
12:10-12:40

30 min
30 min
30 min
30 min

5th Period
6th Period
7th Exam

12:45-1:25
1:30-2:10
2:15-3:40

40 min
40 min
85 min

Decifer the Christmas song based on each picture to the right.

45 min
45 min
45 min

6th Exam
5th Exam
4th Exam

8:15-9:40
9:45-11:10
11:15-12:40

85 min
85 min
85 min

Lunch

12:40-1:15

35 min

Friday, December 19
3rd Exam
2nd Exam
1st Exam

8:15-9:40
9:45-11:10
11:15-12:40

85 min
85 min
85 min

Lunch

12:40-1:15

35 min

Other Information

Exempt students must stay in their

testing room, IF they are on campus.
All students who have nished their
exams are dismissed at 12:40, if they
have a way off campus Thursday and
Friday.
All students unable to leave campus
must report to their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
period teacher clasrooms immediately after lunch on 12/18 and to 5th,
6th, and 7th immediately after lunch
on 12/19.

Answers: 1. Jingle Bells, 2. Walking in a Winter Wonderland, 3. Santa Claus is Coming to Town, 4. The First Noel, 5. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, 6. Little Drummer Boy, 7. Im Dreaming of a White Christmas, 8. I Saw Three
Ships, 9. What Child is This?, 10. We Three Kings, 11. Deck the Halls, 12. O Holy Night, 13. All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth, 14. Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, 15. Silver Bells, 16. Do They Know its Christmas, 17. Away In a Manger , 18. The Twelve Days of Christmas, 19. Rocking Round the Christmas Tree, 20. Frosty the Snowman , 21. Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!, 22. Go Tell it on the Mountain, 23. Chestnuts Roasting
on an Open Fire, 24. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, 25. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, 26. O Come All Ye Faithful, 27. Silent Night, 28. O Little Town of Bethlehem, 29. Meet me Under the Mistletoe, 30. Hark the Herald
Angels Sing, 31. Little Saint Nick, 32. O Christmas Tree

Christmas Puzzles

1st Period
2nd Period
3rd Period

Thursday, December 18