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NORSEMANVolume 41, Number 3 October 2011

T r a v i s B. B r y a n H i g h S c h o o l

IN-BRIEF www.BryanHighNoresman.com

ONLINE

SEE MORE

Bret Cncer rene veent ic ff

Ltin, cdeic rr fll victi t budet cut

In the ne f duty; tu-dent rche thruhlife ln brrier

BREakINg NEws

FEaTUREs

spoRTs

The News category of TheNorseman is the best way to

stay up-to-date with the news& information at Bryan High.

Memorizing calls, masteringpush-ups and perfecting agshowings are difcult tasks thattake dedication from all mem-

bers of the JROTC (Junior Re-

serve Ofcer Training Corps).For junior Kevin Sellers, how-ever, the level of difculty istaken to a whole new level.

After praying and discussingtheir day, students watch vid-eos that discuss how God haschanged them and the effect hehas had on their lives. Peoplefrom all backgrounds are in the

videos, as they have each founda way out of their problemsthrough I Am Second.

To stay up-to-date withthe latest sports scores forBryan High School athlet-ic programs, be sure to visit

bryanhighnorseman.com/sports.

Andrea Mendes

Staff writer

As the scent of pumpkin pie lls the air

and the leaves begin to cover the ground, the

colors of brown and pink instantly come to

mind. Pink, a color that may initially seem

odd for autumn, will ll Merrill Green Sta-

dium on October 28 in support of breast

cancer awareness.

Pink Out is an opportunity for Bryan High

School to show community support for peo-

ple who are suffering from breast cancer,

Student Council sponsor Cyndi Owens said.

Its a great way to get students involved in

the ght against breast cancer.

The central goal of Pink Out is to essen-

tially paint the stadium pink.

Cheerleaders use pink pompoms, the

drill team does a pink routine, the football

players wear pink armbands and leg bands,

and the band has pink bandannas, Owens

said. Every aspect of the football game is in

dedication to Pink Out.

For the crowd in the stands,

Student Council will be selling

Pink Out T-shirts.

Student council has put to-

gether an awareness campaign

selling pink out T-shirts along

with sending out emails to

the whole district, Student

Council President John Fuller

said. We host Pink Out every

year to raise money for the Susan G Komen

Foundation, which is in turn used for breast

cancer research.

Although Pink Out serves as a way for the

Vikings to donate to a global foundation, the

event is also an important way to give back

to people in our own community.

We also sell pink wrist bands, and the

money from that stays here for students and

teachers that are ghting

cancer, Owens said. We

give gas cards, food cards,

and whatever we can do to

help and support them.

Students are encouraged

to stand out, and stand up

for breast cancer and make

it a priority to raise aware-

ness.

Spirit isnt only for foot-

ball and pep rallies spirit is within, and its

how you give back, with the spirit of your

heart, and kindness, Field said. I espe-

cially love Pink Out because it gets the kids

red up; it makes them realize that there are

causes bigger than themselves that they can

give back to.

John Fuller

Editor

Due to increased pressure on

the school budget and declining

enrollment, administrators were

forced to cut certain academic

programs. Latin, which was pre-

viously one of the four foreign

languages taught, is now being

phased out, as students this year

can no longer take Latin I.

We, in the district, had to cut

a few million dollars, Principal

Diana Werner said. In looking

at needs and enrollment, and

at the language courses, [Latin]

was the course that had the least

enrollment. With everything, we

always look at what the need is

amongst the students.

Should the demand increase

for Latin, Werner said the ad-

ministration would revisit offer-

ing Latin again, but, that even

with the elimination of Latin,

the administration remains

dedicated to second-language

acquisition and encourages stu-

dents to take a Spanish, French

or German class.

One of the reasons that Latinhas continued to be offered in

high schools and universities,

though it is no longer spoken

natively, is that it is used widely

in the medical and legal elds.

Yet, beyond the scientic and

legal professions, Latin teacher

Holly Carlton says Latin is also

useful in a students general

studies.

For students who have a hardtime in English already, Latin

helps them with English skills,

for the grammar is very closely

related and 70% of our words

are Latin-based, Carlton said.

Also, many of the books read

in English refer to classical text.

Youre taking away those op-

portunities to make connections

between subjects, and thats

part of [what it means to be] a

junior and senior, making con-

nections between the subjects

youre learning.

Besides English, Latin also

forms a base for many foreign

languages, and students who are

interested in learning multiple

foreign languages, or in interna-

tional business, will often haveto have a grasp of an interna-

tional standard.

A lot of times, work takes

you somewhere else, French

teacher Tara Bailey said. My

dad has traveled to almost every

continent, so it really helps to

know if not one, but more than

one foreign language. You never

know where youll end up, so

languages will really help you.Spanish teacher Anja

Schwalen studied Latin in her

native Germany, and says that it

helped her later on in life.

I took Latin as a second lan-

guage, so we did a lot of gram-

mar and later I took French,

so [taking Latin] helped me a

lot, Schwalen said. Later on,

with Spanish, it helped me even

more.

Much like the other foreign

language courses, Latin follows

a curriculum that also focuses

on learning the history and cul-

ture of the language, not just

grammatical structure and vo-

cabulary.

Latins the basis for western

civilization, Schwalen said.Whether its law, the other

European languages, or histori-

cal achievements; all are based

on ancient roman civilization. I

think that one month of world

history, covering classics is not

enough. I think Latins a good

class for anyone to take.

In lieu of Latin, Chinese was

expected to be offered this

year as a new second-languagecourse, but, due to budgetary

restrictions, the district was un-

able to provide the course and is

looking to provide it in the near

future.

If our students are going to

compete in the business word,

or just even involved in new

conversation with new com-

panies, theyre going to be met

with Chinese, Werner said.

moRE

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The Lion KingAbel Lara

Staff writer

The Lion King is one of Disneys great-

est creations. The movie has a special

place in not only my heart, but the hearts

of my entire generation. When the news

broke that it was going to be re-released

in 3D, my friends and I couldnt contain

our excitement.

For me, Lion King was the rst Dis-

ney movie I had ever seen. Growing up,

my dad wouldnt let me watch Disney

movies at all except for theLion King. Iwas three years old, and it blew my little

mind away!

The movie is much different from all

the other Disney movies for there is no

princess in distress or handsome prince

coming to save her.

Instead, Simba, a young lion lost and

confused, must run from his dreadful

past. The movie was amazing for me, with

the bright colors, the amazing songs; ev-

erything! Watching young Simba dance

and sing was a jaw-dropping, new thing

to me.

As I got older, the movie still remained

in my VHS player at all times. After

school, if I had a bad day, I could just

press play and all was well in the world

again. I will admit that once I became a

teenager, I grew distant from the movie

that gave me songs to sing, shirts to wear

and dolls to play with. It wasnt long un-

til Lion King returned to my life in a time

that I needed it most.

When I heard that it was coming out in

3D, I was on edge. Most 3D movies are

silly, but who am I kidding? Its the Lion

King! Of course I was going to go see it!As I sat in my seat full of anticipation,

I looked around the theater and saw

adults, teenagers, kids, babies, everyone

of all ages to experience this amazing

movie. As the lights dimmed and the mu-

sic began to play, my heart was pounding

faster and faster until the end when the

entire theater cheered and clapped with

joy. It was almost like watching it for the

rst time all over again.

Its scenes were breathtakingly new

to me. Watching Scar jump out of the

screen, and seeing Simba grow from a

cub to a lion was worth the 30 bucks we

paid for tickets.

No matter if you like 3D or not Lion

King in 3D is great. It will take you back

to your childhood and let you relive those

wonderful years. The movie should be

seen and never forgotten for kids and

adults forever.

Twenty-ve yearsAbel Lara

Staff writer

Twenty-ve years ago, my dad was

a senior here. Twenty-ve years later,

Im now a senior too. When my dads

twenty-fth class reunion came around

and he took me with him, it was a scary

eye-opener for me. As I met some of my

dads old friends, I couldnt help butthink about myself in his place twenty-

ve years from now.

Time goes by so fast. It seems like just

the other day I was a freshman buying

my rst tutu, and now Im getting ready

to buy my cap and gown. Late at night, I

toss and turn; scared that I might end up

a forgotten student.

I can see it in my eyes as I look in the

mirror, all my worries are hanging over

my head.

What if I dont make it?

What will I do?

Wheres my life going?

These three questions might not seem

so big to some people, but to me, they are

so unknown and they ll me with fear.

Im a strong person, but what if that isnt

enough?

I want to make a difference in some-

bodys life one day . I dont want to be

famous, but I dont want to be nameless

either.

One day I will change the world. Im

so sick of the cruel, empty and heartless

lives we live. I might not be a huge movie

star with millions to hand out, but what I

do have is my love of people and the little

spark of faith that one day my children

wont suffer through

wars, hate, or a de-

prived, corruptpublic school.

In twenty-

ve years who

knows what

Ill do?

Who knows

where Ill end

up. Class of 2012,

Ill be waiting to

give you those

answers at our re-

union.

See you there.

Teacher steps out of the classroom, gets involved in student lifeStephani Whisenant

Assistant editor

While some subjects are more theo-

retical, others are designed for specic

professions. Graphic Design teacher Ted

Vaughan teaches

one of these cours-

es.

Vaughan has

been teaching

architectural de-

sign and engi-

neering design at

Bryan High for 19

years.

I enjoy the daily

interaction with my students, Vaughansaid. It keeps me feeling younger than I

actually am.

Teaching for Bryan High is a big part

of Vaughans life, and he is actively in-

volved in extracurricular activities at the

school.

Im involved with a lot, Vaughan

said. Im the Key Club sponsor and in

the past Ive been the Blue Crew spon-

sor and the Sophomore and Junior

Class Sponsor, and Im a big fan of Vi-

king sports. Ive only missed 3 football

games in the last 19 years. I also go to

as many basketball games and girls s oft-

ball games as I can.

Other teachers agree that Vaughan

brings fun to the

workplace.

I love Mr.

Vaughan in so many

ways, career tech

teacher Nina Wright

said. Mr. Vaughan,

rst of all, is fun. Sec-

ond of

all, Mr.

Vaughan

is a good friend. He alwayscares about his friends and

takes care of them in many

ways that not everybody

sees.

According to Wright,

Vaughan does a good job

at managing a chaotic class-

room.

I dont know if I could handle as many

kids as he does, Wright said. Theyre

on the computer, all at different levels,

all working on projects, so theyre not a ll

at the same place at the same time. He

keeps his head in all that confusion. Its

controlled chaos.

Vaughn also supports

his students in the classroom

to help ensure their success.

He teaches us how to help ourselves,

freshman Jackson Ross said. Hes also

really hands on, and is good at explain-

ing things. Ive learned a lot about design

from him.

His classroom may be hectic at

times, but Vaughan continues to do

a good job man-

aging it all, and

teaching his stu-

dents skills they

will continue use

throughout life.

I feel like I can

be more condent

in helping myself;

Mr. Vaughan has

helped with that,

Ross said.

For Vaughan,it all goes back to

the students, what

they get from his

class, and how they put it to use.

I want them to feel satisfaction when

they do a really good job on design,

Vaughan said. I also want them to learn

how to teach themselves because that

will be a really important value for later

in life.

Snapping into rhythm, student remains centered on, off eld

Adviser

Rebecca Dominy

Editor

John Fuller

Managing Editor

Stephani Whisenant

Assistant Editors

Emily Nash

Emma Raleigh

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, reli-

gion, color, national origin, sex or handicap in providing education services.

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Norseman

Staff writers

Eva Araujo

Davis Downey

Regina Flores

Abel Lara

Marisa Lindeman

Monserrat Madrazo

Savannah Matos

Andrea Mendes

Maurissa Ramirez

Dania Robinson

Justin Sanders

Yvette Ybarra

Highlight editions are published in print on the last Friday each month

Throughout high school, its typical for the

average student to be taught that gaining

certain academic achievements is the only

thing that matters.

Obtaining the status of National Merit

Scholar, Top 10%, or commended perfor-mance on TAKS seems to be all that teach-

ers, administrators and other students talk

about.

This puts a lot of pressure on students to do

well, which can have good and bad outcomes.

While pressure can help a student try to

do their best, it can also add an enormous

amount of unneeded stress. We are taught

we have to make straight As, earn a 2400 on

our SAT and pass all of our TAKS tests with

ying colors in order to get into college and

be successful in life.

This is an unrealistic look at life outside of

academia and high school.

While obtaining a high academic status

may be noted in the application process, it is

not the only thing colleges look for in a po-

tential student.

Colleges want well-rounded students who

are involved in volunteer work, extra cur-

ricular activities and other things on top of

grades.

If we were not taught that a grade deter-

mines your future, we as students would be

able to focus more on actually learning, in-

stead of learning how to take different stan-

dardized tests.

In the professional world you do not haveto take a test to determine your position in

the work place and the majority of employers

will never ask for your GPA or class rank.

To climb the corporate ladder, you will

have to focus more problem solving and cre-

ative thinking versus how well you bubble i n

a scantron.

There are many students who do not pre-

form well on tests and whole other subset

that does well, but does so by writing an-

swers on their hands or legs. With multiple

choice testing, we are failing to see a stu-

dents true understanding.

If we were to build on what students can

do, rather than focus on what they cant do,

we would encourage inner growth and help

them reach the top of their potential.

These tests and standards seem to hin-

der students more than they help them. By

treating us one unit, we are being general-

ized, rather than personalized.

- The Norseman Staff

Out of the box thinking, successEmma RaleighAssistant editorUnder the glow of the stadium lights

and behind the roar of the crowd, se-

nior Lance Graul can be seen each Fri-day night snapping the ball into play for

the Vikings and marching alongside the

band.Yet, for Graul, the work doesnt begin

on Friday nights.Graul has been playing football for ten

years, and his experience shows throughhis hard work on the eld.

He always strives to put his best foot

forward, coach Robert Jesurun said.On the eld he takes it one play at a

time and always realizes the total con-cept of what we are doing.

As a team member, Graul communi-

cates well with his peers and is well-re-spected by them.

Hes a great leader on and off theeld, senior Paul Silva said. I know all

the offensive linemen look up to him.

While his teammates and coaches seehim as a hard-working and successful

football player, Graul also excels in theacademic aspect of his life. Even with

late night games, band practice, and

other responsibilities to uphold, Graul

still stays on top of his school work.

Its hard to balance football and

schoolwork, as IIm also in NHS, Band

and Track and Field, Graul said. Eventhough its hard, taking part in band and

football is extremely fun and worth it.For most students, balancing many ac-

tivities is overwhelming and keeping up

with grades can be difcult.

With band and football happening si-

multaneously on Friday night, and not

to mention overlapping practices thatcause him to choose which practice to

attend, Graul has several obstacles toovercome.

His best quality is his determination

to get better. Since he has football and

band, sometimes he doesnt learn the

drills, but he devoted himself to come

after practice and learn it; now he has it

down, drum major Denzel Brown said.These compromises for time in extra-

curricular activities also affect externalareas.

It makes my mornings early and my

nights extremely late, Graul said. The

management of my time [is the most dif-

cult part], especially when I have mul-

tiple tests to study for at one time.English teacher Lisa Prejean recog-

nizes the qualities that make Graul a s tarstudent.

Hes responsible, he always has his

work, he participates in class and he fo-

cuses on the fact that academics are im-

portant, Prejean said.

Sometimes, the lessons learned in

school and the ones learned in band andfootball overlap and benet Graul and

those around him.Lance takes great pride in his aca-

demic prowess and I think it carries

over into other areas in his life, includ-ing football, Jesurun said. He is very

steady under pressure and always seemsto be able to apply what he has learned

whether in the academic or athleticelds.

Prejean agrees.

He learns that through practice, hegets better something. He realizes that

it may take several tries before you getit exactly right, Prejean said. I think

in athletics its the same thing. A play

doesnt always run correctly the rsttime you do it.

In the future, Graul hopes to use hisskills and determination to major in bio-

engineering in college, and then go on to

medical school.In the future I see Lance as a young

man who will make a great imp act on so-ciety, Jesurun said. Some day soon we

will all proudly say Lance Graul is from

Bryan.

French Horn player, Graul per-forms on-eld with the band.

Center, Graul prepares to snap thefootball.

He teaches us howto help ourselves.Hes really hands-on

and is good atexplaining things.

- Freshman Jackson Ross

8/3/2019 Volume 41 Number 3

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News & events at Bryan High School

Feast of Carols Tickets

Each year, the Choir Depart-

ment puts on Feast of Carols,

in which a meal is served for

patrons and students sing and

perform.

Tickets go on sale starting

Nov. 2 and can be purchased

from any choir student or fromthe Choir ofce.

Feast of Carols will be held

on the evenings of Dec. 1-3.

Teacher Appreciation Lunch

PTSO will be hosting a teach-

er appreciation lunch during all

lunches in the library on Thurs-

day, Nov. 10.

End of Six Weeks

The 2nd Six Weeks ends on

Friday, Nov. 4. Students are

encouraged to have thier work

completed and turned in before

the end of the six weeks.

No Texting While Driving

Campaign For the second year, the Stu-

dent Council will be hosting an

awareness week for the dangers

of texting while driving.

Videos will be shown during

announcements, and students

will be asked to sign a no-tex-

ting-while-driving pledge.

Senior Pictures

Seniors who have not already

taken their senior pictures

should sign up with Journal-

ism Adviser Rebecca Dominy

in room 6160.

Seniors who do not take their

pictures will not be featured in

the yearbook.

NHS Blood Drive

The National Honor Society

will be hosting their annual fall

blood drive this year on Nov. 7

and 8 from 7:30 to 4:30.

Students are asked to sign up

to donate during the day, or to

stop by before or after school.

See a NHS member, Mrs.

Patterson or Mrs. Mahaffey for

more information.

Underclassmen Yearbook

Picture Retakes

PhotoTexas will be back on

capus on Nov. 8 to retake un-

derclassmen pictures.Students will be called to

take pictures alphabetically

throughout the day.

Scholarships Available

Seniors who are interested in

attending college are encour-

aged to seek out and apply for

scholarships.

The GO Center keeps a record

of available scholarships for both

seniors and underclassmen.

To nd out more about ap-

plying for scholarships or the

college application process, see

Mrs. Kerr in the Go Center.

Student, Class CouncilMeetings

The Student Council meets

on Wednesdays after school in

room 1200 beginning at 4:00

and ending at 5:00.

The Class Councils meet

immediately after school on

Wednesday afternoons in room

1200.

Around Campus

Like clockwork: Attendance PersonnelDavis Downey

Staff writer

Almost everyone has missed the bus, or slept

in and shown up late to school. When they ar-

rive late, the attendance ofce is where they

go. The women in that ofce have to deal with

every grumpy kid that has to get that one tardy

that sends them to SAC.

Even after dealing with the excuses, paper-

work, and other headaches that come fromstudent absences, their fa-

vorite part of the job is being

with the students.

Just dealing with the kids

is the best part, head atten-

dance clerk Susan Guest said.

Its why we are here.

Guest has a long of history

with Bryan High, having attended during its

inception in 1971.

Ive known many students their entire lives,

and know a lot of the parents as well, since Ive

always lived here, Guest said. In fact, I have

had students here at Bryan High that are the

children of kids I taught in elementary school.

It isnt always dealing with attendance issues

though, as Guest has also served as a coun-

selor for many students, helping them through

tough times.

Its tough when you know what some kids

are going through because they bring in notes

explaining their absences and its evident that

they are going through difcult times, Guest

said. I do feel very protective of my kids here

and want to help when I can.

After being in Bryan for so long, and form-

ing deep roots in the community, it would

be hard not to care about the students Guest

says.

[We] still have the same season football

tickets that my husbands parents bought

when Viking Stadium was built, Guest said.We love this school and

that is why I so enjoy be-

ing here and being a part

of things.

Guest said that one

of the most difcult parts

of the job is when parents

call to see if their kids are in

school and then nd out they are not.

That can be really sad sometimes because

they dont know where they are and whether

they are okay or not, Guest said. As a par-

ent, I know how heartbreaking that must be.

We hear some pretty sad stories in here, both

from parents and from students and some-

times we have to be counselors, or at least be

supportive and lend a listening ear.

The attendance job also comes with a bar-

rage of notes and absences, hours of monoto-

nous typing, and paperwork that has to be

extremely accurate, but the students Guest

interacts with make it all bearable.