volume 41 number 3
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8/3/2019 Volume 41 Number 3
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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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8/3/2019 Volume 41 Number 3
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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
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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.
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