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Once a Rattler, always a Rattler: reliving the traditions of homecoming

Campus Briefs

pg 2

In News:

Teen Court

pg 5

 

Rattlers strike Caldwell

pg 8

 

Rattlers Respond

pg 4

In Feature: In Sports: In Opinions:

Football confronts concussions  ! pg.  7

Na v a s o t a

H i g h

S c h o o l

c e l e b r a t e d

its 2010

H o m e c o m i n g

Game on Friday,

September 17,

and crowned

senior Macie

Flores as queen.

Homecoming

is a tradition that

started at The

University of

Missouri in 1911.

It is celebrated

by High Schools

and Universities

around the

nation.

The idea is to

crown a queen,

and in most

cases a king, of

the particular

school. In

Navasota each

year, we crown

a queen of our

campus.

Macie Flores,

Stacie Levias,

Cailey McLain

and Leanne

Raska were the

four individuals

nominated for

H o m e c o m i n g

Queen. The

eventual winner,

Macie Flores,

was surprised

when her name

was called

because she

felt her fellow

nominees were

all worthy. In fact

in an interview

with her, she says

she hadn’t slept

all week and

was nervous all

week leading up

to the moment

her name was

a n n o u n c e d .

Being voted by

her peers is a

memory that will

last her forever,

and a pleasant

reminder of

her senior year

according to

Macie Flores.

“It meant a

lot to me that

I was voted

H o m e c o m i n g

Queen by my

peers,” Macie

Flores said. “I

never thought

I would win,

and I feel very

honored that I

was chosen.”

This tradition

is very special to

the community

because each

year the school

district invites all

of the previous

h o m e c o m i n g

q u e e n s ,

including their

c l a s s m a t e s ,

to attend the

H o m e c o m i n g

Game and be

given a tour of

the High School.

This year the

district invited

the classes of

1951, 1961, 1971,

1981, and 1991

back to campus.

The tradition

r e m a i n s

strong for

these previous

winners even

after all these

years.

“It is a time

when people

who grew up

together have

o p p o r t u n i t i e s

to reunite,”

librarian Nancy

Boulaine said.

Boulaine has

been a member

of NISD since

1972. In addition,

she has been

the high school

librarian for over

20 years.

In 1968,

Boulaine was

elected by her

peers to be

H o m e c o m i n g

Queen. She

was escorted

by Don Sowell,

who is now the

Sheriff of Grimes

County. At the

time, Sowell was

the Junior Class

President. That

year Boulaine

was also voted

Miss NHS and

Class Favorite.

A c c o r d i n g

to Boulaine,

in the past

Navasota held

a Homecoming

parade where

nominees would

parade in formal

dresses, and

stroll downtown

in sporty

convertibles. It

seems that this

tradition has

fallen astray,

but this year

h o m e c o m i n g

really seemed to

“unite us” says

Boulaine.

“To be

nominated was

a honor itself,

but to be elected

H o m e c o m i n g

Queen by my

peers was

something that

I have always

treasured in my

heart,“ Boulaine

said.

Preparat ion

for homecoming

usually begins

at the start of

school, but for

Ms. Boulaine it

begins when the

date is released.

Boulaine has

been humbled

by winning

the royalty,

and wants to

continue this

tradition.

“I have been

at Navasota ISD

since 1989 as

the High School

Librarian and

Junior Sponsor. I

have been able to

help keep some

of the traditions

going for

Homecoming,”

Boulaine said.

Ms. Boulaine

puts so much

effort into

each and

every activity

she organizes

because she

strongly believes

in showing

rattler spirit, and

wants “the torch”

to keep burning

bright through

the future

generations.

All of the

p r e p a r a t i o n

services paid off

on the 17th when

kick off versus

Cameron Yoe

began at 7:30,

and especially

when Macie

Flores was

crowned Queen

at halftime. In

all the madness,

a diligent

football game

was played, but

unfor tunate ly

the Rattlers came

up short with a

35 to 33 loss.

U l t i m a t e l y,

the week of

h o m e c o m i n g

was very

eventful for the

Rattlers. A week

that brought

the warmth of

family and past

traditions to

the stadium on

h o m e c o m i n g

night­­one that

was also filled

with excitement

for the future,

and the spirit

of the present.

If one were to

look up at the

stadium’s stands

that evening they

would have seen

the previous,

present, and

future alumni of

NHS, including

how exhilarating

it is to be a

Rattler because

as Boulaine says

“once a Rattler,

always a Rattler.”

JOE MUNOZ  

STAFF WRITER 

                            photo by Sarah Shalley  ?+@ABCD$%CEFAGH$!IJCG$#KKJCG<$3CLM<$NEO$6NPFC$.JAGCH<$,FQRM<$PCJC@GNMC$NLMCG$.JAGCH$SNH$PGASECO$NH$MRC$=>;>$"ATCPATFEQ$UVCCE$AE$.GFONI<$%CKMCT@CG$;W<$OVGFEQ$RNJLMFTC$NQNFEHM$$2NTCGAE$9AC5$

NEWS

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Campus Briefs Students participate in Super Conference On October 2, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Super Conference held its annual Super Conference in Austin, Texas. Students and coaches became accustom to the rules and process of the academic competition rules. The participants learned about what is required, and how to compete in their chosen event. Monday night fun with Young LifeYoung Life consists of a group of college students who want to spread the word of God, and have fun while doing so. The evening’s events consists of singing praises, opening prayer, Bible discussion, games,and a closing prayer. Participants can talk to Young Life representatives for more information about the organization during all lunches. !"#$%&#'()$*+,-'.%/*0,/&$*1"$(*2##(%'3The President’s Council held its first meeting on Monday, September 20, at 11:30 a.m. at the Administration building. Presidents from every organization on campus met to discuss what they, as

leaders, can do to make the school a better place.

FCA joins together for SYATP '10See You at The Pole took place on Wednesday, September 22. Both members and non­members of FCA were invited to participate. This event is student­initiated, student­organized, and student­led. 4,',"*5,.%#(6*%'&-.($*'#7*2#28#"$The Navasota chapter of the National Honor Society held its induction ceremony Monday, September 13, in the NHS cafeteria. The society inducted 47 students adding onto its grand total which now includes more than 80 members. 9%8":"6*+/-8*$%3'*-;*$0##($*&-#*$,,'The NHS Library Club sign up sheets are due Monday October 25 along with $10. Any students wanting to join can see Mrs. Bouline or Ms. Becker for more information. The Library Club participates in many service projects such as the Toy Drive and the Coat Drive.

Editor In Chief Rebeca Rivera Associate Editor Ramon Galvan Staff Rosa Meza Gracie Mock Joe Munoz Travis Pearce Erika Pullin Jorge Reyes  The Diamondback is the official student newspaper of Navasota High School. Opinions published by interviewees within this publication do not represent the views of the Diamondback staff or its representatives of NHS. Missed an issue? All issues are archived at nhsdiamondback.weebly.com

V.I.P

Disclaimer

!"#$%&'(&)*(*+,&-%(#*+&."'/#0%-&'-&-%1#20('/#-$&#(&3'$#*('/&4%+#$&56)*/'+-)#7&8+*9+'1:;<=>5&8?<;@?& 5:<AA&B;>:?; 

by Gracie Mock

It is a very high honor to be selected as a finalist or semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSP), an organization for young and u p c o m i n g leaders, and one senior has achieved just that.

1.5 million apply for this program and the opportunity to be selected. These applicants must take the PSAT/NMSQT, and out of the 1.5 million that take these tests only 50,000 students from the highest PSAT/NMSQT selection index scores are

selected to the NMSP.

In late September, more than two­thirds (about 34,000) of the 50,000 highest scorers on the tests received Letters of Commendation in recognition of their academic p r o m i s e . In Decem ­ber, 16,000 of the approximate 50,000 are notified that they have qualified to be semi­finalists. These semi­finalists are chosen on a state re p re s e n t a t i v e basis.

In February, some 15,000 students are notified that they have been chosen as finalists for the program. Winners

are chosen from the finalists group based on skills, abilities, and accomplishments.

“ T h e National Merit Scholarship is an excellent o p p o r t u n i t y for students to be noticed through making a good score on the PSAT,” Navasota High School counselor Michelle Guthrie said. “It is great for students who are not that outspoken and not always noticed in school.” S e n i o r , John Hill Price has qualified to be a semi­finalist, and is now in the application process to become a finalists. Only

one percent of the original a p p l i c a n t s become finalists. NMSP provides s c h o l a r s h i p o p p o r t u n i t i e s , and opens many doors for the future.

As of now, Price is in the process of finishing his finalist a p p l i c a t i o n . This consists of taking the SAT, completing the application for the program, and also writing two essays.

“The most challenging part of the application process is the written essays,” Price said.

T h e National Merit S c h o l a r s h i p program is very

highly regarded. To have a student be a part of such a powerful p r o g r a m is quite an accomplishment for the individual, community, and the school district. This is a testament to intelligence and hard work. John Hill Price will benefit from this hard work by hopefully r e c e i v i n g s c h o l a r s h i p s along with other accolades from the program.

“As for us at Navasota High School we are all proud of the accomplishments of John Hill Price, and wish him the best,” assistant principal Kristie Jones said.

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'FNRAEP@NK\$%TN]]$*IATA 

“Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice.”

~Anton Chekhov

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NEWS

Vocational, community, or university: which do I choose!?

Important Information

Medicine, music, art, law, and nursing are the top 5 careers high school graduates choose upon g r a d u a t i n g , according to 2008 data from the National Center for College and U n i v e r s i t y A d m i s s i o n s . After choosing your career path, the question no longer becomes what study, but where to study. Is it important to attend a college s p e c i f y i n g in the career you’ve chosen? Is it financially c h e a p e r ? What are the a d v a n t a g e s a n d / o r disadvantages? Should you begin at a junior college? Is that a better choice? According to research by U.S. News writer Kim Clark, it may be cheaper to start in a community college or fully attend a community college, but it is not necessarily better. If a student knows the career he or she plans to follow i m m e d i a t e l y after graduating it is better for him/her to go ahead and enroll in a four

year university.The academic advisers and p r o f e s s o r s will have the most current i n f o r m a t i o n when it comes to job searches and the most current trends in the field. Navasota High School c o u n s e l o r Michelle Guthrie feels differently though. She believes that it may be better of to start of in a community c o l l e g e . “I know high school graduates do not want to hear t h i s , ” G u t h r i e said. “I did not when I was graduating, but if I had to do it over again I would have attended a junior college first in order to get the basics out of the way. College is such a new way of life, and you do so much growing up so quickly. I think that I would have been more successful my first year of college if I had taken my basics in a junior college and stayed close to home.” So there are downfalls to attending a four year university depending on your personal situation and personal likes.Attending a

four university will be more expensive and more time consuming. The classes may also be bigger then a community college class. It’ll depend on the university you choose and their average class size so getting one on one time with your professor might be tougher and maybe even close to i m p o s s i b l e . Attending a community college also has its advantages. “Most students, I believe, find that general education types of courses are often the most difficult types of courses in their e d u c a t i o n a l experience,”says Patrice Lyons, assistant director of articulation and transfer at Anne Arundel C o m m u n i t y College in M a r y l a n d . "Once you are enrolled in a four year college, you can focus on the classes you want to take as part as your major, rather then spending time and money on the classes you need to take.” Financially attending a c o m m u n i t y college will be easier for someone to afford. Most

average class sizes for c o m m u n i t y colleges is similar to an average size of high school classes so getting time with your p r o f e s s o r s will be easier. There are many c o m m u n i t y colleges located over Texas so if you want to stay close to home most likely there will be one in your city. While taking your basics you can still be close to home if you have anxiety over going somewhere far. "My largest c o m p l a i n t when it comes to community colleges when c o m p a r e d to larger universities is the fact that there are such limited opportuni t ies to take specific classes than when compared to those classes on an university level,” Tradelpa, author of The Disadvantages of Community C o l l e g e s . S o there are also disadvantages on attending a community c o l l e g e . S o m e of the credits you earn at a c o m m u n i t y college may not transfer into some u n i v e r s i t i e s . Making sure

the university will accept credits from that community college is important before choosing where to go because you could have problems later on. Not all the classes you wish to take for the career you're majoring in will be offered at some c o m m u n i t y colleges. So attending a c o m m u n i t y college could hold you back or take up more time to graduate in. It pretty much comes down to your personal likes and choices. Ask yourself are you ready to be a small fish in a big ocean?Are you ready to be on your own?Are you financially s t a b l e ? The top five careers high school students choose and their a p p r o x i m a t e salaries are listed below: The first career most high school graduates choose is a Medical P h y s i c i a n , whom roughly make around $132,500 to $259,000 in their first two years after medical school. T h e second most chosen career

is in the music industry. Music is such a wide field therefore pinning down an estimated salary would depend on the specific career chosen. B e i n g a lawyer or in any legal service comes in third. Lawyers earn around $63,000 after graduating, h o w e v e r , earnings may increase with experience as well as time. Nursing is not far behind; it falls in fourth. Nurses make around $45,000 annually. Nurses salaries depend on location so your earnings may depend on where you choose to live. F i n a l l y, a career in the Arts falls in fifth. Just like music there is a variety of jobs in art related fields. An example of this is from working in a museum to teaching a middle school art class. Pay will depend on which career you chose in that specific industry. T h e following lists of Universities offer some of the best programs for each career specified in the above article.

ROSA MEZA 

STAFF WRITER 

Music$$$$$$;5$!?@AB$%CAC?$%DEFFG$FH$6IBJD$AC$ $$$$$$!?@AB$$%CAC?$$$$ $$$$$$&KJL?MBJCN$%AK$6AMDFB$$$$$$%AK$6AMDFB<$!?@AB$$$$$$=5$$!E?$%DEFFG$FH$6IBJD$AC$!?@AB$!?DE$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$3IOOFDP<$!?@AB$$$$$$Q5$$&KJL?MBJCN$FH$!?@AB$AC$+IBCJK$ $$$$$$7ICG?M$%DEFFG$FH$6IBJD$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$+IBCJK<$!?@AB 

Art$$$$$$;5$$+KR?GF$%CAC?$&KJL?MBJCN$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$%AK$+KR?GF<$!?@AB$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!IJCJFK$S<;T>$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.??B$;S>$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$,FFU$V$7FAMW$X<QQX$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$7FFPB$;<;:>$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$*?MBFKAG$#@Y?KB?B$T<>:> $ $$$$Z[;\<XQX$$$$$$=5$$,JD?$&KJL?MBJCN$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$"FIBCFK<$!?@AB$$$$$$$Q5$!E?$+MC$0KBCJCIC?$FH$'AGGAB$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$'AGGAB<$!?@AB  

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NEWS

Rattlers Respond:

"Because I am a Senior, I was required to take the ASVAB test. Also because I am a Senior, I know the difference between a flower and a cat. I believe the test was just administered to take up time as those who would actually need to take it as an entrance exam into the military already have." ~Taylor Prewitt, 2011

"Because I am a Junior, I took the PSAT. I think it was a big step to prepare for college."

~Rosanna Hernandez, 2012

"I felt that the school does not prepare you well enough for the PSAT."

~Carlos "Panda" Zurita, 2013

"As a Freshman at NHS, I took a trip to Blinn College. I learned that it is really important to go to college. Blinn has many opportunities for all kinds of people. I thought it was great. It inspired me to go to college. It was amazing being there." ~Yesenia Rivas, 2014

Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol and Substance

Abuse offers NHS students prevention counseling

Submitted Photo        

Students in Mrs.Roshner ’s 4th period class don’t have drug or alcohol p r o b l e m s , but they are p a r t i c i p a t i n g in counseling for alcohol and substance abuse.

T h e counseling is being offered by BVCASA, Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse.

“BVCASA is a nonprofit agency that p r o v i d e s p r e v e n t i o n /i n t e r v e n t i o n , and treatment services in the Brazos Valley area and s u r r o u n d i n g c o u n t i e s , ” B V C A S A counselor, Carl Olivarez said.

T h e e d u c a t i o n program that is a d m i n i s t e r e d to students at Navasota High School is the TND program,Toward No Drug abuse, which is only offered to selective high schools in the Brazos Valley area approved by the Department of State and Health services.

The TND program is offered to a selected group of classrooms c o n s e c u t i v e l y t h r o u g h o u t the school year where drug, alcohol, and p r e v e n t i o n programs are encouraged.

“ T h e Toward No Drug abuse curriculum is a 12 session e d u c a t i o n

program that engages students into the social, emotional, and mental causes of alcohol, drug, and tobacco abuse,” Olivarez explained.

O l i v a r e z is the drug and alcohol counselor who administers the program for 6 weeks, two days a week, to various classes.

His job isn’t to try to find out who is an alcoholic or drug addict. In fact, there are several goals the program strives to achieve.

” T h e ultimate goal is to provide a quality drug, alcohol, and tobacco education and p r e v e n t i o n program that helps students make positive

choices in their lives,” Olivarez said.

T h e students learned various facts about several s u b s t a n c e s including how people’s social, e m o t i o n a l , and mental behavior change. P a r t i c i p a n t s also get a great sense of security because e v e r y t h i n g that is said and discussed during the sessions stays within the learning environment. Throughout the program students played games, won candy, and most i m p o r t a n t l y learned a lot about making choices especially future choices when it comes to alcohol or

ROSA MEZA  

STAFF WRITER 

Life skills department takes trip to community center 

ERIKA PULLIN  

STAFF WRITER 

substance abuse.“Students

respond well understanding that there is substance abuse program that provides their e d u c a t i o n a l needs as i n d i v i d u a l s for making r e s p o n s i b l e life choices,” Olivarez said.

For more i n f o r m a t i o n on how you or anyone you know can get help contact BVCASA at (979) 846­3560 or 1­866­448­1699.

T h e Navasota High School’s Life Skills class took a trip to the Christian C o m m u n i t y Center to deliver food on October 7; not only were they delivering food, but it was also a good life lesson.

“It really showed them lessons on how to weigh,” Life Skills Aide, Deloris Hamilton said. “We worked on our motor skills, and it was a very good math and listening lesson as well. It was very fun for us teachers to watch the kids working together.”

T h e teachers believe

that allowing the Life Skills students to participate in delivering food offers good lessons.

“It really taught our kids that giving to the community is a good thing,” Michelle Inocencio said.

On their ride home, all of the students s h o w e d I n o c e n c i o their favorite areas around Navasota.

“ T h i s was a short trip that meant a lot to everyone,” Inocencio said.

T h e students who p a r t i c i p a t e d in the trip included Josh Abatie, Shanta Baldwin, Nicole Pall, Samantha Garaz, Heather McKay, and Joseph Robinson. Each of the participants were very excited about helping out their community.

How was your experience on Wednesday, October 13 -- Did you travel to a college, if so did you learn anything about that particular school or were you

required to take a test, if so how did you feel about it?

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FEATURE

Senior earns recognition as outstanding participant

                                       photo by Rebeca Rivera ?+@ABCD$%CEFAG<$,HBCE$*CHBI<$ GFJKL<$ MANCN$OFLK$*GFEPFMHQ<$+RI$SHGBFN<$ QCTL<$HTLCG$ GCPFCBFEJ$ECON$AT$KCG$HPPARMQFNKRCELN$ FE$ LKC$=>;;$(HLFAEHQ$+PKFCBCRCEL$%PKAQHGNKFM$*GAJGHR5

REBECA RIVERA  EDITOR IN CHIEF 

Teen Court offers students problem solving and critical analysis skills

Everybody knows about the c h e e r l e a d e r s , football players, band members, and Diamonettes. H o w e v e r , there are other groups and o rg a n i z a t i o n s on campus. One of the groups is Teen Court. A lot of people have no clue what the organization is, and if they have heard of it, they really don’t know what it is about.

Teen Court is a system held for high school students to perform the roles of prosecuting and defense attorneys, bailiff, clerk, and jury.

Teen Court provides an opportunity for students to take responsibility for their actions, and suggest possible a l t e r n a t i v e behaviors.

Teen court was founded in October of 2003, following that was the group’s first legitimate case in January of 2004. Mr. Dean Wilson is the Teen Court’s coordinator. “Teen Court gives me a chance to work with very energetic people who enjoy learning new things,” Wilson said.

It has been said that Teen Court can give the

students a shot at responsibility, and opportunity to learn the ways of the laws in a court system. H o w e v e r , students can be in Teen Court even if they do not wish to continue their knowledge of the law within college.

Teen court is a place where you can develop skills in areas of problem solving abilities (critical and strategic thinking), and an understanding of the concept of actions having consequences.

S t u d e n t s at Navasota High School are the ones that can appear at Teen Court for

sentencing. For someone to be able to go to Teen Court they have to plead guilty in the Justice of the Peace (JP) court. W h i l e participants are at JP court, you must volunteer to have your trail sentenced at Teen Court. The offense does not become a part of the youth’s record.

Most kids that have a trial held at Teen Court don’t know that they can then become a member of it later on. In fact, Wilson encourages it!

Not only does Teen Court handle real cases, but the

group also has a competition they go to as well. Teen Court sites have stated that this is where the volunteers of teen court programs across the state have highlighted the principles of justice that lean them to peer­to­peer programs. For each round of competition teams have a different fact, pattern, and defendant. They are then judged on how well they address the offense by the defendant, and determine a constructive sentence to address the harm to the c o m m u n i t y .

F i n a l l y , p a r t i c i p a n t s must help the d e f e n d a n t understand the consequences of their actions.

N a v a s o t a High’s court is held in Wilson’s room every W e d n e s d a y .

ERIKA PULLIN  STAFF WRITER 

W h e n senior Raven Peavy marked the box on her 2009 Preliminary SAT (PSAT) scantron for consideration in the 2011 National A c h i e v e m e n t S c h o l a r s h i p Program (NASP) she never expected to actually get a reply from the program that recognizes the top three percent of more than 160,000 African American students who show scholarly

p r o m i s e ­ ­ t h a t is until Peavy was awarded on Tuesday, October 19.

T h e program began in 1964 in order to honor “ a c a d e m i c a l l y promising Black American high school students.” Upon completing the PSAT, students may enter both the National A c h i e v e m e n t Program and the National Merit program.

O n September 28, principal, Amy Jarvis, received a letter from

the NASP that recognized Peavy as one of the 3,100 participants within the program that have been referred to various U.S. colleges and universities.

According to the letter, Peavy “scored in the top 3 percent of more than 160,000 Black Americans who requested consideration in the 2011 National A c h i e v e m e n t P r o g r a m , ” because of this a roster possessing P e a v y ’ s i n f o r m a t i o n has been sent

to “nearly 1,500 colleges and universities.”

“It’s great to know that my information has been sent to so many different colleges,” Peavy said. “Even though I’ve already made my decision about which college I want to attend, it’s nice to know that other universities are interested in me because of my achievements.”

Peavy was notified of her accomplishment on Tuesday, October 19, during first

period as Jarvis presented her with a certificate of achievement from the NASP. Jarvis ensured that Peavy was aware of her accomplishments by informing her that she was “the only person on the list of students recognized.”

“It is a great accomplishment,” Peavy said. “I was absolutely shocked when Mrs. Jarvis presented me with the certificate. I couldn’t stop smiling.”

There are about 35 students who participate in Teen Court. However, the group is always hoping that more students will become involved with the organization. For further

i n f o r m a t i o n , students can contact Mr. Wilson in room 503.

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NEWS/FEATURE

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Events

Recycling: how going green can help save the environment

Recycling. It’s a word we hear a lot in the news and in commercials. We know it helps the environment and saves trees, but even after knowing this, many of us don’t recycle or even try to. Most of the time, our trash is sent to landfills where it accumulates until there’s no space left. A f t e r w a r d s thousands of dollars are spent to build another area.

T h e expense is not the only reason that building more landfills is a terrible solution,

constructing one also destroys many wildlife h a b i t a t s . Recycling is a smarter, cleaner solution; it doesn’t give off harmful fumes and chemicals that damage our e n v i r o n m e n t . O p e n i n g r e c y c l i n g centers also offers more job oppurtunities.

S a v i n g energy is another thing that comes with recycling, according to the Municipal Solid Waste G e n e r a t i o n , Recycling and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2008, every ton of mixed paper

recycled can save the energy equivalent of 185 gallons of gasoline.

A n o t h e r way to get more i n f o r m a t i o n would be to visit your local recycling center, which in our town is the Navasota R e c y c l i n g Station, located on 501 Fifth Street.

“It helps keep our city clean,” employee of the Navasota Recycling Station Douglas Franklin said.

It helps in the prevention of air pollution which is a c o n t r i b u t i n g factor in the depletion of our

ozone layer, and also prevents other phenomena such as acid rain. Global warming is another thing recycling helps prevent, this is caused when g r e e n h o u s e gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane trap light and heat from the sun in the earths a t m o s p h e r e which increases the earths t e m p e r a t u r e , better known as the greenhouse effect.

Normally, the greenhouse effect is actually a positive. The effect keeps the earth appropriate enough for humans to

survive on, without it the earths t e m p e r a t u r e would be u n s t a b l e . It would either be too cold to sustain any life or scorching hot without the help of our a t m o s p h e r e which filters the suns heat. Although the g r e e n h o u s e effect helps us, if too many gases collect in the atmosphere, it can make the planet much warmer, which can destroy plant life. Pollution can increase the amounts of gases in the a t m o s p h e r e , which in turn will increase

the earths temperature.

We can all help in the p r e v e n t i o n of furthering pollution, one way are just going through your trash and s e p a r a t i n g plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and paper. After completing this process, citizens may then take their recyclables to a center. Unfortunately, many schools don't have any kind of recycling program set up, and schools are one of the places that throw away the largest amounts of re­usable materials such as cardboard and

paper. “ S o m e

teachers take it upon themselves to recycle,” Robert Huerta, a worker at the City of Bryan’s Drive­In Recycling Center, said. “There are a lot of committed people.”

W h e t h e r its at our school, place of work, or even our own homes we should all do our own part in saving the

environment. If you’re interested in helping to save the environment visit www.re c y c l e w o r k s .org. Taking a little extra time out of your day to sort and recycle your materials can make a huge difference. It will save many of our precious resources and will keep our planet clean and safe for future generations.

JORGE REYES  

STAFF WRITER 

New school year introduces new teachers

If being the new kid in high school is hard, imagine how hard it is being a new teacher. “ T h e hardest part about being a new teacher is that I am learning almost as much as I am teaching,” Ms. Beth Gardiner says about being the new teacher. “I don't know how everything works in the school yet and I don't have all the answers

to questions being asked. It is a learning process in how to be the best teacher. Years of experience and making mistakes is how you learn. Unfortunately, that means new teachers make a lot of mistakes and have a lot to learn.”

G a r d i n e r attended Cy­Fair High School in Cypress Texas, and then continued her studies at Texas A&M University, where she majored in e d u c a t i o n .

G a r d i n e r ’ s favorite subject during grade school was math, which led to her decision in becoming a geometry teacher. She really wanted to work with people and have an impact on students.

"I love high school, it’s the place where you can have the biggest impact on lives,” Gardiner said.

G a r d i n e r chose to teach here because of the area and is enjoying

Navasota so far. Gardiner’s favorite part about being a teacher is being able to work with her students. She enjoys the a t m o s p h e r e of being in a classroom.

“I want my students to succeed, so I’m going to do everything I can to make them feel loved because each of my students is important to me,” Gardiner said. “Every student can make an impact in this world, and I’ll

do what I can to prepare them for their future.”

A l s o new to the the scene is Julie West. West is teaching Spanish l and Spanish ll. She received her degree in education from Texas A&M University after graduating from Spring Woods High School in Houston. Growing up, West’s favorite subject was lunch, and according to her­­there is no contest­­it still is. West has

GRACIE MOCK  

STAFF WRITER 

always wanted to be a teacher and believes working with kids everyday is exhilarating. She chose to teach because of a teacher who impacted her during her high school years. Why did she choose to teach a foreign language?

“I don’t know, I enjoy Spanish,” West said. “I’m one of those language p e o p l e . ”

SEE NEW TEACHERS,

PAGE 8

November 5: Navasota vs. Giddings (Home) November 8­9: Cap and Gown Orders November 13: UIL Meet (Waller)November 20: UIL Meet (Bryan)November 22­26: Thanksgiving Break December 3: History Fair December 7: B.U.S.T Assembly

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SPORTS

The truth about the game of football

For many football is just another game, something on television, or maybe it is just something to do on the weekends. Football games are attended by millions but are these games

really being understood?

Football is everywhere. It is in the newspaper it is making h e a d l i n e s , on multiple channels on television, and is the talk of peoples discussions all around . It is a huge game that

many people have fallen in love with. With football almost everywhere, how much is really known about the game?

S o m e people that attend Friday night football games have no idea what is

going on around them. The game is played and won or lost but many of the people there couldn’t tell why the game came to that outcome. In many households football is being watched but out of the ones w a t c h i n g f e w

understand the game. The rest are just reacting to the reaction of others. Football is a simple yet very complex game.

“Football is an honest game,” Joe Namath once said. “It's true to life. It's a game about sharing. Football is a team

game. So is life.”Football is a

game of 22 men ­ 11 on offense and 11 on defense. The object of the game is to score more points than the other team. The goal of the offense is to score touchdowns. A touchdown is worth six points,

TRAVIS PEARCE  

STAFF WRITER 

recordFootball organizations confront concussions and head injuries 

The sport of football is having to confront one its most u n a v o i d a b l e i s s u e s : concussions and head injuries. On average 3.8 millions high school athletes are victims to sports related concussions each year, most of which occur in football. These injuries usually occur when a player takes a hard hit to the head. “Everybody is bigger, faster, and stronger so there is a lot more collision, especially with the weight program going around, and just the general size of athletes, “ head football coach and athletic director Lee Fedora of the Navasota Rattlers said when referring to football athletes. “Bigger guys, stronger guys, faster guys. “

T h e U n i v e r s i t y

Interscholastic League (UIL) is the organization that handles all extracurricular a c t i v i t i e s , i n c l u d i n g football. They make the rules and regulations on how to deal with football related injuries, but most recently they have worked with physicians for help to install new ways of dealing with this issue.

“I think the best thing the UIL is going to do is to keep training our trainers and coaches for keys to determine a concussion type injury, “ Fedora said.

F o o t b a l l equipment giant, Riddell, has come out with three new high priced helmets. These helmets are designed e s p e c i a l l y to prevent c o n c u s s i o n s . Many high schools are going with Riddell to be their equipment provider.

“We at NHS use Riddell,

they do an outstanding job, every year they implement new types of helmets and shoulder pads,” Fedora said. “It’s getting expensive, but it’s for the health of the kids. A lot of people just don’t understand the expenses to suit out one man in a high school varsity football game, you’re looking at around 700 dollars per person, and here at NHS we have 122 kids playing football so budgets are a concern, but you really just want to make sure you protect our kids." Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other memory loss related issues are being found more in retired players then in the average person. What separates a head injury from a regular pain injury is that a concussion can have a long term issue on your body and brain.

“ P l a y i n g with a broken finger is not

going to effect you for the rest of your life, it’s just about dealing with the pain, playing through a concussion could effect you for the rest of your life because then you could contract memory loss,” Fedora said.

A "bad guy" image is being put on coaches because some say they force players to play through injuries, but in reality coaches have been trained to follow careful p r e c a u t i o n s when dealing with concussions. They have been to seminars sponsored by the UIL organization that teach them to tell the student athletes to hold a personal re s p o n s i b i l i t y when it comes to their own health.

“As a coach you have to make sure you have a good relationship with your athletes to let them know they need to come tell you to let you know

if they’re okay or not,” Fedora said.

M e d i c a l experts have gone to Congress to talk about installing new r e g u l a t i o n s into high school football programs since 60 percent of concussions in the United States occur in football. C o n g r e s s has agreed, and is now i m p l e m e n t i n g new guidelines. However, some believe Congress should stay out the matter because enough rules are already in place.

“Congress shouldn’t get involved, they need to let the school districts, UIL, and the State of Texas handle their situations because they’ve done a good job of maintaining the issue since UIL has done a good job of keeping them [the coaches and school districts] involved and understanding what they need to be prepared

for,” Fedora said.Al though

this issue has been very publicized, it doesn’t look like it will slow down football.

“Football is the greatest sport in America,” Fedora said.

The NFL is a business before it is a sport. In fact, it is a 6 billion dollars a year business.

“As long as they’re making money football will never stop,” Fedora said.

If the passion of f o o t b a l l continues, and the pursuit to be the best football player escalates then the concussion issue looks like it will stay around. As history has told us, players are getting more athletic then they ever were, and will continue to get more athletic as the world continues to put more and more attention on football.

JOE MUNOZ 

STAFF WRITER 

Football

and a touchdown is scored then the team has the option to go for a two­point conversion in which the ball is placed on the 3­yard line and a play is run to try to make it in the endzone. If the team does not want to go

for two more points then the kicker tries for an extra point. If its made it is worth another point.

SEE THE TRUTHPAGE 8

VS Madisonville: 35­14 (W)

VS Willis: 34­23 (W)

@Rudder: 0­17 (L)

VS Cameron Yoe: 33­35 (L)

@Wharton: 49­12 (W)

@Rockdale: 36­7 (W)

@La Grange: 28­6 (W)

VS Caldwell: 34­20 (W)

FEATURE/SPORTS

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New Teachers: bringing new philosophies to NHS

S p e a k i n g of being new to the scene, Bryan Lopas is not shy from that category either. He attended high school at Waco Midway in Waco, Texas. Afterwards he continued on to Texas A&M University. His favorite subject during grade school was Physics, which is why he chose to be a Physics teacher. Seeing growth in kids is his favorite part about being a teacher; how they mature from the beginning to the end of the year, and watching them learn something that they never

thought they could.

T h o u g h he is a teacher now, that is not the only thing he has ever wanted to do. Before his current job, he wanted to go into the gas and oil business. His wife brought up being a teacher, and he prayed about it, knowing God would put him where he needs to be. His first job offer was here at NHS after he moved to College Station.

“I wasn’t meant for sitting behind a desk everyday,” Lopas said.

According to Lopas, he loves the area, and would rather teach here than in any of the

s u r r o u n d i n g locations. He likes the small town feeling of it all, and enjoys his co­workers, the kids, the administration, and his boss.

“It’s a tough schedule, but I like it a lot,” Lopas said.

Respect is a big thing for him. He shows respect towards his students, and hopes that he can earn that respect back.

Mr. Scott Adams, some know him as Coach Adams, is the new girls basketball coach and World History teacher. He attended high school in Friendswood, TX and continued his studies at Sam

Houston State University.

His favorite subject growing up was science, but he loves history. That is why he chose to teach history. According to Adams, his favorite channel to watch is The History Channel.

“I love history,” Adams said. “I love studying history. I just love history.”

A d a m s favorite part about being a teacher is the kids: the interaction with them everyday, and seeing a light bulb turn on in their heads when they understand s o m e t h i n g . Of course, the coaching aspect was huge. He

loves to watch s o m e t h i n g the team has practiced over and over again come to life on the court.

W h y Navasota? He i m m e d i a t e l y felt at home here during his interview and wanted to o p p o r t u n i t y to coach at a top level girls b a s k e t b a l l program. He is pleasantly surprised at how much he enjoys it so far.

“ E v e r y students can learn, no matter what level they’re at, every student can learn,” Adams said.

  

The Diamondback Staff dedicates 

Volume LI Issue I to  

Kallie Ann Nuetzler  

 

Across

3. Element represented by Fe5. Capital of China

7. Water is a _______ molecule

8. The largest ocean9. Year in which Texas

joined the U.S.10. Establishes freedom of religion, speech, the press, assembly, and

petition12. Type of government

our country has13. Creator of the

telephone

Down 1. Capital of Texas2. 14th President

4. Element represented by Ca

6. Year in which Facebook was

developed10. Year in which the

Constitution was created

11. The heart is part of what body system?

The Rattlers strike the Caldwell Hornets securing position in playoffs

The Rattlers faced off against their toughest foe of the season, the Caldwell Hornets, on Friday, October 22­­not only did they hold the number 9 ranked team in all of Texas 3A football, but this was a critical game in deciding the division and a playoff birth.

Ian Day and company stood up to the challenge and played, what some believe, to be their best game of the season. Although the Hornets scored first and seemed to be controlling

Brain Teaser:

the tempo of the game with their hard­nosed running game, the Rattlers willed themselves to play “Army Strong” and quickly matched C a l d w e l l ’ s touchdown.

O f f e n s e p l a y e d confidently all night, and even ran a plethora of plays from under center, unusual to the preferred s h o t g u n formation often used by the Rattler offense.

D e f e n s e , which seemed young and shaky earlier in the season, finally developed their “Iron Curtain” defense; and what about that

interception by Kesnick Jones? Jones, in what was still a close game, intercepted the Hornet’s ball and helped to silence all the buzzing made by the quickly v a n i s h i n g C a l d w e l l Bumblebee fans.

Ultimately, the team knocked off the Hornets, utilizing Day’s and Antoin B u r r e l l ’ s quickness along with the tough, o p p o r t u n i s t i c defense finally showing up to give the Hornets a 34­20 loss, their first of the season; and securing at least a tie for first place in the 23­3A Division.

The truth about the game of football 

On offense the quarterback is the leader. He touches the ball every play. On a designed passing play he looks to throw to a receiver, but if no one is open then he can choose to run the ball as well. If it is a run play then he hands it off to the running back. The running back is a player who runs, blocks when not receiving the ball, and catches it on certain plays. There are five lineman; they protect the q u a r t e r b a c k and block for the players who are carrying the football. Receivers

are players who catch the football, and also block on run plays.

In a game a team has four plays to get ten yards for a first down. On fourth down a team can punt the ball to the other team if it is felt that the first down cannot be made. However, if a team is close enough to the endzone they can kick a field goal for three points. A good offense is essential to the success of a team.

A good offense is important for a team, but a good defense is absolutely crucial. On a typical defense a team

has four down lineman of good size so that they may be able to stop the other team from running past the offensive line. Behind the line is where the linebackers are. Linebackers are the leaders of a defense. They are strong, big, athletic, and have to be tough to play the position. Cornerbacks are edge players. They cover receivers, and keep them from catching balls. They also contain the edge on run plays. Safeties are the last line of defense. They help to cover receivers, and are the last players to keep a player out

of the end zone if a player gets past the line and linebackers. The main goal of the defense is to cause turnovers and get the ball back in the hands of the offense.

Football is a game of inches. A game of small details that can change an entire game, season, and sometimes a life. Football is a complete team sport that calls for eleven players to work together to achieve one goal. It is hard work, p r e p a r a t i o n , effort, and passion. Football is a game of life.

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RAMON GALVAN  

ASSOCIATE EDITOR 

For Answers to this puzzle visit www.nhsdiamondback.weebly.com