volume 37 number 3

8/6/2019 Volume 37 Number 3

1/8

N

ORSE

MA

N

Brya

nHighSchool

December2007

Volume37,Number3

The

Features pg 2

Wish List pg 3

Opinions pg 4-5

Sports pg 6

Entertainment pg 7

Games pg 8

Whats inside...

Paintball

Hot Christmas Items

Sports Collage

Christmas Game Page

VikingToy Box

Whats on your Christmas list?

Unicorn.

Lizzy Turk, 10

To not come to

school.

Trevor Goehl, 11

19

20

21

Another successful year for Feast of CarolsThe 24th annual Feast of

Carols was a success again

this year as the choir per-

formed three times during the

week after Thanksgiving.The atmosphere of the per-

formance takes audiences

back to a time of knights and

court jesters, and is facilitated

by choir members dressing in

full costume and a feast taken

from days of old.

This years performance

featured seniors Sean Faulkner

and Brian Shillings as well as

junior Austin Hart in the boys

choir trio.

Over 100 students partici-

pated in the Feast of Carolsperformances.

If you were unable to attend

a performance of the Feast of

Carols you can try next year

or you can see this years

choir perform The Music Man

on Feb 7-10 at the Civic Audi-

torium.

Gilmore Girls

Box DVD Set.

Jessica Merchant, 12

A digital camera.

Alicia OCampo, 12


2/8

Tiffany Torres

Editor

Giveamanashandheeatsforaday;teach

yourchildren how tosh and start a competi-

tiveshingclub,andmaybetheywillwinsome

scholarshipopportunities.

Teensspendtheirtimebynumbingtheirbrain

cellsonthecomputerorsittinginfrontofamovie

screenforanentireweekend.

Threefreshmanarebreakingthecyclebypar-

ticipatinginagreatpastimethathasevolvedfrom

asurvivaltooltoaleisureactivityshing,com-

petitivebassshing.

My dadwouldalwaystakemybrothersh-

ingandIwouldgetmadthathedidnttakemealong,freshmanAshleyGovesaid.Hethought

if Imgettingthis passionatemaybe other kids

would like tosh.Andthats how the [Junior

Bass]Clubgotstarted.

Theclubprovidesteenswithanopportunityto

enjoytheoutdoorswhilesocializingwithothers

theirsameage.

Thecompetitionis really fun andwegetto

hangoutanddowhatwelovesh,Ashley

said.

AlongwithAshley,twootherfreshmenhave

pickeduptheirpolesandjoinedtheJuniorBassClub,MeghanRiceandJacobyWoodard.

Allthreestudentswereintroducedtoshing

bytheirfathers.

Mydadisanavidsherman;hewouldsh

everyday,Meghansaid.

Meghan moved to Bryan fromHouston in

2003andhadalreadyhadexperienceinpartici-

patinginclubsinHoustonwhenherdadinvited

her.

Outofthethree,Jacobyistheonethatreally

wantstodevelopthishobbyintoacareer. HewantstobecomeaMastershermanfea-

turedontheOutdoorandESPN channel,one

day,hesaid.

Jacobys largest catchwas a bass on Lake

Somerville inBryan. It weighed in at seven

poundszeroounces.Withthatshheplaced7th

inthecompetition.

Page 2 December 2007

Ruthie Dearman

Chelsea Downey

Staff writers Some of you may have seen six-foot-

threeJaredOvertonsheadbobbingabove

the crowd in the freshmen hallways, but

whatyouprobablydontknowisthatheis

acompetitivepaintballplayer.

Jared, who is also in drumline, soccer,

football, track and basketball, has been

playingpaintballforabouttwoyears.

My friend gotmeinto paintball about

twoyearsago,Jaredsaid.Heinvitedme

tohisbirthdaypartyandsaidHeydoyouwanttobeonmyteam?andIsaidyeah.

He is now co-captain of the paintball

teamPCBallersatPantherCreekandplays

intournamentsonceamonth.

Yougettotravelaroundandseediffer-

entplacesandmeetdifferentpeopleandits

justreallyfun,Jaredsaid.

Jaredhasspentmuchtimeandeffortpracticing,

whichhasmadehimintoanaccomplishedpaintball

player.

Communicationisveryimportantaswellasbe-

ingclosetoyourteammates,hesaid.Ifyouarent

reallyclosewiththemthenitbecomesdifcult.

Timespentconditioningandtrainingplayahuge

roleinhavingacompetitiveteaminthefast-paced

sport, but with all the shooting, obstacle

coursesandstrenuousexercises,paintballcanbea

dangeroussport.

OnetimeImessedupmykneeprettybad,Jared

said. Jaredisnenow,butthesportnaturallylendsit-

selfto bumps,bruisesand thepossibility ofmore

seriousinjuries.

Notonlydoespaintballrequirealotofworkand

time,itsalsoveryexpensive.

Ifyouwanttogotoatournamentstartoff

ata basiclevel ofmoney, Jaredsaid. A$100to$200range,andthengofromthere

Jaredisinvolvedinsomanytime-consum -

ingactivities.Heisoftenawayfromhome

weekends, but his parents stillhelpout as

muchaspossible.

[My parents] really supportme. They

drivemeeverywhere,hesaid.

Luckily,Jareddoesntspendhisweek-

endswithstrangers;insteadheissurrounded

byfamiliarfacesatpaintballtournaments.

Besidesmy teammates, and my broth-ers,acoupleofmyfriendsplay,Jaredsaid.

Sometimes Ill invite them over to play

paintballandhavefun.

Jaredndsthatpeoplehelpandteachyou

andyougetbetterasyougoandlearn,and

thatswhatinterestshimaboutpaintball.

IvemetalotofnewpeopleandIvemade

alotofnewfriendsthroughoutTexas,hesaid.

Jareds teamwon last years series and hesees

himselfturningpaintball into a career inthe very

nearfuture. Playingpaintballonacompetitiveleveltakesalot

ofcommitmentandJaredplansonpursuingitfurther

inthefuture,butfornowheissimplyanormalhigh

schoolstudenttryingtobalanceschoolandfun.

Freshman Ashley Gove shows off the bass

she caught at Lake Somerville.

Anewhobbycatchesonwithstudents

Freshmantakesaimatgrowingsportofpaintball


3/8

Christmas List


iPod Touch8gb - $299

16gb - $399

Wi-Fi web browsing with Safari

Video capabilities with 3.5 screen

Multi-touch interface allows for easy transition

between applications

Available from www.apple.com with personalized

engraving

Scrapbook$15-$300

Great for a family member or

friends.

Price varies upon embellishments

Board Games$8.99 to $29.99

Perfect for a night in with a group of

friends or the whole family.

Ipod FM Transmitter$49.99 to $89.99

Compatible with 4th generation

iPod, iPod photo, iPod video,

iPod nano and iPod mini

Allows you to play your iPod

through your vehicles stereo;

also works with home and por-

table stereos with an FM tuner

Rock Band$49.99 to $170.00

One of the hottest gifts this year.

Combines the popular Guitar Hero

and Karaoke with drums.

Rainboots$19.99 to $39.99

Cute and fun, but still practical

James AverySterling silver jewelry

$45-$65

Gifts for guys and girls of any age.

DVD TV Season Sets$20-$60

Everyone has a favorite show that

they like to watch over and over

again.

Cool-It Can Chiller$20

Plugs in to computers USB

to keep that vital cafnated

drink cool on those late

nights.


4/8

Page 4 Opinions December 2007

Music plays pivotal role in teenagers lives

So I got the new Apple iPod Touch last month andI didnt cheap out, I bought the 16 gigabyte not the

less expensive 8 gigabyte. And I must say the iPod

is tight (is it still cool for the kids to say tight, I

wouldnt know Im not really hip with the lingo. I

dont care Ill say it anyway).

Every time I think my excitement starts to wane

it surprises me with an oh-so awesome application I

never knew it could do.

When I show my friends and acquaintances, all

the bells and whistles I have gured out on my new

gadget, its not to brag, but to merely show them. (Iwouldnt dare brag to spark jealousy.)

The rst thing people do when they get their hands

on the iPod is open the music; they scan the artist

listings either horizontally or vertically, it can do

both, and browse through the selection.

I wouldve never thought youd listen to this kind

of music, they would state. Do you have the new

Flo Rida song?

Who? Id utter in confusion, because why wouldI want to listen to a gentlemen rhyme about how much

money hes making now that hes out of the hood.

And the saying never kiss and tell obviously

doesnt apply to todays artist.

No thank you.

Since Ive only experienced seventeen years of

life, Im still into the whole Im angry at the world

because nobody understands me kind of music.

Not so much of the stuff were you cant understand

what theyre saying with random lyrics, more like

the stuff that J.D. Salinger would be proud of.I really dont know a lot of those new bands that

are just getting on to the scene. You know, the ones

that still play in a 100-mile radius of their hometown

in a venue that has cover charges for minors and they

just released an EP with a slight hint of static in the

background.

See, when Im not listening to my iPod, Im all

about talk radio, like the liberal and conservative

rantings of Alan Colmes and Laura Ingraham and

also my favorite satellite radio channel 146 The

Left, but I can only take that in small doses.Im not the only one out there listening to my iPod

24/7. The majority of people my age cant seem to

pull their headphones out of their ears long enough

to do anything slightly meaningful.

There are students that get angry that more people

start noticing a band that they discovered. They

then retaliate by losing interest in the band, because

it has become mainstream.

Okay, any band with a long lasting career has tohave some noticeability or else record labels drop

them because theyre doing it for nothing. Thats

when the band starts to crumble.

Im sorry if you wanted to be their exclusive fan,

the only one that really understood those in-depth

lyrics, but it cant work out that way.

Just about every successful mainstream artist has

been commercialized or is selling out in one way

or another even if it wasnt on their agenda.

Again, Im sorry to burst your bubble.

So, let me leave off with this nice note (great pun,right?).

People often try to associate a genre of music with

a certain look or race. Just like people assume you

act a certain way because of the way you dress.

People assume that emo kid with the girl jeans

strutting his stuff down the hallway sneakily listen-

ing to his electronic device on school grounds is lis-

tening to some kind of screamo music. How do they

know hes not listening to the original emotional lyr-

ics of someone like Hank Williams or the compos-

ing works of Mozart.Everyone has that side that no one sees.

As for me Im going to continue to rock out in an

argyle sweater and tap my Bandolino shoes to those

simplistic yet complicated beats of the blues.

Or maybe Ill watch an episode ofScrubs or30

Rockon my 3.5 by 5 wide screen.

ByTiffany Torres

There is a point in everyones life where they move

out, get their own apartment and start learning how

to cook, clean, and hold down a job. This is called

growing up.

For me and most juniors, we only have a year and

a half left until we graduate. This means we will be

moving out of our parents house and moving on to

college and countless responsibilities.

Moving out of the house is not an easy thing for

some kids. They usually depend on their parentsto cook and clean for them along with many other

chores that usually go unnoticed.

Although moving out of the house can be a big

reality check for some, there are some kids who al-

ready know how to cook and clean for themselves.

These students are considered very independent

for their age and have taken a big step to adulthood.

Remember when we were going into junior high

and we thought we would never get there, well its

here now and we wish it was farther away.

The time to grow up came quickly. It was out ofsight and out of mind for most of us. As we get older,

time seems to move faster and faster as we move

closer to the day of graduation.

People say high school is the best years of your

life, but how do we know that, we still have college

and the rest of are lives to experience new things.

Everyone is different, and though high school has

been a blast, Im looking forward to college.

College is a big step, there is so much to do be-

fore then though; cooking and cleaning are only a

small part of any of it. There are actually easy waysto learn those necessary skills.

You can always take ve minutes out of your busy

day to ask your parents how much detergent, or

bleach to put in the washer with your clothes, so no

one will think that you stink. You could even help

your parents out in the kitchen every now and then

to learn how to cook a few simple meals.

Beyond those simple skills though, you have to

learn to manage your rent and utility bills, as well as

how to be responsible enough to manage your time,

because professors will not pester you about workyou should have turned in three weeks ago.

In the end, as we look to the future, we are all run-

ning out of time. Time to save money, time to gure

out what career we want to study, time to make our

nal college preparations.

So even though you may think you still have a lot

of time left until college because you are only a ju-

nior, know that its less time than you think.

ByClay

Granberry

Running out of time, looking to the future


5/8

December 2007 Opinions Page 5

Bryan High School

3450 Campus Drive, Bryan, TX 77802

Volume 37, No. 3

EditorTiffany Torres

Assistant Editor

Logan Kickham

Staff

Jessica Cooke, Ruth Dearman, Chelsea Downey, Clay Granberry,

Megan Mireles, Rebecca Noriega, Cole Roberts,

Kennesha Wilson, Courtney YBarbo

Adviser

Rebecca Dominy

Theopinionsexpressedarethoseofthewritersandarenotreectiveofthe

administrators, faculty or staff of Bryan Independent School District.

Submissions to the editors are welcomed, but must be signed and should not

exceed 300 words. The editor reserves the right to edit submissions in the inter-

est 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 discrimitnate on the basis of race,

religion, color, national orgin, sex or handicap in providng education services.

N O R S E M A NThe

When asked about the new dress code ideamany students will say that its stupid and it will

ruin their high school years.

I personally dont like idea of the new dress

code because it doesnt allow students to express

themselves.

The dress code will consist of solid colored

shirts with a collar and no jeans will be allowed.

Shoes would also be limited in color to ones that

are mostly black, brown or white.

Administrators say the new dress code will de-

crease gang activity and will increase test scoresand overall grades.

Gang members arent going to stop wearing

their gangs colors, even if the shirts do have col-

lars.

I dont think the way students dress affect their

grades. If students arent doing well in school

then that is their fault and is in no way impacted

by the clothing that they wear.

It is more than likely that they either arent pay-

ingattentioninclassortheyatoutdontknow

the subject matter.

Some of the pros of having the dress

code are that it saves your parents some mon-

ey, and we all need some extra money.

It decreases the visible gap between so-

cioeconomic classes by creating a more uni-

eddress.

The dress code would also make it easier

to get dressed in the morning because of the

limited options; all you have to worry about

is your hair.

The cons of having the dress code are

you get bored with the same look every day

and live a life without options!

There would be such a small selection to choose

from under the proposed code that I would hate

to wake up and think, Hmm, should I wear a

blue polo or a gray one?

The school day would become monotonous

because everyone will look identical every day,

all year long.

If the idea does pass, then all four middle

schools and both the high schools will be affect-

ed.

As young adultswe are beginningto dene

ourselvesandlearnwhoweare.Partofthatde-

nition is how we dress and how we represent our-

selves at school.

Personal expression is a major part of high

school.

The district sent surveys to parents in Bryan

asking if they like the dress code or not.

If you dont want to go to school corresponding

to everyone else, then ask your parents if they could

please choose the strongly disagree category.

ByJessica Cooke

Dress code inhibits individualism Merry HolidaysAs people walk through the stores, doing their Christmas

shopping, they wait to hear Merry Christmas, but thisgreeting is becoming an endangered species.

In todays society of political correctness, the Christmas

spirit has been hijacked.

America has moved to a PC world where a vocal minority

must be catered to and the views and rights of the majority

are overshadowed.

Absurdities have gone as far as Australia where the Santas

have been encouraged to no longer say the familiar Ho, Ho,

Ho, but replace it with Ha, Ha, Ha as to avoid offending

any women with the derogatory American slang.

Somewillalso recalllastyearsascowiththeairportsin Washington, where the Christmas trees were removed

and then put back up again after public outcry. Although the

Christmas trees is associated with the holiday, the trees ori-

gin comes from pagan roots and is in no way a symbol of

Christianity.

The latest Christmas craziness involves a group pushing

for Santa to lose weight. They believe that Santa is a role

model and should not capitalize on his belly shaking like a

bowl full of jelly.

Personally we havent heard too many children saying

they wanted to grow up to be Santa. Besides the fact thatthe idea of a skinny Santa zipping down a chimney without

even a worry that he might get stuck, kind of ruins Christ-

mas for us.

Christmas is celebrated by people of all faiths. Christians

embrace the time as a celebration of the birth of Christ while

people who practice other religions still celebrate Christmas,

but view it as a time of family togetherness and giving.

We think that Christmas should just be left alone and ev-

eryone should be able to celebrate in their own way, with

their fat Santas, Merry Christmas and Ho, Ho, Hos.

---The Norseman Staff


6/8


Need Money For College?

Scholarships

Grants

Loans

Were here to help you

Phone: 979-845-3236Website: fnancialaid.tamu.eduMySpace: www.myspace.com/tamufnancialaid

2nd Floor PavilionPO Box 30016College Station, Texas 77842-3016

Fall banquet honors athletesThe fall sports banquet honored football, volleyball and cross country

athletes on Dec. 10.

The Viking Award, which is given to players who put others above

themselves, went to Korey Davis and Trent McLean.

The second annual Heart Award was given to offensive lineman Mi-

chael Grossman and defensive lineman Carter Parks.Senior defensive end Thomas Ponzio and quarterback Garrison Kick-

ham won the Academic Award.

The Defensive Award went to defensive lineman Michael Martin and

Jaron Gentry while center Nick Searcy and wide receiver Gary Ham-

mond earned the Offensive Award.

Senior runningback Stan McGruder was named Most Outstanding

Viking, an award selected by his teammates.

Torlan Pittman was named Most Valuable Player.

Volleyball awards included naming Kallie Pence and Megan Deste-

fano the Best Offensive Players.The Best Defensive Player Award was given to Amanda Cune.

The Academic Award and the Triple D Award (discipline, determina-

tion and desire) was given to Jennifer King.

The Cross-Country MVP awards went to Stephanie Mazurkiewicz

and Justin Bullard.

Most Improved Player Awards went to Erin Drgac and Tyler Hosea.

Senior Kimberly Reeves earned the Most Dedicated and Senior Lead-

ership Award as a trainer.


7/8


Cole Roberts

Staff writer

When Iwentto see Hot Rod this past

summerIhonestlyhadlittletonoexpecta-

tiongoingintothemovie.

After seeing movies like Knocked Up

andSuperbadIdidntknowifthismovie

couldholditsownintermsoflaugh-

ter.

Asitturnsout,Iwaspleas-antlysurprisedbythelead

actor Andy Samberg

who is most notably

known as an alumni

of Saturday Night

Live and the famous

web episodesLonely

Island.

Hot Rod tells the

storyofRodKimblea

self-proclaimed stuntman trying to raise

moneybycompleting

a jump over fteen

buses.Heisdoingthissohecangivehis

step-fatherahearttransplantsothathewill

then be able to ght him and gain his re-

spect.

Thisplotissomethingthatmirrorsthat

ofaWillFerrellmovie,withitsbrandof

comedyplayingonacertaintaste.

Thismoviewasafailureintheboxof-

ce, but I hope it will gain a cult status with

itsreleaseonDVD.

Hot Rodisthekindofmoviethatafter

youseeit,youllbequotingitforthenext

month. If you nd movies like

Anchorman and Talladega

Nights funny youll de-

antlyenjoythisone. What completes

thismoviehastobe

the soundtrack,

with epic

songs from

the80s.

T h e s e

songs reect

the style

behind the

story whichtakesajabat

most under-

dog stories

fromthe80ssuchasKarate KidandFoot-

loose.

ThisisagreatunderdogstorythatIhope

mostpeoplewilllike.Ifyouhaventheard

anythingaboutthismovieitshouldbeone

that you rent rst before you buy.

HotDVDrentalwithHot RodMegan MirelesStaff writer

HaydenChristensenandJessicaAlbastarinthefallthriller,Awake.

ChristensenismostknownforhisroleinStar Wars Episode IIand

III,whileAlbaroseinpopularityafterappearingintheFantasticFour

movies.

AwakeisaboutamannamedClay(HaydenChristensen),whoisin

needofahearttransplant.

Hemakes the fataldecisionof choosinghisfriend and doctor

(TerrenceHoward)todotheprocedure. DuringsurgeryitbecomesapparentthatClaywasntgivenenough

anesthetic. He nds himself awake, paralyzed, and aware of every-

thingthatsgoingonaroundhim.

Hecanfeelpain and hearthedoctors planningtoinjecthisnew

heartandkillhim.

The movie takes a surprising turn as Clay tries to nd a way to let

hismotherandhiswife(JessicaAlba)knowwhatisgoingonsothey

cansavehim.

Awake is lled with ashbacks that help Clay gure out why he be-

comesthevictimofsuchatwistedconspiracyandwhoallisinvolved

init. Themovieisfullofsuspenseandacertainjaw-droppingsurprise

thatmanyviewerswontevenseecoming.Itsaclassicraceagainst

timewiththeusualgoodguyvs.badguyplot.

Certainscenesintheoperatingroomwereprettydisgusting,butof

course,themaincharacterisgettingahearttransplantsodontbetoo

surprised.

Overall,themoviewasveryentertaining.Thecastwasgreatand

theplotcleverlyunfoldeditselfwhiletyingupallthelooseendsatthe

end.

Kennesha Wilson

Staff writer

Alicia Keys hasmadea bigtrans-

formation over time from her rst CD,Songs in A Minor, toherthird, As I

Am.

Keys rst single was a piano driven

balladFallinoff of her rst CD.

Fallin was a hit showing thatshe

notonlyhasabeautifulvoice,butthat

sheisalsoanincrediblepianoplayer.

Shemadeastatementwiththatsong,

showingthatteenswillalsolistento

music with vintage soul and a pain

appealingfeeltothelyricsandinstru-

ments.

Keys maturity and condence

showsinherambitiousthirdalbumAs

I Am.

As I Amfeatures14powerfultracks

thateachhaveadifferentfeel.

Her rst single on her latest album

wasNoOnewhichscreamsoutlove

anddevotiontoaman.Thissongwas

ahitandonethatyoucouldlistento

anywhere.

Keys has a motivational song for

womento keep on going and tonotgiveuponthemselves,theirchildren,

andtheirdreamswhichsheexplainsin

hersongSuperwoman.

Her second single off of her latest

albumisLikeyoullNeverSeeMe

Again,isahardhitting,andemotion-

alsong.

Keysvoiceispowerful,butsoftat

thesametime,whichleavesyouwant-

ingtohearmore.

AliciaKeysCD alsofeaturesJohn

Mayer on Lesson Learned which

talksaboutthingsthatyougothrough

inlifeandyouovercome.Italsotalks

abouthowyoulearnfromexperiences

withlyricslike:YesIvebeenburned,

butIcallitalessonlearned.

At26yearsoldKeysisdoingitall

onherownandinherownwaywhich

isagoodlookforthelisteners.

As I Amisawon-

derful CD that has

differenttopicsthat

will hit home foranynumberofpeo-

ple.

Fromwantingand

havinglove,dealing

with love lost, hav-

ing condence in

yourself, andliving

agoodlife,thisCD

hastheabilitytores-

onatewithanyone.

Even though it

took Keys a full

twoyearsto release

a third CD, when

shedidshetookour

breathaway.

Sheprovedthatartistswhohammer

outCDafterCDarejustinittomake

somefastmoneyandittakesatrueart-

isttotakethetimetheyneedtotruly

developanalbum.

As I Am is the best CD by Alicia

KeysIveheardyet,andIhopetheres

moretocome.

KeyshitstherightkeywithherjunioralbumAs I Am

Awakekeepsviewersup


8/8

Christmas Greetings


1

2

3

4

5

6

109

87

Across

Down

4. Merry _________ .

7. Brings presents to good boys andgirls.

9. They give light to see and made

of wax.

1. A sock flled with goodies on

christmas day.

2. Circular decoration often hung

on doors.

3. A red and white treat.

5. A gift.

6. The sound bells make.

8. Ice crystals.

10. A vehicle mounted on runners

and pulled by horses or dogs; for

transportation over snow.

Getting in the spirt with

a Christmaspuzzle!

Figure out what Christmas song goes with each picture.

Christmas Picture Puzzles

1 2

3 4

1.

WalkinginaWinterWonderland,2

.SantaClausiscomingtotown,

3.

ImDreamingofawhiteChristmas,4.

Isawthreeships

Twelve Days of BHS Christmas12th graders griping

11 Frozen pizzas

10 Shy-Annes a-leaping

9 screaming freshmen

8 students texting7 bells a-ringing

6 stressed out teachers

5 test a day

4 crowded lunches

3 ID fnes

2 school buildings

and a Lester in the hallways

volume 37 number 3

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