volume 39 number 2

8/6/2019 Volume 39 Number 2

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/volume-39-number-2 1/15

Courtney Y’Barbo

Staff writer

Band members attended All-Region try-outs on Satur-

day, December 5 at Midway High School in Waco.

The following students earned All-Region honors:

Wind Symphony

Catherine Miller - OboeManuel Arias - Clarinet

Joseph Heritage - Bass Clarinet

Steven Hering - Trumpet

Anne Wunneburger - French Horn

Joseph Haven - Trombone

Nathan Kerr - Tuba

Symphonic Band

Kristyn Stevener - Flute

Molly Wise - Clarinet

Morgan Gates - BassoonRachel Miller - French Horn

Concert Band

Jonathan Haven - Bassoon

Daniel Gusewelle - Alto Saxophone

Tristan Miranda-Sohrabji - Baritone Saxophone

Sally Clark - Trumpet

Servando Salinas - Trumpet

Catherine Miller, Manuel Arias, Joseph Heritage, Steven

Hering, Anne Wunneburger, Joseph Haven, Nathan Kerr,

Morgan Gates, Rachel Miller and Jonathan Haven will ad-

vance to Area try-outs on January 9.

If students advance from Area they will then advance to

the All-State competition.

NORSEMAN

Bryan High School December 2009Volume 39, Number 2

What’s Inside:•Student Life

Page 2

•Student battles cancerPage 3

•Dream JobsPage 4

•Students ice skate for PE creditPage 5

•Battle of the sexesPage 6

•Body modicationsPage 7

•Christmas ToysPage 8&9

•Santa Letters0&11

•EditorialsPage 12&13

•EntertainmentPage 14&15

•Merry ChristmasPage 16

Why are you smiling?

Casey Albright, 11

“Because I

have a wonder-

ful little sister

and it’s almost

Christmas.”

Bryan High takes on a new name John Fuller

Assistant editor

In a unanimous decision by the

school board, Bryan High School was

renamed Travis B. Bryan Jr. High

School on November 9.The name change was made to honor

Travis B. Bryan Jr., who founded the

Bryan ISD Education Foundation and

recently passed away in September.

Along with honoring a notable

Bryan resident, the name change re-

ects a Bryan ISD policy dictating

that schools, and school buildings, are

named after honorable Texans.

Students, and former students, were

concerned with the name change be-

cause they felt the identity of the

school was being altered.

“The name change was completely

uncalled for,” junior Natalie Hughes

said. “There were numerous other

ways that are much more acceptableto honor his dedication to the school

district.”

While the ofcial name of the school

has changed, Principal Diana Werner

said that many of the associations with

the school, such as the initials, mascot,

and cheers will not be changed.

“This does not change BHS Vi-

kings, Bryan Vikings, Go Big Blue,

and Go BHS! It does not change your

diplomas, T-shirts, letter jackets, etc,”

Werner said. “What it does is takes the

city name of Bryan [in Bryan High

School] and changes it to a person’s

name, Travis B. Bryan, Jr.”

These statements helped relieve the

anxiety and negative response initiallyfelt by the student body.

“While I still don’t support the name

change, I don’t think it is as bad as I

had originally thought,” senior Sa-

mantha Turney said. “Only because it

is not changing many of our traditions

and the name on my diploma.”

Sandy Farris, spokesperson for the

district, said that it would take some

time before the name on the building

would be changed.

Band members earn All-Region honors



- Student Life

Logan Kickham

Editor

Taylor EricksonStaff writer

Founded in 1954, Fellowship of

Christian Athletes (FCA) has been using

sports to gain access

into the spiritual

lives of young high

school athletes

across the country.

The local chapter

of FCA has been

active for manyyears and meets

Wednesday nights

at 8:03, generally in

the Field House.

FCA sponsors are

coaches Chris Biggs

and Allison Rack-

ley.

“Our goal is to get

kids out here whodon’t have a place

to seek a Christian

inuence,” Coach

Biggs said.

While the coaches

oversee each week’s

activities, student-ofcers are encour -

aged to step up and take on leadership

roles in the organization.

“We try to plan fun activities so that

everyone can come and have fun but we

want to make sure the songs and les-sons really focus on God,” senior Colton

Barnes said.

Each week, students plan a game, time

for worship, and a les-

son that incorporates

the issues teen athletes

face as they go through

high school.

“I love going,”

senior Kaylee Piatt

said. “I always knowwe’ll have fun and the

lessons will be good.”

FCA uses

athletics as a me-

dium to connect many

students to Christ,

who may not otherwise

be exposed to the faith.

“Even though

we get to have a goodtime with our friends

every week, our main

focus is always trying

to live a better life for

Christ,” senior Kylie

O’Connor said.

Ofcers and sponsors encourage all

students interested in FCA to come out

on Wednesday nights at 8:03.

John Fuller

Assistant Editor

Students at Carver Early Childhood

Center are lled with happier smiles,

with pictures to prove it, thanks to the

work of the Key Club.

As one of their service projects this

year, the Key Club, a high-school exten-

sion of the Kiwanis organization, visitedstudents to take pictures with Santa

Claus.

This project is one of many that the

Key Club takes on throughout the school

year, as they strive to teach leadership

through giving back to the community.

“When we do Day with Santa at Carv-

er, and you see those little kids smiling,

you feel good about what you’ve done,”

Ted Vaughn, Key Club sponsor, said.

“I just want everyone to feel a sense of

accomplishment and pride having given

just a few minutes for somebody else’s

life.”

Along with putting on the annual Day

with Santa,

Key Club also

has an annual

Thanksgiv-

ing event and participates

in numerous

fundraisers

and charity

events.

“I think campus-wide, and even

community-wide, we are recognized as

a go-to group.” Vaughn said.

“People now know that there is a

Bryan High Key Club and that they are

a reliable, helpful group,” Vaughn said.

While Key Club has been successful

in accomplishing many things within the

community, they said that they still have

further goals to tackle.

“We denitely

[want to]

place more

at conven-

tion, [have]a lot more

membership

and involve-

ment, and to

just show the

school who Key Club really is, “Key

Club secretary Brenda Guillen said.

One of the contributing factors to win-

ning awards at the Key Club convention

is the membership growth displayed by

the organization.

“This year may be the biggest. If

it’s not the biggest we’ve had, it’s the

second. We often start off the year with

a pretty good size club, and as other

demands of students increase, those

numbers get smaller,” Vaughn said.

“This year, we have not been losing

[members]. We’ve started out a pretty

decent size and we seem to be maintain-ing that, and I think that’s important

because with a more sustainable mem-

bership size, the more things that you

can accomplish and accomplish well. It

all adds up,” Vaughn said.

While membership has grown over the

past few years, the organization is still

looking for more members.

“[You] denitely need to join. It’s a

totally new learning experience. It’s lots

of fun, it pays off,” Guillen said.

Growing Key Club unlocks service and leadership

“I just want everyone to feel

a sense of accomplishment

and pride having given justa few minutes for somebody

else’s life” - Mr. Vaughn

Around the CampusExam ScheduleWednesday, December 16

3rd period EXAM 8:30 - 10:45

4th period EXAM 10:45 - 1:29

A Lunch 10:45 - 11:15

B Lunch 11:30 - 12:00

C Lunch 12:59 - 1:29


Thursday, December 17



Friday, December 182nd period EXAM 8:30 - 10:30

1st period EXAM 10:36 - 12:36

YearbooksRemember to purchase your 2010

yearbook!

You can purchase them over the

phone, in person or on-line.

To purchase with a credit card, please

contact Smart Pay at 1-800-853-1337 or online at www.smart-pay.com.

Books are $65 now, but will increase

to $75 if you choose to purchase an ex-

tra book after they come in.

This year additional items are also

available: plastic protective covers - $5,

nameplates - $6, and up to two personal-

ized icons on the nameplate - $6 each.

If you have any questions please con-

tact Rebecca Dominy, journalism advis-

er in room 6160 or call at 209-2580 or

by e-mail at [email protected].

UIL Invitational WinnersOn November 21, the UIL team com-

peted in the Bryan UIL Invitational. The

following students earned awards at the

meet:

Sophomore John Fuller: 1st Place

Current Issues and Events, 1st Place

Headline Writing, 2nd Place Editorial

Writing, 4th Place News Writing, 5th

Place Feature WritingSenior Logan Kickham- 4th Place Ed-

itorial Writing, 6th Place News Writing

Junior Catherine Miller- 5th Place So-

cial Studies

Senior Clint Lanham- 6th Place Com-

puter Applications

The journalism team (Fuller, Kick-

ham and sophomore Jamie Berthold) -

2nd Place Team

College Days In order for juniors and seniors

to take an ofcial college day, they

must follow the proper procedure.The paperwork must be completed

and returned to Mrs. Waller’s ofce

three days before the scheduled visit,

and documentation must be turned in

within three days after your visit.

FCA: Full of Fun and Fellowship

Seniors Logan Kickham and Sally

Clark dress up as their favorite

bible characters at the FCA Hal-

loween party.



- In-DepthA true test of faith: student battles cancer

Jamie Berthold

Staff writer

“Life isn’t about the number of breaths

you take, but by the number of moments

that take your breath away.”

For junior Garrett Maliska, this quote

represents his new outlook on life.

This new view of life for Garrett be-

gan in March of 2008, when he was rst

diagnosed with spinal cord glioblastoma

cancer, which is a malicious tumor that

attacks the central nervous system.

However Garrett was able to overcome

and beat the cancer once, only to have it

return this year.

Although he says that he felt, “angry

and overwhelmed” after learning that he

was no longer in remission, he soon ad-

opted a new philosophy for living; “don’t

take anything for granted, and live life to

the fullest.”

For the Maliska family, their concernswere heightened again with the resurfac-

ing of Garrett’s cancer.

“[We were] devastated and concerned

about how Garrett would deal with this

again,” Garrett’s mother, Leisa Maliska,

said.

The Maliska family has dealt withcancer in the past, as Garrett’s aunt and

grandmother were both diagnosed with

cancer.

Currently, Garrett travels two hours to

Houston every other week to undergo

chemotherapy treatments, and partici-

pates in physical therapy three times a

week.

“[I feel] nauseated on treatment days

and am usually in bed all day,” Garrett

said. “Days I don’t have to be in the hos-

pital are good days.”

On those good days, Garrett looks for-

ward to going out with his friends when

he feels up to it.

However Garrett says that friends and

family, as well as ‘knowing that the can-

cer is only temporary and God is in con-

trol” are able to help him get through the

tough days.

Due to the rigorous nature of his treat-ment, Garrett completes his schoolwork

from home. Naturally, Garrett says he

misses his friends but he is not ready to

come back to school just yet.

As a student, Garrett participates in the

golf program, where he earned a spot on

the varsity team as a freshman.One of his fondest memories of golf

is, “when we won our rst tournament

as a team in February before I was diag-

nosed,” Garrett said.

Garrett continues to battle the cancer

while keeping his faith and friends by his

side.

Garrett says that his ex-

periences with can-

cer, and in particular, re-learning how to

walk, have helped to renew his faith in

God, and has helped him learn to never give up.

He also says that he feels very hum-

bled by the support of all his classmates

the T-shirts they made last year, as well

as the bracelets that were sold this year

during ‘Pink Out’.

Cancer is not something that just a few people deal

with. Unfortunately, it touches the lives of many.

From our survey of two hundred students, we found

that seventy-nine percent know someone with can-

cer, or have had cancer touch their lives in one way

or another.

This large percentage demonstrates just how many

students, and people, have to deal with the effects of

cancer.

“Cancer has helped

me learn to cherish

time with family, after

my grandpa and aunt

passed away from

cancer.”

TJ Harvey, 10

“Cancer has affected

my whole family be-

cause my aunt has reoc-

curring skin cancer, and

the doctor gave her a

year to live, but she has

lived six years with it.”

JR Wallace, 11

“It has affected my life with the loss of my mother. She died of cancer, as

well as many close friends that I have with me that are ghting cancer or

have lost their battle with cancer. One thing I’ve learned by being associ-

ated with individuals that have cancer is that it’s not how long you live your

life, but how you live your life and I believe that is one thing that those of

us who are able to be healthy need to learn and live life to its fullest.”

Maria Field

Faculty member

How has cancer touched your life?



WHAT IS YOUR DREAM JOB? - In-Depth

John Fuller Assistant editor

Diego Puentes and Deanna Jimenez

Staff writers

In many respects, high school is the

time in which students discover their in-

terests and begin planning and prepar-

ing for their futures.

Unfortunately, tunnel vision comes

into play for most students who are

looking to pursue their interests. Many

have a perception that it is only possible

to pursue one type of job in a specic

eld of work.In the case of the animation, fashion,

and athletic industries, it takes more

than just the stereotypical animators,

fashion designers, and athletes to make

each of these businesses work. It takes

many people, of varying expertise to

pull off an animated movie, fashion

show, or sports game.

While these industries are great ex-

amples of how a variety of professional

skills and interests are needed within a

eld of work, almost every industry can

have the same methodology applied toit.

When planning for the future, be sure

to consider all of your skills and inter-

ests, then nd the career that is for you.

An important aspect to planning for

your desired career path is research-

ing how to get started working towards

your professional goals.

Consider whether or not you should

seek out secondary education, and how

to prepare for your future career now.

AthleticsAnimationFashionD O Y O U W A N T A J O B I N . . .

If you want to work in the fashion

industry, but aren’t skilled as a de-

signer or model, don’t stress.

The fashion industry is made up of many other job types, such as ac-

countants, secretaries, journalists,

photographers, sales clerks, press

representatives, lawyers, and market-

ing specialists, assistants and seam-

stresses.

Fashion is a multi-billion dollar en-

terprise in which it takes people of all

types to produce a successful fashion

line, store, or show.

Breaking into the professional arena

of sports doesn’t require you to be a

world-class athlete.

In fact, the sports industry requiresagents, managers, coaches, announc-

ers, landscapers, marketing specialists,

public relations ofcials, clothing and

graphic designers, physical therapists,

athletic trainers, as well as reporters,

writers, photographers, and assistants.

Combining your professional skills

with your interest in sports is a superb

way to guarantee not only an enjoyable

career, but a successful one as well.

Animated movies, or cartoons, are

huge forms of entertainment around

the world. To produce a movie for a

company like DreamWorks Anima-tion, it takes more than just artists and

animators.

It takes a team of marketing special-

ists, programmers, web developers,

designers, mathematicians, engineers,

cinematographers, lawyers, writers,

secretaries, directors, lighting special-

ists, human resources representatives,

and more to create just one feature-

length animated movie.

What industry do you want to work in?

Becoming a NurseAfter polling the

student body, we

found nursing to be

a popularly desired

career path. We decided

to take you through

the steps of be-

coming a nurse,

which you

can apply to

your own job

aspirations.

Salary

Don’t forget to consider if your job will

be able to support your lifestyle. Accord-ing to AllNursingSchools.com, the aver-

age RN in Texas makes about $25.95/hr.

EducationBecoming a nurse means continuing

your education in a nursing school or

nursing education program.

One nursing education route consistsof obtaining an associate’s degree, which

can take from two to three years to com-

plete, however bachelor’s degrees that

require two years of schooling are also

available.

While a nursing

degree is great, if youcan’t nd a job in nurs-

ing, that education went

to waste.

Fortunately, the

nursing eld is rapidly

expanding with the baby

boomer generation now

heading into retirement,

and with the expansion of the

healthcare eld.

Opportunity“Baseball Coach”

Justin Sides, 12

“Detective”

Mallory Gohering,

12

“Psychologist”

Megan Bork, 12

“Professional

Fisherman”

Joseph Marino,

12

The chart above shows the results

of a school wide survey, based on

the question, “What industry do you

want to work in?”

WHAT’S YOUR DREAM JOB?



InDepth -

Logan Kickham

Editor

Waking up at 5:00 AM doesn’t sound ideal

for most high school students, but getting an en-

tire workout done before the crack of dawn has

become merely routine for sophomore Heather

Jobling and freshman Emma Raleigh. Both have

been members of the Brazos Valley Figure Skat-

ing Club for over four years.

“I had a birthday party there, because it was newand I just stuck with it,” Jobling said.

Raleigh also began when Arctic Wolf opened.

“I actually started when I was with a big group,”

Raleigh said.

The Brazos Valley Figure Skating Club is com-

prised of members of varying ages.

“Most of them are younger, like sixth or seventh

grade,” Jobling said.

The girls practice every day, which allows

them to satisfy their athletic requirements for the

school.

“I practice 15 hours a week so I can get my P.E.

credit,” Jobling said.

However, practicing generally consists of more

than 15 hours a week.

“Usually I’ll go twice a week before school and

have a lesson with the coach, and then I go af-

ter school for an hour or two and then I’ll have a

class,” Raleigh said.The long hours of training come with a lot of

time spent with coaches, so a positive relationship

is essential.

“I have two [coaches], one is kind of strict, but

she always knows what’s best for me,” Raleigh

said.

Although practices occur almost daily, competi-

tions don’t come around quite as frequently.

“[The number of competitions] just depends,”

Jobling said. “They’re usually like two or three

times a year but the national showcase had four.”

As unconventional as ice skating in Texas may

sound, the girls have done exceptionally well on

the skating circuit.

Last summer, Jobling competed in the national

competition.

“I got second out of eleven,” Jobling said. “It

was a learning experience.”

Raleigh has also experienced multiple levels of

success.“I have won lots of medals and ribbons, [but] it’s

not like I get second or third place every time; it’s

always different,” Raleigh said.

With a great deal of time spent on the ice, both

girls have made a number of sacrices when it

comes to being a typical teenager.

“A lot of friends have

parties and I can’t

go,” Jobling said. “At

Homecoming, everyone spent the

night and I couldn’t do that because I had to

skate the next morning.”

Even though they have missed out on some

activities, Raleigh and Jobling have found

certain aspects of the sport to be especially

enjoyable.

“I like choreographing routines and just

practicing,” Raleigh said.

Jobling, however, nds that her favorite part about skating is something that any

fteen-year-old girl would enjoy – the

clothes.

“I like all of the outts, and just being

able to dress up,” Jobling said.

While both girls intend for skating to

remain a part of their lives in the future,

Jobling’s goals are more immediate, while

Raleigh is focusing further down the line.

“I’d like to move up in levels,” Jobling

said.

Raleigh has set her sights on a career in gure

skating.

“I want to keep going with it, and I want to even-

tually become a coach,” Raleigh said.

Regardless of the sacrice of many weekends,

and much time spent practicing, the girls have a

strong support system.

Jobling says she has her parents pushing her,

which is a good thing, and beyond that, her friendsdrive her “because we’re all moving up together

and they make me work harder.”

Despite all of their accomplishments up to this

point, Raleigh and Jobling know they aren’t done.

“I don’t think you can be completely

accomplished, but maybe when I’m

older and I know that I have done the

best I can,” Raleigh said.



Logan Kickham

Editor

Kylie O’Connor, Jamie Berthold and Taylor Erickson

Staff writers

Yes, being a girl does have its advantages. We get to be as emotional as we want. If

we’re in a movie and we feel like crying, it’s totally acceptable to whip out a box of

Kleenex. If we are just having a bad day, and the littlest thing set us off, it is OK,

and nobody thinks anything of it.

We get to enjoy being spoiled. Our parents generally hand us

money before we go out, even though most of the time the guys have

to pay for us, and most of the time our parents will just buy us thethings we want.

We mature quicker than guys, but guys, by far, have the better end

of the deal.

Let’s just start with the obvious: guys can’t get preg-

nant and they don’t have to deal with major mood

swings every month.

For the most part, we’re more responsible, which

should allow us to have more freedom, but for

any girl that has a brother, older or younger, we

know this is not the case. Whenthereisconict,guysjustghtand

get over it, but girls hold grudges and drag it

out until they’ve successfully managed to make

the other girl have no friends whatsoever.

Guys can talk to multiple girls at once and it is

totally acceptable, while girls that talk to more than

one guy are looked down upon and talked about by

their peers.

Thismayseeminsignicant,butguysalsohavedeeppockets;whichallowthemto

carry everything they need comfortably, while we have to carry around a purse and

generally have to carry something of theirs.While girls dress to impress, guys have the advantage of waking up, and throwing

oncomfortableclothes,whilestilllookingne.Girlsontheotherhandareexpectedto

dress up, despite the fact that our clothes are much less comfortable. This may not be

a huge deal in other places, but in Texas, when guys get hot during a workout, it’s ac-

ceptable to take off their shirts in order to cool down, and girls are left burning up and

trying not to let guys see them sweat.

Perhaps the greatest thing about being a guy is the fact that using public restrooms

does not require them to sit on a toilet that hundreds of people have used. This also

means that they don’t have to use crunchy toilet paper, which is a daily reminder of

why being a girl stinks!

John Fuller

Assistant editor

Diego Puntes and Fabian Guererro

Staff writers

Fora‘BattleoftheSexes’,wedoagreeononething–beingaguydenitely

has it’s advantages.

To start off with, guys don’t have to deal with the hormonal issues that girls

do, or have to carry a child for nine months and give birth. Pregnancy isn’t

easy, and we’re just glad we don’t have to deal with that.

Guys also don’t have the social consequences girls have – we can dress

more comfortably in public, and don’t have the double-standards thatgirls have when it comes to relationships. We also tend to have more

freedoms and even get paid better in the workplace.

Historically, men have had the better roles in society, although

girlsdenitelyhavesomethingsworkingtotheiradvantage.For

instance, girls can get out of tickets and get into clubs for free by

irtingordressingupwell.Youdon’tseeguyscryingtocopsand

getting off without a ticket.

Being a girl also holds many other advantages. For in-

stance, when a guy is breaking out with pimples on their face

they cant cover it up, but girls can cover those blemishes up by wearing make-up.

Everyone is usually stricter with guys and ex-

pects more of them, but people are more fond of letting

girls off easier with no serious consequences. When it

comes down to disciplining guys, we will usually suf-

fer some type of consequences.

Girls get to let their feelings out when they

want to, but when it comes to guys, we can’t let our emo-

tions out because that will make us look ‘weak’.

In most relationships, guys are expected to pay for the girl, while girls get to

save their money.A lot of times, girls will even use the excuse of being hormonal as a way to

get out of having to do things, or to be rude. Guys don’t get cut the same slack

when it comes to these issues.

Some people think being born a guy means you are born with the ability and

knowledgetoxthingsaroundthehouse,changetires,andalmostanything

else that needs doing. Well, we certainly didn’t come out the womb with that

knowledge.

Whenitcomesdowntoit,girlsdenitelyhavesomethingsgoingforthem

that make life a little easier, but it’s not like we can complain. Being a guy has

some awesome perks in today’s society too.

- Editorials

BATTLESEXESof the Round 2: Girls vs. Guys, who’s better



Commentary -

Ruth Dearman

Guest writer

What would a person think of my character, my passions, and

my goals for life from my ap-

pearance?

One might think of me as a

rebel, irresponsible, and as an

outcast because of my body

modications.

On the inside though, I am

actually an independent, smart,

and extremely goal-orientedyoung woman with a good head

on my shoulders.

From the view of most mem-

bers of society, tattooing and

body piercing is disturbing, and

it doesn’t make sense.

It’s out of the comfort zone,

maybe a little weird, and for the

generations before mine, seen as

something that is dark and even

scary.But for me, my body modi-

cation is an important part of my

life and my modern culture, and

it is a beautiful way of express-

ing who I am.To some, body modiers, in-

cluding myself, body and facial

piercing, tattoos, hair dying,

body implants, plastic surgery,

and body suspension is a spiri-

tual ritual that helps us become

more aware of who we are on

the outside as well as on the in-

side.

When I can’t get a job because

of my “mods”, I feel scorned.I feel as though the business

world doesn’t see me as profes-

sional simply because I do not

conform to society’s standards

of who I should be from an out-

side appearance.

When I have to take my pierc-

ing out for school, I feel like I’m

taking away an important part

of my body that I love and takecare of. It’s not just a fashion

sense, it’s a way of life.

In my junior year of high

school, I worked in the drive-

thru at a local fast food place.

One day, I opened the drive-

thru window to greet the cus-

tomer with a smile and a friend-

ly, “how are you doing today?”

I was greeted back with a wide

open mouth and a blank stare ashe handed me his credit card.

I closed the window, bafed

and confused only to look up

from my cash register to see

him and his children staring atme and pointing.

I opened the window again to

hand him his drink and to return

his credit card.

Before I could speak

to him, he had a play-

ful smirk on his face and

began to taunt me about

my gauged ears.

He wanted to know

why there was a hugehole in my ear, why I

would ever consider do-

ing such a thing.

To him it looked pain-

ful, and probably really stupid.

I wish I could have made

him understand, I knew that no

amount of explaining what it

was about and what it meant to

me would change his mind onwhat he thought about my ears,

and his opinion of who I was as

person from them.

He judged me by my outward

appearance, from something

that is important to me.

In my opinion, it was discrim-

ination just as hurtful as racism

and religious discrimination.

It’s something that I truly be-

lieve is acceptable and an important part of me.

According to a Harris Poll

taken in 2003, 15% of Ameri-

cans had a tattoo, which means

about 40 million people.That is forty million people

that could possibly have not re-

ceived a job because of a visible

tattoo, or if they did actually get

the job, they would probably be

forced to cover the tattoo during

work hours.

Wouldn’t it seem that after so

many years of body art, and after it has become such a widespread

phenomenon, it would be more

socially acceptable?

What boundaries dene pro-

fessionalism?

One hundred years ago, wom-

en couldn’t even wear pants.

Now, in today’s society, profes-

sional women wear slim tting

clothes and even dress suits like

men.It makes one wonder how

long it will be before tattoos and

body piercing are socially ac-

ceptable in a school or work en-

vironment, or even just around peers.

I am a responsible individual,

and I want to go to a good col-

lege and lead a life as a

law abiding and upstand-

ing citizen.

My body modication

doesn’t show bad charac-

ter, in fact, it shows that

I actually have character

and originality.It helps showcase my

creativity and my fun

personality.

I am a good person, and

so are most people who have

“mods”.

I want to strive to help society

see me for me, and accept me for

not only who I am on the out-

side, but help people understandhow it makes me as a person on

the inside. My “mods” make me

feel condent and beautiful, and

they help me express myself.

Millions of Americans are

screaming to be heard, to prove

ourselves, and to just be able to

do what we want with our bod-

ies.

We may not be normal, we

may be outside the box, but wematter, and so does our voice.

Logan Kickham

Editor

To all of you who are whining about facial peicings

and obnoxious hair colors not being allowed in school,

listen up: “Get over it!”

Schools exist to serve one purpose, and that’s to edu-

cate kids. This isn’t merely about educating students in

math or history.

The school sytem is a process of assimlating youth to

abide by the standards of American society. This being

said, there is an expectation of professionalism in the

real world.

Piercings and bright hair colors are simply not pro-

fessional. They won’t be accepted at most jobs, so it is

completely absurd to expect the schools to allow some-

thing that will be denied later in life.

Employers want employees who represent their com-

pany in a good light.

What is good and bad is determined by society, so

if tattoos, piercings, and crazy hair, is deemed unprof-

fesional, most employers won’t hire you.

This is just a part of life. Sometimes we must comply

with standards that we don’t agree with.

If you don’t like it, then you have the choice to sit at

home and complain about how unfair the world is and

not have a job.

Some students say that this is discrimination. I’m

sorry, but discrimination is being arrested, or not being

able to vote based on race, ethnicity, or gender.

Groups that are discriminated against were born into

these realms.

Dying your hair or punching holes into your face is a

choice, so stop complaining about being discrimnated

against for something you chose to do, knowing that it

is not accepted in society.

I hate to be the one to inform you, but people make

judgements based on outward appearances.

While you may not agree with this, it is a fact of life

and sometimes we must respond to society’s standards

in order to get by.

I understand that some people may want to “express

themselves,” and that’s ne, but be aware of the fact

that people may “express” their disapproval.

All of the students who are in favor of this have an

expectation that society should change their standards

to t what they want.

The problem with this is that nobody expects to have

to change their standards to t what society wants.

It’s really this simple: If you have an expectation of

society why do you think it is wrong for society to have

an expectation of you?

“I want to strive to help

society see me for me, and

accept me for not only who

I am on the inside, but help

them understand how itmakes me a person

on the inside..”

Get real: maintain professionalism in school environment

Modifying society: tattoos, gauges, and standards



- Christmas List Suggestions Check it Twice- Page 9Samsung Solstice

It’s beginning to look a lot likeChristmas, and this year my list is

pretty short.I have almost everything I want al-

ready besides a cool new phone fromAT&T. No, it’s not the iPhone, it’s the

new Samsung Solstice.

This phone is inthe lower price

range comparedto most phones

of its caliber.

Not, only doesit come cheaper

than the iPhone,it also has some ad-

vantages over its competitor.It has a 3 inch touch screen with

motion control.

The screen also has a vibrationresponse to touch and accelerometer

and a virtual landscape keyboard.Besides the screen, the camera is

pretty amazing; using a 2.0-mega-

pixel camera. Not only can you capture still pho-

tos, but this phone has the ability torecord video as well.

It has a 3X digital zoom, the abilityto do mutli-shots, use a self timer,

and adjust brightness levels.The Solstice also comes with a built

in music player, helping it stay com- petitive with the Apple iPhone.

This phone also offers many

applications and online capa- bilities like other smart

phones.

Chevrolet Camaro

Wrapping up and placing a Camaro

under the family Christmas tree maynot be an easy task, but driving off in

one on Christmas morning is the giftof a lifetime.

After being faced with bankruptcy,GM revitalized the Chevrolet Camaro

in what is one of the hottest cars of

2010. Available in three main models,the fth-generation Camaro is a retro

throwback with modern convenience.M o v i e fans will recognize

the 2010 Ca ma ro

as one

of the stars of the Michael Bay sum-

mer blockbuster franchise, Transform-

ers. After making its way onto the bigscreen, it quickly made its way to car

lover’s hearts, as it garnered a three-and-a-half star rating from CNET.

The new Camaro follows a distincttrend in the car market, as both Dodge

and Ford revived their signature “po-

ny-cars” with a sleek, classic look in both the Mustang and Challenger.

Starting at $22,680, the new 2010Chevrolet Camaro

is a great way

to brighten andspeed up some-

o n e ’ sholiday

season.

Flying Alarm Clock $24.99 at ThinkGeek.com.

For the average college student, sleep

is a precious commodity, and withoutmom there to wake us up, the snooze but-

ton can be detrimental.

ThinkGeek.com has developed the Fly-ing Alarm Clock to solve this oh-so common

dilemma.The Flying Alarm Clock shoots off

a propeller around the room that is

accompanied by a loud shriekingnoise.

The noise doesn’t stop until youhave retrieved the propeller and

returned it to its base.Problem solved: the snooze

button is no longer an issue.

Cold Hard Cash

A lot of people like winter

because its Christmas time.

I remember as a kid I

would always make a list of

the things I want, but as I

grew up I became a lot less picky

and took anything I got, but for this Christmas I want

Money!

Items these days are expensive. With money you

can buy anything you want.

Having cash in your pocket is a really good thing,

especially when you see something you like, youcan buy it right then.

To survive in this world you need money.

Money is a great gift for Christmas

because it allows a person more

exibility to purchase the things

they really want.

I mean how many times has a

great aunt or some other distant

relative given you a present that

you had absolutely no interest in.

Getting money for Christmas is

like getting everything you want in

one item.

It helps reduce the stress of the

person giving you the gift and it gives

you a change to choose what you end

up getting for Christmas.

It’s really a win-win situation that

everyone will enjoy.

Powermat

As Christmas time approaches, thoughts of excitement run through my mind as I wonder of what

I should ask for this year. If I could nd a useful item that

will save me time, I would have found would be the perfect

Christmas gift for me. Now, there is a new invention out that is called the Power-

mat, which allows you to wirelessly charge up to three devices

all at once.Instead of using wires, the Powermat utilizes case-like receivers for

each item. After putting on the receiver, simply place the device on thePowermat, and it will charge away.

The powermat comes in two formats - the home and ofce edition, which

is at and thin, and then the portable, which is designed for

travel and folds up into a cube.

Master Spy Echo Bot Voice Messenger

$14.99 x-tremeGeek.com.

This new take on messages allows you to

record a message for your roommate withoutsearching high and low for a pen and paper.

The on-the-go student just has to record a message andwhen roommates approach, the built in motion detector

plays the message back for the roommate.

This new gadget allows you to keep up with room-mates even when you don’t have the time to see

them in person.

PBteen Smart Charging Station$79 pbteen.com.

It’s cute. It’s simple. It’s practical. PBteen has introduced itsSmart Charging Station for the pocket-stuffed-

gadget geek.

While the charging stationis a little costly, it doesn’t

take up much space and youwon’t have to worry about

ghting with your roommate

over the one outlet in your

room.

Hogwild RoboVacum Desktop Vacuum$14.95 x-tremeGeek.com.

While space in a dorm room is limited and messesare frequent, this tiny Robot Vacuum sucks up any

crumbs lying around on desk tops with a push of a but-ton before mom and dad stop by for a visit.

Barbie Doll’d Up Nails B-Nails Digital Nail PrinterThis printer retails under $150, which may be a little pricey, butit allows you to create, customize, and print designs on your nails

from home without spending tons of money at the nail salon.

The printer comes with software that has over 1000 designs preloaded with the option to add your own designs or pictures.

The printer plugs right into your computer using the software thatcomes with in the box.

You just have to put your ngernail into the printer and line it up us-ing the controls. The printer contains a little camera inside that shows your

nail on the screen. You then take a picture of your nail then you get to pick which design you

would like on the nail.

Just like that you have a fantastic one-of-a-kind manicure. With this product, there will be no more $30 trips to the nail salon!

Wowwee™ Cinemin Swivel™ $299 Shaper Image.

This portable projector instantly transforms any

surface into a theatre. It can connect to personalmedia players such as the iPhone and the

image comes out crisp from over eightfeet away.

The product includes a paddedtravel case, a rechargeable

battery and AC power

adapter with four inter-

changeable international plugs.



Page 10 - Santa LettersD e a r S a nt a , I ’ v e b e e n a

v e r y g o o d g i r l a nd ha v e a s k e d f o r t he s a me t hi n g e a c h y e a r . O ne mo r e y e a r c o u l d n’ t hu r t ! P l e a s e l e a v e S hi a L a B e o u f u nd e r m y t r e e w i t h a b i g r e d b o w ! M e r r y

C hr i s t ma s .

L o v e , K a t y L u t z

Dear Santa, I miss you! It’s been a whole year

since you’ve dropped by! I left you some

sugar cookies and chocolate milk, ignore the carrots, mom made me do it. I was just wondering if you could get me an earlyrelease copy of the Twilight Saga: New Moon movie?! I really really really want that movie!

Taylor Lautner is soooo hot. Well ok Santa, It’s getting close to bed time and I still have to clean my easy bake oven.

Miss you!!Brittany Fonville

P.S. wake me up this year!

D e a r S a n t a ,

I w o n ’ t a s k f o r

a n y p a r t i c u -

l a r p r e s e n t t h i

s y e a r f r o m y o

u .

A l l I a s k i s t h a

t y o u s t o p

r u n n i ng g

r a n d m a o v e r w

i t h

t h e r e i n d e e r o n C h r i s t

m a s e v e .

E v e n t h o ug h i t

w a s f u n n y t h e

r s t f e w t i m e s ,

I d o n ’ t t h i n k

s h e

l i k e s s p e n d i ng

C h r i s t m a s

h o s p i t a l i z e d .

I ’ m s u r e s h e w

i l l

a p p r e c i a t e i t !

Y o u r f r

i e n d ,

S i e r r a : )

D e a r S a n t a ,

I t ’ s m e , a g a i n . I h a v e n ’ t s e e n y o u i n a . . . w e l l ,

I ’ v e n e v e r s e e n y o u b e f o r e . H o w ’ s t h e N o r t h

P o l e ? I h e a r d i t w a s k i n d o f c o l d t h e r e . H o p e

t h e r e i n d e e r a r e d o i n g o k a y , a n d t h e e l v e s a r e

h a v i n g f u n w o r k i n g o n a n d w r a p p i n g p r e s e n t s .

W e l l I ’ m w r i t i n g t h i s j u s t t o s e e h o w y o u a r e

a n d t o a s k f o r a f e w g i f t s t h i s y e a r . I w o u l d

l i k e i t i f y o u c o u l d g e t m e a c a r t h i s C h r i s t m a s

t h a t I c o u l d u s e t o t r a v e l b a c k a n d f o r t h t o

s c h o o l w i t h . I w o u l d a p p r e c i a t e i t i f y o u c o u l d

h e l p m e o u t b y g e t t i n g t h i s g i f t .

T h a n k y o u s o m u c h ,

M i c h a e l P e r k i n s

D e a r S a

n t a,

Y o u a r e

m y h e r o !

Y o u a l w a y s k n o

w e x a c t l y

w h a t I

w a n t w i t h

o u t m e e v e

n t e l l i n g

y o u. T h i s y e a

r f o r C h r

i s t -

m a s I w o

u l d l i k e t o g

e t a D r a

g o n ! I k n o w i t ’ s

a l i t t l e

o v e r t h e

t o p b u t I

k n o w y o u

c a n p u l l

s o m e s t r i

n g s a n d

g e t m e o n e

. S i n c e t h e

d r a g o n i

s s o e x t r

e m e, I a m

m a k i n g

t h a t m y o

n l y r e q u e

s t t h i s y e

a r. H o p e f

u l l y y o u

c a n m a k e

m y w i s h c o m e

t r u e. H o t

c o o k i e s a

n d m i l k w i l

l b e w a i

t i n g

f o r y o u i

n t h e l i v i n g r

o o m.

L o v e A l w a y s &

F o r e v e r

,

R a n d a M . W e i d o



Every year, as the Christmas holidays

approach us, it seems that joy is conta-

gious, and people around the country can’t

help but be in merry spirits. Christmas is

most often a time of peace; however the

Christmas holidays always cause confron-

tation among some people in this country.

For the past few years an innocent greet-

ing of “Merry Christmas” has become anoffensive statement to some people of

other religions and beliefs. However, if

someone walked up to me and told me

“Happy Hanukkah,” I would not nd that

offensive in any way. Just because I don’t

celebrate Hanukkah doesn’t mean I would

be offended by people who wish to cel-

ebrate Hanukkah freely.

The United States, as a whole, has al-

ways been tolerant of other religions and

people with different beliefs, so why is

the religion our country was originally

founded on, not being tolerated? It makesno sense for saying Merry Christmas to be

seen as “socially unacceptable” or “politi-

cally incorrect”.

Religious tolerance goes all the way

back to Colonial times. People from

around the world came

to America long ago to

seek freedom from re-

ligious persecution in

their own homelands,

and they still continueto do that today.

The United States was at that time and

still today very tolerant of different reli-

gions. Although I disagree with the beliefs

of other religions, I never judge someone

else based on what they believe; just as

I hope I will never be judged because of

what I believe or what I was raised to be-

lieve.

Seeing how our country was foundedon Christian principles, I see no reason

for Merry Christmas to be an offensive

statement. I say Merry Christmas as a nice

gesture or friendly greeting. Never do I

say Merry Christmas as a way to force my

Christian beliefs on others who may be-

lieve differently. Just as I would not be

offended by someone telling me “Happy

Hanukkah,” others should not be offended

when I wish them a Merry Christmas.

The new movie 2012 that came into

theaters on November 13 got me think-

ing about all of the ridiculous rumors

and talk about the world supposedly

ending in the year 2012. It’s all a lie if

you ask me.

The Mayan calendar ends on that

date, and people are getting the im-

pression that the world will be end-

ing. True, the Mayans have predicted

things that have come to pass before,

but then again how many other things

have the Mayans predicted that never

happened?

But wait, that’s not all of the crazy

theories about why the world will just

disintegrate. Even the most religious of

people are starting to pray a little harder.

Some even go as far as to say that

President Obama is the Anti-Christ and

even compare him to Hitler, saying that

he is going to brainwash the world and

kill us all at the end of his term in 2012.

People actually believe these crazy ac-

cusations!

The world is not going to end in 2012!

The idea

is ridicu-

lous.

Some

p e o p l e

are put-ting the

l u d i -

crous theories together and fully be-

lieve that the world will just blow up or

something.

None of this has proven true. Just

because their calendar ended doesn’t

mean that we’re all dying. The Ma-

yans had to stop sometime. I mean after

hundreds of years of counting, I think

anyone would get tired of making cal-

enders, and stop.

Just to inform those of you who be-

lieve everything you hear, and are plan-

ning on just doing whatever because

you think you only have a couple years

left, you’re wrong.

This is has been hyped up to the point

that people are going crazy. See you all

in 2013!

Page 12 - Editorials

Courtney Y’Barbo,

Staff Writer

Taylor Erickson,

Staff writer

See you in 2013! We wish you a wha-?

Really? I thought senior year was going to be so easy.

By taking only ve classes and only two of them being

core classes, you’d wonder, “how hard can it really be?”

So far it has not been any easier than any other year – or

at least not for me.

By taking AP English and Blinn Government this se-

mester, I have homework every night.

Not just like fteen minutes of homework but more

than two hours per night.

Plus, I go to Houston every Tuesday and Thursday for

soccer practice, so it makes it difcult to get everything

done, especially because I get car sick after reading for

a while. I also have games every Sunday.I really have to manage my time well to make sure I

get everything done.

I came into this year thinking that I would not have any

homework and it would go by so fast. It has gone pretty

fast, but I have so much homework its crazy.

From what everyone told me, I was expecting to just

have a lot of fun with all my friends before everyone

goes off to college next year.

They were wrong. I mean I still have fun with my

friends, but I am super busy with school work, soccer

and getting ready for college.

Dealing with deciding what college to go to on top of

school work and just being a senior; not wanting to do

any work, teachers should take all that into consider-

ation when assigning piles of homework.

I would also like to play soccer in college, so nding

a school that I like and can see myself going to and hav-

ing the possibility to play soccer is challenging.

I’m hoping that this year goes fast and that less work will be assigned or that my homework workload will

lessen.

Since everyone is going to different places next year,

we all need to make the best out of the time we still have

together.

Senior year really is not as easy as everyone made it

out to be. With deciding what college to attend and what

to do with life, I still don’t know what I want to do or

study in college or even where I want to go for that mat-

ter.

Kylie O’Connor,Staff Writer

The rough life: misconceptions of being a senior



Page 13 - Editorials

In 2007, Apple made

waves in the cell phone industry by introducing a prod-

uct that not only looked sleek, but was also functional

and intuitive.

A year later, Apple introduced a key new feature to

the iPhone - the ability to download and run third-party

software.

That, along with new and cheaper hardware, sparked

a new growth for the iPhone, further propelling it into

the limelight as the top cell phone on the market.

Now, this position is being challenged on all fronts,

whether it be by the Palm Pre, or more recently, the Mo-

torola Droid.

The Pre uses a new operating system, known as We-

bOS, and the Droid uses Google’s new mobile phone

operating system - Android. Both of these have been

dubbed ‘iPhone killers’ and tech pundits are jumping

on the Android bandwagon, predicting that it will soon

surpass the iPhone in popularity.

What fuels the passion behind both of these

new ‘smart-phones’? For one, both are marketed as

capable of doing the things that the iPhone can’t;

whether it be multi-tasking, having a physical key-

board, or being able to exchange batteries on-the-go.

Yet, the iPhone’s biggest fault isn’t the strength of it’s

competition, while both the Pre and the Droid are for-

midable opponents, the iPhone is hindered by it’s larg-

est asset - the app store.

While the app store is ground breaking and its’ capa-

bilities vast, many are frustrated with the way in which

it is being run. Currently, every application must pass

through the hands of an Apple employee and be ‘ap-

proved’.

The goal of this process is to ensure that ‘questionable

and/or damaging material’ doesn’t end up in the hands

of users. After all, you wouldn’t want to download a

virus, thinking it was the latest Tap Tap Revenge game.

Unfortunately, this process also means that the apps

that you are able to run are subject to the opinions of an

app-reviewer. Legally, there is no way to obtain non-

Apple-approved apps on the iPhone. On the Droid, and

other Android-powered phones, any application can be

run - just as you would on a desktop or laptop com-

puter.

Developers, who create the games and utilities that

make the iPhone such a desirable product, are becoming

frustrated and even abandoning the iPhone.Instead of developing for the iPhone, they turn to cre-

ating software for other phones. Where does that leave

users who have already invested in not only an iPhone,

and a two-year cell phone contract, but also in dozens of

apps?

The current way that the app store is being run, with-

out clear guidelines and with subjectivity, is signi-

cantly hampering the iPhone’s user experience and is

forecast to be a future problem for the iPhone platform.

John Fuller,Assistant Editor

Restricted apps are Apple’s downfall

Adviser

Rebecca Dominy

Editor

Logan Kickham

Assistant Editor

John Fuller

Staff writers

Courtney Y’Barbo

Jamie BertholdDeanna Jimenez

Diego Puentes

Fabian Guerrero

Kylie O’Connor

Taylor Erickson

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 discrimi-

nate on the basis of race, religion, color, national ori-

gin, sex or handicap in providing education services.

NorsemanHas she gone gaga?Lady Gaga is a freak! End of story. Let’s just

start off with the name: what does Lady Gaga

even mean?

When audiences were rst introduced to Lady

Gaga during her “Poker Face” video, she seemed

slighty...let’s say “eclectic,” but not completely

psychotic.

When she performed in what appeared to be a

blood-soaked outt at the VMA’s, it became ap-

parent that she was just crazy!

For one thing, the 2009 VMAs were lled with

scandal, yet Lady Gaga was the one to surprise us

the most.

While Kanye West was interrupting Taylor

Swift, Lady Gaga was off changing into another

one of her random outt choices.

She has also been spotted in outts ranging

from a lion ensemble to a dress made out of plastic bubbles.

Along with these increasingly ridiculous outts,

the videos for her music are growing more and

more bizarre.

In her “Paparazzi” music video, Lady Gaga was

featured as a celebrity driven to kill herself.

Now, this wouldn’t have been so bad if she

hadn’t felt the need to show her self being stabbed

to death as a result.

The recent release of her “Bad Romance” video

has been cause for even greater concern.

After a thorough examination of the video, we

still have no idea what the purpose could have

possibly been.

It was lled with her typical, random antics and

no underlying central theme.

While we appreciate Lady Gaga’s attempts to

bring back the true spirt of music, she has failed

miserably.

Real musicians push the envelope without com-

pletely obliterating it and dumbfounding their au-

dience.

Listening to Lady Gaga’s music is a bit of an

eccentric experience - beautiful vocals, crazy

themes, and catchy music.

While Lady Gaga is a bit ‘off her rocker’, there’s

no doubt she has musical talent.

She even attended Julliard, one of the most pres-tigious music education programs in the country.

With all this talent, we just have to ask – why is

she so strange?

Lady Gaga could be the next musical super-

star, but so far she’s just proven to have made a

joke out of herself. Lady Gaga; we hope you will

chose to simply tone down the weird and show the

world how amazing you really could be. Make us

proud!

-The Norseman Staff



Page 14 - Entertainment Logan Kickham

Editor

“Chestnuts roasting on an open re,

Jack Frost nipping at your nose.” If thatdoesn’tputapersonintheholidayspirit,

then I don’t know what does.

Christmas music is the best part about

theholidays.NomatterwhereIam,or

how many crazy shoppers run over me

atWal-Mart,themusicalwaysbringsme

back to the true spirit of Christmas.

We have the classics like “Frosty the

Snowman” and “Santa Claus is Coming

toTown”,whichneverfailtolivenupthemood.

The music reminds us of the simple

timesinlife,whenChristmaswaslled

withexcitement,ratherthanbeingabur -

den.

Thisbeingsaid,there’saperfectsong

foranyoccasion,buttherearesomethatwill reign supreme throughout time.

Of course there’s “Rudolph the Red

Nosed Reindeer” and “Jingle Bells”. I’m

not exactly sure how many times the lyr-

ics of these songs have been changed

over the years, but I do knowthat

whentherearejinglebells,Batman

smells and Robin laid an egg

and all the other reindeer

used to laugh and callRudolf names-like Pi-

nocchio!

Next of course

would be the carols, like we wish

you a merry Christmas. After sev-

enteenyearsoflife,however,I

still have no idea what kindof pudding they’re going to

bring me!

But wait! There’s

more! We can’t forget

about the ever so cultur-

ally diverse “Feliz Navi-

dad”.

The all time classic

Christmas song, how-

ever, would have to be“The Twelve Days of

Christmas”.Thismyfriends,is

fortwo reasons: To beginwith, almost

anybody I encounter absolutely despises

this song-which makes it all the more en-

joyable to sing.

Secondly,nobodycaneverrememberthe last three days! We’re able to remem-

ber that there’s “eight maids-a-milkin”

but for some reason we can’t remember

there’s “nine ladies dancin.”

Eitherway,whenyoumessupyouget

tostartallover,bringingusbacktorea-

son number one-it simply drives people

nuts.

Forme,thesesongsholdthehappiness

ofChristmas.Throughmusic,we’reableto remember the feelings that Christmas

really inspiredus as a child-fun, love,

and simplicity.

Tones that set the holiday spirit: classic Christmas songs

Kylie O’Connor

Staff writer

AroundChristmas,alotofnewmoviesarereleased,yetfewofthesecanholdup

to the classics.

The Home Alone seriesisoneoftheseclassics.EveryChristmas,myfamilyand

I watch the movies together.

Therst Home Alone isaboutayoungboy,Kevin,whoisleftbehindwhenhis

family takes a Christmas trip to Paris.

Whilehomealone,KevinisgreetedbytwointrudersbythenamesofHarryand

Marv.Kevinndswaystooutsmartthembysettingupboobytraps.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York ,isaboutKevin’sfamilytakinganotherChrist -

mastrip,butthistimetoFlorida.

Attheairport,Kevinisseparatedfromhisfamilyandgetsontoaplaneheaded

forNewYorkCity.Afterarriving,hesoonrunsintoHarryandMarvagain.

Thethirdinstallmentintheseries, Home Alone 3,isnotaboutKevin,butAlex

Pruitt,whoishomealonesickwiththechickenpox. Aremotecontrolcarissenttohishouseinsteadofhisneighbor,Mrs.Hess.

Thecarhasatop-secretmicrochiphiddeninit.WhileNorthKoreansecretagents

areonthesearchforthecar,Alexusesthecartogetvideooftherobberiesinhis

neighborhood.

ThenalmovietotheHomeAloneseriesis Home Alone 4: Taking Back the

House,inwhichKevin’sparentshavegottenadivorceandheislivingwithhis

mother.

However,KevindecideshewantstostaywithhisdadforChristmasathisfa-

ther’snewgirlfriend’smansion.KevinencountersMarvagainandhiswifeVera.

Again,Kevinsetsupboobytrapsandcatchesthem.

The Home Aloneserieswillalwaysremainoneofmyfavorites,becausemyfam-

ily and I watch it together every Christmas and it is just so funny.

IenjoywatchingitbecauseIcanrelatetoKevin’sexperienceofbeingleftbehind.

NowgrantedIwasn’tleftforverylong,butIwasstillleftwhenmyfamilywoke

up early to head to my aunts house one Christmas morning.

Theactingmaynotbeofthehighestcaliber,andsomeofthedialogueismore

thanalittlehokey,butthe Home Alone movies can be enjoyed by all ages. Each

year, Home Alonendsitswaybackintoourfamily’slivingroomaswecontinue

thetraditionofseeingKevinleftathome,allalonetodealwiththetwothievesand

shenanigans that follow.

Jamie Berthold

Staff writer

“I'd like to make myself believe that

planet Earth turns slowly. It’s hard to say

that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep

'cause everything is never as it seems,

when I fall asleep.”

OwlCity’ssong“Fireies”

has become immensely pop-

ular. This dreamy and relax-

ing song made its way up to

number one on the Billboard

Hot100inOctober.

While“Fireies”iscrazily

popular,OwlCityhasmany

other hits on their album,Ocean Eyes.

Including the song “Va-

nilla Twilight”, which is

about missing an estranged lover. But

unlikemostdepressingheartbreaksongs,

“VanillaTwilight”has the sameupbeat

mythicaltuneasthehitsong“Fireies”.

All12songsonOcean Eyes have the

same upbeat euphoric tone as “Vanilla

Twilight”and“Fireies”.

Out of all the fantastic songs on the

CD,myfavoriteis“HotAirBalloon”.It

too has a delightfully enchanted beat and

the words have to do with spending a day

with the one you love and not wasting

any time.

The person in the song is so in love

withhissignicantother,thateveryother

worryin theworldhasdisappeared.He

knows that eventually it’ll end, butfor

the time being he just wants to enjoy the

love they share.

It is a happy upbeat song that always

puts me in a good mood. Most songs on

the album give listeners a since of well

being and peace.

Theleadsinger,Adam,andtherestof

the band started off playing in Adam’s

basementinthesmalltownofOwatonna,

Minnesota.

The phenomenon of Owl City began

when Adam and the rest of the band went

out on a whim while spending a weekend

alone.

Adam’s parents were out of town and

the band decided it’d be fun to be loud

and make some noise.

Theyrecordedafewsongs,anddecid-

edtopostthemontheirMyspaceproles.

Fromthere,theirpopularityexploded.

Adam and the rest of the band continue

to climb up the charts and move forth on

their path to stardom with their blissful

and relaxing songs.

Self-made musical sensation Home Alone for the holidays



Entertainment - Page 15 Deanna Jimenez

Staff writer

Christmas, Hanukah, and Kwanza are all popular holidays celebrated in December.

The holiday season is a great time for the whole family to get together and share memo-

ries.

There are many things to do when Christmas comes around. You can visit family,

friends, attend parties, and much more.

There are so many things to do, with such little time. Here are just a few of the options

as to what you can do for the holidays.

Santa’s Wonderland:

Every year, over 1,000 people visit Santa’s Wonderland on Christmas Eve and Christ-

mas Day. This is a good time for families to get together for a social event. Even a group

of friends can go and have a good time. They have a cozy campre, unique foods, horse

carriages, tour sights and sounds, and of course over one million lights! You can evenvisit their gift shops and take pictures.

Central Park:

For the holidays, many people love to go to parks. Central Park is a family oriented

location that sits on a 47 acre area. The attraction includes duck feeding, and a beautiful

view of over a billion Christmas lights.

They are open from Nov. 25 - Jan. 1 from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. There are also cel-

ebrations on Dec. 4, 5, 11 & 12 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Its free, so go out and enjoy the holidays!

Christmas Parties:

When it comes to parties, Christmas is one the most exciting holidays next to Hallow-

een. You can throw parties with your friends and family. Christmas is a wonderful time

to bring everybody together, especially people whom you haven’t seen in a long time.

Despite these choices, the food is almost always wonderful, the presents are great, and

the stories are amazing.

Decorating:

There are many different ways to celebrate the Christmas holiday. If you do not want

to go out on Christmas, you can always stay home and decorate. Everybody always

wants to nd the biggest tree, and have the most lights on your house. You can play

games, and spend time with everybody you love. Christmas is a time of giving, so be

ready to give and receive presents!

Diego Puentes

Staff writer

Walking around the mall and experienc-

ing the cold weather (mostly rain for this

part of the region) reminds me that Christ-

mas is right around the corner once again.

Buildings, stores, neighborhoods,

and streets are all brighter at night,

with lights, reindeer, Santa Claus

gures, snowmen and other decora-

tions reecting the Christmas holi-

days.

Suddenly, I feel like a lit-

tle kid again as I observechildren and grown-ups

alike embrace the Christ-

mas Spirit.

I can’t ght the urge

to watch my favorite

Christmas movie, The

Santa Clause.

What more could you

ask for from a classic

Christmas movie?

It portrays the idea

that Christmas is a time

to rejoice with your

family and loved ones.

Tim Allen, who plays Scott Calvin, is a

divorced father whose ex-wife is married

to a psychiatrist.

One day after school a student tells

Scott’s son, Charlie, that there is no such

thing as Santa Claus.

After that incident, Charlie’s step-dad,

Neil, sits Charlie down and tells him that

Santa is not real.

On Christmas Eve, Scott ends up scaring

away what he thinks is a Santa imperson-

ator on his roof. However, the imperson-

ator leaves behind eight reindeer, a sleigh,

a Santa suit, and instructions.

Charlie tells his dad to do as the in-

structions say, so he does.

Soon after, Scott is transported by

sleigh to the roofs of houses drop-

ping presents down through

the chimneys.He is then taken to the

North Pole where he is

told by a group of elves

that he is the next Santa

Claus, causing Charlie to

nally become proud of

his dad.

The Santa Clause

was written in 1994 and

was nominated for sev-

en Academy Awards,

and came away with

two victories.

I think this movie is the best movie to

watch during the holiday season because it

encompasses the holiday spirit with a twist

of humor. It is a must see each year, once

the Christmas tree is up and a re is roaring

in the replace.

Fabian Guererro

Staff writer

An actor from Degrassi is becoming a

really big rapper?

Yep. Aubrey Graham, better known as

Drake, became a rapper and signed with

Lil’ Wayne’s Young Money Entertain-

ment in June 2009.

In Degrassi he was known as Jimmy

Brooks, a basketball player who became

physically disabled after he was shot by

a classmate.

He was an actor for eight years and is

now a rapper that has everyone talking.

Drake’s rst mixtape, Room for Im-

provement, was released in February

2006.

From the success of his rst mixtape,

he began releasing more, capitalizing

from the buzz.

In 2007, he released his sec-

ond mixtape, Comeback Sea-

son, which garnered much

critical acclaim.

Drake’s mixtape success is

what initially attracted Lil’

Wayne.

Out of all his mixtapes

,the best one to come out

thus far is So Far

Gone. It received

more than 2000

d o w n l o a d s

within the

rst two

hours of its

release.

T h i s

mixtape was so good that it be-

came an album.

The two best songs off of So Far

Gone are ‘Successful’ and ‘Best

I Ever Had’.

People these days listen

to Soulja Boy and other rappers

that are not good.

They just listen to their

songs because they are danc-

ing songs which is

kind of point-

less and is

degrad ing

the rap

game.

T h e

s o n g s

l i k e

‘Franky’, ‘Batman’ and ‘The Ricky Bob-

by’ aren’t good. Anybody can write those

songs, so why listen to that kind of mu-

sic?

To have a good taste of music you

need to listen to Drake, Lil’ Wayne, T.I.,

Eminem and Jay-Z.

They actually talk about something

good and not about something just any-

body can write about.

My favorite Drake song is ‘Say What’s

Real’. It is a good song that talks about

his fame and how people didn’t like his

video for ‘Best I Ever Had’.

He is coming out with better songs now

since he’s been rapping for more than

three years and his future looks hopeful.

You denitely need to check him out.

Classic movie never fails

Degrassi actor turned rapper; rises to rap stardom

Getting into the spirit



Page 16 - O, Christmas Tree

W h

o i s y o u r

f a v o r i t e C h r i s t m a s

t r a d i t

i o n ?

Ana Ibarra “All of the food - the tamales.”

Dani Fellows “Baking cookies for Santa.”

J-Mychal Reese “Christmas dinner with

all of the family.”

Cody Ponzio “Singing Christmas carols while decorating the tree.”

Jimmy Goen “Stockings.”

M E R R Y C H R I

S T M A S

Fro m all o f us here at The Norse man, we ’d like to

wish you a Merry Christ mas and a sa fe holiday

season. Take a break fro m your hectic school li f

e to

enjoy the co mpany o f your friends and fa mily.

volume 39 number 2

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