Bryan High School * 3450 Campus Drive * Bryan, TX 77802

Gymnastics Vikings winning at meets ...p. 6 Elf good fun Ferrell shines in holiday movie ...p. 7

Tis the season

Winter Break name reflects trend

Rachel Hernandez Norseman staff Thanksgiving break has passed, and the coming of the holiday season brings to light several debates concerning the everchanging boundaries of school and religion. This debate pertains to several issues the school district must deal with. First is the issue of whether to recognize Christian holidays by granting a vacation. The second is whether to acknowledge these holidays by calling it Christmas Break. Many elementary schools have instated a policy of abstaining from centering class parties around these holidays, in addition to the policy of not handing out candy to students. Followers of religions other than Christianity object to the recognition of Christian holidays and demand an option to celebrate their individual holiday free from attendance repercussions. Religion in schools is a hot topic outside the scope of holidays as well. Public school prayer was ruled unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court by a 6-1 decision in 1962. Since this ruling, the ramifications of such ruling have been the cheers and jeers of parents whose children attend public schools. Student Jacob Jadlowski reflects a conservative view of the subject. This country was founded on the principles of God, so should our school system, Jadlowski said. The conservative movement to increase the role of religion in public schools has been felt recently in all Texas public schools, with the implementation of a new law that requires a moment of silence to be observed in conjunction with reciting pledges to the United States and Texas flags.. Students have the option of refraining from participating, but some students are offended by the behavior of students who choose this option. Senior David Cargill is irked when students are talking or obnoxious. It is one thing to have different ideas, but when students are disrespectful, that really bothers me, Cargill said. Some families eschew public schooling altogether and opt to send their children to a private school in order to strengthen their Christian teachings. The public funding of these private schools has been hotly debated, especially this month with the dawning of new legislation that would provide vouchers for these private schools. In a CNN poll, 51% of those interviewed favored having the government pay all or part of the tuition of students who attend private schools. Public schools educate about 90% of Americas children and many advocates for the eradication of prayer in schools feel that such a widespread influence must be unbiased and carefully checked. School policies concerning the recognition of religious holidays differ; in some elementary schools, mock Thanksgiving feasts Religion plays an important role in have been re- todays society, named Fall so students and Harvest, and teachers should the Christmas decide where the line between vacation time religion and period has schools is been renamed drawn. W i n t e r Danny Reyes, 12 Break. Junior Russell Carli feels the holiday should be called Christmas Break, as he points out, No religion There is no should be winter here in discriminated against, Texas, at least therefore all are not this year. entitled to their T h e opinions and battle over the religious activities. role of religion Dianna in schools Greene,12 continues to rave on, extending to every aspect of school policy. It will clearly remain a hot topic, but for now the school is standing by their policy of no religious promotion.

Senior Constance Robertson, sophomore Maria Ramirez, junior Sarah Rayburn, and junior Elizabeth Kleinecke are in costume for the choir production Feast of Carols, an annual holiday tradition performed by the combined choirs. A highlight of the feast is the processional presentation of the wild stuffed boar which symbolizes the beginning of the feast. Three performances were held in the Blue Commons, with sold-out crowds attending each night. photo by Rebecca LeBlanc

WEDNESDAY Dec. 17, 2003 Vol. 33, No. 3

Worst presents? Students tell of bad gifts ...p. 3

NEWS
THE NORSEMAN ! DEC. 17, 2003

Board modifies policy on extracurricular absences

Desiree Kelso Norseman Staff The district policy governing the amount of time students may miss class for extracurricular activities was modified by the school board at their November meeting. The rule was developed by trustee David Stasny. According to an article which appeared in the Eagle last month, Stasny has heard from teachers who are concerned about students struggling academically who miss class frequently for extracurricular activities. At the boards October meeting, president Merrill Green and others on the board questioned whether the policy was necessary. Green noted that teachers could always voice their opinion to administrators. Superintendent Herman Smith said the districts policy did not address the issue. The board eventually voted to give control of the issue to the campus administrator. The new policy states: The principal of each campus shall have the authority to establish guidelines for determing when a student or group of students may be excused from academic classtime to participate in extra or co-curricular activities. These guidelines may permit exceptions to be made when the building principal determines the guidelines are not in the best interest of the student.

Public library offers winter reading club

Desiree` Kelso Norseman Staff The Bryan Public Library is holding the second Annual Winter Reading Club for teenagers 1318 years old, or in 7-12 grade. The event will be held during the winter school holiday. The theme will be Journey to Middle Earth. The Society for Creative Anachronism will perform and host demonstrations with activities. Other events include the showing of the animated version of The Hobbit, a game day, a New Years Eve Fantasy Costume Party, and a Fantasy Scavenger Hunt. Participants who make it to the Cracks of Doom, or completion of the board game will be able to come to a special showing of the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers along with a pizza party. All of the activities are free and prizes will be awarded. All students are encouraged to participate in the activities. Organizers say it is a good opportunity for students to enrich themselves with new information. The club organizes this annual reading club in order to get participation from local teenagers. The Bryan Public Library is located on 201 East 26th St. For more information on the club call 209-5600.

National Honor Society members Whitney Dillon and Larissa Jones sort through dozens of candygrams. The holiday project is an annual tradition for NHS. photo by Caitlin Hodges

Business provides unique e-mail addresses

Lorena Rangel Norseman staff Do you have an e-mail address? If your answer is no, listen up. There is an opportunity for you to show your school spirit , team spirit or support your favorite college and help out your fellow peers at the same time you are e-mailing your friends. Computer systems teacher Ron Steedly has started a company which sells e-mail addresses with special domain names that can be chosen by the subscriber. Steedly began to think of such a company during the spring of 2002 and actually launched the business on October, 2003. These e-mail addresses are an opportunity for people to show their spirit for their favorite school, college, or other such activities that are or will be available. Steedly says address holders have complete freedom to choose their user name. That way the person can make it as personal as they want. The e-mail address is a way for students, alumni and/or parents to support their favorite team or school at an affordable price. The fee is $2 a month, paid annually ($24 per year). Though some would argue that one is able to have an e-mail for free at certain web sites, Steedly says his companys offerings are more personal. None of those [free sites] will allow you to choose your own domain name and have as many features, Steedly said. A unique feature of Steedlys company is that a portion of the profit will go to a scholarship for the different schools that are included in the domain names. This means that the number of subscribers who choose bryanvikings.com as their domain name will be used to calculate the amount that will be put into the scholarship fund for Bryan High seniors who apply for the scholarship. Its a great way to give back to my customers, Steedly said.

AROUND THE CAMPUS

Choir competes in Pre-Area
Choir students competed in the Pre-Area and 9th and 10th grade auditions on Nov. 4. The following students qualified to compete in the Area auditions: soprano 1, Brittany Green and, 1st alternate; Alto 1, Kelly Pechal; Tenor 2, Jesse Ocon, 2nd alternate; Bass 1, Casey Welch, 1st alternate; Bass 2, Andrew Orozco. The following students qualified for the 9th and 10th grade region choir: soprano 1, Megan Coleman, Holly Jenson, Julie Varley and Katherine Cumpton; soprano 2, Jeana Simpson, Rose Marie Waller, Maria Ramirez and Valarie Randolph; alto 1, Kathryn Ritchey, Ketlyn Lovett and Taylor Valadez; alto 2, Katye Hamlin, Andrea Thorne and Miranda Rohrbach; tenor, Holland Angel; and bass, Brandon Cole and Clayton Bassham. Key Club will be helping the community this holiday season. The club is helping needy children and sending Christmas cards to senior citizens in nursing homes. Key Club meets every Tuesday after school in Rm. 5143 on the Blue Campus.

Key Club update

The leadership community organization for home, school and the community has been getting involved. In the past months the club has helped the community by giving a helping hand. The membership is open to all students willing to provide at least 50 hours of service each year, who are of good character, qualify scholastically, and possess leadership potential.

Final portrait day for seniors is Jan. 5

Specialties Photography is offering a one-day makeup day for senior portraits on Jan. 5 from noon until 6 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Seniors, this is your last chance to be photographed for the 2004 yearbook. For more information, see Mrs. Farris in Rm. 6160, or call Specialties Photography at 260-9016.

FEATURES
THE NORSEMAN ! DEC 17, 2003

Historical origin of holiday customs

Desiree` Kelso Also in the fourth century, a Meanwhile, Black Peter, who Norseman staff bishop from Turkey was known was his assistant, would leave beMost businesses close their by the name St. Nicholas. He was hind the not-too-nice presents. doors on Christmas Day, as it is a known for doing good deeds who The Dutch settlers brought recognized holiday. However, it is involved children. He was illus- the legend of St. Nicholas to North untrue that Christmas has always trated as a tall, dignified and a se- America. America came to know vere man, in the medieval and re- this man as Santa Claus. been a federal holiday. Christmas was declared a fed- naissance times. The Jolly Old Elf with his His feast on December 6 was reindeer was first described by eral holiday on June 26, 1870. It was designated by PresiClement Moore in a poem dent Ulysses S. Grant durDutch children placed shoes next to The Night Before Christing the reconstruction pemas. the fireplace for St. Nicholas and left The charisma of Santa riod after the Civil War. In America, Christmas food for his horse. Claus influences children is a seasonal celebration all around. His rosy of winter and a religious cheeks and red suit celebration honoring the birth of celebrated until about the 16th brightens any childs face to be Christ. The mixture of both cel- century. Afterwards he was good for Santa. ebrations gives America it own known in all of Holland. The Christmas traditions Dutch children placed shoes come from long ago and all around unique approach to the holiday. It believed that Jesus of next to the fireplace for St. Nicho- the world. The traditions range so Nazareth was born in the spring las and left food for his horse. He wide that a list is uncountable. time. However, December 25 was would gallop on the horse be- Outside influences have made chosen for the celebration of his tween the rooftops and drop Americas holiday celebration birth by a Pope Julius I in the fourth candy down the chimneys into the unique and special in its own way. shoes. century.

What is the strangest gift you have ever received for Christmas?

Socks. Brazos Lackey-12

A candy cane. Monnie Reed-9

A stuffed reindeer. Austin Shaw-10

Hairspray. Kristy Everett-10

What do you know about the Christmas tree?

* According to the National Christmas Tree Association, Americans buy 37.1 million real Christmas trees each year. * Americas official national Christmas tree is located in Kings Canyon National Park in California. The tree, a giant sequoia called the General Grant Tree, is over 300 feet high. * An artifical spider and web are often included inthe decorations on Ukrainian Christmas trees. A spider web found on Christmas morning is believed to bring good luck.

Pencils with my name on them. Jenna Arnold-11

A Barbie computer game. Hilary Francis- 10

World celebrations of holidays differ

Rachel Hernandez Norseman staff Times are turbulent, and the coming of the Christmas reminds us of the things we should be most grateful for. A large part of being grateful for our own blessing is to learn about and appreciate the culture and traditions of other countries around the world. * Russia-Can you imagine Christmas dinner without turkey or ham? Christmas dinner in Russia is meatless, and the main dish is a porridge call kutya. Some families throw kutya up to the ceiling, and if it sticks, they believe there will be a plentiful honey harvest. *Africa- In lieu of Christmas lights, homes in Africa are adorned with paper ornaments. Families begin gathering food a week before the festivities, and freshly roasted goat and ox are served. *Australia- Australians celebrate Christmas midday on a beach. Aussies enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner picnic style, in the sweltering heat of their summer season. *Iceland- The people of Iceland believe in thirteen Santas, and starting at the December 12, each visits Icelandic homes. These Santas are the Ashton Kutchers of Iceland, punking each home to make their presence felt. The Meat Hooker tries to steal the roast, and the Door Slammer slams doors. *Chile- Most Chilean families observe nine days of fasting before Christmas dinner, which they have at midnight. Because the chimneys in Chile are quite small, Santas generous girth would overwhelm them, so he climbs through the windows. Throughout the frenzy and excitement of the Christmas season, it grows increasingly important for us to think of our brothers and sisters around the world, and to remember: Its a small world after all.

Mittens. Jillian Stanley-9

Boxers. Tyrone Welch- 11

A rock. Kristen Sikorski-12

Red socks. Jerome Shields-11

When I was 17 I got a baseball, glove, and bat-shaped cuff links. Mr. Vaughan

An empty X-mas box with an IOU note. Darmish Patel-12

OPINIONS
THE NORSEMAN ! DEC 17, 2003

Not joining up may cost you

Imagine applying for college with a 3.6 grade point average, 1200+ on the SAT, and not being accepted due to a lack of extracurricular activity participation. This is quite possibly the future scenario for future college applicants. More and more schools are placing emphasis on applicants who can show qualities developed through membership in clubs and organizations. Being in a club or organization is unfairly looked down upon by many students. Some of this criticism makes no sense. For example, a student who is in JROTC is sometimes ridiculed because of the uniform requirement. JROTC students have obviously made the decision to pursue an interest in the military, and endure the comments they sometimes receive. Isnt it hypocritical for someone to make fun of a JROTC cadet, yet turn around and demonstrate patriotism by writing letters of support to our soldiers in Iraq? Its obvious which one of these is truly developing leadership qualities. (Hint--its the student wearing a uniform.) Whether it is the science club, Key Club, or UIL math, most students who join a club are interested in that area of academics or service. Organization membership opens up so many more opportunities with regards to school, jobs and the community. Have pride in yourself and others. These organizations are formed for a reason. Learning to work with others, serving those in need, pursuing competition, and finding scholarship opportunities are just some of the benefits of belonging to clubs. Even if your ulterior motive for joining something is just to have something to put on your college application, thats at least better than doing nothing at all. Get involved, and you might find theres a whole new world out there for you. -Norseman Editorial Board

Make the holidays memorable this year

What are the holidays like for you? I bet it is completely different from everyone else. Every person Desiree` Kelso celebrates the Norseman staff season differently. I would have to admit that I consider my holiday celebration pretty boring at times. Yet it has its own uniqueness. Consider this: in a couple of years, or in my case, next year, the holidays will be completely different. I will be on my own. My dependency will be solely on myself. It will be nice yet not at the same time. I advise the students at this school to really enjoy and celebrate the season. Before you know it you will have a family of your own and will look back on the times when you were a kid. These times are important and precious whether you realize it or not. Embrace yourself in the season. Do not hold back on any ideas you have or want to express. Can you remember getting up on Christmas morning when you were little and being so excited that you could not be still for anything? It scares me to think that just a short time ago I was hoping for a puppy. One with a red ribbon around his neck, playful and cute as could be, just waiting to play with his new best friend. When my brother graduated and left home for good, it didnt actually hit home until the holidays came around. It was different, the whole atmosphere and spirit had changed, but not in a bad way. As a senior this will be my last holiday season with the family. It just shows you how fast we really do grow up, so embrace the moment and just let your parents have a heyday over the whole event. Go out caroling, drive around and look at all of the lights, hang out with your family for the holidays. Believe me, you will have memories that will last a lifetime. The strangest things are the ones you remember, dont you agree? The world around you is changing and so are you. How you deal and react to it is your decision. Make the season bright with a positive attitude. Indeed,you may frown when it comes to dealing with Uncle Joe, but believe me you will manage. Your attitude about the whole situation will do a lot. I have experienced the whole entire family over for the holidays. I have eight uncles, not including grandparents, aunts, and cousins. Make the most of this holiday season, as well as the ones that follow. These times are more precious that you think.

Holidays are for sharing gift of time with others

The seasons are upon us. This means family and fun! Well, that is not the case for all people. Many Lorena Rangel people are alone Norseman staff for the holidays and this may mean that they are alone for most of the year. And I, for one, think that is not the way holidays should be spent. For as long as I can remember there has always been someone there for my siblings and me. It was a rare occasion when it was only my mom and me, or some other member of my family. That is why I think it is not much fun at all to be alone for any holiday or in life. There are so many kinds of people that would like to feel a part of some celebration, with people who care, whether it be on Thanksgiving, Christmas or any other holiday. A great example of this is my participation in H.Y.P.E. Club. As a member of H.Y.P.E. I have participated and will participate in many activities that are club related. Last year I went to a Christmas party that was given by H.Y.P.E. for a group of elderly persons at a retirement home. Even though there was not a very big turnout the residents of the retirement home had fun and appreciated the effort that we had put into making their holiday a little brighter. These are the type of activities that should be carried out for all types of people and for all seasons. Thats the kind of stuff you only see in movies and stuff, right? No, no, and again no. This is the kind of stuff you see your friends doing and your neighbors and family. This stuff really happens. Volunteering is one of the best ways to show that you care. It is also a fun way to make a good friend that you might not have normally gotten to know. Everyone can give you a some excuse for why they cant go out and do something, but challenge them to take an hour and go out to an elderly persons home, or to an after school club for children and do things like read with them or help them around the house. Then ask them how they felt to have someone appreciate them giving their time to help. The holiday seasons are about family, yes, but that is not the only thing they are about. They are also about giving and helping and sharing your familys warmth and cheer with those who are not as fortunate as you and your family. There are so many ways that you or your family and friends can get involved and help. You are not limited to what you can do with the permission of your parents. You can volunteer for any activity to help out people in the community, and I can tell you from personal experience that you are left with a wonderful feeling of warmth that you could not get from anything else . So remember, if at all possible, give someone the gift you have all year around: love, and that feeling of being a part of a family-type circle of friends.

BRYAN HIGH SCHOOL 3450 CAMPUS DRIVE, BRYAN, TX 77802 Volume 33, No. 3
Editor Desiree Kelso Assistant Editor Lorena Rangel Staff writers Chelsa Harriman, Rachel Hernandez, Ashley Rodriguez, Shawn Walker Adviser Sandy Farris
The Norseman is a publication produced by the Advanced Journalism Newspaper Production class at Bryan High School. The opinions expressed are those of the author and may not represent the opinion of the faculty, staff or administrators of Bryan High School. Signed letters to the editor are welcome and may be delivered to Rm. 6160 or the Blue Campus. Member-UIL Interscholastic League Press Conference (ILPC) Winner of the ILPC Award of Distinguished Merit 1998-99, 1999-2000 Silver Star, 2001-2002.

OPINIONS
THE NORSEMAN ! DEC. 17, 2003

Tardy policy needs adjustment

Bryan High has a policy that if we are late to class we must go and get a tardy slip. I have no idea why they choose to do this, but its dumb. In the mornAshley ing, I think that tardies Rodriguez should not be counted Norseman staff at all, because you might be running late one morning and you get to school and you have to go get a tardy slip. You now have an hour D-Hall and if the next morning you are 20 or 30 minutes late you get a two hour D-Hall because you were already absent and you know you cant serve it because you probably have no transportation to pick you up. If you dont serve your D-Hall you will get SAC, although it depends on who your principal is-- if you have a nice principal, explain your situation and he or she might let you off and you wont get anything. Some teachers let you slide if you have a note from your parent saying why you were late, or sometimes teachers dont even say anything at all. They just let you in the classroom and they dont ask any questions. Enforcement of the tardy policy isnt very consistent. For example, if you are walking to class, and you are just outside of the doorway of the classroom and the tardy bell rings, your teacher tells you to go get a tardy pass, and that teacher never told you that ever before out of all the time you do that. Thats not even right. I know it is different if you are just standing outside just to chill a little bit. Then it is right for the teacher to tell you to go get a tardy pass. But if you were just walking in the classroom and you are right by the door thats okay because you were not just standing in the hallway chilling. But if you are walking in the doorway when the tardy bell rings, technically you are in the classroom. If you take 10 minutes to get a tardy slip, you are marked absent. I just think that we should not even have tardies in the first place because half of the people who get tardy slips never serve them, so whats the reason of having tardies? The school needs to have an alternative such as allowing five tardies a week. Anything over that would get a D-Hall or referral. I think that is a great alternative solution.

What unique holiday tradition does your family have?

We celebrate Christmas as well as the Orthodox Christmas on Jan. 7. Tatiana Rostovtseva, 10

We take poinsettas to the cemetery in memory of our relatives. Elna Bradford, 10

We open 12 presents before Christmas for The Twelve Days of Christmas. Austin Burton, 12

We celebrate a country Christmas, city Christmas, and traditional Christmas. Ashley Barkley, 11

I use all the Christmas cards we receive as placecards at the dinner table and each person opens theirs up and reads it aloud. Lisa Fritz, teacher

We go Christmas tree hunting as a family. Lana Anderson, 12

Basically, were just a little too nosy

Recently in the news there has been an epidemic of disturbing images shown by major media sources. Last month on Fox News a videotape made in Iraq of the public Rachel beatings and torturing of Hernandez Norseman staff Iraqi criminals were being shown repeatedly. In our own hometown newspaper, photos of the blody and beaten up Uday and Qusay Hussein were emblazoned on the front page. I had to throw it out before my 6-year-old cousin stumbled upon the disturbing photos. This is only a sampling of the disturbing images shown in the media. The part of the human psyche that is fascinated with violence is the same part that produces the urge to kinow what is going on in celebrities lives. We are stuck on the notion that their lives are more interesting than our own. Because we know every detail of their lives, we feel as if we are a part of them, when in reality, were just creepy people who are essentially really nosy. How can we be nosy, you ask, when these stars put all of their personal information out there? Well, we buy the magazines and watch the press junkets and wish to know every sordid detail of their lives. There is a certain mystique around celebrities, as if they are somewhat superhuman. So next time you walk by a newstands, resist the urge to find out exactly what happened on J-Lo and Bens wedding night.You might just regret that you did.

Have something to say? The Norseman welcomes letters to the editor and guest commentary. Bring your letters to Rm. 6160. Letters must be signed.

Common sense needs to return

A Congress that allows God to be banned from our schools while our schools can teach about cults, Hitler and even devil worship is Chelsa Harriman wrong, out of touch, and needs some common Norseman staff sense.--Republican James Traficant He couldnt have said it any better. The government is always looking to avoid stepping on someones toes. In the stringent attention to detail they overlook more important policies. This scrutiny has trickled down to the smallest detail, such as the name of the holiday break. Christmas break is no longer called such; it is now known as Winter Break. The atmosphere has become somewhat impersonal because teachers are constantly monitoring what they say and do for fear of offending someone. Extreme cases have been reported, such as a teacher being reprimanded for telling a student God Bless You in response to a student sneezing. Give me a break. Teachers have enough to worry about than being censored and punished for these petty things. Christianity is not only the majority religion in America, but our country is historically based on the principles and morals that come from the belief in God. Imagine our national pledge without the words One Nation Under God, or our money without In God We Trust. Its probably hard to do.

Letter to the Editor..............

My friends and I have found this to be a topic often discussed in an active way. Many of my friends have piercings and get in trouble for it a lot. They wear their I.D. and do what they are suppose to. They do well in school. I find the piercing rules to be discriminatory and unfair. One of my friends gets called to the office repeatedly just for her eyebrow barbell which even if the barbell is plastic, which is supposedly allowed, gets in trouble. The law states that a parent, guardian, or relative of legal age must be present to get a piercing in the first place so if they allow it we should be able to wear it. Read the book Define Normal and you will see this topic in the same point of view. The rules should be changed. Megan Dempsey Freshman

SPORTS
THE NORSEMAN ! DEC. 17, 2003

7th Annual Doc Hess Wrestling Tournament

Dec. 20, 2003 8:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Come support the Viking wrestlers
Matches in all three gyms and Silver Cafeteria Over 1000 entries The largest tournament in Texas

Basketball season takes over

New girls coach leads Lady Vikes
Shawn Walker Norseman staff The start of the basketball season began November 18. Five returning varsity players are coming back from last year. Gerard Carter, Sheldon Bell, Eddie Macoy, Leslie Jackson, and John Smith lead the way for this years crew.. The starting five will be Darwyn Lamar and Brandon Walton at the guard position. Bell and Carter at the forward position, and Jackson at center. We have an inexperienced team. Our goal is to get back to the playoffs and maybe try and win a district title, said Coach John Reese. Reese says the Vikings are a smaller team than most teams, but his game plan makes up for the lack of size. We are going to run our usual run and shoot offense. We need to have a strong defense, and get our press defense to lead to easy fast-break points. The Vikings won their home opener against Baytown Sterling, 83-65. Their overall record stood at 9-3 after beating Round Rock 98-60 in the Killeen tournament Dec. 6. John Shelton is the new girls head coach. The returning varsity girls include Danyell Hines, Tilmila Martin, Ashley Taylor, Tanya Turner, Adonna Weaver, Amanda Walker, Akira Burns, and Treasure McCoy. We run a fast pace, up tempo style of game. We have most of our players coming back from last year. We won district last year and expect nothing less, Shelton said. The lineup will change a lot throughout the year, Shelton said, adding that positions are up for grabs. The girls improved their record to 11-3 following a Dec. 9 win over Hempstead, 75-37.

Gymnastics performing well at meets

Desiree` Kelso Norseman staff The boys gymnastics team finished third in their first meet in Hurst, Texas Oct. 31. Dale Taylor placed first on rings with a high score of 9.6. He also placed 4th in pommel horse and placed 21st overall. Kyle Stellbauer placed 4th on floor, 5th in rings, 6th in vault, 8th in parallel bars, and 4th in high bars. Stellbauer received 4th place all -round. Daniel Kelly placed 9th in rings, 4th in vault, 6th in high bar and 7th place in all-around. Jason ODell received 4th in pommel horse, 6th in high bar and 8th place all-around. Josh Clement went 6th place in floor, 9th in vault and parallel bars, and 10th in high bars. All around, Clement went 9th place. Clifton Bennett was 15th all around, 9th in floor and rings, and 10th in pommel horse. On Nov. 14, the team met Round Rock in a dual meet at Bryan High. This was the girls first meet. Weve started off good, but have room for improvement, said Stellbauer after the Round Rock meet. The boys were victorious with 164.1 points, against Round Rocks 142.55 points. The girls only lost by two points, 108.15110.1 So far Im really proud of the diligence demonstrated; however, we still have a lot of work ahead of us, said coach J.T. Fletcher. In the flloor exercise, Stellbauer received 1st, Daniel Kelly was 3rd, ODell was 4th, and Bennett and Clement tied for 6th place. On pommel horse ODell received 1st, Taylor 2nd, Bennett 3rd, Stellbauer 4th, Kelly in 5th, and Stephen McConnell was 6th. In still rings, Taylor placed 1st, Stellbauer was 3rd, Kelly was 5th. ODell, Clement and Jonathan Cadarette had a three-way tie for 6th place. On the vault, Kelly placed 1st, Stellbauer was 2nd, Clement was 3rd, Bennett was 4th, with ODell and Cadarette in a two-way tie for 6th place. Stellbauer and Taylor tied for 1stplace in the parallel bars. Clement went 3rd, Kelly was 5th, and ODell was 6th. In high bar, Stellbauer was 1st, Kelly was 4th, Taylor was 5th, and Clement was 6th. In all-around, Stellbauer was 1st, Kelly was 2ndand ODell received 3rd. On the girls side of the competition Lindsay Van was the leader. She tied the school record on bars with a 9.8. On vault Van received 1st, Halley Hanna went 5th, and Mary Reedy went 6th. In bars Van was 1st, and Reedy was 5th. On beam, first place was Van and sixth place went to Robin Pitts. On floor Van received 2nd place, Jessica Constancio was 5th, and Halley Hanna was 6th. Allaround went to Van in 1st place and Hanna in sixth. Bryan placed second in the invitational on Dec. 5 with total points collecting 168.1. First place was taken by the Humble Wildcats with 170.25 points.

Houston-Bound

Senior Viking catcher Cody Waller recently signed a scholarship to play baseball for the University of Houston. Waller was the only catcher signed by Coach Rayner Nobel in the 2004 class. Waller batted .292 for the Vikings as a junior, helping Bryan to a second-place finish in 13-5A. Waller had a .448 on-base percentage with 17 runs batted in, 16 walks, four doubles and two home runs. photo courtesy Ruth Waller

ENTERTAINMENT
THE NORSEMAN ! Dec. 17, 2003

Ferrell as Elf is a holiday keeper

Chelsa Harriman Staff writer Elves. A universal symbol for all that is innocent, jolly, and mischievous. This time of year they can be found wherever there is Christmas spirit--including the theaters this holiday season. Elf, a PG-rated movie, is a comedy geared towards kids as well as adults. The movies plot centers around the traditional Christmas story of the scrooge-like character making a transition from cynical to sentimental. However, this movie has an unusual twist that will keep you laughing and entertained throughout the 100 minutes. The story is centered around a misfit elf named Buddy who has grown to three times the normal elf height. Will Ferrell does an excellent job portraying the kooky and likeable self-entitled Elf. Through a mishap he finds himself in Santas bag of toys, is carried to the North Pole and raised by Santa and his elves. As Buddy grows older he realizes that he does not fit in with the others in the North Pole. As a result he begins his journey to

Resurrection is Tupac at his best

Ashley Rodriguez Staff writer The soundtrack for Resurrection is in stores now. It features unreleased songs including the new single Runnin (dying to live) featuring the Notorious B.I.G and produced by Eminem. This song goes off tha chain. The rhymes in this song and soundtrack are hardcore, what Tupac did best. It is so different from all the other Tupac wannabe-rappers and music heard today. Tupac rapped about real things that were going on and real issues that were happening in the world. He was the only rapper that did that and was not afraid to do so. I dont care what anyone says, Tupac will forever be the greatest rapper of all times. Runnin is one of the best songs of the14 tracks on the soundtrack. I give big props to Eminem for putting that song together because its a good song. I also want to give big thanks to Afeni Shakur (Tupac mom) for putting together this amazing soundtrack and film. I highly recommend the purchase of the Resurrection soundtrack. I know that we cant see Resurrection here, but it can be seen in Houston. Trust me, this movie and soundtrack is good.

Will Ferrell plays Buddy, an elf who leaves the North Pole to search for his real parents in New York City.

his birthplace, New York City, to hunt for his parents. Buddy is astonished at the lack of Christmas spirit and sets out to change the world, hoping to at last make his mark and find his place in the world. This is a must-see movie that will leave one remembering just what Christmas is all about.

Jay-Z says Black is last album

Ashley Rodriguez Staff writer After ten years, eight albums, tons of guest appearances, and being embarrassed by Nas, Jay-Z has at last decided to end his career in 2003 with his farewell album, Black Album, before he hangs the microphone up and retries. It is sadly Jay-Zs last album (or so he says). He has said that numerous times before and he didnt retire. He probably will retire but only for a little while. If Jay Z sees someone trying to compete against him, like Nas, he will step up and make another album just to prove that he is still good at what he does and he will make sure that everyone will know that. Thats why I say he is going to retire. If he does decid to retire he is not losing any income because he still has the clothing company, ROCAWARE, and also he has a club, so Jay-Z is a straight-up entrepreneur. Christmas came early this year because Jay-Z moved his release date from Nov. 28 to Nov. 14 because the album appeared on illegal file-sharing sites such as Kazza and Bareshare. The Black Album has 14 tracks. This widely-anticipated album has lived up to, and exceeded, my expectations. This is Jay-Z at his best and I mean best. This album is his best one yet, even better than Life & Times- Vol.3, and that was a pretty good album. Track 10, Public Service Announcement is probably his most notable track. There is something compelling about it. This album is just pimpalicious! For those who dont know what that word is, its just better than anything--it tops anything. If you dont already have this album, I recommend that you go and get it.

Blonde has fun, not much substance

Rachel Hernandez Norseman staff The second installment of the Legally Blonde saga is comparable to cotton candy. Sweet, fluffy, but without substance. But, if youre reaching for cotton candy, is substance really what youre craving? I think not. In LB2, Elle (Reese Witherspoon) embarks with her trusty Harvard law degree to Washington, with the purpose of bringing about new legislation to protect animal rights. Paulette Bonafonte-Parcelle (Jennifer Coolige) returns as her loyal accomplice and confidante. Coolige seems less relevant in the second film, but adds a refreshing down-to-earth feeling to the overall bubbly tone of the film. Luke Wilson returns as Elles financee, but is stuck at home with wedding preparations. The film takes a turn for the bizzare as a side plot develops in which Elles dog, Bruiser, turns out to be gay, and cultivates a relationship with another male dog. The film manges a few laughs, and overall isnt offensively stupid, but money could be better spent on something more entertainng. Elle Woods Barbie-like perfection grows annoying towards the end of the film and may launch her into a quasi-icon for young girls, but more fun can be had with a lot less saccharin and a little more creativity. Bottom line: not worth the cavities.

PHOTO ESSAY
THE NORSEMAN ! DEC.17,2003

...performing Service Learning projects such as taking children on a hayride and reading to them...building picnic tables for local churches...

elebrating the season

...decorating the campus for the holidays...sending candygrams to that special someone...