Vanguard Review October 2022

Let’s be real

Falling for you |

The Vanguard Review

Groundbreaking news

VCPS Publication

Imagine hanging a piece of art you worked hard at in a professional style art gallery, working out in an air conditioned weight room or watching your friends act in a play in a big performing arts center. These experiences and a lot more will soon become reality as part of the school’s $15 million expansion plan which kicked off with a ground breaking ceremony Friday, Sept. 9 on campus.

“The new changes are going to improve some of the programs at Vanguard like the Fine Arts and Robotics program,” said Senior Aldo Ibarra, “which will definitely improve the experience for

all students who enter into these pro grams.”

Vanguard is celebrating its 50th anni versary with an immense expansion. This new renovation will require a $15 million building campaign and be constructed over time. As funds are raised, more and more of the expansion will be completed – beginning with the gym. Some of the changes include a new robotics and in novation center, new classrooms, weight room and lockers, a renovated gym, per forming arts center and art gallery.

“We have redone Bostick Hall in the last decade, that’s the last major project we’ve done on our campus. We did some upgrades like new windows in Mayborn and put a new roof on as well,” said head of school Bill Borg. “For the school’s next 50 years – which will lap three generations – those who are gradu ating this year could potentially get married, have children and those children could get married and have children and those kids could be students here. We felt that we’ve served three generations and in order to serve the next three generations we needed to address a physical plan on how we wanted to make it look. We looked at it from a multi-pronged effect: sports, administration and academics, per forming arts and enclosement of the campus.”

Students like senior Noah Hale said they wel

Parking lot paranoia

come the innovations that will come with new school buildings and facilities.

“I think it was about time for the school to change,” Hale said.

Whether excited for the change or nostalgic about the school they have known and loved, stu dents cannot help but look forward to the future of their campus.

Specifically the PAC, which will have 400 to 500 seats.

“I am most excited for the new PAC because there will be a better spot for things like the morn ing wake up calls,” said Sophomore Caroline Rice.

Hale, a member of the theater program, thinks that the PAC is a great addition also.

“I am excited for the new performing arts cen ter that they are planning to build because more than just a handful of people will be able to come and watch performances,” he said.

Psychology teacher and counselor Aline Leslie said she thinks a new PAC will be a solid addition to campus.

“I’ve always been supportive of the arts here on campus,” said Leslie, “A lot of people don’t re alize how important it is for growing adolescents — all people, really — to exercise different parts of their brain. In my opinion, playing a violin is no less important than running a cross country race or doing an Algebra problem. Mrs. James, Mr. Priest, and Mr. James have done a remarkable job with the

limited space they’ve had to work in. I look for ward to seeing them make use of a new PAC.”

Viking basketball and track athlete Karoline Horner said she is enthusiastic about the expanded gym.

“As an athlete, I think it is necessary for Van guard to update the athletic facilities, especially be cause of the success that is going to come with the next classes,” Horner said.

Ibarra agreed.

“The renovations to the gym are what I am most excited for,” he said. “The gyms are fine now, but a new and improved gym with air conditioning will make practice there more enjoyable.”

“Also, an expanded weight room will make working out more accessible to all because right now there really isn’t enough room in there for everyone. So, basically I think that improving the gym will make the athletic program more enjoyable for the athletes as well as anyone else who goes in there for anything.”

Junior Annabelle Reese said that the new gym will bring a new culture to the athletes.

“I feel like once the gym is redone it will breathe some life back into Vanguard’s athletic program,” Reese said. “I also feel like it will help change vanguard culture around sports, and make people care about them as well as compete more.”

Sophomore Amelia Livesay looks forward to the gym, as well.

Students navigate a more crowded parking lot as enrollment goes up

Revving

engines, squealing tires, screech ing brakes and students flooding the park ing lot on foot, either trying to get to their cars or to a place to eat on campus. Sometimes lunchtime can feel like chaos. With everyone rush ing to school and rushing to get home, traffic jams or little accidents become possible occurrences in the area. In fact, there have already been at least two minor accidents in the parking lot this school year.

“The parking lot is congested,” junior Michael Bennett said. “Especially when everyone is trying to leave at the same time. I have a truck, so I have to be extra careful because of the back end. It’s do able, but it’s congested.”

Driving is a privilege many high school stu dents look forward to — and work for by taking driver’s education, getting their permit and ulti mately their license. At Vanguard, students can go off campus for lunch starting their junior year. Get ting to take a break from the school environment to go eat food at a restaurant or within the comfort of your own home is appealing to most students, so the moment the bell rings, students stop by their lockers, grab their friends and head to the parking lot to leave.

But some students said they don’t feel safe while driving in the parking lot because it feels

cramped and seems too small to accommo date the growing population of students and stu dent drivers. Given this information and student responses, it seems the parking lot is more crowded - and maybe less safe - than last year.

“I don’t feel extremely safe because there are a lot of new drivers or just bad parent drivers who don’t pay attention, and the parking lot is really narrow so it’s easy to get hit,” junior Jordan Young said. “I think the parking lot could be bigger, and if it was there would be [fewer] issues.”

More than 56 percent of students said they feel like the parking lot is more crowded than last year, according to an Oct. 2022 VR student poll. Even though 76.7 percent said they feel safe when driv ing through the lot, the other 23.3 percent said they do not.

Due to increased enrollment this year and the influx of new student drivers, more people are driv ing through the parking lot, whether it’s current students or student parents. With the parents lining up on the side of the Brown building, it makes it difficult for students to maneuver around or back out, due to parents waiting near or behind their car.

“It feels overcrowded after school when par ents are in pick-up line, and it’s difficult to back out safely [because] some of the parents sit there right behind my car,” junior Callie Williams said.

Another problem faced in the parking lot is the number of spots them selves. It is get ting harder for students to find parking spots as classes are in creasing in size. The current ju nior class is one of the biggest classes at school and more people within the class are getting their licenses, which means they will have to find parking spots soon.

“I don’t have trouble finding a place to park because I park near the softball field, and every one kind of has an understanding of each other’s spots,” junior Maggie Winarick said. “Also, I run cross country, so I am there before most everyone else. There are definitely a lot of cars in the parking lot. I think it’s big enough for now, but as bigger grades reach driving age, it’ll definitely get hard to find a consistent parking spot for everyone.”

All of these factors may contribute to acci

dents that could occur on campus. Whether they are minor or extreme, accidents occur frequently in parking lots, especially when people are rushed or distracted.

Junior Annabelle Reese was involved in an ac cident with science teacher Jacob Lefebvre’s car in the parking lot on fall sports photo day last month.

“[When the accident occurred] I was not be ing very focused and I was rushing,” she said. “I just went inside and talked to him about what had happened, and we went to look at the damage and

talked about how to handle

Bostick Café is too small for the growing number of people trying to eat lunch there

Social media app promotes more authenticity, but does it really work?

Five reasons we are obsessed with autumn

Vikings set off a 50th anniversary plan for a new and improved campus

Delaney Trepinski ‘23 editor-in-chief

Caroline Williams ‘24 reporter

Students, faculty and members of the board of trustees sym bolically break ground on Friday, Sept. 9 to kick off the campus renovations and the school’s 50th anniversary. Archive photo

Students weave in and out of cars in the school parking lot on a September day after school. More than 56 percent of students said they feel like the parking lot is more crowded than last year, according to an Oct. 2022 VR poll. Caroline Williams / VR staff

Continued

Madelyn Kim ‘26 reporter

Is the Bostick Café cramping your style?

Everyone can tell that the most busy time in school is lunch time. But I would also say it is everyone’s favorite time of the school day. In Bostick, you smell delicious lunch and go to lines for lunch. Lots of stu dents are busy talking to each other, having lunch.

Including me, a lot of students go to Bostick Café to get lunch that they ordered. Several of them are eating lunch inside the café. Moreover, students who bring their lunch also go to the café to use a microwave as well.

Every time I go to the café for lunch, it is really crowded and full of students, and the line is end less. In addition, a microwave is in the middle of the lunch line. It is so confusing to see which one is the microwave line or lunch line.

I strongly believe that Bostick Café’s size is too small for lots of students who order school lunch. According to a VR Oct.2022 student poll, more than 77 percent of students do not think there is enough room for all the people who want to eat lunch in Bostick. In the café, there are 12 tables and around

Kandice Melona kos, known by her stage name Lola Blanc, is a 34-year-old American singer/song writer whom I discov ered during quarantine.

“Discovered” is a strong word. While doing my homework, a song of hers started auto-playing after one of mine, and I skipped it without a thought, but not before I spotted her name.

It stuck in my thoughts until one day I decided to look her up on purpose. Her song “Angry Too” was the first to pop up.

I didn’t like it at first, but I quickly found my self playing it in the background while riding my bicycle.

Her songs are giving villain era and have the vibe of “Enemy” by Imagine Dragons. I would also recommend listening to her while working out, run ning or doing chores around the house.

I would not recommend you listen to her while doing homework or trying to focus though.

50 seats. And the size is about a classroom size. I have seen some students eating alone outside be cause there were no seats left in the café. One time, we had to have lunch outside in hot summer weather since it was already full inside the café. And I have heard complaints that saying Bostick Café is too small from several students.

Bostick Café workers are doing a great job. I know they are doing good, however this problem is not about workers’ ability. It is related to the size of the café and the location of a microwave.

I know that this problem is difficult to fix because it takes a lot of process, but I have some solutions or alternatives that will help fix this problem.

First of all, you can change the place of the lunch/snack lines.

Second of all, changing the location of the mi crowave will be really effective. I think this may cause less confusion in lunch/snack lines. There are two microwaves in Bostick. One of them is in the middle of the place where students wait in line. Therefore, I think it should be far away from the line in order not to make line confusion. For example, in Jaworski or in front of the Bostick restroom.

Next, setting up a vending machine outside the Bostick.

I strongly believe that Bostick Café’s size is too small for lots of students who order school lunch. There are only 12 tables and 50 seats. And the size is about a classroom size.

I think lunch/snack lines are making the café even more busy and crowded. For instance, if the lunch/ snack line is outside the café, it will be much less crowded inside the cafe. I recommend outside of the building, which is connected to a small window of the café. Furthermore, you can fill that place(which is used for waiting in line) with more tables and seats/chairs.

If there is a vending machine for snacks, the café workers will be less busy and it will make Bostick less crowded.

Last but not least, making the café bigger. I am sure that it costs a lot of money, however it is the most beneficial and direct way to solve the problem. Fortunately, I found out that a bigger café will be in the plans for the new expansion of the school.

Things to Consider

October 2022 poll results are in!

Do you like the 8:30 a.m. start time of school this year?

Yes 94.9%

No 5.1%

Do you like the five minute passing period?

Yes 23% No 77%

Does the parking lot feel more crowd ed than last year?

Yes 56.2%

No 43.8%

Do you feel safe when driving through the parking lot during the morning or lunchtime rush?

Yes 76.9%

No 23.1%

Do you have a clear understanding of all the points in this year’s dress code?

Yes 71.3%

No 28.7%

Do you fully understand the phone policy — and what times your phone could be taken up?

Yes 75.6%

No 24.4%

Do you have the BeReal app? Yes 33.6%

No 66.4%

What is your favorite season of the year?

Fall 34.8%

Summer 26.8%

Winter 26.1% Spring 12.3%

Do you have the BeReal app?

Yes 33.6%

No 66.4%

Lola Blanc is an alternative pop artist born in Germany and raised in Michigan.

Bylines

Creative Commons photo

Aria Cleveland ‘26 reporter

Student Spotlight:

Ema Mathis

Rodeo Queen Laid-back

Passionate

Determined

Justmake no mistakes. That is what goes through the mind of Ema Mathis, sophomore, when she rodeos. Mathis ropes calves, also known as breakaway roping, and barrel races. Most people do not realize that the word ‘rodeo’ can be used as a noun or a verb especially if it’s something you do as often as Mathis.

“I was born into it. My dad rodeos and he teach es,” Mathis said. “There’s a lot of people who don’t realize how cutthroat it is and how difficult it is to ro

“On my way to the rodeo, I usually picture how I want my run to go and replay it over and over in my head until I feel confident,” Mathis said.

This visualization technique is also im plemented by Olympic athletes. When she gets to the rodeo, the scoping out begins.

“If I’m roping, I’ll go look at what calf I drew,” Mathis said. “And if I’m in the middle or the end of the competition, I’ll watch the other girls to see what the times average, how fast or slow the calves run, and how much to see on the barrier. If I’m running barrels, I’ll see how far the first barrel is from the timer and how far the timer is from the alleyway.”

The time afterward depends on how the race itself went.

ing except for Washington,” Mathis said. “And for my dad specifically, my goal is [to go] pro when I turn 18 So I’ve really just been around Texas and stuff, but pretty much anywhere and everywhere.”

Mathis also enjoys listening to music and pod casts while she rides and trains.

Teacher Spotlight:

Connor McReynolds

deo. People think ‘oh, it’s like you just ride a horse,’ and there’s a lot more to it than just sitting up there.” Mathis has specific rituals she does before, after, and during riding and roping calves.

“If I do good, then I’ll replay what I did and watch the video and see what I did so I can try to do it the next time,” Mathis said. “If my run is not so good, I’ll watch my video and take away what I did good and go home and work on what I did bad. Sometimes you just have a bad day and there’s not much you can do to fix it. I try to use the power of positive thinking. I mean, you’re literally riding an animal with a mind of its own. Rodeo is definite ly a mental game.”

Mathis has a passion for rodeo and has traveled extensively to pursue it.

“I’ve been everywhere on the West Coast rodeo

“Sometimes country, sometimes rap,” Mathis said. “It’s a mixture of things. My playlist is a wide variety of different genres. I’ll listen to anyone from Rosemary Clooney, to George Strait, K.T. Oslin, Snoop Dogg, to NPR.”

A book that she has recently read is “Mind Gym: An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence” by Gary Mack.

“The Mind Gym is a great book,” Mathis said. “I would recommend it to anyone whether you’re an athlete or not. I really enjoyed reading it and it helped me a lot in gaining confidence mentally and physically. It teaches you how to block out unneces sary thoughts and to be on point.”

The last time that she laughed so hard she cried was when somebody fell off their horse at a rodeo.

“It was not probably the right moment to laugh, but we did,” Mathis said.

Connor McReynolds said he likes that Vanguard students work hard and are passionate about class.

VR

: What is your favorite part of Chemistry?

CM: My favorite part of chemistry is definitely the labs. I love to see how something we have learned in class has an application in the real world.

VR

: How would you describe your first year as a teacher so far?

CM: I would describe my first year as challenging yet rewarding. As a new teacher there is a lot for me to learn but I am definitely up for the challenge.

VR: In what ways has teaching Vanguard sur prised you in a good way?

CM

: What has surprised me so far is how driven the student body is. A lot of students here are very ambitious and are working very hard to realize their goals. At the high school I attended most students were just trying to get by academically. At Van guard most students are excelling academically.

VR

: What can students do to excel in your class?

CM: Students can excel in my class by learning time management skills. Chemistry can be a diffi cult subject and studying just a little bit everyday will help enormously. Coming to tutorials to ask questions about anything you are confused about will also help a lot.

VR

: What do you like to do outside of school in your free time?

CM: In my free time I love to read, play games, and cook. I am someone who enjoys bouncing from hobby to hobby. One week I might spend all my free time playing video games but then the next week I might find myself unable to stop reading a new book series.

Aria Cleveland

Ema Mathis says she wants to rodeo professionally after she gradu ates. Aria Cleveland / VR staff

Chemistry teacher Connor McReynolds said students can excel in his class by learning time management skills. Madelyn Kim/ VR staff

Ema Mathis said that she wants to rodeo professionally after she graduates. Photo courtesy of Ema Mathis

Madelyn Kim ‘25 reporter

“On my way to the rodeo, I usually picture how I want my run to go and replay it over and over in my head until I feel confident.”

- Ema Mathis, sophomore

BeReal

By Delaney Trepinski and Landri Wheeler

Arecently

popular social network is taking on the challenge of being authentic online. This app encourages its users to be real and does not pro mote fixed images as it does not have filters or give you time to edit your photos. Scrolling through Instagram, you see the highlights of people’s lives — trips, parties, photos with friends — but, come on, let’s be real guys. Those posts are typically filtered, edited or picked out of 50 photos to show someone’s best side. But there is a relatively new app — called exactly what it is asking users to do, BeReal — that brings online authenticity to the forefront of social media.

“Being authentic means letting people get to know your real self,” eighth grader Madeline McNamara said. “And that helps you get to know them.”

BeReal is still on the rise at Vanguard with only 33 percent of the student body having downloaded the app, according to the Oct. VR student poll. The idea is to catch people in the moment, rather than giving them time to fix up or stage the perfect photo. The BeReal app is ranked the second top free app — ahead of TikTok and Instagram — as of September 28, 2022, according to iPhone App Store charts. The app is also ranked the number one social networking app over Whatsapp and Facebook.

BeReal prompts users with a notification to take a picture at a random time in the day. These notifications can come at any time and they have a two-minute time slot to snap two pictures — of themselves and what they are doing — once they open the app. If a person misses the time slot, then it is simply tagged as late. BeReal then sends the pictures to the user’s friend list where they have a chance to react and comment on their im ages. Users are only able to view other peoples photos

once they post one of their own. Once posted, users can view their friends’ photos under the tab labeled ‘my friends’ or look under the ‘discovery’ tab to see pictures from all over the world. The photo users take disappears everyday, but no worries, it can be found in their mem ories from that point on.

“On BeReal, you’re showing what you’re actually doing,” sophomore Lexi Barnett said, “rather than go ing somewhere to take the picture or wearing certain clothes or using a filter. “On BeReal, you’re wearing what you normally wear and feel comfortable in. We get to see who people really are.”

Like other apps, users get friend requests and can choose to have only friends look at their photos or have

.they are without editing and highlights allowing for a more authentic look at what you compare your own life to,” junior Haley Lekas said.

BeReal came out in 2020 during the peak of Covid-19, but has just now officially reached the teen population. Many Vanguard students said they have only recently downloaded the app.

“[I have had it] since the end of the 2021-2022 school year, so for about four months,” sophomore Townlin Starr said.

Freshman Will Lindsey also got the app around four months ago.

Being true to one’s own personality, spirit or char acter is what it means to be authentic, according to one

it in the “discovery” page where people all around the world can see them. This app exposes the true profile of its users whether that be during a football game, doing homework or just relaxing in your room. Because it is a timed slot to take the picture, it does not give the user enough time to get rid of the imperfections or adjust the lighting.

“BeReal sets random daily times for you to post so that your and others’ daily lives can be seen for what

definition by Merriam-Webster. It also means not false; not imitation. Authenticity is just what BeReal is claim ing to offer its users. BeReal’s LinkedIn profile states: BeReal is a new kind of photo sharing app where you spontaneously share your real life with your friends. Without filters, followers and likes. Only your friends for real.

“I think authenticity is so important and yet so diffi cult for people,” Dr. Blair Browning, associate professor

“I think authenticity is so important and yet so difficult for people. We want people to like us for who we are and yet we curate a representation from ourselves that is inauthentic.”

— Blair Browning, Baylor Associate Professor of Communications

Social media app promotes more authenticity, but does it really work? Baylor Associate Professor of Communications

of communications at Baylor University, said. “We want people to like us for who we are and yet we curate a rep resentation from ourselves that is inauthentic.”

Browning pointed to people using the hashtag ‘nofil ter’ as an example.

“That essentially means ‘everything else I have shown you is filtered, but in this one image, there’s no filter,’” Browning said. “It’s a bit of an exaggerated ex ample, of course, but you can see how numbed or inoc ulated we have become to this sometimes false version of self-presentation. Of course people want to look their best and present the best versions of self but this isn’t real.”

Browning added that he thinks that is why today’s teens have had a healthy pushback through Be Real.

“For me, authenticity means showing your true colors and showing people who you really are,” eighth grader Maddie Dortilus said. “You don’t want people to get to know the fake you. You want them to know who you really are. If you show people that you are fake [on social media], you could lose a lot of friends and that’s not going to be good.”

Seventy-six percent of the students who have the BeReal app said that they felt they are truly being au thentic when using the app, according to the VR stu

dent poll.

“I feel like the way that you are just supposed to drop what you’re doing and take a picture shows the purpose and namesake of the app, and the app has no filters or anything like that so you can’t change how [you] look,” sophomore Jared Ray said.

Lekas agreed.

“While on Instagram you post pictures of fun trips or quirky daily moments with more casual Instagram feeds,” Lekas said. “You can still become really ob sessed with how many people are following you, how many likes you get, what you look like and how you compare to others, and what other people post as their highlights.”

In contrast, senior Katylu Offill said that BeReal does not differ from her other social media platforms and being truly authentic is a hard thing to accomplish online.

“While I think Be Real is one of the best social media platforms, I think it’s impossible to be truly authentic on social media,” Offill said. “No matter what someone is doing when the 2-minute timer goes off, people will naturally fix their hair or make sure they are happy with their facial expression before posting”. “In my opinion, the only way to ‘be real’ is in face-to-face interactions

with real people.”

Some students said that BeReal can be a more re laxed alternative to other social media platforms.

“Be Real is different from other platforms because it doesn’t show you how many friends [or] followers you have, and nobody can like your Be Real of the day,” Offill said. “The only thing that people can do on Be Real in regards to your own posts is react to it (people take a selfie reacting to the Be Real) and comment— but comments are definitely rarer on Be Real than on other platforms like Instagram.”

For some the BeReal app has not affected how they post on other social media.

“For me, I don’t think Be Real has influenced how I post on other social media platforms,” Offill said. “Though it is easy to only post the highlights of my life, I try to be authentic and stay true to myself and my beliefs when I do post.”

On the other hand the app has made a few students look at the way they post on other platforms.

“I’ve been more authentic [in] the way I post in my opinion, I don’t just post stuff that’s been planned or set up,” junior AJ Cooper said. “I’m more authentic [because] I post when and what I’m actually doing, not something that’s staged.”

Katylu Offill, senior

Will Lindsey, freshman

Haley Lekas, junior

AJ Cooper, junior

Townlin Starr, sophomore

Jared Ray, sophomore

Katylu Offill / Bifrost staff

for you

By Bella Tonkin

Five reasons we’re absolutely obsessed with autumn

The crunch of leaves beneath your feet as the cool autumn wind blows against your skin. The smell of a fresh pumpkin spice latte and a warm, fuzzy sweater fresh out of the dryer. What do all of these things have in common? They are all sensory appeals of the fall season. But why do so many people love fall?

“I think that it has to do with change,” said Vanguard psychology teacher Aline Leslie. “Es pecially here in Texas, our summers are long, hot and seemingly, never-ending. That first rush of cooler air signals that we’ll be a lot more comfort able, and that’s exciting on a subconscious level,” S’mores and bonfires, the Heart O’ Texas Fair and Rodeo, football and tailgating, pumpkin spice lattes and sweaters are all things the Vikings love about autumn.

Pumpkin Spice is very nice

The most iconic of all the fall seasonal drinks at many coffee shops worldwide is a pump kin spice latte or “PSL,” a name coined by Starbucks customers. Where can you find the best pumpkin spice latte? And why are they so popu lar? On average 20 million pumpkin spice lattes are sold by Starbucks each year.

“I like pumpkin spice lattes from Common Grounds best,” said Harper Peel.

Common Grounds, Starbucks, and Dunkin Donuts are all places where you can find pumpkin spice lattes along with many other autumnal drinks.

“I like pumpkin spice lattes because it feels like fall when you drink it,” said sophomore Jacie Grace Duncan.

The decision of the best pumpkin spice latte is split. Many people love to keep it original with Starbucks, while others choose to be local with common grounds or other coffee shops in the Waco area. More than 36 percent of students said they go to Starbucks for their PSL, while 5.1 percent said they prefer Common Grounds, according to an Oct. 2022 VR poll. Which pumpkin spice latte is the best is for you to decide: If you like it more sweet, then Starbucks is for you. But if you like it to have a true pumpkin flavor, Common Grounds would be your cup of tea … or should we say coffee.

It’s noon on a rainy autumn afternoon. You’re drinking a pumpkin spice latte and watching your favorite comfort movie on the couch. What are you wearing? A staple item in everyone’s closet during the fall season is sweaters.

“I really enjoy wearing sweaters during the fall season because they’re super comfy to wear at school or just out,” junior Avery Schnautz said.

Sweaters come in so many styles and colors and are adored by many. Aerie, Free People, LOFT and Urban Outfitters are all places that have lots lots of stylish sweaters for sale.

“I like to order my sweaters from free people,” sophomore Townlin Starr said. “They are all over

4.

It’s Friday night. You and your friends are all sit ting around a fire, chatting and roasting marsh mallows. Sweet melted chocolate and gooey marshmallows melted the perfect amount coats your taste buds.

Sophomore Hope Jackson has a fire pit at her house and said she regularly enjoys hanging out around it.

“Whether it’s friends or family, it’s just kind of a time for people to come together and everyone is really focused on each other’s presence instead of everything else,” Jackson said.

Eighth grader Joshua Lawson said he helps

Sweater Weather Tailgates & Football

sized and float, which I like. Shein also had cute and colorful sweaters.”

Freshman Melina Garman said she likes to get sweaters at thrift stores.

“I found one at Shepherd’s Heart through Em ma’s Day last year and I’ve found some really nice stuff there and it benefits a good cause,” Garman said.

Sweaters are being worn in many different styles and ways this fall season. What fall fashion trends should we be looking out for this autumn?

“Fall fashion trends I’ve seen this year are the brighter colors and patterns,” freshman Landry Stewart said. “They still have a fall vibe, but are more fun.”

Sweaters are cozy, cute and fun. They are per fect to wear to school or out, and can be worn with jeans, leggings or any kind of pants you want. They are timeless and effortless while still being comfy and are the perfect piece to any fall ‘fit.

Fire Pits & S’mores

build the fires in his backyard and loves a good s’more.

“I cook the marshmallow really slowly so it gets nice and golden brown,” Lawson said.

Jackson said she like her marshmallows burned.

“My perfect s’more has a lot of chocolate and a marshmallow that is really burned and crispy,” Jackson said. “I guess it’s kind of a texture thing.”

Freshman Matthew Clark has his own perfect recipe.

“Three squares of chocolate and I like my marshmallow golden brown but not black,” Clark said. “I catch it on fire, but blow it out really fast before it burns.”

grader Katie Clare Shornack.

Imagine getting up at 9 o’clock on a Saturday morning and heading to a tailgate before your favorite college football team’s 11 o’clock game. There’s so much to look forward to: break fast tacos, donuts, barbecue, not to mention wear ing your team’s colors, the cooler weather and meeting up with friends and family.

“My favorite part of tailgating is catching up with friends and eating good food,” said eighth

Thirty-four percent of Vanguard students said that they look forward to football games and tail gating during the fall season, according to an Octo ber 2022 Vanguard Review poll.

For most people, watching football games is their favorite thing about fall. But for others it is actually playing the game.

“I play football so we can dominate this sea son,” said eighth grader Tristan Latino.” I also play football, so I’m not quitting and finishing what we started. I look forward to getting stronger, smarter and better.”

Rodeos & Rides

The sound of chatter and joyful screams fill your ears and the smell of funnel cakes and corn dogs fills your nostrils as you and your friends wander around the Heart of Texas Fair & Rodeo. The annual event is starts Oct. 6 and runs through Oct. 16 this year.

Madeline McNamara, eighth grade, said she can feel Fair & Rodeo season in the air.

“It’s just a kind of vibe,” McNamara said. “The air is cooler and everyone is really happy to be there.”

It’s a tradition that some students look forward to each year.

“I’ve been going to the fair and rodeo since I was a little kid,” freshman Aspen Moore said. “I did mutton bustin’ when I was really little and that’s probably the first fair I can remember.”

The Heart of Texas Rodeo has many different captivating activities. Mutton bustin’, barrel rac ing, bull riding, calf roping and more.

“I like to watch barrel racing and seeing the different ways people train and how they overcome different obstacles. It is not easy.” Moore said.

Another highlight of the Fair experience is the food.

“Fair food is the best,” Moore said. “The fun nel cakes are delicious.”

Moore also loves the midway rides, she said.

“I love rides because I’m a 100 percent dare devil,” Moore said.

Every year the HOT Fair & Rodeo has many country artists come and perform as well. This year the hot country band Midland will perform on Sat urday, Oct. 8. Clay Walker takes the stage on Fri day, Oct. 7, and Gary Allen will perform Saturday October 15.

Navigating the road to recovery

Student athletes talk about their time on the injured list and how they dealt with the pain and disappointment of watching from the sidelines

Forthe 30 million teens and children who par ticipate in sports, more than 3.5 million of them experience some sort of sport-related injury, according to a report by Stanford University Medicine. These injuries cause loss of participation time, scholarship and good expectations.

Nearly 70 percent of students said they have experienced some type of sports injury in their life time, according to a Oct. 2022 VR poll.

The most common injuries include sprains or strains, but high school athletes area also affected by more serious injuries, like concussions. No mat ter the severity, all injuries typically have some sort of emotional impact on the teen and can have longterm effects on the injured area.

Last month, freshman Chloe Selke suffered an injury during her volleyball practice.

“We were doing a drill,” Selke said. “I was running under the net, turned around and my ankle didn’t move with my body — and I fell. I tore two ligaments in my ankle.”

At first, Selke was on crutches on crutches and now she is in a boot. She is out for four weeks and possibly six.

“Now I’m just slow,” Selke said. “I can’t get anywhere very quickly. I’ll be out until the last cou ple of games of the season. It’s frustrating because I want to help out my team and I want to be there for the team. I really want to finish out the season, and I can’t.”

Types of injuries range from acute injuries, which are caused by sudden trauma; overuse in juries, which are caused by overusing the muscles or ligaments without giving them time to heal in between; and catastrophic sports injuries. Overuse and acute type injuries are very common among high school athletes, Viking athletic trainer Alex Breitenwischer said.

“Definitely the collision sports, such as foot ball, soccer, lacrosse, wrestling, any form of ex treme sports, like mountain bike or BMX that will obviously bring a little bit more acute injuries,” Breitenwischer said. “Whereas you have the endur ance type of sports, like cross country or track that will have a little bit more of the overuse injuries.”

Football is a very popular sport regarding inju ries and collisions. Vanguard freshman quarterback Drew Howard explained how he hurt his shoulder

during a football practice.

“I got tackled by Jaxson Burch and I landed on my left shoulder, which is my throw ing arm,” Howard said. “I had to start doing more things with my opposite arm, which was kind of tough considering I’m left-handed. I really couldn’t do a lot of things I normally would do. It was really tough watching all of my teammates play in the first two games, but it was also kind of cool watching them from the sidelines and cheering them on.”

Among common injuries in football and all sports in general are concussions. According to Nemours Teens Health, con cussions happen because the brain is soft and floats around in cerebrospinal fluid, making it possible for it to bang against the skull. When a fall or collision takes place and the brain is able to bang against the skull, it could bruise the brain or it can even tear blood vessels. This might cause temporary loss of the typical brain function, usually ex hibiting symptoms like headaches, difficulty concentrating, remem bering or even speak ing, difficulty balanc ing and just generally feeling sick.

Junior middle line backer AJ Cooper experienced a concussion earlier this season.

“In our game against Live Oak, I was put up against a kid twice my size and I didn’t get low enough, so he hit me head on,” Cooper said. “I was out for a week so I couldn’t play. I was frustrated because we lost the next game and I wanted to play. It really sucked not being able to play.”

Getting injured during sports usually has con

sequences on the educational, social and even the basic aspects of life, no matter what the injury.

of sports include football, soccer and basketball. But ACL injuries can happen in any sport, includ ing tennis.

“I received my injury during a district tennis tournament,” senior Anthony Foti said. “I was trying to hit a ball that was go ing behind me, and I felt my knee pop the wrong way. I had to adapt to walking with mostly one leg until I got surgery. [From] there on, I received physical therapy to help my leg learn to walk again. Physical therapy, at times, would push the current functionality of my leg past its limits, re sulting in bad pain later on.”

Foti said he had to learn to use crutches and get used to not being able to do every day activities.

“Going through an injury and physical therapy taught me to value the small things in life,” he said, “and to be proud to be part of an amazing tennis team.”

Collision injuries can be very catastrophic and can even affect how you learn and other aspects of life.

Aside from the basic categories of sports injuries, there are other injuries that are common throughout sports. One of those is Anterior Cruci ate Ligament (ACL) damage, according to Colora do School of Public Health. ACL damage is a type of acute knee injury that most commonly occurs in contact sports like football. It is considered severe due to the fact that it requires surgery. Teens who focus on one sport are more at risk of ACL damage due to repetitive motions. Examples of these types

Athlete Spotlight: Danae Simmons

VR: How do you feel about this cross country season after coming off of an injury?

DS: I’m a little nervous that it might hurt to run or that running might hinder my recovery process.

But, I’m excited to start running again because I’ve been mostly inactive for the last half of the summer due to the healing process of the surgery.

VR: What motivates you while running?

DS: What motivates me is the end, and no more pain. I just think: the faster I run, the faster I finish.

VR: What are some of your favorite post run snacks and drinks and why?

DS: I usually drink chocolate milk after I run. It

tastes really good and Coach Bowdoin says it also helps repair your muscles. I also eat oatmeal because it provides a lot of energy after a hard practice, and I usually eat it for breakfast on race days. I also make sure to drink a lot of water post-run and pre-run.

VR: What is your favorite kind of music to listen to while running and what are some songs that may be in your ear while running?

DS: I usually listen to fast-paced and upbeat songs because eventually I start to run to the beat of the song. Sometimes I listen to heavy metal because it makes me run faster because it’s super intense. I don’t have any specific songs right now, I usually just pick a pre-made playlist and listen to that, be

“Spring of 2021, my freshman year, I broke my hand by diving into third base during a softball game,” junior Addie Morris said. “I thought it was jammed, but I had an oblique fracture of my second metacarpal bone. I had to learn to throw and to drive with a plaster cast that was around my wrist and hand as well as my pointer and middle fingers.”

These injuries also limit the things that might seem normal to do otherwise, causing people to make adaptations to everyday life.

“I already hate parking, but parking one-hand ed as a new driver was scary, I would rate the expe rience around 3/10,” Morris said. “It was annoying having to wear a cast and not being able to play, but the injury itself barely hurt.”

Bella Tonkin ‘26 reporter

cause it’s hard to change music in the middle of run ning.

VR: You just earned the honor of getting the College Board’s National African American Rec ognition Award. How do you balance a rigorous academic schedule along with sports?

DS: Sometimes it’s really hard to get into a sched ule balancing homework and sports. Luckily, cross country is in the morning so I don’t have to stay after school for practice. I can get home, recover from the early morning practice and start on my homework. Time management is a super big thing. I get home, take a nap or relax for an hour and then have a cer tain time that I start my homework.

Junior Danae Simmons runs in the 400m at the district track meet on April 20. Brindley Ressetar / Bifrost stff

Caro Williams

Top photo: Junior AJ Cooper runs in the Valley Mills cross country meet prior to his concussion this season. Caro Williams / Review staff Above: Junior Addie Morris catches for softball in the Holy Trinity game while still facing problems from her injury a year before. Sage Su checki / Bifrost staff Right: Senior Anthony Foti plays in a state tennis match after fully recovering from his ACL injury last season. Archive photo

Groundbreaking

“I am excited for the new gym and all the new operations it will bring,” Livesay said.

Many things come with a new campus, but the most important of these is the new learning atmo sphere.

“I think the new expansions will change the expe rience entirely since new students will have access to things and facilities we never did,” Hale said.

Rice agreed.

“I think the upgrade will make the campus feel more like a college campus and when you have better facilities, I think you will learn better,” said Rice.

The proposed building design is a more tradition al, one-building school facility. It is a big change from the current multi-building campus where students travel by sidewalks through green spaces and outdoor seating areas as they go from one class to the next.

“I think that the new renovations will definitely change the Vanguard experience drastically,” Ibarra said. “The idea of the open college-campus feel that

Vanguard has will definitely go away because of the plan to connect the buildings and make the campus gated. I know there still will be some outdoor space, but overall, I think the feel of a college campus is defi nitely going to fade away when all the new changes are put in place.”

Although some students feel that the college ex perience will vanish, some believe it will not only stay but get better.

“I think it will change because they have new Fa cilities and newer classrooms. It will make their expe rience better,” said Livesay.

“It will allow more students to gain the opportu nity to study at an amazing school like Vanguard that prepares them for their future careers,” said Horner.

Every aspect of this new campus is catered to the student and to improve Vanguard.

“We’ve got some really good teachers and some really good programs and we know we have some re ally good students and in many of the cases our phys

ical facilities have been in need of being upgraded,” said Borg.

“I think that our administration and faculty will work hard to make sure that future Vanguard students will receive the same quality educational experience we’ve always provided,” Leslie said.

Horner said she has faith in the faculty and staff.

“I am excited for the future of Vanguard because I know with the faculty and staff we have it is headed in the right direction,” Horner said.“I can’t wait to see where Vanguard is in 50 years.”

Students have mixed feelings about the bitter sweet loss of their well known campus, partly because they will not be here to take advantage of the additions and upgrades.

“I am not sad that Vanguard is changing,” she said, “but I am sad that I will miss most of the up grades,”Rice said.

Ibarra agrees that the school needs new facilities, but wonders if it will feel like the same place when he

comes back post-graduation.

“I’m happy that the school is getting some much needed renovations but at the same time I’m a little sad because once I graduate and come back to visit in years down the road, the Vanguard that I went to for six years will look completely different,” he said. “I think I will feel like a stranger visiting a brand-new school, rather than an alumni who immediately feels a sense of nostalgia when going back to their old high school.”

Leslie reminds students that change is part of life.

“I’m not sad at all,” she said, “The nature of life is change and growth. Vanguard is not being rebuilt, it is evolving into a bigger and better version of what it’s always been.”

But Rice said, in the end, it’s all about the people.

“Just because the campus changes doesn’t mean the people that make Vanguard special are changing,” Rice said.

Parking lot

talked about how to handle the situation. It was less stressful knowing I hit Mr. Lefevbre’s car, because I knew he wasn’t going to get mad at me or be rude to me. I was honestly thankful it was his car versus a teacher I knew would not be as calm.” Reese added, “Although I was not very calm in this situation, I have learned from the experience to stay calm and just be honest about what happened because honesty will get you farther than anything else.”

Aidan Latino, junior, had his first fender bender near the softball field. He accidentally hit senior Ava Chavez when he was backing out of a parking space.

“I was very scared, because of my overconfi dence in my skills of driving and did not think that would happen,” Latino said. “After everything was over, I exchanged insurances with her mom. I have al ways been overly cautious whenever I’m backing out

or parking. I’ve never tried to squeeze into a spot since then. I always make sure I have more than enough room when parking and backing out and I always go slow when backing out [since that happened].”

Most driver’s education classes discuss the pro tocol for accident management, but some people do not remember or fully understand what to do when an accident occurs. The first thing that should happen is that the accident should be communicated to all par ties involved.

If someone is involved in a crash, Texas Transpor tation Code obligates the driver to do several things, said local attorney Matt Morrison.

“If the crash involves only damage to the vehicles, the driver must stop and either locate the owner of the vehicle and give that person their name and address as well as the name and address of the owner of the

vehicle, if the owner is not also the driver,” Morrison said, “or leave a note in a conspicuous place on the unattended vehicle with the same information. Not only is this the right thing to do, it is the law in Texas. If you fail to share this information and drive off, you may be charged with a criminal misdemeanor.”

Non-injury accidents can happen any time and at any place. If something worse happens and someone is injured, Morrison said, the driver must also provide reasonable assistance, including transporting or mak ing arrangements for transporting the injured person to a doctor or hospital if it is apparent that medical care is needed or if the injured person requests it.

“If the injuries require medical care, it is recom mended that you call 911 and let the medical pro fessionals handle the transportation,” Morrison said. “You must report the accident as quickly as possible

to the local police or sheriff’s office if there is injury or death to a person or a vehicle that cannot be normally and safely driven as a result of the damage.”

While that is unlikely to happen in a school park ing lot, it is good to be prepared for any situation.

After that, you or your parents need to contact your insurance company so they can expedite the claims process. An insurance carrier will pay for the damages done to the other car through property dam age liability insurance coverage, if it is determined you were at fault. In that case, your collision coverage will pay for the repairs needed for your own car once you’ve paid the deductible.

When all this is done, you have handled the situ ation. As long as you handle things properly, you can learn from the experience and adjust how you drive and move on.

Sports injuries

Morris found there were a couple of perks.

“I broke my right hand, and some teachers as sumed I was right-handed and gave me a little extra time on quizzes,” she said. “I’m left-handed.”

While that injury was very hard to prevent, not all injuries are inevitable. There are some simple ways to prevent minor injuries in sports that are caused by poor bodily maintenance.

“The easiest way to not get hurt [is] just don’t do sports, right,” Breitenwischer said. “Injuries are part of sports. The best way to prevent an injury is to take preventative measures to not get hurt. By that I mean, if you know you have a history of hamstring strains, [you might try] getting on some form of lower extremity therapy plan. It’s going to definitely be best to help strengthen those muscles, get your hips nice and strong. That way your risk of injury is as low as possible.”

Nearly 77 percent of students agree that stretch ing it an important part of injury prevention, according to the VR poll.

Breitenwischer looks at injury prevention with a

holistic approach.

“It’s not just one thing that’s going to fix an in jury,” he said. “It’s kind of multifaceted. Definitely making sure you’re fueled appropriately, making sure you’re hydrated, especially this age population, mak ing sure that you’re sleeping.”

But 43.7 percent of students said they do not drink enough water, according to the poll.

Sleep is a huge piece of recovery, along with lis tening to your body, Breitenwishcer said.

“A lot of young athletes are playing two, three, four, sometimes more sports, so they’re very active every single day, you know, all week, all month, all year,.” Breitenwischer said. “Just make sure to listen to your body, give yourself some days off to give your self a chance to recover. If you know you have a pre disposition for muscle injuries or sprains or something like that, get on some form of rehab or a therapy plan to help kind of offset some of those muscle imbalanc es will definitely will help. Just generally being active is good. That way you don’t necessarily ever have a chance to get out of shape. You’re kind of always just in shape.”