In high school, students rarely find time to do the hobbies that they love. Although building a tank drum and restoring old typewriters are not conventional hobbies, seniors Isaiah Gilbert and Braeden Forsthoff take pride in these unusual hobbies.

The final seconds tick down. The Vikings have the ball. Sophomore power forward, Rodney Johnson pushes his way through heavy traffic to get to the goal and score. As one of the youngest players on the team, Rodney continues to show growth as he advances to lead the team in the future.

It’s a tied match. One more hit, one more chance to win. He lifts his arm, the tennis racket clenched into his hand as the ball makes its way toward him. He makes contact with the ball, and it flies back over the net just out of reach of his opponents outstretched racket.

She stares at her phone screen, the expression on her face a mixture between disturbed and longing. Then, abruptly, she throws her phone on the couch next to her, stands up, and walks to the bathroom. She turns on the light and stares at herself in the mirror. Slowly, she shakes her head and leaves the bathroom. Tears begin forming in her eyes, but she forces them away. Why can’t I be like them?

The sun comes up over the horizon as day breaks and the wilderness awakens. On the banks of the river or hidden within a blind sits a woman waiting to break a societal stereotype by catching a fish or harvesting game. Though strides have been made over the last two decades to combat the ideas that outdoor activities are only for men, many still feel others are surprised when they find out they take part those activities.

November 6 is election day across the country. There are 435 empty seats available in the House of Representatives and 35 seats in the Senate along with many statewide and local positions. Those 18 or older and who are registered are eligible to take part in the election have been encouraged to vote.

Unity. Team work. Single mindedness.

The volleyball team encompasses what it means to work together toward a single goal. After moving up to 6A, the coach and team knew they had to become stronger, faster, and smarter than ever before. The team has risen to their own expectations and has entered district play as a force to be reckoned with.

Athlete safety has become more of a focus in recent years as things like concussions and general physical stamina have come under scrutiny. Prevention is key at any age, but in young athletes it has become the norm to help them prepare their entire body through multiple sports instead of pushing a single activity.

The crowd erupts as they try to distract the offense from their next play, motivating the defensive line to zero in on the ball and bring the quarterback to the ground behind the line of scrimmage. Senior middle linebacker Detarious Turner has become a leader for the Viking defense through experience, determination, and hard work.

With over 6 million active participants, 4-H is one of the largest youth programs in the country and helps develop leadership, responsibility, and work ethic. Senior Hannah Czajkowski has been involved in the 4-H program since she was 8 years old and in the third grade. After years of participation and dedication to 4-H she has advanced to a statewide leadership role.

In 2017, about 3.6 million middle schoolers and high schoolers used tobacco products. Vikings Kicking Out Tobacco, VKOT, has made tobacco prevention a priority at Bryan High and are aiming to stop the use of tobacco in schools.

Bright, flashing lights. Throngs of people. Conversation occasionally punctuated by laughter. The scent of food diffusing through the air. This was once the normal scene in the early to mid 1900s in downtown Bryan. However, as the city began to expand and businesses began moving closer to where people lived, downtown Bryan slowly fell into disrepair as malls and big-box retailers took over. What was once the cultural hub of town became a run-down, deserted reminder of times passed.

The runners get set in the blocks and await the sound of the starter’s pistol. BANG. Athletes explode off the line as they look toward the finish. Seniors Miranda Golden and Charnell Gibson advanced to area to help the team win the area championship. While Gibson focuses on the shot put event, Miranda participates in the 4×4, 300 m hurdles, high jump, and occasionally the relays, but out of all of these, the hurdles is her favorite event.

The Kickstart Kids program started 25 years ago as a way to teach responsibility and character development in addition to building self-esteem by engaging kids in a school-based activity. The program’s tagline is “character through karate” and aims to develop the entire student as it reaches over 8,500 students in 56 schools across Texas. This […]

Some siblings live their lives in an infinite cycle of sibling rivalry, and being twins can fuel those fires even more. While some siblings choose to work against each other, some learn to work together. That is exactly what Jacquelyn and Jessica Adams have learned, and they have been an unstoppable force ever since they first stepped onto the softball field.

The sun rises over the horizon as the light reflects off the glassy surface of the water. The boat rocks back and forth as the guys watch their corks bob up and down slowly in the water, waiting for that first bite of the morning. Last year, students joined a fishing team that travels around Texas and competes. The tranquility of fishing is mixed with the intensity of competition as they participate as members of the fishing team which is sponsored by Darren Nobles who works at Rudder where he sponsors their team as well.

Everyone who has played in some kind of sport has set goals for themselves; whether it’s physical, mental, or both. Many times, these goals can take months, even years, to reach. For one junior, Blaine Bright, the goals he set are ready and waiting; just a few more practices combined with continuing dedication, and those […]

Legacy. Generations. Vikings. Family. With nineteen members in the Guest/Kubichek family, blue and silver runs deep. As a pitcher on the Viking baseball team, senior Kobly Kubichek controls the flow of the game from the mound as his teammates look to him for leadership and he finds support from the other eight players on the field. Within his family unit, Kobly experiences many of the same qualities found on the field as each member of his family supports him and cheers him on helping him to the next step in his journey as a baseball player.

It’s 6:30 AM, 34º outside, and the sun still hasn’t broke the horizon yet, but divers are already in the pool working to perfect their craft. Since diving is a part of the swimming overall competition, teams who don’t have any divers do not earn points toward the team competition. Swim coach Glen Williams saw this as a problem the team could rectify and has started developing divers on the team.

When an athlete gets hurt, they go to the athletic training room at the Field House to be assessed and to do rehab, all with the goal of being back on the field or court. What an athlete will find when they enter the athletic training room is that it’s a different culture full of awesome student athletic trainers who drop what they are doing to help injured athletes. When an injured athlete sits on the table to be assessed, they might look down and see a hedgehog rolling across the floor in her ball. That hedgehog is Pickles, the athletic training team’s class pet.

Beads of sweat break out across their brow. Their jaws are clenched as each second ticks by until they are clear. The judge signals that it was a clean lift and they drop the bar to the ground with a resounding crash. Seniors Kaywin McCall and Mark Vavra work day in and day out to perfect the craft of powerlifting and push themselves further than they ever thought possible.

The horse and rider appear to be one as they move around the arena, each anticipating the next move, each relying on the other to perform at their highest level.

Most people dream of playing in big league sports. For many, it’s only a dream which transforms into watching what could have been from behind a screen. For one boy at Bryan High, that might not be the case. As a child senior Alejandro Gomez enjoyed playing soccer with his family. Alejandro has been solid since day one at Bryan High and has led the team since he started.

Bright lights, goals, black and white checkered balls rolling across the grass. Senior Ryka Shea is in her element. As she passes the ball to the offense, she catches her breath and grins to herself. This is the place she loves to be: on the field with her teammates experiencing the type of adrenaline only a game can provide. Though Ryka always looks for a competitive edge, she also focuses on being positive on and off the field, recognizing that attitude can go a long way.

Bees swarm around their white box home as they fly in and out working on their honeycomb. Senior Sydney Wilkinson enjoys the buzzing of bees as she maintains their home and helps foster a healthy atmosphere for them to live. What started as a way to meet a school requirement has transformed into a life-long passion while also helping the environment.

The marching band competed in the 5A Area marching contest in Galena Park on October 28 where they advanced to the state contest held on Wednesday, November 8 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

The pristine shine of polished hardwood, crowds screaming “Defense!”, coaches yelling for players to watch the ball, and only 30 seconds left on the clock. For senior Wade McGregor, this is the atmosphere that pushes and inspires him to keep coming back to the game he loves to play.

They look down the green with narrowed eyes to block out the sun’s glare. After adjusting the clubs in their hands, they mentally calculate the distance and the amount of force they must swing to get a tiny ball over 300 yards across a field while avoiding water hazards, sand traps, and trees while taking into account the wind. Becoming more confident, they swing, and the balls fly away through the air. For sophomore Skye Faldyn and senior Ellie Conrad, this has become natural.

Working one’s way up to the top requires hard word, dedication, time, effort, and patience. When a sophomore earns their spot on a varsity team, the style of play changes. It’s faster, it’s harder, it’s more aggressive, and it’s overwhelming, but as the seasons pass, the player gains experience and that sophomore who was overwhelmed now leads the team. Senior Charnell Gibson has experienced this in basketball, starting out on the JV team as a freshman and then as a sophomore on varsity. She was immersed in the change of pace and is now leading the charge on the court.

For the past three years, seniors have spent the last days of summer vacation painting their parking spots. Senior parking spots have become a tradition, and the parking spots reflect the passions and interests of each student.
Seniors Lina Rice, Matthew Edge, and Maddie Giles each painted their spots themselves and look at them as representations of who they are as individuals.

One basket, a few ingredients, 40 minutes on the clock. With all of these things, a team of three to five members must create a dish, a cost analysis, a list of its nutritional value, and present the final dish to a panel of judges. Through Texas 4-H, junior Hannah Czajkowski has been given the opportunity to compete in the 4-H Food Challenge and even make it as far as the State 4-H Food Challenge Contest, and winning the National 4-H Food Challenge Contest in October with two other team members.

The lights overhead, the crowd cheering, the team pushing for another win – Friday night lights are in full swing. All of this may seem overwhelming, but for senior cheerleaders Jada Moody and Hannah Broussard, it’s the most exciting part of their week. Before the squad could take the field for the season, they attended […]

The alarm sounds. It’s 5AM, and the only option is to wake up and get to practice. So they pushes themselves out of bed, get ready, and beats the sun to the horizon. Day after day. This is the ritual of the cross country team, 56 members who have been undaunted by the early morning practices. With such a big team, team captain junior Nick Defoy has taken charge and became a leader on the team in practice, at meets, and in the classroom.

Varsity sports are frequently dominated by upperclassmen who have both the skill level and experience to eclipse younger players, but sometimes a young player demonstrates the ability to earn their spot on the team.

High school athletes await the day where the college of their dream signs them to play the sports they’ve spent years of their life working to perfect their best abilities, while playing games almost every Friday night against teams that might be bigger and stronger, and keeping that drive and school spirit in mind with every yard line crossed. Senior Ylijaah Hall is experiencing that after Baylor University signed him to play football next season.

This year, Bryan High met standard according to the state by earning five out of the seven possible distinctions the state can award a school for the fourth year in a row.

Half a century. The Golden Anniversary. Decades of dedication, school spirit, and the art of dancing, make up the Shy-Annes drill team. This year the team looks to celebrate fifty years with a breakfast, homecoming performance, and spring show involving present and past Shy-Anne members. Over 100 former members will be recognized on the field […]

Dr. Christie Whitbeck walks down the hallway at Bryan High School, just one of more than twenty schools under her supervision. She excels at troubleshooting and has an air of confidence about her – it comes with the job. But she also carries a story. A story unique to her which pushes her. One that involves the passing of both her husband and her son. One that has pushes her to listen – to listen to the stories of the employees who answer to her and the students she serves because she knows they matter.

From a bolero romantic serenade with a soft touch, to huapango which uses a lot of falsetto, to son jalisiense which involves an aggressive style of vocalization, mariachi music fits many different settings and captures an audience hungry for rhythm and entertainment. Orchestra teacher John Lemons started a mariachi group this year after a meeting […]

Wrestling coach Michael Zito has coached wrestling at Bryan High for the last 23 years. He grew up wrestling and attended school in Northeastern Ohio where he developed his passion for the sport before knee injuries prevented him from continuing as an athlete. He now uses his wrestling experience and passion for teaching to motivate […]

The circle drive is now a no parking zone and violators may be ticketed by the police department. All visitors are asked to park in the front lot and enter the campus through the secure check-in area before being buzzed into the school. These changes have been made to increase campus safety.

The hum of the crowd echoes across the field to the pitcher. She takes a deep breath before she hurls a softball across the plate. Despite the speed and curve of the ball, the bat makes contact, and the ball arcs through the air…into the waiting glove of the center fielder. The pitcher and center fielder grin at each other before running back toward the dugout as the side is retired. This is a normal occurrence in junior Rebekah Hubachek and senior Emily Hubachek’s life. The sisters have played softball for much of their lives and now play together for Bryan High.

A baseline beat resonates from the stage as the choir begins to sing and captures the attention of the audience. Vocal Legacy, the a cappella choir group is composed of some of the best singers at Bryan High and in that mix is sophomore Graham Littlefield who excels at beatboxing.

Keeping in-step with complicated choreography, telling the story of the performance through facial expressions, and keeping the beat with big drums, simultaneously can be a challenge. Members of Viking Indoor Percussion manage the challenges that come with the production with vigor and determination evidenced by their first place finish at the Texas Color Guard Circuit earlier this year.

His mind is clear. His vision zeroes in on the target. There is no sound. The only thing he is aware of is the object in front of him: the bar. His task, get over the bar. Junior pole vaulter Campbell Webb experiences this at each track meet.

Teams are like families. They count on each other, hang out together, and and come together as a team. They may not always get along, but in the end, they always have each other’s backs. The Paholek sisters have taken this concept to the next level in that the girls are both teammates and sisters.

Swimming is a sport where fractions of seconds make the difference in medaling and hoping for a better time next season. Freshman Abby Surley has progressed this season to shave entire seconds off her time and advance to state as an individual and a part of two relay teams. Filling the role of breaststroker has been integral to the team’s overall success, helping them earn both a silver and bronze medal at the state meet.

Millennials are labeled as a generation of self-absorbed, technology addicted citizens, but stereotypes don’t always apply. Senior Sam Opersteny isn’t interested in the latest app or song on Billboard’s top 100 list, instead he enjoys spending time outdoors working with his hands and doing other things not typically associated with teenagers.

There seems to be a greater push to make students plan their future at a younger age. As fourth graders are expected to make decisions now that will affect them in high school. Sometimes though, students don’t know what they are interested in until they are older and have been exposed to different activities. Senior Clifton Johnson has experienced this shift in interest first-hand and tried something new his senior year.

He dives to catch the outfield fly ball. He fields the fast-paced grounder on the infield before throwing it to the first baseman for an out. He concentrates on the catcher’s signals before firing another strike across the plate. Junior Hunter Van Etten makes sure he doesn’t get too comfortable in any one position as he is a utility player for the Vikings and moves frequently. Hunter developed a passion for the game from an early and has worked to develop his skills in every position.

Successful teams are created whenever the members stop relying on the talent of themselves and begin working together. Each individual athlete may be good, but when they’re put together they’re great. Seniors Makayla Howard and Quinteria Johnson have found this to be true in track as they run on the relay team.

Consistency, accuracy, precision are all characteristics associated with athletes and the sports they participate, but most people overlook darts as a competition because it’s seen mostly as a hobby where people just joke around. While many people are unaware of the sport itself, its unique requirements make the game challenging while providing the opportunity for competitors to be highly competitive and pursue championships matches across the country. School provided a way for biology teacher Hayley Ask, algebra teacher Paul Ruiz, and senior Sarah Payan to find the sport of darts.

Architectural design students, sophomore Jose Torres and senior Russell Oplinger, competed in the SkillsUSA architecture competition held in Beaumont earlier this month and advanced to the state competion. Jose placed 1st in the architectural drafting project while Russell earned 2nd in the same event to advance to state. Russell also earned 1st place in computer […]

Athletes connect to their sports at a deep level as they spend hours honing their skills and making sacrifices for their craft. Soccer players must maintain a level of endurance not required in many other sports and junior Erin Nugent has used those lessons in endurance in all areas of her life. Erin has spent the past thirteen years playing soccer both in league and with the school.

Phone apps have recently entered a new market that is aimed to help students pay attention instead of adding to the distractions that plague high school and college students. Pocket Points is an app that utilizes location services at Bryan High while locking a student’s phone to prevent usage. In exchange, the app rewards users […]

The accounting class opened a school store February 1st in hopes of learning practical business experience to enhance learning while also providing a service to the school. “When students can apply what they’re are learning in the classroom to real life experiences. Viking Corner has supplies and school merchandise available for purchase before school, and […]

Through the International Baccalaureate program offered at Bryan High,students are required to do a CAS project which includes components of community, action, and service. These projects push students to investigate, prepare, take action, reflect, and demonstrate. Although the IB program heavily focuses on academics, it also stresses the importance of creating well-rounded students who contribute to their community. Juniors Keaton Hare, Lucy Raleigh, and Ike Taylor worked with the local Down Syndrome Association to host a sweetheart dance for Valentine’s Day to provide an opportunity for these students while also learning about the process of hosting the event.

The curtain rises as all the hours of work, tears, and nerves culminate in this single moment. The Narrator begins the story: “Once upon a time in a far off kingdom”, and the stage comes to life transporting the audience into the fairy tale world. Fine arts students involved with choir, band, and theatre labored for months creating their own version of the Tony Award-winning musical Into the Woods.

While most high school sports are characterized by the cheering fans or screeching whistles, sports like powerlifting are often overshadowed. Powerlifting is a unique sport in which athletes compete in weightlifting competitions in the squat, bench, and deadlift. Junior Shelbie Walker is an example of a student athlete demonstrating her potential in the realm of powerlifting.

As the time ticks off the clock, a wrestler learns what they are truly capable of. The first five minutes of the match takes everything a wrestler has, but all of the weariness fades away when they are down and has to push through the final minute to make sure their hand is raised at the end of the match. Wrestling is an immensely demanding sport and senior Caden Scott has spent the past four years conditioning and preparing for each final minute.

Sweat drips down his face. Adrenaline pumps through his body as he sprints up and down the field. A game plan runs quickly through his mind as he decides his next move before an opponent attempts to steal the ball. Once he feels he’s in the right position to go for it, he kicks the ball, and GOAL! Sophomore Frank Rodriguez has earned his team another point.

Since crashes caused by texting and driving are increasing, cities and states are taking action to prevent these disasters from taking place. On November 9, College Station enacted a new law that makes it illegal to use handheld electronic devices while driving, excluding times when the driver is stopped at a stoplight or is in an emergency situation.

I walk into the ring. I feel numb. I can’t hear the crowd. Every sense is focused on my coach and my opponent. The bell rings and we both head to the center of the mat as the crowd awaits the victor. Senior Jackie Perry explains that he experiences this each time he competes in a mixed martial arts match.

Too many times, students aren’t taught about uncomfortable topics until after they have already been exposed to the situation and find themselves struggling to figure things out on their own. In these situations, students frequently blame themselves and flounder under the pressure of a reality they don’t really understand.

The state of Texas rolled out a new A-F grading system this year to assess individual schools and districts based on standardized testing results. The complex system of sub-population indicators, categories, and other data gathered on a state level is reduced to a simple letter grade. Educators argue that when presented to the public as a stand alone assessment, is not an accurate representation of student or school success.

Basketball is the definition of a team sport. Five players on the court must interact in a seamless fashion to effectively protect their own goal and score points in their opponent’s. Injuries and setbacks can ruin a season and cripple a team, but they can also be used to strengthen bonds and push the team to come together even more.

Creativity is in every aspect of life, whether we want to admit it or not. Art teacher Samantha Bennett understands that concept well, by taking creativity and making a living with it, but also incorporating it into her everyday life. Whether it be a doodle on a random piece of paper, or her entire wedding, creativity plays an important role in her life.

The lights blind senior Caleb Duane as he takes the stage. He feels the familiar rush of adrenaline as a hush falls over the audience. Caleb is used to performing to both crowds large and small, but this time it’s different. This time he is performing for the shows creator. This time he portrays a character with the writer, who originally brought this true story to stage, sitting in the audience.

Walking into the gym on a cold Tuesday night, there’s a basketball pounding the floor and a crowd roaring at the game they’re watching. The Bryan High varsity boy’s basketball team is led by 6’2”, 180 pounds of pure toughness, junior Zach Nutall who averaged 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists last season as a sophomore, and is constantly improving his averages and the team’s success.

A young boy crawls out of bed before dawn, puts his bare feet on the rocky ground, and starts his treacherous 2.3 mile journey to get clean water. As he fumbles through the darkness, his body begins to ache and beads of sweat form on his brow. When he finally reaches his destination, he fills […]

For thirty days she was isolated from the outside world, only able to see long dirt roads and forgotten trails through the Continental Divide. The race stretched on for 2,768.4 miles as she faced dehydration, starvation, lightning storms, and isolation. Junior Lina put her body and mind through the toughest experience she ever faced when […]

When most people move schools, they are nervous about what type of first impression they are going to make on their teachers and fellow classmates. This was a similar experience for senior Ashton Edwards when she moved to Bryan High School from Granbury, Texas during her junior year.

Reducing the pregame, game, and postgame to a short thirty-second segment that tells the entire story takes both talent and dedication. Junior Jeannye Aguilar has found her niche in the video technology class where she excels at transforming big moments on campus into even bigger memories on screen.

As a Texan, sitting around a bowl of Blue Bell ice cream is nothing short of normal. Whether it be enjoying a sweet bowl of the Great Divide, or sobbing into a half-gallon tub of Cookie Two-Step, Blue Bell is as much a Texas symbol as bluebonnets, armadillos, or cowboys. Two seniors, Caleb Duane and Kassie Gough, earned the opportunity to be a part of the Blue Bell revival after the listeria outbreak damaged their public image. Both students enjoyed the experience as it combined one of their favorite foods with one of their favorite hobbies.

The golf team hosted the first annual Maliska/Hicks Memorial Boys Varsity Tournament this year at the Texas A&M golf course. The tournament is named after former Viking players Garrett Maliska, who passed away in 2011 from Glioblastoma Cancer, and John Harden Hicks II, who passed away last November from Glioblastoma Brain Cancer.

The automotive technology program earned certification from the National Automotive Technician Education Foundation (NATEF) which gave them a distinction shared by only 60 other schools in Texas.

What it means to be a Viking can’t be summed up with a single word or item, but instead is made up of many parts to create the whole. Each activity, club, sport, and individual student comes together to make Bryan High a unique place where students are at the center. The idea that the sum is greater than the parts can be seen in the quilt principal Lane Buban’s mother Sharon Buban created for the school. The quilt is made of t-shirts from various groups around the school and will be hung in the Silver Cafeteria area as a reminder of the collective spirit of the Vikings.

Society is full of cruelty and negativity, something as simple as a rock could change the way people perceive themselves, others, and the world around them. Inspiration can be found in places of little importance and can dramatically affect a person’s outlook on life. Around the Brazos Valley, a group of people are using rocks to spread a message of positivity and generosity towards one another.

Packing, saying good-bye to their family, being the new kid at school, living in a whole different country for an entire school year, staying with a host family, and not knowing what to expect are things foreign exchange students experience while being apart of the program. Junior Daleyeong traveled halfway around the world from South Korea to attend an American school and experience life in a new culture.

Juniors stumble out of bed early in the morning making sure they’re prepared for the hours of bubbling a scantron ahead of them. In their heads, they constantly chant “don’t forget your calculator,” and try to memorize all kinds of tips and tricks their teachers have been drilling them on for weeks. Students move to […]

“Now introducing the Pride of Bryan, the Bryan Viking Band!” The announcer’s voice booms as the band takes the field and performs their showcase for 7 minutes. Those 7 minutes on Friday nights represent hours of practice. Early mornings and late nights come together into one audience pleasing performance – “Phobia”. The show would not be complete without one of the drum majors, Christine McCall. Christine is in an interesting position to help further the success of the band due to her brother, Cooper McCall also being a drum major last year.

Practice starts before the sun rises. Most students are still in bed while the cross country team laces up their shoes and hit the road running. Senior Nathaniel Steel serves as captain on the cross country team and has continued to improve throughout his high school career. After running cross country in middle school, Nathan joined the team in high school to continue his running career.

Lights, sounds, colors engulf the busy streets of the city. Open spaces, green grass, majestic views creating a calming effect in the country. Initially these images seem in contrast, but four BHS students were able to experience both as they traveled to Australia and New Zealand over the summer through Explorica, a non-school related program […]

Fall in Texas brings about slightly cooler weather, holidays, and football. Backyards are full of kids learning how to throw a spiral while their friends speed downfield, avoiding random pieces of playground equipment. Most high school athletes get their start joking around and hanging out with friends on the weekends without any structure or real […]

As the volleyball team begins the second half of district play, they are undefeated having only lost one set to College Station and sweeping the rest, senior Emily Hubacek serves as a leader on the team. As Emily looks to her collegiate career where she will play at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, she stays focused on the task at hand as the team works to place first in district and go deep into the playoffs.

As the sun rose over campus on Wednesday, September 28, students gathered around the flagpole at Bryan High School to participate in the annual See You at the Pole event. The event encourages students nationwide to gather at their school’s flagpole to pray for their school, teachers, and fellow classmates as a public display of […]

“Do we really have to go outside? Can’t we just close the door and wait in the classroom?” students ask teachers as the alarm sounds signaling a fire drill. The lack of concern and idea that nothing bad could happen to them was the mentality Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos aimed to change by sharing their story.

For the past three years, Bryan High School has received five out of the seven STAAR distinctions including: reading and ELA, math, science, and social studies indicators, as well as post secondary readiness. The two distinctions the school is still working to achieve are student progress and closing the achievement gap.

Camping, selling cookies, and badges are things that people normally associate with Girl Scouts. Though these activities are usually at the forefront of what people assume a Girl Scout is, there is a lot more to it than the normal stereotype. It provides opportunities that are not normally available to people. Freshman Emma Turner got to experience one of these opportunities this summer when she ventured on a trip to Europe with other Texas Girl Scouts from the last week of July to the first week of August.

Children of the ‘90s dreamed about wanting to be the very best like no one ever was just like Ash Ketchum. The thought of catching a real life Pokemon has been the fascination of fans of the franchise ever since the first set of games came out in 1998. Rumors of an app to make that dream a reality debuted in April 2015 and filled longtime fans with anticipation to finally be able to become a Pokemon master. July of 2016, Niantic and The Pokemon Company officially released the app Pokemon Go for Android and iOS users across the U.S.

Students returned to campus this year noticing several big changes including a secure single entrance to campus, a new dining area, and a new press box. These construction projects were funded by a bond passed a year and a half ago and have helped Bryan High in regards to both safety and functionality.

Images of babies born with underdeveloped heads have stricken people across the world with fear at the idea of how much damage a tiny mosquito bite can do. The media contributes to panic any time a potential pandemic arises, first with Swine Flu, then Ebola, and now the Zika virus. Symptoms can be nonexistent to severe in people infected with the Zika virus which makes it all that more dangerous for transmission.

Five-hundred students sat at lunch surrounded by sixty feet of glass as a tornado touched down less than two miles away. There was no time to panic as administrators moved to shelter in locations around the school. That was the job entrusted to principal Lane Buban as the tornado moved away from the high school and toward his home.

As the swimmers walk out and take the plunge into the pool the crowd goes silent. Each swimmer positions themselves as the officials calls for them to take their mark. A single beep sounds and cheers explode from the stands as the swimmers explode off the walls. So many thoughts and emotions were filling junior Julia Cook’s head as she stood on the swimmer’s block staring down at the water. For Julia, everything was on the line. Competing in the 2016 Olympic trials in Omaha, Nebraska in both the 100 and 200 meter backstroke set the stage for college and a potential future as Olympic swimmer.

Focused. The picture. The mindset. Each has to be focused when it comes to photography if the desired outcome is to be achieved. Society sometimes attempts to dictate what individuals are capable of when they interpret a challenge as an impossible obstacle, but senior Steven Gonzalez proves that idea wrong. Though Steven faces difficulties because of vision loss he has continued to pursued his passion for photography with creative grace.

Texans take pride in their state symbols: the armadillo, the yellow rose, the state flag, bluebonnets, Blue Bell, Dr. Pepper, and of course Whataburger. In a town where orange and white paint usually doesn’t gain a lot of support, senior Ross McGregor used the two colors to create a masterpiece every Texan can support. For the entirety of the 2016-2017 school year, Ross will park in his reserved space at school, marked by the familiar stripes of the Whataburger order tents.

The Viking Wall of Honor is seeking nominations for the second annual award. The goal of the award is to honor and acknowledge employees who have served Bryan High School and made an impact on the students and school.

Creating art, singing opera, and creative writing provide an outlet for senior Lauren Bernal. Beginning in the sixth grade, Lauren found her passion for art creating simple drawings.

Up stairs. Down stairs. Wind sprints. Exhausting work for any athlete, but an average day for senior Chassidy Rusk. Though she doesn’t run in any track events, she is a part of the shot put team and it’s much more than hurling an 8.8 lb. steel ball down the field.

The feeling of anticipation rises as players and fans watch as the neon ball zips through the night sky and sails toward the centerfield fence right before it lands soundly in senior Morgan Chavarria’s glove for the final out of the inning.