The Norseman

Evolution of video games more than child’s play

Ron Toback-Wolf • May 18, 2022

Not enough people play video games. At least not at the current rate and quality at which they’re produced. In America, there’s so many people who care about the newest superhero movie or the latest...

High-tech high tech: Junior learns to operate drones

Ron Toback-Wolf • April 6, 2022

For centuries, humans have longed to soar high above the landscape below. As technology has continued to advance, humans can now have a bird’s eye view without even leaving the ground. That’s why junior Mason Rice was so intrigued when his former media director brought a drone to church, and inspired to pursue drones as a hobby and potentially a source of income.

Selling the pitch: How creativity, consistency combine to craft quality characters

Ron Toback-Wolf • January 5, 2022

As someone who cares a lot about storytelling and characters, there are certain topics that come up a lot. What stands out to me is creative, unique, big set-piece moments or characters. They can be comedic...

Teacher utilizes childlike imagination, individualizes curriculum to reach students

Ron Toback-Wolf • December 8, 2021

Stephen Dillon, who has had a big imagination ever since he was a child, has taken his love for stories and creativity with him all through his life.

Out-working failure: Senior credits school record to hard work

Ron Toback-Wolf • October 15, 2021

There’s a social stigma around the number 100 that makes it so substantial. Turning 100 years old, scoring 100 points on a test, publishing 100 issues of a comic. The number 100 is something people strive for around the world. On September 14, senior Caroline McCall not only surpassed 100 wins in her high school tennis career, but set a new record for Bryan High.

Giddy for Ghibli: Studio creates superior visuals, storytelling

Ron Toback-Wolf • September 28, 2021

There's a studio that's made multiple academy-award-winning movies with phenomenal visuals, characters, and storytelling. And yet people look at them not like the brilliant masterpieces they are, but...

Thespians advance to national event in duet performance

Ron Toback-Wolf • April 30, 2021

Every year, Texas theatre troupes head to the International Thespian Society Conference. At the conference, students from schools all over Texas come to compete in different areas in hopes of advancing to nationals. Texas Thespians is a state group that organizes a yearly conference where students can attend workshops, see other high school productions, and compete with scenes, songs, or individual performances.

Every piece fell into place: Resurgence of chess fueled through online access, media, celebrities

Ron Toback-Wolf • April 29, 2021

2021 has been an unpredictable year. With the storming of the capitol, the business about the vaccine, Zack Snyder’s Justice League cut actually being good, lots of things happened that not many people expected. One surprise in particular is the popularization and resurgence of a certain game of wits.

Junior pursues passion, soars to new heights

Ron Toback-Wolf • February 4, 2021

Becoming a pilot is a lofty goal. It takes a very down-to-earth man to truly soar in the air, plane and simple. Junior James Addison has put hours of work into his flight training, and has shown great results. After flying his first plane at the age of 13, James has spent the last three years studying and working to become a licensed pilot.

How to write right: Developing characters creates memorable stories

Ron Toback-Wolf • December 6, 2020

I will admit, I’m no god when it comes to writing. I often have trouble starting or continuing to write projects, as the ideas I get excited about are many and frequent. There are some advantages to thinking of many ideas instead of focusing on a single one, though. Not only is there an audience for shorter stories that don’t take much commitment to read, but any one of those ideas could be fleshed out at any point. The most prominent reason I prefer short stories, though, is that any character I make, for any story, can be reused in a different story without too much effort.

Savvy seniors utilize quaran-time to secure new skills

Ron Toback-Wolf • October 19, 2020

With this whole pandemic thing going on, everyone’s been suffering. People were locked up in their homes, whether they liked it or not, and had limitless time with limited money. Jobs were scarce, meaning that people had to find different ways to make money. Some seniors at Bryan High took this opportunity to get creative and found ways to make money and be productive on their own.

Hope rises for detective story fans with gaming franchise

Ron Toback-Wolf • September 17, 2020

The world has no shortage of good detective stories. Sherlock Holmes, Murder on the Orient Express, and Nancy Drew have captivated audiences across all ages. But those are all old hat. As of this decade, a new franchise of spine-tingling, brain-tickling video games/visual novels has reared its head in Japan, and has since spread to America. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is a detective game featuring the fierce contention of Hope and Despair. It was created by the Japanese company Spike Chunsoft and published on November 25, 2010, with two sequels following shortly after. Needless to say, the series has made a huge impact on Japanese culture, and has rubbed onto American culture as well.