The Aerial View

CISD Awards Grant to Forensics Classes

sarah — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:40:23 +0000

Forensic Science Teacher Paige Foltermann has been awarded a massive grant from CISD. The lucky educators who receive these grants use the money to get new, updated technology and equipment in classrooms. This is critical in a forensics class where students are analyzing microscopic pieces of evidence.
“I got $17,000. The limit was $25,000, but I didn’t want to be greedy. I think I was chosen for it because my focus was on how my students will be better able to learn forensic science if they have access to the same equipment used in a real crime investigation lab,” Foltermann said.
Foltermann, who has been awarded grants before, has never received a grant like this one.
“I’ve never gotten a grant this large. I was so excited. It felt like all my hard work paid off,” Foltermann said.
While this year’s seniors won’t have time to use the new technology, next year’s classes will have newer and more updated equipment than in past years.
“I’m ordering some equipment from Sirchie, including a digital video comparison system, a dual stage digital comparison microscope, and an alternative light source set with goggles. I’ll be able to add a couple of new lab stations next to computers so the equipment can be hooked up to computers. The room will be even more crowded than it already is, but I think it will be worth it,” Foltermann said.
The new technology she purchases will make the labs much more digital than in previous years.
“Students will be able to capture images, video images, and use a stylus to label key points on samples of evidence. For example, two fingerprints side by side can be magnified, viewed, photographed, adjusted, and the points used to compare can be marked. This image can then be printed and saved. This will basically add another layer to how we analyze evidence. Students will also be able to save their data to a flash drive or a computer,” Foltermann said.
With all of the extra equipment that will be in the room, the students will have entirely new units created to utilize the new technology.
“We will do an entire unit on how evidence can be manipulated and forged. I already know that we will add this equipment to what we already do with fibers, hair, prints, and trace evidence. We will be able to do so much more than with just a microscope. Other than that, I will have to learn to use this new equipment before I add anything else. This year’s students are jealous,” Foltermann said.
Getting a grant is very difficult. It’s a long process and involves a lot of hard work, dedication, and patience.
“No one giving out a grant wants to give money unless the applicant is willing to do the work to get the funding. I hate waiting for anything, but I have applied for grants before and not gotten them, so I was not too worried this time. It involved something like an essay: an outline on why I needed the equipment, how I was going to use it in the classroom, things like that,” Foltermann said.
Foltermann spent several hours writing the application and the outlining how she was going to use the money to improve her students’ experiences and how the technology would be able to enhance how they analyze data.
“I had to choose the products I wanted, find vendors that sold them, and then explain how they would help students in my classroom. I had to outline the forensic science units where I would use the equipment, and also outline how my students were going to benefit from having these new items,” Foltermann said.
Although the students will be learning much differently with the technology, Foltermann says her teaching style won’t change much, other than to adapt to the new equipment.
“I’m going to add the use of this technology to all our mock crime scenes, so my teaching will not change other than instructing students on how to use the new, fun equipment. I want to thank Christine Fleming and Ron Mlcak for telling me about the grant and helping me apply. I couldn’t have done it without them,” Foltermann said.

Feltman Leads Senior Class

sarah — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:39:48 +0000

High school can open many doors for hard working students, including Senior R. J. Feltman. He is graduating in June as Valedictorian in his class containing approximately 730 seniors. Feltman has taken the highest level classes a student can take in high school and is pleased with how his hard work has payed off.
“I took all AP classes and pretty much the highest level of classes I could take. I’ve always wanted to be valedictorian; It’s always been a competition, so I worked hard and got good grades,” Feltman said.
Feltman is involved in various extracurricular activities, including baseball, National Honor Society, National English Honors Society and Mu Alpha Theta. Aside from this, he constantly has tests to study for.
“If I have a test I usually study a couple days before and just pay attention in class,” Feltman said.
Feltman looked at various colleges such as Tulane, Baylor, and George Washington, but Texas A&M was the college that stood out the most to him. It was the perfect fit for Feltman’s goal of majoring in Political Science and becoming a lawyer.
“I wanted to go to A&M because both of my parents went there and it has great academics,” Feltman said.
Texas A&M has given Feltman a full tuition scholarship as a reward for being Valedictorian of his class. He plans to get his bachelor’s degree at A&M and possibly return for two more years to complete his master’s degree; it all depends on whether or not it is needed after he completes law school.
“I might get my master’s degree, if I need it to finish law school or not. I plan to minor in whatever law I get into,” Feltman said.
Feltman is looking forward to not just attending college but finding new ways to live and returning to help the people who always encouraged him.
“I’m looking forward to a new environment in college, living on my own and getting a good education,” Feltman said.
Feltman plans to come back after college and work to give back to the community. He wants to leave here being remembered not just as valedictorian, but also as someone who was able to help the people around him.
“I want to go to school and come back as a lawyer. I want to be remembered as somebody who helped give back to the community,” Feltman said.

Cheerleaders Raise Money for St. Jude’s

sarah — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:38:56 +0000

War Eagle cheerleaders are fighting against children’s illness by collecting money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. The cheerleaders have raised almost $5,000 in a short half year.
St. Jude’s mission is to find cures for children with cancer or other catastrophic diseases through research and development. No family ever pays St. Jude for anything, so the hospital relies greatly on public contributions.
“The money goes directly to the St. Jude Children’s Hospital to help pay for the treatment of patients there,” Parker said.
It was a long process, but the cheerleaders did everything they could to raise as much money for the hospital as possible.
“We turned in over 1,200 letters to be sent out to community members over the summer that explained where the donations were going, the cause, and some of the patient’s stories. We also collected change with our ‘Game Day Get Backs,’ where we asked for donations from both sides of the stadium during football games and handed out ‘We Believe’ wristbands to people who donated,” Parker said.
The money they raised will go towards helping fund not only the patients, but also the hospital as a whole.
“The money goes to the kids who have cancer, sickle cell, or other rare diseases that are receiving treatment at the hospital. Also the research they gather at St. Jude is sent to hospitals all over the world to help a lot of patients. It takes $1.8 million a day to run one facility,” Parker said.
It may not have been a big deal for them at first, but once the cheerleaders realized the amount of people they could help with the money they were raising, they were excited to make their fundraising efforts even better.
“The idea was introduced by Varsity, the leading cheer organization. At first, we just participated to participate but then we saw all the money we were able to raise and decided to make it a big deal,” Parker said.
It wasn’t only the patients who benefitted from the fundraiser, but the cheerleaders and Parker got a feeling of satisfaction out of it as well.
“Doing this fundraiser made me feel great, especially getting to tour the hospital and getting to know some of the families and patients there. Getting to see it with your own eyes really puts things into perspective,” Parker said.
With this fundraiser being a success, Parker plans to continue with the program for a long time.
“We are going to go even harder and bigger next time,” Parker said.
This was a great opportunity for the cheerleaders to see the difference they are able to make.
“It was awesome to see the impact that the smallest things could make in the lives of these children,” Senior Kaelin Dryer said.

Sophomore Pursues Love for Golf

sarah — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:31:07 +0000

Sometimes it takes a few years to realize what sport someone loves playing the most. For one student golf was the sport for her and that’s exactly what happened for Sophomore Riley Isaac.
“I was 12 when I decided that golf would be the sport for me, so I dropped basketball and started playing competitively in the sixth grade. Even though I started playing in matches in the sixth grade, I’ve been playing golf for about ten years and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon,” Isaac said.
Everybody has a dream that they want to pursue and make come true. With the help of people who support you, it makes it that much better.
“I really want to play college golf and then hopefully achieve my dream of playing in the LPGA tour. It would mean the world to me and my biggest supporter, my dad. Not far behind were my grandparents. Their support really fueled the fire inside of me to be the best that I can be,” Isaac said.
To be able to live ones dream, they must first work their way up the ladder by playing in tournaments and matches to get their name out there.
“I played in the 2013 Regional Tournament this year which is where I faced some of my hardest competition to date,” Isaac said.
Even though she didn’t win the event, she learned a valuable lesson and was able to get some great experience.
“I came in 22nd out of 96 total scores turned in. One thing I learned at the tournament was no matter how good you are, you don’t know how you’re going to do because of how tough the competition is,” Isaac said.
This was Riley’s second time to make it to Regionals in two years, however, the competition this year was some of the best she has ever faced.
“It was a really good experience. This year was better than last year because I knew what to expect. I was not easily intimidated and was prepared for whatever the competition threw at me. The other competitors this year were really good and right away I knew it would be a challenge but I was not about to back down,” Isaac said.
“The other competitors this year were really good and right away I knew it would be a challenge, but I was not about to back down,” Isaac said.
When preparing for a tournament you must be prepared for whatever could happen.
“This year there was a steady 30 mph wind, which included 40 mph gusts in between. The kids from Dallas were better at handling it then the kids from the Woodlands were but it was still a really good day for golf,” Isaac said.
During tournaments like that, one must have the right mindset otherwise things may not go the way they want it to.
“I went there to compete with one thing on my mind. I was not going to back down from any challenge. I was there for first; I was not playing for second,” Isaac said.
Just because someone doesn’t finish in the top ranks, doesn’t mean that they played for nothing.
“While I didn’t get any medals or awards, what I did get was being able to get my name out there and hopefully coaches are interested in what they hear about me and take the time to come watch,” Isaac said.
Like many student athletes, Isaac wants to go on to play golf in college.
“I would really like to continue to play golf through college. It would be awesome if I could go somewhere in Texas but if I get a better offer from somewhere else then I’m going to take it because no matter where I end up, I will be playing golf,” Isaac said.
People often choose a professional from their sport of choice to look up to and hope to be just like them one day.
“My favorite player is Lexi Thompson, she made it to the LPGA when she was only 17. She is great inspiration and helps keep in my head the thought that I can do whatever I put my mind to and to always work hard at what I do,” Isaac said.

Baseball Team Ends Successful Season

sarah — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:29:54 +0000

For the first time in four years, the varsity baseball team made it to the 5-A State Playoffs. The baseball team suffered a close loss to the Kingwood Mustangs in a three game series to end the season for the War Eagles.
This year’s team is much different than teams from years past, for example the mentality of the players and coaches.
“The difference this year is that the coaches want to win but also want us to succeed. The players care this year and we just want to win,” Senior Second Baseman Colyn Gallagher said.
There are many things that contributed to their victories on and off the field.
“This year we came together as a team. At the beginning of the year, everyone had their own things and then we all hung out and we became closer with each other,” Gallagher said.
Everyone has their own goals for what they want to accomplish during the season but Junior Kim Plympton involves his team in his personal goals.
“My personal goals were to just be there for my team and help make sure that the team changes a negative into a positive throughout the season,” Plympton said.
This year the team has had to overcome many obstacles
and shocked a lot of people on the way.
“A lot of people didn’t think we were going to be good and we shocked everyone. We showed a lot of people what Oak Ridge is capable of when adversity hits,” Plympton said.
There are a lot of memories from this season that they will carry with them forever.
“My favorite part of the season was the Austin tournamet. I felt it helped bring our team closer together and built our confidence going into district playoffs. It was fun going out of town for a ballgame with my team,” Plympton said.
Even though the year is over, the boys have still accomplished a lot.
“Our biggest accomplishment would be getting second in district. I don’t think Oak Ridge baseball has ever done that before and it was a great feeling knowing we were able to be the team to do it,” Gallagher said.

Varsity Cheerleaders Make Oak Ridge History

sarah — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:20:48 +0000

“In order to get this opportunity we had to compete at a UCA Texas Regional Competition, and we had to qualify to get a bid. We started taking tumbling classes last April through the summer as a team. They had to go into the gym and attend a class, and then in August we started two-week practices after school where we trained at the gym at Woodlands Elite, so we would have better facilities,” Cheerleading Coach Sarah Parker said.
Entering the competition with high expectations, Parker advised her team to give it their all, stay focused and keep their eyes on the prize. Upon their arrival, the team had the chance to see what they were up against.
“There were 35 teams in our division. There were teams from all over the US and teams that have been nationally ranked for years. The competition was intense and tough, but we felt extremely privileged to be in the finals and to be considered elite,” Parker said.
The cheerleaders worked too long and too hard for anything to stand in the way of their goals, and they were determined to make each other proud on the day of the competition. They not only spent the morning discussing what the day would consist of, but they also took time to appreciate the opportunity.
“On Saturday, I let the girls sleep in so that they would be well rested. We got up, we ate breakfast as a team, we did team bonding, talked about skills and discussed things that we needed to make sure that we did in the competition. Then we went to the arena and watched some teams take the mat and let the atmosphere set in. We tried to eliminate as much nervousness as possible. They were ready to go,” Parker said.
Prior to the performance, the team took some time to remind themselves how far they had come. Moments before it was time for them to take the stage, Parker encouraged them to give it their all.
“I told them to believe in themselves. They needed to make all the pain, sweat, tears, practices, hours and time worth it. I was still going to be proud of them no matter what. We came there to show the world what the Oak Ridge cheer program was all about, and that’s exactly what they did. I told them to leave no regrets, no doubts, and to give it their all. The energy was there, and they were excited,” Parker said.
Having one girl with a torn meniscus, a girl with two broken fingers, and one girl who wasn’t physically 100%, the team knew they had to push the extra mile. Varsity first competed at prelims where they had a couple of mishaps. All they could do was sit and wait for semis to be announced.
“They called our name, so we got a chance to redeem ourselves. We went outside, we stretched, we went over the score sheets, and we focused and reenergized ourselves. We went out there and did ten times better than we did at prelims, but it still wasn’t our best. Then we waited for a good hour or so for the finals to be announced, and that was probably the most nerve-wracking part, just waiting for our name. When they called our name for 6th place, we were just so excited,” Parker said.
Parker recalls that they could have placed 13th or even 10th. The fact that they made it to finals out of the 35 teams was enough of an honor. To get 6th and to be up against those high, qualified, elite teams that have been nationally ranked for years was such a reward for varsity, especially the seniors.
“I had many mixed emotions. I couldn’t have been more proud of my team, but I was sad that my high school cheer career was over. I was so happy to end it on such an amazing note. This entire cheer season impacted my senior year in such a positive way, but nationals were especially awesome. I felt so blessed to be a part of the “dream team” that made history,” Senior Cheer Captain Kaelin Dryer said.
With cheer season coming to an end for this school year, Parker took a moment to look back on how much her team has accomplished. Wanting not only to be a coach, but a dear friend to her cheerleaders, Parker will cherish the memories.
“I want the girls to know how proud I am of all of their accomplishments this year and how honored I am to be their coach. I’m more than satisfied with their hard work and dedication. They definitely made their mark and big shoes to fill. If it wasn’t for them and their commitment to the program, their school, each other, and the bond that we created, we wouldn’t have accomplished so much. I feel extremely privileged to be a part of their success,” Parker said.

Transplant Shows Teacher the Importance of Life

sarah — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:20:19 +0000

“Max and Addie were both transplanted in California through Stanford Hospital. It is the leading hospital for transplanting kids that are less than 30 pounds,” Graham said.
Without a second thought, Graham and her husband immediately decided to donate their kidneys to their children.
“I gave Addie my kidney in May 2012 and my husband, Al, gave Max his kidney on December 11, 2012,” Graham said.
With all the thoughts, feelings and strong emotions that she had, Graham still managed to keep a positive attitude before going into her surgery.
“I was excited that this was finally happening because I had been wanting to give her my kidney since I found out about Addie’s condition when she was three weeks old. I was not nervous about my surgery, but I was really nervous for her because she was so little and had been so sick. I was dreading not being able to hold her and be with her while I was recovering,” Graham said.
Graham and her daughter, Addison, are recovered now and are back to their normal routine.
“Addie is doing really well. She is walking and chatting and has not been in the hospital since last May. She has been so healthy and so happy. She wears hearing aids because she lost a lot of her hearing from being so sick when she was little, but she wears them really well and is in speech therapy learning to talk,” Graham said.
Graham’s husband and her son, Max, are still in California while Max is recovering in the hospital.
“Max is still in California recovering, but he is happy. He had a really difficult transplant because he got a bad infection right after his transplant, so he was really sick for a month. But he is getting better now and smiling a lot. Max has cerebral palsy, a movement disorder, from being so sick when he was little so he needs a wheelchair long term. But he is happy and so sweet,” Graham said.
Graham’s students are a big help to her optimism and are very supportive of her decisions to help her children.
“A lot of my students ask how the babies are a lot, which is nice. Some of my students have written letters, or sent presents, or cards for Max and Addie. My students are really understanding when I have to be out and I really appreciate that,” Graham said.
This experience has been a valuable lesson for Graham that has taught her to cherish the little things in life.
“I have learned how much I love my children and how we can never take a single day with them for granted. I have learned that everyone has a story and that you have to understand what a person has been through to truly understand how amazing they are. My son will be in a special needs classroom when he goes to school and my daughter will wear hearing aids. These are not because they are less perfect, but proof of what survivors they are and how strong they are. I see people differently now. I have learned that the things we see as big problems usually are not, and I have learned that we are all so blessed just to be alive and breathing and living healthy lives,” Graham said.

Sullivan Returns to School after Successful Brain Surgery

sarah — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:19:42 +0000

Kelly Sullivan always puts others before herself, you can always find her busy working with her students, family, or with FFA. When she started having stroke-like symptoms, she knew there was something wrong, after multiple tests she found out that she was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor that was sitting and attached to the pons of Sullivans brain.
“I was having “stroke” like symptoms- slurred speech, no vision or blurred vision, but these things would come and go quickly,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan finally decide to go the doctor when her symptoms did not stop.
“When I went to the doctor, he was checking me for multiple sclerosis or checking to see if I had a lesion on the brain from a possible stroke. I did a lot of blood work and then had a Cat Scan and two MRI’s. The MRI’s detected it. The doctor called and asked me to come in for a few minutes to get my results, he asked me to go to one of the most leading neurologist in the world Neurologist Dr. Richard Harper and he was at Methodist Hospital in Downtown Houston,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan soon realized how serious her symptoms really were and was ready to discuss treatment options.
“It was so rare and in such a vital part of the brain, the Pons, that I had to be there by the next morning to discuss surgery and treatment,” Ag teacher Kelly Sullivan said.
What was happening wasn’t just hard on her,but it affected everyone around her. Her family, friends, coworkers and students were stunned when they found what she had a brain tumor.
“My family was shocked and sad. I think we all wondered “why me”.
It didn’t just affect her family but impacted her coworkers and her students, which Sullivan calls family.
“Leaving school was extremely hard for me. I am a workaholic to say the least. I felt like I had no time to prepare to be gone and telling Mr. Johnson I had to take off was also a killer. The hardest thing was sitting on a stool and explaining why I have missed so much class when they thought I was doing ag stuff,” Sullivan said.
It was hard for sullivan to tell people what she was going through
“Telling them about my brain tumor and my side effects was tough but seeing their shocked faces was hard. I explained that I was hoping for a short time away from work but I promised to call and I did, I would make the therapists wait until I got finished talking to my classes many days,” Sullivan Said
Getting ready and preparing for surgery was very challenging at times for Sullivan between all her responsibilities, her two young boys and all her duties at Oak Ridge.
“Prior to surgery, my biggest chore and responsibility were my children, maternal instincts were the worst, preparing for my classes to be without me and not being at the place I love, the Ag complex. Doing the things I love to do outside of class with the animals,” Sullivan said.
The day of surgery was a scary one for Sullivan nothing but bad thoughts went through her mind but she still managed to stay positive and put all her trust into Neurologist Dr. Richard Harper.
“My surgery lasted ten and a half hours and I had nine surgeons in the operating room. I was scanned prior to surgery and found out that the tumor had tripled in size and was hemorrhaging. They drilled a hole in my skull on the right side behind the ear that is the shape of an egg,” Sullivan said.
After the surgery Sullivan was ready to start the recovery process.
“My entire left side from the neck down was affected after surgery. The brain tumor had to be cut away from the nerves, and that left me with a left side paralysis. I couldn’t walk and couldn’t use my left arm or hand at all,” Sullivan said,
Physical therapy was hard and trying every day but Sullivan was quick to make friends with her two wonderful therapists Sarah Dressler and Chara Hoffman.
“I had rehab every day. Believe or not, one of my therapists was a 2005 graduate from Oak Ridge by the name of Sarah Dressler! We had a lot in common when I talked about being a War Eagle and my students every day,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan knew that recovery would take some time from such an major surgery but wasn’t sure of the outcome. She had paralysis which is a loss of muscle function for one or more muscles, and had to undergo intensive physical therapy, relearning how to walk, moving her left hand and working on how to open and pick up things.
“The only thing that was relearned was walking, moving my left arm and hand, and anything else that dealt with the paralysis. We worked on opening things, getting dressed while only using one side of the body, bathing etc,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan had a long road ahead of her but she was ready to take it head on with the help of her support team at Memorial Hospital in downtown Houston.
“My total stay was a month. I lost track of days of the week pretty early on. The staff, doctors, therapist, food service and housekeeping people to say the least were by far the best ever. No wonder why people say that Houston, Texas is the medical mall of America. They were simply awesome. They made me and my family feel like we were a part of their family,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan found it very easy to call it home there and met people that made a ever lasting impression on her and on her road to recovery.
“Seeing the therapy dogs was the best. I looked so forward to Friday’s when they would come visit us in rehab. New friends and therapists who I will forever be in debt to. They made me appreciate things but in a slower way,” Sullivan said.
While Sullivan was in the hospital she met another patient and they soon became best friends. They connected quickly and soon realized they had more in common than they thought.
“Mrs. Kopp was a patient with me at Memorial Hospital in downtown Houston and my wheelchair partner in crime She was such a joy and delight to be doing rehab activities with everyday,” Sullivan said.
Throughout Sullivan’s experience, she learned to see things through a new perspective.
“When you don’t feel good, find out why now. If you can’t find the answer, find a different doctor! Your body is telling you something. I still say God was telling me to slow down and then he actually made me slow down and the stress seemed to not matter anymore. My personal health and seeing my kids grow up meant more than anything else in the world even to this day, but I’m still realizing that I had a major brain tumor I have overcome so many hurdles with God’s blessing,” Sullivan said.
But when ‘most important teacher’ rolled around and Sullivan promised her student Josh Myers she be there with him she knew she couldn’t let him down
“I skipped out of the hospital in downtown Houston and the rehab facility to surprise Josh who had asked me to be his favorite teacher a month prior. I couldn’t let him down,” Sullivan said
The doctors didn’t want her back until March but she felt like her body was finally recovering enough to go back to school.
“Friends and family said it was “too soon” and they didn’t feel that I was fully healed. They were worried I would have trouble on my own or fall but so what if I did,” Sullivan said.
The day Sullivan had been waiting for many months had finally arrived and she couldn’t hide her ecstatic emotions.
“I felt a huge sigh of relief come over me. I couldn’t sleep the night before because I was so excited. I was smiling from ear to ear with joy. I still love it, but I just don’t have as much energy as before but I am gaining it back daily,” Sullivan said.
Her first day back was a huge success. She still was not feeling her best but she was feeling so much better than before.
“I am feeling great. I am a little slower in movement but not in mind. I still don’t have great use of my left arm but each day is a new day in getting the functioning skills back. My left leg tends to drag once my body gets tired. There are a lot of different little things that I didn’t have before but I can definitely live with,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan has learned so many life lessons over such a short period of time. She has learned not to take any day for granted and live life to the fullest.
“I wish so many things could have been done differently. First and foremost, don’t let any stress get in the way of your healthy lifestyle. Take a deep breath and vent. You will feel so much better. Share your experiences with someone. Enjoy your family. Smile and laugh daily. Be kind to people, especially those who help you even in the smallest of ways. When things starting happening with my body, I should have slowed down, I am still learning how to do that. The best therapy in the world is a positive attitude. Being angry or mad wasn’t or isn’t going to get me down the road of recovery any faster,” Sullivan said.

Oak Ridge Debate Goes to Harvard for Nationals

sarah — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:18:35 +0000

The debate team recently travelled to compete against hundreds of other schools in a debate tournament at Harvard University. Although the trip was almost cancelled due to a snow storm Nemo, the team followed through with the competition.
“We usually go somewhere every year for a national tour. We don’t have national experience and we need that. This prepares us for nationals and gives the team a taste of the other schools debate in different states,” Debate Coach Deanne Christensen said.
Schools from every state compete in this national competition tour, which is very difficult to get into.
“We don’t have national experience, and debating outside of the Houston area is what we needed. The competition at Harvard is a lot harder than Stanford and much larger than Stanford. By debating at Harvard we got a better feel for our rank and we got a better view on how we debate. The students got to see competition on a national level and see how the other kids debate at other schools other than the Houston area,” Christensen said.
The students who went to Harvard were Sophomores Bryce Brady, Johnny McClanahan, Senior Brie Brady, and Junior Henry Price. Bryce Brady and McClanahan are the team that made it into the doubles at Harvard.
“To get a spot you had to sign up on December 1. We called in on December 3 and were put on the waiting list on December 7. We are very lucky,” Christensen saiid.
Accomplishing more than what they expected, the debate team placed in the top 16 out of 200 schools. Their final rank was 9th place. To break into doubles, scores are based upon win-loss record for both teams. To see who qualifies, they use the win-loss records, then moving down the list to break ties. The winners are allowed to move other brackets.
“Our goal for Harvard was to break out of the preliminary rounds and that was it, but instead we broke in the double Octos. Out of Texas, we were the only one in the state to break. It was outstanding,” Debate Coach Christensen said.

Senior Signs with Texas State

sarah — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:18:06 +0000

Senior Germod Williams has made his mark on the Oak Ridge football team, and now will make his mark in college playing for Texas State. On February 6 Williams made the next step that only two percent of high school kids get a chance to do, he signed a four year full ride scholarship to Texas State University. He will be playing first string strong safety at his Alma mater of 2017.
“I worked so hard to be here. Signing that paper showed all my hard work had finally paid off, and I still have so much ahead of me. My dreams are becoming a reality,” Williams said.
Out of Williams many offers from Northwestern, Rice, Houston Baptist, and Oklahoma University just to name a few of his choices, he said he picked Texas State because it’s closer to his friends and family.
“Picking Texas State was a easy choice, with doing what I love the most and staying close to my family it was pretty much all the reason I needed, ” Williams said
The prize of living out his dream is still far away, but he has hope of becoming a player with the Philadelphia Eagles like his role model Bryan Dawkins.
“Playing in front of thousands of people, being on television would get me the chance to bring what I learned from my fellow team mates and coaches to a brand new set of people,” Williams said
Winning the Sportsmanship Award this year, he will carry on a legacy that shows dedication and pride within him and for the team that he will be a part of this upcoming football season. Like most people, having a backup plan is also something that Williams takes pride in too.
“Broadcasting would be the next thing I would choose to do if I don’t go professional. I’ve got to stay in sports no matter what and if I have to do that through broadcasting I will,” Williams said
Wanting to major in Engineering, Germod still plans on keeping his options open to make sure he has other ways to pursue a career, but he is still keeping a mind set of always pushing himself to be better on the field and in life.
“With 11 years behind me, I don’t see anything stopping me to get where I know I need to be. Hard work and dedication pays off, never stop believing in yourself and always work hard, ”Williams said
He wants to make it known to everyone that it takes not only skills but also heart and passion to make your way to the top. With only three months left in high school, Williams will have not only made his mark on Oak Ridge as 2012-2013 Defensive player of the year but also setting high standards for the football players in years to come.