“It’s not as easy as it looks,” Bracamontez said. “The hardest thing about it is coming up with ideas. For my mom’s work I do monthly birthdays and they can’t all be the same thing. It’s hard coming up with new ideas each month and I’ve been doing it for two years now.”

From cake decorating to deejaying, students are finding creative ways to express themselves outside of the classroom. Freshman John Morgan spends his time away from school building sculptures out of Legos.

“It’s a way to express myself,” Morgan said. “It’s kind of a toy so you can mess around with it more than just looking at it. Most of my Lego creations are geared to war because most of them are featured in a game of Transformers. I don’t own my own Transformers so I build my own weapons.”

Hobbies can carry over from childhood like playing with Legos, or can begin at any age. Freshman Alec Tripp started deejaying when he was nine years old on Christmas Day.

“I heard of a band called ‘People on the Stairs’ who made scratches and interesting sounds in their songs,” Tripp said. “I wanted to know how they could do that so perfectly with the rhythm. So I got my dad’s old turn tables from college.”

 Tripp has become a viral video sensation n YouTube and has even been featured on a United Kingdom television show called Blue Peter. His videos were picked up and played on a segment they were doing on deejays across the world.

“I began listening to a lot of music from around the world and I chose ’80s Brazilian music because it has grooves that makes you want to dance,” Tripp said. “It’s really fun to remix it and it’s working well so far. It takes a lot of skill and dedication.”

  Hobbies can be physical as well as creative. Junior Oliver Gelleni has been playing the guitar since he was in middle school and is currently in a band called DFF.

“I don’t listen to the radio, they ruin songs by never playing them,” Gelleni said. “I try to write something original just to bring something new to the table.”

While Gelleni gets his inspiration from Jimmy Page and Jack White, freshman Kaitlynn Morris gets her inspiration for dancing from her middle school dance teacher Brooke Solomon.

“She was the one who taught me how to dance,” Morris said. “Without her constantly pushing me to do better I wouldn’t be the dancer or person that I am today.”

Morris has taken inspiration from her middle school dance coach and applied it to becoming a rookie Royal and hopes to join the Royals next year.

 “I love to dance,” Morris said. “To me dance is just a way to let out any kind of emotion whether it be extreme happiness or mourning. In that sense, dance helps me get my emotions out in an amazing way through my body.”

Another physical hobby has been taken up by freshman Cori Young. Over the last two and a half years he has become a freestyle biker. Freestyle bikers bike at skate parks and perform tricks.

“All of my friends were doing it,” Young said. “I just moved here so I joined in.”

This hobby comes with many bumps and bruises. Young’s worse crash so far happened a couple weeks ago.

“I was biking at East side and got a concussion,” Young said. “The fourth jump was longer than I expected and I hit my head pretty hard.”

A less dangerous hobby then biking is Dungeons and Dragons. D&D is a pencil and paper role playing game taken up by junior Chris Williams.

“It’s fun because you can do what you want to and it’s a better alternative to staring at a screen for five hours,” Williams said. “It has a learning curve; you have to calculate a lot of stuff like health and damage. There is other complicated stuff that I haven’t run into yet. My adventure has just begun.”

“My choice in career was mechanical engineering,” junior Alex Bernal said. “So I thought, ‘Why not learn more about it?’ ”

The class is very interactive, with students regularly doing oil changes, 25-point inspections and rotating and balancing tires. Recently, the students learned about brake systems and are currently learning about steering and suspension type work, including alignments.

“I get hands-on experience,” junior Ben Kemp said. “I like to get my hands dirty.”

Where a regular class has textbooks, the auto workshop has workbenches; where ordinary classrooms have white boards; auto tech has cars suspended in the air.

“It lets me have hands-on work,” Bernal said. “I understand the things we’re learning physically, not just learning out of a textbook like a regular class. I get to learn a whole bunch of stuff.”

Working on the cars has both educated the students and given them a challenge they enjoy.

“I wanted to learn to be able to fix cars up later in life,” sophomore Chris Boettcher said. “It’s something that interests me.”

Not only is the class educational, but it also gives the students experience they can use in their daily lives.

“I use it at home when my mom needs help with her car,” Bernal said. “If I don’t know how to do something, I know I’ll probably learn it later in the year.”

Teachers regularly bring their cars to the shop for work, and the advanced students also work on outside cars and student cars. Next year, there will be a third year program that is a practicum class. Some students will be employed at local shops or as an internship. Instead of going to class for three hours, the students will go work in a shop.

“If a student is interested in being a technician, then it’s a great experience,” Auto Tech teacher Jeff Milam said. “Or, it’s also good if they want to see if they have an interest.”

These are all programs that are available on only specific campuses in the district. Students who wish to pursue these careers later in life attend two schools, spending one day at one campus, then the next day at the other school.

“When I first started they had buses so I went there half the day,” senior and Air Force ROTC cadet Colton Lammons said. “It was scary being at Leander with upperclassmen. I remember thinking ‘This is crazy, I can’t do this.’ And then I’d come back here and it’d be a ghost town.”

ROTC is offered at two campuses, Vista Ridge and Leander High School. The course at Leander is targeted to students interested in the Air Force while the course at Vista Ridge is to prepare students for the Navy. The ROTC program provides many different groups and leadership opportunities to the cadets.

“I’m not in leadership because you have to be a sophomore, but I am on rifle team,” freshmen Navy ROTC cadet Ivan Castelan said. “I like shooting, it’s really helping me prepare for my future career as a Navy SEAL.”

Leadership programs and opportunities promoted throughout the ROTC program help the cadets to prepare for a military future.

“If it wasn’t for ROTC I wouldn’t have the leadership positions I have now,” Lammons said. “It set me up for positive and successful future relationships; it adds perspective and helps me socially by helping me to form connections and meeting people and interacting. It’s not just this school; it gives me another student body to interact with.”

Another dual campus course that is offered at Leander High School is Cosmetology. This course requires an interview before a student can be accepted. Students who are accepted into this program have to adhere to a strict dress code of scrubs and have to have their makeup and hair done.

“The interaction with everyone and learning how to style hair and doing nails and stuff makes it worth the hassle,” junior Cosmetology student Christina Hunt said.

The beauty program prepares students for a career in salons and teaches hair styling, nails and other such beauticians’ work. The students work long hours to meet the requirements to become a licensed beautician.

“This cosmetology program is way cheaper than going to Paul Mitchell’s Beauty School by thousands of dollars so it’s worth being dual campus,” junior Cosmetology student Jessica Aguilar said. “At the end of your second year you can take the test to get certified and begin your career. If you don’t pass then you’ve graduated so you have to just keep trying.”

The craving to create also draws students to a dual campus life style. While RHS has some cooking classes, Cedar Park offers an advanced culinary program. Senior Matt Warrenburg attends RHS on A days and heads to Cedar Park on B days.

“Culinary has been my passion for awhile,” Warrenburg said. “I took a food science class and they told me they offered a higher program so I chose it.”

While the benefits of attending two schools at once help to prepare students for their future careers, there are also downsides.

“I feel split, the sense of belonging isn’t quite there,” Lammons said. “Tutorials are another challenge, meetings with teachers are more difficult to arrange because they have to work around your schedule. Sometimes I wish that I could split myself into two people so that I could do everything I want to.”

Lammons, who is also part of FFA, has to work around his complex schedule to make important events and meetings.

“It’s difficult not being able to see certain friends and clubs because you won’t be there for them,” Lammons said. “It’s easier at one campus because you don’t have to worry, it’s difficult to overcome, but eventually you adapt.”

Despite the disadvantages, dual campus students like Aguilar still say it’s worth it.

“You get to be a part of more than one family,” Aguilar said. “If you don’t fit in at one place, you can fit in at the other.”

What’s been your best game?
My tee shots.

What do you like most about playing golf?
I love getting outside and enjoying the weather. It’s just peaceful and quiet after a crazy day at school.

Do you have a favorite pro golfer?
No, I really can’t sit through and watch golf. I can play though.

What goals do you set for yourself when golfing?
My goals right now are to get below a 50 on 9 holes.

How do you prepare for a big game?
I usually play an 18-hole round and practice on the range.

What’s your favorite club?
I love my 3 wood, I can hit it farther than 150 yards.

How has golfing affected you personally?
I feel like it has made me more patient.

Do you plan on golfing in college?
I would love to be able to golf in college if I get the opportunity.

What dreams do you have as a golfer?
I dream of making par on an 18-hole round of golf, that would be so awesome.

Do you have any pre-match rituals?
I always go to the range and putting green to learn how the course acts.

What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you when golfing?
The worst shot I’ve ever made actually ended up going into the hole from 100 yards away.

What’s the most embarrassing moment you’ve had?
I went to a tournament once when my score didn’t count, (it was just for experienced people) and I ended up beating one of our top players and she was kind enough to give me her third place medal.

“I feel like I have to do my best since it’s my last tournament,” senior Xavier Flores said. “Hopefully everyone can go on. I think everyone will do really well.”

They have been preparing for weeks during class and at afterschool workouts. They work on cardio and lifting weights to improve on their skills.

“We practice pretty late and extra so we can get ready,” Flores said. “We have been working out really intense lately. It will help us by being mentally and physically prepared.”

The wrestling team has competed in six meets this winter season. At the latest tournament at Cedar Park, freshman Elise Coleman placed second and senior Peter Negrete placed second in his weight division.

“They have gotten pretty good,” senior Peter Negrete said. “Some I wish had gone better. They will have helped heading toward district.” 

The varsity boys start competition today and continue through Saturday at Vista Ridge. The junior varsity boys and varsity girls will compete all day Saturday.

Dark Chocolate Truffle
It had a harder and darker outer shell with a slightly softer and lighter middle. It was easy to bite into, and very rich in dark chocolate flavor. The middle was almost like fudge, but not as soft. – Gloriana Stolle

Almond Truffle
The Almond Truffle was delicious and had a sweet, sort of whipped, white center that melted in your mouth when you bit into it. – Keely Wirries

Milk Chocolate Truffle
This creamy delight has a perfect swirl that gently circles around the chocolate. When you bite into it, it will let the soft, milk chocolate taste melt in your mouth. – Jessica Garrison

Pecan Caramel Cluster
The name definitely does not mislead you on this chocolately treat. It was packed with smooth caramel and crushed up bits of pecans, there was no room for disappointment on this. So, if you have a sad V-day, go buy yourself some of these and it will be better in no time. – Rachel Sloan

Vanilla Caramel
The caramel was delicious and smooth, the consistence gooey but not too sticky. The chocolate was very good as well and it melted very nicely in my mouth. – Kristina Jingling

Chocolate Caramel
The outside held a nice shape of a perfect square. The inside is very rich and creamy with an amazing chocolate and caramel consistency. – Bridget O’Malley

Caramel and Almonds
The milk chocolate shell with little curves over it was filled with a smooth caramel that makes you smile instantly. In the center of the candy were tiny pieces of almond that crunched in your mouth once you bit it and leaves you feeling great for the rest of the day. – Stephanie Hofmann

Student Council is sponsoring Teens for Jeans, a project to collect blue jeans to give to homeless.

“It’s an honorable thing for our school to be doing,” junior Mark Castilla said. “It shows that our school cares. I think we will get at least 100 [pairs of] jeans, at least. I feel inspired to want to donate my own jeans.”

StuCo will accept donations of gently used or new jeans through Feb. 12. Jeans should be dropped off in the front office. The leadership group is hoping to have a strong donation turnout.

“I hope it will be a positive experience,” senior Josh Companion said. “I hope we can collect a lot of jeans, but any amount will count. I’m super excited and it feels really good to help people out.”

While everyone in the stands was looking to see where the ball would be going, sophomore Courtney Johnston was watching the players. On the sideline she was going through the normal motions of every game.

The play started and the referee blew his wrestle. David Wilganowski, a linebacker for the Bryan Rudder football team had fallen to the ground without a single person touching him, lying limp.

Last year as a freshman, Johnston joined Sports Medicine when she thought it would be an interesting extracurricular to do. As a student athletic trainer, she spent the beginning of the year learning how to wrap injuries and what to do in stressful situations. In the fall, the sophomore worked varsity football games. This spring, she’s been on the bench, helping with the varsity girls basketball games.

“I’m still learning, but I’m a fast learner,” Johnston said. “It’s all fun; Knees, elbows, bloody noses- It’s gross, but fun. I feel more useful and not just another water boy.”

The game stopped and all the players went to their side of the field. Johnston went to the players to tend to them and give them water. As she did this she stole glances at the Wilganowski as medics tried to keep him alive.

“I saw that the player wasn’t moving,” Johnston said. “When the trainer turned him over, he looked like a rag doll. I then heard his mother scream.”

Only weeks after learning how to help a player in need did Johnston have to work her first wrestling tournament at Cedar Park. She had to quickly think on her feet when a player dislocated his knee.

“I was really nervous, because it was my first one and it was even more nerve-racking, because I was all alone,” Johnston said. “I knew that I had to stay calm and get that player some help.  It gave me experience for future tournaments. “

All the students went back to their buses as the paramedics drove Wilganowski away to the hospital. Barely anyone spoke all the way back to campus and people constantly were checking to see if there was any news on his condition.

“I was thanking God it wasn’t one of our players and praying he would be okay,” Johnston said. “The coaches told us before we got on the bus that he was responsive. After the two hour bus ride, Doc reassured us that he would be okay.

“It was a realization,” Johnston said. “It made me understand that the trainers saved that boys’ life. That we are not just the water boys everyone says we are. We can save lives if it comes down to it.”

Sports like wrestling or winterguard are good examples of this; not very many students go to their competitions, and so some students aren’t even aware that they had a competition in the first place. Why is it that so many more students go to, say, football games than a swim meet? Even the women’s basketball games are sparely attended compared to the guys.

Attending sporting events is one of the best parts of high school life, and we don’t take advantage of it nearly as much as we should. It’s not like they cost a lot. We should come together as a student body and support our Raiders, regardless of what they’re competing in.

Similarly, clubs have the same attendance and recognition problems. We hear the name of the club on the announcements and when their meetings are, but we don’t actually actively seek out information on it. The idea of attending something that you don’t already belong to is so foreign, although it really makes no sense why. Sure, some clubs like Art club or guitar club require specific skills, but other ones like Key Club don’t need any special requirements. Anyone can join. Just because you don’t know that much about something doesn’t mean it’s not there.

Another problem with our system is that one of the only ways of getting information about events is through the announcements. It’s sometimes hard to hear them and it’s a lot of information all at once. The RNN broadcast is a great way to let students know about upcoming events and we encourage more clubs and sports to submit announcements in a timely manner.

In addition, it would be very beneficial to have a place to post upcoming meetings and events. A kiosk or bulletin board would be a good way to do this; groups could post things, and keep students up to date. Flyers would need to be run approved by an administrator, and any club or sport could post information. We could build it in the Commons, library or near the front office. That way, sports could have more fans, clubs could advertise their events, and people looking for things to get involved in will have all the information they need right at their fingertips.

“It definitely helps to be brothers when playing doubles,” coach Michael Hjort said. “I think that they are more in sync than most and I find it incredible. In fact, the number one doubles team in the world happens to be the Bryan twins, Bob and Mike.”

The twins have more in common with the Bryan brothers than one would think. Like the Bryans, the Ritters also play with different hands. Zane is a lefty while Dylan is a righty. The Ritters have been playing tennis for as long as they can remember, and want to continue playing at least through college.

“I’m not sure about going into the pros, but I’m definitely looking forward to playing tennis in college,” Dylan said.

It’s unusual for freshmen to be the No. 1 team for varsity. But Hjort realized early on, even before school started, that the twins would dominate on the court.

“It didn’t take me long at all to realize that they were good,” Hjort said. “They were warming up for practice one day and I knew that they had tennis promise.”

In order to remain the No. 1 doubles team, the brothers practice harder and longer than they ever have before.

“We practice about an hour and 15 minutes every school day and sometimes on the weekend we go to the courts,” Zane said.

Overall, the brothers practice around 10 hours each week. The competition hits home though, with the boys occasionally ending up in fights.

“If we lose a match, we’ll fight about whose fault it was that we lost,” Dylan said. “But we work it out in the end.”

This year, the Ritters say their best match was against Marble Falls. In tournament play, the doubles team is undefeated.

“They all were awesome,” Dylan said.  “We have just had a great season for far and I hope it continues.”

The team has played in two matches this spring and will hit the court for eight more before the district tournament. Their goal is to be the district champion in doubles, a task that involves beating district rivals Vandegrift and Lake Travis.

“I think that the boys have a good chance for district,” Hjort said. “It is going to be doable and I have confidence in them, but still it will be pretty tough and take their best effort.”