Ridiculous Rules

A COLLECTION OF THE WILDEST SPORT RULES YOU NEVER KNEW EXISTED.

Words | Alexa Georgelos

“Wait thirty minutes after eating before swimming!” “Don’t talk to strangers!”

Everybody knows these rules. Crazy, childhood rules that are simple and easy to remember, even if they aren’t strictly enforced. But do you know what are strictly enforced, yet not so easy to remember? Sports rules. Especially the weird ones. Most people are aware of the basic rules for sports. However, so many different things can happen on the court, field or course. This, in turn, creates an extensive (and sometimes ridiculous) set of rules that will make you think … “really?”

1

According to ITF Rule 26, if a tennis player’s hat unintentionally falls off during a match, the opponent can call a let (replay of the point) and claim the hat as a hindrance. However, there is another side to this rule. If the player intentionally causes a hindrance, the opponent wins the point. Unfortunately, this rule is sometimes forgotten or confused, so it’s best to make sure your hat is attached securely. Hats are Hindrances

2

Most people know that in tennis, a player must return the ball before it bounces twice. But what happens when the opponent slices the ball so severely, it spins back over the net into the other player’s court? The player is allowed to reach over the net and attempt to play the ball from the opposite side. Only rule: don’t jump over or touch the net. When it’s OK to Reach Over the Net

3

MLB Rule 2.00 states that if a fly ball lands in the infield and then bounces onto foul territory without touching a player or pitcher, it is a foul ball. What makes this rule weirder is that if a batted ball hits a base and then deflects into foul territory, the ball is considered fair. Confusing, right? The Fair Foul Ball

Few people understand this rule in softball. Mostly because it’s not just one rule … it’s a lot! An illegal pitch occurs when the pitcher breaks a rule while delivering her pitch. The umpire must call the illegal pitch and award the batter with another ball. Some of the most common ways to illegally pitch are crow hopping, re-planting, stepping outside the pitching lane, losing contact with the pitching rubber or failing to keep hands apart before pitching. Although these sound nit-picky, they’re strictly enforced and can cause some real controversy out in the field. Illegal Pitch 4

5

One of the biggest mistakes a golfer can make is turning in his or her scorecard without signing it first. Sadly, this results in disqualification. So golfers, keep a pen handy! Another big no-no is giving tips to other competitors on the course. Luckily, players are allowed to ask advice from their partners and caddies. Who knew? Signing Scorecards

Photo | Gwyn Lewellyn

LEFT BRAIN DIVING INTO THE MORE SERIOUS, ANALYTICAL ISSUES WE SEE IN OUR CULTURE.

CONSTANT CATASTROPHES BY AVA AYERS 056 • DOING YOUR PART BY SYDNEY GRIFFEY 058 • DODGING THE DRAFT BY LUKE BOWER 060 • A CHRISTIAN’S SLANT ON SEXUALITY BY CHARLOTTE WALKER 063

PAGE 052

Left Q&A: Mr. Kyle Biedermann Interview | Sarah Coultress

Provided by Biedermann

Kyle Biedermann is our representative for Kendall County for the Texas State House of Representatives. He is a Republican who is known for being conservative and helped pass some of the toughest regulations against abortion. He recently came to Geneva to award the football and cheerleading teams for winning State.

Could you briefly explain the duties and responsibilities that you handle as our State Representative? As one of 150 state representatives in Texas, I am responsible for the needs of the approximately 200,000 people living in House District 73, which includes Kendall, Comal and Gillespie counties.

I will only support legislation based on the principles and values I campaigned on and got elected to support.

What inspired you to run for office and what motivates you to be so deeply involved in government work? As a small business owner, Biedermann’s Ace Hardware, I never desired to work for the government. In fact, I want less government in our lives.

Restoring and protecting Godly morals and principles and keeping Texas great is all the motivation I need.

What important role does faith play in politics? And how do you use your faith as a tool in politics? Politics is not good or bad, people’s hearts are either good or bad, and they blame bad behavior on politics. Without faith and trust in God, man is controlled and influenced by an ungodly world and politics becomes corrupt. Life is a spiritual battle as Jesus warned us, and politics is controlled by money, power and ego. Fear God, not man.

What is it about Geneva that you like, considering that it is a Classical Christian school and is structured differently than most other schools around us?

I am grateful that I helped start a classical school in our church in Fredericksburg: Heritage Family School. This was my first exposure to a classical Christian education, and I saw the benefits first hand. Students have been educated with this type of teaching for thousands of years with great results. Our founding fathers are a great example of this type of education, and our founding documents are proof of that.

How does being a Christian benefit you in your work everyday? Decisions we make everyday determine our success or failure in life. Not that anyone is perfect, but making decisions based on godly principles will help keep you out of trouble, and people will know they can trust you. This is very important in business, politics and all areas of our lives.

What daily struggles do you face regarding your faith? My biggest struggle is my tone of voice, not my faith. I have been a boss and worked for myself all my life, and I tend to be bossy and harsh when I speak to others because I am confident in what I believe, not that I am always right. I continually pray to be gentler in my speech and to listen more.

What advice would you give to students about how they can balance their faith as well as their aspirations in this secular world? Work hard and be patient and do what is right. You have what the world needs: Peace, Joy and Hope.

11 MILLION tons of recyclables end up in a landfill rather than benefiting the environment as reused materials.

American citizens produce about 5.91 POUNDS of trash per person every day

Waiting on Water Words | Sarah Coultress

Out of this, 1.51 POUNDS are actually recycled

The remaining 4.40 POUNDS of waste end up in landfills.

The city of Boerne owns and operates the Surface Water Treatment Plant at Boerne City Lake and nine groundwater wells. It takes water from the Boerne Lake and purchases surface water from Canyon Lake through the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority. With the population constantly growing, more water is needed. The city of Boerne is permitted to release only 1.4 million gallons of water everyday. With this need for more water also comes the need for a new water well.

Sometimes, the water production experiences malfunctions. Senior Lydia duPerier’s water system, for example, occasionally acts up. Her shower will develop a smell and the water damages her skin. The kitchen sink develops a stench and the water becomes undrinkable. It happens every once and a while without a specific pattern, proving the need for a new water well. The lack of water and of resources leads to poor

conditions in the water well and results in bad water. The overwhelming demand for more water coexists with the growth of the population. Another water well could help bring more water from the rivers around Boerne and distribute it to the city.

The population of Boerne is increasing substantially, and more water is needed to keep up with the growth. Malfunctioning systems like the duPerier’s occur from the overwhelming demand for more water. Most people do not have to even think about when they need water. They just turn on the shower or get water from the fridge with no effort. So much water is wasted daily, and there are small things everyone can do to conserve the use of water and result in a bigger difference than you might think. To find out for yourself how you can help, search for the Water Footprint Calculator Test to find ways in your life where you overuse water.