BEHIND THE SCENES
Table of Contents
GRAPHIC EDITOR: Julia Johnson EDITOR: Sammantha Thorpe
Student- 4-6
WRITERS:
Seasonal- 7-9
Brittny Beck Erika Bollinger Collin Briley Kayla Buckner Nathan Cerny Faith Dejager Jewell Dover Samantha Godfrey Jenni Essary Alyssa Heard Alexis Plumb Carl Polk Tyler Powell Hunter Raymond Dakota Romesburg Lilly Skidmore Conner Wiest Michael Wilson
Entertainment- 10 News- 11-12 Sports- 13- 16
SPONSORS: Writing/Editor: Stacey Pryor Media: Matt Locke
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STUDENT
Academic Team
2017-18 Tentative Scholar Bowl Tournament Schedule 10/26/17-Republic Halloween Tourney (Costume & Deliciousness) 11/16/17- Buffalo Tourney (2:30 depart) 12/5/17-Branson Tourney (3:45 depart) 1/11/18-Webb City Tourney (2:00 depart) (Cancelled) 2/1/18-Carthage Tourney (2:00 depart) 2/15/18-Nixa Tourney (3:30 depart) 2/22/18-Logan/Rogersville Paper Tourney (2:30 depart) 3/1/18- Reeds Spring 3/22/18-Branson 9th/10th Tourney (3:45 depart) 4/5/18—COC—Small @ Buffalo (2:30 depart) 4/14/18 - Districts @ Reeds Spring 4/24/18 - Sectionals (Winner of our district hosts) 5/5/18 - State Championship Tournament (Columbia, MO)
By: Hunter Raymond Academic team had its season start up once again on February 1st with a tournament taking place at Carthage. The Varsity team had a rough night ending with a record of 0-3 with the losses coming from Hollister, Carl Junction and Kickapoo. The Junior Varsity had a record of 2-2 with their wins coming over Hollister and Nixa B and both losses coming from Nixa A Here are the top scorers from Reeds spring 1. Justin V 2. Marshall JV The next tournament took place at Nixa on February 15th The varsity played against the teams of Webb City, Nixa, and Springfield Catholic B and ended with a record of 0-3. The junior varsity played against Nixa A, Republic and Skyline. They ended with a record of 2-1. While it was a rough night for the varsity team, the junior varsity is showing promise. They are managing to score more points it seems every tournament and are closing in on being able to reach the top four at these tournaments. With this in mind, I am excited to see where the JV can go from this momentum that seems to just keep building with every tournament. Our next tournament is at Logan Rogersville on February 22nd and the Varsity will look to rebound while the JV will look to continue their momentum. Coach Scego has stated that he plans to change some things up at practice in the future. The team has trouble buzzing in quickly when they know the answer; this is the biggest downfall of the team. I have suggested a practice with easy questions so buzzing in becomes second nature when you know the answer. Which was taken into account and the next two weeks of practice are going to be lightning rounds, which should help with buzzing speed. Academic team has made great strides however answering more questions than previous tournaments and also answering questions that they may not have in the past. The team has shown much more confidence this year. Where we struggled last season with literature and art, we are starting to answer more of these questions and it shows in our scores. While the February 1st tournament did not go as planned, it was just the first meet since December and the team needed to shake off some of the rust from the long period between meets. We now look forward to travelling to Logan Rogersville. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact coach Scego at his email Contact email: tscego@wolves.k12.mo.us. The schedule is also provided below:
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Why Your Deci sions as an 18 Year Old Affects You at 40
By: Conner Wiest
Everyone has made at least one bad decision as a teenager. You may not think about your decisions mattering in high school, but you are at the point where one bad decision could get you out of college, and out of potential job opportunities. Eighteen is a weird age because you still feel like a kid, but you have adult responsibilities. Every decision you make at this age either has a positive or negative result and you have to be careful not to hurt your chances at having a successful life. Everything happens for a reason, and every day you are handed opportunity to either make the right decision, or the wrong decision. Say you have a scholarship to a school that you’ve been excited to go to. This could be for football, volleyball, baseball, etc. You get invited to a party being hosted by your friends, and when you get there, you begin to drink alcohol. If someone posts videos of you on their social media, colleges can easily get ahold of that and you can lose your scholarship with the snap of a finger. You might get into another school, but there is a chance that you won’t ever get that opportunity again, because of one decision you made. When people think of consequences they usually only think of the negative outcomes. There are positive consequences too. If you choose to not go to that party that everyone was talking about, then you still have a scholarship and a better chance for a successful life. It can sometimes be hard to say no to your friends who have built up the event. Peer pressure can either be a good thing or a bad thing, and you shouldn’t do what you think is cool. In a couple years, you’ll look back and think “wow I’m glad I didn’t go to that party,” or you’ll think “I wish I didn’t go to that party.” You can’t change what you’ve done in the past but that is just part of life. Studies show that 90% of adults have done something as a teenager that they regret. It is normal as a teenager to make some bad decisions, but why not change the norm and plan for your future? You need to do what is in the best interest for you and not what other people think is “cool.” That mindset will get you in some serious trouble when it comes to planning your
future. Say you get a tattoo on your 18th birthday. That seems like a great idea and everyone at school will think you’re super awesome, but that will be there for the rest of your life, so pick something that won’t limit your job choices and your chances of being accepted into a college. A lot of businesses won’t accept people with visible tattoos. If you planned on working somewhere that you were extremely excited for, and you have a tattoo that gets you denied, you will regret that “super awesome” choice when you were 18.
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STUDENT
SEASONAL
Within School Walls
think that if the teacher is more understanding, then they can work with the teacher and get along with them better. The girls also think that someone who knows how to be relaxed also knows when to “punish” if discipline is needed.
By: Brittny Beck As we all know, school isn’t perfect. So to really
understand our students here at Reeds Spring High and how to improve, we’ve asked a few to tell us what they think. We interviewed students asking them things like what kind of characteristics make up a good principal or teacher and what they would change about the school if they could, and believe me, the results were pretty phenomenal. There was lots of feedback.
One student in particular took the question to another level; a personal level. Michael Shepard responded saying he thinks of a great teacher as someone who “isn’t afraid to push”. He said he’d love to have a teacher that would encourage and push him to do his best. He also said the teacher should be willing to push past the student’s limits, to help them expand educationally and achieve more in their educational lifetime. This response I know for sure hit home.
I remember one student who probably could have written a book about what she thought needed to be changed within our school walls. Savannah Essay was mostly concerned for the students and their education. Savannah feels that we have a loose grading system and that we aren’t being prepared for college. She just wants our school to prepare us better for college because we all know it’s coming.
I interviewed a student whose response struck me differently. His response wasn’t your typical response. Connor Beavers said he thinks a characteristic of a great teacher is someone who acts like a good parent. By this I think he means that if they act like a good parent then it shows that they care. Students want more caring teachers.
Another student I remember pretty well was Dominic Burgtorf. Now Dominic’s concern is for our students’ health. Dominic would like there to be change in the “food situation”. He’s hoping for a change in the prices of the food and the amount we are given. He wants a better lunch for everyone.
“I think someone whole hearted when I think of characteristics of a great teacher” –Parker Reinbach. “If they are willing to put in 110% to help students better their education, then I think that makes them a great teacher”.
There was one more student I interviewed with about some changes that they would like to make about the school and it was pretty straight forward. Noah Meeker would like to have more free time. He’d like to be able to hang out with his friends and still manage to get his work done. I think we can all agree that more free time would be incredibly nice.
I’m not sure about any of you, but these responses were aspiring; not just aspiring, but eye-opening. These students only want the best for themselves and I don’t think they were asking for too much. Maybe in the future, one of these students’ ideas could be used.
Now we’re going to switch gears to the second question I asked students. This would be the characteristics that they think define a great principal and teacher. These students, as well as the ones listed above, responded nicely. So nicely, I thought of several teachers right off the top of my head that I knew definitely had a few of these characteristics.
Febuary Trends By: Faith DeJager February is a strange month; the weather is confusing,
and there’s only 28 days. One day it could be snowing, and the next day it’s 60 degrees. Something that doesn’t change is the trends. Facing the reality that winter is still here and that you could be freezing your buns off for the next month can be rough, you’re constantly anticipating spring. A way to cope with the sad realization is to whip out your cute vintage clothes you thought were out of style and know that you’re doing it right. For some strange reason, your grandmother’s clothes are back on trend and I do not oppose. A piece of clothing that is unique and something nobody else probably has is what makes your look special. I’ve been reading multiple blogs that were telling me that those clothes you can’t wait to wear in spring can be easily matched with your vintage jacket that has been sitting in your mom’s closet. Even though February is an odd time of year, the fashion shows are better than ever. New concepts, or old ones that didn’t quite work out; people are not afraid of stepping out of the boundaries anymore. “Street style” is and always will continue to encourage us to be different and step out of our comfort zones, with colors coming into play with your neutral jacket. In the end, fashion comes down to what makes you feel the most comfortable and how you can portray your sense of style. If you’re comfortable with being off trend and doing your own thing, then more power to you. Fashion is endless; there are so many options at your fingertips. A way to improve your look could be through accessories, or makeup. Again, the possibilities are endless. I think you can express yourself through makeup just as much as your clothes; it just depends on how good you are at it. I always find myself watching videos of people doing their makeup or talking about products I should try out, it’s very entertaining. Watching videos has helped me to get inspiration and further my knowledge on fashion and products. Everyone has tried a bold look, girls anyway, you tried to branch out and see what suits you. There are so many different colors and formulas that make makeup a really fun experience to create something wildly different and unique. This world is full of new and exciting things; people are constantly coming up with original ideas and expanding comfort zones. Even though it’s cheesy and overly said, doing what every makes you feel like yourself and expressing you inner fashionista is the current trend. Trends are just another issue with how our world views individuals, that people should conform to the normal and live their lives a certain way to “fit in”, I say to heck with it.
Bri Beavers and Cierra Rose both think that someone understanding is a great teacher. They
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SEASONAL
Where Valentine’s Day Got Its Start By: Samantha Godfrey
ruary to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial which probably occurred around A.D. 270. Some believe that Christians chose to make the 14th Valentine’s Day in an attempt to cover Lupercalia, which is celebrated on February 15th. Lupercalia was a festival celebrating fertility; dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as the “founders” of Rome, Romulus and Remus. To begin this festival, Roman Priests would gather near a sacred cave that was believed to be the burial ground for the bodies of infant Romulus and Remus. Legend has it the infants were raised by she-wolf. The Roman priests would then proceed to sacrifice a goat (for fertility), and a dog (for purification). They would skin the goat’s hide, cut it into strips, dip them in sacrificial blood and take the strips into the street, gently slapping women with them. (weird, right?) But the Roman women were not turned away from this, in fact they welcomed it. They believed it would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later that evening, all the women would place their names in a big urn. All of the cities single men would then draw a name from the urn. They would be paired together for the next year, these matches most often ending in marriage. Another common belief of where Valentine’s Day came from is simply the beginning of bird mating season. This was celebrated in France and England, marking the 14th as a celebration for all “love birds.” Ya get it? Valentine greeting cards are traced all the way back to the Middle Ages, (though the name valentines did not show up until the 1400’s). The oldest known valentine still exists today. It was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of New Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture from the Battle of Agincourt. It was common to hire writers to compose stories, poems and love notes to give to their wives on Valentine’s Day. There are multiple different legends and beliefs as to where Valentine’s Day really got started and why it is celebrated on February the 14th. However, no matter where the holiday of love got its start, it is still celebrated worldwide, every year; bringing in a profit of over $19.6 million dollars.
Every year people all over the world celebrate February 14th as the day of love. Valentine’s day is ranked as the second most popular card-sending holiday, right behind Christmas, with approximately 150 million Valentine Cards exchanged. People are spending an obnoxious amount of money on candy, flowers and gifts all because of a guy named St. Valentine. But who really is St. Valentine and why do we celebrate him? When did this crazy obsession begin? What is so important about February 14th? First of all the legend of St. Valentine is just that, a legend. Nobody knows for sure if it really occurred. This, however, is what most believe. What we do know, is that this stems from Christian and Ancient Roman Tradition. The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine, or Valentinus. All who were killed for their religious practices. One legend says that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When the Emperor (Claudius II) decided that single men were more fit to be Roman Soldiers, then married men with families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine realized how awful the decree was and continued to marry young lovers in secret. When the Emperor (Claudius II) found out what Valentine had been doing, he ordered for him to be put to death. Other stories read that a guy named Valentine helped Christians escape harsh Roman Prisons, where they were being beaten and tortured. (later, to be put to death for his actions.)According to this story, Valentine, who was himself in prison… sent the first ever “valentine” greeting to a young-girl he had fallen in love with. Who was believed to be the jailors daughter. Before he was killed, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “from your valentine.” The famous expression we still know and use today. Although the stories waver, and the truth seems a little foggy… there is no doubt that St. Valentine was viewed as a thoughtful, heroic, and romantic figure. By the time the middle ages rolled around, Valentine was the most popular saints in England and France. It’s believed we celebrate Valentine’s Day on the 14th of Feb-
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SEASONAL
Marriage Proposals Gone Very Wrong
I really hope you or I never have to experience anything like this. “I was standing on the stairs at my parents’ house. It was so awkward, my brother had just taken a shower and was walking passed us in a towel. He then stopped and sat on the bottom stair to watch the awkwardness ensue.”
By: --
“We broke up and I was trying to move on. He called and told me he needed to talk to me, so I told him to come over. We sat in his truck and he cried and begged me to marry him. I said no and left him crying. A month later he messaged me to telling me he was going to be a dad. He had knocked her up before we had even broken up. Bullet dodged.” I now wonder where this guy is and what happened to him.
So, this is about probably the most awkward thing that could ever happen to a person but it could also be pretty funny to witness if you are there. This is a story on marriage proposals gone wrong. Well the first one I wanted to share to make you laugh was when a man proposed at a baseball game, one man’s proposal did not hit a home run at Fenway Park. A few thousand Red Sox fans witnessed an unidentified man’s failed attempt at scoring himself a fiancée on Sunday. According to a video captured by a fan, it appears the man is asking for his girlfriend’s hand in marriage on the big screen. But rather than a sweet embrace, the couple is caught arguing. The cameraman turns away from the tense moment, and fans began to weigh in on the awkward moment on social media. Sports columnist Ty Anderson took to twitter writing, “Holy h–l somebody just proposed to their girlfriend at Fenway and I think they said no.” But another fan felt the rejected man’s pain not only for his heart, but his wallet. Dude they were fighting before the question even appeared on the screen!
“I have a chronic illness that causes me to be in a lot of pain pretty much daily, but some days it hurts a lot worse. It had been one of those times where I was curled up in the fetal position crying all day wishing for sleep or death. After I had finally gotten to sleep my ex wakes me up and does the worst proposal ever. He just shoved me awake and apathetically mumbled it, mentioned some copper ring he had. My response was a less nice version of, ‘Are you serious? You couldn’t have waited?’ I probably could have been nicer, but he didn’t even give a half-assed attempt at that inopportune time.” Do you think she said yes?
The next story is from a girl’s perspective on being asked. She quoted, “I was in a three year relationship with a guy. I paid all the bills, paid off his debt, kept the apartment clean, lost 30 pounds and then he cheated on me so I broke up with him. We met up for dinner one night to end everything on good terms and that’s when he proposed. I flat out said no. His reaction was to cry and sing me Bruno Mars songs. I’m sure he hates Bruno Mars now. Oh, I forgot to mention he also pulled a Seth Rogen and proposed with an empty box.” That’s probably the worst proposal of all time if not then I couldn’t imagine how bad another one could be.
“This is my friend’s story. She’s an independent person with a good career, her own car and apartment. She was dating this man who she found out thought that women should not have jobs other than cleaning the house and taking care of the children. She was about to break up with him when he proposed to her at a crowded restaurant. All the patrons looked on while this happened. She panicked and nodded to keep up an act while she whispered ‘no, pancake’ to him. He went along with this and they fake smiled and shared an awkward hug while all the patrons clapped. Later, they broke up.” Wow that is weird how they even lasted to the point where he could even ask.
This story is short but also pretty bad. The girl said this is how it went, “He proposed in the middle of a Tim Hortons parking lot with a bread twist-tie. I was 18, but thankfully not an idiot.” There had to have been something wrong with this guy.
“When I found out I was pregnant, my then-boyfriend asked, ‘So, do you wanna, like, go get married before you tell your mom you’re pregnant?’ I laughed in his face. I left him a few months later. He proposed again, about three weeks after my son was born. I politely declined this time, and he said, ‘Haha, April Fools!’ (It was April 1) I’m pretty sure he wasn’t trying to prank me, though. I mean, he had a ring and everything.” Whether he was serious or not he had a great idea of asking on April 1st.
“I had been dating a guy, a bit older than me, for less than a month. I was a sophomore in college. I came home one day and he had convinced my roommate to let him in and I found him in my room, the space covered with paper hearts he cut out, him kneeling on the floor with roses in one hand and a ring in the other. I handled it badly, I pretended I didn’t see any of it and said ‘Oh hi! Didn’t know you were coming over! Be right back, I need to use the bathroom’ and then called my roommate from the bathroom to tell her since she let him in, she can kick him out. I haven’t spoken to him since.” Now that’s an awkward situation to be in. I wonder if her roommate actually kicked her out.
I hope you have fun reading this article, thank you!
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ENTERTAINMENT
Latest Movies By: Alexis Plumb
We all know that there are plenty of new movies that have come out recently such as Jumanji; Welcome to the jungle, The Greatest Showman, Pitch Perfect Three, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. But February is a big month for many movies such as The 15 : 17 to Paris, Winchester, Black Panther and Everyday. The 15 : 17 to Paris is a drama thriller that was released February 9th 2018. From Clint Eastwood comes “The 15:17 to Paris,” which tells the real-life story of three men whose brave act turned them into heroes during a high-speed railway ride. In the early evening of August 21, 2015, the world watched in stunned silence as the media reported a thwarted terrorist attack on Thalys train #9364 bound for Paris—an attempt prevented by three courageous young Americans traveling through Europe. The film follows the course of the friends’ lives, from the struggles of childhood through finding their footing in life, to the series of unlikely events leading up to the attack. Throughout the harrowing ordeal, their friendship never wavers, making it their greatest weapon and allowing them to save the lives of the more than 500 passengers on board. It has nothing but good reviews, at first it’s very boring but throughout the movie it gets going into a great thriller.
NEWS
of vengeful ghosts -- and the most terrifying among them have a score to settle with the Winchesters. This movie has many mixed reviews but isn’t all around bad.
Updates
The action fantasy movie the Black Panther is yet to be released on February 16th 2018. After the death of his father, T’Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. When a powerful enemy suddenly reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king -- and as Black Panther -- gets tested when he’s drawn into a conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people. it’s another great movie of the Marvel series. Another drama yet to be released on February 23, 2018 is the movie Everyday. This movie entails a Sixteen-year-old Rhiannon falls in love with A, a mysterious spirit who inhabits a different body every day. Feeling an unmatched connection, Rhiannon and A try to find each other on a daily basis, always unsure of what or who the next day will bring. Soon, the realities of loving someone who is a different person every 24 hours starts to take its toll, leaving Rhiannon and A to face the hardest decision either has ever had to make. It has yet to have any reviews but the story plot seems inspiring and takes a spin on reality about true love. All of these February movies all seem very good and have a very good selection. I can’t wait to go watch the moves that haven’t came out yet. 2018 is starting out as a good year for movies, many more great movies to come.
PIGZILLA The internet has its newest “hero”. A massive wild boar nicknamed “Pigzilla” was caught on video in Hong Kong going through some trash near a school. The network reports that boars can grow as big as 450 pounds, and are commonly seen in the hills around Hong Kong, and some come into the city looking for scraps. Naturally, footage of Pigzilla posted on Facebook quickly turned the animal into a social media sensation. The Boar has quickly gone viral and many people have tweeted about it; saying stuff such as: “If there isn’t a band named Pigzilla by noon tomorrow then rock really is dead.” “You vs the guy she tells you not to worry about...” “The Pigzilla will be our last hope and saviour against the sentient dog robots” “We regret to inform you Pigzilla actually has pretty woke opinions and volunteers to help in nursing homes.” As you can tell, this huge boar has taken over the internet around the Hong Kong area, and has quickly became a sensation
is really cool and a great step in their life, and is very great of that school to give these teachers an opportunity to fulfill their dreams. This shows the world that nothing is truly impossible; and if you really try hard for your goals, you can achieve about anything.
By: Carl Polk
17 Students dead horrific school shooting
On February 14th, 2018, A truly horrific scene occurred at Parkland High school (FL). A man named Nikolas Cruz apparently gunned down students and staff in the halls of the school, killing a total 17 students. The investigators are saying the motive was because the student was previously expelled from the school due to bad behavior and aggressive outbreaks. The former student entered the school with smoke grenades, a gas mask, an AR-15, and several magazines. The gunner pulled the fire alarm and started gunning down students and teachers who were coming down the hallway out in the open. The police the plan he put in play was intended for maximum causalities. Many students filmed the disaster on their phones, with videos ranging from them running away from the school, hiding under the desks while gunshots were being fired right outside their door, FBI and SWAT entering the rooms and demanding students to stick their hands in the air, and even videos of the aftermath, with dead bodies and blood in the hallways. The suspect supposedly tried to hide and blend in with the other students while leaving the building, but was eventually caught by the police and taken into custody. This was truly a scary incident that no person should ever have to experience. There are a lot of facts that have not fully been released yet, but will soon be announced once everything is taken care of.
Joined Twins’ Hope After returning from college, these conjoined twins Abby and Brittany Hensel excitedly shopped and prepared for their first day of school as fifth grade math teachers. As their mother stated, when they were younger, the twins each wanted separate careers from the other, but are now ecstatic about embarking on their new shared career. The school is as equally excited to have the twins as part of their staff. This
Winchester is a horror, thriller, fantasy movie that was released February 2nd 2018. It’s about the most haunted house in the world sits on an isolated stretch of land that’s 50 miles outside of San Francisco. Built by Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester fortune, it stands seven stories tall and contains hundreds of rooms. To an outsider, it looks like a monstrous monument to a disturbed woman’s madness. But Sarah’s actually building a prison, an asylum for hundreds
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NEWS
SPORTS
Florida School Shooting
The question that is rising across the nation is how to stop these shootings from happening. There are some solutions that could help with the rising problem. One of the solutions is news stations not releasing the name of the suspect. When news stations do this it gives attention to the shooter. This should not be happening. The attention should be brought the the students and teachers that died during these
By: Collin Briley
T On Wednesday in a Southern Florida high school a devastating event happened. This devastating event was a school shooting that happened Wednesday afternoon. Authorities report that seventeen students and teachers were killed during this tragedy. This event has left the country in even more panic about these shootings that are occurring across the country. The suspect of the shooting who is a 19 year old student gunned down several students and teachers with a rifle. Authorities report that the suspect had a rifle and several magazines that he used for the shooting. The shooting took place at Stoneman Douglas High School. It was shortly before 3pm that the fire alarm was pulled and left tons of kids and teachers unaware of what was happening. The suspect had set up outside and as the students and teachers came outside he started shooting shot after shot towards the students. As the students and teachers started to run back inside the suspect followed them back into the building proceeding his malicious actions. According to authorities the suspect was arrested in the neighboring community of Coral Springs later in the day. The suspect is currently waiting for his court appearance which will be 2 p.m. Thursday, February 22nd. The suspect was expelled from Stoneman Douglas high school due to disciplinary reasons according to superintendent of Boward County Public Schools. Authorities do not know if this is the reason of the shooting, but this could be one of the motives for the shooting. Classmates of the suspect reported to authorities that the suspect would joke about shooting and talk about guns a lot to other students. This left some of the students worried, but this didn’t leave the students too worried to report this to teachers.
on his team he is 6-0 against top tier teams, 2-0 against the Warriors, 1-0 against the Rockets, 1-0 against the Raptors, 1-0 against the Cavs, and 1-0 against the Spurs. Oklahoma started off not to hot this season because chemistry wasn’t built. There were 3 superstars on the team and they didn’t know how to divide the ball evenly. They didn’t know their roles well enough. Now as the season is halfway over OKC looks to have found their groove and is on their way to the playoffs.
Oklahoma City Thunder By: Dakota Romesburg
The Thunder stand at 32-25, 5th in the Western Conference. OKC’s big 3 is shining. Paul George is averaging 22 points per game and making a run at defensive player of the year. Russell Westbrook coming off an MVP season where he averaged a triple double throughout the year is about to average another triple double this year with 25.7 points per game, 9.3 rebounds per game, and 10.3 assist per game. Last but not least, Carmelo Anthony who is a Future Hall of Famer, is averaging 17.3 points per game and becoming a very off the ball shooter. Carmelo was known for being a ball hog but is finding rhythm in Oklahoma.
OKC will play the Cavs on February 13th and look to blow them out like they did in their last matchup.
OKC right now is playing without Westbrook and Carmelo due to ankle sprains. Paul George led them to win over the Grizzlies with role players as the starters. There is a lot of controversy if Paul George will stay in Oklahoma next season due to the fact that he and his family have a house in Los Angeles and in 2016 he said he planned to play for the Lakers when is contract ended in 2018.
terrible events. Another solution to this problem is teaching students and teachers the signs of a school shooting. If it is brought to people’s attention on how to spot a shooting before it happens won’t completely stop shootings, but it will definitely make a difference. These solutions won’t completely cut out the problem, but it might make a difference and that is all that matters. This shooting overall brought major attention to these shootings that have been happening. After this massive shooting hopefully a solution will be brought up. These problems will keep happening unless something is done to stop them. Even if it is higher security in schools or something else as long they try to fix the problem and they cut down on these shootings that is all that matters. This was a horrific event that was unfortunate to have happen to America. This event definitely brings awareness to these shooting that are happening across the nation.
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Paul has said he has been very happy in Oklahoma City. He likes it there. He likes playing with Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony. A lot of his decision relies on the outcome of the season and how far of a playoff push the Thunder makes. Some analyst think Paul is likely to stay in OKC and some disagree. On February 8th the Thunder played the Lakers in Los Angeles. The Crowd chanted “We want Paul”. 3 days later the Thunder played the Grizzlies at home. The Crowd chanted “We love Paul”. The future is uncertain for Paul George but OKC fans definitely want him to stay. Paul can lead a team, and with Westbrook out OKC would still have a superstar on the court. Paul is a good asset to the team. He has filled an empty void that was left when Kevin Durant parted ways with the team in 2016 to join the Warriors. It was a dirty move by Durant to join one of the biggest Rivals. The reason he joined the Warriors was to win a championship. Last year Russell Westbrook could not beat the Warriors as he had little help on the court. This year now that he has 2 other superstars
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Sports
Sports
McGregor vs. Mayweather By: Michael Wilson
On August 26th 2017 these two fighting legends faced off in the boxing ring. This boxing match lasted for ten long rounds for the veteran boxer and the talented MMA fighter. This fight was very hyped up and was worth a lot of money. Floyd Mayweather made 100 million from the fight and McGregor made 30 million. No matter how the fight ended both fighters would walk away with big money. Then the anticipation was over the day of the fight and it was time to see if the trash talks payed off. The fight started and McGregor started off strong, throwing heavy hands and staying in the fight with the veteran boxer. Later throughout the fight you could tell that McGregor’s early start was catching up to him because he was starting to get tired and that’s when Money Mayweather would start his attack. From the 8th to 10th round Mayweather took over and showed his veteran savvy of how to win fights in the boxing rink. In the tenth round McGregor absorbed a hard hit in the corner from Floyd and Connor stumbled around a little bit and the ref called the fight by TKO. The fight was over and Mayweather took the victory over McGregor. The trash talking was done for McGregor but Floyd never let up and said he knew that he would win and there was never any doubt in his mind. McGregor took the loss and congratulated the winner but saying that he would be back. The debates started that McGregor was still the better fighter or that Floyd will forever be the better fighter, but right after the fight there was talk about a rematch just like the Nate Diaz fight. Almost a year later there is now talk about a fight between the two greats but this time instead of a boxing match it will be inside the octagon where Connor McGregor has built his reputation. If this fight was to happen then Floyd Mayweather would have a golden opportunity to prove he is the greatest fighter of this era, but if Connor also has an amazing chance to redeem himself and show that he still rules the octagon. Both fighters are open to the idea of the cage fight and obviously the world would love to see the two competitors go at it in the cage and see which one prevails. pg14#
With the win of the incredible boxing match Mayweather improved to 50-0 for his career. But McGregor has a strong reputation with a current record of 21-3 for mixed martial arts and his only boxing match obviously was a loss leaving him 0-1 in the boxing ring. The two fighters are possibly the best of this era and every time that either one of them has a fight it is always a show to watch and the world would love to see the rematch in the octagon.
The XFL Returns
How many games will be played and what is the postseason structure?: Plans include a ten game regular season with a postseason consisting of two semi-finals and a championship game.
By: Hunter Raymond In the year 2001, the first XFL season took place. It was majorly unsuccessful and they were only able to do this one season at that time. The XFL had committed to airing two seasons, but NBC pulled out of the deal. Many people took issue that the XFL held to much in common with Vince’s other company WWE. Initially the league had higher ratings than projected, but things quickly changed and ratings began to nosedive. Seventeen years later Vince McMahon has announced that he will bring the XFL back in the year 2020. The XFL was considered to be Vince McMahon’s worst failure. Vince would not allow this to haunt him however. Many of you know Vince McMahon as the chairman of WWE. He built his media empire on the back of WWE and now wants to expand his horizons to football. He has promoted his brand of football as an alternative brand to NFL. He has stated that the XFL will have simpler rules and an easier to follow schedule than it had previously had. With many people jumping ship from the NFL, Vince looks to capitalize on those fans that still want to watch professional football. However they will have to wait until 2020.
So it appears that the XFL will be looking to make fans the important element in their future plans. Many people are not impressed or very skeptical due to the XFL’s first run. However many people are excited to see where this goes and what will happen with it. Names have been thrown around of people who could potentially play in the XFL. Tim Tebow was asked if he would be joining the XFL, but answered by saying that “2020 is a long ways from now”. Things to know about the XFL: The XFL plans to have 40 player rosters and has yet to create how play salary will work. The players will be tested for PED’s and other illicit drugs.
The website for the XFL had some frequently asked questions: Why is it launching?: According to Vince, there is a great opportunity to reimagine America’s favorite sport by putting the fans at the center. Who owns and Runs the XFL?: Vince McMahon has personally funded it through his new sports agency Alpha Entertainment. When will games be played?: Games are being planned for Sundays pg15#
NFL: Are The PlayOffs Rigged
Inzone catches Week fifteen the Steelers in the red zone they were behind twenty-seven to twenty-four Big Ben throws a slant route to Jessie James for a touchdown, but the refs ruled it as it didn’t survive the ground and so therefore it was ruled as an incompletion. Then there was the slant route thrown by Nick Foles to Zack Ertz that was ruled a catch. The same thing happened with Zack Ertz’s catch as what ha happened to Jessie Jame’s catch. . The ball was not controlled after the tight ends had hit the ground.
By: Tyler Powell Several people have recently stated it has come to their attention that the NFL Playoffs might have been rigged. There has been several instances where calls were questionable and throughout the season there were several questionable calls. There are several circumstances where you can see Tom Brady of the New England Patriots signals the refs and the game clock will jump back up to twenty seconds. There is also other circumstances where coaches were told to throw the game in the fourth quarter, but we are going to go over these circumstances and the explanations.
We have to understand there are going to be bad calls and the referees can’t see or catch everything. The NFL is also under the entertainment category in which means its going to have some rigged games. They have to make money somehow, and not all games are rigged. The thing is it comes down to who has the most money and the most resources in the NFL. who ever has those is going to have an advantage the NFL is a money game. We can’t stop it but we can still enjoy it and we can still support our teams.
Tom Brady Signaling The Referees: Week Fourteen of the regular season New England versus Baltimore there was an occurrence were New England’s offense was on the field. The game clock hits seventeen seconds, but brady does his little pump signal and looks at the referee, the referee looks up to the clock managers and does a pump to reset the clock to twenty-five seconds. Which is completely legal if the referee feals the offense is at a disadvantage for example if the offense had a late substitution. The reason there was so much controversy was due to no late substitution, and the same thing happened week fifteen against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In both those games the Patriots won. There was also a controversial call in that game against the Steelers that was a big reason they lost that game but we will get to that in the next section. In Tom Brady’s interviews he had no input on the game clock changing. Yet Zack’s Touchdown was counted.
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